August 2 - 15, 2014
www.SanTanSun.com
August primary election can decide council selection BY JOAN WESTLAKE
City Council candidates who receive enough votes may be elected outright in the Aug. 26 primary election and need not run in the general election Nov. 4. This is especially notable because the Chandler City Council is poised for significant change with two of the three seats up for election because of term limits and the third seat held by incumbent candidate Kevin Hartke, who is seeking re-election. Running unopposed, Mayor Jay Tibshraeny likely will serve another term and, starting this year, it will be a four-year term, rather than two. If elected, at the end of this four-year term, he will have achieved a record 16 years as mayor of Chandler. His leadership began in 1994. After two, four-year terms he was elected to the state Legislature and, in 2010, was chosen again as Chandler mayor.
Here are the council candidates running in the Aug. 26 primary election, in alphabetical order:
Jon Beydler A 36-year Valley resident, Jon Beydler has lived for the past nine in Chandler. He and his wife Cheryl own Valley of the Sun Real Estate, located in downtown Chandler. He earned a master’s in public affairs, served as mayor of Fountain Hills and, for the past five years, as HOA president. “I know that the No. 1 reason people choose Chandler is because of our great schools,” he says. “When elected, I intend to be another voice for education in Chandler. Also, 65 percent of new jobs are created by businesses with fewer than 50 employees. I have been self-employed for 30 years and intend to be a voice SEE PRIMARY ELECTION PAGE 4
Public meeting held for Chandler Blvd., Alma School Rd. improvements
SEE ROAD IMPROVEMENTS PAGE 8
BY TRACY HOUSE
A weekend of fun and entertainment is planned at the Chandler Center for the Arts as the venue kicks off its 25th anniversary season in artistic fashion. The free weekend celebration includes musical acts from all genres, dance, comedy and activities for the kids. Michelle Mac Lennan, general manager, isn’t expecting to get much rest once the kick-off starts. The celebration runs Friday, Aug. 22, through Sunday Aug. 24. “We have three full days of activities...but the community day itself has a lot of bang in one shot,” she says. “You get to see three different stages of activities, plus kid art. It’ll be a real bring all the kids, and there’s something for everyone kind of day,” she explains. The entertainment begins when the doors open at 5:30 p.m. Friday, Aug. 22. The night will feature nine youth bands in the “Plugged In” concert event. The bands will take the stage at 6:30 p.m. for 20-minute sets. (See related story on page 65). The bands were handpicked for the celebration, which started with the
BAD CACTUS BRASS BAND: A funky brass band from Phoenix with roots in the New Orleans brass band tradition, Bad Cactus Brass Band brings Mardi Gras party energy wherever it goes. The band will perform at the Chandler Center for the Arts at 11 a.m. Saturday, Aug. 23. Submitted photo
Youth Advisory Board. CCA partnered with Rock ‘n’ Roll High School selecting 17 bands to audition for the nine slots in the concert. “There’s all different genres,” Mac Lennan explains. Each band will receive professional mentoring and coaching specific to public relations. “We’re going to get them a photo for their press kit, and they get a DVD of their performance.” The Community Day, Saturday, Aug. 23, holds something for everyone. “It’s definitely multicultural,” says Mac Lennan. “We’ve got San Diego’s No. 1 world music band coming, Todo Mundo. They really have a lot of Middle Eastern and Brazilian influence, and they sing in Spanish and English, so it’s a very SEE ARTS CENTER PAGE 6
Citizens to vote on Home Rule BY JOAN WESTLAKE
BY TRACY HOUSE
Concerned citizens from the Chandler Boulevard and Alma School Road area attended a July 15 public meeting at Arizona College Prep–Erie Campus to hear information about the proposed improvements, ask questions and voice concerns about the City’s ninth intersection-widening project. Foremost were the concerns for safety, increased traffic along the residential streets and the impact on businesses in the surrounding neighborhood. According to City information, “The purpose of the project is to improve safety by adding protected left-turn movements with double left-turn bays
Community invited to celebrate with arts center
CONCERNED CITIZEN: Michael Pollack, of Michael A. Pollack Real Estate Investments, attended both meetings held by the City of Chandler regarding the Chandler Boulevard/Alma School Road Intersection Improvements. Pollack has been through seven intersection construction projects and is concerned about the impact another construction project will have on the businesses and tenants in the area. Submitted photo
On Aug. 26, Chandler citizens once again have the opportunity to vote on who creates the budget for their city— residents and their City representatives or state legislators from throughout Arizona. City control of the budget is the essence of a “yes” vote on Proposition 470, which is known as the Local Alternative, Expenditure Limitation/ Home Rule, explains Chandler Management Services Director Dawn Lang. Overriding the state-imposed spending limitation provides more flexibility to establish budgets based on anticipated revenues. Chandler voters have approved Home Rule in eight consecutive elections. “A misconception about Home Rule is about funding,” Lang says.
“We receive the money from sales tax and various other revenue sources. We go through a very public budget process. The state limit is an artificial limit that has nothing to do with how our city has proceeded through time and our services delivered to residents. (Without Home Rule) we would receive the money but we could not spend it on the expected services.” The Home Rule authority must be re-established every four years. April 10 and 24, the required public hearings were held followed by a special hearing on April 24 in which the City Council voted unanimously to place Home Rule on the ballot. Chandler staff projections about the potential impacts without approval of
F E AT U R E STO R I E S SRP extends filing date for power lines decision . . . . . . . . . . . COMMUNITY . . . . . . . . . . Page 9 Kinderbugs Academy offers advanced curriculum . . . . . . . . . BUSINESS . . . . . . . . . . . . .Page 16 Chandler National team seeks world title . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . YOUTH . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Page 26 ‘Inviting’ Earnest emerges in former Cork space. . . . . . . . . . . . NEIGHBORS . . . . . . . . . . .Page 47 Frampton finds inspiration in Cincinnati Ballet. . . . . . . . . . . . . ARTS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Page 61
SanTan Family Fun . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Center Section
SEE HOME RULE PAGE 5
More Community . . . . . . .1-15 Business . . . . . . . .16-24 Youth. . . . . . . . . . .25-34 Opinion. . . . . . . . 47-50 Neighbors. . . . . . .51-60 Arts . . . . . . . . . . . 61-68 Spirituality . . . . . .69-71 Directory . . . . . . .72-73 Classifieds. . . . . . .74-75 Where to eat . . . 76-78