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Aspire traveling tour to host 3 events in Arizona

BY LAUREN SERRATO

West Valley View Staff Writer

The nationwide Aspire 2021 Tour will make three stops in Arizona in November.

What started in Arizona in 2014 as a small event has now grown into a traveling tour that will visit 36 cities and more than 18 states this fall.

This year’s event will feature one Bible teacher, one comedian and one musician, all in hopes of providing a girls’ night filled with fellowship and spiritual growth.

“It’s a one-night women’s event filled with laughter, learning stories and music. It entails bringing women together for fellowship, for fun, but also to dig into the word of God,” said Mia Koehne, one of Aspire’s co-founders.

“We have fantastic comedians, wonderful singer-songwriters and worship leaders, and tremendous authors and speakers and Bible teachers. And, so, it’s really just an event to get ladies out, remind them that it might be tough but we’re in this together. We’re not alone. And we can have fun while we remember that we’re loved.”

Koehne is also a host for Aspire events, a speaker for Compassion International, a singer-songwriter and a worship leader.

Having witnessed the growth of Aspire and the women’s events, Koehne said the mission has stayed the same.

“I always want them to leave with hope, and they can expect to leave reminded that they’re loved,” she said.

“I hope they leave with a reminder of the hope that there are people that are walking life along with them and that it’s OK to laugh. We need laughter in our lives because even though our event has music and teaching, laughter has this way of breaking down walls in people, whether they come and they’ve been hurting, they laugh, and their hearts are open and they leave with that reminder that, you know what, life might be tough but we can get through it.”

While Koehne admitted there are many other worship services, she said Aspire is special.

“In an age where everything is trying to be big and fill stadiums, what’s unique about Aspire is that we will go wherever we’re called, whether it’s a small venue, a small church,” she said. “When you come, you are going to have contact with the speakers, the singers, the songwriters, the comedians, you’re going to have that one-onone connection with the people that are on the stage.”

Aspire will make three stops in Arizona in November: in Tempe on Nov. 12, Tucson on Nov. 13, and Yuma on Nov. 14.

No matter the size of the venues, Koehne guarantees that Aspire events always feel intimate.

“You will get the chance to connect with people that just come in that are sitting next to you. And I think a lot of times in some of the larger events, which are also wonderful, you might miss out on connecting with the people that are speaking from the stage that are speaking something into your heart,” she said.

Aspire is a brand of Chandler-based Extreme Faith Productions, which has promoted converts and events across the United States since 2002. Its goal is to serve God’s people by providing quality events to the Christian community.

As the team gears up to begin the tour, Koehne said the Arizona shows always have a special place in the team’s heart.

“It’s home,” she said. “It’s just the level of feeling like this is a family event that’s being put on is a little accelerated more than other towns. So, the Tempe, Tucson and Yuma shows are just like home. It feels like home.”

Of all the fun offered during Aspire events, Koehne has a favorite.

“It’s a given that I love the teachings, and as a musician I love the music,” she said.

“But I’ve got to tell you, most of the time there is something about the comedy in these nights. For me that just fills me. With the ups and downs of life, I think it’s that laughter that just fuels my soul.”

While the shows may be far for some of the West Valley residents, Koehne said they’re open to everyone, anywhere, now more than ever during the pandemic.

“We see that more, coming out of the lockdown because people have been so desperate to be in community, to be at a live event that they’re willing to jump on a plane and come to where we are. But what we love about Arizona especially, it is home territory for us,” she said.

For more information or to purchase tickets, visit aspirewomensevents.com.

Mia Koehne, Anita Renfroe and Alli Worthington took the stage at past Aspire women’s events and look forward to doing the same, as this year’s tour will visit 36 cities and more

than 18 states. (Photo courtesy of Extreme Faith Productions)

WEST VALLEY VIEW NEWS | AUGUST 25, 2021

Quilters Anonymous brings Avondale quilters together

BY ALLISON BROWN

West Valley View Staff Writer

Quilters Anonymous, a chapter of the Arizona Quilt Guild, is welcoming new members as it returns to its regularly scheduled sewing days and monthly meetings.

