Peoria Times 011223

Peoria inducts new mayor, councilmembers

BY JOE MCHUGH Peoria Times Staff Writer

Peoria inducted its new mayor and city councilmembers for their fouryear terms on Jan. 3.

Outgoing mayor and mayor pro tempore Cathy Carlat and Vicki Hunt, respectively, introduced new Mayor Jason Beck. Jennifer Crawford, Michael Finn and Denette Dunn took their seats with the council.

“I think it’s extremely important that we have as much participation in the city as possible from all areas of the city,” Beck said. “North, south, central, every aspect, Municipal Judge

Beautification project coming to 75th Avenue

BY JOE MCHUGH Peoria Times Staff Writer

The city of Peoria recently approved a contract of nearly $1.7 million to Brightview Landscape Services for a beautification project that will enhance the landscape on 75th Avenue, stretching from Grand Avenue to Thunderbird Road.

This project will attempt to make the non-HOA areas of Peoria more attractive.

“It really revitalizes the area and shows that we’re dedicated to maintaining all parts of the city and a lot of the older neighborhoods didn’t have HOAs to maintain,”

said Adina Lund, Peoria development and engineering director. “We want to make sure that they all look nice as you’re driving through the city of Peoria.”

This project is a part of the 10-year capital improvement program that strives to further improve the city and make it as appealing as possible to potential and current residents.

The agreement lists its intentions for the plan as, “There are certain sections of landscaping along the east and west sides of 75th Avenue from Grand Avenue to Thunderbird Road that are within the existing right-of-way and are maintained by the city. The sections are outdated and

in need of enhancement, restoration and beautification. This project will include upgrading the existing landscape material and refreshing the decomposed granite.”

In order to get this plan done, the city went fishing for potential suitors to help plan and execute this project. Enter Brightview, a landscaping company that specializes in commercial landscaping across the country. They were the lone bidders for the enhancements on 75th Avenue.

“Brightview was a new company to us, and anytime somebody is bidding, we’re

George Anagnost swears in, from left, Jennifer Crawford, Denette Dunn and Michael Finn as the newest members the Peoria City Council. (City of Peoria/ Submitted)

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The project will attempt to make the non-HOA areas of Peoria more attractive. (Submitted)

FROM PAGE 1

interested in working with them,” Lund said. “So we are hoping this will be a very successful project and they will be able to do the work as they have stated that they can within the pricing and

within the schedule they presented and that it will look amazing when they are done.”

The city has done two similar projects to the proposed one for 2023, on 91st and 67th avenues, respectively. Both were executed to the city’s liking and kept everything maintained for years to come.

Also included in the 10-year capital improvement program are three more areas that the city is looking to tackle after the restorations to 91st Avenue are complete. They will be going forward to beautifying Peoria Avenue, Thunderbird Road and Cactus Road.

The core reason for these restorations, though, comes down to one thing — pride. Residents take pride in the way that their city looks, as it feels like a representation of themselves through the city. Roads protected by HOAs have been maintained well, but those not under protection have not been cared for accordingly.

The city will be putting an emphasis on changing that moving forward.

“We’re able to really look at the ar-

The project is part of the 10-year capital improvement program. (Submitted)

eas of the city where we’re doing the maintenance and then put our money where our mouth is and make sure that we are taking care of all of the cities so that it all looks nice,” Lund said.

The project is expected to be completed by summer 2023. PT

we have six districts up here that are represented. It’s extremely important that your voice is heard by your councilmembers and then represented by this dais and represented for the city as a whole.”

Email: christina@timeslocalmedia.com Online: peoriatimes.com Fax: 623-935-2103

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The ceremony was met with a packed crowd, even forcing spectators into an “overflow room.” After the Pledge of Allegiance, Carlat and Hunt shared their appreciation toward the city and their excitement about its direction.

“I love Peoria,” Hunt said. “I just want the best for Peoria, and any way that I can continue to help see that happen is where my heart is and where my hands will be as well. … I’m so honored and feel so blessed to have spent the last 20 years of my life, specifically serving the city of Peoria. Thank you.”

Carlat added, “It has been a total joy in working with all of you, and I am just honored to have served the residents of the city of Peoria for the last 18 years. It’s humbling. There’s not much more I can say. I’m just completely humbled, so thank you. Thank you very much.”

Immediately following these remarks, Presiding Municipal Judge

George Anagnost swore in Crawford (Acacia District), Dunn (Pine District), Finn (Palo Verde District) and then Beck. Dunn had been an interim city councilmember since 2019; after filling a vacancy, she won the regular election.

After a brief intermission, the new elects took the dais and presided over council. Peoria City Council also appointed Dunn to serve as vice mayor and Councilmember Jon Edwards as mayor pro tempore for one-year terms

beginning immediately.

Westbrook Village resident Jim Keller shared a nonscheduled congratulations.

“I’m here to officially congratulate Jason Beck as our new mayor,” Keller said. “We’re proud to have you as our new mayor, Jason.”

The governing body left with hopeful remarks about Peoria’s direction.

“We are going to ensure that we take care of all areas of Peoria now and in the future,” Beck said. PT

MAYOR FROM PAGE 1

Jason Beck takes the oath of offi ce accompanied by his family. (City of Peoria/ Submitted)

BRIGHTVIEW

News Briefs

BY PEORIA TIMES STAFF

Download the citizen engagement app

The city of Peoria has a citizen engagement app, MyPeoriaAZ, which offers residents another way to connect with city services and resources. The app is available for free on mobile devices and has an easy-to-use interface where users can submit and track service requests, locate city resources and facilities, and stay up to date on city news and events. With MyPeoriaAZ, residents can request a variety of services, such as graffiti removal, street maintenance, street lighting, traffic signals, trash and recycling, and more. The app is also a one-stop shop for information about city resources, including family and youth services, neighborhood and community assistance, parks and recreation, events and city news. Download the app today at

the Google Play or Apple App Store or visit https://peoriaaz.citysourced.com.

Apply for an HOA grant

The city of Peoria’s HOA grants program is designed to assist HOAs with projects that engage, revitalize and/or provide safety to the community. The neighborhood-based projects should bring residents together, build community and establish a positive identity. Those interested in improving the quality of life in their neighborhoods are encouraged to apply for a grant. If approved, up to $10,000 may be awarded toward eligible projects. For fiscal year 2023 (July 1, 2022, to June 30, 2023), HOA grants will give priority to water conservation projects. For more information, visit peoriaaz.gov/ hoaacademy.

Join the city for Global Sounds

Cultural and musical traditions from

around the world are coming to Peoria through free, monthly performances called Global Sounds.

From Japanese drumming to Arabic music and belly dancing, this series will provide a variety of global music.

Performance schedule:

• Wednesday, Feb. 1: Fushicho DaikoJapanese taiko drumming.

• Wednesday, March 8: Swaying in the Moonlight - Arabic music and dance.

• Wednesday, April 19: Kawambe - African drumming.

• Wednesday, May 10: Phoenix Afrobeat Orchestra - Afrobeat music.

• Wednesday, June 14: Walt Richardson & Friends - Caribbean reggae music.

The series will take place inside the Peoria Center for the Performing Arts, 10580 N. 83rd Drive. Doors open at 6 p.m., performances begin at 7 p.m. and shows are 80 minutes long, with a 15-minute intermission. Light snacks

and beverages will be available for purchase. Seating is limited and guests are encouraged to reserve their free tickets in advance at peoriaaz.gov/pcpa.

Peoria hosts second MLK Day of Service

In celebration of the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., the city of Peoria is hosting its second MLK Day of Service from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 14, at the Peoria Community Center, 8335 W. Jefferson Street.

The event will feature multicultural activities including an African drumming circle activity led by Dr. Lydia Woods, complimentary food and beverages, inflatables and games for children, volunteer opportunities, and a variety of local service providers and community resources. In addition, several local nonprofit organizations and

ADOT planning statewide network of EV chargers along interstates

BY JENNIFER SAWHNEY Cronkite News

Electric vehicle drivers across Arizona can expect more chargers on interstate highways in the next few years, which means longer road trips.

