SanTan Sun News; 12-6-14; Neighbors

Neighbors

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December 6 – 19, 2014

49

Neighbors Fiesta Mexicana introduces itself to Chandler

El Palacio owner/chef impresses

CTeen program begins at Chabad of the East Valley

Neighbors PAGE 54

Spirituality PAGE 57

Upland Drive transforms into winter wonderland

Springfield Golf Resort’s triumphant return For Chad Shotton, it’s good to be home.

Shotton returned to the place where his career in the golf industry began, as he and his business partners recently purchased Springfield Golf Resort at 1200 E. St. Andrew’s Blvd.

“Having designed it, built it, laying out every tree and bunker and now coming back is a great feeling,” says Shotton of the 18-hole executive course near Riggs

Hailing from Jalisco, Mexico, Martin and Patricia Rangel have brought to town a fun and family-friendly restaurant that celebrates their home country.

Fiesta Mexicana restaurant in Chandler, which opened in October, is the Rangels’ ninth location nationwide.

The restaurant is a second career of sorts for the Rangels. Martin owned a car body shop for several years and Patricia ran a Latin market. But they yearned to share their love of authentic Mexican flavors by opening Fiesta Mexicana.

Manager Pedro Zayas transferred

SEE GOLF PAGE 52

NEIGHBORLY CELEBRATION: Nick Iwanski, Jake Iwanski, Ben Kubicki and Joey Iwanski pose in front of one of the thousands of decorations that adorn Upland Drive during the holiday season. Submitted photo

BY LYNETTE CARRINGTON

FOOD FIESTA: The combo appetizer and the burrito Mexicano are two of the most popular items on the Fiesta Mexicana menu.

STSN photo by Lynette Carrington

PAGES 75-78

BY TIM J. RANDALL

BY LYNETTE CARRINGTON

SEE FIESTA MEXICANA PAGE 53

Where to Eat

Each holiday season, a Chandler street transforms into a winter wonderland, albeit without snow.

The families who live on Upland Drive in The Woods at Tiburon subdivision welcome celebrants to come and share in their love of the holidays with their elaborate light displays and decorations.

An Upland Drive resident since 1986, Sue Fiorino has seen the celebration evolve from simple decorations to a large-scale event that involves every homeowner on the street.

“There were four houses that started it and it really took off and from that year on it just exploded,” Fiorino says.

“As new homeowners come in and have a lot more energy, there are more and more decorations.”

Decorations on the street include hundreds of thousands of lights, wood characters, inflatable displays, train sets and animated dolls. A barbershop quartet, dancers, holiday singers, music and even the beloved character “Buddy” SEE UPLAND DRIVE PAGE 50

LOOKING SHARP: Manicured bunkers are aplenty at the redesigned Springfield Golf Resort. Submitted photo

Wok Box offers fresh and healthy Asian fusion menu

BY ALISON STANTON

Walid Doumit knew he wanted to open his own Wok Box restaurant right after he and his wife ate at one in Scottsdale.

“We loved the fresh and healthy food and the décor and decided that we wanted to open a Wok Box of our own,” Doumit says.

Doumit got his wish this August when he opened a Wok Box in Chandler. The restaurant features Asian fusion meals from 10 different countries, including Vietnam, India, China, Japan, Korea and Thailand.

“We took the best meal out of each country,” Doumit says.

Unlike other restaurants that might rely on frozen ingredients or pre-cut meats and vegetables, Doumit says everything at the Wok Box is fresh, and that customers may choose from chicken, beef, shrimp, tofu or double vegetables in their order.

“Nothing is frozen, and everything is freshly prepared every day before going into the wok,” Doumit says.

The restaurant also features glutenSEE WOK BOX PAGE 50

FRESH AND HEALTHY: Walid Doumit, owner, operator and manager of Wok Box in Chandler, says he is proud to offer Asian fusion dishes filled with freshly prepared and tasty ingredients.

