Woman finds support for parents at assisted living home
By Colleen Sparks
Jeriann Dosemagen is used to taking care of business on her own.
e Whisper Mountain resident routinely worked 70 to 80 hours a week in her corporate job at Abbott Laboratories prior to her retirement. So she figured she could easily tackle caring for her elderly parents when they could no longer live on their own.
“I naively didn’t realize how much work it was, the fact that their conditions changed on a day-to-day basis,” Dosemagen, 52, said. “My dad was the one that interestingly said, ‘You need to find a place for me. You can’t be doing this all day, every day.’”
Support ...continued on page 6
Father and son bond over love of flying out of Falcon Field
By Colleen Sparks
Some fathers teach their sons how to hit a baseball or throw a football, but Bennett Sloan of Mesa helped his youngest son learn to soar through the clouds.
Bennett, 59, and Stephen, 25, have private pilot’s licenses and frequently fly for fun in and out of Falcon Field in Mesa. ey have flown to Payson, Deer Valley, Scottsdale, Goodyear and Tucson together.
Together they also guide teens and young adults in Aviation Explorer Post 352, a program based at Falcon Field that’s part of Learning for Life, an affiliate of Boy Scouts of America that
Pilots...continued on page 8
(Photo by Kimberly Carrillo)
Jeriann Dosemagen keeps many family photos at her home.
(Photo by Kimberly Carrillo)
Stephen Sloan and his father, Bennett.
Eric Foster, 5, is excited to get his face painted at a Las Sendas neighborhood event.
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Successfully fill out this month’s Scramblers puzzle on Page 13 and you could win a gift certificate!
We’ll select a lucky winner from among the correct entries received. Just mail your completed entry to us at:
PUZZLE EDITOR
1620 W. Fountainhead Parkway, Suite 219 Tempe, AZ 85282
OR, you may now submit by email by typing in your four words and Today’s Word with “Scramblers puzzle” in the message line. Send it to: bbracken@timespublications.com.
Watch for our announcement of the winner in next month’s edition. If you see your name, write or email us by July 5, 2017, at the above addresses or call 480-898-5614 to claim your prize. Good luck!
This month’s lucky winner is Frankie L. Lewry
Here is the correct puzzle from last month:
New Mesa police chief chosen from Tucson Police Department
By Nearby News Staff
Tucson Assistant Police Chief Ramon Batista has been selected to lead the Mesa Police Department. Batista has been with the Tucson Police Department for 31 years and has been assistant police chief since 2014.
“ e chief of police is one of the most important leadership positions in the city overseeing a department of nearly 1,200 sworn and civilian employees,” City Manager Chris Brady said. “ e public safety professionals who participated in this recruitment process have exceptional credentials and I have the utmost respect for each one of them. e selection process included feedback provided by many community members, business and civic leaders as well as police officers over several months of interviews and forums. Assistant Chief Batista was chosen because I believe he is the best fit for our community and organization at this time.” Batista has a bachelor’s degree in public safety and emergency management from Grand Canyon University and a master’s degree in leadership from GCU.
“We are appreciative of the candidates that dedicated their time to the process and all those that served on panels or forums and the public that took the time to come meet the candidates.” Brady said. “I
Mesa pools open for summer
By Nearby News Staff
Everyone knows the best way to escape Arizona’s brutal summer heat is to cannonball into a swimming pool. Just in the nick of time, now all nine City of Mesa pools are open for business.
For public swimming, the pools open at 1 p.m. most days through July
also want to extend a special thanks to Chief Michael Dvorak, who has worked tirelessly over the last six months as interim police chief. He has done an incredible job and is to be commended.”
e Mesa Police Department has approximately 1,200 employees and a budget of $175.9 million. and it is recognized nationally for its innovation and use of technology.
Batista will be formally introduced at a media conference later this month.
29, and the locations at 845 S. Crimson Rd. and 1860 S. Longmore are open on Sundays and weekends through Labor Day. e Mesa, Stapley, Skyline and Rhodes locations have extended hours in August. For specific pool hours, go to mesaaz.gov/pools. It won’t cost much to cool off –admission for children 17 and younger is $2 and $4 for adults. e popular FlowRider attraction, where anyone can pretend to surf, costs $5.50 for youth and $11 for adults per hour.
(Special to Nearby News) Tucson Assistant Police Chief Ramon Batista will lead the Mesa PD.
She had decided to move to Mesa from Kenosha, Wisconsin in 2015 after retiring at 50. e health of her parents, Gerald, 84, and Gail Ann, 81, was deteriorating, so she and her partner, Paul Garcia, moved her parents with them.
Shortly after their move, Gerald wound up in the hospital and then required physical therapy.
After that, he moved to Crismon Peaks Assisted Living home on East Hillview Street, near the Las Sendas neighborhood. Almost a year later, Gail Ann also moved there as her health issues increased. Gail and Gerald have Parkinson’s disease. e disease involves the malfunction and death of critical nerve cells in the brain.
“I can’t say enough good about Crismon Peaks,” Jeriann said. “I feel blessed to have found a place so close to home, to have found everything they need. ey get help from people who truly care about them, love them.”
She visits her parents every day and loves the personal attention they
get in the home, which houses eight other residents. e people who live there, who are in their 80s to 100 years old, get help with everyday tasks such as bathing, using the bathroom, dressing, eating, grooming, and transfers from one area of the home to another.
Jeriann said her mother and father have different physical needs
addressed by the staff, which includes a full-time nurse. Gerald uses a wheelchair, and his blood pressure “drops dangerously low” if he tries to stand up on his own, so he gets help moving around.
“I was very averse to putting them anywhere,” Jeriann said. “I always thought, I’ll never do that to my parents.”
Mesa releases results of latest round of water quality testing
By Nearby News Staff
Water Resources Department Director Jake West wants the Mesa community to be more informed on its water quality and usage. To help educate the public, the city has released a new report detailing the results of the latest round of water quality testing.
e new report, which reflects testing performed in 2016, highlights water quality, sources, treatment, testing and monitoring for the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Lead and Copper Rule, according to the city.
e report concludes that Mesa’s water has the EPA’s approval; all results of the 2016 water contaminant testing process met regulatory standards.
“Mesa’s water is safe, clean, reliable and meets over 100 state and federal drinking water standards,” West said. “ e city invests millions of dollars in water infrastructure each year and has inspectors, analysts, technicians, engineers and water treatment specialists who work diligently so you can be confident about your drinking water.”
Mesa relies on two water sources: surface water and groundwater wells. e zone where a resident lives determines whether he or she receives water
from one or both of these sources, according to the report.
About a third of Mesa’s water comes from the Salt River Project, with the water being treated at the Val Vista Water Treatment Plant.
Approximately 53 percent of Mesa’s water comes from the Colorado River and the Central Arizona Project. is water is treated at the CAP Brown Road Water Treatment Plant. e remaining water supply comes from 30 aquifer wells found throughout the city, the report says.
But it ended up being a good decision.
“It was the best thing for them,” Jeriann said. “Now that they’re in this environment, they are doing so much better because they’re getting the type of care that they need.”
Another benefit of living at the assisted living home is her parents get to socialize with other residents and the staff members rather than being at home with just her all day, she said.
Jeriann said now she can enjoy her role as their daughter when she visits her parents, rather than being in the awkward position of being their caregiver.
“I’ve always had a really good relationship with my parents,” she said. “I’m the youngest. It’s back to where it was and where it should be; I’m the daughter.”
Jeriann loves the family feeling of the home, where staff members routinely make meals, give gifts and hold celebrations for Father’s and Mother’s days, Easter, Christmas, anksgiving and residents’ birthdays. e residents’ family members are invited to all the special events.
properly and disposing of medications and health care products safely.
