Florida

Florida also hosts the following minor league baseball teams:. For 40 years, The Bachelor's Beat, a paid weekly newspaper has covered local politics while selling ads for area strip clubs and escort services. As of 2004, Florida hosts the following major league teams for spring training:. In addition, the city is also served by numerous free neighborhood papers and weeklies such as the Phoenix New Times, Arizona State University's State Press, and the College Times. Florida is an extremely popular location for Major League Baseball spring training, with teams informally organized into the "Grapefruit League". The city has two major newspapers: The Arizona Republic serves the greater metropolitan area and The East Valley Tribune tends to focus on East Valley issues. [2] (http://www.sptimes.com/News/050801/State/Bush_s_trustees_mostl.shtml) In 2002, Democratic Senator Bob Graham started a ballot referendum designed to revert to the Board of Regents system. By this time, the paper had progressed from a weekly publication to semiweekly.

This has not been without controversy. It later changed its name to the Phoenix Herald in 1880. As is typical of executive-appointed government boards, the appointees so far have been overwhelmingly Republican. Phoenix's first publication was the Salt River Valley Herald. Instead, each public university is now controlled by its own Board of Trustees who are directly appointed by the governor. FM. In 2000, Governor Bush and the state legislature acted to abolish the Board of Regents that governed the State University System of Florida. AM.

Major testing organizations frequently discount the use of state average test score rankings, or any average of scaled scores, as a valid metric (see psychometrics for more details on scaled test scores). This list is incomplete.. Governor Jeb Bush has been criticized by many Florida educators for a program that penalizes underperforming schools (as indicated by standardized tests, such as the FCAT) with fewer funding dollars. Phoenix is served by several major television stations:. It should be noted that many education surveys are not scientific, but do measure prestige. Out of the total population, 21.0% of those under the age of 18 and 10.3% of those 65 and older were living below the poverty line. Florida public schools have consistently ranked in the bottom 25% of many national surveys and average test score rankings. 15.8% of the population and 11.5% of families were below the poverty line.

states. The per capita income for the city was $19,833. Average teacher salaries rank near the middle of U.S. Males had a median income of $32,820 versus $27,466 for females. Florida's public school revenue per student and spending per $1000 of personal income usually ranks in the bottom 25% of U.S. states. The median income for a household in the city was $41,207, and the median income for a family was $46,467. See complete list of Florida places. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 102.7 males.

Ranked by per capita income. For every 100 females there were 103.5 males. The three largest Protestant denominations in Florida are: Baptist (22% of the total state population), Methodist (8%), Presbyterian (4%). The median age was 31 years. Religiously, Florida is mostly Protestant, but with a growing Roman Catholic community due to Hispanic immigration. In the city the population age distribution was 28.9% under the age of 18, 10.9% from 18 to 24, 33.2% from 25 to 44, 18.8% from 45 to 64, and 8.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The five largest ancestries in the state are: African American (14.6%), German (11.8%), Irish (10.3%), English (9.2%), American (8%). The average household size was 2.79 and the average family size was 3.39.

As of 2003, the state had a population of 17,019,068. 25.4% of all households were made up of individuals and 6.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. Today most of the spam businesses appear to be operating out of South Florida. There were 465,834 households out of which 35.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 46.9% were married couples living together, 12.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 34.0% were non-families. Historically Florida has also been home to large telemarketing firms. 34.06% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any country origin. Spammers are not the first business men of questionable ethics to use Florida as a home base. The racial makeup of the city was 71.07% White, 5.10% African American, 2.02% Native American, 2.00% Asian, 0.13% Pacific Islander, 16.40% from other races, and 3.28% from two or more races.

