Mesa Tribune: Northeast 05-31-2020

Mesa virus �ighter / P. 8

Escape to Mesa / P. 6

An edition of the East Valley Tribune

This Week

BY PAUL MARYNIAK Tribune Executive Editor

NEWS ........................ 9 Arizona has sued Google for millions of dollars.

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Yoga Goat field trips a hit with kids.

P

erhaps the most signi�icant announcement Superintendent of Public Instruction Kathy Hoffman will ever make was expected this weekend as she rolls out guidelines for reopening schools this August.

But those guidelines, which Hoffman promised by May 30, are only the beginning for Mesa Public Schools and the rest of Arizona districts as they peer into a murky future that’s only about eight weeks away.

Reopening is not something that Mesa Public Schools and other districts are just starting to think about now that report cards have been completed and virtual graduations concluded.

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Mesa Public Schools used this photo on its website announcement that sports were postponed after campuses were closed but whether sights like this will return for fall football games is anybody's guess. (Mesa Public Schools)

Mesa may seek voter OK on $100M streets bond

SPORTS ................ 15 School sports get viruscontrol recommendations.

COMMUNITY ............................... 12 BUSINESS ..................................... 13 OPINION ....................................... 14 SPORTS......................................... 15 PUZZLES ...................................... 16 CLASSIFIED ................................. 18 Zone

Sunday, May 31, 2020

COVID-19 cloud hangs over the next school year

INSIDE

COMMUNITY ........

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BY JIM WALSH Tribune Staff Writer

F

ueled by a coming wave of growth in southeast Mesa, City Council plans to ask voters this fall to authorize a $100 million bond issue for street and road improvements.

Mesa Mayor John Giles initially was reluctant to put the bond issue on the ballot, saying he thought voters would have little appetite for a secondary property tax increase during a recession.

But Giles eventually relented, agreeing with southeast Mesa Councilman Kevin Thompson that the city could not afford to fall behind the growth curve in the hot development area

east of Phoenix-Mesa Gateway Airport.

“I think I have come around to it,’’ Giles said.

“I think there is a cycle. We’ll get through it. I think a year or two from now, we’ll be grateful we are not overly tentative.’’

He noted that a vote authorizing the bonds doesn’t mean the council has to sell them immediately. He said Council could delay a sale if the economy worsened or there is a slower rebound than some experts forecast.

A delay in selling the bonds also would spare voters temporarily from a $28 annual increase in the secondary property tax – which generally supports school districts and pays for city capital improvements.

Council recently approved the tax levy for the

2020-21 �iscal year with no increase in taxes.

City Manager Chris Brady noted that the last street bond package, in 2013, was for $79.1 million and cost voters $26.40 a year.

Thompson argued forcefully for the bond issue, which includes several projects in his southeast Mesa district. He noted that there is a high degree of development activity there despite the recession.

“I think waiting another four, �ive six years is way too long,’’ Thompson said, referring to how long it would take to complete the projects if they were delayed until a 2022 bond issue vote, as Brady suggested.

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THE MESA TRIBUNE | MAY 31, 2020

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MPS Superintendent Dr. Andi Fourlis told the Governing Board last week that Mesa has been well-represented in a group of 89 school representatives who have been weighing in on Hoffman during her planning for weeks. Three teachers, a principal, a nurse and six administrators have been “sharing the voice of Mesa Public Schools” with Hoffman, she said.

The issues are staggering in their complexity and breadth.

They affect how students will get to and from school, how they will sit and move around inside them, how they will eat and play. Field trips and extracurriculars activities – from sports to choral to band – also await scrutiny.

Of�icials also must assess what Fourlis called in a recent public discussion “learning loss” among students over the last three months of distance learning as well as the continuing “digital divide” between students with internet access and those without.

Even the impact of closures on students’ mental health is an issue, given the prolonged alarm over the virus and their long separation from classmates and campus life.

“I take deep cleansing breaths when I think that we only have 70 days to get ready for what’s coming in the fall and to be at to make sure that we have the �lexibility and the opportunities for our families and teachers and our students,” Fourlis told the board.

Chandler Uni�ied Superintendent Camille Casteel was even more blunt, telling her board, “We’re like �lying the plane and building it at the same time.”

The issues are so vast and complex that Fourlis has 11 different subcommittees on the Mesa task force addressing various aspects of reopening.

They cover everything from technology and health to sports and instructional logistics.

And they address – like all other East Valley districts have been doing – three basic scenarios for the 2020-21 school year: fully open campuses, a hybrid of on-site and at-home learning and full-on distant learning as students had the last three months of the school year that just ended.

“We’re asking ourselves what does faceto-face look like?” Fourlis said. “Is it what we’ve always had face-to-face or is face-to-

MPS Superintendent Andi Fourlis laid out this schedule for the district's reopening planning, stressing her determination to get input from parents, staff and even students before it is finalized. (Mesa Public Schools)

face with perhaps an alternative schedule where students attend sometimes and rotate days or half days.”

President Trump has said schools should reopen and Gov. Doug Ducey last week said schools will reopen.

But that's easier said than done, given the myriad of complex – and expensive – issues that will impact students, parents, teachers and other staff.

The guidelines Hoffman was supposed to release May 30 – after the Tribune’s deadline – will be just that: guidelines.

During a meeting last Tuesday between some superintendents and Ducey and Hoffman, the governor “was very, very clear to say that Arizona has guidelines ....

Those are not mandates,” Fourlis saidoard.

“I was sitting next to the superintendent of the Navajo Nation. He has a very different problem to solve than we do, so the statewide plan has to be nimble,” she said.

Although the Trump Administration had shelved a 62-page set of guidelines created by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for reopening the country, the voluminous document was leaked.

It contained 19 speci�ic recommendations – not rules - for reopening schools that AASA, The Superintendents Association, urged school districts should follow.

Those recommendations include spacing desk 6 feet apart, canceling �ield trips and limited extracurricular activities, repeated emphasis on washing hands and related hygiene practices, canceling most

work gatherings, staggering the use of cafeterias and other gathering places like playgrounds so they can be disinfected after every use, staggering arrival and drop-off times and even locations, assigning supplies like crayons and pens to individual students and restricting visits from parents or other nonessential people.

Districts are examining space, trying to determine if libraries and multipurpose rooms will have to give way to additional classrooms necessary to keep desks at an acceptable social distance.

But even as that all goes on, MPS and other school of�icials have an even bigger worry: who will even come to school if campuses reopen?

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NEWS

THE MESA TRIBUNE | MAY 31, 2020

SCHOOLS ���� ���� 2

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The question involves both teachers and students.

MPS and most districts are surveying teaching staff to see who plans to return to the classroom when school begins.

While available data suggests the spread of the virus among children may be low, the data is mixed on the frequency of child-to-adult transfers.

Even without children, however, interactions among school staff could pose a concern for at least some school employees, particularly those who are older.

Then there are worries about how many parents might not want to send their children to school – a prospect with major �inancial implications because the bulk of school districts’ state funding is based on enrollment.

Those concerns run the gamut: Some may have elderly family members in the household and might fear their child will inadvertently infect them. Some parents of special-needs children might fear for their kids’ safety.

So, Mesa is also surveying parents – and eventually students – as part of Fourlis’ four-stage plan for developing and rolling out the MPS reopening strategy.

“The big problem for us to solve that I keep thinking about is what happens if 50 percent of our families might want faceto-face and only 30 percent of our teachers want to teach in face-to-face,” she told the board.

“How do we put that puzzle together?

So, it will be really important that not only do we collect survey data, but we’re having these focus groups for real conversations.”

Fourlis said the need to have a hybrid approach involves the possibility of an outbreak at a school or a school showing state-set percentage of faculty or students who have been exposed to the virus that would put it in line for closure.

“This would also be a place where we may be helping those families have a choice if they have students who have immune challenges or they just don’t feel safe yet coming back,” she said.

The Arizona Board of Education acknowledge those concerns by establishing a new way for districts to expand their online learning programs to all grades so that students whose parents opt for distance learning will count in the state’s reimbursement formula.

The state board contracted with Rio Salado Community College to evaluate written descriptions of online educational programs.

Districts that have certi�ied online instruction for some grades must secure certi�ication for its expansion to other grades, said Arizona Board of Education Executive Director Alicia Williams.

Districts also are assessing how they will handle transportation. While some states have talked about staggering start times so fewer children are on a bus, there is no agreement nationally on whether this will be necessary.

However, there is agreement among bus transportation professionals that additional sanitizing measures will be needed.

