An abridged history of Green Valley

By Dave Ricker
Green Valley News

•Oct. 28, 1971: Steve Emerine, president of Sancruval Corp. parent of the Green Valley News announces his intent to sell interest to co-publisher Ted Turpin and Tanner Brown, a Tucson printer.
•Dec. 12, 1971: Petitions are circulated asking for formation of a fire district. The fire district vote set for March 7, 1972.
1972
•Jan. 27, 1972: Green Valley residents who don’t live in FHA-owned apartments will have to pay $21 to use Green Valley recreation facilities.
•Feb. 3, 1972: Green Valley Development Co. announces its intention to merge with Little Rock-based Fairfield Communities Land Co. Fairfield pays $840,00 for Green Valley Development Co.
•March 16, 1972: Green Valley voters, having approved the formation of a fire district, meet to elect a 15-member volunteer fire company.
•March 30, 1972: A $325,000 bond election is set for Green Valley voters by the Continental school board for April 25.
•June 1, 1972: A tax rate of $1.40 is estimated for the land owners living in an incorporated town of Green Valley.
•June 15, 1972: Green Valley residents are asked to contribute $24 per home for fire service.
•Aug. 10, 1972: Green Valley residents are to vote on incorporation of the community before the end of the year.
•Aug. 31, 1972: A low bid of $317,000 was submitted for a new Continental school. The bid was later ruled to be illegal.
•Sept. 7, 1972: The Green Valley Coordinating Committee slams the door on an incorporation vote, but then reopens it a crack until a vote on incorporation is killed Sept. 14.
•Nov. 9, 1972: Federal officials put Green Valley properties up for sale at a minimum cash price of $10.85 million.
•Nov. 23, 1972: A contract for $293,566 is awarded to Certified Building Systems, Inc. of Tucson by the Continental school board for a new elementary school.
•Dec. 7, 1972: The plan to set up a Green Valley Community Council with broad powers to handle public affairs has been returned to committee for further study.
1973
•March 22, 1973: The cost of Pima County services provided to Green Valley residents is estimated to be $781,700.
•April 5, 1973: Haven Management Corp. of Arizona is the successful bidder at $12.6 million for the government-owned Green Valley apartments.
•June 14, 1973: Tucson Mayor Lewis C. Murphy proposes annexation of most of the Santa Cruz Valley as far south as Sahuarita.
•July 5, 1973: The Green Valley Coordinating Committee opens its meetings to the public for the first time.
•Oct. 18, 1973: Former News co-publisher Steve Emerine is selected to serve as the new Pima County Assessor.
•Oct. 25, 1973: The new Continental Elementary School is to be dedicated.
•Dec. 13, 1973: Sahuarita Superintendent Paul S. Frick submits his resignation effective July 1, 1974.
1974
•Jan. 17, 1974: Principal Kenneth Gose is named superintendent of the Sahuarita School District.
•July 4, 1974: A Fairfield social center proposal is approved in a vote of members of the Community Recreation Association of Green Valley (CRAGV).
•July 11, 1974: The Lucky Discount Center is the first business to open at Haven Mall.
•Oct. 10, 1974: The ribbon is cut on Green Valley’s new 24-hour medical clinic.
1975
•Jan. 9, 1975: Haven Management Co. announces that it will sell the apartments as condominiums.
•Feb. 6, 1975: A merger between CRAGV and Haven’s recreation center and the Green Valley Community Club is approved as a plan to unify two major recreation facilities under CRAGV management becomes reality.
•March 13, 1975: Our Lady of the Valley Catholic Church plans a new parish family center.
•April 10, 1975: CRAGV gets a recreation center from Haven Management Corp.
•May 1, 1975: Anamax Mining Co. donates 15-acres to Sahuarita School District on Camino de las Quintas for development as a Pima County park.
•May 15, 1975: Green Valley’s fire company eyes a new fire station on La Cañada Drive.
•July 31, 1975: The Green Valley Fire Co. is to reorganize in order to conform with state law.
•Aug. 7, 1975: New Pueblo Development Co. announces plans for an industrial park to be built on a 55-acre parcel at the Santa Cruz River.
•Sept. 4, 1975: Articles of Incorporation are filed creating the Community Water Co.
•Oct. 2, 1975: The Green Valley Community Coordinating Council opposes the proposed industrial park.
•Oct. 16, 1975: Santa Rita Care Center open for business.
•Nov. 20, 1975: Groundbreaking is held for the family parish center at Our Lady of the Valley Catholic Church.
1976
•Jan. 15, 1976: Stories from the Green Valley News are to be broadcast on KTUC radio in Tucson.
•Feb. 5. 1976: State liquor control officials have scheduled a hearing challenging nude dancing at the Tubac Inn.
The industrial park rezoning is turned down by the Pima County Board of Supervisors.
•Feb. 26, 1976: Nude dancing at the Tubac Inn will cost the owner $300 in fines or a 10-day suspension.
•March 25, 1976: Belly dancing replaces “go-go” dancing at the Tubac Inn.
•June 3, 1976: Fairfield starts work on construction of 660 new homes in five subdivisions.
•June 27, 1976: Jerry McEuen is named principal at Continental School.
•July 1, 1976: Construction of the 1,000-home Esperanza Estates is to begin soon.
•July 8, 1976: Work is to start soon on the $200,000 Anamax Park.
•Oct. 14, 1976: The new Green Valley fire station is dedicated.
•Oct. 21, 1976: Kerley Chemical is ordered to stop polluting the air near Santo Tomas.
•Oct. 28. 1976: A study of the merits of incorporation is ordered by the Green Valley Community Coordinating Council.
•Dec. 9, 1976: The Sahuarita school board embarks on a major building program which could cost $2.2 million.
1977
•Feb. 10, 1977: Construction of the new Sahuarita Auditorium is approved at a cost of more than $1 million.
•Feb. 24, 1977: Boundaries are recommended for a proposed incorporated Green Valley.
•June 2, 1977: A committee of seven people has recommended that Green Valley incorporate as a city to maintain the present lifestyle.
•July 14, 1977: Pro incorporation forces begin circulating petitions. Eventually the petitions are signed by more than 900 residents.
•Aug. 18, 1977: Incorporation petitions are filed with the county and a group opposed to the incorporation is formed.
•Sept. 8, 1977: Dec. 6 is set for balloting on incorporation for Green Valley.
•Sept. 29, 1977: The Green Valley Community Fund begins its first drive in Green Valley.
•Oct. 13, 1977: The Sahuarita Unified School District Governing Board awards a $1,060,000 contract to Defco Construction Co. to build a junior high and to make other improvements to district facilities.
•Oct. 17. 1977: Fairfield announces plans to build a major recreation complex near the CRAGV West facility.
•Dec. 4, 1977: Anamax Park is to open Dec. 12.
•Dec. 7, 1977: Incorporation of Green Valley is squashed by an 8-3 margin at the polls on a vote of 148-732.
•Dec. 25, 1977: Petitions requesting the establishment of a fire district in and around Sahuarita were filled with the Pima County Board of Supervisors.
1978
•Jan. 15, 1978: Fairfield announces plans for a shopping center at Interstate 19 and Continental Road.
•Jan. 29, 1978: The merger between CRAGV and the Community Club stalls over fees.
•Feb. 8, 1978: Sahuarita voters are to vote April 18 on the Sahuarita Volunteer Fire District.
•March 5, 1978: Plans for Sahuarita’s $2 million auditorium are approved.
•March 8, 1978: A tentative merger between CRAGV and the Community Club is approved. Dues are set at $130 annually.
•April 19, 1978: The proposal to create a Sahuarita Volunteer Fire District is defeated 29-66 at the polls.
