Page 34 April 2011 This thirst for knowledge is something any parent would be happy about, of course. We just don’t want our son to blaze through the “juice stain mouth” years and skip ahead to the “I already know it all; I’m a supreme being” years. As fun as those complicated times are going to be, I need to lose a bit of my hearing fi rst and I need to age some to make sure I can handle it all. Speaking of getting older and growing up, this April issue marks the fi rst of the 19th year of publishing for the Arcadia News . It was a husband and wife duo who fi rst started providing neighborhood news to Arcadia residents under the moniker, Arcadia News . In April of 1993 the fi rst 5,000 copies were pulled from the presses and distributed to local households. Even at a modest 16 pages, that fi rst issue was tough to fi ll. A couple of paying advertisers along with the use of large fonts and double-spacing helped the cause, but certainly there was room to grow. At about that same time I was graduating from Northern Arizona University. I put in a few years of corporate sales with a couple different companies, and in 1997, decided to “retire” from the sales career to pursue my passion: writing. This coincided with my 30th birthday, so a minor midlife crisis could be the reason why I stuffed my toothbrush and sleeping bag in my Jeep and then spent four months driving around America. During this personal Great Freedom Tour, I wrote a book (unpublished) about the incredible experience on a borrowed laptop that graciously waited to break until the last leg home from Globe to Phoenix. In late 1997, I popped into the Arcadia News of fi ce (at 48th Street and Thomas) with some writing samples, looking for a job. I was amazed to be brought on board as the new humor writer, but was even more astounded to hear that I would be paid $50 per month for my column, “Straight Up with a Twist.” This was 100% more than I had earned before for any of my writing. In 1998, I was asked to join the sales team at Arcadia News , which was the same year I moved into the Arcadia neighborhood. It might have been a “step back” into sales, but now at least it was a product I could believe in. Then at the end of 2000, the owners of the paper asked me if I wanted to buy it, as they felt ready to move on to another goal that didn’t involve lots of computers, which is the direction the industry was headed. Of course I was ecstatic and agreed to the purchase, taking the helm in January 2002. The Arcadia News is a family-owned and operated company. My mother, Shirley, is the proofreader, and my father, Bob, handles the distribution. Both are retired and enjoy working part-time for the family business. The paper also employs local residents in positions like Bookkeeping, Sales, Graphic Design and Editorial. Greg can be reached via e-mail: greg@arcadianews.com. Twist Continued from page 24 TODAY’S MENU (Changes Daily - Call for Updates) Phoenix - Phoenix - 4BR/2BA House 4BR/2BA House Major Fixer-Upper - Major Fixer-Upper - $19,380 $19,380........................ Scottsdale – Scottsdale – 2BR/2.5BA Condo 2BR/2.5BA Condo Rents for $950 - Rents for $950 - $75,480 $75,480............................ Scottsdale – Scottsdale – 4BR/2BA Town Home 4BR/2BA Town Home Remodeled - Remodeled - $142,500 $142,500........................................ Scottsdale – Scottsdale – 3,112 S.F Patio Home 3,112 S.F Patio Home Pima & Indian Bend - Pima & Indian Bend - $289,900 $289,900............. Arcadia – Arcadia – Cul-de-sac Lot Cul-de-sac Lot Orig. $1,120,000 – Now - Orig. $1,120,000 – Now - $524,900 $524,900........ P.V. – P.V. – 7,329 s.f. Cust. Build 7,329 s.f. Cust. Build Orig. $4.2MM – Now - Orig. $4.2MM – Now - $2.2MM $2.2MM.............. . . . . . . . . . .. .. .. .. ... . .. .. .. .. .. .. . . . . . . . . . . .. . .. .... .. ... .. .. . . . . . . ..... .. .. . .. .. .. .. .. . . . .. .. .. .. .. .. . . . . ... . . .. .... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . WHOLESALE HO M ES WHOLESALE HO M ES DI RECT FROM THE BANK DIRECT FROM TH E BANK FREE INVESTOR BREAKFAST FREE INVESTOR BREAKFAST Second Wednesday of Every Month Second Wednesday of Every Month 9:00 am - RSVP 602-456-8876 9:00 am - RSVP 602-456-8876 J.R. Roren, REO Realtor J.R. Roren, REO Realtor Cell: 602.405.1011 JR@RealtyCentralAZ.com 44th Street Camelback Road C Andrea Roren, Broker Andrea Roren, Broker Cell: 602.405.0685 Andrea@RealtyCentralAZ.com 4350 E. Camelback Road, Suite A125 Phoenix, AZ 85018

Page 35 April 2011 Customers mingle at last year’s garden show. Photo by Gary Irish. Garden Show connects nature with local artists By Maria Herrick Valley artists will be showcasing and selling their art while networking and promoting shopping local at the seventh annual Spring Garden Art Show and Sale in Arcadia. Mostly established and local artists will be showing and selling their work at Sherrie Zeitlin’s studio garden April 16 and 17, Maret Webb, architect and artist, said. “There will be an interesting variety, it is a good place for gift acquiring and supporting your local economy,” Webb said. Zeitlin, who is a master gardener, welcomes artists and the public to her studio garden. The garden is a certi fi ed wildlife habitat, and a fl ower and vegetable garden with Continued on page 44 Urbane Distortions Photography www.urbanedistortions.net A year in the LIFE of… 12 MONTHS 12 SESSIONS $250 DOWN $50 each session ANY PROJECT! ANY IDEA! WE MAKE IT HAPPEN! 602-810-0386 chad117@inbox.com 9 Family or child photos 9 1 st yr of marriage 9 Business growth 9 Weight loss journey 9 Styles at boutiques 9 Home projects 9 Children’s school, sports 9 Track a collection 9 Salons 9 Think of it as a journal! **We do logos, graphics, printing & photos** SAFETY STARTS HERE Baby classes, learn-to-swim, squads & rec team hubbardswim.com · 602.971.4044 Hubbard Family Swim School PEORIA 101 W &Thunderbird MESA/RIVERVIEW N 202 & Dobson Rd PHOENIX SWIM CLUB 29th St & Campbell PHOENIX 32nd St & Thunderbird OUR QUEST FOR EXCELLENCE CONTINUES! R EXCELLENCE CONTINUES FOR EX R EXCELL EXC CELL The Scottsdale Unified School District Foundation supports the Scottsdale Unified School District (SUSD) by providing financial resources to our schools that go beyond the work and generosity of PTOs and tax credits. For the past five years, our Quest for Excellence grant program has distributed more than $200,000 to teachers to use with students for innovative in-classroom learning experiences across all complexes. We also created the Bill and Sue Jenkins’ National Board Certification grant program, which partially funds District teachers who pursue excellence through national board certification, a proven program to improve overall school performance. Join us for the upcoming SUSD Foundation Golf Tournament , April 26 at the Grayhawk Golf Club. To learn more, or to find out how you can help, visit SUSDFoundation.org.