Inside Mesa

With the news coverage regarding Maricopa County Community Colleges and several others - Mesa Community College is brought to the spotlight once again.What impresses me is the rapid attention and efforts by Chancellor Rufus Glasper whose oversight covers all of Maricopa County Community Colleges.As a member of MCC’s Commission of Excellence in Education I’ve been given the opportunity to be part of some of the communication and news releases that go out to MCCC and MCC. Chancellor Glasper is diligently sending out communication that explains what is going on at this time, why, and answering a list of questions regarding - records confiscated by the Sheriff’s Office at Mesa, Scottsdale, Estrella Mountain Community Colleges, the District Office, and a storage facility; as they examine audit records and documents, what the Blue Ribbon panel is doing, and encouraging dialoge within each college’s leadership to keep everyone informed.The overall theme is to ensure that none of this should disrupt or interfer with the mission of providing learning through classroom teaching efforts and the commitment to quality and high standards in education to remain in tact. Likewise, President Larry Christiansen communicates regularly to MCC’s faculty and staff that MCC is fully cooperating in these efforts, outlining what the investigation entails.Glasper and Christensen (I’m sure each community college) continue to thank everyone for being focused and committed to the mission of teaching, to their students, and quality education. Chancellor Glasper mentions also the positive support of Maricopa citizens and reiterates the high value placed on ethical standards and responsible stewardship of public funds throughout MCCC.What else could anyone want?

The Mesa Historical Museum is sponsoring the 7th annual "Hisorical Home Tour" This Saturday, January 20th from 11:00 am to 4:00 pm.This year’s tour is expected to bring up to 1,500 participants and will be held the Mesa’s Evergreen Historical District which is located on Robson and University. Nine homes will be on the tour and with the purchase of the home tour ticket, each participant will receive a lunch at RigaTony’s, additional tour of the Mesa Historical Museum, and dessert.For more information, call the museum at 480-835-7358.Have any additional questions or comments? Please post them or call the number above.

Mary Sennet, Coordinator of Youth Services, Mesa Police Department is running a new program M.E.S.A. which stands for "Making Every Student Accountable."When it comes to being proactive in helping troubled kids who else but the police department could make an impact. The article is featured in the East Valley Tribune, January 18, page A4.In reading about the new pilot program Mesa Police Chief Gascon brought to the City of Mesa, I was encouraged and hopeful that the young people involved would truly catch the impact by the methods used to demonstrate the possible end result of a life troubled and without hope. The teens were shown how they might die if they continued making bad decisions.The program officially begins January 29 using physical training, learning about anger management, etiquette, gangs, leadership, plus classes at McKellips Middle School run by Mesa Public Schools - an alternative school for troubled students.Hopefully, this program will be a success, continue, and reach more youth throughout the city. It will bring crime rates down as teens get a wake up call toward a productive life. We as a community can encourage and suppport these efforts.