2024 May InMaricopa Magazine

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May 2024

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CONTENTS

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LEADING OFF Editor’s letter 4 Contributors 4 HISTORY ‘Century palm’ is likely city’s oldest tree 6 This month in history 6 GOVERNMENT City’s quest for gaming glory glitched out 8 City council candidate a fake Air Force veteran 12 City announces small retail business incubator 20 Permitting 21 BUSINESS In the age of AI, some entrepreneurs still live the dream 22 Briefs 24 Landscaper builds loyal family over 20 years 25 Restaurant inspections 26 New hair salon brings touch of Southern hospitality 27 Why mental health in the workplace is more than a buzzword 28 COMMUNITY City residents hail from all 50 states 30 Innovation revolutionizes skincare 33 EDUCATION Man dedicated life to building schools around the world 34 Once a bus driver’s assistant, now he runs the whole fleet 38 Celebrating the class of 2024 42 SENIORS

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HOME In city’s housing market, apartment myths are just that 62 Your first garden fits in a glass jar 66 Why probate sales aren’t as simple as you think 67 Strategies to make sure landlords get paid 68 Extreme home sales 69

EVENTS Calendar 70 TRENDING A look at what’s hot on InMaricopa.com 79 PARTING SHOT Purrr-fect attendance 80

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Childhood dream snatched away comes true after six decades 58

ON THE COVER Victor Moreno captures Maricopa High School senior Liza Sanderson sporting a Ram red cap and gown April 18. She’s part of the last MHS class that won’t graduate alongside students from the city’s newer Desert Sunrise High School.

InMaricopa.com | May 2024

May 2024 | InMaricopa.com

FROM THE EDITOR

COMPREHENSIVE HOSPITAL CARE FOR ADULTS & CHILDREN

Publisher SCOTT BARTLE

W WHAT BETTER WAY TO NURSE YOUR CINCO DE Mayo hangover than a relaxing afternoon at your home or community pool, a little hair of the dog in one hand and the latest edition of InMaricopa in the other? The weather is prime for it. On aver- age, the first 100-degree day of the year is May 2, according to the National Weath- er Service. That’s the kind of heat that spooks the snowbirds and sends them flapping their wings to find a northerly sanctuary to brave the summer months. If that’s you, we’ll miss you until the fall! One such seasonal resident is Ray Ci- molini, a halftime Province resident who’s heading back to his other home above the 49th parallel. But not before telling us how he spent his life building schools all over the world. Tom Schuman’s timing was perfect when he pitched this story to me. It’s graduation month, after all, a season so hotly anticipated, we put it on the cover. You’ll meet some of the most promising prod- ucts of Maricopa’s high schools in this edition. Many of these young people are preparing to attend colleges around Arizona and beyond. A college degree is so much more than just a piece of paper, but some people play fast and loose with the esteemed titles these degrees allow us to use for ourselves.

To whom it ‘May’ concern

Managing Editor ELIAS WEISS

Take Maricopa City Council candidate Leon Willis, for example, whose self-proclaimed alma mater has no record of him as a graduate. What’s worse, he got busted posing as a U.S. Air Force vet- eran despite never serving in the military. If you

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liked Scamouflage and Purple Heartbreak , my third stolen valor investigation here at InMaricopa is sure to hit close to home for many voters in our city. Like the temperature outside, the 2024 Maricopa City Council election, which will be held July 30, is starting to heat up. So, if you’re one of our beloved seasonal snowbirds, I’m sorry to say

Writers JEFF CHEW KRISTINA DONNAY RICK HORST DAYV MORGAN BRIAN PETERSHEIM JR. CHERYL PURVIS BRIANNA REINHOLD TOM SCHUMAN MONICA D. SPENCER SHERMAN AND EUPHEMIA WEEKES

you’ll miss the excitement when the polls open this summer — and all the buzz leading up to it. We hope you won’t forget to visit our website regularly and stay in the know. Here at your hometown news source, we don’t plan on missing a single storyline. So, as the news department keeps turning over stones, I wish you all a blessed month of May, and I look forward to rendezvousing with you again this time next month!

Photographers JEFF CHEW BRYAN MORDT VICTOR MORENO

BRIAN PETERSHEIM JR. MONICA D. SPENCER

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MISSION Inform readers/viewers. Enrich advertisers.

