West Valley View - South 10.14.2020

DV spikes during pandemic

BY TOM SCANLON West Valley View Managing Editor

As it has been for the last three decades, October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month.

While there is increased attention on physical and psychological harm done by partners or family members, that does not mean it is under control.

Indeed, the closures and stay-home measures of the pandemic may be contributing to a sharp rise in domestic violence, both in the county and West Valley.

According to Maricopa County Attorney Allister Adel, “there has been dramatic increase in submittals of domestic violence-related homicides and attempted homicides to the Maricopa County Attorney’s Office.”

From January through June, MCAO received 32 reports from local law enforce-

ment agencies for domestic violence-related homicides or attempted homicide. That was double the number of reports of the first half of 2019.

“This spike is alarming,” Adel said. “The impact that this pandemic has had on victims of domestic violence is real. These numbers show that people need help.”

Adel’s office is prosecuting one of the most dramatic instances of alleged domestic violence—though it did not result in a death.

Bryshere Ronald Gray, an actor and rapper best known for playing Hakeem Lyon in the long-running TV show “Empire,” will be in Maricopa County Superior Court for a preliminary hearing Thursday, Oct. 15.

On July 12, according to Deputy Coun-

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Goodyear Civic Square moving ahead

BY JAKARIA ROSS West Valley View Contributing Writer

Despite disruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, Goodyear is moving forward with the $87 million Goodyear Civic Square at Estrella Falls project.

On Sept. 28, Goodyear City Council pushed the project ahead, approving the preliminary plat of Parcel A at the site.

The Civic Square project will bring a new civic park, four-story city hall,

two-story library, office suites, shops and a parking garage. Groundbreaking near McDowell Road and Pebble Creek Parkway just north of Interstate 10 is scheduled for April 23—Mayor Georgia Lord’s birthday.

Long before she was elected mayor, Lord helped craft a vision for the civic center. She was the chair of a committee that initiated a project that has been discussed for nearly four decades, with excitement fading as the Great Recession sidetracked

a previous plan.

“The downturn came and I was the mayor then and it broke my heart. I had to vote down beginning that project,” Lord said. “This time, the area is better, more centralized for both sides of Goodyear and I love the partnership with the developers.”

City Manager Julie Arendall noted a civic square was first planned for Goodyear

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“Empire” actor Bryshere Gray is accused of choking and threatening his wife—the most sensational case of domestic violence in the West Valley, which is on the rise in 2020. (West Valley View file photo)

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“It has been 36 years now the city has dreamed of this project. It has started and stopped five times for a number of reasons, but this go around, I am very pleased to say the pandemic is not slowing us down on this … and has not changed our budget,” Arendall said.

She noted Goodyear is flourishing, despite the pandemic, which means Civic Square at Estrella Falls can move ahead.

“We’re actually in a good financial position. The project budget is just over $87 million, and $53 million of that is bonds that our residents approved,” Arendall said.

She said the other $34 million will come from general funds reserved in the five-year Capital Improvements Program.

“The city of Goodyear is blessed to be in a cycle where we’re thriving and growing, and we have not seen revenue impact as we’re hearing around the nation,” Arendall said.

While the COVID-19 impact was not financial, the project designers were able to pivot building plans to accom-

modate social distancing and healthy hygiene practices.

“All of the building doors will be automatically opening doors, so you don’t have to touch them. In the restrooms, there are touchless faucets,” Arendall said.

Civic Square at Estrella Falls will feature Goodyear’s first parking garage.

“This will be a project unlike any in the West Valley,” Arendall said.

Lord said the community is excited

about the project.

“The majority of the city has already taken ownership for this project, and we haven’t even got the first building up,” Lord said.

The West Valley View is a controlled-circulation weekly. It is published every Wednesday, and distributed free-of-charge to homes and in high-traffic locations throughout Avondale, Goodyear, Litchfield Park, Buckeye and Tolleson.

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Parcel A, about half of the property, is 48 acres at McDowell Road and 150th Drive, west of Harkins Theatres. The 48 acres will be subdivided into eight lots with a mix of civic, commercial and high-density residential types of uses. Goodyear City Hall will be on Lot 3, a civic park on Lot 4, and office and parking garages on Lots 6 and 7. According to background material on the Sept. 28 agenda, “The intent of the Goodyear Civic Square PAD (Planned Area Development) is to create an urban, pedestrian-oriented development that will be a center for civic administration, services and events. The area is also intended for the development of higher intensity office and commercial development. Another key component of the PAD is the allowance of higher density residential development, which will support the commercial development anticipated in the area and help activate the civic spaces.”

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Parcel A is bordered to the south by McDowell Road and extends to West Monte Vista Road, where Parcels B and C begin, extending north to West Encanto Boulevard.

Prior to Goodyear City Council approval, the Planning and Zoning Commission approved the Parcel A plat Sept. 16.

Home delivery of the West Valley View is complimentary and offered to residents in the southwest region of the Valley of the Sun, saturating parts of Avondale, Buckeye, Goodyear, Litchfield Park, Tolleson & Waddell. The West Valley View can also be found free-of-charge at nearly

The $87 million Goodyear Civic Square at Estrella Falls, envisioned to have a city hall, library, shops, office and retail space, continues to move toward a projected 2022 opening. (Image courtesy city of Goodyear)

An edition of the East Valley Tribune

ty Attorney Benjamin H. Cunningham, Gray choked and threatened his wife and held her against her will—until she was able to escape a Goodyear home and run for help.

That night, Goodyear police officers responded to a call at a Circle K at 15535 W. McDowell Road to assist a woman in distress. “The woman had flagged down a citizen for help moments earlier at another nearby gas station stating that she had been assaulted at her Goodyear home for the last several hours by her husband,” said Lt. Jason Costello of the Goodyear Police Department the day after the incident.

“The victim had numerous visible injuries on her body and also stated that she was strangled at one point by Gray and temporarily lost consciousness.”

Costello said police went to a home on South 176th near Estrella Foothills High School, where Lane refused to leave the home for hours until surrendering.

While this celebrity-involved case was certainly the most sensational instance of domestic violence in the West

Valley this year, it was hardly the only one.

According to Donna Rossi, a Buckeye police spokeswoman, from January through August, Buckeye police responded to 610 domestic violence calls—a 15% increase over 532 DV calls for the same time period in 2019.

In the first half of 2020, Goodyear police responded to 572 domestic violence calls—up 26% from the 452 during the same time period in 2019.

“We will be doing educational/ awareness posts on our social media for Domestic Violence Awareness Month,” said Lisa Berry, a Goodyear police spokeswoman.

Recently, Goodyear police posted a DV message on Facebook:

“Do you know someone who you think may be a victim of domestic violence? Convey belief, listen without judgement and validate their experience. Building community around survivors is critical, especially right now during COVID-19.

“If you are concerned for the safety of someone in your neighborhood or circle, now is a great time to connect

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with them. National 24-hour DV Hotline: 800-799-7233 (SAFE), TDD: 800-787-3224, Video Phone: 855-8121001.”

The Goodyear police also provides the number to the West Valley’s domestic violence shelter, New Life Center, 623-932-4404.

Similarly, the Buckeye Police Department is raising awareness on social media, said Rossi.

Adel’s county office gives a definition of the criminal behavior:

“Domestic violence is a pattern of controlling behaviors where one person uses their power to control the other. While frequency and severity can vary dramatically in each situation, one consistent component is abusers will try to maintain power and control over their partner. It is not isolated to any one gender, race, or economic situation. Domestic violence can be hard to identify because it can take many forms, including verbal, physical, sexual, emotional and financial abuse.”

As the Arizona Coalition to End Sexual and Domestic Violence notes, “Domestic violence is not physical violence alone. Domestic violence is any behavior the purpose of which is to gain power and control over a spouse, partner, girl/boyfriend or intimate family member. Abuse is a learned behavior; it is not caused by anger, mental problems, drugs or alcohol, or other common excuses.

One in three women and one in four men have been victims of physical violence by an intimate partner in their lifetime.

According to the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence:

• On average, nearly 20 people per minute are physically abused by an intimate partner in the United States. During one year, this equates to more than 10 million women and men.

• 1 in 4 women and 1 in 9 men experience severe intimate partner physical violence, intimate partner contact sexual violence and/or intimate partner stalking.

• 1 in 3 women and 1 in 4 men have experienced some form of physical violence by an intimate partner.

• 1 in 7 women and 1 in 25 men have been injured by an intimate partner.

• 1 in 10 women have been raped by an intimate partner.

• 1 in 4 women and 1 in 7 men have been victims of severe physical violence (e.g. beating, burning, strangling) by an intimate partner in their lifetime.

• 1 in 7 women and 1 in 18 men have been stalked by an intimate partner during their lifetime, to the point in which they felt very fearful or believed that they or someone close to them would be harmed or killed.

• On a typical day, there are more than 20,000 phone calls placed to domestic violence hotlines nationwide.

• Intimate partner violence accounts for 15% of all violent crime.

The Maricopa County DV hotline is 480-890-3039.

For more information, visit ncadv. org, acesdv.org or maricopacountyattorney.org/298/Domestic-Violence.

As Adel said, “Information is a powerful tool and my office is committed to not only prosecuting abusers but providing critical education and resources for victims of domestic violence and those who want to help.

Goodyear police o cers answered 26% more domestic violence calls in the first half of 2020, compared to the first half of 2019. In October, the Goodyear Police Department is emphasizing pink colors—to honor Breast Cancer Awareness Month as well as Domestic Violence Awareness Month. (Photo courtesy Goodyear police)

Wood challenges Grijalva in Congressional District 3 debate

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BY BRIAN CANO SR. West Valley View Staff Writer

In a Sept. 28 debate that aired on Arizona PBS, Democratic Rep. Raúl Grijalva squared off against Republican opponent Daniel Wood in a heated debate.

In 2002, Grijalva was elected to represent the 3rd Congressional District, which spans from Nogales to Yuma and includes much of the West Valley. He has been reelected eight times, receiving 64% of the votes in 2018.

Wood is the latest Republican challenger attempting to defeat Grijalva.

According to his campaign website, Wood is a veteran of the U.S. Marines, manager of Hickman Farms and is a “patriot fighting for American values” who lives in Maricopa.

With the Nov. 3 vote approaching, the two answered questions about the economy, immigration and President Donald Trump’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Grijalva, who was raised in Tucson, said he is concerned about the president’s economic reopening plans that could spark a second wave of infections in the country.

“This country, as we come out of this darkness that we’re in, the COVID pandemic, things are going to change. And the status quo of how we’ve had things in the past are not going to apply to the recoveries in the rebuilding this nation is going to be,” Grijalva said.

Wood, making his first bid for elected office, said he is running for Congress because of the country’s current political climate.