The Arizona Department of Transportation will oversee the upgrade of existing chargers and installation of new ones along five interstate highways, thanks to $76.5 million in funding via the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law that was signed into law in November 2021.

“The goal is to develop a network of EV fast chargers to facilitate long-distance EV travel and encourage EV adoption by more users,” according to a fact sheet with ADOT’s Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Plan.

The expansion will help EV drivers avoid range anxiety: the fear of not making it to the next charging station.

The plan covers Interstates 40, 17, 10, 8 and 19. For now, no charging stations are proposed for the Interstate 15 corridor in the northwestern corner of the state.

Upgrades to eight existing charging stations will start in 2023, and in 2024 ADOT will begin the process of installing 13 more. They’ll be placed about every 50 miles and within 1 mile of an interstate, ADOT spokesperson Doug Nick said. Each station will have at least four EV fast chargers capable of charging most vehicles in about 30 minutes.

Nick said ADOT had “no trouble finding potential infrastructure to meet the criteria” to implement this plan.

The stations will be independently owned and operated. Station owners will pay 20% of construction costs, and

community assistance groups will be on-site highlighting their services to residents. Featured entertainment includes singing of the national anthem by Valley blues legend Francine Reed, live music by local R&B band Soulitify, and spoken word performances by Sean Avery Medlin. For more information about the MLK Day of Service, visit peoriaaz.gov/events or call 623-

More electric vehicle charging ports will be installed along interstate highways in Arizona as early as 2024. ChargePoint already has some charging stations, similar to this one in Downtown Phoenix, along several interstates. Each station will have four or more fast chargers capable of charging most vehicles in about 30 minutes. (Jennifer Sawhney/Cronkite News)

federal funding will cover the other 80%. ADOT is coordinating the work.

Arizona currently has 903 public EV charging stations with more than 2,400 charging ports.

There are nearly 125,000 charging ports nationwide, according to the Alternative Fuels Data Center. The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law aims to increase the current number of chargers about four times and create a “nationwide network of 500,000 EV chargers by 2030,” according to a February 2022 memorandum from the U.S. Department of Transportation.

For Jim Stack, the president of the Phoenix Electric Auto Association, this is welcome news.

“I’m real big on the environment, and I just love the fact that we aren’t

773-7436.

Register for Sustainable University

Peoria’s Sustainable University is back with classes for 2023. The first class of the new year is called Pruning: It’s Different in the Desert. The class will be taught by a certified arborist and will focus on proper prun-

burning oil,” he said. “We aren’t importing oil; we aren’t digging it up. We aren’t spilling it all over.”

Stack, who has driven electric cars for about 20 years, said he’s amazed by the technological advances that have led to the growth of EVs and the various solutions available to charge his cars.

He said he started off converting his own vehicles and installed solar panels on his home to power them.

“I can drive on the solar that comes off my own roof,” Stack said. “That’s like a miracle.”

Other Arizona drivers also are charged up by the plan, said Diane Brown, executive director of the Arizona Public Interest Research Group Education Fund, an independent non-

ing for shrubs and trees. It will be held at the Peoria Community Center, 8335 W. Jefferson Street, from 9:30 to 11 a.m. Saturday, Jan. 21. All classes are free, but space is limited. To register, call 623-773-7137 or visit peoriaaz. gov/recplace and select “adult specialty classes.”

2023 Sustain and Gain

profit that researches and educates on public interest topics.

“The ADOT plan is one that we widely support,” she said, adding that the timing for the project “coincides nicely” with growing interest in EVs in Arizona.

In 2017, about 7,200 electric vehicles were registered in Arizona. In the past five years, the number has increased more than five times: at least 40,740 as of June 2022.

“Consumers that own and drive an electric vehicle stand to save thousands of dollars annually through the reduction of fuel costs and operating and maintenance costs,” Brown said. “Additionally, gas-powered vehicles contribute to air pollution and adverse public health impacts such as asthma. Therefore, electric vehicles also offer air and public health benefits.”

The plan came together fairly quickly, she said. In August, ADOT sent its draft proposal and received federal approval and immediate access to $11.3 million in funds the following month.

The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law allocated $1.2 trillion to infrastructure development nationwide. About $550 billion is new spending. Although the federal government already spends millions on infrastructure, this new spending is earmarked for roads, bridges, mass transit, water infrastructure broadband and more.

“Congress has spoken,” said ADOT’s Nick. “And so when the money was made available, they were hearing from their constituencies, presumably, to see that this is something that needed to be addressed. So we’re responding to that.”

For more stories from Cronkite News, visit cronkitenews.azpbs.org. PT

brochure available

The 2023 Sustain and Gain brochure is available. The brochure contains a wealth of information including trash and recycling pickup schedules, water saving tips, stormwater pollution prevention, sustainability classes, information about solar energy, and other ways to live sustainably.

For additional tips and resources, visit peoriaaz.gov/sustainability.

Sen. Mark Kelly sworn in for 6-year term

six years. While there is more work to do as we take on the challenges ahead, I’m committed to serving all Arizonans in the Senate. And I’ll keep working with anyone to deliver results.”

During his first term in office, Kelly worked to usher into law key legislation that will strengthen Arizona’s economy for decades to come. Kelly championed the passage of his bipartisan CHIPS Act of 2022 which will bring thousands of great-paying mi-

crochip manufacturing jobs to Arizona and make the U.S. more competitive with China.

Kelly also negotiated and secured $4 billion in funding to secure Arizona’s water future in the Inflation Reduction Law. In addition, Kelly also ensured his plan to lower prescription drug costs for seniors was signed into law which includes capping the cost of insulin at $35 a month for Medicare beneficiaries.

PT

BY PEORIA TIMES STAFF

Arizona Sen. Mark Kelly, a Navy combat veteran and member of the United States Senate Armed Services Committee, was sworn in to serve a full six-year term in the U.S. Senate.

Kelly was first elected in 2020 to the U.S. Senate, where he served the remainder of the late Sen. John McCain’s term.

“Over the past several years, I’ve met Arizonans in every corner of our state who shared with me their stories of perseverance and hope for a better

future,” he said.

“Every day, these stories drive my work here in the Senate. From lowering prescription drug costs to creating more good-paying manufacturing jobs, I’m proud to have broken through partisan gridlock to pass laws that will improve Arizonans’ lives.

“I also have the honor of working on behalf of Arizonans in the seat once held by the late Sen. John McCain. His commitment to putting Arizonans ahead of partisan politics has guided my own service, and it will continue to guide me over these next

Walmart Wellness Day offers free services

BY PEORIA TIMES STAFF

Walmart will offer free health screenings during the first Walmart Wellness Day of 2023 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 14.

Services include screenings for glucose, cholesterol, BMI and blood pressure, as well as affordable immunizations like flu, COVID-19, mumps and measles at pharmacies nationwide.

To find a free event in your neighborhood, visit walmart.com/wellnesshub. Select stores will also feature vision

screenings and in-store giveaways and demos of wellness products to make it even easier for customers to access the specialized services they need.

Walmart Wellness Day events will feature the following health resources, administered by qualified pharmacy and vision center teams:

• Free health screenings, including glucose, cholesterol, blood pressure, body mass index and vision screenings (select locations).

• Affordable immunizations, including flu, measles, mumps, pneumonia, tetanus, HPV, rubella (MMR), varicel-

la (chicken pox/shingles), whooping cough (TDAP), Hepatitis A and B, and more.

• No cost to patient COVID-19 vaccines.

• Wellness resources and the opportunity to talk with pharmacists.

“A fresh, new year presents a great opportunity to really check in on our health as families, and as communities,” said Kevin Host, Walmart’s senior vice president of pharmacy.

