SanTan Sun; 2-7-15: Opinion

Opinion

www.SanTanSun.com

February 6 - February 20, 2015

35

Community Commentary

Working together, it’s been a great experience

BY TRINITY DONOVAN

It has truly been a privilege to serve as a Chandler City Councilmember for the past eight and a half years. Thank you to the voters, my family, and all the people I Trinity Donovan: worked with for Submitted photo having provided me with this exceptional opportunity. One of the key lessons I have learned from serving on council is summarized in Helen Keller’s quote: “Alone we can do so little, together we can do so much.”

When I was elected to serve at the age of 29, I made the commitment to work on practical policies that improve the lives of Chandler residents. My priorities have been to attract and keep jobs, maintain safe and vibrant neighborhoods, and ensure that the City remains fiscally responsible. With the support of dedicated City staff, community partners and volunteers, we have achieved outstanding results.

During my service on council, crime rates have dropped, neighborhoods have improved, and Chandler has been economically strong. We have consistently been awarded AAA bond ratings for our fiscally sound management strategies. Chandler also has continued to attract large companies that create new employment opportunities, and we have supported small businesses through various programs and initiatives.

During the economic downturn,

our council was faced with some very tough decisions to balance projected multimillion-dollar deficits. Unlike other local and state agencies that chose to impose furloughs or layoffs, we offered early retirement and voluntary separation packages. We also took a close look at services and amenities and decided to minimize cuts that would directly impact residents. Instead, we decided to increase efficiencies at all levels in the organization. Our goal has always been to maintain the excellent quality of life that our residents have come to expect, so we could ensure Chandler remains vibrant and attractive to businesses and families.

Over the years, we have made efforts to be more transparent and engage the public in many areas. Not only have we held community meetings at various locations, but we have also increased the use of surveys and online tools to gather feedback. Residents now have the ability to report issues to the City with the use of a smartphone application called PublicStuff.

While it is not possible to list all of the wonderful programs and initiatives and the countless awards that we have received these last eight-plus years, it is fair to say that Chandler has proven its dedication to excellence. Each councilmember has brought unique talents and insights, and we have complemented each other very well.

Prior to joining the City Council, I was active with various nonprofit organizations in the areas of domestic violence, homelessness, early childhood and youth development. My passion for SEE Working

Together PAGE 36

Have a story idea or news tip? Know of an interesting photo opportunity? How about positive feedback or constructive comments? We’d like to hear from you. Email us at News@SanTanSun.com.

Youth need guidance to avoid drugs in today’s world

BY BECKY JACKSON

Hopefully many people across the state heard about and/or watched “Hooked: Tracking Heroin’s Hold on Arizona” on Tuesday, Jan. 13.

The 30-minute documentary Becky Jackson. was produced Submitted photo by the Arizona State University Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and aired on all local stations through a partnership with the Arizona Broadcasters Association. I watched the documentary with fellow members of our Chandler community at City Hall and was just as shocked as many in the room by what I learned.

If you missed it, visit www.hookedaz. cronkitenewsonline.com.

The documentary brings to light a growing epidemic in our state…which is heroin use. The piece wasn’t just about statistics; it focused more on a number of real-life stories about our neighbors and friends who have been devastated by drug addiction. They followed a beautiful young couple from Chandler who were in the midst of battling their addiction.

Hearing their sincere words about the struggle added a genuine face to this issue. The Chandler Police Department also contributed and talked about how heroin is the No. 1 problem they are dealing with right now, especially among young adults.

The Jan. 13 viewing of the piece was a partnership among many Chandler organizations: ICAN, along with the Chandler Coalition on Youth Substance Abuse (CCYSA), partnered with the City of Chandler, Chandler PD, Chandler

Valley Hope, Chandler Unified School District, Terros, Not My Kid, My Sister’s Place, MADD, For Our City, ACE Sober Living and Teen Challenge. All of these organizations have valuable resources to help our community deal with this situation.

Here at ICAN, we focus on education.

Our youth attend daily evidencedbased programs that include “Too Good for Drugs,” where we provide age appropriate information about the negative consequences of drug use and the benefits of a nonviolent, drugfree lifestyle. Youth also participate in “Steps to Respect,” which promotes healthy decision-making skills to prevent negative behaviors. “Botvin’s Life Skills” help develop socio-emotional skills aimed at reducing impulsive and aggressive behavior while increasing social competence.

Our teens participate in similar programs that are geared toward their age level. They have the opportunity to work with youth at ICAN to help educate them. Many of our teens are also involved in CCYSA, where they go out in the community to educate their fellow teens, along with adults, on the dangers of substance abuse.

So what can you do? Here are some suggestions: Educate yourself—Start by watching the documentary and reading some of articles that go along with the series at www.hookedaz.cronkitenewsonline.com Educate your children—It is never too early to talk to your kids about the dangers of drugs. Visit www. drugfreeazkids.org/talkwithyourkids for ways to get started.

