SanTan Sun News - February 17 2020 by Times Media Group

February 16, 2020 | www.santansun.com

Relentlessly local coverage of Southern Chandler

An edition of the East Valley Tribune

South Chandler red-light cameras are the busiest BY KEVIN REAGAN Staff Writer

Motorists moving through two south Chandler intersections are ticketed via red-light cameras at a rate more than three times higher at 10 other crossroads in the city with photoenforcement. For the last few years, drivers passing through Chandler had to watch their speed around certain intersections or risk getting caught on camera.

Data shared by local law enforcement shows some intersections have significantly more traffic violators than others. According to numbers released by Chandler Police, drivers passing through the intersection of McQueen and Queen Creek roads received 8,376 tickets during a one-year period. The cameras at Arizona Avenue and Ocotillo Road issued the city’s second-highest number of tickets: 2,355. Chandler’s ten other intersections with traffic cameras issued between

684 and 2,200 tickets during the fiscal year which ended June 30, 2018. Chandler Police said the wide disparity between McQueen-Queen Creek and the other intersections might be explained by the lack of access to the Loop 202 from this region of Chandler. McQueen and Gilbert roads are the only throughway's to the freeway from the city’s southeast side, noted Detective Seth Tyler, and there are not many traffic signals to break up traffic around the McQueen-Queen Creek intersection.

“At the end of the day, speeding is an issue on this roadway, it’s why the cameras are there,” Tyler said. The city’s most recent traffic counts show McQueen-Queen Creek sees a fair number of cars each day, yet it does not appear to be the busiest intersection in Chandler. On the average weekday, 19,300 cars pass through the intersection along McQueen Road and 10,800 cars pass along Queen Creek Road. See

REDLIGHT on page 10

Chandler lawmakers push new teen suicide curbs BY JIM WALSH Staff Writer

Rachel Leland of Chandler makes dolls with disabilities and sees the market for her unique product expanding as a result of people with such special needs seeing the dolls as one way to reduce ther underrpresentation in popular culture. (Chris Mortenson/Staff Photographer)

Chandler woman sees big market for ‘disabled dolls’ BY KEVIN REAGAN Staff Writer

Rachel Leland’s handmade stuffed animals don’t look like regular toys. Some are missing limbs. Some have insulin pumps. Some are hooked up to oxygen tanks. Over the years, Leland’s made a plush monkey with cochlear implants and a stuffed moose with a tracheotomy tube in its throat. The dolls are meant to normalize all the disabilities and ailments millions of people live with every day, Leland said – and help eliminate the stigma often associated with them. As soon as the 28-year-old Chandler resident started crocheting her handicapped dolls a few years ago, the reaction was overwhelmingly positive. Parents sent her heartfelt notes, thanking Leland for producing a toy matching their child’s appearance. “It made me feel so good to see the

child holding the animal looking like them,” Leland said. She quickly realized there was probably a market out there for people who often feel underrepresented in the media and popular culture. “You want to see someone who looks like you,” Leland said, “you want to have representation.” She started getting requests from around the world for dolls with specific disabilities and did her best to stitch elephants with intravenous tubes or penguins in wheelchairs. The demand for Leland’s dolls eventually started to outpace supply and she put a hold on the operation after getting a speech pathologist job at a San Tan Valley school. Each doll took between 10 and 20 hours to knit, she said, and Leland simply didn’t have time to devote to the hobby anymore. But she’s recently partnered with See

DOLLS on page 14

The health care insurance system failed 14-year-old Jacob Edward Machovsky miserably in 2015. An insurance company decided his in-patient treatment for a mental illness was not a “medical necessity,’’ ending the second of two hospitalizations within two months. This decision led to tragedy when Jacob, who had turned 15, took his life at his family’s Tempe home in January 2016. His parents, Denise and Ben Denslow – who have since moved to Gilbert – launched the JEM Foundation in Jacob’s memory, setting in motion their mission to save the lives of other teenagers suffering from mental illness. Now, the Denslows are hoping the same legislative coalition, that a year ago won passage of a landmark suicide prevention bill - will help them with the adoption of “Jake’s Law’’– a wide-ranging bill designed to improve access to treatment for troubled juveniles. “We don’t want any other family to go through this. It’s why we are fighting so hard,’’ Denise Denslow said. “We definitely have momentum from last year and we are going to build on it. It’s a huge next step and I am really proud of this bill.’’ Eight Chandler teens are among more than 30 East Valley teens who have taken their lives since March 2017. The law has drawn the back of influ-

ential Chandler members of the State Legislature on both sides of the aisle, including Republican Sen. J.D. Mesnard, Democratic Sen. Sean Bowie and Republican Rep. Jeff Weninger. Jake’s Law would: • Expand youth access to behavioral health services in schools at a cost of $8 million. • Establish a suicide mortality review team to start looking into the root causes of a death within a few days after teens take their own life. • Create parity in the insurance coverage of medical and mental health conditions. Approval of the parity measure would mean Arizona, for the first time, would be enforcing a federal law, the Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equality Act, signed in 2008 by former President George W. Bush. Jake’s Law would require insurance companies to demonstrate how they are complying with the federal law. This law requires insurance coverage for illnesses of the brain – such as depression, anxiety and addiction – be no more restrictive than any other medical condition, according to the JEM Foundation. “It’s access and having the industry treat mental health in the same manner as physical health,’’ Denslow said. “If he (Jacob) had gone to the hospital with a cardiac issue, they would not have

F E AT U R E STO R I E S Cactus League brings millions to Valley . . . . . . . . . .COMMUNITY . . . . . . Page 8 CBD business expands to Chandler. . . . . . . . . . . . . .BUSINESS . . . . . . . Page 24 New athletes inducted into Hall of Fame . . . . . . . .SPORTS . . . . . . . . . Page 35 Willis Junior High Mathletes count . . . . . . . . . . . . . .NEIGHBORS . . . . . . Page 41 Arcades inspire father-sin artists. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .ARTS . . . . . . . . . . Page 50

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SUICIDE on page 16

More Community . . . 1-23 Business . . . . . 24-30 Sports . . . . . . . 35-37 Opinion . . . . . 38-40 Neighbors . . . 41-49 Arts . . . . . . . . . 50-54 Faith . . . . . . . . 55-56 Directory . . . . 57-58 Classifieds . . 59-60 Where to eat 61-62

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THE SUNDAY SANTAN SUN NEWS | FEBRUARY 16, 2020

City ponders multigenerational recreation center BY KEVIN REAGAN Staff Writer

City officials are examining the feasibility of building a new multi-generational recreation center. The Chandler City Council approved spending $75,000 for a consulting firm to study whether it makes sense for the city’s Community Services Department to invest in a new facility potentially providing more recreational programming for senior citizens. A 2018 study, commissioned by the city, projected Chandler’s senior population growing considerably over the next decade – requiring the city to consider whether to refurbish or replace its existing Senior Center. The percentage of Chandler’s population who’s over 65 is expected to grow from 10 to 15 percent by 2032. Chandler’s older residents can enjoy a variety of social and recreational events each month at the Senior Center, but the facility’s potential for growth is constrained by its close proximity to other city buildings. Located between the Chandler Public Library and several parking lots, the Senior Center would likely have trouble adding more space to accommodate an influx of senior residents. “Opportunities are limited as any expansion to the Senior Center would require the demolition of existing in-

City officials are mulling a possingly replacement for the Chandler Senior Center, and possibly approaching a new building as one that could serve people of all ages. (Special to SanTan Sun News)

frastructure in all four directions,” city planners wrote in its 2018 study. Chandler Community Services Director Andy Bass said the current study will build upon the 2018 findings and evaluate multiple scenarios for what the city should do with its Senior Center. One of those options could include replacing it with a larger recreational center to serve multiple age groups. “I think the goal is to look at areas within the community that were underserved,” Bass said. One benefit of having a multigenerational center, Vass added, is having people of all ages coming to one place where they can interact and learn from each other – rather than relegating

seniors to a specific facility. This type of facility could potentially include rooms for crafting, exercising, music activities, aquatics, and child care. The 2018 study estimated an 80,000-square-foot multigenerational center, like Mesa’s Red Mountain Center, would cost up to $46 million to build. A new facility designed exclusively for senior residents would cost about $11 million. Adding more space to Chandler’s existing Senior Center is projected to cost at least $4 million. Some deficiencies noted in the current Senior Center include out-of-date equipment, inadequate storage space, cramped offices, and a lack of exercise amenities. A 2018 survey of about 96,000 Chan-

dler households found about 17,000 of them felt the Senior Center had unmet needs. The city feels it needs to figure out what to do with the facility relatively quickly, as development around the Senior Center is expected to grow soon. The number of households located within a two-mile radius of the Senior Center is estimated to increase by 5,000 within the next decade. Vass said senior citizens are some of the most active users of the city’s recreation programs. Providing activities for this population is one of the main priorities of the Community Services Department, the director added. “This is one of the whole reasons why we do what we do,” Vass said. An assessment done by the city last summer found one of Chandler’s most pressing problems is social isolation among the elderly. To combat this isolation, the city recently rolled out a new digital service where seniors can connect with others through virtual classes. The feasibility study is expected to wrap up by the fall of 2020 and its findings will be presented to the City Council. Residents interested in staying informed throughout the study can receive regular updates by attending meetings of the Chandler Parks and Recreation Board on the first Tuesday of every month.

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THE SUNDAY SANTAN SUN NEWS | FEBRUARY 16, 2020

Stretch of Loop 202 to get pavement improvements SANTAN SUN NEWS STAFF

Chandler’s section of the Loop 202 freeway will undergo roadwork improvements this month to make its pavement smoother for commuters. The Arizona Department of Transportation will begin repair work Feb. 21, on a portion of the freeway running from Interstate 10 to the Loop 101 – an area known for having several potholes and cracks. The improvements involve etching away worn-out asphalt and using diamond-tipped blades to smooth out the bottom layer of asphalt. ADOT recently deployed this diamond grinding technique on another section of the Loop 202 near Dobson Road. “This is another tool in our pavement-improvement toolbox,” said Randy Everett, ADOT’s senior administrator of construction and maintenance. After the Phoenix area experienced an unusually high amount of rainfall last winter, ADOT noticed more of the state’s freeways were showing their age and needed resurfacing. Last May, a Loop 202 on-ramp at the Alma School Road interchange was one of the first sections to be treated with the diamond grind process. The agency said its diamond grinding method will presumably improve rider quality for drivers, limit noise and

stone 202.” “Every day getting on Kyrene (Road), I need to get over two lanes quick because of all the potholes,” one Chandler driver wrote online. ADOT said its newest paving project will also include improving asphalt along the Kyrene Road and McClintock Drive offramps. The Loop 202 is relatively young compared to the Valley’s other freeways. Its first segment was completed in 2006 – more than a decade after voters approved funding for the new freeway. While new to Arizona, machines like this that etch out old asphalt on roadways and use diamond-tipped blades to smooth out the Not long after bottom layer of asphalt are used in several states, the freeway opened, (Special to SanTas Sun News) Chandler officials reported noticing traffic Motorists often voice their frusenhance surface friction to increase increasing along Arizona Avenue by tration on social media with the Loop stopping on the pavement. Other secmore than 20 percent. tions of the Loop 202 have also recently 202’s loose debris and potholes. The area where the Loop 202 inter“My windshield has taken a beating undergone sealant treatment to repair sects with I-10 is considered one of the in this area. It’s ridiculous,” one Chanbroken asphalt. Valley’s busiest sections of interstate. dler resident complained about the It will take a few weeks of overnight ADOT announced last year it was examsection running west of the Loop 101. work for crews to grind away this secining various options as to how to limit Another claimed they “started calltion of the Loop 202 often described as congestion on this portion of I-10. ing this section of freeway the Cobble“horrific” by Chandler residents.

THE SUNDAY SANTAN SUN NEWS | FEBRUARY 16, 2020

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THE SUNDAY SANTAN SUN NEWS | FEBRUARY 16, 2020

Cactus League brings over $300M to Valley BY CHRISTOPHER BOAN

Staff Writer

A springtime rite of passage for baseball fans returns to the Valley in next weekend, with the dawning of the 2020 Cactus League. The 15-team league, which has its first game Friday, Feb. 21, and runs through the end of March, brings Major League Baseball competition to 10 fields in the region. The games technically don’t count in the year-end standings, but make a huge impact on the state’s economy, according to ASU’s Daniel Marburger. Marburger, a clinical professor in the W.P. Carey School of Business, said the league makes a unique impact unlike any other sporting event in the region. “It’s a little bit different than trying to estimate the economic impact of, let’s say, the Super Bowl, which is people coming in from the outside to go to the game, they spend some money here for the weekend and then they go back, because with the Cactus League, you have people who are retirees, snowbirds, who have chosen Arizona, chosen Phoenix, because it’s where the Cubs play,” Marburger said. “Maybe they would have retired in Florida, or maybe they’d be snowbirds in Florida if the Cubs were playing in Florida,” he continued, adding: “So, it’s not just visitors who came up for an event and then went home, or even a better example would be, let’s say, the Arizona Cardinals. Well, most people who go to a Cardinals game, live in Phoenix, the Phoenix area, and therefore you really don’t count them, because they’re not coming in from the outside. But when you have permanent residents or semi-permanent residents who have actually chosen Phoenix because of Cactus League baseball.” The research by Marburger and his colleagues at the W.P. Carey School of Business backs up his point. The college’s 2018 study found the Cactus League brought in $315.7 million in economic impact, with $122.6 million being spent on bars and restaurants while $89.8 million was spent on lodging and accommodations. What stands out for Cactus League Baseball Association Executive Director Bridget Binsbacher is the impact the exhibition has on the communities hosting the league’s 10 stadiums. “I’ve been focusing on really trying to understand the different models existing in all of our spring training cities,” Binsbacher said. “They’re all different and their impact on the community, their relationship with the community, with the team, they’re all unique to one another.” The league, which was founded in 1947, has entrenched itself in Grand Canyon State sporting lore, with generations of fans flocking to the venues each year. ASU’s economic impact study found the league drew 1,737,975 fans for the 2019 season, across 220 games, averaging out at 7,900 people per contest. Leading the way in 2019, in terms of attendance, were the Chicago Cubs, who drew 13,939 fans per game, a .4%

increase over 2018. The Arizona Diamondbacks (10,628) and Los Angeles Dodgers (10,326) were the other franchises to draw more than 10,000 fans per game in 2019. The San Diego Padres saw the largest year-over-year increase, in terms of pergame attendance, gaining 12%, to 6,704 fans per contest. The league’s ability to draw in fans from across the country year after year is important for a number of reasons, according to Binsbacher.

as a month-long advertisement for the state and its way of life, according to Marburger. “You’ve got a bunch of teams, and if you’re loyal to one of those teams and you’re from someplace else and you come here for a vacation or come here as a snowbird or a retiree,” Marburger said. “Now these are people who are permanent or semi-permanent residents who were influenced by the Cactus League.” This draw isn’t lost on Binsbacher,

tremendous opportunity and we really have to take care of “It’sita and understand what it means to our economy, to our communities, to our local businesses. ” – Bridget Binsbacher Mainly, attendance is vital, as the league itself is a nonprofit organization using its proceeds to fund a number of causes, such as scholarships for local teenagers. Binsbacher believes the league can gain on its altruistic roots, serving the region off the field while entertaining the masses with top-notch action on the diamond. “As a result of volunteer work and the various relationships we’ve built, we generate more than $2.6 million in funding,” Binsbacher said. “Whether it’s scholarships or grants or different funding for various programs, mostly youth-based in various communities. “So, it’s just another impact we weren’t talking about before that we’re really starting to look at how we can measure it and really continue to focus and grow on that.” Above all, the Cactus League serves

who cited the state’s unique position as one of two states, along with Florida, hosting Spring Training games, as an economic tour de force. “We’re so fortunate to have this league here,” Binsbacher said. “There are two states in the entire country hosting these types of games and Arizona is one of them. And we do an amazing job at it and it has a tremendous impact on the state as a whole. “It’s a tremendous opportunity and we really have to take care of it and understand what it means to our economy, to our communities, to our local businesses.” Marburger saw this impact first-hand, watching the league bloom from its more austere roots to an economic powerhouse and grows with each passing year. The ASU economic professor remembers when he was a Ph.D. student in Tempe during the late-1980s, when

he could walk to see the Cubs play at Hohokam Stadium in Mesa. Now, the Cubs have their own palatial complex, Sloan Park, which was built in 2014 for $99 million, with a league-high capacity of 15,000. Such a move highlights the exponential growth in popularity of Cactus League games and the continued draw of flocking to the ballparks within the Valley each spring, Marburger believes. “Back then, it was close enough to where I lived, I could actually just walk to the games, and sometimes I did,” Marburger said. “And now they’ve got the entire complex at Mesa. So, there was a recognition the Cubs, in particular, have such a big following, and a lot of Chicagoans like coming to Arizona to escape winter, so they put the two together.” Marburger believes the league’s longevity has helped bake baseball into the bloodlines of local residents, as we’ve grown accustomed to seeing the best players in the world play in intimate venues throughout the region for decades. Such a feat illustrates the unique relationship the Cactus League has within the state’s sports landscape, with unmatched quality and intimacy. “I remember, when I was in graduate school, driving up Scottsdale Road one day, and there were the (San Francisco) Giants doing some warmups, and I thought, ‘This is interesting I’m living in a place where you can just drive up the street and there’s a professional baseball team outside and they’re not drawing a big crowd,’” Marburger recalls. “It wasn’t like people were like, ‘Oh my gosh, look at the San Francisco Giants.’ We took it for granted, yeah, we had baseball here.”

