Nov. 17 – 30, 2012
www.SanTanSun.com
High profile crimes rock Chandler
CUSD override fails at polls Heumann, Sellers continue on Council
by Miriam Van Scott
A barrage of crimes in Southern Chandler over the past few months includes vandalism, a series of car arsons, a shooting at Serrano’s restaurant in downtown Chandler, a spate of home burglaries and even a serial flasher who exposes himself to women along the canal path near Elliot and Dobson roads. With some cases yet to be solved, it’s disturbing for many in the SanTan Sun community, but the police department doesn’t believe it’s a call for alarm.
by Laurie Fagen
While some ballots are still being counted, the school budget override will not go into effect, and two incumbent councilmembers will return to Chandler City Council.
‘No’ to early override issue
Crime stats
According to the website NeighborhoodScout.com, a realestate neighborhood search site run by Location, Inc., a source of location-based data and risk analysis information for corporate users nationwide, Chandler
EVIDENCE: Police continue to search for suspects in a series of car fires between Southern Chandler and Mesa. Submitted photo see Crime page 6
GOBBLE GOBBLE: Brighton Owens, 8, of Chandler, watches three turkeys his family raised from chicks on their urban farm. The two toms and one hen, acquired in April, will be on the family dining table this Thanksgiving. STSN photo
Voters in last week’s general election said no to Chandler Unified School District (CUSD) No. 80 Question, a $28 million budget override over seven years for the CUSD to help recoup some of the $36 million in cuts experienced during the recession over the last four years. Of ballots counted at press time, 38,081 voted “no” for the override with 34,333 saying “yes,” a 52 to 47 percentage difference. However, CUSD spokesman Terry Locke says the current maintenance and operation override authorization is in place through June 2014, and that the District put the question on the ballot before it expired. “We went to voters one year early in an attempt to better plan for the future and to save money by being included on a general election ballot where the costs are spread out among more entities that have ballot items,” Locke explains. “There is a possibility of asking voters again in 2013 prior to the authorization’s see Election results page 5
Bush pilots soar south for adventure by K. M. Lang
Flying south of the border in a private plane? Chances are, there’s a copy of “Airports of Mexico and Central America” in the cockpit. Since the 1970s, the book’s publisher, Baja Bush Pilots, has given adventurous flyers the tools they need to explore Mexico and beyond. Today the company, based in downtown Chandler, provides pilots with information, travel opportunities and, of course, the book that started it all, now in its 22nd edition. “It’s the only English-written guide there is for Mexico and Central America,” explains Jack McCormick, who owns Baja Bush Pilots with his wife, Karaen. While Jack can’t say just how many volumes are in the hands of pilots, he does know it numbers in the thousands. “Almost anybody who travels south of the border by private plane, whether it be large or small, has one of my books in the cockpit.” Arnold Senterfitt, who began mapping out-of-the-
way Mexican airports in 1965, founded Baja Bush Pilots. The McCormicks purchased the organization in 1996, and it’s since grown from 400 to 4,000 members, whose benefits include travel alerts, forums, information on foreign regulations, fuel and insurance discounts, and group events. “We have a very large and loyal base,” Jack explains. “Everybody pays $50 a year to be able to talk to me, listen to me, get my information – as well as have me lead them on our group trips.” Jack, who operates several businesses from his Boston Street offices, including the estimating software company McCormick Systems, guides five or so trips each year in his Twin Commander aircraft. A two-week tour in January will take pilots from Texas through Mexico, Guatemala, Honduras, the Cayman Islands and the Caribbean, finishing in Florida. Jack also leads an annual whale-watching event. see Bush pilots page 10
HELPING HAND: Chandler-based Baja Bush Pilots pitch in when tragedy strikes south of the border. The group can transport 1,400 meals in a load, and typically delivers 200 to 300 loads during its post-hurricane humanitarian missions. Submitted photo
F E AT U R E STO R I E S
*Minimum purchase $75 each. Not available online.
8 Valley Locations in the Southeast Valley: Ahwatukee, Chandler, Fulton Ranch, Gilbert, Gilbert Gateway, Queen Creek, San Tan and Tempe
Veterans to ‘park it’ . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . community . . . Page 4 Subaru Chandler drives ‘boutique’ feel . . business . . . . . . Page 18 Life skills through golf . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . youth . . . . . . Page 28 Thanksgiving feasts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . neighbors . . . . Page 41 Children’s choir sets auditions . . . . . . . . . arts . . . . . . . Page 56
CLIP-IT Coupons . . . . . . . . . . . . Center Section
More Community . . . . . . . . . 1-17 Business . . . . . . . . . . 18-25 Youth . . . . . . . . . . . . 26-34 Opinion . . . . . . . . . . 39-40 Neighbors . . . . . . . . 41-50 Spirituality . . . . . . . . 51-54 Arts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55-61 Directory . . . . . . . . . 62-64 Classifieds . . . . . . . . 65-66 Where to eat . . . . . 67-72