Valley 101

Winter is finally upon us. This past Christmas Eve was the wettest since 1944. It is a welcome relief after hotter than average fall. December 1 shattered all previous records with a high of 85 degrees. Thoughts of frosty nights seem like winter fantasy for Phoenix. However, January is typical the Valley’s coldest month. This has horticultural novices and experts thinking about protecting their gardens..  In this episode of Valley 101 we get to the root of how to over-winter your plants Arizona style.

Happy holidays, listeners! The Valley 101 team is off for the rest of the year. Today we have a few past stories to highlight to continue the holiday spirit. We look forward to answering more questions and telling more stories in 2022. Feel free to follow the podcast on twitter @ a-z-c-podcasts and subscribe wherever you get your shows.

On the southern edge of Gila County, snuggled into a valley surrounded by in the mountains, there is a town called Christmas. Now, the town of Christmas is a ghost town, but in the 1930s it had about 1,000 residents and a very popular post office. While people from all over the world would visit the post office to get the highly desired postmark at the holidays, the residents of Christmas lived there because of the copper mining. In this week's episode of Valley 101, a podcast from The Arizona Republic and azcentral.com, we are joined by retired geologist David Briggs to tell you the history of the Christmas mine and the coveted post office in its town. 

Festive feasting is one of the highlights of the holiday season. Many people in the U.S. traditionally enjoy a juicy ham or golden turkey and popular culture has reaffirmed those dishes. But there are those who enjoy foods that speak of their heritage and family traditions. Festive foods are a big part of holiday gatherings. It just wouldn’t be the holidays without that one special dish you have only this time of the year.  In this week's episode of Valley 101, producer Kaely Monahan asks some of Phoenix’s foodies to share their untraditional food traditions. 

Have you ever been on a hike, a walk or a stroll in the Arizona mountains and came across an interesting looking rock? Did you take out your phone and browse the internet to find out what kind of rock you found? If so, you just might be a rockhound. Rockhounding is the recreational study and collection of rocks, minerals and gems. Some rockhounds, or amateur geologists, find that Arizona's vast mountain ranges and developed mines are great places to explore for interesting and unique rocks. In this week's episode of Valley 101, a podcast from The Arizona Republic and azcentral.com, we share what you can find, where to look for it, and the regulations you need to know while rockhounding.

Still picking at Thanksgiving leftovers, we here at AZ Central’s Podcast team turn to the end of year holidays. Hanukkah has begun, and Christmas is just around the corner. Unlike much of the country, we celebrate our holidays in light jackets and flip flops. No snow for us in the Valley of the Sun.  But we’re still able to get into the holiday spirit just as easily as our wintery neighbors with our local traditions – snow or not! In this week's episode of Valley 101, a podcast from The Arizona Republic and azcentral.com, our producer Kaely Monahan went on a search for some holiday cheer, Phoenix style. So, gather up the kids and hot chocolate, for a Christmas tale unlike the others you have heard as we take a walk into the world of ZooLights.

Most of us are familiar with the story of Thanksgiving. In 1620, a ship called The Mayflower traveled from Plymouth, England to the New World in search of religious separation and a fresh start. In 1621, they enjoyed a bountiful meal after the harvest with the Wampanoag tribe, expressing their gratitude for helping them learn to survive in their new home. Many of us might believe that this was the first interaction between European settlers and Indigenous peoples who lived in what is now America. But long before the Pilgrims set foot on Plymouth Rock, there was an explorer who walked the Arizona land and interacted with its people. In this week's episode of Valley 101, a podcast from The Arizona Republic and azcentral.com, we share with you the story of the Franciscan friar, Marcos de Niza, and his relationship with the Indigenous peoples of the Southwest. 