ELIAS WEISS MANAGING EDITOR

BELIEFS We believe in: • An informed citizenry. • Holding ourselves and others accountable. • The success of deserving businesses.

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CHERYL PURVIS This Rancho Mirage resident and Pinal County Master Gardener pens her first column for InMaricopa .

BRIANNA REINHOLD Brianna tells us why mental

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InMaricopa.com | May 2024

HISTORY

Maricopa

Century palm

The Union Pacific Palm Tree is estimated to have been planted in 1910 and was one of 11 trees designated as Centennial Witness Trees of Arizona in 2012. It is the southern-

BY BRIAN PETERSHEIM JR.

MAY 25, 2024

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This palm tree next to the old Union Pacific Railroad and John Wayne Parkway intersection might come off unassuming, but it has seen more than a century of change in the city.

most tree with that title. No one knows who planted it. The palm bore witness to thousands of trains carrying hundreds of thousands of passengers coming and going to Maricopa. This 1917 photo shows Arthur Deal and his 2-year- old son Paul in front of the palm near the train station, according to Maricopa Historical Society The palm tree still stands in the same place just off West Mercado Street. It continues to be a welcome sign for those getting off the train in Maricopa.

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The city bought 9 acres of land at the corner of State Route 347 and Bowlin Road near Copper Sky for $2.65 million in 2009. “We are looking for complementary uses to the Copper Sky complex that’s right next door,” said Jennifer Bostian, then an economic development specialist for the city. “We expect the senior living complex will need a couple acres. There will very likely be a second hotel.” Since then, no steps have been taken to bring a second hotel, and plans for a hospital there have fallen through twice.

A Maricopa cop was arrested for assaulting his stepson in 2014. Officer Joshua Boyd was suspected of attacking his wife’s 14-year-old son with a broom. He was placed on paid leave pending an internal investigation. In April 2015, he was found guilty of felony assault on a child in Pinal County Superior Court.

A controlled fire gone awry sent large, black plumes of smoke into the air east of town before city firefighters extinguished the 2009 blaze. Mark Boys, then-Maricopa Fire Department division chief, said workers on a dairy near Smith-Enke and Murphy Roads were burning agricultural products about 60 feet away from a pit of silage, which is ground-up cattle fodder. He said sparks from the burn likely carried in the wind and set the 13-foot-deep silage pile ablaze. The silage pile was covered with plastic sheeting weighed down by tires, which also caught fire and caused the plumes. It burned about a quarter of an acre.

The ballot boxes filled up with votes for the first ever city council election in 2004. Kelly Anderson, Will Dunn, Edward Farrell, Kelly Haddad and Brent Murphree served as interim council members when the city was incorporated in October the year before, and all retained their seats in the inaugural election. Voters also elected newcomers Stephen Baker and Phyllis Von Fleckinger.

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GOVERNMENT

For city employees, it’s a clash of clans between those who think the Maricopa Esports Lounge was a total loss and those who think the mislaid dollars were a justified expense.

AN. 12, 2023, IS THE DAY THE CITY of Maricopa’s Esports program lost its last life after three years in operation.

The plug was pulled on Maricopa Esports Lounge at Copper Sky Recreation Complex. In video gamer parlance, esports got nerfed. The gamer lounge was a recreational outlet for children who were either not athletic or lived their lives with a disability, like wheelchair bound or autistic, according to its creators. It was a place they could get off the couch at home and get on a different couch to mingle with other gamers. But last year, then-City Manager Ricky Horst delivered an executive order to city staff saying the program was a money loser. He ordered it be immediately “shut down and dismantled.” Pwned Horst’s staff memo, obtained by InMaricopa through a public records request, stated: “The program has carried a sustained loss since 2020 equaling over $150,000 in excess of revenues.” Equipment inside the lounge room, an ex- storage and office space, was sold for pennies on the dollar. “We would like to thank you for supporting this program as long as you have,” then-Esports Director Matthew Reiter stated Jan. 31, 2023, in

