Ahwatukee Foothills News - March 22, 2017

Ahwatukee splendor

HOA boards can create more than enough problems for residents

BY MIKE BUTLER AFN STAFF WRITER

Mary Jean Lindgren said she never had a problem with her neighborhood homeowners association when she lived in the 4200 block of E. Brookwood Court in Ahwatukee for 10 years.

But when her neighbor across the backyard became president of Mountainside Master HOA’s board, her decades-old eucalyptus tree suddenly became a big problem. About a year ago, she received an order to trim the tree.

She complied but kept receiving orders

to trim it again, plus clean up fallen leaves. Fines ensued.

Since Lindgren lives and works in Sacramento now and rents out the house, she called Gilbert attorney Kevin Harper for help. He’s one of the few independent attorneys in the Valley who specialize in representing homeowners against the few big law firms that represent HOAs.

Lindgren said board members won’t explain how much trimming would satisfy them. “They won’t give me a standard,” she said. “It’s very frustrating. I’m in limbo. It’s just a vicious circle.”

See HOA on page 10

Ahwatukee gets greater police presence on regular basis

BY JIM WALSH AFN STAFF WRITER

Phoenix police Commander Jim Gallagher doesn’t want Ahwatukee to feel forgotten.

Gallagher, commander of the South Mountain Precinct, said there have been issues with staffing in Ahwatukee in the past, but Chief Jeri Williams’ redeployment plan has helped to correct that.

He said that at least three officers are on duty south of Baseline Road at all times, and others can be called in as needed.

“We recognize they are geographically isolated,’’ Gallagher said at a Coffee with A Cop event at The Farm at South Mountain March 16, which also was attended by Williams and several other commanders.

“We are now able to fully staff those squads,” he added. “We are going to have three cops in Ahwatukee at all given times. That’s important to Chief Williams and me. I want them to feel equally cared for.’’ Gallagher and Lt. Tina Gonzales, the district’s resource officer, both said there are no particular crime trends in Ahwatukee, despite a homicide March 15 that police believe was drug-related.

But they said it’s still important for police to remain diligent and to build contacts and support, realizing that they are badly outnumbered and that they need the public’s help to do their job properly.

“We want to be partners with you,’’ Williams told a group of residents sitting at picnic tables, who may have been

(Special to AFN)

If you’ve been putting off a chance to buy a new house, here’s a deal you won’t want to miss. An Ahwatukee researcher and the former head of the ASU School of Engineering are selling their massive mansion at the foot of South Mountain for $6.4 million. Read what that buys on page RE1.

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(Kimberly Carrillo/AFN Staff Photographer)

Ahwatukee rehab center staff to help patient mark century-long life

Come March 29, Ahwatukee will be at least a temporary home to a new centenarian.

Esther Cason has been a resident of La Estancia Nursing & Rehabilitation Center since she fell and broke her hip four months ago.

Although center spokeswoman Kimberly Lopez said the La Estancia staff will be throwing her a party on her birthday, Cason is taking in stride the fact she’s turning a century old.

Asked how she feels about turning 100, she replied, “Same as 99.”

Cason said she grew up in a rural area of Arkansas and, when her husband went into the Army, eventually moved to the Phoenix area in the 1940s to live with her sister.

She never left. When her husband returned from the service, they opened two barbecue spots called Uncle Ben’s Barbecue.

And even after her husband died, she kept cooking until she was 89, the sole keeper of a secret barbecue sauce recipe that she has shared solely with her only son, Dalton. “Folks ask me if they can have my recipe and I say, ‘no,’” she said.

Along with her son, Cason also raised four foster children and counts herself as a grandmother to 14 kids.

Cason is a descendant of slaves, saying that her mother’s grandmother was brought to America in chains.

Though expressing some frustration that her injury has temporarily grounded her, Cason still enjoys playing bingo at La Estancia.

And when asked her secret to her longevity, she said, “Love everybody. Be nice to everybody.”

NEWS STAFF

As she closes in on her 100th birthday March 29, Esther Cason still enjoys bingo at La Estancia Nursing & Rehabilitation Center in Ahwatukee.

Stanton urges Phoenix residents to strike back at Trump budget

Phoenix Mayor Greg Stanton is wasting no time organizing opposition to President Trump’s 2017-18 budget proposals.

In a release last week, Stanton urged city residents to call and write Arizona’s congressmen and senators, asking them “to fight this budget proposal and put a stop to the reckless cuts that will harm individuals and families in every corner of our state.”

“President Trump’s proposed budget is a short-sighted, reckless attack on seniors, families in need, people with disabilities, victims of domestic violence, science, the arts, clean air, clean water and communities – which means every single one of us,” Stanton said.

Because the White House just released

the budget last week, many spending details remain murky.

For example, it is unclear how much, if any, money Phoenix might lose and what services would be affected.

But Stanton said the lack of detail doesn’t matter.

“We don’t yet know how many essential programs that improve the lives of families in Phoenix and Arizona will be hurt by this proposal,” he said.

“But we do know this budget would not make us safer. It would not improve our economy.

“And it would devastate small and large charitable organizations in our community who do the most difficult life-saving and future-inspiring work to help people in need achieve their potential and participate in the American dream.”

SUMMER FUN

Government lawyers call freeway ‘environmentally preferable’

BY PAUL MARYNIAK

AFN Executive Editor

The South Mountain Freeway’s path through Ahwatukee is the “environmentally preferable alternative that would serve the project’s purpose and need” to alleviate traffic congestion around Downtown Phoenix and reduce I-10 travel time, the federal government told an appeals court last week.

In a filing that’s hundreds of pages thick and over 30,000 words long, acting Assistant U.S. Attorney, writing on behalf of the Federal Highway Administration and Arizona Department of Transportation, told the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth District that opponents cannot prove the freeway is a major health hazard or that environmental studies were flawed.

“The (highway) agencies thoroughly considered the reasonably foreseeable environmental impacts of the project and alternatives, as well as potential mitigation measures,” Wood wrote.

The filings came in response to the briefs filed two months ago by the Ahwatukee-

based Protect Arizona’s Resources and Children, HOAs, environmental groups, the Gila River Indian Community and 21 Southwest tribes that oppose the

into COLOR

$1.77-billion freeway – the state’s most expensive highway project in its history.

They are appealing a federal judge’s ruling in Phoenix that paved the way for construction of the 22-mile link between West Phoenix and the Chandler interchange on the I-10.

Opponents now have until March 31 to file a final written reply before a threejudge appeals panel sets a hearing date.

PARC President Pat Lawlis told supporters in a Facebook post last week that the “infuriatingly slow” appeal represents the last best effort by opponents to stop the project even as construction activity is underway along Pecos Road and on the western end of the freeway path.

“Our case will be one of the 99.9 percent of cases that are settled in the circuit court,” she said. “The Supreme Court would not accept an appeal from our case because it is about well-settled law with lots of precedents.”

But she also expressed confidence in PARC’s case.

“Whereas the Arizona District Court ignored established law and just decided that the government has the discretion to do whatever it wants, the Ninth Circuit actually pays attention to established law. Without a doubt, ADOT and the FHWA have violated two specific federal laws in numerous ways,” she said.

That assertion came under attack in the government agencies’ response to the appeal.

Freeway opponents have contended

that ADOT and the FHWA performed flawed environmental studies to justify its choice of the freeway path and that it should have been located much farther south of Ahwatukee and the reservation. They claim that the estimated 140,000 vehicles that will use the freeway – half of them trucks – pose a particularly serious threat to the health of thousands of children attending the 17 schools located within a half mile of the freeway.

Native Americans also claim that highway planners ran roughshod over laws protecting sacred sites like South Mountain, where the freeway will cut a 200-foot gash across three peaks.

Wood said the evidence compiled over 14 years of planning the freeway refutes those assertions.

He also reiterated one of the government agencies’ most justifications for the freeway – that it is vital to a region already choking on traffic.

“The project will reduce congestion and save millions of hours of travel time; the present value of travel-time savings for the project between 2020 and 2035 would be almost $3.4 billion,” he said.

As for South Mountain, he wrote, “The project will impact less than 0.2 percent of the South Mountain Preserve/ Park – 31.1 acres of this 16,600-acre area – and includes numerous measures to minimize harm to the SMPP, including acquiring an equivalent amount of replacement land.”

(ADOT/Special to AFN)

Supports for the bridge at 17th Avenue and Pecos Road are being put in place. Concrete will eventually be poured into these shafts.

And he said, “The agencies thoroughly considered the reasonably foreseeable environmental impacts of the project and alternatives, as well as potential mitigation measures.”

Wood zeroed in on allegations that children would be most harmed by freeway smog and noise.

“After considering all the available information and the models of air emissions, the agencies determined that the proposed project would not produce disproportionate impacts on children,” he said, adding:

“For example, the agencies thoroughly studied the project’s potential noise impacts on children’s health, including noise receptors located at nine schools. The agencies ensured that noise impacts would be mitigated to an acceptable level through the use of noise walls.”

Wood also argued that the FHWA and ADOT were under no obligation to address strong recommendations by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency for further study.

“Agencies are only required to give EPA’s comments adequate consideration, and they did so here.”

“Additionally, while EPA made general comments about the potential impact of “air pollution” on children, it did not contest the specific analyses the agencies had performed,” Wood added.

“The disagreement between FHWA and EPA does not suggest that the agencies failed to meet their (legal) obligation to study the environmental consequences of the proposed action; it highlights the rigorous consideration of the project,” he said.

As the legal wrangling continued, ADOT posted on its freeway project website, a “virtual fly-over” so people can see what the freeway might look like when finished.

However, ADOT reminds viewers that the “aesthetic renderings” are “subject to modifications” since design is still underway even as construction has started along various points.

Lawlis ridiculed the “flyover,” stating: “Very realistic. Except it is not packed with traffic, especially lots of big trucks! And it depicts the freeway farther away from schools and homes than it would actually be. And the look of the cuts through the mountain are minimized by not getting in too close. Oh, and the thick layer of smog caused by all the traffic is also missing!”

When a hearing will be held is unknown.

(ADOT/Special to AFN)

Crews have been laying the foundation for the 24th Street Bridge near Pecos Road.

Arcadia Place – Chandler

Dobson Ranch – Regency Estates

BY BRENT RUFFNER AFN Contributor

Afew dozen citrus trees sit in the shadows of a small housing development under construction along McKellips Road, once known as a main artery for fruit in Mesa.

Less than a mile away, Allen Freeman minds his store, Orange Patch Too, which dubs itself “Arizona’s Favorite Citrus” because he sells so many varieties, from naval and Valencia oranges to lemons and pink grapefruit.

But he sees himself on the fringes of an industry that is dying – just as the acres of trees that perished a mile away where Blandford Homes is building The Estates at McKellips and Val Vista Drive.

Vast, lush citrus groves once dominated the East Valley landscape. Now, they only dot it as more groves are bladed each year to make way for shopping malls and housing developments.

“I’ve been doing this 47 years,” Freeman said. “We have been directmarketing to the public. You get to know people and end up making good friends. It’s awful hard to say, ’This is your last bag of oranges you will ever get.’”

Freeman remembers carrying trees covered in burlap sacks as a child while his father, Art, planted more than 20,000 trees along the Salt River in east Mesa. His citrus orchard spanned 240 acres in a project that started in 1966.

He is fighting to retain a part of that history and routinely gives free advice about citrus, as he did recently to a group of about 150 people.

As the 2017 citrus season winds down, so will Freeman’s store. He has run two family stores the last 15 years as one of seven children that have helped keep the family business running for decades.

He also is a fourth generation citrus farmer who lost 71 acres to the state to make way for the Red Mountain Loop 202.

“Someone’s got to stay behind and help the family farm,” Freeman said. “I don’t know if it’s on accident or on purpose. But I’m here.”

Freeman recalls the many farms that existed when he was a boy and gave way to homes and commercial properties – and notes others that are about to be mowed down.

For example, a large 60-year-old grove just west of Mesa’s Falcon Field Airport is earmarked for a 63-acre cutting edge business park near Greenfield and McDowell roads.

The park, Falcon Tech Center, is touted by city officials as a generator of many high-wage jobs.

Shrinking acreage

The downward trend of citrus acreage has been a common storyline as farmers take advantage of skyrocketing land

Ahwatukee man, killer were doing drugs before slaying, police say

BY PAUL MARYNIAK AFN Executive Editor

Phoenix police say they still don’t know what led to the March 15 fatal shooting of an Ahwatukee marketing specialist by an ex-con who subsequently went on a 77-minute crime spree before a Swat team shot him to death after he pointed a gun at them.

But police said detectives believe that Nathan Cahal, 40, of the 4800 block of E. Mineral Road and his killer, 25-yearold Todd “Toddy” Munson, a former drug addict with an obsession for money, were acquaintances and had been doing drugs before the shooting.

“The suspect and victim were acquaintances,” said police spokesman Sgt. Alan Pfohl. “It is unknown if there were friends or just associated with each other because of their drug activity. There was indicia at the scene that lead detectives to believe they had been doing drugs just prior to the murder.”

Pfohl also removed any doubt about

how Munson died: “The suspect was shot by police after he pointed his weapon at them.”

Police Commander James Burgett said Munson’s bizarre spree began near a Glendale apartment complex at 12:30 p.m. – eight hours after Cahal’s body was discovered in his home.

Investigators had identified Munson as a possible suspect and were going to talk to him when he almost walked right into the approaching detectives, Burgett said.

“The suspect immediately turned and fled on foot,” Burgett said. “The suspect jumped over a wall into an apartment complex at which time the officers heard a gunshot. It was later determined the suspect may have accidentally discharged his firearm, striking himself in the leg.”

Burgett said Munson first approached a 41-year-old woman and tried to rob her of her car at gunpoint but she sped away. Munson then took a 53-year-old man’s pickup truck after brandishing his

(Scott Turner/Special to AFN)

The man who fatally shot an Ahwatukee marketing specialist crashed a stolen Corvette in North Phoenix before he died.

KILLING

Phoenix Police then received a call that a man matching Munson’s description had let the pickup roll into a business around 7th Avenue and Union Hills and stole a Corvette at gunpoint.

He stopped at a convenience store and tried to rob two customers of their cell phones, but the two men ducked behind some gas pumps and Munson fled.

By this time a police helicopter and several unmarked police cars were following the Corvette.

Pfohl said police used unmarked cars because they didn’t want to spook the suspect, who was driving erratically.

Munson few minutes later stopped a woman in front of her home and took her cellphone at gunpoint, then fled.

A few blocks later, while at a signal at North Valley Parkway and Norterra Parkway, the suspect pointed his weapon at a seventh victim in the adjacent lane and demanded his cellphone, but the man sped away, Burgett said.

Pfohl said by this time Munson’s erratic driving had become a major concern, so an unmarked SWAT team struck the Corvette, sending it into a pole.

Burgett said Munson pointed his

comes from a five-generation Phoenician family and that “he was a hell of a salesman.”

She also said the family did not know of about the relationship between Cahal and the gunman.

“We’re just watching the police investigation,” she said.

Records show Munson had served four months in prison and a two-year probation for convictions on a series of criminal incidents that included aggravated drunk driving, two drug possession charges, endangerment and resisting arrest.

weapon at officers, who “both fired their rifles at the suspect, which ended the threat.”

Phoenix Councilman Sal DiCiccio praised police for “an incredible job.”

“Whenever there is a police shooting, there is significant emotional trauma to the police officers involved and their families, …. My prayers are with them and their families.”

Cahal was a marketing representative for a family-owned Phoenix tutoring service called ABC Phonetic Reading School and a graduate of Central Catholic High School.

A family friend told AFN the victim

Between December and January, he frequently alluded on his Facebook page to an obsession with money, describing it as an addiction that had replaced his drug addiction.

“One addiction to the next,” he wrote on a picture of a large amount of 20 and 100-dollar bills spread out beneath his arm.

“I’ve lost the things Iv loved, IV been humbled by pain, been blinded by addiction, literally.. I’ve failed more then I can count. But this feeling.. Its a new addiction,” he wrote another time.

In another post, he wrote: “1) Make Money. 2) Use that money to make more money. 3. Repeat.”

POLICE

from page 1

outnumbered by the strong police presence at the event. “We need your engagement. We need to be empowered by you.’’

Other postings alluded to a troubled past:” Don’t judge me. You can’t handle half of what I’ve dealt with. There’s a reason I do the things I do, there’s a reason I am who I am.”

Others alluded to God while still others were inspirational.

“A negative mind will never give you a positive life,” he posted.

In another, he wrote, “If you don’t leave your past in the past, it will destroy your future.”

2018 fiscal year.

City Councilman Sal DiCiccio said police staffing in Ahwatukee can fluctuate from three officers to as many as 30, depending upon the circumstances. He praised Williams for making the best of a bad situation that is not her fault.

Stormy Weather:

The Story of Lena Horne

Starring Mary Wilson

Saturday, March 25 · 7:30 p.m.

As an example of cooperation between police and the public, Gonzales said officers will be keeping a close watch on the neighborhood near 48th Street and Mineral Road where the homicide occurred, after residents told them that they suspected there might have been drug activity.

Staffing has been a major issue for Phoenix police, with their ranks dwindling during the recession.

The Phoenix Law Enforcement Association has criticized a rise in response times.

A hiring freeze was lifted and police are actively recruiting in hopes of gaining ground on the staffing deficit. Williams redeployed 169 detectives from specialty units to fortify patrol functions in February.

Sgt. Mercedes Fortune, a Phoenix police spokeswoman, said the department has 2,876 officers and the goal is to have 3,125 during the 2017-

Williams returned to the department last fall from the Oxnard, CA. Police Department, where she served as chief for five years.

Before that, she rose through the ranks at Phoenix police department until she became as assistant chief. She is the city’s first female chief.

“It’s definitely a step in the right direction,’’ DiCiccio said about the deployment plan, which he acknowledged amounts to a hard tradeoff between basic patrol functions and specialty units, including one that targets the worst fugitives.

“It needs to go further. The city of Phoenix is hiring at attrition levels. We’re making some progress but not enough,’’ he said.

He said he is impressed by Williams and believes she might be one of the best chiefs in the city’s history.

“Everything she’s done is about protecting the public,’’ DiCiccio said.

(Special to AFN)

Nathan Cahal, 40, of Ahwatukee, who was found shot to death in his Mineral Road home at 4:30 a.m. March 15, worked for a family-owned tutoring business.

(Special to AFN)

Killer Todd “Toddy” Munson’s social media posts showed an obsession with money.

I BUY HOMES FOR CASH!

Harper has seen it all before.

“This is something I see over and over again,” he said. “A very small fine can spiral out of control into tens of thousands of dollars in legal fees and foreclosure.”

Mountainside Master and its law firm declined to comment on the matter.

In a perfect world, planned communities conceived by builders and governed by HOAs tick like a fine timepiece.

Everyone gets along.

Everyone wants what’s best.

Homeowners pay their dues. The management company manicures the common grounds.

HOA neighborhoods with gates and their own security guards offer comfort for residents and benefit the greater community by allowing city police officers to focus their efforts elsewhere.

Everyone’s property-value boat is lifted on a rising tide.

But, human nature being what it is, conflicts frequently erupt over seemingly simple things.

An in-town resident, or a snowbird, might miss a dues payment. A violation notice might be issued for street parking or RV parking. Same thing for a landscaping infraction, or an exterior paint job. Fines, interest payments and legal fees can snowball.

An HOA board can stymie the bumpout needed for a couple’s dream master bath or a chicken coop. HOAs have the power of a city government and can foreclose on a home like a bank. They can garnish your wages, disconnect your water.

brushed up on Tempe building codes. They studied the covenants and took walks around the neighborhood to get a feel for what was acceptable and incharacter before undertaking their first curb-appeal projects.

For any project they undertook, they always submitted their requests to the HOA. It wasn’t exactly smooth sailing. But so far, so good.

The Frys broke ground on their dream project last year, a remodeled backyard with a new and elegant chicken coop.

Everything went south.

She just wanted to do what many of her many neighbors were doing - put her large lot to good use, growing vegetables, raising a few chickens, giving excess eggs to the homeless.

Fry said permission wasn’t needed from the HOA as long as the structure was no taller than the back wall, and that this was confirmed by the property manager.

As the project moved along, Kathy changed plans. She wanted to increase the height of the coop to allow her to clean it more easily and minimize smells. She would also raise the back wall to shelter the coop from the view of those using the alley/horse path. She submitted her plans to the HOA.

Swift denial.

Kathy found that odd, considering that her previous front-yard requests took an agonizing 30 days or more to get approved by the board. As the conflict wore on, she received swift fines, swift cease-and-desist letters and swift orders to tear it down.