In 2005 Spamhaus declared Florida the spam capital of the world [1]  (http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/local/southflorida/sfl-sbspammain08may08,0,7702631.story?coll=sfla-home-headlines). Experts have estimated that Florida is an attractive place of business for Spammers due to the gorgeous weather, low key atmosphere, nearby Internet data centers and the state's reputation as "a good place to do dirty business". There were 495,832 housing units at an average density of 403/km² (1,044/mi²). Florida did not have any state minimum wage laws until November 2, 2004, when voters passed a Constitutional Amendment requiring inflationary increases to the minimum wage every six months. The population density was 1,074/km² (2,782/mi²). With the arrival of the space program at Kennedy Space Center in the 1960s, Florida has attracted a large number of aerospace and military industries to the state. At the census of 2000, there were 1,321,045 people, 465,834 households, and 307,450 families residing in the city. Other major industries include citrus fruit and juice production, banking, and phosphate mining. At its height, in the 1940s, the Phoenix area had 3 military bases: Luke Field (still in use), Falcon Field, and Williams-Gateway Field, with numerous auxillary air fields located throughout the region.

The large Walt Disney World Resort with four theme parks and over twenty hotels plus countless water parks, shopping centres and other facilities, located in Lake Buena Vista drives the economy of that area, along with more recent entries into the theme park arena such as the Universal Orlando Resort. The great amount of sales tax revenue is what allows the state to be one of the few to not levy a personal income tax. The military has a significant presence in Phoenix with Luke Air Force Base located in the western suburbs. Warm weather most of the year and hundreds of miles of beach provide a thriving vacation spot for travelers from around the world. Due to the warm climate in winter, Phoenix benefits greatly from seasonal tourism and recreation, and has a particularly vibrant golf industry. Florida's economy is heavily based on tourism. Numerous high-tech and telecommunications companies have located in the Valley of the Sun. Arizona State University has enhanced the area's population through education and its growing research capabilities. The per capita personal income was $30,098, ranking 26^th in the nation. Many of the area's residents are employed by the state government since Phoenix is the capital of Arizona.

The gross state product of Florida in 2003 was $550 billion. Formerly an agricultural economy dependent mostly on cotton and citrus farming, Phoenix in the last two decades has diversified as rapidly as the population has grown. Many other smaller hurricanes have hit or brushed Florida, and many more hurricanes will hit in the future. Public education in Phoenix if provided by about 30 school districts. Among a long list of other infamous hurricane strikes were the Miami Hurricane of 1926, the Lake Okeechobee Hurricane of 1928, the Labor Day Hurricane of 1935, Hurricane Donna in 1960 and Hurricane Opal in 1995. The new annexation is sparsely populated (if at all) and new development is not expected in the near future. history, Hurricane Andrew, which cost twenty-five billion dollars when it struck on August 12, 1992. The 15th remains unnamed; it is listed as "New Village" on the city's Village Planning Committee website [1] (http://phoenix.gov/PLANNING/vpcommtt.html). This village was created in 2004 after the approval of new annexations in extreme northern Maricopa County.

Hurricanes Charley (August 13), Frances (September 4-5), Ivan (September 16), and Jeanne (September 25-26) cumulatively cost forty-two billion dollars to the state. Florida was also the site of the most costly single weather disaster in U.S. 14 of the urban villages are:. Florida saw a slew of destruction in 2004 when it was hit by a record four hurricanes. Their primary purpose is to assist the City Council with zoning and planning ordinances. Hurricanes pose a threat during the summer and fall. Phoenix is divided into 15 "urban villages". Snow flurries fell on Miami Beach for the only time in history. There is an 8-person city council that represents 8 individual districts in the city of Phoenix.

The most widespread snowfall in Florida history happened in February 1978 with snow falling over much of the state in different times of the month, extending as far south as Homestead. The current mayor of Phoenix is Phil Gordon. The Great Blizzard of 1899, was also the only time the temperature has fallen below 0 degrees Fahrenheit, registering -2f in Tallahassee. The city of Phoenix is served by a council-manager form of government. During that time, the Tampa Bay area had "Gulf effect" snow, similar to Lake effect snowfall. Snow also fell on March 12, 1917 November 28, 1919, and December 11, 1985. During the Great Blizzard of 1899, Florida experienced blizzard conditions for possibly the first time. Most recently, 0.4 inches (1 cm) fell on December 21-22, 1990.

