Santan Sun News - January 20, 2018 by Times Media Group

JAN 20 – FEB 2, 2018 | www.SanTanSun.com

Relentlessly local coverage of Southern Chandler and our neighboring communities

Chandler gets an expert in downtown development BY COLLEEN SPARKS Staff

Nancy Hormann gets fired up talking about how she has helped transform downtowns around the country from lifeless areas with empty buildings to booming destinations full of residents and businesses. She is equally passionate about her new project — helping downtown Chandler keep the ball rolling with its growth and attracting even more people to live, work and play there. Hormann started her job as the new interim executive director of the Downtown Chandler Community Partnership earlier this month. She brings 30 years of experience as an executive leader developing downtown marketing and management programs to the organization. One of her past roles was revamping downtown Tempe as president and

CEO of the Downtown Tempe Community, now called the Downtown Tempe Authority. Downtown Chandler already has many attractions and unusual features, including its many independent businesses, cultural events and a strong partnership with the city, Hormann said. “The momentum is here to build, to make this a desirable destination,” she said. “To make it the community gathering place. That’s very important. They’ve already started and it’s really cool. It’s really authentic. You want to make sure and keep this very local business and restaurants that you can’t find anywhere else. “This is a great downtown for everybody,” Hormann added. “It’s just really got a great vibe to it that’s exciting. This is an all-age destination. It’s an absolutely adorable little downtown. I love downtowns; there’s just

something different about it.” Beth Fiorenza, the partnership’s previous executive director, is no longer working for the organization. Its board hired Hormann, 68, as it searches for a permanent replacement. Hormann’s contract is for three months, and she said she does not want to take on the position permanently, though it’s possible she will work with the partnership longer if needed. Partnership President Peter Sciacca said, “While personnel issues are strictly confidential, the board will take this opportunity to embrace the charge of making our downtown more dynamic, amazing and attractive.” “Part of the charge is finding and hiring the leadership to get us there while keeping us uniquely ‘hip and historic’ amidst other vibrant Valley downtowns,” he added.

Sciacca cited Hormann’s “rich experience in the key aspects of district (re)vitalization: executive leadership, strategic planning and deployment, district service management, program development and implementation, special events, parking and retail recruitment/retention.” “Nancy has 30 years of valuable experience in executive leadership, and developing innovative and cost effective downtown marketing and management programs,” Sciacca said, adding: “As an executive director/CEO, Ms. Hormann has applied her seasoned expertise in cities as diverse as Dallas, Sacramento, San Francisco, Raleigh and Tempe. Working closely with property owners, municipal elected and management See

DOWNTOWN on page 4

Experts say Chandler retail scene looking good BY WAYNE SCHUTSKY Staff Writer

While much of the country is dealing with the fallout of closures by major retail chains, the East Valley is experiencing largely positive trends in the sector. But the region is not totally isolated from the closures as Walmart announced it will shutter a Sam’s Club in Chandler. Commercial real estate firm Cushman & Wakefield early this month predicted

Water babies Kimberly Carillo/Staff Photographer

As little Allison Martinez of Chandler gets a helping hand above, Amanda Malcoli, also of Chandler, does the same thing with her 9-month-old neice Ella Dissinger. The tots are learning water-survival skills at SWIMkids USA, a Mesa business that draws heavy participation from Chandler moms with babies. The school recently received a special award from Arizona State University for its work. Read why and how on page 32.

that more than 12,000 stores could close nationwide in 2018 due to bankruptcies and store closings by chains like Sears, Stein Mart, Walgreens, Gap, and Gymboree, according to a report from Business Insider. Those national closures reached Chandler on Jan. 11, when Walmart announced that it would be closing 63 Sam’s Club stores across the country, including the location at 1375 S. Arizona See

SAMS on page 14

Ducey, legislators tell Chandler leaders their priorities for 2018 BY PAUL MARYNIAK Executive Editor

Education funding and a major reform of Arizona’s tax structure appear to be the top priorities of East Valley legislators. Those were the most repeated top priorities as legislators briefly introduced themselves during a special Chandler Chamber of Commerce breakfast Jan. 4 aimed at helping business leaders and elected officials from all government levels

get reacquainted. That political lovefest was followed five days later on Jan. 10, when the East Valley Partnership and East Valley Chambers of Commerce hosted Gov. Doug Ducey during its annual East Valley Breakfast with the Governor. As he and his predecessors traditionally have done at the breakfast, Ducey reiterated some of the main themes of his State of the See

POLITICS on page 7

F E AT U R E STO R I E S

Chandler Councilman Nora Ellen has picked up a new title . . . . COMMUNITY . . . . . . Page 10 Chandler’s first marijuana dispensary is about to debut . . . . . BUSINESS . . . . . . . . . Page 23 Chandler and Sun Lakes adults ready for Senior Olympics . ..SPORTS. . . . . . . . . . . Page 34 It’s Girl Scout Cookie time again! Yum . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . NEIGHBORS . . . . . . . Page 43 Here’s a taco shop with a difference . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . EAT . . . . . . . . . . . Page 68

Community . . . . .01-22 Business . . . . . . . . 23-31 Sport . . . . . . . . . 32-40 Opinion. . . . . . . . .41-42 Neighbors. . . . . . .43-53 Arts . . . . . . . . . . . 54-60 Spirituality . . . . . .61-63 Classifieds. . . . . . 64-67 Where to Eat . . . 68-70

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COMMUNITY NEWS

Kyrene, Tempe Union boards pick new leaders for 2018 SANTAN SUN NEWS STAFF

Tempe Union High School’s governing board will be led by its oldest member while the youngest member ever elected to Kyrene’s board is now its president. The annual reshuffling of school board leadership posts last week saw Kristin Middleton selected by her four fellow members as president of Kyrene’s governing board while Tempe Union board members elected Michelle Helm as its president. Kyrene board members elected Bernadette Coggins of Tempe, whose sons have all been educated in the district’s schools, as vice president – a position she has held in the past – while first-year board member Berdetta Hodge was elected to that position on Tempe Union’s board. The election of Middleton, 26, means Kyrene’s board still will be headed by an Ahwatukee resident because she replaces John King, who won a second term on the board in 2016, the same year Hodge was elected in Tempe Union. Hodge, whose two sons are McClintock High School grads, is also a Tempe resident. Helm, 72, is a retired teacher and has held both the president and vice president posts over the course of her tenure with the board. She is currently serving her fifth term. Middleton, a Desert Vista and Arizona State University graduate, also is a

product of Kyrene schools and said her education in the district “helped shaped my successes at Arizona State University and in the workplace.” A member of the U.S. Navy Reserves and the Ahwatukee Foothills Village Planning Committee, she is in the final year of her first term. When elected in 2014, Middleton, a foreclosure prevention specialist for Nationstar Mortgage, had already run up a record of political activity as a Youing Republican. She was an ASU senior when she became the youngest of Arizona’s 29 delegates to the 2012 National Republican Convention. She also had internships with U.S. Sen. John McCain, the state attorney general and the State House. As president, she will be leading the board has it continues to oversee the creation of Kyrene’s first pre-K-8 campus at Kyrene Traditional Academy in Chandler and the introduction of new programs and more electives to keep the district competitive with private charters and other public school districts. Coggins is finishing up her second term on the board. The Mesa native’s husband Tim is also a product of Kyrene schools. Helm will be leading the board at a time of transition in her district as well, as sixyear Superintendent Kenneth Baca retires June 30 and his associate superintendent Kevin Mendivil succeeds him.

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DOWNTOWN

SANTAN SUN NEWS | JAN 20 – FEB 2, 2018

from page 1

leaders, as well as community stakeholders, she has guided more than 20 cities across the nation through the creation of improvement districts.” Hormann took the reins at the Downtown Tempe Community in 2007, when, she said, “everything fell apart” in the country’s economy. When she arrived, she said half the buildings in downtown Tempe were empty. “The goal at that time was to keep it in top of mind,” Hormann said. “Our goal was to make downtown Tempe attractive to developers.” She said she and her team did that by recruiting retailers to the area, including holding a contest in which a winner got rent free for a year in downtown Tempe. Hormann said the contest was one way the Downtown Tempe Community recruited retailers by being “the information center about all things for lease or sale in the Downtown District.”

File photo

Downtown Tempe was turning into a dump after the Great Recession in 2008 until Nancy Horman took the reins of an effort to stem its deterioration and breathe new life into it. Now she’s the itnerim director of Chandler’s downtown group.

“We don’t say, ‘Get off the streets,’ (but) ‘Here’s someplace you can go to help you,’” Hormann said. Adam Jones, vice president of the Downtown Tempe Authority, said: “I think Nancy is a true visionary. She joined the organization right at the start

File photo

Nancy Hormann likes the direction business and civic leaders are taking with downtown Chandler and is looking forward to helping them reach the next stage of its development.

They also focused on “activation,” which Hormann said means ensuring something is always going on in the area, including events, performances in parks and other activities. She and her team brought smaller events to the area, which already had hosted many large events. Hormann said her biggest accomplishment was helping to clean up the streets of downtown Tempe. She and her team got an ordinance changed that curbed panhandling in front of businesses. They also started a program where Downtown Tempe Community staff members tell homeless people about resources to help themselves and staff members clean up downtown.

Kimberly Carrillo/Staff Photographer

Nancy Hormann is interim director of the Cowntown Chandler Community Partnership.

of the economic downtown. She was presented with many challenges as to how best position the organization and move forward. I think she’s very much a strong leader and administrator. She understands the downtown world as good as anybody that I’ve come across.” He said Hormann took what was then an abandoned movie theater in downtown Tempe and turned it into the Mill Avenue District Community Arts Project (MADCAP) Theaters. Bands, theater groups and others can rent the space at cost and perform for audiences. “It was something that brought more people downtown,” Jones said. “It took what was an abandoned building and gave it purpose.” Hormann also made an impact on downtown Flagstaff. She was an advising consultant to Downtown Flagstaff in its formation of a revitalization district. That type of district is similar to an enhanced municipal services district but it was not in a redevelopment area. Downtown Chandler Community Partnership is an enhanced municipal services district. These districts provide services beyond what the cities offer by helping to make them clean and safe and by marketing efforts. They are paid for by the property owners in their boundaries. In Texas, Hormann left her mark on Southlake Town Square, a lifestyle shopping district with over 120 shops and dozens of restaurants in the city of Southlake, in the

Dallas-Fort Worth area. While general manager for the district from 1995 to 2001, Southlake, which had been around 40 years, “had no downtown,” she said. Hormann helped the developer get the whole shopping center leased by businesses and to provide programs in Southlake Town Square. “It’s a downtown from scratch,” she said. Hormann worked as the CEO of the Central Dallas Association, which later became Downtown Dallas Inc. The private nonprofit organization’s mission is to revitalize and build a more vibrant downtown Dallas. Hormann said she and her team “attracted about 7,000 more residential units, which is what makes your downtown.” Kourtny Garrett, president/CEO of Downtown Dallas Inc., worked for Hormann as her assistant at Downtown Dallas Inc. “First and foremost, when Nancy came to downtown Dallas, you had that perception that downtown is dead; sidewalks roll up at 5 p.m.,” Garrett said. “I really credit her with having that initial vision for what downtown could be. She did phenomenal work in laying down the groundwork at a time when it was not necessarily the easy thing to do.” She said Hormann has the passion and “programmatic experience” and she helped Downtown Dallas Inc. create special events, drive foot traffic and build consensus to enhance the downtown area. Downtown Dallas has seen “triple digit percentage growth” in residential units, and it has added restaurants, attracted AT&T to

Hormann also previously worked as executive director of the Sacramento Downtown Partnership, where she worked to get legislation passed to form the state’s first property-based business improvement district in California. Later, her husband’s job transfer required him to be within a 90-minute plane ride to Orange County, California, and her oldest daughter, Amy Shafer, had moved to the Valley. So, Hormann and her husband also moved to the Valley 11 years ago. “This is Arizona. It’s my Valley so I want to work and help all the downtowns come up. It was a great, fun thing to do,” Hormann said. Chandler City Councilmember Kevin Hartke praised Hormann. “It sounds that she has a lot of experience, which will be beneficial,” Hartke said. “Chandler is entering an exciting new stage with their downtown with their development as well as the opportunity to extend the district south of Frye Road.” Hormann said downtown Chandler is comparable to the Mill Avenue area of downtown Tempe. She said her goal is to “find out who the target markets are” for the partnership, which is a property owners organization. Any property owners within the Chandler downtown district must be members. “It’s time to take a look at what they can accomplish now,” Hormann said. “There’s so much more that can be going on with the momentum going on here. Our goal right now is to get some surveys going, get

File photo

Downtown Dallas was a sleepy locale once upon a time until Nancy Hormann helped leaders implement a vision that made it a bright Texas star.

set up its corporate headquarters there, as well as seen four new parks built and four new parks are about to be constructed there, Garrett said. “Nancy has a track record of success in a number of cities,” she said. “She knows this business inside and out. Not only in Dallas is she one of those legendary leaders. She has that kind of utility player expertise. You can plug her in on any topic and (she) understands what it means to create a place.”

some information out, see what events are working, what kind of retail do we have. “My job is to do all that information gathering, creating a strategic and implementation plan and hire a new director. The challenge is getting people to understand why we have to change things, see what we’re doing and be a part of it. “The Partnership is here. It’s utilizing it. The future of downtown Chandler is bright and has always been bright.”

SANTAN SUN NEWS | JAN 20 – FEB 2, 2018

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SANTAN SUN NEWS | JAN 20 – FEB 2, 2018

POLITICS

from page 1

State Address two days earlier. Among them were his promise to “restore long-standing cuts from the recession made before many of us were here” and taking a more aggressive approach to curbing the state’s opioid epidemic. Ducey did not mention the state income tax, which he had promised to reduce during his first campaign in 2014. But taking some unspecified action on the state’s tax structure was clearly on the minds of those legislators who attended the Chandler Chamber’s “Meet the Elected Officials” breakfast. The 50 or so elected officials, particularly legislators, also stressed that bipartisanship is alive and well in Arizona despite a guest presentation by a U.S. Chamber of Commerce executive that painted a bleak picture of how partisan politics was crippling the nation’s business in Washington, D.C. Jennings Imel, western region manager for the U.S. Chamber, provided a sobering view of how “deep partisanship” had virtually paralyzed Washington despite passage of federal tax reform legislation last month. That partisanship runs so deep, Imel said, that most Republicans claim to have few friends among Democrats and vice versa, he said. “We rely on that middle ground to get things done,” Imel said. “The dynamic has definitely changed…Republicans and Democrats don’t have a lot of friends – or even go out to dinner or for a beer with – people in the other party.”

“How are you going to work with the other side if you don’t have friends on the other side?” Imel wondered. “It’s not just an ideological divide but a lifestyle divide as well.” That lack of bipartisanship threatens action of a long list of important issues affecting Americans, he added. Those issues include a new 2018-19 spending plan, stabilization of the health insurance market and an infrastructure improvement plan. And even though he called business groups like the Chamber “the voice of reason” amid the political turmoil, Imel conceded, “It’s tough to break through.” Former Chandler City Councilman Rick Heumann, co-chair of the Chandler Chamber’s public policy committee, said “it’s ridiculous” that members of one party don’t socialize with those of the opposition. East Mesa Congressman Andy Biggs also maintained, “We work across the aisle” and cited bipartisan efforts to pass legislation like an Amber Alert for Native American lands. Turning to priorities for the new legislative session, Republican House Speaker JD Mesnard said finding a permanent solution to Arizona’s funding of education was a top priority, followed closely by tax reform. Mesnard said congressional passage of federal tax reform created momentum to reexamine and reform Arizona’s tax structure, although he did not give any specifics. State Rep. Jeff Weninger of Chandler said he is working with the state attorney general to create a favorable tax climate for companies engaged in so-called “financial technology” like Bitcoins. He said Arizona could become a center for companies

COMMUNITY NEWS

working on such alternative currency. While Democratic state Sen. Sean Bowie said “adequate funding of pubic education has been and will be my top priority,” he said he also is working on lowering tuition costs at Arizona’s three state universities. Other officials expressed their top priority for the new year. Corporation Commission member Bob Burns said he is working public utilities “safe, reliable and affordable.” Numerous school board and city council members also voiced their goals for this year, with many of the former agreeing with State Education Superintendent Diane Douglas, who voiced concern that teachers are adequately paid. Mesnard and several other East Valley legislators suggested the state might be able to increase education by finding economies in other government spending – a position that Gov. Doug Ducey advocates. In an interview with Capitol Media Services, the governor said the state has made a “significant investment’’ in K-12 education, saying aid to schools is $700 million higher now than it was three years ago. “More is needed,’’ he acknowledged, saying the details of his budget will have to wait. But the governor rejected suggestions and proposals by several different education and business groups that the quickest and easiest way to raise the revenues needed is to boost state sales taxes, curb tax credits or close what some describe as “loopholes’’ in the tax code. “I’m not raising taxes,’’ he said. Instead, Ducey insists that he can find the money elsewhere in the budget. “Our economy is growing,’’ he said. “Our

state government is being operated more effectively and efficiently.’’ But the kind of money Ducey can find through such savings is unlikely to satisfy those who cite not only Arizona’s reputation of being at or near the bottom of perstudent funding but the problems in both attracting and retaining teachers. And that starts with 2,000 classrooms not having qualified teachers at the helm, instead being run by substitutes or students being forced into overcrowded classrooms. Senate Minority Leader Katie Hobbs was more succinct in her criticism of the governor’s contention that the state can adequately meet education needs with savings elsewhere. It’s not just Democrats and educators who are critical of Ducey’s position that the state can fund education without additional revenues. He also is increasingly at odds with those who otherwise might be considered allies. It starts with the debate of the future of the 0.6-cent sales tax approved by voters in 2000 specifically to fund education. Without action, it will self-destruct in 2021, along with the approximately $600 million it raises. The governor said he supports simply asking voters to extend it, insisting it could be reformed in a way to generate more dollars. He also doesn’t want any action this year, a move that House Minority Leader Rebecca Rios called “incredibly irresponsible.’’ Beyond that, others say education needs more than that 0.6-cent tax raises. Douglas favors boosting the levy to a full penny, figuring to use three-fourths of that to boost teacher salaries by about 10 percent.

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SANTAN SUN NEWS | JAN 20 – FEB 2, 2018

ASU honey bee lab works to save the vital insects BY WAYNE SCHUTSKY Staff Writer

Tucked away in a dirt lot at the southern edge of Arizona State University’s Polytechnic Campus in Mesa, the Honey Bee Research Lab is home to wideranging studies into the winged insects that play a vital role in pollinating the country’s food supply. The facility – which can house around 1 million bees in peak season in the spring – gives ASU faculty and graduate students space to conduct research on many bee-related topics, including genetics, breeding, behavior and physiology. One recent study at the facility tracked the effects of different sugars, including high-fructose corn syrup, on honey bee health, said Osman Kaftanoglu, Honey Bee Research Lab project manager. Kaftanoglu, postdoctoral researcher Chelsea Cook and research technologist Cahit Ozturk presented the findings at Apimondia World Beekeeping Congress in Turkey in September with the talk “Effects of Glucose, Fructose and High Fructose Corn Syrup on the Development, Memory and Learning Behavior of Honey Bees.” They plan on publishing the findings in the future. Other topics of research include bee vaccines. Gro Amdam, a professor in ASU’s School of Life Sciences, is developing the world’s first vaccines to protect honey bees from deadly

Photos by Wayne Schutsky/Staff

Osman Kaftanoglu readies to wrangle some bees at the Honey Bee Research Lab at Arizona State University’s Polytechnic Campus in Mesa.

diseases. Much of the research in the facility revolves around searching for ways to sustain and grow honey bee populations, which have waned in developed countries in recent years due, in part, to heavy pesticide use and the effects of

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Osman Kaftanoglu shows some baby bees at the ASU Honey Bee Research Lab.

global climate change, Kaftanoglu said. He added that there were 5.5 million to 6 million honey bee colonies in the U.S. in the 1950s, but now the number of colonies is less than 2.6 million, a decline of roughly 50 percent. Honey bees, often viewed as pests in Arizona, are actually vitally important to the state’s ecosystem and agriculture,

because of their role as a major pollinator for many fruits, vegetables and other plants. Honey bee pollination supports the production of $7 billion worth of agriculture in Arizona. The industry supported by the bees’ honey is also worth $1.7 million per year in See

BEES on page 9

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SANTAN SUN NEWS | JAN 20 – FEB 2, 2018

BEES

from page 8

Arizona, according to the National Association of State Departments of Agriculture. The pest label stems in part from the population of Africanized honey bees that now thrive in the southwestern United States, Kaftanoglu said. Africanized honey bees are naturally more defensive than European honey bees, which makes them more prone to swarming. That is why the Honey Bee Research

Lab keeps only European colonies and sources many of its queens from Northern California – a region currently unaffected by Africanized bee populations. Scientists initially brought Africanized bees to Brazil, and by the 1980s they made their way to Texas. They thrive in warm climates and have now spread to many parts of the southern U.S., including Arizona. These bees have thrived in these new environments because they are naturally more resistant to disease, stress and parasites than their European relatives.