•April 30, 1978: Pima County announces plans to purchase and renovate the old Continental School.
•May 17, 1978: Dr. Ken Gose announces that he is leaving the superintendency at Sahuarita.
•June 7, 1978: James Roth, superintendent at Coolidge, is selected to replace Gose.
•Aug. 16, 1978: Lack of emergency telephones on I-19 draws the attention of the Board of Supervisors.
•Sept. 3, 1978: Hospital Corporation of American investigates the construction of a 50-bed hospital in Green Valley.
•Sept. 24, 1978: The Arizona Department of Transportation turns down a proposal for emergency call boxes on I-19.
•Sept. 27, 1978: HCA recommends construction of a 75-bed hospital in Green Valley.
•Oct. 18, 1978: Green Valley Recreation, Inc. (GVR) becomes a reality by an overwhelming vote of the membership.
•Nov. 22, 1978: The Green Valley News is sold to Milton I. Wick of Wick Newspaper Group effective Dec. 1.
1979
•May 2, 1979: A group of Green Valley businessmen organize and form the Green Valley Chamber of Commerce.
•June 27, 1979: GVCCC approves plans for a 24-hour, doctor-served emergency clinic.
•Aug. 15, 1979: Local residents are upset about the burial of radioactive tritium-contaminated food stuffs at the Sahuarita Landfill.
•Sept. 12, 1979: Thomas-Davis Clinic will open a branch office Oct. 1.
•Nov. 21, 1979: Meredith H. “Skip” Hobson is named executive director of GVR.
•Dec. 12, 1979: GVR raises the annual dues to $156 for 1980.
1980
•Jan. 30, 1980: The Santa Cruz Valley Health Foundation receives the deed to 50 acres of land from Farmers Investment Co.
•Feb. 27, 1980: Continental Shopping Plaza is to open March 2.
•May 28, 1980: Sahuarita school district voters approve a $389,535 budget override 263-189.
•July 18, 1980: GVCCC decides to protest the 1980 census which failed to count about one-half of local residents.
•Sept. 24, 1980: The Green Valley Community Fund vetoes the proposal that they join with the United Way of Tucson.
1981
•Jan. 9, 1981: Green Valley is pinpointed by the U.S. Air Force as a site for a Titan II missile complex.
•April 22, 1981: Supervisor Conrad Joyner predicts that in the year 2000, Green Valley will be home to over 50,000 residents and will have become one of the most powerful political forces in the state of Arizona.
•June 17, 1981: Jon E. Fishman is named publisher and part owner of the Green Valley News and Sun.
•July 15, 1981: The FCC issues a construction permit for an AM radio station that will be called KGVY.
•July 22, 1981: Father Edward J. Moloney is revealed to be an imposter at Our Lady of the Valley Catholic Church.
•July 31, 1981: Desert Hills Recreation Center opens to GVR members.
•Sept. 23, 1981: GVR’s board votes 8-1 to renew the contract of Executive Director Skip Hobson.
•Nov. 11, 1981: Kathleen Engle is named managing editor of the Green Valley News.
•Nov. 18, 1981: The GVR board proposes the construction of a new administration building.
•Dec. 2, 1981: Milton I. Wick dies at the age of 82.
•Dec. 18, 1981: Meredith “Skip” Hobson resigns as executive director at GVR following severe criticism by board member Richard R. Long.
•Dec. 22, 1981: Hobson is persuaded to stay at GVR. Long is censured by the Board of Directors.
1982
•Jan. 27, 1982: Green Valley Elks Lodge No. 2592 announces plans for the construction of a new 10,560 square foot building.
•Feb. 5, 1982: Sahuarita Heights resident Oscar Yescas wins $10,000 in the Arizona Lottery.
•March 10, 1982: The purchase of the Desert Hills Golf Course by its members is proposed to Fairfield.
•March 17, 1982: First Interstate Bank is robbed of between $1,000 and $5,000.
•March 26, 1982: A ceremony marks the completion of construction of the Green Valley Haven Mall.
•April 7, 1982: The Sheriff’s Assist Team and Green Valley Citizen Bears are combined under one umbrella organization, the Sheriff’s Auxiliary Volunteers (SAV) of Green Valley.
•April 9, 1982: Sahuarita school officials put plans for an Arivaca school on hold.
•April 16, 1982: A survey reveals that 74 percent of Green Valley residents remain in the community year-round.
•May 14, 1982: The Green Valley News applies for a low-power television license.
•July 30, 1982: Plans are announced for the construction of a $30 million development on the northeast corner of I-19 and Duval Mine Road.
•Aug. 13, 1982: Continental School District announces plans to seek voter support for a $1.9 million bond to pay for the construction of an auditorium/gym and a bus barn.
GVR votes to censure Richard R. Long for “harassing pool monitors.”
•Sept. 8, 1982: Fairfield announces its intention to sell Desert Hills Golf Course for $2.2 million.
•Sept. 22, 1982: Richard R. Long threatens court action in order to bring cumulative voting to GVR.
•Oct. 1, 1982: A total of 450 homes are planned in the Haven development on Camino del Portillo.
•Oct. 13, 1982: The newly-formed Valley Players debuted with a production of “See How They Run.”
•Nov. 3, 1982: The sale of Desert Hills Golf Course is called off.
•Nov. 5, 1982: The Continental School District bond proposal for $1.975 million is approved at the polls 1,428-941.
•Nov. 12, 1982: Sahuarita Superintendent Jim Roth resigns citing personal reasons.
•Nov. 17, 1982: Richard R. Long renews his call for the firing of Executive Director Meredith “Skip” Hobson.
•Nov. 19, 1982: Tempers flare as Green Valley residents question a so-called government expert on the subject of incorporation.
•Dec. 8, 1982: Fairfield forms a non-profit corporation for the purpose of purchasing Desert Hills Golf Course.
•Dec. 17, 1982: The U.S. Air Force begins plans for deactivation of Titan II missiles throughout Southern Arizona.
•Dec. 23, 1982: Sahuarita Junior High Principal Charles Oldham is named interim superintendent of the school district.
1983
•Jan. 5, 1983: Pima County Justice Court Precinct 7 opens for business under Justice of the Peace Charles V. Lundstedt.
•Jan. 12, 1983: St. Mary’s Hospital announces plans for an emergency center for Green Valley.
•Jan. 21, 1983: Fairfield announces plans to build a new Desert Hills golf course.
•Jan. 26, 1983: A man suspected of holding up the First Interstate Bank at the Green Valley Mall in March 1982 surrenders to authorities.
•Jan. 28, 1983: GVCCC announces support for Villages Homeowners Association in its age-restriction lawsuit against Adeline and Vincent Di Lorenzo the owners of 21 townhouses rented to underage tenants.
•Feb. 4, 1983: GVCCC announces that it will conduct a medical needs study of Green Valley.
•Feb. 11, 1983: Tucson hospitals serve a substantial portion of Green Valley residents with St, Mary’s claiming 49 percent of the in-patients.
•Feb. 23, 1983: Richard R. Long has his membership suspended by the GVR Board of Directors for 30 days in a dispute over employee pay.
•March 2, 1983: Desert Hills residents file suit against Fairfield over the golf course sale.
•March 11, 1983: The Sahuarita school board calls for a budget override election.
•March 16, 1983: The Green Valley Fire District Board of Directors eyes Desert Hills as the site of a new fire station.
•March 23, 1983: Ruth Long, Richard’s wife, claims she was harassed by GVR President Ned Railing at an art class at East Center. Long’s membership privileges had been suspended for 30 days in a dispute with her husband.
