The Chandler Arizonan - 07-26-2020

CITY REJECTS BAR'S LICENSE

THESE CHANDLER BUSINESSES JUMP

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This Week

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NEWS................................... 2 City parses out pandemic relief.

COMMUNITY...............18

Chandler author enjoys state poet laureate status.

NEWS........................................ 2

COMMUNITY........................ 18 BUSINESS...............................25 CLASSIFIEDS..........................28

July 26, 2020

Feds poured millions into Chandler to save jobs

BY PAUL MARYNIAK AND KEVIN REAGAN Staff Writers

T

he federal government pumped a staggering amount of money into 3,988 Chandler businesses, nonprofits, churches, private schools and other entities to hold on to more than 78,000 jobs as the economy began reeling during the first few months of the pandemic.

Records released by the U.S. Small Business Administration earlier this month show that the agency gave Chandler enti-

ties – some with addresses at private homes – at least $545.6 million and as much as $841.3 million in Paycheck Protection Program loans.

Most of those loans likely won’t have to be repaid, under SBA guidelines, though the agency states: “Forgiveness is based on the employer maintaining or quickly rehiring employees and maintaining salary levels. Forgiveness will be reduced if full-time headcount declines, or if salaries and wages decrease.”

The loans to Chandler entities ranged

Council races head toward finish line

from as little as $88,325 to as much as $5 million, the SBA data show.

The number of jobs the borrowers said they were saving didn’t necessarily reflect the size of the loan they received, with six recipients of seven-figure loans listing no jobs saved, according to the SBA data.

The SBA did not identify the 3,435 Chandler entities that each borrowed less than $150,000.

And while it did provide names and ad-

see LOANS page 3

Popular coach dies

BY KEVIN REAGAN Arizonan Staff Writer

C

handler’s six city council candidates have collectively spent nearly $70,000 campaigning during the last couple months as the Aug. 4 election heads into the final stretch.

Early voting to fill three seats has been underway since July 8 and the six candidates have been ramping up their campaigns.

And the financial activity of any candidate – even at the local level – could potentially indicate how much community support they have and signal their chances of winning.

Campaign finance records filed by council candidates for the quarter that ended June 30 show where candidates have been getting support – and how much they’re spending to win.

A final pre-primary report is due on Monday, July 27.

During the quarter ending June 30, former Councilman Rick

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see ELECTION page 6

Chandler High School head swimming Coach Kerry Croswhite, who frequently played bagpipes for his swimmers and organizations and events across the Valley, succumbed last week to COVID-19. Story on page 14. (Courtesy Laurie Croswhite)

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CITY NEWS

THE CHANDLER ARIZONAN | WWW.CHANDLERNEWS.COM | JULY 26, 2020

City’s virus-relief plan to aid businesses, others

BY KEVIN REAGAN Arizonan Staff Writer

T

he City of Chandler will award grants to pandemic-stressed local businesses with some of the $30 million it received from the state to ease the economic repercussions caused by COVID-19.

According to a plan presented to the City Council last week, the city has proposed dividing the relief funding into five categories: $9.5 million for local businesses, $7.7 million for improving the city’s technology, $1.6 million for community support, $1 million for protective gear and $10 million to be saved in the city’s reserves.

The grants – capped at $10,000 – will go to local businesses in the retail, health care, manufacturing, remediation and food service industries.

The city picked those industries based on the number of unemployment claims that have been filed since the pandemic began impacting businesses in March.

The sectors that have had the highest rates of job loss were given priority for the money.

Only small for-profit businesses with fewer than 100 full-time workers would be eligible and recipients would have to prioritize the funding for keeping jobs.

Data collected by the city indicates there are more than 1,900 businesses

City Councilman Matt Orlando listens to the administration outline its plan for spending $30 million in pandemic relief funds from the state. (Kevin Reagan/Staff)

be expected to provide weekly updates to the city on the program’s operations.

The grant program will be a “novel solution” to helping the local businesses most hurt by the pandemic, Miranda added.

While Mesa and Phoenix started handing out business grants months ago, smaller communities like Chandler had to wait significantly longer because the

I don’t think that we should be using much for re“ serve, I think we should be pouring it into the marketplace. That’s what it was intended to be used for. ”

– Councilman Mark Stewart

who could potentially qualify for receiving a grant.

Nicknamed the “I Choose Chandler” initiative, the grant program will be administered by a separate entity or individual who will contract with the city to review applications and award the money.

This third-party vendor would have to judge applications based on guidelines set by the city, according to Economic Development Director Micah Miranda and

money was in the state’s hands.

Arizona’s three largest cities and three largest counties got a direct allotment from Washington D.C. but Chandler and scores of other municipalities had to wait for the Ducey Administration.

Even after Gov. Doug Ducey dispersed $441 million of Arizona’s federal funding to local cities and counties, Chandler still had to wait for further guidance on how it

could spend its allotment without violating any state laws that prohibit the gifting of public dollars to private entities.

After a legal review of options, the city’s staff believes the grants can legally serve industries hit hardest by COVID-19.

The city’s Neighborhood Resources Department will spend $1.6 million of the CARES money to support local food banks, after-school programs, senior citizens as well as help residents prevent eviction from their homes.

Neighborhood Resources Director Leah Powell said some of the money will also assist nonprofits in providing relief for homeless individuals who can’t find a place to escape from the summer heat.

Local shelters are already full, she said, and the places homeless individuals used to frequent to get out of the heat – such as public libraries – have been limiting their access due to COVID-19.

Powell’s department plans also to hire two full-time community “navigators” who can help homeless individuals find resources and stay off the streets.

The rate of homelessness has been increasing in Chandler for the last few years and the city is projecting that rate to grow by another 40 percent during

the pandemic.

“I believe we’re already there,” Powell said about the projection. “We may have even already surpassed that.”

The $7 million in CARES funding Chandler has reserved for technology upgrades would be spent on replacing the city’s desktop computers with laptops, improving network security and modernizing the city’s video capabilities.

The city’s plan also allots $500,000 for purchasing protective masks and gear for Chandler’s public safety workers.

Another $500,000 will be allotted for local businesses looking to get reimbursed for buying masks, gloves and face shields.

The Chandler Industrial Development Authority, a nonprofit that operates independently from the city, recently established its own reimbursement fund for businesses that have had to spend hundreds of dollars on protective gear.

The IDA has so far awarded about $12,000 in reimbursement grants.

After reviewing how the city intends to divvy up the CARES allotment, City Council members seemed to generally approve of the plan and expressed a desire to quickly get the money out into the community.

Mayor Kevin Hartke approved of the plan and said he appreciated its flexibility by allowing for some of the $30 million to be saved in reserves.

“I think this is a good first step,” the mayor said. “It will give us the opportunity to be nimble with future funds.”

But Councilman Mark Stewart said the $10 million being saved in the city’s reserves is money he’d like to be spent sooner rather than later.

“I don’t think that we should be using much for reserve,” Stewart said. “I think we should be pouring it into the marketplace. That’s what it was intended to be used for.”

The city said it chose to save a significant amount in reserves in order to prepare for any unexpected future needs that may arise as the pandemic continues to unfold.

City Manager Marsha Reed said Council still has discretion to later change how and when the money held in reserves can be utilized.

THE CHANDLER ARIZONAN | WWW.CHANDLERNEWS.COM | JULY 26, 2020

LOANS from page 1

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dresses for 553 entities that obtained loans of at least $150,000, the agency did not disclose the specific amount they got.

The incomplete data was released by the SBA after weeks of pressure from Congressional Democrats and government watchdogs about the lack of transparency in 4.9 million loans totaling $520.6 billion that it has approved so far nationwide. The agency also extended the deadline to Aug. 8 for applying for some of the estimated $130 billion that remains unspent.

The PPP loan funds – described by the SBA as “a direct incentive for small businesses to keep their workers on the payroll” – are part of the $2 trillion pandemic relief package approved by Con-

3 CITY NEWS

Treasury and the SBA officials said they were protecting the borrowers’ privacy.

Lobbyists for organizations like the National Federation of Independent Business were reported to be concerned that businesses would be hurt competitively or subjected to “public shaming” if identities were disclosed.

While refusing to list much information beyond an itemization of the amount of each below $150,000 and the number of jobs supposedly being saved, the SBA included the names and addresses of those that borrowed $150,000 or more.

But it listed those recipients only within one of five categories of loan ranges: $150,000-350,000, $350,000-1 million, $1-2 million, $2-5 million and $5-10 million.

So, the identities of 3,435 Chandler

Forgiveness is based on the employer maintaining “ or quickly rehiring employees and maintaining salary levels. Forgiveness will be reduced if full-time headcount declines, or if salaries and wages decrease.

”

gress in March that also included other assistance to individuals, businesses and local and state governments.

PPP loans are aimed at preserving jobs by helping borrowers maintain their payroll and stay afloat by using some of the money for rent, mortgage interest or utilities.

The loans comprised the largest portion of the multi-aid effort, accounting for $670 billion, or 26 percent, of the total package.

Arizona’s share of the PPP money totaled between 6.5 billion and $12.5 billion.

If you’re wondering why the loan amounts aren’t more precise for large borrowers and why the identities of thousands of smaller ones remain a secret, it’s because the SBA wanted it that way.

For weeks, the SBA and the Treasury Department squabbled with Congress and others over the paucity of data it had been releasing about the way it was doling out taxpayers’ money as the economy buckled beneath the weight of business shutdowns.

recipients of loans totaling just over $343.5 million remain a secret. The total number of jobs saved by those recipients was 50,703, according to the data.

Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said the way the loan data was released “strikes the appropriate balance of providing the American people with transparency, while protecting sensitive payroll and personal income information of small businesses, sole proprietors, and independent contractors.”

But in a June 25 report, other problems with the program were cited by the federal U.S. Government Accountability Office, the federal government’s primary auditing agency.

“SBA moved quickly to establish a new nationwide program, but the pace contributed to confusion and questions about the program and raised program integrity concerns,” the GAO said.

It said borrowers and lenders “raised a number of questions about the program and eligibility criteria” and noted that the agency issued multiple rules to address confusion among prospective borrowers.

Moreover, the GAO warned, “to help quickly disburse funds, SBA allowed lenders to rely on borrower certifications to determine borrowers’ eligibility, raising the potential for fraud.”

The data related to Chandler PPP recipients lists no recipients in the $5 million to $10 million range; 24 in the $2 million to $5 million range; 47 in the $1 million to $2 million category; 174 that received between $350,000 and $1 million; and 308 that got between $150,000 and $350,000.

Among those categories in Chandler, the 174 recipients of loans between $350,000-$1 million accounted for the most jobs saved at 9,831. The total amount borrowed by those entities ranged between $60.9 million and $174 million.

The 308 recipients in the $150,000$350,000 range received a total of between $46.2 million and $107.8 million and saved 8,020 jobs, according to the SBA data.

In the $1 million to $2 million category, the 47 entities obtained a total $47 million to $94 million and saved 5,052 jobs, the data show.

The 24 recipients in the $2 million to $5 million category saved 4,628 jobs after obtaining loans totaling $48 million to $120 million.

For six recipients of seven-figure loans, the SBA data show either a 0 or a blank under the category for jobs saved.

Two of those companies, Hawkeye Electric and DBSI, Inc., each received loans of between $2 million and $5 million.

No job information also was listed for four companies in the $1 million to $2 million category: Advanced Materials Technologies, Aerospec, JC OPS Co. and ITS. The Chandler data also has a number of private and charter schools and companies that provide services to them among the recipients.

They include The American Virtual Academy, which operates Primavera Online High School, and Vertex Education, which provides services to charters.

They each received loans of between $2 million and $5 million to save a combined 377 jobs.

Legacy Traditional School received four loans totaling $1.4 million to $4 million for four Valley campuses and re-

see LOANS page 4

CITY NEWS

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THE CHANDLER ARIZONAN | WWW.CHANDLERNEWS.COM | JULY 26, 2020

LOANS from page 3

ported saving 347 jobs.