The city government tried to get into gaming. It failed

BY JEFF CHEW

InMaricopa asked the city if the $150,000 loss accounted for staff time, how many worked in the lounge, why it was shut down, what maintenance costs were associated with the lounge and how the city became interested in esports in the first place, among other pointed questions. Assistant City Manager Jennifer Brown responded: “The executive order to end the esports program was an operational decision made more than a year ago that took into account the totality of the program. We are constantly analyzing programs and processes to ensure we are offering the best and most efficient services to our residents.” Boss level Maricopa Esports’ demise was not a total loss, supporters and sponsors behind it said. Today, similar programs are active at Maricopa Unified School District’s two high schools and at Central Arizona College in Maricopa. The city’s ex-community services director who oversaw the creation and ramp-up of Maricopa Esports Lounge takes ownership of the program’s relatively short lifespan. “I think it was successful,” said Nathan Ullyot, now parks and recreation director for Reno, Nev. “If anything, I think it was that I didn’t share the benefits of it. I should have done a better job of showing its benefits to city leaders.” The city ‘s top administrators didn’t know anything beyond knowing the gaming lounge’s financial deficit, Ullyot said.

the city-supported Facebook page’s final post. “We are currently going to suspend all esports activity with the Maricopa Esports program until further notice.” “The executive order to end the esports program was an operational decision made more than a year ago that took into account the totality of the program.” JENNIFER BROWN, ASSISTANT CITY MANAGER

InMaricopa.com | May 2024

May 2024 | InMaricopa.com

GOVERNMENT

Ullyot said many city programs are money losers intended to benefit the public as a community service, including other recreational programs — even the city library. Esports was not the only program shut down after he left the city at the end of 2022, Ullyot said. A swimming class for first graders was also axed. ‘Feels bad man’ Many youth participants, their families and local educators were disappointed to see the city-sponsored video game lounge shut down. Nate Wong, dean of Academic Services for programming and community development at A+ Charter School, said many of his students felt the biggest loss. About three dozen A+ Charter students were involved in the city’s gaming program. “People were upset about losing that program,” Wong said. “It really impacted the school. For some of the students, it was their only outlet.” Wong found his gaming students were sharpening their arithmetic skills by keeping track of their gaming statistics. He said gaming and coding are among the top five areas of interest among young students. “I thought the program was great,” he said, adding his school plans to develop a follow-up program that would bring gaming back to A+ students. Priscilla Behnke, co-founder and director of Maricopa’s Be Awesome Youth Coalition, said gaming was “huge” among student members of the coalition. She said the gamers lounge helped connect coalition students to the community. “We had a mentorship program, so we played with mentees, which was a way to connect with the community,” she said. Be Awesome even shouldered the fees for its student members to become members at Copper Sky if they wanted to utilize the gaming space. “We paid for our services with [the city],” Behnke said. “We raised the funds.” The good news is community groups like Maricopa Gamers, a social group with 400 active members, are taking up the mantle and keeping esports alive in the city. The local group that started June 10 last year plays Fortnite, Rocket League and Call of Duty together, but it’s geared toward adult gamers and weekend play. As for the glassed-in walls that once echoed with the hollers of playful children inside Copper Sky, the once neon, LED-stripped enclosure is undergoing remodeling to become office space.

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Whether he’s at a city council meeting or a ribbon cutting ceremony for a new business, as pictured here, Leon Willis is rarely spotted without his signature camouflage cap.

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Air farce City council candidate plays dress-up as Air Force veteran

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ITH ASPIRATIONS AS LOFTY AS his title, Maj. Dr. Leon Willis wants your vote for Maricopa City Coun- cil when the polls open July 30. Such a title conveys a remarkable aptitude for leadership. According to the university where he purportedly serves as Dean of Theology and earned his doctorate degree, Willis is a distinguished U.S. Air Force veteran. His academic journey, as depicted, is marked by scholarly achievements, including a master’s degree from a theological institution in Atlanta. But none of this is true, an InMaricopa investigation reveals. His military service, like his master’s degree, is entirely fabricated. And the university where he serves as dean? It doesn’t exist. And when it W

did, its credibility was cloudy at best. So, like Gary Coleman in Different Strokes, we’re left asking this: Whatchu talkin’ ‘bout, Willis? Hitting the campaign trail Although he announced he’d run for city council in August 2023, Willis pulled off the feat of gathering all 424 of his election signatures in just four days up to and including the April 1 deadline, according to nomination petitions he filed with the city. Never mind some of those signatures were from people who don’t live in the city, an analysis of the documents revealed. That included voters registered in Ak-Chin Village and Tucson. The same week Willis filed his bid to run last year, the 74-year-old Senita resident slammed