When you think of Arizona, what comes to mind? Sprawling deserts or urban sprawl? The Grand Canyon or the mighty White Mountains? Hollywood has painted our state as a wild, uncivilized frontier filled with dangers and adventure. Rugged landscapes split by sharp mountains and dotted with scraggly brush, and the sentinel of the desert. The saguaro cactus. Found only in the Sonoran Desert, the saguaro cactus has a shallow but wide root network – snaking outwards in the hunt for water rather than burrowing deep into the earth. Its roots are often as wide as the cactus is tall creating a firm base to stabilize its towering height. The saguaro's thick, waxy, green skin helps retain water and they hold their breathe all day to make sure they don't lose moisture. They are an Arizona icon and provide essential resources for desert dwellers.   In this week's episode of Valley 101, a podcast from The Arizona Republic and azcentral.com, we venture out into the desert to discover why saguaros only grow in the Sonoran Dese

Arizona is known for being a transplant state. For some, it was the attraction of the warm winters and beautiful mountain views that brought them to the Valley. For others, well, maybe it was their job or simply they just needed a change. Regardless, a lot of people who now call Arizona home didn't grow up in the Valley of the Sun. And maybe after a while you begin to realize, you're not in Kansas anymore.  Like a listener who submitted a question to the Valley 101 team. He said that he’s lived in other states before moving to Arizona. He wondered why those places used water towers in their communities, but they weren't common in Phoenix. In this week's episode of Valley 101, a podcast from The Arizona Republic and azcentral.com, we investigate why metro Phoenix lacks water towers and search for a town that still uses a water tower today.

In Arizona, there are over 300 golf courses and more than 200 of them can be found in metro Phoenix. According to a study commissioned by the Arizona Alliance for Golf, in 2019 more than 10 million rounds of golf were played in the state. The state is largely seen as a golf destination, but how did that happen?  In this week's episode of Valley 101, a podcast from The Arizona Republic and azcentral.com, producer Maritza Dominguez breaks down how golf's popularity grew in the Valley. 

The number of West Nile virus cases in Arizona continues to grow, making 2021 a record year for cases. As the number of probable and confirmed cases rise, Maricopa County is working on prevention methods.  Cases of West Nile can range from mild to severe. This year, the number of severe cases is also on the rise. So what is West Nile virus, and how is it being prevented and researched?  In this week's episode of Valley 101, a podcast from The Arizona Republic and azcentral.com, producer Alexandra Watts answers questions about West Nile virus in the state and why the number of cases is increasing this year. 

In August, the City of Glendale announced it will be cutting ties with the Arizona Coyotes after this season. The relationship between the hockey team and Glendale has been a long and rocky road from nearly the very  beginning.  But the team hasn’t announced where they’re going next. There isn’t another NHL-sized arena in the Valley so it begs the question, where in the world will the Arizona Coyotes play next? In September, the team proposed a $1.7 billion hockey arena and entertainment district in Tempe. Even if this does come to fruition, the Coyotes will have a minimum of two years without an arena to call home. In this week's episode of Valley 101, a podcast from The Arizona Republic and azcentral.com, reporters Joshua Bowling, José Romero and Paulina Pineda join the show. We discuss how the Coyotes and the City of Glendale came to an impasse and what the future could hold for the Valley's NHL team. 

When you think of water canals, you might think of Venice, Italy, Amsterdam in the Netherlands or even Venice, California. You probably don’t think about Phoenix.  But metro Phoenix actually has more miles of canals than all three of those places combined. The city's canal systems are operated by the Salt River Project and the Central Arizona Project for the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation. But Phoenix has had canals long before the Reclamation Act was signed in 1902. In this week's episode of Valley 101, a podcast from The Arizona Republic and azcentral.com, we find out the history of the canal system dating back to 400 A.D. and how it helps us live in the desert today.

Drivers on a dark and lonely stretch of desert highway knew they had made it to the outer edges of the Phoenix area when they saw the bright, flashing lights of a motel sign.  It was the 1960s, and the neon sign that served as a beacon to travelers was dubbed the Diving Lady. The motel sign on Main Street in Mesa continues to hold a special place in the hearts of many. What is the history behind this 70 foot motel sign and how did it become a rallying point for Mesa? In this week's episode of Valley 101, a podcast from The Arizona Republic and azcentral.com, producer Maritza Dominguez dives into the iconic landmark’s history, its efforts to keep it standing and what it means to local residents in the Valley.