To keep this quality intact, the report urges residents to take several actions to ensure their water stays healthy. Among these precautions are minimizing water pollution as much as possible, keeping waterways clean, draining swimming pools
e new 2016 Consumer Confidence Report is available electronically in both English and Spanish at mesaaz.gov/residents/water-resources/services/ water-quality. For hard copies, please contact 480-644-6461 or water.quality@mesaaz.gov.
(Photo by Jeriann Dosemagen)
Gerald “Jerry” Dosemagen, 84, and his wife, Gail Ann, 81, celebrated their 61st wedding anniversary in May. Their daughter, Jeriann, visits them often at Crismon Peaks Assisted Living home.
provides career-exploration activities.
e nearly 30 members of Explorer Post 352 take flying lessons and learn the science, math and rules behind aviation in a classroom at Impala Bob’s at Falcon Field. ey also take field trips to air shows and other events where they meet pilots.
While Bennett is the Explorer Post 352 advisor, Stephen, also of Mesa, is the post’s treasurer and has instructed students on aviation and led them in various activities.
Bennett, who lives about a mile from Falcon Field, decided to sign up Stephen and his brother, Peter, now 27, in the Explorer program when Stephen was almost 14 and Peter was 15. Another brother, Daniel, is the oldest of the three at 29.
“I said, ‘We’re gonna try this. If you want to stick with it, you can,’” he said. “Peter dropped it and Stephen kept with it. e whole Explorers thing is our thing. It’s really helped him grow up through those awkward teenage years. It’s become something that he’s made his own.”
Stephen said he joined the post because his father wanted him to do so, but “after a short while I ‘caught the bug’ and went for my own enjoyment.”
“I enjoy the freedom and challenge of flying,” he said in an email. “I get a rush out of flying and I enjoy the bird’s-eye view of even the most familiar places.”
Bennett believes flying also taught Stephen great life skills.
“You have to have a lot of discipline, coordination,” he said. “Stephen was probably our best driver of the boys, more mechanically minded than (our) other sons. It was a good fit.” Stephen agreed flying has taught him valuable lessons.
“Flying has taught me a lot about preparation,” he said. “You can’t just get in the plane, as you do your car, and go. You have to chart a course, file a flight plan, check the weather, preflight the aircraft and run through numerous checklists (to name a few things).
“I have a greater appreciation for the means in life, not just the end,” Stephen added.
Flying together and sharing a love of aviation has brought the two men closer.
“It allowed us to spend time with
each other regularly outside of our normal family routine,” Stephen said. “In many ways, aviation enabled me to take my first steps from being just a son to a friend as well. Our trips and events are always something I look forward to with my dad.”
A highlight of their aviation time was in 2007, when they went to the EAA AirVenture Oshkosh, in Oshkosh, Wisconsin, where aircraft builders gather for workshops, planes are displayed and pilots perform aerobatics.
“It’s really exciting,” Bennett said. “ ey have great air shows, the newest of anything in aviation.”
While at the air show, Bennett and Stephen got to hear retired NASA astronaut James Lovell speak, as well as former U.S. Air Force pilot Chuck Yeager, the first person to break the sound barrier in flight.
e last few years, Stephen has led the Explorer Post 352 group that went to EAA AirVenture Oshkosh. Stephen was a student in the Explorer program until he aged out at 21.
Bennett said Stephen’s flying experience has helped him professionally. Stephen works as the lead “carcierge” at Go Rentals, a rental car company with the majority of business coming from private aviation, which also serves luxury resorts and hotels, out of the Scottsdale Airpark.
“It’s been very helpful for him when pilots and corporate aircraft fly in, to be able to relate to him,” Bennett said.
Bennett served in the Air Force for five years, though he didn’t qualify to be a military pilot due to his vision. He learned to fly in an Air Force aviation club and got his private pilot’s license in 1983.
A love of planes runs in their family. Bennett’s father, also named Bennett, used to make electronics for planes while working for Collins Radio.
“Growing up, because of his company, we went to the Paris Air Show when we lived in England,” Bennett said. “I’ve always been able to be around aviation.”
Bennett works as a senior project manager at Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport, managing design and construction projects. Sometimes Stephen meets him there for lunch, but the two especially like flying to Payson, where they eat breakfast at a restaurant.
“I like to think of the Payson Airport as ‘our spot,’” Stephen said. “It’s a quick flight where we can get a great breakfast with an even better view.”
Support...continued from page 6
“Families get to know each other,” Crismon Peaks owner Meryl Schmitz said. “It is a family. We have 40 to 50 people (here) every holiday. We treat people with dignity here. at is very important to me.”
Schmitz says at least one staff member is at the assisted living home at all times. A geriatric doctor comes to the home to treat residents and a staff member accompanies residents to medical appointments outside the home.
A cook at Crismon Peaks makes fresh, low-sodium, “heart-friendly” food every day, catering to residents’ dietary needs, Schmitz said.
Jeriann said food is a highlight of the experience for her parents.
“ ey love the food there,” she said, adding her mother “raves about” every meal.
Jeriann said she feels less pressure than she did when she cared for her parents at home. She has two brothers and a sister in Wisconsin and a brother in Tucson, so she handled the bulk of caregiving duties herself.
e father and son were not yet sure of their Father’s Day plans on June 18.
She is not alone in being a caregiver. About 34 million Americans provided unpaid care to an adult age 50 or older in the last year, according to the National Alliance for Caregiving and the AARP Public Policy Institute’s Caregiving in the U.S. 2015 study.
Jeriann recommends other people whose loved ones need to be placed in an assisted living home visit many places before picking one. She visited dozens of care homes before choosing Crismon Peaks.
Schmitz also urges people to visit homes and ask many questions, including how they handle emergencies and whether they have insurance. She recommends people check to see whether a home is licensed by visiting the Arizona Department of Health Services at azdhs.gov.
To find assisted living homes, nursing homes and other senior care centers in your community, visit aplaceformom.com.
“I couldn’t go anywhere and leave them home alone,” she said. “It was pretty stressful.”
(Photo by Kimberly Carrillo)
Stephen (left) and Bennett Sloan check a plane before getting ready to fly.
Southside Hospital: Mesa’s first hospital looking back
By Angie Sullivan, Mesa Historical Society
In 1919, community members from Mesa and Tempe appointed a committee to find a location for a new hospital.
More than two years passed before committee members settled on the residence of John T. & Geneva LeSueur at Hibbert and Main Street in Mesa. e home featured 12 rooms and sat on over two acres, which would allow for future expansion.
When the Cotton Crash of 1922 caused an economic downturn in the region, plans for the hospital were nearly lost. Geneva Casto LeSueur offered to contribute half of the value of the home, while the Woman’s Club and the City of Mesa provided the
remainder of the needed funds.
In 1923, the nonprofit Southside Hospital was opened. It served patients from Mesa, Tempe, Gilbert and Chandler. e hospital featured 12 beds with well-equipped emergency and surgical suites on the second floor. By 1933, the hospital expanded to 37 beds.
Mesa’s Southside Hospital was the only hospital in the quickly expanding city. In 1956, the LeSueur home was demolished to make way for an expanded facility featuring 103 beds. By 1973, Southside Hospital was no longer meeting the needs of the growing community and it was replaced by the state-of-the-art Good
Samaritan Hospital at Dobson and Southern. e building continued to serve the region as a Maricopa County
Health Center for years before being repurposed as the current home of Benedictine University.
Impressive Selection of Fashion-Forward
Frames including:
BCBG
Prada
Ray-Ban
Oakley
Airlocks
Bebe
Etro
Ferragamo
Valentino
Coach
Kate Spade
Tura
Tiffany
Cazal
Caviar
Nike
Cole Haan
Tommy Bahama
Façconable
Pro-Design
Klick
Fysh
Eco Modo
(Special to Nearby News)
In 1923, the nonprofit Southside Hospital was opened.
