September 2019 Officials celebrate the opening of WhizKidz Preschool with a ribbon-cutting ceremony. See more on page 12.
A third of Mesa’s new school buses need drivers
Dreamland Villa resident searching for camera’s owner
By Jordan Houston
By Christina Fuoco-Karasinski
Mesa Public Schools Assistant Superintendent Scott Thompson said it’s important to hire more drivers as soon as possible. (Photo courtesy Mesa Public Schools)
Mesa Public Schools bought 150 new buses for the new school year, thanks to voter approval of a bond issue last November. But 50 can’t be used yet because the district has no one to drive them. Although bus driver shortages are plaguing districts across the East Valley, Assistant Superintendent Scott Thompson said it’s important to fi ll these roles as soon as possible. Not only is it crucial for ensuring students make it to school on time, but filling the jobs eases the burden on existing drivers, who have to cover multiple bus routes, he said.
Buses...continued on page 11
This is one of the photos saved on a camera found by Bridget Montoya at Sunshine Acres Children’s Home. (Photo courtesty Bridget Montoya)
Bridget Montoya likes to peruse the goods at Sunshine Acres Children’s Home’s thrift store. One trinket she found, however, has piqued her curiosity. Digging through unpriced goods, Montoya found a digital camera that was most likely donated to the store—with an SD card holding 219 photographs, most of which are dated 2010 and 2011. “That little camera caught my eye,” said Montoya, a Dreamland Villa resident. “It was still in its little case. It was probably used for a time, but everybody has cellphones. I was messing with it to make sure it worked. I brought it home and
Camera...continued on page 13
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