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AHWATUKEE FOOTHILLS NEWS www.ahwatukee.com
TIME TO VOTE
Wednesday, January 3. 2018
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2018 forecast: Big changes in the political and desert landscape
AHWATUKEE FOOTHILLS NEWS 2017 I BESTOF
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BY PAUL MARYNIAK AFN Executive Editor
Races galore
f you thought 2017 brought a lot of changes to Ahwatukee, only one thing can be said about the new year: You ain’t seen anything yet. And if you are still recovering from the 2016 blitz of candidates’ pitches and the overall frenzy of politics, strap on your seat belts because 2018 in some respects will offer Ahwatukee a dizzying area of choices at the ballot box – likely in three separate elections. Here is a look at some of the major changes awaiting Ahwatukee as residents hang up new calendars.
By far, politics will be one of two dominating themes for Ahwatukee in 2018 – the other, of course, being the South Mountain Freeway. From Phoenix City Hall to the State Capitol to Congress, Ahwatukee voters will be deciding a host of races. For starters, look for a special election, likely this spring, as candidates jockey to replace Mayor Greg Stanton, who is eyeing the congressional seat being vacated by Kyrsten Sinema, whose district includes Ahwatukee. One of the rumored candidates is an Ahwatukee resident: Moses Sanchez, a former Tempe Union High School District govern-
ing board member. Sanchez has declined to say whether he’s in the race, which likely will also involve two incumbent City Council members. Come August, primary elections will arrive, though it is unclear whether Legislative District 18, which encompasses Ahwatukee, will have a dog in that hunt. State Rep. Jill Norgaard is unlikely to face a primary challenge within her Republican ranks. Ditto on the D-side for Sen. Sean Bowie of Ahwatukee and Rep. Mitzi Epstein of Tempe, who are both hoping to get the nod in November for second terms. Whether Democrats and Republicans
AHWATUKEE FOOTHILLS NEWS MUSIC TO THE EYES
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WINE PROTECTOR
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ALIVE AND KICKING
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YEAR AHEAD on page 14
This Ahwatukee newcomer’s part-time gig is the cat’s meow BY PAUL MARYNIAK AFN Executive Editor
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ome people might call Ahwatukee newcomer Barbara Jaeger a purr-fect addition to the community. As she settles into her new home in the new year, Jaegar brings with her an impressive resume in the field of 911 operations, where she has held various positions for 40 years – more than half as a state employee. She also is a past president and eight-year board director of the 6,000-member National Emergency Number Association. But it’s her part-time job – she calls it a hobby – that may be especially appealing to pet owners in Ahwatukee. Well, at least close to half of them. Jaegar judges cats. For 14 years, the New York native and longtime Arizona resident has been an allbreed judge for the 112-year-old Cat Fanciers Association, an international network of cat owners whose animals are not just trea-
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JUDGE on page 6
(Kimberly Carrillo/AFN Photographer)
Last month Barbera Jaeger judged a Phoenix Feline Fanciers’ cat show in Mesa and one of her duties involved determining the cat that was best dressed for the holidays. This feline came in a “Nutcracker” tutu.
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