Ahwatukee Foothills News - March 1, 2017

Lucky to be alive

Eleven Ahwatukee Realtors have publicly thrown their support to the Ahwatukee Farms plan, calling it “an exciting proposal featuring multiple aspects that will increase property values to surrounding residents.”

In a letter published today in the

Ahwatukee Foothills News (p. 32), the Realtors cite several reasons for their endorsement of the plan, including an assertion that Ahwatukee area “is already oversaturated with golf courses” and that the defunct Ahwatukee Lakes course “will never be a golf course again.”

The letter is signed by Realtors Dean Carver, Stephanie Coffman, Mimi Cox,

INCREASE on page 6

Money remains the challenge for flood prevention

BY PAUL MARYNIAK AFN Executive Editor

Maricopa County flood control experts have proposed over $1 million worth of drainage improvements for seven Ahwatukee sites where serious flooding could cause more than an estimated $2.4 million in damage to homes and businesses.

But when those fixes might be made – and where the money would come from – are anybody’s guess.

The proposed improvements were outlined on Monday during a presentation to the Ahwatukee Foothills Village Planning Committee by Valerie Swick, project manager for the county Flood Control District, who has been heading up a $1.2 million, two-year study.

Swick stressed that most of Ahwatukee was protected from a large flooding threat.

Nonetheless, the study determined that more than 492 homes and buildings in Ahwatukee would sustain damage exceeding $5 million in a 100-year flood.

The term “100-year flood” refers to an extreme event that has a likely recurrence interval of a century. Put another way, such a major flood has a 1 percent chance of happening in any given year.

Hydrologists make that determination on the basis of data for annual rainfall and flooding over an extended period of time.

The seven sites discussed Monday comprise the most troublesome of a total of 36 spots in Ahwatukee that were identified in the study.

(Ralph Freso/ Special to AFN)

Although Jace Hyduchak of Ahwatukee is only 6 years old, he has already fought one of the biggest battles he may ever face – a fight to stay alive. Now, he’s leading an effort to help other youngsters who have fallen victim to pediatric cancer. His story is on page 20.

BY PAUL MARYNIAK

Executive Editor

AHWATUKEE FOOTHILLS NEWS

AHWATUKEE FOOTHILLS

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Ahwatukee woman setting academic, golf records in Georgia

AFN NEWS STAFF

Ariana Macioce of Ahwatukee has been golfing since she was 2 years old – 18 years ago. And now that the 20-year-old sophomore is at Georgia Southern University, all that experience is paying off – along with 12 years of high performance in the classroom before she even got to Georgia.

She not only is setting records on Georgia Southern’s golf team, but also is making high grades as a student, winning the school’s coveted President’s Award twice in three semesters with a report card that has carried all As except for one B as a freshman.

And she’s done that despite a minimum 30 hours a week spent practicing golf and missing lots of classes while she travels with the university’s team to various tournaments.

“We miss tons of class and it’s tough to catch up, but once you get the hang of it you learn how to manage your time,” Macioce said.

“We do homework every night in the hotel after our rounds and in the van on the way to and from tournaments. I have always been an A student so I work extra hard when I’m not golfing to keep up my GPA even if it means giving up some of my social life.”

On the fairways in her first three semesters, Macioce also has been an over-achiever, setting four records for women’s golf at Georgia Southern.

She holds the university’s records for Top 5 and

(Special

Ariana Macioce of Ahwatukee is burning up the fairways for Georgia Southern University and scoring well above par in the classroom as well.

Close-out Specials!!

NEIGHBORS

Top 10 finishes, the first Academic All American and the lowest score ever shot – a 68.

In tournaments, she has ended in the top five twice, four times in the top 10 and six times in the top 15.

Last month, she landed second in the Texas State Invitational after playing in 20 mph winds.

Her success parallels her accomplishments at Xavier College Prep, where she graduated in 2015. There, she was among the top three golfers all four years and graduated with a 3.9 grade point average and 40 college credits.

Majoring in business management with a marketing minor, she said she picked Georgia Southern because “the golf facility is amazing and the weather is almost as perfect as Phoenix.”

Besides, she noted, “The campus is very safe and very pretty with about

22,000 kids – which is not too big or too small.”

Macioce likes golf because “it challenges you mentally and makes you a better overall person.”

“Golf teaches you honesty, respect, and patience. I love that it’s outdoors and every golf course is completely different. You can practice whenever wherever and alone or with others.”

Not surprisingly, she wants to play professionally one day.

“If I don’t, I would like to be a manager in some sort of golf field so I am still around the sport I love.”

Local woman studies abroad

Wofford College junior Brooke Ann Leftwich of Ahwatukee is studying abroad in Alicante, Spain.

Study abroad is a major component of the college’s commitment “to shaping globally connected citizens,” the school said in a release.

Share Your Thoughts

INCREASE

from page 1

green space.

Stating “community-supported agriculture is one of the hottest community amenities in the country,” the Realtors said:

Christie Ellis, Randy Fitch, Carolyn Glass, Jim Hunt, Devida Lewis, Dawn Matesi, Karla Rozum and Judy Young.

Carvier, Ellis and Hunt are members of the Ahwatukee Foothills Chamber of Commerce, which endorsed the Farms a few months ago. Lewis until recently worked for the Chamber.

“We love Ahwatukee Foothills and we are proud to be residents and small business owners here. We encourage all property owners who have the opportunity to sign a consent form for Ahwatukee Farms to do so. Let’s move forward,” the letter states.

The letter is the latest salvo in the bitter fight over the course’s future between The True Life Companies and a number of Ahwatukee Lakes residents.

“The well-respected Urban Land Institute commissioned a report that showed community-supported agriculture dramatically improved property values within areas where CSAs were started.”

The letter drew a rebuke from two prominent advocates of the golf course’s restoration.

“I’ve never ever heard any place where property values have risen because they added traffic and added density,” said Ben Holt, president of Save the Lakes.

That group is holding another town hall on the golf course following an annual organizational meeting at 6:30 p.m. today, March 1, at the Ahwatukee Recreation Center, 5001 E. Cheyenne Drive.

True Life, which owns the course, is trying to get the permission of 51 percent of the community’s approximate 5,400 homeowners to agree to change the covenants, conditions and regulations governing the 101-acre site so it can create an “agrihood.”

The Farms plan calls for approximately 270 homes – with two detached singlefamily houses and either a townhouse or duplex per one gross acre – as well as a five-acre farm, private school, café and

Holt’s group claims that between the new homes and the school, traffic would increase exponentially in the Lakes area. The group also contends that the homes would eat away at open space that adds to the community’s quality of life. True Life and the Realtors dispute those assertions.

The Realtors said, “True Life has

(Special to AFN)

Dueling signs over the Ahwatukee Lakes Golf Course’s future are popping up around the community.

FLOOD HAZARD

Swick said the

Swick focused on the following areas, where study gave the number of buildings threatened and the estimated potential damage:

• Cottonwood Lane and 41st Street, where a flood could potentially damage 52 homes and cause an estimated $681,300 in damages.

• Dry Creek Road and 35th Place, 48 homes, and $620,000 worth of damage.

• Ray Road and Ranch Circle West, two commercial buildings, $67,400.

• Ranch Circle and 36th Street, 16 homes, $217,100.

• 44th and Ponca streets, 23 homes, $291,500.

• Kiowa and Mandan streets, 21 homes, $182,000.

• Cheyenne Drive and 51st Street, 114 homes, commercial buildings, office buildings and apartments, $328,000. At several points during the presentation, committee Chairman

Chad Blostone noted, “There’s no funding for the solutions.”

To which Hasan Mushtar, flood plain manager for the city of Phoenix, replied,

“The city might be able to do one or two.”

But Mushtar and Blostone also noted that some of the improvements involved

culverts and channels on private land.

In many cases, those owners’ primary responsibility is maintenance. For example, they must ensure that channels are free of debris so water can flow and not back up, creating floods.

That prompted committee member Michael Hinz to ask if county or city officials notified private property owners of problems.

Swick and Mushtar indicated there was no formal process for notifying property owners, although homeowner association boards in some cases have been contacted.

“The city does not go out and hand out letters,” Mushtar added, stressing that no one will be notified as a result of the study itself.

He said that once projects are proposed, officials would seek permission to work on any private land.

Hinz pressed the issue of a formal notification process that included records of contact with owners and their responses.

“How would we know who to hold accountable in the absence of a formal document?” Hinz asked.

Mushtar said that owners generally

(AFN file photo)

This wash at Cottonwood Lane and 41st street is listed by a county study as a potential high-dollar flooding hazard partly because it is too shallow.

FLOOD HAZARD

from page 8

would be contacted once projects were approved and a work schedule was set.

About a dozen Lakes residents showed up for the meeting, and some of them said the barren defunct golf course posed a consistent flooding threat.

But Mushtar said the city had not received any complaints of flooding from residents in the area.

“The grass was dying when the study began,” he said, adding that there was no indication of serious flooding in the area.

Blostone and Mushtar said that it was important that residents file a flooding report with the city, since that is the only way officials become aware of a problem.

The study groups flooding concerns into three categories: 21 areas where a total 496 structurescould sustain damages; 15 stretches of local streets and roads that are prone to a damaging flood; and three erosion hazards.

The structures are mostly single-family homes but include a church, some businesses, two office buildings and at least three apartment complexes.

The Flood Control District of Maricopa County was created in 1959 to reduce the risk of flooding to people and property.

The district has no timetable for completing plans to deal with the

endangered areas, let alone a schedule for when the county and city could find the money to implement those plans, Swick told AFN last fall.

“There is usually some kind of solution for the flooding problem, but sometimes there are other factors such as funding that may cause us not to build a project,” she explained.

Moreover, she added, “Because most of the problems are independent, there is no need to have them built all at the same time. We prioritize the projects and work them into the budget over many years.”

Swick said that her team is developing “conceptual solutions for all the areas,” but that “the design and construction of these projects will need to go through the capital improvement prioritization process for both the city and the district.”

Because that funding program prioritizes projects involving all cities in the county, solutions for the Ahwatukee flooding concerns would have to be weighed against those in other communities, she added.

Many times, funding depends on the federal government.

For example, the city had asked the Federal Emergency Management Agency last year for a $500,000 grant to address a persistent flooding problem on Manden Street.

The agency turned down the request, though it could consider it again.

shown their creative ideas to limiting traffic congestion and improving flood control in the area, which would benefit all homeowners and increase the attractiveness of homes in the area.” Holt said he is not surprised by the statement.

“Realtors are in the business of selling property, and the more property that is available for them to sell, the better it is for them,” he said. “We have two Realtors on Save the Lakes board. They’re looking out for what’s good for Ahwatukee.”

Linda Swain, one of two homeowners suing True Life in an effort to have the court require a restoration of the golf course, asserted, “If Phoenix homeowners lose open-space views they paid a premium to enjoy, homebuilders can say goodbye to charging $50,000 to $1-million premiums for view lots.”

“The only people who say The Lakes will never be a golf course again are

Wilson Gee, True Life, and laypeople who know nothing about golf,” Swain added. “Come to our town hall tonight, ask your toughest questions and hear what Ahwatukee’s land planner, former Presley executives, master developers and golf course operators have to say about the Lakes Golf Course property.”

But the Realtors said True Life represented something Ahwatukee and the Lakes development need.

“We need leadership in our community that presents innovative ideas, creates new opportunities and brings the type of excitement and energy that appeals to homebuyers and increases current homeowners’ property values,” they said.

They also cited Ahwatukee’s need for “newly developed home options to remain attractive for new families.

“Ahwatukee Farms’ plan preserves a minimum of 30 acres as open space, including more than two miles of trails, to connect the farm, cafe, Montessori school campus, community parks and lakes for everyone in Ahwatukee to enjoy,” their letter stated.

New Phoenix recycling tool to be installed at Pecos Park

Pecos Park in Ahwatukee will provide a home to a new attempt by Phoenix officials to make recycling easier.

A huge, blue roll-off bin, called an ECO Station, will be set up in the park, one of eight locations throughout the city selected for new piece of equipment.

The ECO Stations are wrapped to show the top 10 recyclables that are accepted in Phoenix’s recycling program – cardboard materials, papers, food boxes, mail and junk mail, beverage cans, food cans, glass beverage bottles, food jars in glass and plastic, plastic jugs and beverage cartons, and plastic bottles with caps on.

“Phoenix residents and businesses are encouraged to use the ECO stations to place their recyclables at any time,” the city Public Works Department said in a release.

Vice Mayor Kate Gallego said the stations constitute a response to citizen demand.

“Phoenix residents regularly ask for more opportunities to recycle,” she said. “For residents in condos and apartment complexes, ECO stations are a free and convenient way to do your part to keep recyclables out of landfills.”

Contamination in the ECO Station is also an important issue that Phoenix Public Works addresses.

In addition to the top 10 materials that can be placed in the ECO Stations to be recycled, it also lists items that should not be deposited.

Banned items include plastic bags or any plastic film, used electronics, textiles and clothing, furniture, trash and green

organics or yard waste.

The city said these contaminants can cost the city up to $1 million annually in processing fees, and can lower the value of the other recyclable materials collected.

The ECO Stations will be constantly monitored by Phoenix Public Works staff to prevent rampant contamination, a department spokesperson said.

“The Public Works Department was happy to work with the Mayor and City Council, as well as partner with the Phoenix Parks and Recreation Department, to provide this new recycling option to Phoenix residents and businesses,” said Jesse Duarte, Public Works deputy director.

Recyclable materials collected from these stations will be counted toward the city’s Reimagine Phoenix goal of a 40-percent waste diversion rate by 2020.

“The ECO Stations program was implemented to provide a viable and free recycling option for multi-family housing dwellers, who may not have recycling services available to them,” the department stated, noting the city does not provide solid-waste collection services to multi-family or apartment housing complexes.

Under the Reimagine Phoenix initiative, the Phoenix Public Works has implemented other services and programs for Phoenix residents to encourage recycling and waste diversion, such as the Save As You Reduce & Recycle, Curbside Green Organics Collection and the Recyclebank rewards program.

Currently, the city has a wastediversion rate of 20 percent.

AFN NEWS STAFF

(Special to AFN)

This “Eco Station” will be installed at Pecos Park soon as the city tries to encourage more recycling, especially by apartment dwellers.

Spencers

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Engineers grade Altadeña students’ plan for Martian colony

BY COLLEEN SPARKS AFN Contributing Writer

Ahwatukee Foothills students aimed high as they tried to persuade Honeywell engineers that their plan for colonizing a Martian moon was rock-solid at a state competition Saturday.

this challenge, it’s an incredible honor and privilege to see it through to the end,” Howell said. “It was a tough competition. Most college kids couldn’t do this.”

The five students on Altadeña’s Team Sciency Scientists at the finals were among about 365 seventh-grade Altadeña students that competed in the preliminary contest, but the only team advancing to the final event.

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Though the Kyrene Altadeña Middle School team didn’t win the Honeywell Fiesta Bowl Aerospace Challenge, members did land among Arizona’s science stars.

The Altadeña seventh-graders and their science teacher, Ryan Howell, were thrilled to compete in the finals of what’s considered the largest extracurricular Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) program for grade school and junior high students in Arizona. They want to compete again next year.

Students at Saturday’s competition had spent months brainstorming and researching their proposals on how to meet the primary mission of colonizing Phobos, a low-gravity moon. They also had to decide how to build structures to support the command, control and communication for people and robots on Mars.

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This was the first year a Kyrene Altadeña team had even entered the preliminary level of the state competition. It was among six finalist teams chosen to compete at Saturday’s finals out of almost 300 teams that entered the preliminary round earlier last month.

To make reach the finals, teams of fifth- through eighth-grade students had to research, develop and present detailed plans of how they would build a sustainable colony for 24 people in 10 years on Phobos, a moon of Mars.

Honeywell engineers judged their proposals, picking the top six teams for their research, creativity, teamwork and ability to understand their findings.

“Being our first year of even trying

The budding scientists had to decide what kind of food astronauts would eat, how they would get clean water, how to generate energy safely for the colony on Phobos and how to keep astronauts healthy.

They wrote detailed plans and constructed models of their proposed colonies with paper, tinfoil and other materials.