•March 30, 1983: A $200,000 fund drive is launched by Our Lady of the Valley Catholic Church to establish a mission church near Sahuarita.
•April 8, 1983: Sahuarita Unified School District lays off 22 teachers as a result of state equalization of per pupil expenditures.
•April 20, 1983: Citing harassment of his wife, Ruth, Richard R. Long resigns from the GVR board at his first meeting back from suspension.
•April 22, 1983: Ed Bender is named principal of Sahuarita High School replacing Earl J. Kelly.
•May 11, 1983: Continental School Principal Jerry McEuen is arrested for shoplifting at Safeway.
•May 20, 1983: Sahuarita’s budget override is approved by voters 334-264.
•June 15, 1983: The Fire Board reviews a two-story design for the new Desert Hills fire station.
•June 17, 1983: The Continental school board renews Jerry McEuen’s for one year with no change in salary.
•June 24, 1983: SES Principal Robert Holzmiller turns down the vacant superintendent’s job at Sahuarita schools.
•June 29, 1983: Plans are unveiled for a “comprehensive” health care center across the Santa Cruz River from Haven Golf Course.
•July 20, 1983: Tucson Medical Center, U.S. Care Corp. and the Green Valley Community Health Center have formed a partnership to develop a major health care complex.
•July 29, 1983: Stephen E. Lebrecht, associate superintendent of Oak Lawn Community High School near Chicago is named superintendent for Sahuarita Unified School District.
•Aug. 10, 1983: Fire Board announces its intent to purchase a site for new fire station in Desert Hills from Fairfield for $24,624.
•Aug. 17, 1983: St. Mary’s Hospital will open a 24-hour emergency clinic in Green Valley.
•Sept. 28, 1983: A proposal to expand Green Valley by about 5,700 acres is to be discussed by GVCCC.
•Sept. 30, 1983: Green Valley’s population is projected to be at 60,000 people in 2005.
•Oct. 5, 1983: The worst flooding in a century leaves thousands homeless in Sahuarita, Green Valley and surrounding communities.
•Oct. 7, 1983: Flood woes persist as Elephant Head is isolated by high water.
•Oct. 19, 1983: Parks Development Co. is approved by the Board of Supervisors as the builder of a new 18-hole golf course.
•Oct. 26, 1983: GVCCC tables discussion of a 5,700-acre development.
•Nov. 30, 1983: Archie Romney is named teacher of the year for the state of Arizona.
•Dec. 2, 1983: The cost of cleaning up after the October floods is estimated at $54.5 million.
•Dec. 14, 1983: The Green Valley Fire District Board of Directors decides to seek a $600,000 bond election for the construction of the Desert Hills fire station.
1984
•Jan. 6, 1984: Justice of the Peace Charles V. Lundstedt hears over 2,000 cases during his first year on the bench in Green Valley.
•Jan. 27, 1984: Green Valley voters approve $600,000 in bonds for the construction of the Desert Hills fire station.
Scottsdale-based Roadhaven Resorts Inc. announces plans to develop the first phase of South Orchard Park. 
The 500-acre parcel was sold by Parks Development Co. for $5.4 million.
•Feb. 10, 1984: A News poll of Green Valley residents shows that 66.8 percent are opposed to incorporation.
•Feb. 15, 1984: Plans are announced for the construction of a 160-unit apartment complex at La Cañada Drive and Via Alamos.
•Feb. 29, 1984: The boys’ varsity basketball team at Sahuarita High School finishes second to Snowflake for the state championship.
•March 14, 1984: The Green Valley Fire District annexes the Torres Blancas development.
•March 16, 1984: Construction starts on Torres Blancas.
•April 4, 1984: Cyprus-Pima mine sprays latex atop tailings piles to try to control dust.
•April 18, 1984: The News files an antitrust suit citing restraint of trade, monopoly and predatory practices against the Arizona Daily Star and Tucson Citizen.
•April 27, 1984: Local mines outline plans to control blowing dust from tailings piles.
•June 13, 1984: The bid accepted for construction of the Desert Hills fire station is $443,696.
•July 6, 1984: The Continental school board discusses the removal of the new gym floor due to buckling.
•July 13, 1984: William J. McNarie of Camp Verde Unified School District is named new principal at Sahuarita High School.
•Aug. 22, 1984: Mechanic’s liens totaling $1 million are filed against Roadhaven Resorts Inc.
•Sept. 5, 1984: The U.S. Air Force approves using the Titan II missile silo near Green Valley as a museum.
•Oct. 3, 1984: Sahuarita schools opens a new kindergarten in Arivaca.
•Oct. 10, 1984: Fairfield announces a plan to build a 120-bed health center.
•Nov. 16, 1984: Kerley Chemical Corp. closes to install air pollution equipment.
•Nov. 20, 1984: GVR dues are raised $15 to $189.
•Dec. 7, 1984: Canoa Hills Golf Course to open for play tomorrow.
•Dec. 28, 1984: Lee Trevino cancels his contract to develop a golf course in the Torres Blancas development.
1985
•Jan. 2, 1985: Flood waters return to the area following a two-day rain storm.
•Jan. 23, 1985: Discussion regarding incorporation of Green Valley begins anew.
•Jan. 25, 1985: Green Valley voters approve a fire code for the Green Valley Fire District.
•Feb. 8, 1985: A survey finds that the median age of Green Valley residents is 65-69.
•Feb. 13, 1985: The new Desert Hills fire station is to begin service Monday.
•Feb. 22, 1985: GVCCC approves a study by Health Systems Agency of Southeastern Arizona in order to develop a comprehensive plan for medical resources.
•April 3, 1985: The Board of Supervisors approves an 800 townhouse development by J.R. Ventures Inc. of Phoenix.
•May 3, 1985: Roadhaven, the developer of financially-strapped Torres Blancas, files for reorganization in federal bankruptcy court.
•May 22, 1985: GVR members are “up in arms” over the holding of secret meetings.
•June 12, 1985: GVR board study sessions are declared to be open to members, but not to reporters.
•June 28, 1985: The Santa Cruz River bridge on U.S. 89 is closed for 30 days to effect repairs of damage caused by the 1983 floods.
The Green Valley News is to move into its Green Valley Mall offices July 5-6.
•July 2, 1985: Arivaca opens a new community center July 4.
•July 5, 1985: Torres Blancas developers list debts exceeding $77 million.
•Aug. 23, 1985: Green Valley Mortuary and Memorial Gardens, owned by Reg T. Morrison and Gary Triano, is to open Sept. 8.
•Aug. 28, 1985: The final phase of the $2.3 million Continental Shopping Plaza expansion opens.
•Aug. 30, 1985: Fire code inspections start in Green Valley.
•Sept. 11, 1985: Plans are announced for the construction of a new life care center south of Esperanza Estates.
•Sept. 20, 1985: According to Lawrence Mann, director of the University of Arizona’s Integrated Development Planning Facility, a major industrial satellite city with a population of 300,000 will virtually envelop Green Valley within the next 50 years.
•Sept. 25, 1985: Pima County steps up dust monitoring.
GVR’s Meredith “Skip” Hobson receives a pay increase to $39,000.
•Oct. 23, 1985: Kerley Mining Chemicals is allowed to continue its operations despite protests of local residents.
•Oct. 30, 1985: Attendance at GVR board study sessions to be “by invitation only.”
•Nov. 13, 1985: GVR’s board moves to bar “scripture-quoting” critic Richard R. Long from study sessions.
•Nov. 15, 1985: Sahuarita Unified School District sets a budget override election for Feb. 11, 1986.
•Nov. 20, 1985: The Santo Tomas Awareness Group (STAG) appeals the ruling regarding Kerley Chemical by filing a lawsuit.
