It may not be gourmet, but it is cheap — and the proceeds go to a charity that helps local first responders and their families when they’re the ones in crisis.

Among the not-so-favorite memories from high school, standing in front of the class to deliver a presentation ranks right up there. Remember, the clammy palms, racing heart, dry throat and jumbled nerves?

Winning the first set in five of six matches, the Xavier girls tennis team set the stage early for a repeat of its Div. I state championship on Saturday.

Dillie Nerios is a Florida food stamp recruiter. Her job is to sign up 150 seniors monthly in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP).

“I don’t know why everyone is complaining that the Gilbert school board cut salaries, eliminated the teachers’ voices from negotiations, and secured all the power of decision making for themselves. After all, this strategy has worked very successfully in Communist Russia, Nazi Germany, and... and... oh wait... maybe there IS a problem here!”

The Medicaid Restoration plan put forth by Gov. Brewer is a prudent economic option that helps our state stay competitive while serving those who are most vulnerable. We need a solution that works with us to reinstate coverage for those in need, while remaining fiscally responsible by reigning in the out of control costs of uncompensated care. The Governor’s plan is an excellent solution for Arizonans since it allows our hospitals and providers to continue giving the very best standard and quality of care, while reducing stress on taxpayers and the general fund to pay for the costs of uncompensated care.

It ended soon after it began, this revolution. Not with a bang, or even a whimper. The soldiers, unsure of their cause, simply left the battlefield. As the sun set on the retreating army, the sun also set on the vision of a shining city on a hill, which remains darkened to this day.

Take the fam out for a not-so-ordinary night at the ball park, where a host of celebs — including Darnell Dockett, Richard Sherman, Gary Payton, Marcel Reece, Louis Vito, Eddie House, Terrell Owens, Tia Alexander, Claudia Jordan, Lindsey Berg, and of course, Larry Fitzgerald — battle it out in a charity softball game, benefiting the National Breast Cancer Foundation, Big Brothers Big Sisters and the American Cancer Society, among others.

If you’re like me, you waited until the final days of the tax season to file your returns. And if you’re like me, you’re thinking there ought to be ways to keep your finances organized throughout the year to avoid the mad scramble as April 15 approaches.

On March 1, Congress failed to come to an agreement on a federal spending package, leading to the implementation of sequestration resulting in an $85 billion cut in government spending over the next seven months. Hardest hit are programs that serve our community’s most vulnerable. But, there is hope and that hope lies within us.

Monti’s La Casa Vieja will host Dining in the Dark 6:30 to 8:15 p.m. April 11 to benefit Foundation for Blind Children, a Valley resource for families and children dealing with blindness or low vision.

It’s Easter Sunday, so please indulge me with a bit of a sermon, one you can take in a human context as well as a spiritual one.

When I first came to the Valley I remember Eddie Basha’s famous commercial motto, “From our family to yours.”

Nearly 10,500 fans gathered to bid a farewell to the 2013 Major League Baseball Spring Training season Thursday afternoon.

A memorial service for Eddie Basha is scheduled for 10 a.m. Saturday, April 6, at the ASU Gammage auditorium in Tempe.

On Jan. 16, students from 14 Valley schools gathered at Gilbert’s Higley Center for the Performing Arts for the Building Bridges program to fight bullying in schools. In May of last year, Kyrene Altadeña Middle School students participated in the Bully Academy Webquest, an online course involving reading articles, watching videos about bullying and most importantly, talking about it. After all, this is about how young people learn to express their emotions. In November 2011, students from Chandler’s Tarwater Elementary School spent a day focused on kindness, respect, and friendship.

Noah Miller is in a perpetual fight with his own body.

With a banjo, a guitar, an upright bass and a mandolin — and four talented musicians to play them — Yonder Mountain String Band’s songs make you feel more like you’re spending a day in the Alabama woods rather than the Arizona desert.

Arizona lawmakers want to create a special license plate benefiting public school educators.

Justin Hines: A Canadian vocalist known for his work with charity and his indomitable spirit in the face of disability performs in Mesa.

Christ the King Catholic Church of Mesa will host its 6th Annual charity golf tournament and luncheon this Saturday that will benefit the only shrine in Arizona dedicated to those who are affected by cancer.

The East Valley Chambers of Commerce Alliance (EVCCA) strongly supports Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer’s plan to restore our Medicaid population.

We learned in school about the inventors such as Edison and Bell who parlayed their inventions into fortunes, of the great capitalists of the Gilded Age such as Rockefeller and Carnegie and Morgan who took great risks on their way to becoming titans of industry.