Ahwatukee Foothills News - May 31, 2017

Smaller recovery homes called threat to quality of life

BY PAUL MARYNIAK AFN Executive Editor

Ahwatukee is not immune to a new threat to neighborhood quality of life that’s invading Phoenix in the form of small, unregulated group homes for recovering addicts and alcoholics, City Councilman Sal DiCiccio has warned.

The threat recently was outlined before City Council by Arcadia residents, who had filed a citizens’ petition demanding that the city administration start enforcing laws that could restrict the number of homes in one area to some degree.

A separate petition called for the city to hire outside legal counsel because the city Law Department had not been enforcing

See HOUSES on page 15

People who drive past the southeast corner of 48th Street and Frye Road in recent months may be wondering what the huge building being erected on the sprawling site is all about. Displaced by the South Mountain Freeway, it’s the new Mountain Park Community Church, which when finished in the fall, will look like this rendering – and offer a rooftop community gathering spot that has no match in Phoenix or the rest of the Valley, according to church leaders. For details, see Page 24.

Military background, math and softball all help freeway fighter

BY PAUL MARYNIAK AFN Executive Editor

Pat Lawlis is widely known among her fellow Ahwatukee residents as someone who pitches hardballs at government agencies over the South Mountain Freeway.

But across the country, Lawlis has another reputation: She has a wicked softball pitch as well.

The outspoken president of Protect Arizona’s Resources and Children – the Ahwatukee based anti-freeway organization – has garnered fistfuls of medals and ribbons for her prowess on the mound in women’s softball leagues for nearly four decades.

She has played in as many as 14 weekend

tournaments in a year, often pitching in four 55-minute games in a 24-hour stretch.

That stamina – together with a passion for Arizona’s desert environment – goes a long way in explaining the energy she has put into PARC since its formation in 2006 and her leadership of the group for the last eight years.

That and a 20-year career as a computer software engineer for the U.S. Air Force, which she retired from in 1995 at the rank of lieutenant colonel.

As she awaits the next phase in PARC’s legal battle to stop the freeway, Lawlis and PARC are preparing another court challenge aimed at preventing the Arizona Department of Transportation and freeway developer Connect 202 Partners from blasting in an area

between 32nd Street and South Mountain.

“It is so dangerous and it is so infuriating,” she said of the blasting – set to begin sometime this summer and occur on a weekly basis into next year, according to ADOT.

“That provides us with the basis to go for another injunction,” she added. “There isn’t any reason to approve this kind of work, which is going to cause some amount of irreparable harm until the court case is settled.”

The “court case” is the appeal PARC, the Gila River Indian Community and various environmental organizations have filed with the U.S. District Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit over federal Judge Diane

See LAWLIS on page 20

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Lauren Barney of Ahwatukee has received an honor that only 15 of her peers across Phoenix have earned.

She has been selected as an Outstanding Young Woman of the Year by Phoenix officials, who pick eight high school boys and either girls for the honor annually – two from each of the city’s eight council districts. The other Council District 16 honoree is across the city.

Lauren, 18, graduated two weeks ago from Desert Vista High School and is on her way to Barrett, the Honors College at Arizona State University.

“I plan on double majoring in sustainability and supply chain management,” she said. “The intersection between business and sustainability has been fascinating to me.”

(Special to AFN)

Lauren Barney, flanked by her parents, Kristi and Brian Barney, on graduation night two weeks ago, is a 2017 outstanding Young Woman for the City of Phoenix.

Tempe Union board to discuss possible land deal in private PAM

Tempe Union High School District may already have developers’ offers on a 63-acre plot of land in Ahwatukee that could add as many as 178 homes on the southwest corner of Desert Foothills Parkway and Frye Road.

The district’s governing board announced on its website it was scheduled to hold a closed-door meeting tonight, May 31, “to consider its position and instruct its representatives regarding negotiations for the sale of the districtowned property in Ahwatukee Foothills,”

The school board several weeks ago authorized Nathan and Associates to begin marketing the property for a sale that could yield between $15 million and $19 million for the district.

Despite several members’ strong reservations, the board also decided to leave open the possibility of entering a potentially risky joint venture with the builder who buys the site instead of only looking to sell it outright.

Voters last November approved a ballot

question allowing the board to sell the site.

“It’s a highly coveted site by the development community,” Ryan Duncan of Nathan and Associates told the board during a study session April 5. “There’s not a builder in town who doesn’t know about it.

The law allows a school board to close meetings to the public to discuss legal matters, including negotiations to buy district-owned land.

Eventually, any deal would have to be voted on at a public meeting.

The land was originally purchased well before the current board and administration were in office, with an eye toward the possible construction of a third high school in Ahwatukee.

That vision was never realized – partly because of demographics, but also because of the site’s topography.

Indeed, board members agreed that the site is so hilly that it likely would never have been suitable for a large building like a school or even a commercial development.

SUMMER FUN

The oldest of three children of Kristi and Brian Barney, Lauren said she was surprised “and excited at the opportunity to represent my district and the City of Phoenix.”

The city website said the outstanding youth “will be recognized at an event and in city publicity materials” and “will have an opportunity to participate in citywide programs and special appearances to promote youth issues.”

Lauren was nominated by Amanda Domino, her English teacher at Desert

Vista. Lauren will receive a cash award and Domino will be recognized for submitting the nomination.

The city makes its decisions on the basis of a nominees’ leadership skills and community involvement, and the award “recognizes and honors the outstanding achievements of young people, enhances the perception of youth and raises community awareness of the positive contributions of youth,” according to the city website.

Lauren won a state Division 1 speech and debate state championship, and received scholar-athlete/activity award at Desert Vista – one of several scholarships

LLC

WHOLESALE to the TRADES

she earned.

She has volunteered the last three years at Altadena Middle School in Ahwatukee, helping the debate team there. She helps the youngsters learn how to research a topic and has “helped them write cases and prepare for tournaments.”

Debate is something “I enjoy immensely,” said Lauren, who was one of four debate team captains at Desert Vista and bore the title President of Debate.

She has Elvis’ autograph and a promotion

Attorney Robin Mitchell of Ahwatukee has been appointed assistant director of the state Corporation Commission’s utilizes division.

Mitchell has been at the Corporation Commission for almost 11 years after a career in corporate sector, and said she likes working in public service and

wishes she did it sooner.

She has lived in Ahwatukee for 10 years and graduated with honors from Vanderbilt University School of Law. The mother of two loves gardening and cycling and has a special place in her heart for her autograph from Elvis Presley.

“When Elvis was in town, he would stand outside of Graceland for his fans,” she recalled. “My family was on the way to get ice cream, we passed Graceland and there he was. We inched through the crowd – I must have been about 10 or 11 – got up close and personal and he signed my little scrap of paper that we found in the car.

“Before he got all caught up in drugs, he was a very handsome man,” Mitchell added. “And yes, I am a fan. I love all of his gospel recordings and my favorite song is ‘In the Ghetto.’”

EDITORS

(/Special to AFN)

Attorney Robin Mitchell of Ahwatukee, recently promoted at the state Corporation Commission, has an autograph from Elvis Presley that she got when she was around 10 years old.

Death toll dropping, but drownings remain a problem

BY JIM WALSH AFN Staff Writer

Chandler Fire and Medical Battalion Chief Blas Minor remembers the warbled hot tone, then hearing his unit dispatched to a house where a parent found a child underwater in a pool. It is the call all firefighters dread.

When he got to the house, Minor saw something he will never forget: a griefstricken father approaching firefighters holding the limp body of his daughter in his arms.

“I just remember the look on the father’s face,” Minor said. “Dad said, ‘Please save my little girl.’”

That’s exactly what happened. The girl, probably about kindergarten age, was coughing, lethargic and had a blue lip. Paramedics revived her in the ambulance on the way to the hospital while Minor comforted her nearly hysterical mother.

“You take that home with you, there’s no question about it. It’s something every firefighter dreads. It sticks with you for the rest of your career,” Minor said.

Sadly, not all such calls have a happy ending, even though the death toll is dropping.

Firefighters, state health officials and the Drowning Prevention Coalition of Arizona have made great progress in reducing pediatric drowning, defined in statistics as children 5 years old or less.

The number of pediatric drownings in Maricopa County dropped from a high of 34 in 1986 to nine in 2015, the last year statistics are available, according to a report compiled by Dr. Timothy Flood, an epidemiologist with the Arizona Department of Health Services.

Although the buzz on drownings has faded since the 1980s, when it rocketed to the forefront of public health issues after a series of heartbreaking and avoidable deaths, there is still plenty of cause for alarm.

The carnage in the East Valley is recorded in grim detail on the Child Safety Zone website, with the four major cities of Mesa, Chandler, Gilbert and Tempe reporting 55 water-related incidents during 2016 and 17 deaths. Those tragedies include six pediatric deaths.

A somewhat surprising and rarely discussed trend also emerges, as the majority of East Valley and Phoenix victims are adults. All four drowning

fatalities in Gilbert last year and all three in Chandler were adults, although three of Mesa’s four victims were children under 5 years old.

Flood said his efforts have been focused on prevention of pediatric drowning because toddlers are the most vulnerable population.

He said the chronic nature of the problem reinforces the need for parents to be hypervigilant in watching children around water and the need for properly maintained pool fences, as required by state law.

The pool fences are vital in creating a barrier between an adventurous toddler and the threat posed by the pool, but pool fences alone don’t solve the problem, and a multi-dimensional approach is required.

A graphic in Flood’s report, however, notes a severe drop in pediatric drownings since 1990, the Arizona passed a statewide pool law.

He said a barrier is still required everywhere in Arizona, even if a municipality does not have an ordinance. Mesa and Chandler have pool ordinances while Gilbert does not. Flood, who has studied the drowning problem since the 1980s, advised parents to reduce the exposure of their children to water by not installing pools until their children have learned to swim.

He said the next big reduction in pediatric drownings likely will come from an expansion of swimming instruction programs for children.

Flood recommends that parents consider enrolling their children in swim

(Special to AFN)

Since adult drownings are on the rise, men and women who don’t know how to swim might want to take advantage of lessons at the Ahwatukee Community Swim & Tennis Center, 4700 E. Warner Road, Ahwatukee. The second session begins at 6:45 p.m. Tuesday, June 6 and runs through June 29. The eight-class session is $80. All participants receive a free Swimming Saves Lives T-shirt. Beginner swimmers are introduced to breath control, kicking, treading water, basic freestyle and backstroke. Intermediate levels are taught with an emphasis on technique and endurance. The class offers a small class size, safe environment, teaching by US Masters Swimming Adult Learn to Swim instructors. Information: 480-893-3431. Taking advantage of a recent series of lessons were, from left: Vivek Goyal, Victoria Martinez, Sheetal Chawla, Mary Woodmansee, Joyce Foote, Tamanna

classes when they are 2 years old. His report notes a large cluster of 2-year-old victims, with most drownings in private, in-ground pools and on weekends.

“That decision to have a pool could be delayed,” Flood said, until all children in a household know how to swim.

He said he has not tracked the adult drowning issue closely but said most people have traditionally attributed adult drowning to use of alcohol, drugs and adult swimmers experiencing catastrophic health issues, such as a heart attack.

East Valley firefighters say they continuing their drive to eliminate drownings, repeating the message about watching children at all times around water, the need for barriers that act as a backstop if there is a lapse in supervision, and adding a component to prevent adult drownings.

“No one goes about their day thinking their children will get into the pool area. These are accidents. Are they avoidable? Yes, they are,” Minor said.

Chandler had 17 water-related incidents, with seven involving pediatric victims. All three fatalities were adults.

Chandler Fire Marshall Cina Sunderhaus said the city has updated its safety message to urge adults to swim with a buddy to avoid drownings.

“We don’t like to lose lives no matter the circumstances,” Minor said. “Our number one priority is the safety of the people we serve.”

Mesa Deputy Fire Chief Forrest Smith said firefighters keep preaching the same safety message. He said a sober adult needs to be designated to watch children around water at all times, screening out all possible distractions.

“We will continue to educate, but what we really need is help from the public,” Smith said.

Smith concedes that firefighters are frustrated by the persistent problem and that drowning calls leave an emotional scar on firefighters, many of whom are also parents.

But firefighters realize that whatever emotional duress their own pales in comparison to the victim’s family.

“That’s what makes this so gutwrenching. This is so preventable,” Smith said. “In most cases, these children being in harm’s way is preventable.”

Mesa had 22 water-related incidents, with 15 involving pediatric victims.

(Kimberly Carrillo/AFN Photographer)

A 2-year-old girl learns to float under the watchful hands of instructor Katie Metzger during swimming lessons being hosted at a private home in Ahwatukee.

Rai, Israel Reveles, Dan Iozsa and Tabita Iozsa

A group of Ahwatukee mothers aren’t waiting to have their children learn how to swim. Swimming instructor Katie Metzger is giving lessons to babies and young children, like this 3-year-old girl, at a private home in Ahwatukee that is hosting the six-week class. The mothers would not allow their children to be identified in AFN.

DROWNINGS

from page 8

Four victims died, including three pediatric victims and one adult victim.

In Gilbert, firefighters responded to a near-drowning involving a 2-yearold girl last weekend, but were able to restore her pulse on the way Cardon Children’s Medical Center in Mesa.

Deputy Gilbert Fire Chief Josh Ehrman said 2016 was the worst year in

the town’s history, with 19 water-related incidents, with the victims including 11 small children. All four deaths involved adult victims.

“It comes down to a conscious effort to provide a safe environment for your children,” he said. “Kids don’t drown when they are being watched by adults committed to their safety and their welfare.”

– Reach Jim Walsh at 480-898-5639 or at jwalsh@timespublications.com.

(Kimberly Carrillo/AFN Photographer)

Carbrillo Canyon

Foothills

Listed

Nonprofit’s sticker aims to eliminate hot-car deaths

BY BRENT RUFFNER AFN Contributor

Stop. Think. Look. Chandler resident Lou Molinari hopes that message is a constant reminder not to leave children and pets unattended in vehicles.

His nonprofit, Babysav.org, is spreading awareness by giving out stickers to residents and businesses around the state and the nation. He has distributed stickers to people in Arizona as well as others such as California and New Hampshire.

His mission is to eliminate hot-car deaths.

“I see it as a problem,” Molinari said. “I see there is a solution. Now, my challenge is to prove to everybody else that the solution can maybe do something.”

The sticker has a picture of a child in a car seat that reads, “Forgetting Something? – a vehicle’s temperature can climb to unsafe levels within a few minutes.”

According to Noheatstroke.org, a vehicle’s temperature can climb by as much as 19 degrees within a 10-minute span. In 30 minutes, the temperature can rise 34 degrees above the outside temperature with no air-conditioning, the website said.

Arizona holds the nation’s third-worst death toll among children who died as a result of heatstroke while trapped in a vehicle, the website said. Thirty-one children have died since 1998, it said.

A Peoria infant died last fall as a result of being left in an unattended vehicle.

On May 11, Gov. Doug Ducey signed a bill into law that clears the way for a person to save a child or pet in danger who is in a locked, unattended vehicle without having to pay for damages to a vehicle.

The law says “a person who uses reasonable force to enter a locked and unattended motor vehicle to remove a minor or confined domestic animal is not liable for any damages in a civil action if:

• “The person has a good faith belief the minor or animal is in imminent danger or suffering physical injury or death.

• “The person determines there is no other reasonable manner to remove the minor or animal from the vehicle.

• “Before entering the vehicle, the person notifies ‘a peace officer or emergency personnel or animal control official.’”

“(The legislation) is a piece of the solution,” Molinari said. “I say it’s going to take a village. The village is going to have to work together to solve this problem.”

A $2 donation via PayPal will get residents and business owners a sticker they can put on their front door or window. He said he plans to make key chains available for sale and wants to work with retailers to put his message on wet floor signs.

Some local businesses are taking notice of his message.

Molinari said Pollack Tempe Cinemas recently agreed to donate ad space on their movie screens for his message.

Mesa doctor Robyn Wilhelm said she purchased stickers for her business after she met Molinari at an event.

Wilhelm, a women’s health and pelvic physical therapist, said she treats a lot of mothers who have young children. She said she occasionally hands out stickers to other business owners. As a parent of two children, she said the message grabs her attention.

“I’ve never had moment where I forgot them in the car,” Wilhelm said. “But it’s definitely on my mind.”

(Brent Ruffner/AFN Contributor)

Lou Molinari of Chandler and his nonprofit hope parents of young children use specially made stickers to serve as reminders and prevent them from leaving a kid locked in a vehicle in Arizona heat.

BY GABRIELA CALLES AFN Contributor

Body-worn cameras are helping police collect evidence and improve relations with communities, but they need more technological improvements and could pose problems in court cases.

Those points were made during a panel discussion held in Phoenix last week by the American Society of Evidence-Based Policing.

Tempe police Commander Noah Johnson said his officers largely viewed body-worn cameras as a better method to improve communication with the community, resolve complaints and collect evidence.

“It captures what is so difficult to write in a report,” Johnson said. “Pictures are worth a thousand words.”

Johnson said 95 percent of Tempe officers appreciate the technology. “It’s not just about the reduction of complaints,” he said. “It’s about a connection with the community.”

In two fatal shootings by Tempe police over the past year, however, officers did not have their cameras on. One incident last year involved an unarmed man who claimed to have a weapon and was terrorizing pharmacy patrons and staffers in an effort to get drugs.

immediate venue” for officers to re-assess their on-duty performance for future improvement.

He also said the cameras have been successful at capturing specific and important details that police officers fail to notice during an arrest or other incident.

These cameras have also helped capture intangible evidence from domestic violence situations, he added.

In an incident several weeks ago, Tempe police shot and killed a man who had attacked two officers with a knife, injuring one of them.

Josh Young, the co-founder of the American Society of EvidenceBased Policing, said instances of nonfunctioning cameras could be prevented with better technology.

He noted cameras activated when officers pull their service weapon out of their holster is in development.

“It captures the victim scared and upset,” Johnson said. “It captures what really happened.”

However, police officers are facing challenges when presenting bodycam video as evidence in court, Johnson said.

He said judges in Maricopa County largely are reluctant to accept video because it is time-consuming to analyze and rule on.

The courts are also concerned about police officers staging videos.

He said that this technology would not only trigger the camera of the officer pulling a weapon but also the bodycams worn by any other officer nearby.

“It takes that process out where they have to compromise their own safety to turn on their camera,” Young said. “With this technology, it is already done for them.”

The panel discussion also focused on the use of cameras in court and in the personal development of an officer.

Johnson said bodycams “provide an

Nonetheless, Johnson said Tempe Police are working to provide the courts with more information on the technology and trying to find a solution to making the videos more accessible to the courts by presenting them in a DVD format.

The panel also said new research suggests the positioning of the camera on an officer’s body can sometimes affect how lawyers and judges perceive what’s depicted on a video. That issue needs more study, the panel indicated.

(Special to AFN)

Tempe police Commander Noah Johnson said bodycams worn by officers not only improve community relations but can help catch details that might go unnoticed at crime scenes.

Open House

HOUSES

from page 1

for two years an ordinance setting minimum distances between so-called recovery homes.

Both petitions were dropped after the city agreed to start enforcing the distance requirements.

“We need to protect our neighborhoods from the dangers unregistered group homes bring,” DiCiccio said. “Right now, we have no way to regulate these facilities. This puts both our communities and the residents of these homes at risk.”

So far, DiCiccio said, he has not received any reports of such homes in Ahwatukee, although he and his chief of staff, Sam Stone, said the homes are sprouting up across the city. They said there’s no reason to think they won’t appear in Ahwatukee.

“If anyone does suspect one of these homes in their neighborhood in Ahwatukee, they need to contact my office immediately,” DiCiccio said.

As long as they house fewer than 10 clients, the houses are virtually unregulated. Unlike the larger recovery homes, the small group houses are not required to have medical staff on board.

The complaints have been numerous

from neighborhoods in many Southern California communities, where the homes first sprouted up, and in Prescott, a town with a population of 40,000 that has 150 such houses sprinkled across its residential neighborhoods.

