by Corinne Murdock | Dec 23, 2023 | News
By Corinne Murdock |
Christmas cheer was shared in Glendale with over 5,000 children and their families last weekend, as part of an annual event to give gifts to those in need.
Glendale Mayor Jerry Weiers and Councilman Ian Hugh helped host the “Toy Joy” event, arranged by the nonprofits Alpha Nation and their partner AZ Goods at the Glendale Civic Center. The event took place over the course of four hours last Sunday.
Weiers expressed gratitude for the two organizations’ efforts in his weekly newsletter.
“The volunteers from Alpha Nation are truly remarkable. The motto of Glendale is ‘improving the lives of the people we serve every day,’” said Weiers. “The members of Alpha Nation and their partner organization, AZ Goods, embodied that principle.”
Goodwill was abundant this year: children were able to choose from tens of thousands of toys.
Among the Christmas toys were hundreds of bikes, board games, dolls, and the ever-popular Baby Yoda toy. In addition to the gifts, children were entertained with festivities like face painting and games.
The event almost didn’t happen this year; it was up to Glendale leadership to help save Christmas. The previous location used for the festivities was unavailable. The city stepped up by securing a promotional spot, engaging in mass advertising, and securing a venue for the event.
In a promotional video, Alpha Nation CEO Veronica Barraza said that their aim is to bring joy to the children of Glendale.
“It feels good to do it; it’s bringing back happy faces to those kids that really need it,” said Barraza.
Also present were Glendale’s fire and police departments. Those first responders assisted in ensuring a healthy and safe event occurred. Additionally, the Arizona Rangers provided oversight of the toy delivery for distribution.
Weiers said that the Christmas festivity was just one manifestation of his duty to improve the lives of his constituents, especially in the present economic time.
“We all know families that are struggling with daily life right now. We know the expectations of children during the holiday season are high, making the stress level on parents and guardians even higher,” said Weiers. “Because I have dedicated my life to improving the lives of the people I serve, it only seemed natural to accept the challenge of making this event happen.”
The mayor encouraged Glendale residents and fellow Arizonans to get involved in the good doings of Alpha Nation and AZ Goods.
“The public private partnership we developed with AZ Goods and their nonprofit partner, Alpha Nation, through this event changed lives and I encourage each and every one of you to learn more about these organizations,” said Weiers. “I cannot thank everyone who was involved in this event enough. Each and every one of you exemplified the reason for the season. Thank you.”
AZ Goods was established in 2020 through a partnership between Sunshine Acres Children’s Home in Mesa and the national nonprofit organization Good360. AZ Goods distributes donated goods currently to over 100 nonprofits.
Corinne Murdock is a reporter for AZ Free News. Follow her latest on Twitter, or email tips to corinne@azfreenews.com.
by Daniel Stefanski | Nov 15, 2023 | News
By Daniel Stefanski |
While the contests weren’t as significant as in other states , last Tuesday, Arizonans concluded a month of elections, which largely took place via absentee ballots.
The majority of races across the state, primarily in Maricopa County, were for bond approvals. Flagstaff voters made decisions on almost two dozen questions, while Tucson voters considered mayoral and city council selections.
Opponents of municipal bonds had a decent night of results. On the Arizona Republic’s Election Tracker page, twelve of forty-four of those questions appeared to be rejected by voters. Many of those results came in the west and east regions of Maricopa County.
In the lead-up to the election, both the Arizona Free Enterprise Club and the Arizona Tax Research Association (ATRA) shed light on the spending requests up for adjudication by the voters. ATRA wrote in September that the “$3.5 billion in bonds is easily the largest statewide K12 bond request in history.” The Arizona Free Enterprise Club added, “This level of borrowing being sought by local school districts is both unwise and unnecessary, especially given the large amounts of money that have been pumped into the system.”
Most of the bond questions were approved, however, with several of those results occurring in Glendale and Phoenix. Glendale had five successful bond outcomes and Phoenix had four.
Jeff Barton, the City of Phoenix’s Manager thanked his municipality’s voters for their positive support for the bonds, saying, “Thank you, Phoenix residents, for supporting the 2023 General Obligation Bond Program. Because of your support, we will be able to fund critical infrastructure and rehabilitation needs of both aging City facilities and areas of rapid growth, with new and enhanced parks, libraries, fire and police stations, affordable housing, street improvements and more.”
In 2024, Arizona voters will have higher-profile races to make determinations on, including a President of the United States, a U.S. Senator, and a bulging list of initiatives with critical implications for the future of the state. Although elections in even years have both mail-in and in-person components, most of the voting is still done via absentee opportunities, making the return of those ballots critical to candidates’ and propositions’ successes.
