West Valley View 03-08-2023

Community grieves after bicycle crash, GoFundMe set up

BY JORDAN ROGERS West Valley View Managing Editor

The West Valley cyclist community is grieving in the aftermath of a tragic accident that left two dead and another 11 injured.

Just prior to 8 a.m. on Feb. 25, 26-yearold Pedro Quintana-Lujan of Phoenix was traveling southbound in a Ford F-250 on the Cotton Lane Bridge in Goodyear when he crashed into the barrier wall of the bridge and then a group of adult cyclists out on a morning ride

with Goodyear-based West Valley Cycle’s “B Group.”

Two were con rmed to have died in the incident — 61-year-old Karen Malisa and 65-year-old David Kero. Malisa, a resident of Goodyear, died on scene, and Kero, who was visiting from Michigan, died from his injuries after being transported to a nearby hospital.

Another 17 cyclists were transported to three di erent area hospitals with various injuries ranging from minor to life threatening.

Quintana-Lujan remained on scene after the crash and was booked into the Maricopa County Sheri ’s jail on two counts of manslaughter, three counts of aggravated assault, 18 counts of endangerment, and two counts of causing a serious injury or death by a moving violation. He is held on a $250,000 bond.

At a press conference at the Goodyear Police Department on Feb. 27, public information o cer Lisa Berry said it is

Victims...continued on page 4

Avondale Mayor Weise delivers State of the City address

BY JOE MCHUGH West Valley View Sta Writer

As the sun set on the Avondale Visitor and Conference Center on March 2, Mayor Kenneth Weise and Avondale City Council prepared the annual State of the City address to the citizens of the city.

Kicked o with dinner and then awards, the crowd was warmed up for the address, to which the mayor did not disappoint.

“2023 looks really good for the city of Avondale,” Weise said. “(Avondale Economic Development Director Ken Chapa) gave me some economic development notes for me to read out to you guys to make sure I got it. … e num-

the city accomplished last year. (City of Avondale/Submitted) Weise...continued on page 3

Avondale Mayor Kenneth Weise delivers his State of the City address, through which he elaborated on the expansive economic profile

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bers are pretty impressive. So, I’m not embellishing at all.”

Weise elaborated on the expansive economic profile that Avondale accomplished over the course of 2022. He said the city will be building a 1 million-square-foot facility for Ashley Furniture and that the facility will bring in more than 500 full-time jobs within the first four years that it is open.

The facility is slated to break ground in 2024 at a location on 107th and 111th avenues along the I-10.

“It’s going to be incredible,” Weise said. “It’ll give them great distribution opportunities throughout the entire Valley. The big announcement we made a couple of weeks ago is (that this is) the largest single investment ever in the history of Avondale.”

He also unveiled that Avondale will get a new 1.3 million-square-foot crime data center. The investment will total over $5 billion after five phases.

The facility is cutting edge in technology, specifically in water usage. It will use less water than 10 households on average, every day.

“It’s the new technology that’s there, so (we are) really excited to have them be part of our city,” Weise said.

He continued with the announcement that Clear Sky Health has been making strides on a 30-bed facility to help people with traumatic brain injuries, spinal surgeries and knee replacements. The facility will provide over 120 new high-wage jobs to the area.

Tourism in Avondale was booming in 2022, according to the city’s tourism board, and Weise wasn’t shy to share the stats.

“(We) welcomed tens of thousands, if not hundreds of thousands, of people to Avondale,” he said. “Let me give you some numbers here. The American Sports Center had over 600,000 visitors to it in 2022. They put that into perspective for you. The top eight Spring Training facilities in Arizona, eight top teams, drew 628,000 people across eight facilities.

“At Phoenix Raceway, over 200,000 people came to watch racing at (the) facility. … Not only that, Avondale has a concert series, Relentless Beats. In 2022 at Phoenix Raceway, 143,000 visitors came out to Phoenix

Raceway to visit the track and enjoy the music. So, Avondale is not only a destination for use, it’s a destination for racing, it’s a destination for investment, and it’s a destination for electronic dance music.”

Weise then gave a series of anecdotes, showing and comparing the dedication he has to the city of Avondale. Whether it be through the use of Carmelo Anthony slowly building up the Denver Nuggets but leaving the team, as they were not dedicated to winning, or how Weise was on the verge of quitting his job in the past but was dedicated to the people, Weise showed his dedication to the city, as it is his passion to make Avondale the best it can be.

“In the city of Avondale, we must be dedicated to filling our employees’ values each and every day,” he said. “And that’s hard. I talked about 800 (employees of the city), but it’s another thing we really have to work on.”

Moving into Arizona Prop 400, a proposition that would allocate 95% of half-cent sales tax revenue toward improving the cities’ roads and bus

routes as well as cutting major funding toward light rail services, Weise spoke in support of that at the address.

“For those of you who don’t know, we’ve been fighting for Prop 400,” Weise said. “And I will tell you, Tom (Schoaf, mayor of Litchfield Park) has been an incredible mentor to me over the last couple of years. And Eric Orsborn (mayor of Buckeye) has become a true friend as we try and get Prop 400 through the Legislature and your hands on to vote in the next few months.”

The event rolled into thanks given to instrumental people in Avondale’s success, and a tribute to the community, specifically from the Southwest Advocacy Center, as well as an award given out to Judge Joe “Pep” Guzman.

“It’s an incredible community. It’s the heart of our city,” Weise said. “It’s the history of our city. And it’s a community that cares about people who live there and the greater good of the city.”

Weise left the audience with a final phrase of hope.

“The State of the City of Avondale is incredibly strong,” he said.

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Victims.•.continued from page 1

believed by the Goodyear Police Department that Quintana-Lujan was on “work-related travel in his personal vehicle.”

“He indicated that he was coming from picking up a work load and going to a work site,” Berry said.

Whether or not impairment was a factor of the accident is something that was wondered by many. Quintana-Lujan told investigators that he had smoked marijuana the evening prior to the incident.

Goodyear Police Chief Santiago Rodriguez said a blood sample was taken by way of a search warrant and was sent to the Department of Public Safety for analysis. It is not yet known by Goodyear police when the results will be in.

Berry said that due to the investigation’s fluid nature, there are some details that are not yet able to be released.

“We don’t want to give out information that we don’t know to be true,” she said.

“We are still investigating to figure out all of the facts,” Rodriguez added.

He also said the Goodyear Police Department is grieving this tragic accident as well, as many of the men and women on the force are bike riders.

Goodyear Mayor Joe Pizzillo was in attendance and spoke at the press conference.

“On behalf of the city of Goodyear, I offer our heartfelt condolences to the family and friends of those who were lost or injured in this horrific incident,” Pizzillo said. “We have a tight-knit cycling community, so this has deeply affected many across the West Valley. A tragedy like this affects the entire community of Goodyear.”

Malisa leaves behind her husband and two sons. Kim Flagg, a close friend of Malisa’s for the last 20 years, said she touched the lives of many around her.

“She was so vibrant,” Flagg said. “She had the biggest smile, and it just lit up a room. She was a bigger-thanlife personality, so you knew when Karen entered a room. That will be tremendously missed, but her legacy

is her children. She adored her boys. They are fine young men, and they will make her very proud as they go on in life.”

In her professional career, Malisa was a math teacher at Western Sky Middle School in Goodyear. Flagg, who said Malisa taught her daughter seventh grade math, said she was an impactful teacher to her students.

“When you went to Western Sky, you knew that she was the one you wanted to have teach your kid math because she was phenomenal,” Flagg said. “She got the kids excited about it, and she just had a way of really communicating with them. She just had this vitality and a vibrance of life, and she spread that to the kids.”

David Herzog, founder of West Valley Cycle, said that in the 21 years of his group, prior to Feb. 25, there had never been an accident involving another vehicle on the group’s Saturday rides.

