There aren’t many people like Benny Natanov anymore because there aren’t many leather shoes anymore. But he’s the new owner of Ed’s Shoe Repair on Warner Road and 48th Street, Ahwatukee, after buying it from
BY PAUL MARYNIAK AFN Executive Editor
Lindy Lutz Cash recalled how she flew from her native Ohio 20 years ago to visit a friend in Ahwatukee and “I fell in love with the area.”
And when she and her husband took advantage of corporate transfers to move
to Arizona in 2003, she said, “We knew right where we were headed. We didn’t look anywhere else, and I’ve never looked back.”
15 to watch this year in Ahwatukee
BY PAUL MARYNIAK AFN Executive Editor
Now that 2017 has arrived, Ahwatukee is waking up from holiday distractions, realizing that in some respects, the new year isn’t much different from the old when it comes to the challenges that emerged in 2016.
From the South Mountain Freeway and Ahwatukee’s golf course communities to a new State Legislature and a city election, Ahwatukee is bound to be different in some crucial aspects by the time it welcomes 2018. And the 15 people listed alphabetically below will play a role in that change to one degree or another. And in most respects, those changes will likely affect them as well.
AIDAN BARRY
As senior vice president/ development for True Life Companies, Aidan Barry is the general for the multimilliondollar developer’s campaign to forever transform the 101-acre Ahwatukee Lakes Golf Course into a new neighborhood. If it wins the campaign, True Life’s Ahwatukee Farms would eventually become a separate homeowners association within Ahwatukee Lakes Golf Club, containing nearly 300 houses, a 5-acre farm, a private school, café and other amenities.
But to start that development, True Life first needs 51 percent of the Lakes’ approximately 5,400 homeowners to agree to a change in the deed restrictions governing how that site can be used. Barry has stated True Life is in it for the long haul and has set no time limit on the company’s campaign. But he’s also eager
(Cheryl Haselhorst/AFN Staff Photographer)
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At 10 years old, Lawrence Wen of Ahwatukee has already accomplished a few things as a budding classical pianist.
The Keystone Montessori School fourth-grader won the Arizona Young Artist Piano Competition and a similar contest sponsored by the East Valley Music Teachers Association.
Now he is getting ready to perform for the general public at 4 p.m. Jan. 21 at the Arizona Piano Company, 4134 E. Wood St., Phoenix, for MusicaNova Orchestra’s “Beautiful Strings II” celebration of harp and piano.
The son of Hua Song and Shengmin Wen, Lawrence is one of four “virtuoso musicians” scheduled to play.
Inspired by his older brother’s skills at the violin, Lawrence took up piano when he was 5 years old, his father said. “Lawrence liked it and so he decided to play too,” Wen explained.
Wen said his son practices 12 hours of week, but still finds the time to play soccer and tennis, swim, play video games and hang out with his friends.
Lawrence, who also has a brown belt in Wado Ryu Karate, would like to become a piano teacher and a video game developer when he grows up.
He draws inspiration from the classical master Johann Sebastian Bach as well as Carl Vine, the contemporary master pianist from Australia.
Lawrence will be performing those pieces under the watchful eye of his teacher, Fei Xu, who also is the young artists coordinator at MusicaNova.
MusicaNova is a professional symphony orchestra founded in 2003 to introduce new and neglected music and new artists to the Valley.
The nonprofit started its Young Artist Concerts series in 2013 “to give exceptional young musicians a unique opportunity to perform in a formal recital setting,” spokeswoman Laura Schairer.
Tickets for the Jan. 21 recital are $15 for general admission and $10 for seniors and students, and are available at the musicanovaaz.com.
(Special to AFN)
Lawrence Wen, 10, started piano lessons at age 5 and has won two competitions so far.
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Four males cause ‘panic’ at AMC theater in Ahwatukee
Phoenix Police cited two adults and two juveniles who started a melee late Dec. 27 when they burst through the front doors of the Ahwatukee AMC 24 multiplex and started shouting for everyone to get out.
Police said the four males “caused panic and all the occupants rushed out of the theater” on Ray Road near 49th Street.
The disturbance occurred around 11:30 p.m.
The four suspects apparently hung around at the scene and were pointed out to officers who had arrived. They were cited for disorderly conduct and released.
The individuals were not identified because only citations were issued.
AMC Theaters released a statement saying, “The safety and security of our guests and associates is our top priority,
and this situation, akin to yelling fire in a crowded theatre, is completely unacceptable. AMC has no tolerance for this behavior and fully supports any appropriate charges against those involved.”
It would not comment further.
Channel 3 TV reported that one patron thought the citations were a “slap on the wrist.”
“It just makes me really mad that my safety was compromised; that my peace of mind was compromised for a joke,” she was quoted as saying.
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She comes to the job with considerable business chops.
Today, Cash is all-eyes to the future as the new president/CEO of the Ahwatukee Foothills Chamber of Commerce, becoming perhaps the most visible ambassador for the community she’s loved for two decades.
Since she moved here, Cash said, “it’s been a good journey.”
But now her trip has led deep into the hard work of using what she has learned and the network she has developed to better serve the 400-plus chamber members specifically and Ahwatukee in general.
As the chamber’s new chief executive, Cash will be working with the board to fashion the organization’s overall mission while also developing new programs— and tweaking some existing ones—to keep it an effective advocate and mentor for Ahwatukee’s businesses.
“There are challenges out there, especially for mom-and-pop businesses,” Cash said. “It’s still tough out there. They work hard to keep the doors open, and we want to support them with their marketing plans.”
For 10 years up to 2014, she and her husband Kevin Cash owned Foothills Ace Hardware in the Desert Foothills Plaza shopping center.
She has also been a fashion consultant, a flooring store advisor, co-owner with her husband of a company that invested in retail store ownership and a life coach.
Cash also has corporate experience on her resume. She held major executive positions for two banks, AmTrust and National City, for more than a decade.
And she has been deeply involved in the community as a member of the chamber board and its executive committee as well as a member of the Festival of Lights Committee.
She also has been a volunteer on the national level, serving as Panhellenic relations director for Alpha Delta Pi Sorority and working with campuses in the Western U.S. in leadership and programming for college sorority women.
These days, life has been nearly immersed in learning the ropes of her
(Cheryl Haselhorst/AFN Staff Photographer)
New Ahwatukee Chamber of Commerce president/CEO Lindy Lutz Cash in her office.
Appointed interim president/CEO of the chamber around Thanksgiving, Cash paused when asked how life has changed.
“It’s been busy,” she said.
“I knew there were a lot of things the chamber handles because I had been involved, but until you’re in the thick of it and in the day-to-day activities, you realize it never stops. You’re always working toward something.They can be smaller things, they can be bigger things.”
With a staff of three full-time and one part-time member, it is “at least a sixday-a-week job,” she said.
“Naturally I’m putting even extra in,” she added. “I’m a go-getter. I want to get my arms around things as quickly as possible so I can figure out what we can do more for members and what we can do for the community.
“I have less free time, but it is worth it to do the best I can to learn the ropes and make a game plan for the short-term and the long-term future. We have to prove our value to members more and more and in different ways.”
That’s largely the result of the internet and social media, Cash explained.
Gone are the days when a small business owner in a small community would just naturally join the chamber as the chief way to relate with other businesses as well as the community in general.
“Members have a lot of choices, and we need to make sure we provide things that support them in their business,” Cash said. “It’s not just about networking.
“With today’s technology, there are so many other avenues they can pursue and they don’t all have to be in person. We’re still a great resource, but we have to stay current.”
But Cash believes she has a couple things going in her favor.
First, she’s been visible in the community and so involved that she knows Ahwatukee pretty well.
Then, there’s her business experience.
“Having been a small-business owner in the area for seven years, I understand the highs and the lows,” she said.
She also learned that her job has limits.
An Ohio State Buckeye football fan, she had hoped to score a pair of tickets for her and her husband to the Fiesta Bowl.
But it was all sold out. Even a chamber of commerce president/CEO couldn’t get a ticket.
Highway agencies deny that freeway work disturbed 20 Native American graves
BY PAUL MARYNIAK AFN Executive Editor
The likely final effort to stop construction of the South Mountain Freeway until a federal appeals court rules on an appeal by opponents may come down to an argument over whether work crews have disturbed as many as 20 sacred North American grave sites.
In a petition seeking a temporary injunction against the state’s most expensive highway project in history, the Gila River Indian Community told the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit that work so far “has resulted in the disturbance of over 20 ancestral graves, which is viewed as erosion of Community members’ connection with their ancestors and of their spiritual well-being.”
But in nearly 150 pages of documents filed with the panel recently, the Federal Highway Administration denied the allegation.
It included a 23-page sworn affidavit from the Arizona Department of Transportation’s project director that said only two graves were identified and the remains were handled in a way that “complied with all applicable laws, regulations, guidance, the programmatic agreement, and the burial agreement” between the Gila Community and state and federal highway agencies.
Meanwhile, ADOT continued to indicate last week it would be ramping up the freeway project in coming weeks.
On Monday, it will permanently close the Pecos Road access to the Park and Ride lot at 40th Street and Pecos.
ADOT also said motorists can expect Pecos Road to be shut down on the weekends this month for utility line relocation, although it said specific dates were still being determined.
Both Ahwatukee-based Protect Arizona’s Resources and Children and the Gila Community are asking the Ninth Circuit to overturn a federal judge’s refusal to stop the project on
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grounds it would desecrate South Mountain—considered a sacred Native American site—and that ADOT performed insufficient environmental impact studies.
After the appeals panel denied PARC’s request for a work halt while the appeal is underway, the Gila Community filed its own request for an immediate injunction.
In the request, Gila Community attorney Jeffrey Molinar said, “Construction of the freeway also will disrupt existing trails, shrines, and other significant resources and artifacts.”
In several cases, Samour said, ADOT reached out to the Gila Community for discussions of its proposed plans and the community ignored it.
Samour said that more than 300 archeologically significant Native American or other historical sites have been uncovered in the freeway right of way.
He detailed a lengthy series of communications between highway agencies and the Gila Community around 2005 and 2006 and said that after the community failed to respond to at least three, it finally worked to some degree on a “treatment plan” to mitigate the project’s impact on cultural and religious sites.
His affidavit quotes Barnaby Lewis, of the Tribal Historic Preservation Office, who in 2012 wrote:
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“While mitigation may attempt to reduce the harm—reburying the dead, moving some artifacts —the harm will be devastating.” Molinar wrote. “No amount of remedial efforts can undo the damage that the freeway will cause to the cultural and religious heritage of the Community.”
“Undisputed testimony shows how the Community’s religion, oral histories, and ceremonial activities and practices all are tied to the natural environment,” he added, saying that South Mountain “is one of the Community’s most sacred natural resources”
But in its lengthy response, the FHWA denied the community’s allegations, stating it and ADOT “took a ‘hard look’ at the impacts of the project to GRIC” when it came to the freeway’s affect on air quality, wildlife, water quality and the Native Americans’ cultural and religious heritage.
In an accompanying sworn affidavit, Robert Samour, ADOT’s senior deputy state engineer for major projects, spelled out a series of actions freeway planners took to study the highway’s impact on the Gila Community and what they did to eliminate or reduce the impact of construction.
“The THPO accepts the mitigation treatment plan and all recommendations put forth in the document….Thank you for considering our suggestions for change. The mitigation treatment plan has put forth a thoughtful, unique way to mitigate the adverse effects of this undertaking. It too is well written. The GRIC-THPO appreciates the FHWA and ADOT for acknowledging and accepting the GRIC worldview.”
Samour said that archeologists investigated numerous sites in the freeway’s path and that no human remains were discovered.
He also noted that Native Americans and a half dozen federal and state agencies two years ago signed “a formal, legally binding agreement between the agencies and other interested parties for the proper treatment and management of affected cultural resources.”
It is unclear when the appeals panel will rule on the Gila Community’s request for a work halt.
(Special to AFN)
Robert Samour, ADOT’s senior deputy state engineer for major projects, filed a sworn affidavit in federal appeals court denying claims that 20 Native American graves were disturbed during pre-construction work on the South Mountain Freeway path.
Arizona’s golf industry made a total estimated economic contribution of $3.9 billion in sales to the state economy in 2014, according to a study released last month by the University of Arizona.
And golf facilities generated a $1.1 billion profit for their owners, it adds. The study, partially funded by several golf resorts and golf associations in the state, is the first of its kind in more than 10 years.
For Ahwatukee, where one of its four courses has been closed since 2013 and another is troubled, the study contains a stunning disclosure: “Residential real estate premiums associated with all homes ever built in golf course communities in Arizona were estimated to be nearly $2.1 billion.”
Homeowners in both Ahwatukee Lakes Golf Club and Club West have contended that those premiums are an important part of the value of their homes and that are adversely affected in recent years. The Lakes course was closed in 2013 and is now basically dirt while Club West’s HOA board is suing owner Wilson Gee for failing to provide enough water and maintenance to maintain the course properly.
The UofA study said the total golf industry contribution to Arizona’s economy in 2014 can be broken down into: $2.5 billion from course operations, $1.1 billion from tourism and $347 million from golf-related businesses.
“Golf is an important part of Arizona’s economy and a defining component of the physical landscape of many of its cities and towns,” it states. “The golf industry supports jobs and incomes for the state economy, indirectly supports others.”
The study goes beyond data maintained
by government agencies, which usually rely only on reports from country clubs and public courses.
“To rely only on statistics for golf courses and country clubs would significantly underrepresent the extent of the industry in the state, considering that many golf courses in Arizona are attached to resort properties,” it states.
The study acknowledges the impact of the 2008 recession on the industry, as well as the impact of overbuilding of golf courses in the 1980s and 1990s.
It said that 17 golf facilities closed in Arizona between 2004 and 2014. But at the same time, 19 new facilities were built in the state for a net gain of two.
“This is not including facilities that have undergone significant renovations, closed and reopened, or transferred ownership since that time,” the study says.
The industry was responsible for creating and maintained a total 18,700 full and part-time jobs in 2014.
The study also looked at water consumption by courses and said, “Overall there was a net increase in water use from all sources between 2004 and 2014.”
The study is based on a survey of 313 golf facilities in Arizona and is the first comprehensive look at the state’s golf industry since 2004.
It says an estimated 11,573,579 rounds of golf were played in Arizona in 2014. Of that, 7,678,120 were rounds played by members of private or semiprivate facilities.
“Results indicate that roughly twothirds of rounds are played by Arizona golfers, including seasonal residents,” it adds. “Roughly a quarter are played by visitors from other states, and the remainder (8 percent) are played by international visitors.”
The Foothills
Mountain Park
AFN NEWS STAFF
(Special to AFN)
(Special to AFN)
The Foothills Golf Course in Ahwatukee was among more than 300 courses that contributed over $3 billion to Arizona’s economy in 2014, according to a University of Arizona study released last month.
Foothills
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True Life trial in tax fight won’t occur before next year
BY PAUL MARYNIAK AFN Executive Editor
The multi-million court fight over True Life Companies’ taxes for the Ahwatukee Lakes golf course won’t get to trial for more than a year.
State Superior Court Judge Christopher T. Whitten signed a scheduling order that sets a 10-minute conference call April 20 to discuss a trial on True Life’s suit against Maricopa County over the way it has assessed the 101-acre course, which was closed in 2013.
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True Life has argued that the site should still be taxed as a golf course even though company executives have repeatedly said it will never be one again.
Although the amount of taxes the company owes is not known, the county assessor has retroactively levied a $1.3 million in back taxes.
A golf course is taxed at a lower rate. But if the property ceases to be used as a course as required by a community’s covenants, conditions and regulations, the county can go back and penalize it.
