Wishing Chandler good things in 2006

The Arizona Republic
Jan. 11, 2006 12:00 AM  

During the holiday season I created a list of wishes for Chandler.

I wish for Martin Sepulveda to return safely from his assignment in the Navy. While we may not always agree on everything, I think we could agree that the best place for a husband and father is at home with his wife and family.

I wish for the campaigns for Chandler elections this year to be conducted in an informative manner so that the people can be well educated and make the right choices in March and May. Also, several of the candidates for City Council are unknown to many residents, and I hope they will acquaint the voters with their qualifications and reasons they think we should select them.  

I wish for our City Council to agree, at some point, on a real vision for Chandler's downtown, rather than the current cornucopia of ideas from the past and the present. From one end, where there will soon be a 21st-century, multiuse project of condominiums, professional and retail space to the Wal-Mart at the other end, the current apparition runs the gamut from historic residential, to restaurants, to tall buildings providing rental housing for city offices, as well as the main railroad line.

I hope that Doug Nintzel from the Arizona Department of Transportation is on the money when he tells us to look for the completion of Loop 202 (Santan Freeway) from Gilbert Road to Elliot in mid-2006. He says this 20-mile section will complete the outer loop the East Valley has been waiting for for 20 years.

I wish the people of extremely south Phoenix would realize that the South Mountain Freeway is not for their exclusive benefit. While it may not relieve their local traffic problems, it will make it possible for all traffic coming from Tucson and points east to avoid adding to the Interstate 10 congestion through Phoenix's downtown with an equal reduction in traffic flowing the other way. The South Mountain section of Loop 202 has been planned for 20 years and is to be the final portion built. I hope it doesn't take another 20 years.

I wish the best year ever to Elaine Leanos, the director of the Chandler Christian Community Center, and her staff. The center, shown in a recent Chandler Republic article, is at 345 S. California St. and provides for the less fortunate all year long. I hope it receives more donations than ever so that all the children of Chandler will have a Happy New Year.

Happy 2006 to all.

Leigh Rivers is a native Arizonan and longtime Southeast Valley resident who has been active in civil and political matters. He can be reached at leighrivers2000@yahoo.com.