Beating the heat Ahwatukee
AHWATUKEE FOOTHILLS NEWS
BY PAUL MARYNIAK AFN Executive Editor
Election 2017 is underway in Ahwatukee.
And apparently the only contest in Phoenix City Council elections this year will involve District 6, which includes Ahwatukee.
(Dianne Ross/AFN Contributor)
As Adam Martinez and countless other kids found out last Saturday, June 3, at Pecos Pool in Ahwatukee, water goes a long way toward getting some relief as summer begins its assault.
Horizon Honors Elementary kids also learned that lesson at their annual Water Day events. For a look at the goings-on at both places, see pages 24-25.
The filing deadline for candidates passed last week with only incumbent Council District Sal DiCiccio in a competitive race, facing attorney Zafia Rawner and Banner Health executive Kevin Patterson.
While DiCiccio lives in Ahwatukee, Rawner, a mother of two boys, lives in the Greater Cheery Lynn neighborhood of Phoenix. Patterson is an Ahwatukee native who now lives in Central Phoenix with his partner and their two daughters.
Election Day is Aug. 29 with early voting beginning on Aug. 2. If none of the three candidates gets more than 50 percent of the vote, the top two vote-getters will head into a runoff election in November.
District 6 has the largest number of registered voters, according to city records. Its 117,724 voters are among 737,392 registered voters in all of Phoenix. Of that 117,724, about 13,800 are considered “inactive” because they did not vote last year.
AHWATUKEE FOOTHILLS NEWS AHWATUKEE FOOTHILLS NEWS
DiCiccio is seeking his third fouryear term on Council and will be termed out after this. He also served two terms, between 1994 and 2002, before he again sought the seat in 2009.
He is expected to focus on the city’s fiscal condition and has already been sounding the alarm about Phoenix’s “structural budget deficit” that, he said, does not focus on prioritizing spending and instead is “revenue focused.”
Besides fiscal accountability by city officials, DiCiccio also has listed job creation and protecting neighborhoods as his other top priorities.
A native of Youngstown, Ohio, DiCiccio relocated with his family in
Tribal leaders: Freeway planners bulldozed us
BY PAUL MARYNIAK AFN Executive Editor
The Gila River Indian Community told a federal appeals court last week that the government highway agencies ignored the health and traditions of Native Americans, especially the poor who live on the reservation, when they planned the South Mountain Freeway.
“The agencies largely ignored all of the
land south and west of the Freeway and the people who live there. Many of those people may be poor, may be Native American, and may work in agriculture, but they count too,” attorneys for the community said in characterizing the actions of the Arizona Department of Transportation and Federal Highway Administration.
The Gila Community’s brief, filed last week before the U.S. District Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit, now throws the next
move in the case to the court.
The appeals court still must rule on a request by an organization of 21 Southwest tribes to intervene in the case, and set a date for oral arguments. Whether oral arguments will be further delayed by allowing the tribes to intervene is unclear.
The Gila Community and Ahwatukeebased Protect Arizona’s Resources and Children are leading the appeal from a
See FREEWAYon page 10
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Yvette Roeder goes from talking trash to talking tech
Yvette Roeder of Ahwatukee is moving up in the world of Phoenix city government.
The seven-year Ahwatukee resident was recently promoted from spokeswoman for the city Public Works Department to assist Phoenix’s chief of operations for the city’s Information Technology Services Department with communications strategies.
“I guess it’s not quite the ‘dark side,’ but more ‘dark side…rebooted,’” she joked in a note to reporters, referring to the disparaging way they often call public information officers’ work.
Despite the “dark side” references, Roeder said, “I don’t think I will be doing a lot of media relations in this position. I will certainly miss that part.”
Born and raised in Manila, Philippines, and later on Guam, the mother of two teenagers went to college at the University of California-Santa Cruz and then lived in San Francisco for a while before moving to Arizona in 1997.
“I moved to Ahwatukee because I was very much attracted to the close-knit feel of the area,” said Roeder, whose daughter is going to be a senior at the University of Arizona and whose son is entering his sophomore year at Arizona State.
“The most southern part of Phoenix seems to have everything it could ask for: good restaurants, gyms, a movie theater, the best bagels (Odelay), peaceful walking trails, a Trader Joe’s, an awesome wine bar and some pretty cool people,” she said.
Explaining that last part, she added, “I clearly remember that time when I was getting a pedicure and in the chair next to me was Amare Stoudemire, also getting a pedicure. How cool is that? Also, I work for the city and it only made sense to me for live in the city so I can be attuned to the needs and concerns of residents.”
AFN News Staff
(Special to AFN)
Ahwatukee resident Yvette Roeder, pictured here while filming a segment for the city Public Works Department’s “Talking Trash” cable TV show, will now be helping the Phoenix IT Department make tech-speak understandable.
1962 to the Valley, where he attended Tempe High School. He and his wife have two daughters.
Rawner lists a broad range of experience in legal matters, including assistance for immigrants and family law, and has been a volunteer for the State Bar of Arizona and Maricopa County Community College system.
An officer in the Cheery Lynn-Flower Neighborhood Association, she lists a variety of campaign pledges on her website and specifically breaks down issues for five different neighborhoods in District 6, including Ahwatukee.
For Ahwatukee, she is pledging to “minimize disruption in resident areas” caused by the South Mountain Freeway, “restrict new 202 segment from disturbing schools and private housing,” “create plan to keep students safe from increased traffic,” “entice investment in Ahwatukee to encourage economic development” and “increase firefighter and police presence in Ahwatukee.”
Her website does not detail how she hopes to accomplish those goals, although the freeway’s impact on the more than a dozen Ahwatukee elementary, middle and high schools within a half mile of the right-of-way is a key issue in the law suit aimed at stopping its construction.
Rawner also takes a shot at the incumbent on her campaign website, stating she intends to “allow homeowners to make decisions, not DiCiccio’s developers.” She does not elaborate on the reference, but said in a recent Arizona Republic interview that developers appear “to have an undue influence” on DiCiccio.
Patterson made Arizona history several years ago when he and his partner were married in the state’s first gay wedding. His campaign website boasts of having “firsthand experience in the importance of neighborhood safety, community programs and access to city services to our most vulnerable populations.”
Director of Banner Health’s leadership development, Patterson is president of Equality Arizona, a group that advocates for the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community.
Though his website does not make any promises specific to Ahwatukee, he pledges to “empower small businesses and entrepreneurs with local financing
opportunities,” “retain university talent by making Phoenix an affordable and attractive city to live in,” “increase resident access and awareness of parks, libraries, and community centers” and “ensure efficiency by reducing waste and investing savings in our neighborhoods.”
Ahwatukee residents who have not registered to vote can go to servicearizona. com. Voters who are not on the permanent early ballot list and want to vote by mail can call 602-261-8683 to request a ballot. The city also will have in-person early voting available on the 15th floor of City Hall. Details: phoenix.gov.
SAL DICICCIO
KEVIN PATTERSON
ZAFIA RAWNER
NEIGHBORS
Asked about her new gig with the city, Roeder replied, “Still figuring that out, but it seems that I will be focusing on internal communications. As you know, the ‘IT talk’ can sometimes sound very foreign to many people – even to me. But I hope that I can decipher it and
explain the city’s various IT projects in the simplest way so our leaders can make informed decisions about some of the city’s critical technology-related projects.”
Roeder has worked for Phoenix for a decade, starting with the Public Transit Department and then aviation before she started handling press inquiries about recycling and garbage collection, as well as other departmental matters.
University honors Ahwatukee native as a leader
Adam Lincoln of Phoenix recently was elected into the Alcala 100, a prestigious group of University of San Diego alumni selected from each new graduating class for their leadership.
Every spring, administrators and faculty members from across campus nominate key seniors leaders for induction into the Alcala 100.
“As students, these individuals demonstrated a passion for USD and through their contributions to student life they made a major impact on our campus,” a university spokesman said.
As alumni, the members of Alcala 100 “remain strong advocates and ambassadors for the University of San Diego and continue to develop leadership skills that will benefit their personal and professional development as well as their alma mater,” the spokesman added.
to a prestigious alumni group at the University of
The university also relies on their support to help develop a successful alumni association.
The University of San Diego is a nearly 70-year-old Catholic institution of higher learning with an enrollment of about 8,300.
It has a long history of public service and is recognized as a Changemaker Campus by Ashoka, the global association of the world’s leading social entrepreneurs.
(Special to AFN)
Adam Lincoln of Ahwatukee has been admitted
San Diego.
Carbrillo Canyon Listed
FREEWAY
federal judge’s ruling last July that gave the green light to Arizona’s costliest highway project in history.
U.S. District Judge Diane Humetewa rejected their assertions that ADOT and the FHWA used faulty data and ignored federal regulations in assessing the freeway’s impact on the health and environment of residents living near the 22-mile right-of-way.
Native Americans also accused the highway agencies of ignoring other regulations protecting Indian cultural and religious landmarks.
They say the freeway has ruined some sacred sites already and will significantly damage South Mountain – a major sacred and cultural landmark for the tribe – by cutting a 200-foot gash across three peaks.
The Ninth Circuit is under no deadline to act on both the Southwest Native Americans’ petition or setting a hearing date.
Meanwhile, work is accelerating along almost the entire 22-mile stretch of the freeway because the appeals court refused to halt construction pending the outcome of the case. PARC may seek another injunction to stop ADOT’s blasting plans, which have not yet been fully disclosed.
In its latest filing, attorneys for the Gila Community wrote, “Unchallenged portions of the record reveal that the agencies never conducted a proper and thorough analysis of the project, approving a freeway that will permanently desecrate a sacred mountain and forever
injure the culture and traditions of the Community.”
They charged that ADOT demonstrated “a textbook example of predetermination” by “rubber-stamping of decisions made decades earlier” to build a freeway.
ADOT and the FHWA have justified the project partly by pointing to a 1985 referendum in which voters approved funding for a number of freeways.
Opponents have argued that after 30 years, much of the population projections and other data used as justification became outmoded.
Hence, the Gila Community stated, ADOT and federal highway planners “lacked support for their decision to reject all options except the freeway.”
“Simply because other portions of a highway loop had been completed years earlier did not mean that completing the final portion was the only prudent alternative,” lawyers said.
The Gila Community also took a swipe at the highway agencies for telling the court that Native Americans had rejected an alternative right-of-way across the reservation, just south of its current path.
It said the vote “does not excuse” planners from their “violations” of environmental and other regulations.
“The same basic flaws existed: predetermining the need for a freeway, deciding on the study area based on decades-old planning, and failing to justify the rejection of all alternatives, including the no-build alternative and the non-freeway alternatives,” lawyers wrote, adding:
from page 1
(Arizona Department of Transportation) Crews are continuing to work on freeway walls around Pecos Road and 17th Avenue as the appeals case drags on.
“The agencies’ improper rejection of alternatives and selective use of data violated the applicable statutes and regulations, were arbitrary and capricious, and constituted an abuse of the discretion granted to them.
“The record shows that the agencies merely followed the path determined 30 years earlier, without the required ‘hard look’ that would second-guess and test the decision to build a freeway.”
The lawyers also cited the federal highway agencies’ admission “that they neglected to study impacts of the project specifically on the Gila Community and its members.”
“Assuming without support that harm within the community would be no greater than that affecting other parts of the” freeway area, they added, planners “downplay the devastating impact that the freeway would have on the Community’s members, almost to the point of disdain.
“They argue that destroying only part of one mountain range would damage just a small percentage of South Mountain Park/Preserve,” the filing continued. “But reliance on percentages ignores the enormous harm to the Community of this specific desecration and destruction.”
Lawyers said, “The freeway would
destroy and disrupt sacred shrines, archeological sites, and trails and harm permanently the character and traditions of the Community.
“Instead of acknowledging this harm, the agencies equate the Community’s efforts to mitigate harm to its sacred resources with support for the project. The argument is both wrong and offensive. Faced with bulldozers that would destroy gravesites and relics, of course the Community has worked to help relocate and minimize the harm.
“But salvaging property in the aftermath of a hurricane is not consent to the hurricane. Nor does it provide cover for the agencies’ failure to meet their obligations” under the law, they added.
Countering the planners’ arguments that tribal authorities have joined them in planning mitigation efforts to reduce the harm to natural sites, the lawyers asserted, “The Community has consistently made clear that it opposes the project and that the Freeway would irreparably harm the natural environment and the Community’s exercise of its traditions and way of life.”
ADOT and the FHWA “overlooked the harm to the Community and brushed aside its concerns in approving the project,” they also said, stating the agencies “reached a decision that was arbitrary and capricious and must be reversed.”
(Arizona Department of Transportation)
Crews prepare the area around the Salt River Bridge for the South Mountain Freeway.
Ahwatukee prof at ASU leads effort to help homeless people in downtown Phoenix
our outreach.”
An Ahwatukee professor at Arizona State University is so passionate about his project to help homeless people in downtown Phoenix that he even got his chiropractor to join his effort.
As the founder and director of ASU’s Project Humanities, Neal Lester, Foundation Professor of English, has recruited dozens of volunteers to collect used clothing, shoes, toiletries and other essentials and then help homeless people “go shopping” for the items every other Saturday downtown.
Among his recruits is Angela Christopher of AZ Spine & Disc in Ahwatukee, who helped drive a “phenomenal” collection of bottled water through Ahwatukee 411.
He also has found help from Desert Vista High School’s Rho Kappa Social Studies Honor Society, with faculty and parents joining in.
“At one point, we had over 20 students and their parents volunteering,” Lester said, adding that Christopher’s “whole team has been collecting things for us and they had a water/sunscreen/hat drive this past month.”
And even though school is out for summer recess, “a lot of the students again came from Desert Vista High” on Saturday, June 3, to assist the latest distribution effort. Lester said that while the president of Desert Vista’s social studies honors society has graduated, “he introduced me to a vice president, and they’re going to try to keep that tradition of community service through
Project Humanities’ year-round outreach to the homeless occurs 6:458:15 a.m. every other Saturday on South 12th Avenue between West Jefferson and West Madison streets. The next outreach is June 17, and while it has been going on for three years, volunteers are always needed.
“We had about 29 volunteers from across the Valley assisting 117 homeless people Saturday,” Lester said.
Among them were Ray Bennett and Javier Rosa of the Diving Devil Dogs, a group that helps veterans suffering from PTSD, whom the outreach also helps.
The object of the outreach is “to aid those in need of basic life amenities and to do so compassionately, respectfully and efficiently,” Lester said, noting each homeless person is paired with a volunteer who helps them select three to five items.
The outreach is an example of Project Humanities’ effort to put principles into action.
“We created programming around principles, that we call Humanity 101: compassion, empathy, forgiveness, integrity, kindness, respect and selfreflection,” he said. “The initiative is not just to create a classroom discussion about these principles, but also to put these principles into action.”
Noting previous efforts that collected 400 pairs of shoes and 5,000 bottles of water, he added, “Whether they realize it or not, everyone has something to contribute in revitalizing our community’s humanity.”
AFN News Staff
(Special to AFN)
Volunteers for ASU Project Humanities’ biweekly Saturday effort to help homeless people in downtown Phoenix sorted clothing and toiletries for people to “shop” on June 3.
HUMANITIES
from page 14
The outreach also enables volunteers “to interact closely with those experiencing homelessness, and many find the result to be rewarding as well as enjoyable,” a Project Humanities spokesman said, adding:.
“The overarching goal of ASU Project Humanities and Humanity 101 is to connect people from different backgrounds while bringing humanity to those in need; the homeless outreach plays an important role in accomplishing this goal, as we are all, in a sense, a part of the same community.”
Lester said the outreach is “something everyone can participate in on some level,” whether it involves donating items or helping to distribute them.
Volunteers for the Saturday events “should be dressed appropriately and come with an open mind and spirit to help distribute donations and to offer some human kindness,” he said.
Information on donating and volunteering: 480-727-7030 or projecthumanities@asu.edu 8 a.m.5 p.m. Monday through Friday. projecthumanities.asu.edu/content/ service-saturdays-0
Justa Center in Phoenix helps address surge of older homeless people
BY MEGAN BRIDGEMAN Cronkite News
It can happen in an instant: You lose your job. You can’t pay your medical bills. You have an accident.
For thousands of Arizonans, experts say it’s often one catastrophic event that forced them into homelessness. And there’s one growing section of the homeless population that’s especially hard hit – people ages 50 to 64.
This age group often slips through the cracks: They’re too young to qualify for most government safety net programs, and they may face increasing costs for housing and medical expenses.
One study indicated that in Maricopa County, the state’s most populous county, more than 50 percent of the homeless population is age 45 or older, according to the Department of Economic Security. That older homeless population increased by 34 percent from 2011 to 2014.
The study also noted that there’s an “upcoming surge” of people 62 and over who will “flood” resources.
One Phoenix-based nonprofit works to help address the unique needs of this growing population. The Justa Center, founded in 2006, exists exclusively for
those ages 55 and older. It provides everything from coffee and hot showers to assistance finding resources for safe housing and health care.
“It’s very disorienting to be homeless,” Executive Director Barbara Lewkowitz said. “It doesn’t matter why you’re homeless; it doesn’t matter what the underlying reason is. What matters is that
you have the drive and the desire to make a difference in your life.”
About 130 people walk through Justa Center’s doors every day, according to its website.
The center’s end goal: Help find housing for those who need it.
Team
(Cronkite News)
Justa Center keeps a supply of hosuehold items that homeless people can take when they’ve found a place to live.
Kyrene names Ahwatukee man its chief financial officer
Rogers Corporation in Chandler.
An Ahwatukee man has been hired as Kyrene School District’s chief financial officer.
Chris Herrmann, whose son was and whose daughter still is in Kyrene schools, was approved recently by the school board.
Hermann has been finance director at EMCOR Customer Solutions Center, a facilities management company in Phoenix.
He has an MBA from the University of Phoenix and a bachelor’s degree in finance from Indiana University and is a certified “Six Sigma” Black Belt.
In addition to his work at EMCOR, Hermann has experience in strategic management reporting consulting at RANDSTAD of Chicago, Illinois, and as a business intelligence manager at
“Mr. Hermann is a strategic-minded leader with 20+ years of demonstrated success in both operational finance and data systems, and we are looking forward to welcoming him to Kyrene,” said Kyrene Superintendent Jan Vesely. Hermann is a 22-year resident of Arizona, and has two children who attended Monte Vista Elementary in Kyrene. His son, Alexis, recently completed his sophomore year at Desert Vista High School and his daughter Emily just finished seventh year at Altadena Middle School.
He enjoys traveling, hiking, basketball, golf and fishing, the district said.
His hiring means that three of Kyrene’s top officials now live in Ahwatukee, joining Vesely and governing board president John King.
Phoenix officials spring property tax hike as budget adoption nears
AFN News Staff
As Phoenix City Council prepared to approve a 201718 budget, the Stanton Administration quietly announced it will seek a 4.2-percent primary property tax increase.
The announcement came in the form of a legal notice published Monday, June 5. Council is scheduled to approve a new budget today, June 7.
The proposed increase would raise taxes $5.33 on a home valued at $100,000, the notice said, adding the increase is exclusive of any tax hikes related to bond indebtedness, budget overrides or additional levies on new construction.
There was no mention of a need for a tax increase in preliminary 201718 budget reports issued nearly two months ago by the city managing director’s office.
The tax increase will be the subject of a public hearing at 2:30 p.m. June 21 at Council Chambers, 200 W. Jefferson St. It is listed for Council action on July 6
City Councilman Sal DiCiccio alerted constituents on social media to the impending tax hike notice over the weekend and told AFN Realtors
quickly reacted and indicated they would oppose it.
