SanTan Sun News - May 08, 2022 by Times Media Group

May 8, 2022 | www.santansun.com

Relentlessly local coverage of Southern Chandler

An edition of the East Valley Tribune

Chandler Council OKs utility rate hikes BY KEN SAIN Staff Writer

Chandler’s City Council is moving ahead with raising utility rates starting July 1. That decision is not sitting well with the city’s business community – or one council member. Chamber of Commerce Chairman Rick Heumann spoke during an April 28 public hearing to ask Council to postponed the effective date of the rate increases until Jan. 1.

“People’s budgets are done – they’ve been done for many months,” said Heumann, who is a former member of Council and currently chairs the city Planning and Zoning Commission. “Possibly 45 days from now you’re going to have a major rate increase for our businesses and HOAs.” Heumann said since businesses and homeowner associations make their annual budgets for the calendar year, delaying until Jan. 1 made sense to give

them time to plan ahead – especially as most of them are already dealing with higher prices because of inflation. Councilmember Rene Lopez said he was sympathetic, but that delaying the start of the rate increase six months means that residents would continue to pay more than their fair share of utility rates. “I can truly appreciate businesses out there that are struggling with what’s going on with inflation but so are the households,” Lopez said. “And we’re asking if we

do delay this … we're further putting the burden onto our residents to subsidize the water that our businesses use.” As part of the research for this rate hike, the city commissioned a cost of use analysis study. It tried to determine how much each type of customer used the different utility services and the rate they were paying for them. It found residents have been paying See

UTILITIES on page 6

CUSD board member calls $500K for marketing too low BY KEN SAIN Staff Writer

Terry Locke, the Chandler Unified School District’s director of community relations, had just concluded his presentation to the Governing Board on marketing efforts at its April 27 meeting. The board’s response was not what most people hear after a presentation before the body that controls the finances. “My question to you is, if you had more

money, what would you do with it?” board member Joel Wirth asked. “$500,000 seems incredibly, ridiculously low.” The stakes are high for the school district. The state bases its funding to districts on enrollment and CUSD is entering a period where officials expect overall enrollment to plateau and then fall. There are fewer younger families that can afford to live in and near the district. The birth rate is declining and soaring home prices make it unlikely

that young families just starting out in life will be able to move into Chandler Unified. The exact same trend has already hit nearby Tempe Union and Kyrene school districts, where demographers say a 10-year decline in births, coupled with a reluctance by older homeowners to give up their houses, has caused a major enrollment decline. And the competition from charter and private schools is increasing.

Wirth said he checked with his wife, who worked in marketing. She told him that generally, the district should be spending about 2% of its budget on marketing. That would be about $6 million, Wirth said. So he was disappointed the board has only approved $500,000 at this point. Locke and Digital Marketing Coordinator Sam Incorvaia briefed the GovernSee

MARKETING on page 3

Chandler honors the fallen

Chandler City Council candidates discussed a nondiscrimination ordinance, allowing chickens in residential backyards and other issues during a debate last week sponsored by the Chandler Chamber of Commerce. (David Minton/Staff Photographer)

Chickens, NDO rule the roost at Chandler candidate debate BY KEN SAIN Staff Writer

Some clear campaign issues developed during the first debate that separated the candidates for mayor and city council in August’s Primary Election. First was the push for a non-discrimination ordinance for LGBTQ+ people. The second got laughs, allowing some chickens in backyards of traditional neighborhoods. The Chandler Chamber of Commerce held the forum on May 3 inside the city’s Council Chambers with former mayor and Justice Court Judge Jay Tibshraeny as moderator. Incumbent Mayor Kevin Hartke is facing a challenge by Ruth Jones in the Aug.

2 primary, while running for three seats are five candidates: incumbent Matt Orlando, Angel Encinas, Darla Gonzalez, Jane Poston and Farhana Shifa. Jones did not hesitate with a yes when asked if she is in favor of an ordinance that protects members of the LGBTQ+ community. Hartke read a statement that showed his past support for a discrimination-free society and the non-binding proclamation that he issued but said he is against an NDO. Tempe, Scottsdale and Mesa joined Phoenix and Tucson last year in passing NDOs. “I am not currently supporting an See

CANDIDATES on page 8

Nine Chandler police officers have given up their lives in the line of duty and their photos were part of a memorial ceremony last week commemorating the fallen, including three officers who died just last year. For the story, see page 14. (David Minton/ Staff Photographer)

F E AT U R E D STO R I E S I-10 widening moves closer to reality . . . . . . . . . . . .News . . . . . . . . . . Page 11 Rents declinign, housin expert reports. . . . . . . . . . .Business. . . . . . . Page 23 Senior football players honored. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Sports . . . . . . . . Page 26 Chandler Girl Scout earns the gold . . . . . . . . . . . . . .NEIGHBORS . . . . . Page 27

More News . . . . . . . . 1-22 Business . . . . 23-25 Sports . . . . . . . . . 26 Neighbors . . 27-28 Faith . . . . . . . . . . 29 GetOut. . . . . 30-32 Directory . . . 32-38

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THE SUNDAY SANTAN SUN NEWS | MAY 8, 2022

Chandler Uniﬁed to offer drone pilot course BY KEN SAIN Staff Writer

film or TV. It’s just another opportunity for our students to have a career path they can take.” The three-year program provides students who complete a Federal Aviation Administration license. The Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association High School Aviation STEM curriculum is on display at the Melinda Romero Instructional Resource Center for review. State law requires the public to be able to look over all school curriculum for at least 60 days. The curriculum is being offered online free to the District. Anyone who wants to review it will need a log in, which will be provided when they arrive at the Instructional Resource Center, which is at 500 W. Galveston.

Once the review period is over, the Governing Board will be able to vote for its approval. The drone program would be the 20th CTE program the district offers. Also starting next year is a game design and 3D animation class, which will also be available to Chandler High students. Duran said CUSD is turning the former Arizona College Prep Oakland campus into its new C-TEC, Chandler Technical Education Center. The cybersecurity program has just been at Basha High School. Next year, it will expand to Chandler High as well. Others range from cabinet making to sports medicine. Duran said grants will pay for the drones the District is buying. As part of

the curriculum, students will learn how to build their own. Students will start out with small hand-held drones that can fly around a classroom. Once they earn their license, they’ll be able to fly larger devices. They will also discuss some of the issues surrounding drones, from privacy concerns to the dangers of flying over an active wildfire. Duran said that’s all required for the students to earn a license. The FAA says there are more than 850,000 registered drones operating in the U.S. It has certified more than 275,000 pilots. Drones are being used in fields from the military to home deliveries.

some people. Republicans have used echoed Olive’s concerns, saying she has “choice” in their efforts to promote met quite a few people who think Aricharter and private schools – which zona College Prep is a charter school. It ing Board on past efforts and the plan Democrats say siphons money form is a district school. going forward. It relies heavily on digital public education. Locke said that other districts are Mail Week: 05/02/2022 CLIPPER MAGAZINE MARTHA NEESE FOR VON HANSON S mostly on Facebook and Instagram. “We have some people who get spending more than CUSD, but that they roofads, Release Area: 02763-04-22 Chandler-West/Gilbert MEATS SPIRIT prefer that medium because really excited about school choice, but are hiring contractors to do all the work. pproveThey By: 04/18/22 Account #: CL112232 ontact your Account Service Coordinator: #: CL-5068365.INDD it gives them the ability to Adtarget their then we have people who get turned He said CUSD is saving money by having Brad Bass-Alex Richmond Malesha Inthisane Team: 2J audience, families with young children off by it because it kind of signals pristaff do a lot of the work, leaving them phone: 717-509-9495 phone: 480-917-2525 email: 2J@cmag.com email: Marthaneese@aol.com;mi.vonhanwho live close to the district. vatization language,” Love said to do more marketing for the money. sonsmeats@gmail.com fax: 480-917-2995 To date, they’ve been using the Jason Olive said the district needs Wirth asked Locke to think about phrase, “Your premier district of Gary Millslagleto do a better job differentiating itself it and then tell him what he would do Sales Rep: choice,” as their advertising slogan. from its competition, saying he had one with another $500,000 and then get Board member Lindsay Love friend who back to him. ❑ ❑ asked if ❑ didn’t know his kids were that was wise, pointing out “choice” is attending a charter school. Wirth said he ran for his seat with a political buzzword that might upset Board President Barb Mozdzen marketing being his top issue. He

said the CUSD was doing no marketing when he started and that he still believes while he was impressed with the presentation, he said the marketing effort is woefully inadequate. “All school districts are so far behind in telling our story,” Wirth said. “For me, now is not the time to cheat, we need to throw some money at this, because students we bring in are incredibly important to paying teachers, equity program, you name it. “We start declining, with the exception of teachers, everything else is going to get slashed and burned and cut.”

Flying drones can be a fun recreational activity. It can also be a job. That’s one reason Chandler Unified School District is adding a drone pilot course to its Career and Technical Education (CTE) program. The District’s Governing Board recently was briefed on the curriculum at its April 27 meeting. Its drone operation course is scheduled to be offered at Chandler High School in the fall. “It was one that students are really interested in,” said Lindsay Duran, the district’s director of CTE. “As you know, drones are just about in every area, whether it’s agriculture or real estate,

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THE SUNDAY SANTAN SUN NEWS | MAY 8, 2022

Commission signs off on big Chandler go-kart venue BY KEN SAIN Staff Writer

Andretti Indoor Karting & Games is racing toward opening a mega-entertainment venue in Chandler in summer 2023. The Chandler Planning and Zoning Commission recommended approval of Andretti’s new facility at the southwest corner of the San Tan Loop 202 Freeway and Cooper Road on April 20. The preliminary development plan next goes to City Council for approval, probably this month. The entertainment complex includes a three-level go-kart racing track, a “dark ride,” laser tag and a large gaming The proposed Andretti Indoor Karting & Games venue at Cooper Road and the Loop 202 is slated center. Chad Montgomery, to open in summer 2023. (City of Chandler) the director of real estate and development for Andretti, said some the track on weekdays to a $55 to concerns from those residents. The games would likely include virtual three-race package. Other attracrest of the units would be two stories. reality headsets with omni-directional tions range in price from $11 for a The city requires at least 51 parktreadmills. 10-minute weekday laser tag expeing spaces and that is how many the The plan also calls for private rience to $30 to $35 for bowling for developer is planning to provide. rooms for parties and food and an hour with up to six people on one Residents said they fear more will be beverage areas when visitors need a lane to a $90 VIP package that comneeded, which they said could lead break from the fun. Named after racbines one race, six other attractions to people parking on Pleasant. One ing legend Mario Andretti, the comand a $10 game card. neighbor said that is already taking pany operates six venues in Florida, Patrons who posted reviews on trav- place and there are times he has to Georgia and Texas. This would be the el sites gave various Andretti Indoor drive between parked cars on both first location in Arizona and, like the Karting Venues generally high marks. sides now. others, is billed as a family entertainWhile some posts warned of sticker Kevin Mayo, the city’s planning ment center. shock, the pricing apparently is no administrator, said the city looks at In addition to the three levels, the major obstacle: the Orlando, Florida, parking issues on a regular basis and go-kart track includes hairpin turns for venue reportedly draws close to a half if it becomes a concern on Pleasant, the electric-motor karts. million guests a year. the city could turn it into a no parking “[They can go] 35 miles per hour,” Florida developer Eddie Hamann zone. Montgomery said. “We’ll do like 150 opened the original Andretti Indoor With that, the commission voted to arcade games, bowling lanes, laser tag, a Karting and Games in Roswell in 1999, recommend council approval of the number of virtual reality experiences.” naming it after his friend Mario Anapartment complex. On its website, the company states, dretti, one of only two drivers to have The commission also recommended “Experience the adrenaline rush of won races in Formula One, IndyCar, the approval for a new home on a vacant our electric go-kart races with instant World Sportscar Championship and lot near the Chicago and California acceleration as you put the pedal to NASCAR. intersection in historic downtown. the metal around hairpin turns, up Montgomery said they expect The home has a modern design, and down elevation changes and long Council to vote on the development which will stand out among neighborstraightaways on our indoor cliplan in May and break ground in the ing homes built more than 90 years mate-controlled tracks.” third quarter of this year. He said if that ago. “Andretti’s racing simulators are happens, they expect to open in the Harley Mehlhorn, the city planner, the most advanced on the market summer of 2023. said there are no historic districts in and deliver big-time on thrills and While there was no controversy or Chandler that restrict what homeownheart-pounding excitement,” the comdebate in the commission’s review and ers can do with their property. He said pany brags. “It’s so realistic that you approval of the Andretti development, if someone wanted to buy one of the actually feel the motion and vibrations a proposed apartment complex at Pehistoric downtown homes, tear it down of the car, experience the tension in the cos Road and Pleasant Drive provoked and build a new home on that property, seatbelt, and hear the sounds of the complaints. they could. race track.” Two residents spoke against the “Per the General Plan and area With panoramic screens, the simudeveloper’s request for approval to plan guidance, there is guidance on lators “are the same kind that profesbuild 24 apartments on about two creating more of an urban feel in the sional race car drivers use,” the compa- acres. The neighbors said they were area,” Mehlhorn said. “That being said, ny said, and its “full motion actuators... concerned about people parking on obviously, sensitivity to scale is very give the feel of driving at high speeds.” Pleasant Drive, which would limit important there, so finding a consisAnother attraction, called the 7D access to their Fairview Meadows tency between more neutral colors Xperience, offers “a 3D interactive subdivsion. and neutral types of materials was movie experience with amazing speOne also expressed concern about important there.” cial effects. Up to eight riders at a privacy, saying the setback requireThe proposed home would house time compete for the highest score ments were not large enough. She also the Moore family and would have two using laser blasters and battling onsaid she was concerned about living bedrooms and two dens as well as a screen enemies. You actually feel the next to a transient population because multi-car garage. The lot was origiearth-rumbling movement and wind,” it’s a rental complex. nally zoned for multi-family developthe website states. The developer agreed to make the ment, so the Moores need approval Go-kart racing ranges in price four units closest to the Fairview Mead- to build a single-family home on it from $23 for a single adult spin along ows homes single-story after listening instead.

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THE SUNDAY SANTAN SUN NEWS | MAY 8, 2022

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THE SUNDAY SANTAN SUN NEWS | MAY 8, 2022

City administration compared Chandler’s utility costs to those in other Valley municipalities. (City of Chandler)

UTILITIES

from page 1

more than their fair share for water for years while businesses have been paying less for what they use. Chandler will not be raising rates the same on every type of customer. The water bill will increase 1.27% for residents, but 5.88% for landscaping. That’s to start getting them aligned with the cost-for-service study. The increases for businesses are significantly higher, ranging from 3.79% to 4.33% for water and 6.88% for waste water. Businesses must hire private collectors for garbage.