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from page 1

Arizona Avenue can have up to 21,700 cars passing through its intersection with Queen Creek Road. Ray Road averages 22,500 cars through the Dobson Road intersection, where 2,189 camera tickets were issued. The Alma School and Ray roads intersection, which logged the least amount of traffic-camera tickets in 2018, has an average traffic volume ranging between 16,600 and 18,500 cars per day. Chandler installed its first red-light cameras in 2000 at four intersections in the city’s northern region. Seven years later, a feature was added to the cameras allowing them to detect drivers violating speed limits. In 2016, the city entered into a five-year contract with a new vendor, American Traffic Solutions, to deploy cameras at 12 of the city’s worst intersections for traffic accidents. “This is a program to help the safety of citizens in a place where we could have some of the worst accidents and loss of lives and severe bodily injury to people who are unknowingly hit by red-light runners,” former Mayor Jay

Tibshraeny said when the city council approved the new contract. The total number of car crashes reported citywide has increased

from 4,611 in 2016 to 4,715 in 2018, according to the Arizona Department of Transportation. Chandler’s population grew by about 10,000 residents during the same time frame. The number of accidents reported at the 12 intersections with traffic cameras varies. The McQueen-Queen Creek intersection had 11 traffic accidents during the last six months of 2018; it recorded the lowest number of tickets among the 12 intersections. The 38 accidents at the Dobson-Ray intersection were the most mishaps at any intersection with camera enforcement. Though law enforcement officials consider the cameras an effective method to make roads safer, they’re often unpopular among residents and politicians. Ashley Beydler of Tempe often sees the cameras flashing at the McQueen-Queen Creek intersection and doesn’t think they do much to change driving behavior.

“Almost nobody seems to go the speed limit,” Beydler said. “Everyone always seems to be speeding over there just because they think they can.” She got a red-light ticket in 2018 for passing through the intersection after leaving her family’s home in Chandler. Beydler completed a driving class and is warier now of which intersections have traffic cameras. Lawmakers in the Arizona Legislature have repeatedly tried and failed to ban red-light cameras in the state by calling the devices a form of “tyranny.” The Phoenix City Council chose to deactivate its red-light cameras in 2019, fearing the program appeared to be too much of a “money grab.” During the first year Chandler expanded its traffic cameras in 2016, the city lost $131,000 in expenses to operate the program. The following year, the city earned a profit of about $108,000. The city’s profits then increased to $178,099 in fiscal year 2019. It cost the city $642,526 to administer the red-light cameras during the last fiscal year with about $300,000 paid to American Traffic Solutions. Any profits the city earns from traffic cameras must be spent on safety initiatives like message boards alerting drivers of their speed.

Man dies after ﬂeeing Chandler police

SANTAN SUN NEWS STAFF

A 32-year-old man’s scuffle with a Chandler Police officer on Jan. 27, started a series of events and ended in his death, after wrecking his car, with a woman jailed and the officer hospitalized. Kevin Smallman died from a gunshot wound sustained during a chaotic getaway attempt near the Hampton Inn Hotel on Detroit Street. He attempted to outrun Officer Jonathan Castlegrante but the officer ended up in the car before Smallman crashed into a brick wall. The Jan. 26 incident began on when Castlegrante spotted a white Toyota Prius reported stolen. The officer attempted to pull the vehicle over but the driver did not stop and fled. The following morning, Castlegrante

Kevin Smallman

noticed the same Toyota Prius parked outside a hotel on West Detroit Street and saw Smallman exit the vehicle. The officer approached Smallman and his 26-year-old companion, Krystal Ehrlich, and advised the suspect he was under arrest. Smallman and Ehrlich ran out of the hotel and jumped back into the stolen car. Castlegrante ran after the couple and attempted to detain Smallman from inside the vehicle. Smallman then started the vehicle and drove it with Castlegrante still inside. As the two men struggled, Castlegrante pushed the emergency button on his portable radio, which allowed dispatchers and other officers to hear what was happening inside the car. They reported hearing Castlegrante yell “Don’t do it, I’ll shoot you.”

The officer fired one round from his weapon, striking Smallman and causing him to crash. Castlegrante, Smallman, and Ehrlich were all pulled from the vehicle and transported to the hospital for injuries. Castlegrante was released from the hospital later that day. Ehrlich was treated for minor injuries and booked into jail for two drug charges. Smallman died at the hospital. Smallman previously served time in the Arizona Department of Corrections for burglary, theft, and DUI charges. Castlegrante transferred to Chandler Police in February 2018, after working for the Yuma Police Department for five years. Chandler Police said its investigation into the incident is ongoing and did not give the cause of Smallman’s death.

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THE SUNDAY SANTAN SUN NEWS | FEBRUARY 16, 2020

Around Chandler Bikes lanes to be extended from Tempe to Chandler

Chandler’s Public Works Department plans to spend more than $5 million next month on new bike lanes allowing cyclists to travel between Tempe and Chandler. According to a number of contracts recently brought before the Chandler City Council, the city wants to extend two of Tempe’s bike lanes on Kyrene Road and McClintock Drive and bring them across the Chandler border. The bike paths will continue southward until they reach Chandler Boulevard. Public Works Director John Knudson said it’s taken the city nearly 10 years of planning and meetings to finally bring these new bike paths to fruition. Chandler already has a wide network of bike lanes running along its many arterial streets. The addition of two more lanes is expected to make the roads a bit safe in Chandler’s northern region – an area known for having a higher volume of cyclist-involved accidents. According to data collected by the city, Chandler had 312 car accidents involving cyclists between 2013 and 2017. More than half of these collisions occurred north of the Loop 202 and at least 14 of them took place on Kyrene Road and McClintock Drive. The northern part of Arizona Avenue, stretching from Pecos to Warner roads, has had some of the most accidents involving cyclists in recent years.

A recent update to the city’s Transportation Master Plan recommends adding more bike lanes to Arizona Avenue by 2040. Knudson said the majority of costs for adding Chandler’s new bike lanes are covered by federal grants. The city matches about 17 percent of the project’s expenses. The $5.3-million project awards contracts to three different vendors: $4.7 million to the construction company, $564,000 to the engineer, and $39,500 for post-design services. Construction’s expected to start in March and will likely conclude by November, Knudson added. “This work will be done in a very efficient manner,” the director said. “It shouldn’t be too disruptive to traffic.”

Arians Foundation plans foster care fundraiser

The Arians Family Foundation will host “A Night at the Museum” at 6:30 p.m. Feb. 22 at the Chandler Museum to benefit its support for Voices for CASA Children, a nonprofit organization providing CASA volunteers (Court Appointed Special Advocates), who assist children the foster care system. This fashion-forward evening will include with specialty drinks, fare of local chefs and live music with a special performance by NBC’s hit show “The Voice” finalist Mary Sarah. Jake Arians, the president of the

Arians Family Foundation, will discuss his family’s journey in support of advocacy for foster children. The evening will conclude with a live painting from local Chandler artist Justin Pierce. Information: ariansfamilyfoundation.com or 505-307-3635.

Mayor Hartke to discuss the state of the city

Chandler Mayor Kevin Hartke and the City Council will deliver his annual State of the City address beginning with a Made in Chandler Expo at 5:30 p.m. Feb. 20, at the Chandler Center for the Arts, 250 N. Arizona Ave. During the Made in Chandler Expo, attendees will experience local products, food, beverages and art created in Chandler and will have the opportunity to meet the entrepreneurs and makers behind them. Participating businesses include YoYo Factory, Zinger Bats, Intel, Crayola, Spooky’s Swirls and more. The theme of this year’s State of the City will focus on Chandler as a Community of Innovation and highlight the successes of those Made in Chandler. The speech will be broadcast live on Facebook and at chandleraz. gov/StateOfTheCity the following week. The event is free and open to the public. RSVPs are preferred, but not required. Attendees may RSVP online at chandlerazgov/StateOfTheCity.

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Chandler Airport master plan subject of public event

The City of Chandler is developing a master plan for Chandler Municipal Airport and as part of the process is holding three open houses to discuss findings and get public input. The first open house will be held from 5:30–7:30 p.m. is Feb. 26, at Quantum Helicopters, 2401 S. Heliport Way. Residents interested in attending may RSVP online at chandleraz.gov/ AirportMasterPlan or chandler.airportstudy.com. RSVPs are encouraged, but not required. “The plan is a comprehensive, longrange study of the airport describing a course of action for the facility to provide a safe and efficient environment to accommodate future aviation activity in Chandler,” the city said in a release. The airport is home to approximately 500 based aircraft and more than 225,000 annual aircraft operations. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) recommends public-use airports like Chandler Municipal Airport prepare a new master plan every seven to 10 years. Chandler is one of the first cities nationwide to implement a free texting service for customers and contractors to schedule \ inspections and receive results via text messaging. “Most contractors utilize smartSee

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THE SUNDAY SANTAN SUN NEWS | FEBRUARY 16, 2020

Dolls attached to intravenous tubes (left), wearing a cast (center) or carrying a portable oxygen tanks,(right) are among Chand;ler dollmaker Rachel Leland's creations. (Chris Mortenson/Staff Photographer)

DOLLS

from page 1

someone hoping to help Leland bring the dolls back into production. Shanna Israel, a professional artist from Scottsdale, has years of marketing experience working with big corporations like Target and Nike. She knows how to creatively sell a product and thinks Leland’s dolls are capable of finding a bigger audience. After coming across Leland’s life story, Israel said she was instantly motivated to help the Chandler woman promote her unique idea. “It was really meaningful for me to figure out a way to viably take this that she’s created and help shed light and share light to so many other people around the world and try to make a real, viable business out of this,” Israel said.

Both women have struggled with health problems for several years and can empathize with the people who have bought Leland’s dolls. Leland was diagnosed with Lyme disease as a teenager and spent most of her adolescence confined to a wheelchair.

Leland pursued creative endeavors and taught herself how to crochet stuffed animals. She started with a bunny rabbit and secretly wondered what it might look like without one of its limbs. “I had no idea why I was doing it,” she recalled, “but I was bored and I just

really meaningful for me to ﬁgure out a way to viably take this that “she’Itswascreated and help shed that light and share that light to so many other people around the world and try to make a real, viable business out of this. ” – Shanna Israel Exposure to black mold during college further hindered Leland’s health, requiring her to detoxify for several months at home. During these bouts with illness,

wanted to see if I could do it.” Israel said she’s seen at least 100 doctors during a 15-year period for thyroid disease, West Nile Virus, and trauma sustained from a near-fatal car accident.

Dealing with chronic health problems is a daily struggle, Israel said, and so much of the struggle can be invisible to others. These stuffed animals make health struggles more visible to the public, the women said, and can serve as teaching tools for young children who may not understand why their classmates or siblings look differently. Leland and Israel said their health is much better now and they wish to spend their time promoting artwork and stories uplifting others. The duo is hoping to find a corporate partner willing to merchandise Leland’s dolls and make them available to buy in retail stores. “I always wanted to be able to have them in children’s hospitals,” Leland added. More information on Leland’s dolls can be found at artxshanna.com.

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SUICIDE

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released him until it was repaired.’’ She recalled her own apprehension when she learned the treatment center was going to discharge Jacob. Jacob had spent five days in a treatment center in September 2015. He was readmitted in October 2015, only to be discharged another five days later after an insurance company decided his hospitalization was unnecessary. “I’m worried, I’m not sure he’s ready to come home,’’ Denslow said. She said Jacob’s follow-up care for treatment of bipolar disorder was inadequate. It included seeing a psychiatrist once a month and waiting months to see a counselor. Jacob’s state of mind seemed to improve. Only after his death did Denslow learn it’s easy to misinterpret the actions of a mentally ill person, who may only be signaling they are comfortable with taking their own life. Three months after Jacob’s discharge, he was found dead. If the bill passes, his mother said, “It helps us to know Jake is still making a positive impact on people’s lives.” She believes with the proper recognition of warning signs and follow up treatment - teen suicide is 100 percent preventable. “It’s about saving lives and saving our kids,’’ Denslow said. Katey McPherson, a former long-

THE SUNDAY SANTAN SUN NEWS | FEBRUARY 16, 2020

and says, here are some commonalities, now we can attack the problem,’’ she said. “It’s a point of reference to start looking at the root causes.’’ Denslow has recruited some powerful allies, including Gov. Doug Ducey. She said Ducey’s office suggested the bill seek the $8 million for addressing the mental health needs of students. The bill is sponsored in the state Senate by Sen. Kate Brophy-McGee, R-Phoenix, a well as Bowie and Mesnard. Weninger is ushering it through the House. “Insurance companies should be covering mental health, just like they cover an annual Ben and Denise Denslow were prompted by their 15-year-old son's suicide to start the Jem Foundation, which advocates for teens' physical. And we’re mental health and more attention to ways to prevent teen suicide. (File photo) going to make sure they do,’’ Ducey said friend or girlfriend, getting a bad grade time East Valley educator and a suicide in the annual State of the State address in school, or having easy access to an prevention advocate, said the suicide on Jan. 13. improperly stored firearm. mortality review team will help save Natalia Chimbo-Andrade, director of “For me, whenever we have data in lives by identifying the common factors community education and outreach for front of us, we can look at the protecleading to suicides. Community Bridges, a behavioral health tive factors, what would have preventThese factors sometimes include agency in Mesa, said approval of last ed this death,’’ McPherson said. emotional problems related to family “When a review team comes out relationships, breaking up with a boySee on page 18

SUICIDE

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THE SUNDAY SANTAN SUN NEWS | FEBRUARY 16, 2020

Rockets, hi-tech wow kids at Science Spectacular BY KATHERINE NOWICKI Contributor

Aspiring scientists, engineers and mathematicians flocked to AJ Chandler Park in Chandler recently for the city’s ninth annual Chandler Science Spectacular. The Chandler Science Spectacular is one of 4,500 events part of the statewide Arizona SciTech Festival, which began Jan. 25, with Connect2STEM in Phoenix and will continue through April. It also is one of the fest’s 100 signature events. The event is organized by the City of Chandler Economic Development Division and was sponsored by Intel, Northrop Grumman and First Things First. “Our main goal is to inspire kids to dream STEAM,” said Liz Sidlov, a Northrop Grumman structural test engineer Liz Sidlov, referring to science, technology, engineering, the arts, and mathematics. “That’s what our team is called, Dream STEAM Team,” Sidlov added. “So, we want to inspire kids to ask questions about the world around them, to feel like they’re capable of doing science and math and doing it in a fun way and hopefully get them interested in pursuing careers in science, math, technology and engineering.

Nikhil Chinnuasay and Samiksha Nandagopal listen to a presentation on sustainability while at right, 6-year-old Andrew Shandor learns how much objects weigh on different planets during the Chandler Science Spectacular. (Pablo Robles/Staff Photographer)

“I think we do a pretty good job by making a lot of these really supposedly high level, hard to reach topics easily digestible at a grade school level.” Intel offered visitors the chance to experience “computer visioning” through demos and other activities concerning computer science basics. “The activities are specifically for junior high and high school students,” said spokeswoman Renee Levin. “But

we do demos for everyone regardless of age.” This year, Levin was one of the judges for a competition students can join. Each winner is awarded $500 to go towards their organization or program. The competition included three categories: most educational, most creative and most passionate. ACP - Erie and Hamilton High won the Most Educational Award; Basha

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SCIENCE on page 19

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SUICIDE

THE SUNDAY SANTAN SUN NEWS | FEBRUARY 16, 2020

from page 16

year’s bill, the Mitch Warnock Act, was critical in prevention. It requires, as of the 2020-21 school year, all teachers and other school employees who serve kids in sixth through 12th grade receive training within three years on how to recognize the early warning signs of suicide and what to do. But she said prevention, while laudable, needs to be followed up with safeguards to ensure access to proper treatment. “This whole bill is a game-changer for Arizona and for those who work in behavioral health,’’ Chimbo-Andrade said. Chimbo-Andrade said the state funding would allow school districts to contract with behavioral health agencies to treat the mental health needs of students or to provide the services through their own counselors and seek reimbursement. “It’s the missing piece of the puzzle,’’ she said. “You can scream from the mountain tops about prevention and education, but if you don’t provide the services, it’s all for nothing.’’ Weninger said he supports state

want any other family “toWegodon’t through this. That’s why we are ﬁghting so hard,’’ Denise Denslow said. “We deﬁnitely have momentum from last year and we are going to build on that. It’s a huge next step and I am really proud of this bill. – Denise Denslow

’’

oversight to ensure insurance companies are following the federal parity law. “It’s creating the ability of mental health coverage to be extended to school campuses,’’ he said. “We are trying to make sure we are all on same page and they are all covered by the same statute,’’ Weninger added He said his bill in the House mirrors Brophy-McGee’s Senate bill. “It’s a great bi-partisan bill. I think Kate’s got all but four senators on board,’’ Weninger said, noting: “You are always going to have partisanship, but there’s no room for it on

this issue.’’ Denslow said she receives reports every couple of weeks from frustrated parents who tell her how a child suffering from a mental health illness has been turned down for treatment. “We definitely hear folks want this coverage. They often find out they are not covered,’’ said Bowie, one of the primary sponsors of the Mitch Warnock Act. Although Bowie and Ducey are members of different parties and clash on other issues, Bowie praised the governor for his support of mental health. He said there appears to be a consensus problems with mental health

affect everyone. Bowie is sponsoring three additional bills aimed at addressing mental health. They include authorizing the state Department of Education to set rules for allow students an excused absence for mental health reasons, such as being victimized by bullying. The others include requiring all students in teaching, counseling and social worker instruction receive training in suicide awareness and prevention and requiring all school districts use identification cards for students in grades 9-12 and include phone numbers for suicide prevention hotlines.

Suicide prevention symposium for parents Chandler child psychologist Dr. Paula McCall is holding a special free seminar on teen suicide prevention for parents 9 a.m.-2 p.m. Feb. 29, at the Chandler Community Center, 125 E. Commonwealth Avenue, Chandler. Called Prepared Parenting, the symposium will feature University of Arizona psychology grad students and licensed

psychologists addressing a range of teen-related issues, including suicide prevention, vaping, social media and anxiety. A panel of teens will address parents’ questions and breakfast and lunch will be provided without charge. Information/registration: preparedparentingaz.org.