“I want to fight for just for the American people and let them know that there’s someone here other than these career politicians who is going to work for them and fight for them,” Wood said.

Grijalva called his opponent “someone that has the philosophy of Donald Trump, that sees the pandemic as a hoax, that doesn’t believe in climate science, that doesn’t believe in a full investment in the belief that the people of this state, of this country.”

Wood countered that the Democrat establishment is failing the public

during the pandemic.

“We have governors and Democratic leaders who have stepped in and they’re … taking away the rights and freedoms of American people,” Wood said.

The two were asked their views of the Trump administration’s handling of the COVID-19 pandemic.

“A month and a half to almost two months before the pandemic became the item that the country had to respond to, the Congress had to respond to, the president of the United States was briefed on it,” Grijalva said.

“He said in an interview that it was true—that it was deadly, that it was going to spread, that it was going to have economic devastation to this country—for months, and nothing was done.”

Wood had a vastly different view.

“I support the president, I do,” Wood said. “But if I run for Congress, I also am going to stand up for things. … If (Trump is) doing something that they don’t want him to do, I will stand up for that,” Wood said.

“The president had to deal with something that was chaotic. What he did is he took it step by step, same thing I had to do when I came to a traffic scene where someone was mangled,” said Wood, a former law enforcement officer.

The two also had differing views of immigration.

“It seems like what happens is a lot of these asylum seekers get caught up … in the court system,” Wood said. “We’ve got to protect the nation first because those coming over borders might have COVID. So that’s why we (closed the border). That makes perfect sense. We need to protect the nation.”

Grijalva countered, “Under Obama, we had the executive order of DACA (Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals) because the Republican-controlled Congress would not pass any legislation dealing with the Dream Act or any immigration legislation,” Grijalva said. “One of the first things Trump did was undo that executive order and take it to the Supreme Court.”

Democratic Rep. Raúl Grijalva, left, squared off against Republican opponent Daniel Wood in a heated debate Sept. 28. (Image courtesy Arizona PBS)

Avondale Rep. Lorenzo Sierra recovering from COVID-19

BY TOM SCANLON West Valley View Managing Editor

After being on a ventilator in an East Coast hospital, Arizona State Rep. Lorezno Sierra of Avondale showed “extraordinary” improvement.

Rhonda Cagle, Sierra’s wife, told the West Valley View Oct. 12 her husband is making a “remarkable” recovery.

“Lorenzo continues to make extraordinary progress. His doctors have called him the poster child for how rapidly he’s making recovery,” Cagle said. “They just don’t see this type of recovery.”

After being intubated last week, Sierra is now breathing mostly on his own.

“They were able yesterday to move from him from high-flow oxygen to low-flow oxygen,” Cagle said. “He’s making good progress with that. He is still on the feeding tube.”

Sierra lives in the Cashion area of Avondale and represents Legislative District 19.

She considered it both a blessing and a curse that Sierra was hit with COVID-19 while traveling to Washington, D.C., to visit family. The blessing part was he was transported to Johns Hopkins Hospital in nearby Baltimore.

“I can’t say enough about their medical team in terms of their care,” said Cagle.

Unlike President Donald Trump, Sierra did not receive the experimental COVID-19 drug Regeneron.

But Sierra received a treatment that is also in experimental phases.

“He has been receiving high and frequent doses of convalescent plasma,” said Cagle.

The treatment has worked so well that, by early next week, Sierra may be

out of the hospital. “Fingers crossed, he might be discharged at the end of week,” Cagle said.

She also was sick, though nowhere near to the extreme of her husband.

“I am pushing through. Still battling through fatigue and brain fog,” Cagle said.

Before being hospitalized, Sierra made a series of tweets:

“My wife and I both tested negative for the virus prior to our travels,” Sierra tweeted. “Despite taking extensive precautions at all times, we somehow became infected. This goes to show that COVID-19 is highly contagious. ”

Sierra, a Democrat, is unopposed on the Nov. 3 ballot as he runs for reelection. (Diego Espinoza, the other District 19 representative, also is not opposed on the ballot.)

State Sen. Lupe Contreras of District 19 tested positive for COVID-19 in April. He recovered at his Avondale home.

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Arizona State Rep. Lorenzo Sierra, who lives in Avondale and represents District 19, was o a ventilator and recovering from COVID-19 symptoms, according to his wife, Rhonda Cagle. Sierra and Cagle both became sick while visiting family on the East Coast. (Photo courtesy Rhonda Cagle)

Tolleson Union High School District to remain online for fall

BY WEST VALLEY VIEW STAFF

The Littleton Elementary School District governing board voted to approve a modified return to in-person classes beginning Thursday, Oct. 22.

While most other West Valley school districts have reopened classrooms or will do so this month, Tolleson Union High School District’s governing board voted Oct. 6 to wait until next semester for students to be in classrooms.

“We are remaining online through the entirety of the first semester,” said Joseph Ortiz, a TUSHD spokesman.

In a letter to families, TUHSD Superintendent Nora Gutierrez noted that previously, “We had indicated to you that we would be providing online learning through Friday, Oct. 9, in order to limit the spread of the coronavirus in our community, as well as for the health, wellness and safety of our students and our staff.”

The original plan to reopen classrooms changed.

“The Governing Board met on Tuesday, Oct. 6, and made the difficult de-

cision that all schools in the Tolleson Union High School District would remain with the current online learning model for the remainder of the first semester, concluding on Friday, Dec. 18,” Gutierrez wrote.

She noted the district is “closely monitoring” metrics provided by the state and county.

She said most recent data showed the district “positivity rate” is above 9%, “well above the 5% rate required for students to return to in-person learning on campuses.”

While Gov. Doug Ducey gave districts the power to make decisions on when and how to reopen classrooms, the Arizona Department of Health Services and the Maricopa County Department of Public Health provided “target benchmarks” for districts to use as a guide to safely return to in-person learning.

The benchmarks:

• Reported cases less than 10 cases per 100,000 of population.

• A percent positive number below 5% positivity.

• The number of COVID-like illnesses below 5% for two consecutive weeks. Information is updated every Thursday at maricopa.gov/5594/school-metrics.

Data updated the day after the letter from Gutierrez showed TUHSD positivity dropped slightly—but 7.77% was still above the 5% benchmark.

And at 59 cases per 100,000, TUHSD remained nearly six times higher than the benchmark of 10 cases per 100,000. The city of Tolleson is even higher, with 82 cases per 100,000—though Tolleson’s number of cases fell from 100 per 100,000 the week before.

By comparison, Goodyear had 38 cases per 100,000, Litchfield Park had 37 cases per 100,000, Buckeye had 30 cases per 100,000 and Avondale 26 cases per 100,000, according to the

county’s COVID-19 metrics tracker. COVID-like illness was 2% for TUSHD, the only one of the three benchmarks that met the guidelines for safe reopening of classrooms.

“We recognize the impact that this decision has on our families,” Gutierrez said. “Our Governing Board and I believe that this is the best decision for the health, wellness and safety of our students and our staff. We will continue to monitor the data and we invite our community to also keep abreast of the COVID-19 metrics for our area.”

She stressed TUSHD “will continue to focus on academic achievement for our students and provide support and resources for them to be successful with targeted interventions, connectivity, technology, and caring teachers and staff.”

ZIP code data provided by Maricopa County shows the Tolleson Union High School District is “in the red,” above guidelines for reopening of classrooms. The TUHSD governing board voted to continue remote teaching through the fall, even as other districts around the West Valley reopen schools. (Image courtesy Maricopa County)

Sen. McSally, Mark Kelly clash in Senate debate

BY RAY ALONZO Cronkite News

Republican Sen. Martha McSally and Democratic challenger Mark Kelly, two military veterans battling for a congressional seat in Arizona that is drawing the attention of the nation, recently debated over the country’s COVID-19 response, jobs and immigration, and President Trump’s attacks on Arizona Sen. John McCain.

Kelly and McSally wielded the usual disdain of political opponents, accusing one another of misleading Arizonans while outlining their own familiar campaign stances in a debate that offered few surprises.

McSally called Obamacare “a government takeover of health care,” praised the government response to the coronavirus and businesses suffering financial losses in the pandemic, and said corporate interests that Kelly scorns actually bolster his campaign.

Kelly, a Navy veteran, called for expanding public health, said the naming of a Supreme Court justice should wait until a new president takes office, and re-

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affirmed his opposition to a border wall.

McSally, an Air Force veteran, is defending the seat she was appointed to two years ago, filling the vacancy left by the late Sen. McCain.

McCain may have been the only common ground between the two opponents. Kelly decried reports that Trump had humiliated the service of veterans and, even after McCain’s death, made fun of a Republican icon.

McSally agreed. “It pisses me off when he does that,” she said of Trump, adding she tells him to stop doing so. Trump has endorsed McSally.

Kelly and McSally offered dueling views of who has been most in fealty of China instead of holding off the superpower competitor, charged one another with being in thrall to corporate interests, and repeatedly claimed they are the senator most likely to fight for Arizonans.

Kelly, a former astronaut and gun reform activist, has consistently led McSally in the polls in a race that could decide the future of the Supreme Court

Learn more at:

Throughout the debate, McSally consistently called Kelly “Counterfeit Kelly” and drew comparisons between him and former presidential candidate Bernie Sanders.

“He led over the last decade one of the most radical political organizations in modern history,” she said. “Raising over $57 million in order to help elect some of the most extreme left-wing politicians in power right now.”

Kelly largely used the debate to paint himself as a candidate for all Arizonans, stressing that he represents independence and nonpartisanship.

“Partisan politics has made this crisis worse, and partisan politics and partisan politicians are not going to get us out of it,” he said. “We need independent leadership focused on solving the problems we face.”

The latest polls have Kelly leading McSally by double digits, reflecting the state’s shift from a red state to a battleground. The Senate race has garnered national attention, with the result having heavy implications for Arizona’s political future.

McSally has been a vocal supporter of the Trump administration and has stated that the Senate should vote on Trump’s nominee for the Supreme Court, Amy Coney Barrett.

Both contenders are following party lines, with most Republicans seeking to confirm a justice for the nation’s highest court while Democrats want to wait, hoping that former Vice President Joe Biden will become president. Kelly said in an interview with KTAR that the winner of November’s presidential election should choose the late Ruth Bader Gins-

burg’s replacement.

During the debate, McSally stated that she was following the Constitution in her decision to support moving forward with the Supreme Court nomination process.

“Let’s be clear, the Constitution says that the president gets to nominate and the Senate gets to confirm,” she said.

The topic of China was brought up several times throughout the debate, with McSally repeatedly trying to tie Kelly to the country and its administration.

“Your business relationships put you in a place where you are weak on China.”

Kelly responded by saying that he “recognized China as an adversary” for his entire life and that McSally has been falsely attacking him.

