10 19 13stsn p44 52 neighbors

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Neighbors

October 19 - November 1, 2013

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Neighbors Pitta Souvli fetes six years of healthy Greek cuisine Pitta Souvli recently celebrated its sixth year in business and its first year under new ownership. Current owner Frank Flores has made the transition with the assistance of previous owners Jamie Contreras and George Charalambous, both of whom continue to work for the business.

In this past year, the focus continues to be on outstanding customer service and providing a very healthy and engaging Greek menu. “We’re not changing the menu,” Flores says.

“We’re keeping our kitchen staff, who have all been trained by George, and the weekly and daily specials have continued.”

One thing that is clearly GET YOUR GREENS ON WITH A GREEK evident for those who dine SALAD: The Greek salad from Pitta Souvli is a healthy and colorful feast. STSN photo by with Pitta Souvli is the Lynette Carrington outstanding food quality and the healthy entrees that populate the menu. Many of the entrees served at Pitta Souvli are from old family recipes of Charalambous, who is from Cyprus.

Traditional Greek dishes are typically known for being healthy, and Contreras made sure the dishes were kept as healthy as possible.

“I’m a certified yoga instructor and I have a background in nutrition,” notes Contreras.

She saw to it that no butter, fats or excessive oils were used in any of the recipes or in food preparation. Only olive oil makes the cut at Pitta Souvli.

One of the most popular items on the menu is the house specialty, the gyros platter. Piled with delicious cuts of the traditional delicately seasoned beef and lamb combination meat, it is served with lemon roasted potatoes, a generous Greek salad, perfectly and lightly toasted pita bread and a yogurt-based Tzatziki sauce that gives either the gyro meat or the pita bread an extra zing. This dish is a great value, is filling and is not greasy or heavy. For those who haven’t yet tried Greek food, the gyros platter is a great place to start.

SOUVLI

Couple shares compassion, prayer for Harvest India

Neighbors PAGE 46

Spirituality PAGE 61

PAGES 68-70

BY CHRISTINA FUOCO-KARASINSKI

Season five “American Idol” alum Ace Young knows firsthand the effects of chronic pain.

Sixteen years ago, Young’s 6-foot-7 brother Ryan crashed his car while driving to Durango, CO, for his sophomore year at Fort Lewis College. Thrown from the vehicle at more than 80 miles per hour, Ryan was left with six fractures in his back, and a dislocated lumbar.

“In a blink, he went from dunking a basketball to wondering if he would ever walk again,” Young says. “He was bedridden for a year.”

The Young siblings’ relationship strengthened.

“He couldn’t really go anywhere,” Young says. “I would come home at lunch and we’d figure out what we wanted to do and work on

COMING TO TOWN: Onetime “American Idol” contestant and Grammy-nominated songwriter Ace Young will perform at the Chandler Center for the Arts on Fri., Nov. 15, with his wife, Diana DeGarmo, and comedienne Joan Rivers. Submitted photo

together once he became healthy. When he became better, I never understood he was always SEE BENEFIT PAGE 47

CHS grad looking for $70K in donations for movie Donors can offer money through Kickstarter.com

BY CHRISTINA FUOCO-KARASINSKI

Former Chandler resident Adam Roa isn’t one to ask for help, but in this case it’s different. He’s trying to live his dream.

Roa, who lives in the Los Angeles area, is attempting to raise $70,000 by Fri., Oct. 25, via Kickstarter.com for a film called “Lucid” that he wants to make with director Ravi Vora and fellow

PAGE 51

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FLEDGLING FILMMAKER: Adam Roa, who graduated from Chandler High School in 2003, wants to make the film “Lucid” with director Ravi Vora and fellow actor/writer Melinda Cohen, his girlfriend.

Submitted photo

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Neighbors

October 19 - November 1, 2013

45

46

October 19 - November 1, 2013

Neighbors

www.SanTanSun.com

Sun Lakes resident credits recovery to Tai Chi

BY ALISON STANTON

THE HEALING POWERS OF TAI CHI: Jeni Deis, right, of Sun Lakes, says attending regular Tai Chi classes taught

by Kim Kubsch, left, helped her recovery from a very serious illness.

Submitted photo

members began to arrive, many traveling from Colorado to be with her. She says she was touched by the number of people who visited her, including her 19-year-old grandson Collin, who shouted into her ear “No, don’t give up grandma!”

