Valley 101 show

Valley 101

Summary: Whether you're a longtime Arizona resident or a newcomer, chances are there's something you've always wondered about the Valley. From The Arizona Republic and azcentral.com comes Valley 101, a weekly podcast where our journalists find answers to your questions about metro Phoenix and beyond. From silly to serious, you tell us what to investigate. You can submit questions at valley101.azcentral.com or reach us on social media @azcpodcasts. Producers of the show are Amanda Luberto and Kaely Monahan.

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  • Artist: The Arizona Republic and azcentral.com
  • Copyright: USA TODAY Network

Podcasts:

 From Washington to Roosevelt: Why the streets in downtown Phoenix are named after US Presidents | File Type: audio/mpeg | Duration: 770

We love bringing you stories about metro Phoenix and the cities around us. Whether you’re a native or a transplant, answering your questions helps us discover more about what makes Arizona the way it is. One question we get a lot is “Why are the streets downtown named after Presidents?” So as we prepare a special summer series for you, we’re bringing back an episode from the archive to answer this question. In today’s episode of Valley 101, a podcast from The Arizona Republic and azcentral.com, we find out how this came to be and what it would take to continue it. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

 What is Paolo Soleri's Arcosanti? Take an audio tour of the architectural gem in Arizona | File Type: audio/mpeg | Duration: 1512

A lot of things are unique about Arizona. One of them is our architecture, from the beautiful buildings to the overpasses on the highway that include decorations you just don't see in other states. People from all over the world come here to be inspired by Arizona and incorporate it into their designs. And about an hour north of Phoenix is another remarkable feat of architecture. It's off the beaten path, and the signs are easy to miss. And the buildings were designed with the environment in mind, so they blend in perfectly. This is the artist collective known as Arcosanti. It was the brainchild of Italian-born architect Paolo Soleri in 1970. Today, the Valley 101 podcast will give you an audio tour. Along the way, we'll answer three key questions: What is Arcosanti? How did it get started? What are the residents up to today? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

 What's happening to Fiesta and Metrocenter malls? | File Type: audio/mpeg | Duration: 923

What's next for Fiesta Mall? What about Metrocenter? Which brick-and-mortar shopping hubs are still hopping? In this episode, The Republic's real estate development and growth reporter Corina Vanek, reveals what's next for Valley shoppers. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

 He was Phoenix's first Black councilmember and a lifelong educator. Meet Morrison Warren | File Type: audio/mpeg | Duration: 1536

Today is the second episode on our two-part series looking at Black representation on the Phoenix City Council. Morrison F. Warren was the first Black man to ever sit on the Phoenix City Council. But he wasn't a politician. Rather Warren spent his life building bridges through education and advocating for equality. He grew up at a time when Phoenix was segregated. It was something that struck him deeply. He graduated valedictorian of his high school and attended Phoenix College before serving in the Army during World War II. He survived and came back to Phoenix to earn his bachelor's degree from Arizona State University, then called Arizona State College. He was a star player on the football team there and even had a short stint in the NFL. Later, Warren moved on to get his master's and PhD, all in education from ASU. In this episode, we hear from his son, Kevin Warren, and from Morrison Warren himself from an archived interview. The audio of Morrison Warren is provided by the Arizona Historical Society. You can watch the interview with him here. The video was directed and written by Chris Wooley. The director of photography was Wayne Dickmann. The video was produced by the Historical League, and narrated by Pat McMahon. It was made possible by a financial grant from Dr. Edward B. Diethrich. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

 Phoenix City Council makes history with 2 Black leaders | File Type: audio/mpeg | Duration: 2871

When you think of Arizona, the images and people that come to mind are very stereotypical. Wide desert vistas and mountains, cactus and clear skies, cowboys and Native Tribes, Latinos and snowbirds…who have lived here for generations.  What you probably don’t think of is the rich history of African Americans who also settled this state. At present, the Black population makes up 5.4% of Arizona’s census. That might not seem like much, but African Americas are the third largest demographic in our state. When looking at Phoenix alone, the percentage jumps up to 7.4% of the population identifying as Black or African American. The number is growing. The Arizona Republic has found that 800,000 African Americans have moved to the Valley since 2010. And that expansion hasn’t stopped, even with the pandemic. In this two-part series, we are taking a closer look at African American representation on the Phoenix City Council. We’re starting with two winners that have made history. Then, next week in episode two, we’ll go back in time to explore the first Black man to sit on the City’s council. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

 Where are the best places to see wildflowers? | File Type: audio/mpeg | Duration: 1137

The phrase goes "April showers bring May flowers," but seasons in the desert don't always conform. The rainiest March in three years, with a total of 1.47 inches across Phoenix, has left the mountainsides around the Phoenix area abloom. From Mexican gold poppies and fiddlenecks, to purple scorpionweed and globe mallows, the desert landscape is more colorful than usual. In this week's episode of Valley 101, a podcast by The Arizona Republic and azcentral.com, we hear from reporters and editors from our newsroom on their favorite places to see wildflowers. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

 Is there a Lost Dutchman Mine? | File Type: audio/mpeg | Duration: 1392

The lore of Arizona includes everything from Native stories to supernatural occurrences to tales of desperados. There's one style of story that gets told more than any other − that of hidden troves of gold. And nowhere does the lure of a forgotten mine echo more than in the Superstition Mountains. Jacob Waltz, commonly called "the Dutchman," came to America from Germany. Along the way, he developed an interest in prospecting in the western United States. It's here in Arizona where it's said he struck gold. Literally. Stories vary on how he found it, but Waltz supposedly discovered a mother lode of gold ore in the Superstition wilderness. Though he died more than a century ago, no one has found the Lost Dutchman Mine. Valley 101 explores the history and current state of the search for mine that has been the subject of numerous myths and legends. This topic came to us from one of our listeners, who asked a simple yet poignant question: Is there a Lost Dutchman Gold Mine? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

