SanTan Sun News 03-26-2023

Chandler may pay off cop-fire pension debt

BY KEN SAIN Managing Editor

Dawn Lang, Chandler’s deputy city manager and chief financial officer, had just dropped what she clearly thought was a large number on the city council.

Leading the discussion during the council’s second budget workshop, Lang indeed gave them a big number.

Staff was suggesting the Council make a one-time payment of $70 million toward its Public Safety Personnel Retirement System debt.

“I don’t see any jaws dropping,” Lang said.

In fact, council members seemed to think the number was too small.

“Is it a better value for us to add more to the $70 million — if we have it, that’s the first question — and just get this paid

off much sooner?” Vice Mayor Matt Orlando asked.

Lang’s answer was a definitive yes.

There are two types of dollars in the city’s budget.

There is ongoing, which are the funds needed every year to keep things running and there is a stable income to support. Then there are the one-time funds, which the city sees with the peaks and valleys of the local economy.

The city would use one-time funds, which it has plenty of right now, to pay down its PSPRS debt.

By doing so, it would free up the money that it’s been using to pay that off for ongoing expenses. Which means the city could expand services and give raises to staff.

Entering this fiscal year, Chandler owed

Actor saves the day for his Chandler alma mater

BY KEN SAIN Managing Editor

Casey Likes should be well past any stage fright at this point of his career.

However, a sudden return earlier this month to the stage that launched his career made him a little nervous.

“I might have had a moment with a trash can,” he said. “I had to relieve myself of my nerves.”

That’s an unexpected reaction from the star of “Almost Famous” during its first Broadway run and the man who was just announced to be cast as Marty Mc-

Fly in the Broadway debut of “Back to the Future, the Musical.” Also the man who portrays KISS bassist Gene Simmons in “Spinning Gold,” a new movie scheduled for release at the end of this month.

But Casey’s return to the Chandler Center for the Arts stage to perform in the Chandler High play was unscheduled.

He had attended the Chandler High production of “Anastasia” on March 3. His mother, Stephanie Likes, is theater director at the school, where he graduated

See ACTOR on Page 6

$136.5 million toward its PSPRS debt. The city started the year with a one-time payment of $50 million in July, knocking the debt down to around $86.5 million.

Lang had proposed a $70 million payment this year, and then $10 million next year.

She hoped that would essentially pay off the debt, leaving the city with only the approximate $2 million a year it needs to pay to keep the pension fund for police and firefigthters current.

Drones might deliver medicine to Chandler center

BY KEN SAIN

Managing Editor

Chandler is building on its “City of Innovation” motto by serving as the testing ground for a pilot program that will see a drone fly medical supplies from a local pharmaceutical company to a senior living center.

480.896.8684

“I think that’s why we think this is a good step, to really crawl before we walk when it comes to drone flights in the community,” said Ryan Kaup, the city’s economic development specialist.

The agreement is part of the Maricopa Association of Government’s (MAG) Emerging Technologies Pilot Program.

$1,295

Omnicare, a pharmaceutical distributor located on Galveston Street east of 56th Street, west Chandler, will use a drone, also called an Un-Crewed Aircraft system, to carry supplies a little more than a mile to Sunrise of Chandler, an assisted living facility on Chandler Boulevard, just east of Kyrene Road.

The drone's’ actual route has not be determined because the operator is awaiting approval from the Federal Aviation Administration.

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Most of the space between the two companies is occupied by businesses and there are very few residential areas in that space.

“Drone delivery is steadily increasing across the country as both the technology matures and rules and regulations from the FAA establish a clear framework for operations,” wrote Chris Mitton, a director of business development

See DRONES on Page 5

Mesnard leads move on state debt limits Page 16

Chandler gets fourth trampoline center Page 24

Chandler kids present 'Secret Garden' Page 28

Chandler Symphony slates last concert of

If Chandler opted to pay down its entire police and fire pension liability, it would then only be responsible for an estimated $2 million a year to keep the fund current. (City of Chandler)

Casey Likes, a 2020 Chandler High School alumnus and star of the Broadway version of “Almost Famous,” works with his younger siste Claire, a Chandler High freshman, as he conducts a workshop at his former school, . (David Minton/Staff Photographer)

Before it became flush with cash, mostly thanks to the Intel expansion, the city was making annual payments of about $10 million.

Lang said they don’t know the exact number required to pay off the debt because the PSPRS modeler hasn’t calculated that with the $50 million payment from July.

There was a reason why council members may be in a hurry to pay off that debt.

Just before she dropped the $70 million figure on them, she painted a potentially troublesome forecast of the city’s finances in the next five years if Council doesn’t make adjustments now to avoid that.

The city currently has a lot of extra cash because there are 6,000 workers helping to expand Intel’s Ocotillo campus.

Those workers are staying in Chandler hotels, eating at Chandler restaurants, and shopping at Chandler stores. The city is collecting a lot of extra sales tax dollars because of that.

However, the construction at Intel is scheduled to wrap up around the end of this year.

Those workers will leave the city and move on to the next project. That is why the dollars they generate are considered one-time income.

Lang pointed out that most of the city’s expenses are in salaries. The city’s current total annual budget is $1.353 billion.

“If you just look at the ongoing portion

of our budget, 75% of our expenditures is personnel, because we are a service organization,” Lang said.

City staffers are eligible for raises. Some of those raises, for public safety employees, are mandated because of agreements with the three unions that Chandler must be among the top three-paying cities in the Valley.

Lang told the Council that means, based on what they’re hearing from other Valley cities, public safety employees could be getting a double-digit percentage raise this year.

And, if the city raises the pay of all city workers by 3% annually, including public safety, every year after this one, expenses will overtake the city’s income in fiscal year 2025-26. And by FY 2027-28, the gap

between expenses and income will have increased to $10 million a year.

That is why Council seemed to embrace the idea of using the one-time dollars it has now to pay off its PSPRS debt, so the extra money freed up by that could be used for ongoing expenses.

“That would be amazing,” Councilman Mark Stewart said. “If you think about it, there’s so many places that we can get that funding, which then turns into ongoing dollars.”

Stewart suggested dipping into the contingency fund, or holding off on filling vacant positions for a year if needed to have the money to pay off the debt this year.

“This is a great use for those dollars that will help us realize that ongoing savings sooner,” Lang said.

Many municipalities in Arizona have taken advantage of unanticipated revenue increases to pay down their police and fire pension debt.

As of last summer, that debt totaled $8.84 billion.

Add county and state corrections officers’ retirement plans and the plan for judges and elected officials, that number was $10.9 billion.

The City of Phoenix accounts for about a third of that staggering liability, owing $3.4 billion to the Public Safety Personnel Retirement System, records show.

Because that debt is a legal obligation, former City Manager Ed Zuercher told Phoenix City Council several years ago, the city would have to cut services and lay off employees if it ever reached a point where it claimed it could not pay down that debt.

Zuercher outlined those consequences for his City Council in June 2021 as he sought permission to borrow $1 billion at a fixed-interest rate to pay down part of the city’s total $5.4 billion pension debt – which includes other plans besides the $3.4 billion PSPRS debt and a separate plan for other city employees.

He said the pension fund liabilities and costs already had “placed significant budgetary constraints on the City’s ability to provide employee wage and non-pension benefit increases, public services and infrastructure maintenance.”

And he noted that “while currently manageable, this pressure will continue into the foreseeable future.”

Council never brought Zuercher’s request to the table for a vote.

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City finance staff says the big budget boost Chandler has been getting from the six million workers on the Intel expansion project will soon be fading away as the project is likely to end at the end of this year. (City of Chandler) $5 off with promo code PARTY

at AirSpaceLink, the company that will operate the drones.

“This pilot project will be unique to the Phoenix metro area as it looks to test the efficacy of medical deliveries to reduce traffic congestion and increase the timeliness of deliveries to provide more responsive health care for Arizona patients.”

Chandler City Council was scheduled to vote on the agreement at its March 23 meeting, after the deadline for this edition.

Vice Mayor Matt Orlando was the only one of the seven members to express some reservations during the March 20 study session.

“I guess my general question is a concern about traffic,” Orlando said. “An accident, everybody stops to look at it. And now we have this propeller-driven [drone] at 400 feet, which is visible.”

“ This is a potential disruption of traffic as people see this in the sky,” Orlando added, “and don’t slow down and do something ridiculous.”

Mitton replied, “Most of these crafts

are flying at an altitude that is fairly significant between the 250 and 400 feet and the drum will be very small, the noise profile will be very minimal.

“Distraction level will be minor,” he continued. “What we’ve seen in other demonstrations we’ve done in the past, people in the parking lot next door to the demonstration didn’t even notice the drone flying around. So we don’t anticipate any specific issues on that.”

The agreement calls for drones to fly no more than seven days in a two-week period.

There can only be four to six flights per day and each flight would last no longer than five minutes.

The privately-owned Stellar Airpark is not far away, located on Chandler Boulevard just west of McClintock Road. The operator said in its MAG agreement there is no conflict with that air field.

AirSpaceLink started in 2018 in Detroit and is doing similar projects across the country.

So far, it has secured a number of medical supply agreements that are similar to this pilot program.

“I’s not to say that we wouldn’t support like a food package delivery or like,

or agricultural inspections or anything like that,” Alice Griffith, another director of business development at AirSpaceLink. “

The medical ones are a little more complex and a little more involved in the planning and the regulation operation in general, so we tend to lean into those because it’s quite a bit of interesting work.”

Mitton said he and his colleagues are not sure when the drone flights will start if Council approves the agreement. They still need FAA approval before any flight can begin.

Kaup, the city’s economic development specialist, said there will be cameras on the drones to aid in piloting them. However, none of the cameras will be able to record.

He said city staff hopes the initial flight will take place this summer if AirSpaceLink can secure all the approvals needed.

“There’s a sustainability story here,” Councilman Mark Stewart said, “that I think just fits within our brand, as a community of innovation, finding ways to expedite service to our elderly in our homes … with medicine.”

in 2020.

“The amazing Spencer Rich, who was playing this role called Vlad, was limping around a little bit of the first act,” Casey explained. “And my mom leaned over because she was sitting right behind me and she said, ‘Spencer, just hurt his leg.’”

“I had just gotten a text from the stage manager,” Stephanie Likes recalled.

The two had often talked whimsically about what it would take to get Casey back on the stage at Chandler High. But it never happened.

Stephanie said she went backstage at intermission to check on Spencer and became worried when she saw him with his leg up.

“This kid never goes down for anything,” she said.

Added Casey: “He was in extreme pain. I just put the phone up to my ear and started listening to the music because I’ve seen this before.”

So that’s how Broadway star Casey Likes ended up playing Vlad in the second act of his former high school’s production of “Anastasia.”

He said he had never seen the play before. Stephanie said he did attend a few rehearsals, but that Casey didn’t know the lines or the blocking.

So that generated the case of nerves that required Casey’s visit with a trash can.

Casey first gained national notice for his performance of Jean Valjean in “Les

Miserables.” He was nominated for the 2019 Jimmys, which recognizes the best high school musical theater performances in the nation.

He reached the finals of the Jimmys and was cast for the lead role in “Almost Famous” soon after. That play opened in the fall, but it did not fare well with audiences and ended up closing in January.

“There’s no feeling quite like walking through Times Square and seeing yourself on a billboard,” Casey said.

“That’s all of the dreams that I wanted to accomplish. I got to do that with that show, I got to do my Broadway debut, I got to work with heroes of mine. I got to be the lead role, which is something I never expected to ever be in a Broadway show.”

Casey admitted to being sad when the show closed, but he couldn’t stay de-

pressed for long.

He said he found out about a week after “Almost Famous” closed that he was cast as Marty McFly in the Broadway debut of “Back to the Future.”

The musical version of that hit film has been a top play in London’s West End. It was nominated for seven Laurence Olivier awards, including best new musical, which it won.

Casey will be sharing the stage with Roger Bart, who originated the stage role of Emmett “Doc” Brown. Casey said he will leave for New York in May to begin rehearsals and the play is scheduled for its soft opening at the end of June.

Casey went to London to see the show.

“The thing I compare it to is ‘Wicked,’ because it’s got really good music, and it’s got a lot of heart,” Casey said.

“But the reason that ‘Wicked’ continues to keep pulling people back in is because there’s just nothing comparable to it. There’s nothing that has a girl flying at the end of Act One,” he continued.