Officials had planned for the rate hike to begin on Jan. 1, 2022, but that was delayed by the cost-of-service study and other pandemic-related reasons. Chandler will have the lowest utility rates even with this hike of eight Valley cities after Gilbert raised its rates significantly this year. The city did look at what delaying the rate hike to the start of 2023 would mean, and determined it would lose about $2.2 million in revenue. A delay would also mean a larger rate hike when the city again addresses the issue in 2024 to make up for that lost revenue, officials said. The increase for homeowners prompted Councilman Matt Orlando to cast the

This chart shows the total impact of the utility rate increases on various segments of the Chandler community. (City of Chandler)

lone vote against the rate changes. “Residents should be held harmless in all this stuff, because they’ve been paying for the last 10 years,” Orlando said. “That’s why we did this rate study. I just feel it isn’t appropriate at this time (to raise their rates) when they’ve been paying all these years.” There are some other changes coming starting July 1. First, Council members said they heard loud and clear that Chandler residents like their alley trash pickup and want to keep it. It will cost them an additional $1.61 per month to do so. That’s what the city estimates is the extra cost to do alley pickup instead of Allow us to introduce the newest addition to our team:

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THE SUNDAY SANTAN SUN NEWS | MAY 8, 2022

CUSD to temporarily close central district kitchen BY KEN SAIN Staff Writer

The Chandler Unified School District is doing a lot of extra baking this spring as it prepares for a seven-month closing of its central kitchen starting in June. “This facility was built in 1992 and it really hasn’t been updated since then in any shape or form,” said Jenny Bracamonte, the school district’s director of food and nutrition. “Much of our equipment is at end of life.” The CUSD Governing Board recently approved spending about $82,000 to purchase new industrial meat slicer and a unifiller – a device that allows them to package large quantities of product (dressing, salsa, etc.) in whatever containers they need. Bracamonte said they will begin removing the older equipment and taking out the flooring in June. She said the plan is for upgrades to the building and the new equipment to be installed by December. She expects the total cost to replace the kitchen equipment to come to $1.7 million. “We are updating this facility to where the district is now,” Bracamonte said. “When this facility was built, we had like 12 schools. And now we have 47. Our meals per day, I can’t give you accurate figures from back then, but I would say probably between 7,000-to-10,000 meals a day, and now we do 40,000

Students at Casteel High may not notice the difference, but their baked goods and some condiments won’t be the same while Chandler Unified closes its central kitchen for seven months, starting in June. (Special to SanTan Sun News)

meals a day.” They started baking early for the next school year, beginning mainly with muffins in March. “We want to continue to deliver to our kids the experience that they’re used to,” Bracamonte said. “A part of that is scratch-baking, and homemade sauces, so we’re trying to get ahead of that production a little bit.” She said they are making 15,000 muffins a day, hoping to build a surplus

of at least 200,000. But it’s not just muffins that they are making now for next fall. Bracamonte said they’re also making smoothie mix, marinara sauce, and taco meat. “Things that we normally make in our kettle or bakery will totally be fine if they’re frozen for six months,” she said. She said staff and students will have to adjust because of the central kitchen closure. For example, now Bra-

camonte’s department make their own ranch dressing. Next fall they will likely use ranch dressing purchased from a vendor. Bracamonte said none of the current central kitchen employees will lose time at work because of the improvements. Instead of coming to the central kitchen, most will work out of the kitchens at individual schools. That’s where a lot of the work preparing food for school children will shift while the new equipment is installed. The central kitchen facility will still be available because the large freezer is located there. That’s where most of the muffins they’re making now will be stored. “Chandler is blessed to have this facility, because many districts don’t have the storage that we do,” Bracamonte said. Some of the new equipment should improve efficiency. Instead of a worker filling in cupcake batter one at a time, a machine will do multiple muffins at the same time. Instead of a worker spreading sauce on the 1,500 pizzas they make every week, they’ll have a machine that does that. Bracamonte said the automation won’t lead to any job loss, it will just allow them to repurpose employees to other roles. “It’s a whole new day in food service,” Bracamonte said.

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NDO because I believe that it’s not the city’s role to determining or discerning micro-aggressions, as opposed to other actions as well as the process that would condone or condemn people’s actions,” Hartke said. “So I believe we’ve not experienced this to a point where that is necessary. And my advocacy is far better than an NDO.” Hartke said he would use his leadership to stand up for anyone who is experiencing discrimination. Jones responded: “I think that until you experience discrimination, you cannot say whether or not it’s happened. So while I appreciate a proclamation, I feel that our city needs to have something that protects all of our citizens. “If our businesses want this, we need to be listening to them,” Jones continued. “And we need to listen to our residents. I’ve spoken with many members of our LBGTQ community and I know that they wish they felt that safe, and they wish they did not feel marginalized.” The Chamber of Commerce has endorsed passing an NDO, saying businesses want it because many of their workers are concerned about living in a community that does not protect its LGBTQ+ members. Chandler is the largest city in Arizona that has not passed an NDO for that community. The other issue the two candidates disagreed on was allowing chickens in the

backyards of residential neighborhoods. City staff is currently drafting an ordinance that the Council is expected to consider this summer. It would allow up to five hens on residential properties. Because most homeowner associations ban barnyard animals, the measure would likely only impact traditional neighborhoods. Hartke said he is in favor of allowing chickens. “Chandler is one of two cities that does not allow chickens in the entire county,” he said. “I think in today’s world, there is a tremendous desire for people to grow their own food [in] the kind of urban gardening motion movement, as well as raise chickens as a protein source. So I think that that’s it’s something that I believe we should have done a while ago.” Jones said she would wait at least a year before considering allowing chickens. She said before Council takes that step, it should address code enforcement, which would be tasked with addressing any complaints. “Currently, we have a problem with code enforcement in our in our traditional neighborhoods,” she said. “As I’ve driven through them, I’ve seen cars in front yards, I’ve seen weeds that were overgrown. So if you’re going to be adding in a farm animal, livestock, to that environment, you’re putting something that’s going to be more difficult on those residents.” The two candidates addressed other issues that they mostly agreed on, including addressing the police staffing issue,

Posing for a photo op after the debate were Chandler City Council candidates, from left, incumbent Matt Orlando, Jane Poston, Darla Gonzalez, Angel Encinas and Farhana Shifa.

(David Minton/Staff Photographer)

working with the business community, transportation, improving education options for the workforce and the city’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic. The debate was mostly civil. Hartke did thank Jones for agreeing with his policies at one point. And when she had gone past the time limit on a rebuttal once, he interrupted her to let her know that. Hartke also exceeded the time limit answering the question. As the incumbent, Hartke appeared to have a firmer grasp on the issues. Jones struggled at times to provide specifics, especially when asked what the city could have done better during the pandemic. Her answer was “masking.” The city never implemented a mandatory masking policy, so it was unclear

what she meant. The same two issues also divided the candidates for Council. Orlando, Encinas and Poston all said they support passing an NDO to protect LGBTQ+ citizens. Encinas introduced himself as a member of both the Latino and LGBTQ+ communities. Shifa said she did not support passing an NDO. Gonzalez said she has not taken a position. “I’ve been talking to people who are for it, and have been talking to people who are against it,” Gonzalez said, “And I haven’t really seen it or read it to even form my own yes or no, I’m trying to find out and do my due diligence beSee

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THE SUNDAY SANTAN SUN NEWS | MAY 8, 2022

Scholarship memorializes late Basha High student BY KEN SAIN Staff Writer

If you give any American teen one wish, you got to think they would be pretty selfish with it. And, if that teen was facing a life-threatening illness, most people would say they have every right to be. But Basha High School’s Jaxon Landfair was not a typical teen. The students at Basha High spent a week in April trying to keep his one wish alive to celebrate his memory. Jaxon died from leukemia complications in September 2019. He had been diagnosed less than a year before that. When Make A Wish showed up to offer him his one wish, Jaxon’s father said his son still thought he would overcome his struggle with cancer. Jaxon Landfair died of leukemia in 2019 but “We never, ever considered that he he wanted his death to leave a legacy. may not make it through it,” Jay Land(Special to SanTan Sun News) fair said. “They told us, ‘you know, leukemia, He told his dad he wanted something it’s not a death sentence anymore,’” that would last. He asked Make A Wish said Jessica Landfair, his mother. to start a scholarship that would help Jaxon thought about his one wish for students interested in law enforcement a while. to get their college degrees. “He thought about it for, I mean, Jay and his wife, Jessica, started the pretty much his entire journey with Jaxon Foundation to do just that. And leukemia,” Jay said. “He had that in the each year the students at Basha set out back of his mind, because Make A Wish to raise $6,000 to fund that scholarship. approached him pretty early. And the Volunteer students dress up in purple COLOR: Right clickcompete swatch, and whole time he was like, ‘Man, I just can’t shirts and classrooms against think … and it just didn’t seem good one another to see which can raise the enough.’” most money. Finally, Jaxon settled on his wish. The foundation also hosts an annual

Participating in a fundraiser for Jaxon were, from left, Ava Gilbert, Jay Landfair, Jessica Landfair, Paige Campbell, Teah Watersmith, and School Resource Officer William Walker. (David Minton/Staff Photographer)

golf tournament, scheduled for this weekend, to help raise funds. So far it has awarded three scholarships. Why law enforcement? “That was kind of a surprise to me, actually,” Jay said. “You know, I remember talking to him, and he was in like middle school or something like that. You know, about what he wanted to do with life and everything. At that time talking about going into the military, Marines.” He later found out his son and an officer at the hospital talked, and Jaxon find andanreplace correct expressed interest inwith doing investigations in law enforcement. Before Jaxon died, his father said he made a commitment to him to start

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the foundation that would keep his one wish alive. That means raising $6,000 every year for another scholarship. That’s something that Basha students say they are happy to help with. This year they raised more than $7,900 for the Foundation. That was impressive considering only this year’s senior class attended school the same time that Jaxon did. “We asked the Landfairs to make a video that kind of explained who Jaxon was, his story and everything,” said Ava color Gilbert, one of the student organizers of the fund drive. “And it was shown See

JAXON on page 12

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THE SUNDAY SANTAN SUN NEWS | MAY 8, 2022

Ducey OKs $400M for I-10 widening HOWARD FISCHER Capitol Media Services

Relief may finally be on the way for Chandler motorists who get snarled in traffic in the corridor between the state’s two largest cities. The state House on Monday gave final approval to spending $400 million to widen an approximately 25 mile stretch of Interstate 10 between Queen Creek Road on the edge of Chandler to State Route 287 outside of Casa Grande to three lanes in each direction. That matches what already exists on either side of the segment. The Senate already has given its blessing and Gov. Doug Ducey, who asked for the funding in his State of the State speech, signed the measure Wednesday, Doug Nick, spokesman for the state Department of Transportation, said that $400 million won’t complete the job. But he said that commitment will qualify Arizona to apply for a share of the $5 billion Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act that is set aside for highway improvement projects. That could add another $300 million. And Nick said the agency already has $260 million set aside to get the work started, bringing the entire project cost to about $1 billion. That start, which could begin as early as 2023, will be on the pair of quarter-mile two-lane bridges over the Gila River. From there, he said, construction will start in 2024 to the north and south until the entire stretch is upgraded to three lanes. Anticipated completion is set for 2026. Nick said that $1 billion figure was crafted to account for inflation. He acknowledged, though, that the current unusually high increase in year-to-year costs for everything could complicate matters if it does not abate. The state has been widening sections of the interstate, which stretches from Santa Monica, California, to Jacksonville, Florida, for years. But the last section has been an issue. Rep. T.J. Shope, R-Coolidge, who sponsored the $400 million appropriation, said some of that had to do with the fact that the stretch runs through the Gila River Indian Community. “Their opposition mainly stemmed from they felt like they didn’t have a seat at the table originally when (the highway) was place through the reservation," he said. “And they hadn’t felt like an equal partner throughout that process." Shope said that has changed with the participation of GRIC Gov. Stephen Roe Lewis. On its website, ADOT said it is working with the Gila River Indian Community to define the recommended bridge layout and estimated costs to replace the I-10 bridges over the Gila River. ADOT states it has allocated $83 million for the bridge replacement project in

Fiscal Year 2023, adding, “The funding amount is contingent on market conditions and final design." “Once an agreement with the Gila River Indian Community is finalized, ADOT is committed to identifying and pursuing all possible funding options, including federal funding options, for improving the I-10 bridges over the Gila River," the agency website states, adding that it must complete engineering and environmental-impact studies before it can be eligible for federal aid. The I-10 bridges over the Gila River were constructed in 1964 with a functional lifespan of 50 to 75 years, ADOT states. “Since being constructed, they have been impacted twice by major flood events in the Gila River,” the agency states. “In 1983, flood waters washed over I-10, resulting in the closure of I-10 for several weeks for roadway and bridge repairs. It is estimated that the 1983 event’s river flow was three times greater than the flow for which the bridges were designed,” it explains. “Ten years later, another flood event resulted in flood waters rising within inches of the bridge girders, causing concern that floating debris could damage the bridge structures and force another closure of I-10. In 1994, ADOT made modifications along and within the river near the bridges to help protect them from future flooding events.” ADOT says that though it “has continuously repaired, reinforced and maintained the bridge structures since they were built, “as a bridge ages, the routine maintenance becomes progressively more expensive. Recent inspections indicate that expensive deck and foundation repairs are necessary in the near future if the existing bridges are to remain in place." It also said the two recent flooding events, one for which covered the highway, indicate that “the more cost-effective, long-term solution may be to design and construct new bridges utilizing current design standards and methods, enabling the bridges to withstand larger flood events. “This is especially critical, as another major flood event along the Gila River forcing an I-10 closure would significantly impact the region’s mobility and emergency response times, and would have a noticeable, negative impact on the local and state economy,” it says. “Newly designed bridges could also include wider shoulders, which would improve safety for everyone who travels over them. “As the region continues to grow, the reliability, safety and structural integrity of the bridges over the Gila River are increasingly critical to travelers.” Despite the lopsided votes – 27-1 in the Senate and 55-1 in the House – not everyone is convinced it’s a good idea