“They saw my post and wanted to know why I did not let them know earlier,” he said. “I got a good chuckle out of that one. I told them that I just found out myself.”
He also said, “Whenever Phoenix does something like this, they always wait until the very end that is legally permissible.
“The next really big question is what is the city Phoenix going to do regarding adding on of the pension debt. They may end up waiting until September, hoping that (attention) will die down,” DiCiccio added.
DiCiccio said the city is discussing taking advantage of a new state law that allows municipalities an extra 10 years to restructure pension debt – a move he said will tack on at least $1.5 billion in additional interest on taxpayers.
He said the tax increase is another example of the city administration’s “focus on revenue policies rather than outcome-based policies.”
“They keep digging a hole that gets larger and larger, services begin being cut to those in critical need and taxpayers end up paying more and more,” he added.
ADOT installing pavement sensors to gauge freeway flow
BY TYLER FINGERT Cronkite News
The Arizona Department of Transportation is installing pavement sensors that will allow the transportation agency to more accurately track traffic flow on Valley freeways.
The embedded electronic wires will help ADOT track freeway conditions, estimate travel times and help decide what roads need improvements.
“It helps us keep the traffic moving and then also look ahead, using that data, to make decisions about what are the best candidate locations say for widening or adding extra lanes,” said Doug Nintzel, a spokesman for ADOT.
The technology replaces older, less reliable acoustic devices that are mounted on poles.
Phoenix resident Luz Perez said knowing how long it will take to drive to a destination eases an often long commute.
“When I have to go to work and be there on time, it helps,” Perez said.
An installation on northbound
Interstate 17 in Phoenix is expected to be completed by July 1. By the time the project is finished, ADOT will have embedded traffic-flow sensors in more than 85 places along the Phoenix-area freeway system.
ADOT said they have finished installing the wiring on Interstate 10, U.S. 60, and State Route 51.
The sensors, along with other technology, help ADOT notice trouble spots on the road as quickly as possible.
“Because we have the sensors in the pavement, we are able to really judge what is going on there, as far as the conditions,” he said.
That information is passed on to drivers.
“We’re able to utilize the data on traffic flow and the computers translate that into the travel times that you wind up seeing as a driver,” Nintzel said.
(Photo courtesy of Arizona Department of Transportation)
Workers install pavement sensors that will allow the transportation agency to more accurately track traffic flow on Valley freeways.
Beyond supplying some basic needs, such as soap and toothpaste, the center provides resources such as a service counselor, a housing coordinator, a job coordinator, a nurse, a pastor and access to a veterans’ advocate.
“A common misconception is that we place people into homes,” said Nora Carrillo, a housing coordinator. The center workers can’t call up low-income housing and instantly get a person into a home.
“We can direct members where to go with applications or where to apply,” Carrillo said.
The average turnaround is three to four months. However, a person who has previous evictions and felonies can slow down the process.
Once they find housing, Justa Center provides a starter kit, which includes necessities such as coffee cups, plates and furniture.
Elizabeth Faiella, 57, said she found herself homeless after a move from Boston. She stayed with her daughter and son-inlaw when she first came here, but she said she felt like a burden after five months. She stayed in a women’s shelter while
working a temporary job. She turned to Justa Center on her days off.
“When I finally got my apartment, they showed up with a whole truck full of furniture, a couch, a recliner, a kitchen table, a shower curtain, a can opener,” Faiella said.
About two years ago, the staff began noticing a problem with people who had gotten into a new home, but ended up homeless again.
To prevent repeating the cycle of homelessness, the staff created the Extended Care program. They now send ambassadors to check on clients to make sure they’re still housed and working, or if they need help.
“It could be something as simple as a shower curtain,” said Oly Cowles, the Extended Care coordinator. “It could be something as extensive as medical treatment, so we will make sure they have some sort of insurance to pay for that.”
The ambassadors take people to food banks or grocery stores with donated gift cards.
“For that reason, we have about a 93 percent rate of keeping people in housing,” Lewkowitz said.
There’s a gap in benefits for many people in this age group.
For example, to qualify for subsidized
housing, most places provide assistance for those 62 years and older, or 55 if the person has a disability.
Most people don’t qualify for Medicare or start receiving Social Security benefits until they hit 65, according to the National Coalition for the Homeless.
And even if they do get some assistance, it’s often not enough to cover expenses.
It doesn’t take much to push somebody into homelessness.
“There’s not any difference between a homeless person and us,” Lewkowitz said. “There could be one catastrophic event in their life, they can have a health problem, a car accident, a serious problem and lose their job, there’s no difference between me and the people that I serve here at Justa Center.”
Left on the streets, these individuals age faster, requiring more medical attention and are at a higher risk of health issues, according to the National Coalition for the Homeless. Homelessness also takes an emotional toll.
They must transition from having a home, four walls and privacy to sleeping in crowded shelters.
Army veteran Chris Norwood, 60, found himself homeless after transferring from Georgia to Arizona. Since September, Norwood has been staying at the Central
Arizona Shelter Services.
He said it’s not always safe for seniors on the street because they generally have some income or carry medication, which makes them a target for robbery. Norwood said he must get a motel on the first of the month because people know he will get a check.
Cowles agreed that seniors tend to become victims.
“They need the pain medications, so a lot of the younger folks know they have them, and they’ll beat them up and steal medications,” he said.
In the study by the Arizona Department of Economic Security, the author noted that “now is the time” to make changes to services and address the needs of this homeless population.
Those needs aren’t necessarily easy to address: They range from providing more affordable housing to addressing health care coverage gaps.
Cowles said those with mental health problems face additional challenges. If Arizona could improve its mental health services, the population of homeless people would be smaller, Cowles said. Justa Center can assist with mental health services, but its staff is small. Justa Center operates solely off of private donations, gifts and grants.
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
Bribery case roils Arizona Corporation Commission
BY HOWARD FISCHER Capitol Media Services
The two East Valley members of the Arizona Corporation Commission are starting to push for reforms on the panel in the wake of a federal bribery indictment of a former member.
Tom Forese, a former state legislator from Gilbert who now heads the commission, said the indictment may make the case for appointing utility regulators instead of electing them.
And former Chandler Mayor Boyd Dunn, who was elected to the commission last year, said he agrees there needs to be a conversation on how future regulators are chosen
“We are in the minority,’’ he said. “There are only 12 states that deal with elected commissioners. The rest are appointed.’’
Meanwhile, another commission member has taken the first steps to possibly kill a special tax break that was pushed through years ago by a now-indicted former member of the Corporation Commission.
In documents filed late Friday, Andy Tobin wants the current commission to tell affected companies to immediately start putting the additional money they’re collecting from customers into an interest-bearing account.
In the interim, he said regulators will review the policy change enacted at the behest of Gary Pierce, a onetime Mesa legislator who was indicted along with his wife, Sherry; prominent Arizona lobbyist Jim Norton and George Johnson, the owner of Johnson Utilities accused of bribing Pierce to push for the change.
Tobin said having the money segregated will give the current members of the commission a chance to review the 2013 policy change to see if it really makes sense. At that point, the panel could vote to reverse the policy and, presumably, order a refund of the excess revenues.
The issue involves companies organized as “S-corporations’’ or as limited liability companies.
In both cases, the companies have no earnings themselves, with those revenues passed through to the owners. And it is the owners who pay taxes on those earnings.
By contrast, “C-corporations’’ report and pay their own taxes. More to the
point, the commission policy has long been to allow those corporations to deduct those tax payments as an expense, essentially having the cost passed on to customers.
The change Pierce proposed – and the commission approved on a 4-1 vote –allowed the individual owners of the C-corporations and LLCs to charge their own personal income tax liability from those earnings back to consumers.
Tobin said he wants to find out what caused the shift.
Bob Burns, who was a commissioner then as now, said the change was justified.
“It was a fairness argument,’’ he said. “I read it as taxes being part of the cost to do business.’’
Burns said he supports Tobin’s desire to review the prior decisions of the commission. But he thinks it should go beyond that 2013 vote to what he called the “related area’’ of spending by outsiders, including Arizona Public Service and parent company Pinnacle West Capital Corp., on the 2014 election.
The connection, he said, is no stretch.
Pierce himself told Capitol Media Services last year that when the FBI came to talk with him it was about the 2014 election.
That’s the one where two groups that won’t disclose the names of their donors put $3.2 million into the race to elect Republicans Tom Forese and Doug Little.
That’s also been the focus of efforts
by Burns – unsuccessful to date – to get Arizona Public Service and parent company Pinnacle West Capital Corp. to disclose what they spent on the race.
The federal probe appears to have been an outgrowth of an investigation originally started with the state attorney general’s office.
That included allegations that Pierce, while on the commission, had met secretly with Don Brandt, the CEO of Pinnacle West, and Don Robinson, his predecessor, while the utility was in the middle of a rate case before the regulatory agency.
That state investigation also was looking into the role that Scot Mussi, head of the Free Enterprise Club, played in the 2014 Republican primary race for secretary of state. Mussi’s organization spent more than $500,000 on behalf of Justin Pierce, Gary’s son, who lost the primary election to Michele Reagan.
Wil Cardon, the third candidate in that GOP primary, publicly charged during the race that the elder Pierce was using his position on the commission to get financial support for his son’s campaign from companies that are regulated by the panel.
Tobin also said that he wants “a full review and audit’’ of Johnson Utilities, which provides water and sewer service in Pinal County, within 90 days. He said that will determine if commissioners tell the company to file for new rates and charges.
On the change in the way commission members are picked, Forese noted that
the bribery case “could be the strongest argument for having an appointed commission.’’
Any such change would require voter approval. And the earliest the Arizona Constitution could be amended is 2018. Forese, however, said he’s not just going to wait around.
“These allegations that are before us demand immediate action,’’ he said. “And that’s where our focus should be right now.’’
Forese, in a letter to fellow commissioners that was obtained by Capitol Media Services, said a review is necessary.
“The current commission must determine if those decisions were made in the public interest,’’ he wrote. At the very least, Forese said there needs to be a “code of ethics’’ for commissioners. He pointed out that staffers are governed by certain policies. For example, Forese said, staffers can’t have meals with utility officials.
“This same restriction should be considered for application to commissioners as well,’’ he said. And Forese said that those who lobby the commission should be required to register.
Dunn said having elected commissioners means candidates have to raise money – often from people who have an interest in the panel’s decisions. But he said there’s also a downside to having appointed commissioners. “There seems to be less of an opportunity for citizens to participate,’’Dunn said.
(Howard Fischer/Capitol Media Services)
Corporation commission member Boyd Dunn sees two sides to the issue of whether panel members should be appointed rather than elected.
(Howard Fischer/Capitol Media Services)
Former legislator Tom Forese, now chairman of the state corporation commission, said scandal shows need for reforms.
(Howard Fischer/Capitol Media Services)
Arizona Corporation Commission member Andy Tobin wants to review a policy change for utilities that is the focus of a federal bribery indictment.
Bribery case snares key East Valley players
BY GARY NELSON AFN Contributor
After years of shadowy suggestions that something might be rotten at the Arizona Corporation Commission, the first indictment boils down to something most people can understand: A bald-faced case of quidpro-quo bribery.
The indictment, of course, is only a list of charges that must be proven in court by federal prosecutors.
But it describes in detail a pattern of alleged criminal conduct in 2011 and 2012 involving prominent East Valley political and business figures – and is the latest allegation of wrongdoing by a troubled real estate developer and state regulatory officials.
A federal grand jury handed down the eight-count indictment on May 23.
It asserts that developer George Johnson bribed Gary Pierce, a former Mesa legislator and member of the Arizona Corporation Commission, in order to obtain favorable votes on rate hikes for his water and sewer company serving Johnson Ranch, southeast of Queen Creek.
Pierce’s wife, Sherry, and prominent Republican lobbyist Jim Norton were indicted as well.
Prosecutors said Johnson funneled $31,500 through Norton to Sherry Pierce, under auspices of a sham “consulting” job, in exchange for her husband’s votes on behalf of Johnson.
The indictment also alleges that Pierce was to have received money from Johnson to buy land valued at $350,000, but it does not reveal whether that purchase ever was consummated.
Sherry is the $58,000-a-year deputy district director for U.S. Rep. Andy Biggs, a Republican who previously represented Gilbert in the Legislature. Previously, she held that job for retired U.S. Rep. Matt Salmon, a Republican from Mesa.
Biggs’ spokesman said he has suspended Sherry Pierce without pay.
The spokesman noted that the case involves alleged acts that are six years old and that “they are not in any way related to her current position.”
The defendants, through their attorneys, have denied the allegations, which appear to be based largely on information provided by an unnamed, unindicted co-conspirator mentioned prominently in the indictment.
Ivan Mathew, an attorney for Norton, said in a statement: “The motivation behind these allegations will become transparent when the identity of the ‘unindicted co-conspirator’ is revealed.”
Regulators in turmoil
There is no way to tell whether that motivation is connected with recent turmoil at the Arizona Corporation Commission, a five-member elected panel that regulates utilities and other businesses.
Pierce served on the commission from 2007 through the end of 2014, including a stint as chairman from January 2011 through 2012 – the period of alleged illegal activity cited in the indictment.
In 2015, the FBI opened an investigation into the role that he and others may have played in the 2014 election that decided two seats on the corporation commission.
A whistleblower at the commission had alleged wrongdoing involving campaign contributions from Arizona Public Service, which supplies electricity to wide swaths of the Valley and is regulated by the corporation commission.
During that 2014 election, an estimated $2.2 million in so-called “dark money” – campaign contributions from unidentified sources – is believed to have played a big role in the election of two pro-business Republicans.
Gary Pierce denied that allegation and investigators never filed charges.
But during his tenure on the commission, Pierce developed a reputation as one of APS’ biggest supporters, and media reports in 2015 suggested he had formed inappropriately close relationships with its executives.
Apart from all that, the corporation commission for the past several years has been one of Arizona’s most troubled public entities, beset by conflict-ofinterest allegations and concerns over the role of “dark money” in commission elections and decisions.
These kinds of contributions have been legal ever since a 5-4 U.S. Supreme Court ruling in 2010.
Critics of the decision have said it enhanced the ability of special interests to sway public policy in their favor.
Jim Norton, the lobbyist who was indicted along with Pierce, is managing partner of Axiom Public Affairs, which he formed in 2015 in association with East Valley political operative Sean Noble and several others.
Noble has been a national player in distributing hundreds of millions in “independent expenditure” money from conservative and corporate sources, most notably billionaire brothers Charles and David Koch.
Troubled developer
Over the years, the other key player in the indictment, George Johnson, has had his own set of problems.
He has built homes across the East Valley, most notably in the development near Queen Creek that bears his name.
Water for Johnson Ranch is supplied by Johnson Utilities, owned by the developer himself. Johnson Utilities has repeatedly been cited for violations ranging from poor water quality to operating new wells and pumping groundwater without approval.
The federal indictment alleges that, contrary to corporation commission staff recommendations, Pierce advocated increasing Johnson Utilities’ “rate base” by more than $18 million. The measure, which increased customers’ rates, was supported by most on the commission.
Pierce also pushed for a provision to allow Johnson to pay his personal income taxes directly from money paid by his utility customers. A commission majority also eventually supported that.
The owners of some small utilities in Arizona have argued in favor of that tax break because large, corporate-owned utilities fold their tax expenses into their rates. Consumer advocates have objected to the practice.
Johnson’s most notorious run-in with the law came in 2005.
He faced a multi-count civil action from the state attorney general in connection with his proposed developments in Pinal and Apache counties. Johnson was accused of illegally bulldozing state and private land, destroying archaeological sites and native plants, polluting several waterways and causing a disease epidemic that killed at least 21 rare Arizona desert bighorn sheep.
Many of the violations were in connection with what Johnson had hoped would be a 175,000-resident city called La Oso Ranch in Pinal County. That proposal eventually collapsed amid a storm of opposition from neighbors, environmentalists and others.
In 2007 Johnson agreed to settle the state’s claims for $12.1 million, against damages that the state estimated at $200 million.
(Special to AFN)
Pinal County sewer and water utility company owner George Johnson allegedly bribed ex-legislator and his wife.
(Special to AFN)
Gary Pierce, a former state legislator and former member of the state utility commission, allegedly accepted bribes.
(Special to AFN)
Influential state capitol lobbyist Jim Norton also was indicted.
Arizona charter school data show lack of ethnic diversity
BY GRISELDA NEVAREZ AND EVAN WYLOGE Arizona Center for Investigative Reporting
Two decades after Arizona helped pioneer the charter school movement, enrollment data show the schools don’t match the schoolage demographics of the state and, in many cases, their neighborhoods. White – and especially Asian – students attend charter schools at a higher rate than Hispanics, who now make up the greatest portion of Arizona’s school-age population.
Hispanic students account for 44 percent of all students in Arizona, but they make up just 36 percent of charter school students. White students, who make up 40 percent of the student population, account for 48 percent of all charter students.
“The mission of public education is to give every child in our state the equal opportunity to excel to the maximum of their capabilities,” said Tim Ogle, executive director of the Arizona School Boards Association. “When you have disparities of opportunity, you are systemically inhibiting some groups over other groups through public policy, and that’s just inherently wrong.”
The Arizona Department of Education hasn’t conducted a formal analysis of the school enrollment demographics, but the agency’s spokesman, Charles Tack, said they’re anecdotally aware of the disparity, and that the data “confirms that there is work to be done.”
Arizona lawmakers established charter schools in the 1990s so that parents could send their children to schools specializing in rigor, the arts or Montessori teaching methods, to provide an education more tailored than what was traditionally available in public schools.
Today, roughly 17 percent of all students in Arizona’s public schools attend a charter – about triple the national average of 5 percent. Only the District of Columbia has a greater portion of charter school students.
Charter schools here receive state funding based on enrollment, and may operate independent of school districts. They’re either run by non profit or forprofit groups. In fiscal year 2014, the state provided $8,041 per student to charter schools, compared to $9,096 per student to district schools. District schools generate additional funding through voter-approved bonds and overrides.
Arizona’s open enrollment law allows
(Evan Wyloge/Arizona Center for Investigative Reporting)
Demonstrators at a school choice rally held at the Arizona Capitol displayed various signs supporting both charter and district public schools.
parents to send their children to any school they choose – district or charter – even if it’s outside their neighborhood, provided there is room.
The Arizona Center for Investigative Reporting analyzed school enrollment demographics for public schools in Arizona, categorizing each and then comparing it to the demographic data within the surrounding communities and schools within a 10-mile radius. The analysis provides a snapshot of Arizona school demographics from 2014, the most recent statewide data available.
fewer school choices, and among specific types of charters.
In both “rigorous” and “progressive” charter schools, more than half of the student population is white, and less than 30 percent is Hispanic. Alternatively, among “at-risk” charter schools, which cater to students at risk of failing out of school, Hispanics make up an overwhelming majority of the students, with white students making up less than 20 percent.
Jonathan Butcher, education director for the Goldwater Institute, said charter
“ Their goal was to give parents more options and to improve student achievement. That’s what they were set up to do. ”
Jonathan Butcher, education director for the Goldwater Institute
While there are exceptions, when charter schools are compared to their neighborhoods and to other nearby schools, data show that they are more likely to be whiter than the surrounding area, while district schools tend to overrepresent Hispanic students.