“I think what’s really working on Broadway right now are shows that give people a reason to get out of their house and say, ‘You can’t see this anywhere else.’ And I truly do believe Back to the Future is one of those things.”

While he’s back in Chandler, he helped his mom out by doing a workshop at his old school. Casey listened as young actresses performed, offering tips and suggestions on how to improve their performances.

He has a lifetime of experience to offer. Though the nation may not have heard of him before the Jimmys, he’s been performing pretty much all his life.

Stephanie, who also performed on Broadway as part of the ‘Les Miserables’ cast, said her agency pleaded with her to bring 2-year-old Casey in for some modeling because they needed boys.

She did, but Casey wasn’t quite ready for the limelight. He refused to leave his mother. They tried again more than a year later and a star was born.

“He booked his first commercial and that audition, he just … an entire room is watching me do something.

“After that, I think the bug bit him. I think I knew from an early age. I mean, one of the commercials (Casey) shot a little bit later, they were like, ‘you need to get this kid to L.A. tomorrow.’”

Stephanie said she talked it over with her mom, and decided they wanted Casey to have a “normal kid life.”

So he didn’t leave for Los Angeles, but did get an agent and started doing theater and work from their Chandler home.

“I love coming back to Arizona,” Casey said. “I love New York for the opportunities it provides. But Arizona is always home to me.”

Casey Likes, conducting a workshop at Chandler High, watches students perform.

(David Minton/Staff Photographer)

-Katharine Hepburn

$2M grant aim at big Chandler Airport runway problem

BY KEN SAIN Managing Editor

A hotspot at the Chandler Municipal Airport is being addressed after decades of causing delays for local pilots and constant monitoring for controllers.

The City Council agreed to accept a grant for more than $2 million to extend Taxiway B at the airport from the Arizona Department of Transportation (ADOT). The state money will cover the entire cost of the project so the city will not have to contribute anything.

“This is called the November Loop, and this has been identified by the FAA (Federal Aviation Authority) as what they call a hotspot,” said Ryan Reeves, the airport manager.

It’s been a problem since 1994, when the city acquired the land west of Cooper Road to expand the airport by adding a second runway.

Here’s the issue:

Planes are lined up on Taxiway A waiting to take off on the first runway when planes are coming from the northeast and leaving to the southwest. (It may be the other direction, depending on the wind).

Planes landing on the second runway often turn off at the point where the first runway begins because there is no

taxiway extending past that point.

So there is a bottleneck of pilots waiting to take off, planes actually taking off, and aircraft that just landed trying to cut across to get to their hangar or assigned spot.

The extension of Taxiway B will take planes that just landed to about a third of the first runway where they can cross

safely without having to deal with a departing plane.

“What this does is it speeds up the efficiency of the airport tremendously,” Reeves said.

This is phase one of the project. Phase 2 would be to extend the same taxiway down to match the length of the second runway. Funding for that phase has

not been secured yet. Reeves said that remains part of the Airport Capital Improvement Plan, but is years away from becoming reality.

Reeves said since ADOT is paying for the project, they get to decide on the construction timetable. He said the best case scenario is that engineering firms will begin working on the design in the next three to four months and that construction will begin soon after.

Because that area is a hotspot and widely used, it will cause some logistical headaches during construction.

“This is working in the most sensitive parts of the field,” Reeves said. “It’s got to go through several divisions of the FAA and get cleared. The tower has to do basic airspace studies that say, on days such as today, we will be closing the November Loop, which is going to impact operations. We have to have a plan regionally as to where all that traffic goes.”

Reeves said he wasn’t surprised ADOT stepped forward to deal with the hotspot.

“It wasn’t surprising that we got the funding. It’s a big problem, this little traffic jam we got,” he said. “It carries a little more weight because it was tied to the hotspot, and traffic inefficiencies. So this is a big, big win for them, and us.”

Chandler Unified students dive into e-sports

BY KEN SAIN Managing Editor

This is the first year that e-sports are recognized as an official activity by the Arizona Interscholastic Association.

Basha High School coach Reilly Sehl says he hopes this debut changes perspectives: e-sports may center around video games, but the competition is fierce and the rewards are great.

“College e-sports was over a billion-dollar industry, including scholarships,” Sehl said, noting that the best professional e-sports players earn millions of dollars.

The inaugural AIA e-sports season is underway with the playoffs set to begin in mid-April.

Sehl said that 105 Arizona schools are fielding teams this year and the Bears are in playoff contention for all three games that the AIA has recognized for this year’s championships. The three games are League of Legends, Super Smash and Rocket League.

All six Chandler Unified high schools have teams, though Basha is one of the few with players for all three games, Sehl said.

“Video games are not something that people usually brag about,” said sophomore Jigo Mahinay, who plays Super Smash. “But when you take it to a competitive level, I love that e-sports can let

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Jayden Tang, background, and Marek Talaga prepare for an e-sports match at Basha High School. This is the first year the Arizona Interscholastic Association has recognized e-sports. (Ken Sain/Managing Editor)

E-SPORTS

from Page 8

people see how good you are at something.”

Sehl said he was an athlete growing up and coached football. He said coaches treat e-sports the same as they do other sports.

“We analyze film, just like we did in football,” Sehl said. “We scout opponents, we come with up with strategies.”

There are some differences.

The district does not have the space inside the school’s cybersecurity building to have people attend their competitions, so organizers improvised. All of their matches are available to stream online.

That will change for the first state championships, where competitors and fans will all be in the same building.

Basha has had an e-sports team for years. Many of the players on the e-sports team are part of the school’s award-winning cybersecurity program, Sehl said.

The season started the last week of January but is considered a spring sport and will end with the state championships that conclude April 29 or May 6.

Sehl said League of Legends is probably the most popular game in the world, with more people watching streaming of that game play than watched the Super Bowl.

Rocket League is described as soccer with one change. Instead of players chasing the ball, cars chase the ball. Super Smash is a typical fighting game.

The goal in the first year is to change perspectives and build a strong foundation for the sport to grow, Sehl said.

“A lot of my students, some play traditional sports, but there’s a lot that don’t. So, trying to bring in that kind of sport mentality in terms of practices, in terms of those who create routines. We’re building the culture.”

He said as students learn about the sport, they want to join. So his team is growing. He said they are also upgrading their equipment, including getting new furniture. He said he may have to limit that growth because they are running out of equipment.

“I have new students coming in every day,” Sehl said. “And the more equipment we have, the more dedicated room we have, it’s only going to continue to grow. We’re actually almost running out of resources now.”

From the back, Dylan Cappella, Mason O’leary, and Brayden Horn get ready to rumble in an e-sports match at Basha High School.

CUSD settles vaping suit, won’t discuss terms

BY KEN SAIN Managing Editor

The Chandler Unified School District has settled its lawsuit against Juul Labs Inc. and other vaping companies but officials are not giving any details about it.

“Under advice of counsel, we cannot comment on the terms and conditions of the agreement between Chandler Unified School District and Juul Labs Inc. at this time,” said district spokeswoman Stephanie Ingersoll.

The district said in a follow-up statement that it could not disclose details because of a confidentiality clause in the agreement.

“While the District recognizes public policy favors disclosure of public records, the countervailing interests of confidentiality and the best interests of the state prevent disclosure of the settlement agreement,” the statement said.

“The terms of the settlement agreement are confidential; the confidentiality terms were carefully negotiated between the parties. Release of the settlement would entail a substantial disclosure of defendants’ confidential commercial information.’”

The CUSD Governing Board approved the settlement without comment March

8 in connection with a lawsuit the district filed on March 7, 2022.

It was one of hundreds filed by school districts across the country against the tobacco company, seeking compensation because they had to deal with the fallout of a teen vaping epidemic.

In the lawsuits, districts claim they had to devote resources to monitoring and policing vaping in school. Many started education campaigns to warn students and parents of the dangers of vaping. Both Kyrene and Tempe Union school districts have filed similar suits but have not settled yet.

The districts accused Juul and others of marketing directly to children.

The Wall Street Journal reported in December that Juul had agreed to settle more than 5,000 cases with 10,000 plaintiffs filed against them by school districts, local governments and individuals

for about $1.7 billion.

The company had agreed in September to settle a multi-state investigation for $438.5 million.

Juul offered fruit and candy flavors, which proved popular with many teens. It is illegal for anyone younger than 18 to purchase e-cigarettes.

CUSD says it will use whatever money they get from the settlement to address vaping.

“We anticipate the settlement being used as compensatory redistribution by means of prevention, intervention and postvention programming to address the problems of youth nicotine and vaping addiction,” Ingersoll wrote.

The Palm Beach Post reported Palm Beach County School Board settled for more than $10 million over five years. The Chicago Tribune reported District U-46 settled for $1.2 million.

There are about 192,000 students in the Palm Beach district and 35,000 in the U-46 district. CUSD has about 45,000 students.

In other news from the March 8 meeting, the district is placing orders to purchase more school buses. What’s different is they are 2025 buses.

Lana Berry, the district’s CFO, said

they have to purchase them this early because of supply chain shortages that are slowing down delivery. She said the district is still waiting delivery of buses it bought 18 months ago.

The Governing Board approved spending more than $1.8 million to buy 10 2024 special education buses and $2.5 million to purchase 10 2025 general education buses.

“Our orders that we placed in May of 2021 are still not here,” Berry told the board. She said while they are waiting for delivery, the bus manufacturers could raise the price and give the district a take it or leave it demand, knowing there are other districts in need of buses.

“We’re really at … their mercy,” Berry said. “We really need the buses.”

In addition to the buses the Governing Board approved the purchase of six smaller 2025 buses for $1.7 million. They have room for 47 passengers, the others seat 84. These would be for athletics teams and other smaller needs.

The district also added to its White Fleet by agreeing to buy eight Chevrolet 2023 vans for support services and one Equinox.

The total price of the 35 vehicles is $6.48 million.

City’s annual Family Bike Ride rolls Saturday

BY THE CITY OF CHANDLER

April is Valley Bike Month, and all throughout the region, valley cities celebrate. Can there be a better place to enjoy moderate temperatures, beautiful scenery, and friends and neighbors bonding and sharing their great cycling experiences in our community?

Chandler began its Bike Month celebration 15 years ago with its first annual Chandler Family Bike Ride. It has gone through some changes over the years, especially during the pandemic, but planners are excited for the 2023 event. This year riders can join the in-person group ride on Saturday, April 1 or a virtual event from Monday, March 27- Sunday, April 2.

Nancy Jackson works in the City’s Transportation Policy Division as a transportation planning coordinator and looks forward to helping organize and plan the Family Bike Ride.

“I am excited that we’re celebrating 15 years of the family bike ride event this year,” she said. “It’s such a fun event, and I love seeing some of the same families returning year after year.”

The event begins at 7:30 a.m., with check-in and on-site registration at the Chandler Park and Ride lot located at 2100 S. Hamilton St., (southwest corner of Germann Road and Hamilton Street), in Tumbleweed Park.

There will be vendors on site, bike

safety checks and a bike safety rodeo for youth.

Mayor Kevin Hartke will welcome everyone to the event, and then the guided 7.8 mile ride with the Chandler Police Department Bike Team will begin at 8:30 a.m. Riders will travel along the Paseo Trail to Tibshraeny Park and back, and will receive a free treat from Kona Ice upon their return to the Chandler Park and Ride lot.

Participants are encouraged to register online at chandleraz.gov/FamilyBikeRide whether they will be in person, or virtual.

New this year, Bob’s Free Bikes will participate by accepting bike donations. Unwanted bicycles are repaired by Bob’s Free Bikes and recycled back to children in the community.

Whether you are participating in the Family Bike Ride or not, help create magic in the life of a child by dropping off your donated bikes at the Chandler Park and Ride on Saturday, April 1, from 7:3010:30 a.m. or at the Downtown Chandler Public Library on Wednesday, March 29, from 5-8 p.m.

A special program, Lessons of a BMX Lifer, will be presented at the Chandler Downtown Library on March 29 from 6-7 p.m. Chandler’s Rachael Lea Blackwell is one of the living legends of BMX Racing, from riding to coaching and track operating, she has been involved at all levels.

Rachael will present the life lessons BMX has provided her, and how your family can get started riding. She will cover BMX fundamentals, terminology,

equipment, and safety.

Lastly, Rachael will reveal a little lore behind the Chandler BMX track, which has been instrumental in the history of Chandler and the BMX World.

The purpose of Valley Bike Month is to encourage everyone to consider biking as an alternative to driving.

