West Valley View - Zone 4 - 2.2.2022 by Times Media Group

Blue Horizons celebrates ribbon cutting

BY LAUREN SERRATO West Valley View Staff Writer

Community members, students, staff and administrators gathered at Blue Horizons Elementary School in Buckeye on Jan. 27 to cut the ribbon for the Liberty Elementary School District’s newest facility.

Located at 20070 W. Blue Horizons Parkway South, the school attracted dignitaries, including Mayor Eric Orsborn. He welcomed new students and their families to the growing community that continues to make education a priority.

“I jumped at the chance to be here to celebrate the newest school here in Buckeye,” Orsborn said. “We all know a good education is the foundation of success, individually and for our city. Intelligence plus character is the goal of true education.”

Liberty Elementary School District Superintendent Dr. Lori Shough said she is thankful the voters supported the bond in November 2019 to fund Blue Horizons Elementary School. Arizona School Facility Board also funded the project.

“The additional facility space was designed to provide our children with a learning environment to inspire and equip them for the future with a career exploration sig-

nature program,” she said.

Located in northern Buckeye, Blue Hori-

Ribbon...continued on page 4

Community remembers Lord at ceremony

BY LAUREN SERRATO West Valley View Staff Writer

Hundreds gathered at the Goodyear Civic Square on Jan. 21 for Georgia Lord’s celebration of life to say a ﬁnal farewell and share fond memories of the mayor.

Attendees wore yellow ribbons, in honor of Lord’s favorite color. Speakers included the Lord family, Gov. Doug Ducey, Goodyear Mayor Joe Pizzillo and city councilmembers, Rep. Joanne Osborne and regional leaders.

“As we gather here today, I’m struck by

how many people Mayor Georgia Lord touched in her life — family members, elected ofﬁcials, community leaders,” Ducey said. “She made an impact in every circle she was a part of, and Arizona will not

Lord...continued on page 6

Board President Mark Aguire, Superintendent Dr. Lori Shough, Principal Norma Sanchez, board member Michael Todd and board member Paul Bixler cut the ribbon for the newest elementary school in Buckeye, Blue Horizons. (Photo courtesy of Liberty Elementary School District)

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zons Elementary School embraces the community with swooping curved canopies at the front entry as well as connected buildings in the courtyard.

These canopies provide shade for students and activate the outdoor educational spaces. The school is designed to be flexible, with partitions and collaboration areas that support various learning activities.

“DLR Group customized the design to fit within the context of the new development surrounding Blue Horizons Elementary School,” DLR Group principal David Schmidt said.

“The solution features ample daylight within a courtyard-style campus, optimizing indoor-outdoor connections and exterior educational environments that students can experience year-round.”

Preparing for 908 students, the school was built in phases, due to mul-

tiple funding sources.

Chasse Building Team led construction of the new school.

“From the colored wayfinding of each classroom building to the large makerspace rooms with exterior rollup doors, this campus has it all — including a dedicated kickball field,” said Barry Chasse, owner of Chasse Building Team. “We are looking forward to

seeing the positive effects Blue Horizons has on the students and community of Liberty Elementary School District.”

Blue Horizons Elementary School Principal Norma Sanchez concluded the ribbon-cutting ceremony by thanking the teachers for their continued hard work and dedication to their students. She led the crowd in a round of applause as Chasse Building Team, DLR Group and Orsborn cut the ribbon.

“The backbone of Blue Horizons is the community, and we look forward to working with families and community members to help our students explore their passions,” Sanchez said. “To our parents, know that we are giving them an exemplary education. They are our priority every single day.”

Blue Horizons Elementary School has students in kindergarten through fifth grade, with plans to expand to sixth through eighth grades.

The West Valley View is a controlled-circulation weekly. It is published every Wednesday, and distributed free-of-charge to homes and in high-traffic locations throughout Avondale, Goodyear, Litchfield Park, Buckeye and Tolleson.

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Blue Horizons Elementary School will currently serve students in grades K-5. Soon, the school will expand to sixth through eighth grades. (Photo courtesy of Liberty Elementary School District)

be the same without her.”

Ducey said Lord made an impact on the entire state.

“Arizona will miss Georgia Lord deeply,” Ducey said. “Our state simply wouldn’t be where it is today without her and all her contributions. May she rest in peace.”

The ceremony was held at Goodyear Civic Square, a spot she helped create. The new library at Goodyear Civic Square, which opens this summer, will be named in the mayor’s honor.

“She was passionate about education and a strong advocate for lifelong learning,” Pizzillo said. “Literacy was especially important to her, and she was so excited about the opportunities that the library being built here at civic square would offer to generations of Goodyear residents. So, the council and I are proud to announce that we recently voted unanimously to dedicate this library in Georgia’s memory as a lasting legacy and testament to her tremendous contributions to our community.”

Lord’s family revealed two legacy projects, including a scholarship in her

name at Franklin Pierce University. Lord was integral in bringing Franklin Pierce University to Goodyear and received an honorary doctorate degree from the university in 2019.

The family also announced the Georgia T. Lord Arts, Culture and Civic Engagement Awards. Residents can showcase their artistic talents and creativity through various city projects.

“We are so grateful for the outpouring of love,” said Lord’s daughter, Kim Stewart. “She cared deeply for this city. She loved working to make Goodyear everyone’s home and a home for generations to come. There will never be another Georgia T. Lord, but we know there are others in this community who could be that great next leader if given the right chance, and that’s why our family has been working on legacy projects.”

Stewart referred to her mother’s move to Goodyear as magical, stating that, for Lord, it was “love at ﬁrst sight.”

Lord’s career in local government began when she was elected to the Goodyear City Council in 2005. She became the city’s ﬁrst female mayor in

She was an advocate for Goodyear and loved being part of the military community. Her late husband, Col. Ronald Lord, retired from the U.S. Air Force after serving 30 years.

She most recently served on the Luke West Valley Council and West Valley Partners.

She received many accolades during her political career, including the Inspiration in Leadership Award at WESTMARC’s 29th annual Best of the West Awards gala in October.

As mayor, she helped Luke Air Force Base grow into an economic driver for the West Valley. She steered the Luke Forward Campaign, which successfully launched the F-35 training program.

Lord died surrounded by her family on Dec. 12 at age 83.

Gov. Doug Ducey was one of the many Arizona dignitaries present at Mayor Georgia Lord’s celebration-of-life ceremony at the Goodyear Civic Square on Jan. 21. (Photo courtesy of the city of Goodyear)

Avondale breaks ground on parking structure

BY WEST VALLEY VIEW STAFF

The city of Avondale broke ground Jan. 25 on a multilevel parking garage structure at The BLVD, which will serve current and future development at this fast-growing, trendy mixed-use destination.

Located on the southeast corner of 114th Avenue and Roosevelt Street, the parking garage will replace the existing park-and-ride facility, with 100 of the 409 spots in the new structure dedicated to transit riders. Construction is expected to be completed in October.

City officials were joined by Okland Construction and BWS Architects for the groundbreaking ceremony, which was livestreamed on social media.

“With all the development and new investment in The BLVD, the parking structure is a needed amenity to support the area and enhance visitor experience,” Avondale Mayor Kenn Weise said.

The amenity will serve to enhance the economic development potential for this core city-center area for years to come.