Because of natural bee mating patterns, it is relatively easy for European colonies to become Africanized, Kaftanoglu said. In order to combat this, the researchers at ASU mark the queens in their colonies. “If we see any unmarked bees in a hive ,we kill the queen because we know that she made it into open air and she most likely mated with Africanized drones,” Kaftanoglu said. Kaftanoglu suggested that all local beekeepers in the Valley should mark their bees to prevent the spread of Africanized colonies.

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European honey bees are not native to the U.S., either. They initially came over to this continent with colonists and it took about 100 years before they reached the West Coast. “(Honey bees) are now the major pollinators,” Kaftanoglu said. “Because of habitat destruction and the heavy use of pesticides, the native pollinators are declining.” – Reach Wayne Schutsky at 480-898-6533 or wschutsky@timespublications.com.

Lab encourages residents to take up beekeeping BY WAYNE SCHUTSKY Staff Writer

While Researchers at the Honey Bee Research Lab at Arizona State University’s Polytechnic Campus are always looking for new and innovative ways to save declining honey bee populations, they are also focused on much simpler local solutions to the problem. “There should be some programs to support local beekeeping to make sure they have pollinators in the area,” lab project manager Osman Kaftanoglu said. Kaftanoglu said childhood education plays an important role in preserving honey bee populations into the future. He encourages beekeepers and local schools to provide programs to teach children the importance of pollinators and the value of beekeeping. Beyond those educational programs,

Kaftanoglu also said that local residents can help maintain bee populations by raising colonies in their backyards. He stressed that proper preparation and education is important for any would-be apiarist who plans to start beekeeping at home. Local residents interested in beekeeping should also be aware of local laws regulating the practice. “Right now, keeping bees in many states in backyards is not allowed because of Africanized bees,” Kaftanoglu said. There are no state statutes in Arizona that prevent residents from keeping bees, though local ordinances can vary across the state, Arizona Department of Agriculture Director Mark W. Killian said via email. Killian added that his department is working with a number of groups and individuals to find solutions to the death and loss of bees. In the East Valley, Mesa, Chandler

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and Tempe all have regulations within their respective municipal codes aimed at preventing insect infestations. However, those codes also include other language that permits beekeeping under appropriate conditions. Mesa’s Zoning Ordinance specifically allows for raising bee hives – also called apiaries – in the Agriculture District and states that “buildings or hives for apiaries may not be closer than 75 feet to any neighboring residence.” In Chandler, having some bees on a residential property in Chandler is not prohibited unless they become a nuisance or a commercial enterprise, Chandler Planning Administrator Jeff Kurtz said via email. Tempe requires residents to receive a use permit prior to keeping an apiary. The city also requires occupied bee hives to be kept at least 200 feet from any

existing dwelling on another property, at least 50 feet away from any property line, and at least 150 feet away from any street or bridle path. In Gilbert, the land development code allows for the apiaries in the Single Family Residential Zoning Districts with the stipulation that hives must be located at least 100 feet away from the property line. Killian said one problem faced by many beekeepers is the encroachment of Africanized bees, adding that the Department of Agriculture has resources to help amateur beekeepers fight that and other issues. “My own personal opinion is that we need to encourage those home owners who want to have their own beehive in their back yard to do so,” Killian said. “The more honey bees we can get into production, the better off we are for our plants both ornamental and crop production.”

COMMUNITY NEWS

SANTAN SUN NEWS | JAN 20 – FEB 2, 2018

Nora Ellen elected as Chandler’s new vice mayor BY PAUL MARYNIAK Executive Editor

City Councilwoman Nora Ellen has been unanimously elected vice mayor by her colleagues, giving her some additional public exposure at a time when she’ll be vying for a higher office. Nominated by Mayor Jay Tibshraeny, the council voted her as the replacement for Councilman Kevin Hartke, whose tenure in that job expired. The position of vice mayor, largely ceremonial in Arizona municipalities, is aimed at assuring continuity in government if the mayor is absent or incapacitated. General municipal councils rotate the position among members. Nevertheless, the appointment gives a slight boost to Ellen’s campaign for one of the two House seats in Legislative District 17, which covers a big part of Chandler as well as bits of Gilbert and Sun Lakes. Ellen announced last fall that she was seeking the seat now held by her son, House Speaker J.D. Mesnard, who is running to replace retiring Sen. Steve Yarbrough. Both Mesnard and Ellen will be termed out of their current positions. Ellen, who was re-elected to her second and final four-year term on council in 2016, said, “It was very special for me when the mayor nominated me for vice mayor and the other council members approved this motion unanimously. Chandler is a treasure to me and I am deeply honored, grateful and

Kimberly Carrillo/Staff Photographer

Councilwoman Nora Ellen, seen here with her son, House Speaker J.D. Mesnard, has been elected by her colleagues to serve as Chandler’s vice mayor this year.

energized to serve in this new capacity as vice mayor. “I am very honored and privileged to serve the residents of Chandler as vice mayor,” she also said. “I look forward to working with Mayor Tibshraeny and each of my fellow council members in this new role.”

A resident of Chandler since 2002, Ellen currently serves on the Maricopa Association of Governments Transportation Policy Committee, the Chandler Chamber Education Forum Committee, the Chamber’s Public Policy Committee and Southeast Valley Association of Realtors Government

Affairs Committee. She also serves on the board of the nonprofit Pregnancy Care Centers of Chandler and Gilbert, which help women and families in crisis. Ellen also initiated the city’s Operation Welcome Home program, which recognizes the dedication and service of military members in our community. She previously served as the ex officio member of the Chandler Airport Commission and on the Chandler Chamber of Commerce board of directors. Before her first election to council, she served as a commissioner on the City’s Neighborhood Advisory Committee and was appointed to the Four Corner Retail Committee. She has a lifetime of volunteer service and leadership positions through children’s clubs, the Kyrene School Curriculum Task Force, PTO, Christian Services Association, women’s sports, homeless counseling, youth mentoring, fundraising and music teams. She has also assisted in elderly care, orphanage support, the Care 7 Crisis Response Team, Hope for Mexico and has served as a trustee in her church. Ellen, who also has a daughter, is a real estate associate broker at Revelation Real Estate in Chandler. Nora has a son and daughter-in-law, House Speaker J.D. Mesnard and Holly Mesnard, and daughter and son-in-law, Juel and Aaron Perry, and one grandchild, Liana Perry.

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COMMUNITY NEWS

SANTAN SUN NEWS | JAN 20 – FEB 2, 2018

Chandler Library hosts ‘Women’s Voices’ series SANTAN SUN NEWS STAFF

Four women who recently published their memoirs will be the featured speakers for the inaugural Women’s Voices author series hosted by the Chandler Downtown Library beginning Saturday, Jan. 27, and continuing monthly through April 21. Each session is from 11 a.m. to 12:15 p.m., in the Copper Room on the second floor of the Downtown Library, 22 S. Delaware St. Women’s Voices sessions are free to the public and no registration is required. The authors will present their work and then be available to sign their books and meet with attendees. “This series allows Chandler Library to bring the inspired words, compelling stories and bold voices of these women to the forefront,” said Chandler Librarian Ted Liebler. “Through their writings and lives, each author expresses courage, determination and fortitude in the face of prolonged adversity and instability.” On Jan. 27, Ianthe McGuinn, author of “In the Wings: My Life with Roger McGuinn and The Byrds,” will speak. She became involved with the 1960s folk music scene in Hollywood and eventually married Roger McGuinn, who was on the threshold of fame and success as the founding member of his rock music group, The Byrds. After divorce and raising two young sons as a single mom, McGuinn later remarried and completed a nursing degree in her hometown of Tucson, where she currently writes stories

and poetry. On Feb. 24, Marijane Huang, author of “Beyond Two Worlds: A TaiwaneseAmerican Adoptee’s Memoir & Search for Identity,” will speak. Born in Taiwan, she was adopted by an American military family at 4 months old and grew up in in the deep South where there was little diversity. Raised to believe she was Vietnamese and Japanese, she never doubted what her adoptive parents told her, until one day, she found her original adoption papers hidden in an old attic. The shocking discovery led Huang on a whirlwind journey halfway across the world to find the truth about her adoption. Huang is an associate clinical social worker and board-certified music therapist. On March 24, the series will present Valerie Foster, author of “Dancing with a Demon,” named the 2017 Best NonFiction: Narrative by American Book Fest. It is the true story of a mother searching for answers to her teenage daughter’s struggle with anorexia. Foster has to fight against a demon that threatens her daughter’s life and her own mental health. She will be sharing the riveting and inspiring story of her daughter’s sudden decline and remarkable recovery, and how this disease affects one’s entire family. Foster is an award-winning educator and memoirist who taught high school and college for more than 30 years. On April 21, Chandler author Lynne Hartke, author of “Under a Desert Sky:

The NHRA Mello Yellow Drag Racing Series annual duel in the desert returns for three days at the Wild Horse Pass Motorsports.

City of Chandler Library

Three of the four authors who will be presenting at the “Women’s Voices” sessions include, from left, Marijane Huang, Lynne Hartke and Valerie Foster.

Redefining Hope, Beauty, and Faith in the Hardest Places,” will discuss the hard questions she asked herself of not only her cancer diagnosis, but also the diagnoses of both parents. Readers will discover that even in life’s hardest places, they are not alone in their fear, they are not foolish to hope,

and they are never forgotten by a loving God. Hartke is a Voice of Hope for the American Cancer Society, a pastor’s wife, community volunteer, blogger and grandma. Information: chandlerlibrary.org or call 480-782-2800.

About Chandler Public Library Serving residents of Chandler and the East Valley since 1954, Chandler Public Library has a commitment to being the reading, learning and cultural center of the community. As the information leaders, we provide a variety of resources, in a variety of formats, so

library users of all ages can explore topics of personal interest and continue to learn throughout their lives. Chandler Public Library is part of the City of Chandler Cultural Affairs Division. Find us on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest and Instagram.

Through 2018, NHRA will pay tribute to the first responders throughout the country. We salute the medical professionals, law enforcement officers, firefighters, members of our armed forces, public-safety professionals, or any number of other professions charged with the well-being of the public. NHRA and Wild Horse Pass Motorsports Parkwill offer discount tickets to these heroes as well as acknowledge and salute them through the year on a number of NHRA tracks. Visit NHRA.com/govx to redeem your discount

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SANTAN SUN NEWS | JAN 20 – FEB 2, 2018

COMMUNITY NEWS

Chandler starts second phase of Arizona Avenue work SANTAN SUN NEWS STAFF

Chandler has begun the second phase of city officials’ vision for a so-called “front door” into the downtown corridor from the Loop 202 Santan Freeway. And city officials are slowly beginning the planning for two other major projects – the widening of Ocotillo and Chandler Heights roads. Construction began earlier this week along Arizona Avenue between Pecos and Frye roads. Crews will put in landscaping, widen sidewalks, raise medians and install bike lanes and streetlights as well as a new traffic signal at Fairview Street. The first phase of improvements from Frye Road to Chandler Boulevard was completed in 2010. This new phase is scheduled to be completed in October. The improvements likely will mean some headaches for motorists. The city said, “Traffic restrictions will be required for the safety of workers and traveling public, but Arizona Avenue will remain open at all times.” Business access will be maintained and temporary signs will be used to direct traffic and highlight business access. “We’re going to do all we can to minimize disruption to the area while these improvements are built,” said Kim Moyers, Chandler’s downtown redevelopment manager. “We want people to know they can continue to enjoy all that downtown has to offer.” The contractor, Banicki Construction

City of Chandler

This part of Arizona Avenue between Pecos and Frye roads will undergo a major overhaul as Chandler ofﬁ cials address the look of the so-called “front door” to the downtown corridor.

of Phoenix, will perform the work in phases beginning on the west side of the street, then moving to the east side, and finally to the center median. Included in the construction will be the replacement of 1,700 feet of an aging waterline beneath Frye Road west of Arizona Avenue. Two traffic lanes will remain open in each direction during the first phases of the project. But once the center median construction begins in late summer, the lanes will be narrowed to a single lane in each direction between 8:30 a.m. and 4 p.m. Kreuzer Consulting Group of Mesa performed the engineering design. The hardscape and landscaping design work

was accomplished by J2 Engineering & Environmental Design of Phoenix. Banicki Construction has a $6.4 million contract to build the improvements. For information on the project, visit ChandlersNewFrontDoor.com or contact the project hotline at 480-898-4060. The widening of Ocotillo Road between Gilbert Road and 148th Street is in the preliminary design phase. The city this week held a hearing to get public comment on the alignment and early design. An informational meeting to discuss improvements to Chandler Heights Road between McQueen and Gilbert roads will be held at 6 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 31, at the Environmental Education Center at Veterans

City of Chandler

This map shows the area of Arizona Avenue that will be getting a facelift this year.

Oasis Park, 4050 E. Chandler Heights Road. Both projects will widen the two-lane roads to two lanes in each direction with raised medians, bike lanes, center turn lane, curb, gutter, sidewalk, street lighting and drainage improvements. Project drawings will be on display at the Jan. 31 meeting and team members will be available to answer questions. Interpreter assistance or reasonable accommodations for people with disabilities can be made available with a minimum 72-hour notice by calling 480898-4060 or 711 via AZ Relay Service.

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Ave. in Chandler. The Chandler Sam’s Club will close to the public by Jan. 26. Walmart has plans to convert up to 12 of the affected locations to eCommerce fulfillment centers, though it is unclear whether the Chandler location is included in those plans. “We are in the process of identifying other locations to convert to an eCommerce fulfillment center and will have more clarity on locations in the coming weeks and months,” said Laura Ladd Poff, Walmart senior manager of corporate communications. The announcement came on the same day that Walmart heralded the recent tax reform bill passed by Congress and signed by the president and announced plans to increase wages, expand maternal and paternal leave benefits and issue bonuses to some employees. Despite the Walmart announcement, the national closures should have a limited effect on the East Valley as major retailers already closed locations in the area during and immediately after the Great Recession, said Brad Douglass, associate vice president at Cushman & Wakefield’s Phoenix office. “I don’t think the East Valley is going to experience a lot of closings, because a lot of that has already happened,” he said. Douglass said that, overall, retailers in the East Valley have performed well over the last several years and the sector performed well over the holiday season.

SANTAN SUN NEWS | JAN 20 – FEB 2, 2018

years back, and I think the City of Chandler has done a lot to revitalize and redevelop (the area) with its own little revitalization of downtown.” He pointed to the $25 million Overstreet development — which will feature a Flix Brewhouse microbrewery and movie theater — as an example of growth in the area. In Gilbert, the fate of the Epicenter project — which will function as a commercial hub for the Agritopia residential community — could influence similar development throughout the East Valley. “It will be interesting to watch once (Epicenter) breaks ground,” Douglass said. “It could lead to File photo other mini urban cores in the You won’t be seeing this billboard much longer after Walmart announced it is closing the Sam’s Club on Southeast Valley.” Arizona Avenue and the Santan Loop 202. Despite the influx of positive indicators, pockets in the East Much of this success has been driven and are now realizing there are lots of Valley are still struggling to attract by non-traditional uses in retail spaces. opportunities in downtown Gilbert, retail users. Medical users — like doctors, dentists, Queen Creek, downtown Chandler, south “Ever since the recession, parts of orthodontists and urgent cares — are Tempe, and east Mesa,” Douglass said. mesa and really particularly north increasingly interested in moving into He added, “I think that will grow as Mesa… and downtown Mesa and the retail space and have picked up the slack others see the success of those pioneers surrounding area has seemed to struggle for companies that left. who have made those (inroads).” with the aging centers that are in need of The food-and-beverage industry is He also expects developers and redevelopment,” Douglass said. also driving retail growth as Phoenixretailers to keep their eyes on emerging He added that there is certainly an area restaurateurs move east in search markets like downtown Chandler and opportunity for redevelopment there but of alternatives to the crowded central Gilbert near the Agritopia development the area likely will need the introduction Phoenix marketplace. at Ray Road and Loop 202. of a large employer or higher education “A big focus that I think is playing out “Downtown Chandler is a new one user to spur new development. in the East Valley is a lot of the hip and to watch,” Douglass said. “A lot of “(In the East Valley) vacancies are local flavor restaurants are becoming over people in Chandler were envious of certainly highest and net absorption is saturated in Arcadia and Central Phoenix what downtown Gilbert did a number of lowest (in these areas),” he said.

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SANTAN SUN NEWS | JAN 20 – FEB 2, 2018

COMMUNITY NEWS

Tempe Union muralist, teacher work to address teen grief BY PAUL MARYNIAK Executive Editor

Stung and alarmed by the rash of teen suicides in the East Valley – including a cluster of seven deaths in six weeks last summer – an Ahwatukee muralist has joined forces with a Mountain Pointe teacher and a Corona del Sol student to stem the tragic tide among young people, starting with students in the Tempe Union High School District. Suzanne Whitaker is working with English teacher Lorie Warnock and accomplished 17-year-old performer Tatum Lynn Stolworthy to present a one-day retreat for teens, ages 14 to 18, that will use collaging and journal writing to help them through grief – especially the kind that might drive some young people to consider suicide. Called Tools for Teen Grief, the workshop will run 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 27, at the Escalante Center, 2150 E. Orange St., Tempe. Three or four teens will join four to six adults as facilitators for the session. Teens can sign up at signupgenius.com/ go/8050849aeae2ca13-teen. Whitaker said she’s been thinking about this idea for a while. “I wanted to bring my art together with my volunteer work with New Song for Grieving Children – part of Hospice of the Valley – somehow,” she explained. “I’ve worked with the teen group for four years now and enjoy watching the kids go from very sad to a place of strength at the end of a year or so,” Whitaker added. “Much of what we talk about in group is centered on ways in which we can relieve stress and

or yoga,” she recalled. “However, some students and I started a support group at our high school, and it was really beneficial to know others were going through the same waves of sadness from their loss. And then, Lorie, much to my surprise, said she’d been having similar thoughts about a workshop but wanted to incorporate yoga and meditation.” Special to the SanTan Sun News Suzanne Whitaker, who has painted murals at several Kyrene Once they got to talking, school, including this one at Kyrene de la Mariposa, where she Warnock and Whitaker brought is talking with Principal Spencer Falgatter, is working with a in other moms. Mountain Pointe teacher and a Corona del Sol student to use “Our small group of moms art as a way curbing teen suicides. formed for the purpose of bringing awareness to suicide prevention in Tempe Union overwhelming sadness or anger. If we can School District and work toward concrete use these tools on a regular basis or when training for teachers and staff to recognize things are especially out of hand, it’s so usethe signs. We’ve talked a lot about the stress ful. Even just learning to make deep breathour high school students are under and what ing a habit is great.” we might be able to do to help. We call All three women have been touched by ourselves Parents for Suicide Prevention,” the deaths of teens close to them, two inWhitaker said, adding: volving suicides. “Lorie is driven to alleviate suffering for Warnock lost her son in 2015. He was other families by educating the community one of three Corona students who have regarding all the resources for emotional taken their lives in the last three years – health and suicide prevention.” all classmates of Stolworthy, who started The workshop aims to use yoga, art and Aztec Strong, a support group with 300 writing “somehow for grief release – all teens who discuss their own issues and kinds of grief, a chance to tell their stories,” how to prevent teen suicide. Whitaker said her sister died the summer Whitaker said. Warnock used her Teacher of the Month before her senior year in high school, “and it award money from KTAR Radio to obtain a changed everything for me.” Tempe Vibrant city grant to fund the workshop. “In those days, where I lived, there was Its purpose is spelled out succinctly in a very little emphasis on therapy, meditation

flyer: “Grief does not discriminate. Our teens are experiencing some form of grief regularly with little time or attention given to the importance of processing it in healthy ways. In addition, they are under immense pressure from social media, family and school. Many experience isolation and a lack of real connection to others as well as themselves, creating a negative and false narrative.” The women note that grief can take all forms and involve a wide range of personal tragedies, from parents divorcing to bullying, losing a friendship to simple being ostracized from a peer group. “This workshop will include a safe environment to focus on going within,” the flyer states. “Participants will hear teen speakers’ stories, be guided to create journal cover collages, produce their own stories of grief, take part in healthy discussions to process their feelings, and end with yoga as a calming tool – techniques they can use well after the workshop.” The workshop is organized in a structured way so that participants can immediately begin bonding with each other, listen to teen speakers who have dealt grief, engage in intimate conversations about their feelings, start collaging or painting, start a journal and end up learning some basic yoga from Warnock. And before the session ends, the participants will do one more thing aimed at helping them when life seems at its darkest – exchanging phone numbers so they can turn to someone with whom they already have shared some of their deepest feelings of grief.