Snow is a rare occurrence in Florida, although it usually snows somewhere in Florida almost every winter. Another 1.0 inch (2.5 cm) fell on January 20, 1933. On February 2, 1935, 0.5 inches (1 cm) fell. Florida has more lightning strikes than any other state and also leads the nation in tornadoes per square mile(although the tornadoes in Florida do not get as large as those in the Midwest or Great Plains. Hail is not an uncommon occurrence in some of the more severe thunderstorms. The heaviest snowstorm occurred on January 20-21, 1937, when 1 to 4 inches fell (2 to 10 cm) in parts of the city and did not melt entirely for four days. These thunderstorms which are caused by airflow from the Gulf of Mexico seemingly "pop up" in the early afternoon and can often bring heavy downpours, high winds and sometimes tornadoes. Snow falls roughly one year in four, but since recording commenced in 1896 it has accumulated to 0.1 inch (0.25 cm) only 7 times. Statewide, Florida has the highest average precipitation of any state, due in large part to afternoon thunderstorms which are common throughout most of the state from late spring until the early autumn. Successive winters without any frosts at the airport have been recorded, and the longest period without a freeze stretched from November 23, 1979 to January 31, 1985.

While Florida's nickname is the "Sunshine State", severe weather is a common occurrence in Florida. The earliest frost on record occurred November 3, 1946, and the latest April 4, 1945. The Gulf stream has a moderating effect on Florida climate and although it is common for much of Florida to see a high summer temperature over 90 degrees Fahrenheit, it is not common for the mercury to go above 100 degrees Fareinheit in Florida. Some areas of Phoenix may see frost for a month or more before and after the airport readings. The seasons in Florida often called "Hot and Hotter" are actually determined more by precipitation than by temperature with warm, relatively dry winters and autumns (the dry season) and hot, wet springs and especially the summers (the wet season). At the airport, the mean date of first frost is December 12 and the last is February 7; however, these dates do not represent the city as a whole because the frequency of freezes varies considerably among terrain types and elevations. Most of the state has a humid subtropical climate with the extreme tip of Florida and the Florida Keys bordering on a true tropical climate. Severe thunderstorms—bringing strong winds, large hail, or tornadoes—can occur during any month of the year, but only happen an average of once or twice per year somewhere in the metropolitan area.

The climate of Florida is tempered somewhat by its proximity to water. The wind-front creates a haboob, a wall of dust thousands of feet high. At 345 feet (105 metres) above sea level, Britton Hill is the highest point in Florida (it's also the lowest state highpoint.). Blowing dust and sand, which also can restrict visibility, accompany the collapse of monsoonal thunderstorms. It is near the countries of the Caribbean, particularly the Bahamas, Cuba, and Haiti. Fog is observed from time to time during the winter months. It is bordered on the north by the states of Georgia and Alabama and on the west, at the end of the panhandle, by Alabama. Winter storms moving inland from the Pacific Ocean occasionally produce significant rains but occur infrequently.

Florida consists of a panhandle extending along the northern Gulf of Mexico and a large peninsula with the Atlantic Ocean as its eastern border and the Gulf of Mexico as its western border. Although thunderstorms occur on occasion during every month of the year, they are most common during the monsoon season from July to mid-September as humid air surges in from the Gulf of California. See: List of counties in Florida. Rain is particularly scarce from April through June. The state use tax is 6 percent on purchases made out of state and brought into Florida within 6 months of the purchase date. March is the wettest month of the year (1.07 inches or 27 mm). Local governments may levy a local option sales on top of that, so sales taxes vary by county between 6 and 7.5 percent. The normal annual rainfall at Sky Harbor International Airport is 8.29 inches (211 mm).

