FROM THE EDITOR
I It’s happening here NOT LONG AFTER AMANDA ATLER OPENED Mandy’s Wine Bar in 2024, my fiancée and I sat across from each other there on our first date. It was new then. Upscale, Mediterranean, a first of its kind for Maricopa. We were just getting to know each other. The place had no history for us yet. On Jan. 29, our son was born. Two weeks later, on Valentine’s board president Patti Coutré, someone I serve alongside on the Be Awesome Youth Coalition board and a friend to so many in this community. We talked, laughed, we admired the baby. And it hit me. That has largely been my experience since I bought my Maricopa home and took the reins of this newsroom three years ago. Familiar faces reappear. Places around town that once meant nothing suddenly carry weight. Restaurants become landmarks. (Duke’s Roadhouse, which opened in 2025, is another perfect example. That’s how it ended up on this month’s cover!) It happened here. In Maricopa. The place where my firstborn will grow up. How cool is that? A lot of us can relate. David Iversen’s little one just turned 1. Many of you saw her photo Day, we went back to Mandy’s. Same warm lighting. Same hum of conversation. This time, I walked in as a dad. I was greeted by Maricopa Unified School District governing
Publisher SCOTT BARTLE
Advertising Director VINCENT MANFREDI
appear in our June 2025 edition. Maybe I’ll do the same thing; I haven’t decided yet. But I have new appreciation for why those moments matter. This month’s issue is full of
Editorial Director ELIAS WEISS
Operations Director TIFFANY WELCH
moments that matter. David writes about the unusual, sometimes hilarious stories unfolding in Maricopa’s real estate market. Tom Schuman introduces us to Bobby Wade, whose decades-long music career now finds a new chapter here in Province. Monica D. Spencer spotlights Duke’s and Silk Press Xpress, two businesses investing in
Advertising ERIKA PARAMO BRITTANY RUSSELL MICHELLE SORENSEN Writers ANGELA ASKEY KRISTINA DONNAY WENDE GEHRT DAVID IVERSEN DAYV MORGAN TOM SCHUMAN
the community. And we dive deep into a complex fire coverage dispute that reminds us that growth is not always simple. But life isn’t simple, and Maricopa — for those lucky enough to live here — is where life happens.
KAYDENCE SHIPMAN MONICA D. SPENCER SHERMAN AND EUPHEMIA WEEKES
Photographers DAVID IVERSEN MONICA D. SPENCER
ELIAS WEISS EDITORIAL DIRECTOR Elias@inMaricopa.com
Designer CARL BEZUIDENHOUT
MISSION Inform readers/viewers. Enrich advertisers.
Send your reactions with a photo of yourself at the QR code to be published in a future edition of InMaricopa magazine.
BELIEFS We believe in: • An informed citizenry. • Holding ourselves and others accountable. • The success of deserving businesses.
CONTRIBUTORS
VALUES
• Integrity • Accountability
• Open, honest, real-time communication • Prosperity for clients, community, company
Volume 21, Issue 3 InMaricopa 44400 W. Honeycutt Road, Suite 101 Maricopa, AZ 85138
520-568-0040 Tel News@InMaricopa.com Advertising@InMaricopa.com
Published advertisements are not an endorsement of products or advertising claims by InMaricopa . No part of this magazine may be reproduced by any means without the prior written permission of InMaricopa . Copyright 2025.
KRISTINA DONNAY Dr. Kristina starts an honest conversation about men’s and women’s sexual health.
KAYDENCE SHIPMAN Intern Kaydence contributes business, history and real estate briefs.
ANGELA ASKEY Angela details Central
Arizona College’s first ever bachelor’s degree program.
InMaricopa.com | March 2026
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