He said an incident occurred on a weekday ride with a woman driving while on her phone, but that resulted in minor injuries to one cyclist.

“We’ve had people drive close to us and get upset and pass and scream and yell at us because we’re not in the bike lane, but there’s garbage and debris in the lane,” Herzog said. “Actually, I picked this route because it’s just safe and it has bike lanes, and it’s usually wide; it has a lot of stoplights. … Nothing ever even close to something like this.”

Herzog said he typically leads the B Group on Saturday mornings, but a friend of his asked him to participate in a pickleball tournament with him so he wasn’t there. When he learned of what happened, he said his heart sank.

His wife was riding in the B Group and was involved in the crash. Herzog said she “was just the absolute most fortunate with just a concussion and just barely a bruise.” Malisa, he said, was riding directly behind his wife.

“I was on my way to the pickleball tournament, and one of my buddy’s neighbors who was in the group and went over the handlebars but also fortunately didn’t get hurt called me and said, ‘Hey, there’s been an accident,’” Herzog said. “And of course, I tried to minimize it. ‘Well, two wheels touch.’ He said, ‘No, David,’ and he flipped me to FaceTime. And then my heart just sank.”

For the first time in the group’s history, West Valley Cycle’s Saturday ride on March 4 was canceled, as it was “not even a question.”

Herzog said he is considering doing a memorial ride for Malisa and Kero depending on how the situation plays out. The accident has hit his group really hard.

For Herzog, safety is the most important component to West Valley Cycle, so he is hoping to have a conversation with city officials to ensure something remotely close to this never happens again.

“These drivers in the morning are just going so fast, and I’m hoping to sit down with the city and just discuss what could be done,” he said.

Herzog started a GoFundMe for the riders that went to the hospital and the families of Malisa and Kero. It can be found at gofund.me/ 2dca3bf7.

“Some of our riders just don’t have the best insurance, and we don’t know what is going to happen,” he said.

Goodyear taking strides to improve water profile

BY JOE MCHUGH West Valley View Staff Writer

With the Colorado River declaring a Tier 2 drought, saving water around the Valley is vital.

Knowing this, Goodyear is leading that charge with its free water conservation program for homeowners

associations (HOA) focused on providing the best advice for saving water and money. The first of its kind in the West Valley, Goodyear is looking to set an example for the rest of the metro area.

“This is the only program like this right now in the West Valley that combines providing land-

scape water budget information, and as well as celebrating and honoring those people who have achieved that metric,” said Andrew Pirrone, water conservation coordinator for the city of Goodyear. “So, that is something that we are pretty proud of.”

The program is currently working with over 20 HOAs across Goodyear. The goal is to consult these associations and work together to improve the organization’s water budget by providing free consultation to medium or large landscape areas that display their expected water use to actual water use.

“From the perspective of water consumption and water use, we as a water provider are really focused with our HOAs on this program,” Pirrone said. “More than 60% of our water is typically used outside, and that typically being irrigation water use. So, part of our program helps to enhance that efficiency and all those landscape acres throughout the city.”

This has helped build resiliency to the way that the city provides water to its residents.

Goodyear works off of a use and recycle water system, meaning the water that is used will be reused if possible after treatment. This alone has helped the city save water, but the program Pirrone works on scales that up a notch to help more people save water and money.

The expectation is that the HOAs remain within 15% of their annual expected water use. Through constant communication with HOA boards, managers and contractors, the program is able to diagnose water usage to stay within their set goal by tweaking things that could be done better to give the most optimal plan for saving water.

“What that means is that a lot of frequent adjustments of irrigation, proactive leak detection, responding to rainfall events on really large landscapes each time, there’s a good response to rainfall that can save

literally thousands of gallons each time because of the size of the landscapes,” Pirrone said. “So, they’re typically doing some of these steps that help and they’re working on this all year long.

“And (we) just have really good communication among those groups. Then we as the water providers support them by providing them that information in a way that they can easily grasp and then report on. It’s really helpful for them and understanding how much water is being used and how that translates to water costs.”

The water program is partnered with some of the bigger facilities in the Goodyear area, including Goodyear Ballpark, the Spring Training home for the Cleveland Guardians and Cincinnati Reds.

“They recognize a lot of by gallon savings typically, and that’s because most of our water ends up being used outdoors,” Pirrone said. “So small changes outside can end up impacting in a big way saving a lot of gallons and dollars, without compromising any landscape quality or any plant health.”

The water program has seen ample success with the HOAs and facilities they have worked with and are a model of how to efficiently save water in drought-like conditions. As a one-of-a-kind program, Pirrone encourages other cities to get in tune with the state of their respective water situations.

Whether that be through providing landscaping consultation to bigger HOAs or scaling down to helping individual homeowners better manage their water, Pirrone maintains that this program can be the example to helping the whole state save water in drought-like conditions.

“An acre of desert plants will use about 1.4 million gallons less per year than an acre of lawn,” he said. “So that can be a really powerful way to save some water permanently and still maintain a really healthy, nice-looking landscape.”

House reps consider firearms safety training in grades 6-12

BY SARAH MIN HELLER Cronkite News

Arizona’s House of Representatives is continuing to advance a bill requiring public middle and high schools in Arizona to offer training on the proper handling of firearms.

Rep. Selina Bliss, R-Prescott, who sponsored HB 2332, said she wants children to learn proper firearms handling from experts to stop accidental deaths, and denied that the bill was about training children to use firearms.

But opponents, including two high school students who testified against the bill this month, worry the training would take away already limited school resources and push gun culture in public schools.

“The purpose of this bill is for children to learn about firearm safety from qualified individuals with the focus on safety rather than on popular culture in various forms of media,” said Bliss, a nurse, concealed weapons instructor and mother. The bill, which sets up an optional firearms safety training elective in school districts and charter schools for grades six to 12, has already passed through two committees and House caucuses. The next step would be a vote by the full House.

Bliss explained in an email that the bill would mandate that schools offer a 30- to 60-minute one-time session, but parents could opt out their children. Parents and firearm owners could be used to teach the class, Bliss said.

The Arizona Education Association opposes the bill as just another unfunded mandate.

“We have too many unfunded mandates that are having a negative impact on our public schools,” Isela Blanc, legislative liaison for the AEA, said at a House Military Affairs and Public Safety Committee meeting on

Feb. 6. That committee passed the bill by an 8-7 vote, and the House Rules Committee advanced the bill on Feb. 13 by a 5-3 vote.

Two high school students also voiced their opposition to the bill at the first committee hearing, saying there’s not enough funding for classes they consider beneficial.

“This gun training would take away resources from our school’s top priority and only responsibility — to educate students in areas that will prepare us to become productive, valuable members of society,” said Bridgette Hanson, a Gilbert High School freshman, adding her seventh grade newspaper class was stopped because of lack of funding.

Moms Demand Action, a nonprofit group advocating for stronger gun laws, also opposes the bill. The group has its own firearms safety program called Be SMART — an acronym for secure, model, ask, recognize and tell. The program is aimed at parents and firearms owners to take the responsibility, not children, said Kelley Ireland, co-leader of Be SMART in Tucson. Ireland added firearms safety training sessions in schools “could traumatize children.”

This is not the first time such a bill has been considered. In 2022, Bliss’ District 1 colleague, Rep. Quang Nguyen, R-Prescott Valley, intro-

A bill in the Arizona House would mandate that Arizona’s public middle and high schools offer training for students on properly handling firearms. (Tynin Fries/ Cronkite News)

Jesse Wilson’s adoptive mother transported to Maricopa County

BY JORDAN ROGERS West Valley View Managing Editor

Crystal Wilson, who was arrested in December in connection to the death of her adoptive son, 10-year-old Jesse Wilson, was recently transported to Arizona from Georgia.

She faces a charge of abandonment or concealment of a dead body.