•Nov. 22, 1985: $23 million in bonds are approved for the construction of La Posada.
•Nov. 26, 1985: GVR ends board study sessions.
•Dec. 4, 1985: A deactivated Titan II missile is placed in the silo for display at the museum.
1986
•Jan. 3, 1986: An auto emissions exemption is now in place for Green Valley and surrounding residents.
•Jan. 10, 1986: Anthony and Adrianna Loschner are sued by their homeowners association over the birth of their son Joshua Joseph violating age restrictions.
•Jan. 31, 1986: A survey finds that longtime Green Valley residents are more likely to oppose incorporation.
•Feb. 14, 1986: Sahuarita voters approve a 10 percent budget override.
•Feb. 21, 1986: Fairfield wins lawsuit over its sale of the Desert Hills Golf Course.
•Feb. 28, 1986: Fairfield sells Continental Professional Plaza to the New Mexico and Arizona Land. Co.
•March 5, 1986: A definition of community boundaries for planning purposes is approved by GVCCC.
•March 12, 1986: GVR refuses to release vote totals for its annual election.
•March 26, 1986: GVR’s board votes to release vote totals from annual election.
•April 25, 1986: The Sheriff’s Department’s SWAT Team conducts very realistic terrorist training exercises in Green Valley.
•May 9, 1986: The Titan Missile Museum is dedicated.
•May 14, 1986: The new $2.9 million Continental Bridge opens.
•May 23, 1986: Continental School District voters approve a 10 percent budget override.
•June 20, 1986: The Loschners sue GVCCC charging discrimination.
•July 11, 1986: The Loschners buy 9.5 acres of land south of Green Valley.
•Aug. 27, 1986: GVR Executive Director Meredith “Skip” Hobson announces his retirement.
•Sept. 10, 1986: The Green Valley Fire Board spends $50,000 for the purchase of a used fire engine and ambulance from a local mine.
•Sept. 17, 1986: Pima County rejects Kerley Chemical’s request to resume operations.
•Sept. 19, 1986: Country Club North Inc. wins its deed restrictions lawsuit against the Loschners.
•Oct. 8, 1986: Kerley Chemical is cited by Pima County for producing foul odors.
•Oct. 24, 1986: Jeff Ziegler is picked to succeed Hobson as executive director at GVR. His salary is kept secret.
•Nov. 5, 1986: Green Valley Mall is sold by Haven Management Co. to Concord Funds Inc. 
The Villages townhouse lawsuit against Adeline and Vincent Di Lorenzo is settled out of court.
•Nov. 14, 1986: The Quality Inn is set to open Dec. 1.
•Dec. 12, 1986: E.C. Garcia and Co. buys 2,800 acres of FICO land.
•Dec. 19, 1986: GVCCC pays 50 percent of the legal fees for Country Club North Inc. lawsuit against Loschners.
•Dec. 12, 1986: Sparks fly as Fire Marshal Frank Nugent issues parking tickets for cars found near hydrants.
1987
•Jan. 2, 1987: A GVCCC study on government options for Green Valley is completed.
•Jan. 16, 1987: The community of Santo Tomas may petition to be annexed into the Green Valley Fire District.
•Jan. 30, 1987: A Green Valley News study finds that the median age of the community is now 70.5 years of age.
•Feb. 18, 1987: The Santa Cruz Valley Citizens Council looks at incorporation of Tubac.
•March 20, 1987: The Green Valley Civic Center model is now on display for the community.
•April 3, 1987: The Arivaca kindergarten is closed by SUSD.
•April 15, 1987: Plans are announced to turn the Amado Race Track into a research institute.
•April 17, 1987: Green Valley residents clash over incorporation.
•May 1, 1987: Green Valley community leaders issue a call for incorporation.
•May 15, 1987: the first residents move into the La Posada facility.
•May 20, 1987: Jose Vega-Vega, who terrorized Arivaca is taken into custody.
•June 12, 1987: FHA is to finance the construction of a $5.8 million apartment complex north of Via Alamos Apartments.
•June 17, 1987: A survey reveals that 71 percent of Green Valley residents oppose incorporation.
•June 26, 1987: The concept of a new $1.8 million recreation center is approved by GVR.
•July 2, 1987: E.C. Garcia and Co. Inc. sells the mortgages for 5,500 acres of Green Valley for $38 million.
•July 22, 1987: Efforts to incorporate Rio Rico are to be renewed.
•Aug. 14, 1987: Plans for a 1,010-acre luxury resort on the Santa Cruz River north of Tubac is derailed by bankruptcy.
•Sept. 4, 1987: Santa Cruz County files a lawsuit against Pima County’s plan to buy the 75,000-acre Empire-Cienega Ranch for $31 million because 4,500 acres are located in Santa Cruz County.
•Sept. 23, 1987: Community Water Co. of Green Valley buys New Pueblo Water Co.
•Sept. 30, 1987: At least 19 Green Valley investors, plus an investment firm, are among the creditors owed $700,000 in Chapter 11 bankruptcy filings by Niles Thim Corp. 
•Nov. 6, 1987: The Williamson Group of Scottsdale donates land to the Civic Center of Green Valley after its purchase of 532 acres from Pennzoil subsidiary Richland Development Corp.
•Dec. 9, 1987: GVCCC holds a secret meeting regarding the future of the Santa Rita Experimental Range.
•Dec. 18, 1987: Merl Peek pounds the Green Valley News “for its reporting, editorials and divisive influence in the community” as he leaves office as president of GVCCC.
1988
•Jan. 6, 1988: Canoa Hills Golf Course is sold to Japanese-owned Morry California Inc. for more than $5 million.
•Feb. 3, 1988: GVCCC’s Executive Board votes to support the Santa Rita Experimental Range land swap.
•Feb. 19, 1988: Chuck Shipman is hired as the new administrative assistant at GVCCC.
•Feb. 26, 1988: Traffic lights are installed at Continental Road and La Cañada Drive intersection.
•March 3, 1988: E.C. Garcia and Co. buys the 6,200-acre Canoa Ranch for $15 million.
•March 9, 1988: Wal-Mart plans a store at I-19 and Duval Mine Road.
•April 6, 1988: SES Principal Robert Holzmiller resigns his post.
•May 13, 1988: Merl Peek announces his effort to launch a new incorporation effort for Green Valley.
•May 20, 1988: Anamax Park will double in size under planned expansion of county parks.
•May 25, 1988: Caterpillar announces plans to buy 6,200 acres for a test site near Green Valley.
•Aug. 24, 1988: A boundary flap develops between the communities of Green Valley and Sahuarita.
•Aug. 31, 1988: American Continental Corp., owned by Charles Keating, purchases the major assets of E.C. Garcia and Co., including the Canoa Ranch and 4,500 acres of FICO land for $40 million.
•Sept. 14, 1988: Rural Metro Chief Ron Heinz is fired and Fred Roof is brought in as the new district chief.
•Sept. 21, 1988: Sahuarita homeowners form an area council.
•Oct. 5, 1988: The movie Disaster at Silo 7 is filmed among staged explosions at the Titan Missile Museum.
•Oct. 28, 1988: Green Valley catholics vote on the construction of a new church.
•Nov. 18, 1988: Agreement is reached naming Duval Mine Road as the boundary between Green Valley and Sahuarita.
•Dec. 14, 1988: The Civic Center board receives a 57-acre donation of land from the Williamson Group of Scottsdale.
•Dec. 21, 1988: More than 1,400 acres of SaddleCreek Ranch are sold by E.C. Garcia to Emerald American Corp.
