[Source: Adam Klawonn, The Zonie Report] – If you’re a news junkie like me, then please take a moment of silence today for the latest round of laid-off staffers at The Arizona Republic, which has undergone major changes over the past two years as its parent company, Gannett Corp., deals with a failing business model. Gannett’s stock price, once in the 80-dollar range, went up 9 cents this morning to $3.18 per share.
This once proud, family owned paper has continued its ungraceful downward spiral as core advertisers — homebuilders, automakers/dealers and retailers, among others — cut back on their advertising budgets and spend what’s left on the Web. The newspaper charges at least $329 per inch of dreary black-and-white advertising but offers a variety of pricey online advertising options. Conversely, Facebook fan pages are free, and for $329, you could run a pretty killer online ad campaign yourself. You get the picture.
Back to the layoffs. The 20 names cover a variety of departments -– from news to sports to graphics and more -– that affect the daily digest you may receive of just what the heck is going on in Arizona. Recently, information has been more important than ever as the state Legislature makes cuts that affect us all. [Note: To read the full blog entry Axe falls on Arizona Republic staff (again)]
[Source: Jenna Davis, Arizona Republic] – The new Latino cultural center that [the Phoenix City Council] approved for downtown may open in November. Advocates for Latin@ Arts & Culture Consortium Inc. will have access to a city-owned building beginning Aug. 1 and will then have 120 days to prepare the new facility. Ruben Hernandez, a spokesman for the group, said organizers hope to have a soft opening on Sept. 15 to coincide with the eve of Mexican Independence Day, but it might be November or December before the 7,200-square-foot facility is ready for visitors.
The cultural center has been the focus of a consortium of Latino arts groups that said it realized that in a city of 1.5 million people, 40 percent of whom are of Hispanic decent, a Latino cultural center was needed. The building previously housed the Museo Chicano, 147 E. Adams St., which closed in January. [Note: Read the full article at Latino cultural center in downtown Phoenix aims for fall opening]
[Source: Max Jarman, Arizona Republic] — Bashas’ Supermarkets Inc. said late Sunday that it would close 10 more stores July 21, resulting in approximately 1,000 job cuts. The company also said it would make an important announcement today that would affect the future of the company. Mike Proulx, Bashas’ president and chief operating officer, would not elaborate on the nature of the announcement. [Note: Read the full article at Bashas' to close 10 Arizona stores, cut 1,000 jobs]
New local blog, Phoenix Ain’t Easy, is on a mission of justice: to showcase the grit and glamour of Phoenix, AZ and a whole lot more. They welcome you to submit your own grit or glamor, such as “hot photography; artists on the come-up; and new places to shop, eat, and drink.” Follow them on Facebook too (PhoenixAint Ez).
Cities x Design is a 35-city trans-media research trip across the United States that is recorded online and will later be released in film, exhibition, and book form. Their fifth stop was Phoenix. Visit their website to learn more about their trip and view pictures of places they visited here and along the way to their next stop, San Diego.
After 20 years of advocating for the preservation of established neighborhoods and responsible development, Paul Barnes of the Neighborhood Coalition of Greater Phoenix is retiring. His goal: to spend more quality time with his wife and family… and maybe do a little fishing.
In his July 10, 2009 letter announcing his retirement, Barnes didn’t shy away from expressing his opinion on City of Phoenix personalities and policies. Barnes wrote it was regrettable that “during recent years both some elected officials and the leadership of the Planning Department frequently have taken the position that any development is responsible development.” He further noted that “planning for preservation of established neighborhoods has largely given way to supporting rezonings that can be harmful to them, while existing area plans are ignored and the provisions of the Zoning Ordinance are made more permissive through text amendments and special overlays.”
His advice to friends and associates: “Continue to step up to the plate to wage the good fight by encouraging your neighborhoods to stay organized and engaged. Hold your elected officials’ feet to the fire. Developers and other special interests may supply campaign funds but you supply the votes. If you do these things, sometimes you will still lose, but if you don’t, you will never win.”
He closed his letter by stating the good times far outnumbered the bad and that he’s met a great many wonderful people inside and outside of City Hall. While his retirement is effective immediately, Barnes will complete his remaining July commitments. After that, it’s off for some well-deserved fishing.
A weekly video webcast about Phoenix living. For more information, visit their website. (Okay, and how weird is it that our very own website masthead appears right by Jacqui’s torso?!)
[Source: Adam Klawonn, Phoenix Magazine, June 30, 2009] — Last week, Phoenix City manager Frank Fairbanks announced he was retiring in November after nearly 20 years in the driver’s seat at City Hall. Today, Phoenix has grown to become the fifth largest city in the country with more than 1.5 million people. Obviously, Fairbanks was successful. But even as thankful as some folks are for his work, there are others who are just as thankful that he hung up his shingle. This is not in a negative way, mind you, but in a way that looks forward to hiring a fresh set of eyes – one that focuses more closely on Downtown development.
Despite his good work, Fairbanks was often viewed as a hurdle by hardcore fans of the Downtown lifestyle. Even as they pleaded with City Hall to focus more on the area, Fairbanks was loathe to invest more public money there for development and infrastructure because, thus far, he felt he wasn’t seeing a real return on the city’s investment. As a result, most of the new policies affecting Downtown came from the community-at-large and the office of Mayor Phil Gordon – and sometimes encountered resistance from Fairbanks.
There’s already talk of where the next city manager should come from. City officials have said they will conduct a national search. The final approval rests with the City Council. Some folks would like to see Phoenix court managers from cities with vibrant downtowns and light-rail transit. This includes places such as Denver, Salt Lake City, and Portland.
This could be a the turning point for Downtown that those Phoenix crowds were looking for, says Dean Brennan, a former Phoenix planning official who is now a principal with the Project for Livable Communities. “Getting someone with downtown [development] experience in a city where they have a light rail system would be a great combination,” he says.
You haven’t heard the last of this topic. The conversation will only get louder as November gets closer. We’ll have a feature that paints the complete picture later this fall. [Note: For other viewpoints on this topic: "Phoenix will miss Frank Fairbanks," Arizona Republic editorial; "The model modern city manager," Jon Talton, Rogue Columnist blog]
[Source: Adam Klawonn, The Zonie Report] – If you’re a news junkie like me, then please take a moment of silence today for the latest round of laid-off staffers at The Arizona Republic, which has undergone major changes over the past two years as its parent company, Gannett Corp., deals with a failing business model. Gannett’s stock price, once in the 80-dollar range, went up 9 cents this morning to $3.18 per share.
[Source: Max Jarman, Arizona Republic] — Bashas’ Supermarkets Inc. said late Sunday that it would close 10 more stores July 21, resulting in approximately 1,000 job cuts. The company also said it would make an important announcement today that would affect the future of the company. Mike Proulx, Bashas’ president and chief operating officer, would not elaborate on the nature of the announcement. [Note: Read the full article at 