the city council for failing to represent Maricopa’s Black community. He and fellow activist Kent O’Jon, whose wife Chrystal opposes Willis in this election, denigrated the city for employing just “three Blacks.” The real number of Black employees was 36, proportionally comparable to the city’s Black population. Since then, Willis has stayed mostly quiet in the Maricopa political space. A campaign finance statement last quarter shows he hasn’t raised a penny to unseat incumbents Eric Goettl, Amber Liermann and Bob Marsh. The Independent candidate is gunning on a platform of attracting industry and improving the quality of public education, he said in an April 11 interview with InMaricopa . He’s banking his impressive résumé will do the talking for him.

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GOVERNMENT

Willis was a career public schoolteacher, retiring from the Thornton Township High Schools District in Harvey, Ill., in 2021. “I do remember when Arizona ranked very high in education and we are not where we once was,” he said. “Given the fact that I’ve been in education for 20-plus years, and I taught from kindergarten through college, I have a good idea as to what is required to get back on the page that we may be able to really compete globally for the jobs that are globally demanding.” Willis said he was qualified to teach when, in 1994, he obtained his master’s degree from Interdenominational Theological Center in Atlanta. The school’s registrar, Arlene Clarke, told InMaricopa she “noted no record of this person as a graduate” in a March 10 email. Crazy Little Thing Called Larry Love Willis says he went on to earn his doctor title, one he displays proudly on all his election documents, at Larry Love University in Muskogee, Okla., in 2018. He’s now the Dean of Theology at that university, he says. The school’s entity status expired in 2016, according to the Oklahoma Secretary of State. “It means the LLC is not in good standing with the State of Oklahoma due to a late Annual Certificate,” the secretary of state said in a statement. The university’s most recent graduation ceremony was in 2020, its website states. When Willis graduated in 2018, however, the university’s address was a vacant office building. That year, the building had been most recently occupied by several defunct outpatient medical facilities, according to brokers for the property. Larry Love University does offer doctoral degrees, according to a document listing its 38 certificate and degree programs. In the same document, the university also claims it will award graduate degrees for $11,700 to students who haven’t completed any credit hours or taken any courses if they have “prior learning experience.” Larry Love University was never accredited by an accepted accrediting agency, according to the U.S. Department of Education. In Willis’ native Illinois and 28 other states, the use of unaccredited degrees is not allowed. Arizona, however, has no such restriction. Calls and emails to Larry Love University didn’t go through. Its website contains mostly broken links, save for pages where you can make donations or payments. The application

Larry Love University is tied to this address in Muskogee, Okla., an abandoned medical office building.

page is still functional, too, which allows students to apply for scholarships — and next to the U.S. Veteran’s Scholarship is the Major Leon’ Willis Scholarship. It’s on this website where Willis is pictured, clad in what’s ostensibly a U.S. Air Force uniform, with a caption reading, “US Airforce Major Dr. Leon’ Willis.” CAP and gown In his documents filed with the city, he goes by many variously punctuated aliases — Leon, Leron, Le’on, Léon, Leon’ and Le-on — but military records obtained in a public records

In this photo posted to the website of the university where Willis serves as dean, he’s identified as “US Airforce Major.”

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Just ask Maj. Dr. Jennifer Waterman, an Air Force flight surgeon in Maine who offered her medical expertise across the wing in October when she responded to the state’s deadliest mass shooting in history. It was the tenth- deadliest shooting in American history when Robert Card slaughtered 18 children and adults at a bowling alley and restaurant in Lewiston, Me. Waterman saw most of the casualties pass through her ER doors and desperately tried to save their lives.

The horror of their injuries was so extreme, she likened it to the savagery she witnessed on deployment during the Afghanistan conflict. “The injuries that came in weren’t something you usually see in a civilian hospital,” she said. “The weapon used in this setting was much more similar to something you would see in a combat zone, far more destructive

Major Doctors are vanish- ingly rare in the U.S. For example, there are only 620 airmen in the entire country who can claim that title, U.S. Air Force Master Sgt. Deana M. Heitzman told InMaricopa . It’s among the most prestigious titles an American can obtain, both because of the tremendous amount of back-breaking work it takes to earn it and the gravity it carries.

