Arizona

Memorial Day 2023: Arizonans mark unofficial start of summer

Published

1 year ago

May 29, 2023

Memorial Day 2023: Arizonans mark unofficial start of summer

PHOENIX – Memorial Day, a day that sometimes has two meanings for Americans, has arrived.

The day, according to the Associated Press, is supposed to be about mourning the nation’s fallen service members, but it’s come to anchor the unofficial start of summer and a long weekend of discounts on anything from mattresses to lawn mowers.

In Arizona, various events took place on May 29, ranging from events that remember soldiers who gave their lives in service to the country, to events that mark the end of a winter activity season, as well as events that, to some, kicks off the summer season.

Tributes to fallen soldiers across the Valley

In the Phoenix area, events were held to commemorate those who died in service to the country.

Phoenix

During the early morning hours at the National Memorial Cemetery of Arizona in Phoenix, hundreds of people gathered to pay tribute to those who who gave it all.

The grave sites of those buried at the cemetery were also decorated with flags and wreaths to commemorate Memorial Day.

“Very, very important that we remember our veterans and those who have served, because without them who died for this country, we wouldn’t have the freedoms that we have today, and we want to thank God for the men and women who have lived in the ultimate sacrifice to our nation,” said veteran Mark Burton.

Downtown Phoenix

Closer to Downtown Phoenix, people placed miniature U.S. flags at Wesley Bolin Memorial Plaza. Some even placed personal mementos.

“I think a lot of people actually forget what [Memorial Day] represents,” said Joe Mayeau, who served in Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom.

Some families, meanwhile, brought their children to teach them about sacrifice, honor and freedom.

“It’s very important to us, because without these guys, today wouldn’t happen,” said Carolyn Verdugo.

Mesa

In Mesa, hundreds gathered at the Mountain View Cemetery for an annual Memorial Day ceremony.

“We are so grateful that they have kept this event alive through the years to show its importance. I don’t know anyone whose life hasn’t been touched by a veteran,” said Amanda Goodwin with Mountain View Cemetery.

Many veterans were at Mountain View Cemetery to pay their respects, and there is a special garden on site specifically for veterans.

“It’s important to us because without our veterans, we don’t have the freedoms that we have,” said Goodwin. “Anything we do, we’re honoring people, and it is an honor to honor those who have served and sacrificed so much for us.”

Families flock to unusually full Salt River

Memorial Day: Salt River packed with people marking unofficial start to summer

Arizona’s wet winter has helped replenish the state’s waterways, and on Memorial Day, Arizona locals, as well as out-of-towners, packed the Lower Salt River for some water action to mark the unofficial start of summer. FOX 10’s Nicole Garcia reports.

As one of the highest snowpack levels in the past three decades help replenish many of Arizona’s waterways, a record number of people headed out onto the water at the Lower Salt River.

“It’s very full,” said Jordan Stone, who is visiting Arizona from Chicago. “We were concerned getting out here. We weren’t sure if we were going to be able to get in. We made a phone call, they said they were very packed today.”

It was so packed along the Salt River on May 29. So packed, in fact, that several day-use areas were shut down during an earlier part of the day, as those sites reached capacity.

Many people had to park on the side of the highway and walk, while carrying their rafts and tubes to the river’s edge.

Stone and his family, however, eventually snagged a coveted spot in the Pebble Beach Recreation Area parking lot.

“We were driving around 30-40 minutes, possibly an hour looking for a parking spot. We managed to sneak in here. We saw people pulling out,” said Stone,

On the Salt River itself, however, there was plenty of room for everyone who came to visit, and the refreshing waters provided both a lazy river and roaring rapids experience.

By the late afternoon, the Pebble Beach Recreation Area re-opened as spaces opened up. The Blue Point Bridge and Water Users Sites remained close most of the day.

According to officials with MCSO, the crowd at the Lower Salt River was one of the largest they have ever seen in one day.