“I’m incredibly proud of what we’re able to offer through our Wellness Day events. These free screenings and

affordable immunizations provide not only valuable insight but also valuable protection against illnesses that become common during the winter season. We continue to innovate the ways we deliver care through our pharmacies, vision centers, Walmart Health Centers and beyond. We look forward to making more positive impacts in the lives of our customers and patients.”

Since 2014, Walmart pharmacies have hosted Walmart Wellness Days, contributing more than 5 million free health screenings for customers. PT

Mark Kelly has been a senator since 2020. (Submitted)

Sen. Mark Kelly, second from left, is sworn in for a six-year term. (Submitted)

Bills player’s collapse raises questions about football

BY DAVID LEIBOWITZ Peoria Times Columnist

It was shortly after supper time on the first Monday night in 2023 when Buffalo Bills safety Damar Hamlin collided with Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Tee Higgins near midfield. Hamlin popped to his feet. He adjusted his face mask. Then the 24-year-old toppled directly backward; his heart stopped cold.

“That’s, uh, that’s not what any of us want to see,” said Troy Aikman, the former Dallas Cowboys quarterback turned Monday Night Football commentator. “You just hope that he’s going to be OK.”

Most of us agree utterly with the

second part of Aikman’s analysis: We fervently hope Hamlin, who remains in critical condition as I write this, will not only survive his episode of cardiac arrest but once again thrive.

That remains to be seen so early on, but some things we already can say for certain.

The impromptu show of support for Hamlin, including the $8 million donated to his GoFundMe toy drive — initial goal $2,500 — is heartening, especially when this country of 350 million people can agree on precious little.

Also, we can submit that Aikman was wrong, or more than a little naive, if he truly believes that football fans don’t tune in to games to see the obliterating hits that Monday Night Football and every other broadcast thrives on.

True, no one wants to see a young man meet death or be maimed on the field. But be real: When hulking brutes of enormous strength square off 11 on 11, some capable of bench pressing 400 pounds while others run 40 yards in a little over four seconds, what do you expect to happen?

Every football play at the professional and college level is a traffic accident, minus the vehicles, bumpers and seat belts. The wonder isn’t that Hamlin was felled midgame; it’s that no one has died on a gridiron since football started being played for money more than 100 years ago.

The NFL can talk all it wants about player safety, but the league didn’t

command $100 billion in television rights because Joe Sixpack loves to see a well-executed screen pass for 11 yards and a first down.

Football fans watch because we thirst for machismo, combat, violence. Then we cue up the highlights and watch it again. At least until an incident like Damar Hamlin’s collapse reminds us that this isn’t ancient Rome and these aren’t gladiators.

These are human beings risking their lives and who suffer from such high levels of chronic traumatic encephalopathy that the NFL has paid out more than $1 billion in settlement

NC

broadcaster faces a woke-up call

BY J.D. HAYWORTH Peoria Times Columnist

e’s spent three decades calling the playby-play for the “Red and White,” and like the legendary Red Barber, he may wind up with a pink slip — for the sin of telling the truth.

Gary Hahn, the “Voice of the Wolfpack,” has used his microphone as a

LEIBOWITZ FROM PAGE 8

funds since 2015 to more than 1,500 concussed former players and their kin — with thousands of additional claims pending.

Since Hamlin fell, I have heard all manner of analysis about how the league handled postponing the game, how ESPN covered it and how Hamlin’s heart may respond to treatment.

palette, painting colorful word pictures of football and basketball contests for North Carolina State fans. His style of describing the action for radio listeners can best be described in three words: Vivid. Accurate. Honest.

HA master of that medium comes to understand that broadcasting an event of several hours’ duration must be punctuated with current events, comic relief and an acknowledgment of the absurd.

Hahn included all three in a sin-

All this chatter focuses in precisely the wrong direction. It looks outward at the conditions on the field, instead of looking inward, at why we tolerate a game that inevitably cripples a good number of combatants annually.

Since 1931, when the American Football Coaches Association undertook the first Annual Survey of Football Fatalities, statistics show that 1,064

gle utterance, during his play-by-play account of the Dec. 30 Duke’s Mayo Bowl Game in Charlotte. A pause in the action between the Wolfpack and the Maryland Terrapins provided an opportunity for Hahn to update his audience on the only other post-season collegiate contest underway at the time: “Down among all the illegal aliens in El Paso, it’s UCLA, 14… Pittsburgh, 6.”

Irreverent, but on target.

And given the absurdity of Uncle Sam’s unwillingness to enforce immi-

football players have died as a direct result of the game — not counting heat strokes suffered in practice, etc.

That includes last year, when “there were four traumatic injury fatalities that occurred among football players during football-related activities.”

All four were high school kids. All four suffered traumatic brain injuries.

Let’s pray Damar Hamlin isn’t fa-

gration law, amusing in a “laugh-tokeep-from-crying” fashion.

Ironically, NC State’s last bowl victory came in El Paso, a 52-31 win over Arizona State in the 2017 Sun Bowl. In the years since, El Paso has changed… and not for the better.

In fact, this year’s Sun Bowl “Fan Fiesta” was canceled on Dec. 21 because the city has been using its convention center to house illegal aliens, who have flooded across the

tality number 1,065. Let’s also look in the mirror and ask the face staring back why we never consider turning off the TV and finding something better to occupy our attention? PT

David Leibowitz has called the Valley home since 1995. Contact david@leibowitzsolo.com.

international border there in recent weeks.

American media outlets, from the Associated Press to the alphabet networks, adhere to the Ps and Qs of political correctness, also now known as “wokeism.”

That simply means that these allegedly objective journalists now convey a bias on behalf of open border advocates, employing the terms “migrants,” “newcomers” or, as that noted theologian and soonto-be former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi once proclaimed, “God’s children.”

And faster than Nancy omits any reference to the unborn as “God’s children” when she changes the subject to abortion, Hahn’s employers took immediate and public exception to his brief Sun Bowl score update.

Learfield Communications, the current broadcast rights holder for NC State Athletics, “suspended Wolfpack Sports Network play-byplay announcer Gary Hahn from

his agreement indefinitely following comments made during today’s Duke’s Mayo Bowl radio broadcast.”

That statement came from Wolfpack Sports Properties general manager Kyle Winchester; NC State Athletic Director Boo Corrigan followed his customary practice of not saying “boo.”

There are two reasons for Boo hitting the mute button: His future aspirations as an upwardly mobile athletic administrator and, directly related to that, his apparent acceptance of a “Great Awokening” throughout higher education.

Corrigan’s current stint in West Raleigh was preceded by eight years as the AD at West Point. While there, he learned that our military leadership today is more in the mold of Mark Milley than Dwight Eisenhower.

For Boo, the reasoning was simple… if West Point was going “woke,” how much more prevalent would “wokeism” be on the NC State campus? His hunch: a whole

bunch.

So, since his arrival in 2019, Corrigan has joined with other university administrators, lurching further leftward, embracing the toxic doctrine intent on destroying the very diversity it claims to champion.

Where does all this leave Gary Hahn? Not in a good place, it appears.

But should NC State issue Hahn his “walking papers,” he can seek solace in the fact that it also happened to one of sportscasting’s greats.

In 1966, Red Barber pointed out that the team for whom he broadcast games — the New York Yankees, ironically owned by CBS at the time — was in last place, losing games in front of crowds as sparse as 413 in 65,000-seat Yankee Stadium.

CBS canned the “Ol’ Redhead” for his candor; NC State would repeat that mistake, should Gary Hahn meet the same professional fate.

J.D. Hayworth’s column was written before N.C. State announced that Gary Hahn would return to his play-by-play duties, effective Jan. 14. PT

J.D. Hayworth represented Arizona in the U.S. House from 1995-2007. He authored and sponsored the Enforcement First Act, legislation that would have mandated enforcement of federal immigration law in the 109th Congress.