“Sen. McSally just likes to lob false political attacks and question her opponents’ patriotism, we’ve seen it before,” he said.

The Trump administration’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic was hotly debated. Kelly said that he believed the administration and McSally did not do a good job responding to the pandemic, citing the U.S.’s coronavirus deaths as an example.

McSally praised the administration’s China travel ban, while placing the blame for the pandemic on China and the nation’s response.

“This virus came from China, they silenced doctors, they destroyed samples, they blamed it on the U.S. Army, and we need to hold China accountable,” she said.

Early voting for this race and others in Arizona began Oct. 7, lasting until Oct. 30. The deadline for voter registration is Oct. 23, per a recent order by a federal judge.

Democrat Mark Kelly and Republican Sen. Martha McSally are separated by plexiglass as they participate in a debate at the Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication. (Cronkite photo)

NEW TIMES REQUIRE NEW THINKING

Better read this if you are 62 or older and still making mortgage payments.

It’s a well-known fact that for many older Americans, the home is their single biggest asset, often accounting for more than 45% of their total net worth. And with interest rates near all-time lows while home values are still high, this combination creates the perfect dynamic for getting the most out of your built-up equity.

But, many aren’t taking advantage of this unprecedented period. According to new statistics from the mortgage industry, senior homeowners in the U.S. are now sitting on more than 7.19 trillion dollars* of unused home equity.

Not only are people living longer than ever before, but there is also greater uncertainty in the economy. With home prices back up again, ignoring this “hidden wealth” may prove to be short sighted when looking for the best long-term outcome.

All things considered, it’s not surprising that more than a million homeowners have already used a government-insured Home Equity Conversion Mortgage (HECM) loan to turn their home equity into extra cash for retirement.

It’s a fact: no monthly mortgage payments are required with a government-insured HECM loan; however the borrowers are still responsible for paying for the maintenance of their home, property taxes, homeowner’s insurance and, if required, their HOA fees. Today, HECM loans are simply an effective way for homeowners 62 and older to get the extra cash they

need to enjoy retirement.

Although today’s HECM loans have been improved to provide even greater financial protection for homeowners, there are still many misconceptions.

For example, a lot of people mistakenly believe the home must be paid off in full in order to qualify for a HECM loan, which is not the case. In fact, one key advantage of a HECM is that the proceeds will first be used to pay off any existing liens on the property, which frees up cash flow, a huge blessing for seniors living on a fixed income. Unfortunately, many senior homeowners who might be better off with a HECM loan don’t even

family members. Some people simply need the extra cash for everyday expenses while others are now using it as a safety net for financial emergencies. If you’re a homeowner age 62 or older, you owe it to yourself to learn more so that you can make the best decision - for your financial future.

bother to get more information because of rumors they’ve heard.

In fact, a recent survey by American Advisors Group (AAG), the nation’s number one HECM lender, found that over 98% of their clients are satisfied with their loans. While these special loans are not for everyone, they can be a real lifesaver for senior homeowners - especially in times like these.

The cash from a HECM loan can be used for almost any purpose. Other common uses include making home improvements, paying off medical bills or helping other

*Source: https://reversemortgagedaily.com/2019/12/17/senior-housing-wealth-reaches-record-high-of-7-19-trillion

Reverse mortgage loan terms include occupying the home as your primary residence, maintaining the home, paying property taxes and homeowners insurance. Although these costs may be substantial, AAG does not establish an escrow account for these payments. However, a set-aside account can be set up for taxes and insurance, and in some cases may be required. Not all interest on a reverse mortgage is tax-deductible and to the extent that it is, such deduction is not available until the loan is partially or fully repaid.

AAG charges an origination fee, mortgage insurance premium (where required by HUD), closing costs and servicing fees, rolled into the balance of the loan. AAG charges interest on the balance, which grows over time. When the last borrower or eligible non-borrowing spouse dies, sells the home, permanently moves out, or fails to comply with the loan terms, the loan becomes due and payable (and the property may become subject to foreclosure). When this happens, some or all of the equity in the property no longer belongs to the borrowers, who may need to sell the home or otherwise repay the loan balance. V2020.06.30 NMLS# 9392 (www.nmlsconsumeraccess.org). American Advisors Group (AAG) is headquartered at 3800 W. Chapman Ave., 3rd & 7th Floors, Orange CA, 92868. Licensed in 49 states. Please go to www.aag.com/legal-information for full state license information.

These materials are not from HUD or FHA and were not approved by HUD or a government agency.

With ballots mailed, voting continues this week

BY WEST VALLEY VIEW STAFF

According to the Maricopa County Department of Elections, early ballots are being mailed as of Wednesday, Oct. 7.

“A total of 175 vote centers and 35 drop boxes have been finalized. Ballots mailed and in-person voting became available on Oct. 7,” noted Clint Hickman, Maricopa County Board of Supervisors District 4 representative and chairman.

“Seven locations are open, with one of those being in District 4 at Surprise City Hall.”

For voting center locations, visit recorder.maricopa.gov/pollingplace.

“Voters may now choose from any voting location, rather than just one assigned location,” said Scott Jarrett, director of Election Day and emergency voting with the Maricopa County Elections Department.

While many—including President Donald Trump—have expressed concern about the integrity of 2002 voting, Hickman stressed, “The Elections De-

partment has worked to provide voters with a safe, accessible, secure and transparent general election.”

In Maricopa County, voters have the choice to vote by mail or in person through Election Day, Nov. 3.

All voting locations will follow strict physical distancing and cleaning guidelines, according to the county.

Oct. 23 is the last day to request a ballot in the mail.

The county recommends those voting by mail to post ballots by Oct. 27.

To check early ballot voting status and more, visit recorder.maricopa.gov/ elections.

West Valley ballots will allow residents to vote on the presidential race between Trump and Democrat Joe Biden, as well as U.S. Senate and House of Representatives races.

For those who don’t watch television, which has been saturated with ads by both candidates, incumbent Sen. Martha McSally is challenged by Democrat Mark Kelly.

In the 3rd Congressional District,

Raúl Grijalva—a Democrat incumbent since 2002—faces Republican challenger Daniel Wood.

In the 7th Congressional District, which includes part of Tolleson and Glendale, Ruben Gallego, the Democrat incumbent, faces a challenge from Republican Josh Barnett.

“As a business owner and family man, I have witnessed the corruption and disregard for our Constitution that is eroding liberty in our country,” Barnett says on his campaign website.

Gallego is the heavy favorite, after winning the 2018 election with more than 85% of the votes. Gallego was first elected to Congress in 2014 and reelected in 2016, with 75% of the votes in those two elections.

In the 8th Congressional District, which stretches from Goodyear to New River, including part of Glendale and Peoria, incumbent Republican Debbie Lesko is challenged by Democrat Michael Muscato, a newcomer to politics who owns a gym in Glendale.

Nearly 78% of Maricopa County’s

nearly 2.5 million registered voters have already requested a ballot in the mail.

The Elections Department is also adding new, drive-thru drop boxes in the parking lots of sport stadiums across the county. Voters will be able to return completed ballots in their signed and sealed green affidavit envelope from their vehicles. Trained staff will work at all drive-thru drop boxes and will deliver the sealed envelopes to the Elections Department nightly, tracking the chain of custody and keeping ballots secure. Drive-thru drop box locations are open on Oct. 24 and from Oct. 31 to Nov. 3.

Find sites and hours of operation at locations.maricopa.vote.

“Maricopa County has been providing every voter with the option to request a ballot in the mail since 1996. We have layers of oversight to ensure only valid ballots are counted,” said Rey Valenzuela, director of early voting and election services with the Maricopa County Elections Department. “We plan to make sure that no matter what option voters choose, it’s safe, accessible and secure.”

School funding

West Valley residents will vote on federal and state representatives—as well as hyper-local issues involving school funding and school boards.

Several school districts are asking West Valley residents for funding.

The Avondale Elementary School District requests a continuation of the

Paid for by Otondo for Senate, Charlene for House, and PETEN for People First – Arizona. Authorized by Lisa Otondo, Charlene Fernandez, and Geraldine Peten.

State Sen. Lisa Otondo

State Rep. Charlene Fernandez

State Rep. Dr. Gerae Peten

existing 15% override. If approved, the $5.1 million override would cost the owner of a home with a limited property value of $123,470 (the average value of a home in the district) approximately $139 per year, according to ballot information.

Buckeye Union High School District residents will decide on an $87 million bond for classroom additions, classroom remodels/expansions, student technology, transportation vehicles and athletic facilities renovation.

According to Buckeye Union ballot information, “The tax impact over the term of the bonds on an owner-occupied residence valued by the county assessor at $250,000 is estimated to be $148.98 per year for 26 years, or $3,873.48 total cost.”

Liberty Elementary School District residents will decide on a continuation of the existing 10% override of about $2.4 million. According to ballot information, “The estimated continuation cost of the full override to an owner of a home with a limited property value of $168,170 (the average value of a home in the district)

would be approximately $136 per year.”

Saddle Mountain Unified School District residents will vote on a continuation of the existing 10% override. The estimated continuation cost of the full override to an owner of a home with a limited property value of $116,650 (the average value of a home in the district) would be approximately $20 per year.

In the Tolleson Elementary School District, voters will decide on a continuation of the existing 15% override. The estimated continuation cost of the full override to an owner of a home with a limited property value of $85,510 (the average value of a home in the district) would be approximately $101 per year.

Tolleson Union High School District residents will decide on a continuation of the existing 15% override. The estimated continuation cost of the full override to an owner of a home with a limited property value of $106,100 (the average value of a home in the district) would be approximately $95 per year.

School boards

West Valley voters also will decide

on school board representatives.

Buckeye Elementary School District voters will choose from Amy Lovitt, Michael Melton, Brett Benninghoff and Richard Hopkins for three open seats.

Six filed as Buckeye Union High School District board candidates for three open seats: Morris Seeskin, Megan Blackburn, Jeffrey Brady, Kristi Bencomo, Paul Jensen and Brian Turner.

Five candidates filed as Litchfield Elementary School District governing board candidates for three open seats: Ryan Risselman, Tawnya Pfitzer, Jeremy Hoenack, Danielle Clymer and Melissa Zuidema.

Four candidates filed as Littleton Elementary School District governing board candidates for three open seats: Sara Contreras, Kathy Reyes, John Raeder and Sophia Johnson.

Other West Valley districts canceled elections due to a lack of competition.

Agua Fria Union High School District residents will not vote, as only Kristen Acton, Gina DeCoste and Trey Terry filed for three open board seats. They will be appointed.

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Similarly, Avondale Elementary School District will not have an election, as Amy Lowe, Mark Gonzales, Megan Griego, Elizabeth Canchola and Robert Vernier were the only candidates to file for the five open board positions.