Valley Christian School reported saving 45 jobs for the loan of $1 million to $2 million it received while the Autism Academy for Education and Development claimed 208 jobs saved for its loan in the same category.

Two other schools, Seton Catholic, saving 77 jobs, and Skyline Academy, claiming 50 jobs, were in the $350,000 to $1 million category while St. Dominic Savio received between $150,000 and

$350,000 to save 47 jobs.

Loans of $350,000 to $1 million went to three churches: Cornerstone Christian Fellowship had no job information while Compass Christian Church reported 62 jobs and Tri-City Baptist Church said it saved 144 jobs.

Six other Chandler churches were all in the $150,000 to $300,000 category: Faith Family Church (34 jobs), St. Mary’s Catholic Church (75 jobs), St. Andrew the Apostle (19 jobs), Grove Bible (28 jobs), Antioch Community Church (50 jobs) and Crossroads Church of the Naz-

arene (34 jobs).

While many restaurants presumably received less than $150,000 and are therefore unidentified, 11 chains and independent restaurants and bars were among recipients of loans greater than that – including state Rep. Jeff Weninger’s Arizona Sandwich Shops, which was in the $350,000 to $1 million category.

Someburros and San Tan Brewery received the largest loans – $1 million to $2 million each – to save 348 and 105 jobs, respectively.

Receiving loans of $350,000 to $1 mil-

lion were Top Line Restaurants, which saved 280 jobs at its Denny’s eateries, and Desert Subway, which saved 126 jobs.

Other restaurants are listed in the $150,000-$350,000 category, including the relatively new Hidden House restaurant downtown, which saved 40 jobs; Ginger Monkey, with 44 jobs; Majerles, with 33 jobs; the Brickyard with 20 jobs; and Helluva Brewery, with two jobs.

Besides the churches, two other nonprofits – AZCEND with 42 jobs and ICAN with 28 jobs – received loans of $150,000-$350,000 each.

against City Council candidate Christine Ellis, accusing her of filing “shabby” campaign finance documents in the last couple months.

The Clerk’s Office has begun reviewing reports filed by Ellis that appear to show her accepting donations from private companies – a violation of the state’s campaign finance laws.

According to a report Ellis filed earlier this month, the candidate reported

receiving $1,000 from Good Samaritan Home Care, $1,000 from Options for Senior Living, and $300 from Integrity Matters.

In another report she filed in April, Ellis disclosed receiving $500 from Pastalino Manor, an assisted-living facility.

Based on how Ellis filed the reports, it’s unclear whether these donations came from the business or someone affiliated with the company.

In the section where Ellis should have listed the donor’s name, she instead listed the name of the company.

If the money came directly from a private company and not a donor’s personal account, then the donor could be charged with a Class 2 misdemeanor offense. Arizona law allows a candidate to correct any possible filing mistakes within 20 days of being notified of a violation.

Ellis said she’s been in contact with the Clerk’s Office and is already in the process of remedying any possible errors made in her reports.

“We’re going back and we’re going to fix it,” the candidate said.

The Clerk’s Office initiated their review of Ellis’s reports after a complaint was filed on July 21 by Chandler resident James Jurnak.

In addition to the allegations of improper donations, Jurnak faulted Ellis for leaving out the last names and addresses of some donors. That omission, he said, prevents the public from knowing who is financially supporting the candidate’s campaign.

“It is a disservice to, as well as deliberately misleading of, the voters in Chan-

dler when a candidate who, if elected, would be charged with overseeing the hundreds of millions of dollars in the Chandler city budget, completes these relatively-straightforward forms as these finance reports in such a shabby manner,” Jurnak wrote in his complaint.

Ellis said many of her contributions are transmitted online and donors sometimes don’t provide all their personal information when filling out the virtual form. She said she intends to go back and obtain the full identity of these donors.

Ellis, whose background includes working in the healthcare industry, is a political newcomer and her council bid is her first run for any public office in Chandler.

She said she knows it is improper to accept campaign donations from corporations and had been careful about receiving money from private entities.

“It’s not like we weren’t paying attention,” she added. “We were paying attention.”

A couple of the questionable donors mentioned in Jurnak’s complaints did not present themselves as a company, Ellis said, because they appeared to be a limited liability partnership.

It wasn’t until her staff recently checked the Arizona Corporation Commission’s public records that, Ellis said, she realized these donors were registered as private companies.

If it turns out these contributions were improper, Ellis said she will quickly return the donations or do whatever is

Council candidate accused of campaign finance violations

BY KEVIN REAGAN Arizonan Staff Writer

A

s the days leading up to Election Day wind down, some of Chandler’s political candidates have found themselves caught up in complaints of improper campaign donations and vandalism.

The Chandler City Clerk’s Office is currently reviewing allegations made

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CITY NEWS

RICK HEUMANN

THE CHANDLER ARIZONAN | WWW.CHANDLERNEWS.COM | JULY 26, 2020

MARK STEWART

ELECTION from page 1

Heumann drew nearly $26,000 in donations – the most by any candidates – in his bid to get elected back onto the council.

He had to sit out the last four years after being termed out following two four-year stints on council between 2008 and 2016.

Heumann has been serving on the Chandler Planning and Zoning Commission and chaired the Chandler Chamber of Commerce Public Policy Committee while he waited for a chance to regain a seat on council.

According to finance reports, Heumann’s garnered support of several law enforcement and firefighter unions from across the Valley. The Phoenix Law Enforcement and Tempe Officer associations each kicked in $500 to his campaign and firefighter unions in Glendale, Surprise and Phoenix each contributed $700.

Heumann, who’s been endorsed by the Chandler Law Enforcement Association, has been running on a campaign platform that emphasizes his long history of public service and commitment to fiscal prudence at a time when the city could be facing an economic recession caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.

“You can’t go out and just spend a bunch of money that you maybe don’t have,” Heumann said during a candidate debate in May. But Heumann is not the candidate who’s been spending the most during this last quarter.

Finance records indicate that Councilman Jeremy McClymonds has spent more than $20,000 – twice the amount spent by Heumann – on advertising and

t? o G ws Ne

BETH BRIZEL

campaign materials.

McClymonds was appointed to fill a council seat in 2018 and is running his first campaign this year. Not long after his appointment, McClymonds got to work on campaigning for re-election and gathered about $42,000 in contributions throughout 2019, records show.

One of McClymonds’s biggest donations was a $6,450 check from Bernard Anderson, the chief executive officer of the American Bicycle Association.

Over the last couple months, McClymonds has attracted nearly $9,000 in contributions and ended the most recent quarter with a cash balance of $34,500.

Some of his notable contributors include Dignity Health CEO Jane Hanson, who gave McClymonds $500, and a $250 from a managing director of JLL Phoenix, a real estate management firm that recently brokered the sale of Chandler Pavilions Mall.

Councilman Mark Stewart, who is seeking a second term on council, has spent $14,000 this last quarter and collected nearly $14,000 in donations. Stewart also loaned $15,000 of his own money to his campaign.

Some of his donors have included businessmen who have had projects reviewed by the city in recent years.

Jason Weber, a vice president of Maracay Homes, donated $250 to Stewart on June 21 – one month after Council approved Maracay’s plans for a new 86-lot subdivision near McQueen and Chandler Heights roads.

Stewart also got $500 from the founder of Spike Lawrence Ventures, the development firm that made a deal with the city in 2018 to turn a piece of vacant land into the New Square retail complex.

OD HARRIS

JEREMY MCCLYMONDS

Christine Ellis, another candidate for council, reported spending $13,700 this past quarter and receiving $15,000 in contributions.

Ellis has worked in the assisted-living industry for several years and her campaign promises to foster new relationships between Chandler and the highereducation community.

Beth Brizel, a former member of the Kyrene School District Governing Board, has received about $5,000 in contributions and spent $4,800 on campaigning this last quarter.

Brizel has received endorsements from law enforcement unions and the Phoenix Law Enforcement Association donated $1,000 to her campaign.

OD Harris, an entrepreneur and military veteran, took in $10,000 this past quarter and spent $7,200 on his campaign.

According to finance reports, Harris notably received a flood of donations on June 26 – the same day he reported on social media that several of his campaign signs had been tampered with and destroyed.

The rest of the primary election for Chandler features few party competitions as candidates for county, legislative and congressional seats prepare for the Nov. 4 ballot battle.

One of the few primary competitions of local interest is a three-way race for the Republican nomination in the 9th Congressional District for a chance to take on incumbent U.S. Rep Greg Stanton.

Chandler City Councilman Sam Huang, whose first term expires at the end of this year, chose not to run for reelection and is instead running in that race.

CHRISTINE ELLIS

A formula based on the total number of votes cast in the council elections will determine whether any or three candidates win a seat outright and avoid a runoff election in November.

For Chandler registered voters who have not yet cast their ballots, the city has four centers where they can still vote early until July 31.

Voters can visit City Hall 8 a.m.-5 p.m.

Monday-Friday, or go between 11 a.m. and 7 p.m. to Chandler Fashion Center, 3111 W. Chandler Blvd., or 8 a.m.-7 p.m. at Chandler-Gilbert Community College, 2626 E. Pecos Road. The voting center at Sun Lakes United Methodist Church, 9248 E. Riggs Road is open 9 a.m.-3 p.m.

On Election Day, voted ballots may also be dropped off at City Hall from 6 a.m. to 7 p.m.

To vote in person early or on Election Day, registered voters must present identification. A list of acceptable IDs is available at chandleraz.gov/elections, under Frequently Asked Questions.

It’s too late to request an early ballot.

Maricopa County Elections recommends that ballots be returned by mail no later than July 29.

It’s not clear what type of impact the pandemic might have on turnout, but preliminary data shows more than 22,000 early ballots have been cast in Chandler.

County election officials have been taking steps to ensure all residents will still be able to easily vote in a safe environment by requiring poll workers to wear masks and gloves.

Maricopa County is further allowing voters to ignore precinct rules and attend any polling place they want on Election Day.

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

THE CHANDLER ARIZONAN | WWW.CHANDLERNEWS.COM | JULY 26, 2020

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CITY NEWS

THE CHANDLER ARIZONAN | WWW.CHANDLERNEWS.COM | JULY 26, 2020

ELECTION SIDE from page 4

recommended by the City Clerk’s Office.

Ellis was not the only council candidate listed in Jurnak’s complaint. Rick Heumann and Councilman Mark Stewart were briefly mentioned for allegedly committing minor discrepancies in their finance records.

Chandler City Clerk Dana DeLong said the investigation into Jurnak’s complaint is ongoing.

If a violation has been detected and Ellis chooses not to fix it, then DeLong can forward the matter to City Attorney Kelly Schwab, who can exercise any necessary legal enforcement.

As the city’s early voters begin mailing in their ballots for next month’s primary election, another local candidate has filed a complaint with law enforcement alleging his campaign signs have been intentionally destroyed by an unknown vandal.

Councilman Sam Huang, who is running for the Republican nomination in Arizona’s 9th Congressional District

City Councilman Sam Huang, who is running for the Republican nomination in the 9th Congressional District, has filed a complaint with Chandler police over the defacing of his political signs. Only his have been targeted, he said. (Sam Huang)

race, claims a number of his campaign signs in Chandler have been vandalized over the last couple weeks.

Huang’s face and name have been visibly blacked out with spray paint on

signs stationed along Alma School Road and Chandler Boulevard.

Signs belonging to other candidates posted near Huang’s were not defaced, leading the candidate to believe he’s be-

ing targeted.

Huang said he’s not quite sure why anyone would single him out, but he’s notably the only candidate of Asian descent running in the congressional race.

Huang is in a three-way Republican primary with the winner going up in November against incumbent Democratic Congressman Greg Stanton in a district that encompasses most of northern Chandler.

