Chandler Arizonan - 11.15.2020

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From Uptown to Downtown, covering Chandler like the sun.

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An edition of the East Valley Tribune

NOVEMBER 15, 2020

INSIDE This Week

REAL ESTATE

THE CHANDLER ARIZONAN | WWW.CHANDLERNEWS.COM | NOVEMBER 15, 2020

21

From Uptown to Downtown, we cover Chandler like the sun

Building permits rise, but market remains tight

BY PAUL MARYNIAK Arizonan Executive Editor

F

rustrated home buyers got some good news at the beginning of November, but it likely won’t make them smile.

The good news that building permits for new home construction soared in the third quarter is tempered by the fact that most of that new construction is in Pinal County, especially around Queen Creek, according to the Cromford Report, which closely monitors the housing market in the Phoenix Metro region.

And that good news likely will be all but squelched by some of Cromford’s other findings – namely that listings began drying up in the latter part of October while prices are soaring.

Budget-conscious buyers also got more sobering news: prices are “skyward” bound.

“The size of the market below $300,000 is shrinking fast, constrained by lack of supply and by the fact that last year’s home at $270,000 is now priced well over $300,000,” Cromford said. “However, any home priced under $300,000 is likely to see hordes of buyers. Is there any sign of the upward surge in pricing losing pace. In a word - No.” It also said that regardless of the pandemic, prices in the Greater Phoenix

Caption (Credit)

market are “unlikely to stop rising.”

Even seven-figure homes are seeing surging demand, it said, noting that in October, a record 37 homes priced over $3 million sold.

Cromford said that even though October “brought us a healthy flow of new listings,” many buyers are due for more disappointment because “the demand has strengthened so much these have done almost nothing to affect the chronic shortage of homes for sale.”

To put it bluntly, according to Cromford, home buyers can still expect to be looking for needles in haystacks.

“By the time we get to Thanksgiving, the flow of new listings is likely to slacken and we will probably see supply fall away even further as listings get removed for the holiday season,” it said.

“Whether this still holds true during a

pandemic we will have to see. There is still no sign of any weakness developing in the market with buyers having to fight for every scrap of housing that comes available.”

“Despite all expectations for the mar-

ket to cool, it keeps getting hotter, although at a slower pace,” Cromford added, forecasting a continued upward spiral in prices that already has put the Phoenix market close to the head of the pack in the rate of home price increases.

“Prices are certain to rise from their current level,” Cromford said. “It will take a massive increase in supply for prices to change direction and there is currently no sign of this happening. In fact, we would expect supply to deteriorate between now and year end.”

Phoenix has seen a year-over-year average price increase of 9 percent, it added.

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see MARKET page 26

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Election: Sellers surprises, school boards change

BY PAUL MARYNIAK Arizonan Executive Editor

W

ithin days of the General Election, the much-vaunted “blue wave” in Arizona pretty much became a trickle for down-ticket races.

But that doesn't mean Election 2020 didn't come without any stunning turn of events.

Nothing was more surprising than an apparent last-minute win by former Chandler City Council member Jack Sellers, who pulled out a victory in his quest for a full term in the county supervisor seat he was appointed to in January 2019.

With only about 1,000 votes to count county-wide on Friday, Sellers in the latest unofficial results apparently defeated Democratic challenger Jevin Hodge by 407

votes after trailing him on Election Night and two days afterward.

Hodge had even declared victory two days after the election but each subsequent day's results steadily chipped away at his lead in County District 1, where registered Republicans have more than a 20,000-vote edge over Democrats.

While city officials have generally expressed support for adding more housing options around Chandler, some debates have been sparked over where these new apartment complexes should be located.

The projects range from standard threelevel apartment buildings to chic singlestory homes designed to be shared by multiple families.

All the developments range in size and scope, yet they are all trying to squeeze into some of the last parcels of available land within the city limits.

Planning Administrator Kevin Mayo said Chandler is simply running out of space to build large, expansive subdivisions like Fulton Ranch -- projects that dominated the city’s housing market for several decades.

“Those are going away -- they’re few and far between now,” Mayo said.

Some plans already came before City Council earlier this month.

Despite some objections from nearby residents, Council on Nov. 5 approved the

see ELECTION page 10

Chandler seeing boom in new apartments, condos

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BY KEVIN REAGAN Arizonan Staff Writer

A

growing demand for multifamily housing is fueling developers’ plans to add more than 1,000 new apartments and condominium units across Chandler in the near future.

The city Planning and Development Department has been reviewing several housing projects that could substantially increase Chandler’s inventory of affordable and luxurious apartments.

see APARTMENTS page 12

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THE CHANDLER ARIZONAN | WWW.CHANDLERNEWS.COM | NOVEMBER 15, 2020

3 CITY NEWS

Woman pleads to fleeing in Chandler double fatal

BY KEVIN REAGAN Arizonan Staff Writer

The Chandler Arizonan is published every Sunday and distributed free of charge to homes and in single-copy locations throughout Chandler. To find out where you can pick up a free copy of The Chandler Arizonan, please visit www.ChandlerNews.com.

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A

Tempe woman is expected to be put on probation after pleading guilty to fleeing after her vehicle struck and killed a father and son last year in northern Chandler.

Michelle Hagerman, 55, admitted to driving away after she hit 50-year-old Mohammad Misbah Uddin as he walked along a crosswalk with his 13-year-old son, Abdullah, near Alma School Road and Erie Street on Oct. 21, 2019.

Uddin died at the scene and Abdullah succumbed to his injuries at a nearby hospital.

Witnesses claimed the motorist who hit Uddin and his son stopped momentarily before driving off without checking to see if the pedestrians were safe.

Chandler Police arrested Hagerman after her neighbor noticed that the defendant’s vehicle matched a description investigators had circulated through the news media.

Hagerman initially told investigators she thought she had hit a dog, police reports show.

A Maricopa County grand jury indicted Hagerman on two counts of manslaughter.

Prosecutors decided to dismiss the

Michelle Hagerman ing the scene of a fatal accident, a Class 3 felony.

The defendant pleaded guilty to the charge on Oct. 7 – nearly one year after the accident – and may be able to avoid a prison sentence.

Although the criminal charge carries a presumptive prison sentence of 3.5 years, prosecutors offered Hagerman a plea deal that allowed her to be placed on supervised probation.

According to the terms of the plea

It is a tremendous tragedy that two people lost “their lives in the accident in this case, Ms. Hager-

man, however, did not cause the accident as she had the right-of-way with a green traffic signal.

”

– Bret Royle

manslaughter charges last December after realizing they might have a tough time proving Hagerman’s guilt in court.

Arizona law states a citizen’s guilty of manslaughter only if prosecutors can prove they recklessly caused the death of another person.

Because Hagerman was driving through an intersection while the traffic light was green, there was some doubt that the defendant’s actions could count as manslaughter.

As Uddin and his son walked along the crosswalk, the traffic lights reportedly changed and allowed traffic to move through the intersection, court records show.

The Maricopa County Attorney’s Office decided to charge Hagerman with leav-

agreement, Hagerman will be given a one-year jail sentence and credited for the 60 days she already in jail before pleading guilty. The remaining 10 months of the jail sentence will be deferred if Hagerman complies with her probation requirements.

Hagerman will additionally have her driving privileges revoked and be instructed not to make contact with the victim’s family, according to the plea deal.

Bret Royle, the defendant’s attorney, advocated for probation as the appropriate form of punishment and emphasized how Hagerman was not impaired at the time of the accident.

“It is a tremendous tragedy that two

people lost their lives in the accident in this case,” Royle wrote in a statement.

“Ms. Hagerman, however, did not cause the accident as she had the right-of-way with a green traffic signal.”

Her attorney further highlighted Hagerman’s lack of a criminal history as a reason for leniency.

“Ms. Hagerman greatly regrets her actions for failing to remain at the scene,” Royle added. “She had never been in trouble before and exercised poor judgement because she was scared.”

The deaths of Uddin and his son attracted national media attention because the victims died less than a month after immigrating to the United States.

Their family had relocated to Arizona from Bangladesh only 11 days before the accident.

Community support for Uddin’s surviving wife and daughter came swiftly after the collision and more than $65,000 was donated to the family for funeral expenses.

In the year since Uddin and his son’s deaths, Chandler has had a significant number of fatal car accidents across the city – some of which have also claimed the lives of teenagers.

An 18-year-old girl died on Sept. 18 after the car she was riding in was struck by another vehicle near Price and Queen Creek roads.

Two juveniles were killed on Sept. 17 near Elliot and Dobson roads after they lost control of their vehicle and crossed into oncoming traffic.

On Nov. 3, a man and woman died in a collision on the Loop 101 freeway near Frye Road, according to the Arizona Department of Public Safety.

The most recent fatality took place on Nov. 4 after 38-year-old Christi Enos allegedly struck a motorcyclist near Queen Creek and Price roads. Enos was reportedly impaired and was booked into jail on a charge of manslaughter.

Chandler is so far on track to end 2020 with a fatality count that’s comparable to previous years. As of this month, the city’s logged at least 12 car collisions that resulted in a death.

In 2019, the city reported 15 traffic fatalities and 2,148 injuries. Sixteen people died in 2016 from Chandler’s car accidents and another 1,946 were injured, according to the Arizona Department of Transportation.

4

CITY NEWS

THE CHANDLER ARIZONAN | WWW.CHANDLERNEWS.COM | NOVEMBER 15, 2020

Chandler moves to protect city's history

BY GARY NELSON Arizonan Contributor

H

alf a century ago, one of the more popular songs on the radio asked, “Don’t it always seem to go, that you don’t know what you got ‘til it’s gone?”

Catchy lyric, that. But in Chandler’s case, it ain’t necessarily so.

History-wise, Chandler knows what it’s got. And to keep it from slipping away, the city has a new historic preservation ordinance that will make it harder to erase the remnants of its colorful past.

The ordinance creates city-sanctioned resources to encourage preservation and sets up a hierarchy of historic designations to remind people of a heritage that dates to the city’s agrarian 19th century roots.

If it seems late in the day for such a step – other East Valley cities have had such programs for years – know that Chandler hasn’t exactly ignored its heritage until now. The city-run Chandler Museum and the private-sector Chandler Historical Society have seen to that.

But the new ordinance is the city’s first stab at affording legal protection to historic sites.

Derek Horn, Chandler’s development services director, said there were two catalysts.

The first was an effort to save a remnant of Goodyear – the first Goodyear, that is.

The original Goodyear existed near what is now Ocotillo Road and Basha Road near Snedigar Park. The Goodyear Tire and Rubber Co. farmed cotton there to abet tire production during World War I. Among the remnants of the Goodyear settlement is an open canal lined by palm trees. It parallels Basha Road for about a third of a mile.

About two years ago, Horn said, the city grew alarmed at the prospect of the canal being covered over for the sake of development.

“We started looking into the history of it and we thought it would be a good thing to save,” he said. “We acquired the right-of-way over the canal with the objective of preserving it.”

About a year later, he said, residents of the Silk Stocking neighborhood asked

Above: Homeowners in Chandler’s Silk Stocking neighborhood, a portion of which is shown here, helped spur creation of a new historic preservation ordinance. Right: This canal along Basha Road south of Ocotillo Road dates to cotton-farming operations by the Goodyear Tire and Rubber Co. during World War I. Chandler’s efforts to preserve the canal were a factor in creation of a new historic preservation ordinance. (Gary Nelson/Arizonan

Contributor)

the city to provide tools to preserve their historic area.

“Silk Stocking is one of the earliest housing developments in Chandler,” Horn said, with houses dating from the 1920s through the 1940s. The name is said to have come from a saying of that era that if a man could afford $4,000 for a house – a handsome sum in those days – he could afford to buy silk stockings for his wife.

“Many of the houses … still look pretty much the same as when they were built,” Horn said. “The Silk Stocking neighbors approached us about a year ago and asked us what can we do to preserve our neighborhood from demolition and redevelopment.”

The ordinance that emerged during ensuing deliberations creates four categories of property for historic designation: • Heritage sites, basically a marker indicating that a particular site once had a significant structure or that an important event occurred there.

• Historic conservation districts, expanding the “heritage site” criteria to a wider area and encouraging preservation, • Historic preservation districts, which establish zoning overlays over historic areas and establish regulations discouraging demolition or inappropriate

renovations.

• Landmarks, designating structures or sites worthy of preservation under a historic zoning overlay, None of these, Horn said, are intended to undermine private property rights.

In a memo to the City Council, Horn said the ordinance “incorporates processes to discourage demolition of eligible and designated historic properties and encourage their preservation through consultation with staff and by exploring alternatives.

“However, once these processes are completed and no alternative to demolition is identified, an owner wishing to demolish an eligible or designated property could proceed.”

Much the same procedure exists in Mesa, which requires a cooling-off period after an owner tells the city he wishes to demolish a structure in a historic area.

That provision did not save several historic homes that were recently torn down to make way for a major redevelopment on the east end of Mesa’s downtown.

Chandler’s new ordinance includes three other provisions to encourage preservation: • The Architectural Review Committee, a citizen panel that hitherto had examined construction proposals in

the downtown area, will be expanded and become the Historic Preservation Commission, with roles in creating and supervising historic-designed structures and areas.

• An existing city staff position will become that of the city’s historic preservation officer, serving as a liaison between the city, property owners and Chandler’s already existing preservation community.

• The city will create a register of historic properties. Of these, there is no shortage, including several that are listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Horn said he is not aware of any historic structures in Chandler facing immediate danger of demolition, but the new ordinance will help keep things that way.

And as the city ages, more of its past will become eligible for protection – for example, mid-century neighborhoods north and west of downtown that reflect Chandler’s postwar development.

THE CHANDLER ARIZONAN | WWW.CHANDLERNEWS.COM | NOVEMBER 15, 2020

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CITY NEWS

THE CHANDLER ARIZONAN | WWW.CHANDLERNEWS.COM | NOVEMBER 15, 2020

Chandler officials say finances in a good place

BY KEVIN REAGAN Arizonan Staff Writer

C

ity officials say Chandler’s tax revenues are continuing to stay steady despite the hotel and tourist industries taking a hit from the pandemic.

As the local economy started to shutter in the early months of the pandemic, Chandler’s leaders started scaling back expenditures and braced for a major decline to the city’s revenue streams.

But the city’s most recent financial statements show Chandler ended September with more revenue than it reaped in previous years.

In September 2019, the city collected $11.3 million from transactional taxes -about $1.1 million less than what Chandler gathered this year.

Overall, Chandler ended the first quarter of the current fiscal year with more revenue than the same time period in the last four years.

Matt Dunbar, the city’s budget manager, said consumer spending in Chandler hasn’t changed significantly during the pandemic, but the health crisis has changed where residents are choosing to spend their money.

“We’ve seen significant increases in things like home improvement and retail sales,” he said. “So, it’s a shift in spending.”

That shift has been a detriment to local businesses catering to travelers and recreators.

Taxes paid by Chandler’s hotels declined by 32 percent in September compared to the previous year. The hotel industry experienced a notable spike in tax revenue during the first quarter of the 2019-20 fiscal year, but that boom flattened to a point recorded a few years ago.

Revenue generated from movie theaters, bowling alleys and other recreational activities dropped 66 percent this fiscal year. Taxes funneled from restaurant services declined by 11 percent.

By contrast, retail tax sales – one of the city’s most profitable revenue streams – increased by 14 percent during the first quarter of 2020-2021.

The shifts in revenue among the varying tax categories appears to have balanced out positively for the city and officials believe the $20-million revenue

Sales tax revenue has been relatively steady for Chandler this fiscal year and even began increasing at the end of the first quarter, as this city chart shows. The blue lines represent total revenue while the gray lines show revenue for the 2019-20 fiscal year. (City of Chandler)

reduction Chandler projected to this fiscal year is accurate.

“The actual major revenue impact for Quarter 1, when compared to anticipated revenues before COVID-19 reductions were made, leaves us $1.8 million better than anticipated pre-COVID,” a city memo states.

According to city data, at least 83 businesses in Chandler have shut down since the pandemic started in March.

Dunbar said some of these closures were attributed to the pandemic’s economic impact and others were due to business owners selling their companies or changing ownership.

“We also continue to see expansion of our current existing businesses in the area,” Dunbar added, referencing announcements like CVS Health’s plans to grow its presence in Chandler.

While many businesses have shuttered, the city logged more than 300 new companies since the pandemic began.

Other economic indicators also were favorable for Chandler’s fiscal status.