STSN photo by Alison Stanton

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December 6 – 19, 2014

Neighbors

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UPLAND DRIVE FROM PAGE 49

WOK BOX FROM PAGE 49

from the holiday classic film “Elf” provide entertainment. Buddy greets visitors and has fun with the kids in the driveway of one of the homes that shows holiday movies on a big screen. Hot chocolate will be sold.

“We have tour buses, horse-drawn carriages and senior homes that come down and tour the street, so we keep the street open except on Christmas Eve,” Fiorino says. “Then we shut it down to traffic so people can walk down the street and just enjoy it.”

Upland Drive resident Ania Kubicki can thank the light show for her current home.

“I literally found this house during Christmas 2005 and it was the only house for sale at the time,” Kubicki says. “I had brought my son—who was turning 2— and we parked on Ellis. Someone told us about the decorations on this street and it was literally like we walked into a festival. I hung out with everybody a little bit and thought, ‘These are my people. I have to live on this street.’”

The family moved into the non-HOA community the following year.

Liz Dreckman has lived on Upland Drive for eight years.

“We have a ton of Christmas decorations, but we always buy more every year,” Dreckman says. “Every house has a little bit of a theme every year. I think people appreciate that we go all out for the holidays. You kind of have to be in the Christmas spirit to live on our street.

“If somebody is sick or out of town,

free, vegan and vegetarian options as well as plenty of kid-friendly meals, all of which are prepared quickly.

“None of our food contains MSG, and can also work with customers who have allergies to things like nuts and seafood. We also offer white and brown rice as well as four different kinds of noodles.”

Right now, Doumit says the Indian Butter Chicken and the Singapore Cashew are the most popular items on the menu.

“I have had many customers from India try the Indian Butter Chicken and tell me that it is very good; to get their approval is great because they are making it all the time,” he says.

Doumit says his Wok Box was the third to open in Arizona—in addition to his and the one in Scottsdale, there is also one in Gilbert. As he explains, the restaurant got its start near Vancouver,

COMING TOGETHER: Residents pitched in to purchase custom signs welcoming holiday visitors to their neighborhood.

Submitted photo we’ll pitch in to help out and decorate someone’s home,” she continues. “It’s not just Christmas that we do either. We’re pretty crazy on Halloween and we have about 1,000 trick-or-treaters every year.”

Upland Drive, also known as “The Christmas Street,” is located south of Warner Road between the Loop 101 and Dobson Road.

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

British Columbia, Canada, in 2004.

“There are about 60 or 70 Wok Boxes in Canada, and they are now expanding into the U.S. market,” he says.

Although his Wok Box has not been open that long, Doumit says business is getting “better and better” and that he and his staff are enjoying getting to know their clientele.

“We are seeing a lot of regular customers already; about 80 percent are regular, but we are also seeing new faces every day,” he says.

“It’s a lot of hours and work to run a restaurant but it’s also very rewarding and fun.”

Wok Box is located at 2100 S. Gilbert Rd., Suite 10, in Chandler. For more information, call (480) 855-5574 or visit www.wokbox.net Alison Stanton is a freelance writer who lives in the East Valley. She can be reached at alison@santansun.com

Tao Healing Center offers free yoga class Tao Healing Center is offering a free yoga class Saturday, Dec. 13. The class begins at 10 a.m. and the fundraising brunch will be held from 12 p.m. to 1:30 p.m. for $10. The event will also include a silent auction of original items, gift ideas and holiday items. The silent auction items will be on display at the

center from Monday, Dec. 8, through Friday, Dec. 12.

The Tao Healing Center is located at 1840 W. Chandler Blvd., Chandler.

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December 6 – 19, 2014

51

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December 6 – 19, 2014

Neighbors

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GOLF FROM PAGE 49

and McQueen roads in Chandler. “I could not do it without my partners.”

