GIRL POWER Turnover She Can Make You Cry
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www.InMaricopa.com March 2020 PEOPLE GOVERNMENT Eat, sleep, Re-imagine breathe Heritage roller derby District BUSINESS Self-employed and uninsured FAMILY Teacher GIRL POWER turnover She can make you cry Calendar + of Events 6TH ANNUAL 5K POKER RUN CURRENTLY ENROLLING FUTURE LOCATION GRADES 7-10 (FUTURE 7-12) 41735 W. Alan Stephens Parkway SPACE IS LIMITED! UPCOMING EVENTS WHERE OUR MISSION STUDENTS/FAMILIES CAN A+ Charter Schools empowers students in MEET WITH US reaching their greatest potential by becoming • March 3, 6:00 p.m. responsible individuals of character and Informational Meeting at Leading Edge Academy • March 7 excellence, engaged community members, and Salsa Festival at Copper Sky lifelong learners in an ever changing society. • March 28 SATURDAY, APRIL 11, 2020 Copa Color Fun Run & Walk at Copper Sky OUR MODEL 8:30AM - 2PM · $35 PER PERSON • Project-Based Learning PORTRAIT OF A GRADUATE • Advisory and Academic Success Groups Schoolwide Learner Outcomes USE PROMO CODE COPA2020 FOR $10 OFF REGISTRATION • Portrait of a Graduate INCLUDES: RACE • $20 IN FREE SLOT PLAY • MEDAL • SHIRT POOL PARTY • FOOD & BEVERAGE • LIVE ENTERTAINMENT LEARN MORE & REGISTER TODAY BY VISITING HARRAHSAKCHIN.COM [email protected] A PORTION OF THE PROCEEDS GO TO THE UNITED WAY OF PINAL COUNTY, 41600 W. Smith-Enke Road, Bldg. 12 GIRLS ON THE RUN MARICOPA & PINAL COUNTIES Monday-Friday 9 a.m. – 4 p.m. AND THE OCULAR MELANOMA FOUNDATION. Thursday 9 a.m. – 7 p.m. (520) 265-5589 Follow us on Principal Rachele Reese harrahsakchin.com PLAY FOR ALL. Enrollment: enroll.aplusaz.org or scan code Price subject to increase. Management reserves the right to change or cancel this promotion at any time without prior notice. Must be 21 or older to gamble and participate in the pool party. Know When To Stop Before You Start.® Gambling Problem? Call 1-800-522-4700 or 1-800-NEXT STEP. ©2020 Caesars License Company, LLC. See offi cial rules at the Caesars Rewards Center for complete details. Letter FROM THE EDITOR (480) 360-1234 Publisher www.911-AC.com How tough are you? SCOTT BARTLE Editor RAQUEL HENDRICKSON ometimes toughness is personal; some- homes have been removed from the area that is times it’s part of a culture. one of Maricopa’s oldest and sometimes roughest Writers On our cover is Alezet Valerio, the neighborhoods. To see how much the entire city JOYCELYN CABRERA RAQUEL HENDRICKSON latest in her family of boxers has changed just in the past 20 years, S JOAN KOCZOR to compete (and win) on the national check out our history photos. FRAN LYONS stage. While boxing’s pull generally has In this issue, we look at challenges DAYV MORGAN diminished in recent years, it remains caused by teacher turnover and self- KYLE NORBY deeply embedded in the cultural lives employment health insurance costs. We HARRIET PHELPS MURRAY SIEGEL of American neighborhoods around the check in on Maricopa High School’s new RON SMITH country and is growing in Mexico. For engineering courses and catch up with youths, do the benefits outweigh the City Councilmember Henry Wade. Photographers dangers? You be the judge. You can also check our calendar for JOYCELYN CABRERA Also not afraid of full-contact sports are the March’s many events. RAVEN FIGUEROA RAQUEL HENDRICKSON women of the growing Casa Grande Roller Derby Happy reading, VICTOR MORENO league, which includes Maricopa skaters. We catch KYLE NORBY up with four who lace up for regular bouts in what is still considered a subversive sport after more Designer than 80 years. CARL BEZUIDENHOUT A bit of Maricopa culture has been undergoing RAQUEL HENDRICKSON | Editor Advertising [email protected] changes as the City envisions redevelopment of SCOTT BARTLE what is called the Heritage District. Several old 520-568-0040 JAIME HARRISON VINCENT MANFREDI MICHELLE SORENSEN Volume 15, Issue 3 InMaricopa 44400 W. Honeycutt Road, Suite 101 Contributors Maricopa, AZ 85138 Maintenance, Repair & Installation 520-568-0040 Tel • 520-568-0050 Fax Air Conditioning [email protected] [email protected] & Heating 10% Discount MISSION Seniors First Responders & Teachers Inform readers/viewers. Enrich advertisers. BELIEFS CHECK OUR REVIEWS ON We believe in: • An informed citizenry. • Holding ourselves and others accountable. • The success of deserving businesses. • Uniting our community. $89.95 VALUES Tune-Up RAVEN FIGUEROA FRAN LYONS KYLE NORBY • Integrity A senior at Maricopa High A life coach and public- The multi-media specialist • Accountability School, he is a photography relations specialist, she lived worked as an activities • Open, honest and real-time communication • Prosperity for clients, community, company intern and a member of in Cave Creek and Prescott coordinator for Wyndham and employees/contractors Graphic Art & Design. before calling Maricopa home. Vacation Ownership at the Grand Desert property in Published advertisements are not an endorsement Las Vegas before returning of products or advertising claims by InMaricopa. No part of this magazine may be reproduced by $200 Off home to Maricopa. 