Ahwatukee Foothills News - July 5, 2017

Parking complaints cloud farmers market future

BY PAUL MARYNIAK AFN Executive Editor

The future of the Ahwatukee

Farmers Market and some events staged by the Ahwatukee Board of Management were clouded in uncertainty this week, mired in a parking controversy.

ABM was to ask the city Zoning Board of Adjustment Thursday, July 6, to approve a temporary use permit that would allow the market to continue operating between 9 a.m. and 1 p.m. Sundays and the HOA to stage its annual Chili Cook-Off in March.

The request was filed after Katie Weeks, property manager for the strip mall at Warner Road and 48th Street that is adjacent to ABM’s activities center, complained to the city that people attending the market and other events “are parking in the shopping center parking lot, creating a nuisance for our tenants and their visitors.”

Telling the city that “everything we have tried to do (signage, hiring security guards, talking with the Board of Management, etc.) has failed to keep their visitors out of our parking lot,” Weeks, representing Commercial Real Estate Services, Inc., wrote:

“We are at the point where we are starting to lose tenants and are having a difficult time leasing to new tenants as our parking lot is

AHWATUKEE FOOTHILLS

constantly infiltrated by Ahwatukee Board of Management visitors. We are having to slash our rental rates, which in turn is a loss of money for the City as well.”

While scores of farmers market supporters

created a furor on Facebook sites late last week, a spokeswoman for the association that runs the market pleaded for calm and

Banned refrigerant impacting Ahwatukee heat-pump owners

BY JIM WALSH AFN Staff Writer

A

s temperatures soar across Ahwatukee, so is the cost of keeping aging heat pumps working for area homeowners.

Whether homeowners try to hang on to their existing heat pump till its last blast of cold air or are replacing it, they’re digging deeper into their wallets.

The choice: buying a new, more expensive heat pump or paying far more for a oncecheap refrigerant called R-22 to keep the old one hanging on.

A target in the war on climate change since the U.S. ratified the Montreal Protocol in 1988, the gas is being phased out because it depletes the ozone layer around Earth.

New heat pumps using it have not been manufactured since 2010. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has

declared that since a heat pump lasts an average 10 years, R-22 can no longer be produced at all starting Jan. 1, 2020.

The EPA has already ordered severe cutbacks in its production as part of the phase-out and a transition to new units that use the less offensive R-410 refrigerant, a chemical that depletes the ozone at a lesser rate.

(Dianne Ross/AFN Contributor)

Elijah Lewis, 2, left, and his 3-year-old brother Ezekial were busy with berries Sunday at the Ahwatukee Farmers Market, blissfully unaware of the furor surrounding its future. See p. 28 for a column on the furor.

TheAhwatukeeFoothillsNewsis published every Wednesday and distributed free of charge to homes and in single-copy locations throughout Ahwatukee Foothills.

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Kyrene board to vote on $23.5-million spending plan for new school year

Kyrene Schools Governing Board will meet Tuesday, July 11, to adopt a budget for the new school year that includes the raise that the State Legislature decided to give teachers – a 1.06-percent pay increase.

At the 7 p.m. meeting at the district office, 8700 South Kyrene Road, Tempe, the board will present its $23.5 proposed operating budget to the public, then likely adopted it unanimously.

Tempe Union High School District’s board is slated to meet at 5:30 p.m. today, July 5, to approve its $92.7-million spending plan for the 2017-18 school year. The meeting is at district offices, 500 W. Guadalupe Road, Tempe.

Kyrene’s budget includes more money for teachers who are furthering their education by providing pay hikes ranging between 2 percent and 16 percent, depending on the number of education credits they have so far tallied. Base pay with no education credits is $40,000 annually for teachers with only a bachelor’s degree and $45,000 for those with a master’s degree, Superintendent Jan Vesely said.

Kyrene’s budget is based partly on a gloomy forecast of a 2-percent decline in student population in the 2017-18 school year – meaning that the district will be getting less money from the state since reimbursements are based on head counts.

The declined will force the district to reduce the number of teachers and cut spending by $1.6 million – about half coming from department budget reductions and another $300,000 in cuts in the discretionary funds given to each of the district’s 25 schools.

The budget also reduces central-district spending by $2.6 million as the result of shifting workers to schools to provide services more directly to students. In addition to augmenting services to students, that shift also is saving Kyrene $338,000, Vesely said.

One new expense that could cost taxpayers nearly $1 million is the requirement for paid sick leave that voters approved last year when they okayed the minimum wage proposition.

to pmaryniak@ahwatukee.com.

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Board member Bernadette Coggins also noted that a potential expense looming in the future could come from the more intensive screening the district plans for all students to determine those who are gifted, have special needs or require intervention because of personal or other problems.

Such individual screening was recommended in a massive audit of the district that was performed earlier this year and encompassed virtually every facet of the district’s operation.

“That is going to be, I assume, where we will need additional resources, but to me, that is a good problem. That’s an area where we haven’t been doing a very good job in Kyrene,” Coggins said.

Meanwhile, the law of supply and demand is driving up the price of R-22 for homeowners who are holding on to their older units.

While the R-22 is still widely available, the price has more than doubled, according to a Phoenix air conditioning contractor and the Air Conditioning, Heating and Refrigeration Institute, which represents the heat-pump industry.

The EPA ordered a steep, graduated step-down in R-22 production from 51 million pounds in 2014 to only 13 million pounds this year. Only 9 million pounds will be allowed to be produced in 2018, and less than half that amount during its final production year in 2019.

While the price of R-22 is rising, consumer advocates are urging homeowners to resist scare tactics some air-conditioning businesses are using by telling them that the gas is no longer available and that they need the new and costlier heat pumps that use R-410. Francis Dietz, a spokesman for the Air Conditioning Heating and Refrigeration Institute, said the rising cost of R-22 can

motivate some homeowners to consider a higher-efficiency, R-410 unit.

“I would say it’s not as plentiful as it used to be and more expensive,” he added.

Dietz said it might be possible for someone to keep an older, less-efficient heat pump operating “if it is running fine and all it needs is to be topped off with some refrigerant.”

But, he added, “It’s never a bad idea to at least get a quote on a new unit and the efficiency rating.”

Some businesses are taking unfair advantage of the situation.

“There’s a lot of misinformation in the market. In some cases, they are telling people there is no refrigerant available,” said Mike Donley, president of Donley Service Center in Phoenix.

“Most units out there have R-22 in them,” Donley added. “They are working fine. People don’t have to do anything. People will have R-22 units well into the future.”

But if an older R-22 requires an expensive repair, such as replacement of a compressor, the consumer should consider buying a new R-410 model, Donley said.

Donley said the prices of repairs as well as new units varies substantially in the

market, depending upon the details of an installation and the size of the house.

As a rule, he said, a new unit, including installation, can range from $5,000 to $8,000, with $7,500 an average.

“It depends on the efficiency level, the brand, who is putting it in,” Donley said. “The customer has a lot of options. We try to present the options.”

Donley said consumers need to make an informed decision on whether to repair an older heat pump, realizing that production of R-22 will be banned in three years and that they are looking at increasingly high repair bills in the event of a leak –a common repair issue with heat pumps.

The higher efficiency of new units and the promise of lower electricity bills also should be factored into the decision, he added.

The financial decision on whether to repair or replace a heat pump is not unlike the decision to pay higher maintenance bills to keep an older car running, instead of replacing it with a new or newer one, industry experts said.

Donley urged consumers to check out companies before hiring them, making sure they have a long track record in the business and a good rating from the Better Business Bureau.

“The most important thing is who you call, who is serving your home,” he said. – Reach Jim Walsh at 480-898-5639 or at jwalsh@ahwatukee.com.

(Special to AFN)

Identified long ago as a significant danger to the ozone layer protecting earth, the R-22 refrigerant can no longer be produced after 2019, according to an EPA ban on the gas.

(Special to AFN)

Mike Donley, right, president of the Phoenix-based air-conditioning company Donley Service Center, seen here with his father Jim, said homeowners need to be wary of companies trying to take advantage of the R-22 refrigerant shortage to push people into buying an entirely new unit.

State fights defense lawyers over access to crime victims, families

BY HOWARD FISCHER Capitol Media Services

Alawyer for two top state officials want a federal judge to quash a bid by defense attorneys to demand access to crime victims and their families.

In new court filings, Assistant Attorney General O.H. Skinner tells U.S. District Court Judge Steven Logan there is no legal basis for the claim by the Arizona Attorneys for Criminal Justice that they have a First Amendment free speech right to approach crime victims despite a law to the contrary.

If nothing else, Skinner said attorneys don’t have the same First Amendment rights as everyone else, at least not when it comes to their role as lawyers for criminal defendants.

He also said that if the problem is with the Arizona law and how it is enforced, the challengers need to sue the people responsible for that -- including state trial judges. And Skinner said any such challenge needs to be brought in Arizona courts when there is an actual

dispute, not in a broad-based federal court attack.

Hanging in the balance is a statute which says defendants, their lawyers and their investigators can only initiative contact with crime victims through the prosecutor’s office. That includes not only the direct victims but also family members.

Prosecutors are required to pass on the request. But they can also advise those the lawyer wants to interview that they have the legal right to simply say “no.’’

The basis is the Victims’ Bill of Rights, a 1990 voter-approved constitutional amendment designed to spell out the rights of crime victims and their families. It includes things like the right to be present during all stages of the trial, to be notified of all events and to refuse to be interviewed.

In filing suit against Gov. Doug Ducey and Attorney General Mark Brnovich, defense attorneys and the American Civil Liberties Union called

See VICTIMS on page 12

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MARKET

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city Councilman Sal DiCiccio tried to get the hearing postponed so he could bring together all parties involved to discuss some solutions to the problem.

The councilman also said the farmers market may well have outgrown its current site and proposed two others while some residents proposed a third. All three locations, including Mountain Vista Park and the Hobby Lobby parking lot, are near the current market site.

ABM general manager Robert Blakesly must ask for the postponement in writing because he filed the original permit request, the councilman said.

As of AFN’s presstime Monday, Blakesly had still not contacted DiCiccio, nor returned AFN’s calls. (This story will be updated on ahwatukee.com if the hearing is postponed.)

The hearing is at 9 a.m,. July 6 in Assembly Room C on the first floor of city offices at 200 W. Washington St., Phoenix.

“I cannot imagine someone wanting to go to a hearing when we have so many other viable options on the table,” DiCiccio told AFN Friday. “That is the only way we will determine if they work

or not…But all I can do is ask people and it will be up to them to make their own determination if they want to sit down and figure it quit.”

It is unclear if ABM would accept either site DiCiccio has proposed for its own events.

Moreover, Dee Logan, spokesman for the Arizona Community Farmers Markets, which runs the Ahwatukee market, said that while DiCiccio’s proposals merited consideration, her group wants to follow ABM’s lead.

“We like working with the homeowners association,” Logan said. “I think we’ve got some solutions the city can live with.”

Logan added that she was upset that some market fans were calling for a boycott of one of the strip mall tenants, Zipps Sports Grill, after someone erroneously accused the bar’s owners of forcing the zoning board showdown.

“Everybody got a little hot around the collar,” Logan said. “I’m hoping that’s not the way we’re rolling. That’s really silly. The majority of folks at the center are in favor of the market and I think we can live peacefully.”

Even before the boycott, rumors were rampant in the community that Zipps

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was to blame.

Contacted by AFN before the social media firestorm broke out on Friday, Tiffany Doby, a spokeswoman for Zipps owner Neighborhood Restaurants LLC, said:

“We understand how fingers will get pointed at us as the bad guy, but it is just not true. We had nothing to do with initiating this complaint, but we do support our landlord’s legal rights to make proper provisions for his tenants.”

“We fully understand and appreciate that we are serving the exact same community members and would never intentionally alienate the Ahwatukee community,” she said, adding:

“We have sponsored and supported the ABM throughout the years financially as well as done our best to work together to create a parking situation that works for both parties.”

Doby also said, “We certainly do support our landlords right to protect the private parking for their tenants, of which we are one. The Farmers Market guests do unfortunately use our parking on Sundays, when we are typically busy for NFL football. This prevents our guests from being able to park in our lot and our first priority is our guests which does create a valid parking conflict.

“We do feel that the ABM or Farmer’s Market should be held to the same legal standards as anyone else in such a position,” she added.

In a lengthy Facebook post on Sunday, DiCiccio outlined the four possible scenarios and implored people to stop calling for a boycott.

“I want to see the negative discord and threats of boycott really come to a halt. I know this is sensitive to many, but we can accomplish a lot more by working together as a community,” he said.

The four possible scenarios included a postponement requested by Blakesley so all parties could meet, a request by the zoning hearing board official that all parties meet, or a hearing in which ABM would either be granted or refused the permit.

In a message to homeowners and market fans two weeks ago, Blakesly said ABM supported “sustainable farming” and “those who add value to local grower’s crops, such as baked goods using local grains, honey produced by Arizona beekeepers, dried flower arrangements made by flower growers” as well as “local cottage industries and crafts.”

Logan said, “We’ve been there a fairly

(Dianne Ross/AFN Contributor)

Grant Groathouse and Courtney Smith checked out some produce during a visit Sunday to the Ahwatukee Farmers Market.

long time and we’ve lived with the overflow parking issue.”

She said ABM was seeking permission to park in areas on its property that have been heretofore blocked off.

DiCiccio has proposed two nearby sites, a park-and-ride lot and nearby Mouintain Vista Park, but Logan said the lot would likely not be tenable because it has no restrooms.

“Mountain Vista Park is literally .25 miles away and would be a great setting that can provide a long term win-win solution here to this problem,” DiCiccio said, referring to the park that is east of 48th Street and Knox Road.

“I want to do all we can to keep the market and at the same time protect the rights of the adjacent property owners,” he added, stating:

“I would love to have this event at one of our parks. We have all the needed facilities and all the required parking. The event could even become larger.

“The ball is now in the court of the farmers market and I appreciate the great event they have brought to our community,” DiCiccio said.

Acknowledging “we do have community support,” Logan said. “We just don’t want community rancor overflowing.”

She added that by opening parking to adjacent ballfields, “we have some 90 extra spaces….We have a lot of spaces. It’s a matter of training (market patrons) on where the spaces are available.”

While zoning hearing officers usually make rulings immediately, they can delay a decision for 30 days.

Foothills

Arizona gets flunking grade for safety policies, especially on the road

BY JOE GILMORE Cronkite News

Arizona got an “F” for its safety policies, scoring particularly poorly on traffic safety, in a new national ranking of how well states are prepared to deter preventable deaths.

The report by the National Safety Council ranked states for safety on the road, at home and at work and the results do “not paint a very favorable picture of safety in the U.S.,” where 11 states got a grade of “F” and none got an “A.”

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Arizona ranked 44th overall, but 48th for road safety, where it was nicked for weak or nonexistent laws on child passengers, seat belts, vulnerable road users and distracted driving.

Safety council President and CEO Deborah Hersman, speaking at the release of the report last wee, said the country is “not even close to where we need to be if we’re going to prevent the most common types of accidents that occur on our roads, in our homes and communities and at work.”

For Arizona, the biggest problem area was road safety. While motor vehicle fatalities nationally have risen 14 percent since 2014, Arizona has seen almost a 23 percent increase in the same period. In 2016, the state had 962 motor vehicle fatalities, according to the Arizona Department of Transportation.

Hersman said that child booster seats, a helmet law for children and motorcyclists, and restrictions on teenage driving would all help to eliminate many of Arizona’s “preventable deaths.”

“There’s a lot of room for improvement in Arizona,” Hersman said. “They’re getting an ‘F’ on highway safety and the

people that are paying are the residents involved who are in those fatal crashes.”

The state took steps forward this year when legislators approved SB 1080, signed into law by Gov. Doug Ducey in April, to address the “national epidemic” of distracted driving by cracking down on teenage drivers using wireless devices.

Arizona state Sen. Steve Farley, D-Tucson, is a longtime proponent of restrictions on distracted driving and he welcome the passage of SB 1080. But he said it is “absurd” to think that SB 1080 is enough.

Farley said most Arizonans agree that the state needs a full statewide ban and “there’s no reason we don’t have one.”

“It’s time to end the partisan games because this is not a partisan issue,” Farley said. The driver that kills you “doesn’t care if you’re red or blue.”

At the safety council press conference, the call for more-stringent distracted driving laws was also sounded by Thomas Goeltz, a Wisconsin native whose daughter was killed by a distracted driver.

Increasing fines and eliminating legal loopholes for those charged with distracted driving are two examples he mentioned. He said the driver in his daughter’s death admitted to being distracted and drugged, but is not facing felony charges.

“That’s the crime in the case,” Goeltz said. “If this happens to you and your family, you’re not going to get justice either.”

Hersman did say that while Arizona may not have performed well, the report allows state officials to see what specifically can be done to reduce preventable deaths. It’s an “opportunity for Arizona is to learn from its neighbors and to learn from other states across the nation,” she said.

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Mesa gun show finds more women, less urgency to purchase weapons

BY JESSICA SURIANO AFN Staff Writer

Visitors and vendors at this season’s Crossroads of the West Gun Show in Mesa observed two trends: more women customers and less urgency to buy guns as soon as possible.

Mike Reber, vendor of Arizona Arms LLC, has been selling at gun shows for about 10 years, and said the past year he has sold concealed carry weapons to more women for self-defense and to more firsttime gun owners.

Arizona Custom Knife Maker Bob Ham has been selling knives for about 20 to 25 years as a hobbyist, but said he also enjoys looking at the guns sold at shows like Crossroads of the West. He said gun sales at the shows have decreased because people aren’t scared that their opportunity to purchase them will be going away any time soon with the new presidential administration.

“Politics may change, but the attitudes are not going to change,” Ham said. “I’m never going to give my guns up. I will bury them in the desert before I give them up.”