ForeGolf opened Springfield to the public in 1996 as a partnership headed by Shotton and several other key associates.

Measuring 4,231 yards from the tips with a par of 61, the layout provided players with a great venue and was a shotmakers’ delight.

Shotton divested his stake in the property a few years later to pursue other designs, most notably Apache Creek Golf Club in Apache Junction and Lone Tree Golf Club in Chandler.

Additionally, he founded CC Tractor Works with colleague Cory Prescott in 1998, and the new entity has taken on numerous course reworks and renovations.

Fast forward to 2014: the Springfield Golf Course had fallen into disrepair since Shotton left.

“The course was in really bad shape,” he says. “The range and many fairways were completely bare of grass, the bunkers had grown in, and the look was really disappointing.”

Shotton along with Prescott, Alan and Suzanne Hinners, and Alan’s brother, Jim Hinners, seized the opportunity and bought the property with an eye toward restoring its original luster.

“At one time, Springfield was considered one of the most challenging executive golf courses in the state. We are bringing it back to that quality,” Shotton says.

The results so far have been quite impressive.

LOT OF GREEN: A successful overseeding program got the fairways in excellent condition. Submitted photo

PAR FOR THE COURSE: Restored to its original luster, the Springfield Golf Resort is again considered one of the most challenging executive golf courses in Arizona. Submitted photo

“We have done significant remodels, seeding bare spots, new monument signs, yardage markers, traps recut and cleaned out and rejuvenating the greens,” Shotton says. “The main thing was getting it playable.”

The course has a new feel and playability from the tee boxes to the green complexes, most notably at the eighth hole, a narrow 152-yard, par-3 with a severely sloped putting surface and water to the right.

“This is my favorite hole on the course,” Shotton adds.

Yet the layout was not the only piece of the property that had been improved.

The group’s aggressive renovation also included a complete revamp of the

Eagles Nest Bar and Grill and pro shop.

“Alan and Suzanne manage the grill and they have done a great job of rejuvenating its look and feel,” Shotton says.

A new menu with daily happy hour and specials include a Friday fish fry, Thirsty Thursday and Monday Mayhem hot dogs (named after Shotton’s canine Mayhem).

As owner and general manager, Shotton says his biggest challenge is to get the word out that Springfield is open to the public and the course is returning to form.

“Our overseeding with rye grass was a great success,” he says. “The greens are in better condition than they have been

in years. I credit Cory, who is a great superintendent. Our projects have been successful in large part because of his contributions. The course is set up for a fun and challenging round of golf.”

Springfield’s reemergence also coincides with the golf industry’s move to make the game more affordable and shorter.

“Our rates are great and you can play a round typically in less than three hours,” Shotton said. “This is a tough course.

I challenge anyone to come here and shoot their handicap. You have to golf your ball.”

For more information about the course, visit www.springfieldgolfchandler. com, call (480) 895-0916 or email springfieldteetimes@gmail.com.

Tim J. Randall is a freelancer for the SanTan Sun News. He can be reached at news@santansun.com.

Arizona hero visits Jewish War Veterans Copper State 619 It’s been more than four years since a roadside bomb in Afghanistan nearly killed First Sgt. Cory Remsburg.

Shrapnel from a roadside bomb near Kandahar in Afghanistan left his speech slurred, his right eye blind and his left side partially paralyzed. Remsburg has no memory of what happened.

His father received a call on Oct. 1, 2009.

“It penetrated the brain,” Craig Remsburg says. “It went through the skull of the brain.

It was three and a half months before he came out of a coma. It took probably seven to eight months before he could speak.”

But with those injuries, he’s walking farther unassisted.

He did 10 tours in Iraq and Afghanistan, which was a total of three years and three months of combat. When asked whether

the tougher fight was against the enemy or the battle he’s fighting now against his wounds, Remsburg says “hands down now.”

For the first two years and three months of his recovery, at least one member of his family was with him 24 hours a day, seven days a week. To accomplish that, his step mother had to quit her job.

In February 2010, while recovering from surgery he had a visitor, the President of the United States.

“At that time, I could not tell which way was up,” Cory says.

The president spotted a picture in Cory’s room and realized they had met before at the 65th anniversary of D-Day. Last August, they met for a third time and Cory knew it was the president.

He showed the president he could stand

and, with help, walk across the room. And then at the State of Union Address, Cory stood again and all the leaders of the U.S. government gave him the longest standing ovation anyone can remember.

“Here was this opportunity for everybody to agree on one thing, and that one thing was this wounded warrior in the balcony,” Craig says.

Although he was wounded while serving, he says “in a perfect world, I’d do it all over again. I’d go back if they let me.”

Although the Army pays for Remsburg’s medical bills, it cannot cover all the expenses a family incurs dealing with wounds as severe as his.

After hearing his story, Jared Allen teamed up with Lead the Way Fund Inc. and RIDE 430 Challenge powered by the

ARIZONA HERO: First Sgt. Cory Remsburg stands in front of the crowd with father, Craig, and stepmother, Annie, while visiting Jewish War Veterans Copper State 619. Submitted photo

Free Wheel Foundation, among others, to help raise money and complete the home remodel. The remodel included a walk in pool and a tiki bar.

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Neighbors

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December 6 – 19, 2014

53

FIESTA MEXICANA FROM PAGE 49

from the Woodland Park, Colorado, location to help launch the Chandler restaurant. He says he built a team of excellent employees in Colorado, so the couple wanted him to apply that here.

The décor at Fiesta Mexicana is light, bright and festive. The booths and chairs in the spacious restaurant feature scenes depicting life and love from the owners’ homeland.

“They value authentic Mexican food,” says Zayas of the owners. “They want it to be Fiesta Mexicana—a Mexican party.

They wanted to create an environment that is family friendly, where people can come to eat and have a good time.”

Adding to the festive environment is a mariachi band that performs on Friday and Saturday evenings. The outdoor patio also boasts a large fireplace.

“We have two bartenders and a bar that runs all day long,” Zayas notes. There are a variety of margaritas available including blue agave, strawberry, Midori and house margaritas. That drink can be made with the customer’s choice of tequila.

The menu at Fiesta Mexicana is vast and includes many selections of salads, appetizers, seafood, tostadas, burritos and veggie-only entrées, along with many Mexican specialties. One unique item on the menu is the molcajete, which is big enough for two people to share.

“It’s a huge bowl that has five different kinds of meat,” Zayas explains. “It has pork, beef, chicken and shrimp and on the bottom layer is fish. It comes with rice and beans on the side and it’s good for a

FAMILY FRIENDLY: Manager Pedro Zayas oversees the operation of the newest Fiesta Mexicana restaurant location in Chandler, which is one of nine owned by Martin and Patricia Rangel. STSN photo by Lynette Carrington

couple. It’s traditional Mexican food.”

Daily specials are available as well.

Assistant manager Rodrigo Garcia has been with Fiesta Mexicana for one year and also transferred from Colorado.

“I found out about Fiesta Mexicana in Colorado and worked there for nine months,” states Garcia, who was raised in Casa Grande. “As soon as I heard they were opening in Chandler, I decided to come here.”

Garcia continues, “We have good management and training systems here.

I like to help people and this is a great place for families.” He also mentions that he enjoys the nice weather in the winter

and that he doesn’t really miss the cold weather in Colorado.

Zayas says the restaurant is working to introduce itself to the community.

“I have the feeling that a lot of people don’t know about us or don’t know that we’re here,” Zayas says. “We’re very family oriented. We welcome in the whole family and we want people to come in and enjoy themselves.”

Fiesta Mexicana is taking reservations for holiday parties and special events.

There will be a tequila tasting at Fiesta Mexicana from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 13. Guests will enjoy samples of Casamigos brand tequila. Appetizers and

RAINBOW OF MARGARITAS: The blue agave, strawberry, Midori and house margaritas are created daily by Fiesta Mexicana bartender José Santos. STSN photo by Lynette Carrington

menu items will be available during the tasting.

“There are no tickets needed.

Everyone walks in for free and the tasting will be on the house,” says Zayas.

Happy hour is from 3 p.m. to 8 p.m. daily, with specials on domestic and imported beer, house wine, house margaritas, well drinks and appetizers.

Fiesta Mexicana is located at 4949 S. Alma School Rd., Chandler, with additional locations in Page and Avondale. Visit www. fiestamexicanarestaurants.com for information or call (480) 895-8323.

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

NOW OPEN FOR THE FALL SEASON

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December 6 – 19, 2014

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El Palacio owner/chef impresses at food championships

BY LYNETTE CARRINGTON

El Palacio Mexican Restaurant and Cantina has new bragging rights, courtesy of its owner and executive chef, Anthony Serrano.

Serrano finished second at the World Food Championships, a competition that is a culmination of global cooking contests and brings together hundreds of chefs to compete.

Serrano won a “golden ticket” in September at the Scottsdale Spice culinary event with his award-winning food entry—carnitas street taco made with a citrus-braised pork and spicy slaw.

With that golden ticket, Serrano moved on to the World Food Championships, also known as the Ultimate Food Fight, in Las Vegas Nov. 12 through Nov. 18.

The competition featured nine categories comprised of 500 chef teams.

Serrano competed in the recipe category, which had 45 competitors.

“One of the things they do is they only allow you to participate in just one category, so you have to focus on that,” Serrano explains. “The secret ingredient we had to use throughout was cheese.

Cheese had to be the star of the dish.”

All teams competed in the first two rounds and then the field was whittled down to the top 10 chefs. In the first round, Serrano created “Grate Balls of Risotto,” which landed him in 20th place.

“The risotto balls were stuffed with cheese, then rolled in corn flakes, rolled in cheese again and deep-fried,” Serrano

THE BIG LEAGUES: Chef Anthony Serrano poses with TV’s “MasterChef” first-season winner Whitney Miller and Food Network’s Emily Ellyn. Submitted photo

states. “It was a good little appetizer and it was definitely cheesy and creamy.”

He next moved on to the “Taco ‘Bout Cheese Taco,” a different spin on cheese tacos.

“Instead of using flour corn tortillas, it’s actually a tortilla shell made of cheese,” explains Serrano. “We use parmesan, hard Mexican cheese and a fire pepper jack with habanero and jalapeno in it. We shredded all those cheeses together.”

The cheese mixture was then cut out

using pastry circles and shaped around a taco shell form. The creative shell was stuffed with slow-braised carnitas and queso sauce and topped with corn, black beans, tomatoes and avocado.

His unique taco was presented wedged into the side of a pre-production beer can. Because judging included presentation and taste scores, Serrano shot up to fourth place.

Serrano had a cooking team consisting of his wife, mother-in-law and brother-inlaw, all of whom helped Serrano during the competition.

“In the third round, they added another level of difficulty,” Serrano notes.

“We had to have cheese and potatoes as the star of the dish.”

The final round’s creation was “Cheese-y, Potato-y, Beer-y Soup.” It was comprised of creamy bisque, dubliner cheese, queso fresco, cheddar cheese, Devil’s Ale from SanTan Brewing Company and puréed potatoes.

“My dad has a nice organic garden at our house back home,” Serrano says.

“When I was visiting, he had all these zucchini flowers growing. We cut a bunch of zucchini flowers and we stuffed them with a potato and cheese mixture, rolled the flowers in potato flakes and deep fried that whole thing,” Serrano says.

He then took the fried zucchini flowers and placed them on top of a layer of freshly made potato chips in the soup.

