In Case You Were Curious...

Things I learned in my class today:

1) It is possible to divide one's attention pretty much evenly between a speaker and a ream of Sudoku puzzles. (the guy to my left)

2)If it is impossible to stay awake, just abandon all pretense by early afternoon; lean back, fold your arms, close your eyes, and dream. (the guy to my right)

3) It appears that the older the man (not true of women, in my small sample), the larger his ears. (My efforts to stay awake and focused, by checking out my colleagues)

4) Accountants usually live up to their stereotype; our speaker alloted us one extra break, but insisted that each break consume only 7 and a half minutes.

5) Our tax law is really out of control. If I, with my years of education, training and experience, find it difficult to grasp the minutiae of requirements to properly complete a tax return, how can any taxpayer cope? My solution to the problems with basis is to only invest in companies that are profitable.

But I completed my continuing education requirements, by golly; I stayed to the very end.

No Posting Today...

I'm off to receive continuing education in my field of study. Is it possible for someone to spend an entire day discussing basis calculations? I guess I'll find out.

At Least the Headline is Positive

The AZ Republic has an article in the business section today with the positive-sounding headline "New-home sales rose 4.1%" (as long as you don't read the glaring "but" underneath: "But U.S. median price down 1.3% in August"). The rest of the article is filled with statements followed by the hope-killer "but":

Sales of new homes, after falling for three months, rose in August.

But the gain was expected to be temporary as the battered housing industry struggles with a near-record level of unsold homes across the country.

And:

The U.S. Commerce Department reported Wednesday that home sales in the nation increased 4.1 percent last month, the best showing since an 8 percent jump last March.

But even with the increase, the median price of a new home fell to $237,000, a drop of 1.3 percent from August 2005. It was the first year-over-year price decline since late 2003.

And more:

Sales of new homes were up in every region except the West, where they dropped 17.7 percent.

Comparable sales figures for the Valley are unavailable.

But new-home permits have been falling for months as builders try to sell their inventory of new homes.

No doubt this reporter is a fan of "Garbl's Myths and Superstitions of Writing" where the author disputes 11 rules of writing, including "never begin a sentence with But and And" - a rule that I feel guilty about breaking every time I do it, even though blogging is supposed to be informal. But I digress. (Do you feel my guilt?)

The Mister and I were applauding the appearance of the article, wondering if the press corps has decided to lay off the doom and gloom scenarios about the housing market. Our applause was as ill-placed as the appreciative parent's clapping after the first movement in their high school child's concert. In other words, too early. Thus enters the time-worn phrase, "if you can't beat 'em, join 'em."

We were at lunch with our residential broker a few days ago, and he was telling us anecdotes of various homebuilders' behavior throughout the valley. Behavior like defaulting on contracts (which we unfortunately experienced back in March), buying land without infrastructure like water and sewer, unloading (viable!) subdivisions so as to meet corporate earnings forecasts, and in general making decisions that don't seem like great business sense, even to someone who isn't deeply educated in that industry. For example, they are willing to sell houses for little or no profit, just to beat the builder who is selling across the street, or just to prove to Wall Street that they are still selling houses. A logical person might note that there are plenty of re-sale homes on the market right now, and what makes economic sense for the builder would be to be willing to slow down sales -still making a reasonable profit, but just slower - until the market catches up to the inventory. They seem incapable of that course. I made the comment, "Gee, they are acting like they've never gone through a downturn before!" The Mister and our broker looked at me, surprised.

"They haven't!" they both said at the same time. They proceeded to explain that the normal housing market in Arizona generally runs on about a 7 year cycle, with housing demands peaking and then the market correcting itself. But we have seen 15 years of growth in the housing industry, and given the fact that many of these VPs in charge of land procurement are youngish, like in their thirties and forties, of course they've never managed a down cycle in the market! Self-preservation is the overarching concern, and it must be immediate, whatever the long-term cost. The builders who have some cooler (older, perhaps?) heads at the top will weather this season just fine; it's the builders who made foolish purchases that one wonders about.

Morrison Ranch, looking from the viewpoint of the landowner, is somewhat insulated from this frenzy. The land has been in the family for years, so there are no carrying costs, and thus there is no pressure to unload the land. We will continue to farm the land that isn't being developed. We have the cachet of a Master Plan, and we have infrastructure. Oh, and by the way, we are positioned in the middle of a fast-growing town, no longer on the edges of suburbia.

Beyond all that, we have folks in our office that are committed to completing the vision, or coming as close as is humanly possible.

Oops, I don't think I held my gloom and doom pose long enough. I guess that's why I'm a blogger, not a reporter.

Turf Thoughts

The grass continues to appear in Highland Groves, transforming the view pretty much instantly. There is one section along Park that doesn't yet have the electric controllers powered up and so it can't yet be planted; but most of Park is green, and it seems like a new retention basin gets planted every day. It's looking fabulous.

Our back yard is also a lush green right now, as the rye takes hold; it's a lovely view, since the trees still have their leaves, and the temperatures are cooling.

I would have to say that I am almost as committed to turf as I am to trees. That's my personal opinion; The Mister puts open space near the top of his list. Anyway, I'll be interested to see how some discussions about turf end up in Higley Groves, on the east side of Higley. A resident sent me an email telling me about the HOA Board's discussions on using artificial turf; I presume this would be in the common areas. The Mister and I went to look at the test patch on the far east cul-de-sac on Linda Ct. and I snapped a picture:






It looks pretty darn good, I have to say. Gone are the days of the shiny Easter basket grass or the green "carpet." We actually looked at using some of this on our newest project, Desert Place at Morrison Ranch, due to the water limitations in Mesa. Based on a combination of factors, we decided against it, but none of those factors disparaged the quality of the product. Partly, we wanted to come up with a low-water plant palette that would retain the look of Morrison Ranch even if we couldn't exactly duplicate the streetscape. Partly, we looked at the relative expense. Our rough calculations showed that it would take a long time to recoup the installation costs by reduced maintenance and water usage; The Mister estimates that overseeding, watering and maintaining our open space costs about two cents a square foot ($100 an acre). Compare that to the $8 a square foot of installation, and the disparity in cost becomes obvious. Even if we could get a discount for a large order, say down to $6 a square foot, the numbers still don't work very well.