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SANTAN SUN NEWS | JAN 20 – FEB 2, 2018

COMMUNITY NEWS

Lawmaker seeks crackdown on fake service animals BY HOWARD FISCHER Capitol Media Services

Saying owners are abusing the law, a Republican state senator wants to make it illegal to misrepresent a dog as a “service animal’’ to bring it into places where pets are not allowed. The proposal by John Kavanagh of Fountain Hills would allow judges to impose fines of up to $250 on someone who fraudulently misrepresents an animal as a service animal or service animal in training to anyone who operate any business or recreation site open to the public. That also includes buses, taxis and ambulances. The bill would require an individual to produce proof that the animal had actually been trained for a specific chore covered by the Americans with Disabilities Act. The senator said nothing in SB 1040 would allow a business owner to refuse to let someone enter the premises solely because of the failure to provide such written proof. In fact, existing Arizona law prohibits requiring identification for the service animal. Instead, Kavanagh said, it would be up to a business owner to file a complaint and have the issue heard by a court. But Sarah Kader, attorney for the Arizona Center for Disability Law, said that presents problems of its own. Kader said she could foresee a business owner calling the police on someone. Then the officer would issue a citation,

forcing the person with the disability to find his or her way to court to answer the charges. And if that person lacked transportation, she said, a warrant for arrest would be issued. She also questioned whether there really is a problem. Kader pointed out that existing Arizona law already gives businesses the right to eject any animal – including a service animal – if it misbehaves, is not housebroken, poses an “undue burden’’ or “poses a direct threat to the health and safety of others.’’ Underlying all this is an Arizona law that makes it illegal for anyone who operates a public place to discriminate against people with disabilities who use service animals if what the animals do is “directly related to the individual’s disability.’’ That includes everything from people with vision and hearing loss to balance stability, pulling a wheelchair and sensing when someone is about to have a seizure. It also covers helping those with psychiatric and neurological disabilities “by preventing or interrupting impulsive or destructive behaviors,’’ but does not include animals purely for emotional support, comfort or companionship. Generally speaking, service animals are dogs. But Arizona law also allows for the use of miniature horses. Kavanagh said he has no problem with those who have a legitimate need. But

he’s convinced there are a lot more animals being brought into businesses than what the law allows. “People complain all the time: ‘There was a dog in the coffee shop.’ ‘A woman took a dog on a plane,’” he said. “I see it everywhere. Everyone sees it. And it’s getting out of control.’’ The tricky part for business owners is that they legally cannot ask someone with an animal about his or her disability. Instead, they can ask only if the animal is a service animal and what tasks the animal has been trained to perform. But they cannot demand to see any sort of special ID card. Kavanagh said that people abuse the system. And he sees nothing wrong with requiring people to prove to a judge that their animals have been properly trained for a specific disability covered by the ADA. “It’s amazing that you can’t get a placard to park your car in a disabled spot unless a doctor certifies that you’re disabled,’’ he said. “But, pretty much, today everybody can walk around and buy vests (for their animals) on the internet and claim nontrained animals are service animals.’’ Kader said one big flaw in what Kavanagh proposes is that nothing in the law actually requires that a service animal be formally trained. She said that would subject people to who have trained their own animals for legitimate ADA-covered needs to fines. And what of those who are using the

law -- and a claim of a disability -- to bring Fluffy or Fido into the grocery or restaurant solely to make sure they’re not left in the car? Kader said she remains convinced the problem, to the extent one exists, is minor. “I think Kavanagh and others who are putting these (laws) forward are making a big deal, like there’s thousands of people out there with these fraudulent service animals,’’ she said. And Kader said business owners always have the option to approach someone and ask the two permitted questions to weed out who is entitled to bring in an animal. “There are very few people that are going to have responses to the specific questions,’’ Kader said. “Most people aren’t going to lie and make up a disability and make up what their animal is trained to do in response.’’ The bigger problem, she said, is what happens next if someone can’t produce proof of training. “The police are going to get called if a business owner doesn’t believe them,’’ she said. “It’s just a disaster,’’ Kader continued. “It really punishes the people with disabilities for the actions of a very few.’’ But Kavanagh said those with real disabilities should like his proposal. “We’re going to whittle away at an abuse and, hopefully, take the heat off legitimate service animals that are trained and are helping people,’’ he said.

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SANTAN SUN NEWS | JAN 20 – FEB 2, 2018

Want to track legislators, legislation? Here’s how. BY HOWARD FISCHER Capitol Media Services

Want to keep tabs on your lawmakers and not even have to get out of your pajamas? You can – if you have a computer. A website maintained by the Arizona Legislature has a full rundown of proposed new laws, amendments to proposals and even the roll-call votes in committees and on the floor. But it’s even more interactive than that. One function of the web site allows people not only to watch hearings but even sign in to “testify’’ for or against measures, all without making the trek to the Capitol. It starts at the main legislative webpage: www.azleg.gov. On the main page is a calendar of events. But the real detail starts under the “bills’’ menu. Here, the new bills are listed by number, in batches of 50, divided between House and Senate bills. Want more information on any of them? Clicking on the specific bill presents several options, including an overview, the status of where it is in the process, and a documents button where you can see the introduced version and, as the session goes on, added amendments and changes. There’s also a section called “RTS Current Bill Positions.’’ That’s a list of who has signed in for or against the measure, a feature that does not usually get filled until a bill is scheduled for a hearing. More about that in a minute. Not sure of the bill number? Enter a keyword in the search. So, for example, if you were to put in the word “marriage,’’ three bills already filed for the session would pop up: HB 2006, setting a minimum age to wed; HB 2031, which deals with what factors a judge considers in determining spousal

(Kimberly Carrillo /Staff Photographer)

Chandler residents can easily keep track of the legislative activity by lawmakers like LD 18 Sen. Sean Bowie, state Reps. Mitzi Epstein, center, and Jill Norgaard.

maintenance in divorce, and HB 2075, dealing with orders of protection. More bills can be filed in the next few weeks. You can view the measure in PDF or HTML format. And when a bill gets set for a hearing, there’s a link to a staff explanation of what it would do. Also on that main page are links to the agendas of upcoming standing committees. That enables you to poke through what hearings are coming up and what bills are on that day’s agenda. And what if you have something to say? One option is to drive to the Capitol, sign in to speak and have your say. How long you might get depends on the whims of who is chairing the committee. But there’s a less direct – and less cumbersome – method of putting in your

two cents. And it goes to that RTS system, short for “request to speak.’’ On the main legislative page is a pulldown menu for legislative information, with the first option being that request to speak. Clicking on that will result in a page asking you to sign in. Don’t worry if you don’t have a username or password. They’re easy to create. But you might consider doing that now, before you suddenly need it. That leads to a whole different page where there’s a menu on the left side to create a new request to speak, see what you’re already sign in for and against, and search for upcoming agendas on that issue. You will need to know the bill number or, at the very least, the name of the committee where it is scheduled to be heard. But here’s the thing: You can register in

support or opposed to a specific bill. And you can even explain why. There is, however, no requirement that you actually come to the Capitol to testify. And whether you do or not, there is an option to simply sign in with a position but not request to speak. In any case, your name and position is shared with the legislators on the committee and becomes part of the record. Sometimes having a bunch of people signed in remotely supporting or opposing a bill can have some influence. But those with strong feelings might consider that personal testimony, where lawmakers can ask you questions, is generally much more effective. And, to be totally honest about it, understand what lobbyists already know: It’s helpful to contact lawmakers ahead of any vote, whether in person, by mail or phone. Very often by the time the committee actually meets most legislators already have made up their minds. You also can actually watch committee meetings and floor actions as they unfold. The link is under the House button on the main page, then click on “live proceedings.’’ You will, however, need to know in which room the hearing is taking place, information that can come from the agenda. Oh, on that prospect of contacting lawmakers directly, the main legislative page has office phone numbers and links to direct email under both the House and Senate member lists. One more thing: Legislators are likely to be far more responsive to inquiries and messages that come from their own constituents. The Legislature maintains a toll-free number of 800-352-8404. You can not only dial a lawmaker by name or number, but can reach the House or Senate operator who can help figure out who represents you.

Chandler police probe elderly mom’s killing and hostage case SANTAN SUN NEWS STAFF

A Chandler woman told police she “couldn’t take it anymore” and strangled her 80-year-old mother because of the victim’s constant taunts, according to a complaint. Police on Jan. 16 arrested Elizabeth Ramirez, 59, of the 5900 block of West Oakland Street, Chandler, after she had telephoned them to say she had killed her mother, Bertha Hermosillo Gutierez, in the victim’s home in the 5000 block of West Juniper Way, also Chandler. Police said that around 1 a.m., Ramirez strangled her mother and called police, telling them when they asked if she was sure her mother was dead, “I hope so.” She said she had gone to her mother’s house to borrow her car and that the victim refused, calling her daughter “mentally ill.” “Elizabeth also made comments during the 911 call about her mother calling her mentally ill since she was a child and tormenting her family,” police said. They also quoted her as saying during an interrogation, “I didn’t plan this. It just happened…It was a mutual altercation. However, I am younger.”

Ramirez was taken into custody pending a decision on bond. In an unrelated case, a Chandler man has been charged with beating and sexually assaulting his girlfriend, then shackling her in his home for more than two weeks. John Ormond, 51, faces more than a dozen charges of aggravated assault, sexual assault and kidnapping. On Jan. 8, Chandler police went to Ormond’s home and found the victim “in a state of undress, with a significant head wound and covered in what appeared to be dried blood,” according to court records. The victim had sustained a significant head injury that required immediate surgery and sutures. The victim also suffered facial fractures, a broken finger and a broken bone in the left hand and she lost five teeth. The victim told police that Ormond had been physically and sexually assaulting her from Dec. 23 to Jan. 8. The victim also said that “Ormond had used a wooden post to strike her over the head causing her to lose consciousness for approximately three days. When the victim regained consciousness, she claimed her hands had been tied to the bed and her feet shackled, restricting her

Photos special to the San Tan Sun News

John Ormond

Elizabeth Ramirez

to leave on her own free will,” according to the police report. Police say Ormond admitted only to “slapping the victim around a bit,” according to the police report. Police also say “Ormond made suicidal statements throughout his contact with

officers and claimed he had actually attempted suicide the night prior to... contact. Ormond also made reference to the fact he was going to prison for a long time but then claimed he wasn’t because he had only ‘beat her around a bit,’” stated the police report.

SANTAN SUN NEWS | JAN 20 – FEB 2, 2018

COMMUNITY NEWS

Around Chandler Free tax assistance available for working families

Chandler’s Volunteer Income Tax Assistance program is ready to assist working families entitled to the federal Earned Income Tax Credit if they earned less than $54,000 in 2017. Free tax preparation and filing services will be available at five sites that open next month and operate through early April. Free tax assistance will be available on a walk-in basis at: First Credit Union, 25 S. Arizona Place, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Tuesdays and 4-8 p.m. Wednesdays; the Chandler CARE Center, 777 E. Galveston St., noon-4 p.m. Fridays and 9 a.m. to noon Saturdays; AZCEND, 345 S. California St., noon-6 p.m. Tuesdays; and the Buddhist Tzu Chi Foundation, 2145 W. Elliot Road, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturdays. Appointments must be made for those using the Sun Lakes Sheriff’s Posse office, 9531 E. Riggs Road, Sun Lakes, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Fridays. Call 480-895-9270 ext. 111 or 113 to schedule an appointment. All but the Sun Lakes site will prepare basic tax forms on a first-come, firstserved basis. Interpreters also are available at some sites to assist Spanishspeaking residents. All volunteers are certified with the Internal Revenue Service and have completed a VITA training program. Last year, Chandler’s 60 VITA volunteers spent more than 4,300 hours

preparing and filing 1,689 personal tax returns that provided $1.69 million in refunds for residents. The volunteers focus on getting taxpayers the credits they are eligible to receive. When visiting a VITA site, all taxpayers must bring W-2 forms, photo identification, Social Security cards (including those of all dependents), Form 1099 (if applicable), a copy of last year’s tax return and information for all deductions and credits. A complete list of what to bring is available online at chandleraz.gov/VITA. Information: Lauren Koll with the City’s Neighborhood Resources Department at 480-782-4358.

______________________ Mardi Gras fundraiser set by Assistance League Fun, food and music are in store when Assistance League of East Valley presents their Mardi Gras Nite fundraiser on Saturday, Feb. 24, at 6 p.m. at Oakwood Country Club at Iron Oaks, 24218 S. Oakwood Blvd. in Sun Lakes. The event features casino-style gaming, bingo, a live band, live and silent auctions, and a roast beef and turkey buffet. A $75 registration fee will gain entrance, along with a bag and beads, game chips, free drink and dinner. Professional and sponsor dealers

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will entertain at casino-style blackjack, roulette and craps tables, with guests using their chips to play along, and prizes going to the top four chip winners. Michael Pollack of Michael A. Pollack Real Estate Investments is title sponsor. Reservations: assistanceleagueeastvalley.org or by mail or in person at their thrift shop, 2326 N. Alma School Rd., Chandler, Ariz. 85224. The Assistance League of East Valley is an all-volunteer nonprofit that works with East Valley schools and agencies providing for children and adults in need. It provides new school clothing and uniforms to almost 7,500 children each year, as well as 12 college scholarships and about 4,000 clothing and hygiene kits for victims of assault or crisis.

______________________

Library offers winter reading program for adults Maricopa County Library District’s Winter Reading Program runs now through March 16. This year’s theme is “Read to Your Own Beat,” which focuses on adult literacy. WRP is for adults 18 and over. It is similar to MCLD’s Summer Reading Program in that participants earn points by logging books and completing challenges such as sets of book titles or activities focused on a topic. Logging

books enters participants in a weekly prize drawing for tote bags, bookmarks, coffee mugs and books. Participants who log at least 100 points are also entered into a grand prize drawing for a membership for two to the Musical Instrument Museum. Information: winter.mcldaz.org.

______________________ Two schools mark National School Choice Week

Two local schools are marking National School Choice Week Jan. 21-27 with special activities. Primavera Online High School will hold an open house and career fair that includes music, food and drawings. It will be held 4-7 p.m Jan. 25 at the school, 2471 N. Arizona Ave, Chandler. Primavera enrolls full- and part-time students year round with new classes starting every two weeks. Principal Donald Mitchell as well as teachers and enrollment advisors will be on hand to answer questions and help new students enroll. Primavera is looking for great teachers passionate about online education and recruiters will be on hand and ready to hire. Primavera is an all-online, tuitionfree, public charter school serving grades 6-12. Information: chooseprimavera.com. See

AROUND on page 21

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SANTAN SUN NEWS | JAN 20 – FEB 2, 2018

Around Chandler

AROUND

from page 19

Tri-City Christian Academy will hold an open house 6-8 p.m. Jan. 26. Visitors can catch part of a home basketball game and get a personal guided tour with a teacher or staff member. The school is at 2211 W. Germann Road, Chandler. Information: 480-2457988 or tcawarriors.org.

City Council meetings and study sessions can now be viewed live or on demand on the city’s own channel on the site, youtube.com/chandlerarizona. Council meetings also are broadcast live via The Chandler Channel to cable television subscribers on Cox Channel 11 and CenturyLink Channel 8002.

______________________

Robson Library looks at ______________________ hospice, blacks in military The history of African Americans Hamilton High basketball in the U.S. military is the subject of a team gives back on MLK Day presentation at 1 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 23, at The Hamilton High School boys basketball spent Martin Luther King Day serving the patrons of Paz de Cristo, a charity that helps the poor and homeless in the East Valley. The group of six seniors and coaches set goals for their season, including off-court service and respect for their community. The young men prepared, served and cleaned up after dinner. Paz de Cristo serves an average 50,000 meals served per month.

______________________ Chandler City Council meetings now on YouTube

Chandler residents now have an additional way to watch city officials in action.

Robson Library, 9330 E. Riggs Road, Sun Lakes. Emancipated from slavery during the American Civil War, black Americans fought for decades for a country that denied them equality, but they finally achieved a “double victory” in the fires of World War II, according to presenter Herb Zinn. At 11 a.m. Jan. 27, the Jazz Express will play, featuring Jimmy Nistico on sax, Selwyn Reams on bass and Dave Henning playing keyboard. At 1 p.m. Feb. 3, Hospice of the Valley representatives will discuss how to optimize your loved one’s well-being and take care of yourself in the process. Seating for the military presentation and jazz show begins 15 minutes before the programs’ start and is limited to 100 people.

COMMUNITY NEWS

Two Chandler ofﬁcers escape serious injury by fugitive BY JIM WALSH Staff

A suspect accused of attempting to run over two Chandler officers after a traffic stop eventually turned himself in to detectives, bringing a peaceful end to a frightening episode two weeks ago. The suspect, identified by police Allen Lee Pedro, 27, told police that he panicked after an officer stopped him on Jan. 8 on Riggs Road near Arizona Avenue and noticed that he had a warrant for his arrest. After stopping initially, Pedro took off, dragging the officer with him into rush hour traffic, according to court records. The court records said the officer’s torso was inside the car while his feet bounced off the ground. Eventually, the officer fell into the roadway and was nearly run over by Pedro’s car. “When the officer was able to free himself from the vehicle, Pedro narrowly missed striking both of the officer’s legs,’’ the report said. A second officer who had been dispatched took Pedro’s female passenger into custody. She also had an outstanding on a warrant, according to Chandler police. When the second officer saw what happened, he initially thought the first officer had been run over and feared for his life when Pedro made a U-turn and headed

toward him, the court document said. The second officer fired five shots, twice striking the windshield and the hood of Pedro’s vehicle as well as a pillar, the document said. “Both officers feared death or serious physical injury during this event,’’ the court document said. But police said the officer who was dragged suffered minor injuries and the second escaped injury. The suspect drove south down Arizona 587. Gila River Tribal police found his car abandoned, and reported seeing the suspect walking through the desert. Initially, the suspect escaped, but he turned himself into detectives two days later at Chandler Boulevard and Interstate 10 without incident. Pedro had called Gila River police and said he wanted to surrender. After his arrest, Pedro “admitted his involvement in the incident and advised he did not mean to hurt the officers but he panicked and wanted to go home,’’ the document said. Instead of arresting him on a routine warrant accusing him of theft, Chandler police accused Pedro of two counts of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon. Pedro’s past offenses also were on less serious charges, according to the court document, such as liquor violations and resisting arrest.

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SANTAN SUN NEWS | JAN 20 – FEB 2, 2018

Tom Sanfippo/Inside Out Aerial

This breathtaking overhead shot by a drone shows the improvements made to the Pima Canyon Trailhead, which reopens Saturday after its closure in August to make way for permanent bathrooms, a ramada and expanded parking.