The family called in a priest to deliver last rites, however, Deis slowly began to recover. After six long days in the ICU, she was sent to another level of intensive care, before being transferred to the regular section of the hospital. Three days later, Deis was sent to Santé of Chandler to start what doctors expected would be a long rehabilitation process.

“When I left the hospital, I could not use my arms and I could not stand. My ankle was locked in a pointed position,” Deis says.

While she was at Santé of Chandler, Deis says she thought about Kim

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When Jeni Deis signed up for Tai Chi classes at IronOaks Fitness Center in Sun Lakes about a year ago, she was hoping the classes would ease symptoms of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

Little did the Sun Lakes resident know that the strength and balance she has learned from Tai Chi would help her pull through a severe life-threatening illness.

In March, Deis began to feel ill during a trip to San Diego. Thinking she had a typical bladder infection, she took some over-the-counter medication that had helped her before and went on with her vacation plans.

On Sun., March 17, Deis woke up in the morning, barely able to move. When her husband, Jim, suggested taking her to urgent care, Deis persuaded him to call an ambulance instead.

“I barely remember the ride to the hospital and I don’t remember getting there,” Deis says.

Diagnosed with what she refers to as a “urinary tract infection gone wild,” Deis was suffering from septic shock. The physicians told Jim to call the family in to see her, as they were not sure she was going to make it.

“I could hear people talking about different things, and I heard them talking about my going on dialysis, and if my brain would be OK if I recovered. All I wanted to do was die.”

Deis’ two daughters and other family

Kubsch, her Tai Chi instructor, and her lessons on positive energy and balancing movements to help prevent falls. Deis began to use what she had learned from Kubsch in her recovery and rehabilitation.

“Nine days later, I walked out of Santé without a walker,” she says. “The therapists there were so amazed at my balance, and I just said, ‘That’s Tai Chi.’ It really has been a life saving thing for me.”

By the first part of April, Deis returned to her beloved Tai Chi classes.

At the time of the interview, Deis was enrolled in HulaChi, a blend of the Hawaiian Hula and Tai Chi. Kubsch, a certified Tai Chi-Qui Gong practitioner and fall prevention specialist, says when Deis returned to her class, everybody was “beyond thrilled.”

“She looked really stable,” Kubsch says.

Deis adds that Kim is “just incredible.”

“She is a very gentle person who helps us older gals so much. The energy and determination it took to rebound from most of my organs shutting down truly came from attending my weekly Tai Chi class.”

For more information about Kubsch’s Tai Chi classes, visit safemovements. com/tai-chi-classes-by-kim Alison Stanton is a freelancer who lives in the East Valley. She can be reached at alison@santansun.com

Halloween Candy Buy Back event is Nov. 1 The sixth annual Halloween Candy Buy Back event will take place from 3 to 7 p.m. Fri., Nov 1 at Impressions Dental Office, 5970 S. Cooper Rd, Chandler.

Children earn $1 per pound of candy that they donate. Dentists will donate 50 cents per pound of turned in candy to the school of the individual’s choice. The candy that is collected will be donated to Operation Gratitude, which is run and overseen by the California Army National Guard. The volunteers with the program place the donated candy in care packages that are then sent to individual U.S. service members who are on active duty outside of the country.

Impressions Dental has teamed up with Aspen Orthodontics to host the event because they know that too much candy can wreak havoc on children’s teeth. The children who donate their candy are also removing the temptation for adults they live with who may indulge in candies that could be problematic for bridge work or fillings.

The event includes fun freebies, valuable certificates and coupons for anything from children’s meals to ice cream. Children will enjoy a bounce house, Jamba Juice, balloon artist, as well as receive complimentary dental goodies and have a chance to sign a card of appreciation for the troops benefiting from the candy donations. Active and retired military men and women, as well as the mayor and local firemen and police officers will be present during the event. A raffle for $1,000 worth of dental and $1,000 of orthodontic services will also be a part of the event.

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going through pain with the tendons that wrapped around his vertebrae in his back.

The tendons were always pulling, giving him headaches every day. I had no idea. I had no idea what do other than Advil.”

Then Young and his brother met former Chandler resident Barby Ingle, founder of the Power of Pain Foundation, an organization that provides communitybased support services for chronic pain patients.