But back to Higley Groves. Because it was the first neighborhood to be built, and we didn't have the community infrastructure in place yet, this technically is its own subdivision, with its own HOA board. The same is true of Higley Groves West, where The Mister and I reside (and where he serves on the HOA board). He feels that his responsibility as a board member and as a resident is not to minimize cost, but to maximize value. Our neighborhood's value, both economically and aesthetically, rests in its association with Morrison Ranch, a master-planned community.

I'm not sure why artificial turf is being discussed in Higley Groves, but if I had a vote - and I don't - I would vote to maintain the turf and trees just as they are; it enhances the value of the community, both economically and aesthetically; and that's true for the short-term, but especially for the long-term picture.

Sounds Tasty To Me

I've never heard of the Asparagus Scholarship, but there's an article in today's Gilbert section of the AZ Republic that explains it:

Daniel Sanchez, a Gilbert resident and agribusiness senior at Arizona State University, became the first student of the Morrison School of Management and Agribusiness to receive the Asparagus Scholarship, a $3,000 award given to students who are pursuing a degree leading to a career in the grocery industry.

...

The Asparagus Club, founded in 1909 in Baton Rouge, La., awards the scholarships that have amounted to more than $800,000 during the past 15 years. The club annually grants scholarships to students from across the country.

This young man sounds like a hard worker with a vision for his future, and you can read the rest of the article to get to know him a little bit.

The Mister's parents endowed a chair at ASU Polytechnic (whose campus is at Williams Gateway) several years ago, with the hope of promoting the agriculture business to future generations. It was a nice feeling to see some tangible evidence of their desires being carried out through this young man's life.

Making The News

Morrison Ranch was a topic in both local newspapers over the weekend. The AZ Republic apparently had a reporter at the Mesa planning and zoning board meeting that I mentioned last week, and he saw the same approval that we did:

A family tradition of farming property in southeast Mesa and Gilbert for 80 years is disappearing quickly as cotton fields turn into houses.

That Valley-wide trend continues with Desert Place at Morrison Ranch, a huge residential development enthusiastically endorsed Thursday by the Mesa Planning and Zoning Board.

More than 200 acres near Guadalupe and Sossaman roads would turn into potentially 697 houses in the master-planned community lined with trees and an agricultural flavor.

"This development is a breath of fresh air," board member Pat Esparza said.

Other board members praised the development's traditional approach, which features 22 percent open space, said Scott Morrison of Morrison Ranch Inc., the developer.

"I think this is a nice project," board member Frank Mizner said. "I see this as a great asset for this part of Mesa."

The board voted unanimously to recommend that the Mesa City Council approve a zoning change from agricultural to medium-density residential.

Morrison said his family plans the development and sells lots to builders.

Howard Morrison, Scott's brother, said it would be at least two years until houses are built on the property. He said it is no longer economically feasible to farm in the area because well water is expensive.

"The fields take on a different personality based on the crops grown," he said, remembering how his family grew watermelons on the land one year, only to lose money when there was a glut on the market.

He said most people in the Southeast Valley live on land that once was used to grow cotton or other crops.

Scott Morrison said the Mesa development would be similar to the family's existing projects in Gilbert, featuring tree-lined streets, white rail fencing and other "pastoral characteristics of the early homesteads of the Southeast Valley."

The Mister doesn't remember using the word "pastoral" in his presentation, but I think it's a great description.

The East Valley Tribune also sent a reporter (and a photographer, but I didn't see any photos of The Mister, at least not in the online version) in a followup to a series they did about a year ago on the Santan area. I loved seeing The Mister through this fellow's eyes; very descriptive:

Meanwhile, back at the ranch: “Things have happened,” says Scott Morrison, doffing his wide-brimmed hat with a sigh. Morrison Ranch’s 52-year-old managing partner still looks the family farmer that his father and grandfather were; only the Bluetooth cell phone on his right ear hints at the Gilbert landowner’s hurry-up life.

“We were as surprised as anybody when the Albertsons closed,” he says, nodding toward the development’s Lakeview Village. The grocery chain signed a 20-year lease but locked its doors last month, leaving the community’s peaked-roof mercantile center curiously vacant.

The real estate trust that bought Albertsons “decided to close any stores that weren’t making money,” says Morrison. Nine stores locked down, including the one at Lakeview Village.

Prospective tenants, he says, have expressed interest in the space, but because the lease remains in the hands of the real estate consortium, not the developer, whoever the next tenant will be is out of his hands. “I have a feeling they’ll be a grocer,” he says. “From the homes and the way the area is configured.”

Residential development, meanwhile, continues apace: Three homebuilders have begun selling units in Morrison’s Highland Groves development, and construction will begin at the adjacent Lakeview Trails North in December.

“US Homes opened up for sales (in Highland Groves) and sold 10 lots in their first two weeks — without even a model to look at,” he says. “That, for us, is a good piece of news.”

Increased freeway access also has made the Morrisons’ proposed industrial park much more viable. “We’re talking to potential tenants right now,” he says. “It’ll probably be two years before you see steel sticking out of the ground. But with the new freeway, we’re having conversations we could not have had two years ago.”

But suspense over coming developments doesn’t diminish his pride in the tree-trimmed, picket-fenced neighborhoods his family’s farmlands have become. “I think (the look) has gotten better,” says Morrison. “As time goes on, those trees will mature and come to dominate the landscape. In 10 years, this area will look even better than it does today.”

I have to say, I agree one hundred percent.

The Desert Place

We have been working hard on a new Morrison Ranch community. It's called The Desert Place at Morrison Ranch, and naming it was positively easy compared to naming our other communities. That's because we've always called it that. This is property situated in the city of Mesa, at Guadalupe and Sossaman, and we've farmed it over the years using water from private wells rather than the RWCD system. This water is much more expensive, therefore we tried to use the very minimal amount, therefore the crops didn't yield as much, and therefore it was dubbed "The Desert Place."

