Anthem News and Events

• The Anthem Festival of Fine Art met with great success this weekend as art patrons poured in to visit the top 50 Arizona artists in a juried art show.
• Home values continue to rise at incredible rates.  Anthem Parkside homes have appreciated by leaps and bounds since the city's opening.  Home prices within the Country Club seem to skyrocket every few months.  Take a trip to Anthem, Arizona and see for yourself.

Arizona News

• Water and Land are top issues on the Arizona agenda.  Governor Janet Napolitano pushed her agenda throughout the voting season and plans to carry through her promises.  Today, she will begin plans for protecting both water and land in Arizona, creating more space around the edges of cities and increasing the income from state trust land sales.  Approximately 5 million dollars more will be pumped into the Arizona Department of Water Resources for a new water conservation office and additional water-monitoring efforts.
• Susan Ratliff, owner of a local trade show supply company, presented the "Women's Entrepreneur's Business Boot Camp" to more than 200 women on Saturday.  The number of self-employed women has increased 77% since 1983!
• The air pollutant, Particulate Matter 10, or PM10, occurs when tiny, coarse particles are released from the dust and dirt in the valley and is linked to a long list of respiratory issues.  Construction and driving on dirt roads often releases PM10.  Currently, Phoenix is attempting to control the levels of PM10 in the air in order to shake off the EPA's "serious" label for the high levels of the pollutant.  The EPA requires 3 straight years of clean readings in order to be removed from the "serious" list.  In 2004, high levels were recorded on 5 occasions in Maricopa County.  The Maricopa County Air Quality Department suggests that there may still be a chance to prevent the pollutant, but that "we have a long ways to go."  Gilbert, Buckeye, southwest Phoenix, and west Phoenix were the culprits of the high-level readings.  More research into these areas is being conducted in order to determine how best to control PM10 levels.

Phoenix is partnering with Food for the Hungry to adopt the northwest Indonesia village of Meulaboh, who lost 1/3 of its 120,00 residents to the Tsunami.  Most of the remaining residents have been left without food, water, shelter and medicine.

The valley will be bracing for another winter storm onslaught of rain this weekend.  Since desert land has such a hard crust at the top-most layer, flash floods often occur in normally dry washes and riverbeds.  The Weather Service heeds words of warning to people who encounter a flooded road or wash... "Turn around, don't drown".

The Roller Coaster of Gas Prices

Residents here in the Phoenix valley are particulary vocal when it comes to gas prices.  Gas prices across the country fell to an average $1.77 per gallon and, at only 4 cents more than the average, Phoenix was talking about the low prices.  Now, experts are projecting yet another spiked increase in prices once again, coming this May.  The U.S. Department of Energy projects prices will rise to $2.05 per gallon, putting us back on track to meet or exceed the 2004 prices.

Rain Floods the Valley

The Salt River is flowing and places are flooding after a downpour in the valley over the last few days.  The river has actually eroded the Alma School bridge.

*Photo courtesy of Tom Tingle, The Arizona Republic

Marathon and 1/2 Marathon + Art Walk, Expos, and Concerts

The guns will fire this Sunday for P.F Chang's Rock n' Roll Marathon and 1/2 marathon to begin.  Events include a Thursday ArtWalk in downtown Scottsdale, Health and Fitness expos on Friday and Saturday at the Phoenix Civic Plaza Convention Center, and a concert headlined by Jason Mraz Sunday evening.

*Photo courtesy of P.F Chang's Rock n' Roll Marathon

Chandler, Arizona Now 5th Largest City in Arizona

Chandler has surpassed Scottsdale by almost 4,000 residents and now takes 5th place behind Phoenix, Tucson, Mesa, and Glendale.  Famous for their Christmas tumbleweed tree, Chandler focuses on diversity within its community, especially in business.

*Christmas Tumbleweed Tree Photo courtesy of ChandlerAZ.org

Phoenix Cleans Up

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency recently decided that Phoenix has met clean-air standards for carbon monoxide.

Water Will Remain a Core Issue for the Valley

In a recent poll, the Arizona Republic reports that 9 out of 10 people in the valley would give state leadership the power to stop new home developers if they cannot guarantee long-term water supplies.  LifeInAnthem.com has written a good summary article called "Imminent Water Starvation".

This news brought to you by LifeInAnthem.com.

• Life in Anthem, AZ
  Although the accomplishments of Del Webb to build a spectacular, planned community will not go unnoticed, Anthem, Arizona gets its bragging rights from its people.
• Population is Booming
  Anthem's community is diverse. People continue to flock to Phoenix, Arizona, the "Valley of the Sun" and the surrounding communities for many reasons; weather, great job opportunities, low cost of land and living, a long list of year-round activities for all ages, and more...
• Land/Home Appreciation
  WOW! That word about sums it up. Anthem, Arizona may not have experienced the same rapid growth of coastal development, but Anthem's land and home values are rising every day. Most of us in the community would not be able to afford to buy the homes we are living in today!
• Everything is Here
  Working from home has its privelages. My wife and I joke about how all Anthem, AZ needs now is a local bookstore and a movie theatre. Well, the AMC theatre is 15 minutes away and Anthem's regional library just opened up. Boulder Creek High School along with Anthem's many elementary schools are just a few blocks away. Glendale Community College's North campus is about 15 minutes away. Phoenix, Arizona also just 15 minutes away, has everything a big city should. Anthem, AZ also has a medical center, an Outlet mall for shopping, acres of parks and sports fields, local commerce, community center, worship centers, and more...