I was born on 6 August 1956 in San Francisco, California to Janet and (the late) Richard Hovis.
I grew up in Santa Monica, California where I attended elementary, junior high school, and high school (graduating in 1974), in addition to involvement in sports and recreation (Little League +, the Boy’s Club ++). Further, it was in elementary school – St. Augustine’s By-the -Sea Parish School that I found, and made the choice to truly journey with God.
I attended Arizona State University from 1974 to 1977 – seeking to become an architect, however, I was not accepted, and, as such, I graduated with a Liberal Arts degree.
Upon graduation from Arizona State University, I attended Cal Poly San Luis Obispo and studied City and Regional Planning at the Master’s level. I successfully completed one (1) year in a two (2) year program – I did not complete the Master’s degree in City and Regional Planning – due to personal reasons.
I returned to Santa Monica where I started (October 1979) my career as graphic designer with Exxon Company, USA. I spent five years with Exxon Company, USA.
While working with Exxon Company, USA I was accepted into architectural school – Sci-Arc in Southern California, however, I did not attend preferring to stay with Exxon..
In 1982 I married Laura Flosi and in April 1983 we had our one and only child – Lauren Alain Hovis – a gift from God.
We moved to Phoenix, Arizona in 1984 from Los Angeles, where I went to work as a graphic designer with Kitchell CEM (from 1985 -1987).
From 1987 – 1995 I was an independent contractor, and a registered representative in mortgage finance, financial management, graphic design, and drafting.
Further, I attended the University of Phoenix and successfully obtained a Master’s in Business Administration (MBA) in 1982.
I was also a member of the Scottsdale Jaycees, where I became very involved in community events and projects.
In 1994, I accepted a cartography position with the Defense Mapping Agency in Reston, Virginia. As such, I relocated from Phoenix to Reston.
In 1998, I was accepted and worked as a Visual Information Officer with the Central Intelligence Agency. In 2002, I worked as a Support Officer until my retirement (due to a need for shoulder surgery) in September 2018.
Away from my Federal Government service, I have been involved in various organizations and activities in Northern Virginia.
In November of 2011, I married Rebecca Ouellette in Santa Monica, California. I reside in San Tan Valley, AZ with my two hamster - Jess and Timothy, our fish, our lizard - RJ Lizard., and our cats - Pearl and Grey.
As to hobbies, I enjoy playing sports, attending sporting events, mentoring individuals from financial management to hamsters, building models, photography, travel, multimedia design, managing partner for RJ Hamster, and jazz – smooth jazz to a samba or a bossa nova.
Love and God Bless,
Peter – aka RJ Hamster Jo hi
Your money is getting tight and prices are going up, which can make figuring out what to cut back on feel completely overwhelming. I promise you’re not necessarily “bad” with money; you likely already eat at home, cancel unused subscriptions, and hunt for deals, yet your cash still seems to disappear.
The truth is that even smart people often miss the sneaky, “dumb” money moves that drain their accounts every single day. If you feel like you’re doing everything right but still hitting a wall, it’s time to learn the fix so you can finally keep more cash in your hands.
Read our list of money-saving strategies below to find out how to keep hundreds more in your pocket each month. Start with just one or two today—even doing just one can help you breathe a little easier.
Peanut Butter Reinvented. Roasted peanuts blended with roasted pecans creates a rich, sweet and salty, mouth watering addicting soft butter. Our nut butters have no added sugar and 50% less carbs than traditional peanut butter and are organic, glp-1 friendly, keto and diabetic friendly. Use Code NTB for 20% OFF!*
The Back Saver Pillow That’ll Send You Off Into Dreamland. With its unique design, the DreamyFoam Pillow can improve your sleep quality and reduce neck or back discomfort in the mornings. Get yours for up to 50% off while supplies last.*
Banned By Amazon, But Not Illegal?These are 2026’s hottest gadgets and DIY gifts that they don’t want you to have. Quantity discounts are available, so get yourself more than one or as gifts for your friends and family. Check out these “banned” gadgets now.*
Apr 6, 2026View OnlineUpcoming Games at Chase FieldFriday Apr 17 6:40 PMToronto Blue JaysBuy TicketsPostgame Fireworks Autism Acceptance Night presented by Roman Empire Agency – Special Event
Saturday Apr 18 5:10 PMToronto Blue JaysBuy TicketsKetel Marte Tee courtesy of State Farm Sunday Apr 19 1:10 PMToronto Blue JaysBuy TicketsYoga on the Field – Special Event
I’m Sam Eifling, the editor-in-chief of Phoenix New Times, and today we’re kicking off our spring fundraising campaign.