It seemed appropriate to keep this name for a similar reason: we don't have the option of using reclaimed water in Mesa. We intend to keep the tree-lined streets and the white two-rail fences, but we cannot put turf along the roads, as it is in the rest of Morrison Ranch. Below is a picture The Mister took in Higley Groves West along Prairie, showing the visual effect of the trees:





If you replace the turf, in your imagination, with ground cover and decomposed granite, it illustrates what Desert Place might look like after the trees have grown for a few years. In fact, The Mister used this picture in his presentation to Mesa's Planning and Zoning Board yesterday as he sought approval for the plan. Both Bias For Action and The Mister have been working on familiarizing the board with Morrison Ranch; even though we are neighbors with Mesa, the board wasn't aware of our defining characteristics, or our commitment to the communities.

Zoning meetings are always a little nerve-wracking, especially when introducing concepts for the first time. As you may suspect, this is not a normal Mesa community plan, and the introduction needs to be detailed and complete. Some folks have found the "story of Morrison Ranch" a little TOO detailed, as these guys get pretty passionate in their presentations. It was gratifying, therefore, to have some citizens - both those affected by the plan, and those not affected - stand up and say that this is a great project. These were not folks we'd met before, other than Keith Vaughan (Gilbert's Public Schools Director of Planning and Development) but one fellow said his daughter lives in Morrison Ranch in Gilbert and he was very impressed with the Mesa plan. Some university students were there to complete an academic assignment, and they, too, were very complimentary. And the Board agreed, because they passed the plan 6-0.

Next stop is the Mesa City Council meeting next month; that body then needs to approve the zoning and preliminary plat, and then we will start talking to homebuilders

Bringing Home The Bacon

Folks who have joined me on The Front Porch for a while have learned a few things about me.

I intensely dislike the smelly underbelly of political discourse.

I find the privilege of participating in the governmental process massively outweighs the personal discomfort of watching grown-ups behave badly.

I encourage all adults to vote and involve themselves in the process; and I will offer my opinions on candidates if asked, but I'm not going to use my front porch to promote my candidates (except my brother-in-law, for obvious reasons); this is not a political blog.

I grew up in Wyoming for the most part, and my father spent some time in ranching.

With that fact set, I have got to point you to an editorial in today's paper by our great neighbor at the Farm Bureau building, Jim Klinker, concerning prop. 204. I'm going to copy the whole thing:

Animal-rights militants from Washington, New York and California have brought their political agenda to Arizona, intent on criminalizing humane practices of livestock farmers. If successful, hog farmers and veal ranchers will face fines up to $20,000 and six months in jail. And one day consumers may be forced to buy pork from Mexico and other foreign producers.

Proposition 204's out-of-state funders are targeting the way breeding pigs and veal calves are housed. Yet Arizona has no veal farms and ranks just 27th nationally in hog production.

Targeting states with minor or non-existent livestock industries and large urban populations of unsuspecting voters shows the true colors of the activists who are using Arizona as a pawn in their national campaign. Their mission is to denigrate law-abiding farmers, whose methods are approved by veterinary professionals and experts, and stir fear in the hearts and minds of voters with malicious claims about the way farmers care for their animals.

And the activists won't think twice about breaking the law if that's what it takes, as they did in pushing a similar initiative in Florida in 2002. There, some of the same activists flooded the state with $1 million in illegal campaign contributions. They were charged with 210 violations of election law and paid a $50,000 fine. That initiative granted pigs constitutional rights and forced the state's only two hog farms, both family-owned, out of business.

In Arizona, all hog farms, family owned or not, would be subject to the terms of the initiative.

Like the animal liberationists at PETA who preach veganism, the out-of-state activists are intent on ending meat production (and consumption) in Arizona. To them, animals are not to be raised for food, just as they are not be used in medical research, even if human lives can be saved.

These are not the values of Arizonans.

Arizona livestock farmers are responsible caregivers, not criminals. Arizonans should not be fooled by the hogwash coming from extremists.

He is blunt about the facts, and those in the agricultural industry know this. I'm hoping to pass those facts on to those who don't travel in agricultural circles.

Nozzle Puzzles

Say THAT three times fast. In essence, The Water Expert has been saying that for months now, as he tries to get the lakes at Highland Groves operating to his very high standards. The south lake has had problems with it's fountain, but that looks to be near a solution, perhaps even today. The other issue, though, has been the nozzle on the fountain; it sprays too much water up on the common area where folks stand, picnic or watch their kids on the tot lot. I'll let The Water Expert take us through these pictures:

This first picture is of our existing nozzle at Highland Groves, nice shape, but sprays and mists too much.

The next picture is of the new nozzle; it is higher and a little heavier water droplets but still sprays or mists a lot of water onto the concrete and next to the tables, and with reclaimed water we can't have that!! So this nozzle is not good, either. While I was there, I noticed our railing is already rusting due to the excessive amounts of water on it. So we have to change it up. I asked the guys to show me the fountain with NO nozzle at all.

Here is that picture. It is what I think will work, providing we can get a little more height out of it. Our contractor said he could build a nozzle for us that might work. It is just 3” pipe threaded with a 2.5 inch adapter. It should give us enough back pressure to shoot the water up to about 10-12 feet with hardly any mist and have this same basic shape of what is below. I like the heavy frothy water look of this fountain. It will provide something visual to look at and will give off quite a bit of water noise without getting you wet while watching your kids at play or trying to burn that steak on the BBQ next to the lake. Plus it will be custom!! And easy to replace.

I agree with The Water Expert; if they can get it a little taller and it won't spray on the concrete, it does have a nice look. I never really thought about the shape of a fountain spray and the size of a water droplet until these lakes started going in. Who knew there was so much detail to ponder? But if there are details to ponder and work out, I know that The Water Expert is just the guy to do it. This is a continuing story...