During a webinar last month on the subject, Mike Martin, executive director/CEO of the National Association of Pupil Transportation said that because the COVID-19 situation is constantly evolving, there is no set best practice available.

His organization also asked its members to “work with their school leadership to issue a statement to parents about cleanliness on their school buses.”

In that same webinar, Charlie Hood, executive director of the National Association of State Directors of Pupil Transportation and Services, said that because buses are not designed for social distancing, school districts will have to determine how to protect both students and drivers and that in the short-run, drivers may have to be equipped with protective clothing to enhance their safety.

The MPS Governing Board and its peers throughout Arizona are now in the process of �inalizing budgets for the next school year.

To help districts meet some of the new costs and revenue losses associated with the pandemic, Congress allotted $30.6 billion of its $2 trillion Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act for school districts.

Arizona’s share is $275 million and most districts have already been advised as to what they can expect. The issue has not been discussed at any recent MPS board meetings.

It likely will be millions, given that the somewhat smaller Chandler Uni�ied School District expects around $3.3 million.

But there’s a national controversy over that money after U.S. Education Secretary Betsy Devos advised that private schools

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– those that charge tuition – share in that money.

Moreover, her department advised, private schools’ share should be based on the total number of all its students while public schools’ share must be based on the number of students who come from families at or below the poverty line.

Private schools within each district must request that money from the district.

Moreover, “schools must notify the private schools, but many privates have already reached out because it’s a much larger sum than in the past,” said Dr. Mark Joraanstad, executive director of the Arizona School Administrators.

Joraanstad has urged all Arizona superintendents to write to their congressional representatives and ask that Congress step in to blunt Devos’ advisory.

“It appears the House is considering putting further guidance language on their intent,” he told the Tribune. “Whether the Senate would do so is more questionable. However, some senators have expressed concern over abandoning the poverty standard that has a history going back to the mid 1960’s.”

The backlash against Devos’ plan, however, is growing among both Democrats and Republicans.

Indiana’s Republican state superintendent of education already has declared she state will ignore Devos’ directive.

Republican Sen. Alexander Lamar, chairman of the Health, Education, Labor & Pensions Committee, has publicly expressed concern about her interpretation of the CARES Act. “My sense was that the money should have been distributed in the same way we distribute Title I money,” Alexander told reporters last week. “I think that’s what most of Congress was expecting.”

According to the website politico.com, “DeVos defended her interpretation of the law” and that she said, “it’s our interpretation that it is meant literally for all students and that includes students, no matter where they’re learning.”

Last week, The Hill reported that despite opposition from congressmen on both sides of the aisle DeVos accused state education leaders of having a “re�lex to share as little as possible with students and teachers outside of their control.”

On Friday, she put her foot down and said she issue a rule making her guidance mandatory and “resolve any issues in plenty of time for the next school year.” 

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NEWS

THE MESA TRIBUNE | MAY 31, 2020

P&Z board approves big SE Mesa projects

BY GARY NELSON Tribune Contributor

M

esa’s Planning and Zoning Board gave the green light on May 27 to three projects that will continue to �ill in the blanks in the city’s fast-growing southeastern sector.

They include: • A minor general-plan amendment and rezoning to allow auto dealers and apartments near a future leg of State Route 24.

• A mixed-use development with apartments and a hotel near the northwest corner of Baseline and Crismon roads.

• A rezoning to accommodate 135 attached single-family homes on 11 acres near the southeast corner of Ray and Ellsworth roads.

The most signi�icant zoning change among the three covers 89 acres on either side of the future Signal Butte Road extension where it will intersect with SR24.

The tract is part of a proposed development called Destination at Gateway. The eastern portion of this project is seen as

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“Our needs are so great; I can’t fathom us putting this off for �ive or six years. I think it’s our obligation to let our citizens make this decision,’’ Thompson said.

At one point, Thompson offered to draw up a laundry list of his own, prioritizing the projects in southeast Mesa, and suggested that each council member do the same thing.

“We don’t do it that way,’’ Brady said, adding that in all bond issues, he tries to include a variety of projects across the city to meet various local needs and appeal to voters.

“A lot of this work is in southeast Mesa, but that’s where we are growing,’’ Vice Mayor Mark Freeman said. “Then again, we have a lot of street repairs.’’

Brady and R. J. Zeder, Mesa’s transportation director, outlined four different options, including an interim $62.7 million plan over the next two years that would have used bonds from 2013 and other available funds without requiring a bond issue.

The other three were bond issues ranging in cost, and the number of projects, from the $100 million package supported

single-family homes covering about 157 acres. The newly rezoned portion now can accommodate a mix of uses including retail and multi-family residences.

Speci�ically, the owners want this future freeway exchange to host at least one “major auto dealership” as well as smallscale of�ice complexes, restaurants and other retail uses.

The owners, a company called Signal Butte 24 LLC, told the city in their rezoning request that the proposal is a direct result of “signi�icant events that have transpired in the past year relating to traf�ic improvements and major planning policy changes” by Queen Creek, Mesa and other governments involved in mapping the region’s future transportation.

Queen Creek and Mesa are working on extensions of major north-south streets that will connect with SR24. Further, construction of the next leg of the freeway itself, between its current terminus at Ellsworth Road and out to Ironwood Road, is scheduled to begin this fall.

As a result, the developers said in their

by Giles to $150 million and $200 million packages.

Although the council voted unanimously to support the $100 million bond package, it will take a formal vote scheduled for June 15 to place it on the Nov. 3 General Election ballot.

The bond issue has an unmistakable southeast Mesa �lavor, with improvements to Signal Butte Road between Williams Field Road and Pecos Road ($9.5 million), and Signal Butte between Pecos and Germann ($6.8 million) ranked as the top priorities.

Destination Gateway, a major mixeduse development offering a blend of residential and commercial development, is planned at Williams Field and Signal Butte roads near Arizona Route 24, a freeway scheduled to begin construction later this year.

Other improvements in the same region would include a connection between Ray and Ellsworth roads ($6.8 million) and work on Ellsworth between the city limits and Arizona 24 ($6.2 million).

Zeder said at least three projects in the package are directly related to the construction of Arizona 24, with the Signal Butte projects creating a north-south ar-

rezoning request, “Signal Butte will become (a) principal gateway into Mesa.”

The Baseline and Crismon project, known as Crismon Commons, would �ill an oddly shaped 11-acre parcel that was approved as the site of an assisted-living facility in 2018.

That didn’t pan out, and now the owners want to build a 240-unit extended-stay apartment complex, a 95-room A hotel will be on part of the site outlined here near Baseline and Crismon roads.

(City of Mesa) hotel and a resThe project would abut a single-family taurant. The apartments are expected to rent for between $1,200 and $1,500 per ��� PROJECTS ���� 6 month. terial near the new freeway.

He said Signal Butte is only a dirt road in some areas.

“Southeast Mesa is the fastest growing part of the city and there are gaps in the highway system,’’ Zeder said. “Most of that doesn’t exist today. We want to coordinate that with State Route 24.”

Arizona 24 will run diagonally in a southeast direction to the east of Phoenix Mesa Gateway Airport, providing a critical link to highway-starved Queen Creek at Ironwood Drive.

Construction on an interim, �ive-mile long roadway is expected to begin this fall and take about two years to complete.

Mesa already has funded the �irst leg of Arizona 24, also known as the Gateway Freeway – a $14 million bridge over Ellsworth Road that continues a ramp off the Loop 202. All but $2.5 million is refundable from state and county revenues.

Projects in other parts of Mesa include improvements on Val Vista Drive between Pueblo and the U.S. 60 ($12.3 million) and the reconstruction of two busy central Mesa intersections at Southern Avenue and Country Club Drive ($8.5 million) and at Stapley Road and University drives ($11.3 million).

Zeder said that nearly 50 percent of the $100 million price tag is reimbursable from Proposition 400, a sales tax increase authorized by Maricopa County voters that expires in 2025.

“The list is not wasteful,’’ Zeder said, referring to the $100 million package. “That puts us in a good place to get a sizable reimbursement and to get some needed projects going.’’

He said the reimbursements in Proposition 400 funds may eventually help Mesa complete additional projects that were included in the more expensive bond packages.

Thompson said growth in southeast Mesa has not been signi�icantly interrupted by the recession.

“There is a slight pump of the brakes, but overall, construction hasn’t stopped.

Builders are still building. Homes are still being sold,’’ he said. “It’s almost a weird economy,’’ with traditional brick and mortar businesses suffering the most during the pandemic.