Hayworth worked as a sportscaster at Channel 10, Phoenix, from 1987 until 1994 and represented Arizona in Congress from 1995-2007.

This egg debacle is cracking up no one

BY JUDY BLUHM Peoria Times Columnist

ggs, where art thou? How we miss your oval beauty and deliciousness. How will we manage without this essential ingredient for our yummy baked goods and that pairs perfectly with toast? Where will we find the joy that we get from cracking the little balls of wonder? So easy to eat, so lovely to taste, what horror is besetting us? A world without eggs?

If you have been to a grocery store lately, you will see the empty refrigerator shelves where eggs once sat. You might get lucky and be able to score a dozen for about eight bucks. The bird flu caused millions of chickens to be

slaughtered. And now, all eggs are as scarce as hen’s teeth. Which makes me wonder where exactly that old saying came from.

EOh, well, we are resilient and have been through shortages before. Right? Perhaps I will go past the barren egg shelves and get some butter. But oh wait, it seems butter is being sold at the same price as gold. By the ounce! OK, I will move my sorry grocery cart on to greater things. We can survive without butter and eggs. Maybe.

Shopping anxiety is evidently a “real deal” for Americans as we try to navigate prices, low product inventory and shortages. One woman in Phoenix broke down and wept in the supermarket when she saw the prices of items that were on her list.

Crying in the aisle doesn’t help.

Well, we did get through the toilet paper debacle, so we can probably cope with the egg crisis. But we better not get a headache over it, because ibuprofen is in short supply.

Which came first — the chicken or the egg? Yikes, if we can’t find eggs, what’s next? Should we buy a separate freezer just so we can stock up on chicken? Might not be a bad idea. I would like to get a few live hens. Sadly, I don’t think my HOA would approve.

When I was a child, my family had 20 chickens. My job was to fetch the eggs every morning. It was fun, until I left their gate open a few times. My mother and grandmother would have to run around with brooms trying to herd the chickens back into the pen. It was comical watching the chaos of the hens flying the coop. I was se-

riously scolded for “upsetting” the chickens because they would retaliate by not laying eggs for a week.

Evidently, there are a whole bunch of “upset” chickens right now. I tend to shy away from conspiracy theories, but I do have a neighbor who believes there is an “egg plot” of some sort which is undermining a staple of Americana (doubtful). My doctor says we don’t need eggs because they are raising everyone’s cholesterol levels (oh, come on).

I do have a full bottle of ibuprofen that I will gladly trade for a dozen eggs. Don’t crack up — I am serious. It could be egg-cellent. PT

Judy Bluhm is a writer and a local Realtor. Have a story or a comment? Email her at judy@judybluhm.com.

Bouquets and Bubbles blossoms from love for 2 things

BY JOE MCHUGH Peoria Times Staff Writer

As he was brainstorming ideas to build upon in his business, entrepreneur Anthem Pleasant, the founder of the Peoria Florist brand, stumbled upon an idea that combined two things that he enjoyed into one fun and interactive experience — champagne and flowers.

The outcome was Bouquets and Bubbles, a class that teaches its students how to be their own flower designers, all while enjoying quality champagne and having a good time.

“I want to teach a group of people how to design flowers in a fun cham-

pagne appetizer atmosphere,” Pleasant said.

Bouquets and Bubbles is the latest of many different business endeavors that Pleasant has put forward. The businessman has been involved with inventions like his patented Toothbrush Pillow, as well as being a designer and inventor as well. Pleasant’s versatility is expanding with this class.

The two-hour long class operates in two halves. The first hour

consists of a sign-in process, a meet and greet, and introductions to the other members of the class. This allows for the participants to create a friendship-like experience among themselves, which better integrates the class.

“I like the idea of a Great Gatsby-like entertainment,” Pleasant said. “It is a feeling of celebration when you drink champagne, and then I just combined it with flowers. The atmosphere is really good. It's what makes me excited about this.”

The second hour is all about design. The participants get to make two floral

Anthem Pleasant, a.k.a. the Peoria Florist, has combined his love for champagne and flowers to create Bouquets and Bubbles. (Anthem Pleasant/Submitted)

Salad World is a ‘personal mission’ for owner

BY JOE MCHUGH Peoria Times Staff Writer

The fast-casual Salad World opened its inaugural location in Peoria, complete with 60 freshly prepped ingredients.

“It is a unique experience where you walk down the line, you build your own salad, you are the salad artist when you come to Salad World,” said Dennis Schwarcz, owner. “If you eat well, be healthy, you’ll live better, and that’s a fact.

Moving to Arizona from California three years ago, Schwarcz wanted to present a new concept. With a background in entrepreneurialism and food and beverage, he created Salad World out of necessity.

“I just couldn’t find a salad with what I really wanted,” Schwarcz said. “Every time I’d go somewhere, I would have to substitute this and then take that out, ‘Can I do this?

Can I do that?’ And just I just was thinking, ‘Gosh, if you could just go somewhere where you could just make it how you want right from the get-go.’

“It is kind of a personal mission for me as well,” Schwarcz said. “I’ve had some health problems in the past and so, if I can help people eat better that makes me feel good.”

With his prior restaurant knowledge and an idea to carry forward, Schwarcz carried his dream forward with his family, including his nephew/partner Brandon.

At Salad World, guests receive unlimited toppings for $9.99 to $11.99,

with protein extra. Any salad can be made into a wrap.

Schwarcz prides Salad World on its inclusiveness and attention to detail. Everything is fresh and there’s no cross-contamination of ingredients, all of which have their own serving utensils.

Salad World also caters to vegetarians and vegans, with proteins like plant-based chicken and tofu. The menu is rounded out with soup ($3.49).

“You can just make and create it however you want,” Schwarcz said. “That’s what sets us apart, and you are the salad artist when you come to Salad World.”

The Peoria Chamber of Commerce hosted a ribbon-cutting ceremony that was well attended.

“The support system that we have in place is really key to everything

A celebration highlighting this community’s award-winning SPARK™ program and unique approach to caring for seniors who are living with Alzheimer’s or other forms of dementia.

JOIN THE AUBERGE AT PEORIA

JOIN THE AUBERGE AT PEORIA

Grand Opening

Grand Opening

JANUARY 19 • 6 - 8 PM

JANUARY 19 • 6 - 8 PM

Guests are invited to view this freshly remodeled memory care community. Appetizers and drinks will be curated by the Auberge’s Head Chef. Plus, enjoy big-band era music, a champagne tower, and a photo booth.

A celebration highlighting this community’s award-winning SPARK™ program and unique approach to caring for seniors who are living with Alzheimer’s or other forms of dementia.

A celebration highlighting this community’s award-winning SPARK™ program and unique approach to caring for seniors who are living with Alzheimer’s or other forms of dementia.

Guests are invited to view this freshly remodeled memory care community. Appetizers and drinks will be curated by the Auberge’s Head Chef. Plus, enjoy big-band era music, a champagne tower, and a photo booth.

Guests are invited to view this freshly remodeled memory care community. Appetizers and drinks will be curated by the Auberge’s Head Chef. Plus, enjoy big-band era music, a champagne tower, and a photo booth.

Apartment availability is limited; take advantage of an event-only special! If you like an apartment, simply leave a deposit at the event and receive a $1000.00 rent credit per month starting in February.

Apartment availability is limited; take advantage of an event-only special! If you like an apartment, simply leave a deposit at the event and receive a $1000.00 rent credit per month starting in February.

RSVP • (623) 977-1431

RSVP • (623) 977-1431

13391 N 94th Peoria, AZ 85381

Apartment availability is limited; take advantage of an event-only special! If you like an apartment, simply leave a deposit at the event and receive a $1000.00 rent credit per month starting in February.

