November Anniversaries

11/1	5 YRS	Wendy Miller	East Valley
11/4	41 YRS	James Daisey	Delaware Printing
11/4	5 YRS	Maria NidoDeVaca	Valley Printing
11/5	38 YRS	Michael Jacobs	Valley Printing
11/6	1 YR	Lori Riggan	Valley Printing
11/8	1 YR	Linda Sabo	Corporate Services
11/13	4 YRS	Norma Kilpatrick	West Valley
11/15	1 YR	Nicole Millner	Corporate Services
11/16	26 YRS	David Rehkamp	Delaware Printing
11/16	3 YRS	Jose Lopez-Beltran	Valley Printing
11/16	2 YRS	Amy Mullen	Delaware State News
11/18	8 YRS	Bonnie Mankin	Delaware State News
11/20	12 YRS	Heath Michael	Valley Printing
11/20	11 YRS	Toni Jackson	Corporate Services
11/21	39 YRS	Deborah Devlin	Delaware State News
11/26	5 YRS	Frank Dias	West Valley
11/28	1 YR	Ashley Dawson	Delaware State News

Karen Harrity Model of Customer Service

When a shift in delivery personnel resulted in a senior citizens’ housing development being left off a manifest, the patient readers of Salisbury’s Pine Bluff Village waited a few weeks to see if the missed drop was a one-time accident or a bigger system failure.

So, when the Salisbury Independent failed to arrive for a second week in a row, community president Annmarie Vincent alerted Circulation Manager Karen Harrity. Pine Bluff residents were, Mrs. Vincent told Harrity, desperate to see the paper resumed.

Harrity immediately made sure Pine Bluff was added back to the delivery list. Then, to make up for the missed editions, Harrity went to the trouble of rounding up back papers from returns, while also searching a distribution storage unit for the missed editions. The papers were distributed at Pine Bluff.

For Mrs. Vincent, Harrity prepared a special delivery gift bag that contained the missed papers, as well as flowers and a note of apology.

Mrs. Vincent was so happy by Harrity’s quick action and kindness that she dispatched two thank-you letters to Salisbury Independent.

“I am so glad and appreciative,” Mrs. Vincent wrote. “We are all now catching up on the local news that we had missed out on. I am so grateful for your services to me and can’t wait to read your wonderful newspaper.” Then Mrs Vincent concluded: “I will forever cherish the bag!”  

Karen Harrity

Apache Junction newspaper has digital-first daily focus, new monthly mailing to 35,000

Oct 23rd, 2017 · by Richard H Dyer · Comments: 0

After this week’s issue, readers will not be receiving a weekly Apache Junction/Gold Canyon Independent home-delivered edition of the newspaper.

News is going digital-first to the website, http://apachejunctionindependent.com, with sections such as Apache Junction/Gold Canyon news, business, calendar, east valley/state, education, entertainment, history of the area, meet your neighbor, opinion, photo/video galleries, Pinal County, police/sheriff/fire news and sports and outdoors.

We’re becoming a daily newspaper – but online – with the news of Apache Junction and Gold Canyon available as soon as it’s ready each day, giving readers immediate access to the community’s news. No longer will readers have to wait to read what happened the prior week. Sign up for a daily e-newsletter for free at http://apachejunctionindependent.com/enewsletter.

Also, readers and advertisers will receive a new expanded monthly newspaper mailed directly to 35,000 mailboxes in Apache Junction and Gold Canyon. ZIP codes receiving the newspapers the third week of the month are 85118, 85119 and 85120. The first issue will be mailed the week of Nov. 13.

The monthly publication will be different than what our weekly newspaper currently looks like and won’t duplicate what’s appeared at http://apachejunctionindependent.com.

The monthly newspaper will include issue-oriented stories and be packed with useful, helpful and interesting information, such as:

•news of local government, schools and organizations.
•business news, such as openings, relocations, renovations and announcements.
•a comprehensive calendar of the month’s events, activities, things to do and more.
•latest updates on local development, real estate and health care.
•features on restaurants, residents and charities.

Benefits to advertisers

Changing from weekly home-delivered circulation of 20,000 newspapers to daily online news and a monthly direct-mail circulation of 35,000 increases reach to serve the needs of local advertisers. Now they can reach every household and business in Apache Junction and Gold Canyon.

Classifieds advertising, found in the back of this week’s newspaper, will only be available online. Go to http://arizonaclassifieds.newszap.com.

To learn more about the benefits to advertisers in the monthly newspaper or apachejunctionindependent.com, call or e-mail General Manager Debbie Richardson at 480-257-8292 or drichardson@newszap.com.

