Darcie Maranich/Special to The Explorer

I was sixteen when I stood at a podium before my graduating class. With a tassel dangling in my peripheral vision, I delivered a speech on dreams and the audacity to pursue them. Audacious because beneath my graduation gown was a belly bulging, ripe with a life on the verge of beginning. Ironic because some might say that by choosing to grow that life when I was but a baby myself, I was bringing my own life to a screeching halt. I suppose that I was, in some ways. But mostly, I was beginning a whole new chapter.

Thelma Grimes, The Explorer

Several months back, I wrote an editorial on bad customer service, and the trials and tribulations we go through with automated services, a lack of caring from certain businesses, and the trouble we sometimes go through to get quality service.

Greg Caton Special to The Explorer

When Oro Valley Town Council gave initial approval for the Aquatic Center in December 2011, it was with the vision that the facility would be both an economic driver for the town and an improvement to quality of life for our residents. It has been just two short months since our grand opening, and I am proud to announce that the facility has been an overwhelming success on both accounts.

Darcie Maranich/Special to The Explorer

In honor of Mother’s Day, I’m sharing a rather humorous conversation that I recently had with a long-distance friend via text (with her permission). I hope you find it as entertaining as I do. While the names have been changed to protect anonymity, the story is completely true.

Richard D. Brinkley/Special to The Explorer

“Creating a pathway to earned citizenship for the 11 million unauthorized immigrants in this country is essential. The way we treat our friends and neighbors who are undocumented – by creating a mechanism for them to earn citizenship and move out of the shadows – transcends the issue of immigration status. This is a matter of civil and human rights. It is about who we are as a nation. And it goes to the core of our treasured American principle of equal opportunity.” Eric Holder, Attorney General (4/24/2013)

Harrison Avigdor/Explorer intern

On Sunday, LeBron James was crowned with his fourth MVP (Most Valuable Player) award in a near unanimous decision. He earned 120 of the 121 first-place votes, leaving the lone vote to Carmelo Anthony of the New York Knicks. Behind James, Kevin Durant of the Oklahoma City Thunder finished second for the second consecutive year; followed by Anthony, Chris Paul and Kobe Bryant. 

Harrison Avigdor/Explorer intern

As the first round of the NBA playoffs are coming to an end, the picture of who will play in the finals is becoming remarkably clearer. With a few teams dominantly prevailing in the preliminary round, there is no doubt which teams are on a mission and which teams are just fighting to play another day.

Darcie Maranich/Explorer Newspaper

Growing up, my relationship with my mother was stereotypical in many ways. As a rebellious teen, I’d find myself staring down a punishment I didn’t like or a rule I didn’t want to follow and—in opposition-- I’d voice how differently I would do things when I became a mother. Without fail, she’d smile a knowing smile and nod pleasantly. “I guess we’ll see about that, won’t we?” she’d say.

Gilbert Davidson, Special to The Explorer

The Town of Marana is fortunate to have residents and business owners who care about the community. We can always find people who want to volunteer to improve the quality of life we all enjoy here.

Harrison Avigdor, Explorer intern

Many players see the regular season as the time to improve both individually, and as a team. When it comes to playoff time, it’s about creating your legacy. Essentially, the post season separates the good players from the great players, and the talented teams from the legendary teams. The most important NBA games of the season are finally upon us.

Darcie Maranich/Special to The Explorer

I remember that when my kids were very young, refereeing arguments between them accounted for a decent chunk of my time. Now that they’re maturing, I typically step back and let the minor disputes between them run course until they fizzle and fade quietly away. Most often that sounds a lot like two bedroom doors being abruptly shut as they go their separate ways. Sometimes it’s even more visual. When my six-year-old son has a disagreement with one of his sisters, his aggression is typically played out in post-it notes. He pencils stick-figure drawings of the perceived offense, along with the command to: Stop being mean! Depending upon the severity of the situation, the offender might come to find ten or more post-it notes stuck to her bedroom door.

Gabrielle Giffords/Op-ed to the New York Times

After U.S. Senators voted against a bill that would have increased background check requirements, former U.S. Rep. Gabrielle Giffords wrote the following opinion piece for the New York Times on April 17.

Mary Snider, Special to The Explorer

You may be surprised to learn that, according to 2010 Census data, there are now as many residents in Oro Valley under the age of 18 as there are over the age of 65. No longer just a retirement community, Oro Valley is now taking a look at its new profile and asking an important question: Are we meeting the needs of all residents?