•Dec. 23, 1988: Justice of the Peace Charles Lundstedt to step down Jan. 27.
1989
•Jan. 4, 1989: Arson is suspected as the cause of a fire at the abandoned Roadhaven offices.
•Jan. 6, 1989: Emerald Homes announces plans for 5,000 homes and two golf courses on 1,700 acres in a development now known as Quail Creek.
•Jan. 13, 1989: The Project for Incorporation, led by Merl Peek, begins passing petitions to get the issue on the ballot.
•Jan. 20, 1989: The contract of Continental School District Administrator Jerry McEuen will not be renewed.
•Jan. 25, 1989: Howard R. Nordeck is appointed from a field of five candidates to replace Justice of the Peace Charles Lundstedt.
Volunteers for Less Government, led by Al Pachter and David Sirota, gear up to fight incorporation.
•Feb. 3, 1989: The issue of incorporation revives the historic border war between communities of Green Valley and Sahuarita.
•Feb. 15, 1989: Kmart announces plans to build a store in Green Valley.
•Feb. 17, 1989: Voters in the Sahuarita Unified School district approve a budget override by a 22-vote margin.
•March 3, 1989: The Pima County Planning and Zoning Commission approves a specific plan allowing for the construction of 5,000 homes at Quail Creek.
•March 15, 1989: In a reversal of an earlier decision, the Continental School District Governing Board extends the contract of Administrator Jerry McEuen for one year.
•March 17, 1989: As a result of the McEuen decision, board member Joan Browning resigns her seat on the Continental Governing Board.
•April 12, 1989: The Williamson Group of Scottsdale completes its purchase of 532 acres on Green Valley’s northwest side.
•April 14, 1989: Gov. Rose Mofford rejects a proposal that would put state-owned and operated emergency phones along I-19 between Green Valley and Tucson.
•April 19, 1989: The bankruptcy of American Continental Corp. puts a cloud over the potential development of some 9,000 acres of land in and around Green Valley.
•May 17, 1989: Plans are announced for the construction of a Northwest Hospital outpatient facility west of I-19 between Duval Mine Road and Duval Road.
•May 24, 1989: Plans are announced for a new shopping center to be built at the northwest corner of Abrego Drive and Esperanza Blvd. in Green Valley.
•May 26, 1989: The Project for Incorporation announces that it has collected 1,900 signatures on petitions aimed at securing a place on the November ballot.
•June 7, 1989: Walter McKinley launches a drive that has as its main goal the construction and operation of a 24-hour emergency medical clinic in Green Valley.
•June 23, 1989: Sahuarita High School automotive services instructor Archie Romney is named national Automotive Teacher of the Year.
•June 28, 1989: A judge upholds the age-restriction requirement for townhouses owned and rented from Adeline and Vincent Di Lorenzo in the Villages of Green Valley.
•July 14, 1989: The Project for Incorporation files its petitions seeking a place on the November ballot.
•July 26, 1989: The signatures on the PFI petitions are verified and the election is set for Nov. 7.
•Aug. 9, 1989: The installation of emergency telephones on I-19 between Green Valley and Tucson is approved by the Arizona Department of Transportation.
•Aug. 11, 1989: Continental School District Administrator Jerry McEuen announces that he will take early retirement as soon as a replacement can be found.
•Aug. 23, 1989: A portion of the Roadhaven project is to be put on the auction block.
•Sept. 15, 1989: Bashas’ announces its intent to build a 40,000 square foot store at Duval Mine and I-19.
•Oct. 6, 1989: An agreement is announced between Emerald Homes and the Green Valley Fire District calling for all homes at Quail Creek to have fire suppression sprinklers.
•Oct. 18, 1989: The first elections are held for the newly-created Sahuarita Area Council.
•Oct. 25, 1989: A Green Valley News poll reports that a majority of Green Valley residents reject incorporation for the community.
•Nov. 8, 1989: Green Valley voters reject incorporation at the polls, yesterday, 2,215-6,223.
•Nov. 15, 1989: The Green Valley Fire District annexes the Wal-Mart shopping center into the district.
•Nov. 21, 1989: The allocation of $117,000 is approved to pay for the installation of emergency telephones on I-19.
•Dec. 15, 1989: A school administrator from Maine, Stephen T. McAllister, is hired at Continental School District to replace Jerry McEuen.
1990
•Jan. 10, 1990: Plans for a new 20,000 square foot medical center that would provide 24-hour care are announced.
•Jan 31, 1990: Under pressure from the Friends of Madera Canyon, the U.S. Forest Service bans hunting in heavily-used areas of the canyon.
•Feb. 2, 1990: Niles Thim pleads guilty to three felony charges involving the sale of unregistered securities.
•Feb. 23, 1990: The Pima County Parks and Recreation Commission recommends the allocation of $300,000 for the construction of Sopori Park adjacent to Sopori Elementary School.
•Feb. 28, 1990: Continental Shopping Plaza is purchased by Madera Properties.
•March 2, 1990: University Medical Center and University Physicians Inc. announce their intent to build and equip a 20,000 square foot medical facility on land to be donated by FICO.
•March 30, 1990: Cyprus Sierrita Mine violates air quality permits for excessive dust from tailings piles.
•April 4, 1990: Fairfield puts its Green Valley properties up for sale.
•April 13, 1990: Quail Creek is sold to Phoenix-based Lifeshares Group Inc. 
The Pima County Board of Supervisors is asked to approve the formation of a health services taxing district for Green Valley.
•April 20, 1990: A plan for a $2.1 million urgent care center and medical clinic is outlined by officials from University Medical Center and University Physicians Inc.
•May 9, 1990: Territorial Newspapers is purchased by Wick Communications.
•May 11, 1990: Health Services, Greater Green Valley Area, Inc. kicks off a petition drive to create a taxing district to support the proposed urgent care center.
•May 16, 1990: Gov. Mofford visits Green Valley to place the first call on the I-19 emergency phones.
•May 23, 1990: Niles H. Thim is sentenced to a year in jail to be served over four years, to pay restitution of $9.2 million and to participate in a television program to be called “How I Stole $9.2 million.”
•June 15, 1990: The GVCCC Executive Board holds a secret meeting to discuss the activities of the GVCCC Health Committee.
•June 22, 1990: Green Valley resident Joan Swetland is elected chairman of the Pima County Parks and Recreation Commission.
•June 29, 1990: Arkansas-based Fairfield Communities Inc. has a debt of $3.4 million that is due tomorrow.
•July 11, 1990: UMC delays construction of the Green Valley urgent care center for three months.
•July 13, 1990: Construction is to start of a 40,000 square foot Bashas’ next week.
•July 20, 1990: Santo Tomas residents Patrick and Paula Walsh win a $7 million jackpot from the Arizona Lottery.
•Sept. 21, 1990: Voters will consider approving a half-cent sales tax Nov. 6 to finance a $369 million 10-year Regional Long-Range Transportation and Air Quality Plan.
•Oct. 3, 1990: The Civic Center of Green Valley fails to raise more than $425,000 of the $1.25 million goal by Oct. 1 deadline.
•Oct. 5, 1990: Fairfield Communities files for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in federal court at Little Rock. Green Valley operations are not included in initial filing.
•Oct. 17, 1990: The Green Valley Fire District annexes the Kmart site into the fire district’s boundaries.
•Oct. 26, 1990: Carondelet reduces clinic hours due to continued financial losses.
•Nov. 23, 1990: Fairfield Green Valley Inc. follows parent Fairfield Communities into Chapter 11 bankruptcy proceedings.
•Dec. 12, 1990: Frank H. Newell is named publisher of the Green Valley News and Sun succeeding Jon Fishman who is named publisher of the Ojai Valley News in California.
