Every August, Maricopa’s heat seems to press pause on everything. But even in this relentless sun, life finds a way to start fresh.

Our cover this month captures one such moment: kids climbing aboard buses outside Butterfield Elementary, after heading back to school. There’s something special about those early-morning scenes — the new backpacks, the nervous smiles.

And that’s the theme threading through this issue.

We begin with love at any age. Brian Petersheim Jr. brings us the heartwarming story of two local seniors (a combined 175 years young!) who tied the knot this summer. The twist? They said “I do” on an MUSD campus, adding a sweet undertone of full-circle-ness.

In another school-related story of new beginnings, Petersheim revisits one of Maricopa’s most harrowing true crime stories — when a woman survived an attack by someone who tried to steal her unborn baby. That child, now a teenager, is thriving here in Maricopa. Talk about a powerful second act.

Then there’s the 15-year-old local business that just cleared its permitting hurdles after a tense standoff with a neighbor who also happens to work for the city. Monica D. Spencer meets us at the corner of business and bureaucracy.

Of course, some things don’t change, like the annual invasion of the flies. But even that’s got a twist: David Iversen tracked down entomologists (and the folks at Ace Hardware) to help us understand these persistent pests — and how to send them packing.

We’re back next month with our long-awaited Food & Beverage special section. Until then, here’s to finding your own new beginning — even in the dog days of summer.

ELIAS WEISS
EDITORIAL DIRECTOR
[email protected]