The BLVD is home to multiple hotels (My Place, Hilton Garden Inn, Homewood Suites and Residence Inn); housing (Avari Apartments and The Village at The BLVD), and current tenants at the Randall McDaniel Sports Complex — 2 “Di” 4 Popcorn, Phoenix Children’s Sports Medicine Clinic, and the American Sports Center Avondale, which draws half a million visitors a year. Also coming soon are Aveda Institute of Avondale, Soda Bomb, Tap2 and New Penny Café.

To learn more about The BLVD, contact the Avondale Local EDGE, an initiative of the Avondale Office of Economic Development. Follow Avondale EDGE at @AvondaleEDGE, visit the website AvondaleLocalEDGE.com or call 623-333-1400.

Dr. Kristi Wilson honored with national award

BY WEST VALLEY VIEW STAFF

Buckeye Elementary School District Superintendent Dr. Kristi Wilson was honored by the American School Superintendents Association with its AASA Distinguished Service Award.

The prize is given annually to AASA members and leaders who exhibit exemplary leadership throughout their careers and enhanced the profession of school administration.

The association expects candidates for this award to have brought “honor to themselves, their colleagues and their profession, given exemplary service to their state or national professional association, and made significant contributions to the field of education through their service, writings and other activities.”

Wilson recently completed her term as AASA president and assumes the

role of past president. She continues to lead one of the country’s fastest-growing school districts, as BESD has quickly expanded to nearly 6,000 students.

She has worked in education for 27 years, including nine years as BESD superintendent.

Wilson earned her doctorate from George Fox University, a master’s degree from Portland State University, and a Bachelor of Science from Texas Christian University.

She served in other leadership roles nationally. Wilson is known for designing schools for the future, where educators and students are encouraged to think critically and engage collaboratively. Academic growth, proficiency and attendance rates, and overall parental satisfaction have improved under Wilson’s leadership.

Florian T. Walter, D.O.

Raj S. Rathee, M.D.

Jordan Oland, M.D.

B.J. Ho, D.O.

Sarah Colwell, D.O.

Akanksha Murray, MD.

Ingrid Gold, CNM

Meaghan Gomez, FNP-C

Britt Michie, RNC, MSN, WHNP

Jennifer Woodruff, RNC, MSN, WHNP

Anna Gomez, CNM

Yisel Carter, PA-C

Tracy Burns, CNM

Michaela Wagner, CNM

Karline Snyder, CNM

Kristen Watras, WHNP

Margaret Over, PA-C

623-846-7558

9930 W. Indian School Road Phoenix, AZ 85037

35 N. Estrella Parkway

AZ 85338

Goodyear opens new surface water treatment facility

BY LAUREN SERRATO West Valley View Staff Writer

Water is officially flowing at the new Goodyear Surface Water Treatment Facility at 4980 S. 157th Avenue.

The new facility, which opened Jan. 6, helps diversify the city’s water supply by adding surface water into the mix. Previously, all the city’s water supply was groundwater. The new plant is initially treating 8 million gallons of surface water a day.

With future expansion, the facility can reach 16 million gallons of water a day. As the ninth fastest-growing city in the country, this investment ensures that Goodyear can meet existing water needs, while also making sure there is plenty of water for further growth.

“The new surface water treatment facility is really helping Goodyear grow,” Goodyear Deputy Public Works Director Barbara Chappell said. “It’s providing that additional water supply that will increase our capacity by 8 million gallons a day.”

Chappell said it’s important to have a solid plan to provide residents with this resource for the long term.

“The surface water treatment facility takes raw surface water that comes from

our rivers and streams, and it treats it through a four-step purification process to drinking water quality that meets all of the Safe Drinking Water Act rules,” she said.

The city’s decades of careful planning

and investments in infrastructure will continue to secure Goodyear’s water future.

Chappell explained that Goodyear ’s new system combined with the existing system.

“It ties into the city’s existing water distribution system, so it will blend with and add to the groundwater system,” Chappell said. “So we will have a combined system where it’s not one or the other. It’s definitely a combined system.”

Goodyear is the first Southwest Valley city to have this type of facility. The treated surface water is mixed with the groundwater the city has already been using and delivered to residents and businesses.

The Goodyear Surface Water Treatment Facility took four years to complete, with two dedicated to construction. Chappell said the facility will ultimately benefit all of Goodyear’s residents by providing them quality access to water as the population grows.

“It’s a great addition to our water system, and we are so excited to have it up and running,” Chappell said.

Goodyear opened its surface water treatment facility in January. The new facility helps diversify the city’s water supply by adding surface water into the mix. (Photo courtesy of the city of Goodyear)

Donors needed to end blood shortage

BY WEST VALLEY VIEW STAFF

Anational blood shortage is further stressing the nation’s fragile health care system.

Vitalant — which services about 900 hospitals across 28 states, including 62 in Arizona — is experiencing a historic, two-year low blood supply.

The fast-spreading omicron variant is the latest COVID-19 complication forcing additional community blood drives to cancel and lessening the number of healthy and available donors.

“It’s important for people to remember that they can give blood immediately after receiving a COVID-19 vaccine if you’re healthy and well,” Vitalant Chief Medical Officer Dr. Ralph Vassallo said.

“To ensure patient care isn’t jeopardized, we need people to schedule an appointment today. Even if the appointment is several weeks from now, setting and keeping it will help replenish what’s needed for both routine treatments and emergencies.”

Donors can make an appointment by visiting vitalant.org or calling 1-877-25-VITAL (1-877-258-4825).

West Valley donor centers

• Glendale: 18583 N. 59th Avenue.

• Goodyear: 14270 W. Indian School Road.

• West Phoenix: 5757 N. Black Canyon Highway.

Public blood drives by city

Avondale

• 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Monday, Feb. 7, Estrella Mountain Community College, 3000 N. Dysart Road.

• 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 8, Estrella Mountain Community College, 3000 N. Dysart Road.

• 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 23, city of Avondale, 11465 W. Civic Center Drive.

• 9:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 27, Avondale Baptist Church, 1001 N. Central Avenue.

Buckeye

• 2 to 6 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 3, Summit Community Church, 20555 W. Roosevelt Street.

• 8 a.m. to noon Monday, Feb. 7, Desert Hills Baptist Church, 20909 W. Yuma Road.

• 9 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 20, St. Henry Catholic Church, 24750 W. Lower Buckeye Road.

Glendale

• 8:45 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., Sunday, Feb. 6, St. Helen Roman Catholic Parish, KOC, 5510 W. Cholla.

• 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 17, Dream City Christian School, 21000 N. 75th Avenue.

• 11 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 19, Arrowhead Towne Center, 7700 W. Arrowhead Towne Center.

• 8 a.m. to noon Saturday, Feb. 19, Thunderbird Park Community Blood Drive, 5104 W. Pinnacle Peak Road.

• 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 23, Abrazo Arrowhead Campus, 18701 N.

67th Avenue.

• 8:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Friday, Feb. 25, Apollo High School, 8045 N. 47th Avenue.

Goodyear

• 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 13, St. John Vianney Parish, 539 E. La Pasada Boulevard.

• 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 17, city of Goodyear, 190 N. Litchfield Road.

• 7:30 to 11:30 a.m. Sunday, Feb. 20, The Refinery Christian Church, 16721 W. Indian School Road.

• 7 to 11 a.m. Thursday, Feb. 24, Abrazo West Campus, 13677 W. McDowell Road. Peoria

• 1 to 5 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 3, Huntington University, 8385 W. Mariners Way.

• 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Friday, Feb. 11, Trilogy at Vistancia, 27980 N. Trilogy Boulevard East.