•Dec. 21, 1990: The proposal for a $1.7 million urgent care center and medical clinic in Green Valley to be operated by UMC/UPI is tabled by a committee of the Arizona Board of Regents.
1991
•Jan. 9, 1991: Niles H. Thim asks that the $26 million bankruptcy reorganization of his company be changed to liquidation.
•Jan. 23, 1991: Following the recommendations of a committee the Green Valley urgent care/medical clinic is tabled by the Arizona Board of Regents.
•Feb. 22, 1991: In light of a lack of support from the Arizona Board of Regents, University Medical Center reconsiders the need for an urgent care/medical clinic in Green Valley.
•March 20, 1991: Quail Creek Country Club files for Chapter 7 bankruptcy in federal court.
•March 22, 1991: Leo “Tebone” Hohler, Green Valley’s first resident, dies at the age of 76.
•April 12, 1991: In the aftermath of several fatal and near-fatal traffic collisions at the intersection of Continental Road and Abrego Drive, Pima County’s Department of Transportation installs new stops signs and warning lights prompting Sheriff’s Department Sgt. Jim Kirmse to say: “This intersection was designed by Saddam Hussein. The only obstacle it doesn’t have is flaming oil.”
•May 1, 1991: The GVCCC Health Committee recommends that urgent care still be pursued for Green Valley, but without the financial support of a health taxing district.
•May 8, 1991: Despite numerous fatal and near-fatal traffic accident, a study by the Arizona Department of Transportation indicated that a traffic signal is not yet needed at the intersection of U.S. 89 and Sahuarita Road.
•May 24, 1991: Green Valley has a new air quality monitor to provide weekly pollen and mold counts.
•May 31, 1991: The GVCCC Board of Representatives vote to support the concept of urgent medical care without taxes as recommended by the Health Committee.
•June 19, 1991: The Sahuarita Area Council contests the ADOT study which rejected the need for a traffic signal at U.S. 89 and Sahuarita Road.
•July 10, 1991: A tentative agreement is reportedly reached regarding the bankruptcy of Quail Creek Country Club.
•July 12, 1991: Sahuarita Unified School District buys nine acres of land in Santo Tomas for $135,000 as a future site for an elementary school.
•Sept. 6, 1991: There will be no marching band at Sahuarita High School during the first semester as the district fails to locate an instructor.
•Sept. 25, 1991: Southwestern Life Insurance Co. acquires Quail Creek Country Club.
•Sept. 27, 1991: More than 80 dogs are seized by Pima Animal Control from a home in Sahuarita Heights.
•Nov. 6, 1991: Health Services, Greater Green Valley Area abandons its petition drive to form a health taxing district.
•Nov. 8, 1991: The Governing Board for Sahuarita Unified School District considers calling a bond election to build an elementary school in Santo Tomas.
•Nov. 29, 1991: Sahuarita High School hires Thomas Herrera as the new band director.
•Dec. 6, 1991: Sopori Park opens following a formal dedication ceremony.
•Dec. 13, 1991: Plans are announced for a $1 million community services center for Casa de Esperanza at La Posada.
1992
•Jan. 29, 1992: FHP announces plans for a $5 million medical center to be built in Green Valley.
•Feb. 12, 1992: A contract for the construction of the 48-acre Sahuarita District Park is approved by the Board of Supervisors.
•Feb. 19, 1992: Sahuarita Unified School District considers setting a May 19 special election to ask voter permission to sell $15.5 million in bonds.
•Feb. 21, 1992: The name of Sopori Park is changed to Kay Stupy/Sopori Park to honor a long-time community activist.
•May 20, 1992: Fire Board Chairman Lewis Weldon accepts appointment to the Board of Directors at Fairfield Green Valley Inc.
•May 27, 1992: The Fire Board approves the purchase of 8.75 acres of Fairfield land just east of Station 152 for $62,500.
•June 19, 1992: Health Services, Greater Green Valley Area gives up its urgent care, health taxing district campaign.
•Aug. 14, 1992: The Williamson Group of Scottsdale unveils plans for the construction of 1,590 homes on land just west of Green Valley in what eventually will be known as Las Campanas.
•Aug. 19, 1992: A federal Bankruptcy court approves plans for reorganization offered by Fairfield Communities and its subsidiaries including here in Green Valley.
•Oct. 30, 1992: Objections are raised to commercial zoning proposed by the Williamson Group in the Las Campanas Specific Plan.
•Nov. 18, 1992: Fairfield Green Valley Inc. emerges from bankruptcy.
1993
•Jan. 20, 1993: Very heavy rains over a two-week period unleash the Santa Cruz River closing five area bridges.
•Jan. 22, 1993: The Santa Cruz River reaches record flood levels.
•Feb. 5, 1993: FHP reaches a tentative accord to purchase land on Continental Road for its new medical center.
•Feb. 10, 1993: A citizens panel recommends to the Governing Board for Continental School District that they seek permission of voters to sell $1.65 million in bonds at a May 19 special election.
A plan by Arizona Baptist Retirement Centers Inc. to build a residential retirement campus in Green Valley is called off.
•Feb. 12, 1993: Three armed robbers steal $400,000 in jewels from a salesman on I-19.
•March 5, 1993: A controversial proposal to permit residential development in Madera Canyon is defeated at the Santa Cruz County Board of Supervisors.
•March 12, 1993: A $20 million bond proposal to finance the construction of a new high school and middle school for Santa Cruz Unified School District is approved at the polls by district voters.
•April 28, 1993: The eighth grade at Continental Middle School decides to go to Washington, D.C. instead of Phoenix on their annual class trip.
•May 19, 1993: GVCCC leaders call for a study to be undertaken of government options for Green Valley.
•May 26, 1993: FHP to break ground June 9 on a $5.5 million medical complex.
•May 28, 1993: Cyprus Minerals Corp. and AMAX Inc. announce a merger.
•June 2, 1993: Volunteers for Less Government emerges from hibernation to vow to fight any efforts aimed at incorporating Green Valley.
•June 11, 1993: Sahuarita Unified School District Superintendent Stephen Lebrecht announces that he will resign to return to Illinois.
•June 18, 1993: The Sahuarita Area Council hears a proposal from Sharpe and Associates for the development of 2,500 acres of desert at I-19 and Helmet Peak Road.
•July 7, 1993: SUSD hires educational consultant Thomas E. Neel as interim superintendent while seeking a permanent replacement for Lebrecht.
•July 9, 1993: 1986 Sahuarita High School graduate Chris Fanning is named head football coach.
•Aug. 27, 1993: Fairfield sells 93 acres of land, as part of the bankruptcy settlement, to Sharpe and Associates near the Duval Mine Road and La Cañada Drive area.
•Oct. 13, 1993: Donald L. Wright of Pinedale, Wyo. is offered the position of superintendent of Sahuarita Unified School District on a 4-1 vote of the Governing Board.
•Oct. 29, 1993: Ground is broken for the $1.2 million Greater Green Valley Community Services Complex at La Posada.
•Nov. 26, 1993: The Pima County Planning and Zoning Commission recommends approval of requests by Sharpe and Associates and by Carl Bosse to move their respective properties in Sahuarita and east of Green Valley out of development reserve.
•Dec. 3, 1993: The Governing Board for SUSD calls for a March 8 budget override election.
1994
•Jan. 19, 1994: The Board of Supervisors approves the request of Sharpe and Associates to move its Sahuarita property out of development reserve.
•Jan. 28, 1994: Student unrest at Sahuarita High School prompts a search of every student with metal detectors looking for weapons.
•Feb. 11, 1994: The Governing Board for Continental School District proposes a high school for the district.