Dr. Katherine Blaskovich
Dr. Tina Ansari
Dr. Alli Hoppert, FAAD
Dr. Susan Reckell
Dr. Lindsay Jung
Seed library opens at Red Mountain library branch
to our community here at Red Mountain,” Red Mountain librarian Sara Nash said. Volunteers maintain the seed supply, which primarily includes edible plants that are well-suited to Arizona’s climate and terrain. Most of the seeds in the library have a 95- to 100-percent germination rate, and spinach and moringa tend to be two of the most popular options, McClung said. e library and Garden Pool staff hope the seed library “facilitates a closer relationship between our community and the food that we’re eating –and the environment, too,” Nash said.
e Mesa Public Library has opened a new seed-lending library at its Red Mountain branch. Working in partnership with Garden Pool, a local nonprofit focused on promoting sustainable food growth, the library now offers dozens of plant varieties to its patrons in East Mesa.
Approximately 40 community members gathered in front of THINKspot for the ribbon-cutting and grand opening reception on Saturday, May 27, which included refreshments and a table with naturethemed coloring books.
Patrons began to collect seed packets as soon as Garden Pool operations manager Danielle McClung cut the ribbon.
e seed library enables Mesa Public Library card holders to check out up to three seed packets each month, McClung said, and patrons are encouraged to donate seeds back to the seed library at the end of the growing season.
“We’re very, very passionate about the idea of bringing sustainable gardening into our community and making seed-saving and sustainable food something that can also extend
Mesa resident Dyan Gay attended the reception and ribbon cutting with her children, who asked McClung about the growing process. Gay homeschools 10 of her 12 children, and about two weeks ago, the family started a garden. “With so many kids, I want to be able to show them how they can be self-sufficient and be able to grow their own food,” Gay said, adding the new seed library gives her family “a better opportunity for more education” and more variety. e seed library at the Red Mountain branch is the second to open in the Mesa Public Library system; the first is located on the second floor of the Main branch.
e first seed library in Arizona, Native Seeds/SEARCH, opened in 2012, according to the organization’s website, and others – such as the Phoenix Public Library and the Grow Flagstaff Seed Library – have opened since then. Seed libraries can be found in at least 46 states and 15 countries, according to data from the Richmond Grows Seed Lending Library. At the Red Mountain branch, patrons can find the collection of seeds between the DVD section and teen fiction during regular business hours.
For more information, visit mesalibrary.org/seedlibrary.
Volunteers maintain the seed supply of primarily edible plants.
Story & Photo by Amber Miles
Mesa residents get convenient, one-stop passport shop
By Nearby News Staff
Completing a passport application can be tedious, but thanks to the new one-stop passport center at the Mesa post office at 325 S. Lindsay Road, residents can save time and avoid extra hassle.
On Saturday, June 3 at 9:30 a.m., the post office will hold a ribbon-cutting ceremony for the center, complete with refreshments.
According to Postmaster Yolanda Stenson, in addition to regular USPS retail services, the facility will offer passports, passport photos and passport cards.
“We hope opening this facility dedicated specifically to passport services will make the application process more convenient for postal customers throughout the East Valley,” Stenson said.
Regular hours for the passport center will be 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., Tuesday through Saturday, and walk-in customers are welcome.
However, to experience as little wait time as possible, customers should call 480-985-9026 to schedule an appointment.
Stenson said travelers should apply for a passport or passport card at least two months before their trips, and customers need to bring all the required documents to the facility to receive application assistance.
A form of citizenship documentation such as a birth certificate or previously issued passport, plus a photocopy, a form of identification such as a driver’s license and a photo are required for the application process.
For customers 16 and older, passport books are $135 and passport cards are $55. For children under 16, passport books are $105 and passport cards are $40.
Customers are encouraged to print and complete other application forms found at usps.com/passport before visiting the passport center.
Find the closest location of a City of Mesa pool from the list below and start planning your dream pool day!
Brimhall Aquatic Complex
4949 E. Southern Ave.
Carson Aquatic Complex 525 N. Westwood
Fremont Aquatic Complex 1101 N. Power Road
Kino Aquatic Center 848 N. Horne
Mesa Aquatic Complex 1630 E. Southern Ave.
Rhodes Aquatic Complex (FlowRider) 1860 S. Longmore
Shepherd Aquatic Complex 1407 N. Alta Mesa Drive
Skyline Aquatics Center 845 S. Crismon Road
Stapley Aquatic Complex 3250 E. Hermosa Vista Pools...continued from page 4
To
plan was not created in Arizona; Your plan was created more than four years ago; You are unsure whether your trust addresses potential capital gains and/or income tax issues; or You, your spouse or your named beneficiaries have had a change in circumstances (financial or personal). You should have your estate plan reviewed if:
There are several more reasons to have your plan reviewed, including the importance of understanding the plan you have in place and how it will impact those you care about.
Family time
Amazing Jakes: Where families beat the summer heat
Story and photos by Crystal Lewis Brown
No matter how much I love the outdoors, when Valley temperatures hit triple digits, I’m all about the AC. But with two active boys, it’s tough to stay inside all day. A parent’s secret weapon for days like those? An indoor amusement center like Amazing Jake’s.
My son visited Amazing Jake’s a few times during summer camp, so I knew that it was “kind of like” an arcade. But I didn’t realize just how vast it actually was. I found out later that it’s just a little under 100,000 square feet. And we tried out just about everything it had to offer.
Here’s how it works: e price of admission includes access to the buffet. en for an additional fee, you can add in the Amazing Fun Pass, which includes three hours of unlimited access to all the rides, plus a $5 Fun Card for arcade games. “Little Jakes” –kids 3 and younger – get access to the smaller rides and a $2 Fun Card. For another $5 per person, you can get an all-day pass. You can also go just for the buffet.
“You can come in when we open and you can stay until we close if you want to,” said Melissa Schisel, Amazing Jake’s director of group sales. “I think it’s a
great value.”
Schisel said that when she’d bring her kids, she always told them to eat first. And that’s exactly what we did. e spread included a pasta and baked potato bar, desserts, salad bar and a pizza bar. And not just the regular cheese/pepperoni/sausage kind of pizza. ey had a couple of fancier options, too, like Buffalo chicken and bacon, pear and Gorgonzola. After grabbing our trays, we looked for a spot to sit. e kids led us into the Movie Mania room, where we ate our lunch while they watched “How to Train Your Dragon.” ere were a few other options for eating, too, including the Sports Zone and e ClubHouse, which seemed
like a quieter, more adult option. In addition to the fountain drinks, adults could also buy beer, wine or other beverages at the bar.
After lunch, we split up and decided to explore the rest of the park. Amusement centers can be hit or miss for me; I often spend half the time wrangling my children or stressing out about how many credits and tokens we have left. But from the time we battled it out in a four-person game of PacMan until the moment I was betrayed by my family (more on that later), we all had a blast.
e rides included the Monaco Grand Prix go-kart racing (which was the only ride we didn’t get to), bumper cars, a carousel and more. It also includes laser tag. And here’s where we get to the betrayal. With my 4-year-old being the smallest player in the group, I ran alongside him instructing him to take cover and showing him how to shoot. His vest, which hung to the ground, went dark, meaning he’d been shot and his laser gun disabled for a few moments. As soon as it reactivated,
he shot me. Each game lasts just five minutes, but we were all out of breath and laughing by the time our round was over.
Schisel said the laser tag is among the areas of the center slated to be upgraded during renovations later this year. Already, she said, the 12lane bowling alley has been upgraded, along with the addition of more than $300,000 worth of games. e center also has eight private rooms, which can be used for parties, along with an event space that can seat up to 500. Parties can also be held in the dining rooms.
Although it’s a cliché, the phrase “there’s something for everyone” is a perfect description for Amazing Jake’s. I put the kids on the Chocolate Tea Cups ride while my husband played what seemed like 23 consecutive games of “ e Walking Dead.” My older son jumped on the Frog Hopper while my younger son played one of those impossible dance step games. en we all played the wackiest game of air hockey I’ve ever seen.