Trust me when I say, it’s more fun than it sounds.
We’re asking our readers to help us cover the costs of producing our original, jailbreak journalism about the Valley. It would be preposterous for us to ask for your help without offering you value in return. So when we get to fundraising season, I get the chance to look back at our work and pull out the hits for you, our reader, the person we truly work for.
We’re doing great work right now. In a year that feels like the world is tilting precariously on its axis, I’m proud that our reporters bust their asses watching out for Phoenix: tracking decisions, following the money, attending meetings, asking hard questions, and chasing the stories that help people understand the city.
Support from readers like you is the fuel that keeps us running.
As an independent news organization, we rely on members to sustain our work and to keep it accessible. Every dollar helps fund journalism that serves the Valley and advances our mission to make our home an incredible place in which to live. And our price point for our readers — free on newsstands, free online, free in your inbox — ensures that everyone who needs high-quality journalism can get it.
I promised some hits. So, look, when you get a couple of minutes to dive into some heavier pieces, check out our coverage of a Phoenix congresswoman searching for answers in the high-profile death of a local ICE detainee who complained of a toothache. Or dive into our scoop on a gathering of Trump advisors who discussed how to circumvent federal law to deploy troops in American cities. Or get some righteous catharsis by looking at how Valley artists are pushing back against ICE and its abuses.
(And, look, we’re also covering lighter topics. When will Arizona’s first Buc-ee’s open? We’ve got you. How can you join in a bride-themed bar crawl in Scottsdale? We were on the case. Phoenix New Times obsesses over more than chaos.)
As you know, 2026 is only getting warmed up. We’re watching major political races for state and local offices. So much of Arizona’s future will be up for grabs in the coming months. Help keep us on the beat.
Over the next few weeks, we’ll share more about our reporting and impact. We hope you’ll be inspired to step up your support by becoming a monthly or annual member or making a one-time gift. We put it to good use, for you.
We’ve set a goal to raise $10,000 by April 26. Every gift moves us closer.
If you believe in independent journalism, now is a great time to step up. Your contribution ensures Phoenix New Times can continue to serve you with verve and fire.
Thank you for being part of the Phoenix New Times community. If you’ve gotten this far into the email, you’re a genuine reader. You’re our people. We appreciate you.
With gratitude,
Sam Eifling Editor-in-Chief
P.S. Share this email with a friend! We depend on readers who believe in trustworthy news. They can help us hit our April goal. Prefer to give by check? Our mailing address is 1201 E. Jefferson, Phoenix, AZ, 85034.
Phoenix New Times thrives because of support from people like you. Campaigns like this are essential to sustaining our work. If you give today, you’ll be removed from the rest of this campaign. Thank you for being part of this community.
LIMITED TIME ONLY: Become a monthly or yearly member to get your exclusive Phoenix New Times swag featuring Ryan Liebe. Find out more here!
Apr 6, 2026View OnlineThe 2026 season is in full swing with big matchups to come! Elevate your experience and enjoy everything Chase Field has to offer when you become a D-backs Advantage Member. 2026 Memberships are still available, including Full, Half, Weekend, or Series Membership Plans!
These flexible ticket plans include all Advantage Member perks in addition to Postseason priority!
Click the button below to discover the options for becoming a D-backs Advantage Member!
You are subscribed to this email as: peterhovis@icloud.com
Keep Phoenix New Times Free
We’re aiming to raise $10,000 by April 26. Your support ensures New Times can continue watching out for Phoenix throughout 2026 and beyond. No paywall. Always accessible. Daily online and weekly in print.Progress to Goal: $0Goal: $10,000
Love New Times? Thanks to a recent Google update, you can now select us as a preferred source to see our stories first in search results. Thank you in advance for your ongoing support of local journalism.
Welcome to The Pregame Lineup, a weekday newsletter that gets you up to speed on everything you need to know for today’s games, while catching you up on fun and interesting stories you might have missed. Today’s edition is brought to you by David Adler.
