Valley 101 The Arizona Republic and azcentral.com

One of the most recognizable writing styles in Arizona history came from Clay Thompson.
The Iowa transplant captured the hearts of readers with his Valley 101 column in the Arizona Republic for almost 20 years. Punctuated by the iconic Rodin statue, "The Thinker," Thompson wrote thousands of quippy columns and answered questions from readers about everything from cactuses to hiccups.
Thompson's writing style was recognizable and even bordered on snarky, calling his bosses "masters" and referring to readers as "you people."
About a year after he passed, this podcast was born to carry on the great work that he created. It was formed to help newcomers and natives alike better understand what makes Arizona so unique. Similarly to podcasting, Thompson had a way to speak directly to an audience.
As Valley 101 rounds closer to its 300th episode, Julia Wallace, Ed Montini and Arizona Republic reporter Richard Ruelas reflect on what made Thompson special and highlight the service he did for Arizona journalism.
In this episode you can hear readings from "Great Big Book of Life," "Occupy Gooberville" and "Try Not to Worry About It," collections of his columns.
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Happy Memorial Day!

The podcast team is enjoying the holiday weekend. So we want to reshare one of our most popular episodes to kick off the summer: five of the best places to beat the heat in the Valley.
hosts Kaely Monahan and Amanda Luberto hash out their top picks for spots to beat the heat. Plus they explore pools of the past and the new water attractions coming to Phoenix.
Let us know if you visit any of these spots, found new ones, or miss some old ones!
Submit your stories and Arizona questions to valley101.azcentral.com.
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Wildfire season historically starts just before monsoon season. However, the period during which a wildfire can occur is now widening and bringing with it more severe blazes near the Valley. In Arizona, wildfires were once expected from late April into the monsoon season. Now fires can start from late February or early March into September.
Climate change is linked to higher-severity fires, and insurance shouldn't be your only protection. Having a safety plan, fortifying your home, and making small but meaningful changes can mean the difference between a house surviving a blaze or burning down.
In this episode of Valley 101, producers Kaely Monahan and Katrina Michalak, explore the ways Arizonans can prepare for wildfires and help fight the bigger challenge of climate change – while debunking some misconceptions about wildfires.  
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The 5 C's are something all Arizona children learn at one point or another. Cotton, citrus, cattle, copper, and climate have long been advertised as positive reasons to come to Arizona. Each of these "C's" represents an important aspect of Arizona's economy. Or at least they did.
Perhaps more important than the 5 C's themselves is the cultural role they play. Even now, students in classrooms across the state are learning about the 5 C's.
In this episode of Valley 101, we ask you what the 5 C's mean to you. Perhaps you have a memory of orange orchards in bloom or driving by miles of cotton fields.
Producer Kaely Monahan sits down with climate reporter Joan Meiners to discuss a large project our environment team is working on. And we want to include you.
Share your Arizona 5 C's memories with us in this survey.
Listen to our previous episodes on the 5 C's here.
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It's not often you see a "bee delay" at a baseball game.
But that's exactly what happened at the Arizona Diamondbacks-LA Dodgers game on April 30. A swarm of honeybees decided to make camp on the netting behind home plate at Chase Field.
It became a hero moment for beekeeper Matt Hilton. He even has his own baseball card now.
But Arizona's native bees would never swarm like those honeybees. In fact, Arizona doesn't have any bee species that build a hive or make honey. And that's because the Western Honeybee, also called the European Honeybee, is an invasive species.
Worldwide, there are around 20,000 described bee species. Across the U.S. there are roughly 4,000 known species. And Arizona, more specifically the Sonoran desert, is home to at least 15% of bee species.
"Pretty much anytime you try to do a survey anywhere in Arizona, you find new species all the time compared to any other sampled region on the planet," said Tanner Bland, the Tucson Bee Collaborative program coordinator. "Currently the Sonoran desert seems to be the most biodiverse (bee) region on the planet."
The majority of Arizona's bees are solitary individuals that don't build hives. And they sometimes come in brilliant colors including reds, purples, greens and blues.
Hear all the bee facts in this episode of Valley 101.
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With summer around the corner for Arizona residents, the opportunity presents itself to spend more time at amusement parks and on thrilling rides. However, the theme park scene in the metro Phoenix is scarce — and there are only 10 operating roller coasters across the entire state. 
With a growing population in the Valley and potential space, why doesn't Arizona boast its own version of a Disneyland? 
This week's episode of Valley 101, a podcast by The Arizona Republic and azcentral.com, pays a visit to both the past and the future to explain the different variables that factor into developing a theme park in the Valley, and how challenges inhibit Arizona's creation of a Disneyland-esque park all its own. 
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