In addition to the normal prices, Schisel said the center also is offering a Family Tuesday promotion. For $21.99 a person, you get an all-day pass, which includes the buffet, soft drink, rides, bowling (including shoes) and all games that don’t give out tickets. In momspeak, that means there’s no need to cook that day: Dinner and lunch is on Amazing Jake’s.
Between that and the AC, I’d call that a win. Parents, 1. Summer, 0.
IF YOU GO
What: Amazing Jake’s Where: 1830 E. Baseline Road, Mesa, 85204
Cost: Starts at $7.99, children 4-10. See website for prices and hours. Info: 480-926-7499 or amazingjakesmesa.com
Rides include bumper cars, a carousel and more.
By Erica Odello
I started writing a craft column five years ago, and the subjects were driven by fun things to keep my kids busy. Now I have a tween who has discovered beauty bloggers on YouTube. She’s currently obsessed with DIY beauty tips, so bath bombs seemed a natural fit for both of us. I failed in my first attempt at making bath bombs because I didn’t read all of the directions before I started, so I’m putting this at the beginning of the instructions:
Mix all of the dry ingredients in your stand mixer.
If you don’t have a stand mixer, use a hand mixer on low. Separately, mix all of the wet ingredients together. DO NOT add the wet and dry ingredients together at the same time. If you do, you’ll kick-start the fizzy reaction that makes bath bombs so much fun, and they will slowly expand out of their mold and be ruined.
With your stand mixer running on low or medium-low, use a regular spoon to add the liquid ingredients one spoonful at a time. Once a spoonful is incorporated, add another until all of the ingredients are mixed. is is an excruciatingly slow process but it’s necessary in order to make the bath bombs work. You’ll know you mixed everything properly when your mixture looks like colored fine sand. It shouldn’t be clumpy or wet.
Most people use clear plastic ornament balls to mold their bath bombs. I couldn’t find any in my house but what I could find were silicone Star Wars-shaped ice cube trays and plastic Easter eggs. Using a spoon, I filled the ice cube trays with the finished bath bomb powder, packing them much like packing brown sugar into a measuring cup, then filled Easter eggs with what
I had remaining. Instructions I’ve read vary wildly on the amount of time they recommend leaving the bath bombs in their molds, but with the fragile nature of the X-wing ice cube mold, I let them sit for about 90 minutes
before I attempted removal. Let the bath bombs sit for another 24 hours after they’ve been removed from their mold so they harden nicely. After that time, they are ready to use and will keep indefinitely.
• Bowl &
Whisk
(stand mixer recommended)
• Molds
• 1 cup baking soda
• 1/2 cup Epsom
• 1 tsp. water
• 2 tsp. essential oil
• 3 tsp. oil (liquid, not solid)
• Food coloring
NOTE: Multi-color bath bombs are really neat looking. Likewise, you can add confetti or flower petals or other non-standard ingredients to add texture and interest to your shapes.
Brown
navigating parenthood
By Eva Dwight
No regrets parenthood
My older son is getting married in three weeks. I’m feeling increasingly sentimental as the date approaches, flashing through childhood memories preserved in photos, astounded at how 22 years can have passed so very quickly. So when he sent me song choices for the mother-son dance, my initial inclination was to pick the tearjerker that was circulating on Facebook several months ago with a slideshow of children exuding cuteness while the mother/artist sings lyrics asking her child to slow down, don’t grow up too fast. It’s a beautiful song; brought me to tears. It would have been the obvious choice. Instead, I picked “My Wish” by Rascal Flatts. e lyrics are about moving forward and wishing him all the wonderful things life has to offer,
along with the strength to make it through the tough spots. I told my son that I have cherished every moment of his childhood, but I don’t need to go back. e whole point of raising him was to get him to this place, a place of independence and confidence and capability, and I am excited to witness his next steps forward, cheering from the sidelines while his wife walks beside him. We’re both stepping into a new phase of our lives. I couldn’t be happier.
Parents of children who are still growing up, I want to encourage you to check in with yourself and your family experience. Are you being someone who will look back with regret and wish, someday, that you had been more present – physically and emotionally – and that you could
have those moments back so you could make more of them? Or are you really living an engaged, attentive family experience so that you can look back and think, “Yeah, it was fun, and not every day was perfect, but we connected and communicated and stayed engaged. I would do it all over again – because I loved doing it, not because I missed it.”
To avoid becoming the parent who looks back saying, “I wish we could have slowed down,” SLOW DOWN NOW. Look at your work schedule and the kids’ schedule, and determine whether you’re in balance as a family. If you’re not, look for one place you can cut back on an activity or obligation so that you have time to just enjoy being together. Try that for a few weeks, and if you’re still feeling out of balance, find another way to make time and
energy for family time. It’s all so very worth it. Some days are long and you think it will never be nap time, or they’ll never demand less of your time. You worry sometimes you’ll never have time for yourself. But long days evolve into years that pass quickly, and before you know it, you will be looking at an adult instead of a child. So celebrate who they are now and where you are now, so that someday you will celebrate looking forward.
Eva Dwight offers life coaching to adults and teens. For more information, go to creativecoachingconversations.com.
around the neighborhood
Mesa kids learn the ‘Art of Neighboring’
Kindergarten students from Jefferson Elementary School walked over to Fellowship Square-Mesa on May 9 to share time with seniors they have been partnering with since January. The students, for the past few months, sent well wishes and holiday projects to the seniors and hospice patients living at the community and surrounding communities. The senior residents of the nonprofit assisted living facility are hosted the students and made flowers to present to the children. Daisy, a pet therapy hospice dog, walked around the students to visit the seniors.
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1. Barbara Staab teaches the kids sign language. 2. Yandel Gallegos is excited to be making the residents so happy. 3. Logan West gets ready to say hi to the men and women who live at Fellowship Square. 4. Abigail Guillen is excited to visit with a resident. 5. Hylie Ehmke (left) and Genesis Vega greet women living in the home. 6. The kids learn sign language. 7. Jacob Navarro waits for direction after eating a doughnut.
Family Comfort Hospice and Palliative Care, which has clients at Fellowship Square-Mesa, coordinated the event based on “The Art of Neighboring,” a popular book and movement that began when 21 churches in Arvada, Colorado united to start a neighboring movement in their community. The movement has spread; to date, more than 1,000 churches are using the Art of Neighboring resources. 6
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Photos by Kimberly Carrillo
Military families get free admission to i.d.e.a. Museum this summer
By Nearby News Staff
Active-duty military families can receive free admission to the i.d.e.a. Museum this summer through the Blue Stars Museum program. is is the sixth year in a row the museum has participated in the program, which is a collaboration between the National Endowment for the Arts, Blue Star Families, the Department of Defense, and more than 2,000 museums nationwide.
of all ages in the Mesa and Phoenix metropolitan area. Activities include ArtVille, a socks-only space for children up to 4 years old, and the HUB Gallery, which features handson experiences that incorporate art, design and engineering principles.
“We’re honored to again be a Blue Star museum, as military families sacrifice so much,” said Sunnee O’Rork, i.d.e.a. Museum executive director. “We’re thankful for their service. is is just one way to give back and provide quality bonding experiences with their families.”
Any active-duty personnel and up to five family members may receive free admission with a valid military I.D., including those in the National Guard and Reserve.
e i.d.e.a. Museum is for children
“Whether they want to blast off at a science museum, take a walk through nature, or encounter animals at the aquarium, Blue Star Museums will help service members and their families create memories this summer,” said Kathy Roth-Douquet, chief executive officer of Blue Star Families. “We are thrilled with the continued growth of the program and the unparalleled opportunities it offers.”
e chance for free admission ends September 3. Museum hours are 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday and noon to 4 p.m. on Sunday. For more information, visit ideamuseum.org.
top 10 family events
Maricopa County Reads
Exercise your reading skills and imagination through books and events at your local library. Track your reading progress online to win prizes.
