Opinion
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June 15 – July 5, 2013
Community Commentary
Publisher’s Note
Celebrating dads He was a reluctant father, probably because he questioned his own parents’ skills in raising him. But in the end, Geoff Hancock was a great dad, like so many in the SanTan Sun area. Laurie Fagen Geoff was a true Photo by hands-on parent, LightRainImages.com having no qualms about changing diapers, preparing the smelly cloth diaper bag for pickup and even keeping the house clean. OK, so he was the one who kept the house clean all the time during our 25-plus years of marriage, which was something he learned from his mother—who also taught him about labeling everything. Our son, Devon, was born in May 1992, so we “cocooned” during that first hot summer, mostly staying indoors, watching him breathe and reveling in all the “firsts:” first smiles, first coos, first acknowledgement of the true meaning of unconditional love. As tends to be the case, Devon was pretty attached to me the first several years, but Geoff was right there, helping however he could. I could tell Geoff was a little nervous in the early days, and he admitted it was mostly because he couldn’t “read” the signs for hunger, sleep, diaper changes, etc., like I could, nor understand some of a toddler’s gibberish. But once Devon was old enough to communicate better, the two of them were inseparable, which gave me a welcomed relief from kid duty. They’d go feed the ducks near the Ahwatukee golf course; have early McDonald’s breakfast and playtime in the park; and would often be found napping together. On vacations, Geoff would take him fishing, boating, feeding deer and petting goats, or at amusement parks, on rides that I wasn’t crazy about. Geoff remembered words of advice from a friend of his, who said “keep your son busy, which will keep him out of trouble.” So began the years of “experimentation” with a variety of extra-curricular activities. After being amazed by a cowboy magician at Rustler’s Rooste, Geoff took Devon to his first magic show in Las Vegas, and started buying him tricks. When Devon was about 11, Geoff arranged it for him to do magic shows for local preschools and birthday parties in Southern Chandler, and the kids enjoyed seeing a young person doing such great illusions. Geoff loved the “Wallace & Gromit” claymation films of Nick Park of Aardman
Animations, and pretty soon, Devon took an interest in doing stop-frame animation. Geoff found computer software and a camera Devon could use, and our son created many movie shorts with small bendable clay creatures over armature wire, even winning an award in an Arizona Student Film Festival in 2007. In between came baseball and swimming, then theatrical plays and singing. That’s when music became another activity that we all bonded over. I had been singing and playing instruments since fifth grade, having also performed in musical theater in Phoenix; and Geoff was a bass guitarist for a band in Bitberg, Germany for many years and sold equipment for JBL Speakers and Fender Guitar in Europe, before returning to the United States to get his degree in broadcast engineering at the College of the City of New York. Devon first studied the alto sax in fifth grade band, and I would practice with him on my clarinet. But when he was actually able to strum chords on a cheap guitar by learning tabs on the internet, Geoff found McKnight Guitar in Chandler and when he was about 12, started Devon on lessons with Matt Vandal. Devon was a good student, loved practicing and started playing acoustic, electric and even bass guitar. Geoff invested in a variety of guitars—from mandolin to banjo to ukulele—and Devon could play them all. Geoff knew about amps and cables and all things that a guitarist needs; Devon even accompanied my vocals on a number of occasions, so music was a big part of our lives. When Devon was a sophomore in high school, Geoff helped get gigs in Chandler restaurants for him and a female vocalist friend for more than a year. When Matt said “I’ve taught him about all I can,” Geoff persuaded the two to become band mates, and Geoff was the Vandal Hancock Duo’s booking agent for the past almost five years. Geoff was so proud of his talented son, and enjoyed listening to him play during his last few weeks of life. Devon lost his dad way too soon—Geoff died of recurrent pancreatic cancer about three months ago—but I know Geoff is still cheering him on from the sidelines. Happy Father’s Day to all the great dads who read the SanTan Sun News.