As a portion of each ethnicity’s school age population, one of every six Hispanic students in Arizona attends a charter school, but for white students, it’s one in every four. Among Asians, it’s one of every three, and for Native Americans it’s one in 10. The trend is more pronounced for charter schools located in more rural communities with
Taylor, said students come from as far as Coolidge and North Phoenix.
That regional focus, Taylor said, complicates the issue of how his charter school’s demographics compare to the community where it’s located. Heritage Academy is 80 percent white and 14 percent Hispanic. But the schoolage population around the school is 61 percent Hispanic and 27 percent white. District schools within a 10-mile radius have nearly equal portions of white and Hispanic students.
New School for the Arts and Academics in Tempe also has a student body that’s whiter than the surrounding area. Sixtynine percent of the school’s students are white and 17 percent are Hispanic. The school is located in a neighborhood that’s only 10 percent white and 67 percent Hispanic. District schools within a 10-mile radius have, on average, a student population that’s 31 percent white and 51 percent Hispanic.
The BASIS charter schools, which consistently rank among the highestperforming public schools in the country, are particularly popular among Asian families. Nearly 28 percent of all BASIS students are Asian, although Asians only make up about 3 percent of the state’s K-12 public school students. BASIS Chandler has the greatest percentage of Asian students of any BASIS school. Sixty-eight percent of the school’s population – 497 out of 731 students – are Asian, though the surrounding neighborhood is only 5 percent Asian. Overall, the combined student population at the BASIS schools is 57 percent white and 11 percent Hispanic.
schools shouldn’t be criticized for their student demographics because being diverse wasn’t the initial goal.
“Yes, we want (charter schools) to serve diverse populations, but I think it’s unfair to criticize them for not doing something that isn’t part of the main goal that they were set up to do,” Butcher said. “Their goal was to give parents more options and to improve student achievement. That’s what they were set up to do.”
Heritage Academy, a general charter school in downtown Mesa, has operated for more than 20 years, serving students in the East Valley. Its principal, Earl
BASIS representatives didn’t respond to repeated requests for comment, but said in an email that BASIS is “incredibly proud of the diverse nature” of its student population.
Andrew Morrill, president of the Arizona Education Association, said public schools have historically had a strong connection to the community in which they’re located and that it’s difficult for charter schools to build that same connection when they don’t serve the students from around the area.
“When you have schools that may encourage folks of some ethnicities but not necessarily the ones in those communities, how connected is that school to the local neighborhood?” Morrill said. “What really is that charter school then to the local community?”
SPRING
VENTURE WINNERS
1st Place, $500 - John Pene
2nd Place, $400 - Ana Huerta
3rd Place, $300 - Juan Guerrero
BOOT CAMPS
JULY 17 - 27
JULY 31 - AUGUST 10
Monday-Thursday
FREE WORKSHOPS to prepare you to test higher on Math, English, and Reading college placement tests.
5:30 pm to 8:30 pm AM Sessions 9:00 am to 12:00 pm
PM Sessions
Find out more info online at smcc-learning-center@southmountaincc.edu
4th Place, $200 - Tonya Robinson
5th Place, $100 - Ariel Maldonado
Audience Choice, $250 - Eli Bennett
Social Innovation, $250 - Melissa Koury
PHARMACY CUSTOMER SERVICE TECHNICIAN
Certificate Program
South Mountain Community College offers a Pharmacy Customer Service Technician program to train and prepare students for a career as a qualified professional. The Certificate of Completion in the Pharmacy Customer Service program provides students with the knowledge and skills to work in the retail pharmacy environment. Courses cover federal and state pharmacy regulations and pharmacy services, including prescription dispensing and drug distribution and control. Emphasis is on providing quality customer service and using effective communications and interpersonal skills when dealing with pharmacy customers and personnel.
• The evening program can be completed in two semesters (August-May) (includes internship).
• Classes will be held at the South Mountain Community College main campus.
• Classes meet Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday evenings, 5:30-9:45pm.
• Must be a high school graduate or have GED verification.
• Must meet all of program requirements.
• Program qualifies for Federal Financial Aid.
• Total cost for program is $2,717.00 (includes internship).
Contact: Loida Gutierrez Coordinator of Pharmacy Customer Service Technician Program South Mountain Community College Guadalupe Campus Loida.Gutierrez@southmountaincc.edu 602.243.8256
From Left to Right; Chuck Newsome - Judge, SCORE, Tonya Robinson, Shana Knox - Judge, MariSol FCU, Bruce McHenry - Business Faculty, Melissa Koury, Eli Bennett, Ariel Maldonado, Ana Huerta, John Pene, Juan Guerrero, Jenny Herschaft - Judge, SBDC.
Wetter is better
PHOTOS BY DIANNE ROSS AFN Contributing Photographer
As temperatures rose Saturday, June 3, so did attendance at Pecos Pool, where young and old alike found relief from the heat. They included, top row from left, Krystal Sanchez, who prepared for a dive; unidentified boys tread water and celebrate getting down a water slide; a girl identified only as Monroe takes a break from the water. Middle row, from left: James Marlee tries out his life vest; a boy, Zuri, enjoys his vest's bouyancy; and Christina Marlee prepares to go underwater. Bottom row, from left: Lifeguard Holly Hunter keeps order; Amanda Thewell plays with son Cruz; and Rhea Caldwell and her daughter picnic in the shade.
Horizon kids soak up Water Day fun
PHOTOS BY KIMBERLY CARRILLO AFN Photographer
Horizon Honors Elementary School in Ahwatukee last week held its annual Water Day during physican education classes, in which students use sponges, glasses and buckets to perform various relay-like races. Clockwise, from top left: Avery Schweppe, grade 4, Chandler, pours water on a classmate; Keshav Dubey, grade 4, Chandler, celebrates getting cooled down; Zoe Tzompantzi, grade 4, Chandler, balances a cup of water on her head; Maliya Henry, grade 4, Maricopa, likes being sprayed; Keegan Wallace, grade 3, Mesa, tries a bucket on for size; Owen Bucich, grade 3, Ahwatukee, tries to dodge a spray; Zachary Nassim, grade 3, Ahwatukee, and Kennah Burdette, grade 4, Gilbert, get soaked; Zora Griffin Todd, grade 4, Ahwatukee, tried in vain to run from the water; and Luna Ruiz, grade 3, Ahwatukee, pours water into her classmate’s bucket during one of the relay races.
Mountain Park Ranch H.O.A. BOARD OF DIRECTOR NOMINATIONS
Preparations are now underway for the Mountain Park Ranch Homeowners Association (MPRHOA) Annual Meeting scheduled for Tuesday, October 17, 2017. Three (3) of the five Board of Director positions will be voted on this year. Nominations are now being accepted in the MPR Office for the open positions up until July 7, 2017. Any Member interested in serving on the Board should contact Jim Welch, Executive Director, at the Mountain Park Ranch office at 480-704-5000 or e-mail: jim@mtparkranch.org for further information. MPRHOA By-laws allow Board Members to serve two consecutive two year terms.
Mountain Park Ranch Homeowners Association 15425 S. 40th Place, Suite #4, Phoenix, AZ 85044 (FAX) 480.704.5005 • Website: www.mtparkranch.org
Longtime Ahwatukee church merges with fast-growing Mesa congregation
BY PAUL MARYNIAK AFN Executive Editor
AMesa church called one of the nation’s 100 fastest-growing congregations has merged with New Life Church in Ahwatukee and will make it a second campus.
But the merger also is a kind of family extension: New Life Pastor Paul Lavino’s daughter Amy is married to Pastor Ryan Visconti of Generation Church in east Mesa.
The merger, which officially was marked last Sunday, June 4, at New Life’s campus at 11832 S. Warner-Elliot Loop, has been approved by nearly the entire congregation of the 26-year-old Ahwatukee church.
“Our people are so excited,” Lavino said, calling his son-in-law “a fearless leader with a tender heart for God and people. Everything he’s done so far has been very successful.”
Temporary signs already have gone up identifying the old New Life campus as the Ahwatukee campus of Generation Church, which Visconti has grown from 350 to 1,800, earning the title from Christian publication “Outreach Magazine” as one of America’s 100 fastestgrowing congregations.
Lavino said that while New Life’s congregation of 500 will now be part of Generation Church, “nothing has changed for our people.”
“This is one church with two locations,” he said, adding that within a few months, the 11 a.m. service at Ahwatukee likely will consist of a live video feed from Generation’s Mesa campus. Lavino, 62, also said he will continue to minister to his Ahwatukee flock. Visconti said he and Lavino have been working the last few months to ease the Ahwatukee congregation into the merger.
“We’ve been talking about the idea of our churches coming together for a while,” said the 32-year-old pastor. “By coming together, we’re able to bring the strength of both of our churches. We’re already so similar it has been an easy transition.”
Visconti was an Army Cavalry captain in Iraq in 2010 and thinking about a law career when he felt a calling to follow in the footsteps of his father, then Generation’s senior pastor.
After his discharge from the Army, Visconti went to New Liberty University, earned his master’s degree in theology and joined the Generation Church staff. In some ways, Visconti said, he is not surprised at Generation’s growth because “we have a really great ministry and our message is very relevant and practical.”
“We focus on the core aspects of Christianity. People want Bible-based teaching,” he said. “We have a great kids
(Kimberly Carrillo/AFN Photographer)
New Life Pastor Paul Lavino, left, and his son-in-law, Generation Church Pastor Ryan Visconti, have pretty much completed the merger of their two churches and the renaming of New Life's Ahwatukee campus.
Pecos Pool open six days a week for summer fun in Ahwatukee
AFN News Staff
Pecos Pool will be open daily except Fridays through July 30 and then switch to weekend-only swimming through Labor Day weekend.
Pool hours are noon-6 p.m. Monday-Thursday, and 1-7 p.m. Saturday and Sunday.
Open-swim fees are $1 for kids and seniors and $3 for everyone else, though season passes can be purchase for $20 for children and seniors and $30 for adults. A family of four can purchase a family pass for $75, with a charge of $7 for each additional family member.
The Phoenix Parks and Recreation Department also reminded users that anyone who suffers or has suffered diarrhea cannot enter the pool area for 14 days after they are free of the ailment. Changing a baby’s diapers on the deck also is prohibited.
Last year, public pools across the Valley battled a contagious disease swimmers contracted because the water had
been contaminated by people who had had diarrhea.
Normal chlorination doesn’t prevent the disease, forcing officials to take additional measures once they become aware of the contamination.
Normally, city pools have systems that check chlorine and PH levels every 10 seconds and automatically and continuously add chlorine and PH adjustor as needed to keep water crystal clear.
The city issued other reminders on rules for safety in and around Pecos Pool.
Children 6 and under must be accompanied by – and stay within an arm’s reach of – a responsible person, 13 years of age or older, as determined by the pool manager.
Only approved Coast Guard personal floatation devices may be used in the pool. Running, pushing, wrestling, dunking and riding on a swimmer’s shoulders are forbidden.
All guests must shower with soap and warm water before entering the pool area, and food and beverages must be
kept in restricted areas.
Swimsuits must be suitable for use in a family environment, and banned clothing items include sports bras, sports shorts, basketball shorts, cutoff jeans and underwear. Clean T-shirts may be worn over swimsuits for modesty, religious or medical reasons but first must be ap-
CHURCH
ministry where kids have fun but also get really good teaching."
Additionally, the church has a number of “life groups,” small clusters of congregants who meet at members’ homes to deepen their faith and, in the process, make deeper relationships with others as well.
Located on Ellsworth Road not far from U.S. 60, Generation currently has a 40,000-square-foot auditorium for services, but Visconti sees a time when he will need more room.
Generation Church’s recovery ministry, which consists of weekly confidential group meetings already have now started in Ahwatukee.
That ministry is aimed at helping people through “a wide variety of hurts, hang-ups and harmful behaviors,” according to the church’s website.
proved by the pool manager.
Guests with open wounds, sores, eye infections, colds, nasal or ear discharges, and skin or body infections are not permitted in the pool.
Information: 602-534-6587 or at aquatics.pks@phoenix.gov.
They range from substance abuse and pornography to depression, anger, fear of abandonment and other issues.
Married for five years, Visconti first approached his father-in-law about the idea of a merger last October and then wrote out his vision for what it could achieve.
“His vision was so compelling, I said, ‘I gotta do this,’” Lavino recalled. “So I told him I would think about it, pray about it and finally decided it would be a good thing to do.”
Lavino said the Ahwatukee site will continue a traditional Sunday service at 8:30 a.m. and that he will continue to preach and minister to congregants.
“Our church is strong and is doing well,” Lavino added. “In my heart, I feel like we have a better opportunity to reach more people.”
Information: generationaz.org.
Former Ahwatukee journalist reflects on her first year as a Spanish teacher
BY CATHRYN CRENO
Guest Writer
Editor’s note: Ahwatukee resident and former Arizona Republic journalist Cathy Creno has been periodically writing about her first year as a teacher. She has been teaching Spanish at Altadena Middle School in Ahwatukee. Next school year she will be teaching in the Tempe Elementary School District.
“Thank you so much for this amazing year!”
“You are a really fun teacher!”
“Thanks for everything you have done for me.”
“Thank you for being a wonderful teacher. I had so much fun in your class.”
How fast it all went.
As I read the student inscriptions in my copy of The Paw, Kyrene Altadena Middle School’s yearbook, it seemed impossible to believe that 10 months had passed since I nervously stood in front of 40 seventh-graders and prepared to teach school for the first time.
I remembered how hot and crowded my first-period class seemed. I remembered
how worried I was that Altadena students wouldn’t care about the subject that I teach.
I never needed to be.
Spanish – the subject I teach – is overwhelmingly popular at Altadena, where students aim to complete the first year of high school Spanish before setting foot inside Desert Vista High School.
More than 200 sixth, seventh- and eighth-graders passed through my classroom. Few earned worse than a B.
More than 90 percent of the eighth-graders achieved their goal of scoring high enough on a complex final exam that allows them to skip the first year of high school Spanish and join sophomores in class next year.
If only every first-year teacher were blessed with students as motivated as those in the Altadena Spanish program.
It’s next to impossible to pick up a newspaper or listen to a news broadcast these days without seeing or hearing information about Arizona’s teacher shortage. There are more than 2,000 open teaching positions around the state this year.
Schools fill the jobs with so-called per-
manent substitutes and beginning teachers like me. I have a teaching intern certificate that allows me to take education classes at Rio Salado College while I gain experience in the classroom. I will complete my degree a year from now.
Experts tend to point to Arizona’s low salaries for teachers – the state is said to pay teachers the lowest wages in the nation –when assigning blame for the problem.
But behind the scenes, when teachers talk among themselves, they also talk about how less-tangible things like parent support and student behavior – add to the quality of their jobs.
Stories are shared about teachers who leave the profession after a year or so on the job because they can’t control their classrooms. And because students seem to have no interest in the subjects that they are there to teach.
I can’t say I didn’t have difficult moments here and there, but support I received from the Kyrene School District helped me get through them.
Kyrene teacher trainer Moira Turner helped me set up an easy, efficient way to
check homework. Spanish teaching coach Lori Vanover helped me find creative ways to help students learn nouns, adjectives, verbs and many other things that beginning world language students find full. And I lost count of all the tests, worksheets and quizzes Spanish teacher Anna Bailey shared with me.
I will miss them – and my students –next year, when I join the Tempe Elementary School District for year two of my teaching internship.
It was a great year. Or, to quote the student who wrote in my yearbook, it was an amazing year.
(Special to AFN)
Ahwatukee resident and former journalist Cathryn Creno became a teacher last year, working at Altadena Middle School near her home.
Young cat, dog seek Ahwatukee owners to make them their pets
Acouple of young animals are looking to become house pets in Ahwatukee.
Jenny Bernot of Arizona Rescue described Emme, a 2-yearold Abyssinian mix cat, as “one of the mellowest cats of all time.”
“This gentle tabby is a shy, friendly girl with a big heart,” Bernot said, noting that Emme likes attention, being petted and back rubs.
“If you’re not available for quality one-on-one time, all Emme needs is a comfy cat bed where she can snuggle in and make herself at home,” she added. “If you can’t find Emme, chances are she’s in one of her beds – she simply loves them. She’s also a fan of cat condos and can often times be found on the highest platform, where she can keep an eye on everyone.”
Considered “a great eater,”
Emme gets along with other cats. Information: azrescue.org.
Luxor is a year-old hound blend, according to Jannell Cosgriff of Friends for Life Rescue, and was rescued from a county facility after being found a stray on the streets.
“While he’s just the tiniest bit timid when he first meets you, you’ll be his best friend before you even realize what happened,” Cosgriff said. “He’ll do best residing with an active family that will take him on daily walks –no hot pavement, though – and hikes when the weather cools down.”
Luxor is neutered, vaccinated, licensed and microchipped. He’s tested negative for heartworm as well and his adoption fee is $150.
Information: FFLdogs@azfriends,org, 480-497-8296 or azfriends.org.
(Special to AFN)
Considered “a great eater,” Emme gets along with other cats.
(Special to AFN)
With Luxor, "You’ll be his best friend before you even realize what happened”.
Tempe Union board poised to ok sale of Ahwatukee site today
The Tempe Union High School District Governing Board apparently has found a buyer for a 63-acre site at Frye Road and Desert Foothills Parkway that could give rise to as many as 178 new homes in Ahwatukee.
The board’s agenda for its meeting at 7 p.m. today, June 7, includes a recommendation to vote on a sale that was considered in a closed-door meeting of the board last week.
No details about price or the buyer were available in advance of the meeting, to be held at district headquarters, 500 W. Guadalupe Road, Tempe.
The board also is mulling what to do with another unoccupied site it owns in Chandler, although that property and the options were somewhat more complex than the Ahwatukee property.
The sale is expected to be contingent on an analysis of the land and its suitability for construction.
If the sale does go through, there are numerous steps that a buyer must follow with the city before any building could occur.
Estimates are that a sale could bring between $15 million and $19 million for the district, which would put the funds
AROUND AHWATUKEE
into its capital budget for use on building repairs and a variety of other expenses excluding salaries.
Mountain View Lutheran Church collecting water for homeless Mountain View Lutheran Church, 11002 S. 48th St., Ahwatukee, is holding a bottled-water drive throughout June to benefit the Summer Heat Respite Program at Grace Lutheran Church in downtown Phoenix, which addresses hunger, heat relief and connects the homeless to resources June 12–Sept. 1.
The drive has become an annual event at Mountain View, which seeks to provide a “simple, tangible and visible way people are able to help a basic need right in their backyard.” Last year, it collected 2,000 cases.
Cases of water or cash donations can be dropped off at the church 8:30 a.m.3:30 p.m. weekdays or during one of the regular worship times at 5:30 p.m. Saturday or 8, 9:15 or 10:45 Sunday morning. Any size case or amount of bottled water is accepted.
Information: pastorsarah@graceinthecity.com.
New custard business slates hiring event in Ahwatukee
Andy’s Frozen Custard Ahwatukee is
looking for “positive, energetic and motivated” workers who can perform well in a fast-paced environment while maintaining attention to detail and deliver outstanding customer service.
Though Andy’s will be located in Ahwatukee, it is interviewing applicants 1-5 p.m. Saturday, June 10, at the Courtyard Marriott, 920 N. 54th St., Chandler.
Applications for the jobs, which pay up to $11 an hour, are at eatandys.com/ arizona-careers should be brought to the interview. They also will be available at the interview location.
Cactus Jacks poker night to benefit arthritis sufferer
Cactus Jack’s, 4747 E. Elliot Road, Ahwatukee, is holding a poker tournament starting at 2 p.m. June 17 to benefit a member of Momma’s Poker League who is suffering from rheumatoid arthritis and to increase awareness of the condition.