When: All Summer
Where: Your nearest library
Cost: Free Info: maricopacountyreads.org
Summer Splash
Thursdays
Meet your favorite superheroes and Disney princesses at this kidfocused party. Music, dancing, fun activities and a splash pad complete the experience.
When: Thursdays, June 1-29, 6-7:30 p.m.
Where: Tempe Marketplace, 2000 E. Rio Salado Pkwy., Tempe
Cost: Free Info: tempemarketplace.com/summer
Flashlight Tours
Experience the sights, smells and sounds of the desert at night while you learn fascinating facts about the place we call home.
When: Thursdays and Saturdays, all summer, 7-9:30 p.m.
Where: Desert Botanical Garden, 1201 N. Galvin Pkwy., Phoenix
Cost: (Included with regular admission) $24.95 adults, $12.95 ages 3-17, free for 3 and under Info: 480-941-1225 or dbg.org
World Atlatl Day
Try your hand at using an ancient hunting weapon, the atlatl, and then compete for a prize. Plus, learn a lot about Arizona’s ancient inhabitants.
When: Saturday, June 3, 9 a.m.-noon
Where: Pueblo Grande Museum, 4619 E. Washington St., Phoenix
Cost: Free Info: 602-495-0901 orphoenix.gov/ calendar/parks/1747
Kidtastic Mesa
Various shops in downtown Mesa host kid-focused music times, ice cream socials, cookie decorating, arts and crafts, and more.
When: All month
Where: Downtown Mesa
Cost: Prices vary Info: facebook.com/kidtasticmesa
Learn Your Lizards
Take an expert-led walk and learn where to spot and how to identify Arizona’s many lizards. Bring a camera.
When: Saturday, June 10, 8 a.m.
Where: Boyce Thompson Arboretum, 37615 U.S. Highway 60, Superior Cost: $12.50 adults, $4 ages 5-12 Info: Phone or arboretum.ag.arizona. edu
Prowl & Play: Kids Street Fest
Kids can enjoy their own street festival with a range of entertainers, activities, water fun and more.
When: Saturday, June 10, 5:30-8:30 p.m.
Where: Phoenix Zoo, 455 N. Galvin Pkwy., Phoenix
Cost: $8, Free for kids 2 and under Info: 602-286-3800 or phoenixzoo. org
Oz
The East Valley Children’s Theatre presents a musical adaptation of the classic “Wizard of Oz.”
When: Thursdays-Saturdays, June 1525, times vary
Where: Mesa Arts Center, 1 E. Main St., Mesa
Cost: $15 adults, $11 for 17 and under Info: 480-644-6500 or mesaartscenter.com
Dive-in Movies: Moana
Lounge in the pool as you watch Disney’s latest hit, “Moana,” on a 30-foot screen.
When: Saturday, June 17, 7-10 p.m.
Where: Brimhall Aquatics Complex, 4949 E. Southern Ave., Mesa
Cost: $4 adults, $2 17 and younger; $5 inner tube rental (optional) Info: facebook.com/brimhall. mesapools
Carnival H2O
Fun activities, games and a high-flying “blob” will make this water carnival memorable.
When: Monday, June 26, 5-8 p.m.
Where: Shepherd Aquatic Complex
Cost: $2 adults, $1 17 and younger Info: 480-644-3037 or www.facebook. com/shepherd.mesapools
What’s Missing?
See something missing from the map? We would like to add local landmarks and businesses serving our community. Please email anything you see missing to mapit@nearbynews.com, and we will see that it gets added. Thanks for the help!
on the town
By Kenneth LaFave
Father’s Day tradition plays on at Organ Stop
ere is apparently no stopping Organ Stop Pizza, the iconic East Valley home of the “Mighty Wurlitzer Pipe Organ.” Once a chain of three restaurants in Phoenix, Mesa and Tucson, the unique venue for pepperoni and pop tunes remains only in its Mesa location.
But the organ keeps growing.
“We’ve been here since 1995,” says Jack Barz, Organ Stop manager.
“Here” is 1149 E. Southern. e 700-capacity restaurant attracts people not just because of the delicious pizza and a fresh salad bar.
“We have the largest theater organ in the world,” Barz says.
He means “in the world,” as in anywhere on the planet. e original Organ Stop Pizza opened in 1972 in
Phoenix. Founder Bill Brown loved two things: pizza and theater organs. Naturally, he brought the two together. As his business grew, the organs expanded as well.
e remaining instrument at the Mesa location boasts four keyboards and a pedalboard connected to 6,000 pipes.
Very few people can play the massive, complicated instrument. Part of the reason is that only 40 theater organs currently exist in the United States, where once there were more than 7,000. e unique instrument, with its horseshoe-shaped console, originally designed as accompaniment to silent films, flourished between about 1910 and 1930. “ ere’s probably only 12 to 15
people who can play this instrument and play it well,” Barz says. Organ Stop Pizza employs four of them.
Usually open to the public only in the evening, Organ Stop Pizza books lunches only for private groups. But it makes three annual lunchtime
exceptions: Easter, Mother’s Day, and Father’s Day. Father’s Day this month is June 18, and Organ Stop will open at 11:15 a.m., with lunch service concluding at 1 p.m. For $12 ($10
Organ ...continued on page 23
(Special to Nearby News)
The organ has four keyboards and is connected to 6,000 pipes.
for children under age 10) fathers and those celebrating fatherhood get an unlimited pizza buffet plus salad and soft drinks. Dairyfree and glutenfree options will be available.
Because of the event’s popularity, advance ticket purchase is required. Call 480-8135700.
Of course, the luncheon will be accompanied by music on the theater organ. As usual, the organist will take requests.
“‘ e Phantom of the Opera’ is the most frequently requested song,” Barz says.
A close second to that is “anything Disney.”
On the other hand, don’t ask for “InA-Gadda-Da-Vida.”
By Jan D’Atri
Chimichurri sauce with steak what’s cooking?
I’m not sure how it happened or whether or not dads like the idea, but when we think of Father’s Day dinner, our first thoughts go to the grill: grilled meats with big, bold flavors and basically “big-guy-hungry-man” recipes.
So, dads, I will not disappoint. is recipe for a succulent steak of your choice drizzled with fresh chimichurri sauce is made for you and a hungry crowd, not only on your special day,
A story about chimichurri
but any time of the year. Just make up the chimichurri sauce in a blender and let those flavors marry while you fire up the grill or skillet and get that steak started. My favorites for this recipe are a skirt steak, rib eye, porterhouse or New York. If you’re looking for meats for a big crowd, the flanken-style short ribs are fantastic. You’ll find them in your Southwestern markets like Ranch Market and Food City.
While growing in popularity here in the U.S., chimichurri sauce has been the sauce/ condiment staple in Argentina for centuries. It’s one of the main recipes for the traditional “asado,” a big outdoor cookout akin to the American barbecue. Seasoned steaks, salty slow-cooked meats of beef, pork and lamb, plus sausages like cured longaniza (similar to chorizo), are all cooked over a roaring wood fire while plenty of good red wine flows. e Argentinean asado is as much a social event as a delicious feast of grilled meats, and the breakout star has become the chimichurri sauce.
Chimichurri sauce
Makes about 1-1/2cups
Ingredients:
– 1 cup (packed) fresh Italian parsley
– 1/4 cup (packed) fresh cilantro
– 2 garlic cloves, peeled and smashed
– 3/4 teaspoon dried crushed red pepper
– 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
– 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
– 1/3 cup red wine vinegar
– 3/4 cup olive oil
Directions:
Step 1: Combine all ingredients in a food processor (except vinegar and oil) and pulse until roughly chopped.
Step 2: Add vinegar and oil and pulse until combined. in with a little water, if necessary. Transfer to a bowl, cover and refrigerate. Serve at room temperature. Can be made a day ahead.
