Local television stations were calling Fountain Hills “the luckiest city in America” last week.

One station’s weather man opened his segment by saying, “I want to move to Fountain Hills.”

The comments came after it was announced that there was a second big winner from Fountain Hills in the Power Ball lottery in just over a month. As you probably know, Mathew Good split the giant $587 million jackpot on Nov. 28.

Then on Saturday, Jan. 5, another Fountain Hills resident, Lance Johns, had all the numbers except, the Power Ball, making him a million dollar winner. He purchased his ticket from the Circle K on the south side of Shea Boulevard.

Let’s see now, that’s two out of the four convenience stores in town. Can we think that we have enough luck left to have a winning ticket being sold at either one of them?

I’ve always felt lucky to live in Fountain Hills. Even with all the political squabbling over a variety of issues over the years, life is good here and you can’t beat the scenery.

And speaking of life in Fountain Hills, Saturday, Jan. 19, is the 42nd anniversary of my first day on the property that is now Fountain Hills.

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Boy, has it been cold lately. I had low temperatures at my house of 21 degrees on Saturday morning, 22 on Sunday and 20 on Monday morning.

The cold snap is the longest in the Valley since 1988, some 25 years.

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Friday, Jan. 18, is the advertising deadline for the Fountain Hills & Verde Communities Telephone Directory.

All ads are to be in and paid for by that date unless other payment arrangements have been made. Those businesses that have not yet placed an ad or listing in the 2013 Yellow Pages should call one of our sales representatives and make an appointment as soon as possible.

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Congratulations to the individuals who have been elected to the Lower Verde River Valley Hall of Fame.

They include Nita Blose, Jean Boatman Carol Coates, Walt Franklin, Ron Lemon and Lynn Truby from Fountain Hills, Linda Hefter of Rio Verde and John W. Smith of Fort McDowell.

Their inductions will take place at a special dinner meeting of the Fountain Hills & Lower Verde River Valley Historical Society on March 20.

Information on making reservations will be presented in The Times in advance of that date.

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I was interested to see the Town Council authorizing Councilwoman Ginny Dickey to respond to a request for proposals on possible sites for an east Valley campus of Grand Canyon University.

When I served on the Mayor’s Economic Development Committee in the early 1990s, one of the conclusions we reached was that a college campus would be very beneficial to our downtown. The students would give a great boost to our retailers and restaurants.

We came very close to getting a naturopathic doctors college. But they opted for a site in Glendale.

Grand Canyon University is looking at 150 acres. The downtown couldn’t now accommodate them, but it is worth a shot.