Whether it’s for your commute to work, to enjoy your community parks and amenities, or even for quick trips to the grocery store or to run errands, biking is a great alternative to get you where you want to go.

Chandler has 350 miles of bike lanes, 17 miles of paved shared use paths and 24 miles of unpaved shared use paths, providing endless opportunities to get out and explore.

“We live in a beautiful community, and typically enjoy beautiful weather this time of year,” Jackson said.

“We hope this annual event encourages everyone to get out and enjoy our city and connect with others through this shared experience. Don’t forget to use the hashtag, #BikeChandler, when sharing online.”

Thanks to the event sponsors SRP, Phoenix Children’s Hospital, Global Bikes and Kona Ice for their support of the Chandler Family Bike Ride. For more information about the event, and to register, visit chandleraz.gov/FamilyBikeRide.

Don’t let yard clean up stress you out

The City has a free tool lending program offering basic yard tools that residents may borrow to clean up their property. To learn more about Tools on the Go, visit chandleraz.gov/tools

Mayor Kevin Hartke will lead Chandler families on the city’s annual family cycling event this Saturday. (Submitted)

City’s DEI director undaunted by diversity attacks

BY KEN SAIN Managing Editor AND HOWARD FISCHER Capitol Media Services

If you look at some of the headlines around the nation it becomes clear there is a new target in the nation’s culture wars: DEI (Diversity, Equity and Inclusion).

“DEI policies promote homogenity, inequality and exclusion,” – Dallas Morning News.

“(Florida) Gov. DeSantis hosts roundtable exposing the DEI scam in high education.” – Florida Governor’s website.

There’s also an effort in Arizona to go after DEI.

Saying he was doing what the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. would have wanted, a Queen Creek senator got Republican colleagues last week to vote to outlaw diversity, equity and inclusion programs in state and local governments and the university system.

SB 1694, crafted by Sen. Jake Hoffman, bans the use of government money for any such program. It also forbids a public agency from requiring workers to engage in those programs, allowing those employees to sue.

But Hoffman told colleagues that he’s not against the ideas. What he opposes, he said, is what these programs include, ideas Hoffman argued actually work against the concepts of inclusion and equality.

“That’s a problem,’’ he said.

“The bill says we don’t want public entities influencing the composition of

their workforce based on race,’’ Hoffman said.

He then quoted a line from King about children living “in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character.’’

“This bill seeks to do what MLK Jr. advocated for,’’ he said.

But Sen. Juan Mendez, D-Tempe, said proponents fail to understand that not everyone is coming from the same starting point and born with the same advantages.

“For those of us who did not win the cultural lottery, much of one’s life outcome can still be predicted by the biases

towards race, class, ability and identity,’’ he said.

“Diversity, equity and inclusion programs are only set out to help us understand and prepare our citizens for what it means to live in a diverse and inclusive society,’’ he said.

As approved, SB 1694 has a laundry list of what would be off limits.

For example, programs could not describe or expose systems, relations of power, privilege or subordination on the basis of race, sex, color, gender, ethnicity, gender identity or sexual orientation. Nor could they describe methods to dismantle or oppose those systems.

Also off limits would be advancing any theories ranging from unconscious or implicit bias and systemic oppression to inclusive language and neopronouns. Also outlawed would be concepts of “anti-racism.’’ Hoffman describes that as the idea that “the only answer to past racial discrimination is present discrimination.’’

All of that, he said, goes to what he said is the goal of SB 1694 to treat people as equals.

The party-line vote late Monday now sends the measure to the Republican-controlled House.

Even if both chambers approve it, proponents would have to convince Democratic Gov. Katie Hobbs to sign it. So, it’s prospects for becoming law this year are not good, given her veto earlier this month of a bill that would have banned teaching Critical Race Theory.

Niki Tapia, the DEI program manager for the City of Chandler, said despite the new national and state focus on such programs, things are going well in Chandler.

Her office has evolved from mostly sponsoring cultural festivals to focusing more on making city government a more welcoming place to work.

“Most people in Chandler that we work with want to learn about their neighbors, they want to work together,” said Tapia,

The city in partnership with Fortis Femina sponsors Chandler Contigo, a festival showcasing Chandler’s diverse Hispanic community. (File photo)

Mesnard pushes state to obey constitutional debt limit

BY HOWARD FISCHER Capitol Media Services

The way Sen. J.D. Mesnard sees it, when the people who crafted the Arizona Constitution put in a $350,000 debt limit, they weren’t kidding.

And now the South Chandler Republican wants voters to reaffirm that and close some of the forms of creative financing that lawmakers have used for years to get around that – a move that effectively would forever kill forms of borrowing that lawmakers have used for years.

His SCR 1033 proposes to add some specific strings to that $350,000 debt limit so that lawmakers could no longer simply find more creative ways to borrow money during financial downturns.

That’s exactly what happened more than a decade ago when Gov. Jan Brewer and state lawmakers, facing a $3 billion shortfall, agreed to sell off some state buildings and then lease them back until they owned them again.

Lawyers said it really wasn’t “borrowing’’ as the state could have theoretically stopped payments and let the lenders keep the buildings. But that was never a realistic option, as the list included everything from state prisons to where the House and Senate meet.

Also off limits would be a similar scheme now used to finance construction of new state buildings. Instead, the state would have to have the cash up

front.

And gone would be the financial sleight-of-hand of putting off payment of one year’s obligations into the following fiscal year, a maneuver still being used, to comply with the constitutional requirement that the books be balanced each year on June 30.

That last provision, if approved by voters, would have immediate implications.

It would mean that the $800 million “rollover’’ of state aid owed to public schools that began a decade ago – and still on the books –would have to be paid off, immediately.

Existing debts would be unaffected.

SCR 1033 would not impair the power of universities to float bonds for projects, nor the ability of the state Department of Transportation to borrow money for road-construction projects as long as the debt was paid from future gasoline taxes and vehicle registration fees. But everything else above $350,000 would become illegal going forward.

All that still leaves the question of whether a debt ceiling set in 1912 is appropriate in 2024 and beyond, in perpetuity.

Mesnard conceded that Arizona is a lot bigger now than it was at the time of statehood, when only about 217,000 people lived here. The latest population figure is close to 7.5 million, a growth factor of close to 35.

Add to that the fact that what was $350,000 in 1912 calculates out to about $10.5 million now.

But Mesnard said he wants to go back to the original intent of the framers who he insisted had to know what they were talking about when they put in the $350,000 debt cap, with no allowance for either population growth or inflation.

The problem, he told Capitol Media Services, is that the constitutional provision has become “meaningless.’’

“Eventually, we’re going to wind up in a situation where people are going to be tempted to incur more debt to finance government,’’ Mesnard said.

Only thing is, state lawmakers would have fewer tools the next time the bottom drops out of the economy.

That’s what happened in 2009, when the state found a $3 billion gap between a $9 billion expense plan and anticipated revenues.

Lawmakers, at the behest of Brewer, cut spending by $1 billion and got voters to approve a temporary one-cent sales tax to raise another $1 billion a year.

And the balance was made up by selling off a variety of state buildings to private investors in the form of “certificates of participation’’ and then making regular lease payments until the debt was paid off.

All that came with a price tag in the

See MESNARD on Page 17

South Chandler state Sen. J.D. Mesnard wants Arizona to follow the Arizona Construction’s limit on debt that can be occurred by state government. (Capitol Media Services)

MESNARD from Page 16

form of annual interest payments the state had to make well into the Ducey administration before it was all paid off. But it prevented the state from having to make even deeper cuts in spending.

That option to salvage the budget with borrowed money would be off the table the next time revenues tank. But Mesnard said that’s not a bad thing.

“In the moment, it could seem like this is the right thing to do,’’ he said.

“But what we’re sort of ignoring is all that debt we’ve incurred, someone is going to have to pay for,’’ Mesnard said. “So I would say, that’s the worst option, actually incurring debt that we’re kicking down the road.’’

SCR 1033 contains no exceptions other than what was put into the constitution in 1912: repel invasion, suppress insurrection or defend the state in time of war.

And if the choice is even larger cuts in state services? Mesnard said that won’t be necessary if future legislators do better planning.

“It does create greater incentive to make sure you are a little bit restrained, especially if you’re seeing that on the horizon you’re going to have a downturn coming,’’ he said.

“I think it incentivizes responsibility,’’ Mesnard said, such as making regular deposits into the state’s “rainy day fund.’’

He acknowledged that fund is equal to just 10% of the state budget – far less than the 33% deficit the state faced in

2009. But Mesnard said that there are other options, like getting voters to approve a tax hike.

“But this idea of incurring ongoing debt on a one-time basis, that is the worst option,’’ he said.

Senate Minority Leader Mitzi Epstein had a different take on what Mesnard wants to do.

“This is nuts,’’ said the Tempe Democrat during floor debate on the measure.

“This would mean, basically, that the state cannot take out any loans.’’

What it also does, she said, is ignore the financial reality that businesses understand: Sometimes borrowing makes sense.

“If we want government to run like a business, then we need to be able to take out loans,’’ she said.

And it’s not just business.

Most Arizonans, when purchasing a home, don’t wait until they have accumulated the cash. Instead they take out a mortgage, similar to how the state has constructed several new buildings.

Mesnard rejected the comparison.

“The average person also doesn’t have to buy a new home or homes every single year as the state does,’’ he said. And each new “mortgage,’’ Mesnard said, adds to the state debt.

The measure cleared the Republican-controlled Senate earlier this month on a party-line vote and awaits House action.

Approval there would send it to the 2024 ballot; the governor gets no say on such referrals.

Around Chandler

City making big changes to Gazelle Meadows Park

There are some big changes in the works for Gazelle Meadows Park, some of them the things that members of the community have been asking for. They include a lighted basketball court and a skate plaza.

Other changes are not as exciting, improving the drainage system.

The City Council needs to approve the final design of the park. The city’s Park & Recreation Board approved recommendations for a concept plan for improvements at Gazelle Meadows at its March 7 meeting.

“This is just a part of our program of continuing to reinvest in our neighborhood parks and get good community feedback,” said John Sefton, the city’s community services director. “And obviously the team’s excited to bring this type of new and different amenities, but it’s all driven off of the community input.”

The city has been soliciting feedback from neighbors for months. First, they asked residents during the September Chandler Contigo celebration for their thoughts. They encouraged residents to fill out an online survey. There was a community meeting at Galveston Elementary in October and then city staff met with community stakeholders in February.

The top desire they heard from resi-

How Will They Know?

dents was a basketball court with lights. That is part of the concept that the Parks & Recreation Board approved. Another major enhancement is a skate park. It won’t be specifically for skateboards, but can be used by bicyclists as well, Sefton said.

Chandler man allegedly killed his wife in front of their 4 kids

A Chandler man has been jailed on a first-degree murder charge for allegedly fatally shooting his wife in their apartment while their four children were there shortly before noon on March 14. Police said when they arrived at the complex in the 2000 lock of W. Frye Road, the suspect, Mohammad Alkurdi, 38, and the couple’s four children, all under 9, were outside. The victim’s name was not released because police were seeking next of kin. The children are being cared for by relatives. Counselors have been assigned to work with them.

City moves its Easter Celebration to Downtown

The City of Chandler is moving its Family Easter Celebration to A.J. Chan-

dler Park in Downtown. It is scheduled for 5:30-8:30 p.m. April 7 and there is no admission charge.

Children can hunt for eggs filled with candy and prizes on the 24 Karrot Trail. Any child who finds the Golden Karrot gets a special prize. The trail will be open until the eggs run out.

There also will be carnival games, a prize wheel, inflatable attractions and photos with the Easter bunny. Visit chandleraz.gov/easter for more information.

Chandler Jewish community celebrates Purim

March 6-7 marked the Jewish holiday of Purim, which marks the story of how Mordechai and his cousin Esther saved the Jews from destruction by Haman, a Persian noble.

“Purim gives the message of courage and strength to look for the hidden hand of God because he will never abandon you,” explained a spokeswoman for Congregation NefeshSoul, a reform Jewish congregation located in Chandler on the west side of the I-10 and Ray Road. “It also provides a message of strength for people to use their own resources in times of difficulty.”

Purim was recently celebrated at Congregation NefeshSoul with a play put on by congregants and Cantor Rodger, who penned the work.

Information: NefeshSoul@gmail.com.