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GOVERNMENT

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Cornelius Coffey Squadron Commander Capt. Levetta Parker would not answer questions about her former member. Although CAP members fly a variety of emergency and operational missions for the federal government including assisting the Air Force and Army National Guard, they aren’t even allowed to shop in basic exchange on an Air Force base. CAP is very protective of its integrity, Hutcheson said. The organization wants to know who’s misrepresenting themselves so they can take action. “Anyone who does that is not playing straight and we want to know who they are so they can straighten out their act,” he said. “You don’t borrow respect or steal it. You earn it.”

request show no one under any variation of that name ever served in the Air Force. In his interview with InMaricopa , he admitted he never served in the military. Willis was a longtime member of the Civil Air Patrol’s Cornelius Coffey Composite Squadron in South Holland, Ill., a volunteer service arm of the U.S. Air Force. The auxiliary awards rank titles mirroring the Air Force, explaining Willis’ title of major. CAP membership does not equate to membership in the military, however, according to the nonprofit humanitarian organization. “If you’ve only served in CAP, you are not a veteran,” David Hutcheson, spokesperson for the CAP in Danville, Va., told InMaricopa . “They have asked us to never identify ourselves as Air Force.” At the Larry Love University commencement ceremony in 2019, Willis is pictured wearing the standard senior CAP getup — a three-button uniform in Air Force blues with a Company Grande service cap. To the layperson, the uniform is indistinguishable from those worn by military service members.

“He cannot wear the uniform because it creates confusion that he was in the Air Force. And believe me, he knows that.” DAVID HUTCHENSON, CAP SPOKESMAN

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That’s why the rules around where and when CAP officers can display their uniforms are so stringent. When asked if it’s permissible to wear your CAP uniform to a college graduation, Hutcheson said: “That is forbidden.” “He cannot wear the uniform because it creates confusion that he was in the Air Force,” Hutcheson explained. “And believe me, he knows that. Our uniforms are very similar to the Air Force and our ranks are sometimes identical.”

Scamouflage – read about the disgraced Marine who used his fake war hero story to con his way to the top. Purple Heartbreak – read about the fake Purple Heart recipient who scammed an Arizona state agency.

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BUY 3 PRICE LIGHT TRUCK/SUV LEXANI 40,000 MILE WARRANTY

$ 10 OFF

THRUST ANGLE PROD#29858

4-WHEELS PROD#29866

Does not include R1234YF systems. Expires 5/31/24

SIZE BUY 2 PRICE EACH

FORTUNE 60,000 MILE WARRANTY

SIZE

ASK ABOUT OUR 5-YEAR & LIFETIME ALIGNMENTS

23575R15 26570R16 26570R17 24560R18 27555R20 27560R20 24575R16LT 24575R17LT 27565R18LT

TRUCK RADIAL TRUCK RADIAL TRUCK RADIAL TRUCK RADIAL TRUCK RADIAL TRUCK RADIAL TRUCK RADIAL TRUCK RADIAL TRUCK RADIAL

105T .............................................................................................................................................................................. $162.99 .......................................................... $182.99 111T ................................................................................................................................................................................$176.99 .......................................................... $196.99 113T ............................................................................................................................................................................... $189.99 ......................................................... $209.99 105H .............................................................................................................................................................................. $172.99 .......................................................... $192.99 117V ............................................................................................................................................................................... $227.99 .......................................................... $247.99 119H...............................................................................................................................................................................$259.99 ..........................................................$279.99 10PLY ............................................................................................................................................................................. $188.99 ......................................................... $208.99 10PLY ............................................................................................................................................................................. $218.99 ......................................................... $238.99 120Q .............................................................................................................................................................................. $276.99 ......................................................... $296.99 MANY OTHER SIZES AVAILABLE. NO DEALERS NO WHOLESALERS NO CARRYOUTS. WE SERVICE NATIONAL ACCOUNTS

COMPENSATE 4 WHEELS

• Computer precisely aligns front and rear wheels • Ensures straight steering wheels • Necessary for accurate alignment of newer cars • Adjust all 4 wheels for accurate alignment • Shims extra

