Glendale’s Community Newspaper
www.glendalestar.com
Vol. 78 No. 17
INSIDE
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SEE PAGE 12
BUSINESS ......... 14 The Paleta Bar chills in new West Valley location
Ex-arena employee to receive settlement BY JORDAN ROGERS
Glendale Star Staff Writer
Robert Nejbauer Jr., the man who accused Glendale Mayor Jerry Weiers of verbally assaulting him last July, is set to receive a settlement from the arena’s management company, ASM Global. Nejbauer was fired by ASM Global last August because he spoke to the media after the run-in with Weiers. “The main reason I did it was to have them rescind that policy so no future employee got burned by it like I did,” Nejbauer said. Nejbauer, 61, worked at Gila River Arena for four years. Prior to being fired, he
Glendale Star Staff Writer
Comedian Landry wants career on his own terms
OPINION.......................... 10 BUSINESS.......................14 SPORTS ...........................16 CALENDAR .....................18 FEATURES.......................20 RELIGION ........................22 YOUTH.............................24 CLASSIFIEDS ..................26
said he enjoyed his time there. “I loved it,” he said. “It was a good time; I enjoyed the people I worked with. I got to interact with the fans a lot and that was the best part. I enjoyed it a lot and it was a good four years of my life.” Within two days of being fired, Nejbauer reached out to the National Labor Relations Board after doing preliminary research. He made a call to its Phoenix office, and the board agreed to investigate the case. “I started thinking about it and at first, I thought it would be a violation of my first amendment rights,” he said. “But then I started thinking a little deeper and did a little research on unlawful dismissals and
things like that, and I saw that the NLRB had a case in Florida a few years ago. That’s how I learned about them; I didn’t even know they existed until I started looking into it.” The National Labor Relations Board is a governmentally funded entity that handles unlawful firings and disputes between employers and employees. Within a few weeks, the NLRB had responded to Nejbauer and told him his case “held merit.” As it turned out, the policy of withholding employees from speaking to the media violated the National Labor Relations Act of 1935. SEE SETTLEMENT PAGE 3
Glendale woman to be recognized at luncheon BY JORDAN ROGERS
FEATURES ......... 20
April 28, 2022
Glendale resident Cindi Nannetti will be recognized by Arizona’s 48 Most Intriguing Women during a luncheon on Friday, April 29, at the Arizona Biltmore Resort. “When I look at the other nominees and past recipients, I’m in awe that I’m included in this group,” she said. Other honorees include Dr. Sian Proctor, the first African American woman to pilot a spacecraft as part of the SpaceX mission; Amy Bockersette, a collegiate golfer who is the first person with Down syndrome to receive a college athletic scholarship, and the first person with Down syndrome to compete in a national collegiate cham-
pionship; and Dr. Cara Christ who led the state of Arizona’s COVID-19 pandemic response. Past honorees have included Ambassador Cindy McCain, former Rep. Gabrielle Giffords, former Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O’Connor and Diane Humetewa, the first female Native American U.S. attorney. The honored women were selected by an advisory board. “Being able to meet and get to know the honorees has been a truly amazing experience,” said 48 Women chairperson Connie Robinson in a statement. “This remarkable gathering will be a SEE NANNETTI PAGE 4
Cindi Nannetti, a longtime prosecutor, now works as a judge pro tem, and teaches at Chandler-Gilbert Community College law enforcement academy and Prevent Child Abuse Arizona. (Christine Johnson/Submitted)
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