AHWATUKEE FOOTHILLS NEWS, NOVEMBER 30, 2022

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Kyrene faces 66% cut in spending power

BY PAUL MARYNIAK AFN Executive Editor

Kyrene School District stands to lose 66% of its spending power in the last three months of the current school year if the state Legislature doesn’t waive the Aggregate Expenditure Limit by April 1. Chief Financial Officer Chriss Hermmann told the Kyrene Governing that not being able to spend $20.5 million next spring even though the district has the money would create a major hardship.

He said he still hopes that Gov. Doug Ducey

will call a special session of the Legislature this year – though that is unlikely to occur.

And prospects for quick action next year –or any action at all – are equally dim as both Republican-dominated chambers will be led by men who opposed a 2022-23 waiver.

The spending limit also will prevent Tempe Union and most other districts from spend ing money they have as they are forced to hold total expenditures to levels determined by a formula set by voters in 1980.

Hermann said the statewide average of money that districts would be unable to

spend is about 17.5% – or $1.4 billion.

And bearing the brunt of that spending freeze will be employees – mainly teachers, administrators and support personnel.

“It’s impossible to make budget reduc tions of this size without talking about im pacting those areas,” Hermann said, noting the freeze also would crimp the district’s ability to offer teacher contracts for the 2023-24 school year.

Ducey’s press secretary has indicated his

St. John Bosco gets high marks from evaluators

BY PAUL MARYNIAK AFN Executive Editor

hen the state Legislature earlier this year expanded Empowerment Scholarship Accounts, parents and staff at St. John Bosco Catholic School had reason to celebrate.

Almost half the households that send a total 350 children to the Ahwatukee PreK-8 school applied for the so-called private school vouchers, easing their cost of tuition

can run as high as $6,523 for one Catho lic student and $9,086 for a non-Catholic child.

“I would definitely invite any family who has wanted

St. John Bosco Principal Jamie Bescak looks to 19 student ambassadors for help in telling parents and others about their school. This year’s crop includes, form left: top row: Carter Acosta, Viana Vazquez, Dean Snow, Olivia Vaughan, Oliver Grandmont, Ashton Ries, Alfred Kattan, Agnes Pezzuto, Gracelyn McAlevey, and Jenna Hansen. Front: Autumn Iniguez, Shelby Savoy, Elle Bescak, Sydney Root, Isabella Mangipane, Celine Salloum, Scarlett Flanders and Jamison Forde. (Courtesy St. John Bosco)

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Human trafficker gets 36 years for fatal gun battle in Ahwatukee

BY PAUL MARYNIAK AFN Executive Editor

By all accounts, neighbors in the area of 48th and Kiowa streets in Ahwatukee thought they were suddenly thrown into a war zone April 11, 2019, amid the cacophony of auto matic gunfire, squealing tires and a car slamming into a brick wall shattered the mid-morning relative mid-morning quiet.

“I was thinking that maybe the whole neighborhood could blow up,” one neighbor told a local radio station.

A court case followed that confron tation between human traffickers and four agents of the Homeland Security Investigations, a division of U.S. Immi gration and Customs Enforcement.

Last month, that case came to an end when a career criminal from the Tohono O’odham Reservation near Sells was sentenced to a federal prison term that won’t end until he is in his mid-70s. The defendant, Warren Evan Jose, is 38.

Complicated by the number of bul lets fired by the agents’ guns and Jose’s AK-47 assault pistol, the investigation evolved into a complex court case in volving experts in digital recording and vehicle collision analysis.

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But Jose abruptly brought that to an end by pleading guilty to six criminal counts of firearms violations, firing at federal officers and “conspiracy to transport illegal aliens for profit with endangerment during which death re sulted.”

His plea then triggered another battle between his lawyers and federal pros ecutors that essentially involved close to two extra decades behind bars that could be added to the minimum 25 years Jose expected to serve.

His lawyers won a pyrrhic victory.

The judge split the difference be tween the two parties by sentencing Jose to 36 years behind bars. His code fendant, Valentina Valenzuela, got four

boss doesn’t see legislative support for a special session, a shrinking possibil ity anyway since the governor has only about five weeks left in his term.

“Show us the votes,” C.J. Karamargin told Capital Media Services more than a month ago when asked about the pros pects of a special session.

The identical game of financial chick en between the Republican-controlled Legislature and school districts played out early in the third quarter of the 2021-22 school year as school districts faced equally Draconian spending cuts.

Because a two-thirds majority in both chambers is required to waive the limit, bipartisan support was essential.

Both Senate President Karen Fann and House Speaker Rusty Bowers were sym pathetic to the districts’ plight and per suaded enough of their GOP colleagues to join Democrats in waiving the limit.

That likely won’t be the case when the new session begins in January and new GOP leaders take command in both chambers.

Senate President Warren Petersen of Gilbert and House Speaker Joseph Chap lik of Scottsdale both voted against the waiver as well as against the significant increase in overall public school funding passed in the bipartisan-approved state budget.

In discussing the looming fiscal crisis’ impact on Kyrene, Herrmann noted that the spending limit does not apply to all the district’s revenue streams, such as bond money or federal and state grants.

“Reductions must take place within certain types of funds, such as mainte nance and operations, District Addition al Assistance, which is our state capital funding, and things like the classroom site fund,” Herrmann said.

“And it’s also important to know that these groupings of funds make up the vast majority of funding that’s needed to operate schools on a day-to-day basis.”

Herrmann expressed frustration over Kyrene’s and other districts’ plight, not ing the bipartisan budget for the current year included an $800 million over all increase in state support for public schools.

“Everyone knew at the time that any new educational funding would exceed the limit set in the state Constitution,” Herrmann said, adding “there was hope

The gap in per-pupil school funding between Arizona and the national average has steadily grown in recent years by a wide margin, putting the state in the bottom three of the all states in the amount of money spent on elementary and secondary public education. (Kyrene School District)

that the governor would call a special session to bring the Legislature for a vote…So far that hasn’t happened.”

He added that be cause of the timetable required for action by the Legislature, Kyrene and other districts must see a waiver approved by March 1 even though the limits would not offi cially kick in for another month.

This is the timetable that Kyrene and other Arizona school districts must follow if the Aggregate Expenditure Limit is not waived by the Legislature for the current school year. (Kyrene School District)

But waiting that long “is an extremely difficult challenge for us to be able to respond to,” Herrmann said.

He also said the limit must be consid ered in the context of Arizona’s history of funding public education – which has put the state consistently in the bottom three in the nation.

“Arizona has a constitutional require ment to reduce educational spending by $1.4 billion,” he explained “Yet we are at or near the bottom in the country when it comes to educational funding. With out a permanent fix to the Constitution and (Aggregate Expenditure Limit), it’s almost impossible to see this trend ever reversing.”

The tight timetable for legislative ac tion alarmed board members.

“It feels like such a gamble with my child’s education,” said Margaret Wright, calling it “quite annoying.”

Outgoing member Margaret Pratt said, “I really hope our state Legisla ture passes this exemption because the impact is so great and so negative – it’s just bizarre to me that money is given and then there’s a restriction on it….It doesn’t make sense. I implore our state Legislature to please do the right thing.”

Two Democratic lawmakers intro duced measures this year to waive the cap, though neither bill was even as

signed to a committee by GOP leaders.

Outgoing state education chief Kathy Hoffman warned the spending freeze “will mean layoffs amid the already cri sis-level teacher shortage.

“For students and their parents and guardians, these cuts will mean losing access to academic programs, extracur riculars, high-quality teachers; and even school closures,” she said.

Her successor, Republican Tom Horne, also expressed concern during the cam paign and said “it didn’t make sense” that his fellow party members in the

TU review period for new English texts underway

Areview period is underway at Tem pe Union’s district office for parents and the general public to inspect new English textbooks for use in the com ing school year.

The district’s English Textbook Commit tee – comprising district teachers, parents, students, and staff – selected the texts dur ing a nearly two-year process that was out lined at the Governing Board earlier this month.

The 60-day review period ends Jan. 18 and the books can be inspected at district headquarters, 500 West Guadalupe Road.

“At the close of the review period, the agenda item will be brought back to the Board at their January 18, 2023 meeting for further discussion and final adoption,” the district said in a release, adding that questions about the process for picking the books can be directed to Steve Threadgill, director of instructional services, at 480839-0292.

With titles such as “Bridges to Literature and Content,” “American Literature and Rhetoric,” and “Foundations of Language and Literature,” the books are for various grade levels and include honors and Ad vanced Placement classes.

Desert Vista High School teacher Keith Casey told the board he was concerned about the relevancy of the books chosen for seniors, saying they were not relevant to a diverse student population.

“The newest text is 150 to 200 years old,” he complained.

“What message are we as educators sending to a diverse student population?” he asked, calling it “disheartening” that teachers are not being given the books that reflect “multiple cultures and multiple di verse authors discussing a myriad of top ics, ideas and concepts or subjects that could hopefully prepare them for moving forward into their adult lives.”

He said the district championed diversi ty and inclusion and a belief “we learn from the voice of a diverse community.”

But Threadgill in a presentation on the selection process said the committee members were chosen and the selection process was formulated to select books

and “resources that stimulate growth and knowledge and offer multiple perspectives within the context of academic instruc tion.”

He said the committee sought “resources that are recommended for their strengths rather than rejected for their weaknesses” and that instructional materials were cho sen for the “theme and presentation of sub ject matter (that) are suitable for the abil ity and interests of students” as well as “for their timeliness and timelessness judged by the current interests and its historical value.”

He also said that the panel went about its work to find texts that “ensure fair, ob jective treatment related to morality, race, ethnicity, religion, health and politics” and that favorably compared with its standards for “accuracy, authenticity, and aesthetic value.”

Darcy Boggs, a Marcos de Niza assistant principal and committee member, said the panel was guided in part by what students said they desired in texts.

“One of the big things that they talked about was relevancy,” she said. “They want ed to read things that felt relevant to their lives. Diversity was a piece that came up but overwhelmingly they wanted to read things that felt timely and felt relevant. And so that was very interesting. And that was something our English teachers have talk ed about as well.”

She said the panel also “identified a cou ple of different areas” that also needed to be focused on.

“We talked about the need for more grammar support, to help us prepare for” standardized tests.

“We talked about the need for more di verse texts, particularly through novels and things like that,” she added.

Desert Vista Teacher Katrina Montoya said she had spoken with Casey months ago about his concern and some of the old er works of British literature were chosen because “they tend to be the most linguisti cally complex for students to read” at older grade levels where complexity is expected.

“Really, the goal is that we can help our students see these universal themes run throughout literature,” Montoya said.

There are three ways to eliminate the Aggregate Expenditure Limit once and for all because it is an amendment to the Arizona Constitution. Barring its elimination, the state will con tinue to wallow at the bottom of support for education. (Kyrene School District)

KYRENE

from page 4

Legislature weren’t calling for a special session.

Outgoing Sen. Paul Boyer, R-Glendale, a month ago said the reason the state is at the spending limit “is because we have put so many dollars into K-12 edu cation.”