•March 11, 1994: The Williamson Group of Scottsdale buys Fairfield Green Valley.
The budget override for SUSD is approved.
•April 15, 1994: The GVCCC Executive Board rejects boundaries proposed for the incorporated town of Green Valley.
•April 20, 1994: The Executive Board reverses its earlier action approving the proposed incorporated boundaries.
FICO announces its intention to sell the onetime Roadhaven and Torres Blancas to Dorn and Associates which intends to develop them as Santa Rita Springs.
•April 22, 1994: The GVCCC Board of Representatives rejects the proposed incorporate boundaries of Green Valley.
•April 29, 1994: The Board of Representatives approves revised incorporated boundaries which set the northern boundary for Green Valley at Anamax Road in the community of Santo Tomas.
•May 11, 1994: In reaction to the action by the GVCCC Board of Representatives, the Sahuarita Area Council forms a committee to study incorporation for that community.
•June 3, 1994: The Board of Representatives approves the effort to incorporate Green Valley.
•June 10, 1994: Petitions seeking incorporation for Green Valley are taken out by proponents.
•June 15, 1994: Sahuarita incorporation advocates launch a petition drive of their own with a southern boundary at Duval Road, well into what is considered to be Green Valley.
•June 17, 1994: Richard R. Long files suit in Pima County Superior Court against Green Valley Recreation charging violation of the organization’s bylaws.
•July 22, 1994: Fairfield begins building at Las Campanas.
•July 29, 1994: Fairfield signs contracts to purchase the historic Canoa Ranch from Pennzoil Corp. for $6.4 million.
•Aug. 3. 1994: Sahuarita beats Green Valley to the incorporation punch securing an election date of Sept. 13.
•Aug. 5, 1994: Dorn completes the acquisition of portions of the 600-acre Torres Blancas/Roadhaven developments with options taken on portions for later purchase.
•Aug. 10, 1994: Green Valley incorporation backer file 2,000 signatures with Pima County seeking an election date.
•Sept. 16, 1994: Sahuarita incorporation is approved at the polls by a 13-vote margin 271-258.
•Sept. 30, 1994: Ann Matyas becomes the first mayor of the town of Sahuarita.
•Oct. 19, 1994: The Titan Missile Museum becomes a national historic landmark.
•Oct. 28, 1994: Diamond Management Inc. an affiliate of Continental Foothills acquires the property now known as Madera Reserve.
•Nov. 2, 1994: Pima County Superior Court Judge Bernardo Velasco rules in favor of GVR in the lawsuit brought by Richard R. Long charging violations of the organizations bylaws.
•Nov. 11, 1994: Green Valley voters reject incorporation at the polls 2,932-6,242.
•Nov. 30, 1994: Canoa Hills Golf Course is to be managed by Texas-based Golf Enterprises, Inc. of Dallas.
•Dec. 23, 1994: The Governing Board for SUSD sets March 14, 1995, as a special election to seek permission to sell $30 million in bonds for school construction and renovation.
•Dec. 30, 1994: The Pima County Planning and Zoning Commission rejects a proposal to rezone 730 acres of land own by the Marley Cattle Co. near Green Valley.
1995
•Feb. 3, 1995: Sahuarita High School Principal Bill McNarie announces that he will take early retirement at the end of the school year.
•Feb. 15, 1995: The Sahuarita Town Council asks the Board of Supervisors to reject La Joya Verde’s development plans.
•Feb. 17, 1995: Pima Community College calls a $139.98 million bond election for new facilities including one for Green Valley.
•March 8, 1995: Robert Sharpe of Sharpe and Associates donates land to SUSD as a site for a new high school campus.
•March 17, 1995: The $30 million bond proposal for SUSD fails 513-699.
•April 21, 1995: Dave Holmer, a superintendent/principal of a school district at Wishram, Wash. is named principal of Sahuarita High School.
•May 19, 1995: A budget override for Continental School District fails by 29 votes while the Pima Community College bond election fails in Green Valley, but is approved elsewhere.
•June 2, 1995: Kmart announces that it will close its Sahuarita store Aug. 27.
•June 9, 1995: The endangered Pima pineapple cactus poses a dilemma locally for developers.
•Aug. 4, 1995: The SUSD Governing Board contemplates returning to the polls Nov. 7 for another $30 million bond election.
•Aug. 25, 1995: The bond election is set for Nov. 7 and the campaign to educate voters is launched.
•Sept. 22, 1995: The Board of Directors for Green Valley Recreation approve a newly-negotiated developer agreement with Fairfield Green Valley Inc.
•Nov. 3, 1995: Fairfield sells half interest in San Ignacio Golf Club to the Jacobs Golf Group of Scottsdale.
•Nov. 10, 1995: SUSD voters approve the $30 million bond election by a 2-1 margin reversing a vote of eight months earlier.
•Nov. 17, 1995: The new developer agreement between GVR and Fairfield is approved 4,651-817.
•Nov. 24, 1995: Plans for the 66-room, three-story Holiday Inn Express in Sahuarita are announced.
•Nov. 29, 1995: Health and environmental officials begin their search for the cause of foul odors in the area over Green Valley.
•Dec. 13, 1995: The Pima County Board of Supervisors approves a comprehensive plan amendment proposed by Fairfield for Canoa Ranch development.
•Dec. 15, 1995: FHP becomes Talbert Medical Group in Green Valley.
•Dec. 22, 1995: The speed limit for much of I-19, except through Green Valley, becomes 75 mph.
1996
•Jan. 31, 1996: The Sahuarita Town Council considers enacting a sales tax.
•Feb. 2, 1996: The sales tax revolt starts in the town of Sahuarita.
•Feb. 7, 1996: GVR’s Board of Directors approves the purchase of 1.44 acres of land near West Social Center for $300,000.
•Feb. 16, 1996: An effort to reverse the incorporation of Sahuarita is launched.
•Feb. 23, 1996: Republican presidential candidate Robert Dole campaigns in Green Valley.
•March 1, 1996: The Green Valley Fire District accepts the donation of land from Dorn and Associates at Continental Road and Abrego Drive as the site for a new fire station.
•March 6, 1996: The Sahuarita Town Council establishes a 1 percent sales tax.
•March 15, 1996: Sales tax referendum petitions are filed with the Town Clerk in Sahuarita.
Voters in Continental School District approve a budget override.
•March 20, 1996: The Sahuarita Town Council approves the specific plan for the Sharpe and Associates development Rancho Sahuarita.
•April 5, 1996: Petitions seeking a referendum on the sales tax imposed in the town of Sahuarita are rejected by Town Clerk Anne Parrish.
•April 10, 1996: A legislative proposal, co-sponsored by Rep. Bill McGibbon, R-Green Valley, which is designed to reduce property taxes for most residents of Arizona would actually raised property taxes for Green Valley residents of the Continental School District. Once the true nature of the legislation is discovered a campaign is launched to defeat the proposal which is approved by the Arizona Legislature anyway.
•April 26, 1996: Gov. Fife Symington comes to Green Valley and publicly vetoes the property tax legislation which would have resulted in a significant increase in taxes locally.
•May 1, 1996: The Board of Directors for GVR votes to accept Dorn into GVR membership.
•May 22, 1996: GVR members begin to question a proposal that would result in a joint operation of the Las Campanas Recreation Center with Pima Community College.
•May 29, 1996: Sahuarita Mayor Ann Matyas resigns from the council.
•June 19, 1996: Charles Oldham is elected mayor of the town of Sahuarita by his colleagues on the Town Council.
•June 21, 1996: The Green Valley Fire District enters into a new five-year contract with Rural Metro Fire Department to provide fire suppression and emergency medical services.