True Life last month also filed a challenge to the county assessor’s refusal to treat the site as a golf course for the taxes it owes for 2017.
use.”
The trial schedule devotes virtually all of this year to depositions of expert witnesses.
At the same time, the company is preparing for a June trial before another Superior Court judge on a lawsuit filed by two Lakes residents who want the company and former owner Wilson Gee to restore the site to its original use. Some experts have said it would cost at least $2.5 million to restore the site to a golf course.
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Meanwhile, as company executives promised, True Life over the last 10 days mailed a 32-page information packet to residents as it continues to try to get 51 percent of the estimated 5,400 residents in the HOA to amend the CC&Rs and allow the development of an “agrihood” on the course property.
True Life wants to build about 287 homes, a five-acre farm, a private school, a café and various amenities on the site, calling it Ahwatukee Farms.
Although it is trying to change the site’s use else, True Life in its lawsuit contends that the existing CC&Rs make it still a golf course for tax purposes.
The suit states that in August 2013, “the assessor conducted a playable course. The field canvass and concluded the Lakes Golf Course was ‘vacant. No longer a playable course. The subject property is vacant residential.”
But True Life asserts in its complaint, “A covenant restricting the user of the Lakes Golf Course to golf course use was in effect at all material times therein, and it remains in effect, restricting the use of the Lakes Golf Course to golf course
True Life, which paid $8.2 million for the site, lays out an extensive argument to homeowners in the newly mailed information packet on why they should pprove the changes that would turn it into Ahwatukee Farms.
“Without your support and signature, the property will remain in its current blighted condition,” three True Life executives write in a signed introduction.
Shortly after it unveiled its farm proposal last August, a similar packet was only about six pages long.
This time True Life addresses a gamut of issues, including how residents are legally protected with the consent form, and expert analyses of how Ahwatukee Farms will address community concerns regarding traffic, flood control, and the CC&R amendment process.
“Like each of you, we are members of the Phoenix community, living in and raising our families in the place we call home,” it states. “We are passionate about improving our city for future generations Because we are local, we have a deep understanding of the community’s culture and values, which we incorporate into all of the work we do.”
(Cheryl Haselhorst/AFN Staff Photographer) About 300 Ahwatukee Lakes residents last November jammed the Ahwatukee Recreation Center for a town hall where a panel of eight experts trashed the plan to turn their defunct golf course into an agrihood.
BY JESSICA SUERTH Cronkite News
Of five states with recreational marijuana on the ballot this fall, Arizona was the only state where the initiative failed, after supporters ran into a well-funded opposition campaign backed by political heavyweights.
But that hasn’t stopped marijuana advocates from looking ahead and predicting legalization – either through a rematch at the polls or a push through the Legislature.
“We expected that the political elite would be against” legalizing marijuana, said Carlos Alfaro, Arizona political director for the Marijuana Policy Project. “Those people won over millions who saw the proposition as counterproductive and people who thought money was not being made from legalization.”
Arizonans for Responsible Drug Policy, the organization behind the “No on 205” campaign, raised more than $5.6 million, according to campaign filings, more than the opponents in the four other states – California, Maine, Massachusetts and Montana –combined.
The group recruited nearly 50 state lawmakers who opposed marijuana legalization, including Gov. Doug Ducey, Republican Sen. Jeff Flake, Rep. Trent Franks, R-Glendale, and Rep. Matt Salmon, R-Mesa, among others.
Officials at Arizonans for Responsible Drug Policy did not return multiple requests for comment. But their efforts appeared to pay off on Election Day, when voters rejected Proposition 205 by a 51.3 to 48.7 percent margin – or 1.3 million against to 1.23 million for, according to the Arizona Secretary of State’s office.
The Marijuana Policy Project raised more than $5.2 million for the “Yes on 205” campaign, according to campaign filings with the secretary of state. But observers said supporters in Arizona could not gather the momentum necessary to overcome the opposition.
“Arizona is a much smaller state (than California), so it’s much easier to communicate to the entire population,” said Scott Chipman, Southern California chair for the political action committee Citizens Against Legalizing Marijuana. “It’s not as liberal as California. The
momentum in California was much stronger to legalize.”
California and Montana had the widest margins of victory for their recreational marijuana initiatives, with 57 percent of voters approving. The measure won in Massachusetts with 53.6 percent of the vote and squeaked by in Maine with 50.2 percent.
Despite the fundraising by opponents in Arizona, National Cannabis Industry Association co-founder Steve Fox said he does not believe there was one specific factor that brought down the initiative in the state.
“It was very close, it didn’t lose by a wide margin,” Fox said of the Yes on 205 campaign. “It certainly had significant opposition in both a political and financial sense, with both Ducey and (Maricopa County Attorney) Bill Montgomery strongly campaigning against it.”
Sheldon Adelson, a billionaire casino owner from Las Vegas, was one of the top donors to the opposition in Arizona. The $500,000 he donated to Arizonans for Responsible Drug Policy just weeks before the election was well above amounts he gave to opposition campaigns in the other states.
Fox said the opposition was apparently able to convince voters that taxes raised by legalizing marijuana “wouldn’t come through” as supporters claimed, even though he said Colorado has generated millions in taxes through recreational marijuana.
Alfaro accused the opponents of what he called unfounded fear mongering, but remained hopeful for the future.
“The industry is growing in Arizona,” he said. “Over 100,000 patients are using medical marijuana – they have a voice. We are taking steps to lobby, we are taking steps to put propositions on the ballot, we will see it legalized. It’s only a matter of time.”
Mikel Weisser, Arizona director for the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws, said the movement is coalescing behind several ideas to move forward, including working with state lawmakers to get a bill passed in the Legislature.
“I believe that the national movement is going to win in Arizona,” Weisser said. “The appetite is strong and nationally, the trend is going toward legalization.”
IMPACT
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to start the long process of getting city and other government approvals for the project.
His major challenge is to convince enough skeptical Lakes homeowners.
CHAD BLOSTONE
Entering his second year as chairman of the Ahwatukee Foothills Village Planning Committee, Chad Blostone, a commercial airlines pilot, will be steering the rest of the panel through updating the official description of Ahwatukee’s character.
The statement is part of the city’s General Plan, which provides the vision and policies that determine how a city will grow and develop. The Phoenix General Plan guides official actions in areas such as energy, housing, neighborhoods, public facilities, natural resources, transportation and land use.
With much talk these days about whether Ahwatukee’s open space is being eroded by development—particularly when it comes to golf courses—Blostone and the committee could forge a stronger statement to preserve the expanses of undeveloped land in the community.
Blostone also has taken an active role in efforts to reduce the brunt of the South Mountain Freeway on neighborhoods and get four lanes on the Chandler Boulevard Extension.
The city wants it to be a two-lane connection between the existing ends of four-lane Chandler Boulevard.
SEAN BOWIE
As the new state senator for the legislative district that includes Ahwatukee, Sean Bowie has no end of challenges awaiting. An Ahwatukee resident himself, Bowie is a Democrat in a Republican-dominated legislature.
He won on a platform promising to restore education funding for both K-12 schools and the state universities after several years of drastic cuts.
But Republican legislative leaders already are saying there’s not much new money available to do that.
Bowie also has been taking a great interest in some of the more pressing issues in his backyard, including the open-space debate.
It remains to be seen if he can find a way to bring state clout to bear on the issue.
LINDY LUTZ CASH
As the new president/CEO of the Ahwatukee Foothills Chamber of Commerce, Lindy Lutz Cash is the number one advocate for businesses in the community.
She has acknowledged that small businesses are perhaps under more pressure than ever as they compete against big-box chains and online stores. So, she has to work on ways that the chamber can shore them up in the storm.
On top of that, Cash also has to make the chamber itself more relevant to its own members since businesses no longer automatically see the organization as the best way to engage with the community
Much closer in time is Red, White and Boom, the chamber’s signature community event. The community’s Independence Day celebration draws thousands, but requires complex planning and many hours of work by chamber volunteers who will look to Cash for marching orders.
GINO CRUMP
Desert Vista High School basketball coach Gino Crump heads a program with a reputation for some instability in his position.
Twice in the last eight years, a coach has left within two years after making the state title games. The girls program has had five coaches in five seasons, though it managed to win a state title in 2013-14.
The perception is that potential topnotch applicants have stayed away, though Desert Vista athletic director
T.J. Snyder feels the right guy is in place now with Crump, who is retired from teaching and spent six years as head coach for the top-ranked Arizona Magic AAU Program.
With a load of talent on the bench, the team that currently ranks 10th in the state with a 9-2 record.
Whether Crump can crack the top five and become a contender in state playoffs will depend on how well he guides his troops in the coming weeks.
SAL DiCICCIO
Phoenix City councilman faces an election bid for a third term in August, and he is already bracing for a fight.
No opponent has emerged either within in his Republican Party or among Democrats, but DiCiccio is taking no chances. He expects city unions to come after him and has already begun fundraising. He said recently he has
amassed around $500,000 but thinks his war chest will need to be a lot bigger.
DiCiccio is also the muscle at the city level for the fight to save open space in Ahwatukee. He has been pressuring the city Street Transportation Department to widen its planned two-lane Chandler Boulevard Extension to four lanes.
He also helped push the city Parks and Recreation Department to develop a plan to improve some of the South Mountain trailheads. That improvement effort begins later in spring.
How well DiCiccio does on all three fronts may help bolster his voter support in Ahwatukee, where he lives, and fend off any pressure coming from other parts of his sprawling district.
JOHN HANNAH
Few people may exert greater impact on Ahwatukee this year than Maricopa County Superior Court Judge John Hannah. He must render a verdict in the nonjury trial over two Ahwatukee Lakes residents’ lawsuit demanding that their golf course be restored.
The suit is against former course owner Wilson Gee, who shut the site down in 2013, and True Life, which bought it from him for $8.2 million.
Hannah in a preliminary ruling last June declared that the conditions, covenants and restrictions (CC&Rs) that govern the use of the site allow only for a golf course.
But True Life is challenging that preliminary ruling and is gathering witnesses and data to fight residents’ allegations and demands.
JIM LINDSTROM
Jim Lindstrom leads Ahwatukee’s other golf course war—the fight to save Club West’s course. As the leader of the Save Club West Association, he has to persuade enough residents by spring to pony up anywhere between $8,000 and $13,000 to buy the course from Wilson Gee.
Lindstrom last month released a plan—five months in the makingto restore the course and make a profit. He hopes to reduce city water costs and add improvements to make it a desirable venue for non-golf events, like weddings.
But his sales pitch is partly handicapped by the fact that the Club West Homeowners Association is suing Gee to restore the course’s luster. The course has faded because Gee reduced summertime irrigation, claiming he can’t afford his annual $700,000 water
bill from Phoenix.
The HOA board says it can’t be involved in Lindstrom’s campaign because it could hurt their position in the lawsuit.
Lindstrom is working with various officials, including Blostone, to find cheaper well water, possibly along the southern boundary of the South Mountain Freeway. But he has a small window: Once the concrete freeway starts being poured later this year, there would be no way to get the water to the golf course.
JILL NORGAARD
Jill Norgaard begins her second term in the Arizona House of Representatives. She may now be the only Republican among the three legislators representing Ahwatukee, but she has no worries: Her party controls both chambers.
Norgaard has emerged as the point person in the effort to reduce the South Mountain Freeway’s impact on the community. She has been holding a series of meetings with the Arizona Department of Transportation to pressure them into concessions on a wide range of issues.
At the state level, Norgaard also is in a unique position that might test her diplomatic skills with her party. A vocal education advocate, she not only has a seat on the House Education Committee but also chairs the House Appropriations Committee’s education subcommittee.
With pressure from various business and community leaders throughout Arizona for increased education funding, Norgaard will be walking a fine line between their concerns and Republican leaders’ resistance to major budget increases.
SHANNON RUSH
At 29 years of age, Shannon Rush has become a major player in Ahwatukee’s independent restaurant scene after buying My Wine Cellar last year.
She’s a native of Brunei, where she got her first exposure to the business waiting tables and washing dishes at her aunt’s noodle shop. She moved to America at age 18 and settled in Philadelphia, where she honed her kitchen skills in that city’s huge, eclectic restaurant scene.
She started working at the renowned House of Tricks restaurant in Tempe and, three years ago, and began to hang out at
MERAKI
Hair Designs
IMPACT
parade, Rush will also be playing a big role in pulling off the parade.
levy, the panel quietly withdrew the fine without explanation.
480-688-4030
highlights or color retouch with the purchase of a haircut & blowdry
$125.00 value for only $50.00
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My Wine Cellar as a patron. Eventually, she was hired as general manager. She’s planning on some cosmetic enhancements and menu changes, but remains committed to serving good food and wine, and has scheduled the first of a number of wine classes starting later this month. Like all independents, she will be battling competition from restaurant chains
SCOTT RYAN
He narrowly lost an election bid for the Tempe Union High School District governing board in November, but Ahwatukee resident Scott Ryan will be gearing up for a big challenge that’s only four months away.
He is the president of the Ahwatukee Kiwanis Club, which puts on the annual Easter Parade and Spring Fling, one of Ahwatukee’s premier events. The club is small, but highly visible and active in the community with various efforts to help children in group foster homes.
Though there is a chairman of the
ROBERT SAMOUR
Robert Samour’s job as senior deputy engineer for the Arizona Department of Transportation may make him one of the most unwelcomed people in Ahwatukee.
That’s because he is supervises engineer and environmental work on the $1.77-billion South Mountain Freeway project.
He’s overseeing final design of the freeway as construction starts picking up steam on the Pecos Road component this month.
He also may face a battle on the streets if fiercely defiant members of the Gila River Community follow through on their vow to lie down in front of bulldozers to prevent the 22mile thoroughfare from going through South Mountain, a sacred site for Native Americans.
HOWARD SHANKER
Attorney Howard Shanker, a Club West resident, is one of Samour’s nemeses. He is representing Ahwatukee-based Protect Arizona’s Resources and Children in what might be the final effort by local homeowners to stop the freeway in its tracks.
After a federal judge in Phoenix last month rejected PARC’s efforts to stop construction, Shanker is now leading one of two legal challenges before the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth District. The other has been filed by the Gila River Indian Community.
Shanker had a nasty run-in in 2012 with one of the Ninth District’s threejudge panels. It fined him $400,000 for the way he handled Native Americans’ fight against the use of artificial snow at Snowbowl. When he challenged the
NORRIS VAUGHAN
Mountain Pointe High School varsity football Coach Norris Vaughan has already cemented his legacy in Arizona.
Looking to start his ninth season this fall, Vaughan in the last five seasons has led the Pride to two state titles among big-school programs.
After a perfect regular season last fall that included Mountain Pointe’s 10th win in the 20th annual Ahwatukee Bowl, the Pride fell in the championship final to Chandler High.
This year, Vaughan will be virtually remaking the team, which is losing 20 seniors to graduation. Among them are stars Jaydon Brooks, Rashie Hodge, Isaiah Palo-Mao and quarterback Noah Grover.
JAN VESELY
Only midway through her first year as superintendent of the Kyrene School District, Jan Vesely is already making a mark. She has won school board approval of a plan to convert at least one campus to house grades pre-kindergarten through eighth, meaning students no longer would have to adjust to a middle school once they complete work at an elementary school.
She also is introducing the famed but rigorous International Baccalaureate program at Kyrene Middle School. Both efforts are part of Kyrene’s plan to attract more students amid a declining population.
Vesely will have a couple new bosses this month with two newcomers joining the five-member governing board.
Together, they will be wrestling with ways to avert a potential $5 million budget hole that could emerge by the end of the next five years.
Nurse has deep history with Cardon as a cancer survivor
BY SHELLEY RIDENOUR
AFN Staff Writer
Call it fate, call it kismet, call it karma.