The reality of why the cap has been reached is not as simple as Boyer sug gests.

The limit was approved by voters in 1980. Based on figures at that time, it is adjusted annually for inflation and stu dent population growth.

What’s happened this year is largely the convergence of two unusual factors.

First, the limit is always based on last year’s student numbers. The drop in students in public K-12 education last school year, much of it due to COVID, re duces the spending limit by about $300 million, estimates Chuck Essigs, lobby ist for the Arizona Association of School Business Officials.

Second, voters in 2000 approved Proposition 301 to levy a 0.6-cent sales tax to fund education, including teacher salaries, for 20 years and exempted those revenues from the expenditure limit.

Facing expiration of that tax, lawmak ers in 2018 agreed to a new, identical levy to pick up when the old one ex pired. That would keep the money flow ing through 2041 without interruption.

But the Legislature never exempted what the new levy would raise from the expenditure limit. Essigs said that alone accounts for more than $632 million of

the money now coming in to schools.

To balance the budget last decade, lawmakers cut dollars from the District Additional Assistance fund, money ear marked for schools to pay for items such as books, computers and buses.

And when the funding was fully re stored, that also helped to push total statewide expenditures above the con stitutional limit.

Sen. Christine Marsh, D-Phoenix, ac knowledged that part of the reason spending is up against the cap is that lawmakers have sharply increased funding in the past few years. But she told colleagues it would be wrong to now turn around and now tell them they can’t spend it.

Outgoing House Speaker Russell Bow ers, R-Mesa, told Capitol Media Services the real hang-up is a fear that if lawmak ers agree to ignore the cap this year, they effectively will set a precedent.

That could turn around and be used against them, he said, in the ongoing litigation of whether a 3.5% income tax surcharge on the wealthy approved by voters in 2020 to help fund education would be allowed to take effect.

The Supreme Court last year rejected arguments that the estimated $827 mil lion Proposition 208 would raise auto matically is exempt from the aggregate constitutional limit on how much the state can spend overall on education.

But the justices sent the case back to a Maricopa County judge to determine if there still is a legal way for the funds to be used.

Howard Fischer of Capitol Media Services contributed to this report.

years,

Their driver, 29-year-old Theresa Me dina-Thomas, never made it to court.

She was shot through the eye and sustained other wounds in the hail of bullets federal agents fired as they ex changed gunfire with Jose, who had leaped out of the front passenger seat after she collided with one agent’s ve hicle.

Prior to his guilty plea, Jose’s lawyers sought to show that the agents had trig gered the deadly confrontation by side swiping the Trailblazer and firing first. Accident analysts for the defense and prosecution disagreed on the origin of the five-vehicle crash that forced an agent’s truck into a wall on 48th Street.

Digital recording analysts hired by the defense said it appeared agents shot at least four times before Jose opened fire on them, although the prosecution dis missed the analysis of a Ring recording and noted Jose was too stoned to even remember who fired first.

Those disputes didn’t matter much anyway.

Jose admitted that he, Valenzuela and Medina-Thomas were transporting two undocumented migrants to Phoenix for payment by someone never identified in court records.

As the trio drove along I-10 toward their destination, they were drinking and smoking methamphetamine.

HSI agents already were tailing them because they had planned to arrest Jose on human trafficking charges related to an incident in Sells where he had held an undocumented migrant captive at knifepoint in a house and demanded money for his release.

They activated their lights and sirens and the chase was on, ending in Ah watukee.

“Jose admitted that he knew they were law enforcement agents when he fired at them,” the Justice Department said in a release, noting his bullets struck one agent in the shoulder and “the shots fired by Jose grazed one HSI agent on the head and hit him on the shoulder. Jose barely missed hitting a second HSI agent in the head.”

After his sentencing, Scott Brown, special agent in charge for HSI Phoenix, said, “This lengthy sentence serves as a testament to HSI’s commitment, along side our law enforcement partners, to bring justice to a man for his vile at tempt to kill the federal agents who were attempting to thwart his illegal activity – illegal activity that caused the death of another person.”

“The men and women of HSI will not be deterred in their pursuit of those that use violence to further their human smuggling schemes,” he said. “This sen tence means the defendant will spend nearly the rest of his life in prison for his

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actions. We can rest assured that he will not present a threat to law enforcement, or the public, ever again.”

U.S. States Attorney Gary Restaino added, “Alien smuggling is a danger ous business under any circumstances. It’s much more so here, where the de fendant possessed an assault weapon during the smuggling crime, and used it against law enforcement agents.”

Their statements were buttressed by what prosecutors told the judge in a pre-sentence memo.

“The defendant is a dangerous, vio lent individual who preys upon un documented individuals just to make money,” they told the judge, adding his actions led to Medina-Thomas’ death “and resulted in a quiet residential neighborhood feeling scared as multi ple residents called 911 to report shots being fired.”

They noted that since he turned 21 in 2012, Jose had been convicted in 11 dif ferent state and tribal criminal cases for crimes that included domestic violence, extreme DUI, drug possession and resist

ing arrest.

In the resisting arrest case, the com plaint indicates the defendant fled from law enforcement in a high-speed chase.

At the time of the shoot-out, agents had been searching for Jose on charges that

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Theresa Medina Thomas, 27, was driving this bullet-riddled vehicle when Homeland Secu rity agents opened fire during a chase in Ahwatukee on April 11, 2019. She was killed in the gun battle after sustaining multiple gunshot wounds from the agents’ fire, federal prosecu tors said. (Cronkite News)

SHOOTING

from page 9

he had held an undocumented migrant at knifepoint in Sells and demanded an un stated amount of money for his release.

Jose also was wanted by the Maricopa County Attorney’s Office in a similar case from 2018, when he held an undocument ed migrant at gunpoint in a Tempe hotel and demanded $15,000.

Prosecutors noted that Jose on the day on the shootout had texted an acquain tance that said, “murder on my mind.”

Jose’s lawyers painted a radically dif ferent portrait of their client, who they said had written a letter to the judge that showed “his profound remorse for his ac tions and his profound sorrow for the pain and suffering the victims experienced.”

They said he had been born in a tiny res ervation village called Nolic, where “pov erty, addiction, violence, lack of access to health care, and lack of education and em ployment opportunities, and other adver sities, have overwhelmed this community for generations and continue to this day.

“These and many other hardships domi nated Mr. Jose’s formative years and con

tinued into adulthood,” they wrote, citing a family history of substance abuse, incest and drug and human smuggling.

They said he was guarding stash hous es with a gun at age 9, frequently fought physically with his father and had his face nearly torn off by it bulls.

“He was first exposed to drug and hu man smuggling when he was in fourth grade, before his brain would have been able to adequately reason about the pros and cons of participating in such activity,” his lawyers said, adding he was a high school dropout who was 15 when he fa thered the first of seven children..

Writing that Jose “suffers flashbacks and nightmares of the trauma he has en dured,” the defense lawyers told the judge:

“Since this incident, Mr. Jose has demonstrated repentance; reflecting on his past and the choices he made which led to this horrible incident, and is committed to change. He is a man of hope and faith. He, like the rest of us, is a work in progress; he is working to understand and change the way he thinks, he is working to find peace and he is working to make a positive difference in the lives of others.”

ing to afford it, that now is definitely the time because ESA is helping so many of our current families,” Principal Jamie Bescak said. “Almost half or more now have enrolled to the ESA program.”

But while ESAs have been a help, two things suggest they are not the reason parents send their kids to St. John Bosco. For one thing, Bescak said, there are other ways families can find help.

“The ESA has helped us but we also have always helped parents afford a Catholic education because we utilize school tuition organizations (STOs),” she said. “Even if parents are worried that ESA doesn’t stay around …we nev er know what’s going to happen... STOs aren’t going anywhere.”

Echoing her boss – St. Benedict’s Church Parochial Administrator Father James Aboyi, V.C – Bescak said, “Fa ther James and I never want any family to hesitate enrolling their child into St. John Bosco because we will help them make Catholic education affordable, no matter what.”

The other reason parents are sending their kids to St. John Bosco has nothing to do with money, although it does con tradict the argument by some ESA oppo nents that the schools helped by vouch ers aren’t subjected to the same scrutiny given public schools.

That reason lies with a California-

based organization called the Western Catholic Educational Association, whose mission is “to advance quality Catholic education for all students in member schools and archdioceses through an accrediting process that promotes the primacy of faith formation, the rigor of educational excellence, and the vitality that comes through continuous school improvement.”

Founded and run by California Catho lic bishops and covering 10 states and Guam, the WCEA recently renewed its accreditation of Bosco – giving it essen tially the equivalent of the “A+” rating the state gives public schools that excel. Meeting the WSEA’s standards may be a challenge but proving they do was almost as arduous for Bescak and her staff, requiring months of work and reams of reports that totaled close to 10,000 pages. The review culminated in a three-day visit by a team of evaluators who seemed to leave no stone unturned as they tried to determine St. John Bos co’s merit as both a school and as a Cath olic school.

“They look at surveys that we’ve giv en to parents, students and staff,” Bes cak said. “They immerse themselves for three days and observe classrooms. They meet with parents, they meet with students. And when they’re doing that, they’re asking questions about every

BOSCO from page 1

Gathering with St. John Bosco Principal Jamie Bescak are, from left, second graders Victoria Burke and Benjamin Majors and first graders Maria Campuzano and Rowan Stallings. (David Minton/AFN Staff Photographer)

“Everything” is part of what Bescak called a “self-study process” that she and her staff undertook for months.

“As we’re going through that selfstudy process, we’re looking at several factors,” she explained. We’re looking at our school philosophy and mission, we’re looking at our school leadership, we’re looking at our staff, we’re looking at curriculum instruction, we’re looking at our Catholic identity.”

That’s not all.

“They’re asking questions about … in struction, about how we do our Catholic identity, our community relations, mar keting, finance – all of that, they ask all those questions.”

“And then they’re looking at what they call ‘the evidence’ when they’re talking to the parents, and when they’re looking at the data, pictures of events that we’ve had, the news clippings, every article that you’ve done on us. They’ve looked at all of that, and they look at that as evi dence that are we meeting the needs of all of our students and giving a quality Catholic education.”

That “quality Catholic education” also includes subject matter that comprises a quality secular education, judging by the WCEA’s determination that St. John Bosco is “a highly-effective” school.

“The team was very impressed with our Catholic identity and the one take away that I took that I’m most proud of is that we were deemed ‘highly effective’ in our instruction with our students and the teachers in the classroom,” she said.

Bescak ticked off a variety of additions to the school’s curriculum in recent years that earn the accreditation team’s kudos – things like more STEM as well as

an enhanced English Language Arts cur riculum. New goals set for the next ac creditation include continued enhance ments in these and other subjects.

Bescak is entering her second full year as principal at the school, which she joined eight years ago as an 8th grade science teacher after 20 years teaching in the Mesa Public Schools district.

She’s seen a steady increase in enroll ment at St. John Bosco.

“We have exceeded my goal,” she said. “I wanted 350. And we’re at 380. So now my next goal is 400.”

