OV turns 50 in ’24, and it’s time for celebration
Published on January 03, 2024
By Dave Perry
Welcome to Palo Verde, Arizona.
In the early 1970s, Palo Verde was the preferred name for a new town on the west side of Oracle Road north of the City of Tucson, which threatened to annex the area. There were other suggestions – Mountainaire, Casa del Oro, Valley View, Desert City, Santa Catalina Village, and Pueblo del Oro.
Savvy founders of what is today Oro Valley knew they had to get signatures on petitions to support incorporation. The long-established Oro Valley Country Club was within the 2.5-square-mile perimeter. So, to get support from OVCC residents, they chose the name Oro Valley.
It worked. But it took four years and a long legal fight – more on that in the months ahead – before the once-opposed Pima County Board of Supervisors, in effect ordered by the Arizona Supreme Court, adopted a resolution to incorporate the Town of Oro Valley on April 15, 1974. The first mayor and council were appointed two days later, on April 17.
Now, 50 years after Oro Valley’s official birth, what was once derisively dubbed “Tiny Town” has grown from about 1,200 residents to 47,070 in the 2020 Census. It’s 15 times the original square mileage. It is arguably a gem of greater Tucson, a beautiful, safe, clean, well-built powerhouse of a community.
It’s time to celebrate a half-century of Oro Valley history, growth and community.
Everyone loves a parade, and a 50-year anniversary deserves a cavalcade. It’s planned for Saturday, April 6, along Naranja Drive from Ironwood Ridge High School to the Oro Valley town campus at La Canada. That’s the same route of the Oro Valley Holiday Parade from past years. Get your parade entry ready!
In addition, on Saturday, April 13, Oro Valley plans a special event – “Celebrate OV – The 50th Anniversary.” It’ll be held, appropriately enough, at James D. Kriegh Park, named in honor of Mr. Kriegh, one of Oro Valley’s founding fathers.
Jim, a University of Arizona professor, was a rockhound who not only helped found a town, but also discovered a meteorite field in Northern Arizona. In his “spare” time, he helped create the Oro Valley Historical Society, which is celebrating the anniversary with four speakers presentations. See the box for more information.
The OV 50th webpage has gone live as of Jan. 2; go to orovalleyaz.gov. Within, you’ll find a growing catalog of material about Oro Valley, its history, its places and its people, in video and digital media. It’ll include an interactive timeline and a new podcast series.
Talented town communication staffers Misti Nowak, Jeff Hidalgo, Nick Going, Pia Zaverukha and others are going to create that content. Nick, the videographer and photographer, and Pia, the graphic artist and designer, both grew up in Oro Valley. They’ve brought their considerable skills and care back to their hometown. Pia and Nick represent Oro Valley’s evolution into a complete community, a place where children are born, grow, learn, serve, and enjoy life in Oro Valley.
Each month, on the pages of The Explorer, we’ll share stories about what makes Oro Valley unique and special. We’ll write about the fight for incorporation, and the people who persevered. Public art, water, roads, bicycling and hiking, golf, the fascinating link between Catalina State Park and Rancho Vistoso, industry centered upon large employers Roche Tissue Diagnostics, Oro Valley Hospital and El Conquistador Tucson, special places and enjoyable things to do ... we can’t cover it all. But, from the petroglyph rock in Honeybee Canyon to the malachite boulders in Tohono Chul, we’ll pedal The Loop from one end of OV to the other, telling stories along the way.
You’re invited to be a part of it.
What do you love about Oro Valley? What do you want people to know about your hometown? What might Oro Valley be like 50 years from now? We want to hear from you. Share your ideas with Jessica Hynd, the town’s ever-cheerful constituent services coordinator, at ask@orovalleyaz.gov, or give Jessica a call at 520-229-4711.
There’s much to celebrate about Oro Valley and its first half-century. Please share your thoughts online ... perhaps at a picnic table beneath a palo verde tree.
Freelance journalist Dave Perry is an Oro Valley resident, former publisher and editor of The Explorer, and retired president / CEO of the Oro Valley Chamber. You can reach Dave at daveperry56@yahoo.com