First off, I would like to congratulate the boys basketball team at our high school on their state championship.

And the similar accolades go to the girls soccer team, which also won a state title recently.

Add to that the state title in volleyball won by the girls and that’s three state titles so far this year for our local high school, and the best may be yet to come. Spring sports are just getting under way including boys baseball, girls softball, beach volleyball, golf, track and tennis.

Traditionally we have done well in these Spring sports. So we challenge them to keep pace with the other teams we mentioned earlier in this column.

Go Falcons!

--------

The new phone books are being delivered and everyone should have one by this Sunday, weather permitting.

This is the 40th anniversary Edition of the Fountain Hills Residential & Business Directory which was first printed in 1977. Also, this year we included in the packaging a copy of the Northeast Valley Dining & Event Guide.

The 164-page directory contains alphabetically listed residential and business listings, a map, a listing of clubs and organizations with contact numbers and a page of government services.

The Business Directory Yellow Page section includes a listing of businesses by category.

The business section of the book is printed on slick magazine paper stock and makes the printing quality much improved. That means crisper photographs and an overall better look to the directory.

The Verde listings were deleted from this year’s book at the request of the associations of each community. However, the books are still available at the Rio Verde Post Office, where the residents pick up their mail.

We have had many positive comments about this year’s directory. Our sales staff faced a lot of negative comments about advertising in phone books, particularly from potential new clients.

We tried to tell them that Fountain Hills was a unique market where we can prove many people indeed use their phone books. There is one business in Mesa whose owner says the Fountain Hills directory is the only place he advertises. He draws that much business from the ad.

We do offer internet alternatives that we will be announcing very soon when we launch our new website. It will have enhanced video capabilities.

We’re excited to unveil it.

The Northeast Valley Dining & Event Guide contains a listing by month of scheduled special events through the end of 2017.

It also contains a listing of restaurants located in Fountain Hills, Northeast Scottsdale, the Verde Communities and Fort McDowell. Many of the restaurants have ads in the guide that contain discounts and coupons.

The booklet originated in Let’s Go but became a separate publication three years ago.

------

The Broadway in the Hills fundraiser for the Fountain Hills Theater, held this past Sunday night at the Community Center, was a big success It was topped off by an announcement by long-time supporters of the theater, Barb and Fred Hansen. They are donating $30,000 to the Theater.

We’ll have full coverage of the event in the March 15 edition of The Times.