CUSD board slams Legislature / P. 10
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Sunday, October 2, 2022
QC inks another big water deal to meet town needs BY MARK MORAN Tribune Staff Writer
Q
ueen Creek has taken the next step toward its stated goal of achieving water independence by agreeing to buy 500,000 acre-feet of water from a group of landowners and farmers in Maricopa and La Paz counties for $30-million. The sellers are part of the Harquahala Valley Water Association in areas west of Phoenix. “We have signed a contract to purchase
5,000 acre-feet of Harquahala water that would be over the next 100 years,” said Paul Gardner, town utilities director. “So that would be a total volume of 500,000 acre-feet.” In an average year, an acre foot of water supplies the needs of about 3.5 homes a year. Queen Creek sits on a 100-year supply of underground water and this purchase of water rights from Harquahala, much like a recent $21-million purchase from the GSC Farm in Cibola, helps protect that aquifer, according to Gardner.
“It’s one of the next steps,” Gardner said. For Queen Creek, water independence would mean securing enough water from various sources that the town is are simply using the underground aquifer as a water storage system rather than for every day use. Getting the water from Harquahala to Queen Creek is pretty simple, and will travel the Central Arizona Project canal system to make the journey.
see WATER page 6
QC Chamber honors businesses, community leaders
COMMUNITY...... 16 Holocaust survivor enthralls QC junior high students.
BUSINESS............ 18 QC goat farm owner’s lifelong love for the animals.
COMMUNITY.........................16 BUSINESS...............................18 OPINION..................................20 SPORTS....................................22 GET OUT..................................24 CLASSIFIEDS.........................26
BY MARK MORAN Tribune Staff Writer
T
he Queen Creek Chamber of Commerce last week honored local businesses, educators and volunteers during its 13th annual awards dinner Sept. 29. Here’s the rundown on the honorees in each of the award categories.
Emerging Business of the Year:
Jeremiah’s Italian Ice The Chamber said that all of the Emerging Business of the Year nominees have been open less than three years, provide excellence in customer service, innovative products or services, community volunteerism and/or demonstrate economic support of the Queen Creek area business community Jeremiah’s Italian Ice won the award for “excellence in customer service,” and “providing
innovative products or services, community volunteerism and/or demonstrates economic support of the Queen Creek community.” All About You Senior Resources and Queen Creek Botanical Gardens were also nominated.
Business of the Year:
The Hampton Inn The Hampton Inn was named winner Business of the Year for meeting the criteria that includes: “has been in business more than three years, provides excellence in customer service, has experienced progressive sales and marketing growth, provides innovative products or services, community volunteerism, and/or demonstrates economic support of the Queen Creek area business community.” FatCats entertainment venue and Quick Quack Car Wash were finalists.
see AWARDS page 4
Cyndi Carlton, a music teacher at American Leadership Academy Charter School, was named Educator of the Year by the Queen Creek Chamber. (Special to the Tribune)