“We met Ace at an ‘American Idol’ meet and greet event back in May 2011,” says Ingle, who is married to the foundation’s executive director/co-founder Ken Taylor.

Taylor also serves as Ingle’s caregiver as she suffers from chronic pain.

“This is where we told him a brief bit about our charity and what we do. We asked him and the other Idols attending to sign a banner for POPF to auction off at our yearly silent auction. We raised $2,500 from that banner.”

Ingle and Taylor asked Young if he would be willing to perform at a fundraiser and he jumped at the opportunity. Young and his 26-year-old wife, season three “American Idol” finalist Diana DeGarmo, have since become avid supporters of Power of Pain.

“Ace is one of the most sincere men you will ever meet,” Ingle says. “It was not until Ace and Ryan came out to Arizona for a POPF charity event months later that we found out that the reason Ace was so interested in hearing about what we do and getting involved was because

Neighbors his brother Ryan has neuropathy pain due to an auto accident. We have grown the relationship over the last few years. We were invited to attend Ace and Diana’s wedding where we got to meet some of Ace’s other family members. They are all as amazing as Ace, and all the brothers sing.”

On Fri., Nov. 15, they will help raise money for the foundation with a performance that also includes legendary comedienne Joan Rivers during the seventh annual “Comic Pain Relief” at the Chandler Center for the Arts. Before the show, there will be a silent auction, and all attendees will experience the “Orange Carpet Entrance.”

“You’ll get a free-for-all,” he says of the show. “Joan Rivers (is headlining). We’re going to go crazy. Have you ever seen Joan Rivers’ unedited standup? You are in for a treat. She goes everywhere uncomfortable and everywhere comfortable at the same time. There’s nothing off limits for what Diana and I will do. We’re really excited to do a show where we can do any covers we want, alongside some new songs that people have never heard. We just want to have a party. I can’t wait to see what Joan does when she rips on me when we’re done.”

These are busy times for Young and DeGarmo, the latter of whom appeared on the daytime drama “The Young and the Restless.” For his part, on May 12, 2008, Young appeared on the Fox series “Bones” alongside season six “American Idol” contestant Brandon Rogers. In the episode “Wannabe in the Weeds,” Young played an arrogant karaoke singer who was

RAISING FUNDS: Ken Taylor and Barby Ingle of Power of Pain Foundation are organizing the Nov. 15 fundraiser featuring Joan Rivers, Ace Young and Diana DeGarmo. Submitted photo

gruesomely murdered.

Now, Young and DeGarmo, who married on June 1 after meeting during the Broadway revival of “Hair,” are preparing for a yearlong tour of “Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat.” She’ll play the Narrator and he will perform as Joseph.

They also host the show “Planet 360” on TVGN. “Our partner’s Planet Hollywood,” says

October 19 - November 1, 2013

47

Young, 32. “We interview people around Caesars properties. We hang out with them on a personal level instead of just interview level. We get to know them in a different way than you would with a random interview. We just did an interview with Meat Loaf. Soon, we’ll interview Britney (Spears) about her stay at Planet Hollywood. We just have a lot of fun doing that.”

The husband-wife team is in the studio recording tracks, too. Young, who wrote the chorus to Chris Daughtry’s Grammy Award-nominated single “It’s Not Over,” has an R&B/pop sensibility, while DeGarmo leans toward pop/country.

“Together, we have a new sound that’s definitely nothing that’s out right now,” he says. “We’ve been pushing the limits of what we can create together.”

Fans can hear the fruits of their creative labor on Nov. 15, which happens to be Young’s birthday. He explains that Ryan still suffers from chronic pain.

“That is why when we first met Barby and Ken, we hit it off in a matter of minutes,” he says. “From that moment we started doing various events with them and now we are happy to do everything we possibly can to help them make the biggest impact possible. This is real. For me, it is hard to accomplish much when I have a migraine...but the people that we are helping are dealing with so much more every day.”

Christina Fuoco-Karasinski is the editor of the SanTan Sun News. She can be reached at christina@santansun.com.

48

Neighbors

October 19 - November 1, 2013

Visting Angels coming to Chandler The Visiting Angels office in Mesa, at 701 W. Southern Ave., has just acquired the Chandler territory, including Sun Lakes, as well as the northernmost segment of Gilbert. Known as a leader of the country’s nonmedical home care agencies, Visiting Angels provides in-home care to the elderly, the disabled, those with chronic, disabling conditions and those who are having outpatient procedures, hospital release or postsurgery rehabilitation.

