The wheels of change, as always, did their slow work in Mesa this year.

Death claimed old friends. Others left for new pastures and were replaced by people poised to make their own mark in the community.

After a tortuous political journey, the Chicago Cubs are staying in Mesa, which is cutting a check for the team’s new spring-training digs.

A symbol of old Mesa – Main Street’s iconic “diving lady” neon sign – crashed in an October storm but may rise again thanks to a new historical foundation.

A homegrown state senator hammered his hard-line immigration policies into a tough state law that stirred furious national debate and in some corners turned Arizona into a pariah state.

One thing that didn’t change much: Mesa’s physical appearance. In the aftermath of the Great Recession, hardly anything is getting built in what was, only a few years ago, America’s fastest-growing city.

Here’s a glance at what made news in Mesa during its latest 365 1/4-day spin around the sun:

JANUARY

One of the most powerful winter storms in years pummels Arizona; in Mesa it causes flash floods, knocks down trees and blacks out 15,000 Salt River Project customers.

WAXIE, a cleaning-supply company, opens a supply facility near Falcon Field, bringing 80 jobs.

The Chicago Cubs agree to negotiate exclusively with Mesa for a new spring-training stadium, provided financing can be found. Florida interests have been pursuing the team.

Marc Heirshberg moves from Littleton, Colo., to become Mesa’s parks director.

FEBRUARY

Concerts resume at the historic downtown Nile Theater.

About 1,500 volunteers participate in the Top to Bottom neighborhood cleanup in parts of the city.

Police report Mesa’s crime rate is the lowest since 1963.

Mesa’s $37 million downtown courthouse opens; it is lauded as a model of efficiency and is already being studied by other cities.

Cactus League teams and cities, and Major League Baseball, oppose a bill aimed at shoring up league finances and helping build a new Cubs stadium.

MARCH

A 25-foot-tall sculpture called “God Bless America,” based on Grant Wood’s “American Gothic” painting, is installed in downtown Mesa.

Frank Milstead, a commander in the Phoenix Police Department, becomes Mesa’s police chief.

Dobson High School hosts a campaign rally for U.S. Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., that also features his 2008 vice presidential running mate, Sarah Palin.

Tom Verploegen, longtime president of the Downtown Mesa Association, resigns amid rumblings that the city and some merchants want a new direction for downtown. Later, David Short takes the job.

APRIL

State Sen. Russell Pearce, R-Mesa, records his biggest victory yet against illegal immigration with passage of Senate Bill 1070, which makes it a state crime to be in the country illegally. The bill ignites a furious national debate over immigration.

Cindy Ornstein of Flint, Mich., becomes Mesa’s arts and cultural director.

Mesa’s homeless population has soared 203 percent this year, according to a street count by the Maricopa Association of Governments. This year’s tally: 461, compared with 152 a year ago.

Mesa faces drastic cuts to its bus services after the Legislature eliminated all state aid for that purpose.

Many Mesa residents attend a Southeast Valley “tea party” rally in Gilbert as the conservative political movement gathers steam.

MAY

Mesa will have to trim about 90 positions, most of them in the Police and Fire departments, and cut its general fund by $21 million as the recession continues to batter the local economy.

Mesa United Way President Carol McCormack is leaving to join her husband in Virginia; she is replaced in July by Dan Wollam.

Lost Dutchman State Park, scheduled for closure by the Legislature, is saved by volunteer workers and fundraisers.

JUNE

Julio César Chávez Campeones, a highly touted boxing-themed dining and entertainment spot in southwest Mesa, closes after only seven months in operation. A Western-themed venue takes its place, only to die even more quickly.

Frustrated by legislative inaction, Mesa says it will use its own money to build a Cubs stadium, selling Pinal County land over time to replenish the funds.

JULY

Mesa’s inaugural Celebration of Freedom brings an estimated 50,000 people downtown during the July Fourth weekend.

Mesa Chamber of Commerce President Charlie Deaton says he is retiring at the end of the year. The chamber, meanwhile, refuses to endorse Pearce for re-election, saying his positions will not help Arizona develop its economy.

James Molina, a right-wing challenger to state Rep. Rich Crandall, R-Mesa, drops out of the Republican primary, clearing the way for Crandall’s election to the state Senate.