The school also has a full-time reg istered nurse, a master’s degree-level counselor and resource specialist.

“We do have a waiting list now in our third grade and we also have a waiting list in our preschool 3s class,” she said, the latter referring to kids 3 years old. “And then we’re getting close in a few of the other grade levels.”

Buoyed by the enthusiasm and com mitment that got the school its high marks, Bescak and her team – including a group of 19 student ambassadors – are spreading the word about St. John Bos co at various nearby parishes between masses and in other public forums.

Bescak also gives parents personal tours and said she is finding more days on her calendar are including such vis its.

And she’s emphatic in stressing that the school’s high marks – and the effort that went into earning them – are not the product of her work alone or even that of only her top aides.

“It was truly a group effort,” she said. “Because when you’re going through the accreditation process, it shouldn’t be just the leader doing it. It should be your entire faculty and staff because it takes a village.”

St. John Bosco students enjoy the fall weather on a spacious campus on the same grounds occupied by St. Benedict Catholic Church on 48th Street south of Chandler Boulevard in Ahwatukee. (David Minton/AFN Staff Photographer)

ASU building delivers ‘wow’ factor to Mesa

BY SCOTT SHUMAKER AFN Staff Writer

The City of Mesa and Arizona State University’s $100 million Media and Immersive eXperience Center building in downtown Mesa is nearing the end of its first semester of hosting students in film, media arts and emerg ing technology after opening in August.

ASU said 700 students currently use the facilities at the MIX Center, and beginning this fall, college students could be seen stepping off light rail or crossing 1st Street between the new building and the Mesa Convention Center parking lot to reach the building.

Nancy Hormann, president of the Downtown Mesa Association, said local property owners are noticing students going to and from the building, but so far there hasn’t been a huge influx of customers to local businesses.

Hormann is expecting more direct impacts as the volume of students using the MIX Center increases in coming

semesters – one of the big homes and promises by city officials when they approved spending more than $60 million

LA CASA DE JUANA

If you thought you have been to a Mex ican restaurant lately you probably need to reconsider and visit La Casa De Juana in Ahwatukee. The fare is authentic Mex ican, and when we say authentic we mean it, unlike many of the restaurant chains that call themselves Mexican. Upon en tering you’ll be dazzled by the colorful décor, the tables and chairs are beautiful, Mexican painted murals, colorful banners hanging from the ceiling and the gracious service with warm orange and yellow tones echoing throughout the restaurant will make this your favorite Mexican restaurant. With great lunch and dinner specials, we have Happy Hour Monday - Sunday from 2 - 6 PM with $5 House Margar itas, $4 Beers, $5.95 Cheese Quesadilla, $8.95 Chunky Guacamole and $9.95 Juana’s Nachos. Live music every Thursday night in our Ahwatukee location and every Friday at our Tempe location. In con clusion The flavorful salsa, the delicious margaritas, the extraordinary and well-priced food will definitely keep you coming back.

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to get it built.

“We have seen a small increase in a younger clientele base that’s been coming into our facility here at 12 West Brewing,” Chuck Fowler, manager of Main Street’s 12 West Brewing told the Tribune.

“We believe that foot traffic business will continue to increase as the students get more settled into the neighborhood and as all the residential projects begin to fill up with tenants,” he added.

The ASU at Mesa City Center project does not include student housing, but there are currently about 900 residential units under construction downtown and 400 units have been completed in recent years.

“Our later night life has always seen slower growth; however with more food and beverage businesses staying open later and as the students begin to take notice, I’m confident we will become a bustling destination spot for them,” Fowler said.

One of the biggest gains for downtown so far, Hormann said, has been in changing perceptions of the neighborhood.

She said the MIX Center has added to the area’s “cool factor” and that her association has received an increasing number of inquiries from people and businesses interested in moving to downtown.

The city of Mesa spent $64 million on

the building’s design and construction, and ASU put another $33 million into the interior and technology.

The university has a 99-year lease with the city for $100,000 per year, and ASU is responsible for all operating costs as well as other conditions.

The full payoff of the MIX Center has yet to be seen, but one thing is clear: the building shows well to visitors, and the millions put into its design and technology have delivered a building with several show-stopping features.

When MIX Director Jake Pinholster was showing the building this month to members of the PHX East Valley Partnership, a coalition of regional leaders who advocate for the East Valley, someone let out an audible “wow” as they entered the MIX Center’s 261-seat Large Screening Theater.

As tour-goers walked through the theater doors, down an aisle and then out into the open theater space, outside noise evaporated and speech became crisp as the walls absorbed sound, thanks to world-class insulation throughout the building, Pinholster said.

The theater’s height takes up two floors, and vertical light bars glowing on the walls emphasize the volume of the 5,000-square-foot theater.

The scale and polish of the theater was unexpected.

The entire building is packed with features that are difficult for the untrained eye to see.

Pinholster pointed out small air vents in the floor of the theater for heating and cooling. HVAC is a critical part of the building, as filmmaking spaces need AC that is effective but silent.

Consequently, the architect’s paid a lot of attention to how air moves through the building, Pinholster said.

The large theater is not fully operational yet because the MIX Center is still waiting for digital projection equipment to arrive, slowed due to supply chain issues, he said.

When the theater is ready to screen films, Pinholster said ASU plans to host movie-showings on the weekends open to the public. Films will include classics,

DELIVERS A KNOCKOUT WITH ITS FRESH, AUTHENTIC AND MOUTHWATERING FOOD

PHX East Valley Partnership members were wowed this month by the state-of-the-art the ater in the new Arizona State University Media and Immersive eXperience (MIX) Center in downtown Mesa that is the home of the Sidney Poitier New American Film School and part of the Herberger Institute of Design and the Arts. (David Minton/AFN Staff Photographer)

But already the MIX Center is hosting public events. Next weekend, on Dec. 2 and 3, the MIX Center will host the Mesa International Film Center in two smaller theaters and classrooms in the building.

The MIX Center is well-suited to events as many elements of the building are customizable. Pinholster paused on the tour to show off a “pocket door” –basically an entire wall – in a classroom that can be opened to create a breezeway through the first floor of the buildings.

Pinholster envisions the building as a community asset, which is consistent with ASU’s philosophy of expanding “access” to education, as well as the partnership between the city and ASU.

Anybody can take a class at the MIX Center, Pinholster said, and he said the facility was designed to not be its own school, but serve as a resource for people in a variety of disciplines and programs.

Community members not affiliated with ASU will be able to reserve the professional-quality production spaces when not in use by students.

The facilities include four soundstages with all the equipment of a professional studio, including make up rooms, lighting, cameras and “elephant doors” for moving large sets from on site workshops to the studio.

Pinholster said Mayor John Giles was scheduled to film his state of the city address last week.

Walking onto one of the sound stages felt like being transported to a Hollywood

set, as the black walls, robust insulation and lighting signaled tour goers were entering a special space focused on making movie magic.

Pinholster boasts that the MIX Center has more resources in one building for creating films, virtual worlds and mixed reality arts than any other school.

“This is quite a place. It blows your mind,” EVP Vice President Mike Hutchinson said after the tour.

Before taking the tour, EVP heard an update from Mesa’s Downtown Development Manager Jeff McVay on redevelopment in the historic city center and how the MIX Center fits into the city’s vision to reinvigorate it.

The theory for bringing ASU to Mesa, McVay explained is that attractive entrepreneurial hubs, or Innovation Districts, need an “anchor institution,” usually either a university or a teaching hospital.

McVay said that ASU’s satellite campus in Phoenix helped ignite a revitalization in that city’s downtown district, and they are looking for a similar transformation in downtown Mesa.

The ASU presence, which includes a collaboration on a business incubator in the old library next to the City Council Chambers, came together after Mesa voters rejected a plan to tax themselves to put a larger ASU campus downtown in 2016.

Change did not come to downtown overnight when ASU’s scaled down presence launched this fall, but downtown business leaders think the MIX Center has helped awaken a sleeping giant.

The new ASU MIX Center in Mesa has a huge outdoor movie screen for showing students’ work to the public. (David Minton/AFN Staff Photographer)

ASU senior earns Rhodes Scholarship

It sure seems Nathaniel Ross ended up with the better deal when he lost a Primary Election bid for Mesa City Council.

The Arizona State University senior re cently was awarded a prestigious Rhodes Scholar with a full-ride scholarship to one of the world’s oldest universities that covers virtually all his living as well as academic expenses for two to three years.

Ross, 21, who will pursue postgradu ate studies at the University of Oxford in London, not only is one of only 32 Ameri can Rhodes recipients for 2023 and one of only three students from a public uni versity, he also is the first ASU Rhodes Scholar in nearly 20 years.

The most recent ASU student to earn the scholarship was music education major Philip Mann in 2001. He is now on the faculty of the University of MarylandBaltimore County.

“I am incredibly grateful to have been selected,” Ross said. “The finalists in my

district were all so incredibly kind and impressive in their own right. Being se lected among them was an absolute hon or. I am beyond excited to be part of the Rhodes community and study at Oxford next year.”

Rhodes Scholarships provide all ex penses for two or three years of postgrad

uate study and were created in 1902 by the will of mining magnate Cecil Rhodes and now supported by various philan thropies and benefactors.

At Oxford, Ross will study comparative social policy, after which he will attend law school and specialize in disability law.

His long-term objective is to shape dis ability policy as an attorney-advisor for a national disability advocacy organiza tion, federal agency, or global non-gov ernmental organization.

“Arizona State University empowers elite scholars who want to have a mean ingful social impact,” said ASU President Michael M. Crow.

“Nathaniel Ross is a uniquely gifted thinker capable of simultaneously syn thesizing ideas across diverse subjects and applying his knowledge to improve the lives of others. As such, Nathaniel embodies our highest aspirations as a na tional service university.”

He’s no slouch at ASU either. A winner of a prestigious Flinn Scholar

ship, Ross, 21, is graduating next month from Barrett, The Honors College with bachelor’s degrees in biology, history, po litical science, and applied quantitative science next month. In May, he will be awarded a master’s of science degree in biology and society.

A fourth generation Mesa resident, Ross acknowledges the role his time at ASU has played in his success.

“I don’t believe there is a single Rhodes scholar that accomplished the feat with out a community of support,” he said, “and I am no exception.”

He also is excited about the opportu nity the Rhodes Scholarship presents.

“As part of the Rhodes community, I know I can have an even greater impact on the issues I care about. The fraction of Rhodes scholars who are disabled, attend a state school, or are first-generation uni versity students is rather small.

“After my selection, I hope to encourage

NATHANIEL ROSS

Food banks get lesson in economics as demand, prices soar

BY EMILEE MIRANDA Cronkite News

Arizona food banks head into the holiday season having to buy more food, at higher prices, for more clients, with fewer donations to help them pay for it.

When they can get food at all. “We have had to purchase more food to be able to keep up with demand and of course we’re not able to purchase all of that food at the prices that we need as well,” said Angie Rodgers, Arizona Food Bank president.

