HAPPY THANKSGIVING
An edition of the East Valley Tribune
FREE ($1 OUTSIDE OF GILBERT) | GilbertSunNews.com
Thursday, November 25, 2021
How your community rates for celebrating Thanksgiving BY PAUL MARYNIAK Executive Editor
I
f you’re spending the long Thanksgiving holiday weekend in Scottsdale or Gilbert, you’ve got an extra reason to be thankful, according to the �inancial website wallethub.com Out of 100 cities across the country it analyzed, the website determined that Scottsdale is the third best place to spend Thanksgiving while Gilbert pulled No. 11. Sadly, though, those municipalities
– and the other Arizona communities covered in the recent survey – have lost some luster from their pre-pandemic status. In 2019, WalletHub declared Scottsdale the second-best place in the nation for Thanksgiving, with Gilbert taking 6th place. In the 2021 version, all the other Arizona municipalities WalletHub looked at have fallen from grace somewhat. Chandler has fallen from a 2019 ranking of 11 to a 26; Mesa tumbled from 13 to 43; and Phoenix plummeted from No.
Busy area woman not too busy for fostering kids BY KATY SPRINGER Contributor
P
ower mom” means different things to different people. For some, she’s a make-believe superhero who can juggle all household duties without breaking a sweat. For others, a “power mom” is a fantastical creature who succeeds in a high-demand job while also raising well-mannered, well-nurtured children. “Real” moms are wise enough to know that motherhood is often messy, dif�icult and overwhelming – and the real “power” comes in providing a loving, safe and stable home for their children. Lisa Hall is exactly that sort of power mom. Single mother to 12-year-old Liam, the Chandler resident also serves as national director for the Alzheimer’s Association. It’s a full load, but Hall
believed she could do more. Last summer, she ful�illed an important goal and became a licensed foster care provider. It was something she had long dreamed of, but the pandemic provided the impetus to make that dream a reality. “Anyone who knows me knows that I’m never too busy to pursue the things I really care about,” said Hall. “It might seem like too much from the outside looking in, but I wouldn’t have it any other way.” Indeed, Hall said she has always had a place in her heart for children in need. “I have always loved kids, and as I’ve grown older, I’ve looked for opportunities to help where I can,” she said. When she decided she wanted to open her home to foster care,
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39 to a humbling 76 – even below 72ndranked Tucson. Glendale stayed at 65th. Scottsdale is sandwiched in the top �ive for 2021 between Atlanta, Georgia, and Orlando, Florida, at 1 and 2, respectively, and Miami, Florida, and Raleigh, North Carolina, at 4 and 5, respectively. And virtually every Arizonan can be grateful they’re not in San Bernardino, California, which even edged out Detroit for the bottom of the barrel. To develop its rankings, WalletHub compared the 100 largest U.S. cities across 20 key metrics that ranged from the cost
Shopping local
of Thanksgiving dinner and share of delayed �lights to volunteer opportunities per capita and forecasted precipitation. One set of metrics measured holiday traditions and celebrations, which included things like the number of pumpkin patches per capita, holiday decoration shops and Thanksgiving events. On that score, Scottsdale ranked fourth while Gilbert ranked 22nd; Tucson, 38th; Chandler, 45th; Phoenix 46th; Glendale, 50th; and Mesa an abysmal 92nd.
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Jennifer Myers owns Earth Sugar, which sells sweet treats online. She and countless other area small-business owners are hoping that shoppers frustrated by supply-chain disruptions affecting large stores will consider their wares as a logical alternative. See story on page 4. (David Minton/Staff Photographer)