Huang said he encountered similar incidents of vandalism when he ran for the Chandler City Council in 2016. He informed the local authorities of his damaged campaign signs and no suspects were ever apprehended, Huang said.

Another of Huang’s signs was recently burned by a drunken man in Tempe on July 17. A 32-year-old man was later apprehended by authorities and charged with arson.

A Tempe Police spokesperson said the suspect was heavily under the influence of alcohol during the incident and had no political motivation for burning Huang’s sign.

No deficiencies found at Chandler facility with 16 virus deaths

BY KEVIN REAGAN Arizonan Staff Writer

S

tate regulators found no operational deficiencies at a Chandler assisted-living home where numerous residents contracted COVID-19 and 16 died from the virus.

Pennington Gardens, near Pecos and Dobson roads, reported counted 16 virus-related fatalities and more than 30 confirmed cases of COVID-19 back in April, making it one of the deadliest hotspots in the state for the disease at that time among Arizona’s many assisted-living communities.

Federal data shows at least three other Medicare-funded nursing homes in Arizona recorded more than 16 resident deaths from COVID-19 since the pandemic began in March. More than 250 of Arizona’s nursing homes residents have so far died from the virus.

While the federal government has begun citing some Arizona nursing homes for infection-control violations during the pandemic, state regulators found no major deficiencies that might explain

At least 16 residents at Pennington Gardens in Chandler lost their lives to COVID-19 but the state found no deficiencies in its operations.

(Special to the Arizonan)

why Pennington had a high rate of infection.

Pennington’s managers claim its facility has been free of COVID-19 since May, thanks to new protocols that include requiring staff to wear face masks, social

distancing and screening residents each day for COVID-19 symptoms.

“We continue to keep the safety of our residents and team members our absolute priority,” said Amira Fahoum, a spokesperson for Pennington. “We

are in regular communication with our residents, their families, and our team members to provide them with clear information and updates to any protocol or procedural changes.”

see PENNINGTON page 9

9 CITY NEWS

THE CHANDLER ARIZONAN | WWW.CHANDLERNEWS.COM | JULY 26, 2020

PENNINGTON from page 8

On May 20, the Arizona Department of Health Service conducted an onsite investigation at Pennington after receiving some complaints about the facility. Public records show inspectors found no evidence to substantiate the allegations.

Chris Minnick, a spokesman for the state Health Services Department, said the agency is not able to disclose the details of unsubstantiated complaints.

Only allegations that are supported by deficiencies found at a facility can be made public, he said.

On June 10, the Health Department cited Pennington for leaving out information in its rulebook for how it was combating COVID-19.

According to the agency’s records, inspectors noted Pennington did not mention in its policy protocol whether staff was regularly disinfecting chairs, tables or light switches.

Pennington’s protocol provided a cleaning checklist that staff was expected to complete multiple times throughout the workday.

Though the checklist mentioned sani-

tizing handrails and doorknobs, health inspectors faulted Pennington for leaving out other surfaces that can be carriers for the virus.

“The deficient practice posed a risk as policies and procedures reinforce and clarify standards expected of employ-

The state will not disclose the identities of homes and assisted-living facilities that have had outbreaks of the virus due to privacy concerns, allowing the facilities to decide how much information will be made public.

Superior Court Judge Christopher Coury

difficult in the face of this devilish virus, “Although fidelity to the Constitution and the laws of the state of Arizona must prevail. ”

– Superior Court Judge Christopher Coury

ees,” records state.

A Pennington employee later informed inspectors that the facility’s staff had been cleaning these surfaces and promised to update Pennington’s rulebook.

The Health Department said this citation was corrected on June 23.

Pennington did not immediately respond to inquiries asking whether it has had more cases of COVID-19 over the last couple months.

ruled in favor of the state earlier this summer by concluding state law allowed for this information to remain confidential.

“Although difficult in the face of this devilish virus, fidelity to the Constitution and the laws of the state of Arizona must prevail,” Coury ruled.

The federal government has taken a different stance than Arizona, choosing to publicly disclose which Medicarecertified nursing homes have had con-

firmed cases of COVID-19.

Because some facilities are regulated

by Medicare, the federal government has authority to release information about these facilities that the state may wish not to reveal.

Chandler is home to at least five Medicare-certified nursing homes and one was recently cited for not following the government’s infection-control guidelines.

Desert Cove, near Frye and Dobson roads, has had at least nine residents die from COVID-19 and six staff members contract the virus, according to federal data. Some of the state’s other Medicarecertified homes have had up to 30 residents succumb to the coronavirus.

On May 13, health inspectors cited Desert Cove after they observed an employee failing to inform visitors they needed to wash or sanitize their hands before walking through the facility.

The employee screened the visitors for symptoms of the virus, inspectors noted, but did not offer them any hygiene products before allowing them to move freely about the building. Desert Cove reported correcting this error by June 10.

10

CITY NEWS

THE CHANDLER ARIZONAN | WWW.CHANDLERNEWS.COM | JULY 26, 2020

School districts now in charge of deciding campus reopenings

BY HOWARD FISCHER Capitol Media Services

C

handler and other Arizona schools won’t be required to put kids back into classrooms next month.

But they will be required to make some sort of on-site learning available for parents who want it.

On Thursday, Gov. Doug Ducey and state schools chief Kathy Hoffman abandoned what had been an Aug. 17 “aspirational’’ date to begin offering inclassroom education. And they did not replace it with any new target.

“It’s not reasonable to set a date,’’ Hoffman said, adding that she said she doubts any school would have been ready to actually begin classroom instruction by that original target date.

Instead, the new executive order signed by the governor directs school boards and charter school operators to begin some sort of operations – even if just online – on what would have been their regular start date.

In the meantime, the Department of Health Services is supposed to come up with “public health benchmarks’’ by Aug. 7 school officials will be required to consider when determining whether to

Gov. Doug Ducey and Kathy Hoffman, the state Superintendent of Public Instruction, outlined plans last week to let Chandler and all other Arizona school districts to decide when to reopen campuses.(Capitol Media Services)

open classrooms.

But it will remain up to each entity to determine when they are ready for inperson learning.

That can mean continuing with online and remote instruction for as long as the school officials believe is necessary.

But requirements remain.

The biggest is that these districts must provide somewhere for students to go.

These could be youngsters whose parents work as well as students who do not have access to computers at home.

The governor has a particular focus on “at risk’’ children from low-income households, special education students and those who go to school with limited English proficiency.

There are other conditions, including requirements for “social distancing’’ and for all adults and most students to wear masks.

But there’s also a carrot with all this: a 5 percent boost in state aid.

Under normal circumstances, the state pays only 95 percent of normal aid for

students who are being taught only online. That means only about $5,000 per student versus $5,300, the average figure for traditional public schools.

This plan erases that gap.

But it also would provide an identical bonus to qualifying school districts who agree to actually put youngsters into seats. They will get 105 percent of state aid, or an extra $265.

Aides to the governor pegged the cost to the state at about $370 million if all school districts meet the qualifications.

Those dollars would come from the state’s share of federal Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act. The decision to allow schools to operate online indefinitely comes against the backdrop of a push by President Trump to force schools to start in-classroom teaching. Ducey said that sentiment is not necessarily a bad thing.

“I think that having a kid in a classroom is a great thing,’’ he said.

What this policy does, the governor said, is leave the decisions to local elected officials and, ultimately, to parents who may decide that, even in places where schools are open, that’s not the right choice.

see DUCEY page 16

City rejects license for Chandler bar open during shutdown

BY KEVIN REAGAN Arizonan Staff Writer

T

he Chandler City Council has taken the rare step of disapproving a liquor license application submitted by a local bar that was busted for hosting a party during the COVID-19 shutdown.

In a unanimous vote July 16, Council followed the advice of Chandler Police by recommending that the state not grant a liquor license to El Coyote Sports Bar. It was an unusual course of action for a city that typically recommends almost every application it receives before forwarding them to the Arizona Department of Liquor Licenses for final review.

Chandler last voted down a liquor license request in 2007.

Chandler City Council won't recommend a liquor license for the El Coyote Sports Bar on Arizona Avenue.

(Pablo Robles/Arizonan Staff Photographer)

The main source for the city’s dissent stemmed from a party allegedly held at El Coyote on March 21 – one day after Gov. Doug Ducey closed all bars in Arizona to stop the spread of the coronavirus.

Up to 30 patrons were inside El Coyote on Arizona Avenue near Oakland Street that night and some reported paying $20 to gain entry, police said.

El Coyote co-owner Shawn Hoover has said the event was a private party scheduled before Ducey’s shutdown order and insisted he hadn’t been aware of it.

“It was an honest, clear misunderstanding,” Hoover told city officials in April, “and we’d definitely like a second chance.”

But Chandler Police Chief Sean Dug-

see EL COYOTE page 11

11 CITY NEWS

THE CHANDLER ARIZONAN | WWW.CHANDLERNEWS.COM | JULY 26, 2020

EL COYOTE from page 10

gan thinks Hoover and his colleagues had behaved antagonistically toward officers who tried to break up the party.

He said officers could not gain entry into El Coyote because doors were locked and employees blocked the entrance. Once they got inside, he said, officers noticed several customers drinking alcohol and one was seen carrying a firearm – a violation of the state’s liquor laws.

The bar’s staff lied repeatedly to officers, Duggan said, and acted belligerently when confronted about the party.

“The position of the Police Department has not changed since the events on March 21,” the chief told Council.

“Both owners were deceptive to police about conducting a business in violation of the governor’s executive order.”

A few days after the party, the state revoked a temporary liquor license issued to El Coyote in January and Duggan said it should not be reinstated.

Duggan first encouraged Council to

disapprove of El Coyote’s application to renew its license back in April, but councilmen were torn about hurting a local business during the pandemic.

Council deferred action for several months until it became clear the city had few options; they either had to recommend approval, disapproval or make no recommendation at all.

Council’s decision was made easier after it learned of some recent incidents involving El Coyote’s owners that involved other city code violations.

On June 7, a fire was reported at El Coyote and firefighters noticed some kitchen appliances and one of the bar’s walls had been moved. The Chandler Fire Department later found out the bar’s owners had not obtained a building permit before starting a renovation of El Coyote’s kitchen.

The bar’s owners had been advised in May they would need a permit before starting any planned renovations, according to the department.

Hoover told a different story.

He claimed the city’s Development

Services Department told him he would not need any permits for minor renovations because they only involved removing a short wall unconnected to any plumbing or electricals.

The contrasting story wasn’t enough to sway council members, who all seemed to accept the word of city staff.

Councilman Matt Orlando said it appears El Coyote’s owners have displayed a pattern of behavior that’s troubling and warrants some intervention from the city.

“I think you really are trying to do the right thing but in some cases, you’re just not doing the right thing,” Orlando told the owners.

Councilman Mark Stewart said he had been reluctant to take any action against a local business during the pandemic but the issue was a quality-of-life matter and neighboring residents expect the city to protect their neighborhood.

According to Chandler Police, officers were dispatched to El Coyote at least nine times in the weeks leading up to the March 21 incident.

Stewart also noted that the city does not have final authority on the bar’s license.

El Coyote will take its application to the Arizona State Board of Liquor at the agency’s next meeting on Aug. 6.

Jeffery Trillo, a spokesman for the Department of Liquor Licenses, said he could not predict how much of an impact Chandler’s disapproval will have.

Each application brought before the board has varying impact based on the facts and arguments presented, Trillo said, and decisions are made on a caseby-case basis.

Over the last couple months, the Board of Liquor has received several complaints from cities and counties regarding local bars that have violated pandemic-related guidelines.

Pima County has reported at least 11 bars to the board for not complying with the governor’s executive orders. Tempe’s Varsity Tavern was under investigation for allegedly not informing the public it had staff members test positive for COVID-19.

