Lutheran Church establishing weekly Saturday worship services in Maricopa
A mission congregation of Mountain View Lutheran Church of Ahwatukee is starting weekly worship services in Maricopa on September 6th, 2008. First Baptist Church of Maricopa has graciously offered to let this new mission congregation use their Church on late Saturday afternoons for both worship services and church school classes. Mountain View Lutheran, the Grand Canyon Lutheran Synod, and many other spiritually moved congregations and folks have made this possible after months of devoted efforts.
Lenten services were offered this past spring followed with monthly worship services conducted the first Saturday of the summer months. Mountain View Lutheran, under the leadership of Mission Development Director Sheila Coonen, has shepherded a steering committee in Maricopa which is planning the path forward. Pastoral support will primarily be provided by Pastor Cora Aguilar with assistance from Mountain View Lutheran. Discussions are already underway with Synod for pursuit of a permanent place of worship in Maricopa.
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Honeycutt Road to close briefly for bridge construction
As work continues on Honeycutt Road in preparation for the Santa Rosa Bridge, contractors will be creating a temporary bypass road adjacent to the construction zone.
In order to construct the bypass, Honeycutt Road will be closed from Maricopa Groves Parkway to Santa Rosa Parkway from September 7th at 7:00 pm. until September 12th at 5:00 pm. A detour route will be in place.
The bypass road will enable residents to utilize Honeycutt Road while the bridge is being constructed. However, Maricopa Police Department and Public Works staff would like to remind you that this area will be a construction zone; drivers should proceed with caution and obey all signage.
It is estimated that the bridge will be completed in early 2009.
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Fire burning at tire recycling plant in Maricopa
Around 3:00 this afternoon, Maricopa Police and Fire were summoned to Arizona Rubber Recyclng at 14121 North Hartman Road, for a fire burning in a pile of used tires at the three-acre facility.
It is unknown at this time what started the fire, but crews from the Maricopa Fire Department were working to contain the blaze. They were being assisted by a crew from the Ak-Chin Fire Department.
The plant, which lies just north of Maricopa-Casa Grande Highway and about two miles south of the Tortosa and Sorrento communitieis, was the site of a massive blaze in September of 2007 which sent out a thick black plume of smoke that rolled over areas as far away as Mesa and Gilbert. That blaze took days to contain and was fought by over 200 firefighters.
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School Board holding special meeting to discuss transportation issues
The Maricopa Unified School District Governing Board will hold a special meeting this Wednesday at 6:00 pm.
On the agenda is discussion and possible approval for changing school start times. The purchase of additional buses as well as hiring additional bus drivers will also be discussed.
There have been complaints from parents of students arriving late due to the buses on some routes filling to capacity. This has forced some students to wait for the bus to make a second run.
There will also be a call to the public before the agenda item is discussed.
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City of Maricopa holds first Town Hall
The City of Maricopa held its first Town Hall Tuesday night at the Global Water Center. After enjoying some complimentary ice cream, attendees sat down for an hour and a half of questions and answers with City officials.
Short presentations by the Mayor and City staff started things off. Mayor Anthony Smith emphasized the importance of the upcoming primary election on September 2nd and the general election on November 4th. On the ballot will be the Maricopa Parks & Recreation Bond Issue, a $65M bond issue for parks, libraries, sports facilities, and other quality-of-life improvements for Maricopa.
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Drivers urged to use caution around storm runoff and washes
Pinal County Public Works and Emergency Management officials are reminding residents and motorists to steer clear of washes and moving water. Recent storms have saturated areas of Pinal County, channeling water into existing natural washes and man-made drainage structures. Along with mud, debris and other hazards, this water may look harmless on the surface but caution is advised.
Driving any motorized vehicles, including ATVs, into and around washes or flooded roads puts the motorist at risk of serious harm.
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Pinal County Sheriff’s Office graduates eleven volunteers
On August 21st, eleven volunteers graduated from Pinal County Sheriff’s Office 45-hour basic training for Victim Services, Chaplains and the PCSO Critical Incident Stress Management Team. The training was hosted by Calvary Chapel in Casa Grande. The volunteers will assist victims of crime and support law enforcement.
Victim Services volunteers are on-call to provide aid, comfort, assistance and resources to victims/witnesses of crime, as well as to citizens who experience a crisis due to a traumatic event, death or disaster. Chaplains are highly trained, skilled clergy who provide emotional and spiritual support to victims, families, witnesses, sworn deputies, civilian employees and volunteers. The PCSO CISM Team is comprised of Sheriff’s Office employees who are trained to respond to one-on-one or group debriefing and support office staff.
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Presiding Judge establishes court to manage mental illness cases
FLORENCE, AZ – Imagine if a loved one suffered from a serious mental illness and is accused of a crime. Imagine if you are the victim of a crime committed by someone with a serious mental illness. In both situations, the ideal outcome is one where justice is served and appropriate care and consideration is paid to both the victim and the accused. After the Pinal County Mental Health in the Courts Task Force spent many months of planning and coordinating resources, Presiding Superior Court Judge Boyd T. Johnson signed an order establishing the Mental Health Court in Pinal County.
“National research shows that 16 percent of people jailed for criminal offenses also have mental health diagnoses,” Judge Johnson said. “People with mental health conditions are more likely to be arrested. By default, the criminal justice system becomes the mental health care delivery system or the gateway to that system.”
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Sonoran Search and Rescue seeks experienced riders for mounted unit
Sonoran Search and Rescue, a not-for-profit, volunteer search-and-rescue organization affiliated with the Pinal County Sheriff’s Department, is looking for experienced trail riders to join its mounted unit.
Sonoran Search and Rescue is based in the Maricopa/Casa Grande area and seeks volunteers within 90 miles of the Florence area. They function as a tight knit, versatile team of volunteers, providing search resources trained in man-tracking, K-9 Search and Rescue, dive and technical rescue.
For more information or for details on the next Sonoran Search and Rescue Unit or Mounted training, contact Louie Villa at louievilla@hughes.net or (602) 550-7230.
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Chairman David Snider to hold Maricopa office hours on Wednesday, September 3rd
CASA GRANDE- Board of Supervisors Chairman David Snider will hold his monthly office hours at the Maricopa Interim City Hall on Wednesday, September 3rd.
Supervisor Snider’s office hours in Maricopa are normally observed on the first Tuesday of the month; however, due to the Primary Election, he’ll be available to meet with residents the following day. The Chairman and District 3 Supervisor will be at the Interim City Hall, located at 45145 W. Madison Avenue from 9:00 am until 5:00 pm.
“My appreciation goes out to the City Council and staff with the City of Maricopa for loaning me the office space to meet with constituents in this area,” Chairman Snider said. “There is never a lack of topics to discuss in this and the surrounding communities. We’ve just cut the ribbon on a new Justice Court for this precinct. I am pleased that we were able to work as a team to accomplish such an important project.”
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