Liberty Elementary School District will not have an election for the governing board, with only three candidates for the three open seats: Suzanne McEvoy, Jamie Miller and Paul Bixler. (William Jennings withdrew his candidacy.)

And only three filed as Saddle Mountain Unified School District governing board candidates for the same number of open seats: Bernadette Delacruz, Bonnie Hudson and Paul Roetto.

Tolleson Elementary and Tolleson Union High school districts will not have elections.

Due to a lack of competition, Anthony Aponte, Belinda Quezada and Roberta Garcia will be appointed to the Tolleson Elementary School District governing board and Steven Chapman, Kino Flores and Freddie Villalon will be appointed to the Tolleson Union High School District governing board.

Advocates rush to register voters after judge extends deadline 18 days

BY OLIVIA MUNSON Cronkite News

Arizona nonprofits are working “nonstop” to register voters before opponents can overturn a federal judge’s ruling that extended the state’s voter registration deadline from Oct. 5 to Oct. 23.

U.S. District Judge Steven Logan agreed with voter advocacy groups that COVID-19 restrictions imposed by the state earlier this year may have cost “possibly tens of thousands of voter registrations” and that the best way to fix that was by extending the deadline.

Arizona Secretary of State Katie Hobbs, who had originally tried to block the suit, said late Oct. 5 that she would not appeal Logan’s ruling. But national Republican groups that had joined the case said through a spokeswoman that “we respectfully disagree” with the ruling and would be “moving expeditiously to appeal.”

Voting rights groups that won the extension were wasting no time registering voters—one day after the original deadline would have passed.

“It (the deadline extension) is critical. Every vote counts,” said David Adame, president and CEO of Chicanos Por La Causa.

The complaint was filed against Hobbs by Mi Familia Vota and Arizona Coalition for Change, citing the “difficulties and barriers” that COVID-19 restrictions had on their efforts to register voters for the November elections.

“As community organizations, our mission is to make sure our communities’ voices are heard at the ballot box,” said Yara Marin, Arizona political director Mi Familia Vota. “But, we saw so many different barriers when it came to voter registration, educating voters, and having those real-life conversations with our community.”

COVID-19 restrictions affected the groups’ ability to do in-person canvassing, Adame said, and alternative strategies to reach people were not as effective.

“Doing that grassroots door to door, there is no substitute for that,” he said.

The number of people registered by groups fell “from about 1,523 voters

a week … to 282 a week” once COVID-19 restrictions took effect, Logan’s ruling said. They also claimed that, with a threeweek extension of the registration deadline, “around 65,120 voters would be able to register,” the order said.

The original deadline imposed an “unacceptable burden on citizens in Arizona who have not yet registered to vote,” said Ronald Fein, an attorney for the plaintiffs.

Hobbs argued against an extension, noting that the plaintiffs had months to file but waited until just days before the deadline to go to court. Extending the deadline would force election officials to “simultaneously process voter registrations and early ballots,” putting a significant burden on officials, confusing voters and eroding “public confidence in the integrity of Arizona’s election processes,” her filing said.

In their brief, the Republican Na-

tional Committee and the National Republican Senatorial Committee said an extension is not needed at a time when “it has never been easier to register to vote in the state of Arizona.” Deadlines allow for smooth operation of elections and should not be “swept aside when convenient,” their filing said.

Logan agreed that registration “has never been easier for some, though others are not so fortunate,” noting that many people in Arizona do not have access to the internet, for example.

“Ballot access is an extremely important right and it has been restricted during this unprecedented time,” wrote Logan, who said the burden an extension would place on election officials was outweighed by the potential damage of someone being denied the vote.

Canvassers will be back out engaging with potential voters, but with precautions against COVID-19 transmission. Those include maintaining a social distance, wearing face shields and masks, allowing one-time use of pens and making hand sanitizer readily available.

“If you are a Republican, if you’re a Democrat, if you’re an Independent, if you’re a no-party-affiliation, you still have the ability to register up until Oct. 23,” Bolding said. “Our hope is that all Arizonans who are eligible to register to vote do and that they exercise their right to vote at a ballot box this November.”

Arizona secretary of state “voting rights ambassador” Teresa Martinez explains a voter registration form to high school students in this 2016 file photo. A federal judge this week ordered the state to extend the voter registration for 18 days because COVID-19 restrictions may have hurt registration efforts earlier this year. (Cronkite News photo)

Lesko-Muscato debate gets heated

BY TOM SCANLON West Valley View Managing Editor

West Valley voters will decide the fates of many of the faces seen on those ubiquitous posters at intersections.

In one race with national implications, a pair of Peorians face off: Michael Muscato takes on Rep. Debbie Lesko, challenging for her U.S. House of Representatives seat representing the 8th Congressional District.

The district stretches from New River to Goodyear, including parts of Litchfield Park, Waddell, Peoria, Glendale and Luke Air Force Base.

In an Arizona PBS Channel 8 debate Oct. 5, Muscato and Lesko spent an hour sharply discoursing on the government’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the economy, health care and immigration.

Lesko, a Republican, is the heavy favorite. She was elected in 2018, winning 55% of the votes against Hiral Tipirneni.

Muscato, a newcomer to politics, bested Bob Musselwhite, Bob Olsen and Kyle Martin in the Democrat primary.

Muscato is a former professional baseball player who said his gym in Glendale was forced to close for months, due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

He was the aggressor in the debate, insisting several times that Lesko has not done enough to help small businesses.

“Her enablement is why 200,000 Americans are dead … why tens of thousands of small businesses have been destroyed,” Muscato charged.

Lesko was dismissive of the harsh words from Muscato, who painted Lesko as a disciple of President Donald Trump. Indeed, Lesko boasted, “I’ve flown on Air Force One three times.”

Lesko said Trump responded to COVID-19 appropriately, starting with a travel ban early in the crisis. “I think the president has done a good job,” she said. “Now he is doing Operation Warps Speed — I think we’ll get a vaccine maybe by the end of the month.”

And, she added, “I’ve voted for three coronavirus aid bills. … In the realm of things, we’ve done a good job.”

Asked about her personal philosophy on wearing masks, Lesko again alluded to Trump: “I try to take as much precaution as possible. I’ve gone to the White House several times—they always test you before you see the president,” she said.

Muscato said he has seen Lesko at Trump rallies, “fist-pumping like a fan I would see at a concert”—rather than focusing on helping local businesses, as Muscato pledged to do if elected.

“This county is hurting,” Muscato said. “And the reason it’s hurting is leadership has done nothing but bend the knee to the president without getting the job done.”

Lesko countered that Trump is a business leader. “Quite frankly, he’s done a fantastic job on the economy,” she said.

And, Lesko said, she voted for a pandemic-related, loan-forgiveness program: “The Paycheck Protection Program helped

thousands of businesses in Arizona.”

When she questioned why Muscato didn’t receive the funding, he responded, “I’m not Oliver Twist, and I’m not going to reach out and say, ‘Please sir, can I have some more?’”

A moderator asked Lesko about wording on her website, which quotes advice that people who are not sick should not wear masks.

“My website says what?” Lesko responded. “I always wear masks, even before there was a mandate. … If my website says that, I’m going to talk to my staff immediately.”

Rep. Debbie Lesko and challenger Michael Muscato—both Peoria residents—had sharp exchanges during an Oct. 5 debate on Congressional District 8 issues. (Image courtesy PBS Arizona)

Police activity in Canyon Trails area

BY WEST VALLEY VIEW STAFF

First a drive-by, then a helicopter search: It was quite a week in the normally peaceful Canyon Trails area of Goodyear, near Sarival Avenue and Interstate 10.

According to Lisa Berry of the Goodyear Police Department, the incident began around 1 a.m. Oct. 6.

“Officers responded to a residence on 165th Drive after receiving multiple calls regarding shots fired. The residence was located and found to have a large amount of bullet strikes into the home and vehicles parked out front,” Berry said.

She said there were no injuries and “the investigation remains ongoing.”

Two miles away near the Walmart on 159th and West Moreland the next night, there was quite a bit of activity.

According to Berry, “Tempe (police) attempted to conduct a traffic stop on a vehicle. The vehicle fled from Tempe officers and (a) suspect bailed from the vehicle in the above area. Tempe request-

ed our assistance in locating the subject.”

Detective Natalie Barela of the Tempe Police Department said the case involved “a drug investigation in the city of Goodyear. As detectives attempted to contact the suspect, the suspect fled in a vehicle, eventually abandoning the vehicle and (fleeing) on foot.

“Tempe detectives were assisted by Goodyear police officers and K-9 unit, but the suspect was not apprehended,” Barela said.

She declined to give information regarding the suspect or other details.

Three Glendale teens arrested for burglary and vehicle theft

BY WEST VALLEY VIEW STAFF

Buckeye Police officers arrested three Glendale teenagers Oct. 11 on charges of vehicle theft and burglary.

According to Donna Rossi, a Buckeye Police Department spokeswoman, a resident of an apartment complex at Miller and Beloat roads called about a black Jeep prowling the parking lot.

“Officers arrived, spotted the black Jeep and as they approached, three subjects ran from the Jeep through the complex,” Rossi said.

Officers chased and caught the three suspects, she said.

“The investigation revealed the three suspects were involved in a number of burglaries and had just stolen two vehicles from another complex not far away.”

She said police recovered two stolen

firearms and other property stolen from vehicles.

Michael Caleb Begay, 18, and David Wayne Mayles, 19, were booked into Maricopa County Jail.

A 17-year-old was taken to Durango Juvenile Detention Facility.

“All three suspects face a number felony charges,” Rossi said.

A Tempe police vehicle like this one ended up in Goodyear in pursuit of the suspect of a drug investigation. The suspect was not found, despite an extensive search in the Canyon Trails neighborhood. (Photo courtesy Tempe Police Department)

Buckeye Police arrested Michael Caleb Begay, 18, David Wayne Mayles, 19, and an unnamed 17-year-old on charges of theft and burglary. (Photos courtesy Buckeye Police)

OUR READERS’ VIEWPOINTS

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

Don’t be that person

Editor:

I don’t know about you, but I cannot seem to shake this deep feeling of WIWWP. That is to say, “What is wrong with people?”

It’s extremely unsettling. And not to mention, unacceptable.

To hope that the president of this wonderful country contracts COVID-19 or, worse yet, dies from it means at a bare minimum you’re in need of counseling. Significant soul searching is on your plate. Lots of it. Perhaps even a visit from the Secret Service?

The 24/7 hatred of Donald Trump is pathological. He lies. He has done absolutely nothing for the country. He only cares about the wealthy. He cheated on his taxes. And on and on and on and on. Meanwhile, the strong possibility remains that he has actually accomplished more for all the citizens of this country in a short amount of time than you have accomplished in your entire life.

