Valley 101

A titan in Arizona arts turned 60 this year. Locals might know it as the "pink birthday cake," but everyone knows it as ASU Gammage. Opened in 1964, Gammage is the only public building Frank Lloyd Wright made in Arizona. In partnership with his good friend and president of Arizona State University at the time, Grady Gammage, the renowned architect took plans originally for an opera house in Baghdad to create the university's performing arts space. This week on Valley 101, a podcast by The Arizona Republic and azcentral.com, we sit down with the executive director of ASU Gammage Colleen Jennings-Roggensack to talk about the history of the theater and the magic it has kept for 60 years. She tells Valley 101 inside stories about working with NASA engineers to innovate the theater, her admiration for Wright's dedication to the desert and how she brought Gammage into the modern day. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In New York, you've got the big tree at the Rockefeller Center looming over the ice rink. In the small town where I grew up in the mountains of Virginia, there is a parade the whole town comes out for. And in Arizona, you've got tamales. The Mexican dish is a staple of Christmas time in our border state. But how did they become so connected to the holidays and why do they matter so much? This week on Valley 101, a podcast by The Arizona Republic and azcentral.com, I talked to a couple of people who know their tamales. One is Brenda Mercado Valdez, the owner of Fire and Braids and the winner of the La Voz Top Tamale contest. The other is Paula Soria, the La Voz reporter who wrote about the contest — and who, like Brenda, has a family history with tamales. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Tempe Town Lake is a project whose development no one would call perfect, but one that most people seem pretty happy about how it turned out. The lake celebrated its 25th anniversary recently. It's one of those things that seems like it can't have been that long ago, and yet it seems like it's always been there. This week on Valley 101, a podcast by The Arizona Republic and azcentral.com, we talked to a couple of people who were instrumental in getting the lake project done. Neil Giuliano was mayor of Tempe when it finally happened, and Diana Kaminski played all kinds of roles in the project. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Chances are I watch more movies in theaters than you do. And like people who live in the Valley, or anywhere else they have theaters, I love Harkins Theatres popcorn the most. I found a couple of people who know a lot about the subject to answer this week's question — or questions, really: What makes Harkins popcorn so good? And why are people obsessed with it? This week on Valley 101, a podcast by The Arizona Republic and azcentral.com, I spoke with Dan Harkins, who owns Harkins Theatres and whose mother created the recipe, and Stephen Jackson, a huge movie fan and a popcorn expert. It was a fun talk. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Holidays are all about traditions. Sort of. They're also about whatever person or event you're celebrating. Beyond watching the Macy's Thanksgiving parade and then eating too much turkey and falling asleep during football games, what else is there? This week on Valley 101, a podcast by The Arizona Republic and azcentral.com, Betsy LaVoie from the Fountain Hills Thanksgiving parade, Alan Collier from the Mesa Turkey Trot and Kent Somers reporter of the Territorial Cup, the football rivalry game between Arizona State University and the University of Arizona discuss thanksgiving traditions. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

You've probably heard the jokes — being a meteorologist for a Phoenix TV news station must be the easiest job in the world. Today it's hot, tomorrow it's hotter, that kind of thing. And while there is some truth to the joke (Arizona doesn't exactly have a lot of wintery weather), the last few summers have changed things. The last two summers have been the hottest on record in Phoenix. That's changed the minds of many climate-change deniers and changed the jobs of meteorologists. This week on Valley 101, a podcast by The Arizona Republic and azcentral.com, we spoke with Sean McLaughlin, meteorologist at Arizona's Family stations, and Amber Sullins, chief meteorologist for ABC 15. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It's Scorpio season. Yes, the zodiac sign. So what better way to honor this water sign than by learning about the historic creatures that share its name. With more than 50 known species in the Valley — including the giant desert hairy and the Arizona bark scorpion — these eight-legged creatures are far more noticeable than you might think, especially under a blacklight. This week on Valley 101, a podcast by The Arizona Republic and azcentral.com. Ectotherms keepers Luke Starkweather and Kevin Vogt share everything you need to know about Arizona's native scorpions, from myth-busting to fascinating facts. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