Fry said she sent the HOA excerpts from the city code and pictures of other backyard structures in the neighborhood. She also made repeated requests to meet with the HOA and discuss the situation.

It can be a rude awakening, even for a long-time Valley resident. Especially so for recent Ahwatukee area transfers, who are accustomed to talking these things out with neighbors on the front lawn while their dogs romp around and get to know each other.

Fowl Play

When Kathy Fry moved to the Valley from the East Coast to guide her family’s small business in 2011, she and her husband fell in love with a small agricultural community in Tempe.

Built in 1979, the affluent 160-home neighborhood with one-acre-plus lots has evolved over the years into an eclectic neighborhood of enthusiastic equestrians, plucky urban farmers and content suburbanites.

The Frys were good citizens and

“Every time I went to the mailbox, I was in tears,” Fry said. “I felt terrorized.”

Frustrated with the HOA, and after months of delays and many attempts to meet with the board or a committee, Fry decided to complete the coop. She had idle contractors. She had chickens on the way. Monsoons were coming.

“I was really mad at this point,” she said. “I thought this isn’t right.”

Fry’s general practice attorney referred her to Jonathan Dessaules, who also advocates for homeowners.

Fry and Dessaules say they tried everything short of filing suit, but after seven months they were left with no choice. The Frys’ title had also become clouded because of the HOA’s assessments and notices.

After their suit was filed, a representative

of the HOA finally visited Fry’s backyard, took some measurements and determined the coop was in compliance.

Fry and Dessaules have filed an additional complaint against the HOA to admit it was wrong, to acknowledge there was no violation of the CC&Rs. They also want to recoup the considerable attorneys’ fees.

“It’s about more than getting my money back” Fry said. “I don’t want this to happen to anyone else in the neighborhood.”

Kathy Fry’s finished, 96-squarefoot coop is a stylish stucco-and-tile affair that seamlessly blends with her home’s architecture. She spent many thousands of dollars on the project and commissioned custom iron doors and fencing. It conforms with all Tempe zoning and setback regulations.

The ABCs of CC&Rs

Dessaules said it’s incumbent on HOAs to enforce Covenants, Conditions & Restrictions – the contractual rules of the neighborhood – consistently, fairly and reasonably.

After taking a walk around the Frys’ neighborhood, Dessaules said he found

at least 34 structures within the same backyard setback that the HOA said Fry was violating. These were sheds, garages, guest houses and other chicken coops.

Many of the projects were above the fence line and larger than Fry’s outbuilding, and of poorer quality, according to Dessaules.

He said that when Fry visited the management company to review the records on those lots, there was no documentation on at least 28 projects to indicate that an architectural change request had ever been submitted to the HOA.

Dessaules said he had another client recently, a woman paying nearly $1,000 per month in dues to an HOA in the Arcadia area of Phoenix, whose personality clashed with the board. In a fit of pique, board members banned her from using the common areas indefinitely.

A judge ruled in the resident’s favor.

“You can’t be denied the right to go swimming in your own pool,” said Dessaules. “You can’t impose that type of suspension simply because you don’t like someone.”

The other side of the fence

Beth Mulcahy, whose firm represents about 1,500 HOAs around the state,

said she has seen difficult homeowners harass board members at meetings and through angry e-mails and phone calls. Sometimes, she has to file injunctions to stop the bad behavior.

“If everyone communicated a little better,” she said, “it wouldn’t get so complicated.”

Mulcahy also teaches at the city of Chandler’s twice-yearly HOA Academy, which has graduated more than 600 better-informed board members since 2007. She holds similar seminars in other cities.

In addition to educating board members about the law and their responsibilities, Mulcahy counsels boards to be transparent in their dealings.

“Some board members think that what

homeowners don’t know is better for them,” she said. “I think that’s wrong. You’re sending a message you’re hiding something.”

Mulcahy said she has been a disgruntled homeowner in an HOA herself. “That’s how I got on the board.”

On that, Harper can agree. If homeowners are concerned, he said, they can become more involved in meetings and run for a seat if they think they can do a better job. He recommends that prospective buyers read CC&Rs and talk to neighbors to see if there has been a history of troubles.

“Know what you’re signing up for,” he said. “The rules are what they are. I live in an HOA and a lot of times I’m glad about that.”

GRAND OPENING!

(Kimberly Carrillo/AFN Staff Photographer)

Mary Jean Lindgren said the tree behind this house in the 4200 block of E. Brookwood Court, Ahwatukee, was never a problem until a neighbor was elected president of her HOA board.

Kyrene student advisors put spotlight on school lunches

BY PAUL MARYNIAK AFN Executive Editor

told, is that their trays must include foods from two of those categories in addition to a vegetable or fruit.

After months of discussing topics like the future of learning and where they saw themselves in 10 years, the student advisors to Kyrene Schools Superintendent Jan Vesely last week zeroed in on a weighty topic.

Lunch.

And what they heard may make their parents happy, but didn’t exactly leave the approximately 30 students cheering for more.

Vesely gathers the students from across the district once a month to advise her on various topics while she simultaneously helps them develop their leadership skills.

Lunch was the topic du jour because it’s a subject Vesely said she hears a lot about – not just from her young council but from students in general.

“I’ve heard grumblings,” she told the students, as she introduced Amanda Conti, who oversees the district lunch program and serves breakfast and/or lunch to 8,500 kids a day – 55 percent of the student population.

The students quietly groaned and muttered as Conti explained how federal regulations required they be served healthy food.

That includes fat-free or 1 percent milk, a vegetable or salad, fresh or canned fruit, whole-grain breads and, for protein, lean meats and beans.

Even more onerous, the students were

“By law, we have to offer these things, and when the cafeteria manager tells you to pick three of them and one of them has to be a fruit or vegetable, she is following the law,” Conti told the students.

As they ate a stuffed baked potato and vegetables during her presentation, some students looked like they enjoyed the fare.

That made Conti happy – particularly because the district encountered a disaster of sorts the one time it served baked potatoes to elementary students.

“It took them too long to get through it for a 20-minute lunch period,” she said. “It was a bummer.”

Conti also explained how anticipating kids’ menu preferences isn’t always an exact science.

One student asked why some favorite items sell out too quickly.

She explained how her staff monitors the big sellers – notably chicken nuggets, popcorn chicken and pizza –to anticipate how much to order for the next time, but some items can be flashes in the pan.

Take the time that the district served tuna fish on bread shaped like the snack called Goldfish.

“It was a big seller,” Conti said. “Then we made it again and it was a bomb. I think everyone realized it was tuna.”

Conti stressed that her staff does want

(Rosalie Hirano/Special to AFN)

Kyrene Superintendent Jan Vesely helped members of her student advisory group sample two different brands of French bread pizza.

Bowie tells town hall more education bucks still needed

BY PAUL MARYNIAK

AFN Executive Editor

ducation funding remains inadequate in current fiscal planning by the state Legislature and budget wrangling could go on for weeks, State Sen. Sean Bowie said Saturday.

Addressing about a dozen people who showed up for the freshman Ahwatukee senator’s first town hall March 18, Bowie said he is committed to seeing as much money has possible diverted into increasing teachers’ salaries.

“The biggest concern of school superintendents is turnover,” he said. “I have talked to the governor’s office and said I wanted to invest as much as we can in teacher salaries.”

Bowie said his other primary concern is making sure the state provides enough money to agencies that help the developmentally disadvantaged, particularly since they are running into financial stress created by the voter-mandated increases in the minimum wage.

to know the students’ complaints.

“Tell us or tell your parents to tell us what we ran out of so we can make sure we don’t,” she said.

That might have given some students an idea after hearing that the cafeteria staff serves perhaps tastier fare at meetings between top administrators and the school board or to teachers on the evenings of parent-teacher conferences.

The students also were asked to sample two brands of French bread pizza, which the district intends to use as a replacement for the conventional round pies.

While pizza is so popular that it makes the menu every week, children have complained about its flavor and the dough – complaints Conti hopes to end by serving French bread pizza instead. The problem is that the students

Even though he also said he was proud that the Senate unanimously passed his bill to prevent surprise medical bills to people who have had surgeries, reports on Monday indicated that House members might try to gut the bill under pressure from lobbyists for doctors.

On a brighter note for Bowie was the outcome of a House-passed bill to dilute the law banning people from firing weapons in the air.

And while Bowie said he was hopeful that the Senate had enough votes to defeat it, but that turned out unnecessary: the Senate President two days later announced he would not even bother bringing the bill up for a vote because it was a solution in search of a problem.

Bowie also said the Senate was still one vote short of defeating a House effort to expand vouchers for charter and private schools – which he said will “have a devastating impact on our public schools.”

“We have a solid 14 against it and we need a 15th vote,” he said.

generally want the kind of pizza served in some national chains – an order no school district is likely to fill.

Conti explained calorie limits with the lowest for elementary kids and the highest for senior high students.

Then she compared school and pizzeria pies on things like sodium levels – twice as much in the pizzeria version.

“School lunch pizza is a lot healthier,” one girl exclaimed.

Conti added: “Kids end up with high blood pressure and hypertension if they have too much salt.”

She said one reason kids complain about the pizza is because the sauce is low-sodium and the crust is whole grain. They might have even more to complain about next school year.

One reason the district is switching to French bread pizza is it’s tastier.

Besides, the government is reducing sodium levels even more – and is set to continue reductions in salt over the next few years.

Hope for valley fever shot pinned on ‘orphan drugs’

BY SHELLEY RIDENOUR AFN Contributor

Researchers are working on two vaccines to prevent people and animals from catching valley fever, the debilitating illness caused by a fungus growing in the lungs.

Meanwhile, valley fever is working its way into more conversations around the country, but some people say the disease isn’t on enough – or the correct – radar screens.

The disease, which occurs in very select regions of the United States, is gaining awareness in part because a congressional task force was created in July 2013 to address the disease. The task force is co-chaired by U.S. Reps. David Schweikert, R-Ariz., and Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif.

The task force recommended to the Food and Drug Administration that new vaccines under development –nikkomycin and delta-cps1 – receive fast-track approval as orphan drugs. If the vaccines are so classified, the result is “faster methods of research and money for research,” Schweikert said.

Schweikert is cautious in his optimism about the effectiveness of the vaccines.

“Please understand this,” Schweikert said. “It’s a fungus. This may be the first time they’ve looked at a vaccine for a fungus.”

In Arizona, research on valley fever has been taking place for 20 years at the Valley Fever Center for Excellence in Tucson.

The center is largely funded by grants, including a recent $1.9 million grant from the National Institutes of Health to study the effectiveness of fluconazole in treating valley fever. That’s the most common drug used for both people and animals.

“We shook loose some money,” Schweikert said of the NIH grant. “We have a good-sized study taking place to develop baselines. We got some resources, now we wait for what the study tells us.”

Figuring out how to prevent a fungus from lodging inside a person or animal isn’t the only hurdle to producing a vaccine, Schweikert and others say.

Because so few people are exposed to the spores that cause valley fever, finding

a drug company willing to spend the money required to develop a vaccine won’t be easy. The development of a vaccine is complicated by that fact, said Gilbert veterinarian John Carr and Dr. John Galgiani, director of the Valley Fever Center for Excellence.

“You can’t make it make money,” Carr said. “You can’t sell enough of the vaccine.”

It will take a lot of money to develop a vaccine and a drug to treat it, Galgiani said.

“We need people willing to invest to get the drug to market,” he said.

Ahwatukee veterinarian Jeffrey Jenkins would like to see work on a possible vaccine for valley fever to continue. But, he acknowledges, “it’s hard to have a vaccine for a fungal infection.”

Arizona would benefit the most from advances in preventing and treating valley fever, Galgiani said, because twothirds of all the cases of the disease are reported in Arizona.

“Arizona investors should have an interest in this,” Galgiani said. It may affect only a few people, Schweikert said, but the disease is debilitating. He talked about two Arizonans he knows who suffer from valley fever. One, a young man, “has it in his spine and essentially his spine is dissolving because of the fungus.”

Another man has to have the yeast and fungus pulled out of his hands regularly because the disease is in his bones, Schweikert said.

Jenkins’s daughter also had the valley fever.

Another function of the congressional task force, Schweikert said, is to help medical organizations educate more doctors about valley fever. Most doctors who practice in Arizona attended medical school in another state and haven’t heard of valley fever, he said.

A lack of awareness of the disease leads to too many misdiagnosed cases, Schweikert said.

Some valley fever symptoms are similar to symptoms experienced by people suffering from pneumonia and heart attacks. As doctors try to diagnose valley fever, it can be confused with cancer, tuberculosis, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease or chronic fatigue syndrome.

Galgiani, of the Tucson center, agrees that better education within the medical community is important.

“So often doctors don’t make the diagnosis correctly, or it’s delayed, so the outcomes can be less successful,” he said. “It requires specific tests, so if you don’t look for it, you won’t see it.”

“We’re desperate to have people know about this,” Schweikert said. “In most of the country they’ve never heard of this and we need to educate people.”

Getting the National Institutes for Health to pay attention to valley fever

is an important step in that process, he said.

A hotline for physicians has been set up at the Valley Fever Center for Excellence. Doctors can call 520-6266517 to consult about diagnoses and treatment.

People who think they have valley fever, but whose doctors don’t order a blood test to check for it, now have an option. Sonora Quest Laboratories lets people have their blood tested for valley fever without a doctor’s order for the test.

Valley fever familiar to local veterinarians

BY SHELLEY RIDENOUR AFN Contributor

Animals with valley fever are no strangers to Ahwatukee veterinarians.

Gilbert veterinarian John Carr and Jeffrey Jenkins, an Ahwatukee veterinarian, both treat dozens of dogs with valley fever every year.

Carr estimates he treats 25 dogs a year suffering from the virus, and Jenkins said about 50 a year come into the Ahwatukee Animal Care Hospital and Pet Resort.

Dogs are more frequently diagnosed with valley fever than other animals. Cats and horses can also contract the disease, but much less often, Carr said.

“For every 100 cases we see in dogs,

there’s one case of a cat,” Carr said of Warner Vista Animal Hospital.

Jenkins recalls just two cats brought to his practice that had valley fever.

Dogs seem to be more susceptible to Valley Fever than humans, Carr said, and medical experts aren’t sure why. He said the disease is six or seven times more common in dogs than people.

Veterinary schools teach about valley fever, Carr said.

He learned about the disease at the Colorado veterinary school he attended. He grew up in Sierra Vista and had heard about it as a kid, too.

“Every time I see a sick dog, I think of valley fever,” Carr said. “If you’re a

(Jesse Stawnyczy/AFN Staff Photographer)

Ahwatukee veterinarian Dr. Jeffrey Jenkins shows X-rays of a dog afflicted with valley fever. “We’re always looking for it when we have a really sick dog,” Jenkins said.

veterinarian in Arizona and you practice for a year and don’t diagnose valley fever, you’re doing something wrong.”

Jenkins agrees that veterinarians should always suspect valley fever.

“We’re always looking for it when we have a really sick dog,” Jenkins said.

Dogs infected with the spores usually have a cough, lose weight, experience lameness, are lethargic and have seizures.

A blood test confirms the disease in dogs, just as it does in humans.

Dogs and people are treated with the same drug, called fluconazole. The medication “almost always works” for dogs, Carr said.

Some dogs do require the medication forever and others for years, but many are on it for only a few months.

A large percentage of dogs he treats recover after being on fluconazole for three or four months, Jenkins said.

Dogs can die from valley fever.

Jenkins described fluconazole as “the drug of choice” to treat valley fever, in part because it has the fewest side effects and usually works well.

Both men said dogs usually contract valley fever in their lungs, but lately more cases of it getting into the animals’ bones have been cropping up.

How many animals have been diagnosed with valley fever isn’t known, Carr said.

Doctors who diagnose it in people must report it, but veterinarians aren’t required to file similar reports.

Mesa resident Debbie Varner operates Follow Your Heart Animal Rescue. She’s taken in plenty of dogs which have valley fever.

Once the animals undergo treatment and start recovering, they are eligible for adoption.

The rescue group pays for the medication after adoption, to ensure the dogs get all the needed treatment.

Fluconazole is somewhat expensive for treating animals, Jenkins said.

The medicine would cost between $30 and $35 a month to treat a 50-pound dog, he said.

Some patients opt to go to a compounding pharmacy for the medication, to save money, Jenkins said.

prices and opt to sell out.

Citrus acreage in Maricopa County shrunk by about 73 percent between 1997 and 2012 – the latest recorded numbers, according to Dave DeWalt, a state statistician for the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

The Associated Press reported last month that within Arizona’s $6.3 billion agriculture industry, citrus doesn’t even rank among the state’s top 10 cash crops.

“The reason the citrus industry is smaller now is because of urban growth,” Andy Kurtz, executive director of the Arizona Farm Bureau, told AP. “Many new homes are built in former citrus orchards.”

Acreage in Arizona is so low now that agriculture experts only count lemons rather than all citrus, DeWalt said, noting Arizona accounts for only 15 percent of the nation’s lemon crop. California produces the rest.

Other data show Maricopa County in 2012 dropped to 3,196 acres of groves from 11,955 acres in 1997. Yuma County fell to 13,202 from 22,254 acres in that time. In some counties, such as Pinal and Pima, citrus acreage plummeted from 9,410 to 1,432 acres over the 15-year span.

“(Acreage) has basically gone down,” DeWalt said.

Over the last five years, shipped cartons of Arizona citrus have also declined. For example, shipped cartons of oranges went from 106,539 in 2011 to 54,783 shipped in 2015-2016. Grapefruit shipments declined the same time period.

Citrus was once one of the five C’s in Arizona’s economy, which also included copper, cotton, cattle and climate. Arizona citrus reached its growing peak in the 1950s and 1960s.

Starting in the ’20s

The history of East Valley citrus groves dates back to the 1920s.

According to author Joan Franks Gannon, the introduction of refrigerated railway cars made for easy transport of citrus. A heightened awareness of the health benefits of vitamin C spurred a steady growth of commercial citrus groves.

An account from the Chandler Museum Archives says the Chandler Improvement Company created the Chandler Heights Citrus District along Hunt Highway east of the city. The company planted 800 acres of orange, lemon and grapefruit trees starting in 1928.

Original orchard trees can be seen in some south Scottsdale neighborhoods –from Camelback Road south to Washington Street and Hayden west to 56th Street.

Scottsdale citrus orchards were “all around” as early as the 1900s, according to Mike Hills, master gardener at the University of Arizona Maricopa County Extension.

At the Ahwatukee/Phoenix line, citrus ran from I-10 and Baseline Road and to the west of that area.

The Mesa Citrus Growers building, which went up in 1932, was a distribution center from which citrus was shipped nationwide. It closed in 2010 and the building now houses a manufacturing business.

In many East Valley areas, the only legacy of the citrus industry are the words “orange” and “lemon” on street signs.

Legacy of citrus

Joe Johnston of Gilbert doesn’t want

signs to be the only reminder of the East Valley’s citrus industry.

He remembers when Ray Road was a dirt pathway and the smell of orange blossoms hung heavy.

“It was all farming as far as the eye could see,” he said. “Nobody would come by on the dirt roads. It was like out in the boonie.”

Contact Paul Maryniak at 480-898-5647 or pmaryniak@ahwatukee.com

Early Mesa citrus groves included the farm where Chauncey Harvey McKellips developed about 1,200 acres under the name Hermosa Vista Land and Cattle Company.

The farm was bordered by McDowell Road, Brown and Greenfield roads and Val Vista Drive.

Although the 320-acre Johnston family farm originally produced wheat and cotton starting in 1960, citrus trees had been planted around the home beginning in the 1930s.

Johnston said a small group of grapefruit, orange, tangerine and lemon trees were shared among friends and family.

His company, Johnston Properties LLC, is helping preserve the East Valley’s citrus history.

Johnston started construction of the Agritopia community in 2001 near Higley and Ray roads in Gilbert

Agritopia has a self-serve U-Pick Orchard where the public can purchase five- and eight-pound bags to fill with citrus from the farm. The citrus is USDA-certified organic and also is used in the pizza made nearby and poured in the beer and wine sold to the public.

Johnston said about 300 more trees were planted in addition to those already on the property.

“We lived here and so I felt as though I had a stewardship responsibility for the 320 acres,” Johnston said. “I thought we’d like to maintain our family heritage and not just sell it and move on.”

((Special to AFN)

ASds like this frequently appeared in magazines to tout Arizona’s bounty of citrus.

(Brent Ruffner/ASFN Contributor) Agritopia founder Joe Johnston is doing what he can to preserve citrus on his Gilbert development.

Community

Desert Vista students get ‘living history’ in senior center visit

BY JIM WALSH AFN Staff Writer

Nick Lozzi, 88, a Purple Heart recipient, wore a Korean War veteran baseball cap as he shared a lifetime's worth of experiences with some Desert Vista High School students last week.