The final culinary effort pushed Serrano into second place and he took

home $5,000. Serrano was only one point behind the winner, Ricardo Heredia from San Diego’s Alchemy Restaurant. Heredia’s winning entry was his bacon tamal with bacon salsa verde dish. Because Serrano finished in the top 10 for the World Food Championships, he is invited to the 2015 event in Kissimmee, Florida.

“In the end, I was happy with every dish we made,” Serrano notes. “I’m sure we could have made some tweaks here and there, but as a whole, we were happy with every dish.”

Serrano’s strong finish in the World Food Championships was a prelude to El Palacio’s five-year anniversary in Chandler, which occurs on Dec. 15. To celebrate, all customers at El Palacio’s Chandler location will receive a 20 percent discount on that day. The cheesy potato beer soup that Serrano prepared in the competition may appear on the menu soon. The beer can tacos will be featured occasionally at beer-pairing dinners at El Palacio. Call the restaurant at (480) 8025770 for a schedule of beer dinners.

El Palacio is located at 2950 E. Germann Rd., Chandler, with additional locations in Bullhead City, Kingman, Laughlin, Mohave Valley and Lake Havasu.

Visit www.epfamilyrestaurants.com for additional information.

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

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Celebrate Rawhide’s Snowy Christmas at Wild Horse Pass Rawhide Western Town and Steakhouse is hosting its second annual Snowy Christmas, where the whole family can enjoy the town decorated with thousands of holiday lights and snow.

Drop off a letter to Santa at Rawhide’s “Delivery to the SW Pole” mailbox. Every kiddo who sends Santa a letter will hear back from Ol’ St. Nick. They can also have their picture with Santa at the Photo Emporium.

The town is open from 12 p.m. to 10 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 6; 12 p.m. to 8 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 7; 5 p.m. to 10 p.m.

Wednesday, Dec. 1, through Friday, Dec 12; 12 p.m. to 10 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 13; 12 p.m. to 8 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 14; 5 p.m. to 10 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 17, through Friday, Dec. 19; 12 p.m. to 10 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 20; 12 p.m. to 8 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 21; 5 p.m. to 10 p.m.

Monday, Dec. 22, through Tuesday, Dec. 23; 12 p.m. to 10 p.m. Friday, Dec. 26, through Saturday, Dec. 27; 12 p.m. to 8 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 28; and 5 p.m. to 10 p.m. Monday, Dec. 29, and Tuesday, Dec. 30.

Looking for unique stocking stuffers or maybe you just have a sweet tooth?

Pick up a couple pounds of homemade fudge or old-fashioned treats from Rawhide’s Sweet Sally’s candy store.

Visitors can buy a pound of fudge and get a half pound free through Tuesday, Dec. 30.

Rawhide Mercantile Rawhide Mercantile is a western lifestyle upscale boutique featuring regional, community and western artists. Here, visitors will find exquisite furnishings, handmade jewelry and brands that are hard to find elsewhere.

From traditional to trendy, Rawhide Mercantile carries a full line of boots, apparel, jewelry, accessories, gifts and home decor. The last-chance holiday sale, featuring 50 percent off select items, is Wednesday, Dec. 17, through Tuesday, Dec. 30.

General Store The Rawhide General Store is hosting holiday specials throughout December, including 25 percent off select items through Sunday, Dec. 14, and a lastchance holiday sale with 50 percent off select items from Wednesday, Dec. 17, through Tuesday, Dec. 30.

Reservations are highly recommended during the holiday season. Reservations can be made at (480) 502-5600 or reso@ rawhide.com.

With the holidays fast approaching, the needs of the homeless and the working poor in Arizona continue to grow. In an effort to alleviate those needs all St. Vincent de Paul thrift stores in the Valley are looking for dedicated volunteers who want to offer a helping hand.

St. Vincent de Paul thrift stores generate needed revenue and funds to support all the programs that the organization provides, including a free medical and dental clinic, more than 80 community pantries and five dining rooms.