As SB 1070 takes effect, Mesa businesses are worried that it may drive workers and even employers away.

Sites in northeast Mesa, downtown and the Riverview area are on the table for the proposed Cubs complex.

Kathryn Bulkley, a graduate of Red Mountain High School, is the new Miss Arizona.

Robert “Diz-Z” Disbrow, a widely known Mesa street preacher, dies of cancer.

Mesa confiscates hundreds of illegally placed campaign signs.

Mesa’s iconic Bank of America tower is in foreclosure.

AUGUST

Newcomer Christopher Glover defeats veteran activist Vic Linoff for City Council seat in District 4. Incumbents Dina Higgins and Scott Somers face no opposition in Districts 5 and 6.

Cubs favor Riverview Golf Course as site for stadium; this would either eliminate the proposed Waveyard resort or force Waveyard to develop a smaller complex near Cubs’ facilities.

After decades of spectacular growth, it appears Mesa’s population has leveled off and might even have declined because of the recession and anti-immigration measures.

A violent monsoon storm smacks east Mesa on Aug. 17, causing some flooding and property damage but no injuries. Overall, however, the season is quiet.

Construction is nearly finished on new stretches of Hawes and Ray roads that will improve access to Phoenix-Mesa Gateway Airport.

The real-estate crash has made it harder for the city to find a site for a storefront “express library” in southeast Mesa. Later, the city leases space at Power and Baseline roads.

The escape of three inmates from a private prison in northern Arizona, making national headlines, has a Mesa connection; John Charles McCluskey, one of the escapees, was serving 15 years for a shooting incident here in 2009. He and his cohorts are later recaptured.

Councilman Alex Finter, on a police ride-along, performs CPR on a 32-year-old woman who had stopped breathing, saving her life.

SEPTEMBER

Mesa gets a prestigious $3 million grant from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation to boost the city’s college graduation rate.

Although passenger counts are soaring at Phoenix-Mesa Gateway Airport, airport officials are worried that lagging infrastructure may sour some people on using the facility.

Mesa will sell bonds to accelerate construction of the first mile of the Gateway Freeway by four years; pavement will be laid in 2012.

OCTOBER

A series of brutal thunderstorms sweeps through Mesa on Oct. 5, causing extensive property damage and knocking down the famous “diving lady” neon sign at the Starlite Motel on Main Street. Efforts to restore the sign lead to creation of the Mesa Preservation Foundation.

Deputy City Manager Bryan Raines leaves the city after 27 years.

Enrollment in Mesa Public Schools has declined by about 2,000 from last year; officials blame the drop on the economy and fallout from SB 1070.

NOVEMBER

Voters say Mesa can spend up to $99 million for new Cubs complex, also approve hike in hotel bed tax to help pay for it.

Mesa elects solid slate of Republicans to Legislature, including Pearce.

Alice Sliger, who with her husband created the legendary Buckhorn Baths motel, dies at 103.

Actor Sean Penn visits Mesa to seek financial help for earthquake-ravaged Haiti.

A Crescent Crown Distributing facility to be built in west Mesa will bring 400 jobs.

DECEMBER

Mesa appeals for public help to stop escalating wave of metal thefts; numerous parks have been damaged by copper thieves.

East Valley Patriots for American Values, a group dedicated to opposing Pearce’s immigration and budget policies, asks the City Council to endorse a moderate approach to immigration reform.

Desert Ridge High School makes the state 5A Division 1 football finals and puts up a spirited fight before losing 21-13 to Chandler Hamilton.

Mesa is looking for ways to accommodate new state laws allowing medical marijuana and the sale of some fireworks.

CHICAGO — 2010 was a bizarre season.

The Cubs never got above .500, but the starting pitchers led the National League in quality starts. They homered in 20 consecutive games, yet ranked 10th in runs scored.

Raise your hand if you predicted Carlos Silva would go 8-0 in his first 11 starts — or if you knew Opening Day starter Carlos Zambrano would make nearly as many relief appearances (16) as starts (20). Who knew Aramis Ramirez, a career .286 hitter, would post a .207 average in the first half — or that Lou Piniella would leave before the season ended?

For Mike Quade, the ’10 season was an opportunity. He took over for Piniella and the team responded with a 24-13 record, giving Cubs fans hope for next year.

