While the roads and talk of future government options dominated the 1982 headlines, there were many more news items that occurred that year and they are the topics of this week’s Fountain Hills History Lesson.

I was talking about the School District’s loss of Dr. Gary Prosper as the district superintendent. He took a position with Arizona State University. The School Board frantically sought a replacement for him. They also were deciding whether to hire a superintendent or a principal.

More than 350 students attended the elementary school, while 150 high school students were enrolled at Coronado High School in Scottsdale.

During 1982, the School Board was also initiating plans for possible expansion of the elementary school. Computer education classes were becoming increasingly popular, requiring the hiring of an additional instructor. Also being examined were programs for gifted students.

Rubik’s Cube mania hit Fountain Hills. Elementary students sponsored a competition.

Annual celebrations were all successful in 1982. More than 60,000 persons attended 8’s Great Fair in February. Another annual White Castle Day in May drew another 20,000, and 10,000 attended the fireworks show on the 4th of July. The eighth annual Fountain Festival of Arts and Crafts was called the “best ever” by artists and visitors alike. It drew 30,000 spectators.

Another special event that began in 1982 was Merchants Awareness Day. Held in the covered parking lot of MCO Properties, the Trade Show was an instant success. Local retail business owners often complained that they were scattered throughout the community. This event allowed them to show their products and services in one centralized location.

The event was continued by the Chamber as the Business Showcase when the two groups were merged in 1983.

The Merchants Association held a Christmas in July promotion in the summer of 1982, before the merger took place.

In January, Father Paul Slanina of the Fountain Hills Catholic Church of the Ascension, had an audience with Pope Paul II at the Vatican.

Martin Dawson, owner of Fountain Hills LP Gas, was installed as the 1982 president of the Fountain Hills Chamber of Commerce. Margaret Jeffrey was elected chairperson of the Fountain Hills Sanitary District Board of Directors, and Harold Dill was elected chairman of the Joint Powers Board of the Road Districts. Local State Farm agent, Mike Mayper, was elected chairman of the Fountain Hills Fire District.

Mayper had a knack for conducting the monthly meetings in short fashion. Rarely did a meeting last more than 15 minutes. The Road District meetings were at least two to three hours long.

Doug and Donna Katonak bought Doc’s Mexican restaurant in March and changed the name to Que Bueno.

Dedication of the newly expanded Fountain Hills Library was held in October. The former Model Home Center was converted into the library and an expansion of the building was built through donations of building blocks by the public and volunteer labor by local contractors. Builder Gil Knoll coordinated the construction and was named Fountain Hills Citizen of the Year.

In June, it was announced that a 3.73-mile section of road would be paved from Fountain Hills to McDowell Mountain Regional Park, creating the first section of road that would eventually lead to Fountain Hills access to Rio Verde.

“This will provide much better access to the park,” Deputy County Engineer Francis Lathrop said at the time. “Right now, Fountain Hills residents that want to go to the park have to go to Shea and Scottsdale Road, then north on Scottsdale Road to Rio Verde.”

But not everyone was happy about the road. “It’s a shame to me that the county is building a useless road like this when the budget is supposedly to be so tight,” said resident Wendell Sherrman. “It’s the pits.” What he was referring to was with all the road problems Fountain Hills was having, the county funds would have been a big help.

That wraps up 1982. I’m going on a month-long vacation to New Jersey to see our East Coast grandkids. I’ll start talking about 1983 happenings when I get back.