Copacetic July 2022 — Editor's note

But, despite all my complaints as the last cherished weeks of summer break wound down, there was always a part of me that was slightly intrigued about the new school year.

What would my new teachers be like? What play were we going to start working on in drama class this year? Would any of my friends be in the same classes as me? Who was I going to sit next to in algebra? 

Inevitably, these were the kinds of questions that would keep me up well into the night on the eve of the first day of school as I excitedly imagined what a new school year might bring.

I can imagine this same excitement, amplified, is what approximately 600 freshman and sophomore Maricopa Unified School District students will be feeling the night before their first day of school as they prepare to start their journey at the brand new Desert Sunrise High School this year. 

With that in mind, much of our focus for this issue has been on celebrating this milestone achievement for MUSD and for the Maricopa community. Many  articles featured here are dedicated to giving students — and parents — a sneak peek into the new school and an opportunity to get to know some of the DSHS staff members. 

And while DSHS is a monumental achievement, there are other exciting changes and fresh starts happening around Maricopa — also covered within these pages. These include former Mayor Christian Price's transition to the head of Maricopa Economic Development Alliance, ownership changes at Sonoran Creek Marketplace, big developments for the Maricopa Pantry and much more. 

As you flip through these pages, you'll also get to know some of the candidates running for Arizona Legislature in the newly redistricted LD16 and meet a 16-year-old Maricopan who recently opened an exciting business. 

This issue also marks an exciting new beginning for me as well. If you've been a reader of Copacetic at any point in the past year, then you've probably become familiar with Joey Chenoweth — the longtime editor of this magazine. 

In recent months, Joey has become the executive editor of PinalCentral, overseeing much of the day-to-day for our regular newspaper publications. As associate editor, I have been asked to help Copacetic Magazine continue its journey as exciting changes take root in Maricopa. 

I'm no stranger to Maricopa, though. I briefly served as a reporter for the Maricopa Monitor back in 2017, and I thoroughly my time learning about Maricopa's history, the challenges this blossoming city faces and the people that make this community what it is. 

So as we head into a new school year, a new Copacetic issue and the turn of a new season, here's to new beginnings.