Carlos Marmol saved more than half (38) of the Cubs’ 75 wins in ’10, and set a Major League record by averaging 15.99 strikeouts per nine innings. The Cubs did have trouble early on getting to Marmol, as the team lost relievers John Grabow, Angel Guzman and Esmailin Caridad to injuries. The team was 22-32 in one-run games, and the 32 losses were the most in such situations in the Major Leagues.

Looking back at 2010 MLB Year in Review • Game prospering • Final standings • Statistical leaders

The season did produce some milestones. Alfonso Soriano and Derrek Lee each hit their 300th home runs, doing so two days apart in June. Ramirez finished with 25 home runs and is one of six Cubs to have six or more 25-homer seasons.

The first year under the new owners, the Ricketts family, was a learning experience — and ended sadly in December with the death of legendary broadcaster and former Cubs third baseman Ron Santo. His funeral, though, resulted in a reunion between the Cubs and pitcher Kerry Wood, who gave the team a hometown discount to return for one more year.

“God bless No. 10, who had something to do with this,” said Cubs general manager Jim Hendry, who talked to Wood after the funeral about coming back.

The right-hander, known as “Kid K,” will be back in ’11 in the bullpen. But let’s take one more look at some of the Cubs’ 2010 story lines.

5. Piniella’s early exit and Quade’s strong finish

Starting in Spring Training, Piniella made it clear he didn’t want his job status to be a distraction. This was the last year of his contract and he fully expected to finish the season. What he didn’t anticipate, was how much the deaths of George Steinbrenner and an uncle would affect him. Plus, he had to deal with his 90-year-old mother’s poor health. On July 20, Piniella announced he would retire at the end of the season — but he moved the date up and went home to Tampa, Fla., after the Aug. 22 game. Third-base coach Quade was promoted and seemed to revive the team. After 17 seasons managing in the Minor Leagues plus 3 1/2 years on Piniella’s staff, Quade was finally promoted to a big league job. His performance was rewarded on Oct. 19 with a two-year contract.

4. Zambrano’s roller-coaster season

Carlos Zambrano was the Opening Day starter for the sixth straight year — but after four starts, he was shifted to the bullpen. The Cubs needed relief help and to make room for Ted Lilly coming off the DL. But Zambrano wasn’t comfortable there and moved back to the rotation on June 4. That didn’t last long, as a dugout tantrum on June 25 resulted in a three-game suspension and stint on the restricted list. Zambrano underwent anger management therapy, and returned to action and the ‘pen on July 31. He was starting again by Aug. 9 and finished 8-0 with a 1.41 ERA in his final 11 starts. The animated and emotional “Big Z” somehow finished 11-6.

3. Starlin Castro’s dazzling debut

The Cubs’ offense was scuffling, and on May 7, help arrived in Castro, 20, who was batting .376 at Double-A Tennessee. The slender shortstop made quite a first impression in his Major League debut vs. the Reds, hitting a three-run homer in his first at-bat and adding a three-run triple. The six RBIs were a Major League record for a debut game, and he was the third youngest ever to homer in his first career at-bat. While he hit only two more homers the rest of the season, Castro finished the season with a .300 average — good for 10th place in the National League. Defensively, Castro made dazzling plays but also youthful mistakes, and was charged with 27 errors.

2. Tyler Colvin’s bat attack

Colvin won a spot on the Opening Day roster with a strong spring, but it was difficult for Piniella to fit the rookie in the outfield. When he did play, he produced — batting .315 in his first 59 games. Colvin’s season ended prematurely on Sept. 19, when he was struck in the chest by a broken bat, resulting in a collapsed lung and prompting debate on the merits of maple bats. He ended his first full season with 20 home runs, fourth most by a Cubs rookie and second among NL rookies.

1. Departures of Lilly, Theriot, Fontenot and Lee

At the Trade Deadline, the Cubs were in fourth place and 11 games back in the NL Central. It was time to look ahead and Lilly and Ryan Theriot were first to go, getting traded July 31 to the Dodgers for Blake DeWitt and two Minor League pitchers. On Aug. 11, Mike Fontenot only needed to walk down the hallway from the visitor’s clubhouse to the home quarters, as he was traded to the Giants when the Cubs were in San Francisco. One week later, Lee was dealt to Atlanta and a chance at postseason play for three Minor Leaguers. His first game for the Braves, strangely enough, was at Wrigley Field on Aug. 20.