The students were visiting with residents of Mountain Park Senior Living in Ahwatukee – a change of pace in an exchange program that has been going on for several years.

Desert Vista sociology teacher Nicole Mollencopf has been arranging visits by some residents to the school for several years, according to Linda Paskell, the “fun coordinator” for Mountain Park.

This year, Paskall said, the teacher decided to bring the students to the seniors as part of an effort for them to experience living history.

“The residents love to talk with them, and I think the students learn quite a bit,” Paskall said.

The students, mostly 17 and 18 years old, were respectful and receptive as they listened to Lozzi, learning about sacrifice during a much simpler time, before technology changed the world.

Lozzi described how he got shot in Korea, how he met his wife and how he

operated early key-punch computers that were the size of a room when he worked for the New York State Transportation Authority after the war.

Lozzi arrived in Korea on his 23rd birthday – Dec. 12, 1951 – and got shot in his hand and leg while stepping out of a trench on his sixth day in combat.

“I fell back in; I didn’t dare step up again,” Lozzi said, joking that at least he got to spend the winter at a military hospital in Tokyo. “It was terrible pain. I

didn’t know I got shot in the leg.”

When asked about the biggest difference between his generation and the students’ generation, he answered with one word: money.

He told the students how his father lost his job during the Depression and how they lived in a simple flat above an Italian restaurant and bakery, owned by a distant relative, for about $5 a month.

Lozzi’s father worked picking crops for a farmer during the week, and also installed curbs on sidewalks for the Works Progress Administration (WPA), part of President Franklin Roosevelt’s New Deal.

A group of students seated at a table interviewing Lozzi admitted they had never heard of the WPA.

“They grew up in luxury,” Lozzi said.

William Ohmstede, 90, told other students about how the invention of the swamp cooler improved his quality of life as a boy growing up in the Imperial Valley of California, only a few miles from the Mexican border.

He also told them about his service in the Philippines during World War II.

“I got in on the tail end of the war. I went to the Philippines, but in the Philippines, the war was over,” Ohmstede said. “My experiences in the Philippines

were a highlight of my life.’’

But Ohmstede said he is thankful the students are growing up in a relatively peaceful time.

“At least we don’t have a war. When I was in high school, people were being drafted right out from under you,” he said.

Grace Brandenberger, 17, was riveted by the glance back in time.

Brandenberger and the other students asked a series of questions developed by Mollencopf as talking points to stimulate the conversation and to help develop a relationship between the students and residents of Mountain Park Senior Living.

A group of three students would sit at a table with one senior citizen, asking the seniors questions and filling out the questionnaires.

Mollencopf said the visit to the senior center is part of a project on the experiences of people from different generations, learning insights from each of them.

“It was really interesting to hear what every day life was like,” Brandenberger said. “It’s just really eye opening, the way they lived their lives. It makes me really

(Kimberly Carrillo/AFN Staff Photographer)

Desert Vista Sociology teacher Nicole Mollencopf brought students to seniors.

(Kimberly Carrillo/AFN Staff Photographer)

Carl Tighe tells a story to a Desert Vista High School student during a visit last week..

(Kimberly Carrillo/AFN Staff Photographer)

William Ohmstede kept students enthralled with his recollections of growing up.

Ahwatukee med student is ‘matched’ with Maricopa Medical Center

Taylor Jenkins of Ahwatukee learned last week where she will take her next step toward becoming a physician.

On March 17, after working hard for four years, Jenkins and 79 other University of Arizona College of Medicine–Phoenix classmates joined 17,000 medical students across the country in finding out what “Match Day” had in store for them.

Match Day is a coordinated effort among the nation's medical schools in which students learn where they will spend the next several years as resident-physicians. All 80 members of U of A’s Class of 2017 were matched with hospitals.

For Jenkins, the envelope read Maricopa Medical Center, where she will learn to practice obstetrics and gynecology.

“I love obstetrics and gynecology because you really get the best of all worlds as a physician: acute care as well as continuity relationships, clinical and surgical visits,” the Tucson native said.

“I love being able to do some tangible

good for patients at every visit,” she added. “I’m very passionate about advocating for women’s health, and I find that the bonds you form with your patients in this field are incredibly gratifying.” Jenkins’ desire to help others led her to a career in medicine.

“My mom is a nurse, and her altruism, compassion and dedication to helping others really impacted me and inspired my decision to pursue a career in medicine,” Jenkins said.

A graduate in nutrition science with a minor in chemistry from the U of A, Jenkins said her last four years of medical school have been enjoyable.

“It's hard to pick a favorite memory, but it has been really amazing to learn and grow with all of my classmates as we become doctors. They have all made the experience very special, and I'm pretty sure Match Day will be the most memorable day yet,” she said.

Jenkins recently completed a fouryear research project that sought to determine whether brain biomarkers, or proteins, are altered as a result of a traumatic brain injury.

“There is very little that can be done in an emergency room setting to objectively evaluate mild to moderate traumatic brain injuries such as concussions,” Jenkins said. “Consider that when we suspect someone has had a heart attack, or myocardial infarction, we can do blood tests to check for certain proteins such

as troponins to confirm our diagnosis. No such test exists for brain injury,” she continued, adding:

“We wanted to look at different areas of the brain and evaluate whether the amount of specific proteins in the extracellular matrix, or the glue that holds the different parts of the brain together, increase or decrease at various time points after a simulated traumatic brain injury.”

Jenkins’ mentors include Dr. Jonathan Lifshitz, director of the Translational Neurotrauma Research Program and associate professor at the college, and Daniel Griffiths, senior lab technician.

“Although more research needs to be done to determine clinical utility, we found significant differences in ECM molecules over time post-injury and across brain regions,” Jenkins said.

Of her colleagues, 51 students will train outside Arizona, including programs at Stanford University, Duke University Medical Center, Yale-New Haven Hospital, Emory University School of Medicine, Baylor, Cedars-Si-

See MED on page 24

(Sun Belous/Special to AFN) Taylor Jenkins of Ahwatukee takes a breather March 17 after 'Match Day' festivities at the University of Arizona's College of Medicine in Downtown Phoenix.

This is what memory care

SENIOR

from page 22

grateful for the way we live today.’’

She noted how another resident, Frank Schweller, told the students about picking his own food as a boy on a farm.

“Frank said we have a lot of temptations today, that life was simpler,” Brandenberger said.

Lauren Conway, 17, who interviewed Ohmstede, has a similar impression.

“We just wanted to know about his life, how he grew up. How he grew up in a completely different way than I grew up,” she said.

The Mountain Park Senior Living residents seemed just as entertained by

MED

from page 23

nai Medical Center and UCLA Medical Center.

Dr. Susan Kaib, associate dean of student affairs, congratulated the students in a ceremony March 17 that included a balloon drop.

“They have persevered through intensive studies, long clinical hours, rigorous skills training and numerous interviews with the purpose of finding and matching into their perfect residency program,” she said, adding:

“The Class of 2017 is everything we could have hoped for in a class.

They are kind, compassionate, genuine and overall are amazing individuals. They will make excellent future physicians.”

During the first half of their fourth year, the medical students applied for positions at residency programs, then

the students.

“I’m listening to somebody not in my own age group. Everyone here is more than 60. I’m breaking out of that,” he said.

Joe Gustafson, 86, another Korean War veteran, admitted he was lucky during the war, when he had a desk job in Tokyo and served as a best man in three weddings.

“I think it was wonderful,’’ Gustafson said about the exercise. “What impressed me is that these young people were interested in learning about the history of the country. It teaches them about history firsthand.’’

interviewed with program directors, faculty and residents.

In February, students submitted their list of choices in order of preference – at the same time, residency program directors submitted their rankings preferred candidates – to the National Residency Matching Program headquarters in Washington, D.C.

A computer matched each student to the residency program that is highest on the student’s list and that has offered a position to the applicant.

Residency programs vary in length from three years for general medicine/ family practice specialties to seven years for the most specialized surgeons.

The U of A College of Medicine-Phoenix admits 80 students per class and has graduated 273 MDs. Last year, it received more than 4,700 applications.

(Kimberly Carrillo/AFN Staff Photographer)

Nick Lozzi, a resident at Mountain Park Senior Living, talked about the Korean War.

Boy’s illness motivates family to fight diabetes

BY KIM TARNOPOLSKI

AFN Guest Writer

It was Christmas 2009 and the Schapler family – Peggy, Rick, Tylee and Davis – was in full-blown holiday mode.

The tree was up, the presents were wrapped, the house was decked and the family was ready for a trip to the Polar Express. Davis, then 2 years old, had a cold, so Peggy decided to take him to the pediatrician prior to the trip.

The doctor’s visit was also an opportunity for Peggy to discuss other health concerns she had noticed in Davis in recent weeks.

Davis was showing signs of increased urination, irritability and excessive thirst, all of which are signs and symptoms of type 1 diabetes (T1D). Davis’ doctor tested his blood sugar three different times with the meter reading HI, which meant his blood sugar was well over 500; the average range is between 80 and 120.

The doctor immediately sent the family to Phoenix Children’s Hospital. It was at that moment the journey to turn T1D into “type none” began for the Schapler family.

Peggy often tells people that T1D picked the wrong family because she has made it her mission to raise funds and increase awareness of T1D ever since that life-changing day in 2009.

“T1D changed our lives forever. It is our new norm. Davis and our entire family have T1D,” Peggy said.

Peggy realized right away the lack of public awareness around the signs, symptoms and treatment of T1D.

Friends and family members thought it was a short-term illness, not a lifelong illness.

T1D typically shows up in children and young adults and it’s a disease they do not outgrow and will not go away. It accounts for 5 percent to 10 percent of all people with diabetes and is the result of a non-functioning pancreas that doesn’t break down insulin.

Type 2, on the other hand, can be prevented or delayed with a healthy lifestyle that includes maintaining a healthy weight, eating sensibly and exercising regularly.

(Special to AFN)

Rick and Peggy Schapler, and daughter Tylee and son Davis, are enemies of T1D.

DIABETES

from page 25

Upon Davis’ diagnosis, the Schapler family was introduced to the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation, which funds research that transforms the lives of people with T1D and won’t stop until a cure is found.

Its mission is to turn Type 1 into “type none.” In the meantime, JDRF continues to drive scientific progress that delivers new treatments and therapies that make day-to-day life with T1D easier, safer and healthier. It is the only nonprofit organization that contributes 80 percent of all proceeds to research for a cure.

JDRF’s Desert Southwest Chapter is the local arm of fundraising, events and education for T1D. One of its signature programs is a weeklong camp for local T1D children, age 8-15, in Prescott.

Every summer, campers descend upon Camp Soaring Eagle to play and experience the healing power of laughter. Executive Director Paula Boca-Bommarito, describes camp as “an opportunity for children living with the enduring chronic illness of T1D to make lifelong friends, and it allows

along with organizing golf tournaments, sneaker sales, corporate walk sponsor donations and other fundraisers.

In 2016, Peggy received the JDRF’s Champion of Hope award and Tempe Elk’s Lodge Citizen of the Year Award for the family’s fundraising efforts.

form of fundraising to be her membership in 100+ Women Who Care Valley of the Sun.

She nominated JDRF and is fortunate to have received funding from the Ahwatukee group twice in the past two years. In February, Peggy delivered $11,200 on behalf of the group’s members. The donation will send numerous kids to camp in Prescott this summer.

“If you ask people with T1D, they will tell you it is a daily challenge and can be life-threatening. They endure it 24 hours a day, seven days a week and 365 days a year ... it never goes away,” Peggy said.

them to not feel so alone in their journey.”

Since 2010, the Schapler family has raised over $155,000 for JDRF. They do this through a variety of fundraising opportunities.

The family created and hosts an annual chili cook-off with silent auction

One big fundraiser the Schapler family participates in is the JDRF One Walk, which brings thousands of families and participants together each year.

People can make a donation to Davis’ Hope team for the upcoming walk on April 29 at Sloan Park in Mesa at walk.jdrf.org and donate to the Davis Hope team fundraising page or team captain Peggy Schapler.

Peggy has found the most efficient

“Davis is our hero as he endures a minimum of six daily blood sugar checks accompanied by a minimum of five shots, or “pokes,” of insulin a day in order to stay alive,” she added. “He cannot eat, sleep, or play sports without thinking about his T1D.”

For more information on T1D: JDRF.org. The next meeting of 100+ Women Who Care Valley of the Sun is May 2 in Ahwatukee.

– Kim Tarnopolski is chief community builder for 100+ Women Who Care Valley of the Sun. Information: 100WWCValleyOfTheSun.org.

(Kim Tarnopolski/Special to AFN)

Peggy Schapler, left, a member of the 100+ Women Who Care, holds a photo of her son while Paula Boca-Bommarito, executive director of JDRF Desert Southwest Chapter, holds a facsimile of a check the group gave the anti-diabetes foundation.

Ahwatukee high school musical groups earn kudos in fests

AFN NEWS STAFF

Student musicians from Ahwatukee are scoring points on the state and national scene.

Cantabile, the advanced girls chorus at Mountain Pointe High School, recently received its first “superior” rating at the Northern Arizona University Jazz & Madrigal Festival.

The annual festival, one of the largest of its kind in the Southwest, features guest clinicians and over 140 high school ensembles from Arizona and nearby states. The two-day festival includes a host concert in which choirs from NAU and professional groups of national and international stature appear.

The following Mountain Pointe students are members of Cantabile: Lexi J. Artusa-Sirota, Megan Blume, Tiffany, Brockman, Nadia Chavira Albo, Khalia Davis, Laura Dickenson, Grace Fedyski, Angelina Gray, Ciara Gutierrez, Molly Harrison, Rachel Keating, Arin McIntosh-Vaughn, Annally Ocasio-Zavala, Nathalia Rivera, Rosalinda Rodriguez, Mya Salas, Ivy Salazar, Madison Smith

and Bailey Valenti.

Meanwhile, the Desert Vista High School Orchestra earned the William E. Richardson Program of Distinction Award for the fourth time. It is the only school in the state to receive this award. It is given to programs which earn a Superior Rating at every Arizona festival.

Desert Vista received “superior with distinction” at every festival.

Desert Vista also won a number of honors at the ABODA Area Concert Festival. Directed by Josh Tyhe, the concert and symphonic bands earned superior ratings and the Wind Ensemble a superior with distinction rating.

This is the first time in school history that the Concert Band, a freshman ensemble, received a superior rating.

Also, orchestra sponsor and teacher Darlene Wedington-Clark was honored while the Symphonette Orchestra received a superior rating and superior with distinction honors went to the symphony and chamber orchestras.

Mountain Pointe High School’s Wind Ensemble received an Excellent rating at the ABODA festival.

(Special to AFN)

Darlene Wedington-Clark directs the Desert Vista High School Symphonette Orchestra, which picked up several honors in recent musical competitions.

Two cats and a dog are hoping to move into Ahwatukee with some new owners.

Willow is an “enchanting girl with the glowing green eyes, long white whiskers, and beautiful orange coat,” according to Jenny Bernot of Arizona Rescue.

“Willow is shy at first, but it doesn’t take long for this sweet, friendly kitty to begin head butting you for attention,” Bernot said. “If she sees an open lap, her shyness disappears as she hops up and makes herself at home. She loves being brushed so much that the sight of a brush moves her to start butting her head against it. Willow enjoys being petted, especially if it involves ear rubs and chin scratches, and likes playing with the fabric wand toy when it wanders within paw’s reach, alternately biting it and then swatting at it.

“No matter how badly you want to smother this sweet girl with affection, no matter how badly you want to pet that beautiful coat of hers for hours on end, there comes a point where Willow decides she needs space,” Bernot warned. “People overlook Willow because they’re not sure how to handle this, but for those willing to spend time getting to know her, it is well worth it.”

Bernot said caretakers feel “Willow would thrive in a quiet home with a patient family who will let Willow set the pace.”

Bernot also is seeking a home for yearold Justin, a striped tabby who is “one of the sweetest, most charming, and most people-oriented kitties you’ll ever meet.”

“He is incredibly affectionate and loves nothing better than spending time in someone’s lap,” she said, adding that he “has a habit of looking deeply into your

eyes while meowing lovingly at you…makes you feel like you’re the only person in the room.”

Besides people, Justin also likes interacting with other friendly kitties.

“Justin loves to wrestle, engage in a rousing game of chase, and take turns batting toys around with his feline friends,” Bernot said. “Justin will play with just about any toy you put in front of him, with wand toys being a paws-down favorite.”

Justin finds dogs fascinating as well. “A volunteer saw him go nose-to-nose with a small/medium-sized dog through a glass door and Justin played it cool –not even a puffed tail on our boy,” Bernot said, adding that a stroke left his previous owner unable to care for him.

Both Justin and Willow can be adopted by contacting azrescue.org

Meanwhile, the Arizona Animal Welfare League is seeking a home for Makani, a year-old Miniature Schnauzer mix who is at its main shelter at 25 N. 40th St., Phoenix.

Caretaker

Shauna Michael said Makani “is a sweet, spunky girl looking for a quiet household to call her own.”

“Makani is very loyal to her family and is ready to start training classes to help her gain more confidence. Makani adores cuddling with her people and going for evening strolls around the neighborhood. She can be a little nervous with new people entering her home, so Makani would do best in a calm household where her family can help her build confidence.”

She added that the dog “loves to show off her goofy side and enjoys visiting the dog park to play with her doggy friends.”

AFN NEWS STAFF

(Special to AFN) Willow

Justin also likes

Justin

Makani

Pencil cactus discovery part of Ahwatukee’s charm

BY KELLY ATHENA AFN Contributor

While driving around to garage sales on Saturday mornings I always keep an eye out for unusual plants – like the large pencil cactus tinged with bright orange and red that caught my eye in an Ahwatukee neighborhood.

I had seen them bursting with color in several front yards, their structure reminding me of the branching patterns of staghorn coral I’d admired while diving in the Caribbean.

This particular plant was so large I thought the owners might spare a small branch I could plant in my yard. I rang the doorbell and asked the surprised woman who answered it if I might buy a branch of her beautiful pencil specimen.

"I have another one of those trees in my back yard, and you can have both of them," she replied.

The pencil "cactus," as it’s commonly called, is not really a cactus. It is Eu-

It is easy to grow, takes little water, and thrives in the extreme temperatures of the Phoenix area.

The variety I saw in Betsy Alaestante’s yard is known as the firestick because the top part of it turns spectacular hues of orange and red in the fall and winter.

The problem with this euphorbia is that its milky latex sap can be very irritating and even blind a person for a few days if it gets in the eyes. It is best to wear goggles if you plan to prune one.

A little bit of sap got into Betsy and Greg Alaestante's 5-year-old daughter's eyes, causing temporary pain but no blindness.

That is why they were eager to rid their yard of these plants. Imrie was on her bike with training wheels in front of the firestick, fully recovered from her brush with the toxic sap.

I ended up needing to borrow Betsy’s pickax to remove the tree. It broke into several pieces that stuck out of my trunk for the short ride home. I planted the pieces in my yard and watered them with rain water I had saved in barrels from the recent rains. They liked my yard and kept on with their lives as if nothing had happened to them.

I returned another day for the second tree.

I had noticed the largest pencil trees ever (the all-green variety) growing in a backyard in my neighborhood.

My neighbor let me take photos of them, towering as high as her rooftop, with thick, brown, gnarly trunks. They make an effective shade from the Western sun hitting her home.

Friendly neighbors and unusually beautiful plants are part of the charm of living in Ahwatukee.

phorbia tirucalli, a stick-like plant that originates in Africa and is grown around the world in temperate climates.

I took the shovel and hoe out of my car (I’m a little crazy for plant opportunities) and tried to dig up the sturdy plant.

-Kelly Athena is an Ahwatukee master gardener and garage sale expert. Contact her on upcoming garage sales at Garagesalegirl@kellyathena.com.

(Kelly Athena/Special to the Tribune) Pencil cactuses can come in different varieties, including this colorful specimen found in an Ahwatukee yard.

Church moves popular Easter egg hunt to Chandler park

New Heights Church has announced that its annual free Easter egg hunt has outgrown all the Ahwatukee parks it’s used.

So it is moving its 10 a.m. Saturday, April 8, hunt for kids 2 years old through fifth grade to the football field of Valley Christian High School, 6900 W. Galveston St., Chandler.

Besides 15,000 eggs, the hunt will have inflatables and characters for kids to be photographed with, along with free popsicles and other treats.

Information: kiddsegghunt.com

Parents of young kids can learn about literacy at Summit School

Summit School of Ahwatukee is hosting a free literacy presentation for parents of preschoolers and kindergartners 6-7:30 p.m. Thursday, March 30, at the school, 4515 E. Muirwood Drive, Ahwatukee. The session will look at how comprehension and understanding of language make reading the backbone of learning and inquiry. It will also provide insights into strategies that teach children to do

far more than read words, but to understand, think and communicate ideas from reading.