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COMMUNITY NEWS

THE SUNDAY SANTAN SUN NEWS | FEBRUARY 16, 2020

SMILE AND EAT CONFIDENTLY

Audrey Heppner, 5, learns how to operate a miniature lunar Rover during the Science Spectacular. (Pablo Robles/Staff Photogrpher)

SCIENCE

from page 17

a free hour-long concert of musical selections from science-related media, such as Star Trek – complete with a recitation of the show’s opening monologue “Space: the final frontier.” The goal of these pop culture references as with the rest of the Chandler Science Spectacular is to encourage the next generation to take an interest in science. “It’s just a way to show how fun

ing the organization participated. Northrop Grumman launched a rocket every half hour. A balloon payload was put into a 1/20th scale Antares model rocket and kids helped to install igniters for the motors. Other activities included a heavy water exhibit simulating how heavy a gallon of milk would be on each planet and the moon, an exhibit focused on waves and wave travel, and new activities focused on guidance navigation control. In addition, stomp rockets were set up so children could send them off and watch them soar across the grass. Northrop Grumman also provided passports children got stamped after completing activities. Once completed, a passport could be exchanged for prizes. Other groups participating in the 2020 Chandler Science Spectacular included Waymo, the Girl Scouts, and the U.S. Navy. Visitors could also inter- Mackenzie Ermer, 5, plays with a rocket launcher during the science act with characters from the event. popular franchise Star Wars (Pablo Robles/Staff Photographer) through Dune Sea Garrison stormtroopers and Jedi. Two stormscience can be,” said Stephanie Romero, troopers and two Jedi walked around chief information officer of Chandler. and took pictures with visitors. “At the city of Chandler, we’re known as Chandler Science Spectacular also partnered with the Chandler Symphony a community of innovation. And so, in order to continue this Orchestra, which provided a musical inspirit of innovation and entrepreneurstrument “petting zoo” complete with a ship, we’re going to need makers, we’re keyboard, a triangle, a violin and a cello. going to need entrepreneurs. This is a The orchestra took the stage to play great way to introduce them.”

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COMMUNITY NEWS

THE SUNDAY SANTAN SUN NEWS | FEBRUARY 16, 2020

Bill would treat noise complaints like DUIs BY HOWARD FISCHER

Capitol Media Services

State lawmakers are moving to subject noise complaints to the same standards as speeding violations – only police could issue them if they have the proper equipment. Officers would be required to measure the sound level with a calibrated meter, much the same way speeding violations require the use of a calibrated radar gun. The 5-1 vote last week by the House Committee on Regulatory Affairs comes from complaints by Mehmood Mohiuddin, owner of the Hitching Post restaurant in Apache Junction. He said he was repeatedly cited by city officials for excessive noise and told lawmakers it was based on complaints from neighbors who were armed only with videos. State Rep. Kelly Townsend, R-Mesa, said such citations are arbitrary. Central to the issue is a state law making it a public nuisance to interfere “with the comfortably, enjoyment of life or property by an entire community or neighborhood or by a considerable number of persons’’ in a way that is “offensive to the senses or an obstruction to the free use of property.’’ “That’s up to interpretation by whoever is reading this,’’ Townsend said. “And it’s quite vague.’’ She wants the law to reflect any pros-

Rep. Travis Grantham ecution under state public nuisance laws based on noise complaints “must include an accurate recording and measurement of the noise made by a peace officer.’’ HB 2389 spells out the scale to be used, how samples should be taken and even the technical requirements for the type of sound meter to be used. Rep. Pamela Powers Hannley, D-Tucson, said it effectively would require all police departments to outfit patrol cars with these meters. A Chandler Police spokesman said its patrol cars currently are not equipped with decibel meters, but the department has two at its disposal. Townsend conceded she has no idea

how much it would cost. But she said it’s fairer than what occurs now where the “evidence’’ produced against property owners often consists only of cell phone videos from nearby residents. And, Townsend said, hardly qualifies as “valid for sound measurement.’’ Mohiuddin said videos he claims were altered were the basis for hundreds of complaints against him and he has had to defend himself against noise complaints at the city’s board of adjustment. He told lawmakers he has had to sell his home to pay his legal fees. Townsend said there’s no reason these complaints are being handled without real, measurable evidence which was gathered by a peace officer. Nick Ponder, lobbyist for the League of Arizona Cities and Towns, said the legislation puts cities in the business of having interceding every time someone files a noise complaint. “The last thing our police officers want to do is respond to a noise call, frankly,’’ he said. “They have other things they could be spending their time on.’’ Townsend was unconvinced. “I understand a police officer doesn’t want to have to go and see a call on noise,’’ she said. But Townsend said it’s important for a judge or hearing officer to have all the relevant – and reliable – evidence. “If you’re going to charge somebody, they’re going to have to defend themselves and spend thousands of dollars,’’ she said. “We don’t want this happening on a he said/she said basis by some-

body who’s disgruntled.’’ This argument was buttressed by Braden Biggs, a member of the Apache Junction Board of Adjustment. “When one of our police officers cites somebody for a speeding violation, they have to do so with a radar gun,’’ he told lawmakers. “That gun is required to be calibrated and logged and tracked, consistently,’’ Biggs said, providing documentation the officer is able to review and present when there is as hearing. “This should also be the case when it comes to noise violations.’’ This still leaves the question of cost. Rep. Travis Grantham, R-Gilbert, said he did a quick Google search and found sound meters for as little as $19.90 and as much as $376.95. There was no immediate indication which of these, if any, would prove acceptable for use under Townsend’s legislation. Powers Hannley told Mohiuddin it sounds like he’s being targeted. “And it’s very unfair,’’ she said. “I’m not sure this bill is the fix for it, though,’’ saying one of the issues for her vote against the measure is the potential cost. Townsend said she does not want this to be an unfunded mandate on cities, suggesting if her measure advances, she may look to have the state provide some dollars to communities to purchase the devices. The measure now goes to the full House following routine constitutional review.

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COMMUNITY NEWS

THE SUNDAY SANTAN SUN NEWS | FEBRUARY 16, 2020

EV button collectors ready to show their treasure BY LACEY LYONS Staff Writer

Button collecting is more than just putting them in your mom’s button box as they fall off your clothing. And to prove it, the Saguaro Button Club of the East Valley will be hosting the annual Arizona State Button show in Avondale on the weekend of Feb. 22. The National Button Society, which was established in 1983, is now made up of 44 societies in America, 8 international societies and has over 3,000 members who want to emphasize the study and preservation of clothing buttons. Barb Johnson of Mesa and Michele Fox of Chandler will be entering trays of their own collection into the show for judging. Johnson, a member of the Saguaro Button Club since 1970, said her mother, Louise Sample, was a button collector and also member of the National Button Society. As a young child, Johnson said she found her mother’s collection silly. “I collected rocks and stamps when I was younger but never imaged having an interest in collecting buttons like my mother,” Johnson said. Around age 30, Johnson said she found her love and appreciation for button collecting and bonded with her mother’s passion, starting her own collection. Johnson then inherited her mother’s button collection after her passing in 1992. Johnson now has over 25,000 vintage to modern buttons and has been a collector and show goer for 50 years. “I do not think of the money my collection is worth, but rather the educational side and how interesting it is to learn about the material, use and age of the button,” said Johnson, adding buttons are only worth what people will pay for them. “I have never met a bad person in button collecting, everyone who is in

Michele Fox of Chandler shows off some of the hundreds of buttons she has collected over the years, many of which will be don display next weekend at the Arizona Button Show next weekend in Avondale. (Lacey Lyons/Staff Writer)

the group is there to learn about and expand their personal button collection,” said Johnson. This year, Johnson will be entering 16 trays of her finest buttons into the show. Johnson said she will continue to add to her collection but does not have future plans of passing it down anytime soon The Saguaro Button Club is always looking for passionate button collectors to join their group, Johnson said.

Fox also inherited her button collection from her mother. Along with the collection came a button box house made by a woman who rented a room in her mother’s house. The button house is made out of a cardboard box with a wood frame and has over 750 buttons of various materi-

als sewn to it. “This house really makes you wonder how the women were able to collect this many buttons,” said Fox. Fox added she imagined neighbors and friends would cut the buttons off their clothing to give to the woman to expand her collection. Today, collectors use wire to attach the buttons to the display boards instead of sewing them on, Fox said, adding it makes it easier to switch around the display for shows. “Buttons came before zippers and were a staple of the clothing back then,” said Fox. Fox joined the National Button Society in 2014, and quickly learned the ropes of button collecting. “Now that I am retired from the workforce, I have time to collect and sell buttons as my hobby,” said Fox. She said she purchases her buttons from the shows she attends, shopping at vintage markets and online stores. Fox also uses modern buttons to crate art to give to her family on holidays. Fox said she will be entering seven trays into the competition this year and hopes to pass her collection down to her granddaughter, Hannah, in the future. The 2020 Arizona State Button show will be held on Feb. 22 and 23, at the Hilton Garden Inn hotel located on the cross streets of Avondale Blvd. and Van Buren Street. There will be multiple educational button programs both days and a large exhibit of buttons from the 18th century to modern times will be displayed during the show. Showroom hours for the purchase of vintage to modern buttons will be on Saturday Feb. 22 from 10 a.m. until 5 p.m. and on Sunday Feb 23 from 10 a.m. until 3 p.m. Information: facebook.com/ArizonaStateButtonSociety.

Around Chandler

AROUND

from page 12

phones to conduct business while a project is under construction and, with this new service, customers need only their smartphones for scheduling inspections and obtaining results,” said Derek Horn, director, Chandler’s Development Services Department. To schedule an inspection, text any of these commands: “schedule, s, or sched” to 844-281-3520, along with 1) the permit number, 2) the inspection code to be scheduled, and 3) the date for the inspection to occur. There must be spaces in between each item. For text examples, or to view a list of inspections and their codes, visit chandleraz.gov/inspections. Customers will still have the option to schedule

inspections by phone through the response system at 480-782-3100, or online at chandleraz.gov/DevelopmentPermits. For additional assistance, customers can call the Department at 480-782-3074.

Chandler man killed in Sacaton accident

A Chandler man was killed on Feb. 4 in a two-vehicle accident near Sacaton. Charles L. Kittrell, 52, died at the scene of an accident reported at about 6 a.m. on State Route 87 near milepost 151. According to the Arizona Department of Public Safety, a white sports utility vehicle entered SR-87 and crossed paths with a Volkswagen hatchback driven by Kittrell. The Volkswagen smashed into the left side of the SUV.

The other driver, a 34-year-old Casa Grande man, was taken to the hospital for minor injuries. No criminal charges have been filed against him. DPS did not specify whether impairment may have been a factor in causing the accident. Kittrell was not wearing a seat belt at the time of the collision, according to DPS. Public records show Kittrell had worked as a safety manager for CoreCivic, which operates several privately-owned prisons across Pinal County. He had previously served in the U.S. Marine Corps as a small-arms repair technician from 1989 to 1993. A GoFundMe.com page made a few days after Kittrell’s death has generated more than $5,000 in donations to cover funeral expenses.

On the page, Kittrell’s family described him as kind, patient, loyal and passionate. He loved spending time outdoors with his dogs and horses “We are all so very blessed we got the opportunity to know such a great man,” the family wrote in a statement, “He had so many traits we wish most people had.” A memorial service was held Feb. 9 in Chandler.

Pollack Chabad Center looks at ‘Ballerina of Auschwitz

The presentation by best-selling author and concentration camp survivor Edith Eger, called the “The Ballerina of Auschwitz,” will be at 6:15 p.m. Feb. 25 at Pollack Chabad Center for Jewish Life, See

AROUND on page 23

COMMUNITY NEWS

THE SUNDAY SANTAN SUN NEWS | FEBRUARY 16, 2020

Around Chandler

AROUND

875 N. McClintock Drive, Chandler. People of all ages and faiths are encouraged to attend this story of how Eger, as a Jewish teenager who managed to save her and her sister’s life by dancing for Josef Mengele, the “Angel of Death” at the concentration camp. Her story has been lauded by numerous celebrities, including Oprah. Space is limited and tickets ranging between $15 and $180 are available at: chabadcenter.com/event. Chandler, AZ 85226

building. The just-completed building has a three-story glass-lined lobby with modern furnishings, 50,000-squarefoot floor plates, high 14-foot interior office ceilings and “country-club style restrooms” with men’s and women’s showers on all floors. Common area amenities include a 1.25-mile running path, first-floor patio area and designated food truck court. The building is topped off with an elevator-served VIP roof deck designed for tenant collaboration and events with shaded seating areas, a spectator bar, gas barbeques, designated area for lawn games, full restrooms and stunning views.

New office building opens at Freeway Crossing

Young entrepreneurs to market wares in Chandler

from page 22

Developer Mark IV Capital has completed its fourth office building at Chandler Freeway Crossing. Dubbed 2625 at Chandler Freeway Crossing, the new building features Class A, country-club-style amenities. The building joins three existing Mark IV buildings at the 40-acre Chandler Freeway Crossing project, bringing the business park to more than 425,000 square feet of completed space. The park’s first three buildings are fully leased and an additional, 150,000-square-foot building is on the drawing board, for construction upon the successful lease-up of the 2625

Young entrepreneurs will display – and market – products they made during the first East Valley Action Children’s Business Fair 9 a.m.-noon Feb. 22 in Dr. AJ Chandler Park East, 3 S. Arizona Ave., Chandler. The free public event features 20 children between the ages of 6 and 14 created a product or service, developed a marketing strategy and now plan to interact with potential customers. Jeff Sandefer, founder of the sponsor Acton School of Business, said the fair “gives students the opportunity to spread their entrepreneurial wings and get a head start on promising business careers.”

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Chandler will hold a Special Election March 10 on a proposed amendment (Proposition 426) to the City Charter to change the dates of the city to conform with election consolidation dates per state law. The deadline to register is Feb. 10. Chandler residents who have an Arizona driver license or I.D. card may register at servicearizona.com. Residents also may access the online registration website through Maricopa County Elections at recorder.maricopa. gov/elections/registrationform.aspx. Information: chandleraz.gov/SpecialElection or 480-782-2181.

after 2 p.m. Ride tickets and all-day ride passes must be purchased separately. City gears up for Arizona Railway Day at Tumbleweed Train lovers and history buffs and people can climb aboard and explore the glory days of America’s railways during Arizona Railway Day 9 a.m.-4 p.m. Feb. 29 at the Arizona Railway Museum, 330 E. Ryan Road. The free public event is hosted each year by volunteers of the museum, located in the southwest corner of Chandler’s Tumbleweed Park. The Arizona Railway Museum is normally open from noon to 4 p.m. on Saturdays and Sundays, September through May. Information: azrymuseum.org or 480-821-1108.

Ostrich Festival announces 3 rockin’ headliners

City holding contest for customers to go paperless

Chandler special election registration deadline nears

The 32nd annual Chandler Chamber Ostrich Festival will feature the chart-topping nineties pop band 98° March 13, Grammy Award-winning American rock band Blues Traveler March 14 and the Pointer Sisters March 15. Tickets are on sale at OstrichFestival. com for both the concert and the festival. Adults are $15, seniors and children 12 and under are $8, and children 3 and under are free. Adult VIP tickets start at $50 and VIP tickets for children will be $30. Adult ticket prices on Saturday and Sunday will increase to $20 at the gates

The City of Chandler has launched a “Go Paperless Sweepstakes” for utility customers and one of them can win an iPad. Every customer who signs up for paperless billing through April 30 will be entered into the raffle. Besides a chance to win the iPad, there are other more certain benefits of going paperless, said Jason Hafen, city utility services manager, noting customers can still compare bills online and get a link to the CityScope newsletter. Information: chandleraz.gov/utilitybill or 480-782-2280.

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Local CBD provider buoyed by product’s popularity BY COTY DOLORES MIRANDA Contributor

As the use of CBD, or cannabidiol, gains traction and acceptance for treating myriad ailments and conditions, the clientele and demographics broaden. And CBD storefronts in area shopping centers like Nature’s Bloom are becoming mainstream with the public. “We’re an upscale CBD shop. We cater to a higher income group,” David Baker said of his business. Nature’s Bloom recently opened in Chandler’s Promenade at Fulton Ranch, about 10 months after Baker opened his first store in Scottsdale. The Colorado Springs, Colorado, native credits his mother Nomi Lanari, a certified master gardener with 50 years creating outstanding gardens, as influencing his love of nature. “As a kid, my chores weren’t like other kids – dusting and vacuuming. I was outside in her gardens weeding.” His mother’s battle with cancer – which her life two years ago – became a major impetus behind the look, feel and motive of Nature’s Bloom. Moreover, a long background in the telecommunications industry was profitable for Baker but unfulfilling.

David Baker’s new CBD store in Chandler, Nature’s Bloom, is handsomely decorated, but it also is filled with information on how his products can ease a wide variety of ailments. (Pablo Robles/Staff Photographer)

“I spent 25 years in telecom and I have to tell you that it was like herding cats,” he laughed. “I had a successful company, we had government contracts but I grew weary of the whole dance.” “With all the issues surrounding prescription pain relief and addiction that have become all too common, we formed Nature’s Bloom to help people

with this possible healthy alternative,” he said. His initial foray was an online operation that he started in 2018. But he sees the stigma behind CBD products continuing to wane with the educated public, though he said the industry still faces a challenge with their relatively swift introduction to the

nation’s medicinal lexicon. “This is perhaps the biggest obstacle we face daily with customers. It is easy to confuse marijuana and hemp because in the most basic of terms they come from the same family: cannabis,” he said. “The difference is that hemp refers to cannabis that contains greater than .3 percent THC, the psychoactive cannabinoid that produces the buzz in marijuana or weed.” said Baker. “At Nature’s Bloom, 100 percent of our products are produced with hemp and have been third-party tested to ensure they contain less than .3 percent THC, and are compliant with the law.” After finding great acceptance at the first Nature’s Bloom in Old Town Scottsdale – which is operated by his son Nathan – Baker was ready to test the waters in the East Valley. He found the perfect site at the upscale Promenade at Fulton Ranch. “We love the Promenade property itself. Once we located it, we took a couple months to get the store ready, and design it for the demographics,” he said as he looked around the bright interior with its variegated hardwood floors and prominent display of colorSee

BLOOM on page 26

Chandler firm gets kids on the hi-tech road early SANTAN SUN NEWS STAFF

Eleven years ago, Ken Chan was working in real estate, not too happy about that gig in the aftermath of the housing industry collapse, when he heard a remark that changed his life around. “One of my best friends noticed how good I was with children,” recalled Chan, 41. “She kept telling me that I needed to start a business involving kids.” So he checked out a computer software program called Puterbugs, liked what he saw and started approaching schools and parents about teaching their kids computer skills. The result was a technology curriculum provider called Future Kiddie in Chandler that Chan and his sister Linda have been running ever since. Future Kiddie introduces kids 3 to 7 computer navigation, keyboarding and the principles of science, technology, engineering and math in a fun atmosphere at preschools throughout the Valley. The Hong Kong natives, who immigrated to the U.S. with their family in 1996, also run another company in Chandler, called Mighty PC, that they started in 2011 to provide low-cost, slightly used computers and related equipment that has evolved into an international business.