The Mesa office, owned by Bob Dailey since 2003, serves Florence, San Tan Valley, Queen Creek, Gold Canyon, Apache Junction, Mesa, Tempe, and now Chandler and northern Gilbert.

Dailey’s franchise is recognized by the Visiting Angels Corporate office for exhibiting some of the best hiring practices in the country including staffing certified caregivers, certified nursing assistants (CNAs), and many retired nurses, both LPNs and RNs as well as following strict background and reference checking standards. Participating with the Governor’s Council on Aging, Dailey’s office is certified by the Arizona Mature Workforce with more than two-thirds of their employees older than the age of 50. “This simple statistic, and the experience it brings to the table, offers a great level of comfort to those we are caring for,” states Dailey. “All caregivers bring training and several years of experience to our clients.”

As president of the Florence School Board, Dailey is passionate about giving back to the community. He started an initiative called “The Resource Source” to educate seniors and their families who care for them about the many resources Phoenix has to offer to those in need. With free talks entitled “Resources for Aging Loved Ones” and “Things Nobody Tells You As You Age,” this information is shared at libraries, community centers, churches, wellness programs and 55plus communities to help educate families and reduce some of the stress they feel while watching their family members age. Whether it’s attending a seminar or just calling the office for help in finding resources in their area, members of the community do not need to become Visiting Angels clients to utilize this free service.

For more information, call Visiting Angels at 480-833-8247 or email elaine@visitingangelsaz.com. Locations of upcoming events can be found at its website, visitingangels.com/mesa

www.SanTanSun.com

New Shtickels menu allows foodies to sample Jewish fare Chompie’s has introduced its new Jewish Heritage Classics menu, in honor of its founders Lou and Lovey Borenstein.

The Jewish Heritage Classics Menu includes the Shtickels (small plates) menu with favorite Jewish classics like Kreplach (beef dumplings), Knishes (flaky pastry dough stuffed with meat, potato or vegetables), Kishka (stuffed derma), and Stuffed Cabbage Roll. This collection of Shtickels (small plates) can be ordered individually or as part of a sampler platter.

Prices start at $3.99.

For those who have a hard time choosing, there is a Jewish Heritage Classics Combination Plates menu, which includes choices like “Lovey’s Difficult Decision;” Cheese blintz (pan fried crepe stuffed with cheese), large salmon tapa (smoked salmon & capers), Israeli salad, and

noodle kugel (egg noodles baked with h a blend of apricots and nd cheese). Prices rices for combination nation plates start at $8.99. To view the complete Jewish Heritage Classics Menu, as well as Chompie’s new dining menu, visit chompies.com/menu2. php.

Chompie’s is located in the Chandler Village Center at 3481 W. Frye Rd., Chandler. It is open from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Saturday and from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. Sunday. For information, call 480-398-3008.

Women’s self-defense workshop benefits CTSC Women ages 12 and older are invited to participate in a Women’s Self-Defense Workshop hosted by Chandler Mixed Martial Arts from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Sat., Oct. 26 at the Chandler MMA facility, 5865 W. Ray Rd., Chandler.

Participants will learn how to recognize and avoid dangerous situations, how to avoid becoming a victim and how to fight off an assailant if confronted. Chandler MMA owner Master Paul McGowan will conduct the workshop.

Cost is $20 per person; reservations are required. Proceeds benefit Chandler— Tullamore Sister Cities’ Student Ambassador program, hosting students from Ireland next spring.

To register, visit chandlerirish.org and click on the Chandler MMA card, or send registration form and check made out to “Chandler-Tullamore Sister Cities” to P.O. Box 1474, Chandler, AZ 85244-1474.

For more information, email chan.to.tull@ gmail.com or call 480-600-8509.

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actor/writer Melinda Cohen. If the collective doesn’t raise the $70,000 by deadline, it doesn’t receive any funds. So far, it is reaching the $29,000 mark.

“I’ve never tried to use Kickstarter or a crowd-funding program for anything like this,” says Roa, a 2003 Chandler High School graduate who attended Bogle Junior High School.