“We need volunteers in three main areas,” Director of Retail Operations Ed Dubiel says. “Stores need folks that can test appliances, process clothes and do display and setup of the merchandise.”

During the holiday season, the organization strives to provide resources to ensure families in need get to enjoy the festivities with programs such as, Adopt a Family and extra boxes of food delivered to people’s homes.

“With the help of volunteers, we don’t add cost to processing this merchandise,” Dubiel says. “The idea is that volunteers have the opportunity to help the store bring the cost down so more money can go toward feeding, healing, clothing and housing those we serve.”

In 2013, St. Vincent de Paul thrift stores gave more than $700,000 worth of

VOLUNTEERS: St. Vincent de Paul is seeking volunteers for the holiday season to help test appliances, process clothes and setup displays of merchandise on the sales floor. Submitted photo

clothes and other products to people in need in Arizona.

Individuals who are interested in volunteering should call the store where they would like to volunteer. The manager will then meet with them to see what kind of time availability the volunteer has.

“Of course we want to make it fun for volunteers, so we are very flexible,” Dubiel says. “Our organization would not be what it is without wonderful volunteers willing to give their time to a worthy cause.”

St. Vincent de Paul’s Chandler location is at 2051 N. Arizona Ave. The manager can be reached at (480) 812-1156.

WHERE KIDS EAT FREE 347 Grill Ak-Chin 16000 Maricopa Rd., Maricopa (520) 233-2426, www. ultrastarakchin.com Children ages 6 and younger eat free with paid adult during Sunday brunch. Tuesdays are family night, where all kids 12 and younger eat free with purchase of adult entrée.

Ice cream scoops are $1 in Cones Café.

Apple Dumpling Café 3076 E. Chandler Heights Rd., Suite 101, Gilbert (480) 279-3879, www. appledumplingcafe.com Mondays are family value night, where kids eat free with each adult meal purchase of $6.95 or more.

On family fun night, kids receive free ice cream with a meal. Ice cream happy hour is 3 p.m. to 5 p.m.

Monday through Friday, where kids buy one ice cream or dessert and get one free.

Chompie’s 3481 W. Frye Rd., Chandler (480) 398-3008, www.chompies. com Children 10 and younger receive one free item from the kids’ meal menu with adult meal purchase of $8 or more on Tuesdays. Dine in only.

Connect5 Family Centers 222 E. Warner Rd., Chandler (480) 699-2122

Free kids’ meals with an adult purchase for Munchie Monday Free Lunch from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. and Freebie Friday Free Dinner from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m.

Chandler (480) 812-8433, www.floridinos.net Kids eat free from 4 p.m. to 9 p.m.

Wednesdays. One free kids meal per $8 adult purchase. Dine in only.

(480) 792-6965, www.sidelinesaz. com Kids eat free from kids’ menu after 4 p.m. Thursdays with adult entree.

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Copper Still—Moonshine Grill 2531 S. Gilbert Rd., Suite 101, Gilbert (480) 656-1476, www.

CopperStillMoonshineGrill.com Kids ages 10 and younger eat for free Tuesdays with the purchase of an adult meal.

Nabers Music Bar and Eats 825 N. 54th St., Chandler (480) 705-0288, www.nabersaz.com Kids eat free Mondays and Tuesdays, with the purchase of an adult meal and two beverages. Dine in only.

Dilly’s Deli 2895 S. Alma School Rd., Suite 5, Chandler (480) 722-0645, www.dillysdeli.com Get one free kids’ meal free for each adult meal purchased for $6 or more on weekends.

NYPD Pizza 2580 W. Chandler Blvd., Chandler (480) 722-0898, www.aznypdpizza. com Kids eat for free on Wednesday and Sunday after 4 p.m. with purchase of a small or medium pizza. Dine in only.

Someburros!