Building permits increased in September compared to the last couple years and the total value of building activity exceeded $50 million.

“Our building permit trends continue to be strong,” Dunbar said. “We’re seeing good construction growth here in Chandler.”

Dunbar said it’s unclear how Chandler’s finances may be hindered by the pandemic in the coming months, yet the

city’s choosing to remain optimistic but cautious.

“There’s just too many unknowns right now,” he said. “We do anticipate that things will continue to go well.”

As Chandler was getting ready to pass its budget for the 2020-2021 fiscal year back in April, city officials implemented measures to reduce spending in case the pandemic’s impact was greater than an-

There’s just too many “unknowns right now, we do anticipate that things will continue to go well.

”

– Matt Dunbar

ticipated.

Travel expenses for city employees were suspended, capital projects were delayed and the city held off on filling job vacancies.

City Manager Marsha Reed said the city is slowly begun to post job opening the last couple of months and may continue to do so depending on the city’s economic forecasts.

“We continue to monitor that,” she said. “We’re not going to just do a full

blitz on (hiring) until we know what our revenues look like.”

The positive revenue numbers have positioned Chandler to consider whether it should make a substantial payment to the city’s public safety pension debt.

Like most other municipalities in Arizona, Chandler has an unfunded liability for pension benefits paid out to firefighters and police officers that’s the result of unwise financial decisions made over the years by the statewide retirement system.

The city had planned to pay an extra $15 million this fiscal year toward its $190 million pension liability but held off to wait and see how the pandemic played out.

Since the city’s revenues are better than expected, Dunbar said moving forward with the $15 million payment now would ultimately yield more economic benefits to the city over the next several years.

Some city leaders expressed hesitation about making such a large investment during a time when the local economy is still recovering from a major health crisis.

“I still have reservations,” said Vice Mayor Rene Lopez. “I’m not one for wanting to gamble with taxpayer money.

But this is a debt we gotta pay.”

City Council indicated that it is interested in possibly moving forward with paying the additional $15 million to the pension debt but has not yet voted.

THE CHANDLER ARIZONAN | WWW.CHANDLERNEWS.COM | NOVEMBER 15, 2020

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CITY NEWS

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BY KEVIN REAGAN Arizonan Staff Writer

T

he Chandler Airport needs up to $106 million in infrastructure improvements in order to accommodate growing flight traffic demand, according to a recent assessment of the city’s facilities.

An update to the airport’s master plan has identified 45 construction projects that consultants believe should be done sometime over the next 20 years.

Projects include fixing taxiways, improving airfield lighting, repaving runways and replacing transceiver radios.

Estimates by Coffman Associates indicate the number of planes and helicopters based in Chandler will increase by about 200 over the next couple decades and the airport’s annual flight operations will rise by about 54,000.

Residents living around the airport have been voicing concerns about the noise that more flight traffic will generate in the near future, but Eric Pfeifer, one of Coffman’s consultants, said noise levels may not change dramatically.

The Chandler Airport is intended to cater to the small business jets, Pfeifer said, and this type of aircraft is currently being manufactured with quieter engines.

“As these newer business jets are entering the fleet,” he said, “it’s not having such a huge impact on the noise footprint at airports.”

One of the most expensive projects recommended in the master plan is a $9-million rehabilitation and extension of one of the airport’s runways.

Pfeifer said extending the runway by 680 feet is necessary to improve flight circulation and alleviate growing congestion.

Although the Federal Aviation Administration could potentially cover most of the costs associated with the runway project, Chandler would still have to go through several bureaucratic steps before the project could commence.

Assistant City Manager Joshua Wright said listing the runway extension in the master plan does not automatically en-

sure it will ever be completed.

“That is certainly not the case,” he said.

“There is still much work to be done even if the master plan shows this project.”

Chandler’s city code requires runway extensions to be funded through a bond that has to be approved by voters. The city failed to get such a bond passed in 2000 and again in 2007.

Another costly project on the master plan is the construction of a new 16,000-square-foot terminal building for $8 million.

Pfeifer expects this new building would efficiently place some of the airport’s existing services under the same roof.

“We’re proposing a new terminal facility that takes advantage of an existing parking lot and consolidating some of the business activities and airport offices into one facility,” he said.

According to the master plan, aviation terminal buildings generally can’t be paid for with grants from federal or state governments and might have to be constructed through some sort of public-private partnership.

Planners believe private developers could potentially cover up to $42 million of the infrastructure projects listed in the new master plan – most of which include utility work on land that could be developed for additional airplane hangars.

“Because of economic realities, many airports rely on private developers to construct new hangars,” the master plan states. “In some cases, private developers can keep construction costs lower which, in turn, lowers the monthly lease rates necessary to amortize a loan.”

The plan places a timeline on when its 45 recommended projects should be done. The majority should be started before 2030. Twelve of the projects – which have a total cost of $22 million – are encouraged to be completed by 2025.

But the plan’s recommendations are meant to be flexible and adaptable to changes in the local economy.

see AIRPORT page 20

THE CHANDLER ARIZONAN | WWW.CHANDLERNEWS.COM | NOVEMBER 15, 2020

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CITY NEWS

THE CHANDLER ARIZONAN | WWW.CHANDLERNEWS.COM | NOVEMBER 15, 2020

ELECTION from page 1

A bit less dramatic is the change to the composition of two school district governing boards impacting northern Chandler as voters returned one incumbent and two newcomers to each entity, according to unofficial results.

In the Tempe Union race, while Governing Board President Berdetta Hodge led the field of eight candidates seeking three open seats, two-term member Sandy Lowe fell to 2019 Desert Vista High School graduate Armando Montero and Chandler teacher Sarah Lindsay James.

Nintero and James have taken second and third place, respectively, according to unofficial results.

Chandler Realtor Lori Bastian was 1,209 votes behind James and with fewer than 1,000 votes to count in Maricopa County as of Friday, it appeared likely she will not overtake James.

In Kyrene, incumbent Kyrene Governing Board member Michelle Fahy led the five educators seeking three board seats while Tempe biology professor Margaret Wright locked in second place.

For a while, a nip-and-tuck battle for third place pitted Ahwatukee residents Trine Nelson and Wanda Kolomyjec against each other. But Kolomyjec appeared have won by 446 votes in an election where 96,053 ballots were counted so far district-wide.

No surprises are likely in the Chandler Unified Governing Board race, where incumbent Barbara Mozdzen led the three candidates on the ballot for three seats with 34 percent of the vote. Newcomers Joel Wirth and Jason Olive garnered 32 percent and 31 percent, respectively.

It was unknown how many votes former CUSD teacher Sharon Tuttle received in her write-in campaign because the Recorder’s Office published no results.

For the most part, the outcome of races below that of U.S. Senator and the President, told a story of Democratic hopes dashed.

One by one, outcomes for county races – which looked initially like a near sweep for Democrats – turned red.

By Monday, the only race that still eluded Republicans, who have had a 4-1 advantage on the county Board of Supervisors, involved the District 1.

It seemed a blue certainty until results abruptly U-turned Saturday.

In that race, Hodge, the son of the

Jermaine

Pepstein

Bowie

victorious Tempe Union board president, suddenly saw his lead over Sellers shrink to less than 1,000 votes.

Meanwhile, Legislative District 18, which includes northern Chandler remained firmly blue.

Sen. Sean Bowie and Reps Mitzi Epstein and Jennifer Jermaine easily beat Republican challengers, holding strong leads from the first release of results Election Night.

Bowie handily defeated Ahwatukee Realtor Suzanne Sharer 58-42 percent with a margin of nearly 21,000 votes.

Reps. Jennifer Jermaine of Chandler and Mitzi Epstein of Tempe coasted as well with 29 percent and 28 percent of the vote, respectively. They led former legislator and ex-Chandler Cioty Council member Bob Robson’s 23 percent and Tempe federal government retiree Don Hawker’s 20 percent.

But when the new session begins in January, it will be deja vu all over again for the three LD18 Democrats as both chambers remain under Republican control.

House Republicans, who reelected Mesa Rep. Rusty Bowers House Speaker two days after Election Day, hold a twoseat edge over Democrats while the Senate GOP holds a one-seat margin.

Democrats had hoped to gain at least one Senate seat, eyeing adjacent LD 17, by unseating incumbent Sen. J.D. Mesnard and installing furniture store owner Ajlan AJ Kurdoglu.

More than $3 million was spent in the LD 17 races – the most among all Arizona legislative races – and more than half of that was spent in the Senate campaign alone.

But when the counting was almost

over, all three incumbents won.

Mesnard scored a wider margin, 5248 percent, than he did when he won his first Senate election two years ago after he was termed out in the House after eight years.

Rep. Jennifer Pawlik, the lone Democrat vying with Rep. Jeff Weninger and Chandler Realtor Liz Harris for the two LD17 House seats led all three candidates with 34 percent of the vote, while three-term Weninger edged out newcomer Harris.

One thing that dramatically changed for Arizona is that effective Nov. 30, possessing and selling recreational marijuana will be legal – although the state does not expect to have regulations for stores in place until April.

And in a campaign where advocates and opponents each spent more than $16 million, Prop 208 passed by a margin of 52-48 percent, promising an income tax surcharge on individuals making more than $250,000 and couples earning more than $400,000 annually.

Money from that tax is earmarked for public education, but is not expected to start hitting school districts’ coffers until December 2021 at the earliest.

In Tempe Union, Montero, an Arizona State University sophomore, can be expected to bring a student’s perspective to that board – a promise he made during a campaign.

He won second place in the district board election with 15 percent of the vote – about 1,700 votes less than Hodge received.

Also the Tempe Union race, Kyrene Governing Board President Myrick drew the least number of the 158,264 votes

counted so far with only 9 percent.

Lowe caught only 10 percent of the vote in a failed bid for a third term. She suggested that it may have been because hers was the only name that neither major party featured on their slates in the nonpartisan election.

Also out of the running early were Tempe teacher Paige Reesor and Ahwatukee lawyer Don Fletcher, with 11 percent and 12 percent, respectively.

Fahy, a long-time educator who holds an administrative position in Tempe Union, will become the senior member of that board since Margaret Pratt and Kevin Walsh won their four-year terms in 2018.

Fahy, a Tempe resident, captured 23 percent of the vote, according to unofficial results, while Ivan Alfaro of Tempe drew the short straw among voters with only 16 percent. Wright received 21 percent.

Both Wright and Kolomyjec also are educators, meaning that with Fahy, the Kyrene board will have considerable expertise in education-related issues as it begins to work with a new superintendent since Dr. Jan Vesely is retiring next month.

Also due for some change is the governing board for the Maricopa County Community College District.

Dr. Linda Thor racked up a 63-37 percent victory over Queen Creek resident Shelli Boggs for a four-year term on the Maricopa County Community College District Governing Board.

Republican Laurin Hendrix of Gilbert lost his bid for another term on that board to ASU Foundation Vice President Jacqueline Smith scored a 55-45 percent win with a margin of more than 35,000 votes.

THE CHANDLER ARIZONAN | WWW.CHANDLERNEWS.COM | NOVEMBER 15, 2020

11 CITY NEWS

Kyrene board explains rush to hire new superintendent

BY PAUL MARYNIAK Arizonan Executive Editor

K

My number one concern is the health and safety of “ our students and staff, and I don’t mean just their physical health but their mental and emotional health �

yrene Schools Governing Board is moving ahead with hiring Assistant Superintendent Laura Toenjes to replace retiring Superinten– Michelle Fahy dent Dr. Jan Vesely.

The board last week voted 3-0 to auKyrene will have to close campuses again.

Toenjes, a Chandler resident, was hired thorize the district’s general counsel to “We’re in the middle of this pandemic and shortly after Vesely became superintenenter into contract talks with Toenjes, I expect that things are going to get worse dent in 2016. Both worked together in and is expected to ratify the contract bebefore it gets better.

I think at some point the same Tucson district prior to that. fore Thanksgiving. we’re going to go into closure, � she said.

Both Fahy and Myrick also cited the seThe vote on contract talks came as the “My number one concern is the health and vere teacher shortage in Arizona. three board members at the meeting safety of our students and staff, � she said.

Myrick said he was concerned about seemed almost apologetic about their “And I don’t mean just their physical health having an experience executive team in process and speed in selecting a replacebut their mental and emotional health� place so that Kyrene can compete with ment for Vesely.

Laura Toenjes districts for high-quality teachers.

She also said the district need consisThey also stressed that Toenjes was “For me it’s just that stability is such a qualified and had passed a rigorous in- dent “probably one of the most import tency right now and that once the new huge component, especially in the middle of board members learn the ropes of their jobs that any school board member can terview with the board. a pandemic, � Myrick said. “We were harder duties and know Toenjes better, they can participate in,�

Fahy said Vesely’s unexAfter Vesely announced on Oct. 5 her on our interview with Miss Toenjes than we then decide “whether they want to move pected departure required quick action. retirement, the board immediately said would have been on an external candidate.â€? forward‌maybe continuing with the “I know that we are doing something it would first seek internal candidates “We asked some very, very difficult person that we picked or maybe making in a very short time frame and it feels with an eye toward making a replaceand challenging questions,â€? he said. a different decision.â€? like a very rushed process,â€?

Fahy said. “It ment decision by Thanksgiving. Toenjes feels rushed to me as well.� was the only internal applicant.

She said Vesely’s planned departure at Two board members were absent at the end of December “put us in a chalthe Nov. 10 meet. Margaret Pratt just lenging position.� had a baby. “I think that’s part of why it feels very John King also was absent, missing some rushed is that we do have a very short citizens who wanted him to resign, saying amount of time to make this decision the his voter registration record shows he no THANK YOU MESA, GILBERT & CHANDLER board did decide to do a job,� Fahy said. longer lives in the district. King told the “I hear all of the concerns,� she continArtizonan he still maintains a residence in FOR VOTING US BEST LAW FIRM AND ued, adding she had been “hoping that we the district and that his attorney has proof PLACE TO WORK IN THIS YEAR’S Both board President Michael Myrick, might have some external applicants.�

But she also cited the crisis created by who is leaving the board next month after BEST OF THE BEST! opting against reelection, and member Mi- the pandemic. “I really need to put all of my own chelle Fahy said they had received numer2020 personal feelings and maybe your frusous emails and phone calls from residents

trations aside and really genuinely conwho expressed concern that the board was moving so quickly on replacing Vesely. sider what I think is best for the Kyrene And member Kevin Walsh stressed the District at this time,â€? Fahy said. “My Chandler • Gilbert • Mesa Best Place To Work Best Law Firm Best Law Firm Best Law Firm negotiations with Toenjes will cover both number one goal is that we have someBest Place to Work one in place who can take over who has compensation and the length of her contract while Myrick noted that when he came on Kyrene’s Queen Creek Office Gilbert Officebest interest at heart and is Gilbert Office knowledgeable about Kyrene and kind the board four years ago, Vesely had already 22035 S. Ellsworth Rd 1760 E. Pecos Rd Ste. 1760 E. Pecos Rd Ste. of knows where we are going.â€? been hired by the preceding board.

Queen Creek, AZ 315 Gilbert, AZ 85295 www.wgandf-law.com 315 Gilbert, AZ 85295 www.wgandf-law.com She also said the board met with “She’s gone through the whole pro85142 Phone: Phone:Toenjes (480)503-9217 Phone: (480)503-9217 for more than four hours in cess,� Walsh said of Toenjes, citing letters her job interview and that she was con(480)686-9400 Fax: Fax: (480)503-9219 of recommendation the board received.

Fax: (480)503-9219 Gilbert Office Queen Creek vinced of Toenjes’ genuine care and re“She’s met with focus groups and I (480)686-9452 spect and concern about the staff and 1760 E. Pecos Rd Ste. 22035 S. Ellsw think through this process she’s demstudents and Kyrene right now.� onstrated her passion for sure and her 315 Gilbert, AZ 85295 Queen Creek www.wgandf-law.com Fahy also said that given the rising numqualifications,� Walsh added.

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CITY NEWS

APARTMENTS from page 1

Village at College Park project, just south of Elliot and Price roads, that will add 40 housing units building eight single-story cottages During that same meeting, Council approved plans for a 252-unit apartment complex called Uptown Commons on the corner of Arizona Avenue and Elliot Road.

But at the same meeting, Council on a 4-3 vote rejected the 396-unit Evergreen Chandler that had been proposed for a corner at Arizona Avenue and Germann Road.

