March Birthdays

3/2, James Hoesch, Corporate

3/4, Cynthia Paquette, Delaware State News
3/7, Andrew Walter, Delaware State News
3/10, Janet Levy, Delaware State News
3/11, Varonda Krieger-Krusemark , Valley Printing Plant
3/11, Katie Erickson, West Valley (Sun City)
3/13, David Gallegos, Valley Printing Plant
3/17, James Brown, Delaware State News
3/17, Erik Decker, Delaware Printing Company
3/20, Dalmario Lilly, Valley Printing Plant
3/21, Susan Short, Delaware State News
3/21, John Salvate, Valley Printing Plant
3/24, Dale Conyers, Caloosa Belle
3/24, Danielle Musser, Corporate
3/28, Toni Ayers, Corporate
3/29, William Mosley, Delaware Printing Company

March Anniversaries

3/1, 18 YRS, Danielle Musser, Corporate

3/1, 15 YRS, Rita Maier, Delaware State News
3/4, 2 YRS, Van Eastman, Valley Printing Plant
3/6, 24 YRS, Janet Levy, Delaware State News
3/6, 45 YRS, Sharon Harvey, Delaware State News
3/7, 15 YRS, Yolibet Garelick, Valley Printing Plant
3/8, 2 YRS, Nichole Christopoulos, Delaware State News
3/10, 1 YR, Diana Orozco, Valley Printing Plant
3/10, 6 YRS, Diane Timmons, Okeechobee
3/17, 1 YR, Kyle Huggins, Valley Printing Plant
3/18, 28 YRS, Andrew Walter, Delaware State News
3/23, 7 YRS, Christopher Keesser, Delaware Printing Company
3/26, 7 YRS, Jeremy Carr, West Valley (Sun City)

Last Week for Excellence Award Nominations

EXCELLENCE AWARDS:  Nominations for Independent's annual Excellence Awards must be submitted by Friday, February 28.   Nominations may be made by any employee.  The nomination form and more details are available at http://www.newszap.com/excellenceawards/nominationform.html

Nominations Sought

EXCELLENCE AWARDS

Nominations sought

It's that time again to recognize those persons who have proven their excellence in helping Independent Newsmedia Inc. USA fulfill its mission to the communities we serve. Employees are invited to nominate coworkers for the annual Excellence awards. These awards honor persons and teams whose practice of our core values have moved Independent Newsmedia Inc. USA closer to its goal of publishing purposeful newspapers. In the past, honorees have come from every facet of our operation - advertising, distribution, production, administration and news. They have been team leaders and team members, new employees and veterans. Their common quality is that each has been a model of excellence.

 Nominations may be made by any employee. A nomination form is available at http://www.newszap.com/excellenceawards/nominationform.html. All submissions should be made using this form.  Deadline for nominations is Friday, of February 28.

A list of previous winners can be found at Excellence Awards link at Press Lines and can be a useful reference tool when preparing a nomination since previous winners cannot win more than once in the same category. Winners will be announced in late March or early April.

Below is the list of traditional categories for these awards.  However, this year we will allow employees to submit new categories they feel may also be appropriate in keeping up with our changing industry.  For example, suggestion might to create an award for "Digital Transformation," to recognize a leader in improving our web sites and helping to build a larger online audience for newszap.com.

2014 Sussex County Profile Unveiled

By Glenn Rolfe
Sussex County Post

GEORGETOWN — A primary tool in business/industry recruitment officially arrived Tuesday as the 2014 Sussex County Profile was unveiled amid good news on Sussex County’s economic front.

“It is our primary recruiting tool,” said Sussex County Economic Development Director Julie Wheatley.

“We use this all year around to promote Sussex County,” said County Administrator Todd Lawson. “And we do have some great news in the economic development sector. This year our numbers are definitely trending north, which is really good. That is really a good thing, and something that we are happy to see, because that means folks are going back to work.”

Local and county officials, including members of Sussex County Council, representatives of tourism, business and industry and others joined a contingent from the Delaware State News and Sussex Post, which publish the magazine booklet, at the unveiling luncheon at Sussex Pines Country Club in Georgetown.

“This annual project and the books produced each year are in my mind an exemplary consequence of a meaningful public and private partnership,” said Darel LaPrade, publisher of the Sussex County Post and the Sussex County Profile. “And this book -- Sussex County Profile -- is intended as a tool for the county’s economic development office. It captures the delights of Sussex County’s location and environment and at the same time helps to tell the powerful and positive approach taken here to economic development.”