CHICAGO — 2010 was a bizarre season.

The Cubs never got above .500, but the starting pitchers led the National League in quality starts. They homered in 20 consecutive games, yet ranked 10th in runs scored.

Raise your hand if you predicted Carlos Silva would go 8-0 in his first 11 starts — or if you knew Opening Day starter Carlos Zambrano would make nearly as many relief appearances (16) as starts (20). Who knew Aramis Ramirez, a career .286 hitter, would post a .207 average in the first half — or that Lou Piniella would leave before the season ended?

For Mike Quade, the ’10 season was an opportunity. He took over for Piniella and the team responded with a 24-13 record, giving Cubs fans hope for next year.

Carlos Marmol saved more than half (38) of the Cubs’ 75 wins in ’10, and set a Major League record by averaging 15.99 strikeouts per nine innings. The Cubs did have trouble early on getting to Marmol, as the team lost relievers John Grabow, Angel Guzman and Esmailin Caridad to injuries. The team was 22-32 in one-run games, and the 32 losses were the most in such situations in the Major Leagues.

Looking back at 2010 MLB Year in Review • Game prospering • Final standings • Statistical leaders

The season did produce some milestones. Alfonso Soriano and Derrek Lee each hit their 300th home runs, doing so two days apart in June. Ramirez finished with 25 home runs and is one of six Cubs to have six or more 25-homer seasons.

The first year under the new owners, the Ricketts family, was a learning experience — and ended sadly in December with the death of legendary broadcaster and former Cubs third baseman Ron Santo. His funeral, though, resulted in a reunion between the Cubs and pitcher Kerry Wood, who gave the team a hometown discount to return for one more year.

“God bless No. 10, who had something to do with this,” said Cubs general manager Jim Hendry, who talked to Wood after the funeral about coming back.

The right-hander, known as “Kid K,” will be back in ’11 in the bullpen. But let’s take one more look at some of the Cubs’ 2010 story lines.

5. Piniella’s early exit and Quade’s strong finish

Starting in Spring Training, Piniella made it clear he didn’t want his job status to be a distraction. This was the last year of his contract and he fully expected to finish the season. What he didn’t anticipate, was how much the deaths of George Steinbrenner and an uncle would affect him. Plus, he had to deal with his 90-year-old mother’s poor health. On July 20, Piniella announced he would retire at the end of the season — but he moved the date up and went home to Tampa, Fla., after the Aug. 22 game. Third-base coach Quade was promoted and seemed to revive the team. After 17 seasons managing in the Minor Leagues plus 3 1/2 years on Piniella’s staff, Quade was finally promoted to a big league job. His performance was rewarded on Oct. 19 with a two-year contract.

4. Zambrano’s roller-coaster season

Carlos Zambrano was the Opening Day starter for the sixth straight year — but after four starts, he was shifted to the bullpen. The Cubs needed relief help and to make room for Ted Lilly coming off the DL. But Zambrano wasn’t comfortable there and moved back to the rotation on June 4. That didn’t last long, as a dugout tantrum on June 25 resulted in a three-game suspension and stint on the restricted list. Zambrano underwent anger management therapy, and returned to action and the ‘pen on July 31. He was starting again by Aug. 9 and finished 8-0 with a 1.41 ERA in his final 11 starts. The animated and emotional “Big Z” somehow finished 11-6.

3. Starlin Castro’s dazzling debut

The Cubs’ offense was scuffling, and on May 7, help arrived in Castro, 20, who was batting .376 at Double-A Tennessee. The slender shortstop made quite a first impression in his Major League debut vs. the Reds, hitting a three-run homer in his first at-bat and adding a three-run triple. The six RBIs were a Major League record for a debut game, and he was the third youngest ever to homer in his first career at-bat. While he hit only two more homers the rest of the season, Castro finished the season with a .300 average — good for 10th place in the National League. Defensively, Castro made dazzling plays but also youthful mistakes, and was charged with 27 errors.

