As you drive around the Phoenix area, you'll notice some special scenery. t's the environment that makes this city remarkable, from the different varieties of cactuses and the surrounding desert mountains to relics of our history and reflections of the cultures that have thrived here. One person in particular ensured that the Phoenix area was home to buildings significant and beautiful that reflected the terroir around them. That person was Frank Lloyd Wright. In this week's episode of Valley 10...
Aug 29, 2022•22 min
Phoenix has blue skies for days. About 300 of them, actually. Arizona ranks as the sunniest region in the whole United States. And that makes for great flying conditions. It also explains, in part, why there are so many flight schools in our state. But what about when the storms do roll in? How do pilots navigate monsoonal weather? And how do these storms affect operations at Sky Harbor Airport? In this episode of Valley 101, producer Kaely Monahan is joined by Tim Holt, Dean of the College of A...
Aug 22, 2022•21 min
Cotton, cattle, climate, copper, and citrus. These have been the driving forces of Arizona’s economy for generations. Flora and fauna and industries that do very well in our arid desert. While the 5 C’s won’t quickly become the 5 C’s and an O, there is another overlooked product that has nonetheless taken root here. Olives. Olive trees are among some of the oldest agricultural trees in the state from the Valley all the way down to the University of Arizona in Tucson. In this week's episode of Va...
Aug 15, 2022•21 min
A rebroadcast of a 2019 episode: Did you know that Phoenix had one of the most successful local children's shows of all time? "The Wallace and Ladmo Show" ran from 1954 to 1989, collecting fans like Steven Spielberg and Alice Cooper along the way. What made the show a success was its dark humor. Yes, it was a kids' show, but it featured characters like Aunt Maud, who liked reading tragic stories to children. Or Marshall Good, an unemployed "cowboy" from New Jersey who had never ridden a horse. K...
Aug 08, 2022•23 min
One of the most popular ways to beat the heat is with a scoop of ice cream. Whether it's a classic flavor like chocolate or something more adventurous like olive oil, there's always something for everybody. For some people, ice cream may not be an option. They may have learned of a recent allergy or have decided to become vegan. But plenty of shops around the Valley serve ice cream that anybody, regardless of their allergies or diets, can safely eat. In this week's episode of Valley 101, a podca...
Aug 01, 2022•25 min
More than 300 people died last year from heat-related complications. Data collected over the past 50 years shows the average temperature in Phoenix has increased 3.6 degrees Fahrenheit. On top of that, there are more days per year when the temperature climbs above 110 degrees in the Valley of the Sun. And the night temperatures have jumped 5.5 degrees, which means it's not cooling off when the sun goes down. How does this extreme heat affect us? In this episode of Valley 101, we hear from medica...
Jul 25, 2022•38 min
It's officially the dog days of summer. Not only does it feel like it because Phoenix has seen triple-digit temperatures since early May, but according to the Farmer’s Almanac, the “dog days of summer” run from July 3 to Aug. 11. It is hot, with no sign of slowing down soon. While it feels slightly unbearable outside and you might be wondering why you live in Phoenix anyway, this is also the perfect time to pack the car, hit the road, get out of the city and reconnect with nature. Because not al...
Jul 18, 2022•19 min
People have wondered if we're alone in the universe for centuries. Although men have landed on the moon and probes have been sent outside the solar system, there is still so much to explore. The mysteries of outer space have drawn many people to search for evidence of alien life. But not all researchers focus on looking through a telescope. Plenty others spend their time watching the sky and documenting unidentified flying object sightings. As it turns out, Arizona is a hot spot for UFOs and tho...
Jul 11, 2022•30 min
Seeing fireworks this year is a little more tricky than pulling up to your favorite usual spot on the night of July 4. Some cities around the Valley are forgoing their celebration because of supply-chain issues or other complications. This week on Valley 101, we share where in the metro Phoenix area you can and cannot see dazzling displays shoot across the sky. Please remember that if you’re planning on shooting off fireworks from your backyard, be careful! Not only can they be dangerous, but Ar...
Jul 04, 2022•3 min
This year Title IX, the law that prohibits sex discrimination in schools, turns 50. The landmark legislation has become synonymous with women’s sports in addition to affecting education. On June 23, 1972, President Richard Nixon signed the amendment into law. It says that no person can be excluded from participation in, denied the benefits of, or subjected to discrimination on the basis of sex under “any education program or activity receiving Federal financial assistance.” Should any education ...