Joel Nava calls it the opportunity to live his dream.
Nava is a registered nurse at Cardon Children’s Medical Center, where he began working a couple of months ago. But, his connection to the children’s hospital goes back much further. Nava is a childhood cancer survivor. He was diagnosed with leukemia at age 13 and underwent 2½ years of chemotherapy before being declared cancer-free. It was a short-lived celebration. Three months later, Nava relapsed and was readmitted to the hospital.
He was completing seventh grade.
“The doctor told me I had leukemia. I was like, ‘Give me a vaccine or whatever,’” Nava said. “I thought they could just fix it.”
His doctor explained that leukemia is blood cancer. That sunk in, Nava said. He was admitted to St. Joseph’s
Hospital, where he stayed for two weeks before going to Banner Desert Medical Center, which then housed Banner Children’s Hospital. The separate Cardon Children’s Medical Center, next door to Banner Desert, opened in November 2009, close to the time Nava was declared cancer-free a second time.
Nava remembers his nurses at Banner well.
“Thanks to the nurses, it was a lot better than it could have been,”
Nava said of his hospital stays.
The first time they told him the cancer was gone, “I tried to go back to being 16,” he said.
in my head,” he said.
The pain prompted him to call his oncologist, who conducted a spinal tap. That showed that some spinal fluid was building up in his head. The fluid was removed and Nava felt better almost immediately, until he was told his leukemia was active again.
“They tell you there’s a chance you’ll relapse,” Nava said.
“I thought things would be normal, but it’s not when you have cancer.”
The relapse hit hard, Nava said.
He found it harder to deal with the diagnosis and return to the hospital.
“I was tired,” Nava said. “I didn’t want to do it all again.”
“They all picked me up and carried me,” Nava said.
Three years later, at age 19, he was again declared cancer-free, a status he’s maintained for six years. In most cancer diagnoses, staying cancer-free for five years is the magic number.
It’s become easy for him to look back now and “only remember the good stuff.”
“I remember having fun with them,” he said. “Now I think of it, more or less, as a positive experience.”
Nava began his nursing career almost exactly a year ago, working 10 months at Banner University Medical Center before moving to Cardon.
Leaving University wasn’t a decision he made lightly.
“I loved it there, but when I got told about the Cardon opening ... it was a fantastic opportunity,” he said.
His return to being a regular teenager didn’t last long. Just a couple of months, later he started having severe headaches.
“My symptoms had never manifested
He did do it all again, thanks in big part to his mom, Maria del Carmen Felix Estrada. Also helping were his siblings and the doctors, nurses and aides.
Registered Nurse Christine Jorgensen has worked at Cardon for 16 years and was one of the nurses who cared for Nava when he was a teen.
She and other Cardon nurses “are so excited” to have Nava on their team.
(Special to AFN)
Registered nurse Joel Nava cleans the port in 5-year-old Bently Brazlovitz’s stomach.
Phoenix unveils new super bus with maiden voyage from Ahwatukee
AFN News Staff
The Phoenix Public Transit Department unveiled a new super bus that will be traveling busy routes, including Ahwatukee’s.
And the maiden voyage of its first bus came on the Dec. 29 6:14 a.m. run from the Pecos Park and Ride lot in Ahwatukee.
The new articulated, or “artic,” buses are now servicing Phoenix’s busiest routes, with more to come in early 2017. Three were put into service and 25 more will be arriving sometime next year.
The fleet cost $23.5 million and was funded by state and federal grants.
The 60-foot buses are made of two sections linked by a joint, or turntable,
that allows a longer length for higher passenger capacity.
Transit department spokesman Lars Jacoby said that while the city is still waiting for the big buses, “we have been assigning them to some of our busier RAPID routes around the Valley, including the routes that start at Pecos Park-and-Ride in Ahwatukee.”
He said the bus that debuted in Ahwatukee now “has been making runs primarily on the I-17 and I-10 east (Ahwatukee) RAPID routes.” The other two artics have been put on local bus routes.
The New Flyer Xcelsior buses are configured to either local or RAPID at the company’s Minnesota manufacturing plant and then shipped to Phoenix’s west transit facility for final inspection
before they are put into service.
“Artic buses are an important part of Phoenix’s fleet, because on busier routes the bus can accommodate up to 20 more passengers per bus compared to a standard 40-foot bus,” Jacoby said, noting that local buses seat 54 and the RAPID buses seat 52, with room for an additional 75-plus standing riders.
The local artic buses are diesel and the RAPID artic buses run on compressed natural gas.
The Public Transit Department replaces aging buses annually. The oldest artic buses in the fleet, which numbers more than 20, have been in service since 2003. The new buses will replace those due to retire.
(Special to AFN)
One of the city’s new 60-foot-long super buses will be on busier Ahwatukee routes.
(Special to AFN)
More than 131 million doses of flu vaccine were given last fall, but there’s still time to get vaccinated before peak flu season hits, Arizona health officials say.
Experts advise getting flu shot ASAP as the virus’ season begins
BY ALLIE BICE
Get ready to roll up your sleeves.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is recommending against nasal-spray vaccines for the flu season, in which it expects to see a variant of 2009’s H1N1 virus.
With Arizona just entering peak flu season, medical experts are advising residents to get vaccinated.
“The best way to protect yourself from influenza is to get vaccinated,” said Jessica Rigler, branch chief for public health preparedness at the Arizona Department of Health Services.
Arizona had confirmed 25 flu cases from six counties by the end of November, but Rigler said the peak influenza season for the state typically falls in the beginning now and continuing through March.
The CDC said that more than 131 million doses of flu vaccine have already been given from the 157 million to 168 million that manufacturers expect to produce. While nasal vaccines are still available, the CDC is recommending against their use this year because of questions about their effectiveness.
The vaccines target four strains, but the CDC said one strain that has been identified this year is similar to the “swine flu” virus that erupted in 2009 and is “often associated with more severe illness, especially in people 65 and older.”
The largest groups at risk from the flu are the elderly, young children, pregnant women, American Indians and Alaskan Natives, according to the CDC. Rigler and every other expert said the flu “is a really unpredictable virus.”
Medical experts say there is a possibility the virus could evolve or change in the
coming months—even before it spreads to Arizona.
“It’s not uncommon to see one strain predominate in the beginning of the season and another to predominate later in the season,” said Kristen Nordlund, a CDC spokeswoman.
Will Humble, a member of the Arizona Public Health Association board and the former director of the Arizona Department of Health Services, echoed Nordlund, noting that the virus “mutates a little bit every year.”
“It’s always a good thing when the vaccine that’s in the pharmacies and the doctors’ offices is a good match with the strains that are circulating in the community, and that’s the case this year—at least so far,” he said.
While it is difficult to predict the severity of the strain each year, the influenza virus is not something to be taken lightly, Humble said.
“It can be a really serious respiratory virus,” he said.
Humble said it can affect the lungs if not treated, adding “it can be really serious, especially for people with preexisting medical conditions.”
A CDC report on the virus said it can infect the nose, throat and lungs and can cause mild to severe illness. Symptoms include feeling feverish, having a sore throat, runny or stuffy nose, muscle or body aches, headaches and coughing.
As always, the flu’s progress unpredictable.
“Sometimes we’ll see our peaks very early in the year in January, last season we actually saw the flu season peak in the middle of March,” Rigler said.
She said the best thing people can do to prevent catching the virus is to get the vaccine, wash their hands regularly throughout the day and stay home from work or school when they feel sick.
www.ocotillofootankle.com
Cronkite News
Part-time home rentals, tax delinquents to benefit from new state laws
BY HOWARD FISCHER Capitol Media Services
Ahwatukee residents who like to rent out their homes to visitors and don’t want local officials to stop them are among those who will benefit from new laws that took effect Sunday.
So will motorists who drive while drugged, speeders who get photo radar citations and individuals and corporations who don’t pay their taxes on time.
Those are among new laws approved last year by the Arizona Legislature. One measure with potential implications for neighborhoods involves that issue of short-term rentals.
Sen. Debbie Lesko, R-Peoria, originally wanted to eliminate the requirement that homeowners collect local taxes every time they rent out a room or a whole house through “sharing’’ services like Airbnb. Now, online firms will collect the applicable taxes and forward them to the Department of Revenue, which would send them to the affected jurisdictions.
But Lesko also tacked on language which says cities, towns and counties cannot prohibit or restrict these rentals simply because the property is not classified as a hotel.
Gov. Doug Ducey said the legislation provides “financial breathing room’’ for families by allowing them to earn something extra.
The law, however, covers more than those renting out a bedroom—or even their whole home.
There is no limit to the number of properties an investor can buy and days a home could be rented out, all in the same area, potentially turning a neighborhood into a vacation rental zone. But the governor brushed aside questions of whether that could change an area’s character.
The League of Arizona Cities and Towns agreed not to oppose the measure after it was amended to allow regulations to preserve local health and safety. But not everyone at the Capitol was convinced that allowing anyone to open up one or more homes to vacation
rentals is in the best interests of others already living in an area.
“I didn’t move into a neighborhood to have the house next door to me turned into a weekly rental property,’’ said Sen. John Kavanagh, R-Fountain Hills, in voting against the measure.
And Sedona City Attorney Robert Pickels, told lawmakers this is none of their concern. He reminded them of their objections when the federal government imposes its will on the state.
Airbnb spokeswoman Laura Rillos said her firm has about 7,900 “hosts’’ in Arizona with a typical listing by a host being booked 44 nights a year. Rillos said a typical host earns about $4,900 a year.
Lawmakers also took another slap at photo radar.
Earlier this year lawmakers took photo enforcement off state highways. But that still leaves the option for cities, towns and counties to have speeding and red light cameras.
Another new law bars the Motor Vehicle Division from suspending the licenses of people who fail to respond
to citations delivered by “alternative service.’’
“The government think it’s OK to tape that notice to your door,’’ said Rep. Michelle Ugenti-Rita, R-Scottsdale, with no proof that it didn’t simply blow away. She said that means someone who has not seen it and did not go to court can have a license suspended without knowing it, meaning a possible arrest if pulled over.
Lawmakers separately agreed to carve out an exemption from an existing law requiring motorists convicted of driving while impaired to install an ignition interlock for at least six months. That device is designed to prevent a vehicle from starting unless the driver delivers a “clean’’ breath sample.
The new law says that requirement is no longer automatic if the conviction was for driving under the influence of drugs.
Proponents said the interlocks, which can cost up to $200 to install with monthly rental fees up more than $100,
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make no sense if the offense had nothing to do with alcohol, the only thing the interlocks can measure.
Another new law eliminates the ability of the Department of Revenue to impose penalties if someone substantially underpays the amount of money owed. That has been defined in statute as being short by at least 10 percent or $2,000.
Legislators accepted arguments by the Arizona Association of Certified Public Accountants, the people who are doing tax returns, that their clients should not be penalized if they come forward of their own accord. But the relief is not available if the taxpayer is already being audited.
Businesses that set up shop in the state’s two largest counties can now escape the cost of having to publish their articles of incorporation and other legal notices in newspapers. Instead, they can now have their notices “published’’ at a new web site set up by the Arizona Corporation Commission.
Rep. Steve Montenegro, R-Litchfield Park, limited his measure to Pima and Maricopa counties in part for political reasons: Similar bills in prior years to eliminate publication requirements statewide have been defeated as rural lawmakers sided with local publishers who complained that the loss of revenues could damage or even kill their newspapers.
But future measures could expand the law statewide.
Another new law requires state and local election officials to mail out pamphlets to every household with
Gov. Doug Ducey and state Sen. Debbie Lesko attended a ceremonial signing of legislation pre empting most local regulation of home sharing services last summer.
Three Mountain Pointe High students probe campus racial attitudes
BY PAUL MARYNIAK AFN Executive Editor
Along a corridor at Mountain Pointe High School, huge signs on the wall offer two starkly different views of each major racial group on the campus.
The top of each sign bears handwritten perceptions, while the bottom half lists realities of each race.
One sign, for example, states at the top that Asians “control the manicure and pedicure business sector” and that they are “bad drivers.” The bottom half states: “After the Vietnam War, refugees came to the U.S. and started doing nails to make money” and “anyone of any race can be a bad driver.”
The signs are one visible product of a unique project undertaken by three juniors—William Walker VI, Elizabeth Gomez and Mikayla Molina—as part of their work with DECA, a 70-yearold nonprofit international organization whose high school chapters help prepare students for future careers in business.
Together with Mountain Pointe DECA advisor and teacher Mark Campbell, the trio at the beginning of the school year opted to study what the campus’ racially diverse student population for a public relations project that they hope will win a state competition and get them into an international contest later this year.
But to the students, the project is more than a competition.
It’s an effort to break down walls and encourage students to learn more about each other, hopefully ending with a student body whose different racial components engage more with each other on a daily basis instead of isolating themselves in cliques.
Their project is built around a business theory called the “iceberg principle,” which says that only about 10 percent of the information about someone or something is visible while the deeper, often more realistic information is below the surface.
The students’ signs are divided horizontally so that common perceptions—which in reality are
misperceptions—are listed at the top, while the more accurate realities are listed on the bottom.
To make these lists, the three students identified seven racial groups on campus and then started interviewing their members.
They asked what they thought another race was typically known for.
Then they would tell other students of that race what they were told and asked them what people of other races don’t know about their race.
Other times, their questions demanded a stark honesty that some students weren’t expecting. For example, the trio asked people on a scale of 1 to 5, how comfortable are they were with someone of a different race.
strong reaction,” said Elizabeth, who transferred from a nearly all-Caucasian school in a small town in Washington state last year. “Some students were upset.”
Yet, William added, when most of the students learned why they were being confronted with these misperceptions, “I saw more positive than negative reaction.”
Campbell said he is proud of how William, Mikayla and Elizabeth handled that part of their research, since some of the misperceptions they were told had the potential to anger them.
a level head. We’re just trying to address awareness. We want to relate to what’s happening in the country right now,’” Campbell said.
As time has gone on, more students have come to understand the project. Campbell said the faculty and administration at Mountain Pointe have been receptive to the project from the start.
For some students, such as Pacific Islanders, the trio conducted additional research in Ahwatukee neighborhoods to ensure they would get enough accurate information about them.
They have a long way to go before they finish.
On Jan. 12, they are holding a diversity showcase as part of Mountain Pointe High’s annual effort to increase understanding of different cultures.
“We knew we would bring out a lot of
“I told them when we were starting, ‘You are going to get positive and negative responses, you’re going to meet people who understand and people who don’t understand. It’s important to keep
The trio have invited each racial group, some officially organized, such as the Black Student Union, to set up booths in the school corridors during the school day. At each booth, a different racial group will be represented with their own
(Cheryl Haselhorst/AFN Staff Photographer)
Mountain Pointe High junior Elizaabeth Gomez talks about the posters she and two other DECA members made and hung on the school's walls to encourage open discussions about race relations.
(Cheryl Haselhorst/AFN Staff Photographer)
Three Mountain Pointe High School juniors—from left, William Walker VI, Elizabeth Gomez, and Mikayla Molina—are using a school project to improve understanding among the school's diverse racial and ethnic groups.
(Cheryl Haselhorst/AFN Staff Photographer)
Mountain Pointe High teacher and DECA sponsor Mark Campbell said the race project has impressed his fellow faculty members and the administration.
Be An Artist owner plans to close studio, do more events
Be An Artist won’t be much longer.
Owner Susan Marshall plans to close the popular Ahwatukee studio, which offered an eclectic array of art classes and hosted private parties for would-be Rembrandts.
The problem: she can’t find good help.