13391 N 94th Dr. Peoria, AZ 85381

13391 N 94th Dr. Peoria, AZ 85381

13391 N 94th Dr. Peoria, AZ 85381

13391 Peoria, AubergePeoria.com

AubergePeoria.com

AubergePeoria.com

Dennis Schwarcz and his family cut the ribbon on their first Salad World location. (Joe McHugh/Staff)

SALAD FROM

that we’re doing,” said Rhonda Carlson, Peoria Chamber of Commerce president and chief executive offi cer. “Because we tell one person and then they have so many connections

FLOWERS FROM PAGE 12

designs, one bigger bouquet for themselves and one smaller one that can be given away as a gift under the tutelage of a master designer. This creative section also consists of fun entertainment, mingling and, of course, champagne.

“You’re making one for yourself, a large one, and then a small one is given away as a gift to a friend or family or a neighbor,” Pleasant said. “So not only are you paying for the experience, but you’re also buying a gift for another person.”

Pleasant’s classes run $100 and have

throughout the communities where they share that information. So, for us, it’s just cool.”

been very successful. The initial class consisted of 15 people, but once word hit the streets about Bouquets and Bubbles, the interest in the class bloomed. At his most recent class, held in October 2022, the size of the class nearly tripled in attendance, as people wanted to try their hand at bouquet design with some bubbles to go along.

This reception has inspired Pleasant to put on more classes. His biggest idea is to theme every class.

The October class was to the theme of Halloween, including pumpkins as

one. It is just a great feeling to bring something to life. Once just a concept and an idea, and I brought it to life. I’m really happy about it, but I couldn’t have done it without my team.” PT

the holders for the bouquets. This festivity catered to each holiday is something that is very attractive to customers, as not only are they making floral arrangements, but they are doing it in an engaging and fun manner.

Pleasant already has plans for his next class, and he is pulling out all the stops to make it the best one yet.

“We’re going to do a Japanese-style classic event where the tradition in Japan is a little bit reversed from America in that the woman gives the man chocolate,” Pleasant said. “In Japan, it’s not

just, give it to your husband or boyfriend, but you also give it to bosses as well.”

Pleasant continued, “(It is) majority women that go to this will design a flower arrangement. And then the box of chocolate that will also be taken home as the gift could be potentially, what we're proposing, is they keep that box with chocolate and give it to their significant other on Valentine’s Day.”

Pleasant plans to expand upon the many ideas he has in his creative hopper, but the popularity is rising, like the bubbles in a glass of champagne. PT

Prep schools continue emerging as option for top basketball talent

BY JOE MCHUGH Peoria Times Staff Writer

The thought of high school brings memories fl ooding back to a time when things were simple.

Life was on a set schedule of classes, lunch, sports and extracurriculars, and applying to colleges and taking the first tentative steps toward the future were a normal part of the average high school student’s development.

But as the times change, so does this high school experience, especially for athletes.

With more avenues for them to explore than just the traditional high school experience, talented teenage basketball players in Arizona have to decide how quickly they want to grow up. When they’re looking at prospective high schools, they think they’re choosing a specific place, but increasingly what they are choosing is a value system.

Choose one school and they can stay a kid a little longer as they organically move toward adulthood. Choose another and they can quickly become a cog in a well-oiled machine. The choice to be a kid or a part of a bottom-line-oriented system is one that Arizona’s talented high school basketball players are increasingly facing. Do they focus on getting the traditional experiences of high school or focus on their careers at such a young age?

In Arizona, there are two main governing bodies for high school sports, the Arizona Interscholastic Association (AIA) and the Canyon Athletic Association (CAA). While the two are basically the same, the way that high school education and sports are governed are starkly different.

The AIA is the largest high school

governing body in Arizona with just shy of 300 high schools under its watch. The education system is traditional, with each school having its own campus and in-person classes for students to take. The athletic side of the AIA is broken up into six separate conferences, starting with 1A and working all the way up to 6A. It further breaks down into conferences from that point, with six to eight divisions per conference, containing three to nine teams per division.

“We have a strict set of recruiting and transfer rules,” said Sam Duane, head coach of the Perry High School boys basketball team. “We have a strict set of games and, gradewise, eligibility. A lot of the things that we have with the AIA that keeps it on the up and up and keeps it organized.”

The CAA operates off of primarily similar rules, as they are broken down into with some added tweaks that differ from the two previously mentioned rules. The CAA has no transfer rule, meaning that if a player transfers from any school to play sports, they are eligible to play, barring they arrive before quarter two, which would require them to sit out for 50% of the season, according to the CAA’s official bylaws. This allows for a player to continue playing the sport of their choosing in a situation that is better for them.

In reference to the scheduling, the CAA can play up to 60 games nationally, allowing for certain teams to play some of the best teams in the country in places across the country.

“We’re playing against the top competition,” current University of Arizona guard and former AZ Compass Prep student Kylan Boswell said. “You know, top players in the classes of any age group, so I feel

like you’re just playing the best of the best.”

The rise of the CAA schools, which excel on the national level, has elevated the competition locally. AZ Compass Prep, based in Chandler, has become one of the top teams in the country, housing many top recruits in the country year in and year out, formerly Boswell and

The rules that the CAA has in place paves the way for this boom in outside talent in its schools, primarily revolving around the transferring rules and recruiting rules.

“A lot of the preps, like Hillcrest Prep, Compass Prep, they are really comprised of out-of-state kids,” Duane said. “Their lower levels have some Arizona kids, who would probably be best served playing at their local high school, but their national teams have a lot of out of state

Boswell and Cook both fit that criteria; Boswell transferred from Corona Centennial in California, and Cook

came from Jefferson High School in Oregon. Both were stars in their respective states. Being able to stockpile talent in a single roster is a big advantage for the CAA, which can recruit more, with less restrictions on newly transferred students. It creates the perfect habitat for some of the highest level of competition Arizona has to offer.

But in some cases, success appears to come at a cost. The CAA and prep schools have a generally bad reputation, not because of basketball but everything else.

“There are a lot of ‘prep schools’ that are not even real schools,” said Chris Diaz, CAA program director at Skyline Prep. “They’ll have kids go to a normal AIA school or an online school, and they’ll have them play for their basketball program, and that is how prep schools started.”

In the beginning, most of the CAA schools were pop-up schools, just trying to put their name in the hat as another place for top talent to play, but that was far from the truth. According to Diaz, it was only about basketball and nothing else. He described the academics as “bogus,” and others offered corroborating accounts.

The living situations of students attending prep schools has been investigated as well, specifically Hillcrest Prep. Footing a tuition of $35,000 at the time, parents and students alike thought they would be in a dormitory or monitored living situation with food and other general amenities provided. But what investigations uncovered raised concerns over the legitimacy of CAA schools.

Because instead of a brick-and-mortar infrastructure, it was more of a situation in which athletes were living in a house rented by the school, with mattresses on the floor, subsisting on pizza, pastries and meals from the food bank. Hillcrest refuted these claims.

The program at Skyline Prep, overseen by Chris Diaz, is the antithesis of the pop-up program that paints all CAA schools in a bad light. Diaz started as a

coach of the GCU club basketball team as a sophomore in college and guided them to a great deal of success, including making the national tournament for club basketball. After graduating the first semester of his junior year, he was offered a position at South Mountain Community College, where he built the program as an assistant coach for five years and developed players who continued their respective careers in college.

From there, Diaz moved to SAGU American Indian College, where he helped the team win a conference title and make the national tournament for the first time in school history. His journey also included a stop at Glendale Prep, where he became the youngest high school coach in the country and led his team to a 20-12 record.

At Skyline, though, Diaz is focused on more than just wins.

“We try to show kids that it is bigger than basketball,” Diaz said. “Basketball will only take you so far, but we try to give these life lessons that you can use sports and basketball to just get ahead in life.”

Skyline Prep students roam a campus that was built in 2000. They enjoy the best of both worlds, attending a traditional high school while still competing in some of the bigger national tournaments.

As is the norm in AIA schools, the Skyline players follow a strict schedule that consists of in-person classes, practice and study hall.