On July 18, 2016, Crystal told police Jesse had run away from their home near 239th Avenue and Twilight Trail after she had put him to bed for the night. For months, Buckeye police searched for Jesse with help from volunteers and law enforcement agencies including the FBI. Jesse was not located.

Come March 8, 2018, Jesse’s skeletal remains were found on the side of the road near Broadway and Ogles-

by roads. Forensics officials were unable to determine the cause and manner of death.

In November 2020, the Buckeye Police Department assigned the case to a new investigator to reexamine the facts, conduct follow-up, obtain additional evidence and work closely with the Maricopa County Attorney’s Office to explore new angles in the case.

The department submitted a case to the Maricopa County Attorney’s Office for review of criminal charges. On December 9, a Maricopa County Grand Jury indicted Wilson on one count of abandonment or concealment of a body. An arrest warrant was issued, and Buckeye police investigators, with assistance from the FBI Safe Streets Task Force and the Gainesville Police Department, took Wilson into custody.

Safety...continued from page 7

duced HB 2448, which was nearly the same as HB 2332, with many sections of Nguyen’s bill taken verbatim by Bliss.

The exact curriculum is another concern of opponents. HB 2332 says sessions should be based on firearms accident prevention programs that must have “a task force made up of educators, school administrators, curriculum specialists, urban housing safety officials, clinical psychologists, law enforcement officials and firearms safety experts from the National Rifle Association,” along with other requirements.

The NRA’s Eddie Eagle program has a task force that matches this requirement using nearly the same words as the bill. That program, established in 1988, also fulfills another requirement in the bill, that the firearms accident prevention programs have existed for more than 30 years.

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

Crystal Wilson was arrested in December and recently transported to Arizona from Georgia. (Buckeye Police Department/Submitted)

480-922-1968

Giving the gift of life made her ‘feel so good’

BY DAVID LEIBOWITZ West Valley View Columnist

At 2:30 a.m. Feb. 15,

Maureen Salloom arrived at Mayo Clinic in North Scottsdale perfectly healthy. The 42-yearold came by choice, of sound mind and body, on a mission: for a surgeon to make small incisions in her lower abdomen and left side to extract one healthy kidney.

The organ was rushed to a jet bound for Wisconsin. There, another surgeon implanted the kidney into someone Salloom will never, ever know. Not even his or her name.

Which is precisely what makes this story of epic generosity so worth telling.

“I don’t want to know anything about them,” Salloom says. “I didn’t do it for that reason. … I just hope it works. That they’re healthy and they live however much longer they’re sup-

posed to live in their life. But I don’t need to know anything about that.”

Whoever said ignorance is bliss, I doubt they had this level of benevolence in mind.

For Salloom, the daughter of immigrants from Mexico and Jordan, kindness has always been her thing, dating back to grade school in Texas. She was the first kid to volunteer, class president, the girl voted friendliest. She gets it from her mom and dad, Olga and Ray.

“My parents have always been so grateful to live in this country, to have our freedoms, to have a job,” Salloom says. “They have this overwhelming sense of gratitude towards life. They definitely instilled that in me and my brother.”

Salloom, a Phoenix resident, moved here in 1999 to attend Arizona State. A career in nonprofits followed.

Seven years ago, working at Phoenix Children’s Hospital, she learned about kidney disease. Salloom planned

events and camp programs for kids, and saw them return every second day for dialysis. Cancer got more attention, but chronic kidney disease seemed to her more grinding and equally awful.

Around that time Maureen married Brad Whitley, a Tempe firefighter. She was a touch envious of Brad’s career treating emergencies, saving lives. Last August, she sat her husband down and unveiled her idea: She intended to donate a kidney to a stranger. To save a life herself.

Says Whitley: “I think it took me a little bit to realize that she was serious. I was very fearful.”

Whitley spoke to Tempe Fire Chief Greg Ruiz, whose wife Adrian had donated a kidney to their son. Reassured Maureen wouldn’t die in surgery, Brad embraced the idea “full speed ahead.” He went to most of Maureen’s 30 or so pre-surgery appointments, perpetually beaming with pride.

Eventually, Maureen told him to stop with the praise.

“I was like, stop telling people,” she recalls. “I’m not doing this for attention. I just want to do it to help someone. Period.”

Whitley laughs. “I’m probably never going to stop telling people what she did. To me as a firefighter, that’s what we’re supposed to do. For her to do this on her own? There’s no comparison.”

Two weeks post-surgery, Salloom is up and at ’em again. She walked three and a half miles yesterday; she has a follow-up at Mayo next week.

The hospital will monitor her for the next two years. The only thing she can’t do going forward is take ibuprofen. Otherwise, she can eat, drink and jog to heart’s content. In time, her remaining kidney will grow larger to compensate for the kidney she gave away.

Life...continued on page 12

Buckeye and Arizona’s water future is secure if we all work together

BY MAYOR ERIC ORSBORN City of Buckeye

Recent headlines may lead you to believe that Arizona is out of water, or a bad water steward and that all development is coming to a halt. I’ve heard these concerns from my neighbors down the street to friends who live halfway across the country. Let me start by saying that Buckeye’s water future is secure and it is not in danger.

Buckeye has been working for years to diversify our water portfolio, and we currently have enough water resources to sustain our existing customers and the projected growth that already have certificates of assured water supply.

The Hassayampa Sub-Basin is the aquifer that Buckeye gets most of its wa-

ter from. A groundwater model was released earlier this year, stating this aquifer would be about 15% short on water demand over the next 100 years if all planned development was completely built out without making any changes to water management strategies.

Buckeye welcomed the release of this model. It gave us a starting point to start strategizing for the future. Since its release, Buckeye staff has had very productive meetings with the Arizona Department of Water Resources and the Kyl Center for Water Policy. Together, we are working toward incorporating Buckeye’s groundwater management practices into the model and bringing it up to date.

One of our goals is to make this model more dynamic. Since this model was put together with data from

2016, Buckeye has:

• Acquired 2,000 acre-feet a year of Non-Indian Agriculture water rights.

• Approved a purchase agreement for land that includes 5,926 acre-feet of water rights a year for the next 100 years from the Harquahala Valley.

• Continued to recharge 2,500 acrefeet a year of effluent.

All of this, in addition to implementing a Drought Management Plan and adopting strict conservation codes.

Buckeye is in a great position with a bright future. Just as the East Valley faced similar challenges nearly 40 years ago, Buckeye has the opportunity to be at the forefront of the next wave of innovative water solutions. Just as growth happens incrementally, so will those solutions.

We continue to explore opportuni-

ties such as:

• Participating in regional projects to augment groundwater.

• Implementing process improvements to efficiently manage water supplies, treatment and delivery.

• Seeking long-term partnerships with local irrigation districts.

• Pursuing additional water-focused agreements with other West Valley cities.

• Hiring and/or contracting water industry leaders to assist Buckeye along the way.

There cannot be one single solution to these challenges. It will require time and collaboration with other cities and local and regional agencies. Buckeye will be there every step of the way to ensure our water future is safe and sustainable.

Sounds like the apocalypse is getting closer

BY J.D. HAYWORTH West Valley View Columnist

At a more carefree time in American History — actually, just a few years ago — “Sports Illustrated” featured a tongue-in-cheek digest of offbeat stories under the heading “Signs the Apocalypse is upon us.”

For many readers, that periodical’s very own apocalypse came in 2020, when the magazine morphed into a monthly publication.

In November of that same year, it was reported that Joe Biden was elected as our 46th president.

Perhaps it is more curiosity than coincidence, but signs and wonders — or, more accurately, “signs that make you wonder” — have proliferated during the Biden presidency.

A trio of recent news items provides intriguing examples. Though not all of them directly involve Joe Biden, they

have happened “on his watch,” which undoubtedly has been punctuated by plenty of presidential naps.