The struggles are the result of a per fect storm of events as the holidays ap proach: Soaring inflation has driven more people to food banks, which have to pay more to feed them, and linger ing supply chain issues have been made worse by a disease that wiped out more than 50 million birds for poultry farm ers, 8 million of which were turkeys.

Inflation is at a 40-year high, accord ing to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, with the Phoenix area posting the high est inflation rate in the nation for metro

areas over the last year, at 12.1%. While fuel and housing were a large part of the increase, food prices were 12.6% higher this October than last, the latest month for which data was available.

Those higher prices mean more peo ple are having to turn to food pantries to

help make ends meet, a trend officials expect will continue through the holiday season. Midwest Food Bank – which distributes to local food pan tries – said it expects to see as many as 50,000 more people seeking help over this holiday season than last.

The higher prices are hitting the food banks, too. The Ari zona Farm Bureau estimates that a traditional Thanksgiv ing dinner was 44.9% higher this year, with the cost for a 16-pound turkey alone jump ing from $19.40 to $32.02. Ev erything on the farm bureau’s list was higher this year, from cranberries to stuffing.

The spike in turkey prices is being blamed on an outbreak of avian flu, which has led to the deaths or slaughter of millions of poultry that have been ex posed, according to the Centers for Dis ease Control and Prevention.

“The supply of turkeys is lower and

the cost is expected to be higher. So we were not able to procure a huge amount of them like we have in other years,” said Merliee Baptiste, executive director of Midwest Food Bank Arizona. “We are having to pivot a little bit to find some thing that would still work for folks for the holidays.”

The Paradise Valley Community Food Bank purchased turkeys and other holi day staples three months ago to avoid supply chain disruptions, said Kay Nor ris, executive director. But Rodgers said even ordering in time hasn’t always worked because of ongoing supply chain issues.

“We have seen loads canceled and that means the truck did not arrive. We ordered the food and it did not arrive,” Rodgers said.

On top of all that, food banks are see ing fewer donations in these inflationary times.

Norris said that for the first time in 30 years, the Paradise Valley Community

other people from similar backgrounds to apply for nationally competitive schol arships.”

The application process for the Rhodes Scholarship is arduous, and competition is intense, university officials noted.

In his will, Cecil Rhodes stipulated sev eral criteria for the selection of Scholars, most of which are still applied today.

“The first and most obvious criterion is ‘scholarly attainment,’” said Kyle Mox, Associate Dean for National Scholarships and ASU representative for the Rhodes Scholarship. “To be competitive, an ap plicant must have posted near-perfect grades while completing an exceptionally challenging curriculum.”

Ross clearly fits the bill, given his mul tiple degrees and the fact he never had a grade lower than “A,” according to ASU.

“But, per Rhodes’s stipulations, Rhodes Scholars are not “mere bookworms” –they must also demonstrate devotion to enacting lasting social impact and be committed to making a strong difference for good in the world, Mox said, explain ing:

“We often refer to this quality as ‘fight ing the world’s fight.’ Rhodes Scholars must show extraordinary leadership po tential.”

In 2021, Ross was selected as a Udall Scholar for his commitment to environ mental and disability activism, and in the spring of 2022, he was selected as na tional finalist for the Truman Scholarship in recognition of his devotion to public

service.

A committed disability rights activist, Ross founded EosFighter Connection, a nationwide support network for youth who suffer from eosinophilic and other disorders. He also is politically active, having interned with progressive lobby ing firm Creosote Partners.

Ross said the announcement of his se lection came as a shock.

“I honestly was not sure if I heard my name correctly,” he said. “Even days later, I don’t think I have even begun to process what this means for my future. All I could think about was the years of work that went into this moment.

“Although applications only opened up this summer, the process of becom ing a Rhodes Scholar often begins during freshman year or even earlier.”

The Rhodes Trust pays all college and university fees, provides a stipend to cov er expenses while in residence in Oxford as well as during vacations, and trans portation to and from England. The total value of the scholarship averages approx imately $75,000 per year.

Now that the process is finished, Ross will begin planning for his journey to England and his studies at Oxford.

“I have never been to the UK, and now I will spend the next two to three years of my life studying at the top university in the world. For the first time in my life, moving to another country is a reality for me. I have realized that this homegrown East Valley boy is going to have to buy his first real winter coat to survive the UK winters.”

food drive or volunteering at your local food pantry.

Food Bank had to send out 1,500 fund raising letters soliciting donations that typically flow through the door.

“Our donations, food donations and cash donations are not quite keeping up with the increase in our service num bers,” Norris said.

Officials are quick to remind people that Arizona offers a dollar-for-dollar tax credit for donations to charitable organizations, worth up to $400 for in dividuals or $800 for married couples, according to the Arizona Department of Revenue.

They also note that there are other ways to give. For those who cannot make a donation of food or cash this holiday season, food banks suggest starting a

“If there are people that have some extra time, whether it’s during the holi days or throughout the entire year, we really welcome them,” Baptiste said. “That’s equally important as some of the food or financial donations that they might have.”

Despite the struggles, officials said they are still optimistic that the holiday spirit will push people to donate, citing the typical spike in donations during the holidays.

“We’re still hopeful for a strong holiday donation season both in terms of food and funds … we’re hopeful that people still remember that there are people struggling to put food on their table,” said Rodgers.

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Keynote speaker Trevor Barger, founder and CEO of Espiritu Loci and principal of Arizona Strategies, will share success stories from other cities in the American West. Then, a panel of PHX East Valley leaders will address challenges and opportunities facing our burgeoning region. We will also honor two PHX East Valley powerhouses – Kevin Olson of Lewis Roca and The Boeing Company – with the 2022 Legacy Awards.

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Keynote speaker Trevor Barger, founder and CEO of Espiritu Loci and principal of Arizona Strategies, will share success stories from other cities in the American West. Then, a panel of PHX East Valley leaders will address challenges and opportunities facing our burgeoning region. We will also honor two

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PHX East Valley Partnership is a 501(c)(6) nonpartisan coalition of civic, business, education and political leaders dedicated to the economic development and promotion of the East Valley of Greater Phoenix. The Partnership advocates for economic development, education, transportation and infrastructure, health care and other important areas. For more information, visit www.phxeastvalley.com.

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Keynote speaker Trevor Barger, founder and CEO of Espiritu Loci and principal of Arizona Strategies, will share success stories from other cities in the American West. Then, a panel of PHX East Valley leaders will address challenges and opportunities facing our burgeoning region. We will also honor two PHX East Valley powerhouses – Kevin Olson of Lewis Roca and The Boeing Company – with the 2022 Legacy Awards.

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Local DAR Chapter’s ‘fidget quilting’ helps young and old

BY COTY DOLORES MIRANDA AFN Contributor

In a family room of an Ahwatukee home, a group of women are busy bees during the monthly quilting bee of the Charles Trumbull Hayden chapter of the National Society Daughters of the American Revolution.

Their quilting has a specific task.

They work on fidget quilts for adults with dementia; autistic children and adults, people with brain damage or ADHD, and those with other needs, in cluding anxiety and Alzheimers.

“A fidget quilt is a lap quilt with tex tures and objects to keep restless hands busy,” explained co-founder Judy Loha vanijaya, who hosts home the monthly quilting bees.

Each quilt made by members of the chapter is a work of art with a mission.

“These quilts are donated to nursing homes, the Veterans Administration, and individuals in need. We never charge for the quilts, and each one is designed, cre ated, and donated by our DAR chapter,”

Lohavanijaya explained. “To date we have made 240 quilts.”

Their quilts reveal imagination and creativity. Made with different textured

fabrics, they are embellished with objects that offer sensory and tactile stimulation. The stimulation soothes and enter tains the adult or child, keeping fidgety

Generation Church’s Chosen Ministry serves foster youth

BY ALISON STANTON AFN Contributor

Thanks to the hard work and dedication of the members of Generation Church, children and teens in foster care are getting the help that they need.

As Executive Pastor Beth Lavino noted, the church launched the Chosen Ministry program two years ago, after she and the other Pastors realized how critical the foster care situation is in Arizona.

“Arizona is the number one state for foster care, with more kids in foster care per capita than any other,” she said, adding that in Maricopa County alone, around 80 children are removed from their homes each week.

In addition to encouraging and equipping families from the congregation to open their homes to chil dren and teens in need of foster care and adoption, the church also provides support to foster group homes.

“We have fostered two children and have adopted both of them,” Lavino said.

For members of the church who wish to help the Chosen Ministry program in other ways, Lavino said

hands occupied. Each can take up to or more than 20 hours to complete.

Among the many fidget quilts the DAR chapter members have created, some have a stuffed teddy bear or other stuffed animal as the centerpiece. Another quilt has one section that contains three col orful ribbon strands with multicolored wooden beads that can be moved left or right.

The stuffed animals have proved to be a favorite among all ages, said Lohavani jaya.

Her co-founder, Sharon Keys, buys some at garage sales, where she searches for fidget items. Others have been do nated.

“We focus both on activities and textur al items and everything we use has to be washed, including the stuffed animals,” said Keys.

“Our quilts are inspired by any inter esting items we find,” Keys explained. “For example, a travel quilt was inspired

From left, Lori Finto, Sharon Keys, Judy Lohavanijaya, Mary Ann Kinsman and Jeanette Kins man Rosenfield show off some of their fidget blankets in the quilting room at Lohavanijaya’s home. (David Minton/AFN Staff Photographer)

Chosen Ministry members from Generation Church in Ahwatukee are collecting gifts for children and teens in foster care. (Courtesy of Generation Church)

Church hunger walk raises $11K, awareness

The Ahwatukee component of a na tion-wide effort to address hunger and poverty raised $11,000. Esperanza Lutheran Church – joined by three other Ahwatukee congrega tions – organized the Ahwatukee inter faith CROP Walk for Hunger Nov. 13, joining some 1,000 other communities across the country in an interfaith effort whose theme was “Ending Hunger One Step at a Time.”

Some walkers “wore t-shirts proclaim ing their solidarity with the millions of neighbors around the world who must walk long distances to live -- as well as with millions served by local food pan tries, food banks and meal sites here in the U.S,” said co-organizers Larry and Peggy Hanson. “Those local ministries share in the funds raised by these na tionwide CROP Hunger Walks.”

Other local congregations that joined the walk were Desert Cross Lutheran Church, Desert Foothills United Method ist Church and Mountain View Lutheran Church.

CROP, an acronym for Christian Ru ral Overseas Program, started some walks in the aftermath of World War II to help European countries, but the na tional Walk for Hunger finds its roots in a Pennsylvania Lutheran church, where a pastor in 1969 made it an annual ef fort to engage young people in working toward the goal of hunger relief.

About 80 walkers participated in the Ahwatukee component this month, the Hanson said.

They also said several local business es helped sponsor the event: Craig Peck REMAX Foothills Trusted Broker, Post Net, Wagner Eyecare Associates, Dental by Design and Hanson Consulting Engi neers.

The Hansons had said from the onset that 25% of the donations generated by the walk would go to the Kyrene Family Resource Center, which helps local fami lies in need, while the remainder went to the Church World Service to support its global mission.