Like its predecessors, this year’s Profile — 72 pages from cover to cover — is jam-packed with handy, useful information on Sussex County’s economics, agriculture, education, communities, quality of life, tourism, medical services, services for seniors, Chambers of Commerce and much more — all augmented by bright color photos.

Freelance photographer Marc Clery’s cover photo captures a fisherman enjoying the solitude and autumn scenery at Trap Pond State Park near Laurel.

“We enjoy a great relationship with INI … and our committee that puts together this annual Profile, which we certainly utilize throughout the year,” said Mr. Lawson. “It is exciting always to come in and see the unveiling of this year’s edition.”

“I am extremely proud that our paper is able to play a role in providing this resource,” said Mr. LaPrade, adding that one of INI’s governing values is for its newspapers to … be committed to building strong communities with vital economies. “We want our communities to be great places to live, to raise families and to work.”

From an economic development standpoint, the Sussex County Profile, Ms. Wheatley says, is often the first connection between a prospective business and the County.

“When we get a first call in from a business that it is looking to grow here or even a visitor — someone that says ‘I live up in the New York area and I need to know a little bit more about Sussex County’ — they get mailed that. And they get the link to the online presence in case they can’t wait until they get it in the mail,” said Ms. Wheatley. “Often people think that the towns are competing against each other. It’s like, ‘Well this one has an industrial park, or this one has the electric at a good price, or this one has water and sewer.’ But what happens is when we get people from the Mid-Atlantic region; New York, Pennsylvania, New Jersey that want to move down here with their businesses, they are looking at all of Sussex.”

Profile distribution includes real estate firms, libraries, town and county buildings, Chambers of Commerce, tourism bureaus and it even extends beyond Sussex borders.

Last year, the Delaware Visitors’ Center on I-95 in New Castle County received 18 boxes of Profiles, and they went like hotcakes.

“They actually contacted me. The people that stop into that visitors’ center are in that corridor where we like to recruit businesses and people relocating here to retire or even to visit for tourism,” Ms. Wheatley said. “So more than waiting for them to show an interest in Sussex and then having the product, now the product is out there for people that are looking at the Mid-Atlantic region.”

“I know it may seem rather old fashion, but we are in a very real way nurturing the American dream. We still live in a land of opportunity, a place where somebody can have a dream and then make it come true,” Mr. LaPrade said. “The ongoing enterprise of publishing the Profile is just that — a dream come true; a product borne of a shared vision, the result of many people believing it was a good thing to do.”

Mr. LaPrade extended sincere thanks to the support of Profile advertisers, the Sussex County Profile Advisory Committee and Delaware State News and Sussex Post staff members.

Special credit was given to Profile Editor Ashley Dawson for her work on the 72-page publication.

“A wise person once said, ‘Alone we can do so little, but together we can do so much.’

This is the case here,” said Mr. LaPrade. “The support and cooperation that it takes to pull off publishing this book is so evident, and the list of people who deserve thanks is long.”

 

 

Darel LaPrade, publisher of the Sussex Profile speaks during the unveiling of the 2014 issue at Sussex Pines Country Club near Georgetown on Tuesday, Jan 21, 2014. Special to the Delaware State News/Marc Clery

Watching the unveiling of the 2014 Sussex Profile are, from left. Todd Lawson, Sussex County Administrator, with Sussex County Council members, Joan Deaver, Sam Wilson Jr., Michael Vincent, Vance Phillips, George Cole, and publisher, Darel LaPrade at Sussex Pines Country Club near Georgetown on Tuesday, Jan 21, 2014. Special to the Delaware State News/Marc Clery

 

Delaware State News Releases 2014 Kent County Profile

By Chris Flood
Delaware State News

DOVER — While new buildings, new infrastructure and new businesses are important investments in the community and look nice, what people really want to know about when they see those things are how jobs are coming to the area because of these.

How to quantify that jobs number in relation to economic investments taking place in Kent County was the theme at the unveiling of the fifth edition of the Kent County Profile on Tuesday.

The profile is a glossy, 56-page publication produced by the Delaware State News, in partnership with the Kent Economic Partnership, that highlights local business activities, gives important municipality information and generally gives readers a taste of what it’s like to live and work in Kent County. The publication was first done in 2010.