The project’s close proximity to the Chandler Airport raised concerns about exposing Evergreen’s future tenants to a deluge of continuous flight traffic.

“The property is not located within an airport noise contour and will experience daily overflights from aircraft in the normal traffic pattern,” Airport Administrator Chris Andre wrote in a memo.

The Chandler Planning and Zoning Commission also had denied Evergreen’s request to rezone the land, citing its incompatibility with nearby developments.

Rick Heumann, the commission’s chairman, specifically objected to taking land away that would be more appropriate for commercial purposes -- something he said has happened before in Chandler and that he wants to discourage.

“We took land use away that will never come back to employment and that’s my heartburn with this particular case,” Heumann said.

Councilmembers Matt Orlando, Jeremy McClymonds, and Sam Huang voted for Evergreen with the hope that it would offer some more affordable housing to Chandler residents.

Despite the Evergreen vote, Mayo said the city has shifted to becoming more strategic by carefully assessing which projects get greenlighted and where they get developed.

That strategy seems focused presently on accommodating the multifamily housing market.

According to housing data tracked by the city, the construction of multi-family housing units has been outpacing singlefamily homes in Chandler since 2016.

Before the housing market crashed in 2009, Chandler was completing up to 3,500 new single-family homes per year.

But that rate of construction has since dropped to about 500 homes. By con-

THE CHANDLER ARIZONAN | WWW.CHANDLERNEWS.COM | NOVEMBER 15, 2020

trast, the rate of new apartments and condos in Chandler has been increasing steadily since 2010.

City officials say the lack of singlefamily homes and a sudden influx of new jobs have created an environment that has allowed for alternative types of housing to thrive.

“The multifamily market is coming in to fill that gap right now especially because we’re running out of large tracts of land,” said Micah Miranda, the city’s economic development director.

Data show Chandler’s vacancy rate is already low for its current stock of affordable apartments and condos, Miranda added, indicating a strong demand for new developments in the immediate future.

But not everyone in Chandler is thrilled about adding a slew of new multi-family housing projects to the city’s landscape.

ting priced out of Chandler’s housing market, Orlando said.

“Because of their wages, some of them can’t live here,” Orlando added, “and I think that’s unfair.”

Mayor Kevin Hartke said he could not approve the Evergreen project because it is situated in a part of Chandler he thinks should be saved for commercial uses.

“If this was any place else, I would be very compelled -- it is the location that makes me vote ‘no’ on this,” the mayor said.

The Villages at Chandler, a 108-unit complex looking to build near Gilbert and Riggs roads, is another housing project the council is expected to review next month.

The development would consist of several duplexes and triplexes on a

was any place else, I would be very compelled “--Ifitthis is the location that makes me vote ‘no’ on this. ”

– Mayor Kevin Hartke

“We’re not looking forward to seeing this development come in,” said Wendy Yeager, who lives near the just-approved Village at College Park project site.

College Park developers describe their project as a “unique” housing product unlike any other found around Chandler. Each of the eight cottages would include five housing units -- ranging from one-bedroom studios to three-bedroom apartments -- and every unit comes with an attached garage.

“The development team for The Village at College Park is confident that the proposed project will be a great addition to the community as it complements the adjacent developments,” developers wrote in city documents.

But neighbors like Yeager are worried College Park’s designs won’t be aesthetically pleasing nor match well with surrounding neighborhoods.

Yeager also is concerned that the development will interfere with the operation of a nearby horse therapy ranch and add too many new residents to an area that’s already congested by the adjacent freeway.

“This is going to be a huge, huge increase in traffic,” she added.

Grocery store clerks and restaurant workers are increasingly at risk of get-

9-acre parcel of land that’s surrounded by housing subdivisions. Described as a “pocket neighborhood,” the Villages is being pitched by its developers as an intimate community where residents can easily become friends due to their closeness to each other.

“The community design will allow for spontaneity, encourage connections, and lay the foundation for lasting friendships,” the project’s plans state.

Some nearby residents have objected to the construction of a multi-family development in a part of Chandler that’s starved for more retail and commercial projects.

“Once this is approved -- we’ll never have the opportunity for retail,” said Christie Brown, who lives near the Villages project site.

Deborah Kehl, another neighbor, prefers keeping the Villages’ land zoned commercial so it can host something that can serve all the surrounding communities.

“I want to see what we thought we were going to see when we bought our house a year ago,” Kehl said.

Kehl and her neighbors have started an online petition in an attempt to thwart the city from rezoning the Villages site for housing developments.

As of Nov. 3, more than 1,300 people

have signed Kehl’s petition and many of them expressed dissatisfaction with an influx of new residents to their neighborhood.

“I don’t want to have more traffic in this area. More traffic equals more accidents and deaths,” said Anne Martin, one of the residents who signed Kehl’s petition.

Kortney Adelman, another resident, signed the petition because she fears more multi-family housing in this part of Chandler will drive up crime rates.

“We don’t need more apartments in Chandler,” Adelman said. “There are tons of homes being built as it is with tons of rental homes available as well.”

One multifamily project that could benefit residents looking to move into the city’s downtown region is Alta Chandler at the Park, a 293-unit apartment complex that could be built near Alma School Road and Chandler Boulevard.

The site’s owners had originally envisioned developing this site as a 60-acre retail mall full of shops and office buildings.

But the demand for new commercial units in this part of Chandler has dried up in recent years, prompting developers to look for new land uses.

“All of the marketing efforts for additional office development on the site have proven unsuccessful,” city documents state. “The prospects for additional office development on the balance of the site are therefore highly unlikely.”

Developers believe the addition of Alta’s four-story apartment buildings – which come with an onsite dog spa and bike shop – would be a major benefit to the existing businesses located around downtown Chandler.

“Adding a luxury multi-family community in the context of the existing uses would be an enhancement not only to the housing options in the area but would also help support the retail uses in the center,” Alta’s developers wrote in a memo.

Council voted 5-2 earlier this month to approve Alta’s development plans.

Councilman Orlando, who voted against the project, said he had some concerns about Alta’s size.

He described the project’s scope as “intense” and worried the apartment buildings would be too close to other developments.

“I wish it was a little bit smaller – like three stories – I think that would be a little bit more manageable,” Orlando said.

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CITY NEWS

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THE CHANDLER ARIZONAN | WWW.CHANDLERNEWS.COM | NOVEMBER 15, 2020

Chandler COVID-19 cases continue upward spiral

health department, showed that cases per 100,000 people – one of the three benchmarks for measuring virus spread was at the “substantial” level are rising for the county as a whole as well as for all three school districts serving north-

ern Chandler.

Within Tempe Union’s boundaries, cases per 100,000 people rose from 870 the week of Oct. 25 to 112 the week of Oct. 31, putting that benchmark in the substantial spread category. Data are 12 days old when the county posts them.

The percentage of positive new test results rose from 4.2 to 5.3 percent, indicating a move from minimum to moderate virus spread. COVID-like symptoms in hospital visits rose from 3 to 4 percent but remained at minimal spread level..

Within Kyrene’s boundaries, cases per 100,000 rose from 77 to 100, a rise from moderate to substantial spread. However, the other two benchmarks were within minimal spread categories.

County and state health officials say districts should consider closure only when all three benchmarks show subsantial spread.

Chandler Unified showed cases per 100,000 rising from 111 to 147 and

before the posting, the district had emailed parents on Nov. 6, advising them not to let their guard down.

“Although our individual school data is positive overall, we cannot let our guard down as the trends change quickly and exponentially,” the email stated.

“Students and parents understand and are committed to comply with the mitigation strategies. There are exceptions where individuals have overlooked mitigation strategies. thereby placing at-risk the health of students, staff and community members as well as continued in-person learning. Students have been sent to school with symptoms or while awaiting test results.”

It also advised, “Students have attended gatherings outside of school, contracted the virus, and then returned to school exposing their classmates.

These situations are avoidable. The pandemic has presented us with so many factors outside of our control. We need 100 percent cooperation to influence what we can control.”

Last week state Superintendent of Public Instruction Kathy Hoffman held

a news conference with several superintendents and state health director Dr. Cara Christ about the pandemic’s continuing impact on schools.

Hoffman said that a new spike in COVID-19 will force local schools into the “impossible decision’’ of whether to shut their doors to in-person learning to prevent students and teachers from getting sick.

“Without serious changes from us, the adults making daily choices that determine the virus’ path, we cannot expect these numbers to head in a safe direction,’’ Hoffman said.

But Christ, while making multiple suggestions for dealing with the spread of the disease, said she’s not prepared to recommend new restrictions on individual and business activities.

“We continue to monitor the data on a daily basis,’’ she said.

And the health chief said some “mitigation strategies’’ are being discussed should counties, now considered at “moderate’’ risk of spread of the virus, move back into the “substantial’’ category they were at earlier this year.

“We would work with the local health

BY HAILLIE PARKER Cronkite News

H

ealth officials have warned of a “staggering” death toll in Arizona as COVID-19 cases continue to rise unabated, citing fatigue over the virus and crowded holiday gatherings as potential dangers.

Dr. Joshua LaBaer, executive director of Arizona State University’s Biodesign Institute, said its team attributes a resurgence of cases in Arizona and nationwide to a potential new era in the pandemic.

That era is one in which Americans weary of eight months of isolation return to pre-COVID-19 routines of work, school and play. That could lead to a rise that surpasses even the state’s spike last summer, when nearly one out of four tests were positive, he said.

LaBaer’s alarm comes as the latest COVID-19 data, released by the county

Dr. Joshua LaBaer, executive director of Arizona State University’s Biodesign Institute, warns of a “staggering” death toll in the state if COVID-19 cases continued to rise unabated.

positive new test results going up from 5.3 to 7.5 percent.

Citywide, Chandler saw cases per 100,000 jump from 102 to 138 and positive new test results up from 5.2 to 7.2 percent.

In Chandler’s three northern ZIP codes, cases per 100,000 rose from 111 to 155 in 85225; from 91 to 149 in 85224; and from 66 to 98 in 85226.

Trends in those ZIP codes for positive new test results showed that in 85225, positivity rose from 8.7 to 9.8 percent.

It nearly doubled in in 85224, from 4.6 to 8.2 percent. In 85226, positive test results, however, positivity remain in a minimal spread level.

Hospital ER visits with COVID-like symptoms, the only benchmark in the lowest category and signifying minimum spread within all districts’ boundaries remained low.

see VIRUS page 18

Message asks parents not to report COVID cases

ARIZONAN NEWS STAFF

A

s state and local school officials last week expressed concern over the rising number of COVID-19 cases in Arizona, someone anonymously advised Chandler parents not to report tell the district if their child contracts the virus.

The snapchat message said, “I’m asking this on behalf of all athletes at Basha. Please for the love of god if you get covid or have symptoms don’t report it because if you report it it skrews everyone around you.”

It added, “Unless you are high risk there is no reason to report it, nothing bad will happen to you just please think about the athletes.”

The post came in the wake of the Arizona Interscholastic Association’s decision to indefinitely delay the start of the winter sports season.

Numerous Valley schools also have had to cancel football games because of virus outbreaks in their programs or schools.

Chandler Unified spokesman Terry Locke told the Arizonan that even

departments to identify what strategies we could implement,’’ Christ said. But she stressed there would be no universal model.

“Each community is going to have different factors playing a role,’’ Christ said.

Christ detailed how the state is now approaching 260,000 confirmed cases of the virus.

More significant, she said, is that 9 percent of the tests administered the last week of October came back positive. And Christ said there has been an increase in the number of people showing up in hospitals with COVID-like symptoms.

Christ also expressed concern about rising suicide rates among young people in Arizona as they struggle with the pandemic’s disruptive impact on their academic and personal lives.

Hoffman said she is concerned about the impact of another major round of campus closures.

“When our schools close to in-person instruction, it is devastating to our communities,’’ she said.

see VIRUS SIDE page 18

THE CHANDLER ARIZONAN | WWW.CHANDLERNEWS.COM | NOVEMBER 15, 2020

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to the board, and will allow us to better serve our diverse student population.”

Thanksgiving is just a Established in 1986, HACU represents few away. there’s moredays than 500 collegesBut and universities committed Hispanic higheraeducation still timetoto provide success globally.

cials, discussions and fundraising activities.

Some activities include a food drive to benefit the community, online auction, book club, movie discussions, mahjong, and social get togethers just to see and meet other members. They also are open to other suggested activities.

Information: Ann Baum at ann.hadassahmembership@gmail.com

hearty meal and more to a homeless neighbor.

Chandler-Gilbert college president named to board Chamber offering free PPE kits to local businesses

The fast-casual, family-owned eatery with a nearly 35-year history in the Valley also has a legacy of giving back to the communities, hosting regular fundraisers that give 30 percent of pre-tax sales to nonprofits.

Information: Someburros.com.

The Chandler Chamber of Commerce, through a contract with the City of Chandler, is distributing free I Choose Chandler personal protective equipment Kits to qualifying Chandler businesses.

“Protecting public health has been East Valley Hadassah seeks Council’s top priority throughout the pan- new Chandler members demic. The I Choose Chandler PPE Kit ProThe Devorah Chapter of Hadassah East gram is another way the City continues to Valley is seeking members. create innovative programs to keep emAlthough the group is not holding regular ployees and patrons safe, while providing in-person activities, we are doing zoom somuch needed assistance to our business community,” Mayor Kevin Hartke said.

Businesses can apply at bit.ly/ PPEChandler for a kit that includes 100 3-ply non-medical face masks withThanksgiving is just a few days ear-loop, an automatic dispenser whiteaway. But there’s still time to stand and a gallon of hand sanitizer. provide a hearty meal and more Although businesses do not have to be Chandler Chamber members they mustto a homeless neighbor. be registered in the city and have 100 or Thanksgiving is just aisfew fewer employees.

Thanksgiving just adays few days Your generous contribution today will bring isthere’s just a still few days away.

But there’s still to time to away.

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Someburros is opening in South Chanproviding a delicious meal complete dler and anyone who stops by the grand Turkey opening the Mexican restaurant can Mashed potatoes Turkey & gravy throw their hats in the ring for a $500 All the traditional Mashed fully catered holiday party. potatoes trimmings Turkey Guests who drop by& between gravy 10:30 Pie & coffee a.m. and 9 p.m. Saturday, Nov.Mashed 21, at All the traditional potatoes Someburros’ 12th and newest location & gravy trimmings Turkey at 5095 S. Gilbert Road, Chandler, will All the traditional earn an entry into the giveaway with the Pie & coffee trimmings Mashed potatoes grand prize winner being & enough food Pie & coffee gravy to feed up to 30 people.

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Phone: (602) 346-3336 Amount $_________ m $________ where needed most Online: www.phoenixrescuemission.org/HolidayFeast

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18

CITY NEWS

THE CHANDLER ARIZONAN | WWW.CHANDLERNEWS.COM | NOVEMBER 15, 2020

VIRUS from page 14

Nearly 10 percent of tests in Arizona are positive, according to the Arizona Department of Health website, and half the 250,000 cases of the virus reported in Arizona are in Maricopa County.

LaBaer said Arizona has some confusing markers. A number of people have recovered from COVID-19 and appear to be immune for up to six months, which should mean a slowdown in the transmission of the disease. But that hasn’t happened.

“The fact that the transmission rate is as high as it was back then means that people are doing a better job of transmitting it, which is not good,” he said.

“People are interacting more, and some of that may be COVID fatigue, some may be that people are back at work more often, but we really need to be attentive to reducing that sort of thing.”

As the global race for an approved COVID-19 vaccine pushes on, more people are getting the coronovirus that causes the disease.

“We’re hitting a milestone here where the seven-day average for new cases is approaching 100,000 new cases a day.

To put that in some perspective, the number of new cases we saw yesterday was around 90,000. That is more than the total number of cases in the original Wuhan outbreak,” LaBaer said, referring to the industrial city in central China where COVID-19 emerged late last year.

Herd immunity has never been achieved without a vaccine, he said. Despite the widespread devastation and death toll caused by the virus, Arizona and the rest of the world are nowhere near the necessary 60 percent level to achieve herd immunity.

ASU has managed to keep the number of new cases low, LaBaer said.

Regularly aggregated data on ASU’s COVID-19 management website recorded 86 of the 91 total known positive cases, as of Nov. 2, as off-campus students.

Sixteen faculty and staff members have tested positive.

“We’re lucky there,” LaBaer said. “I personally believe that part of the reason our numbers are so good is because we do such regular testing.”

