2010 Highlights: A year of celebration and forward-thinking
In 2010, Gilbert celebrated its 90th birthday, and forged ahead with plans to ensure we maintain our current quality of life 90 and more years into the future. We were honored for those qualities we seek to sustain in 2010, with national accolades including as a Best Place to Live and a Safest community in the nation.
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A hero lost, his memory honored: The year began with a tragedy that shook our entire community: On January 28, 2010, Lieutenant Eric Shuhandler was taken from us suddenly during a tragic and fatal traffic stop. Lt. Shuhandler, a 16-year veteran with the Gilbert Police Department, dedicated his life to maintaining our safe town. Our community showed its true colors with a sincere and sustained show of appreciation of his heroism, and in efforts to support his two treasured daughters, his family and friends, and the Gilbert Police Department. It is only appropriate that 2011 begin with a memorial in his tribute on the one-year anniversary of the tragedy, during which an historical marker will be unveiled to honor our lieutenant where he lost his life protecting us, at Baseline Road and Val Vista Drive. |
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A safe place to live: The Town of Gilbert rose to the 17th safest city in America, according to the annual analysis released by Washington-based CQ Press. Gilbert also maintained the designation of safest city in Arizona this year, according to the analysis. The study uses FBI statistics to analyze rates and trends for total crime among cities of 75,000 or larger populations. Gilbert’s population is estimated at about 224,000. Gilbert was ranked as the 24th safest city in the nation and safest in Arizona, in last year’s list released in November 2009. |
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A best place to live: Gilbert has once again made the list of “Best Places to Live” by Money Magazine. The magazine routinely rates cities on quality of life, and ranked Gilbert high, pointing to its unique destination spots and amenities for residents who live, work and play in the Town. Gilbert is rated 36th among 100 cities, in a list that includes two Arizona municipalities. The Town was also honored earlier this year as one of the Best Places to Live in America by Money Magazine, and among the “best places to live and learn” by GreatSchools.org. Gilbert residents regularly report the Town’s small-town feeling, it’s safe, clean and friendly atmosphere, as its best qualities in annual surveys of households. |
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Gilbert a medical hub: A goal for 2011 and beyond is to promote the burgeoning medical hub we have in Gilbert. In the past four years, we have boomed to having three hospitals, including two facilities that will house internationally renowned medical research and treatment. In 2010, Celebration Stem Cell Centre opened adjacent to Mercy Gilbert Medical Center, bringing with it life-saving stem cell treatment research and a donation cord bank that support the efforts at Mercy Gilbert to save lives using adult stem cells. September 26, 2011 will mark the opening of Banner MD Anderson Cancer Center, bringing to our Town an internationally-recognized facility that will provide an unprecedented level of cancer treatment to our state and region. Gilbert Hospital continues to maintain a promise to treat emergency patients with a doctor visit within 31 minutes of arrival. |
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Downtown hopping: It was only appropriate that Gilbert’s original square mile, the downtown Heritage District, saw improvements as a destination in 2010. This year brought the opening of a new restroom downtown located adjacent to the Park and Ride Lot, which is designed in honor of the original train station. The downtown also saw pedestrian improvements that dramatically enhanced older sidewalks in downtown neighborhoods, even building sidewalks where there were none, making walking to locations such as the Senior Center and the Gilbert Boys and Girls Club safer. The project also brought more trees downtown, which will create shade for walkers well into the future. The downtown also saw the launch of a new Gilbert Farmer’s Market, a perfect touch for a downtown that now has unique and fun restaurants, shops, and parks to rest in and for the kids to run through spraying water features during hot summer days. With plans for more unique destination restaurants downtown, 2011 looks even brighter. |
2010 brought us many local and national accolades:
- Safest community in Arizona, 17th Safest in the entire Nation, CQ Press
- 36th Best Place to Live in the Nation, Money Magazine
- Cosmo Dog Park, 4th Best Dog Park in Nation, Dog Fancy Magazine
- Cosmo Dog Park named azcentral.com’s 2010 Reader’s Choice Top Dog Park
- Riparian Preserve at Water Ranch named among Top Birding Areas, Experience AZ magazine
- Playful City USA
- Bike Friendly City
- Tree City USA
- Among Best Places in Nation for Babies, Parents Magazine
- Among “Coolest Suburbs Worth a Visit” by Travelandleisure.com
- National GFOA Distinguished Budget Presentation Award, Government Finance Officers Assoc.
- Top Places in the Nation to Live and Learn, GreatSchools.org
- Named American Crown Community along with Chandler for partnership in Santan Vista Water Treatment Plant
- Top 100 Safest Cities in America 2010, FreeBackgroundChecksUSA.com
| Quarterly Awards | 2010Q1 |
2010Q2 |
2010Q3 |
2010Q4 |
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| Uniformed Officer | Tim Brown | Patrick Young | |||
| Non-Uniformed Officer | Colten Pearce | Deb Hartin | |||
| Supervisor | Allyna Bay | Hugh White | |||
| Civilian Employee | Sandy Rodricks | Wendy Morehouse | |||
| Communications Employee | Lee Youngs | Sylvia Vega | Amanda Stack | ||
| Volunteer | Gail Lynch | ||||
| Yearly Awards | Recipient Name |
Community Awards |
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| Uniformed Officer | Tim Brown | Gilber Lions Club | Lt. Mike Angstead | ||
| Non-Uniformed Officer | Deb Hartin | ASIS International | Justin Betts | ||
| Supervisor | Allyna Bay | Sons of the American Revolution | Jacob Madueno | ||
| Civilian Employee | Wendy Morehouse | Knights of Columbus | Deb Hartin | ||
| Communications Employee | Lee Youngs | ||||
| Volunteer | Gail Lynch | ||||
Heroism/Service Awards |
Recipient Name(s) |
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| Medal of Honor | |||||
| Medal of Valor | Justin Betts | ||||
| Purple Heart | Lt. Eric Shuhandler | ||||
| Lifesaving | Michael Minson, Ardell Judd, Jeff Barnett, John Strickland, Tim Dorn, Greg Gordon, Dan Metzler, James Palmer | ||||
| Distinguished Team | Honor Guard | CID | Property and Evidence | Night Motors | |
| Distinguished Service | Mark Worden, Gary Kidder, David Fisher, Wendy Morehouse, Kevin Kowalski, Ed Morales, Chris Timmins, Jake Madueno | ||||
| Meritorious Conduct | Nolan McDermott, Jeff Barnett, David Bush, Jason Roman, Brian Hasen, Clint Cobbett, Kevin Kowalski, Garrett Tinsdale, James Garber, Nolan McDermott, Colby Potter, Keri Garcia de Manzo, Justin Betts, Aaron Rimbach, Michael Bishop | ||||
| Other | |||||
| Non-Employee Awards | Recipient Name(s) |
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| Valorous Conduct | |||||
| Distinguished Conduct | Justin Smith-UPS | ||||
| Lifesaving | |||||
| Certificate of Appreciation | |||||