Urban Land Institute in Town

There are a couple of articles in today's AZ Republic that detail the work of an outfit called Urban Land Institute, or ULI. This is a think tank based in Washington that was hired to come and assess the economic development of the Gateway area. The Mister explained to me that they start off knowing very little about the area, study facts before arriving, and interview a gazillion folks before making their impartial observations and suggestions. You will not be surprised to hear that The Mister (a farmer, pilot and developer all at once!) was one of the gazillions interviewed; he spent some hours on Monday doing something he does so well - opining and enlightening. The ULI will give some preliminary conclusions in a public meeting tomorrow, and then they will go back and write up their reports.

One of the articles goes into quite a bit of detail about the ULI, and you can read it here.

The other article views the history of the area through the economic generators of agriculture, the Air Force and the GM Proving Grounds. The Mister's older brother is quoted in this one, as an agricultural land owner:

But the road to closure for the "big three" had been paved years earlier when it became evident that the Valley's sprawl would soon beat a path to their boundaries and farmland's biggest cash crop was real estate, not agriculture.

"Before the conversion of new land uses, when Gilbert's population was about 1,800 we were rural enough that it was unusual and somewhat of an exciting opportunity to go to Mesa," said Richard Morrison of Gilbert, a landowner and attorney.

"We recognized that one of the unique qualities was that we could be farmers and not feel crowded, yet we were 30 minutes away from major sports events, places to shop and the seat of government. It is a feature that most people would crave today and not find."

As an aside, it always startles me to see The Mister or one of his brothers quoted in a newspaper. In our early married life, there were plenty of quotes from Morrisons in newspapers and even on TV, but they were quotes from the elder generation, the grown-ups, so to speak. Now the quotes are from our generation, and it underscores how subtle the movement is from "youngster" to "grown-up."

I'll try to summarize the results of their report when it comes out. It should prove interesting for Gilbert's long-term plans.

Gloom and Doom

I'm feeling a little gloomy this morning, and wondering why. Perhaps it's the cloud cover. Being married to a Gilbert farmer for 27 years might have that effect; he used to get pretty low when the clouds rolled in, especially if we had a cotton crop in that was getting ready to be picked. Rain stains the cotton and reduces its value. That's depressing to a farmer.

Or maybe it's because of my daily journey through the news; let's see, maybe I can summarize what I've seen this morning.

On the national scene, according to the Wall Street Journal, the legal case against KPMG (one of the large CPA firms) by the Justice Department is running into trouble as a memo from the IRS has surfaced revealing that there was some confusion in the IRS about whether the tax shelters KPMG was promoting needed to be registered (which is the backbone of the charge against them). But it looks as though the 16 KPMG partners that got thrown under the bus will remain there; the firm is refusing to pay for their legal counsel. Ouch.

In local politics, it appears that there are clandestine donors supporting veiled organizations whose sole purpose is to attack the candidates for governor. There's also an article seeking volunteers to serve on some of Gilbert's vacant advisory boards. Gee, I wonder why folks might be deterred from volunteering their time for the common good?

On a topic even closer to home (no pun intended), there are five, (count them, five!) articles on the demise of the housing market. Experts are stunned, stunned! at how rapidly the housing boom has gone bust. Prices are down and homes are selling slower (it's just those pesky median prices that aren't quite fitting the profile of doom), and the reporters are panicked (but not the real estate agents).

"Prices slide in the north, but surge in the south", says the headline. Ominous, unless you read the article and discover that they are talking about Scottsdale, where in the north the median price has slipped an entire ONE percent from a year ago to a measly $661,000. Good grief.

In the southeast valley, including Gilbert, sales as well as median price has dropped. The article includes this paragraph:

• Gilbert: Sales fell to 355 from 665, and the median price dropped to $320,000, the lowest in a year. It was $309,950 in August 2005.

Is it just me, or does that actually say that the median price of a Gilbert home is $10,050 MORE this August than last, remembering that last August was in the throes of the buying frenzy that could never be sustained? Perhaps it's a typo. It certainly doesn't add to the dark feeling the article is intended to invoke.

At least this article admits that comparing current numbers to last year's numbers isn't really helpful:

Last year isn't a perfect comparison because of the investor-buyer frenzy that has left the housing market with a hangover this year, so tracking the home building and sales month to month has become a better gauge. Single-family housing permits across metropolitan Phoenix dropped steadily from May to July.

Last year isn't a perfect comparison; last year is a terrible comparison, from an economic standpoint. And using the word "hangover" with all its perjorative connotation is so much sexier than using a word or phrase that actually describes what's happening, like "correction" or "return to sound economical principles."

There is some good news out there. Gas prices are falling, and the stock market is approaching an all-time high. Morrison Ranch is still coveted by builders that want to get into our community. All of that should cheer me up.

I guess there's just one article that trumps the rest, overshadowing all:

Krispy Kreme's future in Valley unclear

Franchisee's bankruptcy leaves stores empty

That says it all. See you later. I'm going to Dunkin' Donuts.

Ta Ta For Now

According to this AZ Republic article, the monsoon season is officially over:

Monsoon 2006 has come to an end, with a longer run and more rain than normal but little of the flooding and wind damage often associated with the seasonal storms.

Drier air and lower temperatures throughout the state over the weekend hailed the end of the season and the beginning of autumn coming up Saturday.

The monsoon season, which got under way July 2, was everything a desert dweller could hope for. It featured plenty of rain, regular interruptions of unbearably hot days and few of the disasters often associated with the summer thunderstorm season.

You can read the entire article at your leisure, but the rainfall totals are always interesting:

Officially, 3.33 inches of rain fell between the beginning of July and the official end of the season Thursday.

Other parts of the Valley received as little as 2 inches and as much as 5 1/4 inches, testament to the spotty nature of monsoon rainstorms.

The official total made the season the wettest since the turn of the century. Monsoon 1999 had more than 5 inches of rain, but since then not even 2 inches has fallen at Sky Harbor International Airport during the season, until this year.

Normally, the season lasts 55 days and brings 2.54 inches of rain.

The official measurement is at Sky Harbor airport, and so this is what gets passed on to all the weather reporting agencies. But I'll remind our Morrison Ranch residents that we have a state-of-the-art weather station near our office at Higley and Elliot. And as The Water Expert pointed out a few weeks ago, we've gotten over 6 inches of rain so far this year.