Stretch Authority offer golfers free stretching at charity event

Golfers can help enhance your game and prevent injuries with Stretch Authority’s experts at the Chandler Compadres’ 2023 Golf Tournament at Whirlwind Golf Course on April 7 with a free 10-minute stretching for all golfers from 7-10 a.m. prior to the shotgun start. “Our team of experts will be there to help you warm up, increase your flexibility, and improve your performance on the course,” the clinic said in a release..

Groups interested in having Stretch Authority for an event can email

friends@stretchauthority.com

Seminar shows businesses how to bid for government work

The City of Chandler’s Economic Development Division and Management Services Department are partnering with the Arizona Department of Administration to host a free workshop for small and mid-size businesses interested in learning about the city/state procurement processes.

The lunch and learn workshop will take place April 13 from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. at the Cambria Phoenix-Chandler Fashion Center Hotel, 3165 W. Frye Road, Chandler.

“Small and mid-size businesses play such an important role in our community,” said Councilmember OD Harris. “Providing them with the knowledge and resources to compete for government contracts is one way to show our support and help them succeed.”

The workshop will include a series of presentations with a focus on doing business in the City of Chandler, the importance and benefits of registering your business, and expert tips to help your business prepare for and win local/ state government contracts.

The workshop is free but registration is required. Register at bit.ly/3LCfXuC.

City offers its HOA Academy

The City of Chandler is offering its Homeowners Association Academy for any residents interested in serving on an HOA board, or just in how their homeowner association operates.

Sessions are scheduled from 5 to 6:30 p.m., on Wednesdays from April 5 through April 19. They will take place at the Chandler Museum, 300 S. Chandler Village Drive.

The first session on April 5 is on how to deal with difficult homeowners; the second on April 13 is a HOA bootcamp, learning the basics. The final session on

The Art at the Lakes committee presented a check to the Arizona Fire & Medical Authority’s Captain Nate Stringfellow and his crew. The Sun Lakes group raised $15,750. From left, Diane Hitt, Joyce Weary, Kathy Lawson, Lynda Schug, Ricki O’Keeffe and MJ Clement. Capt. Stringfellow also told the women some of the wonderful projects that the AFMA Firefighter Charities supports. (Photo by Brian Curry)

AROUND

from Page 18

April 19 is a virtual Q&A. All sessions are free.

Register at www.chandleraz.gov/ HOAacademy.

Help residents get a fresh start

The City of Chandler’s Community Development & Resources Division is asking for household goods to help people who have recently moved into housing.

The city helps people find housing and then tries to give them a good start by providing move-in kits with household goods.

They need items such as shampoo, body wash, deodorant, queen-size bed sheets, pillows, toilet paper, paper towels, air mattresses, towels, and paper plates.

Donations should be neutral colors. To help, visit www.chandleraz.gov/ MoveInKits.

Working America exhibit opens at museum

The photographer exhibit “Working America” is now on display at the Chandler Museum through May 21. Artist Sam Comes presents immigrants and first-generation Americans working in skilled trades in a way to highlight the American experience.

The museum is located at 300 S. Chandler Village Drive and open Tuesday-Saturday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sundays 1 to 5 p.m. Admission is free.

Chandler Chamber accepting Community Awards nominations

The Chandler Chamber of Commerce is accepting nominations for its annual Community Awards through April 7. This will be the 36th year the Chandler Chamber has recognized top businesses, educators, and public servants. The winners will be announced at a ceremony on June 1.

For information on how to submit nominations, email info@chandlerchamber.com.

Semicolon Society to host community mental health event

Chandler nonprofit Semicolon Society, which provides free community mental health education and events, with a focus on suicide prevention, is kicking off its Community Hope Project series, and every event will include a community discussion related to mental health as well as an experiential activity to build community and family connection.

The first event is scheduled from 5-7 p.m. April 28 at the Chandler Community Center courtyard, 125 E. Commonwealth Ave. There will be a discussion about mental health needs and resources in the community, and participants will be painting rocks with messages of hope for the community.

The event is free and family friendly. For registration and information, visit semicolonsociety.org/events

World’s largest Easter pageant begins Thursday

BY SRIANTHI PERERA

Contributor

The world’s largest annual Easter pageant begins a two-week run Wednesday, March 29, on the grounds of the Mesa Arizona Temple.

“Jesus the Christ” at the The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints temple usually draws at least 100,000 people.

It entails more than 400 cast members (including a donkey and sheep), over 1,000 costumes and and upgraded sound and lighting system that requires the help of 45-ton cranes to install.

Thousands of volunteers form into committees for stage production, security and frontline work – including laying out over 9,000 chairs on the temple grounds.

“The pageant generally is one of those treasures, I think, unique to the world in general, but specific to our little Mesa community,” said Trevor Orme, who plays the shared role of Jesus. “And as big as it is, it surprises me how few people have either heard of it or, if they have, haven’t come to it.

“Just the experience of being there is one to remember,” he added.

The free, 70-minute outdoor musical dramatization highlights the key moments of the life of Jesus Christ from birth to resurrection as detailed in the King James version of the Bible.

Last year, after a hiatus of three years due to an extensive renovation of the Temple complex and the pandemic, a completely new version of the pageant was introduced.

The script and score were rewritten under the direction of Gilbert composer Rob Gardner while the London Symphony Orchestra recorded the soundtrack.

A backdrop of a large LED screen that helps simulate various scenes such as the flowing sea and ferocious storms, sophisticated special effects and the stateof-the-art sound and light technology are among the updates.

“I would hate to use word spectacle because it makes it trite, but it really is an experience,” said Ben Mason, who plays Peter the Apostle.

How does such a large production come together?

“I like to think of it as a puzzle,” said Jenee Prince, pageant director. “We’ll

start with the edge pieces and get some of those scenes done and then all of the loose framework from there.”

The process begins as far back as August, when the community is invited to audition. By early December, actors are chosen and new costuming and repairs to costumes are underway.

Committees are formed for makeup, sound, props, stage crew, music, lighting, publicity and the other myriad aspects that must work to perfection to put on a production that parallels one on Broadway.

The first rehearsal, when everyone meets for the first time, takes place on a Saturday in March. For many days thereafter, the core cast meets and rehearses before the first dress rehearsal.

“It comes together very, very quickly and that’s by having so many people in place to do different things,” Prince said.

“So many moving parts work separately together and we all coordinate and collaborate on what we do. People are constantly working to put their pieces into the puzzle.”

She added, “I think the biggest challenge for me is making sure that it feels and it looks right, that it represents the subject matter of the Savior’s life in the way that we want it to. That’s the most important thing for me.”

The Easter pageant had a modest beginning in 1938 as a sunrise service on the Mesa Temple grounds. It was a conclusion for a statewide convention that evolved over the years to became an annual event and a beloved community tradition.

The cast and crew are not professional actors and they deem it a calling in the church. Everyone volunteers their time and service.

Prince was born and raised in Mesa and attended Westwood High School. She remembers seeing the pageant as a young girl, little dreaming that she would be directing it one day.

At college, she trained in the theater arts and cultivated a strong musical background. Today, she works as a fine arts director overseeing a cluster of schools.

In 2004, she was asked to be an assistant director for the show and transitioned to be the director in 2012.

“I was so excited about it,” she said. “I love people and love gathering with people and especially in the community. I’ve lived in Mesa my whole life. I’m grateful to be a small part of such a big community event.”

To Prince, the position is not one of being in charge.

“I think of it as a big opportunity to link arms with so many like-minded people in the community,” she said.

A lawyer in Mesa, Orme has played roles in the pageant since he was 17, including Joseph in the Nativity scenes, a sepulcher angel, Adam and as the crucified Jesus Christ.

Orme is not trained in theater or music, but is comfortable on stage, he said.

That may have something to do with being chosen to play Jesus Christ. He shares the role with two others.

“Just being in the pageant itself means a lot,” he said. “Being able to play this particular role has increased meaning. I love doing this role because of how it makes me feel and for how I hope to help others feel.”

As Jesus, he’s on stage about 80 percent of the time. On the days he is not playing Jesus, he will be part of the greater multitude cast with his three small daughters.

A lawyer in Gilbert, Mason settled in the East Valley 12 years ago. With his theater background in school, he was chosen to play Jesus last year. “I’m incredibly humbled to get cast in that role and I just did the best I could,” he said.

Mason said the experience was “fantastic.”

“It definitely brought me and my family closer to Christ to help me better understand everything that he went through,” he said.

The other aspect was strengthening community bonds. He values the relationships made with the other members of the cast.

“When you have those tight relationships and form those friendships in the context of all of us also growing closer to Christ at the same time, I think it makes those bonds even stronger,” he said.

If you go

Mesa Easter Pageant

WHEN: 8 p.m. March 29-April 1; April 4-8.

WHERE: North lawn of the Mesa Arizona Temple, 101 S. Lesueur, Mesa COST: Free

PARKING: As parking is limited, attendees are encouraged to use Valley Metro Light Rail.

INFO: mesatemple.org/easter-program

The large cast and crew in the Mesa Arizona Temple Easter Pageant only starts rehearsing a few weeks before the annual run starts and yet it comes of as flawlessly as a long-running Broadway musical. (File photo)

Kids Camp Preview

Nonprofit’s summer camp offers girls mentorship

SANTAN SUN NEWS STAFF

Girls Mentorship, an organization designed “to empower girls to be the best versions of themselves,” has scheduled summer camps with programs for girls ages 10-13.

Girls Mentorship notes that mentors are more needed than ever for young girls, noting surveys showing 7 in 10 girls don’t believe they are good enough and studies have found that the mental health of young girls took a hit during the pandemic.

“Our youths’ declining mental health poses a huge threat to the overall health of our communities and society,” said Mary Frances Foran, CEO/co-founder of Girls Mentorship.

“We wanted to build a support system that we so desperately needed as girls, and the reception in the community has been huge.”

Pursue More Summer Camp is an all-inclusive, high-spirited program designed to develop girls’ life skills through struc-

tured, engaging activities and games, interactive discussions and journaling.

“Girls are introduced to self-awareness and learn how to cultivate respect, responsibility and empathy,” the non-

profit said in a release. “All activities are designed to challenge girls to step outside of their comfort zones and embrace their full potential.”

“At the end of each day, your daughter

will have built meaningful relationships with herself and her peers while gaining valuable tools and skills that will benefit her far beyond camp,” said Girls Mentorship co-founder/Chief People Officer Jill Petersen.

Pursue More Summer Camp is available in three different week-long sessions in June and July, with programming running from 9 a.m. - 3 p.m. each day.

Pricing is $599 per week and single-day drop in is available for $125. Sibling discounts and extended care hours are available.

The camp will be at Rancho Solano Prep School in Scottsdale June 5-9, June 19-23 and July 10-14.

Since launching Girls Mentorship in 2020, Foran and Petersen have created a variety of in-person and virtual workshops that support their mission. In fall 2022, Girls Mentorship was awarded $20,000 for the work they are doing for tween girls.

Information: girlsmentorship.com.

Pursue More Summer Camp for girls ages 10-13 offers an all-inclusive, high-spirited program designed to develop the life skills of young girls.

Short-term landlords disappointed by game

BY BENJAMIN GOTTLIEB Guest Writer

Many people anticipated record demand for short-term rentals in the Valley during the week of the Super Bowl and Waste Management Open.

Many investors reportedly obtained record rates for their rentals (shorttermrentalz.com/news/ super-bowl-arizona-rental-bookings) but many other short-term rental operators found their units vacant or demand lower than expected.

For instance, one manager of 95 units was surprised that half his homes were empty over Super Bowl weekend: businessinsider.com/phoenix-airbnb-superbowl-weekend-short-term-rental-market-2023-2.

Short-term rental proponents in Arizona advocate their benefits, though among among others they remain controversial. Some experts think the popularity and potential financial upside has led to the market becoming oversaturated.

Guests like short-term rentals for,

among other reasons, their convenience, comfort, amenities, freedom, and privacy. Investors like them due to increased cash flow and profitability over longterm rentals. Neighbors enjoy riding the wave of higher property prices due to short-term rentals that exist nearby.

The Arizona Department of Revenue doesn’t seem to mind the increased revenue short-term rentals generate. And, of course, there are those who do not want the government to overregulate private property use.

On the other end of spectrum, however, are people, communities, towns and cities who strongly oppose shortterm rentals.

The primary objection to shortterm rentals is that they promote nuisance-like behavior and serve as a haven for “party houses.”

