Santan Sun News - 03.14.2021

March 14, 2021 | www.santansun.com

Relentlessly local coverage of Southern Chandler

An edition of the East Valley Tribune

Chandler Unified tops in classroom spending

BY PAUL MARYNIAK Executive Editor AND HOWARD FISCHER Capitol Media Services

Chandler Unified School District spent more money on classroom instruction in 2019-20 than other districts its size and the statewide average, according to the state Auditor General’s annual report on school spending.

Chandler Unified also registered administrative costs well below comparably sized districts and the average for

all district in that same year.

The audit red-flagged Chandler Unified’s spending for plant operations on a cost-per-foot basis, saying its $7.52 was higher than the $6.40 spent by similarly sized districts and the statewide average.

But overall, its operations both in terms of cost and number of students were considered equal to or below that of other districts.

In terms of administration, Chandler Unified had 99 students per administrative position while the ratio for dis-

tricts its size and the statewide average showed there were fewer students per administrator.

That showed in the money CUSD taxpayers spend on administrators rather than on students. Chandler Unified's administrative spending per student is $685, compared to $773 for districts its size and a whopping statewide average of $936.

Overall, Arizona schools continue to increase the amount of each dollars spent on instruction. But it’s still less than in 2001 when the state began to

monitor this metric.

The average school system spent 54.9 percent of its cash on instruction last academic year. That includes teachers, aides, substitutes, general instructional supplies, field trips and athletics.

Chandler Unified was far above that, with 61.4 percent of its 2019-20 budget spent in the classroom.

Statewide, student support, consisting of counselors, audiologists, speech pathologists, nurses, social workers and See

SCHOOL SPENDING on page 2

Panel recommends $272M Chandler bond election

BY KEVIN REAGAN Staff Writer

A citizens committee has recommended that Chandler slate a bond election for $272 million in capital improvements across the city.

After a seven-month process evaluating the city’s needs, the committee of seven residents released a list of 52 infrastructure projects it thinks could be funded by asking voters for new bond money.

See

BOND on page 4

Outrage!

Joan Saba, left, and her twin sister Jean got a big surprise from their family as friends, relatives and Chandler Chamber members motored past their Chandler home March 6 to wish them Happy 90th Birthday. (Kevin Hurley/Staff Photographer)

Milestone for legacy Chandler family

BY KEVIN REAGAN Staff Writer

Long-time Chandler resident Joan Saba got a special surprise on March 6 after spending most of the last year isolated from friends and family.

She and her twin sister, Jean, were greeted with a parade of cars that drove by her home to wish the sisters Happy 90th Birthday.

Presents and flowers were dropped off outside the family’s home as a long line of friends quickly stopped to greet the Saba sisters from a safe distance.

It was an unbelievable sight, Joan said, and it was all planned without the sisters ever catching on to the surprise her family had arranged.

“This was over the top,” Joan said.

“I’ve never been so fooled in my life.”

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well-wishers, Chandler Chamber of Commerce Terri Kimble put out the word to members to join the parade.

“Joan Saba sits on our Chamber board as well as our foundation board and remains active through virtual means,” Kimble said. “They both are just delightful, outstanding women.

They are truly delightful and have been See

SABA on page 6

A vicious and unprovoked attack put 13-year-old Everett Watson of Chandler in the hospital with serious wounds.

See how you can help on page 8.

(Special to SanTan Sun News)

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COMMUNITY NEWS

THE SUNDAY SANTAN SUN NEWS | MARCH 14, 2021

SCHOOLSPENDING

the report shows that the percentage of the budget devoted to from page 1 classroom learning in Chandler has never percent. And another 5.7 percent went been below 60.6 for instructional support, defined as percent. librarians, teacher training, curriculum That low was redevelopment and instruction-related corded in the 2016-17 technology services. school year.

Its highest In Chandler, student support took 7.7 percentage of classpercent of the budget and instructional room spending in the support another 4.7 percent. last two decades was All totaled, according to the report 63.7 percent in the from Auditor General Lindsey Perry, to2005-06 school year – tal classroom spending among Arizona well before the State school districts consumed 69.3 percent Legislature began of every dollar received. In Chandler, making a series of that figure was 73.8 percent. annual cuts to finanAmong the state’s 10 largest districts, cial support for public CUSD’s percentage of classroom spendeducation. ing of 61.4 percent was edged out by Between 2018-19 Gilbert Public Schools with 61.6 percent and 2019-20, the perfor a near tie at the top. The state’s largcentage of its budget est district, Mesa Public Schools, placed that Chandler Unified eighth in that group with 55.8 percent devoted to the classdevoted to classroom spending. room went from 60.9 Translated into dollars, Chandler’s percent to 61.4 per$5,097 per-pupil instructional spending cent. Statewide over topped the $5,072 peer average as well the last 20 years, the as the $5,016 state average. average percentage of But CUSD per-pupil spending for the budget devoted student and instructional support was to the classroom has considerably less. never been higher This chart shows where Chandler Unified spent your tax It spent $642 per pupil on student than 58.6 percent in dollars in 2019-20. (Arizona Auditor General) support compared to the average 2003-04. $831 spent by districts its size and the And the statewide statewide average of $796. Likewise, tion costs. average has barely exceeded the low Chandler’s $387 per pupil instructional That compared with the statewide of 53.5 percent record in 2015-16.

The support spending was below the $497 averages of 10.2 percent administrative, 2019-20 percentage of 54.9 percent was average for districts its size and the $513 11.5 percent plant operations, 4.7 perbarely above the 54.7 percent spent the state average. cent for food service and 4.3 percent previous school year.

Perry noted that the percentage of transportation.

Perry also found that the average spending on instruction and students Perry said that overall, Arizona classroom size – the number of stusupport, on average, has increased in schools spend a lot less than the nadents per teacher – remains at 18 for the past five years. At the same time, tional average, at $9,136 per student this the second year in a row across Arizona. schools are spending less of each dollar past school year compared with $12,652.

But it still is less than the 18.5 figure on food services, plant operations and And that national figure actually is two from the 2016-2017 school year. Chantransportation. years older but is what was available to dler Unifi ed’s ratio last school year was Administrative costs, however, as a state auditors.

18.8 students per teacher. percentage of total dollars, has reThat reflects in the individual categories.

Chandler Unified teachers’ average mained the same over the past few Arizona spends an average of $5,016 years of experience is higher than that years. per student in instruction versus $7,676 of districts statewide. While the state The state average percentage of nationally. And districts spend an averaverage is 11.7 years of experience, schools’ 2019-2020 budgets for adminis- age of $936 per student in administraChandler Unifi ed teachers have an avertration costs was 10.2 percent, accordtive costs; the national figure is $1,423. age 12.1 years. ing to the audit.

Total per-pupil spending statewide And only 12 percent of CUSD teachBesides the 8.3 percent of its budget for everything from instruction to ers have three years or less of experidevoted to administration costs, major buses amounted to $14,530 while Chanence as opposed to the state average spending included 10.3 percent for dler’s spending amounted to $11,170. of 18 percent. plant operations, 3.7 percent for food In looking at the change in instrucThe report also showed that beservice and 3.9 percent for transportational spending over the last 20 years, tween 2013-14 and 2019-20, enrollment in CUSD increased 10 percent to a total 44,939 students.

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THE SUNDAY SANTAN SUN NEWS | MARCH 14, 2021

3

CUSD board contemplates Casteel successor

BY KEVIN REAGAN Staff Writer

The Chandler Unified School District Governing Board is hoping its next superintendent will be able to accomplish a lot in a short amount of time.

Before the board starts to interview candidates to replace outgoing Superintendent Camille Casteel, it met on March 4 to discuss finding an applicant who can help the district recover quickly from the impact of the pandemic.

The board outlined three overarching goals it wants Camille’s successor to achieve: reverse the district’s declining enrollment, fill learning gaps caused by the pandemic and preserve Chandler’s equity initiatives.

Since the board is hiring a temporary superintendent for the time being, the candidate only has about a year to complete all of these tasks.

“We’re going to really need someone who can hit the ground running,” said board member Lindsay Love.

The hiring process is happening during a particularly abnormal time, Love noted, so the board will need to find a candidate who can steer CUSD through one of its most tumultuous eras.

The district has seen hundreds of students leave over the last year as it struggled to adapt to the peculiar circumstances caused by the pandemic.

As a result, district finances have been heavily impacted and administra-

Chandler Unified Governing Board is mulling how to replace retiring Superintendent Camille Casteel on an interim basis as it looks for a permanent successor. (CUSD)

tors are trying to figure out how to lure back the students that have fled.

While the board perceives its next superintendent as having to handle some difficult tasks, board member Joel Wirth is viewing the hiring process from a different perspective.

Because the board is appointing an interim superintendent for up to a year, Wirth said he’d like to recruit internally from within the district’s administration team.

The board should save its energy for later in the year when it will be searching for a permanent replacement, he said.

Love noted the complex problems CUSD has had to deal with over the last couple of years and emphasized her desire for an interim candidate who can navigate these complicated issues.

The topic of equity has been especially divisive in the district ever since

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to parents who may have previously felt left out of the district’s governing process.

“We need somebody who is going to recognize that and reach out to some of our more diverse community members and elicit some of their feedback,” she said.

Board members further indicated they want a leader who will be creative, innovative and skillful at raising the morale of district employees.

A recent survey shows some of the district’s 5,000 employees have concerns about transparency, accountability and communication with whomever is appointed to replace Casteel.

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Casteel announced in 2018 that CUSD would attempt to address achievement and discipline disparities among different racial and ethnic groups of students.

Some parents have regularly voiced their opposition to Chandler’s equity initiatives, claiming they find them to be counterproductive and a distraction from the district’s academic priorities.

Since some families still don’t understand the purpose of equity, Love said it’s important to find a new superintendent who can articulate the initiatives clearly.

“I want to see how they’re going to continue to put us on this path forward to equity,” Love said, “knowing that we have a community that has been contentious around this issue.”

Chandler’s demographics are changing, Love added, and the next superintendent should be willing to listen

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BOND

THE SUNDAY SANTAN SUN NEWS | MARCH 14, 2021

from page 1

The committee is recommending $73 million for recreational projects, $80 million for public safety needs, $33 million for maintaining public facilities and $85 million for street improvements.

Authorizing this amount of spending would not result in Chandler having to raise primary or secondary property taxes, according to the committee’s calculations.

Chandler has not sought a bond authorization since 2007 and officials say it may be time to hold an election to gain enough financing for future capital expenses.

Former Mayor Boyd Dunn, who chaired the bond committee, said the city’s prior bond initiatives were passed at times when Chandler experienced enormous economic growth and needed to quickly expand its facilities for a growing population.

Tempe and Mesa voters approved bond requests last November, which is giving Chandler some hope that residents could still be in favor of authorizing more general obligation bonds.

Dunn noted how prior bond authorizations were granted to generally create new amenities for the city. The focus this time around, he said, will be on preserving and maintaining existing infrastructure. “(Prior bonds) were important items to deal with for what we felt were the needs to provide facilities for our citizens,” he said. “Now we’re looking

A major overhaul of Dr. A.J.Chandler Park is one project that would be funded by the proposed bond issue.

(SanTan Sun News file photo)

at, not only dealing with new facilities for build-up, but we’re also looking at improving the existing facilities.”

The committee evaluated 80 projects that would have cost the city about $851 million and gradually narrowed down its list to 52 expenditures valued at $403 million.

Because Chandler still has unused bond financing that could be applied to the committee’s list of projects, the city might only need voters to approve up to $272 million in new bond authorization.

Some expensive items on the committee’s list include a $38-million forensic lab for Chandler Police, $11 million for reconstructing the Ray and Dobson roads intersection, a $40-million renovation of Mesquite Groves Park and $15 million for rebuilding two fire stations.

Police Chief Sean Duggan has said his agency would greatly benefit from having a stand-alone crime lab that could analyze more evidence and process

cases more efficiently.

Chandler currently depends on the Arizona Department of Public Safety to test forensic evidence for high-level crimes and is sometimes left waiting for results that could have been obtained faster if the city had an in-house facility to conduct its own testing, Duggan said.

“We are 100 percent relying on (the state’s) timeline and where we are in the queue because they also provide that service to a number of agencies around the state,” Duggan said earlier this year.

Chandler Police are eyeing some land near its evidence storage facility on Pecos Road for a new crime lab if the city obtains more bond authorization.

The bond committee further concluded that a stand-alone crime lab would open up more space at the police department’s main station and allow for other departments to expand their services.

One item notably left off the committee’s list is a $15-million detention facility that would have housed Chandler’s accused criminals. The city currently has a partnership with Gilbert that allows Chandler Police to detain its defendants in the town’s jail.

Dunn said the city would have to hire a significant number of new employees to manage a detention center, which is why the committee did not include the project on its list.

Other projects recommended by the committee include a $16-million renovation of Folley Park, $4.5 million for new fire emergency vehicles, $2 million for improving Price Road and a $12-mil-

lion revamp of A.J. Chandler Park.

The committee specifically wanted to prioritize A.J. Chandler Park over other recreational facilities, Dunn said, because the downtown park is centrally located and sees a higher amount of foot traffic.

Projects related to the Chandler Municipal Airport were notably not included in the committee’s recommendations even though the facility has a number of infrastructure needs.

Further analysis is needed on the airport’s facilities and its economic impact before a bond request should be put on the ballot, Dunn explained.

The committee reviewed about $2.5 million worth of airport projects – including a runway extension and a heliport reconstruction – but said that a bond might not be the best method for funding these expenditures.

“All these items – still very important items – to be done to the airport are going to be made through grants and cash,” Dunn said.

The committee had to make strategic decisions about which projects to remove from its list of recommendations, Dunn added, since members wanted to find the right combination of expenditures that could avoid a tax increase.

“I think there was certainly an attitude of wanting to do everything,” the former mayor said. “But to be able to avoid any type of tax impact, we had to make choices.”

The committee declined to recomSee

BOND on page 7

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COMMUNITY NEWS

SABA

THE SUNDAY SANTAN SUN NEWS | MARCH 14, 2021

from page 1

an important part of Chandler for many years.”

Joan said it is a true blessing to reach such a momentous milestone in life that she is thankful she got to spend most of her life in a city she genuinely loves.

The Saba family has deep roots in Chandler that date back to the city’s formative years during the 1920s.

Joan carved out her own path and has been instrumental in modernizing the city’s landscape over the last couple decades.

Chandler has always been full of so many genial characters, Joan noted, and it’s an easy place to make lots of good friends.

That’s why the COVID-19 pandemic has been particularly rough on a social butterfly like Joan, who thrives on the company of others and enjoys a nice stroll around Chandler.

“We love being with people. We love doing things,” she said. “It’s not been fun, but we’re not alone.”

Joan first moved to Chandler in 1954, when the city’s population was miniscule compared to today and the city limits barely stretched beyond Arizona Avenue.

“The downtown square was about all there was when we first moved here,” Joan recalled.

Not long after she arrived, she was matched up with David Saba Jr., whose family founded one of Chandler’s most

The Saba sisters' driveway was gaily decorated for the birthday parade that rolled by their home March 6 to celebrate their 90th birthday. (Kevin Hurley/Staff Photographer)

prominent department stores in 1927.

An immigrant from Lebanon, David Saba Sr. came to the United States in the 1910s and started off selling groceries in mining towns throughout Arizona.

The senior Saba eventually opened his Chandler store on Boston Street and started specializing in Western-style

clothes and cotton-picking sacks for the local farmers.

Cotton was king in Chandler at this time and most of the city’s landscape was littered with family farms that stretched down to Riggs Road.

Despite the large farming market, the Saba store endured some years

of turmoil during the Great Depression and World War II before finding its footing as the economy started to thrive in the 1950s.

“On Saturdays, the cotton pickers got paid and they were paid in dollar See

SABA on page 7

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THE SUNDAY SANTAN SUN NEWS | MARCH 14, 2021

SABA

from page 6

bills,” the Sabas recalled in an oral history. “That was what they spent at the Chandler store. So, there were a lot of dollar bills to be counted.”

The Sabas went on to open several more clothing stores throughout the Valley -- some of which have since closed.

David Saba Jr. was given the responsibility of running the family’s Chandler store in the 1950s.

Since Joan had helped her parents manage a retail store back in Oregon, she jumped at the chance to assist her husband in taking over the family business.

“It was second-nature to help with the store,” she remembered.

Saba’s Western Wear has remained a popular staple in Chandler for decades and Joan’s son has gone on to take over running it in recent years.

The store celebrated its 90th anniversary in 2017 and continues to offer a variety of boots, jeans, cowboy hats, belts and other apparel traditionally used by cowboys and ranchers.

Outside of retail, Joan’s involved herself in various causes that attempted to make Chandler a more prosperous, booming place for residents and new businesses.

She is the founding president of the Downtown Chandler Community Partnership and has spent years helping the city revitalize its historic neighborhoods.

Throughout the 1980s and 1990s,

BOND

Joan was part of various groups that helped to redevelop deteriorating parts of Chandler and attract new businesses to fill vacant stores downtown.

Joan said it has been exciting to witness the downtown landscape’s evolution over the years into a pedestrian-friendly, vibrant economic hub.

“If it wasn’t for COVID, I think it would be even more exciting right now,” she noted.

In her spare time, Joan has been an active board member for the Salvation Army, Chandler Service Club, and the Chandler Chamber of Commerce.

She was notably instrumental in developing the Chamber’s scholarship program for local students looking to gain access into higher education.

In 2018, her contributions to Chandler were acknowledged with a “Woman of the Year” award from Positive Paths, an East Valley organization that provides mentoring programs for ambitious women.

Joan thinks her volunteerism has significantly enriched her decades in Chandler and encourages everyone to get more involved with trying to uplift their neighborhoods.

It’s worth the effort, she said, and the friendships one can form along the way make the work all the more worthwhile.

“You meet people that are anxious to contribute and be part of the community,” Saba emphasized. “You make friends with people who are very nice and giving.”

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from page 4

mend projects that would have improved transit services in north and central Chandler because they would have generated extra operational costs for the city.

Raising the city’s operational expenses too high would have resulted in Chandler needing to raise property taxes in order to bring in more revenue.

City Council appeared pleased with the committee’s recommendations and will spend the next few weeks deciding whether any changes should be made before moving ahead with officially authorizing the bond election.

Mayor Kevin Hartke said he’s confident Chandler’s voters will support the initiative and emphasized the fact that the council is not bound by the committee’s recommendations.

“We are certainly not hamstrung by any means to come forth with another bond if there’s changes in our finances,” Hartke said.

Councilman Matt Orlando echoed the mayor’s sentiments and commended the committee’s meticulous work on a review process that he hopes will convince the voters that Chandler has thoughtfully evaluated the bond questions before calling an election.

“This sends a very trustful, positive message to the community that we’ve done our homework,” Orlando said.

If the city decides to proceed with holding a bond election this November, Chandler will likely be submitting the initiative’s ballot language to Maricopa County by the end of June for an allmail ballot.

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THE SUNDAY SANTAN SUN NEWS | MARCH 14, 2021

Community rallies around young victim after Chandler park shooting

BY KEVIN REAGAN Staff Writer

Neighbors and friends of a 13-yearold boy shot by unknown assailants at a Chandler park are coming together to support the wounded victim, determine not let the violent event tarnish their peaceful community.

Everett Watson Jr. is still recovering from a severe gunshot wound sustained in his left leg after he and his brothers were ambushed by a group of young men on Feb. 21 at San Tan Park E. Frye Road.

The teenagers had been playing basketball when they were approached by three strangers who suddenly pulled out a firearm and began shooting. The suspects then fled on foot and were last seen near Cottonwood Street and Pecos Road.

Chandler police have limited information on the suspects and investigators have spent the last two weeks trying to get more witnesses to come forward with new leads to pursue.

The teen’s friends are now planning to offer a $10,000 reward for anyone with information that could lead to the apprehension of the shooters.

Jenee Komso, the teenager’s neighbor, has been organizing fundraisers to raise the reward money and is trying to do everything possible to help find the assailants.

The incident was such a random act of violence, Komso said, so the community feels compelled to do anything it

Everett Watson Jr. suffered serious injuries from an unprovoked shooting at San Tan Park last month but family and friends, as well as neighbors, won't let thugs ruin their peaceful neighborhood. (Special to SanTan Sun News)

can to prevent another shooting.

Somebody out there knows something, she added, and the reward money will hopefully incentivize someone to reveal the shooters’ identities.

“We don’t know if they’re from our neighborhood, we don’t know if they’re maybe from Mesa,” Komso said. “We just want to throw as wide of a net as possible and put paper flyers up everywhere.”

Shortly after the incident, friends and neighbors of the Watson family came together to hold an event at San Tan Park and asked police officers how they might prevent violence from happening again in their community.

During the event, members of the Watson family got a chance to meet

some of the officers who responded to the shooting and helped get the teenager airlifted to the hospital.

Unprovoked random shootings are not common in this quiet area of Chandler, which is mostly inhabited by middle-class families and young professionals.

