Relentlessly local coverage of Gilbert and our neighboring communities
Learning to grow
Wesley Estrada, Adrianna Turner and Kimberly Brown spoke with people about agricultural education at this year’s Education and Technology Expo.
Young Agritopia entrepreneur builds successful career
BY CHRISTINA FUOCO-KARASINSKI
Agritopia resident Nathan Day learned early on the importance of a good work ethic. His father, Larry Day, is a successful entrepreneur who, among other things, founded Scottsdale-based Cypress Development Group, the company of which his son is the chief executive officer.
“You can make life what you want it to be if you put the time, effort and dedication into it,” the younger Day says. “It was, ‘Get out there and get the job done—no questions asked.’” Day, who turned 32 in January, is now heading up the development of the first and only condominium community in DC Ranch— the $350 million The Sterling Collection at Silverleaf in Scottsdale.
It is considered one of the largest luxury residential projects in the Southwest. The “green” development will have just five fourstory buildings with 213 condominiums that
Submitted photo see NATHAN DAY page 8
Superintendent: Gilbert Public Schools at a crossroads
BY CHRISTINA FUOCO-KARASINSKI
In her first State of the Schools address as Gilbert Public Schools superintendent, Dr. Christina Kishimoto described the district as being at a “crossroads.”
“We are at a crossroads in terms of saying what is the next decade of work, how do we innovate to remain a top-tier district and how do we change our perspective from being top 10 in the state to being top 10 in the nation,” she said. “We have the capacity to do so.”
stands financially, and the changes ahead to make GPS a national leader in education.
Dr. Christina Kishimoto, superintendent of Gilbert Public Schools.
During her 45-minute talk, Kishimoto spoke about how Gilbert Public Schools ranks nationally, where it
Submitted Photo
She described Gilbert Public Schools as a $300 million school system with 37,319 students, 3,642 staff and 45 building sites—41 of which are schools. It is the largest employer in Gilbert, followed by Banner Health, Mercy-Gilbert Hospital and the Town of Gilbert.
“We are a significant part of the Gilbert community,” she says. “The Town of Gilbert staff are working with the district providing added services to the Native American population. We are see CROSSROADS page 6
Nathan Day, 32, is heading up the development of the $350 million The Sterling Collection at Silverleaf.
How to Avoid Costly Housing Mistakes Before and After a Divorce
Gilbert, AZ - Divorce is rarely easy and often means a lot of difficult decisions.
One of the most important decisions is what to do about the house.
In the midst of the heavy emotional and financial turmoil, what you need most is some non-emotional, straightforward, specific information and answers. Once you know how a divorce affects your home, your mortgage and taxes, critical decisions are easier. Neutral, third party information can help you make logical, rather than emotional, decisions.
Probaby the first decision is whether you want to continue living in the house. Will the familiar surroundings bring you comfort and emotional security or unpleasant memories? Do you want to minimize change by staying where you are, or sell your home and move to a new place that offers a new start? Only you can answer those questions, but there will almost certainly be some
How to Sell Your Home Without an Agent and Save the Commission
Gilbert, AZ - If you’ve tried to sell you home yourself, you know that the minute you put the “For Sale by Owner” sign up, the phone will start to ring off the hook. Unfortunately, most calls aren’t from prospective buyers, but rather from every real estate agent in town who will start to hound you for your listing.
Like other “For Sale by Owners,” you’ll be subjected to a hundred sales pitches from agents who will tell you how great they are and how you can’t possibly sell your home by yourself. After all, without the proper information, selling a home isn’t easy. Perhaps you’ve had your home on the market for several months with no offers from qualified buyers. This can be a very frustrating time, and many homeowners have given up their dreams of selling their homes themselves. But don’t give up until you’ve read a new repor entitled “Sell Your Own Home,” which has been prepared especially for homesellers like you. You’ll find that selling your home by yourself is entirely possible once you understand the process. Inside this report, you’ll find 10 inside tips to selling your home by yourself which willl help you sell for the best price in the shortest amount of time. You’ll find out what real estate agents don’t want you to know. To hear a brief recorded message about how to order your FREE copy of this report, call toll-free 1-800303-2049 and enter 8017. You can call anytime, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
Get your free special report NOW to learn how you really can sell your home yourself.
financial repercussions to your decision process. What can you afford? Can you manage the old house on your new budget? Is refinancing possible? Or is it better to sell and buy? How much house can you buy on your new budget?