A car show also will be held at the site from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.
The tournament has a $25 buy-in.
Details: Becky at 602-697-4823.
City seeks members for new 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 to the city’s Judicial Selection Advisory Board by 3 p.m. Monday, June 12.
The seven members of the commission will be selected by the judicial advisory board and will be responsible for investigating a broad range of activies.
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. Information: ethics.application@ phoenix.gov.
Legion post to retire old flags in special ceremony next week
American Legion Post 64, the only veterans’ service organization in Ahwatukee, will hold a ceremony to retire and burn old American flags at 7 p.m. Wednesday, 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.
A big heart and a love for music launched a bluegrass empire
BY RALPH ZUBIATE AFN Managing Editor
Anni Beach is the kind of substitute teacher any kid would want.
Fun-loving, kindhearted and uniquely talented, this combination led to the creation of a neighborhood band that’s been going strong for 23 years.
Beach was a substitute teacher in the Chandler district for years, moving from school to school as the need arose.
One day, doing her duty at a second-grade classroom in Galveston Elementary School near her home, Beach hauled out her mandolin for a quick song, as she had done dozens of times before.
For some reason, the music caught the imagination of a few of the neighborhood kids this time.
“They came to my house after school,” said Beach, who is in her 70s. “The two kids asked if I could teach them to play.”
She didn’t have time that day, but she talked it over with her husband, Vincent, who died in 2010.
“He said maybe I should.”
They play their own brand of bluegrass, gospel and traditional country in shows and festivals all over the nation. They’ve won awards and been recognized nationally for the program.
The band even breaks down into various small-group configurations, such as Cabin John, Morning Fire, Fair Black Rose and The Would Bees.
A professional band, Cisco & The Racecars, has even been born out of the group.
At first, instruments were hard to come by.
The Jam Pak kids began learning on simple instruments called “canjos,” which are empty soda cans with a stick and a string attached. Since then, they have been sponsored by Arizona bluegrass organizations and many individuals who have provided, loaned or donated instruments, lessons and lesson scholarships.
The band’s website, jampak.com, drives home the point that it’s all about the kids learning music.
Terri Babick brings her two kids all the way from Cave Creek to play with Jam Pak.
Benjamin, 14, plays mandolin and handles the sound board at some performances. Rachel, 12, plays the fiddle. It’s their fourth year in the group.
“My son especially became entranced with bluegrass,” Babick said. “He really wanted to play and jam with children.”
She scoured the Internet and finally found Jam Pak.
“Mrs. Beach has created such a presence in this community of bluegrass music and festivals,” she said.
She said Benjamin jammed with the band at a senior center and loved it, as did the residents.
with dozens of musicians and lots of free food.
Recently, the kids took the stage in Beach’s backyard, playing and singing such bluegrass and gospel standards as “God’s Not Dead.”
Mismatched chairs invited neighborhood moms and dads, and visitors. Group after group took the makeshift stage, playing banjos, mandolins, dulcimers, guitars and basses. Beach’s dogs wandered the friendly crowd, greeting guests and looking for dropped hot dogs and chips.
Next week, the original two kids showed up with four others, friends and siblings. She taught them “This Land Is Your Land,” “Tom Dooley” and “Will The Circle Be Unbroken.”
The Jam Pak Blues ‘N’ Grass Neighborhood Band was born.
Since then, the band has grown to over 25 members of all ages and races.
“It’s been thrilling to see the progress of various children who, with no particular musical background, have taken to bluegrass music and can play, sing, ‘take breaks,’ keep the rhythm, learn by ear and also play notes,” it says.
The musicians practice in her tiny house, finding corners to play in and a backyard to perform in. The band draws kids from all over.
“They come to me, I don’t have to recruit or anything,” Beach said.
“Imagine 20 of your grandparents giving encouragement,” she said.
Ramon Meneses was one of Beach’s first students, then a precocious 4-yearold hanging out with his siblings.
“My brothers and sisters came home with instruments. I said, ‘I want to do that,’” he said.
He played with the band until he was 16, then picked football over performing. Though he quit playing, Meneses will continue in the music field, hoping to be an audio engineer.
He still has fond memories of his time in the band, and he still visits, like when Beach hosts a “Beach House Revue”
The littlest kids may play or not, as they continue to learn by ear. They gain some experience and get comfortable on stage, knowing that, like their friends around them, their day will come.
“(Beach) has created a tribe of care and connection and love,” said Mark Hickler, a professional banjo maker who plays in Cisco & The Racecars. “The band’s motto is from her, and it’s ‘To make ourselves and others happy with our music.’”
“She’s a dying breed,” gushed Meneses. “She’s a gift on earth in this city.
“You can see the openness. I always see her as a mother. Immediately, you fall in love and respect her.”
– Contact Ralph Zubiate at 480-898-6825 or rzubiate@timespublications.com.
(Kimberly Carrillo/AFN Photographer)
Jam Pak follows Anni Beach's lead during a session in her backyard, and welcomes musicians from around the Valley.
(Kimberly Carrillo/AFN Photographer)
Nazarena Delgado, 12, sings and plays for the crowd at the "Beach House Revue" in Anni Beach's backyard.
Real Estate Guide
BY PAUL MARYNIAK AFN Executive Editor
Sotheby’s International Realty might be known for marketing places like the $165-million, 12-bedroom home and 15-acre ocean-to-lake estate in Manapalan, Florida, but that doesn’t mean the company doesn’t like what it sees in Ahwatukee.
In fact, it is specifically opening an office in the Southeast Valley because it likes what it sees – a lot.
So much that Sherri Monteith is leaving her home of 24 years in Flagstaff, where she has been the managing broker of Ross Lyons Sotheby’s office in that city,
to assume the same position for the company’s new office in Gilbert.
“I’m making a huge change and making a huge commitment to this office,” said Montieth, a Pittsburgh native who has been in real estate for 17 years – all but three with Sotheby’s.
She has been Ross Lyon Sotheby International’s managing broker for its Sedona office for nine years and the rest of the time at its Flagstaff operation.
“This is a very important office she’ll be running,” said Jeff Hall, an Ahwatukee Realtor and retired attorney who will be one of 25 agents the office is starting out
Taylor Morrison unveils 25-home Agave Heights Collection
New homes are hard to come by in Ahwatukee because of its size, so Taylor Morrison’s Todd Hahn said his company’s new subdivision, the Agave Heights Discovery Collection, might just be the answer for frustrated buyers.
Located at 4509 E. Jojoba Road near 46th Place and Ray Road, Agave Heights is a 25-home subdivision that features “the contemporary designs and architectural details today’s homebuyers want most,” said Hahn, vice president for sales and marketing for Taylor Morrison’s Phoenix Division.
The developer opened the subdivision to the public over the weekend, touting five basic four plans – four of them two stories and all with two- or three-car garages.
The homes range in price from $410,000 for a 2,000-square foot singlelevel to $505,000 for a 3,667-square foot two-story model.
Designer kitchens feature granite countertops and staggered birch upper cabinets with a choice of stain and pantries.
With a built-in pest defense system by TAEXX as well as carbon monoxide detectors and built-in irrigation systems, the homes also include 200-amp electrical service, large covered patios and masonry yard fencing.
In its marketing, Taylor Morrison is focusing heavily on Ahwatukee’s “natureloving lifestyle” and proximity to golf courses, retail centers and “top-notch entertainment” and dining.
Information: taylormorrison.com/newhomes/arizona/phoenix.
Affordability is becoming an increasing problem for firsttime home buyers in the Valley, according to a new report from Metrostudy, a leading provider of primary and secondary market information to the housing and related industries nationwide.
Entry-level starts and supply have fallen dramatically, it said. Starter homes under $200,000 dropped 21 percent year-overyear in the first quarter of this year.
“Total inventory has remained relatively flat over the past year or so despite increasing demand, pointing to the difficulty builders are having in securing new lots and delivering homes to buyers in a timely manner,” Metrostudy said.
“The narrowing gap between the number of closings and starts reflects the difficulty many builders are having in replacing their lot supply as the availability of vacant developed lots
Seattle firm buys Ahwatukee apartment complex
ASeattle real estate investment company has purchased an Ahwatukee apartment complex for $85.25 million.
Security Properties recently purchased the 576-unit Andante complex at 15801 St. 48th St.
The previous owner, Chicago-based Waterton, was represented by CBRE Group agents Tyler Anderson, Sean Cunningham, Asher Gunter and Matt Pesch in the sale.
“Andante is a well-maintained suburban multifamily asset offering tremendous value-add upside,” said Gunter. “The property is located within a highly desirable, amenity-rich submarket with top-performing schools. Additionally, the property benefits from a high barriers-to-entry location.”
Securities Properties was founded in 1969 for the purpose of “assisting clients in managing their growing tax burdens through HUD-sponsored affordable housing investment programs,” according to the company’s website.
It now boasts of owning 80,000 apartment units across the country with a value exceeding $5.3 billion.
Built in 2000, Andante features one- and two-bedroom floor plans averaging 886 square feet per unit. Community amenities include three resort-style swimming pools, resident clubhouse, a 24-hour fitness center and an expansive dog park.
Los Angeles-based CBRE Group is the world’s largest commercial real estate services and investment firm with more than 75,000 employees.
SOTHEBY
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with.
Hall is not only relieved he doesn’t have to drive to Sotheby’s Scottsdale office anymore, but he’s also excited about seeing more exposure for Sotheby’s in Ahwatukee and East Valley.
The 250-year-old British multinational company, based in New York City, is often recognized for its massive auction house operation.
But Hall said that when comes to real estate, “We have the sophistication of a well-cut suit. Nothing is loud. Everything is subtle. That’s what Sotheby represents – quiet sophistication.”
And for agents like himself, he added, “The management is so professional and meticulous. They take care of their agents. They make sure their agents have every single tool they need, and the monthly fees are a quarter of what many agents pay elsewhere. They go all out to help the agents.”
Hall said Sotheby’s decided to open a Southeast Valley office after studying upward-trending real estate markets worldwide.
Montieth said the decision has little to do with the region’s seven-figure housing
market even though the company’s name often is associated with high-end luxury homes.
“Our bread and butter is the threebedroom and two-bath home,” she said. “We do well in the high-end market because of the international exposure but the client selling the $100,000 condo will get the same treatment as the person selling the seven-figure mansion.”
Conceding “we’ve always done very well in the high range, but our emphasis has always been on quality, not price point,” she added.
Montieth didn’t set out for a career in real estate when she started at Northern Arizona University, graduating with an advertising-marketing degree.
“I graduated and promptly remembered I was in Flagstaff, she said, joking about the dearth of ad agencies there.
So, she signed up with Century 21 for three years before Sotheby’s lured her away.
Despite her long tenure in real estate, “I’ve never sold any,” she said. “I’ve always been in management.”
And she sees her new job as an attractive challenge.
“I love start-ups and love meeting people” she said. “And I’ve always had my eye on the East Valley.”
“There’s plenty of room for this office to grow. In Flagstaff, you get to the Tonto Forest pretty quickly,” she noted, a reference to how nature hems in the firm’s geographical area.
Her job at the new office will growing its presence in the region and making sure her agents have all the tools they need to succeed.
“If they are successful, we’re successful,” Montieth said.
“I’m protective of the people we already have,” she added. “I want people to come in and be part of the family atmosphere.
I take a huge interest in my agents. I like to know
Montieth said that as she figures out “how to use the Sotheby name and branding to build its business,” she’ll be pushing hard the notion that sellers can expect “the international treatment” from the company, whose trademark dark blue “sale” signs “carry a lot of prestige.”
As for home buyers, she said, “I think they will like the high-quality type of agent we attract.”
Sherri Monteith
Jeff Hall
News Staff
(Special to AFN)
A Seattle firm recently bought Andante, a 576-unit apartment complex at 15801 S. 48th St., Ahwatukee, for $85.25 million.
homes sold
85048
$434,900 14802 S. 7th PLACE
$380,000 16411 S. 2nd PLACE
$389,000 1234 E. COTTONWOOD LANE
$385,000 14817 S. 13th WAY
$475,000 512 E. SILVERWOOD DR.
$455,000 14440 S. 24th PLACE
$349,900 3935 E. WILDWOOD DRIVE
$317,500 2917 E. WINDSONG DRIVE
$321,000 16415 S. 42nd ST.
$337,500 16643 S. 15th ST.
$540,000 1404 E. DESERT TRUMPET ROAD
$317,500 2917 E. WINDSONG DRIVE
$372,500 911 E. MOUNTAIN VISTA DR.
$242,500
$285,000
$305,000
$305,000
$450,000 16651 S. 15th LANE
$445,000 16027 S. 13th AVE.
$510,000 15435 S. 4th DR.
$477,000 2721 W. NIGHTHAWK WAY
$316,613 15550 S. 5th AVE.
$332,000 16610 S. 16th LANE
$250,000 15550 S. 5th AVE.
$425,000 16032 S. 7th LANE
$272,000 12228 S. PEWAUKEE ST.
$370,000 1034 E. HIDDENVIEW DRIVE
$315,000 16425 S. 41st ST.
$310,900 3510 E. LAKEWOOD PKWY.
$309,900 2335 E. HIDDENVIEW DRIVE
$304,000 15428 S. 24th ST.
$295,000 16607 S. 43rd ST.
$286,000 2745 E. ROCK WREN
$334,100
$280,000
$279,000
$272,000 4226
$265,000
$263,000
$260,000
$250,000
$234,900
$229,900
$214,000
$207,000
$193,000
$175,000
Homes are flying off the market across the country
AFN NEWS SERVICES
In April, existing – as opposed to newly built – homes across the nation were for sale for a median of only 29 days before they were snapped up by buyers, according to a recent National Association of Realtors report. That’s the shortest period of time since NAR began tracking these sales in May 2011, Realtor.com reported.
Homes sold the fastest in some of the country’s hottest – and most expensive – metros. Silicon Valley’s San Jose led the pack, at a median 23 days, followed by San Francisco, at 25 days; Denver, at 27 days; and Seattle, at 28 days.
Homes are selling so quickly because there aren’t enough of them to meet demand. So buyers are pouncing on them lest they miss out.
“The lack of homes on the market is a big deal. It’s crimping sales,” said senior economist Joseph Kirchner of Realtor.com, adding that the inventory of homes for sale was particularly low after buyers raced to close the previous
month. In particular, “the number of homes at the affordable and moderately priced level is so tight that buyers can’t find homes under $250,000.”
This shortage might also explain why sales dipped 2.3 percent from March, according to the seasonally adjusted numbers in the report. However, they were still up 1.6 percent over April 2016.
The lack of homes for sale is also turbocharging price tags. The median existing-home price hit $244,800 in April. That’s up nearly 3.5 percent from March and represents a 6 percent annual increase.
“Homes in the lower- and midmarket price range are hard to find in most markets,” NAR’s Chief Economist Lawrence Yun said. “When one is listed for sale, interest is immediate and multiple offers are nudging the eventual sales prices higher.”
However, the median price of an existing home was significantly less, about 25.6 percent to be exact, than the median cost of a newly built home,
according to a joint report by the U.S. Census Bureau and U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. New homes went for a median $309,200 in April.
Overall, prices of existing and new homes rose 1.4 percent in the first quarter of the year compared with the previous quarter, according to a recent report from the Federal Housing Finance Agency’s House Price Index. They were up 6 percent year over year, rising in every state except Delaware and North Dakota.
The index used only data on mortgages sold to or guaranteed by Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac.
As for specific cities, annual prices rose the most in the Grand Rapids, MI, metro area by about 13.7 percent in the first quarter, according to the report. Meanwhile, they dipped the most in the San Francisco metro, by about 2.5 percent.
Although monthly sales of existing homes were down throughout the country, the one exception was in
the Midwest, which is known for its affordable homes and lower cost of living, according to the NAR report. Sales rose 3.8 percent in the region despite median prices rising 7.8 percent annually, to hit $194,500 in April.
Sales fell the most in the South from March but were higher than the previous year. Annual prices rose 7.9 percent to $217,700.
Monthly purchases also dropped 3.3 percent in the West, but were up 3.5 percent annually. Prices were up 6.8 percent annually in the region, at a median $358,600.
Monthly and annual sales both tumbled by 2.7 percent in the Northeast. Annual prices rose 1.6 percent to $267,700.
“All in all, home buyers had better get their ducks in a row to move quickly if they’re looking to buy an existing home,” Realtor.com said.
“Demand is easily outstripping supply in most of the country, and it’s stymieing many prospective buyers from finding a home to purchase,” Yun added.
Awesome South Mountain views from desirable single level split plan. 4 br, 3 ba with 2,945 sq. ft. Former Pulte model with abundant updates. Spacious kitchen with granite countertops and stone backsplash, island, breakfast bar, stainless steel appliances and 42” maple cabinetry with pullouts. Inviting family room with fireplace. 20” Travertine flooring plus hardwood in living room. Quoizel lighting, gunmetal hardware, ceiling fans, and central vacuum throughout. Master suite boasts separate entry to patio, closet built-ins, granite countertop in remodeled bath plus Travertine and stone surrounds at tub and custom shower. Resort-style backyard features covered patio, flagstone, Pebble Tec pool with waterfall, spa, fireplace/kiva, fire pit, lush tropical landscaping and privacy of gorgeous South Mountain preserve lot.
Listed for $687,500
Mendoza
Stunning curb appeal on this quality built home located in gated finesterra! Single level 4 bedroom, 2.5 Bath, with an open floorplan, n/s exposure gated courtyard entry, grand foyer formal living & dining, family room w/ fireplace & built-ins stone-look tile flooring, sculptured carpet shutters kitchen includes: rich dark cabinets, s/s jenn-air appliances, slab granite, island, & pendant lighting breakfast nook, large master suite w/walk-in closet, spa-like master bath w/soaking tub & glass shower, paradise perfect backyard w/ pebbletec pool, putting green, gazebo, patio, pavers, & tropical landscaping, 3-car garage, community park w/ playground, ramada, grass area, & basketball court, walking distance to top rated schools, located close to shopping & dining!
Listed for $589,000
Prequalification is a long way from getting a mortgage approval
Stacie Lykins
BY STACEY LYKINS AFN Guest Writer
So, you get a prequalification for a mortgage and provide everything short of a blood sample to get it. Now you find the house you want and give the prequalification letter when you submit your contract and think you are good to go.
Well, not so fast. A prequalification letter is just that. It means you have been prequalified to get a loan.
This is not a commitment by the lender to give you a loan. It just means that the lender has looked at your information and has said that, if everything you told them is true, then they can probably give you a loan.
Circumstances often change and not all lenders treat prequalifications the same. Some lenders give out prequalification letters more freely than others. Either way, it is just that. You have just been given a prequalification to get a loan. What is the difference between final loan approval or commitment to lend and prequalification? Well, the difference is that until you have gone through full underwriting and loan approval, you are not guaranteed a loan. You cannot make any substantive change to your financial situation or that pre-qualification is not worth the paper on which it is written. So, if you are buying a new house, do not buy a car or new furniture, change jobs, lend someone money, co-sign for a
loan or gamble away your down payment. As silly as they may sound, these actions all can cause buyers from not qualifying for a loan after a prequalification letter is obtained.
I have heard of a buyer gambling a hardearned down payment away. This is so sad and affects so many people involved in the transaction.
So, how do you make sure your prequalification letter is valid? Use a real estate professional, who understands this process.