Widening the stretch of I-10 between Casa Grande and Ahwatukee has been delayed by a rift between the Gila River Indian Community and state government that only recently has been bridged as a result of GRIC Gov. Stephen Roe Lewis. (ADOT)

to take money from the same pot that is used to fund the rest of state government. The generally established practice involves ADOT borrowing money for projects, pledging future gasoline tax revenues and vehicle registration fees and leaving the dollars collected from state income, sales and other taxes untouched. Tapping the general fund for $400 million jump starts this specific project without affecting other road construction and repair priorities. Sen. Michelle Ugenti-Rita, R-Scottsdale, cast the lone dissenting vote in the Senate. It starts, she said, with the process. She said that if the state has a fixed amount of money to spend in the general fund, then all priorities should be considered and compete for those funds at the same time. Ugenti-Rita said there should not be special carve outs. Beyond that, she said there may be better ways of spending that much money. “I want $400 million in tax cuts,’’ Ugenti-Rita said. Shope acknowledged that this plan to use general fund tax collection dollars to put in a third lane in each di-

rection is a departure from the normal process of borrowing money for new construction. But he said this isn’t just any old road project. “The Casa Grande Chamber of Commerce survey did a survey of residents," Shope said. “And, of those who were gainfully employed, around 60% of them traveled to Phoenix for work." That, he said, is far different than a project like widening I-17 north of Anthem. “That’s a lot of recreational traffic,’’ Shope said. “This is a lot of commerce traffic just trying to do their daily jobs.’’ And he said that I-10 becomes the only east-west highway that is pretty much guaranteed to be open and snowfree all winter, though Shope acknowledged there are stretches in Cochise County that do sometimes get snow. Support was bipartisan. “The I-10 is a vital artery that supports our entire state economy,’’ said House Minority Leader Reginald Bolding, D-Laveen. “All kinds of commerce, agriculture, See

WIDEN on page 12

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fore I come to a conclusion on whether I would vote yes or no on this.” Orlando said when the federal and state governments refuse to protect a class of people, it is right for the city to step in. Poston said an NDO for Chandler should provide only civil penalties, not criminal. Orlando agreed with that. Encinas said there is proof that NDOs work, stating, “You know we have over 20 years of precedent nationally that NDOs work and that they are not vehicles to exploit businesses financially or vindictively.” Shifa was asked specifically if she was for an NDO or against it after giving her answer. “We cannot legislate people’s heart [with] legislation, if that doesn’t have any enforcement, that’s not going to change the habit of the people,” Shifa said. “So for me, the way the NDO is crafted, that’s not sufficient enough because our U.S. Constitution First Amendment already protects all Americans.” There seemed to be more agreement on backyard chickens. Poston, Orlando and Encinas said they would vote against it. “Overwhelmingly, people are telling me that they prefer not to have more chickens in their backyard,” Poston said. “I do you agree with the position that this disproportionately affects our traditional neighborhoods.” “You know, we can talk about the

permit process, we can talk about, we can speak about getting your neighbor signatures,” Orlando said. “If you start doing that, you start putting neighbors against neighbors.” Encinas says he lives in a traditional neighborhood and is pretty sure one of his neighbors once had chickens illegally. He said he had no problem living next to them. However, he said enforcing the rules would be up to an overworked code enforcement team and he couldn’t support that, saying the potential problems are more than they are worth. Shifa said if people can have dogs and raise children, she didn’t see a problem with raising chickens. “So my vote would be yes, because I don’t want to take away the right from those people who have the right, ability, understanding to raise chicken and also I do not want to make others feel that they’re under threat,” Shifa said. Gonzalez said she could see both sides of the issue and was conflicted. She said she had not yet settled on a final position. When prompted to say how she would vote today, she said: “I would probably vote no, just because there’s so few people that really want chickens, but that could change.”

Watch the debate

You can watch both the mayor and council debates on the City of Chandler YouTube page.

JAXON

from page 10

in every single fourth hour. So, by the time we went in there to get the donations ... they already knew who he was, they knew his story. Everyone’s really touched by it.” Students from all over the East Valley can apply for the scholarship. Jay said they work with the police youth programs to find students who are serious about pursuing a career in law enforcement. Jaxon’s parents say in the end, they were not surprised that Jaxon would use his one wish to benefit others.

WIDEN

from page 11

manufacturing, dry goods, even state legislators from Tucson all rely on the I-10 to connect our state’s two largest metropolitan areas," Bolding continued. “But one part of this artery there is a choke point that impacts safety and needs our investment and out attention." He acknowledged there are a lot of priorities and demands for state funds, particular for education. “But we also know infrastructure is where our attention is needed." Ducey press aide C.J. Karamargin said the presence of I-10 and one where traffic flows easily is critical to the

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“That literally is just who Jaxon always was,” Jessica said. “He was always, even throughout his battle with leukemia, anytime anyone came into the room, he was always more concerned about their well being or if everyone was comfortable. It was innate, he is just a giver, and very good example, to all of us, including his parents.”

How to help

To contribute, visit jaxonfoundation.org.

state’s economy. “We have businesses, large companies, manufacturing companies that are choosing Arizona because of our proximity to interstate highways,’’ he said. For example, he said Nikola Motor Co. which rolled its first big rig trucks off the line last month, chose Coolidge because of freeway access. Rep. Richard Andrade, D-Glendale, also voted for the plan. But he told colleagues they should keep in mind there are other priorities. “We also have many Arizona roads and highways that need to be improved,’’ he said. And Andrade said he is counting on lawmakers making further investments as the full budget is negotiated.

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THE SUNDAY SANTAN SUN NEWS | MAY 8, 2022

Chandler honors the fallen in 1st post-COVID gathering BY KEN SAIN Staff Writer

It has been three years since the Chandler police community could gather to remember their fallen officers and in the time the pandemic prevented an in-person ceremony from being held, the city added three more names to the list – including three just last year. “Today we remember, and honor those that remind us these accolades come with a price,” Mayor Kevin Hartke said at the revived public ceremony, pointing out how Chandler is one of the most livable cities in the country because of how safe it is. “Today we’re here to honor the memory of nine Chandler police officers who made the ultimate sacrifice over the years. This year, we lost three more.” The Fallen Officer Memorial Ceremony was held May 2 at the Public Safety Memorial Plaza in downtown Chandler and the three men added to the list are Officers Tyler Britt, Christopher Farrar and Jeremy Wilkins. The 50-year-old Farrar died on April 30. 2021, after being struck by a stolen vehicle during a police chase. Suspect Jonathon Altland had led Pinal County deputies on a chase that began near Eloy and ended at a car dealership at Loop 202 and Val Vista. Altland allegedly stole a car at the

by his widow and five children. He had been exposed to the virus while serving an arrest warrant. The three Chandler officers are among the 13 law enforcement agents in Arizona whose watch came to an end last year. “This is the first service we’ve held in person since 2019, and unfortunately our department, our community suffered three additional losses since we last met,” said Chandler Police Chief Sean Duggan. “All tragic and poignant reminders of the dangers inherit in being a police officer today.”

Chandler’s Fallen Chandler paid tribute to its fallen officers in a somber ceremony May 2 at the Public Safety Memorial Plaza downtown. (David Minton/Staff Photographer)

dealership and then tried to flee, striking two officers before he was shot and wounded by other officers. Farrar died later at a hospital, the other officer, Gilbert Officer Rico Aranda, was seriously injured. Altland faces 32 charges for the incident, including first-degree murder and prosecutors will seek the death penalty if he is convicted. Farrar had been with the department for 18 years. He was not scheduled to work that day but was filling in because

of absences. He is survived by his children and grandchildren. Britt, 48, was a 20-year-veteran of the Chandler Police Department and died Jan. 11, 2021, after catching COVID-19 while performing his duties. He died after a protracted battle from complications of the virus, leaving his widow and son. In December, it happened again when Wilkins, 46, died after his battle with COVID-19. He had been with the department for 23 years and is survived

The City of Chandler paid tribute to its police officers who died in the line of duty at a memorial this week. End of Watch Officer Richard Felix Officer James Snedigar Officer Robert Nielsen Detective Carlos Ledesma Officer Bryant Holmes Officer David Payne Officer Tyler Britt Officer Christopher Farrar Officer Jeremy Wilkins

9/09/1995 4/16/1999 6/12/2002 7/28/2010 10/28/2014 10/31/2014 1/11/2021 4/30/2021 12/17/2021

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NEWS

THE SUNDAY SANTAN SUN NEWS | MAY 8, 2022

Chandler looking to revise the way it sets workers’ pay BY KEN SAIN Staff Writer

Chandler City Council has already reached agreements this year with three labor associations on compensation. Last month, it began to consider how to compensate the approximately 1,200 city workers who are not part of a labor association. The big takeaway is the city administration wants to change the way it will compare salaries for similar jobs paid by other municipalities to come up with a fair wage for Chandler workers. In the past, the city Human Resources Department used a “4th Market” strategy, which meant they aimed to have one of the top four salaries in the cities they use for comparisons. Those seven cities are Gilbert, Glendale, Mesa, Peoria, Phoenix, Scottsdale and Tempe. Officials would calculate the top compensation, which included base pay, deferred compensation if any, and retirement and health savings account deposits. The change was recommended by a consultant the city hired to look at its

compensation and job-classification practices. The first major change is to move away from comparing total compensation and instead focus on base pay. This year Human Resources Director Rae Lynn Nielsen proposed dropping Phoenix from the list of comparison municipalities and replace it with smaller Avondale, Goodyear and Queen Creek. “The City of Phoenix is a much bigger organization than we are,” Nielsen said. “For general employees, they are in a much different retirement system. If you leave the City of Phoenix and come here, you are starting in a different retirement system, or vice versa. “Also, their positions are harder to compare to, Nielsen explained. “Because of the size of their organization, they decentralize a lot of things. They have one person doing something that two or three of our people do. It’s not easy to do apples to apples for the City of Phoenix. Typically, they are at the top of the pay range, so I don’t know that it’s going to really affect what our market is.”

Moreover, instead of aiming to be in the top four in salaries, the goal would be to be in the 75th percentile. Nielsen said most HR departments use percentile to compare positions. To calculate that, Nielsen said they would look at similar positions in the other municipalities and get the salary range each city offered for that job, then use the mid-point of that range for comparing it to Chandler’s range. Chandler would then set a mid-point salary that was better than 75% or more of those other cities. Nielsen showed the Council a chart with eight current positions and how the change would play out. In six positions, the employee’s salary would need to be increased. In two, they would stay the same. Under the old system, only three positions were not in the top four. Nielsen said employees who are above the 75th percentile would not get a raise, but they also won’t have a pay cut. Another recommendation involved alternative compensation for employees who have reached the top of their salary scale.

Do you have an interesting story? Contact Paul Maryniak: pmaryniak@timespublications.com

The consultant plans to hold focus groups with city employees this month and next to get their feedback on changes to make to their compensation program. Council agreed to all the recommendations. Nielsen said HR departments across the country are trying to improve compensation packages to attract quality employees. She said the consultant’s study will continue now that they have guidance from Council and hope to wrap it up by the end of this year. Nielsen said employees are excited to hear there was a compensation study underway because they assume that everyone will get a raise. “That is not what that means because really this classification and compensation study is to align us with our labor market, establish pay practices,” Nielsen warned. “It’s been a very long time since we’ve done this survey, so there’s going to be some positions that are going to be higher, and there are going to be some positions that are lower. So this is really just a sample.”

NEWS

THE SUNDAY SANTAN SUN NEWS | MAY 8, 2022

Southside Village seeks historic Chandler designation SANTAN SUN NEWS STAFF

Southside Village residents want the city to designate their community a “South Chandler Historic Neighborhood.” Such a designation, they say, will “preserve the significant contributions that this neighborhood gave to Chandler during its initial development and into today.” The neighborhood is roughly bordered by Frye and Pecos roads, the railroad tracks near Delaware Street and Arizona Avenue. Last month Mayor Kevin Hartke joined more than 100 residents at the Southside Village Reunion Festival at N.J. Harris Park to celebrate the neighborhood, said a spokeswoman for the movement, Peggy Schlesinger. The Southside Village Reunion Festival was sponsored by Chandler4Change and South Chandler Self Help. These organizations collaborated with the Salvation Army, which supplied the food and drinks, and the City of Chandler Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Department. “The goal of the event in the park was to collect signatures to petition the City of Chandler to recognize the neighborhood as a Historic Conservation District to preserve the history of Southside Village for the future and to recognize the contributions of the people of color who lived industrious lives despite severe hardships and segrega-

tion,” Schlesinger said. In 1910, Dr. A.J. Chandler officially set aside 100 lots for African American and Latinx workers who were recruited as laborers for the growing agriculture industry. The new residents were banned from settling in surrounding areas due to racist segregation zoning. The historical significance of the neighborhood stems from these creative and hard-working residents who built their lives on those 100 lots,” Schlesinger said. “The community that rose from the desert south of the City of Chandler became key to the success of the entire region.” “Since 1912, the year of Arizona’s statehood, this area was the neighborhood for the non-white residents of Chandler,” she explained. “However, it was not originally considered an official part of the City of Chandler. The neighborhood has been known by many names including Winn Addition, Southside, Mexican Town, The Barrio, South Chandler, and Historic South Chandler Neighborhood.” “Many residents rose above segregation to contribute in significant ways to Chandler society. Some of the ways local residents contributed to the early growth of Chandler, which continues today, were as lawyers, authors, politicians, entrepreneurs, and doctors. The first documented African American to arrive was N.J. Harris who was hired to

Residents of Southside Village celebrated their south Chandler neighborhood with a festival last month. “Many of the people are neighbors or associated with neighborhood, such as Angel Encinas’ mother was friends with LaVon Woods, who lives just north of the target neighborhood,” explained Peggy Schlesinger, one of the neighbors who is helping to persuade the city to give the community a historic-neighborhood designation. (Courtesy of Peggy Schlesinger)

be Dr. Chandler’s chauffeur. “Like many other productive inhabitants, Mr. Harris found creative ways to better his life and the life of his family. After retirement, he opened a barbecue restaurant that his daughter, Alberta Harris Jacko, continued to run. The restaurant became the longest operating African American woman-owned business in Chandler.” Schlesinger noted that several wellknown political figures lived in South-

side Village – including former mayors Raul Navarrete and Coy Payne. Past Chandler city councilmembers Philip Duenas and Philip Westbrooks also lived in the neighborhood. “Many community advocates from this neighborhood worked tirelessly to improve the lives of the local residents,” Schlesinger said. She cited Pluarco Garcia, who See

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NEWS

THE SUNDAY SANTAN SUN NEWS | MAY 8, 2022

Around Chandler Chandler Library to launch Summer Reading Challenge

Chandler Public Library hopes readers of all ages dive into “Oceans of Possibilities” this summer with the return of the annual Summer Reading Challenge. Designed to interrupt the summer slide, the common term given to learning loss experienced by children while transitioning between school years, the program invites young participants to read daily and earn fun prizes for their efforts from June 1 through Aug. 1. Chandler Library Program Coordinator Jean Reynolds, said “Simply reading 20 minutes a day helps build a lifelong habit of reading and coincidentally, that’s all it takes to participate in our Summer Reading Challenge.” Starting June 1, pre-readers to retirees are encouraged to read 20 minutes a day. Readers must log their minutes to earn points towards prizes such as free food gift certificates to popular restaurants like Raising Cane’s, Rubio’s Coastal Grill and Lou Malnati’s Pizzeria. With each minute milestone reached, participants unlock new prize tiers. Readers who complete the challenge by achieving 1,000 points by the end of summer receive a free book and are entered into a drawing for various grand prizes in their age group. The complete prize list is available online. Throughout the summer, Chandler Library branches will host special themed activities and events with secret codes to help readers achieve their points. Additionally, its many personalized services make it easy for readers to find their next read and qualify for more points. Participants are encouraged to take advantage of the Library’s Bag of Books program, enlisting the help of the Library staff to create take-home bags of books recommended for your age group and interests. Young readers receive 20 books and teens and adults receive 10 books. Once bags are filled, they are available for pick-up at your desired branch. Patrons can get a head start when they create their Summer Reading Challenge Account online before the challenge opens. Once the challenge begins, readers may sign up in person at any Chandler Public Library branch. Summer Reading Challenge is hosted in partnership with Maricopa County Reads. For more information, call the Chandler Public Library at 480-7822800.