Even though the monsoons are officially over, there is a prediction of rain tomorrow. I hope it's a gentle rain, if it comes. We've just overseeded our yard - a little earlier than usual - to get the rye established before our godson's October wedding brings houseguests.

And the temperatures? On our front porch this morning, it was 67 degrees! Fabulous.

By Any Other Name...

With apologies to The Bard, "that which we call water by any other name would smell as sweet..." Okay, maybe water doesn't fit in the sentence as well as a rose, and certainly not the type of water I'm about to discuss, but the truth remains that water in the desert is precious, no matter how it smells.

The East Valley Tribune has an article today heralding the opening of Gilbert's newest wastewater treatment plant:

A new wastewater treatment plant — expected to become one of the largest in the state in coming decades — will open within a month in Gilbert.

The Greenfield Water Reclamation Plant, on 160 acres at Greenfield and Germann roads, will allow Mesa and Gilbert to treat more sewage and trade the resulting reclaimed water for more drinking water.

Why would I find this news article worthy of attention? Because the Town of Gilbert provides the reclaimed water that Morrison Ranch uses to irrigate our turf and trees. Newcomers to my front porch might not know that our intent in designing Morrison Ranch is to maintain the agricultural heritage of yesterday's Gilbert. It's why our street themes are trees and grass instead of a desert landscape with decomposed granite. The Mister's forebears cleared the land by hand and planted crops; we don't want to waste a drop of that sweat equity by taking the land back to desert. We currently receive our reclaimed water from the Neely treatment plant over by Cooper and Elliot; but water is water, and with the growth of Gilbert (and Queen Creek, who will also benefit from this new plant) and Mesa, it is good to know that the ability to process wastewater is increasing along with the population.

What about the smell? The article talks about mitigating the smell:

Residents spent months reviewing plans for the $160 million plant and helping design its appearance to ease concerns that it will smell or have a bad appearance. Haney said efforts are under way to ensure during the treatment of sewage, no smells are released to the community.

“There’s always the potential odors could develop because it is a wastewater treatment plant,” Haney said. “We’re doing what can to avoid that.”

Mesa has been successful in disguising plants and preventing smells in the past, he added.

The plant may be one of Arizona's largest, but not for several years:

“When it’s done, it will most likely be about the third largest waste water treatment plant in the state, when it’s built out in 15-20 years,” Haney said.

The plant, planned since 1997, will treat 16 million gallons of water a day during the first phase, but within 30 years treat as much as 52 million gallons a day. It will ensure water and sewage treatment is available for coming development, and eventually serve large parts of Gilbert and Queen Creek, and about the eastern quarter to one third of Mesa, he said.

For more information on how we use reclaimed water on Morrison Ranch, I'll direct you to this February post, and remind you that this is why we have the purple signs throughout the community.

This is a welcome opening, and kudos go to the Gilbert planning staff for their foresight. It's the ultimate example of "living green."

A Couple of More Things

After I posted my roundup yesterday, a couple of things were brought to my attention.

At Lakeview Village, the guys were putting up the sign for the jeweler; they are within days of getting their permits to start the improvements. Also at Lakeview, as we were having lunch at In The Raw, we saw the folks that are putting in the Zone Cafe. They too, are within days of getting their permits to start the improvements.

And as The Mister headed out on Higley Road last evening for a meeting, he saw that the work going on under the power lines at the north end of Higley Groves is - a stoplight! I would never have guessed. But he pointed out that it is part of Gilbert's trail system, and just like the traffic light at Lindsay and the canal, this will allow the users of the trail to get across Higley easily.

Roundup on the Ranch

It's been a while since I've summarized the progress of various projects around Morrison Ranch that have been in my sightline, so I thought a brief roundup might be in order.

Higley Groves
I see that the landscapers have started scalping the grass on the east side, getting ready for overseeding. The temperatures have been very cooperative so far.
Actually, it's rather satisfying to think about both sides of Higley Groves, east and west, as established neighborhoods. We have the normal stuff of living in a neighborhood going on, and while there is still some of the extraordinary stuff - like the lines that are being buried at the north end of the neighborhoods, under the powerlines - the infrastructure of the community is pretty much set, both physically and in the running thereof.

Higley Estates
This community is well on the way to being established. I know that Bias For Action is still hard at work helping folks with their landscaping designs, and there are still cement trucks roaming the streets, but it is getting closer to being settled. The cautionary sign for traffic entering Prairie from Elliot has not yet been stolen; I hope that it is successful in reminding people to slow down.

Remember those violent thunderstorms we had about 3 weeks ago? Nobody that we know of saw it, but The Water Expert's conclusion is that this palm HAD to have been hit by lightning:


It died too quickly; all the water systems are fine, and there doesn't seem to be another explanation.

The commercial portion behind this tree (on the southwest corner of Higley and Elliot) gets mentioned in our office from time to time, but we have yet to find the perfect occupant; so for now, we just work on keeping the weeds out of there.

Paperless Office
Speaking of the office and my personal project of going with less paper, I'm not sure you would notice any difference from a year ago; but I feel like the progress continues, though at a slower rate. It's rather like raising a child: the first year of growth shows the most changes, and everything is new and exciting. After that, it's the steady, slower growth and development. Every time I retrieve a document electronically, I am thrilled and feel very efficient. But there are still reams of documents to get into the files, and my techniques are not yet polished, shall we say.

Lakeview Village
The most exciting recent news, of course, is the opening of In The Raw. Their Grand Opening was on Saturday, but on Sunday Erica Williams and Channel 3 spent the morning there, making smoothies and sandwiches. If you have yet to try them out, you are missing out; it is very pleasant to sit outside in The Oasis even now. And their smoothies really are killer.

The Zone Cafe, right next door, is still in the process of getting their permits to start construction on their improvements. When they open, the oasis should be a bustling place, with your choice of sandwiches from 3 places including Subway, as well as Garlic Jims Pizza.

Our understanding is that a major grocer has made an offer on the Albertson's site; and that's about as far as that news goes. No details yet.