“We’re just a group of people who like to get together and sew, quilt or patch,” said Julia Baldwin, president of the organization.

“I really look forward to those meetings. You get together with like-minded people, and we chat about anything, or we talk about our sewing. When people have issues trying to do a certain technique and they’re having problems with it, they can get with one of our experts (to learn). We have a lot of talent in our group.”

The name Quilters Anonymous is just a fun play on words and an attention grabber, Baldwin said. The group is not anonymous and welcomes new members of any age or experience level to join in and either show off their skills or learn from the experts.

“Every month we have our business meeting, and at the end of the meeting, we have a show and tell, where members can come out and show their work,” Baldwin said. “It’s fun. We have everything from beginners to some ladies who are just over the top, where they’ve been doing it for a long time and they’re just experts.”

Founded in 2002, the group meets monthly at 6:30 p.m. the fi rst Tuesday at Christ’s Community United Methodist Church in Avondale.

The group also has regular sewing days and several classes throughout the year. During their get-togethers, members bring their own sewing machines and projects and enjoy each other’s company. Their biggest event is Camp Intervention, an annual weekend retreat with games, prizes and, of course, quilting. Baldwin said it is really a social club with an affi nity for sewing and quilting.

This is more than a show-and-tell group, as it regularly takes on charity projects. Quilters Anonymous is making blankets for the Navajo Nation, which has been hit particularly hard by COVID-19. The group is also creating walker bags, lap quilts, placemats and pillowcases for the Avondale Senior Center. Quilters Anonymous has organized a weeklong kids camp for several years.

The club returned in May after putting things on pause for more than a year due to COVID-19, which took a toll on the number of people involved. However, Baldwin is expecting an increase in membership soon, as temperatures cool down and COVID-19 fears lessen.

“We haven’t had meetings for 16 months, and we just started again. I think we’re at 45 members,” she said. “So, I think people are hearing that we’re meeting again and just slowly coming back. Prior to COVID, we had

Quilters Anonymous member Shirley Edwards works on her dramatic quilt at Christ’s Community United Methodist Church in Avondale. (Photo by Pablo Robles)

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WEST VALLEY VIEW NEWS | AUGUST 25, 2021 100 members. We also have a lot of seasonal members. They come from up north, or some even come from other countries to live down here and quilt with us all winter.”

To become a member of Quilters Anonymous, one must be a member of the Arizona Quilters Guild as well, and there is a $24 fee to join. The next monthly meeting is 6:30 p.m. Sept. 7, at Christ’s Community United Methodist Church, 104 W. Western Avenue. Baldwin said anyone can “just show up” to talk about membership and they will have a social before the meeting for those who arrive early.

To find more information or to join the Arizona Quilters Guild, visit arizonaquiltersguild.org.

If You Go...

What: Quilters Anonymous Meeting When: 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 7 Where: Christ’s Community United Methodist Church, 104 W. Western Avenue, Avondale Cost: $24 membership fee Info: arizonaquiltersguild.org/ ChapterInfo/53578183

23 Bashas’ hosting Hatch recipe contest

BY WEST VALLEY VIEW STAFF

As Arizonans begin counting down the days to cooler weather, Food City and Bashas’ supermarkets, together with Blue Clover Distillery and restaurateur Mark Tarbell, are asking the public to share their favorite Hatch chile recipes.

The Arizona grocers, Old Town Scottsdale’s first small-batch distillery and the state’s celebrity chef are looking for the best recipes that include the pepper, which is in season through mid-September.

Whether with seasoned skills or newfound talents, from now through Tuesday, Aug. 31, Arizona’s home cooks ages 21 and older are invited to test their culinary creativity in the #HatchAtHomeAZ Challenge.

Arizonans can enter their red-hot recipes by posting a public photo or video on their favorite social media feeds for a chance to win using #HatchAtHomeAZ. For additional creative inspiration, Blue Clover and Tarbell’s will be offering special Hatch Chile menu offerings at their restaurants for a limited time.