The unveiling was held in the large conference room of the Capital School District Professional Center on Commerce Way in west Dover and was attended by county leaders, elected officials and members of the Kent County business community.

At the unveiling last year, presentations centered on a little more than $1 billion worth of private and public investments taking place in all corners of the county. Those investments included schools, government buildings and private business.

While difficult to put a specific number of jobs associated to those investments, a panel of speakers — representing the Garrison Energy Center, Bayhealth, the Boys & Girls Club of Delaware, the Capital School District and the 512th Airlift Wing — attempted to.

Stu Widom, Calpine’s director of government and regulatory affairs, said the $400 million Garrison Energy Center would bring close to 375 full-time and part-time jobs during construction and a total of 16 full-time jobs when completed.

Scott Brown, board president of the Greater Dover Boys & Girls Club, suggested that 30 additional staff will be hired to help run the new facility that’s going to be built off of New Burton Road, just west of Dover. The 75,000-square-foot facility is being built in partnership with Kent County and the estimated completion date is late in 2015.

Terry Murphy, president and CEO of Bayhealth Medical Center, said Kent General in Dover employs 3,200 and Milford Memorial employs 1,000. He expects each facility to grow the number of employees by two to four percent annually to help keep up with the growing needs of the health care providing community in Kent County. He added that as a part of that employee growth, Bayhealth will be experiencing facility growth. In Milford, there’s a 400,000-square-foot, $250-$350 million expansion that’s expected to begin construction in 2015. In Dover, on top of the $147 million expansion that opened in 2012, there will be a fourth floor built.

"You can expect to see scaffolding sometime this spring," he said.

In the end, more than an estimated 400 jobs either have been, or will be, created in Kent County over the past year or so because of these companies and other like them who have decided that Kent County is a place to do business.

Which is exactly what Bill Andrews, Kent Economic Partnership chairman and Delaware Electric Cooperative president and CEO, wants the citizens of the county to realize.

"We’re working every day to improve the economic aspects of the county," he said. "When you see a new building, that’s new people working and that means prosperity."

He then challenged the room’s movers and shakers to continue their efforts.

"We need to make it easy to do business," he said. "You are doers and I challenge you to make economic development a little bigger part of your daily calendar."

Ed Dulin, publisher of Delaware State News, offers upbeat remarks to the crowd of nearly 100 business leaders present for the release of the 2014 Kent County Profile.

Bill Andrew, president of the Kent Economic Partnership, makes closing remarks after the 2014 Kent County Profile cover was unveiled. This year's cover featured a barge bringing a generator into Leipsic. The generator is one of several pieces of equipment needed for a $400 million Calpine Energy Center under construction in Dover.

Chevy Humphrey Elected as INI Non-Profit Member

Chevy Humphrey, the president and CEO of the Arizona Science Center, has been elected to a five-year term as a member of INI’s non-profit holding company. In 2011 Phoenix Business Journal named Chevy as one of the Valley’s Most Admired CEO’s.  In 2013, she was elected board chair of the Association of Science-Technology Centers (ASTC). ASTC is a 600 member international organization that represents science centers and museums in 45 different countries. 

Stepping down as an INI non-profit member was Dick Gottlieb, the civic-minded former Wisconsin newspaper publisher who rose to CEO of Lee Enterprises, chaired the Newspaper Association of America and was a director of The Associated Press.   “I hope that you know how much I appreciate you, your company, your members and directors and many of the folks that I have met that manage your operations,” Dick said in his parting remarks.  “The way you have organized your company is so admirable.  Thank you for the opportunity to serve.”

 INI’s CEO Joe Smyth thanked Dick for his service.  “He has supported the purposes, mission and values of the Company, demonstrated an appreciation of the value and importance of an independent press in a free society, and has contributed to the success of Independent Newsmedia Inc. USA and the holding company which perpetuates its independence,” Joe said.

The five INI non-profit members serve staggered five-year terms. They cannot serve consecutive terms, so at least one member is replaced each year. The four other non-profit members, in addition to Chevy, are:

• Jody Brannon, a digital media pioneer who is editor of The Next America, an initiative at NationalJournal.com exploring the impact of shifting demographics on policy and politics.  She is a director and vice president of the Online News Association.  Previously, she was national director of the Carnegie-Knight News21 journalism initiative at the Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication at Arizona State University.