Bringing back Speak Out

The Apache Junction/Gold Canyon Independent is in its 59th year of publication and is the Apache Junction 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.

Transcribing calls from a Speak Out phone line of readers’ opinions was a weekly task for me years ago. But in the 30 years I have worked at the Apache Junction office, technological advancements have meant we gather news less by phone and people walking into the office and more by e-mail, Twitter or Facebook messaging.

Speak Out Apache Junction/Gold Canyon, a new feature presented by the Apache Junction/Gold Canyon Independent, provides a sampling of the many views and opinions posted by our readers in response to stories that have appeared at http://apachejunctionindependent.com. The views do not reflect the opinions of the newspaper, but are merely meant to provide readers with a reflection of the discussion within the community on various issues. Readers are encouraged to join the discussion and post their comments to Speak Out Apache Junction/Gold Canyon at http://apachejunctionindependent.com/section/opinion via Facebook or e-mail them directly to the editor at ajeditor@newszap.com.

Working remotely

With the change to an online-focus-first and the monthly newspaper, staff members will be working remotely and the office at 2066 W. Apache Trail Suite No. 110 is closing. The newspaper phone number remains the same – 480-982-7799. If something has to be mailed, send it to: Apache Junction/Gold Canyon Independent, 23043 N. 16th St., Phoenix, AZ 85077.

If you have any questions about the changes

e-mail rdyer@newszap.com or drichardson@newszap.com or call 480-982-7799.

Managing Editor Richard Dyer can be reached at rdyer@newszap.com

Arizona Journalists Took Home Seven Awards

Independent Newsmedia Inc. USA Arizona journalists took home seven awards at the 2017 Arizona Newspapers Association Better Newspapers Contest held Sept. 30.

Independent Newsmedia received honors for photography, news writing, investigative and enterprise reporting among others at the annual newspaper convention.

This year, 49 newspapers and four high schools entered the annual contest with a total of 1,463 entries, according to a Sept. 30 press release.

The contest consists of eight categories that measure the overall quality of the newspapers and 24 categories that honor individuals who contribute to journalism excellence.

The New Mexico Press Association were the judges of this year’s annual better newspapers contest.

Each of Arizona three offices were represented at the annual statewide contest with first place awards bestowed in the categories of “Best News Story,” “Best Column, Feature or Criticism” and “Best News Photograph.”

The North Valley Office of Independent Newsmedia — where the Town of Paradise Valley Independent and Scottsdale Independent newspapers are published — lead the Arizona effort at the Independent with a total of five awards.

Reporter Melissa Fittro took home both first- and third-place honors for stories appearing in both the Town of Paradise Valley and Scottsdale print products. The stories honored were:

·         For best feature or criticism in the non-daily circulation category of 3,500 to 10,000, Ms. Fittro took home first-place honors for her story: “One final mission: WWII Honor Flight includes Scottsdale, Fountain Hills residents.”

·         For best sustained coverage in the non-daily circulation category greater than 10,000, Ms. Fittro took home third-place honors for her Scottsdale Industrial Development Authority reporting series.

Editor Terrance Thornton took home third-place honors for both investigative and enterprise reporting efforts for stories that appeared in the Scottsdale print product. The stories were:

·         For investigative reporting in the non-daily circulation category greater than 10,000, Mr. Thornton took home third-place honors for his story: “Numbers show public safety costs exceed value of Scottsdale entertainment district downtown.”

·         For enterprise reporting in the non-daily circulation category greater than 10,000, Mr. Thornton took home third-place honors for his story: “Records reveal the lucrative nature of local municipal consultation.”

In addition to individual awards the Scottsdale Independent newspaper was awarded for both second-place honors in its circulation category for “Community Service/Journalistic Achievement” and third-place honors for “Reporting and News Writing Excellence.”

The West Valley Office where including the daily newspaper, the Daily-News Sun, the Peoria Today newspaper is published and lead by Philip Haldiman, who serves as editor.

Mr. Haldiman received first-place honors for a story that appeared in the Peoria Today in the non-daily circulation greater than 10,000, which was: “Undocumented immigrants now in light, fear returning to shadows.”

The East Valley Office — where the Apache Junction/Gold Canyon Independent and Queen Creek/San Tan Valley Independent newspapers are published — received first-place honors for its use of photography.

Arianna Grainey, both a photographer and reporter for the East Valley Office, received first-place honors for her photography. The effort honored was:

·         Best news photograph in the non-daily circulation greater than 10,000, Ms. Grainey took home first-place honors for the photos: “Father shows son how to spin a dreidel,” which appeared in the Queen Creek/San Tan Valley Independent.