If you ever been driving past Camelback Mountain or Piestewa Peak, you may have looked out the car window and seen a house perched along a ridge. From the road it looks as if it's almost built into the mountain. But in reality it's built beside the mountain. The process is costly and arduous, but wanting an unrestricted view of the Valley is a trend that's nearly 100 years old. And even before it was a trend, it was a necessity to build up into the mountains. In this week's episode of Valley 101, a podcast from The Arizona Republic and azcentral.com, we find out the history of mountainside houses and how they're built.

Before the southwest Valley was filled with grocery stores, an airport and real estate, it was home to Latino farmworkers employed by Goodyear Farms.  Hundreds lived in five different camps made up of tents and wood-framed houses.The tight-knit communities were the first permanent residents of what is now Litchfield Park.  In this week's episode of Valley 101, a podcast from The Arizona Republic and azcentral.com, producer Maritza Dominguez walks us through the history of the Mexican laborers who were recruited to work in Arizona’s cotton industry, the campsite communities on Goodyear Farms and the Latino farmworkers' impact on the development of the southwest Valley.

In November 2020, voters passed Proposition 207, the Smart and Safe Arizona Act legalizing recreational marijuana in the state. Since January of this year, Arizonans over the age of 21 with a valid ID have been able to purchase marijuana in dispensaries across the state within limit. Now that there are regulations and rules, long time users, medical patients or beginners all have questions about what legal recreational marijuana means in Arizona.  In this week's episode of Valley 101, a podcast from The Arizona Republic and azcentral.com, we share how Arizona's history with legal marijuana, dispensary basics, and what is within your rights.

On the morning of Sept. 11, 2001, Andrew Bird,13, woke up to the sounds of his mother running down the hallway and into his older sister's room. As he made his way into the room, Bird saw on the television footage of American Airlines Flight 11 and United Airlines Flight 175 crashing into the Twin Towers of the World Trade Center.  Bird, now 33, remembers thinking to himself, “I think dad is around there somewhere. I think something is very wrong there and we are in a lot of trouble right now.” His father, Gary Bird, was the only victim from Arizona to die in the attacks. This week marks the 20th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks. Many of us remember exactly where we were when the Twin Towers fell. Some weren’t old enough to create memories of that day, but recognize its significance. And for others, it changed the trajectory of their life. In this week's episode of Valley 101, a podcast from The Arizona Republic and azcentral.com, producer Maritza Dominguez speaks with four people, all of whom represent a diff

Before COVID-19, the human civilization was plagued by tuberculosis, a disease that dates back thousands of years. In the late 1800s physicians encouraged people with tuberculosis to travel to Phoenix where it was believed was the warm, dry climate would help. With an influx of TB patients to Phoenix, it wasn't long before the city pushed them outside Phoenix and would become known as Sunnyslope. Although help was given, tuberculosis continues to be a worldwide killer of millions each year.

Summers in Arizona mean heat, triple-digit temperatures, and desperately trying to stay cool. But summers in Arizona also mean monsoons - big, bright thunderstorms returning rain to the desert.  During the summer monsoon season, Phoenix receives one-third of its annual rainfall, a necessary relief to help combat the drought that 83% of the state is experiencing, according to the National Weather Service.  While monsoons bring reprieve from the extreme heat and aid in the drought, they are sometimes responsible for power outages and extreme flooding.   Flooding in urban areas, such as Phoenix, often causes minor headaches such as traffic congestion on surface streets and highways. However, in parts of the state outside the Valley, floods can be dangerous, and occasionally deadly.  In this week's episode of Valley 101, a podcast from The Arizona Republic and azcentral.com, we share the good and the bad of monsoon season in Arizona.