Opinion
www.SanTanSun.com
February 2 – 15, 2013
Community Commentary
Publisher’s Note
For our Valentines Sweetheart. Honey. Babe. Darling. Whatever you call your significant other, as Valentine’s Day approaches, ‘tis the time when all thoughts turn to love. Laurie Fagen He was the only Photo by male in a room of LightRainImages.com more than 60 females, attending a meeting of the Phoenix chapter of Women in Communications, Inc. (WICI) of which I was president. One of my board members worked with Geoff Hancock and brought him to meet me, but as was the case in running a large meeting, I was dashing around making sure everything was in place, the speaker had arrived, the food was ready and so on. I recall rarely having time to eat much of my meal, spending more time greeting people. Geoff only got the cursory “Nicetameetcha” welcome and a handshake. Shortly after that meeting, he called to discuss internship possibilities between his broadcast students at ITT Technical Institute and The Phoenix Channel, the government access cable channel I founded and ran for the City of Phoenix for six years. He was very professional, businesslike and had a good sense of humor, and within a few weeks, we started hiring his kids to run camera, audio and do other functions needed of a small 24/7 television station. We had a “business” relationship for about six months, and would talk periodically regarding students, internships, etc. But one day during the course of a phone conversation, he asked me on a date! I recall thinking, “Wait, who is this guy?” I knew him professionally, and just hadn’t thought of him “that way.” But, as a single career woman in my 30s, I thought, “Sure, why not?” Unfortunately, the evening of his invitation was during a time I was heading out of town with the Phoenix Ski Club, so I asked for a rain check. About three weeks went by, and no word or call from him. I had done my share of dating,
and was ready to swear off men, and here was another reason why! But then he called, had a plausible reason for why he hadn’t been in contact and we arranged to go on a double date with Geoff’s best friend, Mick, and his wife. We had dinner and went to hear a great young jazz singer, Dennis Rowland, and the rest, as they say, is history. We quickly became a couple, were engaged in six months, married in a year – I couldn’t think about a wedding until my presidency with WICI was done – and Mick stood up with Geoff, and Dennis sang at our wedding. We are the epitome of “opposites attract:” he’s a homebody, I like to socialize. He’s a neatnik, I’m an organized chaos type. He’s the “glass is dry as a bone” pessimist, I’m the “glass is overflowing” optimist. He was an only child and traveled most his life as a military brat; I grew up on a farm with three siblings and a large extended family. But we manage to balance each other, and share a love of travel, cats, movies, the ocean and many other things, and he keeps me laughing with his wicked dry sense of humor. Now, 25 years, one son, two rescue kitties and a co-owned business later, Geoff and I celebrated our silver anniversary last fall. Sure, there were times when I didn’t know if we were going to make it – I think every couple goes through a few rough patches – but we always managed to work it out and keep us together. Operating a business with your spouse in the same home office can certainly challenge any couple’s relationship. But his business acumen and my nose for news grew the former Ocotillo News and now SanTan Sun News into a goodsized, profitable business for the past 13 years and has allowed us to get to know so many wonderful people in Chandler. Happy Valentine’s Day, Dear Heart. I love you. To our team, all our readers and advertisers, Happy Valentine’s Day to you and your loved ones, and we are grateful for your patronage.
Oops – The incorrect phone number was submitted for ACSA Home Maintenance, the subject of an article entitled ‘Gambling’ with homes in the desert on Page 24 in the Business Section. The correct phone number is 480-577-4971. The Doing Business profile on Page 21 in the Business Section contained the incorrect spelling for the company name. The correct spelling is purbloc, making the email address info@purbloc.com and the website purbloc.com. We apologize for the error.
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Signing out after 17 years of service by Matt Orlando
After serving nearly 17 years, from 1990-1998 and 2004-2013, the time has arrived for me to step down from the City Council. It has been a great honor and humbling experience to represent the people of Chandler during my four terms in office and I am extremely grateful for this remarkable experience. I extend my sincere gratitude Matt Orlando to all those I have met during this incredible journey, and hope that in some small way I helped to make a positive impact on our community. Working through 16 municipal budgets has been quite enlightening. We have experienced long periods of prosperity and a very challenging recession. In my first two terms on the City Council, we had the foresight to implement sound fiscal policies to ensure our city’s future viability. Chandler is one of a few municipalities to attain and maintain a AAA bond rating through a bad economy. I thank city employees for all they have weathered in recent years and for finding ways to trim costs and staffing levels without hurting service delivery. I take pride in the fact that in the past few years we have dedicated more funding and resources to neighborhoods. We expanded our outreach programs and streamlined code enforcement operations. This is beneficial in keeping our citizenry educated and engaged throughout the community. From an economic development standpoint, we continue to diversify and solidify our employment base. President Obama’s visit was a high point in recognizing our community’s success on a national level. Intel’s expansion is significant to our entire region and we take great pride in this accomplishment. The attraction of manufacturing, biomedical, aerospace and finance companies complements our economy. The opening and expansion of the Innovations Incubator in West Chandler is another recent project worth mentioning. It is a state-ofthe-art facility with laboratories and specialized equipment dedicated for innovative entrepreneurs in the life sciences and emerging technology industries. It provides outstanding opportunities for startup companies to grow, collaborate and share resources that would otherwise not be available to them. I have witnessed the development of many companies, housing developments, parks and recreation facilities, shops and restaurants throughout the city. Above all, I take great pride in the work that has been accomplished downtown. With the opening of the new City Hall, the various merchants and special events taking place here, our downtown is truly becoming an exciting destination. It has been a privilege to work alongside some very dedicated elected officials, staff and residents. I leave office with great satisfaction that when we recognized issues, we worked together to find solutions. If there is a downside to public service, it is the time it takes away from one’s family. The support and love of my wife and three children, and their understanding of my occasional absence, will forever be cherished.