Lara Smith, national spokesperson and president of the California chapter of the Liberal Gun Club, said more liberals are buying guns now, too.

The organization had a 10 percent membership increase within the first month of President Donald Trump’s term, and since the inauguration, membership has nearly doubled.

Smith attributes this jump in liberal gun ownership to people in groups such as the

VICTIMS

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the requirement to funnel requests to speak to anyone “an unconstitutional licensing requirement and prior restraint on speech.’’

More telling, they argued to Logan that the additional hurdle interferes with their ability to save the life of a client convicted of murder. That’s based on their contention that they’re required to try to convince family members not to push for the death penalty -- wishes prosecutors may follow.

Skinner, in his new legal filings, told Logan he needs to understand the importance of the law before he’s tempted to void it.

“The impetus behind this constitutional amendment was that

LGBTQ, people of color and disabled communities feeling their safety is now threatened.

“Lots and lots of liberals have guns,” Smith said. “They’re not as willing to talk about it. The gun culture, in general, lots of people don’t talk about it, and don’t talk about their politics partially for fear of being ostracized in the community.”

Vendor Larry Williams of Lucky’s Loaders has been selling at shows for about 25 years and said the youngest children he has seen families bring to a gun show are around 5 or 6 years old. He said he started teaching his own grandson to shoot when he was about 9 years old. He said families bring their kids to the shows to teach them about gun safety.

Williams said he believes the number

for too long victims of crime have been second-class citizens,’’ he wrote.

Skinner said arguments in favor of the measure said it would ensure that “victims would no longer be treated as just another piece of evidence.’’

Assuming there’s a legal basis to challenge the law -- a point Skinner is not conceding -- he said it cannot be done by asking Logan to void it. Instead, he said, if a defense attorney is denied access to a crime victim or family, that should be raised on a case-by-case basis with the judge who is presiding.

“In any case where a plaintiff (attorney) represents a criminal defendant, that attorney can immediately raise the First Amendment challenge through a simple motion seeking leave to initiative contact with a victim directly,’’ Skinner wrote.

Anyway, he argued, the request by

of provisions that usually delay a gun sale or add to the background check process will continue to decrease with the Trump administration.

The background-check process can trigger many delays, depending on what information is returned to a vendor about a customer. One criterion that can delay this process was nullified three months into Trump’s term.

Earlier this year in February, Trump signed the bill H.J. Res 40, which was passed by both the U.S. House and Senate and revoked an Obama-era regulation put in place following the Sandy Hook Elementary shooting.

The now-void regulation added anyone deemed “unfit” to handle their own finances to the national background

the defense attorneys and the ACLU to block enforcement of the law is flawed.

Skinner said federal judges can grant injunctions only if those who file suit can show a “realistic danger’’ to themselves.

But he told Logan there is no evidence that any criminal defense attorney is going to be prosecuted for breaking the law and directly approaching crime victims and their families.

check database without due process. That could have included people receiving Social Security checks for mental illnesses and could have curtailed the ability of some veterans placed in any kind of conservatorship to purchase a gun.

Conservatorships are not limited to mental health status; people can be ordered a conservatorship by a judge for other reasons such as old age or a physical limitation.

“There was no hearing before your right got taken away,” Smith said. “That was the real issue. It wasn’t that hey, we want people with mental illness to have guns because obviously, really, we don’t.”

Rose Japngie, an employee of Elite Guns and Ammunition, remembers the first time she shot a gun: February 1989. Ever since, she said she loved the feeling of control and power shooting gave her.

She also thinks this year so far, the atmosphere at gun shows is more comfortable and less panicked because of Trump.

“People will always want to protect themselves,” Japngie said.

On Trump’s 99th day in office, he addressed the National Rifle Association at its 146th annual convention, and told the audience, “the eight-year assault on your Second Amendment freedoms has come to a crashing end.”

“The industry is still really dominated by the conservative side, which I think is a mistake,” Smith said. “I think it’s a mistake on the industry’s part, and I’ll tell you, I think it’s a mistake on the part of the (Democratic National Committee) to insist on this anti-gun platform.”

“The statute specifies no civil or criminal penalties,’’ Skinner wrote. What that leaves, he said are “broad, unsupported, passive-voice allegations that defense attorneys and investigators have been subjected to professional discipline and criminal charges for violating the statute.’’

No date has been set for a hearing on the state’s motion to dismiss the lawsuit.

(Kimberly Carrillo/AFN Staff Photographer)

Mike Reber was a vendor with Arizona Arms LLC at the Crossroads of the West Gun Show at the Mesa Convention Center. He said he’s been selling more concealed carry weapons to women lately.

For-profit Canadian firms moving in on area nonprofit pot market

BY WAYNE SCHUTSKI AFN Staff Writer

Canadian companies are investing millions of dollars into Arizona’s medical marijuana market in order to turn profits and wield influence over the state’s lucrative non-profit dispensary market.

One company, Canadian Bioceutical Corp., has paid $30 million to acquire management firms that provide services to two Mesa dispensaries.

These Canadian corporations are purchasing management companies that provide a range of services to medical marijuana facilities. Multiple companies like Canadian Bioceutical Corporation refer to Arizona’s marijuana market as highly profitable, a statement seemingly at odds with the non-profit nature of Arizona’s medical marijuana industry.

According to the Arizona Medical Marijuana Act, “A registered nonprofit medical marijuana dispensary shall be operated on a not-for-profit basis.” However, that does not mean there is not money to be had.

Canadian Bioceutical paid over $30 million over the course of three deals between January and May of this year to purchase a range of management companies in Arizona.

Other Canadian companies, namely General Cannabis Corp. and Aphria, have also made investments in the market in recent months.

In general, these management companies provide a broad list of services, ranging from financial and real estate management to providing skilled employees. And while the dispensaries are non-profits, the management companies are not.

In the first purchase in January, CGX Life Sciences, a Nevada corporation and wholly-owned subsidiary of Canadian Bioceutical, purchased management companies related to the Health For Life dispensary brand, which operates two dispensaries in Mesa.

Health For Life East is at 7343 S. 89th Place. Health For Life North is at 5550 E. McDowell Road.

Canadian Bioceutical just spearheaded a relocation of the North location to McDowell Road at the end of May. The design of the new facility will be the blueprint for future locations. The dispensary set a one-week sales record following the move, according to a Canadian Bioceutical press release.

Since its first purchase in Arizona, Canadian Bioceutical has expanded its footprint in the state by purchasing other management companies. Its last transaction “will bring total number of Arizona dispensaries under the Health for Life umbrella – current and under development – to four in a state with less than 100 dispensaries in total,” according to a company press release.

The company has also made investments in medical marijuana and recreational marijuana industries in several other states to date, including Massachusetts and Maryland.

The acquisitions make business sense. The medical marijuana business in Arizona is thriving – cannabis industry analysis company New Frontier Data projects the market to grow to $681 million by 2020 – and management companies can take advantage of that by leveraging service contracts with dispensaries that often reach 20-30 years in length.

MARIJUANA

And while Canadian Bioceutical does not actually own dispensaries in Arizona, it claims that it “exerts considerable influence” over the dispensaries it services, according to statements on the company website and in its management presentation from May of this year. Unlike dispensaries, these management companies are not regulated by the Arizona Department of Health Services.

“I confirmed with the program that ADHS only oversees the dispensary and dispensary agents. Outside firms are not under our purview unless they are dispensary agents,” DHS staffer Ben Palmer said via email.

It is unclear who profited from the sales of the various management companies in Arizona bought by Canadian Bioceutical, though Elizabeth Stavola is regularly listed as a founding member on the acquired businesses, most of which were limited liability corporations.

Stavola is president of U.S. operations for Canadian Bioceutical via CGX.

Stavola, a New Jersey resident and Wall Street veteran, was listed as a founding member on no fewer than five LLCs registered with the Arizona Corporation Commission that are now owned by CGX

Life Sciences – including S8 Industries LLC, S8 Management LLC, S8 Rental Services LLC, H4L Management North LLC, and H4L Management East LLC.

In addition to being listed as a member on many of the LLCs purchased by Canadian Bioceutical, Stavola is also listed as the founder and CEO of Health For Life Inc. on the dispensary’s website.

One of the directors for Health For Life Inc., the licensed nonprofit behind the dispensary brand, is Julie Winter. Winter, also a New Jersey resident, works with Stavola at a marijuana-based beauty product company called CBD For Life, according to documents from the New Jersey Department of The Treasury Division of Revenue and Enterprise Services.

In Arizona, these management companies can be owned and/or operated by the same people running dispensaries or their friends and family, though the situation is rare.

There is nothing in the Arizona Medical Marijuana Act that prohibits this arrangement. The dispensaries just need to make sure they do not run afoul of nonprofit regulations, so they must make sure the conflict of interest is exposed to other members of the board and refrain from charging exorbitant fees. However, the management company

model – and the sale prices and profit potential associated with it – may violate what Arizona voters intended when they approved the legislation by a slim margin in 2010.

“I think it is unambiguous in the law that the voters passed that the dispensaries are supposed to be non-profit entities,” said Daniel Orenstein, postdoctoral fellow at the UCSF Center for Tobacco Control Research and Education.

Orenstein was previously fellow and adjunct professor of law, public health law and policy program at Sandra Day O’Connor College of Law at Arizona State University. He also authored “Voter Madness? Voter Intent and the Arizona Medical Marijuana Act,” published in the Arizona State Law Journal.

peculiar (management company) setup,” Orenstein said.

Health For Life and Canadian Bioceutical did not return requests for comment.

“Because (the legislation) talks about non-profits in the law, it can be assumed that it was not meant to create this

– Reach Wayne Schutsky at 480-898-6533 or wschutsky@timespublications.com.

UPGRADE TO A SMART GARAGE

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Health For Life dispensary brand operates spensaries on S. 89th Place and McDowell Road in Mesa.

District 6 Council hopefuls name their top city, local concerns

On Aug. 29, Ahwatukee registered voters will be joining their counterparts in Phoenix

City Council District 6 in choosing their councilman for the next four years. Incumbent Sal Diciccio and challenger Kevin Patterson are vying for their votes.

Early voting starts Aug. 2.

As part of its campaign coverage, AFN sent questionnaires to both candidates. This is the first part of three parts that will be published over the next few weeks. The entire questionnaire and their responses can be read at ahwatukee.com. Both men also will be writing Opinion pieces over the next two months, some on topics designated by ASFN and others of their choosing.

Council candidates address major issues confronting Phoenix, Ahwatukee

DiCiccio: Budget, freeway Patterson: Economic growth

AFN: Please briefly discuss the top three challenges facing phoenix and how you propose to deal with them.

Candidate:

1. Budget: Phoenix has a structural deficit affecting everything it does, year after year. That’s why I’ve been the leading voice – really, the only voice – calling for a strategic master plan. We need to prioritize City functions from the things that are most important, to least important. This will allow for greater transparency in our budget, but better yet, it gives the public the opportunity to decide on the right direction for our city. Until we do that, Phoenix is going to continue careening from one fiscal crisis to another.

2. Public Safety: Phoenix is currently short over 500 police officers, and the call response times are horrible. We can’t protect our families and neighborhoods properly until we address this shortfall and prioritize getting those officers on the streets. But, Phoenix politicians still spent critical monies on waste such as $9.875 million for a study of trash, over $5 million for PR, Lobbying, and membership dues – just to name a few. This is why a strategic plan based on outcomes and priorities is critical.

3. Roads: Our roads are crumbling and Phoenix hasn’t kept up with the maintenance required to maximize our investments in infrastructure. Instead of taking on massive new projects and pouring billions down the light rail drain, we need to fix and improve our existing roads, sidewalks, and bike paths. Luckily, I have been successful at getting attention to our community and we will soon see a significant section of Ray Road resurfaced.

AFN: Please briefly discuss the top three challenges facing Ahwatukee and how you propose dealing with them. Candidate:

1. The 202 Connector: while I have fought against this project since the 1990s and am still strongly opposed to the freeway construction, we have been working with neighborhood leaders to minimize the impact to our community. Working with our neighborhood groups and citizens we have focused on reducing the impact of the ongoing construction so that people can still get where they need to go, as well as reducing noise and other impacts from the construction process.

2. The Lakes / Club West: The developer must uphold his agreement to preserve the open space and quality of life for those neighbors. What happens at the Lakes Golf Course will set a precedent for Ahwatukee Country Club, which has zoning – done before my time on the Council – to allow for development of 2,100 high density apartment units. I will continue to work with residents around these two properties and with neighborhood groups to put pressure on the developer to uphold their agreements and preserve these areas in the way homeowners expected when they bought the properties.

3. Preserving Our Open Spaces: A lot of people choose to live in Ahwatukee for our open spaces, the places for adults and kids to get out, exercise, bike, play and enjoy a little bit of nature in our city. Protecting South Mountain and other areas of our community is critical to our future.

MEET THE CANDIDATES

The Ahwatukee Foothills Chamber of Commerce and Ahwatukee Foothills News invite registered voters to a forum featuring Phoenix City Council District 6 candidates Sal DiCiccio and Kevin Patterson. Meet them and hear them answer YOUR questions about Ahwatukee and the city.

5:30-7 p.m. Wednesday, July 26, Ahwatukee Activities Center 4700 E. Warner Road, Ahwatukee Send your questions now to pmaryniak@ahwatukee.com

AFN: Please briefly discuss the top three challenges facing phoenix and how you propose to deal with them

Candidate:

The top three issues facing Phoenix today are responsible economic growth, cost-effective housing, and neighborhood safety & services.

Phoenix is developing at an incredibly fast rate, spurring new investment and construction. It is the job of the City Council to make sure that when we are zoning new properties, providing tax incentives, or otherwise seeking new development.

I want to build consensus between developers, unions, the council, and other interested parties to ensure that we are always making the best decisions for our District and its hardworking families.

Additionally, ensuring that housing is attainable to working families is a major priority for me if I am so fortunate to be elected to the council. Right now, the average home price in Phoenix is more than SIX TIMES our median income!

If we want people to put down roots in Phoenix, that simply has to change, and we need to push for policies on the Council that require developers who receive massive tax incentives to make more of their housing units affordable, while simultaneously working to find ways to lessen the burden on businesses so that they can invest in their workers. Being able to come home proud of what you worked hard to earn that day is a pillar of the American Dream.

Finally, public safety is an issue I hear from resident’s time and time again. Whether it be emergency response times, a lack of a police substation in Ahwatukee, or city services not being as efficient as they could be, making sure that government works for the people who fund it is critical to my mission on the Council. As the father of two young daughters, they need to feel safe in secure in the city they call home.

I want to make sure Phoenix is a place full of opportunity for everyone, and these three priorities are a great place to start.

AFN: please briefly discuss the top three challenges facing Ahwatukee and how you propose dealing with them.

Candidate:

The top three challenges I hear from residents about what Ahwatukee is facing are the 202 Expansion, Lakes Golf Course, and public safety.

The 202 is an issue that has vexed Ahwatukee for decades, but now that it is happening, we have to make sure that resident’s quality of life here is maintained and that the construction process is as smooth as possible. Noise reduction, business tax incentives for those effected by construction, and making sure the road is safe to drive on while also being environmentally conscious are all important to me.

For the Lakes course, it is the core of Ahwatukee and a major reason why my family chose to put down roots here. To see its decay and hear of the division it has caused in our community is both sad and troubling, but yet another example of failed leadership from our City Councilman.

It should not take more than 4 years for a common-sense solution to this problem to be found, and instead of empty rhetoric, I promise real action and to make this a major policy priority.

Finally, the issue of public safety is one that as a Father is so important to me. Emergency response times in Ahwatukee are at dangerously long levels, threatening the health and wellbeing of our residents.

We have to take immediate and aggressive steps to put a police substation in Ahwatukee so that every resident can walk and drive our streets at night sleep soundly in their homes.

Kyrene ‘Wonderland’ a hit

PHOTOS BY AMY JAMIESEN

AFN Guest Photographer

About 40 Kyrene students staged a two-day showing of "Alice in Wonderland Jr." at Centenial Middle School last week and Ahwatukee photogapher Amy Jamiesen, whose daughter Andrea payed the Queen of Hearts, was on hand for a dress rehearsal. Clockwise from top left: Isabella Watts sports the green hat for her role as the Mad Hatter; Chrsitine Lyons and Isabella rehearse a scene; Grace Calhound played a doorknob; Sarah Barney, one of the three Chesire Cats, holds a jar while in the photo next to hers, Emi Ito, playing Alice, is flanked by Gabriela Wilson and Chandler Hathaway as Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dum, respectively; Emi and Andrea go over a scene where Alice and the Queen of Hearts meet; Marleigh Hickey, Peyton Thomas-Grey, Chandler and Gabriela watch their counterparts; and Cheshire Cats Sarah Barney, Kara Dietrich and Ashia Ramos stage have some fun.

Realtors come to aid of Ahwatukee military veteran who needed help

BY ERICA APODACA

AFN Staff Writer

When Annemarie Patterson of Ahwatukee needed help to make needed repairs on her home, she finally found it from Realtors who shared a bond with her.

Members of the Veterans Association of Real Estate Professionals came to her aid when another organization turned her down.

Patterson served in the Army for just under 15 years, ending her service with the rank of a lieutenant. She was deployed to Saudi Arabia in Desert Storm, deployed again on humanitarian services for hurricane and wildfire help with the National Guard.

The single mother of two teenage boys

A New You is a Day Away

had approached an organization she declined to name for help in painting her house and doing other repairs. But she said the organization turned her down, calling her home “too nice.”

“One of our members had seen the email and let us know that this organization had approved a friend of hers last year and then had kind of taken it out from under her at the last minute,” Tori Sydow, government affairs director for VAREP Phoenix chapter. She declined to identify the organization.

