West Valley View North 12 - 11 - 2019 by Times Media Group

Secrecy continues over leaves

BY TOM SCANLON West Valley View Associate Editor

Two months after top leaders at the Goodyear Police Department were placed under scrutiny, administrative leaves continue for the city’s police chief, deputy police chief, an officer and another employee.

Intense secrecy also continues.

Other than an Oct. 7 statement “Chief Jerry Geier and Deputy Chief Justin Hughes were placed on paid administrative leave due to recent allegations of impropriety,” the city refuses to provide details on the actions.

The West Valley View submitted a public records request on Oct. 24, asking for copies of all complaints the city received against Geier and/ or Hughes.

The city responded on Nov. 27. The only complaints attached to the email were filed by Jose Roman against Geier and Hughes.

Roman resigned from the Goodyear Police Department in 2013. In 2015, Ro-

Leave...continued on page 2

Students learn discipline, win trophies

BY OCTAVIO SERRANO West Valley View Staff Writer

Because of its association with street gangs, retired army veteran Johnny Williamson’s parents prohibited him from learning martial arts at a young age.

“I started in junior high because it’s when Bruce Lee came out,” Williamson said. “My father forbade me to do it.”

However, he defied his parents’ orders and continued to delve into the world of martial arts, which lead him to open his own academy in Goodyear years later.

The studio is thriving locally and earning respect outside of Arizona.

At the recent Regional Tang Soo Do Karate Championships in St. George, Utah, Starworld Martial Arts Academy brought home five Grand Championship trophies back to the West Valley.

The martial arts studio owner’s daughter, MoShay Williamson, earned her fifth consecutive Grand Championship title in the 18 to 34 age group. Diana Garcia won her first Grand Championship in the 35 to 49 age group.

In the 14 to 17 age group, Kellicia Taing took her third Grand Championship title in four years. Tylah Stalling and Anthony Lake, both in 13 and under age groups, also won titles.

The students of the Goodyear dojo learned to value the core principles of martial arts which lead them to their victories.

In his dojo, which teaches the art form of Tang Soo Do, Johnny Williamson said the principals he focuses most on are men-

At his Starworld Martial Arts Academy, Johnny Williamson teaches all levels and ages. The conﬁdence he instills is evidenced by students’ numerous championship trophies. (Photos courtesy Starwood Martial Arts) Students...continued on page 3

Top, the Goodyear Police Department has been without two of its top leaders for two months. (West Valley View photo by Tom Scanlon) Left, Santiago Rodriguez, formerly a deputy chief, has been acting police chief since Oct. 7, when Police Chief Jerry Geier and Deputy Chief Justin Hughes were placed on paid administrative leave after “allegations of impropriety,” according to Tammy Vo, a Goodyear spokeswoman. (Photo courtesy city of Goodyear)

man was convicted of molestation and received an 18-year sentence. From prison, Roman filed charges alleging Geier and Hughes improperly handled his case.

In 2018, then-Deputy Chief Santiago Rodriguez sent Roman a letter, stating his complaints were reviewed. “As a result of the inquiry, we have determined Chief of Police Jerry Geier and (then-Sgt.) Justin Hughes performed their duties in a manner which was both lawful and consistent with department policies and procedures,” Rodriguez wrote.

Tammy Vo, a Goodyear spokeswoman, said the Roman complaint is not related to the suspension from duty of Geier and Hughes.

“Other than a complaint filed against Chief Geier - currently under investigation and a complaint against Deputy Chief Hughes - also currently under investigation, there have been no other complaints filed against either,” Vo said.

The West Valley View again asked for details of the complaint which ignited the current investigation. Speaking for the city, Vo again declined.

“We will not be producing any documents in response to your request at this time because the Peace Officers Bill of Rights, which was adopted by the state legislature, protects information about disciplinary investigations of police officers from being disclosed until the investigation has been completed or the employer has discontinued the investigation,” Vo stated in an email.

Asked how long she expected the investigation to last, Vo responded, “I don’t know.

“The city’s intent from the start has been to give the investigators as much time as they need to conduct a thorough investigation,” Vo said.

“We did not put a time limit on it.”

Vo again declined to name the agency investigating Geier and Hughes.

Geier, hired as chief in early 2012, continues to receive his weekly pay of around $3,600 (his annual salary is $187,735).

Rodriguez has been acting chief since Oct. 7.

“As the acting chief, he is fulfilling the chief’s role which includes things like presenting to city council when needed,” Vo said.

She was asked how the department

is doing under the watch of Rodriguez.

“Things are going great,” Vo said. “It’s business as usual.”

The West Valley View requested an interview with Rodriguez (who also goes by the nickname “Jimmy”). As of Monday afternoon, Rodriguez had not responded.

Rodriguez has been with the Goodyear Police Department for more than two decades.

“I began my career as a sworn law enforcement officer at the Goodyear Police Department in 1998 after graduating from the Glendale Community College Law Enforcement Police Academy,” he wrote, in a LinkedIn.com profile.

“During my career, I have served in numerous assignments as a patrol officer, Special Assignments Unit crisis negotiator, traffic motor officer and member of the Vehicular Crimes Unit as a crash reconstruction investigator.”

The other two suspended with pay include Officer Kyle Cluff, hired five years ago, and Susan Petty, listed by the city as the administrative service manager for the Police Department. The two also were placed on admin-

istrative leave “due to additional allegations of wrongdoing,” Vo said, in an October email

“Placing these employees on leave is important in order to provide a neutral environment and support needed while outside counsel reviews the situation. The city of Goodyear values the public’s trust and takes these types of accusations seriously, and is committed to conducting a thorough review.”

Goodyear placed Police Chief Jerry Geier, above, Deputy Chief Justin Hughes and two other police employees on paid administrative leave on Oct. 7. (Photo courtesy city of Goodyear)

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Two recall drives face long odds

BY HOWARD FISCHER Capitol Media Services

Impeachment proceedings of President Trump is generating political ripples here in Arizona.

Two recall drives were launched against members of the state’s congressional delegation.

One by Phoenix resident Peter McMillan, who is seeking a special elec-

tion to oust Democrat Greg Stanton. McMillan specifically cites Stanton’s support for impeachment.

The other, by Leonard Clark, targets Rep. Debbie Lesko (R-08). In his formal filing, Clark cites Lesko’s decision to vote against a rebuke of the president for his decision to withdraw U.S. troops from Syria “and her betrayal of the Kurdish people.’’

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But Clark told Capitol Media Services he also thinks she should be recalled because of her role in crashing the closed-door bipartisan impeachment hearings.

Both efforts face long odds, if there are, in fact, any odds at all. Given the number of signatures necessary to force an election combined with the fact, both sponsors concede they currently have no major source of funding.

merely being symbolic,’’ she said. “We are not aware of any authority on this point.’’

Lesko, in a prepared statement, showed no concern about the recall effort.

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It will take 65,311 valid signatures submitted by Feb. 29, to set an election to recall Stanton, with the number based on a percentage of the turnout in the 2018 election; to seek the recall of Lesko, Clark needs 76,104 names on a petition by Feb. 21.

But here’s the thing: Any election would not take place until next summer, likely long after any conclusion of president impeachment hearings by the house and after the matter goes to trial in the Senate. But both McMillan and Clark said that does not deter them from their efforts.

“I’m doing it in the interest of due process,’’ McMillan said.

“Somebody has to stand up here in Arizona,’’ said Clark.

And it presumes there would even be an election even if both parties reach the required signature goals.

There is no provision in federal law for recall of members of Congress. And federal courts generally have barred states from imposing such requirements.

That means incumbents need not agree to honor the results of a recall.

There is a provision in Arizona law allowing congressional candidates to sign statements they will voluntarily abide by the results of any recall. But neither Stanton nor Lesko signed such a statement when elected.

In fact, Sophia Solis, spokeswoman for Secretary of State Katie Hobbs, said there is no evidence that any of the candidates elected in 2018, submitted such a statement.

Solis said her office will accept a properly filed recall petition with the required number of signatures. That, she said, could lead to a court challenge.

But, absent a ruling by a judge Solis said her agency is in uncharted waters.

“The law is unclear as to whether, in the absence of a challenge, a recall election should be held with the results

“Voters recently elected me four times,’’ she said, referring to her victories in a special primary and general elections in spring of 2018 to replace Trent Franks who had quit, and then again later in the year to win her own two-year term. “I have been working very hard to help my constituents.’’

Her district covers the area from Litchfield Park through Sun City and Peoria up to New River.

There was no immediate response from Stanton whose district runs from central Phoenix through south Scottsdale and Tempe into parts of Mesa, Chandler and Gilbert.

The recall against Stanton was filed slightly more than a month after the congressman, who earlier had supported an inquiry, announced he now is in favor of proceeding with a full-blown impeachment of the president.

“The mountain of credible evidence that the president has engaged in impeachable conduct continues to grow, including his own alarming admissions over the past several days,’’ Stanton said in a Sept. 24 statement, saying that members of Congress have sworn to defend the Constitution against all enemies, foreign and domestic.

“The House now has a duty to move forward with the impeachment of the president,’’ he said. “Failure to act would create a dangerous precedent that is too high a cost for our nation to bear.’’

McMillan said his views about what is going on in Washington have been affected by the writings of Alan Dershowitz, a former Harvard Law School professor, who has opined that the House needs evidence of “high crimes or misdemeanors’’ to proceed with impeachment. More to the point, Dershowitz has questioned whether anything Trump is accused of fits that definition.

“It’s placing the nation in a situation where we could be facing a constitutional crisis,’’ McMillan said. He said the recall petition will help educate the public about those issues.

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Litchﬁeld Park’s Christmas in Park Celebration brings a Hometown Atmosphere to family events

BY LAURA LATZKO West Valley View Staff Writer

A parade, arts and crafts booths, snow, pictures with Santa and choir music help to usher in a small-town feeling for the holidays in Litchfield Park. The city’s annual Christmas in the Park event brings different generations together to celebrate the holidays in both traditional and modern ways.

This year, the family-friendly celebration takes place Dec. 14 and will run along Old Litchfield Road and Wigwam Boulevard.

The event offers a winter wonderland play area including 15 tons of snow, inﬂatable jumphouses, makeand-take crafts, train and pony rides, arts and crafts vendors and, of course, visits with Santa and Mrs. Claus.

Tricia Kramer, special events coordinator for the City of Litchfield Park, said every year, residents of Litchfield Park along with residents in other West Valley cities - anticipate this event.

iday-themed numbers.

The entertainment lineup includes dance groups from the Bravo Dance Family, Ballet Folklorico Esperanza and the Take Five Dance Academy.

Despite how much the event grows year-after-year, it’s an event the city insists maintais the special hometown Christmas feel - making it memorable for every generation in attendence.

“The adults coming feel a sense of nostalgia, and of course, the children are gaining those new experiences,” Kramer added.

Food vendors offer a mix of cuisine, including sugar cookies, barbecue, coffee, samosas, creamery ice cream and chocolate-dipped fruit.

One of the major highlights for the festival, the annual hometown parade will kick off at 10 a.m.

The parade route will move along Old Litchfield Road from Villa Nueva Drive north to the roundabout at Old Litchfield Road and continue west on Wigwam Boulevard to Desert Avenuee, before heading north and dispersing.

This year, the parade grew to 2,000 participants, including walking groups, ﬂoats and vehicle entries.

Around 70 arts and crafts vendors will sell handmade items such as holiday wreaths, books, jewelry and children’s items.

“There’s a lot of great gift-giving items you can see the love and attention to detail the vendors really put into them,” Kramer added.

For many local children, it will be a rare chance to play in snow. An area on Old Litchfield Road will have sections for younger and older children.

For the first time, a NASCAR pace car will be featured in the parade, along with three fire trucks and six marching bands from the Agua Fria Union High School District and from Wigwam Creek Middle School.

The parade also features dignitaries, school groups, dance groups, businesses, nonprofits and scouting troops.

Kramer reported the parade is an annual tradition for many families.

“We get some people who come as we are still doing final setups for the festival early in the morning,” Kramer said. “They start staking out where they want to be set up for the parade.”

Following the parade, Mayor Thomas L. Schoaf will give a special reading of a holiday classic, where children are invited to come onstage.

Throughout the day, local bands, choirs and dance groups perform hol-

During the festival, children can have their pictures taken with Santa and can write letters to Old Saint Nick. Professional photos cost $5 each and this year, parents will have the option of having photos emailed to them.

Inside Santa’s workshop, children can make traditional holiday crafts such as thumbprint snowﬂakes, beaded candy canes or clothespin angels.

Christmas in the Park 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 14. Along Old Litchﬁ eld Road and Wigwam Boulevard, Litchﬁeld Park

623-935-9040

litchﬁeld-park.org/105/Special-Events Free admission, additional fees for pony rides and Santa pictures.

Litchﬁeld Park’s Christmas in the Park celebration includes a community parade scouting groups, marching bands, businesses, dance groups and community organizations. (Photos courtesy city of Litchﬁeld Park)

‘We want Trader Joe’s! We want Trader Joe’s!’

BY TOM SCANLON West Valley View Associate Editor

The residents of Goodyear spoke. The city of Goodyear listened.

The message is clear: “We want Trader Joe’s!”

Surveys the city sent out to residents made it abundantly clear, said Tammy Vo, a Goodyear spokeswoman.

“One thing our residents are most passionate about is having new businesses come to the city,” Vo said. “When we asked them to show what they want, the number one response was Trader Joe’s.

It includes billboards - the first billboard went up Dec. 7 along Interstate 10.

