January 16, 2022 | www.santansun.com
Relentlessly local coverage of Southern Chandler
An edition of the East Valley Tribune
Teachers head calls CUSD virus policy frustrating CUSD disputes criticism of school safety plan, page 8 BY KEN SAIN Staff Writer
As COVID-19 transmission levels continue to rise here, the head of the Chandler Education Association is calling the COVID-19 situation at CUSD schools a mess after the administration announced earlier this month unveiled new quarantine guidelines that allow some affected students to return to classrooms faster. Katie Nash, the president of CEA, said it’s disappointing because Chandler Unified School District officials did not even ask their group before announcing the changes two weeks ago. “It’s disappointing to not be asked about any of this,” she said. “‘Hey, Katie, are teachers going to be for this?’ No! They’re so frustrated.” CUSD, in an email to parents, announced some changes to its COVID protocols just as the number of cases are rising to levels not seen since January 2021. Like most of its neighboring districts,
except Tempe Union and Kyrene, CUSD is maintaining an optional mask policy. The county health department’s latest update on Jan. 13 showed CUSD transmission levels at the highest point since the pandemic began in March 2020. Cases per 100,000 people soared from 347 the previous week to a whopping 2,047 while positive new test results were at a record 40%. County data on vaccination rates, given only for ZIP codes, show the percentage of South Chandler residents who have received at least one dose of a COVID vaccine varies between 54.8% in 85248 and 85286 to 64.5% in 85249. Chandler Unified's dashboard for active COVID cases among students and staff showed 264 infections out of a total 49,222 people. CUSD’s adjustment of quarantine protocols reflected changes in guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Maricopa County Health Department. Unvaccinated, non-symptomatic students who had a close contact with someone who has tested positive have See
TEACHERS on page 13
Chandler’s new airport manager comes from an aviation family, and one of his big tasks will be to attract businesses to come and locate within the airport’s outer fence. (David Minton/Staff Photographer)
New Chandler airport manager has high hopes BY KEN SAIN Staff Writer
Chandler’s new airport manager jokes he had little choice in what career to pursue. “I grew up in a family, quite honestly,
if you didn’t like aviation, disownment was considered,” Ryan Reeves said. “I wouldn’t have it any other way. I live, eat, breathe aviation. It’s my favorite thing in the world outside of my family, See
AIRPORT on page 9
Chandler apartment complexes are selling at record prices BY PAUL MARYNIAK Executive Editor
The birds are once again the word this March as the Ostrich Fest returns. (File photo)
After 2-year hiatus, Ostrich Fest plans a big return in March BY KEN SAIN Staff Writer
The Chandler Chamber Ostrich Festival was an hour away from starting in March 2020 when nearly the entire country came to a stop. “The President made the announcement an hour before we were supposed to open the gates. It was awful,” said Jamie LeVine, one of the owners of Steve LeVine Entertainment, which puts on the festival with the city and Chamber of Commerce. “Everything was completely set up,” LeVine recalled. “It was a sad time for
the city, all the vendors, and the performers. We literally set up the festival, just to have to take it all down. It was a sad time.” President Trump declared a national emergency because of the COVID-19, ending normalcy in America. The Ostrich Festival was just one of many activities canceled as the nation struggled to slow the spread of the deadly virus. Last year, the Chamber had considered holding the Ostrich Festival in fall. “We just didn’t feel like it was the right thing to do. We decided to wait. It See
OSTRICH on page 11
The rush by major investors to gobble up apartment complexes at eye-popping prices came to Chandler big time in recent months. Five Chandler complexes since August sold for twice to three times the price paid by their previous owners within as little as 13 months and no longer than six years, according to data compiled by the Valley real estate tracker vizzda.com. Those sales reflect an ongoing pattern by large real estate investment companies, whose interest has been piqued by steadily increasing rents in a tight housing market in Maricopa County, where thousands of out-of-state residents are coming to live. Throughout
the East Valley, eight- and nine-figure deals have been consummated within the past 12 months, data show. “There’s more money than ever betting that apartment rents are heading to new heights,” Bloomburg.com reported, citing a Real Capital Analytics report that investors spent $53 billion on multifamily real estate nationally in just the second quarter of 2021 alone. They and other experts also point to the fact that rent offers a steady longterm income stream largely unaffected by the economic fluctuations that impact the re-sale and new single-family market. The five recent mega-transactions for Chandler complexes included: • The October sale of the Greens See
F E AT U R E D STO R I E S Mesnard in short-term rental fight . . . . . . . . . . . . . .NEWS . . . . . . . . . . Page 21 Candy and beer together at new Chandler bar. . .BUSINESS . . . . . . . Page 28 These Chandler ladies mean business. . . . . . . . . . . .NEIGHBORS . . . . . .Page 38 Get ready for the Chandler Film Fest . . . . . . . . . . . .GETOUT . . . . . . . Page 43
APARTMENTS on page 4 More News . . . . . . . . . 1-25 Clip-It . . . . . . . 26-27 Business . . . . . 28-32 Sports . . . . . . . 33-35 Neighbors . . . 39-42 GetOut. . . . . . 43-47 Faith . . . . . . . . . . . 48 Directory . . . . 49-50
