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TOP 10 LIST

12/20/2015

 
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Estrella Mountain Residents have much to be grateful for and it's all due to our awesome members.

We kicked off our new, joint effort on February 7, 2015. Few people realize Jo and I had just met weeks before we merged our Facebook pages. Yep. We literally had just met through a Block Watch program. We had one common goal...  to be a positive voice in the community. We never could have anticipated the collaboration would have turned out as positive as it has.

Surely we've had some ups and downs. With more ups than downs, Jo and I put together a Top 10 list of our favorite moments from our first year.

Please let us know if we missed any of YOUR favorite moments!

10. MISSING PETS

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We are in awe every time residents let each other know they've lost a pet or have found a pet. Nothing breaks our hearts more than a four-legged friend stranded in the heat. Being a resource for pet owners to connect is just a bonus for us. And I'm sure the little pups who get lots of extra love while waiting for their owners are happy, too!

9. FAST FOOD RESTAURANTS AND CONGESTED ROADS

Taco Bell just opened its doors at the end of 2015 and it follows McDonald's, Papa Johns, and Subway in paving the way for fast food chains to operate in Estrella. Drive thrus are constantly busy which is good for thriving business. But, residents raised concerns with the City of Goodyear over increased traffic on Elliot Road. In 2012, I first raised the concern with city staff upon McDonald's interest in building in the Mountain Ranch Marketplace.
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Other than cutting back shrubs on Elliot Road, nothing was really done. When word came Taco Bell was coming in - back in April 2015 - residents put together a petition and the city finally listened. We detailed the entire story on our website here and will continue to stay on top of the events. A stoplight will be installed in front of the Starpointe Residents Club in spring 2016.

8. THE PRESIDIO RESIDENTS CLUB

Residents are excited to see the new residents club now under construction. However, the groundbreaking ceremony got off to a rough start. In June 2015, Newland Communities and CCMC held a groundbreaking ceremony for the Presidio Residents Club... without inviting residents. The story is on our "Did you hear?" page.

I think it's safe to bet residents will be invited to the grand opening in 2016.
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Presidio Residents Club - December 2015

7. GUNS DRAWN ON THE PARKWAY

On May 22nd, residents posted to our Estrella Mountain Residents page wanting to know about the activity on the parkway. Goodyear Police had guns drawn on occupants in a vehicle on Estrella Parkway. Within minutes, we were first to confirm a detective patrolling the area noticed the green SUV had a punched out key hole in the back of the vehicle. It was a "high risk" stop and no one was injured. Part of our mission is to be able to inform the community about local safety news, and we were honored to be able to share the news with our members.
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6. OASIS BAGELS HANDS OVER THE KEYS

PictureJuly 16, 2015
On July 16th, Estrella Mountain Residents broke the exclusive news that Oasis Bagels had been sold. The much-loved shop just celebrated five years in business and the news came as a shock. Fred and Carol Risano truly built a local gathering place. Fortunate for residents, the keys were handed over to another great owner. We welcome Jamie Vanderver to the community and enjoy all the yummy-ness she brings to our community!

5. LOCAL VETERINARIAN RECEIVES DROVES OF SUPPORT

This past spring, our local veterinarian responded to a complaint with a thoughtful response. North Star Animal Hospital customers expressed their support for the small business and we were able to feature Dr. Duston and his amazing family about a week later. Estrella Mountain Residents value our local businesses and we were thrilled to see this story have a happy ending.
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4. COMMUNITY SUPPORT FOR MISSING TEEN

In October, the community stood behind a local mother searching for her missing daughter. Hundreds of residents help spread the word to look for the teen. One resident organized a candle light vigil and a bake sale fundraising effort to show support for the family. And the good news followed a week later... the girl was found safe and sound.

3. RESIDENTS BAND TOGETHER TO RESTORE THE AMERICAN FLAGS IN OUR COMMUNITY

PictureMario Valencia in front of the American flag
One of the very first major stories to hit our page came from resident Mario Valencia. He asked for permission from residents to replace a torn American flag on the foothill just behind Elliot Market. "I'm a Desert Storm Veteran, and this is the flag that is representing our country behind the Shell Gas station? To top things off, it's at half staff! I'm willing to replace it if you all approve?" 86 comments, 305 likes, local media coverage, and a fundraising effort followed. Mario pulled this community together in a way never seen before. Not only were all flags in Estrella given more attention and care, we got to learn about the patriotism from residents all around our community. Best wishes to Mario. It's been an honor to learn more about him. Hats off to all veterans in our incredible community.

2. COMMUNITY CHARITY SUCCESS

Honestly, no one wants to see a news feed filled with ads. However, we knew we wanted to support our local businesses... so we started up this website. The idea came to us to allow advertising on our website with proceeds being donated to charity.
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Our incredible small businesses made it possible for Estrella Mountain Residents to donate $2062.95 in our first year of the program. Not much else to say about this other than... we're humbled. Thank you, Estrella!

1. BREAKTHROUGH VOICE IN THE COMMUNITY

For quite a while, I think it's safe to say, residents really haven't felt they've been heard. From bringing in fast food restaurants to little communication on social media, it felt as if Estrella was moving on without great input from the people who actually live here. Yes, we can always go to HOA meetings. Yes, we can volunteer. But the majority of people just don't. Having an outlet to discuss opinions, ideas, and solutions has made a huge impact in Estrella. Not long after we started up our page, many other pages followed suit. We thank YOU for choosing to follow Estrella Mountain Residents. We are REALLY looking forward to a fabulous 2016. Cheers!
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    ABOUT THE AUTHOR

    Jennifer Barber is a Goodyear resident resident of almost 20 years and a retired broadcast news journalist. Involved in various nonprofit and city organizations since 2008, Barber has a unique view of what's happening in the West Valley of Arizona.

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  • WELCOME.
    • PEOPLE & PLACES. >
      • Features 2019 >
        • Richard Davis
      • Features 2017 >
        • Danielle Willars
        • KIM WITZAK
      • Features 2016 >
        • Estrella Youth Sports 10 Year Anniversary
        • Wodrich Family & Prolific Insurance Solutions
        • LATOYA AYALA
        • Bonnie Jansson
        • Bea Brumbach
        • The Van Dyke Family & Just Awesome Care Home Services
        • Natalie and Trey
        • Peter Egyed & CrossFit Fury
        • The Sears Family
        • Natalie & Randy
        • Casey Schwebel & A Plus Mobile Automotive
      • Features 2015 >
        • Larry Cervarich
        • Sally Aston
        • Pete
        • The Harmans and American Windshield
        • The Stuewe Family
        • Jill Erno
        • Randall Carpet Care
        • The Jones Family
        • Julie Jo and Chi Town
        • Dave Hardy and Summerwind Solar
        • Butch Cobb and a 9/11 Tribute
        • Nanci Budge and the Budge Team
        • Westar Elementary School
        • Joe and Amie Bruyer
        • Estrella Mountain Preschool
        • Norma Cunningham
        • Oasis Bagels
        • North Star Animal Hospital
        • Julie Sisk
        • Jessica Sabo
        • Estrella Foothills Bike Park
        • Lacy Alan Wetzel
        • Tanja Tanner
        • Eve Cunningham
  • BLOG.
    • Estrella Fire Service >
      • Estrella House Fire Stats
    • Lucero >
      • CantaMia Growth and Fire Service Demands
    • Did you hear?
  • JEN & FRIENDS.
    • WEST VALLEY FAMILIES.
    • CONTACT. >
      • NEWS2JB CREATIVE SERVICES.