“There’s even a ‘We want Trader Joe’s in the West Valley Facebook page,’ and the people who organized it live in Goodyear.”

The city is not simply listening and giving a condescending nod of the head.

The city of Goodyear is acting, big time.

“We’re launching a ‘We Want Trader Joe’s’ campaign,” Vo said.

Recall...continued from page 4

“We as registered voters need to have an open and honest debate as to what we want our elected representatives to do in our name, or not to do in our name,’’ he said.

McMillan, who said he is a political independent, voted for neither Stanton nor Republican Steve Ferrara last year, saying he just moved into Arizona in 2017 and did not go to the polls in 2018.

Clark finds himself in the same position on the 2018 contest between Lesko and Democrat Hiral Tipirneni. While

While the billboard is a bit vague, there is nothing subtle about an event at 8:45 a.m. Friday, Dec. 13, at the new Circle K on McDowell Road and Pebble Creek Parkway.

Goodyear Mayor Georgia Lord will read an announcement proclaiming “We Want Trader Joe’s Day.”

Trader Joe’s has 503 stores nationwide; TJ lovers around Goodyear drive to Surprise or Glendale, which, Lord said, just isn’t right.

On WWTJD (We Want Trader Joe’s Day), Lord will ask residents to sign a petition asking Trader Joe’s to come to Goodyear.

“We hope to get the attention of Trader Joe’s,” said Vo, chuckling knowingly.

“Our economic development team has been in touch with them to let them know we want them here,” she added.

he is a long-time Arizona resident, Clark said he was living in Prescott at the time; he said he has since moved into Lesko’s district.

But Clark, a registered Democrat, is no stranger to Arizona politics. He is a regular fixture at the Capitol and often testifies on pending legislation.

Three of the four other Democrats in the state’s congressional delegation have said they support proceeding with impeachment: Raul Grijalva, Ruben Gallego and Ann Kirkpatrick. Only Tom O’Halleran has not gone that far, saying only he supports the impeachment inquiry.

Goodyear has launched billboards asking Trader Joe’s to come to town. (Image courtesy of city of Goodyear)

Mayor Georgia Lord (Photo courtesy City of Goodyear)

BY WEST VALLEY VIEW STAFF

The Buckeye Main Street Coalition presents the 16th annual Glow on Monroe electric light parade at 6:30 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 14, in downtown Buckeye. The event is free and travels east along Monroe Avenue from Second Street to Apache Road.

The nighttime parade will feature dazzling displays of holiday lights decorating historic fire trucks, horsedrawn carriages and other vintage vehicles. Local school marching bands are also part of the parade, along with free photos with Santa before and after the parade.

Buckeye Mayor Jackie Meck and

Vice Mayor Eric Orsborn are the parade’s master of ceremonies and will announce each ﬂoat as they cruise by City Hall. From 5 to 9 p.m., kids can “make and take” crafts at the Sixth Street Plaza, across from City Hall, and get pictures taken with Santa after the parade in the gymnasium of Buckeye Elementary School.

16th

City of Tolleson’s Luces de Navidad Street Festival Buckeye lights up with Glow on Monroe

BY WEST VALLEY VIEW STAFF

Admission is free for all activities. Food trucks and craft vendors will be on site.

This year’s event will feature live entertainment by Conjunto Malo, Bar-

The city of Tolleson holds its annual Luces de Navidad Street Festival from 6 p.m. to midnight Friday, Dec. 13, and noon to midnight Saturday, Dec. 15. The street festival will be held in Downtown Tolleson on Van Buren Street between 91st and 94th avenues.

rio Latino, New Frequency band and a special performance by J.R. Gomez Y Los Conjunto Bandits.

The traditional light parade down Van Buren Street begins at 7 p.m. on Saturday.

A Kids’ Zone will feature carnival rides, ice skating rink, face painting, holiday crafts, kids contests and pic-

tures with Santa Claus. Free parking will be available at the northeast and southeast corners of 91st Avenue and Van Buren Street. Van Buren Street will be closed to traffic between 91st and 94th avenues from noon Friday until 5 a.m. on Sunday. For event details and up-to-date happenings visit tollesonaz.org/events.

Buckeye’s

annual Glow on Monroe festival starts at 6:30 p.m. Saturday. (Photos courtesy city of Buckeye)

Top, City of Tolleson employees celebrate the holidays on their festive ﬂoat. Right, The Tolleson Union High School Marching Band’s music resonated throughout the city. (West Valley View ﬁle photos of the 2017 celebrations)

Public services center move to new location

BY OCTAVIO SERRANO West Valley View Staff Writer

Groundbreaking for the $11.7 million Care1st Avondale Resource Center at the Marie Lopez Rogers Complex was Dec. 2.

The center is scheduled to be completed at the end of 2020.

The 25,000-square-foot building is to be constructed at 995 E. Riley Avenue, Avondale. The facility will serve as a centralized location for community ser-

vices.

Care1st Avondale will move operations from its current location at 328 W. Western Avenue to the new complex. The new facility will also house the Avondale Senior Center and operations of the Avondale Neighborhood and Family Services Department, currently located at 1007 S. Third Street.

The complex is named for Marie Lopez Rogers, the daughter of migrant farmworkers in Avondale and a grad-

CHRISTMAS EVE MASSES 4:00 PM, 6:00 PM, 8:00 PM CAROLS AT 10:00 PM, 11:00 PM

CHRISTMAS DAY MASSES 8:00 AM, 10:00 AM,

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uate of Agua Fria High School, who dedicated her professional life to social work before running for Avondale City Council. Her tenure included two terms as mayor, until her retirement in 2014. This year, the Avondale City Council voted to name the new resource complex in her honor.

“The resource center has always been a lifeline for residents in need of assistance,” said Avondale Mayor Kenneth Weise. “It is fitting this new complex is named after Marie, who has been a longtime supporter and advocate for the Avondale community.”

Sheryl Steele, Family Services manager, said Care1st Avondale Resource Center has been in operation since 2009. In 10 years, the center has grown to over 60 partners and a variety of programs. With the center continuing to grow, it was only logical for it to move to a bigger location.

“Last year our city council approved a Continuous Improvement Program funding to approve a building of a new center,” Steele said. “The idea behind it is to combine and have intergenerational services at this building. So, we’ll have families with young children as well as our seniors coming to the same place.”

All services in those programs provide human services at no cost to the residents. Some of the programs the center offers include citizenship classes, parenting classes, literacy classes and services for low-income families. In 2017, the center helped the highest number of people to date with over 70,000 citizens. Last year, the center helped roughly 67,000.

Steele is excited to see what new programs the new facility will allow them

to have.

Steele said the city has been very supportive of the center and they are lucky to be part of a community investing so much in its city.

“It’s not common for cities to be so invested in human services,” Steele said. “We’re very fortunate in Avondale that our council, mayor and city leadership really care about all the members of the community, including those that might have some needs.”

With the availability of additional space at the new building, Steele said the center will be able to increase its number of partners.

“We’re looking to expand and grow exponentially,” Steele said. “With the growth, we can have expansion of new partners. We already have partners who are interested in the center and using space.”

Steele said the reason why the center was able to grow efficiently is because of the help it has received from the community. A multitude of like-minded organizations all willing to provide services for the people of Avondale paved the way to a successful institution.

“The unique blend of partnerships and people coming together,” Steele said. “I think when entities come together and share the same vision, we communicate with one another, we support one another in different endeavors, and I think growth happened because of the wonderful partnerships that began.”

“We’re here to serve everyone and we need to know what our community needs, so we’d like to know what other things we can build now that we have this beautiful building.”

Avondale to break ground on Police Department expansion

BY WEST VALLEY VIEW STAFF

The city of Avondale scheduled a groundbreaking ceremony on a $9.5 million expansion project for the Avondale Police Department.

Construction will expand the current police headquarters facility, adding 14,800-square-feet of space for a modernized property and evidence room to store over 65,000 items of evidence. Funds will also be used to renovate 7,600-square-feet of existing space to include administrative offices and ex-

pand meeting space.

The groundbreaking is set for 9 a.m. Wednesday, Dec. 11. The facility expansion will be added to the current police facility at 11485 W. Civic Center Drive, Avondale. The police administration building will remain in service throughout the construction phase.

Construction by Abacus Project Management, Architekton and Core Construction is scheduled to be completed early 2021.

Alisha Solano named new Water director for city of Buckeye

BY KAYLIN DUNNETT

West Valley View Contributing Writer

Arizona native Alisha Solano knew she wanted to work as a public servant as early as her high school years attending Red Mountain High School.

On Nov. 25, Buckeye named Solano director of the Water Resources Department, further progressing her aspirations.

“Alisha Solano is a great asset to the city of Buckeye and our Water Resources Department,” said Buckeye Mayor Jackie Meck. “She has great vision and the changes she’s implemented so far will continue moving Buckeye in the right direction.”

Solano, born in Mesa, said she first developed an interest in government through Red Mountain High School’s cooperative office education program.

“My senior year, I went to school in the morning, and I worked the afternoon in finance for the city of Mesa,” said Solano.

Solano said her work in finance helped her learn about the city of Mesa, and after graduating with her bachelor’s degree, she applied for a position in solid waste and worked her way up from an administrative assistant in the department to the solid waste administrative in nine years.

Solano went on to work as the deputy for the city of Mesa’s water department for eight years, then worked in Phoenix for four years as the assistant water director before coming to Buckeye.

“(Buckeye) is a young city,” said So-

City of Avondale hires Director of Development & Engineering Services

BY WEST VALLEY VIEW STAFF

The City of Avondale hired Kevin Murphy as its new Director of Development and Engineering Services (DES). Murphy joins the city on Jan. 6, filling a vacancy left by former DES Director, Tracy Stevens, who was recently promoted to Deputy City Manager.

Murphy’s public sector experience spans more than 30 years, including 11 years as Public Works director for Lake Havasu City, where he managed a department of 158 and oversaw a multi-million dollar budget for a variety of capital and infrastructure projects. During the last 11 years, he has managed a civil engineering office that primarily provided engineering for public works related projects.

Murphy holds a bachelor of science degree in Civil Engineering from the University of New Mexico.

lano. “It’s just on the expansion of major growth, so there are a lot of initiatives and opportunities. It’s something I’m very excited to be a part of.”

Solano said her priorities for the water department are establishing water for future growth and development of Buckeye and making changes to the department’s website.

Solano said she is working to make the website an online portal for customers, eliminating the need for in-person interaction and updating the website’s forms.

“We’re looking to make it a onestop-shop,” said Solano of the water department website’s development.

“Kevin joins Avondale at a time of tremendous growth. With so many capital projects in the pipeline, as well as new development, coming to the city, Kevin’s experience will be invaluable in leading the team of professionals in

the Development and Engineering Services Department,” said Avondale City Manager Charles Montoya. The Department of Development and Engineering Services is responsible for land use planning, zoning, transportation, transit, sustainability, engineering plan review, capital improvement projects, code enforcement, building permits and inspections. For more information visit avondaleaz.gov or call 623-333-4000.

Buckeye recently named Alisha Solano its new Water Resource director. (Photo courtesy city of Buckeye)

Kevin Murphy is Avondale’s new Director of Development and Engineering Services. (Photo courtesy city of Avondale)

Pizza plus hockey plus blood donations equals heroes

BY WEST VALLEY VIEW STAFF

Streets of New York is making spirits even brighter this holiday season with a voucher for a free 10-inch pizza for all Valley blood donors through Dec. 31

The pizzeria partnered with Vitalant to help make sure patients across Arizona receive the gift of life for the holidays. Streets of New York is the official pizza for the Arizona Coyotes. As part of the holiday campaign, blood donors will receive a voucher for a free ticket to one of three games – Dec. 19 Minnesota Wild, Jan. 4 Philadelphia Flyers or Jan. 14 San Jose Sharks.

Blood has a shelf life of 42 days, so donors will help save patients throughout the most challenging time of the year to maintain our state’s blood supply. While donors of all blood types are needed, O-negative is always in greatest demand. To make a blood donation appointment, call 877-25-VITAL (877258-4825) or visit BloodHero.com.

Holiday blood donors help Arizona kids like 4-year-old Adelyn who received her 58th blood transfusion on Nov 14. She was born with Diamond Blackfan Anemia, a rare disorder pre-

venting her body from producing red blood cells. Every three to four weeks, she relies on the generosity of blood donors to keep her alive – a need expected to continue the rest of her life. “Adelyn has taught us the importance of donating blood,” said her mother Kami. “We are forever thankful to each and every blood donor.”

At the time of year when Arizona’s patient population is at its highest, blood donations are at the lowest. “We hope to encourage more blood donations while people are focused on the spirit of giving,” said Sid Lewis, senior director of Donor Recruitment for Vitalant’s Southwest Division.

West Valley Donor Centers

Hours: 10 a.m. to 7 p.m., Tuesdays and Wednesdays; 10 a.m. to 5 pm. Thursdays; 7 a.m. to 2 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays.

Glendale: 18583 N. 59th Avenue (59th and Union Hills avenues).

Goodyear: 14270 W. Indian School Road (Indian School and Litchfield roads, closed Fridays).

