Pearl Harbor Day RememberedWe met on the eve of the 81st anniversary of Pearl Harbor Day, which brought to mind an interesting local field trip. If you haven’t been to Wesley Bolin Plaza just east of the state capital building in Phoenix, it can make for an interesting and fun visit. Parking is free and there is no admission. One of the ships lost on December 7, 1941, was the battleship USS Arizona. Wesley Bolin Plaza contains a tribute to the Arizona and the Fallen of WW II, which was dedicated on December 7, 2013. This tribute to World War II was supported by Rotary Clubs in Phoenix and was described this way by the Arizona Republic in 2018- “The memorial “Guns to Salute the Fallen," dedicated in 2013 at Wesley Bolin Memorial Plaza at the Arizona State Capitol, honors the service members at Pearl Harbor and all World War II veterans. The nation’s entry into World War II began with the attack on Pearl Harbor and ended in Tokyo Bay. Two battleships, the USS Arizona and USS Missouri, are indelibly linked to each event. Architect Rich Pawelko, [a member of Phoenix Rotary 100] designed the privately funded memorial using artifacts from these ships. Two large naval guns were placed near the USS Arizona’s anchor and mast, which were previously on display in the plaza. One was used on the USS Arizona, a 30,000-ton battleship commissioned in 1916 and sunk at Pearl Harbor. The second was used on the USS Missouri, a 57,000-ton battleship commissioned in 1944, on whose deck the Japanese surrendered on Sept. 2, 1945. The gun barrels are 405 inches apart, with each inch representing 1,000 American lives lost in World War II. Between the gun barrels are nine blue steel pillars that represent the nine minutes it took the USS Arizona to sink. The pillars emerge from the ground and bow out of the top, like the hull of a ship. Stainless steel nameplates hang on the sides of the pillars, one for each of the 1,902 Arizonans who were killed in the war. In the sunlight when the wind blows, they appear like slight waves in water.” In addition to the Salute to the Fallen, there are many other interesting memorials at the Plaza and it is a very pleasant place to spend a few minutes walking around. To get there take Interstate 10 to Interstate 17 and go south. Exit at Jefferson Street and go left. The plaza is just east of the capital between Washington and Jefferson streets. Salute to the Fallen - Wesley Bolin Plaza, Phoenix
It Happened at Rotary December 6, 2022 Our speaker on December 6, was George Getz of the Globe Corporation, Mr. Getz 122-year-old family firm which started in Chicago as a coal merchant and is now headquartered in Arizona. Mr. Getz showed us photos of the recent developing of the GHQ complex, the new center of Goodyear and its city offices and shared with us plans for the future of this site, including many events on its front plaza and great new restaurants. He also shared some ideas they are exploring for the site just east which was originally planned as a regional mall site. In addition to the Goodyear project, Globe Corporation is currently building a 1.6 million distribution for the Ross Stores Inc on Southern Avenue near the Walmart distribution center. This will bring about 1,300 permanent jobs to Buckeye. Mr. Getz mentioned the challenge of developing in the west valley has been convincing investors and operators in the market that there is demand for their business on the westside of Metro Phoenix. He pointed out two well-known restaurants who were initially reluctant to open in the area. One was offered a deal with low base rent and earlier percentage rent participation and other was sold on the idea by Mr. Getz and his team. Both far exceeded their initial expectations of success in their West Valley locations, emphasizing that the future of the Phoenix metro area’s growth is likely the West Valley. Mr. George Getz |
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