February 2 – 15, 2013 35 www.SanTanSun.com Opinion Community Commentary For our Valentines Sweetheart. Honey. Babe. Darling. Whatever you call your significant other, as Valentine’s Day approaches, ‘tis the time when all thoughts turn to love. He was the only male in a room of more than 60 females, attending a meeting of the Phoenix chapter of Women in Communications, Inc. (WICI) of which I was president. One of my board members worked with Geoff Hancock and brought him to meet me, but as was the case in running a large meeting, I was dashing around making sure everything was in place, the speaker had arrived, the food was ready and so on. I recall rarely having time to eat much of my meal, spending more time greeting people. Geoff only got the cursory “Nicetameetcha” welcome and a handshake. Shortly after that meeting, he called to discuss internship possibilities between his broadcast students at ITT Technical Institute and The Phoenix Channel, the government access cable channel I founded and ran for the City of Phoenix for six years. He was very professional, businesslike and had a good sense of humor, and within a few weeks, we started hiring his kids to run camera, audio and do other functions needed of a small 24/7 television station. We had a “business” relationship for about six months, and would talk periodically regarding students, internships, etc. But one day during the course of a phone conversation, he asked me on a date! I recall thinking, “Wait, who is this guy?” I knew him professionally, and just hadn’t thought of him “that way.” But, as a single career woman in my 30s, I thought, “Sure, why not?” Unfortunately, the evening of his invitation was during a time I was heading out of town with the Phoenix Ski Club, so I asked for a rain check. About three weeks went by, and no word or call from him. I had done my share of dating, and was ready to swear off men, and here was another reason why! But then he called, had a plausible reason for why he hadn’t been in contact and we arranged to go on a double date with Geoff’s best friend, Mick, and his wife. We had dinner and went to hear a great young jazz singer, Dennis Rowland, and the rest, as they say, is history. We quickly became a couple, were engaged in six months, married in a year – I couldn’t think about a wedding until my presidency with WICI was done – and Mick stood up with Geoff, and Dennis sang at our wedding. We are the epitome of “opposites attract:” he’s a homebody, I like to socialize. He’s a neatnik, I’m an organized chaos type. He’s the “glass is dry as a bone” pessimist, I’m the “glass is overflowing” optimist. He was an only child and traveled most his life as a military brat; I grew up on a farm with three siblings and a large extended family. But we manage to balance each other, and share a love of travel, cats, movies, the ocean and many other things, and he keeps me laughing with his wicked dry sense of humor. Now, 25 years, one son, two rescue kitties and a co-owned business later, Geoff and I celebrated our silver anniversary last fall. Sure, there were times when I didn’t know if we were going to make it – I think every couple goes through a few rough patches – but we always managed to work it out and keep us together. Operating a business with your spouse in the same home office can certainly challenge any couple’s relationship. But his business acumen and my nose for news grew the former Ocotillo News and now SanTan Sun News into a good- sized, profitable business for the past 13 years and has allowed us to get to know so many wonderful people in Chandler. Happy Valentine’s Day, Dear Heart. I love you. To our team, all our readers and advertisers, Happy Valentine’s Day to you and your loved ones, and we are grateful for your patronage. Publisher’s Note Laurie Fagen Photo by LightRainImages.com PUBLISHER Laurie Fagen ADVERTISING/PRODUCTION Geoff Hancock ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT Darlene Keberle ACCOUNT EXECUTIVES Jane Meyer Debbie Jennings WEBSITE MAINTAINED BY Susan Kovacs, n-ergizing AD DESIGN Christine Bryner, Studio 509 LAYOUT DESIGN Tad Smith, The Design Idea Deadline EDITORIAL AND ADVERTISING: NOON WED., FEBRUARY 6 FOR THE FEBRUARY 16, 1013 ISSUE 35,000 Total Circulation 27,250+ Driveways Fifty square mile coverage area from Price/101 to Greenfield and from Frye to Hunt Highway. MAILING ADDRESS: PO Box 23 Chandler, AZ 85244-0023 TELEPHONE: 480-732-0250 FAX: 480-883-8714 ©2013 SanTan Sun News For News Tips, Editorial Articles, Opinion or Classifieds, email is preferred. NEWS EMAIL ADDRESS: [email protected] ADS EMAIL ADDRESS: [email protected] WEBSITE ADDRESS: www.SanTanSun.com NEWS ASSISTANT Barbara Law CONTRIBUTORS Lora Robinson Wendi Olson Kristen Boyd Robyn Kelly Kathie Butters Melissa Hartley Ximena Rodriguez MANAGING EDITOR Susan Henderson EDITOR Lynda Exley PROOFREADER Kristen Sherman WRITERS Tracy House K.M. Lang Selena Larson Alison Stanton SECTION EDITORS Teri Carnicelli Sharon McCarson Kristen Sherman Steven Solomon Signing out after 17 years of service BY MATT ORLANDO After serving nearly 17 years, from 1990-1998 and 2004-2013, the time has arrived for me to step down from the City Council. It has been a great honor and humbling experience to represent the people of Chandler during my four terms in office and I am extremely grateful for this remarkable experience. I extend my sincere gratitude to all those I have met during this incredible journey, and hope that in some small way I helped to make a positive impact on our community. Working through 16 municipal budgets has been quite enlightening. We have experienced long periods of prosperity and a very challenging recession. In my first two terms on the City Council, we had the foresight to implement sound fiscal policies to ensure our city’s future viability. Chandler is one of a few municipalities to attain and maintain a AAA bond rating through a bad economy. I thank city employees for all they have weathered in recent years and for finding ways to trim costs and staffing levels without hurting service delivery. I take pride in the fact that in the past few years we have dedicated more funding and resources to neighborhoods. We expanded our outreach programs and streamlined code enforcement operations. This is beneficial in keeping our citizenry educated and engaged throughout the community. From an economic development standpoint, we continue to diversify and solidify our employment base. President Obama’s visit was a high point in recognizing our community’s success on a national level. Intel’s expansion is significant to our entire region and we take great pride in this accomplishment. The attraction of manufacturing, biomedical, aerospace and finance companies complements our economy. The opening and expansion of the Innovations Incubator in West Chandler is another recent project worth mentioning. It is a state-of- the-art facility with laboratories and specialized equipment dedicated for innovative entrepreneurs in the life sciences and emerging technology industries. It provides outstanding opportunities for startup companies to grow, collaborate and share resources that would otherwise not be available to them. I have witnessed the development of many companies, housing developments, parks and recreation facilities, shops and restaurants throughout the city. Above all, I take great pride in the work that has been accomplished downtown. With the opening of the new City Hall, the various merchants and special events taking place here, our downtown is truly becoming an exciting destination. It has been a privilege to work alongside some very dedicated elected officials, staff and residents. I leave office with great satisfaction that when we recognized issues, we worked together to find solutions. If there is a downside to public service, it is the time it takes away from one’s family. The support and love of my wife and three children, and their understanding of my occasional absence, will forever be cherished. Matt Orlando Have a story idea or news tip? Know of an interesting photo opportunity? How about positive feedback or constructive comments? We’d like to hear from you. Email us at [email protected]. Oops – The incorrect phone number was submitted for ACSA Home Maintenance, the subject of an article entitled ‘Gambling’ with homes in the desert on Page 24 in the Business Section. The correct phone number is 480-577-4971. The Doing Business profile on Page 21 in the Business Section contained the incorrect spelling for the company name. The correct spelling is purbloc, making the email address [email protected] and the website purbloc.com. We apologize for the error.