The presenter is Faith Angelakis, a 20year teacher and literacy specialist at Summit.

A complimentary light dinner will be provided. Space is limited. RSVP to kathy.konrad@summitschoolaz.org

Ahwatukee chiropractor offering Ladies Night Out this week

The Specific Chiropractic Center in Ahwatukee will host a Ladies Night Out 6-9 p.m. Thursday, March 23.

Clinic director Dr. Cameron Call said the event has several goals: “Raise money for local charities and support local businesses while giving women an opportunity to treat themselves to a night out.” Charities that will be supported are Lost Our Home Pet Foundation, Treasures 4 Teachers, and Scholl’s Helping Hands for the Homeless.

There will be food, drinks, massages, raffle prizes, a photo booth, and opportunities to shop from local businesses and vendors in jewelry, skin care and clothing. Tickets are $20 per person and all proceeds go to the nonprofit organizations.

Most have been pre-sold with only a few available at the door. Tickets: 602-7537782.

Ahwatukee man to lead state Capitol grounds tours

Patrick Lutz of Ahwatukee, vice president of the Arizona Capitol Museum & Guild, will lead four tours of the Capitol building and grounds. The one-hour tours include little-known details about the history of the buildings and how they related to the city and the state.

The free tours start outside the Capitol building at 10:30 a.m. on Saturdays, March 25, April 1 and April 8.

Information: patricklutz@gmail.com or mhcady@cox.net.

Local Republican Women's group seeks scholarship applicants

Ahwatukee Republican Women is taking applications for its annual Marjorie Miner Scholarship, named after a longtime ARW member and Ahwatukee resident.

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.

On the Border supporting Tillman Foundation on March 30

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

Summit School slates parental discussion on math for kids

Building math minds for kindergarten children is the topic of a free presentation for parents of young children that will be held 6-7:30 p.m. April 6 at Summit School of Ahwatukee, 4515 E. Muirwood Drive, Ahwatukee.

Molly Danforth, a 20-year teacher and Summit School’s math coordinator, will discuss how numeracy and number sense are developed in preschool and extended See AROUND on page 32

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 hairdo. 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., Mesa. Information: ld18democrats. org

FRIDAY MARCH 24

Paint dinosaur bones

Be An Artist Studio will hold a Dinosaur Dig Painting to give kids a chance to dig up a facsimile dinosaur bone and paint it with the help of a fossil painting kit.

DETAILS>> 5:30-7:30 p.m., 4025 E. Chandler Blvd.. $35.

SATURDAY/SUNDAY, MARCH 25/26

Annual drive slated

St. Vincent De Paul Corpus Christi 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 located at Corpus Christi Catholic Church. No electronics, mattresses or box springs will be accepted.

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

SATURDAY, MARCH 25

Free yoga offered

Inner Vision Yoga Studio will offer 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., Ahwatukee. Information: innervisionyoga. com or 480-656-6448.

FRIDAY, MARCH 31

Studio hosts comics

Comedian T.A. Burrows will head the monthly comedy night at Be An Artist Studio. Attendees are encouraged to bring a beverage and snacks. Alcoholic beverages are permitted.

DETAILS>> 7 p.m. 4025 E. Chandler Blvd., Ahwatukee. $15.

Saturday, April 1

Seed swap set

Bring in the seeds you saved from last year’s harvest to trade for new and local varieties. Never saved seeds before? Come and talk with the master gardeners from the Ahwatukee Community Garden and get tips for gardening in the Sonoran Desert. After the swap, master gardener Kelly Athena will give a talk on harvesting palo verde and ironwood pods and other wild local edibles.

DETAILS>> 2-4:30 p.m., Ironwood Library, 4333 E. Chandler Blvd., Ahwatukee. Free, no registration required.

Tuesday, April 4

Writing Workshop planned

“How to Be Funny on the Page (Even if You’re Not in Real Life)” is the title of author Cindy Brown’s talk as she tries to explore different types of comedy, identify your own brand of humor and teach the basic tenets of comedy in this interactive workshop.

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

SATURDAY, APRIL 8

Ice cream for foster kids

Join an ice cream social to support the Friends of Foster

Children Foundation that helps to provide them with activities that range from dance lessons, music lessons, sporting leagues to tutoring, school pictures, yearbooks and even bike ownership. The event will include an Easter egg hunt, raffles, live music and, of course, ice cream.

DETAILS>> 2-5 p.m., Desert Garden Montessori, 5130 E. Warner Road, Ahwatukee. Free admission. Information about the foundation: AFFCF.org

Teen Easter party set

Learn some cool egg-decorating techniques and also enjoy Smash Brothers, bracelet making and a fine selection of Easter candy.

DETAILS>> 3-4:30 p.m., Ironwood Library, 4333 E. Chandler Blvd., Ahwatukee. Free, no registration required. For teens ages 12-18.

SATURDAY, APRIL 15

Annual Easter Parade rolling

The 41st annual Ahwatukee Easter Parade, presented by the Ahwatukee Kiwanis Club, will be marching through the community.

DETAILS>> 10 a.m. The parade will go down 48th Street from Elliot Road to Warner Road and will be followed by the annual Spring Carnival/Craft Fair.

Thursday, April 20

Peter Longo discusses golf

“The Evolution of the Golf Swing” is the title of a presentation by PGA life member, trick shot artist and golf historian Peter Longo. He will present a fun-filled, dynamic seminar of golf swings from then until now. He will also demonstrate a few trick shots.

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

SATURDAY, APRIL 29

Winetasting fest slated

The Winetasting Festival that helps support Ahwatukee’s annual Festival of Lights show along Chandler Boulevard will be held. Tickets are going on sale soon.

DETAILS>> 6:30-10:30 pm., Rawhide in Chandler. Ticket info: folaz.org/winetasting-festival,

ONGOING

Congregation plans Israel trip

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

‘TinkerTime’ open for kids

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

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

MONDAYS

Chamber offers networking

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

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

Group aids

MS sufferers

This group addresses the informational, emotional and social support needs of the MS community. People with MS,

care partners and spouses are welcome. The group mobilizes people and resources to drive research for a cure and to address the challenges people affected by MS.

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

TUESDAYS

Chair yoga featured

Inner Vision Yoga Studio offers chair yoga to help seniors and people recovering from injuries to stay fit.

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

Toastmasters sharpen skills

Improve your speaking skills and meet interesting people at Ahwatukee Toastmasters meetings DETAILS>> 6:45-8 a.m at the Dignity Health Community Room, 4545 E. Chandler Blvd., Ahwatukee.

Power Partners available

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

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

WEDNESDAYS

Watercolor classes available

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

DETAILS>> 2:30-5 Wednesdays and 10 a.m.-12:30 p.m. Saturdays at Hobby Lobby, 46th Street and Ray Road, Ahwatukee. Cost: $25 per class, $80 for four classes. Registration required: jlokits@yahoo.com or 480-471-8505.

Montessori holds open house

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

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

Grief support is free

Hospice of the Valley offers a free ongoing grief support group for adults and is open to any adult who has experienced a loss through death. No registration required. DETAILS>> 6-7 p.m. first and third Wednesdays, Pecos Community Center, 17010 S. 48th St. 602-636-5390 or HOV.org.

Foothills Women meet

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

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

Parents can ‘drop in’

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

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

‘Dems and Donuts’ set Legislative District 18 Democrats gather for an informal chat.

DETAILS>> Free and open to the public 7:30-9 a.m. the third Wednesday of the month at Denny's, 7400 W. Chandler Blvd., Chandler. RSVP: marie9@q.com or 480-592-0052.

LD 18 Dems meet in Tempe

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

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

Special networking offered Ahwatukee Foothills Chamber of Commerce has a networking and leads group is open to chamber members. DETAILS>> 11:30 a.m.–12:30 p.m., Radisson Hotel, 7475 W. Chandler Blvd., Chandler. Devida Lewis, 480-753-7676.

THURSDAYS

Kiwanis hosts fitness talk

Fitness expert Brad Jarret will speak at the weekly meeting of the Ahwatukee Kiwanis Club Thursday, March 9. The board meets every Thursday and newcomers are welcome. The club is making plans for its annual Easter Parade April 14 and Spring Fling. Volunteers are welcome to come to the meeting and sign up.

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

Mothers of Preschoolers gather

Free child care for ages 0 to 5.

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

FRIDAYS

‘Gentle yoga’ offered

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

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

Toastmasters

teach skills

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

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

SATURDAYS

Alzheimer’s support group meets Caregivers for Alzheimer’s patients can find support monthly.

DETAILS>> 10-11:30 a.m. Ahwatukee Alzheimer’s Support Group meets the first Saturday of the month at Mountain View Lutheran Church, 11002 S. 48th St. Bosom Buddies slates meetings Ahwatukee/Chandler nonprofit breast cancer support group.

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

in kindergarten.

A complimentary light dinner will be provided. Space is limited. RSVP to kathy.konrad@summitschoolaz.org

Inner

City Yoga offering free classes to mark opening

Inner Vision Yoga, located in the Trader Joe’s strip mall at 4025 E. Chandler Blvd., Ahwatukee, is celebrating its grand opening by offering six free yoga classes and a class to benefit traumatic brain injury recovery on Saturday, 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.

First-time visitors are encouraged to wear comfortable clothing and bring a yoga mat if they have one. Mats are also available for sale or rent at the studio.

Information: InnerVisionYoga.com or 480-656-6448.

Prosperity group director to address GOP women’s group

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

Corpus Christi Church collecting furniture, other items

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

The ministry helps community mem-

bers

Ahwatukee Easter Parade still needs entries

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

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

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

The 22nd annual Wine & Beer Tasting Festival will be presented by Festival of Lights, a nonprofit organization, 6:3010:30 p.m. April 29 at Rawhide Western Town.

All proceeds will benefit the Million White Light display along Chandler Boulevard during the holiday season, a tradition begun by Del Webb in the early ’90s and returned to Ahwatukee in 1995 by a group of volunteers. Tickets are $50 in advance and are available at all three Safeway stores in Ahwatukee and folaz.org.

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

Fundraising

dinner to benefit Honduran children's project

The Children’s Home Project, run by Sean and Jenny Kast of Ahwatukee to help poor children in Honduras, will hold a Le Fiesta Under the Stars Celebration dinner 6:30-9:30 p.m. April 1 at the Valley Garden Center, 1809 N. 15th St., Phoenix.

Tickets are $40 in advance and $45 at the door.

Information: tchp.org

Ahwatukee YMCA offers fitness for adult cancer survivors

Livestrong is a free small group fitness program at the Ahwatukee Foothills Family YMCA for adult cancer survivors aimed at easing them back into fitness and improve their quality of life.

Each 12-week session meets for 75 minutes twice a week and a free YMCA membership for the duration of the program. Class size is limited to six people.

Information: Debbie Mitchell at 602212-6081.

Kyrene launches dress drive for 8th graders

You only graduate from eighth grade once and Kyrene School District officials want to make sure all their girls are dressed for the occasion – even if they can’t afford it.

So, for the sixth year, Kyrene is collecting new or gently used dresses for the girls’ graduation and promotion dance through April 27. Officials also are encouraging donors to browse clearance stores for spring dresses since some can be bought for as low as $10.

“We accept all sizes as our eighth-grade girls come in all shapes and sizes,” said dress drive coordinator Tatiana Ward. “Dresses should not be strapless or too revealing.”

Donations can be dropped off at the district office, 8700 S. Kyrene Road, Tempe, or at the Kyrene Family Resource Center, which is located on the Kyrene de los Ninos campus, 1330 East Dava Drive, Tempe.

“We would want our girls to be able to feel comfortable in the most recent styles,” Ward said. “Having said that, everyone’s style is different. What one girl may not like, another may find to be a perfect match for her personality and style. If the dresses donated look somewhat like the dresses that can be found in stores, then we should be okay.”

The girls will have an opportunity to pick out a dress at the district’s Wishes Come True Event April 29.

Ward said the girls “are so appreciative and grateful.”

“There are nearly 6,000 students in Kyrene that are on the free/reduced lunch program,” she said.” Beyond that, there are many families that can make ends meet each month, but the added expense of a one-time special event is difficult to manage. “

Ward also needs volunteers for the April 29 event. Information: tward@kyrene.org or signup.com/go/gFJURS.

AFN NEWS STAFF

Real Estate Guide

BY PAUL MARYNIAK

Executive Editor

If a 16,000-acre “backyard” doesn’t turn you on, how does a two-story library with a retractable roof sound? You can have both – and a lot more –if you’ve got about $6.48 million to shell out for the most expensive “empty nest” on the market in Ahwatukee.

It just might be the priciest home in Ahwatukee – period.

The 14,124-square-foot home on S. Honah Lee Court, listed by Russ Lyon|Sotheby’s International Realty agents Oriana Lehman Wood and Jim

Bruske, is owned by Dr. Alan Nelson and Dierdre Meldrum.

He is the former executive director of Arizona State University’s Biodesign Institute and has held faculty positions at ASU, University of Washington, Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Harvard. Besides holding more than 100 U.S. patents, he is also founder and CEO of the Ahwatukee biotech company Visiongate and developed the world’s first and only automated screening test for cervical cancer. She is the former dean of ASU’s Ira A. For

Mike Mendoza

TOP SELLER

Fulton School of Engineering.

“They’re becoming empty nesters and contemplating other places,” said Lehman Wood. “They absolutely love the house.”

What’s not to love?

Even the Wall Street Journal swooned over it, making it its House of the Day on Feb. 23.

With seven bedrooms and 11 baths, the house widens the eyes and drops the jaws of most anyone who has toured it, Lehman Wood said.

“Everybody comes back with a ‘wow,’” she said. “Most reactions are surprise. People say that with such a large square footage, the home has a much more welcoming feel than the feel they would expect.”

Welcoming – and sturdy.

Lehman Wood said that the allconcrete structure is commercially engineered and that a home built like this today would likely run close to $100

million in construction costs alone.

Then there’s the feel of the Mediterranean-style home, which was designed by Scottsdale architect David Dick and built by Kitchell Corp. in 2010 for the family of Eric Crown, founder of Arizona-based computer giant Insight Enterprises and the Summit School of Ahwatukee.

“It does have an amazing privacy,” Lehman Wood said. “You tend to find a home like this in Paradise Valley. Of course, it is right up against South Mountain, and that helps.”

Bruske said its location not only offers “serene privacy,” but also “alluring views” to give it “something most homes in Arizona don’t have.”

Most homes also don’t have what Lehman Wood called a “Harry Potter library” with a retractable roof that senses rain or other factors and will move back in place if it’s open.

Nor do most homes have mature arboretum gardens in their backyard.

The home does have some amenities

usually found in less expensive luxury homes, such as an expansive deck, a gazebo with a ramada, a built-in barbecue and a heated pool.

But it also has a two-story, twobedroom 1,200-square-foot standalone home with a detached garage that even has a dance studio the owners had installed for their daughter.

Inside, the main residence features a game room, a separate workshop, media room, a loft, exercise and sauna room, and a chef’s luxury kitchen. And four indoor fireplaces and one on the patio will take the chill out of any winter night in Ahwatukee.

Lehman Wood said that when the house was first listed in early February, “we didn’t receive a lot of buyer interest,” although walk-throughs picked up noticeably after “it got really nice exposure in the Wall Street Journal.”

And if you want to just walk around

and gawk at how the other half lives, beware: You can’t just sign up for a tour.

Lehman Wood said she and Bruske won’t show the house to just anyone who walks in off the street.

Indeed, your bank account will need to show some financial wherewithal.

“With a home like this, you have to be more thorough in vetting candidates,” she said. “Someone looking in this range needs to be more vetted.”

She envisions the kind of people who might be interested.

“Well, it’s very close to the Cardinals’ training facility, so it would be an ideal home for a professional football player,” she said. “And if there are any Intel executives coming here because of the new plant, they’d want to look at this home too.”

If you’re interested and can pass the vetting, start at russlyon.com and look up Lehman Wood or Bruske.

from page RE1

(Special to AFN)

Back (above) and front (right) views of the house show not just some expansive space but a number of mature aboretum gardens on the premises.

(Special to AFN)

This standalone home near the mansion is perfect for visitors or long-term guests.

(Special to AFN)

The two-story “Harry Potter library” is topped by a retractable roof.

to AFN)

Ahwatukee homes sold

85045

$171,000

$185,000

$195,000

$210,000

$220,000

$220,000

$232,000

$235,500

$255,000

$262,000

$271,000 11802 S. Ki

$275,000

$276,200

$299,000

$325,000

$369,900 15232 S. 36th Place

$405,000 4626 E. Rocky Slope Drive

$468,000 14025 S. 33rd Way

$245,000 1716 W. Amberwood Dr

$295,000 1703 W. Amberwood Dr

$295,100 1801 W. Deer Creek Rd

$339,900 1732 W. Glenhaven Dr

$360,040 15550 S. 5th Ave 223

$423,000 1609 W. South Fork Dr

$720,000 247 W. Mountain Sky Ave

85048

$112,000 16013 S. Desert Foothills Pkwy.

$160,000 16013 S. Desert Foothills Pkwy.

$167,500 16013 S. Desert Foothills Pkwy.

$200,000 16822 S. 23rd St.

$210,000 1024 E. Frye Road

$228,950 4354 E. Mountain Vista Drive

$245,000 105 E. Windsong Drive

$249,000 4169 E. Silverwood Drive

$251,000 4737 E. Silverwood Drive

$269,900 4116 E. Silverwood Drive

$275,000 4303 E. Windmere Drive

$280,000 1012 E. Amberwood Drive

$291,000 4719 E. Frye Road

$292,500 16015 S. 30th Place

$300,000 2212 E. Granite View Drive

$320,000 15260 S. 14th Place

$320,000 16629 S. 32nd Place

$322,500 16669 S. 34th Way

$352,000 16834 S. 31st Way

$373,000 2647 E. Bighorn Ave.

$402,525 926 E. Mountain Sky Ave.

$410,000 1214 E. Desert Broom Way

$529,551 756 E. Verbena Drive

$644,000 15011 S. 19th Way

$726,000 3010 E. Desert Broom Way

Reasons for buying a house now are strong

BY BONNY HOLLAND AFN Guest Writer

There are several big reasons you should buy right now and ways to prepare for your move. Stop hesitating and pull the trigger. Right now is the time to buy; we may not see an opportunity like this for some time.

The rates hikes are coming!

The rates hikes are coming!

Since the 2016 election, interest rates for mortgages have gone up. If you have been paying any attention to the market lately, you know the rates are not done rising.

When the economy is considered healthy, the Federal Reserve raises interest rates to balance out the market. So why wait for a higher rate? Even if you are not 100 percent ready to buy a home, you should be in contact with a lender to get pre-approved for a loan.

That way you can start the process of locking in an interest rate now as opposed to a higher one down the road. You’ll

be prepared by the time you’re ready to purchase.

equals your grand total.

Beat the competition.

It’s beginning to look a lot like spring; sunny days, pool attire and, like interest rates, the inventory of homes for sale is increasing as well.

Spring is notoriously the busiest season in Phoenix, but the number of homes on the market is down from this time last year. During this time of year, cash is king and the cash buyers are hunting for homes. The sooner you secure a home, the sooner you will relieve the possibility of multiple offers coming in on the home you want. Avoid a fiscal fist fight over a home and start looking now.

Why rent?

When comparing the cost to rent a home with the cost to buy a home, you have to include everything. For purchasing, your mortgage should already include rent, pmi, taxes plus HOA fees you have. That

With renting you need to include your security deposit, pet deposit, renter’s insurance and the increase in rent from lease to lease. Rental rates have been at a steady increase for many years throughout the Valley.

Purchasing a home in Phoenix may still be more affordable than renting, but that’s likely to change in the near future. With interest rates and rental rates on the rise, now is the time to explore purchasing.

Now that you’re ready to buy, let’s get ready to move.

There are many things that get over looked when moving into a new home. The excitement can get the best of most people.

After you have purchased your new home, make sure to change all of your locks, garage codes and any entry points to the home. This does not make you paranoid, it makes you responsible. Then, take the time to really familiarize yourself with the home.

Where are the water and gas shut off

valves? How about your electrical box and water heater? Have you learned how to operate your sprinkler system and pool equipment?

Knowing your home prepares you best to take care of your property. Most new buyers agree that a clean house is a happy house. Consider hiring an extensive cleaning crew to do a deep clean – including carpets, cabinets, attics, garages, etc.