Your life is your responsibility. Personal responsibility is job No. 1. Everything is not everyone else’s fault. Please do not hate on this man with all of your heart and all of your mind so that you become depleted and stuck on a proverbial “outrage machine” mode.

The COVID-19 national emergency situation has made time fly by way too fast. We can’t get this time back. Do you want to look back one day and regret that you in fact stopped living while you only wished disease and

death on a fellow human being?

Don’t be that person. Not now or with anyone.

Tony Zizza Avondale

Put the shoe on another foot

Editor:

Wow, the Democrats are a bit upset that Trump nominated a judge to replace Justice Ginsburg so fast. This chance doesn’t happen in many lifetimes for a sitting president to nominate three justices to the Supreme Court.

Let’s put the shoe on the other foot for a second. If the president were presently a Democrat with the same chance at hand, they would have not only nominated their justice, but they would have handed him/her the black robe and gavel and told them to “get to work” before Justice Ginsburg was transported to the morgue.

James Logan Buckeye

A challenge...

Editor:

To John Flynn—a lot of us want to thank you for the time and effort it must have taken to do all your research into the lies of our current president and as most adults that read this are aware that if you are a politician you are a liar. So if that is true, then it would stand to reason that the longer one was a politician the more lies he or she would

KIRK’S OPINION — King Features

have told.

So being the kind of a guy that we all know you are, we are looking forward to reading next week’s edition where you give the challenger equal time, and seeing as how he has been in politics so much longer than our current presi-

dent, we can only imagine we might be seeing the whole paper being dedicated to just that.

Dennis Batterman Goodyear

Vote ‘Yes’ on 207 to get marijuana legalization right

BY BILL MYER Guest Writer

I am 73 years old. Never in my later years did I think I would open Arizona’s first medical marijuana dispensary, but I did, in 2012. The public interest was high. Our location was in Downtown Glendale. But what started as fanfare is now routine. That’s a good thing, though. You don’t hear about us anymore because we and all Arizona dispensaries operate safely and smartly in sound locations. It’s an instructive reminder as we ready to vote on Proposition 207 Nov. 3.

Attitudes about marijuana use continue to evolve, making legalization inevitable. This year, Arizona has a unique opportunity to vote on a solid plan that learns from other states and builds on a successful Arizona program already in place.

It has been more than a decade since Arizona legalized medical marijuana.

There has been no documented increase in crime associated with dispensaries. People aren’t overdosing on marijuana. Dispensaries are carefully monitored and highly regulated. Patients are getting the help and legal medicine they need to ease their pain and stay alive.

Now Arizona has a second opportunity to get it right.

Proposition 207, the Smart and Safe Arizona Act, would legalize marijuana use for adults 21 and up. The benefits are significant.

Under this plan, dispensaries would still be limited in number and closely watched. In fact, the vast majority of marijuana stores would be located in the very same responsibly operated dispensaries serving Arizona now.

And just like the current medical marijuana law, the Smart and Safe Act bans smoking marijuana in public and open spaces.

Smart and Safe Arizona also improves

Monster Munchies

on Proposition 205, the marijuana legalization effort that narrowly lost in 2016. Indeed, it has learned from its mistakes. Prop 207 was written from the ground up to address concerns expressed in 2016. It provides additional safeguards to protect children, funding for law enforcement, public health and community colleges.

It learns from the mistakes of the past, in the hopes of creating a better future.

Proposition 207 also comes with a long list of safeguards.

Marijuana packaging would be child proof, just like the current dispensary system, and likewise, products could not be labeled to attract kids nor could advertising target minors. Edibles could not be sold that resemble children’s candy.

Levels of THC in edibles would be clearly labeled and limited to prevent customers from ingesting too much.

ment in other ways, too. It relieves police departments of the obligation to enforce outdated and unneeded recreational marijuana laws. The court system won’t be jammed up with these petty offenses. This gives police and prosecutors more time and resources to go after legitimate threats to public safety.

Besides new jobs, the measure also creates a path to prosperity for countless Arizonans who have minor marijuana possession convictions on their records. Under Prop 207, those nonviolent convictions would be expunged. That makes getting a job or housing a little easier.

There are numerous precautions and laws similar to how alcohol is regulated. Someone who uses marijuana and then drives impaired faces strict penalties. There’s no free ride just because it’s pot instead of alcohol. The same logic pertains to the workplace. Your boss can fire you for marijuana use on the job and can test you for marijuana use. If you can’t work drunk, don’t expect to be allowed to work stoned.

Property and business owners have the right to ban marijuana use from their premises. Smoking marijuana would be banned from public places and open spaces.

The Smart and Safe Act makes sense in this current COVID-19 crisis. It would generate an additional $300 million a year in state tax revenues.

Smart and Safe benefits law enforce-

Finally, as a dispensary owner, I have seen the benefits of people served by medical marijuana. Cancer patients (like me), people suffering from arthritis and those who suffer with post-traumatic stress, to name a few, have all benefited. Legalization for adults would bring more benefits. It may help cut down on prescription drug abuse and the deadly overdoses that can follow. It will assist in pain and stress relief for sufferers who may be too timid or lack the financial resources for a $300 medical marijuana card.

Quite simply, if you support Arizona’s current and successful medical marijuana laws, as most state residents do, you’ll see that Prop 207 is a logical next step. It corrects and fine tunes previous attempts at legalization by incorporating safety measures and targeting funding to where it’s needed. Learn from other states. Listen to concerns. And craft a plan by and for Arizona and not have one imposed by national interests. That’s Prop 207.

BILL MYER

Bill Myer is co-founder of Arizona Organix, a Glendale family business.

Vote ‘No’ on Prop 207

BY LARRY TRACEY Guest Writer

The Arizona Supreme Court issued its ruling allowing the “Smart and Safe Arizona” initiative— Proposition 207—to remain on the ballot despite concerns over deficiencies in its 100-word statement. Big Marijuana sought to deceive Arizona voters with the summary and got away with it. Keep in mind: The Arizona Voter Protection Act makes it almost impossible for the legislature to fix, change or update a law passed by ballot initiative.

Negative impact on our already damaged economy

• Rewards marijuana insiders—the writers and funders of the initiative.

Once passed, we are stuck with the law as is, not because the people wanted it on the ballot but because Big Marijuana brought it here. Colorado and California voters warn Arizonans not to make the same mistake.

Most voters will never read all 17 pages of Prop 207. Here is a summary of some critical points that impact everyone.

Did you know your neighbors can grow and use marijuana in their backyard and your HOA cannot do anything about it?

Impact on employers

• It creates a personal “right” to use marijuana and weakens the rights of employers to maintain a drug-free workplace.

• It does not allow employers to prohibit marijuana use by employees outside the workplace or take adverse action against an employee based solely on a positive marijuana test.

Weakens DUID laws

• Will put more impaired drivers on the road. (69% of Colorado users report driving high.)

• Makes it more difficult to get marijuana-impaired drivers off the road.

• Removes current standard that has been very effective in deterring impaired driving and prosecuting marijuana DUID.

• It creates a monopoly that favors existing marijuana businesses.

• Puts no limit on the amount of marijuana to be grown, produced and manufactured by licensees.

• It imposes a 16% marijuana tax but caps it regardless of the final cost to the state. (In Colorado, for every $1 of revenue, Colorado spends $4.50 to mitigate the effects of legalization. Do we want that kind of drag on our economy?)

Harms our youth

• Harms developing brains.

• Makes pot more accessible to kids. (States that legalized recreational marijuana have some of the highest youth usage in the nation.)

• More kids will use high-potency marijuana—which has been linked to psychosis and early onset of mental illness.

• Leads to more infants born with THC in their systems.

• Allows marijuana gummies, candies, cookies, soda and vape pens.

• Allows marijuana businesses to advertise on every platform.

The Way Out West Coalition aims to give youth every opportunity to growup drug and alcohol free. As leaders in drug prevention and education, the Way Out West (WOW) Coalition opposes recreational marijuana legalization because we believe use threatens the health, welfare and safety for all people, users and nonusers alike. For more information on Proposition 207, visit no207az.com.

Want to learn how this initiative adversely affects families, public safety, communities and employers? Invite the WOW Coalition to your group or organization’s next virtual meeting. Email info@wowcoalition.org.

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Yard sign and window decals help deter crime

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May qualify for a homeowners insurance discount

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LARRY TRACEY

Business Briefcase

BY TOM SCANLON West Valley View Managing Editor

Alamar is here.

Billed as “the largest master-planned community to come to the Valley since Eastmark in 2013,” the Avondale community had a grand opening Saturday, Oct. 10.

Due to COVID-19 safety precautions, it was a “drive-thru” event. Those who attended drove through the 1,000-acre property while listening to a pre-recorded radio message.

The event also featured the unveiling of Alamar’s Public Art Program, featuring sculptures, pavement art and interactive works that double as play spaces.

Planned for years, Alamar underscores the West Valley building boom: When fully developed, Alamar expects to have 3,695 homes.

Alamar is near Avondale and Broadway boulevards, 4 miles south of Interstate 10—on the way to the raceway.

• The robots are coming, the robots are coming ...

37,000-square-foot building will contain 10 academic multiuse classrooms, four flex labs, student support space, faculty and administrative offices.

• It’s Best of the West time ... WESTMARC is getting ready for its annual award show.

The location?

Avondale, of course.

“We’re celebrating 30 years of serving the West Valley at this year’s annual Best of the West Awards Dinner at Phoenix Raceway Oct. 22,” said Sintra Hoffman, WESTMARC president and CEO.

This year’s finalists:

Economic Engine: Desert Microsoft and Avondale Health Tech Corridor. Excellence in Innovation: Ottawa University and Peoria Autonomous Shuttle (Robo Ride).

Quality of Life Enhancement in the Community: Verizon Wireless and White Tank Mountains Conservancy Connectivity Initiative.

Estrella Mountain Community College launched a new Artificial Intelligence degree, the first of its kind across the nation at the community college level.

Quality of Life Enhancement in Education: Abrazo Healthcare Residency Program and West Point High School Registration closes Oct. 16 at westmarc.org/BOW2020.

There will be a virtual option this year, Hoffman noted.

• A really big sale:

The Maricopa Community College District is collaborating with Intel and the Arizona Commerce Authority to create the certificate and degree program that will prepare students for careers in health care, automotive, industrial and aerospace fields.

“We are thrilled to be leading the charge with this innovative new program,” EMCC President Dr. Rey Rivera said. “Artificial intelligence is a rapidly growing field with an average starting salary of $70,000 to $98,000. Our students’ success is our No. 1 priority, so it is truly an honor to be preparing them for these exciting new job opportunities and higher wages.”