The park shooting has had a devastating impact on the neighborhood, Komso said, and everyone is on high alert for suspicious characters.

“Nothing like this has ever happened in our community,” Komso noted. “This is absolutely unheard of.”

As the investigation continues, Everett’s parents and five brothers have been trying to keep him comforted during his grueling recovery process.

Everett has undergone several surgeries and wound cleanings at Phoenix Children’s Hospital in an attempt to salvage his injured leg.

The bullet that pierced his thigh severed one of his arteries, which has slowed down the blood circulation in the rest of his leg. The gunshot resulted in severe tissue damage on Everett’s foot that cannot be repaired.

The teenager recently had to have his toes amputated and doctors are hoping the rest of his leg won’t have to be removed.

“It’s all very intense,” Komso said.

“We’re still unclear on what his body is

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THE SUNDAY SANTAN SUN NEWS | MARCH 14, 2021

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COMMUNITY NEWS

THE SUNDAY SANTAN SUN NEWS | MARCH 14, 2021

New 162-unit rental complex OK’d near Loop 202

BY KEVIN REAGAN Staff Writer

Chandler City Council has approved plans for a 162-unit rental complex along the Loop 202 Santan Freeway on the southeast corner of McQueen Road.

Council voted 6-1 to approve Scottsdale developer Snowden McQueen’s preliminary plan for Elux at McQueen, a 13-acre community with duplex-style rental homes, a 3,624-square-foot clubhouse and pickleball court.

The developer said other amenities will “create a close community by providing a creative space for families, friends and neighbors to enjoy together” and that “cohesive pedestrian connectivity throughout the development reinforces a desirable lifestyle.”

The project will include 108 one-story units and 54 two-story units, each with an enclosed backyard. About 40 percent of the units will be one-bedroom apartments and the rest will comprise two or three bedrooms.

Developers say they intentionally designed Elux’s units to resemble single-family homes – “which creates a diverse housing market without introducing a development so different as to be inappropriate or incompatible with the existing neighborhoods.”

At the same time, the developer said the project’s high density is appropriate to the area, which is “adjacent to employment uses to the west…and is

The red-bordered area shows where the Elux at McQueen will be built. The 13-acre site will be the home for a unique multifamily complex. (City of Chandler)

in close proximity to the airport and future transit center at Arizona Avenue and Germann Road.

“The development also creates visual interest on the perimeter through an attractive perimeter wall, architectural facades, a creatively designed entryway, and a well-planned open space and amenity area,” the developers said,

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adding: “These casita-style homes address the needs of modern families. The homes will be built with energy-efficient and sustainable construction technology.”

Elux is estimated to generate about $840,000 in tax revenue for the city over a 10-year period.

Though Elux appears to conform with the city’s General Plan, some council members were concerned about the project’s design and location.

Councilman Terry Roe, who voted against the project, said he had concerns about Elux’s close positioning to a busy freeway and the impact it might have on traffic patterns.

“This piece of land is complex because it’s been cornered and, on some level, that’s because of (previous) planning,” Roe said.

A traffic analysis shows Elux would have a smaller impact on the city’s traffic patterns than a 1,000-square-foot commercial building constructed on the same 12-acre parcel.

Developers are required to install a traffic signal at the McQueen Road and Armstrong Way intersection.

There was no neighborhood opposition to the project and the city Airport Commission saw no impediments to airport operations.

“Based on the maximum allowable building heights, the proposed development does not appear to pose a hazard to flight safety or be an aerospace obstruction,” a commission memo states.

Buildings are to have a maximum height of 30 feet.

Vice Mayor Mark Stewart attempted to delay a vote on Elux’s plans after expressing concerns about the project’s See

ELUX on page 12

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THE SUNDAY SANTAN SUN NEWS | MARCH 14, 2021

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COMMUNITY NEWS

THE SUNDAY SANTAN SUN NEWS | MARCH 14, 2021

Chandler lifts Tumbleweed Center, library patron limits SANTAN SUN NEWS STAFF

The City of Chandler has lifted limits on the capacity allowed at several public facilities.

But while limits at Chandler Public Library and Tumbleweed Recreation Center have been lifted, patrons and employees must wear masks, follow enhanced safety measures and adhere to social distancing.

The Tumbleweed Recreation Center’s fitness floor workouts will no longer require registration by members.

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ELUX

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The city’s Hamilton and Mesquite Groves aquatic centers has returned for open swim during spring break.

But here too, enhanced safety measures and social distancing guidelines will continue to be followed.

Chandler residents can register for open swim activities. An expanded number of registration slots will be available at aquatic centers and the general public will be admitted on a walk-up basis as space permits.

Visit chandleraz.gov/aquatics for information and to register for open swim.

Patrons at Tumbleweed Recreation Center’s fitness floor workouts no longer have to register for a time slot. (City of Chandler)

from page 10

number of parking spaces and what he called inadequate open space.

“There’s some work that needs to be done here,” said Stewart, who lost his delay effort and voted to approve the development anyway.

The construction of new single-family homes has notably been on the decline in Chandler for the last decade, while multi-family housing has been rising continuously since 2013.

The arrival of some rental complexes has not been welcomed by some Chandler residents, who feel multi-family housing devalues their neighborhoods and brings

Developers said a series of walkways through Elux at McQueen will encourage community connectivity.

(City of Chandler)

in unsavory characters to the community.

Last November, residents unsuccess-

fully tried to stop plans for a multifamily complex near Gilbert and Riggs

roads.

Snowden McQueen said the angst some Chandler residents have about multifamily housing prompted them to be strategic about Elux.

They purposefully placed the development on a parcel of land that was in a relatively central location of Chandler and designed Elux’s units with an aesthetic that should blend in with nearby neighborhoods.

“A community with tasteful modern architectural design and themes that complement the surrounding developments, assures that Elux at McQueen will be a valuable asset to the city and immediate area,” developers stated.

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COMMUNITY NEWS

THE SUNDAY SANTAN SUN NEWS | MARCH 14, 2021

Much-needed area bridge may get state help

BY CECILIA CHAN Staff Writer

Building a bridge over Gilbert Regional Park to connect Ocotillo Road will mean faster response times for police and fire in the southern portion of town.

The town has budgeted the $53.8-million project in its capital improvement plan and may get some help from the state Legislature.

Senate Bill 1681 would provide $7.9 million toward the project and is being sponsored by Sen. Tyler Pace, R-Mesa.

“The $7.9 million requested will allow us to complete the design, preconstruction and land acquisition to stay on schedule with this important regional project,” Mayor Brigette Peterson testified Feb. 9 before the Senate Appropriations Committee.

“This project will complete an important regional connection to our neighboring communities in Chandler, Queen Creek and beyond. It will address regional long-term transportation needs, alleviating traffic congestion and allowing for further growth and community development through the Southeast Valley.”

The bill was approved 9-1 with Sen. Michelle Ugenti-Rita, R-Scottsdale, voting against it, saying the project was the town’s responsibility.

The bill now goes to a caucus hearing, not yet scheduled Ocotillo Road, a regional eastwest arterial, is currently divided by

tion No. 9 three years ago to help address the longer response times in south Gilbert. The fire house is situated on Ocotillo Road less than a quarter mile from where it ends.

“However, Fire Station 9’s response area remains Gilbert’s longest at five minutes and 31 seconds,” Peterson said.

“Construction of the bridge would reduce Fire Station Motorists on Ocotillo Road hit a dead end that Gilbert wants 9’s average response to open, spending millions on a bridge over a wash. time and substantially (Pablo Robes/Staff Photographer) reduce the response times to neighbors a number of natural barriers such as immediately west of the Queen Creek Canal, East Maricopa the floodway,” she said.

Floodway and a Roosevelt Water ConA four-minute response provides servation District canal. the best opportunity for fire crews to A portion of the 272-acre regional improve the health outcome of patients park also runs sits in the middle. and effectively and safely provide supThe 545-foot bridge will have four pression and lifesaving activities during travel lanes along with bicycle lanes fire incidents, according to town spokesand pedestrian pathways on both sides, woman Jennifer Harrison. according to Peterson.

She said response times also will “Most importantly this project will improve for police. have a significant positive impact on “If an officer was at Ocotillo and public safety and the ability to respond to Higley and received a call for service at emergencies in the area,” Peterson told the 2700 E. Ocotillo, roughly a half mile if senators. “In Gilbert we have a long-esthe bridge existed, it would take Gilbert tablished goal of reaching all emergencies Police 7-8 minutes to go around the bawithin a four-minute response time.” sin to get to the location,” Harrison said.

Peterson said the town built Fire StaThe construction cost for the bridge

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is included in a proposed transportation and infrastructure bond that Council plans to put on the November ballot.

A portion of the construction cost also would come from system development fees, Harrison said.

If the senate bill fails, she said the entire project design and construction would be paid for with a combination of development fees and the transportation and infrastructure bond, which is how it is currently proposed in the capital improvement plan.

The entire project is expected to take four years with contract awards for design anticipated for the end of April beginning of May, Harrison said.

This would be followed by an 18-month design timeline, six months of rights-of-way acquisition and 24 months of construction, she added.

Peterson at the hearing also noted that the bridge would increase access to the regional park, which is a destination recreation spot with an amphitheater, a lake, trails and numerous sport courts and fields.

She said the town through a partnership with the Maricopa County Flood Control District is maximizing the public use and benefit of critical flood-control infrastructure with the regional park.

“The Town of Gilbert has invested over $35 million to date to transform these single-use flood control facilities into something that beautifies and enriches the community and region,” she said.

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THE SUNDAY SANTAN SUN NEWS | MARCH 14, 2021

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COMMUNITY NEWS

THE SUNDAY SANTAN SUN NEWS | MARCH 14, 2021

GOP senators setting up early voting roadblocks

BY HOWARD FISCHER Capitol Media Services

Republican senators are moving on two fronts to erect new hurdles in the path of those who want to vote early.

On a party-line vote, GOP senators decided to scrap existing laws that determine the validity of early ballots based solely on county election workers matching their signatures on the envelopes with what’s on file.

Instead, they would need to provide an affidavit with their date of birth and the number of a state driver’s license, identification card or tribal enrollment card.

No such identification? Voters would have to send a copy of any other federal state or locally issued ID card.

And if they don’t have that?

The proposal by Sen. J.D. Mesnard, R-Chandler, gets more complicated.

First, there’s the need for someone’s voter registration number.

“Raise your hand if you know your voter registration number,’’ said Sen. Sean Bowie, D-Tempe.

But that isn’t enough. Then they have to enclose an actual physical copy of something with their actual address like a utility bill, vehicle registration form, property tax statement or a bank statement dated within the past 90 days.

The vote on SB 1713 is just part of the GOP plan to make it more difficult to cast an early ballot.

Waiting in the wings for Senate de-

bate is a proposal by Sen. David Gowan, R-Sierra Vista – which he already pushed out of the Appropriations Committee – to give early voters less time to make a decision.

First, it would chop five days off the front end before early ballots have to be mailed out. Under his legislation, they could not be mailed out more than 22 days ahead of an election, down from 27 days.

And even if people had previously requested an early ballot, it might not be sent out until 19 days before the election; current law mandates they go out at least 24 days.

That, however, is only half of it.

Right now, any ballot delivered by the post office by 7 p.m. on Election Day gets counted.

Gowan’s SB 1593, however, says any ballot not actually postmarked by the prior Thursday is discarded even if it shows up before close of business on Election Day. Nothing in Gowan’s bill precludes a voter from taking that early ballot to a polling place on Election Day, turning it in and instead getting a regular ballot.

But there is no longer the option for those who tend to wait until the last minute to give that early ballot to a neighbor to take the polls.

A 2016 law pushed through by Republican legislators makes it a felony for voters who can’t get to a polling place to give it to others.

The curbs on mail ballots are part of what has been a sustained effort by Re-

publicans to change the rules following Donald Trump’s defeat in Arizona.

Proponents say all they’re trying to do is ensure election integrity.

That’s why the Senate, also on a party-line vote on Monday, gave $1 million to Attorney General Mark Brnovich to investigate election fraud.

Several Democrats, however, said they see something even more nefarious than politics in the motives.

They said that the measures, taken together and separately, make it harder for minorities to vote as they may not have a driver’s license and the same access to things like copy machines and printers to make copies of required documents.

“These are voter suppression bills,’’ said Sen. Sally Ann Gonzales, D-Tucson.

That brought an angry reaction from Sen. Michelle Ugenti-Rita, R-Scottsdale, who said that amounts to saying that Republicans are racists.

She said the new forms of ID don’t disenfranchise anyone. And she said nothing in legislation is crafted to apply solely to one group.

But Sen. Kirsten Engel, D-Tucson, said that misstates the situation and federal law.

She pointed out that courts have voided otherwise “facially neutral’’ law if they have a disproportionate impact on minorities.

“They are what they are,’’ said Gonzales of the effects of the legislation.

“They are election suppression bills.’’

And she said the reason is because Republicans fear the fact that by 2030 Hispanics will be the majority in Arizona.

Senate Minority Leader Rebecca Rios, D-Phoenix, was more blunt.

“Sometimes the truth hurts,’’ she said of the GOP efforts.

But Mesnard, who crafted the new requirements for mail-in voting, said he sees nothing wrong with providing some extra security to ensure that the votes received come from the people who were supposed to get those ballots.

Still, Mesnard said he will make some further changes when the bill now goes to the House to ease some of those requirements.

Gowan said his bill to trim the amount of time to get an early ballot back is designed to help out county recorders.

He said having early ballots showing up at the last-minute means they are busy processing those ballots that come in by mail when they should be working on dealing with the polling places on Election Day “so we can have an election that is counted soon instead of weeks like we’ve been seeing.’’

Bowie said that still doesn’t answer the other half of the question: Why delay having those ballots going out to voters in the first place?

Gowan said it should still give people enough time to make a decision, stating, “I’m sure that people would prepare themselves in anticipation of that early ballot coming.’’

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THE SUNDAY SANTAN SUN NEWS | MARCH 14, 2021

We’re on the hunt for the Valley’s most egg-cellent artist! Gather your crayons, markers, and glitter and color this year’s coloring page. The contest is open to all children up to 9 years of age.

chandleraz.gov/easter

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Child’s Name _______________________________________________________________________________________ Age __________________________________________ Parent’s Name ______________________________________________________________ Phone Number(s) ____________________________________________________ Address _____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ City ____________________________________________Zip _______________________________ E-mail ___________________________________________________________ Submit entries by: 1. Drop-off: Chandler City Hall, 175 S. Arizona Ave. 2. Mail-in: Attn: Annette Watson | Easter Celebration Coloring Contest | Mail Stop 498, P.O. Box 4008 | Chandler, AZ 85244-4008 3. Email (scan or photo): special.events@chandleraz.gov Contest winners will be chosen from each of the following age categories: 2 years and under, 3-4 years, 5-6 years and 7-9 years. Coloring page must be submitted no later than Friday, March 26, 2021 at 5 p.m.

You do not need to be present to win.

For more information please call 480-782-2669 or visit chandleraz.gov/easter.

18

COMMUNITY NEWS

THE SUNDAY SANTAN SUN NEWS | MARCH 14, 2021

End-run around education tax aimed at businesses

State Sen. J.D. Mesnard, R-Chandler, says his bill will help small businesses impacted by the new education tax. (Special to SanTan

Sun News)

During his reelection campaign last year, Mesnard expressed concern about the surcharge’s impact on businesses during the Clean Elections Commission debate.

He told Capitol Media Services that creating this new category makes sense because will allow lawmakers to craft special tax provisions targeted at helping small businesses.

He acknowledged, though, that a prime reason was to help business owners escape paying that new voter-approved surcharge.

Mesnard said that’s justified.

through Prop 208,’’ she said.

The Voter Protection Act bars lawmakers from repealing or making changes in anything approved at the ballot. The only exception is for amendments that “further the purpose’’ of the original law, and then only with a three-fourths vote.

Desai said courts have concluded that legislation runs afoul of the Voter Protection Act even if it doesn’t directly repeal the measure approved at the ballot.

“You can do something more surreptitious and more malicious by going to make other changes elsewhere (in the statutes) that would have the same effect, which is to undermine the ultimate will of the voters,’’ she said.

What isn’t known is how much would be lost from the anticipated income for education if lawmakers approve the measure.

Estimates of what the initiative, as originally crafted, would raise have ranged from $827 million to $940 million a year. So far, legislative budget analysts have not produced a fiscal impact statement of SB 1783, which was approved earlier this month by the Senate Finance Committee on a party-line vote.

Lujan said SB 1783 is likely to affect a “significant portion’’ of the anticipated revenues.

No date has been set for Senate debate on the measure.

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Chandler Sen. J.D. Mesnard is proposing an end-run around the new income tax surcharge for wealthy earners that would allow some business owners to avoid paying it.

SB 1783 would create an entirely new alternate tax category for small businesses, generally those organized in a way so their income passes through to the owners. That means the owners compute what they owe the state on their personal income tax forms after deducting all business expenses.

What makes that significant is that Proposition 208 imposes a 3.5 percent surcharge on adjusted personal income of more than $250,000 for individuals and $500,000 for married couples filing jointly. That is on top of the current 4.5 percent rate that applies for income above those figures.

Mesnard’s bill would give business owners the option of paying a 4.5 percent tax on their adjusted business income.

The surcharge in Proposition 208 would not apply because this new tax category did not exist at the time voters approved the measure.

So, business owners could compute their tax liability using both the existing formula or the new one and then choose the one that costs them less.

“We heard time and time again this will not or is not meant to impact small businesses,’’ he said. “And so, what this is doing is ensuring that’s the case.’’

But David Lujan, who helped organize the Prop 208 fight, said the initiative does not target small business.

Lujan pointed out that what’s subject to the tax is not the gross proceeds of any business. It’s what’s left after an owner pays all expenses, from employee salaries to equipment purchases. It’s also what remains after any other deductions, like money a business owner puts into a 401(k) retirement account.

What that leaves, he said, is the net income in the owner’s pockets.

And Prop 208 kicks in only on any net earnings above $500,000 for a married couple.

Lujan also pointed out that SB 1783, which awaits a vote of the full Senate, doesn’t just set a new optional tax category for small business. It also creates this same 4.5 percent tax rate for income from estates and trusts.

Attorney Roopali Desai who represents the Invest in Ed committee that put Prop 208 on the ballot, acknowledged that lawmakers have the power to alter the state tax code and create new categories.

“The question is whether the Legislature is able to pass legislation that directly or indirectly changes the voter-protected law that was put in place

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COMMUNITY NEWS

THE SUNDAY SANTAN SUN NEWS | MARCH 14, 2021

Steady progress here for bill mandating Holocaust lessons

BY KELLY DONOHUE Cronkite News

Arizona students haven’t been properly taught about the Holocaust in recent years, according to a recent poll conducted by the Conference on Jewish Material Claims Against Germany.

Among Arizona millennials surveyed in March 2020, 42 percent could not name a single concentration camp the Nazis built to detain and exterminate Jews and others deemed undesirable.

The same report found that only half of the state’s millennial respondents recognized the term Auschwitz, and only a third knew the number of Jews who were killed from 1933 through 1945.

Such findings worry Lawrence Bell, executive director of the Arizona Jewish Historical Society, and other Jewish leaders in the state. The concern is heightened as more Holocaust survivors – who have been crucial to putting a human face on unfathomable tragedy – pass away.

“Memory of the Second World War is really starting to fade from popular consciousness,” Bell said. “A lot of people don’t think about the Second World War, they don’t think about the Holocaust… It’s something that’s largely faded out.”

In October, the Arizona Department of Education made a rule change that requires students to receive instruction on the Holocaust at least twice during

Kim Klett, a teacher at Dobson High School, holds up a newspaper story about Rwandan genocide during her Holocaust literature class.” (Delia Johnson/Cronkite News)

their secondary school career.

Tammy Waller, director of K-12 social studies and world language standards at the Department of Education, was happy the rule was changed.

Because history curriculums contain a great amount of content, she said, some teachers had previously rushed through Holocaust lesson plans.

“Holocaust education is dependent on the teacher,” Waller said. “State social studies standards have always had Holocaust and genocide education,

but not as much time is spent on these topics throughout the school year.”

Some Jewish leaders fear a rule change may not be enough and that a law is needed.

“A state law has much more staying power,” said Sheryl Bronkesh, president of the Phoenix Holocaust Association.

“It would take a lot more effort to change it.”

A codified Holocaust education law would clarify misconceptions that today’s students may have about World

War II, she said, such as how it started, who the perpetrators were and how many people were killed.

“The ultimate goal is for students to become upstanders, not bystanders,” Bronkesh said. “So that when students see bigotry, they will understand what those ramifications could be down the road.”

In January, state Rep. Alma Hernandez, D-Tucson, introduced a bill that would do just that.

House Bill 2241 would require Arizona schools to teach students about the Holocaust at least twice from the seventh to the 12th grade. The bill was approved 59-0 and now is working its way through the Senate.

Hernandez last year introduced a similar bill that would have required more Holocaust education in grade schools. Although the bill cleared the House, the legislative session ended prematurely because of COVID-19.

“The survivors are getting older and older, many passing away,” Hernandez said in a news release. “We owe it to them and their memories to make sure students learn about what they endured.”

HB 2241 is just one of Hernandez’s latest initiatives meant to benefit local Jewish communities. The representative recently worked with the Arizona Department of Health Services to See

HOLOCAUST on page 21

COMMUNITY NEWS

THE SUNDAY SANTAN SUN NEWS | MARCH 14, 2021

HOLOCAUST

from page 20

provide COVID-19 vaccination appointments to more than 40 Arizona Holocaust survivors.

Although initiatives like these are new, the fight for Holocaust literacy has been long-standing, said Bell, with the historical society.

“People have been doing Holocaust education for decades and not getting a lot of attention for it,” he said.

“Survivors have been in classrooms over

and over again telling their stories and trying to make a distant historical event real in students’ lives.”

Bronkesh and Waller also are members of the Arizona Department of Education’s Task Force on the Holocaust and Other Genocides, which has developed resources and training for teachers.

The task force’s webpage has a Holocaust education toolkit, recorded webinars and lesson plans.

“We know that teachers have a lot on their plate, so we wanted to make it as easy to find educational resources as possible.” Bronkesh said.

However, Bell said that the push for Holocaust education isn’t just about passing history class – it’s also an initiative to help Arizonans build stronger emotional connections to World War II. The next obstacle will be how to adequately tell the stories of Holocaust survivors after they pass away. The Arizona Jewish Historical Society plans to do this through opportunities outside of the traditional classroom setting.

The society conducts a series of free community programs that are open to the public, which give Holocaust survivors and their descendants platforms to speak.

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The Surviving Humanity series also explores other instances of intolerance, oppression and genocide.

Plans to open a Holocaust education center in Phoenix also are in the works.

Bell said an education center would allow younger generations to connect with Holocaust survivors and continue to learn their stories after they die.

“We’re trying to make it technologically innovative and incorporate the stories of local survivors,” he said, “so that the tradition of them visiting classrooms can be carried on, even after they’re gone.”

Lawmaker: Masks didn’t protect against AIDS

BY HOWARD FISCHER Capitol Media Services

A first-term Scottsdale legislator convinced colleagues last week to let businesses ignore mask mandates to stem the spread of COVID by arguing that they weren’t needed decades ago to stop the spread of AIDS. On a 31-28 party-line vote, the House earlier this month approved legislation that says business owners need not enforce any state, city, town or county requirement for people to wear a mask.

Republican Rep. Joseph Chaplik, sponsor of HB 2770, said it would give businesses the choice of whether to enforce the mandates many communities already have adopted and that said consumers then would have the option

of deciding if they want to do business there.

Chaplik argued that the mandates are an overreaction and that society has

managed to survive other viral outbreaks without masks.

For example, he cited HIV “that was going to wipe our global destruction of human bodies with AIDS.’’ “We heard about that in the 80s,’’ Chaplik said. “Yet no masks were required.’’

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says HIV, the virus that causes AIDS, cannot be spread by air. It is spread through exchange of bodily fluids, normally

sexual transmission or sores from open wounds and also can be spread through sharing infected needles.

“It’s about the individual rights of these business owners as Americans,’’ Chaplik argued.

Rep. Joanne Osborne, R-Goodyear, who owns the jewelry store with the family name, told colleagues this is a difficult decision.

“I have had friends die of COVID,’’ Osborne said.

Osborne also said there are other mandates on business that are accepted, like having sprinklers and fire extinguishers. But Osborne, who provided the crucial – and required – 31st vote for the measure, said she had to side with her colleagues.

“I’m no communist,’’ she said.

Get Back on Track for the 2021-22 school year Contact our office. newvistasaz.com 480-963-2313

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COMMUNITY NEWS

THE SUNDAY SANTAN SUN NEWS | MARCH 14, 2021

Chandler reps support House gaming bill

BY HOWARD FISCHER Capitol Media Services

A bipartisan coalition of legislators gave Gov. Doug Ducey a crucial victory last week as they approved his plan to expand off-reservation gaming in the state with Ahwatukee’s two representatives split on the bill.

The 48-12 House on HB 2772 vote came despite concerns that the plan amounts to a give-away of valuable gaming rights to the owners of the state’s sports franchises. Both south Chandler representatives, Republican Jeff Weninger and Democrat Jennifer Pawlik, voted for the measure.

Sports franchises would be the only ones able to take wagers on the outcome of both professional and college sporting events.

Weninger, who is carrying the bill for Ducey, acknowledged he could not say how much those franchises would have to pay for that exclusive right to make money off of gaming.

Instead, he said, that would be set by the Arizona Department of Gaming whose director reports to the governor.

Pressed for details, Weninger said

t? o G ws Ne

the experience from other states shows that these rights sell for anywhere from $500 to $20 million.

The flaw in all that, according to House Minority Leader Reginald Bolding, D-Laveen, is that it essentially gives the franchises the right to dictate what they want to pay. That’s because no one else can bid against them.

“We are creating a market that only one set of players has access to,’’ he said, leaving the state with “no real negotiating power on the fees.’’

“If we decide to set the fees at $20 million, then sports teams say, ‘no, we’re not going to pay that $20 million,’ there’s nothing else that we can do,’’ Bolding said. That’s because there’s nothing in the legislation that allows others to bid for the right.

“So, then the Department of Gaming may have to lower the fees,’’ he said.

Weninger did not dispute the exclusivity of the legislation. But he said that’s justified because the franchise owners have shown an interest in the community and have a record of charitable works.

He acknowledged, though, that there is an interest in providing a finan-

cial boost to the sports franchises – including football, baseball, golf, NASCAR and hockey – saying they have been financially damaged by the shutdowns due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Rep. Randall Friese, D-Tucson, cited a provision in the legislation that will allow what could amount to round-theclock games of keno being conducted at not just “fraternal organizations’’ like the American Legion but also at tracks.

The measure as worded would permit a new game, essentially a form of lotto, every four minutes.

“People can lose paychecks over it,’’ Friese said.

Even with the House vote, a significant hurdle remains.

The Senate is set to consider what was supposed to be parallel legislation, a maneuver designed to expedite approval.

That’s because enactment of this measure is linked to a plan being negotiated by the governor with tribes that would allow them to expand reservation gaming.

But SB 1794 also includes something not in HB 2772: it allows wagering on so-called “historic horse races,’’ essen-

tially a new form of gaming designed to provide financial help to horse tracks.

That has not been agreed to by the tribes. And the deal is set up so that the state can expand off-reservation gaming only if the tribes agree – and only to the extent of that agreement.

What the tracks want is, for all intents and purposes, is a new game of chance.

It would allow people using machines to wager on races that were run in the past. But bettors would have no information on the name of the horse or the date of the race.

The only bit of skill that might be involved is that they would be given some data on that horse’s historical record and handicap.

Bettors could watch an animated reenactment of the race on which they wagered, though that is not required.

Instead, they could simply move on to bet on another historic race.

In any case, the tracks keep a cut of the overall betting pool.

The proposal by Sen. David Gowan, R-Sierra Vista, was approved last month by the Senate Appropriations Committee and now awaits debate in the full Senate.

Contact Paul C Contact Paul P l Maryniak Maryniak M y i k at at 480-898-5647 480 898 5647 or or pmaryniak@timespublications.com p pmaryniak@timespublications.com pmaryniak@timespublications y i k@ i p bli i com

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Bill would entitle school athletes to compensation

BY HOWARD FISCHER Capitol Media Services

State lawmakers are just a step away from allowing athletes at Arizona colleges and universities to profit from their skills, at least indirectly.

With only one dissenting vote, the House Education Committee approved a measure requiring all schools to allow student athletes to earn compensation from the use of their own name, likeness or image.

That would pretty much place them on par with professional athletes who now can get cash for endorsements and other products and services bearing their names.

Potentially more significant, SB 1296 would ensure that any student who takes advantage of this does not lose a scholarship or forfeit the right to complete.

Sen. T.J. Shope, R-Coolidge, said that, by extension, it means that their schools don’t end up getting dinged by the National College Athletic Associa-

PARK

from page 8

going to look like once he gets out of that hospital.”

Komso has accumulated about $16,000 in donations and plans to keep raising funds for Everett’s long-term

tion which sets the rules that schools must obey.

Only Rep. Beverly Pingerelli, R-Peoria, voted against the measure.

With the Senate already having approved the measure on a 29-1 margin, that sends the bill to the full House.

Gov. Doug Ducey has previously indicated he is open to the idea.

All this is occurring as the NCAA itself is trying to figure out ways to update its own rules. That, in turn, was forced by several states already approving laws like the one being considered here.

Shope told lawmakers that the underlying issue goes back even further to when an UCLA athlete found that an image of someone who looked particularly like him, right down to skin tone and jersey number, was being used without his permission in a video game.

Joined by other athletes, that resulted in a lawsuit that went all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court.

He said the athletes, most of whom were at least 18, should have had the

right to consent to and profit from those images.

Shope stressed that nothing in the legislation would result in students actually being paid to play. But he said there is no reason they should be precluded from profiting from their abilities.

The shortcomings of the current law were pointed out by Mike Haener, lobbyist for Arizona State University.

He cited the case of Anthony Robles, an ASU wrestler, who won the NCAA individual wrestling championship in his weight class in the 2010-2011 season despite being born with only one leg.

“He actually did write a book,’’ Haener told lawmakers. But that could not happen until after Robles graduated because he would not have been allowed before then to make money from it.

“He had to wait until he was out of college before he could profit from his own story,’’ Haener said.

Rep. Athena Salman, D-Tempe, said the change in law makes sense. She said

universities have been able to profit from the images of their athletes in ways that have been denied to their students solely because they participate in interscholastic sports.

“If they were not an athlete but were any other student on the campus, be it a regular student, be it an activist, a performative student, other avenues, they could write books, they could set up training camps, they could make money through YouTube channels,’’ she said.

The measure does have some restrictions.

Most notably, it bars a student athlete from entering into a contract if it would interfere with any contracts that the team and the university already have with a company that may have a conflict.

Rep. Bret Roberts, R-Maricopa, expressed some concern about ending the nature of amateur sports. But he agreed to support the measure based on the “free market capitalism aspects’’ of the bill.

rehabilitation.

Any funds not used on the $10,000 reward will be donated to Everett’s family for any medical expenses not covered by insurance.

Komso said there’s been a huge outpouring of love and support for the teen over the last couple weeks.

Community members have been making meals for Everett's siblings, crafting greeting cards and dropping off gift baskets at the hospital.

The community’s resilience in the aftermath of such extreme violence has been inspiring and uplifting, Komso added. So much so that she has a

powerful message for the shooters who disrupted her neighborhood.

“This is our community, you are not taking it from us,” she said.

Anyone with information on the shooting can contact Chandler Police at 480-782-4130 or Silent Witness at 480-9486377.

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25

New healthcare initiative aimed at underprivileged

BY EMMA RICHBURG Cronkite News

A new $10 million partnership will put medical students and other care providers under one roof to serve people of color and other underprivileged communities in Maricopa County.

The partnership between Creighton University, St. Vincent de Paul and Virginia G. Piper Charitable Trust was announced last week.

For more than a decade, students in their third and fourth years at Creighton’s medical school, as well as faculty members, have volunteered monthly at the Virginia G. Piper Medical Clinic in Phoenix.

Now, the clinic will be the main teaching facility for first- and second-year students, too. Together they will help underrepresented communities and uninsured Arizonans receive medical care that’s currently out of reach.

Many uninsured Arizonans do not have access to preventative or specialty care, and they end up in emergency rooms because of unmanaged chronic disease.

This can result in poorer outcomes for patients long-term, but it also increases the cost of care that hospitals must absorb.

Under the partnership, the Creighton School of Medicine will hire a Virginia G. Piper chair in medicine and chief medical officer. The chair will be embedded at St. Vincent de Paul’s Virginia G. Piper Medical Clinic near downtown Phoenix.

Dr. John Anwar, the clinic medical

Dr. John Anwar, medical director at the Virginia G. Piper Medical Clinic in Phoenix, says many uninsured people turn to hospitals for care, but that shouldn’t be the case. A new $10 million partnership aims to change that. (Courtesy of St. Vincent de Paul)

director, said many uninsured people use the hospital as their only form of health care.

“These patients’ health problems have gotten to the point where they are so severely complicated” from inconsistent medical care, Anwar said.

According to the United Health Foundation’s 2020 Arizona Summary, 11.3 percent of Arizona’s population was uninsured last year, and the budget for public health was $57 per Arizonan.

Mary Jane Rynd, president and CEO

of Virginia G Piper Charitable Trust, said the COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the urgency and need for this program.

“Our response cannot wait,” she said.

“Now is the time for higher education, social services and philanthropy to join and use our collective capacity to create a healthier, more resilient future.”

The new partnership aims to reduce growing health disparities that disproportionately affect low-income populations and people of color in Maricopa County while also giving hands-on

learning experiences for Creighton medical students.

Randy Richardson, the regional dean at Creighton University Phoenix campus said the students will be Arizonans who “rotate through SVdC as part of their training.”

People who are uninsured and struggling to receive medical care will be referred to the clinic where students who are studying everything from medicine to physical therapy, will help.

“We are integrating their curriculum so they are learning aspects about the basic sciences and then actually applying them to the clinical arena,” Richardson said.

“Good health care is not obtained by going to the emergency room every time you’re so sick that you just can’t take it anymore,” said Richardson. “We want to improve their overall health and then work on funneling them into a federally qualified health clinic.”

The partnership will work with health systems in the Phoenix area to improve the overall effectiveness of uninsured-patient referrals to hospitals within the Arizona Safety Net System, which provides services to those who need it most through 40 clinics.

“All of this can be avoided if they are given access to a physician who will prescribe the correct prescriptions and coordinate the proper care and allow the patient to access multi-speciality care,” Anwar said. “All of this can be avoided, so when I see this over and over every day I just think of what I can do for these people.”

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COMMUNITY NEWS

THE SUNDAY SANTAN SUN NEWS | MARCH 14, 2021

Female military veterans struggle to find jobs

BY ETHAN KISPERT Cronkite News

After leaving the Army two decades ago, Miachelle DePiano faced new challenges on the civilian battlefield: a hyper-competitive job market.

“I couldn’t show anybody a portfolio because everything I had written was classified, and I didn’t have a degree to back up my claim,” said DePiano, who served as an intelligence officer in Germany and Croatia.

Other Arizona veterans and advocates said DePiano’s job-hunting experience is all too common, with veterans unsure of themselves and too often overlooked by potential employers. But the job-hunt can be more complex, and help is available on several levels.

In 2019, a Bureau of Labor Statistics report showed the unemployment rate was lower for veterans than for nonveterans.

But the financial outlook for vets has drastically changed since then, with unemployment jumping to 5.5 percent in January 2021, from 3.5 percent in January 2020.

Another report showed high-ranking veterans more likely to get better pay than noncommissioned veterans and younger veterans.

And, according to data and interviews, women and minority veterans often have a tougher time getting a job.

Kathy Gallowitz, a National Guard veteran and veterans advocate, says civilian engagement with military veterans strengthens communities across the country. (Photo by Alberto Mariani/Cronkite News)

fit in,” Reckner said, noting that these mechanics also can work on airplane pneumatics, hydraulics and propulsion systems.

Sometimes the type of work in the military matters. Former service members who were of higher ranks or had certain skill levels had a better chance of getting a job, according to a 2020 Census Bureau report.

Miachelle DePiano, who questioned whether employers valued her work as a veteran after she left the Army two decades ago, works as a policy analyst and owns her own photography business. (Photo by Alberto Mariani/Cronkite News)

Army veteran Rob Reckner said veterans often struggle to shift their mindset from military service to civilian life.

“It’s kind of scary to talk to a company sometimes if you haven’t been in the market a long time,” said Reckner, a career counselor for veterans. “You’ve got to have that kind of cold call mentality of, ‘I’m going to break the ice and talk to this person and figure out if I am a fit.’”

Employers and veterans often have trouble figuring out how military expertise can transfer to the workplace, Reckner said.

“If you’re a jet engine mechanic in the Navy and you’re looking for a job outside of the service, it’s tough to understand where your skills might

“Former U.S. Army soldiers who were drone operators, military intelligence, cyberspace or telecommunications specialists generally have the highest earnings in the civilian market after leaving service,” the report said.

Younger veterans and those with a lower military rank and less training, however, are at a disadvantage.

“Poorer employment outcomes for combat occupations may reflect a greater mismatch between their military training and the skills and certifications sought by civilian employers,” the report says.

Advocates say military service carries other employment advantages, such as leadership, teamwork and reliability.

“It kind of gets ingrained into you, when you’re in the service, the basics of staying until the mission’s done and continuing to work until you see a result,” Reckner said. “It’s just understanding how to get good at that.”

Brian Ritter was an Army recruiter and fire support specialist assisting combat units under siege before he landed a job with the Census Bureau.

He attributes his success to his two tours in the military.

“It definitely helped me because I’m 40 years old now, and I was in charge of 50- to 60-year-olds that should know what they’re doing,” Ritter said. “The leadership and management skills I got from the military helped me out.”

Denise Pulk worked in the banking industry before entering the Navy and serving four years as a disbursing clerk from 1992 to 1996. During her years of service, she helped sailors deal with their pay benefits while handling foreign currencies when visiting other countries.

She now works with the Scottsdale Charros, a foundation that supports youth through educational programming and financial support.

“I always, in my mind, just kind of knew that being a veteran and being in the military actually made me more employable,” she said.

Veterans also can have a higher income than nonveterans.

A 2019 Pew Research Center report shows the median household income for veterans families in 2017 was nearly $89,000 annually, or $12,000 higher than non-veteran households. The gap has remained mostly steady for four decades.

Veterans of color and female veterans often have a harder time finding a job than white veterans. According to the labor bureau report, the 2019 unemployment rate for veterans of color was nearly double that of white veterans.

“I saw the discrepancy in differences between what white general officers and what African American general officers were getting (treatment after service),” said 34-year retired Army Maj. Gen. Dana Pittard, Pittard, one of the few African

Americans in the military to reach twostar general rank, recalled that “during my transitional period for the military, my job was to find a job.”

He retired after a controversy over an allegation of contract favoritism that he says was false and related to racism – he has since spoken about institutional racism in the military and experiences he faced as he rose through the ranks.

Unlike some African American veterans, he says he received lucrative job offers once he left the military because of his success in the military and because he was transparent about the contract controversy.

Pittard, co-author of the book “Hunting the Caliphate,” also remembers the experiences of his father, who retired as a lieutenant colonel.

“As an African American officer retiring in the early 1970s, there were not a whole lot of job offers for my father,” Pittard recalled. “Big companies simply were not beating down his door to hire him like his fellow white retired officers.”

The situation is worse for female veterans, who typically have higher unemployment than male veterans.

Kathy Gallowitz, previously a parttime member of the National Guard and chief executive of advocacy organization Vanguard Veterans, said she had trouble getting employers to recognize her as a long-term asset.

“When I was going to an interview, particularly a nursing interview, my fear was that people would think that I was too bossy,” she said. “That I was going to sort of command people to do their work.”

DePiano said she faced a certain attitude in her initial job search in 2004.

“I couldn’t get a job as a veteran, no one cared that I was a veteran out here, it didn’t matter,” she said. “I was struggling with having to re-create myself and who I was to be going forward.”

She’s now a policy analyst at American Express and owns Miachelle D Photography.

Military organizations and systems can ease the way for veterans to get jobs. Ritter said the Army starts prepping service members months before they leave.

Before discharge, he said, “you have to go through psych classes to transfer over from military life to civilian life.

I took about three months of classes at Luke Air Force Base towards transitioning that helps you with resumes, interviews and benefits.”

Such organizations as the Department of Veterans Affairs offer some job training help. Reckner works with the Disabled American Veterans Charity and RecruitMilitary to help veterans through virtual hiring events as they look for jobs, whether that’s organizing the right paperwork to knowing how to behave during job interviews.

The American Legion Department of Arizona and other groups seek to provide financial support to veterans and their families.

“We can give you temporary financial assistance with the idea that this is not a handout” – it’s a step to financial freedom, legion spokesperson Bradley Heck said.

THE SUNDAY SANTAN SUN NEWS | MARCH 14, 2021

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THE SUNDAY SANTAN SUN NEWS | MARCH 14, 2021

Lawmakers move to curb emergency powers

BY HOWARD FISCHER Capitol Media Services

State legislators have voted on multiple fronts to curb the power of the governor – this one and future ones – to declare and maintain an emergency.

With no discussion at all, the Senate gave preliminary approval to SCR 1001. If it gets final approval by the Senate and later by the House, it would immediately terminate the emergency that Gov. Doug Ducey declared nearly a year ago.

The resolution, crafted by Sen. Michelle Ugenti-Rita, R-Scottsdale, states that the governor’s March 11 emergency order has interfered with individual rights. That specifically refers to the stay-at-home edicts he issued early in the COVID-19 pandemic.

While those have been allowed to expire, Ugenti-Rita said other Ducey actions remain, including restrictions on how some businesses can operate which she said have wreaked havoc on the economy.

Ducey could terminate the emergency on his own. But he has repeatedly insisted the need for him to assume the special powers remains.

This measure, which now needs a final roll-call vote in the Senate before going to the House, bypasses that using a constitutional provision which allows the Legislature, by a simple majority, to declare the emergency over.

But Ducey could have the last word: A recent opinion by Attorney General Mark Brnovich said that, under the current constitutional provisions, the governor remains free to issue a new emergency order.

That, in turn, goes to the separate legislative actions designed to keep that from happening – at least in the future.

the governor has done, the restrictions imposed, and decide for themselves whether they are appropriate.

But Rep. John Kavanagh, R-Fountain Hills, who crafted the House version, said that there is a need to revisit the decades-old laws for the next time a governor declares an emergency.

“What we have now is absurd,’’ he

We had one person and his advisers making “ decisions on behalf of the entire state, and I would challenge anyone to say that the state and the people in the state were satisfied with those decisions. ’’

– Sen. Kelly Townsend

HCR 2037, approved by the House on a 31-28 party-line vote, would allow a simple majority of state lawmakers to call a special session to consider and review any gubernatorial emergency.

It now takes a two-thirds margin to do that.

Separately, the Senate gave preliminary approval to SCR 1010. It actually would require the governor to call a special session any time he or she declares an emergency.

In both cases, that would give lawmakers the power to review what

told colleagues.

Sen. Kelly Townsend, R-Mesa, author of the Senate measure said it’s a simple matter of the constitutional right of a republican form of government.

“And that’s not what we had this last year,’’ she said.

“We had one person and his advisers making decisions on behalf of the entire state,’’ Townsend said. “And I would challenge anyone to say that the state and the people in the state were satisfied with those decisions.’’

Kavanagh and Townsend both said

nothing in the measure would stop the governor from declaring an emergency and issuing immediate orders. What it does is ensure the Legislature is in session and has a voice.

“And that’s when we deliberate, maybe we negotiate, we do a log of things,’’ Kavanagh said. “And then we make a decision as to whether or not the governor acted wisely.’’

The whole concept of legislators second-guessing the governor bothered Rep. Randall Friese, D-Tucson.

“In a pandemic, very specifically, when decisions need to be made expeditiously to address rapid spread,” he said, “I think one person with the advice of experts, and the guidance of their agencies like the Department of Health Services, making those decisions is less problematic than 90 people.’’

And he asked if that wouldn’t slow the process down to the point of being ineffective. Friese said he agrees, in essence, with the idea of giving the Legislature a voice in future emergencies.

But he said that future emergencies could require rapid – and unilateral – action.

“If there isn’t quick action, he said the impact on Arizona could be even more pronounced than it has been.

“We will have businesses close for much longer, we will have hospitals at capacity,’’ Friese said. “We will have many more people sick and dying.’’

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COMMUNITY NEWS

THE SUNDAY SANTAN SUN NEWS | MARCH 14, 2021

29

Firearms industry alleges discrimination by banks

BY HOWARD FISCHER Capitol Media Services

The National Rifle Association and its allies in the firearms industry want Arizona lawmakers to force banks to do business with them.

In testimony to the House Judiciary Committee, lobbyists for both groups told lawmakers that some manufacturers are having problems getting loans from financial institutions.

There also were complaints about retailers having access to point-of-sale terminals to process credit card transactions.

Michael Findlay who represents the National Shooting Sports Foundation, said this is more than a business dispute and that anything that hampers production and sale of weapons could infringe on Arizonans' right to bear arms.

The measure, HB 2827, sponsored

by Rep. Frank Carroll, R-Sun City West, now awaits debate of the full House.

But its future is not a sure thing, even in a legislature that has a history of approving any measure dubbed as protecting the right to own a gun.

That because the measure could end up setting a precedent of the state telling companies with whom they have to do business.

And it did not escape the debate that the request comes just a year after the Arizona Supreme Court ruled that the owners of a Phoenix calligraphy firm

Rep. Frank Carroll have the constitutional right to refuse to provide custom wedding invitations when same-sex couples exercise their own constitutional right to wed.

Dan Reid, regional director of the NRA, said there is a particular problem that lawmakers need to address.

“This prevents discrimination in lending practices within the firearms industry,’’ he said. “If companies aren’t able to secure lines of credit, if they’re

WE BLANKET THE AREA.

having problems processing payments, that, in turn, could impact consumers on the back end.’’

That drew questions from Rep. Diego Rodriguez, D-Phoenix.

“What would be the discriminatory portion of a bank or financial institution to say, ‘We just don’t want to loan you money’?’’ he asked.

Reid said there are examples where companies that have been current with their loans suddenly find they can’t get money “purely on the basis of the business.’’ That did not impress Rodriguez as unfair or illegal discrimination.

“Let’s just say a bank makes a decision, ‘we no longer want to be in the adult industry, for example,’’ he said.

“Aren’t we talking about the same thing?’’ Rodriguez continued. “Sometimes people just decide they don’t want to do business with other people any more just because they changed their decision-making process.’’

Reid rejected the comparison.

“We’re talking about two very different things here as far as a constitutionally protected right,’’ he said, not addressing whether adult businesses also have a constitutionally protected right under the First Amendment.

“A disturbing trend has developed in which financial institutions are declining to work with entire industries based upon the desires of a small vocal minority who are using the modern-day megaphone of social media to cancel

entire lawful commerce and businesses,’’ Findlay said. And he said there is precedent for what the firearms manufacturers and dealers are seeking.

“Government has a long history of regulating the banking industry and financial institutions,’’ he said.

For example, he cited the Equal Credit Opportunity Act. It bars discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, sex, marital status, receipt of public assistance or good faith exercise of any rights under the Consumer Credit Protection Act. There’s also the Americans with Disabilities Act which provides civil rights protections to those with disabilities.

Rodriguez bristled at the comparisons.

“Are you equating legislation that is designed to prevent ‘redlining’ in racial discrimination to this bill?’’ he asked, referring to federal protections against housing discrimination based on race.

Findlay backed off.

“I’m not equating it to those two things,’’ he said. But Findlay said it falls within the statutes of what is and is not permissible.

“If you prevent an entire industry, and your entire policy is to prevent an entire industry from access to capital and financial services, then it would be, as the U.S. Code says, discrimination,’’ he said.

See

GUNS on page 30

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COMMUNITY NEWS

GUNS

from page 29

That didn’t satisfy Rodriguez who pointed out that the legislation would allow a “victim’’ of this kind of discrimination to get not only actual damages but also triple and punitive damages.

“The idea that equating a manufacturer’s access to capital is the same as actively, proactively punishing and

THE SUNDAY SANTAN SUN NEWS | MARCH 14, 2021

preventing discrimination in lending, which has been throughout the history of this country, I take offense to that,’’ he said. “This bill gives remedy to gun manufacturers that I, a person of color, wouldn’t have even if I could show I was discriminated against.’’

Rep. Diego DeGrazia, D-Tucson, suggested that Findlay was taking liberties with what constitutes “discrimination.’’

He said that the law bars discrimination against “protected classes.’’

“Those classes are generally based on race, color, religion, national origin, sex, marital status, age,’’ DeGrazia said. “Are you saying that a company that wants to manufacture firearms or firearms products is somehow a protected class?’’

But House Speaker Rusty Bowers, R-Mesa, said the definition is not as narrow as all that.

“The ‘protected class’ here is those who exercise the right to bear arms,’’ he said.

Bowers said its not like the banks are

taking away someone’s guns.

“The angle is we will address and use our considerable power to influence the banking institutions that otherwise are happy to loan to anybody to make a profit,’’ he said.

Carroll said the state needs to defend the firearms industry, saying it is “supporting the health and safety of persons with their Second Amendment right to defend themselves.’’

No date has been set for the bill to go to the House floor.

ICAN partners with Chandler's Hill Academy

BY ALEXA TAYLOR Contributor

Chandler nonprofit ICAN has been serving the community for over 30 years and is now partnering with Chandler Unified School District to help kids in need.

The partnership makes ICAN a satellite of CUSD’s Chief Hill Learning Academy, which is dedicated to providing for the educational needs of at-risk children.

“The creation of the school was to help decrease the number of students who are classified as ‘dropped out’ of CUSD in the 85225 ZIP code,” ICAN states on its website.

ICAN spokeswoman Katie Stringham said her organization is working to boost technology and resources for Hill Academy students, especially during after-school hours.

“We accommodated anytime Chandler went online to increase our hours to full days even though we are normally an after-school program, and we

also provided technology resources to students,” she said.

Hill Academy offers junior and senior high school classes and Principal Dave Constance says students “have the op-

are facing and arm them with skills so that they can handle situations out in the community and in their homes in a better way,” Stringham explained.

ICAN has said downtown Chandler

Our staff sits down and talks the kids through “ their challenges that they are facing and arm them with skills so that they can handle situations out in the community and in their homes in a better way. ”

– Katie Stringham

portunity to overcome past challenges and start fresh on a path to achieve their goals.”

ICAN focuses on drug and substance abuse, gang activity and juvenile delinquency by working with children and teens on social and emotional health strategies.

“Our staff sits down and talks the kids through their challenges that they

is home to nine rival gangs and that 70 percent of families living in the downtown area have household incomes below the poverty line, and that at-risk children are susceptible to drugs, violence and hunger.

City Councilman OD Harris said one of those top priorities is gun violence in the city.

“Gun-related crimes in Chandler are a top priority of the Chandler Police Department,” Harris said.

“With an increase in these incidents, enforcement, outreach, and crime analysis efforts will continue to be implemented by our police department. We all have the same goal – making Chandler a safe place for everyone.”

Harris noted that Chandler is ranked as one of the safest cities in the nation, and that it saw a 9 percent year-overyear decrease in crime last year.

He said groups like ICAN are a key part of the city’s efforts to steer young people away from trouble.

“I am really proud of the opportunities the city, our schools, and sports programs have provided our youth,” Harris said.

“From robust arts and cultural programs to STEM groups to title winning sports teams, Chandler fosters an environment where anything is possible. It is our job to work together to ensure those opportunities remain attainable by all.”

COMMUNITY NEWS

THE SUNDAY SANTAN SUN NEWS | MARCH 14, 2021

31

COVID-19 inspiring innovative tech solutions ical health. Rather, the robot learns how to treat a person emotionally, based on what the user shares, making each experience unique to the individual.

“If we are going to ask people to engage in a platform, it needs to have a personality, it needs to be a humanlike experience,” Jordan said.

BY CLAIRE SPINNER Cronkite News

From adapting robots to decontaminate surfaces and deliver food to developing kiosks that can measure vital signs, experts across the globe are using innovative technology to solve complications brought on by COVID-19.

In Arizona, the push for new technology has led to innovations to help curb loneliness, improve access to health care and track the spread of the disease.

Cronkite News spoke with three trailblazers whose creations aim to solve problems magnified by the pandemic – or which could help tackle another crisis down the road.

Judith Su’s Little Sensor Lab

Could a handheld device one day detect COVID-19 and other diseases just from the breath? That’s the hope of Judith Su, an assistant professor of biomedical engineering at the University of Arizona.

Her Little Sensor Lab is working on ways to detect trace amounts of biomarkers for diseases, including cancer, Alzheimer’s disease, Lyme disease and COVID-19, which is caused by a virus.

The lab specializes in using optical sensors for ultrasensitive medical diagnostics, employing the same kind of science that allows an Apple Watch to monitor your heart rate or a pulse oximeter clamped to your finger to measure your blood oxygen content.

The technology Su is developing is called FLOWER – short for “frequency locked optical whispering evanescent resonator.”

What makes FLOWER different is its ability to detect substances down to a single molecule, using tiny light waves that are about the size of a grain of salt. If the molecule under scrutiny is present, it changes the light’s index of refraction.

“If you can detect lower concentrations of biomarkers, you can get earlier disease diagnostics,” said Su, who last fall received a $1.8 million grant from the National Institute of General Medical Sciences to further research at her lab.

Khalid Al-Maskari’s COPE-ing plan

Judith Su, an assistant professor of biomedical engineering, runs the Little Sensor Lab at the University of Arizona. She’s working to develop ways to detect trace amounts of biomarkers for diseases – including COVID-19. (Chris Richards/University of Arizona)

The goal is to create a handheld “point-of-care” device that would allow users to screen themselves for COVID-19 or other diseases by having them breathe into the device.

“This optical technology is something that could immediately improve the quality of people’s lives and really make a difference,” Su said. “It was a no brainer for us to apply it to the pandemic situation.”

The technology also can be used to test out drugs and treatments, something that could be invaluable to the current pandemic or future crises.

“The medical field is something that we can have a lot of impact on, even immediate impact,” Su said. “There are a lot of applications in our lab that we are looking at.”

Cindy Jordan’s Pyxir robotic companion

While much of the technology being created around COVID-19 focuses on physical health, Pyx Health in Tucson is exploring some of the mental health issues that have surfaced, specifically loneliness and social isolation.

Since the pandemic was declared a year ago, researchers have been examining its effect on loneliness and social isolation.

One report released in October by the AARP Foundation and United Health Foundation found two-thirds of U.S. adults were experiencing social isolation.

Almost a third of adults reported going one to three months without interacting with anyone outside their home or workplace.

Social isolation has been linked to increased risks of dementia, heart disease, stroke and premature death, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Pyx is looking to help, with a mobile app that uses artificial intelligence to assist people who are especially vulnerable. The app features Pyxir, a “carebot” that can provide 24/7 companionship and support. It helps screen for loneliness and determines whether a user needs human contact or additional resources.

“It’s a little counterintuitive to think that we are going to use technology to solve loneliness, but it is incredibly important because loneliness is so pervasive that you need a scalable solution that people can use in the moment,” Pyx CEO Cindy Jordan said.

Jordan designed the app to be nonclinical, she said. Users won’t be asked for specific information related to phys-

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When the pandemic struck, staff at COPE Community Services in Tucson quickly discovered they were underprepared to make the transition to remote services. The nonprofit physical and behavioral health organization, which staffs about 500 people, needed outside help to keep serving its 15,000 clients.

COPE turned to Health Information Management Systems, a health technology firm with offices in Tucson and Phoenix, to help it quickly move to remote services and launch telehealth options.

CEO Khalid Al-Maskari worked to ensure that laptops were distributed to COPE employees while his team created a remote server to speed and ease functions. Within days, training programs for telehealth services were underway.

Al-Maskari and his team also created an app to help COPE’s employees communicate securely online, as well as a website to allow patients to submit information and get connected to a provider in a matter of minutes.

“We want to do everything possible to make sure employees don’t get stuck on the technical side and clients don’t get stuck not knowing what to do next,” he said.

Numerous health clinics nationwide had to close temporarily – and some for good – because of the shutdowns and restrictions resulting from the pandemic. In Tucson, the technology helped COPE not just maintain its client base but see additional people who needed help during the pandemic.

As COPE CEO Rod Cook told Healthcare IT News: “The value of disaster-preparedness, coupled with an in-depth business continuity plan, should not be understated for integrated health care organizations.

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Since 2017, Grounded No More founder Tony Anger and his team of volunteers have flown 430 veterans of all ages in his vintage Fairchild PT-26 trainer. (Rachel Stapholz/

Cronkite News)

WWII vet gets thrill of a lifetime at Falcon Field

BY RACHEL STAPHOLZ Cronkite News

The two-seat aircraft – sunshine gold and christened Amazing Grace – taxied along a line of its honored passenger’s family members, friends and Patriot Guard Riders before roaring off from Falcon Field.

The plane’s special passenger was World War II Navy veteran Norman Langeliers – who had turned 94 three days before his flight last month.

The special occasion was courtesy of the Christian nonprofit organization Grounded No More Inc. CEO Tony Anger said he founded the nonprofit in January 2017 to give back to those who served our country. His team of volunteers, who spend their weekends honoring veterans, joined Langeliers for the nonprofit’s 430th veteran flight in the rare plane, a Fairchild PT-26 trainer.

“I’m just overwhelmed, appreciative,” Langeliers said before he and Anger lifted off.

Langeliers, who joined the Navy at 17, served on the USS Indianapolis, which transported components of the first atomic bomb used against Japan during WWII. Until recently, he said, he had to get his blood drawn every year to make sure he was healthy.

Before every flight, Anger leads a prayer for the veteran of the day.

He thanks them for their service, recites the Pledge of Allegiance and

provides a quick history lesson about what flight-school candidates would learn on their first day.

Then he and the veteran climb aboard the Fairchild PT-26, which was built in late 1943, and head to the skies.

Grounded No More flies U.S. veterans of all eras, as well as some from Canada.

Anger originally bought Amazing Grace in remembrance of his father, who performed in airshows when Anger was young. He flew the plane once with his daughter before he took the first veteran for a ride. He said he chooses veterans to fly mostly by chance, when people reach out to him or by word of mouth.

Some of the veterans Anger has flown have described being on the verge of suicide, but, he said, “This ride actually changed their lives.”

Anger believes that the adrenaline produced by certain aerial maneuvers, such as pulling Gs, “supersedes some of the other stuff that kind of sucked in their lives.”

The flights cost about $70,000 a year, including regular aircraft maintenance.

Grounded No More is a 501(c)3 nonprofit entirely funded by donations.

When he prays before each flight, Anger quotes Abraham Lincoln: “Honor to the soldier and sailor everywhere, who bravely bears his country’s cause.

Honor, also, to the citizen who cares for his brother in the field and serves, as he best can, the same cause.”

THE SUNDAY SANTAN SUN NEWS | MARCH 14, 2021

33

For more community news visit SanTanSun.com

Chandler business owner achieves her dream

BY KEVIN REAGAN Staff Writer

Raihana Nadem grew up in a place where she wasn’t allowed to pursue her passion for beauty makeup and cosmetology.

The 28-year-old Chandler resident was raised in Afghanistan, where she didn’t have the freedom to change her appearance – or make most any other decision for herself.

The country’s customs often dictated how Nadem had to dress and behave in public – which never made much sense to her.

“If I don’t want to be covered,” she said of the traditional veil and headdress, “there shouldn’t be any problem.”

Afghanistan has long had a troubling reputation for its treatment of women as the country has endured decades of war, turmoil, and political instability.

Human rights organizations have regularly disparaged the country’s track record on gender equality and have repeatedly called on the government to make its laws more hospitable to women.

Nadem said she grew up observing ambitious women attacked by terrorists who felt threatened by their boldness

“They were not very happy but they and whose civil rights were suppressed. are now,” Nadem said.

Although her parents pushed NaAfter educating herself in various dem and her five sisters to pursue an beauty practices for the last few years, education, there were some fields of Nadem is preparing to open a new salon study that were still inaccessible in her in Chandler later this month at 3731 S. country’s patriarchal society.

Arizona Ave. near Ocotillo Road “Women being a cosmetolcalled Bella Vita Med-Spa. ogist, a hairdresser, a makeClients will be able up artist -- that doesn’t to book appointments exist,” Nadem said. “If it for facial and body does, they get targetsculpting treatments ed all the time… just designed to make because they want themselves feel more to make others look confident about their more beautiful.” appearance.

Nadem initially Every customer worked as a civil engiwill hopefully walk out neer for construction of Bella Vita with a smile, contractors before decidNadem said, and feel coming to switch career paths as she was preparing to immigrate Raihana Nadem forted by the spa’s welcoming atmosphere. to the United States.

“We treat our clientele like kings and She dreamed of working in the beauty industry and opening up a salon queens,” she said.

Bella Vita offers a combination of in some American town where she’d have the freedom to experiment with a high-tech services and old-fashion holistic remedies to sculpt a client’s face variety of products. to their satisfaction.

But her parents weren’t exactly Botox, lip tinting, eyebrow threadthrilled about Nadem changing careers and immersing herself into a profession ing,and laser hair removal are some of the modern services Nadem’s currentthat felt foreign to them.

ly offering. She also uses some basic, organic products for her selection of anti-aging facials.

Nadem said some of her techniques are inspired by the knowledge her mother gave her about how to use natural ingredients for beauty regimens.

Afghanistan didn’t offer much of a supply for cosmetics, she noted, so Nadem’s family often had to grind up plants and spices for a homemade cream to clear up acne breakouts.

“All I had was herbs and my mom was teaching us how to have flawless skin,” Nadem said.

Bella Vita’s treatments range in price from $50 to $1,000 per session and customers can earn a discount by signing up for a membership.

Nadem said her goal is to keep her prices low in order to make them accessible for a wide cross-section of clients.

“I want every woman, every man to be able to afford the newest technology or holistic side,” she added.

Bella Vita’s won’t be the first business Nadem has started on her own.

Shortly after immigrating to the U.S., she and her husband settled down in See

NADEM on page 38

Chandler facility used to house new kind of mask

BY KRISTINE CANNON Staff Writer

Innonix Technologies earlier this month used its Chandler facility to unveil the first FDA-cleared anti-viral mask for children.

The mask, which is part of the RespoKare line of face masks, quickly destroys 99.99 percent of human coronavirus, as well as influenza and other viruses, within minutes of contact.

“As the more dangerous COVID-19 variants are quietly spreading, Arizona has seen record infection numbers. While most Americans protect themselves by wearing masks as a physical barrier from the virus, RespoKare steps further by destroying viruses on contact,” said Kevin MacDonald, managing director of Innonix Technologies USA LLC, which is headquartered in Scottsdale.

Other masks in the RespoKare line include a surgical grade flat mask and a N95 respirator model.

All masks use the same lab-tested, patented technology that features an anti-viral layer of rayon material coated with concentrations of copper and zinc ions.

The copper and zinc ions destroy viruses within minutes once they hit the mask’s surface.

The four-layer design of the mask includes: the outer layer, which traps contaminated droplets; the patented anti-viral layer, which destroys pathogens with the use of copper and zinc ions; the filter layer, which traps fine particles; and the liquid-resistant inner layer, which provides further protection.

Kevin MacDonald, managing director of Innonix Technologies USA LLC, wears the Respokare Anti-Viral Mask, the first FDA-cleared anti-viral face mask that destroys coronavirus. (Jennifer Sturgeon)

The mask achieves a 99.9 percent inactivation of viral particles within one minute; and when tested against 15 different strains of influenza, it achieves a 99.9 percent inactivation in less than five minutes.

“We are creating awareness of our premium masks and offering them to people who are looking for a quality mask with added anti-viral technology.

We hope to play a role in mitigating Arizona’s pandemic,” MacDonald said.

The RespoKare line of masks is currently in stock in Arizona at Walgreens and Walmart.

The RespoKare Anti-Viral Mask and the RespoKare N95 Respirator Plus also available for sale through three authorized resellers, including Protectly, Peel

Away Labs, and Wellbefore.

The masks are affordable, too.

The ASTM level 3 surgical grade masks in adult and child sizes are $2.49 each and the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health-approved N95 Respirator Plus, which is available in medium and large sizes, is $4.99 each.

“We believe it’s a fair price for a better product,” MacDonald said.

While more than 633,000 Maricopa County adult residents have been vaccinated with at least one dose of COVID-19 vaccine, according to the county’s website, MacDonald believes the demand for masks won’t go away.

“A year and a half ago, most of our clientele were Asian Americans [who] tradi-

tionally wear masks when they’re sick. So now, what we found is that post-pandemic the demand for masks probably won’t go away. These can be used in operating rooms,” MacDonald said.

Innonix Technologies’ facility in Chandler is currently stocked with 1.8 million masks, 30,000 of which will be donated to low-income senior citizen facilities, in-class elementary teachers, and police officers.

The Phoenix Police Foundation received 8,000 masks and allocated them to the Phoenix Police Department.

“The significance of this is, one, we’re providing additional coverage for our patrol officers to use,” said Timothy Thomas, President of the Phoenix Police Foundation.

“When they’re out there, they have a lot of encounters with our citizens, and they also frequently encounter citizens that may not have a mask,” Thomas continued. “They might not have a quality mask; so, having these 8,000 masks provides an opportunity for some positive engagement with our officers.”

Scottsdale Unified School District was also a recipient of the masks, and Tavan Elementary School, specifically, received theirs on Feb. 25.

“These masks complement the district’s ongoing virus-mitigation strategies that have allowed us to offer in-person instruction to Scottsdale students since last fall,” said SUSD Superintendent Dr. Scott Menzel.

“Home-grown solutions to a global issue say a lot about the people we call our neighbors,” Menzel added.

Information: respokare.com

BUSINESS

34

THE SUNDAY SANTAN SUN NEWS | MARCH 14, 2021

EV sleep expert offers ways to more zzz’s

BY STACI HAUK Contributor

Pandemic-fueled stress is hurting many people’s sleep and in turn weakening their immune systems and overall health.

Fatigue and chronic insomnia are complaints that Joey Holt, Amerisleep chief operating officer and sleep expert, has become all too familiar with.

He and his staff at their San Tan Village store have come to recognize “Coronasomnia” and relied on research to lead them in their efforts to help costumers get more and better z’s.

“We actually noticed signs of Coronasomnia before COVID-19 hit the states because many guests who’d come into the showroom were already changing and canceling their travel plans.” Holt recalled. “Many had also Joey Holt, chief operating officer and sleep expert at Amerisleep in San Tan Village, said the expressed concerns about friends and pandemic is causing more people more sleep-deprived nights. (Special to SanTan Sun News) family overseas.

“While the term hadn’t been out yet, it was clear that many customers were of Arizona researchers found more increased 34.1 percent, sleep meds already worried about the looming pan- than half of 1,000 participants reportincreased 14.8 percent and antidepresdemic and that it had begun to affect ed experiencing insomnia during the sants increased 18.6 percent, according their quality of life and sleep.” pandemic. to Express Scripts.

Disrupted routines, social isolation, If Coronasomnia is ignored, it could The developers of Ginger, an app job loss, ongoing uncertainty and ques- lead to profound health issues including that provides video and chat-based tions about vaccines are causing a surge elevated risks for high blood pressure, mental health services, reported its in what sleep experts now call Corodepression and overwhelming anxiety, psychiatrists wrote almost 90 percent nasomnia, according to the American they warned. more prescriptions for psychotropic Medical Association.

When the pandemic started, predrugs last March and April than in the A recent sleep study by University scriptions for anti-anxiety medications previous two months last year.

Try not to turn a “ bedroom into an office, even though you might be working from home, as it helps disconnect the mind from stress at night.

”

– Joey Holt

“Fast forward eight months and at least 75 percent of our customers come in expressing concerns,” Holt said.

“Many of them just can’t stop worrying and in most cases, those worrisome thoughts turn into nonstop chatter inside their heads when they try to go to sleep at night.”

There are several things Holt recommends doing on a daily basis that will allow people to slowly flip their sleepless routines into a good night’s rest.

They include waking up when there is bright light as early as possible. This includes exposing yourself to artificial or natural light within the first one or two hours after waking.

Staying off of social media while See

SLEEP on page 36

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Harrah’s Ak-Chin Casino manager proud of growth

BY CHRISTINA FUOCO-KARASINSKI Staff Writer

Harrah’s Ak-Chin Casino’s sweltering gaming floor is filled with the sounds of bells, winners’ squeals and chit chat among the guests on a recent Saturday.

They’re all socially distanced, even in the busy restaurants.

Michael Kintner, the casino’s senior vice president and general manager, is proud of how the complex has been able to survive the pandemic.

He chalks it up to the Caesars Entertainment’s affiliation with Harrah’s.

Players can sign up for Caesars Rewards, which can be collected at any of the company’s nearly 40 U.S. properties for casino gaming or entertainment activities.

“It doesn’t cost anything to sign up,” he said. “Right now, if you sign up, you get $25 in free play. You can use your credits in the restaurant, nongaming or gaming. It keeps people coming back.”

Approaching his 16-year anniversary with Harrah’s Ak-Chin Casino, Kintner enjoys the venue as much as the guests.

He shares his joy when strangers ask about his occupation.

“People ask me, ‘What do you do for a living?’ I say, ‘Well, I play games for a living,” he said with a laugh.

“Seriously, I get to work for 864 very talented people. They like to provide great service as part of our culture and

Harrah’s Ak-Chin Casino has maintained a number of measures to protect patrons from COVID-19, including reducing the number of gaming machines in use. (Pablo Robles)

who we are at Harrah’s Ak-Chin. We like to say we inspire grownups to play.”

Stellar customer service is part of the Harrah’s Ak-Chin Casino experience, he said, although it’s hard to tell the mask-clad employees are smiling.

“Normally, we smile, make eye contact and say, ‘Hi. How are you doing?’”

A few years ago, Harrah’s Ak-Chin Casino underwent a $10 million expansion. Now the resort has more than 529 hotel rooms and suites.

“On the weekends, we can run 100

percent sold out,” he said. “It’s a little down during the week. For the most part, people are getting vaccinated and case numbers are going down. We’re starting to see some people come back.”

Harrah’s Ak-Chin Casino is doing its part to keep guests safe. The facility has sanitation stations, masks, temperature checks and employees who clean the slot machines.

“We’re keeping everything as clean as possible,” he said. “We’re social

distancing in our restaurants. We’re actually down to about 27 percent of our seating capacity and our buffets are completely closed. It’s worked out.

Guests have been able to come back and play.”

Management decided against keeping plexiglass in between the games because it causes “all sorts of vision issues.”

“We’re only running at about 72 percent of our machines,” Kintner said.

“Our slot performance manager has gotten really creative. We only have so much floor space, and plexiglass wasn’t working for us. If there’s a dispute on a jackpot, like, say a machine has something funky happen to it, or a customer said, ‘I won $1,000’ and there’s really only $800, surveillance has to be able to see it.

“We were working with our tribal regulators and they weren’t very comfortable with that. We decided not to have as many games so we could socially distance and spread out as we could.”

Cameras are also placed throughout casino and hotel to ensure guests – and workers for that matter – are socially distanced.

“If we ever have an issue, we are able to contact-trace and find out whether it’s employees or whoever and deal with it,” Kintner said.

The restaurants are bustling. For See

CASINO on page 38

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BUSINESS

THE SUNDAY SANTAN SUN NEWS | MARCH 14, 2021

Farmer Boys opens 1st Arizona location in Gilbert SANTAN SUN NEWS STAFF

A California farm-fresh chain is the latest addition to Gilbert’s burgeoning restaurant scene.

Farmer Boys, the Riverside fast casual concept, opened its first Arizona location in the new City Gate Marketplace located at 1535 W. Higley Road.

The 40-year-old chain specializes in “farm-fresh food,” serving breakfast, lunch and dinner with everything from pancakes and eggs to burgers and salads.

Produce, locally sourced when available, is delivered fresh and whole to each restaurant every morning, meaning it doesn’t sit in a warehouse for weeks and can be enjoyed at its pinnacle of crispness and flavor.

“The fresher the food, the better it tastes,” said Omar Mawas, franchise owner of the Gilbert restaurant.

“There’s a difference between fast food and farm fresh food found at Farmer Boys.

“It is a privilege to introduce farmto-table food to Gilbert, Arizona and bring new jobs and support for local schools and organizations throughout the community.”

The Gilbert location is open from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily. The restaurant will offer dine-in, drive-thru, phone, and take-out service.

Farmer Boys offers a downloadable Very Important Farmer app with personalized offers, birthday treats and early alerts about new menu launches.

Information: farmerboys.com.

Amerisleep in San Tan Village not only offers an array of mattresses and linens, but also provides sleep coaching in its sanitized showroom. (Special to SanTan Sun News)

SLEEP

from page 34

lying in bed is a guilty pleasure that can contribute to a sleepless night, Holt said, adding people should get out of bed and read a book because it will work wonders to calm a cluttered mind.

“We rarely note our sleep positions because we’re not really thinking about it when we fall asleep or wake up, but try and remember,” he said. “Knowing your favorite sleep position and choosing a mattress that best supports it will definitely help you fall asleep.”

“Also, if you have a partner who moves around or is up and down at night, choose a mattress that isolates motion, produces little to no noise and provides a sleep surface that improves sleep quality for both sleepers.”

Switching to decaffeinated drinks, especially after 2 p.m., and keeping your bedroom as your bedroom are also

crucial.

“Try not to turn a bedroom into an office, even though you might be working from home, as it helps disconnect the mind from stress at night,” Holt said.

Amerisleep’s SanTan Village store not only offers hypoallergenic mattresses and bedding but general sleep health coaching in its sanitized showroom.

Options such as memory foam and hybrid mattresses as well as pillows, sheets, blankets and adjustable beds make a visit the perfect way to recreate a comfortable sleep space in one stop, Holt said, adding: “One of our trained sleep coaches will individually assess each guest’s needs to ensure they not only leave the showroom feeling educated about sleep options, but comforted that a good night’s rest is possible in these trying times.”

Information: https://amerisleep. com/retail/gilbert-santan-village.

BUSINESS

THE SUNDAY SANTAN SUN NEWS | MARCH 14, 2021

37

Pita Jungle predicts opportunities with food truck

BY CONNOR DZIAWURA Staff Writer

Since it was founded in 1994, Pita Jungle has grown to 24 locations across the Phoenix area, Flagstaff and Tucson – including locations at 5025 S. Gilbert Road in Chandler Heights and 1949 W. Ray Road in the northern part of the city.

To continue its expansion and provide healthy options to a growing customer base here in the Valley, the Mediterranean chain is taking a different angle with the launch of its new food truck.

“Everyone has been kind of seduced by the notion of food trucks, and that had started a few years ago when food trucks came out of the woodwork as a new thing,” said Bassel Osmani, Pita Jungle co-founder. “Chefs were going on food trucks. Suddenly, it wasn’t just typical ‘food truck’ food.”

Citing a shift from typical “festival food” such as hot dogs to “gourmet” options, Osmani realizes there are opportunities that come with mobile food, especially in light of recent events.

“Now, in the wake of COVID — or while we’re still in COVID — we realized that’s something that we can use in several fashions,” Osmani explains. “Having turned to Uber Eats and DoorDash and all these platforms during this pandemic, we noticed with our brand recognition all that we needed to do is turn on a platform to get sales.”

The 20-foot truck features a cus-

in which there could be a drive-thru lane, something he said other restaurants have had success with during the pandemic.

“Imagine you have physical location and you put the truck next to it and you create a traffic loop where cars drive up to the food truck, place an order on a microphone or by a human attendant in a parking lot, and then they drive through Pita Jungle’s new food truck will be motoring across all its locations, including those in Chandler. it and pick up,” he describes.

(Pablo Robles/Staff Photographer) Another opportunity could be going so far as to put food trucks in more The truck’s location will be updated tom-built kitchen, serving some of the remote locations, giving people access in real time on Pita Jungle’s website, brand’s usual starters, salads, pitas, to healthy food by such areas as rest with the brand also aiming to engage sandwiches, bowls and desserts — not with supporters on social media, Osma- stops. to mention combos and a few new “I thought about the notion of going items specific to the truck. Osmani calls ni said.

On the other hand, he said catering is somewhere on the I-10 or the I-8 bethe selections Pita Jungle’s “greatest a “huge” part of Pita Jungle, which has al- tween Phoenix and San Diego, Phoenix hits” that also work in a mobile format. and LA, and putting food trucks there,” ways sought a practical way of doing so.

Plus, he said, the team is leaving room Osmani notes.

“If nothing else, I mean, that food for specials.

And while he emphasizes it’s not in truck will be a very useful tool just to “We’ll be testing things to see what the works, a “summon” feature is on his shape up and fortify our catering operworks, what doesn’t,” he explains. ations,” Osmani said. “And then if things wish list so the food truck could target Osmani is keeping his eye on ophigh-demand areas. work out, the sky’s the limit, right?” portunities from all angles, and he sees “There’s lot of cool applications, but While the goal is to eventually have a many different ways the food truck we have to figure out the logistics,” he fleet of food trucks, Osmani considers could prove useful to Pita Jungle. said. the first one “the proverbial wetting Mainly, it will allow expanded acthe whistle.” It all depends upon results. cess to areas where the chain doesn’t “We’ll take it from there,” he said. already have restaurants, while also Pita Jungle Beyond the obvious scenarios, Osallowing third-party delivery support. pitajungle.com mani is open to other opportunities for Osmani likens it to a new restaurant @pitajungle the food truck. That includes a future and digital storefront.

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THE SUNDAY SANTAN SUN NEWS | MARCH 14, 2021

New East Valley business preserves memories, helps charity SANTAN SUN NEWS STAFF

It’s not a bad thing if Dave Modean wants to frame you.

He has been doing it long enough o others.

Now he’s come up with a way of taking his expertise in the picture framing business and helping nonprofits.

Running his newly formed business, Frame It for Good, out of his Ahwatukee home of 17 years, Modean frames digital photos and sends them anywhere in the U.S. without charge.

And up to $10 of job’s cost will be sent to a charity of the customer’s choice.

Those without a particular charity in mind can choose from ones that he supports: Desert Visa High School’s baseball team; Native American Helping Hand, which helps tribal elders; Military Assistance Mission, which provides financial and moral support to current Arizona military and their families and post 9/11 Purple Heart recipients; and

Dave Modean in Ahwatukee has started a framing business that gives back to charities. (Special to SanTan Sun News)

Haiti Cheri, which cultivates Christian communities throughout Haiti.

“Time moves forward, children grow up and parents age,” Modean notes on his website. “The time to capture and preserve these memories is now. ” Modean has been in the pic-

ture-framing business for over 23 years.

He spent 17 years with a Berkshire Hathaway company called Larson Juhl, where he was west region sales director, and then was vice president of North American sales for six years for Crescent Matboard Company.

“I wanted to leverage my background and relationships in the industry I have been in for the last 23 years and come up with a way to give back,” he explained.

“There are so many charities and organizations that do such great work in our communities that need help to keep doing what they do best, help people,” he said.

And he’s just not looking for customers; he also seeks nonprofits that might want a partner.

“We are actively looking for more organizations to help,” he said. “Churches, school teams/clubs, Boys & Girls Scouts and any charity organization that would like us to help them raise funds.”

It won’t cost those organizations a

cent, he added. “There are no fees or minimums.”

His business is strictly an online operation.

“We only frame photos that people can upload from their phone or computer,” he said. “All the production-printing the photo and framing is done with a great family-owned partner that shares our vision for great quality and our mission to make a difference,” Modean continued. “We produce a beautifully framed photo and then ship it freight free in the continental USA.” Modean offers five print sizes to choose from up to 16” x 20” and customers can pick from a single- or double-mat design.

Small wonder that Modean’s mission of giving customers a quality framing job while helping a nonprofit formed the motto for his company: “Preserve a memory while making a difference.”

Information: dmodean@frameitforgood.com or frameitforgood.com.

2 case studies on maximizing retirement

BY HAROLD WONG Guest Writer

Typical retirement investment options are: an .88 percent coupon interest on a 10-year and 1.63 percent on a 30-year U.S. Treasury Bond; 1 percent or less on bank CDs; and 2.02 percent average dividend yield and 4.57 percent compound growth rate before fees over the last 21 years on S&P 500 stocks.

I will cover two case studies that are composites of various client situations I have seen over the decades.

Case study 1: A couple ages 54 have combined $100,000 annual income; have saved $500,000; can save $15,000 a year until retirement and can average 4 percent compound growth rate in the stock market.

Assume that all debt is paid off at retirement. They pay $10,000 of annual income tax and their goal is to have at least $80,000 of annual retirement income.

Solution: They both retire at age 67, full-retirement age for Social Security benefits with $50,000 of annual SS in-

CASINO

from page 35

casual dining, there’s Agave’s Restaurant, which serves traditional and southwestern fare, and the tapas-style Oak & Fork.

“The restaurants are fantastic,” Kintner said. “Oak & Fork has small plates and a wine bar. We have all the wine taps on the wall. I want to say there are 16 of them. So

NADEM

from page 33

North Dakota and Nadem decided to open up a barbershop.

She managed to attract dozens of customers each day by opening up a bar inside the salon and serving beers to clients as they got their hair trimmed. The unique idea caught on

come. At age 54, they deposit $300,000 in a private pension fund, which will generate $32,225 of annual retirement income for life at age 67.

Their $15,000-a-year annual savings, compounding at 4 percent for 14 years in the stock market, will become $285,354. Assume this will pay for bucket list dreams during their first 10 years of retirement.

Assume that the other $200,000 grows at the same 4 percent compound growth rate and becomes $333,015 in 13 years. If this earns an average 2 percent dividend yield, that’s another $6,660 of annual retirement income. Total annual retirement income at age 67 is $88,885.

However, if the stock market crashes within five years of retirement or just as they retire, life is no longer fun.

Case study 2: A couple ages 60 have combined $180,000 annual gross income and owe $30,000 in annual taxes.

Both work and no longer save because they want to enjoy expensive hobbies now in exchange for delaying retirement until age 70. Assume they have no debt at retirement.

They have saved $1 million and their dream is to be able to afford extensive foreign travel when they retire and help grandkids.

Solution: They decide to wait until age 70 in order to maximize their SS retirement benefits, which will be $65,000 annually.

At age 60, they deposit $600,000 in a private pension fund, which will generate $62,315 at age 70. They decide to save tax by selling power from their solar business equipment to large food companies.

If they save $25,000 of annual taxes for 10 years, with an effective 9 percent yield, this will become $414,007 at age 70. At age 70, they earn 7 percent annually on the $414,007 in a real estate lending program or equipment leasing program and this will generate $28,980 of extra retirement income.

Assume that their extra $400,000 ($1 million saved less $600,000 deposited in a private pension) is used to purchase solar business equipment and the $400,000 returns to them at age 70.

It’s now available to either be reinvested or to fund their bucket list dreams. Total retirement income of

$156,295 is $65,000 from SS; $62,315 from the private pension; and $28,980 from the real estate lending or equipment leasing program. Any income from the $400,000 is extra.

In contrast, if they relied on stocks paying an average 2 percent dividends, their $1 million would only generate $20,000 annually. If they retired at age 65, their Social Security would only be about $50,000. It’s an entirely different retirement with $70,000 vs. $156,295 of annual income.

Conclusion: Waiting until age 70 to start your SS; saving taxes; and alternative investments can help you afford your bucket list dreams in retirement without stock market risk.

Free information on tax savings, retirement planning, and solar business investments can be found at drharoldwong.com or solarbusinessinvestments. com.

Dr. Harold Wong earned his Ph.D. in economics at University of California/ Berkeley. To schedule a free consultation, reach him at 480-706-0177 or harold_wong@hotmail.com.

the wine comes out at the perfect temperature. The small plates are amazing.

“It’s a really great space with the outdoor patio, when the weather is beautiful. We have heating lamps out there, along with a fireplace and televisions. This is a real favorite.

“Agave’s is a three-meal restaurant that’s back by the pool. It’s our café, if you will. It has a bit of a southwest flare

to it. Copper Cactus Grill is our 24-hour quick serve. You can get a hamburger quickly or a bite-sized pizza.

“Chop, Block & Brew is our signature steakhouse. People rave about the wood-fired grill. We also have craft cocktails in the lounge.”

Next door – connected via an elevated walkway – is the Ak-Chin Circle Entertainment Center. A movie

theater, bar and grill, bowling, last tag and arcade fill the 165,000 square-foot entertainment mecca.

“It’s like a great little oasis here in the desert, where people can come out and have a good time,” he said.

fast and Nadem’s appointment book was swiftly filling up on a daily basis.

Success seemed to come quickly, Nadem said, but not all the locals were thrilled to see an immigrant woman with a thriving business in their town.

There were some slight instances of racism and discrimination, she recalled, yet she tried to not let them detour her from achieving her goals.

To Nadem, her treatment in America was still far better than the oppression she felt back in Afghanistan. So, she simply tried to ignore the barbs and slurs that competitors threw at her.

“Those seem really minor because my skin is way more thick,” Nadem said.

“I am enjoying my freedom to a dangerous level. This is a dream.”

Living each day in Arizona feels like

a vacation compared to where Nadem lived before, she added, and the Valley seems like the perfect place for her spa business to expand in the years to come.

“I’m working hard to live as many dreams as I have,” she said.

Bella Vita held a soft opening and plans its grand opening April 10. Information: 480-356-9179 or bellavitamedspas.com.

Harrah’s Ak-Chin Casino

15406 Maricopa Road, Maricopa 480-802-5000, caesars.com

THE SUNDAY SANTAN SUN NEWS | MARCH 14, 2021

39

For more community news visit SanTanSun.com

Spring sports make their return after a year hiatus

BY ZACH ALVIRA

Sports Editor

It’s an announcement that still holds some shock value even a year after it was made by the Arizona Interscholastic Association.

COVID-19, at the time a virus still relatively unknown to Arizonans after just a few cases had been discovered, officially became a global pandemic in March 2020. What followed was mass shutdowns of business, then schools and on March 30, the spring sports season.

The AIA initially suspended the season on March 16 after Gov. Doug Ducey announced the closure of schools for two weeks. But as the closure extended, so did the suspension of spring sports until it was ultimately canceled.

“The kids were disappointed but truthfully, I think they handled it pretty well,” Hamilton head baseball coach Mike Woods said. “Even in my classroom and out here, they’ve handled it well. We’ve all just come to realize that you can’t count on anything.

“There’s going to be some cancellations and hiccups and we just have to plow through it.”

Despite the shortened season, MaxPreps, the hub for high school sports across the country, named Hamilton its

Hamilton head baseball coach Mike Woods thought last year the season would be suspended at the start of the pandemic, but never imagined his team would be preparing for its season opener while still going through it. (Zach Alvira/Staff)

national champion for the 2020 season.

The Huskies were among the final games to be played before the season was suspended then canceled. They defeated Utah’s Copper Hills 5-2 as part of the Boras Classic on Saturday, March 14 to finish 8-0 and the top-ranked team in the nation.

Woods figured at the time the season was set to be suspended after schools were closed. He even admitted there were thoughts the season would be canceled altogether, which ultimately became true.

important at this point is getting there.

He’s thankful to have the opportunity to play after last year’s unfortunate early end. Hamilton is scheduled to open the season March 16 against Chaparral. Now it’s about doing what it takes to reach the finish line and not be cut short for the second year in a row.

“We focus on the present and let the future come,” Selvidge said. “We believe everything will fall into place if we just do our jobs. For me, I’m most concerned with what we are doing today, tomorrow and the next day.

Kids are kids and they’re just excited for the “season, I know they feel like they lost out on

some games, but I’ve got a young team and they’re trying to make the best of it right now.

They’re just happy to be playing.

”

– Coach Cody Brassfield

Hamilton senior outfielder and left-handed pitcher Brock Selvidge, an LSU-commit, said his team is focused on getting better one day at a time while doing what they can to follow guidelines and ensure they play through the spring season. (Zach Alvira/Staff)

But he says he didn’t expect the pandemic to still be raging on a full year later.

“I thought it was possible we might lose our season, but we held out for a good month,” Woods said. “As far as it affecting this season, I never saw that happening. We’re just happy to be out here again and we will do whatever we have to do to get the season in.”

Hamilton returns most of its starters from last season, including senior outfielder and left-handed pitcher Brock Selvidge, an LSU-commit.

Like his teammates, Selvidge realizes the talent Hamilton has and the likelihood it makes yet another run at the state title in May. But what’s more

“We just want to get one day better at a time and do what we can to keep playing.”

The same energy is broadcasted throughout the East Valley. Highland, with head coach Eric Kehoe entering his second year and, hopefully, first full season as head coach of the Hawks, saw a renewed sense of energy from its players. The Hawks scrimmaged earlier in the week in preparation for its season-opener on March 16.

In nearby Mesa, Skyline head coach Pat Herrera still has the 2020 season schedule and its few results hung in his office next to the dugout. Every year since Herrera took over the program

in 2014-15, he has framed and hung a giant schedule with the results of his team’s games on the concrete walls of his office.

Admittedly, he wasn’t sure yet what to do with the 2020 schedule.

“It might bring some bad luck,” Herrera said.

In Ahwatukee, both Mountain Pointe and Desert Vista are preparing for spring sports to commence once again.

Pride head baseball coach JJ Sferra recalls the day he told his team the season was canceled last year. Mountain Pointe was due for a strong season with the likes of Carson Tucker, who was drafted by the Cleveland Indians in the first round of the 2020 MLB Draft, and Ethan Long, now at Arizona State, in the lineup.

“It was tough,” Mountain Pointe baseball coach JJ Sferra said. “Obviously we were super talented last year but they’re still kids. You get close to them.

I felt bad for the seniors, I felt bad for the juniors and sophomores. They just wanted to play, and I felt bad for them.

“I couldn’t imagine being in their position and have the season taken away.”

Desert Vista head baseball coach Cody Brassfield echoed Sferra, adding that while players were able to find an outlet in club baseball, there’s a new level of excitement for the high school season to return.

“Kids are kids and they’re just excited for the season,” Brassfield said. “I know they feel like they lost out on some games, but I’ve got a young team and they’re trying to make the best of it right now. They’re just happy to be playing.

“They enjoy their club teams but when you hear them talk, you can tell they’re excited for this season, the high school season.”

40

THE SUNDAY SANTAN SUN NEWS | MARCH 14, 2021

For more community news visit SanTanSun.com

Tiger’s crash: cars are safer, but don’t push the limits

BY NORMA HUBELE Guest Writer

On the afternoon of Tiger Woods’ recent rollover crash, I received a text from a dear friend, who was upset by a USA Today article that raised the question, “Was Tiger Woods’ SUV safe?”

Woods was injured when his 2021 Genesis GV80 SUV hit a center divider, a curb, and a tree. He was driving on a stretch of road in Los Angeles County known for its curves and steep grades.

Sally wanted to know when does the driver’s behavior and the road conditions overrule any amount of safety a car can provide.

In other words, why are people asking if there’s more that Genesis could do?

From all accounts, Woods was operating his vehicle with excessive speed on a hazardous roadway. Some would call this reckless.

Whether or not Woods is sited, such offenses are nothing new. Since the beginning of automobiles, some drivers have behaved poorly.

In 1932, Reader’s Digest published one of their most widely read editorials titled, “And Sudden Death” by J. C. Furnas. The

author and the magazine widely distributed the article because deaths on U.S. roadways were climbing, but those grim statistics were not changing behavior.

Furnas interviewed state troopers with first-hand experience of arriving to the scene of an accident. The editorial described broken bones, blood and mangled bodies. Here is just a sampling: “If ghosts were put to useful purpose, every bad stretch of road in the United States would greet the on-coming motorist with groans and screams and the educational spectacle of 10 or a dozen corpses, all sizes, sexes and ages, lying horribly still on the bloody grass.”

The author was clearly trying to show drivers the ultimate (and possibly inevitable) consequences of their actions. But the editorial also made another important point: carmakers did not design the cars of that time to protect occupants in a crash.

Dashboards then were made of wood and metal. Every surface or angle become a projectile – causing harm and disfigurement. A crash was like going over, “Niagara Falls in a steel barrel full of railroad spikes.”

In fact, many folks in those days thought it was better to be ejected from the vehicle than to be tossed about inside the vehicle.

Car design has come a long way since

then. The seatbelt, airbags and stronger roof built into Woods’ SUV probably saved his life. But these safety devices only came about after an effort to change people’s attitudes.

Between the 1930s and 1960s, epidemiologists suggested that Americans had to change the way we viewed crashes. First, we had to accept the fact that crashes happen.

Once this basic premise was in place, then communities came together to (1) prevent crashes and (2) reduce crash-related injuries and deaths. Professionals from law enforcement, road design and maintenance, driver education, emergency medical care and, yes, vehicle design all had important roles to play.

President Johnson formed the Department of Transportation in the mid-1960s and appointed the public health specialist Dr. William Haddon to lead what is today’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Haddon’s job was to reduce deaths and injuries on our roadways.

About the same time, Ralph Nader published his book, “Unsafe at Any Speed.” Nader criticized carmakers for prioritizing car sales and styling above people’s safety.

These events helped lead to the nation’s first regulation of the automobile. Within three years, the government

issued the Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards mandating padded dashboards, improved door locks, seatbelts, and collapsible steering wheel columns.

Airbags only became standard in 1998.

Roof strengths were upgraded in 2012.

Back to my friend Sally’s question.

Yes, one could speculate that without the Genesis’ safety devices, Woods likely would have died. By today’s standards, the Genesis appears relatively safe.

Car design has come a long way since the 1930s. That is thanks to the work of many individuals, in our government, universities, communities, test laboratories and industries, who joined forces to lower the risks of injury and death on our roadways.

We salute the emergency medical team who tended to Mr. Woods and hope that he makes a full recovery.

But as drivers, we can treat this as a teaching moment. We need to remember to pay attention and not push the limits of our cars’ safety systems.

Norma Hubele is professor emeritus of Arizona State University and the creator of TheAutoProfessor.com, a website that helps families make safer car choices. She is working on a book, “Car Safety: Where the Numbers Help and Where They Don’t.”

Paradise cost: Sports teams that break hearts

BY DAVID LEIBOWITZ Columnist

A week of mild Arizona weather and the start of Cactus League baseball can only mean one thing: Again it’s that time when hope springs eternal for Valley sports fans.

Couple that with your Phoenix Suns playing top-tier basketball and the Arizona Cardinals signing three-time NFL Defensive Player of the Year J.J. Watt, and our sports future feels desert-sun dazzling.

But we all know how this ends, don’t we?

With millions of broken hearts.

Because this is Phoenix, and if our hometown had a sports tagline, it would be, “Welcome to the Valley of the Crushed.”

This place has everything – weather to die for, the nation’s hottest housing market, a solid economy, Chris Bianco’s pizza – but no major American city has suffered more sports futility, statistically speaking.

t? o G ws Ne

Well, save Minneapolis. But that comes with an asterisk. Allow me to explain.

Thirteen American cities are currently home to all four major professional sports. Phoenix joined those ranks in 1998, when the Arizona Diamondbacks began to play. Since then, the Suns, Cardinals, D-backs and Arizona Coyotes have had a collective 87 opportunities to win a championship. We have worn but one single crown.

And it took a near-miracle World Series victory by the 2001 Diamondbacks for us to have even that single ecstatic moment.

In that time period, Boston has won a dozen titles – at least one in every sport – including six Super Bowls, four World Series, one NBA championship and a Stanley Cup. Los Angeles has 11 titles, Chicago and New York six.

Detroit and Miami have four apiece.

San Francisco and Denver have three.

Dallas, Philadelphia and Washington each have a pair.

Then there’s us with the one.

Only Minneapolis has been shut out

of winning championships in those 22 years. But like I said, there’s a caveat.

The Minnesota Twins won baseball titles in 1987 and 1991. Plus, the Minneapolis Lakers took home five basketball titles in six seasons between 1949 and 1954.

Given how slowly time moves in Minnesota, 1954 probably still feels like yesterday to them. I mean, if you’ll eat lutefisk, you have bigger issues to worry about than the Vikings blowing four Super Bowls in the 1970s.

The only explanation for this much major sports futility is a curse. As NFL legend has it, that explains why the Cardinals are suffering the longest current championship drought in professional sports, winning zero titles since 1947.

According to the “Coal Miners Curse,” invoked by fans of the Pottsville, Pennsylvania Maroons, the Cards, then playing in Chicago, stole the 1925 NFL championship from the mighty Maroons, damning the franchise to never win another title until Pottsville is re-crowned champions.

That’s not happening anytime soon:

The NFL investigated this theft in 1967 and voted against Pottsville.

Personally, I don’t think this is about coal miners. I think life is too good here, so we can’t have everything.

Sports failure is the price we pay for perfect spring afternoons, abundant sunshine and the natural beauty of the desert and the mountains. Detroit was recently named the most miserable city in America.

Dallas is surrounded by Texas. I’ve lived in New York, Philly and Miami, which explains why I’ve lived here for 25 years and plan to leave feet first – or in an urn.

San Francisco? For the price of a seven-bedroom Paradise Valley mansion, you could live in the Bay Area in a cardboard box and awake each day to the pungent aroma of defecating hobos.

Or you can live here. So what if four times each year you get kicked in the gut when the hometown teams are mathematically eliminated from contention?

Sucking at sports seems a small price to pay for paradise.

Contact Paul C Contact Paul P l Maryniak Maryniak M y i k at at 480-898-5647 480 898 5647 or or pmaryniak@timespublications.com p pmaryniak@timespublications.com pmaryniak@timespublications y i k@ i p bli i com

41

THE SUNDAY SANTAN SUN NEWS | MARCH 14, 2021

For more community news visit SanTanSun.com

Chandler boy trying to save brother’s life

BY KEVIN REAGAN Staff Writer

A Chandler boy is hoping he can save his little brother’s life after he donated his bone marrow for a procedure aimed at curing his sibling’s cancer.

Josh Ozga, 12, recently underwent a grueling medical procedure that extracted some bone marrow that will eventually be transplanted to his 9-year-old brother Luke later this month at Phoenix Children’s Hospital.

The transplant could provide a cure for a rare form of non-Hodgkin lymphoma that Luke was diagnosed with in December 2019.

Heather Ozga, the boys’ mother, said Luke appeared to be in remission from the disease for a while before the lymphoma returned a couple months ago -- prompting doctors to find an alternative treatment that could heal the boy’s cancer for good.

A bone marrow transplant is utilized by physicians to cure a wide variety of cancerous diseases and family members are often looked to as possible donors for stem cells that can replenish a patient’s damaged marrow.

Now that Josh has finished his half of the procedure, Luke is expected to check into the hospital tomorrow, March 15, and stay for at least eight weeks as his body adjusts to an infusion of foreign stem cells.

Luke Ozga, 9, left, can thank his older brother Josh, 12, for a bone marrow transplant that he will undergo this month. Their mother Heather Ozga said she was astonished that they beat the odds in having compatible tissue. (Special to SanTan Sun News)

A transplant had initially seemed like a long shot after the family was warned the chances of finding a donor who would match with Luke’s antigen tissue weren’t great.

There’s about a 25 percent chance that a sibling will be able to donate bone marrow, Ozga said, so the mother wasn’t sure a transplant would even be feasible.

Despite the low odds, Ozga said her older son never thought twice about getting tested and finding out if he could donate some of his bone marrow to help Luke.

“He knows it’s going to save his brother’s life,” she noted.

Before the family got their test results back, Ozga said she was struck with the feeling that Josh and Luke

might be a compatible match.

For Christmas, the mother had gotten Luke a cell phone equipped with facial recognition features used to lock and unlock the device. Ozga said she was awed when Josh was able to open up Luke’s new phone by holding it up to his own face.

See

CANCER on page 44

Virtual skateboarding academy teaches kids in foster care

BY KATY SPRINGER Contributor

The mantra “Falling is not failure” may apply to many areas of life, but it’s particularly apropos for skateboarding.

Earlier this month, the skate park at The Bridge in Chandler hosted 27 aspiring skateboarders who were there to learn more than how to ollie, slide or grind.

The group was attending orientation for the +swappow PLUS Foundation’s Spring Skateboard Academy, a virtual program that teaches skills and tricks alongside life lessons in resilience, goal setting and self-worth.

These lessons are especially meaningful since all of the academy’s students are teens in foster care. Most have experienced adversity and trauma in their short lives, not to mention a diminished sense of self-esteem. +swappow uses skateboarding to make a difference for children and teens in the foster care system.

Founded by Joe Dunnigan as a gear-trading platform, the organization Foster kids are getting a chance to learn the art of skateboarding at The Bridge in Chandler, thanks to a foundation that teaches skills has since evolved to help kids “swap out” unhelpful patterns and behaviors, along with life lessons in resilience, self-worth and goal setting. (Pablo Robles/Staff Photographer) learn to manage their emotions and understand that “falling” is a part of the pening at home. I’ve seen what it can teacher and +swappow’s executive he said. “Our objective is to give kids process – of skating and of life. do for kids, especially those growing up director, couldn’t agree more. who have suffered terrible traumas the “Skating saved my life growing up,” “Every time you step onto your in difficult circumstances.” courage to take managed risks because said Dunnigan. “It was always a positive board, you’re taking a managed risk,” Michael Shapiro, skater, former outlet, even when bad things were hapSee on page 43

SKATE

42

NEIGHBORS

THE SUNDAY SANTAN SUN NEWS | MARCH 14, 2021

3 Chandler Girl Scouts earn Gold Award SANTAN SUN NEWS STAFF

Three Chandler Girl Scouts have earned scouting’s highest honor, the Gold Award, for projects aimed at improving lives and their communities.

The three Chandler scouts – Robin Bozik, Cayton Hale and Megan Rziha – are among the 19 Valley girls who have earned their Gold Award this year.

Considered the most difficult to earn, the award challenges Girl Scouts in grades 9-12 to take action in their communities by tackling an issue they are passionate about and developing sustainable solutions to local, national and global challenges.

“Recipients of Girl Scouts’ highest honor are part of an elite group of Girl Scouts who have distinguished themselves as prominent leaders in their communities and as true change-makers,” said Tamara Woodbury, CEO for Girl Scouts of America Cactus-Pine Council.

According to Woodbury, Gold Award Girl Scouts “are visionary leaders and this year’s awardees have tackled prominent issues by sharing the importance of bees to our ecosystem, educating the community about climate changes and sustainability, helping eliminate the stigma around mental health, teaching self-defense to individuals with and without Autism, creating libraries and activity stations for seniors in assisted living, creating a space to properly retire American Flags, and so much more.”

Robin Bozik

Cayton Hale

Megan Rziha

The Scouts develop their collaboration and problem-solving skills while gaining confidence and lifelong leadership capabilities as well as leaving a positive impact.

“In addition, Gold Award Girl Scouts are proven to show significantly higher success in life reaching their goals in education, career, and volunteer work, compared to non-alums,” says Woodbury.

The honored girls can take advantage of unique scholarship opportunities, be entitled to enlist at a higher pay grade when they join the military and distinguish themselves among the competi-

tion in the college admissions process and when entering the workforce.

To protect the health and safety of this year’s recipients and their families will join the 2021 Gold Award ceremony virtually on March 27.

Here’s a look at the Chandler honorees’ projects:

ing. Since then, she’s noticed the space utilized daily during the summer and as a community space throughout the year.

“I learned that I really have the ability to be a leader,” said Cayton, a Girl Scout for 13 years who plans to attend college this year.

Robin Bozik

Robin Bozik’s project was titled “Stigma Ends Here.”

The stigma around mental health has almost always been visible to Robin, as she has close friends with mental illnesses or disabilities.

She created a website to address and educate others about mental health, mental illnesses, locating resources, getting help, or helping others. Her goal was to raise awareness that mental health is nothing to be ashamed of and something every person should monitor closely.

Her message and website were shared in an email forum at MIT, reaching students and alumni. Robin shares that the pandemic placed restrictions on meeting others and added stress to the planning.

Despite that, she learned how to dig deep and find the motivation within herself and a new love for doing research.

She has been a Girl Scout for nine years and is currently attending Clark University.

She is studying English and biology with plans to become a genetic counselor.

Cayton Hale

Cayton Hale’s project was titled “Beat the Heat.”

Riding horses since she was a kindergartener, Cayton has long been involved in the local equestrian community.

Having spent many summers training in the Arizona heat, she wanted to create awareness of the dangers that the high summer temperatures present to riders and horses.

She developed a heat safety poster to be shared at her barn and other locations in the Valley. She shared them on social media and with the Interscholastic Equestrian Association.

In addition, Cayton transformed an empty casita space on the property into a cool-down area where horses and riders can safely escape the heat while train-

Megan Rziha

“Camp Field Improvement” was the title of Megan Rziha’s project.

When Megan saw the field at GSACPC’s Willow Springs – her summer home away from home – had trip hazards, insufficient grass, and an anthill, she wanted to give back to the camp and future campers by improving the field through her Gold Award.

After analyzing the drainage and conducting hours of research, she mobilized a group of volunteers around her corrective action plan.

Megan replaced the anthill with a garden play space, cleared the field of major rocks, spread mulch from camp across the field (to serve as a play-friendly surface and a source of nutrients for the soil), and started a test plot for a drought-resistant, non-allergenic grass seed that would be better suited for the camp field’s uses.

Megan realized her strengths of organization and planning could bring about positive change, and this project improved her communication and people skills. Camp helped her grow as a person over the 13 years she was a Girl Scout.

She is currently studying landscape architecture at Arizona State University.

In partnership with more than 10,000 adult volunteers, GSACPC serves 21,000 girls grades K-12 in more than 90 communities across central and northern Arizona. Since 1936, GSACPC has helped girls develop leadership skills and tools for success in a rapidly changing environment. We know that given the opportunity, every girl can become a leader, act confidently on her values, and connect with her community. Girl Scouts helps young women grow courageous and strong through girl-driven programs, ranging from summer camp, to troop activities and product sales.

For more information, visit www. girlscoutsaz.org, like us on Facebook or follow us on Instagram.

NEIGHBORS

THE SUNDAY SANTAN SUN NEWS | MARCH 14, 2021

SKATE

from page 41

that’s how you reach your goals in life.”

Shapiro knows something about kids – and skateboarding.

He grew up on a board and learned early on the power of the sport to instill confidence. As a young man, he saw that kids who feel like outsiders often gravitate toward skateboarding.

And as a teacher in a low-income community, he learned how to connect with youth who had experienced more than their share of adversity.

“Skating can be seen as counter-culture and a little bit dangerous, and that’s a huge draw for many kids,” he said. “It’s also accessible. Kids don’t need a field or a court. They can just go outside, step on their boards and immediately experience freedom.”

Prior to COVID-19, Dunnigan and Shapiro offered one-day clinics where youth learned basic skateboarding skills and were outfitted with quality boards and helmets donated by local partners.

More importantly, the clinics reinforced for young participants that they’re capable, that their lives matter, and that someone cares about them.

The clinics served roughly 1,500 kids over the course of four years.

Amid the pandemic, Shapiro and his wife, Robin, pivoted +swappow’s programming to an online format.

His background as a skater and educator, combined with her experience as an instructional designer, resulted in +swappow’s virtual skateboard academy.

The 12-week program begins with a COVID-19-safe orientation, when small

+swappow Plus Foundation’s Spring Skateboard Academy is giving foster kids a chance to learn a sport and a lot more. (Pablo Robles/Staff Photographer)

groups of teens get their new boards and helmets, learn a few skateboarding basics and receive their journal, daily planner and seeds to plant and nurture.

From there, the teens meet weekly via Zoom to talk about skateboarding and practice their skills – but also to interact with one another and receive coaching and mentoring from Shapiro.

“It’s really amazing the progress these kids make,” he said. “They let their guard down and give themselves permission to think big and plan for the future.” +swappow clearly is doing something right.

The Arizona Community Foundation selected the nonprofit for fiscal sponsorship with an initial grant to get

the organization started. They also have received considerable support from local organizations including SMS Financial, Advanced Physical Therapy and White Wave Longboards, enabling them to give away more than $250,000 in skateboards and equipment.

In addition, the Arizona Department of Child Safety works with the +swappow to identify teens in foster care who would benefit from the academy.

“Partners like +swappow make all the difference for these kids,” said Cynthia Weiss, director of communications for the Arizona Department of Child Safety and volunteer photographer at the March orientation.

“They give them a healthy outlet in

skateboarding, but the program is so much more than that. The kids set and work toward big goals and begin to relate to themselves as competent and worthy individuals.”

The teens are already excited. The day after orientation, one foster parent told Shapiro about the boys in her care, “He told us how comfortable he felt talking with the volunteers and other participants. His brother was so excited about receiving the skateboard, helmet and GoPro Cooler. It was all they talked about Saturday. They were planting their seeds at 11 p.m. last night.”

When this cohort wraps up in June, Shapiro will host a commencement ceremony to celebrate the kids’ successes. Each teen will receive a graduation gift: a GoPro camera and accessories. Then, Shapiro will begin anew with a new crop of teens.

There are more than 14,000 youth in Arizona’s foster care system. While teens are highly represented within the system, there aren’t enough foster families who are licensed to parent them.

Many adults assume that teens in care are beyond help, that their problems are too difficult to manage or that they’re too old to need a family.

“This simply isn’t true,” said Weiss. “Like everyone else, these teens need someone to wish them ‘happy birthday’ and a family to spend time with during the holidays.

They need safety, love and guidance as they navigate the transition to adulthood.”

To learn more about foster care and adoption in Arizona, call 877-543-7633 or visit change2lives.com. For more information about the +swappow Plus Foundation, go to swappowplus.org

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NEIGHBORS

THE SUNDAY SANTAN SUN NEWS | MARCH 14, 2021

100+ Women Who Care helps Gen Justice

BY LEANN LANDBERG AND SUSAN BARLOW Guest Writers

On an average day, 55 children disappear from the U.S. foster care system.

Thankfully, due to the efforts of Gen Justice these children have an advocate providing them a voice in the legal system.

Founded in 2017, with the purpose of mending the child protection system and bringing a permanent end to innocent children enduring violence, they have been able to directly assist 766 children and their families, to date, through their legal clinic.

Gen Justice opened a one-of-a-kind Children’s Law Clinic in Arizona to provide free counsel for abused children in danger. More than 50 pro bono attorneys across Arizona support this work.

The clinic also partners with organizations throughout the state to provide trainings about the rights of foster care children to relatives, foster families, licensing agencies and front-line workers.

Gen Justice has worked with lawmakers to adopt reforms that help to find children’s relatives faster, keep infants and toddlers from being bounced between foster homes, speed up adoptions, improve educational opportunities and give kids fair and legal representation.

Darcy Olsen, CEO and founder of Gen Justice, said, “In case after case, I saw how the criminally accused receive

CANCER

from page 41

The brothers don’t look exactly alike physically, Ozga explained, so the phone trick suggested to her that Josh and Luke might be a good match for the transplant.

“To me, that was the biggest sign,” the mother recalled.

Once the transplant is complete, Ozga said Luke will essentially undergo a “rebirth” that involves his blood type changing to match with Josh’s.

The Ozga family have watched in anguish as Luke’s health repeatedly fluctuated. Shortly after his diagnosis, the cancer started to spread from Luke’s heart to his liver and kidneys.

Doctors had considered Luke’s prognosis to be promising in the beginning, yet the 9-year-old’s illness has still interfered with his studies at Hull Elementary School and has prevented him from having much of a social life outside of home.

Just as it seemed like Luke had made it through the cancer’s darkest days, the family received the devastating news in December that the lymphoma had relapsed. Ozga said everyone felt blindsided to see the cancer return so soon after Luke had gone into remission.

The recovery journey has taken many sharp detours over the last couple months and Ozga said she’s still wondering how long it will take for Luke to be completely healthy again and get back to having a normal life.

The single mom hasn’t been able to work while Luke has undergone his

stop sex trafficking in foster care, find families for the thousands of children waiting for adoptive homes, and help them exit the system faster by banning the continuances that plague the child welfare courts.

“This money will be so helpful because it helps in the court cases of these individual kids.

They go into these courtrooms having been abused and without an attorney,” Olsen said, adding: “This donation lets us be there with them, put resources behind them, and keep them safe. I am just so thrilled at how generous you have been. It’s wonderful.”

100+ Women Who Care is a group of like-minded, passionate women who want to connect to one another and to their communities.

The ladies are leveraging their Attending a check presentation by 100+ Women Who Care Valley of the Sun to Gen Justice resources so their quarterly gifts were, from left: Phil Giltner, Gen Justice board chair; Darcy Olsen, Gen Justice founder and CEO; of $100, per member, add up to Caitlin Lawler, nominating member of 100+ Women Who Care; Women Who Care members a significant donation to a local Susan Barlow and Leann Landberg; and Michael Olsen. (Special to SanTan Sun News) charity. This group of women has learned that giving back is attorneys exit the system for families 1.5 more protection under the law than better together. times faster than kids who aren’t. child victims. Criminals have the conTo learn more about Gen Justice visit The East Valley members of 100+ stitutional right to an attorney and to genjustice.org.

Women Who Care Valley of the Sun a speedy and public trial; children have 100+ Women Who Care Valley of the presented Gen Justice with a donation none of those protections.”

Sun’s next giving circle is on April 22 in the The organization helps kids on a child- of $7,600.

East Valley. Visit 100wwcvalleyofthesun.

The donation will help lawmakers by-child basis. Children represented by org to register. Guests are welcome. medical treatments and she said she constantly worries about protecting his weakened immune system from COVID-19.

Luke had been self-conscious about having to wear a mask out in public, Ozga explained, but his concerns quickly subsided once everyone started wearing masks.

Ozga’s parents have been able take care of her finances throughout the ordeal with the help of community members, who have stepped up to donate more than $19,000 to the family.

Students at Hull Elementary are showing shown their support for Josh and Luke by selling t-shirts and donating the profits to various charities including Phoenix Children’s Hospital.

A family friend has been raising extra funds for the Ozgas by baking desserts and selling them through the Facebook page, “Peyton’s Pastries.”

“I don’t know how I would be able to do this without all the help I’ve received,” Ozga said.

The Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office recently surprised the Ozga brothers by organizing a little parade outside the family’s home.

Luke feels incredibly optimistic about his future, Ozga said, and the outpouring of support from the local community has helped to affirm his sunny disposition.

“This child has the most positive attitude,” the mother added. “You would never know there was a war going on in his body.”

Family and friends: gofundme.com.

Search “helping Luke beat cancer.

Luke Ozga has bravely maintained a positive attitude throughout his ordeal with a rare form of cancer. (Special to SanTan Sun News)

45

THE SUNDAY SANTAN SUN NEWS | MARCH 14, 2021

For more community news visit SanTanSun.com

Quilters work from around EV on display

BY SRIANTHI PERERA

Contributor

It’s the time of year for HD SOUTH, Home of the Gilbert Historical Museum, to hang up some cozy quilts and promote its members’ quilting skills to the community.

The 16th annual Quilt Show throgh May 31 offers a display of about 75 quilts made by members of the museum’s quilting group.

There is no judging. The show is a simple display to appreciate the creativity, celebrate the accomplishments and inspire others to take up needle, thread, fabric and batting.

This year’s special focus is on blue and white quilts. Each quilter was challenged to create a quilt of any size or pattern and use a fabric in blue and white. More than 20 quilts were submitted as part of the challenge.

“A lot of shows will pick a pattern or a color. The ladies decided to pick a color this year and it’s all the different dimensions you can make with a simple, two-color quilt,” said Kathy Lester of Gilbert, who has been quilting with the group for 11 years.

In a typical year, the group solicits and receives about 100 quilts from the community to be the highlight of the show.

“This was not a typical year,” said

The quilt show is popular with the community and also draws visitors from across the Valley. (HD South)

member Bev Brower. “Our museum quilters have gathered 75 of our own quilts to display, in an effort to keep the interest and inspiration alive.”

The museum’s old-fashioned quilting bee has been in existence since 2002

and meets every Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday in the Home Life Room.

Anyone of any skill level is welcome to join. The current membership stands at around 20 and many are winter visitors.

The volunteers complete unfinished quilt tops for the public with all proceeds going to HD SOUTH. The quilters can complete up to 20 quilts a year and See

QUILT on page 47

AZ Creates! offers big lineup this month SANTAN SUN NEWS STAFF

Chandler author-artist Laurie Fagen has a fresh lineup of talent for her March segments of her YouTube television show, AZ Creates!

Fagen hosts and produces the show, which debuts two segments each month that are archived for viewing if you can’t see them right away.

In Episode 11, which launched last week, metal sculptor and 3D printer artist Kevin Caron of Phoenix talks about working with various types of metal for outdoor sculptures. He also will discuss his work with resin for the three 3D printers he owns.

“My first love was for machinery,” Caron says on his website. “Its immac-

ulate steel composition and constructed perfection afforded orchestrated movement, couched in the joy of solitude.

“My education as an artist is synonymously tied to the roads I have consumed on a motorcycle and behind the wheel of an 80,000-pound semitruck,” he adds. “I spent more than 30 years meditating and molding shapes in my mind, so when an opportunity to sculpt my first piece presented itself, the transition from mental manipulation to the creation of physical structures was seamless and effortless.”

The show also features Margaret Ann Spence of Tempe, who talks about her new women’s fiction book, “Joyous Lies.”

The book is the Australian and former Boston resident’s second novel.

Her first novel, “Lipstick on the Strawberry,” published by The Wild Rose Press in 2017, won the Romantic Elements Category in the First Coast Romance Writers 2015 Beacon Contest.

It also was a finalist for the 2019 Eric Hoffer Book Award and in the 2019 Next Generation Indie Awards.

In AZ Creates’ Episode 12, which premieres March 25, the Creative Connection artist is ceramicist Sandy Ashbaugh of Chandler and director of the Ocotillo Artists Group.

Ashbaugh has been working in clay for over 30 years and uses a traditional hand building method of slab construction and sgraffito to achieve a modern

aesthetic.

Among her best-known pieces are those from her uniquely designed and handcrafted sake set collection, as well as her lidded vessel series. The latter was published in Lark Craft’s “500 Raku”, juried into various shows and purchased by public and private institutions.

She says she draws inspiration from architectural and interior design elements, like those from the Bauhaus movement, Frank Lloyd Wright and Frank Gehry. She obtained her bachelors of fine arts degree from Florida Atlantic University and has worked in clay ever since.

She also describes herself as passionSee

ARTISTS on page 47

ARTS

46

THE SUNDAY SANTAN SUN NEWS | MARCH 14, 2021

Craig Jackson lines up some of the sweet Chevy rides that will be auctioned off at the annual Barrett-Jackson car auction March 20--27 at WestWorld in Scottsdale.

(Special to SanTan Sun News )

Champion auctioneer returns to Barrett Jackson

BY KAMALA KIRK

Staff Writer

When Camille Booker was a child, she said she was shy and terrified of getting in front of a crowd.

Now the Washington native is a bid spotter for Scottsdale-based Barrett-Jackson, a premier car auction. The Scottsdale 2021 auction is set for March 20-27, at WestWorld of Scottsdale.

“The idea of getting up in front a crowd didn’t exactly appeal to me at the time,” Booker said. “It wasn’t until my last year at the University of Washington when I realized this was the profession I wanted to pursue. The interactions with people were what appealed to me, as well as the opportunity to be able to help them through various life situations.

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five years and many members of the car community recognize her from the main auction block where she works as a professional bid spotter.

“I serve as the liaison between the lead auctioneer and the bidder,” Booker explains. “The auctioneer is up on the stage but can’t see every person in the crowd that raises their hand, especially with bids coming in from all across the room.

“Our team consists of multiple bid spotters that help relay bids to the auctioneer. For some people, this is their first experience buying a car at an auction, so we’re there to provide assistance and help them feel more comfortable during the bidding process.”

Booker’s role requires her to read people’s body language, as well as understanding each person’s specific needs and bidding style.

“Everyone is different, from first-timers and car dealers to the guy who has

been coming to Barrett-Jackson auctions since the very beginning,” Booker said.

“One person may want to stand on the opposite end away from the bid spotter because they don’t want to be seen, while somebody else will want me right next to them the entire time. I also have to be able to recognize when someone is done bidding or if they want to keep going. It’s about understanding everyone’s personalities and comfort levels.”

Booker has been an auctioneer for more than 20 years and helps run her family’s auction business, Booker Auction Company, which was established in 1980 in her home state of Washington.

A third-generation auctioneer, Booker’s grandfather and father were both auctioneers, along with several of her uncles and all three of her siblings.

As a kid, she grew up helping her family with their auction business and attended auction school when she was 16 but

didn’t plan on becoming an auctioneer.

She underestimated herself. In 2011, Booker won the woman’s title for top auctioneer at the International Auctioneer Championship, which is sponsored by the National Auctioneers Association and brings together top auctioneers as they compete for the world title. Booker also met and befriended Joseph Mast, who won the men’s title that same year.

After he became the lead auctioneer with Barrett-Jackson in 2015, Mast invited Booker to join the team.

“I had the privilege of going to a couple of Barrett-Jackson auctions before I went to work for them and it’s definitely one of those bucket list experiences,” Booker said. “It’s the premier auction to be a part of. It’s truly amazing to see how many people show up to enjoy the See

BARRETT JACKSON on page 48

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47

Cactus baseball exhibit returns to Mesa

BY KEVIN PIREHPOUR

Staff Writer

Baseball is back in Arizona and so is one of Mesa’s most popular historical exhibits.

After a long hiatus in Mesa, the “Play Ball: The Arizona Spring Training Experience,” is a permanent exhibit at the Mesa Historical Museum.

The exhibit takes museum-goers through decades of Spring Training history and the birth of the Cactus League – showcasing old uniforms, signed memorabilia, vintage video footage and other relics of the past that have survived decades mostly in private collections.

“There’s a strong presence of baseball here in Mesa because of spring training and we felt it was the right thing to do, to bring it back to the museum and back to Mesa,” said Susan Ricci, museum executive director.

Launched in 2009, the Play Ball exhibit has been displayed at various venues with parts of the Play Ball collection previously displayed at locations such as the Scottsdale Civic Center Library in 2017.

Now, the museum, located at 2345 N. Horne in Mesa, is the only current museum with the collection, some of which the Cactus League has sponsored.

The exhibit is curated to “wow” people and teach the rich history of baseball in Mesa, said Anita Peters, board of directors chair at the Mesa Historical Museum.

“I think that it’s really important that they know about [the history of spring training], and it’s a fun part of Mesa’s history,” Peters said.

Once a storage room at the museum built within the historic Lehi School-

QUILT

from page 45

receive quilt covers and orders sent from across the country.

Their quilting service is extremely popular and wait times can be lengthy, said museum Executive Director Denise Lopez.

“If you have a quilt top that you just do not have the time or skills to finish, the volunteers will finish it for you at a price of just $7 per foot.”

“They make tiny stitches, fastening the quilt tops to inner batting and backing to create beautiful bedspreads and wall hangings that are truly works of art,” she added.

Two quilt frames are set up in “quilting bee” style, Lester said. “Typically, we complete 20 to 24 quilts per year. We have a waiting list of quilts to be done.

ARTIST

from page 45

ate about art education and has been involved with local schools and communities, teaching art as well as coordinating art programs and shows since 2004.

Also on that program is Timothy Moore of Phoenix, whose book “Mirandized Nation” tells the inside story from the Phoenix Police Department about the arrest and case that led to the U.S. Supreme Court’s landmark rul-

“There’s a lot of different things that we can talk about that are little parts of how this came to be so huge in Arizona, not just in Mesa, but in Arizona, for the whole Cactus League,” Peters said.

The exhibit will include Cactus League sponsored plaques of spring training Hall of Famers, which The "Play Ball" exhibit at Mesa Historical Museum offers treasured relics of the early days of Cactus League includes players and history in the region. (Pablo Robles/taff Photographer) others who have played an integral part Mesa houses two of those teams, the in the Arizona spring training experience. house, which has a history dating back Chicago Cubs and the Oakland A’s, which to the 1880s, the renovated space is “Part of my passion was that I really now play at Sloan Park and the Hohokam wanted to start showing these plaques set to be one of the museum’s largest exhibits showcasing hundreds of pieces Stadium near the Arizona 202 freeway. and basically having a Hall of Fame The opening of the exhibit is “just from years past. [location] and that’s going to be part of In Arizona, nearly 1.8 million baseball the beginning” of an evolving exhibit our exhibit,” Peters said. that will change on an annual basis, fans from around the country pour This year’s Cactus League Hall of Fame Peters said. into 10 stadiums to watch their favorite induction ceremony has been postThis year, the exhibit weaves in stoteams practice one of America’s most poned due to the COVID-19 pandemic, ryboards that depict the early days of renowned past-times. which usually takes place in February.

Arizona spring training at Rendezvous The games bring in nearly $644 milAnyone interested in donating or Park – a recreational site that housed lion annually and support an estimated loaning items related to spring trainsome of the state’s first spring training 6,400 jobs in the Valley, according to ing may contact the Mesa Historical Gov. Doug Ducey in a 2019 press release. games in Mesa – and a documentary Museum for future exhibits. The Mesa highlighting pivotal points of Arizona’s Arizona spring training started when Historical Museum can be reached at: baseball tradition, Ricci said. two teams – the Cleveland Indians and 480-835-2286.

On the floor, a mini dugout includes New York Giants (now the San Francis“I hope that it is an exhibit that outpost memorabilia from the Cubs co Giants since 1958) – began traveling adults and children really walk away to the desert to prepare for the general and the A’s. from and really love,” Peters said.

As the collection grows, the exhibit season and formed what is now called The museum is open 10 a.m.-4 p.m. will feature the storyboards depicting the Cactus League.

Tuesdays through Saturdays. Social disthe role of Jim Crow-era segregation and tancing and masks are required. InformaToday, 15 Major League Baseball the Hohokam Nation had in bringing teams practice springtime baseball untion: mesahistoricalmuseum.com. spring training to the Valley, Peters said. der nearly perfect weather conditions.

“Our service is very popular so when a name is put on the list it takes approximately two years to get to that name, so it is a two-year waiting list.”

Often, people put their name on the list when they start making a quilt top, in hopes they will be ready to work on it when their name comes to the top of the list.

“Machine quilting is very popular now, but some quilts just need to be done by hand,” Lester added. “Our most recent “new” quilters are women who bring in a family heirloom to be quilted. They sit for a while to watch the process and are “hooked.”

Laurie Abdo is a good example. She visited the bee about two years ago with a Grandmother’s Flower Garden pattern quilt top that her mother had made many years ago.

She was so enchanted by the serene atmosphere and the work being done there that she asked to become a quilter.

“The experience of sewing with such a great group of ladies did “hook” me, and before we were finished with mom’s quilt, I knew that I wanted to continue with the group by contributing my time to work on quilts that others brought in,” she said. “It’s what I look forward to most Saturdays.”

Lester learned quilting about 30 years ago but didn’t have time to pursue the pastime then because she was working fulltime and raising kids.

“And then the kids grew up and left home and there was a sign up at the museum one day saying ‘quilt show today.’

So, I went in and I’ve been back every Saturday for 11 years now,” she said.

Now that she’s retired from the corporate world, she’s really into quilting.

“For me, quilting is total relaxation.

That, combined with quilting with the friends I have made at the museum, and what better way to spend the morning?” she said. “Each quilt is stretched out on the quilt frame, and when it is completed and you take it off the frame, it seems to come to life. All the stitches relax and become something beautiful.”

Museum admission is required for one-time access to the quilt exhibit, running from March 9 to May 31.

Admission is $6 adult; $5 senior, (ages 60 plus); $3 youth, (ages 5-12). Open 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday. A Quilter’s Boutique and Gift Shop with handmade items is open year-round.

Details: 480-926-1577 or hdsouth.org.

ing that gave criminal defendants their Miranda Rights.

In the program’s regular arts events segment, called “Something to Look Forward To,” co-host and graphic designer Cathy Beard of Clemente Ranch will discuss art happenings from around the state on March 25.

The featured nonprofit for Episode 11 was the Alliance of Literary Writers, Authors and Yabbering Scribes. On Episode 12, the Ocotillo Artist Group, a collective of Chandler fine artists, will

be highlighted.

The programs all close with a “Creative Quote of the Day.” AZ Creates! is a half-hour web series to highlight artists, writers, dancers, musicians, film, theatre and TV creatives, and other artistic people in Arizona.

Fagen, former publisher of SanTan Sun News, an artist and crime fiction novel writer, designed the program to connect art patrons with artists, and to work on a positive project during the COVID-19 pandemic.

All episodes are available on the AZ Creates! YouTube channel at any time, along with other video content.

Sponsorships are available with introductory rates and discounts for multishow commitments. Sponsors for the show include Times Media, Sibley’s West, an Arizona and Chandler Gift Shop and Mary Contreras State Farm Insurance.

Subscribe to the AZ Creates channel on Youtube.com at is.gd/AZCreates.

Information: AZCreates.ArtOnlineAZ@ gmail.com.

ARTS

48

THE SUNDAY SANTAN SUN NEWS | MARCH 14, 2021

Craig Jackson was just a kid when his dad Russ and collector Thomas Barrett launched their first auction in 1971 - a long time before Camille Booker joined the current Barrett-Jackson team. (Special to SanTan Sun News )

BARRETT JACKSON from page 46

show. Besides the auctions, there is so much else going on for people to see and enjoy.”

Booker said some people’s decision to bid on a car is based on an emotion or memory that holds special meaning for them.

“Whether it’s the same car that their parent had growing up or the car they drove when they were in high school or always wanted to drive, there is often a lot of emotion associated with bidding on a car,” Booker explains.

Each auctioneer has his or her own

“chant,” also known as bid calling, which is the rapid-fire speech that is used to help sell the items during an auction.

Booker has developed her own chant over the years that has contributed to the success of her auctions.

“Having good general cadence and pace is important, because when people are listening to an auctioneer all day long, they don’t want to be annoyed by the person’s voice,” Booker points out.

“You also don’t want to go too fast because people need to be able to understand you. I adjust my chant depending on the type of event that I’m working at.

“At a car auction, we need to maintain a relatively quick speed so that we can get through hundreds of cars

in a limited amount of time. But at a fundraiser where people are enjoying their drinks, you don’t want to whip through the items.

Chanting helps escalate the excitement and enthusiasm at every auction.”

Fundraising auctions are among Booker’s favorite events in which to participate. She always looks forward to the annual charity car auctions that Barrett-Jackson hosts.

“Barrett-Jackson does an amazing job every year at supporting a wide variety of charities,” she said. “People love those moments at the events.”

Barrett-Jackson

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THE SUNDAY SANTAN SUN NEWS | MARCH 14, 2021

For more community news visit SanTanSun.com

Too many people are hearing without listening

BY RABBI IRWIN WIENER Columnist

In 1964 Simon and Garfunkel wrote and published a song titled “Hello Darkness My Old Friend.” It was originally written for a friend who had gone blind and was struggling to find light where there was none, and hope that seemed to have disappeared in that darkness.

It was a story of compassion, understanding, and extending a helping hand to someone in need of tenderness and faith. “……And in the naked light I saw Ten thousand people, maybe more People talking without speaking People hearing without listening…..

“Fools said I, “You do not know Silence like a cancer grows……….

These words resonate today more than ever. We are enduring a disease that has destroyed more than half a million souls and countless others who could only watch from the sidelines as their loved ones vanished from the journey of joy and happiness, and even sadness.

Their journey lasted a shorter time than one could imagine. Their memories are now enshrined on our minds and in our hearts. The stories of their lives ended abruptly and leaves us the responsibility to complete the saga of their existence.

Yet how many ignore the signs and refuse to observe the slightest of suggestions to reduce the tragedy? How many people disregard the science that has been placed before us indicating the severity of this once in a century pandemic?

How many foolishly claim that personal liberties are sacrificed without concern for the majority looking for salvation through careful consideration of others?

And if that is not enough, we are faced with a country that is in the throes of convulsion and destruction through ignominious pronouncements of things that are not true, and could never be proven because of the magnitude of the distortions and lies.

Conspiracy theories are plentiful and somehow believed. Is it because the frustration of confinement and the un-

imaginable toll on life and limb has finally created the uncontrollable anger that seems to have overtaken our society?

I sat back and the song I quoted rang though my mind. How many of us hear without listening? How many of us talk and really say nothing of any worth?

More than that, however, are the millions of us who do nothing about the destruction of our common heritage and the over two-hundred years of sacrifice to engage in a country that enhances the value of life; accepts all who participate in the dream through hard work and perseverance; who join in as we attempt to “create a more perfect union?”

I could only conclude that “the silence like a cancer grows.” None of us are perfect and that is why the declaration included the words to create a more perfect… knowing full well that our responsibilities lie in taking the foundation and building and continue building that more perfect union.

This month, we will remember the Holocaust. Yom Hashoah reminds us of hatred and the destruction that uncontrolled hatred can inflict on all of us.

The remnants of those who survived

taught very valuable lessons about perseverance and determination. These lessons resonate today as we watch our country enter a new phase of complacency and mistrust.

“And in the naked light I saw Ten thousand people, maybe more…” who came and stood at the foundation of our democracy and shouted in unison “This is my country land that I love….”

Sitting back and watching the parade go by is not what our forebears had in mind when they pledged all they had to the concept of a free people; where men and women put on the uniform and shed tears and blood for this very same understanding.

Perhaps people will begin listening.

We can only hope so. Perhaps people will wake up and learn from the past.

We can only pray this will be so.

Perhaps the original intent of the song, to bring light where there is darkness, joy where there is sadness, and sanity to a collection of misguided thoughts and actions, will be forever so.

Rabbi Irwin Wiener D.D. is spiritual leader of the Sun Lakes Jewish Congregation.

Poppies signal spring in the desert – and renewed hope

BY LYNNE HARTYKE Guest Writer

How do you welcome spring? What speaks of new life to you in the change of seasons? Do you go searching for wildflowers? Four-leaf clovers? Do you remember crocuses pushing through the snow from your other home in the Midwest? Will you serve fresh-squeezed lemonade on March 20, the first official day of spring?

When I was a girl growing up in Minnesota, springtime came with the arrival of pussy willows and the siting of the first robin. I remember cutting pussy willow sprigs with my mom and placing

them in a vase by the kitchen window to finish their opening.

When I lived in northern Manitoba as a newlywed, Canada geese heralded the coming as flocks searched for nesting grounds on the sometimes still-frozen lakes.

Now, as a desert dweller for over three decades, spring means the blooming of golden poppies carpeting sparse landscapes. I anticipate their four-petaled beauty every year. Unfortunately, the park rangers are already warning wildflower lovers to expect a sparse year.

“If any flowers appear, we will post on the ranger cam. Check there,” the ranger said when I called for a wildflower report at a state park.

If. A cautious word, lacking in com-

mitment. A word spoken so hopes are not raised. A phrase to keep expectations in check. A word we have all heard way too many times in the past twelve months as we have canceled events, practiced social distancing, and wondered when we could hope again. If. Arizona wildflowers are temperamental, needing adequate summer and winter rains. This past summer was a bully of a year, blowing the hot breath of 2020 in a hunkering-down pandemic.

Even the flowers remain quarantined underground.

None-the-less, my husband Kevin and I will go out several times in the month of March, searching for the splash of red chuparosa, the slender blue dicks, the yellow brittlebush, and the purple

scorpionweed, all the while seeking the beautiful poppies. Once located, we will position our cameras to capture the best angle of the blooming.

Don’t we all need evidence of arrivals? Of new beginnings? Of hope? I know I do.

Romans 15:13 ESV says, “May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope.”

Abounding hope. Filled-to-the-top joy. Lingering peace. Even in a sparse wildflower season, may your heart hold on. And believe.

Lynne Hartke is the author of Under a Desert Sky and the wife of pastor and Chandler Mayor Kevin Hartke. She blogs at www.lynnehartke.com.

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53

For more community news visit SanTanSun.com

Kaleidoscope Juice opens Chandler store DAVID M. BROWN Contributor

Kaleidoscope Juice has picked downtown Chandler as its sixth Valley location, opening several weeks ago with its line of juices, smoothies, coffees, acai bowls, gluten-free baked goods, grab-and-go salads and other health-conscious items.

The store is in the atrium of the renovated Alexander building, 25 South Alexander Place, in the San Marcos neighborhood.

Designed and built by Scottsdalebased George Oliver, the contemporarystyle Kaleidoscope includes a green wall and its generous seating allows social distancing.

“George does incredible work and is focused on renovating spaces in the Valley to maintain history while providing modern workplace amenities,” said Brooke Graves of Gilbert, Kaleidoscope Juice’s chief operating officer and co-owner.

“We are delighted to continue our expansion in the East Valley and share our nourishing, high-vibe menu items with more members of our Arizona community,” she said.

“We are looking forward to the opportunity to continue to share our passion for healthy foods as we continue to grow the concept.”

Recognizing the trend for healthy fast casual food, and a need for organic meals and cold-press juice in particular,

Brooke Graves of Gilbert is the COO and co-owner of Kaleidoscope Juice. (Special to

SanTan Sun News)

Alexandra Maw of Scottsdale won a business grant and started the company from her home in 2008 while she was attending Arizona State University.

Maw started by placing her fresh multi-colored juice in glass mason jars.

At first, a few loyal customers purchased every week.

As the orders grew, the jars

accumulated, and she noticed that the different colors resembled the lens of a kaleidoscope. Hence Kaleidoscope Juice.

She opened the first shop off 1st Avenue in Old Town Scottsdale in 2013.

Following were a Phoenix CASA store, also designed and built by Oliver; and two more Scottsdale locations, in Gainey Village and Optima Sonoran

Village.

The Gilbert location, in its booming downtown, opened in February 2020.

Still a co-owner, Maw works at home while raising her daughter, Sarah, with husband Chris.

“Our mission is to nourish everyone who comes in contact with Kaleidoscope Juice with our coldpressed juices, high-vibe food, light bites and uplifting shopping experience to encourage happy and purpose-filled lives,” explained Graves, who is working on a Ph.D. in natural health and holistic nutrition at ASU. She graduated from ASU in 2014 with a degree in nutrition dietetics, minoring in sustainability to focus on agricultural development.

“My undergraduate and graduate degrees allowed a great base of medical nutrition therapy,” she said. “I wanted to move into a more holistic realm of nutrition focusing on food and product development.”

As a customer in 2014, she discovered Kaleidoscope Juice and started working part time while finishing her graduate school coursework.

“It was exciting from the start, and I resonated with Alexandra’s mission of serving high-quality, transparent food to the public,” she recalled.

They expanded the working relationship to a friendship and then a business partnership in 2018.

See

KALEIDOSCOPE on page 54

Sonoran Desert Olive Oil enlightens your table

BY CHRISTINA FUOCO-KARASINSKI Staff Writer

Cole Randall and Jason Swenton of Sonoran Desert Olive Oil Co. are getting creative with their balsamic vinegars by encouraging local restaurants and bars to use their products.

“There are different things you can do with balsamics,” Randall said. “With cocktails and mocktails, it can be cool.

Now, a lot of mixologists are using balsamic vinegars in their drinks.”

He offers peach balsamic vinegar in club soda, for example. The store’s website and Instagram have recipes for margaritas, the Neapolitan herb balsamic bloody mary and Cascadian wild raspberry mojito.

“You can do a club soda and vodka with a little bit of a nice fruitful white balsamic to make a really nice cocktail for the afternoon, especially here in this beautiful weather in Phoenix,” Randall said.

The Americano in Scottsdale uses Sonoran Desert Olive Oil’s coconut white balsamic in its drink Versace on the Floor.

“We want to make it versatile,” Randall said. “Some people just have

Cole Randall and Jason Swenton own the Sonoran Desert Olive Oil Co. and have locations in Gilbert and Phoenix. (Pablo Robles/Staff Photographer)

white balsamic sitting in their cabinet and don’t know what to do with it. They only think about salads. We give them other ideas. You can put it on fruit salad, drinks and ice cream.”

Of the flavored olive oils, Tuscan is the most popular. It is used for everyday cooking, as it “really enhances the flavor

of whatever you’re cooking,” Swenton said.

Sonoran Desert Olive Oil’s olives are not grown in Arizona, but various parts of the world. They partake in two crush runs a year — the summer and fall/ winter runs.

Sonoran Desert Olive Oil Co. is a

second career for Randall and Swenton.

Randall owned a car rental company for 10 years, while Swenton’s day job is with Microsoft.

Swenton and Randall were inspired to start the business by friends in Mexico.

“They invited us up to their place to visit their stores,” said Randall about their friends’ three stores on Vancouver Island. “They’re very successful and I thought it sounded like a good deal.”

Randall quickly learned that some of the flavors in Canada work well on Vancouver Island, but not here and vice versa.

“Their jalapeno white balsamic doesn’t do very well up there,” he said.

“The spicier ones work well here.”

When the two were pondering their marketing collateral, they decided to make the saguaro cactus their logo.

“What embodies Arizona more than a beautiful cactus?” Swenton said. “We wanted to make sure that was part of our logo and theme for opening the shop. We also wanted a clean, modern look because most bottle shops have a more classic look to them.

“We wanted the store to look like what customers might see in their See

OIL on page 54

WHERE TO EAT

54

KALEIDOSCOPE

THE SUNDAY SANTAN SUN NEWS | MARCH 14, 2021

from page 53

“She has given me encouragement and freedom to help grow and expand Kaleidoscope Juice with her, which has been the most rewarding job

cookies.

She explained that, moving forward, the company will shift into more therapeutic blends and innovative ingredients.

“We do not believe food is a trend; we believe food is medicine and with that you can truly change people’s lives.

mission is to nourish everyone who comes “in Our contact with Kaleidoscope Juice with our coldpressed juices, high-vibe food, light bites and uplifting shopping experience to encourage happy and purpose-filled lives.

”

– Brooke Graves

imaginable,” Maw added.

The company’s mission is to help improve the health and wellness of the community.

“It is proud to source the best organic ingredients, locally when we are able, to offer healthy food fast,” Graves said.

Kaleidoscope emphasizes freshness and quality, she added, noting that “our brand is representative of the care and intense ingredient control we hold near to our hearts.”

Among the many favorites are the Walk-In juice, Avo-Smash toast, Red Eye Smoothie and gluten-free protein

We plan to continue devoting our brand to the constant evolution of medical nutrition research while still holding to our roots of making health food delicious.”

Juice is not a means for weight loss, cleansing or detoxing. “We view juice as a more bio-available means to enhance the consumption of quality organic fruits and vegetables,” Graves said.

Food should not restrict or punish, she added, but “it should be a way of introducing healing ingredients to your everyday life.

“Our juice, smoothie and tonic

This rendering shows Kaleidoscope’s layout in the new South Alexander Street building in downtown Chandler. ( Special to SanTan Sun News)

blends all serve a higher purpose to not only fulfill hunger but enhance cognitive function and promote healthy digestion,” she added. “With Kaleidoscope Juice, you’re eating to serve your soul, creating not only a healthy relationship with food but

maintaining a true form of self-care.”

The Chandler Kaleidoscope is open every day, 7 a.m. to 6 p.m.

For more information and menus, visit Kaleidoscope.love or follow on Facebook and Instagram @ KaleidoscopeJuice.

The Sonoran desert Olive Oilm Company not only carries a wide variety of flavored poils, but also some treats that can go along with them.

(Pablo Robles/Staff Photographer)

OIL

from page 53

house.”

Sonoran Desert Olive Oil Co. two locations — one on High Street near Desert Ridge Marketplace, which opened two years ago, and Gilbert’s SanTan Village, which introduced itself in October. The latter location doesn’t have the food selections or the big tanks from which to try the products.

Everything is prebottled on High Street and samples are given from larger bottles.

Randall said olive oils and balsamics are a passion. He enjoys helping customers find healthier choices for eating. Swenton adds, roasted

vegetables, like Brussels sprouts, go well with espresso dark balsamic or Neapolitan dark balsamic. Cinnamon pear pairs nicely with a fall apple crisp.

The Mayo Clinic’s nurses and doctors stop by the High Street location to talk to Swenton and Randall about the health benefits of extra virgin olive oil. A tablespoon of olive oil, the Mayo Clinic’s staff told Swenton and Randall, will help with joint pain.

“A tablespoon a day really can go a long way,” Swenton said.

The High Street store has grocery items like Frontier soups mixes and Pappardelle’s pastas, which come in flavors like lemon pepper, basil garlic, organic red lentil, garlic toasted onion, garlic chive and hatch green chile.

“Pappardelle’s make pasta in small

batches and they’re really, really good,” Swenton said. “Then we brought in Frontier Soups. Those are amazing. It looks like it doesn’t make much, but actually it makes a big pot of soup.”

Olive Oil Skincare Company’s bathroom products, which range from bodywash to shampoo and conditioner, are for sale at High Street.

Mesa-based Spero Chocolate is available as well in selections like Scottsdale Blonde, Mesa Mint and Sedona Red Rock Raspberry.

“You’ll see them at the High Street Farmers Market,” Swenton said. “They make all their chocolate locally. A lot of their sales go directly back to youth sports, even during a weird year of COVID. They still make sure they’re taking care of the kids out there.”

As for the pandemic, Sonoran Desert Olive Oil is struggling, but hanging in there.

“I’ve been open the entire time during this pandemic because people cook at home,” Randall said. “I do home deliveries. They don’t have to leave the house. We thought it was a nice gesture.”

Sonoran Desert Olive Oil Co. SanTan Village 2218 E. Williams Field Road, Suite 104, Gilbert

5350 E. High St., Phoenix 480.656.9076, sonorandesertoliveoil.com

55

THE SUNDAY SANTAN SUN NEWS | MARCH 14, 2021

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