“It was actually really challenging,” said Amelia Carter, 13, who was on Altadeña’s team. “We had to research different things within these guidelines.”

“Everyone did everything,” she added. She said she would like to be an engineer someday as she likes “creating things.”

(Colleen Sparks/AFN Contributor)

Contending at the Honeywell Fiesta Bowl Aerospace Challenge last Saturday were members of Kyrene Altadeña Middle School’s Team Sciency, including, from left, Liva Chang, Carter Targowski, Keaton Dudley, Amelia Carter and Caden Ricks.

MARS COLONY

from page 12

The engineers asked the students how they would handle conflicts between astronauts, what kind of disaster relief plans they developed and why they chose particular energy sources.

Head judge Keith Hughes, a retired Honeywell engineer, said the Phobos assignment was a new project for the state competition, which is in its 18th year.

“It is a team project that is similar to the real world development of projects in the industry,” Hughes said. “There’s a lot of research on Mars; there’s less information on Phobos.”

Tim Newquist, chairman of the Aerospace Challenge and member of the Fiesta Bowl Yellow Jacket Committee, said the event is a “great feeder for Arizona State University” since ASU looks to recruit students to its engineering school.

“This is their sport, their bowl game,” Newquist of Gilbert said. “The whole

East Valley is prime for the future of engineering and STEM.”

Altadeña seventh-grader Keaton Dudley, 13, of Ahwatukee, said he loves science and engineering.

“It was a fun experience,” Dudley said. “We were not expecting to win.”

He added he’s happy the Ahwatukee group made the “top two-percent” of teams chosen for the finals out of the preliminary event.

The Altadeña students told judges about their hexagon-shaped main base building would be made of lead, Kevlar and aluminum alloy designed to protect astronauts from radiation. They said plants would be grown in a greenhouse.

Keaton Dudley’s father, Paul Dudley said the Altadena team was poised, “well-rounded” and “knowledgeable.”

“They give us hope for the future,” Paul Dudley said. “Science and technology is very, very important.”

The state winner, Challenge Charter School in Glendale. won a trip to the U.S. Space & Rocket Center Space Camp in Alabama.

Freeway-linked water line still a strong possibility

BY PAUL MARYNIAK

AFN NEWS STAFF

Hopes still are high for some government solution to getting more water for the Foothills Community Association and cheaper water for Club West’s golf course, city Councilman Sal DiCiccio says.

The Arizona Department of Transportation last week clarified what it would and wouldn’t do to get water from the south side of Pecos Road if a viable well is located.

ADOT said it will still build a concrete sleeve running in a south-north direction underneath the South Mountain Freeway near the Foothills’ well at 24th Street to house a waterline, it reiterated that paying for a line is up to the two communities and the city of Phoenix. The agency noted such a deal would violate the state constitution’s gift clause. But DiCiccio said he and other local officials are still trying to find a way to get the line installed.

“The gift clause is a real concern,”

he said. “We have to work with all the HOAs now for find a solution.”

“But it’s not dead,” he added.

The Foothills association board had wanted ADOT and Connect 202 Partners, the freeway developer, for a line to 40th Street to increase the amount of water it gets.

Club West has not yet identified a well, but hopes to find a source of water that’s cheaper than city potable water.

Golf course owner Wilson Gee said he cannot afford his $700,000 annual city water bill and began curtailing irrigation last summer, causing the course to start turning brown and attracting a lawsuit from the Save Club West Homeowners Association.

Save Club West, a group of homeowners that wants to buy the course and restore the course, said it doesn’t necessarily need cheaper water immediately to cut the irrigation bill.

Its consultants have identified xeriscaping and other measures that could be taken to reduce annual water costs by close to 50 percent.

Ahwatukee teen opening spring baseball game with National Anthem

BY SUSIE STECKNER AFN Guest Writer

Molly Harrison of Ahwatukee has been singing for as long as she can remember.

said. “I kind of discovered music on my own, but my dad definitely had an influence I think because he was big on music, especially when I was younger.”

Despite her age, she already has a full musical resume.

As a little girl, she belted out songs around the house. As a young student, she took center stage in the school musical. At Mountain Point High School, the freshman shined as a soloist in her choir concert.

Today, March 1, Molly will step up to the plate and sing the national anthem at a San Francisco Giants spring training game in Scottsdale.

A versatile performer, she has taken on everything from starring as Tracy Turnblad in Kyrene Centennial Middle School’s production of “Hairspray” to joining a musical tour of San Francisco with CCC’s Cantus choir.

Molly has been honored to sing the anthem at several other venues.

She said she is thrilled to have been selected by her community signing group, Chandler Children’s Choir, for her first Major League Baseball performance.

This summer, Molly will tour again with 24 other members of the Cantus choir in New York City, performing at the historic Cathedral of Saint John the Divine and the United Nations lobby.

“I love everything about singing. I love the dynamics you can create, the harmonies that emerge, all the different aspects of vocal performance,” she said. “And you feel a sense of unity and family you can only get from performing with a choir.”

“I love, in some sense, getting to be a part of the game in this kind of way and it’s such an honor to not only represent my choir, but my country!” said the 14-year-old.

A member of the Chandler Children’s Choir for the past four years, Molly was selected by audition for the opportunity. She is a natural performer who lights up the stage, and baseball fans are in for a treat, said Aimee Stewart, the choir’s artistic director and founder.

“I love how emotional music is,” she added.

Performing the national anthem for an audience can be daunting, Molly said.

“The hardest thing is dealing with the nerves!” she said.

“I always get so nervous before singing in front of crowds, especially a crowd of so many people (at spring training),” she added.

“Molly is a standout singer as well as a role model for her peers,” Stewart said. “She works hard, takes initiative and always strives for excellence is every area of her life.”

Life is a bit of a juggling act for the busy teen.

Molly sings with both the Chandler Children’s and her school choir, and is also active with Mountain Pointe’s cross country and track teams and the service organization Key Club.

But her heart is truly in performing.

“I’ve been singing since I was super young, as long as I can remember, and was in school choirs since sixth grade, the same time I joined the CCC,” Molly

Stewart, CCC’s artistic director, isn’t worried. She said Molly was born to perform, whether in weekly rehearsals or on stage with her peers or singing solo at a ballgame.

“Her talent and natural ability for expression in performance makes her a delight to watch and hear,” Stewart said. If all the world’s a stage, Harrison hopes to have a long career.

“I plan on performing anywhere and everywhere I can,” she said, adding:

“The ultimate dream would be to someday be on Broadway, but for now, I’m very happy with the music I’m performing and presenting at the moment.”

(Special to AFN)

Molly Harrison of Ahwatukee belts out a number with the Chandler Children’s Choir.

What: Informational Meetings on Ahwatukee Farms

When: 6:00pm to 8:00pm, Wednesday, March 1st, 6:00pm to 8:00pm, Thursday, March 2nd

Where: Mountain Pointe High School cafeteria

Saturday March 4th!

» Free food provided by local food trucks

» Walks of the property with members of the Ahwatukee Farms team

» Bumper stickers, t-shirts and consent forms available

What: Ahwatukee Farms Rally and Property Walk

When: 9:00am to 1:00pm, Saturday, March 4th

Where: 13431 S. 44th Street, Phoenix, AZ 85044

Join your neighbors by signing your consent form:

1. Send your consent form to P.O. Box 50129, Phoenix, AZ 85076 in the envelope you received last month.

2. Request a consent form by visiting AhwatukeeFarms.com and clicking on the right hand top corner.

3. Call 602-726-5311 and request a consent form be delivered to your home.

Transportation Day vehicles draw 3,000 to preschool

About 3,000 kids and their parents motored over to God’s Garden Preschool in Ahwatukee on Saturday for its 17th annual Transportation Day. More than 40 grown-up vehicles ranging from utility trucks to fire trucks were on hand for children to inspect, mount and pretend to drive.

All photographs by Dianne Ross/AFN Contributor

Eschewing the motorized forms of transportation for a more traditional fourfooted type was 2-year-old Grace

Taylor Micklos, 4, gets the feel of a backhoe cab.

The Kyrene de la Sierra Strikers, led by music teacher Jenny Kilgard, provided some musical entertainment for the thousands who attended Transportation Day at God's Garden Preschool.

entire parking lot.

Roberts.

Parker Smith, 4, had a ball pretending to operate a giant earth digger.

Cooper Reilly, 7, was just as happy with his phone tool as he was standing in the lift basket of a Centurylink utility truck.

While kids inspected vehicles outside, some parents, like Natasha Olsson, were inside checking out dozens of gift baskets that were raffled off.

How does your garden grow? Ask Ahwatukee master gardeners

BY KELLY ATHENA

What does it take to become a master gardener? A passion for plants and educating people about plants, and the time to make that a priority in your life.

It also takes 17 weeks of study at the University of Arizona Cooperative Extension at the Cooperative Extension building at 4341 E. Broadway Road, Phoenix.

A total of 51 hours of study and 20 hours of volunteer work is needed to graduate. To maintain master gardener status, 24 hours of volunteering and 12 hours of education are required every year.

The first master gardener program was founded in 1972 in Washington state. Today, over 100,000 master gardeners in all 50 states provide more than 5 million volunteer service hours per year. The programs are designed for the climate and conditions of each county.

Foothills resident Bob Korhely wanted to become a master gardener to learn how to grow plants in the desert after moving here from the Northeast. He now has large raised vegetable beds bursting with life.

He volunteers at Ahwatukee’s Garden of Eatin’ at Esperanza Lutheran Church and the Ahwatukee Community Garden.

Korhely is known by fellow gardeners as the “Compost King” for his unrivaled dedication to picking up greens from Lee Lee’s supermarket and coffee

grounds from Starbucks and making sure everything is properly mixed at the 5-stage compost system at the community garden.

Wanda Casady became a master gardener because she wanted to learn validated methods of growing plants and flowers that didn’t disrupt the natural beauty of the desert.

“My favorite activity to volunteer for is helping an elementary school with their garden,” she said. “I am amazed at the students’ enthusiasm to eat raw turnips and beets because they planted them.”

She has contributed over 600 hours of volunteer work in the last two years.

Becoming a master gardener provided Bill Felton with a new focus after he retired.

“I enjoy following a plant life from planting to harvest,” Felton explained. “I have participated in volunteering, made friends, and learned new things through the Master Gardener program.”

He just finished coordinating an Eagle Scout project: the construction of a rock-herb spiral garden at the Ahwatukee Community Garden by Boy Scout Lucas Campanella. It is the fourth Eagle Scout project coordinated by master gardeners with local Boy Scouts.

Mary Chandler has volunteered for rain water harvesting and sustainable landscaping co-op projects with the non-profit Watershed Management Group.

Amber Scrivnew, Mary Chandler, Casady and Korhley put in many hours

AFN Contributing Writer

(Kelly Athena/AFN Contributor)

Five Ahwatukee Master Gardeners are, from left: Bob Korhely, Kelly Athena, Linda Rominger, Linda Tate, and Bill Felton. They are joined by community garden volunteer Carol Long.

Child-cancer benefit is personal for Ahwatukee family

BY COTY DOLORES MIRANDA AFN Contributing Writer

Some dates you just don’t forget.

For George and Ann Hyduchak, it is Nov. 30, 2015, the day their son, Jace, was diagnosed with leukemia.

He had turned 5 just a month earlier.

It’s been a long, heart-rending journey but one with a happier ending than many.

Jace is in remission, and has been named an honorary race starter for the March 11 Run to Fight Children’s Cancer sponsored by Grand Canyon University Foundation.

This is the seventh annual run/walk and the second for which the Hyduchaks have organized a team fittingly called “Jace’s Defenders.”

Their Facebook site of the same name states:

“Support the children who are fighting cancer today because it may be your child who is fighting cancer tomorrow.”

The family knows that tragic fact all too well.

“Jace’s diagnosis opened our eyes to a world we were blind to before,” admitted George Hyduchak.

Their eye-opener came when they took their son, the third of four sons ages 12 years to 22 months, to the doctor, following a Thanksgiving weekend of lethargy and an onset of bruising.

“We could tell he was really sick and then there was a tinge of blood on his pillow and that alarmed us a bit,” recalled his mother.

The doctor’s appointment brought

more concern.

“The doctor didn’t allude to anything seriously wrong but her demeanor was different,” said George. “She ordered blood tests and said she’d call us later in the day.”

As the hours ticked by and no phone call came, the parents grew more hopeful

that perhaps it wasn’t as serious as they were thinking. But then the phone rang at 8 p.m. and they were told to get Jace to Phoenix Children’s Hospital immediately.

“It was the worst news you could ever hear – ‘your son has leukemia,’” said George, still evincing the pain of that

call. “That was probably the worst day in my life.”

The official diagnosis was acute lymphocytic leukemia (ALL), a cancer of the blood and marrow.

“Turns out his hemoglobin was off the charts low,” said Ann.

Grandparents rushed from Scottsdale to care for the other boys as the Jace and his parents hurried to leave.

“Jace was crying because he didn’t know why he had to go to the hospital; we were both crying, though not in front of the kids. We told the boys Jace was really sick,” said Ann.

“We didn’t sugarcoat it but we told them what they needed to know when they needed to know it,” added George.

The couple recalled how horrible the next month was as their son went through chemotherapy, steroids and complications from surgery needed to install a port to his heart.

“It was really a rough road,” said George. “Typically, kids gain weight with steroids but he went down from 47 to 37 pounds.”

Two days before Christmas, Jace was discharged. There were still many

(Shannon Allen/Special to AFN)

Ann and George Hyduchak of Ahwatukee walk with sons, Kaden, 9; Jace, 6; Brice, 12; and Brig, 20 months.

(Shannon Allen/Special to AFN)

Ann and George Hyduchak of Ahwatukee walk with sons, Kaden, 9; Jace, 6; Brice, 12; and Brig, 20 months.

GARDENERS

at the plant hotline answering residents’ questions about plant problems.

The Maricopa County Plant Hotline can be reached at 602-827-8201 or MaricopaCountyPlantHotline@gmail. com.

Linda Rominger has been an inspiration for master gardeners. People have walked into the Ahwatukee Community Garden in 105-degree weather and found lush green Red Zinger Hibiscus, tomatoes and squash growing.

“Gardening is one big experiment,” she likes to say.

Under Rominger’s direction, several master gardeners in Ahwatukee meet for

a gardening session behind the Farmer’s Market at 4700 E. Warner Road every Sunday morning.

Regular volunteers, new families, adults and children pop in to join the conversation. The master gardeners answer questions, and share their seed library and extra vegetables, fruits and herbs with them.

The master gardener program also offers helpful workshops for the public. Next up is “Pruning Trees and Shrubs” from 2-4 p.m. March 19.

Registration: regonline.com/builder/ site/?eventid=1955353

Information: extension.arizona.edu/ maricopamg, or kellyathena.com.

-Know of any upcoming garage sales or sustainable events? Contact garagesalegirl@kellyathena.com.

(Kelly Athena/AFN Contributor)

Ahwatukee Master Gardener Bob Korhely is known as "The Compost Man" for picking up greens from Lee Lee's Supermarket and coffee grounds from Starbucks for use in the community garden.

Esperanza's Children of Hope center marks a decade

BY COTY DOLORES MIRANDA AFN Contributing Writer

Last Sunday was a day of celebration at Esperanza Lutheran Church in Ahwatukee as its Children of Hope Child Development Center marked its 10th anniversary.

Among the speakers and honored guests were two teachers who have been with the school from the beginning – Karin Kammerzell and Lisa Krach; preschool director Lynn Hockenberger, also on board the entire decade; and a Kyrene Akimel A-Al Middle School sixth grader who represented graduates of the preschool.

Sophia Klessens, 11, admitted to being a little nervous addressing the crowd in the church sanctuary, but her words touched hearts as she thanked Krach for teaching her to read while in the classrooms for 3-and 4-year-old students.

“I miss my old teachers and I have such good memories here – the toy kitchen, the doll house,” she said. “One of my favorite things was learning how to read. When I went to (Kyrene del) Milenio, my kindergarten teacher Mr. (Michael) Blair told me I came from a phenomenal preschool. And I still love to read.”

The celebration, which included singing by current and former students, was filled with memories for Hockenberger who recalled the moment she learned the church was committed to opening a child development center.