“I have had a hard time finding reliable people,” she complained. “It’s become a situation where the only persons I could rely on were me and my family. I’ve never seen anything like it.”
and entertainment all under one roof.”
Marshall has slated one such comedy night for 6:30 p.m. Friday, and patrons are encouraged to bring their own bottle as well as appetizers and desserts.
Performing will be TV-Fox10 weatherman Corey McCloskey, awardwinning director-turned comedian Brian Kohatsu and comedian Mike James.
“This show will incorporate a lot of improv,” Marshall said.”Brian will keep you laughing all night long. Mike James has been to Be...An Artist a couple of times and it is always a sellout.”
Tickets can be purchased at the door for $15, and reservations can be made at BeAnArtist.com.
Besides that, her rent for her store space at 4025 E. Chandler Blvd. is going up to $7,000 a month and she’s busy making appearances at signings for her new book, “One Hot Night at the Veggie Bar: A Collection of Funky Food Art and Steamy Stories,” a 68-page, high-glossy hardcover shows off Marshall’s kitchen creations and her sense of adult humor.
For now, Marshall is still continuing the comedy nights that she occasionally holds at the studio, which also is home to cooking classes, food-art classes and more traditional painting and sculpture classes for people of all ages.
Its motto: “Be An Artist believes that the arts have the power to transform people’s lives. Combining fine art, music
Although more than half of the estimated 92 seats have already sold out, Marshall said if enough people express interest, she’ll add a second late show. If she could find employees as reliable as her comedians, Marshall might be looking at a longerterm future for her studio.
“I would have parties and one employee called and said, ‘I forgot.’ I just told my husband I can’t do it anymore. If I can’t keep it open all the time, what’s the point?”
“I train them and everything is going
AFN NEWS STAFF
(Special to AFN)
Sandra Marshall's lineup of comedians at Be An Artist Studio in Ahwatukee almost always packs the house.
(Special to AFN)
Sandra Marshall calls this food-as-art piece: "Hang in there, the new year is coming. She uses a concoction of kiwi, almond, raisin and celery to create a baby sloth.
Ready to collect
RACE
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cultural dress, foods and artwork.
Classes will then take time from their school day to visit the booths and learn more about a racial group.
“It will be a day where we celebrate the reality of some of these races,” Campbell said.
ARTIST
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OK for a while and then they start making excuses for not being able to come in. A lot of the excuses are legitimate, but with the millennials: if something comes up they want to do, they go do it.”
But Marshall has left the door open on exactly when she plans to close.
“It looks like we are going to wrap it up and close around the end of February,” she said, “but you never know. They (the landlords) keep asking me to stay until another tenant comes, which could be awhile. I just have a lot going on, and I don’t like to go half way on things. I wish I could have found the right employees in the last two years.
“This officially put me over the edge,” she added. “I know other places are having a hard time finding reliable
The trio also has to write a 30-page paper detailing each step taken to develop the project and its outcome.
Their work will then be entered into a statewide DECA competition with more than 2,000 students, and the top four will be sent to the international contest.
But they also hope that contests aside, their work will leave an imprint on campus.
employees as well.”
Whenever she does give up the location, Marshall isn’t planning to give up her art classes and parties.
“I’m going to more of an event thing for schools, corporate events, private parties and the like—which I do anyway. I’ll extend our party venue, go to homes. I will be working at Pomegranate Café, though.”
She also envisions “a big charitable event, a huge painting event—maybe at Civic Plaza” where she would have “all easels, a big screen, step-by-step painting and themed.”
She recalled one such event she organized for the Ronald McDonald House, where 400 people ended up painting and supporting the facility with payments for the privilege of doing so.
Whatever that big event is, she added, “it has to be something charming— something artsy.”
(Special to AFN)
Troop 278 Scouts, from left, Matt Racine, Ian Elliott and Ty Vijums are ready with their fellow scouts to collect old Christmas trees at curbside in Ahwatukee 8 a.m.-noon Saturday. They are asking for a $10 or $20 donation tio help fund troop activities. To arrange a pickup, email troop278trees@gmail.com.
Inspire Kids Montessori to hold open house Friday
Inspire Kids Montessori will hold an open house 9-11 a.m. Friday at its center, 4025 E. Chandler Blvd., Suite 11, Ahwatukee.
School staff will preview a new program for toddlers beginning this month and discuss its high-quality early education programs for children ages 6 weeks to 6 years. The programs introduce children to reading, writing, math, science, manners and practical life skills such as gardening and cleaning.
Graduates rank in the upper percentile in Terra Nova academic testing, the school said in a release. Tuition discounts will be provided to parents who register their child during the open house. Information: 480-659-9402, info@inspirekismontessori. com or inspirekidsmontessori.com.
Senior Olympics registration begins for games
Registration is now opened for the 2017 Arizona Senior Olympics. Director Irene Stillwell wants Ahwatukee residents between 50 and 100-plus encourages those ages 50 to 100 + to visit seniorgames.org and register for one or more of the 30 competitive sports
to be held at venues in the Valley starting on Feb. 1.
Gloria Tolaro, an Ahwatukee resident and member of the Arizona Senior Games Management Committee and a Senior Games athlete, said the website offers an array of sports and said participants will “enjoy the competition and comradery of the games.”
The Arizona Senior Games, also known as the Arizona Senior Olympics, is a program of the Lifetime Fitness Foundation, an Arizona non-profits now in its 36th year of providing programs and activities to keep seniors physically, mentally and socially active and fit.
“Whether you enjoy cycling, TaiChi, swimming, volleyball or bocce ball, to name a few of the sports available, there is something for you,” Tolero said. Information: 602-274-7742.
Ahwatukee gym spicing up weight-loss resolutions
The Body Firm, 3636 E. Ray Road, Ahwatukee, is sweetening the goal for people who have resolved to lose weight in the new year.
It’s pairing people into teams who will be trying to lose the most weight between
Jan. 16 and Feb. 27 for a chance to win $1,000. There will be second and third place cash prizes as well.
Participants who do not have their own partner will be paired with someone and the challenge includes an initial private session, two semi-private sessions a week, a seven-day meal plan, unlimited cardio membership and weekly weigh-ins to measure progress.
Entry cost is $20 for current clients and $349 for new members. Information: thebodyfirmaz.com or 480-787-0826.
Female intergenerational bunco session scheduled
An intergeneratilnal bunco session for girls and women 10 years and older will be held 6:15-8:30, p.m. at Mountain Park Community Church’s Perks Café, 24th Street and Pecos Road, Ahwatukee.
Participants are asked to bring a beverage or snack to share as well as new or gently used children’s books for Helen’s Hope Chest and other charities.
Organizers Lyn and Abby Gerdis said bunco can be learned in minutes. The church is not a sponsor.
Information: text 612-709-9671.
God’s Garden seeks help, vendors for Transportation Day
God’s Garden Preschool at Horizon Presbyterian Church, 1401 E. Liberty Lane, Ahwatukee, isn’t wasting any time ramping up for its popular Transportation Day 9 a.m.-1 p.m. Feb. 25.
Thousands of kids and their parents descend on the school’s parking lot, where more than 40 vehicles, ranging from go-karts to firetrucks, are on display for them to explore.
Over the years, it has grown to include activities for kids of all ages, including live entertainment, inflatable bouncers and carnival games, raffle baskets, and boutique and food vendors.
There is no price for admission, but a portion of all the funds collected support the school’s students and education program. More than 4,000 people attended last year. The school is currently signing up vendors and looking for sponsors as well as donations for a silent auction and basket raffles. The vendor registration fee is $100. Sponsorships range from $50 to $2,500. Information/registration: Michelle Rhodes at 480-460-0081, directorgodsgarden@ horizonchurch.com or godsgarden.com.
Once adopted, Louie is homeless again
AFN News Staff
Louie needs a steady home.
Janelle Cosgriff of Friends for Life Animal rescue said the short-haired black and white domestic cat had been adopted by was “sadly returned by his family.”
About 4 years old, Louie “has done well with other cats but he would like to have a home with no dogs.”
Calling him “a mellow and handsome boy,” Cosgriff said Louie “will sometimes get playful with help from his humans.”
“Perhaps a home with someone willing to play with him and keep him and the family entertained” will help, she added.
He is currently on low-calorie food
and will need to keep his weight monitored, she said.
Louie is neutered, tested FIV/FELV and microchipped. His adoption fee is $85. Information: 480-497-8296, fflcats@azfriends.org, or azfriends.org.
Ahwatukee Kiwanians made Christmas special for kids in group foster homes
Ahwatukee Kiwanis member Andi Pettyjohn for several years has taken a special interest in helping foster children living in group homes.
So it’s no surprise that she said she “woke on Christmas morning with a sense of joy that there were 176 kids in foster group homes who had gifts to unwrap under the Christmas tree thanks to the efforts of the Kiwanis Club and community members. “
For the fifth consecutive year, Pettyjohn led the club in a collection of gifts for 91 kids in 11 group homes, raising the largest number of presents yet with the help of Avnet of Tempe.
“Many people do not even realize that many foster youth are not housed with foster families, but live with up to 14 other children in a house with roundthe-clock staff,” Pettyjohn said.
“The special thing about the Avnet group is that they purchased gifts specifically from each child’s ‘wish list,’” she added. “The most interesting was the box of food for the girl who had said on her wish that she wanted “food, LOT’S OF FOOD.”
“Many of the homes received bake goods, thanks to community members who donated goodies,” she said.
Mountain View Lutheran Church congregation again was a large contributor and hosted the club’s community wrapping day.
Desert Bloom Pediatrics, PLLC
Helping in the collection were Mountain Park Senior Living, United Brokers Group, Vision Management, Mountainside Wellness, AfterIt Training and Valley Wide Security. Pecos Storage provided free storage throughout much of December.
“Nearly 1,000 gifts were wrapped by community members, some who came all the way from Queen Creek and Gilbert,” Pettyjohn said. “There was even a lady and her daughter who were visiting from Australia at the wrapping event.”
Easter Parade Chairman Mike Schmitt delivered multiple van loads of gifts way from as far as Apache Junction and Glendale. Stocking stuffers included gift cards from Target, Wal-Mart and AMC, as well as candy, toiletries, underwear, pahjamas and toiletries.
Robin and Andi Pettyjohn also hosted one of the boys that they mentor.
“His comment when he opened the boxer shorts was ‘Oh good! The new boys are always stealing my underwear because they never have enough.’ The things that we take for granted,” Pettyjohn said.
“This is indeed a very worthwhile project and I want to say that in talking to countless group home staff members, this is a real blessing to the kids in these homes,” she said.
Pettyjohn also helps organize a summer baby shower for unwed girls in group foster homes and a Thanksgiving dinner for hundreds of kids.
Johnie L Blum, RN, MSN, FNP
AFN News Staff
www.ahwatukee.com
It’s time to cast your votes for the Best of Ahwatukee
BY PAUL MARYNIAK AFN Executive Editor
After the year we just went through, the last thing most of you probably want to hear me say is: It’s time to vote.
This time, it will be fun, as the Ahwatukee Foothills News rolls out its annual Best of Ahwatukee selection.
Yes, I know, social media and the internet in general have made lists and voting for best of this and that almost tiresome for many of us.
But what sets this poll apart are two things:
• You and you alone decide.
• Everyone and every business you select serves you and your neighbors directly, in your back yard, down the block, or near an HOA a few miles away. As in the past, you will have great freedom in this election. It’s not like an Arizona primary, where candidates are selected only by the people in their own
Lakes resident supports Ahwatukee Farms plan
party.
We have basically two types of votes: some categories, like best physician, are strictly write-ins. We decided Ahwatukee is so blessed with a strong and talented medical community that we weren’t going to attempt to pare it down: the list would end up looking like those judicial retention ballots that voters occasionally have to get through.
The rest offer some prospective candidates we include to just get you thinking. If you know of others you’d prefer to win, just write them in.
In the long run, going to ahwatukee.
com and spending a few minutes making your selections between now and Jan. 31 helps you as much as give some of your favorite businesses bragging rights for a year.
Even the winners that you didn’t vote for will draw some additional business from people who want to go where everyone else is a satisfied customer. And that keeps those businesses strong.
Let’s face it, given all the competition that small businesses confront daily
LETTERS
As a longtime resident of the ABM, I have seen the growing need for something new in our community. I decided it was time for me to do some research and then speak up. I hope to encourage my neighbors to do the same. Since August, I’ve been watching the Ahwatukee Farms proposal unfold after I received my consent form in the mail. Wanting to know how I should respond, I attended one of the Ahwatukee Farms community outreach events as well as the Save The Lakes/Save Open Space event. Knowing that something needs to happen with the property before it burdens our community as a sore sight any longer, I thought I would share what I’ve found and how it has changed my opinion.
After attending the Save The Lakes
SOS event, I realized they’re “selling” us ABM residents a promise that cannot be kept. They have not provided a clear path as to how a golf course or open space park would be purchased, financed, developed or maintained.
Who would buy the land and fund the costs to reconstruct a golf course or park? Tell us specifically, who are these interested golf operators, who they claim would be satisfied to operate a golf course at a loss? Has anyone asked the City or the ABM if they can financially afford a 101-acre park?
None of these questions have been answered. These are obvious omissions that indicate to me they won’t be able to keep their promise to us.
Alternatively, I found that the Ahwatukee Farms project is a great
between the internet and national chains, they need every boost they can get.
There are a couple of rules I want to set out before you go to ahwatukee.com:
• Submissions will only be accepted through the contest on ahwatukee. com. You can’t call me or someone else on the staff you know and you can’t leave voice mails with a list of your choices.
• AFN reserves the right to qualify all entries for eligibility.
• Limit one vote, per category, per IP address, per day. AFN reserves the right at its sole discretion to disqualify any individual/organization it finds to be acting in violation of the official rules.
• Tampering with the voting process will disqualify those votes.
• You may not assign your right to vote to anyone else.
• Businesses, organizations and individuals are not permitted to fill
out, incentivize or submit ballots on behalf of their employees, customers or anyone else with or without their consent. Those votes will be disqualified.
Winners will be determined by the total number of votes received online during the voting period. First place, two runner ups and honorable mentions will be awarded March 8, 2017. In the event of a tie, both businesses will receive awards.
If you have questions, email bestof@ ahwatukee.com
And if you have some time right now, head over and vote.
And remember, as we say on the website: We hope this will be a great year for voting, participation and an accurate outcome from the people of Ahwatukee. The Ahwatukee Foothills News appreciates readers’ input and our goal to make this the best “Best Of” yet.
Mayor Stanton: Introducing Phoenix's first poet laureate
BY MAYOR GREG STANTON
AFN Guest Writer
Great communities promote and embrace their artists—and celebrate all forms of the arts. That includes not only the visual and performing arts, but also the written word.
In Phoenix, we’re working to amplify local literary voices with a new, special appointment in our arts and culture department.
In October, the City of Phoenix began the search for our first ever poet laureate. I’m proud to report that I named arts and culture leader and ASU professor Rosemarie Dombrowski to the distinguished role.
Rosemarie is an excellent artist who is spreading the joy of the written word to the next generation. She’s a senior lecturer of English composition, creative
writing and literature at ASU’s downtown campus, as well as co-founder and editor of the undergraduate writing journal, “Write on, Downtown.”
When she’s not in the classroom, Rosemarie is a writing machine: She edits an independent literary magazine and hosts of two monthly reading series, and she runs a local press that publishes micro-poetry in micro-zine form. Do yourself a favor and check out her 2013 Huffington Post essay “A Love Letter to Phoenix” for a taste of her infectious passion for our city.
During her term as our official ambassador of literacy and poetry, Rosemarie will give public readings and compose poems to mark special occasions.
Through her own understanding of the vital role the arts play in the health and well-being of our city, she will work hard to inspire our residents through written and spoken word.