Opponents claim short-term rentals result in noise, littering, excessive drinking and smoking, and other irresponsible behavior. This, in turn, devalues neighborhoods, communities, and cities at large.

The Arizona Legislature addressed short-term rentals in 2016 by passing a state law that tied the hands of cities

and towns, prohibiting them from outlawing short-term rentals and providing uniformity statewide in the short-term rental space.

Since the state law was passed, homeowner associations have invoked their majority-vote-amendment-clauses in the governing documents to amend the covenants, conditions, and restrictions to prohibit short-term rentals.

Last year, the Arizona Supreme Court issued an opinion in Kalway v. Calabria Ranch HOA, LLC, 252 Ariz. 532, 506 P.3d 18 (2022) that arguably makes it more di cult for homeowner associations to amend their governing documents, including the ability to prohibit short-term rentals.

Some people are challenging recent amendments that were “validly” passed based on the new opinion.

In 2019, Gov. Doug Ducey signed into law an amendment to the state shortterm rental law, seeking to strike a compromise with opponents of short-term rentals.

The amendment provided cities and towns with additional ammunition in their fight to regulate short-term rentals.

For instance, cities and towns could require owners of short-term rental properties to provide the city or town with the owner’s contact information, and

with clients and committed to hard work, listen and follow through effectively, to help buyers and sellers accomplish ownership and/or relocation real estate needs.

Always happy to help, speaking English and Spanish. Call today with any real estate related questions.

short-term rentals were not to be used for nonresidential uses such as renting a home in order to host a party.

In 2022, another amendment was passed. The 2022 amendment permits cities and towns to further regulate short term rentals by, among other things, issuing civil penalties for failure to provide contact information and requiring an owner of a short-term rental to obtain a local permit to operate a shortterm rental.

Several cities and towns have recently amended their rules and codes regarding short-term rentals, including Glendale, Scottsdale, Mesa, Tempe, and Paradise Valley.

There is a healthy debate as to whether now is a good time to enter the shortterm rental business.

What is not in dispute is that shortterm rental operators and those a ected by them need to stay abreast of the updated rules in their local jurisdiction as well as monitoring HOA rules pertaining to short-term rentals.

Benjamin L. Gottlieb is the founding partner of Gottlieb Law and an Arizona Department of Real Estate-approved instructor who teaches continuing education courses on real estate law to Realtors. Reach him at 602-899-8188 or benjamin@gottlieblawaz.com.

IRS changes a ect what homeowners can deduct

Homeowners looking for deductible expenses on their federal income tax should be aware of all the changes ushered in by the new tax plan, the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act.

The biggest change for 2022? The standard deduction jumped a couple of hundred dollars for taxpayers to $12,950 for individuals, $19,400 for heads of household, and $25,900 for married couples filing jointly.

This higher number means you need to dig into all of your home expenses to see if their total sum tops the standard deduction, depending on your filing status. (If the total doesn’t surpass it, then you’ll just take the standard deduction on your taxes when you file.)

Here’s a list of all the tax breaks for homeowners.

Mortgage interest. In the past, you could deduct the interest from up to $1 million in mortgage debt (or $500,000 if you filed singly).

“But for loans taken out from Dec. 15, 2017, onward, only the interest on the first $750,000 of mortgage debt is deductible,” said William L. Hughes, a cer-

tified public accountant.

Mortgages are structured so that you start o paying more interest than principal. For example, in the first year of a $300,000, 30-year loan at a fixed 4% interest rate, you’d be deducting $10,920.

Note that taking this deduction under the new tax law requires itemizing deductions, but it may be worth the hassle, especially for new homeowners.

Mortgage points. If you bought a home and paid points, then you can still deduct those from your taxes. They must be “true,” or discount, points, not origination points.

After all, points are essentially mortgage interest that you prepay, so it makes sense that they’d be treated like the rest of your mortgage interest. Each point is 1% of the loan amount, so if you paid 2 points on that $300,000 loan, you can deduct $6,000.

Private mortgage insurance. Not so great news here: You can no longer deduct the interest on private mortgage insurance (PMI). Homeowners had a reprieve last year when the Mortgage

Insurance Tax Deduction Act of 2021 passed, which reinstated certain deductions and credits for homeowners.

But according to the IRS, “the itemized deduction for mortgage insurance premiums has expired.” So, they cannot be claimed for 2022.

Home equity debt interest. Homeowners often take out a home equity loan or home equity line of credit in order to tap into some quick cash—for college, weddings, home improvements, or otherwise—using their home as collateral.

And up until 2017, homeowners could deduct the interest on home equity debts up to $100,000 for married joint filers.

Now? “Home equity debt interest deductions have been eliminated,” says Eric Bronnenkant, a certified public accountant and financial planner, and head of tax at Betterment.

That is, unless you spend the money on one thing only: home improvements.

So if you’re eager to renovate that kitchen, this deduction still stands. But if you have to foot the bill for your daughter’s wedding, the IRS will no longer pitch in, explains Amy Jucoski, a certified financial planner and national planning manager at Abbot Downing.

And unlike mortgage interest deductions, the new rules on home equity debt apply to all loans regardless of

when they were taken. And to reap the benefit, your total debt—meaning your mortgage plus your home equity loan— can’t be more than the new $750,000 cap.

Property taxes. In the good ol’ days of 2017, your property taxes were fully tax-deductible.

This tax season, there’s a $10,000 cap on the combined amount of your property taxes, state, and local income taxes, and (for states without income tax) deductible sales tax.

One bright side for landlords and those with vacation homes: “You can take deductions for all the properties you own, plus add your state income tax,” said Steven Weil, president of RMS Accounting. Energy-e cient upgrades. Did you add solar panels or a solar-powered water heater last year? That means you can help yourself to a tax credit.

Qualifying solar electric panels and solar water heaters are good for a credit of up to 30% of the cost of the equipment and installation.

And you can also nab an energy-ecient home improvement lifetime credit of a $500 for improvements made to your home through Dec. 31, 2022. Energy-e cient upgrades include things like exterior windows, doors and skylights, insulation, and the cost of home energy audits.

Here’s some more good news, the IRA passed an extension and expansion of the credit, so starting Jan. 1, 2023, the amended credit will be worth up to

$1,200 per year for a qualifying property.

Home o ce deduction . The home o ce tax deduction disappeared for all W-2 employees who have an o ce elsewhere that they could use if they wanted to.

The only people who can continue taking this deduction are those who truly run their own business from home.

Using the simplified home o ce deduction, self-employed people can take $5 for every square foot of o ce space, up to a maximum of 300 square feet. For a 200-square-foot home o ce, you’re looking at a nice $1,000 deduction.

It has to be a dedicated home o ce, used only for work.

BY KEN SAIN Managing Editor

Sky Zone is the fourth indoor trampoline center to open in Chandler.

Sales Manager Lindsay Waseta said the newest entertainment center has something its competitors - Big Air, KTR and Gravity Extreme Zone – do not.

“I think we vary from the other companies because we cater to all ages,” Waseta said. “We still have the (Ninja) Warrior course, we have the foam pits, we have a slide that nobody has in Chandler, and of course we have the air court that nobody has in Chandler.”

Front and center is the air court, a combination basketball-soccer court that is one large trampoline. For folks who have never been able to dunk a basketball, it’s possible here. Sky Zone plans on hosting tournaments for basketball, ultimate dodge ball and soccer.

The Ninja Warrior course is for people who want to challenge themselves to run a course similar to the ones they’ve seen on the TV show.

The giant slide near the entrance to the facility ends by sending riders high into the air before they fall into a giant foam pit.

BY CECILIA CHAN Sta Writer

Mike Reber used to build custom acrylic aquariums until the housing market crashed and his business hit a slump.

“Nobody wanted aquariums anymore,” the Gilbert resident recalled. “My wife said, ‘do something you love.’”

And that’s what Reber has been doing for the nearly 15 years – selling antique and modern firearms.

He recently relocated his business Arizona Arms Sales from Chandler to Gilbert to a historic house converted to commercial use, half a mile west from the Heritage District. The 2,200-square

There’s also a zip line for those who yearn to fly and giant swings that hang above a huge foam pit, allowing anyone to swing high, and fall without fear.

There’s a king of the hill area where knights can hone their jousting skills and an area reserved for very young children (five and younger) so they can play in a foam pit without worries of getting run over by bigger kids.

Sky Zone held its o cial grand opening on March 11. Waseta said they’ve been getting ready for opening for more than a year. Because it is located next to Walmart o Arizona Avenue and Pecos Road, she said they’ve had a lot of interest.

“People were stopping every day to look in, and they’ll say, ‘When you open?’” Waseta said.

Sky Zone has four party rooms for birthday events and other special occasions. Each reservation comes with a host who will lead the group with fun activities and serve the food. They serve some basic foods, including pizza, pretzels, and nachos. An all-day pass is $29. They also sell a 90-minute pass for $24 and a 120-minute pass for $27.

Sky Zone o ers memberships. An annual pass costs $279 and a monthly pass is just under $28 per month.

Waseta said word has been getting out about the opening, with more than 200 people in the building for the grand opening. She said they are hopeful a lot of children and teens will be stopping by during their spring break from schools.

“Our air court is the most popular,” Waseta said. “So many kids come for that every single night. All of our members, mostly boys, are running basketball and soccer games nearly every single night.”

Chandler’s 4th trampoline center boasts unique o erings Former Chandler gun dealer resettles next door

foot brick home was once the residence of Otto and Edna Neely and part of the Neely Family farmstead, a working dairy farm until 1972.

“I’m getting older and I’ll not do this forever,” the 67-year-old Gilbert resident said.

“We downsized from a 12,000-squarefoot warehouse to this small property to basically have a mom-and-pop shop. It’s not stark and white. It’s a nice, quiet little place.”

Visitors who enter the shop are greeted by two life-size cardboard cutouts of

Aerial Silks hang over the pit of foam blocks in the Foam Zone at the new Sky Zone indoor trampoline park in the Santan Gateway North shopping center.

(David Minton/Sta Photographer)

Reber, owner of Arizona Arms Sales LLC in Gilbert, holds an 1860s-era Henry Rifle, one of many vintage firearms he sells.

(David Minton/ Sta Photographer)

actor John Wayne in his cowboy persona and autographed photographs of the costumed actors from the 1993 movie “Tombstone,” hanging on the wall – testimony to Reber’s love of the Wild West.

Reber says his customers comment how comfortable they feel in the store.

Helping with that comfort level is employee Joy Triplett, an avid shooter who started o skeet shooting while in high school.

Most gun stores are sta ed by men, which is intimidating to women, especially as first-time gun buyers, she said.

“Women tend to sell better to women,” said Triplett.

Women increasingly are buying guns nationwide and Reber is also seeing the same: 25-30% of his customers are women looking for protection.

Women accounted for about half of all gun purchases between 2019 and 2021, and that new gun owners are more likely to be female, according to a survey by Harvard and Northwestern universities.

Gun manufacturers such as Smith and Wesson are taking note. The Massachusetts-based company released the Shield EZ in 2018 with an easy-to-rack slide and guns now come in all colors of the rainbow.

Americans own more guns per capita than any other country and 46% of U.S. households own at least one, according to the University of Chicago in 2022.

Arizona Arms Sales stocks about 2,500 guns and o ers an array of choices, half modern and half collectibles. The store also sells ammunition and some gun accessories.

“We sell lot of collectible firearms, lot of historic firearms,” Reber said.

There’s a black-powder revolver dated 1860, an 1882 and an 1887 single-action Colts and an M1 Garand sniper rifle with scope and a funnel-like fire hider attached to the muzzle end that was used during the Korean War.

“It’s one of the more unique pieces he has because it has all of the originals,” Triplett said of the M1. That weapon retails for $5,200.

An 1865 engraved Henry Repeating Rifle in pristine condition also is for sale for $35,000.

“I’ve sold five of them already,” said Reber, who acquired them from a collector.

One of the oldest pieces in the store is a flintlock rifle circa 1830s but that belongs in Reber’s private collection and isn’t not for sale.

Reber has been collecting guns for 40 years and has amassed a personal collection of 300.

“I love the Colt revolvers, the Winchesters,” said Reber, who works seven day a week and doesn’t have the time to go shooting anymore. “There’s history there and I like history.”

For the collector preferring something more modern, Reber o ers a custom “MAGA AR-15” stamped with “Trump”

and “MAGA” on it that comes in a variety of colors such as red and purple, retailing for $1,195.