West Phoenix: 5757 N. Black Canyon

Highway (Bethany Home Road and Interstate 17)

Public

Blood

Drives by City

Avondale

• 7:45-11:45 a.m. and 1:15 - 5:15 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 19, Universal Technical Institute, 10695 W. Pierce Street

El Mirage

• 8 a.m.- noon Saturday, Dec 28, Pueblo El Mirage RV Resort, 11201 N. El Mirage Road

Glendale

• 9:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 15, Our Lady of Perpetual Help, 5614 W. Orangewood Avenue

• 8 a.m.- noon and 6 -10 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 18, Arizona Automotive Institute, 6829 N. 46th Avenue

• 8 a.m. - noon Wednesday, Dec. 18, Peoria Unified School District, 6330 W. Thunderbird Road

• 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 21, Cabela’s, 9380 W. Glendale Avenue

• 7 a.m.-4 p.m. Friday, Dec. 27, Banner Thunderbird Medical Ctr, 5555 W.

Thunderbird Road

Peoria

• 7:30 - 11:30 a.m. Thursday, Dec. 19, the Forum at Desert Harbor, 13840 N. Desert Harbor Drive 7-11 a.m., Saturday, Dec. 21, LDS Peoria North Stake, 22034 N. 83rd Avenue

• 9 a.m.-1 p.m. Monday, Dec. 23, Larry Miller Group, 8665 W. Bell Road

WHAM Art Association’s program, “Art: A Path to Healing,” is free to all veterans and targeted at veterans with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. This vital program is one of hundreds supported by tribal gaming funds. For over 20 years, Arizona tribes have contributed more than $1.5 billion for public programs statewide.

Blood donors help Arizona kids like 4-year-old Adelyn who received her 58th blood transfusion on Nov 14. (Photo courtesy Vitalant)

OUR READERS’ VIEWPOINTS

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

IDs not required

Editor:

Is it truly needful to require IDs from everyone all the time? Is it essential to society’s well-being to have IDs that are more expensive, more difficult to obtain, and more revealing of a person’s unique body makeup and personal history?

Starting in October, a standard ID is not valid to board an airplane. Instead, a federal REAL-ID – which 99 million Americans lack – is required. IDs aren’t just for driving, cigarettes, and alcohol. Want to open a bank account, apply for food stamps, get a job, return an item to Home Depot, rent an apartment, stay in a hotel room, pick up a prescription, or vote at the polls? You need an ID.

Such laws and policies make for a burdensome society, especially for the young, elderly, and poor. I personally know people who have had all their IDs lost or stolen, which resulted in their becoming homeless and jobless. When an ID is required to get an ID, a vicious cycle sets in, prohibiting upward mobility.

Legally, the right to privacy and the right to not be systematically discriminated against for lack of an ID are two axiomatic rights held by the people, and such non-enumerated rights are protected by the 9th amendment of the Constitution.

Len Schulwitz Goodyear

Bueller? Bueller?

Editor:

I love my country. I respect our laws and our culture which made the U.S. the envy of the world. I am particularly pained to witness the current abuse of power being exercised by the socialists currently in power in the House of Representatives which amounts to a partisan coup d’etat’ masquerading as an impeachment trial.

We should all ask ourselves if we would be content to be accused and tried on hearsay evidence. Well, would

you, dear reader? Of course, you wouldn’t. And while I agree with the President of the United States is not above the law he surely isn’t beneath it either, unless of course, he has the audacity to be duly elected against the wishes of the socialist elites and complicit mass media.

I find the first week of impeachment hearsay testimony strangely reminiscent of Simone’s witness of Ferris Bueller’s whereabouts and condition:

“My best friend’s sister’s boyfriend’s brother’s girlfriend heard from this guy who knows this kid who’s going with a girl who saw Ferris pass out at 31 Flavors last night.”

My fellow conservatives and classic JFK Liberal friends, this abuse of power should horrify us all and must stop. Otherwise, as Ethiopian leader Haile Selassie put it during WWII, “it is us today. It will be you tomorrow.”

Jason Russell Goodyear

Needing help

Editor:

We, the community of Cashion, need the help of our Avondale Police Department and the Avondale City Council to stop the thefts and burglaries in our homes.

We have documentation of the many thefts and burglaries that have happened in our area for these past years. We also need help in the rehabilitation of drug addicts through voluntary health programs as they pose a threat to our community while they roam the streets at night.

We do have meetings once a month with two individuals that come from the city of Avondale with a program to listen to our needs and complaints, but it is a very slow process to address these two problems.

We, the community of Cashion, are tired, desperate, aggravated and afraid of these situations happening in our beloved community.

Jose Roberto Garcia Avondale

JUDGE'S OPINION — Kings Features

Time to change?

Editor:

I agree with Vickie Chelini of Buckeye in her letter Dec. 4 that sometimes we need to change political parties. I changed from Democrat to Republican in 1980 when Reagan was running for president.

Best move I ever made.

Even Reagan changed parties in 1962 from Democrat to Republican. He turned out to be the best president since Lincoln. Wild horses can’t make me go back to the Democrat party. Especially since the Democrat party now stands for witch-hunting, obstruction of work for the American people, three years of made up lies and choreographed dirt-digging and scams to impeach a duly-elected president from the second he took his oath of office. This is even after he managed to revive the economy and unemployment to statistics unimaginable.

The Democrats absolutely don’t want the “swamp” drained even one drop. They prefer the corruption in America’s government to be greater than Ukraine’s. If you want your kids & grandkids to live in Venezuela’s economy which will be the future of America if the Democrats

manage to impeach President Trump on scam charges that they choreograph for their hearings in the closed-door meetings with not an inkling of transparency, then vote for a Democrat.

James Logan Buckeye

Bad streets

Editor:

Avondale has done it again. They started to fix our streets and did the usual half-baked job and called it done.

They sprayed some oil which removed all street markings and never came back. Then on the east side of the Agua Fria river, they chipped sealed the streets. Oh, and they did chip seal and put markings on Riley Drive right in front of the high school.

The reason I am so upset is I almost t-boned a car backing out of a driveway on Fourth Street on Dec. 4. They didn’t look and I slammed on my brakes but because the street was wet and there was little traction because the street had been sprayed with oil But not chipped sealed. I slid. I was going slow and could stop. Someone

You’ll be happier living your gifts, not your dreams

BY DAVID LEIBOWITZ West Valley ViewColumnist

Most times when you go to a concert, it’s the music you remember. With that said, it’s been a month since I saw Post Malone play in Glendale and still find myself pondering his parting message to his fans.

I’ll have to paraphrase a bit since the hip-hop pop-rapper favors saltier language than my editors will allow.

The gist: “Do what you want! Don’t let anybody tell you can’t do $#*ing something or tell you what you can $#*ing be. Live your $#*ing dreams.”

Given that “Posty,” born Austin Richard Post, owns the top-ranked album of 2019 with “Hollywood’s Bleeding” and that his music has been streamed more than 6.5 billion times this year on Spotify, this philosophy appears to have worked out pretty well for him – at least to the ripe old age of 24.

But is it good advice? That’s what I’ve wondered for weeks.

Have to say, I don’t think so – though the concept of living your dreams has launched a million self-help books and,

Letters...continued from page 13

would have gotten sued and it wouldn’t have been me. City neglect.

Lynda Fiorini Avondale

Amazed

Editor: Seriously?

It’s amazing how time after time supporters of Trump say how the impeachment proceeds are nothing but a sham

more recently, a few zillion social media posts and hashtags.

All around us all the time you bump into people who describe their new job, new business or their kid’s next JV basketball game as the pursuit of destiny, a desire burning in them like a cauldron.

They’re “on their grind,” #hustling, forever busy “living the dream.”

So busy that they never appear to notice something else essential to success:

When I was a kid, my dream was to play NBA basketball like my idol, Julius “Doctor J” Erving. I’d clear snow off the playground to shoot jump shots in winter and dribble and work on moves to the hoop for hours.

Somewhere around age 15, I realized that at a shade over 5-foot-10, my NBA prospects were limited.

David Leibowitz. (Photo courtesy Advisor Group)

Having talent and skill also plays a role in achieving your dreams, alongside passion and desire.

Maybe that sounds like a killjoy way of looking at things, but with all due respect to Post Malone, I don’t think telling a kid who can’t sing that he can be a rock star is doing him or her any favors.

Then again, people love Bob Dylan’s voice, so I suppose there’s always a chance, however infinitesimal it may be.

and disgraceful. Seriously?

Republicans know if this were a Democrat, they would be doing exactly the same thing. Trump has divided our country in such a way that people have lost their sensibilities.

If you would do things differently to another party than you would your own, then you are being dishonest. You are not looking out for our country, you are looking out for your party. That’s being partisan and self-serving, not patriotic.

Mike Getz Goodyear

A few years later, my parents, teachers and professors helped me understand that my gifts involved words and stories.

In this way, a journalist and communications consultant was born.

Point being, I was never going to fly to the rim like Julius or become a point guard like Steve Nash. Would pushing me to try regardless have been doing me a favor? I think not.

Instead of living your dreams, I’d like to advocate for living your gifts. Maybe your child has a unique ability to connect with people emotionally and empathize with their troubles.

Encourage them to become a doctor, a nurse, a therapist. Maybe you hate your retail job today, but you have a passion for tinkering and the ability to see how pieces and parts fit together.

Great.

Start that side business as a handyman or assembling Amazon orders. Maybe you dream of seeing far off places. Learn to save money and then by all means go.

Of course, this sounds like much less fun than your average Post Malone lyric. Like this chorus from “I’m Gonna Be”: “So I’m gonna be what I want, what I want, what I want, yeah/I’m gonna do what I want, when I want, when I want, yeah.”

The dude brought 15,000 screaming fans to Glendale. Meanwhile, no one came out to see Post Leibo. So maybe my practical vision is all wrong. But I think not.

David Leibowitz has called the Valley home since 1995. Contact david@ leibowitzsolo.com

How to get a letter published

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The West Valley View welcomes letters that express readers’ opinion on current topics. Letters must include the writer’s full name, address (including city) and telephone number. The West Valley View will print the writer’s name and city of residence only. Letters without the requisite identifying information will not be published. Letters are published in the order received, and they are subject to editing. The West Valley View will not publish consumer complaints, form letters, clippings from other publications or poetry. Letters’ authors, not the View, are responsible for the “facts” presented in letters. We will not print personal attacks or hateful language. Lengthy letters will be edited for space and grammar. Please do not submit multiple letters on the same topic.

Cancer cures may already exist — but won’t reach patients if drug bill passes

BY PETER J. PITTS Guest Writer

House Democrats recently unveiled H.R. 3, a proposal would impose ill-considered price controls on prescription drugs.

Patient advocates immediately panned the bill, warning it would deter medical research and prevent scientists from developing future treatments and cures.

They’re right -- but they’re understating the bill’s harmful effects. The legislation could stifle ongoing “post-approval” research into existing treatments already on the market. It would prevent scientists from refining current drug formulas to make them safer or testing medicines in broader patient populations.

In other words, cures for certain types of cancer and other chronic conditions may already exist -- but they won’t reach patients if H.R. 3 becomes law. Consider how the drug development

process works. When scientists discover a promising compound, they conduct years of lab tests and animal studies. The majority of potential medicines fail in this preclinical trial phase -- only one in 1,000 compounds shows enough promise to merit further testing.

Scientists typically conduct “phase I” clinical trials on healthy humans to confirm a medicine’s safety. If the compound proves broadly safe, scientists move on to “phase II” trials in dozens or hundreds of sick patients.

More typically, the FDA requires researchers to prove a drug’s safety and efficacy in “phase III” trials, which usually involve hundreds or thousands of sick patients. Drug companies then submit their testing data to the FDA for review.

This process takes a decade or more and it’s fraught with failure. Only 12 percent of experimental medicines entering phase I trials ultimately win FDA approval. After accounting for this high failure rate, it costs $2.6 bil-

lion, on average, to bring a new medicine to market.

The research process doesn’t end there. Companies often conduct extensive post-approval trials to monitor patients for long term effects.

Innovators also test whether their medicines can effectively treat other, related diseases. Consider the drug Lynparza, which the FDA approved in 2017 to treat certain types of ovarian, fallopian tube, and primary peritoneal cancers. The manufacturer conducted post-approval research, which led to the FDA approving Lynparza for certain forms of breast cancer.

Follow-on research isn’t cheap. It adds $300 million, on average, to the drug’s R&D cost.

H.R. 3 would discourage such research. The bill imposes steep penalties on companies raising a medicine’s price faster than inflation. The legislation would prevent companies from updating their prices -- even if the new

indication is highly valued by patients and the healthcare system.

If the House bill makes it harder to recoup the cost of follow-on research, companies won’t make those investments in the first place. Why bother looking for new uses if these post-approval discoveries won’t deliver a financial return?

But what makes the policy even less defensible is it would do nothing to reduce patients’ actual pharmacy bills. The proceeds from the inflation penalty would go directly into the government’s coffers.

Simply put, patients would lose out on valuable medical discoveries while deriving no benefits in return. It’s not what Americans had in mind when they demanded drug-pricing reform.

Peter J. Pitts, a former FDA Associate Commissioner, is president of the Center for Medicine in the Public Interest.

Discover a new Christmas Tradition

BY DONALD WATTS Guest Writer

The Christmas season is my favorite time of the year, probably because of the traditions. Traditions such as Christmas music and colorful decorations make everything a little brighter I think it also makes people a little happier.

All over the world, one can find interesting Christmas traditions. In Australia, “Krampus” visits the towns along with Santa. The Japanese enjoy dinner from KFC. In Norway, many hide their brooms before going to bed. In Germany, Nikolaus (German spelling) travels around on a donkey.

When I look back on my childhood, Christmas was my favorite time of year, not because of the presents but, because of the family traditions. As an example for many years each of us kids made our own ornaments, many of which I still have.

