P.24| |OPINION OPINIONP.34| P.29|BUSINESS BUSINESSP.37 P.30|REAL |CHAMBER GETOUT INSIDE: COMMUNITY P.21| P.27| AROUND AROUND AF P.31 ESTATE P.32| P.RE1| GETOUTP.34 P.41| | SPORTS SPORTSP.37| P.45|CLASSIFIED CLASSIFIED P.42 P.47 INSIDE: COMMUNITY
www.ahwatukee.com
Wednesday, January 2, 2019
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Chamber on surer footing, but seeks a director BY PAUL MARYNIAK AFN Executive Editor
TO ALL OUR LOYAL READERS
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FROGS & FITNESS
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ne year after it took some dramatic measures to cut costs, the Ahwatukee Foothills Chamber of Commerce finds itself on surer footing. But it also is again searching for a fulltime administrator/leader now that its executive director, Gina Jenkins, is moving with her family to Atlanta. The 25-year-old business organization’s all-volunteer board started 2018 by eliminating the position of CEO/president, cutting some events and making a more concerted effort to grow membership through the efforts of the board members themselves – busy men and women who have their own jobs or businesses to look after.
They looked to Jenkins to handle day-today tasks of organizing activities, developing members, keeping the office running and handling other tasks, Today, said outgoing board chair Ross Murray, the Chamber is a far healthier organization. “This was a year of restructuring and rebuilding and we are 100 percent way better off now,” said Murray, a loan originator and sales manager for HomeBridge Financial Services. “Last year at this time, we didn’t know the fate of the Chamber. We were in a downward trajectory.” But he admitted that the board faces an unexpected challenge in the wake of Jenkins’ imminent departure. “We have a very low budget and there’s only so much we can do,” Murray said, add-
Year of the freeway
ing the ideal person for the job will be someone with Jenkins’ passion, organizational skills and commitment. Or, as he put it, “a local community member who has more to give than they can get for the income we can afford. But he’s also hopeful someone out there can fill the bill – which is why, despite the resumes the board is getting, he hopes someone will be referred to the board by someone who the members know and respect. “I believe in the power of referrals,” Murray said. How big of a job is it? “I tried to keep it at 40 hours and I can honestly say I planned my time off around Chamber events,” she said. Jenkins admits her job with the Chamber See
CHAMBER on page 9
In battle for bodies, Kyrene uses new tools and sharpens others BY PAUL MARYNIAK AFN Executive Editor
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GRIDIRON GUYS (Tom Sanfilippo/Inside Out Aerial)
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Welcome to 2019, the year that will end with completion of the South Mountain Freeway, if the Arizona Department of Transportation’s expectations hold. As this shot of the area around 40th Street looking west shows, crews have a lot more work ahead before vehicles start rolling along the 22-mile, eight-lane thoroughfare, but they’ve already accomplished quite a bit since construction started in late 2017. For a look at what they’ve done to date and a look at what analysts surmise might be the freeway’s impact once it opens, see page 14.
DEC 26–JAN 11
he days of parents having to trudge over to Kyrene School District’s Tempe headquarters to register a new child are over as the district prepares to launch a new tool in its competition for enrollment. Next Monday, Jan. 7, Kyrene will launch online registration at its website, Kyrene.org. In addition, parents of children entering middle school will be able to go online and work together to select electives and choose which of the district’s three middle school programs – International Baccalaureate, AVID and Leader in Me – might be the most suitable. See
KYRENE on page 6
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