Pima Canyon Trailhead reopening Saturday

BY JIM WALSH Staff Writer

Jamie Yohe and her friend Jacki White were hiking near a well-worn access road that starts near 48th Street and passes the Arizona Grand Golf Course when a golf ball went whizzing past Yohe’s head and struck a pole. “One guy was walking towards me. He said, “‘Oh, my God, that almost hit you,’’’ said Yohe, who was on her way to the closed Pima Canyon Trailhead to start one of her favorite hikes. Hiking, trail running and mountain biking will become far more convenient for Yohe and other outdoor enthusiasts when the refurbished trailhead, the most popular in South Mountain Park, reopens on Saturday, Jan. 20, after a four-month closure required for the completion of extensive and somewhat controversial renovations. City Councilman Sal DiCiccio, who had pressed for the improvements, will be joined by other Phoenix officials at a formal grand opening of the trailhead at 8 a.m. Saturday. Instead of hiking up the half-mile road, Yohe and others can park in the newly reconfigured parking lot and have the option of visiting two new ramadas or using one of the six new flush toilets, which replace two stinky pit toilets. Crews also have been working on the trails in the area – which were never technically closed – to eliminate confusing spider trails created by hikers taking short cuts that damage the brittle environment. The $2 million in renovations were well overdue, with aging facilities built during the 1980s falling apart under the strain of

large crowds and overuse, said Mike Francis, Phoenix parks supervisor. Originally, Francis was hoping to close Pima Canyon and start the renovations in May, so that the new facilities would be ready when temperatures dropped in October and more people wanted to use the park. But the original plan quickly ran into opposition from neighbors who objected to a new parking lot that would have been closer to their homes, lighting that they feared would create light pollution and the sewer line dug through the desert to serve the new flush toilets. Under pressure from the neighbors, the city backtracked, dropping the second parking lot and using ground-level solar-powered lighting to minimize light pollution. The sewer line into The Cove neighborhood remained, with Francis rejecting the idea of running it down the access road as too expensive. Finally, the trailhead was closed in August and crews worked steadily right up to the grand re-opening. Despite the delay, Francis said the new plan was an improvement over the original, creating a focal point with the ramadas and restrooms nearer to the trails. A landscape engineer reconfigured the parking lot to create additional spaces without paving over additional desert. “It had the input process. People made it their own,’’ Francis said. “It had a lot of time to be refined. In the long term, it’s a better project.’’ The trailhead renovations amount to the first tangible evidence of South Mountain Park’s overhaul in decades. It incorporates a series of trailhead renovations, with smaller projects scheduled for later this year at Beverly Canyon off

46th Street and Baseline Road, and also at the popular Desert Foothills Trailhead, which serves hikers headed up the Telegraph Trail off Desert Foothills Parkway. Portable toilets will be replaced with flush toilets at the Desert Foothills Trailhead and a new shade structure will be added. The Beverly Canyon improvements will include a repaved parking lot and a water fountain. While the work at the trailheads proceeds, other crews will gradually improve the paths, guided by the South Mountain Park Trails Master Plan, They will remove more spider trails and eventually add badly needed new signage. The long-term goal is to reduce confusion in the maze of trails that contributes to some visitors getting lost. The improvements are financed with the proceeds of the Phoenix Parks and Preserve Initiative, a small sales tax increase approved by voters to protect and improve the city’s unique mountain preserves. Francis said parks officials started with Pima Canyon for obvious reasons. “It’s our busiest area in the park,’’ Francis said. “It’s such a highly visible area.’’ Hikers using the trails that connect between Pima Canyon and Pima Canyon said they are looking forward to using the newly renovated trailhead. Although some neighbors didn’t like a contractor digging a trench through the desert to install a new sewer line, the improved restrooms are a welcome addition for visitors who remember the pit toilets all too well. Francis and other parks officials said they are taking steps to re-vegetate the area that was cleared to install the new

sewer line. “I can’t tell you how many times I have not wanted to use the bathroom there,’’ Johe said. White said the women typically would stop at a convenience store before starting their hike from Pima Canyon because either the trailhead was under renovation or because they simply wanted to avoid the pit toilets. “It wouldn’t keep me away” from the area, White said, because she enjoys hiking on the trails that are easily accessible from Pima Canyon. “But you don’t have to stop on the way’’ with the added convenience of flush toilets, White added. Friends Rachael Haun and Robyn Miller of Chandler normally use Pima Canyon, but they found the Beverly Canyon Trailhead after noticing that Pima Canyon was closed. Last week, the women hiked a short distance uphill to a clearing with mountain views, set up their easels and spent a sunny afternoon painting landscapes. Beverly Canyon typically serves as an overflow area for Pima Canyon, and parks officials had recommended that visitors use it as an alternate trailhead during the renovations. “That’s the most accessible one for us, the one we are most familiar with,’’ Miller said, referring to Pima Canyon. “I think that’s great,’’ Miller said, after she was told Pima Canyon was about to reopen with many improvements. “Everything has to be upgraded at some point.’’ Haun said the new restrooms will make a big difference for her. She dreaded using the pit toilets, just like her fellow hikers. “It’s so nice, especially for the ladies,’’ Haun said. The pit toilets were so bad, “I would rather find a bush.’’

SANTAN SUN NEWS | JAN 20 – FEB 2, 2018

Business

For more community news visit SanTanSun.com

City rejects protests over Chandler’s first pot dispensary BY WAYNE SCHUTSKY Staff

As Chandler’s first medical marijuana dispensary prepares to open its doors this year, it has faced some backlash due to its proximity to Smiles Learning Center, a facility that provides services to children with autism. Territory Dispensary, 7200 W. Chandler Blvd., is situated only a few hundred feet away from Smiles Learning Center, 7100 W. Chandler Blvd. This caused criticism from competitors and community members who argued that the location violated Chandler’s zoning laws, which state that medical marijuana dispensaries must be at least 1,320 feet from a public or private daycare or charter, public or private school. However, the zoning administrator for the city determined that the location at 7200 W. Chandler Blvd. did not violate Chandler’s zoning regulations. Chandler Acting Planning Administrator Kevin Mayo said that a review of Smiles Learning Center determined that the facility was not a “protected use” under the city’s medical marijuana zoning codes. “The city was great to work with. We hope the city continues to allow small businesses to grow and thrive in

Special to SanTan Sun News

Jim Christensen is preparing to open Territory Dispensay, Chandler first medical marijuana store, within the next few weeks.

Chandler,” Territory Dispensary co-owner James Christensen said. He added, “We worked with (the city of Chandler) for roughly 10 months. We wanted to make sure we are in compliance with all the separation requirements for the city and state.”

Christensen is a member of the Chandler Chamber of Commerce board of directors. Lawyers for Total Health & Wellness Inc. — the company behind Oasis Dispensaries — sent a letter to the city outlining complaints about the separation

requirements. In part, the letter argued that Smiles Learning Center falls under the 1,320 feet restriction and that “if the ordinance is meant to protect minors from being exposed to cannabis, Smiles Learning Center is exactly the type of facility that should be protected by the ordinance.” Oasis Dispensaries operates a location with a Chandler address at 26427 S. Arizona Ave., but the facility is on land that is not under the jurisdiction of the city, according to Maricopa County Assessor’s Office records. Opponents of Territory Dispensary’s location set up the website chandlerfamiliesagainstdrugs.com to encourage residents to contact the City Council and Chandler Planning and Commissioners with their thoughts on the project. However, due to changes made to Chandler’s medical marijuana zoning policy, public comments are not taken into account when considering zoning applications for medical marijuana dispensaries. “There is no public comment element as long as it meets the criteria set forth by the city and state ordinance,” Mayo said. Chandler Families Against Drugs did See

DISPENSARY on page 24

Local firm’s faux animals brighten up walls BY COLLEEN SPARKS Staff

A local company gives anyone with a soft spot for longhorns, deer, elephants and other wild animals an unusual way to infuse nature into their homes and offices. Chandler-based Wall Charmers sells faux animal heads, which are sculptures resembling furry and feathered creatures. No animals are hurt or used to create the pieces. The environmentally friendly polyresin wall hangings painted with acrylic, ecofriendly paint come with a keyhole or hook on the back so they can be hung on a wall with a strong nail. They come in 22 base colors, including mint green, rich gold, navy blue and bronze, and resemble more than 50 animals, including deer, longhorns, moose, giraffes, horses, bears, rhinoceroses, gorillas, wolves and zebras. Customers also can choose glow-in-the-dark colors. Some animal faces look like unicorns or Tyrannosaurus rex. Customers also can choose longhorns and other animals in the design of a head, a skull or a mini-skull and a hand-carved skull. “We try to have fun with it,” Wall Charmers co-owner Lance Robinson said. “We try to make sure the designs are really cool. The level of detail is really unique. The color customization is exactly what you want. Every piece you get is unique and custom to you. We’re trying to bring in fun, unique stuff you

Photos by Kimberly Carrillo/Staff Photographer

Lance Robinson, co-owner of Wall Charmers, holds a white deer faux taxidermy head, one of the many sculptures the company makes that resemble wild animals. Deer, lions, longhorns, elephants and rhinoceroses are among the most popular animal head pieces the Chandler-based company sells.

can’t find anywhere.” Customers can tailor the lightweight, whimsical and fierce-looking animal artwork to their tastes, adding gold and silver glitter if they like and asking for different parts of the faces to be painted different colors. Red deer with gold antlers are popular choices around Christmas. Other color combinations include elephants with white heads and gold tusks and longhorns with black heads and bronze antlers. Some are functional, including faux

deer tabletop jewelry holder racks. Wall Charmers also offers other types of creations, including ceramic emoji coffee mugs and wine bottle holders. The artists carve intricate details into the polyresin sculptures to bring out realistic animal features but still create a chic feel, Robinson said. The other co-owner is Robinson’s friend, Viktor Morozov. They and several other employees work out of a warehouse and a few offices on Boxelder Place, though the company hires some remote contract workers based in other

cities and states. Deer are among the most popular choices of animal heads at Wall Charmers, Robinson said. Lions, longhorns, elephants and rhinoceroses are also big sellers. Some customers really like the artwork that looks like human skulls, especially around Halloween. “We’re not trying to mirror the exact size of the animal,” Robinson said. “We want to have some type of symmetry.” The mini wall hangings are on average 10 by 8 by 4 inches, while the large wallhanging sculptures are on average 21 by 17 by 15 inches. The minis weigh on average 4 pounds while large ones on average weigh 7 pounds and some are as heavy as 13 pounds. Robinson enjoyed watching animal shows on TV while growing up and he likes seeing wildlife when he is snow skiing. Seeing moose while on a camping trip in Colorado also stuck with him. “I remember thinking how beautiful they are,” he said. “When I ski, I feel my nature. I love looking at it and enjoying the view of it. When I was growing up, my dad would make comments like, ‘How could you hunt and kill a living animal?’ I’m not the anti-hunting person; it’s not for me.” Robinson said many of their customers are women ages 25 to 44, including some who buy the sculptures to hang in babies’ nurseries. Some people buy the large lion heads to hang above men’s beds. Others like to use the faux taxidermy to accentuate a gallery wall or collage of See

WALL CHARMERS on page 24

BUSINESS 24

WALL CHARMERS

from page 23

pictures. Some fans of the show “Game of Thrones” have bought the black wolf sculptures. Some of the mini animal heads cost $35, while some larger ones cost $125. The Wall Charmers warehouse manager is a mother of five who gives the owners ideas about what types of products other women might like to buy, Robinson said. Wall Charmers draws many customers from Canada, United Kingdom and Australia, as well as clients in Japan. Many customers also live in Chandler. Since Wall Charmers opened about two years ago, the business has been busy, Robinson said. “We’ve been growing really rapidly,” he said. “We’re profitable. It started slow and then it kind of quickly started ramping up.” Wall Charmers gets hundreds of orders every week, Robinson added. The products are for sale online on Amazon, Etsy, eBay and Houzz. Wall Charmers items also are sold in HomeGoods brickand-mortar stores in Canada. Robinson and Morozov met through a mutual friend who had quit his job and decided to travel. The two were sailing in the Greek islands together when they first got acquainted and started talking about business ideas. Robinson, who lived in Newport, California at the time, had been working in software sales while Morozov was a financial analyst for a real estate firm. The two entrepreneurs both graduated with bachelor’s degrees from Arizona

State University in 2009. Robinson got his degree in political science and then earned an MBA from Grand Canyon University, and Morozov got a bachelor’s degree in finance from ASU. Robinson said the concept for Wall Charmers grew partly out of his experience as a volunteer art teacher in college in South Phoenix. He helped elementary school children create art through The Salvation Army program. “It was fun,” Robinson said. “I’m not a really good artist, but I kind of liked it. I’d make paper airplanes. I found the fun in not being super-serious.” He said as he “got more and more into decorating” at home, he “wanted to find more and more ways to bring nature” into décor. Customer Adam Prange of Chandler

Wall Charmers sells fake animal heads representing more than 50 animals including lions, deer, longhorns, moose, giraffes, horses, bears, rhinoceroses, gorillas and wolves. The wall hangings come in 22 base colors, including rich gold, mint green, navy blue and bronze.

SANTAN SUN NEWS | JAN 20 – FEB 2, 2018

A longhorn faux taxidermy skull is a popular item from Wall Charmers, a business with its warehouse in Chandler. The environmentally friendly polyresin wall hangings come with a keyhole or hook on the back so they can be hung on a wall with a strong nail.

bought a large faux elephant with a gray base and gold tusks from Wall Charmers. It is hanging in his and his wife’s office. He and his wife, Lauren, plan to buy a lion for a bedroom. “My wife had prior experience purchasing similar type products from Target and was not happy with the quality and the little color options,” Prange said, adding: “A friend referred us to Wall Charmers and we thought to give it a try because of the diverse color options they provided as well as the reviews we read online. I believe Wall Charmers has provided a user-friendly website with numerous options in faux taxidermy at a competitive price.” He said he and Lauren are “very pleased with our elephant,” which he said has “great detail, great color” and makes a “good addition to our office.” Scott and Linsey Sowinski of Scottsdale are happy with the faux bison wall hanging they bought from Wall Charmers. “When we moved into our renovated midcentury home, we wanted our interior to reflect each of our personalities,” Scott said. “As we set out to find a statement piece of art for our main living area,” he added, “my wife found Wall Charmers via Etsy and we quickly agreed that a faux bison head would be a great addition to what we call our Southwest Mid-Mod Bohemian décor. “Production was prompt and Wall Charmer’s customer service was excellent, tailoring our order just to our needs. ‘Biff’ now resides close to our front door to greet our friends and family. He even sports festive headwear during holidays and important events.”

Wall Charmers co-owner Lance Robinson holds a golden faux lion head sculpture made by the Chandler-based company.

Buzz over the novel wall decorations is also building online. Several customers have posted photos of their Wall Charmers animal heads on the company’s Facebook page. Nina Bunni posted a photo of her tabletop white-faced deer jewelry holder rack with gold antlers on Facebook and typed “So in love! Thanks for the great art piece for my desk! I can’t wait to find a place for something at home!” Audrey Renee put a photo of a white deer hanging on Facebook and posted, “Looks really amazing on a wall that I wall papered with old encyclopedia pages.” Claudine DeSola, founder of Caravan Stylist Studio, praised Wall Charmers in her Caravan Girl blog. The wardrobe curator for actors and others wrote she has “a thing for faux animal heads.” “So when I heard about Wall Charmers I was in love,” DeSola wrote. “They looked great on the website but the quality is so great in person. They are made so beautifully with so much detail. The price point is great.” Robinson said the Chandler Chamber of Commerce and the Metro Phoenix Export Alliance have been “awesome” as far as supporting Wall Charmers. Some new products Wall Charmers will start selling this year include improved unicorns and more moose, cow and steer skulls in more designs, stones and colors, as well as more naturallooking animal heads. Information: wallcharmers.com.

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SANTAN SUN NEWS | JAN 20 – FEB 2, 2018

DISPENSARY

from page 23

not respond to a request for comment submitted through the website. Arizona state law requires dispensaries to be at least 500 feet away from a public or private school that existed prior to the date of the dispensary application. Arizona law defines a public school as “any public institution established for the purposes of offering instruction to pupils in programs for preschool children with disabilities, kindergarten programs or any combination of elementary grades or secondary grades one through 12.” It defines private school as “a nonpublic institution where instruction is imparted.” Based on review by the city, it appears

Smiles Learning Center provides services, not instruction. “Everything that we could find shows that (Smiles Learning Center) is a service provider,” Mayo said. Smiles Learning Center did not return a request for comment. The zoning modification, adopted by the City Council in August, did not change any of the existing zoning approval criteria for medical marijuana facilities. Rather, it changed the approval process from a public hearing process to an administrative process. Under the old rules, applications were subject to public hearing process, neighborhood meetings, planning and zoning commission approval and city council approval. The new rules

BUSINESS

streamlined the process, sending applications to a zoning administrator who determines whether the facilities qualify for approval under the City Code. In vetting Territory Dispensary’s application, the city referenced the Arizona Department of Health Service’s database of registered daycare providers and found that Smiles Learning Center was not listed there. Similarly, they checked with Arizona Department of Education’s records and found that the facility did not qualify as a public or charter school. Finally, the city conducted a site visit to determine that the facility did not qualify as a private school. Smiles Learning Center is listed in the Arizona Department of Economic

Security’s Division of Developmental Disabilities as a facilities-based center for day treatment and training for children and adults. Chandler planning officials noted that Territory Dispensary’s application is only the second zoning application the city has received since 2011, and the first since the city changed its zoning approval process. Territory Dispensary initially had planned to host an official ribbon cutting in conjunction with the Chandler Chamber of Commerce on Jan. 19; however, it has since decided to cancel that event and proceed to a yet-to-bedetermined soft opening. The owners plan to have the grand opening for Territory Dispensary in early February, Christensen said.

Walgreens center bringing 500 jobs to Chandler BY WAYNE SCHUTSKY Staff

process of filling open positions, Miranda said. Chandler Mayor Jay Tibshraeny, Arizona Speaker of the House J.D. Mesnard and Senate President Steve Yarbrough were all in attendance at the Jan. 12 grand opening, which marks Chandler’s first major jobs announcement of 2018. While he could not confirm specifics, Miranda said he was optimistic that the Walgreens deal would be the first of several job announcements made by the city this year. “We are very excited about the potential for calendar year 2018,” he said.

Photo courtesy of City of Chandler

Chandler Mayor Jay Tibshraeny talks at the grand opening of the Walgreens’ new pharmacy operations support center Jan. 12.

op co NE en mm W in un g in ity 20 18

The City of Chandler rang in the New Year by celebrating the grand opening of Walgreens’ new pharmacy operations support center that will bring 500 jobs to the city. “Anytime we can recognize a wellrespected company like this that is bringing 500 high-quality jobs to Chandler, it is a great way to start of the year,” Chandler Economic Development Director Micah Miranda said Walgreens’ new 60,000-square-foot facility at 2225 S. Price Road will house 300 employees relocated from the

company’s old Tempe operations center. Walgreens’ Tempe location will continue to operate as a pharmacy mail services support center. The new operations center will also feature 191 new positions in addition to the 300 existing positions moving to Chandler. Those jobs include pharmacists, pharmacy technicians and call center agents. “This is another high-quality corporate tenant in the Price Corridor that only solidifies (the area’s) brand as a destination for businesses,” Miranda said. The new jobs will be phased in throughout 2018, and Walgreens is in the

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BUSINESS 26

SANTAN SUN NEWS | JAN 20 – FEB 2, 2018

Business Briefs Orbital ATK agreement with Downtown Chandler’s Overstreet U.S. will bring work to Chandler announces two new tenants Orbital ATK, a global leader in aerospace and defense technologies, has signed a research and development agreement with the U.S. Air Force’s Space and Missile Systems Center. The agreement provides the framework and plan for data exchanges needed to certify Orbital ATK’s Next Generation Launch system to carry national security space missions. The program will entail full vehicle and launch site development, with work taking place at company facilities Chandler and elsewhere across the country. Orbital ATK has jointly invested with the Air Force more than $200 million to develop the NGL rocket family. ___________________________________

Overstreet, Downtown Chandler’s shopping, dining and entertainment center, has announced two new tenants. Local restaurants Camp Social and Over Easy will join the 77,000 square-foot multi-use project nearing completion at the southwest corner of Arizona Avenue and Chandler Boulevard. Over Easy will feature eggs, pancakes and a modern twist on breakfast classics. It will open in a 2,473-square-foot space. Camp Social is a camping-themed restaurant that focuses on providing a nostalgic and family-friendly atmosphere. It will open on 7,158 square feet. ___________________________________

Dignity Health-supported dental clinic provides care

El Palacio restaurant closes in Chandler after 8 years

The Chandler Children’s Dental Clinic, supported in part by Dignity Health Chandler Regional Medical Center, is expected to provide free services to about 10,000 children in the next 10 years. Celebrating its 10th anniversary this year, the clinic provided care to 7,777 children during its first decade. The clinic is a collaborative effort between Dignity Health and the Chandler CARE Center, a program supported by the Chandler Unified School District. The staff provides free preventative and restorative dental services for children who face barriers to traditional dental care. The clinic recently received a gift from Thunderbird Charities which will be used to help buy additional equipment, the Dignity Health said in a release.

