Spring 2012

COVER STORY
Photos provided by Tina Dickson
Councilman Jim Waring speaking at the annual meeting while the board of directors looks on
Our New Staff Additions
In addition to Terrance, we have new members of
the Rossmar & Graham staff at our Desert Ridge
Community Association. They are Carmello
Musarra joining Rossmar & Graham as our new
Compliance Coordinator and Alyssia Saxton has
moved up from her role as Compliance Coordinator
into her new role of Lifestyles Coordinator, previously
held by Mona Brown. Alyssia has already
jumped into her new responsibilities assisting the
Desert Ridge Management Team with coordinating
our recent Annual Meeting– that went on flawlessly.
New Garbage Collection
The City of Phoenix has wisely determined that we could
have one day for garbage collection rather than two days.
Effective July 9, residents will only need to remember to
place their trash and recycling containers out for collection on the same day.
According to the City of Phoenix, benefits of same day service:
Our New Stores
The following new
stores are opening in
the Desert Ridge area:
Pebbles Swimwear,
Sports Authority,
Smashburger, Crazy 8,
Café Zupas, Charming
Charlie, Mellow
Mushroom, Skinny
Italian, Sushi Station,
and Subway.
• Convenience: Customers only need
to remember to wheel their trash
and recycling containers to the
curb on one day, instead of two.
• Cost savings: Phoenix will save $1.3
million annually or $6.5 million
over five years.
• Efficiencies: Although there still
will be separate trucks collecting
trash and recycling, daily collection
routes will be reduced from 166 to
154, resulting in the elimination of
12 trucks and 12 employees.
• Neighborhood aesthetics: By having
containers out on only one day
a week, neighborhoods will look
cleaner and sidewalks and streets
will be less cluttered.
• Benefit to customers/additional
savings: Besides the added convenience,
we have implemented
efficiencies to keep your solid waste
fee stabilized over the three past
years with no solid waste fee increase.
It is continued innovations that will
minimize the need for future solid
waste fee increases.
• Reinforce recycling to help our
environment: With both green
and blue containers being serviced
on the same day, customers will be
reminded to also recycle on a consistent
basis.
Tuesday appears to be the day the collection
will take place in Desert Ridge
but please double check your address
on the City of Phoenix site at http://
phoenix.gov/publicworks/garbage/
trashschedule/collectionschedule/
index.html
New Community
Excellence Award
At the Annual Meeting, we presented
our first and new Community Excellence
Award to two very deserving
people.
Jim Davis aka “Mr. Desert Ridge” has
lived here for 15 years. Jim started
as a volunteer for the DRCA Design
Review Committee and has served
as the Community Manager for the
Master Association for 10 years. During
the formative years of the DRCA, Jim
worked with the Master Developer,
builders, the City of Phoenix, and
the State Land Department. Jim is
currently the Manager for the Desert
Ridge Core Association and has been
instrumental in building Desert Ridge
into the community it is today. Jim has
served the community countless hours
over the years and continues to be an
invaluable mentor and source of history
and information for the DRCA.
Doug Dickson, left, presenting Jim Davis
with the Community Excellence Award
Nick Meris has lived in Desert Ridge
for 15 years and was instrumental in
the development of the Desert Ridge
Homeowner’s Network. He has also
served as President of his sub-association,
Glen Eagle, and a Director on
the DRCA Board. Since 1999 Nick
has volunteered at the Mayo Clinic
Hospital in his continued service to
his community.
Spring 2012
Desert Ridge Lifestyles
9