ASU has tested more than 106,000 students and employees since Aug. 1, using

a saliva-based test the university developed that also is available to the public.

The test has since been used at Northern Arizona University.

In previous months, health officials across the country have warned against potential spikes in cases after national holidays, such as the Fourth of July and Labor Day, though LaBaer did not share the same concern over the possibility of a post-Halloween surge among ASU students.

“I think our student population has been pretty well behaved,” LaBaer said, referring to those living on campus.

“The harder part, for me, is the off campus population, because those folks are in the community and it’s clear that our community numbers are rising and hard for them to escape that. I think that’s probably the likely bigger source of the issue.”

ASU shifted all classes online after Thanksgiving. LaBaer encouraged students to get tested before traveling and again before returning to campus in the spring.

(The Arizonan contributed to this report.)

VIRUS SIDE from page 14

If that can’t happen, Christ said “create spaces’’ indoors so people can distance from one another, open doors and windows for better ventilation, and reduce the number of people gathered around the table.

“And consider celebrating virtually with your college-age students or your higherrisk and elderly relatives,’’ she said.

Mesa Public Schools Superintendent Andi Fourlis said one of her district’s campuses, Mesa High, has been forced to go back to two days a week of in-classroom learning because of an outbreak.

Because of the concern about holiday gatherings, she also said the district will extend the long weekend by a day, with only virtual learning for all students on the Monday after Thanksgiving.

While the state determines the standards for how and when businesses can operate, that isn’t the case for schools.

Instead, the state provides “guidance’’ for local districts, along with reports of COVID-19 case and trends, and then leaves it to school officials to work with local health departments to figure out how to respond.

Quintin Boyce, superintendent of the Roosevelt Elementary School District in

Phoenix, many students in his district live in multi-generational households with not just parents and siblings but grandparents, too.

“That influences the decision that we make,’’ he said.

Meanwhile, Gov. Doug Ducey Governor Doug Ducey, announced last week that he and Hoffman will be making grants available from a pool of $19 million of the state’s federal pandemic relief funds to support schools and students most affected by the pandemic.

The grants will help fund teacher development and stipends, reading and math curriculum, summer education resources and other activities.

Eligibility for the program, known as the Acceleration Academies Grant Program, was determined through a partnership with Read On Arizona and the Maricopa Association of Governments.

The organizations adopted a data-driven approach, considering factors such as AZMerit scores, percentage of students eligible for free and reduced-priced meals, access to computers and Internet, COVID-19 cases in the community, unemployment claims and other factors, the gover-

nor said.

More than 180 schools are eligible for the program, with additional dollars prioritized for schools most impacted.

“No matter what education option parents choose, we are determined to make sure no student falls behind this year,” said Ducey.

“These dollars will boost those efforts, funding proven acceleration strategies to keep kids academically on-track,” the governor added.

The Arizona Department of Education will administer the grant and develop reporting and progress measures for grant recipients.

Eligible schools will be able to choose programs that best fit their needs from a list of strategies proven to accelerate academic achievement.

Examples the governor cited included: training teachers in best practices for math and literacy instruction; teacher stipends for additional student tutoring sessions; contracting with qualified math or reading specialists to do one-on-one or small group work with students; and summer math or reading intensive programs for students in need.

However, some health experts consider that metric not as reliable as the other two because it depends on the subjective assessments of hospital staffs.

About two weeks ago, LaBaer cautioned that cases were about to reach 1,000 a day. That estimate turned out to be conservative.

“Arizona’s moving average is now around 1,300, almost 1,400, new cases a day,” he said. “It’s not rising quite as rapidly as it did at the end of June, but it is rising consistently day-over-day and that’s a concern.”

He recommended minimal mingling during the holidays and a return to pandemic precautions of wearing masks, social distancing and frequent testing for the disease, which since January has killed more than 6,000 people in Arizona and 230,000 across the nation.

“I would suggest, for the upcoming holidays, that people really limit it to their immediate family this year. I don’t think it’s a great year for big family gettogethers,” LaBaer said.

“Parents are thrown in flux as they try to decide the best model for distance learning, whether at home or at an onsite learning center,’’ Hoffman continued. “Educators must adapt quickly, transitioning from in-person and hybrid to distance learning.

Christ said her and Hoffman’s department are setting up a pilot program for free weekly testing of teachers.

But John Carruth, superintendent of the Vail Unified School District, said what is happening in the classroom is not the problem.

“Both our experience and what I think our Pima County data are showing is that transmission is happening in the community and not within our schools, which is encouraging,’’ he said.

Christ does have some answers to that, specifically with recommendations for what families should be doing this Thanksgiving to prevent these traditional family gatherings from turning into spreader events.

It starts, she said, with moving celebrations outside or a local park.

THE CHANDLER ARIZONAN | WWW.CHANDLERNEWS.COM | NOVEMBER 15, 2020

Chandler aquatic center named for beloved coach

BY KEVIN REAGAN Arizonan Staff Writer

C

handler High School will honor a beloved swim coach who earlier this year died from COVID-19 by naming its aquatic center after him.

The Chandler Unified School District Governing Board voted unanimously on Oct. 28 to honor Kerry Croswhite, who succumbed to the deadly virus on July 21, by putting his name on the facility – where he spent several years coaching Chandler High’s swim team.

Croswhite, who was 61, spent nearly a month fighting the coronavirus and his death was met with an outpour of tributes from former students and colleagues.

“We shared many laughs, exciting wins, and painful losses,” another swim coach wrote on a fundraising site that collected $60,000 for Croswhite’s medical treatments.

“I enjoyed our time together. I think we made a difference with the kids we coached.”

In a resolution officially naming the aquatic center after Croswhite, the coach was described as a kind and compassionate teacher who always taught his students to not take life too seriously.

“Kerry Croswhite was always there for those who needed help and was a teacher and coach who truly wanted to better every single person he encountered,” the resolution states.

Croswhite’s wife, Laurie, said she was touched by the district’s tribute and felt her husband would have appreciated the school board’s resolution. “(Kerry) had spent 35 years of his life dedicated to teaching and coaching here at Chandler and he was very proud of the team he built,” Laurie said. “It really honors his memory and carries on his legacy.”

Croswhite was one of hundreds of residents in the Chandler area to contract the coronavirus since the pandemic began in March.

But his death has been one of the pandemic’s most visible impacts for the CUSD community.

His family said Croswhite tested positive for the virus on July 3 and he was checked into a local hospital. His health showed signs of recovery in the subsequent weeks before his symptoms suddenly worsened on July 17.

Doctors eventually informed Croswhite’s wife and children there was nothing else they could do.

“We stayed at his bedside to assure him he was so brave and has fought so hard and how proud we are of him,” Laurie Croswhite wrote shortly after her husband’s death.

Croswhite coached Queen Creek High School’s swim team before transferring to Chandler High in 2002. He quickly became a staple in the local sports community and became known by his students for his happy-go-lucky attitude.

CUSD Board President Barbara Mozdzen said Croswhite was her son’s coach for several years and their families grew to be close – even resulting in Croswhite playing the bagpipes at the wedding of Mozdzen’s daughter.

Croswhite regaled his swim team and spectators at matches by playing the bagpipes and he performed at many events throughout the Valley.

“Kerry was a friend and he was a very special person,” Mozdzen said. “He was always so positive and optimistic and I think this is so appropriate to honor the aquatic center in his name.”

In 2008, Croswhite was credited with saving the life of Kandace Jilek, one of his students, after she experienced a seizure while swimming in Chandler High’s pool.

Croswhite rescued Jilek from the water and gave her CPR, according to old newspaper reports.

Jilek went on to become a teacher herself at CUSD and was quick to memorialize her former swim coach after his death over the summer.

“The saying ‘not all heroes wear capes’ has never been more true, Coach Croswhite, you were my hero that day,” Jilek wrote in an online tribute to Croswhite.

The district plans to host a dedication ceremony on Dec. 5 at Chandler High’s aquatic center in honor of Croswhite.

19 CITY NEWS

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10/16/2020 11:00:46 AM

CITY NEWS

20

THE CHANDLER ARIZONAN | WWW.CHANDLERNEWS.COM | NOVEMBER 15, 2020

Chandler Fire collecting holiday toys for local children ARIZONAN NEWS STAFF

T

he Chandler Fire Department is once again collecting toys to help brighten the holiday season for Chandler children who might otherwise go without this year.

The annual drive will be held at Chandler Fashion Center, with a few changes to help promote a safe environment for everyone.

The drive will be from 2-8 p.m. Dec. 5, at Chandler Fashion Center, 3111 W. Chandler Blvd. The toy collection point will be in the parking lot west of the south facing entry point of Chandler Fashion Center.

The highlight of the event will be the Enchanted Fire Village, a special holiday wonderland built by Chandler firefighters with decorated fire trucks. Anyone who donates a new, unwrapped toy during the Holiday Toy Drive will receive admission into the Enchanted Fire Village.

An adult must accompany all children through the village.

Once the donated toys are collected, Chandler firefighters and volunteers will help deliver them to the Chandler CARE Center, where they will be distributed at a designated event to families identified by staff at each Chandler Unified School District elementary school.

“Our annual toy drive has been a tremendous success over the years. We get to witness the generosity of so many Chandler families and we, in turn, are able to fulfill the dreams of a lot of area

AIRPORT from page 8

“It is not unusual for certain projects to

Chandler firefighters last year displayed some of the gifts they wrapped for needy children as a result of donations to their annual toy drive.

(City of Chandler)

kids,” said Chandler Fire Chief Tom Dwiggins. “This event is just another way that our fire department personnel get to partner with the people we serve and together make a difference for those in need.”

For those who cannot attend the Dec. 5 event at the mall, toy or gift card donations may be dropped off or mailed to

the Chandler Fire Administration Headquarters at 151 E. Boston St., 85224, starting Nov. 9 through Dec. 11. Toys can also be taken to any Chandler fire station; however, gift cards will only be accepted at headquarters.

People who prefer a contactless donation method, can ship items to

headquarters or purchase them under the “Chandler Fire Toy Drive” wishlist on amazon.com/hz/wishlist/ ls/1DH9IZMQOIQ3M). Bring your receipt for admission to the Enchanted Fire Village on Dec. 5.

Information: chandleraz.gov/fire or 480-782-2120.

be delayed or advanced based on changing conditions, such as funding availability or changes in the aviation industry,”

the plan states.

Pfeifer said the plan intentionally prioritized projects located along the airport’s northside because any southside projects would require additional development.

“There would be quite a bit of utility infrastructure that would need to be built in,” he said.

Despite the extensive number of recommended improvements, city officials say the airport is not planning to encroach upon its neighboring properties.

“The airport is not looking to expand the facility,” said Airport Administrator Chris Andres. “All the improvements that are depicted on the master plan are going to be contained within existing air-

port property.”

All the recommended improvements would be a worthy investment, he added, because the airport’s an “economic engine” and an asset to the Chandler community.

A 2016 economic analysis concluded the Chandler Airport helped to generate up to $32 million in revenue and employ more than 160 people.

“That business activity also generates tax dollars that fund several city services – ranging from police, to parks, to community centers,” Andres said.

Once completed, the updated master plan will be reviewed by the Chandler City Council and be used as a roadmap for future development at the airport.

Buy or refinance with confidence.

Let’s talk today.

480-855-6287 • westernbanks.com • 976 W Chandler Blvd • Chandler

THE CHANDLER ARIZONAN | WWW.CHANDLERNEWS.COM | NOVEMBER 15, 2020

21 REAL ESTATE

From Uptown to Downtown, we cover Chandler like the sun

Building permits rise, but market remains tight

BY PAUL MARYNIAK Arizonan Executive Editor

F

rustrated home buyers got some good news at the beginning of November, but it likely won’t make them smile.

The good news that building permits for new home construction soared in the third quarter is tempered by the fact that most of that new construction is in Pinal County, especially around Queen Creek, according to the Cromford Report, which closely monitors the housing market in the Phoenix Metro region.

And that good news likely will be all but squelched by some of Cromford’s other findings – namely that listings began drying up in the latter part of October. Budget-conscious buyers got still more sobering news: prices are “skyward” bound.

“The size of the market below $300,000 is shrinking fast, constrained by lack of supply and by the fact that last year’s home at $270,000 is now priced well over $300,000,” Cromford said. “However, any home priced under $300,000 is likely to see hordes of buyers. Is there any sign of the upward surge in pricing losing pace? In a word - No.” It also said that regardless of the pandemic, prices in the Greater Phoenix market are “unlikely to stop rising.”

This 7,700-square-foot, two-story house on W. Harmony Place in Chandler recently sold for $2.6 million. Built in 2010, the six-bedroom, 7.5-bathy house in Fulton Ranch has theater and game rooms. (Special to the Arizonan)

Even seven-figure homes are seeing surging demand, it said, noting that in October, a record 37 homes priced over $3 million sold.

Cromford said that even though October “brought us a healthy flow of new listings,” many buyers are due for more disappointment because “the demand has strengthened so much these have done almost nothing to affect the chronic shortage of homes for sale.”

To put it bluntly, according to Cromford, home buyers can still expect to be looking for needles in haystacks.

“By the time we get to Thanksgiving, the flow of new listings is likely to slacken and we will probably see supply fall away even further as listings get

removed for the holiday season,” it said.

“Whether this still holds true during a pandemic we will have to see. There is

still no sign of any weakness developing

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REAL ESTATE

THE CHANDLER ARIZONAN | WWW.CHANDLERNEWS.COM | NOVEMBER 15, 2020

Californians looking at East Valley’s affordability and space

BY CAROL ROYSE Arizonan Guest Writer

W

e have all heard about those elusive “California buyers.” Well. it is true.

In San Francisco, one of the priciest markets in the U.S., properties for sale have increased 51 percent year over year. That means 51 percent more homes are on the market in San Francisco than in 2019.

The shift is fueled by work at home or working remotely. This allows more employees to choose where they want to live instead of where their job is located.

Couple that with the closure of most museums, theaters, restaurants, sports and other venues, there is less reason to

live in these expensive cities.

Welcome to the East Valley.

Price per square foot has increased in the Chandler area by 6.4 percent from 2019 prices. On a $650,000 home, that comes to $41,600 in just one year.

Couple that with the lack of inventory and buyers are willing to pay over list price for many East Valley homes.

Chandler, Gilbert, Mesa and Tempe area homes look relatively cheap to these Los Angeles and San Francisco home buyers.

Along that same trend of leaving larger cities for the suburbs are renters. Renters are saying, “If I am going to work from home, I want a view other than the kitchen refrigerator.”

They also want space and options when working from home.

Our East Valley communities and the

surrounding areas are seeing a vast migration of these California buyers looking to expand their living space and bring some equilibrium to their cost of living.

We are seeing a trend in which buyers are looking for more square footage, bigger lot size, more patio space and amenities like private pools, outdoor kitchens – and just SPACE. What really matters to these transplants is a sense of privacy and space.

If you are thinking of putting your Chandler, Gilbert, Mesa or Tempe home on the market, call me for my Ritz Carlton Service, accurate pricing and a committed marketing strategy that includes a 100 percent-of-asking-price guarantee and free home-staging service.

Chandler Realtor Carol Royse can be reached at 480-776-5231.

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THE CHANDLER ARIZONAN | WWW.CHANDLERNEWS.COM | NOVEMBER 15, 2020

23

Real Estate News Update

by Real Estate Expert & Local Radio Host, Carol Royse Pricing Strategy to Sell Your Home When you decide to sell your home, setting your asking price is one of the most important decisions you will ever make. Depending on how a buyer is made aware of your home, price is often the first thing he or she sees, and many homes are discarded by prospective buyers as not being in the appropriate price range before they’re even given a chance of a showing.

Your asking price is often your home’s “first impression”, and if you want to realize the most money you can for your home, it’s imperative that you make a good first impression.

This is not as easy as it sounds, and pricing strategy should not be taken lightly.

Pricing too high can be as costly to a home seller as pricing too low. Taking a look at what homes in your neighborhood have sold for is only a small part of the process, and on its own is not nearly enough to help you make the best decision.

With the continued lack of supply of existing homes for sale as well as the surge in buyer demand , most experts are predicting strong appreciation in 2021. Many homeowners look at this and reason, with a tight market and limited homes for sale, I can ask any price and get that “one” buyer. This reasoning usually ends in disappointment. One third of the homes listed for sale in Maricopa County in 2020 did not sell. They were either priced too high or the condition was not what buyers are looking for. Pricing is key to getting top dollar.