Valley chef Anthony Serrano is closing his Chandler restaurant, El Palacio Mexican Restaurant and Cantina, after eight years in business. El Palacio is at 2950 E. Germann Road. Last year, the restaurant was featured on Food Network’s “Ginormous Food.” Serrano cited lack of customers, national chains and corporations, the uptick in fastcasual restaurants and increases in Arizona’s minimum wage as factors in his decision. ___________________________________

Sprouts-anchored center sold for $25.75M in Chandler

The Plant, a neighborhood shopping center in Chandler anchored by Sprouts Farmers Market, was recently sold for $25.75 million. Dallas-based Sarofim Realty Advisors

bought the new 56,831-square-foot neighborhood shopping center spanning 7.59 acres on the southeast corner of Gilbert and Ocotillo Roads. The center is 100 percent leased, mostly to national tenants, including Dairy Queen, Café Rio and Starbucks. ___________________________________

Sprouts signs with Instacart to expand home delivery service

Sprouts Farmers Market will expand home delivery service to customers in Phoenix and the East Valley and Tucson through a new partnership with Instacart. The service will begin in Arizona and then roll out in other cities across the U.S. later this year. Instacart already has partnerships with a number of local and national grocery chains, including Bashas’, Fry’s, Safeway, Costco, Smart & Final, CVS and BevMo. It also has a deal with Whole Foods. ___________________________________

Ryan Scharber named partner at Hoopes Adams Law Firm

Trust and estate attorney Ryan M. Scharber has been named a partner at the newly renamed Chandler law firm of Hoopes Adams & Scharber, PLC. Scharber focuses his practice on estate planning, probate and trust administration, and trust and estate litigation. He earned his law degree at the University of Notre Dame before joining the former Hoopes, Adams & Alexander law firm as an associate in 2010. Founded in 1998 by John R. Hoopes and Ronald P. Adams, Hoopes Adams & Scharber is a 2018 Best Law Firms honoree serving clients in the areas of estate

planning, business transactions, estate controversy, and asset protection. ___________________________________

Chandler Realtors Ryan and Pastore get emeritus status

Bill Ryan and Paul Pastore with RE/MAX Infinity in Chandler have been awarded REALTOR Emeritus status by the National Association of Realtors. Ryan and Pastore have more than 80 years of combined real estate experience and are the newest members of the Southeast Valley Regional Association of Realtors to be recognized for their commitment to the organization, the profession and their community. A native of Chandler, Ryan entered the real estate business in 1974. He is a certified residential specialist) and a graduate of Realtor Institute. He holds a degree from Arizona State University in real estate and finance. Pastore has been a Realtor since 1977. He was previously awarded Realtor Associate of the Year by the Southeast Valley Regional Association of Realtors. ___________________________________

Everspin CEO addresses growth conference

Everspin Technologies Inc. of Chandler, the world’s leading developer and manufacturer of discrete and embedded MRAM, said CEO Kevin Conley and CFO Jeff Winzeler presented at Needham & Company’s 20th annual growth conference. Everspin Technologies Inc. designs, manufactures and commercially shipping discrete and embedded Magnetoresistive RAM into markets and applications where data persistence, performance, and endurance are paramount.

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SANTAN SUN NEWS | JAN 20 – FEB 2, 2018

BUSINESS

Lawmakers debate tax relief on hearing aid purchases BY HOWARD FISCHER Capitol Media Services

Special to SanTan Sun News

Legislators said they’re sympathetic to complaints about the tax that hearing-impaired Arizonans pay on hearing aid battery purchases but they would need to offset that revenue loss.

going to get rid of so we’re at least revenue neutral,’’ Farley said.

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That’s fine with Farley – as long as the state finds a way of making up that $1 million. One fairly complex break he proposes to eliminate deals with taxing the cost of processing things like natural gas, sand and gravel. He said it costs the state $836,000. Farley also is taking aim at a much simpler – and more recent – exemption pushed into law two years ago at the behest of dealers of expensive art hoping to boost sales to tourists. In essence, the law says if you’re an Arizona resident who buys art at a gallery, you pay the state tax. But if you live somewhere else and have it shipped out of state, there’s no tax. That exemption reduces state taxes by $211,000 a year. “Whenever we put forward another exemption from the sales tax, another loophole, no matter how worthy, we need to discuss which other ones we’re

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The question of whether people with hearing impairment get tax relief could depend on whether lawmakers are willing to consider eliminating other tax breaks. Several members of the Senate Finance Committee indicated during a recent hearing they are sympathetic to pleas by the Arizona Commission for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing to exempt the batteries used in hearing aids from the state’s 5.6 percent sales tax. Prices vary widely, with retailers charging anywhere from less than $3 for a six-pack to more than $10. But the number of batteries bought clearly adds up: The Department of Revenue figures the state collects an estimated $1 million a year. Sen. Steve Farley, D-Tucson, said the exemption may make sense. He said, though, the state can’t afford the loss. So Farley wants to make the legislation contingent on ending two other tax breaks, both of which benefit those who don’t even live in Arizona. But his proposal could end up scrapped, not because of its merits but because of politics: The Republican sponsor of the legislation is not interested in giving a victory to someone hoping to oust incumbent Gov. Doug Ducey. In general, Arizona law exempts medical devices from sales taxes. That includes hearing aids themselves and any parts like ear molds. Batteries, however, are in a different category. SB 1049 would end the difference.

The Department of Revenue says if Arizona taxed every transaction, the state would collect another $13.5 billion a year. That dwarfs the $4.5 billion actually collected last year in sales taxes. Farley said lawmakers should not just keep adding to that list, even with just a $1 million price tag. “We can’t keep digging the hole that we’ve found ourselves in,’’ he said. Farley said SB 1049 gives lawmakers a chance to decide if some of the existing tax breaks make sense. Sen. Karen Fann, R-Prescott, said she appreciates what Farley is trying to address. “We know we don’t have enough money for our highways,’’ she said.

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SANTAN SUN NEWS | JAN 20 – FEB 2, 2018

BUSINESS

Kiosk at clinic helps patients get medications quickly BY WAYNE SCHUTSKY Staff Writer

New self-serve technology at one East Valley medical clinic is allowing patients to quickly receive prescriptions and over-thecounter medications from a kiosk immediately following an appointment. The APM Pharmacy kiosk – currently available at Bayless Integrated Healthcare’s Dobson Ranch location at 2204 S. Dobson Road in Mesa – allows patients to fill prescriptions within minutes at the clinic.

quently by practitioners, Brite said. The kiosks, which are roughly the size of a vending machine, do not include controlled substances such as narcotics or benzodiazepines. The new technology provides increased convenience for patients who are sick or need to fill multiple prescriptions. “(Patients) love it, especially if they are sick or if they have strep throat and need antibiotics, because they can just get it and don’t need to go to a pharmacy,” Brite said. In addition to providing convenience, the kiosks give doctors peace of mind by ensuring

It’s great on the provider side because underserved “ patients don’t always make it to the pharmacy, and (with the kiosks) I know they are leaving with their medications.”

– Katie Brite, Bayless Integrated Healthcare medical director

Practitioners at the location can send prescriptions electronically to the kiosk, which verifies patients using their ID. Patients then use the kiosk to interact with a pharmacist via telemedicine and receive their prescriptions. “There is a pharmacist with every interaction,” said Katie Brite, Bayless Integrated Healthcare medical director. All conversations with pharmacists are conducted using a private phone to preserve patient confidentiality and avoid HIPAA violations. The medications available at the kiosks – over 700 – were chosen based on a review of which drugs are prescribed most fre-

that patients receive prescribed medications. “It’s great on the provider side because underserved patients don’t always make it to the pharmacy, and (with the kiosks) I know they are leaving with their medications,” Brite said. She added, “The relevance for our population in general is that we are trying really hard to eliminate barriers … and this is one more barrier we can eliminate.” The one setback is that the APM Pharmacy kiosks do not currently accept all insurance plans, though that could change in the future. – Reach Wayne Schutsky at 480-898-6533 or wschutsky@timespublications.com.

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SANTAN SUN NEWS | JAN 20 – FEB 2, 2018

Area car dealer earning honors ahead of ASU degree BY COTY DOLORES MIRANDA Contributor

Tim Hovik has been an Arizona State University Sun Devil fan since he was a youngster growing up in Washington State and went to the campus to visit his two older brothers. Now the owner/general manager of San Tan Ford, the Ahwatukee man was in eighth grade when he caught Sun Devil fever and determined at that first visit that he, too, would follow his brothers’ footsteps and enroll in ASU. Even after leaving ASU, Hovik remained an avid fan, and as he’s advanced in his career, he worked to ensure his alma mater was a recipient of his support. As a chair for the Arizona Ford Dealer’s Association, he advocated for the university, ensuring the group was on board for providing partnerships with Sun Devil Athletics that, according to ASU, were “worth north of seven figures” in dollars. In acknowledgment of his support, Hovik was presented with the Alumni Appreciation Award at ASU’s 2017 Homecoming several months ago. Making the honor even more amazing, Hovik said, is that he hasn’t yet graduated from Arizona State. “I changed majors (from business to political science), and actually have more credits than I need to graduate,” he said. “I’ve lectured at their business school, and I think of myself as an alum. The homecoming kinda spurred me to knock off those remaining credits and get my degree.” As an upperclassman, Hovik had planned to take a gap year while earning money as a car salesman working with Tex Earnhardt. “I knew people who’d made money at it and I thought I’d do it for a little while, and pop back to school and finish. The very first month, I led in sales. I came out of the gate hot,” said Hovik. He stayed with Earnhardt for 13 years, rising to general manager. In 2007, he was offered a partnership at a Las Vegas Ford franchise. “I went to Vegas right when the recession hit, and it was hard time for a lot of businesses,” said Hovik who stayed the course three years. “I’d kept my home in Ahwatukee, and San Tan Ford had just opened, and after a couple months, they asked me to come over and I finally

(Special to SanTan Sun News)

Ahwatukee resident Tim Hovik has grown his San Tan Ford in eight years from 70 employees and $49 million in sales to a current 230 employees and more than $200 million in annual sales.

agreed.” In the ensuing years, Hovik and the firm’s parent company, The Richardson Group, continue to grow. The parent firm owns five Ford franchises in California, New Mexico and Texas. San Tan Ford, the group’s only dealership in Arizona, is now among the top 40 largest Ford dealerships in the world. “I’d like to move into the top 20,” said Hovik, who follows former Ford CEO Alan Mulally’s example of referring to the franchises as “stores” rather than “dealerships” because Mulally thought the latter word carried a negative connotation. His San Tan Ford store at 1429 E. Motorplex Loop in Gilbert has grown from 70 employees eight years ago when he arrived, to more than 230. One of them is his oldest brother, Steve, who is sales manager. Sales at San Tan Ford have skyrocketed from approximately $49 million in 2009 to more than $200 million in 2017.

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Even with demands of owning a major business entity and his ASU Alumni Association and Sun Devil Athletics involvement, Hovik is an active member of several area Chambers of Commerce. In the Gilbert Chamber, he’s a board member. For the Chandler Chamber, he was the presenting sponsor of this year’s Charity Golf Tournament. He’s also on the board of his hometown’s Ahwatukee Foothills Chamber of Commerce. “I’ve been a resident of the Foothills area for 20 plus years,” said Hovik, adding that it’s a family affair with his older brother Jeff, an attorney based in Ahwatukee, and his 84-year-old mother, who also resides in the village. “The Ahwatukee Chamber is really unique in that there’s really no downtown,” he said. “I don’t think people realize how many activities this chamber is involved in to better their community.” Hovik says he’s strongly driven to give back to the communities in which he works and lives, as well as ASU, which he said was “great to me and taught him so

many lessons.” “I don’t give back to the community or ASU either of my time or resources to get a lot of ‘attaboys,’” he said. “But when they recognize you like the Alumni Association did with this award, they make you feel like you’ve achieved something.” And those achievements are why ASU Alumni Association president and CEO Christine K. Wilkinson said Hovik was honored. “With the Alumni Appreciation Award, the ASU Alumni Association has the opportunity to recognize an individual who positively impacts Arizona State University, and Tim Hovik generously supports the Sun Devil community,” said Wilkinson, who is also senior vice president and secretary of the university. “Tim is a passionate Sun Devil and extremely supportive of many programs including Sun Devil Athletics, the Sun Devil Club and the ASU Alumni Association,” she continued. “At the Alumni Association, we appreciate his involvement in our home tailgates, Legends Luncheon and the annual scholarship fund-raising event hosted by the White Mountain Alumni Chapter.” He admits finding himself in an “under-the-scene storm” because he was repeatedly approached as a possible candidate to seek Jeff Flake’s Senate seat. He said he’d told those asking him to run that though he felt “very honored,” he didn’t feel this was “the right time.” However, he admitted he could see himself tossing his hat in the political arena at a later date. In addition to owning and operating San Tan Ford, Hovik has also chaired the Arizona Ford Dealers Association, and currently sits on Ford’s National Dealer Council as the Southwestern United Sates representative to Ford Motor company. What keeps this 51-year-old Everett, Washington, native involved the multitude of activities? What drives him to continually accomplish more? “I think by nature, I’m pretty competitive and competitive with myself. You strive to succeed, but you always want to balance that drive. At San Tan, we take care of each other. If there’s a Little League game an employee’s kid is playing in, we try and arrange schedules so they can go. We want to be supportive, and help the next generation.”

SANTAN SUN NEWS | JAN 20 – FEB 2, 2018

BUSINESS

How Medicare covers mental health services BY GREG DILL Contributor

Let’s hope it never happens, but there may come a time in your life when you need mental health care. Your Medicare covers a wide variety of such services, in both hospital inpatient and outpatient settings. If you have Medicare Part A (hospital insurance), you’re eligible for mental health services when you’re admitted to a hospital as an inpatient. You can get these services either in a general hospital or a psychiatric hospital that only cares for people with mental health conditions. If you’re in a psychiatric hospital (instead of a general hospital), Part A only pays for up to 190 days of inpatient psychiatric hospital services during your lifetime. Medicare pays for inpatient hospital stays on the basis of “benefit periods.” A benefit period begins the day you’re admitted to a hospital as an inpatient. It ends when you haven’t received any inpatient care for 60 days in a row. If you go into a hospital after one benefit period has ended, a new benefit period begins. You must pay the inpatient hospital deductible ($1,340 in 2018) for each benefit period. There’s no limit to the number of benefit periods you can have. But remember, there’s a lifetime limit of 190 days for inpatient psychiatric hospitals. After you pay the deductible, Medicare covers inpatient hospital care for the first 60 days with no coinsurance on your part for

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each benefit period. For days 61-90, your coinsurance is $335 per day of each benefit period. If you’re in the hospital beyond 90 days, your coinsurance is $670 per “lifetime reserve day” for each benefit period (you have up to 60 reserve days over your lifetime). In addition, you’ll pay 20 percent of the Medicare-approved amount for mental health services you get from doctors and other providers while you’re a hospital inpatient. Your Medicare Part B (medical insurance) covers partial hospitalization in some cases. Partial hospitalization provides a structured program of outpatient psychiatric services as an alternative to

inpatient psychiatric care. It’s more intense than care you get in a doctor’s or therapist’s office. This treatment is provided during the day and doesn’t require an overnight stay. Medicare helps cover partial hospitalization services when they’re provided through a hospital outpatient department or community mental health center. Along with partial hospitalization, Medicare may cover occupational therapy that’s part of your mental health treatment and/or individual patient training and education about your condition. Medicare only covers partial hospitalization if the doctor and the partial hospitalization program accept Medicare as full payment.

For Part B to cover a partial hospitalization program, you must meet certain requirements, and your doctor must certify that you would otherwise need inpatient treatment. Under Part B, you pay a percentage of the Medicare-approved amount for each service you get from a doctor or other qualified mental health professional if they accept Medicare rates. You also pay coinsurance for each day of partial hospitalization services provided in a hospital outpatient setting or community mental health center. The Part B deductible ($183 in 2018) applies as well. Your doctor or other health care provider may recommend you get services more often than Medicare covers. Or they may recommend services that Medicare doesn’t cover. If this happens, you may have to pay some or all of the costs. It’s important to ask questions so you understand why your doctor is recommending certain services and whether Medicare will pay for them. All of the above applies to people with Original Medicare. If you’re in a Medicare Advantage (Part C) health plan, check with the plan for details of how it covers mental health care. For more information on your Medicare mental health benefits, I recommend this detailed brochure: medicare.gov/Pubs/ pdf/10184-Medicare-Mental-Health-Bene.pdf. Greg Dill is Medicare’s regional administrator for Arizona, California, Nevada, Hawaii, and the Pacific Territories. Get answers to your Medicare questions by calling 1-800-633-4227.

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SANTAN SUN NEWS | JAN 20 – FEB 2, 2018

For more community news visit SanTanSun.com

Swim school makes a splash with baby classes BY COLLEEN SPARKS Staff

Babies gently splashed, floated, dipped beneath the water and grabbed rubber ducks while anchored to protective mothers in a shallow pool on a recent weekday morning in Mesa. While it’s common to hear cries as babies get fussy at play dates and other gatherings, these little ones were mostly quiet as they maneuvered their chubby, cherub-like bodies in the warm water at SWIMkids USA on West Guadalupe Road, a business that draws many Chandler families. Their beaming mothers snuggled them and followed the instructor’s directions on how to help the tiny swimmers take baby steps toward perhaps becoming the next Michael Phelps or Katie Ledecky someday. SWIMkids USA recently won the 2017 Spirit of Enterprise Social Impact award. Arizona State University’s W.P. Carey School of Business honors a company that has made the biggest contribution toward the community’s greater good and shown it is socially focused, making a philanthropic impact. “It’s such an honor and that’s probably our biggest prize,” SWIMkids USA founder and president Lana Whitehead said, adding: “This award shines the light on our mission, which is to educate parents about water safety and teach even the youngest children lifesaving swim skills. I am deeply honored to receive this award because this is a problem that is not going away.” Whitehead is passionate about saving lives by teaching critical water survival skills to babies, children, teens and adults in a nurturing environment. One reason the swim school received the recognition is because Whitehead is

Photos by Kimberly Carrillo/Staff Photographer

Lana Whitehead (left), SWIMkids USA founder and president, and Shaunna Risinger, general manager of SWIMkids USA, aim to keep babies, children, teens and adults safe in the water.

considered a pioneer in the swim-floatswim technique aimed at helping people be safer in the water. With this method, a child kicks in the water while in a prone position for several seconds and then rotates onto their back, where they can rest and breathe. They repeat the swim-float-swim technique until they arrive safely at the side, where they are able to reach up and hold on, Whitehead said. The prone position is when they are lying flat, face down in the water holding their breath as they kick on their stomachs.

Photos by Kimberly Carrillo/Staff Photographer

He may be only 7 months old, but little Daniel Butaev is getting into the swim of things at SWIMkids USA’s classes aimed at acclimating children at an early age to water.

SWIMkids USA also distinguished itself because it provides free Water Smart Infants classes for babies ages 2 to 7 months old (accompanied by a parent) and free CPR classes. Whitehead is also the national spokeswoman for Water Smart Babies program, a program in which pediatricians write prescriptions for babies to get swim lessons. “To be recognized as a Spirit of Enterprise finalist or winner means those founders and leaders are not only building their business, but building their communities,” said Amy Hillman, dean of the W.P. Carey School of Business at ASU. ASU President Michael M. Crow in a letter to Whitehead wrote, “This well-deserved recognition speaks to your success as a proven leader and entrepreneur as well as SWIMkids USA’s positive impact in the community. It is this kind of leadership that sets an example for our students, and we hope your story will inspire their own spirit of entrepreneurship.” Arizona ranked second highest in reported drownings among children ages 15 and younger in pools and spas last year, according to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission’s Pool Safely campaign in conjunction with the USA Swimming Foundation. In 2017, 25 drownings of youths ages 15 and under in pools and spas in Arizona were reported. In 2016, 24 children ages 15 and under drowned and died in pools and spas in Arizona, the campaign and foundation reported. Florida had the highest number of drownings of youths ages 15 and under in pools and spas in 2017, with 51 reported. Whitehead is well-versed in childhood brain development, starting the swim school in 1971 in the Bay Area before moving it to Scottsdale in 1978.

