Home prices are expected to continue their rise — in the East Valley in particular — as a shortage of available homes creates an imbalance in the market, according to a report released last week by the W. P. Carey School of Business at Arizona State University.

With an invitation that seems to resound with a hearty “All Aboard,” the Arizona Big Train Operators have announced their Annual Spring Open House Railway Tour. For the 2013 Tour, 22 members — including seven stops in Mesa, two in Chandler, four in Sun Lakes, two in Gilbert and another in Gold Canyon — will open their large-scale backyard railways for the public to view and enjoy.

Once, the barren mesas and shrub-covered canyons that extend east of the Pacific Ocean held the most popular routes for illegal immigrants heading into the U.S. Dozens at a time sprinted to waiting cars or a trolley stop in San Diego, passing border agents who were too busy herding others to give pause.

Unless Congress takes immediate action, funding for education could be slashed by $3 billion on March 1. This would be the largest cut to education in our nation’s history, and could result in millions of dollars of lost revenue for our local school district.

Chandler Police arrested a man who allegedly robbed three Chandler banks in the last month, police said.

The Arizona Big Train Operators are not only “big” in terms of the size of model trains they run, but also on holiday spirit as they host the Trains in the Garden Christmas Open House Tours again this year.

The Salvation Army Kettle bell ringers are ringin’; are you listening? The iconic bell ringers have a goal in mind; are you listening?

For many seniors, nothing is more important than being able to continue living in their own homes, despite health issues they may be dealing with every day. But they may need something as simple as a ride to the doctor now and then to maintain their independence.

Editor's Note: These letters to the editor have been sorted by topic by the Tribune editorial staff in an effort to allow readers to read varied opinions on the issues, candidates, and other circumstances surrounding the 2012 general election. These submissions are the opinions of the author, not the Tribune, and have not been edited for grammar or content.

A look at key Chandler facts and figures