Valley 101

Latest Episodes:

He was Phoenix's first Black councilmember and a lifelong educator. Meet Morrison Warren Apr 24, 2023

Show notes

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.

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Phoenix City Council makes history with 2 Black leaders Apr 17, 2023

Show notes

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.

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Where are the best places to see wildflowers? Apr 10, 2023

Show notes

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.

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Is there a Lost Dutchman Mine? Apr 03, 2023

Show notes

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?

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Arizona HERstory: Meet Sister Clare Dunn, the nun who served in the state Legislature Mar 27, 2023

Show notes

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.

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Arizona HERstory: Meet Mary Jane Colter, Grand Canyon architectural pioneer Mar 20, 2023

Show notes

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.

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Arizona HERstory: Meet Pearl Hart, the 'Bandit Queen' Mar 13, 2023

Show notes

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

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Arizona HERstory: Meet Ayra Hackett, community leader and Black publisher Mar 06, 2023

Show notes

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.

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Did Arizona make money on hosting the Super Bowl? Feb 27, 2023

Show notes

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.

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What animals native to Arizona are endangered? Feb 20, 2023

Show notes

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.

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