She relocated the school to Mesa, where lessons were taught in different places in 1984, then relocated to Tempe before setting up the business in the space on West Guadalupe Road just east of Loop 101 in 1998. A grandmother of six and parent of three sons, Whitehead has a bachelor’s degree in physiology from Brigham Young University and a master’s degree in special education from ASU. She has written five books, including one she co-wrote with a doctor, on teaching babies and children to swim and how movement helps babies and children learn. “I love teaching,” Whitehead said. “I love swimming. It’s the one sport that saves your life.” In the recent Water Smart Infants class, instructor Emily Finn guided a circle of mothers through various exercises to steer their babies through in the water. Amber Kaneshige of Chandler smiled and encouraged her son, Koda, almost 4 months old, in the class. “I just like the opportunity to be able to get in the water,” Kaneshige said. She has taken her older child, Leilani, 4, to SWIMkids USA, for about 31/2 years and appreciates the swimming techniques the instructors teach. “I think it’s simple,” Kaneshige said. “They don’t put too much into it.” Whitehead said the first thing the certified swim instructors teach students to do is submerge and learn to float on their back. They also learn how to roll onto their backs. The youngest swimmers, in the 2- to 7-month-old range, learn how to push down and stand themselves up on steps in the pool. Older babies in the other classes learn to swim to the side of the pool and climb out. Instructors tell parents how if they blow on their babies’ faces, the babies will learn to hold their breath when they are put underwater. Swim classes at the Mesa school last for 30 minutes and people can take them for as long as they want. Many take them on an ongoing basis. Allison Martinez of Chandler was enthusiastic about the Water Smart Infants class after taking it with her 4-month-old daughter, Scarlett. “I thought it was great,” Martinez said. “They have lots of colors and things that are interesting. She’s happy. I just want her to feel comfortable in the water. It’s more for safety than it is for fun.” Summer Swanick of Tempe was beaming as she carried her daughter Charlotte Cahill, 9 months old, out of the pool after a recent Water Smart Babies class for babies ages 7 months to about 16 months old. Swanick said Charlotte is “so comfortable in the water” and is learning how to float. “It’s her favorite time of the week,” Swanick said. “I just want her to be equipped with the skills she needs if I’m ever not around. It’s been a really fun bonding experience for us. Everybody’s really nice. The entire staff is really warm and welcoming.”

SANTAN SUN NEWS | JAN 20 – FEB 2, 2018

Scott Clore of Mesa said his daughter, Sage, who will be 2 years old next month, loves swim lessons at SWIMkids USA. The toddler has been taking classes at the business since she was 6 months old. Clore used to teach swim lessons at the business several years ago. “I was a competitive swimmer growing up,” he said. “Especially in Arizona, there’s water everywhere. It’s safety; it’s survival skills. You’re just trying to give them those extra few minutes if they ever fall in (water).” Sage loves her swim teacher, Shaunna Risinger, general manager of SWIMkids USA, Clore said. Risinger, who also teaches gymnastics at the business, said her two daughters, Bella and Sophia Gallo, 10 and 6, both took classes at the school. Sophia is on SWIMkids USA’s swim team, a co-ed group of swimmers that competes in three different levels through USA Swimming, the national governing body for swimming as a sport in the United States. “We make swim lessons fun and we do it in a nurturing way, but it’s still work,” Risinger said. “Drowning is the leading cause of accidental death for kids ages 1 to 4. Why would you want to take that risk? There’s pools everywhere; there’s canals. Even bathtubs are unsafe.” Students in SWIMkids USA classes learn to float on their backs in an “airplane” style with their arms extended out from their shoulders, rather than at their sides, to make it easier to stay afloat. Risinger said she used the swim-floatswim technique herself when she was in Hawaii and accidentally swam too far from shore. She got too tired to swim all the way back so she alternated between floating on her back and swimming on her stomach until she drifted safely back to the beach. More than 500 swim classes are offered every week at SWIMkids USA, including the swim team practices. The team practices mostly at Chandler High School and also at McClintock High School in Tempe and competes all over the Valley and in other states. About 1,800 children and adults take swimming classes in the summer at SWIMkids USA and other times of year about 1,500 people are enrolled in the swim classes there. The business also offers gymnastics and dance classes. For the babies in the swim classes, Risinger said “it’s more about getting used to the water and bonding.”

SPORTS & RECREATION

Babies clamor for plastic balls with help from their mothers in a Water Smart Infants class at SWIMkids USA. Clockwise from top left are Gulmaz Sabirova holding 7-month-old Daniel Butyaev, instructor Emily Finn, Amber Kaneshige with son Koda, almost 4 months old, Allison Martinez with daughter Scarlett, 4 months old, and Yuka Kuwahara with daughter Erica, 5 months old.

Whitehead got her feet wet as an instructor when she taught dance, gymnastics and swimming in a Bay Area high school. Then she brought her son, Lance, who was a baby at the time, to a YMCA in Pleasant Hill, California, to teach him how to swim in the pool. Officials at the Y who saw her working with her baby son asked her to teach swim classes at the Y. “I had to learn what they could do and couldn’t do,” Whitehead said. “I did not look at other methods; there wasn’t enough around.” At that time, in the early 1970s, pediatricians typically said children did not learn how to swim until they were 5, she said. Whitehead wrote “Incredible Swimfants,” a book teaching parents how to help their children learn to swim, in the 1970s, and dedicated it to Todd Gleason and Brian Westburg, who both drowned at around 2 years old. Todd and Brian were the sons of some of Whitehead’s friends and their deaths motivated Whitehead to open a swim school. Whitehead also wrote “How to Watersafe Infants & Toddlers” with Dr. Lindsay Curtis, published in 1983. On her

Yuka Kuwahara helps her daughter, Erica, 5 months old, swim in the Water Smart Infants class at SWIMkids USA in Mesa.

own, Whitehead wrote the books “Move and Learn,” “Movement: The Key to Early Learning” and “Movement Activates

with the Water SMART Babies program. She said she was asked by Kim Burgess, founder and previous executive director

Summer Swanick helps her daughter Charlotte Cahill, 9 months old, float on her back in a Water Smart Babies class at SWIMkids USA in Mesa.

Learning.” She has traveled around the world talking about swimming including to the U.S. Olympic Training Center, the World Aquatic Babies and Children Conference and the National Drowning Prevention Alliance (NDPA). The NDPA gave SWIMkids USA the 2011 Community Lifesaver Award. “Aquatics International Magazine” named SWIMkids USA as the “Best of Aquatics: Swim School” in 2012. Whitehead is a 2012 Inductee in the U.S. Swim School Association’s Hall of Fame and was a member of the Sports Medicine Delegation to China. Whitehead recently found out the International Swimming Hall of Fame has chosen her as the winner of the 2018 G. Harold Martin Award for water safety and instruction. The award will be given at the 54th Annual International Swimming Hall of Fame Honoree Induction Ceremony May 18-20 in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Another way Whitehead has tried to spread the word about water safety is

of the NDPA, to write a position paper on how she runs a nurturing swim program. Burgess helped her write it, explaining how doctors could help with the drowning prevention efforts. The paper led to the formation of the Water SMART Babies program. The Florida Pediatric Society adopted the program and Florida doctors provide water safety education to parents when their babies come for visits. Doctors write a “prescription” for parents to get their babies in water safety lessons. Parents are also given a Water SMART Babies handbook with tips on home water safety, including putting fences around pools and information on classes to learn CPR. The Water SMART Babies program has been used on a pilot basis in 24 pediatricians’ offices in Maricopa County, according to the Drowning Prevention Coalition of Arizona. To learn more about SWIMkids USA, visit swimkidsaz.com. For more information on the Water SMART Babies program, visit watersmartbabies.com.

SPORTS & RECREATION 34

SANTAN SUN NEWS | JAN 20 – FEB 2, 2018

Senior Olympians prepare for challenges in 2018 games BY PAUL MARYNIAK Executive Editor

Mention the word “Olympics” and many people conjure an image of well-toned young bodies ready to test their prowess and endurance. But a group of Ahwatukee Olympians beg to differ as they prepare for one of Arizona’s biggest sporting events – the 2018 State Senior Olympics. Olympic games are not just for the young, but the young at heart as well, they say. Residents ages 50-100 years of age can now register for one or more of the competitive sports to be held in venues across the Valley starting on Feb. 17 and running through March 11. Don’t think these competitors are any less aggressive in their pursuit of athletic excellence. Take Gloria Tolaro of Ahwatukee, for example. She does 50-yard freestyle, breaststroke and backstroke swim sprints, as well as 100, 200 and 500-meter freestyle and relays. She’s 86 years old. “Whether you medal or not, the fun and camaraderie of the event are equal rewards,” she said. The Arizona Senior Olympics began in 1982 as the City of Phoenix Olympic Games but was cut from the city budget in 2008 due to the recession. In order to continue this popular senior event, the nonprofit Arizona Lifelong Fitness Foundation was born. “The all-volunteer program group provides an opportunity for senior athletes to not only exercise, train, participate in their favorite sport and stay fit and strong, but to socialize and be rewarded for their efforts,” Tolaro said. The Senior Olympics features 31 sports,

Special to the San Tan Sun News

Senior Olympian Bob Burns has won a host of medals for his prowess on the teenis court in various competitions, including the Senior Olympics. He said he started competiting in the sport partly because he plays “better than average.” “

between Arizona and South Pasadena, California, is an avid Olympian who specializes in tennis, a game he has played for six decades – including 10 in the Senior Olympics. He has earned five gold medals at the state level and one national medal. “From the very start, I had a real passion for tennis and was able to play better than average, which I can’t say for other sports,” Burns said. “When I retired eight years ago, I decided

Area resident Connie Squires is a power hitter on the Senior Olympics' softball circuit.

including track and field, tennis, golf, swimming, powerlifting and cycling. It is an “open” meet, so Arizona residency is not required. Participants compete in five-year age groups, and medals go the top three finishers in each event. The Arizona Senior Olympics is a member of the National Senior Games Association, which sponsors the National Games every two years. This is a qualifying year for the 2019 Summer NSGA games to be held in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Bob Burns, 73, who splits his time

to re-engage myself in tennis for two reasons: First, it’s an easy way to stay in shape if you play three to five times a week, and second, after I sold my company and became fully retired, I soon realized something was missing. “It’s a crazy thing, but 38 years in the clothing business made me a very competitive person, and tennis, especially senior tennis, gives me as much competition as I can handle.” He calls the senior games – which include both team and individual sports – “a great way to meet so many other like-

minded sport people and take your sport top-10 rating in freestyle. Not all of Ahwatukee resident Pat to another level by leveling the playing Lawlis’ time was spent fighting the South field via your age. That is to say you Mountain Freeway. compete with a team or another person At age 72, she also has collected dozens who is in your age bracket.” Besides, he added, the Senior Olympics of medals for her participation in softball. A pitcher, she has been participating in offer him “another way to test my skills senior games for 17 years. and physical ability against other players Besides enjoying “health benefits from in my age bracket.” continued activity and mental health When training for a senior game or benefits from continued socialization,” tournament, Burns works aggressively, spending an estimated 20-30 hours a week for as long as two months before he competes. Merilee Reynolds, 68, has been powerlifting for the last six years or so. Her hard work paid off last year when she won a gold medal in her first entry into the Senior Olympics. “It keeps me young,” she said of her gym work. “The senior games are fun.” At age 78, swimmer Ken McKinney can boast a passel of medals for his participation in senior games. He has logged eight All-American awards, two national records and ranks among the top 10 seniors for five different swimming categories. Indeed, he has so many medals that he donated more than 60 to a Tucson organization that gives them to special-needs children when they Merilee Reynolds has been powerlifting for nearly six years and is accomplish a task. preparing for a performance in this year's Senior Olympics. McKinney offers his services to anyone whose Lawlis said, “I love sports…It keeps me medals and ribbons are gathering dust. active and also involved with many He’ll collect them and ship them off so they can be put to good use like he’s done women my age.” with his. People interested in joining the fun can Likewise, 81-year-old competitive find more information and register at swimmer Al Worth sports eight Allseniorgames.org or call 602-274-7742. America awards, two national record as a

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SANTAN SUN NEWS | JAN 20 – FEB 2, 2018

SPORTS & RECREATION

Talented sophomore leads Basha girls soccer to new heights BY ERIC NEWMAN Contributor

In 18 years of high school coaching, Basha girls soccer coach Greg Johnson said he has never had a player with the athletic ability that sophomore Margie Detrizio possesses. He said his main striker has a unique blend of size, strength, quickness and improving technical skills, which makes her one of the top offensive threats, and overall players, in the state. “She’s just a different kid. You don’t see many like her come along,” he said. Through Basha’s first 14 games, Detrizio has scored 21 goals and assisted seven times, both among the leaders in the state. In just her first year with the team, having played basketball instead of soccer in the 2016-17 season, Detrizio attributes much of her early success not only to hard individual work, but a number of supportive teammates with whom she got the opportunity to play club soccer in the offseason. “I can kind of get into it with them and they help me combine with everyone else. That helped a lot,” she said. The minute Detrizio’s teammates saw what she could do on the offensive end, Johnson said, it was easy for them to see how helpful to the team she could be. “I walk away from games now that I don’t think she’s played all that well, or that the other team defended her well,” he said, “And she still walks away with a goal or an assist, so that sort of production is great.”

Eric Newman/Special to the San Tan Sun News

Margie Detrizio heads a ball during a practice at Basha. The sophomore is just in her first year with the team but is already one of the top offensive threats in the state.

That production, at its best, gives the rest of the players confidence to take their own chances. “I think we all know we can rely on her to score, so having her up there is just something we all can settle on. We’ll get scored on, and say to ourselves, ‘OK, Margie will get us back,’” senior defender Brooke Brown said. Described both by teammates and coach Johnson as a “joker,” whose effort on the field is matched by her positivity, Detrizio brings a laid-back work ethic to a team that senior attacking-midfielder Rylee Mitchell had an “attitude problem” in the 2016-17 season, following a number of injuries and setbacks. The team, through 14 games, has earned

a 12-2 record, already better than last year, which saw Basha finish 11-9-1 with a firstround playoff exit. “This year, we’re all in it for each other and we want to win together. It’s a team effort, but Margie’s definitely a part of that,” Mitchell said. Both Detrizio and Johnson agree, though, that there is still much work to be done, mainly in technical ability. Quick and strong, Detrizio has been able to simply outrun weaker opponents and score easy goals, but she will have to hone her ball skills against better teams. Specifically, utilizing her speed to catch up to tough balls, while using those improving foot skills to make the most of each opportunity, regardless of the quality of the

pass or chance. “When I get a ball at practice, I kind of try to take bad balls and make them better, get more out of it with my touches, and get people involved,” she said. For Johnson, though obviously glad to have such a quality player up front, there is a danger that the rest of his players rely too much on Detrizio to create offense, which could come back to bite them in a close game. Otherwise, the team can slump into what he jokingly calls “The Margie Show.” “When it does happen, they just stand around and wait for her to do something,” he said. “If they just anticipate and work to get in position where if she needs help, or misses a ball, or a defender pokes it away, they’re there. You just need to be in the area and you can be productive as well.” The real test for how solid Detrizio and the rest of the team can be, Johnson said, will come in a slew of section matches against some of the best teams in the state. With just three games left until four straight section contests to end the regular season, Johnson said if players are able to find a way to combat teams that are going to start doubling Detrizio, using the space and passing lanes available with defenders crowded around her, they could find themselves competitive in any game down the stretch. “They can be free, they can be productive and Margie can find a way to relieve some of that pressure she’s going to feel,” he said, “and that could make a huge difference for us.”

SANTAN SUN NEWS | JAN 20 – FEB 2, 2018

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SAN TAN SUN NEWS | JAN 20 – FEB 2, 2018

Opinion

For more community news visit SanTanSun.com

Chandler Symphony Orchestra celebrating 25th anniversary of musical experiences BY CHANDLER CITY COUNCILMEMBER RENÉ LOPEZ Contributor

Happy 25th Birthday, Chandler Symphony Orchestra! Since 1993, Chandler has been blessed with the musical sounds of its very own Chandler Symphony Orchestra. Maestro Jack Herriman founded and has conducted the orchestra since the very beginning. He had a vision to create opportunities for all ages to enjoy classical music through free concerts. After all these years, the growth of this organization is a true testament to his dedication to the arts and the community members. Chandler Center for the Arts is home to several of the group’s performances. In addition to the City of Chandler’s partnership, community involvement is very

important to the orchestra’s success. Every concert is free; however, a donation at the door always is appreciated. There are several opportunities to be involved, including volunteering at performances, sponsoring a musician or concert, making corporate or individual donations and advertising in its annual program. All donations are used for the purchase and rental of music and venues, as well as refreshments for the musicians and minimal administrative needs. The orchestra comprises 90 professionally trained musicians who dedicate countless hours volunteering their time for rehearsals and performances. Several of them have been involved for many years, including a violinist who is 90 years of age and substitutes as a music teacher. Music really is timeless! Although the musicians are volunteers, quality is very important. Anyone who is interested in becoming a member is

required to audition. Music and art open the doors to diversity and cultural experiences. They are very enjoyable and allow the mind to be creative. Studies show a direct impact between those exposed to the arts and their developmental growth, both in the classroom and in obtaining life skills. The Chandler Center for the Arts provides wonderful programs for youth. Programs offered include musical theater camps and workshops. For more information, visit chandlercenter.org. The 2018 spring concert series begins on Jan. 28 with the “CSO Turns 25” concert, and runs through May 6. The orchestra will provide audiences with an even more personal experience at each performance. This year is special because the orchestra is celebrating 25 years of providing quality symphonic and orchestral music in the community. On Feb. 17, the Gala Silver Anniversary

Celebration Dinner will be hosted at the Oakwood Golf Club in Sun Lakes at 5 p.m. Tickets are $80, which covers the price of dinner and includes an opportunity to be seated with one of the conductors or musicians. A silent auction fundraiser also will take place, and they already have received some really nice items. For more information on the dinner, and to learn how to be involved with the orchestra, visit chandlersymphony.com. I encourage everyone to experience and celebrate the Chandler Symphony Orchestra. Hearing music played live can be life-changing. It creates an emotional connection or brings back childhood memories. There are several opportunities to learn and become a part of the arts and culture community. This year is definitely a time to celebrate music. Grab your family and friends for a fun afternoon of entertainment!

A tough lesson finally learned after losing a parent BY DAVID LEIBOWITZ

Tribune Columnist

We talk early in the morning, because both of us, father and son, share an affinity for rising before daylight. Mostly, the phone calls concern the minutiae of our days. He has to take the Kia for an oil change and stop at Wal-Mart to buy new sneakers. I have meetings, conference calls, meetings. He has doctors to see. The garage sink is clogged. His roof could use a pressure wash. And he misses her – my mother, his wife of 53 years. She passed away two weeks ago, a death that caught my family by surprise, mostly because all her life, 71 years, my mother appeared incapable of being quiet for longer than 90 seconds. If that sounds like a complaint, it’s not: My mother’s opinions, her advice, her stories, have been the soundtrack of my life

every bit as much as John Denver’s “Rocky Mountain High” or Don McLean driving his Chevy to the levee. My mother always had the floor. My dad, he was always in the background, nodding, smiling, occasionally coming to the phone. Until now. Now he is 72 and I’m a few weeks shy of 53. Now he dials the phone. Now I do, too. We speak daily, sometimes twice, three times. Every conversation ends with “I love you.” This is not an advice column, and for good reason: I’m not an advice-giver. My theory has always been, if we’re down to me to solve your problems, you, my friend, are well and truly screwed. We’re going to make an exception this once, though, because the loss of my mother has taught me something maybe some of you need to hear. Because some of you are probably, surely, a lot like me. All my life, no matter how I’ve succeeded, no matter how many good

acts I’ve mixed in with my shortcomings, no matter how fiercely I’ve tried to do the right thing, I’ve always held an opinion that I’ve never dared offer aloud. It’s a thought that has produced in me more shame than every other fault combined. I’ve always believed my father was disappointed in me. That we didn’t really “get” each other. That whatever genetic material family members own that knits them close, we didn’t have it. We did. We do. We just didn’t try. He only came to the phone sometimes. I didn’t call. He didn’t tell me what he filled his days with. I didn’t ask, or tell him much about mine. Then I lost my mother, but I gained a father. Which is a wonderful consolation, but also feels like a tremendous waste of potential. We could have, should have, had these conversations 25 years ago. Then maybe I wouldn’t have felt so ashamed, and maybe he wouldn’t have felt so alone.