Up north, one last day of skiing, snowboarding at Snowbowl

In the Flagstaff area, it’s a wrap for Arizona Snowbowl’s latest winter season, as Memorial Day marked the last day for skiing and snowboarding at that ski area.

“Everyone else is at the lake, and we’re here at the ski hill,” said one woman at Snowbowl.

Snowbowl has never been open this late into the season. Prior to 2023, the ski resort’s longest season ended on May 19, 2019.

“It can’t be bad. It’s almost June, and we’re skiing,” said one man.

Locals, as well as out-of-towners, headed for San Francisco Peaks for one last time on the snow this season. While the winter season is ending for Snowbowl, there will still likely be snow in June.

“We did get 399 inches of snowfall this year. That’s what’s making this long closing day possible,” said Angelina Grubb.

As for what happens from now until the next ski season, the area will soon be open for summer activities.

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Arizona

Diamondbacks Reportedly DFA Veteran Catcher Tucker Barnhart

Published

4 hours ago

June 30, 2024

Press Room

Diamondbacks Reportedly DFA Veteran Catcher Tucker Barnhart

According to the Arizona Republic’s Nick Piecoro, the Arizona Diamondbacks have reportedly designated veteran catcher Tucker Barnhart for assignment. The move has not yet been made official by the team.

This will free up a roster spot for primary catcher Gabriel Moreno to make his return from the 10-day IL on time, as was expected.

Barnhart, 33, had signed a minor league deal with the club to compete and eventually win the backup catcher role, but, in his limited playing time, had failed to create much of an impact both offensively and defensively.

Such is to be expected of an aging backup catcher, but his .173/.287/.210 slash stands out, despite putting together a couple of clutch RBI hits in recent weeks. Barnhart served as a calming veteran presence for a number of pitchers on the staff, but, at a certain point, a complete lack of production at the plate and defensive prowess gives reason to sacrifice his off-field value.

It comes as a bit of a surprise that Arizona opted to part with the veteran, rather than optioning Jose Herrera back to Triple-A Reno, although Herrera’s low numbers are currently the result of a small sample size. The 27-year-old slashed .260/.351/.362 in Triple-A, and has been with the D-backs’ organization since 2013, signing initially at 16 years old.

This move also implies that Arizona is comfortable moving forward with young prospect Adrian Del Castillo serving as their catcher depth, in the event of another injury to Moreno or Herrera.

Del Castillo has been an offensive force in Reno, slashing a monstrous .324/.399/.603 with 30 doubles, 15 home runs and 49 RBI in 49 games. He’s not the defensive wizard that the D-backs have in Moreno, and provides little value in controlling baserunners, but it’s hard to ignore offensive numbers of that magnitude, even in a hitter-friendly Pacific Coast League.

But it’s not just Del Castillo raking in Triple-A. Behind him on the depth chart is 26-year-old Ronaldo Hernandez.

Hernandez spent time with the Boston Red Sox in 2022 and 2023, and was signed to a minor league deal with the D-backs in January of 2024. He’s hitting at a relatively close second to Del Castillo. Although only playing 34 games, he’s slashing .333/.379/.556, with six doubles and six home runs.

In any event, the decision to DFA Barnhart does offer some clarity on Arizona’s long-term plans at the catcher position. Although a backup catcher is not generally the player with the strongest bat, the team is likely looking to get younger, and, of course, hope they don’t have to make do without their young stud Moreno for more than an occasional day off going forward.

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Arizona

Evacuation orders lifted for some Arizona residents forced from their homes days ago by a wildfire

Published

11 hours ago

June 30, 2024

Press Room

Evacuation orders lifted for some Arizona residents forced from their homes days ago by a wildfire

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. — Evacuation orders in Arizona have been lifted for some residents of northeast Scottsdale, days after they were forced from their homes by a wildfire, authorities said Sunday.

The Boulder View Fire was 19% contained Sunday after charring nearly 6 square miles (15 square kilometers) on the cusp of the Boulder Heights subdivision since Thursday.