3461 W. Frye Rd., Chandler (480) 726-8226 2597 S. Market St., Gilbert (480) 497-8226 1335 E. Baseline Rd., Gilbert (480) 755-8226 www.someburros.com From 4 p.m. to 9 p.m. Tuesdays, kids 12 and younger eat free with purchase of combo or specialty meal. Dine in only.

El Palacio Restaurant and Cantina 2950 E. Germann Rd., Chandler (480) 802-5770, www. epfamilyrestaurants.com Kids 12 and younger eat free with paid adult on Wednesdays.

Fat Willy’s 4850 S. Gilbert Rd., Chandler (480) 883-1356, www.fatwillysaz. com/Chandler From 2 p.m. to 9 p.m. Tuesdays, dine in and get a free kids’ meal with every adult entrée purchased.

Little Leaguers menu only, 12 and younger.

Floridino’s Pizza and Pasta 590 N. Alma School Rd., Suite 35,

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St. Vincent de Paul needs thrift store volunteers

Rawhide Steakhouse

Sweet Sally’s

December 6 – 19, 2014

Pittsburgh Willy’s 48 S. San Marcos Pl., Chandler (480) 821-3197 Every day, except Sunday breakfast, a child age 10 and younger eats free with each paying adult. Additional kids eat for 50 percent off; Wee Willy menu only.

Planet Sub 1920 W. Germann Rd., Chandler (480) 245-6503, www.planetsub. com Kids eat free with paid adult on Mondays.

Sidelines Grill 2980 S. Alma School Rd., Chandler

The Cove Grill 5070 S. Gilbert Rd., Suite 400, Chandler (480) 802-9070, www.thecovegrill. com Kids younger than 12 receive one free meal per adult entrée purchased on Tuesdays. Dine in only.

Uncle Bear’s Grill and Bar 1980 W. Germann Rd., Chandler (480) 722-1555, www. unclebearsgrillandbar.com Kids eat free with each full price entrée purchased on Wednesdays.

Whiskey Rose Bar and Grill 135 W. Ocotillo Rd., Chandler (480) 895-ROSE (7673) Kids eat free Tuesdays and Sundays with purchase of an adult entree.

WHERE KIDS EAT FREE The SanTan Sun News now has a regular “Where kids eat free” section.

Restaurant owners, please email us details such as days of the week kids can eat free at your establishment, and what conditions apply, such as purchase of an adult meal, certain hours, etc., Include your restaurant name, address, phone and website and a contact name for verification.

Readers, if you know of a location that has a kidseat-free program, email us with the restaurant name, a phone and / or email for confirmation and details.

Email information to KidsEatFree@santansun.com.

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Neighbors

December 6 – 19, 2014

www.SanTanSun.com

Fishing at Veterans Oasis Park The Environmental Education Center at Veterans Oasis Park hosted its annual Fall Fishing Clinic and Outdoor Safety Event to offer free information, activities and demonstrations, all focused around the theme of safety. During the clinic, Arizona Game and Fish Department sport fishing instructors provided basic fishing tips and guidance to participants. A limited number of fishing rods and bait were loaned on a first-come, first-served basis. STSN photos by Kimberly Carrillo

GOOD TIMES: Parents helped their children prepare fishing lines.

PASSING KNOWLEDGE: Norman Huckaby teaches Hunter Huckaby about fishing.

LEARNING CURVE: Arizona Game & Fish helpers train families how to properly use fishing poles.

FAMILY FUN: Andy and John Hodges relax and fish.

FISH ON: This man just wanted to relax by the water.

LEARN SURVIVAL SKILLS: Outdoor Adventures is a four-week program for youths to learn survival.

CHILD’S PLAY: Joshua pays close attention how to use a fishing pole.

KNOT HAPPY: Knots come easy to the beginner fishers, so the Arizona Game & Fish helped fix them.

SECRET SPOT: The park had a lot of different coves to explore.