Photo Credit/Jan D’Atri
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Grocery delivery options in Mesa just in time for summer
By Nearby News Staff
As temperatures rise, there are a number of ways to shop for essentials without breaking a sweat. With a wide variety of mobile applications and online shopping services expanding into the Mesa area, there are several ways for shoppers to get groceries delivered right to their door.
Instacart
Instacart is a grocery delivery service that allows users to choose from a large variety of local retailers for their grocery delivery. e service has expanded to include 65 new ZIP codes in order to serve nearly 680,000 Phoenix residents. e service includes large retailers including Fry’s, Safeway, Bashas’, Whole Foods Market, CVS, Natural Grocers, Smart & Final, BevMo and Petco. For more information, visit instacart.com.
Safeway Grocery Delivery
Safeway has a delivery service for orders placed online. Safeway Grocery
Delivery offers same-day delivery for orders placed by 8:30 a.m. Same-day orders can be delivered between 4 and 10 p.m. Early delivery orders must be placed by 3 a.m. Orders must be at least $49 in order to qualify and an additional delivery fee will be charged depending on the location. For more information, visit shop.safeway.com.
Postmates
Postmates is a online shopping service that allows users to order takeout or groceries online or through their mobile app. Postmates is open 24 hours a day, seven days a week for service. e app allows users to find and order from local eateries and grocery stores. Postmates also offers a variety of stores that are not food item-based. e service reaches the greater Phoenix area for shoppers’ conveniences. For more information, visit postmates.com.
Be our guest: Meet the actress behind Arizona Broadway Theatre’s ‘Belle’
Christina Fuoco-Karasinski Special to Nearby News
When Pennsylvania native JillChristine Wiley hits the Arizona Broadway eatre and the Herberger eater Center stages to play “Belle” in “Beauty and the Beast,” she can check that role off her bucket list.
“I have to thank the Arizona Broadway eatre because they’ve allowed me to check three dream roles off my list,” Wiley says. “I played Ariel, another Disney princess, in ‘ e Little Mermaid.’ I couldn’t ask for anything better.
“I also played Carrie Pipperidge in ‘Carousel.’ It’s a role I really wanted to do. Arizona Broadway eatre has been generous to me. It’s neat playing my second Disney princess, but at the same time, it’s different. I get to explore Ariel’s dynamic and see how Belle differs. I’m creating my own interpretation.”
“Beauty and the Beast” will be performed at the dinner theater, Arizona Broadway eatre in Peoria, from Friday, June 2, to Sunday, July 2. It then heads downtown to the Herberger eater Center from Friday, July 7, to Sunday, July 16. is role fulfills a longtime wish for Wiley, who saw “Beauty and the Beast” first at age 12.
“She’s not necessarily a ‘princess,’” Wiley says. “She comes from a small provincial town. She dreams of
something bigger. She knows she wants to reach beyond her small town. She’s a dreamer, but she’s also an achiever. It’s good for young girls and boys to hear this message of longing for something more; go after your dreams; don’t let any slow-minded people tell you that you can’t because you can.
“She’s a bit of a hero. She’s not the person who needs to be rescued. In turn, she needs the beast. She doesn’t judge a book by its cover.”
Wiley moved to New York City from Lancaster, Pennsylvania, at age 18 to pursue a career in musical theater. She joined the ensemble for a touring production of “Beauty and the Beast,” and understudied Belle, a character she can relate to.
“Being a small-town girl, I was dreaming of something more,” she says. “It took me to New York City having high aspirations of performing, traveling the world and hoping for Broadway; to live a successful and fulfilled life as an artist and as a human.”
Wiley says she is not really nervous about bringing an iconic figure – one who has been featured in animated and live-action features on the big screen – to the stage.
“I grew up watching the film,” she says about the animated feature. “It is
my job to create this character on my own. I’m going back to the basics. I’m allowing myself to dig into the script and I think it’s more exciting than anything to bring her to life.
“It’s so magical, between the lights, costumes, hair and makeup. It becomes a magical event for everyone. People forget the need to compare. I’m embracing the nerves and the excitement all in one.”
they see Belle for
Wiley gets the chance to hear her audiences’ thoughts during meet-andgreets after the Arizona Broadway eatre shows.
“It feels like Disneyland,” she says with a laugh about her time as Ariel. “ ey want pictures and they stand there and talk to you. On two-show days, the (producers) have to pull me away for the second show. I just want to stay and talk to these kids a little longer.
“ ey are what makes the experience for us. ey are the magic for me. I can do everything on my end, but what really seals the deal for me are those kids and the reactions they have when
IF YOU GO
What: Beauty and the Beast
Where: Arizona Broadway Theatre, 7701 W. Paradise Lane, Peoria
When: Various times Friday, June 2, to Sunday, July 2
Cost: $40-$88
Info: 623-776-8400, azbroadway.org/ beauty
Where: Herberger Theater Center, 222 E. Monroe St., Phoenix
When: Various times Friday, July 7, to Sunday, July 16
Cost: $37.50-$77.50
Info: 602-252-8497, azbroadway.org/ beauty
the first time. at’s the icing on the cake for me.”
(Special to Nearby News)
Jill-Christine Wiley plays “Belle.”
East Valley Children’s Theatre to perform classic ‘Wizard of Oz’ tale
By Nearby News Staff
e East Valley Children’s eatre is capping off its 20th anniversary season with the production of “OZ!”, the timeless “Wizard of Oz” tale.
e show will run June 15-25 at the Mesa Arts Center, and it features 41 talented youths ages 8 to 18 from across the Valley.
ere are 26 cast members who live in Mesa, including many playing significant roles. Abby Potts (Dorothy), Christian Armanti (Toto), and McKenzie Elias (Wicked Witch of the West) are all from Mesa. Also from Mesa are Mikey Cornejo (Cowardly Lion), L J Deacon (Tin Woodsman), Elizabeth Schaible (Scarecrow), Suzy Olson (Glinda the Good Witch), and Tre Moore (OZ!).
In addition, there are five cast members from Gilbert, and one each from Tempe, Phoenix and Maricopa. Two sisters who live in Chandler, Analisa and Araceli de la Rosa, are
playing Munchkins.
Music for the show is directed by EVCT Producing Artistic Director Karen Rolston, and the choreography was done by Jennifer Duxbury.
Tickets are $15 for adults and $11 for children. e show runs ursdays and Fridays at 7 p.m., Saturdays at 4 and 7 p.m. and Sundays at 2 p.m. For more information, visit mesaartscenter.com.
(Photo by Alan Ignatowski)
Children from Chandler, Gilbert, Mesa and around the Valley will perform in the play “OZ!” at Mesa Arts Center. Here (from left), McKenzie Elias, Christian Armanti and Abby Potts, all from Mesa, get into their characters.
June 2017 events calendar
Tamburitzans ‘Jubilee’ Show
See 30 performers – with 400 costumes total – present folk dances from 11 countries that span from France to India.
When: Thursday, June 1, 7:30 p.m.
Where: Mesa Arts Center, 1 E. Main St., Mesa
Cost: $30, $35 Info: 480-644-6500 or mesaartscenter.com
Motorcycles on Main
Show up for the last motorcycle gathering of the season to see hundreds of bikes. The Moonshine Voodoo Band will provide live music.
When: Friday, June 2, 6-10 p.m.
Where: North Macdonald Road, between Main Street and Pepper Place
Cost: Free
Info: downtownmesa.com/ motorcyclesonmain/
Free Sunday at AzMNH
Get up close with dinosaur bones and replicas, gold panning, and plenty of prehistoric exhibits for free at the Arizona Natural History Museum.
When: Sunday, June 4, noon-5 p.m.
Where: 53 N. Macdonald Dr., Mesa
Cost: Free Info: 480-644-2230 or arizonamuseumofnaturalhistory.org
RockBand Mondays at The Grid
Take group karaoke to the next level as you literally become the band. A stage, pro lighting and other touches turn you into a rock star.
