Community

A recent visit to Arizona took me to Maricopa, AZ, to visit family. I was so disappointed and felt the frustrations of the community of Maricopa over the driving situation going into Maricopa on 347.

A school book fair, Maricopa Police Department's call to the clergy, high school sports and representation at the Arizona Meth Project's unveiling of the statewide 'Not Even Once®' Youth Pledge will all take place this week in Maricopa.

When Alexandra Scott looks down from Heaven at the many people she has inspired, it's a pretty good bet she's also smiling approvingly at Diane Morrow, who has lived in Maricopa's Rancho El Dorado since Alexandra died in 2004.

Recall is a procedure allowing citizens to remove and replace elected officials prior to the end of their terms of office. The process is used most frequently at the local level, including Maricopa where two recalls are either ongoing or wrapping up.

Governor Janet Napolitano has announced a new approach, "making a big difference in people's lives," to deal with substance abuse from within the state's justice system - Drug Courts.

What is meth? What are its effects? What are the symptoms of meth addiction? Where does meth come from and how is it made? And, finally, why is meth so attractive to teens?

Maricopa Police Chief Patrick Melvin knows the advantages of having law enforcement chaplains to aid citizens or police officers in times of grief or extreme stress.

The week begins with a flurry of Labor Day events, including Maricopa's 3rd Annual Parent-Child Fishing Derby on Monday.

In February I touched on gangs and the violence associated with them in a very general sense. This month I feel compelled to address the issue in a very specific and personal way.

Help is on the way to local law enforcement agencies when it comes to fighting scrap metal thefts.

Pinal County Board of Supervisors Vice-Chairman David Snider will be holding his monthly office hours in Maricopa on Tuesday, Sept. 4.

Maricopa has a print account of its history; the next step is to preserve historic memorabilia and artifacts from the city's past.

I read, with some interest the front-page story of a local publication titled "City Hall -- is it working?" As a former City Council member I consider myself to be fairly informed enough to add some enlightenment to that question and to throw a little past history in at the same time.

Maricopa's Planning and Zoning Commission met Monday for updates on the status of the General Plan report, the city sign kiosk project and the proposed annexation.

Although the moon was beautiful by evening, Maricopans, either early risers or those who just couldn't get to sleep in the early hours Tuesday, had the opportunity to witness the earth's shadow slowly cross the lunar surface until a full eclipse about 3:52 a.m.

The Arizona Department of Transportation (ADOT) has begun phase 2 of the 10-mile resurfacing project of State Route 347 from the Pinal County line south to Edison Road in the City of Maricopa.

The Villages in Rancho El Dorado's HOA board recently approved the purchase of two bicycles to initiate a Pinal County Sheriff's Office (PCSO) bike patrol in that housing development.

School is back in session, so there are a number of both school and youth-related activities taking place this week. Also scheduled is a Maricopa Police Department promotion ceremony, a Planning and Zoning Commission session and a monthly book club meeting.

The small business owners are in desperate need of your patronage. I am sure you have noticed and have concerns over the recent number of small business closures. The impact of these closures have far reaching ramifications beyond the obvious inconvenience of not having specific merchandise or services available within Maricopa.

Dial 511 from either your home or cell phone. What do you get? Answers.

The sixth anniversary of September 11, 2001, approaches. As a former New York City Firefighter and the Maricopa Fire Chief, I consider that event and what has transpired since that fateful day.

Police Chief Patrick Melvin, along with all members of the Maricopa Police Department, are excited to be part of Pinal County's newly created, emergency mutual aid agreement as a member of the Pinal County Law Enforcement Association (PCLEA).

Irving Harold "Mel" Skhal, a Navy veteran and Pearl Harbor survivor who lived in Hidden Valley, died Aug. 15. Skhal was aboard the USS Downes in Pearl Harbor when the Japanese attacked the U.S. Navy. Below is an article by Joe Giumette about one of our nation's heroes, published in the May/June 2007 edition of 85239 The Magazine:

Maricopa's Community Library is supported and assisted in its programs by a group of volunteers known as the Friends of the Library.

Maricopa's City Council, meeting Tuesday night at the Global Water facility, will hear a presentation from the Pat Davis Design Group regarding the results of the recent citizen survey.

Here's what's happening this week in Maricopa. Meetings and ministries as well as an open house are highlighted.

If you think when you write your check out for your property taxes that all the money goes to Pinal County, you are mistaken.

The cover story in a recent edition of National Geographic talks about how insect colonies, hooved herds and flocks of birds manage to make individual decisions and actions that work out best for the group.

Pinal County has released its list of area road closures as of Friday.

This series of articles looked at statistical information about drowning incidents, the ABCs of Water Safety and now looks ahead to additional measures for preventing this type of tragic event from occurring.