“It’s tough because I like to make my own destiny. In addition to asking for help, we’re asking for donations of money, which is a tough pill for me to swallow, but I’m adjusting.”

Kickstarter is a website that serves as the “world’s largest funding platform for creative projects.” For more information about “Lucid,” or to donate funds, visit kickstarter.com/projects/1346818696/ lucid-a-feature-film. Kickstarter has become a common vehicle for raising funds within the entertainment industry.

“It’s interesting,” says Roa, who studied marketing at Arizona State University.

“There are so many creative types in music and through film in Los Angeles that I get flooded with Kickstarter requests out here all the time. That’s a huge reason why I wanted to try and get local support in Arizona. It hasn’t really spread quite that much outside of the L.A. area. A lot of my friends in Arizona hadn’t even heard of it.”

Roa says “Lucid” has themes of addiction, forgiveness and time travel, all set in a post-apocalyptic world.

“My character, Seth, is holed up in a cabin, a remote cabin where he’s

taking an antidote every single day,” Roa says. “Without giving too much away, the antidote and everything gets compromised and he develops an ability to time travel. He is trying to save the woman that he loves and everyone else says he can’t.

“It kind of messes with your mind. We want people to be questioning the whole time. Is he time traveling? Is he addicted to drugs? Is this really happening? As you’re watching, you can draw your own conclusions. It leaves the audience not really knowing what the truth is until the very end.”

If the collective raises $70,000, filming for the movie will begin in December and wrap in January. Roa says they will have an editor on set who will be working. By the time the film wraps in January, they’ll already have a rough cut of the film.

“We don’t want people to donate and have a long turn around,” Roa explains.

“Films can take two years to ever see the light of day. We feel like we owe it to the people who are donating their money to get a film made—and quickly. Within six months, eight months of donating, they can hear about the film’s release, and the festival circuit that we hope to be a part of.”

Through Kickstarter, donors can receive different gifts of sort for different levels of donations. For example, for $25, donors receive access to an exclusive production blog for backers, with behindthe-scenes videos, photos and updates.

For $100 or more, backers will be sent a signed DVD of the film plus a digital download of the soundtrack.

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49

Finding success

Chandler native

Roa has found success since moving to Los Angeles more than five years ago.

He appeared in the season premiere of “NCIS: Los Angeles” as “Paramedic No. 1,” and in “Drew Peterson: Untouchable,” starring Rob Lowe, as “Jimmy/Man in Handcuffs.”

He also just directed and produced a funded eight-episode Web series called “The Waiting Room” that just finished post-production.

“That’s a big part of why we feel very confident in the Kickstarter process,” he says. “After having done this 40-minute Web series, I learned so much; all the mistakes that need to be learned the hard way. All the things you learn about yourself creatively has already been done through that Web series. Now, I feel like this film will build on that.”

“Lucid” is the first feature that Roa has written and “The Waiting Room” was his first directing project. He yearns to be a well-rounded figure in the film industry.

“I got into acting as a creative outlet and a way to impact people,” he says.

“The more facets of the industry that you can be involved in, the greater chance of impacting people and making quality work that you can be proud of.

“As an actor, you’re waiting around for people to say, ‘Oh yeah, let’s give you an audition. We like you. We’ll put you in our film.’ By writing and directing and producing, you take things into your own hands and you’re able to really make the roles and tell the stories that you find important.”

When Roa attended Chandler High School, he was actively involved in DECCA, the student council, the wrestling team and dive team.

“I’m a huge Chandler High supporter to this day,” he says proudly. “Chandler High just beat Hamilton in football for the first time ever. That was a huge thing.

It’s been 17 years. It’s been awhile. It’s been a long time coming.”

The 28-year-old—the son of Art and Vickey Roa, and the sibling of Brittany and Dustin—hopes that Arizona will be just as supportive to him.

“Kickstarter is a chance for people— especially in Arizona, being kind of far removed from Hollywood—to be involved in a movie. For $5,000 you can receive a small speaking part, which also gets you in the credits. You can be a producer. A producer, oftentimes, doesn’t have any creative input. They’re people who helped fund the film.

“We’re giving people the chance to be that and be involved in a lot of different ways. It’s been a dream of mine ever since I was a kid to be in movies. I have a lot of friends in Arizona who I want to be a part of that. I’m very proud to be from Chandler and Chandler did a lot of things for me. It was a very supportive community when I was there. I would like to have people from Chandler feel like they were a part of this film, when it’s all said and done.”