Ken Chandler,. who co-owns Future Kiddie in Chandler with his sister Linda, makes learning computer basics fun for young children, as he is doing here with St. Maria Goretti School in Scottsdale.

Starting Future Kiddies was a rocky road at first, Ken recalled. “It was often difficult to work with schools and families who were focused on cutting costs,” he explained. “Budget is still a big consideration for many of the schools that we work with. “By bringing in the equipment and instructors needed for the classes, however, preschools are able to provide

important early tech instruction to kids without having to buy and store computers and hire staff. It’s a win-win for educators wanting to provide tech training.” The classes are taught once day per week or bi-weekly at 20 participating preschools in Mesa, Gilbert, Chandler, Ahwatukee, Scottsdale and other area communities.

Each class averages 30-40 minutes and begin with group circle time to discuss the lesson for the day, followed by age-appropriate games to teach typing and basic to advanced computer skills. Each child has access to their own computer to learn technology concepts, letter and number recognition and also leadership and teamwork development. “Future Kiddie teaches children in a way that they can easily comprehend,” Ken said. “Computers are integrated as a tool – not taught in isolation. This results in a genuine understanding and appreciation of technology.” Students also learn keyboarding, which he said “is important because it prepares the child for online testing which starts in 3rd grade in many schools.” Not surprisingly, mastering keyboarding is often the biggest challenge for children. “Some of our students take six to eight months to learn how to position their little fingers on the home row. Kids have the hardest time with proper finger placement on the top and bottom row,” Ken explained, adding: “That is understandable because even adults can take a long time to See

HI-TECH on page 26

BUSINESS

THE SUNDAY SANTAN SUN NEWS | FEBRUARY 16, 2020

Waymo partnering with UPS for Chandler deliveries SANTAN SUN NEWS STAFF

Waymo is partnering with UPS to have its autonomous vehicles help deliver packages in the East Valley. The Chandler-based company has had its fleet of autonomous minivans transporting residents around the East Valley for the last year. Now the company is entering the logistics industry by helping UPS move packages between the corporation’s facilities in Chandler and Tempe. UPS drivers currently visit individual UPS stores at the end of each day to pick up packages that will be sorted at a facility in Tempe. Waymo has agreed to dispatch its self-driving cars to UPS stores throughout the day, adding more opportunities for parcels to be sorted and shipped. Glenn Zaccara, a spokesman for UPS, said the extra support of Waymo cars will hopefully move packages faster and have them arrive on doorsteps more quickly. “We see autonomous vehicles, on the ground and in the air, as technologies that may create efficiencies for our operation, increase safety, and potentially integrate with, and augment our drivers’ work,” Zaccara said. Waymo will starting piloting its service with one UPS store in Chandler and may potentially expand to more East Valley stores in the future. Waymo cars will not be delivering

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UPS packages directly to residential homes. Therefore, UPS drivers will still be integral to the company’s operations and customer service, Zaccara noted. In response to a question as to whether relying on Waymo cars will be a cheaper delivery solution for UPS, Zaccara said the partnership is about “customer experience and operational efficiencies.” Waymo offers a ride-hailing service in the East Valley that allows residents to request rides from the autonomous cars. The company typically has an employee riding along with customers

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to monitor operations. Though Waymo has recently begun sending out some vehicles without operators, the cars delivering UPS packages will have a trained driver on board. When Waymo first arrived in Chandler a couple years ago, local residents did not always give the autonomous cars the warmest welcome. Chandler Police documented multiple instances of residents yelling and throwing rocks at Waymo’s white minivans. One Chandler man was arrested in 2018 for pointing a gun at a Waymo vehicle and was sentenced to one year

of probation. In response, Waymo’s been trying to present itself as an innovator – out to revolutionize all aspects of transportation and make Arizona’s roads safer. “We’re confident this strategic partnership with UPS will help us deliver on our goal to improve customer service and network efficiency, and ultimately, make roads safer,” Waymo Chief Operating Officer Tekedra Mawakana said. Waymo already has a partnership with the city of Chandler that makes self-driving cars available for city business. Last June, a select group of city employees were authorized to request rides from Waymo cars for trips within the East Valley area. The partnership’s goal was to allow city staff time to keep doing business while driving, rather than forcing them to operate a city vehicle to get to their destination. Waymo doesn’t discount rides taken by city staff and employees must submit their receipts to the city after each lift. At least 25 trips were taken by Chandler personnel during the first couple months of the one-year pilot program, public records show. Costs for each ride ranged between $5 and $14. Receipts show staff used Waymo cars for trips to the Chandler Museum, Origami Owl, P.F. Chang’s, Earnhardt Ford, and Thai Rama Chandler.

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BLOOM

THE SUNDAY SANTAN SUN NEWS | FEBRUARY 16, 2020

from page 24

ful blooms. “My wife Kathryn was responsible for the interior decor and flower arrangements, and I’d say it’s nothing short of fabulous.” Baker became more aware of hemp and the CBD industry while still living in Colorado. “One of my dearest friends in Colorado is a hemp farmer, and as a friend I helped him with harvesting and saw the care he put into his products,” he recalled. That friend is now a lead consultant for Nature’s Bloom Hemp Farming Consulting business. “He holds a degree in agricultural finance, and has been farming for 24 years,” said Baker. “He farms acreage of hemp in Colorado, and is available to consult with those who are thinking of farming hemp or may be having trouble with a current farm.” Baker further explained how the reclassification of hemp by law brought the CBD into public awareness. After the Farm Bill of 2018 changed the classification of hemp, the CBD industry took off. “There are many new products coming out every day from CBD coffee to CBD toothpicks and everything in between,” Baker explained. “With all of these products come lots of folks selling them as well. Some good, some

David Baker is proud of the reputation he already is developing for his products at Nature’s Bloom. (Pablo Robles/Staff Photographer)

bad, some outright crooks. We’ve got some unique products and the demographics here work very well,” said Baker. “Our Nature’s Bloom pain salve especially has proved very popular. People here play a lot of golf, tennis, pickleball and they find our pain salves help them continue or increase their activity” As he meets one-on-one with curious customers, he educates them on the various products and their benefits. “I like to explain to folks that CBD

has many great benefits that may help with things ranging from anxiety, stress, and insomnia to pain and inflammation relief. CBD is a natural anti-inflammatory and promotes cell regeneration therefore lending itself nicely to many types of products,” said Baker. “Our clients love it after a hard workout for muscle pain or injuries, and the older crowd for arthritis and chronic pain.” Afflicted by chronic pain himself due to a car accident, arthritis, plantar fasci-

HI-TECH

from page 24

get used to a keyboard – imagine little children learning it.” Kate Strohmeyer, director of the Saint Maria Goretti School in Scottsdale, said the Chans fill a void when it comes to teaching children so young the bhasics of a tool they probably will use most of their lives. “The designated space and expense of a computer lab is not conducive to a school for young children,” she said. “But this is a convenient and fun way to incorporate important technology skills. In a S.T.E.M. curriculum, it is easier on the budget to leave out the technology part and focus on the science and engineering, but Future Kiddie makes the ‘tech’ possible in our S.T.E.M. goals, and the students love it.”

itis and sciatica, Baker is a big believer in CBD, noting that he doesn’t require opioids, ibuprofen or other medications. Grant Cunningham, a Los Angeles resident who frequents Chandler often for business, is a repeat customer at Nature’s Bloom. “I wanted to try CBD because I’ve heard of the many medical benefits, particularly how it affected physical soreness and anxiety,” Cunningham explained. “I feel my soreness from sitting all day go away and my anxiety disappears.,” said Cunningham. Baker said passing along what he’s learned from experience and education in his product helps him as he meets with customers. “We are not doctors or scientists, and do not claim to cure any diseases, or anything like that. We’re just folks that have experienced the positive and non-narcotic effects of CBD. We speak to the CBD-consuming public every day and are happy to share what we have experienced and learned. We’ve just got a really good product and business seems to be better every day,” he said. As a result, he added, “Our repeat business, in particular, is just off the charts.” “We do spend the time with each and every customer, and we believe it’s important to answer their questions,” he said. “I’m not some kid out there trying to slam a sale. We are a business that believes in the health benefits of CBD.” Information: Nature’sBloom.net.

Linda Chan added, “Students learn how to use a computer properly and to respect technology as a meaningful tool they will use all their lives. In addition, the highest paying jobs of the future will require these skills. We like to think that our programs help kids get on the right track.” And that’s exactly why she and her brother believe their company can provide critical training to kids at just the right age. “Future Kiddie prepares kids for their future by teaching young children how to respect computers as a meaningful tool, not just a toy, that they will use all their lives,” Ken said, who gives free demonstrations to schools. Information: futurekiddie.com, 480-331-3068 or FutureKiddie@FutureKiddie.com.

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BUSINESS

THE SUNDAY SANTAN SUN NEWS | FEBRUARY 16, 2020

Wealthy Women Dine promotes networking BY JANELLE MOLONY Contributor

Wealthy Women Dine offers networking. The monthly Wealthy Women Dine networking group launched new events for female business owners and entrepreneurs throughout Ahwatukee and the East Valley. Organized by Chandler certified life coach Tiffany Kelly, Wealthy Women Dine is a luncheon gathering where women can get help launching their business, reaching revenue goals and even publishing books. “Several of the women were published last year,” said Kelly, author of a journal for mothers and daughters. Kelly formed the group realized the need for a women-centric program when she attended municipal and corporate networking events and saw few women and even fewer women of color at the events. “If women aren’t showing up to where business deals are being made then it’s a problem,” she said. Kelly was determined to either find or create an “empowering opportunity” for women to benefit from workshops, luncheons, golf outings and other recreation events where partnerships develop and referrals are made.

Wealthy Women Dine offers “a safe space where women can connect and feel comfortable asking for help,” said Kelly, who began inviting women to lunch last May. The group averaged seven women per event but this year she is anticipating growth as word of the group spreads. For 2020, she is planning more targeted workshops to help women create a business plan, form Tiffany Kelly of Chandler founded or update strategic Wealthy Women Dine to help empower female business owners and entrereneurs. plans, find funding (Special to AFN) and more. “Too many women are trying to grow She said women are still at a distheir businesses alone,” she said. advantage when they do not have a Many women form mentor-mentee community of like-minded supporters relationships and “because of the supto pitch their products, send referrals port [last year], we crushed so many of and provide top-notch services for each our goals,” she said. other. Kelly was invited to be one of the The common gender-slanted exkeynote speakers at a January Chrispression “I know a guy” may be fading tian business owner’s event organized away as Kelly is determined to see more through Bethel Church in Chandler. women gaining confidence to show up She promoted the value of working and speak up in their community. in the community and under the guid-

ance of an experienced mentor. On helping others grow their business through mentorship and the giving of services that cost time and talent, Kelly said, “You may sow [donate] something for free, but you never get ‘nothing’ in return.” She emphasized how in-person connections establish greater personal credibility so when a future business deal is on the table, people can say, “I know that person. I met them at…” and speak to the character of the individual. Kelly said women now in the group want to meet more than once a month. Restaurant owners also benefit from hosting the women, who enjoy a complete meal and speak well of their venue in exchange. Chris Korom, managing partner of Roy’s Pacific Rim Cuisine in Chandler said he was delighted to have been able to entertain the group with his Aloha fare. Kelly said first-timers should come ready to share their business dreams or goals, allow themselves to be held accountable for setting and achieving goals on a regular basis and be open to others weighing in. The next Wealthy Women Dine event is March 31 at Alexi’s Grille in central Phoenix. Information: TiffanyReneeSpeaks. com or Instagram @TiffanyReneeSpeaks.

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BUSINESS

THE SUNDAY SANTAN SUN NEWS | FEBRUARY 16, 2020

Solar tax credit is a very powerful, useful tool BY HAROLD WONG Guest Writer

Arizona is the thirdbiggest state in terms of cumulative amount of solar electric capacity installed through November. The top five also includes California, No. 1 and North Carolina, No. 2. Texas and Florida are fourth and fifth, respectively. The ranking is based on the equivalent number of homes supplied by solar energy. California used 26,232 megawatts (MW) with 6,828,939 equivalent homes supplied by solar energy. North Carolina 5,662 MW with 683,648 homes; Arizona’s 3,913 MW fueled 578,323 homes while Texas 3,421 MW for 408,234 homes and Florida 3,414 MW and 411,269 homes. Rounding out the top ten states are: No. 6 Nevada with 3,277 MW and 578,546 homes; No. 7 New Jersey with 3,014 MW and 496,938 homes; Maine was eighth with 2,582 MW and 436,415 homes; No. 9 New York with 1,893 MW and 326,586 homes; and Georgia was tenth with 1,762 MW and 210,881 homes, according to The Solar Energy Industries Association, with data sourced from the SEIA/Wood Mackenzie Power & Renewables Solar Market Insight.

Phoenix is third in terms of total installed solar photovoltaic (PV) capacity in the U.S. Los Angeles is first and San Diego second with Honolulu and San Jose, California taking fourth and fifth, respectively. Using a different metric, Honolulu rates No. 1 for solar energy installed per resident. In 2015, Hawaii committed to using 100 percent renewable energy by 2045. “As mayor, I am proud Honolulu continues to lead the nation with the highest solar PV capacity per capita,” said Honolulu Mayor Kirk Caldwell. The data comes from “Shining Cities 2019: The Top US Cities for Solar Energy” by Josh Chetwynd of American Solar Energy Society. There was an exciting media event Jan. 31, at the Port of San Diego, where

the newspaper reported, “California launches $44 million voucher program for clean energy freight equipment.” The neighborhood surrounding the Port of San Diego is one of 10 communities in California included in an air quality monitoring and cleanup program established after the passage of 2017’s

Assembly Bill. “Cleaner air means a better quality of life for our neighboring communities, our portside communities like Barrio Logan and National City,” said Rafael Castellanos of the Board of Port Commissioners. At some point, Arizona residents hope for similar programs to be implemented in the Phoenix area. One of the biggest personal tax incentives to promote getting involved in the solar tax credit, which provides a 26 percent tax credit in 2020. This powerful tax-reducing tool requires the equipment be owned rather than leased. These tax credits were created by the Energy Policy Act of 2015. Business solar equipment gives a tax

benefits similar to having a residential solar system on a primary residence. In 2020, the same 26 percent solar tax credit for business equipment also applied to personal residential solar systems. However, one can also benefit from depreciation or even the possibility of Section 179. Section 179 has been in the federal tax code since 1958, and allows one to expense business equipment and take the full deduction in the year it’s “placed in service.” After the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act was signed by President Trump, the Section 179 expense limit is $1 million and can even be much higher when one combines the 100 percent bonus depreciation provision. There is virtually nothing more powerful in today’s tax code than combining a 26 percent solar credit with Section 179. Free seminar and tour: “Solar Business Leasing: Enjoy a Steady 7-10 percent Return & 26 percent Tax Credit” will be held 9-11 a.m., Feb. 22 and 29 at Reefer Conversions, 4245 E. Norcroft Street, Mesa. Contact Dr. Harold Wong at (480) 706-0177 or harold_wong@hotmail.com to RSVP.

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THE SUNDAY SANTAN SUN NEWS | FEBRUARY 16, 2020

Chandler business incubator eyes high schools BY JANELLE MOLONY Contributor

Diana White, CEO of Chandler Innovations, a technology-focused business incubator and idea accelerator, is gearing up for any invention the next generation can come up with. The company has launched its new Jr. Track education and mentorship program, which helps lead high school students through the process of finding a problem or need, identifying a solution and developing their concept until it becomes a marketable prototype. A group of 9th and 10th graders from Arizona College Prep Academy partnered with Chandler Innovations recently while working on a STEM project. “They are creating a prototype for detecting heatstroke,” said White, who organized the after-school classes with their science teacher, Rachna Nath. The students will meet for 12 weeks with experienced entrepreneurs and business strategists who will guide them towards realizing their vision. White hopes to draw the attention of more schools and corporations potentially hiring the graduates later on. “There are a lot of Chandler high schools that have student groups working on projects like this and they would benefit from this curriculum,” she said. The Track 1 program is the first of several services any founder or entre-

Chandler Innovations CEO Diana White said students can benefit from her group's business incubator program. (Special to the Arizonan)

preneur would receive while working with the organization. In these two-hour sessions, students will learn the importance of building prototypes, how to plan for costs related to or expected from the project and how to be good stewards in a team environment. To participate, students must be between the ages of 14-18, be attending a school based in Chandler, have an idea within the field of innovation or technology and attend with a responsible adult. Interested parties should reach out to adminci@nacet.org White took the position of CEO in April of 2019.

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Formerly a consultant with Moonshot at NACET, she came to Chandler with a specific vision for extraordinary growth and advantageous relationships with the five biggest innovators in the area: Intel, Microsoft, MicroChip, Avnet, and GoDaddy. “I want them to see how this innovation piece fits in with what they do and partner [with them], whether it’s mentorship, sponsorship, or whatever the case may be, to support the [new entrants] to the community,” she explained. Chandler Innovations is a city-sponsored educational resource assisting what White calls “founders” who live, work or own property in the city to better access training and resources which can launch a new invention into existence. She defined a founder as any person who identifies a “pain point,” or need, and thinks there should be a solution for it. If one does not yet exist, or there are features to improve upon, White hopes they ask, “Can I make the solution?” White says the next round of world changers may be anyone “from all walks of life, education, discipline, or experience” who wants to create “because they see a pain point from within their wheelhouse.” She said they “don’t have to know a lick of code. Just know what the target market is looking for.” White said her favorite part of this job has been to work with fresh ideas every day.