“So, they had said that they would paint her house then went out to her house and said ‘your house is too nice and in too nice of a neighborhood.’ So they didn’t do the paint job.”

Find out more at our Informational Breakfast on July 19th. Seating is limited, please call for more info and to reserve your space!

OPENING AUGUST 1ST

(Special to AFN)

Annemarie Patterson and sonsWilliam and Ryan, are grateful for the help that the Veterans Association of Real Estate Professionals gave them in repairing and painting their Ahwatukee home.

Sydow took matters into her own hands.

“She (Patterson) is a single mom with two teenage boys and she lives in a pretty big house that is hard to keep up with,” Sydow said. “So, she was just falling behind with repairs that needed to be done, one of those being the painting. It’s such a big expense it’s hard to even save for.”

Patterson was under the gun from her HOA, which threatened fines if her house wasn’t painted, according to Sydow.

It took months for the scheduling and for the help to come together but Sydow never lost hope.

“I’m kind of like a dog with a bone when it comes to this kind of stuff, like when I’m on something I don’t give up until it’s done,” Sydow said.

She found Michael Lewis, the owner of Planet Painting Company, to do the labor free of charge. “Sherwin Williams donated all of the paint. And we’re talking, this is a two-story 2,600-squarefoot house,” Sydow said.

Lewis himself is a veteran and was eager to help.

“We painted her house. Actually, I painted her house,” Lewis said, saying labor on a house that size would typically cost almost $3,000.

VAREP did not stop at the painting.

“On top of the painting she needed some other things done in her home as well,” Sydow said.

Patterson had been living without a washing machine, so VAREP found a company willing to donate one to her. Members also fixed one of her toilets, repainted the ceiling, fixed her air conditioning and did a bit of landscaping.

“I feel like I can start surviving now. I had been just barely surviving for I don’t know how many years now, so I am extremely grateful for everything that they were able to complete in my home,” Patterson said.

The project was completely funded by volunteers. Some spent their own money and others donated time, labor and materials.

Sydow is working on getting Patterson new windows as well because the ones she has are leaking.

“People need help. It’s been rough. Especially for a lot of veterans,” Lewis said, “You know they fight for our

freedom. They put their lives on the line, and if they need help, by god, I’ll be there to help. That’s not a problem.”

Patterson had gone through a divorce and lived paycheck to paycheck, according to Sydow.

She called the veterans organization a Godsend.

“I don’t have all the words that would express the gratitude I have for their organization, for everything that they have done,” Patterson said, “I can’t believe people would want to do this for me. It’s astounding and astonishing and honoring; like I feel honored to accept the gifts that these companies are giving me.”

“They took a chance on me, they didn’t have to,” Patterson said, “I live in a home, I provide a roof. I provide food. I provide clothing. I make sure my boys are taken care of, but it was those little extra things that mean the world.

“I had asked for help before but I was declined because I have a home,” she continued. “I am not late on my mortgage, I am not late on any of my bills, but you know what, I am like many other veterans out there, it is prideful, I would rather struggle internally than ask for the help.”

Lewis said the best reward for him was seeing the smile on Patterson’s face.

“I have been wanting to give back for many, many years,” Lewis said. “I had a bad experience in the 80’s when I got out of the military. I wound up losing everything I owned a couple of times. If it wasn’t for the help from other people, I probably wouldn’t have made it and so this is kind of like my way of giving back. You know, helping somebody else who was in need.”

(Special to

Valerie DeSpain was one of the volunteers who pitched in to help paint and fix Annemarie Patterson's Ahwatukee house.

Ahwatukee Friends mounts toy drive for Cardon Children's

Four Ahwatukee businesses are serving as collection/dropoff spots for the Christmas in July Toy Drive benefitting Cardon Children’s Medical Center.

Sponsored by two Facebook groups, Ahwatukee Friends and Living Chandler, the drive is aimed at filling a major need at the Mesa hospital for toys that patients can use not just at Christmas but throughout the year.

“One of the Ahwatukee Friends’ group resolutions for 2017 was to partner with a children’s hospital for a toy drive outside the traditional holiday season,” said Kristen Martinez, an administrator for the Ahwatukee Friends site.

“Ahwatukee Friends reached out to their partner group, Living Chandler, to extend the reach of the drive,” she added.

“With over 47,000 members

between the groups, expectations are high for an excellent turn out for the kids.

Ahwatukee drop-offs are:

 Zzeeks Pizza, 4825 E. Warner Road

 Global Bikes, 3636 E. Ray Road

 PetStylist, 3961 E. Chandler Blvd.

 CK’s Tavern, 4142 E. Chandler Blvd.

“We would love to fill the toy closets back up for Cardon Children’s,” Martinez added.

The following is a list of needs.

Infants: Teething toys, rattles, sleepers, onesies, music toys, crib aquariums or crib toys, baby

gyms, crib mobiles, board books.

Toddlers: Little People play sets, pop up books, plastic cars, trucks, trains, music and light up toys, movies (dora, thomas, elmo, sponge bob), jumbo coloring crayons, coloring books, musical books, telephones

School age: hot wheels and matchbox cars, action figures, hand held electronic games (yahtzee, hangman, connect four, etc.), fuzzy posters, craft kits (beads, sand art, model cars, foam

stickers), wood kits…dinosaurs, bird houses, etc., gift cards (target, toys r us, amazon, etc), movies (newer releases g and pg-dvds), any board games (clue, monopoly, connect four, etc), art sets, puzzles, card games

Adolescents: Fuzzy posters, gift cards (Target, amazon, best buy, walmart, etc), scrapbooking supplies, glitter pens and fun paper, any kind of projects to put together, model car kits, things to make out of wood. Also, journals/diaries, disposable cameras, card games (uno, phase 10, etc), board games, ps2 video games (rated E and T), portable cd players, cd’s, teen movies (newer releases up to pg-13- dvds), nerf toys (such as basketball), footballs, basketballs, sports equipment, subscriptions to teen magazines, make up/nail polish, art sets, computer games, t-shirts, video games, electronic handheld games and personal dvd players.

Rescuers seek home for friendly dog, cat abandoned on streets

AFN News Staff

Animal rescue groups are hoping to find Ahwatukee homes for a dog and a cat they saved from a life on the hot streets.

Jenny Bernot of Arizona Rescue said Levi, a 2-year-old Dachshund/Corgi mix with a natural black patch covering his right eye, “has been known to turn heads.”

“Levi is a shy guy who takes time to warm up to new people,” Bernot said. “Once he does, his sweet, affectionate personality shines through and you discover he is great with people of all sizes. He is quite the cuddler who loves receiving attention in a variety of ways including having his neck scratched, chest rubbed, being brushed and being petted. Levi likes to sit in your lap and enjoys being held.”

The dog also likes to follow a loved one to bed but also “Levi also enjoys socializing and playing with other dogs. He loves running around with them and has even been caught snuggling in a dog bed with a canine friend.”

Fond of squeaky toys and a good game of fetch, “he’s even been known to root through the toy box, pull out

AFN, Ahwatukee Chamber seek your questions for candidates

The Ahwatukee Foothills Chamber of Commerce and the Ahwatukee Foothills News are looking for residents questions to present to the two candidates for the Phoenix City Council district that includes the community.

AFN and the Chamber are cosponsoring a public candidates forum for incumbent Councilman Sal DiCiccio and challenger Kevin Patterson 5:30-7 p.m. Wednesday, July 26, at the Ahwatukee Activity Center, 4700 E. Warner Road.

Questions should be emailed to pmaryniak@ahwatukee.com and can involve any issue involving Ahwatukee specifically or the city in general.

Bowie named an ‘art champion’ for cultural support

State Sen. Sean Bowie of Ahwatukee is one of 11 Republican and Demcoratic

a stuffed toy where he’ll go on to entertain himself by shaking, chewing, and tossing it into the air.”

He also likes to go out and “walks well on a leash and rides like a dream in the car,” Bernot said, adding, “he loves car rides, making him an ideal travel companion.”

Levi also likes browsing the aisles of pet and home improvement stores.

“He is fascinated by ferrets, mice and

fish, but was inexplicably freaked out by a cat poster.”

Still, Bernot said, “Levi is a mellow, mild-mannered guy who is looking for a home with another canine sibling, daily walks and plenty of snuggle time.”

Information: azrescue.org.

Sloan is a pretty domestic shorthaired female cat around a year-old and is described as smart, affectionate and playful,” by a spokeswoman for

AROUND AHWATUKEE

legislators named a 2017 Arts Champion by the Arizona Commission on the Arts for their support of a $1.5-million appropriation for grants to nonprofit arts and culture organizations across Arizona.

Bowie, one of two Democrats who made the list, and the others were praised “for ensuring that critical funding for arts and culture will benefit the entire state of Arizona,” said Catherine “Rusty” Foley, executive director of Arizona Citizens for the Arts. “Those vital dollars will be invested in local nonprofit arts and culture organizations which will reinvest the funds in local economies all around the state.”

Phoenix Chamber endorses DiCiccio for council re-election

The Greater Phoenix Chamber of Commerce Political Action Committee has endorsed City Council members Jim

Waring and Sal DiCiccio in the Aug29 election.

“Both Sal and Jim are candidates who understand the importance of maintaining a pro-business environment and who are willing to stand with the Chamber to best advance policies that will continue to create new jobs and long-term economic stability, positioning Phoenix at the forefront of future economic development efforts,” said PAC Board Chairman John W. Moody.

Moody praised both men “for their support of business community and their willingness to speak out against policies that would have a negative effect on Phoenix’s job creators.”

Local professor’s next homeless outreach downtown is July 15

Project Humanities’ year-round outreach led by an Ahwatukee professor to help the homeless in downtown Phoenix

Friends for Life Animal Rescue.

“Her biggest love? People. If you have time for snuggles and playtime and perhaps don’t mind providing her with a tall cat tree for her lounging pleasure,” she makes a great home addition, the spokeswoman said. Her adoption fee is $95. She’s spayed, microchipped, FIV/FELV tested. Information: FFLcats@azfriends.org, 480-497-8296.

will be held 6:45-8:15 a.m. Saturday, July 15. Volunteers are welcome to meet on South 12th Avenue between West Jefferson and West Madison streets to help homeless people pick out clothing, shoes and toiletries.

Last Saturday, 33 volunteers helped more than 203 people in need, according to the organizer of the effort, Neal Lester of Ahwatukee, Foundation Professor of English at Arizona State University and the founder/director of ASU’s Project Humanities. Residents can donate bottles of water only at AZ Spine & Disc, 4530 E. Ray Road, Ahwatukee during normal business hours. Other items can be donated at Project Humanities, Discovery Hall, Suite 112, 250 E. Lemon St., Tempe.

Information: 480-727-7030 or projecthumanities@asu.edu.

AROUND

Birds will welcome water in intense heat of summer

Ahwatukee people who care for birds flying around the community are asking residents to help their feathered friends during the intense heat, which causes them stress.

They suggest people put out a shallow bowl of water with pebbles in it so little chicks won’t drown. They say the birds need water and are starting to drown in swimming pools trying to get it and that young hawks are jumping out of their nests before they can fly because they can’t stand the heat.

“The water needs to be changed every day in the shallow bowls like the bottom of a clay pot because it will evaporate every day,” said master gardener Kelly Athena of Ahwatukee. “Hose water is fine.”

Local lawyer Mark Breyer gets group's ‘Top 20’ accolade

Ahwatukee attorney Mark Breyer, who with his lawyer-wife Alexis Breyer founded the Husband and Wife Law Team, has been ranked among the top

20 lawyers in the country by Top Verdict.

Top Verdict recognizes attorneys and law firms for accomplishments inside and outside the courtroom.

Nine natives earn degrees from different colleges, universities

Nine Ahwatukee natives have earned degrees.

Chelsea Collins earned her J.D, degree in law from Marquette University in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and Christine Taradash graduated from Western New England University with a master of laws in elder law and estate planning.

Ian Pletenik was one of 179 seniors who graduated recently from Westminster College in Fulton, Missouri. His degree is in business administration and international business.

Stefane Van Niekerk, human resource management major, earned a B.S. in business administration and a leadership certificate from Youngstown State University in Ohio.

At the University of San Diego, Madison Lange earned a bachelor’s degree in marine science and from participation in the Naval Reserve Officers Training Corps (NROTC), was commissioned as

an ensign in the U.S. Navy. Lange will report to Pensacola, Florida for flight training to begin her career as an aviator.

Also at the University of San Diego, Brianna Lombardi earned a bachelor’s degree in finance and Anton Myskiw of Phoenix (85044). Myskiw earned a bachelor’s degree in Finance.

The College of Wooster in Ohio awarded Marisa Yerkes with a B.A. in Spanish.

Six Ahwatukee residents earn spots on schools' dean’s lists

Tara Jenkins and William Manson, both Ahwatukee natives, have made the dean’s list for the spring semester at Pepperdine University in Malibu, California.

Meanwhile, Levi Hartzler of Ahwatukee was named to the dean’s list at Wheaton College in Illinois for academic excellence during the spring semester.

David Volkmann, a junior majoring in engineering physics, captured a dean’s list spot at Augustana College in Illinois.

And Daniel “Joji” Koons has made the dean’s list at Arizona State University’s Herberger School for Design and the Arts.

Matthew Redaja made the dean's list

at Maryville College in Tennessee.

Ahwatukee native heading to Borneo for primate study

Ahwatukee resident Jessica Peterschick, a master’s student in the Global Field Program at Miami University, Ohio, will travel to Borneo in August 2017 to study its primates and develop new ways to engage communities worldwide in primate conservation.

Peterschick, a primates zoo keeper at Phoenix Zoo, is participating in the university’s Project Dragonfly Earth Expeditions graduate program, which gives students firsthand educational and scientific research experience in foreign countries.

Cactus Jack’s featuring band, singer in show next week

Cactus Jack’s bar, 48th Street and Elliot Road, Ahwatukee, is featuring Muno Bars and Braiden Sunshine at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, July 12, following free line dance lessons at 5:30 p.m. by Ahwatukee dance instructor Carrie McNeish.

Muno Bars is a Bruno Mars tribute band and Sunshine was a finalist on the TV show The Voice.

WEDNESDAY, JULY 5

American dance party set

Cactus Jacks Bar in Ahwatukee will hold a “Proud American Summer Line Dance Party with Ahwatukee dance and fitness instructor Carrie McNeish. A cake and a raffle will be offered, along with food and drink specials. DETAILS>> 4 p.m., southeast corner of Elliott Road and 48th Street. Information: cactusjacksbar.co., Carrie@ dancemeetsfitness.net.

Afternoon slumber party offered Wednesday afternoons are for teens. This week we will have a slumber party in the afternoon. Teens should wear jammies, bring a pillow and blanket and participate in typical slumber-party activities like board and video games and crafts.

DETAILS>> Free. 4:30-6:30 p.m., Ironwood Public Library, 4333 E. Chandler Blvd. For ages 12-17. No registration required.

Thursday, July 6

Class focuses on book art

Come learn how to make “cut and fold book art,” including how to design your own patterns. This is a different method than our original “folded book art” class, so both those who took that class and people new to the craft have something to learn in this hands-on workshop. All supplies (including books) will be provided.

DETAILS>> Free. 5:30-7:30 p.m., Ironwood Library, 4333 Chandler Blvd. 18+. Register: calendar section at phxlib.org.

SATURDAY, JULY 8

Build your own sundae

Family, kids and friends can build their own sundae and

enjoy music and other fun events at Hawthorne Court.

DETAILS>> 12:30-2 p.m., 13822 S. 46th Place, Ahwatukee. Free. RSVP: 480-598-1224.

Tuesday, July 11

Writers can meet

The Parchment and Prose Writers discussion group meets the first Tuesday of every month for workshops, presentations, and discussions about all aspects of the writing process from conception to publication. This month we’re joined by special guest Rita Goldner, who will lead a presentation on writing and illustrating Children’s picture books. This month’s was rescheduled to July 11 because of the holiday.

DETAILS>> Free. 6:00-7:45 p.m., Ironwood Library, 4333 E. Chandler Blvd. No registration required.

Wednesday, July 12

Teens can enjoy flick

Wednesday afternoons are for teens and this week we’re showing a movie. Free soda and popcorn will be provided. DETAILS>> Free. 4:30-6:30 p.m., Ironwood Library, 4333 E. Chandler Blvd. For ages 12-17. To find out the movie title, visit the calendar at phxlib.org. No registration required.

Tuesday, July 18

Get your writing critiqued

Bring five double-spaced pages of writing to read out loud to the group for feedback. Bringing four extra copies to hand out to the group is recommended for better feedback.

DETAILS>> 6:00-7:45 p.m., Ironwood Library, 4333 E Chandler Blvd. For more information, email haley.dziuk@ phoenix.gov. No registration required.

Wednesday, July 19

Ice cream social set

Wednesdays are for teens at Ironwood. This week, join us for an ice cream social, Smash Brothers and crafts.

DETAILS>> 4:30-6:30 p.m., Ironwood Library, 4333 E. Chandler Blvd. For ages 12-17. No registration required.

Wednesday, July 26

Summer’s end marked

Wednesdays are for teens at Ironwood. This week, we draw the summer to a close with an end-of-summer blow out party!

DETAILS>> 4:30-6:30 p.m., Ironwood Library, 4333 E. Chandler Blvd. For ages 12-17. No registration required.

TUESDAY, JULY 18

Kyrene plans ‘kinder roundup’

Kyrene School District’s Kinder and Pre-K Roundup will give parents a chance to register their child for kindergarten or pre-kindergarten classes and get their questions answered by school principals and staffers. To register, parents need the child’s birth certificate, immunization records and proof of resident.

DETAILS>> 6 p.m. Kyrene District Offices, 8700 S. Kyrene Road, Tempe. Childcare will be provided.

WEDNESDAY, JULY 26

A public forum sponsored by the Ahwatukee Foothills Chamber of Commerce and Ahwatukee Foothills News offers residents a chance to ask question of the two candidates for the District 6 seat on Phoenix City Council, which includes Ahwatukee. Both Councilman Sal DiCiccio and challenger Kevin Patterson will attended the moderated forum.

DETAILS>> 5:30-7 p.m., Ahwatukee Events Center, 4700 Warner Road. Free.

FRIDAY, JULY 28

Food and fun at Hawthorn

Family, friends and kids can enjoy live music and a food truck rodeo.

DETAILS>> 6-8 p.m., 13822 S. 46th Place, Ahwatukee. Free admission. RSVP: 480-598-1224.

DAILY

Online reading is rewarding

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

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

SUNDAYS

‘TinkerTime’ open for kids

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

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

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Keystone Montessori has provided my children with a warm and nurturing environment in which to develop their love of learning. The teachers, staff, and parent community all work together to ensure our children receive an outstanding education that focuses not only on academics, but also on grace, courtesy, and respect for their community. We love Keystone! - Parent Testimonial

Learn gardening from pros

Learn desert gardening by getting your hands dirty with the Ahwatukee Community Gardening Project. Share in the knowledge, the produce, and the smiles. All ages welcome Bring sun protection and water, tools optional.

DETAILS>> 7-9 a.m. in the northwest corner of the park at 4700 E. Warner Road, Ahwatukee. Information : acgarden.org or 480-759-5338

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

STEM for kids available

Join us at the library for this fun, handson STEM based program. Kids will create a different project each week including: Circuit Bugs with LEDs, straw rocket ships, binary code keychains, wobblebots, turtle weavings and robotic hand building.

DETAILS>> Free. 4-5 p.m., Ironwood Library, 4333 E. Chandler Blvd. Ages 6-11. No registration required. Does not meet Tuesday, July 4.

Chair yoga featured

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

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

Toastmasters sharpen skills

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

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

Power Partners available

The Ahwatukee Foothills Chamber of Commerce

networking and leads group is open to chamber members.

DETAILS>> 8-9 a.m., Four Points by Sheraton, 10831 S. 51st St., Ahwatukee. Dorothy Abril, 480-753-7676.

WEDNESDAYS

Watercolor classes available

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

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

Montessori holds open house

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

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

Grief support is free

Hospice of the Valley offers a free ongoing grief support group for adults and is open to any adult who has experienced a loss through death. No registration required.

DETAILS>> 6-7 p.m. first and third Wednesdays, Pecos Community Center, 17010 S. 48th St. 602-636-5390 or HOV. org.

Foothills Women meet

An informal, relaxed social organization of about 90 women living in the Ahwatukee Foothills/Club West area. A way to escape once a month to have fun and meet with other ladies in the area. Guest speaker or entertainment featured.

DETAILS>> 7 p.m. second Wednesday of the month, Foothills Golf Club, 2201 E. Clubhouse Drive. Contact jstowe2@cox.net or FoothillsWomensClub.org.

Parents can ‘drop in’

Parents are invited to join a drop-in group to ask questions, share ideas or just listen to what’s going on with today’s teenagers.

DETAILS>> 5:30-7 p.m. second Wednesday of each month. Maricopa Cooperative Extension, 4341 E. Broadway Road, Phoenix. Free. RSVP at 602-827-8200, ext. 348, or rcarter@ cals.arizona.edu.

‘Dems and Donuts’ set

Legislative District 18 Democrats gather for an informal chat.

DETAILS>> Free and open to the public 7:30-9 a.m. the third Wednesday of the month at Denny’s, 7400 W. Chandler Blvd., Chandler. RSVP: marie9@q.com or 480592-0052.

LD 18 Dems meet in Tempe

The Legislative District 18 Democrats meet the second Monday of the month.

DETAILS>> 6:30 p.m. social time, 7-8:30 p.m. meeting time. Because the location may be different from month to month, see ld18democrats.org. Information: ld18demsinfo@gmail.com. Free and open to the public.

Special networking offered

Ahwatukee Foothills Chamber of Commerce has a networking and leads group is open to chamber members.

DETAILS>> 11:30 a.m.–12:30 p.m., Radisson Hotel, 7475 W. Chandler Blvd., Chandler. Devida Lewis, 480-753-7676.

THURSDAYS

Crazy 8s Math Club meets

Math plus mischief equals fun at the library. Kids will have a crazy fun time while keeping their math skills sharp with hand-on activities like Laser Maze Craze, Firefighter Training, Daring Darts, and more!

DETAILS>> Free. 2-4 p.m., Ironwood Library, 4333 E. Chandler Blvd. Ages 6-11. No registration required.

Kiwanis

meets weekly

The Ahwatukee Kiwanis Club meets weekly and welcomes newcomers. Future speakers Phoenix City Councilman Sal DiCiccio on July 27, Ahwatukee Foothills Chamber of Commerce President/CEO Lindy Lutz Cash on Aug 10 and state Rep. Mitzi Epstein on Aug. 31. There is no meeting July 20.

DETAILS>>7:30 a.m. Biscuits Restaurant, 4623 E. Elliot Road, Ahwatukee. Information: mike.maloney2003@gmail. com.

Mothers of Preschoolers gather

Free child care for ages 0 to 5.

DETAILS>> 9 a.m. second and fourth Thursday, Foothills Baptist Church, 15450 S. 21st St. Call Kim at 480-759-2118, ext. 218.

FRIDAYS

‘Gentle yoga’ offered

Inner Vision Yoga Studio offers “gentle floor yoga” for core strengthening and healthy backs.

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

SATURDAYS

Kids can play at Ironwood

Head to ironwood library for some cool indoor play time. kids can participate in a variety of activities including giant dice games, bingo, Code & Go with robot mice, and more.

DETAILS>> Saturdays 2-4:30 p.m., Ironwood Library, 4333 E. Chandler Blvd., Ahwatukee. No registration required; for school-aged children and their families.

Read to therapy dogs

Reading aloud to certified therapy dogs is an excellent way for emerging readers to practice their skills (and lots of fun, too!) Come read to our certified therapy dogs. DETAILS>> 11:30 a.m.-1:00 p.m., Ironwood Library, 4333 E. Chandler Blvd. Ages 1-11. First come first served.

Alzheimer’s support group meets

Caregivers for Alzheimer’s patients can find support monthly.

DETAILS>> 10-11:30 a.m. Ahwatukee Alzheimer’s Support Group meets the first Saturday of the month at Mountain View Lutheran Church, 11002 S. 48th St.

Bosom Buddies slates meetings

Ahwatukee/Chandler nonprofit breast cancer support group.

DETAILS>> 10 a.m. to noon, second Saturday of the month. Morrison Boardroom next to Chandler Regional Medical Center, 1875 W. Frye Road, Chandler. Contact Patti Lynch at 480-893-8900 or tomklynch@msn.com or Cele Ludig at 480-330-4301.

SPECIAL GUEST!

Nationally Known Hearing Aid Expert, Marshall Rosner, will be in our office to demonstrate the newest technology available during our special event — AT NO CHARGE!

FIND OUT!

We’ll look into your ear canal with our Video Otoscope. As you are watching the TV screen we’ll do a complete inspection of your ear canal and eardrum. If there is any amount of wax blockage, you’ll know immediately.

www.ahwatukee.com

Common sense was an early casualty in farmers market mud war

BY PAUL MARYNIAK AFN Executive Editor

For a while last Friday, it did look like Ahwatukee would have fireworks after all.

Social media lit up over a pending Zoning Adjustment Board hearing on a request by the Ahwatukee Board of Management for a temporary use permit to continue the Ahwatukee Farmer’s Market on Sundays from 9 a.m.-1 p.m. Turns out it wasn’t Red, White and Boom, but more like Scottsdale’s Mud Mania that had arrived in Ahwatukee.

A woefully unsubstantiated and erroneous flyer had been posted irresponsibly on Facebook, urging a boycott of Zipps Sports Grill because its owners had complained to the city about overflow parking from farmers market patrons and that the hearing could end up forcing the market to close after 10 years here. It was a lie.

But facts died like lettuce in the summer Arizona sun.

Never mind that the city as a matter of

course does not disclose the complainant’s identity in cases like this.

Zipps had not filed the complaint.

But that didn’t matter as a slew of accusations turned on Zipps, the outrage mowing down facts and common sense like a combine mows down wheat.

For a while, it was like a food fight on Yelp. All that was missing was a rallying cry for broccoli lovers to unite and punish a business for serving burgers and fries.

The storm clouds had been gathering the night before at the quarterly Tukee Talks, where Phoenix Police officers make themselves available for anything people might want to discuss.

City Councilman Sal DiCiccio also was on the program. He suddenly was fielding questions about what the city was going to do to protect the farmers market.

When was the city going to force Zipps or the owners of the strip mall on the northwest corner of 48th Street and Warner Road to allow parking so everyone could get their fresh-cut flowers and vegetables?

DiCiccio reminded the group that they were talking about private property, that its owners have rights, too, and

that government typically can’t barge in and tell them what to do as long as the property is not a public nuisance.

Moreover, he reminded everyone, the strip mall owners had revived what had been a dying commercial center with boarded-up storefronts.

The crowd at least acknowledged that DiCiccio had made some good points, then politely asked if the dispute could be resolved.

No such common sense was apparent among the anti-Zipps crowd on Facebook the next day.

I half expected a demand that the city exercise eminent domain and turn Zipps into a hothouse for tomatoes.

But they wanted Zipps to go down. Imagine that, in a community where the closing of every business is rightfully mourned and every “Everything Must Go” sign triggers alarm over the community’s economic well-being, people were urging sanctions to run a fulltime business out of town for one that operates only four hours a week.

The irony is amid all this mean-spirited stupidity: the organization most affected by a possible adverse action by the Zoning

Adjustment Board had been working with ABM to resolve the parking issue. And keep tempers below boiling point.

Dee Logan, the chief spokeswoman for the Arizona Community Farmers’ Market Association, had told me two days before the mud fight broke out that her group and ABM knew there was a problem and had come up with a few solutions to present to the board.

And a spokeswoman from the corporate owner of Zipps on the same day told AFN that they did not file the complaint, but supported the right of whatever property owner had complained to insist that the law be applied equally.

Logan got that. ABM got that.

But some spectators on the sidelines didn’t care. It was a lot more satisfying to throw mudballs.

As the accusations and counter arguments roiled Facebook all day, I wondered if any of the anti-Zipps crowd ever considered how they would react if someone parked a car in their driveway for a few hours so they could do some shopping at a nearby strip mall.

I’ll bet they’d be slinging more than mud.

An East vs. West perspective for women entrepreneurs

BY DR. KRISTINE QUADE AFN Guest Writer

Irecently had the opportunity to welcome a delegation of young entrepreneurs from China visiting Arizona.

While most of the day was spent answering their questions and framing the concept of entrepreneurship from our Western/Arizona perspective, it was not until we were sharing an extraordinary meal lovingly prepared in a local home that the real learning occurred.

The question on the table was “what do women uniquely bring to the success of a business?”

Passion was the first thing mentioned. While every woman around the table

was a business owner, each felt their initial business interest started as desire to impact the community or larger social issues.

As each woman shared what they felt was unique to the female-owned business, there emerged a distinct east/ west perspective.

All of the women felt that once the business was launched, the strongest impact on the success was authenticity in decision making, building relationships, the willingness to explore collaboration with unlikely partners and making instinct-driven decisions first.

The real shift came with a discussion of other aspects of female-run businesses in alignment with ATHENA Leadership Principles. China has a strong culture of building relationships first – and letting

the business develop as a flow from the personal connections.

Beginning with the cultural aspects of celebrating through shared traditions and “giving back” by enriching the lives of others, each of the Chinese women built their businesses based on trusting relationships and fostering collaboration.

The western women founded their businesses from the personal perspective of acting courageously, or advocating fiercely, and resulted in the feeling of “aloneness” when starting a business.

In just a short time, over a shared meal, it became apparent that the western approach to business has been driven by a pioneer spirit which can be adventuresome and at the same time is quite “personally” rather than “collectively” focused.

While the women of China visited Arizona to learn, they left as teachers. Their focus on people first and business transactions second was evident in every question and every interaction. They build relationships as a primary business competency. In the United States, we often build a product or service first - and hope the customer will arrive. What the women shared that day was a mirror of our approaches: let us “tell” you about “our” approach to business rather than can we share our experiences in search of what is similar or different. Based on the day, perhaps a new leadership characteristic has emerged: listen.

-Kristine Quade, JD, EdD, MSOD, is a speaker, author and founder of ATHENA Valley of the Sun, an East Valley nonprofit.

Book clubs can impact women’s lives in many ways

BY DONNA BATES AFN Guest Writer

Visit the library on any day and watch the faces of women as they peruse the open stacks looking for a book to read. Some women read the back cover of books while others seem to choose a book by its cover or even by the number of pages in the book.

Out the door they go and soon they enter a world they otherwise would not experience. There are no pictures in these books so they must form mental images. There is no voice to be heard but yet the power of the words on a page can change the lives of those who read them.

Books we read open a window into the human experience when talented writers craft a memorable story where characters face challenging and life-changing situations.

When this window opens, readers learn more about themselves and the world in which they live, all because of the power of the written word. Books can validate our own lives or they can redirect us

to think and to feel differently about ourselves and the world in which we live.

Author John Green puts it this way: “Great books help you understand and they help you feel understood.”

Arguably, for many of the women the insights they gain into the core ideas presented in the book and their own lives, can be very empowering as well as personally validating.

Reading, then, takes us on a journey of the mind; a journey that can result in broadening our understanding and changing our perspective about our own personal world and the world in which we live.

For many women, joining a book club gives them an opportunity to share their reading experience with other women in a setting designed to share ideas in a nonjudgmental way.

Women, oftentimes, recognize and acknowledge the isolation they feel as caregivers for their personal families, their need to provide financial and emotional support to others. And they feel there isn’t much left for them personally. Because of this, women seek a forum designed especially for them.

At times, when women gather together to discuss a book they have read, they themselves become the story tellers and they do so in some powerful and insightful ways.

It is very common to hear stories woman rarely share with others but do share with book club members because they feel a sense of, “we’ve all been there, too,” feeling the members communicate to them by smiling, nodding their heads in agreement or by contributing ideas of their own which support or validate the feeling of other women in the group.

Through these rich discussions, book club members often have a new and different sense of reality and a new sense of meaning emerges; all because an author somewhere wrote a book that resonated with a woman or a group of women. Pretty powerful stuff!

Book clubs also provide a very important social connection that can and does transcend the book club itself.

Women oftentimes find new friends, build relationships with other women in the club and provide emotional support for their members, when needed. It has been said by more than one book club

member, “We are here for you.” And no truer words were ever spoken. When women, books and book clubs come together they can and do engage in substantive discussions, sometimes very spirited with differing points of view, but through laughter, a glass of wine or a steaming cup of hot coffee, minds are opened, perspectives can change and lives are enriched.

Author Madeline L’Engle puts it this way: “A book, too, can be a star, explosive material, capable of stirring up fresh life endlessly, a living fire to lighten the darkness, leading into the expanding universe.”

For us in the Valley, book clubs abound and this writer would like to encourage all women to find a book club which suits them so they, too, can begin or continue the journey of enlightenment – enlightenment through the words of talented writers and the powerful perspectives of the women who read their books.

-Donna Bates of Ahwatukee is a facilitator for the Happy Hour Book Club. Information: happyhourbookclubahwatukee@gmail.com

Let’s provide consumer protection for those who serve

BY DIANE E. BROWN AFN Guest Writer

While particular attention is given to both active members of the military and veterans during the summer holidays, many of us have servicemembers at the forefront of our day-to-day lives.

Fortunately, so does the Office of Servicemember Affairs, which provides valuable resources to servicemembers and answers their questions. The Office of Servicemember Affairs reports to the director of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau.

Servicemembers and veterans face unique challenges and threats in the financial marketplace.

Active-duty members of the military are often young, relocate frequently, and are often deployed overseas, making them unusually vulnerable to certain types of mistreatment in the financial

marketplace. Servicemembers are also concentrated on military bases, which can make them easy and profitable targets for predatory financial companies.

Veterans may be targeted by predatory financial actors for their guaranteed income, because of loopholes in federal law, or based on physical or mental disabilities suffered while in service to the nation. Veterans may also be vulnerable to exploitation by companies representing themselves as friends of the military.

The Arizona PIRG Education Fund and the Frontier Group recently analyzed 44,000 complaints submitted by active duty servicemembers and military veterans to the CFPB and unfortunately found that mistreatment of servicemembers by financial companies is widespread.

The stories told in these complaints reinforce the importance of the CFPB’s work to hold financial companies accountable for wrongdoing, to secure restitution for mistreated consumers,

and to help servicemembers and veterans avoid mistreatment in the financial marketplace.

Through the CFPB, at least a dozen major enforcement actions have been taken against financial firms that have targeted young servicemembers, older veterans and their families. Through CFPB actions, approximately 8,000 servicemembers thus far have received monetary or non-monetary relief, such as ending debt collection harassment.

Recent passage of a bill in the U.S. House would roll back the powers, funding and independence of the CFPB while also weakening the Office of Servicemember Affairs.

The bill, HR 10, could put those who protect our country in harm’s way, both while serving abroad and here at home, and even threaten national security.

The Pentagon has found that financial abuses and credit reporting mistakes can cause service members to lose security clearances, resulting in lower unit preparedness.

If signed into law, HR10 would leave the CFPB as an unrecognizable husk incapable of adequately protecting servicemembers, veterans, older Americans, students, homeowners and other consumers. HR10 would also repeal most protections enacted to prevent big Wall Street banks and other players from recklessly bringing on another financial collapse.

The CFPB not only provides an invaluable service to America’s men and women in uniform but to all consumers. Since its inception by Congress following the 2008 financial crisis, the CFPB has provided over 29 million consumers a total of nearly $12 billion in relief from their enforcement actions. To protect the men and women of America’s armed forces and all Arizonans, U.S. Sens. Flake and McCain should vote to defend the CFPB.

-Diane E. Brown is executive director of the Arizona Public Interest Research Group, a non-partisan public interest advocacy organization. Information: arizonapirg.org.

Caution, common sense can protect you from summer scam artists

BY OLIVIA ELDRIDGE AFN GUEST WRITER

Summer scam artists are ready to trick millions of people into fraud and identity theft. No matter how many red flags and warnings we receive, people repetitively fall for the scams. The best way to avoid scams is to be aware and knowledgeable of them. Below is this summer’s list of scams to look out for.

Summer rentals

For many people, summer is a time to get away and travel to many different destinations. With this comes the struggle of finding a suitable summertime rental. In a lot of cases when you do find the perfect rental, the majority of people spring into action.

Do not be most people and jump on so fast. Do your research beforehand to ensure that you will not be scammed. If you get scammed, you may not know until you show up at the said to be “front door.”

One way to avoid a summer rental disaster is to look at reviews online or

visit the property before you buy. Finally, make sure that the address is real by looking online or going on trusted home rental websites.

Summer job application

Background checks before being hired are not uncommon, however chances of needing one for a summer job are not probable. When giving employers personal information, one should be cautious and use common sense. Today, many kids are offered jobs and provide information such as Social Security numbers and then happen to never hear back.

Why is this? The so called “job” was a fraud. In lots of cases, the kid’s identity is stolen and it can take a long time for them to realize that they got tricked. Before applying for or accepting a job, do not provide personal information until you have done thorough research and are positive that the job is legit.

Door-knocker scams

Summer is peak season for doorknocking scams. While these range anywhere from home services to helping

out a specific cause, the cause may be real, but the person at the door may not be.

When someone comes to your door, you should be very suspicious from the start. If you happen to like what the person is selling, do not buy from them on the spot. Rather, tell them you will go online and leave it at that.

Wi-Fi scams

Every day people still get lured into the “free” Wi-Fi scams in order to access the internet. While Wi-Fi may be “free” that does not always mean that it is trustworthy and secure. Before signing into to any Wi-Fi source, be sure to verify that the network carrier is legit. When using Wi-Fi networks for important information, you should be sure to use a Virtual Private network (VPN).

Desk and menu scams

Hotel scams such as the front desk and fake menu scam happen quite frequently. The front desk scam happens when a scammer calls rooms at random telling you that there is a problem with your credit card and then asks you to confirm

your card number.

The menu scam occurs when there are fake menus. When you go to place an order, they steal your credit card information. Most of the times when you just check in, you are exhausted and not as attentive as you usually are. Be aware and cautious when picking up the phone or ordering off of a menu. If the “front desk” calls, end the call and then call back or physically walk to the front desk to avoid fraud. When ordering food, check with the front desk first or use your electronic devices to order.

Moving scams

Summer time is when moving is at a peak. When you are moving, guarantee a smooth transition by being aware of the fake services out there. Moving services are everywhere but not all are trustworthy. Use Angie’s List or Task Rabbit to select the best service for you. Before selecting a service to help you throughout your moving process, be sure to do some research before hiring.

-Olivia Eldridge is a spokeswoman for the Breyer Law Firm in Ahwatukee. HusbandandWifeLawTeam.com.

A funny thing happened on the way to the job market

BY CHRISTOPHER BOONE AFN Guest Writer

Deans of colleges and schools have an annual ritual.

Each fall, they greet their incoming class of freshmen – excited, hopeful and mostly young minds ready to enter adulthood, citizenship and self-sufficiency.

These students have worked hard to get into the school of their choice, and now their journey begins. This meeting is a blend of informational, inspirational and joyous.

Often sitting beside these excited young students are their equally excited parents, who have sacrificed to enable their children to reach this auspicious moment.

They dream their children will become the proverbial “doctors and lawyers and such,” and also artists, engineers, historians, teachers, journalists and other well-known vocations.

But when the dean of a sustainability school addresses an incoming class, something curious happens. Every time.

Incoming students who have chosen sustainability as their career path have expressions that unmistakably say, “I want to save the planet.”

At the same time, their parents seem somewhat mystified, wondering, “Will my child be able to get a job with this degree?”

When Arizona State University opened its School of Sustainability in 2006, it was widely considered to be the first school of its kind in the U.S.

To be honest, nobody knew how many students would enroll, let alone where they would work after graduation.

One faculty member quipped, “It’s not as though our students can look in the want ads under ‘S’ and find a career path.”

By comparison, today there are hundreds of sustainability programs offered by universities, and employers of all sorts are keenly interested in their

graduates.

A 2016 survey of ASU’s undergraduate sustainability alumni showed that 96 percent were employed or attending graduate school. What’s more, 67 percent of employed students were working in sustainability-related jobs – more than twice the national average for major-to-career match.

Those are good odds.

But how can this be? After a decade of working with sustainability alumni and their employers, we know that sustainability is more than just a major.

It is also a value – a set of principles by which to live one’s life, treat humankind and the Earth – all in a way that helps create a prosperous future for everyone.

Employers of all kinds are attracted to workers who hold these values and have attained the skills that sustainability students are required to master-systemslevel, future-focused thinking and the ability to engage and collaborate with stakeholders to develop and implement solutions, among other skills.

In 2006 we couldn’t predict who would employ our graduates, other than perhaps the obvious environmental and conservation-oriented organizations.

But since then, our graduates have consistently gotten good jobs at top-notch companies, important government agencies and major international nonprofits.

Some examples: Amazon, PepsiCo, Walmart, NRG, Tesla, cities throughout the U.S., GE, Rolls Royce, Waste Management, World Wildlife Fund, USAA Insurance, Owens-Corning, Sandia National Labs, Dell.

So, when this dean greets incoming sustainability students, he understands the earnest concerns parents have about their child’s employment prospects.

But he is also confident that these fears will, on graduation day several years from then, have been allayed.

University.

-Christopher Boone is dean and professor in the School of Sustainability at Arizona State

www.ahwatukee.com

Couple and a new partner share love of Ahwatukee, better health Business

Todd and Jen Winton have a clear vision of why Ahwatukee is the perfect place for their practice.

The husband-wife doctors – he a naturopath and she a chiropractor –consider it a community of people who are as committed to healthy living as they are to helping people achieve it.

“Ahwatukee has a very friendly community,” said Jen. “People are genuinely interested in their health and are continuously looking for natural alternatives to drugs and surgery. They find many answers in our clinic to get healthy and stay active.”

Jen Winton opened the practice, Active Lifestyle Clinic, at 16515 S. 40th St., Ahwatukee, not long before they married about six years ago, having met on the online dating site eharmony.com.

Now they’ve added a partner, Dr. Keith Smith, who is returning to Ahwatukee eight years after he sold his 10-year-old Ahwatukee Life Center.

The Wintons’ take healthy living seriously even when they’re not at work. They’ve marched in demonstrations against genetically modified food, and load their website, activelivingcenter. com, with tips and products aimed at helping people live a healthier life.

Smith shares that philosophy, even though he had never met the couple until he began working with them, motivated by a desire to get back into

chiropracty.

He had sold his business to open a wellness practice that concentrated on nutrition and weight loss.

“Many people are hungry for information on vitamins, nutrition and eating healthy but don’t know where to start,” he said. “I am passionate about sharing this information and helping people get back to basics with food.”

The Wintons, parents of two boys ages 3 and 5, have both been practicing for more than 15 years.

She graduated from Palmer West College of Chiropractic – Smith’s alma mater as well – in 2003 and also holds a bachelor’s degree in psychology from the University of Washington.

Her husband attended Southwest College of Naturopathic Medicine, graduating in 1999.

Jen Winton practices chiropractic with a focus on family care.

Her husband focuses on the most conservative treatments, specializing in male and female hormone balance using bio-identical hormones, natural pain relief using prolotherapy and ozone injections and weight loss.

“The naturopathic aspect is very intriguing to most folks since male and female hormone imbalance is so rampant,” she said, adding that her husband’s natural pain injections and his other treatments “are very effective at healing joints and preventing surgery."

Before she had met her husband, Jen

Winton had bought a small practice from Dr. Janelle Perkins in Ahwatukee at Ray Road and Ranch Circle, and soon found it “grew exponentially” to where she needed more space.

She relocated to the 40th Street location off Frye Road and by that time picked up her new partner in life as her partner in the practice.

Over time, they have found that one of their biggest challenges has involved the insurance industry.

“We used to rely on insurance sending us patients through their network listings,” she explained. “Insurance in Arizona has changed so much in the world of chiropractic that most do not cover it anymore.”

So they’ve developed a program offering low rates –such as $25 for an adjustment and $65 for naturopathic care – to counter the effects of those changes.

Jen Winton and Smith also have teamed up with local restaurants, such as Pita Jungle, Hillside Spot and Pomegranate Café, to offer healthrelated lunch workshops to businesses in Ahwatukee and the surrounding area.

Smith said he’s glad he’s hitched up with the Wintons because they share his commitment to helping people live healthier lives and because of their

location.

“We all have a very similar philosophy, care for patients and make care affordable,” he said. “Plus, I have practiced in Ahwaukee for years and really enjoy the community.”

Information: 480-704-1050, ActiveLifestyleClinic.com

Fired Pie’s Ahwatukee location to be part of pizzeria’s anniversary celebration

Time flies when you’re having pizza.

Just ask Doug Doyle, cofounder with Fred Morgan of Fired Pie. They are marking on July 18 the fourth anniversary of the first of the 18 Fire Pie locations they’ve established in Arizona, including one in Ahwatukee.

To celebrate, all Fired Pire locations are offering pizzas or salads for just $4 with the purchase of a beverage on July

18, the one-per-person special does not apply to call-in orders or third-party deliveries.

The Ahwatukee location, at 4905 E. Ray Road, opened in October 2014 and follows the philosophy that Doyle and Morgan established for all the pizzerias under their wing. That philosophy is built around patrons selecting their own type of dough, sauce and topping, along with build-your-own salads, craft beer and wine.

Doyle cited several reasons why he and

Morgan identified Ahwatukee as a good location.

“First, we like the community in that it's very family oriented and seems to like locally owned establishments. We've been fortunate enough to hire a lot of great local kids who love working in our environment. It gives our place a community feel,” he said.

“Secondly, we are in a busy shopping center, next to a theater so our guests like to grab a good, quick bite before hitting a movie.”

Compared with other Fired Pie locations, the Ahwatukee pizzeria is strong, he added.

“We have been pretty happy with the sales in this location. We are able to serve a lot of business people from our neighboring businesses, as well as families out for summer break. Though we have a few busier locations, we love the feel of our Ahwatukee space and sales are growing every week,” Doyle

AFN News Staff

(Special to AFN)

Keith Smith, left, has joined Todd and Jen Winton in their Ahwatukee medical practice.

Ahwatukee woman prides herself in frame jobs

Marjorie Lucas of Ahwatukee will frame just about anything.

Anyone who doubts that can consider this: At her mobile residentialcommercial business, A Custom Picture Frame, at 16013 S. Desert Foothills Parkway, she even framed a pair of pink boxer shorts from the wardrobe that was standard for inmates at the old Tent City jail.

The boxers framed in a shadowbox –Lucas’ specialty – were signed by former Sheriff Joe Arpaio, who had decided to have inmates wear them

But celebrity boxers don’t even skim the surface of the wide variety of her subjects.

“I frame mirrors, diplomas, canvas artwork, prints, drawings and portraits,” Lucas said. “I specialize in designing shadowboxes of all types. I have designed them for horse lovers, golfers, military officers, hairdressers and brides.”

Her subjects have included jerseys, baby christening gowns and bouquets and she has framed them with an equally wide variety of 400 designer moldings.

AZ Spine & Disc owner Dr. Angie Christopher turned to Lucas for the pink-boxer shadowbox.

“Marjorie is who I go to for my framing needs,” Christopher said. “Her work is creative and high quality. Before knowing her, we used one of the large framing shops in Scottsdale to frame some of my husband’s former pro baseball jerseys. The cost was about three times as much as she charges.

“I would assume that not having an expensive store front and sales staff

helps save on price,” she added. “This is a win-win for me. As a business owner, I always try to support small local businesses when possible. I will continue to use Marjorie Lucas with A Custom Picture Frame for my future framing.”

Lucas also offers a large selection of molding for bathroom vanity mirrors.

“I can bring the samples to you so you can match them to your décor. I also can send you samples by text or email to review beforehand. This makes it so much easier to choose your moulding selections without having to guess at it,” Lucas said, adding she also works with builders.

Lucas moved to Arizona in 2012 and before that owned four businesses, starting with a needlecraft and framing business in her 20s.

“There are not many crafts that I have not tried my hand at – crochet, crewel, sewing, English smocking, tatting, calligraphy, rug hooking, stained glass, macramé,’ designing needlecraft books as well as custom framing,” she said. “I decided to continue with only custom framing and a few years ago I had the opportunity to learn painting, which I have fallen in love with.”

Lucas hopes to one day have her own studio and art gallery.

“I hope one day to own my own studio and art gallery. I have enjoyed painting contemporary, landscapes, and holiday items. I enjoy all aspects of painting and look forward to combining my painting with custom framing. I believe my

for creativity

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Marjorie Lucas, owner of A Custom Picture Frame in Ahwatukee, framed for one customer a pair of pink shorts that were worn by inmates at the defunct Tent City jail run by former Sheriff Joe Arpaio.

explained.

He also noted, “The Ahwatukee community really likes supporting local businesses, and they appreciate great pizza. We get a lot of local youth sports leagues into our store, business people, and people going to the movies.

“We have gotten involved with the Ahwatukee community by conducting fundraisers and sponsoring local teams, and they seem to appreciate our efforts.”

He praised his Ahwatukee landlord.

“We also like that the landlord has updated the shopping center and has brought in new retailers and restaurants, which gives the community more choices, and more reasons to visit the center often,” he said.

Paleo-diet restaurant Bloomin’ Beets closes abruptly

Bloomin’ Beets, a Chandler restaurant whose owner hoped would appeal to healthconscious Ahwatukee diners looking for innovative gluten-free and Paleo diet dishes abruptly folded last week – only nine months after opening.

Owner Iva Paleckova took to social media to announce the closing, saying she would focus now on the Boulder restaurant of the same name that she started in 2012.

Paleckova said when she opened in the Casa Paloma Shopping Center that she was mainly aiming her menu at Ahwatukee residents because “there are a

lot of people who live there who are big on being healthy, exercising and eating right.”

Paleckova did not specify the reason for the closing, though she said in a Facebook posting, “We did not succeed in that area, that’s all, and it was poor business planning and execution on my end."

SHOP LOCAL

Canyon State Propane

4022 E. Broadway Road, Phoenix. 602-566-7577

rgilman@canyonstatepropane.com

canyonestatpropane.com

Canyon State Propane, LLC. is locally owned and operated based in Phoenix. They provide first class service, dependable deliveries by professional employees. Service both commercial and residential accounts where they specialize in tank sales, leases, installation, retail dispensers, as well as forklift cages and cylinders. Deliveries six days a week and 24/7 service technician on call.

Desert Soul Boutique

4025 E. Chandler Blvd., Ahwatukee. 480-785-6080

heather@desertsoulboutique.com

desertsoulboutique.com

Desert Soul Boutique is a women’s clothing boutique in The Plaza at Mountainside. This is a boutique that is inspired by the captivating Arizona desert that holds fashionable clothing to accessories, beautiful jewelry, all the way down to Kylie Jenner’s lip kits.

Executive Suites at Agave

Building 2, Suite 106, 4425 E. Agave Road, Ahwatukee. 480-422-8441

info@exsuitesagave.com exsuitesagave.com

Executive Suites Agave is a hightech office solutions designed for the small business professional. State-of-the-art technology in a competitively-priced environment. They focus on the needs of today’s tech-savvy, data-driven small or single-owner business.

Von Hanson’s Meats and Spirits

2390 N. Alma School Road, Chandler. 480-917-2525

vonhansonsmeats.net

Von Hanson’s Meats and Spirits is an old-fashioned butcher shop in Chandler. They are home of different varieties of high quality meats and sausages. This family-owned location offers a variety of chicken, beef, pork, deli, deli salad, smokehouse, beers, and wine. and brats which are made fresh in the store’s smokehouse. They even

Main Street Ahwatukee

Brought to you by the Ahwatukee Foothills Chamber of Commerce

People can travel well and still be within their budget

BY CARRIE CHIPMAN AFN Guest Writer

When it comes to vacations, the choices are limitless. Your time and money are precious commodities, so you want to make sure you are choosing wisely.

A couple of choices that provide a lot of value are cruises and all-inclusive resorts. These are the two types of vacations that my business receives the most inquiries about.

They are perfect for just about everybody, and believe it or not, even a budget-minded traveler can find something that won’t break the bank.

A cruise allows you to see the world, several destinations at a time, and unpack one time. Your cruise fare includes your accommodations, onboard meals, entertainment and daily activities.

cater to hunters by processing the wild game provided by hunters.

S.T.A.R. Concepts

480-282-7160

sandy@star-concepts.org

star-concepts .org

S.T.A.R. Concepts is to empower women, children, teens and families with the knowledge and skills that will keep you safe from various dangers and confrontations. This is a business developed after Sandra Aguilera’s experience as a female in law enforcement and private security.

Families will enjoy the discounted pricing for third and fourth passengers in a stateroom. There are great programs for children and teens.