Zeder noted that in the larger bond issues under consideration, the amount of reimbursement from Proposition 400

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NEWS

THE MESA TRIBUNE | MAY 31, 2020

Mesa plans ‘escape,’ business assistance programs

BY JIM WALSH Tribune Staff Writer

B

eyond lucrative grants to revive struggling small businesses, Mesa’s Small Business Reemergence Program also will feature an “Escape to Mesa’’ marketing program and technical assistance to help businesses not only survive, but to thrive.

The “Escape to Mesa’’ marketing campaign, scheduled to begin in July, is intended to help the city’s slumping tourism industry. Technical assistance would help businesses improve their operations.

Mesa will start accepting applications for the technical assistance program on June 8 at mesaAZ.gov/CARESBizTechAssist.

It would include helping businesses function in a digital world by developing a web site, web-based marketing campaigns and improving accounting practices.

“We do believe the technical assistance program will have the biggest impact on these small businesses,’’ Assistant Economic Development Director Jaye O’Donnell said. “The grants were a wonderful opportunity, but providing these fundamental tools will have a longer-lasting effect.’’

O’Donnell said businesses will be asked

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residential neighborhood to the west, town homes on the north, and medical of�ices on the south. There has been some pushback.

In response to neighbors’ concerns, the developers agreed to reduce the height of the proposed buildings, increase the setbacks and add other buffering measures.

Those accommodations didn’t satisfy numerous neighbors who submitted comments to the P&Z Board opposing the project because of its height, density and other concerns.

Reese Anderson, a lawyer representing the applicants, said by far the majority of those comments came from people living more than half a mile from the site. He said Mesa’s zoning allows the proposed uses.

Despite the �lood of opposing comments, P&Z approval was unanimous.

Farther southwest, the proposed 135 attached homes would be part of the Cadence development, which is unfolding on

to rank the type of assistance they need most, with about half of those that applied for the grants also requesting technical assistance.

She said the city might fund a contractor for up to $2,500 to develop a web site for a small business.

Beyond that, the business could bene�it from signing onto a portal, using a log in number and attending a webinar free of cost on accounting or marketing.

“Many of these businesses did not have a website or it was way out of date,’’ O’Donnell said. “They need to have an ecommerce model.’’

She said 2,559 potential applicants requested a form and 1,882 applicants started �illing it out but a little less than half completed it.

Applicants who submitted the form but were missing a document or made some other small error, were given an extension until Friday to complete their application, O’Donnell said.

“The program did what we wanted it to do. The vast majority are small, small businesses with less than 15 employees.’’

She added that about 250 of those businesses requested help in web-based marketing and advertising design and about 200 requested help with web hosting.

O’Donnell said she plans to brief the council next week on recommendations for grant awards, part of the city’s sweeping Mesa Cares program in response to the recession triggered by the COVID-19 virus pandemic.

Ryan Winkle, a former west Mesa council member, said that statistics he has reviewed show that more than 300 small businesses in west Mesa applied for the grants.

“We did direct outreach, direct engagement,’’ Winkle, now the chairman of the Asian Chamber of Commerce, said. “I think where we helped more than others is that we did a lot of hand-holding.”

He said west Mesa has a large number of small Asian and Latino businesses operated by immigrants and their families, with a focus on food.

The anticipated $6-$7 million in business survival grants are only one part of Mesa’s COVID-19 assistance efforts, using the $90 million in federal funds it received from the Coronavirus Relief Act and another $10 million in Community Development Block Grants, mainly dedicated to preventing homelessness and assisting the homeless.

Another $1 million has been added from the CDBG money to help people avoid fore-

what used to be a portion of the General Motors Desert Proving Ground.

The portion of SR24 that is soon to be under construction would abut the project’s west side.

The site is within the area covered by Mesa’s Gateway Strategic Development Plan, which the City Council adopted in 2008 to pro- Auto dealers and apartments would be permitted in the shaded area near Signal Butte and mote growth in Williams Field roads, requiring extensive upgrading of Signal Butte. (City of Mesa) the region while also protecting Phoenix-Mesa Gateway ment.

All three projects now move on to the Airport. City planners said the airport has no objections to the housing develop- City Council for �inal approval. 

closure by making past due mortgage payments, and to make rent payments to keep their apartments, as national unemployment claims now exceed 40 million Americans since the pandemic started in March.

The new “Escape to Mesa’’ marketing campaign would be spearheaded by Visit Mesa, the city’s tourism arm. Those agreeing to book rooms for two nights or more will receive a $150 voucher for meals at Mesa restaurants.

Michelle Streeter, a Visit Mesa spokeswoman, declined comment on the program, saying “it’s truly a concept right now. We have to develop it.’’

But O’Donnell said she is con�ident Visit Mesa and the city will eventually reach an agreement on launching the campaign.

“The goal is to drive consumers to buy now and visit now,’’ O’Donnell told the council. “As you know, tourism was the �irst industry hit by the pandemic and it was hit the hardest.’’

In Mesa, perhaps the most dramatic blow to the tourism industry was when Major League Baseball cancelled the remainder of the Cactus League season on March 12 to protect against the spread of the highly contagious virus, which has claimed 857

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would drop.

The $150 million plan would have cost taxpayers $42 per year, with a $63 million reimbursement, and the $200 million plan would have cost $56 per year, with a reimbursement of $68 million.

Among the bypassed projects that had been in the larger bond issues were: improving Elliot Road between Ellsworth and Sossaman for $18.1 million and improving Southern Avenue between Gilbert Road and Val Vista for $9.7 million. 

GOT NEWS? Contact Paul Maryniak at 480-898-5647 or pmaryniak@ timespublications.com

THE MESA TRIBUNE | MAY 31, 2020

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NEWS

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THE MESA TRIBUNE | MAY 31, 2020

Mesa doctor testing therapy for virus patients

BY ZACH ALVIRA Tribune Staff Writer

A

Mesa doctor is leading the charge in testing a nitric oxide therapy to help treat COVID-19 patients and limit the use of ventilators.

Dr. Thomas Ardiles, a pulmonary and critical care physician at Banner – University Medical Center in Phoenix, has tested the therapy, known as INOpulse, on as many as 50 patients exhibiting moderate symptoms of the coronavirus.

The INOpulse system is the only therapy designed to deliver nitric oxide in a targeted manner. Wherever the INO targets in the body, and speci�ically the “good areas” of the lungs for COVID patients, blood �low follows, increasing oxygen levels.

INOpulse was previously used during the SARS outbreak, and was found to be effective in patients needing oxygen support. When initial projections of the impact of COVID showed the U.S. and Arizona potentially running low on ventilators, Ardiles and his team explored alter-

Dr. Thomas Ardiles, a Mesa resident, pulmonary and critical care physician at Banner – University Medical Center in Phoenix is leading the charge in testing a therapy for COVID-19 patients. (Photo courtesy W20)

native options.

That’s when INOpulse came into play.

“Nitric oxide has been around for many years and it is very safe when used in the

right patient,” Ardiles said. “As we started getting COVID here in Arizona, my team explored every option we had to try and take care of our city and our state.”

Ardiles, who has worked for Banner for 11 years and is also a clinical assistant professor at the University of Arizona College of Medicine – Phoenix, teamed with Bellerophon Therapeutics to provide the therapy to patients.

In early May, Bellerophon Therapeutics was given the go-ahead from the U.S. Federal Food & Drug Administration to move to a third phase in the INOpulse study, in which as many as 500 patients will receive the therapy.

Ardiles said only patients who have been hospitalized with the virus are eligible for the therapy treatment. Those who are in intensive care units and are already at the point where intubation is necessary do not qualify.

“We are not using this on patients that are so sick that need a ventilator because we still don’t know if it truly works and those patients can decline quickly,” Ar-

diles said. “Studies from New York and Italy showed the average time for those patients to go from the hospital to ICU is less than a day.

“I think the message we get from that is if we have an early strategy it will be helpful. So, we are targeting patients that need oxygen but less than 10 liters and are stable.”

Ardiles has seen �irst-hand what kind of damage the virus can do to those who exhibit more severe symptoms. But so far, the new therapy has allowed for patients to recover quicker than those without who did not receive it.

Ardiles said he has seen patients recover in as little as �ive days while using the INOpulse. On one occasion, a patient needed the treatment for 12 days but was able to recover.

Regardless, Ardiles said it beats the use of ventilators which, while sometimes effective in treating patients whose oxygen levels are dropping from the virus, can be

��� DOCTOR ���� 10

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THE MESA TRIBUNE | MAY 31, 2020

AG suing Google for 'defrauding' Arizonans

BY HOWARD FISCHER Capitol Media Services

A

ttorney General Mark Brnovich is suing Google, claiming the internet giant is defrauding Arizona consumers by collecting private information.

“Google willfully misleads and deceives users into enabling collecting of their location data and using and storing their location data in ways users do not know or understand,’’ the state argues in the lawsuit �iled in Maricopa County Superior Court.

All that information, Brnovich charges, has a purpose.

“Google’s advertising revenues are driven by the company’s collection of detailed information about its users, including information about where those users are located,’’ he said.

That data, Brnovich said, allows Google to enable advertisers – companies that paid Google $135 billion in 2019 – to target users in speci�ic geographic locations.

“Hundreds of millions of dollars of these advertising revenues were generated from ads presented to millions of users in the state of Arizona,’’ he said.

The problem, Brnovich charges, is that the tactics the company uses to “surveil’’ users’ locations are “willfully deceptive and unfair’’ – violating the state’s Consumer Fraud Act. Brnovich wants a judge to order Google to surrender any pro�its it has made “by means of any unlawful practice.’’ He also wants “full restitution’’ to Arizona customers and for the company to pay a �ine of up to $10,000 for each willful violation of Arizona law.

Finally, he wants a court order barring Google from engaging in similar prac-

ESCAPE ���� ���� 9

lives statewide as of Thursday.

The Cactus League is more than exhibition games, with a city budget of�icial describing it as “a second Christmas’’ in sales tax and bed tax revenue.

Mesa hosts the Chicago Cubs, the league’s annual meal ticket as attendance champions, and the Oakland Athletics.

“The city of Mesa has the product that travelers are looking for in a vacation,’’ O’Donnell said. She said that includes

lAttorney General Mark Brnovich is taking on Google for allegedly defrauding users of the mammoth tech giant. (Tribune file photot)

tices in the future. That would cover not just Google devices but also its Android operating system and its popular search engine.

A call to a Google spokesperson was not immediately returned.

But when Capitol Media Services �irst inquired about the practice two years ago when Brnovich awarded a contract to a private law �irm to investigate the company’s activities, a spokesman said the information the company gathers “helps us provide useful services when people interact with our products, like locally relevant search results.’’

He also said there are ways for users to delete location history and web activity.

But Brnovich said it’s not a simple act.

He said the company makes it “exceedingly hard for users to understand what is going on with their location information, let alone opt-out of this morass.’’

healthy, outdoor options.

She said the city anticipates that people who are unsure about traveling today will become more comfortable with it by the fall.

The campaign would focus on “staycations’’ and other getaways for couples, she said. The marketing is expected to cost $250,000, while the technical assistance program is expected to cost about $1.5 million.

Council member David Luna said he has been told that the tourism industry in Mesa suffered a $14 million loss from the

“Google makes it impractical if not impossible for users to meaningfully opt-out of Google’s collection of location information, should users seek to do so,’’ he charged.

He told Capitol Media Services that users should be concerned.

“This includes physical location, everything about where you’re going, your doctor’s of�ice,’’ he said. And what’s worse, Brnovich said, is that the company effectively is lying to people about how they can stop that from happening.

“Even if a consumer or customer turns off their location, they’ve got their location history off, Google surreptitiously is collecting information through other settings, other apps, other web activity,’’ he said.

In the lawsuit, Brnovich details various settings, all of which provide information on a user’s location.

Some are speci�ic and simple, like the device’s main setting which allows the use of GPS to determine an individual’s location.

Then there is scanning for WiFi, Bluetooth, location history, location sharing and the company’s own ad personalization.

“The array of location-related settings described above misleads and deceives users of Google’s products into believing that they are not sharing location information when they actually are,’’ Brnovich said.

All that, he said, is complicated by a “complex web of setting and purported ‘consents’ ... that misleads users into handling over their location data to Google.’’

Some of the problems, Brnovich conceded, have been �ixed since an initial Associated Press story in 2018 explained how Google records the movements of users even when they believe they have set the parameters of their devices to speci�ically

COVID-19 pandemic as travel was greatly reduced during Stay at Home orders.

“It’s been a very signi�icant loss, a real burden to our economy,’’ Luna said.

Council member Jeremy Whittaker said he is not anti-small business – and that he operates several around the state – but he questioned whether the city’s use of federal money on the technical assistance program is wise public policy.

“If a business can’t �igure out how to build a website, should the government be propping them up,’’ he said.

9

block that.

Only after the story was published, he said, did Google acknowledge that it was tracking even those who had turned off their “location history.’’

“In other words, Google attempted to ‘�ix’ this particular deception only when it was caught,’’ Brnovich wrote.

But even then, he said, Google still made it dif�icult to understand how to turn off any location history.

On top of all that, Brnovich said, is that Google has set up its devices to undermine the choices made.

“Presumably, the entire point of including various toggles and consents on devices and accounts is to give the user control over the state of their device and/or account,’’ he said.

“However, Google has pushed a variety of updates that automatically change a user’s location settings and defaults without informing the user, much less seeking or obtaining consent,’’ he added.

The way Brnovich sees is, the default setting for location sharing on devices should be "off.’’ He said consumers should have to opt in as opposed to opting out.

What gives Brnovich some power over the international company is the state’s extensive Consumer Fraud Act. That’s the same law that he used to get refunds for Arizonans who purchased what they thought were clean-burning diesel-powered vehicles from Volkswagen. Brnovich even got a court to rule that the allegations of misleading Arizonans were enough to give him jurisdiction over that multinational �irm.

He said, Google is making representations to Arizona consumers that once they turn off location services that the practice stops. That, he said is not true.  With the pandemic far from over, it might be smart to put some of the federal dollars aside for use to supplement essential needs, Whittaker said.

The funds could be used on the technical assistance program if there is still money available near the December deadline for sending back unused funds back to the U.S. Treasury.

“I hope we exercise some caution as it comes to burning through these funds before we know the true impact at year’s end,’’ he said. 

10

NEWS

THE MESA TRIBUNE | MAY 31, 2020

AROUND MESA

Mesa CARES adds food distribution site

As part of Mesa CARES, a new food distribution site is open at House of Refuge, 6935 E. Williams Field Road. Midwest Food Bank is preparing 300 meal boxes for House of Refuge to distribute Thursdays and Fridays from 7 a.m. to 10 a.m.

The distribution is to the neighborhood as well as the 88 homeless families living on the House of Refuge campus.

Help restaurants and treat the family on Wednesdays

Mesa’s Family Take Out Night, a campaign to help support the restaurants and arts in downtown Mesa during the COVID-19 pandemic, is now extended through July.

Every Wednesday night, Mesa restaurants will offer a “4 for $44” dinner special. Participating businesses will offer multi-course options at the special price in addition to lower-priced options.

The goal of the program is to help struggling restaurants regian some footing.

To see specials: visitmesa.com/mesa-family-takeout-night.

League of Cities picks Mesa for economic program

Mesa, Gilbert and Queen Creek have been selected by the National League of Cities to participate in an economic development program.

TIP Strategies will work with stakeholders in the communities to gather important data on small businesses and services to support them.

They will then hold an economic summit in September with a goal of identifying “new strategies and practices for supporting small businesses, developing resiliency and promoting equity and inclusion,” according to a release.

Mesa Mayor John Giles said, “This program will help us all identify and leverage economic strengths and opportunities as we continue to make our communities great places for our residents to live and our companies to do business.”

League of Arizona Cities and Towns Executive Director Tom Belshe said, “Their success will determine how the state, and our country, rebound from the current crisis.”

Mesa is finalist for park management medal

The American Academy for Park and Recreation

ANSWERS TO PUZZLES AND SUDOKU from Page 16

Our Savior’s Lutheran Church 612 S. Ellsworth Rd. Mesa, AZ 85208

480.984.5555 oslcaz.org

Administration and National Recreation and Park Association says Mesa’s Parks, Recreation and Community Facilities Department is a finalist for the 2020 National Gold Medal Awards for Excellence.

Founded in 1965, the Gold Medal Awards program honors communities in the United States that demonstrate excellence in parks and recreation through long-range planning, resource management, volunteerism, environmental stewardship, program development and other factors.

Competing with Mesa are Dallas, East Baton Rouge and Toledo.

A panel of five park and recreation professionals will review and judge all application materials. Mesa was a finalist in 2014, 2015 and 2019 and won the Gold Medal in 1978, 1992 and 2000.

The winners will be announced in October.

Annual summer reading program kicks off June 1

Mesa Public Library is launching its annual summer reading program – a campaign to flatten the so-called “summer slide” that occurs when kids are out of school.

“The summer slide is real and the addition of school closures due to COVID-19 makes our Summer

DOCTOR ���� ���� 8

damaging.

“Running a ventilator is really not hard in most patients but the problem is these patients are very different. They just don’t do well,” Ardiles said. “If we can prevent them from going to the ventilator and prevent them from declining, that is a big win.”

While effective thus far, INOpulse is still far from being deemed an effective treatment for all coronavirus patients. Ardiles

Reading Program more important than ever,” Mayor John Giles said, calling the program “a great opportunity to help them keep pace at home and get ready for the next school year.”

Kids and even adults are encouraged to earn points by reading 20 minutes a day that can be exchanged for prizes.

They can find books at Read20az.com (English) or leepor20az.com (Spanish).

“Most people don’t realize that our summer reading programs are open to adults as well as children,” Library Director Heather Wolf said. “This year, more than ever, we want to make summer reading a family affair and encourage parents to join in on reading 20 minutes a day with their kids. One of the most effective ways to encourage kids to read is to be a role model.”

Participants must register online to log their reading hours and registration begins June 1. Every minute spent reading equals one point.

This year the program is offering a lineup of streaming online events from local performers with new performances posted each week.

Earn 1,000 points to complete the program and receive a free book. Prize distribution, as well as raffle drawings, will take place in August. Details: MesaLibrary.org.

hopes once the third phase of the test is complete, he and Bellerophen Therapeutics can continue testing larger groups in hopes of it being approved as an adequate treatment.

“We have now been authorized for a randomized control trial, where we will give this to some patients and just straight oxygen to others,” Ardiles said. “This will help show us whether it truly is effective or not. We are trying everything for these patients and doing everything we know seems to work.” 

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THE MESA TRIBUNE | MAY 31, 2020

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Goat Yoga now has real and virtual �ield trips ANNIKA TOMLIN Tribune Staff Writer

M

otivating kids to do homework has been a challenge during the pandemic, so Gilbert’s Arizona Goat Yoga helped by offering virtual tours for classes to meet yoga goats, alpacas and chickens.

“I have three kids of my own and I see how hard it is now that school is online to get motivated to really do it,” said Arizona Goat Yoga owner April Gould. “I was trying to think of a way that we might be able to help and so we decided to do virtual �ield trips and that has been so much fun.”

Gould takes teachers and students around the Gilbert farm to show them the animals’ daily lives. The farm has 58 goats, 19 of whom are babies, two alpacas and six chickens.

Goat Yoga expects to reopen June 6 for in-person �ield trips, though Gould said the online versions will continue because they have become a hit in and of themselves. Her �irst two online sessions next month are already full – as are the �irst two in-person �ield trips.

“We are so excited,” said Gould. “It’s already full, so we will be adding more and taking all precautions and recommendations from the CDC and Governor Doug Ducey.

“We will also be continuing virtual goat yoga classes, Zoom �ield trips/birthday parties, alpaca meetings and ‘Goat Grams’... so there is still plenty to do for those who are not ready to go out or anyone out of state who can’t attend a class.”

The pandemic kept the farm from hosting goat yoga, during which baby goat parade in rainbow tutus, prance around at guests’ feet and run across their backs.

“It’s really sad right now that we’re not able to do goat yoga because we have so many babies who need lots of love and attention and human interaction,” Gould said. “It’s unfortunate for them that they’re not getting a lot of human interaction from hundreds of in-person people.”

Now that Goat Yoga will be reopening June 6, kids and families can enjoy the many animals and their antics in person instead of just on a computer screen. (Special to the Tribune)

“During a �ield trip I just walk around because you can do it anywhere,” Gould and show the animals and talk about said. “Kids can get to see not only the them and then there’s a lot of Q&A,” goats and alpacas and things like that, but Gould said. “I get questions as simple as, they also get to see another place in the ‘What is their name?’ to “How long do United States of what life is like right now they live?’ A lot of questions are super cute.”

According to Gould, some teachers asked their students to research the animals �irst and then they discuss what they’ve learned with the class. This makes the experience both fun and educational.

“The kids were coming back with all these facts about alpacas that I didn’t even know, which is pretty neat,” Gould said.

Gould said the virtual �ield trips, which were free for teachers, were well received.

“The best thing for me is seeing the kids having fun and it being so different for them,” Gould said.

“As soon as we get on, all I hear is, ‘Aww.’ I just love the excitement of the kids.”

Teachers thanked Gould for breaking up the monotony of their new everyday life having school Goat Yoga will continue its online field trips, which have proven online. wildly popular with kids. (Special to the Tribune) “Since it’s virtual it’s fantastic

in Gilbert.”

Besides the teachers’ free �ield trips, guests can visit virtually for 10 minutes for $35; have a customizable goat gram for $35 or a 30-minute “alpacalypse” conference call for $75. The conference call brings alpacas Kip or Napoleon to virtual business meetings for 30 meetings.

“I’ve been getting a lot of requests for birthday parties, which is a whole new level,” Gould said. “I’m excited for that because, apparently, virtual birthday parties are going to be kind of the thing for right now.”

Gould is anxiously awaiting her �irst goat breakup gram customer. The goat comes online with a sign that reads, “We can still be frieeeends.”

“I’m super excited for it when that day comes,” Gould said. “Let a goat break up and do all the dirty work. It makes the let down a lot easier that way.”

Aside from the fun, Gould and her team had a tough time through the pandemic.

“For us, like many small businesses, it really hurts,” Gould said. “Our whole business is based on a lot of people in close gatherings, everything that we’re not allowed to do right now.

“It’s been really tough on us, but also really hard on the animals. I know that sounds funny, but the goats are getting really depressed. They’re not used to just grazing and being bored.”

The animals are still playing, sleeping, eating and nursing throughout the day as if they were still doing goat yoga without an audience.

As for continuing the online trips, she said, “I think it’s just become a new creative thing and maybe keeping it on going for the people out of state or out of the country.

“I think it would be so neat to have a virtual tour or �ield trip to see somewhere different and this kind of opened up a door for new ideas in that aspect.”

Information: 480-269-4144, goatyoga.com, owner@goatyoga.com 

BUSINESS

THE MESA TRIBUNE | MAY 31, 2020

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Pandemic impacts shipping business in different ways TRIBUNE NEWS STAFF

I

n an age of social distancing when an email just won’t do it, Susan Haws runs the kind of business people look for.

Owner of Star Mail at 1496 N. Higley Road, Gilbert, since 2015, the Mesa woman runs a retail pack-and-ship business that provides a wide range of others services – such as �ingerprinting, document shredding and notarization, laminating and binding – as well as retail for things like gift wrap.

But because Star Mail ships both domestically and internationally, it’s that service that a pandemic makes especially useful if they want to extend a token of love, friendship or congratulations to someone they can’t give in person because of travel restrictions or COVID-19 concerns in general.

“With graduation and wedding season upon us, more of us are helping people celebrate from a distance,” said Haws.

Of course, the pandemic also has posed challenges for Haws as it has for almost all businesses.

“Like every small business this has been a hard time but we have worked together as a team and have been grateful that we were able to remain open,” she said.

“We require social distancing of customers,” Haws added.” If there are too many people for social distancing people have had to wait outside or come back in a little while. We have considered putting marks on the �loor but have not done it yet as customers have been compliant.”

She said some have called ahead and requested curbside delivery for things like picking up mail or sending a parcel, adding “We request customers and staff to monitor their health and if they have

t o Gews?

N

Mesa resident Susan Haws says her Star Mail shipping service in Gilbert is observing all recommended safety guidelines for stopping COVID-19 spread, including wearing masks. (Pablo Robles/Tribune Staff Photographer)

symptoms of COVID-19, to reschedule.”

As for her staff of four, masks and gloves are the order of the day, Haws said.

“We regularly wash hands and sanitize surfaces,” she added. “We are lucky and all staff remain healthy.”

put an extra stamp on the envelope and mark “please hand stamp” on it.

“Gift cards are in�lexible and could cause the machinery to shred your envelope and many other people’s mail behind yours,” Haws explained. “Then when the

“ With graduation and wedding season upon us, more of us are helping people celebrate from a distance

”

Haws said that now that more people are turning to sending a little love instead of bringing it, there are some things they should keep in mind.