Chandler Innovations has been turning out marketable prototypes since 2015. “It’s been building steadily and drawing more attention to the community,” said Michael Winer, city economic development specialist. Through the programming available, the instructors help take an idea from one’s imagination to a salable, investor-worthy product pitch. “We call it from zero to market,” said White. Enrollment last month was larger than ever with 13 new participants in Track 1 and 32 small businesses or entrepreneurs with products in all stages of development. “I call it a hidden gem,” White explained. “As extensive as it is, [participants] can’t believe the City of Chandler funds it, so they could partake at no cost.” Beyond the track programs, the organization offers monthly events to the public. On the first and third Tuesdays of the month, there is an “Open House Café,” offering complimentary speed-mentoring sessions and networking time from 11:30 a.m. and 1 p.m. They also host workshops with expert speakers. The upcoming Feb. 27 event, is on grant writing and identifying projects that can be funded by grants. Both events require pre-registration at InnovationsIncubator.com/events. The facility is located downtown at 249 E. Chicago Street on the corner of Delaware and Chicago streets, in the same complex as the ASU Innovation Center.

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Chandler Raiders top flag national tourney BY ZACH ALVIRA Sports Editor

When the Chandler Raiders 12 and under flag football team departed for Florida to take part in two tournaments, they had their sights set on returning with a national title. The 12U team fell in the quarterfinal round of the National Flag Football Championships in Tampa, Fla. The 11U Raiders team placed second overall in the tournament. A week later in Orlando during NFL Pro Bowl week, the 12U team redeemed themselves. On Saturday, Jan. 25, the Raiders became the first East Valley flag football team to win the NFL Flag Football national championship since 2013. “We had to get everyone back up and encouraged to go play again,” said Percy Knox, an assistant coach for the Chandler Raiders. “I was concerned at first how we would adjust playing in one tournament before another. The kids did a great job refocusing and coming together to realize what they had to do.” The Raiders were among eight teams that qualified for the tournament from around the country. Two other teams, the Playmakers Gilbert Elite and Tucson Turf, also there to represent Arizona. All three teams from Arizona made it to the semifinals along with the Red Zone Elite All-Stars from Miami. The Raiders defeated Red Zone in the championship game, 7-6. “This team took a lot of time and

Max Mejia

Meghan Mullin

The 12U Chandler Raiders became the first East Valley youth flag football team to win the NFL Flag Football national championship since 2013 during Pro Bowl weekend in Orlando on Jan. 25. (Photo courtesy Percy Knox)

effort to get ready,” Knox said. “We had played five of these teams in the past. We knew they would throw some new stuff at us, but we knew how to match up with them.” The Raiders arrived in Orlando looking to bounce back after a tough finish to the tournament in Tampa the week prior. They started 2-0 in pool play before losing just before the start of the official tournament. Despite the loss, they were awarded the No. 1 overall

Ky Westbrook

seed in the single-elimination bracket. Their first taste of redemption came against the Huron Valley Bengals from Michigan, who had previously knocked them out of the same tournament. The Raiders then moved on to the semifinals to take on Tucson Turf, who had beaten them in their last two meetings. A strong defensive effort led to a 7-6 win for the Raiders and a spot in the national title game. Once again, the Raiders defense

Christian Westerman

Michael Benjamin

flexed its muscle against a Red Zone team that averaged just over 25 points per game leading up to the final. Red Zone was held to just six points and one first down, as the Raiders capitalized on an extra-point attempt to take the lead and ultimately the win by a narrow, 7-6, margin. The win over Red Zone in the championship was, in many ways, revenge for the Raiders. In Tampa the week before, Red Zone was the team that ended their hopes of advancing to the semifinals in the national tournament. “They definitely wanted revenge,” Knox said. “They knew what the challenge was going up against them. As plays were happening, they were excited and focused on encouraging each other. They kept the momentum up.” Knox credited every player for their determination and ability to focus despite spending two weeks in Florida. Not to mention, they bounced back quickly after a disappointing finish to the first tournament. The trip to Florida was special overall for the Raiders, as each player got a chance to attend the NFL Pro Bowl Skills Challenges in the days leading up to the annual All-Star game. The boys will enjoy the title now before moving on to the club’s tackle football team in the spring, where they hope to replicate the success they had this winter. “The fact we were able to make it to the elite 8 is difficult in itself,” Knox said. “Then to turn around and do what we did in the way we did it, to me it was amazing.”

Katy Herbert Kotlarczyk

Jordan Howard

New batch of athletes inducted into Chandler Sports Hall of Fame BY ZACH ALVIRA Sports Editor

The number of athletes in the Chandler Sports Hall of Fame grew on Saturday, Feb. 8, as seven individuals were inducted as part of the 16th class. The Chandler Sports Hall of Fame recognizes the accomplishments of former prep athletes, since 2004. The induction ceremony, held inside the auditorium at Hamilton High School, recognized the accomplishments of athletes across a variety of different sports. Christian Westerman became the fifth former Hamilton football player to be inducted into the Hall of Fame. He joined Joey Vincent (2009), Adam Vincent (2012), Dontay Moch (2013) and

Glenn Love (2017). He also joined Hamilton’s first-ever football coach, John Wrenn, who led the Huskies to two state championships in eight seasons. “It was an awesome and very humbling experience,” Westerman said of his induction. “I’m just really happy to be part of it. It’s just a feel-good day and a feel-good moment, honestly.” Westerman was the top recruit out of Arizona in 2012 and one of the top offensive tackles nationally. He helped anchor an offensive line leading the Huskies’ three straight championships from 2008-10. He signed with Auburn University out of high school, where he played two seasons before transferring to Arizona State to finish his career. In 2016, he was drafted in the fifth round of the NFL

Draft by the Cincinnati Bengals where he appeared in 16 games in two seasons. Westerman is currently a free agent, but he considers himself retired from the NFL. He spends time working with college athletes to prepare them for the NFL. He said teams have called, but he’s content with his role as a mentor for young players. “I’m enjoying the game of football from a different angle,” Westerman said. “At this point, I wasn’t ready to do what they expect of me. It wouldn’t be fair to show up to a team and not give it my all. We’ll see what the future holds.” Westerman shared the stage with two athletes from his former rival, Chandler. Ky Westbrook graduated from Chandler High in 2014 after having one of the

best track and field careers ever in Arizona. She helped lead the Wolves to four straight Division I team state titles from 2011-14. As a senior, she claimed four individual titles in the 100-meter, 200-meter, 100-meter hurdles and shot put. The four individual titles made up a small portion of her 14 total state championships during her illustrious career. In 2013, she became a World Youth Champion in the 100-meter dash and was named the Arizona Gatorade Girls Track and Field Athlete of the Year as a senior. “I was so surprised,” Westbrook said when she learned she was being inducted. “It’s such an honor to be recognized and told my accomplishments have made a difference.” See

INDUCTEES on page 36

SPORTS & RECREATION

INDUCTEES

from page 35

Westbrook carried over her success to USC, where she competed for the Trojans. After a freshman season in which she helped the USC 4x100m relay team win the Pac-12 championship and set numerous personal records to earn All-America honors, she suffered several injuries and redshirted as a result. As a redshirt senior in 2019, Westbrook helped lead the women’s 4x100m relay team to a national title. USC finished second overall at a national championship meet. She now looks to qualify for the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo. “I think the pride and ability to show it was worth it for my parents and seeing their reaction will bring me so much joy,” Westbrook said. Former Seton Catholic softball star Meghan Mullin couldn’t stop smiling when she was introduced as an inductee. Mullin was a four-year varsity player for the Sentinels from 2002-05, where she had at least a .415 batting average every year. As a senior, she batted .567 and was 15-0 on the mound. She also had 16 stolen bases. Despite an impressive career, Mullin was in disbelief she was chosen as an inductee. She joins her father, Jerry, who was inducted in 2012. “Listening to what these other people accomplished, I’m nowhere near them,” Mullin said. “It’s one of those things where you feel warm inside. It’s been so long since I’ve played so it’s kind of like, ‘oh my gosh, they remember me.’ I really appreciate being recognized as a player.” Mullin helped lead the Sentinels to four straight state titles during her career. And to top it all off, she did so with her father as head coach. Follow-

THE SUNDAY SANTAN SUN NEWS | FEBRUARY 16, 2020

ing her career at Seton, she went on to star at the University of Nebraska, where she won several academic honors while pursuing a degree in history. She started in 176 games for the Cornhuskers and appeared in 202 games throughout her college career. She finished with 176 total hits, 104 runs and 54 stolen bases. Mullin went on to attend St. Edward’s University in Austin, Texas, where she pursued a master’s in liberal arts. Wanting to get back in the game, she reached out to the softball coach program and asked she could volunteer with the team. Ahead of the 2017 season, Mullin became head coach of the St. Edward’s program. “I’ve been really fortunate for the stars to align like this,” said Mullin, who now works for Special Olympics of Arizona. “Everything has really worked out. I feel blessed.”

ner-up at the Little League World Series in 2013. The team was coached by his father, Michael Sr., who was an All-American for Arizona State and played for the San Francisco Giants.

Others inducted into the 16th Chandler Sports Hall of Fame class

Jordan Howard Jordan Howard became the first-ever Perry High alum to be inducted into the Chandler Sports Hall of Fame. He averaged 17.5 points per game throughout his three-year career at the varsity level. As a senior in 2014, he and his then-freshman brother, Markus, led the Pumas to the Division I state semifinals where they lost to eventual champion Corona del Sol. Howard went on to star at the University of Central Arkansas, where he was named the Southland Player of the Year in 2017-18 and scored the most points in the NCAA. He signed with the Golden State Warriors for NBA Summer League in 2018 after he went undrafted. He went on to play for the Texas Legends of the NBA G League in 2018 before signing with the Goyang Orion Orions of the Korean Basketball League in 2019. Howard was not at the induc-

Michael Benjamin Jr. Michael Benjamin Jr. shined on the diamond and football field for Basha High’s varsity baseball and football programs from 2008-10. Following his senior year, in which he batted .494 with 25 RBIs and 38 runs, Benjamin was drafted by the Colorado Rockies in the 45th round of the 2010 MLB draft. He chose to attend Arizona State where he started 95 games for the Sun Devils in three seasons. He was again drafted by the Rockies in 2013, this time in the 13th round. He went on to play five seasons in the minor leagues. Benjamin was part of the Chandler National team finishing as the run-

Katy Herbert Kotlarczyk Katy Herbert Kotlarczyk played varsity soccer at Chandler High while competing in club gymnastics, where she made a name for herself. She won awards at the Malamar Cup in Sweden and at the Senior National Elite America Cup while still in high school. She went on to compete at Stanford University, where she won a bronze medal on balance beam at the NCAA Championships and was named first-team All-American among other honors. In true gymnast fashion, Kotlarczyk did a cartwheel as she went on stage during the 16th Chandler Sports Hall of Fame induction ceremony.

tion ceremony as he is currently playing professional basketball in Puerto Rico. Max Mejia The son of longtime Chandler High wrestling coach Vidal Mejia, Max Mejia earned his stay as a four-year captain for the Wolves varsity wrestling team from 2008-11. He won a state title during his high school career and finished as a finalist three times. He was named a Fargo All-American and Fila Cadet All-American before going on to wrestle at Harvard University. Mejia graduated from Harvard in 2015 and became the women’s and development coach at Sunkist Kids Regional Training Center in Tempe, where he coached a World Team Trials champion. This year, Mejia was named the head coach in the inaugural season of the women’s wrestling team at Augsburg University. Seton Catholic softball, two others receive special recognition The Seton Catholic softball program received special recognition at the 16th annual Chandler Sports Hall of Fame induction ceremony for its 13 state titles since the early 1970s. In addition, longtime Chandler district teacher Scott Reed received special recognition along with legendary swim instructor Steve Shultz. Along with a long teaching career, Reed coached freshman and junior varsity basketball when the school opened in 1998. He has also been the only public address announcer for Hamilton athletics in its history. Schultz won numerous titles throughout his own swimming career before becoming a coach for the Chandler Marlin out of college alongside his youth swim coach, Dick Fuenning. After retiring as coach of the Marlins, Schultz went on to lead the Chandler High swim program for several years.

Edwards upbeat about ASU’s 2020 recruiting BY SQUIRE HARRINGTON Cronkite News

The Arizona State football team’s 2020 recruiting class cracked the Top 25 of many top recruiting services. Rivals, ESPN and 247Sports all have the Sun Devils on the rise and it’s reflected in the work coach Herm Edwards is witnessing when he looks at the field and sees his players engaging in impromptu morning workouts. “The vibe I get from the players, they’re kind of excited,” Edwards said. “Our culture has developed. And it was critical. Our players understand our culture now.” Creating an environment for more ambitious recruiting and continuing the vision of the third year, coach became an important part of the shift in Arizona State’s evolving culture. Recruiting is at the front of everything this group is working toward. “I think when you decide to come back, you have to look at the environment you’re walking into,” Edwards said about returning to college football. “I was a little bit taken back with the time you spend on recruiting. When I first arrived here, I said maybe 70 percent. I was wrong, I was wrong. It’s percent. It’s

“We’re talking about two guys who have been together, former player, former coordinator and became a head coach obviously. Then AP went on to continue to play and then become a head coach in high school so I think it’s just a matter of how we want to orchestrate it.” New ASU football co-offesnive coordinator Marvin Lewis, left, joined head Although the coach Herm Edwards to discuss the Sun Devils’ recruiting for the 2020 season. recruiting process has (Squire Harrington/Cronkite News) taken great strides with this class, the your whole life. It’s what you do.” work still has its challenges. It’s a sentiment echoed and emRecruiting a position player will likely braced by new offensive coordinator spend a good deal of time off the field Zak Hill as well as returning coach Antolearning the system and watching current nio Pierce, who Edwards admits has so quarterback Jayden Daniels has Hill looking many titles within the team he forgets at new ways of selling the school. how to address him at times. For Pierce, the recruiting landscape Pierce recently added the title of is a more prosperous area. Unafraid co-defensive coordinator, splitting of the scheduling and travel demands duties with Marvin Lewis. involved in the process, he welcomes While the specifics of how the the challenge and has high aims. role will play out have yet to be fully “Playing in the Las Vegas Bowl was determined, Edwards remains as calm cool. Winning the Sun Bowl and getting about the situation as he appears with Corn Flakes and watching coach, that everything else. was cool,” Pierce said.

“You know what’s really cool? Playing in the Rose Bowl. And to play in the Rose Bowl, you need different types of players. “I don’t care where they come from, could be Alaska, could be South America, we’ll go wherever you’re gonna find them. Give me a small island, we’ll get a little rowboat we’ll go out there and find them.” Edwards was blunt about what he wanted: “We’d like to give every fivestar guy in Arizona a scholarship.” The larger challenge for him is staying within his own process. Understanding part of what is special about this new culture is other people will naturally want to step in and try to lure some of the talent away. “When you think about our program,” Edwards said, “I think we’ve done a nice job of doing some things where other people are looking at us and saying ‘You know what, I want a couple of those coaches, I want someone off that staff.’” For now, at least, the staff is still being built and molded to fit the vision Edwards has for Arizona State football. The leap in, and excitement around, the success of this year’s recruitment class are all a part of this vision, and as the culture continues being absorbed and embraced by returning athletes as well as adopted by the incoming class.

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City making good fiscal moves; you can help BY COUNCILMAN JEREMY MCCLYMONDS Guest Writer

At an early age I learned the importance of proper financial and retirement planning and turned it into my passion. As a financial advisor, I am able to apply my experience in helping my clients achieve their financial goals to my role in overseeing Chandler’s budget as a City Council member. Chandler offered great value to taxpayers with the second-lowest total cost for services among Valley cities in 2019. For the third decade in a row, the city was awarded the Certificate of Achievement for Excellence in Financial Reporting and the Distinguished Budget

Presentation Award from the Government Finance Officers Association. Like every City, Chandler faces many challenges and opportunities when it comes to maintaining fiscal sustainability. As a Council member, my role is to be a good steward of taxpayer dollars, and I believe ensuring debt levels are manageable is a vital piece of the mission. Underfunded pension plans are reflected as debt on the city financial statements. Therefore I have kept a close eye on the Public Safety Personnel Retirement System. My goal is to pay it down and make sure there is enough there to pay our public safety personnel when they retire. I am proud Chandler was one of the first cities to put together a pension obligation pay-down plan to pay over and above the minimum payment

required by PSPRS and bring down our pension debt faster. What we have done by having a plan and paying towards the pension debt over the past four years has contributed to the City’s ability to maintain AAA bond ratings which were reaffirmed in October 2019. Our high bond rating, much like an individual having a high credit score, allows us to borrow funds, if needed, at the lowest interest rate possible. Looking to the future, 2020 is going to be an exciting year for Chandler. The City is executing master plan updates for our parks, airport and transportation systems. These master plans will provide us a vision for what the future should look like in Chandler and the vision will translate into capital projects to clarify

what needs to be in our capital improvement program. Now that most of Chandler’s vacant lands are filled, what we thought we needed a decade ago may look different today. I look forward to working with the community to explore Chandler’s continued transformation and to understand what the needs of our residents and businesses are today. On Feb. 27, Council will be hosting a live budget discussion on the City’s Facebook page to garner feedback and answer questions from our residents about the budget. Community members can learn more on the City’s website at chandleraz.gov/BudgetLive. I can be contacted directly at jeremy.mcclymonds@chandleraz.gov.

Trip to a bookstore harkens to a long-gone era BY DAVID LEIBOWITZ Columnist

It was a Wednesday morning around lunchtime and my schedule was empty for a few hours between meetings. Driving east along Dunlap Avenue near Interstate 17, I was passing Metrocenter Mall when a strange urge struck. I hung a right. A minute later, I found myself driving through a parking lot emptier than the brain of your average politician. This was how I browsed a bookstore for the first time in years. Inside Barnes & Noble, the 20-something behind the customer service counter greeted me with the kind of enthusiasm I imagine shipwreck survivors muster when rescuers finally land on the beach. “Hey there, sir! Welcome! How are you?” she sing-songed. “Can I help you find anything?”