• Gary Edens, owner of The Hanover Companies, Inc. and former CEO of Edens Broadcasting, which owned radio stations in San Diego, Phoenix, Richmond, Newport News and Tampa. Prior to that he was radio group executive for Harte-Hanks, which owned radio, tv stations, newspapers and shoppers. 

• Chuck Matthews, the chairman and CEO of WGM Associates LLC, a Scottsdale-based company that provides small and medium sized businesses a wide range of managed services and software solutions designed to transform information technology into a core strategic asset.  His background includes 26 years in management, finance, real estate and technology.

• Karny Stefan, the Chief Development Officer of Make-A-Wish® Arizona, the founding chapter of Make-A-Wish®, the international wish granting organization that grants the wishes of children with life-threatening medical conditions.  Karny has worked with a number of other non-profits, including Phoenix Children’s Hospital.  She has a master’s degree in Public Administration, with an emphasis in Non-Profit Management, from the University of Missouri. 

INI (Independent Newsmedia Inc. USA) is a normal tax-paying company that is owned by a unique non-profit holding company. There are no stockholders, and all after-tax profits are reinvested in the company. The non-profit members pledge not to profit personally from their involvement. They don’t have responsibility for managing the company, but they elect the directors who bear that responsibility.

 Reelected as directors were:

• Richard Bricker, an independent business consultant with a strong background in finance, law and real estate.

• Pete Eyerly, chairman of Press-Enterprise, Inc. of Bloomsburg, Pa.  The family-owned company publishes a daily newspaper in Bloomsburg, developed a significant web offset commercial printing business and has operated business journals and an advertising agency in Pennsylvania.

• Joe Smyth, INI Chair and CEO.  He is the author of Newsroom Guidelines for Independent Newspapers and Fixing America’s Broken Politics: A Citizens Handbook.  Joe transferred ownership of INI in 1991 to the non-profit holding company he had created for that purpose.

 

• Alicia Wadas, the chief operating officer at The Lavidge Company, a full-service advertising, public relations, communications, consulting and interactive marketing agency in Phoenix. She is also an active volunteer in several community organizations.  

 

Raving Fan!

Ms. Bisson,

I am the Publicity Chairperson for the Sun City Women’s Chorus.  For the last three years, I have had the pleasure to work with Jeremy Carr at the Independent to advertise our Chorus and our two yearly concerts.  So often it has been a hassle dealing with various publications, but not with Jeremy.  He has gone out of his way to be helpful, especially when I first took over this position.  He is knowledgeable, answers any questions or concerns promptly, and professionally represents your organization.  I can’t tell you how happy I have been working with him.  I simply wanted you to know what a great asset you have in him!!

Sandy Moersdorf

Publicity Chair
SC Women’s Chorus

Excellence Award Recipients thru 2013

Excellence Award Recipients thru 2013

(Active Employees ONLY)

A. Charles Adams (leadership/shared leadership), Toni Ayers (Commitment & Results), Craig Anderson ( Results),

B.  Phil Bisesi (results and commitment), Barbara (Drummer) Bryan (self management), Dan Breedlove (leadership), Tom Bugbee (courtesy/ethical standards) (Leadership 2007), Tim Buzzard (Self-Management), Tom Byrd (leadership), Lisa Bryner (team award Teamwork), Angie Bridges (Teamwork), Patty Brant (Commitment), Rusty Bradshaw (Purposeful Newspapers), Anthony Blue (Learning),

C. Barbara Calfee (commitment)(teamwork) (Results ’08), Dave Chambers (Results), Sheila Clendaniel (commitment), Heather Cregar (teamwork) (Commitment ’08)(Results), Richard Crumbacker (Commitment), Dale Conyers (teamwork)(Learning), Jeremy Carr (courtesy/ethical standards), Fran Callaway (results), Duane Clark (Leadership/Shared Leadership), Dave Cannon (Results), Debra Crotzer (Self-Management),

D. James Daisey (commitment; teamwork), Debbie Devlin (self-management), Ed Dulin (leadership), Richard Dyer (teamwork)(Leadership/Shared Leadership), Ashley Dawson (Results),   

E. Burkey Emmons (Teamwork) (Results ’09), Katie Erickson (teamwork),

F. Wanda Ford-Waring (leadership), Jaclyn Fuller (Courtesy/Ethical Standards)(Results)(Leadership/Shared Leadership 2012), Debra Friedl (Teamwork),

