Maricopa, AZ (March 8, 2010):

M.A.S.H. is back; meeting Monday, March 15

Like the long-running TV series, the M.A.S.H. Coalition is alive and well, and it wants you to become a part of addressing substance abuse prevention in the Maricopa area.

Founded in May 2006, the M.A.S.H. (Maricopa, Ak-Chin, Stanfield, Hidden Valley) Anti-Substance Abuse Coalition exists for non-profit community service. Its mission is to provide resources, promote citizen involvement and create innovative ways to prevent and reduce substance abuse, particularly underage drinking.

The coalition has a new coordinator, Leonard “Tad” Roberts, a long-time Pinal County resident with a background in education, counseling, psychology and criminal justice. Roberts recently retired as a member of the Arizona State Board of Executive Clemency.

Kirsten Page-Burrell is the chairman of the coalition, and JoAnne Pinto from Against Abuse, Inc. is the project director for the coalition’s recent, federal Drug-Free Communities Program grant. Funds in the amount of $125,000 have been awarded to the coalition and are available each year, renewable for five years.

Substance abuse prevention is both ongoing and an essential task, to which the M.A.S.H. Coalition is completely dedicated.

Who makes up the coalition? Volunteers. Parents, grandparents, educators, interested community members are all invited to be a part of the coalition.

The first, re-organizational M.A.S.H. meeting will be held on Monday, March 15, at 6:30 p.m. in the Prevention Center at Maricopa Wells Middle School, 45725 W. Honeycutt Ave.

For additional information, contact Roberts at mashcoalition@gmail.com or at 520-840-1375.

From Harvey Mackay’s Column This Week

Today I received this as part of Harvey Mackay’s weekly column and thought is was “right-on.”

Some of the worst employees a manager will ever deal with have a vocabulary problem.  “No” and “maybe” don’t seem to be in their dictionary. Who are they?  The “Yes” people – those who answer “How high?” every time the boss says “Jump!”

At first glance, they might seem like a manager’s dream employee – someone who doesn’t give you a hard time every time you make a request, who appears to treat your every wish as a command. Someone who never has a different – or better – idea. But is this what you really want?

Ineffective leaders surround themselves with the familiar, the comfortable – and people who think exactly like they do.  In other words, Yes people. These employees tell the boss whatever he wants to hear and withhold any negative information. Like a horse with blinders on, the manager runs the race without any idea whether she is going in the right direction or if there are obstacles in the way.

The best leaders seek out those who think differently, and they encourage creativity and innovation in their employees.  If everyone agrees with you all the time due to fear or constant rejection, how will you hear any new ideas?  If you only have Yes people around you, you can’t improve.
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All Aspects General Contracting, as the name suggests, provides a complete range of construction services to meet your needs. From scraping and retexturing popcorn ceilings to building a custom home from the ground up, every size project is treated with professionalism and care.

The owner of All Aspects, Matt Gleash, has 18+ years of experience in the construction industry ranging from hands-on to supervisory to Customer Service Manager for a nationally based homebuilder. This  background has lead to a “customer first” philosophy which permeates every facet of All Aspects and is what sets us apart. Our customer focus is evident from the first time you speak with us until you are surprised and delighted with the outcome of the project. Our attention to service is why the vast majority of our business comes from repeat customers and referrals. Let us become your partner to help with All Aspects of your construction needs.

Please check out this video segment on Matt and Maricopa!

Channel 12 News Segment

For those of you who missed the January 26th Breakfast presentation, here it is.

The Past and Present of Health Care Reform Presentation Read-Only

As seen on InMaricopa.com

By Joyce Hollis
February 25, 2010

Chairman of the board and founder of Leading Edge Academy, Delmer Geesey, told parents they could expect “a safe, wholesome environment” for their children during the new charter school’s information meeting Monday evening at The Duke.

About 50 parents, children and interested community members turned out to hear about Leading Edge Academy, which will share facilities with Community of Hope Church at 19302 N. Porter Rd. when it opens this fall. The school buildings will be set in the ground, totally remodeled and landscaped with a fenced playground.  Both the Glennwilde subdivision and neighboring developers have approved the site plans.

Leading Edge has other locations in Queen Creek, Mesa and Gilbert, including one high school in Gilbert.  The Maricopa school will initially be for K-6 students, but, according to district schools’ director Ron Body, seventh and eighth grades could be added if “interest is high enough.”

Body called the school “the best of both worlds,” privately managed and publicly funded.
“We can determine what our school wants to be,” he said.  Explaining what makes Leading Edge Academy different, Body talked about advanced academics and a success culture.  “We believe every child can be successful. We want students who try their hardest, and we’ll do our best for them.”

