Nonprofits see rising need, falling help
Council OKs apartments at strip mall
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An edition of the East Valley Tribune
FREE ($1 OUTSIDE OF GILBERT) | GilbertSunNews.com
Sunday, March 29, 2020
Virus brutalizing Gilbert small businesses
INSIDE
This Week
BY CECILIA CHAN GSN Managing Editor
COMMUNITY...........15 Gilbert’s little drummer boy star.
BUSINESS.................. 17
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ast Valley business owners say they need an immediate infusion of cash to stave off financial ruin brought on by the coronavirus. The East Valley Chambers of Commerce Alliance last week released findings from a survey of its members to determine the immediate impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on their revenue, operations, and supply chains. Of the over 5,000 members, 485 businesses took the survey – 41 percent of them Gilbert-based. “We are sharing these results, directly from the businesses themselves, with our elected officials at the federal and state levels to stress the urgency of access to financial resources and other top issues identified,” said Kathy Tilque, CEO/president of Gilbert Chamber of Commerce in an email.
see BUSINESS page 10
Housing market cooling?
Signs like this popped up in front of Many downtown Gilbert restaurants last week following the governor’s order that they provide takeout and/or delivery service only to curb the coronavirus’ spread. (Pablo Robles/GSN Staff)
Gilbert districts rolling out remote learning GSN NEWS STAFF
SPORTS..................
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Little League shut-down.
COMMUNITY.......................15 BUSINESS.............................17 SPORTS................................ 20 PUZZLES...............................21 CLASSIFIED.........................22
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ilbert’s two school districts in Gilbert are rolling out remote learning Monday as campuses stay closed until April 10 – and perhaps until the end of the academic year. Higley Unified School District’s 12,000 students will get lessons primarily via online access through Canvas, Microsoft Teams or other platforms. Last week, the district surveyed its students to see who needed electronic devices for the remote learning. Households that don’t have a reliable device for remote learning will be able to borrow one from the district at a campus location. Families also have the option of going with
hard copies of the lessons instead and go pick them up at a drive-thru location. “In addition to the survey, schools reached out to our HUSD families through phone calls and emails regarding electronic device needs,’ said district spokeswoman Michelle Reese. “At this time, only about a fourth of our families have requested a device. We will continue to support any additional requests that arise.” Reese said learning may include video lessons, teacher virtual office hours and online curriculum, depending on the grade level. “This will include lots of feedback and on-going support from teachers,” she said. “Our teachers are communicating directly with parents and students about the work. While there will be flexibility, the amount of
time for each task will vary by grade level.” Gilbert Public Schools, which has 33,000 students, reported that teachers and professional staff last week received online training and professional development to prepare them for working in a distance-learning environment. “All teachers have been trained in a wide range of remote learning tools, which will support them in connecting with and providing instruction for students during the school closures,” spokeswoman Dawn Antestenis said. The district also has created a section on its website where parents and students can go to
see SCHOOL page 6