People have complained that the addicts and alcoholics who sleep there

wander around their neighborhood and loiter outside all day and night because the group homes are not required to provide the programming that large recovery facilities are required to do.

Exacerbating the threat to quiet residential neighborhoods are sex offenders who also end up in the recovery

homes. They are not required to notify authorities they are living there because the homes are temporary residences.

“They can continue keeping their original address on the sex offender registry even though they are staying for weeks and months at a time in these group homes,” Stone said.

The proliferation of these houses has been made possible by subsidies that the owners receive from state and local government agencies and private insurance companies for housing the addicts and alcoholics.

DiCiccio said payments for treatment are pocketed by the owners, who are not even required to feed the residents.

The homes can earn as much as $5,000 a month per resident, making the businesses lucrative, DiCiccio said.

When the Arcadia Camelback Mountain Neighborhood Association appeared before City Council earlier this month to present their petitions –which would have required a council vote in two weeks had they not been withdrawn – it noted that two of six houses in a cul-de-sac in Phoenix’s East Calle Tuberia subdivision were housing addicts and alcoholics.

Had the city been enforcing a

(Courtesy of the Orange County Register)

requirement that such recovery facilities be at least 1,320 feet apart, two houses would not have been allowed there.

long-term families to a crowded, transient and commercial area, then the surrounding neighbors are directly and adversely affected, with many feeling victims to a process for which they had no control,” it added.

Stone said the small recovery homes have become the hub of a multibilliondollar industry.

The city stopped enforcing the distance requirement because of lawsuits by the U.S. Department of Justice and federal Department of Housing and Urban Development, which was challenging local ordinances regulating the location of group homes for the handicapped or disabled.

The association urged the city to recognize “that there is a balance to respecting the rights of the disabled to live in residential communities and the rights of other homeowners to preserve the character of the single-family neighborhoods.”

It also said the distance requirement should apply to any single-family house where six or more unrelated people are living – including rentals.

Stressing that Calle Tuberia neighbors “are not against a group home,” the association said “two such larger group homes on a street of six homes begins to change the residential character of the neighborhood.

“If the character of the neighborhood shifts from a quiet area that attracts

That industry has been documented in reports by California newspapers as well as National Public Radio.

NPR earlier this year broadcast a special report on Prescott’s woes, noting that a recovery website called TheFix. com had named Prescott “one of the top 10 destinations in the country to get sober.”

“When you’ve got a hundred boys and men trying to kick a heroin problem, how do you feel safe living next door to them when they’re falling off the wagon all the time?” one Prescott woman told NPR, recalling how she went outside for her morning coffee and found a man who had overdosed on her deck.

Allison Zelms, Prescott’s deputy city manager, conceded, “We are reaching a tipping point.”

And, like DiCiccio, she too expressed concern about the quality of treatment

Health insurance costs rising here? You bet they are, study finds

BY JOE GILMORE Cronkite News

WASHINGTON – Health insurance premiums nearly tripled in Arizona between 2013 and 2017, the fourth biggest increase among the 39 states that participated in healthcare.gov, according to new data from the Department of Health and Human Services.

Arizona’s 190 percent increase meant a monthly premium increase of about $400 to a consumer in the state, to $611, under the Affordable Care Act, or Obamacare. The average monthly increase for all marketplace states was 105 percent, or $244, according to the HHS numbers released this week.

The report does not mention the tax credits that many low-income consumers received under Obamacare, which made the coverage affordable for many.

But Republicans, whose plan to replace Obamacare took a harsh hit in a Congressional Budget Office assessment released last week, seized on the HHS numbers to support what they say is the

urgent need to replace the Affordable Care Act.

“This is exactly why we are on a rescue mission,” said House Speaker Paul Ryan, waving a copy of the report during a news conference Thursday. “Between premiums surging up and choices going away, Obamacare is on an unsustainable path.”

Democrats said Republicans were merely looking for cover for their plan, the American Health Care Act, after the CBO report that said the GOP proposal would cause up to 23 million people to lose coverage – 18 million in 2018 alone. The CBO also said the impact “would be disproportionately larger among older people with lower income.”

“I think the CBO score was pretty devastating to their proposal and so whatever justification they’re coming up with, it’s too late and weak,” Rep. Raul Grijalva, D-Tucson, said Thursday.

The HHS report shows that premiums have increased significantly since the ACA’s key provisions took effect in 2013, when increased regulations and insurance requirements in the individual market were expected to spark increases.

New Jersey had the lowest increase over the four-year period, at just 12 percent, while Alabama’s 222 percent premium hike was the highest. Overall, 16 states saw increases below the national average of 105 percent, 20 states were between 105 percent and 200 percent and three states saw premiums rise more than 200 percent, according to HHS.

The bulk of Arizona’s 190 percent increase came in the last year, when the state led the nation with an increase of 116 percent – a number frequently cited by President Trump when criticizing the ACA. But Obamacare backers said the jumps were likely a correction to premiums that were too low as insurers competed for customers in the early days of the law.

Healthcare providers, like Arizona Blue Cross Blue Shield and United

Healthcare, also cut back their presence or left the Arizona marketplace entirely in 2017 following financial losses, reducing options for those seeking coverage.

“The report shows what’s been the case with Obamacare all along: Arizonans paying drastically higher premiums for fewer options,” said Patrick Ptak, a spokesman for Gov. Doug Ducey.

The House passed the GOP plan on a 217-213 vote May 4, despite objections from Democrats that the bill was being rushed through. The Senate has yet to act on the bill, but senators have indicated that they will likely develop their own plan rather than build on the House version.

– Cronkite News reporters Brianna Stearns and Ben Moffat contributed to this report.

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Arizona environmental chief, physician differ on role of EPA

BY BEN MOFFAT Cronkite News

WASHINGTON – Arizona’s top environmental official told separate House and Senate committees last week that the federal government needs to back off and let states take care of environmental regulation on their own.

Misael Cabrera, the director of the Arizona Department of Environmental Quality, said the Environmental Protection Agency is “well-intentioned” but the agency is unnecessarily bureaucratic and does not prioritize the needs of the states. He pointed to a complex multiyear federal effort to increase visibility in the Grand Canyon that resulted in “no visible improvement.”

“After 20 years, four lawsuits, lots of activity, lots of waste by both the state and the federal government and lots of stakeholders, the result is no visible improvement,” Cabrera told a House Science, Space and Technology subcommittee. “And so we think that EPA’s engagement in that arena has not produced the desired result.”

But a University of Arizona physician,

who testified alongside Cabrera at a Senate panel later, defended the importance of strict federal mission regulations.

Dr. Monica Kraft was testifying against a pair of Senate bills that would delay EPA ozone standards from taking effect and delay re-evaluation of other criteria pollutants as defined by the Clean Air Act. Those delays could have grave consequences, Kraft told a Senate Environment and Public Works subcommittee.

(Ben Moffat/Cronkite News)

Arizona Department of Environmental Quality Director Misael Cabrera told separate House and Senate committees that federal regulators should give states more respect, and more leeway, in setting environmental policy.

“The American people would not receive the benefits of up-to-date science in identifying and protecting them from harmful health effects of these pollutants” if the bills go through, said Kraft, a former president of the American Thoracic Society.

“This means pollutants like lead, particulate matter and carbon monoxide

will remain in the air longer – needlessly exposing the American public to dangerous pollution and their adverse health effects,” she said.

Cabrera cited the EPA’s Regional Haze Program – what he called the “Regional Haze Maze” – as an example of federal interference with state-level environmental initiatives.

The EPA’s website says the program

“calls for state and federal agencies to work together to improve visibility in 156 national parks and wilderness areas,” including the Grand Canyon. But Cabrera testified that the federal government has only hindered efforts of a state-level commission to combat pollution-induced haze dating back to the 1990s.

He said the regional haze program “is well-intentioned, and we do not disagree with it.” But he said that in 1997, the EPA “proposed regulations that totally ignored” the findings of the state commission.

Kraft defended the agency, saying that public health is often at stake.

“In the 10-year review lag called for in this bill, a child will grow from a newborn to a 10-year-old,” she said. “In that time, the lungs, like the rest of the body, will see tremendous changes that will determine life-long health prospects of that child.

“By delaying improvements in air quality, we are literally burdening our children with lifelong health issues,” she said.

Cabrera did not dismiss federal collaboration out of hand.

“I believe in competition,” he said. “I think that with competition and diversity of ideas, we get to the best solutions.”

FROM 12PM - 3PM

GRAND OPENING

SATURDAY JUNE 3RD FROM 12PM - 3PM

SATURDAY JUNE 3RD

FROM 12PM - 3PM

Join in the fun as we celebrate the grand opening of Agave Heights in Ahwatukee. Be the first to tour our brand new model home, and fall in love with Agave Heights. After your tour, enjoy light refreshments, a balloon artist and face painter.

Don’t

Join in the fun as we celebrate the grand opening of Agave Heights in Ahwatukee. Be the first to tour our brand new model home, and fall in love with Agave Heights. After your tour, enjoy light refreshments, a balloon artist and face painter.

Don’t miss out on this fun event!

Join in the fun as we celebrate the grand opening of Agave Heights in Ahwatukee. Be the first to tour our brand new model home, and fall in love with Agave Heights. After your tour, enjoy light refreshments, a balloon artist and face painter.

Don’t miss out on this fun event!

From the $400’s 5 floor plans | 2,002 to 3,667 sq. ft.

Don’t miss out on this fun event!

From the $400’s 5 floor plans | 2,002 to 3,667

Humetewa’s refusal to halt freeway work .

They contend that ADOT and the Federal Highway Administration failed to conduct adequate environmental impact studies to justify the 22-mile link between the I-10 interchanges at Chandler and 59th Avenue in west Phoenix.

A hearing before the appeals court may soon be set, since today, May 31, is the deadline for the Gila Community to file its final brief in the case.

Fighting a $1.7 billion project –Arizona’s most expensive freeway in history – seems an unlikely late-in-life career for the Pennsylvania native and onetime high school math teacher.

It was at a high school in the small Pennsylvania town of Fort Cherry where her career took an abrupt shift.

“I had a lot of students who were interested in the military and I talked to some of the recruiters,” Lawlis recalled. “I was interested for my students and then I was interested for myself.”

She joined the Air Force and “they said they were going to make me a mathematician. I thought, It sounds nice, but where would they need a mathematician? Then they said they didn’t have a place for a mathematician, but they asked me if I wanted to work in computers.”

Back then, computers were the size of a master bedroom in a modern mansion, but the opportunity to work in a fairly new field invigorated Lawlis.

The very first computers used vacuum tubes, then transistors, then integrated circuits,” she said, recalling how some computers “took up a full two rooms of a building and had about the power of an Apple PC. I saw the whole transition all the way up. By the time I retired, we were doing visual simulations.”

She chose to work at a base in Colorado Springs, Colorado, then spent three years in Germany before going to the WrightPatterson Air Force Base in Ohio, where she served on the faculty of its graduate school for 10 years.

There, the Air Force decided she should have a Ph.D. in computer engineering, so they sent here to Arizona State University, where her love affair with the Arizona desert began.

“I liked it here a lot,” Lawlis said.

“When I first came to Arizona, my mentor at ASU put me in touch with a Realtor, and it turned out she lived in Ahwatukee. I really liked it. I watched this whole area got built up.”

While still in the Air Force, she joined her first softball team.

“When I was in high school, they didn’t have varsity sports for girls.”

But the Air Force had a softball league.

“I said, OK, I’ll play. I was the only woman in the league and they decided I could be a pitcher,” she recalled. “I discovered I’m a pretty good pitcher, and over 40 years, I’ve gotten kind of good at it.”

“I’ve played with a lot of teams over the years,” she added, rattling off the names of some of the teams that have used her arm.”

After retiring from the Air Force in 1995, she started working for a Tennesseebased computer engineer company.

Eventually, she ended up making Arizona her home – and making softball an avid pursuit.

When she turned 55, she discovered the big world of senior softball and began playing in tournaments in a variety of states, accompanied by her partner, Connie Squires, who also has racked up a wad of medals, largely because of her batting prowess.

“I convinced her to come out here because you can play a lot of softball,” Lawlis said.

The tournaments are physically challenging, said Lawlis, a right-handed thrower.

“They’re quite rigorous while you’re there,” she said, noting she has played in multiple consecutive games in one day.

“At my age, that’s a lot of stress on the arm,” she said. “I figure I’m probably throwing about a 100 pitches a game. By the end of the fourth game, I’m pretty dead.”

And that’s just after the first day in a three- or four-day outing.

“When we go back the next day, when you’re already sore, you just do it,” Lawlis said. “The secret to surviving at our age is you just keep moving.”

“Some people think anybody can pitch, and that’s nonsense,” she added, noting her technique is “control the pitches to get them at different places across the plate. I like to pitch them short, put them right at the front of the plate. Once you get the batter moving up to hit the short balls, you throw one long.”

Lawlis’ military background made her an ideal candidate to lead PARC, members decided, after the first president and co-founder moved on.

“My idea of a freeway was what I saw on I-10 – two lanes. That’s not a scary freeway. As soon as you’re talking eight lanes, that’s completely different.”

She joined up with the opposition after she realized around 2006 that “Ahwatukee was really going to be ground zero for this thing.”

“It’s a boondoggle. There really is no purpose for it except for the truck bypass,” she said.

For a while, plans for the freeway seemed to stop while Janet Napolitano was governor, but then when she drifted off the state’s political scene, freeway planning intensified.

PARC filed suit.

“Nobody was more surprised than ADOT when we came out of the woodwork and they realized we were still around,” said Lawlis, whose background in computer software has made her a combination proof-reader and footnotetracker for Howard Shanker, the Club West attorney who is representing PARC in the freeway case.

“As we started doing legal work, I started working with Howard and I ended up being his paralegal,” she said. “I will read everything that he writes and make suggestions and edit it.”

She prepares the intricate tables of authorities that cite prior court decisions

that support his briefs’ legal arguments. And her math background has enabled her to provide some of the ammunition Shanker has used to dispute data cited by FHWA lawyers’ arguments and ADOT’s environmental studies to justify the freeway.

Though Lawlis concedes she might be reducing the number of softball tournaments that she will play when the season starts ramping up again this fall, she shows no signs of leaving the game –or dropping her fight against the freeway.

“The really appealing thing about softball now as a senior is it’s a great way for seniors and women to get together and be social and do something we love,” she said. “It’s a really neat experience. And it’s more important as you get older that you maintain social contact. Obviously, I get a lot of social contact with PARC, but it’s not the same thing. We have a lot of good times.”

As for Ahwatukee and the freeway, she feels duty-bound to do everything she can to stop it.

Sitting in her home on a cul-de-sac not far from the foot of South Mountain, she said that while her neighborhood has “changed a lot” with the influx of homes, “this area is just what I thought it would. I’m right at end of a cul-de-sac in the world’s biggest cul-de-sac. I’m right by the mountain and I love to hike.

“Which is why the freeway is a big deal. The freeway completely changes the entire lifestyle of Ahwtaukee.”

(Special to AFN)

Pat Lawlis, left, and Connie Squires, president and secretary of Protect Arizona’s Resources and Children, respectively, are a dynamic duo in women’s softball tournaments around the countryLawlis for her pitching and Squires for her at-bats.

(Special to AFN)

PARC President Pat Lawlis may throw hardballs at the South Mountain Freeway, but in women’s softball league torunaments, she’s known for her sizzling underhand pitches.

Phoenix officials hail census report, high bond ratings

AFN News Staff

Phoenix officials are crowing about the high ratings they received from all three rating agencies, saying they say saved taxpayers $15 million on a $231 million bond issue they recently floated.

City communications director Julie Watters said Phoenix’s diversifying workforce and economy garnered for the first time AA+ and Aa2 ratings from Fitch Ratings, Moody’s Investor Services and Standard & Poor’s S&P Global.

The city’s announcement comes in the wake of new U.S. Census data that shows Phoenix is the fifth largest city in the nation. City officials attribute that growth to a flourishing economy.

Of the total bond issue, $121 million is refinancing older bonds at lower interest rates and the rest will cover upgraded capital equipment for public safety communications, city telecommunications system and refurbishing city elevators.

Bonds are rated by independent financial analysts for the three rating agencies, and those ratings dictate the surety and quality of the offerings to investors, driving the interest rate the city must pay.

“Phoenix’s bond rating was affirmed or increased by all three services to one of the highest-quality ratings for any top 25 U.S. city,” Watters said in a release.

Fitch senior analyst noted that “Phoenix is growing sustainably, and we see that over the near- and intermediateterms. The broad and diverse regional economy is anchored by professional and business services, retail and wholesale trade, education and health services, and government. Arizona State University and the University of Arizona facilities in downtown Phoenix headline growth in higher education locally.”

Dan Steed of Moody’s also cited Phoenix’s “affordable cost of living and low business costs.”

Phoenix officials hailed the high ratings as a sign of a significant change in the city economy.

“We’re in a much better situation today than we were a few years ago. We’re seeing growth in different economic sectors, and it’s a much more stable economy today,” said Denise Olson, the city’s financial officer.

City Manager Ed Zuercher called

Phoenix “the major driver of the state’s economy.”

“When you see that two-thirds of the state’s GDP growth came from advanced industry sectors, it’s apparent that economic diversification is making a real difference across the board,” Zuercher added.

Chris Camacho, president/CEO of the Greater Phoenix Economic Council said the recession “spurred a shared realization that in order for the market to recover more quickly in future downturns, we would need to shift our attraction efforts to a more diversified industry base.”

Watters said Phoenix in recent years has tried to reduce its dependency “on housing starts and retail sales.”

“Historically since the 1960s, Phoenix has used housing to build its way out of a recession; not this time,” she said. “The recovery from the worst economic turndown since the Great Depression was built on a diversifying economy, according to the three major public finance rating agencies.”

“Consumption industries, such as retail and construction, are more volatile in economic downtown,” Watters noted. “Production-based industries, such as financial services, health care and manufacturing tend to be more stable when the economy declines.”

City officials said the shift in job sectors away from construction, real estate and retail over the past eight years “is also visible in the metro’s change in average income.”

Data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics released last week shows the average May 2016 metro area wage at 96 percent of the national average. In 2007, the best economic year before the recession, the Phoenix average wage was 85 percent of the national average wage.

Phoenix grew by more than 32,000 new residents between 2015 and 2015.

New and expanding companies added more than 15,000 jobs in 2016. While the average wage is nearly $23 per hour, business and financial services are averaging $10 dollars more than that, according to BLS.

Computer and technology-related businesses average nearly $39 hour while health care practitioners and technical jobs pay around $37 per hour on average. Construction, retail, hospitality

Ahwatukee lawyer: Valley a leader in sustainability efforts

BY WAYNE SCHUTSKY AFN Staff Writer

The Valley is not the poster child for sustainability, but if Grady Gammage Jr. has his way, it soon could be.

The noted Ahwatukee land-use and zoning attorney literally wrote the book on why Phoenix and its surrounding cities should be commended for prudent planning and development.

Gammage, who recently authored “The Future of the Suburban City: Lessons from Sustaining Phoenix,” delivered the keynote address at the SRP 2017 Forum, which focused on sustainability and development in the East Valley. Salt River Project hosted the event along with East Valley Partnership.

Gammage addressed what he claims are five incorrect indictments of Valley cities, including that they have no water, consume too much energy and rely too heavily on automotive transportation and urban sprawl.

He countered these claims by illustrating the ways in which local governments and utilities in Arizona have planned for the unique conditions in the desert over time. For instance, Arizona has regulated groundwater since 1980 and California only began doing so in 2015.

He also pointed out that Arizona has a water management system designed to deal with variability.

“What the SRP reservoirs do, and SRP’s groundwater [supplies] that they still have, is they take a highly variable input and smooth it,” said Gammage.

He also cited a Brookings study that showed that Phoenix, long criticized for urban sprawl, actually converted rural land to residential use at 1.48 acres per new home between 1980 and 2000 –below the national average 2.0 acres

during the same span.

“The last criticism that you’ll hear a lot is that Phoenix is just a giant Ponzi scheme where people just sell real estate to each other. That’s really kind of true,”

Gammage said, eliciting laughs from the audience. “This is the one that I think is maybe the most justifiable criticism.”