Donors...continued on page 12

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Goodyear city manager elected as board president

BY WEST VALLEY VIEW STAFF

Goodyear City Manager Julie Karins was recently elected by her peers to serve as president of the Arizona City/County Management Association Board of Directors.

Karins began her term as president at the organization’s annual business meeting held Jan. 27 in Sedona, and her term will run through January. Upon the completion of her term as president, Karins will remain on the board as the past president for another year, through January 2024. Karins has been a member of the ACMA since 2007.

As president, Karins will help ACMA continue its mission as a professional development association dedicated

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• 8 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 13, Axiom Church, 8295 W. Jefferson Street.

to serving communities by strengthening the knowledge and expertise of Arizona’s existing and aspiring government leaders.

The council-manager form of local government combines the strong political leadership of elected officials with the strong professional experience of an appointed government administrator. City and county managers implement the policies of elected officials and oversee the day-to-day operations of

running a city or county.

“It is through good governance that cities, towns and counties positively impact the lives of our residents every day. Local government management is a challenging, honorable and incredibly rewarding profession, and the ACMA provides invaluable support to those who serve in these roles,” Karins said.

“It’s an honor to represent the city of Goodyear, the entire West Valley and the state of Arizona as

ACMA president in 2022.” Karins was appointed Goodyear city manager in February 2018, and she is a credentialed city manager through the International City/County Management Association (ICMA-CM). ACMA is the state affiliate of ICMA. Karins earned a master’s degree in public administration from Grand Canyon University and a bachelor’s degree in business management from ASU. She also attended the Senior Executives in Local Government Program at JFK School of Government at Harvard University, is a certified public manager through ASU, and is a senior professional in human resources (SPHR) through the Society for Human Resource Management.

• 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 17, Sunset Heights Elementary School, 9687 W. Adam Avenue.

• 9 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 19, Lunde’s Peoria Volkswagen, 8801 W. Bell Road.

• 8 a.m. to noon Saturday, Feb. 19, Vistancia Community, 29701 N. Sunrise Point.

• 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 19, Honoring Karsten Boman Blood Drive @ Rio Vista Recreation Center, 8866 W. Thunderbird Road.

• 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 20, St. Charles Borromeo, 8615 W. Peoria Avenue.

Goodyear City Manager Julie Karins attended the Senior Executives in Local Government Program at JFK School of Government at Harvard University. (Photo courtesy of the city of Goodyear)

OUR READERS’ VIEWPOINTS

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

The precision of the election

Editor:

I saw the attention-getter on the front page of the Jan. 19 edition of the West Valley View by Mr. Hickman, the Maricopa County Board of Commissioners’ vice president, proclaiming the “Election was accurate,” so I felt I just had to read the article.

I agree with Mr. Hickman that the votes were counted with a high degree of accuracy. However, there is a great deal of difference between accuracy and precision.

Ask any engineer, scientist, statistician, social scientist — or anyone who knows the difference for that matter — the counting may be accurate, but the process should be precise enough to deliver the correct result.

The audit concluded that the count was accurate but concluded nothing about whether the election process was precise enough to guarantee that the votes counted were valid. I’m not saying the process was not as precise as reasonably possible, but neither am I sure that it was.

The question was either not addressed by the audit, or if so, the public was not informed of the conclusion. Was it addressed? If not, why not? If so, what was the conclusion and how was it determined?

Here are a few more questions regarding the precision of the election process to be considered:

1. The harvesting of votes is not legal in Arizona. This law was upheld by the U.S. Supreme Court in 2020. Was any harvesting discovered? If so, what happened to the harvested votes? How was it determined that it did or did not occur? In Arizona, relatives, household members and caregivers are permitted to deliver a voter’s ballot. What is the process that determines that a person delivering someone else’s ballot falls into this category and that the person is authorized to do so by the voter?

2. Matching signatures are used to de-

termine the validity of a vote. How is it determined that one is qualified to judge if signatures match? Is this really a good process? As an elementary and secondary school student, I had friends who forged their parent’s signature on a report card with the signature never being questioned. Are we so naïve as to believe all fraud is detected?

3. How do we know that mail-in ballots are valid? How can we be sure they were printed by the proper government authority? Is there an irreproducible watermark on them as there is on our currency? An acquaintance of mine moved last year and received two ballots, one at each address. When I bought a house in Arizona and still owned a house in another state, I received a ballot for the presidential election from both states. Shouldn’t we determine how this can be prevented?

4. Were all valid votes counted? A friend who worked at a polling place in the last election reported to me that when he delivered ballots to a collection point, the collector told him they were not in the proper format but that he would attempt to determine what to do with the ballots. What ever happened to them? Were they counted? Why wasn’t my friend aware of the proper format?

5. Are all poll workers following proper procedures? As a poll watcher in a different state, many times I had to stop a poll worker from taking shortcuts and not performing all the steps they were required to perform to ensure that a vote was valid. Most poll workers are part-time workers. What happened when I wasn’t on duty? Mr. Hickman, what qualifies a person as “an experienced election professional”? I’m sure my poll worker friend does not consider himself as such.

6. What defines vote harvesting? Example: When running for town council in my hometown years ago, I lost by five votes with over 10,000 votes cast. If three votes were changed in my direction, I would have been elected. Several months later, it was

JUDGE’S OPINION — King Features

revealed that my opponent had visited the three retirement homes in our town with hundreds of residents to “help” the residents fill out their absentee ballots. When asked if they voted for my opponent, every resident interviewed said, “Of course. She was such a nice lady to have helped us vote.”

When it was finally reported to the election commission, they declared that it was too late to do anything about it. The question was asked, “What makes it too late, and at what time would it have been not too late?”

The question went unanswered. To say that there is no fraud and that it is not extensive enough to have an effect on the result is naive as well. In this case only three votes in a different direction would have changed the result. How can we prevent this so-called “helping” from occurring?

7. I also agree with Mr. Hickman that election laws should not be based on lies. Neither should an election. Again, when I was running for the town council, the residents of my town found a flier in their mailbox on the day before the election stating that, as a member of the board of education, I had voted for a proposed school budget increase over the previous year’s budget by an amount double the rate of the increase in the cost of living. In actuality, the board was

composed of 13 members, and only I and one other member voted against the proposed size of increase. With the election the next day, I had no time to counter with the truth. Should this be allowed? 8. In every process there is something called the statistical limit of error. Again, relative to my run for the town council, is five votes out of over 10,000 within the statistical limit of error for this process? Should a vote count that close be declared a draw and a runoff election held?

Election laws should not be based on lies, but they should also not be based on inadequate information on the part of the legislators or based on stupidity.

The motive of some legislators who say that it is unfair to require voter identification certainly must be questioned because it is obvious to the most casual observer that such would allow extensive fraud.

Every vote by an ineligible voter negates the vote of an eligible voter and thus denies the eligible voter his or her right! Such lawmakers are way off base. Such a position shows a lack of good sense or judgment. If some voters find it difficult to get identification, the government should provide a process to aid them in doing so. Letters...continued on page 15

Kelly joined at Biden’s hip in upcoming race

BY J.D. HAYWORTH West Valley View Columnist

There’s no mistaking Mark Kelly for the late comedian Don Knotts — especially since our junior senator bears an uncanny resemblance to Uncle Fester of “The Addams Family” — but similar themes have emerged in the body of work from both the contemporary legislator and the comedian of a bygone era.