“When Pastor Steve (Hammer) announced in church one Sunday morning 10 plus years ago that Esperanza would be opening a preschool, I nearly leapt out of my seat. Having been a preschool teacher in the Valley for a number of years, I joyfully accepted the invitation to be a part of this new

program and ministry at my own church,” she said.

“So, I left my established, secure job and took the leap of faith required to open this new preschool,” continued Hockenberger. “And we were not without our hurdles, the most significant being the mandated installation of a $70,000 fire sprinkler system, but we persevered.”

Pastor Steve, as he is generally called, said the idea for the preschool came from congregation member Cindy Komar in 2006.

“She has a business degree and a great deal of experience in the non-profit sector,” he explained. “She’s currently the CEO of the Arizona Hemophilia Association. She did some market research and put together a business

plan that was then presented to our Congregation Council. That was what got the ball rolling.”

The school began with only two classes and 24 children enrolled. Now it serves an average of 60 children annually.

For 20-year teacher Karin Kammerzell, the opening of Children of Hope a decade ago corresponded with a desire to get back into early-childhood education after a hiatus while raising her two children.

“When both of my kids were of elementary school age, I wanted to go back and work with preschool age children because that is where my heart is, and I love it so,” said Kammerzell, or ‘Mrs. K’ to her young charges.

Kammerzell, a 17-year Ahwatukee resident who earned her degree in

child development at Colorado State University, teaches the 2-year and 3-year-old kids.

“My favorite part of the day is when the kids are dropped off and I get my morning hugs,” she laughed. “It has given me tremendous pride over the years to see the children grow, and many times have the opportunity to teach their siblings. In many ways, I become part of their family just as much as they become part of mine.”

Krach also reminisced on her tenure at Children of Hope. A former elementary school teacher in California and a preschool teacher in Texas, she said when she heard the school was in the planning, she knew her professional background would be useful.

“In the beginning, my daughter was in elementary school and this was a perfect fit, continuing my love of teaching and still be home for my daughter in the afternoons,” said Krach, who holds a master’s degree in reading specialist.

“These past 10 years have brought me a lot of joy,” Krach said. “The best part about teaching at Children of Hope is watching the children on the playground start in the 2-year-olds' class and then see them grow and blossom into 4-yearolds. I see so many changes as they enter into my Pre-K class, and within the year become ready to take on the elementary school.”

She said another reason she’s stayed for 10 years is due to her dedicated colleagues.

“We’re all committed to supporting one another and we strive to bring out the best in each of our students.”

Hammer, marking his 20th year at the church, still shakes his head at how the congregation never backed down from

(Special to AFN)

Children of Hope staff includes, clockwise from the left front, center director Lynn Hockenberger, and teachers Pati Hammer, Amy Angilletta, Karin Kammerzell, Karen Quenzer, Lori Palomaa, Marcela Erramuzpe, Lisa Krach and Cindy Gerrish.

AROUND AHWATUKEE

Chamber Foundation seeks board members, volunteers

The Ahwatukee Chamber Community Foundation is looking for board members and other volunteers and is holding a meeting 5:30-6:30 p.m. Thursday, March 2, at 4435 E. Chandler Blvd.

The foundation’s membership is open to Ahwatukee Foothills Chamber of Commerce members and nonmembers.

“The Ahwatukee Chamber Community Foundation is looking for dedicated, community-passionate individuals, and organizations, who want to help provide outreach for children and education within our community,” board chair Christie Ellis said.

She said the foundation wants to “make the lives of the residents of Ahwatukee well-rounded” through activities that “may include training and educating the public on matters of finance and business, science and technology.”

Corpus Christi Church group collecting furniture, other items

The St. Vincent de Paul Corpus Christi Conference will host its annual collection of furniture, household items and clothing 9 a.m.-4 p.m. March 25 and 9 a.m.-3 p.m. March 26 at the church, 3550 E. Knox Road, Ahwatukee. No mattresses or box springs or electronics will be accepted. The collection is at the church’s north parking lot on 36th Street.

The ministry helps community members of all faiths.

Annual

chili cook-off will be held at Swim and Tennis

Center

The 13th annual Ahwatukee Chili Cook Off Festival is coming to the Ahwatukee Community Swim and Tennis Center March 11-12.

For a $5 donation, voters will get a tasting kit with seven cups, a spoon, napkin and ballot to vote for their favorite chili.

And when you’re finished casting your ballot, there’s a carnival with rides, concessions and other attractions that actually kicks off the chili contest a day earlier. The carnival runs 5-9 p.m. March 10, 10 a.m.-9 p.m. March 11 and 10 a.m.-6 p.m. March 12. It will also feature music on March 11-12 as well as crafts.

And since the March 11 and March 12 competitions are separate, it’s possible for someone to punch their ticket to the world championships by just winning

twice in Ahwatukee. Register at 480893-1942 or ahwatukeehoa.com.

To participate in the cook-off, participants need to belong to the chili society, which charges a $60 annual membership. Newcomers to the Ahwatukee Chili Cook Off can enter the contest free since they have to pay the society’s dues.

However, established society members must pay an admission fee of $35 for the red chili contest, $30 for the green chili competition and $15 for the salsa face-off.

There will be cash prizes for first, second and third-place winners on each day.

This year the center is adding a special competition for chili makers under 18 years of age on Saturday, March 11.

Desert Pointe Garden Club slates meeting, nursery visit

The Desert Pointe Garden Club will meet at 9 a.m. Monday, March 6, at the Ahwatukee Recreational Center, 5001 E. Cheyenne Drive. This meeting will be followed by carpooling to a local nursery for a presentation on indoor plants in Arizona.

Desert Pointe Garden Club meets monthly, September through May and sponsors various projects benefiting the community. New members are welcome. It is not necessary to belong to the Ahwatukee Recreational Center to become a member. Information: 480785-0061 or dpgc.org.

Ahwatukee Easter Parade still needs groups' entry info

The Kiwanis Club of Ahwatukee is still looking for more entries into its Easter Parade, slated for 10 a.m. April 15.

The parade is followed by the Kiwanis Club’s Spring Fling. Both events raise money for the club’s numerous charitable activities throughout the year, including several programs for children in group foster homes. Deadline for entries is April 6. Information: msch0007@aol. com or 480-759-0007. The Official Easter Bunny is a parade sponsor so no adult-sized Easter Bunny costumes are allowed.

Tickets on sale for wine-beer fest, auction items needed

The 22nd annual Wine & Beer Tasting Festival will be presented by Festival of Lights, a non-profit organization,

family Nurse Practitioner Pediatric care with a nurse’s touch

Johnie L Blum, RN, MSN, FNP

Ahwatukee woman co-chairs annual fashion show for Assistance League

AFN NEWS STAFF

The bright smiles of about 7,500 schoolchildren who will receive new clothes this year motivate a group of women from Ahwatukee and the East Valley who are planning a fashion show, luncheon and boutique to raise funds for the effort.

Assistance League of East Valley provides new clothing, shoes and hygiene kits for children each year through fundraising events, donations and proceeds from their new thrift shop at 2326 N. Alma School Road, Chandler.

Beverly Connors of Ahwatukee and Rose Marie Jauregui are chairing the league’s 25th annual fashion show and luncheon, which will be held at noon March 25 at the Arizona Grand Resort. A vendor boutique with custom designed jewelry, apparel, handbags, home décor, linens and glassware will open at 9:30 a.m.

The event, called “Mothers, Daughters, Sisters & Friends,” will feature a “Mamma Mia” theme and fashions from Dillard’s.

A silent auction will include many gift baskets as well as sports tickets, ASU Gammage Theater tickets, a

resort stay and trips. Tickets are $85 for general seating and $100 for runway seating. They are available at assistanceleagueeastvalley.org.

Elementary school children from Tempe, Mesa, Kyrene, Chandler and Gilbert school districts receive clothing from the organization after being recommended by family resource officers at their schools.

The group also provided 4,000 assault survivor kits last year to local police and fire departments containing clothing and personal care items for victims of trauma, and teddy bears for child victims.

The league also holds monthly birthday parties at an adult care center, provides supplemental materials to teachers and awards 12 scholarships to community college students.

A new, larger Assistance League Thrift Store that opened last fall on Alma School Road just north of Warner Avenue has been successful, the league said in a release.

The upscale shop carries boutique and everyday apparel, books, housewares, crafts, small appliances, fabric, toys and children’s clothing. About 10 women from Ahwatukee are members of the group, which welcomes new members as well as donations of all kinds.

Assistance League of East Valley is part of a national nonprofit Assistance League that carries out communitybased philanthropic projects.

medication issues and infections compromising his recovery.

“Chemo was pretty rough the first few months; it took almost a year to gain his weight back,” George said.

Last August, Jace reached the maintenance stage and entered kindergarten at Kyrene Monte Vista Elementary School.

One day after enrolling, he was out with a fever and readmitted to the hospital for eight days. Since then, it’s been relatively smooth sailing.

“We just take it one day at a time, one phase at a time,” said George. “That’s all we can do.”

Last year, while Jace had yet another overnight at Phoenix Children’s Hospital, Ann went online to find a walk or race benefiting pediatric cancer.

The family had done charitable fundraising run/walks in the past, but now, this was personal.

“I wanted a way to give back what we had already received from my family, George’s family in Tucson and Pennsylvania, friends and neighbors. I found Run to Fight Children’s Cancer and we organized a team,” said Ann, a full-time mom and Realtor with West USA/Ahwatukee office.

“Emotionally, it was huge for us,”

said George, an electrical engineer and technical-support engineer for San Diego-based Cymer. “I think it was a way for us to unite our little community of supporters.”

Their first participating year, the Jace’s Defenders team was the largest of any with 127 persons involved.

“We definitely want to raise funds for research and raise awareness for children’s cancer,” said Ann adding that as of Feb. 3, they have met their initial personal fundraising goal of $2,500.

“We’re are pushing forward to raise as much as we can. Anyone can donate, even walkers and runners. But you don’t have to join the walk to donate.”

Jace is doing well these days, even playing basketball on a Ahwatukee Foothills YMCA team. He is playful with his older brothers, Bryce, 12, and Caden, 9, and tender with his 22-month old brother Brig.

This year, as honorary race starter, Jace will not only participate, but sound the horn at the starting lines for the 10K and 5K races at the school’s main entrance, and continuing around Grand Canyon University campus.

To learn more about Jace Hyduchak’s journey, visit www.caringbridge.org/ visit/jaceh. For more information on Jace’s Defender’s or to register for or support this year’s team, see www. facebook.com/jacesdefenders.

GCU Run to Fight Children's Cancer run is largest of its kind

BY COTY DOLORES MIRANDA AFN Contributing Writer

Founded by Grand Canyon University Foundation, the Run to Fight Children’s Cancer is the largest race in Arizona dedicated to pediatric cancer. It helps raise awareness and provide support to families and children affected by the disease. Scheduled for Saturday, March 11, at Grand Canyon University, 3300 W. Camelback Road, Phoenix, it features a 10K run, a 5K run/walk and a quarter-miled Cancer Survivors Walk.

In six years, Run to Fight has raised more than $450,000 for Phoenix Children’s Hospital and its research into cancer cures, and for the Children’s Cancer Network, a Chandler-based nonprofit that supports children with cancer and their families.

This year’s race hopes to hit a milestone – a half-million dollars raised to do what Jace calls “kicking cancer in the butt.”

The 10K race start is set for 7 a.m., with the 5K starting at 7:45 a.m. The Cancer Survivors Walk steps off at 9 a.m. There are post-race activities for all ages.

Event registration is available online or in person race day from 5:30 a.m. until race time. Registration fee for the 5K is $30, the 10K is $40.

Information: RuntoFightCancer.com

(Special to AFN)

Elijah Dean is especially happy to find red shoes that fit during an Assistance League of the East Valley event.

(Special to AFN)

Jaden Alder selects a shirt in her favorite color, thanks to the Assistance League.

Diversity celebrated

Every two years, the entire Mountain Pointe High School student body celebrates its diversity with assemblies coordinated by Natasha Alston, who teaches African-American history and AP psychology and works with the Black Student Union and other groups. Last Friday, upperclass students and freshman-sophomore classes each had their own, where performances, readings

AROUND

from page 23

6:30-10:30 p.m. April 29 at Rawhide Western Town.

All proceeds will benefit the Million White Light display along Chandler Boulevard during the holiday season. Tickets are $50 in advance and are available at all three Safeway stores in Ahwatukee and folaz.org.

To donate auction items, please contact Susan Anderton at info@folaz. org.All items are welcome.

Children of Hope Preschool to start enrollment this week

Children of Hope Preschool, 2601 East Thunderhill Place, Ahwatukee, will start enrolling children for the 2017-18 school year on Thursday, March 2. Classes are offered for children 2-5 years old. Information: 480-759-1515, childrenofhopecdc.com.

Fundraising cocktail party planned to help YMCA programs

Silent auction items are being sought for a Cocktails for Community

fundraiser to be held 5:30-7:30 March 22 at the Sunset Grill & Patio at the Foothills Golf Club.

Proceeds benefit Ahwatukee Foothills Family YMCA’s annual community support campaign, which helps needy families and seniors. A minimum $25 includes two drinks and appetizers.

To donate auction items or buy tickets: Carrie at cmcneish@cox.net or 480-221-9090.

St. Benedict Church prepares for big rummage sale

The parish of St. Benedict is accepting donations until March 10 for its rummage sale in the courtyard of St. John Bosco Catholic School, S. 48th Street, Ahwatukee, on March 11 from 7 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Called the largest rummage sale in Ahwatukee by organizers, it will feature hundreds of quality donated items, including clothing, furniture, electronics and tableware.

Donations of all sizes can be dropped off at 16223 S. 48th St., near St. John Bosco. For furniture and other large donations, contact Gayle Siewert at 480-773-5300 to arrange for pick up.

It’s not to say that dementia isn’t an emotional and challenging disease.

It’s just that when you see the human instead of the disease you don’t see sadness. You see life. You see history. You see achievements. You see family.

You see love.

And that’s how we see it at Hawthorn Court.

We can help you with the challenges you’re facing.

Please join us for a personal tour.

Call 480.359.2898 to schedule.

(Larry Mangino/AFN Staff Photographer)

SOUTH MOUNTAIN COMMUNITY COLLEGE PERFORMANCE ARTS CENTER

COUGAR GOLF ALUM JOSH SOUZA FINDS SUCCESS AT SOUTH MOUNTAIN COMMUNITY COLLEGE

FRIDAY, MARCH 24 | 5:30 PM

PAC AMPHITHEATRE | FREE ADMISSION

Music Under the Stars Outdoor concert featuring Community Concert Band, Day Jazz Ensemble, Latin Jazz Band, Mariachi and special guest. Presented by the SMCC Music Department

For more information please call: 602-243-8353

SATURDAY, MARCH 25 | 1-4:00 PM PAC 739/740 | FREE ADMISSION

Storyfind Monthly Storytelling Reception/Workshop

Presented by the SMCC Storytelling Institute

For more information please call: 602-243-8026

At the age of 10, Josh Souza picked up a golf club and he hasn’t put it down since. Since swinging that first club, Josh has been the Nation’s Top Freshman, First Team All American, Male Athlete of the Year, Gobbler Amateur winner and NJCAA Team Member.

“As an upperclassman in high school, I knew I didn’t want to stop golfing, but I wasn’t ready to commit to a big college right away,” said Josh. So, he talked to players at smaller colleges, including South Mountain Community College (SMCC) and discovered that these players had a lot of success when they transferred to a larger university.

“Once I met the coach [Andy Walker], and discovered the passion and eye he had for the game and developing

players, I realized that I could grow and be successful both in golf and academics,” Josh stated. “The player I am today is in large part due to Coach Walker.”

Even though Josh had the dream of golfing at a top university and playing in the NCAA finals straight out of high school, he understood that you can’t always start there. Josh told us, “When choosing a college, you need to play somewhere that will help you get to the next step. At SMCC, I was able to develop my game and succeed academically.”

Josh left us with this final thought.

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Wigwam

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“People should know that things worth doing don’t come easily. You have to go out there and get it, and work hard to make it happen. Community college was the best decision I have ever made.”