Phoenix is overflowing with artistic
talent and inspiration and our poet laureate will help channel that into great poetry.
We’re seeing a spike in new literary magazines and presses publishing the works of local writers, and nearly every night of the week there is a literary event taking place at an art gallery, café, bookstore or theater—from poetry and fiction readings to spoken word and storytelling performances.
We are so fortunate to name a writer who will not only inspire us, but also capture and evoke what makes our community special.
Rosemarie knows better than anyone that the best poetry opens up our eyes and let us see the world in different ways, and I can’t wait to read and listen to what she does next.
EDITOR'S NOTE: Below is the poem Dombrowski shared with the audience when she was named poet laureate; it deals with the loss of cognitive and physical abilities.
solution for the property, will respond to concerns and work with the community, is a clear and specific plan for the property, and have the financial resources to accomplish the goal.
The project is well thought out and provides solutions to local problems in our community. For example, the developers are working to collaborate with the City and ABM to resolve drainage and traffic issues that have plagued us for so long.
I’m excited about what this project can do for improving the real estate values for any residents looking to sell our homes. They have clearly stated the plan and how they can perform on their promise, something I do not see from the Save The Lakes/SOS groups.
I’ve forgotten how to spread honey on toast, how to finagle the medium-sized bowls into the racks.
I haven’t combed my hair in days. I can’t remember if permanent means indelible or its opposite. I’m beginning to understand the last days of Hemingway.
The porch is covered in yellowing weeds and dried feathers. I grab an apple from the bag of pink ladies and realize there’s mold on the stem, that everything’s approaching its expiration.
As the car accelerates, we talk about the meaning of e=mc2. We decide that too much knowledge is sometimes too much, but we know there’s no going back. e=mc2
I tell you not to visit me in the hospital. In desperation, I ride a dinosaur on the playground. I dream of roasting marshmallows around the flame of a gas burner.
In the car, I hold a painting of a hummingbird on my lap. I’m wearing a phoenix around my neck because I want to believe in resurrection.
I am tired. I am tired of driving by the golf course in its current condition. I am tired of the fear tactics being used by STL/SOS. I am tired of seeing aggressive signs littering our neighborhood. I am tired of hearing a small group of vocal people, steering the ship in a direction that would only benefits a select few and is extremely unlikely to happen.
I am ready for something new for our community. I am ready to take a stand and move forward with Ahwatukee Farms.
The developers have provided a clear path and vision; the opposition has put forth ideas that are undefined at best. Their goal is that we will pass on a good opportunity, in favor of something that may never come to fruition.
The Ahwatukee Farms plan is a win because it preserves open space and provides amenities that everyone can enjoy. Let’s not miss this opportunity.
I support Ahwatukee Farms. You should too.
-Joseph Brooks
www.ahwatukee.com
Ahwatukee shoe-repair shop changes owners, but not service
BY PAUL MARYNIAK AFN Executive Editor
There aren’t many craftsmen like Benny Natanov anymore.
But then, there isn’t as great a demand for what he does.
That’s because he’s a cobbler—probably the only one in Ahwatukee and one of a rare breed in the nation—and there aren’t as many leather shoes as there once were.
But while plastic and rubber have replaced a cow’s hide in many shoes around the world, Natanov still sees enough of a future in repairing shoes, boots and other leather accessories that he left the life of a stockbroker and bought Ed’s Shoe Repair on the northwest corner of Warner Road and 48th Street, Ahwatukee.
The owner, Ed Urich, is hanging up his hammers, pliers and other tools of his trade after repairing Ahwatukee shoes for 22 years.
A shoe repairman since 1966—when he left his shoe-making occupation in Russia to come to America—Urich became eager to retire.
But he wasn’t so eager that he was going to sell his business to just anyone who came through the door with a wad of cash.
He had three suitors before Natanov walked in, finding each an unsatisfactory heir.
“One buyer had no experience in the shoe business and the other two, he didn’t like their work,” Natanov explained. “He cares about this place. I came along and he said, 'Let’s see what you can do.'”
Urich said he was impressed quickly by Natanov’s work as well as the way he relates to customers.
“I looked for someone who liked the job and was a businessman,” explained Urich. “Those are the only ones who survive. The business went down because of China. They used all plastic and not leather. But we get customers who have very good shoes.
“He is very good with customers, very friendly,” continued Urich, who has worked with Natanov the last couple months to help him get his bearings in
his new digs.
Natanov is a descendant of cobblers.
His grandfather repaired shoes in Israel and his father became one when he moved to America when Benny was 8 years old.
“He would take me to work with him every time I wasn’t in school and I would
He became a stockbroker for a year and then started day-trading for 10 years.
He started running his dad’s store, and developing his shoe-repair skills.
Then he opened another jewelry store, followed by a video rental store and finally became a fleet manager for Toyota.
But, “I got tired of the rat race in New
“ Half the reason I am here—he didn’t want to sell it to any Joe Schmo. He wanted a guy who cares and who could do a good job .”
watch,” Natanov recalled.
But Natanov learned his people skills in much different circumstances. “My resume is pretty long,” he quipped.
A longtime resident of Queens in New York City, Natanov first became a jeweler, learning partly from his father, who added jewelry repair to his repertoire, and honed his craft on Manhattan’s famed Diamond Row.
He had a jewelry store for a couple years, but then sold it to his partner.
York,” so Natanov and his wife and four children moved to Arizona in May.
He was set on becoming a small business owner again.
“I didn’t like the car business because I wasn’t running my own show,” he said. “I hate to work for someone. I like running my own show.”
In Ed and Ed’s Shoe Repair, Natanov has found Nirvana.
First, he said, Urich “has the best equipment, two of everything.”
Then, there’s the opportunity presented by the work itself.
“It’s a craftsman job,” he said. “Today a lot of people are opening up because of the money, hence they don’t do a quality job. Half the reason I am here—he didn’t want to sell it to any Joe Shmo. He wanted a guy who cares and who could do a good job.”
Despite the decline of all-leather products, Natanov said, “If it’s possible, we do everything.”
“Today with China and all the manufacturers making things that aren’t leather, we have to take on jobs. If the shoes are very cheap, we tell them they’re better off getting a new pair of shoes. We want our customers to be happy."
Natanov will take a crack at any leather accessory, from handbags and jackets to coats and belts.
Though his work, especially on shoes, normally requires a three-day turnaround, “we work with customers to see when they need it. Sometimes we get emergencies and we try to accommodate them,” Natanov said. “You encounter different materials and no job is the same.”
Both men also understand that some people have trouble parting with a beloved pair of shoes or boots.
“Some people have favorite shoes and boots that they bring over and over and over again to repair,” Urich said.
Now that he is in charge, Natanov has a few plans for the shop, located in the strip mall occupied by the Ahwatukee Commons Veterinary Hospital.
He wants to expand the front of the store a bit so he can add a jewelry-repair service and a tailoring operation.
But one thing he doesn’t look forward to is working without Urich.
“It’s heartbreaking to see him go,” Natanov said. “I like working with the guy and I don’t like working with a lot of people. I’m banking on he’s going to get tired of retiring.”
After working for years as a stockbroker and a jeweler, Benny Natanov, left, is taking over Ed's Shoe Repair on Warner Road at 48th Street, Ahwatukee, from Ed Urich, who owned it for 22 years.
These Ahwatukee businessmen anticipate an ‘awarding’ year
BY PAUL MARYNIAK AFN Executive Editor
Brian McHale is looking to have an awarding new year.
As one of the two new owners of Ahwatukee Trophies and Sales, he and partner Larry Prine are anticipating such growth of the business they bought Sept. 15 that they moved this week into a larger spot at 4730 E. Warner Road, Ahwatukee, next to Nello’s Pizza on the northwest corner of Warner and 48th Street.
“In 2016 this business experienced significant growth,” McHale said. “We want to capitalize on this momentum by adding better technology to support this growth, along with very aggressive and targeted marketing/advertising.”
An 18-year resident of the Ahwatukee now living in Lakewood, McHale isn’t just excited about having a business in Ahwatukee. He’s excited about the business he owns.
“I’ve utilized trophies and awards in the workplace for years and highly value the impact that they can have on your workforce,” he explained.
His partner concurs.
“Awards have always been a staple in any organization, it builds healthy completion among groups and teams,” Prine said. “It allows the organization to grow and reward their employees for doing a great job. The employees are being recognized for their contribution to the overall growth of the organization.”
Both men have experienced first-hand the impact that awards can make on employees.
For 10 years, McHale worked in the airlines industry, “which is how I was introduced to Arizona.” He also worked as a business consultant and in call center operations management. Prine was a
small-business consultant and director of information technology for various businesses.
“As an athlete and a senior manager,” McHale said, “I’ve received and presented quite a number of trophies and awards over the years, so I honestly have seen the value on both the giving and receiving end of personal recognition and rewards.”
Prine also recalled his experience in corporations to explain his attachment to the trophy-and-award business.
For him, it is always now a case of better to give than receive.
“I have received multiple trophies and awards for myself, but frankly, there is nothing like giving an award and watching the face of someone who is receiving it,” Prine said. “The pride they feel at that moment, you can see it, and it’s contagious throughout the team.”
That’s why Ahwatukee Trophies and Sales seemed like a good investment.
“After years of working in corporate America and seeing employees often lacking motivation, combined with my passion for recognizing and rewarding employees for their performance, this business was a natural choice,” McHale said.
Added Prine: “I have worked in corporate America for a long time. I have always enjoyed being able to recognize an employee for their accomplishments. I took it one step further with this business. Now I am able to help whole organizations with their corporate awards. It was just a great fit for me personally.”
They got a big assist from the former owners, Keeley and Kelvin Taylor, when they started last fall.
“It has been a very positive experience,” McHale said. “The previous owners have been an absolute pleasure to work with and they still plan to support us and the business for the foreseeable future.”
Their business includes hand-made trophies built entirely in their office.
“The crystal and acrylic awards we can buy already manufactured, then personalize them in virtually any way that a customer desires,” McHale said.
"We have two world class commercial grade laser printers, along with a color printer that is possibly the only one in the Valley of this caliber. We can add logos and color to virtually any flat surface, and even generate a 3-D look and feel to these surfaces.”
Prine and McHale also hope to add their personal mark on the business.
“We felt these awards were getting a bit ‘stale,’ so we are attempting to add life back into these recognition/motivational tools,” McHale explained.
On their calendar for a March release is a redesigned website that will put “a heavy focus on corporate awards,” McHale said.
The website is part of a plan built around “shedding the dated impression that people can have about trophies. There are so many new and creative acrylics and resin awards that can be combined with LED lighting, and so on. Yet, some folks continue to think of the traditional sports player trophy.”
They also are expecting to continue drawing on the success that the Taylors built over the last 13 years.
“For the past 13 years, the previous owners simply maintained an ad in the Yellow pages,” McHale said. “It is absolutely remarkable how business continues to come in.”
And while they like their home-base in Ahwatukee, they’re aiming for a bigger market. As McHale explained, “We will start target marketing the corporate market throughout the Valley.”
Information: 480-785-5292.
(Special to AFN)
In charge now of Ahwatukee Trophies and Awards are, from left, owners Brian McHale and Larry Prine, and assistants Carol Duffell and Mike Wapniarski.
Finances should be on your new year resolutions list
BY JOSEPH ORTIZ AFN Guest Writer
We’ve opened the door to 2017, so you might be thinking about some New Year’s resolutions. What’s on your list this year?
More visits to the gym? Learning a new language? Mastering the perfect beef bourguignon?
All worthy ambitions, of course, but why not also include some financial resolutions?
By reviewing your needs and goals, you can identify some resolutions that are particularly relevant to your own situation. But here are a few suggestions: Build an emergency fund. If you needed a major car repair or a new furnace, or faced some other large, unanticipated expense, could you cope with it? If you didn’t have the money readily available, you might have to dip into those investments intended for long-term goals, such as retirement. Instead, build an emergency fund
containing three to six months’ worth of living expenses, kept in a liquid, low-risk account.
Cut down on debts. It’s not easy to cut down on one’s debt load. But if you can find ways to reduce your debts, you’ll help improve your overall financial picture. Many debts are not “useful,” meaning don’t carry any tax advantages. So, every dollar you spend to pay down those debts is a dollar you could use to invest for your future. Boost contributions to your retirement plan. If your employer offers a 401(k) or similar retirement plan, take full advantage of it. Your earnings have the potential to grow tax deferred and your contributions may lower your taxable income. Plus, most plans offer a selection of investment options, so you can
choose the investment mix that fits your objectives and risk tolerance. Therefore, if your salary goes up this year, or if you think you can find other ways to free up some money, increase your contributions to your retirement
Review your portfolio. Is your investment portfolio still on track toward helping you meet your long-term goals? If not, you may need to make some changes. You’ll also want to study your investment mix to make sure it still accurately reflects your risk
Over time, and often without your taking any significant actions, your portfolio can “drift” to a place where you are taking on too much risk – or even too little risk – for your needs and longterm objectives. If this happens, you may need to “rebalance” your holdings.
Avoid mistakes. None of us can avoid all mistakes, in life and in our investment activities. But as an investor, you’ll clearly benefit from minimizing your errors.
For example, it’s generally a mistake to jump out of the market in response to a period of volatility. If you wait for things to “calm down” before investing again, you might miss out on the opportunity to participate in the next market rally.
Think long term. You’re not investing for today or tomorrow, but for many years from now. Try to keep a long-term focus when making all your key investment decisions. By doing so, you can avoid overreacting to shortterm developments, such as a sudden drop in the market or a “momentous” political event that actually decreases in importance as time goes by.
Try to follow these financial resolutions as best as you can. You could make 2017 a year to remember.
-Ahwatukee Foothills Edward Jones Financial Advisor Joseph B. Ortiz, AAMS, CRPS, can be reached at 480-753-7664 or joseph.ortiz@ edwardjones.com.
Ahwatukee coffee drinkers can order beans for home delivery
BY MIKE BUTLER AFN Staff Writer
Alot of loyal but time-starved customers of Cartel Coffee Lab in Tempe are becoming subscribers.
A new program at the coffee shop allows Ahwatukee residents to pick a freshly roasted bag of beans out of their mailboxes at regular intervals.
Paul Haworth, director of coffee production, said subscription requests have been building for months, but it took a while for the roastery to figure out the shipping logistics.
“We had enough requests for it that it seemed time to make it happen, Haworth said. “We ship these out the day after it’s roasted. It’s as fresh as you can get.”
Subscribers to Cartel Edition can sign up for deliveries once a week, once every two weeks or once every four weeks. Each shipment of a 12-ounce bag costs between $20-$26. Patrons can create an online account at cartelcoffelab.com. They can opt out at any time.
“Too many subscription programs are too easy to sign up for and too hard to
get out of,” Haworth said. Haworth said his connoisseur coffee customers were looking for a level of convenience and automation.
That automation also extends to decision-making. There are no coffee selection options. Clients trust Haworth to send them perfectly roasted beans from small farms around the world that harvest their beans at peak.
Haworth’s taste tilts to the light side of the roast spectrum. He knows it’s different strokes for different folks when it comes to coffee individuality. But you might detect a sigh or a wince from him when someone dumps ounces of cream and tablespoons of sugar into his brews.
“It’s all about the bean here,” Haworth explained. “Blends aren’t a bad thing— it’s just not what we do. Not every coffee customer needs to be our customer. There are people in my family who don’t like my coffee. Our customers like what we like. It’s a curation.”
The small Valley chain created clever packaging for Cartel Edition. The compact subscription boxes will have magazine-like blurbs on the front with links to online blog posts that tell the story of bean growers, talk of Haworth’s travels and offer DIY home coffee brewing tips. Get ready for an anecdote with your bag of San Pasquale, for example, a farm which is named after a family’s beloved donkey.