Biden cites Franklin — not Benjamin, but Aretha

Rather than invoking the memory of a Founding Father, Ol’ Joe’s misfiring memory prompted him to recall a catchy tune from the “Queen of Soul.” Attempting to mount a rhetorical defense of his oft-criticized absence from the disaster site in East Palestine, Ohio, the chief executive stumbled into a verbal quagmire.

Quoth the commander-in-chief, when asked about a possible visit to Eastern Ohio: “At this point, I’m not. I did a whole video, I mean, what the hell on…”

A reporter quickly intervened, asking, “Zoom?”

“Zoom! All I can think of every time I think of Zoom is that song in my generation, ‘Who’s Zoomin’ Who,’” the Leader of the Free World responded.

Mayor Pete’s tenure at Transportation

Once considered a rising star for the Dems, current transportation secretary and former South Bend, Indiana, Mayor Pete Buttigieg has seen his political prospects dim drastically, given that his grasp of sound public policy is tenuous.

So intent were the progressive personnel experts on pursuing their definition of “diversity” for the Biden cabinet that they ignored the sobriquet South Bend residents had adopted for their ex-mayor: “Pothole Pete.” Not a great nickname for a transportation secretary.

Identity politics and an overhyped intellect combined to propel leftist hopes sky-high for Buttigieg. But a stalled international supply line, severe holiday airline delays, and several aircraft near-misses brought those great expectations crashing to earth.

And then came his visit to East Palestine, Ohio — 20 days after the train wreck.

The term “train wreck” aptly applied to the secretary’s excursion. Residents and authorities got a good look at Buttigieg’s sour facial expression, earning him a new nickname: “Pouting Pete.”

When faced with the enormity of a major train derailment and ensuing chemical spill, the novelty of a gay adoptive father possessing the musical prowess of a concert pianist mattered not a whit.

He had trouble speaking English, muttering this unfortunate pun at a press conference: “I lost my train of thought.”

New presidential priority: ‘Putting Ukraine first’

Short-term memory loss isn’t just for the octogenarian occupant at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue.

White House strategists believe it likewise affects the American population at large — though not through

Life...continued from page 10

I can’t imagine it ever growing as big as her heart.

“I’m not going to say it wasn’t painful, it wasn’t emotional,” Salloom says. “Every emotion you could feel, I felt

collective aging. Instead, it arrives via “information overload.”

With a news cycle seemingly updated by the nanosecond, it’s impossible for John and Jane Q. Public to keep pace. Adding to the confusion is the reality of our leader “being of two minds” — bellicose toward Russia, benevolent to Ukraine — and relying at home on his muscle memory of “Medi-scare” to blame political opponents — all while spending as if there’s no tomorrow.

On Feb. 17 — 10 days after accusing Republicans of plans to raid Social Security and Medicare — and three days before his surprise visit to Ukraine, Biden promised propping up similar programs “over there” with American tax dollars: “It’s gonna allow pensions and social support to be paid to the Ukrainian People, so they have something … something in their pockets.”

Yep, from our pockets to theirs … with even more in the pockets of Ukraine’s leader?

‘Last call?’

Meantime, “Bidenflation” has taken buying power away from family budgets in the United States; Ol’ Joe’s Pentagon “Brain Trust” is more concerned with protecting gender-fluid pronouns than responding effectively to Chinese provocations; and “homeland security” has become as oxymoronic as “jumbo shrimp.”

So put down your old copy of “Sports Illustrated,” pick up your headphones and listen to Barry McGuire’s 1965 hit “Eve of Destruction.” Sounds as if the apocalypse is upon us.

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

it. But now I feel so good. … That person’s life has changed. I’m so happy, so grateful for them. That I could make a difference. That’s just huge.”

Contact david@leibowitzsolo.com

David Leibowitz has called the Valley home since 1995.

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Business Briefcase

BY JORDAN ROGERS West Valley View Managing Editor

The West Valley is constantly growing, and restaurants, businesses and homemakers are choosing to ock here to continue to open their doors to the thousands of people that call it home. is week, the Business Briefcase is breaking down one restaurant opening its rst location and another rebranding with new dishes.

Country Griddle

Location: 330 N. Dysart Road, Suite 101, Goodyear

Country Griddle, a family-run brunch restaurant, has opened its rst location in Goodyear. Located in the former Samurai Asian Bistro space on the northwest corner of Van Buren Street and Dysart Road, the homestyle breakfast and lunch spot specializes in homestyle cooking and aims to provide customers with a great experience when enjoying its breakfast and lunch dishes.

e menu includes several Hawaiian-style breakfast favorites, such as banana pancakes, loco moco and Portuguese sausage. Open for break-

fast and lunch every day, Country Griddle’s operates from 7 a.m. to 2 p.m. Monday to Friday and 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday and Sunday.

For more information on Country Griddle, visit countrygriddleaz.com.

Rubio’s Coastal Grill

Location: 15479 W. McDowell Road, Unit 101, Goodyear

Rubio’s Coastal Grill, the home of e Original Fish Taco, recently hit its 40th anniversary and is celebrating it by rebranding.

e eatery’s new A Taste of Baja brand positioning captures Rubio’s Baja-inspired Mexican food, as well as the laid-back, beachy Baja lifestyle.

e new brand looks to combine creative inspiration from Rubio’s Baja roots with modern design inuences, for an elevated take on the legacy of Rubio’s original taco stand. New restaurant signage features Mexican patterns, custom illustrations, quality ingredients and beachy coastal lifestyle cues. All Rubio’s Coastal Grill locations, the Goodyear location included, debuted the refreshed store décor and packaging and began o ering new

dishes that highlight the company’s commitment to fresh, sustainable seafood and the avors of Baja. e limited-time menu will be available until Wednesday, May 31, and includes shrimp dishes for Lent. e new dishes are the Baja

Chimichurri Red Shrimp Bowl, Baja Chimichurri Red Shrimp Two Taco Plate and Puerto Nuevo Burrito featuring Langostino Lobster. For more information on Rubio’s Coastal Grill, visit rubios.com.

Left, Country Griddle has opened its doors to West Valley residents and its menu features Hawaiian-style breakfast and lunch dishes such as banana pancakes. (Country Griddle/ Submitted) Right, Rubio’s Coastal Grill has rebranded with fresh restaurant décor and new menu items like the Puerto Nuevo Burrito featuring Langostino Lobster. (Rubio’s Coastal Grill/ Submitted)

Millennium takes tough loss in Open Division State Championship

BY JOE MCHUGH West Valley View Staff Writer

Coming into the 2022-23 season, the Millennium High School girls basketball program was one of the hottest girls basketball programs in the state.

The program had held the state championship trophy for the past four years, and found themselves in position to do it for a fifth straight time on March 4 against Phoenix Desert Vista.

This would by far be the Tigers’ toughest task of the season, as the Thunder were the No. 1 seed in the AIA Open Division Playoff bracket and the No. 23-ranked team in the country.

Unfortunately for Millennium, the dream of a fifth-straight state championship fell just one game short, as Desert Vista won in convincing fashion, 63-37.

“That’s a tough team,” Millennium head coach Danny Soliman said. “They’ve got talent.”

Soliman had prepared his team for tough competition such as Desert Vista. The team ran a gauntlet of a schedule during the regular season.

In the end, though, the Thunder just wound up too much for the Tigers.

“I’m so proud of this group for everything they battled through, all the adversity that they battled through, staying together; (they) never quit,”

Soliman said. “Those are things they’ll learn more about life than anything else that the journey — the road it took to get here. And I know it isn’t sweet when you don’t win the last one, but look at everything else we’ve been through.”

The battle-tested Tigers proved their grit during the season, becoming the No. 6 seed in the inaugural Open Division playoffs.

In the first round, Soliman faced his old team, No. 11 Phoenix Sandra Day O’Connor. Millennium came out on top, 58-52, and moved on to face the No. 3 seed Seton Catholic. They fended off a late comeback attempt by the

Sentinels and secured a 44-42 victory.