The answer in my head: 2009. I used to go to bookstores all the time in 2009. Also, I fit into slim-cut jeans, still recalled Bruce Jenner as an Olympic decathlete and rooted for the Phoenix Suns when they didn’t suck. “You’ll be the first to know,” I told her, before veering toward the magazines. The once-familiar sight of glossy covers in rows felt odd, like revisiting your old hometown after years away. Oddly, soft-core porn like Penthouse is still published in magazine form these days, wrapped in plastic and stashed behind the sports magazines. Given it’s virtually impossible to avoid naked people on the Internet in 2020 – displayed free of charge – I can’t imagine who still buys Penthouse and Playboy, but at least, uh, old-fashioned “readers” have the option. Barnes & Noble also still sells scores of novels in hardcover and paperback, which I imagine most people use as bookends, doorstops and gag gifts. As an avid reader, a guy who goes through a hundred books annually, I

don’t remember the last time I read a book in paper form. For old time’s sake, I spent a few minutes searching for the cliffsnote versions of various works of literature I was assigned to read in high school, but skipped. One day I may get around to Aldous Huxley and Zora Neale Hurston in full. But surely in digital form and not with sufficient clarity to write a five-page, double-spaced term paper. It was comforting to find old favorites still on the shelves: Catch-22, Toni Morrison’s Song of Solomon and the incomparable Man’s Search For Meaning by Viktor Frankl, a psychiatrist and survivor of the Nazi death camps. Flipping through them, I tried to recall when and why I gave up paper texts for digital. Dates are hazy, but the why is easy: The majority of us have traded the superior heft of texts, the tactile joy of turning pages and the ability to scribble in a book’s margins for the simplicity of pointing, clicking, buying, downloading, reading.

You didn’t need to stand in the business aisle to get a lesson in 21st-century economics: Plenty of overhead in the form of square footage, power and human beings. But the place was devoid of humanity. Sure, some local bookstores – Changing Hands, the Poisoned Pen – still make a go of it, but a thought occurred: When our children’s, children’s children go to Old Western towns like Rawhide for kicks in 2120, will the faux scenery still be saloons, shooting galleries and the undertaker? Or will the place feature storefronts like Borders, Fashion Bug and The Gap? Sheer guilt made me buy something: Another copy of The Great Gatsby, though I already own more than a few. I haven’t read it in a couple years, but the famous last line of Fitzgerald’s stuck with me as I turned back onto Dunlap Avenue. “So we beat on, boats against the current, borne back ceaselessly into the past.”

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Holocaust haunts Chandler woman’s artwork BY KEVIN REAGAN Staff Writer

Helen Weisman didn’t understand as a child why her grandparents were never around. Whenever the Chandler resident tried asking her mother, Esther Don, about her older relatives, Weisman said her mother quickly became depressed, distraught and withdrawn. She behaved this way for most of Weisman’s childhood – troubled and preoccupied with events taking place before Weisman was born. “As a child, you want a normal mother and she was not,” Weisman said. “She was just lost in the past.” Weisman would later learn her mother’s parents and siblings were executed by the Nazis in a Ukrainian ghetto during World War II. The family was Jewish and was among the thousands of Jews murdered during the Nazi occupation of Lutsk. Weisman’s mother, then a teenager, survived the executions by hiding in the wilderness and constantly being on the run. But the trauma of the war had a permanent impact on Weisman’s mother and haunted the family for subsequent

Chandler artist Helen Weisman's exhibit at Perry High School library depicts the horrors of the Holocaust, which claimed the lives of some of her relatives. (Chris Mortenson/Staff Photographer)

generations. “My mother really suffered so much because of what happened to her family,” Weisman said. “It affected all of us.” Weisman tries to make sense of the Holocaust’s horrors through a collection of paintings she’s put on display at

Perry High School. Inspired by historical photographs and her family’s stories, Weisman’s collection illustrates how Jews suffered under the rise of fascism. The 36 portraits are intentionally bleak – depicting a mass grave of skeletons in

one and emaciated prisoners in another. Weisman said the artwork’s meant to tell a story about dehumanization and such a story requires the work to look hideously gruesome. “I felt I needed to somehow get people’s attention about what happened,” she said. Weisman was born in 1947, inside a German refugee camp for displaced people. Her family then moved to Israel just as the state was declaring independence. It was an interesting time to watch Israel fight for its sovereignty, Weisman recalled, but her mother worried about the safety of her children. The family relocated to the United States in 1960 and Weisman said they all struggled to adjust to American life. They didn’t speak English very well and Weisman felt like they had to hide their Jewish identity. She remembered a school principal changing her Hebrew birth name Hana to the more American-sounding Helen. Weisman said her mother rarely ever spoke of what happened to her parents during the war. She managed to piece together her mother grew up in a prominent family, See

HOLOCAUST on page 43

Prof energizes Willis School Mathletes SANTAN SUN NEWS STAFF

Aspiring mathematicians at Willis Junior High School in Chandler got an energizing boost of support from an Arizona State University engineering professor emeritus who developed a website that rates the safety of cars and trucks. Professor Emeritus Dr. Norma Hubele had special T-shirts designed for the school’s Mathlete Club and teacher-club sponsor Joshua Edwards said the new gear energized the approximate 20 seventh and eighth graders who are members. “Her donation to the club with these incredible shirts really got everyone excited,” said Edwards, a teacher at Willis for six years who is in the math department for this first time this school year. “The shirts and her support are the reason I even started the club,” he said. “Her impact has created something I can build on for years to come. Edwards said Hubele had the students design the custom Ts. “They really felt proud of the shirt they produced,” Edwards explained. “Norma is also my sounding board for math questions as I look towards my students’ futures. I get her counsel on questions like, ‘What are key skills my math students need for future success?’ ‘What should my junior high students focus on as they pursue the idea of STEM fields?’”

in the club is a good example of that willingness to be challenged.” She also noted, “Josh is a dedicated teacher, and I wanted to support his efforts.” Edwards said the club meets with an eye toward interscholastic math competitions in the near future. “We have met during lunch to race through some math questions or solve math riddles in groups as a way to celebrate math,” Members of the Willis Junior High School Mathletes include, from left: Back row: he said. “The plan is Zadie Rudnick , Emmy Anderson; middle row: non-member/sponsor Norma to compete. Every Hubele, Kristian Chapman, William Clark, Allan Brown and teacher Josh Edwards; bottom row: Emily Chao , Rachael Chamberlin. year around March (Ella Kraver/Special for SanTan Sun News) our school sends a team to the East Although Hubele has no role in club Valley math compeactivities, she met with them “to contition that is typically hosted at Newell gratulate them on their commitment Barney Middle School. We plan to to learning and encourage them in their compete there.” pursuits.” The club also competed in the naHer donation had a deeper motivation. tional SIGMA Math Competition, plac“I am an educator and think that ing fourth in its grade division among 19 young students should be encouraged schools in every way possible to challenge Hubele also said there’s also a safety themselves,” Hubele said. “Membership motivation.

On the one hand, she said, “the shirts represent a way to say ‘The Auto Professor is proud of what you are doing.’” But she also said, “If they and their families explore my site, then all the better. Together, we can change the world.’” Hubele has logged a number of accomplishments in math and engineering – not the least of which in her 20+ year career at Arizona State University was holding the position of director of strategic initiatives for the Ira A. Fulton School of Engineering and being professor in ASU’s Department of Industrial Engineering. She graduated magna cum laude from the University of Massachusetts-Amherst with a bachelor’s degree in math. She followed her master’s in operations research and statistics with a doctorate in computer and systems engineering from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. After earning her Ph.D., she also became co-owner and vice president for quality control in a Chandler company called Refrac System, which her husband Norman founded after leaving corporate life. She spent a year crunching a virtual mountain of crash data to develop theautoprofessor.com – which grades thousands of makes and models of vehicles on the likelihood of death from a crash. See

MATHLETES on page 42

NEIGHBORS

THE SUNDAY SANTAN SUN NEWS | FEBRUARY 16, 2020

Chandler-Gilbert College president tapped for fellowship

mitment to student success and equity, willingness to take risks to improve outcomes, understanding of the importance of community partnerships and ability to lead change.” The fellowship’s ultimate goal is to

“improve outcomes for students, both in and after college,” said Josh Wyner, executive director of the Aspen Institute College Excellence Program. “And the urgency for them to do so only increases – especially for students of color and low-income students,” Wyner said. “These fellows have shown they are fully, urgently committed to excellence and equity, and we look forward to working alongside them.” Aspen said it is “committed to helping to replace those exiting the presidency with an exceptionally capable and highly diverse talent pool.” According to the American Council on Education, only 36 percent of community college presidents are female and 20 percent are people of color. The incoming class of Aspen fellows is 48 percent female, and 40 percent are people of color. “By preparing students and workers for in-demand jobs and meeting the training needs of businesses, community colleges are critical institutions for their regions’ prosperity and development,”

said Jennie Sparandara, head of workforce initiatives for JPMorgan Chase, which is funding the fellowship program. Prior to his appointment as Chandler-Gilbert Community College president in April 2018, Peterson oversaw all instructional programs for over 16,000 students at Golden West College in Huntington Beach, California. He also worked at Long Beach City College, where he oversaw all student services at two comprehensive campuses serving 30,000 students annually. Peterson oversaw the nationally recognized Promise Pathways assessment program essentially aiming to improve completion rates for community college students. He holds a doctorate in educational administration with an emphasis in community college leadership from the University of Texas at Austin. His first roles in community college were as a classified staff member in Portland Community College’s Food Stamp Workforce Program and as an instructor in English as a second language classes.

National Highway Transportation Safety Administration. As a result, users can go to the website and, without charge, plug in not just a model, year and make – but their own age and gender as well – to find Hubele’s statistically-driven assessment of what that historical data says about

the protection that vehicle provides. Hubele says her site offers a far greater level of assurance and evaluation than the ratings by either the NHTSA or the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety because those two agencies base much of their evaluation on the results of front-end collisions

with dummies. She also has been an expert witness for years in litigation involving crashes. Her background impressed the Willis Mathletes, according to Edwards, who noted, “Norma came down and met with the kids and they really enjoyed getting to talk to her about her applied math.”

SANTAN SUN NEWS STAFF

Chandler-Gilbert Community College President Greg Peterson was selected for the inaugural class of a fellowship supporting newcomers to the role he holds. Peterson and Phoenix College President Larry Johnson were named to the Aspen Institute’s New Presidents Fellowship, a new initiative designed to support community college presidents in the early years of their tenure to accelerate transformational change on behalf of students. Peterson, one of 25 presidents selected from a field of 100 applicants, will engage in a seven-month fellowship beginning in June. Calling Johnson and Peterson “innovators and champions for our students,” Dr. Steven Gonzales, Maricopa Community College District interim chancellor, hailed the selection as a recognition of “their commitment to the success of our students.” The Aspen Institute said selections were based on the candidates’ “com-

MATHLETES

from page 41

The ratings are based on statistics from the fatal accident reports all law enforcement agencies have been required for years to send to the U.S. Department of Transportation and its

Greg Peterson

NEIGHBORS

THE SUNDAY SANTAN SUN NEWS | FEBRUARY 16, 2020

HOLOCAUST

from page 41

which included a rabbi. She was smart, pretty and spoke several languages. As the Nazis began to invade Ukraine in 1941, Jewish residents were rounded up and relocated to a ghetto on the outskirts of town. They were required to wear armbands brandishing the Star of David and forfeit any valuables to their occupiers. Weisman said her mother’s parents instructed the teenage girl to get out and check on some relatives in another town. This errand likely ended up saving her mother’s life. By January 1942, senior officials of the Nazi Party had begun making plans to exterminate all 11 million Jews living in occupied Europe by sending them to concentration camps and liquidating ghettos. Historians estimate between 15,000 and 17,000 Jews in Ukraine’s Lutsk ghetto were executed during the summer of 1942. The Jews were forced to dig their own graves before the Nazis shot them all, Weisman said. Her mother tried seeking refuge from nearby farmers but was often turned away once farmers realized she was Jewish. “Nobody wanted them,” Weisman said, “It was a horrible time.” Weisman’s father was from Poland and had been shipped to a Soviet labor camp in Siberia. He managed to escape and supported himself by making boots for soldiers in Uzbekistan, which was where he met Weisman’s mother.

Weisman’s artwork conveys the grimness and horror of scenes from Nazis Geermany and concentration camps. She hopes it will educate people, especially young students to think twice about being hateful toward people. (Chris Mortenson/Staff Photographer)

Weisman believes her mother spent the rest of life suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder before her death in 1996. Because she nearly starved to death during the war, Weisman said her mother was always obsessed with keeping the family’s refrigerator stocked. “She was always afraid she wouldn’t have enough food,” Weisman said. Throughout her life, Weisman’s worked to preserve the stories of Holocaust survivors. She’s been a docent for

the Illinois Holocaust Museum and delivered presentations to school children. After relocating to Chandler a few years ago, Weisman decided to continue using her art to educate younger generations about the Holocaust. She specifically wanted to exhibit her work at Perry High School after hearing about some instances of anti-Semitism taking place on campus. Posters displaying swastika symbols were found outside Perry High last

March. In 2017, residents of a nearby Gilbert neighborhood were shocked to find a swastika spray-painted in the street. These types of incidents are becoming too common, Weisman said, and hopes her artwork will help students better understand history’s mistakes. “I feel maybe if you educate people, they will not hate,” she said. Weisman’s collection of Holocaust-inspired paintings will be on display in Perry’s library through the end of February.

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THE SUNDAY SANTAN SUN NEWS | FEBRUARY 16, 2020

Left: Karlos Ortega, Yashvir Goswami, Nathan Hornyak, and Akshay Krishna are all BASIS Chandler fifth-graders. Right: BASIS Chandler fifth grader Landen Hanson waves a flag at Medieval Times. (Chris Mortenson/Staff Photographer)

BASIS Chandler students travel to the days of yore BY KRISTINE CANNON

Staff Writer

Lola Manuelito’s first Medieval Times experience was unlike many others’. Sure, the fifth-grade BASIS Ahwatukee student watched the horses perform and watched the six knights joust; and, yes, she ate her 11th century-inspired feast with her bare hands. But Lola, 10, also happened to be surrounded by nearly 900 other fourthand fifth-grade students from across

the Valley, all of whom were there to take part in Medieval Times Scottsdale’s first-ever interactive educational matinee on Jan. 16. “Part of our culture is a sense of community and part of the community is obviously giving back to children, giving back to the community and being involved in any way,” said Drew Barnes, Medieval Times marketing and sales manager. “We’re always trying to make our impact on a younger generation and

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make sure everybody has the support to be brought up the way they should be,” Barnes added. The 90-minute educational experience started off with a 30-minute educational presentation, during which the students were taught the Code of Chivalry via five live skits. The students took high-energy pop-quizzes between vignettes, which are designed to show students how the ancient code is pertinent to present society.

“They taught a lot about bullying, and bullying is not OK,” Lola said. In addition to BASIS Ahwatukee, participating schools included BASIS Scottsdale, BASIS Chandler, and the Odyssey Preparatory Academy in Goodyear. “For a lot of the kids, this is their first introduction not even to Medieval Times, but to the medieval period,” said Christopher Lester, AP human geography and fifth-grade geography teacher at BASIS Scottsdale. See

MEDIEVAL on page 45

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THE SUNDAY SANTAN SUN NEWS | FEBRUARY 16, 2020

MEDIEVAL

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“When I saw it, I sent it to all the teachers. They weren’t even open yet. I called them, and I [said], ‘I need to know how to set up a field trip because we’re going to do it.’ And I coordinated with the other BASIS teachers,” he said. What Lester said the Medieval Times educational matinee does well are two things: It’s fast-paced for the easily distracted students and it’s relatable. For example, one of the skits involved cell phones — in the Middle Ages. “Somebody’s always talking, something’s always going on. It’s very interactive with the Q&A and it’s what — especially this young — they need. They need to have feedback in order to stay mentally engaged,” Lester said. “I wasn’t expecting it was going to be this educational or it was going to talk about like bullying and social media,” said Marina Kirk, BASIS Chandler fifthgrade English teacher and eighth-grade through high school journalism teacher. “It’s awesome.” Many of the students picked up anti-bullying messages from the matinee — and for good reason. According to Kirk, BASIS has bullying presentations at school every year. “This is a nice supplement to something like that, we do with all the grades,” she added. BASIS Chandler student, Minsoo Kim, on the other hand, said she learned the importance of forgiveness from the matinee.

