Glendale’s Community Newspaper
Vol. 79 No. 35
August 31, 2023
www.glendalestar.com
Inside This Week Clip-It & Save
Teddy Bear Day celebrates beloved childhood toy BY LAURA LATZKO
Glendale Star Staff Writer
Coupons inside!
W
NEWS ............... 7
West Valley Heart Walk is 90 days away
FEATURES ....... 22
Pita Jungle hosting a wild celebration
hen inspired by a cartoon of President Teddy Roosevelt saving a bear during a hunting exhibition, owners of a candy shop in Brooklyn decided to display a stuffed bear in their window. The bear became popular, and soon teddy bears were in households across the country. National Teddy Bear Day honors the childhood toy, which generations of children have had since that original stuffed bear. In Historic Downtown Glendale’s Catlin Court and Old
Towne neighborhoods, businesses have been partnering for Teddy Bear Day for the last 19 years. This year, the event will be held on Saturday, Sept. 9. It is one of the longest-running signature events in the area. For the event, local businesses partner with the Historic Downtown Glendale Merchants Association. Catlin Court is filled with early and midcentury bungalows and ranch-style homes that have been turned into shops. Shade trees, picket fences and porches
BY JOE McHUGH
YOUTH ............ 26
OPINION .................... 10 BUSINESS .................. 14 SPORTS ..................... 16 CALENDAR................. 18 FEATURES.................. 20 RELIGION ................... 24 YOUTH ....................... 26 CLASSIFIEDS .............30
SEE BEARS PAGE 4
Coit and Valerie Burner co-own Bears and More in Downtown Glendale. (Laura Latzko/Staff)
PUSD hires consulting firm in superintendent search Glendale Star Staff Writer
Program helps teens who have attempted suicide
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he Peoria Unified School District Governing Board recently voted to hire McPherson and Jacobson LLC to assist in the search for a new superintendent. In the wake of former district superintendent Jason Reynolds retiring, the district is committed to finding the best candidate to lead its future. “We are recruiters of talent,” McPherson and Jacobson consultant Donald Grotting said at the Aug. 24 board meeting. “We do not hire your superintendent; you will hire your superintendent. But one thing that we will do is that we will bring you quality can-
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didates that meet the characteristics and qualities that you want for this school district and this community.” McPherson and Jacobsen brings in a wealth of experience from their many hires across the nation. The firm uses a five-phase plan to narrow down which candidate will be right for the job and, more importantly, a candidate who will exercise a long tenure as the district’s superintendent. “If you look at, not only the number of superintendents that we hire but the percentage that stay 10 years or more and 15 years or more is pretty outstanding,” Grotting said. “We want to bring to you what is going to stay with the Peoria Unified School District that is going to be accountable to you,
that’s going to be dedicated to your students and your staff for some time.” The five-phase plan coordinates a collaborative effort between the district and the talent agency, to ensure that all parties agree before moving to the next phase. They will initially start with meeting with the PUSD board, looking to get a feel for what they are looking for. This meeting will include discussions on identifying desirable characteristics in candidates, identifying stakeholder groups and feedback activities, establish timeline and deadlines, determining advertising and salary range, and making the final job posting available. SEE SUPER PAGE 9
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