For a long time, Arizona was not always in the political spotlight — or if it was, it was for controversies like former Gov. Evan Mecham, who was impeached and removed from office, or SB 1070, the legislation that made being in the country illegally a state crime, and made it illegal to fail to carry immigration papers, among other things. How things have changed. Now Arizona's a swing state; presidential candidates visit as often as kids visit the desert bar at an all-you-can-eat buffet. But some of those rough edges Stewart called out remain; the state is also ground zero for election denialism and conspiracy theories. Someone has to shine that spotlight, and it's the journalists from around the country who flock to the state, providing coverage like never before. TV, newspapers, magazines — everyone's getting in on it. So why is the national media obsessed with Arizona? This week on Valley 101, a podcast by The Arizona Republic and azcentral.com, we find out. We spoke with George Packer, a reporter for The Atlantic magazine who wrote an epic story about Arizona; Vaughn Hillyard, a reporter for NBC News who grew up in Arizona; and Jack Healy, a New York Times reporter based in the state. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Dia de los Muertos is a popular holiday in Arizona, and really everywhere, but also one that many of the people who celebrate it may not know much about. And while there my be no technically wrong way to celebrate, there is definitely a right way. So how do you celebrate Dia de los Muertos respectfully? This week on Valley 101, a podcast by The Arizona Republic and azcentral.com, we find out. I spoke with Mathew Sandoval, an Arizona State University professor and an expert on the holiday, as well as Tiffany Acosta, a Republic reporter who has written about it a lot. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Everybody loves a ghost story, but do they love ghosts? The Copper Queen Hotel in Bisbee, Arizona's most haunted hotel, has been captivating visitors since 1902 with its ghoulish activities and eerie tales. In this week’s episode of Valley 101, a podcast by The Arizona Republic and azcentral.com, host Bill Goodykoontz dives into its ghostly history by answering the question is the Copper Queen Hotel really haunted? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

For the first time in nearly three decades, Arizona is not gearing up for hockey season. At the end of the 2023-2024 season, the Arizona Coyotes announced their relocation to Salt Lake City, Utah, ending professional hockey in the state. This wasn't the first time the Coyotes had dealt with ownership instability or rumors of relocation. The team has been riddled with complications since they arrived in 1997. So why was this the time that it actually happened? This week on Valley 101, a podcast by The Arizona Republic and azcentral.com, we sit down Craig Morgan, a senior writer for PHNX Sports and All City Network, who broke the story of the Coyotes' relocating to Utah. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Many debates arise over the topic of Mexican Food. Tacos or Burritos? Corn or flour tortillas? and when it comes to authenticity which city reigns supreme, Phoenix or Tucson? But with Mexican cuisine representing a large portion of Arizona's food scene, which city takes first place? In this week's episode of Valley 101 a podcast by The Arizona Republic and azcentral.com, we discuss this culinary showdown and you can get the best mexican food near you. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Over 100 years ago, North Phoenix's main road, Bethany Home Road was just a small path that served a specific community. Bethany Home sanitarium was considered a safe haven helping those with tuberculosis. Although, the sanatarium did get renamed a few years later its legacy lives on today. In this week's episode of Valley 101, a podcast by The Arizona Republic and azcentral.com, we discuss the history of Bethany Home Road, and why history should always be documented. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Before it was left empty, this state-of-the-art building was home for two seasons of horse racing. The Phoenix Trotting Park was expertly designed and opened in 1965. Attendees filled the beautiful grandstand to watch trotting style racing, but not for very long. Today, we bring you the history of Goodyear, Arizona's Trotting Horse Park. This vibrant hotspot was the talk of the town in 1965, and while its run was short lived, its legacy still gallops through time. Saddle up for this week's episode of Valley 101, a podcast by The Arizona Republic and azcentral.com about metro Phoenix and beyond, as we dive back into the history of Arizona's Trotting Horse Park with East Valley Reporter Martiza Dominguez and Producer Amanda Luberto. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It's a record year in Phoenix when it comes to the heat. But it's always been hot here: Phoenix is considered to be the nation's hottest city — but even now the early mornings and late nights cannot always guarantee a break from high temperatures. Yet despite it all, Arizonans live their lives here. They go to work, they walk their dog, they see their friends. They survive in the heat day after day. For most, salvation comes from a jump in the pool or time spent in the air conditioning, but everyone here is influenced by the heat in their daily lives. This week on Valley 101, a podcast by The Arizona Republic and azcentral.com, we sit down with three Arizona Republic reporters who worked on One Week in the Heat. Lane Sainty, Ray Stern and Daniel Gonzalez join the show to discuss what they learned talking with doctors, the elderly, the unhoused and more for a real look at what it takes to live in the Phoenix sun. Read the full One Week in the Heat project by the Arizona Republic here. Subscribe to The Arizona Republic's climate newsletter here. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Kaely Monahan is onto a new job so we wanted to take the time to thank her and showcase her best work. The Arizona Republic podcast team hopes you have a safe and fun Labor Day weekend and we'll be back next week with a regular episode of Valley 101. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