Reber has sold eight of those so far.

Besides the brick-and-mortar location, Arizona Arms Sales has a big internet presence – selling on gunbroker.com under “acrylictnk.” Another venue for his business is the weekend gun shows, like the one he’ll be attending this coming weekend in Queen Creek.

Reber said he attends 35 to 38 events a year, all in Arizona.

The shows comprise the biggest portion of his business at 50%, he said.

His wife, Judy, mostly works the weekend gigs, and also has a business she runs out of the shop.

Judy Reber has owned Merino Skin Care USA for over 35 years and although the bulk of her sales is from online, she’s stocking her product at the shop.

“A lot of these gun people need this for their hands – especially the guys because they don’t go to a beauty supply to get something good,” she explained.

A bestseller is the “Crack Blaster,” which is great for outdoor shooters because their hands dry out in the Arizona sun or for people cleaning guns because the oil tends to eat up the hands a little bit.

Changing careers midstream isn’t new for Reber, who raised lions, tigers and bears for 20 years while living in Ohio.

He would get the exotic animals when they were 2 weeks old, raise them and take them into schools, nursing homes and the like for education presentations.

Federal regulations eventually made it increasingly di cult to run the business and Reber sold it.

He said the same thing is happening to gun sellers as increasing restrictions are placed on them.

He said that the federal Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms Bureau already can revoke a firearms license for any one of the five violations, including transferring a firearm to a prohibited person, failing to conduct a required background check and falsifying records.

“So, the goal is to get rid of gun dealers,” Reber said. “That is the goal. And they’ve gone probably over the last 30 years, gone from almost 500,000 dealers to probably 60,000 now.”

The Gi ords Law Center reported that over 52,900 individuals currently have “Type 1” federal firearms licenses that allow them to act as firearms dealers.

Another 7,000 have “Type 2” licenses, which allow them to buy and sell guns as pawnbrokers, and about 74,251 individuals have other types of federal firearms licenses.

According to the nonprofit, which works to enact stronger gun safety laws in the country, “dealers are subject to very little federal oversight” and claimed that “gun dealers represent a major source of illegally tra cked firearms.”

The organization was formed from a merger between a California legal group and the group formed by former Rep.

Gabby Gi ord, D-Tucson, who survived an assassination attempt in 2011.

The American Progress, an independent, nonpartisan policy institute, stated that guns are diverted into illegal gun markets in three common ways – straw purchases, secondary sales through private sellers, and theft from individual gun owners or firearm dealers.

Just last week, President Joe Biden, who has a long record of pushing for gun control, signed an executive order directing the Attorney General to move the country as close to universal background checks as possible without additional legislation.

The order also directs Cabinet members to expand existing federal campaigns and other e orts to promote safe storage of firearms and it helps catch shooters by accelerating federal law enforcement’s reporting of ballistics data.

An unsettling fact is that more Americans – 45,222 people -– died of gun-related injuries in 2020 than in any other year on record, which includes murders and suicides, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

But more legislation is not the answer to stopping the gun violence, Reber said.

“Punish the people – that is the first start,” he said. “If they would just enforce the laws that are on the books already, which they do not.”

He recalled that a former employee stole “many guns” from his business and he reported it to the police and the ATF.

“They didn’t even make any attempts to contact him at all,” said Reber, who

gave the agencies the accused thief’s identity. He said he was basically told that his case was a low priority.

Reber said he and other gun dealers also have told the ATF about a dealer transferring weapons to buyers at a gun show without doing a background check because the computer system was down.

At the end of the show when the computer system came back up, the dealer then submitted the background checks, which was “1000 percent illegal” but he’s still in business, Reber said.

And, he said, the ATF agents who do annual audits of his business give conflicting information.

“They do not have a single clue about their own laws and I know that for a fact,” said Reber, who knows the gun laws inside-out and is often called upon by media for commentary whenever there is a mass shooting. “All the laws are subjective to whoever is doing the investigation.”

Triplett added that it’s getting to the point that nobody wants to be in the business because of the hassle.

But it will take a whole lot more before Reber walks away from his business.

“After I spent 11 months fighting to get my business license, they’re going to have a tough time putting me out of business,” he promised.

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GCU o ers accelerated

program in

BY KEN SAIN Managing Editor

Grand Canyon University is the third major educational institution in the state to o er a program in Chandler.

GCU plans to o er its Accelerated Bachelor of Science in Nursing (ASBN) program in September at One Corporate Center, which is just west of McClintock Drive on Chandler Boulevard.

Grand Canyon joins Arizona State and the University of Arizona with programs in Chandler. It will be the first East Valley program for the West Phoenix university.

“The nursing shortage has been around forever, it’s not a new theme or a new issue,” said Dr. Lisa Smith, Dean of GCU’s College of Nursing and Health Care Professions. “But obviously, the pandemic really exposed it even more and really widened that need to be even greater.”

Grand Canyon has responded to calls for more trained nurses by starting six ASBN programs. The first two were in Sun City and Tucson in 2020. Then, they opened similar programs near Salt Lake City in Utah and near Las Vegas in Nevada.

In the fall, the college plans to add two more, in Chandler and West Phoenix. The West Phoenix location will be near Grand Canyon’s campus, next to I-17 and 27th Avenue.

The 16-month program is for college graduates and the only di erence from the one o ered on GCU’s main campus is that it o ers no summer breaks.

Once the 16 months of instruction is over, students must pass the National Council Licensure Examination before they can be a nurse. However, those who pass usually have jobs waiting for them, Smith said.

“I wouldn’t say it was a last-minute thing, but once I started doing it, I really found out I loved it,” said Paytin Barrow, a GCU nursing student.

Barrow said she didn’t know what her career would be when she started col-

lege, but figured it out soon enough to get the prerequisites out of the way so she would qualify for nursing school.

Another GCU nursing student, Ray Winsor, said she always knew what she wanted to do because her mother is a nurse.

“I’ve always wanted to go into the medical field, I wasn’t exactly sure what I wanted to do. So I figured nursing was a great first start. And if I wanted to further my education from there,” Winsor said.

One of the things they said makes the Grand Canyon nursing program stand out is its simulation lab. They have part of their building made to look like any medical center or hospital in the country. It has a central nursing station, and then rooms with patients needing care. There are cameras and microphones everywhere.

Instructors say they usually have most of the class in a debriefing room, watching as students go about their routine. They are able to show both what students got right, and what they need to work on.

Barrow said that helps people know if nursing is for them or not.

“Nursing in general, it’s a tough career field, so definitely those experiences help a lot to help you decide whether you really like nursing or not.”

Smith said the growth in the East Valley helped GCU determine it needed a program out there. Smith said they hope to enroll 75 students into the program, which is similar in size to the four existing programs they are running now.

“We realize that there’s growth happening, on both sides of the Valley,” she said. “And there’s a huge shortage of nurses, not only nationwide, but obviously here as well. It just makes sense to have multiple locations where students can access the sites without fighting a lot of tra c. And so hopefully, this makes it more convenient for them.”

Hamilton Debate Club makes ‘sweet 16’ in contest

BY KEN SAIN Managing Editor

There was a time in this country when two people would debate the great issues of the day and through the strength of their arguments, sway minds. That is rare in today’s world filled with talking points and closed minds.

Not so for the Hamilton High School Debate Club.

It has reached the Sweet 16 of the International Public Policy Forum Global Debate Challenge. They will learn at the end of this month if they will advance to the quarterfinals, which would mean a trip to New York City to compete against the other seven winning teams.

There were 220 teams from 22 nations that started the tournament, including two teams from Hamilton. They each had to make arguments either for or against this statement: “NATO is an effective model for international cooperation.”

“Actually, I have,” Arnav Nigam, a junior on the team, replied when team members were asked if they’ve ever changed their mind during a debate.

“I originally came in with a very strong-minded thought that NATO is an extremely effective model. And then I

read a variety of arguments and research ... I actually started to see the other side and see how strong of an argument there is for the opposition and how like NATO may be an ineffective model as well.”

Teams compete head-to-head in the tournament and are assigned a position. So, one round they must argue why NATO is effective. And the next round

they may have to argue why it isn’t. Tournament judges read the original essay from each school and selected 64 of the best arguments. Then they set up a tournament bracket.

Hamilton defeated Groton School from Massachusetts in the first round and Bergen County Academies in the second round.

The team is currently competing with Potomac Oak from Rockville, Maryland, to get a trip to New York City for the Elite Eight round. The winner will be announced on March 30.

The seven members of the team are comprised of four sophomores and three juniors. They are Arnav, Kiyan Naraghi, Emma Xi, Marie Chen, Jenny Dong, Kevin Chen and Gowri Biju. Being able to switch positions and still make strong arguments is something they say they’ve trained for.

“I think this is something that we all definitely experienced before,” Emma said. “Knowing how to refute points, and argue our own is something that we’ve all experienced in different kind of clubs and activities. So being able to transfer that to kind of written debate in this kind of IPPF format was really good for us.”

It takes an open mind to argue a position that you may not personally believe in, they note.

“I think it’s just having an open mind and saying that, really every argument has two sides to it,” Marie said. “And we should be able to look at both sides and

BY KATY SPRINGER Contributor

Places! Productions’ next show is no garden variety musical.

The Mesa-based community theater company will present “The Secret Garden,” a musical reimagining of Frances Hodgson Burnett’s beloved children’s novel.

The show will be on stage April 6-8 at East Valley High School and April 13-16 at the Mesa Arts Center.

Two casts will bring the mystical, magical garden to life: a youth troupe comprising performers ages 8-18 as well as

a community cast featuring kids and adults of all ages.

Set in the early 1900’s, the musical tells the story of a young girl, Mary Lennox, who is left orphaned by a cholera epidemic in colonial India. She is sent to live with her reclusive uncle, Archibald Craven, and his sickly son, Colin, at a secluded – and haunted – country manor in Yorkshire.

“I play Martha in the community cast,” said Chandler’s Abby Gordon, 21, an engineering student at Arizona State Univer-

Members of the Hamilton High Debate Club include, from left, Kevin Chen, teacher Dawn Berkshire, Jenny Dong, Marie Chen, Kiyan Naraghi, Emma Xi, Gowri Biju and Arnav Nigam. They are in the Sweet 16 round of a global debate competition. (David Minton/Staff Photographer)

The Chandler actors in “The Secret Garden” are, from left, Hoyt Mitchell, Abby Gordon, Maria Stallings and Olivia Haller. (David Minton/Staff Photographer)

Ocotillo art-craft show features array of works

Some 26 new and returning artists will have their art on display for area residents and collectors at the Ocotillo Art & Fine Craft Show next weekend.

The show, which runs 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, April 1, in downtown Ocotillo features some of the state’s most talented artists showing off and selling their creations. Admission is free and so is the ample parking.

Artists joining the show for the first time include fiber artist Mimi Damrauer of Mimi Designs and acrylic painter Susan Hansberry.

In addition, metal artist Marsha Thomas will be on hand with her artwork as will artist Noah Wilsey of Wilsey Glass. Returning artists include mixed media artist Asi Panoutsopoulou with Designs by Asi and sculpture artist Phil Webster of Phil Webster Design.

Sponsored by the Ocotillo Artists Group, artisans include ceramicists, jewelers, painters, photographers, a wood-

Sun Lakes UM Church offers agency overview

worker and more, creating one-of-akind art for collectors as well as for gifts. Music will be provided again by violinist Shauna Hormiere.

“We are thrilled to have so many great artists joining us again this year in Downtown Ocotillo,” said organizer and ceramic artist Sandy Ashbaugh of the Ocotillo Artists Group. “Thanks again to Spike Lawrence for providing the space for us.”

Look for the white tents in Downtown Ocotillo, 2577 W. Queen Creek Road.

The Ocotillo Artists Group is an organization of high-quality artists, crafts people and makers who live in or near the Ocotillo area of Chandler, Arizona. The members are dedicated to supporting each other with monthly meetings, programs, networking and art exhibits. For more information, visit the Facebook and Instagram pages of Ocotillo Artists Group on Facebook and Instagram or email at ocotilloartistsgroup@ gmail.com.

Sun Lakes United Methodist Church will present a seminar that examines services available in the community.

The two-hour session will be held at 9 a.m. April 12 at the church, 9248 E. Riggs Road, in Lindsay Hall.