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REAL ESTATE

THE CHANDLER ARIZONAN | WWW.CHANDLERNEWS.COM | NOVEMBER 15, 2020

MARKET from page 21

in the market with buyers having to fight for every scrap of housing that comes available.”

“Despite all expectations for the market to cool, it keeps getting hotter, although at a slower pace,” Cromford added, forecasting a continued upward spiral in prices that already has put the Phoenix market close to the head of the pack in the rate of home price increases.

“Prices are certain to rise from their current level,” Cromford said. “It will take a massive increase in supply for prices to change direction and there is currently no sign of this happening. In fact, we would expect supply to deteriorate between now and year end.”

Phoenix has seen a year-over-year average price increase of 9 percent, it added.

Meanwhile, in looking at single-family home building permits issued in September, Cromford said, “The good news for buyers is that the rate of construction is increasing, which will provide a little more supply over the months to come.”

Across Pinal and Maricopa counties, it noted, a total 22,378 permits were is-

sued in the first nine months of 2020 – a 21 percent increase over the total issued in the same time period last year and the highest number issued since 2006.

“It is almost the same as the 2007 figure, which was a year in which the builders were hitting the brakes,” Cromford said. “Now their collective feet are firmly

eye, then Surprise in the top three.

But Cromford also noted that more than 1,200 permits were issued for construction of single-family homes in unincorporated areas of Maricopa and Pinal counties, mostly the San Tan Valley.

“Even though Queen Creek has a great deal of new home construction, the San

are certain to rise from their current level, “ItPrices will take a massive increase in supply for prices to change direction and there is currently no sign of this happening. In fact, we would expect supply to deteriorate between now and year end.

”

– Cromford Report

on the gas pedal as they try to respond to the very strong demand for single family housing in Central Arizona.”

For the third quarter of 2020, the number of permits issued underwent “a dramatic acceleration,” Cromford said, noting that the most were issued in Phoenix, with 1,330, followed by Buck-

Offered at $279,900

Tan Valley areas outside its boundaries provide even more new housing,” Cromford said.

It also noted that “Florence is almost as active as Chandler and Coolidge is almost as active as Scottsdale.”

That led Cromford to conclude, “Pinal is rising in significance and growing fast-

er than Maricopa.”

Meanwhile, Cromford reported that there are bright spots on the mortgage scene nationally with fewer delinquencies appearing.

“Early stage delinquencies show strong improvement with many measures returning to pre-pandemic levels,” it said.

“Loan pre-payment rose above 3 percent in September, the first time in 16 years.

“This high rate is partly driven by the very low interest rates causing a lot of refinance activity. In addition, the strong out-of-season home buying is causing buyers to pay off the loans on their former homes.”

States with the highest percentages of delinquencies are Mississippi, Louisiana, Hawaii, New York and Texas.

“Home equity is at a record high and 45 million homeowners have positive (tappable) equity in their homes,” Cromford said. “This the largest number ever.”

It also noted that only nine percent of homeowners who are in forbearance have less than 10 percent home equity, meaning that “this offers both the borrowers and lenders multiple options in lieu of foreclosure.” 

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THE CHANDLER ARIZONAN | WWW.CHANDLERNEWS.COM | NOVEMBER 15, 2020

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THE CHANDLER ARIZONAN | WWW.CHANDLERNEWS.COM | NOVEMBER 15, 2020

27

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28

CITY NEWS

THE CHANDLER ARIZONAN | WWW.CHANDLERNEWS.COM | NOVEMBER 15, 2020

Chandler-based Tweener Homes partners with Expedia ARIZONAN NEWS STAFF

T

weener Homes, a technologybased real estate company in Chandler, has partnered with Expedia’s vacation rental software, Escapia to make it easier finding temporary residence easier for people who are between permanent homes or are searching for or building their own.

Tweener Homes connects homeowners and property managers with renters in need of fully furnished rentals for one to 11 months.

“I was once ‘tweener’ myself and experienced firsthand the anxiety and frustration of where to look and find a comfortable temporary home until we could move into our new permanent home.

We are thrilled to announce this partnership which will give Tweeners across the country easy access to find and book a fully furnished home,” said Nick Calvi, CEO of Tweener Homes.

His personal experience and subse-

Nick Calvi quent research led to his formation of the company.

“I found furnished rental homes for short-term vacation stays but were cost prohibitive for a multiple month stay and unfurnished homes but required me to sign a year lease. For people in between a vacation rental and a one-year

lease, there weren’t any options that made sense,” he said.

Escapia provides software tools allowing property managers to operate their businesses more efficiently by directly integrating their property details, availability and rates.

The relationship with Tweener Homes offers exposure to a new audience of home renters, real estate brokerages and new home builder clients.

More than 14,000 vacation rental owners and managers can now list their properties through Tweener Homes to diversify their marketing plan, increase the visibility of their rental homes, and drive demand and bookings especially during times when rental homes have lower occupancy.

The partnership offers benefits for renters, too. Rather than waiting days for a response from rent by owner property or other platforms, Tweener Homes provides up-to-date availability information so people can easily filter through the of-

fering of homes and book online at their own convenience.

Many homes are offered with special monthly discounts and monthly payment options as opposed to paying the cost of the entire rental stay in advance.

Tweener claims to offers the lowest listing fee in the industry to keep rental rates as low as possible and does not charge any service or booking fees to the renter.

Information: TweenerHomes.com.

About Tweener Homes

Tweener Homes is the first technology based real estate company devoted to assisting people in need of a fully furnished monthly home rental.

The company connects homeowners/property managers with home renters who seek a comfortable, furnished home rental for one to eleven months in lieu of living in a cramped, no privacy apartment or hotel.

Chandler Chamber moving to new location ARIZONAN NEWS STAFF

T

he Chandler Chamber of Commerce is moving by next month.

But it won’t be going too far from its present location at on South Arizona Place, where it has been housed for 25 years.

It is leaving the high-rise for a standalone location in downtown Chandler at 101 W. Commonwealth.

“On behalf of the Chandler Chamber Board of Directors, we are thrilled to be moving to a stand-alone, downtown Chandler location, easily accessible to our businesses and community alike,” said Chamber board Chair Molly Bell.

“This change will open up so many incredible opportunities and we look forward to strengthening our downtown Chandler presence even more.”

Terri Kimble, Chamber President/CEO added, “We are very excited about this location, right in the heart of downtown Chandler.

“The new building provides convenient, walk-in access for community,

business and tourism.”

San Tan Brewing founder, Anthony Cannechia, one of the building owners, said he’s proud to have such a visible member of the community as a tenant.

“We are proud to have the Chandler Chamber as neighbors right here in downtown,” he said. “The Chamber is really the voice of business here in Chandler.”

The Chandler Chamber has been serving Chandler since 1912.

The fact that they are relocating to a historical building actually constructed by the father of former Chandler Mayor Jay Tibshraeny “is a perfect legacy” to their commitment in serving the business community,” the Chamber said.

Judge Jay Tibshraeny said, “The new Chamber location on Commonwealth was actually built by my father’s company. Those red brick buildings have stood the test of time, just like the Chandler Chamber. I know I am proud to say the Chamber will be calling it home.”

The move makes a longtime Chamber dream come true.

The Chandler Chamber hopes to move into its new digs at 101 W. Commonwealth by next month.

(Special to the Arizonan)

“While our location at 25 S. Arizona Place served us well over the years, we have always desired street level access for patrons,” Kimble said. “The time was right and we look forward to building even stronger ties with our members.”

The Chamber promotes regional economic growth, advancing businessfriendly public policies and supporting their members through programs, benefits and services.

Information: chandlerchamber.com.

29 CITY NEWS

THE CHANDLER ARIZONAN | WWW.CHANDLERNEWS.COM | NOVEMBER 15, 2020

Salt River gardens honor USS Arizona heroes ARIZONAN NEWS STAFF

S

ince opening in February, the USS Arizona Memorial Gardens at Salt River has been visited by thousands of guests who pay tribute to the men aboard the USS Arizona at Pearl Harbor, sharing their stories, efforts and sacrifice.

The Gardens has also reconnected many to family and friends who were lost during the attack on Pearl Harbor on Dec. 7, 1941, and incited a need for them to share some remarkable stories, just as Chelsea Jordan did.

Her great, grant uncle, James Harvey Sanderson, played the clarinet and saxophone in the USS Arizona’s “last band” and died in the attack.

The community celebrated the grand opening of the USS Arizona Memorial Gardens at Salt River on the eve of the 2020 spring training season.

A few months later, the Gardens was named the 2020 Outstanding Facility Award for populations under 10,000 at Arizona Parks and Recreation Associa-

The USS Arizona Memorial Gardens at Salt River is shaped like the doomed ship, left, and there is a light for every serviceman who lost his life in the Dec. 7, 1941, attack at Pearl Harbor that destroyed the ship.

tion’s Best of the Best awards show.

Located on tribal land, the gardens were built by the Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community to honor those who served and those serving today.

“It is a great honor that the land of the O’odham (Pima) and Piipaash (Maricopa) is now the permanent home to a relic from the USS Arizona,” said Martin Harvier, President, of the Salt River Pima

Maricopa Indian Community.

The gardens span the exact length and width of the USS Arizona, with over 1,500 commemorative columns, outlining the actual perimeter of the USS Arizona.

Each column is representative of a life aboard the ship that day. Additionally, there are gaps within the column outline representing an individual who survived the attack.

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As the day ends, each column illuminates, transforming the memorial at night representing each individual as a light and that their light will continue to go on and stand through the test of time.

“I walked through the garden tonight for the first time and found my great uncle’s name,” Jordan said. “I haven’t felt chills like that in a long time. It is a stunning memorial. I just want to say thank you to the Community for doing such a beautiful job with it.”

The Gardens are open daily from dawn until dusk and is free to the public. Located in the Talking Stick Entertainment District at 7455 N. Pima Road between Salt River Fields at Talking Stick and Great Wolf Lodge Arizona, the relic room is staffed by volunteers. Those interested in learning more can also come by the Discover Salt River Visitor Center at is pleased to introduce 9120 East Talking Stick Way, Suite E-10, Scottsdale in the Pavilions at Talking Stick shopping center.

Information: 888-979-5010 or memorialgardensatsaltriver.com.

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30

COMMUNITY

THE CHANDLER ARIZONAN | WWW.CHANDLERNEWS.COM | NOVEMBER 15, 2020

Chandler teen’s nonprofit addresses healthcare

BY KEVIN REAGAN Arizonan Staff Writer

W

hen cases of domestic violence started rising in Arizona during the pandemic, 16-year-old Viveka Chinnasamy felt she had to find a way to help the individuals who were forced to flee abusive households.

The Chandler student started raising money and quickly accumulated enough to buy more than 50 meals for the occupants of local domestic violence shelters, which have been burdened in recent months by an uptick in domestic abuse cases reported by local law enforcement agencies -- including Chandler Police.

Viveka said it seemed like the victims in these cases probably weren’t getting all the resources they might get if the pandemic had not been straining local

Viveka Chinnasamy

nonprofits.

It’s not too unusual for Viveka to be at the helm of a large-scale service project aiming to resolve a problem in the community.

The teenager has been on an ongoing mission to improve society’s access to medical care and she’s not letting a global pandemic interfere with her goal.

Viveka is busily getting through her senior year at Hamilton High School and yet she’s a bit more preoccupied with trying to expand the reach and impact of her nonprofit.

Medical Minds, an organization Viveka founded last year, consists of more than 60 teenagers from across the Valley who wish to serve underrepresented communities in need of medical supplies, food, clothing, or a little companionship.

“Our mission is to be a voice for those

around the world who are marginalized from the health care system,” Viveka said.

The reach of their service extends far and wide. From Chandler’s nursing homes to rural villages in South America, Viveka said there’s no place in this world that Medical Minds won’t strive to make a footprint.

The scope of her group’s work is diverse and varied. They volunteer in local hospitals, put on mental health workshops for teenagers, and organize fundraisers for patients who can’t afford medical care.

Everything the club does is essentially tied to three main pillars: service, community, and education.

Viveka said it’s important the organi-

see GLOBAL page 33

County gives EV Assistance League much-needed help ARIZONAN NEWS STAFF

F

or more than two decades, the Assistance League of the East Valley has helped people in need of all ages in the region, but now, amid the pandemic’s impact on most nonprofits, it’s the Assistance League that could use a little help.

It’s cut the hours of its thrift store in Chandler and reduced some annual programs as donations have declined and its spring fundraiser canceled because of COVID-19 concerns.

Maricopa County officials last week provided some much-needed help with a $25,000 grant from their share of federal pandemic relief money.

The purpose is to cover expenditures related to the public health emergency brought on by the pandemic.

“This grant from the county comes at a most difficult time for us,” said Lois Eitel,

Bonnie Domin, who manages the Assistance League of the East Valley thrift store in Chandler, said a county grant will help it cover rent and utilities for two months. (Courtesy Maricopa County)

president of the all-volunteer Assistance League chapter.

“Due to the pandemic we had to close our Thrift Store, a major funding source for us, and we have been able to open only limited hours ever since. The grant will play a big part in helping us continue supporting 24 schools that depend on us. I join with the more than 125 volunteers in thanking Maricopa County for this much-needed grant.”

Member Sarah Auffret added, “Many of our grants from the public have dried up. We are hoping to receive end-of-year tax credit donations.”

Still, she said, “We are continuing to provide emergency assault survivor kits of clothing and toiletries to East Valley fire and police departments and hospitals.”

The nonprofit is one of more than two

see THRIFT page 33

THE CHANDLER ARIZONAN | WWW.CHANDLERNEWS.COM | NOVEMBER 15, 2020

31 COMMUNITY

Realtor helps cancer victim in a big way ARIZONAN NEWS STAFF

T

he community rallied in a big way to Chandler Realtor Darwin Wall’s Breast Cancer Awareness Pub Crawl the third weekend of October, helping Wall and his team to raise $15,000 to defray a breast cancer victim’s medical bills.

The amount raised at last month’s pub crawl was twice what Wall’s team raised last year and the biggest raised in the past six years he has run the annual effort.

Wall said there were several reasons that he thinks the seventh annual pub crawl was so successful.

“I truly feel this pandemic made many people take a step back and realize what’s really important in life like our health and the quality time we spend with people,” he said.

Georgann Roberts, the beneficiary for this year’s event, has endured five surgeries in five months and is facing two more operations as out-of-pocket ex-

The Darwin Wall team celebrated their fundraiser haul with a check presentation to beneficiary Georgann Roberts.

Behind Wall and Roberts are, from left, Vanessa Contreras, Brooke Michie, Monda Clemons, Kari Dean, Laura Kulakowski, Chad Cox, Paulina Matteson and Tiffany LeDeux and Janna Wall. (Pablo Robles/Staff Photographer)

penses go through the roof.

“Georgann has been a trusted partner of the Darwin Wall Team for many years when it comes to home warranties as she works for Fidelity Home Warranty,” Wall said.

“Her son Nolan is a general contractor for Grindstone General Contractor who does everything from handy man work to remodels for many members and clients of our team. She is fighting the tough fight while still helping us keep our clients happy, how could we not choose her?”

Wall had enlisted 25 sponsors as well as eight participating Chandler bars, including Murphy’s Law, Bourbon Jacks, Ghett’yo Taco, SanTan Brewing, The Local, 1912 Lounge at the San Marcos Resort, The Stanley and Pedal Haus.

For each $50 donation, participants received an event t-shirt made by Chandler’s State 48 so that when they visited each bar, they got a complimentary

see CANCER page 33

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First Things First connects families, support

BY DONNA SHOTT Arizonan Guest Writer

S

ince the coronavirus pandemic began, technology has become nearly essential to stay in contact with friends and family. For many who work with young children, technology has also offered an alternative way to provide those families resources and support.

First Things First, Arizona’s early childhood agency, funds early learning and family support programs across the state.

Many of those programs have adjusted the way they work with families to continue to provide services during this challenging time.

For example, parenting classes have gone online, and providers are connecting more with families by phone or text.

Libraries are hosting live story time through online video chat, while parents watch alongside their child and are able to ask their child questions and reactions to the story.

The Chandler CARE Center transitioned to online and virtual programs in March, providing parent education, preschool science, story time, and more via social media channels.

In order to supplement online options, Family Resource Center staff also provided contactless material and book pick up events for families, where parents could get a craft and activity kit with materials they could use to participate in the activities that had been posted online by staff.