Also, Arroyo Hall building continues on the EMCC campus. The

The HUB at Goodyear sold for $59 million, according to commercial real estate tracker Vizzda.com.

Mack Real Estate Group purchased the giant warehouses, built in 2019 on 43 acres at 305 S. Bullard Avenue (right behind the Goodyear Police Department). Stay tuned for what will be housed in the 800,000-square-foot industrial space...

Have an item for Business Briefcase? Please email your

Sintra Hoffman, president and CEO of WESTMARC, is gearing up for the annual Best of the West show—to be held Oct. 22 at Phoenix Raceway in Avondale. (West Valley View file photo)

It’s time to get everyone moving

BY JOHN SAFIN Guest Writer

It seems more people are venturing out. This should boost our economy, morale, soul, sanity or all four. Another good thing is the return of winter visitors. Will this year’s visitor population be different than previous years? Maybe. Some could be concerned with travel and stay home. Others will want to “get away from it all.”

Think about it: Would you rather enjoy winter in sunny Southwest Valley or be in the subzero cold? Winter visitors and tourists will bring much-needed dollars to our economy, which has improved over the past month. We still have a ways to go before everything is back to full speed.

change hands up to 14 times before it leaves our community. You buy a shirt from the local clothing store. The store owner uses that money to pay employees, suppliers and others.

They spend their earned dollars on groceries, gas and other local items. That same dollar will continue to change hands in the community until someone spends it out of our area. Granted, most purchases are done with a card, but it’s still circulating money.

The more often money circulates locally the stronger our economy becomes.

There are people, businesses and charities still struggling financially. Even some of the open businesses are at a “making ends meet” level of operations. Some industries are doing great. Companies that rely on big crowds or offer specialty products to consumers or other businesses are doing minimal sales or remain closed.

Best way to describe what’s happening: Picture a team of 12 horses pulling a wagon. A third of the horses are running full speed. Another third are straining to go faster. The remaining horses haven’t been fed in a long time, making them too weak to move. The percentages aren’t entirely accurate, but you get the idea. We need to “feed” as many of our local “horses” as possible.

You might have heard of the economic concept that a dollar spent here will ex-

Eventually, some dollars will become donations to our local charities. The nonprofits took a hard hit on two fronts this year: less in donations and fewer volunteers. Charities are a necessary part of our society. Government can’t and shouldn’t do everything. It falls on us to take care of others in our community.

Please remember our nonprofits if you have a few bucks to spare or time to give.

A big boost to our economy is coming in a few weeks with the NASCAR Championship Race at Phoenix Raceway. This is historic, because it’s the first time the championship race will be here. It’ll be huge for race fans and our community.

I’m ready for the green flag to get our economy going at full speed. Let’s get our engines running faster by doing our part of keeping our money local.

John Safin is the Southwest Valley Chamber of Commerce president and CEO. For more information and events, visit southwestvalleychamber.org.

JOHN SAFIN

West Point football prepares for inaugural varsity season

BY ERIC NEWMAN West Valley View Contributing Writer

After months of waiting—and days after other teams even played their first regular season games—Avondale’s West Point High football team finally suited up in pads in preparation for its first varsity game.

Oct. 23 won’t be just the first game of the season, it’s the first varsity football game ever for West Point High School, which opened in fall 2019. Part of the Tolleson Union High School District, West Point’s team activities were delayed longer than most Maricopa County schools due to district regulations. Zoom meetings and online football drills dominated the summer and first weeks of the 202021 school year. Even so, the new team

with no seniors is hopeful to make an instant impact when it takes the field

“We just want to try and win every game and make the playoffs, set a culture,” junior quarterback Caleb Miller said. “If we do good this year, it’s going to be in the history of this school.”

“I guess some people are doubting us, but we want to see how we stack up,” added junior defensive end Kaiden Kratovil.

The Dragons are led by first-year coach Jerry Ball, who is no stranger to leading new programs to success. Ball was on the coaching staff when Anthem Prep began its football program years ago. He also had other stops, including Arizona Christian University and Copper Canyon High School, along the way.

“My long-term plan was always to get to a point of being a head coach, and this job was a perfect fit because I had previous experience with young guys building a program, putting your stamp on them early and building a culture,” Ball said.

The Dragon players said they took to his coaching style immediately. Players describe his coaching method as intense but helpful.

Ball also teaches physical education for West Point outside of coaching and has held players accountable for strength training and conditioning while not allowed to do in-person team activities.

“He’s very uplifting, very positive and gives us a lot of energy,” Taysen Solie said of Ball. “Things are hard right now, but he’s helping a lot.”

Ball also teaches physical education for West Point outside of coaching and has held players accountable for strength training and conditioning while not allowed to do in-person team activities.

“He’s very uplifting, very positive and gives us a lot of energy,” sophomore tight end Taysen Solie said of the coach. “Things are hard right now, but he’s helping a lot.”

And though Ball is still teaching his system to a new group of players, there is some continuity and promise with the Dragon players. West Point’s current roster played junior varsity together last season. Ball was impressed with their skill, especially defensively. He said he saw players “flying to the ball” in game film. And with another year of development and his new scheme, the offense will hopefully follow suit.

“We teach them that there’s an urgency here to do big things, so the intensity is good and that’s promising,”

Ball said.

There is still a lot of work for the Dragons to do before the season begins. After a long break, Ball does not want to overwhelm or overexert his players, preferring to slowly ease into the game plan and specific plays. There is still time to prepare for the team’s first game, an Oct. 23 home game against fellow TUHSD school Sierra Canyon.

The energy was palpable at West Point’s first full-out varsity practice, and the kids are excited for the chance to insert the Dragons as a local football mainstay. The first senior class will not graduate from the new school until 2022.

Though COVID-19 tossed the 2020 fall athletics season into a spiral of confusion, the players want to make the most of the opportunity to take the field and launch the program.

“It’s the first practice with pads, so we’re behind,” Miller said. “But we’re just trying to come in here and build something.”

Sophomore Taysen Solie gets ready for the season at West Point football practice. (Photo by Eric Newman)

The show goes online: Billy Moore Days to be virtual

BY WEST VALLEY VIEW STAFF

With the COVID-19 pandemic, 2020 has been anything but normal.

In another tip of the cap to keeping the community safe, the city of Avondale is making this year’s Billy Moore Days festival an online/virtual event, through Saturday, Oct. 17.

“The street festival, carnival and parade that were previously planned have been canceled,” the city announced.

But the show will go on—online, that is. The festival celebrates the history of Avondale and the Western roots of the West Valley.

The online events include a “Yeehaw” photo contest, with the winner announced at 6 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 14, on Avondale’s social media pages.

Grab a fork for the pie-eating contest at 6 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 15.

An all-day scavenger hunt starts at 8 a.m. Friday, Oct. 16.

Saturday is Fire Hose Frenzy, with a telethon from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., followed by the fire hose battle from 3 to 5 p.m.

Proceeds from the event benefit the Southwest Lending Closet, which provides home health equipment to those in need.

Teams of three will compete in the amateur or professional division of the competition. The cost per team to register is $500.

The event will be broadcast live at firehosefrenzy2020.com and will feature a day full of activities, including a performance by Matthew Morrison, an actor, dancer and singer-songwriter. He is known for starring in multiple Broadway and Off-Broadway productions, including his portrayal of Link Larkin in “Hairspray” on Broadway.

Morrison also played Will Schuester on the Fox TV show “Glee.”

The festival’s culminating event will feature raffles, with prizes including hotel stays and NASCAR fan packages.

Speaking of NASCAR, the 2020 Billy Moore Days Grand Marshal is Julie

Giese, president of Phoenix Raceway (formally ISM Raceway).

Giese and Phoenix Raceway are getting revved up to host the NASCAR Championship Weekend, coming to Avondale in November.

The parade Honorary Pioneer is Martha Aragon Bodnar, who recently cele-

brated her 100th birthday.

When Martha was 10, she moved with her parents and 12 siblings to Coldwater — which became Avondale in 1946.

The Aragon family is known well for helping establish and develop the Avon-

Moore...continued on page 24

West Valley View Dining

The annual Billy Moore Days festival celebrating Avondale’s past and present is online this year, with many virtual events at billymooredays.com. (West Valley View file photo)

Matthew Morrison, of the hit FOX TV show “Glee,” will entertain Saturday, Oct. 17, at Billy Moore Days. The parade Honorary Pioneer is Martha Aragon Bodnar, and the 2020 Billy Moore Days Grand Marshal is Julie Giese. (Photos provided)

Phoenix Raceway to host Track Laps for Charity

BY WEST VALLEY VIEW STAFF

Ever wonder what it’s like to drive on a race track?

In a rare opportunity, average West Valley drivers can “get their NASCAR on” like never before this weekend.

Race fans who wish to get a personal feel for the host track of the NASCAR Championship Weekend will get their chance when Phoenix Raceway hosts Track Laps for Charity from 6 to 9 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 17.

For a donation of $25 to Arizona Accelerator Charities, Track Laps for Charity will provide fans the opportunity to drive around Phoenix Raceway in their own personal vehicles in a safe and socially distanced manner alongside their friends and family.

“This is a unique time for our community, and we wanted to provide a special experience for our fans while also raising money through Arizona Accelerator Charities to give back to those in need,” Phoenix Raceway President Julie Giese said. “Fans will get to experience the track’s banking and the infamous dog-

leg from the comfort of their own vehicle while knowing that their donation will also be making a positive impact here locally in Arizona.”

All funds raised will support Arizona Accelerator Charities, a donor-advised fund under the NASCAR Foundation.

Arizona Accelerator Charities’ mission is to accelerate the development of children in Arizona by supporting education, children and families of our military and military veterans, and life enrichment programs for children and families in our community.

For the $25 donation, fans will get to experience five paced laps around the 1-mile oval.

To register, visit phoenixraceway. com/laps.

COVID-19 and track waivers must be printed in advance and brought to the event.

All participants are required to remain in their personal vehicles, and no public restrooms will be available. Vehicles must be street legal. Mo-

torcycles, rental cars, ATVs, golf carts and/or large-capacity vehicles (15-passenger vans and buses) will not be permitted to drive the track.

Drivers must be 18 or older, and valid driver’s license and insurance will be required.

All occupants must remain inside the vehicle at all times, with seatbelts on. Passengers are not permitted in truck beds.

Phoenix Raceway will host the NASCAR Championship Weekend, Nov. 6-8. For more information, visit phoenixraceway.com.

23

dale and Goodyear communities, helping build the first Catholic church in the West Valley, Saint John Vianney.

When it comes to West Valley history, one of the most beloved pioneers is William “Billy” Moore, who came to Arizona in l867. He made his way to the west banks of the Agua Fria River and established a stage coach station. He added a general store and became the postmaster of the settlement he named Coldwater.