About 60 homes were evacuated Friday. No injuries have been reported and no structures have been damaged.

Authorities said the cause of the fire remains under investigation. It began about 5 miles (8 kilometers) outside northern Scottsdale on the edge of the Tonto National Forest.

Maricopa County Department of Emergency Management officials said evacuations were lowered from “GO” to “SET” status Saturday evening for some displaced residents preparing to return home.

Scottsdale officials have notified homeowners that the north part of the McDowell Sonoran Preserve, including all trails, will be closed until further notice. They called that a precautionary move and said there was no immediate threat to the preserve.

Tiffany Davila, a spokesperson for the Arizona Department of Forestry and Fire Management, said nearly 270 firefighters were battling the wildfire in triple-digit heat on Sunday.

She said there was a chance of thunderstorms in the fire area Sunday evening and that could make firefighting efforts more complicated due to gusty winds and lightning strikes.

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Arizona

Trio of former Arizona men’s basketball players hoping to lead home countries into Paris Olympics

Published

18 hours ago

June 30, 2024

Press Room

Trio of former Arizona men’s basketball players hoping to lead home countries into Paris Olympics

Steve Kerr is the head coach of Team USA’s men’s basketball team for the 2024 Summer Olympics next month in Paris, and he won’t be the only UA alum vying for gold in the sport.

Ex-Wildcats Josh Green (Australia) and Dusan Ristic (Serbia) are competing for spots with their countries’ respective national teams, who have already qualified for the Olympics, while three other former UA standouts are set to compete with their home nations in qualifying tournaments this week.

Deandre Ayton is trying to lead Bahamas to its first Olympics, while Nico Mannion (Italy) and Azuolas Tubelis (Lithuania) are looking to get their countries their 14^th and eighth Olympic bid, respectively.

Ayton, the former No. 1 NBA Draft pick who was Pac-12 Player and Freshman of the year in 2018 with the Wildcats, is coming off his sixth NBA season and first with the Portland Trail Blazers. Bahamas is playing in the qualifying tourney in Valencia, Spain, facing Poland on Wednesday and Finland on Thursday in group play.

Mannion, a 2nd-round pick of Golden State in 2020, appeared in 30 games with the Warriors as a rookie after his one season at the UA. The 23-year-old then went overseas, playing for Virtus Bologna in the Italian League for two seasons before spending 2023-24 with teams in Spain and Italy.

Italy was fifth in the Tokyo Olympics in 2021 and has won silver twice, in Athens (2004) and Moscow (1980). It is playing in the qualifying tourney in San Juan, Puerto Rico, where it will face Bahrain on Tuesday and Puerto Rico on Thursday.

Tubelis, who played for the Wildcats from 2020-23, just completed his first professional season by being named MVP of the Lithuanian Basketball League with Neptunas Klaipeda. Lithuania is looking to get back to the Olympics for the first time since 2016 in Brazil, where it placed seventh.

Lithuania, which is in the Puerto Rico qualifying tourney and faces Mexico on Tuesday and Ivory Coast on Wednesday, won three consecutive bronze medals in 1992 (Barcelona), 1996 (Atlanta) and 2000 (Sydney).

The winner of each of four qualifying tournaments will join the eight teams already assured a spot in Paris for the Olympic competition.

Green is one of 22 players on Australia’s Olympic training roster, which will be cut down in the next few weeks. He was part of the squad in Tokyo that won bronze, which qualified Green for the UA’s Ring of Honor.

A 1st-round pick of the Dallas Mavericks in 2021, Green started 33 games this past season with Dallas and played in all 22 games during the Mavs’ run to the NBA Finals.

Ristic, who is one of 16 players fighting for a spot on the Serbian National team, has played the past six seasons in Europe since winning a school-record 118 games with Arizona from 2014-18. This past season he split time between a pair of Spanish pro clubs, and recently got married.

Serbia, in the Olympics for only the second time, took silver in 2016.

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