Knotts, who won multiple Emmy Awards for his portrayal of bumbling Deputy Barney Fife on “The Andy Griffith Show,” parlayed that success on the small screen into a five-picture deal with Universal Studios in the mid-1960s.

Sen. Kelly parlayed his fame from piloting the space shuttle into winning a seat in the Senate. Certainly Kelly’s fundraising abilities have proven astronomical; his campaign pulled in $9 million in the final three months of last year, giving him an estimated war chest of $22 million as he attempts to win a full sixyear term this November.

Of course, $22 million — or more — won’t buy what it used to… not even as recently as the campaign year of 2020.

That’s because of Jan. 20, 2021… the day Joe Biden took up residency at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue. Immediately afterward, the politico-economic condition now known as “Bidenflation” took hold.

Ol’ Joe began by revoking authorization for the Keystone XL pipeline in an executive order. In so doing, he killed 10,000 jobs and took $2.2 billion in payroll out of workers’ pockets.

One of the newly unemployed, Neal Crabtree of Fouke, Arkansas, told the “Boston Herald” his concerns extended beyond his family to friends, neighbors and his fellow countrymen.

“Now we’re seeing rising energy prices,” said Crabtree, a common-sense kind of guy, who was working as a welding foreman before Joe Biden got a new job… and took away his.

Sadly, common sense is in short supply at the White House and within the Senate Democratic Caucus.

Then again, lots of things are in short supply these days.

A crippled supply line and a predictable decline in domestic energy production prompted a spike in prices.

The result?

The worst inflation rate our nation has seen in 40 years.

As costs increased across the board for food, shelter, clothing and transportation, prices at the pump were especially troubling: a hike of almost 50% by December.

Adding even more fuel to the inflationary fires was the spending spree of the Biden Bunch. Unilaterally enacted by the Democrats, a $1.9 trillion cash infusion actually paid bonuses to some lucky workers to stay off the job, kept

the Bureau of Printing and Engraving churning out greenbacks, and further bloated our money supply.

Whether due to economic illiteracy or delusion — perhaps both — Joe Biden then claimed that his horribly misnamed “Build Back Better” initiative would somehow reduce inflation. Left unexplained is the dubious rationale behind the misguided notion that an exponentially more obscene orgy of spending — $5.5 trillion dollars’ worth — will do anything other than launch inflation to even “greater” heights and plunge our standard of living to even lower depths.

Thankfully, the “Build Back Bummer” has been scrubbed for now… no thanks to Mark Kelly.

Instead, Kelly has been a dependable vote for Bidenomics and Bidenflation, but Republicans aren’t exactly biding their time in the effort to scrub Mark Kelly’s political mission. This summer’s primary for the Arizona GOP Senate nomination will be crowded and spirited. The eventual winner will face a cash-in-

fused but performance-imperiled incumbent, joined at the hip to Joe Biden. Mark Kelly’s handlers are doing what they can right now to start a midcourse correction, recently making their man available for an interview with “Yahoo!,” which, like most Big Tech media organs, would be more accurately named “Hooray!” when covering Democrat politicians.

Despite the kid-glove “Yahoo!” coverage, Kelly cannot shake his Biden connection. He even mimicked Ol’ Joe’s attempted blame shifting to big corporations — the same folks financing the freshman senator’s campaign.

If Kelly remains reluctant to politically separate from Joe Biden, the ex-astronaut will have a lot of time on his hands a year from now to watch reruns of “The Andy Griffith Show.” Or “The Addams Family.”

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.

We all need personal identification records for so many things. Most of us would not leave home without it. I have been of legal age to buy liquor in any state in the union for many years, and I look my age. So, in order to buy a bottle of wine at Fry’s, I am required to show identification, but I should not have to show identification to vote? Come on, folks, let’s get real!

The vote counting may be accurate, but are all the valid votes counted and are all the votes counted valid? Is the voting process adequately precise to guarantee such? The precision of the process can always be improved, and this is what our legislators should be spending their time on, not ways to make it so imprecise that election fraud

N. Litchfield Road, Ste. 130, Goodyear, AZ 85340

Last State Silver Bank Rolls up for grabs

Fortune of old Silver Coins issued by the U.S. Gov’t sealed away in the only State Restricted Bank Rolls known to exist are actually being handed over to Arizona residents

STATE

RESTRICTION : Only residents of AZ get the $19 state minimum - non state residents must pay $57 per coin

ARIZONA - “We’re bracing for the flood of calls,” said Laura Lynne, U.S. Coin and Currency Director for the National Mint and Treasury.

That’s because the next 2 days the last remaining State of Arizona Restricted Silver Bank Rolls loaded with rarely seen U.S. Gov’t issued Silver Kennedy Presidential Half Dollars are actually being handed over to Arizona residents who call the National Toll-Free Hotlines listed in today’s newspaper publication.

And here’s the best part. If you are a resident of the state of Arizona you cover only the $19 per coin state minimum set by the National Mint and Treasury, that’s twenty rarely seen Silver clad Kennedy Presidential Half Dollars worth up to 60 times their face

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Calls are pouring in from state residents who are trying to get their hands on the last State Restricted Silver Bank Rolls known to exist sealed away in the secured packages pictured above before the deadline ends. That’s because residents who beat the 2-day deadline printed in today’s publication by calling 1-800-233-5658 Ext. JFR1585 minimum price set by the National Mint and Treasury.

IMPORTANT FACTS: The dates and mint marks of the rarely seen Silver Kennedy Presidential Half Dollars sealed away inside the State of Arizona Restricted Silver Bank Rolls have never been searched. Coin values always fluctuate and there are never any guarantees, but any rare, scarce or highly collectible coins, regardless of their value that state residents may find inside the sealed Bank Rolls are theirs to keep. fluctu

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value for just $380 which is a real steal because non state residents must pay $57 per coin which totals $1,140 if any coins remain after the 2-day deadline.

“National Mint and Treasury recently spoke with its Chief Professional Numismatist who said ‘Very few people have ever actually saw one of these rarely seen Silver Kennedy Presidential Half Dollars minted over 50 years ago. But to actually find them sealed away in State Restricted Silver Bank Rolls is like finding buried treasure. So anyone lucky enough to get their hands on these Bank Rolls had better hold on to them,’” Lynne said.

“Now that the State of Arizona Restricted Silver Bank Rolls are being offered up we won’t be surprised if thousands of Arizona residents claim the maximum limit allowed of 6 Kennedy Presidential Silver Bank Rolls per resident before they’re all gone,” said Lynne.

“That’s because the dates and mint marks of the U.S. Gov’t issued Silver clad Kennedy Presidential Half Dollars sealed away inside the State of Arizona Restricted Silver Bank Rolls have never been searched. But, we do know that these coins date back tot he mid 1900’s and some may be worth up to 60 times their face value, so there is no telling what Arizona residents will find until they sort through all the coins,” Lynne went on to say.

“Rarely seen silver coins like these are highly sought after, but we’ve never seen anything like this before. According to The Official Red Book, a Guide Book of United States Coins many Silver Kennedy Presidential Half Dollars have nearly doubled in collector value in just the last several years,” Lynne said.

“We’re guessing thousands of Arizona residents will be taking the maximum limit of 6 Bank Rolls because you can only get them rolled this way directly from the National Mint and Treasury and they are the only State Restricted Bank Rolls known to exist,” Lynne continued.

“We know the phones will be ringing off the hook. So make sure to tell everyone to keep calling if all lines are busy. We’ll do our best to answer them all,” Lynne said.