OIL CHANGE

• For non-adjustable rear suspensions • Computer precisely aligns front wheels to rear • Enusures straight steering wheels • Necessary for accurate alignment of newer cars

LUBE-OIL-FILTER Prod#01C5 INCLUDES: Battery check, lubricate your car’s chassis (if applicable). Drain old oil & add up to 5 quarts of new 5W30 or 5W20 oil synthetic blend. Install a new oil filter. (Special oil filters slightly higher). $ 29 99* FREE TIRE ROTATION Upon request • See store for details Reg. $39.99 *with coupon Includes hazardous waste fee. If your MFG. Requires 20W50, or full synthetic oil, or other special weights, there’s an additional charge for other weights of oil. Price is for 5W20 or 5W30 synthetic blend oil up to 5 quarts. With coupon only. Expires 5/31/24.

Most cars & light trucks with coupon only. Expires 5/31/24

FRONT OR REAR BRAKE SERVICE

$ 76 99 Includes up to 5 quarts of full synthetic oil (not Mobil 1 oil) 0W-20, 5W-20 or 5W-30. Includes a new oil filter (some specialty filters extra). Includes disposal. Most cars & light trucks with coupon only. Expires 5/31/24 FULL SYNTHETIC OIL CHANGE

$ 30 OFF $ 60 OFF

2-WHEEL 4-WHEEL

All work guaranteed at 2000 locations nationwide FACTORY SPECIAL BUYS

ASSURANCE MAXLIFE 85,000 Mileage Warranty

BUY 3, GET 4TH FREE † 19565R15 ASSURANCE ALL-SEASON 91T BLK ......................$142.99 20555R16 ASSURANCE ALL-SEASON 91H BLK......................$150.99 20560R16 ASSURANCE ALL-SEASON 92T BLK ......................$160.99 21560R16 ASSURANCE ALL-SEASON 95T BLK ...................... $157.99 21555R17 ASSURANCE ALL-SEASON 94H BLK......................$180.99 23555R17 ASSURANCE ALL-SEASON 99T BLK ......................$196.99 23545R18 ASSURANCE ALL-SEASON 100H BLK ....................$218.99 OTHER SIZES AVAILABLE SIZE BUY 3 PRICE ASSURANCE ALL-SEASON 65,000 Mileage Warranty

All work guaranteed at 2000 locations nationwide

Prod. #21814/21830 Special! Save $60 on Lifetime Brakes! Free brake inspection Most cars & light trucks with coupon only. Expires 5/31/24

BUY 3, GET 4TH FREE † FACTORY DIRECT 23575R15 WRANGLER TRAILRUNNER AT ............................$159.99 27560R20 WRANGLER SRA ............................................ $229.99 27555R20 EAGLE LS-2.................................................. $240.99 24565R17 FORTERA HL ................................................$209.99 26550R20 FORTERA HL ................................................$262.99 OTHER SIZES AVAILABLE SIZE BUY 3 PRICE

BUY 3, GET 4TH FREE †

19565R15 ASSURANCE MAXLIFE 91H BLK .................................... $167.99 20555R16 ASSURANCE MAXLIFE 91H BLK .................................... $179.99 20565R16 ASSURANCE MAXLIFE 95H BLK ...................................$186.99 21560R16 ASSURANCE MAXLIFE 95V BLK.................................... $184.99 22560R16 ASSURANCE MAXLIFE 98H BLK....................................$179.99 21545R17 ASSURANCE MAXLIFE 87V BLK .................................... $217.99 21555R17 ASSURANCE MAXLIFE 94V BLK ....................................$215.99 22565R17 ASSURANCE MAXLIFE 102H BLK .................................. $217.99 OTHER SIZES AVAILABLE SIZE BUY 3 PRICE

We honor extended warranty programs.

19945 N. John Wayne Pkwy.

† Buy 3 get the 4th free or Buy 2 select tires and get 2 free. Select tires only. Must purchase tire protection plan and nitrogen package, which includes valve stems, balancing, free tire rotations, free alignment checks, free flat repairs and free replacement for the first 25% of tread wear on a tire that is not repairable (with the nitrogen and tire protection plan purchased). Restrictions and exclusions apply. See store for complete details. Offer may not be combined with any other discounts unless otherwise stated. No dealer or carryout. (Buy to get two free other brands may be substituted, but will carry the same warranty as purchased)**. Offer ends 5/31/2024.