This report is courtesy of Pacific Arizona Realty, Inc. Not intended to solicit buyers or sellers currently under contract. Copyright ©2015 Immaculately cared for home ready for your
To help you know what questions you should ask and how to arrive at the right answer for your specific situation, a FREE special report has been prepared by industry experts entitled “Divorce: What You Need to Know About Your House, Your Mortgage and Taxes.”
To hear a brief recorded message about how to order your FREE copy of this report call toll-free 1-800-303-3049 and enter 8009. You can call anytime, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
Get your special report NOW to find out how to make this part of your current situation less stressful.
Artist converts historical buttons to jewelry
BY CHRISTINA FUOCO-KARASINSKI
Finding Cheri Montgomery’s booth at the Gilbert Art Walk can be difficult to locate among the masses of people who attend the twice-monthly event. When Montgomery says she makes jewelry out of historical buttons, some still expect to see plastic buttons. So prospective customers look for bright and bold colors, polka dotted buttons and maybe the occasional metal one.
Upon closer inspection, Montgomery’s collection boasts buttons from occupied Japan, military uniforms, service groups like the Boy Scouts, and the countries of the Czech Republic and France. She fashions jewelry out of glass, enamel, stone and other materials. All of that aside, the nearly 20-year Gilbert resident also uses vintage designer buttons from Chanel. Most of her pieces range in price from $15 to $25.
“I had gone to a show in Royal Oak, Michigan, and I saw vintage buttons and then I started collecting buttons,” says Montgomery, who owns the Gilbert Art Walk.
It was that simple. She creates rings, earrings and other pieces out of the buttons. Montgomery will also design costume jewelry out of buttons that her clients bring to her.
“They’re made from earrings and broaches,” she says. “Sometimes they have cameos on them. If you don’t know what to do with grandma’s jewelry, bring it to me. I’ll make it right there for them into a ring.”
An Oregon native, Montgomery comes from a crafty family as her mother was into miniatures.
“She was very detail oriented,” she says. Montgomery has turned a hobby into a way of living. She travels to craft shows throughout the United States trying to keep historical buttons alive.
“I just happen to like jewelry and
Breakthrough Treatment for Constant Migraine Pain East Valley Clinic Provides Advanced Therapy
(Chandler, AZ) There are several different kinds of migraine headaches and a wide variety of methods to treat them. Among the most debilitating headaches are intractable migraines. This refers to migraine pain that continues in spite of all traditional attempts of migraine prevention and treatment. Simply put, they are migraine headaches that just won’t go away.
Novocur Pain Management Clinic is achieving significant results for treating intractable migraines with a breakthrough method called neuromodulation or neurostimulation therapy.
A very small, thin device emits an electric current to nerve tissue, blocking the pain signals and replacing them with a pleasant vibration felt in the back of the head. This nerve blocking effect
vintage,” she says. “I like bright orange and yellows—daisies and bees and flowers and wildflowers. I like all that stuff.
“I repurpose. I recycle, reuse and repurpose,” she says. “I fit that category. I’m taking something old and making it new again. I maintain the integrity of the buttons.”
The Gilbert Art Walk is held from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. the first and third Saturdays from October through March at 45 W. Page Ave., Gilbert. Admission is free to the art walk and nearby farmers market. For more information, visit www.gilbertartwalk.com or www. timelessbuttons.net.
provides a long term reduction in the intensity, duration and frequency of these headaches.
Patients can “try out” this therapy before choosing to go ahead with a permanent implant. Novocur’s president and CEO Dr. Alex Bigham says, “Our priority is always to match the very best treatment for each specific kind of pain.”