The only thing readers of today’s newspaper publication need to do is make sure they are a resident of the state of Arizona and call the National Toll-Free Hotlines before the 2-day deadline ends midnight tomorrow. ■

Answering Your Questions

Q: How to claim the last State Restricted Silver Bank Rolls

A: If you are a Arizona resident read the important information below about claiming the State Restricted Silver Bank Rolls, then call the State Toll-Free Hotline at: 1-800-233-5658

EXT: JFR1585 beginning at precisely 8:30 A.M. this morning.

Q: Are these Silver Kennedy Half Dollars worth more than other Half Dollars?

A: Yes. These rarely seen Silver Kennedy Presidential Half Dollars were minted in the mid 1900’s. That makes these silver coins extremely collectible. The vast majority of half dollars minted after 1970 have no silver content at all. In fact, these Kennedy Presidential Half Dollars were the last silver coins minted for circulation. That’s why many of them now command collector values of many times their face value so there’s no telling how much they could be worth in collector value someday.

Q: How much are the State Restricted Silver Bank Rolls worth?

A: It’s impossible to say, but these Kennedy Presidential Half Dollars date back to the mid 1900’s and some are worth up to 60 times the face value and there are 20 in each Bank Roll so you better hurry if you want to get your hands on them. Collector values always fluctuate and there are never any guarantees. But we do know they are the only Arizona State Silver Bank Rolls known to exist and Kennedy Presidential Half Dollars are highly collectible so anyone lucky enough to get their hands on these State Restricted Silver Bank Rolls should hold onto them because there’s no telling how much they could be worth in collector value someday.

Q: Why are so many Arizona residents calling to get them?

A: Because they are the only State Restricted Silver Bank Rolls known to exist and everyone wants their share. These are not ordinary bank rolls. These are full Bank Rolls containing 20 Silver Kennedy Presidential Half Dollars dating clear back to the mid 1900’s some worth up to 60 times their face value. Remember this. Only Arizona residents are guaranteed to get them for just the $19 per coin state minimum set by the National Mint and Treasury for the next two days. Non state residents must pay $57 per coin.

Q: How do I get the State Restricted Silver Bank Rolls?

A: The only thing Arizona residents need to do is call the State Toll Free Hotline at 1-800-233-5658 Ext. JFR1585 before the deadline ends. Everyone who does is getting the only State Restricted Silver Bank Rolls known to exist. That’s a full Bank Roll of 20 Silver Kennedy Presidential Half Dollars for just the $19 per coin state minimum set by the National Mint and Treasury, which totals just $380 for the full Bank Roll. That’s a real steal because non state residents are not permitted to call before 5 pm tomorrow and must pay $1,140 for each Arizona State Restricted Silver Bank Roll if any remain.

NATIONAL MINT AND TREASURY, LLC IS NOT AFFILIATED WITH THE U.S. MINT, THE U.S. GOVERNMENT, A BANK OR ANY GOVERNMENT AGENCY. IF FOR ANY REASON WITHIN 30 DAYS FROM SHIPMENT YOU ARE DISSATISFIED, RETURN THE PRODUCT FOR A REFUND LESS SHIPPING AND RETURN POSTAGE. THIS SAME OFFER MAY BE MADE AVAILABLE AT A LATER DATE OR IN A DIFFERENT GEOGRAPHICAL LOCATION. OH RESIDENTS ADD 6.5% SALES TAX. PACKAGING MAY BE SUBSTITUTED FOR EQUAL OR GREATER VALUE. NATIONAL MINT AND TREASURY, PO BOX 35609, CANTON, OH 44735 ©2021 NATIONAL MINT AND TREASURY.

Color alone not the only criterion for Supreme Court

BY DAVID LEIBOWITZ West Valley View Columnist

United States Supreme Court

Justice Stephen Breyer announced his upcoming retirement on a Wednesday morning. Within the hour, reporters, pundits and politicos had settled on a must for the 83-year-old’s successor: The next justice, the 116th in the history of our nation, must be a Black woman.

This certainty dates back to a promise President Biden made during the 2020 primaries. Struggling to get traction, especially with Black voters, Biden went to South Carolina needing a jump-start to his campaign. His promise at a February 2020 debate:

“I’m looking forward to making sure there’s a Black woman on the Supreme Court to make sure we in fact get everyone represented.”

The applause was loud. Biden won a seven-way primary with 49% of the vote. I understand we live in a nation where

108 out of 115 members of the highest court in the land have been white men. I understand and see value in diversity, of justices who bring different perspectives and cultures to the court — even if they tend to vote in lockstep with either one of America’s two dominant, disastrous political parties.

But for days I’ve been scouring the news waiting for someone to say what to me seemed abundantly obvious: Shouldn’t the president, a Democrat, nominate the most qualified liberal justice to the court, as opposed to filtering out candidates based on race and gender?

I mean this as no slight to the jurists on the short list: Ketanji Brown Jackson, who currently sits on the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals, considered the second most important court in the country.

Harvard educated, a former editor of the Harvard Law Review, Brown Jackson clerked for Breyer early in her career. Also getting serious consideration is Leondra Kruger, who currently sits on the California Supreme Court. Kruger previously clerked for Justice John Paul

Stevens and, as an assistant U.S. solicitor general, she argued a dozen cases before SCOTUS.

If either of these two amazing Black women is the most qualified choice for the court, then I celebrate the appointment.

Ironically, next year the court is scheduled to hear a case on affirmative action in education. The original lawsuits contend that Harvard and the University of North Carolina discriminate against Asian students, who scored higher than other racial cohorts on admission criteria like grades, tests scores and extracurriculars but were scored down on qualities like courage, kindness, personality and likability.

The end result? A racial quota system that kept the number Asian students artificially low in favor of admitting a more diverse student body.

The concept that every facet of life requires equal representation by skin color is a shaky proposition, easy to turn on its head.

For example, the National Basketball Association in 2020 was about 74% African American, 17% white, not quite

3% Latino and Asian, and 6% players of other races. Today, non-Latino whites comprise 58% of the U.S. population. Latinos make up 19%, Blacks 12%.

Imagine the insanity that would ensue if the NBA mandated that each 15-man roster needed to proportionally express the racial composition of the U.S.? Who among the Phoenix Suns’ 14 African American players would the team cut in favor of white ballers of presumably lesser talent?

Would the new, perfectly representative squad still sell tickets or perform to NBA Finals levels? Doubtful and doubtful. It’s long past time for a Black woman to sit as a Justice on the U.S. Supreme Court. But speaking about some of our nation’s best and brightest primarily through the prism of skin color and gender — with their hard work, qualifications and successes tossed in as a footnote — demeans the process and the judges in it.

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

Lesko wants to oﬀer quality services

BY REP. DEBBIE LESKO Eighth Congressional District

As your representative in Congress, my top priority is to ensure that the people of Arizona’s eighth congressional district receive quality constituent services.

During the past year, our ofﬁce assisted hundreds of constituents with cases involving Social Security, the Internal Revenue Service, the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) and other federal agencies. Our ofﬁce is ready to assist you with whatever you may need. Our district is proud to be home to Luke Air Force Base and over 70,000 veterans. It is my mission to give back to those who have dedicated their lives to our country.

Veterans who need assistance with their VA beneﬁts reach out to our ofﬁce quite often. For example, a constituent

reached out to our ofﬁce because the chiropractic ofﬁce they use was not receiving payments from the VA for himself and multiple veterans.