The state sales tax rate is 6 percent. The dry Arizona air makes the hot temperatures more tolerable early in the season; however, the influx of monsoonal moisture has been known to make August in Phoenix almost as humid as summers in the Southeastern United States. Florida is one of the nine states which does not impose personal income tax (list of others). On June 26, 1990, the temperature reached an all-time high of 122 °F (50 °C). See: List of Florida Governors. In every year except 1911, the temperature has soared to 110 °F (43 °C) or higher. Outside of liberal Miami-Dade, Broward and Palm Beach counties, the Florida Democratic Party tends to be socially conservative and heavily associated with the good ol' boy network. The temperature reaches or exceeds 100 °F (38 °C) on an average of 89 days during the year, including most days from early June through early September.

Tampa, once a hotbed of Democratic union support, is now about 50% both registered Republicans and Democrats making it, and surrounding areas, part of the important I-4 Corridor swing region. Clear blue skies are typical, with an average of 300 sunny days a year. In Miami, the liberal Democrats vie for control with wealthy Cuban conservative Republicans and their business allies. The total area is 0.05% water. As such, and because of its high population and large number of electoral votes, Florida is considered by political analysts to be a key swing state in Presidential elections. 1,229.9 km² (474.9 mi²) of it is land and 0.6 km² (0.2 mi²) of it is water. The Presidential election in Florida in 2000 was extremely close. According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 1,230.5 km² (475.1 mi²).

Despite this demographic parity, Republicans control the governorship and most other statewide elected offices; both houses of the state legislature; 18 of the state's 25 seats in the House of Representatives; and one of the state's two senate seats. Current development (as of 2005) is pushing rapidly beyond the geographic boundaries to the north and west, south through Pinal County towards Tucson, and beginning to surround the large Salt River and Gila River reservations. Though Florida has traditionally been a Democratic state, in recent years explosive population growth has brought with it many Republicans, leaving the state approximately evenly split between the two parties. Within the city are the Phoenix Mountains and South Mountains. Bush. The Phoenix metropolitan area is surrounded by the McDowell Mountains to the northeast, the White Tank Mountains to the west, the Superstition Mountains far to the east, and the Sierra Estrella to the southwest. W. During periods of increased precipitation such as late 2004/early 2005 its current can become quite strong and regular.

Bush and son of former President George H. The dams are deflated to allow the river to flow unimpeded during releases. The current governor is Republican Jeb Bush, brother of President George W. The city of Tempe has built two inflatable dams in the Salt River to create a year-round recreational lake, called Tempe Town Lake. The Florida Legislature has a Senate of 40 members and a House of 120 members. The Salt River runs westward through the city of Phoenix; it is typical to see the riverbed entirely dry except when unexpected runoff forces the release of water from any of the several dams upriver. Today, Florida is the fourth most populous state in the Union. Major retirement communities include Sun Lakes, Sun City, and Sun City West. The community of Ahwatukee is a part of the City of Phoenix itself, but is almost entirely separated from it by South Mountain.

After the fall of the Confederacy in 1865, Florida was readmitted into the Union on June 25, 1868. The Greater Phoenix area has a population of 3.2 million and includes Mesa, Scottsdale, Glendale, Tempe, Chandler, Gilbert, Peoria and many smaller communities such as Goodyear, Fountain Hills, Litchfield Park, and Anthem. Florida joined the CSA on February 10, 1861. It lies at a mean elevation of 1,117 feet (340 m) in the heart of the Sonoran Desert. On March 3, 1845, Florida became the 27th state of the United States of America. Florida seceded from the Union on January 10, 1861 and was one of the founding members of the Confederate States of America (CSA, also known as the Confederacy). Phoenix is located at 33°31'42" North, 112°4'35" West (33.528370°, -112.076300°)¹ in the Phoenix Valley or "Valley of the Sun" in central Arizona. Spain finally ceded Florida to the United States with the Adams-Onís Treaty in 1819, in exchange for the US renouncing any claims on Texas. Thousands of citizens have served on various city committees, boards and commissions to assure that major decisions are in the best interest of the people.