2. Tyler Colvin’s bat attack

Colvin won a spot on the Opening Day roster with a strong spring, but it was difficult for Piniella to fit the rookie in the outfield. When he did play, he produced — batting .315 in his first 59 games. Colvin’s season ended prematurely on Sept. 19, when he was struck in the chest by a broken bat, resulting in a collapsed lung and prompting debate on the merits of maple bats. He ended his first full season with 20 home runs, fourth most by a Cubs rookie and second among NL rookies.

1. Departures of Lilly, Theriot, Fontenot and Lee

At the Trade Deadline, the Cubs were in fourth place and 11 games back in the NL Central. It was time to look ahead and Lilly and Ryan Theriot were first to go, getting traded July 31 to the Dodgers for Blake DeWitt and two Minor League pitchers. On Aug. 11, Mike Fontenot only needed to walk down the hallway from the visitor’s clubhouse to the home quarters, as he was traded to the Giants when the Cubs were in San Francisco. One week later, Lee was dealt to Atlanta and a chance at postseason play for three Minor Leaguers. His first game for the Braves, strangely enough, was at Wrigley Field on Aug. 20.

More than a half-century ago, the Chicago Cubs made plans to retire the uniform number of one of their great players, Phil Cavarretta.

The plans never reached fruition, in one of the strangest twists in the history of the Cubs franchise.

As the Cubs map plans for the 2011 season, they would do well to revisit the honors that were planned for Cavarretta in 1954.

Unfortunately, Cavarretta would not be present. He passed away last Saturday at the age of 94 in Lilburn, Ga.

Just who was Phil Cavarretta? He was “Mr. Cub” before the great Ernie Banks came along to permanently claim that title.

No team has a more loyal following than the Cubs. But for even most of the fans who worship the team at Wrigley Field, the name Cavarretta rings only from a distant past.

Earlier this month, the Cubs’ faithful had mourned the passing of their beloved longtime third baseman and broadcaster Ron Santo at the age of 70. Santo’s funeral became a significant event that was, in part, televised and attended by many of the great Cubs players from the past.

Cavarretta’s passing was as quiet as the man himself — who was dedicated to the game he played so well and to a family that cherished him.

“If he went 0-for-4, he wouldn’t bring that home,” said his son, Phil Cavarretta Jr. “He would enjoy his family and then went about his business the next day.”

Sports Illustrated captured Cavarretta’s career succinctly, saying: “With apologies to Ernie Banks, Cavarretta was the original Mr. Cub. Born and raised on Chicago’s North Side and signed by the Cubbies at 17, the first baseman was a fan favorite for his hustling style.

“Cavarretta was named the NL MVP in 1945, when he led the Cubs to the World Series, which they lost to the Detroit Tigers in seven games. A three-time All-Star in his 22 seasons, Cavarretta never returned to the Series — the Cubs still haven’t, either.”

As incredible as it may seem to the Cubs fans of today, Cavarretta played in three World Series as a Cubbie, with a combined batting average of .317.

As an 18-year-old, Cavarretta hit just .125 in his first World Series in a Cubs uniform in 1935, his first season as the team’s regular first baseman, but he came back to hit .462 in the ’38 World Series against the New York Yankees and .423 in ’45 against the Tigers.

Cavarretta’s 20 seasons with the Cubs (1934-53) are the most by any player in team history, except 19th-century star Cap Anson. He still ranks in the top 10 in Cubs history in runs scored, hits, runs batted in, extra base hits and triples.

All of this begs the question as to just what happened to those plans of so long ago to retire the No. 44 worn by Cavarretta, who was born and raised just a couple of miles from Wrigley Field.

It seems to have been a case where Cavarretta’s honesty with the team owner got in the way of both the ceremony and, more important, his role with the team that he had loved since childhood.

When the Cubs fired Frankie Frisch as their manager in July of 1951, they turned to Cavarretta as a player-manager. The team finished last in the National League, but improved to fifth place in ’52 before they slid back to seventh in ’53.

During spring training of 1954, team owner Phil Wrigley met with Cavarretta to discuss the upcoming season.

“What I said [at the meeting] was we needed help at first base, at third base and in center field,” Cavarretta told The Chicago Tribune in 1992. “Mr. Wrigley interpreted that as a defeatist complex.”

Always known as a hustling player who went all-out at all times, Cavarretta was immediately fired and the plans to retire his uniform number in April of ’54 were called off.