So, here’s my advice. It’s all of two words. Don’t wait. Maybe you have a parent 2,000 miles away, who right now is alone at his kitchen table wondering how he’s going to get through breakfast without the dark-haired girl he started dating in 1961. Maybe you, too, think you’ve never measured up. You feel ashamed for your faults, like the bad son, the estranged daughter, the sibling who never quite fit into the puzzle that is every family. Don’t wait. Because what if you’re wrong about not being good enough? And because there is so much to say, and never enough time. Because one day, out of the blue, the person to whom you dare not speak will be gone. And then all you’ll have left is silence. Which is, according to someone who has learned this lesson firsthand, not even close to enough. – David Leibowitz has called the Valley home since 1995. Contact david@leibowitzsolo.com.

Share your opinion with SanTan Sun News! We want to hear from you! We know you have an opinion! Share it with the SanTan Sun News. Please limit your Letters to the Editor to 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.

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.

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SAN TAN SUN NEWS | JAN 20 – FEB 2, 2018

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SANTAN SUN NEWS | JAN 20 – FEB 2, 2018

Neighbors

For more community news visit SanTanSun.com

Sun Lakes firefighter and daughter help others in emergencies BY COLLEEN SPARKS Staff

As a child, Rachel Chiaramonte watched in admiration as her father battled fires in Long Island. Now it’s time for her father, Brian Curry, to be proud of her. Chiaramonte, a teacher at Santan Elementary School in Chandler, volunteers with him on the front lines to help people facing crises in Sun Lakes. Curry of Sun Lakes and Chiaramonte of Gilbert volunteer with the AFMA/Sun Lakes Fire District Community Assistance Program, which helps people after fires and other emergencies. About 30 volunteers with CAP act “like a human salvage unit,” helping people affected by urgent predicaments, Curry, 62, said. For example, if the spouse of a heart attack victim has Alzheimer’s disease, CAP volunteers stay with the spouse until they can reach family members or an organization that can ensure the spouse is not left alone. Other ways CAP volunteers offer a lifeline include comforting them, acting as liaisons between them and the fire department, calling mortuaries to pick up

Photo by Debra Curry

Rachel Chiaramonte and her father, Brian Curry, volunteer together for the AFMA/Sun Lakes Fire District Community Assistance Program. Chiaramonte decided to volunteer for CAP after Curry, a longtime firefighter in Long Island, became a volunteer for the program.

deceased people and finding shelter for homeless people. If the spouse of a heart attack victim is physically unable to drive, CAP volunteers take the spouse to the hospital to be with their loved one. The volunteers also help people whose home has been damaged by fire access medicine if their

medication was destroyed in the blaze. They refer residents they assist to Neighbors Who Care and other organizations, as well as substance abuse programs, church groups, pet sitters, respite services for caregivers and other groups when needed. Curry has been a life member of the

North Patchogue Fire Department for almost 44 years and was an active volunteer with that fire department in Long Island for 35 years. While he was actively volunteering for North Patchogue, he fought fires, handled ambulance calls and served as a fire lieutenant, chief fire prevention officer, public information officer and many other roles. Chiaramonte, 35, is a special education team lead and resource teacher at Santan Elementary School. The father-daughter team recently worked their first volunteer shift together. “She’s a great partner,” Curry said. “I watched her in action with the compassion and empathy. She certainly gets what our mission statement is as far as providing assistance to the people here in Sun Lakes. It was an extra source of pride to be working with my daughter. “There’s no better flattery than when your children follow you into your given trade. She chose to volunteer with the same group I’m in. I try to make it a learning experience for her. She’s a natural.” Chiaramonte returned the compliment. “I watched my dad volunteer in New York,” she said. “This is cool how many years See

FATHERDAUGHTER on page 44

Girl Scouts cookie season is gearing up here BY COLLEEN SPARKS Staff

It’s almost time to buy Girl Scout cookies again in Chandler and around the state, where scouts will take part in the Girl Scout Cookie Program from Jan. 22 to March 4. More than 13,000 girls in central and northern Arizona will walk around neighborhoods and set up booths to sell cookies in front of stores. They are learning entrepreneurial skills in the large, girl-led business. The icing on the cookie season is the Girl Scouts-Arizona Cactus-Pine Council is almost done with its five-year, $18 million Campaign for Girls in Arizona. GSACPC serves about 75,000 square miles, or twothirds of Arizona, offering programs for girls in over 90 communities, including Indian Reservations and military installations in the central and northern areas of the state. At least 1,000 girls in Chandler are planning to sell cookies this year. Girl Scout Troop Number 1553 leader Sabrina Smith in Chandler said the cookie program teaches valuable lessons. “Girl Scout cookie season is important to me because it teaches girls so many basic and essential lessons,” Smith said. “It teaches them to manage money, interact with their customers and how to run an ad campaign. Most importantly, though, it teaches them self-confidence.” Some scouts in Troop 1553 also value the experience. “I think selling cookies is important because girls learn important life skills they can use later in life,” scout Addison Shapiro said. Zoi Delgado, who is also in Girl Scouts

Troop 1553, said the “cookie sales contribute to the troop to do fun activities and help people in need.” Popular cookies are coming back this year. The Girl Scout S’mores cookie introduced last year is returning. It has a crunchy graham sandwich cookie with a marshmallow and chocolate filling. Thin Mints, Samoas, Tagalongs, Trefoils, Do-si-dos and Savannah Smiles will also be available again. For the third consecutive year, some Girl Scouts will be selling a limited amount of gluten-free Toffee-tastics. The cookies cost $5 per box, except for Toffee-tastics and Girl Scout S’mores, which will be $6 a box. Girls will get to engage with their communities on Walkabout Wednesdays. Every Wednesday during cookie season will be called Walkabout Wednesday and Girl Scouts are urged to walk around their neighborhoods, with an adult supervising them, selling cookies door-to-door in residential areas. They will also be urged to visit customers who have bought cookies in the past. Scouts and their customers are invited to post pictures of their cookie sales on Twitter, Facebook or Instagram using the hashtag WalkaboutWednesday and utilizing the tag @GSACPC. Each Wednesday during cookie season, GSACPC will do a drawing of the social media posts and give a winner a $25 gift card to a restaurant. Girl Scouts will get online business experience with Digital Cookie, an educational, web-based platform that lets girls operate and manage their Girl Scout Cookie business online.

Special to SanTan Sun News

Girl Scouts in Chandler and other areas of the Valley and state will start selling cookies in a few days. Pictured here are Girl Scout Troop Number 1553 members (front row from left): Isabella Navarro, Spencer Wareing, Dori Alexander and in back row (from left): Addison Lahr, Ella Loguda, Jane Spellman, Devangana Shah, Addison Shapiro and Lauren Watson.

In its fourth year, the Digital Cookie platform continues to help Girl Scouts stay current with relevant programming, giving them the chance to enhance their technological and entrepreneurial skills. The goal is to prepare them to be leaders in the 21st century. This season, GSACPC has kicked off a new local partnership with rideshare company Lyft to help promote sales of Girl Scout cookies. More than 100 full-time Lyft drivers will publicize the Cookie Finder app on big branded magnets on their vehicles and on

business cards they will give to passengers Jan. 22 to March 4. “To add to the fun, Lyft plans to purchase nearly 250 boxes of cookies for their drivers to serve customers during National Girl Scout Cookie Weekend, which is Feb. 23 to 25,” GSACPC director of development Christina Spicer said. Once again GSACPC will team up with Fry’s, Bashas’ and Safeway grocery stores, which will provide local troops with the opportunity to sell cookies this season. To find a booth at an area grocery store, visit girlscoutsaz.org/cookiefinder.

NEIGHBORS

FATHERDAUGHTER

SANTAN SUN NEWS | JAN 20 – FEB 2, 2018

from page 43

later now we finally can volunteer together. It was very good. He’s been doing it for so long, his teaching ways came out and just being a father. He’s also a mentor with the program; the mentor part came out and the father part. If I forgot to do things, he reminded me. I definitely take my cue from him. “We’re both Cancers,” Chiaramonte added. “We are that empathetic and sensitive type. He’s given me a lot of advice, just in life in general; he says that we all learn from mistakes. We all learn from each other.” While CAP volunteers can’t reveal specific details about the cases, Chiaramonte said they encounter a “big variety of incidents.” She said her father is good at calming people. While serving together recently in one situation Chiaramonte took a lead role as she empathized with a female client. Curry, who also does volunteer public information officer duties for the Sun Lakes Fire District, said Chiaramonte’s work with special education students at Santan Elementary ties in well with assisting residents through CAP. “It’s the similar vein as far as being able to talk to them at their level and show compassion and empathy every time,” he said. Chiaramonte demonstrated her “empathy, compassion and understanding” at a young age, Curry said. When she was 14, Chiaramonte joined the North Patchogue Fire Department Explorer Post 5-17, a Boy Scouts-chartered group of teen girls and boys who help and learn from the fire department. She recalled that at 16, the youths were allowed to ride on ambulance calls and

“You see a lot of life and a lot of experience Training includes three and if you get the chance to hear some of their shifts riding in the back seat stories, it’s amazing. It’s awesome.” watching the CAP crew Scott Jaeger, CAP coordinator for work on calls while the crew the AFMA/Sun Lakes Fire District instructs them, and then Community Assistance Program, praised three more shifts where the Chiaramonte and Curry for volunteering. trainees ride in the front seat “Brian has been a big part of our with their mentor/instructor program for a number of years now and managing things. The future the addition of his daughter is a great CAP volunteers also must do asset,” Jaeger said. “She is very bright and, some classwork. with her past experience, she fits right The CAP volunteers work six-hour shifts typically and must in. Bottom line, we are excited to have Rachel join our ranks.” complete three shifts a month Chiaramonte and Curry plan to do and attend a monthly meeting. more shifts together in the future. Curry “I do like assisting my Special to SanTan Sun News U.S. Sen. Chuck Schumer (left) met Brian Curry when Curry was neighbors and a volunteer with the North Patchogue Fire Department in Long assisting the community,” Island. Curry said. “I like to think I’m help the emergency medical technicians. making somebody’s bad day “I just like volunteering,” Chiaramonte better. Old firefighters never said. “I like helping the community in any die. Even though I’m not on way. I remember in fourth grade, I either the hoseline, I’m still involved wanted to be a nurse or teaching. I don’t with the fire district. I’m still deal well with blood. I was so excited to bantering with the firefighters. be part of that (Explorer) program.” It’s a win-win situation for me.” She also remembered as a child Chiaramonte enjoys giving going on calls with her father when he back and the diversity of tasks volunteered for the fire department in Special to SanTan Sun News she performs in CAP. Long Island. (From left) Brian Curry, Paul Phillips (standing on the truck) and “I feel like it’s part of my “You could sit in the car,” Chiaramonte Robert Graves perform their duties at the North Patchogue community A) because my said. “I’d be peeking out the window.” parents live there and B) I teach Fire Department in the late 1970s. Curry now volunteers for the While “it might have been intimidating” so close,” she said. “The school AFMA/Sun Lakes Fire District Community Assistance Program. the first time she rode with EMTs as an is down the road from the (fire) Explorer, she said she received good training from mentors and support from people in the station. That’s why I feel that’s said more volunteers are needed to help my community. You don’t know what your fire department. Chiaramonte said she also received great next call will be. Even if it’s the same type of with CAP. Potential volunteers do not need call, you’re not always doing the same thing… to live in Sun Lakes but it’s recommended training from her mentor with the CAP maybe these are my students’ grandparents. they are at least 18 years old. program. She started training to be a CAP Information: capcoordinator@afma.az.gov. My grandmother lives in Sun Lakes, too. volunteer around late September.

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Since the total loss of our building from the devastating fire we Since the total loss of our building from the devastating fire we experienced on January 8th 2017, we have been making preparation for Since the total loss of8th our2017, building from themaking devastating fire we experienced on January we have been preparation for our new building to be constructed on the same site. During the planning Since the total loss of our2017, building from the devastating fire we experienced on January 8th we have been making preparation for our new building to be constructed on the same site. During the planning As building promised, Chandler’s newest funeral home and process, we are moving inbeen some temporary modular Since the total loss of our building from the devastating fire we experienced on January 8th 2017, we have making preparation for our new building to be constructed on the same site. During the planning and building process, we are moving in some temporary modular buildings to be used for the mortuary, cemetery office and chapel. In the is currently under construction. We will be Since the total loss of our building from the devastating fire we experienced on January 8th 2017, we have been making preparation for our new building to be on cemetery the in same site. During the planning and building we are moving some temporary modular buildings to beprocess, used forconstructed the mortuary, office and chapel. In the meantime, we have been using the Chapel Mausoleum on the North end experienced on January 8th 2017, we have been making preparation for updating our community asinsame we progress to its our new building to be constructed on cemetery the site. During theNorth planning and building process, we arethe moving some temporary modular buildings towe behave used for the mortuary, office and chapel. In the meantime, been using Chapel Mausoleum on the end of the property for office. Wein want to take thischapel. opportunity our new building toour be constructed on the same site. During the planning and process, we arethe moving some temporary modular buildings towe behave used formakeshift the mortuary, cemetery office and Inend the meantime, been using Chapel on the North completion spring. Please watch for future of thebuilding property for this our makeshift office. WeMausoleum want to take this opportunity to thank the members of the community and especially the families of and building process, we are moving in some temporary modular buildings to be used for the mortuary, cemetery office and chapel. In the meantime, we have been using the Chapel Mausoleum on the North end of the property for our makeshift office. We want to take this opportunity to thank the members of the community and especially the families of publications regarding our grand opening. We the people we have served for the their understanding and patients during buildings towe be used formakeshift the mortuary, cemetery office and chapel. Inend the meantime, have been using Chapel Mausoleum on the North of the property for our office. Weand want to take this opportunity to thank the members of the community especially the families of the people we have served for their understanding and patients during would like tobeen extend a special thankon you to end this trying process. meantime, we have using the Chapel Mausoleum theopportunity North of the property for our makeshift office. We want to take this to thank the members of the community and especially the families of the people we have served for their understanding and patients during this trying process. our surrounding communities for your of the property for our makeshift office. We want to take this opportunity to thank the members of the community and especially the families of the people we have served for their understanding and patients during this trying process. to thank the members of the community and especially the families of continued support. the people we have served for their understanding and patients during this trying process. the people we have served for their understanding and patients during this trying process. 10940 E. Chandler Heights Rd. this trying process. 10940 E. Chandler Heights Rd.

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SANTAN SUN NEWS | JAN 20 – FEB 2, 2018

NEIGHBORS

Chandler woman helps wage war on aging BY PAUL MARYNIAK Executive Editor

Vanity thy name is business in Connie Desrochers’ world. For 29 years, the Chandler resident has run her Merle Norman Cosmetics store in the Ahwatukee Palms plaza, on the southeast corner of 48th Street and Warner, where she is the last of the original tenants. “Mountain Park Ranch was just developing, so we came over here to look at those homes. This center was just going up and I said I want to put a Merle Norman store here,” recalled Desrochers, who was raised in Mesa. She had been using the products of the Los Angeles-based cosmetics company for a while, so it seemed natural to her to start selling it. Merle Nethercutt Norman was one of the first women in cosmetics and a true entrepreneur. In the late 1920s, she had begun addressing her own skin needs by testing formulas she made in her kitchen. She began sharing them with family and friends, believing that it was important for customers to “get it on their faces.” As the company grew 85 years ago, its famous slogan became “Try Before You Buy.” Desrochers said the try-before-buy approach has helped her build and retain a loyal customer base, which includes daughters of some of her first customers.

Photos by Kimberly Carrillo/Staff Photographer

Merle Norman Cosmetics owner Connie Desrochers has run her shop in Ahwatukee Palms shopping plaza for nearly 30 years.

“Normally, everybody is different,” she said. “Some ladies do a foundation test and some want to do the whole nine yards because they’re looking for a new

look.” All the product samples are in tiny containers so that after a customer has tried one, it can be tossed in the trash.

Lipstick samples are the size of M&Ms, for example. Besides selling products, Desrochers See

COSMETICS on page 48

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SANTAN SUN NEWS | JAN 20 – FEB 2, 2018

Chandler author to shine light on immigrant experience BY COLLEEN SPARKS Staff

Maria Isabel Alvarez was born in Guatemala and many of her relatives still live there, but time and distance keep her from truly connecting to the country close to her heart. That’s why the 29-year-old Chandler writer, who works at Arizona State University, is so excited. She has received one of the Artist Research and Development Grants from the Arizona Commission on the Arts. Alvarez, who has a master of fine arts degree in creative writing from ASU, will use grant money to travel to Guatemala to research topics and immerse herself in the culture in order to write a book. “I feel that I have not been able to have a direct connection with my home country,” Alvarez said. “This is my way of reconnecting with a place and time I’ve been close to. “I’m really hoping it will illuminate on a subject matter that isn’t often talked about. I want to call more attention to the indigenous people of Guatemala. I want it to allow readers to gain empathy and compassion for immigrants.” She moved to the United States with her parents when she was a year old, first to Massachusetts, then to California before moving to Arizona when she was 4. Alvarez graduated from Dobson High School in 2007 and earned her bachelor’s degree in English literature with a certificate in writing from ASU in 2011, then received

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Yellowing of Birds” – which she has been working on for almost two years – as a “magical realist, feminist novel.” It focuses on a woman who can “experience memories and dreams and darkest thoughts of other people.” Alvarez said the fictional book will show the woman’s experience as an immigrant and how she loses her “ability to connect with memories of other people” once she moves to Arizona. She said the first part of her book currently focuses on a refugee camp on the MexicoGuatemala border but that could change, depending on how her research goes. “It’s a book that captures the fragmentation of the immigrant experience,” she said. “I wanted to capture the before of migration and juxtapose that into the after. “Especially during these very difficult political times, I feel like these stories really need to Photos by Kimberly Carrillo/Staff Photographer be told. I hope in some it helps to illuminate readers to a very Writer Maria Isabel Alvarez has had her work published complex topic. At the core, in many literary magazines and journals, including “Black immigrants are humans that are Warrior Review,” “Sonora Review,” “Arts & Letters,” “Puerto looking for opportunities for their del Sol” and “Columbia Journal.” families.” her master’s degree in creative writing from Alvarez, whose parents and ASU last May. two younger brothers also live in the She described the book, “The Quiet Valley, said she grew up hearing stories her

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family members knew about other people experiencing trauma in Guatemala. “I grew up surrounded by woven textiles, such as handbags, serviettes, and wall hangings, purchased from indigenous women artisans,” she said. “My mother used these textiles as tangible reminders of the country from where we emigrated. “My father loves to videotape and photograph family events, and I grew up flipping through family photo albums of my parents when they were teenagers living in Villa Nueva, Guatemala. To this day, my father loves listening to marimba, a style of music popular in Guatemala, which uses a type of percussion instrument made of wood and played with mallets, much like a xylophone.” Alvarez said she believes immigrants often “come from tragedy, brokenness” and she wants to reveal in her book “what an immigrant experiences before she decides to emigrate.” The last time Alvarez visited Guatemala was when she was 15 years old, though her father’s side of the family still lives there. She was born in Guatemala City, which she described as “a very modern city” that is “thriving,” but now has relatives all over the United States. Alvarez plans to spend about two weeks in Guatemala, and she will visit a town called Antigua, where she said she will “engage with the community” by going to cultural events related to Semana Santa, See

AUTHOR on page 47

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SANTAN SUN NEWS | JAN 20 – FEB 2, 2018

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from page 46

which is Holy Week. She also is going to visit art galleries, attend film screenings and talk to vendors and business owners when it is appropriate in a way she said is “respectful of the people who live there.” Alvarez also will do archival research at The Center for Mesoamerican Research. Alvarez wrote a story in alternating perspectives between a girl and a boy from Peña Blanca, Guatemala. The story, which she wrote while working on her master’s degree, was originally published in “Black Warrior Review,” a literary journal out of the University of Alabama. “I mostly write about the experience of women, whether that’s motherhood, sisterhood,” Alvarez said. She writes fiction and her work has been published in many literary magazines and journals including “Sonora Review,” “Arts & Letters,” “Puerto del Sol” and “Columbia Journal.” Alvarez also wrote her first published articles in “Arizona Bride” and “Arizona Parenting” magazines. While working on her master’s degree at ASU, she taught fiction workshops and earned a Graduate Excellence Award, an MFA Writing Scholarship and many University Graduate Fellowships. She also received a University Travel Grant to give a presentation on an academic paper at the 14th Annual Hawaii International Conference on Arts & Humanities. Alvarez said when she took her first fiction workshop at ASU, she was hooked. “I knew instantly this is what I wanted to

Maria Isabel Alvarez of Chandler recently received one of the Artist Research and Development Grants from the Arizona Commission on the Arts. She will use grant money to travel to Guatemala to research topics and immerse herself in the culture in order to write a novel.

do,” she said. “That was the class that helped me visualize what a writer would do. I’ve always been very creative, that was always my thing.” Since she is working full-time at ASU’s Tempe campus as a coordinator helping students who have disabilities, Alvarez is finding innovative ways to fit in time writing her book. She will sometimes get up at 4 a.m. to write or work at night or on weekends. Alvarez said her parents and her husband, Ernesto Abeytia, who is a poet and works at

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Mesa Community College, are supportive of her. “My father has always instilled in me this drive to be very hard-working and diligent,” she said. “I feel like I’ve learned a lot from him.” Alvarez said her father came from “essentially nothing” and is now a successful broker. She said he “was able to push forth and capture a lot of the opportunities given him.” Her father and mother, who is a homemaker, learned English once they moved to the United States and Alvarez is the first person in her immediate family to complete a college education. Her goal is to finish a manuscript for her book in two to three years. “I’ve always envisioned myself being on a book tour since I was a little girl,” Alvarez said. “I’m just very thankful to the Arizona Commission on the Arts for this generous support. They’re really going to allow me to advance this book into the next phase. The support for these different artists is really very rare. I’m so happy to be among these other talented artists.” The Artist Research and Development Grants provide money to Arizona artists to help in the development of their artistic work, to aid with moving their artistic research forward and to honor the contributions individuals artists make in the state’s communities. The highly competitive grants were given to 18 applicants this year, including Alvarez, with each one receiving up to $5,000. Alvarez requested and got the full $5,000. Gabriela Muñoz, artist programs manager at the Arizona Commission on the Arts, praised Alvarez.

