Occasionally the police department may be dispatched to your business after normal business hours.  Businesses with an active alarm system in place allow us to contact business owners if there was a problem with their property.

There are times, however, when issues occur on or around a business property which may not activate the alarm so having the information in the attached document helps us to contact a representative in a timely manner. Please email your completed After Hours Contact Info form to Rebecca.molus@maricopa-az.gov or fax it to 520-316-6888.

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.

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.

Another problem with rewarding Yes people is they stifle everyone else in the group from contributing his or her honest opinions.  Bright and talented employees start believing that the only way to get ahead is to also become a Yes person and performance is secondary.  They will become reluctant to voice their knowledge and point of view, and won’t bother to bring up any suggestions that don’t perfectly agree with the boss’s.

I’m a firm believer in “Managing by Walking Around,” and get some of my best advice out on the factory floor talking to people.  They know how things could be improved far better than I do, and most of them will tell it like it is.

Sometimes you need to draw out an employee’s candid opinion about an issue until you build trust.  Try saying, “How do you think we should proceed?  I know you have a lot of experience in this area and are close to what customers are thinking.”  Reassure employees that there are no negative consequences for holding an opinion that is very different from yours.

Your main task as a leader is to establish a company culture where dissent is encouraged and ideas can be challenged.  This is the only way to ensure inventiveness, new thinking and the quickest path to success.  Use caution when you accuse someone of not being a team player just because they don’t happen to agree with you.
And while you’re at it, ask yourself how you operate with your own upper management or board of directors.  If you are told to do something that you know will head the company in the wrong direction or if you have a better idea, do you just go with the flow by keeping your thoughts to yourself?  Sure, it’s disheartening to see Yes people get promoted and receive preferential treatment, but is that really the best way to operate?

There’s nothing wrong with voicing your opinion and having a professional discussion when there’s a decision to be made.  When issues are talked about openly and honestly with the best interests of the company in mind, you’re bound to come up with a great solution.  And if you present your ideas in a pleasant, non-threatening manner, upper management should be more than willing to hear what you have to say.  But once the boss makes a decision, then it’s time to get on board and support it without further dissent.

The ability to debate in a positive, respectful way will help you in a variety of business as well as social situations.  You will encounter a lot of people in life who hold different opinions from your own, and it won’t just be in the workplace.  So the more you practice not going along with the crowd, the easier it will become.

The world will always be filled with Yes people, but it’s the smart managers who can admit they don’t know it all and have the self-confidence to listen to their employees’ ideas.

Mackay’s Moral: Say “no” to the Yes People and say “yes” to the No people.

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

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

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.

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.

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.

Q.  What warning signs should consumers look for when dealing with a telemarketer?

A.        Consumers should watch out for telemarketers who:

• Pressure you to act immediately
• Refuse to send you written information
• Use scare tactics
• Demand that you send payment by wire or courier
• Demand that you pay taxes, custom fees or mailing fees to claim a prize
• Request your financial account numbers
• Promise to recover money you have lost in another scam, for a fee
• Claim that you can earn money by working from home
• Refuse to stop calling when you say you are not interested

Q.        What additional tips can you offer to Arizona consumers to follow?

A.        Goddard offers the following additional tips so that you can protect  yourself:

• Arizona’s Telephone Solicitations Statute requires telemarketers to make certain disclosures before they can solicit customers.  Check with the Arizona Secretary of State (602.542.4366/www.azsos.gov) to determine whether the telemarketing company has registered with the State.  Also check with the State Treasurer’s Office (602.542.7176) to determine whether the company has filed a bond.  The law also requires all telemarketing companies to tell their customers, both orally and in writing, that they have the right to cancel their order within three days after receiving merchandise purchased from the telemarketer.
• Don’t share your credit card and bank account numbers over the phone.  Telephone scammers often ask for them during an unsolicited sales pitch and then use them to commit other frauds against you.
• Always ask for and wait until you receive written material about any offer or charity before you open your wallet.
• If you decide to purchase or make a contribution after receiving written information, pay by credit card, instead of by cash, check, money order or debit card, as you can dispute the charges if you do not get what you were promised.  Dispute credit card charges if you do not get what you were promised.

If you believe you are a victim of a fraud or scam, please contact the Attorney General’s Office in Phoenix at 602.542-5763, in Tucson at 520.628.6504 or outside of the Phoenix and Tucson metro areas at 1.800.352.8431.  Consumers can also file complaints online at the Attorney General’s Web site at www.azag.gov.  To file a complaint in person, the Attorney General’s Office has satellite offices throughout the state with volunteers available to help.  Locations and hours of operation are posted on the Attorney General’s Web site.

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

• Motor Vehicle Crime Prevention Recommendations

1. Lock it and pocket the keys. Nearly 20% of all vehicles stolen had the keys in them. Remember to lock the trunk, the hatchback or the tailgate of a station wagon or sport utility vehicle (SUV)
2. If your motor vehicle is an older model, replace standard door lock buttons with tapered ones. These replacements are inexpensive and much more difficult to pry up.
3. Don’t leave motor vehicle registration, insurance policies, credit cards or other important papers in a vehicle’s glove compartment.
4. If you use a self-service gasoline stations or convenience stores, don’t leave the keys in the vehicle when you go inside to pay your bill.
5. Don’t place a mini-replica of a license plate or personal identification on a vehicle’s key ring.
6. Consider installing safety security film on the windows. With the film added to the glass, the window will be 300% to 400% stronger. Intruders must cut their way through the glass, thus taking more time. The safety film is clear and reflects up to 98% of the sun’s ultraviolet rays.
7. Never hide a second set of keys in the vehicle. Extra keys can easily be found if the thief takes time to look. Store a spare key in your wallet.
8. If possible, avoid parking next to vans, pick-ups, and other large vehicles. These large vehicles can “hide” your vehicle and make it more difficult for others to observe.
9. When parking along a curb, angle the front wheels sharply to the left or right, making it difficult for the thief to tow it away. Wheels should also be turned to the side in driveways and parking lots.
10. If your vehicle is rear-wheel drive, back into your driveway. Rear wheels lock on four-wheel drive vehicles, making them difficult to tow. Front-wheel drive vehicles should be parked front end first.
11. Periodically check your license plates to make sure they haven’t been stolen, switched or altered.
12. Join Operation Identification and engrave your driver’s license number or social security number in several concealed places on, or in your motor vehicle. Drop a business card into the window channel, beneath the seat or behind the dash panel.
13. Engrave batteries, wheel covers and car stereos with either your drivers license number or social security number preceded by your state’s initials.
14. Don’t invite a vehicle break-in by leaving packages or valuables (radar detectors, cellular phones, compact disc players, etc.) in sight. Take valuables with you, put them under the seat or lock them in the trunk.
15. Whenever possible, park in well lighted and busy areas.
16. Whenever possible, park in an attended lot. Motor vehicle thieves do not like witnesses and prefer unattended parking lots.
17. When you park in an attended lot, leave only the ignition/door key. If your trunk and glovebox use the same key as the door, have one of them changed. Leaving the ignition key with the attendant, retain all others and be sure the key number does not appear on the key that is left.
18. On cold mornings, never leave your motor vehicle running while it is unattended, in order to warm up.
19. For each vehicle you own or lease, record the following information and keep it in a safe location (not in the vehicle):

Read More...Motor Vehicle Theft Prevention 021510

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!