Tournament, Los Colinas ACCAC Tournament, Los Colinas ACCAC Tournament, Foothills GC

Foothills GC

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the idea of starting a preschool even with necessary code and zoning changes for the school, and the $70,000 sprinkler system.

“In retrospect, the easiest thing to do at that point was to just decide not to have a preschool but I don’t remember anyone even thinking that,” he said. “The logical thing would probably have been to give up just as soon as we found out what would be required, but now I think about all the children who have been a part of the school over the last 10 years and I marvel at the persistence especially of all the people who were part of the beginning.”

“One of the things we were committed to right from the start was the understanding that the school was not renting space in the church, but that the school was a part of the church’s desire to be an asset to our community. This was particularly challenging when the school was operating at a deficit in the first few years.”

He said the partnership between Children of Hope and the church has been manifested in many ways including ‘The Garden of Eatin,’” where

community members help teach children about growing and eating healthy, fresh food.

“The presence of the children here brings joy and a very positive energy to our campus,” he said of the capus at 2601 E. Thunderhill Place in Ahwatukee.

“During vacation periods, it seems too quiet, and I am always pleased to have

them back in school.”

Throughout the morning celebration, speakers lauded the team of teachers, parent board, administration and the church, and their passion and focus for the future for Children of Hope Child Development Center.

“We’re are so lucky to have the support of the staff and congregation at Esperanza

Lutheran Church and together we make a difference,” said Hockenberger.

“At no time in a child’s life is the brain growing faster than the between the years of 0 and 5 and I’m blessed each day with the opportunity to build these young brains, preparing these youngest learners for a successful transition to kindergarten and beyond,” she said.

(Special to AFN)

Two teachers who have been with Children of Hope Child Development Center since it opened 10 years ago flank graduates of the center. They are, from left, Teacher Lisa Krach, Ricky Garibay, Hanna Garcia, Alyssa Hattula, Sophia Garcia, Jarrett Searles and teacher Karin Kammerzell.

TUESDAY, MARCH 7

Learn to publish

“So You’ve Written the Book: Now What?” offers a look at traditional, self-, and indie-publishing by author and publisher KB Shaw. He will lead a seminar on the advantages and disadvantages of each method of publishing and more.

DETAILS>> 6-7:45 p.m., Ironwood Public Library, 4333 E. Chandler Blvd., Ahwatukee. Free, no registration required.

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 8

Spring break movie offered

Teens can enjoy some spring break fun and watch a superhero movie and have free popcorn and soda.

DETAILS>> 4:30-6:30 p.m., Ironwood Public Library, 4333 E. Chandler Blvd., Ahwatukee. Ages 12-18. Free, no registration required.

THURSDAY, MARCH 9

Craft-a-palooza slated

Spending spring break in Phoenix? Make some fun spring crafts. Crafts for preschoolers and school-age kids will be offered..

DETAILS>> 2-4 p.m., Ironwood Public Library, 4333 E. Chandler Blvd., Ahwatukee. No registration, free.

SATURDAY, MARCH 11

Holi Festival scheduled

Join an early celebration of Holi, the Indian spring festival of color, by throwing colored powders in front of the library. Indian-style refreshments will be provided. Wearing old clothes is recommended — white shows the colors best.

DETAILS>> 3 p.m., Ironwood Public Library, 4333 E. Chandler Blvd., Ahwatukee. All ages. No registration. Free.

THURSDAY, MARCH 16

Astronomy lesson set

All ages are invited to a STEM program that boosts scientific literacy and inquiry. It will be led by astronomer and NASA consultant Kevin Manning.

DETAILS>> 6-7:30 p.m., Ironwood Public Library, 4333 E. Chandler Blvd., Ahwatukee. All ages, no registration required. Free.

Medicare sessions scheduled

Ahwatukee insurance adviser Greg Geryak and Physicians Mutual representatives will discuss all aspects of Medicare, including rights and options, coverage and other issues.

DETAILS>> 3-4 p.m. March 16 and again at 4-5 p.m. March 21. Ironwood Library, 4333 E. Chandler Blvd., Ahwatukee. Free but registration is required for this limited-seating seminar. RSVP/Information: 480-797-5615.

THURSDAY, MARCH 23

LD 18 Dems set mini-golf bash

Legislative District 18 Democrats will hold a mini golf night with contests for the best-dressed couple and individual and goofiest hair-do. It will be followed by a happy hour with state Sen. Sean Bowie and state Rep. Mitzi Epstein.

DETAILS>> 6 p.m. at Golfland SunSplash, 155 W. Hampton Ave., Mesa. $20 per person. Happy hour 8-9 p.m. Boulders, 1010 W. Southern Ave., Mes. Information: ld18democrats.org

SATURDAY-SUNDAY, MARCH 25-26

Annual drive slated

St. Vincent DePaul Corpus Christ Conference Ministry

will host its annual furniture/clothing drive. Used furniture, clothing and other household items can be dropped off at the St. Vincent de Paul truck that will be located at Corpus Christi Catholic Church. No electronics, mattresses or box springs will be accepted.

DETAILS>> 9 a.m.-4 p.m. March 25 and 9 a.m.-3 p.m. March 26. 3550 E. Knox Road, Ahwatukee.

ONGOING

Congregation plans Israel trip

Congregation NefeshSoul is planning a tour of Israel June 10-20. Explore historical sites along with the beauty and rich culture of Israel.

DETAILS>> Rabbi Susan Schanerman at rabbi@ nefeshsoul.org.

SUNDAYS

‘TinkerTime’ open for kids

A makerspace for children to design, experiment, and invent as they explore hands-on STEAM activities through self-guided tinkering.

DETAILS>> 1-4 p.m. every Sunday, Ironwood Library 4333 E. Chandler Blvd., Ahwatukee. Ages 6-11. Free; No registration required.

MONDAYS

Chamber offers networking

The Ahwatukee Foothills Chamber of Commerce networking and leads group is open to chamber members.

DETAILS>> Noon, Native Grill and Wings, 5030 E. Ray Road, Ahwatukee. Devida Lewis, 480-753-7676.

Group aids MS sufferers

This group addresses the informational, emotional and social support needs of the MS community. People with MS, care partners and spouses are welcome. The group mobilizes people and resources to drive research for a cure and to address the challenges people affected by MS.

DETAILS>> 10 a.m.-noon, third Monday of each month, Dignity Health Urgent Care Ahwatukee, conference room, 4545 E. Chandler Blvd. Free. Information: Lynn Grant at lgrant3567@yahoo.com or 480-414-7172.

TUESDAYS

Chair yoga featured

Inner Vision Yoga Studio offers chair yoga to help seniors and people recovering from injuries to stay fit. DETAILS>> 1:30-2:30 p.m., 4025 E. Chandler Blvd., Ahwatukee. $5 per class. Information: donna@ innervisionyoga.com or 480-330-2015.

Toastmasters sharpen skills

Improve your speaking skills and meet interesting people at Ahwatukee Toastmasters meetings

DETAILS>> 6:45-8 a.m at the Dignity Health Community Room, 4545 E. Chandler Blvd., Ahwatukee.

Power Partners available

The Ahwatukee Foothills Chamber of Commerce networking and leads group is open to chamber members.

DETAILS>> 8-9 a.m., Four Points by Sheraton, 10831 S. 51st St., Ahwatukee. Dorothy Abril, 480-753-7676.

WEDNESDAYS

Watercolor classes available

Watercolor classes that teach both bold and beautiful as well as soft and subtle approaches to the art are available twice a week for beginners and intermediate students who are at least 15 years old. Step-by-step instruction and personal help are provided.

DETAILS>> 2:30-5 Wednesdays and 10 a.m.-12:30 p.m. Saturdays at Hobby Lobby, 46th Street and Ray Road, Ahwatukee. Cost: $25 per class, $80 for four classes. Registration required: jlokits@yahoo.com or 480-4718505.

Montessori holds open house

Ahwatukee Foothills Montessori holds an open house weekly. It includes a short talk about Montessori education, followed by a tour of its campus.

DETAILS>> 4 p.m. Wednesdays, 3221 E. Chandler Blvd., Ahwatukee. Information: 480-759-3810

Grief support is free

Hospice of the Valley offers a free ongoing grief support group for adults and is open to any adult who has experienced a loss through death. No registration required.

DETAILS>> 6-7 p.m. first and third Wednesdays, Pecos Community Center, 17010 S. 48th St. 602-636-5390 or HOV.org.

Foothills Women meet

An informal, relaxed social organization of about 90 women living in the Ahwatukee Foothills/Club West area. A way to escape once a month to have fun and meet with other ladies in the area. Guest speaker or entertainment featured.

DETAILS>> 7 p.m. second Wednesday of the month, Foothills Golf Club, 2201 E. Clubhouse Drive. Contact jstowe2@cox.net or FoothillsWomensClub.org.

Parents can ‘drop in’

Parents are invited to join a drop-in group to ask questions, share ideas or just listen to what’s going on with today’s teenagers.

DETAILS>> 5:30-7 p.m. second Wednesday of each month. Maricopa Cooperative Extension, 4341 E. Broadway Road, Phoenix. Free. RSVP at 602-827-8200, ext. 348, or rcarter@cals.arizona.edu.

‘Dems and Donuts’ set

Legislative District 18 Democrats gather for an informal chat.

DETAILS>>Free and open to the public 7:30-9 a.m. the third Wednesday of the month at Denny’s, 7400 W. Chandler Blvd., Chandler. RSVP: marie9@q.com or 480592-0052.

LD 18 Dems meet in Tempe

The Legislative District 18 Democrats meet the second Monday of the month.

DETAILS>> 6:30 p.m. social time, 7-8:30 p.m. meeting time. Old Spaghetti Factory, 3155 W. Chandler Blvd., Chandler. Information: ld18demsinfo@gmail.com. Free and open to the public.

Special networking offered

Ahwatukee Foothills Chamber of Commerce has a networking and leads group is open to chamber members.

DETAILS>> 11:30 a.m.–12:30 p.m., Radisson Hotel, 7475 W. Chandler Blvd., Chandler. Devida Lewis, 480-7537676.

THURSDAYS

Kiwanis Club hosts Habitat

The Kiwanis Club of Ahwatukee meets every Thursday and welcomes newcomers. The club also is making plans for its annual Easter Parade and Spring Fling and always needs volunteers.

DETAILS>>7:30 a.m. Biscuits Restaurant, 4623 E. Elliot Road, Ahwatukee. Information: mike.maloney2003@ gmail.com.

Mothers of Preschoolers gather

Free child care for ages 0 to 5.

DETAILS>> 9 a.m. second and fourth Thursday, Foothills Baptist Church, 15450 S. 21st St. Call Kim at 480-759-2118, ext. 218.

FRIDAYS

‘Gentle yoga’ offered

Inner Vision Yoga Studio offers “gentle floor yoga” for core strengthening and healthy backs.

DETAILS>> 1:30-2:30 p.m. 4025 E. Chandler, Ahwatukee. $5 per class. Information: 480-330-2015 or donna@ innervisionyoga.com.

Toastmasters teach skills

This chamber-exclusive Chapter of the International Toastmasters club boasts professional development skills. Become the speaker and leader you want to be with Ahwatukee Chamber Toastmasters Club.

DETAILS>> 8-9 a.m., First American Title Conference Room, 4435 E. Chandler Blvd., #100, Ahwatukee. Devida Lewis, 480-753-7676.

SATURDAYS

Alzheimer’s support group meets

Caregivers for Alzheimer’s patients can find support monthly.

DETAILS>> 10-11:30 a.m. Ahwatukee Alzheimer’s Support Group meets the first Saturday of the month at Mountain View Lutheran Church, 11002 S. 48th St.

Bosom Buddies slates meetings

Ahwatukee/Chandler nonprofit breast cancer support group.

DETAILS>> 10 a.m. to noon, second Saturday of the month. Morrison Boardroom next to Chandler Regional Medical Center, 1875 W. Frye Road, Chandler. Contact Patti Lynch at 480-893-8900 or tomklynch@msn.com or Cele Ludig at 480-330-4301.

— Email calendar items to pmaryniak@ahwatukees.com

— Check us out and like the Ahwatukee Foothills News on Facebook and AhwatukeeFN on Twitter.

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The wait is nearly over: Next week, we give you the Best of Ahwatukee

BY PAUL MARYNIAK AFN Executive Editor

If you are wondering whatever happened to the votes you cast in our annual Best of Ahwatukee contest, your wait is nearing an end.

Our Best of Ahwatukee special edition will be published March 8, accompanying the regular AFN on your driveway, in your mailbox or at whatever newsstand you get it from.

For those of you who took the time to wade through more than 50 categories and vote, we are grateful for your effort. And I am certain I can speak on behalf of all the vote recipients when I say they appreciated your effort and consideration as well.

Owning and running a small business is not for timid hearts.

It takes courage to invest time and treasure in pursuing the dream of becoming a small-business owner.

And, as most people know, it takes a lot more than that to succeed – business and

people skills, a good idea and a good plan to put it in motion, and no small measure of luck on a national, neighborhood and personal level.

And it takes customer loyalty – the kind demonstrated by the thousands of AFN readers who voted for the Best of 2016 in the community.

Lately, there has been a lot of chatter on Ahwatukee social media sites about local businesses.

Some announcements of new businesses starting up – particularly restaurants –are creating a buzz of excitement.

Other posts are lamenting the passing of other businesses or the fact that others are finding themselves on the ropes.

Then there are businesses like Be An Artist Studio that found new life after almost disappearing.

All these posts share a tremendous affection for the community and the businesses that are such a huge part of it and a passion for keeping them thriving.

Our “Best of” voters demonstrated both, and the fruit of their passion and affection will be revealed March 8.

Obviously, any election also produces

disappointment, and I am sure that disappointment will be just as heartfelt by the fans of businesses that didn’t make it to the top as it is by the business owners themselves.

Nothing I write will do much to ease that disappointment.

I felt it the other week when a business owner called me to find out if her business won, because she had heard we were contacting the first-place winners with the news and asking them to keep it a secret until we published our list.

After I told her that her business wasn’t on the list, the disappointment was as palpable as the long silence that followed.

We don’t want anyone to be disappointed, and our Best of Ahwatukee is not meant to be a disappointment. Rather, it’s a celebration.

First and foremost, it celebrates the fact that there are many businesses in Ahwatukee that can vie for top honors in more than 50 different categories. We would have come up with even more, but we know that going through a list as long as ours already was time-consuming.

But imagine the many communities in

the Valley that don’t have any business community, let alone a diverse one like Ahwatukee has.

Second, our "Best Of" list celebrates more than just the first-place winners. We do have a few ties, and every category has a second- and third-place winner that can find some solace in the fact they made it that far.

Third, it celebrates more than 50 businesses whose service, product or a combination of both earned a special acknowledgement from their fans and the community.

And, as with most elections, I am certain that the results will motivate the businesses that didn’t make it to the top spot to do even better for next year’s contest.

For voters who are chagrined that their favorite business or businesses didn’t win, your work is cut out for you too this year: Patronize Ahwatukee businesses, and get your friends and neighbors to do the same.

Because it’s not just about what businesses are best for Ahwatukee. It’s about what makes Ahwatukee best for businesses.

Ahwatukee Farms is an exciting proposal that will increase property

Editor's note: This statement was signed by 11 Realtors in Ahwatukee. Many clients and families we care about have chosen to live in Ahwatukee. Its combination of safe neighborhoods, wonderful small businesses and strong, diverse educational options is what every family is hoping for in a community. It is why we recommend this community without hesitation.

Buying a house isn’t just about finding the right community to live in, however. It is the most important financial investment many people make, and with it comes the consideration of how changes in a community will affect their property values.

While we believe in the future of Ahwatukee Foothills, we also know that we need leadership in our community that presents innovative ideas, creates new opportunities and brings the type of excitement and energy that appeals

to homebuyers and increases current homeowners’ property values.

After the closing of the Ahwatukee Lakes Golf Course, it is clear that the current makeup of the property is untenable. While it once was an enjoyable place for locals to play a round, the reality is that it will never again be a golf course. The cost of water and maintenance alone make it impossible.