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Bassam Matar, left, and his son Habib Matar will work side by side teaching a new artificial intelligence program at Chandler Gilbert Community College. (Courtesy of Habib Matar)

Father, son team up with CGCC on AI program

BY KEVIN REAGAN Arizonan Staff Writer

C

handler-Gilbert Community College is preparing to offer one of the first known degree programs that specializes in artificial intelligence.

In collaboration with Chandler-based Intel, the college plans to start offering courses this fall semester that will prepare students for entry-level jobs in advanced technology.

“I am pleased to announce our partnership with Intel,” said Steven Gonzales, interim chancellor of Maricopa Com-

munity Colleges.

“This program will train our students for a competitive workforce, strengthen Arizona’s economy as well as help close the opportunity gap we see across the state and be a model for educational institutions across the nation.”

Though the college’s governing board has not officially authorized the program yet, Chandler-Gilbert is expecting to create at least six new AI courses that will cover a variety of topics in computer science, business solutions, and techno-

see INTEL page 14

THE CHANDLER ARIZONAN | WWW.CHANDLERNEWS.COM | JULY 26, 2020

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Chandler Police Chief Sean Duggan received a welcomed gift of 4,000 facemasks from Sam Wang and Susan Liu of the Chinese-American COVID-19 relief group. (Pablo Robles/Arizonan Staff Photographer)

Chandler Police get big facemask donation

BY KEVIN REAGAN Arizonan Staff Writer

T

he Chinese-American COVID-19 Relief group has given Chandler Police their largest donation of disposable masks to help shield officers and citizens from the coronavirus.

The group that donated 4,000 masks comprises local individuals who have been supplying several hospitals and police departments with protective gear since the pandemic began.

The donation came at a crucial time for police, said Sgt. Jason McClimans, because the department’s supply has become notably depleted and it hoped to avoid pulling from the city’s reserves.

Officers burn through about 50 masks a day during all their interactions with the public, he explained, adding the donation brings the supply back to a more comfortable level.

The Chinese-American COVID-19 Relief has collected more than $50,000 to purchase over 150,000 masks. It already delivered masks to Mesa Police, Dignity Health, the Mayo Clinic, Banner Health and the Navajo Nation.

Susan Liu, of Chandler, helped orga-

nize the group when the pandemic started in March and said most of the donors reside in Chandler and Gilbert.

This region is their home, she said, and the group feels a responsibility to protect the community during one of the worst health crises in modern history.

“When the community – our neighbors, our friends, our coworkers, our doctors, our police – is facing challenges – it’s up to us to unite together,” Liu said.

Getting the masks to their recipients has not been an easy task.

Liu said her group encountered several transportation problems in March and struggled to find distributors willing to deliver their supplies.

The COVID-19 outbreak disrupted the international supply chain of protective gear during the first few weeks of the pandemic as demand for masks outpaced the global supply.

“Meeting demand for face masks has become one of the main issues for governments fighting the pandemic,” the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development wrote in a policy statement. “Masks may play an even

see MASKS page 16

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CITY NEWS

INTEL from page 12

logical applications.

The AI field of study is generally defined as technology that’s capable of perceiving its own environment and solving problems with limited human interference.

As more businesses have become dependent on these intelligent machines over the years, the academic world has begun pondering how it can meet the industry’s needs by educating students in AI curriculum.

According to research by Maricopa Community Colleges, knowledge in AI subject areas is already in high demand from several top employers and job growth for AI-related jobs in the local area is projected to expand by 22 percent over the next decade.

Chandler-Gilbert’s new two-year, associate’s degree program will ideally teach students specialized skills for future careers as a business analyst, java developer, data engineer or marketing manager.

Bassam Matar, who has been teaching engineering courses at Chandler-Gilbert for several years, will be teaching the college’s first AI course alongside his son, Habib, an Arizona State University graduate and current Intel employee.

There’s a great amount of excitement for this program, the elder Matar said, because there’s nothing similar to it being offered at any other community college campus.

THE CHANDLER ARIZONAN | WWW.CHANDLERNEWS.COM | JULY 26, 2020

“It’s going to be a unique program that does not exist anywhere in the nation,” Matar said.

The Matars have been involved with developing the AI program since Intel first approached the college a couple years ago about introducing this type of curriculum in Chandler.

Intel had apparently devised some AI programming and been testing it out

These classes will hopefully “clear the fog” on some of the complexities surrounding new AI technology, he added, and possibly push students to pursue more advanced degrees at a four-year university.

“It will really push for more beginner students to be able to get kind of a first taste,” Habib said.

The Chandler-Gilbert campus has

This program will train our students for a “competitive workforce, strengthen Arizona’s

economy as well as help close the opportunity gap we see across the state and be a model for educational institutions across the nation.

”

– Steven Gonzale

elsewhere before seeking out ChandlerGilbert’s help at implementing the curriculum for the local workforce.

The program will additionally offer a certificate option for workers and graduates looking to add some additional skills to their resume.

Habib Matar, who notably earned an associate’s degree from Chandler-Gilbert at the age of 16, said they’re designing these new courses to help students get a better understanding of how modern technology works.

spent the last couple years introducing innovative programs in cybersecurity and drone aviation, which have worked to revamp the college’s image as an institution that’s progressive about higher education in the 21st century.

The AI degree adds to that spirit of innovation, Bassam Matar said, because it creates another opportunity to learn about a form of technology that continues to change and develop from one day to the next.

Matar has been teaching courses at

Chandler-Gilbert since the college first decided to form an engineering program in the early 2000s.

The engineering department only had about 20 students when it originated, he recalled, and now more than 500 pupils enroll in engineering courses annually at the Chandler-Gilbert campus.

There already have been a number of inquiries about this AI degree, Matar added, and the college’s students seem eager to know more about how this program can benefit their future job prospects. Within a couple days of registering the college’s first AI course online, Matar said he noticed a handful of students had already enrolled in it.

The first AI class at Chandler-Gilbert will be taught online due to restrictions the college has in place to protect staff and students from the coronavirus. Matar said the course will still have a “live” element to it and still allow for one-on-one instruction.

One of the overall goals of the program will be to explore the many sectors that utilize AI technology in their daily operations, Matar added. Aerospace, automotives, and health care are all industries that regularly depend on AI, he said, and students will learn how their degree can be useful within these various sectors.

“There’s a lot of things you could use AI for in all these different areas,” Matar said.

More information about the AI program can be found at maricopa.edu.

Chandler swim coach loses life to COVID-19

BY ZACH ALVIRA Arizonan Sports Editor

K

erry Croswhite, who spent the 15 years as the head swim coach and assistant softball coach at Chandler High School, passed away July 21 after nearly a month-long battle with COVID-19. He was 61.

“This is a hard one,” his wife, Laurie, wrote in her online Caring Bridge journal, where she kept regular updates.

“Kerry lost his battle at 6:01pm this evening. He fought so hard.

“The song ‘These Are the Days’ by Van

Morrison was playing on his Pandora when he passed. Think of him whenever you hear it.”

Coach Croswhite had become a staple in the prep swimming community in Arizona during his 15 years leading the Wolves. He coached at Highland High School for a number of years before Chandler and had his own swimming career at Western State University.

He was also well-known for his bagpipes, which he played before every competition while leading his team on to the pool deck and at events across the Valley.

But his love and admiration for his swimmers endeared them to him.

During a swim practice in 2008, Coach Croswhite jumped into the water to save one of his swimmers that had a seizure and was at the bottom of the pool. His quick action saved her life.

“One of the gals had epilepsy and had a seizure,” Laurie said in an interview on July 13. “He noticed she was at the bottom and wasn’t playing around. He jumped in and got her out.”

Students, administrators and those representing other programs took to social media July 21 when word of his

passing spread.

Many posted pictures of Coach Croswhite, all of which he had a smile on his face. Several others posted heartfelt messages for Laurie and the rest of his family.

“This is a devastating loss for our community,” Arizona Interscholastic Association Executive Director David Hines tweeted.

“Kerry Croswhite, an incredible husband, father, friend, teacher, coach and mentor passed away this evening,” the

see COACH page 15

THE CHANDLER ARIZONAN | WWW.CHANDLERNEWS.COM | JULY 26, 2020

15 CITY NEWS

COACH from page 14

official Twitter account for Chandler High athletics tweeted. “The Chandler High community will truly miss a man who truly impacted so many and was always willing to go out of his way to help others. RIP Kerry Croswhite.”

Coach Croswhite began feeling ill with a fever, chills and body aches on June 22 – the day after Father’s Day. Out of precaution, he isolated himself in the bedroom of their home and was given Tylenol and vitamins.

He received a COVID-19 test from his doctor shortly after symptoms began.

The test came back negative. But on June 30, he told his wife he could feel the illness had moved into his chest and his cough was becoming worse.

Using a home monitoring device, Laurie found her husband’s oxygen levels had dipped into the 80s. Typically, levels should remain in the high 90s.

Coach Croswhite first went to a Valley hospital on July 1 but was released 45 minutes later after his oxygen level rose.

Laurie chose to keep the name of the first hospital they went to private.

On July 3, his oxygen dipped again, and he was admitted into Banner Desert where he received a positive test for the virus. He was placed on a BiPap machine before being moved to the ICU on July 7 and put on a ventilator the next day.

“He was reluctant to go to the hospital the second time because he was afraid of being sent home again,” said Laurie, who was unaware of where her husband may have contracted the virus and tested negative herself. “But he knew he needed to go because each day was getting worse.”

Coach Croswhite showed signs of improvement up until the morning of July

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Chandler High School head swim coach Kerry Croswhite lost his life to COVID-19 last week. His widow Laurie is delaying a celebration of his life until large gatherings are allowed. (Courtesy Laurie Croswhite)

17, when nurses called Laurie and the rest of the family to the hospital as he was declining quickly. The family rushed to the hospital knowing that might have been their last chance to say goodbye.

However, Coach Croswhite continued fighting despite possible damage to his kidneys, lungs, heart and brain.

According to journal posts from Laurie, her husband had become unresponsive as his condition continued to fluctuate.

At times, his oxygen and other health indicators would remain stable. However, there were also times they would fluctuate, and his condition would worsen.

Laurie and his family were called to the hospital a second time July 21 and at that time doctors informed them there was nothing left they could do medically.

“We stayed at his bedside to assure him he was so brave and has fought so

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hard and how proud we are of him,” Laurie wrote. “We were able to share how much we love him, and he will always be with us. We told him again about the amounts of people that have been pray-

ing of him. He knows he is truly loved.”

A GoFundMe to help with the family’s medical costs was set up by Laurie’s sister, Megan Jarvis July 9 and within hours, thousands of dollars had been raised.

As of July 21, nearly $50,000 had been donated to the family.

“We could not have made it this far without all of you and your prayers,” Laurie wrote. “We are so broken, but we will be okay. Toast a scotch to Kerry.”

Coach Croswhite is survived by his widow, Laurie; sons Kassidy Steele Croswhite and his wife Morgan, Kagan James and his wife Claire Ann Lunden and Dusten Derek; daughters Ky Brittany and Bristyn Steele; three grandchildren; sisters Pamela (Dave) Croswhite-Yocom, Melissa Croswhite, Vanessa (Randy) Croswhite-Keller and DeeDee (Dwayne) Croswhite Palmer; and a brother, Joddy (Beth) Croswhite.

He was preceded in death by his parents, William D. Croswhite Jr. and Barbra Steele Croswhite. And brother William D. (Suzanne) Croswhite III. To make a donation: gofundme. com/f/medical-expenses-for-kerrycroswhite.

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CITY NEWS

MASKS from page 13

greater role in the next phase of the crisis, when lockdowns are gradually lifted and economic activity resumes.”

The Chinese-American Relief group had little trouble finding donors to pay for new masks, Liu said, but the real challenge was getting masks to first-responders and health care workers.

Flights kept getting cancelled and the government’s shipping policies were changing on a daily basis.

More than 100 distributors were contacted before the group got the first batches of masks imported into Arizona.

The whole operation essentially became another full-time job for this group of volunteers, said Liu, who works at Intel.

Chandler Police appreciated the group’s efforts.

“We know how special we have it in Chandler -- especially compared to other communities in the country,” said Police Chief Sean Duggan.

Community policing is based on trust, the chief added, and officers can only maintain it by meeting with people oneon-one.

The pandemic has made these types

THE CHANDLER ARIZONAN | WWW.CHANDLERNEWS.COM | JULY 26, 2020

of interactions more challenging, Duggan said, but having access to protective gear makes the task a bit easier.

The total number of COVID-19 cases in Chandler has grown from 3,893 to 5,070 within the last two weeks, according to the Arizona Department of Health Services. ZIP code 85225, which is home to the main Chandler Police station, has been the site of some of the city’s biggest transmission spikes; its total number of virus cases tripled between June and July.

As the number of local cases continues to increase, the police department said it’s been taking steps to try to prevent officers from contracting the virus.

The agency has canceled several community events, curbed activity at its main headquarters and officers are instructed to keep their face covered whenever walking through a public area.

These circumstances are alien to the concept of community policing, Duggan said, but officers continue to be uplifted by the support of citizens with generous donations like the one made by ChineseAmerican COVID-19 Relief.

“Who knows how long this will continue?” he said. “But certainly, this puts us in better footing to help protect our folks.”

DUCEY from page 10

“In this situation, somebody that’s got an underlying health condition or weakened immunity, we would never force them to do something that would be against their safety,’’ Ducey said. “And we would want to provide options for them.’’

There’s something else, though.

State Health Director Cara Christ said that having hundreds of thousands of children who have been sheltering at home now for months suddenly put back into classrooms is likely to result in an increase in COVID-19 cases.

But she said that’s not as alarming as it might seem – at least for children in lower grades.

“What the data is currently showing is that kids under 10 don’t transmit COVID as effectively as adults do,’’ Christ said.

“But we will continue to monitor and there will be benchmarks that we will look at to determine if it does look like it’s increasing.’’

And the option remains with school officials who have opened up for inclassroom instruction to drop that and go back to online and remote learning.

The governor’s other big announce-

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ment is that Arizonans will not be going back to bars, gyms, fitness centers, water parks, tubing and movie theaters on Monday.

That is the day the governor’s latest closure order on these businesses was set to expire. Instead, Ducey is extending it indefinitely, with a promise to review the situation every two weeks.

The move comes as there are indications that the rate of infection in Arizona is beginning to decrease.

But the situation still remains critical.

And the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention saying in its latest report that Arizona remains “in the red zone for cases.’’

That means there were more than 100 new cases for every 100,000 residents last week and the percent of tests coming back positive remains above 10 percent.

And what that also means, the CDC said, is the state should keep bars and gyms closed in “hot spot’’ counties, which is most of the state.

Ducey cited that CDC report in justifying his decision to keep these businesses shuttered. He said that makes moves like these “guided by public health and not politics or what’s popular.’’

But that same CDC report also said that restaurants in Arizona should be limited to no more than 25 percent of capacity for indoor dining and that crowd size should be limited to 10.

Ducey, however, said he does not plan to follow those recommendations, keeping restaurants at 50 percent and crowds to no more than 50.

The governor said he saw no need to implement those, saying if things take a turn for the worse “we have options if we need to change.’’

While Ducey said Arizona appears to have a downward trend in COVID-19 cases, there is one big caveat: A delay in reporting test results.

Christ said the average turnaround is 5.2 days, at least for the labs that report electronically to her agency. But she said there are those that are taking more than a week.

That not only affects the numbers being reported. Christ said it also complicates efforts to get a handle on the spread.

“We want to be able to connect with the people,’’ she said.

“We want to give them instruction on how to prevent transmitting COVID-19 to others,’’ Christ continued. “And we want to get in touch with their contacts so we can break that transmission chain.’’

THE CHANDLER ARIZONAN | WWW.CHANDLERNEWS.COM | JULY 26, 2020

17 CITY NEWS

Chandler bar, 21 others sue over Ducey closures

BY HOWARD FISCHER Capitol Media Services

A

Chandler bar owner and 21 other tavern operators from around the state are asking the Arizona Supreme Court to rule that Gov. Doug Ducey does not have the constitutional authority to shut them or any other business down.

Attorney Ilan Wurman is not contending that there is not an emergency due to the COVID-19 outbreak.

But Wurman, an associate professor at Arizona State University, said the law that gives Ducey the unilateral power to do things like close down certain businesses “unconstitutionally delegates the legislative power of this state to the governor.

Among the owners he is representing is Peter Sciacca, owner of Chandler’s QuartHaus, as well as Charles Jenkins of the Office Sports Bar on Gilbert Road in Mesa.

Located in the heart of downtown Chandler, the QuartHaus is offering a popular courtyard area where patrons can play lawn games while sipping on their specialty beers.

Sciacca, a member of the Downtown Chandler Community Partnership’s board of directors, declined to comment on his suit. The suit likely won't be heard by the high court before August.

Wurman wants the justices to not only void the law giving the governor those powers but also declare that any orders Ducey already has made under that law are illegal and cannot be enforced.

The outcome of the legal fight would affect not just the owners of the 20 bars around the state who are challenging his authority over them but every other kind of business that Ducey has ordered shuttered or whose operations he has directed be curtailed.

And it also could affect the governor’s future ability to impose a new stay-at-home order as well as any directives he issues about when schools can and cannot open.

The action is the third challenging Ducey’s powers to close businesses.

A Maricopa County Superior Court judge earlier this month rejected a challenge by the Mountainside Fitness chain and last week a federal judge rebuffed a bid by Xponential Fitness to allow it to

Peter Sciacca, owner of the QuartHaus in Chandler is one of 22 bar owners across the state challenging the governor's right to close bars indefinitely. The order was scheduled to expire Monday but has now been extended for at least two more weeks and possibly beyond in an effort to control COVID-19 spread.

(Special to the Arizonan)

reopen its 50 facilities around the state.

“The court does not doubt the earnestness of plaintiffs’ desire to open their businesses, generate revenue, earn a living, and employ – and as importantly pay – others,’’ wrote U.S. Judge Diane Humetewa, adding that she recognizes “the economic and emotional hardships’’ that the closure orders can impose on people and individuals.

But Humetewa said she was powerless to simply void Ducey’s orders.

“In our constitutional republic, the decisions of whether, when, and how to exercise emergency powers amidst a global pandemic belong not to the unelected members of the federal judicial branch, but to the elected officials of the executive branch,’’ she wrote.

Humetewa said a crisis like that created by the coronavirus calls for “quick, decisive measures to save lives.’’

“Those measures can have extreme costs – costs that often are not borne evenly,’’ she said. “The decision to impose those costs rests with the political branches of government, in this case, Gov. Ducey.’’

Alex Weingarten, the attorney for Xponential, argued that other businesses that remain open would be more likely places where the virus could spread – a contention the judge called irrelevant.

“COVID-19 is highly contagious and

continues to spread at alarming rates, requiring public officials to constantly evaluate the best methods by which to protect residents’ safety against the economy and a myriad of other concerns,’’ Humetewa said.

Xponential has franchise operations around the state operating around the state as Club Pilates, Stretch Lab, CycleBar, Pure Barre, Yoga Six, AKT, and Row House.

Central to the bars’ case is the law that both allows the governor to declare an emergency and then gives him “the right to exercise ... all police power vested in the state by the constitution and laws of this state’’ to deal with that emergency.

“Petitioners have suffered great harm from being unable to operate their businesses in pursuit of their lawful occupations and ordinary callings,’’ Wurman told the justices. “They have no idea when they will be able to reopen.’’

“The ‘police power’ of a state is, in effect, its legislative power: its power of the health, safety, welfare, and morals of the people,’’ he wrote.

The law that Ducey is using, Wurman said, is “a naked delegation of the state’s legislative power to the governor and is therefore unconstitutional.

“There are no standards whatsoever,’’ he said. “There is no sufficient basic standard, no definite policy and rule of action which

will serve as a guide for the governor.

And what that means, Wurman told the court, is that the law gives Ducey unfettered authority.

He argues Ducey could order students to attend school only every third day.

“There is, in short, literally no standard by which to judge the governor’s actions under the statute, and it therefore must violate the nondelegation doctrine,’’ Wurman said.

Wurman also told the court that declaring the state’s general emergency powers statute unconstitutional would not leave Ducey or future governors without the power to deal with emergencies, including the pandemic.

He pointed out – and is not challenging – various other laws giving governors powers to deal with public health emergencies.

But those powers, Wurman said, are limited. “Nothing in (health law) authorizes the governor to close down petitioners’ businesses,’’ he said.

The lawsuit also raises an equal protection argument, saying Ducey cannot decide that some businesses are permissible while other are not.

“If the purpose of the governor’s order is to mitigate the spread of a pandemic by ensuring that businesses follow particular sanitary measures, then the governor must permit all businesses to operate who can meet those standards,’’ he wrote.

18

COMMUNITY

THE CHANDLER ARIZONAN | WWW.CHANDLERNEWS.COM | JULY 26, 2020

Chandler author busy as state’s poet laureate

BY SRIANTHI PERERA Arizonan Contributor

I

f someone had told Alberto Alvaro Rios when he was a teenager growing up in a borderland community that he would become Arizona’s first poet laureate, his response would have been mirth.

“Ironically, I did not actually read much poetry as a teenager. I was too busy living it,” Rios said. “I did not come to poetry from reading; I came to it as a constant act of my own discovery.”

When he did start reading poetry, he sensed something of his own voyage in those words. That serendipitous discovery has propelled his life’s work and platform.

The Chandler resident, who also directs the Virginia G. Piper Center for Creative Writing at Arizona State University, has published 12 poetry collections,

For Alberto Alvaro Rios, Arizona’s inaugural poet laureate, poetry is a constant act of discovery. (Arizona State University)

three collections of short stories and a memoir – all sandwiched between hundreds of poems in national and international journals and anthologies.

The most recent poetry collection, published by Copper Canyon Press in May, is titled “Not Go Away Is My Name,” and a first novel, titled “A Good Map of All Things,” published by University of Arizona Press, is due out in the fall.

Like much of his work, both were inspired by growing up in the American part of Nogales and hailing from a family that has been in the region of northern Mexico/ southern Arizona for many generations.

He also straddles cultures: his mother is from Lancashire, England, and his father is from Chiapas, Mexico.

“What is important about that is understanding how community is generational as well as geographic, and com-

munity is what has given me so much of my work,” Rios said.

To him, place is far more than a mapped entity.

“For me, it is animals, desert, rain, wild plants, and so much more, things you have to walk among and through, things you have to taste and run from, things you have to respect and understand intimately,” he said.

Of his latest work, some contain experiences while others are imagined. However, they could only have been imagined by someone who has gone through the experiences of growing up between cultures and languages, he said.

“I think the border is the most American place in America because it is a place where you have to choose or you get to choose every day,” he said. “That’s the

She has been recognized in both the Valley and Wichita her professional achievements and community involvement and is an adjunct professor for the Maricopa Community Colleges, leading courses for marketing and advertising for small businesses.

Prior to the creation of her firm, Woods worked in the city governments of Wichita and Maricopa as a public information officer and as the assistant to the city manager for the City of Scottsdale.

She served as a volunteer for the Chandler Museum, developing the strategy for the launch of the new facility which opened in 2018. She is a 25-year member of Public Relations Society of America and serves on the executive committee for the Counselors Academy Section was a member of Valley Leadership’s 28th Class.

Woods also is a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority and a sustaining member of Junior League of Phoenix. In 2019, she was appointed National Public Relations Chair for the Top Ladies of Distinction, Inc.