 Arizona HERstory: Meet Sister Clare Dunn, the nun who served in the state Legislature | File Type: audio/mpeg | Duration: 2245

Sister Clare Dunn was the only nun to serve in the Arizona Legislature and the first nun in the United States in the 20th century to enter public office.  In this final episode of the 2023 Arizona HERstory series, we are exploring just how a Catholic nun from the Sisters of St. Joseph took her commitment to service all the way to the state Capitol.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

 Arizona HERstory: Meet Mary Jane Colter, Grand Canyon architectural pioneer | File Type: audio/mpeg | Duration: 1500

March is Women's History Month, and the Valley 101 podcast is taking the opportunity to explore stories of women from Arizona's history whom you might not have heard of. In the third episode of Arizona HERstory, we highlight "the most known unknown architect in the world": Mary Elizabeth Jane Colter. Her Southwestern architecture can be seen at the Grand Canyon National Park, along the Santa Fe railroad and at tourist stops primarily in Arizona and New Mexico. Around the turn of the 20th century, the way she integrated nature and Indigenous art was unconventional and inventive. After attending the California School of Design, she was chosen to be a designer and architect for the famous hospitality group The Fred Harvey Company. With the surrounding environment in mind, she created numerous buildings that are still in use today. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

 Arizona HERstory: Meet Pearl Hart, the 'Bandit Queen' | File Type: audio/mpeg | Duration: 1544

March is Women's History Month, and the Valley 101 podcast is taking the opportunity to explore the stories of women from Arizona's history whom you might not have heard of. In this second episode of Arizona HERstory, we uncover the truth behind the legend of one of the most notorious criminals in Arizona history: Pearl Hart. Dubbed the "Bandit Queen" by local papers, Pearl's history has been bit of mystery and much of that was due to her own fabrication. Pearl came to Arizona all the way from Ontario, Canada in an attempt to escape an abusive life. For women of the 1800s, options for their independence were limited. But Pearl blazed her own path, and the fire of her spirit not only burned those close to her but it also scorched her life as well. But she never apologized for how she made herself.  This episode was written and produced by Thomas France. You can reach him at tfrance@arizonarepublic.com and on Twitter @TFranceAZ Kaely Monahan executive produced this episode of Arizona HERstory. You can reach her at kaely.monahan@arizonarepublic.com. Follow her on Twitter @KaelyMonahan  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

 Arizona HERstory: Meet Ayra Hackett, community leader and Black publisher | File Type: audio/mpeg | Duration: 1778

March is Women's History Month, and we're is taking the opportunity to explore the stories of women from Arizona's history whom you might not have heard of in a special series we're calling Arizona HERstory. Opening the series is the story of Ayra Hackett. Entrepreneur, midwife and community leader, she started the first Black woman-owned newspaper in the state: the Arizona Gleam. In this episode we discuss not only her achievements but what the City of Phoenix was like during her lifetime, including racial segregation, redlining and the influence of Jim Crow Laws. You can learn more about how redlining is still impacting our communities today in this investigation by our fellow Arizona Republic reporters. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

 Did Arizona make money on hosting the Super Bowl? | File Type: audio/mpeg | Duration: 1106

For the first two weeks of February, Valley residents were inundated with Super Bowl festivities and Arizona was in the spotlight. Downtown Phoenix and Glendale transformed as visitors came from all over. Scottsdale featured the Waste Management Open golf tournament as well as ESPN’s live show for the football game. Metro Phoenix businesses and hotels prepared for tourists and travelers. And those tourists and travelers spent their money right here in Arizona. But how much money did the state make by hosting the Super Bowl? Was it worth all of the funding that went into getting ready for all those people? In this week's episode of Valley 101, a podcast by The Arizona Republic and azcentral.com, we speak with experts to figure out what Arizona gained from being the home of Super Bowl 57. Follow Valley 101 and all azcentral podcasts on Twitter here. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

 What animals native to Arizona are endangered? | File Type: audio/mpeg | Duration: 1735

Animals of different shapes and sizes live all around us. And a lot of those critters are native-born Arizonans. Sometimes, they make their way into our cities. Last week, producer Kaely Monahan explored the birds of Arizona. It's a great look at the feathered beauties you can see right in your area. If you enjoy birdwatching or are just interested in native Arizona birds, and you haven't listened to that episode, you absolutely should give it a listen. This week, we take a look at the species in Arizona classified under the Endangered Species Act. All of the animals in this episode are native to the state and in need of some kind of assistance if they're going to continue being part of what makes Arizona such a wonderful place to live. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

 A Valentine from us to you – How Arizona became a state | File Type: audio/mpeg | Duration: 1240

February 14th to all is Valentines Day, but to us, it's also statehood day. To show our love to you and Arizona, we are gifting you a special episode on how Arizona became a state. Producer Kaely Monahan finds out how the Arizona Territory gained its statehood. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

 Where to go bird-watching in the Valley | File Type: audio/mpeg | Duration: 1260

More than 500 bird species are in Arizona. Some just pass through on migration. Others have come to call Arizona home year-round like the Canadian Goose and Rosy-Faced Lovebird. Others are perfectly adapted to our Sonoran desert like the Cactus Wren, our state bird. In this episode, we learn and hear just a small sample of Arizona's avian species and where to find them.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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