Additionally, the Ahwatukee Foothills area is already oversaturated with golf courses while the sport struggles to catch on with younger generations. If any operator were interested in buying the property to revive the course, they would have already stepped forward. More than 100 acres of dead grass is an eyesore.

The True Life Companies’ vision of Ahwatukee Farms is an exciting proposal featuring multiple aspects that will increase property values to surrounding

residents.

First, community-supported agriculture is one of the hottest community amenities in the country. Neighborhoods and projects in Arizona like Agritopia in Gilbert and Singh Farms in Tempe prove its appeal.

The well-respected Urban Land Institute commissioned a report that showed community-supported agriculture dramatically improved property values within areas where CSA’s were started. All Ahwatukee residents will have the opportunity to become a member of the farm, collecting weekly organic vegetables.

Secondly, Ahwatukee needs newly developed home options to remain attractive for new families. Ahwatukee Farms’ plan preserves a minimum of 30 acres as open space including more than two miles of trails, to connect the farm, cafe, Montessori school

values

campus, community parks and lakes for EVERYONE in Ahwatukee to enjoy. Lastly, this provides us a great opportunity to upgrade our traffic and hydrology systems.

True Life has shown their creative ideas to limiting traffic congestion and improving flood control in the area, which would benefit all homeowners and increase the attractiveness of homes in the area. We love Ahwatukee Foothills and we are proud to be residents and small business owners here. We encourage all property owners who have the opportunity to sign a consent form for Ahwatukee Farms to do so.

Let’s move forward!

Signed by: Dean Carver, Stephanie Coffman, Mimi Cox, Christie Ellis, Randy Fitch, Carolyn Glass, Jim Hunt, Devida Lewis, Dawn Matesi, Karla Rozum and Judy Young.

LETTERS

‘Where is the church in defense’ of South Mountain?

Where is the church in defense of concerns about the South Mountain Freeway cutting a 200-foot wide swath through land which Native Americans consider sacred?

What would the church’s position be with regard to a proposal to cut a 200-footwide swath up the nave of St. John The Divine in NYC? Or across St. Peter’s Square in Rome.

Convenience wins over Consecration ‒especially when $1.77 billion is involved. So much for the sacred. So much for the profane.

-Novotny Ingersol

ADOT uses eminent domain to intimidate, bully people

The Arizona Department of Transportation should be pressured to put their verbal statements in writing, on letterhead and signed by a person authorized to sign such things. Otherwise, there will be denial that such statements were ever made or that the person making them was authorized to make them. It’s a tenant of modern dysfunctional government. It’s rampant here in Ahwatukee.

ADOT’s consistent and repeated verbal threats of acquiring private land for the Loop 202 Freeway through eminent domain (and going through the motions of surveying and appraising land) are potent bullying and bluffing tactics used to swindle private landowners out of their lands. I’ve see this going on in my own HOA for over a decade now.

To be clear, Assistant Attorney General William S. Jameson replied to my direct question to Attorney General Mark Brnovich, that the Arizona AG has not formally advised ADOT on the ability to use eminent domain for the Loop 202 south Mountain.

His answer is most interesting, as all formal opinions rendered by the AG to the other departments of government are a matter of public record and published on-line.

So, in using the threat of eminent domain for over a decade now, was ADOT advised informally? Are ADOT and Director John Halikowski choosing to ignore the AG’s informal advice or eschewing legal advice altogether?

By continuously and unflaggingly repeating at every public-relations opportunity that Arizona voters approved the Loop 202 SMF while ignoring the

overwhelming passage of Proposition 207, among other major issues, is ADOT committing a fraud upon the public in general and upon landowners in Ahwatukee in particular?

Prop 207 was passed in the wake of the Kelo v. New London decision (Supreme Court of the United States) to prevent taking private land for private profit (including P3 partnerships) or for the general economic benefit of a region or area.

It is important to note that the stated purpose or public need of the Loop 202 SMF was for general economic benefit and to alleviate traffic on the I-10. The latter was completely destroyed by ADOT’s public announcement that they really have no idea where such commuters are going mere weeks after the FHWA approved the Environmental Impact Statement.

Paul Maryniak’s article in the Feb. 22, 2017 Ahwatukee Foothills News identifies several other statements made by ADOT officials that are so preposterous that one struggles to believe someone actually said them. The bottom line is this: did our government, and ADOT and the AG in particular, know or should they have known, that eminent domain is not an option after Proposition 207 passed? Nor is fair market value – even if eminent domain were available.

One is left with the question of whether the rule of law actually still survives in Arizona. A further question is whether the apparent public viewpoints, PR statements, decisions and actions by ADOT, the AG, the courts and others are products of ignorance, arrogance or cronyism. Or is it something more nefarious? I hope that the Foothills Community Association calls ADOT’s bluff.

Maybe some folks mentioned above should resign.

-Dietmar Hanke

Rain’s restoration of Lakes course proves it is alive

Thank you Mother Nature. The Lakes Golf Course is a beautiful green after the last weekend’s rains.

This proves that the golf course is not dead, as The True Life Companies would have you believe.

It’s only wounded by neglect and intentional acts to destroy it. True Life wants to sell the course to a developer who will pave over our beautiful open spaces with houses, condos, apartments, and anything that will make money.

LETTERS

from page 33

The glossy ads touting a “farm” are pie -in-the-sky thoughts. There’s no assurance that any developer will adhere to this plan. Once sold, the course can be anything a developer chooses.

Don’t sign the True Life waiver. Don’t let out-of-state investors destroy this valuable asset to Ahwatukee.

-John Scott

Why we say ‘no’ to changing Ahwatukee Lakes CC&R’s

TLC proposes no more than 300 homes on the property of 101 gross acres, with 30 percent of those acres destined for lakes, open green spaces, parks, a Montessori school, a community garden, a farmer’s market and cafe.

According to the U.S. Department of Transportation, the average number of cars per household is 2.3 (with only two drivers). This will add a minimum of 690 cars trying to make their way in and out of this small community every morning and every afternoon during rush hour. Even with the proposed road changes, this is going to create a huge bottle neck of traffic in every direction.

If these households have any children 16

or older (and there will be), the number of cars will only increase. My husband and I personally don’t want to see any new road changes.

The national average family size with children under 18 is two. Therefore, a minimum of 600 children will be added to our already crowded schools in this community. The proposed size of homes is three to five bedrooms, so we can only assume the number of children will exceed this average.

Their proposal claims the Montessori school will handle this situation.

We personally believe most families would not choose private schooling and therefore the vast majority of children in this community would NOT be sending their children to this school. Also, we had to keep in mind this school (which is proposed for 450 students) will bring additional traffic from families outside this community.The farm and café will also bring increased traffic to this small area, not only during rush hour, but evenings and weekends.

TLC’s newest propaganda “Raise Your Property Values – Sign the Petition Today.” While we agree that changing the landscape would affect the owners of homes that are currently facing the golf course, our personal opinion is adding this number of homes and this increased

traffic would only decrease property values in this small community.

The petition is to change the CCR’s. Do any of us know the full ramifications of this change?

My husband and I moved to this Ahwatukee neighborhood because of the small-town feel, especially the minimal traffic, and the ease of getting in and out during rush hour. We personally believe this proposed change would be a great detriment to our community, and we will continue to stand for what we believe is right and we hope you will too.

-Patty Carey

Reader says Stanton ducks freeway issues, questions

"I have emailed Mayor (Greg) Stanton many times with specific requests for him to help with the South Mountain Freeway fiasco. I have never once received an email back.

Last week, I called his office. Since Mayor Stanton wouldn't get on the phone (as expected), the person who answered said perhaps he could help me. Since I have read the mayor's statement that he is doing all he can to "minimize the impact of the SMF on Ahwatukee," I told him I was calling to ask Mayor Stanton to tell me one thing he has done to minimize the

impact on Ahwatukee.

After a pause, he said, "Can you hold on?" After a brief hold, he came back and said, "We will have to call you back on that." I asked him if someone would return my call that day, and he said "Today or tomorrow."

Well, that was last week, and I am still waiting. Has anyone been able to get a simple answer to that question? I would love to know specifically what he thinks he has done to "minimize the impact."

Did he "depress the freeway? Nope!

Add the much-needed exit ramp for 32nd St? Nope!

Add a frontage Road from 40th to 32nd Street? Nope!

Buy out the "Front Row homes” that were promised this years ago? Nope!

Allow towering utility poles and lines to be relocated close to homes backing up to Pecos near 40th St? Sure did!

Force Lagos Elementary School students to practically play on the freeway, since the sound wall is all that separates the playground and the SMF, and breathe all that diesel pollution? You betcha!

I would love to get a straight answer to the question of what Mayor Stanton thinks he has done to help minimize the impact of the SMF to the community of Ahwatukee?

-Lorie Fisher

Sandra Marshall couldn’t let go, keeps Be An Artist Studio open

BY PAUL MARYNIAK

AFN Executive Editor

When it finally came to say goodbye, Ahwatukee artistauthor Sandra Marshall couldn’t. And so, she has decided not to close Be An Artist Studio, sparing Ahwatukee the loss of a small business.

Instead, Marshall is reinventing her studio, adding more attractions and planning to be open every day.

Less than two months ago, Marshall had announced she was closing the studio at 4025 E. Chandler Blvd., Ahwatukee, because she couldn’t find reliable help.

Yet, instead of a mournful stripping of the easels, paintings and other decorations that enliven her storefront studio, she started scheduling live performances in addition to her monthly comedy night, throwing a couple Disney shows for kids and a murder-mystery dinner for adults.

Then, she read a post on social media that mourned the loss not only of her studio but another you-be-the-artist business, As You Wish, which offered patrons a chance to paint pottery.

“It broke my heart,’ Marshall recalled. “I love that place.”

Meanwhile, people were steadily streaming into her own studio and sending her non-stop messages of support.

“People started coming up and saying, ‘Please don’t go, this is the best place in Ahwatukee.’ ‘How could I help?’ ‘We need this here more than ever,’” she said. “Kids would literally cry when they heard we were closing this studio in the plaza. I would hug them and tell them not to See ARTIST on page 36

Ahwatukee couple’s new business carves niche in football helmets

BY PAUL MARYNIAK AFN Executive Editor

You won’t find many businesses like the one that Ahwatukee attorney Denise Aguilar and her fiancé just opened.

She and Joel Griffin last week opened Heads Up Helmets, a business devoted to reconditioning and recertifying football helmets.

The business plays into Griffin’s long involvement in football coaching – and his keen awareness of players needing the best possible protection from concussions and other head injuries on the gridiron.

“With the impact that comes with contact sports, helmets and shoulder pads, as well as other athletic equipment, can break down over time,” he says on the company website, headsuphelmets. com. “Cracks and wear can compromise the integrity of the equipment, and in turn, the safety of the athlete.”

Griffin has coached youth league football since 1998, was acting president of the Maricopa Youth Football from 2000 to 2014, co-founded the Desert Storm Football Tournament and has coached at Mountain Pointe High School since 2014.

Several years ago, he an Aguilar, a criminal defense lawyer, “started brainstorming for something we could do in addition to our careers that would generate extra income to allow us to travel more, but was still something we enjoyed,” she said.

“Because of Joe’s involvement with the football community, and because we are both football fanatics, we figured something in that area would be perfect,” she added.

Their target market is broad.

They’re eyeing youth football leagues as well as teams at high school, college, semi-pro and even professional levels.

The business involves inspecting helmets and all the hardware and liners attached to them, replacing bad parts and testing them with special equipment the couple was trained to use last year. In addition, they clean and sanitize the helmets, then sand and repaint them.

“Initially we looked into just painting or hydro-dipping helmets for youth football teams, but when we started to research the idea, we found that the liability would be too great to simply paint and put a helmet back out on the

(Special to AFN)

The Adventure Lightroom at Be An Artist Studio is a new addition that projects images for budding artists to use for their own creations.

(Special to AFN)

Opening their football helmet reconditioning business were Ahwatukee couple Denise Aguilar and Joel Griffin and their employees Blake Silberschlag, left, and Jordan Somerville, far right.

Businesses seek legal fees as judge dismisses ADA lawsuits by attorney

BY JIM WALSH AFN Staff Writer

Acritical setback in court may have a high cost for a foundation that filed more than 1,000 lawsuits against Arizona businesses, accusing them of violating the federal American with Disabilities Act through inadequate parking spaces and signs.

Attorneys who represent two of the businesses that were sued filed court documents requesting thousands of dollars in legal fees against the Advocates for Individuals with Disabilities Foundation and their attorney, Peter Strojnik.

In addition, the Arizona Attorney General’s Office, which successfully argued for the dismissal of the cases before Maricopa County Superior Court Judge David Talamante, is expected to file a motion for sanctions against the foundation and Strojnik in effort to prevent such frivolous suits from happening again.

Talamante tossed out the suits at a hearing on Feb. 17, capping months of legal wrangling that consolidated most of the cases into one test case. Strojnik vowed to file an appeal with the Arizona Court of Appeals and the Arizona Supreme Court if necessary.

James Valletta, an attorney for the Candlewood Industrial Park in northwest Phoenix, quickly seized upon Talamante’s ruling and requested $5,152 in legal fees.

Mark Lammers, an attorney for International Restaurants, also filed a request for $8,812 in legal fees. Valletta and Lammers made similar legal arguments, that state law allows for the award of legal fees in suits that were brought without proper legal standing.

“We are asking for the fees not only to be awarded against the plaintiff, but against the individual attorney,” Valletta said.

He said that he expects many attorneys to file similar requests for legal fees, but that the Attorney General’s Office’s

requests for sanctions are a separate matter. The Attorney General’s Office is not eligible for legal fees, according to Valletta’s motion.

“It’s for bringing a case without a good-faith basis,” Valletta said. “It’s kind of punishment, that’s why it’s called sanctions.”

Talamante gave Matthew DuMee, an assistant attorney general, 10 days to file his request for sanctions.

“We’ve got it almost ready to go,” DuMee said.

In his ruling, Talamante sided with arguments presented by DuMee, concluding that AID lacked standing to bring the suits because the organization failed to allege that anyone suffered an actual injury because of violations of the ADA.

“Arizona has a vigorous standing requirement. The defendant has not shown a distinct and palpable injury,” DuMee argued. “The plaintiff has not alleged that the lack of compliance actually injured them.”

Examples of such injuries could include being unable to enter a business because of a lack of handicapped parking, or because of a barrier that would block a disabled person’s path, making it impossible for them to enter a business.

But Strojnik, the controversial attorney who has riled businesses owners over suits alleging relatively small violations, said the matter is far from over.

In a nutshell, Strojnik argued that the legislature gave anyone the right to enforce the Arizonans with Disabilities Act by bringing suit against businesses when it enacted the law. He said the judicial branch has no right to take away a privilege granted by the legislature.

But Talamante said that he was basing his ruling on an Arizona Supreme Court opinion and that Strojnik’s arguments were irrelevant to the legal issues in the case.

The suits were based on inspections of parking lots and photos taken of parking spaces and signs that do not comply with the ADA. Some suits alleged an inadequate number of handicapped parking spaces, inadequate signage, even signs that were two inches too low to meet the standard.

The

HELMET

from page 35

field without giving some assurance that it is safe for play,” Aguilar added.

After talking with the National Athletic Equipment Reconditioner Association, they found the job “was definitely not as simple as painting helmets in the garage.”

“We had to overcome a lot of obstacles to get here, but two years later here we are with 6,000 square feet of space and a full operation,” she said, noting Griffin left a job he’s held for 17 years to devote all his time to the business.

There’s no shortage of work, Aguilar said.

“In Arizona, football goes on almost year-round, so we are fortunate to have business from teams that play the regular fall season, and also club leagues that play in the spring,” she explained. “As we grow, we would love to expand to out-of-state leagues and high school football programs, but for now, we are concentrating on our Arizona football community.”

“We know that maintaining equipment can be expensive for leagues and teams, so we want to make sure we are delivering the best service at reasonable prices,” she added. “It is important to us that kids are as safe as possible on the field, and to that end, we want to make sure every league is recertifying its equipment regularly.”

Aguilar thinks she and Griffin are wellposition because “There aren’t many facilities around the country that are licensed to recertify helmets.”

Most of their marketing is face to face, and because Griffin has been around various leagues and teams for so long, his list of contacts is long.