The Tigers then entered the final four and were faced with the 6A state champion runners-up — No. 2 seeded Perry. The Pumas had lost to just one Arizona-based school all season.

In an absolute barn burner, Millennium outlasted Perry, 45-39, and etched a spot in their fifth-straight state title game. Coming off a euphoric run for the program, their biggest test had finally arrived.

The game between the Thunder and the Tigers remained a battle through the first quarter, as the Tigers jumped out to an early 11-9 lead. Both defenses were playing strong, causing a plethora of missed shots by both teams.

Desert Vista’s defensive effort tightened even further in the second quarter, holding Millennium scoreless in the first four minutes of the quarter.

From that point on, the Thunder would only continue to ramp up their offensive prowess. With 19 points in the second quarter, Desert Vista went into the halftime locker room with a 32-21 lead.

“They crushed the glass hard. We turned it over 11 times in the first half,” Soliman said. “Part of it is being able to

take care of the basketball, and I think that hurt us big. Then they get easy points, get easy baskets in transition.

“Now that rim looks like an ocean. That’s what it was. I don’t think I’ve seen a team shoot the ball that well in this arena from the three-point line. It just gave them confidence and that hurt us.”

Coming out of the half, Desert Vista only continued to run even further away with the state championship trophy. On the back of a massive performance from star freshman Jerzy Robinson, the Thunder outscored the Tigers 35-18 in the second and third quarters and forced a running clock situation in the fourth, ultimately ending the Tigers season.

Despite the difficult loss, Millennium is proud of its girls’ resiliency, as they battled through some of the toughest situations high school kids could go through, including the tragic loss of Millennium student, Gabryan Aguirre, just two weeks ago.

With Soliman at the helm, he guided his girls through these times.

“I’ve told anyone that I’ve talked to, that one, coach Soliman is one of the best coaches in the state, in my opinion, and I think it’s been proven throughout his career,” Millennium athletic director Remigio Gordillo said. “But there’s no other coach that could have done what he did this year, because it’s bigger than basketball. This team has had more adversity than any team I’ve seen at Millennium even prior to the unfortunate tragedy that we had. And he navigated through that.

“He’s helped these girls through that, and at the same time as a basketball coach, he’s a hell of a basketball coach. So, the future is bright. I have no doubt. I’m excited for what coach Soliman is going to continue to build on.”

Despite the high praise for Soliman, he had even higher praise for his team.

“I love them and I’m proud of them, and I wouldn’t want to coach any other team in the world,” he said.

Desert Vista freshman point guard Jerzy Robinson (5) and Millennium senior forward Alayna Boss (10) and junior point guard Elli Guiney (1) go for a rebound in the AIA Open Division girls basketball state championship game at the Arizona Veterans Memorial Coliseum in Phoenix. (David Minton/Staff Photographer)

Millennium boys fall to Campo Verde in 5A State Championship

BY JOE MCHUGH West Valley View Staff Writer

In a battle between the top two seeds in the 5A State Championship tournament, Millennium fell to Gilbert Campo Verde 61-48 in the 5A State Championship game. This is the third time in the last five years that the Millennium boys basketball team has come up one game short of a state title.

“Every time is a different story. Every time it’s a different group,” Millennium head coach Ty Amundsen said.

The story of 2023 was an exciting one for the Tigers. The regular season seemed to be a breeze for Millennium, as they cruised to the top of 5A Desert West with a 16-2 record. With the addition of the Open Division bracket, Millennium was slated as the No. 8 seed and entered into the playoffs with a head of steam.

After a second round exit at the hands of Peoria Liberty, Millennium was given another crack at a state title by way of the 5A tournament as its No. 2 seed.

The Tigers’ first two matchups could be essentially described as revenge games, getting some steam off their plate from the disappointing Liberty loss. They took on No. 15 Queen Creek Casteel and No. 10 Scottsdale Horizon, and won both games, 72-46 and 67-54, respectively.

After breezing through the first two rounds, the Tigers ran into No. 11 seed Peoria Sunrise Mountain, a team that had steamrolled through competition stiffer than that of Millennium’s path.

The Mustangs gave the Tigers everything they could handle, but Millennium won a close 60-57 game and paved the road into the State Championship game.

The game started sloppy for both teams, as they limped their way through the first quarter. The Tigers held a 10-6 lead entering the second, and the scoring took off for both programs from there.

In a back-and-forth second quarter highlighted by scoring from Cameron Holmes and Quincy Everson for Millennium and Isaiah Kai and Garret Ahern for Campo Verde, the half ended at 25-22 Millennium.

But the Tigers were flying too close to the Sun.

“Where we really got hurt when they got the three-point lead,”

Amundsen said. “They felt like it was a 10-point lead, and I kept telling my kids, ‘Hey, it’s only a three point game, why do you shoot like a 10 point shots? Don’t worry about it, you’ve got to fight.’”

The overconfidence caused the game to slip away from Millennium, as they were only able to muster 23 points in the second half, while their adversaries had the opposite effect. Campo Verde scored 39 second-half points.

In the end, the Coyotes outlasted the Tigers to claim their first state championship in school history, but head coach Mark Martinez was quick to give the Tigers credit.

“Their length bothered us a ton,” Campo Verde head coach Mark Martinez said. “They’re well coached. They pressured us all throughout the whole game.”

Millennium won’t be down for long, and Amundsen maintains there is still more to come next season.

“I’m very thankful and blessed to have a group like this,” he said. “(They are) super talented. Two freshmen, three sophomores, our bench is young as well, and so my message is to keep staying together and work hard and try for next year.”

Campo Verde senior guard Isaiah Kai (23) grabs a rebound ahead of Millennium sophomore guard Kingston Tosi (24) and sophomore guard Quincy Everson (2) in the AIA Conference 5A boys basketball state championship game at the Arizona Veterans Memorial Coliseum in Phoenix. (David Minton/Staff Photographer)

e West Valley View publishes on Wednesday. e weekly calendar — a listing of entertainment events such as concerts, theatrical performances, events for schools, churches, county parks and nonpro t groups — runs every issue.

Events must be open to the public to be considered and generally must be held within the View’s coverage area, which is south of Northern Avenue, west of Loop 101, plus all of Tolleson, extending to Estrella in the south and Tonopah in the west. Events such as concerts and theatrical performances that fall outside the View’s circulation area will be considered because there are no concert halls or theater venues within our boundaries.

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

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

Cactus League Games

ALL MARCH

Spring Training is back in the Valley, and Goodyear Ballpark is ready to host fans of the Cleveland Guardians and Cincinnati Reds. Goodyear Ballpark is honing in on the fan experience for 2023. The stadium will have new food and beverage items, giveaways, kids run the bases, and the senior stroll. Check out the Cactus League website at cactusleague.com for the full schedule.

Goodyear Ballpark, 1933 S.

Ballpark Way, Goodyear, visit website for tickets and times, goodyearbp.com

Buckeye Valley Museum Open

WEDNESDAYS AND FRIDAYS

The Buckeye Valley Museum is a place with a passion for local history, holding an impressive collection of pre-Columbian pottery, artifacts from Buckeye’s earliest days, and a number of historical photographs detailing how the Buckeye Valley came to be what it is today. Visit the open on

Wednesdays and Fridays for thrilling looks into the past.

Buckeye Valley Museum, 116 E. MC 85, Buckeye, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., 623-349-6315, buckeyeaz.gov/residents/buckeye-valley-museum

ronment of love and inclusivity. Turtle Park, 675 N. Villa Nueva Drive, Litchfield Park, 2 p.m., $20, soulshealinghumanity.com/ events

Adventures in Art

MARCH 8

Yoga Nidra and Sound Bath

SATURDAYS

Treat yourself with a nourishing yoga nidra and sound bath session. Lie on your yoga mat, do nothing, and restore your mind and body. A sound bath is a nurturing listening experience that uses sound to invite gentle and natural restorative processes in the body.