Next, make an effort to meet your neighbors. Your new neighbors may be planning to come introduce themselves after they see you moving in, but beat them to it. Getting to know your neighbors and joining neighborhood groups like Next Door and Block Watch can help you feel more secure and connect with other home owners in your community.

Lastly and most important… enjoy your new home!

Bonny Holland

SPOTLIGHT TLIGHT home

2012 E. Brookwood Court

Completely remodel in sought out Cabrillo Canyon on Preserve lot. ‘’Grand’’ Contemporary Iron Door Entrance welcomes your family home to this Beautiful 4BR/4BA home. Stunning gourmet kitchen with stainless appliances, granite counters and center island perfect for entertaining large family and friends. Open Family Room with custom designed stoned fireplace and bamboo flooring. Spacious formal Living and Dining with Travertine and bamboo flooring. Upstairs master bedroom boasts of beautiful mountain views with a private balcony leading to resort like backyard. Master bathroom has spa-like bath w/dual vanities and separate his/her closets. Two bedrooms upstairs share a full bath and exercise / media room. Downstairs features an en suite guest bedroom with private bath and office.

Listed for $740,000

Arizona Purchase Contract changes may reduce agent arguments

BY MELODY BIRKETT

AFN Contributor

As of Feb. 1, the “as is” law in purchase contracts changed for buyers and sellers of real estate.

Seller warranties, as previously defined in the old purchase contract, required that all heating, cooling, mechanical, plumbing and electrical systems, free-standing range/oven and built-in appliances be in working condition.

Now, those warranties are no longer included within the Arizona Purchase Contract. The burden to determine whether these items are in proper working order has shifted to the buyers and their agents.

“I would say this was a long time coming because it reduces the confusion between the seller and buyer, especially in the second stage of the home-buying transaction called for in the ‘Buyer Inspection Seller Response,’” said Carl Perera, an Ahwatukee real estate agent with My Home Group.

This means buying agents need to be more diligent in the way they write and review contracts, he said.

But it doesn’t mean that sellers are off the hook. They still must disclose repairs that need to be made.

“So, the seller still has to disclose everything they know to the best of their ability,” added Perera. “If for some reason they completely forgot something on the disclosure, the buyer definitely would want to do their due diligence and do a full inspection on the property.”

Under the old purchase contract, agents would list warranted items by the seller, such as the pool, electrical and plumbing.

Perera said this often caused confusion since “a lot of agents would list this under the warranted items to be repaired, thinking the seller was obligated to actually repair these things.”

It was really meant to notify the buyer that it’s a warranted item. “The seller still had no obligation to fix it,” Perera explained, adding:

“The buyer then has the decision to walk away from the transaction. So, it becomes more of a question of how much does the seller want to sell the house and if they want to make repairs.”

The seller is not obligated to fix anything.

“And that was even true with the old contract. It was just more confusion. It was listed under a warranted item in the main purchase contract – the old version – and now they just took it out to reduce conflict,” said Perera. “It makes it convenient for

sellers who don’t want to have added repair expenses to the transaction.”

Oftentimes, sellers who don’t want to make a repair would give a credit towards the purchase price.

In addition, there’s more space in the new purchase contract for personal property to be included in the price.

“Pretty common thing for refrigerators, washers/dryers to be included in the sale,” said Perera. “Sometimes, there’s maybe a TV thrown in with the sale. So, now we have more space to add those items. Even spas and hot tubs are becoming very common.”

Drapes are another item agents used to argue about, according to Perera. “Actually, that’s a fixture to be included with the house. A lot of people don’t realize that. They think they’re going to take the drapes with them.”

Windows and screen doors also must stay. One interesting debate involved whether a TV was a fixture if it was attached to the wall,

“They have determined and clarified that only the brackets holding the TV are considered a fixture to be included with the sale, not the TV itself, unless otherwise specified,” said Perera.

Another change in the purchase contract involves escrow money. “The new version of the contract places the burden of the earnest money on the buyer,” explained Perera.

“The old contract actually placed it on the broker. So, when we wrote the contract and turned it in, the broker had to have the earnest money or check in their hand. Now, it’s actually the responsibility of the buyer to get it to the escrow company. So, that’s a pretty big change.”

The seller concessions portion of the purchase contract also has changed.

This impacts veterans and military members applying for a VA loan because it stipulates they don’t have to pay for certain things during the transaction.

“For example, the termite inspection is not allowed to be paid by the VA buyer and it usually is covered by the buyer. So, these things need to be negotiated during the process,” said Perera.

“You definitely want an agent and lender that’s familiar with the non-allowable cost to the VA loans.”

Overall, Perera said the purchase contract revision is a win-win for all parties involved.

“It’s going to be better in the long run because it’ll reduce arguments from agents,” he said.

www.ahwatukee.com

The public servants were on hand, but the public wasn't

BY PAUL MARYNIAK AFN Executive Editor

There’s been a lot of talk lately about public officials, both elected and appointed, who don’t want to meet with people.

Heck, cable news shows have been filled with all kinds of footage of scenes in front of the offices of members of Congress, where citizens were yelling for their elected representatives to talk to them.

That was not the case around Ahwatukee last week for two sessions where I had expected a lot more people.

On March 16, seeming half the high command of the Phoenix Police Department – including Chief Jeri Williams – were on hand at The Farm, just the other side of South Mountain, to talk to Ahwatukee and other nearby residents.

Two days later, state Sen. Sean Bowie held a town hall at Changing Hands

Bookstore, a Tempe gathering spot that’s only few miles away from Ahwatukee.

And if you put together the citizens who attended those meetings in a large room, you could still play shuffleboard.

Now, I am not going to scold anyone for not attending either event.

It’s tough to work all day and then come home and rush out to a meeting like the police had at 6 p.m. Heck, given the traffic at rush hour, some residents would be lucky to even reach The Farm at that time without sneaking out of work early.

And Saturday afternoon?

Well, once again, the household chores and the honey-do lists don’t get shorter as time rolls on.

For the handful of people who attended either event, however, it was rewarding.

The Coffee with Cops session offered citizens an opportunity to actually visit and talk with some of the department’s highest-ranking commanders.

Have you any idea how rare that is in most police jurisdictions, let alone

for a department in one of the nation’s biggest cities?

In many departments, the only time the average citizen gets to see even a sergeant is on television.

As for Bowie’s town hall – which he said he wants to hold monthly for his constituents, who include everyone living in Ahwatukee, where he also lives – a quick poll he took showed no one from Ahwatukee in attendance.

But there was a fella from east Mesa, which is two legislative districts away.

Some people would consider all this and begin shaking their heads and talk about apathy.

That used to be a big buzzword in the early years of my career in another state as citizens and even some officials decried the lack of attendance at both formal and informal gatherings of public officials.

There were times when the only crowds I saw at events called by public officials were the Christmas parties that a local sheriff used to have for a few hundred party hacks and other hangers-on.

Still, it’s hard not to react in dismay when one looks at the chief of a major metropolitan police department or a state senator giving ordinary citizens a chance to talk with them and being basically blown off.

I wonder how many of the no-shows took to social media since then to rant about cops or elected officials, or maybe complain in conversations about them.

Most everyone has a family to tend to after work, or chores to do and errands to run on a Saturday afternoon.

That would include commanders in police departments and state senators.

And the fact that the men and women of the Phoenix Police Department’s uppermost echelon and a state senator took time away from their personal lives to meet with people is an outstanding demonstration of democracy at work. It also shows a deep sense of service to the public that one doesn’t see a lot of these days.

And for that, the chief, her aides and the senator all deserve a round of applause.

‘It makes no sense to build a Mercedes golf course in a Chevrolet neighborhood’

BY BEN HOLT, LINDA SWAIN, JERRY BRYAN AND DEB KARKOSKY

AFN Guest Writers

Last week, True Life – the developer that’s told us for a year that golf is dead – suddenly publicized its “estimate” to renovate the Ahwatukee Lakes Golf Course.

The estimate from True Club Solutions, a division of the Troon Golf organization, put the cost at an eyepopping $14 million. This would be on top of the staggering $9 million for land that tax records indicate True Life paid to turn the Lakes into a housing tract.

The grand total for an 18-hole executive course: $23 million. The estimate seemed timed to bolster True Life’s claim that rehabbing the course is not viable and that in-fill houses are the only answer.

Except that it doesn’t and isn’t. The estimate no more shows that

golf won’t work at the Lakes than a farm-themed development will raise Ahwatukee home values, or harmonize with existing uses. And far from the $14-million estimate from Troon (which calls itself “the world’s leading highend golf development, marketing, and management company”), other experts in the golf industry put the cost at restoring the Lakes course between $2 million to $3 million.

None of the experts wants to be named publicly to avoid appearing to denigrate a big player like Troon. Yet, there are plenty of comparable estimates available on the internet for anyone to take a look. While such estimates don’t take into account variables specific to the site, the range from public sources is in line with what the experts in touch with Save the Lakes/Save Open Spaces say.

Golf course architect Tom Doaks of Renaissance Golf Design says on his

website, “Two of our most acclaimed recent designs, Lost Dunes and Pacific Dunes, were built to world-class standards for budgets of $2.5 million each.”

Turner Macpherson Golf Design, citing numbers from the Golf Course Builders Association of America, puts the cost of the “average course” at $2.2 million.

William A. Amick, another golf course architect, puts the cost of building a course at $900,000 to more than $3.15 million for an upscale course.

With golf courses, as with houses, you can spend as much money as you want.

The point is that True Life’s estimate strains believability.

Here’s a slice of why: Troon puts the cost of rebuilding the ALGC buildings, principally the clubhouse, at $4.5 million – about $325-$420 per square foot –compared to $150 for new construction

here. Moreover, Troon estimates that Lakes players would pay about $14 a round – compared to the $59 to $110 a round Troon lists for tee times for some of its 16 Arizona courses it lists on its web site.

Small wonder True Life claims it would take four years for the Lakes to break even. Evidently, when you run the upper crust of golf, as Troon does – including the Fairmont St. Andrews, Scotland, and the Trump Turnberry Resort in Glasgow, Scotland – one estimates very high. No, the more plausible explanation for the estimate’s preparation and publicity is True Life’s attempt to “create a sense of urgency” in its campaign to change the CCRs. Just last week, True Life executive Aiden Barry was quoted in the Ahwatukee Foothill News saying, “We’re thinking of a deadline … to create a

sense of urgency.”

No wonder.

True Life has had control of the property for about a year now; it has been spending money on salaries, advertising campaigns, billboards, public meetings and wants to generate revenue. But if the estimate from True Club were legitimate, it seems more likely that the actual numbers would be a closely guarded secret than divulged to the news media after a contentious, year-long debate. Few companies reveal actual cost estimates for a specific project: there’s little to gain and much to lose if a competitor learns vital information. Moreover, it would make sense for a company to estimate costs when it was negotiating for purchase. But the estimate is dated Feb. 10, 2017, well

into True Life’s brutal public-relations campaign. Just as no one buys a house without knowing how much it will cost, no developer would acquire a golf course without knowing the financial score. No company would wait a year before getting estimates, select only one bidder and select the bidder most likely to provide a high bid.

True Life’s estimate shows only what is obvious: it makes no sense to build a Mercedes golf course in a Chevrolet neighborhood.

For the last year, True Life has been asking us to believe that Ahwatukee Farms will raise property values, harmonize with the environment, and be an asset to the community. That’s tough to accept when True Life pushes out a PR gimmick like its “estimate.”

-Ben Holt, Jerry Bryan,

Linda Swain, and Deb Karkosky are officers of Save The Lakes and are, respectively, president, vice president, secretary, and treasurer.

Share Your Thoughts

Send your letters on local issues to pmaryniak@ ahwatukee.com

Road-side helper showed firefighter-worthy traits

As a family physician in the Ahwatukee community, I had the distinct privilege of meeting one of the Phoenix Fire Department’s upcoming candidates last week.

I experienced a tire blow-out while driving my boys to school and was struggling to change the tire on my vehicle. Mario Dominguez, a local resident, was the only individual to stop and come over and assist.

I had managed to remove the tire and was struggling to place the spare on the car. Although I had given my boys some basics on how to replace a tire, Mr. Dominguez enhanced all of our knowledge with further safety tips and deftly hefted the spare onto the car.

He was generous and kind with his knowledge and assistance. I couldn’t thank him enough but he humbly dismissed my thanks and was wonderfully pleasant to all of us.

I had to ask him his name and his occupation. That’s when he told me about his goal to join the prestigious Phoenix Fire Department. I informed him I was a family doctor here in Ahwatukee and sincerely hoped he would be successful in his career aspirations.

business plan would even consider. The real issue, however, is Ahwatukee residents are guaranteed open space and a golf course on that site by law, the purpose of which is to protect defenseless residents from profit-driven overbuilding that results in massive congestion, pollution and lower property values. When this study is unmasked by reality, it reveals True Life’s goal of convincing homeowners to sign away their legal rights by any means, including a campaign of deception and misinformation.

-Peter

Longo

Reaction to Lakes golf course estimate: boo hoo

My first reaction to the article titled “Study: Ahwatukee Lakes Restoration would climb above $14.2M” was boo hoo.

It is not our responsibility to ensure that True Life is profitable. They knew what they were up against when they purchased the Golf Course. Yes I said “golf course,” not “former golf course.”

Mario Dominguez exhibits the kind of selfless, community minded, attentive individual all of us could use as another outstanding Phoenix firefighter. I sincerely hope Phoenix Fire will consider this a personal and professional recommendation on his behalf.

-Joy G. Wolfe, MD

Lakes golf course estimate exaggerated, laughable

I read with dismay the recent article stating True Life Companies’ new study on the costs of restoring Ahwatukee Lakes golf course. The estimate of over $14.2 million to rebuild the existing desolate field they created, is so exaggerated it is annoyingly laughable.

I am a life member of the PGA of America and have seen many golf course renovations. A 90-acre short layout such as Ahwatukee Lakes should only require $1 million to $2 million to reopen as a profitable facility that meets the economic and physical framework of the community.

A proposed 5,000-square-foot clubhouse for such a small operation is a ridiculous concept that no legitimate

Mr. (Wilson) Gee knew what he was doing when he let the course deteriorate, on purpose, until it was time to close it. My question is, why was he allowed to sell property that was in violation of the CC&R’s?

If I paint my house a color that is not approved, or do landscaping that was not approved, the sale of my house will be stopped.

In response to the dwindling golf Industry, I would like to point you to TWO brand new renovated par 3 golf courses that opened this year: Verado, now called the Founders Golf Course, and Mountain Shadows.

There are others, too. Just go to the Golf Advisor website.

We are getting tired of this propaganda and constant ‘the sky is falling” approach by True Life. By the way.. when is their deadline? Let’s get some real developers here.

-Rich Care

Kyrene, Tempe Union textbooks promote socialism

What is your vision for our future? Is it one of peaceful prosperity or is it one of chaotic anarchy?

Abraham Lincoln said, “The philosophy of the school room in one generation will be the philosophy of government in the next.”

An open letter to the women of Ahwatukee

BY BECKY BRACKEN AFN Staff

Dear women of Ahwatukee: I can’t think of a single better way to honor International Women’s Month in March than by taking the opportunity to tell the women who make Ahwatukee great that: I see you, I know how hard you’re working and I really appreciate everything you do that, directly or not, makes living in our community special.

I see you in Fry’s dressed to the nines ready to take on any board room – and

LETTERS

from page 34

We are living those words today as we endeavor to regain our republican democracy from the hands of an overwhelmingly socialistic government. Our education system is an integral part of that monolith. It has been that way since the late 1930s when Franklin Roosevelt accepted the educational philosophy of John Dewey, a socialist. As the federal government gained strength, the socialist philosophy also gained a stronger grip on our nation. We have lost roughly three generations of our citizens to socialism because they don’t know better. They learned it in school; therefore, it must be all right. Socialism good, capitalism bad!

The Kyrene School District is reviewing the textbooks which are to

in your scrubs at Home Goods checking out plates for your next dinner party.

I see you rocking your Lululemon yoga pants at PTO meetings, and in your hijab at afternoon school pickup.

We all look different, wear different uniforms and lead different lives – and yet we exchange knowing glances, watch out for each other and have each other’s backs. That’s what makes me so proud to be one of you.

There are the women leaders you might already know.

Women like Christie Ellis, a mother of twins and a realtor who has worked tirelessly with the Chamber of Commerce and heads its Community

be used in the English Language Arts program, while the Tempe Union High School District has recently adopted new American history, world history, sociology, economic and criminal justice textbooks.

I took a look at several of the books for each district and was disappointed to learn almost none of the books in the ELA program, or in the others, defined our government as that of a republic. All said the U. S. is a democracy. How’s that for accuracy?

And – this is really ugly – the sociology textbook, ‘Sociology and You, gives the student a blueprint for organizing protests! It’s all in Chapter 16, “Social Movements and Technology.”

That’s TUHSD at its finest! Teach the kids how to build a protest...Sharia Law may be just around the corner.

So...all we must do is to change the

Foundation. Sandra Marshall, another mom and author, has kept Ahwatukee’s artistic spirit alive with the Be An Artist Studio.

Janyce Hazlett heads up the Festival of Lights Committee and has since its inception more than two decades ago. And Andi Pettyjohn has galvanized the Ahwatukee Kiwanis Club into a force for helping foster kids in group homes.

Then there are also plenty of the women whose names you might not know.

Cynthia Denton, a first-grade teacher at Colina Elementary who over her decades of service has quietly and patiently taken countless numbers of

Ahwatukee’s kids and taught them to read and to do that special cough into their sleeve to keep their germs from spreading.

And Stephanie who has worked at Fry’s on Ray Road ever since I can remember, and has watched my baby grow and always asks about my mom.

I could go on.

Ahwatukee is full of women who with grace, beauty and strength take care of our community, keep our neighborhoods safe and beautiful and are always there are ready to lend a hand with a smile. Thank you to all of you. Yes, I see you. And girl, you look fabulous.

educational federal monster into a docile state-run behemoth and the problem is solved. But, only as long as we are vigilant in doing our homework in controlling the state-run plan. Capitalism good, socialism bad!

Remember, the ne’re-do-well socialists will always be with us. The words of Vladimir Lenin are so true today... “Give me the children for eight years and they will be Bolsheviks forever.” Our schools have the kids for their first thirteen years. A lot of damage can be done in that period of time.

The results of the popular vote of the last general election bear out the above thought. The vote was almost 50-50 for the two candidates. It looks as if the bad guys may be winning. They must be stopped! The education system is where we start.

-Don Kennedy

Car chase after Ahwatukee murder fed our worst instincts

BY DAVID LEIBOWITZ AFN Guest Writer

Wednesday afternoon in this Valley of ours, a snuff flick was broadcast live on TV and online.

What was the oddest thing about this lethal moment, when a 25-year-old murder and carjacking suspect was put down by police or committed suicide in real time, with tens of thousands of bloodthirsty voyeurs enjoying the moment on screens across the metro area?

That no one seemed to question whether a man’s death should be broadcast at all.

Maybe it’s a quaint thought nowadays – that perhaps viewers should be shielded from certain kinds of gore and death –but there was a time when such questions would have occasioned at least a remark or two in our homes and newsrooms. Now? A “viewer discretion advised” graphic seems to suffice. Meanwhile, the anchorbots who recite teleprompters for a living toss around hyperbole like

methheads looking for spare change.

From ABC 15: “A wild chase! With a deadly ending! But this also had a deadly start! A total of six different scenes all believed to be connected!”

Wednesday’s action began in Ahwatukee near 48th Street and Elliot Road, with a murder initially linked to drug activity.

The ensuing police chase took Phoenix cops and the suspect all around the northwest Valley, first in a white pickup truck and later, in a moment that must have had TV news producers orgasmic with joy, in a gleaming yellow Corvette.

How exciting was this midafternoon interruption to regular programming?

A Fox 10 reporter tweeted: “I was so busy actually covering a police chase that I forgot to tweet about covering said police chase. :-/ #PhoenixChase #Pursuit.”

And so we were deprived of a moment worthy of Cronkite and Murrow.

One reason such chases draw so much coverage has to do with adrenalin, which drives virtually every decision about local TV news.

Most stories that matter – how

government spends our tax dollars, how laws impact our lives, how institutions shape our culture and economy – pack all the excitement of a bank statement.

But high-stakes “cops and robbers”?

Through Valley neighborhoods? With a yellow sports car and SWAT guys with rifles? Scramble the news choppers.

Which, by the way, marks another reason car chases attract such coverage.

TV stations have tons of money invested in helicopters. Car chases, more interesting visually than hovering over rush hour traffic jams, function as a return on investment.

The coup de grace? Car chases give those who bring us so-called “breaking news” the opportunity to adopt one of their preferred guises – the protector, the concerned community sentinel delivering us from the dangers of the big, bad streets.