Lock up or dispose of your prescriptions—We have free prescription lock boxes at ICAN; call (480) 821-4207 to schedule a time to pick one up. You SEE Guidance PAGE 36

Share your opinion with SanTan Sun News!

We know you have an opinion! Share it with the SanTan Sun News. Please keep your Letters to the Editor around 200-300 words, or they may be edited for length. Include your first and last name, community or development name in Southern Chandler (Cooper Commons, Ocotillo, Sun Groves, etc.) or ZIP code and daytime phone number for verification. Anonymous letters are not typically accepted. Email is the preferred submission method, to Letters@SanTanSun.com.

All submitted Letters to the Editor and Community Commentaries become the property of the SanTan Sun News and may be reprinted in part, quoting the letters’ authors, or in their entirety. Your submission to the SanTan Sun News is considered your permission to print your written opinion. Opinions expressed in Community Commentaries, Letters to the Editor or cartoons are those of the author, and not that of the SanTan Sun News.

Deadline MAILING ADDRESS:

PO Box 23 Chandler, AZ 85244-0023 TELEPHONE: (480) 732-0250 FAX: (480) 883-8714 ©2015 SanTan Sun News

For News Tips, Editorial Articles, Opinion or Classifieds, email is preferred.

NEWS EMAIL ADDRESS: news@santansun.com ADS EMAIL ADDRESS: ads@santansun.com WEBSITE ADDRESS: www.santansun.com

EDITORIAL & ADVERTISING: 5 P.M. WEDNESDAY, FEB. 11, 2015, FOR THE FEB. 21, 2015, ISSUE

35,000

Total Circulation 27,250+ Driveways Fifty square mile coverage area from Price/101 to Greenfield and from Frye to Hunt Highway.

Proud member of the

EXECUTIVE EDITOR

Christina Fuoco-Karasinski ASSOCIATE EDITOR

PUBLISHER

Steve T. Strickbine PUBLISHER EMERITUS

Laurie Fagen

ACCOUNT EXECUTIVES

Tracy Walsh Tracey Wilson

WEBSITE MAINTAINED BY

Susan Kovacs, n-ergizing

Curt Blakeney WRITERS

Sydney Bowen Lynette Carrington Tracy House Kelsey Sederstrom Alison Stanton SECTION EDITORS

Kimberly Hosey Meghan McCoy Joan Westlake

SCHOOL NEWS CONTRIBUTORS

Lisa Boileau JoAnne Cawley Nicole Estevez Amy Fricke Wendi Olson Stephanie Palomarez ART DIRECTOR

Erica Odello LAYOUT

Nicole La Cour AD DESIGN

Christine Bryner, Studio 509

36

Opinion

February 6 - February 20, 2015

Letter To The Editor

www.SanTanSun.com

Community Commentary Continued Working Together FROM PAGE 35

service continued while I was on council, and I am proud to have been part of many communitywide efforts, including I-HELP (Interfaith Homeless Lodging Program), Operation Back to School, the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) program, and For Our City-Chandler volunteer challenge and recognition initiatives. I am also extremely proud of the accomplishments of the Domestic Violence Commission and the

University deserves money, not the corrections system A few of our new governor’s budget ideas have been trickling out and, for the most part, it seems as if he is trying to set a conservative agenda, which is what he promised as a candidate.

There are two issues that seem backward to me. He calls for a decrease of $75 million in the state universities’ budgets while increasing the Department of Corrections’ budget up $50 million.

He campaigned as a job creator and on economic growth. If that is his goal, building another prison doesn’t bring new business to the state and creates only a handful of jobs, while highly trained university graduates lure businesses

looking for a ready workforce.

I thought we were well on our way to equip our three state universities with labs for research and development in all the bioscience fields. Surely a $75-million cut will hamper that effort. Meanwhile there are many alternatives to prison that have gone unexplored.

We wish the new governor good luck and hope that these issues are not set in stone.

Sincerely, James White Chandler

establishment of a fatality review board.

I am confident that the residents of Chandler will continue to be served well with the election of Councilmembers Terry Roe and René Lopez and the reelection of Mayor Jay Tibshraeny and Vice Mayor Kevin Hartke. Thank you again for this opportunity, and I look forward to staying active and contributing to the enrichment of our community.

Guidance FROM PAGE 35

can also properly dispose of your old prescription drugs through dropboxes at Chandler PD substations.

Looks for the signs—Chandler PD shared that some items to keep an eye out for include tin foil (used as storage), balloons (used for transportation) and black fingerprints (from the black tar heroin).

Report suspicious activity—Chandler PD also shared that you can call them to report suspicious activity. Even if a crime has not been committed, they have resources to get the person the help they need.

Officials in the documentary estimate that 20 percent of our country’s 16- to 20-year-old age group will be entirely lost to this epidemic if this issue is not

addressed. Please help do your part through the suggestions listed above. We all agree our youth need our guidance on many issues in their lives and this is one aspect that could save many lives.