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The only way to effectively treat chronic pain and/or peripheral neuropathy is by targeting the source, which is the result of nerve damage owing to inadequate blood flow to the nerves in the hands and feet. This often causes weakness, numbness, balance problems. A lack of nutrients causes the nerves degenerate – an insidious

cannot survive, and thus, slowly die. This leads to those painful and frustrating consequences we were talking about earlier, like weakness, numbness, tingling, balance issues, and perhaps even a burning sensation.

The drugs your doctor might prescribe will temporarily conceal the problems, putting a “Band-Aid” over a situation that will only continue to deteriorate without further action.

Thankfully, Mesa is the birthplace of a brandnew facility that sheds new light on this pressing problem of peripheral neuropathy and chronic pain. The company is trailblazing the medical industry by replacing outdated drugs and symptomatic reprieves with an advanced machine that targets the root of the problem at hand.

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Aspen Medical begins by analyzing the extent of the nerve damage –a complimentary service for your friends and family. Each exam comprises a detailed sensory evaluation, extensive peripheral vascular testing, and comprehensive analysis of neuropathy findings.

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As displayed in figure 1 above, the nerves are surrounded by diseased, withered blood vessels. A lack of sufficient nutrients means the nerves

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Esperanza Lutheran Church members who helped to organize the Ahwatukee Foothills CROP Hunger Walk Nov. 13 included, from left, Beth Leaf, Michelle Tinsley, Randy Wright, Peggy Hanson, Craig Peck, Chris Armfield and Larry Hanson. (AFN file photo)

Mesa Temple again aglow in Christmas lights

After a five-year absence, the bril liant holiday light display has returned to the Mesa Arizona Temple grounds.

The lights are on 5-10 p.m. nightly through Dec. 31 at the temple, Main Street and S. Lesueur in downtown Mesa.

The event – previously called one of the “must-see holiday lighting ex travaganzas in the United States” – has drawn over a million visitors annually from across Arizona and beyond.

The lights have been turned off the last five years for the extensive renova tion of the temple and its grounds that was completed last year.

“A team of nearly 100 dedicated com mittee members and hundreds of other volunteers from Mesa, Phoenix and Gil bert have made this event not only one of the largest known volunteer-driven Christmas lighting displays in the coun try, but helped to bring back a beloved

community tradition since 1979,” said Jennifer Wheeler, a spokeswoman for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day

Saints.

“Our mission is to humbly and wor thily create sacred Christmas displays,

WALK from page 23

Before the walk, Irma Gutierrez of the Kyrene Family Resource Center told the approximate 80 participants about the ways the center helps people. Members of the Kyrene Foundation assisted with set up, take down, and manning water stations during the event.

Money that goes to the Church World Services is used to address hunger, pov erty, displacement, and disaster. A por tion of donations to fall hunger walks across the United States is being pro

in music, and lights, which reflect the beauty and integrity of the temple, in viting all people to feel Christ’s Spirit,” the committee’s mission statement says.

Included in this free event are hun dreds of thousands of lights, favorite Biblical displays, larger-than-life light ed wise men and their camels and a near life-size Italian Fontanini nativity figurines and stable at the northwest corner of the temple with a newly de signed star, twinkling with thousands of white lights.

Nightly concerts were not included in this year’s version of the display.

Across the street of the west side of the temple, at 455 E. Main St., the Mesa Temple Visitors’ Center hosts a display of more than 150 international nativi ties from across the world.

Admission to the nativity display at the Mesa Temple Visitors Center is free and open daily 5-10 p.m.

vided to Moldova to support Ukrainian refugees.

“The CROP Hunger Walk Organizing Committee from Esperanza Lutheran Church would like to say a big thank you to all the walkers, sponsors, churches, jazz band, and individuals who partici pated in, assisted with, or donated to the walk, the Hansons said, thanking as well Boy Scout Troop 3014 for assistance.

Residents and businesses have a chance through Dec.. 31 to help the re lief effort by going to events.crophun gerwalk.org/2022/event/phoenixaz.

Five years after they were shut off for an extensive renovation project, the Mesa Arizona Temple’s brilliant Christmas light display is back. (Courtesy of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints)

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2 Benefits, features and/or devices vary by plan/service area. Limitations, exclusions, and restrictions may apply. All Cigna products and services are provided exclusively by or through operating subsidiaries of Cigna Corporation. The Cigna name, logos, and other Cigna marks are owned by Cigna Intellectual Property, Inc. Benefits, features and/or devices vary by plan/service area. Limitations, exclusions, and restrictions may apply. Contact the plan for more information. This information is not a complete description of benefits, which vary by individual plan. You must live in the plan’s service area. Call 1-888-284-0268 (TTY 711) for more information. Cigna is contracted with Medicare for PDP plans, HMO and PPO plans in select states, and with select State Medicaid programs. Enrollment in Cigna depends on contract renewal. © 2022 Cigna Some content provided under license. Y0036_23_786411_M

by a stuffed Southwest Airlines airplane that made noise like an engine when squeezed

“Our quilts are often created using a specific color palette that we like, or a favorite memory - for instance one fea turing Elvis, an activity like golf, a sports team, or military branch of service,” Keys added.

Keys said the finished fidget quilts are generally 24 by 24 inches square of 9 eight-inch blocks although others mea sure 16 by 24 inches with 6 eight-inch blocks to accommodate people in wheel chairs.

It was Keys who first learned of fidget quilts in a 2017 Daughters of the Ameri can Revolution magazine.

“I asked Judy if she had heard of them, and she hadn’t but she Googled the topic and made four samples. I joined her in 2018,” said Keys.

The 2020 COVID-19 lockdown spurred Keys and Lohavanijaya into designing and sewing fidget quilts.

“We were going stir crazy in our homes and decided to use my house to make the quilts,” Lohavanijaya explained. “We started out slowly, but during COVID, she and I were our own bubble, and we would meet and work 10 to 12 hours straight.

“In the 12-month period from April 2020 to April 2021, we made 68 quilts. We were even able to deliver, while masked up, 25 of them to the Veterans Administration in Phoenix.”

Now the members of the NSDAR Charles Trumbull Hayden chapter, rang ing in age from 18 to 102, gather monthly at Lohavanijaya’s home for their monthly quilting bee. December is a month off for the holidays.

In addition to shelves filled with a plethora of fabrics and assortment of

GENERATIONS

fidgets, her family room and hobby now accommodates large tables, four sewing machines, a donated embroidery ma chine and a serger.

“We work mainly in the family room and hobby room - an addition to my home; however, we usually overflow into the kitchen, dining room, and living room,” laughed Lohavanijaya.

She added that she and Keys often meet throughout the month to work to gether on the projects.

The Daughters of the American Revo lution, DAR, founded in 1890, is a nonprofit, non-political volunteer women’s service organization dedicated to pro moting patriotism and historic preserva tion. Their website –DAR.org – says that to be a member, any woman 18 years or older “regardless of race, religion, or ethnic background who can prove lineal descent from a patriot of the American Revolution, is eligible for membership.”

It takes some genealogy research as the local members attest.

“My original patriot, Jonathan Barnes, was at the Battle of Lexington on the

19th of April in 1775. I also have another 19 patriots approved, with more in the works. All of my lineage goes back to New England,” said Lohavanijaya.

“In all,” she added, “I have more than 40 ancestors involved in the Revolution ary War, as well as one who came over on the Mayflower and several witches - one of whom was hanged.”

Member Jeanette Kinsman Rosenfield, a 39-year Ahwatukee resident, and her sister Mary Ann Kinsman found their an cestors through research.

“About 10 years ago, my sister and I discovered that our ancestor, Robert Kinsman, left England in 1634, sailing on the Mary and John. He arrived in the Mas sachusetts Bay Colony just a few months later, settling in Ipswich, north of Boston. This helped pique our curiosity in ge nealogy, and we wanted to know more,” said Rosenfield, who is the editor of the local chapter’s newsletter.

“About a year ago, Mary Ann contacted the DAR in hopes we could establish a Patriot connection and join a local DAR Chapter. That’s how we met Judy Loha

vaniyaya. And there was good news from her when she said because we already had a great Aunt who’d been a DAR mem ber in the 1940s, the process would go quite speedily,” she said.

“We provided a few documents, estab lishing lineage to our great Aunt and Judy sent in our paperwork. Mary Ann and I were inducted into the Charles Trum bull Hayden Chapter, NSDAR in January, 2022,” she said, proudly.

“We find fidget quilting is a wonder ful group effort, all in the spirit of ser vice for a great cause. It’s joyful to gather and enjoy the company of one another,” said Rosenfield. “And I think about the individuals who will use and enjoy these quilts, and how it will brighten their days and lift their spirits.

“It’s really an honor to be able to make these quilts for others in need. They are made with a great deal of love, all while fulfilling a call to service through the DAR and our patriots.”

Keys said she discovered her original patriot was William Briscoe.

“He signed the Albemarle County, Vir ginia Declaration of Independence, and was a Captain in the Virginia militia,” she recounted. “I also have four other patri ots, including one woman, who had simi lar service,”

“I’ve been a member for 14 years. Our chapter has over 100 members, rang ing in age from 18 to 100-plus years of age. The Arizona Society has over 3,000 members, and the National Society has had more than 1 million members since its inception in 1892.”

The Charles Trumbull Hayden Chapter of the NSDAR was established in March 1927. Originally organized to serve Tempe, and still headquartered there, its membership spans the Valley.

To donate materials for the chapter’s blanket work or to learn more email Lo havanijaya at wenefred@cox.net

from page 22

there are plenty of options.

“We work a lot with foster group homes, and there is something for ev erybody to do all year long, including helping with our Backpack Outreach program, and our Red Carpet event.”

Another way the congregation, as well as the general public can assist, is by taking part in the church’s annual Chosen Christmas Drive, which runs

through Dec. 11.

“People can donate money if they wish and we will do the shopping for them, or they can also donate non-per ishable food items like peanut butter and snacks, as well as hygiene items in cluding hair care products and deodor ant.”

Pajamas in all sizes are also always needed, as are fuzzy socks, soft blan kets and throws and stuffed animals; all

items must be new and preferably with their tags.

While donations for kids of all ages are welcome, Lavino said the program especially focuses on older children and teenagers who live in group homes, so larger sizes are especially appreciated.

“There are currently thousands of children in group homes who are 8 years old and up,” she said.

“Some of these children come into fos

ter care with virtually nothing, so when people donate these items, they get to keep them.”

Generation Church is located at 1010 S. Ellsworth Road in Mesa, 1832 S. Warner Elliott Loop in Ahwatukee and 16239 E. Ironwood Drive in Fountain Hills.

For more information, call 480-9863149 or visit generation.church/ chosen.

Lori Finto finishes ironing some backing onto a piece of fabric while Judy Lohavanijaya sews some pieces. (David Minton/AFN Staff Photographer)

AROUND AHWATUKEE

Kiwanis Club of Ahwatukee needs help for foster kids in group homes

The Kiwanis Club of Ahwatukee is again con ducting a drive for Christmas gifts for children and teens in group foster homes. The children, mostly teens, often have no one except each other and the club tries to add a bit of cheer with gifts.

