Valley 101

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Does light pollution threaten the night sky and human health? Valley 101 digs in Feb 24, 2020

Show notes

The creation of the light bulb in 1879 would forever shape our homes, streets and offices.

But by the 1950s, light pollution became a concern, as it effects both natural ecosystems and human health. In fact, studies have shown that light pollution can be linked to breast cancer.

Today, the future of Arizona's dark sky could be threatened by light pollution. It's an issue dark sky advocates are working to ease.

This week's episode of Valley 101, a podcast from The Arizona Republic and azcentral.com, breaks down what the Valley is doing to mitigate light pollution.

In this episode, you'll hear:

The components that make up light pollution.
The impacts of light pollution on the state's tourism and economy.
The steps communities in Metro Phoenix are making to combat light pollution.

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Why do so many Arizona mountains have letters on them? Feb 17, 2020

Show notes

There are at least seven mountains in Maricopa County with letters whitewashed on the side. Have you ever wondered why they were put in? Or when?

We'll give you one hint: It comes down to more than just community pride.

This week, Valley 101 digs into the history behind the "<Phoenix" sign on Usery Mountain in Mesa, A Mountain in Tempe and S Mountain in Phoenix. Producer Taylor Seely reports alongside Lucy Bentz, a 12-year-old Goodyear student who submitted the question.

In this episode you'll hear from:

Brennan Basler, a.k.a. Ranger B
Arizona State University archivist Rob Spindler
Sunnyslope Historical Society Vice President Pat Wilkinson

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Why are there rumors about a U.F.O. crash landing at Dreamy Draw Dam? Feb 10, 2020

Show notes

Anne Ferraioli grew up in Phoenix, but she said she never paid much attention to Dreamy Draw Dam.

Then she noticed there wasn't any water in it. And when she started looking into it, the results were surprising.

Ferraioli found article after article about a possible U.F.O. landing site at the dam. What she didn't find was much information about its actual history.

Given the curious results, Ferraioli asked the Valley 101 podcast to dig into Dreamy Draw Dam's history. Podcast editor Katie O'Connell took her question and ran with it.

In this episode you'll hear:

How the U.F.O. rumors at Dreamy Draw Dam began
Whether or not the director of Open Minds TV thinks the rumors are true
The history of the dam and its purpose today

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What's it like to be homeless in Maricopa County? Feb 03, 2020

Show notes

The stories of how someone became or experiences homelessness are incredibly varied.

Lawrence Small, 41, has been homeless for two months after experiencing domestic violence. But this isn't his first time experiencing homelessness. He was also homeless in Seattle when he was 34 years old.

"Seattle is different from Phoenix," Small said. "Seattle, they help homeless people out there. The housing, jobs. Phoenix don't do it."

Homelessness continues to rise across the Valley. In 2019, there were at least 6,614 people experiencing homelessness in Maricopa County.

To understand what it's like to be homeless in Maricopa County, the Valley 101 team partnered with reporter Jessica Boehm and the Maricopa Association of Governments, otherwise known as MAG. Each year, MAG does a Point in Time survey of the homeless population in an attempt to understand patterns and trends leading to homelessness.

This year, we went with them during the survey. In this episode of Valley 101, a podcast from The Arizona Republic and azcentral.com, you'll hear three stories from people currently experiencing homelessness.

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Lovebirds in Arizona: How did they get here? Are they invasive? Jan 27, 2020

Show notes

The next time you're beneath a palm tree, see if you can spot a small green bird with a peach-colored face hanging out in its fronds. Those are feral rosy-faced lovebirds.

Metro Phoenix is home to roughly 2,000 of them, although they're originally from Africa. A wild lovebird population started growing here in the mid-1980s. Their appearance created confusion and curiosity among local residents, especially those in the birding community.

So just how did they get here? This week's episode of Valley 101, a podcast from The Arizona Republic and azcentral.com, digs in to how they found a new home in the Valley.

In this episode, you'll hear:

How rosy-faced lovebirds got to the Valley
Where you can find rosy-face lovebirds in the valley
How they impact our environment

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Why can't planes fly when it's too hot in Phoenix? Jan 20, 2020

Show notes

Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport grounded flights due to extreme heat for the first time in 1990. It happened again more recently in 2013 and 2017.

But why can't planes fly in certain temperatures? Turns out, it has to do with performance data provided by plane manufacturers and airline safety procedures. For more on what exactly that means, listen to this week's episode of Valley 101 podcast.

In this episode, you'll hear:

What it was like in 1990 when Phoenix Sky Harbor grounded flights.
What four components are necessary for planes to fly.
Kenneth Wood, an American Airline pilot, explain why "performance data" was integral to planes being grounded in high-heat situations.

Related reading:

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Who are some celebrities from Arizona? Jan 13, 2020

Show notes

Celebrities. You love 'em or you hate 'em. Or, you love to hate 'em. We on the Valley 101 podcast team have a few we just absolutely gush over.

We're sure we're not swayed by the fact that they're from Arizona.

This week, Katie O'Connell, Maritza Dominguez and Taylor Seely each share their favorite celebrity with local ties, plus stories of how the Valley inspired or shaped them.

In this episode, you'll hear:

How growing up in Arizona David Hallberg into a resilient world-class ballet dancer.
How Jordin Sparks became an "American Idol" winner and took to the stage on Broadway.
The story of Steven Spielberg's first movie premiere, which happened in Phoenix when he was 17 years old

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What’s it like to be an adult with autism in metro Phoenix? Jan 06, 2020

Show notes

Autism is often seen as a “kid’s disorder,” meaning the focus is on helping children – but where does that leave autistic adults? We talked with leaders in the Valley’s autism community about the “services cliff” people with autism often experience at the age of 21 and what Arizona is doing about it.

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Happy New Year from Valley 101 (but we're off this week) Dec 30, 2019

Show notes

We spent most of 2019 exploring the Valley thanks to your questions. We'll be back in 2020 with more. Submit your question today at valley101podcast.azcentral.com.

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Copper, cattle and climate: Why are these included in Arizona's 5 Cs? Dec 23, 2019

Show notes

Citrus, cotton, copper, cattle and climate — these are the five Cs of Arizona. They're the five economic drivers that transformed Arizona from a small cowboy town to a growing metropolis.

In this episode, you'll hear:

How copper helped grow the population in Arizona, and how it's still a major industry in the state.
How the cattle industry grew in Arizona and why it's still a major industry despite its downturn post-peak downturn
How Arizona has leveraged its climate to attract tourists in the past, and how residents can think about its climate going forward.

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