Lights on the Tanks
The lights have been installed on the tanks for weeks; now the efforts are all going into getting the electrical panels up and running. Needed parts have been ordered, arrived and currently are being worked on; but there is no clear timeline for the lighting to be operational. Bias For Action jokes that we may have them for Christmas 2007...

Lakeview Trails North
Dirt is flying on this project, literally. The sewer lines are almost complete, and now they are starting to install the water lines. This phase of a project always amuses me; it looks like they smooth everything out and make it look great, and then they go around digging big holes and trenches and generally messing everything up, and it doesn't really look smooth and nice again until the houses are in.

Highland Groves
Just when you thought it was safe to drive on Recker, it gets closed and torn up again... This is the City of Mesa installing a (huge!) water line. It made it difficult to go down Park, but we managed to do that yesterday and look at the grass. It makes such a huge difference! The first turf installed, along Sabino, is really looking good and green, and the rest won't be far behind. The landscapers will, of course, soon have to overseed with rye, but because it's sod instead of hydroseed, that is possible. I remarked to The Sixth Man that in my neighborhood of Higley Groves West, I now notice the trees much more than the grass. He pointed out that this is the natural progression; the grass in Highland Groves is stark in contrast to the dirt, but the trees are small and unnoticeable. After 5 to 6 years, the trees "take over" and then you don't notice the grass as much as the trees. It's why we are so committed to our trees, from the planning stages ("you may put your light poles anywhere there isn't a tree, but don't even THINK of pulling out a tree") to the community HOA ("we will maintain the trees; they are essential to the character of our community").

U.S. Homes is now selling out of their trailer, and from early reports, business is brisk: they sold 10 homes on the larger lots in 2 weeks!

Big League Dreams is well underway, with the dirt moving there as well.



So that's a quick trip around the inhabited parts of Morrison Ranch. If I haven't mentioned something that we've been keeping tabs on (say, the fountain in the south lake at Highland Groves), it's because there is no progress to report, only more waiting. There are some other things we've been working on in the office that we're almost ready to share, but as you well know by now, things always take longer.

Grass in the Groves

The grass keeps rolling in Highland Groves - literally. Here's a look west on Park Avenue, with the north lake showing to the right:



It is feeling stressed, of course, as it goes in, and so it looks a little yellow at the moment. It should green up pretty quick, and if the monsoons keep dumping rain, that will coax the green out even more. But even the stressed grass makes a huge difference in look from the dirt.

The electricity panels are being powered up one after another, and so the sod-laying should keep going without pause. The picture below was taken yesterday of the rolls that were intended for the basin at the corner of Page and Recker:




What a difference a little turf makes...

Just in Case You Forgot

If you are my neighbor in Higley Groves West, your polling place is at the Gateway Fellowship Church on Recker. If you live elsewhere and you forgot where you go to vote, look at your voter ID card and find the precinct information listed right above your name. The AZ Republic has listed the places connected with the precincts for District 22 here. Polls are open from 6am to 7pm.

A Moment of Reflection

I wasn't intending to post on the topic of 9/11 today; there are retrospectives enough. But I got inadvertently hooked on the first portion of the mini-series "The Path to 9/11" on ABC last night. I was already involved in watching the Manning brothers play football against each other, and had every intention of witnessing the final play. There had been some hoopla about this mini-series, and so I flipped the channel for a moment to get a sense of what the hoopla might be about, and that was the end of the Manning duel for me.

The Blame Game holds no appeal for me; plenty of folks of all political persuasion were asleep at the switch on September 10, and there were also some aware souls that found it impossible to move the behemoth of bureaucracy quickly enough to change the outcome. The reason I was riveted to the program is that it reminded me of some things that I already know, educated me on some things that I did not, and actually put the pieces of the puzzle together in a coherent way. I was so impressed that I tried (unsucessfully, so far) to purchase a DVD of the program last night; I'd like to be sure my kids see it and understand some of the history of that era.

My conviction to vote was also deepened. The nasty side of politics is so distasteful; it is nothing new, as anyone who has read any biographies of our founders is well aware. It does have a tendency to make folks shy away from the process, though. I always urge people to vote, even if they disagree with my choices. It seems imperative to do so now, on the fifth anniversary of a tragedy that affected all of civilization, really.

And I suppose that I will miss the middle section of the Monday Night Football opening double-header tonight; part 2 of ABC's docudrama airs at 7 pm.

East Valley Eateries

I don't generally post on weekends, and you may not generally read on weekends, but I wanted you to know about a couple of grand openings that happened today. As promised, In The RAW opened their doors early this morning at Lakeview Village:



People came with their little dogs...




and with their big dogs...




Instead of the traditional ribbon-cutting, council member Joan Krueger whipped up a dog smoothie and offered it to her pooch:



There were raffles and booths set up by various animal rescue outfits, and a high school jazz band played in the background.

The Mister and I sampled a juice drink and a smoothie drink, along with some muffins, and I can tell you they are spectacular. When they ask if you want orange juice or apple juice as the base for your smoothie, they don't pull out the concentrate. They pull out the apple and juice it right there; and the machine for juicing the oranges is incredible:


They are open every day except Christmas, at 6:30 am on weekdays and 7 am on weekends, and they close at 6 pm. Go check them out, and feel free to bring your dog.

Then for lunch we headed over to Agritopia where The Coffee Shop is now open. Their hours are 6 am to 7 pm Monday through Wednesday, and 6am to 10pm on Thursday through Saturday. They are closed on Sundays.

This is in what used to be Joe Johnston's tractor shed; that building, now refurbished, of course, is on the right. The white part of the building to the left is new construction, and houses the kitchen area. They have a limited menu for lunch and supper that rotates daily, but it makes you want to go every day to try the different items. Their specialties are breakfast and their pies and tarts. It all tasted just like it came out of my grandma's kitchen, from the homemade soup to the egg salad sandwich. Not to mention the good coffee, of course.


There is also some nostalgia; the sign below (you can click to enlarge) says "scooter parking only" and while we were there Joe and Cindy Johnston motored up on their Vespas:



Very good food in very comfortable surroundings. And might I say, very near Morrison Ranch residents.