Jun 27, 2022•29 min
Anyone in the Phoenix area can tell you that right now it is hot. Really hot. The National Weather Service recently issued an excessive heat warning, keeping an eye on the triple digit temperatures in the forecast. It's summer, and the heat is predicable. But the summer heat also brings monsoon storms and rains, something that is much harder to predict. In this week's episode of Valley 101, a podcast by The Arizona Republic and azcentral.com, we are joined by meteorologist Matt Pace to give a pr...
Jun 20, 2022•10 min
With as many streets as Phoenix has, there's bound to be some interesting history behind their names. One that has caught many people's attention is the historical Bethany Home Road. Listeners have asked what the original Bethany Home was or who it was named after. A street name must have some significance behind it. Otherwise there wouldn't be so many streets named after the presidents. In this week's episode of Valley 101, a podcast by The Arizona Republic and azcentral.com, we tried to dig a ...
Jun 13, 2022•17 min
With the advent of the new "Jurassic World" movie, our producers started to wonder what Arizona looked like 65 million years ago. Turns out, we know very little about Arizona's dinosaur age. It was nearly wiped clean from the paleontological record. But why? In this episode of Valley 101, we dig up the answers to what kinds of dinosaurs lived here and why there's so few fossil records in our state. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Jun 06, 2022•33 min
Graduation is a time in your life when you’re getting dressed up in an itchy, shapeless gown and trying to adjust a square hat to your head that simply won’t stay on. It is also a right of passage. Not only does it represent growing up and going on to bigger things, but it’s a celebration of everything you’ve done up until that point. A celebration of your years of education and everyone who helped you achieve that. It’s something almost all of us go through. But the graduates of 2022 had an edu...
May 30, 2022•27 min
It's no secret that Maricopa County is growing quickly. New apartments in Phoenix are being built just as fast as people are moving into them. The Census Bureau reported that the county added 58,246 new residents from July 2020 to July 2021. It is now the fastest growing county in the nation. And even outside Maricopa County, Arizona has seen immense growth over the last year. The census showed that more than 98,000 people moved to Arizona in that year. Only 832 of them came from what is called ...
May 23, 2022•19 min
For decades, the Western movie genre held sway over the box office. And Arizona featured prominently in many of them. From John Wayne, to Henry Fonda, Clint Eastwood to Kurt Russell, Hollywood’s golden actors flocked to our state to shoot movies. But Arizona’s film history goes beyond the Wild West stereotype. In this episode of Valley 101, we explore what movies were made in Phoenix and Arizona at large. And we find out why more movies aren't made here now. Learn more about your ad choices. Vis...
May 16, 2022•21 min
Every year The Arizona Republic and azcentral.com host a wine competition for the vineyards in Arizona. This year, more than 200 bottles were entered to be considered for Best in Show. After hours of tasting the best wines that the state has to offer, the 20 qualified judges granted a bottle of merlot from a brand new winery the Governor's Cup. Cove Mesa Vineyards is new on the scene, but its owners Emil and Cindy Molin have spent years as wine aficionados. After getting a degree from the Southw...
May 09, 2022•28 min
Springtime in the desert is special. For a few brief weeks, the taupe-shaded landscape transforms into a riot of color. The palo verdes don crowns of gold, and cactuses burst with large pink, yellow, purple and white flowers. Daisies nod their heads, beckoning visitors to adore them. Ocotillo open their coral-red buds while wearing coats of green leaves between their thorns. It's a flurry of activity before the scorching temperatures force every living thing to just endure. Buzzing, fluttering a...
May 02, 2022•14 min
In June 1989, the streets of downtown Phoenix became a raceway for the biggest global racing competition: Formula 1. The Phoenix Grand Prix was a chance to show off Phoenix on a world stage, but the race was beset with wide ranging obstacles. Needless to say, it wasn't a smooth ride. Just after three years, Formula 1 pulled out of the Valley of the Sun. This week on Valley 101, we find out why Formula 1 came to Phoenix and why it quickly left. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm...
Apr 25, 2022•20 min
In December 2020, the first Arizonan received their vaccine against COVID-19. Just nine months after virus took ahold of the state and the rest of the world, health care workers and first responders were able to usher in a new era during the pandemic: the vaccination era. For some it felt like much needed light after a long, dark tunnel. The vaccine roll out expanded first by phases of necessity then by age in Arizona. By April 2021, all adults in the state were eligible to get a dose. In this w...