While the kids are having fun, mom and dad can enjoy some peace and quiet in the adult-only areas. And when it comes to exploring exciting destinations, there are excursion options for all activity and interest levels.

If sailing the high seas is not up your alley, an all-inclusive resort might be the perfect vacation for you.

Like a cruise, just about everything is included in the price. Families can select a family-friendly resort where the kids can enjoy their very own kid’s club while you are enjoying a spa treatment or a relaxing nap in a hammock.

Many resorts also offer reduced rates for children 12 and under. If you are traveling without kids, you may prefer to stay in an adults-only resort.

NEW MEMBERS

Belle Lacet Lingerie

Canyon State Propane, LLC

CLR Pool

Connect 202 Partners, LLC

Fiserv, Inc.

Five Rings Financial

Leyva Group

Office Evolution

Silverado Management, Inc.

Triple Helix Investigations

LLC

Young Entrepreneurs

Academy New Businesses

Figuremakers

Dyslexic student.

HairEnvy

Poccette LLC

Rover’s Reviews

SELFish Skincare

TerraSpan

TevelTech.

TipsyRides

WristBandit

The big key to saving money on a vacation is flexibility. Instead of a room overlooking the ocean, you might consider a room overlooking the resort gardens.

You can also have a big cost savings based on the time of year you travel. Instead of going during peak travel season, look at dates that are in low or shoulder season. Book early, not last minute.

Those last-minute offers are very limited and not always available. Package your airfare, resort stay and transfers for bundled savings. And always do price comparisons to find the best deal. With a little extra money in the bank, you will be all set to relax, explore, reconnect, and make some lifelong memories.

-Chamber member Carrie Chipman represents Cruises, Inc.

RENEWING MEMBERS

Becker Accounting LLC

Boys & Girls Clubs - Thunderbirds Branch

Breyer Law Offices

C2 Tactical Shooting Range

Desert Computer Solutions

Desert Schools Federal Credit Union

Festival of Lights

Kiwanis Club of Ahwatukee

Liv Ahwatukee

Pro Financia Insurance Agency

Radisson Hotel

Phoenix-Chandler

Salt River Project

Sport Clips

Summit School of Ahwatukee

Touchdown InsuranceDan Meyers

Formoreinfoontheseandotherupcoming events,visitahwatukeechamber.com.

Wake-up Ahwatukee

Four Points by Sheraton

Phoenix South Mountain 10831 S. 51st St., Ahwatukee.

8-9 a.m. Tuesday, July 11.

$5 members, $15 general admission

Ribbon cutting Five Rings Native Bar and Grill 5030 E. Ray Road #5, Ahwatukee. Noon, Tuesday, July 11.

Round Robin

Location: Uncle Bears Brewery 11:3 0a.m.-12:30 p.m. Wednesday, July 12. Free admission

Women in Business

Orange Theory Fitness 900 N. 54th St. #2 Chandler 5-6:30 p.m., Thursday, July 13. $10 members, $15 general admission

After 5 Evening Mixer Spooner Physical Therapy 16611 S. 40th St. #130,

(Special to AFN)

Above, Tracy Jones, Rick Allen and Kathe Munyan were the PM Mixers Ambassador winners at Native while at right, Gina Jenkins and Ben Freeman show off how many cars were sold last month by San Tan Ford.

BY LISA JISA AFN Guest Writer

Iwent for a run this morning. I knew I’d pay for it later in the day with a pounding headache and the need for a nap, and that I will likely experience pain lasting through tomorrow and the next day.

All this for a 20-minute run – and I use the word “run” loosely.

But I was desperate for some endorphins, some sweat, and a little sense of normalcy. Eleven years ago, I had already run a marathon and a 50k-trail race by this point in the year, and a 20-minute run wouldn’t have mattered one way or the other.

I’ve mentioned before that I am recovering from chronic Lyme disease. I was finally diagnosed correctly in 2015 but most likely contracted Lyme many years earlier.

Although I am doing better now than

Never be afraid to trust an unknown future to a known God Chandler Buddhist temple shows how to cultivate tranquility within

BY SRIANTHI PERERA

AFN Staff Writer

With its low-slung roof and red brick exterior, the dwelling near Alma School Road and the Chandler Boulevard looks like any other in the mature Chandler neighborhood.

The one giveaway is the statue of Maitreya Buddha (the Buddha of the Future) in the front yard, flanked by two sturdy potted plants and shaded by a leafy tree.

This is the Vien Minh Buddhist Temple, which houses two Buddhist nuns of Vietnamese origin, bhikkunis Thich Nu Lien Phung and Thich Nu Lien Thuy. As ordained by their patriarch Minh Dang Quang, their practice mixes the orthodox Theravada Buddhism with the newer tradition of Mahayana Buddhism.

I was a few years ago, I never know from day to day how I will feel. One of the hardest things is that I can look completely fine on the outside to others, but on the inside I might be battling extreme fatigue, nausea that comes and goes in waves, and a multitude of other crazy symptoms.

Stress makes everything worse. Sometimes when I am writing by hand, I will miss a letter even though I know exactly how to spell the word.

Last week I came across a blog by a woman whose Lyme has been in remission for two years and she is now leading a normal, healthy life. Her words gave me so much hope and encouragement. I often wonder how long it will take me to get to that point. Will I get to that point?

Jeremiah 29:11 is a verse we hear often. “’For I know the plans I have for you,’” declares the Lord, “’plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.’”

Anyone else ever want to cling to those

words while simultaneously thinking about family and friends whose futures were cut short due to accidents and illness? Ever wonder if that hope refers to Heaven alone?

I want to know what my future holds. God wants me to cling to Him and trust Him for each day, one moment at a time.

When Jesus was teaching His disciples what we refer to as The Lord’s Prayer, He gave them the words, “Give us today our daily bread.” (Matthew 6:11)

It’s only for today, not for tomorrow or next week or next year. When the Israelites gathered manna in the wilderness, they had to trust God to provide it fresh each morning. (Exodus 16:4) If they tried to keep any until the next day, it would rot.

A friend recently shared a video of Brett Hartford describing the green pastures referred to in Psalm 23:2, “He makes me lie down in green pastures.”

I have always pictured a luxurious carpet of green grass when I read those

words, but apparently the grass in that region grows up scattered in tiny tufts amongst the rocks. From a distance, the landscape looks sparse and barren. The sheep need to trust the shepherd to lead them to what they need, one mouthful at a time. It’s only enough for right now. I have a sign above my kitchen sink with the words, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart” (Proverbs 3:5). The rest of verse 5 and 6 says, “and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight.”

In the words of Corrie ten Boom, “Never be afraid to trust an unknown future to a known God.”

If He makes my path straight while I’m trusting Him one day at a time, I’m more likely to be able to see light at the end of the tunnel.

- Lisa Jisa is a former Ahwatukee resident.

“It’s a place for Vietnamese community, and everyone is welcome here,” said Lien Thuy, who conducts services on Sunday mornings for about 30-40 devotees. They chant Buddhist stanzas, listen to her sermon delivered in Vietnamese and then eat a community lunch.

“Anyone is welcome to learn about Buddhism,” Lien Thuy said, and that includes students from Arizona State University, who often conduct research here.

Lien Thuy teaches the principals of Buddhism, which are simple but often difficult to follow, she said.

“Buddha says, don’t believe whatever is said in the book, don’t believe it because someone very famous said it, don’t believe because generally they keep doing that. You just believe when

(Srianthi Perera/AFN Staff)

Thich Nu Lien Thuy stands in front of a large framed portrait of temple patriarch Minh Dang Quang and small portrait of Great Master Thich Giac Nhien.

SATURDAY, July 29

BACK-TO-SCHOOL DAY SET

Generation Church will hold its annual back-to-school celebration, handing out free backpacks and school supplies to children in need. Last year it handed out over 400 backpacks and this year hope to triple that amount between two campuses. Volunteers will also be offering food, games, inflatables and more. Children must be present to receive a backpack and school supplies. Items will be distributed on a first-come, first-serve basis until supplies are exhausted.

DETAILS>> 8-10 a.m., 11832 S Warner Elliot Loop, Ahwatukee. Free. Information: help@generationaz.org or call 480-986-3149.

SUNDAYS

BIBLE EXPLORED

This biblical scripture study embraces a spirit-filled, intellectually honest, and understandable exploration of God’s Word. Lessons will combine Christian and Jewish theology along with Bible history, archaeology and linguistics for a rich learning experience.

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

HORIZON SEEKS YOUNG PEOPLE

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

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

KIDS CAN LEARN JEWISH LIFE

Children can learn and experience Jewish life. Chabad Hebrew School focuses on Jewish heritage, culture and

holidays.

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

SUNDAY CELEBRATION SERVICE

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

DETAILS>> 10

a.m. Sundays at Unity of Tempe, 1222 E. Baseline Road, Suite 103, Tempe. Information: 480-792-1800, 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. 11002 S. 48th St., Ahwatukee. 480-893-2579. mvlutheran.org.

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

6:30-8 p.m., 2408 E. Pecos Road, Ahwatukee. To register: mountainpark. org and click on Launch. Information: Alex at 480-7596200

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

CELEBRATE RECOVERY

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.

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.

you understand and apply it to your life and it bring the benefit to you and the others,” she said.

Vien Minh was established in 2005 by Great Master Thich Giac Nhien, who died two years ago. He established similar temples in Seattle, Florida and the New York cities of Syracuse and Binghamton.

Lien Thuy’s story begins in communist Vietnam in the mid 1970s, when she was 13.

“Life was so hard,” she said, recalling those years. “I saw life’s suffering. Nobody had a happy life. That time, I followed my mom to the temple and I learned the way the Buddha had to benefit everyone.”

Lien Thuy’s father was placed for seven years in a training camp, “like prison,” she said.

“Sen. John McCain has been there. That’s why he asked the government to give a chance for the people to come to U.S. I very much appreciate the U.S.

government, not only my family, but a lot of Vietnamese families in south Vietnam have had a chance to come to live in ‘the freedom country,’” she said.

During those seven years, she prayed for her father’s safe return.

“I took a vow, if my father could back to the family early, I would become a nun,” she said.

But fulfilling the vow wasn’t the only reason she embraced a life of piety.

“I also wanted to become a nun to devote my life to help others,” she said.

“That’s why, when my father came back, still life was very hard.”

Her mother, who had to feed her family of seven children, sewed, sold vegetables and did menial tasks to survive.

“I was with them for a few years and then I asked my parents whether I could become a nun to help more people,”

Lien Thuy said.

In 1992, when her family migrated to what she refers to as “the freedom country,” she was already in saffron robes.

After obtaining a college degree in

education, Lien Thuy met Thich Giac Nhien, who was opening a temple in Tucson in 2003. She went there to help him.

Nowadays, Lien Thuy meditates and studies Buddha’s teachings that she shares with others.

The Lotus Sutra is her favorite.

The lotus contains a seed and flower together; no other flower has a seed inside, she said; usually, the flower dies, and the seed grows.

“But with the lotus, when the flower comes, the seed comes together. It’s

cause and effect; that’s how the Buddha teaches cause and effect,” she said.

“If you say something harmful to the others, it’s harmful to yourself. The lotus flower is so special because it grows from the mud, but it has a fragrance,” she said.

“Everyone has a Buddha seed inside,” Lien Thuy added. “You need to know it and let it grow.”

The Vien Minh Buddhist Temple is at 285 N. Comanche Drive, Chandler. Details: Facebook page, “Chua Vien Minh.”

Ahwatukee will see a boom in nearby places to have fun

BY WAYNE SCHUTSKY AFN Staff Writer

From dine-in movie concepts to bowling, developers are increasingly opting to invest in entertainment destinations in an attempt to keep up with consumer demand, and no market better exemplifies this trend than the East Valley.

Several new entertainment projects and plans have popped up in recent months, including an Alamo Drafthouse-anchored complex in Tempe, a bowling concept in Gilbert, and a massive entertainment district near Ahwatukee in the Gila River Indian Community.

These new developments will compete for consumer dollars with other established entertainment brands that have hit the East Valley in recent years, from Top Golf in Gilbert to Main Event Entertainment, which has locations in Tempe and Gilbert.

“The key in retail today is to make sure there is an experience behind it (and to make sure it) is not run of the mill,” said Todd Folger, CBRE Retail Services first vice president.

With so many entertainment options, there is a risk that consumer dollars will be stretched thin. Success in the space largely depends on creating products that the market can support and, in that sense, not all retail is created equal.

“Entertainment isn’t a single thing, it’s many,” Mark Stapp, Fred E. Taylor professor of real estate at W.P. Carey School of Business at Arizona State University, said via email.

For example, the market can support many restaurant and food options, but the same is not true for bowling alleys, which are more of a niche product.

“There is competition for every disposable dollar,” Stapp said. “People will pick the best experience – the market votes with its dollars, so the market will pick financial winners.”

That competition is heating up.

Tempe residents can expect to see plenty of construction in the year ahead at

the busy intersection at Baseline and Rural Roads in Tempe as construction begins on The Collective, the 50,000-squarefoot mixed-use development from DMB Partners.

The 5.2 acres of land involved in the project is east of the northeast corner of the intersection and recently sold for $3.2 million.

The forthcoming destination has already secured an anchor tenant in Alamo Drafthouse. The hip Austin-based movie theater chain currently has one Arizona location in Chandler and is seen as one of the originators of the all-in-one dinner, drinks and movie experience replicated by other chains like AMC and Harkins.

The Collective will also include other retail and restaurant options.

JLB Partners is also developing a 367-unit apartment complex named The Harper next door to the property. The overall concept falls in line with the “live, work, play” mantra that has turned into gospel in recent years among developers and city planners in the Valley who are attempting to create dense, walkable concepts.

“It is important in retail development that we tie projects into their suburban cores a little better and into their neighborhoods a little better, and we’ve been trying to do that with all of our projects,” said David Sellers, LGE Design Build president and CEO.

LGE Design Build is the general contractor on the The Collective.

The team behind the project has received positive feedback from meetings with the community, Sellers said.

Construction is already underway on The Collective, which has an approximate price tag of $15 million. Completion is expected in early 2018.

In Gilbert, Bowlmor AMF recently unveiled a new addition to its Bowlero brand at 1160 S. Gilbert Road. The bowling giant is keen on taking an advantage of the

growing Gilbert market.

The brand offers a range of amenities that appeal to both children and adults, which makes sense in Gilbert. According to statistics from the town’s Department of Economic Development, 72.6 percent of Gilbert’s population is made up of “up and coming families” and 29.8 percent of the population is under the age of 18, the town’s largest single demographic age group.

“Gilbert has evolved into one of the fastest-growing communities in the United States and is ready for new entertainment options as the population grows,” said Samantha Bevacqua, director of brand management at Bowlmor AMF.

Arizona Cardinals running back David Johnson was on hand to host the Bowlero’s grand opening in June. The former Brunswick XL location features a range of amenities geared toward children, including bumper cars, a laser tag arena, and – of course –bowling. There is also an arcade with the world’s largest Pac-Man game.

For parents and other adults, Bowlero offers laneside food and beverage service and HD video walls. The venue also features a full-service bar.

Further west, Gila River Indian Community recently made known its intention to develop a high-end entertainment district adjacent to the Wild Horse Pass Hotel and Casino.

The Wild Horse Pass Development

Authority, GRIC’s development arm, issued a request for qualifications in order to find a developer to work on the future mixeduse project. It will serve as a bridge of sorts between the area’s two most popular destinations, Wild Horse Pass Hotel and Casino and the Phoenix Premium Outlets. Phase 1 of the project, as described in the RFQ, calls for the development of at least 68,000 interior square feet of restaurant, bar and entertainment as well as an outdoor patio and rooftop dining component. Traditional retail is absent from the request as the organization does not want to create competition for the existing outlets.

Additionally, the project contains plans to create an indoor/outdoor concert-style venue like Stage AE in Pittsburgh that can host music, comedy, mixed martial arts and other entertainment. The RFQ calls for a venue with an indoor capacity around 3,000 seats and an outdoor capacity of roughly 6,000 seats.

Full buildout of the entertainment district could eventually encompass up to 59 acres.

Analysis included with the RFQ pegs the investment in project after year one by GRIC and/or private developers at roughly $87 million. That will include development of the entertainment venue and the first phase of office, restaurant, retail and hotel

(LGE/Special to AFN)

The Collective, a new 50,000-square-foot shopping, dining and entertainment destination anchored by Arizona’s second Alamo Drafthouse Cinema, will be located at the corner of Rural and Baseline roads at the site of the former Lake Country Village shopping center.

Beat summer doldrums with these fun activities and attractions

BY JUSTIN FERRIS GET OUT Editor

Holiday Hoorah!

Celebrate your favorite holiday – and the rest of them – all at once. Enjoy holidaythemed activities and games while you cool off at the pool.

Details>> 2-4 p.m., July 5. Carson Aquatics Complex, 525 N. Westwood, Mesa. Tickets: $4 adults, $2 youth. 480-644-2374 facebook. com/carson.mesapools.

Wildman Phil

Comedian and wildlife expert Wildman Phil presents an all-ages show that combines humorous stories and live creatures for an unforgettable afternoon.

Details>> 2-3 p.m., July 6. Chandler Public Library, 22 S. Delaware St., Chandler. Cost: Free. 480-782-2800 www.chandlerlibrary. org.

Drop-in Improv Classes

If you ever wanted to try your hand at improvisational theater, drop in on one or more classes at the National Comedy Theatre. Learn from the experts through games and exercises.

Details>> 7-8:30 p.m., Thursdays, July 6-Aug. 3. National Comedy Theatre, 1111 S. Longmore, Ste. 6, Mesa. Cost: $15. 602-3745638 nctphoenix.com.

Summer Splash Thursdays

Bring the kids out to meet their favorite Disney princesses and superheroes, plus games, music and fun in the splash pad. This week, join the Under the Seas Soiree with Ariel and Moana.