Our ofﬁce reached out to the VA and ensured the payments were made, resulting in the constituent not being liable for the payments. In addition, our ofﬁce ensures that disabled veterans receive their correct disability payments and liaises with the VA on their behalf.

Our office can also assist seniors navigating Social Security and Medicare benefits. One constituent contacted our office after she could not get an answer from the Social Security Administration regarding her disability claim. Our office contacted the Social Security Administration and her claim was processed after a year in the system.

The constituent recently started receiving her new monthly beneﬁt payment because of the decision. Our ofﬁce can also help in the hearing process. We can answer questions re-

garding Medicare and Social Security enrollment. Our goal is to assist seniors so they receive their full beneﬁts.

We can also assist with travel- and immigration-related concerns, including working with U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services to process work permits and assisting constituents with scheduling appointments and applying for passports from the U.S. State Department.

A constituent once contacted our ofﬁce with concerns about the processing of her permanent resident card. Our ofﬁce worked with the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services to receive it.

No matter if you’re traveling abroad or trying to assist a loved one with a visa, our ofﬁce can make the necessary contacts and expedite your visa application.

In addition to helping constituents in need, I recognize outstanding young people in our community. As your member of Congress, one of my greatest privileges is nominating deserving

individuals to the U.S. Military Service Academies. I consider this an honor, and I enjoy learning about these outstanding students in our community.

My office offers two additional programs for which students can be recognized and rewarded for their achievements in a particular field. Middle and high school students can showcase their creativity and ingenuity in the arts and sciences by participating in the Congressional App Challenge and the Congressional Art Competition. Each year, it is wonderful to see the beautiful artwork and unique apps that students create. These are just some of the many ways our office is here to serve you. If you need assistance with a federal agency, please contact our district office in Surprise at 623-776-7911. I am honored to continue to serve as your representative in the 117th Congress, and it is my hope that our office can successfully assist you, whatever you may need.

Business Briefcase

BY LAUREN SERRATO

Three new projects are coming to the West Valley, and we’re going to cover them in this week’s Business Briefcase.

Avondale’s newest manufacturing facility, slated to open in April, will provide about 50 new jobs. Goodyear opened the door to a new restaurant, which is open. Additionally, the city is in the first phase of the residential development of the Avion at Ballpark Village.

Avondale welcomes Bizerba USA

In the spring, Bizerba USA Inc. will open a new plant in Avondale that will manufacture labels and produce key equipment for industrial and retail weighing and labeling solutions.

Located at the Fairway 10 complex off Interstate 10, the new facility will create 40 to 50 new light industrial jobs when it opens in April. The Avondale industrial campus provides easy access along a major freeway corridor and proximity to an international airport.

“Avondale has a ready-made labor force for light industrial and manufacturing, and Fairway 10 is the perfect location for a company such as Bizerba,

giving them an edge along this strategic freeway corridor with easy access.

We are excited for Bizerba’s opening next spring,” said Ken Chapa, economic development and tourism director for Avondale EDGE.

With more than 4,500 employees worldwide, Bizerba has been in business since 1866 and is a leading provider of weighing, slicing and labeling technology solutions.

The family-owned German company’s North American headquarters is in Joppa, Maryland, including Bizerba Label Solutions, Customer Service, Distribution and Spare Parts for U.S. operations. To serve its customers faster and to meet the growing demand, the company has decided to extend its capacities by opening a new plant in Avondale.

“We are excited about this opportunity to expand in the western U.S. and specifically in the greater Phoenix area,” said Brian Evans, president of Bizerba Label Solutions. “We believe this next chapter in our business affords us the opportunity to better serve our existing customers, as well as strategic prospects both in labels and consumables, as well as service and parts. Additionally, we are happy to expand our offerings with a new product concept specifically from this plant.”

Bizerba USA Inc. will start its operation April 1.

Goodcents opens Goodyear location

Goodcents has added Goodyear to its growing list of new restaurant locations. Current Goodcents franchise owner Eric Lessard opened his second location at 420 N. Litchfield Road on Jan. 26.

Lessard said the location was too good to pass on. “The area is booming, with thousands of new houses and warehouses for major retailers,” he

said. “It’s a newer, very busy area with a lot of people and a lot of traffic — but it didn’t have a Goodcents.”

The restaurant is built in a shopping center across from a 3-mile-long autoplex and features Goodcents’ new, modern design. The restaurant will offer online ordering, carryout, delivery, dine-in and catering services.

The menu features Goodcents’ traditional and specialty sub sandwiches, which are served on the restaurant’s signature bread. The restaurant also offers Goodcents To Go meals, packaged din-

West Valley View Staff Writer

Goodcents has added a new location in Goodyear to its growing list of restaurant locations. (Submitted photo)

ner entrées that feature pastas, pot roast, salmon and chicken. Additional offerings include freshly baked oversized cookies, boxed lunches and catering.

Regular hours are 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Sunday.

Lessard also owns a Goodcents in North Phoenix. A Valley native, Lessard lives in Peoria.

“We are so excited for Eric, our newest multi-unit franchisee,” Goodcents CEO Farrellynn Wolf said. “We look forward to his continued success and to helping him grow his second Goodcents location.”

Info: goodcentssubs.com

Lennar purchases

75 acres at Avion

Land Advisors Organization recently helped facilitate the sale of 327 single-family platted lots at the Avion at Ballpark Village, on behalf of Communities Southwest, in a $20.2 million transaction.

The 75-acre parcel is part of the first phase of the development, which is in Goodyear.

Land Advisors Organization professionals Greg Vogel, Ryan Semro, Bret Rinehart, Ben Heglie and Wes Camp-

bell represented the seller, Communities Southwest. The buyer was Lennar Arizona Inc.

The Avion at Ballpark Village consists of 154 acres of residential land zoned for a variety of residential uses at the S/ SWC of Estrella Parkway and Lower Buckeye Road. Phase I of the site consists of 327 platted lots for a single-fam-

ily residential subdivision. The lot mix ranges from 5,750 to 4,500 square feet, providing the buyer with a healthy range of options for development.

The buyer expects to begin construction in Q1 2022.

“Avion at Ballpark Village is going to be one of the premier communities in Goodyear, and Communities South-

west is excited to have Lennar as the first homebuilder in the project,” said Greg Lehmann with Communities Southwest.

“It’s been great working with everyone involved in this project — the excellent people at the city of Goodyear, the thoughtful and professional team at Lennar, and the great team at Land Advisors Organization.”

Avion at Ballpark Village will feature a 7-acre private HOA-owned Central Park that includes a pool, spa, community gathering pavilion, restrooms, two pickleball courts, ramada, shaded playground and sports field to be built as part of this first development phase. When fully developed, Avion will also feature seven neighborhood parks and a walking trail system running throughout the community. The two remaining phases of the community feature an additional 248 platted lots and a 24-acre residential parcel.

Have an item for Business Briefcase?

Please email your business news and tips to Lauren Serrato at lserrato@timespublications.com

What’s next in learning?

Ambition, curiosity, creativity and passion don’t fit in any one box. No matter who you are or how you learn, ASU is here to help you and your family.

Our learning options are growing every day. Visit ASU for You to travel the world through virtual field trips, access research learning tools through the library; conduct experiments with K–college science labs; and enhance your professional skills with badge and certificate programs.