206 N. Florence Avenue, Litchfield Park, 2 p.m., $20, soulshealinghumanity.com/events

Let your children — grades kindergarten through sixth — release their creative energies as we explore a variety of art mediums. Each session will include a story and short lesson featuring an artist, illustrator, or related style. Dress to be messy! Registration is required.

Litchfield Park Library, 101 W. Wigwam Boulevard, Litchfield Park, 4 to 5 p.m., free, mcldaz. org/litchfieldpark

Teddy Bear Picnic Storytime

MARCH 9

Bring your favorite blanket and stu ed animal to the Georgia T. Lord Library for an outdoor Teddy Bear Picnic. Guests will read, sing and play with teddy bears. You are welcome to bring your own snacks for the picnic.

Georgia T. Lord Library, 1900 N. Civic Square, Goodyear, 10 to 10:45 a.m., free, lphsmuseum.org/ events

Ecstatic Dance

SUNDAYS

Dance like nobody’s watching with an uninstructed freestyle dance session. There are no steps to follow and no guidebooks to use. People of all age groups and skill levels are encouraged to simply do what they feel and enjoy a judgment-free envi-

Classic Car Show

MARCH 10

Robson Senior Living is hosting a car show for anyone interested in learning more

about their lifestyle. Head to PebbleCreek for music, food, miles of smiles, and an allaround good time at the Classic Car Show. Registration is required, and that can be done by calling 623-745-2117.

Robson Reserve at PebbleCreek, 15833 W. Clubhouse Drive, Goodyear, 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., free, robsonseniorliving.com/event/ classic-car-show

Bollywood Dance

MARCH 11

Get fit the Bollywood way! Join the Litchfield Park Library for this unique and fun dance program meant for all ages and anyone interested in attending. Registration is not required.

Litchfield Park Library, 101 W. Wigwam Boulevard, Litchfield Park, 1 to 2 p.m., free, mcldaz. org/litchfieldpark

ities and the “Feed My Starving Children Program.”

Summit Church parking lot, 20555 W. Roosevelt Street, Buckeye, 9 to 11 a.m., $5 suggested donation, facebook.com/ whitetanksrotaryofverrado

Button Bouquet

MARCH 16

Spring is almost here! The Litchfield Park Library is hosting a time to create a whimsical springtime bouquet with buttons for adults. All supplies provided. Registration is required and can be done at the website below. Litchfield Park Library, 101 W. Wigwam Boulevard, Litchfield Park, 2 to 3 p.m., free, 602-6523000, mcldaz.org/litchfieldpark

The Irish In Arizona

MARCH 16

Document Shredding

MARCH 11

The White Tanks Rotary of Verrado is sponsoring a document shredding event for anyone who is in need. Professional shredding company Cutters Document Destruction will be on-site to take care of the shredding. Those interested can bring personal documents in file-sized boxes or bags. While shredding is free, a $5 donation is suggested per box of paper. Net proceeds go to benefit local Buckeye char-

The Litchfield Park Historical Society is slated to give another lecture at Goodyear’s Georgia T. Loyd Library. Speaker Janice Ryan Bryson, who is a member of the First Families of Arizona, will give “The Irish In Arizona.” In addition to prominent Irish such as Nellie Cashman and Buckey O’Neill, Bryson will present the stories of the Irish who worked as cowboys, built railroads, worked in the mines, owned businesses and worked the land.

Georgia T. Lord Library, 1900 N. Civic Square, Goodyear, 10 a.m., free, lphsmuseum.org/events

West Valley View Dining

Life Time Fitness welcomes pickleball to its facilities

BY JOE MCHUGH West Valley View Staff Writer

With seven facilities spread across the Valley, Life Time Fitness has answered the call of one of America’s hottest sports right now: pickleball.

With over 20 courts across its location, people have a place to play the game that has everyone captivated.

“Very excited,” Life Time pickleball lead John Steipel said. “I’m excited that Life Time is making this commitment. Life Time, I know from my personal experience being a member back in playing tennis, that when they do something, they do it first class and all in.”

With Life Time’s effort to be the industry leader in athletic facilities, each of its West Valley locations — Happy Valley, Peoria and Palm Valley, Goodyear — have received professional-grade pickleball courts.

“I think it’s just part of the continual growth and just part of teaching people, exposing people to the sport,” Steipel said. “It’s hard not to see pickleball wherever you go, be it at a park in a (recreational center), be it at a country club, the RV park, pickleball is everywhere.

“So we get a lot of people here that have heard about it, they’ve kind of seen it, and then they want to (try it). So they want to learn it, and so it’s exciting.”

The draw for pickleball is quite simple in Steipel’s eyes — it is a social game. It allows for players to interact with their teammates and opponents as frequently as they want.

The court is only 14 feet long in total, and most of the game is played within seven feet, giving ample time for players to pay respects after a good shot or throw some trash talk over the net.

“It’s very social just on the court itself, and then also just the pickleball culture is a very social culture,

in that, how you go about playing,” Steipel said. “There’s obvious ways to play as far as reserving a court and doing all that. But we also have dropin open play where people just come and just show up and play with whoever’s there.

“And that’s common wherever you go around the country. I think that’s somewhat unique to pickleball and makes everybody very comfortable playing right away.”

Although Life Time has implemented the courts, the pickleball plans aren’t finished yet. They are hoping to offer scheduled tournaments, leagues, introductory classes and clubs in the facilities to provide the best feel for its members and allow for all types of players to get involved in the action.

“I’m 63 years old, I’ve played with 80-year-olds that are really tough and give me all kinds of fits, I can compete with 40 year olds,” Steipel said. “So it’s one of those sports that is unique in that part.

“It’s just fun to see people play. A lot of people, they hear the word tournament, they get nervous. Some of these people had never played a tournament before. So within their own club, they could kind of get a tournament atmosphere there with other members. So, it’s a nice way for them to kind of get their feet wet a little bit.”

The plans forward for Life Time are to keep expanding the sport while trying to be the best fitness center possible, and with people all around the world clamoring for a chance to get a racket and a ball in their hands, Life Time’s effort will only help the sport get bigger.

“That’s what Life Time

all about,” Steipel said. “If you want to stay healthy and fit, (pickleball is) one of those sports that you can play for a lifetime.”

Life Time Fitness’ effort to bring members pickleball will add to the Valley one of the world’s hottest sports at the highest quality. (Life Time Fitness/Submitted)

Comprehensive Eye Exams • Pediatric Eye Exams • Glaucoma Cataracts • Diabetic Retinopathy • Macular Degeneration • Dry Eye Contact BESTOF 2022

Lenses (including

multifocal and hard to fit

Coyotes, Rhuigi Villaseñor launch clothing line collaboration

BY JORDAN ROGERS West Valley View Managing Editor

To the tune of live music, raffles and food by Bacanora and Locos Style Grindz, the Arizona Coyotes and global fashion designer Rhuigi Villaseñor launched the Desert Collection clothing line at First Friday in Downtown Phoenix on March 3.

Villaseñor flew into the Valley directly from Milan Fashion Week to showcase the highly anticipated line that includes hoodies, jerseys, hats and shirts.

“This is really about celebrating Arizona,” he said. “Our goal here is not only to make hockey big but be the new team that represents the entire state.”

Villaseñor is incredibly busy and successful in the world of fashion. He is the founder and creative director of luxury ready-to-wear brand Rhude, is a partner with national clothing chain Zara, and is the creative director of luxury brand Bally.

On top of all of that, he is the Coyotes’ creative strategist. In his role, and

his first with any major professional sports team in this capacity, Villaseñor sits at the helm of exclusive player, team and fan apparel.

The Desert Collection clothing line falls perfectly in line with that.

“Me and the Meruelos are very good friends,” Villaseñor said. “This is a lot of our global plan into real estate, design, all of that. This is the first of many things that we’re going to be doing.”