As in, “you’ll want to stay away from the intersection of North Valley and Dove Valley Parkways right now, where a high-speed chase is coming to a deadly conclusion.”

As if we might be both driving and

watching TV simultaneously.

Which half the people in Arizona might actually be doing, judging by their driving.

The folks at Fox 10 reposted the twoand-a-half-hour deadly chase on their Facebook page, in case you missed the fun the first time. The livestream momentarily freezes at the moment of truth.

The reporter’s narration at the climax, with the helicopter cam zooming in: “I want to thank all the thousands of you watching on Facebook Live as well as YouTube. I want to give a shout out to one of our viewers … (who) tweeted me ‘Thank you for the incredible job to all those involved. This ended right before the suspect got to my neighborhood.’”

Then the only understatement all broadcast-long: “It doesn’t end well for the suspect.”

It didn’t end well for any of us. But snuff flicks never do.

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

www.ahwatukee.com

Realtor finds sweet spots when American Dream sours

BY PAUL MARYNIAK AFN Executive Editor

Mike Smith finds the sweet spot when the American Dream of owning a home goes sour.

After the housing market virtually collapsed around 2007, the Ahwatukee Realtor made a living rehabbing foreclosures for Wells Fargo Bank and finding buyers.

Then, some wealthy Canadian investors used him to buy and fix some more so they could be sold to other Canadians.

Now, Smith is onto an emerging trend involving Baby Boomers who just want out.

He’s making deals with two different kinds of newly or about-to-be retired homeowners who want to get out of their house.

He gives them a choice: they can either

forego the hassles of putting their home up for sale the conventional way and sell it to him outright or they can sell for a price they never expected if they let his company, Phoenix Native Properties, spiff it up for $10,000 or $20,000.

Either way, he makes money – and makes his clients happy.

But the key to his success goes beyond what quick-flip artists do by buying a run-down property and selling it without doing much to it at all.

These days, Smith said, “people want turnkey.”

“They want everything done,” he explained. “They don’t want to paint, or

See REALTOR on page 42

Local lawyer uses personal, professional experience to deal with insurers

BY PAUL MARYNIAK

AFN Executive Editor

Most people want to put the memory of an auto accident behind him.

Joseph Brown put his to work.

The Ahwatukee lawyer in two years has built up his own law firm, Accident Law Group, specializing in personal injury cases.

“I was in a serious accident and I know firsthand what my clients experience both with pain and frustration in dealing with the insurance company,” the 15-year Ahwatukee resident said.

Besides, he added, “I enjoy helping people and fighting the insurance company. People need help fighting billion-dollar insurance companies.”

The Pennsylvania native had a good start learning how insurance companies operate.

“Prior to law school, I was an insurance adjuster, which helps me as a personal injury attorney,” he said.

That started during his years at Arizona State University, where he graduated in

1997, and continued while he studied at the Catholic University Columbus School of Law in Washington, D.C.

And when he completed law school, he returned to Arizona, joining the firm of Hastings & Hastings in 2002, the same year he was admitted to the bar.

Within five years, he became the managing attorney for the firm, leading it in online reviews and settlements all 13 years that he worked there.

But after spending his last eight years at Hastings as a supervising lawyer, Brown decided it was time to hang up a shingle on his own office because “it was time to do something for me and my family.”

“My experience and skills had helped me reach as high as I could at Hastings & Hastings, so it was time for a new

(Special to AFN)

goal and challenge,” he explained. “It is always better being the boss and knowing all your hard work benefits you and your family.”

But he recalled his early few months as more than a little anxious.

“Working on a contingency fee means I don’t get paid until the case settles,” he said. “So, I had to be prepared to pay my staff and all expenses until we settled our

first case. Typically, it takes several months to settle a case, sometimes over a year in serious injury cases. So, a very scary time to start and not know when client #1 was going to walk through the door.”

But his past work at Hastings served him well.

“To my delight my reputation in the area and with my prior clients provided and continues to provide clients’ referrals,” Brown said.

Though he initially relied on word of mouth to market his firm, “after four months we had grown and we began to market on TV – commercials and live interviews – newspaper, internet, and billboards.”

And success followed.

“We exceeded every first-year goal I had,” he said. “In fact, we grew so fast we purchased and opened up a second location in North Phoenix. We went from a firm of two attorneys and one paralegal with one location to three attorneys and eight staff member) and two locations all within the first year,” he

Ahwatukee attorney Joseph Brown has built a successful personal injury practice partly through his experience as an accident victim.

(Kimberly Carrillo/AFN Staff Photographer) Mike Smith, left, and his mother, Maryann Smith, and Dave Tussing work together and make up Phoenix Native Properties.

Chandler startup develops stem cell treatments for animals

BY AMANDA LUBERTO Cronkite News

horse prances around an open field in the East Valley, ready to give birth. But Cheyenne and her foal have a larger role to play in equine medicine: The birth will provide regenerative materials and stem cells that could help other animals recover from injuries.

AniCell Biotech, a Chandler-based startup, collects the amniotic materials during birth and uses them in a new regenerative treatment for tendons, ligaments, eyes and wounds in dogs and horses.

AniCell Biotech owns a ranch in Mesa where horse owners take their pregnant mares. After birth, the company takes the materials back to its lab in Chandler where Dr. Moises Barcello separates the live cells from the dead cells. He takes the cells and spins them in a mass spectrometer until they create a liquid he can use for the medicine.

AniCell creates treatments that include shots, bandages, eye implants and eye drops.

CEO Brandon Ames said he was inspired to start his company when his daughter had to put down her horse because of a drug altercation. He knew he needed to assemble a team to discover better treatments.

“I knew of this technology (and) had

been introduced to this technology, and it was just one of those things that just continued to come back time and time again,” he said. “And finally, I decided that it should be in the animal world as well.”

Ames said his products are not only

changing the horses’ lives, but the lives of their owners as well. When a horse gets an injury, it can be extremely invasive and expensive.

Ames tells a story about a horse named Elmo. Elmo developed an ulcer in his eye. For most horses, the diagnosis meant blindness. Ames remembers the little girl who owned the horse saying, “Well if Elmo can’t see, I just won’t have a horse at all.”

Ames and AniCell created a contact for Elmo’s eye, and six weeks after removing the ulcer, he got his eyesight back.

In Cave Creek, Dr. Wade Walker works as an equine surgeon with the Chaparral Veterinary Medical Center. He said he has never used amniotic stem cell treatments to save horses, but he has used bone marrow stem cell treatment.

“Definitely the most researched and used in this hospital is bone marrow stem cells,” he said. “Bone marrow derived (treatments) have very little flammatory mediators so that’s a benefit of that.”

While there is far less research and

(Erica Apodaca/Cronkite News)

Brandon Ames cares for two horses on his ranch in Chandler. Their amniotic fluids will be used at Anicell Biotech.

BY RALPH ZUBIATE

AFN Managing Editor

Don’t go trying to order from Natural Expressions Rock Shop on the internet. Owner Fred Thiele says his business doesn’t need any help selling its beautiful product.

“I’d just as soon deal with a couple of companies,” Thiele said. “If we had web sales, it would be really crazy.”

Thiele sells tons of rocks and minerals to companies and individuals all over the world. His products aren’t for construction but for artworks, including jewelry. Other stones are embedded or pulverized and used decoratively for murals and architecture.

Out front, a sign says the Gilbert shop offers “materials for the hobbyist, carver, sculptor, jewelry designer, artist, interior decorator and designers.”

“We have contacts pretty much all over the world,” he said of his suppliers. “But we have to look at a year out, decide what’s going to be popular.”

One popular rock right now is called jet. It is, as its name implies, a deep black color. It’s used mostly for high-quality jewelry.

“I shipped a big lot to Russia,” he said, “and right before that, shipped to England.”

Thiele’s rock business grew out of a boyhood hobby in Pagosa Springs, Colorado.

“I always messed with rocks when I was a kid. I collected arrowheads since I was 7,” he said. “Once, I dug a big pit and found hundreds of arrowheads.”

Much later, Thiele started his shop. Natural Impressions, at 13802 E. Williams Field Road in Gilbert, is beginning its 28th year with a commercial acre of rocks, storage and working machinery.

Up front is a converted double-wide trailer filled with displays and rocks to buy. Some of them have already been turned into works of art, some ready to be turned into them.

Out back are tables and storage sheds full of turquoise, pyrite, quartz, amethyst, amber and dozens of other rocks, along with fossils and petrified wood.

You’ll also see a vaguely familiar site if you were interested in rocks as a kid: A rock tumbler. But this tumbler is a big machine turning 14 drums filled with 20 pounds of stones each, 24 hours a day, every day. The drums squeal and squeak as the noisy process turns rough stones into a smooth and polished product.

clinical application for treatments that use amniotic materials, Walker said these kinds of treatment are the future of equine medicine.

“The future of stem cells will be offthe-shelf stem cells,” he said. “So we can determine a horse needs it, go into our pharmacy, take it off the shelf and inject.”

Walker estimated surgeons will know a lot more about how to use these treatments in the next 10 to 15 years. The AniCell treatments can cost up to a few thousand dollars depending on the treatment, but most animal insurance plans will cover the costs, according to the company. Only registered veterinarians can purchase the treatments. Vets across the

treatments.

(Special to AFN)

Sparkling polished rocks abound at the Natural Expressions Rock Shop.

State Senate kills inquiry into sales tax breaks for businesses

BY HOWARD FISCHER

Capitol Media Services

Saying it would send the wrong message, Republican lawmakers voted last week to kill legislation that would simply require them to review the $12 billion a year the state could potentially collect in sales taxes if all exemptions were eliminated.

The vote by the House Ways and Means Committee came after Kevin McCarthy, president of the business-backed Arizona Tax Research Association, derided the idea that the state is foregoing that much money.

McCarthy conceded that special interest lobbyists do come in from time to time to get lawmakers to spell out that they should not have to pay the state’s 5.6 percent sales tax on various things their company or industry has to purchase.

But he said the whole idea that a state with a $9.78 billion budget is giving away $12 billion a year in possible income –what the Department of Revenue for legal reasons calls “tax expenditures’’ -- is flawed.

“‘Tax expenditures’ is grounded in the

notion that everything, all wealth, in Arizona is subject to tax, that which we get to keep is a ‘tax expenditure,’ ‘’ he said. Instead, McCarthy said, it represents some basic decisions by lawmakers historically that certain activities are not subject to taxes.

For example, he argued, Arizona generally taxes only the purchase of goods but not services. McCarthy said claims that these are expenses that result in lost revenues only result in headlines that alarm readers.

And then there are exemptions that were adopted by lawmakers for public policy reasons, like the decision that people should not have to pay state sales taxes on food they purchase at grocery stores for home consumption. The “cost’’ to the state from that exemption – what McCarthy calls “exclusions’’ – is $356 million a year.

“The notion that there’s this massive amount of money that’s leaving the state coffers because of exemptions is a wild exaggeration,’’ he said.

Sen. Steve Farley, D-Tucson, who crafted SB 1144 and shepherded it through the Senate, sought to calm fears

of Republican lawmakers that this was a wholesale attack on tax breaks.

He said it simply would require a special panel of lawmakers to review the exemptions on the books once a decade and determine if they still have merit.

Farley said if some don’t make sense the full legislature could eliminate them, creating a “fairer and flatter’’ sales tax system.

“If we weren’t giving away so much in tax exemptions we could have a lower sales tax rate and we could have more revenues for things we want to pay for,’’ he said. And Farley said more sales tax revenues could support the Republican goal of lowering personal income tax rates.

“The problem is, once these things get in place, no one ever looks at them again,’’ Farley argued.

There is a long history of lobbyists seeking – and getting – special exemptions.

For example, years ago, the hospitality industry convinced lawmakers that hotels should not have to pay sales taxes on those little bars of soap they buy and provide to guests, bars of soap that are taxable if bought by anyone else at the

grocery store. That change, according to the Department of Revenue, is worth about $214,000 a year in revenues.

Airlines don’t have to pay $637,000 in sales taxes on food they purchase to serve their customers.

And Farley said the only reason the state does not tax the purchase of 4-inch diameter pipe, a levy that would bring in $746,000 a year, is because of lobbying by Southwest Gas. Yet anyone buying pipe in other sizes pays the tax.

“This is simply a transparency bill,’’ Farley argued Rep. Vince Leach, R-Tucson, said he likes the idea of a review. But he refused to vote for it.

“My concern is painting a picture that isn’t exactly what it seems to be,’’ he said. Leach said he didn’t want people to believe that by giving certain exemptions, the state was effectively spending that money by giving it away.

In the end, Rep. Michelle Ugenti-Rita, R-Scottsdale, was the only Republican to support the study. She said it makes sense to have a special panel zoom in on exemptions and determine if they still make sense.

That’s not the only work done at the site. Thiele and his workers saw, shape and polish all their rocks.

One of the more unusual stones Thiele works with is zebra stone from Australia. The odd rock looks like somebody painted stripes onto it.

“They’ve never quite figured out how these are formed,” Thiele said. “Every now and then, I take 10 minutes out to try and figure it out myself.”

He also takes time to see what other products he can make with all his rocks.

“I spend about two hours a day experimenting. Sometimes, I make costly mistakes,” he said. “But there’s very little waste. Even pulverized rock is used.”

Natural Expressions is a draw for jewelry makers. Shoppers park themselves at the many tables full of polished rocks and dig through for just the right pieces.

“We have people sit three or four hours, digging through the rocks,” Thiele said.

Some of his best buyers are what he calls “metaphysical people.” They’re looking for selenite to turn into wands, quartz for crystal lamps and other new-age tchotchkes. He appreciates their business.

“I’m always listening to people. I like people who have a good idea,” he said.

LAWYER

from page 37

said. “The number of clients we were able to help was 100 percent greater than my first-year goals.”

Brown’s partner, Rick DePonte of Ahwatukee, also is the firm’s litigator.

Brown himself doesn’t try cases, preferring to “utilize my experience as an adjuster to settle the case.”

“Accident Law Group will try a case and currently is trying several cases, just not me personally,” he added.

While he counts numerous wins in

He runs into characters in his business, and encounters some challenges.

Since word of his big business has gotten around, people have showed up trying to sell rocks to him – some of them stolen.

“One guy walked around, looking at everything, then approached me and said he had a lump of pyrite to sell me,” Thiele said. “He brought it out show it to me. I asked him where he got it, and he said he dug it out of the ground on the other side of Phoenix.”

Thiele’s experienced eye couldn’t be fooled.

“I knew that was a lie. That pyrite was from Peru. It was probably stolen from a museum or a collection.

“I asked him some more questions, and he said he’d get back to me, and he drove off. Never heard from him again,” Thiele said.

He also has had run-ins with shoplifters.

“I saw an old man, had to be 90, walking around,” Thiele said. “He had his pockets bulging from rocks. He was just slipping them in his pockets.

“He said to me, ‘Sonny, your stuff doesn’t meet my high standards,’ then he just tried to walk off with rocks.” When the weather heats up, Thiele takes a break from the wide-open back lot and goes on the rock show tour of

his career, Brown said one of his most memorable involved a multi-milliondollar settlement he reached on behalf of a client who suffered permanent injuries in an explosion.

“I helped set him up for the rest of his life since he was unable to return to work,” Brown said. “He and his family will not have to worry about money.”

Though he has always had an interest in the law, Brown at one point wanted to be an FBI agent, but decided against it because “the travel would not have been conducive to being an involved father who helps coach my kids’ sports.”

the west. He just got back from a show in Tucson, and he’ll soon be on the road to Santa Fe and Farmington, New Mexico; Creed and Durango, Colorado; and other locations. He’ll end up at the Denver Gem & Mineral Show in September.

Meanwhile, he will continue to cut and polish rocks at his popular shop, and examples can be seen at naturalexpressions-inc. com. He’s not worried about rivals taking any business away from him. It would be a big job to overtake Natural Expressions.

“You’d better have plenty of money and plenty of storage,” Thiele said.

– Contact Ralph Zubiate at 480-8986825 or rzubiate@ timespublications.com.

He and his wife Bethany have two sons and a daughter.

Brown also is a board member of the Ahwatukee Foothills Family YMCA and on the board of the Phoenix Dance Cooperative.

Brown said that unlike some personal injury law firms, he makes sure his clients have their first meeting with a lawyer rather than a paralegal.

“The meeting should be free,” he added. “Personal injury attorneys typically wait to be paid so there should be no out of pocket expenses.”

(Ralph Zubiate/AFN Staff)

Natural Expressions Rock Shop owner Fred Thiele says his beautiful product practically sells itself.

do this or do that. They want to buy it, move the furniture in and be done with it. And they’ll pay top dollar for that.”

Smith is all too happy to accommodate them.

An Ahwatukee native who graduated from Mountain Pointe High School in 1996, Smith got into real estate at the urging of his Realtor mother, Mary Ann Smith. He was still an underclassman at Arizona State University.

“Mom said, ‘You should get your license. You’ve got a good personality,’” he recalled. “Six months into it, I was making deals. One day I was in math class and thinking, ‘Should I go close this deal and make some money or stay here?’”

He went to make money.

From 1998 until around 2007, Smith was a conventional real estate agent.

But as the housing market went south, he started getting unconventional.

“We started getting a ton of Canadians coming down here,” he said.

At first, he sold foreclosed homes as-is for banks that wanted to unload them to Canadians who were looking for a deal.

Wells Fargo hired him as an agent for REOs – short for “real estate owned,” the bank term for foreclosures it owns.

“They would give me a dumpy house and say, ‘Here’s the house, get it ready in a month,’” he said.

So, he’d line up contractors to fix it up for sale, then find a buyer.

Then, some Canadians with deep pockets wanted him to do the same thing.

“We would buy them at an auction for $50,000 or $60,000, put $10,000 into them and sell them. It was Canadians selling to Canadians. That was a lot of fun,” he said.

By 2010, he decided to start his own business, Phoenix Native Properties LLC. He connected with a friend who has extensive experience in contracting handymen.

“I told him, ‘I have the investors. I’ll buy them and sell them and you make them look pretty,’” he said.

Today, his business is a three-person operation: Dave Tussing oversees the rehab work, hiring independent contractors and making sure they do the job right and on budget; his semi-retired mother handles the paperwork; and he makes deals.

“I’d die if I had to sit in an office or at keyboards all day,” said Smith, who makes daily trips to auctions to find the diamonds in the rough.

But his job isn’t like the flippers

SPRING TRAININGGuide

portrayed on “Flip and Flop” and other cable TV shows where people buy houses without inspecting them first –oftentimes discovering more problems than they bargained for.

He looks for location and then he looks for problems – a talent he developed while working with bank foreclosures.

Working with Tussing, he figures out what needs to be done – and how much it will cost, allotting $10,000 for every week the rehab will require.

As with an investment, he’s had deals go bad because of unexpected problems – like the historic home he bought in the Encanto neighborhood.

“I got a smoking deal on the house for $160,000, then $240,000 later … We should have just torn it down and started over. The pool had a leak and we had to dig up the backyard to find the pipes. The sewer line was bad and we had to dig up the front.”

Then there was a home in Mountain Park Ranch that he bought for $720,000 and put $120,000 of repairs into it, hoping to sell it for just under $1 million. It’s scheduled to close for $850,000.

“So, my investors are losing $30,000, but what they love about what I do is that if it’s a break-even or a loss, we get no commission. We work for free. On the ones we make money, we all make

money,” he explained.

Smith says that of about 200 deals he’s made, “only 20 or 25 broke even or lost money. The others worked out well. Our percentages are really good.”

While the foreclosure market has substantially diminished these days, Smith is finding a new business among Baby Boomers who no longer want their house.

Some are like an owner in Cabrillo Canyon who told him “I just want out,” Smith said. “He didn’t want to put up with open houses and people tramping through the home, so he asked me what I’d give him for it.”

Smith figures he can buy bit for $400,000, fix it up a bit and sell it for $500,000.

Then there are the older owners who don’t mind the hassles of a sale – especially after Smith explains how a $10,000 or $20,000 investment in things like new cabinets, landscaping and other upgrades might get them close to $100,000 more than they expected the home to be worth.

“I try to maximize what they can sell it for in the shortest amount of time,” he said, adding that he stages all his properties to make them even more appealing to a prospective buyer. “There’s such a difference in what we can sell them for it they’re staged.”

Senate curbs movers’ ability to hold household goods in disputes

have been provided.

SAssistant Attorney General Matthew du Mee said the new version is acceptable. He said the bottom line is that state intervention is needed.

tate lawmakers voted Monday to trim – but not eliminate – the right of moving companies to hold a homeowner’s goods hostage over a payment dispute.

Without dissent, the Senate Committee on Commerce and Public Safety voted to outlaw the sometimes-used practice of telling customers they owe more than the original estimate and then refusing to take them the items off the truck when they arrive at the destination. HB 2145 now goes to the full Senate.