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Opinion
February 2 – 15, 2013
Community Commentary
Spectacular highlights science, innovation by Councilmember Rick Heumann
Chandler’s three-day Science Spectacular festival returns Feb. 13 through 16. The festival brings together hightech companies, small businesses, school districts and nonprofit agencies to celebrate Councilmember Rick science and innovation. Heumann The focus of the festival is to present unusual and creative approaches to science to engage participants. Geared toward people of all ages, the event provides an opportunity to interact with scientists, artists and students about their achievements and discoveries. Chandler’s Science Spectacular is scheduled in conjunction with the statewide SciTech Festival during the month of February. It will start 5:30 p.m. Wed., Feb. 13 with a Tech Crawl at Chandler’s Innovations Incubator, Intel and Air Products. The public will have the rare opportunity to tour these facilities and interact with staff regarding the work performed at each site. It is a valuable experience for young people – and adults – to gain a better understanding of the job opportunities and important work being done in community. Maps, schedules and detailed program descriptions can be found online at chandleraz.gov/science. From 6 to 10 p.m. Fri., Feb. 15, the program continues with a Night of Art and Science on both sides of Arizona Avenue in Downtown Chandler. The event is an extension of the
regularly scheduled monthly Art Walk. It will feature artistic displays and interactive performances specifically related to the theme of science. This year 48 West is also sponsoring a Science and Technology conference during the day as well as country music performances and food in the evening. The consortium brings together Arizona tech companies, new media, great food and local music to spark conversation and creativity, and we are excited to have them on board. Information about Friday night’s event can be found at downtownchandler.org and 48-west.com. Chandler’s Science Spectacular will culminate on Saturday with family friendly activities along Commonwealth Avenue, near the Downtown Chandler Library. Starting at 10:30 a.m. dozens of Chandler technology companies and vendors including SRP, Quantum Helicopters, Sun Valley Solar Solutions, the University of Arizona, Chandler Police and Fire Departments, Chandler-Gilbert Community College and many more will provide unique hands-on activities. Chandler Unified School District students will also showcase outstanding science projects at the nearby Community Center. The three-day Chandler Science Spectacular festival is a perfect reflection of the public-private collaboration that exists in our community. Thanks to the educators, businesspeople, city staff and community leaders who worked together for the second consecutive year as part of my Education Coalition to package this unique event for the benefit of our community. I hope you all enjoy the festivities and help us promote and celebrate science and education throughout our city and the region.
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Letters to the editor Challenge winner grateful for healthy habits My name is Emily Lenz and last year I participated in the Walk On! Kids Cooking Challenge. I participated because I love to cook with my dad and have for as long as I can remember. I heard about this contest from my fifthgrade teacher and learned lots about eating Emily Lenz healthy, and what foods are better than others. It definitely made me more aware of what I eat. I hope other kids can learn and grow from this challenge just as I did. Not only was this challenge great health wise, it was also lots of fun. I was on TV many times, was featured in magazines, had a photo shoot with the newspaper and people all over got to eat my recipe. I didn’t just do the recipe challenge; I also did the Walk On! Challenge. In this challenge you log how much
you exercise, watch TV and eat fruits and veggies. I was surprised when I got to see how much sugar I ate. I immediately ate healthier from then on, and I am glad I did because being at the dance academy for 20 hours a week sure can tire you out. I have encouraged my family to eat healthier as well as my friends. I plan to continue to eat healthy thanks to Walk On!. Emily Lenz, 85249, attends Basha Elementary School and is the 2012 Blue Cross Blue Shield of Arizona Walk On! Kids Cooking Challenge winner. The Challenge is a free health and fitness program implemented in classrooms each year in February designed to motivate fifth-grade students across Arizona to incorporate healthy habits into their daily routines for a healthier future. Visit azblue. com/WalkOn to see this year’s finalists and vote for your favorite from Feb. 5 through Feb. 14.
What do you think?
How’s your health this winter? Did you get a flu shot, why or why not? Did it help? Was it difficult for you to find the vaccine? Send your responses to Letters@SanTanSun.com and include your community name for possible inclusion in a future issue of the SanTan Sun News.