He added, “We want a school of like-minded values, a school with people looking for what we’re ready to offer.”

The six pillars of character, which include trustworthiness, respect, responsibility, fairness, caring and citizenship, will be the basis for the traditional values of the school, applying to both students and teachers.

Leading Edge classes and campuses are small; 235 students make up the largest campus, and classes average 18-19 students district wide. Students wear uniforms, and parental involvement is both encouraged and expected.

Free, full-day kindergarten is offered, as well as early kindergarten enrollment for students who turn five before Dec. 31.

Reading will be the foundation for all class work; other subjects in the research-based curriculum include math, language arts, social studies, science, spelling and art.  On Fridays for one hour students can receive religious instruction with parental permission, which will be provided by several local pastors. Student progress is consistently monitored, and those needing intervention or extra help will receive it on a daily basis.

Maricopa resident Mat Reese, who has more than 36 years in education as a teacher, athletic director and administrator, will be the principal at the Maricopa school.  Reese has spent the last six years working with charter schools, and is currently at Leading Edge’s Queen Creek academy, where he has been designated a Reading First principal.

For further information on enrollment or teaching positions, contact Jim Rives at Jim@JimRives.com or by phone at 520-568-6442.  Information on all Leading Edge schools is available at www.leadingedgeacademy.com, and enrollment can be done online.

Tuesday February 23, 2010

Welcome to Maricopa Pinal County Federal Credit Union!

The doors were officially opened on Tuesday and the Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors and Ambassadors were on hand for the festivities.  A special thanks to Chief of Police Fich and Sargent Judd for taking time out of their day to joy us.

Telemarketing Scams

Every year, thousands of consumers lose money to telemarketing con artists.  Telephone con artists will say anything to try to cheat people out of money.  They may call you and imply that they work for a company you trust, or they may send direct mail or place ads to convince you to call them.  Attorney General Terry Goddard is warning Arizona consumers to use caution when receiving telemarketing calls.

Q.  How can consumers limit the number of telemarketing calls that they receive?

A.        The Federal Trade Commission established the National Do Not Call Registry which requires most telemarketers to stop calling.  Exceptions to the Registry are political organizations, charities, polls and surveys; companies with whom you have an existing business relationship; calls from companies you’ve given permission to call; and business to business calls.

To register your number on the Do Not Call Registry:

• Visit “DoNotCall.gov” and enter your phone number and email address.  Click “Submit.”  Confirm your information and click “Register.”  Open your email message from Register@donotcall.gov.  Click on the link to complete your registration or call 1-888-382-1222 from the number you wish to register.

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Motor vehicle theft is a serious problem in many parts of the world.
In the United States, the annual loss from car theft is over $4 billion.
The Automotive Information Council reports that over one million
motor vehicles are stolen in the U.S. each year. That’s one motor
vehicle theft every 31 seconds.

For a variety of reasons, some motor vehicles have a greater
probability of being stolen than others.

Ten Most Stolen Motor Vehicles of 2002:

1. Toyota Cambry

2. Honda Accord

3. Honda Civic

4. Chevrolet Full Size P/U

5. Ford Full Size P/U

6. Jeep Cherokee

7. Oldsmobile Cutlas

8. Dodge Caravan

9. Ford Taurus

10. Toyota Corolla

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Local Desert Wind Middle School student Austen Pearce,  was selected among 21,000 total applications and will be representing the State of Arizona, in Washington DC early May as one of 102 finalists, thank to his Principal, Mr. Joe Veres who nominated him.

There are two finalists chosen for each state.  One for middle school, and one for High School.  Austen, and another young man from Scottsdale (who was the High School winner).  Will be two of those 102 individuals.  Austen is being recognized for his work and participation in the Community Garden  that benefited FOR Maricopa our local Foodbank.

He will be awarded a Silver Medallion, $1,000 and will be a finalist in Washington DC.  There will be 10 final winners, 5 middle school, 5 high school, who will win a Gold Medallion, $5,000 and will be able to designate an additional $5,000 to charities of their choice.

In addition, because of his total commitment in hours volunteering for community service, he will also be presented with the President’s Volunteer Service Award, and will be receiving an award and letter from President Obama.

Well done Austin!

It’s a New Year and a great time for J’s Pressure Washing and Steam Cleaning to provide complete pressure washing services for your residential, commercial and industrial projects.  Our truck mounted and portable units are capable of cleaning with both hot and cold high-pressure water flows.

Your building and the property surrounding it, is most likely a major investment for your business and should always look its best.  Maintaining your buildings condition and appearance will impress your customers and investors and maintain the value of your investment.  We work while you sleep.

J’s Pressure Washing & Steam Cleaning
Glen Jones, Owner
Maricopa, AZ 85139
520-568-5475