They also host community outreach programs, such as the “Cleat Repeat” program that encourages players to donate football cleats they have outgrown so that a child who may not be able to afford a new pair of cleats each season can still have a pair that fits.

“Football can get very expensive with registration fees, uniforms, fund-raising efforts, and you’d be surprised at the number of kids out on the field wearing shoes that don’t quite fit. We will take the donations, clean and sanitize them, give them new laces, and give them to kids who can use them,” Aguilar said.

But Aguilar said she’s discovered one thing pretty quickly because they are getting busy:

“Ironically, I don’t see us being able to take the time off to do the traveling we wanted any time soon.”

Information: Heads Up Helmets, 590 N. 54th St., Chandler. 480-759-7599.

Joel Van Der Sloot

Joel Van Der Sloot

considered a landmark civil rights law. Strojnik said the foundation was merely attempting to enforce a law that the Attorney General’s Office has failed to enforce for decades.

Strojnik offered to have a cup of coffee with Attorney General Mark Brnovich and work out a plan for enforcing the ADA.

The Attorney General’s Office has said repeatedly that its preferred approach is to respond to complaints about ADA complaints through mediation to correct the problem, rather than through lawsuits that can cost businesses thousands of dollars.

DuMee seemed unimpressed by Strojnik’s offer.

“What we are defending is the law, which has been abused and mocked” by the frivolous suits, DuMee said.

– Reach Jim Walsh at 480-898-5639 or at jwalsh@timespublications.com.

ARTIST

from page 35

worry, it will just be different. They were breaking my heart.”

Such desperation gave her pause.

“I didn’t want to leave,” she decided. “Our community is so amazing.”

Marshall knew that her paint parties at the studio needed more artists. She had been organizing the parties and events herself with helpers.

“Our parties are like no others,” she said. “They are highly interactive. They combine all the artists under one roof. We paint, sing on stage with our full sound system, dry our paintings with parachutes, and play games.”

She began reflecting on the strip-mall unit that her own kids picked out a few years ago when she was just starting the business.

“This place has such an amazing energy,” she continued. “Since day one, I knew we were meant to be here. Now, with our favorite pottery studio closing their Ahwatukee location, we just can’t let this happen. We will find a way.”

This month, Marshall is rolling out additional concepts instead of rolling up the carpets.

For the past year, she has been working

on an addition she calls the “Adventure Lightroom.” With the help of one of her retired-engineer students, she put together what she said is “the ultimate adventure to help any aspiring artist create a beautiful original painting on canvas.”

The Adventure Lightroom aims to inspire artists of all ages to come in and choose from hundreds of the original designs that were all hand-drawn by Marshall.

“We have a whole ‘glow room’ with light tables where you can project original hand-drawn images that range from cartoon animals, sports, wine glasses, tropical sunsets, unicorns, and a whole spectrum of others,” she said.

Marshall intends to change those images throughout the year, depending on the holiday or season. They are available to choose from off the new “traceables wall.”

“People are loving this,” Marshall said. “They can come in at any time, choose their image and then project the image onto their canvas. It gives them a head start if they don’t feel like drawing is their strong point. It is so much fun watching people get excited about their creations.”

Marshall, who goes by “Miss Sandy” at the studio, also has ordered a lot of

pottery.

“One difference from other studios is that you could take the pottery home that day,” she said. “Acrylic paints will be used which are very durable. You won’t have to come back and the colors stay the way they are when you put them on the piece. You could also add sparkles from the ‘Cuppycake Sparkle Factory.’"

There is also a section for patrons to paint wine glasses, vases, ice cream sundae glasses and coffee mugs.

Marshall also intends to have “openpaint hours” every day so that “you come on in to create canvas paintings, pottery, and glass painting whenever you want to get out and get your art on.”

“We have so many great things going on over here and I can’t wait to be open full time," she said, adding:

"We will be adding more and more hours, but to begin, we will be open select hours from around 11 a.m.-7 p.m. each day. We will still have parties and events mixed in as well.”

Marshall also plans to continue special events, parties and corporate gatherings. And, she will continue the comedy nights. The next one is March 31. As for the rest of the studio’s activities, Marshall said people can check out BeAnArtistAZ.com

Sheraton Wild Horse Pass Resort & Spa

5594 W. Wild Horse Pass Blvd., Chandler.

602-225-0100.

wildhorsepassresort.com.

There is something for every member of the family at this luxury resort designed to be an authentic representation of the Gila River Native American community’s heritage

At Home

5000 S. Arizona Mills Circle, Tempe.

480-214-7328.

Athome.com

At Home is the home décor superstore that provides endless possibilities at an unbeatable value. At Home brings more than 30 years of passion and experience to the ever-evolving home décor category.

Ikea-Tempe

2110 W Ikea Way, Tempe.

480-785-8209 x 1336.

ikea.com

IKEA Tempe sells everything for the home all under one roof including furniture for living rooms, bedrooms, kitchen cabinets & countertops, appliances, bathroom vanities and accessories, lighting, rugs, mattresses, media storage and more!

South Mountain Films

975 E. Riggs Road, Chandler. 480-895-1983.

southmountainfilms.com

They will help you establish a video and audio presence on social media and for specific marketing and branding campaigns on a myriad of visual platforms.

Realty One Group-

Tamala Daniels

2218 W. St. Catherine Ave., Phoenix. 602-688-6327.

bestofphxliving.com

Tamala is an Arizona native with 24 years’ experience in real estate. She is also a licensed instructor at Arizona School of Real Estate and Business.

Main Street Ahwatukee

Brought to you by the Ahwatukee Foothills Chamber of Commerce

HIGHLIGHTS

Realtors group revives luxury home tour in Ahwatukee

BY THOMAS S.MOORE III AFN Guest Writer

The Ahwatukee Foothills Chamber of Commerce is focused not only on the business and commerce that occurs within our community, but also with delivery of new and exciting information that has relevance and value to our wonderful neighborhood.

Recently, the SouthEast Valley Regional Association of Realtors (SEVRAR) restarted the once retired Ahwatukee Luxury Home Marketing Tour. Chamber CEO/President Lindy Lutz Cash had the pleasure of being the guest speaker at the inaugural tour on Jan. 17.

The tour just finished up its second round in February with two of our beautiful community homes tied in voting for “Best Home On Tour.” Look around while you’re out and about and

notice the acknowledgement attached to the listing signs for those homes.

The luxury home market has enthusiastically rebounded from the adverse effects of the housing recession nearly a decade ago.

This marketing home tour allows Realtors to showcase their luxury listings alongside other very similar listings. Then, these professionals help one another by providing high-quality suggestions and professional feedback to the listing agent.

With this feedback, the property owner and agent can be assisted with the successful marketing and eventual sale of the property.

The marketing home tour is not open to the general public and is a valuable tool for the seasoned professionals that serve our real estate market. Each home that is visited has the actual listing agent or a member of their real estate brokerage.

The representative briefs the group on some details of the home and is

present at the tour to answer any questions and receive the input from the other real estate professionals. So, there is a very controlled access to the fine homes that the tour serves.

Homes must have a minimum listing price of $750,000 to qualify for being a tour stop.

Because these luxury homes have many details and areas to view, the tour members spend no less that 15-20 minutes in each property, evaluating the features, benefits, appearance and price of the property.

At the conclusion of the tour, the Realtors their affiliates that helped put the tour together all vote to elect the best home. This designation is given for best presentation and value.

So, keep the SEVRAR Ahwatukee Luxury Home Marketing Tour in mind for a great tool if you are selling a luxury home.

Formoreinfoontheseandotherupcoming events,visitahwatukeechamber.com.

(Special to AFN)

Chamber of Commerce President/CEO Lindy Lutz Cash, right, greets attendees at a recent mixer.

-Thomas S. III is designated broker for American Homefront Realty.

Blended families should carefully study estate planning

BY JOSEPH ORTIZ AFN Guest Writer

Most of us need to do some type of estate planning, but it’s especially important if you are part of a “blended” family. And the best time to start is now – before these plans need to be implemented.

Estate planning can be complex, so you will need help from a qualified legal professional. But here are a few general suggestions that can be suitable for blended families:

Update beneficiary designations. And think about multiple beneficiaries. Update the beneficiary designations on your retirement accounts and insurance policies to reflect the reality of your blended family.

These designations can supersede the instructions you provided in your will. So, if your will states that your current spouse should inherit your assets, but you had named your former spouse, or a child, as the primary beneficiary of an IRA, then your former spouse or your

child – not your present-day spouse –will indeed receive the IRA.

To ensure that “everyone gets something,” you could name your current spouse as primary beneficiary and your children from a previous marriage as equal contingent beneficiaries.

But the primary beneficiary will receive all the assets and is free to do whatever he or she wants with the money. To enact your wishes, you can name multiple primary beneficiaries and designate the percentage of the asset each beneficiary will receive.

Create a living trust. Consider a professional trustee. A living trust can help you avoid the time-consuming and costly process of probate, while giving you great freedom to determine how, and when, you want your assets distributed.

After you pass away, the trust, if structured properly, can provide your surviving spouse with income for life; then, after your spouse dies, your children from an earlier marriage would receive the remainder of the trust.

So far, so good. However, issues can arise if you name your surviving spouse

or one of your children as the “successor trustee” who will take charge of the trust upon your passing.

Your spouse, acting as successor trustee, could choose to invest only in bonds for income, but if he or she lives another 20 or so years, the value of the investments within the trust will probably have diminished considerably – leaving your children with very little. Conversely, if you name one of your children as trustee, the child could invest strictly in growth-oriented investments, leaving your surviving spouse with greatly reduced income. To be fair to everyone, you may want to engage a professional third-party trustee.

This individual, or company, is not a beneficiary of the trust, is not entitled to share in the assets of the trust, and, ideally, should have no “rooting interest” in how proceeds of the trust are distributed.

Consider prenuptial agreements. When it’s time to settle an estate, a prenuptial agreement can help avoid disputes among members of a blended family.

If you and your new spouse have agreed to keep your assets separate so that each of you can pass an inheritance to your own children, you need to spell out that separation in your “prenup,” your will, your living trust and any other relevant estate-planning arrangements.

Above all else, share your estateplanning intentions with members of your blended family. You may not be able to satisfy everyone, but through open communications, you can help prevent bad feelings – and unpleasant surprises.

-Ahwatukee Foothills Edward Jones Financial Advisor Joseph B. Ortiz, AAMS, CRPS, can be reached at 480-753-7664 or joseph.ortiz@ edwardjones.com.

•

•

SPIRITUAL SIDE

Make Jesus your partner in the dance now that Lent is here

BY REV. SUSAN WILMOT AFN Guest Writer

Slow-slow-quick-quickslow! How many of us recognize that dance step pattern for the classic American style foxtrot?

Even if you’re not a dancer, I bet you still appreciate the beauty of the moves, and the skill involved.

As we enter into the season of Lent, our part in the cosmic dance unfolds with tantalizing possibilities. The first Scripture readings for Lent always mention Jesus’ baptism and the story of how Jesus is driven into the wilderness by the Spirit.

Lent helps to douse our rapid-fire lives in the cleansing and healing water of life that is Jesus, our Lord. Lent helps us to slow down. Well, at least if we’re willing to welcome the Lord guiding our steps, and willing to open our ears to hear and participate in the rhythm of the season.

Just like the pattern of the traditional foxtrot, our busy-ness is enfolded in the loving embrace of the slower pace, the graceful and surprising movements of Lent.

As Jesus is driven into the wilderness, we too have the opportunity to explore our own wilderness experiences, as well as deepening our understanding of how

important Jesus’ 40 days of trials and temptations are in shaping his identity and mission for the sake of the world.

It’s definitely worth taking time to appreciate the glorious music, and the seductive rhythm of the dance of Lent as God’s gift to each of us. One thing that ballroom dancing teaches us is that it takes two to participate in the dance.

Whether or not we feel alone and abandoned, or are wandering about in some kind of personal wilderness, the reality is that in this glorious dance of faith, we are never alone. The Holy Spirit is always ready to guide us into the next steps of our spiritual journeys.

Just as John came preaching a baptism of repentance, the first words of Jesus’ public ministry also contain a message of repentance (see Mark 1:15 or Matthew 4:17).

We can’t dance our way around a ballroom floor without turning around, or changing direction at some point. Nor can we dance without considering our partner or others on the dance floor.

Repentance is all about changing our wayward habits, and turning our sinful lives around. It’s about remembering to put others ahead of ourselves, including respecting those who are dancing alongside us. Repentance involves purposeful action to refocus on God in Christ Jesus, with a heartfelt desire to

desist from wounding others in word or deed, or to put an end to any harmful self-destructive behaviors.

Jesus’ wilderness experience changes him and prepares him for his unique ministry as Lord and Savior of the whole world. If we’re just learning the dance, or trying to learn a new dance, we’re going to feel awkward and out of step. We’re going to make mistakes.

We all experience trials in our spiritual transformation, and temptations that distract us from living into our new identity as God’s beloved sons and daughters. We also have to deal with unhelpful attitudes and bad habits that impede our new identity in Christ. We’re on the dance floor, but Jesus can’t take our hands as our partner if they’re already full of other stuff.

We can’t dance properly if we keep tripping up on our bad habits. Likewise our dancing will be erratic and graceless if the shoes of our faith keep slipping off, if we’re carrying around baggage, or if we close our ears to the music.

By definition, being in the wilderness gives us little choice but to rely on God for the necessities of life. The desert has a way of helping us discard the accumulated clutter of life, everything from constant noise and interruptions to fear, anger and all forms of violence, our judgmental attitudes, and the illusion

that money or worldly success is our key to safety and security.

The good news is that we’ll emerge from this intimate time with God, this important time of self-examination and discernment, prayer and preparation, ready to serve the world more fully in Christ’s name.

Lent is associated with giving up something that’s beginning to possess or control us, taking on new responsibilities of service to others, or perhaps both, for the sake of our spiritual health and growth.

As we dance on with the Lord through Lent, let’s take it slow. Let’s resist the hurried rush of daily life sweeping us away in its ever-hungry grasp. Let’s practice being attentive to the beautiful rhythm of life in Christ. Let’s take time to notice the graceful and gentle hold of God, guiding each movement in our ongoing transformation.

Let’s be purposeful in recommitting our lives to God’s will in loving service. Let’s rejoice in our freedom in Christ, by releasing anything that’s holding us hostage to the world.

And may the Lord always be our partner in the dance of life.

-The Rev. Susan E. Wilmot, vicar at St. James the Apostle Episcopal Church & Preschool, Tempe, can be reached at rector@stjamestempe.org, 480-345-2686 or stjamestempe.org.

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 1

ASH WEDNESDAY SERVICES

Please join us on today, March 1, as we begin a 40 day journey of reflection and sacrifice, towards the joyous resurrection of our Lord on Easter Sunday. DETAILS>> 11 a.m. and 6:30 p.m. Mountain View Lutheran Church. 11002 S. 48th St., Ahwatukee. 480893-2579. www.mvlutheran.org.

SUNDAY, MARCH 12

COLONIAL PURIM

Chabad of Mesa presents a “Colonial Purim.” The celebration includes live band, buffet lunch, quill writing, candle making, megillah reading and Circus Farm entertainment. All children in costume will get a prize. There is no charge.

DETAILS>> 11:30 a.m., 941 S. Maple, Mesa. Information:

480-659-7001, chabadmesa.com.

SUNDAYS

NEW CHURCH IN MESA

The Lawrence Memorial A.M.E.Z. Church has opened in Mesa with the Rev. Albert Bolden leading as pastor.

DETAILS>> Sunday School at 9 a.m., worship at 10 a.m., 931 E. Southern Ave., Suite 108. Information: 480-393-3001, tlmchurch.info.com, f@ TheLawrenceMemorialChurch.

VALOR CHRISTIAN OUTLINES MISSION

Valor Christian Center in Gilbert offers “great praise and worship and great messages for today’s living,” according to Pastor Thor Strandholt, associate pastor. “Our mission is evangelize, healing and discipleship through the word of God.”

DETAILS>> 10 a.m. Sundays and 7 p.m. Thursdays.

3015 E. Warner Road. Information: valorcc.com.

HORIZON SEEKS YOUNG PEOPLE

High school and middle school students meet to worship and do life together.

