“Why in the world would you move to boring ‘Mayberry in the Desert’ from a happening place like Seattle, Washington?” I heard this question over and over again from my students at Fountain Hills High School when I first began teaching here in 2004.

Here’s my answer: In the late 1990s, I first set eyes on Fountain Hills. A friend invited my family to escape the rainy mists of my beloved Seattle and enjoy a bit of desert sunshine. As we drove along Palisades Boulevard, the vista of mountains and valley surrounded by clear blue sky awed us. The surroundings, the opposite from our home in Washington State, so enticed us that, within a few years, my family moved to Fountain Hills.

I often bring guests to visit the Great Fair or to walk around Fountain Park. They’re awed by our amazing art in the park as well as the Avenue of the Fountains. They love our library, Community Garden, museum, Community Center and the architecture of the Town Hall building. It’s so nice to hear guests comment on how beautifully maintained everything is. And the most awesome part of their visit — the surrounding nature and climate, causes most of my visitors to tell me I’ve moved to paradise.

In the past few months, I’ve noticed a few of those early students moving back to Fountain Hills to raise their families. I recently watched as one of them proudly showed his fiancé Fountain Park, the Avenue of the Fountains, and the amazing town sculptures. The kids are coming back, realizing what a jewel our little Mayberry is.

With our May 15 property tax vote, we have a chance to keep our jewel polished for the next generation. Let’s do this! Vote yes.