April series don’t get any bigger than this one. We’ve got a World Series rematch — the Dodgers vs. the Blue Jays — starting tonight.
It feels like it was just yesterday that the Dodgers prevailed over the Jays in a thrilling Game 7 in Toronto, ending a Fall Classic that was, well, an instant classic as L.A. became back-to-back World Series champs.
Of course, that was actually five months ago, not yesterday. But when these two teams take the field again for tonight’s series opener in Toronto (7:07 p.m. ET, MLB.TV/FS1), it will be like the World Series never ended.
As Blue Jays pitcher Kevin Gausman put it: “It feels like we’re getting ready for Game 8.”
The Blue Jays-Dodgers showdown will showcase the postseason heroes on both sides. The ageless Max Scherzer, who was great in Game 7 for Toronto, will get the ball again for tonight’s opener. World Series MVP Yoshinobu Yamamoto, who closed out the Fall Classic on zero days’ rest, will pitch the second game for L.A. Vladimir Guerrero Jr., the best hitter of the 2025 postseason, will be anchoring the Blue Jays lineup all series. And Wednesday’s finale will feature Shohei Ohtani at his two-way best, starting on the mound and at the plate for the Dodgers.
After 561 days, the Rays are finally returning to The Trop. Today’s home opener will be the first game at Tropicana Field since its roof was torn apart by Hurricane Milton in October 2024.
Jo Adell had one of the greatest defensive games of all time on Saturday when he robbed not one … not two … but THREE home runs in the Angels’ 1-0 win over the Mariners. The third and final robbery in the ninth inning, when Adell went flipping into the stands in the right-field corner, even produced a once-in-a-lifetime fan photo.
We wanted to know what it was like to be in the building to witness Adell’s historic performance. So we asked our reporters who were there covering the game — Angels reporter Rhett Bollinger and Mariners reporter Daniel Kramer.
Bollinger:
I’ve seen my fair share of home run robberies during my time covering baseball since 2008, especially at Angel Stadium because of the relatively short height of the fences. But I’ve never seen anything like what Jo Adell did on Saturday night.
It was crazy enough to see Adell take away the first two homers, but the ninth inning is what made it so incredible. Torii Hunter put it best: That it felt like a movie, with Adell disappearing into the stands and everyone wondering if he had caught it, before he triumphantly stood up with his glove raised high near the foul pole.
The fact that it came in a 1-0 win and in front of a sold-out crowd made it even better, because the atmosphere was electric and the catches directly impacted the win. And it made for several iconic photos of Adell. It’s a night I won’t forget anytime soon, and it just shows that anything can happen at the ballpark on any given night.
Kramer:
You always try to be factually, statistically and objectively grounded in these moments.
Yet my first reaction was — did Griffey ever do anything like this?
I never saw The Kid play in person, but I guarantee he’s since seen the highlights from Adell’s insane night — and he must have marveled at it, even if it was against the team that he’s still so associated with.
The short answer to the hypothetical — if Griffey might’ve had some home-run-robbery record that Adell matched — is no. As far as anyone can tell (these stats are unofficial and have only recently been tracked), no one ever pulled off a hat trick like that in a single game.
Griffey aside, watching Julio Rodríguez man center field every day has been a marvel in itself. I’ve seen him rob three home runs in person, and the one he took back from Fernando Tatis Jr. in 2023 — complete with a crowd-wide fakeout — was one of the best theatrical performances I’ve seen on a baseball field.
But what Adell did on Saturday takes the cake. Heck, it takes the whole bakery.
IN CASE YOU MISSED IT
Here are five more big things that happened in baseball this weekend:
Yordan Alvarez is back to being one of the most fearsome hitters in the league. The Astros slugger hit his fourth home run of the season yesterday and is batting .400 with an MLB-leading .900 slugging percentage and 1.478 OPS through his first 10 games of 2026. (And Alvarez isn’t the only Astros star who looks rejuvenated this season — Jose Altuve does, too.)
Ben Rice is raking
Giancarlo Stanton might have made headlines by literally putting a dent in the Yankee Stadium outfield wall, but it’s Rice who’s been the Yankees’ best hitter. After his breakout 2025 season, Rice is batting .370 with three home runs — including a 110 mph rocket off Rays closer-turned-starter-for-a-day Pete Fairbanks yesterday — plus an AL-best 11 RBIs.