DETAILS>> 5 p.m. at Horizon Presbyterian Church, 1401 E. Liberty Lane. 480-460-1480 or email joel@ horizonchurch.com.

KIDS CAN LEARN JEWISH LIFE

Children can learn and experience Jewish life. Chabad Hebrew School focuses on Jewish heritage, culture and holidays.

DETAILS>> 9:30 a.m. to noon, for children ages 5-13 at Pollack Chabad Center for Jewish Life, 875 N. McClintock Drive, Chandler. 480-855-4333, info@ chabadcenter.com, or chabadcenter.com.

RABBINIC LIT COURSE OFFERED

Ongoing morning study of two classics of rabbinic literature by medieval philosopher Moses Maimonides (the “Rambam”). At 10 a.m., Prof. Norbert Samuelson, Grossman chair of Jewish Philosophy at ASU and TBS member, teaches “Maimonides’ Guide of the Perplexed: What Jews Ought to Believe.” At 11:15 a.m., TBS member Isaac Levy teaches “Maimonides’ Mishneh Torah: How Jews Ought to Behave.” Readings in both Hebrew and English.

DETAILS>> Community Room of the administration building at Temple Beth Sholom of the East Valley, 3400 N. Dobson Road, Chandler. 480-897-3636.

UNITY OFFERS A PATH

Unity of Mesa says its Sunday service offers “a positive path for spiritual living” through “transformational

FAITH CALENDAR

lessons, empowering music and various spiritual practices with an open-minded and welcoming community.”

DETAILS>> 9 and 10:45 a.m. 2700 E. Southern Ave., Mesa. Nursery available for infants through kindergarten at service times. Youth ministry classes are open in the Education Annex at 10:45 a.m. Information: 480-892- 2700, unityofmesa.org, lori@ unityofmesa.org.

ALL ARE WELCOME

All on a peaceful spiritual path are welcome and honored in this inclusive, loving, thriving Unity Community. Join us for Interfaith CommUNITY Spiritual Center’s Sunday Celebration Service

DETAILS>> 10:30 a.m. Toddlers and children meet during our service. Interfaith CommUNITY Spiritual Center, 952 E. Baseline, Suite 102, Mesa. Information: info@interfaith-community.org.

SUNDAY CELEBRATION SERVICE

Inspirational messages and music to lift your spirit. A welcoming community committed to living from the heart. Many classes and events offered. We welcome you!

DETAILS>> 10 a.m. Sundays at Unity of Tempe, 1222 E. Baseline Road, Suite 103, Tempe. Information: 480-7921800, unityoftempe.com.

MONDAYS

JOIN CHRIST-CENTERED YOGA

This Flow 1-2 class (intermediate) is free and open to the community.

DETAILS>> > 6-7 p.m., Mountain Park Community Church, 2408 E. Pecos Road. Greg Battle at 480-7596200 or gbattle@moutainpark.org.

CHURCH PRAYER CALL

The Lawrence Memorial A.M.E.Z. Church in Mesa has a prayer call every Monday.

DETAILS>> 7 p.m., 1-712-775-7085. PIN 162106#.

CLASS TARGETS THE GRIEVING

Classes for those grieving over death or divorce.

DETAILS>> 6:30 p.m., Holy Trinity Lutheran Church, 739 W. Erie St., Chandler. 480-963-4127.

STRUGGLING FIND SUPPORT

Support group for those struggling with how to deal with a loss in life.

DETAILS>> 7 p.m., 1825 S. Alma School Road, Room C201, Chandler. Pastor Larry Daily, 480-963-3997, ext. 141, larrydaily@chandlercc.org or chandlercc.org.

PROSPERITY RECIPES AT UNITY OF TEMPE

Internationally known speaker and author, Maureen G. Mulvaney brings back her Prosperity Recipes class series to Unity of Tempe on Monday evenings. Cost: $10 per session

DETAILS>> 6:15-8:15 p.m., Unity of Tempe, 1222 E. Baseline Road, Suite 103, Tempe. Information: 480-7921800, unityoftempe.com.

TUESDAYS

MESA BIBLE STUDY

The Lawrence Memorial A.M.E.Z. Church conducts Bible study on Tuesdays.

DETAILS>> 6:30 p.m., 931 E. Southern Ave., Suite 108. Information: 480-393-3001, tlmchurch.info.com, f@ TheLawrenceMemorialChurch.

CELEBRATE RECOVERY

Celebrate Recovery is a Biblical program that helps us overcome our hurts, hang-ups, and habits. Through teaching, worship, and sharing in small groups, you will find genuine people devoted to help discover the

power of Christ through the recovery process.

DETAILS>> 6:30 p.m., Central Christian Church, 933 N. Lindsay Road, Mesa. Information: Eric at 480-924-4946.

GRIEFSHARE

Mountain Park Community Church is offering an ongoing GriefShare programs to help people deal with the pain of losing a loved one.

DETAILS>> 6:30-8 p.m., 2408 E. Pecos Road, Ahwatukee. To register: mountainpark.org and click on Launch. Information: Alex at 480-759-6200

FINDING HEALING FOR PAIN

HOPE, an acronym for “Help Overcome Painful Experiences,” offers support for men and women who seek God’s grace and healing.

DETAILS>> 6:30 to 8 p.m. Mountain Park Community Church, 2408 E. Pecos Road. mountainpark.org.

SENIORS ENJOY ‘TERRIFIC TUESDAYS’

The program is free and includes bagels and coffee and a different speaker or theme each week. Registration not needed.

DETAILS>> 10-11 a.m., Barness Family East Valley Jewish Community Center, 908 N. Alma School Road, Chandler. evjcc.org or 480-897-0588.

UNITY YOGA AT UNITY OF TEMPE

Center in Mind, Body & Spirit at our weekly Unity Yoga classes with Mary Jo “MJ” Kuzmick. Bring your own mat (2 blankets & blocks, if you have them). Suggested love offering: $8 a class.

DETAILS>> 10 a.m., Unity of Tempe, 1222 E. Baseline Road, Suite 103, Tempe. Information: 480-792-1800, unityoftempe.com.

WEDNESDAYS

JOYFUL NOIZ CHILDREN’S CHOIR

Upbeat children’s choir with music and a message that

kids can get excited about. This choir usually sings monthly during our worship services and presents a Christmas Musical. For Grades 3-8.

DETAILS>> 5:30 p.m. Mountain View Lutheran Church. 11002 S. 48th St., Ahwatukee. 480-893-2579. www. mvlutheran.org.

CHIMING CHERUBS

This bell choir is perfect for the younger kids who love music and want to learn to ring the handbells! Chiming Cherubs present occasionally during our worship services and special holidays throughout the school year. For age 3 to grade 2.

DETAILS>> 5:45 p.m. Mountain View Lutheran Church. 11002 S. 48th St. Ahwatukee. 480-893-2579. www. mvlutheran.org.

CELEBRATE RECOVERY

Celebrate Recovery is a Biblical 12-step program that helps you find hope and healing from all of life’s hurts, habits and hang-ups. Whether it’s addiction, loss, anger or stress, you can find the freedom you’re looking for today.

DETAILS>> 6:20 p.m. Mountain View Lutheran Church. 11002 S. 48th St., Ahwatukee. 480-893-2579. www. mvlutheran.org.

DIVORCE CARE

Don’t go through one of life’s most difficult times alone. DivorceCare is a friendly, caring group that will walk alongside you and provide support through divorce or separation.

DETAILS>> 6:30 p.m. Mountain View Lutheran Church. 11002 S. 48th St., Ahwatukee. 480-893-2579. www. mvlutheran.org.

Get Out Ahwatukee artisans among home show participants

DAVID M. BROWN AFN Contributing Writer

Two Ahwatukee artisans are bringing pillows and watercolors to the Maricopa County Home & Landscape Show.

Renee Woodford, owner of Olivia’s Smile, and Rachel Eskandari, who owns the Pink Puddle Studio, are among the 100 participants in the show’s first Artisan Home Décor Marketplace Friday through Sunday, March 3-5 at the University of Phoenix Stadium in Glendale.

Woodford chooses “seasonally relevant and trendy” fabrics for her pillow covers, installing invisible zippers as a standard feature.

Her pillow inserts are made with premium soft white cotton and are standard with a zipper, so customers can refresh the fill or change the firmness to their liking.

She uses polyfill, a down alternative, down and feather fill, whichever her customers request.

“More than once my studio has looked like a pillow fight just took place!” said Woodford, a native Californian who relocated with her family to Arizona when she was 7.

She and her husband, Cal, the sales and marketing department for Olivia’s Smile, moved to Ahwatukee in October 2014. They have five adult children and a granddaughter, Olivia, the company namesake.

Her cheerleader and mentor is her mom, Kathy, and her entrepreneurial spirit came from Renee’s father, Joe Adair, who, with his dad, Jim, ran Adair Air Conditioning in the Valley for 40 years.

supporting single parents and military families.

Eskandari’s painting style utilizes her designs for both artistic decoration and functional products, such as giclee prints, clutches and hand-painted journals.

Born in Tempe, she was raised in Ahwatukee and attended The Herberger Institute of Art, now the Herberger Institute for Design and the Arts at ASU, where she received a bachelor of fine arts, studying with two mentors, professors John Obuck and Henry Schoebel.

“My family has been one of the greatest inspirations in my life: my two brothers, my sisters and my parents. My oldest sister was the one who introduced me to my passion for painting,” Eskandari said, adding:

“My approach toward my art is whimsical through combining the human form with abstract and botanical elements.”

Also planning to join the home show’s artisans are Heidi Martin, who will show her MyMacramania products, and Spencer and Haylie Nolen, whose Domestic Accents specializes in hanging shelves.

Zoey and Libby, look, listen and learn.

In the 13th century, Arabian weavers introduced macramé by creating handknotted pieces for items as diverse as nets to protect their horses from flies and wall-hangings for their homes, explained Martin, who moved to Arizona last April from North Carolina.

She has a bachelor’s degree in business management from John Brown University in Rogers, Arkansas, home of Walmart Stores, Inc. where she worked for almost 12 years.

“My husband and I have a God-given passion to help single parents survive, since we were both single parents at one point in our lives,” she said, noting that a portion of their profits benefits organizations

MyMacramania is a family business, with Martin, who is assisted by husband Nate and their eldest daughter, Hana.

Heidi does the intricate macramé, or fabric knotting, and he does the woodworking.

Hana is next for the time-demanding finishing touches, and her siblings, Piper,

“In the early ’80s, macramé seemed to fade back out of fashion until its recent resurgence in the revival of craft arts,” added Martin.

Martin practiced as an optometrist before devoting her career to the crafts business.

“My work is all original, created without patterns,” she said.

The Nolens’ Domestic Accents is a family collaboration as well. Haylie is an interior designer, and Spencer is a woodworker after his day job.

He learned his craft assisting a skilled finish carpenter when he was 19 and saving money toward a mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, she explained.

“I had no clue of his wood-working abilities when I married him, and he did not know of my interior design abilities since we weren’t utilizing them,” she said.

“Spencer is a perfectionist and has an engineering mind, so he helps my ideas in my head come to life.”

Together they devised their popular swing shelves that incorporate a hanger.

“I came up with these, and Spencer makes them, then I stain/paint and add the rope and hardware., she said.

More than 900 home improvement experts are expected for the Southwest’s largest home show, which will offer homeimprovement, handmade and landscaping products and services.

Do-it-yourself workshops, consultations and presentations are scheduled, and attendees will also be able to tour a tiny house, adopt a dog, attend an Arizona State Parks seminar and sample wines.

TV’s Chopped Judge Scott Conant will offer samples of Italian specialties, olive oils and vinegars.

The Maricopa County Home & Landscape Show is Friday and Saturday, March 3 and 4, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., and Sunday, March 5, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

General admission is $8 daily for adults and children 3−12, $3. Children 2 and younger are free.

For information and admission discounts: 602-485-1691or visit MChomeshows.com.

(Special to AFN)

Renee Woofford of Ahwatukee, owner of Olivia’s Smiles, will be among the artisans displaying their work at the home show this weekend.

(Pink Puddle Studio/Special to AFN)

Rachel Eskandari of Ahwatukee will display her art work at the home and garden show this weekend.

Musical offerings range from Zane Grey to classic folk trio

BY JUSTIN FERRIS GETOUT EDITOR

Folk trio remembered

Marty Province, Dave Dumas and Sharron Owen take you on a journey to the past through folk songs of Peter, Paul and Mary like “Blowin’ in the Wind,” “Leavin’ on a Jet Plane,” “Puff the Magic Dragon,” and many more favorites from the group Peter Paul and Mary.

DETAILS>> 7:30 p.m., Thursday, March 2. Higley Center, 4132 E. Pecos Road, Gilbert. Tickets: $26-$42. 480-279-7194. higleycenter. ticketforce.com.

Motorcycles roar into town

On the first Friday of every month, over 3,000 motorcyclists and motorcycle lovers turn up on Main Street in downtown Mesa for live music, food, a beer garden. There will be motorcycles to ogle.

DETAILS>> 6-10 p.m., Friday, March 3. Downtown Mesa, N. Macdonald Road, Mesa between W. Main Street and W. Pepper Place. Cost: Free. downtownmesa.com/ motorcyclesonmain.

Chandler mall offers concerts

Every Friday in March and April, enjoy free live music from local bands in a wide range of genres. This week, Chuck E Baby & The All Stars perform classic rock favorites.

DETAILS>> 6:30-8:30 p.m., Friday, March 3. Chandler Fashion Center, 3111 W. Chandler Blvd., Chandler. Cost: Free. shopchandlerfashioncenter.com.

Zane Grey goes opera

Attend “Riders of the Purple Sage,” Arizona Opera’s first self-produced world premiere. Based on the novel “Riders of the Purple Sage” by best-selling Western author Zane Grey, the opera includes stunning desert backgrounds from Arizona artist Ed

Symphony Hall, 75 N. Second St., Phoenix. Tickets: $25. 602-266-7464. azopera.org.

Improv comedy hits stage

Two great improv comedians – who you might know from the TV show “Whose Line is it Anyway?” – bring their hilarious, interactive show to the stage. Audience participation is guaranteed.

DETAILS>> FridaySunday, March 3-5. Phoenix

DETAILS>> 7:30 p.m., Friday, March 3. Chandler Center for the Arts, 250 N. Arizona Ave., Chandler. Tickets: $46-$66. 480-782-2680. chandlercenter.org.

Mesa brews up beer fest

Stroll through downtown Mesa as you sample beer from more than a dozen local breweries. Also on hand will be live music, festival vendors, food trucks, games and plenty more fun. Families and dogs are

DETAILS>> 2-6 p.m., Saturday, March 4. Downtown Mesa, N. Macdonald Road, Mesa south of Main Street. Tickets: Free entry, $5 per 12-ounce pour. downtownmesa. com/brewfest.

‘Celtic Journey’ offered

The Sonoran Desert Chorale performs the Arizona premiere of “Heaven and Earth: Mass on the Celtic Journey,” which takes pieces from traditional folk music and music of the Catholic mass. Joining the choir will be Valley Irish musicians.

DETAILS>> 7:30 p.m., Saturday, March 4. First United Methodist, 15 E. 1st Ave., Mesa. Tickets: $20 for adults ($18 advance), $18 for children and seniors ($15 advance). sonorandesertchorale.org.

North Dakotans to gather

Snowbirds from the north and residents originally from the North Dakota area gather each year for a fun picnic. This year, the picnic also serves as a gathering of Bismarck High School Class of ’68.

DETAILS>> 10 a.m., Sunday, March 5. Red Mountain Park, 7745 E. Brown Road, Mesa. Cost: Free. facebook.com/ndpicnic.

Taste the Carribean

Get a literal taste of Caribbean culture. In addition to delicious jerk chicken, enjoy live reggae music, DJs, chef demos, a range of vendors and an area for the kids. Other food vendors will be on site as well.

DETAILS>> 11 a.m.-7 p.m., Sunday, March 5. Kiwanis Park, 6111 S. All America Way, Tempe. Tickets: $15. 602-733-2998. azcaribbeanjerkfest.com.