“The Chandler Cultural Foundation Board is comprised of such an impressive array of community leaders, who each bring their expertise and unique perspectives to help us serve the cultural community,” said Jeanne Forbis, Chandler Cultural Foundation chair, adding: “LaTricia is a true powerhouse - her understanding of city government, her passion for the arts and social service, her expertise in communications and her vast history of community involvement will be of immeasurable value to the Board. We are thrilled to have her join us.”

Woods said that as a longtime Chandler resident, “I was searching for a way to serve in the community that we love.

I also know that I serve with a spirit of an exceptional community servant, Janet Tobias, always with me. As such, the work that I do as a member of the Board not only is done to shine a spotlight on our brilliant community but to honor her memory as well.”

see RIOS page 19

Local resident name to Chandler Cultural Foundation ARIZONAN NEWS STAFF

A

Chandler resident with a long history in strategic planning and community engagement has been named to the Chandler Cultural Foundation.

LaTricia Harper Woods has been named to the non-profit, the managing board for the Chandler Center of the Arts.

Woods has a 25-year career in public relations, public affairs, marketing, crisis communications, internal communications and multicultural communications for government agencies, nonprofits and small businesses.

A resident of Chandler for the last 12 years, she will serve will serve a threeyear term on the foundation and “will focus on broadening the reach and awareness of the board’s programs and events,” according to a release.

Woods is founder and president of Mahogany Xan Communications, LLC, a public relations firm working with a

Public relations powerhouse LaTricia Harper Woods of Chandler has been tapped for the Chandler Cultural Foundation board. (Special to the Arizonan)

variety of clients to develop and implement their communication strategies.

THE CHANDLER ARIZONAN | WWW.CHANDLERNEWS.COM | JULY 26, 2020

RIOS from page 18

premise of America.”

Rios wonders at the choices available to Americans.

“In most of the world, there’s no ‘or,’ you get what you get or do what you do. Growing up on the border, you have to choose every day. What word am I going to say when I’m looking at a pen: Am I going to say pen or am I going to say blue mark? And what am I going to think of, when I think of the color blue: Am I going to think of an American blue or the inexplicable blue that you see in houses that are painted in Mexico?” he said.

Those on the border get to choose “all the time, every day” and that extends to languages.

“Even in choosing, you’re not choosing one thing or the other, sometimes you’re choosing both simultaneously. That’s exciting. I find it thrilling. I think that’s the essence of the border; it’s choice. It’s not limiting in any way,” he added.

The duality nurtured his poetry.

“Now when I sit down and I look at words, I know there’s always more than one way to say something, there’s more than one way to look at it and more than

one way to think about it. And I think that is the essence of what being a poet is,” he said.

“A Good Map of All Things” has a similar theme and the story takes place just south of the border, in northern Sonora.

“It’s a compendium of all the small towns that I grew up either visiting or hearing about or my great aunts lived in,” he said. “There is no one main character; the town itself is the character. Everybody comes in and they tell their story, creating again their own community. There’s no one way to describe their community.

Everybody has their version.”

Rios values the lifelong experience that makes us singular as authors and poets.

“We each, every one of us as human beings, have an innately particular story to tell,” he said.

Which is what he’s nurturing at the Piper Center.

“As a poet, I see my directorship of the Piper Center as a chance to let dreams be realized. It isn’t so different from what I talk about as poet laureate,” he said.

“Hoping that what I bring to the table is strong, responsible, imaginative thinking, I get to shepherd both the center and my

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19 COMMUNITY

readers in positive, magical directions.

“Some of those directions are publication, of course, but everything stems from actualizations of the self. This is where the electricity is.”

Rios was appointed Arizona’s inaugural poet laureate by Governor Jan Brewer in 2013. He has organized several literal events and done outreach in rural areas, but he thinks of his tenure as “the poetry of a thousand encounters.”

“That is, I don’t think poetry happens only at a big event,” he said. “For me, it has to happen every time I speak, everywhere I go, and with everyone I meet. It is a life lived, not simply a role served.

To that end, it is now more like poetry of ten thousand encounters.”

Rios expects that the next poet laureate would be appointed soon. But for him, the work of his designation was second nature even before the title and he would continue it.

“In that sense, it is definitely a lifelong role,” he said.

He knows that his work is well received, if judging by the many correspondences that arrive.

“Who they are, however, is a mystery

to me—the correspondences are far and wide, from all over the world. But while who they are is a mystery, that they exist is not,” Rios said.

“I always try to remember that. I am speaking to somebody. There is always someone you’re in conversation with at the other side of the kitchen table.”

He will continue to enrich the world with his words. But not everyone chooses to pick up a poetry collection at the end of a long day. Does he have some parting words to entice a reader?

“Poems can be exhausting, on the one hand, if you are reading to study and analyze. But I also think they can dazzle just as read, just as entertainment, letting the language do its magical work,” Rios said.

“There is no one way to do this, and a poem never provides just one experience.

The best advice is to prepare for—and expect—surprise. And, expect a poem to be different every time you read it.”

Read more at piper.asu.edu/staff/ alberto-rios, To buy the books: uapress.arizona.edu/book/a-goodmap-of-all-things/ coppercanyonpress.org/books/notgo-away-is-my-name-by-alberto-rios/

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THE CHANDLER ARIZONAN | WWW.CHANDLERNEWS.COM | JULY 26, 2020

Artists can submit work for online auction

ARIZONAN NEWS STAFF

A

rtists in Chandler and throughout the country have a chance to make some money and help a worthy cause by joining the fall Creative Connections Fine Art Auction.

Artists can to submit up to three pieces of fine art by Aug. 9 to take part in the auction, which runs Sept. 20-27.

Artists retain 70 percent of the purchase price while and 18 of the total sale will go to support the nonprofit World Central Kitchen. Entries must have a minimum value of $100 and there is no maximum value.

Founded in 2010 by Chef José Andrés, World Central Kitchen believes in “the power of food to heal and strengthen communities through times of crisis and beyond.”

In the past it has helped devastated communities recover and establish resilient food systems and has served over 30 million meals to those impacted by natural disasters and other crises around the world in countries including Albania, The Bahamas, Colombia, Guate-

These pieces featuring silver black discs by Chandler artist Laurie Fagen will be on sale during the Creative Connections Fine Art Online Auction Sept. 20-27.

Artists have until Aug. 9 to submit up to three pieces, (Courtesy Laurie Fagen)

mala, Haiti, Mexico, Mozambique, Spain, Venezuela, and the United States.

With the COVID-19 pandemic, its team of

“food first responders” has activated hundreds of restaurants and kitchens to feed marginalized and vulnerable communities with individually packaged, fresh meals in communities that need support – including children and families and deliveries to seniors who cannot venture outside. WCK is now active in dozens of cities providing over 150,000 fresh meals a day.

“Traditional safety nets like school feeding programs, city services and food banks are struggling to meet basic needs,” the nonprofit says on its website. “#ChefsForAmerica is making a key connection between people who need meals and restaurant workers and drivers who need to earn a living.”

The online auction is the second organized by artist Nancy Breiman of Scottsdale, which resulted in more than $5,000 in art sales in May. “This is a great opportunity for collectors to find new artists and buy fine art at an affordable price without leaving your home,” said Breiman. “And for the artist, Creative Connections fosters community among the artists and an oppor-

tunity for greater exposure and visibility during this pandemic.”

Up to three pieces of art, with three images each, may be submitted for $15.

Breiman says she started Creative Connections to provide marketing support for fine artists as well as to provide fine art for art collectors.

And she said she’s happy to be partnering with World Central Kitchen.

“Since the pandemic hit, they’ve been helping hundreds of restaurants and kitchens to feed marginalized and vulnerable communities as well as medical professionals,” she said.

Eligible art can be 2D or 3D and include all media, jewelry, fiber art, and sculpture.

The online auction will run from 6 a.m.

Pacific Time Sept 20 to 8 p.m. Sept. 27.

All artwork must be original, not created during a workshop or class and be for sale. Artwork can be a reproduced print or giclee but must be identified as such.

ALL Submissions are online: Information: creativeconnectionsfineart. com. For details, email Breiman at nbreiman@gmail.com.

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The guide is also available in Navajo, ASL (American Sign Language), large print, HTML/screen reader and as an audio version. For more information, call 877-631-8891.

21 BACK TO SCHOOL

THE CHANDLER ARIZONAN | WWW.CHANDLERNEWS.COM | JULY 26, 2020

THE CHANDLER ARIZONAN

JULY 26, 2020

WWW.CHANDLERNEWS.COM

Kyrene introduces 8 new principals for 2020-21 ARIZONAN NEWS STAFF

S

even of Kyrene School District’s 25 campuses will have new principals this year – as will its new Kyrene Digital Academy.

Calling all eight principals “Kyrene leaders on the rise,” the district said they are either principals transferring from another school or assistant principals taking their next step up the leadership ladder.

Here’s a rundown on the new leaders.

DR. KYLE ROSS Kyrene Digital Academy

K

yrene’s new alldigital school will be led by Dr. Kyle Ross, former principal of Kyrene del Pueblo Middle School.

Ross was in charge of outlining the district’s new all-online academy for the Governing Board over the last couple of months.

The academy features a curriculum developed by Kyrene educators and essentially mirroring the in-classroom curriculum and standards, he told the board.

Additionally, it puts Kyrene in a strategic position to grow enrollment since it is open to any student in Arizona who has a computer and internet access.

“Ross is well suited to lead the new Kyrene Digital Academy, having served as both a school administrator as well as a director of instructional technology in another school district,” Helm said, noting he has “been part of the design, professional development and implementation of various initiatives involving educational technology, including online and blended learning, STEM initiatives and Google Classroom.”

“I’m beyond excited to become the first

principal of Kyrene Digital Academy,” said Ross. “KDA will be the first of its kind in Kyrene; a completely online K-8 school, with all the excellence of a Kyrene education.”

For more about the 26th Kyrene school: kyrene.org/DigitalAcademy.

ASHLEY SCHUTKOWSKI Pueblo Middle School

R

eplacing Ross as Pueblo’s principal is Ashley Schutkowski, who has served as the assistant principal and athletic director there for the last three years.

Schutkowski started her career in education 26 years ago in Kyrene, teaching math at Centennial Middle School.

“She understands the complex needs of middle school students,” Helm said, “and is committed to not only supporting their academic success, but also their social and emotional growth.”

A Chandler native who attended Kyrene schools as a child, Schutkowski has twin daughters who also attended Kyrene schools.

JAMES MARTIN Centennial Middle School

C

oming from his post as Altadeña Middle School Principal to become Centennial Middle School principal

is James Martin.

Martin began his career in the district at Centennial as a physical education teacher and a coach.

Helm described him as “passionate about meeting the complex needs of middle school students.”

“Throughout his career, he has helped create and lead a number of programs and initiatives designed to support students in their academic and social emotional growth,” she said of the Tempe native and father of three Kyrene students.

ERICKA MODZELEWSKI Altadeña Middle School

T

aking the helm at Altadeña will be Ericka Modzelewski, who had been assistant principal at Kyrene del Cielo, where she successfully launched the Watch D.O.G.S. program and the No Place for Hate anti-bullying campaign.

Watch D.O.G.S. – an acronym for “Dads of Great Students” – is an outreach of the Arkansas-based nonprofit, National Center for Fathering, founded in 1990 with the purpose of “turning the hearts of fathers to their children.”

“I’m honored to have the opportunity to lead a middle school with a history of excellence,” Modzelewski told families in a YouTube video. “I have a deep respect for the transformative middle school years.”

Modzelewski has 16 years of experience in education and began her career as a sixth-grade language arts teacher. She has also served as an academic coach, a reading specialist and an instructional technology curriculum specialist.

DR. SARAH COLLINS Kyrene de las Manitas

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nother Ahwatukee principal making a move is Dr. Sarah Collins,

who will transfer from Kyrene de la Estrella to Kyrene de las Manitas.

Helm describes the transfer as a homecoming for Collins, who began her career at Manitas as a teacher, 22 years ago. Since that time, she has served two school districts as both an educator and a school leader.

