36 March 19 - April 1, 2011 Publisher’sNote Spring has sprung
To go from one week with chilly temps and snow in the mountains to the next week with highs in the 70s – only in the desert, right?
Spring is here, with lovely sunshine and mild temperatures, blossoms on the parts of the trees and bushes that weren’t killed by the frosts and the phrase we hear a lot this time of year: “This is why we live in Arizona!”
We’re hoping for a beautiful day on Sat., March 26 as we hold our 4th annual ICAN Family Fun Run & 5K at the beautiful Tumbleweed Park and enjoy a walk or run up the Paseo Trail. We’re thrilled that we already have more than 100 runners signed up, thanks to ICAN’s online registration! We have 40 employees coming from Catholic Health Healthcare West, which is sponsoring them – how about some other corporate teams to meet or beat that number? We’ll have a few options for you -- a true timed 5K run along the majority of the trail; or a 2.3 mile section and a 1.7 mile path. Walk, run, stroll and bike – rollerblades are not recommended, as there are some dirt and gravel areas to cross – and have fun in this lovely weather.
Rain or shine, gather at the McDowell Pavilion before and after the race for lots of goodies, vendor booths and prizes. It’s going to be lots of fun! For details, see the cover page story.
Meanwhile, this issue we’re covering the proposed increase in property tax rates, under consideration by the Chandler City Council, along with a story about an area company, Uncle Bear’s Grill and Bar, successfully building a local chain of restaurants.
Congratulations to Chandler Police Dept. Cmdr. Ed Upshaw for receiving the Department’s Community Service Award. Ed has been a long-time supporter of ICAN, and has worked tirelessly to help Chandler kids.
The census numbers are in, and while Chandler grew a whopping 33 percent in the last 10 years, it’s actually lower than the initial estimates. But it still means we are the fourth largest city in the state, which is still a good honor. We feature Rio Salado College in our Business profile this issue, along with Prime Time Athletics on our Neighbors cover.
Check out the Mom of the Year award promos throughout the paper, and consider nominating the special woman in your family! Lots of great prizes continue to come in, and we’ll be holding a Dad of the Year award as well. Deadline is April 15 for nomination emails.
We’re working on a story for our April 2 issue on car and property crimes in the SanTan Sun area. If you have been a victim of a burglary or theft, email us the details at
info@santansun.com.
Also, if you or anyone you know has family or friends in Japan, we’d like to hear any personal stories about how the victims there are faring following the terrible tragedy there. Again, email your contact information to info@santansun. com.
It’s been good to have our son home from ASU for spring break, and Geoff is doing better with his chemo this week. Thanks for all your lovely words and kind notes; and as always, thanks for reading the SanTan Sun News.
Opinion
Community Easier than ever
Commentary
to access City info, staff by Councilmember Jeff Weninger
Keeping open lines of communication is essential when responding to the needs of our residents. Today there are many ways to share information. Whether it’s Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn or the City of Chandler website, access to electronic communication has never been easier.
The City recently rolled out its newly designed website at
www.chandleraz.gov. The site provides information about City departments, programs and services while providing improved
navigation and functionality. Through the site, residents can conveniently perform a number of online tasks that include utility bill payments, recreation class registration and, when available, job applications. Local businesses can also utilize the site to pay their sales tax or apply for licenses.
The Contact Us option in the upper right-hand corner of the home page takes the resident to the Contact Chandler form. Once there, visitors can search for information on a topic within the site and hopefully, find the answer to their question or submit a request for information or service. This is one of the ways that City staff and the Mayor and Council respond to requests. This feature also serves as a great tool to receive feedback from our residents.
Additionally, the City provides notification emails about current Chandler news, meeting agendas, road closures, and a number of other items. The subscription information is located on the City’s website under “E-services.” As a councilmember, I feel it’s important for residents to be kept well informed about their city government. Furthermore, communication is vital to our democratic process and decision-making efforts. This is one of the reasons I routinely use Facebook and Twitter as well as video messaging to communicate to my constituents. I have found these options to be great tools.
A couple of years ago the City opened Twitter and Facebook accounts as an additional means to get information out to the community. As of this writing, the City has 3,295 followers on Twitter and 6,432 individuals who “Like” the website. As individuals become more familiar with these social networking sites, the number of participants will also continue to grow. My Facebook link is:
www.facebook.com/JeffWeninger1 or I can be followed on Twitter: @jeffweninger.
Understandably, not all residents are comfortable using these electronic forms of communication. The option of attending a council meeting or making a phone call to the Mayor and Council office at 480-782-2200 is certainly welcome. Also, emails may be sent to my office at
jeff.weninger@chandleraz.gov.
When we give residents opportunities to engage with their government, we build a stronger community. It is through such communication that the City can continue to provide great service while striving for constant improvement.
www.SanTanSun.com
Mom of the Year award Laurie Fagen, Publisher Laurie Fagen, Publisher
Have a story idea or news tip? Know of an interesting photo opportunity? How about positive feedback or constructive comments? We’d like to hear from you. Email us at
News@SanTanSun.com..
DEADLINES:
Nominate your mother for the SanTan Sun News first Mom of the Year award. In 100 words or less, send us an email telling us why the special lady in your life deserves this honor. Everyone’s a winner: For the top mom selected by a SanTan Sun News panel, we’ll send a photographer to get her photo, and we’ll include her story in the May issue of the SanTan Sun News. The next top three mothers will have their nomination letters printed, and all moms nominated will get their name in the paper. There will also be prizes! Email information by the deadline of April 15 to
Award@SanTanSun.com, and put MOM OF YEAR in the subject line.
The Deadline for Editorial and Advertising for the FEBRUARY 16, 2002 issue is
Deadlines for the April 2, 2011 issue: ADVERTISING:
MAILING ADDRESS: PO Box 23 Chandler, AZ 85244-0023
TELEPHONE: 480-732-0250
FAX LINE: 480-883-8714
©2011 SanTan Sun News
For News Tips, Classified Ads, Editorial Articles, or Letters, email is preferred.
NEWS EMAIL ADDRESS:
News@SanTanSun.com
ADS EMAIL ADDRESS:
Ads@SanTanSun.com
WEBSITE ADDRESS:
www.SanTanSun.com
FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 8, 2002Thursday, March 24, 2011
Wednesday, March 23, 2011 EDITORIAL:
38,000 Total Circulation 29,500+ Driveways
Fifty square mile coverage area from Price/101 to Greenfield and from Frye to Hunt Highway.
PUBLISHER Laurie Fagen
ADVERTISING/PRODUCTION Geoff Hancock
ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT Darlene Keberle
GRAPHIC ARTS/PRODUCTION Shawn Patrick
WEBSITE MAINTAINED BY Susan Kovacs, n-ergizing
ACCOUNT EXECUTIVES Jane Meyer Debbie Jennings
WRITERS Lynda Exley, Editor Susan Henderson, Managing Editor
K.M. Lang Sharon McCarson Alison Stanton
PHOTOGRAPHER Gordon Murray
CONTRIBUTORS Allison Thomas, Kristen Boyd, Lisa Shore, Suzanne Incorvaia, Susan Hegarty, Kerry Kester, Anne Keefer, Tracy Thunem, Justin Sremba, Robyn Kelly, Tammy Douglas, Laura Thornburg, Jennifer Sifuentes, Tracy House, Peg Newendyke, John Studzinski, Rita Fassinger, Dave Constance, Zachary Nasipak, Vickie Savory
Miriam Van Scott Ann Videan Joan Westlake
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