Harrison Avigdor, Explorer intern

If there’s one thing we know about this year’s Masters Tournament, it’s that anything was possible. From Tianlang Guan at age 14 becoming the youngest player in tournament history making the cut, to Tiger Woods being penalized, and to Adam Scott becoming the first Australian to ever win the Masters, this year’s tournament truly had something for everyone.

Harrison Avigdor, Explorer intern

After a thrilling run to the Sweet 16, the Arizona Wildcats were forced to pack their bags and start all over again. Despite all of the controversy currently surrounding the Wildcats-- regarding the Ed Rush scandal and the famous double-dribble and technical-foul call, Arizona is more focused on their future.

Logan Buus/Explorer Intern

When most people think of George Lucas, they are hurtled along a prestigious history of inspiration, creation, and creativity the likes of which have sparked the imaginations of millions around the world. Lucas, and his entities LucasFilms and LucasArts, have been responsible for some of the most innovative and groundbreaking creations in the past decades. Both the Star Wars and Indiana Jones franchise empires were birthed from the mind of Lucas, and their successes have been nearly unparalleled in modern culture. The Lucas empire stretches beyond movies, though. While LucasFilms is responsible for the classic films we all know and love, LucasArts has been supplying the gaming world with games as impressive as the movies.

Thelma Grimes/The Explorer

The steps of the U.S. Supreme Court were packed last week with Americans who were either speaking out in favor of same-sex marriage, or those speaking out against the idea of allowing it.

Darcie Maranich/Special to The Explorer

If you spend any time on Facebook or Pinterest you’ve likely seen a number of those clever cartoons—the ones that depict old-timey characters beside a mostly tongue-in-cheek phrase meant to elicit laughs and, of course, little thumb-up likes. Lately, I’ve noticed a relatively new addition to the virtual pictograms making the social media rounds. These are less tongue-in-cheek, more “inspirational”, and are quickly gaining momentum. The version I’m referring to typically feature a background image—a beach or the sun shining through an evergreen forest, for example—offset by a short sentiment that offers dime-store advice on how to live: Always smile back at little children. To ignore them is to destroy their belief that the world is good. There are variations, of course. Come to think of it, I seem to have an inordinate number of Facebook friends who post not-so-discreet comebacks seemingly aimed at the opposite end of a failed relationship: You had me at hello, lost me at goodbye, and everything in between was nothing, but a lie. So, too, are there the Stuart Smalley variety of motivational quotes: Life isn’t about waiting for the storm to pass. It’s about learning to dance in the rain.

Thelma Grimes, The Explorer

As you will see starting on page 13 of this week’s edition of The Explorer, we have the second rendition of the revamped Best of the Northwest. There are several reasons that make this year’s even better than last, and the main one is the number of voters who took the time to recognize some of those local businesses who deserve it.

Dave Safier/Special to the Explorer

“Clean coal” is a fantasy created by mining and power companies to convince us we can keep burning coal forever without harming ourselves, or the environment. The truth is, coal is dirty, harmful stuff. In the short term, we need to install scrubbers to catch coal’s noxious emissions before they make their way out of the smokestack. In the long term, we need to phase out coal-powered energy sources and replace them with cleaner alternatives.

Harrison Avigdor, Explorer intern

Four days and 48 games into the NCAA Tournament and there are zero perfect brackets and only 16 teams remaining in the fight to achieve the ultimate goal, a National Championship. The madness of March is truly upon us and this year’s NCAA tournament is already making history. From game-winning shots to unbelievable upsets, there are a few teams that are taking the tournament by storm and shocking sports fans everywhere. 

Thelma Grimes, The Explorer

On Sunday, an unusual day for a court to be held in Ohio, a judge found two high school football players guilty of rape. In what became a short trial that divided the football-crazed Rust Belt town of Steubenville, Trent Mays, 17, and Ma’lik Richmond, 16, were found guilty of raping a drunk 16-year-old girl.

Harrison Avigdor, Explorer intern

It’s that time of year again. The college basketball finale, the pinnacle and absolute craziest part of the season, the NCAA tournament. Dubbed “March Madness” or “The Big Dance”, the NCAA tournament is a sporting event like nothing else. Comprised of 68 Division I basketball teams, the tournament is each team’s pathway to a chance to win the coveted National Championship.

Thelma Grimes, The Explorer

Several weeks ago while participating on a media panel with several other editors from the region, I was asked if I thought newspapers would be dead in five years. Like the other editors, I said of course not, a statement I believe to be true, especially for community newspapers such as The Explorer.