This clothing line has been, give or take, a year in the making, and as far as a motivation behind the design process goes, Villaseñor said “it’s about mixing culture.”

“I’m all about the resurgence of cool,” he said. “So, to me, this is about the 1990s and the 2000s and how we can bring that back in, but with a little dosage of Rhude, a little dosage of myself in there.”

The new clothing line is not the first project Villaseñor has worked with the Coyotes on. He collaborated on the Coyotes-exclusive Collection and special edition Third Jersey.

Since becoming the team’s creative strategist last October, Villaseñor has enjoyed his time working with the Coyotes.

“I think what’s amazing about the project, and (Chief Branding Officer Alex Meruelo Jr.) and myself is just full autonomy with what we’re doing,” he said. “I got full freedom to sort of use the vehicle, and I’m very smart in a way that this (clothing line) is like series one, in that it gives it a freedom to evolve into new things.

“For me right now, it’s about making hockey not only just like a sport suggestion, but more like a global say on what’s going to be cool in the next few years.”

And the timing couldn’t be better. The Coyotes, while not currently staring down a playoff spot, are a young team with a ton of potential. Villaseñor will do what he can do to add to the hype the team is already creating on the ice.

“I think we all know that for a culture

to really start it comes from the streets,” he said. “I think this is really about honoring the streets of Arizona, partnering with restaurants and like-minded artists and all that. And then the rest will sort of follow. Athletes want to go where there is energy.”

What is the Arizona Tax Credit Program? Any Arizona Resident may make a contribution or pay fees to a public school for support of extracurricular activities or character education programs. Arizona tax law allows taxpayers a tax credit of up to $200 for single tax payers, or $400 per married couple, if they contribute to extracurricular activites in public schools.*

Take CREDIT for your student’s success! These are all of the extracurricular activities to which you may contribute...

• Athletics: Baseball, Basketball, Cheer, Cross Country, E-Sports, Football, Golf, Soccer, Softball, Spiritline, Swim, Tennis, Track, Volleyball, & Wrestling

• Character Education: PBIS, Character Counts

• Greatest Needs

• Field Trips

• Academia: AP Tests (Advanced Placement Testing), PSAT, Speech & Debate

How do I make a contribution?

1. Mail the form and your contribution check, made payable to the school(s) of your choice, to the attention of the Bookstore Manager. A receipt will be mailed to you.

2. Make your contribution in person at the school bookstore.

3. Make your contribution online at https://az-tolleson.intouchreceipting.com, and print your receipt.

The highly anticipated clothing line includes items like this. (Arizona Coyotes/Submitted)

GO FIGURE!

SUDOKU TIME

Place a number in the empty boxes in such a way that each row across, each column down and each small 9-box square contains all of the numbers from one to nine. ANSWERS

King

by Linda Thistle

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

Crossword

EVEN EXCHANGE

by Donna Pettman

DIFFICULTY THIS WEEK H H

H Moderate HH Challenging HHH HOO BOY!

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

SCRAMBLERS

Unscramble the letters within each rectangle to form four ordinary words. Then rearrange the boxed letters to form the mystery word, which will complete the gag!

Mr. Lorenz “Larry” Steer of Buckeye, Arizona passed away February 14, 2023 at the age of 84. He was born January 7, 1939 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin to Lorenz and Worletta (nee Henschel) Steer.

A private memorial service will be held in Buckeye, AZ. To read the full obituary, and leave condolences, please visit: www. thompsonfuneralchapel. com/obituary/larry-steer

Jack Dagro of Goodyear, Arizona passed away February 11, 2023. He was born August 19, 1936 in Chicago, Illinois to Joseph and Christine (nee Kahler) Dagro. He was a veteran of the United States Army.

To leave the family condolences, please visit: www. thompsonfuneralchapel. com/obituary/jack-dagro

- Dag HammarkjÖld

Funeral Chapel

Jack Dagro

Lorenz Steer

For more youth visit westvalleyview.com

WestValleyView.com /WestValleyView

Goodyear student competes in national fencing tournament

BY JOE MCHUGH West Valley View Sta Writer

Astudent at BASIS Goodyear, 16-year-old Grecia Saucedo

quali ed and competed in the USA Fencing Junior Olympic Championship in Denver, Colorado, from Feb. 17 through Feb. 19.

Fencing is certainly not the most popular sport in the state, but Saucedo is leading the way for more Arizona kids to get into the sport. She placed just outside the top 200 in the country for both of her events at the championship.

“I am so proud of her because she’s a very hard worker, and she’s working very hard,” said Saucedo’s coach, Ewa Medynska. “She tries to practice probably three, four times per

week to try to go to the tournament. Also, she’s a student. at means she needs to do double work. I’m very, very proud.”

Initially falling in love with the sport due to its competitive nature, Saucedo began her fencing career when she was just 9 years old. She enjoyed the thrill of being challenged by the opponent in front of her and knowing that she was going to be the sole reason she won or lost.

“Often, I’m fencing women and men a lot stronger and taller than me, so I have to nd solutions for that,” Saucedo said. “ ere is never only one possible answer, and the answer is constantly changing.”

Embracing the challenge, Saucedo put herself through the ringer

Art on the Boardwalk

and has quickly risen through the ranks in Arizona.

With her rapid growth in the sport, she looked for someone to guide her to heights unseen and a place to do it at.

Enter Medynska and BASIS Goodyear as those mediums.

“She has made huge progress,” Medynska said. “She’s working very hard. I hope that she is going to have more future growth like other good fencers and go to more tournaments.”

“It’s an illustration of the diversity of offerings that we have in our school,” BASIS Director of Operations Michael Beaulieu added. “Not every school o ers fencing. Some of them do, but not all of them. And in the West Valley, I’d like to think that it’s probably one of the few fencing programs out here in the Southwest Valley.”

Now with the right coach and place to compete, Saucedo soared, becoming the top fencer in the state of Arizona, and quali ed for the USA Fencing Junior Championship by a rather wide margin.

She competed in the 19-and-under Junior Women’s Epee and the 16-and-under Cadet Women’s Epee, all the while balancing her schoolwork with the competition life.

“ is junior year would have been impossible without my study hall period and my hour lunch,” Saucedo said. “I’m so grateful I’ve been able to take all the classes I wanted to while still having breaks throughout

the day and time for the workload during school hours. is is along with the fact that I’ve gotten used to completing work in less-than-ideal atmospheres.

“Taking one thing at a time helps me focus on each class and make sure that I’m doing as best I can. is mindset holds true for my schoolwork and my fencing bouts. If I let my mind wander to the next thing I have on my to-do list or the next touch I’m going to make, I won’t be as e cient or e ective.”

All in all she had folks in her corner while in Denver, as the entire BASIS community was rallying behind their fencing star.

“I think that this accomplishment just kind of mirrors exactly the type of person that she is,” BASIS Head of School Stephanie Savage said.

To check out BASIS Goodyear, visit its website, enrollbasis.com/ goodyear.

While only starting fencing just seven years ago, Grecia Saucedo, middle, has climbed the mountain and is the best fencer Arizona has to o er. (BASIS Goodyear/Submitted)

In some cases, who you know is as important as what you know.

Building professional relationships through networking can be a cornerstone of professional development.

They provide tips, expert advice and camaraderie when you are tenured at a certain company, then can play a key role in opening doors for your next professional role.

Best of all, networking costs you nothing. The only investment is time, either by joining industry groups, being actively involved with online forums or professional websites, and attending meetings and conventions. The results will be friendships and connections that may unlock doors to opportunities you may never have even heard about before.

GOING ON-LINE

have made it easier than ever to make new connections. Sometimes, it’s smart to begin with your long-stand ing ones. Prior relationships can lead

to introductions, since your friends, family and coworkers may already be connected to decision-makers, hiring managers or related professionals. Friend, follow, comment, endorse skills and write recommendations. These professional courtesies might just lead to real-life partnership opportunities in the future.