Daniel Stefanski is a reporter for AZ Free News. You can send him news tips using this link.
by Daniel Stefanski | Nov 1, 2023 | News
By Daniel Stefanski |
Two Arizona cities are among the top ten in America for military veterans to live, according to a recently released survey.
WalletHub issued its findings for its latest installment of the Best and Worst Places for Veterans to Live, showing Scottsdale and Gilbert among the highest-ranked municipalities in the nation. Scottsdale clocked in at the sixth-ranked city, and Gilbert as the eighth highest.
Chandler (#11), Mesa (#29), Glendale (#37), Tucson (#46), and Phoenix (#58) also appeared on the list of 100 cities.
WalletHub used four dimensions as determining factors for its report: Employment, Economy, Quality of Life, and Health.
Scottsdale received two top-ten marks in the “Economy” and “Quality of Life” dimensions. Gilbert received one top-ten distinction in the “Employment” dimension and an eleventh-ranked notation for “Economy.”
The Veterans Association estimates that there are more than 18 million veterans in the United States. WalletHub releases this annual study “to help military veterans find the best places in which to settle down.”
The City of Scottsdale has an online page dedicated to military events, giving these American heroes easy access to resources and organizations they might need. The foreword for the page states, “No matter when you served or where you served, we honor your service, your sacrifice and your dedication to the United States of America. The people of Scottsdale have a great admiration and the utmost gratitude for the men and women who selflessly served – and serve – this country.”
The Town of Gilbert also has a webpage for military veterans, which is “intended to boost engagement with veterans and their families in our community, provide for recognition, and connect them with needed resources.” Gilbert’s Veterans Advisory Board seeks to “create a supportive Town atmosphere and examine issues affecting the health and well-being of service members, veterans, and their families.”
Daniel Stefanski is a reporter for AZ Free News. You can send him news tips using this link.
by Corinne Murdock | Sep 21, 2023 | News
By Corinne Murdock |
The Foothills Library plans to host a “He/She/They: Why Pronouns Matter” event next week with funding from the Arizona State Library and Arizona Humanities.
The Arizona State Library is a division of Secretary of State Adrian Fontes’ office; Arizona Humanities is a nonprofit affiliate of the independent federal agency, the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH).
According to the event summary, the pronouns lecture will focus on defining pronouns, the relations between pronouns and gender identity, and explaining various gender identities. The library rated the event as for adults on their events calendar.
The event is one in a series of “FRANK Talks,” produced in partnership with Arizona Humanities and the Arizona State Library.
There are 14 FRANK Talks topics across categories of Diversity, Equity & Inclusion (DEI); Civics; Education; and Environment. “He/She/They: Why Pronouns Matter” is categorized as a DEI topic, along with:
- “Decolonizing Beauty: Who is Considered Beautiful?”: a critique of the privileges and advantages given to “Western standards of beauty” defined as “blondness, fairness, blue-eyes, and slender figures (in women).”
- “What Does Language Tell Us About Society?”: how to ensure respect and inclusivity in language related to social categories of gender and race.
- “Jocks and Nerds: Stereotypes in Our Everyday Lives”: how to recognize and prevent the stereotypes that lead to both conscious and unconscious, or implicit, biases.
- “The Road to Inequity: Understanding the Wealth Gap”: a historical review of federal policies and discriminatory practices, such as redlining and the “current gender wage gap,” that persist today in the form of social and economic inequities, and how to practice equity (not equality) to counter those systems.
- “Then and Now: What is White Nationalism?” (virtual only): defining and identifying modern white nationalism, or white supremacy, groups and individuals.
- “What Happens When Social Movements and Social Justice Collide?” (virtual only): discussing the importance of social justice movements like Black Lives Matter (BLM), LGBTQ+, and #MeToo, as well as concepts like intersectionality.
The speaker for next week’s pronouns lecture is listed as FRANK Talks host Erick Tanchez. Tanchez is a self-described “Queer Xicano” that identifies both as a “he” and a “they.” Tanchez has served as a program specialist for Maricopa County Community Colleges and president of Equality Maricopa.
Tanchez is an Arizona State University (ASU) alumni, where he served as the executive director of CollegetownUSA@ASU, the college program of the national anti-gun and social justice group, Anytown USA.
Tanchez also hosts speeches for the FRANK Talks topic “Undocumented Americans: Who Gets to Go to College?”, in which he advocates for the equal treatment of illegal immigrants in college admissions.