It is prudent for an agent who is representing a seller to call the buyer’s lender and ask lots of questions about the lender’s process and the buyer’s ability to close. The agent can make sure that the lender is doing the proper due diligence and the buyer is solid.
This does not guarantee an approval, but it goes a long way to make sure there are no red flags before accepting the offer.
Similarly, when representing a buyer, your agent should recommend a lender, who has a good reputation and has consistently met the close of escrow date. As the real estate market continues to generate lots of activity, it provides the opportunity for those with little experience to seep back in the market.
Be wise! Vet your realtor and their business partners. This could save you huge headaches in the process.
-Contact Ahwatukee resident and Associate Broker Stacey Lykins, West USA, 602-6169971, S.Lykins@LykinsProperties.com or LykinsProperties.com.
dwindles in many parts of the Valley,” said Ryan Brault, Metrostudy’s regional director for Arizona, adding:.
“The soaring costs of raw land to develop make it tougher to underwrite new deals and create new lots on which to build. It remains to be seen if changing strategies such as focusing on more entry-level product in some of those long dormant secondary and tertiary submarkets, building higher density cluster and attached product, or looking at alternative deal structures, will help to rebalance the overall Phoenix land market.”
“Closings in the higher price points continue to surge as well and closings at the lower end price ranges fell, reinforcing that builders continue to struggle to deliver affordably priced homes in a rapidly appreciating market,” Metrostudy said, adding that the new pricing standard for a starter home in the Valley will likely be between $2000,000 and $249,000.
“While the tighter resale market should be construed as a good thing for new home builders, the fact is that the pent-up demand is still not yet being met in many parts of the market,” said Brault.
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 groundwork 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 STEM 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.
www.ahwatukee.com
AFN’s District 6 election coverage will take many forms
BY PAUL MARYNIAK AFN Executive Editor
From time to time over the last five months, people have asked me when AFN was going to start paying attention to the Phoenix City Council election in District 6, which includes Ahwatukee.
My reply was simply this: When it’s time. We figured that voters needed a break from the madness of 2016 if nothing else.
Now that the filing deadline for candidates has passed, the time has arrived.
From now until Election Day on Aug. 29, AFN will be providing voters with a slew of information about the candidates and the issues in a variety of ways.
Last week, I sent a letter to all three candidates in District 6 inviting them to participate. You’ll see if they accepted that invitation within a few short weeks.
Additionally, AFN and the Ahwatukee Foothills Chamber of Commerce will be
extending a second invitation to the three candidates shortly: to participate in the first Chamber-AFN candidate town hall, where Ahwatukee citizens can ask the hopefuls questions of relevance to them and this community.
You’ll be hearing more details about that town hall in the next week, but keep the early evening of July 26 open.
AFN’s goal is to not only cover the campaign when it is germane to Ahwatukee but to provide as much information in as unfiltered a way as possible.
As this newspaper did with the school board and Legislative District 18 elections last year, a significant part of our council election coverage will comprise the candidates’ responses to an extensive questionnaire the AFN mailed them last week.
Portions of that questionnaire will be published in print throughout July, well ahead of the beginning of early voting on Aug. 2. Additionally, by the end of June, the entire questionnaire and their answers will be available for your perusal
on ahwatukee.com
In preparation for the town hall, readers also are invited to send their questions to pmaryniak@ahwatukee.com. The chamber will be extending a similar invitation to its members.
My hope is that any questions we cannot get to at the town hall will be forwarded to the candidates for written responses before Election Day.
Another part of our campaign coverage will consist of four Opinion Page columns by each candidate – two focused on questions AFN has already presented to them and two on subjects of their own choice. These also will be posted on ahwatukee.com and remain there for the duration of the campaign.
Finally, readers are invited to send letters to the editor on the candidates and the campaigns, although these letters will be screened to weed out form letters and personal attacks on the candidates.
For newcomers, please be advised that we’re painfully aware that for all intents and purposes, summer has arrived and if you’re wondering why all this effort is
being made at a time when many people are fleeing Arizona’s heat for cooler climes, don’t blame us.
We didn’t set these dates.
Moreover, everyone should remember that while this election is called a primary, very often it’s the only one you’ll get where council is concerned since there will be no “general election” if one of the candidates gets more than 50 percent of the vote.
That’s why it’s important for every voter to pay close attention in the next two months to AFN’s coverage. You won’t get it anywhere else, guaranteed.
And for those Ahwatukee residents who aren’t registered, you have until July 31 to do so and until Aug. 18 to request an early ballot.
Registering to vote couldn’t be much simpler in Arizona: Just go to servicearizona.com and you can do it in a matter of minutes.
Our plan is to provide you with as much information as possible to make an intelligent choice at the polls. Ultimately, however, the important part is up to you. Please plan to do it.
No epidemic of wrong-way driving, despite what TV says
BY DAVID LEIBOWITZ Tribune Columnist
Woke up at dawn June 1 to breaking news: Yet another Valley wrong-way driving accident, this time a fatal near Interstate 17 and Thomas Road in west Phoenix.
Early news reports indicated that the wrong-way offender had collided head-on with a tanker truck, his car veering off a freeway bridge. The wrong-way driver was pronounced dead at the scene.
TV news reports noted that this was the second wrong-way driving incident this week, on the heels of a widely reported series of fender benders on the U.S. 60 in Mesa.
In that Monday night fiasco, Trent Walker, 32, allegedly zonked out on gel tabs of cough medicine, was busted by state troopers after traveling a reported
seven miles going eastbound in the westbound lanes of the 60. The damage? Five crashes, no serious injuries reported.
The back-to-back news coverage of these incidents leads me to want to correct a misperception that appears to have developed among the Valley’s many media outlets.
Sensationalized news reporting aside, there is no epidemic of wrong-way driving in Arizona.
Scores of motorists are not dying on a weekly basis, killed by wrong-way assailants. Confused, drunk or stoned motorists are not hurtling down Valley roadways in epic proportions.
And you, dear reader, are not at any greater risk of dying at the hands of a wrong-way driver today in the Valley than you were five years ago or five months ago or five minutes ago.
Back when I practiced journalism on a daily basis, we had a professional term to describe reporting like this.
It rhymes with “bull twit.”
What we have in the Valley when it comes to wrong-way driving is a problem common wherever humans, cars and roads - and, very typically, alcohol – intersect. Each year, a tiny fraction of drivers, the majority of whom are drunk, drive the wrong way on our roadways.
State law enforcement and transportation agency statistics show that for the last decade, Arizona has averaged two or three dozen wrong-way driver crashes annually, with about eight to 12 fatalities.
Keep in mind two things, please: One, I’m not trying to diminish the tragedy of even one such death. And two, Arizona 895 motor vehicle fatalities in 2015, with more than 53,000 people injured.
Of course, a breathless breaking news report of “yet another right-way driver fatality on our streets” likely wouldn’t cause you to put down your morning java to watch that live shot from the freeway
shoulder.
If it sounds like I’m again lamenting fake news, that’s not my intention. What I’m lamenting instead is that “the media” has a limited amount of news space and media consumers – us – have a limited capacity to pay attention.
Every minute devoted to a non-existent epidemic is a minute that could instead be devoted to actual lethal epidemics –like the fact that of the nearly 900 people killed in Arizona traffic accidents in 2015, 313 weren’t using a seatbelt, a motorcycle helmet, or the appropriate child-safety seat. Also among the 900 dead were 300 killed in collisions that involved speeding and 295 killed in crashes related to alcohol.
Speaking of booze, law enforcement stats say it’s a factor in about 60 percent of wrong-way driving accidents annually. Crunching the numbers, that means sober
Canine lovers praise column on Ahwatukee's unleashed dogs
Sick and handicapped dogs are vulnerable,
owner warns
Hello, I am an Ahwatukee resident and devoted dog mom/owner of two Golden Retriever brothers; one is a tripawd, and the other was a canine cancer patient whom I very recently had to say goodbye to.
As a highly satisfied client of Humphrey’s Leash Brigade, I feel strongly about sharing this letter of support for Chelly Bosworth’s stance on abiding to the Maricopa County leash law.
To me, the article written by Chelly provided many solid examples of why the leash law serves to protect both us and our furry friends. This law applies to everyone in our county, including those who have friendly and/or well-trained dogs. Why don’t we all follow the leash law, just as we would/should follow the rules of the road?
Some dogs, like mine, may have medical conditions that impose physical activity restrictions. While my tenacious tripawd can sit, stand, lie down, shake, walk, back up, and trot/ bunny hop, it’s not recommended that he jump around or play zigzag chase with a loose dog; he could be putting his one and only back leg at risk.
My other beloved dog, who gracefully fought cancer for 7 months, had activity restrictions (no running or jumping) during his last month.
Though my personal experience with my fur babies may not be the norm, I believe the pet leash law (when followed) keeps us all safer and
Ahwatukee ‘thrown under the bus’ by freeway advocates
In a recent issue, your article about the billiondollar windfall for I-10 improvements caught my eye, especially the consideration for recent plans to expand the Broadway curve to 25 lanes. The MAG engineer indicated that that degree of widening would have wiped out “a lot of homes and a lot of businesses....do we really need that capacity?”
Yet, it is exactly the Broadway curve delays that have been one of the major speaking points to drive the construction of the SMF and the change in living quality for Ahwatukee and the Gila River Indian Community to the south and west. Seems that destruction of homes, churches and living quality in Ahwatukee rank lower than that in the Broadway curve neighborhood.
I am still in disbelief that ADOT can build this freeway with thousands of trucks right next to schools, where our children will be outside playing.
How did this pass environmental protections? How would the head of ADOT, our Phoenix mayor Greg Stanton, and the others who are pushing this freeway, like their children to be playing in the school yard adjacent to this freeway, with the accompanying pollution and noise?
helps remove a lot of unnecessary guesswork and stress while walking our canine companions.
I applaud Chelly Bosworth for her efforts to make our communities safer. Chelly has been an amazing, compassionate, and loving pet nanny to my boys – always going above and beyond. I am so grateful for Chelly and cannot recommend her more highly.
-Debbi Taylor
Even the gentlest of dogs can can pose a threat when free
Thank you, Chelly Bosworth, for your thoughts in the article and I appreciate you taking the safety of our pets as your highest priority.
Everyone getting along is such a wonderful concept, but in reality it doesn’t always work. There’s such a minuscule number of dog owners who can truly control their pets who won’t leave their side, no matter what!
Here’re a few things to consider when we go on a walk unleashed.
Our pets can be the loveliest with us, our friends and dogs they know, but we never should assume that they are friendly with everyone they meet. And let’s say, they still are but what if another owner’s pet who has also been the gentlest soul up to this moment is no longer one when they meet you on their walk? Pets get hurt, the day is ruined and a possible vet’s bill and liability case. Do we all know that Arizona is a strict-liability
state for injuries and damages regardless of the owner’s negligence or knowledge of the attack? A “sorry” might not be enough.
To let our pets run free, we have dog parks and our back yards, not the common area where we have kids running and where our pets can get injured so easily.
Just recently a friend of mine paid around $9,000 in vet bills for surgeries performed and medication because his dog all over sudden ran across the road disregarding the command. And there was no insurance to cover that.
We also value our privacy and space, don’t we? Unsolicited and unwelcome “play time” on a walk is disruptive. Everyone wants things happen on their own terms not because someone decided it for them it’s a good idea to let pets play.
Now think, how can we be sure that the other dog is vaccinated and has no diseases that can pass to your pet? We can’t. So why chance it?
I’d really love us be mindful of what we are doing and enjoy our walks.
-Lisa Semiehina
‘Every
dog unpredictable,’ at times when unleashed
I just wanted to express my support for Chelly Bosworth’s article in the May 24 edition of the Ahwatukee Foothills News regarding the off-leash dog problem. Though some residents expressed that they didn’t see it as an issue, it is in my area of Ahwatukee.
LETTERS
Not to worry; it’s just Ahwatukee.
I have watched this process unfold from the beginning since moving to Ahwatukee in 1987. There were alternatives to building this monster in our backyard, but none really ever had a chance.
It was jammed down our throats with the bully’s pulpit.
Local concerns were cast aside with indifference at best, and arrogance, often. Per the ADOT report, the most expensive highway project in Arizona’s history will save one minute of travel time in the next decade.
I am certain the Broadway curve expansion could have alleviated at least a few seconds off of that.
To those politicians who threw Ahwatukee “under the bus,” I will remember your lack of advocacy when you seek higher office.
-Larry Kline
Book shows importance of insulin to body’s health
Have you ever heard about someone who has taken the main stream cancer cure (chemotherapy and radiation), then a few years later it reappears?
They tell you that the radiation probably didn’t
We moved to Ahwatukee a year ago and rescued a dog shortly thereafter. We obey the law and keep her on leash when not in our backyard. It’s the law and keeps her and other dogs safe.
Every dog, no matter how well trained or friendly, can be unpredictable.
We have been attacked four times during the past year – once on the green belt and three times in our own neighborhood.
I was injured in the last attack.
This is not exactly what I imagined when we moved here, but I still believe Ahwatukee is a great community with many wonderful people. That being said, we’ve changed our walking routine and are doing our part to minimize the risk of injury.
We’ve shortened or altered our walks, started carrying protection, and sent our own dog to obedience training to control her reaction to aggressive dogs.
I think the majority of the problem comes from resident’s lack of respect. They don’t respect the law. They don’t respect the unpredictability of their “friendly or well trained” dogs.
Taxpayer dollars were invested in nice doggy parks at Pecos Park which is a short drive away. For their safety and everyone else’s, I respectfully ask them to please use the dog parks.
-Karla Herder
get all of it, but I contend that the real reason is that the person’s body had insulin resistance. There is a new book out that is very hard to overstate how good it is.
In the book “The Insulin Factor,” Dr. Michael Cutler identifies the body’s master controller as insulin. Insulin controls lifespan, energy, circulation, digestion, hunger, lipids, bone health, brain function, and many more.
Repair your dysfunctional insulin and boost your immunity, slashing your risk for the biggest health threats we face today, including cancer, heart disease, osteoporosis, diabetes, Alzheimer’s and more.
There are two insulin producers in your body: the pancreas and the brain. The pancreas levels glucose spikes and stabilizes glucose levels within a specific range. The brain uses the output of the pancreas, then readjusts the glucose level to zero.
If one of these organs is dysfunctional, having insulin resistance, diseases can occur. When trying to cure a specific disease you must first fix its resistance, so you don’t end up constantly trying to cure its recurrence.
The author stressed two issues: focus on consuming all natural foods, staying away from processed foods; enhance insulin by using
vitamin D3, magnesium and vitamin K2, also balancing your Omega 6/Omega 3 ratio; using krill oil. Also, don’t forget your mama’s message “Eat your veggies.”
By following this book, you can change from a dependence on a doctor, who gives you a cut, burn and drug treatment, to a nutritional treatment, that you can provide for your health. -Don Crook
Study nation's fundamental documents, then live them
The value of our freedom and liberty cannot be measured. Also immeasurable is the value of the lives given to defend our freedom and liberty. Please take the time to study the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution. Those documents clearly express our founding fundamentals. Learn them; live by them; defend them. If we lose this never-ending battle, we cannot be replaced. And for that, our enemies would be jubilant.
The United States of America is unique in the world. Let’s keep it that way. Our enemies are fighting 24/7 to take away our freedom and liberty; therefore, we must always be aware of
-Don Kennedy
Share Your Thoughts:
Send your letters on local issues to: pmaryniak@ahwatukee.com
LEIBOWITZ
from page 34
wrong-way driving crashes happen maybe 10 times a year statewide.
Chances are, more Arizonans get seriously hurt falling off a ladder trying to change a light bulb.
Which, now that I’ve mentioned it, is a deadly epidemic sure to generate an “all-new, exclusive report tonight at 10 o’clock.”
Just remember, people: You heard it here first.
-David Leibowitz is a Valley resident and public relations consultant.
Parents’ communication should change with their children if they want them to listen
BY SANDY KRAUS AFN Guest Writer
Our children start out as such adorable babies.
They rely on us for everything. We are, for the most part, in control of our babies’ lives acting almost as dictators. That is, until they start to develop their own ideas, and that can start early.
Remember when you tried to get your baby to eat mashed peas? They very plainly said, “I don’t want to eat that” by turning their head away. Then they start talking and this becomes a blatant, “NO!”
As our babies grow into toddlers and then preschoolers on into adolescence and adulthood, they develop their own thoughts, feelings, ideas, and dreams. They grow into independent thinking
beings, which is what we want them to do.
But, do we as parents grow along with our children or do we cling to the dictator role throughout their entire lives?
Do you feel you are no longer the dictator? Is your child not listening? Do you wish you could fix your child?
If you do, it may be time to grow out of the dictator role to communicate more effectively with your child. Once your child has the mental ability to think their own thoughts, you can no longer control them or get them to do what you think is best.
Sometimes, parents seek out the help of a counselor to help “fix” their child. But many times, it is the parent who needs to change the way they are communicating.
If the communication techniques you are using aren’t getting the results
you want, it may be time to try a different approach.
But how do you change something that seems to come automatically to you? Changing how you communicate with your child, or seeing things from your child’s perspective, can be really hard.
It is especially hard if you don’t know how or what to change when communicating with your children. However, making positive changes will make a big, lasting difference in the relationship you have with your child, at any age.
The next time you don’t get the response you would like from your children, stop and ask yourself what you can do differently.
-Sandy Kraus of Ahwatukee counsels parents with ideas and suggestions on how they can begin to communicate differently with their children. 480-759-1898 or legacyparentingtoday@gmail.com.
Ahwatukee duo helps ushers businesses into history Business
BY PAUL MARYNIAK AFN Executive Editor
Like veterinarians tending the sick old family pet, Ahwatukee residents Rob Nelson and Chris McCarty often must put their client-businesses to sleep.
They’ve built a national reputation for their Ahwatukeebased business, POWER Retailing, on a sharp-eyed ability to help some failing businesses reorganize and usher others into oblivion.
One of their current clients is almost within walking distance of their homes. They’ve been presiding over the going-out-ofbusiness sale for Plaza Hardware, whose longtime owner Leonard Branstetter, died earlier this year. His widow and children decided to sell the business, unable to afford rising rent and/or compete with big-box operations like Home Depot.
So, they turned to Nelson, who founded POWER Retailing in 1984, and McCarty, who as vice president travels around the country helping businesses that are taking on water decide whether it’s best to swim or sink.
The two men do this through timetested marketing tactics and strategies aimed at either increasing revenue or safely liquidating inventory and maximizing sales so the owner can walk away without losing the shirt of his back. In a career covering both wholesale and retail, Nelson has seen countless numbers of businesses fold their tents – many times falling prey to big-box stores.
He recalls being told “we’re here to kill the little guy” by a Home Depot executive planning to move into a territory where independent hardware stores were thriving.
“They had a war room, like all these big chains do, and developed a strategy around the question ‘How do we get rid of this guy?’” Nelson recalled, musing: “They killed the little guy and now the
internet is killing the big guy. There’s just a dramatic change going on in retailing.”
When he was a member of another vanished breed – the traveling salesman –and represented a wholesale supplier back in the ’60s, he recalled, he serviced nine stores in Mesa and 16 in Sun City.
“They used to be very, very prosperous,” he said. “But once the big guys came in, they were gone eventually.”
As he saw the road representative going the way of the dodo, “the business was shrinking fast so I knew I had to do something.”
So, he and his wife started a store in Southern California.
But when that business started to sour, Nelson and his wife cut their losses and closed down.
That’s when he decided he had enough background to help other troubled businesses call it quits.
“I told them, ‘I can help you, and they said do it, and I did it.’ Then my wife
and I moved in 1992 to Arizona. It’s been great, like going to a half-price sale: We can have a great neighborhood and everything else for about half what we would pay in California.”
Nelson said he is in a highly competitive business: “Everybody who loses their job becomes a consultant. When I was first in the business, people called and said, ‘Get out here as soon as you can.’ Now they say, ‘I gotta talk to five other people.’”
But Nelson and McCarty believe their experience in the psychology of closing down businesses gives them an edge.
For example, Nelson sees a certain magic in the marketplace where “Going Out of Business” signs are concerned.
“Customers always respond to a goingout-of-business sale; they all show up for the funeral,” he said. “Go to the mall and see a sign saying 50 percent off and who cares? People say to themselves, ‘I’ll come back later.’ But when you say, ‘Everything must go,’ everyone shows up.”
In some cases, POWER Retailing has helped fading businesses go out with a blaze of glory – as it did with one boutique that normally had done $2,000 to $3,000 a day in business and did $14,000 in the first two days of a going-out sale.
In a Montana town where the unemployment rate hovered around 15 percent and the town’s major employer, a paper mill, was closing, Nelson and McCarty helped an independent outdoorgoods store close down when its owner decided to retire.
“He did $175,000 on the opening day of his going-out-ofbusiness sale,” Nelson said.
Despite competition from larger price-cutting stores, many independent businesses that Nelson and McCarty help are facing extinction because of poor management.
“Some people will fight the battle until they lose their homes,” he said. “When they call me and say the economy is bad, I don’t get into any discussion about that. I say, ‘Go to Costco. There doesn’t seem to be a bad economy there.’”
Many times, they provide not just financial advice but emotional comfort.
A business owner in Colorado told Nelson, “Not only have you been my consultant; you’ve been my psychiatrist. Not only does this affect my business, but it affects my life.”
But sometimes clients feel they didn’t get enough advice.
After helping one business owner mount a going-out-of-business sale, Nelson recalled getting an angry call from her.
“She said, ‘You didn’t tell me it would really change me. You’re the pro. I couldn’t sleep. There was too much going on,’" Nelson said.
“She’s mad because the store’s in shambles and she gets all this business all of a sudden. Actually, we do tell them, ‘Here’s how it’s going to happen. Here’s what you have to prepare yourself for. But sometimes they don’t believe you.”
(Kimberly Carrillo/AFN Photographer)
Ahwatukee residents Bob Nelson, left, and Chris McCarty are POWER Retailing, a consultant business that helps struggling businesses die in peace, as they are doing with the 35-year-old Plaza Hardware store near their Ahwatukee homes.
Mountainside Fitness returning to Ahwatukee after long absence
BY WAYNE SCHUTSKY AFN Staff Writer
Mountainside Fitness is coming home.
The local gym chain recently purchased the former Sports Authority building in the Foothills Park Place Shopping Center on Ray Road and 48th Street.
It will now have a presence in Ahwatukee for the first time since the early 2000s.
Mountainside Fitness is going to invest nearly $3 million on top of the $7.3 million it paid for the building, said CEO Tom Hatten. Upon completion, the gym will occupy roughly 40,000 square feet of the 63,034-square-foot building.
Another tenant, Urban Air, will lease the remaining space, said Hatten.
Urban Air is a children’s entertainment venue. The forthcoming location will include a variety of attractions, including indoor trampolines and an elevated rollercoaster.
Hatten founded the company in Ahwatukee’s Mountainside Plaza in 1991 when he was a 23-year-old junior at
Arizona State University.
He built much of the equipment himself along with a roommate and relied on help from family members to prepare the initial location and sell memberships.
“The people in Ahwatukee built Mountainside — they are the reason it exists,” said Hatten. “To be able to come back with a club of this size and magnitude is very special to me.”
Hatten had an interest in returning to Ahwatukee for years and described it as something of a passion project.
However, he was interested only in occupying this particular space. Two years ago, he contacted Sports Authority to determine the retailer’s future in the building and was put in contact with the building’s then-owner.
shopping center with low vacancy rates, said CBRE’s Joseph R. Compagno, who represented the seller in the deal.
in Phoenix’s Ahwatukee neighborhood, so we marketed the property to investors and tenants that didn’t already have a location on Ray Road,” Compagno added via email.
It will be a state-of-the-art Mountainside Fitness, Hatten said.
The gym’s cardio equipment will be hooked up to Cox Communication’s fiber network and feature iPad-like screens that allow users to access a range of options, including Netflix, personal email and workout information.
The gym will also feature childcare and interactive technology that allows members to keep track of their workouts via television screens throughout the gym. The screens communicate with smartwatches worn by members.
Members can purchase smart watches from Mountainside Fitness, though the system also works via Bluetooth with brands like Apple Watch and Fitbit, said Hatten.
The transformation of the space from traditional retail store to gym falls in line
The site is prime real estate located in a
“Retailers are eager to have a presence
See FITNESS on page 39
and Staff
Tom Hatten
trends seen across metro Phoenix as
The original Mountainside Fitness location was replaced in 1996 by Mountainside Fitness’ first ground-up gym, an 18,000-square-foot facility at 32nd Street and Chandler Boulevard that closed in 2003.
Since that time, the company has expanded throughout metro Phoenix but has not returned to Ahwatukee. The company now operates 14 locations in Arizona, including five gyms in the East Valley.
Mountainside Fitness also operates a gym in Chase Field, the home of the Arizona Diamondbacks, in downtown Phoenix.
The Ray Road Sports Authority store closed almost immediately after the once-powerful Colorado-based chain store filed for bankrupcy with more than $1 billion in debt in March 2016.
At its peak, the chain operated more than 450 stores with over 14.500 employees.
(Special to AFN)
Closed since March 2006, when the chain filed for bankruptcy, the
A 40-year shopping mecca now becoming a campus
BY WAYNE SCHUTSKY AFN Staff Writer
Fiesta Mall’s days are numbered, at least in its current form.
A local development group purchased the property in late May for just $6.72 million with grand designs to redevelop the space into a higher-education campus, and that redevelopment plan also includes a new name: Campus at U.S. 60.
The current plan for the mall will not require rezoning of the property because the current zoning allows for redevelopment, said Lori Gray, senior project manager at Mesa’s Office of Economic Development.
New owner Dimension Financial & Realty Investments Inc. plans to hire an architect in the next 30 days and complete a design in the next 120 days, said Ray Cashen, president and designated broker at Cashen Real Estate Advisors, which represented DFRI in the sale and will market the property.
Cashen estimated that construction will begin in the first quarter of 2018, though it could begin sooner based on tenant demand.
The redevelopment and renaming of the property would end Fiesta Mall’s nearly four-decade run in Mesa, during which time the city experienced explosive growth alongside the once-dominant mall.
Fiesta Mall was one of the first major growth centers for southwest Mesa along with agriculture, and its creation contributed to significant employment growth in southwest Mesa as well as a boom in residential construction. It also coincided with the U.S. 60 expansion in Mesa.
“(Fiesta Mall) was a catalyst for growth in southwest Mesa,” said Vic Linoff, president of Mesa Preservation Foundation.
However, as the southwest side of Mesa began to fill up and the population began to age, the city expanded east, taking potential shoppers with it.
After opening in 1979, Fiesta Mall remained a featured retail attraction in Mesa before vacancy rates began to rise in the past 20 years as consumers opted for the newer Superstition Springs Center, which opened in 1990.
The opening of Fiesta Mall – in a harbinger of things to come – contributed to the demise of Mesa’s Tri-City Mall,
which closed for good in 1998 after its tenants were siphoned off.
Tri-City Mall was a working-class mall that reflected Mesa’s demographics at the time, Linoff said. Fiesta Mall, on the other hand, was a modern megamall similar to Phoenix’s Metrocenter and was a novelty in Mesa at the time. It was also anchored by high-end tenants like The Broadway, Goldwaters and Sears.
Like Tri-City Mall, Mesa’s Main Street also was affected by the early success of Fiesta Mall because tenants left the area in favor of the city’s new shopping center, Linoff said.
The Fiesta Mall site was a key component of the Fiesta District Redevelopment Plan, which the city initiated in 2009 and followed in 2012 with an implementation plan.
Some noticeable results of those plans are the narrowing of Southern Avenue and new streetscape features. The city’s plans also placed heavy emphasis on redeveloping “worn-out” retail properties, Gray said.
The city has struggled to fully realize that goal as properties like the notorious
former Bennigans restaurant location at the northwest corner of Alma School Road and Southern Avenue remain empty.
The successful redevelopment of Fiesta Mall would be a win for Mesa as it could potentially bring consumers back to the area and raise property values, Gray said.
“If this works, it could start another era that helps revitalize the area,” Linoff said.
Still, Linoff noted that there is some
risk in pursuing the higher-education route.
For all the successes Mesa has had in bringing universities and colleges to the city in recent years, there also are some cautionary tales, such as the canceled Grand Canyon University campus in Eastmark.
The group plans to keep the community
(Kimberly Carrillo/AFN CPhotographer)
The entrance to what was once Macy’s at Fiesta Mall has been boarded up for several years since the department store pulled out of the complex.
(Kimberly Carrillo/AFN Photographer)
Fiesta Mall is down to only a few retailers as it faces a complete remodeling into a campus environment.
informed about the progress of the project.
“We've met with councilmen for the district and Lori Gray,” Cashen said. “We will probably reach out to the community when we have a clearer design direction to let people know what we are doing.”
DFRI is targeting large existing universities with focuses on health and education as potential tenants. There may also be space for colleges specializing in business, economics, engineering, global communications, law, nursing and liberal arts.
The group also plans to develop housing and entertainment products to support the campus along with offices and a health club.
It is planning to keep the majority of the existing mall building intact while enlarging the walkways and introducing more natural light.
The sale did not include the Dillards or Sears locations within the mall because both companies own the space they occupy. It also did not include the two other anchor tenant spaces, formerly occupied by Macy’s and Best Buy/Dick’s Sporting Goods, which are owned by
local developer Scott Jackson.
Cashen said DFRI has had positive conversations with Jackson and that both groups are “united trying to really help each other to make the whole thing come to fruition.”
City of Mesa officials have remained in contact with the various ownership groups and believe that they are all onboard with the redevelopment plans for the former mall.
“It seems to me that the owners have always said that this is a key piece of property and that it’s in a good location and it can be the gem that it once was, just used for different purpose,” Gray said.
DFRI also owns a roughly 200,000-square-foot building on the east side of Alma School Road, formerly occupied by Staples and Borders, that it plans to bridge to the mall property.
Overall, the new campus will comprise approximately 1.2 million square feet.
DFRI and its principals Jerry Tokoph and Wayne Howard have a track record of infill redevelopment in the Valley, including the redevelopment of the former Honeywell/Bull 160-acre mixed-use facility at Interstate 17 and Thunderbird Road in Phoenix.
$6.72 million price tag is a big step down for Fiesta Mall
BY WAYNE SCHUTSKY AFN Staff Writer
Fiesta Mall’s $6.72 million sale price pales in comparison to the $135 million Macerich paid for the property less than 20 years ago.
In September 2013, Macerich “conveyed the property to the lender by a deed in lieu of foreclosure,” according to SEC filings. The lender was Bank of America, and the property had an $83 million CMBS loan.
Bank of America’s special servicer, LNR Properties, cared for the property since 2013 and was the seller in the most recent transaction. The sale took place on the Ten-X online real estate marketplace, and brokers from CBRE marketed the property on behalf of the seller.
LNR decided to sell the property in order to put it in the hands of ownership that could provide the cash infusion necessary for redevelopment.
“(The seller) truly believes in what the buyer is going to be doing with the
property in terms of adaptive reuse,” CBRE Senior Vice President Glenn Smigiel said.
In fact, LNR Properties initially explored redeveloping the property on its own. However, due to the company’s structure, it could not put together the capital necessary for the redevelopment, Smigiel said.
Representatives from the city of Mesa had previously met with LNR to walk the mall, give the ownership feedback, and discuss what efforts were necessary to revitalize the property. When LNR finally made the decision to auction the property, it listed the city’s Office of Economic Development as a key contact for prospective buyers in order to ensure the new ownership group and the city were on the same page, said Lori Gray, senior project manager at Mesa’s Office of Economic Development.
New owner Dimension Financial & Realty Investments Inc., plans to invest $30 million to turn the shopping center into a higher-education facility.
UPGRADE TO A SMART GARAGE
God’s grace empowers purposeful and meaningful living
DBY REV. SUSAN WILMOT AFN Guest Writer
Second of two parts
id you notice how the world demands eminent domain in our lives by creating false paths to our hearts’ desires, including love, freedom, security, and worthiness?
The consequences of our assent to the world’s ways are evident in the prevalence of violence, injustice, materialism and addictions as a way of escaping or coping. Other addictive behavior is equally as devastating. Those addicted to power and the world’s definition of success do everything they can to affirm their self-worth – usually at a terrible cost to others, including injustice and violence.
Thank God there’s another way that actually expands our freedom to live authentically, with humility and simplicity in order to build up community, end violence and the treadmill of competitiveness. Let’s see how Paul affirms, applies and expands our understanding of Jesus’ life and teachings by taking a closer look at Paul’s “no longer” statements of freedom.
In faith, our first experience of freedom in Christ is God’s forgiveness and healing. In the life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, we see God’s ultimate response to the world’s
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 from 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
violence, and share in the victory over sin and death.
Paul’s practical way of describing the gift of faith is found in Romans 6:6 (NRSV emphasis added): “We know that our old self was crucified with him so that the body of sin might be destroyed, and we might no longer be enslaved to sin.”
As Paul contends in Romans 6:13, this aspect of our freedom in Christ empowers us to be “instruments of righteousness.” That is, living in the integrity of our faith in such a way that we allow God’s goodness and love to flow in our lives and freely share it with others.
In other words, our freedom in Christ empowers us for purposeful and meaningful living. As we live boldly in faith, we make a difference. We show others how to find Christ’s transforming love and grace, while also exposing the fallacy and tragedy of worldly eminent domain that has such a vice-grip on so many lives.
We like to think we’re in control and self-sufficient so it’s a challenge to remember that our real freedom is a gift of God’s grace, not something we can earn or buy. God’s grace creates a response of deep gratitude and an eagerness to share the good news. We’re free from the tyranny of trying to earn God’s or anyone else’s love, or working to repay the gift.
Grace is God’s perfect gift, unearned and unmerited, yet always ready for us to unwrap, always available to untangle
and free us from unhealthy ways of trying to earn love or redeem ourselves.
As Paul writes, “But if it is by grace, it is no longer on the basis of works, otherwise grace would no longer be grace” (Romans 11:6).
As Paul knows, the gift of God’s grace frees us from judgmentalism and draws us deeper into abundant love and life. In faith, we no longer have to fight or compete with others for fear that there’s not enough of what we need to go around. We no longer have to put others down in order to make ourselves feel worthy.
Everything we need is provided by God’s grace. Paul writes in Romans 14:13, “Let us therefore no longer pass judgment on one another, but resolve instead never to put a stumbling block or hindrance in the way of another.”
We are beloved children of God, free from slavery to sin and death, and so much more. As we read in Galatians 4:7, “So you are no longer a slave but a child, and if a child then also an heir, through God.”
As we experience God’s providential loving care flowing in our lives, we’re freed from fear and anxiety.
In God’s love and grace, we find that we have more than enough. God gives us more than enough, because living faithfully and with gratitude means living generously, sharing our resources, time and spiritual gifts with others to the glory of God’s name.
The supreme lordship of Christ in our lives fills us with expansive love
and hospitality for all. In practical terms we no longer feel threatened by others, free to love and welcome all without judgment, as God intended. Paul writes, “There is no longer Jew or Greek, there is no longer slave or free, there is no longer male and female; for all of you are one in Christ Jesus” (Galatians 3:28).
With God’s help, we can be free from the bonds of prejudice and bigotry, and free to welcome, love and serve all God’s children. In 2 Corinthians 5:1516, Paul tells us of God’s transforming grace giving us new, Christ-like vision, to see as God sees. We are in Christ, and Christ died for all so “we regard no one from a human point of view”. Being followers of Jesus is about committing for the long haul and being willing to change. We are works in progress, guided by the power of the Holy Spirit as we read in Ephesians 4:14, “We must no longer be children, tossed to and fro and blown about by every wind of doctrine, by people’s trickery, by their craftiness in deceitful scheming. But speaking the truth in love, we must grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ…”
As Martin Luther King, Jr. once proclaimed, “Free at last. Free at last. Thank God almighty, we are free at last.”
-The Rev. Susan E. Wilmot, vicar at St. James the Apostle Episcopal Church & Preschool, 975 E. Warner Road, Tempe, can be reached at rector@stjamestempe.org, 480-345-2686, or stjamestempe.org.
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.
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>> 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.
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.
MONDAYS
JOIN CHRIST-CENTERED YOGA
This Flow 1-2 class (intermediate) is free and open to the community.
DETAILS>> 6-7 p.m., Mountain Park Community Church, 2408 E. Pecos Road. Greg Battle at 480-759-6200 or gbattle@moutainpark.org.
CLASS TARGETS THE GRIEVING
Classes for those grieving over death or divorce.
DETAILS>> 6:30 p.m., Holy Trinity Lutheran Church, 739 W. Erie St., Chandler. 480-963-4127.
TUESDAYS
GRIEFSHARE
Mountain Park Community Church is offering an ongoing
GriefShare programs to help people deal with the pain of losing a loved one.
DETAILS>> 6:30-8 p.m., 2408 E. Pecos Road, Ahwatukee. To register: mountainpark.org and click on Launch. Information: Alex at 480-759-6200
FINDING HEALING FOR PAIN
HOPE, an acronym for “Help Overcome Painful Experiences,” offers support for men and women who seek God’s grace and healing.
DETAILS>> 6:30-8 p.m. Mountain Park Community Church, 2408 E. Pecos Road. mountainpark.org.
SENIORS ENJOY TUESDAYS
The Terrific Tuesdays program is free and includes bagels and coffee and a different speaker or theme each week. Registration not needed.
DETAILS>> 10-11 a.m., Barness Family East Valley Jewish
Community Center, 908 N. Alma School Road, Chandler. evjcc.org or 480-897-0588.
WEDNESDAYS
CHIMING CHERUBS
This “ringing and singing” music class is perfect for the younger kids who love music and want to learn to ring the handbells and/or enjoy singing. Chiming Cherubs present occasionally during our worship services and special holidays throughout the school year.
DETAILS>> 5:45 p.m. Mountain View Lutheran Church. 11002 S. 48th St., Ahwatukee. 480-893-2579. mvlutheran. org.
CELEBRATE RECOVER
Celebrate Recovery is a Biblical 12-step program that helps you find hope and healing from all of life’s hurts, habits and hang-ups. Whether it’s addiction, loss, anger or stress, you can find the freedom you’re looking for today.
DETAILS>> 6:20 p.m. Mountain View Lutheran Church. 11002 S. 48th St., Ahwatukee.. 480-893-2579. mvlutheran. org.
DIVORCE CARE
Don’t go through one of life’s most difficult times alone. DivorceCare is a friendly, caring group that will walk alongside you and provide support through divorce or separation.
DETAILS>> 6:30 p.m. Mountain View Lutheran Church. 11002 S. 48th St., Ahwatukee. 480-893-2579. mvlutheran. org.
SANCTUARY CHOIR
If you enjoy singing and want to play a role in worship, the Sanctuary Choir is for you.