Candidates to appear at Sun Lakes Republican Club The Sun Lakes Republican Club will feature “Election Year Insights” with candidates for governor, U.S. Senate, Arizona Attorney General and Treasurer

at 6:30 p.m. Wednesday, May 11, in the Navajo Room of the Sun Lakes Country Club, 25601 S. Sun Lakes Blvd., Sun Lakes. The public is invited. Candidates who will present their vision for preserving life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness include gubernatorial hopeful Kari Lake, and U.S. Senate candidates Jim Lamon and Attorney General Mark Brnovich. Information: slgop.org , or contact Mike Tennant, 262-880-4620.

Outdoor movie night returning to Chandler Chandler is returning its outdoor movie night, CinePark, to Tumbleweed Park this month. Residents can bring a blanket, a picnic meal, or purchase food and beverages from vendors. Admission is free to the family-friendly shows. The lawn opens up for seating at 6:30 p.m. and the movie starts at 8 p.m. Here’s the films being shown this year: May 13: “Luca”, May 20: “Sing 2.” CinePark is sponsored by Arizona Public Service.

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Hadassah chapter seeks new members, plans activities Devorah Hadassah, the Women’s Zionist Organization of America, is the Southeast Valley chapter of a volunteer organization that inspires a passion for and commitment to the land, the people, and the future of Israel. Get-togethers include Out to Lunch the first Monday of the month; the Literary Ladies book group via Zoom on the second Wednesday of the month; collecting food on the third Wednesday for the Jewish Family & Children’s Services agency; and a general meeting the fourth Wednesday. For more information: Eliana Bar-Shalom at 860-377-7126 or email at ebarshalom.eb@gmail.com.

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Chandler man sentenced for stealing from NBA star A Chandler man who acted as the personal assistant for a NBA star is going to jail for stealing from him. Theodore Itsvan Joseph Kritza, 46, pled guilty to stealing about $4.8 million dollars from Richard Jefferson, a UArizona star who played more than 1,100 games in the NBA between 20012018. Jefferson, a Moon Valley High School graduate, is currently an NBA analyst for ESPN. Kritza was accused of forging Jefferson’s signature on loan and credit applications as well as a power of attorney over seven years starting in 2005. He was sentenced to 70 months (nearly six years) in jail and ordered to pay Jefferson back the money he stole. Kritza now lives in Colorado and will serve his term at a prison close to his home.

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NEWS

THE SUNDAY SANTAN SUN NEWS | MAY 8, 2022

Chandler PD sweetens offer for new hires BY KEN SAIN Staff Writer

Chandler Police Chief Sean Duggan says his department has been out in front of the effort to recruit officers to fill vacancies that law enforcement agencies across the country are struggling with. And now he’s sweetening his offer to out-of-towners. “In July we added a series of bonuses or incentives,” Duggan said, noting that previously, “In fact, we were the first city to do that and kind of started a war.” Soon, other Valley cities were offering bonuses for new recruits and even more for existing officers to switch departments. Last year the city offered an existing officer in another department $5,000 to make the lateral move to Chandler. This year, it is effectively doubling that. The city is stepping up its nationwide recruiting and offering to pay up to $5,000 in moving expenses in addition to the $5,000 bonus. That started on May 1 and goes to any officer coming from outside the metro Phoenix area. Duggan told City Council during an April 28 work session that those incentives are working. He said they hired 31 sworn officers and 28 civilians in 2021. He also said the department is down to 24 vacancies in the number of positions authorized by Council. Duggan said recruiting remains the top concern in his department. He anticipates only one to three Deferred Option Retirement Plan (DROP) retirements through 2023. However, he expects between 12 and 14 DROP retirements each year from 2024 through 2026. In addition, 84 current sworn officers have served more than 20 years and are eligible to retire whenever they like. “If all 84 left tomorrow, it would be difficult,” Duggan said. “You’d be back on patrol?” Councilman Matt Orlando asked. “I’d be retired,” Duggan replied. “I don’t anticipate that happening.” Chandler had 334 sworn officer positions in 2020-21 fiscal year. That jumped

The Chandler Police Department has been whittling down the time it takes to respond to a priority one call. (Chandler Police)

to 360 last year. City administration wants to add two more positions, to 362, in the preliminary budget for the fiscal year beginning July 1. The overall spending plan is being debated now. In addition, the department has 172 civilian positions this year with 177 proposed for next. Duggan wants to add four officers and a sergeant to form a behavioral health unit that would respond to and investigate behavioral health-related calls for service and serve mental health petition orders. That move would free up patrol officers to focus on crime and other duties. Duggan told Council his officers are meeting their response time goals, mainly because they’ve changed how they calculate it. In 2019 they changed the definition of priority one calls to remove some calls for service that were not really priority one. For example, if someone called to report a manhole cover was missing, that was a priority one call. While important and a safety concern,

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Duggan said it did not belong in the same category as an assault in progress. Last year the department also switched from using average response time to using the median. Average times can be skewed by extremes, he said, explaining that it took 20 minutes to get to a couple of calls or 20 seconds. Median is where there are the same number of calls on both sides of that point. Duggan said his officers’ response time to priority one calls was 4 minutes and 6 seconds last year. That’s well below of his goal of 5 minutes. The goal for priority two calls is 15 minutes, and priority three calls is 30 minutes. The chief said that his department will be currently staffed at the right level once all the positions are filled. Currently, officers are working overtime to cover when there is leave, training or illness. Duggan said they use software from Corona Solutions called Deploy to determine how best to staff its precincts. It takes in all the data, analyzes the numbers and then recommends staffing levels. It is also used by the police departments in Glendale, Scottsdale, Mesa, Gilbert and Tempe. The data collected includes how much time officers spend responding to a call for service, writing reports, making phone calls, translating, taking breaks and fueling their vehicles. The software calculates that each officer is available for calls about 84

percent of the time. That’s why recruiting to fill the open positions remains the top priority. Duggan said they are allowing lateral officers who have at least five years of experience to compete for open senior positions after a year of probation. He said that police are well respected in Chandler. Both, Duggan said, help in recruiting. “Recruiting and hiring, not only is it our top priority right now, it is our greatest challenge – not just for Chandler PD, but it is a regional and national issue,” he added. How big a challenge can be seen in Phoenix, which is offering a $7,500 hiring bonus for both new recruits and lateral transfers. Top ranking department heads have told Phoenix City Council that of an authorized 3,125 sworn positions, the department currently has filled fewer than 2,700 – and the number of filled patrol positions is well below what the department considers minimal patrol staffing. As a result, detectives and sergeants have been put on patrol, increasing the workload for detectives investigating the aftermath of crimes and the average response time continues to rise. Nor have the Phoenix incentives attracted more recruits, as recent reports by the department to Phoenix City Council show classes fell well below expectations.

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NEWS

THE SUNDAY SANTAN SUN NEWS | MAY 8, 2022

City holds meeting for landlords to push voucher program BY KEN SAIN Staff Writer

It’s becoming a familiar story in Chandler. “A couple of months ago there were 11 or 12 residents in one apartment complex being asked to leave because they no longer would accept Section 8,” said Misty Gustafson, a Chandler community navigator. “The rents went up almost $900 a month. Some of them were a little less than that, but with a fixed income these folks were not able to afford those units.” The city Housing Department helped them find temporary housing, Gustafson said. But it’s getting harder to do so as housing prices increase and the number of landlords willing to accept federal dollars to provide affordable housing decreases. That’s one reason why Chandler played host to its first landlord outreach event on April 26. Amy Jacobson, the city’s housing and redevelopment manager, said the amount of money combined from the tenant and federal subsidies is no longer enough in a red-hot real estate market where rents are soaring. She said

they still have thousands on a waiting list for affordable housing. Landlords can get more, so some are raising the rent and if the current tenant can’t pay that amount, they’re out. And those tenants are not going to find affordable alternatives. “We actually saw a very large increase in elderly becoming homeless, not only because the rents are going up extremely high, but the buildings are getting sold and the new landlord won’t accept Section 8, or the current landlord won’t accept Section 8,” Gustafson said. “We have a giant increase in that population.” Section 8 is also known as Housing Choice Vouchers. The city has 486 available vouchers it could hand out and it is currently using only 450 of them, Jacobson said. They have plenty of people on a waiting list to use the other 36 vouchers, but they don’t have enough landlords willing to take them. In the voucher program, the tenant pays 40% of their monthly income for housing and the city, using federal funds, pays the rest. It is willing to pay just below $1,200 a month for a loft apartment, to $1,560 for a two-bedroom.

A look on Apartments.com shows most two-bedroom apartments in Chandler are going for at least $1,800 a month to more than $2,200. The city does have some programs to help seniors and others who are forced to leave their homes because they can no longer afford the rent. Gustafson said the city also has a non-congregate shelter called Operation Open Door. The city rents a hotel room for a senior to live in while a case manager works on a longer-term solution with weekly meetings. They encourage seniors to look at possibly pairing up as roommates so they can afford a more expensive place. There is also the Emergency Housing Voucher program that was started to help keep people in their homes during the pandemic. Another program the city offers is the Tenant Based Rental Assistance plan, that offers residents one-to-two years assistance. Gustafson said there is a threemonth wait even for the Emergency Housing Voucher program. So, seniors who are forced out may have to live in their car for 90 days before they can get emergency help.

She said if they have family or friends out of state who are willing to help, then Chandler will buy a bus ticket to help them get there. The homeless problem is growing because as rental prices go up, the number of landlords willing to accept Section 8 vouchers goes down. “That’s exactly what’s happening,” Jacobson said. Jacobson said she was happy with the turnout for their first landlord outreach event. “This is just one of many,” she said. “We’re going to continue to do these events and talk about issues that landlords may have and new programs and incentives that the city can offer.” One of the incentives discussed at the meeting was the IROC (Increase Rental Opportunities in Chandler) program. That gives a $1,000 bonus to landlords signing up to offer Section 8 housing for the first time. The city also offers new and existing landlords who participate a $400 bonus for each lease renewal. The city has created a new landlord portal on its website to help manage the voucher programs.

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NEWS

THE SUNDAY SANTAN SUN NEWS | MAY 8, 2022

Casteel High growth surprises CUSD with new expenses BY KEN SAIN Staff Writer

When Casteel High School opened in 2015, officials thought it would be a small school but much like the town it’s in – Queen Creek – it has grown faster than Chandler Unified School District officials were prepared for. The district Governing Board on April 27 approved construction of eight tennis courts and a concession building for the high school. As part of the deal, the existing four tennis courts at the school will be converted to basketball courts. The cost is about $4.4 million. Members of the board pointed out during the meeting that they keep having to go back to Casteel because they underestimated how many students would be enrolled at the school. The Queen Creek school has more than 3,200 students in grades 7-12, and more than 2,100 in the high school. Queen Creek’s population in 2015 was just over 30,000. Today, it’s estimated to top 68,000. “We did what we had to do at the beginning to get it up, operational,” said Frank Fletcher, the district’s assistant superintendent for support services. “The campus exploded and we never saw it coming.” Fletcher said the school had about 1,000 students in its first year, and they expected only about 750-to-800. Board President Barb Mozdzen said it was her recollection

Chandler Unified unveiled this rendering of a proposed new eight-court tennis complex. (CUSD) they hoped the enrollment would be capped at between 1,600-to-2,000. “For the record, every high school that I’ve known this district to build, we’ve over-exceeded,” said board member Joel Wirth. Because the district underestimated the number of students who would enroll, the school was built in pieces, Fletcher said. The district also has had to buy land for the school four separate times to accommodate that growth. One of those purchases was to add a parking lot and main entrance to the school. Tom Dunn, the director of construction for the district, said eight tennis courts are required for schools to compete in AIA and that all other CUSD high schools have that many. State tennis matches comprise five sin-

gle matches and three doubles matches. Fletcher said trying to complete all eight matches on four courts is a challenge, especially in the fall when the sun sets earlier. The freshmen tennis teams play in the fall, and the varsity plays in the spring. The 2,718-square-foot concession building would be shared by the tennis courts and the district’s beach volleyball facility. In addition to providing food and drinks, it would also provide permanent bathrooms for the area. Currently, there are portable bathrooms for that area. Those would be moved to between the school’s varsity baseball and softball fields, Dunn said. That’s the early plan, Fletcher cautioned the board. He said it depends on finding a suitable location, saying they need to find a domestic water source and there has to be a way for the vendor to get to them for service.

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“We still have some evaluation on the site to do before we pick a location,” Fletcher said. “Finding the domestic water to flush is our challenge right now and how far we have to trench.” Dunn said once the new tennis courts are built, the existing ones would be converted to basketball courts and turned over to the school’s physical education department. Superintendent Frank Narducci reminded the board that the beach volleyball courts at Casteel are used by all schools in the district. Fletcher said the school has been asking for all eight tennis courts since they filled all of its grades. He said it is time to fix that problem. “We have a little bit more light in the spring, but in the fall getting those matches completed is unreasonable,” Fletcher said.

from page 16

helped get clean water and sanitation to the neighborhood; Carlanthe Turner, who worked to end school segregation in Chandler; Emma Arbuckle, who worked to curtail racial unrest during the Civil Rights Era; and Zora Folley, a professional boxer who The Southside Village celebration also gave guests a fought Muhammad Ali. Schlesinger noted that chance to look at its history since 1910, when Dr. A.J. Chandler set aside 100 lots for African-American and Latino lathe Winn School was built in the neighborhood borers. (Courtesy of Peggy Schlesinger) in 1929. It is now used as Church at 473 S. Colorado St. the home of the Salvation Army. This “They are a group of people from and other buildings in the community the neighborhood to help the neighhighlight the historically significant borhood,” Schlesinger said. “They have architecture in the neighborhood, she offered tutoring programs, family counsaid. Some properties date back to 1912. seling, and community service work. Seventy-three residential properties are They are also one of the cosponsors of at least 50 years old. the historic conservation district effort. At the gathering last month, many They are looking to have their neighwho attended were neighbors or borhood remembered and appreciated associated with neighborhood, such as for all their contributions to Chandler.” Angel Encinas’ mother. She added: “The Southside Village Peggy Schlesinger said Rodney Love team will continue to work with the used to live in the neighborhood and is City of Chandler Historic Preservation still deeply involved with South Chanoffice to recognize this historically, dler Self Help and Mount Olive Misarchitecturally, and culturally significant sionary Baptist Church. neighborhood as a historic conservaSouth Chandler Self Help was starttion district’ to preserve and celebrate ed by Mount Olive Missionary Baptist the rich cultural history of Chandler.”

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For more community news visit SanTanSun.com

Expert sees rents slightly decreasing, supply increasing BY PAUL MARYNIAK Executive Editor

The average sale price of a single-family house in Chandler has increased 51% in two years and while home prices likely will continue to rise, mortgage rates and an apparent cooling in demand may spell trouble ahead for sellers, a leading Valley housing analyst said last week. Chandler was not alone in seeing such a staggering increase in average sale prices among 17 Valley cities that the Cromford Report routinely monitors: 12 of the 17 cities saw the average sale price jump by at least 60% between the 17th week of 2020 and the 17th week of 2022. The average sale price of a Chandler home rose from $518,720 to $633,076 in that time, it said. Valley-wide, the Cromford Report reported that over the past six weeks, “active listing counts are rising very strongly” – up more than 32% in a month – and called it “one of the most dramatic shifts in direction we have ever seen.” “If this trend continues for several months the market dynamics will change significantly,” it said. Cromford Report also called out media reports of a continuing surge in rent, saying the most recent data from the Phoenix metro housing market shows rents are starting to fall slightly, available rental units are increasing and nervous landlords are starting to offer deals to attract tenants. Over the last few weeks, the Cromford Report has been identifying data that prompted it to state on April 22:

“Almost everybody is saying rents are going up. Not in Phoenix, they’re not. With rents going down and mortgage rates and home purchase prices going up, the argument for buying over renting is starting to look significantly weaker.” Stating that the sellers market is slowly deteriorating in 17 major Valley municipalities, the Cromford Report said that between mid-March and mid-April, Cromford Report noted, “We have seen a 34% increase in the number of new rental listings added to ARMLS (Arizona Regional Multiple Listing Service) compared with the same four weeks in 2021. It added there has also been a 20% increase in the number of rental homes available over the past four weeks. And on May 1, it reported, “Supply has been arriving in greater quantities over the past few weeks. This applies to both rental and for-sale listings. The most dramatic rises are in rentals. There were 2,550 new rental listings created in the last four weeks, which is up 45% from the same four weeks of 2021.” The for-sale active listing count (excluding UCB and CCBS) across all areas & types has jumped 27% in just 4 weeks. This is even faster than we experienced in April 2005. That’s a scary percentage, even though the absolute numbers remain small. If this growth rate persists through May and June, the market will be very different by July. Cromford Report is not saying rents are heading back to pre-pandemic See

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This chart by the Cromford Report compares home sale price averages in 17 Valley municipalities between week 17 of 2020 and that of 2022. (Cromford Report)

Hollywood developer pays $17.4M for The Steelyard SANTAN SUN NEWS STAFF

A Hollywood real estate developer has bought The Steelyard commercial center in southeast Chandler for $17.4 million. Jason Illoulian, who owns Norman Cienega Property Group LLC and Faring, both in West Hollywood, purchased the 4 acre site at Gilbert and Chandler Heights Road, Chandler, last month from Simon Commercial Real Estate, according to the Valley real estate tracker vizzda.com. Built in 2020, The Steelyard comprises three single-story buildings with a total 26,404 square feet of retail space. The sale price broke down to $657 per square foot, vizzda said. Named after a steel operation that existed at the site before it was sold, former owner Capital Asset Management looked at the development has meeting a long-term need for more retail and restaurant venues in the area. Jason Hersker, executive vice president of Capital Asset Management,

The Steelyard’s previous owner told the SanTan Sun News in early 2021 that the commercial center was nearly fully leased. (Special to SanTan Sun News)

last year told the SanTan Sun News that the immediate area had over 700 single-family lots are in various stages of development and sell offs. “These homeowners need their amenities and this was a retail trade area

that was significantly underserved with retail options,” he said. Illoulian on Faring’s website discusses his development philosophy, explaining he “believes in engaging with the community at the outset of a project.”

“We work to understand the local context, the pain points for neighbors and determine how our projects can help address those issues,” he said. “We have shown how working handin-hand with our neighbors from the start adds real value to our projects,” he said. “We know good design takes time. Partners like working with Faring because we’re patiently focused on a high-quality outcome and invest in the materials, specialists and time to achieve our goal.” Since The Steelyard is so new and was expected to be fully leased last year, Iloulian probably won’t have all that much to worry about in terms of redevelopment. With such a broad architectural portfolio, Faring “is defined by our commitment to detail and quality,” Illoulian said. “We are investing in neighborhoods and creating buildings which are still going to be relevant in 50 years.”

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THE SUNDAY SANTAN SUN NEWS | MAY 8, 2022

South Chandler pub owner marries BY KEN SAIN Staff Writer

Jackson Armstrong said he wanted no part of being on the Food Network’s “Restaurant Impossible” in 2020, but agreed because his managers thought it would bring more diners to their South Chandler restaurant. Armstrong, the co-owner of Ginger Monkey GastroPub at Arizona Avenue and Ocotillo Road, gave the TV show one of its signature moments: He proposed marriage to longtime girlfriend Monique Hughes at the end of that broadcast. Fast forward nearly two years later: They were finally able to exchange their vows. They got married April 29 in San Diego and show host Robert Irvin married them. The wedding was delayed, in part, because of the COVID-19 pandemic. They wanted to wait until it was safe to bring family and friends together for the ceremony. “It’s a party,” Monique said before the wedding took place. “We’re actually having the wedding and reception at the same location, and the venue is beautiful. We’re kind of making it more of a festive wedding, and not the traditional ceremony.” She said a lot of people from Chandler were planning to attend because the restaurant has always done a lot for the community. In fact, that is one of the reasons Restaurant Impossible chose

Jackson Armstrong, owner of the Ginger Monkey Gastropub in south Çhandler, married his longtime girlfriend, Monique Hughes, after proposing to her two years ago on the TV show “Restaurant Impossible.” (David Minton/Staff Photographer)

them for a show: they continued to give back even when they were struggling. “I didn’t want to do it,” Armstrong said about being asked to be part of the show. “At first I said no. They gave us another 24 hours to try and figure it out, and they said we have a billion viewers so you really need to do this. “I was worried because this is television, and television is manipulation to the way they want to show things.” He said the reality of the show is just what you see in that broadcast that

aired in June 2020. Unfortunately for Armstrong and his restaurant, the timing of the show did not give them the boost they were hoping for. It was filmed in late February, just before the pandemic was declared and the world stopped going out to eat. “It kind of hurt us because you get a big pop from when you do it,” Armstrong said. “People come in … they know that something happened, and they want to see the changes … even

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This 2,580-square-foot house on East Coopers Hawk Drive in Sun Lakes recently sold for $685,000. Built in 1998, the three-bedroom, three-bath single-story house boasted a casita that also could serve as a great room and numerous upgrades. (Special to SanTan Sun News)

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levels – a scenario no housing expert anywhere is saying is on the horizon. But what it means, it said, is “renters of single-family detached homes are seeing far more choice than they did last year and we are starting to see homes advertised with ‘the first month’s rent is free.’ Rental supply is particularly strong in Gilbert. “This appears to be a significant turnaround in the rental market and it does not seem to have been recognized by the media outlets, who are mostly still referring to rising rents. That is so 2021.” Meanwhile, for those trying to buy or sell a house, the data is mixed but leaving no one much to necessarily cheer about, according to the data supplied by the Cromford Report and various other sources. The Cromford Report has developed an index for 17 Valley cities that measures how far each is tilted toward either sellers or buyers, with 100 indicating a balanced market. While indices in all 17 submarkets were pointed downward last week, the lowest threshold was 210 in Buckeye while the highest was 537 in Avondale. Chandler was at 406. That means all the markets are still weighted heavily toward sellers. But Cromford also stated, “Red ﬂag

before the show airs, because the show takes four months to air. “They want to see the transformation, and we were closed for three months.” Once the show did air, he said they did see an increase in business. However, it was summer and they rely on snowbirds. And the pandemic was still underway. “We did get a little bit of a pop, but people were still scared to go out,” he said. “It took another six months before that actually filtered out a little bit.” Restaurant Impossible returned for a revisit to Ginger Monkey in an episode that aired last month. Armstrong said he and Irvin have become friends. “We definitely talk a lot,” Armstrong said. “A few times a week.” He said they’ve asked them to appear on other shows in San Diego and Colorado, and they happily agreed. “We were more than happy to pay it forward, because what they did for us was amazing, so we just wanted to be a part of that.” Still, the wedding proposal remains one of the top moments in the show’s history. Armstrong said it wasn’t planned, adding Irvin didn’t know it was about to happen. “That was not their idea at all,” he said. “Just the executive producer knew about it, and he found out about it about five minutes before I did that.” Information: https://www.gingermonkeyaz.com/ warning. The housing market is changing more rapidly with rising supply and falling demand. While it remains far above normal for now, the (index) is dropping fast.” It also noted that its Cromford Market Index not only “is accelerating downward,” while it is still “a very hot market, the downward trend is so powerful it appears possible that it will drop below 300 in a matter of weeks rather than months. …We do not know when this decline will bottom out.” But buyers shouldn’t take much comfort in all this. For one thing, Cromford noted, “Prices will continue to rise for many months since they are trailing indicators of market conditions.” In a report April 30, it looked at monthly average sale prices in the 17 Valley submarkets it monitors for the 17th week of 2020 and compared it to that of this year. The average percentage different between the old average price and the current one was at least 50% in all but three of the 17 communities: Tempe, 48%; Sun City, 46% and Fountain Hills, 34%. But don’t feel sorry for Fountain Hills: it posted the fourth highest average sales price in the Valley with $922,843 – behind only the three communities with seven-figure average home sale prices: Paradise Valley, $4.35 million; Scottsdale, $1.46 million; and Cave Creek, $1.15 million.

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THE SUNDAY SANTAN SUN NEWS | MAY 8, 2022

3 major strategies to save you lots of taxes BY DR. HAROLD WONG Guest Writer

We’ve just passed April 18, the date when 2021 personal tax returns were due. Here are three major strategies available in 2022 to taxpayers: Contribute to a tax-deferred retirement plan, such as an IRA or 401k, for those age 50 or older. In 2022, one can contribute a maximum of $7,000 to an IRA; $27,000 to a 401(k); $67,500 to your own SEP IRA or solo 401(k) if one adds both the employee and employer maximum contribution; and $17,000 to the simple IRA. The Defined Benefit Plan (DB) is not limited by an arbitrary annual contribution limit. Instead the limitation is the annual benefit from a DB plan when one retires and is $245,000 in 2022. One has to have a third-party administrator do an annual actuarial report to figure out your maximum annual contribution, based on your annual income and age. My clients older than age 55 have been able to contribute

t? o G ws Ne

over $200,000 per year to a DB plan. Caveat: As your tax-deferred retirement plan grows, it becomes a Ticking Tax Time Bomb. Is it time to consider a Roth IRA Conversion? Example: Over 30 years, you contribute $10,000 per year to your 401K, or a total $300,000. If you were in the 25% tax bracket, you saved a total of $75,000 in taxes. It is now worth $1.2 million. If you and your wife are killed in a car crash, the $1.2 million is 100% taxable as wage income. When your only child inherits this, assume a 40% tax bracket and $480,000 is paid in taxes. You will have paid 6.40 times the taxes you saved. Residential Rental Real Estate, such as Rental Homes or Apartments: The 1986 Tax Reform Act specified that depreciable life for residential rental real estate is 27.5 years and 31 years for all other types of real estate. The straightline method of depreciation must be used. Example: You buy a starter house in Chandler for $450,000. You allocate 20% ($90,000) to land which is not de-

preciable and $360,000 to the building. If you started renting the house in January, 2022, you would get $360,000/27.5 years = $13,092 of annual depreciation which is deductible on your 2022 tax return. If you started renting that house in October, 2022, you would only qualify for 3 months depreciation in 2022, or $3,273. If you were in a 25% tax bracket, that would save you only $818 of taxes in 2022. However, one’s total cash investment, even with a 75% mortgage, would probably be at least $120,000 cash counting closing costs but without any fix-up costs. Solar business equipment: The Energy Policy Act of 2005 defined solar business equipment as eligible for 5-year MACRS (accelerated) depreciation. However, if one is qualified as “material participation”, instead of being a “passive” investor, one can also take Section 179, which allows you to deduct 87% of the cost of equipment, even if “placed in service” at the end of 2022. Everyone, no matter what depre-

ciation method chosen, also gets the same 26% solar tax credit as your neighbor that bought a solar system for his personal house. If one bought $70,000 of solar business equipment and rented it out, total tax savings might be $35,000. For far less cash than buying a rental house, one gets far more tax savings. Free live seminars and lunch: 10 a.m. May 7 at Hyatt Place, 3535 W. Chandler Blvd. Chandler, free catered lunch at 12:15 p.m. Topic is “Roth IRA Conversions: Tax-Free at Any Age!” At 10 a.m. June 11 at the Hyatt Place, the topic will be “Save $10,000 $50,000 Tax in 2022” at 10 a.m.-12 noon followed by free catered lunch at 12:15 p.m. To RSVP for the seminar or schedule a free consultation: contact Dr. Harold Wong at 480-706-0177 or harold_wong@hotmail.com. His website is drharoldwong.com. Dr. Harold Wong earned his Ph.D. in economics at University of California/Berkeley and has appeared on over 400 TV/radio programs.

Contact Paul C Contact Paul P l Maryniak Maryniak M y i k at at 480-898-5647 or pmaryniak@timespublications.com p pmaryniak@timespublications.com pmaryniak@timespublications y i k@ i p bli i com 480 898 5647 or

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Senior football players get scholar honors from NFF BY ZACH ALVIRA Sports Editor

Bryce Chen takes pride in Arizona College Prep football. It was the program he found his calling in when he was a freshman at the school’s old campus, a small building along Alma School Road. It was the program he grew up with, playing alongside some of his best friends and for a coach that truly valued each and every one of his players. Chen was one of the architects of the ACP football program, which will now move up to the 4A Conference and for the first time, has a field and campus to call its own after it opened in 2021 near Gilbert and Ocotillo roads. So it’s only fitting Chen be honored for his accolades not only on the field as a receiver for the Knights, but in the classroom as well. “There’s 23 of us here today and it’s really exciting,” Chen said. “I’m just amazed right now. I’m at a loss for words because I’m from a small school. Some of these kids are from big 6A schools. I’m just …. wow, I’m here.” Chen was one of 23 high school football players from around the state honored by the National Football Foundation Valley of the Sun Chapter at its 41st Scholar Athlete Luncheon at Wild Horse Pass in Chandler. Currently with a 4.35 GPA at ACP, Chen was honored with the Core Construction Award, awarded to athletes that solidify themselves as difference makers on and off the field, something Chen did during his time at ACP. As a wide receiver and defensive back, Chen ranks second all-time in

career receptions, receiving yards, yards per reception and receiving touchdowns. Despite battling an injury that kept him out the first few games of the season, he again became the top wideout for junior quarterback Jayden Diaz. He earned a scholarship to play at the next level at Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology, a Division III engineering school in Indiana. Chen was joined by other Chandler athletes as part of the NFF luncheon Saturday, April 23. Nason Coleman’s high school career was nearly derailed by a knee injury before the start of his junior season. But as a senior he reestablished himself as one of the best at his position in the state as he helped lead the Wolves to yet another Open Division State Championship appearance last fall. He will attend BYU to continue his football and academic career. “The amount of games and seasons we’ve gone through, just making those relationships with my teammates is what is going to stick with me the most,” Coleman said. “Going out with this honor means a lot. I think this focuses more how you are outside of the football field. That’s something Chandler teaches us a lot, how to represent ourselves off the field. I think it’s an extremely great honor.” Dawson Hubbard’s time at Hamilton was short as he transferred in before his junior season from Illinois. But in that time, he became a dominating presence for the Huskies on the defensive line. Hubbard starred at the position for the Huskies, helping lead them to the

Chandler senior Nason Coleman was another honoree at the luncheon. He will continue his academic and athletic career at BYU in the fall after winning three state titles during his time with the Wolves. (Dave Minton/Arizonan Staff)

Arizona College Prep senior Bryce Chen was honored with the Core Construction Award from the National Football Foundation Valley of the Sun Chapter during its 41st annual Scholar Athlete Luncheon on Saturday, April 23 at Wild Horse Pass in Chandler. (Dave Minton/Arizonan Staff)

Open Division State Championship game in his first season and the semifinals as a senior. He also maintained a 3.6 GPA throughout, which helped him earn a scholarship offer to Butler University where he will continue his football career. Hubbard was one of four players named to the 2022 Elite Fiesta Bowl Academic Team and was honored at the Scholar Luncheon. To him, it was the perfect event to cap off his high school career. “The situation I was put in, it was a once in a lifetime opportunity,” Hubbard said. “Moving during COVID and playing at one of the best high schools in the nation, I’m just thankful to God, my coaches and my family. “They accepted me for who I was and gave me the best opportunity to play football.” Seton Catholic senior Mattias Benally was also honored by the NFF as he received the Native American Award. Other notable Chandler ties included an inaugural scholarship in honor of former Chandler offensive line and in-game run coordinator Chris Chick, who passed away suddenly last year. Chick’s family established the scholarship in his honor, with Florence’s Ryan King named the inaugural recipient for his leadership and passion for football and academics with a 4.22 GPA. The Scholar Athlete Luncheon honored three local college football players at the event as well as three distinguished Arizonans, which included AIA Executive Director David Hines, Arizona State award-winning Associate Athletic Director of Media Relations Mark Brand and longtime quarterback coach Dan Manucci.

Other East Valley high school honorees included Red Mountain senior Ryan Grossklaus, Mesa senior Joshua Irish and Notre Dame Prep senior Duke Frye, who received the Coach Tom Wheatley Memorial Award. Saguaro senior Miles Crutchley was the fifth recipient of the Bob and Janet Casciola Family Scholarship on Saturday. He shared the moment with teammate Thomas DeChesaro, who received the highest honor of the day. “There’s a lot of really good, smart athletic guys here,” DeChesaro said. “It’s really cool to all come together for one big event like this to honor our achievements.” DeChesaro was named the NFF Valley of the Sun Chapter Scholar Athlete of the Year. The senior helped lead Saguaro to the Open Division State Championship last fall, beating Chandler. Ahwatukee resident Adonis Watt, who captured the hearts of the high school football community when he made his varsity debut in 2019 for Brophy. A sophomore at the time, he lined up as running back against Alhambra High School and plunged into the end zone from a yard out. Moments like that motivated him to continue pursuing his dream of playing football. He was honored with the Shaw Courage Award. “When you find something you love, stick with it as long as you can or until you don’t love it anymore, until the wheels fall off,” Watt said. “That’s what I’m doing and what I’m going to continue to do. “Everyone has their own battles. Mine just happens to be my vision. That’s how I look at it.”

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Chandler Girl Scout’s opioid project earns Gold Award BY JUSTIN LIGGIN Contributor

After seeing the impact of the opioid crisis firsthand upon losing her cousin to addiction, Chandler Girl Scout Megan Burke used her experience with this issue to fuel change in her community, earning a Gold Award for her tremendous efforts. “Even though the opioid crisis is a major issue in many neighborhoods and communities, speaking about it is often shamed away. However, the truth is that drug addiction is a complex disease that affects the brain, therefore it needs to be spoken about,” said Megan. When looking for ways to combat this issue and truly make a change with her Gold Award project, Megan discovered Hushabye Nursery, a center providing support groups, inpatient nursery services, and outpatient therapies to infants and mothers affected by opioids. “Women who become pregnant while using opioids are typically prescribed opiates throughout their pregnancies due to the risk of prenatal withdrawal and miscarriage,” said Megan. “This causes their babies to be born into an opiate-dependent state known as Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome which requires a detoxification process in the days following birth.” Through her collaboration with Hushabye Nursery, Megan was able to hold donation drives across the community in addition to building and or-

Chandler Girl Scout Megan Burke earned the prestigious Gold Award with a project that benefited a nonprofit that helps infants and moms impacted by opioid addiction. (Special to SanTan Sun News)

ganizing donation closets, where moms are able to shop. Megan also worked to help Hushabye Nursery become one of the National Charity League’s official philanthropies to hold yearly donation drives to. Megan’s involvement with Hushabye Nursery has already seen results that are sure to be sustained long beyond the completion of her Gold Award project. “Hushabye Nursery will now constantly receive volunteers, new dona-

tions, and information because there was a unanimous vote to pass Hushabye Nursery as a new philanthropy charity,” said Megan. “The donation closet also inspired more mothers to sign up for classes at the nursery.” Megan’s project not only made an immense impact on the community and guaranteed positive change for years to come, but also gave her essential life skills to help her find further success in the future. “I have learned how important

leadership skills are while working with members of the community. I also learned how to clearly communicate through emails and phone calls to keep my volunteers organized and engaged on projects like the diaper drive that I started,” said Megan. A Girl Scout of 11 years, Megan credits Girl Scouts with providing her with leadership experience and necessary skills to work with others. “The time I have spent with Girl Scouts has taught me how to work with my community. Through encampments, events, and collaborations I have been able to connect with others, make a difference, and even earn some badges!” As a Gold Award recipient, Megan joins other fellow Girl Scouts as a true changemaker in society. Awarded to girls who discover sustainable solutions in their community, the Gold Award is a national symbol of leadership and can stand out in college admissions, scholarships applications, and much more. A current student at Hamilton High School in Chandler, Megan would one day love to have a career in politics; a field that she feels prepared for after working in the community to become a Girl Scout Gold Awardee. “After this experience, I can complete any job or challenge thrown at me with my strong teamwork skills. I am truly thankful for Girl Scouts and the opportunities and experiences I’ve been given,” said Megan.

Sun Lakes Rotarians show they’re people of action BY DR. HONORA NORTON Guest Writer

The Rotary Club of Sun Lakes members again proved they are people of action as they volunteered during Arizona Rotary Week of Service April 16-24. The Rotarians met at the Chandler Strong Foundations Academy Center of Excellence to assemble 70 bags of peanut butter, jelly, crackers, and books. Approximately 10 children in the 3-5 age range from the school’s preschool, kindergarten, and pre-K programs assisted the Rotarians. The goods collected to fill the bags was donated by Strong Foundations students/families and RCSL members. The money for the books was donated by individual club members. The bags and extra food goods were brought to Chandler Care Center to be distributed to children in the summer for snacking and reading. Strong Foundations Academy is an early childhood school with an accelerated curriculum for children ages 3-5. Established in 1995, the Chandler

CARE Center, a community organization run by the Chandler Unified School District, is a school-based family resource center providing access to medical, dental, counseling, and social services. Most services are free of charge to families thanks to the many funders, professionals, and service organizations, such as the Rotary Club of Sun Lakes, contributing financially and volunteering their services. Rotary members also supported the Welcome To America Project by going to its Tempe warehouse to help with different projects in the warehouse. A group of Sun Lakes Rotarians joined other Valley volunteers in packing items for refugee families. The items of furniture and household items will be delivered, as well as a warm welcome, to new refugee families on Saturday mornings. Additionally, a group of RCSL Rotarians helped to repair bikes for refugees. Bikes mean greater freedom for refugees to get to jobs/education and connect with the community. The Welcome to America Project

Sun Lakes Rotarians got together with Strong Foundation children and teachers who assembled sandwiches and book bags. (Courtesy of Sun Lakes Rotary)

shares transportation, technology, and transformational resources to enhance success, so that refugees do not just resettle in our country, they find community and flourish. WTAP creates impacts that last a lifetime for the refugees, as

well as, the volunteers, such as Rotary Club of Sun Lakes Rotarians, who serve. For more information about Rotary Club of Sun Lakes membership and community service projects: sunlakesrotary.com.

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THE SUNDAY SANTAN SUN NEWS | MAY 8, 2022

Chandler lawyer gets big national honor BY SANTAN SUN NEWS STAFF

A Chandler lawyer is one of only 100 attorneys in the country named to the American College of Family Trial Lawyers. Helen Davis is a member of the Cavanagh Law Firm and was its board chair. “This is one of the most significant honors in my career,” Davis said. “To be one of only 100 family law lawyers selected for Fellowship in the U.S. is the pinnacle in my career. These are the best family law trial lawyers in America, and I am honored and proud to be among them. I will strive to live up to the high standards they have set for our practice.” The American College of Family Trial Lawyers is a select group of 100 of the top family law trial lawyers from across

the United States. It was formed in 1993 to bring together some of lawyers “practicing sophisticated and complex family law and matrimonial matters both domestically and abroad ranging from dissolution of marriage (divorce), paternity, palimony, child abduction and domestic torts.” All members of the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers, the college’s selections are based upon their recognized litigation skills and courtroom abilities. The American College has achieved national recognition through its members’ handling cutting-edge issues of local and national importance. They are also involved in continuing education through the presentation of programs, acting as guest speakers, participating in hands-on interactive

sessions, as well as participating in the free-flow exchange of ideas and innovative concepts amongst its members. Davis has been practicing law for 25 years and focuses on complex divorce and custody litigation, along with preparing and negotiating marital agreements. She is an adjunct professor at Arizona State University’s Sandra Day O’Connor College of Law. Davis is certified as a family law specialist by the Arizona Bar; is a fellow of the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers and a fellow of the International Academy of Family Lawyers. She also has been honored by Best Lawyers in America, Super Lawyers as one of the top 50 Lawyers in Arizona and top 25 women lawyers in the state.

Jennifer Keyes saluted by Sun Lakes Rotary Club BY SANTAN SUN NEWS STAFF

Rotary Club of Sun Lakes recently named Jennifer Keyes, geometry and algebra teacher at Basha High School, its April Teacher of the Month. The monthly Rotary Teacher Awards are sponsored jointly by Rotary Club of Sun Lakes, Trust Bank and Earnhardt Auto Centers. Keyes earned her undergraduate and graduate degrees from Northern Arizona University and started her teaching career in 1995 at Greenfield Junior High in Gilbert before moving

to the Mesa district. Soon she was teaching at her alma mater, Mountain View High school. She joined the Basha faculty in 2016. Basha High School Principal, Marques Reischl, who attended the Rotary Award presentation, acknowledged that Keyes’ selection was “an excellent choice.” She said Keyes “makes every student feel welcome and provides a rich learning environment in which students can enjoy mathematics” and that she also has been a strong advocate for teachers.

Congratulating Sun Lakes Rotary Club’s Teacher of the Month Jennifer Keyes, second from left. From left, club President Jon Lyons, Vice President Maureen Algers, Jennifer Keyes and Basha High School Principal Marques Reischl. (Special to SanTan Sun News)

Credit union executive from Mesa a Lego master

BY JOSH ORTEGA Staff Writer

Jason Paprocki knows how to build brick-by-brick, whether his career or Legos. The 47-year-old started with Arizona Federal Credit Union in 1992 when he graduated from Mesa High and this December, the executive vice president and chief operating officer will mark 30 years with the company that gave him his start. When he’s not reinvesting into the Arizona Federal’s membership, he’s investing his own time and money into his own Lego creations. He said it became a wintertime hobby as a kid in Minnesota, but on a trip to Legoland for his daughter, he found something missing in the city landscapes. Legoland California park features city landscapes modeled after major metropolises around the country but Paprocki noticed that none featured any sports stadiums. So, he took it on as a project “to prove that I could.” He embarked on a three-year journey to build a 64-square-foot replica of

Wrigley Field in Chicago, complete with rooftop bleachers across the street. “It was a fun project to work on with my daughter. From there, she and I had built a number of things as she grew up.” He said he built a full-size Minion from the movie “Despicable Me,” as well as a replica model of the apartment set from the sitcom Seinfeld. Paprocki’s staff even asked him to build a replica model of an Arizona Federal branch a couple years ago. “It started as a fun hobby with my daughter and ended up being a good opportunity just to take my mind off things and relieve stress,” he said. He said he doesn’t follow any instructions or software of any kind and he just uses photos of the project and starts to work on an 8’x8’ table in his home. “I typically pick one element to build first that sets the scale, and then I build around it,” he said. The hardest part for him remains taking them apart and keeping them organized by color, shape and size because he said he owns millions of various Lego

bricks. “It requires multiple rounds of sorting as I put them away,” he said. Paprocki also implemented a simple work ethic since day one at Arizona Federal that’s led him from one opportunity to another: “Over the years, I’ve just offered my assistance, asked good questions, and asked how I could just make things easier for people.” Paprocki moved to Mesa from outside Minneapolis with his family when he was 16 but his journey began in 1992, when he started college at Arizona State University. After a few years, he realized his class schedule didn’t have the flexibility he needed to work and complete his degree. “At the time I contemplated quitting my job to finish at ASU, but I definitely think I made the right choice,” he said. In 1996, he transferred to the University of Phoenix, where he earned his bachelor’s in business administration a few years later. In 1999, he entered the management team and in 2016 began his current role as

Chief Operating Officer where he’s primarily accountable for the credit union’s member service and communications areas. While technology has shown the biggest advancements during Paprocki’s 30-year career, he said the workforce has changed from transactional to consultation-based mindset. “We help people solve problems,” he said. “The way we look at it: we’re a champion for our members' dreams.” Credit unions offer banking services, but unlike a bank, their profits go back to our members in one way, shape or form. “We’ve returned over $40 million dollars in the last 10 years to our members,” he said. Founded in 1936, Arizona Federal is a locally owned, not-for-profit financial cooperative that serves more than 145,000 member/owners, according to their website. “Because there’s no outside stakeholders to take the profits off, we’re able to just continue to reinvest our income back into our membership,” he said.

THE SUNDAY SANTAN SUN NEWS | MAY 8, 2022

For more community news visit SanTanSun.com

Scripture reveals the sweetness of a mother’s love RABBI IRWIN WIENER Columnist

There is nothing sweeter than a mother’s love and Scripture teaches this in a most significant way. In the Bible, Sarah, the mother of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam, gives birth to Isaac in the winter of her life, a time when all things sleep and wither and even die. Her vision of continuity was fulfilled with laughter and tears. And her immortality was ensured because she completed her role in determining the future of the human experience that was woven in the promise of a relationship with the Divine. The details of her passing (Genesis: 23) follow the chapter outlining the famous spiritual experience of the faith-

filled devotion of a father to answer the call of sacrifice – in this instance, the ultimate sacrifice (Genesis: 22). The binding of Isaac tugged at the very heart of a mother’s bond to her child. Isaac’s unchallenged response to that demand by God was more than a mother could bear. In the ancient writings there is a story, emphasizing this connection, about a dialogue between Sarah and an image of her son Isaac in which she wonders about the happening with his father Abraham. Isaac relates the whole episode of how Abraham took him to the top of a mountain, built an altar, arranged the wood, bound him, and took a knife to slaughter him. And then God prevented this from happening. Before the dialogue ends, Sarah dies. It is not hard to imagine the despair

t? o G ws Ne

she felt. Not only had she sacrificed so much to give birth to Isaac, now she saw her dreams of the future shattered in an instance of uncompromising faith. The binding of her son was more that her heart could carry. This detail of a mother’s anguish and pain speaks to the suffering we all experience as we journey through life, trying to find our purpose for being. Yet we all try to answer the Divine in us. Her lesson for us is simple: Sometimes we go through experiences that require a search for new meanings because of disappointments, tragedies, illnesses, not being able to communicate with a loved one because of something that really is insignificant. And then like Sarah, we feel challenged. It is a broken heart that finally creates the need for her story to be told – and particularly at this time of the year

when we remember our mothers. Sarah could not cope with the thought that God would want such a sacrifice. Her knowledge that human relationships are the foundation of creation causes her to doubt, and it is this doubt that causes her defeat. She could not reconcile this defeat with her faith. Yes, there is a chapter set aside in the Bible called “The life of Sarah,” because from the moment she dies, Abraham changes and understands that faith in God requires a human vision of life. Perhaps that is the lesson we should take with us on this Mother’s Day. Life is not death. Life is to live. And a mother’s love brought us to this understanding. Happy Mother’s Day to all. Rabbi Irwin Wiener, D.D., is spiritual leader of the Sun Lakes Jewish Congregation.

Contact Paul C Contact Paul P l Maryniak Maryniak M y i k at at 480-898-5647 480 898 5647 or or pmaryniak@timespublications.com p pmaryniak@timespublications.com pmaryniak@timespublications y i k@ i p bli i com

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Hall of Flame runs on passion for fire history BY ZAKKARY BROG GetOut Staff

When COVID-19 shut the world down in 2020, mere months into Chuck Montgomery’s tenure as executive director of the Hall of Flame Museum of Firefighting, he didn’t panic. In fact, he viewed it as a chance to do something special. “It ended up being an awesome opportunity,” Montgomery said. “In the three months I evaluated this place before my arrival, I really felt like there was a need for a number of things to be addressed. Those items, by incorporating the employees and volunteers, we did everything possible to essentially gut the museum and start all over from the A/C down to the plumbing to the flooring. We just decided to rebuild this place entirely. We spent 90 days making it a better version of itself.” Montgomery’s passion for firefighting fueled his dedication to shine a light on the occupation at the museum. “For me, it’s meaningful on two fronts,” said Montgomery, who retired as Glendale Fire Department’s deputy chief. “It’s meaningful for me to see fire history preserved, having done it for most of my life. On a second note, the opportunity for us to educate the public—and I’m talking about youth—

The Hall of Flame Museum has an assortment of antique fire trucks among its many exhibits. (Hall of Flame))

about fire safety is really paramount. It’s now difficult for fire departments and cities to deliver because of COVID.” The museum gives the staff the

chance to bring that information to kids, added Montgomery, who was a firefighter for 37 years. Recently, Montgomery and his staff

trained 1,600 second-grade students from the Cartwright School District. He said it was rewarding. The museum’s education curator, Mark Moorhead, never worked as a firefighter. His resume includes stints as a journalist and stage actor. “I never really knew much about it or had all that keen of an interest on it,” Moorhead said. “I grew up in my small town, three doors down from the fire hall. Friends of mine from high school became firefighters. I never even really thought about it. I came to work here, because a friend of mine that’d I’d worked with in the theater had this job before I did. He hooked me up to get the job. I had no museum experience and no firefighting experience. They gave me the job anyway.” In his 16 years with the museum, Moorhead has turned into a self-proclaimed “fire buff.” “I’m really fascinated by this history, and it just turns out to be like the history of a hundred other things you never thought about,” he said. “It’s more complex and more interesting than you realize. Without organized firefighting, you really don’t have civilization. But, it’s something that most people, including me before I came here, never thought about.” See

FLAME on page 32

Salt River tubing returns for the summer BY SUMMER AGUIRRE Contributor

With summer fast approaching, Salt River Tubing & Recreation has returned to take floaters on adventures throughout the season. Since 1981, the family-owned company has provided tube rental and shuttle bus transportation to Salt River adventurers. “We are celebrating our 42nd anniversary this summer,” says Lynda Breault, vice president of Salt River Tubing. “We’re so excited. We think it’s going to be a phenomenal summer. We have hired almost our maximum number of employees needed so we are very, very blessed. Our buses are ready to roll, and our tubes are ready to rock on the Salt River rapids.” Open since April 30, Salt River Tubing offers a lazy way to spend a weekend along the river’s cool waters with views of wildlife. Breault says her company’s mission is to present the public with safe recreational opportunities like these. Each weekend is themed. Upcoming events include The Rocking Rodeo Roundup, 42nd Anniversary Celebration on Saturday, May 14; Bag It for Bucks:

Salt River tubing offers a refreshing, fun escape from Arizona’s blistering summer heat. (Special to GetOut)

Take Pride in America from Saturday, July 2, to Monday, July 4; and 22nd annual Mardi Gras Magic on Saturday, August 20. The company operates in the Lower Salt River Recreational Area of Tonto National Forest, 7 minutes from the Loop 202 East on North Power Road.

Dubbed the national forest’s “mini– Grand Canyon,” the area is home to wild horses and blue herons that frequent the river. Salt River Tubing was launched by owner and CEO Henri Breault, whose family founded the first U.S. tubing company in Wisconsin in 1941.

He was vacationing in Arizona in 1980 when he was inspired to start a Salt River tour company. He sought to obtain a permit to operate under the USDA Forest Service in Tonto National Forest. The following summer, Salt River Tubing was up and running for the public. Today, the company maintains a fleet of more than 30 buses and thousands of tubes, helping floaters venture out on “floating beach blasts” during Arizona’s hottest months and promoting the protection and conservation of the forest’s natural resources. “We just want our public to come back. There is a recreational paradise out there,” Breault says. “Help us keep it clean and beautiful, have a great time, but do it responsibly. If you all come out and enjoy us with happy faces, we are certainly going to enhance that joy on the river.”

Salt River Tubing

9200 N. Bush Highway, Mesa Open through Sunday, September 25 $21 per person, plus tax, includes tube rental, shuttle bus ride and parking 480.984.3305, saltrivertubing.com

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THE SUNDAY SANTAN SUN NEWS | MAY 8, 2022

Big Apple comedian bringing personal humor to EV GETOUT STAFF

A Big Apple comedian who specializes in “very personal and punchy” riffs is coming to the East Valley for a series of shows. James Camacho, who performed stand-up and appeared in TV shows/ movies for over seven years, will be appearing in five shows at JP’s Comedy Club, 860 E. Warner Road, Gilbert, May 12-14. Showtimes are 7 p.m. May 12 and May 13 and 7 p.m. and 9 p.m. May 14. Tickets start at $19. Visit www.JPscomedyclub.com or www.JamesCamacho. com for tickets. Camacho has been featured on Kevin Hart’s LOL Network, the TV shows “FBI” and “Kevin Can Wait” on CBS, the movie “Before I Go” and the Jay-Z music video “I Got the Keys” with DJ Khaled. In a time of political turmoil and social unrest, he approaches comedy in a friendly and conversational manner with rapid-fire punchlines that underscore a boyish charm as he details his mixed heritage of having a Chinese mom and a Puerto Rican dad, along with his general personal and dating life. Camacho has a current viral TikTok video with 15 million views and counting, YouTube and Instagram videos with 4+ million views, and over 145K fans on all platforms. He said he landed the Gilbert gig by

talk politics - if “I doI rarely it’s silly. I like to do

James Camacho reaching out to JP’s Comedy Club. “As an up and coming comedian I personally reach out to comedy clubs to book work,” he said. “Hopefully one day an agent/manager can do all this for me so I can just sit back, relax, focus on writing jokes, play with my cat, and finally watch some TV shows and baseball.” He’s no stranger to Arizona, having done casino shows in the Camp Verde

crowd work, too. I don’t make fun of people or roast anyone. I like to have conversations and make subtle jokes throughout. When people come to my show I really want them to feel like they just hung out with a good friend, cracked open a few beers, and talked some smack.

”

– James Camacho

and Mesa areas. “While I was in the state I also stopped by Phoenix and did a show at a video game store/bar that was fun,” he said. Though he’s been performing professionally for seven years, he said, “I actually did my very first set in the 7th grade but did not do another set until

college.” Camacho and other comedians are still recovering from the pandemic’s impact. “It was very tough during the pandemic, not just financially but mentally because I had done stand-up every single day for six years prior to the lockdown,” Camacho said. “It was almost like I was in rehab. I coped by doing Zoom comedy showswhich were awful, taking trips to states that were more open and able to do comedy shows, and also by building my social media following. “Getting into TikTok, Instagram, and all those apps really helped me still be creative and also make some money. I also took up some freelance writing gigs to help stay afloat. I got fired from all of them – I’m unable to write for other people, sadly.” Camacho said that besides rapping about his personal life, “I just find inconsistencies in the world while making sure the crowd is laughing every 10-15 seconds. “I rarely talk politics - if I do it’s silly. I like to do crowd work, too. I don’t make fun of people or roast anyone. I like to have conversations and make subtle jokes throughout. When people come to my show I really want them to feel like they just hung out with a good friend, cracked open a few beers, and talked some smack.”

GET OUT

THE SUNDAY SANTAN SUN NEWS | MAY 8, 2022

Restaurant Week returns for spring 2022 BY SUMMER AGUIRRE Contributor

Spring Arizona Restaurant Week continues this month to bring foodies on a culinary trip May 20-29. The Arizona Restaurant Association’s semiannual event features a slew of restaurants offering three-course prix-fixe menus. These dining establishments showcase Arizona’s culinary scope, while allowing diners to support their local businesses and explore new cuisine at discounted prices. “As our industry continues to navigate labor shortages, cost increases and limited supplies, we still aim to present our state’s dining community with the most delicious way to explore our culinary scene,” says Steve Chucri, Arizona Restaurant Association chief executive officer. “With dine-in and take-out options and a variety of dining choices, including high-end and independently owned best-kept secrets, we encourage diners to use Arizona Restaurant Week as an opportunity to support the industry while enjoying an incredible meal.” Three Chandler restaurants – Thirsty Lion, Sicilian Butcher and The Keg – are offering menu deals to celebrate the week. A full list is at arizonarestaurantweek.com. During the 10 days, the three-course menus presented at participating restaurants for $33, $44 or $55 per person, or per couple in some instances. For an additional cost, eateries offer wine pairings. Takeout is also available. The Thirsty Lion, 3077 W. Frye Road, has a $33 special that includes a choice of three starters and three desserts and four entrees. The Sicilian Butcher

FLAME

from page 30

Moorhead relishes the chance to share his love of fire history — especially with children. He takes them on Hall of Flame tours and teaches them about fire safety. “Really, in a way, that’s the most important part of this mission, of course,” Moorhead said. “I always think to myself that I would do these story times for kindergarten, and first- and second-grade kids and try to teach basic fire safety. “You never know — at least not in this life — what kid didn’t set fire to his house because you taught him. But even if you just entertained that kid, just gave them a chuckle, and gave them a really lasting memory, that’s better than most people get to do with their day.” Hall of Flame features antique fire

at Chandler Fashion Center has a $44 special with a choice from two appetizers, two salads, four entrees and two desserts. The Keg, also at Fashion Center, has a $55 special with choices from three starters, two desserts and three entrees. Arizona Restaurant Week’s goal is to establish the state as one of the nation’s top culinary destinations. During the 10 days, it encourages spending at and promotes the 8,500 eateries. The Stockyards Steakhouse, a 75-year-old Old Western-style restaurant in Phoenix, has participated in Arizona Restaurant Week since the event began approximately 15 years ago. Owner Gary Lasko says the program has helped Stockyards Steakhouse’s bottom line and yielded a positive response from the public — before and after the pandemic. “It boosts business for us,” Lasko says. “It exposes a bunch of people to the restaurant, and maybe you get those people back over the summer if they really like it and think it’s a cool place.” Menus often have off-the-menu entrees, which encourage chefs to cook creatively and take advantage of seasonal items. “We always focus on our signatures, like a filet and prime rib as entrees, instead of trying to put some lesser things out there,” Lasko says. “We want to showcase our best items. So, I think that’s the opportunity for people, to go to some restaurants they wouldn’t necessarily go to and check them out at a better price and a slower time of year.”

trucks and artifacts. Among the items is a Ford F-750 transport buggy from Prescott used to carry the Granite Mountain Hotshots who died in the Yarnell Hill Fire. The museum places a premium on not only providing an informative experience, but a fun one as well. “We are a real historical museum. You actually can learn something here,” Moorhead said. “We’re an archive, and we preserve these artifacts and this history. But, we also don’t take ourselves too seriously. You know our corny name. We try to have fun here too. It’s really for a kid at heart.”