When: Mondays, 8 p.m.-midnight
Where: The Grid, 535 S. Gilbert Road, Mesa
Cost: Free entry
Info: 480-621-8088 orfacebook.com/ thegridgg
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.
When: Friday, June 9, 6-10 p.m.
Where: Main Street, between Center Street and Country Club Drive
Cost: Free
Info: 2ndfridaynightout.com
Puddles Pity Party
Billed as “the sad clown with the golden voice,” Puddles combines melancholy and humor as he sings renditions of modern hit songs.
When: Tuesday, June 13, 8 p.m.
Where: Mesa Arts Center, 1 E. Main St., Mesa
Cost: $30
Info: 480-644-6500 or mesaartscenter.com
Rebelution
Get some good vibes at The Good Vibes Summer Tour featuring reggae band Rebelution. Also, hear Nahko, Medicine for the People and more.
When: Thursday, June 15, 5:30 p.m.
Where: Mesa Amphitheatre, 263 N. Center St., Mesa
Cost: $30
Info: 480-644-2560 or mesaamp.com
Phoenix Baby Show
Get ready for your little one. Find items for your baby registry, see product demos, talk to heathcare experts and attend workshops. Plus, there are $20,000 in prizes.
When: Saturday, June 17, noon-4 p.m.
Where: Mesa Convention Center, 263 N. Center St., Mesa
Cost: $10-$180
Info: facebook.com/babybellies andbeyond
Multi-Generational Father’s Day Tinkershop
Kids, fathers and grandfathers can enjoy a morning of tinkering and hands-on activities. You even get to make a buzz-bot.
When: Saturday, June 17, 10-11:30 a.m.
Where: Idea Museum, 150 W. Pepper Place, Mesa
Cost: $15 (includes museum admission, registration required)
Info: 480-644-2468 or ideamuseum. org/classes.html
Spencer Jones & Redhill
Fresh off a 12-show tour of London, Spencer Jones brings his band Redhill back to the Valley. The lineup includes two members of local group Simply Three.
When: Friday, June 23, 8 p.m.
Where: Mesa Arts Center, 1 E. Main St., Mesa
Cost: $20
Info: 480-644-6500 or mesaartscenter.com
Crossroads of the West Gun Show
Whether you hunt, collect or want to improve your self defense, this gun show offers hundreds of local and national vendors and a wide range of items.
When: Saturday-Sunday, June 24-25, 9 a.m.-5 p.m.
Where: Centennial Hall, 263 N. Center St., Mesa
Cost: $12 (two-days)
Info: crossroadsgunshows.com
3,295 to 4,333 Sq. Ft. 3
By Becky Bracken
Iora Primary Care is shaking up how seniors are treated
In a happy, sunlit room, six Mesa seniors gathered around a large table for a couple of hours of sharing and storytelling. ere’s a former farmer and his wife, a man who just celebrated his 80th birthday who used to work in the cotton fields and a woman who worked on commercial fishing boats in Alaska. ey told tales about their childhood and their loves lost and found, and they laughed.
What might not be obvious at first glance is that these seniors are at their doctor’s office, Iora Primary Care, a new kind of practice with the aim of treating seniors as whole people, rather than just a chart of ailments and medications. Iora, which is partnered with Humana, wants to shake up the
way seniors 65 and older get their care and, subsequently, live their lives. Storytelling is just one part of that.
e storytelling session opened with a brief presentation from Iora’s staff Health Coaches, who talked about the benefits of storytelling to everyday health and wellness. From forming a more meaningful connection with others to helping with memory, recounting tales from days past has a direct impact on the health of these seniors, and getting them together to share is just one part of how Iora’s team wants to engage patients in an entirely new way.
Just walk in the front door to the
Iora...continued on page 33
(Special to Nearby News)
Iora Primary Care specializes in treating seniors 65 and older.
practice and it’s obvious there’s nothing run-of-the-mill about what’s happening there. Puzzles in various stages of completion sit on big meeting tables in the lobby. ere’s always a bustling schedule at Iora. Yoga, Silver Sneakers, classes on balance and healthy habits are all offered weekly, in addition to standard doctor visits.
e facility itself is tailor-made for seniors, according to the practice’s clinical team manager, Sarah Cabou, with wide doors for easy wheelchair access, low exam tables so tender knees and hips don’t get overextended and large monitors hanging over tables that let patients see in real time what doctors are adding to their medical records. And because not all visits to Iora require a physical exam, comfortable rooms with couches are available for patients to just sit and talk if that’s all they need.
e practice opened its Higley location in October and already has more than 400 patients. Cabou added that they’re looking to add more. For now, the practice is limited to patients covered by Humana and Medicare. And so far, patients seem to be enjoying the change of pace from a typical primary care practice model.
“How could I get any better than this?” one attendee said. “I’m spending the afternoon sharing with you fine people. is beats sitting at home any day.” Iora
UPGRADE TO A SMART GARAGE
law talk
By Brian D. Strong
Why is the MVD forcing me to keep an ignition interlock for another year?
When you are charged with DUI, you face two complex legal battles.
e first is with the criminal courts and involves the harsh reality of mandatory jail time and thousands of dollars in fines, assessments and jail costs. e second battle is with the Motor Vehicle Division (MVD) and involves suspension or revocation, traffic survival school, and the ignition interlock. As an Arizona attorney with an active DUI caseload, I respond to several questions each week regarding MVD policies and procedures.
A first-time DUI usually results in a 90-day suspension of your driver’s license. A second DUI (or refusing
to take a chemical test) will result in a one-year revocation. e key difference between a suspension and a revocation is what happens once the designated number of months has elapsed. If MVD has imposed a 90-day suspension, on day 91, a driver can guarantee the immediate reinstatement of their license by simply paying the required fee. Revocations, however, are not so easy. If your license has been revoked, then you must submit a Revocation Packet. Not only does the Revocation Packet require a person to expend hours obtaining signatures from the court and a medical professional, but MVD
will (in its classic, unhurried pace) take six to eight weeks to consider each Packet submitted.
Historically, if your license had been revoked, then you could not drive at all for one full year, plus any delay that transpired while MVD considered your Revocation Packet. Obviously, the inability to drive for a year (or more) created serious emotional and financial distress for all involved.
us, a few years ago, state lawmakers sought to reduce that stress by utilizing known ignition interlock technology. By agreeing to install an ignition interlock device after 45 days of no driving, Arizona Revised Statute §#28-1401 permits you to obtain a restricted license to drive to and from work during the rest of your revocation period.
Obviously, my clients whose licenses have been revoked by MVD are ecstatic when they can start driving again. What they need to be reminded, however, is that using the ignition interlock during the revocation period does not reduce the amount of time that an ignition interlock must remain in place after the revocation period has ended. ese clients often call and
demand we sue MVD because they (and no other person on the planet) have been improperly singled out for additional and unnecessary interlock time. Repeatedly, these clients are dismayed when I remind them that MVD treats all revoked drivers exactly the same. Arizona statutes are clear: “ e granting of a special ignition interlock restricted driver license does not reduce or eliminate the required use of an ignition interlock device pursuant to A.R.S. §#28-3319.” A.R.S. §#28-1401(E) (emphasis added). ere are many reasons the MVD may seek to extend the use of an ignition interlock device. I have vast experience in helping clients understand and navigate the complex maze of statues and administrative codes that govern MVD. If you think MVD is treating you unfairly, please call me at 480-833-2341.
Brian D. Strong is a senior associate at Rowley Chapman & Barney, Ltd. His practice is limited to criminal defense law and he represents clients all over Arizona.
Pete’s Fish & Chips has the formula down, for 70 years now
By Peter Cheng
Coming off its 70th anniversary, Pete’s Fish & Chips isn’t looking to change a thing.
e Valley institution has been frying up tasty and affordable eats since founder Pete Grant opened his first location in Phoenix in 1947 after receiving a medical discharge from the Navy.