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Fireworks return to Tumbleweed Park this July 4 by Mayor Jay Tibshraeny
The Fourth of July has always been a special day for our country, dating back to 1776, when the Declaration of Independence was approved by the Continental Congress. That iconic moment for our nation set the original 13 colonies on a path to freedom as a sovereign land. At the time, it was estimated that about 2.5 million people lived in America—a little less than the Mayor Jay Tibshraeny population of Nevada today. Since that time, we have celebrated our independence through family gatherings and picnics, patriotic concerts, baseball games and, of course, fireworks. There were plenty of fireworks when the Mets and Braves played a game on July 4, 1985. That contest ended the next morning at about 4 a.m. The Mets won the 19-inning game 16-13. The good news is Chandler’s 4th of July Fireworks Celebration won’t keep you up that late, or early. The city’s Independence Day fireworks event returns to Tumbleweed Park at 7 p.m. July 4, with fireworks to go off at about 9 p.m. This year’s celebration has been scaled down from previous years, but will still include a celebratory pyrotechnic display that will last about 20-25 minutes. Admission to the park is free, and onsite parking is available for $5 per vehicle. Food will be available for sale and residents are also encouraged to bring their own snacks and picnic in the park. However, no grilling or alcoholic beverages will be permitted. The use of personal fireworks of any kind within the park is also prohibited. This is the first time in many years that the Chandler Lions Club is not running the event. The community owes a great deal of thanks to the Lions who for many years had brought a larger event to Tumbleweed that included entertainment and an array of events for the whole family. While still involved selling food this year, they have had to scale back their efforts. They are to be congratulated for growing this holiday tradition into one of the finest in the Valley over the years. Hopefully in the future, another community group will step forward and run this event. In the meantime, the city is doing all it can within its resources to provide some Independence Day family fun. So please join us this Fourth of July. Tumbleweed Park is located at 2250 S. McQueen Rd., on the southwest corner of McQueen and Germann roads. Vehicles can enter the park from Germann Road at Hamilton Street or from McQueen Road at Celebration Way. Disabled parking will also be available at both entrances. For more information about this event and others, please call the city’s special events hotline at 480-782-2735. Oops – On page 28 of the June 1 issue, ‘Free week for new Kids Inc. families’ should have stated that the free week for those who sign up before July 31 is for infant care only.
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June 15 – July 5, 2013
Opinion
Community Commentary
Changing habits can save water, money by Councilwoman Trinity Donovan
Water is a topic that seems to be on the minds of many, especially those living in Arizona’s desert climate. And, because the weather is starting to heat up it’s a particularly important issue. During a Chandler In Focus program, I had an opportunity to interview John Smith, Arizona’s first licensed Green Plumber who was recognized in 2010 and 2011 for his dedication to water conservation. I also visited with Deina Burns, Chandler’s conservation Specialist, during the program. Both individuals are very passionate about water conservation and they each provided wonderful tips to help educate the community on this issue. A consistent message that John and Deina conveyed is that it’s not necessary to spend a lot of money to conserve water. Simply changing a habit can be one of the easiest things you can do to save water and ultimately, money. There are also many items available to homeowners at little or no cost that promote water conservation. In fact, for homes built before 1992, Chandler offers free retrofit kits that include water saving devices. The city also has several rebates and programs available to commercial and residential properties to encourage water conservation. Owners of newly built homes may be eligible for a $200 rebate, depending on the type of landscaping that was installed. Additionally, through our Landscape Conversion Program, rebates are offered for the removal of grass from existing landscapes when replaced with a minimum of 50 percent nongrass groundcover. The city also offers presentations to HOAs for other cost-saving suggestions. Details are available at chandleraz.gov. If you’re not sure which plants are low-water use there are many photos available on the city’s website, including a number of design examples to help plan your landscape. Residents can also request free brochures be mailed
to them with more specific information. The city also offers a number of free workshops to Chandler utility customers. These workshops are held each spring and fall and offer waterwise classes. Some of the classes include topics surrounding landscapes, edible gardening and how to program irrigation timers. One of the more popular services that the city provides is Trinity Donovan a water audit. This is a simple onsite tool provided to help residents save money on their monthly bill. If you have had an unexpected higher than normal water bill you can make an appointment with a water conservation specialist for a free home visit. During the visit, the staff member will check the water meter for accuracy, identify potential leaks, inspect irrigation timers and provide helpful tips on how to decrease the amount of interior and exterior water use. In 2011, the city’s Water Conservation Department conducted 199 audits. When the same accounts were tracked over the course of a year, following the inspection, it was determined that there was an average savings of approximately 50,000 gallons of water per home. Clearly, the program works. I found many of these tips to be useful and look forward to helping others discover easy ways to save money while protecting this valuable resource. The exception to conserving water is when it comes to staying hydrated. Given our extreme heat conditions, spare no expense in drinking plenty of water during the hot summer months. For more information call the City of Chandler Water Conservation Office at 480-782-3583, or email conserve@chandleraz.gov.
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Letters to the editor
Paying it forward Thanks to an article about an anonymous donor of $400 worth of “A Squirrel’s Story—A True Tale” by Jana Bommersbach to school libraries in Moore, OK, that appeared in the June 1 issue of the SanTan Sun News, additional donors have stepped forward. After reading the article, Joanna Meyer of Chandler, who made a generous donation, and others contacted Five Star Publications Inc. to fund the sending of additional copies of the book to children’s libraries in Moore, OK, which were destroyed by the devastating tornadoes that recently struck the area. The donors are applauded for their selfless actions, but Five Star Publications would also like to thank the SanTan Sun News, too, which played a large part in this heart-warming scenario by printing the article about the $400 donation in the first place. It’s positive news coverage like this that inspires readers to pay it forward through random acts of kindness. Kind regards, Linda F. Radke, President Five Star Publications Inc., Chandler
Unhappy with SRP My name is Elaine Doty and my family and I reside in Fulton Ranch, Shoreline Community. Our home backs directly to Ocotillo Road. We are very worried about the health risks this proposed project will have in our young children and in the value of our new home. We are 100% against the project and will do all we can to prevent it from happening. Elaine Doty