Items they are seeing include stocking stuffers, such as $25 gift cards to Walmart, Amazon or AMC Theaters or $10 to $15 gift cards for fast food restaurants; clothing in men’s sizes such as jogging and pajama pants, gym shorts and graph ic and colored T-shirts; and monetary donations.

There are multiple ways to help. First, go on line to ahwatukeekiwanis.org; second, send a check payable to the Ahwatukee Kiwanis in care of the club at P.O. Box 50596, PHX., AZ 85076.

There are also donation boxes at” Ahwatukee YMCA, 1030 E. Liberty Lane; Ahwatukee Swim Tennis and Activity Center, 4700 E. Warner Road; Dr. E Dentistry, 4206 E. Chandler Blvd., Music Makers Workshop, 3233 E. Chandler Blvd., West USA Realty, 4505 E. Chandler Blvd., Clearwater Senior Living, 15815 S. 50th St.; and Mountain View Lutheran Church, 1002 S. 48th St.

New 5K fun run benefits Festival of Lights, Foothills HOA

A 5K fun run will be held at 6 p.m. Dec. 10 to benefit the Foothills Association HOA’s support of the annual holiday lights display on Chandler Boulevard.

The run will be chip-timed by Mangled Mo mentum but there are neither age groups nor awards.

The event is raising money for the HOA’s sup port of the lights. Registration fees are $45 for adults and $35 for children through Nov. 30 and registrants are entitled to a long sleeve event T-shirt if they meet the Nov. 28 deadline. Fees rise by $5 through Nov. 9 and $10 for same-day registration.

A VIP package with a finisher medal complet ed with LED light, fleece jacket and event socks is available for $60 until Nov. 28 and these items also can be purchased separately.

The route along Chandler Boulevard, begin ning and ending at Desert Foothills Park, will have three themed stations along the way and cookies and hot chocolate will be served at the end of the run.

Sponsors include Kate’s Real Food, Illuminate You Fitness, The Holes Team Real Estate and LMNT Stay Salty. Additional sponsorship are available and interested parties can email info@ mangledmomentum.com.

For more details on the run and to register, go to millionlights5k.com.

Live Nativity returning to Ahwatukee with a camel

The free live Nativity that has become an an nual staple in the community at Christmastime is returning

Featuring live animals – including a camel – it will be outside the Church of Jesus Christ of Lat ter-day Saints Chapel, 2955 East Frye Road, next to Desert Vista High School, 6-7:30 p.m. Dec. 9.

An outdoor luminary path to tell the story of Jesus’ birth.

Free hot cocoa is provided and free parking is at Desert Vista High.

Waxing studio here will be celebrating first anniversary

Waxing the City Ahwatukee at 4722 E. Ray Road is celebrating its first anniversary 8 a.m.9 p.m. Dec. 6. Studio manager Dea Cobbs said, “We are very appreciative of the support the community has given us and we will be thanking them with 25% off one service.

Refreshments will be served and there will be 10% off on all retail. “Anyone who wants to stop by to see what we do is welcome to come in for a tour between noon and 4 p.m.,” Cobbs said.

Information: 480-474-4864

Ahwatukee gym offers 6-week ‘transformation challenge’

Wholeistic Fitness in Ahwatukee is offering a 6-week “transformation challenge” for people who want to get fit through its one-on-one coaching, ice ath, sauna, red-light therapy and custom nutrition plans.

CEO Joshua Byrd noted that gym will help people avoid adding weight through the holi days.

“The program includes three world-class workout sessions and three sessions in our re covery center a week,” he said.

“A customized nutrition plan that is not re strictive that matches your goals and values. One on one accountability coaching, and 24/7 access to a coach for questions and concerns.”

Information: 469-323-2434, hello@Wholeistic fitness.us or wholeisticfitness.us/

Holiday dance party on tap at Cactus Jacks

Cactus Jacks Bar & Grill in Ahwatukee is host ing its annual Holiday Dance Party starting at 6:30 p.m. Dec. 21 with line dancing lessons and open dancing.

The party also includes treats and raffles and patrons are urged to wear an ugly Christmas sweater or holiday attire.

There is a $5 cover at the door. Cactus Jacks is at the southwest corner of 48th Street and Elliot Road. Information: cmcneish@cox.net or

dancemeetsfitness.net.

Sun Valley Church, Kyrene Foundation continue holiday drive

Sun Valley Church and the Kyrene Foundation are continuing the annual drive to help needy families have a a merrier Christmas.

The foundation hopes to provide each desig nated family with a co-branded Foundation and Landings Credit Union visa card for Winter Won derland as well as gift cards for gifts for each of the kids.

In addition, organizers are sorting through toys collected from the previous live event and will be distributing those as well at Winter Won derland.

“We anticipate the need to be much larger this year,” foundation member Rick Richardson said.

People are asked to consider cash donations only as organizers are not collecting gift cards or items.

The foundation said its 2021 donation drive “was a great success due to a tremendous out pouring of generosity from our community and partners. The Kyrene Foundation, Sun Val ley Church and the Kyrene District were able to ensure over 200 families and 700 children did not go without the simple joys of the holiday season.”

To donate, go to kyrenefoundation.org.

Armer Foundation launches toy, blood drives to help families

The Armer Foundation for Kids – an Ahwatu kee-based non-profit that helps families with children who have extreme medical needs – is hosting its fourth annual holiday toy drive to benefit the Banner Children’s pediatric intensive care and oncology units.

It also has scheduled a blood drive 9 a.m.-1 p.m. Dec. 10 at 9830 S. 51st St., Ahwatukee.

The foundation is looking for Valley business that would host a donation bin and serve as a drop-off location for the unopened toys to bring smiles and hope to children battling for their lives.

The foundation also is hoping for toy dona tions.

To sign up for a donation box, go to armer foundation.org or call 480.257.3254.

Other items include: baby dolls, blankets, comfy socks, crayons, pajama pants, hair brush/ comb, hair ties, coloring books, kids’ games and books, puzzles and stuffed animals.

Information: armerfoundation.org/toydrive.

Ahwatukee Women’s Social Club plans evening bash

The Ahwatukee Women’s Social Club, open to

women 16 and up has scheduled Putting on the Ritz, 6:30-10 p.m. Dec. 7 at Wild Horse Pass’ Palo Verde Ballroom, 5040 Wild Horse Pass Blvd.

Women ages 16 and up are invited to “get dolled up” and meet other women from Ah watukee to celebrate a hear of socializing.

The $100 tickets include hors d’oeuvres, en tertainment, dinner buffet, raffles and dancing. Cocktail attire is optional and there will be a cash bar. Tickets are available at sendomatic.com/ AWSCRITZ.

Ironwood Library offers free activities for all ages

Ironwood Library, 4333 E Chandler Blvd., Ah watukee, presents a variety of programs for chil dren, teens and adults. Unless otherwise noted, free tickets are required and available 30 minutes before programs’ start times at the library’s in formation desk.

For more information: phoenixpubliclibrary.org.

Polar Express Storytime

Children can wear their pajamas to a special reading of this holiday classic by Chris Van Alls burg and enjoy seasonal activities 9:30-10 a.m. Dec. 17.

Sit and stitch

Join fellow stitchers and work on your current project 3-4:45 p.m. Dec. 3, including knitting, crocheting, cross-stitch, needlepoint. No regis tration required.

Teen hat ornament

Teens ages 12-17 will make yarn hat ornaments 2-3 p.m. Dec. 10. All supplies will be provided.

Next Chapter Book Club

This inclusive community-based book club is designed for people ages 12+ with intellectual and developmental disabilities who have a de sire to make friends, explore their community, and read (regardless of current reading ability).

The free event is 3-4 p.m. Dec. 7, 14 and 21.

Book club

Adult readers 18+ can meet up with fellow ad venturesome bibliophiles to share their thoughts about each month’s selection the first Wednes day of each month, 5-5:45 p.m. to discuss “The Tobacco Wives” by Adele Myers Dec. and on Jan. 4, “Bottle of Lies” by Katherine Eban.

Red Cross blood drive

People ages 16+ can give the gift of blood dur ing the library’s American Red Cross Blood Drive 10 a.m.-3 p.m. Dec. 28, 10:00-3:00 p.m.

Appointment times can be found at redcross blood.org by selecting the “donating blood” op tion. Masks are optional.

www.ahwatukee.com

Entrepreneur’s hygiene products help people, planet

BY GERI KOEPPEL AFN Contributor

Ahwatukee Foothills is home to Scentcerae, an innovative com pany selling beauty and hygiene products developed to be good for peo ple as well as the planet.

From shampoo to lip balm to mus cle rub, everything is made on-site by Sherae Christensen in a room of her home that looks a little like a scientist’s lab.

They’re sold online on Scentcerae.com and in a few brick-and-mortar stores around the country.

Christensen began making the prod ucts for herself when she lived in Japan and China for her husband’s job from 2010-17.

Due to autoimmune issues, she can’t use anything with endocrine disrupting chemicals or microplastics, which are common in personal care items. So, she translated labels to avoid anything that would give her problems.

Sherae Christensen has turned a room of her Ahwatukee into something that resembles a scientist’s lab to make her earth- and people-friendly hygiene products. (Geri Koeppel)/AFN Contributor)

“That’s when I realized how bad our ingredients are,” she said. “Because I lived overseas and was a traveling spouse, I did have the time to do the re search, and it became a passion of mine to solve these problems.”

Christensen learned to formulate nat ural products that would work for her own skin using things like plant butters, herbs, organic essential oils, clays and botanical extracts.

She even created dental care using

coconut oil, calcium carbonate, sodium bicarbonate, mineral clays and more to clean, scrub and polish teeth and aid in oral health.

When she got back from Asia, Chris tensen continued making her products and earned diplomas in organic cosmet ic science and organic hair care formula tion from U.K.-based Formula Botanica. Using her background in design, she cre ated labels and molds for the products.

In 2019, Christensen started selling Scentcerae on Etsy, and in 2020 she trademarked the name, which is derived from her late sister’s name, Soncerae.

Prices are similar to better main stream brands found at drugstores: For example, face cleanser is $8.75, face moisturizer is $16.50, and shampoo and conditioner bars are $6.25 each; all pric es are online.

Adamantly against using any plastic — not only for her own health, but to

Ahwatukee couple’s fitness studio marks 15 years

AFN NEWS STAFF

The fitness industry may have changed a lot in 15 years but for Ahwatukee residents Doug and Tori Thompson, one thing doesn’t change.

They say they remain committed to helping people reach, maintain and even exceed their fitness goals at their Ahwatukee studio, The Body Firm, at 3636 E. Ray Road.

Celebrating the anniversary of their opening in 2007, the Thompsons have had to remain pretty fit business-wise as well.

They weathered a market crash early on, witnessed large and small fitness fa cilities open and close, and most recent ly, endured the challenges presented by the COVID pandemic.

Still, they persevered as they contin ues to work with clients to help them lose and maintain weight, learn proper exercise techniques, maintain a healthy fitness level, assist with injury preven tion and recovery, and prepare them for physical competitive events.