Control of parts of Florida passed among Spanish, British, and American control. The hallmark of an All-America City is the extent to which its private citizens get involved in the workings of their government. The area of Florida diminished with the establishment of British colonies to the north and French colonies to the west. Phoenix has been selected four times since 1950 as an All-America City, rare among larger cities. Over the following century, the Spanish and French both established settlements in Florida, with varying degrees of success. The city had 148 miles (238 km) of paved streets and 163 miles (262 km) of unpaved streets, a total of 311 miles (501 km) of streets within the city limits. Archaelogical finds indicate that Florida had been inhabited for many thousands of years prior to any European settlements. Spaniards first arrived in 1513 and laid claim to a large, imprecisely defined area extending from about modern day Gainesville northward to the Carolinas, which they called La terra florida, "The flowery land". In 1950, 105,000 people lived within the city limits and thousands more lived in adjacent communities and depended upon Phoenix for their livelihoods.

Main article: History of Florida. Luke Field, Williams Field and Falcon Field, coupled with the giant ground-training center at Hyder, west of Phoenix, brought thousands of men into Phoenix. USS Florida was named in honor of this state. Phoenix rapidly turned into an embryonic industrial city with mass production of military supplies. Postal abbreviation is FL. 1940 marked another turning point, as the war changed Phoenix from a farming center to a distribution center. The U.S. By 1920, Phoenix had a population of 29,053 inhabitants, which by 1930 had grown by 60%, to 48,118.

It was discovered by Spanish explorers during the Easter season, which is called Pascua Florida in Spanish. Phoenix began to grow into a young metropolis. "Florida" is a Spanish adjective which means "flowery". At its present size of 16,500 acres (67 km²), South Mountain Park is the largest metropolitan park in the world, and it entertains 3 million visitors each year. It is known as the Sunshine State. In 1924, President Calvin Coolidge sold 13,000 acres (53 km²) of South Mountain to the city of Phoenix for $17,000. Florida is a southern state in the United States. Phoenix was one of the first cities in the United States to have this form of city government.

Toronto Blue Jays in Dunedin. In 1913, Phoenix changed its form of government from mayor-council to council-manager. Petersburg. On February 14, 1912, President William Howard Taft approved Arizona's statehood, making Phoenix the state capital. Tampa Bay Devil Rays in St. It created Roosevelt Lake, expanded irrigation of land in the Valley for farming, and increased the water supply for the growing population. Saint Louis Cardinals in Jupiter. On May 18, 1911, the Theodore Roosevelt Dam, then the largest masonry dam in the world, began operation.

Pittsburgh Pirates in Bradenton. It functions to this day as the major agency for controlled use of irrigation water in the Valley. Philadelphia Phillies in Clearwater. Valley of the Sun residents were quick to supplement this federal action by organizing the Salt River Valley Waters Users' Association on February 4, 1903, to assure proper management of the precious water supply. New York Yankees in Tampa. In 1902, President Theodore Roosevelt signed the National Reclamation Act making it possible to build dams on western streams for reclamation purposes. Lucie. This building also provided temporary offices for the territorial government when it moved to Phoenix from Prescott in 1889.

New York Mets in Port St. In early 1888, the city offices were moved into the new City Hall, built where the downtown bus terminal now stands. Washington Nationals in Viera. In recognition of the increased tempo of economic life, the Phoenix Chamber of Commerce was organized on November 4, 1888. Minnesota Twins in Fort Myers. Phoenix became a trade center with its products reaching eastern and western markets. Los Angeles Dodgers in Vero Beach. Merchandise now flowed into the city by rail instead of wagon.