Gammage then pointed out that Phoenix’s economy is actually more diverse than those of New York, Los Angeles and Philadelphia, according to information from Urban Land Institute.

However, he did note that in-migration and homebuilding have buoyed the local economy historically and that will likely have to change.

While Gammage’s speech focused on traditional sustainability topics such as water scarcity and energy use, those are not the only factors that affect long-term sustainable development. In Mesa, for instance, education, efficient economic development, and public health also play a role.

City of Mesa development services director Christine Zielonka addressed the subject as part of a four-person expert panel following Gammage’s speech. The panel also included Steve Betts, senior advisor to the Holualoa Companies and Hines Development; Marc Campbell, manager of sustainability policy and programs at Salt River Project; and Steve Sossaman of Sossaman Farms.

Zielonka focused her opening remarks on city leadership’s top-down approach to developing a resilient economy that can sustainably grow over time. “One of our biggest challenges… is getting developers to get on board with the concept of a more resilient economy,” she said.

Betts, an experienced developer, agreed. However, he does see developers rethink their standard economic model to focus less on home building and “building outward” and direct more

resources toward infill development, building inward and upward and creating walkable urban spaces.

“This [recession] was different,” said Betts. “I think this one was so severe, and for Arizona and the Valley it was so severe that it caused all of us to grow and rethink a little bit how we grow and how we build.”

Infill projects take advantage of existing infrastructure at a time when developers do not have the funds to build new infrastructure, said Betts.

Gammage, who also moderated the panel, posed a question as to how cities like Mesa can deal with “shopping centers that are dying” as a result of many forms of retail moving to the Internet.

“I think you get really creative and really flexible,” Zielonka said. “You find ways, not necessarily just by putting

money on the table, to incentivize the reuse of those buildings.”

Those methods include revisiting building codes to remove or modify prohibitive regulations.

Another way the city attracts business is focusing on the “quality and speed” of how business gets done, said Zielonka. Part of attracting new businesses is providing quality utilities and infrastructure. SRP, for its part, views a push toward sustainability as a smart business move because it provides better costs and less risk for consumers.

However, despite the buy-in from city leadership and SRP, one barrier is education.

“I will say the thing I get pushback on a lot is our education system,” says Betts. “They keep hearing a lot about

SUSTAIN on page 23

from page 21

and logistics all pay less than the metro area average wage, the city noted.

The rating agencies cautioned that Phoenix and all Arizona cities “are heavily dependent on revenues that are dependent on economic performance” since municipalities gain the bulk of discretionary revenue from sales taxes. Over the short term and intermediate

term, all three credit agencies report strong economic indicators and believe that an economic downturn is unlikely,” Watters added.

Meanwhile, the new census data shows Phoenix’s population at 1.62 million people, putting it ahead of Philadelphia for fifth largest city in the country.

City officials said Phoenix’s place among the top five U.S. cities is important for Valley businesses and the other cities comprising the metropolitan area.

“Growth is good, and we are happy to be the fifth-largest city in the country, but our focus in Phoenix is on quality,” said Mayor Greg Stanton. “We have worked very hard to create a more innovationbased, export-driven economy that’s more sustainable and brings more quality jobs into the area. It’s working, and people are voting with their feet to be a part of what Phoenix is building.”

Ahwatukee Councilman Sal DiCiccio

said the census report proves that “Phoenix and Arizona are open for business.”

“The steps we’ve taken in recent years – making Phoenix the fastest city in the nation with 24-hour permitting and inspections – has made it easier to grow or expand businesses. Those steps are paying off in a huge way. Phoenix is rising,” DiCiccio said.

(Kimberly Carrillo/AFN Photographer)

Grady Gammage, an Ahwatukee resident and one of the state’s foremost land-use attorneys, said Phoenix is years ahead of most every other metro region in the country in sustainability practices, particularly groundwater regulation.

the fact that we’re down here at 48th or 49th [ranked] in terms of our education system, so I oftentimes have to defend that.”

Betts went on to note that industry professionals he interacts with are impressed by Arizona’s university and community college systems.

In addition to education, jobs and development, Zielonka also made a point to signal out public health as a key cog in sustainable development and emphasized the need to create recreational spaces for residents and promote healthy living.

This move toward public health could include the creation of pocket parks but also includes focusing on developing urban agriculture Gilbert as a way to

HOUSES

from page 16

that the residents were getting.

“Many times, it’s no treatment at all,” DiCiccio told AFN, adding the federal government basically paid proprietors to warehouse these individuals.

“Many times, these houses have only two bedrooms, so where do you think six people are sleeping?” he said.

“The drive to make money sometimes gets to be a greater motivator than the drive for patient safety and clinical care,” says Gerald Shulman, a clinical psychologist in Jacksonville, Florida, who studies cost and quality in addiction treatment.

In San Clemente, California, the public outcry against sober-living homes became so intense last year that the city council there imposed a moratorium limiting their number.

Other Southern California cities

provide walkable outdoor spaces.

The amount of acres used for agriculture in Arizona has not changed much in recent years, but farming has increasingly moved away from cities, said Sossaman.

A push to increase urban agriculture could not just increase those walkable spaces but also cut down on the carbon emissions caused by transporting food long distances and also work to fight the problem of hunger in the community.

“How can we truly be a sustainable community as long we have hungry [residents] in our midst?” said SRP’s Campbell. “When we start to think about that — how do we really play our assets to, water in particular, to bring some local farms back into the community, so we can address some of those food deserts? That is a really big area that I have thought a lot about.”

that have been equally plagued by the proliferation of the homes are taking a wait-and-see attitude toward the moratorium because they fear being targeted by multimillion-dollar lawsuits claiming housing discrimination.

The Orange County Register reported that Newport Beach last year finished a seven-year court battle and ordinance regulating group homes, settling with three sober-living property owners for a total of $5.5 million. The city also spent upward of $4 million in legal fees.

Newport Beach’s ordinance requires city approval for new unlicensed soberliving homes in certain neighborhoods, and established quiet hours, parking and smoking areas and van routes.

On the other hand, other Southern California towns, such as Costa Mesa, have beat sober-living home operators after judges ruled they failed to prove regulatory action was discriminatory.

New Mountain Park Church designed to become an Ahwatukee landmark

BY PAUL MARYNIAK AFN Executive Editor

Not too slowly but without a doubt surely, a new building is going up in Ahwatukee that could well become a new gathering place for people and organizations throughout the Valley.

It may also be regarded by opponents of the South Mountain Freeway as the only blessing from the controversial highway.

Scheduled to be completed by October, the new Mountain Park Community Church has been designed not just as a new home for the approximately 1,600 congregants whom the freeway is displacing from their original building at Pecos Road and 24th Street.

It’s being built with a bigger community in mind.

“We want this to be a community center,” said Senior Pastor Alan Fuller. “We really want to be a blessing for the community.”

“The two pieces we’re most excited about,” Fuller added, “is the second floor, where we will have a great-room area, a large gathering space that has a full wall window overlooking South Mountain. It could be used for all sorts of things, such as weddings and receptions.”

The other area Fuller is excited about is right on top of that great room: a 4,000-square-foot, covered rooftop deck that will also be available to people and groups across the Valley.

“It will be a shaded area that we are going to use for many things on a beautiful day,” he said. “To my knowledge, Phoenix doesn’t have a space like this, and we’re hoping people will hear about it and come from quite a distance to use it. It’s going to be like nothing I’ve ever seen before around here.”

Over the coming weeks, construction crews will assemble the white, arcshaped covering on the ground and then use cranes to hoist it atop the open space.

The new church is 48,000 square feet – about 12,000 square feet bigger than the original structure, which was built in 1997. Its highest point – a cross with a lantern affixed to it – will be 74 feet.

Fuller said the chief beneficiaries of the additional space will be the congregation’s 250 children and 150 middle

and high school students, who have had to cram into substantially smaller spaces for activities such as Sunday school and other classes.

“Our limiting factor is our children’s ministry,” he explained. “Once we get close to full with adults, the kids are on top of each other. It’s been a priority to us to get them more space.

For older kids, the additional space will enable Mountain Park to provide separate areas for middle school and high school congregants.

“The primary thing is right now middle school and high school students are together,” Fuller said.

“But a sixth-grader and a senior in high school have very different things on their mind. We will have an upstairs area for high school students and the lower area will be for middle school. They can all still get together for worship and music but

will be able to be separate for deeper conversations.”

Right now, young and older students “are basically in the same room,” he said. “I think it’s fine for the younger ones but not for the older ones. It’s not a natural thing for high school kids to hang out with sixth-graders.”

The church is not only a new Ahwatukee landmark, but also one that has been designed and is being built by Ahwatukee residents.

In fact, architect Steve Bardusin and general contractor Dean Schifferer also are members of the Mountain Park congregation. The church is being built by Redden Construction.

Fuller said Bardusin and Schifferer were selected by a panel of church members in a competitive process.

“We didn’t want this to be a good-oldboy thing,” Fuller said. “We even had an outside expert give us feedback on who would be the best fit.”

Bardusan and Schifferer also designed and built the original Mountain Park Church.

“They are very good at what they do

(Special to AFN)

Topped by a cross and lantern, the tower at the front of Mountain Park Community Church's new home on 48th Street and Frye Road, Ahwatukee, will be 74 feet high.

(Kimberly Carrillo/Special to AFN)

Neighbors and passersby around 48th Street and Frye Road can watch the new Mountain Park Community Church take shape. Soon, a 4,000-square-foot covering for the rooftop deck will be installed.

and they are very passionate about this project,” said Fuller, adding that Bardusin also has a background in pastoral ministry, and as a result of his experience as a pastor, has developed expertise in designing churches.

The new church also will increase seats in the main worship area from a current 900 to 1,100.

But the design will actually ensure that the back row will be much closer to the center than the back row is to the sanctuary in the current church. In addition, there will be what Fuller called “skyboxes” above the main seating area that will provide “a very intimate” space for worshippers.

In all, the worship area will be “real cozy,” said Fuller, adding, “We don’t want it to feel like a big church. Everyone is close in together.”

Current Fuller and other congregation leaders are looking at a mid- to late-September completion date, although they want to allow for an informal opening that will last several weeks “so we can know where all the switches are and how everything works.”

Still, the big moving job is already being planned, facilities manager Ron Nelson said.

“We have a lot of people who want to help,” Nelson said. “I have just been informed of a company offering a really good deal I have to pursue further. People in the community know what we’re doing and they want to help out. We’re starting the process with a lot more de-

tail to come.”

Nelson said there are “quite a few rooms” in the current church, and “we’re looking in every nook and cranny of the current building and plan to utilize what we can.

“We want to be good stewards of what God has already given us,” he added. And until the new church is ready to use, congregants will not have to worry

about being forced into temporary quarters.

The Arizona Department of Transportation, which bought the 24th Street site as it was acquiring properties for the freeway right-of-way and is charging the congregation rent until it leaves, is being patient, Fuller said.

“ADOT is being pretty gracious with us in terms of extending our rental of this spot. They know we’re getting close. They have lots of work elsewhere and they won’t kick us out before we’re ready,” he said.

Fuller said the congregation also intends to have a grand opening that will have some surprises for the community at large.

“We want to make sure we’re ready and then we will target a grand opening where the whole community is invited,” he said. “We’re going to make that a very special event. It will be very exciting.”

Facing west toward South Mountain, the new church will afford sunset views.

Ironwood Library prepares for summer influx of patrons

BY AFN NEWS STAFF

Swimming pools aren’t the only places that see bigger crowds in the summer.

Ironwood Library in Ahwatukee also sees them, spokeswoman Geraldine Hills said.

“Both daily door counts and material cir-

culation numbers increase during the summer months,” she said, estimating about a 20 percent increase, especially among families with children.

And that increase is spread across a good part of the day, Hills said, noting that the busiest time is between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m.

Ironwood is among a number of institu-

tions and organizations that have launched campaigns to remind parents and children of the importance of reading during the summer.

“Reading during the summer is very important to help prevent learning loss,” Hills explained. “Libraries have a wide variety of materials and programs that are free, educational and entertaining.”

To help stimulate reading among children – and adults – Ironwood is again offering the Summer Reading Game.

Hills calls the program a big influence on increased library attendance.

“The Summer Reading Game, increased programming along with strong community partnerships and promotional campaigns all contribute to the increase,” she said.

Planning for the summer reading program begins eight months in advance. Ironwood and the rest of the Phoenix Public Library network partners with Maricopa County’s library system to ensure what Hills calls “a county-wide experience.”

“In addition,” she added, “Phoenix Public Library staff meets with the software designers to refine the game, secures grant funds to support the programs, recruits and trains approximately 300 teen volunteers, develops community partnerships with local school districts and community organizations and develops a comprehensive outreach and promotional plan.”

“The game is based online and that streamlines, tracking reading minutes, prizes and badges,” she noted.

Hills said Ironwood and other Phoenix libraries develop new programs for kids and teens year-round.

“We are constantly evaluating what is effective,” she said. “For example, this summer we are rolling out CodePhoenix a new series of coding workshops for toddlers to teens to enhance our STEAM (Science Technology Engineering and Math) curriculum. In addition, we do a survey each fall with summer reading participants to get feedback and input.”

While both June and July are busy, she added, June has slightly more programs scheduled.

“In addition, during June and July our Kids Café program provides over 700 free meals a week to children under the age of 18 at nine Phoenix Public Library locations.”

To participate in the summer reading program and win prizes such as free books, people should register at maricopacountyreads. org, where they can record their reading and earn points toward a voucher for gifts. They need to read 20 minutes a day, every day, starting Thursday, June 1, through Aug. 1. A schedule is available at Ironwood, 4333 E. Chandler Blvd.

Other programs slated at Ironwood in June include:

• Saturdays thru July 29, Kids Play @ the Library. Kids can participate in a variety of activities such as giant-dice games, bingo and Code & Go with Robot Mice.

• At 6 p.m. Tuesday, June 6, a free writers workshop will feature author Anissa Stringer discussing how to avoid filter words.

• From 4:30-6:30 p.m. June 7, teens ages 1218 only are invited to the weekly Teen Time program, which next week will focus on the art of zentangle.

• At 2 p.m. June 14, “Moana and Ariel Under the Sea” will featured costumed characters giving princess and dance lessons as well as tell sea stories for kids up to 11 years old.

• Also on June 14 at 4:30 p.m., parents and teens can attend a session devoted to laying the ground work for college planning, applying and funding. There also will be a presentation on goal-setting and career exploration.

• At 6 p.m. June 15, artist Rachel Bess will hold a session on drawing for beginners and intermediate artists. It will focus on “drawing from observation by looking at positive and negative space and using a gridding method.”

• At 2 p.m. June 21, Rich Ihle will lead a program titled “Reptile Adventure,” featuring a variety of the creatures, including a 15-foot boa constrictor.

• At 2 p.m. June 28, magician Richard Steele will put on a show of mind reading and other tricks.

People should check with the library for free tickets for some of the shows.

(Special to AFN)

Summer is one of the busiest seasons for Ironwood Library.

Ahwatukee garage sale attracts bargain hunters of all kinds

BY KELLY ATHENA AFN Contributor

There are nev-

er many garage sales on a Memorial Day weekend because so many people leave town. So, I was happy to find Carole Willson’s garage sale tucked into a beautiful Foothills neighborhood filled with lavender-flowered ironwood trees. She displayed all her items inside the

South Mountain Park.

I looked at the smoky lavender/white ironwood blossoms, and they were turning into green pods, fatter than the palo verde pods. They’re sour until the pods turn to beige or tan. I spotted two beige pods and popped the beans out. They tasted sweet.

No wonder the native peoples were so healthy before adding wheat flour and canned food into their diet. The beans are full of Omega-3s, protein, fiber and nutrients.

garage to keep her buyers out of the hot sun.

“How long have you lived in this neighborhood?” I asked Carole.

“Over 20 years, and I love it,” she said. “I’ve been a member of Ahwatukee Foothills Friends and Neighbors Women’s Group for over 10 years. I was the social chairperson and I’m still on the social committee.”

“I think you’d be an interesting speaker for the group, since I see the passion you have for harvesting desert trees,” she said after I’d remarked on the many Foothills palo verde and ironwood trees growing across the street on the edge of

commented.

“Yes, and it’s all from the curbside,” she said with a smile, referring to the quarterly bulk trash piles dotting the neighborhoods.

I have grown used to the SUV-size piles people put out on the curb as bulk trash. At least half of it is in good enough shape to be used, sold, or donated to charity.

“My granddaughter is coming by Monday and she is a very healthy eater,” Carole said. “She’ll be so interested in these beans.”

“She can steam them whole like edamame or shell and stir-fry,” I suggested.

She told me more about the AFFAN women’s club.

“We have sub-groups for many groups, such as gardening and photography that you’d fit right into,” she said.

Other interest groups include quilting, going to movies, dining out, wine tasting, yoga, team trivia, bridge, mah jongg, bunco, bowling, canasta and six different book clubs. Their next group activity is a happy hour at the Mellow Mushroom restaurant on Ray Road on June 26.

They have a $25 annual membership. More information is on their Facebook page and affanwomensclub.com.

A customer came by looking for vintage toys.

“My man cave is filled with vintage toys. You name it, I’ve got it,” said Javier Garcia of Tempe. Carole didn’t have any toys, so he picked out a couple of wooden TV tables for $1 and was happy with that.

A three-generation group stopped by. Rose Marie, her 10-year-old son, and her mother got out of a big white truck stacked with furniture and speakers.

“You’ve made some good finds,” I

Maybe people are too busy to call for a donation truck? At DonationTown. org, you can enter your ZIP code to see which charities make home pickups in your area. Some choices are the Arc of Tempe at 480-967-0303, Vietnam Vets, 480-655-8387, or Goodwill at 1-800584-7996.

Lumber, old cabinets, towels, clothing, furniture, books, lamps – just about anything but mattresses, old TVs or hazardous materials are needed by others.

A couple of things I’ve found curbside recently are a new tactical vest that I sold for $150 and a four-story cat tree (used, but I vacuumed it) that sold for $80.

This week, I found a heater on four

wheels in someone’s pile. I plugged it in at home and it blasted the heat out perfectly. I’ll sell it for around $100, eBay’s asking price for this model.

I sell most large-ticket items for “trade dollars” with Value Card Alliance, a barter group with 3,000 members in the Phoenix area. Take a look at valuecardalliance.org or call them at 602-308-0385 if you’re interested.

There is a 10-day window every quarter in which we may place bulk trash in our front yard near the sidewalk. The next window will be in August, with placement beginning on Aug. 19 and pick-up starting on Aug. 28. For those living north of Ray Road, the window is Aug. 26-Sept. 4.

More info at phoenix.gov/publicworks/garbage/bulktrash.

I heard from Carole today. Her granddaughter cooked up some palo verde tree beans and everyone loved them. She was excited to try a new healthy food that’s not only tasty, but free.

-Email greengirl@kellyathena.com with news of upcoming garage sales or other sustainable events.

(Kelly Athena/AFN Contributor)

Javier Garcia bought two TV tables for $1 from Carole. His man cave is filled with vintage toys that he finds at Ahwatukee garage sales, and he doesn't resell anything.

This is what memory care is all about.

It’s not to say that dementia isn’t an emotional and challenging disease. It’s just that when you see the human instead of the disease you don’t see sadness. You see life. You see history. You see achievements. You see family. You see love. And that’s how we see it at Hawthorn Court. We can help you with the challenges you’re facing. Please join us for a personal tour. Call 480.359.2898 to schedule.

Lunch & Learn: How to Have “The Talk” Friday, June 9th • 12pm to 2pm

A discussion on how to talk to your loved one about memory care, as well as tips for transitioning.

Risen Savior Lutheran Church 23914 South Alma School Road • Sun Lakes

Please call 480.359.2898 to RSVP

Ahwatukee Friends and Neighbors group raises funds for Y OPAS

AFN NEWS STAFF

The Ahwatukee Foothills Friends and Neighbors has “friended” one of the community’s most popular services.

The group recently presented a $3,018 check to the Ahwatukee Foothills YMCA’s Outreach Program for Ahwatukee Seniors, commonly called Y OPAS. It was part of a total $7,663 that the group raised for Y OPAS.

Y OPAS provides transportation for Ahwatukee senior citizens who have no way to get to doctor appointments, the supermarket or other places.

With more than 100 volunteers – it can always use more – Y OPAS also takes lonely seniors out to social gatherings so they don’t spend all their days alone.

The check was presented to Y OPAS leaders Linda Jochim and Jill Sears of Y OPAS by Connie Smith, president of Friends and Neighbors and Jackie Anderson, the group’s charity chair.

Friends and Neighbors selects a chari-

ty every two years Y OPAS was the designated recipient for 2015-17.

The check presented recently represented money the group raised at a March charity raffle meeting with items donated by local businesses. There also was a 50-50 raffle.

Ahwatukee Foothills Friends and Neighbors was organized to provide opportunities for residents to meet each other in “an atmosphere of friendliness, goodwill and helpful information,” group secretary Sylvia Shippey said. It holds monthly luncheon meetings at different venues with speakers discussing a wide range of topics. The lunches are among more than 40 monthly activities that include cards and games, sewing groups, book clubs, golf, bowling, dining, gardening, movies and trivia night.

There also is a monthly “explore event” either within Phoenix or a bus day trip to locations surrounding Phoenix.

The group invites people interested in joining to Teresa Akrish, 480-5185788 or email teresaakrish@gmail.com.

School may be letting out, but the process of educating children shouldn’t come to an end for Valley parents, the Valley of the Sun United Way advises parents.

That’s why United Way is offering parents a comprehensive list of seven ways to prevent the “summer slide” — what it calls “the phenomenon that occurs when children are not participating in

(Kimberly Carrillo/AFN Photographer)

Y OPAS volunteer Linda Jochim, left, was happy to receive a check from Ahwatukee Foothills Friends and Neighbors members. Pictured with Joachim are, from left, Friends and Neighbors President Connie Smith, Y OPAS leader Jill Sears and Friends and Neighbors charity chair Jackie Anderson.

AFN NEWS STAFF

educational programming throughout the summer and return to school less equipped to learn and succeed.”

“The ‘summer slide’ is a serious setback for many children,” said Dawn Gerundo, United Way director of education and children. “It’s estimated that most students lose two months of math and reading skills each summer. Children without access to school lunches and physical education programming also can tend to gain weight, returning to school less healthy and less ready to learn.”

Children academically and physically engaged over the summer months, the agency said.

Parents can enroll children in summer classes and programs with educational activities. Boys and Girls Club offers affordable after school and summer programming in several Valley areas. Programming focuses on academics, healthy choices and having fun, while encouraging participants to be caring, responsible citizens.

The Valley’s public libraries have a wide variety of activities to promote

reading and learning during the summer months. Several local agencies will also host activities for Summer Learning Day on July 13. For tips: vsuw.org/about-us/ blog/blog-entry-9.

Parents also should keep kids active despite the summer heat. YMCA offers everything from fitness programming to childcare and overnight camps for kids. ICan offers free youth programming in the East Valley, providing children with a safe place to go, and focusing on youth development, education, healthy lifestyles and job skills.

The Phoenix Zoo offers children a summer of up-close animal encounters and hands-on-activities as well as art projects, games, nature play, hiking and more.

Valley of the Sun United Way distributes School Readiness Kids across Maricopa County and offers them for sale on their website. They are designed to help children ages 3 to 5 years old prepare for school with 80 different activities. For more information on how to best use these kits visit: vsuw.org/about-us/blog/ what-is-a-school-readiness-kit

Phoenix Public Library and several other cities offer culture passes, which allow two people free admission into a

Bee-cause they're winner

variety of Valley destinations, like the Desert Botanical Garden, the Japanese Friendship Garden and the Phoenix Art Museum.

If children aren’t getting enough activity and exercise, obesity can set in. And for those families who are struggling to put food on the table, Summer Meal Locations ensure that children and teens

ages 18 and younger who might not otherwise have access to meals over the summer, are able to have access to free meals at locations across the county. For more information on where to find summer meal locations: vsuw.org/ about-us/blog/putting-summer-mealson-the-map-for-kids.

(Kimberly Carrillo/AFN Photographer)

Students at Horizon Honors Elementary School in Ahwatukee held its first geography bee last week. The winning team was called Salty Pretzels and the members are, from left, Michael Keelen, of Ahwatukee; Garrett Lindsey, Alex Vela, also Ahwatukee; Brianna Hardin, Afrah Jafarsadiq and Hasley McDaniel.The Horizon Honors National Geographic Bee is based on an official bee that National Geographic hosts each year.

Paddleboard exercising blends yoga, flexibility and swimming pools

BY MICHAEL BUTLER AFN Contributor

As a fitness and yoga instructor, Sarah Williams got into stand-up paddleboarding a few years ago as a form of cross-training and a different way to enjoy the lower Salt River and Saguaro Lake.

Then the Mesa native, once a competitive synchronized and open-water swimmer, got the clever idea of bringing a new kind of workout to adults and teens at East Valley public pools.

For entry-level exercisers, just trying to balance during Desert Paddleboards classes provides an excellent core and flexibility workout. The more physically fit enjoy going through yoga routines outside the confines of studio walls.

Williams said participants also like knowing that the worst that can happen is they’ll fall into a refreshing swimming pool.

“It’s great on a hot day,” said Tiffani Bosworth of Mesa after a recent class at Skyline Aquatic Center. “I’m not that fond of yoga but this is really fun.”

“That was my first time paddleboarding,” said Narsingh Khalsa of Phoenix.

“Sarah made it easy. I was a little wobbly at first, but by the end I felt like a pro.”

When Williams first offered the classes earlier this year, she used traditional hard paddleboards.

Some students found them a little too unstable and intimidating. Plus, lugging a bunch of 45-pound boards around the Valley was wearing her out.

She found a better way during a trip

to China, where a manufacturer makes sturdy inflatable mats to her specifications. Special glue and high-frequency welds at the seams ensure that the mats will stand up to tough Valley summers.

The new-age paddleboards have textured tops and integral straps and clips so they can be fastened to lane markers or each other to prevent drift. Williams rents them to other instructors and groups who want to give pool Pilates a try.

“Everybody says they are so much more comfortable,” she said.

In addition to basic yoga, Williams offers intense cardio bootcamp sessions that have students doing burpees (squat thrusts), 180-degree turns and vigorous

paddling and kicking.

The routine will get you ready for a surfing vacation in Southern California or Hawaii, or just give you a break from your regular interval or CrossFit routine.

Visit desertpaddleboards.com for more information and to register for classes at Skyline and Kino aquatic centers in Mesa.

Classes in Gilbert are at the Greenfield Aquatic Center and in Chandler at the Desert Oasis Aquatic Center.

You can also check the three cities’ parks and recreation websites for upcoming dates.

Williams, who partnered with April Gould to give the East Valley goat yoga, said she’s working to expand Desert Paddleboards to resorts and other public pools.

“Parks and recreation programs have always struggled getting adults into their programs,” she said, adding:.

“Many parents drop off their kids at swim lessons and never use the facility themselves. Paddleboard fitness is a great way for people to explore what their city has to offer.”

(Mike Butler/Special to AFN)

Balancing on a paddleboard can provide an excellent core and flexibility workout.

After two decades, stage show returns to Ahwatukee

BY COTY DOLORES MIRANDA AFN Contributor

After 22 years, Dance Studio 111 is moving its annual summer recital from Chandler Center for the Arts back home to Ahwatukee.

“I’m Home” is the title of this year’s two performances to be held Saturday, June 3, at Desert Vista High School’s Fine Arts Theatre.

“Everything we’re doing has to do with Ahwatukee – it’s a brand-new theme and that’s why we’re calling it ‘I’m Home’,” said Kimberly Lewis, owner/operator of Ahwatukee’s Dance Studio 111.

“I’ve done our June show at Chandler’s Center for the Arts for 22 years, now on our 23rd year, I’m excited to be bringing it back to the Ahwatukee Foothills Community.”

The noon and 6:30 p.m. stage performances involve dancers ages 2 through 19.

Included in the stage show is the popular annual “Daddy-Daughter Dance” which this year is titled “Tukee Bowl,” as it centers on the crosstown rivalry Desert Vista versus Mountain Pointe High School football game. Dads and daughters perform, dressing up as football players, the schools’ marching bands members, avid fans, referees and cheerleaders.

Among the duos are a pair of veterans, though neither is a father.

“My dad’s not in the show this year because he’s in physical therapy,” said Olivia Gregg, 16, who instead will be dancing with Chase Scheffel, a 2016 Desert Vista High grad who dances with Gregg on the Dance Studio 111 Elite Team.

“Her dad isn’t allowed to participate anymore due to requiring physical therapy after his last couple of Daddy-Daughter attempts,” laughed Linda Gregg, mother of Olivia and her younger sister, Bella, a Desert Vista sophomore.

Both girls have been dancing at Studio 111 with Lewis since they were 3 years old. Although Bella isn’t in the 2017 summer dance production, she is dancing in the June 24 musical “The Little Mermaid,” held at Mountain Pointe High School Theatre and put on by Studio 111.

For Olivia Gregg, the “I’m Home” production is more exciting than ever before.

“I’m really excited it’s back in Ahwatukee and that it’s at my school, too,” said

annual Ahwatukee Foothills Nutcracker Ballet, costumes vie for theater-goers’ attention nearly as much as the talented dancers performing a variety of dances, including ballet, contemporary, lyrical, hiphop and jazz.

“Some of my favorite costumes this time are in the Star Wars Dance,” said Olivia, adding that she is already scoping out colleges with exceptional dance teams. “I’m C-3PO so I’m wearing shiny gold. Another one is the ballet based on the ‘La La Land’ movie. That’s really cool, too.”

Many costumes are designed and fashioned in New York or Los Angeles with Studio 111 costume designer DeAnn Nevison responsible for producing the others.

The tiniest of details are important to Nevison, who said she has been working on this show and the upcoming “The Little Mermaid” since early March, often sewing for seven to 10 hours daily.

Anyone who has seen her Nutcracker Ballet headdresses and intricately crafted dresses is already aware of her mastery of the needle.

Lewis said this “I’m Home” show features more than 600 costumes on stage.

the Desert Vista senior.

“When it was in Chandler, it was harder for everyone to attend, and now all our friends and family can come.”

Like other Dance Studio 111 stage extravaganzas – such as the

“We have all new costumes and lighting to go with our new theme and venue,” said Lewis. “The children have worked so hard all year and they’re so excited to be performing here in Ahwatukee. We love our community and we’d love our community to come support these young, talented dancers.”

“I’m Home” tickets are currently on sale at Dance Studio 111, 4910 E. Chandler Blvd., Suite 111, Ahwatukee. They can be purchased over the phone at 480-706-6040.

Tickets for the upcoming “The Little Mermaid” performances are also available.

(Special to AFN)

Colorful costumes and breathtaking dancing are hallmarks of Ahwatukee dance instructor Kimberly Lewis' productions and her production of "I'm Home" Saturday at Desert Vista High School is no exception, as these photos show.

Young athletes need to protect their teeth from injuries

BY DR. RASHMI BHATNAGAR AFN Guest Writer

As many students training for football, baseball, hockey, soccer, and other sports, this is also a time for sports-related injuries.

According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control (CDC), sports-related dental injuries send approximately 600,000 youths to the emergency room each year involving children as young as 5 years old.

Prevention is a large aspect of oral health. Oral health prevention includes the prevention of injury to the mouth, teeth, neck, and jaws. Promoting awareness of facial injury prevention are five organizations sponsored April as being the National Facial Protection Month: the

Kyrene hosts kindergarten, earlyeducation information session

Parents can learn about early-education programs at a meeting at 6 p.m. Tuesday, June 6, at Kyrene de la Colina Elementary School, 13612 S. 36th St., Ahwatukee. Free childcare will be provided.

Principals and staff will discuss kindergarten and preschool programs and take questions from parents about registration. Kindergarten is for children who will turn 5 by Sept.1, 2017.

Kyrene offers preschool programs for children ages 3-5 at 17 of its 19 elementary sites. It also offers special education and gifted services at all 25 schools.

Some schools have specialized programs including arts integration, dual language, traditional, college preparatory and leadership. In addition, there are a variety of on-site fine arts, athletic and other community programs available before/after school and during school breaks.

City

seeks members for new Phoenix Ethics Commission

Ahwatukee residents can throw their hat in the ring for a spot on Phoenix’s new Ethics Commission, which will investigate allegations of ethical violations by elected officials or board and commission members. Applications are due

American Dental Association, American Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons, American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry, and the Academy for Sports Dentistry.

Contact sports are common sources of oral injuries; however, other sports, such as gymnastics and volleyball, pose a threat as well. Common head and neck injuries can include concussions, fractured teeth, oral lacerations, jaw joint sprains and neck injuries.

Treating oral injury can become costly to the parent. The National Youth Sports Safety Foundation estimates the total cost for tooth replacement after sports injury can range from $5,000 to $20,000 over a lifetime.

The NYSSF reports that athletes are 60 times more likely to damage their teeth without a mouth guard. Unfortunately, a

2009 survey by the American Association of Orthodontics found that 67 percent of parents stated their children do not wear a mouthguard during organized sports.

A mouth guard is a simple, rubber-type appliance worn typically over the upper teeth. Mouth guards function as a shock absorber to buffer the impact of a blow or trauma to the head. According to the CDC, this small appliance, if worn during sports, may prevent 200,000 oral injuries each year, avoid the risk of concussion by 50 percent, and prevent injury to teeth by 60 percent.

The boil-and-bite creates a higher level of protection than the stock mouthguard due to its more formed characteristic. The custom, dentist-fabricated mouthguard conforms closely to the teeth providing the highest protection.

The ADA guidelines for mouth guards are: the appliance should be resilient, tearresistant, properly fit, feel comfortable, cleansable, and should not restrict speech or breathing.

Regardless of the type of mouthguard chosen, the appliance will reduce a child’s risk of traumatic injury. A mouth guard is an essential that no athlete should be without.

- Contact Dr. Rashmi (Rush) Bhatnagar, DMD, MPH, 480-598-5900 or BellaVistaDentalCare.com.

Mouth guards are available in three variations: stock mouth guards, mouthformed “boil-and-bite” and custom fabricated by a dentist. The stock mouthguard is inexpensive, ready to wear, and can be found at most drug sporting goods stores. Athletic stores also supply the boil-and-bite mouth guards, which are formed by softening the guard in warm water and adapting it to one’s teeth.

AROUND AHWATUKEE

to the city’s Judicial Selection Advisory Board by 3 p.m. Monday, June 12.

“With our city’s new ethics standards in place the members of this independent Ethics Commission will serve a critical role for Phoenix,” said Mayor Greg Stanton. “We are looking for community members who are committed to preserving the public trust and helping their elected government officials operate with more transparency.”

The Commission will consist of five members recommended by the JSAB and approved by seven or more members of the City Council.

It is authorized to receive allegations of ethical violations, investigate, take testimony and engage in any other action permitted by law to oversee investigation and enforcement of Phoenix’s gift policy and conflicts of interest related to elected officials and board and commission members.

Applicants must be city residents, registered voters and members of the same political party or registered as independents for the last five years.

To apply: phoenix.gov/piosite/Documents/Ethics_Application_Fillable.pdf. Info: ethics.application@phoenix.gov.

Legion post to hold retirement ceremony for old U.S. flags

American Legion Post 64, the only veterans’ service organization in Ah-

watukee, will hold a ceremony to retire and burn old American flags at 7 p.m. June 14 at Ahwatukee Recreation Center, 5001 E. Cheyenne Drive. American Legion, Post # 64

People can bring old flags to the ceremony. Information: americanlegionpost64.com.

Summer academy for gifted kids scheduled at Summit School

Smart Minds Summer Academy for gifted and talented children will be offered this summer at Summit School of Ahwatukee.

Smart Minds offers the gifted and talented or highly motivated second through seventh graders the opportunity a challenging program.

Families can choose the morning-only or all-day program. The latter includes geometry, magic of science, public speaking and debate, engineering in action, mastering Jeopardy and chess strategies.

“The priority of Smart Minds is to create a passion for learning by engaging the students in hands-on, creative, and investigative projects in each and every course we teach,” the school said in a release. Information: azsmartminds.com or 480-73-7455.

Line dancing classes for summer at Pecos Community Center

Ahwatukee dance and fitness instruc-

tor Carrie McNeish is signing up participants for summer classes in line dancing and muscle mania at Pecos Community Center in Ahwatukee.

Evening dance classes are on Tuesdays and daytime classes are on Thursdays beginning next week.

McNeish also is holding 12-week muscle mania classes on Mondays and Wednesdays beginning that week.

Sign up at phoenix.gov/parks. Information: 480-221-9090, cmcneish@cox. net or dancemeetsfitness.com

Foothills Montessori slates 8-week summer camp

Ahwatukee Foothills Montessori, 3221 E. Chandler Blvd., Ahwatukee, is offering a “fun, interactive and handson” summer camp for children age 3-8 for eight weeks through July 21 with a different theme each week.

Campers will participate in theme-related activities, crafts and games each week and enjoy Water Day every Friday. Themes are related to Spanish and art activities and special events such as puppet shows and magic shows are scheduled throughout the summer. Campers do not need to be enrolled in the regular school program and can sign up for weekly sessions or just for a few days a week. Space is limited.

Information: 480-759-3810.

TODAY, MAY 31

Norgaard wraps up

State Rep. Jill Norgaard will wrap up the 2017 legislative session with a summary and question-and-answer session.

DETAILS>> 7-8 p.m. Ironwood Library, 4333. E Chandler Blvd., Ahwatukee. Free.

TUESDAY, JUNE 6

Writing workshop offered

“Filter Words: what they are and what they do” is the title of the writing workshop with author Anissa Stringer talking about one the most common, yet least-known pitfalls of writing – filter words – and how to avoid them.

DETAILS>> 6-7:45 p.m., Ironwood Library, 4333 E. Chandler Blvd., Ahwatukee. Free. No registration required.

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 7

Teen Time offers Zentangle

Wednesday afternoons are for teens at Ironwood. This Wednesday, come learn the art of zentangle, a relaxing and fun way to make beautiful and unique designs.

DETAILS>> 4:30-6:30 p.m., Ironwood Library, 4333 E. Chandler Blvd., Ahwatukee. No registration required. Ages 12-18 only.

THURSDAY JUNE 8

Pritchette PT has open house

Pritchette Physical Therapy. Formerly called Rehab Plus Ahwatukee, will hold an open house with door prizes, refreshments, special offers and a chance to check out its services. Service offerings will include consultations for physical therapy and training and sports performance, JEB Boxercise and pilates demonstrations, yoga and free

chair massages.

DETAILS>> 6-8 p.m., 4730 E. Warner Road, Ahwatukee. Pritchettephysicaltherapy.com. 480-785-5415.

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 14

Moana and Ariel arrive

Join in a live presentation featuring costumed characters Moana and Ariel for some under the sea stories, princess lessons and dancing. Free tickets are required and available at 1:30pm on the day of the event.

DETAILS>> 2-2:45 p.m., Ironwood Library, 4333 E. Chandler Blvd., Ahwatukee. No registration required – first come, first serve. Ages 0-11.

College planning discussed

Lay the ground work for college planning, application, and funding, as well as goal setting and career exploration in this info-packed session. Presented by Phoenix Public Library college depot staff.

DETAILS>> 4:30-6:30 p.m., Ironwood Library, 4333 E. Chandler Blvd., Ahwatukee. No registration required.

THURSDAY, JUNE 15

Drawing class for adults

“Learning to Draw from Observation” with Rachel Bess is for beginner to intermediate-level artists. It will teach drawing from observation by looking at positive and negative space and using a gridding method.

DETAILS>> 6-7:30 p.m., Ironwood Library, 4333 E. Chandler Blvd., Ahwatukee. No registration required. Ages 18+.