Get Pre-approved with

(520) 779-5300

NO DEALERS • NO WHOLESALERS NO CARRYOUTS WE SERVICE NATIONAL ACCOUNTS IconicTire.com Family Owned & Operated

NO CREDIT CHECK FINANCING AVAILABLE

FREE FLAT REPAIRS

InMaricopa.com | May 2024 Whether we sold you the tire or not, it is free on repairable tires up to 20 " . See store for details.

NO INTEREST If paid in full within 6 months See store for details.

Up to 1 year no interest. Ask for details. OAC

State or local taxes or surcharges for Environmental protection will be an extra charge.

May 2024 | InMaricopa.com

GOVERNMENT

67 RESIDENTIAL SOLAR 14 RESIDENTIAL SWIMMING POOLS 137 SINGLE FAMILY DWELLINGS 10 TEMPORARY SIGNS Permits Issued

In Maricopa, small business is a big deal

RESIDENTIAL Beazer Homes Holdings to construct 1 home in Rancho Mirage. Century Communities to construct 8 homes in Tortosa. D.R. Horton to construct 11 homes in Tortosa, 4 homes in Sorrento and 19 homes in The Lakes at Rancho El Dorado. Gehan Homes to construct 16 homes in The Lakes at Rancho El Dorado. K. Hovnanian Homes to construct 3 homes in Santa Rosa Springs. KB Home Phoenix to construct 1 home in Tortosa. Lennar Arizona to construct 22 homes in Anderson Farms. Meritage Homes to construct 18 homes in Rancho Mirage and 10 homes in Province. Pulte Home Company to construct 1 home in Santa Rosa Crossing. Richmond American Homes to construct 22 homes in The Lakes at Rancho El Dorado.

BRIEF

BY RICK HORST, CHIEF ECONOMIC STRATEGY OFFICER

Permits March 11 – April 12

Via the process of Futures Planning, Maricopa City Council directed we do more to assist small startup businesses. In line with this direction, the Office of Economic Opportunity will conduct a feasibility review in support of a retail incubator for small upstart businesses. We will seek out community partners to assist us as we explore this and other concepts.

COMMERCIAL Beazer Homes Holdings to construct model home sales office for $252,000 in Rancho Mirage. Roadhouse Blues Holdings major development review permit for Duke’s Roadhouse restaurant at 19395 N. Maricopa Road. K. Hovnanian Homes to construct model home sales office for $20,000 in Santa Rosa Springs. Legacy Traditional Charter School at- risk commercial foundation permit for new classroom and exercise building.

What is a retail incubator? Half of all new business upstarts fail within the first year. Seven in 10 ultimately fail. The goal of a retail incubator is to bend the stats of small business success more into a positive direction. A thriving economy brings in all sorts of development, including retail and other service businesses. But what many communities now understand is upstart retail development sometimes needs to be nurtured, coaxed and urged to secure success. The incubator concept

42100 W. Maricopa-Casa Grande Hwy. (520) 635-6257 JiffyLube.com No Appointment Necessary! Call for hours of operation. $ 25 OFF Jiffy Lube Signature Service ® Oil Change Service includes up to 5 quarts of Pennzoil Motor Oil and multi point inspection. Most vehicles. Shop fees apply. Not valid with any other offer or discount. Coupon required. Valid at all Phoenix Metro Valley locations. Exp. 5/31/2024 CODE: CG25PZL

would provide a rotating lineup of up-and- coming local small business concepts. This program would allow entrepreneurs to plan, build and develop new retail ideas in a low- risk, supportive space that fosters learning and growth. The goal is to curate and support retail concepts and allow upstarts to test the market in a short-term, high-visibility retail incubator program. If you have interest in assisting us in this effort, we ask that you contact Rachel Leffall, project manager at the Office of Business Opportunity at Rachel.Leffall@MaricopaOEO. com or 520-494-2360.

520-316-6811 Office of Economic Opportunity 39700 W. Civic Center Plaza

MAKING CAR CARE MAKE SENSE? THAT’S A JOB FOR JIFFY ™