Good luck hitting Mason Miller
Miller has been the most overpowering reliever in baseball for a while, but the Padres fireman is taking things to another level right now. Not only has Miller not allowed a run yet this season, he hasn’t allowed one in his last 25 2/3 innings — the longest active scoreless streak in the Majors. And he’s struck out the last nine batters he’s facedafter back-to-back lights-out outings this weekend. Miller has 11 K’s in 4 1/3 innings this season. Insane.
Murakami again
Munetaka Murakami just keeps slugging home runs for the White Sox. The Japanese star has hit four in his first nine Major League games. The latest one on Saturday was his biggest swing yet: 111.1 mph off the bat and 431 feet to center field against the Blue Jays.
J-RAM TO MAKE HISTORY IN CLEVELAND
José Ramírez is the present-day face of Guardians baseball. But he’s about to become even more than that.
J-Ram’s next game will make him Cleveland’s all-time franchise leader in games played. The team’s cornerstone third baseman will have played 1,620 games in a Guardians uniform. Ramírez will be the only active player to lead an MLB franchise in games played.
Ramírez tied Terry Turner atop the Cleveland list on Sunday. He’s already passed Nap Lajoie (1,614) this season. And after today’s game against the Royals at Progressive Field, Ramírez will stand alone.
J-Ram made his MLB debut as a 20-year-old on Sept. 1, 2013. Over the last 13-plus years with the Guardians, he’s made seven All-Star teams, won six Silver Sluggers and finished in the top five of AL MVP voting six times. But playing his 1,620th game for Cleveland will top all of that.
Ramírez said Friday: “Of all the records, I feel that one is the most important because it kind of resembles what I wanted to do with this team.”
DAILY WALKOFF
Put your baseball brain to the test with Daily Walkoff, where you can find 30 brand-new trivia puzzles every day, one for each team. Play Daily Walkoff >>
Welcome to the third season of Someone on Film (FKA Substack on Film¹). A year in, we’ve shared stories from all sorts of writers and creators—including Lloyd Kahn, the nonagenarian pioneer of the green building movement; former Vogue editor Plum Sykes; children’s book authors and illustrators Mac Barnett and Jon Klassen; and many others. For our latest season, we decided to visit Substackers who call Los Angeles home.
LA is a city of creative strivers, and we tried to capture that ambition from several angles: a TV-showrunner-slash-illustrator, an underground club raver, a veteran entertainment journalist, a lifestyle creator with millions of followers, and a touring comedian. We shot it all on 16mm film, as usual, working with Director of Photography Jack Duffy, sound recordists Kenneth Orozcoand Adrian Arteaga, and with our very own Dave Bonawits behind the second camera and in the editing booth.
First up, we visited Lisa Hanawalt, who you might know as the creator of Tuca & Bertie and the production designer of BoJack Horseman. She’s currently working on a book called I Can’t Stop Thinking About Horses and Sex, and she let us invade her (very nice) lair to take a look at the pages. We traded imaginary horses for real ones when Lisa brought us to the stables, where we met her horse, Juniper.
I hope you enjoy our first installment of Someone on Film: Los Angeles. There’ll be more episodes in the coming weeks.
1
We’ve renamed the series from Substack on Film to Someone on Film. The films are really about the people in them, not about Substack itself—and the name should reflect that.
Every day offers a new chance to grow—so explore stories filled with real-life inspiration, practical wisdom, and ideas that fuel your next step forward. Discover uplifting content curated to support your personal growth, and join thousands of readers who visit our site daily for motivation, insight, and a positive boost.
“Grace has a way of meeting us in the middle of our imperfection, offering peace before we feel we’ve earned it.”
You don’t have to be at your best to be worthy of encouragement. On the days when you feel scattered or uncertain, grace is still available to you—freely and fully. This is a moment to exhale, to release the pressure of needing to have everything together. You are held, even on the days that feel most unsteady.MORE INSPIRATION
You’re always one blessing away from a brighter day… and a bigger life. May these stories, affirmations, prayers, and insights lift your spirits and inspire you to lift others.