Neighbors
www.SanTanSun.com
August 17 – September 6, 2013
45
Neighbors With new owner, Natalia’s 1912 receives an upgrade BY LYNETTE CARRINGTON
It’s time to rediscover Natalia’s 1912 Restaurant. The Italian fine dining establishment has been a beloved East Valley staple for more than three years, but when previous owner Bob Rezka decided to retire, manager Tony Imbesi stepped in to buy the establishment. He expanded it, made improvements and is bringing in some of the Valley’s most engaging entertainers. Gone is the salad bar-style setup that was in place at Natalia’s and, in its place, is a new layout and attitude. “I took out the salad bar and added a full sit-down bar, an espresso machine, high-top tables and a stage for our entertainers,” Imbesi notes. He has also added a sprawling patio, perfect for outdoor dining or large parties. This new patio is complete with a misting system, upgraded tables and chairs and space for 100 people. There will also be a stage and bar installed on the patio in the next month. A variety of well-known Valley talent have committed to performing at Natalia’s 1912’s entertainment roster, including Joe Sapienza, Soul Catcher, Rick Mancini, John Burak, Mary Jo and even “Elvis,” who always packs the house. Entertainers perform from 7 to 10 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays. “Our entertainers love that they can come here, they have their own stage and our restaurant is not filled with a bunch of big-screen TVs,” he says. “They don’t have to compete with TVs.” Natalia’s 1912 is also going to be trying out live karaoke, so check its website for event updates. Happy hour is from 4 to 7 p.m. each day, except Saturdays and Sundays, and it features half-priced well drinks and appetizers at high-top tables and the bar. Imbesi is excited for winter visitors to return to discover the new changes that have taken place at Natalia’s 1912 in the past few months. “We get a lot of repeat customers and the locals are really starting to come around,” Imbesi states. “We’re going to be the biggest thing in the Chandler and Gilbert area. Where else can you go to get fine Italian dining and great live entertainment in such a beautiful restaurant?” He has been thrilled with the new faces he’s seen since Natalia’s 1912’s grand opening event in mid-July. “About half of the customers I see are brand new,” says an encouraged Imbesi. The menu is a source of great pride for Imbesi. “Everything we make here is fresh,” he says. “We don’t pre-make or pre-cook our food or use microwaves,” he says. “All the food is made as it is ordered.” SEE NATALIA’S PAGE 51
WELCOME TO NATALIA’S: Natalia’s 1912 restaurant in Chandler just held its grand re-opening. STSN photo by Lynette Carrington
City of Chandler aquatics continue into fall
See child star Lisa Whelchel at One Church
Neighbors PAGE 49
Spirituality PAGE 60
Where to Eat PAGES 75
Park ranger heads to Costa Rica to study turtles BY TRACY HOUSE
San Tan Mountain Regional Park ranger Adam Martell is about to embark on a fascinating adventure. He’s headed to Costa Rica working with WIDECAST, Wider Caribbean Sea Turtle Conservation Network, a global organization that brings people from all over the world to help with recovery and sustainability of sea turtles. Martell will help with sea turtle counts, monitor hatcheries, deter poachers from taking eggs and prevent farm animal or domesticated animals from eating the eggs of the sea turtles. He will be there for three months, but is trying to gain employment from another organization to extend his stay.
ALL IN A DAY’S WORK: San Tan Mountain Regional Park ranger Adam Martell gets up close and personal with some of the wildlife. Submitted photo
“This was something for me,” Martell says. “I have quite a few personal goals that are also professional goals as well. And it was something that I knew that I wanted to do so I had been looking at a variety of locations in which I could do it and Costa Rica was one of the ones that worked out well.” SEE PARK RANGER PAGE 53
Hospice of the Valley seeks pet therapy teams BY LYNETTE CARRINGTON
In recent years, pet therapy has become a much-used and much-loved service by various adults and children. Hospice of the Valley has a special program that has incorporated the calming and upbeat sharing of animals with those who are fighting terminal illness or who are in their final days. The not-for-profit Hospice of the Valley was founded in 1977 as a new and unique way to provide care to those who were dying. In 2006, the organization debuted a program called Pet Connections. As part of the program, pets and their owners visit one to two hours a week in various settings including skilled nursing facilities, inpatient hospice homes, group homes and patients’ private homes. “We have a little over 200 teams Valleywide, right now,” states Jennifer Douglass, East Valley Pet Team coordinator at Hospice of the Valley. “We accept dogs, cats, bunnies and miniature horses for the program.” Those in the East Valley service hospice patients in Tempe, Mesa, Gilbert, Chandler, Queen Creek, Apache Junction, Gold Canyon, Casa Grande and Sacaton. “I manage the East Valley and my immediate need is to cultivate more teams here,” Douglass says. “We’re always looking for teams all over the Valley. Some of the establishments in Chandler where pet therapy teams visit include Solterra Senior Living, Desert Cove Nursing Center, Pennington Gardens and Park Regency.” Prior to joining Pet Connection, each pet/owner team goes through a process to determine if they are a good fit for the program.
CONNECT WITH PETS: Pet therapy team Marlene Martinez and “Joey” visit with Hospice of the Valley patient Carmen Amabile. Submitted photo
“Canines need to have basic obedience and we need to know they have those commands down. And they have to have an aptitude and a desire to socialize with humans,” Douglass says. The process is conducted by a third-party organization in a testing style format. Once completed and approved, the pet team becomes registered. Unlike service animals that need to be certified, hospice pets are therapy animals that instead require registration. All different kinds of lovable dogs take part in the Pet Connections program, “from a two-and-a-half pound Yorkie to a 165 pound mutt. There’s no specific breed that makes the best therapy dog. It’s more about the temperament and the sociability of the dog,” explains Douglass. When a team is registered for Pet Connections, it is the goal to keep them as close to home as possible when given assignments. This lessens travel cost and time. The companionship and smiles an animal can bring to a hospice patient are considerable. “This is not like a typical volunteer visit where a volunteer would provide assistance in any way,” Douglass explains. “Once a team is registered, they are provided with a liability insurance policy by that registration agency. Because of that, they cannot perform any SEE HOSPICE PAGE 51