Other articles will have titles such as, “Homebrewing: The Importance of Water,” “The Truth
About Decaf” and “DIY Cold Brew: Easier Than You Think.”
Cartel Coffee Lab cemented its East Valley popularity and reputation by surfing the forefront of the cold-brew coffee wave years ago.
Cold brew is concocted, not too unlike craft beer, in stainless steel vessels for 24 hours at slightly below room temperature. The water is treated with a secret sauce of salts and minerals to bring out the best of the beans.
The resulting elixir is naturally sweet, full-bodied, high in caffeine and refreshing— especially in sweltering summer months. Cartel’s cold-brew is dispensed with nitrogen, which doesn’t precisely carbonate the coffee, but gives it a luxurious mouthfeel.
Cartel store customers buy nitro cold-brew by the quart and halfgallon growlers. And it’s not unusual for wedding planners and other large private parties to order cold-brew coffee dispensing stations.
Cartel’s cold-brew formula and Haworth’s roasting philosophy have fueled the firm’s steady growth in the Valley. From its early days on University Drive in Tempe, the company now has two shops in Tucson, one in Scottsdale, one in Phoenix and one in Sky Harbor.
Haworth said Cartel had some reservations about opening up in
Terminal 4, but it worked out because they chose to staff it, rather than license it. It has become a neighborhood hangout, like the other stores, attracting airport employees, frequent flyers and others seeking elevated coffee experiences.
“We’ve gotten some national exposure because of it,” Haworth said. “It’s kind of neat.”
– Reach Mike Butler at 480-898-5630 or at mbutler@ahwatukee.com.
(Will Powers/AFN Staff Photographer)
Cartel Edition boxes are designed like magazine covers with links to online articles that subscribers can read.
(Will Powers/AFN Staff Photographer)
Paul Haworth, director of coffee production for Tempe-based Cartel Coffee Lab, uses his senses and a computer to bring out the best in every batch of beans.
SHOP LOCAL
Arriba Mexican Grill
4649 E. Chandler Blvd., Ahwatukee. 480-753-4453, arribamexicangrill.com.
Specializing in New Mexican Cuisine, Arriba Mexican Grill® has been serving the valley with spice since 1995. All of the dishes are prepared daily from scratch, using only the best quality of ingredients. Whether you prefer your entree mild, hot or spicy, or just a little bit on the lighter side, Arriba® has something for everyone!
C2 Tactical Shooting
8475 S. Emerald Drive, Tempe. 480-588-8802, c2tactical.com.
Tempe’s Premier Indoor Shooting Range, is open to the public seven days a week for range time, personal training, retail sales and group events. A full-retail firearms and accessories one-stop-shop, C2 Tactical raises the bar of customer service while providing a wide variety of personal protection products, comprehensive training from beginner to expert, competitive pricing, incredible membership packages, and a well informed and friendly staff.
Cox Communications Business Services
20401 N. 29th Ave., Phoenix. 866-867-7644, cox.com.
Cox provides TV, internet, digital telephone, home security and tech solutions services for its residential customers. Get access to fastest digital life.
Dignity Health Urgent Care-Ahwatukee
4545 E. Chandler Blvd., Ahwatukee. 480-728-4000, dignityhealth.org.
Since 1994 Dignity Health Urgent Care has been caring for our neighbors in Ahwatukee. We know life never takes a day off and neither do we. We are here every day of the year, including holidays, from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m.
•
•
Main Street Ahwatukee
Brought to you by the Ahwatukee Foothills Chamber of Commerce
• Heidi’s Events & Catering
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• Keller Williams Realty- The Mendoza Team
• Lindy Lutz Cash, Independent cabi Stylist • Living Word Bible Church • Maaco Collision Repair and Auto Painting
• Melaluca - Betsy Kramer
• Quality Inn
• Sheraton Wild Horse Pass Resort
• Silhouette Greetings
• TruWest Credit Union
• Vision Community Management, LLC
• Von Hanson’s Meats of AZ
South
• Desert Bloom
Pediatrics PLLC
• EnTrust Realty
• Future Photo Group
• LT Consulting
• Luckey Bee Farms
• Meals Express
• Yellow Cab
BY LINDY LUTZ CASH AFN Guest Writer
As the New Year begins at the Ahwatukee Foothills Chamber of Commerce, our thoughts have turned to all that is new.
We are eagerly starting the year with a lot that is new, including a group of new members and potential members who are poised to be part of the Chamber and challenge their businesses to do something new in 2017.
We are kicking off our 2017 committees, with new ideas for our programming and events that will bring even more to our members and to the community.
On the technology side, the Chamber has launched a new website with many tools to help businesses create an online presence (ahwatukeechamber.com). Businesses can access analytics to review information about visits to their landing page on the website and can also showcase key offerings of the business, including special offers to
customers and clients.
Our website will continue to evolve with new information and always has a calendar of current Chamber events available for anyone to view.
Our Save Local Now application is getting a facelift for 2017 start.savelocalnow.com. This is a digital marketing app designed to help local residents, as well as visitors to the area, find local businesses as resources for whatever they need.
On the app, businesses have a profile and can create information and offers to share with the community. Look for the new, updated app to be available by the end of January.
Our Ahwatukee Chamber Community Foundation also begins a new phase this month within our Young Entrepreneurs Academy (YEA!). Beginning in midJanuary, our middle and high school students will be paired with a mentor to coach them as they develop their new business plan for the actual business they will launch during the program.
These mentors are part of the Ahwatukee and East Valley business community who will volunteer their expertise to support the students. Visit our Facebook page at facebook.com/YEAAhwatukee. There are many ways to volunteer in the YEA! program and we welcome community members to participate.
Looking for a way to get more involved in our community as a business or as an individual?
We can help connect you to new resources to support new year goals. Our members represent all types of business and services, from business and life coaches, to local charities, to home remodeling companies and more.
Let us help you start your “new”—you may just find that membership in the Ahwatukee Chamber of Commerce is a great new place to be!
-Lindy Lutz Cash is president and CEO of the Ahwatukee Foothills Chamber of Commerce.
(Special to AFN)
Hosting the Dec. 21 After-5 Mixer were, from left: new chamber President/CEO Lindy Lutz Cash, outgoing chamber board Chair Martha Neese, owner of Von Hanson’s Meats; and Bob Brown, general manager of Wild Horse Pass Motor Sports Park.
(Special to AFN)
Mixing fun with the networking at the Dec 21 After-5 Mixer were ugly sweater contestants, from left: Nick Knight, Pam Parkinson, winner Dr. Cameron Call, Margaret Pratt, Brenda Kaiser, Nancy Dudenhoefer, Ron West and Paul Dudenhoefer.
SPIRITUAL SIDE
Authentic faithful living offers the peace of simplicity
BY REV. SUSAN WILMOT AFN Guest Writer
Perhaps, like me, you’ve been wondering for some time just when and how life got so complicated.
Some of us feel like we’re constantly facing storms or even shipwreck as we try to navigate the intricacies of family relationships. Some of us feel like we’re drowning as the waters of technology overwhelm us, leaving us no time for true re-creation. Some of us may even feel like we’ve run aground in our attempts to move forward, held back by a treacherous reef of complex issues that cut us to pieces, or demand huge chunks of time.
If our days are too full, or we can’t see an end to the endless treadmill, then perhaps there’s a simpler solution. There are plenty of self-help books and all kinds of life coaches who’ll help us to simplify our lives, for a price. Both options provide sound advice about de-cluttering, balancing work, family, and other commitments, as well as eliminating debt, which is a major source of stress. Both options help us by releasing some of the shackles of materialism, and giving us incentives to take control of our time by prioritizing more effectively.
If we follow the advice, we may experience some reduction in our
SUNDAYS
VALOR CHRISTIAN OUTLINES MISSION
Valor Christian Center in Gilbert offers “great praise and worship and great messages for today’s living,” according to Pastor Thor Strandholt, associate pastor. “Our mission is evangelize, healing and discipleship through the word of God.”
DETAILS>> 10 a.m. Sundays and 7 p.m. Thursdays. 3015 E. Warner Road. Information: valorcc.com.
HORIZON SEEKS YOUNG PEOPLE
High school and middle school students meet to worship and do life together.
DETAILS>> 5 p.m. at Horizon Presbyterian Church,
stress, and be more effective in getting everything done, at least for a while. Old habits, however, are often hard to break, especially when we’re left to our own devices.
So, I’m willing to bet that those of us who already keep a relatively tidy and uncluttered home, live modest, debt-free lives with healthy boundaries around work-life balance still feel like we’re being pulled in multiple directions. Perhaps that’s because downsizing our stuff, and getting our commitments prioritized is more akin to rearranging the deckchairs on the Titanic than actually getting to the heart of the issue. Perhaps what’s really necessary is inextricable linked to building strong and healthy relationships in all areas of our lives, including our relationship with stuff, and money.
The source and model for all healthy relationships begins and ends with God: Father, Son and Holy Spirit, a coequal, coeternal relationship of perfect love. As followers of Jesus, our relationship with the Lord is the ultimate source of abiding love, joy and peace in our lives.
Life can still be complicated, but leaning on the Lord in faith, helps us navigate the ups and downs of all our other relationships with a greater degree of clarity, peace and joy, and dare I say it, simplicity. Our relationship with the Lord is truly liberating, and our freedom in Christ offers us solid ground for all other relationships, and a springboard
to loving service.
Most of us have come across Mahatma Gandhi’s quote, “Live simply so others may simply live,” which was born of massive poverty and oppression, against a backdrop of imperialistic greed, and vast socio-economic disparity.
Living simply to help others simply live goes much deeper than downsizing our homes, buying an eco-friendly vehicle, or recycling. There’s more to simplicity than merely donating a few clothes.
Living simply becomes much more challenging when we consider our relationship with money versus the obvious inequities and injustice all around us. It behooves us to pay attention to that point when we start questioning whether this or that is what God really means as we grow into faithful stewardship.
We have an almost infinite capacity for self-deception and rationalization. Then there’s the simplicity of spirit that’s at the center of being in right relationship with God and our neighbors.
How do we see our family, friends, and neighbors primarily and simply as beloved children of God? How do we build the kind of relationships where we experience joy in others simply for who they are? How do we suspend the need to judge, fix, or label others in superficial and worldly ways, or for the purposes of self-aggrandizement?
FAITH CALENDAR
1401 E. Liberty Lane. 480-460-1480 or email joel@ horizonchurch.com.
KIDS CAN LEARN JEWISH LIFE
Children can learn and experience Jewish life. Chabad Hebrew School focuses on Jewish heritage, culture and holidays.
DETAILS>> 9:30 a.m. to noon, for children ages 5-13 at Pollack Chabad Center for Jewish Life, 875 N. McClintock Drive, Chandler. 480-855-4333, info@ chabadcenter.com, or chabadcenter.com.
UNITY OFFERS A PATH
Unity of Mesa says its Sunday service offers “a positive
path for spiritual living” through “transformational lessons, empowering music and various spiritual practices with an open-minded and welcoming community.”
DETAILS>> 9 a.m. Spiritual discussion group and meditation practices group. 10:15 a.m. service. 2700 E. Southern Ave., Mesa. Child care available at 9 a.m. Nursery for infants through kindergarten at 10:15 a.m. 480-892-2700, unityofmesa.org, joanne@unityofmesa.org.
ALL ARE WELCOME
All on a peaceful spiritual path are welcome and honored in this inclusive, loving, thriving Unity Community. Join us for Interfaith CommUNITY Spiritual Center’s
What does it really mean to live simply? Is it about the kind of relationship with God in Christ Jesus where we really do lose ourselves, giving up our passion for wealth, power and control? Is it a frightening thought to be that vulnerable, selfless and dependent on God alone?
This is why God sent his beloved son to be God with us, as both messenger and message. As our exemplar of living simply, our Lord Jesus Christ constantly remains focused on loving and serving God.
Jesus trusts that God will meet all his needs, and that trust is never misplaced. Jesus lives simply because he refuses to become entangled in the world’s biggest lies: including selffocused independence, interpersonal competitiveness, and the relentless pursuit of material goods for personal gain, or as a sign of success.
The miracle of the incarnation, God with us, presents us with a paradox. There’s great joy, comfort and peace in the assurance of faith and God’s promises. There’s also the challenge of living simply with Christ-like vulnerability and single-minded dependence on God.
Ultimately, authentic faithful living is simplicity itself.
-The Rev. Susan E. Wilmot is Vicar at St. James the Apostle Episcopal Church & Preschool, 975 E. Warner Rd., Tempe. Reach her at rector@stjamestempe.org, 480-3452686, or stjamestempe.org.
Sunday Celebration Service
DETAILS>> 10:30 a.m. Toddlers and children meet during our service. Interfaith CommUNITY Spiritual Center, 952 E. Baseline, Suite 102, Mesa. Information: info@interfaith-community.org.
MONDAYS
JOIN CHRIST-CENTERED YOGA
This Flow 1-2 class (intermediate) is free and open to the community.
DETAILS>> 6-7 p.m., Mountain Park Community Church, 2408 E. Pecos Road. Greg Battle at 480-759-
Support group for those struggling with how to deal with a loss in life.
DETAILS>> 7 p.m., 1825 S. Alma School Road, Room C201, Chandler. Pastor Larry Daily, 480-963-3997, ext. 141, larrydaily@chandlercc.org or chandlercc.org.
TUESDAYS
DIVORCED CAN FIND COMFORT
People suffering through a divorce or separation can find understanding and caring support to face these challenges.
DETAILS>> 6:30-8:30 p.m., Mountain Park Community Church, 2408 E Pecos Road, Room 117, Ahwatukee, 480759-6200 or mountainpark.org.
FINDING HEALING FOR PAIN
HOPE, an acronym for “Help Overcome Painful Experiences,” offers support for men and women who seek God’s grace and healing.
DETAILS>> 6:30 to 8 p.m. Mountain Park Community Church, 2408 E. Pecos Road. mountainpark.org.
SENIORS ENJOY ‘TERRIFIC TUESDAYS’
The program is free and includes bagels and coffee and a different speaker or theme each week. Registration not needed.
DETAILS>> 10:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m., Barness Family East Valley Jewish Community Center, 908 N. Alma School Road, Chandler. evjcc.org or 480-897-0588.
WEDNESDAYS
CELEBRATE RECOVERY MEETS
Celebrate Recovery says it “brings your relationship with the Lord closer to your heart as it heals your hurts, habits and hang-ups.” Participants can discuss issues ranging from feeling left out to addictions. “Nothing is too small or too large.”
DETAILS>> 6:20 p.m. at Mountain View Lutheran Church, 11002 S. 48th St., Ahwatukee. mvlutheran.org/ celebraterecovery or email cr@alphamvlc.com.
WOMEN’S BIBLE STUDY OFFERED
Living Word Ahwatukee women’s Bible study and fellowship that offers “a short, low-key time of praise and worship in music and message.” It’s also an opportunity to meet other Christian women in Ahwatukee.
DETAILS>> 10-11:30 a.m., Living Word Ahwatukee, 14647 W. 50th St., Suite 165, Ahwatukee. Free child care.
GET A ‘SPIRITUAL SHOWER’
A release calls this “a 15-minute energetic tune up each week” and says the Twin Hearts Meditation “is like taking a spiritual shower: when your aura is clean, you experience a higher level of awareness. You see through things more clearly and good luck increases.”
DETAILS>>7-9 p.m. at Unity of Tempe, 1222 E. Baseline Road, Suite 103, Tempe. 480-792-1800 or unityoftempe.com.