•July 14, 1996: The Arizona Legislature, meeting in special session, approves property tax reductions that mean an increase for Continental School District residents, but not as much as would have taken place had the earlier legislation been signed into law by Symington.
•July 26, 1996: Plans are announced for a shopping center at the intersection of Camino Encanto and Camino del Sol.
•July 31, 1996: The GVR Board of Directors approves a developer agreement with Santa Rita Springs and a membership vote is set to ratify the agreement.
•Aug. 2, 1996: American Golf Corp. takes over management of Canoa Hills Golf Course.
•Aug. 7, 1996: The town of Sahuarita wins the lawsuit challenging the 1 percent sales tax.
•Aug. 14, 1996: The town of Sahuarita announces its intention to form a police department.
•Sept. 4, 1996: The Pima County Board of Supervisors formally ends the effort to reverse the incorporation of Sahuarita.
•Sept. 11, 1996: SUSD receives a 33-acre donation of land for a new high school from Sharpe and Associates.
•Nov. 6, 1996: The Santa Rita Springs referendum is approved by GVR members 3,457-2,941.
•Nov. 15, 1996: The Continental School District anticipating growth begins to eye a $3 million bond election.
•Nov. 20, 1996: Dues for members of GVR will increase $36 to $296 a year starting Jan. 1, 1997.
•Nov. 27, 1996: Fairfield withdraws its land donation for the proposed joint venture between GVR and Pima Community College at Las Campanas.
1997
•Feb. 19, 1997: The Sahuarita Town Council gives tentative approval to hiring Tucson Police Department sergeant Dave Holoway as police chief.
•March 21, 1997: Sparks fly at the GVR annual meeting between Richard R. Long and Ed White.
Fairfield wins 3-2 approval by the Pima County Board of Supervisors for a rezoning that would allow construction of 500 homes and a nine-hole golf course on Canoa Ranch property west of I-19.
•April 4. 1997: Due to declining enrollment, reductions in force are started at SUSD.
•May 2, 1997: Sahuarita bus drivers press the district administration for a pay raise despite lean budget times.
•May 7, 1997: Sahuarita High School teacher threaten a “sick out” over no pay increases.
•June 18, 1997: Vivian Tiemeier is selected to be the new mayor of the town of Sahuarita.
•June 20, 1997: Plans are announced by the Arizona Aerospace Foundation for the construction of a new visitor center at the Titan Missile Museum.
•July 11, 1997: SaddleCreek LLC announces plans for renewed development at Quail Creek Country Club.
Archie Romney announces his intention to retire from Sahuarita High School after 30 years of service and move to Utah.
•Aug. 1, 1997: Plans are announced for the construction of a movie theater in Sahuarita.
•Aug. 27, 1997: MedPartners to acquire Talbert Medical Management for $200 million.
•Sept. 17, 1997: The GVR Board of Directors sets another referendum to approve boundary changes for Santa Rita Springs, this time to bring in 149 lots for homes.
•Sept. 26, 1997: Sahuarita Police Department is ready to begin operations relieving the Sheriff’s Department which had been serving the town on a contract basis.
•Oct. 15, 1997: Helmet Peak Road becomes Sahuarita Road within the boundaries of the town of Sahuarita.
•Oct. 22, 1997: Mesa Republican Jeff Groscost edges out Green Valley Republican Bill McGibbon for the post of Speaker of the Arizona House of Representatives.
•Oct. 24, 1997: The staff of Sahuarita Unified School District gives Superintendent Donald L. Wright a vote of no confidence.
•Nov. 26, 1997: The SRS referendum is approved by GVR members 6,616-1931.
•Dec. 31, 1997: Social worker Edythe Taylor announces that she will leave Green Valley Assistance Services.
1998
•Jan. 16, 1998: Reacting to criticism that it pays little property taxes in support of the Green Valley Fire District, La Posada owners agree to donate $50,000 annually for 10 years toward the construction of a new fire state at Continental Road and Abrego Drive.
•Feb. 13, 1998: Bus drivers for Sahuarita Unified School District threaten to walk off the job.
•Feb. 18, 1998: Some, but not all of the bus drivers walk.
•Feb. 27, 1998: Continental Superintendent Stephen T. McAllister is going to leave for a position in Iowa.
•March 4, 1998: A traffic accident in Tucson involving Sahuarita High School students leaves one dead and three injured.
•April 3, 1998: Long-time teacher Jane Pryne is named superintendent at Continental School District.
•April 8, 1998: The Pima County Board of Supervisors approves a site for the proposed Green Valley performing arts center.
•April 22, 1998: Democrat Chuck Shipman announces his candidacy for Justice of the Peace after Justice of the Peace Howard R. Nordeck decides against running for reelection.
•April 24, 1998: Superintendent Donald L. Wright is diagnosed with lymphoma, a form of cancer.
•May 22, 1998: Voters in the town of Sahuarita approve the ownership of a wastewater treatment facility.
•June 3, 1998: Sahuarita High School student David Burriss is charged with manslaughter as a result of the Feb. 28 traffic death of a fellow student.
•June 5, 1998: Wick Communications buys the Southwestern Arizona Weekly Bulletin and the Weekly Arizonan.
•June 12, 1998: KGVY radio is sold to an Illinois broadcaster.
•June 26, 1998: Superintendent Donald L. Wright announces his retirement effective Dec. 1 and Assistant Superintendent Jay C. St. John is chosen as his successor.
Football Coach Chris Fanning resigns his coaching position citing a lack of commitment from his players.
•July 10, 1998: Fanning decides to remain as football coach as no replacement can be found.
•July 17, 1998: Cox Communications buys TCI of Tucson and promises improvements to the system and to service.
•July 24, 1998: All Aboard Travel manager Darlene Cole is charged with defrauding customers who booked cruises but had no reservations when they arrived for departure.
•Aug. 8, 1998: After several weeks of courting, Province Healthcare Co. of Tennessee decides against building a for profit hospital in Green Valley.
•Aug. 14, 1998: The newly-finished Sahuarita High School opens for classes with the start of the school year.
•Aug. 19, 1998: Superintendent Donald L. Wright is given a clean bill of health after treatment for cancer.
•Aug. 26, 1998: Sahuarita Mayor Vivian Tiemeier is ousted and replaced by Gordon Van Camp.
•Sept. 16, 1998: Tiemeier resigns her seat on the Town Council.
•Oct. 7, 1998: Darlene Cole avoids prosecution by entering a diversion program which requires repayment funds obtained through fraudulent means.
David Burriss pleads guilty and receives six months in the county jail and is placed on probation for seven years.
•Oct. 9, 1998: Carondelet announces plans to close its Green Valley hospice.
•Oct. 23, 1998: Station 153, the newest for the Green Valley Fire District is to be dedicated tomorrow.
•Oct. 30, 1998: The Canoa Ranch specific plan is rejected by the Pima County Planning and Zoning Commission.
•Nov. 4, 1998: Carondelet Health Services takes over the patients and practice at Talbert Medical Center.
•Nov. 6, 1998: Democrat Chuck Shipman beats Republican Deneen Peterson for Justice of the Peace.
•Nov. 13, 1998: GVR proposes joint operation of a social services program with Casa de Esperanza.
•Nov. 27, 1998: Veteran Green Valley News Reporter Robert Will dies following a short battle with cancer.
•Dec. 11, 1998: Quail Creek Country Club opens its second nine holes of golf.
•Dec. 31, 1998: The Harvard Group of Scottsdale seeks the annexation of 3.25 square miles by the town of Sahuarita in order to bring its Madera Highlands project into the jurisdiction of the town.