By Joyce Coronel
One of my earliest childhood memories floats back to me every now and then.
A group of neighborhood kids had gathered in the front yard of our home on a tree-lined street as they often did on summer nights in our small town.
We stood there, gazing up at the star-studded sky, amazed at the news our parents told us at dinner that night: Neil Armstrong had just taken mankind’s first walk on the moon. I was 5 years old.
It was the birth of a news junkie. I jokingly tell my friends that after so many years in the newspaper business, I’ve got ink running in my veins. I created my first newspaper at age 13, as part of an eighth-grade homework assignment. And though I’ve written for a number of publications in my career, there’s always been a soft spot in my heart for the hometown, community newspaper. Wrangler News is one of the finest around and I’m honored to have a byline here.
We are not The New York Times. We are not The Arizona Republic. We are not The Wall Street Journal. What we are is hyper-local. We tell the stories of the people who live, work, play, study, worship, dine and make friends here in Tempe and West Chandler. We tell the stories that are of intense interest to those people and we tell our stories with a light-hearted, engaging touch that readers have come to love. “Think local. Readocal.” That’s our motto and it’s what helped propel us into our award-winning newspaper status.
Within these pages you’ll find stories of people making a difference in our community. Back in August, we told you about some young ladies who have devoted themselves to service, working at a local soup kitchen and volunteering at agencies such as the Foundation for the Blind. In July, we brought you the story of the Chandler Chief of Police, Sean Duggan, and the work he is doing to build trust in the community through communication and respect.
Then there was the story last June we dubbed “Turf Wars” that delved into the use of artificial grass in areas controlled by homeowner associations. We told you about a Corona del Sol High School grad who now travels the country as an opera singer. We’ve also highlighted the work of local entrepreneurs in our area. That includes everything from the founder of a music school, to the owner of a Pilates studio and even a Lyft driver. These are the people and the faces and the issues that comprise the rich tapestry of our neighborhoods here in Tempe and Chandler.
Thirty years ago, my husband and I settled in South Tempe. Three kids later, we bumped up to a larger home in West Chandler, signing the papers with the builder before the streets in our neighborhood had even been plowed through. Our older boys—there were eventually five sons in our clan—remember when there were horses tethered at the southwest corner of Rural and Ray. They groaned when the ruins of the West Chandler Tavern were bulldozed to make room for a strip mall.
This town is where we decided to raise our family and we’ve never regretted that decision. We’ve seen neighbors come and we’ve seen them go through the years, but one constant has been the arrival every two weeks of Wrangler News.
And one of my youngest, a 21-year-old who now towers over me, used to be the one to pluck it from our driveway. You’ll find his byline in these pages as well. He’ll tell you that one of his earliest memories is sitting at the kitchen table, reading the newspaper with his parents.
Got a story you’d like to share with your neighbors? Know of someone in our community who’s making a difference?
Send your ideas to editor@wranglernews.com and help us tell their story.