The 75-acre parcel is part of the first phase of the Avion at Ballpark Village development. (Photo courtesy of Land Advisors Organization)

Ambition drives Estrella Foothills’ Noah Killeen

BY SUMMER AGUIRRE West Valley View Staff Writer

If Estrella Foothills High School’s top boys tennis player Noah Killeen could be described in one word, it could be “ambitious.”

The No. 1 player on the ladder and team captain, Killeen leads the Wolves into the spring season with big goals for himself and his teammates. They saw great success during the 2021 season, and he is set on exceeding it.

“My personal goal is to stay undefeated in my regular season,” Killeen said. “I want to remain Region Player of the Year and then I want to make it a little bit further in state. A state championship — that would be incredible. But I just really want to make it (and) last in state until the championships.”

Last season, Killeen went undefeated in regular singles match play (11-0). His sole loss was to the player who went on to win the state tournament.

“He had to play some really tough players last year at state,” head coach Devin Gable said. “He had to play the kid who ended up winning (the tournament), the No. 1 seed, and he just really dug in and gave that kid his very, very best effort.”

Gable said she fully anticipates her No. 1 to make another run to the state championships in singles and lead the team to the playoffs.

Because Killeen is an upperclassman

this year, Gable expects to “see him stepping into that leadership role even more so with our team” and “taking the lead, showing the younger ones how things are done, setting the example.”

She added that Killeen is a great leader and brings a good energy to the team. He expects a lot from his teammates but sets an example for what he wants.

Before matches, the captain gathers his teammates for a “dad talk.”

“It’s really nice to be able to have this connection with everybody else,” Killeen said. “And then to be able to have that little huddle and that little talk that I have with them before our matches is really great.”

The team behind Killeen matches his success. Last year, the Wolves also finished with an 11-0 record and made it to the quarterfinals of the state championships ranked No. 2.

“I want us to win state. I think that we can. There’s another school, Catalina Foothills (High School); they’ve had a stronghold on it for so long,” Killeen said. “If we can break that, that would really be incredible. … I think as long as we work hard and we stay working hard like we did last season, we really have a good chance.”

Success is synonymous with Gable, who has been coaching boys tennis at Estrella Foothills since 2018. The mother of four built most of her team from Es-

trella Mountain Athletics in Goodyear.

Killeen, however, is the only current varsity player who was not a product of this program.

“He did (come out of nowhere),” Gable said. “It was very exciting when I found out about him when he was in eighth grade, and he came over to my little Future Freshman Night booth and he was interested in tennis and I found out that wow, this kid’s really good, so it was very exciting.”

An Air Force child originally from South Carolina, Killeen was introduced to the sport when he was around 7 years old while living in Enid, Oklahoma. He watched his best friends play tennis, one of which managed to persuade him to hop on court. Immediately upon picking up a racket, he loved it and began playing at a small country club. As he moved from state to state with his family, he competed in United States Tennis Association tourna-

ments to build his ranking.

He is prioritizing his education. His interest in politics and government have led him to holding a position as State Treasurer for Future Business Leaders of America, founding a nonprofit organization aiming to get people involved in politics and a club for political discussion. He would like to attend an Ivy League school and major in political science.

“He’s just an exceptional person, and you don’t meet someone like Noah every day. Just that determination, that motivation to really just meet these really high goals,” Gable said. “You just know he’s going to do everything he wants to because he’s a smart kid. He’s going to go far. We are so lucky to have him here on our team.”

Starting late February, the Wolves will compete in their first matches of the season.

Noah Killeen is team captain for Estrella Foothills’ Wolves. (Submitted photo)

Millennium graduate publishes 2nd book

BY LAUREN SERRATO West Valley View Staff Writer

During the pandemic, many college freshmen are adjusting to life in a dorm room and navigating their way through online classes.

Abi Celaya has focused on writing and publishing her second book in her “Two Red Flames” trilogy.

The 18-year-old NAU freshman published her ﬁrst book, “The Goddesses Throne,” in January 2021, when she was a senior at Millennium High School.

Now, despite her busy college schedule and moving to Flagstaff, Celaya said she’s excited to see her fantasy series continue to come to life for others to experience with her newest book, “A Throne of Their Own.”

“This is the second book in a fantasy series that I’m writing,” she said. “This book picks up directly after the ﬁrst book, and it left off on a little bit of a cliffhanger, but it just sort of explores a new villain, explores the character relationships and how the characters have grown from the ﬁrst book to the second book.”

From a young age, Celaya knew she wanted to write. In middle school, she came up with story ideas, plots and characters. But it wasn’t until high school that she put her ideas on paper and created her ﬁrst novel.

However, her ﬁrst book didn’t go the way she wanted.

“When I actually wrote my ﬁrst book, I didn’t publish it, but I really enjoyed the process of writing a novel,” she said. “I just wasn’t conﬁdent in that exact story, so I decided to scrap that one and start on another one. And that is sort of how I started writing my current fantasy series.”

Celaya’s writing journey ofﬁcially began in summer 2020, when she ﬁrst sat down to write her trilogy.

Abi Celaya is a freshman at NAU, pursuing a degree in journalism and creative writing. (Photo

“I ended up publishing my ﬁrst book in January 2021, and then immediately after I published that book, I took a two- or three-week break and then I started working on this book,” she said.

“This book definitely took me longer, just because of college. That was a big part of it. My first semester of college I didn’t really work on it that much. I had some people help me edit it because it was already written by the time I started college. It took maybe double the time that the first one took.”

Within the ﬁrst few weeks after releasing her ﬁrst book, 50 paperback copies and seven Kindle versions were purchased. Celaya hopes to top that.

“It was really nice. Everybody was super supportive,” Celaya said, reﬂecting on her book launch in high school. “Everybody was just really excited because I don’t think anyone in our town knew somebody who had

Books...continued on page 26

Our reader poll is designed to let YOU tell us about your favorite people, places, shops, restaurants and things to do in Tolleson, Avondale, Litchfield Park, Goodyear, and Buckeye.

courtesy of Abi Celaya)

Benevilla hosting Dinner in the Desert fundraiser

BY WEST VALLEY VIEW STAFF

Benevilla is kicking up its heels for the new year by hosting its annual fundraiser, “Dinner in the Desert,” on Friday, March 25, at the Barn at Desert Foothills in North Phoenix.

The event includes ﬁreside cocktails at sunset, dinner, dancing, rafﬂes and music by Honeygirl, performing old and new country favorites.

In addition to an evening of dinner and dancing, there will be fundraising activities that support Benevilla’s work. These include chances to win rafﬂe prizes for various dining, sports, shopping, staycation and entertainment items.

Benevilla is a West Valley not-forproﬁt organization that enriches the lives of older adults, intellectually disabled adults, children, and the families who care for them.

Benevilla has been serving others for 41 years through life-enriching programs and services, including day

programs for adults with dementia and other disabilities, intergenerational programs, free grocery shopping services, transportation to medical appointments, caregiver support groups and other vital services.

Individual tickets to the event are $175, or $2,000 for a table of 10, the latter of which includes the name on event signage and listing in the event program book.

There are also several sponsorship levels available from $500 to $3,000. For more information about Dinner in the Desert, tickets or sponsorship opportunities, visit benevilla.org or call Daphne Vincent, donor relations manager, at 623-584-4999.