While September 22nd is the "official" end of summer, Labor Day is often marked as the unofficial end of the season. But summer is one of the most nostalgic times of the year. And there are certain activities or experiences that Arizonans try to get in every year. This week on Valley 101, a podcast by The Arizona Republic and azcentral.com, members of our newsroom wax poetic about their summer traditions and what must be done for an Arizona summer to feel complete. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Drive about 45 minutes southwest of the Phoenix Valley, and you will reach an expanse of the Sonoran desert with a long, rich history. The Gila River runs through this area, which was once lush with flora and fauna. Now, with the river dammed up, the water doesn't always flow. Nonetheless, the region is still home to an abundance of people, wildlife and historical treasures. These three aspects are what locals, archaeologists, and biologists hope to preserve as a national monument. The Great Bend of the Gila, as the monument would be named, is a network of braided rivulets. These streams join into the Gila River, which cuts through prehistoric lava fields and flows past nearby mountain ranges before joining the Colorado River near the Sea of Cortez. Respect Great Bend of the Gila is the campaign pushing President Joe Biden to sign this area into national monument status. The campaign includes local tribes, wildlife biologists and archeologists. The proposed monument boundaries are about 70 miles of the Gila River corridor and approximately 370,000 acres of public land. In this episode of Valley 101, we hear from representatives of each of these groups. They share the history, discoveries and importance of the Gila River region to Arizonans and the nation. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Power grids in the United States are struggling. As temperatures increase and populations grow, so does the stress on systems that keep our electricity running. For the West, electricity is most important in the hot summer months. It keeps our cool air-conditioners pumping. Going without air conditioning for too long can be not only an annoyance, but also a major health risk, especially in states like Arizona with over 100-degree averages each summer. Arizona is drastically below the national average when it comes to grid failures. In the last 24 years, the state has only had six outages due to extreme weather. This week on Valley 101, a podcast by The Arizona Republic and azcentral.com, we'll look into what makes Arizona's power grid efficient and if it is prepared to withstand rising temperatures in the future. Subscribe to The Arizona Republic's climate newsletter here. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Vice President nominee JD Vance rubbed some Americans the wrong way when a clip from a 2021 interview surfaced recently. He derided some voters as "childless cat ladies" in a now infamous quote, Vance said the country is run "via the Democrats, via our corporate oligarchs, by a bunch of childless cat ladies who are miserable at their own lives and the choices that they've made and so they want to make the rest of the country miserable, too." While the comment could be brushed off as political rhetoric, it intrigued The Republic's data reporter, Caitlin McGlade. She wondered just how many childless cat ladies reside in Arizona. Turns out, it's not a small number. In this episode of Valley 101, we go behind the data with Caitlin and discover just how big a demographic these cat ladies are and whether or not they could be a tipping point in November's election. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices