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Study: Ahwatukee Lakes restoration would climb above $14.2 million

Detour man AHWATUKEE FOOTHILLS NEWS GO IRISH

BY PAUL MARYNIAK AFN Executive Editor

he cost of restoring Ahwatukee Lakes Golf Course would exceed $14.2 million and likely operate in the red for at least its first three years, according to a study by a management consultant hired by The True Life Companies. Released last week, the study by True Club Solutions, a division of the global golfing industry giant Troon, was ordered by True Life as part of its court fight with Ahwatukee Lakes residents over the future of the defunct 101-acre course. The estimated restoration cost is nearly double the $8.2 million True Life paid to buy the course from former owner Wilson Gee, who shut it down in 2013. Calling its future profitability “minimal at best,” True Club Solutions said it “does not believe

that Ahwatukee Lakes Golf Course would be a viable operating business if redeveloped as a golf course. “If redeveloped,” the report continued, “it would serve more as an amenity to the surrounding homeowners than as a sustainable business capable of producing enough cash flow to cover the cost of redevelopment and provide a fair return for the investment.” A top executive for True Life said the report had “reaffirmed the need to stop the false rumors of golf being a viable option for this site,” which the developer wants to convert into an “agrihood” with about 270 homes, a five-acre farm, a private school, café, two lakes and trails. True Life needs 51 percent of the community’s 5,200 homeowners to agree to a change in the conditions,

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(Larry Mangino/Special to AFN)

As president of RoadSafe Traffic Systems, Dave Meirick of Ahwatukee helps create traffic nightmares across the country, but with good reason. His company provides many of the detour services and products that protect road crews. See

Treatment programs face shutdown because of minimum wage increase BY JIM WALSH AFN Staff Writer

hwatukee parents of adult-aged developmentally disabled children are worried they’ll become victims of an unintended consequence of the voterapproved increase in the state’s minimum wage.

Increases in payroll costs are prompting some providers to consider shutting down or curtailing day treatment programs that developmentally disabled people need. They are people like Kate Noll, 29, who was isolated and depressed when she first moved to Arizona with her family, before her mother discovered her lifeline, Marc Community Resources.

Cheryl Noll said Kate thrives on structure and a sense of purpose. Kate had neither during her first three months in the East Valley. She became irrational. Her eating and sleeping habits changed. “If I had Kate at home all day, I would be at home,” Cheryl Noll said, forcing her

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AHWATUKEE FOOTHILLS NEWS MARCH 15, 2017 | AHWATUKEE FOOTHILLS NEWS UKEE FOOTHILLS NEWS AHWATUKEE FOOTHILLS NEWS TUKEE FOOTHILLS NEWS The Ahwatukee Foothills News is published every AHWATUKEE NEWS Wednesday and distributed free FOOTHILLS of charge to homes and in single-copy locations throughout Ahwatukee Foothills. UKEE FOOTHILLS NEWS

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( Melissa Hartley/ Special to AFN)

Holocaust survivor Oskar Knoblauch told Horizon Honors Secondary School students that his respect for his enemies likely saved him and two siblings from suffering a crueler fate.

Horizon Honors students hear from a victim of Nazis oppression AFN NEWS STAFF

tudents at Horizon Honors Secondary School in Ahwatukee heard living history last week as a survivor of the Nazis Holocaust told them about his life under Hitler’s regime. Horizon was the “85th or 86th” Valley school that 91-year-old Oskar Knoblauch of Phoenix said he has visited this school year alone as part of his efforts to ensure that no one forgets one of the history’s darkest periods. “What a wonderful opportunity for our children and staff to experience this primary source of history that no textbook or teacher could replace,” said Horizon Honors Principal Cynthia Shaheen. Knoblauch began his hour-long presentation in a way that surprised some students – telling them how they needed to “accept people for what they are” and “respect your enemies.” “I did and it paid off big,” he said. “Because of that we three siblings survived.” Knoblauch recounted the book burnings, the speeches that blamed Jews for Germany’s economic woes and Hitler’s repeated promise “to make Germany great again.” Knoblauch’s parents foresaw the worst and moved the family to Krakow, Poland, in 1936. For the following three years, life again showed signs of peace. “We had hoped this move would return us to a normal life, but it was not to be,” Knoblauch recalled. Soon after the German occupation of Poland in 1939, new laws and restrictions were imposed against the Jewish population. Knoblauch displayed one of those restrictions on >> See

LIVING HISTORY on page 5

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MARCH 15, 2017 | AHWATUKEE FOOTHILLS NEWS

LIVING HISTORY

from page 3

his arm: a white band with the Star of David. In March 1941, a 9-foot walled Jewish ghetto was erected and his family was assigned to one room in an apartment building. Forced labor, meager food rations and deportations of ghetto dwellers to concentration camps began as early as mid-1941. His mother sent to the slave labor camp Plaszow. The remainder, with 116 other Jews, were assigned to work at the sub-camp, Pomorska, headquarters for the Gestapo and two other security forces. Knoblauch’s father was murdered in 1944 by one of the officers. Knoblauch, his sister and brother escaped from Pomorska on Jan. 17, 1945, a day before they were liberated by the Soviet Army. That summer, they were reunited with their mother, but post-war Europe was hardly better for surviving Jews, as resentment intensified in the devastated countries. They immigrated to Canada on June 11, 1949, and he eventually came to the United States and settled in Phoenix, operating a day-care center. As he related the increasing brutality of the Nazis, Knoblauch used a projector

to display pictures of his family, photos of the ovens and other ghastly scenes from concentration camps. One frame read: “Respect is like a boomerang. You have to give it away to get it back.” He explained how his friendly and cooperative manner with Nazis security officers and concentration camp guards spared him from more savage cruelties. But at the same time, he recalled, “I was surrounded by bullies.” “Why would you want to cloud your mind with so much hate?” he asked rhetorically. “Hate hurts you more than the people you actually hate.” Knoblauch appeared to have a sobering effect on the students, and many seemed deep in thought after the session ended. Junior Arianna Drapkin said Knoblauch “taught me to keep more of an open mind toward people.” Senior Cameron Noble said, “I thought it was pretty beautiful.” “I really connected with his message of keeping an open mind and having love in your heart,” he added. “And I thought some of the patterns he discussed were relevant. It’s necessary we learn from the past because there obviously are correlations between what he talked about and what we see now.”

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Kyrene schools in Ahwatukee pass lead screening of water AFN NEWS STAFF

tate environmental health officials have ruled that the drinking water is free of lead in all Kyrene District’s elementary and middle schools in Ahwatukee. Kyrene Superintendent Jan Vesely announced last week that the Arizona Department of Environmental Quality’s statewide public school drinking water lead screening program gave passing grades to the district’s elementary and middle schools in Chandler as well, but had not yet sent results back for any of its Tempe schools. ADEQ is asking local education officials to test some 7,000 school buildings for lead in the drinking water. The state is providing the test kits and will do the analysis. Tests results from Tempe Union High School District have not been announced. Vesely said tests at two Ahwatukee Middle Schools found faucets not used for drinking water had to be purged of lead. “Both faucets are in areas that are not used for drinking water, nor have student access,” Vesely said. “One area was a sink in a snack area which is no longer used at Akimel A-al Middle School (27.2 parts per billion). The other was in a sink in one of the kitchens at Altadeña Middle School (30.3 ppb). The state wants districts to notify parents if tests show lead readings are between 15 and 50 parts per billion. The screening program’s goal is to reduce lead exposure from drinking water in schools. Vesely said the state suggested the lead could be purged from both faucets by running water for a minute. “Our director of facilities, Eric Nethercutt, had the faucets at both schools purged on Wednesday, March 1. We are now awaiting a test kit to perform re-testing on both sinks. They will not be used until the all clear has been given,” she said. “There is no immediate danger to students as the water at both schools is safe for drinking, handwashing, cleaning and toilet use,” the superintendent added. Vesely noted that water is not a

common source of high lead levels in Arizona, and that more common sources include lead paint, imported spices, imported glazed pottery and home remedies. Children may be exposed to other potential sources of lead in their homes. ADEQ reported several weeks ago that out of results obtained from 118 schools statewide that already tested, 24 showed the presence of lead, about one out of every five. Trevor Baggiore, DEQ’s deputy director for water quality, said these were the first schools looked at in what started as a pilot program. He said they were among schools where students are likely to be at risk, because they were built before 1987, when lead was outlawed for pipes and the solder used to connect copper pipes. The testing protocol calls for taking samples from fixtures where the water has been sitting for at least six hours. The reason is that lead leaches into the water supply, particularly over time. That is why readings may be particularly high on Monday mornings after the water has been sitting in the pipes all weekend. Some districts have been providing bottled water to students in some of their schools as a result of the tests. The testing is a direct outgrowth of the nationally publicized problems of lead pollution in Flint, Michigan. “I think the nation had kind of gone into a lull,’’ Baggiore said. “Nobody was thinking lead issues anymore until the tragic accident of things that occurred in Flint.’’ “There was a lack of data on schools and water quality in schools and the lead level (of water) being served at schools,’’ he explained. “We decided to set some money aside and develop this project to identify – and eliminate – the risk to kids.’’ Agency spokeswoman Caroline Oppleman said that the risk has to be put into perspective. “Childhood lead exposure primarily comes from sources like toys, lead paint, spices, those type of things,’’ she said. Older toys and older homes are more See

WATER SCREENING on page 19

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from page 1

to give up her job. “We would lose our (health) insurance, we would lose our home. “Kate would be miserable. It is invaluable to us. It’s our lifeline.” Like most parents of developmentally disabled children, David Hardaway wondered where his daughter, Jennifer, 23, would go after she “timed out” in the public education system at age 21. Hardaway is not alone. Arizona has 35,000 developmentally disabled persons in its Medicaid program. Jennifer, who suffers from cerebral palsy and other conditions, cannot walk and can only say a few words, such as yes or no. She communicates mainly through facial expressions. Her condition requires expensive oneon-one care. The answer for Hardaway was the day treatment program at The Centers for Habilitation, which operates group homes in Ahwatukee, Mesa and Tempe. “It starts with socialization. It increases communication,” Hardaway said, adding that he has noted improvement in Jennifer’s ability to function, even if it comes at a painfully slow pace. “An organization like TCH is a lifesaver for us. Without these organizations, they graduate (from high school), and go home,” Hardaway said. He shudders at the thought of TCH’s day treatment program closing. “I think it’s a parent’s worst nightmare,” Hardaway said. “She would be in a state of isolation.” It would be a cruel ripple effect if there is no increase in Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey’s proposed budget for the developmentally disabled. That’s an impact most voters probably never considered when they approved an initiative that raised the minimum wage

from $8.05 to $10 an hour. The initiative did not specify a “revenue source,” a constitutional question that was argued before the Arizona Supreme Court on Thursday in a suit filed by the Arizona Chamber of Commerce. The chamber opposed the minimum wage hike and is now trying to get it declared unconstitutional. Marc is one of several petitioners in the Chamber of Commerce lawsuit. The issue was taken under advisement by the Supreme Court and a decision is pending. In the meantime, non-profits are wondering if the Legislature will increase funding or if programs will get shuttered or curtailed. The non-profits have been advised to make plans for a worst-case scenario while hoping for a funding increase from the state. “We are aware that Prop. 206 has increased costs on industries across the state, including providers of services for the disabled. We hope to address this issue in the budget discussions that will come in the weeks and months ahead,” said Patrick Ptak, a spokesman for Ducey’s office. Ptak said that because the suit could have an impact on the state budget, “it’s one thing we’re tracking.’’ In reaction to the initiative’s approval, the Governor’s Office was able to come up with $25.1 million that was intended to cover the additional costs between January and June. The actual full impact for the 2018 fiscal year is estimated at $73.8 million, according to the Arizona Association of Providers for People with Disabilities. Marc Community Resources makes for a classic example of the problem, with 70 percent of costs tied up in salaries and the new minimum wage increasing salaries more than 20 percent, CEO John Moore said. Moore said he would drain the savings

Marc has built up over the past 40 years. He said he’ll appeal to philanthropists before he shuts down the Freestone Center. That’s a move he would consider morally reprehensible and a step back into the dark ages for the disabled. Marc’s work with the developmentally disabled revolves around three goals: socialization, self-sufficiency and community integrity. Some developmentally disabled clients, with a higher level of functioning, end up supporting themselves with jobs at supermarkets and other businesses. He said Marc is more capable of handling the cost increase than many other providers, because Marc also offers a variety of behavioral health services that are reimbursed at a higher rate. In essence, the agencies’ behavioral health programs have been helping to compensate for the drain created by programs for the disabled. Although the emergency state funding was helpful, it wasn’t enough for a system already underfunded at about 80 percent of its true cost, Moore said. The reimbursement for the developmentally disabled rose only 1.6 percent. “I worry people will become isolated. I think it would have a devastating effect on their treatment,” Moore said.

Shana Ellis, The Centers for Habilitation’s CEO, said her day treatment program is losing more than $8,300 a month. She said she has room to expand and could help more disabled people, but that is not possible because she cannot afford to hire staff. Some residents of the group homes work if they are capable but many also come to the day program. About half of them have no relatives. It troubles Ellis that she is paying her staff the same wages as someone who works at a fast food restaurant, even though their jobs require great sensitivity, patience and skills in dealing with others. “The funding mechanism is a problem. We have to pay more but our rates are not automatically adjusted to compensate for that,” Ellis said. David Hardaway shakes his head at the thought of his daughter’s life without The Centers for Habilitation. “Sometimes you say, why me, what did I do?” Hardaway said. “It’s not about me. My job is to take care of Jenny. Organizations like TCH help me do that.” – Reach Jim Walsh at 480-898-5639 or jwalsh@ ahwatukee.com.

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Minimum wage hike is ‘experiment for economists’

BY JIM WALSH AFN Staff Writer

rizona’s minimum wage increase amounts to a “laboratory experiment for economists” that goes much further than a few more cents for a latte or even the crisis faced by providers of services to the developmentally disabled. Proposition 206 increases the minimum wage during a three-yearperiod, from $8.05 an hour, to $10 as of January, to $10.50 in one year, to $11 in two years and to $12 in three years. Lee McPheters, research professor of economics at the Seidman Research Institute at Arizona State University, said 20 states increased their minimum wage, but Arizona had the largest dollar and percentage increase. “What will be the impact on the economy? This is a rare laboratory experiment for economists, we can only wait and see what happens,” he wrote in an email. But Garrick Taylor, a spokesman for the Arizona Chamber of Commerce, the measure’s most outspoken opponent, already considers the initiative a disaster. The chamber is seeking to overturn Proposition 206 as unconstitutional in a suit before the Arizona Supreme Court, saying it failed to identify a “revenue source” as required by a 2004 amendment to the state constitution. Two interveners in the case, the state and Arizonans for Fair Wages and Healthy Families, argued in court documents that there is no “mandatory expenditures of state revenues,” only potential for increased administrative costs and prioritizing, according to Supreme Court case summary. “When you place a new burden on the state budget, you have to find a way to pay for it,” Taylor said. “It’s the employee who gets the short end of the stick. You have seen your hours cut. You get laid off. Maybe the job you were after is no longer available.” Taylor said the main issue with a higher minimum wage is that it makes

hiring more expensive. He said the impact tends to fall on the employees it is supposed to help. “When you foist mandated increased labor costs on employers, you leave the employers with few good options,” Taylor said. But McPheters said the higher wage also can stimulate the economy somewhat by giving more people additional buying power. He said about 200,000 workers will see an immediate impact in the first six months, but he anticipates as many as 500,000 will be affected, as people with more responsibilities and a better work history expect pay raises. He said it’s important to keep the pay raise in prospective. He estimates it affects about 15 percent of the workforce, mostly in food service, building and grounds maintenance, health care and security. Arizona has about 2.6 million workers on a payroll, and the average wage is $22 per hour. “Economists have been studying this for years. Most economists would say this tends to cause businesses to think of how to save on labor costs,” McPheters said. “The best workers will probably not have to worry about their jobs.” He said those who are less productive or have spotty work histories might be in trouble. McPheters leans toward mostly a shortterm impact, saying it can be difficult to sort out what factors influence the economy. He said Arizona’s economy is still heavily influenced by population growth. “I think over time, it won’t result in any serious problems in Arizona,” he said. McPheters said that numerous studies have determined that it is not possible for employers to pass on the full cost of a minimum wage increase to consumers, who will go elsewhere if a cup of coffee or a sandwich gets too expensive. “It’s hard when the consumer has so many choices,” he said. – Reach Jim Walsh at 480-898-5639 or at jwalsh@ahwatukee.com.

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AHWATUKEE FOOTHILLS NEWS | MARCH 15, 2017

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the mobility-disabled population -- or more,’’ she told members of the Senate panel. spat over parking spaces is She said if any spaces near the entrance putting some users of electric to a store should be set aside, it should wheelchairs at odds with other be the other way around. members of the disability community. First, she said, people in electric A House-passed bill would require wheelchairs that need ramps or elevators that those extra-wide to get them out of a van handicapped spaces be generally have someone else reserved for those who with them to help. have vans. More to the But even if that’s not the point, HB 2408 would case, Linn-Fuentes said make it illegal for anyone the fact is that they are in else – even someone with a powered chair and quite a valid placard or license capable of making their way plate showing disability – from some distance. to park there, subjecting By contrast, she said, them to a ticket. individuals who use But dozens of foes, canes and walkers have to many who are disabled, maneuver themselves from (Special to AFN) signed in against the the parking spot to the store measure last week when An apparently doomed entrance where they may or state House bill would it came up for a hearing have allowed only spemay not find motorized carts in the Senate Committee cially equipped vans in to use. on Transportation and extra-wide parking spaces. And Linn-Fuentes, a Infrastructure. neuropsychologist, said she The result was that Sen. Bob Worsley, learned something else from clients who R-Mesa, who chairs the panel, put off had vans in the days before there were a vote for at least a week. And Worsley no extra-wide accessible parking places. told Capitol Media Services after the “You simply move to where there hearing that the measure may fall by the are two adjacent parking places in the wayside at that point. regular parking and you plunk yourself The number of spots for the disabled is down right in between, right on the based on the size of the business. line,’’ she said. But Rep. Noel Campbell, R-Prescott, Linn-Fuentes said that accommodating said within that law, the requirement is his desire to have a van-accessible space for only one extra-wide space for every close to the door – one that others who eight handicapped slots. And that, he are disabled cannot use – will complicate said, creates problems because anyone the lives of others who have their own who is disabled can use that slot. mobility issues. “It was brought to me by a Marine Even before the measure got to the veteran,’’ Campbell explained when Senate panel, it was already picking up the measure was heard last month in opposition. the House Transportation Committee, “It would create a two-tiered system in which he chairs. That Marine, he said, is the disability community,’’ complained a double amputee. Rep. Pamela Powers Hanley, D-Tucson. “He couldn’t get into the assigned Rep. Athena Salman, D-Tempe, cited space because it was occupied by a her own experience with her grandfather vehicle that had a handicapped placard,’’ who, before he died from cancer, was he said. “The whole purpose of having using a walker. van accessibility is defeated because “I don’t think my grandfather should anybody who’s got a placard ... can get have to walk all the way from the back into that space.’’ of the parking lot,’’ she told colleagues. Patricia Linn-Fuentes, who uses canes, Campbell said his measure may be said that’s all very nice. dead. “But the legislation has been “I didn’t realize that there’d be so much formulated in a way that’s going to resistance to what we’re trying to do,’’ he make life harder for up to 90 percent of said.

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ity Councilman Sal DiCiccio has launched an attack on an oftused city financing mechanism for spurring private development, saying that it has deprived Phoenix schools of millions of dollars in tax revenue. DiCiccio last week issued a release attacking the so-called government property lease excise tax (GPLET), which also is under scrutiny by the state Legislature and the subject of a lawsuit brought by the Goldwater Institute. A GPLET enables a developer to dodge real estate taxes for up to 25 years by transfering ownership to the city, which in turn declares it “blighted” and leases back to the developer. Because the land is now government property, it is exempt from property taxes. Developers are supposed to pay an excise tax for leasing government property, but that levy often is waived. “After many years of not paying any property taxes, the project gets handed back to the developer. It’s that simple folks,” DiCiccio said in a post on a number of Facebook sites. “Developers benefiting from GPLET’s pay no property tax while similar properties directly across the street are paying a significant tax increase by covering the share of the abated property tax,” he added, stating: “Remember, schools get their funding from property taxes. Schools aren’t the only ones who get hurt by this scheme. Small business owners, who don’t have a GPLET, now have a higher tax bill subsidizing their competitors.” The state Senate Finance Committee recently voted unanimously to approve legislation that closes several loopholes related to the GPLET, including a reduction in its length from 25 years to 8 years. “When local governments give property tax incentives like GPLET to developers, it deprives school districts of tax revenue,” the Republican leadership in the Senate said in a release. “State taxpayers are forced to make up the difference through elevated payments to those school districts.” DiCiccio said, “I believe this practice should be totally banned,” but said he is working with the bill’s sponsor, Republican Sen. Vince Leach of Marana,

(AFN file photo)

Phoenix Councilman Sal DiCiccio thinks the tax break for developers should be banned.

to limit its use. The Goldwater Institute also is suing Phoenix officials for giving a GPLET to the developer of a 19-story high-rise apartment in Downtown Phoenix. It said the tax break is forcing nearby Angel’s Trumpet Ale House and other small businesses to pay higher taxes. “The Arizona Constitution mandates that all property taxes be equal among similar properties and prohibits the government from handing out gifts or special privileges to certain businesses,” said Jim Manley, a senior attorney at the Goldwater Institute and the lawyer representing the owners of Angel’s Trumpet. “If Arizona cities think property tax rates are too high, they should lower tax rates for everyone, not use GPLET to let the politically connected few avoid paying any property taxes at all while everyone else shoulders the burden,” he added. The institute said GPLET waivers “leave gaping holes in school-district, community college, hospital and county budgets.” It called the GPLET a “shell game that transfers property only to avoid taxes” and noted that voters in 1980 approved a constitutional amendment canning the exemption of property taxes when a piece of real estate is “conveyed to evade taxation.”

MARCH 15, 2017 | AHWATUKEE FOOTHILLS NEWS

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NEWS

Valley fever is ‘nasty stuff,’ victim says BY SHELLEY RIDENOUR AFN Contributor

orey Schubert winces a bit as he describes how he felt while suffering from valley fever. “It’s the worst thing, ever,” the Gilbert resident said. “It is really nasty stuff.” Valley fever is caused by the fungus coccidioides, which grows in soils in areas with low rainfall, high summer temperatures and moderate winter temperatures. That’s a relatively small area in the United States: Maricopa, Pinal and Pima counties; the San Joaquin and Central valleys of California; southern Nevada; southern New Mexico; west Texas; southern Utah; and southeastern Washington. It also occurs in northern Mexico and parts of both Central and South America. In Arizona, every person in one of the affected counties has a 3 percent chance every year of being exposed to valley fever. “But, you’re not constantly exposed,” said Dr. John Galgiani, director of the

Valley Fever Center for Excellence. On average, it takes 12.5 years of living in Arizona to be exposed enough times that you might become infected. A diagnosis of valley fever means a fungus is growing in your lungs. When someone inhales the spore and it sticks to their lung and grows, they get valley fever. Schubert blames himself for picking up the spores. He believes he became infected when he went outside during “a giant haboob” in July 2011. He was toting his garbage and recycling containers to the curb and now realizes he should have waited for the dust to clear first. Although it was nearly seven years ago, he remembers the evening well. “There was dust in the air. It was starting to swirl,” he said. In October, three months after the dust storm, Schubert got really sick. Although familiar with valley fever, “it never clicked to me that I had it. I thought I was having a heart attack,” Schubert said. Another month went by and he still

Questions and answers about valley fever seven to 28 days after exposure. Common Q: Why is it called valley fever? A: Valley fever derives its name from its symptoms are fatigue, cough, fever, profuse discovery in the San Joaquin Valley of California, where it was also referred to as “San Joaquin valley fever” or “desert rheumatism.”

sweating at night, loss of appetite, chest pain, generalized muscle and joint aches and a rash.

Q: How long will I be sick? A: That differs for everyone, ranging from

Q: Is it contagious? A: No. It’s a yeast inside a body and can’t months to years. spread.

Q: Can I prevent it? A: There is no vaccine to prevent valley fever, Q: Who can get it? A: Anyone who lives, visits or travels through but one is under development. Avoiding areas where the fungus grows. People who work or recreate where the soil is disturbed have greater exposure. Animals – including dogs, cats, horses, llamas and wildlife – can contract valley fever.

activities associated with dust and airborne dirt of native desert soil can reduce risk. Use common sense and stay out of blowing dust.

Q: Is there a cure or medicine I can take? A: There is no cure, but antifungal drugs in the “azole” family are used to treat valley

Q: How will I know if I have valley fever? fever. The most common is fluconazole, but A: Symptoms usually develop within ketoconazole and itraconazole are also used.

AHWATUKEE FOOTHILLS NEWS | MARCH 15, 2017

wasn’t feeling well, and then “all hell broke loose in my lungs,” Schubert said. He felt bad enough that he left work one day and went home to rest. The pain in his chest and arms got so bad he couldn’t even pick up the remote control for his TV. He also remembers experiencing shortness of breath. “It was like an elephant was on my chest,” he said. He waffled about what to do next, finally called his wife and headed to a hospital. After several tests, the doctors determined he wasn’t having a heart attack, but found his lung had what they called a “white out.” (Kimberly Carrillo/AFN Staff Photographer) Assuming it was pneumonia, Corey Schubert believes he became infected with valley he was given drugs to treat fever when he went outside during “a giant haboob” in July that. But antibiotics don’t 2011. He was toting his garbage and recycling containers to the curb and now realizes he should have waited for the help valley fever. “I remember thinking the dust to clear first. antibiotics, so he visited a pulmonologist, phrase ‘white out’ was cool. It was like a blizzard happening inside me,” who prescribed an antifungal medicine to treat the real problem. Schubert said. He was given the drug most commonly About 5,000 new cases of human valley fever are reported every year to the used to treat valley fever, fluconazole, Arizona Department of Health Services. but it was no walk in the park. Schubert That’s about half of the approximately said he felt like his stomach was getting 10,000 cases reported annually in the torn apart by the medication. The pills U.S., according to the Centers for discolored his teeth and “ripped” his stomach up. Disease Control. “It’s worse than valley fever,” he said of But, officials believe more people actually contract valley fever than is the antifungal medication. Fluconazole inhibits the fungus but reported. It’s estimated that more than 60 percent of people who are infected with doesn’t cure the disease, Galgiani said. the fungus either have no symptoms or So, if a person’s immune system doesn’t experience flu-like symptoms and don’t take over, they may have to stay on the drug forever. seek medical care. There is no way to prevent valley Complicating the incident numbers, about one-third of the people who do fever, short of moving out of the regions seek medical attention for valley fever are where it exists. But not everyone or every not properly diagnosed, Galgiani said. animal exposed to the mold contracts Misdiagnosis is common because valley the disease. Likewise, not everyone who fever is prevalent in a such a small region. contracts valley fever gets sick, Galgiani Many doctors have never heard of it and said, and many don’t require any medical don’t realize they should order a blood treatment because eventually their immune system takes over and cures the test to check for its presence, he said. In response to that concern, Sonora disease. Schubert has learned his lesson and Quest Laboratories recently decided to offer a patient-ordered test for valley won’t go outside in any sort of dust fever. Testing for valley fever has existed storm. “I see people out all of the time in dust for years, but the blood test previously had to be ordered by a doctor. People storms,” he said. “I understand that, but can now order a lab test for valley fever I would highly recommend whatever at Sonora Quest Laboratories without a you’re doing could wait. I really wish I hadn’t spent those couple of minutes doctor’s order. Schubert wasn’t recovering in spite of the outside.”

MARCH 15, 2017 | AHWATUKEE FOOTHILLS NEWS

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AHWATUKEE FOOTHILLS NEWS | MARCH 15, 2017

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A consultant for the developer that owns the defunct Ahwatukee Golf Course said reconstruction of the course alone would cost more than $4 million.

RESTORATION

from page 1

covenants and regulations governing the course. “Our goal is to provide a viable asset to the community that benefits everyone and drives property values up,” said True Life Executive Vice President Aidan Barry. “In an already-oversaturated golf market, it is now clear that rebuilding a golf course is not a reality. Anyone who claims this property can or will be a golf course again is simply misleading the public. “We aim to do better for the residents of Ahwatukee Foothills by creating a beautiful community that protects open space and adds values to homes in the surrounding area,” he added. Release of the report triggered surprise and derision from Save the Lakes, a homeowners group which has two members suing True Life to force it to restore the course. “We expected they were going to trot out the ‘economic defense’ in court,” said Linda Swain, one of the two plaintiffs in the lawsuit. “We have an expert – a guy

with huge chops compared to the guy who works for Troon’s newest start up. Obviously, they are desperate to keep out of court.” Barry had told a small group of homeowners two weeks ago that the course study will be introduced as evidence during the Save the Lakes trial this June. During a Save the Lakes town hall two weeks ago, Buddy Johnson, who has developed golf courses for 50 years, told the audience that several investors were interested in restoring the course. “There are four or five groups of people who are not only credible but have money who are interested,” he said, admitting he did not know what it would cost to restore the course. “The longer it goes the way it is, the more expensive it will be to restore it,” Johnson said. “We have someone waiting in the wings who will give me an idea of what it will take to make it a golf course again.” See

RESTORATION on page 17

MARCH 15, 2017 | AHWATUKEE FOOTHILLS NEWS

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The Ahwatukee Lakes Golf Course, in better days, was an 18-hole executive course that allowed for shorter, quicker games.

RESTORATION

from page 16

Swain also indicated that several other golf course operators she knows said the estimate was high. They said the cost of restoration would be between $2 million and $5 million. True Club Solutions’ estimate was based on an 18-hole executive golf course. Although its estimate did not include land costs, it did include: $6.8 million for course reconstruction; $4.6 million to build a new clubhouse and a maintenance facility and $2.5 million refurbishing on-course restrooms and a pump house. In addition, it said that based on annual estimated revenues of $800,000, the course would sustain a 2 percent net loss in each of its first three years of operation. The consultant also stressed that the restoration costs were only an estimate and suggested they could be higher, depending on the economy. The report also included an overview of the state of golf and the golf industry in the United States and the Phoenix area. It said that said “while popularity has stabilized, the industry faces headwinds on several fronts.”

It said the age of “core golfers” is advancing. The report also said that while the number of Baby Boomers playing golf would be declining over the next 20 years, the number of millennials on the fairways was low. “Greater challenges will arise,” it said, “as a greater number of Baby Boomers will become physically unable to play as often with fewer younger players filling the gap.” In assessing conditions at Ahwatukee Lakes, True Club solutions said no turf remains from the old golf course, the bunkers would have to be reconstructed and the irrigation lakes dredged to remove “significance silt and runoff soil.” It said that a maintenance building would have to be erected and that “the location of this facility could be problematic given the dense housing around the golf course.” “Wherever this building is located,” it added, “there will be unhappy residents as the site will produce noise early in the morning and throughout the day.” The report also said consultants could not accurately estimate the cost of the course-irrigation system’s repair because the lakes were not filled with water, and that likely the “irrigation piping will have to be replaced.”

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AHWATUKEE FOOTHILLS NEWS | MARCH 15, 2017

Teachers risk crossing the line with students on social media BY DEVON CORDELL Cronkite News

ne case began as a technologybased English course when the teacher leading it started sending a 13-year-old student Instagram messages and texts containing profanity, sexual comments and complaints about other students and colleagues. Another began with a World of Warcraft game as a 16-year-old girl joined a team with her teacher and then entered into a private chat, which spiraled into online advances by the teacher and suggestions of meeting outside of school. Both teachers have had their licenses revoked by the Arizona Board of Education. Susan Yonker taught at Willis Junior High School in Chandler and was sending the inappropriate comments. Christopher Heavin taught at Pas Charter Inc. Metro Campus in Phoenix and tried to meet the student privately. The cases and other recent situations illustrate a growing dilemma in schools: Teachers are communicating with

students on social media and online platforms more than ever, building connections that can work well but can also go wrong, experts say. Social media “makes it much easier to communicate through technology, and because of that it’s easier to blur the boundaries,” said Samantha Blevins, an attorney who represents the Arizona Education Association, a professional organization for teachers. About 30 percent of teen social media users have teachers or coaches as friends in their network, according to a 2013 Pew Research Center study. Social media and online platforms can accelerate learning and can keep students connected and engaged, said Beth Simek, president-elect of the Arizona PTA. But vigilance is crucial, she and others said. “I think social media is a great thing, but we need to be diligent in ensuring that children and teachers are using it appropriately,” Simek said. “I would never ‘friend’ a student on my personal Facebook page, ever.” Yonker was accused of exchanging “numerous inappropriate electronic

messages” with a female student while teaching at Willis in the fall semester of 2015, according to education board documents. The conversations included profanity, sexual topics and derogatory comments about Yonker’s co-workers and other students at the school, the documents say. The communication between the two stopped once the mother of the child found the conversations and notified the school, according to documents. Yonker sent a letter of apology to the board, which was read to them, saying she hadn’t previously used inappropriate language with students. “I’ve never done it in person, so I don’t know why I had done it through messaging,” Yonker wrote, saying she had been going through a difficult time in her life. “I was always one of the best teachers on our campus.” State investigators said Heavin used a private messaging system in World of Warcraft to try to pressure the girl into meeting outside of school. “We have almost 200 pages worth of

messages here, and it’s very disturbing,” Assistant Attorney General Eric Schwarz said last month to the Professional Practices Advisory Committee, which hears cases of alleged teacher misconduct. “He keeps begging her to come clean his house, wanting to pick her up places – in addition to the actual overt sexual advances made on this 16-year- old student.” Heavin reminded the teen of his power over her grades, documents from the Board of Education investigation say. “Think of me when dreaming of how i grade dem papers,” he wrote in a private chat with the student, according to the investigation documents. Educators said communication between teachers and students used to be limited. But the increase of texting, social media and online classes has expanded student and teacher interactions. “The majority of teachers are good people, and most districts have pretty standard social media policies,” said Blevins, who trains teachers how to best See

RISK on page 19

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MARCH 15, 2017 | AHWATUKEE FOOTHILLS NEWS

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Technology allows students and educators to communicate outside of school on online and social media platforms. Those communications are usually fine but can occasionally cross the line, experts say.

RISK

from page 18

use social media. Teachers don’t intend to misuse social media but sometimes conversations “go a little awry” and cross a professional line, she said. Educators emphasize social media and other online communications are useful ways to connect with students, as long as they are used appropriately. Online communications between teachers and students are expected to rise. “By 2019, 50 percent of all high school courses will be delivered online,” Clayton Christensen, a teacher and consultant, writes in his book, “Disrupting Class.” Parents, students and teachers

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can avoid problems by making sure they understand their school’s social media policy, including standards for communication between teachers and students. Simek advises teachers who are approached by students to “friend” or communicate beyond professional boundaries online to tell their supervisors and ask them to intervene. “A lot of the teachers spend too much time trying to be friends with their students, and they blur that line,” Simek said. “It’s your responsibility to communicate to your class what the boundaries are. They forget that they are there to ensure that the student is safe but also learning.”

Wow! Don’t miss this 3311 square foot 4 bedroom plus game room and bonus room that can easily be 5th bedroom downstairs with 3.5 Bathrooms! Sitting in a cul-de-sac! New kitchen remodel 2012 with upgraded raised cabinets, granite counters and stainless steel appliances! Slate floors, upgraded custom paint. Large open kitchen area to family room has 20 foot ceilings, two way fireplace to huge game room. Large master upstairs with walk out deck to amazing mountain and city light views. More mountain preserve across the street from the home! Backyard oasis with built-in bbq, out door custom fireplace and spa. Wood blinds and sunscreens throughout. 2 15 Seer a/c units installed 12/14. This home is a 10! If you show it, you will sell it!

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likely to have lead content. But Oppleman said that DEQ simply had no data on what was in what children were drinking in schools. The first schools tested were those built before lead was outlawed in 1987. DEQ also targeted schools with children age 5 and younger as well as those in what state health officials consider “high-risk zip codes.’’ Oppleman said the problem of high lead levels could be limited to an “isolated fixture,’’ with the rest of the fountains and faucets unaffected. If any test were to show up at greater than 50 parts per billion -- something that has not yet occurred -- Baggiore said DEQ would advise a school to turn off the fixture if possible and put up signs

advising people not to drink it. And even in that situation, he said that does not mean the water needs to be cut off entirely. “You can wash hands, you can clean and do those things with water that has elevated (levels) of lead without any health concerns,’’ Baggiore said. To this point DEQ is planning to test only public schools. But Baggiore said local communities may want to do something more comprehensive. For example, he said the city of Scottsdale is using its own resources to test private and charter schools. Capitol Media Services contributed to this report.

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AHWATUKEE FOOTHILLS NEWS | MARCH 15, 2017

MARCH 15, 2017 | AHWATUKEE FOOTHILLS NEWS

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Chili Cook-Off draws crowds to Ahwatukee center AFN NEWS STAFF

n estimated 2,500 people from seven states attended the two-day 13th annual Ahwatukee Chili Cook-Off Festival last weekend at the Ahwatukee Community Swim and Tennis Center. The center, owned by the Ahwatukee Board of Management, hosts the competition, which is one of only two cook-offs sanctioned by the International Chili Society.

Because separate competitions for salsa, red and green chili are held Saturday and Sunday, participants theoretically could qualify for the Chili Society’s worldwide championship in the fall. It requires participants to have won first place in two sanctioned local competitions. Laurie Walters, who took first place on Saturday for her green chili, was the only Ahwatukee resident to win a top prize. Her father, Andy Jerdee, was a contestant in the center’s first cookoff in 2005.

The other first place winners included a couple from Ohio, a New Mexico man and a Michigan woman. Page Whitney of Flagstaff took first place in the cookoff for kids ages 12-18.

Clockwise from upper left: Andy Jerdee and his daughter, Molly Walters of Ahwatukee show off a trophy she received for the best green chili; Stephanie Mitchell, a cook-off winner last year, gets ready to serve her 2017 batch; Paige Whitney of Flagstaff mixes up the chili that won her first place in the under-18 competition; Indigo Guglisberg cuts up some ingredients; Korbin Gulisberg stirs up his concoction; and Kara Stumpf pours some of her secret ingredients into her batch.

Photos by Kim Carrillo/AFN Staff Photographer

COMMUNITY

AHWATUKEE FOOTHILLS NEWS | MARCH 15, 2017

After three decades, director of Ahwatukee’s first preschool retiring preschool. An addition increased the number of classrooms now serving 80 children, and upgrades to the building hen Diane Fitzsimons, and the playground made the space better. her husband Mike and But there have been other subtler two young boys moved to changes in 30 years, including the Ahwatukee in June 1986, they went geographic area the preschool serves. looking for a preschool in which to “Basically, everyone that used to come enroll their youngest. lived in Ahwatukee, or just across the They found the small, four-room freeway,” she said. “Now, we have children Ahwatukee Preschool at Mountain View who have come from as far as Maricopa Lutheran Church, and Laveen. Also, the community’s many more cultures first, and knew are represented in the it was what they diversity of the children.” wanted. Today’s preschooler is It was even also staying for longer possible for the hours, and with added former Nebraska programs like lunch elementary school bunch and extended teacher of 16 years care, those needs are to be a substitute accommodated, she said. teacher in the then “And our curriculum 5-year-old school. has changed in that it’s a The part-time little bit more academic job morphed into than it used to be. In a full-time berth. all honesty, though, the Five years later, she philosophy has stayed was named director the same,” she said. “We (Special to AFN) of the growing Diane Fitzsimons, director of Ahwatukee still want to have each preschool. Preschool for 30 years, has decided to child develop to their Fitzsimons finds retire at the end of the school year. full potential during it hard to believe that one or two years 30 years have flown by, and on April 1, they’re with us, help the families to work preschool alumni, parents and friends, on their parenting skills, and to support coworkers and church members will those parents.” celebrate her career and ministry. Ahwatukee Preschool alumna Lauren Fitzsimons acknowledged that there Brown said she believes Fitzsimons gave have been numerous changes at the her a wonderful start for the remainder BY COTY DOLORES MIRANDA AFN Contributor

of her education, which included Mountain Pointe High School (Class of 2011) and Arizona State University. “I have a lot of great memories with Diane. I remember I used to call her my principal,” she laughed. “She affected so many lives." Post-retirement for Fitzsimons and her husband of nearly 40 years means doing what they love to do – go camping. “We love traveling in our little trailer and most all of our trips have been to the west coast,” she said. “We’ve traveled most of the west coast; our son Scott lives in Portland and Brian is in Seattle. Now we’d like to travel east and to Canada, too, as I’m originally from Edmonton.” And unlike past years where trips were done only during school breaks and during summer vacations, they can now do so any time of year they wish. ”There comes a time when you have to make a choice and with the 30th year anniversary at the preschool and our 40th wedding anniversary, this was the year to

Bidding adieu As her Ahwatukee Preschool staff comes to grips with her moving on, they’re immersing themselves in planning Diane Fitzsimon’s retirement celebration at 1 p.m. Saturday, April 1, at the school, located on the campus of Mountain View Lutheran Church, 11002 S. 48th St., Ahwatukee. To make the early afternoon event

retire. And, my husband has been retired a couple years and he’s been encouraging me,” she chuckled. Staff members learned of Fitzsimon’s retirement in February. For many, like Kris Roland and Leslie Franzmeier, the thought of her leaving is heart-rending. “Working with parents, with children, and with teachers and trying to keep everyone happy, trying to see everyone’s viewpoint isn’t an easy task. This obviously takes a great deal of diplomacy and empathy, both of which Diane has in abundance,” observed Roland a teacher at Ahwatukee Preschool for 25 years. “Diane is a quick thinker who gets to the heart of a problem in the blink of an eye,” she added. Interaction with children, Roland said, is another Fitzsimons strong point. ”Every morning and afternoon she greets the children and their parents with true joy, and she knows the name of each child, as well as their personality,” she said. all the more special, the staff has put out a call for photos, written memories and related memorabilia. Those unable to attend are asked to send notes telling what the former preschooler is currently doing, and where they’re living. In lieu of gifts, donations to the Ahwatukee Preschool are being accepted.

Signage is key to having a successful garage sale BY KELLY ATHENA AFN Contributor

hwatukee is jumping with garage sales this spring. If you’re planning a garage sale, remember that good signage is your number on marketing strategy. A few guidelines apply: The bigger the better. 30” x 20” or poster board size is a good, readable size for a car whizzing by. The more the better. Plan on having two signs on every major intersection within a half-mile of your house, and more signs up to a half-mile farther out from those on major roads to prepare

people to turn. Eight to 20or more signs is ideal. Consistency. It’s best to have all signs the same color with the with the same big, bold printing. Keep it simple. A large black arrow on a neon sign is all you really need to attract buyers. Most people around here know it means you’ll find a garage sale at the end of those guiding arrows. An arrow with a five-inch width by 20inch length will be clearly seen. (How many times have I had to slow down to read a tiny sign with one-pen-width scrawls making it hard to see which way the arrow is pointing?) Writing “sale,” “yard sale,” “huge sale,” “moving sale,”

(Kelly Athena/AFN Contributor)

Pasting yard sale signs on public property like a mail box is against the law.

or “garage sale” is fine above or below the arrow. But the arrow should be the largest item on your sign.

Hours for your sale are helpful for people who can’t stop right now but may want to come back later. Garage sales in the spring are usually 7 a.m.noon, or 8 a.m.- 1 p.m. As it gets hotter, people close earlier. Your address is not necessary. Placement of signs. It is illegal to use any public property – stop signs, street signs or street light poles – to hang your sign. It gets the poles all gunked up with sticky tape residue. It is an especially big no-no to wrap tape round and round a saguaro to hang your sign, like one intrepid person did on ChanSee

GARAGE SALE on page 23

COMMUNITY

MARCH 15, 2017 | AHWATUKEE FOOTHILLS NEWS

GARAGE SALE

from page 22

dler Boulevard. Materials. Bright poster boards of the same color, black extra-wide markers, and packing tape. Tape your signs to boxes. Place the boxes on their sides next to the sidewalks and weigh down with bricks, large rocks, or even canned food or water bottles. You can also buy pre-made garage-sale signs made of plastic corrugated material and mount it on an “H wire” stake. The ground is pretty hard around here, so most people opt for boxes. Hanging signs. The night before is ideal. Waiting till the morning of the sale tends to be overwhelming. Taking down signs. Start taking down the signs farthest from your house first. Work your way back to your house. It’s a good idea to get a handy friend or relative to do this for you, as you’ll be exhausted by this time. Extras. “We accept credit cards” written on your signs will bring in more buyers. You can order a free card reader to plug into any cell phone at squareup.com/free. They charge 2.75 percent per sale but people tend to spend more. If you’re holding your sale on extra days, such as Friday or Sunday, write that on the sign so people will know the sign is not meant for Saturday only. Reuse. Give your signs to a friend with an upcoming sale, or offer them free on craigslist.org, freecycle.org, or Ahwatukee411 Buy or Sell, or Ahwatukee Online Yard Sale, both of which have 10,000 members. You might have so much fun you’ll keep your signs. Just remember: don’t hang your sign on a cactus. -Contact Garagesalegirl@kellyathena.com with news of upcoming sales.

(Special to AFN)

While an array of food trucks may be the main attraction at Ahwatukee East, four Ahwatukee moms have also secured a full-length animated family movie to add to the evening's festivities.

Ahwatukee Friends Facebook administrators co-presenting free movie on Saturday AFN NEWS STAFF

he administrators of an Ahwatukee Facebook site and a local Realtor have teamed up to inject some family comedy into the community’s next food truck rodeo. Four moms who operate Ahwatukee Friends, one of the newer local social media sites, and Realtor-resident James Goodman are presenting the animated film “The Secret Life of Pets” during Ahwatukee Eats, 4-9 p.m. Saturday, March 18, at Horizon Community Learning Center, 16233 S. 48th St., Ahwatukee. “We are always looking for great ways to get out and help people meet their neighbors,” said Kristen Martinez, who runs the site with Sherry Moore, Janet Schwertley and Kimberly Anne. Ahwatukee Eats is a monthly roundup of at least a dozen food trucks and just as many vendors. It was organized by two local women from Bell Mortgage Arizona who also use the event to help

a nonprofit agency by seeking donations of cash or items from people who attend. Admission and parking is free. “When Ahwatukee Eats sent out a request to sponsor a movie for the community, we knew we wanted to help,” Martinez said. She said her group asked Goodman to help “because he’s always doing a ton for the community and we thought it would be something he would be interested in. He agreed without hesitation.” The outdoor movie is an extension of the quartet’s social media mission. Martinez started the site about six months ago and met the three other women online. “We wanted to provide the residents of Ahwatukee a friendly place to talk about things happening in the community, general questions, referrals as well as promoting local businesses and business owners,” Martinez said. “Everything we do is about and for the community, so we knew this was a perfect opportunity

to help out.” Martinez said she started Ahwatukee Friends because she “felt the politics were really taking over the community feel I was looking for in a group.” “I decided to step out and make my own site with a politics-free rule.” She added. “It has grown very quickly. We really want this group to stand out as more of a place to help get neighbors together. We want to hold events and groups that encourage people to get to know each other.” This Saturday’s movie is the Facebook group’s second joint endeavor with Ahwatukee Eats. “The first time was in December, where we adopted a family and helped with fundraising, gifts for the family and raﬄes,” Martinez said, adding: “This will be the first movie of 2017 for Ahwatukee Eats. There will be more movies in the future, and many fantastic local businesses are assisting Eats in sponsoring them.”

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AHWATUKEE FOOTHILLS NEWS | MARCH 15, 2017

Coyote sightings increasing in Ahwatukee neighborhoods AFN NEWS STAFF

oyotes appear to be becoming a frequent daytime sight in Ahwatukee. A rash of coyote sightings has been reported over the past week – including one that made local television news and another caught walking with a breakfast rabbit. Local ABC affiliate Channel 15 broadcast an Ahwatukee resident’s video of two coyotes crossing the street at Ray Road and 48th Street on the evening of March 9 and a Facebook posting of the telecast attracted more than 61,000 views. A day earlier, around 8:30 a.m., Ahwatukee Board of Management employee Paula Fosbinder photographed a coyote with a rabbit in its mouth walking down Mandan Street between Walatowa and Jicarilla streets. “We saw the coyote walking with the rabbit, then another followed around Jicarilla towards us on Mandan,” said Anne Marie Hancock, one of Fosbinder’s coworkers. “We joked that it was the pup from the other and he was following to share the meal.” People on other Ahwatukee social me-

dia sites also reported seeing coyotes on Shaughnessy Road and between 29th and 30th avenues in the Foothills Reserve. “He stood in the middle of the street like he could get a better view from there down the street,” said one poster. “He did look a little lost. Perhaps forced away because of the construction.” That was a reference to South Mountain Freeway work. Another resident posted that he sees a coyote nearly every day around Knox Road and 44th Street. “These are not coyotes coming in from the mountains,” said Amy Burnett, a spokesperson for the Arizona Game & Fish Department. “These are urban coyotes. They live here, they’ve been here.” Burnett said parks and neighborhoods offer enough food for the coyotes to survive and that the urban variety probably couldn’t make it in the wild. “There’s all these little things that we are doing as humans to actually influence and bring the coyotes closer,” Burnett said. “We’re not necessarily wanting them to be in our backyards but we’re actually saying ‘come on in’ and not discouraging them and that’s the real issue here.”

Baking for to help refugees

(Paula Fosbinder/Special to AFN)

Ahwatukee Board of Management employee Paula Fosbinder photographed this coyote getting breakfast as it walked along Mandan Street between Walatowa and Jicarilla streets the morning of March 8.

Hancock said to her knowledge, the coyotes haven’t created any problems in ABM communities. Hancock, who with Fosbinder goes around ABM communities inspecting properties, said she has seen coyotes many times recently throughout the day.

CALENDAR

THURSDAY, MARCH 16

Astronomy lesson set

All ages are invited to a STEM program that boosts scientific literacy and inquiry. It will be led by astronomer and NASA consultant Kevin Manning. DETAILS>> 6-7:30 p.m., Ironwood Public Library, 4333 E. Chandler Blvd., Ahwatukee. All ages, no registration required. Free.

Medicare sessions scheduled

Ahwatukee insurance adviser Greg Geryak and Physicians Mutual representatives will discuss all aspects of Medicare. DETAILS>> 3-4 p.m. March 16 and again at 4-5 p.m. March 21. Ironwood Library, 4333 E. Chandler Blvd., Ahwatukee. Free but registration required for this limited-seating seminar. RSVP: 480-797-5615.

SATURDAY, MARCH 18

Bowie slates town hall (Special to AFN)

More than a dozen Syrian refugees baked homemade desserts and sold them Sunday in the parking of of Esperanza Lutheran Church. They are trying to raise money for their families and other refugees, as well as integrate more into the community. These bakers asked not to be identified, and an organizer said the sale was disappointing, considering a similar sale last month at a Tempe church drew nearly 1,000 customers who bought out that day's supply of baked goods in two hours. The organizer said the church's location might be too far from high-volume traffic. People can still buy the baked goods at Dayspring United Methodist Church, 1365 E. Elliot Road, Tempe.

“It’s not so much as a problem as it they are more and more prevalent, during the day right out in the open,” she said. But that’s ok with her. As she explained: “In my opinion, they were here first.”

State Sen. and Ahwatukee resident Sean Bowie will hold a town hall so that residents of Legsilative District 18 can bring him questions and concerns. DETAILS>> 3:30-5 p.m. Changling Hands Bookstore, southwest corner of Guadalupe Road and McClintock Drive, Tempe.

THURSDAY, MARCH 23

LD 18 Dems set mini-golf bash

Legislative District 18 Democrats will hold a mini golf

night with contests for the best-dressed couple and individual and goofiest hair-do. It will be followed by a happy hour with state Sen. Sean Bowie and state Rep. Mitzi Epstein. DETAILS>> 6 p.m. at Golfland SunSplash, 155 W. Hampton Ave., Mesa. $20 per person. Happy hour 8-9 p.m. Boulders, 1010 W. Southern Ave., Mes. Information: ld18democrats.org

SATURDAY/SUNDAY, MARCH 25/26 Annual drive slated

St. Vincent DePaul Corpus Christ Conference Ministry will host its annual furniture/clothing drive. Used furniture, clothing and other household items can be dropped off at the St. Vincent de Paul truck that will be located at Corpus Christi Catholic Church. No electronics, attresses or box springs will be accepted. DETAILS>> 9 a..-4 p.. arch 25 and 9 a..-3 p.. arch 26. 3550 E. Knox Road, Ahwatukee.

SATURDAY, MARCH 25 Free yoga offered

Inner Vision Yoga Studio will be offering a free yoga session during the grand opening of its Ahwatukee location. DETAILS >> 8:30, 9 and 10:30 a.m. Trader Joe’s Plaza, 4025 E. Chandler Blvd. Information: innervisionyoga.com or 480-656-6448.

See

CALENDAR on page 28

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AHWATUKEE FOOTHILLS NEWS | MARCH 15, 2017

AROUND AHWATUKEE ing applications for its annual Marjorie Miner Scholarship, named after a longtime ARW member. This is the seventh year that ARW has awarded this scholarship, which will be presented in May to an Ahwatukee-area high school senior. The application deadline is April 1. More information and the application: ahwatukeerepublicanwomen.com or arwomen@aol.com.

Ahwatukee residents can visit with Phoenix Police ofﬁcers

Officers from the Phoenix Police Department will be on hand to meet with local residents at a Coffee with a Cop sessions slated for 5:30-6:30 p.m. Thursday, March 16, at The Farm at South Mountain, 6106 S. 32nd St., Phoenix. Officers had been at Pecos Community Center last week for one of their quarterly sessions, but few people showed up. There are no speeches or an agenda and questions can cover any issue.

Inspire Kids Montessori offers open house

Inspire Kids Montessori is hosting an open house with St. Patrick’s Daythemed crafts 9-11 a.m. Friday, March 17, at the school, 4025 E. Chandler. Blvd in the Trader Joe’s shopping center. The event allows parents to learn about its new early education programs for ages 6 weeks to 6 years. Inspire Kids programs introduce young children to reading, writing, math, science, manners and practical life skills, including care of the self and the environment, in bright classrooms designed for collaborative learning. Information: 480-659-9402 or inspirekidsmontessori.com.

DiCiccio slates meeting about ongoing roof rat invasion

City Councilman Sal DiCiccio has slated an informational meeting on the ongoing problems posed by roof rats. An expert on roof-rat control and extermination will discuss ways to protect your home from the vermin. The meeting is at 5 p.m. Tuesday, March 21, at the Ahwatukee Recreation Center, 5001 E. Cheyenne Drive.

Ahwatukee man to lead state Capitol grounds tours

Patrick Lutz of Ahwatukee, vice president of the Arizona Capitol Museum & Guild, will be leading four tours of the Capitol building and grounds. The onehour tours include little-known details about the history of the buildings. The free tours start outside the Capitol building at 10:30 a.m. on Saturday, March 18, and as well as March 25, April 1 and April 8. Information: patricklutz@gmail.com or mhcady@cox.net.

On the Border restaurant is supporting Tillman Foundation

On the Border restaurant, 5055 E. Ray Road, Ahwatukee, os supporting the Pat Tillman Foundation on March 30. The restaurant will donate 20 percent of patrons’ tabs to the foundation, which provides scholarships for military personnel and their spouses.

Inner City Yoga offering free classes to mark opening

Ahwatukee GOP Women seek scholarship applications

Inner Vision Yoga, located in the Trader Joe’s strip mall at 4025 E. Chandler

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Blvd., Ahwatukee, is celebrating its grand opening by offering six free yoga classes and a class to benefit traumatic brain injury recovery on March 25. The free classes are open to anyone wanting to experience and learn more about the 5,000-year-old art and science of yoga. Refreshments, music and prizes will also be offered. The classes will be taught by master level yoga teachers in a supportive atmosphere at 8:30 a.m.,10:30 a.m., and 2:15 p.m. Kids classes are at 9 a.m., 10:30 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. Additionally, co-owner Diane Hastings will conduct a 1:30 p.m. class in an healing room heated by infrared panels. Donations will be requested for this 75-minute class to support traumatic brain injury recovery provided by the Love Your Brain Foundation. Information: InnerVisionYoga.com or 480-656-6448.

Chamber slates ‘donation day’ for annual golf tournament

The Ahwatukee Foothills Chamber of Commerce is seeking silent auction items, raﬄe and goodie bag prizes and whiskey for its 20th annual Masters Golf Tournament. Donors can drop by the chamber office, 4435 E. Chandler Blvd., Ahwatukee, between 9:30 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. Friday, March 17, and enjoy a light breakfast or lunch. The event is sponsored by United Brokers Group Realtors Christie Ellis and Jim Hunt. Information: Sara Fuhrmark at 480-753-7676 or events@ahwatukeechamber.com.

Gather junk, help support the Desert Vista High grad night

If you've been doing spring cleaning

and have useable but unwanted clothing, shoes, books, electronics, housewares and anything else, take the items between 8-11 a.m. Saturday, March 18, to Desert Vista High School, 16440 S. 32nd St., Ahwatukee. Seniors gather the junk and donate it to Goodwill, which pays by the pound. The money they collect will help fund Grad Night. Information: dvgradnight.

Prosperity group director to dress GOP women’s group

Tom Jenney, state director of Americans for Prosperity, will speak at the monthly meeting of the Ahwatukee Republican Women at 6:30 p.m. March 22 at Mountain View Lutheran Church, 11002 S. 48th St., Ahwatukee. Information: arwomen@aol.com or ahwatukeerepublicanwomen.com

Maricopa Master Gardeners slates pruning class

“Pruning Trees and Shrubs” is the title of a class taught by an ISA-certified arborist and presented by the Maricopa Master Gardeners 2-4 p.m. Sunday, March 19, at the County Extension office, 4341 E. Broadway Road, Phoenix. The fee is $20. Register: regonline.com/ builder/site/?eventid=1955353

Corpus Christi group collecting furniture, household items

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

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AHWATUKEE FOOTHILLS NEWS | MARCH 15, 2017 DETAILS>> 6:45-8 a.m at the Dignity Health Community Room, 4545 E. Chandler Blvd., Ahwatukee.

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WEDNESDAYS

Watercolor classes available

Congregation plans Israel trip

Watercolor classes that teach both bold and beautiful as well as soft and subtle approaches to the art are available twice a week for beginners and intermediate students at least 15 years old. Step-bystep instruction and personal help are provided. DETAILS>> 2:30-5 p.m. Wednesdays and 10 a.m.-12:30 p.m. Saturdays at Hobby Lobby, 46th Street and Ray Road, Ahwatukee. $25 per class, $80 for four. Must register: jlokits@yahoo.com or 480-471-8505.

Congregation NefeshSoul is planning a tour of Israel June 10-20, 2017. Explore historical sites along with the beauty and rich culture of Israel. DETAILS>> Rabbi Susan Schanerman at rabbi@ nefeshsoul.org.

SUNDAYS

Montessori holds open house

‘TinkerTime’ open for kids

Ahwatukee Foothills Montessori holds an open house weekly. It includes a short talk about Montessori education, followed by a tour of its campus. DETAILS>> 4 p.m. Wednesdays, 3221 E. Chandler Blvd., Ahwatukee. Information: 480-759-3810

A makerspace for children to design, experiment, and invent as they explore hands-on STEAM activities through self-guided tinkering. DETAILS >> 1-4 p.m. every Sunday, Ironwood Library 4333 E. Chandler Blvd., Ahwatukee. Ages 6-11. Free; No registration required.

Grief support is free

MONDAYS

Group aids MS sufferers

This group addresses the informational, emotional and social support needs of the MS community. People with MS, care partners and spouses are welcome. The group mobilizes people and resources to drive research for a cure and to address the challenges people affected by MS. DETAILS>> 10 a.m.-noon, third Monday of each month, Dignity Health Urgent Care Ahwatukee, conference room, 4545 E. Chandler Blvd. Free. Information: Lynn Grant at lgrant3567@yahoo.com or 480-414-7172.

(KSpecial to AFN)

Horizon Honors seventh graders Beautiful Corral, left, and Alexia Lopez, hold cards they made during the school's recent participation in an anti-bullying effort called the Great Kindness Challenge. Students were asked to perform as many acts of kindness as possible from a list of 50 crafts, activities and other suggestions.

TUESDAYS

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AHWATUKEE FOOTHILLS NEWS | MARCH 15, 2017

Opinion

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For Kyrene’s chief executive, listening is a big part of doing BY PAUL MARYNIAK AFN Executive Editor

longtime friend and former colleague who teaches in the Kyrene School District told me the other day how she sent a letter to her boss, Superintendent Jan Vesely, that laid out the reasons she disagreed with a particular program. Within a few weeks, she found herself sitting across coffee at an Ahwatukee restaurant discussing those concerns with Vesely for about an hour. She was surprised enough that the superintendent would take time from her busy day to meet with her. But she was even more surprised when she learned Vesely had done the same thing with another teacher. Having been invited to a couple of coffee klatches with the superintendent myself, I know Vesely is not only an accomplished educator and administrator. She’s also an avid listener. She lets no opportunity or audience go by without giving herself a chance to be exposed to as many viewpoints as possible from all strata of the district – from business owners to legislators, PTOs to principals.

And, students themselves, whom she confers with on a regular basis. She has been that rare chief executive who neither insulates herself in an office surrounded by impassable secretaries nor limits her interactions to the upper echelons of the district’s hierarchy. In that broad scope of her interactions, she is sometimes an ambassador, cheerfully and cogently explaining the complexities of her mission to make Kyrene a model school system for the 21st century. Other times, she rolling out the directives to implement her strategy for realizing that mission. But always, she is listening, too. She is a visionary with the practical skills necessary for transforming an entrenched bureaucracy into an army of believers. Board President John King recently told me that as someone who once made his living helping businesses bite the bullet and transform themselves, he appreciates Vesely’s skills at articulating and implementing a plan to turn the district around. That’s not because Kyrene was a bad district; it just wasn’t positioning children for a world that their parents and grandparents can barely comprehend. It will be a world where people won’t settle into one career, let alone one job,

right out of college and stay in it until it’s time to apply for Social Security. Instead, it will be a world where robots are performing many jobs that once provided a livelihood for our grandparents and theirs; where 10 years into a fulltime job, a person realizes it’s time to prepare for a new one because the current job is going away. It is a world that is barreling down on us like a freight train without brakes. As King and his colleagues on the Kyrene School Board searched for a new superintendent early last year, they knew they needed someone who could formulate and implement a strategic plan for a school system that equipped kids for a more complex and demanding future. Vesely has been formulating and implementing that plan in a very deliberate way. First, she listened, getting input from everyone connected directly or indirectly with the district through surveys, group meetings and one-on-one conversations. Then, she and the board commissioned a group of experts to examine every aspect of the district, assessing how Kyrene conducted the day-to-day business of educating. Those experts measured every part of the district up against the standards of tomorrow’s world.

Now, Vesely and the board are trying to fill the gaps uncovered by that audit. They are putting more muscle into classrooms, developing curricula that meet individual students’ abilities and intellectual desires and building a system that responds more quickly and more effectively to every student’s own needs. They’re not just interested in making sure a kid knows how to count and write an essay. They’re determined to create a system in which every student develops the character traits he and she will need for the world that’s fast approaching – traits such as resiliency, determination, adaptability, passion and perseverance. Those aren’t traits you acquire by memorizing a page from a book or passing a test. They are traits that children develop at home but also in a school system that challenges them while simultaneously showing them how to meet those challenges. Vesely gets that. And through her work, the board gets that, too. So, pay attention over the next few months as they reshape Kyrene School District. This isn’t just about the kids’ future, but yours as well.

In memoriam of the slower days of Life Before Digital BY DAVID LEIBOWITZ AFN Guest Writer

ad lunch with a buddy of mine last week. At least in body, if not in spirit. What I mean is, we ate burgers seated at the same table for 40 minutes. He spent most of that time checking his iPhone, firing off texts, tweets and Facebook comments. “Been too long, man,” he told me out in the parking lot. “Really good to catch up.” Uh, sure. I felt as special as any of his 567 Facebook friends, but more so for having witnessed live his “creating social media content” to “connect with his audience.” To think this privilege only cost me 21 bucks, plus tip. Driving away, I was overcome with a

powerful nostalgia for Life Before Digital – before we all began to live out loud, with nothing too secret to share and no moment deemed unworthy of documentation with a selfie or 10. What do I miss? I miss hanging out. You remember hanging out, right? We used to actually

not hanging out know, “Hey, look at us, we’re hanging out.” I miss knowing phone numbers and addresses by heart. Used to be, I had 5,000 numbers in my head, along with a mental map of every side street in Maricopa County. Now? It’s all in my phone.

and nights were the same length as today, but “theyDaysmeant more, though they contained less – fewer posts, fewer images, fewer boasts. ”

talk to each other, spend time together, plop on the couch and tell stories, or share a cold Budweiser and a half hour’s worth of the week’s events. No one took a call. No one posted “this great #cheeseburger pic” to Instagram. The point of hanging out was to hang out, not to let everyone else

Provided I can find my damn phone. I miss bookstores. You could spend hours in Borders or an indie shop, flipping the pages on a new hardcover novel, or browsing last week’s Sunday newspapers from cities half the nation distant. Bookstores smelled like books and coffee,

and occasionally you caught the eye of an attractive member of the opposite sex and shared a smile. Bookstores are mostly gone now. Because books and newspapers are gone now. Which bums me out because … I miss paper bag book covers. My mother was a wizard at turning brown paper grocery bags from ShopRite into customized, Scotch-taped protection for every elementary school textbook in my knapsack. Now? Kids have laptops encased in $300 Tumi backpacks. Textbooks are gone. Hell, paper bags have been an endangered species since 2003. I miss when people believed that it was impolite to discuss politics and religion. No one asked for whom you voted – rude! – any more than they asked your weight See

LIEBOWITZ on page 31

OPINION

MARCH 15, 2017 | AHWATUKEE FOOTHILLS NEWS

LIEBOWITZ

LETTERS

from page 30

or salary. Now? Politics is all anyone talks about, unless they’re talking about how much money they earn, or how they’re trying to lose weight by going Paleo, eating vegan, avoiding gluten or killing it at CrossFit. I miss waiting to have pictures developed. I miss the trip to the Fotomat hut and the ceremonial tearing open of a cardboard envelope full of prints and negatives. It would be 12, 24, 36 shots, precious images of a sandlot baseball game played with wooden bats and a frayed hardball, or that summer afternoon your family shared Happy Meals in the shadow of the Manhattan skyline. We used to really see each other then, in a crystal-clear focus that felt slower and yet more real. Days and nights were the same length as today, but they meant more, though they contained less – fewer posts, fewer images, fewer boasts. Not email. Real mail, actual letters. We had fewer “shares” then, yet so much more sharing. Those days would’ve made a great Facebook post. Thank God that wasn’t an option.

Freeway construction work penalizes residents

The conventional wisdom in Ahwatukee is that initially the Arizona Department of Transportation employed a series of tactics in an attempt to demoralize the opposition to the South Mountain Freeway. At the time, I agreed with that assessment and laughed at ADOT’s clumsy attempts. More recently, it’s become obvious that ADOT has repositioned its tactics to penalize those same residents for having the nerve to oppose it. If you disagree, then explaining the following: • Construction porta-potties back directly to residences despite ADOT having acres and acres to place those units in locations that don’t encroach on neighborhoods. • ADOT has allowed the installation of a large water tank that requires heavy trucks to access it off Liberty Lane in a neighborhood of homes and directly opposite and elementary school. Again, there are acres and acres to place this tank with access of Pecos Road. • ADOT tore down a perfectly serviceable concrete fence blocking the

– David Leibowitz has called the Valley home since 1995. Reach him at david@ leibowitzsolo.com.

neighborhood view of the desolation of what used to be the Goldman Ranch neighborhood. Then replaced it with a cheap rental chain link fence. I’d like to know what ADOT rocket scientist thought that was a good idea. • Finally, ADOT has allowed piles of dead trees and concrete junk to sit in piles immediately adjacent to homes for months. Clearly, that will need to be removed, so why not do it now to mediate the impact on the neighborhood? I could go on but I’ll wait on the answers to these questions first. -Paul E. Poer

Save the Lakes’ ‘histrionics’ protects dead course eyesore

Beware: Gridlock, Section 8 housing, lower home values! Roof rats, gophers, javelinas, coyotes, snakes, scorpions, mice! Herbicides, pesticides, floods! Asthma, cancer, valley fever! “Save The Lakes” proponents would have us believe the sky will fall, and our little Ahwatukee world will end if a developer – which owns the property – attempts to rejuvenate and beautify the

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blighted wasteland formerly known as Ahwatukee Lakes Golf Course. “Save The Lakes” (the “opposition”) states that they have tens of thousands of supporters – but if that is the case, then why all the theatrics and histrionics? All they need is 51 percent of residents to block the proposed development. Individuals – especially business owners – are fearful of being ostracized if they show ANY public support for the development. I personally know local business owners who privately support Ahwatukee Farms, but who will not openly endorse it because of threats to boycott their businesses by the “opposition.” Since moving to Ahwatukee in 1982 I’ve played the Lakes course many times – NOT because it was a great course (it was pretty poorly maintained), but because it was cheap! The Lakes was a financial failure, and has been gone for years now; I see no chance of it returning. What I DO see is an eyesore. And a reasonable plan to put the property to good and attractive use. I’ve signed the petition in favor. Perhaps you should too. -Chuck Kennedy Ahwatukee!

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OPINION

AHWATUKEE FOOTHILLS NEWS | MARCH 15, 2017

The disturbing ‘monkey business’ of U.S. black-white race relations BY NEAL A. LESTER AFN Guest Writer

was recently presenting a black history program, “Animalization of Black Bodies: A History Lesson,” for a student group at my university. At the same time, just across town at a high school basketball game, white male students were taunting a black player on the opposing team with chest pounding, arm scratching and monkey sounds. I was not surprised by the reality of this deliberate racial insensitivity by white students, though I am fascinated by their boldness. In the same way, I wasn’t surprised that six white students at my local Arizona neighborhood high school spelled out the n-word as a human puzzle just over a year ago, creating a national controversy. Indeed, I know well that racism has not passed over this allegedly post-racial generation of youth. This particular way of expressing American racism, by dehumanizing black people, has a long and pronounced

history, whether on high school, college or university campuses; among local or national government officials; or even among police. This animalization of black people has its roots in American slavery. Robert Guillaume, in the 1993 documentary, “Story of a People,” explains: “To justify slavery, black Americans had to be dehumanized. A moral and legal framework to support slavery was constructed at the same time. The distortion of the black image begins here. If it is believed that a man is inferior, subhuman, it becomes easy to treat him as a pet, a toy, an object of comic relief, a crazed lower animal who must be controlled and ruled.” The very presence of the Obama family in the White House these last eight years created a proliferation of derogatory images of and references to them – including older daughter Malia – and other black people as monkeys, chimpanzees and apes. Such perceptions of black people as less than human even show up in research: White nurses and nursing students do not believe black patients experience the same levels of

pain as white patients; they are thereby more apt to give pain medicines to white patients than black ones. The list goes on and on. Former Seattle Seahawks running back Marshawn Lynch is referred to by the nickname “Beast Mode.” LeBron James’ 2008 Vogue cover with Gisele Bündchen connects him with King Kong. Even the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. did not escape being called a “filthy, abnormal animal” by the FBI in a 1964 letter begrudging his civil rights leadership. Add incidents, headlines, illustrations and images of black people as primates to historical pseudo-scientific efforts to equate black people to animals, and you challenge the notion of a supposed 21st century post-racial United States head on. Such is the case with former Charleston Daily Mail columnist Don Surber, who described Ferguson, Missouri, teen Michael Brown as an “animal” that had to be “put down.” It could be President Obama imagined as a chimpanzee in a 2009 New York Post cartoon about his stimulus package, Serena Williams compared to the racing

horse American Pharoah or Saartjie Barrtman being paraded around Europe as a “freak show.” It could be the depiction of Little Black Sambo, who whets the appetites of three tigers in the popular 1899 children’s book by Helen Bannerman, or the reality of black babies used as alligator bait. New or old, real or imagined, these examples and countless others show that U.S. race relations inextricably connect the past with the present. Today’s racism is not this overt Jim Crow sign from the 1940s and 1950s: “No Niggers/No Jews/No Dogs.” Nor is racism just about calling someone the n-word. Racial bias, racial misrepresentation, racial assault and racial mockery all factor into American racism. Knowing American history, then, is better understanding Malcolm X’s pronouncement, “History is a people’s memory, and without a memory, [humans are] demoted to lower animals.” – Neal Lester of Ahwatukee is Foundation Professor of English and the founding director of Project Humanities at Arizona State University.

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OPINION

MARCH 15, 2017 | AHWATUKEE FOOTHILLS NEWS

New county law library affords justice for all

Ahwatukee!

BY DENNY BARNEY AFN Guest Writer

ne of the pillars of our Republic is the promise of equal treatment under the law. That’s why the opening of Maricopa County Superior Court’s Law Library Resource Center is such a big deal. It’s part of our commitment to provide access to justice for all members of our community, no matter where you live, who you know, or how much money you have. Let’s face it: many of us will have to deal with some kind of legal issue in our lifetimes. An employment or housing dispute. A divorce. A fight over custody. In fact, a 2013 American Bar Association study found two thirds of adults surveyed reported having gone through a “civil justice situation” within the previous 18 months with nearly half resulting in some kind of negative consequence for the person. While some members of our community know a lawyer, or have the means to pay for legal advice, many more do not. The most recent Census Bureau statistics show 16 percent of Maricopa County households live in poverty. And the 2013 American Bar Association study found low-income households are more likely than others to be involved in some kind of civil justice situation. When you’re accused of a crime, of course, you’re entitled to an attorney. But not so in civil cases, and more people than you might expect either choose, or are forced, to represent themselves. According to Arizona Supreme Court Chief Justice Scott Bales, in family courts “about 80 percent of cases have at least one side that is self-represented. In justice courts, a large number are selfrepresented.” That’s where the new law library comes in. I had the opportunity to attend the grand opening, and I can tell you it is a great step forward in our effort to ensure our court system is serving all of our residents. In the library you can talk with people who know the legal system and who have done what you’re trying to do. There are training and conference rooms. here are public computers.

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There’s even a place to file documents with the court. Chief Justice Bales has made access to justice a priority. One of his goals is expanding the number of web-based forms and e-filing options. He also wants to take some of the mystery out of the system, by helping self-representing litigants better understand what records they are being asked to provide and where to find them. Maricopa County Superior Court shares these objectives. Under the leadership of Presiding Judge Janet Barton, we have worked hard to bring our courts to the people, whether it’s the consolidation of 26 justice courts into five, all-service regional courts; our presence at events like Maricopa County Stand Down, where we work with veterans to clear up their legal trouble so they can get on with their lives; or projects like the new Law Library Resource Center, which combines the Court’s Law Library, Protective Order Center, and Self-Service Center into one centralized, user friendly facility. As a former mediator in the Maricopa County Justice Courts, I know how important it is for everyone involved in a dispute to get good counsel. As a lawyer, I know how the complexity of our system can overwhelm those unfamiliar with it. As a public servant, I believe we have a responsibility to make sure access to money does not determine access to justice. That’s why the new law library is more than just a library; it’s a place to uplift members of our community, to give them a voice, and to make good on our Nation’s promise to provide everyone a fair shot. -Denny Barney chairs the Maricopa County Board of Supervisors.

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AHWATUKEE FOOTHILLS NEWS | MARCH 15, 2017

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Ahwatukee man in the thick of traffic detours that test motorists’ patience BY PAUL MARYNIAK AFN Executive Editor

vice president for NES. After NES sold its traffic division to RoadSafe in 2007, he rose through the corporate ranks. He became chief operating officer for RoadSafe in 2012 and was promoted to president a year later. “Dave has demonstrated great leadership of the company over his many years as part of the RoadSafe family and is most deserving of this position,” said CEO David L. Myers at the time of his promotion. Along the way, Meirick and his employers benefitted from another movement that impacted the industry: municipalities, counties and states began getting out of road work and outsourcing projects and traffic controls to private contractors.

ike most motorists, Dave Meirick gets impatient in a traffic jam at a road construction or other traffic detour site. Unlike most motorists, those concrete barricades, traffic cones and flashing LED signs also mean money in the bank for the Ahwatukee man. Meirick is president of RoadSafe Traffic Systems Inc., the nation’s largest provider (Larry Mangino/Special to AFN) of the wares and the technologies used Dave Meirick of Ahwatukee heads the nation's largest provider of traffic control signs and related for pavement marking and traffic-control products. services. It isn’t just contractors and government construction. With over 50 locations in 40 states Freeway work dominates the company’s highway and streets departments that employing more than 1,500 people, activities, said Meirick, recalling one use the company’s services and products, the Phoenix-based company is the project that required 26 miles of signs either. Airports, stadiums, railroads, construction worker’s best friend, keeping and barriers. utilities, universities and military crews safe as they expand, repair Besides growing, Meirick’s business bases have all relied on RoadSafe and create streets and highways. also has seen a number of product to provide what they needed for His company also sets up the improvements that have made things either temporary or permanent barriers that keep runners in safer and quieter. traffic controls. marathons safe from traffic and Loud, noxious diesel engines that Some of those jobs have been paints miles of streets with lane once powered lighted signs have been huge, and others famous. stripes, directional arrows and replaced, for example, and more barriers In Boston, for example, RoadSafe cautionary wording. are made of crash-worthy rubber instead not only provided many of the “We have about 1,300 vehicles of concrete. traffic controls during the so-called of varying size, configuration and He said the industry also is bracing for “Big Dig” tunnel project. For purpose; tens of thousands of driverless cars. nearly 25 years, it also has painted barricades, signs and the like; and “Occasionally, there are specifications in the Boston Marathon’s finish line thousands of electronic (solar) certain states that require some changes in and maintained the markings boards used to direct traffic, (Larry Mangino/Special to AFN) our equipment,” Meirick said. “The focus throughout the year. both message boards and arrow Lane striping and painting directional advisories on road surfaces on safety continues to be a priority for It provided the controls for the boards,” he said. comprise one of the largest services provided by Meirick and his us and our customers. Soon, we will see Ohio River Bridges project that In many ways, Meirick, who company. more activity in the autonomous vehicle better linked Louisville, Kentucky, has lived in Ahwatukee with his area, which creates interesting challenges “The industry was evolving,” he with Indiana and is responsible for a wife Jan and four children for more than 15 years, grew up with the traffic-control explained. “States were going away complex project involving I-5 around in dynamic work zones.” While the traffic-control business “is from doing this themselves; they were Denver. industry. competitive at a local level across the And it provided the barricades and He had only graduated a year earlier laying off the liability and outsourcing. country,” Meirick said RoadSafe has with a business degree from Luther The whole industry grew up in the ’80s other controls for the two major political one advantage in the industry: “We are College in Decorah, Iowa, when he and ’90s. Today very little is done by parties’ national conventions last year. unique in our geographic breadth.” Closer to home, motorists have been bought his employer’s company and governments.” But that doesn’t mean there aren’t Working with a team of 10 executives, detoured, delayed and driven by Meirick’s created Tri-State Signing in Iowa in 1987. challenges. In 1999, he sold his company to Meirick is one of the guys who paves the company at the Barrett-Jackson auto “There are always challenges,” he said. NES Rentals Inc. and became general way for the road paving. He visits with auction and the PF Chang’s Marathon. “Currently, labor is very tight across the It’s also likely his company will have at manager of its Iowa traffic operations. companies, contractors and government U.S., and I don’t see that improving any He moved to Ahwatukee in 2001 to entities across the country, working out least some of the traffic controls needed time soon.” for the South Mountain Freeway’s become a general manager and regional contracts for jobs of all sizes.

BUSINESS

MARCH 15, 2017 | AHWATUKEE FOOTHILLS NEWS

Thanks you for voting us #1 BEST PIZZA 3 consecutive years

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Caprice and Eric Gouveia have reopened their Tukee's Tamales business with a concession area every Friday.

After inspectors caused 3-month hiatus, Tukee’s Tamales storms back into action BY PAUL MARYNIAK AFN Executive Editor

aprice Gouveia is living proof that sometimes a setback puts you futher ahead. She and her husband Eric had been operating Tukee’s Tamales out of their Ahwatukee home last fall, serving up take-out orders of Mexican cuisine she made herself, based on oldMexico recipes she inherited from her grandmother. Then, in November, the county Health Department told her she had to close her business because she didn’t have the right permits. “We took three months off restructured our business and have all the needed permits – a Class 4 permit, I may add, which is the highest in food permits. We bought more equipment and so now we will have a pop up location/concession stand every Friday night here in Ahwatukee,” Caprice said. Thanks to Desert Dentistry, which gave her permission to juse its lot, the Gouveias now set up their portable take-out restaurant 4:30-8:30 p.m. every Friday at 4609 E. Chandler Blvd., Ahwatukee. “We have a huge tent, lights, music and table for people to eat,” she said. Moreover, she added, “We are also permitted through the entire county for

any events, festivals and farmers markets. So I guess they did us a favor.” And she and her husband have added catering to the business. Gouveia said she has been reaching out to as many people as possible through social media, and she sends out an email blast to announce each week’s menu, which regularly changes. “Every Sunday a new menu is released,” she said. “You will have till Wednesday at 9 p.m. to place your pre-order. A confirmation with your payment and pick up details will be sent to you on Thursday. So, after a long hectic week on Friday, people can treat themselves to a delicious homemade dinner prepared authentically and with lots of love.” In addition to the special dinners, Gouveia also has some extra items available on a first-come, first-served basis, including elote, flan and salsa. “We are working on a web page with an ordering system to make things easier,” she added. The one thing that has not changed is Gouveia’s mission. “I’ve spent the 30 years in the kitchen,” she explained. “My goal is for people to feel my passion of cooking through my dishes. "I love sharing my Hispanic heritage with the community. I want them to feel like they’re in a small village in Mexico when they’re eating our food.”

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BUSINESS

AHWATUKEE FOOTHILLS NEWS | MARCH 15, 2017

Use your tax refund to make progress on your financial goals BY JOSEPH ORTIZ AFN Guest Writer

t’s tax time again – which for many Americans means that a tax refund is on its way. If you’re going to get a refund this year, how can you use the money to your best advantage? Of course, it’s always tempting to spend the check from Uncle Sam on something fun. But a tax refund could be sizable – the average amount in 2016 was $2,857, according to the IRS – so putting this money to work could help boost your progress toward your financial goals. Here are some possibilities for using your refund: Help fund your IRA. If you were to receive a tax refund of $2,857, you’d have slightly more than half of the $5,500 annual IRA contribution limit for 2017, although, if you are 50 or older, you can contribute an extra $1,000. Consequently, you may find it much easier to fully fund your IRA for the year – and you should do exactly that,

because an IRA is a great retirement By adding new investments, or may be subject to both income tax and a savings vehicle. If you have a traditional increasing your holdings of existing 10 percent penalty. IRA, your contributions may be fully or investments, you may be able to further Pay off some debts. You can help partially deductible, depending on your diversify your portfolio – and you can improve your financial picture by income, while your earnings can grow use your refund for this purpose. (Keep reducing your debt load – but it may tax deferred. in mind, though, that diversification, by make sense to prioritize these debts. Taxes are due upon withdrawal, and itself, can’t guarantee profits or protect For example, rather than make an extra withdrawals prior to age 59½ may be against loss.) mortgage payment, you might want to subject to a 10 percent IRS penalty.) Contribute to a 529 plan. If you have first tackle those debts or loans that carry With a Roth IRA, your contributions children or grandchildren whom you’d a high interest rate and that don’t allow are not deductible, but your earnings like to help send to college, consider you to deduct interest payments. are distributed tax-free, provided you using your tax refund to help fund a 529 After all, your monthly mortgage don’t start taking payment will remain withdrawals until the same even if you you’re 59½ and you’ve make an extra payment, had your account at but if you can get rid of Think carefully about how to use your tax least five years. some smaller debts, you refund. It represents an opportunity. Diversify your will free up some cash asset portfolio. If a that you could use to —Joseph Ortiz market downturn hits invest for your future. one asset class, and Think carefully about that’s where you keep how to use your tax most of your money, you could take a plan. Your 529 plan contributions may refund. It represents an opportunity that big hit. Owning an array of investments be deductible from your state taxes. you won’t want to waste. – such as stocks, bonds, certificates of Your earnings are distributed taxdeposit, and so on – can help prepare free, provided they are used for qualified -Ahwatukee Foothills Edward Jones Financial Advisor Joseph B. Ortiz, AAMS, CRPS, can your portfolio to weather the effects of higher education expenses. Withdrawals be reached at 480-753-7664 or joseph.ortiz@ market volatility. not used for higher education expenses edwardjones.com.

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BUSINESS

MARCH 15, 2017 | AHWATUKEE FOOTHILLS NEWS

Ron Paul urges lawmakers to exempt gold coins from tax of the coin and the demand for what might be a rare coin. “So to give someone a capital gains tax nvoking claims of illegally printed break on the money they make in money paper money, the use of gold in the you would call dishonest money from Bible and even foreign entanglements, selling that coin seems like just simply a former Congressman Ron Paul urged tax giveaway that other people would be Arizona lawmakers last week to let paying for because we’re going to need to coin collectors and get enough money investors escape the to pay for our state’s capital gains roads and schools tax. anyway,’’ Farley said. Paul, a three-time “Why does the presidential hopeful, government need told members of the money is the big the Senate Finance question,’’ Paul said. Committee it’s not Anyway, he said, fair or even legal if the government from his perspective needs money it for the government should tax people (Photo Credit/Special to AFN) to take its share Former Congressman Ron Paul told Arizona “more honestly’’ when someone who lawmakers gold should be exempt from the than by making bought a coin at state's capital gains tax. them pay capital $300 later sells it for gains for their efforts $1,200. to protect themselves against inflation. He said the value of the coin really Farley, for his part, said the flaw in remains the same. It’s the value of that the arguments by supporters of the paper money - money he contends is legislation is that somehow the type of “fraud’’ - that’s gone down. investment decision should govern its Paul’s testimony helped buttress tax liability. similar claims by Rep. Mark Finchem, “There’s a lot of places people can R-Oro Valley, who already has ushered decide to invest their money as a hedge the tax break in HB 2014 through the against inflation,’’ he said. House. The result was the Senate panel “You can invest it in stocks, you can giving its OK on a 4-3 party-line vote invest it in real estate, your house, a and sending it to the full Senate. lot of other things,’’ Farley continued. But the real hurdle remains Republican “That also goes up in value over time Gov. Doug Ducey who vetoed similar and that represents, at least in some part, measures in 2015 and again last year inflation.’’ saying he feared the unintended The difference here, Farley said, is that consequences of such a change in tax people pay capital gains taxes taxed when law. they sell a stock or any other investment That isn’t a unique concern. In 2013, for a profit; this bill creates a special Republican Jan Brewer also used her exemption for gold and silver coins. veto stamp. One thing the panel did not consider “This would result in lost revenue to is what would be the cost to the state of the state, while giving businesses that such an exemption. buy and sell collectible coins or current No one was able to provide a figure originally authorized by Congress an of the tax implications of such an unfair advantage,’’ she wrote at the time. exemption. That was exactly the complaint made The closest they came was in testimony by Sen. Steve Farley, D-Tucson, in by Keith Weiner, who runs Monetary urging colleagues to kill the measure. Metals, a Scottsdale-based firm that He said the legislation would make helps people invest in gold. He figured sense if a $20 gold piece sold for $20 the loss to the state to be minimal, about in what most people recognize as legal $100,000 a year. currency. But what it sells for, Farley The Tax Policy Center in a report last said, is based on a combination of the month said Utah is the only state that amount of precious metal, the condition already has such an exemption. BY HOWARD FISCHER Capitol Media Services

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BUSINESS

AHWATUKEE FOOTHILLS NEWS | MARCH 15, 2017

Hemp industry creation a step closer in Arizona BY CHARLIE CLARK Cronkite News

Republican senator from Lake Havasu City sees economic opportunity in industrial hemp and wants to bring Arizona into the fold. Sen. Sonny Borrelli has sponsored a bill to establish the framework for an industrial hemp industry in Arizona. If passed, SB 1337 would legalize the cultivation, distribution and sale of industrial hemp. It would task the state’s agricultural department with oversight, licensing and regulation of the industry. The bill passed 26-4 with bipartisan support in the Senate and is now in the House. “It’s good policy. It’s economic development, and it’s good for the agriculture community,” Borrelli said. Borrelli praised the benefits of hemp production as an economic driver, saying it would create jobs and potentially bring Arizona into a growing industry. He added that hemp also could prove a big boost for agriculture in the watersensitive state because it requires less water than cotton to grow. The bill is not without opposition though. Sen. David Farnsworth, R-Mesa, was one of four senators who voted against the bill. Although he sees the commercial benefits of hemp, Farnsworth said it could pose a challenge for law enforcement officers to distinguish between a small hemp plant and a small marijuana plant. “Enforcement of our marijuana laws would be more difficult if we have a lot of hemp growing,” he said. Farnsworth also expressed concern that hemp may be a backdoor approach to legalizing marijuana. Borrelli argued that there’s a misconception about hemp’s association with marijuana. The Controlled Substances Act of 1970 classified marijuana and its cannabinoids as a Schedule I controlled substance. This also impacted hemp because it possesses the cannabinoid Tetrahydrocannabinol – commonly referred to as THC, the part of the plant that produces a high. But the level of THC in hemp is very low compared to marijuana. For example, the maximum THC content

(Special to AFN)

If passed, Senate Bill 1337 would legalize the cultivation, distribution and sale of industrial hemp in Arizona so that fields like this one in Colorado would be allowed.

of legal industrial hemp in most states is about 0.3 percent, whereas NBC News reported the average THC content in Colorado’s legal bud to be 18.7 percent. A provision in the 2014 U.S. Farm Bill distinguished the two and authorized colleges, universities and pilot programs to begin researching industrial hemp. Now at least 30 states have passed measures related to industrial hemp. But while 20 of those states have passed laws allowing research and pilot programs, only 16 have legalized industrial hemp production for commercial purposes, according to a state Senate fact sheet. Commercially, hemp is finding success. In 2015, the total retail value of hemp products sold in the U.S. was estimated at more than $573 million, according to the Hemp Industries Association, a nonprofit trade association. According to the association, market research firm SPINS also found that in 2015, hemp product sales in two of the largest segments of the market – hemp foods and body care – grew by 11 percent for conventional retailers and 9 percent for natural products retailers. Besides food and body care, companies use hemp to make textiles, construction materials, clothing, rope and plastic and composite car parts. If signed into law, the bill would set guidelines for the hemp industry in Arizona. All growers and processors would require a license to operate and must undergo fingerprinting. Also, the Department of Agriculture could inspect and destroy any crops that do not meet standards and punish growers and processors who do not follow statutes.

BUSINESS

MARCH 15, 2017 | AHWATUKEE FOOTHILLS NEWS

Main Street Ahwatukee

Brought to you by the Ahwatukee Foothills Chamber of Commerce

BUSINESS HIGHLIGHTS

SHOP LOCAL

Chick-fil-A

5035 E. Ray Road, Ahwatukee. 480-961-6006 cfarestaurant.com/ ahwatukeefoothillstowncenter/ home At Chick-fil-A at Ahwatukee Foothills Town Center, we believe in providing our guests the best restaurant experience we can. Whether it’s the friendly greeting as you walk in, the hot food or the comfortable dining environment, we hope you will have a great experience at our restaurant.

Costco Wholesale

1445 W. Elliot Road, Tempe. 480-496-6651 ext. 227 costco.com Costco originated the warehouse club concept more than three decades ago, and we continue to lead the industry in terms of quality, value and convenience.

Dr. Nicole Gerard PLLC 3100 W. Ray Road, Suite 201, Chandler. 602-492-3112 drnicolegerard.com Dr. Nicole Gerard strives on bringing effective, quality healthcare with a natural approach with a focus on diet and lifestyle coaching, women’s health, digestive issues, and overall wellness.

Yellow Cab

4525 E. University Drive, Phoenix. 480-966-8377 yellowcabaz.com Yellow Cab Full Transportation has and continues to be the icon of service for the transportation industry in Arizona. With our large fleet of taxicabs, limousines, VIP sedans, large capacity vans, and wheelchair and stretcher vans, we maintain commitment to our longstanding goal of total customer satisfaction.

EVENTS

YEA! sponsorships offer an opportunity to prepare youth for the future BY LINDY LUTZ CASH AFN Guest Writer

or our community and our country to prosper, the Ahwatukee Foothills Chamber of Commerce is aware that developing the entrepreneurial spirit in our young people is critical. A 21st Century education and skills to match – as well as innovation and business creation – are the keys to the success of the U.S. economy. So, nothing could be more important than instilling the entrepreneurial mindset in our youth. I know that many of you work every day to create jobs, drive our economy and give back to improve the community in which we live. I know that all of you also take an active interest in the lives of young people in our community. Because their success is vital to our success as a people, the chamber has a program that allows us to work together to teach students in our community real-world skills. The Young Entrepreneurs Academy (YEA!) is a groundbreaking program that takes

For more info on these and other upcoming events, visit ahwatukeechamber.com.

March Madness Mixer Foothills Club West Homeowners Association Clubhouse (Not the golf club) 16414 S. 14th Ave., Ahwatukee. 5:30-7:30 p.m. today, March 15. $5 members, guests free this month only. *Members are encouraged to bring promotional door prizes.

Women in Business (Special to AFN)

Get to Know Your Chamber Breakfast

Top: Tracey Kaste and Janet Schwab enjoy the Women in Business Spotlight event. Right: Attending the first Women in Business Spotlight program were, from left, Dr. Nicole Gerard, Samantha Thompson and Sharon Wright.

students through the process of starting and running real businesses. YEA! students visit area businesses, meet successful entrepreneurs, develop a business or social idea and plan and work with mentors. Students then pitch their ideas “live” to a panel of investors made up of local business and community leaders to obtain funding. Community support strengthens the program, and the academy strengthens the community. Students participating in the YEA! program learn important life lessons and at the same time gain an appreciation that the skills they are learning in school have significant value in “real world” applications. They gain self-esteem, confidence and practical experience in working

Mountain Park Senior Living 4475 E. Knox Road, Ahwatukee. 8-9 a.m. March 23. Free

through situations and challenges. Students learn to make a job – not just take a job! The Ahwatukee Chamber is requesting you to support this initiative as a sponsor at a donation level that works for you and/or your organization. This donation will offset program costs or provide tuition scholarships for talented students who otherwise may not be able to attend. I hope that this is something that you are excited about and interested in moving forward on together. I can be reached at 480-753-7676 or info@ahwatukeechamber.com. -Lindy Lutz Cash is President/CEO of the Ahwatukee Foothills Chamber of Commerce

Power Partners Leads Group

Native New Yorker 5030 E. Ray Road, Ahwatukee. Noon-1 p.m. Mondays. Free.

Power Partners Networking Group

Trattoria D’Amico 4902 E. Warner Road, Ahwatukee. 11:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. Wednesdays. Free

Toastmasters

First American Title Conference Room 4435 E. Chandler Blvd., Ahwatukee. 8-9 a.m. Fridays. Visit for free.

Ambassador Name: Jim Hunt Company: United Brokers Group-Jim Hunt 106 Kyrene Road, Suite 2, Chandler. Phone: 480-221-2883. Email: jim@huntazhomes. com. Website: huntazhomes.com. What type of business services or products do you provide? I offer residential real estate services

for home buyers and sellers all over the Phoenix Metro Area. From Happy Valley to Lavene, San Tan Valley and Maricopa, I’m happy to travel anywhere to help a client; though Ahwatukee is the heart of my territory. What are some exciting things happening in your business? The real estate market is hot right now! Homes are increasing in value and interest rates are looking great. It’s a perfect time to buy or sell a home, plus the

new building market is booming. What is your background and how did you come to be in this business? I’ve spent my life in the service industry. Starting my own company at 21 years old, I’ve been self-employed and client driven for over 30 years. While working in the insurance industry, I became interested in real estate and began working closely with partners in that field. Eventually, my passion for working directly with clients and

providing direct service led me to launch into real estate full time. What are your special interests? People, community, service. I’m an avid volunteer and fundraiser for local organizations and causes; I love taking care of people and creating connections. My passion for creating unique and personal experiences shows in my work with clients, but also carries through to my hobbies in music, sports and traveling with my family.

FAITH

AHWATUKEE FOOTHILLS NEWS | MARCH 15, 2017

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SPIRITUAL SIDE

Lent offers a chance for a spiritual journey with purpose BY REV. DAVID MARZ AFN Guest Writer

write this a few days before Ash Wednesday. My mind and soul long for the meaning of the coming evening worship service. Since I was a kid, I have memories of being marked on my forehead with the sign of the cross using ashes. Sitting in my seat, I would watch others turn from the altar with crosses on their forehead. The crosses all looked similar but different. Some were dark. Some of the crosses were large and other small. Some looked funny and more like a smudged up X. It reminded me that we are all God’s children, yet have distinctions. We are the same, but different. In unity, we all get marked, but we come away with a celebrated diversity through our uniqueness. Every year when I see this parade of people being marked with the cross, the most powerful thought is that we are made of dust and to dust we shall return. Our lives here on this earth are so short. Our lives are precious. We live in a world that tries to elude death, but being reminded at a young age that we are mortal and our days are numbered gives meaning to life. It helps to live with a purpose. Ash Wednesday is the beginning of a journey. A spiritual journey with a purpose. I invite

you to participate with a church in the months ahead. As a pastor I am privileged to be invited into people’s sacred spaces in life. Some of those times are when people are facing death. Hearing people’s stories on their death beds and during near death experiences have given me a deeper appreciation for life. Facing death experiences, life takes on new meaning. Live each day to the fullest. Celebrate the journey of life with a purpose. I am a supporter of veterans. Not that I enjoy war and the pain it brings to all sides, but more because war veterans live with a different perspective on life. I probably got interested in veterans as a kid because I never met some of my family because they died during WW2. Since those early years in my life, veterans that have seen combat have impressed something on me. Many almost have a guilt that they survived while some of their friends did not. Soldier’s stories reveal a truth about death and life. Maybe death should not be such a offlimits subject in our real conversations as a people. When we shelter our true selves from facing the reality of death, maybe we shelter ourselves from reflecting on the great value of life. I am so glad that at a young age, I began to experience the reality of our mortality. As parents or adults, it might be beneficial for us to talk to our children about mortality.

Open conversations about real life issues are important. I now have a daughter and have begun to talk to her about some of these topics. I will never forget her tears and her prayer as she laid her hands on her great grandmother during an open casket viewing. That little girl walked away with a lesson on life. Maybe living in a society that tries to avoid death at all costs is a society living a lie. In the months of the church’s Lenten season, we have an opportunity to engage in greater thoughts around this subject. Unique traditions of prayer, giving to the poor, meditation, and fasting happen in church communities during Lent. The spiritual journey all starts on Ash Wednesday where people come forward and are marked with a sign of a cross on their foreheads using ashes from burned palm branches. The palm branches connect back to the previous year’s Palm Sunday. This tradition serves as a sign of our human frailty and mortality. It sought of presents a cycle of life- a spiritual life. It invites worshippers into a season of spiritual renewal. While the sign of the cross with ashes gives the first impression of a morbid reality, it invites people to live every day with hope. Each day is a new day to live. As we live we can be in prayer, remembrance, and made one with those that have gone before us. Though they are no longer alive in the flesh, these loved

one’s we remember are a part of who we are. As we live each day, we live out their legacy. When we face the reality of our death, we live. We really find the deep meaning of life. We really live. The cycle of life connects us to the before people and after people of our short lives. The season of Lent lasts for 40 days and then ends at the cross. On Easter, the cross and death are turned to victory. As we journey with our unique crosses this Lenten season, may we all be faced with the cross. May the young and old learn of the value of life. May we journey with an awareness that someday we will be the people alive today who pass on a legacy to the next generation. Each generation has the responsibility to pass the baton of life and faith on to the next. By helping the next generation serve others, as Jesus has served us, we are showing them that although there is great hardship, pain, and even death in the world, their contribution is important. You are teaching them that they have unique value and they can add value to others. They are needed. Their unique cross is needed. Your unique cross matters. All people, in all their uniqueness, matter to God. For that reason, the cross turns into a crown. - Dr. David M. Marz, pastor at Shepherd of the Valley Lutheran Church, Phoenix and be reached at Pastordavid@sov.us.

FAITH CALENDAR

SUNDAYS HORIZON SEEKS YOUNG PEOPLE

High school and middle school students meet to worship and do life together. DETAILS>> 5 p.m. at Horizon Presbyterian Church, 1401 E. Liberty Lane. 480-460-1480 or email joel@ horizonchurch.com. KIDS CAN LEARN JEWISH LIFE Children can learn and experience Jewish life. Chabad Hebrew School focuses on Jewish heritage, culture and holidays. DETAILS>> 9:30 a.m. to noon, for children ages 5-13 at Pollack Chabad Center for Jewish Life, 875 N. McClintock Drive, Chandler. 480-855-4333, info@chabadcenter.com, or chabadcenter.com.

ALL ARE WELCOME All on a peaceful spiritual path are welcome and honored in this inclusive, loving, thriving Unity Community. Join us for Interfaith CommUNITY Spiritual Center’s Sunday Celebration Service DETAILS>> 10:30 a.m. Toddlers and children meet during our service. Interfaith CommUNITY Spiritual Center, 952 E. Baseline, Suite 102, Mesa. Information: info@interfaith-community.org. SUNDAY CELEBRATION SERVICE Inspirational messages and music to lift your spirit. A welcoming community committed to living from the heart. Many classes and events offered. We welcome you! DETAILS>> 10 a.m. Sundays at Unity of Tempe, 1222 E. Baseline Road, Suite 103, Tempe. Information: 480-7921800, unityoftempe.com.

MONDAYS JOIN CHRIST-CENTERED YOGA This Flow 1-2 class (intermediate) is free and open to the community. DETAILS>> 6-7 p.m., Mountain Park Community Church, 2408 E. Pecos Road. Greg Battle at 480-7596200 or gbattle@moutainpark.org. CLASS TARGETS THE GRIEVING Classes for those grieving over death or divorce. DETAILS>> 6:30 p.m., Holy Trinity Lutheran Church, 739 W. Erie St., Chandler. 480-963-4127. STRUGGLING FIND SUPPORT Support group for those struggling with how to deal with a loss in life. DETAILS>> 7 p.m., 1825 S. Alma School Road, Room

C201, Chandler. Pastor Larry Daily, 480-963-3997, ext. 141, larrydaily@chandlercc.org or chandlercc.org.

TUESDAYS MESA BIBLE STUDY The Lawrence Memorial A.M.E.Z. Church conducts Bible study on Tuesdays. DETAILS>> 6:30 p.m., 931 E. Southern Ave., Suite 108. Information: 480-393-3001, tlmchurch.info.com, f@ TheLawrenceMemorialChurch. CELEBRATE RECOVERY Celebrate Recovery is a Biblical program that helps us overcome our hurts, hang-ups, and habits. Through teaching, worship, and sharing in small groups, you

See

CALENDAR on page 43

FAITH

MARCH 15, 2017 | AHWATUKEE FOOTHILLS NEWS

CALENDAR

FAITH CALENDAR from page 42

will find genuine people devoted to help discover the power of Christ through the recovery process. DETAILS>> 6:30 p.m., Central Christian Church, 933 N. Lindsay Road, Mesa. Information: Eric at 480-924-4946. GRIEFSHARE Mountain Park Community Church is offering an ongoing GriefShare programs to help people deal with the pain of losing a loved one. DETAILS>> 6:30-8 p.m., 2408 E. Pecos Road, Ahwatukee. To register: mountainpark.org and click on Launch. Information: Alex at 480-759-6200 FINDING HEALING FOR PAIN HOPE, an acronym for “Help Overcome Painful Experiences,” offers support for men and women who seek God’s grace and healing. DETAILS>> 6:30 to 8 p.m. Mountain Park Community Church, 2408 E. Pecos Road. mountainpark.org. SENIORS ENJOY ‘TERRIFIC TUESDAYS’ The program is free and includes bagels and coffee and a different speaker or theme each week. Registration not needed. DETAILS>> 10-11 a.m., Barness Family East Valley Jewish Community Center, 908 N. Alma School Road, Chandler. evjcc.org or 480-897-0588.

WEDNESDAYS ‘JOYFUL NOIZ’ FOR KIDS Upbeat children’s choir with music and a message that kids can get excited about. This choir usually sings monthly during our worship services and presents a Christmas Musical. For grades 3-8. DETAILS>> 5:30 p.m. Mountain View Lutheran Church. 11002 S. 48th St., Ahwatukee. 480-893-2579. mvlutheran.org. CHIMING CHERUBS For younger kids, grades 2 and 3, who love music and want to learn to ring the handbells. DETAILS>> 5:45 p.m. Mountain View Lutheran Church. 11002 S. 48th St., Ahwatukee. 480-893-2579. mvlutheran.org. CELEBRATE RECOVERY Celebrate Recovery is a Biblical 12-step program that helps you find hope and healing from all of life’s hurts, habits and hang-ups. DETAILS>> 6:20 p.m. Mountain View Lutheran Church. 11002 S. 48th St., Ahwatukee. 480-893-2579. mvlutheran.org. MIDWEEK LENT SERVICES From March 8 through April 5, join weekly Lenten services. DETAILS>> 6:15 p.m. Mountain View Lutheran Church.

11002 S. 48th St., Ahwatukee. 480-893-2579. mvlutheran.org. DIVORCE CARE DivorceCare is a friendly, caring group that will walk alongside you and provide support through divorce or separation. DETAILS>> 6:30 p.m. Mountain View Lutheran Church. 11002 S. 48th St., Ahwatukee. 480-893-2579. mvlutheran.org. SANCTUARY CHOIR This choir sings regularly at the 9:15 a.m. worship services and is a part of the Cantata Choir that presents around Christmas and Easter. DETAILS>> 6:45 p.m. Mountain View Lutheran Church. 11002 S. 48th St., Ahwatukee. 480-893-2579. mvlutheran.org. GOD OWNS IT ALL This book study tackles the money question we all ask: how much is enough? This study will equip you to approach money management and financial planning with freedom, generosity, contentment, and confidence. Books may be purchased on amazon.com or lifeway.com. DETAILS>> 6:45 p.m. Mountain View Lutheran Church. 11002 S. 48th St., Ahwatukee. 480-893-2579. mvlutheran.org. THE TRUTH ABOUT DISHONESTY This explores how unethical behavior works and how it affects all of us. This study will provide insights into why God commanded us to not tell lies. DETAILS>> 6:45 p.m. Mountain View Lutheran Church. 11002 S. 48th St., Ahwatukee. 480-893-2579. mvlutheran.org. LECTIONARY BIBLE STUDY Study and examine the Scripture readings for the upcoming Sunday at a deeper level. This weekly class dissects the passages for the upcoming weekend, giving you time to study and understand the historical background. DETAILS>> 6:45 p.m. Mountain View Lutheran Church. 11002 S. 48th St., Ahwatukee. 480-893-2579. mvlutheran.org. CELEBRATE RECOVERY MEETS Celebrate Recovery says it “brings your relationship with the Lord closer to your heart as it heals your hurts, habits and hang-ups.” Participants can discuss issues ranging from feeling left out to addictions. “Nothing is too small or too large.” DETAILS>> 6:20 p.m. at Mountain View Lutheran Church, 11002 S. 48th St., Ahwatukee. mvlutheran.org/ celebraterecovery or email cr@alphamvlc.com. WOMEN’S BIBLE STUDY OFFERED Living Word Ahwatukee women’s Bible study and fellowship that offers “a short, low-key time of praise and worship in music and message.” It’s also an opportuni-

ty to meet other Christian women in Ahwatukee. DETAILS>> 10-11:30 a.m., Living Word Ahwatukee, 14647 W. 50th St., Suite 165, Ahwatukee. Free child care.

Valley Unitarian Universalist Congregation. DETAILS>> 6:15 p.m., 6400 W. Del Rio St., Chandler. Information: nefeshsoul.org.

‘A COURSE IN MIRACLES’ Longtime “A Course in Miracles” student and teacher Rev. Julianne Lewis leads this interactive time of discussion and sharing. This group is appropriate for ACIM beginners as well as experienced ACIM students— and everyone in between. DETAILS>> 1-2:15 p.m. Interfaith CommUNITY Spiritual Center, 952 E. Baseline, Suite 102, Mesa. $10 love donation. Information: revj4u@gmail.com.

TODDLERS CAN MARK SHABBAT Celebrate Shabbat with a service, music, and a craft project designed for children up to 5 years old and their parents or other adult. DETAILS>> 9:30 a.m., Temple Emanuel, 5801 S. Rural Road. 480-838-1414 or emanueloftempe.org.

THURSDAYS SLEEPING BAGS FOR THE HOMELESS Ugly Quilts has made more than 15,500 sleeping bags for the area homeless, and continues to do so at First United Methodist Church every Thursday. Quilters stitch donated fabric, comforters, sheets and blankets into sleeping bags. Those are then distributed to the Salvation Army, churches and veterans’ organizations. DETAILS>> 8 a.m.-2 p.m., 15 E. 1st Ave., Mesa. Information: 480-969-5577. KIDS CAN FIND SUPPORT Support group for children ages 6 to 12 coping with a separation or divorce in the family. One-time $10 fee includes snacks and workbook. DETAILS>> 6:30-8:30 p.m., 1825 S. Alma School Road, Room C202, Chandler. Pastor Larry Daily, 480-9633997, ext. 141, larrydaily@chandlercc.org.

FRIDAYS NEFESHSOUL HOLDS SERVICES Congregation NefeshSoul holds Shabbat services the second Friday of every month on the campus of the

NOSH BEFORE SERVICE “Nosh” and then enjoy the Shir Shabbat service led by the Shabba-Tones, the Shabbat musical group. DETAILS>> 6 p.m. first Friday of the month, Temple Emanuel, 5801 S. Rural Road, Tempe. 480-838-1414 or emanueloftempe.org. YOUNG FAMILIES HOLD SHABBAT Temple Beth Sholom of the East Valley invites young families to its services. DETAILS>> Regular services at 6 p.m. except on the third Friday of each month, when a 6 p.m. Young Family Shabbat Service is held for children and adults of all ages. Temple Beth Sholom of the East Valley, 3400 N. Dobson Road, Chandler. Shabbat Morning and Torah Service weekly at 9 a.m. 480-897-3636 or tbsev. org. or info@tbsev.org. SERVICE INCLUDES KIDS Designed for children up to 5 years old and their parents or other adult. Following the service is an Oneg Shabbat, a time for a snack and to meet other families with young children. DETAILS>> 6:30 p.m. second Fridays, Temple Emanuel, 5801 S. Rural Road. 480-838-1414 or emanueloftempe.org. Submit your releases to pmaryniak@ahwatukee.com

AHWATUKEE FOOTHILLS NEWS | MARCH 15, 2017

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Bars and restaurants will be shamrockin’ for St. Patrick’s on Friday BY COLLEEN SPARKS Tribune Contributing Writer

will also be served. “It’s our busiest holiday,” CK’s operating owner Kendra Pieratt said. “We’re an Irish hwatukee area bars and restaurants place on St. Patrick’s Day.” Big crowds are also expected in Tempe expect to be hopping with crowds sipping green beer, soaking up the on St. Patrick’s Day. Glendale Pipes and Drums will perform sounds of bagpipers and dancing to bands from 1 to 3 p.m. at the original Four Peaks playing Irish songs on St. Patrick’s Day. Venue owners say they always get a big Brewing Company on E. 8th Street in crowd for the holiday and with March 17 Tempe. “There’s nothing quite like the sound of falling on a Friday this year, they expect an pipes and drums to turn up the volume even larger turnout. Several bars and restaurants will roll out on Four Peaks’ authentic St. Patrick’s Day the green carpet for customers with live celebration, with a pint of Kilt Lifter bands, green beer and specials on Irish beer, Scottish Amber in your hand,” Four Peaks Irish Car Bombs and other drinks. Many co-founder Jim Scussel said. Four Peaks will offer green scrambled will also serve corned beef and cabbage, eggs, corned beef and hash, shepherd’s pie, bangers and mash and other Irish food. Bagpipers will perform from noon to 2 salmon cakes, Irish stew bread bowls and p.m., then from 7 to 8:30 p.m. at Keegan’s other Irish-inspired food. Rula Bula Irish Pub & Restaurant on South Grill on East Ray Road in Ahwatukee Foothills. Green beer will be flowing and Mill Avenue in Tempe will be another hot spot on St. Patrick’s partiers can get specials Day. Rock groups will on Jameson’s Irish perform, as will the whiskey, Guinness beer Tempe Town Lake Pipe and other beverages, Band and The McTeggart inside the restaurant or Irish Dancers. in a beer tent set up for “It’s always a blast,” the holiday. Rula Bula supervisor The bagpipers were a Tiffany Hald said. hit last year at Keegan’s, Chandler will be restaurant owner Steve rocking with two Johnson said. events on St. Patrick’s “Everyone was Day. The Downtown cheering and singing Chandler Community along and having Partnership will hold the fun,” Johnson said. Shamrockin’ Art Walk “We’re probably the from 6 to 9:30 p.m., in only considered IrishDr. A.J. Chandler Park on themed restaurant in (Kendra Pieratt/Special to AFN) South Arizona Avenue. Ahwatukee.” Michael Morgan gets into the St. Also at Dr. A.J. Customers can also Patrick’s Day spirit at CK’s Tavern & Grill Chandler Park, Murphy’s feed their Irish cravings in Ahwatukee. Law Irish Pub will hold with corned beef and its first annual ShamRockFest with several cabbage served with potatoes at Keegan’s. CK’s Tavern & Grill on East Chandler bands, a beer garden, leprechauns and Boulevard, also Ahwatukee, is expected to adult beer games. At the Art Walk, Valley band Kilted Spirit be a party destination on St. Patrick’s Day. Soulful rock band Outside the Line will with Irish lead singer Colleen Collins will play classic rock with Irish tunes mixed into perform from 9:30 p.m. to 1:30 a.m. Customers can drink green Bud Light it from 6:30 to 9:30 p.m. “Our show is high energy and it’s beer, and get specials on Guinness beer and Irish Car Bombs. Corned beef and cabbage interactive,” Collins said. “Everybody’s Irish

(Steve Johnson/Special to AFN)

Bartender Julie Sorensen fills a glass with beer at Keegan’s Grill in Ahwatukee.

on St. Patrick’s Day.” At ShamRockFest, five local rock bands will perform, along with the AZ Fire Service Pipe Band. Dancers from The Bracken School of Irish Dance in Chandler will also entertain people at the festival, which runs from 4 p.m. to midnight. Green beer will be served, along with corned beef and cabbage and bangers and mash, as well as food from several food trucks. People can play human foosball, giant Battleship and cornhole. For tickets to ShamRockFest, visit http://holyshamrocks.com/ Music will also be on the menu in another part of Chandler on St. Patrick’s Day at Fibber Magees on West Elliot Road. Wide Awake, a U2 cover band, will perform from 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., then Irish rock band The Brazen Heads will play from 3 to 6 p.m. Cockswain, another Irish rock band, will play from 7 to 11 p.m. Fibber Magees will add an outdoor beer garden and expects to see more than 2,000 people throughout March 17, general manager Matt Brennan said.

Another Irish pub, R.T. O’Sullivan’s on East Superstition Springs Boulevard in Mesa will also have a big bash. Irish step dancers The Bracken School of Irish Dance will perform from 2:30 to 3 p.m. and Glendale Pipes and Drums will play from 7:30 to 8 p.m. on March 17 at R.T. O’Sullivan’s. An Irish fiddler duo will perform several times that day and dueling pianists will take the stage at night. In Gilbert, music and Irish food will combine for a celebration at Cuisine & Wine Bistro on West Warner Road. Coowner Mairead Buschtetz is Irish. Her husband, co-owner and head chef Fabrice Buschetz will make an Irish stew, Irish pea and bacon sop and chocolate mousse with green mint. Rock artist Ronnie Leach will perform from 7 to 10 p.m. “It is a fun day,” Mairead Buschtetz said. “We wear shamrocks in Ireland.” At JC’s Steakhouse on East Ray Road in Gilbert, customers can party to the sounds of musician Chuck E. Baby on St. Patrick’s Day. Drink specials will be offered.

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MARCH 15, 2017 | AHWATUKEE FOOTHILLS NEWS

ASU students fan filmmaking flames to create ‘Car Dogs’

BY CHRISTINA FUOCO-KARASINSKI GET OUT Contributor

SU visiting film professor Adam Collis will pretty much do anything for his students. One day, however, he jokingly told his boss that he was going to create a feature film and give the kids internships so they could earn professional and college credit. “My boss at the time had asked me to put my underclassmen on the thesis films,” recalled Collis, who is based in California and flies to Phoenix to teach at ASU. “There were too many students, so I jokingly suggested the film idea and this sort of professional immersion program. “He said, ‘Do you have a script?’” Somewhat panic-stricken, Collis remembered his former student and Scottsdale native Mark King and his short story “Car Dogs.” What started out as a joke, evolved into an amazing opportunity for ASU students and alum. “What we managed to do with ‘Car Dogs’ is to create an opportunity for 85 students and 15 recent alum to learn from these Oscar winners and Hollywood professors while getting academic credit and first feature film credit,” said Collis. Collis did the film in conjunction with his Film Spark, a career accelerator/industry innovation organization in Santa Monica, California. “Breaking in is the hardest part,” he said. “Now they have somebody to call when they move to Hollywood. They have that initial relationship. Many of our students are now thriving in Hollywood.” “Car Dogs” will debut Friday, March 24, in Harkins Theatres across the Valley. “We want to make something special happen in Phoenix,” he said. “Our hope is that we’ll put it in theaters across Phoenix and let everyone know this is a very special event for Arizona. It’s worth your time to go to the theater and check this out. “If that does well, what we could ultimately do is create an entirely new way to release an independent film. Usually, filmmakers go the festival route and you’re lucky if you’re accepted by Sundance.” “Car Dogs” stars Patrick J. Adams of “Suits,” comedian/actor George Lopez, “My Big Fat Greek Wedding’s” Nia Vardalos and Oscar winner Octavia Spencer. “It’s about a well-meaning sales manager and his team of car salesmen who have to accomplish this impossible sales task by the end of the day – selling 300 cars by 5 p.m.,” Collis said. “It highlights the pressures

(Special to AFN)

Cory Hardrict, left, and Patrick J. Adams star in “Car Dogs,” which opens in Harkins Theatres across the Valley on Friday, March 24.

of dog-eat-dog capitalism.” Adams plays Mark, and leading the pack is sales vet, Christian (Lopez). Hot on his heels is Sharon (Vardalos). As the clock ticks, their outrageous tactics step up, with each salesperson ready to do whatever it takes to be top “car dog.” “That’s the exciting thing about this,” Collins said. “It’s just so Arizona. The Papago Mountains are featured so strongly in this. Inside Arizona jokes are made throughout the movie.” The set was an abandoned car lot near the Papago Mountains. To fill the dealership with cars, King reached out to around the Valley. “To make it legitimately look like a car dealership, we needed cars, obviously,” he said “We had $4.5 million worth of inventory – 170 to 180 cars. It was pretty spectacular.” The cast will surprise viewers, Collis added. “Suits” star Adams steps out of his comfort zone, while Lopez tackles a dramatic role. “It’s a George Lopez that you’ve never really seen,” Collis said. “When we think of George Lopez, we think of him one of two ways—stand up or sitcom. But he’s an amazing dramatic actor. This is a movie that’s a comedic drama.

“His role is so understated and he plays it so well. He’s really underappreciated in his acting chops. I think you’ll be very surprised when you see it.” King grew up in the car sales business, having washed automobiles at his father’s dealership. He penned “Car Dogs” as a short as a college student and immediately it was embraced by Hollywood heavyweights. “I literally wrote the first draft nine years ago,” King said. “Josh pushed me to stick with it. I had a voice and a movie that needed to be told. Adam and Josh were big cheerleaders from the get go.”

“Josh” is actor Josh Hopkins (“G.I. Jane,” “The Perfect Storm”) and the two became fast friends. Initially, Hopkins was set to play King’s character in the film, but as they aged, that became improbable. King was thrilled to work with students, too. “Having the students around was a real joy,” King said. “Here we were with completely green people, but it was so cool. The students were learning and soaking it all up. Slowly, they started forming opinions.” Information: facebook.com/CarDogs.

ANSWERS TO PUZZLES AND SUDOKU from page 50

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AHWATUKEE FOOTHILLS NEWS | MARCH 15, 2017

Free concerts, rodeo beckon this weekend BY JUSTIN FERRIS GET OUT EDITOR

Find Neverland in Tempe

Based on the 1998 play “The Man Who Was Peter Pan,” which was adapted into 2004’s ﬁlm “Finding Neverland,” this hit Broadway musical tells the story of J. M. Barrie and his journey that ended in one of literature’s most beloved characters. DETAILS>> Times vary, today-Sunday, March 15-19. ASU Gammage, 1200 S. Forest Ave., Tempe. Tickets: $30-$150. 480-9653434. asugammage.com.

Tempe concert is free

Every Thursday in March, enjoy a free outdoor concert by local bands in Tempe. This Thursday, local band Saints of Eirinn takes to the stage for an evening of Celtic, punk, country and other styles of music. Bring chairs or a blanket. DETAILS>> 5:30-7:30 p.m., Thursday, March 16. Hayden Square Amphitheater, 404 S. Mill Ave., Tempe. Cost: Free. downtowntempe.com.

Roots N’ Boots rocks

Celebrate Queen Creek’s rural heritage through a week of rodeo events, carnival rides, games, food, a petting zoo, live entertainment and other

attractions. Plus, kids can participate in the family rodeo. DETAILS>> Today-Sunday, March 15-19. Horseshoe Park & Equestrian Centre, 20464 E. Riggs Road, Queen Creek. Cost: Free. $5 parking. rootsnboots.org.

E. Main St., Mesa. Cost: Free. 480-644-6500. mesaartscenter.com.

Doo Wop entertains in Chandler

Explore the long and varied history of Doo Wop, and how it inﬂuences modern music, in this innovative concert. Hear timeless bands and songs from more than half a century of hits. DETAILS>> 7:30 p.m., Saturday, March 18. Chandler Center for the Arts, 250 N. Arizona Avenue, Chandler. Tickets: $28-$42. 480-7822680. chandlercenter.org.

‘Billy Elliot’ hits stage

Enjoy the classic Broadway musical “Billy Elliot” and the story of a boy who lives in a coal-mining community and abandons boxing to take ballet. It features Elton John’s unforgettable soundtrack. DETAILS>> Times vary, Friday-Sunday, March 17-19. Mesa Arts Center, 1 E. Main St., Mesa. Tickets: $31, $28 for seniors and students. 480-644-6500. mesaartscenter. com.

Spark! Comes to Mesa

Tour artistic and interactive exhibits that are part of Spark! to bring out your inner creativity, plus arts and craft areas for the kids. Also, enjoy live musical performances in a wide range of styles, and plenty more fun. DETAILS>> Noon-10 p.m., FridaySaturday, March 17-18. Mesa Arts Center, 1

W. Chandler Blvd., Chandler. Cost: Free. shopchandlerfashioncenter.com.

Mom’s Marketplace opens

Rawhide has ‘Pot Of Gold’

Celebrate St. Patrick’s Day and all its Irish-ness at the Pot of Gold Music Festival. It features big-name artists like G-Eazy, Sublime with Rome, Death Cab for Cutie, 311, NOFX and plenty more. Oh, and an actual Irish band called Flogging Molly. DETAILS>> Noon-midnight, FridaySaturday, March 17-18. Rawhide Western Town, 5700 W. North Loop Road, Chandler. Tickets: $69 per day, $130 both days. potofgoldmusicfestival.com.

Mall sponsors concerts

Every Friday in March and April, enjoy free live music from local bands in a wide range of genres. This week, Nineball plays Classic Rock to the latest hits. DETAILS>> 6:30-8:30 p.m., Friday, March 17. Chandler Fashion Center, 3111

Attention moms: It’s time for “the ultimate playdate.” In addition to tons of other moms to meet, you can ﬁnd supplies for prenatal, maternity, postnatal and baby stages of motherhood. DETAILS>> 10 a.m.-2 p.m., Sunday, March 19. Kiwanis Park, 6111 S. All America Way, Tempe. Free. facebook.com/deserteventsgenie.

‘Brain candy’ comes to life

Former Mythbuster Adam Savage joins forces with Michael Stevens from the popular VSauce YouTube channel for an evening of cool science, jaw-dropping demonstrations and mind-blowing information. Suitable, and recommended, for all ages. DETAILS>> 7:30 p.m., April 2. Mesa Arts Center, 1 E. Main St., Mesa. Tickets: $32-$137. 480-644-6500. mesaartscenter.com. Get more ideas for fun things to do in the East Valley - and beyond - at Phoenix.org.

Murphy’s Law brings St. Patrick’s Day flair to Chandler BY CHRISTINA FUOCO-KARASINSKI GetOut Contributing Editor

urphy’s Law in downtown Chandler is inviting 12,000 of its closest friends to celebrate its “Super Bowl of holidays” – St. Patrick’s Day. ShamRockFest is set for 4 p.m. to midnight Friday, March 17, at Dr. AJ Chandler Park in Chandler. The restaurant’s spokeswoman, Kami Nunez, says the event is the first of many festivals planned for Chandler. “We are super pumped,” she says. “It’s going to be awesome. We’re making this an annual event.” ShamRockFest features performances by

Volatile Minds, 2 Tone Lizard Kings, Retro Connection, Radiofix and August in Stereo, along with Irish dancers and bagpipers. Other activities include jumbo lawn games, stein holding, Lucky Charms eating contest, beer games, costume contest, cabbage bowling and money grab. “We have a money grabbing machine in our restaurant,” Nunez says. “We’re known for having dollar bills on the wall. We wanted to implement a little bit of Murphy’s Law because ShamRockFest is presented by us.” All of the activities are bound to make patrons hungry, so there are 12 food trucks from the likes of Honey Bear’s BBQ, Waffle

Love and Sweet Treats, and 40 vendors on hand. About a year ago, Canadian Brad Ingarfield purchased Murphy’s Law, after owning a series of pubs in the Calgary area. The menu remained the same, with its signature fish and chips, which Nunez calls “incredible.” “But hands-down, the Jameson smoked wings are like butter,” she adds. “They fall of the bone. We do 50-cent wing night on Wednesdays. They’re awesome.” Nunez says she and Ingarfield are looking forward to seeing what the future holds for Murphy’s Law and its commitment to bringing entertainment to Chandler.

“We have a few ideas that we’re brainstorming,” she says. “We’re super excited to be part of the community. We want to add value and make this a staple for the community.”

IF YOU GO

Where: Dr. AJ Chandler Park, 178 E. Commonwealth Street, Chandler When: 4 p.m. Friday, March 17 Cost: $8 until March 13, $10 after March 14 for regular admission, $80 for VIP, presale only More info: holyshamrocks.com

MARCH 15, 2017 | AHWATUKEE FOOTHILLS NEWS

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Vintage 95 pairs fine wine with just as fine food BY DAVID M. BROWN AFN Contributor

intage 95 is not only a fine-wine lounge, as its signs say; it pairs that with fine food. At more than five years at 95 W. Boston St., Chandler, Vintage 95 Wine Lounge has settled in comfortably in the city’s first post office, built in 1926. Today, it still delivers every day, serving lunch and dinner during the week and brunch and dinner on the weekends. The daily happy hour has craft cocktails, martinis and specially priced wine bottles. Vintage 95 offers an award-winning list of 300-plus wines from around the world. Matching it, the menu features innovative covers of classic dishes using artisanal and fresh ingredients, many locally sourced. Among the house appetizers are warm brie, charcuterie board, pork belly and bone marrow; the tapas include beef satay, shrimp cocktail and arancini. The entrees change frequently. Staffers, including Vintage 95 general manager Grant Rembis, will offer

His wine passion comes from Ryan Brown Next up: Scallops and cauliflower. suggestions on pairing those foods with while he worked at House of Tricks. A single-meal or shareable item, the the right wine. Visitors to Vintage 95 can enjoy a six- chicken board with goat cheese might “We pair wines based on their flavor profiles, matching with the food. Our goal course, double-paired dinner in the warm, follow. The two next courses: salmon risotto and is finding balance with the wine’s acidity comfortable main room that retains pork chops. and the food’s fat content,” said “The salmon risotto is a Rembis, a Tempe resident who’s classic; that’s why we poach our been with the restaurant since it salmon so that no one part of opened. the dish overpowers the other,” He moved to the Valley from Rembis said. “The spinach and California in 2008 to attend sun-dried tomatoes brighten Arizona State University, where up the flavor profile, and the he met his wife. He started in the tarragon cream rounds out the food industry when he was 15 and dish.” a junior in high school. The pork chop was paired with “My mother worked in the a Lan Crianza 2012 Tempranillo food industry as she went from La Rioja DO.Ca, because of through nursing school and “its earth notes, almost barnyard suggested it as a first job during aromas, with bright fruit that high school. She felt it taught (Special to AFN) her a lot in socialization, humility Bruschetta at Vintage 95 comes in four unique offerings that include goes well with pork.” Then came an M. and organization. The ability to Beeler’s Bacon Jam and whipped goat cheese and homemade salmon Chapoutier “La Ciboise” have flexible hours helped with rillette with cucumber and dill cream cheese. 2014 Rhone Blend from the school,” he said. He was inspired Jaison Sokolow at Houston’s Scottsdale. the original brick walls. The first course, Côtes du Luberon AOC because of its bright fruit goes well with pork, he said. “His guidance is what made me want to smoked tomato bisque, is the house soup. Information: vintage95.com do this for the rest of my life,” Rembis said. The perfect way to start a meal,” he said..

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AHWATUKEE FOOTHILLS NEWS | MARCH 15, 2017

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i, everyone! I’m so excited to be sharing my passion for cooking with you right here every week! I’ve been in the media in Arizona for nearly 40 years, and if you’ve connected with me on television, radio, print or social media, you know that I love the kitchen and sharing great recipes with you. I’ve also heard loud and clear that you want simple, delicious and easy recipes that you can count on as your go-to’s. That’s why I created the One Minute Kitchen. You’ll get the recipes right here, and then you can watch the One Minute Kitchen on Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, You Tube and Twitter. Let’s cook something wonderful together! Is putting breakfast on the table a challenge for busy moms with even busier kids? I have the perfect solution! It’s called the Picture Perfect Breakfast, made of a bread dough frame and filled with all the foods kid love! Best things about it? You can make it the night before, kids can help and you can wrap it up and head out the door. You can make a lunch or dinner version, too.

Ingredients:

1 tube of refrigerated crescent rolls (or bread stick dough) 6 eggs 1 1/2 cups grated cheddar cheese (more if desired) Toppings of your choice (see below) Salt and pepper to taste

OPTIONAL TOPPING SUGGESTIONS: Approx. 1/4 cup each: Chopped cooked bacon or sausage Sliced mushrooms, sautéed Sliced cooked potatoes Green, yellow, orange or red peppers, diced Diced fresh or sun-dried tomatoes Other options: Chopped turkey or ham Cooked chicken, chopped or shredded Pepperoni

Directions:

In a greased shallow baking sheet (approx 9 ½ by 11 inch), line the rim with 6 to 8 of the bread strips, (twisted slightly) creating a frame of bread. Pinch together bread sticks to form a continuous frame. Next, make one horizontal and two vertical rows with remaining bread strips, creating squares, about 3 inches in diameter. Brush bread dough with slightly beaten egg. This creates a beautiful shiny finished dough frame and it helps to “glue” the bread strips together. Fill each square with ¼ cup cheese and ¼ cup desired topping. In a medium bowl, whisk together remaining 6 eggs and 2 tablespoons of milk. Pour egg mixture over bread picture frame and toppings, covering the bread. Add salt and pepper. Bake at 350 degrees for about 20 minutes or until bread is golden brown and eggs are cooked. Slice in squares, using the bread dough to frame each slice.

– The “how to” video: jandatri.com/recipes/ picture-perfect-breakfast-two/?category_id=384 – Connect with Jan on Facebook/jandatri1 or at jandatri.com.

MARCH 15, 2017 | AHWATUKEE FOOTHILLS NEWS

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MARCH 15, 2017 | AHWATUKEE FOOTHILLS NEWS

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As biking disappears on Pecos Road, here’s new path to try BY JIM WALSH AFN STAFF WRITER

any Ahwatukee residents might not consider the Salt River particularly scenic, envisioning its usual parched appearance and maybe a few old tires sitting in the river bottom. But the Salt looked far different at the grand opening of Mesa’s new Rio Salado Pathway, a cyclist’s dream come true that helps connect west Mesa with such far flung places as Chandler Heights, Phoenix and Scottsdale through a web of paved and unpaved paths along canals and freeways. Wayne Churchman, a veteran bicyclist, said he has bicycled on the new path twice and loved it. He said bicyclists are able to take in the beauty of the

environment because they are moving at a much slower pace than drivers. The view from the new path’s trailhead, near Riverview Park and the city’s wastewater treatment facility, includes such area landmarks as Red Mountain and Four Peaks, along with a considerably less appealing sand and gravel operation on the Salt (Kimberly Carrillo/Special to AFN) River Indian Community. “You can take time to Sloan Park pathway serves both bikers and runners. look at it,” Churchman said, referring to the view. “I love it. For years, this just sat out here. look at cranes” and other wildlife. But the 1-1/2 mile paved pathway, It was just sort of here.” which starts at the Loop 101 freeway “It’s scenic. We’ve been stopping to

and ends at Dobson Road, helps unlock the underappreciated area’s potential, he said. Cyclists, joggers, even dog walkers, can look forward to another nearly twomile section. That section is scheduled to open in June and will connect Mesa’s two Cactus League venues, Hohokam, now home to the Oakland Athletics, and Sloan Park, the Chicago Cubs’ latest venue. “I think you will see a lot of commuters who live in Mesa and may work in Tempe,” Churchman said. “This is a wonderful gateway to convert drivers to cyclists.” Reed Kempton, another cycling enthusiast, said even beginning cyclists might take a ride on the path, realize that it’s not particularly difficult, and See

BIKE PATH on page 55

Ahwatukee schools field sand volleyball squads

and volleyball has been gaining momentum since the Arizona Interscholastic Association gave it a shot in 2012 and Ahwatukee schools have finally joined. Desert Vista High School had plans to start last year, but was unable to get enough players to field a team. This year, Horizon Honors, Mountain Pointe and the Thunder all are fielding teams. They’re part of the sport’s rapid growth in Arizona, which was the first state to add sand volleyball as a pilot program in 2012 with designs of it becoming a fully sponsored sport by the AIA in 2018.

There were five teams in 2012 and all games were played at Victory Lanes. It grew to two divisions last season with a total 25 teams and now 2017 is underway with 44 teams, including 31 in Division I. Sand volleyball traces its popularity to last summer’s Olympics, and the NCAA’s sponsorship of it as a full-fledge sport – meaning scholarships are available. Throw in the fact that a program like Horizon Honors is coming off its first state title during the indoor season and the game is catching on at a rapid pace. “I know a lot of us just wanted to keep playing even if it was sand,” senior Juliana Castronova said. “We were all excited to keep playing. It’s a fast-growing sport

I WANT TO BE A TEACHER ONE DAY

and we knew we could be pretty good with a lot of our players from indoor joining the team.” The Eagles play in Division II and play their home matches at Pecos Park, and the team won its first four matches heading into this week’s action. Players clearly have adapted to what really is two separate games. Sand volleyball has just two players on the court, and each team fields five duos in competition. The team match is played like high school tennis; a team must win three of the five twosomes. “It’s a completely different game,” Horizon Honors coach Kris Maglunog said. “It is very important to be a good partner. See

SQUADS on page 52

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The Horizon Honors sand volleyball team is off to a 4-0 start in its first season of existence.

EducationatRio.com or 480-384-9942 Important information about the educational debt, earnings, and completionrates of students who attend this program is available at www.riosalado.edu/geprograms. *$86/credit for Maricopa County residents.

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SPORTS

AHWATUKEE FOOTHILLS NEWS | MARCH 15, 2017

Monroe Shocks & Struts Lauren McMurray is a senior who is committed to playing at Cal State “Feel The Difference” Consumer Offer Adsand Slick from page 51 Northridge, while Gabby Leo is a junior who recently committed to play indoor The key is getting a partner who works and sand at Pacific University. hard for you and you work hard for them. Freshman Rebecca Morse is the There is no hiding out there. defending AAU National Beach “I love that it models the college system Champion in her age group and has and it is bringing out a lot more girls, and multiple unofficial college offers already. not just the club players.” The Thunder’s first match in history is Mountain Pointe, which split its first at home today, March 15, against Xavier, two matches, and Desert Vista, which which has won the state title every year. formed its team late and didn’t have a “That will be a unique inaugural game,” match scheduled until this week, have a said Desert Vista coach Matt Cohen, mix of indoor and sand players. who has coached the game at the college “The season outlook is good,” Pride level in Florida. “We will see what we are coach Tim Church said. “It is hard to say doing right early on against the dominant how good we are with varsity sand being program.” so new to Arizona, but we expect to be The Thunder, which plays home competing with the top teams in the state matches on campus, had a decent turnout at the end of the season. this year after being unable to get enough “Staying healthy and scheduling conflicts competitors last year. will be everything for us,” Church added. There were as many as 20 players “If our girls can manage their club indoor coming to practice, but the club season commitments with our regular season posed scheduling conflicts. However, the schedule and we are ®at full strength for team should have no program fielding the playoffs, we look forward to challenging 10-player team. opponents deep into the playoffs.” “What is really cool with sand volleyball The Pride, which plays home matches is the game isn’t always predicated on the at Kiwanis Park, made a run to the state best players,” Cohen said. “There are AVA I L A B L E AT: nce” offer a mail-in the offer.indoor games and finalsis during many five separate teams playing for the team combined with any other are Tenneco of those players already accomplished so you need to deep just as much as you website offer form and details. infor sand. need to be good.

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Mountain Pointe is fielding a sand volleyball squad for the first time this year and have opened the year 1-1.

“It’s a completely different game where you have to deal with the elements. The sand, sun and wind all play a factor. The three elements along with approach and tactics make it a pretty unique game.” – Contact Jason Skoda at 480-898-7915

or jskoda@ahwatukee.com. Follow him on Twitter @JasonPSkoda. – Like and share this article on the Ahwatukee Foothills News on Facebook. Follow the AFN on Twitter @AwatukeeFN.

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MARCH 15, 2017 | AHWATUKEE FOOTHILLS NEWS

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had Porter was the youngest of three brothers and followed in their steps. He was forced to go to a lot of football practices for brother Daniel and wrestling sessions for brother Jack before he eventually strapped on a helmet and headgear himself. Now that Chad is just a few months from graduation at Desert Vista High, he will leave the school as the most accomplished of the trio. “They were always in my corner,” Porter said of his brothers. “They were my role models, and all I wanted to do was be better than them because of their support and their help.” He was all-region linebacker in football and finished his wrestling career as a four-time state qualifier, three-time placer and two-time state champion. Porter lost only once to an Arizona opponent on the mat the last two years. He is just the third Thunder wrestler to win multiple state champions. He won the Division I 195-pound title the last two years and finished his career with a technical fall in the semifinals and a first-period pin the championship match. “That was a dominant performance, and it really summed up his career,” Thunder coach David Gonzales said. “We knew he had the opportunity to be good coming from a wrestling family. Had has a little bit of both his brothers in him. He’s tough and mean, and he is a hard worker. Chad meshed it all together and made it work.” It all came together on February when Chad won the second title. But what was missing was a congratulatory hug or prematch text from Daniel, who died at age 30 in June in a car accident. “It was definitely impactful not having him there, but even more during football,” Porter said, adding: “He’d call after every game and want to hear about every single play. It was hard each week, after each game, when that call never came. I was missing something.” The loss helped forge a terrific senior year in both sports. Chad, and his father, William, recently returned from a church trip to Honduras, where they helped build homes and pour

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Chad Porter of Desert Vista High School is an accomplished football player and wrestler.

concrete to repair a church. “It really made you appreciate everything you have and to never take it for granted,” Chad said. “They don’t have much, and we had a chance to hang out, help and make them happy.” Chad, who is still working on college

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plans with Arizona State, Embry Riddle and Colorado Mesa in the mix, is ready for whatever comes his way. He’s learned to be a leader, a champion competitor and a brother doing his best to represent the Porter name. “I wasn’t always on task with some things,” he said. “I wasn’t a super vocal leadership guy,” he added. “It was more when you are the best wrestler and win a lot, people always ask you for help and I did what I could to help them. “It’s the same thing my brothers did for me, so I always tried to doing it for everyone else.”

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AHWATUKEE FOOTHILLS NEWS | MARCH 15, 2017

Women hold few top jobs in NCAA Division 1 athletics BY ASHLEY MIKELONIS ARIZONA SONORA NEWS

uring the two months she spent as the interim athletic director at the University of Arizona, Erika State Farm Mutual Automobile Insurance Company Barnes held a position of power that State Farm Indemnity Company, Bloomington IL 1201127 many women never have the chance to experience. She oversaw an $85-million budget as well as a nationally-ranked men’s basketball team. She decided to not pursue this position permanently because she wanted to focus on her family at this time. Now that UofA has named Dave Heeke the new AD, Barnes, a mother of two, is returning to her role as senior athletic director. In NCAA Division I athletics, women continue to be largely underrepresented in key leadership positions, specifically administrative and head coaching roles. Data collected by the NCAA during ease review proof carefully. Submit any changes or APPROVE your ad proof. 2015-2016, displayed there was a total of 352 athletic directors in Division I nter 3/11/16 12:18 Proof Timestamp: athletics and only 37 were women. That is fewer than 11 percent. Twenty-seven of 1 : Karen Mays Proof Number: them were white. Artist: Christy The “Power Five” conferences — Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC Big Ahwatukee Foothills News Publication: Ten, Big 12, Pac-12, and Southeastern Conference (SEC) — consist of 65 universities, only three have employed women as their head athletic directors, the University of Washington, North Carolina State University, and Pennsylvania State University. The University of Arizona has never hired a woman athletic director. Before Barnes, the only woman in this same position was Kathleen “Rocky” LaRose. She acted as the interim athletic director from 2009-2010 before Greg Byrne replaced her. According to a 2015-2016 report, Head Coaches of Women’s Collegiate Teams, prepared by Nicole M. LaVoi, co-director of the Tucker Center for Research on Girls and Women in Sport, the Big Ten had the highest percentage of female head coaches. The SEC and the Big 12 had the lowest percentages. The ACC decreased in its percentage of female head coaches, but the Pac-12 increased. The overall percentage of women head coaches in the “Power Five” conferences was 40.2 percent.

(Submitted Photo/Special to AFN)

Erika Barnes, interim athletic director, poses in her office at the University of Arizona.

Why are women underrepresented in Division I athletics? It’s a question that can have multiple explanations depending on who you ask. “I think it has a lot to do with women wanting to have a family because we have that motherly instinct. It can be really hard to decide between focusing on your career and wanting to be a part of your children’s lives as much as you can. I think we struggle to find a balance between work and life at home,” said Barnes. “This is not a conventional 9-5, 40 hours a week job. It requires sacrifice sometimes. You work a lot of late nights and weekends. Your job really becomes your life,” said Barnes. Others say that if you want an administrative or head coaching position in Division I athletics, then you better know someone in the industry. “It goes back to a long history. The people in these positions, which are predominantly white males, have built a system. Those men who have built this system know people, and the people they know are the ones who get these jobs,” said Lisa Thuer, the director of membership engagement for the National Association of Collegiate Women Athletics Administration (NACWAA). See

DIVISION on page 55

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MARCH 15, 2017 | AHWATUKEE FOOTHILLS NEWS

BIKE PATH

from page 51

consider commuting on their bicycle for fitness. The pathway allows bicyclists to avoid mixing with cars, always a dangerous situation, but commuters would still need to leave the path and use arterial streets to reach their offices and other places of employment, he said. Jim Hash, Mesa’s bicycle and pedestrian program manager, has been planning a system of bicycling and jogging trails since at least 2009, when he was quoted in a newspaper article outlining his plan. “I think it will be a big quality-of-life asset to the community,” Hash said at that time. “It would be an uninterrupted commute or day from Mesa to Phoenix and Scottsdale.” He said it is a great pleasure for him to see the plan finally come to fruition

DIVISION

eight years later, with the long lag time typical for such projects. “This is one of our most iconic pathways,” Hash said. “The vision was to create a loop that follows the Loop 202, San Tan and Red Mountain freeways.” He said the Rio Salado Pathway, including its extension to Hohokam, represents major progress on the plan. Most of the remaining paths through East Mesa, Chandler and Gilbert are unpaved. “This is one of our most vital links. It links the whole thing together,” Hash said. “You have to think like a planner. We are not used to anything coming to fruition for 10 years or so.” – Reach Jim Walsh at 480-898-5639 or at jwalsh@timespublications.com.

from page 54

The NACWAA is a premier leadership organization dedicated to developing women, connecting them with potential employers, advancing their skillsets and celebrating women who are currently involved or aspire to work in college athletics. Barnes usually does not think of herself as being one of the few women in this industry. Rather, she has tried to gain as much knowledge and experience as possible throughout her life. She has dedicated herself to becoming better, learning more, and working hard. She expressed that she does not let her gender define who she is, and prefers to let her work speak for itself. Barnes has been with the university since 2005, and previously served as the senior associate athletics director.

Barnes attended UofA and won a national championship with the softball team in 2001. Her ties with the department have remained strong, and she is deeply committed to the welfare of Arizona athletics. So how can women bridge this gap and gain more access into a system that has continuously excluded them? “Through the pipeline that we have created at NACWAA, we are providing women with the tools they need to be successful in this industry. We take them in and challenge them to pursue their dreams and go after what they want. We help them gain experience and knowledge in order to obtain these positions that are normally dominated by men” said Thuer.

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