Houston Astros in Kissimmee. The coming of the railroad in the 1880s was the first of several important events that revolutionized the economy of Phoenix. Florida Marlins in Jupiter. Monihon, 127 to 107, to become the city's first Mayor. Detroit Tigers in Lakeland. Alsap defeated James D. Cleveland Indians in Winter Haven. Phoenix was incorporated with a population of approximately 2,500, and on May 3, 1881, Phoenix held its first city election, in which Judge John T.

Cincinnati Reds in Sarasota. Fremont on February 25, 1881. Boston Red Sox in Palms Park. The 11th Territorial Legislature passed the Phoenix Charter Bill, incorporating Phoenix and providing for a mayor-council government. The bill was signed by Governor John C. Baltimore Orioles in Fort Lauderdale. By 1881, Phoenix had outgrown its original townsite-commissioner form of government. Atlanta Braves at Walt Disney World. The total cost of the Phoenix Townsite of 320 acres (1.3 km²) was $550, including all expenses for services.

On April 10, 1874, President Grant issued a land patent for the present site of Phoenix. Miss Nellie Shaver, a newcomer from Wisconsin, was appointed as the first female schoolteacher in Phoenix. By October 1873, a small adobe school building was completed on Center Street (now Central Avenue), a short distance north of where the San Carlos Hotel now stands. The first public school in Phoenix opened on September 5, 1872, in the courtroom of the county building.

The first county election in Maricopa County was held in 1871, when Tom Barnum was elected the first sheriff of Maricopa County. Maricopa county gave up portions in 1875 and 1881 to help form Pinal and Gila counties, respectively. On February 12, 1871, the territorial legislature created Maricopa County, the sixth in the state, by dividing Yavapai County. They recommended the North 1/2 of section 8 Township 1 N., Range 3 E. and that the town be called Phoenix.

The area was surveyed in 1870 and mass meeting of the citizens of Salt River Valley was held on October 20, 1870, to select a suitable piece of unimproved public land for a town site. The Phoenix post office was established June 15, 1868, with Jack Swilling as postmaster. The town of Phoenix was officially recognized on May 4, 1868, when the Board of Supervisors of Yavapai County (which at the time encompassed Phoenix), formed an election precinct there. Darrel Duppa recommended the name Phoenix, memorializing the birth of a new civilization from the ruins left by the Hohokam.

As for the town that was to be built, Swilling, a former Confederate soldier, wanted to name it Stonewall, after Stonewall Jackson; others suggested Salina. It would later become Hellinwg Mill, Mill City, then East Phoenix. The area was named Swilling's Mill in his honor. By 1868, he and others from Wickenburg had dug a short canal from the Salt River and founded a small farming colony approximately four miles (6 km) east of the present city (about 22 miles west of Mesa, which was already a city of 1,000 people; and a few miles northwest of a similar farming community at Hayden's Ferry, which would become Tempe).

All it needed was water. He saw farmland, predominantly free of rocks, and beyond the reach of heavy frost or snow. He looked down across the expansive Salt River Valley and his eyes caught the rich gleam of the brown, dry soil turned up by the horse's hooves. In 1867, Jack Swilling of Wickenburg stopped to rest his horse at the foot of the north slopes of the White Tank Mountains.

Prolonged drought may have destroyed or displaced them; or, they may be the ancestors of the modern Pima Indians who now live on the Salt River and Gila River reservations, or the Tohono O'odham Indians who live in southern Arizona. remains a mystery. 1450 A.D. Their disappearance ca.

Their irrigation system comprised some 135 miles (217 km) of canals. They were industrious, enterprising, and imaginative. They also lived in the Pueblo Grande ruins between 700 and 1400 A.D. Their name is derived from the Pima (Akimel O'otham) phrase, Ho Ho Kam, "the people who have gone".

They were the first to farm there, building an elaborate canal system that brought water from the Salt River. The earliest settlers in the Valley of the Sun were the Hohokam people, who lived there as early as 300 BC. 'the place is hot') in Navajo (a language spoken in Arizona & New Mexico) and Fiinigis in Western Apache (a language spoken in Arizona). Phoenix is called Hoodzo (lit.