Like many homes in the country, we have many Christmas traditions; a decorated tree, a gift exchange, eggnog, Kathy even decorates our house with

25 Santas and then decorates our piano with a tiny snowy village complete with a frozen lake made from tin foil.

My favorite Santa was given to me years ago by my grandmother, before she passed. This Santa has decorated a “Watts home” for 66 years. Did you

know in 1951, (when this Santa was purchased) Santa did not wear a red jacket and black belt, he wore a gold jacket and white belt?

When my kids were young I would wrap their presents in newspaper to save money. For special presents I would wrap them with the comic section so it would be colorful. Years later, I did not need to be as concerned with a budget and I stopped doing this. My kids insisted I go back to wrapping them in newspaper, a tradition was born.

Another tradition in my family is hanging stockings on the banister in our home, trimmed with garland. This year, we have 32 stockings one for each member of our immediate family

which includes one for our dog (Alley). Each year Santa fills them with homemade cookies and other small gifts. The grandkids get more excited about the stockings than any other single gift. LESSON FROM THE BENCH: This year start or add a family tradition. Also, from my family to yours have a very Merry Christmas and for my Jewish friends Happy Hanukkah. I hope your holidays are filled with many family traditions, joy, happiness and eggnog.

Donald Watts is the Manistee Precinct judge of the Maricopa County Justice Court in Arizona. His web page is donaldwatts.Info

Judge Donald Watts. (Photo courtesy Maricopa County Justice Court)

Business Briefcase

BY TOM SCANLON West Valley View Associate Editor

Visiting relatives who stay a little too long and/or take up too much space?

Send them down the road …

Welcome to the neighborhood, Residence Inn Marriott Avondale

Check out the new hotel at a grand opening/ribbon-cutting 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 18, with food, drinks and entertainment.

The pitch: “We are conveniently located off I-10, in Avondale, near Goodyear, Litchfield Park, Glendale, Tolleson and Buckeye. Whether you’re in town to catch a ball game at Goodyear Ballpark, Camelback Ranch, or visiting Luke Air Force Base, you will enjoy your stay with us. Our spacious studio, one- and two-bedroom suites with separate living, dining, sleeping areas and fully equipped kitchens are ready to welcome you.”

Free breakfast and evening mixer, plus a fitness room.

And here’s a fairly new idea: “We offer a complimentary grocery delivery service to all guests along with free internet for connecting to the outside world.”

The new Residence Inn Marriott is at 11465 West Hilton Way, Avondale. For information, call 623-666-6390.

Another new hotel, another ribbon-cutting:

Tolleson’s Fairﬁeld by Marriott Inn & Suites has a launch party at 5:15 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 11, at 9033 W. McDowell Road.

According to a press release, Fairfield by Marriott Tolleson has 116 rooms and “is a truly stunning example of the brand’s contemporary look and feel.”

The hotel features an outdoor swimming pool, fitness center, valet laundry service, complimentary Wi-Fi, business services and 536 square feet of meeting space to accommodate functions of up to 10 people.

Someone needs to open a ribbon store around here.

After a ribbon-cutting Monday, Dec. 9 at Cheddars Scratch Kitchen (15030 W. McDowell Road, Goodyear), the Southwest Valley Chamber of Commerce has another one in the neighborhood at 9:30 a.m. Thursday, Dec. 12, at the Navy Federal Credit Union, 15420 W. McDowell Road, Goodyear.

It’s followed by yet another launch party at noon Friday, Dec. 13, for Hacienda Del Rey, 12917 W. La Cruces Drive, Litchfield Park.

This is a state-of-the-art facility for older folks.

According to its website at mbkseniorliving.com:

“Hacienda Del Rey is a warm, inviting community providing a service-enriched lifestyle and high-quality care in a comfortable, family-like setting. We are conveniently located close to shops, restaurants, a multitude of recreational opportunities, and excellent medical services in the sunny Phoenix suburb near Goodyear and Avondale.”

The new senior home has a variety of options for aging gracefully: “Our unique, cottage-style setting allows

us to provide the highest levels of assisted living care for our residents.

“Whether you enjoy one of our gracious assisted living homes or require the support of our specialized memory care neighborhood, Connections for Living by

MBK, our team of dedicated associates is committed to enriching your life and providing a warm, friendly environment with the finest services and amenities and the most attentive support and care – everything to make you feel at home here.”

Residence Inn Marriott Avondale, Fairﬁeld by Marriott Inn & Suites, left, and Hacienda Del Rey senior-living community, right, are two businesses celebrating grand openings this week. (Photos provided)

BY JOHN CROW

Guest Writer

The holidays are upon us. That magical time of year when family, food, charity and goodwill change us as individuals and communities. That moment in time where an extra traffic light, or a long line, is just an opportunity to listen to Bing Crosby belt out the single best rendition of “White Christmas” ever recorded.

It’s also the time of year where home sellers face a quandary. Do I list my property now, or wait until the New Year?

in activity. A change in job, relationship status, personal finance, or just a good old fashioned itch to start a new life can necessitate a move.

The simple answer is - wait.

The market historically softens around the holidays, there are fewer active buyers and coordinating showings around travel, house guests and holiday parties can add stress to an already stressful time. Ahhh, but nothing in real estate is simple.

Some sellers don’t have the luxury of waiting for the predictable spring spike

Often these sellers need to get the property on the market and sold as soon as possible. In a normal market cycle, this could pose a big problem. If a property is listed in December and doesn’t sell, the days on market could stigmatize the property and lead to a less desirable sales price.

But not to worry, this is no normal market cycle.

The economy is roaring. New jobs and new people are moving to the Valley at a feverish pace. Interest rates are near historic lows. In spite of nearly a decade of year-over-year price increases, home affordability is still among the best in the country. Meanwhile, new home construction is simply not keeping pace with demand.

As such, home inventory is critically low and buyer demand is through the

chimney.

If you’re a visual person check out a graphic from my friends at the Cromford Report. It’s showing listings were down 21% last month and prices were up 8%. The trend will continue in December.

The bottom line is this: If you can wait until the spring, do it.

Your home value could move up another 3% by March so enjoy the presents and the egg nog and sell it when the credit card bill comes due.

However, If you need to sell your home now, don’t stress, put it on the market.

If the home is move-in ready and priced at market value, Santa will bring you a buyer by Christmas.

West Valley real estate professional John Crow is the CEO of Centurion Investments Corporation, a leading integrated provider of residential and commercial real estate and marketing services delivered through brands Century 21 Northwest

Realty, Century 21 Commercial, Fix My House General Contracting and Striventa. Call him at 623.556.6170 or email john@thelocationpro.com

John Crow. (Photo courtesy Centurion Investments)

Woman inspires dog outreach by Papa John’s

BY KRISTINE CANNON West

In July, a New Jersey pizzeria went viral for inviting its surrounding community to leave “lost dog” ﬂyers at their restaurant to attach to their pizza box lids.

For no charge, the pizzeria distributed the ﬂyers with every pizza they delivered.

That act inspired southern Scottsdale resident Marika Meeks to reach out to Papa John’s.

Meeks thought, instead of slapping “lost dog” ﬂyers onto pizza boxes, why not attach “home wanted” box-toppers featuring an adoptable dog, encouraging residents to adopt?

“I couldn’t stop thinking about it and how we could use it to help rescue dogs get into homes. Then it hit me: We could feature local dogs in need of their own ‘furever’ home and I created a ﬂyer and presented the idea,” Meeks said.

The idea appealed to Lance Stafko, Papa John’s franchise owner and operating partner of Round Rock AZ – which owns and manages franchise locations in Phoenix, Oklahoma City and Denver.

“The franchise owner of Papa John’s Pizza loves dogs and thought it was a great way to help,” Meeks said. The box-toppers will be featured at a total of 36 Valley Papa John’s locations, including pizza shops in Buckeye, Laveen, Surprise, Goodyear, Peoria and Glendale.

In addition to featuring a photo and age of an adoptable dog in the Valley, the box-toppers also invite customers to text the word “dog” to 33777 to receive even more information on a dog, including photos, videos and adoption application information.

The box-toppers also include a 30 percent off coupon the customer can use on his or her next online Papa John’s order. Stafko and his wife have two dogs of their own, so they were sold on the idea.

“We are devoted to our dogs and are excited to have an opportunity to help amazing dogs find great homes and to be partnering with Incredibull Stella,” Lasko said.

Meeks rescued Stella when she was diagnosed with Stage 3 breast cancer at the age of 41. A survivor, Meeks went on to launch Stella’s Instagram page in 2017 and now has more than 69,000 followers.

Meeks also created a nonprofit called Incredibull Stella, named after her pit bull, Stella.

The nonprofit is not only an advocate for pit bull breed awareness, but it also supports rescue and adoption shelters, promotes spay/neuter initiatives, and rescues and fosters puppies and adult dogs until a “forever family” can be found.

This isn’t the first time Papa John’s has supported Meeks and the Incredibull Stella nonprofit’s efforts.

On a Nov. 9 adoption event at Maricopa County Animal Care & Control, Papa John’s fed volunteers with donated pizzas.

In 2018 alone, Maricopa County Animal Care & Control brought in more than 26,000 dogs, of which 29 percent were returned to the owner, leaving more than 22,000 dogs in need of homes.

Valley rescues and shelters would like to take part in the program and feature their own adoptable dogs can email crew@incredibullstella.com. Information: incredibullstella.com

Valley View Staff Writer

Marika Meeks teamed up with Papa John’s to feature “home wanted” box-toppers on pizza boxes. These box-toppers will feature an adoptable dog from a Valley rescue or shelter. (Photo courtesy Incredibull Stella)

Christine M. Faith, Jason S. Treguboff, Edwin R. Ashton, David E. Ledyard, Paul J. Faith, Michael P. Faith, Barry M. Aylstock, Jonathan M. Carlson

Desert Edge High School football team comes up short in thriller

BY ERIC NEWMAN West Valley View Staff Writer

The Desert Edge Scorpions, despite a 28-23 loss to Mesquite in the 4A football championship game on Friday, have a lot to be proud of this season.

A young squad, especially on defense, battled back from a 16-point deﬁcit and even held a lead in the fourth quarter before the Wildcats drove and ultimately took the championship.

The Scorpions got down early and still managed a late comeback was inspiring to the team’s staff.

“They never quit. Everybody stayed the course, when some other teams might have given up, they kept battling and were in it all the way,” said Jose Lucero, the Desert Edge coach.

Mesquite led the whole game until midway through the fourth quarter. The Wildcats came out hot on offense, scoring two touchdowns and a field goal on their first three offensive drives. The biggest play of the first half came on a 44-yard touchdown reception by Jacob Walker on just the team’s second offensive snap of the evening.

The Wildcats forced three stops on fourth downs and went into halftime ahead, 16-3.

Thompson led the Wildcats down the ﬁeld in just 26 seconds. His third touchdown pass of the night, a 33-yarder to Michael Sterling with 2:00 remaining, gave them the lead — once again.

Then, after a couple Scorpion offensive plays to try and win the game, with just over a minute left in regulation, Lara threw a high pass Mesquite defensive back Jordan Wollangk got under and made a play on.

He picked the ball off and the Wildcats were able to run out the game clock to secure the championship.

With sophomore quarterback Adryan Lara coming off a breakout season, the Scorpions will be considered contenders going into next year. This season’s 10-4 team can take pride in a near-title run.

“We’re going to take a little bit of time, let things sink in and celebrate the seniors and the great ride this season has been,” Lucero said.

But then Desert Edge tightened its defense and executed pass plays more efficiently. A 51-yard touchdown pass to senior Jihad Marks, on the first play of the fourth quarter, followed by a short touchdown run on the next drive - the Scorpions took their first lead of the game with 6:59 remaining on the clock.

The Scorpions intercepted a pass on the ensuing defensive possession and tried to run the clock out. However, they turned the ball over on fourth down with 2:26 remaining in the game.

Junior quarterback Ty

Sophomore quarterback Adryan Lara had a breakout season for Desert Ridge; he is pictured looking to pass in the championship game. (WVV Photo by Eric Newman)

Junior Mike Ortiz runs in space in the Scorpions’ 28-23 loss to Mesquite in the 4A football title game (WVV Photo by Eric Newman)

Millennium swimmer qualiﬁes for Olympic Trials

BY GRIFFIN FABITS West Valley View Contributing Writer

By the time Kennedy Noble steps on to the Millennium High School campus for her ﬁrst day of her junior year next August, she will be returning from the chance almost every young swimmer dreams about.

Noble will be competing at the 2020 USA Swimming Olympic Team Trials, held in June in Omaha, Nebraska. This is the event she grew up idolizing. Watching the reactions of the swimmers who achieved their dreams of qualifying for the Olympics was captivating. She made it a point to never miss it.

At the next trials, just weeks after Noble completes her sophomore year, she will have a chance to qualify for the 2020 Olympics. And she’ll do so against swimmers she grew up admiring.

“I actually cannot believe I’m going,” she said. “It’s really hard to get nervous or excited about it because I don’t believe I’m going.”

She’s not sure when exactly the reality of this will hit her. “Maybe afterward,” she laughed, “or maybe when I get there.”

Noble qualiﬁed for the Olympic Trials through a different set of qualiﬁers months ago. She will appear in two races in Omaha, the 100-meter and 200-meter backstroke. She is working on becoming eligible for more.

Realistically, Noble acknowledges, her best chance at cracking the Olympic team looks more likely to happen in 2024 or 2028 rather than the summer of 2020. But as a 16-year-old high school sophomore, Noble isn't concerned about making it to the Olympics just yet, after all, it's only four years into her competitive swimming career and she knows she will be there soon enough. To qualify for the 2020 Olympics, she must ﬁnish ﬁrst or second in any individual event she competes in.