“We really wanted to give kids the opportunity to feel like they’re at an actual school, have different classes outside of basketball, have different teachers, and have support from the principal,” Diaz said. “Having all of those resources that you would have at a normal school, so when kids come to our school, it’s not that big of a change.”

Although there is a divide between the AIA and the CAA, programs like Skyline Prep are intent on showing that the purpose of high school remains the same: get kids to college, and set them up for a successful life with or without basketball. PT

Peoria author stresses importance of diverse friendships

BY LAURA LATZKO Peoria Times Contributing Writer

Peoria-based author Laura Osland always had an interest in writing, but it wasn’t until the height of COVID-19 that she penned her first children’s book.

Released via Dorrance Publishing, “Hello Friend!” shares the adventures of Big Red Bird, who seeks to make friends with other birds who are different than herself.

Big Red Bird visits a flower garden, a favorite tree and a bird feeder, where she encounters human characters Granny Rose, Jolly Mr. Taylor and Kind Mr. Dylan.

Granny Rose resembles Osland’s mother, and Taylor and Mr. Dylan were inspired by her two sons.

Big Red Bird interacts directly with another bird called Little Yellow Bird. In the story, Little Yellow Bird sees tremendous growth as a character.

“I wanted to give the characters a little personality. She is a little standoffish, and she has to learn something in the end,” Osland said.

Osland said she thought a children’s book with a central bird character would speak to young people.

“I knew that kids relate to animals more than people. I don’t know what made me click with the bird. I guess they just seem more free because they can fly. … There’s a lot of dog books out there, which is great. Everybody loves a dog. There’s not too many with birds. I thought let’s try something a little different and see what happens,” Osland said.

The book shares a larger message of the importance of getting to know others who are different.

Osland said this message is especially important now because many young people are scared and reluctant to interact with others in light of COVID-19.

Osland said her favorite color, red, would fit her main character because

Peoria author Laura Osland recently published her first children’s book, “Hello Friend!” (Laura Osland/Submitted)

she is strong and extroverted.

Big Red Bird mirrors herself, Osland said in many ways.

“I am not an introvert. I love to talk to people. I try to make everybody feel comfortable, and I can just feel if you’re a good person or if you’re not,” Osland said.

“When I’m out in public, I can make friends with everybody at the grocery store. I’m one of those kinds of people.

“When I was young, that’s how I met my best friend in seventh grade. I walked into my English class, didn’t know one person in there, not one person from my old elementary school. And I was like, ‘Oh, great. What am I going to do?’ I saw this little girl. She was 13. She had a red dress on and green glasses. She was sitting in the corner all by herself, sunken down. I thought, ‘I’m going to go sit by her.’ To this day, she is one of my best friends. … Maybe that’s what gave me the color red, too. I remember her wearing her little red dress and her green glasses.”

After a Dorrance Publishing illustrator brought Osland’s story to life, she was stunned.

“When I first got the illustrations, I

was like, ‘Oh, my goodness, it’s real. I created this. This is amazing.’ It’s just exciting. I went from being super scared to this is exciting,” Osland said.

A melding of loves

Osland was born and raised in Marshalltown, Iowa, where she read everything in front of her, from cereal boxes to S.E. Hinton’s “The Outsiders.”

She placed in and won essay and poetry writing contests offered through her school system. For her prize, her work was often published.

The owner of a “spoiled rescue dog” named Prudence, Osland put her dreams of writing on hold while raising her daughter and two sons and serving as a caregiver.

During the height of COVID-19, she had the free time to start writing again.

“I thought now is the time to get back into what I really want to do,” she said. “I started reading more because I stopped caregiving. So, I had more time on my hands. I thought, ‘Instead of reading this, why don’t I create this?’ That gave me the boost.”

She wrote “Hello Friend!” in two weeks, and it went through several rewrites.

“I thought, ‘If this is good, I’ll send it in. If it’s not, constructive criticism is always welcome.’ And they liked it, and there you go,” she said.

Her now-adult children and husband helped with that process.

“I got positive feedback and negative feedback, and it really did help,” she said.

“Your immediate family is going to be totally truthful with you. I would rather have you tell me the truth than talk me up and fill me full of air. Who is more honest than your children?”

“Hello Friend!” took about a year to be published once she submitted it. Osland paid for a package, which included the costs of distribution, production and promotion. “Hello Friend!” will

Peoria author Laura Osland recently published her first children’s book, “Hello Friend!” (Laura Osland/Submitted)

soon be available for buyers for libraries and schools at a book fair in Italy.

Soon, she said she hopes to host readings/book signings at local libraries. She hasn’t been able to do so thus far because of COVID-19 restrictions. Osland plans to bring a plushy red bird toy with her when she meets with readers.

“It is geared toward little children, and if you get them before they can read, get that story ingrained in their heads, then they will hopefully keep that with them in their heart,” Osland said.

Osland is hoping to create a series from the Big Red Bird, developing her central character and adding others. A teen novel is in the planning stages, too.

Osland said publishing her first children’s book has put a spark in her and made her want to write more.

“I really love to create and put things on paper. My imagination has always been very vivid,” Osland said. PT

PeoriaTimes.com /PeoriaTimes

Tickets on sale for Theater Works’ ‘Hunchback’

BY PEORIA TIMES STAFF

Tickets are on sale for Theater Works’ final MainStage production in the 2022-23 season, “The Hunchback of Notre Dame.”

It hits the stage Feb. 17 to March 5 in Gyder Theater at Peoria Center for the Performing Arts, 10580 N. 83rd Drive. February 26 will be an ASL-accompanied performance.

The tickets, which start at $40, are available at the Peoria Center for the Performing Arts Box Office, online at theaterworks.org or via telephone at 623-815-7930. For ADA seating, call the box office.

Based on the Victor Hugo novel, with songs from the Disney animated feature, “The Hunchback of Notre Dame” showcases the film’s Academy Award-nominated score, as well as new songs by Menken and Schwartz.

Peter Parnell’s new book embraces story theater and features verbatim

passages from Hugo’s gothic novel. The musical begins as the bells of Notre Dame sound through the famed cathedral in 15th century Paris.

A bell ringer who longs to be “out there,” Quasimodo observes all of Paris reveling in the Feast of Fools. Held captive by his devious caretaker, the archdeacon Dom Claude Frollo, he escapes for the day and joins the boisterous crowd, only to be treated cruelly by all but the beautiful gypsy Esmeralda. Quasimodo isn’t the only one captivated by her free spirit, though — the handsome Capt. Phoebus and Frollo are equally enthralled. As the three vie for her attention, Frollo embarks on a mission to destroy the gypsies — and it’s up to Quasimodo to save them all.

This production is directed by Chris Hamby with music direction by Lincoln Wright and choreography by Paul Pedersen. PT

“The Hunchback of Notre Dame” cast

Dom Claude Frollo

Rob Watson

Nicholas Gunnell Clopin Trouillefou

Quasimodo

Hector Coris Phoebus De Martin Austin Stuart Esmeralda Theresa Kellar

Congregant Harrison Rosenberg Congregant/Florika

Tawny Audi Congregant/Madame........................................................ Jessica Wells Congregant

Tenille Rivera Congregant/Jehan Jack Monson Congregant/Frederic Charlus Nick Gearing Congregant/Father Dupin/St. Aphrodisius Jonathan Landvick Congregant/King Louis XI Ryan Malikowski Congregant

Lilliane Thelen Congregant Kori Stearns Congregant

Marielle Tepe Congregant/Official

Dell Congregant Pearl Guerriere Congregant

Emily Andersen

Choir: Brady Anderson, Shane Aycock, Deatra Branston, Jairyn Bullinger, Todd Corbeil, Rhiannon Cummings, Cody DeLisa, Naya Dell, Shawn Emmerson, Wardeh Rose Hanna, Brenna Keck, Bela Margolies, Kristin Moran, Michael Potter, Kathryn Smithyman, Thylma StaMaria, Emma Torres and Shelly Trujillo.