Doug also is a certified Titleist Fitness instructor and has assisted many golf enthusiasts in improving their golf form while reducing injury.

The Body Firm offers private and semi-private personal training sessions with programs created for each indi vidual.

“We understand that there is no such thing as a one-size-fits-all program,” Doug explained. “We have people who are at very different fitness levels and we know it’s important to treat them

each as an individual with suitable and sustainable programs.

“This allows them to gain confidence, learn proper technique and form, get stronger, and enjoy a better quality of life.”

The duo recently launched an open gym concept for people to work out on their own.

“The difference between this program and those found at some of the ‘big box’ gyms is that our clients are working out independently at their own pace, but still follow a training sequence with ac

see FIRM page 31

help the Earth — Christensen commit ted to using zero waste packaging.

She got the idea while living in Japan, which was much more environmentally aware than here: There, a family’s trash for the week has to fit in a small can.

Scentcerae uses biodegradable and refillable packaging made out of things like cork, cardboard, and refillable glass or tin. When people re-order products that originally are sent in glass or tin, Christensen sends products in com postable bags, and customers clean and refill their own items.

Products such as shampoo come in solid bars, which Christensen shapes to resemble rocks from various places she’s traveled.

“You can take it and go traveling with it,” she said. “You don’t have to worry

about a bottle. It lasts longer than a bot tle of shampoo.”

And, she added, regular shampoos contain about 90 percent water, so they’re heavier to ship and thus use more fossil fuels.

Loyal customer Roseanne Cheng of Ah watukee said, “I really value zero waste. Sherae is really careful about not having wasteful packaging, wasteful shipping practices. I always know if I am getting something from her, I know at the very least I’m carbon neutral in terms of my footprint.”

Cheng’s favorite products are the sun base and pain relief lotion. “My kids al ways ask to use her sunscreen because it smells the best and works the best,” she said.

“Everything Hurts,” meanwhile, is “a really great lotion to put on for sore muscles or pulled muscles, which hap

pens more frequently than I would like to admit,” Cheng remarked. “It’s also nice to give as a gift for anyone who might struggle with chronic pain and doesn’t like to take a lot of medications.”

Many Scentcerae products are also vegan, but Christensen does use bees wax if someone prefers it because it’s more nourishing and spreads easier on skin, she said.

Everything is cruelty-free, and she goes to great lengths to make sure her ingredients live up to that billing.

“There’s a lot of hidden things that you don’t even think that still have ani mal [products] or are tested on animals,” Christensen said, such as red dye made from insects used in many lipsticks, foods and textiles.

Christensen often develops products based on customer feedback.

“That’s a lot of how my tooth nibs’

flavors came about,” she said. Someone asked for star anise, and initially she was baffled that anyone would want to brush their teeth with a licorice flavor.

But after researching it, she realized star anise has many dental health ben efits, and it’s now one of her six flavors.

Although no place yet in the Valley carries Scentcerae, Christensen does have some wholesale customers that sell from their websites as well as hair salons, dentist offices and zero-waste stores. And, she’s set up to use a compa ny in Utah that can make larger orders if she gets them.

Christensen hopes that will happen so she can spread broader awareness of zero waste and eventually get Scenterae carried in major retailers.

“That’s my goal, is to get to that point where I can reach more people,” she said. 

cess to a personal trainer to guide and monitor them for form and safety,” said Doug.

Besides, he noted, there’s a six-client limit in a session “so there are no crowds or time wasted waiting for equipment,” Tori said. “It’s efficient and gives people options while still providing results.”

Tori said she and Doug couldn’t have seen the success they’re enjoyed with out “our outstanding staff.”

“All of our trainers are certified through one of the nation’s top personal training programs,” she said. “They of fer clients amazing customer service, and nutritional advice, and make work

ing out a positive experience. It’s like a family here.

“In fact, many of our clients refer to The Body Firm as their personal ‘Cheers.’ We’re proud of the fact that nearly 30% of our client base have been Body Firm clients for five years or more.”

Doug believes more changes are only natural in the industry’s future, but he added:

“We’ll continue to evolve with the fit ness industry and per our mission, pro vide each of our clients with the most proven methods to burn body fat, gain lean muscle, and a better quality of life at any age, size, or ability level.”

Information: thebodyfirmaz.com

Sports & Recreation

www.ahwatukee.com

Pride’s season comes to an end in 6A playoffs

BY RYAN WOODEN AFN Contributing Writer

Two 8-3 teams went head-to-head in the Class 6A quarterfinals on Friday night when the No. 8 Mountain Pointe Pride visited the No. 1 Casteel Colts. And after a brief spar ring session in the first quarter where the teams battled for field possession, Casteel proved why it was the No. 1 seed authoritatively with a 43-6 win.

It wasn’t the ending that Mountain Pointe head coach Eric Lauer envisioned from a team that had averaged 39.4 points per game entering Friday’s ac tion. However, it was clear that the out going senior class made a lasting mark on the program after beginning their ca reers going 1-9 as a freshman and end ing with an 8-4 season.

“Last year the group did a good job but this year, this group, they really excelled and pushed even further with the level of discipline and commitment to the

program,” Lauer said. “I just really ap preciate that from those guys because they just set the bar even higher.”

Casteel broke into the scoring col umn late in the first quarter with a 10-

play, 86-yard drive that was capped by a 5-yard touchdown run from Austin Young and a 2-point conversion from Isaac Garcia. Then the Colts struck again on the very next drive with a 13-yard

touchdown run from quarterback Land on Jury.

It was the first of three touchdown runs on the day for Jury and he wound up finishing with a huge stat line. He completed 8-of-15 through the air for 135 yards and a touchdown while also running 10 times for 97 yards and the three rushing touchdowns.

“Hats off to Landon Jury. He’s play ing at a high level right now. He’s mak ing some good decisions at the quar terback spot and playing with a lot of confidence. We’re reaping the benefits of that,” Casteel head coach Dr. Robert Newcombe said.

With a 15-0 lead in the second quar ter, the Casteel special teams unit saw an opportunity and made the adjustment to send speed off the edge with Gerayas Grimes (who also added an interception late in the game). He timed his get off

Verbal abuse prompts AIA officiating shortage

BY DAVIS RODISH Cronkite News

Anne Montgomery started her offi ciating journey over 40 years ago.

She officiated football, hockey and baseball among other sports before retiring in 2019.

To sustain a four-decade spanning ca reer is rare. To do it as a woman is even rarer. The Arizona Interscholastic Asso ciation said most officials quit around the three-year mark, and the most com mon answer to why is verbal abuse from fans and parents. One of the problems isn’t that it’s happening – it’s getting worse.

The AIA has had to ask high schools to schedule one varsity football game on a Thursday to help alleviate the number of games that are played on Fridays. This

is because of the shortage of officials as more quit or retire to avoid verbal abuse from fans, coaches or players.

“The number one concern is abuse, fan abuse in particular,” AIA director of athletics and officials Tyler Cerimeli said. “It’s very difficult to get people to come out and work when half the peo ple there aren’t going to like you very much.”

Montgomery officiated years before the vast, instantaneous world of the in ternet. Toward the end of her career, she noticed how the harassment and bully ing spread to the internet for perceived missed or inaccurate calls.

“Officials are expected to be perfect all the time and we’re not,” Montgom ery said. “It used to be that you’d make a bad call and everyone screams. I’ve been

spit on; I’ve had to have police escorts to my car. But today, it’s so much worse because people put it on the internet. It’s not just that one moment in time, it’s endless.”

The harassment caused many offi cials to leave the job. It’s a thankless job to begin with, and it only gets worse as more people use social media like Twit ter to attack officials. Cerimeli says he hears this sentiment during exit inter views with his officials.

The number of officials across the

see OFFICIATING page 34

After an accomplished broadcasting career, including on ESPN’s “SportsCenter,” Anne Montgomery worked as a high school of ficial in Arizona. (Photo courtesy of Anne Montgomery)

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Casteel junior JJ Newcombe runs the ball during the Colts win over Mountain Pointe in the 6A quarterfinals Friday night. With the loss, the Pride’s season came to an end after making the playoffs for the second straight season. (Quinton Kendall/AFN Contributor)

country is down and continues to slip further down. Arizona, which had an up tick in the number of referees in 2021, still remains below AIA’s desired goal. As a result, the AIA has asked 5A and 6A schools to schedule one varsity game on Thursday for the 2022 season.

Mountain View played its varsity game against Desert Mountain on a Thursday. It was one of 12 games that took place on Sept. 15. Some schools, like Desert Mountain, don’t have a ju nior varsity team, so moving a varsity game to Thursday has lessened the load for football officials on Fridays.

“Our coaches have done a good job of communicating why (the game is on Thursday), which we all know the why is because we have a shortage of offi cials,” Mountain View athletic director Joseph Goodman said. “Hopefully, it is a message to everybody that we do our part as a school, as fans, as a team that our officials feel valued and respected.”

The AIA does recruit officials but has tried to focus more on retention than re cruitment in recent years.

For recruitment, the association asks each school to provide one male and one female graduating senior that the school thinks could be a fit. The AIA is also working with schools in the Dysart Uni fied School District to offer an officiating elective class that high school students can take to get them prepared for a ca reer in officiating.

“If you get into officiating, your odds of making it as a professional official are higher than a player’s odds of making it as a professional athlete,” Cerimeli said.

“The odds of making a career out of it if you get in early enough are there, it’s just a matter of adjusting to the environ ment. We have a countless number of officials working at the Division I level, (at) the professional level that came up from the AIA ecosystem.”

A challenge in recruiting and retain ing women is the treatment of women. Throughout her career, Montgomery had been told by referees that crews with women don’t get the opportunities that other crews get.

“Twenty-five years ago, I kept get ting thrown off officiating crews,” said Montgomery, who became a referee so she could pick her own officiating crew. “The men were really honest with me. They said, ‘We aren’t going to get any big games with you on our crew because you’re a woman.’ And I hated them for it,

but they were right. … I would like to tell you that 40 years later it was easier for me to be an official, but it wasn’t.”

This issue extends beyond AIA and the high school level. Todd Sergi is the Arizona State Referee Administrator for U.S. Soccer. He is connected to all things involving soccer officiating for U.S. Soc cer and works closely with the Arizona Soccer Association.

Parts of his job include trainings, in struction, development and reports on officials in the state. Posted at the top of the website, azref.com, is a prompt to submit a report on referee abuse.

“We had a young lady on a match in a tournament that the parents were be rating during the match. The director of coaching came on the field of play and verbally abused her (and) brought her to tears,” Sergi said. “When we got the

video and the report, it stirred some thing in us. We said we need to take more of an active role in getting infor mation from our referees in all events.”

Referees, parents, coaches and play ers can file reports on verbal abuse so the association can track the instances and make better decisions on how to ad dress each case. In its first year in use in 2021, the association received 62 cases of referee abuse.

The referee issue is two-fold: There aren’t enough people and the majority of them are over 60.