For example, if you’re sending gift cards,

postal workers sort through the ripped pieces of mail, they have no means of telling which envelope the gift card came from. So, the card pieces in the plastic bag with the apology note on it that arrives

will not contain a gift card.”

Haws also advised people to think about what they’re sending, warning that fun gifts that are cheap when they’re given in person can be expensive if they’re shipped.

“The smaller lighter package costs less to ship,” she said, “or choose something that �its in a �lat rate priority box as this way the weight is no longer a concern.”

“Size does matter in packages,” Haws continued. “It costs more. It takes up more space in vehicles and airplanes. So, the art your child painted for Aunt Mabel will cost signi�icantly less to ship if it is rolled than if it is framed.”

Some everyday items have restrictions, need special labeling or are not shippable without special licenses, Haws advised, “so make sure you let the Post Of�ice or shipping store know the contents of your package. No shipping nail polish. Who knew?”

For those who do plan to travel, Haws said they might want to ship those gifts anyway since they lighten luggage – and could lower baggage fees.

“I shipped a fragile wedding gift ahead of my �light to attend a friend’s wedding,” Haws said. “I was so glad.”

That said, she added, “While we would like to ship everything for everyone, sometimes taking things with you is just worth the extra effort. I advised a customer planning an international trip to take any medications and supplements with her even if it might be an extra fee or time at the airport.

“Especially in these uncertain times, you don’t want your meds delayed in customs.”

Information: starmailaz.com, starmailaz@gmail.com or 480-830-7827. 

Contact Paul Maryniak at 480-898-5647 or pmaryniak@timespublications.com

OPINION

14

THE MESA TRIBUNE | MAY 31, 2020

Share Your Thoughts:

Send your letters on local issues to: pmaryniak@timespublications.com TheMesaTribune.com

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Past tragedies evoked past presidents’ inspiration

BY DAVID LEIBOWITZ Tribune Columnist

They came to the Oklahoma State Fairgrounds by the thousands, just four days after a terrorist’s bomb ripped through a federal building in downtown Oklahoma City.

This was April 23, 1995 – not a pandemic with 100,000 dead, but 168 murdered – and I was there as a columnist.

The Rev. Billy Graham spoke eloquently about the mysteries of God. “I’ve been asked why God allows it,” the pastor said.

“I don’t know. ... I have to confess that I never fully understand, even for my own satisfaction. I have to accept that God is a God of love and mercy and compassion even in the midst of suffering.”

Then President Bill Clinton rose and spoke to grieving – and with him rose

America.

I never cared much for Clinton the man.

But Clinton the orator spoke with humility and grace. He leaned into a profound moment of national grief, and drew us with him. He quoted Proverbs 11:29 and it �it the moment perfectly.

“To all my fellow Americans beyond this hall, I say, one thing we owe those who have sacri�iced is the duty to purge ourselves of the dark forces which gave rise to this evil. They are forces that threaten our common peace, our freedom, our way of life. Let us teach our children that the God of comfort is also the God of righteousness: Those who trouble their own house will inherit the wind. Justice will prevail.”

Once, we called moments like this “being Presidential.” It was what Presidents did when we suffered war, attack, mass death. You might remember such times, though now it’s a thing of the past.

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Here’s President Trump on the day we passed 100,000 dead from COVID-19: “The Radical Left Lamestream Media, together with their partner, the Do Nothing Democrats, are trying to spread a new narrative that President Trump was slow in reacting to Covid 19. Wrong, I was very fast, even doing the Ban on China long before anybody thought necessary!”

Classy.

I miss empathy and having a President who rises to the moment.

Like President Reagan after the Challenger exploded in 1986.

“I know it is hard to understand, but sometimes painful things like this happen,” he told us. “It’s all part of taking a chance and expanding man’s horizons.

The future doesn’t belong to the fainthearted; it belongs to the brave.”

Like President Obama after a mass shooting in Tucson killed six and wounded 13.

“If this tragedy prompts re�lection and debate, as it should, let’s make sure it’s worthy of those we have lost. Let’s make sure it’s not on the usual plane of politics and point-scoring and pettiness that drifts away in the next news cycle. The loss of these wonderful people should make every one of us strive to be better.”

Like President George W. Bush through a bullhorn at Ground Zero after 9/11. “I can hear you. The rest of the world hears you! And the people – and the people who knocked these buildings down will hear all of us soon!”

Here’s Donald Trump, asked if he had a message for Americans, who might be worried about the pandemic: “I say that you’re a terrible reporter. That’s what I say. I think it’s a very nasty question.”

Actually, in our most tragic moments, it’s exactly the question every President should answer. 

SPORTS

THE MESA TRIBUNE | MAY 31, 2020

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High school athletes preparing to take to the �ield

BY ZACH ALVIRA Tribune Sports Editor

T

he Arizona Interscholastic Association on Thursday announced its recommendations for schools to begin welcoming student-athletes back on campus for summer workouts in phases and Mesa athletes might be heading to practice soon.

The recommendations were made by the AIA’s Sports Medicine Advisory Committee and fall in line with other guidelines imposed by state and national health committees, including the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

School districts are welcome to base their own plans on the AIA’s suggestions or develop their own guidelines. Some had already established guidelines their students and coaches will follow beginning as early as Monday.

The recommendations do not cover attendance at regular games and guidelines for that likely will be made by district administrators.

Mesa Public Schools Athletic Director Steve Hogan said in an email to The Tribune that the district had prepared guidelines of its own and would present it to administrators for approval. A decision is expected Monday.

“I think there has to be a way to phase it in,” said Mountain View coach Mike Fell, who spent was hired by to coach the Toros in 2016 after three seasons at Lima Senior High School in Ohio. “Coming from Ohio, we didn’t really start until around this time anyway. You weren’t allowed to have contact with the kids, coaching wise, until the summer.

“It would be nice to throw the ball and be in the weight room and hopefully we will be. If it takes a week or two weeks, by the end of June we should be up and going.”

The recommendations from the AIA were approved during a special executive

Mountain View football coach Mike Fell said putting together guidelines and recommendations for athletes to begin workouts on campus is a step in the right direction for sports to resume this fall. (Pablo Robles/Tribune Staff)

board session held Thursday morning.

The 12-page document includes general health practices, including staying home if sick or at risk for severe illness, frequently washing hands and using a face mask when possible.

The AIA also recommends daily health and temperature checks and for schools to issue questionnaires that require athletes to list any and all symptoms they may have on a daily basis.

Additionally, the AIA recommended athletes to avoid �ist bumps, high �ives and hugging, as well as to disinfect frequently touched surfaces. The recommendations also call for outdoor practices when possible and for drinking fountains and locker rooms to be closed.

The �irst phase of the AIA recommendations calls for groups no larger than 10 that remain together each day. All athletes and coaches must be symptom free for at least 14 days before taking part in train-

Have an interesting sports story?

ing exercises.

If athletes live with someone that is either sick or at an elevated risk, they should not attend workouts. All personal equipment should be disinfected after practice and athletes should head home immediately.

“Our priority through this is for the safety and well-being of all our state’s student-athletes and those that support them,” said Executive Director David Hines in a press release.

“We are not guaranteed to have a fall season. We are preparing to be ready on time, but it will all depend on how this situation develops as the summer goes on.

We just ask that schools, coaches, players and parents consider and utilize the guidelines until we get back to normal.”

The second phase allows for 50 or more athletes. All other precautions from phase one remain intact.

Once in phase three, teams may return

Contact Zach Alvira at zalvira@timespublications.com and follow him on Twitter @ZachAlvira.

to a traditional practice setting with no limitations on the number of participants.

Contact is allowed to proceed in the third phase along with the use of shared equipment. The AIA also emphasized the importance of heat acclimatization in its return-to-play recommendations.

Mesa’s potential return for athletic workouts will follow other districts and schools that have already opened.

Gilbert Public Schools announced its four-phase guidelines Tuesday night.

Coaches were briefed Thursday and workouts will begin Monday, June 1. Valley Christian High School released its guidelines and opened its campus to students on May 26.

Kerry Taylor, the new head football coach at San Tan Charter in Gilbert, announced his program would begin in-person workouts on June 1.

New Eastmark head baseball coach Shane Hilstrom said he received the goahead from school Athletic Director Kraig Leuschner to begin hosting camps for a small group of players.