Steve Dabbs, a certified Medicare specialist and accredited claims agent by the Department of Veteran’s Affairs, will present a book he has written with the newest 2023 benefits available to individuals and will offer real-world examples that are easy to understand, a church spokeswoman said.

“This book includes all the newest updates and will be provided to all attendees,” she added.

A One Medical Seniors Care outreach

specialist will discuss their services – including information on their dedicated office in Sun Lakes for Medicare recipients and how a multi-faceted team specializing in the unique challenges of senior care uses primary care physicians, health coaches, and other healthcare professionals.

Sheryl Keeme, executive director of Neighbors Who Care, will discuss how Sun Lakes can best work together to provide care for neighbors and families and how residents “can combine all the talents and services in the Sun Lakes community to provide the desired outcome for everyone,” the spokeswoman said.

To attend, contact the church office at 480-895-8766 so there will be enough materials for everyone.

SANTAN SUN NEWS STAFF

SANTAN SUN NEWS STAFF

Rotary names teachers, Rotarian of the month

SANTAN SUN NEWS STAFF

The Rotary Club of Sun Lakes has named its teachers of the month for January and February as well as its Rotarian of the Month for March.

Angela Birch was named RCSL January 2023 Teacher of the Month Emmanuel “Manny” Reyes was named RCSL February 2023 Teacher of the Month. And Stan Kaufman is Rotarian for the Month for March.

Chandler Unified teachers are selected based on years of service; the respect shown for them by peers, students and parents; and their involvement in extracurricular activities and service in the community.

A $500 check is awarded to the honored teacher, comprising $200 from the club, $200 from Earnhardt Automotive Center and $100 from Trust Bank.

Prior to arriving at Haley Elementary in 2011, Birch taught in the Kyrene School District for nine years.

A University of Arizona, grad, she won praised from her colleagues, who said she “goes out of her way to try and be at her students’ sporting events or even just be aware of what is happening in their home lives that may impact their learning in the classroom.”

Birch “is a master at building strong, meaningful relationships,” the also said. “Her students come back year after year to see her and/or volunteer for her.”

She also is on several committees at Haley, including site council and volunteer appreciation and is the kindergarten team lead who constructs lessons that enable students to work and play at the same time.

Reyes is a 6th-grade grade teacher at Hartford Sylvia Encinas Elementary School, where he teaches math and science. He has been a part of Hartford for seven years.

“Manny relates so well with students

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that they are extremely comfortable asking questions and coming in after or before school hours to ask for additional help because they know how much he cares for their well-being and education,” said a colleague who nominated him for the award.

“He has high expectations for his students and because of the students’ respect for him, they work hard to meet those expectations. He volunteers often to help with extra duties at Hartford and coaches 9th grade wrestling at Chandler High School after school hours and on weekends.”

The nomination said Reyes credits Chandler High wrestling with helping him become the person he is today and that he wants to give back to students today.

“He is doing a tremendous job guiding the new teachers and helping them learn the ins and outs of Hartford and the curriculum. Manny is not only a role model to these students he is also the mirror of their future,” the nomination said.

Kaufman, the Rotarian of the Month, is the Sun Lakes Rotary Club treasurer and has been “instrumental in imple-

DEBATE from Page 28

understand the perspectives of both sides and respond to the other side.”

If they survive this round and go to New York, the format changes. Instead of written debates, they will have to present their arguments orally. That prospect doesn’t worry this debate team.

“In debate, we just do oral debate, so we’re more used to the oral format,” Marie said.

Kevin said he prefers the written debate, because they have more time to consider their responses.

Gowri said he joined the debate team because he thought it would help him with public speaking.

“I originally joined debate as a way to get rid of my stage fright, and be more

menting the club’s new banking services and coordinating with the club’s hired bookkeeper,” spokeswoman Dr. Honora Norton.

He participated in the Sun Lakes Club’s effort toward the Navajo Water Project Rotary International Global Grant and upcoming fundraiser golf tournament.

“Additionally, Stan is a generous supporter of club and Valley Veterans projects and events,” Norton said.

Kaufman first joined Rotary with the Toronto Eglinton Rotary Club in 1982.

After moving to Fargo, ND in 1991, he joined the Fargo Noon Rotary Club. Hewas also a member of the Walker Rotary Club, MN in 2001-2004 before returning to the Fargo Noon Rotary Club 20052011.

In 2011 he transferredto the San Tan Crown Rotary Club of Chandler, AZ and now the Sun Lakes club. He has held every leadership position with both clubs. He and wife Susanne also have home -hosted two Rotary International Exchange students from Belgium and from northern Spain.

Their daughter was a Rotary exchange student to Belgium.

comfortable speaking around people,” he said. “But I think the club has done so much more for me. It’s exposed me to different modes of thinking and like-minded people who support my beliefs and also challenge me to become a better person.”

Teacher Dawn Berkshire says the young debaters have impressed her.

“I am so impressed at how well informed with current events and things that are going on, not just in the United States, but in the world,” she said.

“They argue, they research, they speak about it competently and it makes me I think every student should be in speech and debate to learn the skills, the competence to speak in front of others, the confidence to share their thoughts and ideas. And I just think they’re fantastic.”

ANGELA BIRCH RCSL January 2023 Teacher of the Month

EMMANUEL “MANNY” REYES RCSL February 2023 Teacher of the Month

STAN KAUFMAN Rotarian for the Month for March

sity. “She is the maid in the Craven house who befriends and cares for Mary. She is so funny and she’s just such a lovable character. She’s probably my favorite role I have played to date.”

“I am pretty proud that my Yorkshire accent has come along as well as it has,” said Gordon, who, along with other cast members, worked with a dialect coach to perfect her accent.

Ben is another member of the household and is played by Hoyte Mitchell of Chandler.

“My favorite part of the rehearsal process is seeing the development of the young people and the courage of the older performers to be on stage,” he said.

“Some of my favorite rehearsals have been working on accents and music with the actors cast as Ben, the gardener at the manor,” said Allison Houston, director of “The Secret Garden” and founding artistic director of Places!

“In our youth cast, he’s played by a high schooler while the actor who plays Ben in the adult cast is retired. It’s been amazing to see them bounce ideas off one another to make the character even stronger.”

“As director, I always begin my process by going back to the source material,” said Allison Houston, director of “The Secret Garden” and founding artistic director of Places!

“The novel is very different from the

musical, especially the concept of ‘The Dreamers.’ They are crucial in the storytelling of the musical, and we’ve incorporated them into several additional moments as Mary remembers her past and finds purpose and belonging in this new chapter of her life that the musical portrays.”

Olivia Haller, 14, plays the role of Major Holmes, who died in the cholera epidemic and now guides Mary as one of the Dreamers.

“This show experiments with ghosts and flashbacks, which is something new compared to any other shows,” said Olivia. “It’s really good. We get it right.”

Something else the cast gets right? The soaring musical numbers.

“This is one of the most beautiful scores I’ve ever heard,” said Houston. “I think it’s impossible not to be moved by the music.”

“It’s a beautiful, powerful story of forgiveness, renewal and finding beauty in the wake of tragedy,” said Houston.

For the past eight weeks, the cast members have been working hard to perfect their characters.

“My favorite part of the rehearsal process for a musical is always right after we finish all of the blocking and are finally able to run the show top to bottom,” said Gordon.

“It is always a little rocky at first, but once we are able to put the full show together and start fine-tuning the different characters, it’s just what takes the show from good to incredible.”

And while they’re honing their craft,

they’re also building friendships.

Said Mitchell, “I was in another play, ‘The Crucible,’ with this group and loved every minute of it. When they asked me to join them again for this show, I welcomed the opportunity.”

Added Olivia, “The shows are always fun. New shows with Places! always bring new opportunities and new friends.”

“The cast is made up of both actors with long resumes and several making their stage debuts. Each actor is bringing something so special to this production,” added Houston

“I’m beyond proud of all of the actors who have worked so far out of their comfort zones. I think audiences will be astonished by this performance.”

“The Secret Garden” features a script and lyrics by Tony Award and Pulitzer Prize winner Marsha Norman. The score was composed by Grammy winner and Tony nominee Lucy Simon.

Tickets for the April 6-8 run of “The Secret Garden” at East Valley High School are $15. Tickets for the April 13-16 performances at the Mesa Arts Center are $17. Matinee and evening performances are available. Discounts are offered for teachers, seniors, veterans, first responders and students. Group discounts are also available.

1

Basha High students help collect school supplies for needy children

BY SARAH AUFFRET Contributor

A group of Basha High School students have been writing letters to elderly residents in nursing homes during the Covid-19 pandemic.

This month they expanded their concern to elementary school students, collecting school supplies for children in Title 1 schools.

They joined forces with Assistance League of East Valley, a Chandler organization that provides new school clothing for children whose parents are struggling financially. The Basha High School “Stationery Drive” collected more than 400 notebooks, pens and pencils, markers, cases and other supplies for Assistance League to distribute.

“Growing up, my problems were deciding which color notebooks I would buy and which ones I would use for each class, instead of wondering where my supplies would come from,” said Renee Gu, Basha junior.

“Realizing that many students in our local community do not face the same reality is extremely jarring.”

Gu is president of the Letters for Rose Club at Basha High, part of an international effort to alleviate loneliness in elderly people during the pandemic by delivering letters and pieces of art.

Since 2022, the club has successfully delivered more than 400 personalized letters to local shut-ins and nursing home residents.

“We are so grateful for the support of these young people,” said Marsha Calhoun, president-elect of Assistance League of East Valley. “We are all volunteers, and we served over 7,300 school

age children and homeless teens last year who will be very happy to receive these supplies.”

An annual fundraiser for Assistance League of East Valley will be April 29, a Vegas Nights event at Oakwood Country Club in Sun Lakes. Their thrift shop is at 2326 N. Alma School Road, Chandler.

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Gathering school supplies for children are, from left, Sanjana Tripuraneni, Loren Dipnarian, Angela Lee and Renee Gu. All are juniors at Basha High School. (Sarah Auffret/Contributor)

University women’s group advances equity

BY MARY KENNEY Guest Writer

Women make a difference in their own lives and for others by participating in the Association of American University Women.

AAUW is a diverse group that encourages participation by those who wish to advance equity for women and girls through advocacy, philanthropy and research. It supports education and legislation impacting girls and women.

Recent monthly programs of the AAUW Southeast Valley Branch included presentations by Arizona Science Center’s “Girls in STEM” Coordinator Kimberly Duvall; Donna Martinez Lopez with “Women Rising,”an organization at Chandler-Gilbert Community College; and Lindsay Atwood and Sue Van Horne from the Chandler Library System discussing the issue of banned books from a librarian’s viewpoint.

AAUW Southeast Valley Branch, serving Chandler, Gilbert and Sun Lakes, meets in Sun Lakes from October through April to present its

monthly programs like those described above. It also hosts fundraising events during the year to support scholarships to Chandler-Gilbert Community College.

AAUW is a national organization open to all graduates holding an associate or equivalent, baccalaureate, or higher degree from a qualified educational institution. There are more than 170,000 members across 1,000 local branches. The Southeast Valley Branch of AAUW was chartered in 1989.

Are you ready to make a difference, meet other accomplished women and have fun together?

Join us to be a part of change in the making! For more information, email us at AAUW.SEV.AZ@ gmail.com.

Preparing gift baskets and gift cards that were raffled off at AAUW Southeast Valley Branch’s recent annual scholarship fundraiser were, from left, Penny Rings, Sharon Gale, Mary Humecke, Helen Semple and Beth Zdeblick. (Mary Kenny/Contributor)

6 CUSD educators earn National Board Certification

BY SAMANTHA INCORVAIA Guest Writer

Six teachers in Chandler Unified School District earned or renewed their National Board for Professional Teaching Standards Certification, joining over 2,800 teachers nationwide for the 20222023 school year.

CUSD has 33 National Board Certified Teachers.

Newly certified are Megan Poet, a Haley Elementary teacher, and Kerri Williams, a teacher at Carlson Elementary.

Re-certified teachers are Sara Wyffels, Chandler High; Sarah Ravel, IRC; Rebecca Coplan, Ryan Elementary; and Erica Davis, Basha High.

The NBPTS mission is to establish quality benchmarks for the teaching profession and certify that teachers meet those high standards.

After a rigorous application process, certified teachers have access to financial incentives, state recognition, leadership opportunities and support networks.

“National Board Certification sets a standard of excellence for the teaching profession, similar to how other professional careers have boards that they study for and take to show expertise” explained Davis.