‘A COURSE IN MIRACLES’
Longtime “A Course in Miracles” student and teacher Rev. Julianne Lewis leads this interactive time of discussion and sharing. This group is appropriate for ACIM beginners as well as experienced ACIM students— and everyone in between.
DETAILS>>1-2:15 p.m. Interfaith CommUNITY Spiritual Center, 952 E. Baseline, Suite 102, Mesa. $10 love
THURSDAYS
SLEEPING BAGS FOR THE HOMELESS
Ugly Quilts has made more than 15,500 sleeping bags for the area homeless, and continues to do so at First United Methodist Church every Thursday. Quilters stitch donated fabric, comforters, sheets and blankets into sleeping bags. Those are then distributed to the Salvation Army, churches and veterans’ organizations.
DETAILS>>8 a.m.-2 p.m., 215 E. University Drive, Tempe. Information: 480-969-5577.
KIDS CAN FIND SUPPORT
Support group for children ages 6 to 12 coping with a separation or divorce in the family. One-time $10 fee includes snacks and workbook.
DETAILS>> 6:30-8:30 p.m., 1825 S. Alma School Road, Room C202, Chandler. Pastor Larry Daily, 480-963-3997, ext. 141, larrydaily@chandlercc.org or chandlercc.org.
ULPAN INSTRUCTION AVAILABLE
Class is based on Israel’s successful Ulpan instruction. Taught by Ilan Berko, born in Israel, schooled in the U.S.
DETAILS>> 7 p.m. Chabad of the East Valley, 3875 W. Ray Road, Suite 6, Chandler. chabadcenter.com or 480-855-4333.
FRIDAYS
NEFESHSOUL HOLDS SERVICES
Congregation NefeshSoul holds Shabbat services the second Friday of every month on the campus of the Valley Unitarian Universalist Congregation.
DETAILS>> 6:15 p.m., 6400 W. Del Rio St., Chandler. Information: nefeshsoul.org.
TODDLERS CAN MARK SHABBAT
Celebrate Shabbat with a service, music, and a craft project designed for children up to 5 years old and their parents or other adult.
DETAILS>> 9:30 a.m., Temple Emanuel, 5801 S. Rural Road. 480-838-1414 or emanueloftempe.org.
TOTS TAUGHT TORAH
Hosted by Chabad of the East Valley for children ages 2 to 5. Features hands-on activities about the Shabbat, songs, stories and crafts. Children will make and braid their own challah.
DETAILS>> 10:15-11 a.m., members’ homes. 480-785-5831.
NOSH BEFORE SERVICE
“Nosh” and then enjoy the Shir Shabbat service led by the Shabba-Tones, the Shabbat musical group.
DETAILS>>6 p.m. first Friday of the month, Temple Emanuel, 5801 S. Rural Road, Tempe. 480-838-1414 or emanueloftempe.org.
YOUNG FAMILIES HOLD SHABBAT
Temple Beth Sholom of the East Valley invites young families to its services.
DETAILS>>Regular services at 6 p.m. except on the third Friday of each month, when a 6 p.m. Young Family Shabbat Service is held for children and adults of all ages. Temple Beth Sholom of the East Valley, 3400 N. Dobson Road, Chandler. Shabbat Morning and Torah Service weekly at 9 a.m. 480-897-3636 or tbsev. org. or info@tbsev.org.
SERVICE INCLUDES KIDS
Designed for children up to 5 years old and their parents or other adult. Following the service is an Oneg Shabbat, a time for a snack and to meet other families with young children.
DETAILS>> 6:30 p.m. second Fridays, Temple Emanuel, 5801 S. Rural Road. 480-838-1414 or emanueloftempe.org.
Discovering Christ
Tuesday Evenings January 17th – February 28th
Master plan
MP wrestling checking off list toward respectability
BY JASON P. SKODA AFN Prep Sports Director
Greg Dayoob took over the Mountain Pointe High School wrestling plans with big plans in mind.
First on the list was to grow the numbers in the room. Check.
Then adjust the schedule to harden the wrestlers. Check.
Fundraising, pride and enthusiasm all had to be rebuilt from scratch. Check.
Forge relationship with feeder programs like Centennial Middle School. Check.
Changing the culture is a much harder and longer process. That plan is in progress.
Dayoob looks at the success of the
football and baseball program and feels like the wrestling program can be a top 10 program annually. Wait and see.
Two months into the season, Dayoob knows it is going to take time to impart all of the changes needed in the program, but knows from experience it can be done at Mountain Pointe.
“Changing the culture of an athletic bring is like turning a big ship,” he said.
“The rudder is going and you stay on it and you grind, but that ship is not going to just whip around. You just have to stay true to cause. We are getting to the point where the bad habits of the past are going away.”
He was the head coach for the Pride from 1999-2003, when the program had its best stretch, qualifying as many as 10 wrestlers for state and producing
the school’s only two state champions.
“As soon as I got back here, in this school, in this room, it was like I finally found what I was looking for again,” said Dayoob, who left the first time to take over his alma mater Dobson High School’s program. “It felt like home and that I was destined to come back here all along.”
Then there was a sign. Literally.
When he started moving things around in the office in the wrestling room, he couldn’t believe what was behind one of the posters on the wall.
It was a piece of paper with one of his favorite slogans—“Practitioners of the World’s Oldest Martial Art”—he had tacked up in the office in 1999.
See WRESTLING on page 41
Josh Vedder will leave swimming legacy at Desert Vista High
BY JASON P. SKODA AFN Prep Sports Director
JoshVedder finished his swim event and nearly all of family was there to see him make it through one of the most difficult turns of his career in the pool. His father, John, had died not long before and Josh competed with a different purpose that day in May 2014.
“I wasn’t swimming for myself anymore,” Josh recalled. “It was for both us; kind of like a legacy for him. All my family was there that day, and it changed how I looked at things.”
Vedder has been doing great things in the pool ever since for Desert Vista.
“Each week, when filling out the team’s lineup for a dual meet, I looked at the opponents’ top athletes and began with Josh,” Thunder coach Shawn O’Connell said. “Where could he impact the meet that would potentially lead us to a win?”
Vedder competed in four events. His best was the 100 backstroke as he won the state title for the third time this season.
“I am not going to lie, that’s pretty fun,” said Vedder, the owner of two
Desert Vista records. “My first year was a learning experience and I was the first sophomore at Desert Vista to ever win a title as a sophomore. I just built on it from there.”
He will be attending Arizona State on a scholarship after strongly considering UNLV and Denver as well.
Vedder said he chose ASU over the others because of the changes in the coaching staff and the potential to work with Olympians like Misty Hyman, Bob Bowman and Michael Phelps.
He has shown an impressive development each year after switching from soccer, where his Dad coached him, when an injury kept him from running in the sixth grade.
So, they chose one of the few sports that running is not required.
“He was like why don’t you give swimming a try,” Vedder said. “I’ve been doing it ever since.”
Other Ahwatukee standouts in swimming this past season have included: 200-yard medley relay, Aaron Beauchamp, Frank Van Alstine and Garret Chance; 100 breaststroke: Aaron
and Josh.
Beauchamp; 400 freestyle relay: Garret Chance, Aidan Schramm, Frank Alstine,
(Special to AFN) Mountain Pointe coach Greg Dayoob decided he ended up exactly where he was supposed to be
(Special to AFN)
Mountain Pointe coach Greg Dayoob decided he ended up exactly where he was supposed to be when he found a poster he had hung years ago was still mounted on the wall..
“I couldn’t believe it,” he said. “Someone just put a poster over top of it. When I saw that it just cemented everything we are trying to do here and I figured it had to stay up. The kids said it was a good omen so leave it.”
It’s all pointing to a monumental shift for a program that many believed was a bit of a sleeping giant that has been through three coaches over the last five seasons.
Just how far the Pride has come in a short period is defined by a lot more than the results in competition, but the wrestlers will get some idea when they travel to rival Desert Vista High today for a dual meet.
“I live in the real world, and we are not going to beat Desert Vista this year,” he said. “Our goal is to go over there and really make a statement where this program is now compared to where it was the last few years. It has changed, the work ethic has changed. It’s a whole new standard. We are going to go after them, wrestle hard, compete and when we leave we will be respected for the way went about it.”
The results on the mat have been OK
at the Red Mountain duals and Moon Valley Invite, but the biggest test comed when the Pride heads to the Flowing Wells Invitational, the premier event in the state, in mid-January.
The Pride has made strides but most of the lineup won’t be ready for that level of competition just yet. Dayoob, who was an assistant at Corona del Sol before taking over the Pride this time around, is just fine with that for now.
“Truth of the matter is we will mostly be in street clothes on Saturday,” he said. “But when you see that level of wrestling and are exposed to it, it helps them understand what it means to be at that level and what it looks like.”
“If you go to mediocre tournaments then you get a false sense of what you are capable of,” he added.
The best candidates for Mountain Pointe to make an impression at Flowing Wells and/or state are seniors Jacob Rasmussen and Michael Waites and sophomore Keegan Arthur. Rasmussen is 25-4 on the season with all of his defeats coming against opponents outside of the 6A Conference. He is considered one of the state title favorites, along with Corona del Sol’s Vincent Dolce, after finishing fifth at state last year.
He said he wishes he was an underclassman so he had a chance help turn the program around now that it has seemingly found a new positive direction.
“Everything is so much more organized and detailed,” he said. “We are working harder in practice and we are learning a lot, too. This program is going to be really good in a few years.”
That’s what Dayoob has laid out, along with a new design for the practice room, on the way to checking off entries on his big plans for the program.
“People don’t realize all it takes to run a program at a high level,” said Dayoob, who left coaching for awhile in pursuits outside of teaching. “It takes someone who is will to eat, sleep and breathes wrestling. It’s his baby; it’s his passion.
That’s where I am at and this is what I do.
“Now, it is a matter of getting everyone else to think that way, and I really think this can be a great program, one that is on that short list of wrestling teams everyone knows.”
– Contact Jason Skoda at 480-898-7915 or jskoda@ahwatukee.com. Follow him on Twitter @JasonPSkoda.
(Special to AFN)
Mountain Pointe senior Jacob Rasmussen has been the leader new coach Greg Dayoob needs in first year running the program.
Emily Crall relishes her cross-country team’s success
BY JASON P. SKODA AFN Prep Sports Director
Emily Crall had no idea what a small amount of water she used to take in before 125 ounces became the daily routine.
“I came to Desert Vista High and it is a program with very high expectations,” she said. “I didn’t know how much went into being a runner at that level. All of sudden, I was expected to drink 125 ounces a day. I didn’t know I was supposed to do that.
“There was so much to learn and grow. The learning curve never ends.”
Emily, who transferred from Chaparral High, was indoctrinated to the Thunder Way pretty quickly and became one of the state’s elite runners.
“Emily never focused upon nor addressed the issue of her individual accomplishments,” Thunder coach Jeff Messer said. “Rather, her defining foci included a range to team goals and aspirations that provided precise direction and tremendous focus for our overall program.”
A year after finishing third, Messer reevaluated a few things of the process and
posted one of the best seasons ever seen in Arizona.
The results were pretty impressive for Desert Vista all year long as the Thunder won its third state title in four years, setting a new big-school standard with a winning score of 20 points.
Emily, who was named the Tempe City
Toddler
Runner of the Year, finished fourth at the state meet, third on the Thunder, and was the one of the team’s essential leaders in pushing the program to the Nike Cross Nationals, where they finished sixth in the country.
“It was pretty special to be part of that,” she said of the trip to Oregon. “You are
meeting and socializing with people that have the same goals and aspirations and have the same lifestyle as you do.”
A lifestyle that means waking up 4 a.m. every day for 5 a.m. practices, keeping track of how many ounces of water you drink so you are well hydrated, eating to fuel the body and falling asleep by 8 p.m. most days.
“You do it all so you can better contribute to your team,” said Emily, who is headed to New Mexico to continue her career. “Most people look at cross country as an individual sport, and it is, but we all love it so we dedicate ourselves and run because we have a larger purpose.”
Other cross-country standouts from Desert Vista included: Baylee Jones, a senior who rebounded after an illness two years ago; junior Haley Wolf, who finished as state runner-up; freshman Brooklyn Christofis, who was ranked top 10 nationally for Class of 2020; and Amanda Davis, a senior and top runner at nearly any other program.
– Contact Jason Skoda at 480-898-7915 or jskoda@ahwatukee.com. Follow him on Twitter @JasonPSkoda.
A Foundation for a Lifetime of Learning
Keystone Montessori has provided my children with a warm and nurturing environment in which to develop their love of learning. The teachers, staff, and parent community all work together to ensure our children receive an outstanding education that focuses not only on academics, but also on grace, courtesy, and respect for their community. We love Keystone!
- Parent Testimonial
(Special to AFN)
Emily Crall transferred from Chaparral High and was indoctrinated to the Thunder Way quickly to become one of the state’s elite runners.
Tyler Svendson made the most of transition to golf
BY JASON P. SKODA AFN Prep Sports Director
When Tyler Svendson gave up hockey and focused on golf full time, it wasn’t as easy as turning in the ice skates for golf shoes.
“There was little bit of conflict between the two swings,” said Tyler, who still takes to the ice once in a while. “My golf swing started to get better and it was affecting my hockey, so it was part of the reason I quit.”
It was a wise decision for the Desert Vista High School athlete.
Tyler, who got serious about golf in the eighth grade, has been getting steadily better on the links ever since starting out as Desert Vista’s No. 6 as a freshman.
The senior developed into one of the state’s top players, tying for second at the state tournament. He also had a big hand in the Thunder’s first state golfing championship as Desert Vista played flawlessly on the back to nine to top Hamilton by eight strokes.
Tyler shot a 68-68-136 at Grand Canyon University’s course to finish three strokes off the lead, but his final-
day 68, which included a 4-under on the back nine, was the third best round of the day
“It was perfect timing for everything,” he said. “Finishing as the state champions is a great way to finish a high school career.”
Tyler is expected to play collegiately, with the most interest coming from New Mexico State and Arizona State University.
The game came easy to Tyler, who ended the regular season ranked No. 13 by Iwanamaker. With an average score of 1.6 under par, his work ethic allowed him to become one of the state’s top players.
“I was pretty natural from the start,” he said. “I was straight down the middle, and rarely off to the side of the fairway. I didn’t have much distance then when I was playing with Dad. I kept hitting it in the fairway and I’ve worked hard on everything else since then.”
The biggest development has been his ability to finish off rounds.
“Tyler developed a unique ability to close this season for our team,” Thunder coach Matt Russo said. “Tyler shot a
combined 7-under par over the final three holes of each tournament. For many golfers, this is when mental and physical fatigue or pressure may set in. Tyler was able to elevate his game in the most crucial moments this season.”
Other high school athletes from
Ahwatukee who were standouts in golf include: Brian Seo, Desert Vista, the state’s top-ranked player who finished sixth at state; Davis Evans, also Desert
– Contact Jason Skoda at 480-898-7915 or jskoda@ahwatukee.com. Follow him on Twitter @JasonPSkoda.
(Special to AFN)
Tyler Svendson of Desert Vista High School lines up a putt during state championship play.
Get Out Gem show, ‘Lion King’ among weekend’s best bets
BY JUSTIN FERRIS GetOut Editor
Family Circus ending run
Get a taste of the old world at this family circus. Set in an intimate 500-person tent, you’re never far from the action, whether it’s the antics of the clowns, trick horseback riding or the daredevil trapeze artists.
DETAILS>> Times vary, until Sunday. Chandler Center for the Arts, 250 N. Arizona Ave., Chandler. Tickets: $15-$40. 480-7822680. chandlercenter.org.