“I’m using the 2020 Olympic Trials as a learning experience so I’m ready for the next eight years,” she said.

Perhaps no better learning experience than what Noble experienced in October, when she was selected as one of the 48 high school girls, from across the country, to be named for the USA Swimming’s National Select Camp.

The camp, a four-day stay at the Olympic Training Facility in Colorado Springs, served as a foreword of what to expect in Omaha next June.

Noble and the other participants were briefed on the daily routine of the National Team. They also practiced using the camp’s facilities and spoke with “top professionals about postrace recovery, psychological training skills, nutrition and stroke technique,” according to an email from Shelby Tuttle, director of Communications at Valley of the Sun YMCA and the home of Noble’s club swim team, the Westside Silver Fins.

“It was actually so amazing,” Noble said. “It was really cool because I got a good overview of what it’d be like if I made the Junior National Team or the National Team.”

The camp drilled the importance of uniting as one into the minds of the young swimmers, emphasizing how to create a team-ﬁrst culture. Four dozen girls came in as complete strangers, the only commonality being their talents inside the pool.

And they left Colorado Springs as “sisters,” Noble said, still keeping in touch to this day.

“We stayed up every night in our dorm rooms at, like midnight, because we were so excited to tell our stories and our journeys about swim and what our lives are like in our hometowns and everything. It was so amazing to share it with other people.”

Despite the whirlwind of a year it’s been, from an Olympic Trial qualiﬁcation to an invitation to the National Select Camp, Noble said she’s learned to balance it all with fun.

In just her second season at Millennium, Noble put on a clinic at the 2019 Division II State Swim Meet. She took ﬁrst place in both the 100m backstroke and the 200m individual medley. She ﬁnished 5 seconds ahead of the second-place swimmer in the 200m IM.

“I think it went really well,” she said, a humble deﬂection.

Darian Townsend, Noble’s club coach, is a three-time Olympian swimmer who won a gold medal (2004 freestyle relay team).

“He has so much experience in this kind of stuff,” Noble said. “Just ﬁnding strategies or superstitions, almost, to make sure your mind is in the right place so you’re not freaking out. Think of these competitions of normal ones we do at home.”

One pointer from teacher to student: Chat with your competitors. They’ll appear less frightening, less intimidating, more human-like.

It’s worked in the past for Noble, so she’ll give it a whirl at the Olympic-level, against some of the swimmers she’s watched for years.

“The nerves will die down just because you’ve talked to them and you know, it’s, ‘Hey, you’re actually pretty friendly.’ They’re not mean, scary people.”

Noble wants to be a normal high school kid. Some of her closest friends have don't hav a clue about her swimming career, and that’s by design, she said. She doesn’t want any sort of special treatment just because she’s a talented swimmer.

“I don’t necessarily like everyone looking at me and that kind of stuff,

which I know could happen. I want to be just a normal person at home and at school.”

Kennedy Noble has been racking up ﬁrst-place ﬁnishes, ribbons and medals on her way to qualifying for the Olympic Trials. (Photo courtesy Kennedy Noble)

noon at the Litchﬁeld Park Branch Library, 101 W. Wigwam Boulevard. For information, call 602-652-3000.

Cody’s Reading Pack (Ages 5+)

Road. This service will be available until the end of January 2020. For information, call 623-333-4402.

Friday

e West Valley View publishes on Wednesday. e 9 Days a Week calendar — a listing of entertainment events such as concerts, theatrical performances, events for schools, churches, county parks and nonproﬁt groups — runs every issue. Events must be open to the public to be considered and generally must be held within the View’s coverage area, which is south of Northern Avenue, west of Loop 101, plus all of Tolleson, extending to Estrella in the south and Tonopah in the west. Events such as concerts and theatrical performances that fall outside the View’s circulation area will be considered because there are no concert halls or theater venues within our boundaries.

9 Days a Week calendar items print on a space-available basis. e only way to guarantee that an item will print is to purchase an advertisement.

Submissions must reach our oﬃce by 4 p.m. Wednesday to be considered for the following Wednesday publication. Submissions must be in writing and may be emailed to Rachel Hagerman, rhagerman@timespublications.com or faxed to 623-935-2103.

Wednesday DECEMBER

11

The Litchﬁeld Park Historical Society Museum

Visit the Litchﬁeld Park Historical Society Wednesdays through Fridays from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Admission is free and docents are available to provide a tour. The museum is located at 13912 W. Camelback Road. For large groups, please call 623-535-4414 or email o ce@ lphsmuseum.org to request a special day and time. For information, visit lphsmuseum.org.

Junior Book Club (Ages 8-12)

Children are encouraged to read a book each month before joining Lila for a book discussion and activities from 3:30 to 4:30 p.m. at the Tolleson Public Library, 9555 W. Van Buren Street. Free. For information, call 623-936-2746.

Play Time

Sam Garcia Western Avenue Library hosts a weekly open-play group at 495 E. Western Avenue, Avondale, at 11 a.m. for children through age 5. Free. For information, call 623-333-2601.

Care1st Avondale Resource Center Food Service

Care1st Avondale Resource Center

will host Kids Cafe, a program to help children in low-income areas receive nutritious meals, through May 21. Children up to age 18 can enjoy a free, healthy meal from 4 to 6 p.m. Mondays through Thursdays at 328 W. Western Avenue. The free dinners are served on a ﬁrst-come, ﬁrst-served basis. For information, call 623-333-2703.

Thursday

12

Al-Anon Stepping Stones

The Christ Presbyterian Church at 925 N. Sarival Avenue, Goodyear, hosts a weekly Al-Anon meeting at 7 p.m. Al-Anon seeks to support the friends and families of alcoholics. Free. For information, call 623-882-0721.

Toddler Storytime

Bring children to the Tolleson Public Library at 9555 W. Van Buren Street so they can hear picture books read aloud and play with other toddlers at 11 a.m. Free. For information, call 623-936-2746.

Agua Fria Toastmasters

Visit a weekly Toastmasters Community meeting to become a stronger public speaker and leader from 6 to 7:15 p.m. in the Zane Grey Room at Avondale Civic Center Public Library, 11350 Civic Center Drive. Free. For information, call 623-398-5550.

Bosom Buddies

Bosom Buddies breast cancer support group meets from 6 to 8 p.m. second Thursdays of the month at the Christ Evangelical Lutheran Church, 918 S. Litchﬁeld Road, Goodyear. Free. For information, call 262-825-2355.

Goodyear Lions Club

Goodyear Lions Club is a service group that provides free eye screenings, raises funds for veterans and their families, collects hearing aids and glasses, and more. The Goodyear Lions meet at noon second Thursdays of the month at Haymaker, 1800 N. Litchﬁeld Road, Goodyear. Free. For information, call 623-455-3253.

Toddler Time

Help prepare children ages 2 to 3 for reading through music, books, games and more from 11:15 a.m. to

13

Old Pueblo Live Music

Listen to live music by Los Gringos, Jeordie or Cooper Sunrise starting at 6 or 7 p.m. every Friday night at Old Pueblo Cafe and Pub, 102 N. Old Litchﬁeld Road, Litchﬁeld Park. The menu features delicious Sonoran-style Mexican food by chef Ernestina Borquez. For information, call 623-935-5059.

Winter Wonderland

Celebrate the holiday season with music, games, crafts and a hot cocoa bar from 6 to 7:30 p.m. at Litchﬁeld Park Library, 101 W. Wigwam Boulevard. For information, call 602-652-3000.

Outdoor Neighborhood Movie Night

The Avondale Parks and Recreation Department will host a free movie night featuring the ﬁlm “Elf,” at Avondale City Hall Amphitheater, 11465 W. Civic Center Drive. Pre-movie fun starts at 5:30 p.m. Free popcorn will be served while supplies last. For information, call 623-333-2400.

Three-on-Three Basketball

Teens are invited to bring friends for a mini basketball tournament at 3:30 p.m. at the Dr. Saide Recreation Center, 1003 E. Eason Avenue, Buckeye. For information, call 623-349-6350.

Saturday

Children can register to read with a special library dog from Cody’s Pack to practice literacy skills from 10 a.m. to noon at the Buckeye Coyote Branch Library, 21699 W. Yuma Road. Registration is required. For information, call 623-349-6309.

Paws for Reading

Preschoolers and school-age children can visit Goodyear Branch Library with a parent to practice reading with a registered therapy dog. The Paws for Reading program starts at 1 p.m. at 14455 W. Van Buren Street. For information, call 602-652-3000.

Yoga at the Library

The White Tank Branch Library at 20304 W. White Tank Mountain Road, Waddell will hold weekly yoga classes from 5:30 to 6:20 p.m. for adults and teens 12 and older to strengthen ﬂexibility, improve posture and build concentration. For information, call 602-652-3000.

Holiday Cupcake (Ages 12+)

denominational ministry, invites all to a Bible study at 7 p.m. Wednesdays at 10486 W. Emerald Lane, Avondale. Free. For information, call 623-772-0144.

Song-Ercise for Toddlers and Preschoolers

Join Ms. Maria and Ms. Gabby for exercise for parents and their children from 10 to 10:45 a.m at White Tank Branch Library, 20304 W. White Tank Mountain Road, Waddell. For information, call 602-652-3000.

Needle and Thread

Sunday Sea Lions at Shipwreck Cove

15

Come see an educational show starring California sea lions and skilled trainers at 11:30 a.m. in a pirate-themed exhibit at Wildlife World Zoo, 16501 W. Northern Avenue, Litchﬁeld Park. This show is free with admission. For information, call 623-935-9453.

Holiday Cooking Class

Make holiday entertaining easy and elegant with a holiday cooking class featuring chef demonstrations, cocktail demonstrations and menu tasting from 3 to 5 p.m. at The Wigwam, 300 E. Wigwam Boulevard, Litchﬁeld Park. Cost is $75. To register, call 866-976-6894.

Holiday Open House at LPHS Museum

Chelsea Mellor from Iced for Life will demonstrate how to make themed cupcakes just in time for the holidays from 6 to 7:15 p.m. at Litchﬁeld Park Library, 101 W. Wigwam Boulevard. Registration is required. For information, call 602-652-3458.

Craft it Up

Join fellow crafters in this needlework/knitting/crochet group at 11 a.m. and work on new or current projects at Sam Garcia Avenue Library, 495 E. Western Avenue, Avondale. Be sure to bring materials and a co ee mug. For information, call 623-333-2601.

Teen Leadership Club

Teen Leadership Club is a group that creates and carries out new programs for the Goodyear Branch Library. The team meets from 5 to 6:30 p.m. at the library, 14455 W. Van Buren Street. Registration is required. For information, call 602-652-3000.

The Avondale Civic Center Library at 11350 W. Civic Center Drive invites adults to bring a co ee mug and materials to join fellow crafters for needlework, knitting and crocheting at 10 a.m. For information, call 623-333-2602.

Silver Sneakers Exercise Program

Silver Sneakers is a free low-impact exercise program hosted from 8:30 to 9:30 a.m. Wednesdays at the Buckeye Community Center, 201 E. Centre Avenue. For information, call 623-349-6600.

Cooking Class (Ages 9–17)

Practice culinary skills while making food and drinks at 4:30 p.m. at the Dr. Saide Recreation Center at 1003 E. Eason Avenue, Buckeye. For information, call 623-349-6350.

Thursday

14

St. Peter’s RePete Boutique

Stop by St. Peter’s Episcopal Church at 400 S. Old Litchﬁeld Road, Litchﬁeld Park, for casual and formal apparel, jewelry, books, household items and home décor between 9 a.m. and noon. For more information, call 623-935-3279.

Christmas in the Park

Enjoy a free holiday event focused on family fun from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Craft vendors and food booths open at 9 a.m. and the hometown parade starts at 10 a.m. There will be real snow, kids’ activities, visits with Santa and live local stage acts throughout the day in the center of Downtown Litchﬁeld Park, 101 W. Wigwam Boulevard.

Family Book Club

Litchﬁeld Park Branch Library at 101 W. Wigwam Boulevard holds a monthly book club for children ages 3 to 5 and their parents. Come down to the library from 10:15 to 11:15 a.m. to read a great book, discuss and enjoy snacks and activities. Books will be provided for registered families. For information, call 602-652-3456.

Soulful Expressions Open Mic Night (Ages 13+)

The Avondale Civic Center Library at 11350 W. Civic Center Drive invites poets, comedians and musicians to share their art with others from 5 to 7 p.m. Arrive at 4:30 p.m. to sign up for a performance slot. For information, call 623-333-2602.

The Litchﬁeld Park Historical Society Museum will have a Holiday Open House with two new exhibits: “Stagecoaches to Spacecraft,” which details the history of Goodyear and Avondale, and “The Spanish Flu of 1918: A Pandemic’s Local Legacy,” which examines the impact of this event in the Southwest Valley and in Arizona. Attendees can also enjoy holiday cheer in Aunt Mary’s 1941 home and a children’s crafting activity from 1 to 3 p.m. at the LPHS Museum, 13912 W. Camelback Road.

Monday Hope

16

Stop by Christ Evangelical Lutheran Church’s Classroom C at 918 S. Litchﬁeld Road, Goodyear, for the Hope support group from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. The goal of the group is to provide help for those struggling with any mental disorder by sharing experiences and supporting others. Free. For information, call 480-994-4407.