Tempe Union High School District Athletic Director Bruce Kipper said he hopes for a mid-June start date. Scottsdale Uni�ied School District spokeswoman Amy Bolton said the district is aiming for a June 29 start date.

The AIA’s recommendations came shortly before Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey announced schools would be open in the fall and organized youth sports could resume.

While several uncertainties remain surrounding the fall sports season, Fell believes having a rough timeline to get athletes on campus is a step in the right direction.

“One of the biggest fears us coaches have is not being able to play in the fall,” Fell said. “But now, I can’t imagine them having us do this and then not playing. To me, it kind of seems like we will be good to go.

Honestly, that’s all you can hope for.” for.”

32

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THE MESA TRIBUNE | MAY 31, 2020

18

Public Notices CITY OF MESA MESA, ARIZONA Alma School Road Arterial Reconstruct Alma School Road (Broadway Road to Main Street) PROJECT NO. CP0439P5B ADVERTISEMENT FOR BIDS NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that sealed bids will be received until Thursday, June 25, 2020, at 1:00 p.m. All sealed bids will be received electronically at EngineeringBids@mesaaz.gov. Bids must be submitted as an unencrypted.pdf attachment with a maximum size limit of 20MB. Any bid received after the time specified will be returned without any consideration.

This contract shall be for furnishing all labor, materials, transportation and services for the construction and/or installation of the following work: Mill and Overlay approximately 26,000 SY of asphalt on Alma School Road between Broadway Road and Main Street. Install driveways and sidewalk ramps as indicated on plans and specifications. Furnish and install DIP water line, ranging from 12" to 16" in size, including water service lines, meter boxes, fire hydrants, and associated valves and appurtenances. Furnish and install PE Gas Line, ranging from 2" to 4" in size, including meters, valves, service lines, and associated appurtenances.

The Engineer’s Estimate range is $2,465,000.00 - $3,015,000.00.

For all technical, contract, bid-related, or other questions, please contact Stephanie Gishey at stephanie.gishey@mesaaz.gov.

Contact with City Employees. All firms interested in this project (including the firm’s employees, representatives, agents, lobbyists, attorneys, and subconsultants) will refrain, under penalty of disqualification, from direct or indirect contact for the purpose of influencing the selection or creating bias in the selection process with any person who may play a part in the selection process. This policy is intended to create a level playing field for all potential firms, to assure that contract decisions are made in public, and to protect the integrity of the selection process. All contact on this selection process should be addressed to the authorized representative identified above.

Contractors desiring to submit proposals may purchase sets of the Bid Documents from ARC Document Solutions, LLC, at https://order.earc.com/arcEOC/PWELL_Main.asp?mem=29. Click on “Go” for the Public Planroom to access plans. NOTE: In order to be placed on the Plan Holders List and to receive notifications and updates regarding this bid (such as addenda) during the bidding period, an order must be placed. The cost of each Bid Set will be no more than $20.00, which is non-refundable. Partial bid packages are not sold. You can view documents on-line (at no cost), order Bid Sets, and access the Plan Holders List on the website at the address listed above. Please verify print lead time prior to arriving for pick-up. For a list of locations nearest you, go to www.e-arc.com.

One set of the Contract Documents is also available for viewing at the City of Mesa’s Engineering Department at 20 East Main Street, Mesa, AZ. Please call 480644-2251 prior to arriving to ensure that the documents are available for viewing.

In order for the City to consider alternate products in the bidding process, please follow Arizona Revised Statutes §34.104c.

If a pre-bid review of the site has been scheduled, details can be referenced in Project Specific Provision Section #3, titled “Pre-Bid Review of Site.”

Work shall be completed within 200 consecutive calendar days, beginning with the day following the starting date specified in the Notice to Proceed.

Bids must be submitted on the Proposal Form provided and be accompanied by the Bid Bond for not less than ten percent (10%) of the total bid, payable to the City of Mesa, Arizona, or a certified or cashier's check. PERSONAL OR INDIVIDUAL SURETY BONDS ARE NOT ACCEPTABLE. The successful bidder will be required to execute the standard form of contract for construction within ten (10) days after formal award of contract. In addition, the successful bidder must be registered in the City of Mesa Vendor Self-Service (VSS) System (http://mesaaz.gov/business/purchasing/vendor-self-service).

The successful bidder, simultaneously with the execution of the Contract, will be required to furnish a Payment Bond in the amount equal to one hundred percent (100%) of the Contract Price, a Performance Bond in an amount equal to one hundred percent (100%) of the Contract Price, and the most recent ACORD® Certificate of Liability Insurance form with additional insured endorsements.

The right is hereby reserved to accept or reject any or all bids or parts thereto, to waive any informalities in any proposal and reject the bids of any persons who have been delinquent or unfaithful to any contract with the City of Mesa.

ATTEST: DeeAnn Mickelsen City Clerk

BETH HUNING City Engineer

Published: East Valley Tribune, May 24, 31, 2020 / 30768

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THE MESA TRIBUNE | MAY 31, 2020

19

Obituaries Carmen John Del Vecchio

Obituaries Ethel F Peters “Sauter

Ethel F Peters “Sauter” went home to our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, and to her husband Jim on April 8 2020, Mesa Arizona, due to complications from COVID19.

She was “Nana” to so many - kind, selfless, giving and greeted everyone with her beautiful smile. She was an amazing mother, grandmother and great-grandmother. Wonderful wife of 63 years to James E Peters, who preceded her in death on Dec 7, 2015.

Together they raised four loving daughters, LuAnn McArdell (Mike), Lani Grone (Scott), Lori Ribar (Brad) and Lynn Meadows; eleven grandchildren and nineteen great-grandchildren. Services are pending. To see obituary or leave an on-line message to the family, please visit www.mariposagardens.com

Richard Fleming

Richard W. Fleming, 90, of Mesa, AZ, died May 14, 2020 at Arbor Rose Memory Care Center in Mesa, AZ. Richard William, son of Robert F. and Esther L. (Hanthorn) Fleming, was born Dec. 29, 1929 in St Paul, MN. He grew up in St Paul, graduated from Washington High School and married Shirley M Dollinger on Aug. 6, 1949. From that marriage came three children.

After his divorce he met and married Wilberta J (Rose) Keene on Aug. 23, 1986, in Boulder, CO. From that marriage came three step-children.

He was a true entrepreneur dealing with grocery stores, restaurants and other business opportunities. His Christian faith was most important. He loved people and always greeted everyone with his vivacious smile.

Richard was proceeded in death by parents Robert and Esther; brothers Bob (Marge), Vern (Connie) and Don(Joyce); son Michael R. He is survived by wife Wilberta of Mesa, AZ; daughters; LuAnn (Steve) Brunes of Belmond, IA and Christine (John) Borquez of Thornton, CO., Nine grandchildren, seven great-grandchildren, and two great-great grandchildren and many nieces and nephews.

Step-daughters; Jeri (Vernon) Alvarez of TN, Susan (Ronn) Kling of Warrenton, VA and Step-son Tom (Dee) Keene of Mesa, AZ and numerous step-grandchildren, and step-greatgrandchildren.

Judith “Judy” Ann Byrd Holder

79, of Apache Junction, AZ passed away unexpectedly on Tuesday, May 26, 2020 at Mesa, AZ Born December 25, 1940 at Rensselaer, Indiana, she was the daughter of the late Joe W. and Pauline (Frohreich) Byrd. She was a 1958 graduate of Otterbein (Indiana) High School and was a life-long Lutheran. She was a charter member of Epiphany of Christ Lutheran Church of Apache Junction, and was President of the church council and sang in the choir. On April 4, 1958 she married Robert D. Holder near Otterbein, and he survives.

In 1968, they moved to Apache Junction, where they have since resided. Judy enjoyed working in her garden, southern gospel music, reading, and her pets.

She was active in many civic and professional organizations. Judy was an Independent Insurance Agent, having owned her own agency, Judy Holder Insurance, Inc., the last eighteen years of her career. As of January 1, 2020, she sold the business to A and H Insurance of Reno, NV, and had planned to transition to retirement.

Surviving along with her husband, Robert is her daughter, Kelley J. Kimble of Apache Junction, and two sons, Timothy Holder of Carlsbad, New Mexico and Michael Holder of Otterbein, Indiana. Also surviving is a granddaughter, Sara (Wayne) Ballard of Carlsbad, New Mexico; a great-granddaughter, Ashley Gorman of Sullivan, Missouri; her sister, Joline Brummet of Otterbein; her brother in law, Gene Holder of Mesa; her uncle, Richard Frohreich of Columbus, Mississippi. She was preceded in death by her parents, and her sister Janet Sue Martin.