At AZCEND, the Giggles, Squiggles and Squirms early literacy program has been meeting virtually via Zoom.

Outreach events along with diaper and family resource distributions are safely being provided to families in a drivethru format.

In some parts of Arizona, developmental screenings, which are critical for identifying developmental delays in babies, toddlers and preschoolers are being conducted through online video chat.

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The Birth to Five Helpline, a statewide helpline that is partially funded by FTF, earlier this year, started offering parents and caregivers the opportunity to meet face-to-face over online video chat to answer questions.

The helpline is a free service for all Arizona parents or caregivers to call, text or email with questions about their young child’s development. The helpline can also offer families connections to local resources and supports.

The Birth to Five Helpline is available at 1-877-705-5437 from Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. You can also leave a voicemail, submit your question online, or text the Helpline 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

FTF also funds home visitation, which provides a trained parent educator who makes in-home visits and offers personalized support families with children birth to age 5. Those visits are now conducted online.

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model being parent, as well as teacher, but the Group Connections, which are a staple of the home visitation program and bring together multiple families, is where the team got creative, said Alyssa Fredericks, a parent educator.

“Our Group Connection for May was for families to make Jell-O Jigglers and share some photos about the process,” she said. “It turned out to be a very successful activity as parents shared their stories with pictures.”

Through all of the changes and as families have to adapt in so many ways during the pandemic, providers say it is important to maintain a sense of normalcy for families.

“We choose items that can be in many people’s homes,” Fredericks said. “It helps our parents as they spend more time being their child’s teacher.”

For information about the FTF-funded early childhood programs and services that are available in your community, visit FirstThingsFirst.org and select Find Programs.

THE CHANDLER ARIZONAN | WWW.CHANDLERNEWS.COM | NOVEMBER 15, 2020

GLOBAL from page 30

zation’s members not only serve the public through charitable acts but learn why their philanthropy is needed in the first place.

She was motivated to start the club a couple years ago after reading about the wide disparity of medical coverage between rich and poor communities.

Viveka, who aspires to become a surgeon someday, said she’s seen family members struggle to find affordable health care and wants to make sure no one else has to be caught up in such a predicament.

THRIFT from page 30

dozen Assistance League nationwide.

In its 2018-19 fiscal year, the local chapter contributed more than 31,087 service hours, “enabling us to touch the lives of more than 16,300 men, women and children,” it says on its website.

The funds it raises are returned to Mesa, Tempe, Chandler, Gilbert, Scottsdale and Ahwatukee through philanthropic programs that include Operation School Bell, its assault survivor kits,

CANCER from page 31

drink and food specials.

This year the crawl was extended from a few hours one evening to three days – which Wall said probably also contributed to its smashing success.

“At first this was really a gamble,” Wall said. “We didn’t know how a three-day event would stack up to a one-day, power-packed event. But in the end, it turned out to be a home run.”

The participating bars went above and beyond to help make the event a success, he added.

“Every year we almost push every bar to capacity,” Wall said. “This year we asked the bars to accommodate us in the middle of a pandemic, I think that makes every bar considered above and beyond.

We are so grateful for their support even in these challenging times and hope we brought them some good business throughout the weekend.”

There were also many cancer survivors who joined in the fun.

“Cherie Booth comes every year with her friend Sonja Clark,” Wall said. “At the Darwin Wall Team, we already have the

“My mission is to do whatever I can – no matter how small – to advocate for their concerns and to make sure they get the medicine they deserve,” she said.

One goal of Medical Minds is to educate young people about the complexities of paying for health care, Viveka added, and hopefully make them more passionate about the issue.

“This prominent universal lack of health care made me realize that the gaps in health care separate those who have money from those who don’t,” Viveka added.

One of the group’s most successful service projects involved sending 200 kits

adult day care socials, scholarships and its and Share Our Spare programs.

The county grant will help the Assistance League provide new school uniforms to more than 7,000 elementary school students this year, part of its Operation School Bell program.

“By dipping into reserve funds, we will still provide new uniforms for 7,000 elementary school children in 24 East Valley schools, but we’ll no longer provide shoes, hoodies, underwear and toiletries,” Auffret said.

33 COMMUNITY

of medical supplies to families living in Peru, Nicaragua and Cambodia.

“Often the issue in these countries is that the availability of health care is really low,” Viveka said. “They have to walk miles to find the closest hospital.”

It’s a project Viveka is most proud of and hopes to replicate it again in the near future. But the COVID-19 pandemic has recently made the group’s operations a bit more challenging.

Medical Minds has been trying to adapt to the pandemic’s limitations, Viveka said, by conducting outreach events virtually and interacting with

However, the League had to eliminate its in-person dressings at Target for children in non-uniform schools.

Last year, it dressed almost 10,000 children from both uniform and nonuniform schools The thrift store, at 2326 N. Alma School Road in Chandler, is now open only three days a week, Thursday through Saturday 10 a.m.-3 p.m.

“This schedule barely covers our store rent and operating costs,” said Auffret, explaining hours were reduced from 35

Cancer Chandler Realtor Darwin Wall gets a hug from Georgann Roberts after he presented her with a check from his fundraiser that raised $15,00 to defray some of the costs from her treatment for breast cancer. (Pablo

Robles/Staff Photographer)

utmost respect for educators so we loved to see Brenda Gerson and Joanna Murray, my kids’ former teachers at Hull Elementary, and their husbands Mike and Dave take time to always support our cause.”

Wall said Mike Gerson “not only comes ready to party but he’s also been a sponsor the last few years.”

Wall runs the event through a nonprof-

it called Save Second Base, so everything that was collected is not only tax deductible but goes directly to the beneficiary.

“We not only had a record number this year but are lucky enough to have the absolute best of them,” Wall said. “Many of our sponsors not only sponsor the event, they donate amazing raffle items and they come and bring big groups with

nursing home residents online rather than in-person.

“It’s been hard but I feel like having an adjustment and trying to switch to online is better than just waiting for the pandemic to go away,” she said.

The group already has a five-year plan in place and Viveka isn’t letting COVID-19 stop them from achieving their objectives.

Medical Minds is on the verge of an expansion with additional branches in other parts of the country, she said, so their international presence is destined to get bigger in the future.

Information: medicalminds.us a week because many volunteers are retirees whose health may be adversely impacted by the pandemic.

The group hopes that as the holiday season approaches, people will open their hearts and their wallets and donate at assistanceleagueeastvalley.org.

Also needed are donations of goods to the shop, which offers clothing, household items, books, toys, linens, sewing supplies and more. Donation hours are Thursday-Saturday 10 a.-m.-3 p.m. and Monday during those same hours.

them making the event even more fun.”

Among them, he said, were Pablo Reynoso with SoCal Fish Tacos in Downtown Gilbert and Radi Rahimi and Ryan Nouis with their newly acquired Pitt Fitness in South Chandler.

And Wall and his team also rolled up their sleeves for the event.

“Every Realtor knows you have to work hard to play hard,” Wall said. “Our team was doing early morning showings and taking phone calls the whole weekend. The best part about being on such a tight knit team is that we always have each other’s backs.

“When someone had a client to attend to, someone else stepped up and took their responsibility at the pub crawl.

This is exactly how we work as a team on an everyday basis.”

But in the long run, he added, what mattered was helping someone who needed it.

“This is a cause we truly believe in and it’s one of the highlights of our year,” Wall said. “We get the most satisfaction from bringing people from all reaches of the Darwin Wall Team together to raise money for a very deserving individual and have an absolute blast doing it.”

34

BUSINESS

THE CHANDLER ARIZONAN | WWW.CHANDLERNEWS.COM | NOVEMBER 15, 2020

Cancer no obstacle to Chandler writer’s career ARIZONAN NEWS STAFF

A

nne McAuley Lopez will never forget July 26, 2016.

The Chandler freelance writer had been married only four months when her doctor diagnosed her with Philadelphia Positive Chronic Myeloid Leukemia – an incurable form of cancer.

“I cried in the shower,” McAuley Lopez recalled. “I cried in my husband’s arms.”

“I remember looking at my new husband and saying, ‘Listen, this is not what you signed up for and if there is a chance you don’t want this life with me now, I understand. I can move to Connecticut with my family.’

“Eddie, my husband, looked at me and said, ‘Not a chance. We are in this together. No matter what.’ He has been my

Anne McAuley Lopez of Chandler has not let an incurabl;e form of cancer slow her down.

(Special to the Arizonan )

rock. He supports me through good and bad and everything in between.”

With that support and her own indominable spirit, McAuley Lopez didn’t cry very long.

“What I have is not curable – I am reminded every night when I take my chemo pill,” she said. “Rather than focusing on the negative and terrible what-ifs, we choose to focus on experiences and enjoying the time we have. I am blessed that my leukemia has been undetectable for two years.”

After the initial shock wore off, McAuley Lopez also went to work on two fronts – managing her disease and managing her career.

“I focused and got to work researching the management of side effects, assembled a team of oncologist, naturopath, and self-care professionals to guide me

through whatever was to come,” she said.

With her husband, she added, “We also formed a team with a national leukemia research non-profit and together with friends and family raised $40,000 in four years for cancer research.”

“My family has supported me and understands when I visit them back east – the schedule is subject to change depending on how I feel,” she added.

“Fatigue and chemo brain are real but thankfully not nearly as bad as they were upon initial diagnosis.”

Refocusing on her career and business took a bit of time.

“It took the better part of a year for me to start feeling that I had the energy to focus on my business,” she said.

see MCAULEY page 35

Chandler Chef Robbie Held is a lifelong cook

BY COTY DOLORES MIRANDA Contributor

W

hen Robert ‘Robbie’ Held was 5, growing up in an Italian family in suburban Chicago, he learned to whip up some spaghetti and meatballs.

At age 7, he was consumed by his grandmother’s and mother’s cookbooks.

“I read cookbooks like they were comic books,” Held quipped.

His love of cooking continued through a hospitality career that included bartending, and heading his own marketing firm after moving to Arizona in 2007.

Yet, it was cooking and launching his business as a personal chef that won out.

He’s thankful he chose that path.

“I’ve always done private parties for friends, and then people started reaching out to me. After the calls started coming in regularly, I decided to start my own business,” Held said. “I have complete insurance, I follow CDC guide-

Robert “Robbie” Held brings gourmet dinners to customers’ homes, doing everything from buying the ingredients to cleaning up after the meal.(Pablo Robles/Staff Photographer)

lines and I’m finding in-home personal chef services are more in demand since COVID.” His business, Health Held in Hand, began in the fall 2019 and immediately took root. He now has five employees and has landed a number of high-profile clients, including local athletes in the NBA and NFL. Chef Robbie, as his clients and friends call him, said unlike many businesses, the pandemic has actually been a boon for him.

“Business was going decently before COVID, but since the shutdown and even now, my business has more than doubled,” he said. “People were and some still are afraid to go out, and I bring the restaurant experience to them.”

Whether Chef Robbie books a romantic dinner for two or a dinner party of 10, he says he makes the process painless for those hiring him.

see CHEF page 36

THE CHANDLER ARIZONAN | WWW.CHANDLERNEWS.COM | NOVEMBER 15, 2020

MCAULEY from page 34

“Through it all, I had a few clients and was able to write for them. There were days and weeks that were a struggle but through it all, I was able to keep the business a going concern.”

McAuley Lopez, who moved to Arizona 1997, had found her gig as a writer through an earlier ordeal called the Great Recession.

With a degree in economics from the University of Connecticut, she held a series of analytical jobs when corporate America kicked her out in 2010.

That is when McAuley Lopez realized

the launch of a new division, Agency Content Writer, geared toward over-worked digital marketing and other agencies that need creative, searchable content.

Although she initially focused on writing for social media and blogging, it was through working with SEO specialists and digital marketing agencies and their clients that she developed the idea for Agency Content Writer.

“I believe every business has a story; yours just needs to be told. What you say and how you say it is the difference between landing a deal and losing a customer. I understand the value of custom-

I always tell people at speaking engagements to “ do as I say and not as I did. Stay in corporate America. Build a business. Leave when you can support yourself fully. I was blessed. I had severance pay until I landed my first project.

”

– Anne McAuley Lopez

her lifelong dream of becoming a writer.

“Life has a funny way of bringing us to exactly where we need to be,” she said.

“I’ve always loved writing,” she continued. “If given the choice when I was a student, I would always choose essay over multiple choice. I majored in economics at the University of Connecticut and was recruited to an investment firm in New York City. Over the next 15 or so years I worked in jobs related to numbers and data analysis.

“Then in 2010, the bottom came out of the economy and I was laid off. My friend asked me what I always wanted to do. After thinking about it, I realized I had always wanted to be a writer.”

A quick study, she began aggressively networking, asking businesses about their writing needs. Before long, she picked up her first client from a volunteer blogging position and she was on her way.

She initially began writing professionally for auto shops, plumbers, and accountants under the humorous moniker, Blogging Badass.

Then, partnering with marketing companies, she expanded her areas of expertise to naturopathy, financial planning, estate planning and IT services, serving small to medium size businesses.

Now she is marking the 10th anniversary of McAuley Freelance Writing with

er-focused articles, how search engines review the content and the importance of digital marketing solutions.

“I’ve also become adaptive to writing for different industries because I am focused on being a writer first - then a business owner,” said McAuley Lopez.

She now has built a nationwide clientele, providing content to an array of companies utilizing her expertise in working with teams to meet the customers’ goals.

“I always tell people at speaking engagements to do as I say and not as I did.

Stay in corporate America. Build a business. Leave when you can support yourself fully. I was blessed. I had severance pay until I landed my first project.”

When she’s not writing articles or website copy, McAuley enjoys “geeking” out about words, spending time with family and friends and eating take-out from locally-owned restaurants.

“I believe in supporting local, whether marketing, digital solutions or restaurants.”

“I have dreams of rescuing all the dogs, watching sunsets from beachside property and becoming a stand-up comedienne. For now, I spend time with my husband and dog, sip wine and support other local businesses.”

Information: 480-206-6452 or info@ agencycontentwriter.com

35 BUSINESS

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CHEF from page 34

“I do all the shopping, the prepping, the cooking and the clean-up; I do everything,” he said, adding he’s not always hidden away in the kitchen.

“Sometimes I’ll give the people a taste of what I’m cooking and that whets their appetites for what’s coming” Though Chef Robbie has clients throughout the valley, he proudly states more than half come from the Chandler area.

“I’m a local business, I like keeping the business in the community,” said the Chandler resident, who met his wife Angela in the frozen food aisle of a local Fry’s supermarket.

“You know that meet-up scene with Steve Martin in ‘My Blue Heaven’? Well, that’s how I met my wife except I tripped and fell flat on my face. Then I intro-

THE CHANDLER ARIZONAN | WWW.CHANDLERNEWS.COM | NOVEMBER 15, 2020

duced myself.”

Chef Robbie’s in-home chef services can be a one-time special event or on a regularly-contracted basis.

Dan Oswald, principal at Scottsdalebased Oswald Consulting, had Chef Robbie and Health Held in Hand on a contractual basis, sometimes an average of 17 hours weekly, and said he was pleased with the service.

“Chef Robbie was our personal chef for various months this year and the overall experience was great,” Oswald said. “He experimented a bit in our kitchen, resulting in meals that were both unique and delicious. He was always prepared with the freshest ingredients and emphasized clean eating.”

Alexandra Loye, senior vice president of Healthcare & Life Sciences Services/ Arizona hired Health Held in Hand for a dinner party.

“Chef Robbie was so personable. He tailored our private dining experience at my home to the theme I chose, which was a Latin theme, with drink and food options,” said Loye.

“He was prompt and had a lot of positive energy which made me have confidence immediately that the night was going to be fabulous. I was able to relax with my guests versus serve them and he cleaned everything up before leaving which is the perfect end to any hostess’s dinner party.”

The chef admits much goes into each home visit whether it is for family or a group. Not only does he work with the client on the menu, serve multiiple courses, navigate dietary limitations, purchase the ingredients and travel to your home but with his usual flourish and handlebar mustache, he presents the dinner as theater.

And he says even with the loosening of pandemic parameters, people appreciate being able to have the restaurant feel without the worry.

“You know with everything that’s going on these days, it’s kind of scary to go out to restaurants.,” he said. “You don’t know where your server, or their coworkers, or their other past clients have been.

“With me you get a healthy chef, that goes shopping the day of your events so you get the freshest, handpicked products available. No additives or preservatives. All fresh, made with love, in your own home.”