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 21

Reptile adventure in offing

Snakes in the library! Meet some of Rich Ihle’s extraordinary reptile friends, including a 15-foot boa constrictor.

DETAILS>> 2-2:45 p.m., Ironwood Library, 4333 E. Chandler Blvd., Ahwatukee. No registration required.

TUESDAY, JUNE 27

LGBTQ history explored Phoenix’s “Hip Historian” Marshall Shore discusses Arizona’s LGBTQ history. From pre-statehood to present day, Shore will use film footage and photos and artifacts in an entertaining and educational presentation. DETAILS>> 6:30-7:15 p.m., Ironwood Library, 4333 E. Chandler Blvd., Ahwatukee. No registration required. All ages.

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 28

Richard Steele creates magic

Be astounded by mind reading and other feats of magic as renowned magician Richard Steele takes the stage. Free tickets are required and available at 1:30 p.m. on the day of the event.

DETAILS>> 2-2:45 p.m., Ironwood Library, 4333 E. Chandler Blvd., Ahwatukee. No registration required – first come, first served.

THURSDAY, JUNE 29

Police visit Ahwatukee

The Phoenix Police Department’s South Mountain Precinct will hold its next “Tukee Talks” session with interested residents. People can get informed on department changes, have one-on-one conversations with officers, share concerns with officers and get crime-fighting tips.

DETAILS>> 6:30-8 p.m. Ahwatukee Event Center, 4700 E. Warner Road, Ahwatukee.

DAILY

Online reading is rewarding

The Maricopa County Reads Online Summer Reading Program will continue through Aug. 1. Adults, teens, children, and babies can log onto maricopacountyreads. org to record their reading and earn points toward a voucher for a free book and other prizes. Just read 20 minutes a day, every day.

DETAILS>> Registration is online. Come to Ironwood Library, 4333 E. Chandler Blvd., Chandler, to pick up the schedule. Attend programs and earn points toward a free book. All ages. Free.

SUNDAYS

‘TinkerTime’ open for kids

A makerspace for children to design, experiment, and invent as they explore hands-on STEAM activities through self-guided tinkering.

DETAILS>> 1-4 p.m. every Sunday, Ironwood Library 4333 E. Chandler Blvd., Ahwatukee. Ages 6-11. Free; No registration required.

MONDAYS

Chamber offers networking

The Ahwatukee Foothills Chamber of Commerce networking and leads group is open to chamber members. DETAILS>> Noon, Native Grill and Wings, 5030 E. Ray Road, Ahwatukee. Devida Lewis, 480-753-7676.

LD 18 Dems meet monthly

Legislative District 18 Democrats gather monthly, usually the second Monday, to share news, opportunities, food and laughter. Meetings include guest speakers, legislative updates, how-to sessions and Q&A. Volunteer or just enjoy an evening with like-minded folks.

DETAILS>>For times and places: ld18democrats.org/ calendar.

TUESDAYS

Chair yoga featured

Inner Vision Yoga Studio offers chair yoga to help seniors and people recovering from injuries to stay fit.

DETAILS>> 1:30-2:30 p.m., 4025 E. Chandler Blvd., Ahwatukee. $5 per class. Information: donna@ innervisionyoga.com or 480-330-2015.

Toastmasters sharpen skills

Improve your speaking skills and meet interesting people at Ahwatukee Toastmasters meetings

DETAILS>> 6:45-8 a.m at the Dignity Health Community Room, 4545 E. Chandler Blvd., Ahwatukee.

Power Partners available

The Ahwatukee Foothills Chamber of Commerce networking and leads group is open to chamber members. DETAILS>> 8-9 a.m., Four Points by Sheraton, 10831 S. 51st St., Ahwatukee. Dorothy Abril, 480-753-7676.

WEDNESDAYS

Watercolor classes available

Watercolor classes that teach both bold and beautiful as well as soft and subtle approaches to the art are available twice a week for beginners and intermediate students who are at least 15 years old. Step-by-step instruction and personal help are provided.

DETAILS>> 2:30-5 Wednesdays and 10 a.m.-12:30 p.m. Saturdays at Hobby Lobby, 46th Street and Ray Road, Ahwatukee. Cost: $25 per class, $80 for four classes. Registration required: jlokits@yahoo.com or 480-471-8505.

Montessori holds open house

Ahwatukee Foothills Montessori holds an open house weekly. It includes a short talk about Montessori education, followed by a tour of its campus.

DETAILS>> 4 p.m. Wednesdays, 3221 E. Chandler Blvd., Ahwatukee. Information: 480-759-3810

Joseph B. Ortiz, AAMS ® , CRPS

www.ahwatukee.com

A year at the helm of AFN has opened my eyes in many ways

BY PAUL MARYNIAK AFN Executive Editor

Iwill mark my one-year anniversary at AFN next week, and I don’t know where and how 52 weeks went by so quickly.

Don’t worry: This isn’t some maudlin reminiscence on the joys and hardships of being a weekly newspaper editor.

Actually, it’s about you and your community, because the people I’ve met and the changes I’ve seen in the course of doing my job are about your neighbors and your neighborhoods.

When I took this job, I was expecting something far different from the reality I’ve reported on.

I confess I was somewhat naïve, assuming that I’d be covering an assortment of people and activities that reflected a nice, quiet 21st century Mayberry that was blessedly walled off to a large degree from many of the adverse influences in the world that have wiped out many Mayberrys across the country. Was I ever surprised – and continue to be surprised.

Let me walk you through a few.

A year ago, homeowners especially along Pecos Road were blissfully confident that a federal judge would tell the Arizona Department of

Transportation to go back to the drawing board and do its homework before it scooped so much as a shovelful of dirt for the South Mountain Freeway.

A year ago, parents and educators were still basking in the glow of Prop 123’s passage, convinced that voters had saved the day for public education.

A year ago, Club West residents in most of our minds enjoyed a scenic golf course and Ahwatukee Lakes residents were hoping that a court case would lead to a restoration of theirs.

A year ago, many people in the community were circling July 1 on their calendar for the annual return of Ahwatukee’s own Independence Day celebration, complete with a fireworks extravaganza.

Flash forward to 2017. If you read AFN, you already know the score:

The freeway work is rolling on as opponents cling to the uncertain hope that a federal appeals court will save the day; both school districts that serve Ahwatukee are struggling to keep pay for their teachers and their services; Club West residents wonder if the golf course owner will turn off the water again while Lakes residents languish with a nightmare in their backyards as the battle over their course rages on with no hope of a resolution in sight; and Ahwatukee residents will have to go to Tempe,

Rawhide or Chandler if they want to see a fireworks display.

In the meantime, some good restaurants and other merchants have folded their tents, driven out by rising rents or the continuing erosion of brick-and-mortar retail chains.

Freeway-beleaguered residents in Ahwatukee can expect an extension of Chandler Boulevard that will have only three lanes instead of four because Phoenix planners say they have no money and there is no need for a fourlane segment that connects two four-lane segments of that thoroughfare.

Many Ahwatukee long-timers fret in social media, on the opinion pages of this newspaper or in conversations among themselves that it seems the community’s venerable quality of life is circling the drain.

As the editor of a newspaper that has chronicled the times and people of Ahwatukee for four decades, I can tell you two things with certainty.

First, neither I nor the paper can do a whole lot about any of the changes that you think might be threatening your community’s quality of life. What we can do – and what I have tried to do for a year now – is tell you what’s going on. It’s up to you to decide what to do about it, then do it.

Second, despite all the ill winds of

change you might feel breathing down the back of your neck, there is something that has not changed in and about Ahwatukee – its people.

For in the past year, I have met an extraordinary number of residents and business owners – ranging from kids as young as 8 years old to seniors a few years away from marking a century on earth – who have done some amazing things, usually to make a better community.

They include students from the schools in Ahwatukee, retirees who are passionate about helping others, entrepreneurs who are conquering the obstacles to surviving in the marketplace, business owners and corporate executives who make time in their busy lives to play an active role of some kind in their community.

I’ve dealt extensively with local organizations like the Festival of Lights Committee, the YMCA Outreach Program for Ahwatukee Seniors, the folks at the Ahwatukee Swim and Tennis Center, the Kiwanis Club of Ahwatukee, 100+ Women Who Care and many others that have done much good for many who are hurting.

So, yes, Ahwatukee, you have your share of challenges.

But you also have a heck of a lot of people pulling for you.

And I thank you for making my first year here so memorable.

Program gives jail inmates a chance to develop crime-free lives

BY DENNY BARNEY AFN Guest Writer

There is not a lot to smile about in jail. But detention professionals know that punishment without hope for a better life does not always yield results. That is why Maricopa County Correctional Health and detention staff introduced a new program called MOSAIC. The program has graduated 52 inmates. When these men arrived at the county jail, they were classified as

moderate-to-high risk for recidivism. That means if we do nothing but punish them for their crimes, they are likely coming back.

Those statistics are unacceptable to us here at Maricopa County. As a member of the board of supervisors, I have strongly supported smartjustice initiatives that help us rethink our approach to incarceration. And MOSAIC does just that.

While many low-risk individuals are “scared straight” by the first overnight stay in jail, moderate-to high risk offenders are the ones who cost you, the

taxpayer, the most by returning to jail time and time again. So we are focusing our efforts on this group.

More than half of the County’s $2.5 billion dollar budget is committed to public safety and the courts. The data we collect about the success of MOSAIC graduates will help develop future programs and improve outcomes, reducing the costs of criminal activity.

You may be surprised to learn that an estimated 90 percent of participants experienced trauma before engaging in criminal behavior.

MOSAIC represents putting the

pieces of a person’s life back together. In order to do that, the men and women in MOSAIC discover skills for addressing difficult emotions without using selfdestructive behaviors.

Our goal is that MOSAIC graduates will skills to keep them from failing and returning to unhealthy behaviors. By using newly-acquired skills and self-understanding, MOSAIC graduates have a better chance at crime-free lives. It’s the result we all want to see.

-Denny Barney is chairman of the Maricopa County Board of Supervisors.

What’s in a name makes one wonder what’s in some parents’ minds

BY DAVID LEIBOWITZ AFN Guest Writer

Let’s start with a stipulation: I have no clue what it’s like to raise a child, having raised precisely zero myself. Nor have I experienced firsthand the awesome responsibility of naming another human being The closest I have come is naming two dachshunds, who seemed very willing to sit when their names were called, provided a healthy chunk of jerky was involved.

Having said that, clearly there are hundreds of couples nearly ready to bring a child into this world who are about to make a life-altering error in judgement. Because – please excuse my coarseness – a lot of you really suck at naming your kids.

I say this having spent nearly three hours mesmerized by the latest Social Security Administration list of the top 1000 names for American newborns.

DV grad praises Spanish teacher for her impact

There are many teachers that come and go in a student’s life. They all make an impact in some shape or form, but there are always those few that seem to rise above and not only make a mark in your life, but embed a mark.

This teacher for me – and I am sure many at Desert Vista – is Shawna Thue. Ms. Thue is a Spanish teacher at Desert Vista and every student, even if they did not take Spanish, knows the passion Ms. Thue has for the Spanish language and Spain itself.

You rarely have, let alone meet, a teacher who voluntarily takes dozens of students across the entire world each summer. For decades, she has taken a large group of Desert Vista Spanish students to Spain for two to three weeks to experience the Spanish culture first hand. I was lucky enough to go on the Spain trip last summer with Ms. Thue, along with about 25 other DV students. How I describe the trip when someone asks: life changing. We were all nervous to live with a host family that only spoke Spanish, but Ms. Thue reassured us and encouraged us to step out of our comfort zone and embrace all that Spain has to offer. Her advice to us was to travel abroad as much as we can. After the Spain trip, I was convinced. Because of her, I want to travel to different countries and even take classes abroad during college. Her voluntary commitment

Yes, I need more hobbies. Yes, I have consulted a therapist. And no, it’s still not okay that last year, 370 newborn girls were named Khaleesi by parents who clearly watch way too much “Game of Thrones.”

All I can say is, let’s hope little Khal doesn’t eventually fall in love with one of the 303 boys named Anakin by “Star Wars” geeks in 2016, thus leading to the worst mixed metaphor theme wedding in recorded history.

Why do I care what other people name their children? Largely because I believe names carry with them an emotional weight and a hint of destiny.

My own – the third most popular name in 1965, the year of my birth –always has been a mixed blessing. During my school years, I was always “David L.” because invariably there were two or three other Davids in every classroom. That made my name feel ordinary. However, my parents’ explanation for the name, that in Hebrew it means

“beloved,” has always served as a source of strength and contentment.

For little baby boy Stetson, I’m not sure knowing “wow, I was named after a hat,” will have the same effect. The same goes for baby girl Oakley. I’ll grant you a special dispensation if you’re British and this is a reference dating back to Anglo Saxon tribal times, but if you’re naming your baby girl after a pair of sunglasses? You’re doing it wrong.

The same goes if you’re dooming your child to a lifetime explaining how to spell a name that looks misspelled by parents trying too hard. I’m talking to you, parents of little Paityn (317 girls) and little Xzavier (287 boys).

The truly tragic overachievers are the new moms and dads who adventure past the top 1,000 names, perhaps striving to get extra credit for cleverness. This explains why last year in America, we christened 10 newborn boys Rambo, 40 baby girls Sephora, 11 little boys Simba and 32 little girls Katniss.

LETTERS

to this trip, and her enthusiasm and love when showing each of us places such as the Sagrada Familia in Barcelona to the famous Spanish paintings in the Prado Museum, is so inspiring.

She opened my eyes to a place and culture that was so foreign to me, and has shown me that stepping out and exploring unfamiliar places can truly be life changing. Like Ms. Thue encouraged, I will travel as much as I can. She showed me that gaining different perspectives and experiencing different cultures is essential in life. It is important to step out of our little bubble of Ahwatukee and see the world.

Thank you, Ms. Thue, for inspiring me to travel the world and embrace all it has to offer.

-Alisa Murphy, Class of 2017

It’s time for True Life to throw in the towel on 'The Farm'

In reference to Aiden Barry, senior vice president of The True Life Companies and comments that the "Lakes Course is not economically viable” in the May 3 AFN.

He points out that the 51 percent and the court option are mutually exclusive. How nice of him to point this out.

His impatience for getting the 51 percent signatures must be running out because he has now resorted to legal action to get his way, in order to start making a profit on property that they clearly paid too much for.

As for the nine of you who thought it would be terrific to name your son Zepplin, I simply have no words. It is misspelled.

The same goes for the parents of the 13 little Osamas, nine Mansons, seven Adolphs and 13 Lucifers born last year. When he comes from kindergarten crying for the 78th time, don’t say I didn’t tell you so.

As for naming a child Messiah (1,776 boys and 35 girls) or Christ (35 boys and five girls), Winner (19 boys and seven girls) or Champion (27 boys), let’s hope for society’s sake you don’t raise the entitled little narcissist you so clearly deserve.

What’s in a name? Shakespeare argued that, names aside, a rose would still smell as sweet. Of course, old William never met a little girl named Lemon.

Somehow, sadly, there were 26 little Lemons born last year.

-David Leibowitz is a Phoenix freelance writer and public relations consultant.

Is this how you want to help the community? Your aggressive marketing tactics are not working as fast as you’d hoped, so now it’s time to take it to the courts?

Lastly, in the article he mentioned that operating a golf course on the property is not economically viable. It may not be economically viable for TTLC, but he indicates that they believe no reasonable owner or investor would operate a stand-alone golf course there.

Sounds like hyperbole to me.

Has he talked to every interested investor?

Mr. Barry, it’s time to throw in the towel and let another investor restore the gorgeous golf course that was purposely destroyed for, what I assume would be, a very profitable 300 household eye sore that will increase traffic and congestion in our quiet little neighborhood.

-Rich Carey

‘Rep. John Allen, you owe every teacher an apology’

Rep. John Allen, first of all you owe all teachers in the world an apology. You truly don't have a clue what a day in the life of a teacher looks like. Get a second job? Are you kidding me? Guessing you don't think teachers need sleep. Because between 11 p.m. to 6 a.m. would be the only hours I had "open" to get a job when I taught for over 30 years!

Mr. Allen, you need to change jobs with a teacher for a week or two. You would then

change your message.

As a betting person, truthfully, I don't think you would last three days. Teaching is very challenging. Every day is different. The responsibilities of a teacher are endless, updating and training never ending. Spending our own money for items needed in the classroom that the budget can't support, is a given. When bill SB 1042 was passed by the house in Arizona, you just disrespected every student, staff and faculty member in the K-12 system. Why? Because, the message you are sending is that having untrained faculty teach students is just fine. As long as there is someone in the classroom, who cares if they are trained to teach or not? Teaching is not a career just anyone should be able to work in. It is honorable, should be respected and, Mr. Allen, you should be supporting teachers – not dragging them down.

So, I challenge you, Mr. Allen, to get out there. Be a teacher for a week or two, then come forward with your comments. I truly believe once you have actually walked in the shoes of a teacher, you will change your tune.

-Vicki Melbye

www.ahwatukee.com

Ahwatukee wedding planner defends couples from ‘zillas’

BY PAUL MARYNIAK AFN Executive Editor

By her estimation, Kim Horn of Ahwatukee has attended around 650 weddings, but she’s neither a wedding crasher nor part of an exceptionally large family.

Horn is a wedding planner, and not just in name only.

She bears the formal title of Master Wedding Planner – one of only 75 such professionals in the world.

The Illinois native – a resident of Ahwatukee for 15 years and an Arizonan since 1986 – didn’t get there easily.

Horn had to win the approval of a panel of three wedding masters, first through her experience in education and professional development, professional industry experience and industry contributions and philanthropy. Then she had to provide a written presentation on how she would plan “one of the most difficult weddings in my career” in the

face of steep challenges.

Since then, Horn, who also is president and publisher of arizonabridalsource. com and the annual print “Arizona Bridal

Source,” has developed an international reputation.

Though “many clients choose to get married in Arizona” because of its natural

Arizona Bridal Show features all things nuptial

If you’re planning a walk down the aisle in the future and want to meet Ahwatukee wedding planner Kim Horn, you’ll have your chance in a couple of weeks.

She’ll be one of the featured exhibitors at the Arizona Bridal Show, 9 a.m.-4 p.m. June 11 in the South Building of the Phoenix Convention Center.

Thousands of brides, grooms and their entourages usually attend the Sunday show, which features cuttingedge ideas from over 400 area weddingrelated merchants. Award-winning cuisine also will be offered by wedding chefs and cake designers.

Four runway shows presented by American Furniture Warehouse will feature the latest trends in male and female wedding gear, and 18 bridal boutiques will display hundreds of designer wedding gowns on sale.

Every bride will receive a one-year subscription to Brides Magazine and

there will be over $100,000 in prizes and coupons given away. One couple will win a package that includes a honeymoon, wedding venue, dress, tuxedo and photographer.

Admission is $12 at the door. There is

also a new VIP ticket that includes an expedited line at the show entrance, an exclusive T-shirt or tank top, reserved fashion show seats and deals from participating vendors. Information: ArizonaBridalShow.com.

beauty, Horn has planned weddings throughout the United States, Mexico and Europe.

“We specialize in blending various cultures, religions and customize each wedding based on the vision of the bride and groom,” she said, recalling “elaborate setups which have taken days to set up for the bride’s vision.”

Once, she planned a wedding in Maui with 28 guests and four days of activities.

“For their ceremony, they chose a ukulele and hula dancer, and for their reception, a DJ and a fire dancer,” she recalled, adding:

“The bride had recently lost her grandfather, and they went to Hawaii for family vacations, so it was an emotional time. Because of the bride’s vision and what was available on the islands, we flew specialty linens in from Phoenix. And the bride didn’t like flowers grown in Hawaii, so all the florals were flown in, too.”

In May 2003, she was selected as the state coordinator of Arizona for the Association of Bridal Consultants, leaving nine years later.

She had to pass tests for that title in etiquette and five other categories – then found so many inconsistencies in the association’s education program that she rewrote all 305 pages of it. In 2010, Horn chaired the annual conference of wedding planners in Phoenix that brought more than 350 planners from six continents. And last year she won the title of wedding planner of the year from Wedding Wire.

Her clinical explanation of what she does belies a profession that requires the diplomacy of an ambassador to a wartorn country.

Asked what she specifically does, she replied:

“Help design, negotiate, mediate, plan and implement wedding and event details… This may range from vendor selection, choosing a design thread, contract review and negotiation, logistics as well as a detailed wedding timeline down to the minute which – once approved by the bride – is distributed as

(Special to tAFN)

Cakes and other wedding reception treats by some of Arizona’s top bakers and chefs will be available for tasting at the Arizona Bridal Show on June 11.

(Suzanne Carrillo/AFN Photographer)

Ahwatukee wedding planner Kim Horn checks out price tags on wedding gowns because there can be a big difference between a design a bride wants and a dress she can afford.

Family wants their Ahwatukee produce operation to be happiness in a box

BY PAUL MARYNIAK

AFN Executive Editor

The pickup pulled onto the Century 21 Arizona-Foothills office on East Chandler Boulevard in Ahwatukee just after 6 p.m. last Thursday.

Within a half-hour, a steady stream of Ahwatukee residents were pulling up with bushels, boxes and bags, ready to empty the contents of neatly stacked crates that awaited them.

Thanks to Century 21 branch manager Dayna Scott and an employee at Scizzors at Signatures Hair Salon, Caitlyn Garcia and her husband are in the lot every other Thursday – their next date is June 8 – with pre-ordered boxes of fruits and vegetables people can buy for nearly half their retail price.

Word of mouth eventually brought Ahwatukee together with Caitlyn Garcia, who lives with her husband and four kids in the West Valley.

The Garcias’ auxiliary business of getting fresh, reduced-price produce to people in the Valley goes back four years. It started with a casual conversation between Caitlyn and her father, who inherited from his father the Grand Avenue Produce Co. of Peoria, which both men built from a roadside stand in 1946 to what is now one of Arizona’s largest wholesale distributors of fruits and vegetables.

“We were talking one night and my father started talking about how much people pay for vegetables and fruit and he was shocked at how expensive they are,” Garcia recalled. “We wanted to do something for the community so we came up with this.”

“This” was an idea to make boxes of about $40 worth of assorted vegetables and fruits and sell them for $20. They started in two different locations in the West Valley and over time, the business has expanded to seven locations – one of them Ahwatukee.

“We don’t like to park somewhere without someone’s permission, so we have a church lot in one location, a preschool in another,” Garcia called.

One day last year, Garcia was talking with a friend who works at Scizzors at Signatures. She suggested Garcia come to Ahwatukee.

With already one spot in Central Phoenix, she thought it would be a good idea to branch out into another area, and she liked Ahwatukee.

“It’s a friendly place and the people are nice,” she said. “Ahwatukee was one

have become regular patrons, and Garcia is hoping that as word spreads, more people will join that list.

of our top places on our list of places we would like to start stopping by.”

So, she got the word out on social media, directing interested customers to her Facebook page, Garcia Family Fruit of Happiness. There, they could place the mandatory pre-order and pick up their box of veggies and pay the $20 cash on the next visit.

But Garcia also was concerned about tying up the parking lot that is used by Signatures and several other businesses in the strip mall on the northwest corner of East Chandler Boulevard and 40th Street.

So about six months ago, two months after she had started selling her “boxes of happiness,” Garcia met Scott, who has been with Century 21 for 20 years.

“I like the fact that it’s a family-run business and we’re a family-run business,” Scott said. “I think it’s good because it involves the community and it’s good for Ahwatukee.”

Ahwatukee is one of seven locations that the Garcias visit, rotating them every two weeks.

They work two sites on any given evening and the stops don’t last long, since everything is pre-ordered. Customers have to bring their own containers to carry the produce away.

The boxes all contain the same assortment of fruits and vegetables on any given delivery date, but the contents change from visit to visit.

So far about 80 Ahwatukee residents

“We have maybe 1,500 customers total,” Garcia said. “When we first started four years ago and we sold five boxes, I thought that was a good deal. Then we had 50, and now I am really pleased.” Scott also is thrilled with the Garcias’ success.

“People are really happy with this. They get fresh produce with no pesticides at a discount price, and they get to meet some of their neighbors,” added Scott, who always orders a box that she leaves in the office for her colleagues to take what they want.

Orders must be placed on the Facebook site by the morning of the Thursday the Garcias will be visiting.

“We thought of having a pay-online feature but a lot of older people don’t like providing their credit card information online, so it’s cash upon delivery,” she said. Usually she posts on the Facebook page a week or so in advance what the next shipment will contain.

Hardly anyone who places an order fails to show up.

Garcia said she and her family don’t intend to make Ahwatukee their final location.

“We’d liked to expand,” she said, even though it takes them as long as an hour or more to drive from the West Valley to Ahwatukee. “Right now, we have a manpower situation, though, so we have to figure that out before we get more sites.”

But one thing she is certain of is that they’ll keep growing, explaining:

“We think it is a really good thing for the community and we want to grow.

Information: facebook.com/groups/ GarciaFamilyFRUITofHappiness/

(Kimberly Carrillo/AFN Photographer)

Century 21 branch manager Dayna Scott is flanked by Joe and Caitlyn Garcia outside the Ahwatukee realty company’s branch office, where the Garcias distribute pre-ordered boxes of discounted vegetables and fruit every other Thursday evening

(Kimberly Carrillo/AFN Photographer)

Customers line up to pack the vegetables and fruits into anything they can bring.

(Kimberly Carrillo/AFN Photographer)

The boxes that are discount sold by Caitlyn Garcia every other Thursday are packed with fruits and vegetables sold at a discount price.

a shortened version to the wedding party and detailed long version to the vendors.”

The devil comes in the details.

Horn’s job is filled with “bridezillas, groomzillas or other zillas” – particularly voracious vendors that could include florists, caterers, venue providers and all the other businesses that can touch a wedding.

Once, for example, Horn had a vegan bride “who, against my recommendation, chose to prove ‘vegan food is excellent’ and had only vegan food as a food choice at her wedding.” Horn, a vegetarian, grimaced, knowing there’d be a number of guests who’d like some meat.

Another time, she was asked to plan a Hindu wedding where the groom would enter the ceremony on a horse. The problem was, the groom was afraid of horses. “So, we had equine training on site for handling,” she said.

Speaking of horses, one groom rode them at the Renaissance Festival. He and his intended wanted a Renaissance wedding at an exclusive resort, but the bride’s father wanted her to block any guest who was “inappropriately dressed.”

“Your daughter has a Renaissancethemed wedding,” she told him.

“How will I know what you consider inappropriately dressed?”

That same couple figured that because their reception room had a capacity of 250 people they could hand out 250 invitations.

“Thankfully, I always ask to proof the wedding invitation,” Horn said. “I caught 250 invitations being ordered, translating to potentially 500 guests. The groom wanted to hand out invitations to random people whose first names and addresses he didn’t even know.”

That led to the inevitable problem:

“And for your reserved seating, the groom doesn’t know these people, so how do you plan to have your seating arrangements?” she asked the future father-in-law.

Then there was a Memorial Day weekend wedding at a new resort still under construction.

“Their contractor cut into the power line,” Horn recalled. “For the load-in, we had to keep all the florals in large truck coolers to keep all 30-plus centerpieces fresh, and had a generator to cool the room, ice sculptures and the entire building where the power was cut. To this day, the family did not know the resort was on backup power.

“‘What if’ and Murphy’s law are both real when it comes to planning weddings and events,” Horn said. “On the day

of your wedding, would you like to enjoy quality time with your family and friends, or be the wedding planner? Your friends and family would love to help, and we can assign them areas where they are involved as much as you want them to be, yet they are not a substitute for a wedding planner.

“An experienced planner will know the tips and traits to stretch your budget, and knows how to negotiate in your best interest,” she said. “You want a planner who knows your vision and logistically makes it happen within your budget. An experienced wedding planner matches the vision of the bride to the vendor who will work with the bride’s personality, vision and budget.”

Moreover, she warned, “You want vendors you can trust, and a professional wedding planner will know who to recommend since referrals are a large part of our business.

“This isn’t an online referral, or from a vendor who may not be there if your bakery is late with your cake, or you are short one centerpiece since you had people RSVP ‘no’ who decided to surprise you to show up, or the photographer gets angry at a guest when the guest asks for a photo and the photographer snaps at the guest.”

In short, Horn said, “This is your

wedding day, where stress may be alleviated with the right wedding planner hired and in your corner to fine tune and make your day move seamlessly, plus helping oversee your vendor selection so you get an ‘A team’ at your event who works well together.”

Part of her job involves being as good on defense as on offense, fending off everyone and anyone from friends and parents to businesses.

“Some vendors become vendorzillas, so as a wedding planner, you have to defend and protect your client from many obstacles and jealous ‘friends’ who have always been a bridesmaid, yet never a bride,” Horn said bluntly.

“There are many ‘opinions’ they get from their parents and friends,” she explained. “By working with professors in college who specialized in case studies in the psychology department, this research helped me become a problem solver with minimal stress to the client.”

Inevitably, the question comes up: How realistic is the Julia Roberts movie

“The Wedding Planner”?

“Hollywood makes money from drama in movies, and yes, there normally is drama behind the scenes when planning a wedding,” Horn replied. “With a

Valley seeing surge in startup tech companies

BY SOPHIA KUNTHARA Cronkite News

When Vivek Kopparthi graduated from Arizona State University and wanted to start his own tech business, he looked no further than the Valley.

Kopparthi’s company, Neolight, is developing neonatal phototherapy treatment for babies born with jaundice. When it came to get the company up and running and source talent, he relied on his alma mater and the resources it had to offer.

The Valley’s low cost of living compared to California, stable climate and large workforce has made it a new destination for the tech industry as more companies move into the “internet of things.”

“We’re a very fast, hyper-developing ecosystem,” Kopparthi said.

That has helped businesses across the tech sector develop in or move to Arizona, particularly the Phoenix metropolitan area. More than 2,500 jobs were added in Arizona’s tech sector in 2016 with the average salary around $98,000, according to the Computer Technology Industry Association’s 2017 report.

The area has seen a surge in startup tech companies putting down roots and moving from other parts of the country, as well as larger companies establishing a

presence in the Valley. Uber, Weebly and Gainsight are just a few of the companies that have expanded their operations to the Phoenix metropolitan area.

Stephane Frijia, the Greater Phoenix Economic Council’s senior vice president of global investment, pointed

out that the technology sector has had a presence in the state since World War II, when engineering for military defense revved up in Arizona. Companies like Motorola and Intel have had a presence in the Valley for decades, with Intel being the largest employer in Chandler. But he

Arizona gold investors get new state tax break

BY HOWARD FISCHER Capitol Media Services

Gov. Doug Ducey agreed Monday to create a new tax break – but only people who invest in certain gold and silver coins will be able to take advantage of it.

The new law says the rules on reporting and paying taxes on capital gains to the state do not apply when the profits are reaped by selling off coins made by the U.S. Mint.

Ducey’s action was a bit of a surprise, given he has vetoed similar measures twice before. But press aide Daniel Scarpinato, insisted this version was different.

And there was something else.

“It’s very consistent with the governor’s approach, which is reducing income taxes,” Scarpinato said. But not for everyone.

The capital gains laws remain the same for those who invest in rental properties, gold bullion, ceramic dolls or classic cars: If an item is bought for $1,000 and sold for $2,500, that $1,500 difference is subject to state income taxes.

So why the special carve-out?

“This is a very limited set of collectors we’re talking about here,’’ Scarpinato said. And he said the tax impact on the state will be “de minimus.’’

Still, Scarpinato had no estimates on the potential loss to the general fund based on the current crop of coin collectors. Nor could he answer what might happen if other investors, seeing the state tax benefit, decide to move their money into gold and silver U.S. coins.

Rep. Mark Finchem, R-Oro Valley, said the legislation is based on the fact that gold and silver coins created by the U.S. Mint are legal tender. He said that means someone who buys a gold

coin is simply exchanging one form of legal currency – in this case, a federal reserve note – for another.

But the Mint sells coins based not on their face value but instead on the amount of precious metal. So on Monday the Mint was selling a one-ounce gold coin with a face value of $50 for $1,560.

And if the price of gold goes up, the person who sells it will get more federal reserve notes in exchange. No matter, said Finchem.

noted that it’s been more recently that people – and companies – have realized the benefits of operating in Phoenix.

“Clearly, Phoenix has – the region has – a seat at the table when it comes to

He said if a coin bought for $1,000 in federal reserve notes a year ago sells for $1,500 such notes today, that isn’t a capital gain which should be subject to taxes. All it does, he said, is reflect that federal reserve notes are subject to inflation – and those who kept all their savings in such notes have lost money.

While Ducey professed no concern about tax collections, that wasn’t the

viewpoint of his predecessor, Jan Brewer, who vetoed similar legislation in 2013.

“This would result in lost revenue to the state, while giving businesses that buy and sell collectible coins or currency originally authorized by Congress an unfair tax advantage,’’ she wrote at the time.

(Cronkite News)

Steve Case. right, and Local Motors CEO John B. Rogers Jr. discuss the Phoenix company’s production methods.

Frijia said.

“All that stuff is happening here. The security components, the testing of the vehicles, the chips of manufacturing – all these things are being developed here in a way that’s safe, secure and creates jobs in the local market and the opportunity for others to connect with the network of architects that are here.”

Bethany Plaza, CEO of management and technology consulting firm Conscientia, said as the Valley suffered through the recession, the tech sector took a hit, but has been able to recover within the past five years, thanks in large part to consumer demand.

“I think the demand – the consumer demand overall, the way everything is run in business – has changed so much,” Plaza said.

She noted that with the shift to the internet of things – connecting everyday objects such as refrigerators to the internet – more companies in different industries have technology needs, driving the industry’s growth. For example, companies in industries

ranging from banking to healthcare have been trying to make information more accessible to consumers through apps and other technology, looking to companies in Arizona to make it happen.

Frijia pointed out that Californiabased companies often expand to Arizona because of the lower cost of living paired with the convenient location. The cost of living in Phoenix is 3 percent lower than the national average, according to PayScale, and operational costs in Phoenix are estimated to be around 40 percent less than in California, according to GPEC. The area also has 32 percent more computer science and software employees than leading tech city Austin.

“I think the stability here is important. The cost of living is not as high as, say, L.A. or other places, and we’re fortunate that we’re protected from weather and things,” Plaza said.

Additionally, Arizona ranks 12th in the nation for its percentage of the workforce in the tech industry, according to the Computer Technology Industry Association. Plaza credits the state’s recovery from the recession with supporting the growth of the tech sector.

“We’re back in the stage of companies

having money, and when you have money, you make new products,” Plaza said. “When you’re stagnant, it’s maintenance. You’re making enough to keep the lights on.”

It’s not just startups that are finding their footing in Arizona – Silicon Valley companies are setting up operations in the Valley of the Sun, too.

When San Francisco-based ride sharing company Uber couldn’t test its self-driving cars on the streets of California, where there are heavy regulations, Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey welcomed the company to test the cars in Arizona.

Ducey had signed an executive order authorizing the testing of self-driving cars in Arizona in 2015 and put out a statement telling Uber, “California may not want you, but we do.”

Still, tech has some way to go in Arizona. The technology sector doesn’t rank in the top five industries, according to the Bureau of Economic Analysis. Tourism remains the state’s largest economic driver.

Plaza said the state could market itself as a technology hub to attract more “thought leaders” and raise wages to make the state more attractive to workers.

WEDDING

professional wedding planner, and open communication, the nightmares you wake up to worrying about your wedding won’t happen on your wedding day since you’ve already talked about it and your planner has developed a Plan A through Plan Z.

“Some of the movie was realistic, since sometimes you do want what you can’t have,” she said.

The internet has made it even more difficult for Horn when it comes to counseling some brides.

“The way people research and plan weddings now is drastically different,” she said. “Brides find designs on Pinterest they love, yet this design may cost $5,000. And they may think it is simple to ‘recreate, yet their budget may only be $2,000.”

And when it comes to venues, she added, “You may google reception sites, yet even with a virtual tour of the property, you have no idea how the quality of the food and beverage, or the ambiance of the reception site.”

Information: 480-921-7891 or info@ arizonabridalsource.com

SHOP LOCAL

Arizona Grand Resort

8000 Arizona Grand Pkwy., Ahwatukee. 602-438-9000

Nestled at the base of America’s largest urban park and wilderness preserve, Arizona’s only AAA Four Diamond all-suite resort features one and two-bedroom suites.

Bell Mortgage

4435 E. Chandler Blvd. #201, Ahwatukee. 480-753-6100

Before you start the search for your new home, get your mortgage preapproval from Bell Bank. There’s no cost for pre-approval, and no origination fee on the permanent loan. Then, you can start your house hunting journey with confidence. It’s the pre-approval trusted by area builders and realtors, and the key to getting into a new home faster.

C2 Tactical Shooting Range

475 S. Emerald Drive, Tempe. 480-588-8802.

C2 Tactical offers comprehensive guidance and support for firearm owners. The 17,000-square-foot indoor range allows for live-fire practice within a safe, controlled setting. A private simulator room equipped with surround sound provides additional practice opportunities without live ballistics, and NRA-certified instructors lead specialized classes for a more structured setting. Brimming with displays of firearms, apparel, and accessories, the retail shop also features a staff of gunsmiths capable of performing repairs, modifications, tune-ups, cleanings, and even the most challenging restorations.

Generations at Ahwatukee

15815 S. 50th St., Ahwatukee. 480-485-3000.

Generations at Ahwatukee is a new senior living community under construction and opening this August. It will offer independent living, assisted living, and memory care with a total of 137 beautifully appointed apartments. Community amenities include scheduled transportation, choice of dining venues, heated saltwater pool, beauty salon/barber shop, fitness center, movie theater, art studio, 24-hour on-site staff and a full calendar of programs and social events.

Main Street Ahwatukee

Brought to you by the Ahwatukee Foothills Chamber of Commerce

21st-century gold mining helps businesses

BY RICK ALLEN AFN Guest Writer

In “Chapters from My Autobiography,”

Mark Twain relates how he and his childhood friends would play gold miners in the caves around his boyhood home.

“We were doing this in play and never suspecting. Why, that cave hollow and all the adjacent hills were made of gold! But we did not know it. We took it for dirt. We left its rich secret in its own peaceful possession and grew up in poverty and went wandering about the world struggling for bread – and this because we had not the gift of prophecy.

“That region was all dirt and rocks to us, yet all it needed was to be ground up and scientifically handled and it was gold. That is to say, the whole region was a cement mine...” Someone got a fresh perspective! Someone found a new use for something previously thought of as ‘dirt.’”

We are often surrounded by gold but only see dirt.

In “Never Eat Alone,” Keith Ferrazzi talks about arranging lunches between people from different companies and backgrounds. He arranged the lunch and made the introductions but never

tried to orchestrate the outcome.

The results were always positive and powerful. Who is your connector? I really don’t know anyone who does this for a living, but you probably know someone like that.

I recently connected four different business owners in hopes of growing a new cooperative partnership in growth for each of them. They included a preschool, an after-school camp company, an art school and a music school.

The businesses are very different in terms of services and business models, but the profiles of their target markets are nearly identical. If they are as smart as I think they are, they will leverage the introduction into relationships that generate new business for all.

What could such a cooperative look like? The low-hanging fruit would be to cross-market to each other’s database of clients. Online marketers call this “affiliate marketing.”

It works like this: I send information to the people in my database about your product or service, and you either pay a commission, or, better yet, you advertise my products or services to the people in your database.

They could also run programs or open houses together. They could have literature on one another’s programs in

their respective facilities. They could also brainstorm about mutual challenges and how they tackled them, or create a mastermind group with the same objective. These are all examples of structured approaches that employ the conscious mind.

A less structured, but equally effective approach would be more like Keith Ferrazzi’s lunches. A round of golf could also work. The key is to get out of the work environment, partake in a non-business-related activity, and allow the subconscious mind to work its magic.