EON Business Monday Night Roundtables

Brainstorm, share ideas, get feedback, and network with other business dreamers and owners from 6 to 7 p.m. at Buckeye Coyote Branch Library, 21699 W. Yuma Road. Free. For information, call 623-349-6300.

Recycle Cooking Oil

The city of Avondale is teaming up with Mahoney Environmental to o er a free recycling program to reduce the amount of sewer blockages caused by cooking oils. Anyone can drop o cooking oils from 6 a.m. to 5 p.m. Mondays through Thursdays at the Avondale Public Works Municipal Operations Service Center, 399 E. Lower Buckeye

Tuesday Bingo

17

The American Legion Post 61 hosts Bingo Tuesdays at 6:15 p.m. These bingo nights have 18 games including Betty Boop, Quickie, Early Bird, Double Action and a $1,000 progressive game. Come down to 35 N. Dysart Road, Avondale, to support the area’s youth and veterans. For prices and information, call 623-932-4960.

Estrella Toastmasters

Visit a Toastmasters Community meeting to become a stronger public speaker and leader from 6:30 to 7:45 a.m. at the Southwest Valley Chamber of Commerce, 289 N. Litchﬁeld Road, Goodyear. Free. For information, call 602-391-5781.

Baby Time

The Tolleson Public Library at 9555 W. Van Buren Street invites babies and their caregivers to interactive playtime at 10 a.m. Free. For information, call 623-936-2746.

Texas

Hold’em Poker

Buckeye Senior Program participants are invited to a free afternoon of Texas hold’em poker from 1 to 4 p.m. at the Buckeye Community Center, 201 E. Centre Avenue. For information, call 623-349-6600.

Wednesday

18

Preschoolers Storytime

The Tolleson Public Library at 9555 W. Van Buren Street invites preschool-age children to read books, sing songs and take part in activities at 11 a.m. Free. For information, call 623-936-2746.

Disciple Outreach Ministries Bible Study Disciple Outreach Ministries, a non-

In Stitches

Enjoy tea and co ee and meet fellow crafters and work on crochet, knitting or sewing projects. Come by the Goodyear Branch Library at 14455 W. Van Buren Street from 1:30 to 3 p.m. to join. Free. For information, call 602-652-3000.

Agua Fria Toastmasters

Alcoholics Anonymous Find support and encouragement in a weekly support group 7 p.m. Thursdays at First Baptist Church of Garden Lakes, 2517 N. 107th Avenue, Avondale.

Alzheimer’s Support Group

Home Instead Care hosts a weekly group support from 12:30 to 2 p.m. Thursdays at Avondale Community Center, 1007 S. Third Street. The group supports those who have been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s as well as their family members. Registration is not necessary. For information, call 623-333-2705.

Adult Book Discussion

Stop by the Avondale Civic Center Library at 11350 Civic Center Drive to pick up and read a copy of “The Death of Mrs. Westaway” by Ruth Ware before the library’s discussion at noon. For information, call 623-333-2602.

Festival Sage Rec Center Bookmobile The Bookmobile, a library on wheels, will be at 26501 W. Desert Vista Boulevard, Buckeye, from 9 a.m. to noon. Visitors can get a library card and check out and return books. For information, call 623-349-6300.

He sees you when you’re sleeping, He knows when you’re

awake

CHURCH COMMUNITY CONNECTION

Pastor Ed Delph West Valley View Columnist

The children were lined up in the cafeteria of a Catholic elementary school for lunch. At the head of the table was a large pile of apples. A nun made a note, then posted it on the apple tray: “Take only one apple. God is watching.” Moving farther along the lunch line, at the end of the table, was a large pile of chocolate chip cookies. A child had written a note: “Take all you want. God is watching the apples.”

I’m a fan of listening to Christmas music this time of the year. Of course, everything these days needs to be politically correct these days including Christmas. So now we have songs like songs about Santa Claus, silver bells, Grandmas who got run over by a reindeer, sleigh bells ring and last Christmas.

I love those songs but surely there is more to Christmas than wanting a hippopotamus for Christmas. Then I thought about some of the words in the song, “Santa Claus is Coming to Town”: “He sees you when you’re sleeping, He knows when you’re awake.” God does it too and more. He sees and loves you. God watches more than apples. He watches us all the time.

Did you know Christ appeared for you? Look what the Bible says in 1Pe-

ter 1:20; “For He was foreknown before the foundation of the world but has appeared in these last times for the sake of you.” Do you comprehend the verse? Christmas is partly about Christ appearing for the sake of you. God knows you! God knows our zits, flaws, strengths, weaknesses, past, present and future. Yet, Jesus came on a silent night, holy night a long time ago for you personally and for us collectively to love, heal and save us.

One of God’s leaders named David was out on a dark night, looking up into the heavens, and thinking about God. In those days, people could see the stars, Milky Way, the planets so clearly it stunned them. The celestial sky’s immensity and clarity stunned David. It dropped him to his knees. David understood there was a Creator, a Designer, and Way-maker, who created all of creation.

I will paraphrase Psalm 8:3-6 for you: David looked up into the heavens and thought, “When I consider Thy heavens…the moon and the stars, which Thou has ordained; God, what is man, that You would remember or think about him? And the son of man, that you would care of Him? Yet, God, you have made man to lack but little of God (Elohim in the Hebrew). God you have crowned him with glory and majesty and put man in charge of making the earth a better place for all people.”

In other words, if God is a 10, we humans are an eight or a nine as God’s crowning creation. We have never been unloved. Author John Piper wrote a book entitled Enjoying God. It’s about seeing yourself through God’s eyes. Hold on because you don’t hear about Piper’s side of God very often. What he says is the natural outcome of a verse in Psalm 8.

“You may not realize it, but God the Father is ravished by you. You make Him smile. You make Him laugh. You make His heart beat faster. The Bible says in Zephaniah 3:17, you make Him sing for joy. Whether you believe it or not, it doesn’t stop God from responding to you. He sees your hair, your skin, your smile and, He rejoices.

The blemishes, scars and extra pounds may weigh on your heart, but those types of things don’t weigh on His heart. God loves your freckles. He loves your funny shaped toes. He loves your uniqueness. He loves you when you’re awake, vibrant and full of life. He loves you when you’re down, struggling and lethargic. He even loves you when you’re sleeping. He gets excited when you wake up, with morning breath and no makeup. He loves accompanying you throughout the day. Just being with you is enough.

He isn’t tolerating you. He isn’t just

putting up with you. He isn’t waiting for you to get older or more mature in your Christian walk before He can love or enjoy you. He loves you right where you are, right now. He is not keeping a record of your mistakes or the times you blow it. God took care of those things a long ago on the cross. All He sees is you and me, and He enjoys us.” Get the point? It’s easy to miss it, if we miss it. One of the reasons Christmas happened was for us. Christ appeared for us, to save us and redeem us. But until we see it, we don’t see it. Some of us will see the light by revelation; others just see the light when they open the refrigerator door in the middle of the night. Every Christmas is an opportunity for us to hear God singing, “All I want for Christmas is you… whether you are sleeping or awake.” What’s the takeaway here? There are only three opinions in life that matter. What God thinks of you. What you think of God after knowing what God thinks of you. And what you think of you after knowing what God thinks of you. In other words, know your value, then add tax. Merry Christmas.

To learn more about Pastor Ed Delph, the Church-Community Connection and Nation Strategy call 623376-6757, email nationstrategy@ cs.com or visit nationstrategy.com.

Pitfalls of bad eating habits during the holidays and how to avoid them

BY ERIN MAHONEY Guest Writer

The holidays are upon us and with them comes the endless parade of tasty treats and heavy holiday meals which can challenge our will power and our health.

Holiday celebrations often encourage indulgence, overeating, sedentary behavior and consumption of calorie-rich foods and beverages. In fact, adults in the United States gain an average of two pounds between November and January.

Good habits are essential for maintaining wellness and achieving fitness goals, even during the holiday season. Whether you are working toward a weight loss goal or just want to keep your diet on track, avoiding these five simple pitfalls will help get you through the holidays without busting a button.

1. Eating Too Fast

Slow it down. Whether rushing between activities or trying to multitask, eating too fast isn’t helpful to your health. It can cause an upset stomach, your body won’t be able to accurately register when you’re full and you may consume more calories than intended.

Set aside time for meals and focus on what you’re eating:

• Pause between bites – take a deep breath, set down utensils, take a sip of water.

• Savor each bite – focus on the smells, flavors and texture as though tasting fine wine.

• Pace yourself – set a meal timer or pace yourself with the slowest eater at the table.

2. Mindless Eating

Just like eating too fast, eating meals while you’re watching TV, wrangling the kids or preparing holiday treats, means you’re not truly focused on what you’re eating. You’ll miss hunger and fullness cues and which leads to overeating. Again, set aside time for meals - even if it’s just one meal a day, it’s a great way to start building healthier eating habits.

3. Not Recognizing Hunger Cues

While many of us may miss these cues because we’re distracted or don’t

have time to answer them, some simply don’t understand what their body is trying to tell them. Pay attention to the unique hunger signs your body gives you; these might include a growling stomach, a sense of abdominal emptiness or lightheadedness.

4. Irregular Habits

Occasionally skipping breakfast, ditching your meal plan for fast food, or only making time for a healthy dinner once in a while doesn’t support a balanced diet. Irregular habits can be just as detrimental as bad habits.

A planned cheat meal or an occasional ice cream is fine. You’re not going to undo everything with one deviation. But if you’re doing it several times a week it may be affecting long-term goals. Be consistent with your healthy habits to stay on track and hit your goals faster!

5. Emotional Eating

The flood of visiting relatives, a busy house and a to-do list a mile long can

overwhelm even the most resilient of people. When stressed, many of us turn to food and calorie-heavy beverages. However, using food to manage your feelings is an unhealthy way to deal with feelings and food. Instead, explore these alternatives to eating:

• Yoga.

• Meditation.

• Taking a walk.

• Journaling.

• Talking with a friend.

Getting started is always the hardest part, especially if you’re breaking down bad habits. This is true for healthy eating or physical activity. But life isn’t perfect and it’s important to remember it is OK to indulge every now and then, just don’t make it a habit.

Erin Mahoney is the Vice President of Education for ISSA, a leading international fitness certifications provider. She holds two master’s degrees focusing on sport and exercise psychology along with more than 20 years of experience educating fitness professionals and helping clients get to their goals and lead an improved quality of life.

Erin Mahoney (Photo courtesy ISSA)

Tips for safe tree decorating

BY WEST VALLEY VIEW STAFF

It’s too late for Clark Griswold. But others who are about to decorate can follow tips from the Red Cross on safe holiday decorating:

Ten Holiday-Decorating Safety tips:

1. Use battery-operated candles. If you must use candles, never leave them unattended, keep them away from potentially flammable items, and place them out of reach from children and pets.

2. Check all holiday light cords to make sure they aren’t frayed or broken. Don’t string too many strands of lights together — no more than three per extension cord.

4. If buying an artificial tree, look for the fire-resistant label. When putting it up, keep it away from fireplaces, radiators and other sources of heat.

5. If getting a live tree, make sure it’s fresh and water it to keep it fresh. Bend the needles up and down to make sure no needles fall off.

6. Don’t use electric lights on metallic trees.

7. If hanging stockings on the fireplace mantel, don’t light the fireplace.

8. Turn off all holiday lights when going to bed or leaving the house.

9. If using older decorations, check their labels. Some older tinsel is leadbased. If using angel hair, wear gloves to avoid irritation. Avoid breathing in artificial snow.

3. When decorating outside, make sure decorations are for outdoor use and fasten lights securely to your home or trees. If using hooks or nails outside, make sure they are insulated to avoid an electrocution or fire hazard.

10. If using a ladder, be extra careful. Make sure to have good, stable placement and wear shoes with good traction.

The Red Cross also advises people to test their smoke alarms and practice their home fire escape plan until every-

one in their household can get out in two minutes or less. Visit redcross.org/ homefires for more information and free resources, or download the free Red Cross Emergency App (search “American Red Cross” in app stores or go to redcross.org/apps).

Avondale employees give to Valley of the Sun United Way

BY WEST VALLEY VIEW STAFF

Avondale employees pledged over $114,000 towards the Valley of the Sun United Way, as part of the city’s monthlong United Way employee fundraising campaign this year.

With 74% employee participation, Avondale has been recognized by the Valley of the Sun United Way as the top giving municipality in percentage of employees contributing. The 2019 campaign exceeded last year’s pledge of $111,000.

“I am proud to be a part of an organization committed to public service across all sectors. Avondale employees truly believe in their core purpose of Making Lives Better for everyone in

the community they serve,” said Avondale City Manager Charles Montoya. For more information on the Valley of the Sun United Way, visit vsuw.org.

West Valley View Dining

Clark Griswold, of “National Lampoon’s Vacation,” failed to follow Red Cross guidelines for safe holiday decorating. (Photo courtesy Warner Bros.)

How to prevent plantar fasciitis

BY DR. NICK HUNTER Guest Writer

Luckily, plantar fasciitis is much easier to explain than it is to pronounce.

It’s basically an injury which you’d recognize from a very sharp pain, similar to a pinprick, underneath your foot. It can come from too much running, having a long term problem with an Achilles tendon not properly fixed, from wearing running shoes a little too tight, running on hard surfaces (causing the muscles to tighten and joints to stiffen) or even… a weak lower back.

Take your pick!

Either way, it can be debilitating.

And it can be quite painful too! Particularly for the first 20 minutes or so when you get out of bed.

It is made more likely by running on a hard, concrete surface in an attempt to increase cardiovascular fitness.