Bigham adds that neuromodulation has also proven effective for other pain problems related to failed back surgeries, sciatic leg pain, and peripheral neuropathy.
A comprehensive guide to understanding migraine headaches and many other types of pain and pain treatments is available at novocur.com. For specific questions and appointments call the clinic directly at (480) 855-6686.
Cheri Montgomery’s unique button jewelry is the centerpiece of the Gilbert Art Walk. GSN photo by Kimberly Carrillo
Cheri Montgomery turned her collection of vintage buttons into a jewelry business. GSN photo by Kimberly Carrillo
a community that embraces sub group populations to make sure everyone is successful in our school system.”
Success is a word that could be synonymous with Gilbert Public Schools. Kishimoto said the district has 31 “A”-rated schools and nine “B”-rated schools from the Arizona Department of Education and Gilbert Public Schools is ranked among the top 10 districts in Arizona. She added there are no “C”-rated schools.
She said this is attributed to having conditions in place to achieve those goals, including public engagement.
“We have parents who are engaged, leading through PTOs and other venues,” she said. “We also have government leaders who are always willing (to help).”
school girls basketball coach of the year who was inducted into the Arizona Hall of Fame for Coaches; a school psychologist was awarded the Keith Perkins Lifetime Achievement Award; Campo Verde High School boasts an Arizona Teacher of the Year; and Gilbert Classical Academy is ranked the fourth best high school in Arizona and the 27th best in the nation.
Gilbert Public Schools has repeatedly scored high on reading, writing and math performances. It is also ranked above average at each grade level throughout the stage, she said.
“We are really standing out in terms of reading and literacy opportunities in Gilbert Public Schools,” she said. “That is a cornerstone in terms of success for higher education.”
Among other notable accomplishments: Highland High School has a national high
In introducing Kishimoto, Tim Bricker, president and CEO of Mercy Gilbert Medical Center and Chandler Regional Medical Center, said she and her team make Gilbert Public Schools a competitive entity locally, nationally and globally.
Kishimoto began her stint as superintendent seven months ago, after arriving from Hartford, Connecticut.
“We were lucky to attract an individual of this caliber,” Bricker says. “She is well known nationwide as a sought-after speaker.”
Kishimoto is thrilled to be part of the district’s leadership.
“My family and I have absolutely enjoyed being part of the community and being embraced as part of the Gilbert community,” she said.
Lunch and Learn seminar focuses on hearing aids
Gilbert Drs. Tina Jessee and Tanya Karg will conduct a public seminar from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Wednesday, March 18, to help those with hearing loss and their loved ones understand the misconceptions surrounding hearing loss and the latest in hearing aid technology.
Hearing aids will not be sold during the seminar as the Lunch and Learn is designed to inform and educate the public.
“If you notice voices are sounding muffled or have difficulty hearing specific sounds, we urge you to get a baseline hearing evaluation,” Jessee notes.
More than 36 million Americans have hearing loss. Although hearing problems are commonly associated with the normal aging process, more than half of all hearing-impaired persons are younger than 65. This free seminar is designed to educate people as to the types of hearing loss and the latest in hearing aid technology (i.e., made for iPhone hearing aids). The presentation will leave ample time for questions and to hear honest,
direct answers from the doctors. This seminar, including lunch, will be held in the Lecky Center at the Ed Robson Branch Library at 9330 E. Riggs Rd., Sun Lakes. The seminar will be open to the public, although reservations are required by calling (480) 497-0780. Seating is limited.
The doctors are in private practice with offices in Sun Lakes and Gilbert. Good Sound Audiology is a full-service audiology practice providing complete hearing evaluations for all ages; hearing aids fittings, full hearing aid maintenance services; monthly support group; assistive listening devices, and custom ear molds for hearing aids, hearing protection, iPods or swimming. The Sun Lakes office is located at 10450 E. Riggs Rd., suite 116, in Sun Lakes. The Gilbert location is at 201 W. Guadalupe Rd., suite 315, in Gilbert. Both offices are staffed full time and available for patient appointments from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. For more information, visit www. goodsoundaudiology.com.