“Even if somebody does something wrong, forgive them and don’t be too mean to them,” the 11-year-old said. Teachers have the option of using Medieval Times’ downloadable comprehensive study guides, worksheets, and lesson plans for kindergarten through high school. This year marks the 30th anniversary of the Medieval Times educational matinee. “With 11th-century values, known as the code of chivalry, what we base our education on that day around, it really lends itself to being a good neighbor, being a good person, being respectful, honest. Those values are timeless,” Barnes said. Medieval Times hosts about 30 matinees per year, per castle; some of the larger castles present to more than 50,000 kids per year. The matinees are available throughout the school year, from October through May; and more recently, they began offering in-class demonstrations. “We really like to tie it in for schools who may not have the means to come out to visit the castle. We’re still able to instill those values, be a part of the community, that school without having them to come and purchase tickets for the whole school. We’re able to go there,” Barnes said. The shows, including the tournament shows, change every few years. “This matinee was just installed in 2017, and we’ll most likely get a refresh 2021,” Barnes said. Information: medievaltimes.com

Girls Rule Foundation honors Chandler teen

SANTAN SUN NEWS STAFF

A Chandler teen is one of six young women who will receive $1,000 and a year of mentoring from Girls Rule Foundation, is an Ahwatukee-based nonprofit empowering and training today’s girls to be tomorrow’s leaders. Emma Francisco, a junior at Arizona College Prep – Erie, and the five other awardees were honored at the recent seventh annual Brilliant, Beautiful and Bold Role Model Awards & Mentoring Program. The six winners were nominated by their teachers, coaches, principals, mentors, parents, community organizations or youth leaders for being role models and leaders. Emma, who actively contributes to the community in many ways, was nominated by a school counselor. She started a mindfulness service at ACP Erie to help students cope with stress – a common problem especially among high school students in the East Valley, including Chandler. “Emma worries about the mental health of her friends and fellow students and the stress they take on,” said Girls Rule Foundation cofounder Dena Patton. “She wants to leave the school with something that will last long after she graduates in order to help future

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RULE on page 48

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THE SUNDAY SANTAN SUN NEWS | FEBRUARY 16, 2020

Local man poured his heart into invention and worker time. Freestand is not all about dollars and cents for Abbit, a retired psychologist and corporate consultant who, at 50, has paved a new career path. “I’ve made a lot of companies a lot of money and I don’t want to do that anymore,” said Abbit, who helped invent Lifelock, the identity-protection service. “I want to help you and me,” he explained. “I want to save us money. I want to save our environment. I don’t want to do corporate anymore. … It’s bureaucratic and there’s lots of red tape and lots of politics and I just don’t want that. I want to feel good about what I do.” Abbit figures Freestand can help save the planet – and even some marriages. His research has discovered that 26 percent of couples “fight about getting the last drop” out of one container or another. “Then there are those people who are cutters,” Abbit said. “They just cut open bottles and they scoop it out. Well, 14 percent of the time, those people wind up in the hospital.” As for the environment, he cites data indicating that every one of the approximate 79.2 million families in America uses 150 plastic food, cosmetic and

BY PAUL MARYNIAK Executive Editor

Steve Abbit has had a busy couple of years doing things that most people might find hard to imagine doing. When he wasn’t on the phone at all hours of the day and night lining up nine different companies around the nation and the world to execute his vision, he was grappling with metal cylinders, plastic molds and cardboard boxes. That all this activity started with a bottle of Baby Ray’s Barbecue Sauce is startling enough. But when you know what this activity created – and the potential Abbit sees in it – you could easily end up thinking, “Well, I’ll be damned.” Abbit has invented the mother of all funnels. Christened Freestand, it’s an adjustable funnel that fits just about any bottle, jar, can or other liquid container. Its purpose is simple: draining every last drop of liquid from those containers without having to shake them, spank them or even hold them. Freestand’s applications – and market potential – appear endless. It can drain bottles, jars and other containers that hold almost anything you can pour: ketchup and barbecue sauce, moisturizer and other liquid cos-

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Steve Abbit displays his Freestand, ironically using barbecue sauce bottles that put him on his quest in his Lakewood kitchen two years ago. (Chris Mortenson/SanTan Sun News Staff Photographer)

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THE SUNDAY SANTAN SUN NEWS | FEBRUARY 16, 2020

Conley Elementary gets college's retired mascot SANTAN SUN NEWS STAFF

Conley Elementary students now have a mascot to call their own. The Chandler school has always used the nickname “coyote” but never had a mascot to go with it. But thanks to Chandler-Gilbert Community College, the void was filed. The college “retired” its mascot, Cody the Coyote, and handed the costume over to Conley. In its place at the college, students can now rally around Cody the Coyote 2.0 – who was recently unveiled during Chandler-Gilbert Community’s Welcome Week. Conley students were introduced to their new mascot at an assembly honoring those with perfect attendance and most improved attendance. “Conley Elementary plans to use the mascot to encourage kindness, positive attitudes and excellence in academic performance,” a school spokesman said. Chandler-Gilbert Associate Vice President of Community Relations Jenna Kahl spearheaded the effort to donate the mascot outfit. “We are thrilled to gift our former Cody the Coyote mascot to such a deserving school,” said Jenna. “As a community college, we take great pride in giving back to the cities and towns we serve. Collaborations like these

Genisha Wright led the assembly, which was attended by all students and teachers, as well as Chandler Unified School District Assistant Superintendent of Elementary Education Frank Narducci. “It is such an honor to receive the gift of Cody the Coyote from Chandler-Gilbert Community College,” said Genisha. “Cody the Coyote has such an important new role at our school, which is to promote positive behaviors and a welcoming environment at our campus, support 2nd step initiatives, attendance, play works, school events and fundraisers. Our students deserve a safe and fun learning environment and I know our Introducing the two mascots are, from left: back row: Chandler-Gilbert Community Colleges Associate Vice President Jenna Kahl, Cody 2.0, new coyote mascot will Conley Dean of Students Genisha Wright, the original Cody, Conley Student Services Coordinator Paula Johnson, Principal Joe Walters; botserve that purpose as he tom row: Tara Goderre and Tiffany Young, college event staff. (Special to the San Tan Sun News) motivates our students to be their best.” help us forge strong relationships with students enjoy their new mascot for Cody the Coyote 2.0 can be seen at local school districts and community years to come.” future community and Chandler-Gilpartners. We hope Conley Elementary Conley Elementary Dean of Students bert athletic and student life events.

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other containers annually. If every family had Freestand, he reasons, “Americans could save 3.6 billion plastic bottles from ending up in landfills” while saving $250 to $400 per year buying new containers of ketchup, motor oil, makeup and whatever else replace before every last drop is gone. Every step Abbit took to develop the $29.99 Freestand involved painstaking, methodical and sometimes frustrating hours as he assembled a small army of independent contreactors to give birth to his baby. And it really did start with a bottle of Baby Ray’s. He was barbecuing chicken on his lakefront patio when he started pounding the bottom of the upside-down bottle, then finally laid it against another bottle in an effort to drain the remnants. “I’m thinking to myself, man, I have done this like a thousand times and it falls over and I started thinking, ‘How many people experience this?’” Abbit got on Google and Ebay, looking in vain for something that would save him the time-consuming – and somewhat tiresome – task of slapping container bottoms or just holding one upside-down to drain the contents. Then, he started doodling on napkins, sketching designs for the device he couldn’t find online. It took him 18 months to find and coordinate the nine companies he hired for different aspects of the protyping and manufacturing that produced Freestand. Abbit’s baby has three aluminum, telescopic legs that lock in place at three different lengths that hold a high-density polyethylene funnel. Two detachable narrow arms made with the same polyethylene can be snapped into the funnel rim to hold any container upright as it drains away. The polyethylene is BPA-free, free of the cancer-causing chemicals found in lower-grade plastic. “I’m totally over-engineered,” he

RULE

from page 45

Hospice of the Valley and is looking to volunteer at a hospital next.

THE SUNDAY SANTAN SUN NEWS | FEBRUARY 16, 2020

said. “It’s made to last forever and that was really what I wanted.” “Every single piece of this is recyclable, including the box,” he added. In addition, there are disposable funnel liners. Each box comes with 15 and when someone runs out, they can just go on myfreestand.com and order another 15 without charge – for as long as they want. Each piece of Abbit’s invention took many trials and errors to refine during a process that included two engineers – one that helped him work out the structure of his device and a box engineer. “I’ve been through probably four or five different iterations,” Ebbit explained. “The first iteration was a catastrophe. It was a major failure. I probably hit a thousand reasons why I should have stopped.” “But I knew I could get there if I just kept going. It’s like the light bulb, right? There are 10,000 ways not to make a light bulb. So, I came up with 1,500 ways not to make Freestand.” He worked with protypes made on a 3D printer in Florida and then with Moldworx, a Gilbert injection-molding company, to advise him on pricing the molds used to produce the parts. The legs were particularly challenging. “I probably interviewed 20 companies that make these legs,” he recalled. “I researched all kinds of different telescoping mechanisms and I wanted something that locked because what I didn’t want to have happen is have somebody put a container up there and it slides down,” he explained. In his early designs, he used plastic legs – but they collapsed. He finally settled on aluminum legs with stainless steel nubs that lock into place. He spent months calling companies to get manufacturers on board. Because domestic manufacturers would have forced him to set too high a price for his product, Abbit found two overseas companies – one that made the legs with the other to make the molds and the plastic parts. That meant calls in the middle of the night because of time zone differences as well as overcoming language barriers.

“I’m on the phone overseas and with my engineers here at all hours of the night,” he recalled. Concerned that his idea would be stolen, Abbit also decided to have separate overseas companies each manufacture a different component. He has a patent pending, but the process takes two years. “One company makes the legs – they know nothing about the bodies and the arms. Another company makes the body and arms – they know nothing about the legs. Then I have a third company to do all my boxes. …So, no company has all the parts to put it all together.” They also signed nondisclosure agreements to ensure against leaks. A separate overseas company prints the boxes – designed by a Midwest firm – and another makes and shrink-wraps the funnel liners. Then there’s a separate company that puts all the pieces together in the box. Abbit handles the shipping himself. Eventually, Abbit said, “I introduced them to each other right at the end because I wanted everybody to be a family.” Looking over all the companies he enlisted to protoype, manufacturer and ship Freestands, Abbit said he likes that they are mostly freelancers or momand-pop companies. ”I like knowing that when I pay them, it supports them, that it goes to them and their family. It’s not a huge company that’s going to keep their lights on and pay for their electric bill,” he explained. “I just feel closer to supporting a local business.” Two days before Thanksgiving, Abbit got his first Freestand shipment at the warehouse a friend loaned him for storage. Eighteen pallets with 5,000 Freestands were waiting for him. And even though Abbit and his wife were planning to host 71 people for the holiday in two days, he was “in the warehouse with the pallet jack.” “I’m pushing pallets around and I’m stacking stuff,” he said, “and I’m thinking, ‘It’s awesome. It’s awesome.’”

He puts a personal touch on each order. “I put my business card in the box and I put a handwritten note in it,” he said, adding that he often includes an envelope with an extra 15 funnel liners as “just my way of saying thanks for helping us get started.” Abbit feels like he’s just getting started as he plunges into marketing his invention. While working every social media angle, he’s formulating approaches to the companies he thinks should consider Freestand. With Starbucks’ flavoring syrups alone, he said, “they save instantly over $8 million,” he said. Then there’s makeup. “You know what the number one complaint of all cosmetics users?” he asked. “It’s not that it’s too expensive. It’s not that it’s too oily. It’s not that it’s too hard to find in the store. Number one complaint: they throw a lot away… Women throw away 25 percent of their cosmetics because they can’t get the last drops. That’s a lot. “So, imagine I walk into Neutrogena or Mary Kay and I say: ‘I know that you can’t change your bottles. You invest millions of dollars in gorgeous bottles that sell, that look beautiful, that women want to leave out on their counters because they look pretty. You shouldn’t have to change your bottles.” “But the number one complaint from all of your customers is they can’t get the product. They can’t get the last drops and they want to.” Abbit said salons that already have bought Freestand are raving about their ability to get all their product our of bottles, saving as much as 20 percent of their costs in the process. He looks forward to such encounters. “It’s been a long journey,” he said, “but quite honestly, the journey is beginning now. It’s mind boggling. Now I turn the corner and I’m like, ‘Okay, Steve, it’s here. Time to put on your marketing and selling hat.’ And so, it’s a whole new journey for me. It’s pretty exciting.” Information: myfreestand.com

She also is an active member of the celebrated Chandler Children’s Choir, for which she was a section leader last year and currently performs volunteer

work for the group. “She does all of these things because she cares about others and knows how nice it can be to have help from the people around her,” Patton said. The six awardees ranged in age from 12 to 18. The other five were Fiona Clarke of Catalina Foothills High School; Megan Howell and Lasya Sreenivasan, both Paradise Valley High; Kaitlyn Martinez, Phoenix Coding Academy; and Dorcas Nsengamungu, Girls Leadership Academy of Arizona. The Husband and Wife Law Team also rotated the girls’ photos on 40 billboards throughout the Valley earlier this week. The Girls Rule Foundation has recognized Arizona girls for seven years through the awards to help inspire more young women to be leaders and change agents. They’re judged on an essay as well as their answers to questions related to the terms “brilliant,” “beautiful” and “bold.” “Brilliant means she is a role model

of leadership and solutions,” Patton explained. “Beautiful means she is a role model of kindness, compassion and giving. Bold means she is a role model of bravery.” “I am so impressed every year by the brilliant, beautiful and bold nominees in our state,” said Patton, also foundation CEO. “These young ladies are already role models in so many ways and Girls Rule Foundation is here to help them take their dreams and leadership to the next level.” She said the girls will receive mentoring focused on teaching and supporting them in four areas: “their dreams (helping the girls move forward to make specific milestones toward their dreams); teaching them our 12 leadership principles and how to apply them to their life; financial literacy and how to be empowered around money; and in general life helping them deal with the challenging parts of being teenagers.” Nominations open in September. Details on this program and the other three programs by Girls Rule Foundation are found at girlsrulefoundation.org.

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Hagan looks to repeat at NHRA Nationals CHRISTINA FUOCO-KARASINSKI

Staff Writer

Matt Hagan has raced throughout the country, but the Valley is one of the few places he feels comfortable. “I love the Scottsdale area. I’d even consider getting a winter home there,” Hagan said. “I’ve got a lot of love for that. Everything has a good feel to it. I like the Native American feel. I’m a quarter Cherokee Indian. I love going in the airport and buying jewelry and different things like that.” He’s returning to the Valley Friday, Feb. 21, to Sunday, Feb/ 23, for the NHRA Arizona Nationals at Wild Horse Pass Motorsports Park in Chandler. Hagan (funny car), Billy Torrence (top fuel) and Jeg Coughlin Jr. (pro stock) raced to victories at this event last year. Fans will see 11,000 horsepower nitro cars coursing through the track and the sophisticated pro stock class during the NHRA Arizona Nationals. They can also meet their NHRA stars, including the likes of John Force, Antron Brown and Erica Enders. Hagan was an all-around athlete at Auburn High School where he was a defensive lineman and all-district center on the Eagles football team. In the

Matt Hagan will be driving his funny car next weekend in the NHRA Arizona Nationals at Wild Horse Pass Motorsports Park right next door to Chandler on the Gila River Indian Community. (Special to SanTan Sun News)

spring, he was the school’s catcher on the baseball team. He attended Radford University for four years and majored in recreation, parks and tourism. Hagan has been racing for almost half his life. Starting on his family’s quads as a teenager in Virginia, he developed a passion for speed and

the thrill of competition to move into circle-track, stock car racing. From there, he began bracket drag racing and later made a splash in Pro Mod, earning the 2006 Rookie of the Year honor in the NHRA AMS Pro Mod Challenge. Hagan and the MOPAR Express Lane/

Pennzoil/Sandvik Coromant Dodge Funny Car team, led by crew chief Dickie Venables and assistant Michael Knudsen, wasted no time putting together a competitive 2019 campaign. At the second event of the season, See

RACING on page 54

Arcade culture inspires Chandler exhibit BY KEVIN REAGAN Staff Writer

Visitors of the Vision Gallery’s latest exhibit can take a step back in time and experience the retro gaming culture of the 1980s. In addition to displaying large portraits of icons like Donkey Kong and Mario Bros, the gallery’s “Two People, Two Quarters” exhibit encourages visitors to play the games inspiring the artwork. The exhibit’s creators plan to have arcade machines stationed throughout the gallery – allowing older adults to experience some nostalgia from their youth. “Bring your quarters,” advised Noe “Such Styles” Baez, who constructed the exhibit’s artwork alongside his son, Champ. The father and son recently painted a mural for Serrano’s Mexican Restaurant in Chandler and have spent the last couple months devising 20 new pieces emblematic of classic video games. The heroes, villains and sidekicks of a bygone arcade culture are re-imagined through a street-art, graffiti lens – a style Baez and his son have become known for throughout the Valley. Their projects often feature nods to popular culture – painting large-scale murals with renderings of Batman, Mickey Mouse, and the Iron Giant. This is the first time the duo has ex-

Vision Gallery is featuring some of the arcadeinspired art byNoe “Such Styles” Baez and his son Champ/ (Special to SanTan Sun News)

plored the worlds of Nintendo and Atari for an entire exhibit, Baez said, despite both being lifelong fans of video games. The Arizona native recalled walking the streets of Tempe in the 1980s, looking for arcades featuring the latest games. Today’s gaming culture has com-

pletely changed, Baez said, with most games getting played on cell phones. That physical action of slinking a coin into a machine and watching the screen light up has gotten lost, he added. “I wanted to celebrate where it came from,” the artist said.

Games remained an important staple of Baez’s life while raising his children. His sons eventually learned to play so well they would often beat their father in matches of Super Smash Bros. “I’m kind of terrible at it – I’m embarrassed to say,” Baez joked. One of the gallery’s pieces is a tribute to Pac-Man, the popular game that had players steer a pie-shaped character through a maze of ghosts and dead-ends. Rather than paint Pac-Man on a canvas, Baez chose to paint the game’s characters on individual spray-paint cans. See

GAMES on page 54

ARTS

THE SUNDAY SANTAN SUN NEWS | FEBRUARY 16, 2020

Lakeshore Music features Chloe Feoranzo BY LEE SHAPPELL

Contributor

Valentine’s Day will be a week in the rearview mirror – unless you accidentally left a chocolate treat to melt in your pocket – but it doesn’t mean tenderness caught the last train for the coast. To support this theory, Lakeshore Music presents the precocious, multitalented and sweet Chloe Feoranzo and her quartet to warm your heart at 7:30 p.m. Feb. 22, in the Tempe Center for the Arts Lakeside Room, 700 W. Rio Salado Pkwy., Tempe. Tickets are $30 and $38 at lakeshoremusic.org. A $60 dinner-theater package at Caffe Boa is available at 480-350-2822. The 27-year-old Chloe combines stunning jazz clarinet solos with alluring vocals to win over the hearts of audiences. “I first noticed Feoranzo on one of Scott Bradlee’s ‘Post Modern Jukebox’ videos last year and was blown away by her playing – and then I heard her sing and I had to bring her to TCA,” said Woody Wilson, founder, president and executive producer of Lakeshore Music. “I was hooked and started trying to find out how to reach her. I wasn’t even sure she toured with an ensemble of her own. “The more I looked into Chloe’s background, the more I was impressed with both her amazing talent and retro style,” Wilson. “She is the real deal.”

