EDITOR’S LETTER: Unleashing Creativity with Every Pen

Covering news in Maricopa can be likened to a challenging endeavor, requiring focus and diligence. Each story represents an essential piece of this vast tapestry, unraveling one at a time.

According to scientists at Harvard, the average individual faces approximately 35,000 decisions daily. While many are trivial—such as choosing between French vanilla or hazelnut coffee creamer—others can significantly impact the community’s future.

Maricopa currently boasts its highest population ever. As residents, we collectively make about 81.4 billion decisions every month. Some of these decisions yield noteworthy news stories, making our role in documenting these events increasingly crucial.

This month, our news team is fully engaged. I welcome David Iversen, a Senita resident since 2021, as our newest reporter. He holds a master’s degree in journalism from Columbia University and previously worked with Fox News. Together, David and I are investigating the sole Maricopa charter school struggling with declining enrollment amid hidden financial issues.

Additionally, I present the second part of my series on unresolved deaths, titled “The Invisible Killer,” delving into the mysterious backyard stabbing that occurred last year on my birthday, a case that has remained with me since.

Tom Schuman highlights a remarkable story about an all-Black basketball team from the Civil Rights Era, which faced skepticism yet triumphed to win a state title in Compton, California.

On a different note, Brian Petersheim Jr. captures memories from the Silver Horizon, one of the California Zephyr observation railcars now stationed at the intersection of Plainview Street and Maricopa-Casa Grande Highway, marking an emotional 60-year reunion for former staff.

Two familiar names also contribute this month: Jeff Chew uncovers the largely unknown desert wonderland designated as a federal reserve right in Maricopa’s vicinity, and Kylie Werner pens a feature on a prodigious 7-year-old dirt bike racer making waves across the nation.

Meanwhile, Monica D. Spencer provides the latest business updates, including new restaurant openings that are set to enhance the culinary landscape of our city.

In the spirit of the 81.4 billion decisions we will collectively navigate this month, I wish our readers a happy and constructive February. I hope you choose to continue following InMaricopa, and I look forward to connecting with you again in March.

ELIAS WEISS
EDITORIAL DIRECTOR
[email protected]