NEWS
APRIL 10, 2019 | AHWATUKEE FOOTHILLS NEWS
49 YEARS OF TRUSTWORTHY SERVICE! The Ahwatukee Foothills News is published every Wednesday and distributed free of charge to homes and in single-copy locations throughout Ahwatukee Foothills. Times Media Group: 1620 W. Fountainhead Parkway, Suite 219 Tempe, Arizona, 85282 Main number: 480-898-6500 Advertising: 480-898-5624 Circulation service: 480-898-5641
PUBLISHER Steve T. Strickbine
VICE PRESIDENT
Students at Esperanza Elementary donned red shirts decorated with thoughtful sentiments to give Trek Friesth a rousing send-off when the special needs youngster had to transfer to Colina Elementary the last week of March. (Special to AFN)
SPRING
Michael Hiatt
Set the Standard Event!
ADVERTISING STAFF National Advertising Director
Zac Reynolds 480-898-5603 zac@ahwatukee.com Advertising Sales Representatives:
Karen Mays, 480-898-7909, kmays@ahwatukee.com Laura Meehan, 480-898-7904, lmeehan@ahwatukee.com Classified:
Elaine Cota, 480-898-7926, ecota@ahwatukee.com Circulation Director:
Aaron Kolodny 480-898-5641, customercare@ahwatukee.com
NEWS STAFF Executive Editor:
Paul Maryniak, 480-898-5647, pmaryniak@ahwatukee..com GetOut Editor:
Christina Fuoco-Karasinski, 480-641-4518, christina@timespublications.com Sports Editor:
Zach Alvira 480-898-5630, zalvira@timespublications.com Designer:
Ruth Carlton, rcarlton@timespublications.com Production Coordinator:
Courtney Oldham 480-898-5617 production@timespublications.com Reporters:
Jim Walsh, 480-898-5639 jwalshe@ahwatukee.com Wayne Schutsky, 480-898-6533 wschutsky@timespublications.com Cecilla Chan. 480-898-5613, cchan@timespublications.com Photographer:
Kimberly Carrillo, kcarrillo@timespublications.com
Ahwatukee Foothills News is distributed by AZ Integrated Media, a circulation service company owned by Times Media Group. The public is permitted one copy per reader. For further information regarding the circulation of this publication or others in the Times Media Group family of publications, and for subscription information, please contact AZ Integrated Media at circ@azintegratedmedia. com or 480-898-5641. For circulation services please contact Aaron Kolodny at aaron@azintegatedmedia.com.
WRITE A LETTER
To submit a letter, please include your full name. Our policy is not to run anonymous letters. Please keep the length to 300 words. Letters will be run on a space-available basis. Please send your contributions to pmaryniak@ahwatukee.com. EDITORIAL CONTENT
The Ahwatukee Foothills News expresses its opinion. Opinions expressed in guest commentaries, perspectives, cartoons or letters to the editor are those of the author. ADVERTISING CONTENT
The content and claims of any advertisement are the sole responsibility of the advertiser. The Ahwatukee Foothills News assumes no responsibility for the claims or content of any advertisement. © Strickbine Publishing, Inc.
Esperanza gives a special boy a special sendoff
MANUFACTURE REBATES
BY PAUL MARYNIAK AFN Executive Editor
OR 0% APR with 24 equal monthly payments, OR
1,000
$
Up to $1,000 in INSTANT REBATE on Qualifying Equipment
0% APR with 36 equal monthly payments, OR 0% APR with 48 equal monthly payments, OR 0% APR with 60 equal monthly payments
T
ransferring to a different school in the middle of the year can be traumatic for almost any child, but for 8-year-old Trek Friesth, the pending move last month from Esperanza Elementary to Colina Elementary was fraught with devastating consequences. Because the Ahwatukee youngster has Fragile X Syndrome – the leading genetic cause of developmental delays and autism – the boy was losing more than a nurturing environment where his mother, Sarah Friesth, teaches first grade. He was losing a large part of his world. Virtually no one in the Esperanza community – students, parents and staff included – was about to let that happen. With only two days’ notice, they banded together to throw Trek a sendoff he likely will never forget – because they showed Trek they won’t ever forget him. The week of March 25 capped weeks of agonizing soul-searching by Sarah and Doug Friesth about their son. They had watched the third-grader struggle in school, where his classmates were learning subjects like Greek mythology and he was falling behind as the result of his developmental disability. “It was way over his head,” said Sarah. “It was a gut punch when I learned that maybe it wasn’t the best setting,” said Sarah, noting she and Doug had specifically chosen Esperanza. They concluded that while he had been doing reasonably well up till now, it was time to find a new elementary school in the Kyrene district that had the kind of educational program children in his condition need. And that exists in only three of the district’s 25 schools. The Friesths wanted Colina, largely because Trek could eventually be reunited with his friends from Esperanza once they all got to Centennial Middle School and, in turn, feed into Mountain Pointe High. So, they put in for the transfer to Colina, hoping
see TREK page 4
*Subject to credit approval and program restrictions. Ask for details. Not valid with any other offers. Expires June 30th, 2019.
with equal payments for 60 months on Qualifying American Standard Heating & Air-conditioning equipment
See your independent dealer for complete program eligibility, dates, details and restrictions. Special financing offers OR instant rebate from $100 up to $1,100 valid on qualifying systems only. All sales must be to homeowners in the United States. Void where prohibited. Special financing offers valid on qualifying equipment only. All sales must be to homeowners in the United States. Void where prohibited. The Wells Fargo Home Projects credit card is issued by Wells Fargo Bank, N.A., an Equal Housing Lender. Special terms apply to qualifying purchases charged with approved credit. The special terms APR will continue to apply until all qualifying purchases are paid in full. The monthly payment for this purchase will be the amount that will pay for the purchase in full in equal payments during the promotional (special terms) period. The APR for Purchases will apply to certain fees such as a late payment fee or if you use the card for other transactions. For new accounts, the APR for Purchases is 28.99%. If you are charged interest in any billing cycle, the minimum interest charge will be $1.00. This information is accurate as of 1/1/2018 and is subject to change. For current information, call us at 1-800-431-5921. Offer expires 04/30/2019
Joe Sez -
OPEN 7 DAYS A WEEK! Ask about: • Free in-home Educational Assessment • Multi Unit Discounts • SRP Rebates
89
$
Maintenance Inspection
Prolong the life of your A/C and heater and maintain maximum performance of your home. Not valid with any other offers. Expires 04/30/2019.
WE SELL PARTS!
7 DAYS A WEEK!
480-813-1700 www.hendels.com
3434 N. Arizona Ave. | Chandler, AZ 85225-7707
3