The other FRANK Talk speakers are Kaari Aubrey, founder of a LGBTQ+ and BIPOC-only digital publishing company and former teacher; Andrea Christelle, vice provost for research at the Navajo Nation’s Diné College, founder of Philosophy in the Public Interest at Northern Arizona University; Derek Keith, a senior project manager at Arizona State University’s (ASU) Learning Enterprise responsible for internal DEI committees and trainings, and a former California educator who incorporated diversity and social justice into curriculum through courses like Social Justice literature; Mathew Nevarez, board member for the Alhambra Elementary School, alumni of AZ Leading For Change Fellowship; Gail Rhodes, PhD student and adjunct professor at ASU, former reporter for Fox Sports Network; Matthew C. Whitaker, founder of the ASU Center for the Study of Race and Democracy; and R.J. Shannon, a community activist with involvement including the founding of Healing Racism, former board membership for the Arizona ACLU, chairmanship and state liaisonship of the local committee for the anti-gun group Moms Demand Action, and planner for an indigenous LGBTQ+ conference.
On Wednesday, Arizona Humanities also hosted “The Art of Drag,” featuring Arizona State University (ASU) English professor and Drag Story Hour president David Boyles to discuss the history of drag and the experiences of modern drag performers.
Corinne Murdock is a reporter for AZ Free News. Follow her latest on Twitter, or email tips to corinne@azfreenews.com.
by Daniel Stefanski | Aug 22, 2023 | News
By Daniel Stefanski |
Glendale voters might soon have the future of a billion-dollar resort in their hands.
Worker Power Institute, a nonprofit and social welfare 501(c)(4) organization, announced that it had obtained the necessary signatures to refer the city’s and resort’s Government Property Lease Excise Tax (GPLET) arrangements to the ballot.
Over 5,500 signatures were collected, and both Glendale and Maricopa County notified parties that this referendum was eligible for the ballot. The 60-acre VAI Resort and Mattel Adventure Park is expected to be completed in 2024 and to add 1,800 jobs.
The Glendale City Council will now decide when its municipality’s voters will see this referendum on the ballot.
Before the news of the successful signature drive, Brendan Walsh, the Worker Power Institute’s Executive Director, said, “If there is one thing all developers hoping to build in Arizona should know, it’s that Arizona voters believe in fairness. And the unrestrained and unnecessary use of GPLETs is not playing fair. If developers want property tax breaks, then voters will want to see that they are getting real community benefits. I see the work we are doing as allowing voters the opportunity to have a say in how the cities they live in are built.”
GPLET agreements have been fairly common in the state – and increasingly controversial as more attention comes to these respective arrangements. Last year, the Arizona-based Goldwater Institute fought one of these episodes in the City of Phoenix with the Hubbard Street Group and plans for private real estate development.
As explained by Goldwater, “Utilizing the GPLET abatements provisions of Arizona law, the City has agreed to accept title to the Hubbard Project so that the property becomes ‘government property,’ and thus excluded from the tax rolls. Under this arrangement, the City then leases the property back to Hubbard, who controls and manages the property during the lease just as the developer would any other private business. Yet through use of the GPLET, Hubbard will pay no property taxes on the private development for eight years, while other Arizona taxpayers – in Phoenix and beyond – will be forced to shoulder the difference. At the end of the 8-year lease, the City conveys the property back to the developer. In other words, under this arrangement, private property is conveyed to the government while in reality being owned and operated by a private party for the sole purpose of evading property taxes that would otherwise be owed and to which other taxpayers are subject.”
The Goldwater Institute added, “This arrangement results in tax shifts from the private party receiving the subsidy to other taxpayers who do not. It also creates unfair competitive advantages for Hubbard, who can compete with similar businesses not only with its own resources but with those of Phoenix taxpayers.”
The differing GPLET agreements vary in size and length. While the Phoenix-Hubbard arrangement was for eight years and $7.9 million, the Glendale resort project is likely to be significantly larger. According to a report, “the previous agreement with the developer’s former owners had a valuation of $30 million in exchange for $240 million in tax revenue over the term of the incentives.” The term for Glendale would be 25 years.
The Worker Power Institute was previously credited with helping to take down the Arizona Coyotes’ move to Tempe and the proposed $2.1 billion entertainment district. In this rejected scenario, there appeared to be two GPLETs – one for eight years and one for 30 years, in order to make the hockey team’s move a reality.
Daniel Stefanski is a reporter for AZ Free News. You can send him news tips using this link.