Not only is Collins an experienced Kyrene leader, but she is a former Kyrene student who grew up in Ahwatukee.

She also is married to a Kyrene teacher and has two children who also attended Kyrene schools. She said she is thrilled to be coming “home” to Manitas.

JESSEY JOHNSON Kyrene de la Estrella

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amilies and staff at Kyrene de la Estrella will have a familiar face leading them into 2020-21 as Assistant Principal Jessey Johnson steps into the principal position.

Johnson has devoted his entire 20-year career in education to Kyrene, starting as a math teacher and rising through the ranks to hold leadership positions at two middle schools as well as the district office before joining Estrella.

He is also a Kyrene parent, with one current and one former Kyrene student.

"He is a passionate servant leader who works daily to ensure that teachers have the tools they need and that students of all abilities are included in authentic educational experiences,” Helm said.

see PRINCIPALS page 23

22

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THE CHANDLER ARIZONAN | WWW.CHANDLERNEWS.COM | JULY 26, 2020

23 BACK TO SCHOOL

THE CHANDLER ARIZONAN | WWW.CHANDLERNEWS.COM | JULY 26, 2020

PRINCIPALS from page 21

FELICIA WILLIAMS Kyrene de los Lagos

W

ith Dr. Ana Gomez del Castillo’s retirement last school year, Kyrene de los Lagos Dual Language Academy will see Felicia Williams step into that leader-

ship position.

Williams most recently served as assistant principal at Kyrene Middle School, where she supervised the dual language program for all grade levels and led the school’s equity initiatives.

Williams served nine years as an elementary school principal in Maricopa.

She said she “genuinely delights in serving students, parents and staff members on a daily basis.”

She is also a Kyrene parent with one cur-

rent student and one who has moved on to high school.

and Students,” based partly on nominations from their colleagues.

Typically, the superintendent delivers the awards in person, popping into classrooms and offices to surprise staff with the celebration.

With schools closed last spring, those in-person visits were not possible, but Vesely still managed to surprise employees. She joined virtual staff meetings at each school to present honorees with the awards.

Ahwatukee-based Barefoot Pools sponsored the Kyrene Values initiative again

last year, providing gift cards for each fourth-quarter honoree.

The gift cards this round were for home delivery meal service.

“I am so grateful to Barefoot Pools owners Jose and Randi Garcia for supporting this important initiative,” said Vesely. “Our community partnerships are a key piece of our success, as we strive to meet the goals of Kyrene’s Strategic Plan 2022, which include a commitment to High Quality Talent and an Inclusive Culture.”

Teachers were nominated based on

CAROLYN PAYNE Kyrene de la Esperanza

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he most recent addition to Kyrene’s principal ranks is Carolyn Payne, the newly-named principal of Kyrene de la Esper-

anza, pending Governing Board approval.

Payne was offered the position after the recent retirement announcement of current Esperanza Principal Dr. Cheryl Greene.

Payne began her Kyrene career 17 years ago as a kindergarten teacher. She went on to be a literacy coach, a student advisor and, for the last six years, an assistant principal at Kyrene de la Mariposa.

She is the mother of three former Kyrene kids and said she is “excited to become an Esperanza Shark in 2020-21.”

Shutdown didn’t stop celebrating staffers ARIZONAN NEWS STAFF

T

he abrupt closure of schools in March may have muted it a bit, but Kyrene Superintendent Dr. Jan Vesely still found a way to honor teachers and other staff for achievements rang from overall performance to helping student growth in state standardized tests.

In all, 25 teachers in its Ahwatukee schools, 15 at its Chandler campuses and 13 in Tempe were celebrated Each quarter, Vesely slates a program she calls “Kyrene Values Teachers, Staff

demonstrated success in areas of academics, advocacy and leadership. Staff were nominated for consistent interactions that promote a supportive environment throughout the school.

Chandler campus honorees were Jacob Selden and Al Hamilton, Aprende; Jason Rethman and Sharon Wilp, Brisas; Michele Richards and Laura Dorsey, Cielo; Carolyn Bonamo and Mikki Ryan Harweger, Kyrene Traditional Academy; Kathi Crosby and Cathy Hamel, Mirada; Jenny Beutner and Guillermo Rubio, Paloma; and Haleigh Gettings and Jen Fish,Pueblo.

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THE CHANDLER ARIZONAN | WWW.CHANDLERNEWS.COM | JULY 26, 2020

THE CHANDLER ARIZONAN | WWW.CHANDLERNEWS.COM | JULY 26, 2020

25 BUSINESS

Bungee studio confronts the pandemic’s ups and downs

BY KEVIN REAGAN Arizonan Staff Writer

C

herith Pruitt bought her fitness studio at perhaps one of the most chaotic times imaginable.

She took over ownership of Tough Lotus at 3050 N. Dobson Road in Chandler in late May as Arizona began lifting executive orders that closed most businesses and gyms in order to stop the spread of COVID-19.

But then Gov. Doug Ducey shut down gyms and fitness studios again on June 29 until July 27.

Tough Lotus had only been open for about three weeks when Ducey’s latest executive order was signed – throwing a major curveball at the plans Pruitt had lined up for her new business.

“It’s been insane,” she said. “That was not what I envisioned when I decided to

Cherith Pruitt took over ownership of Tough Lotus, a bungee studio in Chandler, in May in between the time gyms were allowed to reopen and when they were closed again. (Pablo Robles/Staff Photographer)

buy a studio.”

The whole ordeal has been confusing, Pruitt added, since it’s not completely clear what the government is asking businesses to do during this time.

Some of the Valley’s bigger gyms took Ducey to court, claiming they’re being unfairly targeted and accusing the governor of abusing his executive powers.

A Superior Court judge recently ruled in favor of Ducey and determined all gyms were legally obligated to follow the shutdown orders.

Pruitt said her studio is stuck in a bit of a grey area

Chandler man’s business gets kids jumping for joy ARIZONAN NEWS STAFF

S

cott Karlin found a way around the pandemic to keep kids jumping around.

As owner of JumpBunch, a Chandlerbased mobile sports and fitness program for kids 18 months to 12 years, Karlin since 2008 provides physical education and after-school programs at schools and rec centers throughout the East Valley.

But all that driving around came to a sudden halt when schools were closed in March. And so Karlin pivoted to provide virtual exercise programs.

“Like other small businesses, we are working hard to keep our employees working and, of course, continue to fulfill our commitment to our customers,” Karlin said.

JumpBunch Fitness at Home NOW!

Chandler resident Scott Karlin gets kids like the ones above jumping for joy and fitness with his unique Zoom classes through his company, JumpBunch. (Special to the Arizonan)

see BUNGEE page 26

Enables kids “to keep some familiarity and structure in their lives during this uncertain time,” Karlin said. Students can participate once a week or attend a virtual camp Monday-Friday.

The 45-minute sports and fitness classes on Zoom start with a warm-up, then move to instruction and participation in a featured activity of the week before ending with a cool down.

“We keep our classes small to allow for interaction between the coach and students,” Karlin said, who boasted of a lot of positive reaction to his offerings.

“We hear from parents

see JUMP page 26

26

BUSINESS

BUNGEE from page 25

since it’s technically not considered a gym.

Tough Lotus is licensed as a business offering amusement and retail services, so it’s not seen as a gym in the eyes of the government.

This has allowed Pruitt to feel safe about continuing to offer scaled-down fitness classes throughout the summer.

But she still feels some uncertainty about how Arizona’s fitness industry will be treated in the coming weeks, especially when Ducey’s shutdown order expires at the end of July.

In order for gyms and studios to fully reopen, Ducey’s order mandates them to fill out forms with the Arizona Department of Health and Human Services that attest to their compliance with protocols intended to curb the spread of COVID-19.

Pruitt said when she called the Department of Health about this mandate, nobody could helpfully explain what these forms would require her to do.

“They don’t have that information,” she said. “So, you don’t even know if you’re going to be able to comply because they can’t even tell you what you have to do.”

Tough Lotus has gone ahead and begun making changes that Pruitt thinks should be able to keep her clients and instructors safe.

Her studio is known for offering aerial exercise classes involving bungee cords

THE CHANDLER ARIZONAN | WWW.CHANDLERNEWS.COM | JULY 26, 2020

and parachute linen. Clients suspend themselves in the air using harnesses and contort their bodies into configurations intended to stretch out specific muscles.

This style of fitness is designed to target back pain or spinal issues, Pruitt said, and can result in some high-intensity cardio despite the limited body movement.

come in wearing a face mask, but allows clients to remove them while exercising.

Temperatures are checked for everyone walking through the door and all hands must be sanitized before a class can begin.

The goal is to ensure no one is ever making hand-to-hand contact with another person, Pruitt said, and the studio’s current arrangement should be able to accomplish that.

They don’t have that information. So, you don’t “ even know if you’re going to be able to comply because they can’t even tell you what you have to do. ”

– Cherith Pruitt

The Tough Lotus studio already had its harnesses and bungee cords spaced apart by about six feet, allowing clients to participate in a class while maintaining a safe distance from each other.

Pruitt said she’s stringent to not allow the sharing of any equipment among clients or instructors. Harnesses are sanitized and switched out after every class, she said, and yoga students are instructed to bring their own mats.

“We were already perfectly set up to be active -- even during the pandemic,” Pruitt said.

The studio requires every visitor to

“There’s essentially no contact from the moment you walk in the door,” she said.

To make her clients feel even more comfortable, Pruitt recently bought a COVID-19 testing kit and recorded herself swabbing her own nose. She then posted the video online for all of the studio’s customers to see.

It boosts the studio’s transparency a bit, she said, and sends a message that Tough Lotus is taking this pandemic seriously.

In order to allow for more cleaning time throughout the day, Tough Lotus

JUMP from page 25

that children who typically don’t participate well in Zoom classes love our virtual program because it has the feel of a live class,” he said. “We have heard how much kids have enjoyed participating at home each week and how it has helped them get through this challenging time.”

In less uncertain times, JumpBunch provides 80 different activities at schools and rec centers and “is the only program that exposes children to such a wide variety of sports and fitness opportunities,” Karlin said.

That diversity in programming enables him to tailor each JumpBunch program to a school’s particular needs.

Describing himself as “a huge football and baseball fan” who is an avid racquet-

Kids can engage in fun fitness exercises in the safety of their home with JumpBunch’s video exercise programs.

ball player, skier and hiker, Karlin got interested in teaching physical education to children after coaching his kids in t-ball when they were 3.

“I got into this business because I love working with children, I love sports and I love knowing that what I do is making a positive impact in the lives of many children,” he said.

“I was able to see what a positive impact sports have on kids at a very young age,” he said.

“Not only do sports benefit their physical development, but sports builds confidence in kids and it teaches them that being physically active can be fun.”

He was introduced to the

has had to shorten the runtime of its classes and cut its room capacity from 16 clients down to nine.

Though Pruitt enjoys the opportunity to still offer classes during a stressful time, she can’t help but notice the revenue her business is potentially losing each day due to the pandemic.

Smaller class sizes translate into a smaller revenue stream and there’s not much Pruitt can do to work around it.

“It still hurts income-wise because we’ve had to cut our class sizes in half,” she added.

The studio owner said she’s been attempting to apply for the financial relief offered through the government’s COVID-19 stimulus packages.

But because Pruitt has only owned Tough Lotus for about a month, she said she doesn’t qualify for most of these benefits.

Pruitt said the studio is looking at other ways of bringing in some extra cash; its ramping up sales of new merchandise, has set up a GoFundMe.com account, and is forming partnerships with other small businesses.

Tough Lotus will do whatever it takes to stay open, Pruitt added, because these classes offer such a valuable benefit to the community at a time when most residents are probably looking for an escape.

Information: toughlotus.com or 480886-8823.

JumpBunch franchise and “knew immediately that I wanted to bring this dynamic program to the Valley.”