West Valley View Dining

Benevilla will host its annual Dinner in the Desert fundraiser on Friday, March 25, at Barn at Desert Foothills in North Phoenix. (Photo courtesy of Benevilla)

King Crossword

GO FIGURE!

by Linda Thistle

The idea of Go Figure is to arrive at the figures given at the bottom and right-hand columns of the diagram by following the arithmetic signs in the order they are given (that is, from left to right and top to bottom). Use only the numbers below the diagram to complete its blank squares and use each of the nine numbers only once.

EVEN EXCHANGE

by Donna Pettman

Each numbered row contains two clues and two answers. The two answers differ from each other by only one letter, which has already been inserted. For example, if you exchange the A from MASTER for an I, you get MISTER. Do not change the order of the letters.

SCRAMBLERS

Unscramble

Books...continued from page 23

done what I did. I had a lot of support from my school. They took my ﬁrst book and put it in the library. I had a book signing at Ribbons Tea House, which is a local tea shop in Litchﬁeld Park. I had a lot of support from my family. Everybody was buying it. It was really great.”

Moving forward, Celaya is working on her third and ﬁnal book of her trilogy, with hopes of publishing it in about a year.

“It’s going to take probably more time than the first and the second one just because of college, but I’m trying to keep the releases about a year apart,” she said. “This is going to be the final book in the series. I don’t really plan on coming back to these characters, doing any spinoffs or standalone because I’m currently also writing a poetry book that I want to publish maybe this summer, and then I have an idea for a darker fantasy standalone that I want to get to after I finish the third book.”

While Celaya said writing is the toughest part of the journey, she said it’s gratifying because it’s rewarding and fulﬁlling.

“That’s the part where it feels like I’m doing it mostly for me,” she said. “I feel like the writing process is strictly for me, because nobody’s going to read the ﬁrst draft of my work besides myself, and nobody gets to know what I change, so it’s really fun just to be

able to sit down and explore my characters with no pressure because nobody’s going to be reading that version of it.”

Celaya said her books are perfect for those who enjoy fantasy romance books.

“It basically follows two sisters, each on separate journeys that are eventually going to intertwine,” she said. “It involves a lot of magic- and kingdom-related stuff, like princesses, queens, that sort of

OBITUARIES

Ryan Douglas Lawry

Ryan Douglas Lawry, 32, of Goodyear, Arizona died on January 14 , 2022 in Goodyear, Arizona. He was born April 27, 1989 at Luke Airforc e Base in Glendale, Arizona to Mark and Andrea Lawry.

A celebration of life will be held fro m 1pm to 2pm on Friday, January 28, 2022 at Sahuaro Ranch Park (9802 59th Ave. Glendale, AZ 85302). You can view the full obituary and leave condolences for the family at https://www.thompsonfuneral chapel.com/obituary/ryan-douglas-lawry/

thing. So while one of the sisters is going on a journey to discover that she has magic, something that’s not really talked about throughout their kingdom, the other sister is on her own journey to becoming the next queen of the kingdom that the story takes place in.”

Celaya writes under the pen name A. Kingsley. Her books can be purchased on Amazon on paperback or Kindle.

John DeMare

John DeMare died peacefully on Wednesday 1/19/22 in Goodyear, Arizona at the age of 83. John was born in Rome , NY.

A visitation was held at Thompson Funeral Chapel located in Goodyear, AZ on Tuesday 2/1/22 from 6:00-9:00pm. A funeral service was held on 2/2/22 at St. Thomas Aquinas Catholic Church in Avondale, AZ at 1:00pm. All are welcome to attend and celebrate John's life. You can leave the family condolences at https://www.thompsonfuneralchapel.com/ obituary/john-demare/

Devin Lee Willard

Devin was called home to the Lord on Dec. 23rd, 2021 Devin was a 2013 graduate from EFHS in Goodyear, Az Devin attended One Step Beyond for special Adults in Surprise, Az. He was also involved in 4-H and volunteered, too. Devin is survived by his parents, Joe an d Lisa Willard of Buckeye, Az; his sister, Mandi Compte (Casey) and niece, Olivia and nephews, Caleb and Caden; loving grandparents, John and Sandy Willard; loving grandma, Miriam Loughead, and many aunts, uncles and cousins. Devin proceeds in death by his grandad , Herold Loughead, great grandma Doris, aunt Sue, aunt Marirae and uncle Luther.

Services will be Friday Feb. 4th at Grace Fellowship Church, 1300 N. Miller Road Buckeye, AZ 85326. In lieu of flowers please donate in Devins memory to the fallowing One Step Beyond in Surprise, Az your local 4-H club or Az Spina Bifida association.

Abi Celaya’s latest book, “A Throne of Their Own,” is the second book in her “Two Red Flames” trilogy. (Photo courtesy of Abi Celaya)

Anna Maria Amabisca

Anna Maria Amabisca, 62, a mother, a daughter, a nana, a tia, a cousin, who is loved so much passed away January 9th due to complications of COVID and pneumonia. Anna is a Buckeye Native, attending grade schools in town and is a BUHS 1977 graduate. She received her Associates degree at GCC and a cosmetology degree that led her to open her salon, Hair Hacienda in "historic downtown Buckeye". She owned that business for over 25 years. As all of the kids in the family, Anna also worked in the family business, La Placita Cafe, which was founded in Buckeye by her parents in 1962 and "was" in the Amabisca family for many years. Anna loved anything Disney! She especially loved going to Disneyland on her birthday, Halloween or Christmas! She is survived by her daughter, Elisia Amabisca-Garza (Tony), grandchildren Rosalva and Antonio Garza, Her sister Pauline (Rudy) and many aunts, uncles, brother and sister in laws, nieces and nephews, extended family and many friends. Anna was a devoted parishioner of St Henry Catholic Church in Buckeye. She enjoyed leading the rosary at family events and services. She was the family historian, storyteller and event planner. She was always the one to tell us when someone needed a call, a hospital visit or a casserole. Services will be held at St Henry Catholic Church on February 4, 2022 with the eulogy beginning at 10am, followed by a rosary and mass. Interment will be at Louis B Hazelton cemetery. If you cannot attend, please continue to pray for Anna and her family.

We are here to make this difficult time easier for you. Our 24 hour online service is easy to use and will walk you through the steps of placing a paid obituary in the West Valley View or a free death notice. Visit: obituaries.WestValleyView.com

Ronald Henry Wolf

Ronald Henry Wolf, 85, of Goodyear, Arizona died on January 18, 2022 in Goodyear, Arizona. He was born o n December 7, 1936 in Woodburn, Oregon to Henr y A ntone Wolf and Vivian Elizabeth Benson. All service information is private at this t ime.

Edward Don Langley

Edward Don Langley (Don), 45, of Buckeye, passed away on January 13, 2022.

Don was born on February 5, 1976 to Donald Langley, Sr and Noriko Langley in Walla Walla, Washington. Don lived most of his early life in Goodyear, Arizona and attended Agua Fria High School.

He went on to study at University of Phoenix where he earned a Master of Information Systems and a Bachelor of S cience in Information Technology. Don had many years of experience in the field of Information Technology and as an eLearning content creator. Don's hobbies included anime, model action figures, Comicon, along with professional photography and videography.

Don is survived by his children, Aiden and Charlotte; Wife, Carrine; father, Donald Langley, Sr; siblings, Donald Randy Langley, Jr (Donna), and Laura Fralix (Jason). Don was predeceased by his mother, Noriko Langley.

Viewing and services were held January 26, 2022. Committal Service was at Phoenix Memorial Park, 200 W Beardsley Rd, Phoenix, AZ 85027 on January 27, 2022.

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