When former Scottsdale resident Mark Macias used the New York City subway’s 42nd Street Shuttle this past winter, he was transported not only between Grand Central Station and Times Square but back to his hometown.

Now that the Chicago Cubs have secured a spring-training home in Mesa well into the future, the East Valley will soon welcome to the area the first of possibly many in a long line of Windy City favorites: Portillo’s Hot Dogs.

One of my freelance gigs I have is covering the Chicago Cubs in spring training and it involves being at the ballpark early enough to see infield practice.

The way Andy Lane reacted it looked as if he just came up short in the biggest at-bat of his life.

You’ve got to love living in the place everyone else wants to be.

Andy Lane is in the Sweet 16.

It's a Saturday afternoon, and a multitude of fans – 25,000 total throughout a day defined by a peek-a-boo sun – meander underneath Chase Field's retractable roof for the annual D-Backs annual FanFest. The day is a prelude to the upcoming season – an opportunity for the Diamondback faithful to snag a few autographs, take a few cuts against a wiffleball-lobbing Wade Miley and, most importantly, bask in the glow of the lovely optimism that comes before the realities of a 162-game season commence.

When Bill Keller landed a store manager’s job with Dillard’s department store in the Valley 34 years ago, his wife, Dianne, said she wasn’t excited about moving to Arizona, much less Mesa — from Minneapolis.

It’s Saturday afternoon, and a multitude of fans — 25,000 total throughout a day defined by a peek-a-boo sun — meander underneath Chase Field’s retractable roof for the annual D-Backs FanFest.

When Bill Keller landed a manager’s job with Dillard’s department store in the Valley 34 years ago, his wife, Dianne, said she wasn’t excited about moving to Arizona, much less Mesa — from Minneapolis.

The Pony League Mustang Division Cubs team closed out its undefeated season with a big win on Nov. 19. The championship Cubs team was headed to victory by coaches Joe Butkiewicz, Mike Walker, Derek Harada and manager Todd Selman.

Mesa’s Buckhorn Mineral Baths.

A look at key Mesa facts and figures