2018 Maricopa any means without the prior written permission In-Duct Air Purifier & Installation of InMaricopa. Copyright 2020. Chamber of Commerce ON THE COVER: Alezet Valerio, 14, won a national boxing championship and is part of a family of fighters now living in Maricopa Meadows. Photo by Victor Moreno SMALL BUSINESS 2 InMaricopa.com | March 2020 OF THE YEAR 0% FINANCING Contents March 2020 LEADING OFF PEOPLE SENIOR LIVING Editor’s letter 2 Gallery 18 Joan Koczor on freon 42 Contributors 2 Roller derby mavens 20 Ron Smith on AIP 43 History photo 4 FAMILY THINGS TO DO GOVERNMENT Gallery 26 Calendar 44 Heritage District re-envisioned 10 Silver Gloves champ 28 Chocolate run 45 Q&A with Henry Wade 8 CTE Engineering 32 Lions golf 46 Teacher turnover 34 BUSINESS Murray Siegel on letter grades 36 BUSINESS DIRECTORY 49 Merging companies 10 TRENDING 56 Health insurance struggles 12 HOME Briefs 14 Most expensive home of the month 30 Dayv Morgan on HOA fees 41 History HIRING! Maricopa from the air The growth of Maricopa was dramatic between 2002 and 2006, when the city was a poster child of the housing boom. Spend time with your playful side and inspire grown-ups to play! The post-recession surge is evident again from the air, showing the spreading residential areas and the businesses Hourly, salary, day or night – we have something to suit your interest! along John Wayne Parkway as well as Copper Sky. Casino Games Food & Beverage Hospitality Audio Visual Guest Services Marketing Finance 2020 Kyle Norby (flight courtesy of Andy Estes, Desert Rat Aviation) Apply online today at www.caesars.com/careers or Call 480-802-5112 harrahsakchin.com PLAY FOR ALL. 2002 2006 City of Maricopa City of Maricopa Must be 21 or older to gamble. Know When To Stop Before You Start.® Gambling Problem? Call 1-800-522-4700 or 1-800-NEXT STEP. ©2020 Caesars License Company, LLC. 4 InMaricopa.com | March 2020 Stagecoach Lane, Maricopa Avenue will be Heritage Lane and a section of Maricopa-Casa Grande Highway between Plainview Street and the curve to Maricopa Road will be called Mercado Street. Rodolfo Lopez, deputy director of the Economic and Community Development Department, said the purpose is to “somewhat rebrand” the Maricopa Townsite subdivision to “create a sense of place.” A neighborhood open house was held in November followed by a meeting of the Heritage District Committee in December to work out the new street names. The plan had been to change slightly GOVERNMENT Arizona Avenue, a road between Plainview and Burkett/Pershing, to Arizona Lane. However, Councilwoman Julia Gusse wanted one of the roads to reflect the “predominantly Latino” heritage of the area. Because naming streets after some local families might cause conflict within the neighborhood, she suggested instead changing the name of Arizona Avenue to Cesar Chavez Lane for the revered, Arizona- born labor leader. City Manager Rick Horst affirmed he discussed the issue with Gusse earlier and One city concept is to turn the area into a marketplace and plaza that reimagines the took it back to city staff, which agreed with the use of the Amtrak station. change. The council also agreed. The Heritage District, the oldest The new street names come atop a restaurants and parking as well as an event A Horst caveat in the strategic plan was Street name changes precede neighborhood in Maricopa, redevelopment vision that would turn the area plaza for gatherings and concerts. The idea is that the City’s role in the Heritage District is under the city’s eye for into a pedestrian-friendly marketplace, hence to have the new Main Street feed directly into a redevelopment should be as a facilitator, not a grand plans for Heritage District redevelopment. So far, that has the street name of Mercado. Lopez said that plaza south of the new Mercado Street, a plaza driver. So, lining up commercial developers to included demolitions and street- was also homage to a former mercantile store that would include the Amtrak station. buy into the vision is a priority. Story and photos by Raquel Hendrickson name changes. that existed until 2007. (Maricopa has an existing commercial As creative place-making, the During a strategic planning session, area known as Maricopa Station northeast redevelopment of the Heritage District is part the council looked at ideas for a “Maricopa of the John Wayne Parkway/Smith-Enke of the city manager’s Wildly Imaginative Goals hen the folks at City Hall Station” that could include revamping the Road intersection that includes eateries from (WIGs). talk about Heritage District Amtrak station and adding areas for retail, Freddy’s to Chipotle.) A similar “economic development redevelopment, they are not enhancement project” is a vision to revitalize W just talking about changing the old section of Maricopa just south of the street names.