G. Tim Gary (results), Yolibet Garelick (commitment) (Learning ’08), Rob Giarraputo (Commitment),

H. Debbie Hanson (commitment), Toni Hewes (self management) (teamwork 2007)(results ’09), Craig Horleman (purposeful newspapers; self-management)(Jim Miller Award 2012), Angela Hicks (teamwork, Learning ‘11), Sharon Harvey (teamwork), Ann Hines (teamwork), Dave Hughes (Results), Courtney Hartline (Teamwork),

I. - None -

J. Donny Jacobs (Self Management),

K. Jennifer Keim (learning), Lori Kircher (leadership/shared leadership) (self-management ’09), Kelsie Knight (teamwork) (commitment ‘05), VaRonda Kreiger-Krusemark (Self Management), Eric Kopp (Jim Miller Award)(Purposeful Newspapers 2013), Norma Kilpatrick (Teamwork), Leroy Kline (Teamwork),

L. Darel LaPrade (commitment & leadership/shared leadership, Janet Levy (teamwork), Roger Leslie (commitment), Debra Luke (team award Teamwork)(Leadership/Shared Leadership 2012), Kimberly Lewis (Teamwork),  

M. Katrina (Elsken) Muros (leadership/shared leadership)(Commitment 2012), Janet Madray (commitment),Cyndi Maki-Eldred (courtesy & ethical standards) (results ’09), Rita Maier (teamwork), Bob Martin (teamwork), Zenaida Matute (Self Management), Bret McKeand (leadership), Jean McNeeley (courtesy/ethical standards)(Teamwork 2012), Vicki Meades-Brown (learning) (Results ’08), Danielle Musser (leadership), Debbie Myers (teamwork) (Commitment), Bonnie Mankin (Results), Daniel Meisinger (Learning), Jan McKinney (Results),

N. – Richard Naughton (Results, Self Management ‘11),

O. – Maria Orozco (Teamwork),  

P. Charlene Patti-Bisson (Leadership/Shared Leadership) (purposeful journalism), Tina Pendexter (Learning) (teamwork), Darin Powell (Leadership/shared leadership, Learning ‘11), Jasper Purnell (Commitment) (courtesy & ethical standards), Franklin Doug Powell (Commitment),

Q. - None -

R. Armando Ramirez (teamwork), David Rehkamp (commitment), Glenn Rolfe (Jim Miller Award)(Results 2007), Diane Runion (Results), Vicki Rosado (results),

S. Linda Sabo (commitment), John Salvate (Shared Leadership), Sandi Stokes (leadership), Tim Spong (results), Sheryle Sussman (teamwork), Kay Sheedy (Results), Dianna Sellers (Teamwork),

T. Terrance Thornton (Jim Miller Award)(Purposeful Newspapers), Marc Tropio (commitment)(Teamwork 2007), Diane Timmons (Teamwork, Results ‘11), D Scott Taylor (Commitment),

U. - None -

V. Michelle (Benton) Vinson (leadership)   

W. Andy Walter (purposeful newspapers), Andy West (leadership), Diana Whitehall (Courtesy/Ethical standards), Chris Williams (Results), Sylvia Windsor (commitment)(self-management 2007), Michael Whaley (Self-Management),

X. - None -

Y.  None -

Z. – Jose Zaragoza (leadership/shared leadership)(Learning 2012),  

Excellence Awards - Nominations Sought

It's that time again to recognize those persons who have proven their excellence in helping Independent Newsmedia Inc. USA fulfill its mission to the communities we serve. Employees are invited to nominate coworkers for the annual Excellence awards. These awards honor persons and teams whose practice of our core values have moved Independent Newsmedia Inc. USA closer to its goal of publishing purposeful newspapers. In the past, honorees have come from every facet of our operation - advertising, distribution, production, administration and news. They have been team leaders and team members, new employees and veterans. Their common quality is that each has been a model of excellence.

 Nominations may be made by any employee. A nomination form is available at http://www.newszap.com/excellenceawards/nominationform.html. All submissions should be made using this form.  Deadline for nominations is Friday, of February 28.

A list of previous winners can be found at Excellence Awards link at Press Lines and can be a useful reference tool when preparing a nomination since previous winners cannot win more than once in the same category. Winners will be announced in late March or early April.

Below is the list of traditional categories for these awards.  However, this year we will allow employees to submit new categories they feel may also be appropriate in keeping up with our changing industry.  For example, suggestion might to create an award for "Digital Transformation," to recognize a leader in improving our web sites and helping to build a larger online audience for newszap.com.