Another injury I would expect to see happen a lot more this time of the year is shin splints.

Again, it’s an overuse type of injury mainly occurring in runners either trying to increase cardio outdoors or even preparing for a half or full marathon. This common injury typically rears its ugly head around this time of year, due to over-training.

But, you don’t usually see something like this with those professional runners or athletes.

Why is that?

Simply put, it’s because they are better prepared when it comes to having core stability muscles working to limit the risk of any of these injuries occurring.

In the early stages of training, you’re likely to see a lot more impact of ‘sudden’ ankle and foot injuries. This happens because of the hard surfaces most runners will train on over the course of those weeks, and some inju-

ries are just hard to avoid.

My tip for you to maintain fi tness but limit stress through the foot and ankle to help avoid plantar fasciitis is to vary your training. Get on your bike. Go for a swim. Do things like the elliptical or rower, so you’re not constantly training on hard ground.

Dr. Nick Hunter is the founder of Preferred Physical Therapy, 18301 N. 79th Avenue, Suite B122, Glendale; for more information, call 623-486-3333 or visit preferredptaz.com.

West Valley View Dining

Dr. Nick Hunter. (Photo courtesy Preferred Physical Therapy)

‘Nutcracker’ returns to EMCC for fifth year

BY WEST VALLEY VIEW STAFF

For the fifth year in a row, Southwest Ballet Theatre (SWBT) brings “The Nutcracker” to Estrella Mountain Community College’s Performing Arts Center. Tchaikovsky’s ballet tells the story of a young German girl who dreams of a nutcracker who battles a mouse king and breaks an ancient spell, transforming the nutcracker into a handsome prince.

EMCC students Katelynn Brock and Sydney Walker have been cast in this year’s production. Katelynn landed the role of Ballerina Doll.

“I couldn’t believe it,” she said. “I was not expecting to get it because it’s a pretty significant role.”

The freshman, who has been dancing since she was 5 years old, was also cast as a demi flower and demi snowflake.

“I’ve been to multiple ‘Nutcracker’ performances, but this will be my first time performing in ‘The Nutcracker’ so I’m really excited,” Katelynn said.

Performances at 7 p.m. Thursday,

Dec. 12, through Saturday, Dec. 14, and 2 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 15. EMCC Performing Arts Center is at 3000 N.

Dysart Road, Avondale.

General admission is $24, $18 for students 18 and younger with ID and

free to EMCC students. Visit southwestballettheatre.org for tickets and more information.

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SHOP LOCAL!

Thank you to our military and ﬁrst responders for protecting us during the holiday. Thanks to your families for their sacriﬁce while you work. Let’s all give thanks and show kindness to everyone working during the holidays.

FROM THE MEMBERS AND STAFF AT THE SOUTHWEST VALLEY CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

Free concert by Nashville band

BY WEST VALLEY VIEW STAFF

Christian band New Legacy Project will give a free concert at 10:15 a.m. Sunday, Dec. 15, at Lighthouse Fellowship in Litchfield Park. Formerly known as the Blackwood Legacy, the Nashville-based recording artists are on tour throughout Arizona this December.

Early this year Daywind Records released NLP’s song “I’ll Stand,” inspired by the growing number of U.S. Veterans and their families who struggle through illnesses and mental health issues.

Lighthouse Fellowship is at 3015 N. Jackrabbit Trail. For more information, visit newlegacyproject.com.

Kwanzaa celebration at Pebble Creek

BY WEST VALLEY VIEW STAFF

The Just Folks Association of PebbleCreek holds its annual Kwanzaa celebration at 10 a.m. Wednesday, Dec. 18 in the Eagles Nest Ballroom. The event is open to the public.

This year’s theme is “Sharing in Unity,” a celebration of African-American

heritage and culture with dance, recitation and ceremonial activities.

Cost is $20. per person.

Entertainment will be by the Kawambe-Omowale African Drum and Dance Troupe from Phoenix as well as “Lady B’ , Rico Burton, who will perform a dramatic reading.

King Crossword

36 Part of a Santa costume

Chum

With 29-Across, Conrad novel

Faction

Whatever amount

Horn sound

Related to summer theater

“That hurts!” 18 Decorate a T-shirt, ‘60s-style

Old Olds

“-- the fields we go”

Oppositionist

Swelled head

Oodles

Western hero’s

Wooden strip

“The Chew” network

GO FIGURE!

by Linda Thistle

The idea of Go Figure is to arrive at the figures given at the bottom and right-hand columns of the diagram by following the arithmetic signs in the order they are given (that is, from left to right and top to bottom). Use only the numbers below the diagram to complete its blank squares and use each of the nine numbers only once.

EVEN EXCHANGE

by Donna Pettman

Place a number in the empty boxes in such a way that each row across, each column down and each small 9-box square contains all of the numbers from one to nine.

Each numbered row contains two clues and two answers. The two answers differ from each other by only one letter, which has already been inserted. For example, if you exchange the A from MASTER for an I, you get MISTER. Do not change the order of the letters.

SCRAMBLERS

Unscramble the letters within each rectangle to form four ordinary words. Then rearrange the boxed letters to form the mystery word, which will complete the gag!

Tolleson Union joins lawsuit against vaping manufacturer

BY WEST VALLEY VIEW STAFF

At its Nov. 12 meeting, the Governing Board of the Tolleson Union High School District authorized Superintendent Nora Gutierrez to work with legal counsel to become part of a lawsuit against JUUL, the nation’s largest manufacturer, distributor and seller of electronic cigarettes (also known as “vapes”).

JUUL’s marketing campaigns feature a variety of flavors enticing to young people and the manufacturer claims their vaping products are safer than cigarettes. One JUUL pod is equal to two packs of cigarettes. The

JUUL devices and pods are designed to look like common gadgets, making the product relatively easy for teens to hide at school.

“Our top priority in the Tolleson Union High School District is the safety and health of our students,” said Gutierrez. “It is our duty to protect our young adults and that is why our Governing Board saw the need for our school district to join this fight for the well-being of our students.”

The Surgeon General previously issued an Advisory on E-Cigarette use among youth emphasizing the importance of protecting our children from

a lifetime of nicotine addiction and associated health risks by immediately addressing the epidemic of youth e-cigarette use.

According to a press release from the district, “no taxpayer funds will be used as part of this litigation. The law firms representing the District have agreed to a contingency fee arrangement. They will also cover all costs of the lawsuit.”

Goodyear dance studio holds toy drive in memory of owner’s son

BY CARRIE SNIDER West Valley View Contributing Writer

Desert West Dance Academy in Goodyear is a place where students come to dance their hearts out. It’s also a place that feels like family. So when its owner, Lindsay Butterfield, lost her son Hunter due to complications from open-heart surgery, it was like they had lost one of their own.

“Our studio family adored Hunter, and all of my kids,” she said. “My kids have all grown up surrounded by everyone at the studio loving on them and being part of their lives. Losing him was a hit to everyone at the studio who knew him as well.”

Butterfield and Desert West are remembering little Hunter by doing something he did for others—give. The studio is hosting a toy and Starbucks gift card drive. All items collected will be given to families at Phoenix Children’s Hospital who are spending the holidays at the hospital.

The Butterfield family knows the hospital all too well and especially during the holidays, it can be hard on kids and their families.

“Being in the hospital is tough,” she said. “It takes a toll on your spirit to see the rest of the world just pressing on in their lives when you’re in there, just hoping and praying for the day your child is well enough to go home.”

Hunter’s last time in the hospital was for open heart surgery on July 11. He came out of surgery on life support and was not awake for his seventh birthday the following day. He died on July 14.

“He was so excited to have his birthday in the hospital because he just knew the nurses and doctors would make it extra special for him,” Butterfield said.

Even in his short time on earth, his mom said Hunter was a light to those around him. He loved to do special things for others and give surprise gifts to people he cared about.

“At the end of the school year last year, on his student teacher’s last day, he woke me up early and said we had to go to the store and get a special present and flowers for her last day. He genuinely just loved people,” she said. “He would be thrilled to be part of making another child’s Christmas in the hospital extra special.”

Those who would like to donate can bring unwrapped toys and/or Starbucks gift cards to the front desk at Desert West Dance Academy, 15671 W. Roosevelt Street, through Dec. 14. Hours are 4 to 9 p.m. Monday through Friday and 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday.

These gifts for the kids will bring a smile to their faces, lift their spirits, give them a break from the pokes, tests, scans, etc.,” Butterfield added. “For the parents, a simple break downstairs for a hot cup of coffee or treat can be just

what they need to make it through the morning or next care team meeting.

“But mostly, knowing while the rest of the world is in the hustle and bustle

of the holiday season, someone paused and thought about your child and your family brings some light and warmth to your heart and soul.”

Lindsay Butterfield lost her son (pictured, with her) to complications from open heart surgery. In Hunter’s memory, she is holding a fundraiser for Phoenix Children’s Hospital at her dance studio. (Photo courtesy Lindsay Butterfield)

Vaping devices often are easy to hide, which has created problems for many schools. (West Valley View photo by Tom Scanlon)

NASCAR delivers bears to Banner Children’s Hospital

BY WEST VALLEY VIEW STAFF

ISM Raceway and the NASCAR Foundation, along with local NASCAR drivers Jagger Jones, Jace Jones and Sara Houston, teamed up for the third-annual “Operation Speedy Bear Brigade” on Giving Tuesday, delivering stuffed Speedy Bears to children at Banner Children’s Hospital within Banner Thunderbird Medical Center.

“It always a very special day when we get to share the excitement of racing with our community, and in this case young patients, siblings and families at Banner Children’s Hospital,” said Jagger Jones, the NASCAR K&N Pro Series West 2019 Rookie of the Year. “I’m honored to have been a part of ‘Operation Speedy Bear Brigade’ with Sara and my brother Jace, and help spread some cheer on behalf of The NASCAR Foundation.”

In addition to ISM Raceway’s efforts at Banner Children’s Hospital, “Operation Speedy Bear Brigade” took place in over 30 locations across the country on Giving Tuesday, including participation from several NASCAR office and track locations.

“The Speedy Bear Brigade truly demonstrates the generosity of our sport,” the NASCAR Foundation Executive Director Nichole Krieger said. “This effort has continued to grow from year to year, without losing sight of our ultimate goal to bring smiles to the faces of so many children who really need it.”

The effort was organized through the NASCAR Foundation’s Speediatrics Children’s Fund, which supports needs expressed by hospitals, specialty clinics, camps and others providing children’s medical and health care services.

The Speedy Bear Brigade deliver Teddy bears to kids at Banner Children’s Hospital. (Photos courtesy ISM Raceway)

Special education soccer tournament

BY WEST VALLEY VIEW STAFF

On Nov. 19, the Buckeye and Agua Fria High School District held a friendly Unified Sports Soccer Tournament at Desert Edge High School.

Brandon Lee of Desert Edge and Travis Haley of Buckeye organized the great event, with 12 teams and over 100 exceptional athletes participating.

Another 50 staff and student volunteers came together “for a morning of fun, teamwork, and of course bragging rights to claim the first-ever Buckeye/Agua Fria Soccer Tournament,” said Patrick Becker, director of AFUHSD Exceptional Student Services.

“Buckeye ended up winning the championship over a tough Millennium team but all agreed that every student who participated earned the right to be called a champion,” said Becker, who thanked Scott Acton, his Buckeye counterpart, as well as Julie Jones, the Desert Edge principal, “for volunteering Desert Edge to host the tournament.”

Buckeye came out on top in the first Buckeye and Agua Fria High School District Unified Sports Soccer Tournament. (Photos courtesy Buckeye and Agua Fria High School District)

70th Anniversary

Simon and Georgia Houck

Simon and Georgia Houck of Glendale, Arizona will celebrate 7

ried at the Phoenix County Courthouse on December 10, 1949. Simon and Georgia remember the day as if it were yesterday, as they share how it was a rainy day when Simon drove his '46

Anniversary to an amazing couple! We love you! Love, Paula, Russell, Deanna, Kim, Derek, and Samantha

OBITUARIES

EthelLeeMcCrae

EthelLeeEarlywasborntotheunionofAggieB.and VoraEarlyonSeptember27,1933inWaldo,Arkansas. Shewastheyoungestandonlydaughteroffivechildren. Shewasprecededindeathbyherfourbrothers;Marshall, Joseph,OsieB.&William.

ShemarriedParmoliveMcCraein1949.Tothisunion ninechildrenwereborn:Paulette,Lindell,IvyJean, NormaJean,Annette,Rayford,ParmoliveJr.,Wilma JeanandJoseph.

In1951,thefamilymovedtotheBuckeyeValley.She workedvariousjobsthroughoutherlife,butherprimary jobwasasatimekeeperatthePaloVerdeNuclear GeneratingStationforBechtelPowerCorporation. EthelwasprecededindeathbyherparentsAggieB. EarlyandVoraSmith,andherhusbandParmolive McCrae.

Sheleavestocelebrateherlifeherchildren, grandchildren,great-grandchildren,great-great grandchildren,hersister-in-lawsandbrother-in-law,a hostofnieces,nephews,cousinsandfriends.

Acelebrationoflifewillbeheldfrom10:00AMto 11:30AMon12/11/2019atMt.ZionChristian Assembly,1421SouthPaloVerdeRoad,Buckeye,AZ, USA.

OBITUARIES

JamesPatrickGiangobbe

LongtimeLitchfieldParkresident andWestValleyFamilyPractice physicianDr.JamesP.Giangobbe, 90,passedawayonWednesday November20,2019inGoodyear, Arizona.