But the vote came only after lawmakers scaled back what already has been approved by the House.

That version stated flatly that a mover has an absolute obligation to deliver the items. That brought concerns from Tony Bradley, president of the Arizona Trucking Association, who said it removed any incentive for the customer to pay anything at all after the services

“Unscrupulous movers will use a lowball estimate in order to get business that couldn’t be gotten at the other price,’’ he said. What happens, du Mee said, is that the customer is then told at the end of the move that the actual cost ended up being higher and must be paid.

The changes approved by the Senate panel leave the door open for the possibility that the final charges may be more than the estimate, such as if there was more furniture than the customers said would have to be moved.

If that situation occurs, the legislation requires the customer at least what was in the original estimate.

At that point, the mover is legally required to off-load all the items. Any financial dispute then would be settled through negotiation or, if necessary, litigation.

BY HOWARD FISCHER Capitol Media Services

Jesus doesn’t want us carrying the excess baggage of selfishness

BY REV. SUSAN WILMOT AFN Guest Writer

Afaithful woman

I know told me recently that she doesn’t call herself a Christian anymore. If anyone asks, she tells them she’s a follower of Jesus. Many of us probably know how she feels. For quite some time now it’s been difficult to say we’re Christian without raising eyebrows or bringing the conversation to a grinding halt. Unfortunately, the term “Christian” is now loaded with all kinds of excess baggage. It’s the kind of baggage that Jesus would have steadfastly refused to pick up. It’s the kind of baggage that the majority of Christians never packed and don’t want to claim as part of their faith. It’s the kind of baggage that a lot of followers of Jesus think of as misappropriated, mislabeled, mishandled and misdirected. Sadly, this excess baggage also comes

SUNDAYS

BIBLE EXPLORED

This biblical scripture study embraces a spirit-filled, intellectually honest, and understandable exploration of God’s Word. Lessons will combine Christian and Jewish theology along with Bible history, archaeology and linguistics for a rich learning experience.

DETAILS>> 9:15 a.m. Mountain View Lutheran Church. 11002 S. 48th St., Ahwatukee. 480-893-2579, mvlutheran.org.

VALOR CHRISTIAN OUTLINES MISSION

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

DETAILS>> 10 a.m. Sundays and 7 p.m. Thursdays. 3015 E. Warner Road. Information: valorcc.com.

HORIZON SEEKS YOUNG PEOPLE

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

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

with a high cost. The kind of baggage I’m talking about includes outright lies in the name of Jesus, or misleading teachings on everything from the Scriptures and so-called Christian values, to Christian living.

There are also those who claim the title Christian, but often behave badly and do so publicly, offering strangely ambiguous rationalizations to justify their words and deeds. It’s all a far cry from serving the Lord, or speaking truth to power in the longstanding and honored prophetic tradition. Some of the baggage is packed with self-serving greed for personal gain, instead of sacrificial service, or servant leadership. So what are followers of Jesus to do?

There’s a simple way to discern the real sheep from the wolves in sheep’s clothing. As we read in the gospel of Matthew 12:33b, “for the tree is known by its fruit.”

Those who consistently bear the fruit of violence and division are likely not following God’s will. If our faith,

beliefs and teachings affirm hatred, or encourage us to exclude or belittle others, it’s not from God. If the teachings of our faith incite us to perpetrate injustice or violence against others, especially those we consider inferior or unworthy, then we’re worshipping self, and not paying any heed to the Holy Spirit.

Similarly, if the teachings of our faith produce no tangible change in the patterns of our thoughts, words or deeds, especially when it comes to characteristic human anger, fear, competitiveness or prejudice, then it’s time to find a new teacher.

When we’re open to God’s transforming grace and power, we experience spiritual growth, not stagnation in old ways of being.

There is no violence in God. Living in faith does not involve manipulating others, humiliating, belittling, excluding or exploiting anyone. These actions are manifestations of fear, and a false understanding of God, usually rooted in a theology of scarcity.

On the other hand, God’s life-giving, life-sustaining and redemptive reality drives out all fear and fills us with love and an abundance of blessings. Followers of Jesus put the needs of others before our own, seek justice and equality for all, as well as build relationships on a foundation of respect, loving-kindness and compassion, with no expectation of return favors.

God’s kingdom, as established and revealed by the life and ministry of Jesus, is centered on sound doctrine, healing and forgiveness, peace and reconciliation, self-sacrifice and service to others. Kingdom living creates and supports mutuality in community, and delights in the glorious diversity of God’s good creation.

Christ’s willingness to die an ignominious death on a cross for the life of the world reveals that faithful living involves both suffering and sacrifice. Our words and actions have consequences. Faithful living isn’t about

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.

UNITY OFFERS A PATH

Unity of Mesa says its Sunday service offers “a positive path for spiritual living” through “transformational lessons, empowering music and various spiritual practices with an open-minded and welcoming community.”

DETAILS>>9 and 10:45 a.m. 2700 E. Southern Ave., Mesa. Nursery available for infants through kindergarten at service times. Youth ministry classes are open in the Education Annex at 10:45 a.m. Information: 480892- 2700, unityofmesa.org, lori@unityofmesa.org.

ALL ARE WELCOME

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

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

SUNDAY CELEBRATION SERVICE

Inspirational messages and music to lift your spirit. A welcoming community committed to living from the heart. Many classes and events offered. We welcome you! DETAILS>> 10 a.m. Sundays at Unity of Tempe, 1222 E. Baseline Road, Suite 103, Tempe. Information: 480-7921800, unityoftempe.com.

MONDAYS

CHURCH PRAYER CALL

The Lawrence Memorial A.M.E.Z. Church in Mesa has a prayer call every Monday. DETAILS>>7 p.m., 1-712-775-7085. PIN 162106#.

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 480-759-6200 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.

PROSPERITY RECIPES

Internationally known speaker and author, Maureen G. Mulvaney brings back her Prosperity Recipes class series to Unity of Tempe on Monday evenings. Cost: $10 per session DETAILS>> 6:15-8:15 p.m., Unity of Tempe, 1222 E. Baseline Road, Suite 103, Tempe. Information: 480-792-1800, unityoftempe.com.

TUESDAYS

MESA BIBLE STUDY

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

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

CELEBRATE RECOVERY

Celebrate Recovery is a Biblical program that helps us

page 44

doing or saying whatever we want; it’s about seeking God’s wisdom in the power of the Holy Spirit who guides us into all righteousness.

Jesus’ prayer in the Garden of Gethsemane is the ultimate statement of faith and trust in God. “My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from me; yet not what I want but what you want” (Matthew 26:39).

In the resurrection, God conquers sin and death, once for all. In the resurrection of Jesus, God fulfills the promise of everlasting life for all who come to Christ in faith. Followers of Jesus live our resurrection lives even now.

We bear the fruit of authentic faith including gracious hospitality for all, along with selfless service marked by love and joy, peace, forgiveness, and compassion. Followers of Jesus are willing to lose their baggage, for God’s sake.

-The Rev. Susan E. Wilmot is Vicar at St. James the Apostle Episcopal Church & Preschool, 975 E. Warner Road, Tempe. Reach her at rector@stjamestempe.org, 480-3452686, or stjamestempe.org.

CALENDAR

from page 44

overcome our hurts, hang-ups, and habits. Through teaching, worship, and sharing in small groups, you will find genuine people devoted to help discover the power of Christ through the recovery process.

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

GRIEFSHARE

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

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

FINDING HEALING FOR PAIN

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

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

SENIORS ENJOY ‘TERRIFIC TUESDAYS’

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

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

UNITY YOGA AT UNITY OF TEMPE

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

DETAILS>> 10 a.m., Unity of Tempe, 1222 E. Baseline

Road, Suite 103, Tempe. Information: 480-792-1800, unityoftempe.com.

WEDNESDAYS

‘JOYFUL NOIZ’ 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.

CALENDAR on page 46

11002 S. 48th St., Ahwatukee. 480-893-2579. mvlutheran.org.

HEBREW READING COURSE

Chabad of the East Valley is offering a Hebrew Reading Crash Course to all Jewish members of the East Valley community. The class will take place over five weeks. DETAILS>> 7:30-8:30 p.m., March 8-April 12, 875 N. McClintock Drive, Chandler. Cost: $50. Information: 480855-4333 or rabbi@chabadcenter.com.

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 opportunity 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.

‘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.

MEDITATION ON TWIN HEARTS

“Every day you take a shower. Practicing Twin Hearts Meditation is like taking a spiritual shower. When your aura is clean you experience a higher level of awareness. When your aura is clean you see through things more clearly. Even good luck increases.”

DETAILS>> 7:30-9:30 p.m., Unity of Tempe, 1222 E. Baseline Road, Suite 103, Tempe. Information: 480-792-1800, unityoftempe.com.

THURSDAYS

BETH MOORE BIBLE STUDY

St. Peter Lutheran Church will be presenting Beth Moore’s study “Jesus the One and Only” for 11 weeks. DETAILS>> 10 a.m. and 6:30 p.m. 1844 East Dana Avenue, Mesa. The workbook that accompanies the study can be purchased at Lifeway Christian Store.

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, 480-963-3997, ext. 141, larrydaily@chandlercc.org or chandlercc.org.

A Foundation for a Lifetime of Learning

ULPAN INSTRUCTION AVAILABLE

Class is based on Israel’s successful Ulpan instruction. Taught by Ilan Berko, born in Israel, schooled in the U.S. DETAILS>> 7 p.m. Chabad of the East Valley, 3875 W. Ray Road, Suite 6, Chandler. chabadcenter.com or 480-855-4333.

FRIDAYS

NEFESHSOUL HOLDS SERVICES

Congregation NefeshSoul holds Shabbat services the second Friday of every month on the campus of the Valley Unitarian Universalist Congregation. DETAILS>> 6:15 p.m., 6400 W. Del Rio St., Chandler. Information: nefeshsoul.org.

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.

TOTS TAUGHT TORAH

Hosted by Chabad of the East Valley for children ages 2 to 5. Features hands-on activities about the Shabbat, songs, stories and crafts. Children will make and braid their own challah.

DETAILS>> 10:15-11 a.m., members’ homes. 480-785-5831.

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.

We have been parents at Keystone Montessori for over nine years and this is the only school that both of our kids attended. We believe Keystone has provided our children with the perfect blend of social, emotional and intellectual development. The Keystone staff and teachers have done a remarkable job in fostering the intellectual curiosity coupled with emotional maturity in our kids that we believe have prepared them for their next steps of high school and then college.

- Parent Testimonial

Get Out

Comedies hit stages at Mountain Pointe, Desert Vista schools

Horror story fans who like their fare infused with comedy and music can get their fill this week at the two Tempe Union schools in Ahwatukee.

e young thespians at both Mountain Pointe and Desert Vista high schools are presenting productions that offer comic twists on horror stories and characters.

e Mountain Pointe eatre Company is presenting “Curse of the Werewolf,” a murder-mystery laced with comedy. It bears the title of a 1961 horror movie that started the long line of films about humans who turn into two-legged wolves during the full moon, though its subject is very different.

e Desert Vista eatre Company is presenting the musical version of “ e Addams Family,” a 2009 Broadway about a ghoulish family that has had numerous iterations on TV and the big screen.

Mountain Pointe’s production is at 3 and 7 p.m. Friday and Saturday, March 24-25, at the high school auditorium, 44th Street and Knox Road. Tickets are $10 at the door and $7 for students. Desert Vista’s production is at 7 p.m. today, March 22, though Friday, at the school, 16440 S. 32nd St., and tickets are $8 and $10 for students and adults, respectively.

Directed by Mountain Pointe drama teacher Kimberly Bonagofski, “Werewolf” is set in a creepy castle on a New England island.

A series of murders leads the cast to conclude a werewolf is among them, creating both suspenseful and hilarious encounters.

Reviews of previous productions elsewhere in the country called it “a perfect play for introducing young casts to the conventions of farce. Some great broad characters and ever-increasing pacing. It also teaches the necessity of timing and reaction.”

e cast includes Kaya Sciaudone, Jonice Bernard, Jayla Alston, Alex de la Torre, Corey Drozdowski, Katie Corbin, Chloe Kuznia, Quinn Rupp, Janae Jessie, Jared Adams, Reuben Ayala and Charnay Locke.

Stage managers are Nemo Wright and Michael Rodriguez and crew chiefs include Michael Williams, Corey Drozdowski, Will Pati, Savannah Mendez, Jillian McDaniel, Bella Alati and Madi Smith.

e Desert Vista students have been rehearsing the last three months for “ e Addams Family,” according to Eliana Burns, co-president of the

under eatre Company who plays an ancestor in the production and is providing the special-effects makeup.

“With any production, there was a lot of work and coordinating that needed to be put in to make this happen, but luckily our amazing director, (Ron) Gingrich and our stage manager, Danielle Hale, overcame every obstacle,” Eliana said.

One of the major challenges was finding a peacock chair for one of the leading characters, Morticia. Eliana’s mother, Chris Burns, tried finding one on social media, but when she came up empty, Eliana and her mom made one.

“ is is our main spring production, but we’re also planning

on putting up a night of one-acts and an improv show,” Eliana added. e cast for “ e Addams Family” is large, with 10 lead and supporting actors and 26 other students who play ancestors.

e 10 principals include Isaiah Salazar, Samantha Maxwell, Jasmine Bassham, Alicia Werner, Jack Walton, Jeremy Bassham, Will Lombardi, Audrey Williams, Jessica Lester and Cameron Kotecki, who is co-president with Eliana of the student theater company.

Leading the 34-member stage crew are Meg Foote, musical director; Hannah Fischbeck, choreographer; Danielle Hale, stage manager; Mckenzi Kelly, costumes; and Quinn Williams, props.

(Julie Rodriguez/Special to AFN)

Mountain Pointe High School thespians rehearsing for this week’s production of “Curse of the Werewolf” include, from left, Quinn Rupp, Charnay Locke and Ruben Ayala.

(Special to AFN)

Getting ready for the spring musical at Desert Vista High School are drama teacher/director Ron Gingrich and student stage manager Danielle Hale.

Lovett and Gill, jazz make a musical weekend

BY JUSTIN FERRIS GET OUT EDITOR

‘Modern Millie’ takes stage

Beloved musical “Thoroughly Modern Millie” sees a 1920s woman take a job in an effort to marry the boss’s son. Hilarity ensues, as do dazzling dances, hit songs and plenty of fun.

DETAILS>> Times vary, today, March 22-April 1. Hale Centre Theatre, 50 West Page Ave., Gilbert. Tickets: $18-$30. 480-497-1181. haletheatrearizona.com.

Quilt show beckons

See dozens of quilts from some of Arizona’s best quilters, plus attend lectures, get quilt appraisals and buy your favorite quilt at auction. The theme this year is “Salute America.”

DETAILS>> Times vary, Thursday-Saturday, March 23-25. Mesa Convention Center, 263 N. Center St., Mesa. Tickets: $10 per day or $15 for Friday-Saturday pass. azquiltersguild.org.

Lovett and Gill to perform

Two Grammy-winning artists, Lyle Lovett and Vince Gill, join forces for an intimate evening performance. Gill describes it as “just two guys sitting on stools, telling stories and singing songs.”

DETAILS>> 7:30 p.m., Thursday, March 23. Mesa Arts Center, 1 E. Main St., Mesa. Tickets: $56-$86. 480-644-6500. mesaartscenter.com.

Highland Jazz kicks in

The Highland/ASU Jazz Festival is back in town, and you can catch two amazing concerts headlined by Dick Oatts or Jim McNeely, along with accomplished jazz performers from around the country.

DETAILS>> 7:30 p.m., Friday-Saturday, March 24-25. Highland High School, 4301 E. Guadalupe Road, Gilbert. Tickets: $20. 480543-7315. highlandjazz.com.

Dragon boats on parade

See giant, colorful dragon boats race across

Tempe Town Lake powered by 16 or more rowers. Also, enjoy a festival celebrating Chinese culture, including authentic food and martial arts demonstrations.

DETAILS>> 8 a.m., Saturday-Sunday, March 25-26. Tempe Town Lake Marina, 550 E. Tempe Town Lake, Tempe. Cost: Free. azdba.org.

Falcon Field opens up

Celebrate aviation with a wide range of modern and vintage aircraft and exhibits at the Falcon Field open house in Mesa. Talk to industry experts and pilots, plus enjoy Impala Bob’s Car Show and much more.

DETAILS>> 9 a.m.-2 p.m., Saturday, March 25. Falcon Field Airport, 4800 E. Falcon Drive, Mesa. Cost: Free. 480-644-2450. falconfieldairport.com.

Military transports on view

Get a front-row view of more than 40 military vehicles from throughout the 20th century, including WWII Warbirds, Willys Jeeps and armored personnel carriers at the Military Transport Show. Also, enjoy a swap meet that offers collectibles and vehicle parts.

DETAILS>> Times vary, Saturday-Sunday,

March 25-26. Arizona Commemorative Air Force Museum, 2017 N. Greenfield Road, Mesa. Tickets: $5 individual, $10 family on Saturday, $15 adults and $5 kids 5-12 on Sunday. ahmta.com.

Vertuccio Farms hosts movie

Watch an outdoor screening of the hit movie “Zootopia” at Vertuccio Farms Plus, ride a train, play games and chow down on pizza, nachos, pretzels and kettle corn. You can also bring your own food, blankets and chairs.

DETAILS>> Opens at 5 p.m., movie at sundown, Saturday, March 25. Vertuccio Farms, 4011 S. Power Road, Mesa. Tickets: $7, Free for kids under 3. 480-882-1482. vertucciofarms.com/events.

Spring Serenade played

The Chandler Symphony returns with a free Classical Series concert, “Spring Serenade,” featuring works by Dvorak, Reicha and Tchaikovsky, including Tchaikovsky’s “Serenade for Strings.”

DETAILS>> 3 p.m., Sunday, March 26. Chandler Center for the Arts, 250 N. Arizona Ave., Chandler. Cost: Free. 480-782-2680. chandlercenter.org.

Halal Guys owner brings passion for food, Arizona to new Tempe franchise

BY COLLEEN SPARKS AFN CONTRIBUTOR

AJ Ahmad has come a long way since his college days washing dishes and working as a tutor to pay the bills while sharing an apartment with roommates.

He owns a restaurant now.

The immigrant and Chandler resident, who moved to the Valley in 1993 from Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, is excited to be the CEO of the franchise team that owns The Halal Guys Tempe on South Rural Road near University Drive.

It’s the first and only brick-andmortar The Halal Guys in Arizona for the international franchise, but Ahmad and his team plan to add three or four more stores a year until they have 15 in the state.

Ahmad describes the menu as a blend of Middle Eastern and Mediterranean fare, including beef gyro sandwiches, chickenand-rice platters, falafels and hummus with pita. The Halal food is prepared to meet strict Islamic dietary requirements.

“This is my home state,” said Ahmad, 42. “This is where I learned, this is where I

grew up, where I learned English. What an opportunity to make it with something I love.”

Ahmad earned a bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering from Arizona State University in 1999 after moving to the Valley at the age of 17. His older brother lived in the Valley but moved to Texas after Ahmad’s first semester at ASU, leaving him alone in a new city.

“I had to be a man right away,” Ahmad said. “ at’s how you learn.”

(The

The budding entrepreneur made ends meet by tutoring students for $4.15 an hour in chemistry, physics and math. Ahmad said learning English was “very easy” but he struggled to understand why Americans use certain expressions, including “wearing cologne.”

the grand opening in late January, and he and his staff served about 1,000 meals that day.

Founders Muhammed Abouelenein, Ahmed Elsaka and Abdelbaset Elsayed have more than 200 restaurants being developed around the world and franchise agreements in California and several other states.

Ahmad, who used to own Edible Arrangements stores in Ahwatukee Foothills and Gilbert from 2006 to 2013, said he had originally asked e Halal Guys founders if he could open a franchise in California. He owns a trampoline park in California and travels there often, but California was sold out.

“I said, ‘I love Arizona; I would love to take it to Arizona,’” Ahmad said. “I told them, Tempe; that was my vision.

“I’m Muslim and I don’t want to have any alcohol or pork products in it (food),” he added.

Ahmad, a married father of two children, said he shook hands with The Halal Guys founders in New York and they were “very down-to-earth people.” He fell in love with their food when he tried it shortly after the franchise founders opened their first restaurant in New York.

He added he also discovered in the United States that “everybody has their own opinion” and speaks their mind.

Now Ahmad said he loves the “comfortable feeling” of Tempe, which is his “second home.”

“The Halal Guys encompasses all (of) what I know in one location, my memories; my loyalty to the ASU brand, everything just here,” Ahmad said.