“It has been extremely rewarding hearing from parents, school directors, and teachers over the last 12 years what a positive impact the program has had on their children,” he added. “Kids get incredibly excited and look forward to their JumpBunch class each week.”

JumpBunch charges $48 a month for the weekly program and $50 a week for the weekly camp. Siblings are free and fees are prorated if starting late. Instructions for logging into the class are emailed to parents once they have registered.

Parents can get a free trial to see if the program is the right fit for their children.

Information: jumpbunch.com/phoenix-east-valley or 480-664-1187.

THE CHANDLER ARIZONAN | WWW.CHANDLERNEWS.COM | JULY 26, 2020

27

Employ ment Employment General

Obituaries "Steve" Wagner

IDEAS WANTED Apps • Beauty • Electronics • Housewares • Medical Pets • Tools • Lawn and Garden • Toys and more!

Call 866-847-9023 for our FREE Idea Starter Guide.

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1942 - 2020 Walter Stephen Wagner, age 77, most recently of Queen Creek, previously a resident of Mesa, Arizona, passed away, June 30th, at the Wellsprings Therapy Center in Gilbert, Arizona.

He was born July 15th, 1942 in the borough of Manhattan, NYC, NY. The eldest son of Walter Sullivan Wagner and Rosalie DeSimone Wagner. Raised in Pelham Manor, NY, until leaving for boarding at The Judson School in Scottsdale, he would remain thereafter a life-long resident of Arizona, graduating from Judson ‘60 and Arizona State University.

Steve’s career spanned decades in the entertainment industry, specifically movie and television on-location support services. He counted many A-list actors as good friends.

His schoolmate at Judson would introduce him to hunting and fishing in Montana, a lifelong enjoyment. He owned and bre d dachshund hounds, with many champions to his credit.

Stephen was born into a theatrical Broadway family. His father, Walter Wagner, was a Broadway actor, stage manager and television news director. Stephen’s great-uncle was Howard Lindsay, American theatrical producer, Pulitzer Prize winning playwright, librettist, director, and actor.

Stephen never married. He was preceded in death by his parents Walter and Rosalie Wagner of Juno Beach, Florida. He is survived by his brother Michael L Wagner (Louise), of Redding Connecticut, nephew and godchild Michael W Wagner (Kate O) of Texas, niece and godchild Kate RL Wagner of Connecticut, cousins in New Hampshire, Massachusetts, and Colorado.

Stephen was held in high esteem, respected, and loved by his family who grieve their loss.

Words of condolences to his family would be most appreciated via mikelsg@optonline.net

OBITUARIES - DEATH NOTICES IN MEMORIAM We are here to make this difficult time easier for you. Our 24 hour online service is easy to use and will walk you through the steps of placing a paid obituary in the East Valley Tribune, or a free death notice online.

Visit: obituaries.EastValleyTribune.com

Investment Analyst Analyze investment risk w/knowledge of finance,currency exchange, various tea products for co.expansion franchise DaYung tea stores. Differentiate tea quality skills req.BS in Finance req. mail to Job Loc: DaYung's Tea Phoenix, LLC 3126 S. Mill Ave Tempe AZ 85282 MetaSoftTech Solutions has openings for Software Engineers in Chandler, AZ area.

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Make your choice Everlasting

28

CLASSIFIEDS

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The Chandler Arizonan

1620 W. Fountainhead Parkway #219 • Tempe, AZ 85282 480.898.6465 class@timespublications.com

Deadlines

Classifieds: Thursday 11am for Sunday Life Events: Thursday 10am for Sunday

The Place “To Find” Everything You Need | ChandlerNews.com Employment General Training & Development Specialist Develop & Conduct training,develop.prog. w/knowledge of DaYung's Franchise tea stores operational procedure.Differentiate tea quality skill+ BS in any mangmt field. req. Mail to Job Loc: DaYung's Tea Phoenix LLC 3126 S. Mill Ave Tempe AZ 85282 Sr Design Eng’r. Analog Devices, Chandler, AZ. Multiple positions avail. Prdct dvlpmt; ID tech risks, fixes, milestones; tech guidance; design/prdct flows; lab eval/debug; dsgn/verify circuits. MS+2 yrs exp.

More info/apply: https://careers.analog.co m, click Search Jobs at top, enter 17926. EOE M/F/D/V

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Employment General

PROMOTERS WANTED!!

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THE CHANDLER ARIZONAN | WWW.CHANDLERNEWS.COM | JULY 26, 2020

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THE CHANDLER ARIZONAN | WWW.CHANDLERNEWS.COM | JULY 26, 2020

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THE CHANDLER ARIZONAN | WWW.CHANDLERNEWS.COM | JULY 26, 2020

HIRING?

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AT&T Mobility, LLC is proposing to construct a 35foot overall height small cell pole telecommunications structure located at 739 W. Frye Rd., Chandler, Maricopa County, Arizona, (N33° 17’ 55.4” and W111° 51’ 16”). AT&T Mobility, LLC invites comments from any interested party on the impact the proposed undertaking may have on any districts, sites, buildings, structures, or objects significant in American history, archaeology, engineering, or culture that are listed or determined eligible for listing in the National Register of Historic Places under National Historic Preservation Act Section 106. Comments may be sent to Environmental Corporation of America, ATTN: Megan Gomez, 1375 Union Hill Industrial Court, Suite A, Alpharetta, GA 30004 or via email to publicnotice@eca-usa.com. Ms. Gomez can be reached at (770) 667-2040 x 405 during normal business hours. Comments must be received within 30 days of the date of this notice. W2981/ LJB

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Important Notice for Patients of National Cardiovascular Partners, Cardiac Cath Lab of Phoenix, Arizona Cardiovascular Institute, Cardiovascular Center of Mesa, and Cardiovascular Therapeutics of Mesa July 17, 2020 At National Cardiovascular Partners (NCP) and our partnering clinics, we take the privacy and security of our patients’ information seriously. NCP is a managing partner of Cardiac Cath Lab of Phoenix, Arizona Cardiovascular Institute, Cardiovascular Center of Mesa, and Cardiovascular Therapeutics of Mesa in Mesa, Arizona (the clinics). We are providing the following information to inform our patients that a third party may have had unauthorized access to information about some patients who were seen at the clinics.

On April 27, 2020, an unauthorized individual obtained access to an NCP employee’s email account. NCP became aware of the unauthorized access on May 19, 2020 and took immediate steps to contain the incident. We terminated the unauthorized access to the email account the same day it was discovered and worked with a leading cybersecurity forensics firm to investigate this matter.

As part of our investigation, NCP conducted an extensive review of the employee’s email account to determine if any emails contained personal information. As a result of that review, beginning on June 18 NCP identified emails containing the names, addresses, dates of birth, dates relating to the provision of medical services or the payment for services, medical history and diagnosis information, prescription information, health provider information, insurance numbers, email addresses, and medical record numbers for some of our patients. We also identified emails containing the Social Security numbers of two individuals and the financial account information of one individual for whom we do not have current contact information to send a personalized notification letter.

At this time, we are not aware of any unauthorized viewing or misuse of our patients’ information. All available evidence suggests that the unauthorized individual’s purpose was to attempt to commit financial fraud against NCP—not to seek and obtain any personal information of patients. NCP sent notification letters by first class mail to all potentially affected individuals for whom we have up-to-date contact information and have arranged to provide them with 12 months of identity protection and fraud resolution services through Experian.

Any individuals who receive a notification letter from NCP or who might otherwise be concerned about identity theft are encouraged to regularly review statements from their accounts and to periodically obtain their credit report from one or more of the national credit reporting companies. Individuals may obtain a copy of their credit report once every 12 months by either visiting http://www.annualcreditreport.com, calling toll free at 1-877-322-8228, or completing an Annual Credit Report Request Form (found at https://www.consumer.ftc.gov/articles/ 0155-free-credit-reports) and mailing it to: Annual Credit Report Request Service, P.O. Box 105281, Atlanta, GA 30348-5281. For questions about identity theft, credit monitoring, and how to keep information secure, patients can visit this website: http://www.consumer.ftc.gov/topics/identity-theft.

Individuals who received care at one of the clinics and have not received a notification letter may call (833) 281-4826 toll-free to determine whether their information has been identified as being involved.

Published: East Valley Tribune, July 26, Aug 2, 12, 2020 / 32042

Public Notices INVITATION TO BID (ITB) INFORMATION AND INSTRUCTIONS Subcontractors and suppliers are encouraged to read the entirety of these instructions. For questions about the process, project or proposal submission, please contact the Bid Manager directly. Supplement and sample documents are for information only. Standard industry procurement procedures and negotiations will proceed bid day. Thank you for the interest in StreetLights Residential Date: July 16, 2020 Bid Deadline for Submittal: August 7, 2020, 2:00 PM Local Arizona Time Location: 1530 S. Higley Road, Gilbert, AZ 85296 (Project Construction Trailer Parking Lot NW Corner of Higley and Ray) Solicitation number: 409125-001 Project: Agritopia Epicenter Offsite Improvements Bid Manager: Courtney W. Dunlap SLR Construction Dept., cdunlap@streetlightsres.com Tel: (480) 407-2900 Contract Documents available at: https://streetlightsres.box.com/s/1qung0rya8nqem60kew3c0xjq qb9dtzu these files are available at no charge.

Date and Location for Submittal of Sealed Bids: Sealed bids will be received at StreetLights Residential’s Construction Trailer parking lot for Agritopia Epicenter located at 1530 S. Higley Road, Gilbert, AZ 85296 (NW corner of Higley and Ray) until 2:00 p.m. August 7, 2020, for the above project. Bids must be submitted in a sealed envelope clearly marked on the outside with the name of the Project and the solicitation number. Any bid received after the time specified will be returned unopened. It is the bidder’s responsibility to assure bids are received at the above location on or before the specified time. Bids will be opened at 2:05 p.m. in the parking lot of the Construction Trailer Offices, and publicly read aloud immediately after the time for receiving bids. In the case of extensive price listings, only the bidder’s names will be read aloud, and the determination of the highest bid will be made after further StreetLights Residential’s review.

Pre-Bid Conference: A pre-bid conference will not be held.

Right to Reject Bids: StreetLights Residential reserves the right to reject any or all bids, waive any informality in a bid or to withhold the Award for any reason StreetLights determines.

Equal Opportunity: StreetLights Residential is an equal opportunity employer. Minority and women’s business enterprises are encouraged to submit bids on this solicitation.

Published: East Valley Tribune / Gilbert Sun News, July 19, 26, 2020 / 31949

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THE CHANDLER ARIZONAN | WWW.CHANDLERNEWS.COM | JULY 26, 2020

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Vintage Collection • From the low $400’s • 480-988-2400

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C Mulberry NOW SELLING THE LAST 4 HOMES

“New Old-Home Neighborhood” Resort-Style in SE Mesa Americana Collection • From the $300’s • 480-895-2800 D Stratford in Gilbert PRESELLING PLANNED SUMMER 2020

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A dramatic new gated community with two collections of homes • From the low $400’s

E Estates on McDowell – 35,000 Sq. Ft. Homesites 2 PRIME HOMESITES LEFT Luxury single-level estate homes with 3- to 6-car garages and optional RV garages and carriage houses • From the high $800’s • 480-750-3000

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11 luxury single-level estate homes, in the Citrus Groves of Northeast Mesa, with 3- to 6-car garages and optional RV garages and carriage houses From the high $800’s • 480-750-3000

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H Palma Brisa – In Ahwatukee Foothills NOW SELLING I

A Dramatic New Gated Community • From the $400’s • 480-641-1800 Belmont at Somerset – Prime Gilbert Location PRESALES HAVE BEGUN

Luxury estate homes and timeless architecture • From the high $700’s • 480-895-6300

BlandfordHomes.com Not all photos shown are representative of all communities.

Terms and conditions subject to change without notice.