Acrobats swing into area

Prepare for an astonishing Chinese Golden Dragons Acrobats’ show that includes both old and new acrobatic traditions and theatrical techniques, gorgeous costumes and traditional dance.

DETAILS>> 6 p.m., Sunday, March 5. Chandler Center for the Arts, 250 N. Arizona Ave., Chandler. Tickets: $32-$46. 480-7822680. chandlercenter.org.

Studio 3 presents ‘Wayside School’ production in Gilbert

GET OUT STAFF

Louis Sachar’s popular children’s books will come to life on stage beginning March 3 when Gilbert’s Studio 3 Performing Arts presents “Sideways Stories from Wayside School.”

A cast of 21 East Valley children and teens will bring to life characters such as Bebe, Myron and the other students in Mrs. Jewls’ class in a stage production that is full of physical comedy as kids dance the tango, leap over desks and lurch around in unison under the spell of Substitute Gorf. Lights, sound, special effects and the intimacy of Studio 3’s black box theatre transport audiences to the strange and magical classrooms of Wayside, offering lessons about kindness, friendship and teamwork.

“It wouldn’t be a Studio 3-Limelight production without a show-stopping music and dance number right in the middle,” said Emma England, “Sideways Stories” artistic director and owner of Studio 3. “The uniqueness of each character, dancing and a few surprising effects all combine

to highlight the excitement, wonder and uncertainty of childhood with themes that resonate with both children and adults.”

Studio 3, in partnership with Limelight Performing Arts, is presenting John Olive’s adaptation of seven of Sachar’s books March 3-4 and March 10-11 at its theater, 511 W. Guadalupe Road, Gilbert.

“This is a crazy, fun and hilarious show that takes your imagination to a whole new level,” said Don Crosby, the show’s director and longtime Valley actor. “The characters are brought to life by some of the most talented, creative and fun kids I’ve ever had the privilege of working with.”

“It’s a great show for the entire family,” added Crosby. “Come prepared to laugh and have an amazing time.”

The wackiness of Wayside School began when the contractor built 30 classrooms on top of one another.

That turns out to be the least of what’s odd at Wayside. Teachers transform children into apples, pigtails turn into snakes. An ethereal Miss Zarves, the teacher on the nonexistent 19th floor, is never seen, but is always – unnervingly – present.

During a dress rehearsal of “Sideways,” Teagan Dinyes is being pulled in all directions by, clockwise from lower left, Savannah Wetch, Abby Springer, Melina Wittke and Paige Erdmann.

Tickets are $15 and are available at limelight.ticketleap.com or at 480-5451492.

Studio 3 Performing Arts Academy offers classes in dance, drama, voice, music, and encourages students to become well-rounded performers. Its programs are centered around modest costumes and choreography and a family-friendly appeal.

Information: studio3arts.com or info@ studio3arts.com.

(Autumn Wetch/Special to the Tribune)

King Crossword

ACROSS

1 Do as you’re told

5 A cont.

8 Old fogy

12 Geometry measure

13 Born

14 Divisible by two

15 Soared

17 Choose the best

18 Japanese pond carp

19 With resolution

21 Twelve

24 Highway division

25 Saharan

26 Demonstrated, as when on strike

30 Chaps

31 Chess wins

32 Consumed

33 Sank a billiard ball

35 Caspian feeder

36 Addict

37 William Tell’s target

38 Formosa, today

41 Annoy

42 -- Major

43 Fined for speeding, e.g.

48 Indonesian island

49 High-arc shot

50 Basin accessory

51 Help in a crime

52 “Tasty!”

53 Annoyingly slow

DOWN

1 Rowing tool

2 Sis’ counterpart

3 Common Mkt.

4 Talked on and on

5 Opposed

6 Lawyer’s payment

7 Clearly embarrassed

8 Edict

9 Egg

10 Farmer’s home?

11 Sans siblings

16 A billion years

20 Tattoo-parlor supply

21 Moist

22 Sandwich cookie

23 Brass component

24 Metric measure

26 Obviously

27 Rainout cover

28 Common Latin abbr.

29 Strike from the text

31 Smaller plateau

34 Persian Gulf nation

35 Maintenance

37 Noah’s boat

38 Big brass instrument

39 Bedouin

40 -- of Capri

41 Cold War weapon (Abbr.)

44 Debt notice

45 Pair

46 “A mouse!”

47 Parched

The line ends for local high school roundball programs

BY JASON P. SKODA

PREP SPORTS DIRECTOR

The final destination came up short by one game, but the progression throughout the journey had two Ahwatukee high school basketball programs with new coaches on the brink a championship run.

The Desert Vista High boys and Mountain Pointe High girls programs last week were both eliminated from the 6A Conference state tournament at Gila River Arena, ending on a disappointing note a season filled with accomplishments. Both teams struggled mightily offensively and still had opportunities to win.

The 10th-seeded Pride was a decent shooting team all year long, going 23-10 on the season and averaging 52.3 points a game. But in the big arena, it lost 3530 to Number 3 Valley Vista.

Mountain Pointe was 1 for 15 in the first quarter, and 3 for 25 in the half. It got better in the second half, but not much, going 7 of 31 to finish 10 for 56

(17.9 percent) for the game.

“During the season, we had some ups and downs too, but nothing like this,” Pride coach Justin Hager said. “We couldn’t miss against Hamilton (in the quarterfinals). And then we struggled (against Valley Vista). That’s why you play the games.”

Valley Vista, which made its first state title game, wasn’t much better as the Monsoon finished 13 of 40 from the floor and scored just four points in the third quarter.

“It was like watching two teams trying to stall, but nobody was doing that,” said Hager, who said he didn’t talk to the team about playing in a big arena leading up to the game. “It was unbelievable. We had some shots. It was a battle of possessions.”

“We had four or five straight possessions where would could have tied or taken the lead and didn’t score. That was huge,” Hager added.

Jenise Strover had several open looks as Valley Vista’s center Kiara Edwards played off of her because of four fouls,

See ROUNDBALL on page 48

Ahwatukee teams hopeful as spring sports begin

BY JASON P. SKODA AFN PREP SPORTS DIRECTOR

It’s time to transition from one season to the next as spring sports kick off.

The spring season has traditionally been a time for Ahwatukee high schools to rack up accolades and state

championships. At the outset, 2017 appears to be one that will rival previous years.

Baseball

Mountain Pointe High School, which was 1-0 entering the week, starts a new era with Matt Denny replacing Brandon

Buck, who moved on to begin counseling athletes.

Denny comes over from Greenway High, which he led to a Division II state title last season. He has a solid group to work with from last season’s squad, which made the final six and had a 1613 record in Division I.

“The guys have really been working hard buying into the new system,” Denny said. “I believe our pitching will be the key to our season. If we can find a little depth, we can be competitive.”  The main core for the Pride will

See SPRING on page 47

(Jason Skoda/AFN staff)

Mountain Pointe High’s Eve Kulovitz corrals a rebound in the Pride’s loss to Valley Vista in the 6A Conference semifinals at Gila River Arena.

comprise third baseman Jonny Weaver, outfielder Jayden Brooks, catcher/third base Logan White and captains catcher/ first base Josh Wunnenberg and pitcher/ first base Cameron Polich.

Desert Vista High, off to a 2-1 start, is once again led by Stan Luketich, who is the only coach the program has known. The Thunder bring back a solid core of players that should flip last year’s 13-17 record.

The outfield has a chance to be one of the better groups with Travis Moore, Julian Jenkins and Brandon Schlaback.

Left-handed pitcher Connor Holloway and middle infielder Brock Burton will also be counted on to help the Thunder rebound from two straight losing seasons.

Horizon Honors won 14 games last year under Bradley Downes and brings back quality players in Adam Mendoza and Cooper Brown.

Softball

Desert Vista, which started the year 4-0 while averaging 10 runs a game, brings back plenty of offensive power from last year’s team, which earned the No. 1 seed but lost in extra innings in the consolation semifinals.

If the pitching can match the offensive production, led by Jill Navarro, Kaylee Dietrich and Kiara Kennedy, the Thunder will be a state title contender.

Mountain Pointe has a new coach for the fourth time in five seasons as Sammi Hernreich takes over the Pride, which went 8-24 last season.

The top player last year was Daniele Farinas, and she returns with help from several underclassmen who saw playing time in 2016.

The Horizon Honors season is in a bit of trouble as the team only had 10 healthy players on the roster.

“We are pulling together the best

we can to make sure we have a softball season as we all would hate to see our season cancelled,” Eagles coach Dina Samora said. “We have a few girls with no experience with softball but they are really putting in hard work to learn and play the game’

Tennis

Tennis is one of the few sports in which neither Desert Vista or Mountain Pointe has won a state title.

And it might be harder than ever in 2017 as more than 60 teams make up Division I with only 16 playoff spots.

“Having 63 teams in Division I for tennis is a lot when you are trying to vary for state playoff berth for the 16 teams,” Pride boys coach Larry Holmes said. “I wish that they would expand team state tournament to 24 teams like they do in basketball, baseball, volleyball.”

The top individuals include Desert Vista’s Jacy Chan and Jody Zhu, Melania Nelson and Maurisa Rapp for the girls at Mountain Pointe. On the boys side, Desert Vista’s Aditya Bollam and Josh Caballero and Mountain Pointe’s Justin Timmerman and Zack Ramseyer all rank as solid players.

Track

This is where most of the spring success comes for both Desert Vista and Mountain Pointe, which have two of the premier programs in the state.

Mountain Pointe girls have Kayleigh Conlon (shot, discus) and Nura Muhammad (triple jump) among others and the boys will lean on Anferni Harris (sprints), Matthew Pola-Mao (throws) and Kenny Churchwell (high jump).

The Thunder has a ton of distance runners (Emily Crall, Baylee Jones, Habs Cheney, Chris D’Angelo) while always

making a push for gold in relays, sprints and jumps.

“We will be highly competitive, as always being and staying healthy will play a big part in this,” Thunder coach Chris Hanson said.

Boys volleyball

The big news revolves around coaches.

The Pride has a coach back for a second year after four straight coaching changes and the Thunder has a new lead many in Clay Webb after sustained success under Ryan Tolman.

Tim Church hopes his second year with Mountain Pointe will lead to stability and some success.

“We are expecting to be much improved but it is too early to tell how competitive we will be against the state’s top teams,” he said. “We have very athletic boys at MP but most are new to volleyball and will need as many reps in practice as we can give them to get up to speed with the likes of Brophy, Highland and DV.”

Seth Golleher, Justin Lupoe, Colin Donisthorpe and Dapre Rogers will be heavily counted on for the Pride.

Desert Vista is consistently a state contender so it will be interesting to see how they do with a new coach.

“With only three returners from the

(Jason Skoda/AFN staff)

Mountain Pointe catcher Josh Wunnenberg is one of the Pride’s captains entering the season as they making the transition to new coach Matt Denny.

ROUNDBALL

but the ball rarely found net. She finished 5 of 24 from the field for a team-high 13 points and 11 rebounds.

“It was frustrating,” said Strover, who is headed to Clemson. “I don’t know. It just wouldn’t go in.”

At the end of the game, down 31-28, the Pride’s top 3-point shooter, Bailey Osmer and Eve Kulovitz, both had open looks from beyond the arc but to no avail.

The Pride played its first semifinal since winning state in 2002 and showed a resiliency that allowed it to come back just as it did in the first round when it shocked No. 7 Xavier after trailing by 14.

“We’re a team of fighters,” Strover said. “We don’t accept losing. We always keep fighting.”

It’s a season that Hager hopes to build on as Mountain Pointe loses three seniors: Osmer, who scored 5 points on 1-of-17 shooting, and Strover and Kayla Smith, who fouled out.

“Hopefully, they understand there is a new standard that we need to live by,” Hager said. “We relied heavily on our

seniors, but the players coming back were a big part of this season.”

The third-seeded Thunder had similar troubles on the same floor as it lost 43-38 to No. 2 Basha, recording a season low in points and a high in turnovers (21).

“I was a really bad offensive performance for us; we average 70 points a game and we just didn’t play our best basketball,” Desert Vista coach Gino Crump said.

The Thunder, led by Caleb Simmons’s 19 points, tried to pick up speed after pushing the score to 23-22 before the half. However, with significant fouls and turnovers, the team could not gain enough momentum.

It was a close game throughout with Basha leading, but Desert Vista (19-6) stayed within striking distance, thanks to its trapping defense.

Wesley Harris’ dunk left the team trailing only by three points with 1:54 remaining. After a timeout by Basha, the Bears’ Gabe McGlothan had a dunk of his for a 40-35.

“They did a good job, but we just came out slow and we finished slow. It was a bad overall offensive performance for us,” Crump said. “Guys that typically shoot the ball, just weren’t shooting the ball well.”

Toddler

SPRING

from page 47

senior heavy team last year we have a lot of young and up and coming talent that we added to this year’s varsity team,” Webb said. “I think we could be one of the scrappiest teams in the state when it comes to defense.”

Look for senior captains Evan Johnson and Dane Cunningham and junior Nicholas Heeres to be the catalysts.

Horizon Honors made the Division II semifinals last year and should be a contender in 5A this season.

Trevor Weary, Aaron Tam, Kyle Murphy and Jeremy Kollman are the top players.

“In order for us to compete we will need to remain injury free since we have very little depth due to inexperience,” coach Lisa Barlow said.

Sand volleyball

Mountain Pointe and Desert Vista are both competing in this growing sport.

“It is hard to say how good we are with varsity sand being so new to Arizona, but we expect to be competing with the top teams in the state at the end of the season,” Church said.

Mountain Pointe’s Lauren McMurray is a senior who is committed to playing sand at Cal State Northridge, and freshman Rebecca Morse won an AAU National title.

We came to Keystone for the authentic Montessori education. We fell in love with Keystone Montessori when we realized it was more than just a school, it was a community.

- Parent Testimonial

(Jason Skoda/AFN staff)

Horizon Honors hopes to be in title contention against this season with players like Trevor Weary back in the fold.

Classifieds

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"My dream is that one day we will be able to give every "wish" child a scrapbook to remind them that dreams do come true " Jody co-founder Ahwatukee based nonprofit

Come Join us: Help make embellishments, organize or assist with events, scrapbook, donate your time, money or space

Come be apart of something Awesome!

roplex area apply plasterboard/wallboard to ceiling/interior walls Bend, lift&hold up 50Lb, 3mo exp in Res constr, work in ext weather, on-thejob train avail, no edu reqd, travel in Metropl x area M-F 7am-3pm @$17 74/hr OT if needed @$26 61 from 4/1-12/15/17 US&H2B workers offered same wages& working conditions to include paid post-hired drug test Sgle wrkwk computes wages Weekly pmt H2B wrkr to be paid U S Consulate,border,lodging fees on 1st work-

DFW helps women find dignity and strength, develop skills and opportunities, value and support their children s education We have a local chapter in Ahwatukee which meets the 3rd Thursday every month from 6:30 p m -8:30p m If you d like to know more on how you can

and S 51st St on Wed eve s from 67:30 p m For more information: Terri at 480-893-6742

NONDENOMINATIONAL, GREAT PRAISE AND WORSHIP, GREAT MESSAGES FOR TODAYS LIVING! OUR MISSION IS “EVANGELISM, HEALING, DISCIPLESHIP THROUGH THE WORD OF GOD! VISIT US AT

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Aegis Hospice Grief/Loss Support Group

We meet 6 pm on the 2nd and 4th Wednesday of each month Legacy Funeral Home: 1722 N Banning St Mesa, Refreshments provided Contact: Rick Wesley 480-219-4790 rick@ aegishospice.com

Christian Business Networking, Chandler BiMonthly Chapter 7:30 a m second and fourth Tuesdays of the month

Offers members the opportunity to share ideas, contacts and business referrals Chandler Christian Church, Room B202 1825 S Alma School Rd , Chandler Info: Maia, 480-4250624, christianbusinessnetworking com

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PARENTS OF ADDICTED LOVED ONES

Are you affected by someone who is dealing with an addiction? If so, know that you are not alone and that the PAL (Parents of Addicted Loved Ones) group can help The group is available to provide education and support to anyone 18 years or older who is dealing with a friend or family member with an addiction See our local meeting list at palgroup.org

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