Page 46 May 2013 John Irwin Arcadian fi nds his niche amid stacks of history By Jennifer Crane Surrounded by stacks of boxes of papers, photographs and journals, John Irwin is in his element. An Arcadia resident, Irwin commutes to Tempe to volunteer as an archivist for the Arizona Historical Society at the group’s museum at Papago Park. He was one of the fi rst certi fi ed archivists in Arizona. “Ever since I was a child, history was my fi rst love,” Irwin said. In January, Irwin began to work on archiving materials from Yuma, hoping to organize them into a helpful way as a resource for the people of Yuma. He hopes to have the thousands of documents from Yuma archived by the end of the year, ready to send back to Yuma. Irwin knows what he does may not be everyone’s fi rst choice for a job, especially a post-retirement volunteer position. “For me, it’s just wonderful. It’s a valuable and important collection that researchers and scholars haven’t had access to before.” Continued on page 47 DUI CLASSES ONLINE! 3200 N Hayden Rd ~ Suite 170 - Just South of Osborn Rd 480.429.9044 WOW! WOW! ONLINE DUI SERVICES! SCOTTSDALETREATMENT.COM ARIZONA’S FIRST ONLINE DUI SERVICES HOME • OFFICE • TRAVEL ANYWHERE YOU CAN “LOG ON!” ONLINE SERVICES: MVD • SR-22 ALCOHOL SCREENINGS, EDUCATION & TREATMENT ARIZONA’S FIRST ONLINE DUI SERVICES Compare our rates. CALL US LAST! W.R. Williams FINE JEWELRY 4730 E Indian School Rd / Safeway Center / 602-263-8404 www.wrwilliams.com / www.facebook.com/wrwilliamsjewelry

Page 47 May 2013 “If you’re getting stung, cover your face, nose and mouth … fi nd a place where you can go inside and knock the bees off of you.” Richard Rey, president of the Arcadia Camelback Mountain Neighborhood Association (acmna.com), said he has not seen a prominent bee problem in Arcadia, Bees Continued from page 29 but if one were to occur the association would ensure residents were informed. “If suddenly we were going to fi nd out there’s an enormous swarm of bees invading the Arcadia area, we maintain a newsletter that we send out, and we also maintain a website,” Rey said. “We also have an email system … where we would alert people.” arcadiadaily.com arcadiadaily.com Judge Janet Barton helped prep members of Ann Engle’s seventh-grade class at Ingleside Middle School for the school’s mock-trial program, scheduled for May 10. Judges Douglas Rayes, Joseph Kreamer, Gary Donahoe and Suzanne Cohen also spoke to students about the criminal-justice system. Archivist Continued from page 46 Irwin has a long history of archiving and surrounding himself with history. He began in Nebraska 45 years ago. He moved to Arizona and became the fi rst archivist at Northern Arizona University in 1972 before becoming the assistant director at Flagstaff Public Library. “When I came to Arizona, I didn’t know much about Arizona at all. After 40 years, I’ve absorbed,” Irwin said. He then retired. That’s what led him to where he is today. “Archives have always been my primary interest and passion,” he said. In June, the Arizona Historical Foundation, located at Hayden Library at Arizona State University, closed and the library archive moved to the Arizona Historical Society, just over Tempe Town Lake. Irwin has been part of many great projects to preserve and organize the history of Arizona for researchers to have access to for years to come. “Processing the Goldwater papers was one of the most exciting things I’ve ever done,” he said. “I feel really good that they’re available now.” Irwin works hard to make Arizona’s history available to everyone in the state. He brings a wealth of knowledge to the organization “He’s the ultimate volunteer,” said Linda Whitaker, a certi fi ed archivist and librarian and director of the Arizona Historical Society’s archives. “He’s showing us things we ought to know.” The Arizona Historical Society’s library at Papago Park offers primary source materials about the state’s history. Located in the same building, the museum is rich with information, photographs and re- creations of Arizona’s history through its territory years through the centennial. • A Spanish Immersion preschool program for children ages 2 to 5. • High quality early childhood education with low student to teacher ratios. • Center-based curriculum includes language, art, music, science, math and world culture. 602.910.4417 • 4601 N. 34th Street, Phoenix, AZ 85018 We are located on the Biltmore Preparatory Academy Campus Give your kids the gift of early childhood bilingualism. Spanish Immersion Preschool little BIG minds SUMMER CAMP Learn more about Summer and Fall 2013 Registration littlebigmindspreschool.com