Billy Moore Days began as an opportunity for Avondale and surrounding communities to celebrate the area’s history.

An annual tradition since 1954, Billy Moor Days continues this year, despite the pandemic that has canceled many events.

“The COVID-19 situation has challenged us to find new ways to share the excitement of Billy Moore Days,” said Miranda Gomez, Avondale Parks and Recreation assistant director. “Why not take this opportunity to highlight the history of the event and introduce newcomers to everything that makes Billy Moore Days Parade and Festival so special?”

To register for events and more information, visit billymooredays.com.

Regular West Valley drivers get the rare opportunity to drive their cars around Phoenix Raceway’s legendary track this weekend, just like the pros. (West Valley View file photo)

King Crossword

GO FIGURE!

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.

EVEN EXCHANGE

by Donna Pettman

SUDOKU

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

OBITUARIES

Earle Stanley McRae

IN LOVING MEMORY of Earle Stanley McRae 86, of Buckeye, Arizona, died on September 27, 2020 at the Abraz o Buckeye Emergency Center in Buckeye , Arizona. He was born in Aurora, Kansas June 9, 1934 to Glen and Marie (Collette) McRae.

Earle served as altar boy at Our Lady of Perpetual Help Catholic Church, delivered milk, papers, set pins at the bowling alley, and worked on the farm during summer. He attended Concordia Catholic grade and high school graduating in 1952. He enlisted in the U nited States Army and he spent his tour with the 35th Infantry as a tank commander, in the Pacific. He received an honorable discharge in 1956. Later attending Washburn University in Topeka, Kansas. He married Elaine (Chaput) McRae August 17, 1957 at Our Lady of Perpetual Help Catholic Church, Conc ordia, Kansas. They were married 63, years at time of hi s d eath.

IDEAS WANTED

He was preceded in death by his parents Glen McRae and M arie (Collette) Holt, step-father, Bernard Holt, son-in-law , George Roth, siblings sisters, Beverly Lamer and (Danny), Gle nda Bertl, and Shirley Jordan. brother, Karl McRae, niece , Lisa Lamer; nephew, Tom Chaput; brothers and sisters-in-law, Elden and Isabelle Cote; Al and Jackie Chaput; and Bernar d and Leah Chaput.

He is survived by his wife Elaine (Chaput) McRae; children; D ebra Roth Phoenix Arizona, Bruce McRae (Laurie) , V aldosta,Georgia and Brian McRae, Peoria, Arizona; grandc hildren, Amanda McRae, Berkeley, California and Mar k McRae SanDiego, California; brothers Monte McRae(Janice), Wofford Heights California, Gene Holt (Joyce) Kansas City, M issouri, and Harold W ylie(Sandra), Tulsa, Oklahoma, an d s everal nieces, nephews, and cousins.

He was Director of Radiology at St Francis Hospital, Topeka, K ansas 20 years and owned and operated Reliable Medica l Products 15 years before moving to Arizona ln 1990. Moving to Buckeye, Arizona in 1997 and living there till time of his d eath, September 27, 2020.

He was a member of the Knights of Columbus Counci l # 9467; a member of the Arizona Early Day Gas Engine an d Tractor Association and past member and president of the Kansas Society of Radiologic Technologist. Later he was elected to the Board of Directors of the American Society of Radiologic Technologist. He was active in professional activities. He enjoyed collecting and restoring old tractors. Also old cars, auctions, and sports were favorites His favorite ti tle was "Pa".

Funeral Mass Services will be held at St. Henrys Catholic Church 24750 W Lower Buckeye Rd. Buckeye, Arizona 85326 on Saturday November 21, 2020 at 10 a.m. officiated by Father Billy Kosco and honored by the Knights of Columbus. Later funeral services, as arranged, and burial, with military honors, will be at St Concordia Catholic Cemetery, Concordia, Kansas at a future date to be announced in the local paper.

DennisStephanSikora

DennisSikora,proudveteran, husbandof54years,and dedicatedfatherandgrandpa, losthisbattletoCovid-19.Heis survivedbyhiswifePatricia Sikora,daughterTammyBrewer, sonChristopherSikora,and5 grandchildren.Dennisserveshis countryfor20yearsintheAir Forceandanother20inthe TollesonElementarySchool District.Godnowhasonegreathandiman.

Amelita Marcelino

Ameita Marceino, age 82, of Goodyear, Arizona passed away on September 29, 2020 in Goodyear, Arizona. She was born on June 2, 1938 to Jose Tiangco and Rosario Reyes in Bataan, Phillipines.

Services were held at Thompson Funeral Chapel on October 4, 2020.

Condolences for the family can be left at http://www.thompsonfuneralchapel.com/obituary/amelita-marcelino/

Laura Solis

Laura Elda Solis, age 71, of Avondale, Arizona passed away on September 30, 2020 in Phoenix, Arizona. She was born on November 3, 1948 to Rafael Sierras and Dolores Rodriguez in Hermosillo, Sonora. Funeral services were held at St. John Vianney Church in Avondale, Arizona on October 8, 2020 with burial services at Holy Cross Catholic Cemetery.

Condolences for the family can be left at http://www.thompsonfuneralchapel.com/obituary/laura-elda-solis/

EricW.Quinlivan

EricW.QuinlivanbornJuly 20,1945,passedawayJune13, 2020.

EricgrewupinTekoa,WA.In 2003,EricandhiswifeSherry relocatedtoSurprise,AZ.They werefollowedshortlyafterby childrenaswellasgrandchildren. Ericwasprecededindeathbyhis wifeSherry.Heissurvivedand verymuchlovedbyhisfour stepchildrenandmanyStep-grandchildren.Ericis alsosurvivedbyhiscousinRichardandwifeJulie. AprivatecelebrationofEric'slifewillbeheldata laterdateandinhishometown.

OBITUARIES

ErnestoRamirezGarcia

ErnestoRamirezGarcia,79,wentto bewithhisLordandSaviorSeptember 10th,2020.Ernestowas bornJune20th,1941inPeoria,Az toMartinandEmiliaGarcía.

Ernestolivedandworkedwithhis familyatWaddellRanchinLitchfield. AsayoungmanhewasaBoyScout andattendedschoolinLitchfieldPark.

ErnestograduatedfromAguaFría HighSchool.Hereceivedhis AssociatesDegreefromGlendaleCommunityCollegein 1968.HethenattendedArizonaStateUniversitywhere heearnedhisBachelorofArtsandMasterofArtsin Educationin1977.

HeworkedwiththeFordFoundationoutofASU whichallowedhimtotravelallacrosstheUnitedStates andseveralcountries.Helovedworkinginhis communitytoimprovethelivesofhisconstituentswhile hewasMayorofthecityofAvondalein1974.Hewasa littleleaguebaseballcoachfortheAvondaleColtsfor manyyears.

HetaughtatDysartElementary,AguaHighSchool, GlendaleCommunityCollege,NorthernArizona UniversityandtaughtSpanishandBusinessatMoon ValleyHighSchoolfromwhereheretired.

Hetrulyenjoyedlearning,teaching,travelingand campingwithhischildrenandgrandchildren.Heloved blessinghisfamilyandfriendswithnicknamesoverthe years.Thenicknamesarecherishedtokensheleftbehind. Ourdad,brother,uncleandfriendwillforeverbeloved andmissed.

ErnestoisprecededindeathbyhisparentsMartinand EmiliaGarcia,brotherJorgeGarcia(Celia)L.,Lupe GarciaRamos(Ricardo).

Heissurvivedbyhischildren:ErnieGarcía,Cristina GarcíaSolarez(Daniel),WalterGarcía,Alejandro García,LianaGarcía;Siblings:MaryMoreno (Eduardo)D.,MartinGarcia(Velia),CarmenGarcía Beltrán(Enrique)D.,EmiliaGarcíaVizzerra(Roberto), ErnestinaGarcíaContreras;10grandchildren,24great grandchildrenandonegreatgreatgrandson.

ServicesforErnestowereheldatCornerstoneChristian CenterinAvondaleonSeptember16th2020,followed withburialatResthavenCemeteryinGlendaleAz.

Paul Franklin Mack

Mr. Paul Franklin Mack, 86 of Goodyear, Arizona died September 28, 2020 in Goodyear, Arizona. He was born August 18, 1934, to Franklin Mack and Lorraine Vigeant Mack in Lowell, Massachusetts.

Paul was an avid lover of golf and cruises.

He is survived by his spouse Mary Mack; his daughters Carla Melnyk and Paula Mack; his sister Michelle La Perle; four grandchildren and three great-grandchildren.

A memorial service to be determined at a future date.

Condolences for the family can be left at http://www.thompsonfuneralchapel.com/obituary/paul-franklin-mack/

CLEANING SERVICES

BIANKA's Cleaning Services Weekly - Every other WeekMonthly - You choose! 15 yrs Exp w/ Refs available. Bianka Ruiz 602 680 0421

EMPLOYMENT

CAREGIVER

Female required

NO EXPERIENCE needed. full-time Private home in Buckeye. We train 623-826-6715

Immediate Openings for Direct Support Professionals working with individuals with d evelopmental disabilities

$12.00 - $13.00/hr, paid training, benefits, FT & PT hours a vail. Apply online a t www.aztec1.org or in person M -F 8:00a-3:30p at AZTEC , 7 400 W. Olive, Ste. 24. 623-412-2888 or EOE.

VALLEY LIFE

We are currently looking for caregivers to work in group homes throughout Glendale, Phoenix, Peoria and Scottsdale. Must pass background check.    Please apply at www.valleylifeaz.org

EMPLOYMENT

WINGFIELD LIVESTOCK TRANSPORTATION

Looking for several DRIVERS with 2 yrs OTR Exp. Please Call 623-694-9063

Century Glass & Mirror, looking for a full time laborer, will train. Apply at 524 E Monroe Ave, Buckeye, or calf 623-444-6204 for appointment.

AIRES is looking for caring, capable and compassionate people! Our mission is to help people live happy, healthy & fulfilling lives.

Hiring Caregivers, Program Leads and Managers.

Paid training provided. Must be 21+yrs, w/ good driving record & reliable transportation. Apply at www.aires.org or visit us at 2140 W. Greenway Rd, Ste 140, Phoenix.

Reputable feed mill in Buckeye looking for a Full time bagging machine operator. Will need to be able to lift 50 lbs. stack bags and keep track of count. Forklift experience is plus. Full benefits offered along with 401k. We are ESOP employer. Candidates are welcome to apply online at www.westernmilling.com at the careers center. Walk ins are welcome. Face masks required. Apply at 29700 W. Lower River Buckeye Rd. Buckeye 602-251-3600

New Truss Plant in Buckeye, looking for full time builder's, sawyers, forklift driver, and general labor. CopperState Truss, call 623-471-3135 or 760-696-6719 with View Classifieds every Wednesday! 623.535.VIEW (8439)

Classifieds

Consider a Career in Corrections with Centurion!