Showcasing Gilbert schools
Gilbert Public Schools hosted its first Education and Technology Expo to show the community why the district should be their first choice in education. Officials also met with visitors, who enjoyed food trucks and a fun photo booth. GSN photos by Tim Sealy
Gilbert High students Rebecca Young, Sam Emrick, Nick Clark and Trevor Eppich show off their tech skills and their StRUT program.
Playa Del Rey Elementary teacher and STEM sponsor Sarah Wamsley helps Caleb, Dallin and Riley Burwell explore some tech educational tools.
Houston Elementary students Olivia Siroky and Martha Olivares show their school spirit.
Four collections of homes from 1,700 sq. ft. to just over 4,000 sq. ft. starting in the low $200’s
Blandford Homes is creating hometown charm, for real! Mulberry will feel like an enchanted land magically reminiscent of the early 1900s when homes sprung up to create quaint neighborhoods. Blandford Homes presents an inspired line of home designs with significant character differences. Imagine corner lots featuring homes with wraparound porches! This “New Old-Home Neighborhood” will be one-of-a-kind in Arizona
Mulberry will feature two beautiful main entrances with lush date palm and tree-lined boulevards leading to centrally located Mulberry Park, no more than a 5-minute walk from anyplace in the neighborhood You will enjoy the park’s impressive Georgian Colonial-style building complete with white trim and green shutters, along with the pool, sport courts, fitness, and playgrounds. Just imagine the events, concerts, and celebrations you’ll attend within the huge pavillions and green playing fields of Mulberry Park In fact, these community amenities will be in place before the first homeowner moves in
Mulberry is part of the top-rated Gilbert School District, and within a mile you’ll find major shopping, dining, a carwash and an even an IMAX theater. A shopping area, “Mulberry Marketplace,” will include a Fry’s Marketplace designed in a Craftsman Bungalow style to tie into Mulberry’s architectural theme Mulberry residents won’t even have to leave the community to shop!
Guadalupe Road, just 1.8 miles east of the 202 Fwy, exit 32
2,000
Leadership Class to build disc golf course
Gilbert Leadership Class XXIII has announced it will build Gilbert’s first public disc golf course at Freestone Park. Construction of the course is scheduled to be finished on Saturday, May 2.
Gilbert Leadership, a program of the Gilbert Chamber of Commerce, recruits aspiring leaders from within the community, teaches them about historic and emerging issues and encourages class members to utilize their talents to give back to the community. Class XXIII will contribute by providing a desired, family-friendly recreational activity at one of the Town’s most frequented parks.
Additionally, the course will honor Gilbert’s heritage with decorative benches and theme messages in areas including education, public safety, health care and farming.
Identified as a potential amenity in the Town’s Master Parks and Recreation Plan, the disc golf course will feature nine holes and a practice hole. The course is being designed so that most ages, abilities or skills will be able to take advantage of this new community activity. Disc golf is played much like regular golf but with discs instead of clubs and balls; golfers can bring their own discs or borrow discs from the Freestone Recreation Center at no cost.
Members of Class XXIII will work to secure donations over the coming weeks to fund this class project with a goal of raising $14,000. To reach this goal, Gilbert Leadership Class XXIII is looking for both financial and in-kind support from forward-thinking local partners who are passionate about transforming and strengthening the Gilbert community. For more information on this project or to make a donation, visit www. gilbertleadership.com.
range in size from 1,500 to 3,400 square feet.
“We’re really excited about it,” he says. “It’s in Silverleaf, which is within DC Ranch in Scottsdale. It’s the only condo offering within the gates of Silverleaf. I think that’s a unique feature. But I think everybody is really excited about the private elevators and robotic parking.”
The battery-powered robots and robotics guidance system will carry vehicles parked on self-supporting steel trays to and from storage spaces.
He and his partner, Tanner Luster, Cypress Development Group’s president, discovered the amenity while touring other condominiums in the Southeastern United States.
“This was a system that we saw in Miami in a condominium that we toured, Brickell House,” he says. “We took a look at it, researched the system and contacted the manufacturer and started from there.