Things come to mind in the course of casual conversation and non-business activities that would never strike you if you were in a more focused situation such as a mastermind or brainstorming session. Something else very important is happening. A relationship is growing. Can you identify someone in your circle who is a connector? Who do you know who can look at your business in a new way? Who can offer a fresh perspective? Who can see the common areas between your business and another business that is, in other ways, different than your won? Who can look at your dirt and see the gold?

-Rick Allen owns LegalShield in Ahwatukee. ourvideos.30foldbenefits.com.

Ribbon cutting Desert Soul Boutique

4025 E. Chandler Blvd., Ahwatukee. Noon, Thursday, June 1.

Women in Business Foothills Golf Club

2201 E. Clubhouse Drive, Ahwatukee. Thursday, June 8

11–11:30 a.m., networking; 11:30 a.m.– 1 p.m. lunch/speaker series

Speakers: Laura Bush, Laura Bush Ph.D.; Laureen Leston, Hawthorn Court; Annette Yates, Setay Dance and Fitness.

Members, $20; non-members, $30

Wake-Up Ahwatukee Keep it Cut

4025 E. Chandler Blvd., Ahwatukee.

8-9 a.m., June. $5, members, $15, general admission.

Sponsored by Elements Massage

Round-Robin Networking

Angry Crab

3820 E. Ray Road, Ahwatukee. 11:30 a.m., June 14.

Ribbon cutting Setay Dance and Fitness

7430 S. 48th St. #103, Ahwatukee. Noon, June 15.

(Special to AFN)

Even youngsters joined the crowd for Music Makers Workshops ribbon cutting.

(Special to AFN)

Ahwatukee Foothills Chamber CEO/President Lindy Lutz Cash, left, and Young Entrepreneurs Academy director Pamela Manwaring flank the YEA Class of 2017 upon completion of its 30-week program.

SPIRITUAL SIDE

Eminent domain and our freedom in Christ Jesus

BY REV. SUSAN WILMOT AFN Guest Writer

First of two parts.

As a former railroader, I became quite familiar with the terms of eminent domain. It’s how the railroads became owners of vast amounts of property, and it’s not restricted to railroads. It’s been enacted for other public services, like utilities, as well.

According to Wikipedia, the term “eminent domain” comes from the Latin, meaning “supreme lordship.” When it comes to promoting economic growth or serving public interest and needs, governments and states have the right to acquire or take possession of land and property at will by invoking eminent domain.

On the other hand, the Scriptures have plenty to say about who actually is supreme lord over all creation, and all living creatures, including you and me. That doesn’t change, regardless of how we choose to respond.

It’s probably not a surprise to notice that the world’s way doesn’t give us any choice. Nor is it a surprise to know that the world’s way isn’t God’s way. Jesus reveals the love, dignity and respect in which God holds each precious life. That doesn’t mean that God condones poor choices or bad behavior without holding us accountable, or letting us experience

the consequences of disobedience and sin.

Yet, Jesus shows us God’s will and God’s grace in how He holds the tension between respecting our God-given free will, while always ensuring that we receive the invitation to come and see, to follow, to accept the gift of faith, and open our hearts to welcome His lordship in our lives. The response was mixed, and still is.

Just like Jesus, the Apostle Paul also evokes a mixed response. Discernment has always been difficult. Paul did his share of wrestling with God’s will for the people of The Way, listening and following the movement of the Holy Spirit, and showing others how to live and grow in wisdom and faith.

Expectations and teachings around the Messianic prophecies were very different to reality, to the One that was sent by the Father. Jesus’ life and teachings created a lot of friction among the religious leaders of Jesus’ day.

After his own encounter with the risen Lord Jesus, Paul not only became convinced of Jesus’ identity as God’s beloved Son, the savior and redeemer of the world, he became an apostle. By definition, that means Paul is one who devoted his life to sharing the good news of Jesus Christ with others as a servant leader and teacher.

However you might feel about Paul from what you’ve heard or read, what

we know from his life and teachings, his letters and legacy, is that his ministry has all the hallmarks of faithful servanthood, self-sacrifice and unswerving commitment to doing God’s will. Paul built faith communities that embodied (however imperfectly!) Christ’s ministry of forgiveness and healing, gracious and inclusive hospitality, mutual upbuilding, compassion and kindness to the most vulnerable among us.

These fledgling communities of faith worked to establish God’s kingdom peace, justice and equality, while loving and serving all God’s children.

Paul certainly played a significant role in spreading God’s love and grace, as well as growing the body of Christ by the example and pattern of his life in Christ. After sharing the good news of Jesus Christ and opening the Scriptures to increase knowledge and wisdom, Paul encouraged each community to maintain and grow in faith and hope by staying grounded in the vital spiritual practices of every follower of Jesus. Healthy disciples create healthy communities of faith by gathering for worship, participating in Holy Communion as the source of our strength and the transforming grace of God at work in us and through us. Prayer, confession, repentance, and studying God’s word round out our foundational spiritual practices, but don’t limit how the Spirit calls us into

FAITH CALENDAR

SUNDAY, JUNE 11

St. James Episcopal Church invites children to SonQuest RainForest VBS, based on five parables of Jesus. The school is for children from 3 years old to those exiting fifth grade and will run 6-8:45 p.m. each day. SonQuest is a ministry of St. James.

DETAILS >> 975 E. Warner Road, Tempe. Free. Information: 480-345-2686.

SUNDAYS

BIBLE EXPLORED

This biblical scripture study embraces a spirit-filled, intellectually honest, and understandable exploration of God’s Word. Lessons will combine Christian and Jewish

theology along with Bible history, archaeology and linguistics for a rich learning experience.

DETAILS>> 9:15 a.m. Mountain View Lutheran Church. 11002 S. 48th St., Ahwatukee. 480-893-2579, mvlutheran. org.

HORIZON SEEKS YOUNG PEOPLE

High school and middle school students meet to worship and do life together.

DETAILS>> 5 p.m. at Horizon Presbyterian Church, 1401 E. Liberty Lane. 480-460-1480 or email joel@ horizonchurch.com.

KIDS CAN LEARN JEWISH LIFE

Children can learn and experience Jewish life. Chabad

Hebrew School focuses on Jewish heritage, culture and holidays.

DETAILS>> 9:30 a.m. to noon, for children ages 5-13 at Pollack Chabad Center for Jewish Life, 875 N. McClintock Drive, Chandler. 480-855-4333, info@chabadcenter.com, or chabadcenter.com.

SUNDAY CELEBRATION SERVICE

Inspirational messages and music to lift your spirit. A welcoming community committed to living from the heart. Many classes and events offered. We welcome you!

DETAILS>> 10 a.m. Sundays at Unity of Tempe, 1222 E. Baseline Road, Suite 103, Tempe. Information: 480-7921800, unityoftempe.com.

other ways of deepening our relationship with God and with others.

For example, in this increasingly angry and fragmented society, many of us maintain the peace that passes all understanding by practicing centering prayer, or meditation. The bottom line here is that the Holy Spirit’s domain is eminent within and among the body of Christ shaping and guiding us as we constantly hunger and thirst for God.

The Holy Spirit leads us in discerning and following God’s will for our lives and the life of Christ’s body in the world, which in turn leads us into greater freedom.

The world’s way of eminent domain limits or deprives us of our freedom. God’s way expands our freedom to live authentically in faithful obedience, and to build community. Here again, Paul helps us by expanding our understanding of Jesus’ teachings in what I’m going to call Paul’s “no longer” statements of freedom.

We’ll pick this theme up in detail next time, but for now, it’s worth taking time to pray and ponder on how the world continues to demand eminent domain in our lives creating false paths to our hearts’ desires: love, freedom, security, and worthiness.

-The Rev. Susan E. Wilmot is Vicar at St. James the Apostle Episcopal Church & Preschool, 975 E. Warner Road, Tempe. rector@ stjamestempe.org, 480-345-2686, stjamestempe.org.

FOUNDATIONS OF FAITH

The Foundations of Faith Bible study embraces a spirit-filled, intellectually honest and refreshingly understandable exploration of God’s Word. Lessons will combine Christian and Jewish theology along with bible history, archaeology and linguistics for a rich learning experience.

DETAILS>> 9:15 a.m. Mountain View Lutheran Church. 11002 S. 48th St., Ahwatukee. 480-893-2579. mvlutheran. org.

Summer fun for families – or ways to get the kids out of the house

BY JUSTIN FERRIS GETOUT Editor

The kids are out of school for the next few months, which means a lot of additional hours spent in the company of energetic little ones. You should also occasionally drag the older ones away from their smartphones and latest Netflix binge. Fortunately, the East Valley offers plenty of family-friendly options to get everyone out of the house.

Water parks

Of course, the obvious family day out during the scorching Phoenix summer is to the water park. Big Surf in Tempe (bigsurffun.com) and Golfland Sunsplash in Mesa (golfland.com/mesa) are both excellent options.

The former features a massive wave pool that mimics the beach but doesn’t require the 12-hour round-trip car ride. The latter offers mini-golf, laser tag and arcade games to round out the day.

The major water parks make a great day out, but regular visits will deplete your bank account in short order. The East Valley also offers a number of less expensive alternatives. Many parks and outdoor malls, such as Tempe Marketplace and SanTan Village, feature free splash pads for younger kids.

There are also a number of private and municipal aquatic complexes that have low entry fees or season passes. Kids can enjoy respectable wave pools, slides and play areas at places like the Kiwanis Recreation Center in Tempe and the lazy river-like Mesa Aquatic Complex. The Rhodes Aquatic Complex in Mesa even houses a FlowRider system for a surf-like experience. Most of these complexes opened May 27.

Visit tiny.cc/splashpads to find splash pads and public pools near you.

Movies

If you don’t feel like braving the heat involved in an outdoor activity, Harkins Theatres might provide the answer. Through Aug. 4, locations around the Valley are showing kid-friendly movies like “The Lego Batman Movie,” “Kung Fu Panda

(vertucciofarms.com) and Schnepf Farms in Queen Creek (schnepffarms.com) offer play areas, games, rides and other kid-focused activities. While there, you can also score fresh fruits and vegetables to prepare delicious, healthy meals.

Summer Camps

To get the kids out of the house on a regular basis, consider a summer camp. The East Valley hosts camps in art, sports, science, theater and even more niche areas. You can explore 400 options across the Valley at raisingarizonakids. com/summer-camps.

3,” “Trolls” and more. There’s a new movie every week for 10 weeks.

A season pass to see all the movies costs only $7 per person. You can also pay $2 day-of to see individual movies. Visit harkinstheatres.com/SMF for the movie lineup, showtimes and more information.

Bowling

Get the kids out of the house and exercising without risking heatstroke. Bowlmor AMF, which operates AMF, Bowlero, Brunswick Zone and Bowlmor Lanes bowling alleys, offers a Summer Games Pass. For a one-time payment of $30-$45, kids and adults can bowl up to three games per day every day through Labor Day. Learn more or buy online at bowlsummergames.com.

Museums

Combine fun and education at some of the East Valley’s family-focused museums. The i.d.e.a. Museum (ideamuseum.org) provides plenty of cool exhibits and hands-on activities for kids from toddlers and up. Starting June 16, the exhibit focus

switches from superheroes to cute monsters.

The Arizona Museum of Natural History (arizonamuseumofnaturalhistory.org) makes another great day out. Look at dinosaur bones, visit the three-story animatronic Dinosaur Mountain, pan for gold, and enjoy plenty more kid-friendly exhibits that reveal the distant past.

Farms

Spend a day on the farm.

Both Vetruccio Farms in Mesa

Anderson Cooper avoids politics for traveling show

BY CHRISTINA FUOCO-KARASINSKI GETOUT Staff

Andy Cohen and Anderson Cooper have been friends for more than 25 years. They play off one another and show sides of their personalities that folks don’t see on television.

They will let fans into their world with “AC2: An Intimate Evening with Anderson Cooper and Andy Cohen,” otherwise known as “Deep Talk and Shallow Tales,” on Friday, June 9, at the Comerica Theatre. “Traveling anywhere with Andy is fun,” Cooper said. “Basically, he tries to get there days in advance to ‘scope it out.’ I’m not sure what that means. He wants to figure out where to go afterward. The whole tour revolves around Andy wanting to go to a new city and have fun.”

AC2 is dubbed an “unscripted, uncensored and unforgettable night of conversation.”

The late-night talk show host and the CNN anchor will interview each other and take questions from the audience. Instead of focusing on politics, the duo takes on pop culture and world events.

Cohen is an Emmy Award-winning

host and executive producer of “Watch What Happens: Live,” Bravo’s late-night, interactive talk show.

He is also an executive producer of the “Real Housewives” series. Cohen has written two New York Times bestsellers: “Most Talkative: Stories from the Frontlines of Pop Culture” and “The Andy Cohen Diaries: A Deep Look at a Shallow Year.”

At the first show, Cooper said, the audience “laughed so much and had such a good time. They said it was like hanging out with us for a night. They said, ‘I’d love to go out drinking with you or go out to dinner with you guys.’

“That’s what the show is. We tell stories we would only tell during the show. It’s not something fans would ever hear on television. We have some videos as well. It’s an intimate night with us and the audience, and the audience gets to ask us questions as well. It’s a fun night out with friends.”

Cooper said he and Cohen have been asked “pretty much everything you can possibly imagine.”

Cohen will answer every question, while Cooper passes on the “inappropriate ones.”

“Usually the audience has had a couple drinks, which we certainly encourage,” Cooper said. “So, you never know where

the questions are going to go.”

The pair ask that the audience not share video or stories on social media or elsewhere because they want the show to be a surprise.

“It’s nice to show different sides of yourself,” Cooper added. “They see that side of Andy with his work on his nightly show. People see a very different side of me when they come.

Anderson Cooper, left, and Andy Cohen have been friends for 25 years.

“We try to keep all the stuff we talk about a secret. We ask the audience not to tweet it out or videotape it. We want it to be a unique experience. We basically have a code of silence for the outside. People have been great about it. There’s very little detail online about what we talk about and the stories we tell.”

Cooper and Cohen have been friends for 25 years, when they were set up on a blind date that never happened.

“We had a phone call to set up a date and within a minute I knew I wouldn’t ever go out on a date with him,” he said. “I could just imagine him gesticulating, talking with his hands, being very animated. He broke my cardinal rule: He asked about my mom in the first 30 seconds.”

The son of Gloria Vanderbilt, Cooper

added that the call led to a longtime friendship.

“We became the friends we are today,” he said. “It’s great to be able to travel with one of your best friends, to go to a city to entertain people and meet people. There’s no reason to do this other than the fun of entertaining an audience of 3,000 people.”

IF YOU GO

What: AC2: An Intimate Evening with Anderson Cooper and Andy Cohen. Where: Comerica Theatre, 400 W. Washington St., Phoenix, When: 8 p.m. Friday, June 9.

Tickets: $58.50-$78.50

Maricopa County Reads

Get your kids reading this summer through Maricopa’s online website and fun event and activities at participating local libraries. Kids who meet their reading goals can win prizes, including free food and books.

DETAILS>> Starting Thursday, June 1. Online and your local library. Cost: Free. maricopacountyreads.org.

Tamburitzans ‘Jubilee’ Show

More than 30 performers use more than 400 costumes to showcase folk dances from Croatia, Armenia, Romania, Macedonia, Russia, France and many other countries. This is the show’s 80th season.

DETAILS>> 7:30 p.m., Thursday, June 1. Mesa Arts Center, 1 E. Main St., Mesa. Tickets: $30-$35. 480-644-6500. mesaartscenter. com.

Motorcycles on Main: June Bike Night

Enjoy looking at thousands of motorcycles as you enjoy the music of the Moonshine Voodoo Band. Beer gardens, vendors, food and other fun will also be on hand.

DETAILS>> 6-10 p.m., Friday, June 2. Downtown Mesa, 1 N. Macdonald, Mesa. Cost: Free. downtownmesa.com/ motorcyclesonmain.

First Friday Concert: Rock Lobster

Join Rock Lobster for a free outdoor concert of classic ‘80s tunes. Also, enjoy food trucks, and a splash pad for the kids.

DETAILS>> 6-8 p.m., Friday, June 2. Eastmark, 10100 E. Ray Road, Mesa. Cost: Free. eastmark.com, rocklobsterband.com.

I Hate Musicals

Join singer Johanna Carlisle for an evening of songs and stories about her favorite musicals. Proceeds go to Light Walker Theatrical’s first musical.

DETAILS>> 7:30-10 p.m., Friday, June 2. Tempe Center for the Arts, 700 W. Rio Salado Parkway, Tempe. Tickets: $20 adult, $15 students and seniors. 480-350-2822. tca.ticketforce.com.

Don Friesen

Comedian Don Friesen brings to the stage hilarious family stories that anyone can relate to. He’s appeared on the Showtime special “Ask Your Mom” and on satellite radio.

DETAILS>> 7:30-9 p.m., Friday, June 2. Tempe Center for the Arts, 700 W. Rio Salado Parkway, Tempe. Tickets: $10-$25. 480-350-2822. tca.ticketforce.com.

Yoga in the Park

Follow yoga instructor Tracy Buresh in a relaxing, free outdoor yoga class. No prior experience is required. Bring a yoga mat or beach towel.

DETAILS>> 8-9 a.m., Saturday, June 3. Tempe Beach Park, 80 W. Rio Salado Parkway, Tempe. Cost: Free. facebook.com/ womenonadventures.

Free Self-Defense Classes for Women and Children

Learn the basics of verbal and physical self-defense. The class for boys and girls 5-13 starts at 10 a.m., and the session for women 14+ starts at 11:30 a.m.

DETAILS>> 10 a.m.-12:30 p.m., Saturday, June 3. Kajukenbo Arizona, 2602 W. Baseline Road, Mesa. Cost: Free. Register at 480-7553008 or sifu@kajuaz.com. kajuaz.com.

Safety Day

Attend a festival that lets you talk with public safety officials and explore emergency vehicles. Kids will also enjoy

face painting, live entertainment and more. The first 100 kids get a free gift.

DETAILS>> 1-4 p.m., Saturday, June 3. Arizona Mills, 5000 S. Arizona Mills Circle, Tempe. Cost: Free. 480-491-7300.

Saturday Night Live Action

Roller Derby

Watch fast-paced roller skate action at Mesa’s only flat-track derby league. Fans can enter contests and raffles to win prizes.

DETAILS>> 6-9 p.m., Saturday, June 3. Broadway Recreation Center, 59 E. Broadway Road, Mesa. Tickets: $10 pre-sale, $15 at the gate, Free for kids 13 and under. facebook.com/arizonarollergirls.

– Justin Ferris, Phoenix.org. Get more ideas for fun things to do in the East Valley – and beyond – at Phoenix.org.

Four Peaks celebrates 20 years as Arizona’s brewery

BY DAVE CLARK GETOUT Contributor

In 1996, craft beer wasn’t even a thing. Some people referred to this trendy beverage as “microbrew;” others weren’t sure exactly what to call it.

That year, though, Andy Ingram experienced the English beer culture while studying abroad. They returned with a vision. The result was a modest brewery in Tempe, later known as Four Peaks. It changed the beer landscape in the nation’s 48th state.

“I was a 26-year-old moron doing what I loved to do,” Ingram jokes. He may have been flying by the seat of his pants back then, but Ingram and his partners made many great business decisions that eventually would turn this small, neighborhood brewery into a powerhouse.

Recently, Four Peaks celebrated its 20th anniversary with an all-day celebration that featured a performance by Blues Traveler, as well as throwback beers brewed during the past two decades. Revelers flocked to Four Peaks’ Wilson Road property, packing the taproom to capacity.

Naturally, there was a time not that long ago when Four Peaks wasn’t on every store shelf and in many Valley bars. The beer that

Arizonans have adopted as their own had a very modest start, and like many breweries, trials and tribulations almost doomed the project before it got off the ground.

Ingram started as an assistant brewer at Coyote Springs Brewery in Phoenix, under the tutelage of Clark Nelson. They shared their ideas and dreams of opening their own place. Around the same time, another group of more seasoned businessmen, led by Jim Scussel, were hatching a plan to open a brewery. The two parties crossed paths and eventually decided to work together.