Details>> 6-7:30 p.m., Thursdays, July 6-27. Tempe Marketplace, 2000 E. Rio Salado Pkwy., Tempe. Cost: Free. 480-966-9338 tempemarketplace.com/summer.

Valley Vocal Ensemble

This fun singing group offers an evening of Broadway tunes, classic standards and a medley from “The Sound of Music.”

Details>> 7 p.m., July 7. Mesa Arizona Temple Visitors’ Center, 525 E. Main St., Mesa. Cost: Free. 480-964-7164, facebook. com/MesaVC.

‘The Little Mermaid’

Head under the sea for the musical version of Disney’s timeless classic “The

Little Mermaid.” It features your favorite characters, including Ariel, Sebastian and Flounder, and hits songs like “Part of Your World” and “Kiss the Girl.”

Details>> Wednesdays-Saturdays, July 7-Aug. 19. Hale Centre Theatre, 50 W. Page Ave., Gilbert. Tickets: $22-$32. 480-497-1181 www.haletheatrearizona.com.

Roga in the Park

If you’re willing to brave the heat, participate in a two-mile walk/run/jog, followed by 30 minutes of yoga in the park.

Details>> 6-7:30 a.m., July 8. Higley Park, Higley Road between Loop 202 and Ray, Gilbert. Cost: Free (Donations accepted). 480-652-3654, facebook.com/localoveyoga.

Family Fun at Riverview Park

The entire family can enjoy a day in the park that includes games, face painting, egg tosses, and plenty more excitement.

Details>> 9 a.m.-Noon, July 8. Riverview Park, 2100 W. Rio Salado Pkwy., Mesa. Cost: Free. facebook.com/arizonafamily

.

Family Fun Day

Spend the day in art-related activities.

Various art stations staffed by local artists help kids 4-12 create their own take-home masterpieces. The entire museum will be free for exploration as well.

Details>> 10 a.m.-4 p.m., July 8. ASU Art Museum, 51 E. 10th St., Tempe. Cost: Free. 480-965-2873 asuartmuseum.asu.edu.

Saguaro Lake Moonlight Paddle

Rent a kayak or paddleboard – or bring your own – and head out to Saguaro Lake for a paddle in the moonlight. Bring your own light. A Tonto Parking Pass is required.

Details>> 6:45-9:15 p.m., July 8. Saguaro Lake Boat Ramp #1. Cost: Free for BYOBorK, $30 rentals. 480-807-6787 nosnowsup.com/ events.html.

The Mystery Plays

In the tradition of medieval mystery plays, watch two interrelated stories that deal with the themes of death, afterlife, religion, faith and forgiveness.

Details>> 7-9:30 p.m., July 9. Mesa Encore Theatre, 933 E. Main St., Mesa. Cost: Free (Donations accepted). 480-834-9500 mesaencoretheatre.com.

-For more ideas on what to do: Phoenix.org

Setlist is a cake-walk for the Goo Goo Dolls

BY CHRISTINA FUOCO-KARASINSKI CetOut Contributor

Robby Takac can’t believe he is still making music after 31 years as the bassist/vocalist in the Goo Goo Dolls.

Spending summers hitting the road with frontman John Rzeznik and drummer/ Phoenix native Craig Macintyre is fulfilling.

“It’s just amazing to me that people are still excited about it, too,” he said. “We’re having great summers still. John and I both have babies now. We’re grown-up Goo Goo Dolls now, but we’re having fun.”

Goo Goo Dolls and American Idol winner Phillip Phillips are set to spend this season touring. The jaunt, in support of the Goo Goo Dolls’ new EP You Should Be Happy, comes to the Comerica Theatre on July 16.

The EP was recorded at EastWest studios in Los Angeles and produced by Drew Pearson, who first collaborated with the Goo Goo Dolls on its previous release, Boxes. The first single, “Use Me,” was written by Rzeznik and Pearson.

“We decided on an EP for a couple of reasons,” Takac said.

“When you release a full album, you put these 12 to 14 songs out. A couple of them

are pushed by the record company and some get noticed by the press. The human attention span has gotten very short. It felt like, to us, that releasing less songs was more advantageous.”

Takac does eye a return to complete collections, though, that allow fans to get a 360-view of the Goo Goo Dolls.

“For me, I write and sing a couple songs on every record,” he said. “The depth of a full album allows you to do a lot of different things. Making a body of work that functions for 40 straight minutes is a whole different skill than writing one pop song.

“I miss it. I think that full albums really allow people to get into the band a little bit more. Hey man, it’s too bad, but it’s just the way it is.”

Despite regularly releasing new material, the Goo Goo Dolls still feel required to play certain hits at each show.

“We refer to it as the ‘Dirty Dozen,’” Takac said. “There are 12 songs that we’re pretty sure we have to play every night. That leaves us with another eight songs.

“We like to do a lot of the new songs. They’re fresh to us and they keep the show exciting for us. We like to put in new songs for people, too. It’s difficult for us to make

a setlist, but that’s probably the easiest problem you can have as a rock band.”

That problem lies on Rzeznik, who has been honored with the Songwriters Hall of Fame Hal David Starlight Award.

Since 1986, the Goo Goo Dolls have scored 14 Top 10 radio hits, including “Name,” “Slide” and “Iris,” the latter of which spent 12 months on the Billboard charts.

The Goo Goo Dolls find it hard to believe they have been making hits for more than three decades.

IF YOU GO

“John knows how to write a great song,” Takac said. “Those songs ruminate on a big level—a lot. I think our fans have just been awesome and stuck with us.”

“The interesting thing about a band is that there are no real social norms to conform to,” he explains. “You can become whatever you want.”

What: Goo Goo Dolls w/Phillip Phillips

Where: Comerica Theatre, 400 W. Washington St., Phoenix

When: 8 p.m. Sunday, July 16

Tickets: $48.50-$195

Info: 602-379-2800, comericatheatre.com

Chandler native Michael Cienfuegos makes film debut in ‘Fat Camp’

BY CHRISTINA FUOCO-KARASINSKI

CetOut Contributor

Michael Cienfuegos knew as a student at Chandler High School that he was going to succeed in the entertainment industry.

“I felt like it was going to happen,” said Cienfuegos, who now lives in Los Angeles. “I didn’t think it was going to be just a dream.”

He was right. Cienfuegos stars in the upcoming film “Fat Camp,” which debuted at the L.A. Film Festival last week.

Directed by Jennifer Arnold from a script penned by Chuck Hayward, “Fat Camp “tells the story of immature fitness fanatic Hutch Daily (Chris Redd). To avoid being kicked out of his mom’s (Vivica Fox) house, Hutch agrees to work at his uncle’s (Mel Rodriguez) fat camp for the summer.

Cienfuegos plays Charlie Soto, a sweet and slightly nerdy rule-abiding counselorin-training under Hutch. Together, this odd duo must supervise an irreverent group of chunky boys on their weight-loss journey.

“I’m starring as the second lead,” Cienfuegos said. “I play a counselor in training, a motivational leader. My character’s favorite place in the whole

world is fat camp. The two must work together to help these kids on their weight-loss journey. Charlie and the kids, meanwhile, help Hutch in his journey to be a man.”

Cienfuegos adds that the movie “has a lot of heart to it. The cast was incredible. We’re all lifelong friends now. I’m really excited for us to all get together and watch it, to be honest with you.”

He is proud that the producers of “Fat Camp,” which doesn’t have a firm release date, were set on casting “real people.”

“The production company was interesting in seeing real people on the screen—all colors, sizes, genders and types—and paint a picture of what we see every day when we walk outside,” he said.

“They didn’t want cookie-cutter actors. They really taught me that there’s a place for everyone. Diversity is real life. Diversity is every day you walk outside. If it isn’t that way to you, then you’re not seeing it right. I promise it is.”

A former Chandler High School defensive tackle, Cienfuegos moved to the Big Apple to study at the New York Conservatory for Dramatic Arts after graduation.

He then made his way to Los Angeles and landed a part in Showtime’s series

“Shameless.” In addition to his on-camera pursuits, Cienfuegos is a rising stand-up comic who bases his jokes on his childhood in Chandler.

“It lends itself to my whole career,” he said about his formative years. “While I was in high school, I did a little of everything. I played sports. I was in theater. All of that stuff really drove me or gave me the idea that this is a thing I could do.”

Throughout his schooling, Cienfuegos was supported by his fiancée Kyley Koeth, whom he will marry later this year in the

Valley.

Besides Koeth, he was inspired by CHS English teacher Luann Ewan and Kathy Valin of the theater department.

“Kathy Valin was basically my first director,” he said. “Even though it was early on in my life, she molded me to continue to love this. I played football, but I thought the plays were fun.

“By the end of school, I was strictly in theater. It was rewarding. Literature is very important to me as well. Literature and acting and writing.”

(Special to AFN)

Chandler native Michael Cienfuegos, left, is starring in the upcoming film, “Fat Camp.”

Reunion shows that fans are still falling in love with UB40

BY CHRISTINA FUOCO-KARASINSKI CetOut Contributor

Reggae legends UB40 are witnessing a renaissance. With singer Ali Campbell’s return after a nineyear break, the band has seen its massive greatest-hits tour succeed.

“When people ask us about our longevity, love, I tell them that when I started UB40 in 1979, reggae was 11 years old,” Campbell said via telephone from England.

“Before that, it was rock steady and before that it was ska. It was a baby genre. That’s why, 30 years later, people still like it. It’s the youngest form of music.”

It’s still influential, he added, with the release of reggae-tinged songs by Ariana Grande, Katy Perry, Rihanna, Beyoncé and Justin Bieber.

“Reggae’s having a massive influence and long may it continue,” Campbell said.

The timing is perfect, as Campbell returned to the group in 2013. After he left in 2008, the group carried on and replaced Campbell with his brother, Duncan. That didn’t pan out, so the departures of founders Mickey and Astros followed.

In 2013, Ali Campbell, Astro and Mickey came together to play a couple U.K gigs.

ENTERTAINMENT

from page 39

space. By year 10, estimates the RFQ, the project will cost $245 million. These numbers are only preliminary estimates and the real cost will likely not become clear until a developer and plan are selected, said Hunden Strategic Partners President Rob Hunden, who is advising WHPDA on the project.

Once again, walkability is key as Wild Horse Pass is keen on creating an enclosed entertainment district similar to nationallyrenowned districts like Kansas City Power

They parlayed that into a full-blown reunion with an 11-piece band and world tours.

“We’re back together again,” Campbell said proudly. “When I left my own band, nine years ago now, the other guys—the ‘dark side’ as I call them—split the fanbase. They didn’t need to split the fanbase. I don’t know why they did.

“When me and Mickey came back to the fold, we told Astro, ‘We’re waiting for you now.’ We have 11,000 people at some of our shows now. We played arenas last year where there were 15,000 people. We’re winning the war, as it were.”

UB40, which plays the Marquee on July 25, is continuing the battle by recording a new album due next February. Campbell wouldn’t spill too much about the collection, other than to say it’s the band’s best effort.

“It’s all a secret, but everyone who’s heard it is going crazy for it,” Campbell said. “It’s going to be a biggie. It’s a return to form— not that I’ve been out of form.”

The Marquee date is part of UB40’s fourth American tour in two years. Campbell relents that it’s great to be back on the road again.

“I know I sound like a Willie Nelson song,

& Light District, Louisville’s 4th Street Live! and Charlotte’s NC Music Factory.

Replicating the success of those projects will be no easy feat, though, as those districts are in dense urban environments and Wild Horse Pass is still edge development, Stapp said.

However, Stapp noted that the area surrounding the Wild Horse Pass Casino will likely benefit from the Loop 202 expansion and become “less edge.”

“The (Loop 202 expansion) is going to change the dynamics of West Valley and Southeast Valley, and this property is welllocated,” Stapp said.

Reggae legends UB40 took a nineyear break and now the band is back, finding people still like the music that made the group a major 80s cal phenomenon.

but it is good to be back on the bus, with my peers, seeing Arizona and them places there.

“I didn’t think I would miss touring. I was at a stage where I was sick of touring. I wanted to stay home. But you don’t miss your water until your well runs dry.”

Now, the focus is on having fun and spreading the message of UB40 with songs like “Rat in Mi Kitchen,” “Red Red Wine” and “The Way You Do the Things You Do.”

“We’re just concentrating on being in really lovely places and situations, drinking lots of good wine, smoking and singing

songs for our very happy public.”

IF YOU GO

What: UB40 Legends Ali, Astro and Mickey, w/ Matisyahu and Raging Fyah.

When: 7:30 p.m. July 25

Where: Marquee Theatre, 730 N. Mill Ave., Tempe

Tickets: $40-60.

Info: 480-829-0607, luckymanonline.com

Caterpillar bread a positively dipping idea

BY JAN D’ATRI

AFN Contributor

It’s fun. It’s tasty. It’s easy. The perfect thing to find on your picnic blanket or patio this summer is caterpillar bread. It’s the perfect pull apart, dipping twist on your favorite hot dogs and sausages. Check out my how-to video: jandatri.com/recipes/ one-minute-kitchen.

Ingredients:

1-2 containers refrigerated bread dough (I used pizza dough).

Note: Each container makes about three caterpillar breads.

Your choice of:

1 package hot dogs

1 package Italian sausage or brats

1 (8 oz.) package whole medium white mushrooms

2 tablespoons butter

Mustard and ketchup

Optional, 1 large sweet yellow onion and 1 large pepper, sliced thin

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 egg plus 1 teaspoon water or milk, beaten for egg wash

1 cup shredded cheese, optional

Directions:

Step #1 Cook your hot dogs and sausages according to desired cooking method. (Hot dogs can be boiled, grilled, oven baked or can be used right out of the package, uncooked. Sausages can be grilled, oven baked or cooked in skillet until done.)

Step #2 For mushrooms, in a medium skillet sauté whole mushrooms in butter until softened

Step #3 For onions and peppers (as a side dish for sausages) sauté onion and pepper in 2 tablespoons olive oil. Set aside.

Step #4 Roll out refrigerated dough and cut into three sections. Place hot dog, sausage or a line of mushrooms in the middle of dough. Fold dough in half and pinch the edges to seal. On the side where the dough is folded, make 1 inch slits, leaving 1/3 from the sealed edges uncut.

Twist first cut portion to the left, and second to the right. Repeat this for the rest of the portions.

Step #5 Place the shaped dough onto a parchment lined or greased baking sheet and brush dough parts with egg wash. Bake at 350 for about 20 minutes or until golden brown.

Step #6 For cheese topping, remove caterpillar bread from oven about 5 minutes before done.

Sprinkle with cheese. Return to oven and bake until cheese is melted, about 5 minutes. Pull apart, dip in condiments or serve with onions and peppers. Enjoy.

Jones sisters keep a family tradition alive at Colorado

BY RYAN CLARKE AFN Contributor

The idiom “runs in the family” has a literal translation for University of Colorado track star Dani Jones.

Her parents met on the track and field team at Indiana State University, and now her younger sister is running on the same proverbial path as she did: from Desert Vista High School to the University of Colorado.

Soon, Dani and Baylee will be running together again – competitive as ever – just as the sisters did when they were kids.

They can’t help it. It’s in their DNA.

“We’ve been teammates for our whole life,” Dani said. “We’ll get in a good

rhythm and it’ll start feeling normal again.”

It wasn’t like the Jones sisters had cleats for baby shoes, but their parents – a pair of track-team lovebirds that produced two of the greatest runners in Arizona prep history – helped turn a sibling rivalry into athletic excellence.

Dani wasn’t all that interested in running at first. She ran up and down the soccer field with aspirations of stardom, but track and field never really crossed her mind. That was until she attended one of her little sister’s meets.

Tana Jones turned to her first daughter and whispered: “You know, I think if you and your sister ran four miles, she’d probably beat you.”

Game on.

“That was it right there,” Dani said with a laugh. “As soon as my mom said that to me I was ready to prove that I could beat her.”

Dani had it all planned out: beat Baylee at her own game and go back to soccer. Years later, that still hasn’t happened; Dani still hasn’t returned to the field.

Despite the friendly rivalry with her little sister, Dani won a cross-country state title in her senior year at Desert Vista. She was later named an AllAmerican before earning a scholarship to CU.

Any older sibling can’t stand the thought of being bested by the younger, but Dani doesn’t see it that way. Running alongside – and yes, sometimes behind –her sister strengthened their bond and created an extra sense of motivation.

“She used to be half my size so it bothered me that she could beat me,”

she said. “Over the years it’s changed a lot and we build each other up instead of trying to do the opposite.”

While her sister continued to star at Desert Vista, Dani finished her sophomore outdoor season at Colorado strong, placing fifth in the 1,500 meters at nationals after winning the Pac12 titles in the 1,500 and 5,000. Her indoor season was even better, capped with a national title in the 3,000 meters.

The adjustment to collegiate competition was challenging for Dani, even though it was made easier by the beautiful scenery in Boulder. She struggled at times to make top-seven during her freshman year.

But she acknowledges a steady improvement in her performances and fitness level in just two years’ time. Personal records and titles don’t come easy.

“I just have my coaches to thank for getting me to where I needed to be,” Dani said. “Running is hard. The atmosphere and support I get makes it easier.”

Baylee will be thrust into the same challenging situation that her sister was once she arrives in Colorado. It will be made easier having her sister there, though, and can only benefit both of their careers in the long run.

Who knows? By the time the Jones family makes its next journey to the NCAA track and field championships, maybe both daughters will be competing in the same race.

Maybe, finally, Dani will edge out Baylee. Either way, they expect to continue building a legacy that makes their parents proud.

(Daniel Petty/Special to AFN)

Dani Jones #118 of the University of Colorado races down the homestretch of the NCAA cross country championships at the LaVern Gibson Championship Cross Country Course last November in Terre Haute, Indiana.

