Laveen Village

Laveen is a community in Maricopa County, Arizona, situated eight miles (13 km) southwest of Downtown Phoenix. Parts of Laveen constitute an unincorporated community, while the remainder falls within the city limits of Phoenix. The area was first settled by farmers and dairymen in 1884. It has been home to "pastoral alfalfa, cotton, and dairy farms" since the 1880s. The community was isolated from its larger neighbor by the Salt River, which carried water year-round until the Roosevelt Dam was completed in 1911. In 1915, the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation noted the community was called Lavean and had a population of less than 25. In 2003, the dairy herd shut down and the family sold most of the land to developers, but some farmers continue to raise cotton. Most farms provided housing for seasonal migrant workers who picked the local cotton harvest. The population has dropped off due to the increased use of machinery in cotton harvesting, and the increase of migrant workers picking cotton by hand in the area. The town is home to the Gila River Indian Community (GRIC), a Native American community that has lived in the same area since the 17th century. It is located between South Mountain and the confluence of theGila and Salt rivers, between the towns of Phoenix and South Mountain. The city of Phoenix has two districts, District 7 and District 8, both notable as minority-majority districts for the city.

History

The Laveen area was first settled by farmers and dairymen in 1884. The community was isolated from its larger neighbor by the Salt River, which carried water year-round until the Roosevelt Dam was completed in 1911. In 1915, the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation noted the community had a population of less than 25. In 1952, residents won a landmark water rights ruling involving several residents, including members of the Maricopa and Pima tribes, who would bring wagon loads of milk and firewood to the store to fill with water, firewood, and groceries. The area's only deep well, which also supplied the community's only school, was too salty for culinary use, so residents set up a public hydrant south of the store, where people could use the water for washing, washing, and cooking. In 2003, the family sold most of the land to developers, and the area is now home to the Gila River Indian Community (GRIC) and the Phoenix suburb of Glendale. The town's name is derived from the word "Laveen," which means "lucky" or "cute" in Spanish. The Laveens built the area's first general store on the southeast corner of present-day 51st Avenue and Dobbins Road, where they also built a school. In March 1918, Walter Lavean was appointed the area’s first postmaster, and operated the post office in the back of his store. In 1919, the Cheathams sold their dairy, and moved to Lavesen along with Cheatham's brother, Shelton.

Community

Laveen supports two golf courses: the former Bougainvillea Golf Club (formerly private), which became a public course under new management in October 2012, and the Aguila Golf Course (public), 18-hole pro golf course featuring 3 lakes. Zoning in both the county and city areas of Laveen is guided by a master plan called the "Southwest Regional Growth Study" There are plans for a new Lavean hospital, regional retail centers, and potential Spring Training expansion in 2011-2012. A Harkins Theatre is expected to open in late 2020. The community has experienced explosive residential growth in the past few decades. The LCC and two newer groups put pressure on developers to include equestrian trails, open spaces, and other bucolic and rural elements in new developments. In the 1980s, the Arizona Department of Transportation (ADOT) proposed building part of the 202 Freeway through Lavee. ADOT later shelved its plans due to funding problems. However, the freeway construction eventually began and the extension, passing through most of Lavesen at about 59th Avenue, officially opened on December 21, 2019. Currently, TJ Maxx and Michael's stores are being built adjacently to the Sprouts building at Laveden Park Place. A new retail development opened around the time of the freeway opening, with tenants such as Sprouts, MOD Pizza, and Aspen Dental having opened for business as of December 2019.

Education

The community is served by the Laveen Elementary and Roosevelt Elementary School Districts. There are also two charter schools and a private school. Rogers Ranch Elementary, the seventh school in the district with a curriculum focused on Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math, opened in August 2012. The K-8 tribal school Gila Crossing Community School, affiliated with the Bureau of Indian Education, is in Komatke, with an address at 59th Avenue and Vineyard Road. The community also has two high schools (Fairfax High School and César Chávez High School), and South Mountain Community College plans to build a campus on 59th Ave and Vineyards Road. There is a public library in the community, as well as a community center, which is open to the public. The city has a number of public parks, including the Phoenix Zoo and the Arizona Museum of Natural History, which was built in the 1930s and 1940s. It is also home to the Arizona State Museum, which opened in the 1950s. The Phoenix Zoo is a popular tourist destination, especially in the spring and summer months when the weather is warm and sunny. It also has a museum, which opens in the fall. The town has a large number of businesses, many of which are based in the area, including a grocery store, a bank, a gas station, a convenience store, and a bank. The area is home to a variety of restaurants, some of which have been open since the 1970s.