The Peoria Times publishes on Thursday. The weekly calendar — a listing of entertainment events such as concerts, theatrical performances, events for schools, churches, county parks and nonprofit groups — runs every issue.

Events must be open to the public to be considered and generally must be held within the Times’ coverage area, which is Peoria.

Weekly calendar items print on a space-available basis. The only way to guarantee that an item will print is to purchase an advertisement.

Submissions must reach our o ce by 4 p.m. Thursday to be considered for the following Thursday publication. Submissions must be in writing and may be emailed to Christina Fuoco-Karasinski, christina@timeslocalmedia.com.

Sew Smart Sewing Club

WEDNESDAYS

Join the sewing club on Wednesdays for fun, laughter and sewing.

Participants are invited to use the library’s machines or bring their own. Experienced adults 18 and older are invited.

Peoria Main Library, 8463 W. Monroe Street, Peoria, 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., free,

peoriaaz.gov

Live Music at Winery 101 Peoria

THURSDAYS, FRIDAYS AND SATURDAYS

Winery 101 Peoria pairs vino with live music this month. Anyone is welcome to join, and reservations are not required. From 5 to 7 p.m., wine by the glass is $1

o , and bottles are 10% o during the live music performances. Tastings will not be available during the live music. Winery 101 Peoria, 9299 W. Olive Avenue, Suite 101, Peoria, 5 p.m., free, winery101.com

Momma’s Organic Market

SATURDAYS

Featuring food trucks, local artisans and fresh produce, this weekly farmers market gives locals the chance to shop local and shop fresh. Hosted near Dillard’s, new vendors grace this event weekly. Admission is free, and furry friends are allowed if they’re on a leash. Cash and cards are accepted as methods of payment.

Arrowhead Towne Center, 7780 W. Arrowhead Towne Center, Glendale, 8 to 11 a.m., free, arrowheadtownecenter.com

Concert in the Courtyard

JAN. 14

Come to the library and relax with an hour of acoustic music provided by local singers and songwriters in the library’s new courtyard. On Jan. 14, the entertainer is pianist/instrumentalist Javier. Refreshments are o ered for those who arrive half an hour early, and attendees are encouraged to bring their own chairs.

Peoria Main Library, 8463 W. Monroe Street, Peoria, 4 to 5 p.m., free, peoriaaz.gov

Coffee and Rides

JAN.

14

Check out a wide variety of cars at this local Peoria car show. Enjoy free donuts and co ee while perusing vehicles, with the top 12 on display competing for best in show. Registration for vehicles is free. All years, makes and models welcome. State 40 Glass Company, 8550 N. 91st Avenue, Peoria, 4 to 7 p.m., free,

MLK Day of Service

JAN. 14

The city of Peoria comes together again this year to recognize the accomplishments and life of the great Martin Luther King Jr. A day of service will be held at the Peoria Community Center with multicultural activities and entertainment, including live music and spoken word performances, volunteer opportunities, food trucks, free books for children, service projects and community resources. Peoria Community Center, 8335 W. Jefferson Street, Peoria, 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., free, 623-773-7436, peoriaaz. gov

Music and Mimosas

JAN. 15

The Arizona Broadway Theatre hosts the Central Arizona Flute Ensemble, who plays a variety of tunes. Sweet and savory options will be available to sample.

Arizona Broadway Theatre, 7701 W. Paradise Lane, Peoria, 10:30 a.m. to 1 p.m., $40, azbroadway.org, cafeflutes.com

Crazy Times with Madame Patchouli

JAN. 19

Every week, enjoy songs, stories and crafts with the eccentric and beloved Madame Patchouli. Tickets for Crazy Times will be handed out the morning

of the program. Tickets are on a firstcome, first-served basis.

Sunrise Mountain Library, 21109 N. 98th Avenue, Peoria, free, 10:15 to 10:45 a.m., peoriaaz.gov

Tech Tips Classes Part 1: Overview

JAN. 19

With the world changing so fast and technology becoming more important than ever, it’s time to discover how to use the services there. This class covers Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, YouTube and Pinterest, as well as how to set up and manage accounts for these sites. Bring logins and passwords for sites already accessed.

Sunrise Mountain Library, 21109 N.

98th Avenue, Peoria, free, 2 to 3 p.m., peoriaaz.gov

Ask a Master Gardener

JAN. 21

Have questions about your garden? Volunteers from the University of Arizona Cooperative Extension in Maricopa County will be available to answer questions for the public regarding plant selection, irrigation, fertilization, pruning techniques, pest management and problem diagnosis, among other topics. Those who are interested may bring insect specimens for advice and identification.

Peoria Main Library, 8463 W. Monroe Street, Peoria, 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., free, peoriaaz.gov PT

For more religion visit peoriatimes.com

Mars and Venus: A tale of two views

misses a 2-foot putt?” I’ve been there, done that, got the T-shirt.”

Years ago, my wife Becky and I had a similar Venus/Mars story to the wife and husband story. At that time, we were selling our home, and our home was in escrow. Becky was worried because we hadn’t found a new home. Here is what she posted on her Facebook page about how she was feeling.

“Well, as of last night, we have a contract on our house. We haven’t found a house to move to yet, so I’m in bed with my mind racing, thinking, ‘OK, our daughter said we could stay

with them, or we could stay with Ed’s dad, but Ed needs the internet for his work. And where will we put all our furniture, belongings, and the rest of our stuff? I must pack. Where am I going to find the time and energy?’ So, I couldn’t fall asleep. I got up, did some stuff, and finally fell asleep sometime after 2 a.m.

“Today Ed and I were sitting in the family room, and Ed was strangely quiet, so I assumed he was thinking about our move. So, I said, ‘Whatcha thinkin?’ He says, ‘I can’t believe Jeff Gordon blew that NASCAR race!’ So, I replied, ‘Oh, my gosh, you are such a guy!’”

She got 37 likes and 20 comments in a few hours (mostly from citizens of Venus).

The Venus/Mars phenomenon occurs with God and human beings, too. But it’s not Venus and Mars. It’s heaven and Earth.

Our Diary

“God, my world’s falling apart, things are terrible, everything is out of control, I can’t cope, and there’s no hope. Things will never change. Someone else got my promotion, and I won’t recover from this. I’m falling apart, the bill collectors are coming, my kids are out of control,” and all the other stuff we feel, think and say in times of crisis and ambiguity.

God’s Diary

“Yes, I understand the way you feel. This is God! I will be handling all your problems today. I will not need your help. So, have a good day.” In a Venus/ Mars sense, God is such a guy!

My pastor friend, John Lynch, has a great quote from his new On My Best Day series, which captures heaven’s perspective of life. “On my best day, I’m trusting God’s perfect love, unique

intention, endless forgiveness and mistake-free care, giving me peace, purpose, joy and safety on even my toughest days.” That couldn’t be said better or more accurately. That’s trust in action. But, of course, the best way to have your best day is this perspective, “I don’t know what the future holds, but I do know who holds the future.”

By the way, I never mentioned how Becky’s and my home dilemma turned out. So, here we were, our home in escrow, with no place to go without heaps of logistics and work. A few days later, I’m looking at houses on the internet, discovering a home for sale. I say to Becky, “Hey, this house looks OK. Let’s check it out.” We go to the house, along with 20 other people looking at it, and it’s perfect for us. What happened then? The outcome was the same day our home for sale closed escrow, we closed escrow on our new home and moved in. It was seamless. Becky

skipped as a calf let out of a stall. Please don’t think that I’m suggesting beautiful Becky looks like a calf. It’s a biblical concept. (I suppose a calf sounds better than a cow.)