Apr 18, 2022•31 min
Where is the best Mexican food in the U.S.? It’s a complex question fueled with fiery debates and passionate proclamations. Tucson boasts 23 miles of quality Mexican food and is an UNESCO City of Gastronomy. Phoenix, however, is more than happy to step into the ring to duke it out on who has the best Mexican food. With literally hundreds of shops, from humble food trucks to exquisitely high-brow dining concepts, Phoenix holds its own as a culinary contender. In this episode, Valley 101 plays ref...
Apr 11, 2022•31 min
Spotting people in Western attire going about their day is typical for Scottsdale. Pieces of public art featuring horses are spread throughout the city. In Old Town Scottsdale, the iconic sign of a cowboy with a lasso welcomes visitors. Western motifs and appreciation for horse culture saturate the city, whose official nickname is "The West's Most Western Town". It's even home to the world's largest Arabian horse show, at Westworld. Which begs the question: Is Scottsdale the horse capital of the...
Apr 04, 2022•17 min
After Major League Baseball and the MLB Players Association came to an agreement about the league’s minimum salary, the Competitive Balance Tax threshold, and more, the 99 day lockout ended. Just in time for the regular season to start up soon. For Arizonans that means two things: getting to hear the lemonade man shout about your grandma and spring training. In the Valley, the past time is getting a slow start. The average attendance for six of the 15 teams is down to less than 5,000 fans per ga...
Mar 28, 2022•19 min
If you've driven west on the Interstate 10 heading out of town toward California, you may have noticed a giant plot of empty land just past Goodyear. Until 2017, there was a massive abandoned building on that land, drawing urban explorers and photographers. Before it was left empty, this state-of-the-art building was home for two seasons of horse racing. The Phoenix Trotting Park was expertly designed and opened in 1965. Attendees filled the beautiful grandstand to watch trotting style racing, b...
Mar 21, 2022•22 min
Drive down any of metro-Phoenix's highways and you're likely to see a highly curated display of graphics and flora. In Scottsdale, you can see large lizards and prickly pear pads gracing the walls of the Loop 101. Out west, dragonflies and checked flags come into view. And on the Red Mountain Loop 202, various indigenous animals and patterns are visible on both sides of the road. But why do the freeways have art on them anyway? For that, Valley 101 turned to an urban historian and experts at the...
Mar 14, 2022•23 min
Why is metro-Phoenix called "The Valley of the Sun"? Is it actually a valley? Our intern producer digs up the answer in this episode of Valley 101. And what he discovers, might surprise you. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Mar 07, 2022•16 min
Lincoln Ragsdale Sr., along with other activists, won a court case to desegregate Phoenix Union High Schools a year before Brown vs. The Board of Education. It was a huge victory, but to Ragadale, it was simply the beginning. He continued to create change. Alongside his wife, Eleanor, he and his family desegregated the Encanto neighborhood in Phoenix by being the first Black family to move in. In part two, Valley 101, a podcast from the Arizona Republic and azcentral.com, covers more of his civi...
Feb 28, 2022•28 min
In May 1954, the U.S. Supreme Court unanimously decided that separating educational facilities by race was unconstitutional under the 14th Amendment. You’ll know this famous case as Brown vs. The Board of Education. One year earlier, in February 1953, Judge Fred Struckmeyer Jr. in Maricopa County ruled that a law permitting students to be separated by race in the Phoenix Union school district was also unconstitutional. The court challenge came from a handful of civil rights activists in Phoenix,...
Feb 21, 2022•23 min
110 years ago today, Arizona joined the United States. But it wasn't exactly a smooth process. At the time, the eastern half of the country viewed the Arizona Territory as unruly and not Anglo enough. It took nearly 50 years for the Arizona Territory to become the state of Arizona. In this episode of Valley 101, we dive into the history leading up to Admission Day, and the process of becoming part of the United States. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Feb 14, 2022•21 min
As more people rushed their way westward in mid-1800s, communication between nation's two coasts became paramount for the Union. Messages needing to reach their destination faster found horseback riders to be an effective medium, forming the famed Pony Express. Connecting Missouri to California, the Pony Express crossed eight states. However, it actually bypassed Arizona. Nonetheless, the tradition has lived on in Arizona where riders still deliver mail. The service is the only U.S. Postal Servi...
Feb 07, 2022•14 min