Hall of Flame

6101 E. Van Buren Street, Phoenix 602.275.3473 hallofflame.org 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Tuesday to Saturday

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Job Trends for 2022

Pandemic-related upheaval in the job market has continued, years after the emergence of a novel coronavirus. That makes staying on top of trends even more important for those seeking employment in 2022:

GOING YOUR OWN WAY Contract work, one-off commissions and project work will also continue to rise in 2022, as workers find that selfemployment in the so-called “gig economy” is preferable to conventional jobs. These

jobs provide flexibility to those who can’t — or don’t want to — work eight consecutive hours, or five consecutive days. Traditional hourly or salaried positions are simply too constricting for this band of potential hires. KNOWING YOUR WORTH In a job-seeker’s market like 2021, applicants held leverage over prospective employers. This year will be no different, as companies desperate to fill positions will find themselves negotiating more than ever. The Great Resignation made clear that people are more willing than ever to leave long-term jobs for something new. Companies will have to sweeten the pot in the current job market, either

through salary increases or expanded benefit packages — or both. As expected, expanded medical coverage has become a much bigger priority. AUTOMATION UPTICK Besides the pandemic, nothing has had a bigger recent impact on our economy than technology. These automation and machine-learning trends have added new pressure on

smaller companies, while also limiting job opportunities in the wider marketplace. Software packages can handle many processes now, making managing systems both easier and quicker. But those are jobs that humans once filled. Artificial intelligence is also being used to improve accuracy, sometimes at the loss of positions that companies would normally be hiring to fill.

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One Call, We Do It All! 602-339-4766 Owner Does All Work, All Honey-Do Lists All Remodeling, Additions, Kitchen, Bath, Patio Covers, Garage, Sheds, Windows, Doors, Drywall & Roofing Repairs, Painting, All Plumbing, Electrical, Concrete, Block, Stucco, Stack Stone, All Flooring, Wood, Tile, Carpet, Welding, Gates, Fences, All Repairs.

3 Areas for $99

7 Areas for $199

up to 150 sq. ft. per area (includes high traffice pre-treatment) Reg. Value $175 - CALL FOR APPOINTMENT

* Not a licensed contractor

Landscape/Maintenance LANDSCAPING

Call Dan

not a licensed contractor

480-516-8920

480-888-5895 ConklinPainting.com Lic/Bond/Ins ROC# 270450

Plumbing 1 HOUR RESPONSE

480-726-1600 $

www.miguelslandscapinginc.com

mi.landscapinginc@hotmail.com

PAVERS, WATERFEATURES, FEATURES, PAVERS, WATER FLAGSTONE, TRAVERTINE, FIREPLACE, FIREPLACE, SOD, SYNTHETICGRASS, GRASS, SOD, BBQ, BBQ, SYNTHETIC ROCK IRRIGATION ROCK AND IRRIGATION

5000 OFF

Work Completed!

ABC PLUMBING & ROOTER

SINCE 1968 EMERGENCY SERVICE www.abcplumbingandrooter.com

Plumbing

High Quality Results

Affinity Plumbing LLC

• Sprinkler/Drip Repairs • New Installs Poly/PVC • Same Day Service ARRANTY 5 -YEAR PART W

Commercial & Residential • Licensed & Insured • Owner Operator

• Patios • Sidewalks • Driveways • 30 years experience • Free Estimates

Interior Painting ● Pressure Washing Exterior Painting ● Drywall/Stucco Repair Complete Prep Work ● Wallpaper Removal

Landscape/Maintenance

Cutting Edge LLC • ROC 281671

Concrete Work

Free Estimate & Color Consultation

Irrigation

480.654.5600

Concrete & Masonry

Now Accepting all major credit cards

Remodeling License ROC #183369 • Bonded, Insured

OTHER SERVICES INCLUDE: H Tile & Grout Cleaning H Upholstery Cleaning H Trusted Chandler Resident

David Cole • 480-215-4757

Family Owned & Operated

Free Estimates with Pride & Prompt Service!

CARPET/GROUT & TILE CLEANING up to 150 sq. ft. per area (includes high traffice pre-treatment) CALL FOR APPOINTMENT

480-688-4770

www.eastvalleypainters.com

CONKLIN PAINTING

RESTORATION

QUICK RESPONSE TO YOUR CALL!

DAVE’S PERFECT TOUCH — SPECIALS —

Free Estimates • Home of the 10 Year Warranty!

VALENCIA’S TOTAL YARD

Licensed • Bonded • Insured • ROC118198

chandleralliance@gmail.com

We Beat Competitors Prices & Quality

Painting

General Contracting, Inc. A group of local business representatives and owners committed to development of local businesses in the Greater Chandler Area. Providing a forum for local businesses to promote themselves. We also work with and promote several non-profit organizations. Each member is required to assist or fund a non-profit organization as a show of support to our community.

10% OFF

Landscape/Maintenance

➨ Planting & Removal of Trees ➨ Complete Maintenance ➨ Tree Trimming & Hauling ➨ Free Estimates

15 Years Experience • Free Estimates

Business/Professional BUSINESS SERVICES Services

Paint Interior & Exterior • Drywall Repair Cabinet Painting • Light Carpentry Voted Power Washing • Textures Matched Popcorn Removal • Color Consulting Pool Deck Coatings • Garage Floor Coatings

Bonded/Insured • ROC#153131

Drywall

www.chandlerchamber.com

(480) 963-1061

arizonacactussales.com

Business/Professional BUSINESS Services

Check in with the Chandler Chamber of Commerce for help.

Since 1968

East Valley PAINTERS

azirrigation.com

Landscape Design/ Installation

TRIM TREES ALL TYPES GRAVEL - PAVERS SPRINKLER SYSTEMS Complete Clean Ups

Jose Martinez Not a licensed contractor.

602.515.2767

Painting

Lic. ROC153202/213278, Bonded & Insured *CALL OFFICE FOR DETAILS

480-487-5541

affinityplumber@gmail.com

www.affinityplumbingaz.com

Your Ahwatukee Plumber & East Valley Neighbor • Anything Plumbing • Water Heaters • Inside & Out Leaks • Toilets, Faucets, Disposals • Same Day Service • Available 24/7 • Bonded & Insured • Estimates Available

35 OFF

$ Any Service

Not a licensed contractor

BY JOHN

Painting

Plumbing

CURE ALL PLUMBING

JOSE’S LANDSCAPING

FAMILY OWNED & OPERATED

Specializing in Artificial • Front Yards Grass

• Synthetic Turf for your Home

• Back Yards • Golfing Greens

Call Today For A Quote

480-690-0081 Not a licensed contractor.

HOME IMPROVEMENT & PAINTING Interior/Exterior Painting 30 YEARS EXPERIENCE Dunn Edwards Quality Paint Small Stucco/Drywall Repairs

We Are State Licensed and Reliable!

Free Estimates • Senior Discounts

480-338-4011

Full Service Plumbing No Job Too Small!

H Drain & Sewer Cleaning H Water Heaters H Faucets H Fixtures H Electronic Leak Locating H Slab Leaks

H Repiping H Sewer Video & Locating H Backflow Testing & Repair H Sprinkler Systems & Repairs H Water Treatment Sales & Service

480-895-9838

✔ Free Estimates ✔ Senior Discounts! RESIDENTIAL & COMMERCIAL ROC#309706

ROC #204797

DIRECTORY

THE SUNDAY SANTAN SUN NEWS | MAY 8, 2022

CLASSIFIEDS.PHOENIX.ORG To Advertise Call: 480-898-6465 or email Class@TimesPublications.com Plumbing

PLUMBING MOUNTAIN PARK PLUMBING 00046240 STSN-MtnPark Plumb 2x2 STSN-8 SanTan Sun News 5/8/22 1210 Plumbing WP Waiting for Payment PLUMBING

Roofing

Moving

Over 30 Years of Experience Family Operated by 3 Generations of Roofers!

IN OR OUT MOVERS

Premier Tile, Shingle & Foam Roofer!

Spencer 4 HIRE ROOFING Valley Wide Service

480-446-7663 FREE Estimates • Credit Cards OK www.spencer4hirerooﬁng.com ROC#244850 | Insured | Bonded

24-HOUR SERVICE Plumbing

Roofing

480-892-5000 480-726-1600 24 HOUR SERVICE

Best Senior Discount

20% OFF

A+

480-699-2754 • info@monsoonroofinginc.com

10% Discount for Ahwatukee Residents 100% NO Leak Guarantee Re-Roof & Roofing Repairs Tile, Shingles & Flat Roof

SEWER AND DRAIN

Sewer/Drain/Septic

ABC Plumbing & Rooter POOL/SPA SERVICES A Friend In Me Pool Restoration 00046367 Tile cleaning acid wash and pr STSN-8 SanTan Sun News 5/8/22 1215 Pool/Spa Services WP Waiting for Payment

480-898-6465

Handyman

Not a licensed contractor.

Licensed – Bonded – Insured – ROC187561

Pool/Spa Services

For a Quote email: class@times publications.com

Honey-Do List Electrical, Plumbing, Drywall, Painting & Home Renovations.

MonsoonRooﬁngInc.com

Since 1968

ROC#153202/213288

If someone Needs a Job, They Look Every Day!

A FRIEND IN ME HANDYMAN

ABC Plumbing SAN TAN PLUMBING 480-726-1600 & DRAIN CLEANING &PLUMBING Rooter ABC & ROOTER 24/7

Professional, hardworking, excellent service. No hidden fees. Whether you are moving in or moving out LEAVE THE LIFTING TO US! Serving the East Valley. www.inoroutmovers phoenixmetro.com Call Terry at 602-653-5367

HIRING?

480-726-1600 FREE

Hotwater Heater Flush

Call Greg 480-510-2664 AFriendInMeHandyman@gmail.com

Plumbing abcplumbingandrooter.com ROC 153202 Where Integrity Isn’t Watered Down. Since 1968 - 480-726-1600 1 hour response Emergency Response 24/7 A rated BBB *Free flush of water heater *Best senior discount: 20% off labor *$50.00 off with work done mention this ad Flood restoration, Water heaters, drain clogs, faucets, toilets, slab leaks, leak locating, & water main.

Oooh, MORE ads online! Check Our Online Classifieds Too!

Glass/Mirror GLASS, MIRRORS, SHOWER DOORS

Family Owned with 50 years' EXPERIENCE. Shower and tub enclosures, Framed, Frameless or Custom Doors, We also install insulated glass, mirrored closet doors, window glass, mirrors, patio doors, glass table protectors. If it’s glass, we can help you. QUALITY SERVICE at Competitive Prices. FREE Estimates

WESLEY'S GLASS & MIRROR Call 480-306-5113 wesleysglass.com SERVICING THE ENTIRE VALLEY

SanTanSun.com

Your newspaper. Your community. Your planet. Please recycle me.

SELL YOUR STUFF

Licensed/Bonded/Insured

48 YEARS In Business Since 1968 ROC#153202/213278

% Financing 0% Financing Fast* 020% Fast* 20% for details. Senior *Call for*Calldetails. Senior Discount! Discount!

Roofing

Window Cleaning Not a licensed contractor

Professional service since 1995

130 - One Story 170 - Two Story

Serving All Types Clean, Prompt, Friendly and Professional Service of Roofing: FREE ESTIMATES • Tiles & Shingles • Installation • Repair • Re-Roofing

Bonded & Insured

SUN SCREENS CLEANED $3 EACH

sunlandroofingllc@gmail.com

602-471-2346

Includes in & out up to 30 Panes

480-584-1643

Attention to detail and tidy in your home. Bonded & Insured

Ahwatukee Chandler Gilbert Glendale Mesa North Valley Ocotillo Peoria Phoenix Scottsdale Tempe West Valley

Life Events

SHARE WITH THE WORLD! Place a Birth, Anniversary, Wedding Announcement, In Memoriam, Obituary or any life event in this paper today! Call us for details. class@timespublications.com or call 480-898-6465

CLASSIFIEDS. PHOENIX.ORG MetroPhoenix Classifieds com To Advertise Call: 480-898-6465 or email Class@TimesPublications.com

THE SUNDAY SANTAN SUN NEWS | MAY 8, 2022

special purchase The Luna Chair. A design classic available for a limited time, at an unexpected price. Experience classic Norwegian design with the Luna Chair, designed in 1970 by Odd Knutsen. With its deep, padded seat and distinctive angled frame, Luna is comfortable and versatile to fit in any space. Available from stock in sixteen different leather and fabric covers with a wood frame, 28” x 28” x 28”h. Only while supplies last Fabric $559

419

Leather $669

499

since

contemporary furniture & accessories

great prices great design

PHOENIX 1701 E. Camelback 602-266-8060 SCOTTSDALE 15804 N. Scottsdale Rd. (South of Bell) 480-367-6401 GILBERT 2000 S. Santan Village Pkwy. 480-838-3080 HOURS: PHOENIX Mon-Sat: 9am-6pm, Sundays: Noon-5pm SCOTTSDALE & GILBERT Mon-Fri: 10am-7pm, Saturdays: 10am-6pm, Sundays: Noon-5pm

Shop now in-store or online at

www.copenhagenliving.com for the best selection.

THE SUNDAY SANTAN SUN NEWS | MAY 8, 2022

FOR CHANDLER

TRUST ★ HONOR ★ INTEGRITY

My Priorities #DREAMBIGCHANDLER

✔ Maintain fiscally conservative taxes and budget, enabling taxpayers and businesses to grow and thrive.

✔ Continue to support our local police keeping Chandler as one of the safest cities in the US.

✔ Bring a common sense approach to Chandler government.

✔ Honor our Constitution and Chandler City Charter protecting your “Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.”

✔ Bring resources for Chandler families and individuals struggling with mental illness and disabilities.

✔ Provide excellent servant leadership to Chandler residents.

Learn More

www.DarlaForChandler.com Paid for by Darla Darla Gonzalez for Chandler