Theoldestofthreechildren,Dr. GiangobbewasbornNovember26, 1928inSyracuse,NewYork,to AnthonyandMaryGiangobbe.He receivedhismedicaldegreefrom NewYorkStateCollegeofMedicine,Syracusein 1956anddidhismedicalresidencyatJerseyCity MedicalCenterfrom1956to1958.Aftercompleting histraining,Dr.Giangobbeservedonactivedutyin theUSAFandretiredtothereservesattherankof Captain.WhilestationedatLukeAirForceBase,he developedhisloveforArizonawherehewouldlive theremainderofhislife.

Dr.Giangobbeestablishedhismedicalpracticein thenewwestsidecommunityofMaryvalein1962. Overtheyears,heheldseveralleadershippositions includingChiefofStaffatMaryvaleSamaritan HospitalandPresidentoftheArizonaAcademyof FamilyPractice.Afterprovidingcaretogenerations offamilies,Dr."G"retiredfrompatientcarein1992. Remainingactiveinmedicine,hecontinuedtowork asaconsultantfortheArizonaBoardofMedical Examinersuntil2000andservedasarepresentative ontheArizonaStateBoardofHealthfrom2008to 2011.

Anavidgolfer,Dr.Giangobbewasafixtureatthe WigwamCountryClubfordecades.Heenjoyed writingandhadmanypublishedarticles,novels,and songs.Inhislateryears,heenjoyedlecturingto middleschoolstudentsaboutthedangersofdrugsand smoking.

Dr.Giangobbeissurvivedbyhiswife,Patricia;his twosonsandtheirspouses,MitchellandKerry, GregoryandDoniel;andhisgrandchildrenEmma, Katrina,Braydon,Kaitlin,andRyan.

Perhiswishes,aprivatefamilyservicewillbeheld. Inlieuofflowers,donationsmaybemadeto:St. JohnVianneyCatholicSchool,539ELaPasadaBlvd, Goodyear, AZ 85338.

CaroleLouiseThompson

CaroleLouiseThompsonofTolleson,AZpassed onNovember29,2019inTollesonAZwithher familyathersideattheageof74.Shewasbornin Detroit,MichiganonMarch25,1945toClintonand BarbaraThompson.Funeralserviceswereentrustedto AdvantageCrystalRose.Toleavecondolencesforthe familyvisitwww.AdvantageCrystalRose.com

Howse, a pilot in the US Air Force After World War II they

Ben was promoted through the ranks to become a full Colonel, and retired from the Air Force in 1969

Pat served as Senior Warden at St John's Episcopal Church

She became active in the Diocese of San Diego, was elected to th e S tan d in g Co mmittee, D io ces an Co r p o r atio n an d th r ee times elected as D eleg ate to G en er al Co n v en tio n I n 1 9 9 7 P a t a n d B e n m o v e d t o P e b b l e C r e e k i n G o o d y e a r , A Z a n d j o i n e d S t P e t e r ' s C h u r c h w h e r e P a t s e r v e d o n t h e V e s t r y I n 2 0 1 0 , t h e y m o v e d t o L a L o m a V i l l a g e P a

o n . S h e i s s u r v i v e d b y h e r d a u g h t e r , Jennifer Howse, Cold Spring, NY; two granddaughters, Jenna R a n i o w s k i ( M a r t y ) M

(Matt), US Military Base, Okinawa; five great-grandchildren, D

Her ashes will be buried in St Peter's Memorial G

Need help writing an obituary? We have articles that will help guide you through the process.

Deadline for obituaries is ursday at 5pm for Wednesday. All obituaries will be approved by our sta prior to being activated. Be aware there may be early deadlines around holidays.

Call 623-535-8439 Mon-Fri 8:30-5 if you have questions. Visit: obituaries.WestValleyView.com

Medrano

Patricia Naylor Howse

PatriciaLynneCaron

PatriciaCaronofYoungtown,AZpassedawayon November11th.PatriciawasbornonMarch24,1948to Robert&VirginiaGammillinQueens,NYandis survivedbyhersonWillamCaron,Daughter&Sonin LawJennifer&ToddKoehler,GrandchildrenBrooke& NoahKoehler,SistersBettyDavis,KathyPickens,Niece JuliePierceandBrothersBobGammill&Steve Gammill.

PatricialivedinOhiountilmovingtoArizonawithher husbandand2childrenin1975.Shewasastayathome Motheruntilenteringtheschoolsystemwhereshe workedasanAideformanyyears.Patriciawouldgoon toownmanybusinessesovertheyearsincludingamail storeandwindowblindsbusiness.Inthelate90'sTrish returnedtoherpassionforchildrenandwouldworkasa Nannyforthenext15years.

Trishwaslovedbymany.Shewasakindwomanwith awarmheartthatalwayshadtimetolisten.Shewillbe missedbymany!Wearecomfortedtoknowsheiswith herMotherVirginiaGammill&SisterPeggyGammill whoproceededherindeath.

Alice Carlotta Johnson

G o o d y e a r , p a s s e d a w a y o n T h u r s d a y , N o v 2 1 , 2 0 1 9 , a t

f r i e n d s A l i c e w a s b o r n o n A u g 2 6, 1 9 4 6 , i n N e w Y o r k C i t y , t o J o s e p h and Fr ances J o hn s o n. S he g radu ated from Benjamin Franklin High School in New York City ,

a n d w e n t o n t o l i v e a n d w o r k i n N e w J e r s e y , M a i n e ,

F l o r i d a a n d L o s A n g e l e s C o u n t y , C a l i f o r n i a , w h e r e s he worked for many years, including for the 1984 Olympics

p l a n n i n g c o m m i t t e e , a n d w h e r e s h e e n j o y e d s p e n d i n g time at Disney land w ith her child ren and gr and ch ild r en In 2007, she moved to Arizona and eventually settled in G o o d y e a r , w h e r e s h e p u r c h a s e d h e r d r e a m h o m e , a n d

m a r r i e d h e r h u s b a n d L i o n e l i n 2 0 1 4

Family was the most important part of her life Wheth-

e r n e a r o r f a r , s h e n e v e r m i s s e d a h o l i d a y , l i f e e v e n t o r

p e r s o n a l m i l e s t o n e i n h e r f a m i l y ’ s l i v e s S h e w a s v e r y proud of her grandchildren and great grandchildren, who af f ec ti o n at ely call ed h er “B am a . ” S h e al s o e n jo y e d t aki n g t r i p s t o t h e c a s i n o s w i t h h e r h u s b a n d S h e w i l l a lways be remembered for her great sense of humor, contagious laughter, and “one-thousand-watt smile ”

A l i c e i s s u r v i v e d b y h e r h u s b a n d L i o n e l R o s s o f G le n d a l e ; d a u g h t e r s J o i e N e w b e r r y ( a n d h u s b a n d , G a r y N e w b e r r y ) o f T o p e k a , a n d M i c h e l l e B e n j a m i n o f H a r p e r ’ s F e r r y ; s t e p - d a u g h t e r s J o y c e a n d C a r m e l l a o f Glendale; sister Francine Brown of Sarasota; niece Michole Brown of New York City; six grandchildren: Nicole, A l i c i a , A s h l e y a n d A s i a N e w b e r r y , C a n d i c e B e n j a m i n a n d K w a m e Y e b o a h ; a n d e i g h t g r e a t g r a n d c h i l d r e n . S h e w a s p r e c e d e d i n d e a t h b y h e r p a r e n t s , a n d g r a n d s o n , J o s e p h N e w b e r r y

The family will hold a memorial service at 1:00 PM on Saturday, NOV. 30 at the Carpenter's House in Avondale ( 1 0 3 4 8 W R a n c h o S a n t a F e B l v d ) P l e a s

n t a c t h e r daughter, Michelle Benjamin at (202) 878-5369 with any questions. In lieu of flowers, the family kindly asks that you donate to her online tribute page: https://app.mobilec

DonaldEdisonBragg

DonaldEdisonBragg,age80,ofAvondale,AZ, diedonNovember12,2019.Heissurvivedbyhis wife,Kathleen,hissisterValeraHolst,half-brother JohnFoley,andhisthreedaughtersDebraJohnson, MoonDenali,andNatasha.Heisalsosurvivedby manystepchildrenandgrandchildren.

John E. Scifers

John E Scifers, age 57 of Glendale, AZ

CA He was born April 4, 1962 in France, the youngest child born to Lloyd and Janine Scifers He had a passion for restoring cars As a young man he began working at Summers Wrecking Yard He later worked in recycling at Luke Air Force Base and as a body man at Titan Motorcycle

John loved being outdoors He was passionate about photography He had a creative eye and took beautiful photos, es-

EMPLOYMENT

VALLEY LIFE

We are currently looking for caregivers to work in group homes throughout Glendale, Phoenix, Peoria and Scottsdale. Must pass background check. Please apply at www.valleylifeaz.org Full Time and Part Time Caregivers Needed! Must have reliable transportation is a non-profit organization that provides programs and services to men, women, and children with developmental disabilities.

RECREATION CENTERS OF SUN CITY WEST

competitors, including some that would go on to become fam-

v e r t i r e d o f h e a r i n g h i s s t o r i e s o f t h o s e g l o r y d a y s .

John loved his wife, children and grandchildren deeply His grandchildren always ran to him to get their "papa hugs "His f a m i l y w a s h i s m o t i v e t o f i g h t h a r d w h e n h e w a s d i a g n o s e d with cancer He surrounded himself with them, always stayi n g p o s i t i v e , r e v e l i n g i n t h e j o y o f o r d i n a r y m o m e n t s J o h n , y o u r l o v e , y o u r m e m o r y , y o u r f r i e n d s h i p , y o u r k n o w l e d g e ,

y o u r k i n d n e s s , y o u r l a u g h ,

forever Your memories will not fade Your time on this earth w a s s h o r t i n c o m p a r i s o n t o m o s t , b u t y o u m a d e s u c h a n i mp a c t o n f a m i l y a n d f r i e n d s Y o u t a u g h t u s a l l s o m u c h o v e r the years Your strength to live life will keep us strong, knowi n g y o u f o u g h t t h e f i g h t u n t i l G o d s a w y o u c o u l d n o l o n g e r

O u r h e a r t s a r e b r o k e n W e k n o w y o u a r e w i t h u s a n d w i l l guide us and continue to show us your love from heaven until we meet again

John is survived by his loving wife, Angie Scifers; daughters, Jana Moreno, Jessica and Jeanette Scifers; son, John Sci-

eight grandchildren He was preceded in death

6am-3pm Plan, direct and administer current policies, objecti

The above position includes golf when availability is open. All positions must be able to communicate in English. Apply online. For more info on open jobs visit www employment suncitywest com All positions are open until filled EOE

RECREATION CENTERS OF SUN CITY WEST

FACILITIES ASSISTANT–FT, 3pm-11pm, M-F, with full b

and hall area, setting up tables/chairs for events Must be able

preferred; varies locations/hours/days/weekends

Manual labor Must be able to work communicate in

Apply online/view more jobs: e m

Resources, 19803 N. R. H. Johnson Blvd, Su City West, AZ 85375. The above positions in clude golf when availability is open. All posi tions must be able to communicate in English All positions are open until filled EOE

Classifieds

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We provide excellent and professional service More than 12 years of experience We will keep your place up and presentable. FREE estimates Ana 602-326-2780

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EDUCATION

TUTORING, Credentialed teacher with master's degree, offering tutoring services, for Pre-K-3 all subjects. Please contact Tracy (626) 8257327 Hours are flexible $25 00 a hour

EMPLOYMENT

CAREGIVERS & DRIVERS

Needed immediately Positions start at $12-12.50 hour. Higher pay based on experience. 14423 McDowell Road Ste G104, Goodyear. 623-547-4839

EMPLOYMENT

LOOKING for experienced compassionate CNA's. Certified Caregivers. Part time/ full time. 623-547-7521

EMPLOYMENT

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

Rudolfo Bros in Goodyear has immediate openings for a full time Payroll Clerk and a part time Billing Clerk which will include other duties as well. Please email resumes to dalia@rudolfobros com

Hiring Caregivers & Program Managers in the West Valley.

be 21+yrs, w/ good driving record & reliable transportation.

Apply at www.aires.org or visit us at 2140 W Greenway Rd, Ste 140, Phoenix.

HANDYMAN

free estimates, 623-707-6072

*Not A L censed

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

Deadlines

Classifieds: Friday 1pm for Wednesday

PERSONAL SERVICES

VISUALLY Impaired Goodyear Resident, wants a personal assistant to help with paperwork and errands No care giving necessary, flexible schedule $10 00/hr, approx 10 hours per week No smokers Call

LAND FOR SALE

1 to 18 acres, starting $10,000, various locations, payments, owner/agent, Call Ken, 602-510-8900

HOMES

PUBLIC NOTICE

SUPERIOR COURT OF ARIZONA MARICOPA COUNTY

In the Matter of Guardianship of: GEORGE ALBERT OCEGUERA JUNIOR / 09/07/2004

ADDRESS: 465 W IVYGLEN ST #224

MESA, AZ, 85201

Case Number: JG511405

ORDER and NOTICE OF HEARING

The Court has reviewed the CERTIFICATE OF READINES S (Request to Set Hearing) Based upon the court’s review, IT IS ORDERED X

Signed this 21ST Day of October, 2019

KEELAN S BODOW

JUDGE

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Good Morning, Hiring days went very well! We hired 30 people in total, which is excellent. I will de nitely continue to use your paper for our ads. ank you and have a great day! :) V. Meloy, McDonald’s