County Supervisor Snider welcomes season of change

We’re about to wrap up the month of June, which for many families is the start of the summer season when the kids are enjoying a respite from the rigors of studying and parents are lamenting the lack of a respite from the work-a-day world that has long since stopped slowing down in the summer months.

And for those of us who don’t have school-age reminders of summer vacation time, there is always the lure of a dash to the coast or the mountains for a breath of cooler climate.

Unfortunately we all suffer from the inexplicable problems of working twice as hard in advance of the time off … and 10 times as hard to catch up when we return to the workplace.

But June is also a month of changes – and not just from 90 degree days to 110 degree days. The face of the Maricopa City Council has evolved as Mayor Kelly Anderson and Councilmen Kelly Haddad, Will Dunn, and Dallas Paulsen (sitting in for Steve Baker who moved out of Pinal some months ago for work-related reasons) left office.

Mayor Anderson and Councilmen Dunn and Haddad labored long and hard in the effort to create the city of Maricopa where there had been no city. Under the best of circumstances, giving birth to a city is no easy or simple task but these gentlemen gave it their all over the past five years and they deserve our thanks for their time and dedication.

And Councilman Paulsen gets kudos as well for having stepped up to serve his city in its time of need – he put in endless hours of research and meetings to do his best on behalf of his neighbors in Maricopa.

These retiring gentlemen in Maricopa have been succeeded by a new group of faces, led by Mayor Anthony “Tony” Smith. Joining him in the Council hot-seats are Marquisha Griffin, Marvin Brown, and Carl Diedrich. I wish them all the best in their pursuit of excellence in public service and commit to them that Pinal County will be there to work with them as we face the challenges of growth, development, economic development, and change.

At the top of this column, I spoke of the summer months and children being released from the bonds of the classroom. I want to take this opportunity to urge everybody to drive extra carefully in residential neighborhoods because kids don’t look when they’re playing in the front yards of our neighborhoods. Please, if you have a pool, don’t relax your vigilance: even two seconds of inattention can be fatal for young ones who are naturally fascinated by water. Let’s all get through this 2008 summer time without a fatality due to drowning in a backyard pool.

Finally, here’s my sincerest Happy Birthday wish to the United States of America! This July 4 marks the 232nd birthday of our beloved country and I know we’ll be gorging ourselves on all the typical food groups while looking toward the skies at dusk for fireworks. As you do so, please join me in thanking all those who have served or who are currently serving our country in all branches of the U.S. military.

Thank those who serve and protect us here at home – both police officers and firefighters. Thank those who work so hard to make our country’s economy strong and vibrant and those who teach our future generations the truths that keep us free. God Bless America, Arizona, and Pinal County.

David Snider is the Chairman of the Pinal County Board of Supervisors.

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