DETAILS>> 6:30 p.m. Mountain View Lutheran Church. 11002 S. 48th St., Ahwatukee. 480-893-2579. mvlutheran. org.
GOD OWNS IT ALL
This book study tackles the money question we all ask: how much is enough? The answer to this question is found in God’s Word. This study will equip you to approach money management and financial planning with freedom, generosity, contentment, and confidence. When Biblical truths offered in this study are applied, finances will be ordered, decisions will be simplified, and experience will invite contentment in all areas of life. Books may be purchased on amazon.com or lifeway.com.
DETAILS>> 6:30 p.m. Mountain View Lutheran Church. 11002 S. 48th St., Ahwatukee. 480-893-2579. mvlutheran. org.
TRUTH ABOUT DISHONESTY
Most of us think of ourselves as honest, but, in fact, we all cheat. None of us is immune, whether it’s the white lie to head off trouble or padding our expense reports. This book explores how unethical behavior works and how it affects all of us. This study will provide insights into why God commanded us to not tell lies.
DETAILS>> 6:30 p.m. Mountain View Lutheran Church. 11002 S. 48th St., Ahwatukee. 480-893-2579. mvlutheran. org.
NARRATIVE BIBLE STUDY
Study and examine the Scripture readings for the upcoming Sunday at a deeper level. This weekly class dissects the passages for the upcoming weekend, giving you time to study and understand the historical background.
DETAILS>> 6:30 p.m. Mountain View Lutheran Church. 11002 S. 48th Street, Ahwatukee. 480-893-2579. mvlutheran.org.
WOMEN’S BIBLE STUDY OFFERED
Living Word Ahwatukee women’s Bible study and fellowship that offers “a short, low-key time of praise and worship in music and message.” It’s also
an opportunity to meet other Christian women in Ahwatukee.
DETAILS>> 10-11:30 a.m., Living Word Ahwatukee, 14647 W. 50th St., Suite 165, Ahwatukee. Free child care.
THURSDAYS
SLEEPING BAGS FOR THE HOMELESS
Ugly Quilts has made more than 15,500 sleeping bags for the area homeless, and continues to do so at First United Methodist Church every Thursday. Quilters stitch donated fabric, comforters, sheets and blankets into sleeping bags. Those are then distributed to the Salvation Army, churches and veterans’ organizations. DETAILS>> 8 a.m.-2 p.m., 15 E. 1st Ave., Mesa. Information: 480-969-5577.
KIDS CAN FIND SUPPORT
Support group for children ages 6 to 12 coping with a separation or divorce in the family. One-time $10 fee includes snacks and workbook.
DETAILS>> 6:30-8:30 p.m., 1825 S. Alma School Road, Room C202, Chandler. Pastor Larry Daily, 480-963-3997, ext. 141, larrydaily@chandlercc.org or chandlercc.org.
FRIDAYS
NEFESHSOUL HOLDS SERVICES
Congregation NefeshSoul holds Shabbat services the second Friday of every month on the campus of the Valley Unitarian Universalist Congregation. DETAILS>> 6:15 p.m., 6400 W. Del Rio St., Chandler. Information: nefeshsoul.org.
Mass | 4:00pm Sunday Mass 7:00, 8:30, 10:30am, 5:00pm
Valley trio rolls experience into success with Philly’s
BY CHRISTINA FUOCO-KARASINSKI
GET OUT Contributor
Barry Clark didn’t come from family money. A 1996 Arizona State graduate, Clark worked his way through the bar and restaurant industry before achieving a lifelong goal: owning his own business.
Teaming with co-owners Bryon Russell and Jim Wallin, Clark purchased Philly’s Sports Grill on Scottsdale Road 15 years ago.
“We were working for other people 60 hours a week,” Clark said inside his third location, on Warner Road near 48th Street in Ahwatukee. The Philly’s on Priest Drive in Tempe rounds out the trio.
“We saw that the Philly’s on Scottsdale Road was for sale because it was going out of business,” Clark said. “The price was right for us. We bought it and worked every day until we built up sales.”
Since then, the three restaurants have become go-to spots for viewing sporting events and eating top-notch food. It’s easy to see, judging from the restaurants’ name, that they specialize in cheesesteaks.
The dishes at Philly’s are reasonably priced.
The extensive appetizer menu ranges in price from French fries ($4.95) to carne queso dip ($9.95). Soups (Philly’s housemade chili and Chef Carl’s chicken enchilada soup) and a myriad of salads (including strawberry and Greek salads) are served for $3.50 to $10.75.
Philly cheesesteaks are popular items, and there are several choices for $8.75 to $9.95. Sliders and sandwiches, tacos, a 10-ounce sirloin and pizza are other items on the large menu.
Happy hour is 4 to 7 p.m. daily, except for special events. Reverse happy hour is 11 p.m. to 2 a.m. Sunday through Thursday.
“We use better ingredients than the momand-pop restaurants or neighborhood bars do,” Clark said. “But it’s not just a place to come and watch sports and get food. You can come for lunch or dinner and have a good meal. We really focus on a highquality menu. We don’t just serve food because we have sports on.”
That said, Clark adds Philly’s has hockey, baseball, basketball and football packages.
The eateries also show all major UFC and boxing events.
The Ahwatukee and Priest Drive locations have televisions on most tables.
“I feel like a lot of the neighborhood bars won’t get the hockey or baseball packages,” said Clark, a California native. “We get all of them.”
“I was always behind the 8-ball, buying an old place,” he said. “Ahwatukee is extremely busy; busier than I ever thought it would be. It’s about having the right food, a friendly staff, a good cocktail selection and a good draft beer selection. It’s a recipe for success.
“People will go into a place and come back if the staff is friendly. The hardest thing for me and anybody else in the business is you’re at the mercy of your servers, bartenders and cooks.”
The popularity of the three Philly’s restaurants leaves Clark proud.
“I didn’t have rich parents,” he said. “We literally started with a place going out of business and building it up. I wouldn’t change it for the world.”
IF YOU GO
What: Philly’s Where: 4855 E. Warner Road, Ahwatukee Info: 480-247-8655, phillyssportsgrill.com
Drive Philly’s.
“We just remodeled the Scottsdale Road location,” he said. “We need to do some major remodeling outside, but it all comes down to money.”
The Ahwatukee building gave him the opportunity to have a nice place and see what he could do with it.
Along with food and sports, employees are equally as important to Clark. His manager at the Scottsdale Road Philly’s has been with him since he purchased it.
Speaking of the Scottsdale Road restaurant, it was recently remodeled, as was the Priest
(Special to AFN )
Barry Clark has put televisions on most tables at his Philly’s restaurant in Ahwatukee.
Modern Market brings affordable, healthy and tasty food to Ahwatukee
BY PAUL MARYNIAK
AFN Executive Editor
As he drove up and down Ray Road on one of his visits to the Valley last year, Anthony Pigliacampo realized something.
“It was nothing but one fast-food restaurant after another,” he recalled. “There was no place to get good, healthy food.”
That same realization in 2009 prompted Pigliacampo and his high school buddy Rob McColgan to start their first Modern Market restaurant in Boulder, Colorado.
Last weekend, both realizations led to the opening of their 26th Modern Market restaurant, in Ahwatukee on the southwest corner of Ray Road and 50th Street.
They opened Friday, June 2, in the same way they’ve opened their other restaurants in Colorado and Texas as well as one in Scottsdale and Washington, D.C.: with free dinners for more than 200 strangers they invited through Ahwatukee social media sites and free breakfast to countless more the next day.
The two 37-year-old Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, natives say Modern Market
is on a mission to bring people quality, affordable and semifast food that is healthy and tasty to boot.
Pigliacampo said he has had his eye on Ahwatukee for a while – and would have opened his first Arizona restaurant here instead of Scottsdale had the Ahwatukee building not needed considerable work. They opened in Scottsdale four months ago.
residents and workers who seek out wholesome, healthy food.”
finding that kind of fare.
“What’s the one thing people who travel a lot complain about? How they feel after eating so many meals on the road. We tell people that after eating here, they can go and work out,” he said.
To a large extent, Modern Market not only buys fresh, but makes fresh as well.
During the weeks that he and head chef Carla Cominiello – who relocated from Colorado just to run the Ahwatukee restaurant – were training their staff of about 40 people, the workers “got a real education in how to fix food.”
“They were amazed to see us make aioli from scratch,” Pigliacampo said. “To as much of an extent as possible, we cook from scratch.”
That’s part of Modern Market’s mission:
“We like to go to the outer edges of big cities,” he explained. “There is a good-food culture in Phoenix, but the area is so spread out that culture tends to be in pockets, and Ahwatukee is one place where we felt our concept would be welcomed.”
Moreover, he added, he liked Ahwatukee’s mix of tight-knit residential neighborhoods and small commercial and office areas, calling them home to “active
When they opened their first restaurant eight years ago, neither he nor his partner had any involvement in the food industry – except for the fact they liked to eat good, healthy food.
Pigliacampo, who owned a company that manufactured medical and other devices, and McColgan, a Wall Street broker, traveled a lot and ate out a lot and frequently bemoaned the difficulty of
“As we open more locations, we enrich communities by bringing them high quality food, supporting localized, sustainable, diverse supplier networks and creating good paying jobs that teach people solid life skills such as leadership and how to cook from scratch.”
(Kimberly Carrillo/AFN Photographer )
Modern Market’s open design keeps the kitchen in view.
Warped Tour’s eclectic mix returns to the Valley
BY JORDAN BLITZ GET OUT Contributor
Kevin Lyman was sitting in the snow, thinking about the extreme sports lifestyle he was promoting, when he had an epiphany.
He wanted to share the attitude, athleticism and the music in the summer, too.
Tour is meant to be an exploration of music and a celebration of the summer — without breaking the bank.”
The pop act American Authors and rockers Barb Wire Dolls show the variety for which Lyman is known.
Barb Wire Dolls
Lyman is a strong supporter of femalefronted bands like Barb Wire Dolls, who have been compared to Warped veterans L7. No strangers to the festival circuit, Barb Wire Dolls were founded in Crete, Greece, by singer Isis Queen and guitarist Pyn Doll.
After gigging around their home country, the musicians were discovered by KROQ DJ Rodney Bingenheimer, who frequently played their music on his “Rodney on the ROQ” show in Los Angeles.
“I’d been working in the clubs back then and I thought people were much more eclectic in their musical taste,” Lyman says. “The first summer, we had bands like Sublime, No Doubt, Quicksand and L7. It was a mix between punk and California surf rock; it was an eclectic music mix.”
This year’s festival, which comes to Fear Farm Festival Grounds in Phoenix on June
Twenty-three years ago, Lyman founded the Vans Warped Tour, the traveling show that is lauded for crisscrossing musical genres.
22, brings more of the same, with acts like American Authors, CKY, Dance Gavin Dance, Barb Wire Dolls, Valient Thorr, Sick of It All and I Prevail.
Vans Warped Tour has become known as the rock ‘n’ roll summer camp.
“We want it to remind you of that accessible backyard party,” Lyman says. “We roll into town and we don’t announce the schedule – who’s playing when, etc. You show up and see who you see. Warped
Barb Wire Dolls’ first American show sold out the nearby Roxy Theatre and, since then, they have played more than 800 shows in 24 countries. Their new album, “Rub My Mind,” is set for release June 16.
Their blend of Led Zeppelin and 1970s punk was recognized by the elder statesman of the Sunset Strip, Motörhead’s Lemmy Kilmister, who signed Barb Wire Dolls to his Motörhead Music record label.
“Lemmy is God,” Queen says. “He is the coolest cat in the world.”
See WARPED on page 47
The Barb Wire Dolls will be bringing their unique arrangements to the Warped Tour later this month in Phoenix.
The Ahwatukee restaurant serves breakfast, lunch and dinner – and caters anything from daytime gatherings to house parties.
Its menu changes seasonally and every item on it carries a calorie count.
It also reflects a knack for inventive fare, such as a bacon-and-corn pizza, pear waffles, Thai coconut salad, “humanely raised steak” and gingermaple roasted veggies. Beer, wine and organic nonalcoholic beverages are available.
“High-quality food is not cheap,” Pigliacampo said, adding:
“But we try to keep our prices as low as possible because we want as many people as possible to be eating fresh, healthy food.”
While patrons order at the cash register, meals are delivered by a wait staff in a brightly lit, large room where the kitchen is open to full view.
“I want this to be a place where families can come to,” said Pigliacampo, a father of two who owns a plane and flies between Arizona and his Colorado home.
Prices for most meals are under $15, reflecting another goal of the entrepreneurs.
He said he and McColgan have “learned on the job” about the restaurant business –especially the food part.
“The food at our first restaurant when we opened wasn’t very good,” he confessed. “But we have learned a lot over time.”
Pigliacampo said he and his partner like to open restaurants in places they love to visit, and that they both like Ahwatukee.
And as far as the Valley is concerned, they aren’t finished with opening new Modern Markets.
Nor are they finished anywhere else, for that matter.
“We feel the bigger we get,” he said, “the more good we can do and the more people’s lives we can positively impact.”
Information: 4901 E. Ray Road, Ahwatukee. Modernmarket.com, 866-584-3944.
WARPED
from page 46
American Authors
In the last 12 months, American Authors lead signer Zac Barnett has checked plenty of items off his bucket list.
He and his band are performing on Vans Warped Tour stages this summer, and they contributed the song “Everything Everything” for the Disney Nature film “Born in China.”
“‘Everything, Everything’ is about how life is so much better when you’re with your best friends,” Barnett says. “There are so many exciting adventures in this world and they should be shared with loved ones. We wanted to channel each of the animals’ spirits and journeys into the song.”
The song is one of many that the New York-based American Authors hope to release this year, joining “Best Day of My Life” and “Believer” in their catalog.
American Authors performed on a few Vans Warped Tour dates last year, but this summer they’re hitting almost every city.
“A long, long time ago, when we were just starting out, we won a battle of the bands and the prize was you got to do one of the tiny, tiny, tiny stages, first thing in the morning at Warped Tour,” Barnett says with a laugh.
“This is our first full-on experience and it’s kind of like a bucket list for us.”
IF YOU GO
What: Vans Warped Tour
Where: Fear Farm Grounds, 2209 N. 99th Ave., Phoenix
When: 11 a.m. June 22
Cost: $49-$59
Info: vanswarpedtour.com
(Special to AFN)
American Authors are slated to perform at the Warped Tour held this month at Fear Farm.
(Kimberly Carrillo/AFN Photographer )
Chris Pigliacampo is the co-owner.
“Our child has thrived during his time at Summit Middle School. The teachers are kind and compassionate. They work hard to make the middle school years fun for the students. In addition to having a heart for middle schoolers, they also have provided a top notch education in all subject areas. We could not have been happier with our experience.
-Summit Parent
100% acceptance by all high schools. Graduates will be attending Desert Vista, Brophy, Xavier, Horizon, Seton Catholic, Hamilton, Valley Christian, and two out of state.
Bridal show, concerts and movies top weekend list
BY JUSTIN FERRIS
GET OUT Editor
‘Aida’
This Tony Award-winning musical tells a tale of love and betrayal in ancient Egypt. It features intricate choreography, brilliant costumes and the music of Elton John, including the hit song “Written in the Stars.”
DETAILS>> Tuesdays-Saturdays, June 8-July 1. Hale Centre Theatre, 50 W. Page Ave., Gilbert. Tickets: $18-$30. 480-497-1181. haletheatrearizona.com.
Summer Splash Thursday
On Thursdays, kids get the opportunity to meet their favorite superheroes and Disney characters, plus enjoy music, themed games and activities, and a splash pad. This week: Wonder Woman.
DETAILS>> 6-7:30 p.m., Thursdays, June 8-July 27. Tempe Marketplace, 2000 E. Rio Salado Parkway, Tempe. Cost: Free. tempemarketplace.com/summer.
Downtown concert series
Every other Thursday, show up at the Gilbert
Water Tower for a free evening concert. For the final concert, the band will be countrymusic band Tequila Highway.
DETAILS>> 6:30-8:30 p.m., Thursday, June
8. Gilbert Water Tower Plaza, 45 West Page Ave., Gilbert. Cost: Free. gilbertaz.gov, www. tequilahighway.com.
Corn roast
Munch on locally grown roasted sweet corn in four different styles. There will be plenty of other food to enjoy as well along with live music.
DETAILS>> 6-10 p.m., Friday, June 9. Queen Creek Olive Mill, 25062 S. Meridian Road, Queen Creek. Cost: Free entry. 480-8889290. queencreekolivemill.com.
2nd Friday Night Out
Attend Mesa’s monthly street festival. This month the theme is “Sci-Fi Friday.” Dress up to compete for prizes or just check out the amazing artists and eats.
DETAILS>> 6-10 p.m., Friday, June 9. Main Street, between Center and Country Club. Cost: Free. 2ndfridaynightout.com.
CityScape movies
Enjoy the irony of watching Disney’s megahit “Frozen” outdoors on a Phoenix summer night. There will be free frozen yogurt,
however. Bring blankets and chairs.
DETAILS>> 7 p.m., Friday, June 9. CityScape Phoenix, 1 E. Washington St., Phoenix. Cost: Free. facebook.com/csphx.
Prowl & Play
Kids can experience their own street festival. It offers wandering entertainers, such as acrobats and magicians, live music, games, activities and plenty of ways to cool off in the water.
DETAILS>> 5:30-8:30 p.m., Saturday, June 10. Phoenix Zoo, 455 N. Galvin Parkway, Phoenix. Tickets: $8. 602-286-3800. phoenixzoo.org.
Arizona Bridal Show
Cut down on wedding-planning stress. Browse more than 450 wedding vendors. Sample wedding cake, examine floral arrangements, audition bands, see a wedding dress fashion show and plenty more.
DETAILS>> 9 a.m.-4 p.m., Sunday, June 11. Phoenix Convention Center, 100 N. 3rd St., Phoenix. Tickets: $12 for 2 tickets. arizonabridalshow.com.
The cast of “Aida” includes, from left,
Fairclough, Ben Mason and Ashley Jackson.
BY JAN D’ATRI AFN Contributor
BY JAN D’ATRI Tribune Contributor
IIf you love squash, you’ll love this dish. If you don’t like squash, you’ll love this dish. I can almost guarantee it.
It reminds me of rich and silky mashed potatoes only with squash – and it’s got a secret ingredient.
t’s grillingtimeall over theValley. So this week, I’m sharing a big secret recipe from my two restaurants. I have to, because this recipe will help youcreate the most delicious grilled chicken ever. It’sourfamily’sveryversatilerecipe for a
Now that summer squash is readily available
“Home” Dressing
Ingredients:
Ingredients:
2 large summer squashes
marinade,whichalsoactsas a saladdressing. Whileit’sabsolutelyfantastic over anysaladof yourchoice,usingitas a marinade for chicken willtakeyourdish to a whole new level.Whether you use itas a dressingor a marinadeorboth, I think you’re going to love it.
(and zucchini is always on hand), it’s the perfect time to make this Arizona original recipe. It came from the farmhouse kitchen of Caywood Farms in Casa Grande and was created by 89-year-old Sammy Caywood, who never really named the recipe. So, I named it Sammy’s Sensational Squash Side.
Happy grilling this weekend!
When describing this dish, the family just says, “It tastes like more.”
I couldn’t have said it any better.