“We do everything with safety and health in mind,” he said.

Chef Robbie is also working on a line of organic baby food.

Information: ChefRobbieH.com or find him on Facebook

Waymo to offer ‘fully driverless’ rides to public

BY KEVIN REAGAN Arizonan Staff Writer

W

aymo, the Chandler-based autonomous driving company, will soon start offering rides that are completely driverless and open to the general public.

After experiencing a setback during the COVID-19 pandemic, the tech company plans to resume its rideshare service and allow customers to go for rides without the presence of a Waymo employee.

Users of Waymo’s rideshare services have previously been accompanied by an employee who could quickly take control of the autonomous car for any reason and at any time.

But Waymo says the company can move into driverless rides.

“We expect our new fully driverless service to be very popular,” a Waymo spokeswoman said, “and we’re thankful to our riders for their patience as we ramp up availability to serve demand.”

The announcement could be a significant milestone in Waymo’s multi-year journey as a notable player in the emerging autonomous vehicle industry.

The company set up its headquarters in Chandler in 2016 and quickly started

Waymo has signed a deal with Daimler Trucks to develop autonomous rigs.

(Special to the Arizonan)

testing out its self-driving cars on the city’s roads while building a positive image in the community through partnerships with city officials and other local leaders.

Waymo first began offering driverless rides for a limited pool of patrons earlier

this year and started collecting feedback on how the company could eventually transition to fully-driverless rides.

By the time the COVID-19 pandemic hit in March, the company temporarily halted its rideshare services altogether and waited for guidance on how to safely

open its services up to the public.

Before the pandemic, Waymo claims it had been providing up to 2,000 rides within a 100-square-mile territory positioned across the East Valley.

see WAYMO page 37

THE CHANDLER ARIZONAN | WWW.CHANDLERNEWS.COM | NOVEMBER 15, 2020

WAYMO from page 36

“We expect to be able to return to and exceed that volume over time,” the Waymo spokeswoman said.

Waymo will be scaling back its service territory down to a 50-square-mile radius as it begins transitioning to a fullydriverless rideshare service. Customers can only request rides to and from within the company’s service territory.

Waymo said it will be attempting to recruit new customers to its rideshare service in the coming weeks and open their rides more broadly to the general public.

But the company isn’t planning to completely discard its car operators anytime soon.

Waymo said it will reintroduce car operators once it installs barriers inside their vehicles designed to protect customers from any possible germs or viruses.

When car operators are reintroduced to the rideshare service, Waymo said it will be able to start expanding its service territory again.

Even though Waymo is not planning to be completely driverless long-term yet,

local officials are still quite elated they get to claim to be the first city where residents can hail a driverless taxi.

“We are excited to be the first city in the nation to host a public, fully driverless ride-hailing service on our streets,” said Mayor Kevin Hartke.

“Waymo’s unwavering dedication to

37 BUSINESS

advantage of this one-of-a-kind service,” Giles said.

Waymo is asking customers to take precautions in order to avoid contracting or spreading the coronavirus.

Riders are advised to wear a face mask while riding in a Waymo car, even when they’re riding alone. The vehicle’s win-

Waymo’s unwavering dedication to the safety and “well-being of riders and employees...gives me confidence as both mayor and a Waymo rider. ”

– Mayor Kevin Hartke

the safety and well-being of riders and employees...gives me confidence as both mayor and a Waymo rider.”

Mesa Mayor John Giles echoed Hartke’s excitement as his city is also part of Waymo’s service territory and hosts a repair facility.

“As Mesa grows and evolves, this innovative technology is in alignment with our city’s future and I’m excited that our residents will be among the first to take

dows should be rolled down slightly during a ride in order to maintain regular ventilation.

The company also is providing hand sanitizer in every vehicle and is encouraging riders to avoid pressing any of the vehicle’s buttons. Customers are still able to connect with technicians through the Waymo app on their phone.

Meanwhile, Waymo also announced that it is partnering with Daimler Trucks

on the development of autonomous SAE Level 4 trucks.

Their initial effort will combine Waymo’s industry-leading automated driver technology with a unique version of Daimler’s Freightliner Cascadia, to enable autonomous driving.

Waymo said its cars having driven over 20 million miles on public roads across 25 U.S. cities and 15 billion miles in simulation.

Both Waymo and Daimler Trucks said they share the common goal of improving road safety and efficiency for fleet customers.

Waymo and Daimler Trucks will investigate expansion to other markets and brands in the near future.

Roger Nielsen, president and CEO of Daimler Trucks North America, said, “The combination of increased road freight volumes and the need and vision of fleet operators for highly automated trucks fuel our relentless pursuit of innovation.”

Waymo CEO John Krafcik said the partnership will “improve road safety and logistics efficiency on the world’s roadways.”

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THE CHANDLER ARIZONAN | WWW.CHANDLERNEWS.COM | NOVEMBER 15, 2020

Sports

SPORTS 39

Wyatt Chapman excelling in golf, academics at Casteel

BY MILES ARONSON Contributing Writer

W

hether it’s great performances on the golf course or outstanding academic achievements, Casteel sophomore Wyatt Chapman does it all.

Within his sophomore class, Chapman is ranked fourth in state and 75th globally, according to the Junior Golf Association. Chapman also has an impressive 4.83 weighted GPA which puts him near the top of his class. Still, he remains humble and grounded.

“Sometimes I undersell myself,” said Chapman. “Then I remember I am fourth in Arizona and it’s taken a lot of work to get there, so I got to give myself some credit.”

“For me it’s all about mental toughness. Some people don’t have it, but I can go out on the course every day and find

Casteel High’s Wyatt Chapman says he sometimes undersells himself. Special to SanTan Sun News)

something new to work on for hours on end, I don’t get bored of it.”

In the classroom, Chapman has put in a lot of time and effort to get the grades he has now. He is enrolled in all honors courses, including math, English, Spanish and chemistry.

“One of my unusual hobbies is math,” Chapman said. “I feel like a lot of kids don’t like math but I’m not one of them, I really enjoy it.”

“I also consider myself to be a good test taker. It’s an important aspect, when I’m taking a test, I feel calm.”

For Chapman, inspiration comes from several sources, ranging from pro players such as Ricky Fowler and Matthew Wolff to his own granddad Leon Chapman who played on the PGA tour for five years.

“My grandpa was the one who really got me into golf,” Chapman said. “He al-

ways gives me a lot of great advice and it helps improve my game.”

That includes helping him improve his backswing.

He showed Chapman how to add more power to his shots by changing his footing on his swing. He also tried to mirror Ricky Fowler’s putting stance, but as he got older, he changed to what works best for him.

“Ricky is putting on greens that are really quick, and I’m putting on slower greens because they’re not PGA Tour quality,” Chapman said. “But I have adopted my own stance that works for me.”

Wherever Chapman is, he’s making an impact.

Whether it be around the community coaching young golfers or at the courses helping clean up, he’s always trying to

see CHAPMAN page 40

Chandler teen’s helmet invention earns STEM prize

BY ZACH ALVIRA Arizonan Sports Editor

A

partially blind Chandler teen took his love for football and turned it into a national project that earned him second-place honors and $2,000 toward a STEM camp of his choice next summer.

JT Mulvihill, a 14-year-old freshman at Arizona College Prep’s Erie campus, received high praises from judges at the Broadcom Masters, a premier science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) middle school competition for his helmet liner design.

The liner helps reduce the impact a football player sustains from a blow to the head.

The project, which was presented remotely to competition judges, earned Mulvihill a $2,500 check he can use toward any STEM camp he desires.

Mulvihill said it’s likely he will put the

Left: JT Mulvihill, a freshman at Arizona College Prep, placed second overall in a STEM competition for a special football helmet liner that will reduce the impact to a player’s head. Above: The liner is made from a gelastic polymer, similar to what is used in bullet proof vests. When there is impact, it absorbs and disperses it throughout, much like a rock hitting water and causing a ripple effect. (Pablo Robles/Staff)

money toward a marine biology camp, something he’s been interested in most of his life after spending summers on

New Jersey shore.

“I love marine biology, I basically grew up near the ocean,” Mulvihill said. “I never thought I would really get that far in the competition, I was nervous. But once

it came down to explaining everything, I was fine. It was a fun experience.

Mulvihill began researching for the project two years ago.

The majority of the first year was spent deciding which material he would use. The second year was spent sourcing the liner.

He did all this while his left eye became fully blind due to a connective tissue disorder.

Before losing his vision, it was always common to see Mulvihill with a football in his hand or playing. He grew up loving the sport and had a natural talent for it.

But his disorder forced him to walk away from the game entirely.

Mulvihill said because it’s a tissue disorder, he likely sustained it playing football and taking blows to the head.

He said even minor blows that did not result in concussions could have fast-

see LINER page 40

40

SPORTS

THE CHANDLER ARIZONAN | WWW.CHANDLERNEWS.COM | NOVEMBER 15, 2020

Arizona Jaguars have chance to play in youth nationals

BY ZACH ALVIRA Arizonan Sports Editor

A

Valley youth football team has received the opportunity of a lifetime, as it will fly to Florida in early December to compete for a national championship at the 12U level.

The Arizona Jaguars, coached by former NFL defensive lineman and current Desert Vista line coach Derek Kennard Jr., received the invitation to the National Youth Championships for the American Youth Football League from Dec. 4-12, one of the largest national tournaments on the youth football circuit.

“We want to represent Arizona,” Ken-

CHAPMAN from page 39

make a difference. One of his friend’s dad, Ben Brooke, moved to Arizona with his family from Colorado and mentioned the impact Chapman had on him and his kid after their first interaction.

“Within the first week I was in Arizona I met Wyatt on a driving range.” Brooke said. “After our conversation, I went home and told my wife I had just met a kid that went to the public school here. I told her if the other kids are like him, that’s where I want my son to go to school.”

The next week, Brooke moved his kid to the public school. The move came after talking to Chapman for the first time.

LINER from page 39

tracked his vision loss.

Mulvihill said it’s likely only a matter of time before he loses vision in his right eye as well, but that he’s not letting that affect his day-to-day life.

“I have to make the most of it,” Mulvihill said. “I don’t know when or if it will happen. It could come later, or it could come sooner. I just have to continue to pursue what I want to do.”

Mulvihill is still part of the football program at Arizona College Prep.

Coach Myron Blueford welcomed him with open arms and noticed right away in non-contact drills how talented Mulvihill was when he was able to play.

nard said. “It’s an honor to be going out there and it will be an awesome experience for our kids. Our goal is to win a championship.”

Kennard founded the Jags organization three years ago when his son, Derek “Tre” Kennard III, was 9 years old. The team is made up of players from all over the Valley, including many from Ahwatukee, Chandler, Gilbert and Mesa. Kennard said it’s also common for parents from northwest Phoenix drive to Tempe or Pecos Park in Ahwatukee for their kids to join the Jags.

While only two games into the regular season against league competition, the Jags played a prestigious preseason

schedule which helped earn the invitation. Kennard said his team faced several out-of-state teams, including some from California and the surrounding states.

Overall, the Jags sit at 8-1 on the year, most of which having come during preseason.

“We’ve been stacking up our competition so we could get the best looks possible,” Kennard said. “We just want to make sure we are as prepared as possible for when we go to Florida.”

Kennard hopes to make it a trip of a lifetime for his players. But that comes with a price.

The Jags have spent much of the month fundraising any way they can to help pay

for every player to travel to Florida. Kennard aims to use the funds raised to pay for flights, three large rental vans and two Airbnb houses where players, coaches and the parents able to go can stay.

Kennard estimates the total trip to be around $20,000, which also includes fees to compete at nationals and food for everyone for the week.

The Jags have done everything from selling promotional cards to fundraisers at local restaurants. On Thursday, Oct. 29, Some Burros in Ahwatukee donated 30 percent of all pre-taxed food sales to the Jags. Kennard said the team is also accepting donations via Venmo, Cash App and GoFundMe.

“He started going through conditioning drills and at first I thought, “are you sure you’re allowed to be doing this?’” Blueford said. “But you could see in his footwork that he knew what to do and did it well.

He’s part of this team like everyone else.”

His love and desire to remain around football helped fuel Mulvihill’s energy to tirelessly research a one-of-a-kind helmet liner that will reduce the impact of a blow to the head and perhaps prolong the careers of those playing. Mulvihill said he hopes it’ll also reduce the chances of former players developing Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy (CTE), a progressive degenerative disease commonly found in football players and other athletes with a history of head trauma or concussions.

CTE has been linked to suicides by for-

mer athletes long after their careers had concluded. It has also been linked dementia and other similar brain disorders.

Mulvihill sourced the gelastic polymer from a local company. It’s thick, yet absorbing material has the ability to absorb high-impact contact and spread it evenly throughout the rest of the material, minimizing the amount that would instead affect an athlete’s brain. The same material is often found in bullet proof vests.

“It’s like a rock hitting the water ripple effect,” Mulvihill said. “It will evenly disperse the impact. This is one of the materials out there that can eliminate impact force reduction so drastically that people will feel safer playing.”

Mulvihill said he was honored to place second in the national competition for

his project, but his work is far from over.

He plans to continue perfecting the helmet liner, eventually finding a solution that would allow it to be place underneath the paint surface or as a second layer between the padding and shell. Mulvihill said he also plans to partner with a helmet manufacturer sooner rather than later to begin testing the liner for its effectiveness.

His long-term goal is mass produce a perfected liner that will hopefully begin allowing those like him to safely play the game and for a longer period of time.

“I hope this helps kids like me be able to play,” Mulvihill said. “There’s still lots of adjustments and lots of tests to be run by several different people for this to be approved.

But I’m confident it will work out.”

“He made such a good impression on us, it was hard to ignore,” Brooke said.

“At the time, he was in sixth grade, but it was like talking to a kid that is just way more mature. He looks you straight in the eye and you get to have a really cool conversation with him.”

Brooke he truly understood the type of person Chapman was after him and his son, Preston, went out for a round of golf. Chapman pulled out his phone to text Brooke while he and Preston were still on the course.

The text, Brooke said, included words of encouragement and praise from Chapman.

He said he believed Preston had the ability to do something great on the course.

During the round, Chapman had a feel-

ing something special was going to happen. He pulled out his phone and filmed the last hole as Preston stepped up to the tee box. He ended up shooting an impressive 68 overall on the course.

Chapman then went as far as posting it on his Instagram page to show off Preston’s achievements.

“Wyatt makes this whole big thing about it to everybody,” Brooke said.

“Funny thing is, though, Wyatt shot a 65.

Here’s a kid that is shooting really well, yet he makes a big deal out of my kid.

“It’s a very selfless act. This kid is just awesome.”

While offering praise for others, Chapman also has a fierce competitive side to him that is easily visible to his teammates at Casteel.

Chapman entered the 2020 Division I state golf tournament as the thirdranked golfer overall. He and senior teammate Rio Newcombe – who is ranked fifth – helped catapult the Colts to the No. 3 seed in the tournament, which took place Wednesday, Oct. 28 and Thursday, Oct. 29 at Omni National Golf Course in Tucson. Chapman placed fourth overall and the team placed sixth.

“He wants to beat every single person out on the course,” Newcombe said. “He will tell you to your face that he will beat you, then he’ll go out and try his absolute best to do that.”

“It’s awesome to watch how competitive he is but at the same time he is very supportive of everyone.”

THE CHANDLER ARIZONAN | WWW.CHANDLERNEWS.COM | NOVEMBER 15, 2020

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THE CHANDLER ARIZONAN | WWW.CHANDLERNEWS.COM | NOVEMBER 15, 2020

Chandler artist will be ‘Hidden in the Hills’

BY KRISTINE CANNON Arizonan Staff Writer

O

ne of the largest free arts events in the Valley returns for its 24th year this year: the Hidden in the Hills Artist Studio Tour, coordinated by nonprofit organization Sonoran Arts League.

Boasting 140 artists – including some from Chandler – and 35 private studios throughout the northern Scottsdale, Carefree, and Cave Creek areas, HITH will continue to offer downloadable and digital maps to make self-touring easy.

But what will look different at this year’s two-weekend event are Sonoran Arts League’s implementation of health and safety measures.

“Everyone involved in HITH is committed to following strict CDC guidelines.

Meetings to review proper procedures to ensure everyone’s safety have been ongoing all summer and fall,” said Carole Perry, HITH marketing chair and event co-founder.

HITH takes place Nov. 20-22 and Nov. 27-29.