Services will be Tuesday, June 2, 2020, at 2 pm, at Mountain View Funeral Home in Mesa. Burial and additional services will be held at a future date at Pond Grove Cemetery near Otterbein, Indiana. In lieu of flowers, the family requests a donation in Judy's honor to a local charity of your choice in Apache Junction, Arizona.

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Sun City Center, FL - Carmen John Del Vecchio, 86, husband of Barb Adelman of Aston Gardens, passed away Wednesday, May 20, 2020, at the AdventHealth Connerton facility in Land O'Lakes, FL. Carmen was born in Coral, Pennsylvania on February 4, 1934, to his mother Mary and father Carmine, both of Italy. He was the fourth of four children. His two sisters Irma and Carmel, and brother Ralph all preceded him in death.

Carmen's first wife, Patty Jane (Work) Del Vecchio, also preceded him in death on April 12, 2015, after 60 wonderful years of marriage.

Carmen served in the United States Army from 1955 to 1959, as an X-ray Technician, in both the USA and Europe.

Undaunted by significant challenge, Carmen worked for the United States Postal Service while helping his wife Pat raise 3 children and also attending night school at the University of Detroit while receiving a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration. Following his graduation he spent his entire professional career with Ford Motor Credit Company, where he achieved significant corporate success as a Branch Manager. His career progression resulted in various relocations including residence in Michigan, Illinois, Indiana, and Ohio.

Carmen was a man of great character who never met a stranger. He befriended every person he met, enriching their lives the same way he enriched those of his family. Carmen loved airplanes and flying and could sit by an airport for hours, amused by the artistry and mechanics of flight. His love of flying was so immense that he obtained his private pilot's license in the 1970's and flew as often as he could for many years.

In addition to his wife, he is survived by his daughter Judy and Jeff Koepkey of Treasure Island, FL; daughter Diane and David Smeltzer of Saint Pete Beach, FL; and son David and Gail Del Vecchio of North Augusta, SC; grandchildren Matt and Ashley Koepkey; Kyle and Samantha Koepkey; Taylor Smeltzer; Cole and Shauna McKie; Jessica Del Vecchio; and Shelby Del Vecchio; and great grandchildren Allison, Brooklyn, and Caden Koepkey.

The family wishes to thank the incredibly kind and compassionate staff at St Joseph's Hospital of Riverview and AdventHealth Connerton.

In lieu of flowers, the family suggests memorial donations be made to the American Cancer Society, Mass Intentions, or the charity of your choice.

Sign the Guestbook at: obituaries.EastValleyTribune.com

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THE MESA TRIBUNE | MAY 31, 2020

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THE MESA TRIBUNE | MAY 31, 2020

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Public Notices

Public Notices

AT&T Mobility, LLC is proposing to construct a 39foot overall height small cell telecommunications structure off Chestnut Street, Mesa, Maricopa County, Arizona (N33° 23’ 57.6”; W111° 47’ 6”).

AT&T Mobility, LLC invites comments from any interested party on the impact the proposed undertaking may have on any districts, sites, buildings, structures, or objects significant in American history, archaeology, engineering, or culture that are listed or determined eligible for listing in the National Register of Historic Places under National Historic Preservation Act Section 106. Comments may be sent to Environmental Corporation of America, ATTN: Megan Gomez, 1375 Union Hill Industrial Court, Suite A, Alpharetta, GA 30004 or via email to publicnotice@eca-usa.com. Ms. Gomez can be reached at (770) 667-2040 x 405 during normal business hours. Comments must be received within 30 days of the date of this notice. W1305/HMF

Scrambler: Rolling in Dough

1. O O I C S E K _ _ _ _ _ _ _

This is to give notice that the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) under 24 CFR Part 50 has determined that the following proposed action, FHA #123-35570, has the potential to be located in a 100-year flood zone, if approved for the proposed issuance of mortgage insurance under the Section 221 d4 Mortgage Insurance Program for new construction.As such, HUD will be identifying and evaluating practicable alternatives to locating the proposed action in the floodplain and the potential impacts on the floodplain from the proposed action, as required by Section 2(a)(4) of Executive Order 11990, in accordance with HUD regulations at 24 CFR 55.20 Subpart C Procedures for Making Determinations on Floodplain Management and Protection of Wetlands.

According to FEMA Flood Insurance Rate Map (FIRM) #04013C2737M, dated November 4, 2015, the majority of the subject property is located in Shaded Zone X, designated as an area within the 500-year flood zone. A small portion of the northern edge of the site (0.064 acres) and the adjacent public roadways are in Zone AH, designated as an area within the 100-year flood zone with flood depths of one (1) to three (3) feet (usually areas of ponding) with a base flood elevation (BFE) of 1,218 feet NAVD 88. The proposed occupied structures will be elevated greater than one (1) foot above the BFE, per HUD guidelines, at 1,219 feet NAVD88, to ensure the protection of lives and property.

2. I B T U S I S C _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

3. N O E V _ _ _ _

Floodplains in their natural state provide beneficial functions for water resources, such as providing natural moderation of floods, water quality maintenance, and groundwater recharge, all of which may be affected by the proposed activity. However, the on-site 100-year floodplain is not in its natural state as it falls within an area that has been almost completely urbanized. The proposed action would result in a total of 0.104 acres of impacts within a 100-year floodplain; 0.064 acres of impact to the entire on-site floodplain due to grading and paving activities for the construction of landscaped areas, sidewalks, and curb and gutter associated with the Nevada at Commonwealth Apartments, and 0.40 acres of impact to the off-site adjacent floodplain due to the construction of new asphalt parking spaces along Nevada Street and Commonwealth Avenue. The proposed action will not negatively impact archaeological, historic, or recreational resources.

4. O F R U L _ _ _ _ _

5. A Y R E B K _ _ _ _ _ _

6. R A S G U _ _ _ _ _

7. C R E P E I _ _ _ _ _ _

THE MAN WHO STOPS ADVERTISING TO SAVE MONEY IS THE MAN WHO STOPS THE CLOCK TO SAVE TIME. - UNKNOWN

“

CLASS@TIMESPUBLICATIONS.COM

480.898.6465

1. Cookies, 2. Biscuits, 3. Oven, 4. Flour, 5. Bakery, 6. Sugar, 7. Recipe

“

To: All interested Government Agencies, Groups and Individuals

The subject property consists of 5.591 acres of vacant land designated as Assessor Parcel Number 303-11-001K. The proposed action under consideration for mortgage insurance, which is to be known as Nevada at Commonwealth Apartments, consists of a 208-unit multifamily apartment complex consisting of three (3) apartment structures, one (1) clubhouse structure, landscaped areas, asphalt parking areas, an internal roadway, and asphalt onstreet parking areas along Nevada Street and Commonwealth Avenue.The proposed action is to be located at the southeast corner of Commonwealth Avenue and Nevada Street in Chandler, Maricopa County, Arizona (Latitude, 33.302921, Longitude, 111.836072).

Unscramble the letters to fInd the baker’s items.

CB

Early Notice and Public Review of a Proposed Activity in a 100-Year Flood Zone

There are three primary purposes for this notice. Firs t, people who may be affected by activities in floodplains and those who have an interest in the protection of the natural environment should be given an opportunity to express their concerns and provide information about these areas. Commenters are encouraged to offer alternative sites outside of the floodplain, alternative methods to serve the same project purpose, and methods to minimize and mitigate impacts. Second, an adequate public notice program can be an important public educational tool. The dissemination of information and request for public comment about floodplains can facilitate and enhance Federal efforts to reduce the risks and impacts associated with the occupancy and modification of these special areas. Third, as a matter of fairness, when the Federal government determines it will participate in actions taking place in floodplains, it must inform those who may be put at greater or continued risk.

Written comments must be received by HUD at the following address on or before June 15, 2020: U.S. Department of HUD, Denver Multifamily Hub, 1670 Broadway Street, Denver, Colorado 80202-4801, Attention: Tim Sovold. Envelopes without a complete return address will not be opened. Additionally, all contact information must appear on the letter itself. Mr. Sovold can be reached by telephone at (303) 839-2617. A full description of the proposed action may be viewed at the above address from 8:00 am to 4:30 pm, Monday through Friday by contacting Mr. Sovold.

Published: East Valley Tribune May 31, 2020 / 30817

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THE MESA TRIBUNE | MAY 31, 2020