Healthcare

The public hospital system, Valleywise Health (formerly Maricopa Integrated Health System), operates the Valleywise Community Health Center South Phoenix/Laveen. Its sole hospital is Valleywise health Medical Center in Phoenix. The system is based in Phoenix, Arizona, but also has offices in Arizona, California, Nevada, and New Mexico. The hospital system is part of the Phoenix-based Valleywise Medical Group, which also operates in Arizona and Nevada. The health system is a member of the American College of Surgeons and the American Thoracic Society. It was founded in 1903 and is one of the oldest health systems in the United States. It is the largest health system in the state, with more than 2,000 employees. It also is the second largest health care provider in the U.S., after the University of Arizona. It has a network of more than 1,000 community health centers across the country, including one in South Phoenix and one in Laveen, Arizona. Its main hospital is in Phoenix; the system also has a medical center in Arizona City, Arizona; and a community health center in Phoenix's South Valley. It's the only hospital system in Arizona that operates in both Phoenix and Arizona City. The network also has clinics in Phoenix and Phoenix-area communities, including Phoenix Medical Center, in Arizona Springs, Arizona and Phoenix Medical School, Phoenix, and Scottsdale Medical Center. It operates a number of other community health facilities in Arizona. In Arizona, the hospital system has more than 3,500 employees.

Governmental representation

Laveen is in Arizona's 7th Congressional District, and is served by Representative Ruben Gallego, a Democrat. Laveen also is represented by Phoenix City Council's7th district, and Arizona Legislative district 27. The town has a population of 2,000. Lavesen is located in the central part of the state, near the border with Arizona. The city is located on the Arizona Turnpike, which runs through the town. The turnpike is one of the busiest roads in the state. It was built in the 1950s and 1960s, and was named after Laveson, a former mayor of the town, who died in a car accident in the early 1970s. Laveden is also home to the Arizona State Museum, which opened in the 1970s and is located near the town's downtown area. It is in the Phoenix area, which is also represented by the 7th district of the Arizona Legislature, and the Arizona City Council, which has a district of 7th. Lavingen is a suburb of Phoenix, Arizona, and lies near the center of the Phoenix-Gilbert metropolitan area, in the northern part of Arizona. It also has a small percentage of residents who live in the city's suburbs, such as Scottsdale and Glendale. Lavezen is home to a number of businesses, including the Phoenix Airport, which was founded in the late 19th century. It has a large number of residents, many of whom are retired.

Geography

Laveen is located near the confluence of the Salt and Gila Rivers, southwest of downtown Phoenix. The area of Laveen contains approximately 48 square miles (120 km²) of largely undeveloped, agricultural property, as well as several groups of residential housing developments. After several annexations from the mid-1990s to the present, a large portion of the community lies within the city limits of Phoenix, and is designated by the city as Lavesen Village (an urban village). It is bounded on the north by the Salt River, the south by South Mountain Park, the west by the Gila River Indian Community, and on the east by 27th Avenue. The community is home to the Laveson High School, which was founded in the late 19th century. The school is located on the banks of the River Gila, near the junction of the two rivers. It is one of the oldest high schools in the U.S., having been founded in 1875. It was the first high school in the state of Arizona to open in 1876. It has been the site of several high schools, including the University of Arizona, which opened in 1881. The town has a population of about 2,000, with the majority of its residents living in or near the town center. It also has a number of small businesses, such as a restaurant, a bank, and a gas station. The city of Phoenix is the largest employer in the area, with more than 3,000 employees.

Climate

Laveen is located entirely within the Sonoran Desert, an arid climate. High temperatures in the summer season can average over 105 degrees Fahrenheit. The daily high temperature ranges from over 115 °F (46 °C) during the hottest days of summer. There are two wet seasons: first in spring, and then in late summer, when sometimes-powerful monsoon thunderstorms roar through the area. Occasionally, a winter storm will leave snow on the nearby Estrella Mountains, which occurred between March 1112, 2006 and March 1113, 2006. Laveen has a population of around 2,000 people. The town is located in the Yavapai County, Arizona, which is part of the Navajo Nation. It is located on the northern tip of the Yucatán Peninsula, near the border with Mexico. The city is in the province of Yucatan, and the state of Nuevo Laredo, to the south of the state capital of Cusco, is on the border of Arizona. It has an average annual temperature of over 115 degrees Fahrenheit (46 degrees Celsius) and an average daily high of about 65 degrees F (18 degrees C) in winter. The average daily low temperature is about 10 degrees F. (4 degrees C), and the average daily average high is about 15 °F (4 °C) The town has a high school population of about 1,000. The school is located at the base of the Estrella mountains, which are located in northern Arizona. The area has a low-lying elevation of about 2,500 feet (600 meters).