And for those who always want more, the Cafe that is being readied next door to The Coffee Shop is scheduled to open October 10.

The Vagaries of Monsoon Season

Did you see the article in this morning's Republic about dropping temperatures?

Believe it or not, temperatures could drop into the 60s this weekend.

If the low end of the National Weather Service forecast holds up, it would be the earliest time in the season since 2001 and the first time since the day after Memorial Day.

It might have happened overnight or it could come soon. Lows in the upper 60s are forecast through the middle of next week. And if it doesn't happen officially (at the reporting station at Sky Harbor International Airport), it certainly could do so unofficially in the cooler parts of town.

Those cooler parts might be places that have tree-lined streets and turf, say, Morrison Ranch. I mentioned to The Mister last night that it was downright pleasant outside. The article has an explanation for that as well:

Thursday's temperature was held down by a large thunderstorm that blanketed the area after midnight. More than 1½ inches of rain fell in some north Phoenix locations, with lesser amounts elsewhere around the Valley.

Sky Harbor, alas, reported only a trace.

And once again, we see the different rainfall totals in neighboring areas of the valley, and in the state. We were comparing rain totals at lunch yesterday, and while we only got .03 on the Ranch, our dairy at Elliot and Sossaman got .4 inches. But our farm foreman won the category with 2.3 inches at the farm in Gila Bend! Then he told a story that he heard from his grandpa, who is The First Cousin's dad.

There was a farmer that used to carry a shotgun with him in the field, in case he saw a rabbit that would be good for supper. One day he was cultivating a field, and as he stopped for lunch, he leaned the shotgun up against the cultivator as he went inside. While he was eating, a monsoon storm passed by; when he returned to the cultivator, one barrel of the shotgun was full of rainwater. The other barrel was dry.

And that's how it rains in Arizona.

Just Kidding

We just got back from In The RAW, and they are NOT open just yet. We met Valerie, one of the owners, and her husband Kevin. They are very very close to being ready, but just not quite over the hump yet. They have several small tables inside, a bar with stools, and a walk-up window. To use their vernacular, it's going to be RAWsome! But not today. Saturday.

Today's The Day

I mentioned that In The RAW is going to have their grand opening on Saturday; I didn't realize that their actual opening is today! The Mister tells me that channel 12 was supposed to have been there at 7 am this morning. And here is an article from the AZ Republic, in full:

A trendy Scottsdale coffee, juice and dog bar is setting up shop in Higley.

Owners of In the RAW expect to open the store today on the southeastern corner of Higley and Elliot roads in the Higley area of Gilbert.

They have confidence in the area's growth potential, although they are opening their second location in a shopping center that recently lost its anchor store, an Albertsons.

"The area has such potential that should be filled pretty quickly," said Judy Westrum, who owns the stores with sister-in-law Valerie Westrum. "It's a good place for us. A lot of people who come in for juices are animal lovers."

In the RAW sells coffee and juice drinks for people and treats for dogs.

The menu for people includes wheat grass juice, smoothies, shakes that include oatmeal, blueberries, bananas and raw orange juice and almonds, sandwiches and coffee. For dogs, there are muffins made from the fresh pulp of the juice bar along with "yappy yogurt," "canine cocktails" and dog foods

Dog owners aren't allowed to bring their pets inside the business, but there is a patio for man and his best friend.

The Higley store at 143 S. Higley Road will celebrate its grand opening Saturday. Festivities are planned from 7 a.m. to noon. Planned activities include dog adoptions, a dog wash and informational booths.

Valerie and Judy Westrum bought the Scottsdale store, at 8320 N. Hayden Road, in April 2005. Valerie is married to Judy's brother.

Valerie said she and Judy had worked in the corporate world but always wanted to own a coffee shop. They're dog lovers and owners, and found the business concept of combining coffee, juice drinks and dog items attractive.

"There's not anything that has those three things together," Valerie said. "That's what sets us apart, that we have all three elements in one place, and people are looking for somewhere they can go with their pet with them."

Conversations about owning a coffee shop started in 2003 when Judy , then working in Ohio, was visiting family in the Valley for the holidays. Judy moved to the area in October 2004, to be closer to family and to pursue the coffee shop goal.

Since taking over the Scottsdale store, Valerie and Judy have switched some vegetables to organic. Even though they are more expensive, they have developed a following.

"There's not lot of places to get organics because of the cost," Valerie said.

Maybe we'll check them out for lunch today.

A Failure to Communicate

That's how I might describe an article printed in the East Valley Tribune's Saturday newspaper. At the bottom of the local section we see a picture of a young man being handed a shotgun shell in preparation for dove-hunting. The accompanying article is entitled "Hunting, Suburbia Clash in E.V." The reporter then sets the stage in what might sound like hunting terminology to someone who doesn't hunt:

Like an indigenous critter being rousted out of its natural habitat, longtime small-game hunters are losing their favorite stalking grounds in the East Valley as development encroaches upon hunting hot spots.

The clash of sportsmanship and suburbia also has created a problem for residents who dislike the sound of gunfire or the presence of shotgun-wielding strangers near their homes.

Gilbert resident Jim Jenkins, an Arizona native who grew up hunting, said he can't count the number of times he's been forced to find a new spot because development was closing in on the old one.

All well and good. This illustrates a truth that increased growth corresponds with decreased hunting opportunities. Now comes the failure to communicate:

The Jenkinses were two of about two dozen hunters who spent the 15-day season's opening morning at the Arizona Dairy Company, a large dairy farm southeast of Sossaman and Elliot roads where cows stretch as far as the eye can see.

Dairies are popular locales for dove hunting because birds flock there to pilfer grain and seeds meant for feeding the cows, said Marty Fabritz, a field supervisor with the Arizona Game and Fish Department. Many dairy owners welcome hunters who've come to dispatch the grain thieves.

It's that last sentence that makes me ask the question: WHICH dairy owners might the reporter be talking about? Arizona Dairy Company owners? Here's another assumption about Arizona Dairy that the reporter makes based on a comment by the Game and Fish guy:

Unfortunately for Arizona Dairy - and the people who hunt there - development will come too close within the next two years for hunting to continue, Fabritz said.