JOIN OUR TEAM TODAY!

$2,500 Sign-On Bonus available at some locations!

Licensed Mental Health Professionals (LAC, LPC, LMSW, LCSW, LASAC, LISAC, LMFT)

Expand your clinical skills while treating a diverse patient population with interesting clinical cases.

Centurion is seeking MHPs for the Arizona State Prison Complexes in Goodyear, Buckeye & Phoenix. We offer competitive compensation and excellent benefits.

Apply online at www.centurionjobs.com or contact Laurie at 520-317-3154 or lkoch@teamcenturion.com.

GARAGE SALE Fri 10/16 - Sun 10/18

8:00am-3:00pm Avondale & Thomas

Rovey Farm Estates Community-Wide Yard Sales

Saturday, October 17th 6am – Noon

MANY HOMES PARTICIPATING!

Loc: between Northern Ave & Glendale from 83rd to 89th Ave. Look for the signs at the entrances!

GARAGE SALES/ BAZAARS

Yard Sale, all hand crafted scrub hats and face masks. October 17th Saturday from 7:00 am. - 2:00 pm.

6239 S El Mirage Rd, Tolleson

Community Yard Sale

Saturday, Oct. 24th from 7 a.m. to 2 p.m. 63rd Ave/Union Hills

Community Yard Sale

Saturday, Oct. 24th from 7 a.m. to 2 p.m. 67th Ave. & Utopia

Community Yard Sale

Saturday, Oct. 24th from 7 a.m. to 2 p.m. 159th Ave & Peoria

ARROYO MOUNTAIN ESTATES

COMMUNITY-WIDE YARD SALE

OCTOBER 17, 2020 SATURDAY ONLY

If you have any questions or concerns, please contact Vision Community Management at 480-759-4945 or arroyomountain@wearevision.com

GARAGE SALES/ BAZAARS EMPLOYMENT

HANDYMAN

HANDYMAN - 37 years experience. Drywall, framing, plumbing, painting, electrical, roofing and more. Stan 602-434-6057

JOEL Cedillo- I do construct ion work! Concrete, Block , S tucco, Bobcat work, Haula way, Demolition. Call for free estimates, 623-707-6072.

*Not A Licensed Contractor

TINO'S HANDYMAN SERVICES, LLC 10+ Years Xxperience HVAC, Plumbing, Electrical and Carpentry. Phone - 480-845-9637

*Not

Nurses:

Consider a Career in Corrections with Centurion!

JOIN OUR TEAM TODAY!

Centurion is seeking RNs & LPNs to work at the Arizona State Prison Complexes in Buckeye, Goodyear & Phoenix. Offering a variety of schedules/shifts, great pay & benefits!

Apply online at www.centurionjobs.com or contact Laurie at 520-317-3154 or lkoch@teamcenturion.com.

EOE GARAGE SALES/ BAZAARS EMPLOYMENT

The Roosevelt Irrigation District has positions open. We are looking for conscientious, hard workers that are willing to learn. Positions open for a Mechanics Assistant and Water Clerk. Please visit the office at 103 W Baseline Rd. Buckeye, AZ 85326 for an application. No phone calls.

ST JOHN’S IRRIGATION DISTRICT ANNUAL ELEC-TION OF DIRECTOR will be held on Tuesday, November 10th, 2020 from 8:00 am to 4:00 pm at 10219 W. Southern Ave. Tolleson, AZ 85353. Please call 602-7697219 Linda Reitz with any questions.

"In The Matter Of The Conserv atorship for: Lenin Aparicio Jr

A Minor. Hearing set for October 28, 2020 at 11:00 a.m in th e p resence of the Honorabl e T homas L. Marquoit at the Eas t Court Building located at 101 W Jefferson St, Phoenix AZ 85003, courtroom 514. This hearing will b e in an electronic setting using t he GoToMeeting audio video platform. You are not required to a ttend this hearing. However, If y ou oppose any of the relief req uested in the petition that accompanies this notice, you mus t f ile with the court a written res ponse at least 7 calendar days b efore the hearing date OR you or your attorney must contact the d ivision assigned to the case as the time of the hearing using the f ollowing instructions: At leas t 30 minutes before the time of the h earing, call the assigned Judic ial Officer's division at th e p hone number listed below and request instructions on how to appear electronically at the hearing Any written response must comp ly with Rule 15(e) of the Arizona Rules of Probate Procedure I f you do not file a timely res ponse or attend the hearing: (1) the court may grant relief req uested in the petition withou t f urther proceedings, and (2) you will not receive additional notices of court proceedings rel ating to the petition unless you file a Demand for Notice pursua nt to Title 14, Arizona revised S tatues."

P ublished West Valley View 1 0/14, 10/21 & 10/28/2020 / 33759

"In The Matter Of The Conservatorship for: Lenin Aparicio Jr A Minor. Hearing set for Octob er 26, 2020 at 11:00 a.m i n t he presence of the Honorable Thomas L. Marquoit a t the East Court Building located at 101 W. Jefferson St , Phoenix AZ 85003, courtroom 514. This hearing will be in an e lectronic setting using th e G oToMeeting audio vide o platform. You are not required to attend this hearing However, If you oppose any of the relief requested in the petition that accompanies this not ice, you must file with th e c ourt a written response a t l east 7 calendar days befor e t he hearing date OR you o r your attorney must contact the division assigned to the case as the time of the hearing usi ng the following instructions : At least 30 minutes before the t ime of the hearing, call th e assigned Judicial Officer's division at the phone number listed below and request instruct ions on how to appear elect ronically at the hearing. An y written response must comply with Rule 15(e) of the Arizona Rules of Probate Procedure. If y ou do not file a timely response or attend the hearing: ( 1) the court may grant relie f r equested in the petitio n w ithout further proceedings , and (2) you will not receive add itional notices of c ourt proc eedings relating to the petition unless you file a Demand for Notice pursuant to Title 14, Arizona revised Statues." Published: West Valley View/West Valley View Business Oct. 14, 21, 28, 2020 / 337xx

NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARINGS

CITY OF TOLLESON PLANNING AND ZONING COMMISSION

CITY OF TOLLESON CITY COUNCIL

NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that the City of Tolleson Planning and Zoning Commission will conduct a PUBLIC HEARING on TUESDAY, OCTOBER 27, 2020 at 5:00 P.M. and that the City of Tolleson Mayor and Council will conduct a PUBLIC HEARING during a Regular City Council Meeting scheduled on TUESDAY, OCTOBER 27, 2020 at 6:00 P.M., both via Zoom Conference at https://us02web.zoom.us/j/5439720804 or via telephone at 1-253-2158782 (Meeting ID: 543 972 0804), for the purpose of:

Soliciting comments from interested parties in reference to Rezone Application #20090001 submitted by Ashley Nye of Trammell Crow, on behalf of the owner, AZEJM Land Holdings/ Oxnard CommercePlex LLC, to rezone two portions of a parcel located at the southeast corner of 107th Avenue and Van Buren Street in Tolleson, AZ for APN 101-03-010E: The first portion consists of approximately 6.17 acres, more or less, and will be rezoned from C-2 (General Commercial) to I-1(Light Industrial); and the second portion consists of approximately 1.43 acres, more or less, and will be rezoned from I-1(Light Industrial) to C-2 (General Commercial). (107VB /Ordinance No. 593 N.S.)

Published in the West Valley View and West Valley Business on Wednesday, October 14, 2020 /33636

INVITATION TO BID

Bids Due: December 1, 2020 – 10:00AM

Project: Indian School Road CFD Civil Improvements

Verrado ARC, LLC seeks qualified General Contractors, with a minimum A- General Engineering license, to submit sealed bids for the Indian School Road CFD Civil Improvements which consists of, but is not limited to concrete, paving, streetlights, signage & striping in accordance with the plans an d specifications (the “Work”). The Successful Contractor shall be responsible for all coordination associated with the Work. Copies of the plans, specifications, bid documents and detailed information for this project will be available on October 9, 2020. All interested parties should contact Deana Burris at dburris@dmbinc.com to make arrangements to receive the bid documents electronically. Please r eference the project name listed above in the email subject. The MANDATORY pre-bid meeting will be held on October 20, 2020 at 10:00AM Arizona Time. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic the pre-bid meeting will be held via Zoom call. A meeting invitation will be sent to all interested parties. Sealed bids will be received until 10:00AM Arizona Time on December 1, 2020 at the DMB Verrado Offices – 4236 N. Verra do Way Suite A200, Buckeye, AZ 85396. Bids submitted after 10:00AM will not be accepted. Bids will be opened privately but read aloud at 10:05AM via Zoom call. A meeting invitation will be sent to all interested parties. Unless all bids are rejected, the Contract will be awarded within twenty-one (21) days. The Contract will be awarded to the lowest qualified bidder that submits a complete and accurate bid. A complete and accurate bid will include all information requested in the bid documents. Every bid made by a Contractor pursuant to this Notice shall be accompanied by a surety bond for ten percent (10%) of the bid amount, listing Verrado ARC, LLC as the Obligee, as a guarantee that the Contractor will enter into a contract to perform the Work, or as liquidated damages in the event the Contractor refuses or fails to enter into the Contract with Verrado ARC, LLC upon award. Cashiers checks will not be accepted. The bonds will be returned to all Contractors whose bids are not awarded the Contract, and to the successful Contractor, upon execution of the Contract, and receipt of Payment and Performance bonds for the Work. The cost for providing Payment and Performance bonds shall be included in the bid submittal. A Payment and Performance bond will be required in the amount of 100% of the original Contract value for the duration of the Contract. All bidders shall be required to submit, with their bid proposal, a completed Certificate of Insurance evidencing their ability to meet the insurance requirements for this project. The Contractor shall carry property damage and public liability insurance and shall hold and save harmless Verrado ARC, LLC, DMB White Tank, LLC, the City of Buckeye and the Verrado District 1 Community Facilities District from any employer’s liability and from any and all liens for materials or labor in connection with this Work as specified in the bid documents. Any bids submitted without the bid bond, certificate of insurance and any other items as required in the bid documents will be deemed incomplete, and will be rejected. Verrado ARC, LLC reserves the right to reject any and all bids and to withhold the award for any reason Verrado ARC, LLC determines necessary and appropriate. Award of the successful bid shall be subject to approval by Verrado ARC, LLC or its representatives. Interested parties shall refer to the bid package and addendums for fu rther information, or contact Deana Burris at dburris@dmbinc.com – reference Indian School Road CFD Civil Improvements. No engineer’s estimate will be distributed.