The free, self-guided tour invites attendees into the studios of local artists, where they can not only view their work, but can also speak with the artists and purchase one-of-a-kind artworks.

Many of the participating artists and studios are also planning a “safer, expanded space with more art and creative activity outside.”

“We hope everyone who decides to visit some of the amazing artists and studios will honor our efforts to keep them and ourselves safe,” said Perry, a glass artist and host of Laughing Glass Studio No. 23 in Cave Creek.

Chandler resident and first-time HITH participant Lauri Koo found inspiration amid the pandemic, thanks to the support of her artist friends.

“Taking part in Zoom meetings with other artists has been a great source of support, motivation and connection,”

“Weedeater” graces the cover of Hidden in the Hill’s artist directory this year.

“Weedeater” was among more than 100 pieces of fine art entries submitted for consideration of the HITH cover art during an online juried selection process.

“We had many wonderful entries, but Weedeater won our hearts for this year’s cover art,” said HITH co-chair, mixed media sculptor and studio host Joanie Wolter.

“Jason is masterful with his form, and he brings each piece to life with rich and colorful patina finishes.”

While this year’s HITH has a slew of first-time participants, overall participation is down compared to past Left: Chandler resident and first-time Hidden in the Hills participan tLauri Koo will be a guest artist at Robin’s Nest No. 26 in Cave Creek. years.

Right: Koo is excited to share a new, 18x24 acrylic titled “Awaiting” at this year’s Hidden in the Hills. (James Koo) “The decrease in the number of studios and artists is due Koo said. “Thinking outside the box with is what came out of this piece. The title 100 percent to COVID-19,” Perry said. other artists and coming together to ‘Awaiting’ came to me from the events “Those artists who felt their studio did help each other.” and impact of COVID-19 while experinot allow sufficient social distancing Koo is a photographer and painter encing isolation, along with a recordwisely opted out this year.” who will show at Robin’s Nest No. 26 in breaking hot summer.

“Attendance is uncertain,” Perry said, Cave Creek.

“I think the palette and mood of this “but we feel confident that the many seri“I had the opportunity to volunteer piece is inviting and uplifting, as the holous art lovers who’ve been starved for the at a couple of studios last year. It was idays are upon us.” opportunity to view new art again will be wonderful to meet so many artists and Farther north in Scottsdale, returncoming up to the Hidden in the Hills Stuguests. I was so inspired to see the art- ing participant Bruce Larrabee will be dio Tour in significant numbers.” ists interacting and sharing their pro- a guest artist at Mark Lewanski’s Glass According to Larrabee, many of the cess. I could see myself having this same Studio No. 12. artists’ studio work is even set up outexperience,” Koo said of participating Larrabee, a soon-to-be full-time Mesa side, allowing for safe social distancing. this year. resident, is a full-time potter and owner of “Even with the COVID-safe guidelines Koo added that she’s excited to show Larrabee Ceramics in Park City, Utah. in place, we intend to engage with our off her new, 18x24 acrylic titled “AwaitWhile Larrabee typically creates visitors as we always do; welcoming, ing.” unique cups, bowls, and more, he credemonstrating, answering questions She started it in January but set it aside ated large, “interior design-oriented” and showing off the new, brilliant artand finished it in September — on the vases — “some of them as large as 3 to work we’ve been creating for the past first day of fall, to be specific.

4 feet tall” — specifically for the HITH year,” Perry added.

“This piece is special because of how it event.

For more information and to download evolved,” Koo said. “Sometimes, I know Also showing at Lewanski’s studio is the Hidden in the Hills map, visit hiddenexactly what I want to focus on and oth- Scottsdale resident and bronze artist Jainthehills.org or call 480-575-6624. er times there is more of ‘a flow,’ which son Napier, whose whimsical jackrabbit

THE CHANDLER ARIZONAN | WWW.CHANDLERNEWS.COM | NOVEMBER 15, 2020

Obituaries Nolan Keith Anderson

Obituaries Tiel Ann Miller (Sharp)

Beloved Wife, Mother, Grandmother, Great Grandmother, Sister and Aunt passed away with her family at her bedside in her home in Gilbert, Arizona on October 29, 2020 at the age of 86. Tiel was a devoted Catholic a Parishioner at St. Anne’s.

Born on August 5, 1934, in Los Angeles, California to Lawrence and Dorothy Sharp (Read). Tiel graduated with Honors from St. Mary’s High School. After graduating, Tiel worked at Boy’s Market where she meets her lifelong partner, best friend, and husband Kenneth Miller. They went on to own and operate Food Mart Extra in Spokane Washington.

Tiel is survived by her husband Kenneth, her brother Larry (Kathy), her sister Betty, Her nieces BJ (Keith),Linda ( Jim),Joey, Angie and her four children, Doug (Diana), Dean(Sherri), Dottie, and Diane (John) known as the 4 D’s.

The 4 D’s, built a strong and loving family that Tiel enjoyed and taught so many wonderful lessons of life, dignity, faith, and the true meaning of unconditional love. Tiel’s 22 Grandchildren :Lexie (Erik), Justin (Libby) Kyle, Ryan (Jessica), Lindsay (Mark), Kelli, Kacie, James(Dacia), Matt( Kelly), Lesleigh (Alex), Sean (Madison), Kristy (Ben) Bo(Stephanie), Kayla (Dave), Luke, Madisyn Lindsay, Brett(Rachael) JW, Ashley (Connor), Matt (Courtney), and Jeni and 28 Great Grandchildren: Eliana, Justice, Halle, Costa, Crew, Xander, Tatym, Dax, Addyson, Emma, Aiden, Finn, Reese, Paityn, Nash, Cooper, Marshall, Jamesyn, Jake, Addisyn, Aralyn, Aston, Avery, Brooks, Bekitt, Berkleigh, Maven, and Mekhi.

Tiel had a deep love for the Holidays and family gatherings. The lighting of candles on Christmas Eve, the family gatherings at Easter were important traditions and celebrations.

She is proceeded in death by her parents, her daughter Linda, grandson Jake and her sisterin-law Linda and her nephew Artie.

A viewing will be held on November 11, 2020 at 5:30 P.M. at Queen of Heavens in Mesa, Arizona. A Mass at St. Anne in Gilbert, Arizona will be held on November 12, 2020 at 10 am and officiated by Father Joal Bernales.

Our time on this imperfect earth in our imperfect bodies was never meant to be perfect.

Rather, just a short moment in time as we prepare to meet our loved one’s in God’s Perfect Heaven. We will all miss Tiel but know in our hearts that she is in a perfect place, reunited with loved one’s passed, and waiting for us all to rejoin her once again.

Nolan Keith Anderson passed away November 04, 2020 at the age of 86, with his loving wife by his side.

Nolan was born to Guy Clydia and Lucie Rose (Huntley) Anderson on March 6, 1934 in Delta, Colorado. He was the oldest of their two children.

Nolan grew up in Delta county on Garnet Mesa. After graduating high school, he had an opportunity to attend Mesa Community College in Grand Junction, studying business. He proudly went to school and worked full time. He was drafted into the Army and spent most of his Army career on the East Coast during the Korean conflict.

After being discharged from the Army, Nolan continued his education getting a degree in business administration. With his new degree in hand he was employed with several different oil field companies working all over the world.

In the late 80's with sights of retirement he moved and settled down in Houston, Texas. Shortly after he was recruited as a consultant in the oil field, a job he very much enjoyed.

In 1990 a very bold Lucille Cassidy spotted Nolan across a crowded restaurant and walked up to him and asked if she could join him at his table since the restaurant was very busy, and the wait was over an hour. When they finally got a table and after a long conversation Nolan asked Lucille for her phone number. Nolan had to come to Colorado the following day to visit his parents. He had promised Lucille he would call and just like his word, he called her every evening while he was visiting home. This romance continued until they were married on December 27, 1993.

In 2016 Nolan and Lucille moved to Delta, Colorado permanently making the old homestead there home.

Nolan is survived by the love of his life Lucille; sister Lois Weber; stepchildren Richalyn, Dorri, and Whitney along with children, and two nieces and one nephew.

He is preceded in death by his parents.

Nolan's wishes were to have his remains placed with his parents in Mesa View Cemetery.

Arrangements are under the care and direction of Taylor Funeral Service and Crematory.

View the internet obituary and sign the online guest registry at taylorfuneralservice.com Sign the Guestbook at: obituaries.EastValleyTribune.com

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Obituaries Ms. Tracey Lynn Raines

Born 5/23/1970 in New Britain, CT passed away in Mesa, AZ on 10/31/2020. She is survived by her parents, children, grandchildren and brother. Tracey will forever be missed by those who loved her.

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THE CHANDLER ARIZONAN | WWW.CHANDLERNEWS.COM | NOVEMBER 15, 2020

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THE CHANDLER ARIZONAN | WWW.CHANDLERNEWS.COM | NOVEMBER 15, 2020

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NOTICE OF HEARING REGARDING APPLICATION FOR CHANGE OF NAME Case No: CV2020-055349 SUPERIOR COURT OF ARIZONA IN MARICOPA COUNTY In the Matter of: Aden Richard Kennedy Name of person(s) requesting name change READ THIS NOTICE CAREFULLY. An important court proceeding that affects your rights has been scheduled. If you do not understand this Notice or the other court papers, contact an attorney for legal advice. 1. NOTICE: An application for Change of Name has been filed with the Court by the person(s) named above. A hearing has been scheduled where the Court will consider whether to grant or deny the requested change. If you wish to be heard on this issue, you must appear at the hearing, at the date and time indicated below. 2.

COURT HEARING. A court hearing has been scheduled to consider the Application as follows: DATE: 12/3/2020 TIME: 10 am BEFORE: Commissioner Susan White, 222 E. Javalina Ave, Courtroom, Mesa AZ 85210 DATED: 10/19/2020 /S/ Jennifer Lamster Applicant's Signature, Published: East Valley Tribune, Oct. 25, Nov 1, 8, 15, 2020 / 33907

SUMMONS (CITACION JUDICAL) Case Number (Numero del Caso): 18STLC13699 NOTICE TO DEFENDANT: Oussama Bahri and DOES 1 to 25, (AVISO AL DEMANDADO): INCLUSIVE. YOU ARE BEING SUED BY PLAINTIFF: NANCY RAMIEREZ CASTANEDA; (LO ESTA DEMANDANDO EL DEMANDANTE): SHAURY EDER HERNANDEZ; EMILIO DAVID SINAY RAMIREZ, a minor, and NANCY MELISSA SINAYRAMIREZ, a minor, by and through their guardian ad litem NANCY RAMIREZ CASTANEDA NOTICE! You have been sued. The court may decide against you without your being heard unless you respond within 30 days. Read the information below. You have 30 CALENDAR DAYS after this summons and legal papers are served on you to file a written response at this court and have a copy served on the plaintiff. A letter or phone call will not protect you. Your written response must be in proper legal form if you want the court to hear your case. There may be a court form that you can use for your response. You can find these court forms and more information at the California Courts Online Self-Help Center (www.courtinfo.ca.gov/selfhelp), your county law library, or the courthouse nearest you. If you cannot pay the filing fee, ask the court clerk for a fee waiver form. If you do not file your response on time, you may lose the case by default, and your wages, money, and property may be taken without further warning from the court.There are other legal requirements. You may want to call an attorney right away. If you do not know an attorney, you may want to call an attorney referral service. If you cannot afford an attorney, you may be eligible for free legal services from a nonprofit legal services program. You can locate these nonprofit groups at the California Legal Services Web site (www.lawhelpcalifornia.org), the California Courts Online Self-Help Center (www.courtinfo.ca.gov/selfhelp), or by contacting your local court or county bar association. Tiene 30 DÍAS DE CALENDARIO después de que le entreguen esta citación y papeles legales para presentar una respuesta por escrito en esta corte y hacer que se entregue una copia al demandante. Una carta o una llamada telefónica no lo protegen. Su respuesta por escrito tiene que estar en formato legal correcto si desea que procesen su caso en la corte. Es posible que haya un formulario que usted pueda usar para su respuesta. Puede encontrar estos formularios de la corte y más información en el Centro de Ayuda de las Cortes de California (www.courtinfo.ca.gov/selfhelp/espanol/), en la biblioteca de leyes de su condado o en la corte que le quede más cerca. Si no puede pagar la cuota de presentación, pida al secretario de la corte que le dé un formulario de exención de pago de cuotas. Si no presenta su respuesta a tiempo, puede perder el caso por incumplimiento y la corte le podrá quitar su sueldo, dinero y bienes sin más advertencia. Hay otros requisitos legales. Es recomendable que llame a un abogado inmediatamente. Si no conoce a un abogado, puede llamar a un servicio de remisión a abogados. Si no puede pagar a un abogado, es posible que cumpla con los requisitos para obtener servicios legales gratuitos de un programa de servicios legales sin fines de lucro. Puede encontrar estos grupos sin fines de lucro en el sitio web de California Legal Services, (www.lawhelpcalifornia.org), en el Centro de Ayuda de las Cortes de California, (www.courtinfo.ca.gov/selfhelp/espanol/) o poniéndose en contacto con la corte o el colegio de abogados locales. AVISO: Por ley, la corte tiene derecho reclamar las cuotas y los costos exentos por imponer un gravamen sobre cualquier recuperacion de $10,000 O mas de valor recibida mediante un acuerdo o una concesion de arbitraje en un caso de derecho civil. Tiene que pagar el gravament de la corte antes de que la corte pueda desechar el caso. The name and address of the court is: SUPERIOR COURT OF CALIFORNIA, 111 N HILL STREET, 111 N HILL STREET, LOS ANGELES, CA 90012. The name, address and telephone number of plaintiff's attorney, or plaintiff without an attorney, is: (El nombre, la direccion y el numero de telefono de abogado del demandante, o del demandante que no tiene abogado, es): GEORGE J. SHALHOUB, ESQ #158894 LAW OFFICES OF GEORGE SHALHOUB 5187 CHIMINEAS AVENUE, TARZANA CA 91356. 818-264-3830 818-264-3836 DATE: JUNE 3, 2019 Sherri R. Carter Clerk, by Maria E Valenzuela, Deputy. Published: East Valley Tribune, Oct 25, Nov 1, 8, 15, 2020 / 33948

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THE CHANDLER ARIZONAN | WWW.CHANDLERNEWS.COM | NOVEMBER 15, 2020 47

NOW OPEN

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48

THE CHANDLER ARIZONAN | WWW.CHANDLERNEWS.COM | NOVEMBER 15, 2020

FIND YOUR PURPOSE Keeping College Affordable GENEROUS SCHOLARSHIPS

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Students pay an average of $8,700 for tuition*

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AVERAGE INCOMING GPA OF 3.55 Fall 2019 incoming students

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Campus is open for individual tours or you can participate in a virtual GCU LIVE tour from your home. Visit gcu.edu/TOUR for more information.

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apply.gcu.edu | 855-428-7884 *Average tuition after scholarships is approximately $8,700. Scholarships may be awarded based on 6th semester transcripts. At the time in which final, official transcripts are received, GCU reserves the right to rescind or modify the scholarship if it is determined that eligibility was not achieved. GCU reserves the right to decline scholarship awards for any reason. If a student does not meet the minimum renewal criteria, their scholarship will be forfeited. GCU reserves the right to change scholarship awards at any time without notice. If a student does not meet the minimum renewal criteria, their scholarship will be forfeited. Prices based on 2019-20 rate and are subject to change. **GCU students graduate with less debt on average ($18,750 according to College Scorecard) than the average at public and private nonprofit universities ($28,650 according to 2017 data from the Institute for College Access and Success).

Please note, not all GCU programs are available in all states and in all learning modalities. Program availability is contingent on student enrollment. Grand Canyon University is regionally accredited by the Higher Learning Commission (800-621-7440; http://hlcommission.org/). Prelicensure nursing students who begin or resume attendance in Fall 2020 and beyond will be ineligible to utilize most GCU institutional aid/scholarships for tuition and fees once accepted into the clinical portion of the program. Important policy information is available in the University Policy Handbook at https://www.gcu.edu/academics/ academic-policies.php. The information printed in this material is accurate as of AUGUST 2020. For the most up-to-date information about admission requirements, tuition, scholarships and more, visit gcu.edu. GCU, while reserving its lawful rights in light of its Christian mission, is committed to maintaining an academic environment that is free from unlawful discrimination. Further detail on GCU’s Non-Discrimination policies can be found at gcu.edu/titleIX. Š2020 Grand Canyon University 20GTR0603