“Most officials when they come out for the first time, they were around sports, their kids were in high school, their kids went to college (now) they’re looking for something to do,” Cerimeli said. “They tend to skew older or middle-aged.”

While the AIA and other officiating bodies work to get younger and keep of ficials, schools are trying to encourage more sportsmanship from the fans.

The AIA has a sportsmanship and eth ics committee that has a sportsmanship reporting process where officials can rate sportsmanship from players, fans and coaches. Athletic directors can log on and see how their school and sports programs are doing.

There is no simple solution, but Sergi, Goodman, Montgomery and Cerimeli agree that refs need to be treated better if youth sports are to continue.

“Right now, the environment is con tinuing to get worse,” Cerimeli said. “That is something else we have focused on in the past couple of years, trying to turn around sportsmanship, trying to fix those issues and make officiating more appealing.” 

well and arrived at punter Matty Braun just before the snap, blocking it and set ting up Casteel with first-and-goal at the 9-yard line.

Jury punched in another rushing touchdown just three plays later to give Casteel a 22-0 lead. Then the Colts add ed another score just before the end of the half when Jury led a four-play, 42yard drive that took only 45 seconds and ended with a 25-yard touchdown catch by Merrik Kubacki.

The Colts received the ball to start the second half and promptly marched

65 yards in eight plays with Jury scor ing again to take a 36-0 lead. Zeke Ro driguez would also get in on the scoring party with a 4-yard touchdown run on the ensuing drive to make it 43-0. Rodri guez finished with 80 yards on 13 car ries.

“We just keep trying to develop our players in every phase of the game. They’re learning really well and they’re listening to the coaching. Then they im plement it and you can tell they really believe in themselves,” Newcombe said.

However, living up to the nickname, the season ended with the Pride show ing incredible fight in an effort to get

onto the scoreboard. And Mountain Pointe did so in highlight-reel fashion late in the fourth quarter.

Senior quarterback Christopher Arvi so II dropped back to pass with just over a minute left to play and found nothing to his liking as he rolled to his left. Ar viso then reversed field and came all the way outside the right hash and uncorked a bomb down the right sideline. At the other end, Senior receiver Jaylen John son was able to go up and over a defend er to make the catch and then contorted his body to reach into the end zone with 51.4 seconds left for Mountain Pointe’s lone score.

“We wanted to get some kind of points on the board, and I know they had some subs in and everything, but we didn’t want to go out like that,” Lauer said. “It’s hard because sometimes you feel like your last game kind of unfairly defines you a little bit. But these guys have put in a lot of hard work and time this year and I’ll take them still.”

Arviso finished with 130 yards pass ing and the touchdown in the game while Johnson had two receptions for 44 yards and the score. Junior running back/wide receiver Christian Clark also had a solid day offensively as he finished with 92 yards from scrimmage.

To help with recruitment of officials, the AIA is asking each of its member schools to pro vide the names of one male and one female graduating senior that the school thinks could be a fit. (Cronkite News)

Ahwatukee singer and her band slate concert Saturday

GETOUT STAFF

An Ahwatukee resident and her band will give a special concert Dec. 3 at the Musical Instrument Museum.

Carmela Ramirez and her band, Carmela y Más, returns for the fourth time to the theater for a family-friendly show entitled “A Latin Holiday Extrava ganza.” This concert will be culturally rich with festive cheer, featuring the Valley’s most-recognized Latin artists.

Ramirez fronts this award-winning band that is known for salsa, merengue, cha cha, cumbia and classic Latin jazz. The nine-piece Carmela y Más delivers a ka

leidoscope of Latin/Afro-Cuban rhythms in electrifying performances that have graced many stages across the Valley and internationally.

“It is very exciting to return to the Mu sical Instrument Museum,” Ramirez said. “The cast is excited to perform a wonder ful mix of Latin music and dance with a bit of holiday magic. Put some sizzle in your holidays and come spend this evening with us! We’ll present our Latino heritage with music, dance and holiday traditions that will get you on your feet.”

Joining Carmela y Más will be Tempebased all-female Mariachi group Mariachi

RAMIREZ page 38

Carmela Ramirez and her band, Carmela y Más, headline the Latin Holiday Extravaganza at the Musical Instrument Museum Dec. 3. (Courtesy of Carmela Ramirez)

Hale Theatre presenting ‘Christmas Carol’

Ebenezer’s life, serving to remind us that it is never too late to change for the better.

The Hale Centre Theatre in down town Gilbert will start its annual presentation of Charles Dickens’ “A Christmas Carol” on Friday, Dec. 1.

“Since receiving the award for Best Christmas Production in Arizona, audi ences have been lining up in Gilbert to see Scrooge and his ghostly visitors,” a theater release said.

“It is their 20th season and it has be come a family tradition for audiences and a must-see every holiday season, with each year bringing a little something different.”

Director David Hale Dietlein is present ing two casts designated “Red” and “Green.”

The Red cast features seasoned actor Tim Dietlein as Ebenezer Scrooge and the Green cast is headed by local actor Rob Stuart. Both actors are reprising their roles from previous years.

The Hale family tradition of presenting “A Christmas Carol” began with Ruth and Nathan Hale, who opened their first the ater in Glendale, California.

In 1965 the Hales and the Dietleins staged their first production of “A Christmas Carol,” and Hale operators say they established “a legacy that flourishes to this day.

Director and theater owner David Dietle in has received numerous awards for his artistic achievements and has directed ev

ery production of “A Christmas Carol” since he opened the Gilbert theater in 2003.

The annual holiday classic is a musical version of Dickens’ tale of the Christmas ghosts, who visit the thoroughly unpleas ant Ebenezer Scrooge to show him the error of his ways. The spirits transform

“It’s a message of hope and renewal that holds a special place in our hearts every holiday season,” the release stated, prom ising a “stunning production (that) is a visual and sensory delight, featuring local talent of singers, dancers and actors: with “soaring music, special effects, stunning costumes and sets.”

The production runs at 5 p.m. and 8 p.m. Dec.1-26 with matinees on Saturdays at 11 a.m. and 2 p.m.

The Hale is located at 50 W. Page Ave. in Gilbert’s Heritage District, across the street from the Gilbert Water Tower Park. Several restaurants and free parking are located nearby.

Tickets range from $42 to $60 for adults, $28 to $45 for youth. Group discounts for 10 or more tickets are available at $35 on showings through Dec. 14.

The shows sell out quickly, so purchase your tickets by calling the box office at 480-497-1181 or by visiting the theater’s website at HaleTheatreArizona.com.

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The Hale Centre Theatre in Gilbert is rolling out its 20th annual presentation of “A Christmas Carol” starting Dec. 1. (Nick Woodward-Shaw/Special for GetOut)

see

With JAN D’ATRI

GetOut Columnist

Maple pecan pie is a dessert worthy of any holiday

This season I finally had a chance to scratch one off of my bucket list. I’ve always wanted to visit New England in the fall. I had always heard that the changing of the leaves is spectacu lar, and I wanted to be there during the peak week. (Me and everyone else on the planet, I discovered!)

My trip to Woodstock, Vermont was worth the trip, and while there, I wanted to immerse myself in the New England food scene. That brings me to maple syrup. I couldn’t get enough of it, whether it was on my breakfast pancakes, a delicious ham slathered in a Vermont maple glaze or those iconic maple leaf-shaped candies. I came home with plenty of bottles of syrup which came in handy for this scrumptious holiday maple pecan pie. This time of the year, while pumpkin pie

Ingredients for Dough for single-crust pie (9 inches)

• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

• 2 tablespoons sugar

• 1 teaspoons salt

• 6 tablespoons butter, chilled and cut into small pieces

• 3 tablespoons Crisco shortening, cut into small pieces

• 3 tablespoons ice water

• 1 tablespoons white vinegar

Directions:

Make the dough. In a food processor, blend together the flour, sugar and salt. Add butter and shortening and pulse until mixture resembles coarse meal. Drizzle water and vinegar over mixture.

Process just until moist clumps form adding more water, a little at a time, if dough is too dry. Form into a ball, cover in plastic wrap and chill for one hour.

When dough has chilled, preheat oven to 375 degrees. On a lightly floured surface, roll dough

is the go-to, pecan pie is right up there in popularity, and this version is definitely holiday worthy.

It starts with a light and flakey crust, the perfect bed for a sweet, nutty and maple syrupy filling. So just in case searching for perfect holiday pies is on your bucket list, this one will not disappoint!.

Ingredients Filling:

• 3 large eggs, room temperature

• 1/2 cup sugar

• 1 cup maple syrup

• 3 tablespoons butter, melted

• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

• 1/4 teaspoon salt

• 2 cups pecan halves

• Whipped cream, optional

to a 1/8-in.-thick circle; transfer to a 9-in. pie plate. Trim crust to 1/2 in. beyond rim of plate; flute edge. Refrigerate while preparing filling.

In a bowl, whisk together the eggs and sugar until smooth. Add maple syrup, butter, vanilla, salt and pecans. Pour into crust.

Bake until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean, 30-40 minutes. Cool on a wire rack for 1 hour. If desired, top with whipped cream to serve.

Refrigerate until ready to serve. 

Pasión, Fiesta Mexicana Dance Company, Brenda Del Rio Salsa Dance Co. and Jose Carlos Justiz.

Mariachi Pasión has performed its majestic music for thousands in the Val ley and beyond. Fiesta Mexicana Dance Company, the Official Folkloric Dance Company of the City of Phoenix, performs beautiful Ballet Folklorico that celebrates traditional folk dances of Mexico.

Ramirez, an award-winning vocalist, has a long history of moving audiences with a sultry and soulful voice that delivers heartfelt passion of lyrics and drives the band into exciting musical journeys.

For decades, she also has been among the most influential producers in the Valley.

“As a performing artist, I have followed the path of many before me who have used performance platforms not only to enter tain, but to communicate,” Ramirez said.

She lends her talents to various commu nity-outreach projects, such as arts and culture, education, health, civics, social justice and special needs.

“If I can open doors of communication through music performance or production, then I have used my talents well,” she said.

Carmela y Más has performed for hun dreds of night clubs, concerts and festivals throughout the greater Phoenix area and internationally.

It was featured in concert at the National Museum for Women in the Arts in Wash ington, D.C., the 100th anniversary of the Himeji Castle in Japan and as headliner for the Puerto Peñasco Latin Jazz Festival.

The band has shared the stage with many major recording artists, including Tito Puente, Eddie Palmieri, Arturo San doval, Nestor Torres and Claudio Roditi.

As a producer, Ramirez has created a multitude of concerts, community fes tivals, arts and education projects and mentored youth in the arts. Believing that community thrives in a healthy artistic en vironment, she uses her platform to build bridges of communication.

Her community work has gained awards, such as Valle Del Sol “Profiles of Success,” City of Phoenix Excellence Awards, NAACP Education Excellence Award and Phoenix Elementary Schools “Star Mentor.”

Ramirez has been inducted into the Raul H. Castro Institute as an “Arizona Trail blazer” and nominated twice for the Gabe Zimmerman Award for Public Service. 