The grand prize includes a variety of at-home cooking supplies; a trio of gift cards from Bashas’/Food City, Tarbell’s and Blue Clover; and a VIP experience, including a tour of Blue Clover’s Old Town Scottsdale distillery, a Blue Clover Cocktail Kit, and two VIP tickets to the third annual Hatch Green Chile Roast with a bottomless mimosa or bloody mary brunch for two and samplings of Hatch chile food items and cocktails during the distillery’s event on Saturday, Sept. 25 (total prize valued at $1,000).

Recipes will be judged for creativity, heat level and overall description by Weston Holm, co-founder of Blue Clover Distillery; Tarbell and Johnny Basha. The grand-prize winner will be announced on Friday, Sept. 3.

Hatch green chiles add flavor to any athome meal, from cheeseburgers to enchiladas. The harvest timeframe is limited, so many people stock up during the season and freeze Hatch chiles so they can use them year-round. Besides being tasty, green chiles also have many health benefits.

According to Comfy Living, as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, Americans are cooking (54%) and baking (46%) more than previously. Consumers report cooking an average of six dinners at home a week, compared with 3.8 weekly home-cooked dinners in a 2018 survey. The pandemic-fueled interest in new recipes, habits and skills appear likely to last as consumers participate in more cooking projects at home.

Bashas’ and Food City are located throughout the Valley. Tarbell’s sits at 3213 E. Camelback Road, Phoenix, while Blue Clover Distillery is at 7042 E. Indian School Road, Scottsdale.

Hatch green chile offerings at Bashas’.

(Photo courtesy of Bashas’)

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ANSWERS ON PAGE 26

King Crossword

ACROSS

1 Josh 4 Reggae relative 7 Paper packs 12 NYC airport 13 Stetson, e.g. 14 DeGeneres of talk TV 15 Einstein’s birthplace 16 Everybody 18 As well 19 Orange variety 20 Region 22 I love (Lat.) 23 Mimicked 27 Billboards 29 Chipmunk’s kin 31 “That’s it!” 34 The Ram 35 Chaperones, usually 37 Ring decision 38 Vanished 39 Pot brew 41 Tree home 45 Belly button type 47 Conk out 48 Fluctuating 52 Mil. bigwig 53 Craze 54 Rebel Turner 55 Swelled head 56 Fake 57 -- -cone 58 Aachen article

DOWN

1 Clumsy one 2 Nome dome home 3 Matt of Hollywood 4 “Scram!” 5 Sunflower State 6 Top players 7 Actress Russo 8 Days of yore 9 Carte lead-in 10 Actor Gibson 11 NBC show since 1975 17 Awestruck 21 National symbol 23 Chef’s garb 24 Greek consonant 25 Shoe width 26 Hosp. workers 28 Speck 30 Sturdy tree 31 Satchel 32 Altar promise 33 Sister 36 Poker variety 37 Formosa, today 40 Short jackets 42 Moved sideways 43 Prolonged attack 44 Choir member 45 Singer Anita 46 Within (Pref.) 48 Ref 49 Oom- -50 Year in Acapulco 51 French diarist Anais

by Linda Thistle

The idea of Go Figure is to arrive at the figures given at the bottom and right-hand columns of the diagram by following the arithmetic signs in the order they are given (that is, from left to right and top to bottom). Use only the numbers below the diagram to complete its blank squares and use each of the nine numbers only once.

DIFFICULTY THIS WEEK H H H

H Moderate HH Challenging HHH HOO BOY!

Place a number in the empty boxes in such a way that each row across, each column down and each small 9-box square contains all of the numbers from one to nine.

DIFFICULTY THIS WEEK H

H Moderate HH Challenging HHH HOO BOY!

EVEN EXCHANGE

by Donna Pettman

Each numbered row contains two clues and two answers. The two answers differ from each other by only one letter, which has already been inserted. For example, if you exchange the A from MASTER for an I, you get MISTER. Do not change the order of the letters.

SCRAMBLERS

Unscramble the letters within each rectangle to form four ordinary words. Then rearrange the boxed letters to form the mystery word, which will complete the gag!