Sammy’s Sensational Squash Side
1/2 cupgoodmarsala (or a goodsherryifpreferred) 1/2 cupbalsamicvinegar
2 large zucchinis
letsit for several hours or, even better,overnight. Whenready to grill,liftchickenfromdressing andcookaccording to yourdesiredmethod. (Grilled,pan seared or oven baked. I prefergrilled in a grillpanonthecooktop.)
1 small clove garlic
2 tablespoons butter
1 tablespoonsweetyellowonion
1/4 cup milk (or 2 tablespoons powdered milk)
1 teaspoonsalt
2 tablespoonssugar
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese (or 7-8 slices of American Cheese)
Salt and pepper to taste
1 1/4 cupsextravirginoliveoil
Directions:
Directions:
Slice summer squash and zucchini into 1-inch rounds. In a medium pot, bring to boil about an inch of water. Add squash, cover and cook until fork tender, about 7-8 minutes. (Check to make sure water has not evaporated. Add more water if necessary.)
Placeingredientsinblenderexceptoliveoil. Whileblenderison low, slowlypouroliveoil intoblender.Turn to medium, thenhighandblend for about 2 minutes.Dressingwillthicken asitisblendedandthenchilled.
Discarddressingthatthechicken was marinatingin.Saltandpepperor season chicken withyourdesiredseasonings.
Cookchickenuntilinternaltemperature reaches165degrees.Servechickenhotorcold. Delicious!
When done, pour squash into a colander and drain well. Return squash to the pot. Add butter and milk, stirring and mashing to break up the squash into small pieces. Add strips of American cheese or cup of shredded cheese (the secret ingredient!) and mix until completely incorporated. Add salt and pepper to taste. Serve hot.
Note from Sammy:
Watch my“how to” video:jandatri.com/ recipes/grilled-chicken-miracle-marinade/ ?category_id=384
Try the same recipe using turnips instead of squash. Delicious, too.
Watch my one-minute kitchen video for this recipe: jandatri.com/recipes/one-minute-kitchen
Diving community determined to quell fears about sport’s safety
BY NICOLE WALKER Cronkite News
One of the most high-profile diving accidents of all time still resonates with many.
“There was this ‘wham’ and this big gasp from the crowd,” Arizona State diving coach Mark Bradshaw said. “The best diver in the world (just) hit the board.”
That diver was Greg Louganis and the nationally televised collision during the 1988 Summer Olympics left many with a deep concern about springboard diving.
Officials in the Valley’s diving community understand. They also are determined to keep their members safe.
“I think in any (sport) there’s some danger to it, but diving is still a relatively safe sport,” Bradshaw said.
The diving club program run out of ASU puts a special emphasis on mechanics. The city of Mesa also requires all diving coaches to be trained on concussion protocol.
According to the American Institute for Research, 16.8 percent of diving-related accidents occur at a recreational pool when people attempt a dive they are not trained to do. Children often try to mimic tricks they see performed by professionals at the Olympics, or dives by athletes training with their competitive club team.
The diving community is relatively small compared to other sports and typically attracts only a few thousand athletes at the competitive level. Although at the professional level severe injuries still occur, most come at the amateur level.
According to Knowles Law Firm, 6,500 children are taken to the hospital due to diving-related accidents and injuries every year.
Diving-related injuries are the fourthleading cause of spinal injuries in males, and the fifth-leading in females, according to the National Spinal Cord Injury Statistical Center.
Bradshaw has been diving since he was 9 years old. He received a scholarship to Ohio State and eventually made his way onto the U.S. national team and then, ultimately, the Olympic team. Bradshaw was on the deck at the 1988 Summer Games when Louganis had his accident.
well section of a recreational pool is the safest part of a swimming complex. Diving from diving boards was shown to be incredibly safe compared to other activities, they determined.
“You might experience some injury, but for the most part it’s pretty safe,” Bradshaw said.
The city of Mesa, however, is going to great lengths to ensure it remains a diving community.
Mesa recreation supervisor Darla Armfield and recreation coordinator Mark Foote help create a safe environment to keep diving a major asset at their facilities.
“Our diving has (always) been a big part of our program,” Armfield said. “Our program is probably 60 years old. Diving has just been with us, so we have worked really hard to maintain as much safety as possible. It’s important to us and (we) want a decent program.”
progression. That gets checked daily.” Preparation is a key to avoiding accidents.
Sun Devil Divers, the club program at ASU’s Mona Plummer Aquatic Center, offers Future Champions, a class that requires no prior diving experience. If the diver wants to continue past the basic lesson program, Sun Devil Divers also offer a variety of different team levels that divers can work through based on their skill level.
“We want to teach them the proper way, the proper mechanics and how to do these things, and if they really enjoy it and want go further, we move them up to our team levels,” Bradshaw said.
Mesa also has beginning and intermediate diving classes throughout its nine facilities that bring in roughly 3,000 participants every summer.
“In lessons, we really work on progression,” Armfield said. “We start off with the most basic level of instruction and then as the confidence of the diver gets better, then we move on to the next level.”
“My recollection was he’d been training on that particular dive and he was kind of a little bit close to the board,” said Bradshaw, who began coaching at ASU in 1997. “You don’t expect someone at that level to strike the board, let alone with their head, and (he is) probably the best diver ever.”
At the 1988 Olympics in Seoul, Louganis was on his ninth of 11 dives during the preliminary round. While attempting to perform a reverse 2½ somersault pike, he hit his head on the 3-meter springboard and split open the back of his scalp, eventually needing five stitches.
It led to a concern among many that springboard diving is a dangerous sport.
USA Diver, the national governing body of diving, began researching and looking into various diving-board-related accidents after pools began removing their diving boards due to the potential for injury. They discovered that the diving
To ensure the safety of their divers, all nine Mesa swimming facilities have mandatory concussion trainings for coaches.
“They are trained to recognize the symptoms of what a concussion (is and how it) may appear to surface the next day,” Armfield said. “As a city, we work with A.T. Still (University School of Osteopathic Medicine in Arizona) and their grads come out and do trainings.”
Coaches have to make sure safety precautions are being met and that kids not be asked to perform at a level that exceeds their confidence and abilities.
“There is a preseason training before we even get started that teaches the coaches about the progression and to make sure they are maintaining safety,” Armfield said. “We have a full-time specialist. They go from facility to facility and they monitor the coaches to make sure they are implementing the
(Cronkite News)
Divers say their sport is still relatively safe.
(Cronkite News)
The love for diving often starts at a young age, when jumping off the board gets the heart rate going before hitting the water, enthusiasts say.
Despite loss of leg, Coyotes player finds new role with team
BY TAYLOR SEDONA CLARK Cronkite News
Several months ago, Craig Cunningham was lying in his hospital bed, staring at the ceiling, unsure what the future had in store.
Now, months removed from his collapse on the ice that ultimately resulted in the loss of a portion of his leg, Cunningham stares down a new challenge, as his dream to work in the NHL comes to fruition in a way he least expected.
Cunningham has joined the Arizona Coyotes as a pro scout.
It is far from the job he hoped to have in the NHL, but it is an opportunity he won’t take for granted.
“It’s a great opportunity for me to stay in the game and be involved in the National Hockey League,” Cunningham said in a conference call. “It’s an opportunity to, you know, not improve the organization through playing and being around the young guys, but to help bring in guys and players that are going to help us win.”
Perhaps the biggest reason the Coyotes saw fit to bring on Cunningham as a pro scout is his experience playing the game and his willingness to face challenges.
(Taylor
After losing part of his leg, former Coyotes player Craig Cunningham is returning to the team as a pro scout.
“Craig is a very special young man,” Coyotes general manager John Chayka wrote via email. “He’s smart, a hardworker and he has an incredible passion for the game. We’re confident that he will bring those same qualities to his new role as a pro scout for the Coyotes.”
On Nov. 19, while playing for the Tucson Roadrunners, the Coyotes’ affiliate in the American Hockey League, collapsed on the ice due to cardiac complications and was rushed to the hospital where a life-saving procedure was performed. He
later had to have a portion of his leg amputated.
Due to the medical constraints of his condition, Cunningham will be based out of Tucson, at least for the next few months.
While details are still being worked out, in Cunningham’s new role he will be responsible for scouting the Pacific Division teams as well as their AHL affiliates. He also will be helping the team’s player development efforts.
Cunningham’s role will allow him to have a hand in directly affecting the future of the organization. The trust the Coyotes have in him means a lot.
“I think from day one since I’ve come to the organization, I’ve always, whether it be in Phoenix or Springfield or Tucson, I’ve always felt valued by the organization,” Cunningham said.
“Obviously (coach Dave) Tippett and John Chayka and the rest of the staff have been tremendous in helping me get through a tough time in my life and have been very supportive. I’m excited that they trust me to come in and do a job for them,” he added.
During the last few months, even mundane tasks like those required to take care of himself, have tested him. Aince his collapse, things have been “brutal and an incredibly tough challenge,” he said.
No matter how difficult, Cunningham said he finds a way to push on. His perseverance and determined attitude are benefits the Coyotes know he’ll bring.
“He’s also faced a tremendous amount of adversity and his recovery has been nothing short of remarkable” Chayka said. “He’s the type of person we want working with our young prospects. His story, drive and dedication to the game are inspirational. He will be a valuable addition to our organization.”
His relatability might be his biggest asset. He is proof that a good work ethic and mindset can make an impact.
“It’s always nice to have someone that
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
CONTACT: COACH GRAY
P: 480-826-3541 E: CGRAY@AZFACTSOFLIFE.ORG
Sedona Clarkt/Cronkite News)
COYOTES
has been in the organization and been in the game and kind of been in a situation where you’re in the minors and you’re working your butt off to try to get to the NHL and sometimes things are hard,” Cunningham said. “You’re asking yourself, ‘Why is this guy getting called up before me, why is that guy getting called up?’
“I’ve been through that for six years in my career and I can come in and help the young guys and give them another ear to talk to. Basically, just tell them the truth (about) your experiences and how it works and just to stay patient because you never know when you’re going to get that call.”
Cunningham has faced more challenges in the past few months than many face in a lifetime. He has not let any of his pain or troubles affect his outlook on life and his new reality.
“I think any time that you do something, you want to give it everything you have, and it’s my new job, it’s my new career, my new future,” Cunningham said. “I think in my heart and soul you really want to be able to put everything into your job and love the task at hand.”
Karate Korner
‘Kyo’ and ‘jitsu’ are terms of life in martial arts
BY RICK SAVAGIAN AFN Guest Writer
The term, “kyo” and “jitsu” are often used in martial arts to describe the state of mind that a person is in.
Though understanding both terms is a key element when learning a fighting strategy, we will also see how being able to determine both within ourselves and with those around us, benefit us in all areas of our lives.
Kyo is the term that explains when a person’s state of mind is empty, blank or off-guard. Jitsu refers to a person when they are focused, concentrated or in their “zone.”
When these two terms are related to combat situation of any kind, understanding the difference is pivotal. Reading the opponent, observing their body language, their eyes, and their breath are all effective
ways in determining whether a person is in kyo or jitsu and when best time to strike will be.
Recognizing the two will also be helpful in understanding the state of mind in ourselves as well and how to protect ourselves.
If our opponent is not focused, empty, distracted or when they take a breath in, this means they are in kyo.”
This then becomes the opportune moment to strike. In comparison, being in jitsu, our opponent is focused, is filled up with air and is in their mental zone, this is not the best time to strike.
These terms can be used in everyday life as well. Learning how to recognize kyo and jitsu, not just with others but within ourselves, is important.
For example, kyo can be useful when in meditation, and in relaxation.
Jitsu is very important when doing something that requires mental focus such as driving a car or learning a new skill. We need to pay attention in
order to drive safely and to learn to the best of our ability.
Kyo and jitsu affect almost all areas of our lives – the simple sensation of hunger represents being empty, while the act of eating represents being filled up.
There are many examples of kyo and jitsu in our lives. Being able to recognize both in others, in the world around us and ourselves plays a very fundamental part in having good health and good communication.
When we understand our own rhythm of kyo and jitsu, we can learn when to be guarded and when to let our guards down. Recognizing it in ourselves helps us to recognize it in others.
This in turns helps us to understand that the two work in cause and effect together.
480-759-4540.
-Rick Savagian is founder and owner of Mountainside Martial Arts Center in Ahwatukee.
Obituaries
CURD, Alan S.
lan S Curd, 67 joined loved ones in heavn on April 28th, 2017 while surrounded by is family at the Dobson Home Hospice of he Valley. A celebration of life will be held
hoenix, Arizona on Saturday, June 3rd at 1:00 AM
He was born March 9th, 1950 to Mr & Mrs lan and Mary Curd in St Louis, Missouri short time after his birth, he and his fam-
his childhood and young adulthood He attend ed North High School and graduated in 1968 He went on to complete higher education, graduating from Kansas State University in 1971 with a Bachelor's degree in Architectural Engineering That education was the launching pad to his joyful and bountiful future career
Alan also resided in Colorado for many years before meeting and marrying the love of his life, Nancy Jean, ultimately relocating to Phoenix. Alan and Nancy shared their life together in Phoenix and were hap pily marr i e
Alan's life Alan's devotion to his family was second-to-none As a father, Alan spent countless hours raising and teaching Ashley about the world, building custom equipment to foster her hobbies and passions, and was the proudest papa to walk Ashley down the aisle at her wedding in July 2014 He was also a proud pet dad and is survived by his favorite puppy, Jenna It is of no doubt that Alan is enjoying the company of his puppies' p
,
brother-in-law, and son He was an unconditional and caring friend He was the kind of man you could always count on for a helping hand and had the skill and keen ability to solve just about any problem and build just about anything
It's no surprise that Alan owned a successful contracting business in the valley known as Ahwatukee Commercial Services He was well known by customers and clients for his strong work ethic, great craftsmanship, and infinite knowledge Many of his customers were tenured, which was a testament to Alan's commitment, care, and keen ability
Alan loved life in Ahwatukee and made many friends along the way He
with his many jokes Boating with friends and family was one of his favorite pastimes along with camping, fishing, and even some golfing He was a
Lutheran Church For years Alan enjoyed being part of their choir and
He will be remembered for his strong will, big heart, and never-ending love for his family He is survived by his wife, Nancy; daughter Ashley; g
Stone (Colorado); brother James Cur d (Colorado); and brother Richard Curd (Texas)
In lieu of flowers, memorials can be directed in his name to: Mountain View Lutheran Church, 11002 S 48th Street, Phoenix, AZ 85044; Hospice of the Valley Dobson Home, 1188 N Dobson Road Chandler, AZ 85224
Please Sign the Guestbook at: ahwatukee com
Classifieds
Awatukee Foothills News / East Valley Tribune 1620 W. Fountainhead Parkway #219 • Tempe, AZ 85282 • 480.898.6465 • classifieds@timespublications.com
Deadlines: Classifieds: Monday 11am for Wednesday • Life Events: Friday 10am for Wednesday
Employment General
KYRENE is now hiring School BUS DRIVERS FT 30 hrs/wk Benefits offered Paid training and CDL testing onsite Flexible work schedule with split shifts Starting Salary $14.49 - $18.00 For additional info go to www kyrene org/hr
Valle Luna Restaurant
Hiring: Kitchen Manager and Shift Manager Do you possess a passion for the Restaurant industry? Do you have a solid work ethic? Come fill out an application today! 1949 W Ray Rd, Chandler
Permanent Job Wanted: Housekeeper Must live in Good salary, lots of free time, happy personality a plus!
Local reference req Good driving record, no smoking/drinking 480-895-3117
RECEPTIONIST: PT State Farm office in Ahwatukee from 10am -2pm Mon-Fri
$10-$12 hour
Send resume to Jeff@jeffjirele net
Employment General
Meetings/Events
Ahwatukee Foothills Friends and Neighbors (AFFAN) is a women s organization dedicated to cultivating friendships, and goodwill AFFAN promotes social, charitable and educational events all year long AFFAN holds monthly luncheon meetings with varied speakers We offer over 40 monthly activities including Book Clubs, Canasta, Bunco, Euchre, and Bridge. Other monthly activities are Dining Out, Stitch and Chat, Explore Arizona, and Garden Club Significant others/ spouses can attend some events For more info contact Teresa Akrish Phone: 480-518-5788, teresaakrish@gmail com
Check our website at affanwomensclub com
Employment General
THE AHWATUKEE TEA PARTY
Watch For An Announcement on our New General Meeting Location, with Dates And Times in January, 2017 -----------
Email: info@tukee teaparty com
AMERICAN LEGION AHWATUKEE Post #64
We Meet Every 3rd Wed at 3pm at the Ahwatukee Retirement Center At 5001 E Cheyenne Dr, Phoenix, Az 85044 Contact ED MANGAN Cmdr 602-501-0128
Smart Recovery Meeting Wedʼs 7:008:30 p m 6400 W Del Rio Chandler Montessori School next to Unitarian Church room 5 All issues drugs, alcohol, gambling, online addictions, & medications 480-532-2460
Aegis Hospice Grief/Loss Support Group
We meet 6 pm on the 2nd and 4th Wednesday of each month Legacy Funeral Home: 1722 N Banning St Mesa, Refreshments provided Contact: Rick Wesley 480-219-4790 rick@ aegishospice.com
HIRING STORE ASSOCIATES & SHIFT SUPERVISORS SOON!
Andy’s Frozen Custard Ahwatukee is looking for positive, energetic and motivated individuals to serve the world’s greatest frozen treats! Ideal candidates should possess the ability to perform well in a fun and very fast-paced environment, while maintaining the ability to pay high attention to detail and deliver outstanding customer service!
If this describes you, please come to our HIRING EVENT on SATURDAY JUNE 10 from 1 – 5 p.m. at the Courtyard Marriott located at 920 N. 54th Street in Chandler, just 2 miles from our new Ahwatukee store location.
Applications will be available onsite or you can fill one out online at http://www.eatandys.com/arizona-careers and bring it in with you on June 10th. Every applicant will be interviewed at the event. We are hiring Store Associate positions up to $11 an hour. AND Shift Supervisors up to $15 an hour. Looking for a SWEET job?
$503/m 480-540-9988 l/m
Meetings/Events
Dining For Women (DFW) diningforwomen org inspires, educates and engages people to invest in programs that make a meaningful difference for women and girls living in extreme poverty DFW helps women find dignity and strength, develop skills and opportunities value and support their children s education We have a local chapter in Ahwatukee which meets the 3rd Thursday every month from 6:30 p m -8:30p m If you d like to know more on how you can transform lives and reduce poverty contact Mary Hake at marysullivanhake @gmail com
BOOK GROUP! We are a group of women, of all ages who meet the first Tuesday of the month, in local venues, for the purpose of discussing member chosen books. We do not charge fees, we call ourselves the Happy Hour Book Club and we go by the initials HHBC For more information interested women can contact Donna and the email address is happyhourbook clubahwatukee@ gmail com
Meetings/Events
Are you affected by someone who is dealing with an addiction? If so, know that you are not alone and that the PAL (Parents of Addicted Loved Ones) group can help The group is available to provide education and support to anyone 18 years or older who is dealing with a friend or family member with an addiction See our local meeting list at palgroup.org
TOPS (Take Off Pounds Sensibly) is a weight loss organization that is over 60 years old We meet at Ahwatukee Rec Center on Cheyenne between S 48th St and S 51st St on Wed eve ' s from 67:30 p m For more information: Terri at 480-893-6742
NONDENOMINATIONAL GREAT PRAISE AND WORSHIP, GREAT MESSAGES FOR TODAYS LIVING! OUR MISSION IS “EVANGELISM HEALING DISCIPLESHIP, THROUGH THE WORD OF GOD! VISIT US AT ValorCC com
