Glendale’s Community Newspaper
Vol. 79 No. 22
Inside This Week THE VOICE OF BUSINESS
BUSINESS .....11 11
‘Crazy’ returns to housing market amid slim stock
SPORTS ....... 16
Cactus alum thrives in college softball
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June 1, 2023
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Glendale Avenue encases history of the city BY CHRISTIAN COPUS-SALLAS Glendale Star Staff Writer
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lendale Avenue runs through the heart of the city of Glendale, and throughout the years, it has picked up its own history. What may not be common knowledge is that the deep history surrounding the street and the buildings that rest on it have played a key part in why Glendale’s community is so tight knit and close today. “Glendale is critically important not only to the business owners in historic Downtown Glendale, but because it’s the main arterial road that brings people from all parts of the Valley and all parts of the state,” said Lorraine Zomok, president of the Historic Downtown Glendale Merchants Association and member of the Glendale Arizona Historical Society. “It’s also our namesake. Most great down-
Throughout its history, Glendale Avenue has been home to numerous historical buildings and events that helped the city grow. (Glendale Arizona Historical Society/Submitted)
towns have a main street to them, and Glendale Avenue is our main street.” Glendale Avenue is not only a focal point for the community to connect but also a business hub.
Councilmember Jamie Aldama, who is a lifelong, fourth-generation resident of Glendale, has always seen Glendale Avenue as a SEE HISTORY PAGE 4
Peoria Unified School District superintendent retires BY JOE McHUGH
Glendale Star Staff Writer
YOUTH .........24 24
BASIS Peoria grad wins Flinn Scholarship
OPINION ......................8 BUSINESS ................... 11 SPORTS ..................... 16 CALENDAR................. 18 FEATURES.................. 20 RELIGION ................... 22 YOUTH ....................... 24 CLASSIFIEDS ............. 26
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fter over 30 years of service to educating the future generations, Peoria Unified School District Superintendent Dr. Jason Reynolds will retire. “I believe, at least for me, that that teaching is a calling and it’s hard because it’s more than a job,” Reynolds said. “And so, when you think about stepping away from that calling, and you think about stepping away from that work, it’s an emotional decision. It’s a hard decision, but it’s the right decision for me for my family, and we’re go-
ing to make sure that Peoria Unified is set up for continued success for years to go.” From initially moving out to Yuma after “packing his car” and starting a new teaching job to becoming the superintendent of the fourth-largest district in the state, Reynolds said he never would have thought his career would take him as far as it did. “It never even crossed my mind,” he said. “When I was a brand-new teacher, I really thought that I would probably be a career high school English teacher. I loved every day of it. But over time and working with people and being mentored and guided, op-
portunities presented themselves.” Originally taking the deputy superintendent position in 2019, Reynolds took full control of the district in 2020 — the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. For him, this was a time that could be considered the most difficult of his career, but he and the district overcame it. “I think back to how our team responded to the pandemic and we created a plan to ensure that our students have all the things they need to recover from that time,” Reyn-
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SEE REYNOLDS PAGE 5