“He got malaria and dysentery from a mosquito bite during the war and the doctors told him he needed a warmer climate. His famous words were, ‘Well, since I don’t speak Egyptian, I’ll head out to Arizona,’” said Pete’s daughter Kathy Adams, who now runs the company alongside one of her sisters, Pat Foster.
e young couple arrived in the Valley on Christmas morning, 1946. Grant had a teaching job lined up at a Phoenix school. As the story goes,
he never showed up for that job because he decided to open up a little fish-and-chips stand instead.
“It was just a 6-by-8 shack, with no running water – or electricity,” Adams said.
To power the lightbulbs, he ran his own wire up to a nearby power line.
“You could do things like that back in ’47,” Adams said.
“He bought a cooker and some fillets, he breaded them himself, and a bag of potatoes, sliced the potatoes,” and the rest is history.
e little chip shop found early success, earning $12 on its first day, a pretty penny back in those days.
e first East Valley location opened in Mesa in 1951, just blocks from the
current Mesa store and the company’s downtown Mesa headquarters. e Mesa store is now the busiest of all the stores.
e first indoor restaurant opened on Mill Avenue in Tempe in the mid-1950s. All eight locations were operating by the end of the decade. e Tempe store, now on Apache
Pete...continued on page 36
Mesa scores manufacturing facility, jobs
By Nearby News Staff
EuroContempo Cabinetry broke ground on a 72,000-square-foot manufacturing facility just north of Phoenix-Mesa Gateway Airport in Mesa on Monday, May 22. e move is expected to bring employment opportunities to the area.
“EuroContempo Cabinetry will be a great addition to Mesa,” Mayor John Giles said. “ eir decision to locate in Mesa is a great endorsement of Mesa’s business-friendly environment and the forward-thinking, public investment in the Gateway Area.”
e highly automated facility is costing the company more than $12 million, and should bring 40 jobs over the next three years. It is located on the south side of Ray Road east of Sossaman Road.
“EuroContempo has shown their commitment to Mesa and the Gateway area with significant investment in this new manufacturing facility,” District 6 Councilmember Kevin ompson said. “ is is not only a win for Mesa and District 6, but for our citizens as well, as we continue to focus our efforts on creating jobs. Gateway continues to be an important asset for the region and an economic hub for our city.”
EuroContempo Cabinetry creates high-end cabinets and offers hundreds of combinations of finishes. Using laser edge-banding technology, the company can produce durable cabinets that look professional for residential, commercial and retail customers.
Arizona Commerce Authority and City of Mesa partnered with the company to make this manufacturing powerhouse a reality, and Big-D
Construction Southwest is the designer and builder of the facility on a 5.22-acre parcel of Mesa land.
(Special to Nearby News)
EuroContempo Cabinetry creates high-end cabinets.
(Special to Nearby News)
Pete Grant opened his first East Valley location in Mesa in 1951.
Boulevard a few blocks east of Mill, has become a part of the college experience for many students at Arizona State University’s main campus.
“I was in L.A. wearing my Pete’s shirt and this guy came up to me and said, ‘I put myself through college at Pete’s. Pete’s was my first job,’” said Kathy Adams’ daughter Carley.
Carley is part of the third generation of the Grant family to work in the business. She runs public relations and marketing for the company.
“My grandpa started with this small little idea, but to think of all the families and people that were able to support themselves (is amazing),” she said.
company has been steadily successful over the years.
Even the Great Recession couldn’t damage Pete’s lasting fish-and-chips empire.
“When the economy goes south, it’s good for us,” Adams said. “It’s because of our prices. People are still going to eat out, and they want a good product for a fair price, so they’ll come to Pete’s.”
Pete’s has built a dedicated and loyal customer base over the decades. Married couple Lori and David Timbrook of Mesa have been meeting for lunch at the Mesa store for 25 years.
“We love the sauce,” Lori said. “We always get shrimp and fish and kind of share a couple meals. It’s always fresh, it’s always hot, and really reasonably priced.”
Grant got the idea for the simple take-out window after seeing similar fast food operations during his service in Australia.
“ e States didn’t have anything like that, where you get your food from a window and you leave,” Kathy Adams said. “Here, there were diners where you went in and sat down.”
Grant was murdered in 1987 at age 72. at’s when daughters Kathy and Pat took over. Despite the tragedy, the
For the most part, the Grant family has taken an “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it” approach to business.
Pete’s still doesn’t advertise, and it has no plans for expanding beyond the current eight locations, but Carley has an eye toward the future.
“I do want to do a food truck one day,” she said, much to her mother’s chagrin.
HAULING
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See my ad in the Biz Box Section
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HOME REMODELING
ALL
Need some help around the house?
Please call, I do it all!
IS YOUR "HONEY DO" LIST
GETTING TOO BIG FOR YOU?
Did you buy something that needs to be put together?
Give John the Handyman a call! He can help you get things done. Anything that takes your time I can do & have the tools to do it!
760-668-0681
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Move a wall; turn a door into a window.
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Cell 602-628-9653
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Licensed & Bonded ROC 124934
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Daily visits, dog walking, mid-day visits/potty breaks, pet taxi, and more. Pet CPR/ First Aid Certified. Fully insured with Special Property Coverage. References proudly provided.
Please call Kelly Roberts at 480-229-7596 to schedule your complimentary initial meeting or visit www yourpamperedpetsaz com
POOL SERVICES
A QUALITY POOL SERVICE THAT IS PRICELESS
White build up on your pool's tile line? CALL US TODAY!
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CLEAN SPLASH POOL SERVICE
Weekly service starting at $70 per month.
ALL PRO TREE SERVICE, LLC
Tree Trimming, Tree Removals, Stump Grinding, Monthly Landscape Maintenance, Full Yard Clean Ups, Palm Trees, Deep Root Fertilization, Irrigation, Etc. Free Estimate, Very Professional, Insured, and Bonded!
Visa & MasterCard Accepted Mention this Ad and Receive 15% off Discount! 480-354-5802 or dennis@allprotrees com
See Our Ad in the Biz Box Section
*Design
*Carpentry
*Paint
*Flooring
*Electric
*Plumbing
*Drywall And More!
Small projects to full remodels & hydrotherapy tubs
Todd 480-388-5335
INTERIOR HOME PAINTING
Want a fresh new room color?
Or a wall in perfect stripes? Artistic with fine lines
35 Years Experience Bob 520-413-3005 Or 480-316-9064
TRAVEL
ENOS KING-LEWIS II, AGENT Guide, Producer Fun Trips! Prosperity - Wellness www Enos4Prosperity com 800-824-1450 (Call 24/7) enos4homes@hotmail com
TUTORING SERVICES
PROFESSIONAL TUTORING
Multiple subjects including Math, Reading and Writing. Individualized, at-home instruction for grades K-12. Summer enrichment activities and summer school tutoring. Assistance for home-schooling, behavioral, organizational and special education concerns.
Call Philip N Swanson, Ph D 480-677-9459
DIRTY WINDOWS FILTHY SCREENS?
Call Fish Window Cleaning @ 480-962-4688 and you will have the cleanest windows and screens on the block. Below is the list of services we offer: Windows-Interior & Exterior Screens-Sunscreens/Regular Tracks, Ceiling Fans, Light Fixtures Power Washing Your driveways, sidewalks & patios
REFLECTIONS WINDOW CLEANING
Make your home sparkle with the cleanest windows you've ever seen! Instant 10% discount FREE estimates BONDED and INSURED. Member IWCA 480-892-1999
Repairs - Maintenance - Acid Washing Free Estimates & Consultation
CPO Certified/APSP Member Bonded & Insured 480-216-3229
Nearby News Publications is the largest and longest family of community publications serving a wide range of neighborhoods throughout Phoenix metro area. Advertising in Nearby News offers your business the opporunity to build credibility in these thriving communities. If your intent is to reach affluent families at their homes, you simply will not find a better advertising value, period.
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