(Special to AFN)

Baylee Jones is following in her sister’s and her parents’ footsteps by heading to the University of Colorado and joining the track team, reuniting with her sister, a junior there.

Ahwatukee teen driven to succeed in water polo

BY COTY DOLORES MIRANDA

At least three times a week, Ahwatukee teen and 2017 Mountain Pointe High School grad Samantha “Sam” Camblin drives a half hour to Mesa for fun.

It’s not the drive that’s fun, but her drive to succeed in water polo – a traditionally male sport that in recent years has exploded in popularity among women.

That Mesa Water Polo, where she plays, is predominantly male doesn’t bother Camblin in the least. Nor does it apparently affect other women who are part of the club teams.

“The water polo guys I play with are really cool guys,” she said. “Most of them started together and have played together; I’m a late-bloomer.”

Camblin, who earned four varsity letters in swimming at Mountain Pointe despite two separate surgeries for tears in both shoulders, is enamored of water polo, and has already practiced with a club team in Tucson, where she’ll attend the University of Arizona come August.

“I’m pretty dedicated to water polo,” she laughed when being questioned about the seven hours or more of practice weekly, either at Kino Aquatic Center or Skyline Aquatic Center, both in Mesa.

“Most people are shocked I make that trip to Mesa, sometimes every day. I guess I’m a little bit obsessive about it, too,” she said. “I do look at water polo videos and see what I can learn.”

Swimming for Camblin began as it does for many southern Arizona youth – in the family pool.

But by first grade, she and her younger sister, Grace, were competing with a recreational diving team that was then at Pecos Park. She tries to trace the arc that led to the team water sport of water polo, but deduces it was another avenue for her love of the pool without further strain on her shoulders.

“I really don’t know what happened. I swam for eight years on club teams, played softball, but after my surgery in eighth grade, and then one on the other shoulder a year and a half later, my mom found the Mesa Water Polo,” said Camblin, who is a life guard and swim instructor at Chandler’s Nozomi Aquatic Center.

“It was rough coming back both times, but I knew I always wanted to go the Olympics, and now I’m definitely coming back strong,” she added. “Technically, throwing is hard on my shoulder but I’m

gaining a lot of muscle.

Having aged out of the Mesa Water Polo’s high school senior group after graduation, Camblin has moved up to Masters, which is listed as 18 and up.

She turns 18 Aug. 18, the day after she moves into UofA dorms for her freshman year to major in pre-physiology with an eye on becoming a surgeon.

This Masters group is co-ed, though women are greatly outnumbered. She’s won two trophies in the water sport competitions, but some, like the National Jr.

Olympics upcoming July 22-30 in Orange County, California, don’t accept co-ed teams.

One problem, Camblin said, is gathering enough girls or women to field a team which, like men’s teams, is comprised of six players and one goal keeper and often has an additional six subs.

“We do have the age group team that has some girls on it that are amazing, and we got to go to an all-girl tournament in Utah earlier this year. We mainly played against college students and older girls, and it was such a fun tournament,” she said.

“Actually, they had to combine two of the groups to barely form a women’s team,” she said. “They combined the girls from the age group and those of us from the high school group. It was the first team to come from Mesa that was all female. And we could only play at that tournament because the age bracket was more open.”

For Rachel Ray, a Red Mountain High School senior, water polo is a new sport as well, having been involved with Mesa Water Polo for merely eight months. She

is currently the only 18-and-under girl competing, though there are others at the 15- and-under-level.

“Being one of the only girls does make it hard to compete in tournaments because I don’t always have a team to play with,” she said. “However, playing with guys pushes me harder and makes me tougher, and a more competitive athlete which I greatly appreciate.

Ray’s future plans include playing on a water polo team or club team at a California university currently under consideration.

Women and girls are a hugely growing demographic throughout the United States, said Mesa Water Polo head coach Grant Miller, who is in the vanguard of USA Water Polo’s efforts to increase their numbers.

“When I started here two years ago, I think we had three or four female players, now we’ve got about 13 involved,” he said. “Women’s water polo is one of the fastest growing sports in high school and college. At the college level, women’s participation has grown as much as 600 percent.”

“We’re hoping to garner enough interest next year to have a female team ready for other competitions,” he said.

Miller explained that at Mesa Water Polo, the girls are spread across the age groups used in competition: 12 and under, 14 and under, 16 and under and 18 and under.

“So, when we enter tournaments with an all-girls team, they’re entered in the 18-and-under division. We can have players as young as 11 and 12 playing against seniors in high school,” he said.

As head coach, he said he’s admired the girls’ drive to compete, often with boys who have played for many years. He noted Camblin’s passion for the sport, persevering after her two shoulder surgeries.

“Sam has a great passion for the game, and that passion has led her to be a student of the game both in the water during practice, and at home where she’ll watch videos online to learn more,” he said. “Her drive to learn the game and improve has helped her be a more competitive player.”

The Olympic Games have offered men’s water polo as an Olympic sport since the 1900 games in Paris, but women’s water polo wasn’t added until the 2000 Sydney Olympic Games after the Australian Women’s Water Polo Team applied political pressure.

Information on Mesa Water Polo Club: TeamUnify.com

(Kimberly Carrillo/AFN Photographer)

Samantha Camblin of Ahwatukee is breaking the glass ceiling of water polo as a member of the Mesa Water Polo club.

(Special to AFN)

Members of Mesa Water Polo include, from left: back row: back row: Kaley Bigley, Caroline Walker, Kylie Price, Rachel Ray, Maeve Jones and Lydia Heinrich; front: Stephanie Greasley, Hailey Price and Sam Camblin .

As Rattlers prepare for championship game, son

BY ALEXIS RAMANJULU Cronkite News

In 1992, the Arizona Rattlers played their first season as a franchise with a Louisiana Tech University alumnus at quarterback and a Haisley at center. Fast forward to 2017 and the Rattlers are playing for the Intense Conference Championship with a Louisiana Tech product at quarterback – and a Haisley at center.

The quarterback on that team was Louisiana Tech’s Gene Johnson. This year, the Rattlers have from the same university quarterback Cody Sokol, who played at Desert Vista High.

In their 25 years, the Rattlers have won five Arena Football League championships and are in contention on Saturday, July 8, to win their first Indoor Football League trophy. Until this year, they never had a son of a former Rattlers player on the team.

Meet Glen Haisley Sr., an offensive lineman for the franchise when it debuted, and Glen Haisley Jr., a member of this season’s team.

Although fans hope the Rattlers make it to the IFL championship game in Phoenix, Haisley Sr. does not care where the game is. If the Rattlers make it to the last game of the IFL season, he will be there, even if means driving more than 20 hours from New Orleans so he can see his son play.

“It would mean everything (to win a championship with the Rattlers),” Haisley Jr. said. “My dad didn’t win a championship with the Rattlers, so I can hold that on him and say, ‘I was with the Rattlers and I led them to a championship.’ ”

Haisley Sr. played just one season with the Rattlers, finishing his career with the team a year before son was born. “It’s surreal,” Haisley Sr. said. “I prepare all week waiting for the game

and when the game comes on and I see that No. 50, it’s unbelievable because I have a big poster in my house in pregame warmups with the Rattlers in ’92. And I got my No. 50 and you can see the ‘Haisley.’ The only thing missing is the ‘Jr.’ ”

In addition to sharing a name, Haisley wears his father’s number as he has done for most of his football career.

“It’s something that me and my dad are going to share for a lifetime,” Haisley said. “We wear the same number, we have the same name so it’s something cool between me and him.”

His father agreed that the bond he has with his son is special.

“When he went to camp and sent me a snapshot of his locker with the jersey with his name and the number, I mean, it really felt special,” he said. “He put a little touch with it when he puts the ‘junior’ on it, so when I’m watching the game and he’s known as ‘Haisley Jr.,’ it had to grow on me.”

Once Haisley Sr. was finished with his gear, his son claimed it.

“I use to always play in his Rattlers’ helmets and jerseys that he had around the house from when he played with them,” Haisley said.

In 2016, Haisley Jr. signed with the Rattlers, a team he grew up following and that had a special place in his father’s

heart.

“We’re like best friends,” he said. “The first person I called was obviously my dad. I had to tell him that I was offered by the Rattlers. He was just as excited as me.”

Even though father and son are more than 1,000 miles apart and are in different time zones, they discuss the Rattlers’ upcoming opponents and watch film together while talking on the phone.

The elder Haisley has had an active

(Special to AFN)

Glen Haisley Jr., will be playing in the championship indoor football game for the Rattlers, the same team his father played on more than two decades ago.

(Photo by Alexis Ramanjulu/Cronkite News)

Glen Haisley Jr is an undersized center who models his game after his father.

Ballpark Summer Pass improves Chase Field attendance

BY JOSE ESPARZA Cronkite News

April 26 marked the worst home attendance in Arizona Diamondbacks history. The announced crowd of 12,215 filled only 25.2 percent of Chase Field, raising a red flag for the organization.

Enter the Diamondbacks’ “Ballpark Summer Pass,” a deal that proved hotter than Phoenix in July.

After announcing they would sell summer passes for the months of June and July for $50, the Diamondbacks sold their 4,000-ticket allotment in three-and-a-half days.

Since the deal started, average attendance has increased by more than 4,300.

“It was unbelievable,” Diamondbacks president and CEO Derrick Hall said. “It really brought a lift and a bunch of energy here to the ballpark.”

The Diamondbacks have 25 home games during those two months, translating to a cost of just $2 a game.

“We had been looking for a way to try out a more-or-less membership-type of option,” Hall said.

Before June, the Diamondbacks’ average attendance at Chase Field was 23,177. In the six home games since, that number increased to 27,479. When the club played the Milwaukee Brewers on Saturday, 40,195 were in the stands.

“That’s what people are looking for. They are looking for flexibility,” Diamondbacks fan Robert Strong, 57, said. “And options as far as prices and all that. I think this a good move.”

RATTLERS

role in his son’s football career, helping him advance his skills as a center from the age of 4 or 5.

“If he’s not advanced and I played the position, there’s an issue there,” Haisley Sr. said. “We even took it to another point where I even taught him how to deep snap, which is what he does for the Rattlers now.”

While at New Orleans’ St. Augustine High School, where he was a teammate of the Cardinals’ Tyrann Mathieu, he attended a deep snap camp and met a college scout, which led to him signing at Prairie View A&M in Texas. And although football has worked out

Fans purchasing their tickets to a Diamondbacks home game.

Fans access tickets for the game by using MLB’s Ballpark app, which lets them know where they will sit two hours before first pitch. The summer pass also allows consumers the option to upgrade their seats for an additional fee.

The team’s success this season has surely helped. It was 26-19 when the deal was announced on May 21 and now sports the best home record in baseball (26-9).

“If they offered the same deal at this point last year would I have done it? Probably not,” Strong said. “Because

for the younger Haisley, his academic accomplishments are what has made his father most proud.

“His success now is great but I don’t think it can compare to when we were at his college graduation and they said

‘School of Sciences please stand up,’

” Haisley Sr. said. “To know he has a degree in biology and chemistry, I mean that just takes it all.”

With the unwavering support he receives from his dad, Haisley hopes that his professional football career is just beginning.

“We just love the fact that he’s doing what he loves doing,” his father said.

“I’m just a dad that’s proud of him and want to see him continue to strive to do what he wants to do.”

they were just a hard team to watch last year.”

Entering last Thursday’s game against Philadelphia, the Diamondbacks were 15 games above .500.

“The Phoenix market is unique and it’s technically a small market,” said Viet Do, 41, who purchased a summer pass. “I think you have to be a little innovated to get people in the seats when there is so much to do in the Phoenix market.”

Other clubs around the league are also offering their fans ticket deals.

The Oakland Athletics’ average attendance for games in 2014 was

25,045 in the Coliseum. This season it’s 17,028. The club is offering $19.99 monthly passes for home games from June to September.

Another team that saw a drop in attendance was the Padres, falling from 30,367 in 2015 to 25,073 this season. The club is offering $99 tickets for the first five home wins in the month of June.

The deals appeal to fans who don’t want to commit to season tickets.

The Diamondbacks’ offer, and their success on the field, have proved to be a winning formula.

MEET THE CANDIDATES

The Ahwatukee Foothills Chamber of Commerce and Ahwatukee Foothills News invite registered voters to a forum featuring Phoenix City Council District 6 candidates Sal DiCiccio and Kevin Patterson. Meet them and hear them answer YOUR questions about Ahwatukee and the city. 5:30-7 p.m. Wednesday, July 26

Ahwatukee Activities Center 4700 E. Warner Road, Ahwatukee

Send your questions now to pmaryniak@ahwatukee.com

(Photo by Jose Esparza/Cronkite News)

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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. Start-

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PhxBrazasSoccerClub7650S.McClintockDr,#103-313,Tempe,Az85284,6024323400;One TempF/T,seasonalpositionstart8/15/17-6/15/18asDirofCoachinginChdlr,Tempearea.35 hrsawk.NoOT.$28.85hrly.Mon-Thu3pm-9pm,Fri9am-2:30pm&Sat8am-1:30pm.Provide soccercoachesBrazilianstylesoccermethodologythrutheoretical&practicalclasses,lectures& fldexpwith&w/oyouthplayers.Sprvs,eval,monitor,track&reportcoachesperfthroughoutthe season&implementcorrectiveactionasneeded.Hire/firecoaches&coachingassists,sprvs& monitorqualityofperfofteams&coaches.Planintlyouthsoccertournaments.Createteam& coachesschedulesfortheseason,create&implementyouthprogs.Devlp&implementplayerassessmentsatthebegngoftheseasonthruthetry-outprocessaswellasthru-outtheseasonto measure,monitor&trackplayerperf&implementtimelycorrectiveactionsasneededtoenhance playerparticipation,skills,knowledge&appreciationofthesport.Req.4yrsexpmngng&trngsoccercoaches&staff.Singleworkweekusedforcomputingwages.Employeepaideverytwo weeks;willmakealldeductionsfromthewkrʼspaycheckreqʼdbylaw.Noaddtʼldeductswillbe made.SubmitresumesdirectlytothenearestAZJobConnectionoffice&includeSWAcontact info.Emplyemusthaveowntranspto/fromwork.Emplyrwillpayallcostsassociatedwithemplye obtngworkvisawhichincludesvisaprocsng,bordercrossing&otherrelatedfeesincldngthose mandatedbythegov.Emplyenotneedtofrontthesecosts.Emplyrwillprovideworker,w/o chargeordepositcharge,alltools,supplies&equipreqʼdtoperformthedutiesassigned.Emplyr willoffertheworkeremplymntforatotalnumberofworkhoursequaltoatleast¾ʼsoftheworkdaysofeach12weekperiod,iftheperiodofemplymntcoveredbythejoborderis120ormore daysoreach6-weekperiod,iftheperiodofemplymntcoveredbythejoborderislessthan120 days.Ifthewrkrcompletes50%oftheworkcontractperiod,emplyrwillreimbursethewrkrfor transp&subsistencefromtheplaceofrecruitmenttotheplaceofwork.Uponcompletionofthe workcontractorwherethewrkrisdismissedearlier,emplyrwillprovʼdorpayforwrkrʼsreasonable costsofreturntranspandsubsistencebackhomeortotheplacethewrkroriginallydepartedto work,exceptwherethewrkrwillnotreturnduetosubsequentemplymntwithanotheremplyr.The amountoftransppaymentorreimbursementwillbeequaltothemosteconomicalorreasonable commoncarrierforthedistanceinvolved.Dailysubsistencewillbeprovʼdatarateof$12.07per dayduringtraveltoamaximumof$51.00perdaywithreceipts.Inquireaboutthejobopportunityor submitresumedirectlytothenearestAZStateWorkforceAgencyofficewhichcanbefoundat www.azjobconnection.govorGilbertEmploymentService735N.GilbertRd,#134,Gilbert,Az 85234Joborder#26 69434

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AHWATUKEE FOOTHILLS SENIOR ASSOCIATION (AFSA)

Attention: Seniors 55+ --- become a member of AFSA. Mark your calendars for the first Thursdayof every month and enjoy meeting new friends, have a delicious lunch, and be entertained. This all takes place at the Sheraton Four Points Hotel located at 51st St. and Elliot Rd. in Phoenix. Doors open at 11am and lunch is at Noon. Cost is $15. For further information and details, please call Sue McCann at (480) 469-9388.

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

PARENTSOF ADDICTED LOVEDONES

Areyouaffectedby someonewhois dealingwithanaddiction?Ifso,know thatyouarenot aloneandthatthe PAL(Parentsof AddictedLoved Ones)groupcan help.Thegroupis availabletoprovide educationandsupporttoanyone18 yearsorolderwho isdealingwitha friendorfamily memberwithan addiction.Seeour localmeetinglistat palgroup.org

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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

Christian Business Networking, Chandler BiMonthly Chapter 7:30 a.m. second and fourth Tuesdays of the month

Offers members the opportunity to share ideas, contacts and business referrals.

SmartRecovery MeetingWedʼs7:008:30p.m.6400W. DelRioChandler MontessoriSchool nexttoUnitarian Churchroom5.Allissuesdrugs,alcohol, gambling,onlineaddictions,&medications.480-532-2460

GAMBLERS ANONYMOUS & GAMANON for meeting information 602-266-97846

Chandler Christian Church, Room B202 1825 S. Alma School Rd., Chandler Info: Maia, 480-4250624, christianbusinessnetworking.com

Crops of Luv

"My dream is that one day we will be able to give every "wish" child a scrapbook to remind them that dreams do come true."

Jody, co-founder, Ahwatukee based nonprofit

Come Join us: Help make embellishments, organize or assist with events, scrapbook, donate your time, money or space.

Come be apart of

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