While Cavarretta was to play his final two seasons with the rival Chicago White Sox, a gap had developed in his relationship with the Wrigley-owned Cubs.

“The thing a lot of people don’t realize is that even after Phil was fired, his uniform number 44 wasn’t given out for many, many years,” recalls Joey Amalfitano, a former Cubs player and manager.

“The reason for this is that Phil was close to the long-time Cubs clubhouse man Yosh Kawano — and Yosh didn’t want the uniform used because he felt it should have been retired.

“It was kind of an unofficial retirement of a uniform in honor of Phil,” said Amalfitano.

Former Cubs executive Blake Cullen said the uniform number 44 went unused until “word came down from up above that we should assign the uniform to pitcher Burt Hooton when he signed with the Cubs as a high-profile college player.

“As I recall, Burt called Phil to be sure that it would be OK to use his number,” said Cullen.

Phil Cavarretta gave his heart and soul for 20 years to the Chicago Cubs. It seems as though it’s time for the Cubs to give the Cavarretta family the honor it deserves by retiring No. 44.

It might even be a nice omen for a team trying to get back to a World Series for the first time since a young man wearing No. 44 was playing first base.

Under mounting pressure from local firms, Mesa will do what it can to make sure they get a piece of the action when it comes to building the Chicago Cubs’ stadium.

But City Manager Chris Brady and Mayor Scott Smith said Mesa’s first obligation is to taxpayers, building the best stadium for the lowest price regardless of who does the work.

Brady told the City Council that Mesa and the Cubs are assembling a project development team that will soon send out a “request for qualifications” notice, inviting companies to describe their ability to design and build the project.

The first step after that will be picking a design team, which is likely to involve numerous disciplines in architecture, engineering and landscaping.

“This is a very large group that’s coming together,” Smith said.

Selection of a general contractor will be further down the road.

“There’s some concern on the part of our local firms and businesses to make sure they at least have a fair opportunity to be part of the design teams that make presentations to you,” Councilman Dennis Kavanaugh told Brady.

“We will encourage that,” Brady said. The aim, he said, is to find a lead design group “that has national experience in building stadiums and that the city can still be looking for a local blend and flavor to be part of that.”

Brady defined “local” as companies that have an address and do business in Mesa.

Brady said he, city engineer Beth Huning and parks director Marc Heirshberg will represent Mesa on the project team. The Cubs’ delegation will include Todd Ricketts, a member of the family that owns the team.

Huning said the general contractor will have to choose subcontractors under procedures outlined in state law. When that contractor is chosen, she said, Mesa will require it to hold a workshop with local subcontractors and suppliers.

“We do have a budget, and we will watch that budget very closely throughout this process,” she said. “There will be hundreds of different firms involved.”

Smith reiterated that point.

“At the final day we have a direct responsibility, and that is to the taxpayers of Mesa to make sure they get the highest quality for the lowest price,” he said. “To those who live in this community and that are in that business, there’s no guarantees they’ll get a job, but I think we can do whatever we can to provide the opportunity to be on an equal level.”

Smith also said he’s upset by rumors that Mesa and the Cubs already have frozen out local firms.

“Somehow there’s an urban legend out there that decisions have already been made,” he said. “We haven’t even started the process.”

Mesa voters approved the project in November, agreeing to let the city spend up to $84 million for the stadium and training facilities, and up to $15 million on infrastructure.

The baseball facilities and a privately funded “Wrigleyville” entertainment district will replace Riverview Golf Course and four recreational ballfields. The stadium is expected to be finished in 2013, although games might not be played there until 2014.

Huning said information for companies interested in the Cubs project will be posted on the engineering department page at www.mesaaz.gov.

CHICAGO — The Chicago Cubs have agreed to a five-year extension with WGN Radio play-by-play man Pat Hughes.

WGN announced the contract extension Monday. Hughes spent 15 years as the partner of color analyst and former Cubs third baseman Ron Santo, who died earlier this month. WGN vice president and general manager Tom Langmyer said in a statement that the station is “very fortunate” to have Hughes behind the microphone.

Under the new contract, Hughes will be with the station through the 2015 season. Next season will be his 16th with the Cubs and his 29th broadcasting professional baseball.

He spent 12 years as play-by-play announcer for the Milwaukee Brewers.