Christina Fuoco-Karasinski is the editor of the SanTan Sun News. She can be reached at christina@santansun.com.

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October 19 - November 1, 2013

Neighbors

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City clean-up effort set for Oct. 26

BY MAX KRAUST

Chandler residents have an opportunity to help clean up their community during the third annual For Our City—Make a Difference Day on Sat., Oct. 26, at Chandler Municipal Airport.

Volunteers will remove weeds, trash and debris, and install landscape rock along the perimeter of a 6-acre lot located on the west side of Airport Boulevard, south of Germann Road, along Paseo Trail.

More than 200 volunteers are anticipated to help with the project, according to Neighborhood Programs Coordinator Judy Ramos.

The city’s Neighborhood Resources office is working with For Our City— Chandler, part of the nonprofit CARE Inc., for this landscape beautification project.

For Our City has created many other volunteer-based initiatives to coordinate services between the city of Chandler and nonprofit organizations. All programs are heavily dependent on volunteers and existing resources in order to have the greatest impact possible on the community.

“We can mobilize a large number of volunteers for events that would normally take a lot of paid city employees,” says Community Resources and Development Manager Leah Powell. “It builds a sense of

community.”

For Our City—Chandler has created I-HELP (Interfaith Homeless Emergency Lodging Program), Let’s Pull Together and Operation Back to School. Holiday volunteer and donation programs are also held for those in need by For Our City—Chandler.

“We have brought together neighborhood faces, government leaders and nonprofit organizations and talked about how to maximize resources,” says Powell. “It is a great opportunity for people to know what services are out there.”

Through I-HELP there are 15 households for the chronic homeless and a hot meal is provided three nights a week for those in need.

“We learned a lot more about the homeless situation in our city through I-HELP,” says Powell.

Operation Back to School helped supply students with backpacks and other supplies needed for the school year.

“This year we were able to serve over 3,000 students with the Operation Back to School Program,” says Powell.

Let’s Pull Together has been another neighborhood beautification project that has not only helped clean up neighborhoods but also aided those who are unable to do yard work due to physical limitations. This has helped

CLEANING THE COMMUNITY: A volunteer landscapes the F-86 Sabre Jet monument during last year’s For Our City Day. Submitted photo

raise the value of homes, especially in neighborhoods with foreclosures, according to Powell.

“More people are apt to clean their neighborhoods if people are pulling their weeds,” says Powell. “It has been really exciting to see neighborhoods step up.”

One of the other main focuses of For Our City—Chandler is to reduce the number of families who receive duplicate donations so as many people as possible may be served. There will be a shared database between the program and other nonprofit organizations for the holidays to ensure more people are served, according to Powell.

For Our City—Chandler is planning to continue and build its holiday programs, Operation Back to School as well as extend the I-HELP program to seven days a week, according to Powell.

For more information about For Our City—Chandler or to pre-register as a volunteer at the For Our City Day event, visit http://forourcity.org/ Chandler.html. Volunteers will gather at 6:30 a.m. at Airport Park located northwest of the air traffic control tower on the east side of Airport Boulevard, north of Queen Creek Road.

Max Kraust is a student at the Walter Cronkite School of Journalism. He can be reached at news@santansun.com.

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Neighbors

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Open house offered at Moms Club Chandler East The annual open house for prospective members for the Moms Club Chandler East will be held from 10 a.m. to noon, Thu., Oct. 24 at Chick-fil-a Crossroads, 2900 E. Germann Rd., Chandler.

Individuals will have the opportunity to learn more about the club, while meeting some of its more than 35 members during the open house.

A recipe exchange, park days, smaller age-specific playgroups, field trips/activities for the kids, breakfast club, zoo days, mom and tot lunch, potlucks and a Moms Night Out (only nonkid event) are some of the monthly activities provided.

The Moms Club Chandler East, which is a nonprofit group for stayat-home moms or for moms who work part time, are also involved in community projects - donations, fundraisers and volunteer work to benefit Chandler/Gilbert families and children. The club’s annual Trike-A-Thon raised more than $750 for a local charity while teaching the importance of bike safety to children.

The meetings, and the majority of the activities, are held during the day, when at-home mothers are in need of support. The group has

a membership fee of $25, as part of the International MOMS Club.