All of us in the office had a pretty good laugh at this article; that is, all except The Water Expert and our farm foreman, because they spent a good part of their Saturday morning running hunters off the dairy, since the reporter had so helpfully included the cross streets in the article.
The truth is, Arizona Dairy belongs to our family. And there are indeed lots of doves that flock there for the grain. But, at least at our dairy, we do not welcome hunters to get rid of the birds and save our grain. "Like spitting in the ocean, for all the good it would do," was the comment I heard. But we were amazed that the reporter did not contact The Water Expert, nor the farm foreman, nor the dairy manager to ask how we really feel about strangers hunting on dairy property. Apart from the liability issues, there is the business of running the dairy. And this article, like a bright neon sign, brought ten times the normal number of hunters. This seems like an enormous failure to communicate.

This is not to say you won't see hunting at Arizona Dairy, because you will. But the folks that are allowed there are family and some close friends from over the years - all invited guests, as it were.

The rest of the article talks about various city regulations, from Mesa's complete prohibition to Gilbert's boundaries near structures and developed areas. A small-game biologist with the Game and Fish Dept. is quoted as saying, "It would behoove a hunter to check with the local cities," in deciding where to hunt.

It also would behoove them to check with the dairy owners and managers.

Saturday's The Day

I missed last week's East Valley Tribune article that runs on Thursday's about new businesses opening, but I can pass on a key piece of information. In the Raw opens with fanfare at Lakeview Village this Saturday. The grand opening celebration will be from 7 am to noon (though my understanding is that they will be open during regular hours, which is 7am to 6pm on weekends and 6:30am to 6pm weekdays), with all the hoopla that you would expect for a long-awaited opening. The Skyline High School Jazz Band will be providing some music; there will be pet adoptions, dog washes and other events, so come check it out.

In The Raw can fill the void for all the coffee-drinkers who are missing the Starbuck's in the Albertson's, as well as offering smoothies and juice drinks and great sandwiches. Whether you're a dog owner/lover or not, this is going to be a great addition to the center. With the temperatures coming down at night, it will be a pleasant place to go for a cup of coffee in the morning and sit in the oasis. And it offers a change of pace from Subway, Garlic Jim's, or Panda Express for lunch. I'll be looking forward to the cooler afternoons so that I can meet my friend-in-law (my daughter's mother-in-law happened to be my friend before the kids got married, or even dated, for that matter; so we call each other "friend-in-law" or FIL, for short) there for a cup of coffee after she finishes teaching.

See you Saturday.

Wedded Bliss Beginning in D.C.

I wanted to share a picture of my niece and her new husband as they cut the cake, and say that the wedding and reception were quite fabulous. As I was looking through the pictures I took, I remarked to myself how blessed we are as a family to have enjoyed two spectacular weddings in a span of less than six months (the first weddings in this generation, as well). We have the bonus of welcoming two great guys into the family. Of course, I didn't take very many pictures, because I was too busy enjoying myself; but I want to share a couple of them, as well as some history.

My brother from Wyoming once pointed out to me that everything in Arizona is new; he didn't see old buildings, and he didn't see much that was run-down. Perhaps I haven't done a very good job as a tour guide in taking him to some of our historic sites! (Maybe next time he comes we can go to Tucson and look at a building that was completed in 1797...) I was struck, however, in our time in Washington, D.C., by the sheer magnitude of history surrounding us on all sides. I mentioned to The Mister that I can't imagine a building being built in Phoenix today that would have the name or purpose of the building engraved in the stone at the top; everyone assumes that a building's beginning use probably won't be its ending use. But on the streets of our country's capital, we passed a myriad of engraved labels - "Department of the Treasury", "Department of Commerce", "Bureau of Engraving", and the like. And the references to Washington, Lincoln, and other great names from the country's early years were myriad.

So it came as no surprise that the church where my niece was wed shared this history. According to the bulletin:

Originally a parish of the Church of England, Christ Episcopal Church was the first church in Alexandria and has been serving its congregation, the community, and the nation in the Anglican tradition since it was completed by John Carlyle in February 1773. The design by James Wren is in the colonial Georgian style...

The building was constructed of native brick and roofed with juniper shingles which have been replaced with slate. The stone trimmings were from the Aquia Creek quarry south of Alexandria... The bell tower was constructed in stages during the nineteenth century...

Here's a view of the outside with our Wildcat daughter and me:




The inside felt very intimate, and the acoustics were phenomenal, from being able to hear the priest plainly to being filled by the stirring organ music and crystal clear trumpet notes.

The present "wine glass pulpit" was installed during the early 1890's. It is believed that the wooden "tablets" on either side of the pulpit, now mellowed to ivory, were originally painted white and hand-lettered in black by James Wren. They have never been repaired or retouched.

Here is a look at the inside (click on the picture for a larger look; you can almost read the Lord's prayer and ten commandments on the side banners):

George Washington and Robert E. Lee, when in residence in the area, were regular worshippers. George Washington's pew, which is preserved in its original state, Robert E. Lee's pew, and the "Free Pew for Strangers" are marked.

Amazing.

It was truly a great time; all of the "events" proceeded smoothly and all of the participants enjoyed themselves. And now the young couple moves on to the "daily" part of wedded bliss, in which I have no doubt they will succeed handsomely.

Oh Happy Day!

For Highland Groves residents, anyway. The long-awaited, much-deferred sod is going in today and tomorrow along Sabino:



On Tuesday, they will move over to Recker to start laying sod there. It's happening!

The shade structures are also going up next to the lakes and the play structures:



There will be picnic tables under the ramadas when all is said and done, and the ramadas will be lit.

And on a the traveling note, this sun looks rather different than the windy rain that has been falling outside our hotel all day today in D.C., thanks to Ernesto. All the wedding festivities are indoors, so this shouldn't be much of a problem. In the meantime, the Mister and I are having several friendly encounters with various Diamondbacks players, and look to have more, since they will no doubt be rained out of their game tonight as well.