Chandler news and views roundup - June 5th

The new editions of the online San Tan Sun and Chandler Connection have come out this weekend.

As you probably recall, the former is a large .pdf file to download, so individual articles don't have permalinks. And for some inexplicable reason, the latter doesn't use permalinking, instead recycling the URL links every edition. Meaning that once an article is rotated out, it's no longer available online (a scandalously bad practice in the 21st Century of news coverage, frankly).

Nevertheless, several interesting, local articles appear in these two Chandler publications. In this week's edition, the key ones related to the political scene are...

...from the 6/3/06 edition of the San Tan Sun, (24 MB .pdf file here):

1. Recall facing early deadline: Pages 1, 8

2. Pentz leaves door open for return: Pages 1, 12

3. City Hall to build home of its own: Pages 1, 14

4. City Budget ok'd by Council: Page 5

5. HOA lawyer “chastised” for conduct: Page 6

6. Chandler’s ban on backwashing pools into streets takes affect Aug 1: Page 11

7. Fines to increase for parking or stopping between the hours of 4 and 9 a.m. in the downtown area at 501 S. Arizona Ave.: Page 11

8. Prudential AZ relocates HQ to S.Chandler: Page 21

9. Chandler Chamber of Commerce Women’s Council offers self-defense tips: Page 23

10. New veterans program aids military heroes in need (by Councilmember Donna Wallace): Page 24

11. And a slew of "Letters to the Editor" from various people, generally a mixture of occasional insights blended with partisan screed and some good, old-fashioned ignorance: Page 24 and on.


And four interesting articles on politics from the Chandler Connection (no permalinks):

12. 4th Wal-Mart location upsets neighborhood

Some Chandler residents are up in arms about a proposed Wal-Mart Neighborhood Market store but their hands are most likely tied. The retail giant recently announced plans to build a 39,690-square-foot store at the northwest corner of Chandler Boulevard and Cooper Road as part of the Cooper Park Marketplace development.

13. Chicago Street picked for site of new City Hall

Chandler has selected a site for the new City Hall and it will cost $52 million for them to move into their new digs. Elected officials followed the advice of Phoenix-based RNL Design consulting firm and approved a site on Chicago Street. The council settled on the site of its future headquarters with a 6-0 vote May 25. Councilman Martin Sepulveda, a business consultant, declared a conflict of interest and did not vote. The proposed five-story, 120,000-square-foot facility will be located on the east-side of Arizona Avenue between Arizona Avenue and Washington Street to the west of the City Police and Courts Facility, and extending both north and south of Chicago Street.

14. Airport study notes major growth

A master plan devised for the Chandler Municipal Airport projects air traffic to nearly double in the next two decades and will become the city's new economic engine. Some property owners who live near the airport, however, aren't sure they want the city to turn over the ignition. Chandler is in the midst of a $234,000 study to update the master plan that guides airport development and the city has asked the public to take an active role.

15. 2 departing officials will take different paths

As two new councilmembers prepare for the start of their political careers, two elected officials who are terming out next week reflect back on their eight years in office and what they hope their legacies will be. Vice Mayor Phill Westbrooks and councilwoman Donna Wallace will step down from the dais on June 8 to make way for council-elect Trinity Donovan and Jeff Weninger, who were both elected on May 16 in the general election. Westbrooks and Wallace, who were elected in 1998 and 2002, will take different directions once they give up their seats.