I’ve had some memories created by the number of awards I’ve received for my public service over the years. I was asked to do this to have it on the public record.

My first job after graduating from Arizona State University was with a Scottsdale advertising agency. I worked as a copywriter at LPE Advertising on the firm’s largest account, McCulloch Properties. The company developed new communities in various locations across the western United States. One of their developments was Fountain Hills.

Being raised in a newspaper family, I got the idea of starting a newspaper in the new community. I left the ad agency in December 1973, got two investors and started Western States Publishers, Inc., in March 1974. We published the first edition of the weekly Fountain Hills Times in June 1974.

Over the years, the newspaper has won numerous awards from the Arizona Newspapers Association and the National Newspaper Association.

I have received a variety of personal awards during my 46 years of working and living in Fountain Hills.

Western States Publishers is a charter member of the Fountain Hills Chamber of Commerce.

I was the Chamber’s first three-term president (1983-85), initiated the Ambassadors and chaired the Chamber’s Economic Development Committee for five years after leaving the board.

I also served on the Town of Fountain Hills Economic Development Council through my appointments by Mayors John Cutillo and Jerry Miles.

I chaired the 1985 White Castle hamburger event during which 176,000 of the sliders were sold in one weekend at Fountain Park.

To help the struggling business community, I initiated the Trade Show which evolved into the Business Showcase.

Working with E.J. Goodwin when I was president of the Chamber, we organized the first Thanksgiving Day Parade.

As an active fundraiser, I chaired the Fountain Hills Jail-a-thon for the American Cancer Society.

I co-chaired the community’s second Town Hall meeting in the mid-1980s from which decisions were made to proceed with the effort to have the town incorporate as a municipality and build a high school. I was on the founding boards of the Sunridge Foundation, the Fountain Hills Historical Society, the Fountain Hills Community Theater and the Fountain Hills Merchants Association that later became a part of the Chamber.

Other boards I served on are the Noon Kiwanis Club, Fountain Hills Little League and the River of Time Museum Foundation.

I was a member of the planning committee for the community’s 10th and 20th anniversary celebrations.

I was a member of the first advisory board of The Bank of Fountain Hills, CopperWynd Resort and the Community Bank. I chaired the library/museum bond committee and initiated the Fountain Hills Sister Cities program serving as its first chairman.

Outside of Fountain Hills, I was chairman of the 1986 Maricopa County Revenue Sharing Committee, served as president of the Arizona Newspapers Association and served two terms on the board of the National Newspaper Association.

With NNA, I served on the Pub Aux Committee (the association’s newspaper for members) and Convention Committee and was co-chair of the 2002 national convention in Portland, Ore.

At the conclusion of my board service with the National Newspaper Association, that organization established the Cruikshank Scholars program at the University of Missouri School of Journalism to honor my commitment to community and community journalism.

Among local honors are Fountain Hills Citizen of the Year in 1984, Fountain Hills Business Person of the Year in 1989 and 2007, the Sunridge Foundation’s Champions award in 2001, MCO’s Commitment to Community Award in 2000 and was Fountain Hills Humanitarian of the Year in 1997. I was honored as one of the community’s top 20 volunteers during its first 20 years, Iwas elected to the Lower Verde Valley Hall of Fame in 2003 and the Arizona Newspaper Hall of Fame that same year.

In 1995, I learned I had Parkinson’s Disease.

At first, I slowed down with my volunteer activities. My doctors and my wife urged me to slow down. But it didn’t keep me from accomplishing the goals I had set for myself. In 2011, I talked with my doctor at the Mayo Clinic about a new (at that time) procedure that was being used with a high degree of success. It is called Deep Brain Stimulation. I had to be awake during the five-hour operation. It was a success, and it gave me a renewed quality of life.

The tremors stopped and it controlled my movement disorder called dyskinesia.

I consider the River of Time Museum and Fountain Hills Library building as my most shining contribution to the community. I cut back on my volunteer work in 2008. As the disease progressed, I decided I would slow down after serving 12 years as president of the Fountain Hills Historical Society. After I stepped down, the board unanimously voted to add my name to the museum. The signage in the building lobby was changed designating the facility as the L. Alan Cruikshank River of Time Museum.

In 2013, I was presented the highest award given to community newspaper publishers by the National Newspaper Association, the James O. Amos award.

It is presented to a publisher who has demonstrated leadership in his community, and to the profession of community journalism.

I retired on January 1, 2018 and turned over the operation of the business to my son, Brent, who’s doing a fine job of it.

I still have the opportunity to write my column. By the way, the grandkids are doing fine and life is good in Las Vegas.