Chloe Feoranzo will bring her jazz clarinet solos along with her quartet for a special Lakeshore Music show at Tempe Center for the Arts. (Special to SanTan Sun News)

Scott Bradlee has done several videos with Chloe and each one shows a different facet of her musical personality. “She’s an amazingly confident player and has a sweet vocal style reminiscent of a bygone era. I think Chloe would be in her element playing with Louis Armstrong, Duke Ellington or Nicholas Payton. She’s really that good, and that versatile,” Wilson said. Feoranzo, now of New Orleans, grew up playing in youth orchestras and mu-

sical pits, as well as in swing and Dixieland bands and as guest artist at festivals across Southern California. She has been performing professionally since she was 15. By then she’d already filled a trophy case with awards won during her early teens, when she studied with jazz saxophone legend Charles McPherson and attended the annual University of California-San Diego Jazz Camp. In 2007, she became the San Diego Jazz Fest & Swing Extravaganza’s first youth guest artist.

“Clearly, Chloe Feoranzo has arrived, not just in New Orleans, but as a fixture in the traditional jazz scene,” wrote reviewer Richard Simon for The Syncopated Times. “Her sound is as compelling as her personality: sparkling, yet tastefully understated; exuberant, without ego. Fortunately, a hurricane is not the only thing to hit New Orleans by storm.” Listen as Feoranzo grabs your heart with her alluring vocals and smooth instrumentals After relocating to St. Louis for college, she collaborated with several jazz groups and came to join Pokey Lafarge’s touring band, and in 2016 completed a three-year world tour with LaFarge. “If you had told me at age 17 I would actually fulfill my dreams of traveling the world playing music and seeing amazing places, I would have never believed you,” Feoranzo said, adding: “It’s hard to realize how dreams can be fulfilled when you’re in the thick of it but I’m just blown away when I take a moment to reflect.” Since 2016, Feoranzo has been a member of the all-female Shake ‘Em Up Jazz Band. The New Orleans-based group has produced three albums and toured internationally in 2018. She continues to appear with a several other groups and has appeared on more than 40 albums. See

CHLOE on page 54

ARTS

THE SUNDAY SANTAN SUN NEWS | FEBRUARY 16, 2020

Criss Angel balances son’s cancer battle, magic CHRISTINA FUOCO-KARASINSKI

Staff Writer

Magician Criss Angel met a woman recently with 19 tattoos of him. Calmly, he chalks it up to his connection to his fans. “I can’t believe how many people I’ve met who have been so connected to me because of something I said or did,” Angel said. “I would have never expected a woman to have 19 tattoos of myself—including my face. It’s because that connection goes beyond the trick. It’s the magic of emotion.” Angel – who brings his “Raw: The Mindfreak Unplugged” to the Events Center at Harrah’s Ak-Chin on Sunday, Feb. 16 – has been emotional himself. His 5-year-old son, Johnny Crisstopher, with Australian singer Shaunyl Benson is suffering from leukemia. “I’m always open and positive, especially because of what I’m going through with my son, Johnny Crisstopher,” Angel says. “You’ll see I go out there and still appreciate every moment. Every moment’s a blessing. I encourage people to live their dreams. I’m not special. I’m not different, except I work very hard.” Angel said he was “6 years young” when he learned his first card trick from his aunt. From there, he, admittedly, drove everyone crazy performing the same trick. “It’s such a sense of power to be able to do something an adult didn’t understand,” Angel says. “I love magic. When I

Magician Criss Angel, who will appear next Sunday at the Harrah’s Ak-Chin Event Center, was deeply affected by his son’s cancer. (Special to the SanTan Sun News)

was 10 or 11, I got a magic set under the Christmas tree. I was obsessed with it. I

used to watch magic on television.” For nearly two decades, Angel has

dominated the world of magic, from “Criss Angel Mindfreak” on A&E to TV specials, best-selling books, top-grossing retail products and sold-out tours. The youngest inductee in the International Magicians Society Hall of Fame, Angel’s performance is a theatrical experience, featuring his famous sleight of hand street magic, mentalism and some of his most iconic illusions. “I always wanted to do magic and music. My wish came true. Be careful what you wish for. The fact I can vanish on stage and reappear in the audience means you can become a doctor, lawyer, actor or magician. My show is a fun night and people will have a great, fun time with me.” Angel chalks up his success to fans connecting with his message. “It’s not about what I do or how do I do that trick,” he says. “It’s how you feel when you watch it. I want to inspire and encourage people to conquer their own dreams.” Johnny Crisstopher is undergoing chemotherapy for leukemia and will for three years. “He looks like he’s responding very, very well to treatment. It’s a great sign,” he said. “Everything is looking very promising,” he adds. “We know, with this disease – which affects one child every two minutes – can change on a dime. We See

ANGEL on page 54

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THE SUNDAY SANTAN SUN NEWS | FEBRUARY 16, 2020

EV musicians to gather for a fundraising ‘play-a-thon’ SANTAN SUN NEWS STAFF

Classical and pops music aficionados call the East Valley Youth Symphony one of the region’s hidden gems. More than 75 Chandler and other East Valley young people, ranging in age from 8 to 20, comprise the orchestra, founded in 2006 by a group of conductors and music lovers who saw the need for advanced students to use their musical skills in a setting both challenging and enhances their abilities. Consisting of two strings-only orchestras and one symphony orchestra, the nonprofit encourages the growth of its musicians on both a personal and performance level and is led by professional conductors and supported by a team of volunteers, The leadership is diverse and skilled. Cindy H. Petty is artistic director and conductor of the symphony orchestra – the advanced group made up largely of high school students with Jon Gomez as the wind specialist. Robert R. Nichols conducts the Chamber Orchestra, consisting of musicians in eighth and ninth grade, while Richelle Shultz is the conductor of the Concert Orchestra, largely made up of musicians in sixth through eighth grades. Sheryl S. Frey is the string specialist for the chamber and concert groups. The organization is directed by a board of volunteers, mostly parents of

More than 75 talented East Valley musicians belong to the East Valley Youth Symphony, which will be holding a “play-a-thon” to help raise money for the nonprofit organization. (Special to SanTan Sun News)

the musicians, with Edwin Reyes serving as the President of the group. “The caliber of the musicians is very high, evidenced by the fact they had nine students recently audition and successfully achieve the opportunity to join” the Arizona All-Regional Festival Orchestra,” said Karen Simonson, who started volunteering when her granddaughter, the youngest member of the

symphony, began playing. While the group has a concert at 7 p.m. March 4 at the Higley Center for the Performing Arts, Recker and Pecos roads, Gilbert, it also has a unique fundraiser planned. Tickets are $5 at the door for the concert. The young musicians also are conducting a “play-a-thon” at Mission Community Church, 4450 E. Elliot Road,

Gilbert. Each musician is raising $200 in pledges with the goal of raising $15,000. Each of the three groups will play separately in a private marathon five hours together, breaking only for lunch, before all three will come together for a mini-concert at 3:30 p.m. the public can attend. People who want to support the musicians can go to evysaz.org.

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RACING

from page 50

Hagan powered his Dodge Charger to victory and took home a Wally trophy for the 30th time in his career. The win also marked 150 Funny Car victories for Don Schumacher Racing. In his free time, Hagan spends time with his wife, Rachel, with whom he has four children – Colby, Penny, Tucker and Nelly. He is an avid hunter and loves spending early mornings in a tree stand on his property hunting for deer and takes a couple trips each year out of state to hunt deer and ducks. If his bounty is too much for family and friends to consume, he shares the meat with groups helping the unemployed around his Virginia home.

GAMES

from page 50

It can appear a bit meta or self-referential – considering Baez has built his artistic career through spray-paint – but the artist thinks an interesting mishmash of styles and cultures. Though video arcades are not as common as they once were in the 1980s, several bars have begun installing pinball machines and gaming consoles – creating a hybrid establishment known as a “barcade.” And with Atari planning to build its first game-themed hotel in Phoenix soon, there appears to be a market in the Valley for the retro nostalgia embedded in Baez’s exhibit. “It’s kind of good timing,” Baez noted.

CHLOE

from page 51

Feoranzo will be accompanied by Molly Teeves and Nahum Zdybel on guitar and Ted Long on bass in her quartet. “I am so incredibly fortunate to have met the people I have, to have played with so many absolutely astounding musicians and be welcomed into many music (and non-music) families around the world,” Feoranzo said.

ANGEL

from page 52

have a lot of bad days, one great day, but you always have to keep your eyes open and stay vigilant.” Angel rattles off statistics like it’s rote. Toxic chemotherapy claims 10 percent of the children who have must go through it because their organs are so fragile, he says. “You see an innocent child there and you feel so helpless,” Angel says. “It’s a horrible thing to go through.” Angel created the Believe Foundation and was awarded the Make-a-Wish Foundation award for most supportive

t? o G ws Ne

THE SUNDAY SANTAN SUN NEWS | FEBRUARY 16, 2020

“I also farm a lot,” he said. “I have a 2,000-acre, 600-head cattle farm in Virginia. I enjoy it. It keeps me humble. I work, get my hands dirty and build some callouses. I live this rock star life—go, go, go—with adrenaline-driven fans, TV and sponsors. I come back home and turn all that off. I drive the tractor 5 miles an hour. It’s like yin and yang.” He enjoys winning, but everything that comes with touring on the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series is exhausting. “The travel wears on you—the hotel and all that kind of stuff,” he said. “I was gone 180 days last year. I’m 37 years old and in the pinnacle of my sport. What other sport gives you an adrenaline rush at this age? Most people in other sports have retired at my age.

“The competition and the drive to win keeps me going. I was named Driver of the Decade by MotorTrend. I put myself around good people, so good things happen. They don’t want to let me down. It’s pretty amazing.” In his 11th year with Don Schumacher Racing, Hagan is inspired by his father, David, who owns Shelor Motor Mile new car dealerships and the Motor Mile Speedway short track and drag strip, as well Matt Hagan Outdoors locations in Radford, Virginia, and Blacksburg, Virginia. The first Matt Hagan Outdoors store opened in December 2013 in Radford, near Hagan’s home in Christiansburg, Virginia, and success led to moving to a larger location a year later and opening a second location in 2016.

“My dad owns 42 companies,” he said. “I own an outdoor store, a cattle farm, a hemp farm. I race. I have four kids and he makes me look like a chump. I take lessons from him. He’s a great leader and really cares about people. I just sit back, watch, learn and listen.”

If you go

What: NHRA Arizona Nationals Where: Wild Horse Pass Motorsports Park, 2000 S. Maricopa Road, Chandler When: Various times Feb. 21-23 Tickets: Start at $24 Info: 800-884-6472, nhra.com.

The artists are celebrating their exhibit’s opening with a 1980s-themed reception and includes actors dressed as characters and music inspired by the sounds of video games. Some of the galley’s pieces will be transferred to the Tempe History Museum later this year for a new exhibit detailing the history of video games. Vision Galley will have “Two People, Two Quarters” on display until March 27.

If you go

What: “Two People, Two Quarters” opening reception When: Feb. 21, 6-8 p.m. Where: Vision Gallery, 10 East Chicago Street

Arcade games like Pacman inspired Noe and Champ Baez to start painting their artistic interpretations of the games’ graphics. (Special to SanTan Sun News)

The new parking garage at Tempe Center for the Arts is to open on Feb. 15 and will be in operation for the Chloe Feoranzo concert. After a long year-and-a-half without convenient parking – patrons had to park in a dirt lot and take a shuttle bus to and from the venue – free parking nearby is back. It does, however, require a validation process, which Lakeshore Music will handle at its reception table in the TCA lobby. Lakeshore Music founder Wood

Wilson said: “One of things we try to do at Lakeshore Music is showcase exciting new artists who are destined to become household names in the jazz world. We bring them to the Valley and TCA before anyone else, and that’s an enlightening and refreshing change for our patrons. It’s going to be that way with Chloe because she’s just a delight to watch and experience.” Critics also have praised Chloe. ‘A joyful rustling among the reeds’ “Becoming an overnight sensation is

no small feat – especially in the unpredictable world of jazz, and particularly in its very birthplace, New Orleans. But here, for your consideration, is Chloe Feoranzo, Exhibit A,” said Richard Simon of “THe Syncopated Times. “Learning her craft along a steady trajectory from San Diego to Los Angeles, then to St. Louis and down to the mouth of the Mississippi, the clarinet and saxophone player has already dazzled musicians in her own age group as well as the grizzled veterans.”

celebrity in May 2010. “All of the money I raise goes to research and treatment,” Angel says. “There is no overhead and no administrative costs. The kids who do go through, look at us and the families don’t feel alone. They can relate to us and see the frustration and anger and the up and down rollercoaster we go through.” Angel is working on a documentary called “1095,” named after the number of days Johnny Crisstopher went through chemotherapy. He hopes the documentary, produced by “At the Heart of Gold: Inside the USA Gymnastics Scandal’s” Sarah Gibson, will be released this year.

“We’re trying to bring awareness and we’re going to have a huge event,” he said. “We’ll be announcing in April. We’re trying to raise many millions of dollars for pediatric cancer, go in front of Congress and enact a legislation to get more funding for this horrible disease.” The show in Maricopa is “going to be fantastic,” he says. The show is straight from his Broadway production, an amalgamation of his Planet Hollywood show in Las Vegas, his TV series and world premiere efforts. “I love touring,” he says. “I perform 40 weeks a year in Vegas. I have 12 weeks off. Eight or 10 of those 12 weeks. I tour

because I love it so much. I take it quite seriously. I love getting out there and doing my thing.”

If You Go...

What: “Criss Angel Raw: The Mindfreak Unplugged”. Where: The Events Center at Harrah’s Ak-Chin Casino, 15406 N. Maricopa Road, Maricopa. When: 8 p.m. Feb. 16. Cost: Start at $47.50. (Show is open to those 18 and older) More info: caesars.com/harrahs/akchin, ticketmaster.com

Contact Contact Paul Paul Maryniak Maryniak at at 480-898-5647 or or pmaryniak@timespublications.com pmaryniak@timespublications.com

THE SUNDAY SANTAN SUN NEWS | FEBRUARY 16, 2020

For more community news visit SanTanSun.com

These are always the best times of our lives BY RABBI IRWIN WIENER, D.D. Guest Writer

A group of citizens in a small town were busily engaged in digging a foundation for a new school when a disturbing thought occurred to one of the

laborers. “What are we going to do with all the earth we are digging up?” “We certainly can’t leave it here where the school will be built.” There was much discussion – suggestions were flying here and there. Suddenly one of the men smiled and held up his hand and said. “We will make a deep pit and shovel all the dirt into it.” Everyone applauded except one man who asked, “What will we do with the earth from the pit?” Silence – and more thinking. And then finally another man raised his hand and said: “We’ll dig another pit and into that pit, we will shovel all the earth we’re digging now together with all the earth from the first pit – with one addition – we will make the second pit much larger to accommodate all the earth from the school and the first pit.” Sometimes life is like that – we go from crisis to crisis never thinking about the goodness in

our lives. We just dig pit after pit – an endless cycle of despair. And then there is the story of the man carrying a heavy load of wood and the load just keeps getting heavier and heavier until finally in desperation he puts the load down and cries out for the angel of death to come and take him so that he would no longer have to carry this heavy load. The angel of death hears the lament and appears and asks what the man wants from him. To which the man replies, “Could you please put the load back on my shoulders.” Sometimes it appears that the trials of life are too much for us. We think about how simple it would be if it were all over. But then we remember that life has more than burdens – life has good things like births and anniversaries and celebrations of one kind or another. When we weigh the good and the bad, we realize that the good outweighs the bad and life is just great. What we say – what we do can result in happiness or sadness. We control how our lives are lived in great measure. Sometimes life is so simple and we make it so difficult. Sometimes we create issues and incidents and tend to make life a chore.

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The leaders of this small town were also concerned about their maintenance man and his crew. They were getting old and during the long cold winters, the maintenance man would have to get up at the crack of dawn and dress as warm as he could and knock on every shutter of every window of every house to wake the men to come to work. The leaders met to discuss the plight of the maintenance man and his crew to determine if there was a way to make their tasks easier, especially in the cold cruel winter. Finally, the president said, “From now on in the winter months, we will collect all the shutters and bring them to the warm building so the maintenance man will be nice and warm when he knocks on the shutters.” Life is really this simple. We can, if we will, make these the best years of our lives. We can all come in from the cold because life is too short to be so unhappy and these years – the ones that lie ahead of us can be rewarding and fulfilling if we try to make things easy for ourselves. As we approach the springtime of our lives, we should reflect on the goodness in each other. We can find fulfillment in the knowledge God is concerned with our welfare and shows it by giving us the ingredients for our

success – not in some hidden place, but right out there for the taking. We humans are unique. Not only do we leave traces of whom we were, but we also leave an understanding of what we have accomplished. There is always much to do and sometimes we do not take advantage of time. The purpose of our existence is to live life as it was intended, with all its joys and sorrows. We can accomplish this by taking the trip planned for so long but never finding the right time. We should surround ourselves with family and friends more than just for sad occasions. We need to splurge on a special thing we have longed for but always begrudged ourselves. We should get up everyday and look around us and thank each other for being there and, most importantly, thank God for giving us these glorious opportunities we sometimes take for granted. We can fill the pit of despair with the celebrations of life. We can carry the burdens of everyday living by learning to flow with the tide. We can be warmed during the cold tragedies of our experiences by being there for each other. As we age, we should not think of it as being the last years of our lives but rather the best years of our lives. This is the true meaning of any season.

Chandler United Methodist Church Making and Deploying Disciples for over 100 Years. Open hearts. Open minds. Open doors.

Thursday Evenings: Feb 20th - April 16th, 2020 6:00 pm - 8:30 pm

SUNDAY WORSHIP

At 8:30 am & 10 am

Purchase Materials at https://fpu.com/1112516

480-963-3360 | www.chandlermethodist.org | 450 E. Chandler Heights Rd.

Come, Worship the Lord

Praise Him

Glorify His Name

THE SUNDAY SANTAN SUN NEWS | FEBRUARY 16, 2020

State of the City Thursday, Feb. 20

Made in Chandler Expo: 5:30 p.m. Remarks: 6 p.m. Chandler Center for the Arts Free | Open to the Public chandleraz.gov/StateOfTheCity

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