She said the certification process is design “to help elevate the profession, but it also helps teachers reach their potential by engaging them in deep reflection of their practice.

“But the main focus is on success for the students, and the positive impact of becoming board certified on the methods of teaching has been proven to improve student outcomes,” added Davis, AP Literature and AP Seminar teacher.

Davis has taught at Basha High for 18 years, her entire teaching career. She first

became an NBCT in December 2018. She renewed her certificate in December 2022, joining the additional three teachers who renewed their certifications this school year, and her commitment to NBPTS didn’t stop at certification.

She became a candidate support provider for CUSD teachers who wanted to pursue an NBCT.

“After certifying, I wanted to help others achieve, because I had a great support system that gave me feedback during my process. I am also just a ‘doer,’” she said.

“I like working in a capacity that feels meaningful and fulfilling. Helping teachers through the stressful process feels like giving back to a profession I love.

“Nothing is more satisfying than learning that someone else has achieved,”

Davis continued. “Celebrating these accomplishments allows others to see the good in our profession and schools. I have been helping for these five years since I finished my application.”

This year the district added to the support through Abby Druck and the professional development team.

She said both CUSD Superintendent Frank Narducci and the district Human Resources staff showed “they value the work we put in, and our expertise in the classrooms and in leading in our district.”

Davis said being an NBCT opened doors for her as a teacher leader, especially being named an Ambassador of Excellence for the Arizona Educational Foundation in 2018.

It also allowed her to work on the

Teachers Solution Team through the Arizona K-12 Center at Northern Arizona University to lead the annual Teacher Leadership Institute each June, something Davis enthusiastically refers to as “a teacher summer camp.”

The experience has given her a statewide network of colleagues who are passionate about teaching, too.

New NBCT Kerri Williams, Carlson Elementary School’s media specialist, has been teaching for 22 years, 20 as a librarian.

She decided to pursue the National Board Certification to gain more insight into her craft, specifically how to improve her lessons for a bigger impact on student achievement.

She is the first librarian in Chandler Unified’s history to certify with a Library Media Certificate, and she is one of five in the state that currently holds the certificate.

“The NBCT process is challenging. I have three Master’s degrees and becoming a National Board Certified Teacher was definitely the hardest thing I have done during my professional library career,” Williams said.

“I’m excited to see what leadership opportunities will become available now that I am an NBCT teacher. I would love to mentor other teachers, especially librarians, on how to navigate the NBCT process so they can certify as well,” Williams said.

The application process consists of four components that include a video of them teaching and a self-reflection essay. They also must submit a computer-based assessment in their certificate area and show how they analyze student strengths and weaknesses and then design and teach lessons to increase student growth

Among the Chandler Unified teachers who received national certification are Kerri Williams of Carlson Elementary, left, and Erica Davis of Basha High. (CUSD)

All faith-based writings teach us love

BY RABBI IRWIN WIENER Coumnist

Romans 13:8-9 (Christianity): “Owe no one anything except to love one another, for he who loves his fellowman has fulfilled the law. For all the commandments… are all summed up in this one rule: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ Love does no harm to its neighbor; therefore, love is the fulfillment of the law.”

Number 13 of Imam Al-Nawaawi’s Forty Hadiths (Islam): “No one of you is a believer until he desires for his brother that which he desires for himself.”

Leviticus 19:33 (Judaism): “When a stranger resides with you in your land, you shall not wrong him. The stranger who resides with you shall be to you as one of your citizens; you shall love him as yourself.”

Analects 12:2 (Confucianism): “Do not do to others what you would not like yourself. Then there will be no resentment against you, either in the family or in the state.”

Udana-Varga 5, 1 (Buddhism): “Hurt not

others in ways that you yourself would find hurtful.”

Mahagharata 5, 1517 (Hinduism): “This is the sum of duty: Do naught unto others what you would not have them do unto you.”

Baha’u’llah (Baha’i World Faith): “Ascribe not to any soul that which thou wouldst not have ascribed unto thee, and say not that which thou doest not.”

The Great Law of Peace (Native American Spirituality): “Respect for all life is the foundation.”

The common denominator in all faithbased writings can simply be put into one word - Love.

And yet when we look at the history of religious fervor and instruction, we also see a world of hate. It is ironic that so many people can interpret concepts of God and unity and love and not truly understand them.

The history of our world contains descriptions of wars fought because of religious passion to the extent that all its teachings are meaningless.

Early Biblical writings describe a personal God, concerned and participating in the actions of everyday living.

From Adam and Eve, to Noah, to Abra-

ham, to Moses, to Jesus, to Mohammed, God is directly involved in the happenings that enabled mankind to flourish and progress.

Today we seem to be alone, drifting in an endless sea of moral decay. Wars are fought because of indifference and it trickles down to our everyday existence.

We find neighbor against neighbor; gays fighting for individual acceptance and recognition; black verses white; religious intolerance from those who consider themselves true believers.

The foundation for living a meaningful life can be found in a book written over 3,000 years ago – the Bible.

This text reminds us of the sameness of all human beings, and can be found in Genesis 1, “And God made humans in God’s image.” And no matter what your concept of God is, each of us is created in that concept.

In a world where basic human rights are too frequently violated, Scripture seeks to make this teaching into a sacred mandate. God is in all of us, even those who appear to be godless.

Faith was designed to give us the ability to understand each other; to find hope in life with each other; to discipline

our lives. To have faith is to believe completely that we are connected to one another.

To have faith is to remain steadfast in our belief that God is the God of all people and that just as we are different, so is God in our minds. There is no one concept that incorporates what God is, nor can we truly comprehend the endlessness of God

And as we read in Deuteronomy (4:29): “You shall find Him, if you search after Him with all your heart and with all your soul.” Finding God does not require denigrating others who believe differently. Knowing that God is the ultimate provider of human existence gives us a true understanding and belief that can and should be shared to enhance our lives.

Rabbi Irwin Wiener, D.D., is the spiritual leader of the Sun Lakes Jewish Community.

BY CATHY SMOOT Guest Writer

It is time to dust of your dancing shoes. Join other participants on April 11 in Lindsay Hall for a Glen Miller style, 16-member big band.

The Swinging Memories Band comprises talented musicians who enjoy playing for audiences.

Guests planning to attend dinner should to RSVP at 480-895-8766.

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Symphony of the Southwest entertains for 8 decades

BY COTY DOLORES MIRANDA GetOut Contributor

The Symphony of the Southwest, a hidden gem of an orchestra with members from throughout the East, presents its season final concert on April 1.

Playfully titled Romantic Favorites for April Fools, the eclectic symphony will perform at 7:30 p.m. at the Mesa Arts Center.

Until 2008, Symphony of the Southwest was called the Mesa Symphony.

The current name better indicates not only the demographics of its 70-plus musicians, but also the composition of the audience it attracts.

The Symphony of the Southwest has been under the baton of conductor Cal Stewart Kellogg since 2005. His vast experience, as indicated in his biography on SymphonyoftheSouthwest.org, spans the world.

Before moving to Phoenix in 2000, Maestro Kellogg conducted 24 opera productions over 16 consecutive seasons for the prestigious Washington National Opera at the Kennedy Center, Washington D.C.

The maestro is an avid believer in the power of live music.

“The symphony concert is a real thrill; you can’t match it. You can play CDs all day but they’re not the same as when you hear the symphony live. It’s exceptional.” said Kellogg, who lived and stud-

ied in Italy for two decades right after high school.

Among the symphony orchestra’s members is Mesa resident Andrew “Andy” Bunch, who is concluding his 49th season. He joined in 1974, shortly after graduating from Arizona State University.

The bassoonist has served under seven conductors, including Kellogg. His first three conductors were Bill Engelsman of Mesa’s Westwood High School; Ralston Pitt, who at the time was music supervisor for Mesa Public Schools; and Wayne Roederer, string specialist for the Mesa district.

“It is always inspiring to work with colleagues that are as dedicated and talented as the musicians in the orchestra,” said Bunch.

“In the early years the symphony held its concerts at high schools and churches, but since the opening of the Mesa Arts Center we now have a world class venue in which to perform. We have also had the pleasure of performing with a number of talented, creative guest artists.”

Bunch has also performed with the Ar-

DOLLAR-FOR-DOLLAR TAX CREDIT

izona Wind Symphony for 12 years.

Chandler resident Timothy Haas, principal clarinetist for Symphony of the Southwest, is in his 18th year. He teaches clarinet and saxophone in his home studio, online with students nationwide, and as clarinet professor at Grand Canyon University.

He said he was introduced to the clarinet in sixth grade.

“When we were in elementary school, I played recorder. Sixth grade at our school was the first year band was offered. I didn’t want to do it, but my mother signed me anyway,” he laughed.

“It was awful. I stuck with it for a while and discovered I liked it,” he said, admitting by high school he was All-State California in the instrument.

He chose it for his career, earning his undergraduate degree at ASU and then his Master’s in Clarinet Performance from Florida State University.

Haas said he appreciates the mastery of his fellow symphony musicians and their conductor.

Gilbert residents Trent and Megan Bender, who’ve been with the Symphony

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STEP

“Without your donations, I would not be able to go to my Christian school. In my past, I struggled quite a bit with learning, but this school has helped me get better grades and make better friends. This was the opportunity I have been needing for a very long time.”

Chandler resident Timothy Haas, principal clarinetist for Symphony of the Southwest, is in his 18th year. (Courtesy of Kathy Roark)

SYMPHONY from Page 36

of the Southwest since 2011, play viola and French horn, respectively.

“I love playing the music that Maestro Kellog selects. We seem to play one of my favorite composers almost every concert. Dvorak, Tchaikowsky, Brahms, they all wrote fantastic parts for the viola,” said Megan, adding:

“We’re playing selections from ‘West Side Story’ which is one of my all time favorites, at our next concert.”

The couple, who met in orchestra while attending the University of Iowa, concur that their conductor is one reason for the Symphony of the Southwest’s continuing success.

“Maestro Kellog is one of the kindest people I have ever met. He’s so knowledgeable about the music and I truly feel it is a privilege to be following his baton,” said Megan, an orchestra teacher at Mesa’s Poston Junior High and Field Elementary schools.

“The players in our orchestra are also some of the most talented musicians as well as just enjoyable people to be having fun creating music together.”

After directing a high school band and teaching music at the elementary school level, Trent Bender is dean of students at Desert Ridge High School in Gilbert.

Symphony of the Southwest musicians as well as Kellogg say full audiences at their concerts are a boon, though ticket prices don’t begin to cover the symphony’s financial needs.

“It really depends on fundraising efforts,” said Kellogg, specifically pointing to Tempe residents Kathi Roark and Patricia Cosand, neither of whom are among symphony members.

Instead, these two women launched an Etsy shop called “Sewing for the Symphony” where they sell their handcrafted works with all proceeds earmarked for the Symphony of the Southwest.

“We’ve done many things to help raise money,” said Roark. “Patricia does a lot of smocking, mainly children’s clothing. She has a huge following in the UK. I do machine-embroidered towels, aprons; I’ve also knitted scarves.”

Why put the profits of their labor into the symphony’s coffers? Roark doesn’t hesitate to answer.

“It’s such a good organization; our biggest issue is letting people know we’re here,” she said. “And we have enormous respect for the conductor and musicians. Actually, we have many friends who are musicians.”

The April 1 concert line-up is a varied one with presentations from Brahms (‘Academic Festival Overture’) to Bernstein (‘West Side Story Symphonic Dances’).

And though the 2022-23 season comes to an end, there are other ways to enjoy the musicians.

People can hire the Symphony’s Community Ensembles for private events, large or small.

Their website SymphonyfortheSouthwest.org lists the various possibilities ranging from string quartets to full orchestra. There’s even a ‘Sing-a-long with Cal’ with Maestro Kellogg performing ‘golden Broadway favorites’ on piano.

Donations can also help the Symphony of the Southwest continue to fulfill their mission “to enrich the community through quality musical performances and educational programs for people of all ages, backgrounds and economic levels.”

It is also possible to “Sponsor a Chair” in the orchestra through donations.

Opportunities for tax-deductible donations can be made on their website, through PayPal, or by check mailed to 2109 E. Greenway Drive, Tempe AZ 85282

For more information on the Symphony or to purchase tickets for the April 1 concert, go to: SymphonyfortheSouthwest.org.

They can also be found on Twitter and Facebook.

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