Now, picture me like Snoopy in “Peanuts,” lying on top of his doghouse on my best day saying to myself, “Oh, the things one must do when writing articles in today’s world.” PT

Ed Delph is a noted author of 10 books, as well as a pastor, teacher, former business owner and speaker. He has traveled extensively, having been to more than 100 countries. He is president of NationStrategy, a nonprofit organization involved in uplifting and transforming communities worldwide. He may be contacted at nationstrategy@cs.com. For more info, see nationstrategy.com.

PUZZLE

answers to puzzles on page 20

Abrazo West sets info meetings for teen volunteers

BY KEITH JONES Peoria Times Contributor

Students interested in volunteering at Abrazo West Campus this summer can learn more during information sessions at the hospital on Wednesday, Jan. 18; Tuesday, Jan. 24; Saturday, Jan. 28; and Thursday, Feb. 2. The summer volunteer program provides opportunities for teens to learn about health care careers and earn community service hours.

Teens between the ages of 15 to 19 are eligible to apply as summer volunteers. Those selected as student ambassadors must complete one four-hour shift per week and a minimum of 40 volunteer hours between June 5 to July

summer

program at Abrazo West Campus attracts teens from across the Valley. (Abrazo Health/Submitted)

28. Additional details and requirements will be discussed during the meetings.

Abrazo West Campus, 13677 W. McDowell Road, is a 216-bed Level I trauma center and teaching hospital that offers orthopedics, spine, neurosciences, cardiology, general surgery, maternity and other

services. Participants in last year’s program included students from Goodyear, Litchfield Park, Avondale, Buckeye, Peoria, Glendale, Surprise, Phoenix, Scottsdale, Paradise Valley and Anthem.

Examples of opportunities for summer volunteers include lunch and learn

sessions and workshops that offered hands-on activities and speakers ranging from clinical staff to surgeons and trauma physicians.

Topics included careers in the in-

The

volunteer

Student Chronicles

BY PEORIA TIMES STAFF

Know of a student doing something remarkable? Tell us about it! Email Jordan Rogers at jrogers@timespublications.com.

Riley Lanning of Glendale scored a 4.0 grade-point average for the fall 2022 semester at Hastings College, landing a spot on the dean’s list. For the semester, 389 students from 24 states and 12 countries were named to the dean’s list. To be eligible for the dean’s list, students must achieve a grade-point average of 3.7 to

ABRAZO FROM PAGE 23

tensive care unit, respiratory therapy, radiology and imaging careers, emergency and trauma medicine, physical, occupational and speech therapy, pathways to a career in surgery, and more.

“The excitement and their eagerness to learn was one of the most rewarding things to see. The fact that this could actually impact their decision on what they want to do moving for-

4.0 scale and be registered for full-time coursework. Hastings College is a fouryear residential college that focuses on student academic and extracurricular achievement. Hastings’ student-centered initiatives include providing all required textbooks and an iPad, while a block-style semester schedule allows professors and students to focus on fewer classes at a time. Info: hastings.edu

Tristan Smith of Glendale made the dean’s list for the fall 2022 semester at Austin Peay State University in

ward in their life is probably one of the biggest things about the program,” said Trisha Pollard, surgical services director.

The student ambassador program is designed for young people to contribute to their community as well as discover whether a career in health care is in their future, said Barry Worman, director of volunteer services. Students who are accepted into the program may

Clarksville, Tennessee. To qualify for the dean’s list, students must earn a semester GPA of 3.5 or greater.

Kathryn Waycaster, a sophomore biochemistry and molecular biology major from Peoria, made the fall 2022 dean’s list with 850 other students at Bob Jones University in Greenville, South Carolina. The dean’s list recognizes students who earn a 3.0-3.74 grade-point average during the semester. BJU offers over 100 undergraduate and graduate programs in religion, education, fine arts and commu-

use their volunteer hours toward their education and honor societies or for future college applications.

Student volunteer information meetings are scheduled on the follow dates and times:

• 6:30 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 18.

• 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 24.

• 10 a.m. Saturday, Jan. 28.

• 6:30 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 2.

nication, arts and science, health professions and business. BJU has over 3,000 students from nearly every state and more than 40 countries.

Rebecca Ong and Ean Puckett, also at Bob Jones University, were named to the president’s list for the fall 2022 semester. Ong, of Glendale, is a sophomore studying music education, while Puckett is a freshman from Peoria studying accounting. About 720 students were named to the list, which a GPA of 3.75 or higher for the semester. PT

Abrazo West Campus is located at 13677 W. McDowell Road. Applications for the program must be obtained by attending one of the information sessions at Abrazo West Campus. A parent or legal guardian is required to attend the session with the student.

For more information and to register for a session, visit abrazohealth. com/studentambassadors. PT

Compassionate Care, Close to Home

At Abrazo Arrowhead Campus, we believe that health and care are inseparable. That’s why our family of nurses, doctors and staff are dedicated to providing expert, compassionate care for you and your loved ones.

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PUBLIC NOTICES

REAL ESTATE - FOR RENT

NOTICE FOR BID ***

PUBLIC NOTICE

PROPOSALS FOR FY 2023-2024

On January 3, 2023, the City began accepting proposals for the use of HOME Investment Partnerships Program (HOME), Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) and General Fund Not-for-Profit grants for the July 1, 2023 – June 30, 2024 funding cycle. The City anticipates receiving CDBG funds of approximately $853,197 and a HOME Program allocation of approximately $275,546. The exact allocations will not be determined until finalized by the Federal Government. The City also anticipates General Fund monies of $196,500 to be available. The proposal submission deadline for agencies who wish to utilize these funds is January 23, 2023, at 5:00 p.m. Funds are anticipated to be available in July 2023, for General Fund programs and October 2023, for Federal programs.

All applicants are required to submit proposals utilizing ZoomGrants, an online, cloud-based system.

Applicants interested in applying for grant funding must register with ZoomGrants in order to obtain a login and access to the City’s grant applications. A link to ZoomGrants and the applications is available on the City’s website at www.peoriaaz.gov/notforprofitgrants

Additional information may be obtained by writing to: City of Peoria

Attn: Community Assistance Division 9875 N. 85th Avenue

Peoria, Arizona 85345

Or by written e-mail to: communityassistance@peoriaaz.gov

Accommodations for individuals with disabilities - Alternative format materials, sign language interpretation, assistive listening devices or interpretation in languages other than English are available upon 72 hours advance notice through the City of Peoria’s Community Assistance Division, 9875 N. 85th Avenue, Peoria, AZ 85345; (623)773-7601 TDD (623)773-7221, or email at communityassistance@peoriaaz.gov

Asistencia en español: Para que le interpreten la solicitud en español, llame al (623)773-7601.

MATERIALS MANAGEMENT 9875 N. 85th Ave Peoria, Arizona 85345 Phone: (623) 773-7115 BID NOTIFICATION INFORMATION SOLICITATION NUMBER: P23-0051 TYPE OF SOLICITATION: RFP BUYER

NAME: Viorel D. Gheorghita BUYER PHONE NUMBER: 623-773-7077 DESCRIPTION: Design Services for Bridge Program and Guardrail Inventory Assessment SOLICITATION DUE DATE: January 25, 2023 @ 5:00 PM (Arizona Time) Solicitations are available through the City of Peoria Purchasing Portal (Bonfire) website at https://peori aaz.bonfirehub. com/portal Published in the Peoria Times, Jan 12, 19, 2023

ARTICLES OF ORGANIZATION HAVE BEEN FILED IN THE OFFICE OF THE ARIZONA CORPORATION COMMISSION FOR I Name: SUNSET STAYS ARIZONA LLC. II The address of the registered office is: 13376 W. CHAPAROSA WAY PEORIA, AZ 85383 The name of the Statutory Agent is: SUNSET STAYS ARIZONA LLC. III Management of the Limited Liability Company is vested in a manager or managers. The names of each person who is a manager and each member who owns a twenty percent or greater interest in the

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*publish in the Peoria Times, January 5, 2023, January 12, 2023, and January 19, 2023*

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