“We had one of the robots delivered to our sales center. We’re going to use it as our conference table in there. Everybody can see the robot.”
The community is aspiring to silver-level Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) standards, implementing a variety of sustainable building techniques and features including electric vehicle charging stations in the parking garage, energy efficient LED lighting, state-of-the-art VRV HVAC system, spray polyurethane foam insulation, dual pane low-e windows and low VOC paint throughout.
Young family
As successful as he is in the workplace, he’s found just as much happiness at home. When Day isn’t at work, he enjoys spending time with his family—wife, Amaris, and daughters, Lola and Thalia— at Agritopia. Day met Amaris through a mutual friend.
“We’re a young family and we’re surrounded by young families with
kids all around us,” he says. “We love the proximity to the coffee shop, the community garden and the food trucks every Wednesday. It’s a great atmosphere.”
Day, who moved to Agritopia in 2008, tries to be as active as possible in the neighborhood.
“We’ve never lived in another neighborhood,” he says. “Being in the neighborhood, we know it’s very unique. We have Nerf gun wars with all the families and kids. We draw names and we have teams and clans—this street versus this street. You don’t find it anywhere.
“We have progressive parties that our friends set up. We had an ‘Around the World’ party where everybody had to host a different country in the house. It’s a really fun, great, unique environment.”
The Arizona-born Day grew up in the 32nd Street and Thunderbird Road area of North Phoenix and attended NAU. He was recently named one of the top Arizona entrepreneurs younger than age 35.
“It was a great honor,” he says. “I was very fortunate to get that award. There are a lot of successful businesses and entrepreneurs in Arizona. To get that, I was very happy.
“There is a lot of tough competition I’m sure in the area. Maybe I received the honor because real estate is traditionally an older group of individuals. I might say that coming out of the last recession that somebody young was in it is a key factor.”
Luster has known Day for about seven years. They met at an apartment compled in which both of them were living.
“As a best friend, a sense of humor and the ability to always get us laughing together is something we have in common,” Luster says “He’s one of the most loyal friends I could have. On top of that, he’s a man of faith. He’s always putting his family first. When it gets to business, he’s probably the hardest worker I’ve ever met. He’s incredibly innovative.”
Agritopia’s Nathan Day—shown here with wife, Amaris, and daughters, Lola and Thalia—was named one of the top entrepreneurs younger than age 35. Submitted photo
Guadalupe Higley
About Dr. Garza:
• Bachelor of Science from the University of Oklahoma (1990).
• DR of Dental surgery DDS, University of Oklahoma College of Dentistry (1994).
• First dentist to use Cerec for “single visit Smile Makeovers” and the first to place a single visit Cerec crown on an implant (2003).
• LVIF/Las Vegas Institute: Neuromuscular dentistry, TMJ, migraines, Bruxism.
• Laser Certified Dentist
Dr. Garza can attend to all of your dental needs:
Cerec Single Visit Dentistry • Crowns • Inlays • Onlays
Veneers • Smile Makeovers • Teeth Whitening • Dentures
Oral surgery/extractions • Fillings • Implants • Root Canals
Implant Supported Dentures • Invisalign • Routine Cleanings
Periodontal Treatment/Laser
Neuromuscular Dentistry: Treating TMJ disorders, Bruxism, and Migraines.
There’s a story behind every smile .. ... and everyone wants to have a beautiful smile they feel good about, no matter their gender, age, profession, or circumstance. Allow us to be a part of your story and together we can work to create the smile you have always wanted.
Dr. Garza is passionate about your dental care; he is always investing in continuing education and the best technology to provide his patients with the best care possible and here’s what they say ...
“The staff and services provided were excellent. I went to this office after visiting another practice a couple of days prior to get a second opinion.The impression that I felt after the initial visit was very comforting, even for me because I have a huge phobia of dentists.”
— Jerry
“Dr. Garza and his team are the best. Everyone gives you a great sense of comfort and care. I had a wonderful experience as usual. I have been a patient for at least 10 years, and service and care are and have always been excellent.”
— Anthony