The first major challenge was when they found an old dairy building on Eighth Street in Tempe, then a rundown part of the city. In a leap of faith, they signed a lease before they had secured the financing, determined to find a way to get it done. They quickly discovered they needed a “Plan B.”

“There was a lien on the property and the bank would not secure the loan,” Ingram says.

Undeterred, Ingram and his group sold Grundy tanks, small stainless steel tanks used for fermenting beer. At that time, fledgling breweries were aplenty, and these classic tanks were exactly what they needed.

With Grundy tank proceeds and financing from friends and family in hand,

things were a go on Eighth Street. There was also the issue of what to call this new venture. The original working name of Cactus Creek Brewing Company didn’t excite the partners. After discussing hundreds of monikers, they voted secretly on paper.

“Though no one had Four Peaks as their No. 1 choice, the name was the only one to appear on all the ballots,” Ingram says.

And with that a new brewery was born.

Though the business plan called for a full-service restaurant and bar, finances limited that idea to a production brewery. A few years later, an angel investor’s funding provided the green light for the bar and restaurant.

The ownership group was then set in stone: Ingram oversees the brewing operations and Scussel is the financial guy. Randy Schultz is the front-of-house manager while Arthur Craft is the master of the kitchen.

In a bit of serendipity, Ingram crossed paths with brewing industry rogue Dr. Paul Farnsworth, who was about to close Tucson’s River Road Brewing. Farnsworth wanted to see his house yeast live on. This was the type of English yeast Ingram was looking for, so he gladly accepted the gift that would later become the Four Peaks’ house yeast.

With the help of former Young’s Brewery veteran turned consultant, Barry John, recipes were devised for Impale Ale (the precursor to 8th Street Pale Ale), Oatmeal Stout, Peach Ale and Leroy Brown Ale.

“Barry stressed the importance of balance in all beers, even the ones that are traditionally unbalanced such as IPAs or barley wines,” Ingram says.

They considered distributing their beer locally and approached Tempe watering hole Casey Moore’s.

“They said they’d give us a shot for a week,” Ingram says. “If the beer sold, we’d get a chance to stay on. Thankfully our beer has been on at Casey Moore’s ever since.”

After establishing itself with beers distributed into

the marketplace via bars and stores, the focus shifted toward turning the production facility into a full-blown brewpub. Headed by Arthur Craft, the Eighth Street brewpub quickly became the place to be and the place to be seen. The success of the Eighth Street restaurant spawned a second fullservice restaurant in Scottsdale and later a third at Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport. The Wilson Road production facility, necessitated by the ever-increasing demand for its beer statewide, appeared four years ago, equipped with a spacious tasting room.

Four Peaks was acquired in late 2015 by Anheuser-Busch InBev. Despite initial backlash within the brewing community, Four Peaks weathered the storm and remains strong, thanks to the original ownership group’s day-to-day operations. The owners saw their hard work pay off and now Four Peaks beers can be enjoyed beyond the borders of Arizona.

Trying to get a brewer to choose his favorite beer is a lot like asking him to pick a favorite child. Eventually, Ingram singles one out.

“My favorite beer is 8th Street Pale Ale because it’s the most balanced,” he says.

Though Ingram believed in himself and his brewery, he never expected to be where he is today.

“It’s been an amazing wild ride,” he says.

IF YOU GO

Where: Four Peaks Eight Street Brewery, 1340 E. Eighth Street, Tempe, 480-303-9967

Four Peaks Wilson Tasting Room, 2401 S. Wilson Street, Tempe, 480-634-2976 Info: fourpeaks.com.

(Special to AFN)

From left, Randy Schultz, Andy Ingram and Jim Scussel founded Four Peaks.

France’s Phoenix brings ‘Ti Amo’ to the Marquee stage

BY CONNOR DZIWURA GETOUT Contributor

With its blend of synths and acoustics, French indie rock outfit Phoenix has always operated within its own space in the synth-pop world.

Delivering a sprightlier pop rock flavor to the traditionally electronic-driven style of synth-pop, the quartet – vocalist Thomas Mars, bassist/keyboardist Deck d’Arcy, guitarist/keyboardist Laurent Brancowitz and guitarist Christian Mazzalai – has maintained consistency across their evolving discography.

Now 18 years in, Phoenix is on its sixth full-length album, “Ti Amo,” which the four members will support with a June 13 show at Marquee Theatre.

On “Ti Amo,” the group continues pushing forward with the electronics it has incorporated on previous releases.

“We’ve loved electronics since we started,” Mars said. “When we made our first record, we were doing it in our bedroom, and it’s really hard to record acoustics in a bedroom so we didn’t really think of it that much.

“It’s easier to get a good sound with a drum machine or with a sample or with a keyboard than it is recording with microphones; so we’ve always mixed both.”

“Ti Amo” is led by the single “J-Boy,” one of two tracks that Mars said set the pace for the writing process. On “J-Boy,” the collective gives off a more retro vibe.

The strong groove and Mars’ quirky vocal patterns make this a unique new take on the group’s sound.

“‘J-Boy’ was the first one that was good enough,” Mars explained. “You always look for a song that when you have an idea, you look for that one song that you know is gonna be on the record; you know you’re very excited to play to your friends.”

Another early favorite of the group, “Fior di Latte,” which was written after “J-Boy.”

“We were really satisfied with the way it’s its own language – that it’s really its own thing,” he said of the track. “We never really did something that sounds similar, that’s in the same feel as that.”

But while the group still tweaks its sound with each release, Phoenix has been a purveyor of the idea that “less is more.”

Each album since Phoenix’s 2000 debut has consisted of 10 tracks.

“I’ve always loved something that was really dense,” Mars explained of the narrowing process. “I always like to work with a frame. It’s important to have limits because otherwise it’s timeless – it’s a never-ending process.”

While “Ti Amo” comes four years after “Bankrupt!” Mars, d’Arcy, Brancowitz and Mazzalai never took time off, starting the songwriting process before their previous tour even ended.

This time, the group took up residence in a studio at the top of an old Parisian opera house to write and record. Even with a potentially more retro, dance-y and synthetic flair than previous projects, Phoenix is still the same group.

“It’s hard to describe music. That’s the beauty of music,” Mars said. “We play around so that it’s mysterious to us as well. It’s sort of this hybrid process that you don’t really know what’s playing what and how

and you try to create your own language. “But I think the whole record has its own language. To me, that’s what we wanted to achieve. It might be sung in English, French or Italian – the point of it was to create our own language.”

IF YOU GO

What: Phoenix with The Lemon Twigs Where: Marquee Theatre, 730 N. Mill Ave., Tempe

When: 8 p.m. June 13

Cost: $40-60

Info: 480-829-0607, luckymanonline.com

(Special to AFN)

Now 18 years in, Phoenix is on its sixth full-length album.

BY JAN D’ATRI

Tribune Contributor

It’s grilling time all over the Valley. So this week, I’m sharing a big secret recipe from my two restaurants. I have to, because this recipe will help you create the most delicious grilled chicken ever. It’s our family’s very versatile recipe for a

“Home” Dressing

Ingredients:

1/2 cup good marsala

(or a good sherry if preferred)

1/2 cup balsamic vinegar

1 small clove garlic

1 tablespoon sweet yellow onion

1 teaspoon salt

2 tablespoons sugar

1 1/4 cups extra virgin olive oil

Directions:

Place ingredients in blender except olive oil. While blender is on low, slowly pour olive oil into blender. Turn to medium, then high and blend for about 2 minutes. Dressing will thicken as it is blended and then chilled. Refrigerate. If separates, just whisk to combine. Makes about 2 cups of dressing. Will last in fridge for weeks!

Grilled chicken marinade

Make the Home Dressing. Set some aside for salad dressing. Place chicken breasts in a glass or plastic container and pour Home Dressing over chicken. Turn chicken to fully incorporate dressing. Cover and

marinade, which also acts as a salad dressing. While it’s absolutely fantastic over any salad of your choice, using it as a marinade for chicken will take your dish to a whole new level. Whether you use it as a dressing or a marinade or both, I think you’re going to love it.

Happy grilling this weekend!

let sit for several hours or, even better, overnight. When ready to grill, lift chicken from dressing and cook according to your desired method. (Grilled, pan seared or oven baked. I prefer grilled in a grill pan on the cooktop.)

Discard dressing that the chicken was marinating in. Salt and pepper or season chicken with your desired seasonings.

Cook chicken until internal temperature reaches 165 degrees. Serve chicken hot or cold. Delicious!

Watch my “how to” video: jandatri.com/ recipes/grilled-chicken-miracle-marinade/ ?category_id=384

Hamilton Huskies down the Pride in Nike 7 on 7 tournament

BY GREG MACAFEE AFN Sports Editor

The summer kicked off with a bang last week as football players from all over the state put on a show at the 5th annual Nike 7 on 7 tournament.

After a morning of pool play, 32 teams were split into two different brackets, Gold and Silver. At the end of the afternoon, the North Canyon Rattlers took home the silver bracket and the Chandler Wolves took down rival Hamilton in the gold bracket championship game.

Mountain Pointe was another team, earning a No. 10 seed, coming out of a pool made up of Cactus Shadows, Valley Lutheran and Casteel high schools.

Casteel was arguably the team that made the most noise. Led by junior quarterback Gunner Cruz, Casteel defeated the Pride twice – once in pool play and once in the quarterfinals before Hamilton escaped a potential upset with a one-point victory.

It’s no secret that Arizona will be showing off one of the best groupings of quarterbacks this state has ever seen.

From Chaparral sophomore quarterback Jack Miller, who recently picked up offers from Ohio State, North Carolina and Texas A&M, to Pinnacle’s Spencer Rattler to Gilbert’s Jack Plummer.

When it came down to the gold bracket championship, it was Chandler’s Jacob Conover and Hamilton’s Tyler Shough showing off their impressive arms in an offensive showdown.

The two battled back and forth, often finishing drives off in one play with deep throws down the sideline.

The Wolves outlasted the Huskies 32-27 behind the arm of Conover and huge defensive plays down the stretch.

Chandler Coach Shaun Aguano is excited

to see what his junior quarterback can do this upcoming season.

“He was showing what he showed his sophomore year,” Aguano said. “His composure, his accuracy, he’s getting the ball to the right people, and he’s making his reads. So I think he just left off from last year, and I think he’s going to be a threat this whole year.”

The Wolves were given the No. 5 seed after pool play and had to beat tough teams in Desert Edge, Saguaro and Red Mountain to reach the championship against Hamilton. With that run came a lot of defensive stops and physical play, which was something Aguano liked to

see.

“They battled the whole day and they’re physical, and that’s what I’m looking for,” Aguano said. “I liked what I saw. We just gotta get better every day. I think we’ll be an OK team this year.”

Throughout the sunny day at the Scottsdale Sports Complex, teams made names for themselves.

Draycen Hall and Higley showed a little flash of brilliance earning a No. 14 seed before falling to Hamilton.

Behind Spencer Rattler, Pinnacle dominated in pool play earning the No. 1 overall seed but falling to Red Mountain in the gold bracket.

The first 7-on-7 tournament of the summer was an exciting one, and there will be more to come, with more teams and more players making names for themselves – part of the buildup to the time when the pads are put on and the lights turn on in August.

-Do you have a human-interest or feature story? Contact Sports Editor Greg Macafee at gmacafee@ timespublications.com or by phone at 480-898-5630. Follow Greg on Twitter @greg_macafee

Mountain Pointe’s Nick Wallerstedt throws a pass during the Nike 7 on 7 tournament. Wallerstedt is entering his junior season after throwing for

51 attempts as a sophomore.

Tom Brady’s concussion silence triggers concern for young football players

BY FELISA CARDENAS Cronkite News

Gisele Bündchen, wife of New England Patriots quarterback

Tom Brady, recently told a national audience on “CBS This Morning” that her husband had a concussion last year but “we don’t talk about it.”

Soon, other players around the NFL acknowledged that they played with what the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention defines as a traumatic brain injury.

That behavior sends the wrong message to youth, according to a Valley sports psychologist and local football coach, and teaching self-reporting must take priority.

“I think coaches nowadays have to be super-aware,” McClintock High School football coach Corbin Smith said. “Protect themselves and their kids, first and foremost.”

A sports psychology consultant who works with coaches to improve player and coach relationships believes the silence has a dangerous effect.

“If a budding footballer is hearing

and seeing athletes … withholding concussions, denying concussions, trying to fool the medical doctors about having a concussion, then they will see that as what you have to do to be successful,” said Adam Berry of MindSet Sports Psychology in Scottsdale.

An encouraging sign came from the Barrow Neurological Institute’s Concussion and Brain Injury Center, which surveyed Arizona teens for a 2016 concussion study and found the state’s youth are becoming more informed about concussions and the dangers of not being treated.

Still, many NFL athletes aren’t helping the cause.

New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees said on “The Dan Patrick Show” that he also has played through concussions without reporting them.

He never shared those moments with his wife because “I wouldn’t want her to worry.”

That kind of behavior sets the conversation back, said Chris Nowinski, co-founder and CEO of the Concussion Legacy Foundation.

“When the word gets out that a professional player is not reporting

concussions, I think it’s a giant step backwards, but we’re dealing with a very uncomfortable truth,” he said. “There are probably more concussions than players could possibly report and expect us to see.”

Smith understands that. He is the founder of the Larry Smith Coaching Academy, which aims to teach youth coaches about the fundamentals and techniques of coaching and includes an hourlong concussion seminar.

“We have to be able to recognize it without the kid saying it, but you can only recognize the most severe concussions without the kids saying anything,” Smith said.

The Concussion Legacy Foundation’s education program, Team Up Against Concussions, teaches teammates to look out for each other on the field and report concussions.

“That’s our best solution for young athletes,” Nowinski said, “because again, at some level, we can’t expect young athletes to self-report.”

As they get older, that changes. The Barrow’s study found that 89 percent of teens surveyed said they would report it if a teammate or friend suffered a

concussion playing a school sport.

All Arizona high school athletes are required to take the Barrow Brainbook concussion education program, launched by Barrow in 2011, before participating in sports.

“The bottom line is we have to be super cautious and take all the precautions that are necessary, for any kind of injury but especially concussions,” Smith said.

DATES:

2017-2018 SEASON

*SUNDAY JUNE 4TH, 2017

*SUNDAY JUNE 11TH, 2017

*SUNDAY JUNE 18TH, 2017

AGES:

11U-12U FROM 1PM-3PM

13U-14U FROM 3PM-6PM

(Special to AFN

Tom Brady and wife Gisele concealed his concussion.

Mountain Pointe seniors Delano Salgado and Jaad Waters to receive awards

The Phoenix Chapter of the National Alliance of African American Athletes will honor two Mountain Point High School incoming seniors this weekend.

Delano Salgado, who carries a 3.8 grade point average, and Jaad Waters, whose GPA is 3.5, will receive Student Athletes of the Year awards in a ceremony at 2 p.m. Saturday, June 3, at St. Andrew Apostle Church, 3450 W. Ray Road, Chandler.

“Both of these students have met and exceeded the requirements of the Phoenix chapter and the National Alliance of African American Athletes,” said chapter president Scott Williams.

Salgado and Waters are among 12 athletes who will be honored by the chapter on the basis of exceptional athleticism, community service and academic achievement.

“Both of these Arizona student athletes

exhibit in their lives a commitment to high academic standards and substantive service to their communities,” Williams said.

The keynote speaker for this event will be Natalie Randolph, the first woman to coach a boys varsity high school football team.

She also played receiver and defensive back in an all-women’s tackle football league and is now the Washington, D.C. State Athletic Association’s Title IX coordinator and the senior women’s administrator.

Salgado recently received the National Academy of Future Scientist and Technologists Award of Excellence and was invited to be a part of the National Youth Leadership Forum for Medicine.

He has volunteered at Pilgrim Rest Church’s program to feed the homeless. Through the Phoenix Fire Department, he also visits middle schools to talk about fire prevention.

“He is a young man who really

works hard to succeed,” Williams said.

“He wants to get a degree in electrical or computer engineering and create technology that will change the world. He will do this through a business that he will create that will employee local Arizonans.”

Salgado played running back and

defensive back on Mountain Pointe’s varsity football team last season, racking up 730 yards rushing in a backup role on offense. As a starting defensive back, he had 11 solo tackles, nine assisted tackles and one interception. He has already

We came to Keystone for the authentic Montessori education. We fell in love with Keystone Montessori when we realized it was more than just a school, it was a community.

- Parent Testimonial

(Special to AFN)

Delano Salgado, left, and Jaad Waters

ASU women golfers log eighth national title

BY SETH ASKELSON Cronkite News

Arizona State’s eighth national championship in women’s golf was a moment Linnea Strom will never forget.

“It was amazing,” Strom said. Strom sank a 2-foot putt against Northwestern on May 24 to give the Sun Devils their first championship since 2009. It is the first as an ASU head coach for Missy Farr-Kaye.

Returning home the following day was an emotional moment for the players. They were met by many fans, friends and family members at the ASU Karsten Golf Course clubhouse.

The applause and cheering led some to be overwhelmed with emotion. FarrKaye showed the most, wiping away tears on more than one occasion.

AWARDS

from page 53

received his first scholarship offer from Arizona Christian University.

Waters plays on the Pride basketball team, but also has been scouted by colleges for his volleyball skills.

“Jaad has always been a guy that takes a different path,” Williams said. “He will most likely be playing volleyball for a Pac-12 school. He has already taken three classes during his summer breaks at Stanford University.”

The final tournaments of the season were an interesting ride. After performing well all season, the Sun Devils finished sixth in the Pac-12 Championship. They then won their NCAA regional by 20 strokes.

“Pac-12s was our first bad tournament,” freshman Olivia Mehaffy said. “We learned from it. We put it behind us. We came back, we were focused, we were driven.

“We weren’t going to miss nationals again.”

Farr-Kaye was not too concerned about ASU’s conference finish. Pac-12 competition was tough this year, with three of the final four teams at nationals belonging to the conference.

Farr-Kaye was more concerned about the play of her team.

“We did not play well at the conference,” Farr-Kaye said. “I wouldn’t

He is a member of the Science National Honor Society and the National Society of High School Scholars.

Because his sister suffers from a lifelimiting illness, Waters volunteers at Ryan House. The facility provides palliative and respite care to children like his sister.

“Jaad has done all his community service hours at Ryan House, with countless hours playing or reading to sick children,”

Williams said, adding that he “even provides a shoulder for kids to cry on.”

Becoming a biomedical or biochemical

let them beat themselves up. I was like, ‘Hey, we don’t have time. We don’t have time for you guys to be upset.’”

The coach has a sound sense of perspective. Her sister Heather died of breast cancer. Missy was diagnosed with breast cancer at age 30 and again 10 years later.

The Sun Devils finished third in team stroke play, then started match play with a 5-0-0 defeat over Florida. Their next match against Stanford was more exciting than the final, Strom said.

Two of the matches against the Cardinal needed 19 holes. Strom and Monica Vaughn each won their extra hole, and their match, to send Arizona State to the championship round.

“I was nervous, but it was a lot of fun,” Strom said.

The team’s conditioning played a large part in its success, Farr-Kaye said. Many

engineer is his goal because he wants to “find cures for diseases that attack children like his sister,” Williams said. “He is committed to finding hope for families with very little hope.”

of the days were cold and windy, plus the team was away from its hotel for nearly 20 hours a day.

“The way we physically condition is all geared toward those eight days,” FarrKaye said. “And that’s what I realized the last couple years, watching the national championship. It’s about stamina.”

The team title wasn’t the only championship brought back to Tempe. Monica Vaughn won the individual championship.

This is not the first time Farr-Kaye has won a national championship at Arizona State. She helped ASU win their first championship in program history in 1990 as a player, and was an assistant coach on the 2009 national championship team.

An elated Farr-Kaye is not going to rush into the next season.

“I really want to enjoy this one.”

Tickets for the ceremony can be purchased at eventbrite.com/e/thephoenix-chapter-high-school-scholarathlete-awards-luncheon-2017-tickets34219660927?aff=es.

Information: 888-749-2427 or phxchapter.org.

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