IN-PERSON MEET UPS

It can be easy to rely too much on technology, since connecting with others is now such a streamlined experience. But sometimes there’s simply no substitute for person-to-person conversations. This kind of traditional

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TERAVALIS PHASE 1 WET UTILITIES INFRASTRUCTURE CFD

Ahwatukee Chandler Gilbert Glendale Mesa North Valley Peoria Phoenix SanTan Scottsdale Queen Creek West Valley

CITY OF BUCKEYE, ARIZONA

INFRASTRUCTURE IMPROVEMENTS FOR:

JOHNSON ROAD & TERAVALIS PARKWAY

SUN VALLEY PARKWAY

COLLECTOR ROADS (304TH AVE & ROSEWOOD AVE)

FLOREO CIRCLE

ADVERTISEMENT FOR BIDS

PUBLIC NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that sealed bids will be received until Friday, April 5, 2023 until 10:00 a.m. local time. All sealed bids will be received at the office of EPS Group, Inc., 1130 N. Alma School Road, Suite 120, Mesa, AZ 85201. Please mark the outside of the bid envelope with the name of this bid document: “TERAVALIS PHASE 1 WET UTILITIES INFRASTRUCTURE CFD”. Any bid received after the time specified will be returned without any consideration. No bid shall be altered, amended or withdrawn after the specified bid due date and time. A MANDATORY Pre-Bid Conference will be held Tuesday, March 14, at 1:00 p.m. at the offices of EPS Group, Inc., 1130 N. Alma School Road, Suite 120, Mesa, AZ 85201. Every bid made by a Contractor pursuant to this Notice shall be accompanied by a surety bond for ten percent (10%) of the bid amount, listing Trillium Management Development Company, LLC as the Oblige, as a guarantee that the Contractor will enter into a contract to perform the Work, or as liquidated damages in the event the Contractor refuses or fails to enter into the Contract with Trillium Management Development Company, LLC upon award. The bonds will be returned to all Contractors whose bids are not awarded the Contract, and to the successful Contractor, upon execution of the Contract, and receipt of Payment and Performance bonds for the Work. The cost for providing Payment and Performance bonds shall be included in the bid submittal. A Payment and Performance bond will be required in the amount of 100% of the original Contract value for the duration of the Contract. All bidders shall be required to submit, with their bid proposal, a completed Certificate of Insurance evidencing their ability to meet the insurance requirements for this project. The Contractor shall carry property damage and public liability insurance and shall hold and save harmless Trillium Management Development Company, LLC, the City of Buckeye and the Trillium Community Facilities District from any employer’s liability and from any and all liens for materials or labor in connection with this Work as specified in the bid documents. Any bids submitted without the bid bond, certificate of insurance and any other items as required in the bid documents will be deemed incomplete and will be rejected. Trillium Management Development Company, LLC reserves the right to reject any and all bids and to withhold the award for any reason Trillium Management Development Company, LLC determines necessary and appropriate. Award of the successful bid shall be subject to approval by Trillium Management Development Company, LLC or its representatives.

TERAVALIS PHASE 1 WET UTILITIES INFRASTRUCTURE CFD:

This bid shall be for furnishing all labor, materials, transportation, and services for the construction and/or installation of all sewer, transmission water, domestic water, reclaimed water, and storm drain improvements shown on the Plans, including, but not limited to the following:

• Johnson Road & Teravalis Parkway – Sewer Plans Ph 1

• Johnson Road & Teravalis Parkway – Water Transmission Plans Ph 1

• Johnson Road & Teravalis Parkway – Water Plans Ph 1

• Johnson Road & Teravalis Parkway – Reclaimed Water Plans Ph 1

• Johnson Road & Teravalis Parkway – Paving Plans Ph 1

• Sun Valley Parkway – Paving Plans

• Collector Roads – Sewer Plans

• Collector Roads – Water Plans

• Collector Roads – Paving Plans

• Collector Roads – Landscaping Plans

• Floreo Circle - Offsite Sewer Plans

• Floreo Circle – Water Plans

• Floreo Circle – Paving Plans

Contractors desiring to submit proposals may be requested for download by emailing Greg Hahn at greg. hahn@epsgroupinc.com. Please reference the project name above in the email subject line.

No questions will be answered verbally. No explanations, answers to technical questions, representations, nor comments will be made by the Owner's personnel concerning this Project. Technical questions regarding this Project may be submitted via email to the following:

EPS Group, Inc

Greg Hahn

1130 N. Alma School Road, Suite 120 Mesa AZ 85201

greg.hahn@epsgroupinc.com

Technical questions received prior to the Pre-Bid Conference and questions raised at the Pre-Bid Conference will be answered at said conference. Subsequent to the Conference, minutes of said meeting will be issued to all official Plan Holders. An Addendum or Addenda will be issued on technical questions received in writing, by EMAIL and/or raised at the Conference, which in the opinion of the Owner , or EPS Group, Inc meets the requirements thereof.

Technical questions, in the format described hereinabove, will be received up to 5:00 P.M. on Wednesday, March 22, 2023.

Bidders are required to submit the completed “Contractor Information” and “Bid” pages provided. Bidders shall acknowledge any addendums received and provide a duration and/or completion date as requested in the “Bid” page provided. Bids must be submitted on the Proposal Form (“Bid Schedule”) provided.

Published in the West Valley View, Mar 1, 8, 2023

CLASSIFIEDS.PHOENIX.ORG

To Advertise Call: 480-898-6500 or email Class@TimesLocalMedia.com

LEGAL NOTICES

ARTICLES OF ORGANIZATION HAVE BEEN FILED IN THE OFFICE OF THE ARIZONA CORPORATION

COMMISSION FOR I

Name:

CHAMPLAIN 505 LLC II The address of the registered office is: 15446 W Montecito Ave Goodyear, AZ 853951. The name of the Statutory Agent is: Harry Fleming Jr., Management of the Limited Liability Company is vested in a manager or managers. The names of each person who is a manager and each member who owns a twenty percent or greater interest in the capital or profits of the limited liability company are: MEMBER/MANAGERS/ORGANIZERS:

Name and address for each. Harry Fleming Jr., PO Box 5903 Goodyear, AZ 85338, Carol Annette Fleming, PO Box 5903 Goodyear, AZ 85338

Published in the West Valley View, Mar 8, 15, 22, 2023

Affinity Behavioral Care, LLC Is seeking a Behavioral Health Technician who is responsible for the direct care of adults with mental health and substance abuse disorders in a group home Residential setting. Qualifications - Need to be 21 years of age and 1 year experience in the Behavioral Health Field. - Shifts available F/T Monday – Friday, P/T SaturdaySunday, and on call, needs to have current CPR/FA, Fingerprint Clear-ance card, pre-employment physical, TB test; as well as a valid Arizona drivers license, be able to pass a back-ground check and a 39 month MVR check.Hourly rate $15-$16.

www.affinitybehavioralcare.net

Please call 480-590-6877

EMPLOYMENT-GENERAL

7AM-1PM

GARAGE SALES/FOR SALE

Community Yard Sale at WestPark Elementary

Located at 2700 S 257th Dr in Buckeye. March 25th. Rent a spot for $20 and keep all your profits. Contact the school at 623-435-3282 to reserve your spot

is a non-profit organization that provides programs and services to men, women, and children with developmental disabilities.

Full Time and Part Time Caregivers Needed!

We are currently looking for caregivers to work in group homes throughout Glendale, Phoenix, Peoria and Scottsdale. Must pass background check.

Please apply at www.valleylifeaz.org

GARAGE SALES/FOR SALE Legal Notices

We can help you with publishing your legals notices, including your new LLC. Contact 623-535-8439 or email your notice to: legals@timespublications.com

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