Customers can order a platter or a sandwich with either one or two of the following: chicken, a beef gyro or a falafel with rice, pita, lettuce and tomatoes for $6.95. The platters and sandwiches are served with a bold and tangy white sauce or a fiery red sauce.

Fries alone and a pita with either hummus or tahini sauce are $3.45 each.

Ahmad adds that the Tempe restaurant attracted 100,300 followers on Instagram before it opened.

He’s proud to employ 45 workers. By the time the 15th The Halal Guys is opened in Arizona, he will have more than 500 employees.

Ahmad is happy to own the Tempe restaurant with close friends Tahsin Khairi, chief operating officer; Raed Nashef, chief financial officer; and Fadi Odeh, chief compliance officer.

Steve Chucri, president and CEO of the Arizona Restaurant Association, is happy e Halal Guys Tempe has opened. He’s of Lebanese descent and said he thinks “there’s always demand” for Middle Eastern food in the Valley.

He said people lined up to try the food at e Halal Guys Tempe during

Three immigrants from Egypt started The Halal Guys franchise as a hot dog cart in 1990 in New York City. As their small business expanded, the three men heard Muslim cab drivers say they were trying to find halal food in the city, so they added their now-famous platter of chicken and gyro over rice, as well as the white and hot red sauces.

ANSWERS TO PUZZLES AND SUDOKU from page 51

“I think they’ll find success in this niche of the restaurant industry,” Chucri said. “I look forward to trying their food.

“You’ve got some great culinary diversity right there in Tempe,” he added. e Halal Guys Tempe has partnered with delivery service UberEATS so people in the area can get the restaurant’s food delivered to their door. Information: thehalalguys.com.

Halal Guys/Special to AFN)

The Halal Guys include, from left: Jamie Meiers, AJ Ahmad, Fadi Odeh, Raed Nashef and Tahsin Khairi. They celebrated at the grand opening of the new restaurant in Tempe in late January.

Musical Monarchy

HBO brings “Game of Thrones” Concert Experience to stage

BY ALAN SCULLEY

GET OUT CONTRIBUTOR

Bringing the 30-city Game of rones Live Concert Experience tour to fruition meant having to use a different set of criteria to determine whether the jaunt would likely be a financial success.

Usually with tours on this scale, there are time-tested indications it will sell tickets: e headliner usually has a track record from previous tours, as well as hit singles, substantial album sales and a good deal of name recognition.

e Game of rones Live Concert Experience, which comes to Talking Stick Resort Arena at 8 p.m. Sunday, March 26, has name recognition –thanks to the success the HBO series “Game of rones” has enjoyed over its first six seasons. But taking this production straight to arenas would

seem like more of a gamble than most tours.

For one thing, lots of elements have attracted viewers to “Game of rones” – the stories, the characters, the action and the direction and visual scope of the series. But could a concert built around the music be enough of a draw to fill arenas?

Certainly, the six soundtracks created by Ramin Djawadi have won major acclaim (and a good number of industry awards). e show’s theme song has drawn millions of hits on YouTube.

And the season six soundtrack topped

Billboard magazine’s Soundtrack Albums chart – a nice achievement, but hardly as impressive as beating out today’s top pop, rock, hiphop or country artists to go No. 1 on the Top 200 album chart.

Djawadi, though, says there was one gauge – along with a shared belief in the venture among the tour’s organizers –that made him feel e Game of rones Live Concert Experience would sell.

Visually, the producers of the show have sought to accomplish nothing less than bringing to life the seven kingdoms around which the HBO series is staged, a task that meant going well beyond the standard visual components of lighting and perhaps some special effects.

“ e way we looked at it was we always wanted to keep the musicians as the focal point,” Djawadi says, elaborating on the approach to the staging for the concerts.

“It started with the idea of let’s do one concert, and then it kind of went into what it is now,” Djawadi says. “And even before we had announced that we wanted to do this concert and this concert tour, there was already so much feedback from fans out there saying ‘Will you take this on the road? We want to see a concert,’ things like that.

“ en we said, ‘OK, we want to have footage from the show,’ but then we said ‘let’s take this a step further and what can we do to kind of break out of this traditional setup of playing music to picture?’ e design of the stage itself is already very different.

“ ere was so much chatter about it that we took that and really just believed in it. It was like you know what, let’s give the fans something very, very special that they can enjoy and re-live all six seasons and get excited about season seven. It was just something we all believed in.”

“We have these multiple satellite stages that already, with the look of it and the shape of it, represent locations in ‘Game of rones.’ And throughout the show, our soloists and choir will be moving out to these different stages, and they’ll be able to be really close to the audience.

ose involved in putting together e Game of rones Live Experience appear to have gone to considerable lengths to create a show that is spectacular on all fronts.

Djawadi says a band and several instrumental soloists will travel from show to show, where they will be joined by a local choir and orchestra featuring strings and horns (but not woodwinds).

“ e orchestra and choir will be actually new pretty much in every city,” Djawadi says. “So, that’s actually going to be a lot of work because it’s going to be very tight with rehearsals and everything, but it’s going to be exciting to have local orchestras perform in their cities.”

“ en there are fun analog moments happening. Some of the screens, they move and they can surround the orchestra and create this immersive experience, the way we always describe this, and it really will make it all one. It will combine the music with the show and it will just be a much more exciting experience,” Djawadi said.

Where:

(Special to AFN)

The Game of Thrones Musical Concert Experience includes spectaular set designs. (Left) Soundtrack creator Ramin Djawadi.

Springtime lemon pie can be made in blender

BY JAN D’ATRI

AFN CONTRIBUTOR

Monday is spring! That means it’s lemon season in Arizona.

And I’ve never found a better idea for a lemon than throwing it into a blender, and out comes the most amazing Arizona Springtime lemon pie! Yes! Toss in a whole lemon, and watch what happens!

BLENDER LEMON PIE

Ingredients:

1 large lemon, cleaned well

4 large eggs

1 stick (8 tablespoons) melted butter

1 teaspoon pure vanilla

1 1/2 cups sugar

1 (8-9 inch) unbaked piecrust

Whipped cream for topping

Directions:

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees. Sprinkle a little sugar over the pie crust and bake until light golden brown, about 15 minutes. (Poke with toothpick or fork if it bubbles during baking process).

Cut lemon in chunks, leaving rind on. Remove seeds. In a blender or food processor, blend together lemon chunks, eggs, butter, vanilla and sugar until mixture is smooth and creamy. (It should be fairly runny.) Pour into pre-baked piecrust. Bake at 350 degrees for about 40 minutes. If crust becomes too brown, cover gently with foil and finish baking. Let set up for about an hour, then refrigerate to chill. Serve with a dollop of fresh whipped cream.

– Connect with Jan on Facebook/jandatri1 or at jandatri.com/

For a video recipe: jandatri.com/recipes/ lemon-blender-pie/?category_id=384

King Crossword

ACROSS

1 Earth (Lat.)

6 Witnessed

9 -- -relief

12 Symbol of slowness 13 Inventor Whitney 14 Genetic abbr.

15 Of punishment

16 Burma’s capital, once 18 Astute

20 Took the train

21 Oom follower 23 Thither 24 Xbox enthusiast

25 “-- a Kick Out of You” 27 Worked with rattan 29 Circle around the sun

31 Conspiracy of silence

35 Cardiff’s people

37 Sunrise

38 200 milligrams

41 Gear tooth

43 Affirmative action?

44 Culture medium 45 Cringes

47 Longtime Klugman co-star 49 Symbol of sorrow 52 Jazz job

53 Accomplished

54 Intact

55 Individual

56 Chances, for short 57 Gumby’s horse

DOWN

1 Recipe meas. 2 Away from WSW 3 Cowboy, often 4 Iranian money 5 Dumpster location 6 Venus’ sister 7 Winged 8 Victory 9 Witch craft?

10 Battery terminal 11 Less loony 17 Ranked 19 Singer’s recording 21 Snapshot

22 Past

24 Jewel

26 In the direction of 28 “Forget it!”

30 Trawler need

32 Rifle

33 Pair

34 Moreover

36 Berates

38 Freight

39 Over

40 Kitchen need

42 Outfit

45 Film sample

46 Nevada city

48 Commotion

50 Regret 51 Pigs’ digs

Sudoku

Eason to coach Mountain Pointe High boys basketball

BY JASON P. SKODA AFN Prep Sports Director

The search for Mountain Pointe High School’s new basketball coach has unearthed someone relatively new to the Arizona roundball scene in Duane Eason.

Eason spent this past season on the coaching staff at Phoenix College after spending most of his coaching career in New Jersey, including three years at American History High, where he compiled a 36-41 record.

He takes over from Hosea Graham, who announced his resignation before the season ended and went 48-55 in four seasons.

One of the things that led to Graham’s departure was a fractured relationship

with coaches, players and parents.

Eason feels he can get a handle on the job based on his past coaching stops, which include club and college levels.

“A big part of my success has been because my guys have stuck together. It’s important to create that brotherhood and family bond and build a lot of trust and togetherness off the court and on,”

Eason said in a release.

“It’s about us, the ‘we not me.’”

roster led by guards Malik Salahuddin, who was a captain as a sophomore last season, and Khlid Price.

Salahuddin averaged 11.6 points, 5.9 rebounds and 2.8 assists, while Price finished the year averaging 9.7 points and 2.3 steals.

Junior Amarion Cash was fourth in scoring on the team with a 9.2 average and added 3.3 rebounds.

drafted three different times. He also spent time at Brookdale Community College and Troy State University. His approach to education and coaching was formed during his high school days at Hackensack High. As she kicked him out of class, an 11th-grade teacher told him, “All you athletes are the same. If you’re not challenged, you don’t perform.”

“My passions for teaching and coaching go hand in hand,” said Eason, who teaches at Maryvale High. “I want to be the best English teacher and for my students to have the highest scores.

Eason inherits a young but talented

Eason’s own playing career included a year at New Jersey City University, which came after a baseball career that saw him get

“I love the challenge of explaining Othello or another piece of literature in ways that students who think they don’t care about it or don’t understand it can make a connection,” he added.

Baseball tourney honors Pride’s past, starts new era

BY JASON P. SKODA AFN Prep Sports Director

When the inaugural Mountain Pointe High School Classic began in earnest on March 20, it was more than a chance for 37 teams, mostly from out of state, to get in a few innings without the constraints of region standings or power points.

It was a chance for the new guy in the Pride dugout to pay homage to those who helped build the program and set the high standard that is still firmly in place.

“I wanted to pay tribute to the tradition that’s already been here,” Pride first-year coach Matt Denny said. “It can be difficult being new so I didn’t want to come in and act like we are starting from scratch. I wanted to make sure to hold true to those who have been impactful with the program.”

One way he decided to do that was to create the tournament, split into three different divisions named after individuals who left impacts on the program.

position in Idaho; C.J. and Kevin Cron, the Pride brothers who went on to professional careers after being selected in the top three rounds of the MLB draft; and Joe Mather, the first Pride player to make it to the majors.

The Buck and Cron divisions are each split into two four-team pools with each pool being played at different locations.

Thursday’s final day, when the matchups will be determined by each team’s record with first place vs. first place, second vs. second and so on.

The Mather Division is an open division where there is a set schedule through Saturday. But the teams are not playing for a championship.

Teams are coming in from Alaska, Arkansas, Colorado, New Mexico, New Jersey, Idaho, Oregon, and California and will play throughout the Valley with Seton Catholic, Westwood and several West Valley schools at the venues.

The Pride are playing in the Buck Division, Seton Catholic is in the Mather Division, Westwood is in the Cron Division.

The divisions are named Buck, Cron and Mather.

That would be Brandon Buck, the former coach who stepped down after 11 years to take a sports counseling

Pool A in Buck division is at Mountain Pointe and Pool B at Valley Vista. The Cron division is played at Tolleson (Pool A), Westwood (Pool B) and Kellis (Pool B) high schools. After the round-robin action is completed, the teams will advance to

“Playing in the Buck Division is an honor and we want to play for him,” senior catcher/third baseman Josh Wunnenberg said. “We grew up with Coach Buck and even through he isn’t here anymore, you feel him with the way we play.”

Mountain Pointe began the week

(Special to AFN)

Duane Eason is the new Mountain Pointe High boys basketball coach.

(Special to AFN)

Mountain Pointe High’s Jaydon Brooks believes the team has the chemistry needed for the Pride to be successful.

with a 5-5 record that doesn’t tell the whole story. The Pride finished third in the Boras Classic but had two games in which it lost eight-run leads.

“We’re good,” senior outfielder Jaydon Brooks said about the team’s resiliency after the tough losses. “We are still getting back into it. We could have been down, but we are all here together. If we weren’t, we could be looking at each other saying, ‘You didn’t get that bunt down’ or ‘You should’ve come through on that hitand-run’ It’s not like that. It’s more who is going to step up and get the job done next time.”

Denny, who came over from Greenway after leading the Demons to Division II state titles in 2014 and 2016, says the transition has gone well but believes the team is still feeling things out to a certain degree.

It will take time until Denny’s way will be fully ingrained in the team, but with the talent – led by junior Jonny Weaver, freshman Carson Tucker, and seniors Logan White, Brooks and Wunnenberg – it is only a matter of time.

And they have plenty of it as the

meat of the schedule is still to come for Mountain Pointe.

“None of our goals we started with are out of reach,” Denny said. “We are getting it. Anytime you have change there is going to be a learning curve. Things are different for me, and different for them. We are doing a good job of getting through that and hopefully we are rolling as we get toward the end of the season.”

Sports Briefs

Desert Vista TJ Snyder honored

The Arizona Interscholastic Association has named TJ Snyder, Desert Vista High School assistant principal for athletics, Central Region Athletic Director of the Year.

Snyder began his career at Desert Vista High School in 1996. He was the baseball coach from 1996 to 2006.

In the fall of 2006, he was hired as the assistant principal of activities and two years later became assistant principal of athletics.

Currier leaves Horizon

Steve Currier has resigned his post as Horizon Honors boys basketball coach.

“I’ve had two wonderful years at Horizon Honors and leave after much deliberation,” he said. “After 17 years of coaching locally, things have changed in my life.

“I have my whole family all in Phoenix as of a month ago, have a new granddaughter and started a new career with my oldest son as marketing and sales rep for Cloud 9 Sports.”

Altadena wrestlers place in top 5

Altadena middle schoolers and Kyrene Conference champions Luke Pavlina and Josh Blodgett placed

at The Terminator wrestling tournament in Prescott recently.

The event, which is open to anyone, has become the biggest offseason folk-style tournament in Arizona and attracts wrestlers from across the nation. Pavlina finished second at 190 and Blodgett was fifth at 172.

Danny White accepts ASU role

College Football Hall of Fame inductee Danny White, who led Arizona State to three consecutive bowl games and led the Dallas Cowboys to five consecutive playoff appearances as their starting quarterback, is returning to the Arizona State football program. He will serve as a consultant and as ambassador for Sun Devil Athletics and the Sun Devil Club. ASU head coach Todd Graham also announced that former University of Wyoming head coach Dave Christensen.

A veteran of 35 years in college football, he is joining the ASU staff as a non-coaching consultant. While at Missouri, Christensen devised a no-huddle attack that helped the Tigers advance to the Big 12 Championship Game in 2007 and 2008. For his efforts, Christensen was named 2007 National Offensive Coordinator of the Year by Rivals.com.

UPGRADE TO A SMART GARAGE

(Special to AFN)

Mountain Pointe High School senior Cameron Polich is off to a 2-1 start with a 1.94 ERA in 18 innings.

Mountain Pointe High promotes lifelong physical activity

BY CHUCK CORBIN

AFN Prep Sports Director

The physical education program at Mountain Pointe High School was featured recently at a research meeting in Boston.

The research showed that 20 years after graduation, students who took Mountain Pointe’s Fitness for Life class were more active than they were in high school and much more active than typical American adults.

Further, the majority of the former students remember using the textbook for the class and report that they still use information from the text and the class. Nearly all (92.2 percent) considered themselves to be currently well informed about fitness and exercise.

Since Mountain Pointe opened in 1991, Fitness for Life has been offered to ninth-graders as part of the physical education program. Students use a text and do classroom activities one day a week.

The study reported in Boston is not the first look at the 1991-92 Mountain Pointe freshmen. They were also studied when they were juniors and seniors in high school.

That research was published in

Pediatric Exercise Science and showed that students taking Fitness for Life were less likely to be sedentary than students who took their physical education class elsewhere (transfer students). They were also much more active than a national sample of high school freshmen.

The 1991-92 freshmen were studied again two years after graduation from Mountain Pointe. The study published in the Research Quarterly for Exercise and Sport also showed that students taking Fitness for Life were less likely to be sedentary than the control group and were more active than a sample of students from throughout the nation.

Prior to the school’s opening, the Tempe Union High School District Governing Board approved the Fitness for Life program.

Those instrumental in implementing the program were Principal Harold Slemmer, Physical Education Department Chair Karl Kiefer, and Fitness for Life Director Phil Abbadessa.

The Fitness for Life class at Mountain Pointe continues today under the direction of current Physical Education Department Chair Andrea Fazz.

“It is encouraging to know that our Fitness for Life program not only benefits our students while they are here at Mountain Pointe, but these benefits continue well after they graduate,” Fazz said.

The program continues to have the strong support of current Principal Bruce Kipper.

“We are committed to preparing students for college, careers, and life and to have the results from three different studies show that the lessons learned in Mountain Pointe PE program are impacting the health of our alumni in

a positive way decades down the road. This is certainly good news,” he said.

Henry Yu, a graduate student at Arizona State, was the lead researcher on the 20-year followup study and was assisted by fellow graduate student Shannon Mulhearn and mentor Dr. Pam Kulinna, also from ASU.

The study was presented to the research council at the national convention of the Society of Health and Physical Educators (SHAPE America).

The research would not have been possible without the assistance of Mountain Pointe graduates who contacted former students and provided class reunion lists.

Those providing essential assistance were Mountain Pointe grads Christine Vanderpool, Sarah Mauel, Danielle Platt, and Shaun Shultz. Allison Hurtado, who wrote an article for Ahwatukee Foothills News on the 20th reunion of Mountain Pointe’s first freshman class, also provided assistance.

-Ahwatukee resident Chuck Corbin is professor emeritus at Arizona State University. He assisted in implementing the Fitness for Life program at Mountain Pointe and participated in the research.

Corona del Sol grad hoping for trip home for Final Four

BY RYAN CLARKE

AFN Staff Writer

The NCAA tournament’s Sweet 16 looms for Oregon guard Casey Benson, and his road to the Final Four could lead him home. If the Ducks advance to University of

Phoenix Stadium in Glendale, Benson will play just down the road from where he grew up.

“It’s cliché, but it would be a dream come true,” Benson said. “To be able to play at home in the Final Four with an opportunity to go to a national championship would be surreal.”

Benson graduated from Corona del Sol High in Tempe in 2014 as a threetime state champion and the school’s career assists leader. Now, in his junior year in Eugene, he’s making plays and providing a positive presence for the Ducks, who survived the weekend to land a spot in the Sweet 16. Oregon will play Michigan Thursday in Kansas City.

The roots of Benson’s success are planted in Tempe, where former head coach Sam Duane Jr. continued a culture of winning established by his father, Sam Sr.

The younger Duane remains one of Benson’s greatest influences on the basketball court. Benson also learned from watching Arizona State and Arizona games as a kid, taking with him the competitive fire that stems from the rivalry.

Being selfless, positive and a good teammate are principles that Benson adheres to.

“It’s fun to think about and reminisce on my high school years,” Benson said. “It was a blast to win three championships and play for Coach Duane.”

In high school, Benson’s clutch shooting and knack for finding the open man made him a highly sought recruit by schools in the West. One school that didn’t recruit him was Arizona, which left a substantial chip on Benson’s shoulder.

That chip was never more present than Oregon’s second regular season game against Arizona on Feb. 4. The Ducks blew out the Wildcats 85-58 and Benson led Oregon with 13 points.

“Arizona, in the Pac-12, they’ve been the leader for years now,” Benson said. “To be able to play them is exciting –they’re such a legendary program.

“I think with Dillon Brooks, me and Jordan Bell coming in the same class, we just wanted to try and build something special.”

(Special to AFN)

Julia Corbin, a freshman at Mountain Pointe High, studies physical fitness concepts to serve her for life.

Sammi Saunders, life long Ahwatukee resident is engaged to Steven K

president of Desert Vista High School The couple met while at college in Boston where Saunders graduated with a Masters degree in Occupational Therapy from Boston University Kesler attended and graduated from Northeastern University with a degree in journalism S

Joseph's Hospital Sammi is the daughter of Gary and Liz Saunders who have lived in Ahwatukee since 1988

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