It is the county seat of Maricopa County and the principal city of the Phoenix metropolitan area. Phoenix was incorporated on February 5, 1881.
. Phoenix ranked:.

Phoenix is the capital, largest city and largest metropolitan area in the state of Arizona, United States. U Turn. Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure. Used Cars.

The Prophecy. Bad Santa. Jerry Maguire. Waiting to Exhale.

Raising Arizona. Psycho. The Gauntlet. Chastity (http://www.phoenixnewtimes.com/issues/2005-03-17/film/film.html).

Modem. Mr. Frank Lloyd Wright, renowned architect. Felicity Willis.

Dot Wilkinson. Danny White, former pro football star. Michele Timms. Tovrea.

Edward A. Shannon Smith. Ahmed Santos. Axl Rose.

Rick Romley, former Maricopa County attorney. Freddie Roach. Dan Quayle, former US Vice President. Naibe Reynoso.

Nicole Powell. Sandra Day O'Connor, US Supreme Court Justice. Brandy Norwood. Leslie Nielsen.

Stevie Nicks. Arturo Moreno. Phil Mickelson. Alex Kump.

Elizabeth Kübler-Ross. Keating Jr. Charles H. Bil Keane.

Randy Johnson. Kevin Johnson. Jenna Jameson. Carl Hayden, former US Senator.

Gordon Liddy. G. Jesus Gonzalez. Luis Gonzalez.

Barry Goldwater, former US Senator and 1964 presidential candidate. Cotton Fitzsimmons. Terri Fields. Louie Espinoza.

Milton Erickson. Hugh Downs. John Dillinger. Joe Diaz.

Jose Miguel Cotto. Alice Cooper. Jerry Colangelo, founder of Phoenix Suns and Arizona Diamondbacks. Linda Cobb.

Michael Carbajal. Glen Campbell. Yori Boy Campas. Michelle Branch.

Danny Bonaduce. Erma Bombeck. Charles Barkley, former basketball player for Phoenix Suns. Bruce Babbitt, former governor of Arizona, and US Interior Secretary.

Joe Arpaio, sheriff of Maricopa County. The Tradition, PGA Champions Tour. Standard Register Turquoise Classic, LPGA. FBR Open, PGA TOUR.

Insight Bowl at Bank One Ballpark. Fiesta Bowl at Arizona State University's Sun Devil Stadium. Sun Devil Stadium, home of the Arizona State Sun Devils. Phoenix International Raceway, Indy Racing League and NASCAR.

Manzanita Speedway, sprint car racing. Glendale Arena, home of the Phoenix Coyotes. Firebird International Raceway, boat racing, drag racing, road course. Bank One Ballpark, home of the Arizona Diamondbacks.

America West Arena, home of the Phoenix Suns. Arizona Sting, National Lacrosse League (team plays in Glendale). Arizona Rattlers, Arena Football League. Phoenix Roadrunners, ECHL.

Phoenix Coyotes, National Hockey League (team plays in Glendale). Phoenix Mercury, Women's National Basketball Association. Phoenix Suns, National Basketball Association. Arizona Cardinals, National Football League (team plays in Tempe, and is building a stadium in Glendale).

Arizona Diamondbacks, Major League Baseball. 107.9 - KMLE - Country. 103.9 - KEDJ - Alternative Rock (The Edge). 103.1 - KCDX-FM- 60s-80s album rock (no DJs, no commercials).

101.5 - KZON - Alternative Rock (The Zone). 100.7 - KSLX - Classic Rock. 97.9 - KUPD - Album Rock (98 KUPD). 96.9 - KMXP - Adult Contemporary.

95.5 - KYOT - Smooth Jazz. 93.3 - KDKB - Album Rock - Mesa. 92.7 / 101.1 KNRJ-FM - Dance/Club Music - Payson. 91.5 - KJZZ - Public Radio: News/Talk days; Jazz: M-F eve; Blues: Sun eve.