                                        ****************************

Purposeful newspapers: This person or team has excelled in furthering Independent's key Value - to publish purposeful newspapers that encourage and support meaningful community involvement, and that provide citizens with knowledge they need to make rational decisions about public issues.

Commitment: Recognizes service above and beyond daily expectations because of deep commitment to our mission/ journalistic values.

Self-management: Recognizes the person whose acceptance of personal responsibility for his or her own success and that of Independent Newsmedia Inc. USA is a model and inspiration to others.

Learning: Recognizes the person who has successfully committed to continuous learning and growth, especially in ways that enable he or she to help advance the mission of Independent Newsmedia Inc. USA.

Courtesy, ethical standards: Recognizes the person or team that excels in courtesy to customers and co-workers, and whose high ethical standards match those needed to achieve INI’s key values.

Teamwork: Recognizes the person who has achieved excellence in team building or a team that has achieved the coherence and esprit that has enabled it to produce outstanding results for the company's success, for maintaining pleasant and safe working conditions, and for recognizing fellow staffers who are upholding the company's values and contributing to its success.

Leadership/ shared leadership: Recognizes the individual regardless of position whose leadership has inspired or led others. This person demonstrates that at Independent Newsmedia Inc. USA, we prosper through self-empowerment rather than supervision. Team leaders also may be recognized for having practiced a shared leadership that has empowered others.

Results: This award demonstrates how the practice of Independent's values results in outstanding journalism, sales, productivity enhancements, safety improvement or other business objectives that make Independent a stronger company and a better place in which to work, and in turn, improve our communities.

Jim Miller Award: The award honors the writer or editor whose work displays the spirit, color, warmth and human touch of the late Jim Miller.

Small Business of the Year Award Given to Apache Junction/Gold Canyon Independent

The Apache Junction/Gold Canyon Independent was named the 2013 Small Business of the Year by the Apache Junction Chamber of Commerce.

The announcement was made Jan. 30 at the business organization’s annual awards banquet.

Accepting the award were Tina Pendexter, business manager; and Scott Taylor, advertising consultant. Publisher Bret McKeand also attended, snapping photos for coverage of the event.

Others who work at the Apache Junction/Gold Canyon Independent out of the East Valley office include Cherril Babbs, advertising consultant; Deb Crotzer, advertising services/graphics; Alex Ferri, news services; Wendy Miller, news editor; and Richard Dyer, managing editor. They also produce the East Mesa, Queen Creek/San Tan Valley and Gilbert Independent newspapers and post to Arizona.newszap.com/eastvalley.

The Apache Junction Independent has been serving the community for more than 50 years and was recognized for its contributions to the chamber and support of community events and activities.

The Apache Junction Independent is the local Chamber of Commerce’s oldest official member. The Independent, then the Apache Sentinel, published by James Brooks, was launched in 1959 and became a chamber member in 1960. Independent Newspapers purchased the Sentinel in 1971, and changed the newspaper’s name to the Independent in 1983.

 

 

Photo by Bret McKeand

A slide at the event shows a recent Apache Junction/Gold Canyon Independent newspaper page 1 and a photo of the plaque.

Photo by Bret McKeand

Accepting the award were Tina Pendexter, business manager; and Scott Taylor, advertising consultant.

News Editor Is Very Involved With The Community

News Editor Rusty Bradshaw goes above and beyond to embody the Independent Newsmedia mission of community involvement. As an honorary member of the Rotary Club of Sun City, he provides exposure for the club through photography and assists with club publicity through the website and Facebook page. In addition, he regularly attends Kiwanis Club of Sun City Agua Fria meetings and further provides exposure for that club through photography. Rusty donates financially to both clubs when they have fundraisers. He occasionally attends the Peoria North Rotary Club and Del Sol Rotary Club of Sun City and provides those clubs exposure through photography as well. Exposure of other various clubs and organizations in Peoria and Sun City is also done by Rusty through photography and written articles. Through the years, Rusty has established friendships with various community members in Sun City, Surprise, Sun City West and Peoria and has assisted Surprise and Peoria chambers of commerce at various events. He’s also a regular volunteer helper at several Surprise Rotary Club golf tournaments and drove two years for Rotary Club of Sun City during Rotary Grand Prix at Bondarant High Performance Driving School. In all of these endeavors, Rusty acts as a vital community ambassador for Independent Newsmedia and its various publications.