Portraits from the Front
Get a previously unseen glimpse of the life of our bomber crews in World War II Corsica and Italy. This new traveling exhibit
features candid photos, diary entries and other historical artifacts.
DETAILS>> 10 a.m.-4 p.m., until Jan. 17. Arizona Commemorative Air Force Museum, 2017 N. Greenfield Road, Mesa. Cost: Museum admission ($15 adults, $12 seniors, $5 kids 5-12). 480-351-6032. azcaf.org.
Annual gem show rocks Mesa
Phoenix’s largest gem and mineral show comes around again with plenty of raw minerals and gems, plus jewelry, beads, fossils and lapidary supplies. Kids receive free samples and there are resources on hand for teachers as well.
9 a.m.-5 p.m., FridaySunday. Mesa Community College, 1833 W. Southern Ave., Mesa. Free. flaggmineralfoundation.org.
Taiyou Con slated
Taiyou Con is a major event for fans of anime and manga. You can meet your favorite singers, voice actors, artists and celebrities. In addition, attend panels and Q&As, get autographs, join cosplay events, take part in Pokemon battles, and buy tons of goodies.
DETAILS>> Times vary, Friday-Sunday. Mesa Convention Center, 263 N. Center Street, Mesa. Tickets: $50 weekend, $30-$35 individual days. taiyoucon.com.
Motorcycles roar in region
On the first Friday of every month, over 3,000 motorcyclists and motorcycle lovers turn up on Main Street in downtown Mesa for live music, food, a beer garden and to ogle motorcycles. This is a family-friendly event.
See an adaptation of the hit Broadway version of “The Lion King”—featuring the unforgettable music of Elton John and Tim Rice—as a slick youth production. Join Simba, Timon, Pumbaa and other favorite characters for an adventure on the African savanna.
DETAILS>> Times vary, Friday to Jan. 15. Mesa Arts Center, One E. Main St., Mesa. Tickets: $15. 480-644-6500. mesaartscenter.com.
Mesa Arts & Crafts Festival
Browse a bevy of handmade arts and craft items from local makers as you stroll through downtown Mesa. It costs nothing, which makes it a good family Saturday outing.
DETAILS>> 10 a.m.-4 p.m., Saturday. Downtown Mesa, N. Macdonald Road, Mesa between West Main Street and West Pepper Place. Free. macfestmesa.com.
Drink up at wine festival
Celebrate Arizona’s wine industry with more than 30 wineries and 150 wines. In addition to wine, the festival offers live music, wine seminars and an auction.
DETAILS>> 11 a.m.-7 p.m., Saturday. Lath Pavilion at Heritage Square, 113 N. 6th St., Phoenix. Tickets: $20 entry with 10 tasting tickets, $15 for six more tickets. 520-2614421. arizonawine.org.
Bridal show weds everything
Wedding planning takes months and includes countless exhausting hours of research and running around town. Simplify the process and shop more than 450 wedding vendors in one spot. Plus, taste test cakes, audition bands and watch a dress fashion show.
DETAILS>> 9 a.m.-3 p.m., Saturday and Sunday. Phoenix Convention Center, 100 N. 3rd St., Phoenix. Tickets: $12. 844-252-1630.
Racing museum in Phoenix packs
a lot of history within its walls
BY TYLER RUBIN Cronkite News
There is a lot of racing history packed within the walls of the Arizona Open Wheel Racing Museum in Phoenix, and it all started as a gimmick that a local businessman cooked up to draw racing fans into his stores.
“A gentleman named Steve Stroud, a local business owner, came to me and wanted to display some cars in the lobbies of his local stores,” said Mickey Meyer, director of operations for the museum, at 3534 E. Broadway Road.
“At first he didn’t realize how much exposure it would bring him and how many people would come in just to look at the cars and leave.”
Stroud, 66, passed away, but his legacy lives on in the 15,000-square-foot facility that houses memorabilia and race cars from dirt tracks where many of the country’s best drivers learned their craft.
The museum houses thousands of items. There are more than 25 race cars including a 1933 sprint car and another car owned and
driven by Al Unser. There are hundreds of photos, including some of several current NASCAR drivers from their sprint car days.
The Bobby Ball Memorial Cup, a trophy to the annual winner of the Bobby Ball Memorial Race at the Arizona Fairgrounds, is housed there. Winners featured on the trophy include four-time Indianapolis 500 winner A.J. Foyt and Phoenix-born racing hero Jimmy Bryan, who won the 1958 Indy 500 before dying two years later at 33 from injuries sustained in a crash.
“We’ve got some, frankly, priceless memorabilia and artifacts here in addition to some of the cars that were a fixture in the Arizona racing scene and even the national racing scene,” said Keith Watkins, adviser to the board of directors at the museum.
“It was hard,” Watkins said of Stroud’s death. “I didn’t know him very long, but he was such a gentle person and a kind person that I think everybody he met had an affection toward him.”
Rickey Hood, museum curator, agreed.
“He made such an impact on my life in such a quick time,” Hood said. “He was just
a special person, and I was blessed to have met him before he perished.”
Many items have a personal impact for families of the racing legends.
“This has brought so many families together, people who haven’t seen each other in decades, people who are reliving memories of their grandparents,” said Meyer. “They open books in here and see pictures of their fathers racing, when before they only heard stories. I’ve seen people look at pictures and just start crying.”
Stroud started the museum in 2011, and it had outgrown the 1,200-square-foot shop Stroud and Meyer planned for it before they even had it open.
Stroud, who grew up in Southern California, was described as a true fan of racing. When he moved to Arizona in the late 1970s, he fell in love with Manzanita Speedway, a popular dirt track located in southwest Phoenix that closed in 2009.
“He was just a sweet man,” said Hood, the curator. “I tell you what, not a better person anywhere in the world..”
Stroud was the owner of Lubrication Equipment & Supply and several ParkerStore Hose & Fitting locations, which helped him become more than just a fan. In the 1990s, Stroud reached into his own pockets to sponsor a racing team. Among his drivers
was current NASCAR driver Kyle Larson. Meyer met Stroud through Stroud’s sponsorship of local driver Bob Ream. Meyer was Ream’s crew chief.
Meyer also was a driver at one time, and he and his father have items and photos featured in the museum. When the museum started, Meyer helped restore the cars and Stroud tracked down the parts to do it.
Hood, from Memphis, Tennessee, came to his curator role after years of racing. He was a three-time U.S. Auto Club Champion and a 2006 inductee into the National Sprint Car Hall of Fame.
When Hood relocated to Arizona, Stroud invited him to help with the museum.
“It still gave me a way to be involved in motorsports and stay with something I grew up around,” Hood said.
Watkins, who also has a driving background, started out as a volunteer at the museum. Now, he, Meyer and Hood are building on what Stroud started.
And the future is bright, although the three have run into a familiar problem once again.
“We’re out of space,” Watkins said. “We need to expand. We’re looking for a new home.”
Info: 602-276-7575, azracingmuseum.org.
ANSWERS TO PUZZLES AND SUDOKU
(Tyler Rubin/Cronkite News)
A 1950s quarter midget located in the Arizona Open Wheel Racing Museum.
Holocaust hero is subject of a play at Chandler Center for the Arts
GETOUT STAFF
The Greater Phoenix Jewish Film Festival, East Valley Jewish Community Center and city of Chandler are co-sponsoring a Holocaust play as part of the community’s annual Celebration of Unity.
A series of events is held by the city in January to honor Chandler’s heritage and diversity, along with the spirit, ideals, life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and the civil rights movement.
The play, titled “Life in a Jar: The Irena Sendler Story,” will be presented Jan 12 at the Chandler Center Along our co-sponsor, the East Valley Jewish Community Center, the three groups will host a performance of “Life in a Jar: The Irena Sendler Project” at 6:30 p.m. Jan 12 at the Chandler Center for Performing Arts.
The 80-minute performance touches on the Holocaust, ethics, education, respect and unsung heroes and brings a message of hope, not despair.
It originated in a small classroom in a small town in the Midwest in 1989 when four girls were challenged by a teacher to create a National History Day project that would illuminate his classroom motto:
“He who changes one person, changes the world entire.”
The students discovered the little-told story of Irena Sendler, a Polish Christian woman who smuggled 2,500 children out of the Warsaw Ghetto during World War II. The world soon caught notice of this unsung hero of the Holocaust and her accomplishments and ultimately led to her nomination for the Nobel Peace.
The performance will be followed by a question and answer session with current cast members as well as Megan Feist, one of the four students who created the play, and Norm Conard, the history teacher whose assignment led to the Irena Sendler movement.
Conard is now the executive director of the Lowell Milken Center in Fort Scott, Kansas, which works with schools
around the world to teach respect and understanding among people.
The Greater Phoenix Jewish Film Festival uses the film version of Life In a Jar as the cornerstone of its Films in the Schools youth outreach program. Trained presenters bring the film into public and religious schools to help teach the sensitive topic of the Holocaust.
“Film as a medium allows young people to learn on a different level; characters, legends and stories that may seem difficult to understand come alive on the
screen. This is especially important when trying to convey the magnitude of the Holocaust,” said spokeswoman Deborah Muller.
Since the school program began nine years ago, the festival has shared this film with over 3,900 secular and religious school students.
Information: evjcc.org. Tickets: 480897-0588, hastj@evjcc.org, or visit the East Valley Jewish Community Center at 908 N. Alma School Road, Chandler. Tickets are $10 and $5 for students.
(Juan Martinez/Special to AFN)
Erin Simons portrays a Jewish mother and Noah Fischer a Gestapo soldier in the Warsaw Ghetto at a performance of “Life in a Jar” in San Antonio, Texas, in November.
ACROSS
1 Rebuff a masher
5 Whip
9 Vanna’s cohort
12 Twosome
13 Reverberate
14 Center
15 — -European
16 Part of Q.E.D.
17 “Monty Python” opener
18 Egg container?
19 Symbol of intrigue
20 Hoofbeat sound
21 Mound stat
23 Sib
25 Like wet snow
28 There
32 Pot
33 Of service
34 Construction pieces
36 Prepares to propose
37 Bottom line
38 Egos’ counterparts
39 Crooked
42 Under the weather
44 “G.W.T.W.” plantation
48 Regret
49 Verbal
50 Enthusiastic, plus
51 “All the Things You —”
52 Exhaust-pipe output
53 Undressed
54 Pantheon member
55 Unoriginal one
56 Ball-bearing items
DOWN
1 Whirl
2 Nathan of Broadway
3 Helps
4 Lutheran, e.g.
5 Room to maneuver
6 Farm fraction
7 Down-at-the-heels
8 Stolen
9 Donahue or Collins
10 Car
11 Recipe meas.
20 Potential winner
22 Lyricist’s specialty
24 Circular
25 Take to the slopes
26 U.K. pol. party
King Crossword
27 Multipurpose truck
29 Conk out
30 Right angle
31 Scale members
35 Rouse
36 Strikingly effective 39 Boast
40 Continental coin
41 Requisite
43 Like some excuses
45 Chills and fever
46 Took the shuttle
47 Quite some time
49 Son-gun link
Sudoku
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Employment General
Rowley Plastering LLC 3641 S 36th St, Phoenix AZ 85040 seeks 30 “temporary full-time” Helper of Plasterer to work&reside in PHX Metroplex area to use, supply/hold materi/tools,clean wrk
a r e a / e q u
p 50Lb, 3mo exp, wrk in ext weather, on job train avail, no edu reqd, travel in PHX Metroplex area M-F7am-3pm $ 14 96/hr OT if needed $ 22 44 from 2/26to 10/31/17 US&H2B workers offered s a m e w a g
paid post-hired drug test Sgle wrkwk computes wages Weekly pmt H-2B Wrkr to be paid U S Consulate, border, lodging fees on 1st workwk on a company check “Transportation (includin g m e a
place of employment or its cost to workers reimbursed, if the worker completes half the employ-
the worker completes employment period or is dismissed early by employer Tools provided at no charge to worker”
AHWATUKEE/CHANDLER Bosom Buddies We meet the 2nd Saturday of the month, 10:00 AM-12:00 noon in the Conference Room at Dignity Health Urgent CareAhwatukee 4545 E Chandler Blvd Phoenix AZ Please contact Deb Sidman: 602.460.9893 or Devon Pollard: 602 318 8462 See more at: http://www bosombuddies-az org/ At Bosom Buddies of AZ we support women of all ages and in all stages of breast cancer
GROWING TOGETHER:
That s the motto of The Ahwatukee Community Garden Project Get your hands dirty while learning about desert gardening Join us every Sunday morning starting at 8 A M in the Garden at 4700 E Warner Rd north of the Farmers' Market acgarden org
Crops of Luv
We make Scrapbooks for critically-ill children who have had their "WISH" trip come true! Scrapbook with us, make embellishments for us, donate your time, or your commercial space, donate funds to ship albums, etc! Does your teen need community service hours? We could use their help!
Copsofluv com 480 634 7763 Ahwatukee based non-profit
GAMBLERS ANONYMOUS & GAMANON for meeting information 602-266-97846
GARDEN CLUB, DESERT POINTE Garden Club Meets the 1st Monday of every month at 9:30am @ Ahwatukee Recreation Center
NEW MEMBERS WELCOME
5001 E Cheyenne Sept - May Only
Call Pat Faust 480-5886613
Open your Heart and Home, Host an International Student! Please contact Pascale Dunton 602-980-4388 west@iseusa org west iseusa org
In-Ahwatukee Toastmasters Club meets from 6:45-8am every Tuesday at Dignity Health Urgent Care Ahwatukee - Community Room (1st floor), 4545 E Chandler Blvd , Phoenix, AZ 85048 Guests welcome anytime! http //4873 toast mastersclubs org/
Classifieds: Monday 11am for Wednesday Life Events: Friday 10am for Wednesday
Dining For Women (DFW) diningforwomen org inspires, educates and engages people to invest in programs that make a meaningful difference for women and girls living in extreme poverty DFW helps women find dignity and strength develop skills and opportunities value and support their children s education We have a local chapter in Ahwatukee which meets the 3rd Thursday every month from 6:30 p m -8:30p m If you d like to know more on how you can transform lives and reduce poverty contact Mary Hake at marysullivanhake @gmail com
TOPS (Take Off Pounds Sensibly) is a weight loss organization that is over 60 years old We meet at Ahwatukee Rec Center on Cheyenne between S 48th St and S 51st St on Wed eve s from 67:30 p m For more information: Terri at 480-893-6742
Widowed-to-Widowed Grief Support Group every Monday at 6pm, Pyle Adult Recreation Center, Tempe (SW corner of Rural & Southern) Call Kay at 480 861 8031 for more information
TO READERS:
Most service advertisers have an ROC# or "Not a licensed contractor" in their ad, this is in accordance to the AZ state law.
What it does require under A R S §32-1121A14(c) http://www azleg gov/ars/32/01165 htm, is that the advertising party, if not prope r l y l i c e n s e d a s a c o n t r a c t o r , d i s c l o s e t h a t f a c t o n a n y f o r m o f a d v e r t i s i n g t o the public by including the words "not a l i c e n s
aware of the unlicensed status of the individual or company
disclose their unlicensed status are not eligible for the handyman's exception. Reference:
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Friends and Neighbors (AFFAN) is a women s organization dedicated to cultivating friendships, and goodwill AFFAN promotes social, charitable and educational events all year long AFFAN holds monthly luncheon meetings with varied speakers We offer over 40 monthly activities including Book Clubs, Canasta, Bunco, Euchre, and Bridge Other monthly activities are Dining Out, Stitch and Chat, Explore Arizona, and Garden Club. Significant others/ spouses can attend some events. For more info contact Teresa Akrish Phone: 480-518-5788, teresaakrish@gmail com
