One arrived before Rudy Valee and the other a year before The Beatles, but together they made beautiful music in nurturing a piece of Ahwatukee that spanned the decades between the roaring ‘20s and this year’s cold winter rains.

The United States has seen a deluge of much-needed attention to the issue of bullying in the last decade. Horrific examples of young people harassing and abusing their peers — sometimes to the point that the victims commit suicide — have forced parents and educators to begin thinking about the issue and to initiate or expand bully prevention efforts. What is often missed in these discussions, however, is the problem of adults who bully young people.

Dr. Maria Harper-Marinick, executive vice chancellor and provost of the Maricopa Community Colleges, has been named one of the most influential Hispanic business leaders in Arizona by AZ Business Magazine. As the executive vice chancellor and provost, Harper-Marinick is chief academic and student officer for more than 265,000 students who attend each year.

Darcy Frear, a Desert Vista High graduate and biomedical engineering major in Arizona State’s Ira A. Fulton Schools of Engineering and Barrett, the Honors College, has won the Greater Phoenix Area 2013 Outstanding Engineering Student award.

Maricopa County Community College District (MCCCD) announced it will open a corporate college to focus on customized technical training for local employers.

Doug Christofis had some of the little things slip and it didn’t sit well.

It’s pretty much the premise behind Desert Vista’s administration decision to hire former Xavier co-head coach Jeff Messer to be the Thunder’s next girls cross country coach.

Can’t beat him, hire him.

Last week children returned to school after two weeks of winter recess. Two weeks of fun and frolic are over. The excitement of the season, treats, family reunions, unscheduled activities, late bedtimes, and no early morning hustle of getting ready are all in the past. The return to school brings a different routine requiring a disciplined approach.

The Board of Directors at Southwest Center for HIV/AIDS announced that Carol Poore, Ph.D., who has served as president and chief executive officer since 2007, has given notice she will resign March 1, 2013 to pursue public-private community building projects and global research examining the importance of community networks to vibrant downtowns.

Between traumatic experiences of late — whether it be Hurricane Sandy, the Aurora shootings, or a local tragedy in our family or neighborhood — are the everyday places where we dwell most often and try to make sense of our lives. As Americans ponder and strategize how not to plunge over the fiscal cliff back into economic recession, it is imperative that we arrive at plans and strategies within the context of a more complicated and nuanced sense of how we define and live our lives.

Did you know that every three minutes a woman is diagnosed with breast cancer? Do you think breast cancer affects women only? Think again. Men are not exempt from breast cancer. Many breast cancers are fueled by estrogen, a hormone produced in fat tissue. Although there are numerous reasons why women predominantly experience estrogen dominance (use of birth control, menopause and pregnancy), both men and women are increasingly affected by estrogen dominance.

The Arizona Department of Environmental Quality and current health statistics indicate that asthma is the most chronic childhood disease in Arizona, affecting 9.4 percent of children and being a leading cause of absences from school.

In a first-of-its-kind debate on Wednesday night two experts gave Phoenix residents a lot to think about before they drink their next glass of water.

Gov. Richard Lamm of Colorado gave a speech in 2004, titled “I have a plan to destroy America.” In order to give you some of his ideas, it’s necessary to paraphrase his speech to give you the substance of his words.

Gov. Richard Lamm of Colorado gave a speech in 2004, titled “I have a plan to destroy America.” In order to give you some of his ideas, it’s necessary to paraphrase his speech to give you the substance of his words.

Everyone wants their yards to look their best, have lush and beautiful plants year-round. Summertime, though, seems to make us all wilt, plants and people alike. But, even though it’s hot and humid this month, your plants can thrive and stay healthy by understanding a few basics: what is plant heat stress, how do you know your plant is stressed, and what do you do when your plants have been affected?

Here we go again, talking out loud about the hair issue. I naively thought that we had done that issue to death, but the roots of the problem seem not to have been adequately addressed. Perhaps a little context will help grasp what’s going on now.

Let’s say you just finished an intense workout, or you have a child that plays an outdoor sport. Maybe you’re a construction worker with a physically demanding job or a salesperson in and out of your vehicle during the hot, summer months.

The aftermath of the Aurora, Colo., shooting tragedy is grief: grief for the victims, grief for the families who lost a loved one, and grief for the parents of the killer. This kind of mass shooting affects many people including the family and friends of one of our own right here in Ahwatukee Foothills. Alex Teves, 24, died protecting his girlfriend from the gunman.

One way to set yourself apart in your cover letter is to know your audience. In his book, “Gallery of Best Cover Letters,” David Noble, Ph.D., offers strategies for customizing your cover letter.

Each year as the monsoon season descends upon us, we see too many trees uprooted and ruined by poor preparation. With the proper planning and practices, this can all be avoided. Take time to inspect and make certain of the following preventive measures.

Each year as the monsoon season descends upon us, we see too many trees uprooted and ruined by poor preparation. With the proper planning and practices, this can all be avoided. Take time to inspect and make certain of the following preventive measures.

Hey, Mr. Mom.

Hey, Mr. Mom.