Prospective members may attend two public events before deciding if they wish to join.

The clubs boundaries are Ocotillo Road from McQueen to Greenfield Roads and over to the Loop 202. For more information, visit momsclubchandlereast. blogspot.com. To join the club, email momsclubchandlereast@gmail.com.

October 19 - November 1, 2013

51

PITTA SOUVLI FROM PAGE 44

Other popular dishes include the grilled Greek wrap, the Greek burger (topped with feta, Tzatziki, lettuce, tomato and onion), flatbread pizzas, chicken gyro shawarma platter and the grilled pesto salmon. Popular Greek appetizers include baba ganoush (a spread made from eggplant) with pita bread, dolmades (stuffed grape leaves) and grilled halloumi (grilled sheep’s milk cheese) served with sliced tomatoes and pita bread.

“Every weekend there is a different homemade cheesecake on the menu, too,” Contreras explains.

There are also many specials at Pitta Souvli daily and throughout the week. For busy families on the go, takeout family meals are a great choice; priced at $25, there are three different meals from which to choose.

“Happy hour is Monday through Friday from 4 until 6:30 p.m.,” states Contreras.

“We have $2 off glasses of wine and half off of bottles of wine.” Customers also have a variety of $3, $4 and $5 appetizers from which to choose. Thursdays are Wine Down Thursdays and feature half off of all bottles of wine. Each week there is a “Two for $10” Tuesday with your choice of gyro pita or a chicken shawarma pita.

“Now that it’s cooler, we’ll have a belly dancer coming in each month,” adds Flores. There is also live music on select dates. Call Pitta Souvli or check the website, pittasouvli.com, for updates.

Catering and party platters are available for small or larger parties. Various platters serve 10-15 people and there are also

TRADITIONAL GYROS PLATTER: The gyros platter is a great culinary introduction into the delicious world of Greek food. STSN photo by Lynette Carrington

pastitsio (a traditional Greek pasta bake) and moussake (another traditional Greek dish) pans for any special occasion. But as Flores notes, he is happy to design a catering order to the specific needs of a group or party.

Flores finishes, “I love our customers.

I love listening to them and socializing with them and I have made some very good friends here.” With a combination of healthy food, great service and a family friendly atmosphere, Pitta Souvli looks forward to a bright future of satisfied customers.

Pitta Souvli is located at 1940 S. Alma School Rd. (facing Germann Road) in the Mountainside Fitness Plaza. Visit pittasouvli.com or call 480-907-5893 for additional information.

Lynette Carrington is a freelancer for the SanTan Sun News. She can be reached at lynette@santansun.com.

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October 19 - November 1, 2013

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SanTan Brewing’s sixth annual Chandler Oktoberfest Produced by HDE Agency and presented by Bashas’, the SanTan Brewing Oktoberfest invaded the streets of downtown Chandler on Sat., Oct. 5. Celebrated since 1810, Oktoberfest is an annual tradition filled with an abundance of würstl, craft beer and good times celebrating Bavarian culture. And, at SanTan Brewing Co. it was a celebrated with the Expendables, the Bad Cactus Brass Band, a beer pong tournament, bag toss, stein races, keg rolling, keg stacking, tricycle races and a brat-eating contest.

STSN photos by Tiera Allen

PIGGING OUT: Five contestants for Von Hanson’s Brat Eating Contest chowing down with a minute remaining.

FAMILY AFFAIR : The Wells family stopping for a group photo.

THE BAND: Lead singer of the Expendables and headlining act, Geoff Weers.

FRIENDLY FACES: Nicole Hawkland, Courtney Barnett, Jamie Soliz and Taylor Blades from Gilbert enjoying the festival together.

STAGE VIEW: 80 Proof out of California building a crowd at the main stage.

KETTLE CORN CREW: Kayleen Hilsenbeck, Natalie Davin and Dave Parnell of Pea and Pa’s Old Fashion Kettle Corn.

BEER-A-LICIOUS: Tubs of canned beer were on hand along with semi-truck loads of San Tan kegs.

DIRNDL: Kimberly Johnson of Mesa sporting the traditional attire of German Oktoberfests.

GRILL MASTER: Jesse with San Tan Brewing, grilling up brats for those grubbing in true Oktoberfest fashion.