89.5 - KBAQ - Classical - Phoenix. 1580 - KMIK - Radio Disney - Mesa. 1510 - KFNN - Finance - Fox - Mesa. 1480 - KPHX - Comedy Radio (via satellite) - Phoenix.

1440 - KAZG - Oldies - Scottsdale. 1400 - KSUN - Regional Mexican Music - Phoenix. 1360 - KPXQ - Religious/Talk - Glendale. 1310 - KXAM - Talk - CNN - Mesa.

1280 - KXEG - Christian - Phoenix. 1230 - KOY - Nostalgia - CNN - Clear Channel. 1190 - KMYL - Talk - NBC - Tolleson. 1150 - KCKY - Spanish Christian - Coolidge.

1100 - KFNX - News/Talk - CNN - - Cave Creek. 1060 - KDUS - Sports - Sporting News - Tempe. 1010 - KXXT - Air America Radio - Tolleson. 960 - KKNT - "The Patriot" - News/Talk Radio - Salem Broadcasting.

910 - KGME - Sports - Clear Channel. 860 - KMVP - Sports - ESPN. 740 - KDIR - Spanish talk (Radio Formula network from Mexico) - Phoenix. 710 - KMIA - Spanish News/Talk (Radiovisa network) - Black Canyon City.

620 - KTAR - News/Talk Radio - ABC. 550 - KFYI - Conservative Talk Radio - Fox - Clear Channel. KASW-61 (WB 6, WB). KPPX-51 (PAX 51, PAX).

KDRX-48 (Telemundo). KUTP-45 (UPN 45, UPN). KTVW-33 (Univision). KAZT-27 (AZTV 27 Prescott, Independent).

KPAZ-21 (Channel 21, TBN). KNXV-15 (ABC 15, ABC). KPNX-12 (Channel 12, NBC). KSAZ-10 (FOX 10, FOX).

KAET-8 (Channel 8, PBS). KPHO-5 (CBS 5, CBS). KTVK-3 (3TV, Independent). The Vanguard Group.

Wells Fargo. Wal-Mart. UPS. Industries.

Trujillo Corp. Southwest Airlines. Safeway. Shamrock Foods Company (Private).

Qwest Communications. Pulte Homes, Inc (Owner of Del Webb). Motorola. Kroger (Parent of Fry's Food).

Intel. Morgan Chase (Acquired Bank One). J.P. Honeywell International.

General Dynamics. Gannett (Arizona Republic). Freescale (Spin-off of Motorola). Dial Corporation (Owned by Henkel KGaA).

Cyclone Commerce Inc. Cox Communications. Boeing. Bashas' Inc (Private).

Banner Health Systems (Formerly Samaritan Health System). Bank of America. American Express. Amerco Inc (Parent of U-Haul).

Albertsons. Viad Corp. U-Haul. Industries.

Trujillo Corp. Three-Five Systems Inc. Taser International Inc. Swift Transportation Co.

(Goodyear-based Potato Chip maker). Poore Brothers, Inc. Chang's China Bistro, Inc. P.F.

Pinnacle West Capital Corp (Parent Company of APS). Phelps Dodge Corporation. Petsmart Inc. Mobile Mini Inc.

MicroChip Technology, Inc. Mesa Air Group Inc. Medicis Pharmaceutical Corp. Knight Transportation Inc.

JDA Software Group Inc. Inter-Tel Inc. Insight Enterprises Inc. FINOVA group inc.

eFUNDS Corp. Discount Tire Co. The Dial Corporation. Cold Stone Creamery.

Best Western. Aztar Corp. Avnet, Inc. Arizona Land Income Corp.

Apollo Group Inc. Amkor Technology. America West Airlines. Allied Waste Industries Inc.

It has had many students with prestigious distinctions. North Canyon High School is located in the north valley and features an International Baccalaureate program. High schools