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“Through Artist Research and Development Grants the Arts Commission recognizes the contributions that individual artists make to Arizona’s communities while assisting Arizona artists in taking their skills and creative practice to a new level,” Muñoz said. “The independent review panel who recommended Ms. Alvarez for funding felt strongly that her application reflected superior artistic vision, originality, and craft, and that the proposed work had great potential for impact not only on the artist’s own work, but within her community more broadly.” She added, “We are proud to support Ms. Alvarez’s ongoing development as a powerful and singular voice in Arizona’s literary arts community.” Besides Alvarez, another resident in the East Valley, Marieke Davis of Gilbert, also obtained a grant. Davis graduated summa cum laude from ASU in the spring of last year with a bachelor’s degree in art/drawing, as well as minors in English Literature and Women’s & Gender Studies and a certificate in Creative Writing. She is visually impaired and the grant will help her finish chapter two of “Ember Black,” a hero’s journey narrative told as a graphic novel and audio drama. Besides the Artist Research and Development Grants, the Arts Commission also provided the Bill Desmond Writing Award. The honor comes with $1,000 to help nonfiction writers for specific costs tied to projects and the recipient for 2018 was Lawrence Lenhart of Flagstaff. To learn more about Alvarez, visit mariaisabel-alvarez.com. For more information on grants provided by the Arizona Commission on the Arts, visit azarts.gov/grants.

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NEIGHBORS 48

COSMETICS

from page 45

will provide full or partial makeovers. That’s especially important when customers decide to change their look with the season. Besides, Merle Norman introduces a few new colors every season, Desrochers said, adding, “If you’re a true cosmetic believer, you will do seasonal. Maybe not all four but at least spring and fall. Of course, here we really only have two seasons.” Given the length of time she’s been in business, Desrochers has weathered many changes in her industry. Besides online shopping, the very advent of department store cosmetic areas became challenging. At the same time, however, she noted, “Many women don’t like taking their makeup in a department store, where everyone is walking past them. “Besides, they have the same testers for everyone and they get dirty. Here, everything is sealed.” While “we’re medium range price-wise,” she said, one of the big challenges is the sheer number of product lines. “There weren’t that many lines when I started the business,” she said. “Now, every star and every model and every celebrity has their own line. “Then there’s the infomercials,” she said. “Women are terrible that way. These infomercials say the same thing over and over and the women always think they need to try something new.” “Fortunately, though,” she added, “many come back to Merle Norman.” One of the changes for the better has

SANTAN SUN NEWS | JAN 20 – FEB 2, 2018

been that products have improved to the point where “you don’t have to go to a dermatologist to get a good moisturizer. “The way they regulate stuff, Merle always told us, if you try to combine a lot of stuff into one little product, every ingredient will be diluted. You won’t get the same benefit.” One other positive change she has seen over time is the increase in male customers. Merle Norman’s male product line consists only of a moisturizer, toner and a cleanser. So, men who are concerned with their looks will easily buy wrinkle smoothers, neck lotions and other “women’s products” in a bid to keep looking young. That shift is largely societal, Desrochers believes, as a youthdominated culture takes over America. “Our parents didn’t mind aging,” she observed. “They wanted to grow old gracefully. Most women I know fight aging morning to night, seven days a week. It’s just the way our society is.” Desrochers avoids a hard sell. Asked if she ever calls a client’s attention to newly appeared wrinkles, Desrochers replied, “I would never do that.” Besides, she doesn’t have to. “They’ll usually say, ‘I noticed this’ or ‘I noticed that,’” she said. Desrochers works Monday through Thursday and has one employee, who takes Friday and Saturday. Her shop is Merle Norman/Facebook closed Sundays. Merle Norman sells 24k Gold Firming Foundation Primer, calling it the ultimate makeup necessity for a Information: 480-893-6947 flawless base.

EV anime fans are drawn into world of animation a thriving subculture in the East Valley. “Ever since elementary school, I’d get ‘How to draw manga’ books,” she said. “My first year in high school, my best Claire Murphy has drawn ever since she friend introduced me to anime.” could hold a pencil, she says. That interest Murphy is one of thousands who has led the 19-year-old Chandler resident into the world of Japanese anime and manga, recently attended Mesa’s Taiyou Con, a gathering of anime, video game, cosplay and manga fans. Anime is a style of Japanese animation typically aimed at adults as well as children. Manga is the Japanese comic book style, and “cosplay” is dressing up in costumes as a manga, anime or video game character. “I love drawing it. The style appeals to me,” said Murphy, a graphic design student at ASU’s Herberger Institute. Murphy sells her creations at her online site, NickyuShop at Etsy.com. For now, she sells stickers, buttons, pins and keychains but is looking to expand her wares. She also has a table at conventions such as Taiyou Con. “It’s more of a hobby than a business,” Murphy said. “I love to make new stuff. “I like when somebody comes by and has bought from me online. They say, ‘I bought this (Kimberly Carrillo/Staff Photographer) Michael Spadafore, director of Taiyou Con, says the Mesa from you!’ I love hearing that.” Taiyou Con brought together likeevent continues to grow along with the population of minded anime fans in full regalia to the East Valley. BY RALPH ZUBIATE Managing Editor

(Kimberly Carrillo/ Staff Photographer)

Claire Murphy says she's drawn to Japanese anime because "it's so different from Western style. It's gorgeous, compelling." She dressed up for Taiyou Con in Mesa as Todoroki from her favorite anime, “My Hero Academia.”

talk, buy, sell and immerse themselves in the culture. “We knew that there was an anime community in the East Valley,” said Michael Spadafore, a resident of Ahwatukee and director of Taiyou Con. “There was a convention before us that moved to northern Phoenix and then to Glendale. We decided to use that Mesa event as our starting ground.” The convention in early January marked

the eighth one for Taiyou Con – “taiyou” means “thick sunlight” or “sunshine” in Japanese. The timing of the event takes advantage of Mesa’s “thick sunlight.” “We felt Mesa at that time of the year was missing something, with no big events,” Spadafore said. “We thought this would be a lot of fun if we had a convention like this. See

ANIME on page 50

SANTAN SUN NEWS | JAN 20 – FEB 2, 2018

Celebrating diversity Photos by Staff Photographer Kimberly Carrillo

A colorful displat of diversity greeted spectators Jan. 13 in downtown Chandler as the city held its 23rd annual Multicultural Festival. Part of the festival’s mission is to remind residents and visitors how diverse Chandler’s population is. The festival is also timed to the Martin Luther King Jr. weekend in honor of a an American leader who championed diversity and justice for all. With entertainment by a host of ethnic groups as well as an international film festival, the event also was highlighted by the dedicaton of a peace pole , a hand-crafted monument that displays a message and prayer for peace in a different language on each of the pole’s four sides. The peace pole project was organized by the Rotary Club of Chandler. The weekend concluded the following day with a candlelight vigil by the city in conjunction with Chandler Men of Action. Pictured clockwise from upper left are Mariah Sharpe in Native American attire; the group Indigenous Enterprise, one of many that performed Jan. 13; Native American dancer Eddie Nunez during a spirited routine; Jason Olivarez and 4-year-old daughter Ellary; Abigail Nersesian unveiling the Rotary Club’s peace pole; and Vanesssa Ancharski, center, flanked by daughters Jazmine, 13, and Deandrea, 3.

NEIGHBORS 50

SANTAN SUN NEWS | JAN 20 – FEB 2, 2018

Many care options available for aging loved ones BY ANGELA RODGERS Contributor

Choosing the right type of help can be challenging, even for those working in the senior living industry. A balance must be struck between a person’s unique needs and desires, as well as clinical requirements. First let’s talk about the different care options available. Non-medical in-home care: There are many companies providing this type of care. A caregiver will come to a person’s home and help with personal care, as well as cook and clean. These services can be privately paid for by the hour, although many companies have a minimum number of hours one would need to contract. These types of helpers are not permitted to assist with medications (only reminders) and these companies are not monitored or licensed by a state agency. Home health: This service is paid for by Medicare and/or insurance, but is only short-term and arranged after a hospital or rehab stay, a new diagnosis such a diabetes, wound care, etc. for teaching to assist someone returning to their home with equipment and medication

ANIME

from page 48 “Last year, we had 3,200 to 3,400 people in attendance,” he said, adding that he was expecting 3,500 this year. “It’s grown substantially, but always consistent growth.” Murphy agrees that anime and manga culture are healthy in the East Valley. “There are a ton of fans in high school, and even in college,” she said. “They range from liking a show to obsessing with cosplay and collecting figurines.” Murphy obsesses too, dressing up for Taiyou Con. She wore different costumes for each of the convention’s three days. On Jan. 5, she was Todoroki from her favorite anime, “My Hero Academia.” She wore a costume built from craft foam, acrylic paint and fake snow from Michael’s. She also wore a wig – she has several of them for cosplaying. The following day, she won an award, “Best in Novice Performance,” as Clair from

Special to SanTan Sun News

Mariposa Point of Gilbert, where the author is a licensed practical nurse, provides an assisted living community for seniors.

are required to meet state regulated standards. Assisted living communities are not required to have a nurse on staff, however larger providers have now made this common practice. These are not medical environments, but care staff is required to be certified by the state and may provide medication assistance. Many providers charge the cost of care based on a pre-move in evaluation of needs. Costs can wary significantly, based on provider, location, and services offered. Long-term care insurance, private pay, or in some care the Arizona Long-term Care Containment System “ALTCS” (a lowincome state supplement) will pay for this type of care. Placement services: Not sure what care assistance you may need? Placement services are available and are free of charge to the client. Please keep in mind the communities pay the placement service for your referral and are required to inform you of this upon move-in. Angela Rodgers is a licensed practical nurse who lives in Chandler and works at the assisted living community Mariposa Point of Gilbert.

monitoring for the first few weeks. This service needs to be requested by a physician. Independent living: These types of dwellings provide senior apartments and may include option(s) at an additional cost, such as meals, transportation, housekeeping, and non-medical home care contracted directly by the resident.

These are not monitored or licensed by any state agency. Assisted living/memory care: There are assisted living homes and assisted living centers. The difference is bed count. Assisted living centers can take care of more than 10 residents. These apartments are licensed by the Arizona Department of Health and

“Fire Emblem.” The prize included a samurai sword to use later with other costumes. Her first try at cosplay was about five years ago. She says she scrapped together a costume. “I had to look the part,” she said. She attends local Japanese cultural and anime festivals, including Arizona Matsuri and Saboten Con in Phoenix and Libcon at the Tempe Sunset Library. Murphy finds Taiyou Con to be more her style. “I like the atmosphere,” she said, comparing it to the better-known Phoenix Comicon. “There’s more anime. It’s more my demographic. “Pretty much everyone knows everyone else. I feel comfortable here. There are a lot of nice people here.” She said she goes to conventions not just for the art and cosplay but for panels. “I went to one, a game show, ‘Anime Family Feud.’ It was just a bust-up. Everybody laughing and having a good

time,” she said. Murphy is just the type of artist Spadafore wants for Taiyou Con. “A lot of our artists are local,” he said. “My vision is to make sure it continues to be local. We strive for local companies and artists. Even the companies that make the T-shirts and badges are local.” What’s ahead for Murphy? “I would love to work in a design firm,” she said, eventually hoping land a job with an anime distributor. She’d draw art for the DVD boxes. “That would be my dream job.” She also would like to selfpublish comic books. She has a couple of ideas, including for a character she’s created called Kas Constance. Kimberly Carrillo/Staff Photographer “I have a very convoluted Callista Morlock and Dakota Roth showed up to Taiyou Con storyline,” she laughed. as Raven and Beast Boy from "Teen Titans."

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SANTAN SUN NEWS | JAN 20 – FEB 2, 2018

NEIGHBORS

Ahwatukee boy’s kindness gets kudos from the governor BY PAUL MARYNIAK Executive Editor

Not many people get a standing ovation in the heart of the State Capitol. But 9-year-old Xavier Kennedy got just that during Gov. Ducey’s annual State of the State address Jan. 8 – all because he not only thought of kids less fortunate than him, but actually did something about it. As first reported by AFN last April, the now-third-grader at Cerritos Leadership Academy had proposed to parents Genevieve and Scott Kennedy that he find ways to raise money so that he and his then-4-year-old sister could visit the California amusement park that was built around the fictional character he had been following since he was 4. But then Xavier had another idea. As he told AFN: “My mum promised eventually we would go to Harry Potter land. Then I thought about kids who are not as fortunate as me and decided to raise money to send a kid and his parent to Harry Potter land for two days. The idea just popped into my head to start raising money to help another kid because I was so sad to think they couldn’t do what my family could afford to do.” So Xavier got to work. He figured out a budget that included tickets, food, hotel, gas and a souvenir. Then he came up with “a bunch of ideas” for raising the money, starting with the sale of handmade magic wands

Special to the San Tan Sun News

Xavier Kennedy was all smiles Jan. 8 as he left the State Capitol following Gov. Doug Ducey’s annual State of the State speech, in which he lauded the youngster for organizing a fund drive to help send some child less fortunate than him to Harry Potter World.

foundation, started by radio personality Johnjay Van Es of the Johnjay and Rich Morning Show. The foundation, formally called the Johnjay and Rich LoveUp Foundation, aims to “improve the quality of life for children in need by offering assistance, comfort and hope” and specifically envisions “all children facing life in the Foster Care System will one day be liv-

munity for “stepping up to the plate” to help Arizona’s 11,000 foster children, the governor told his this: “It’s not just churches, though. We can all make a difference. Sometimes we forget, and we need a reminder. Well, a young Arizonan named Xavier recently provided us that reminder. At 9 years old, Xavier has already worked

magic for one special foster child — literally.” He recounted Xavier’s efforts, prompting the well of the Capitol to erupt in a standing ovation, and he later invited Xavier and his parents to his private post-address reception. “The family came to the governor’s private reception and he spent some time with them here,” Scarpianto said. Kyrene Schools Superintendent Jan Vesely also was touched by and proud of Xavier’s act of kindness, and shared it with district business leaders when she met them last week. Meanwhile, Xavier also got what really became his second wish – to visit Harry Potter World. “We did go this past summer after he had finished his fundraising,” his mother said. “It was a magical 12-hour day. The best part was that Xavier was chosen for the ‘wand-fitting ceremony’ at Ollivander’s which was truly his wish come true.” Ollivander’s is a wand shop. The whole experience has left Xavier’s parents grateful in several ways. We’ve been a bit embarrassed by all the publicity,” Genevieve said, “but then I feel that it helps to promote the #LoveUp Foundation and just an awareness of everyone being able to help others. Our family would like to thank everyone in our community who contributed to his fundraising efforts. It was a magical gift to give his family.”

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ing in a stable forever home full of love and opportunity.” Johnjay and Rich found an 8-year-old girl living in a West Valley foster home and, with the help of Xavier’s $1,750, sent her to Harry Potter World last December with her guardian-grandmother and aunt and uncle. “Because friends of the #LoveUp Foundation covered the costs of the flights, hotel and Lyft ride to the park, all $1,750 Xavier raised in total went to their park experience,” said Genevieve Kennedy. The governor’s office heard of the story on the Johnjay and Rich show, Ducey spokesman Daniel Scarpianto told AFN. And the governor wanted to tell his state. He invited Xavier and his parents to sit with the Legislature and other guests when he gave his speech. Then, as he thanked the faith com-

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for $20. “I use cooking chopsticks and use hot glue to make the handle, then I put two coats of paint and add gold, white or brown accent,” Xavier told AFN. Because each wand takes four or five days to make, Xavier worked for a month on making some before he went public. He also created “a little book full of spells and their definitions that you can fit in your pocket. “You can use spells from the movie or make up your own. It’s kind of like a dictionary of spells,” he said at the time. His parents helped, holding a bake sale and getting other local news media to publicize his effort. He raised $1,750. Then, the #LoveUp Foundation helped him make his and a little girl’s dream come true. The Kennedys teamed up with the

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SANTAN SUN NEWS | JAN 20 – FEB 2, 2018

Risas Dental of Chandler to provide free treatment BY COLLEEN SPARKS Staff

As Valentine’s Day nears, many people think about eating chocolate and other sugary treats, but a local dental care business is trying to ensure children with a sweet tooth don’t sacrifice their oral health. Risas Dental and Braces is going to provide free exams and X-rays to children under 17 Feb. 1-28 at 125 E. Ray Road, Chandler, as it celebrates National Children’s Dental Health Month. Besides offering the free services, Risas is also holding educational programs at Chandler Traditional AcademyHumphrey Campus in Chandler and Phoenix Collegiate Academy as part of a partnership with the American Dental Association. Risas employees will visit the schools in conjunction with the association’s campaign this year to “Brush your teeth with fluoride toothpaste and clean between your teeth for a healthy smile.” The Risas group will get students involved in oral health care activities and every student will get a toothbrush, toothpaste and more projects to take home. “If we can increase the number of children getting screened for tooth decay and infection, then the free services will be more than worth it for us and our community,” said Dr. Kyle Scott, a dentist

Special to the San Tan Sun News

Special to SanTan Sun News

Dr. Kyle Scott, a dentist at Risas Dental of Chandler tries to keep denistry affordable.

at Risas Dental and Braces in Chandler. “We are always trying parents from being able to take their kids to to find ways to make dentistry affordable for everyone.” More than half of kindergartners in Arizona, 52 percent, have a history of tooth decay, higher than the national average of 36 percent for children 5 years old, according to a 2015 Arizona Department of Health Services report. Nearly two out of three, or 64 percent, of third-grade children in Arizona have a history of tooth decay while the average for third-grade children around the United

States is 52 percent, the same report said. “About 147 million kids drink at least some sugar-sweetened beverage daily, so it’s no wonder one of the top reasons kids miss school is due to dental problems,” said Dr. Whitney Wright, founding orthodontist at Risas Dental and Braces. “What children eat and drink not only affects their oral health, but their overall well-being. It’s critical to educate them on the importance of proper care.” Risas Dental and Braces was started in 2011 and has a lifelong mission of changing how dentistry is provided in the United States, making it accessible to everyone regardless of their financial situation or insurance status. The company has 19 locations in metro Phoenix and Denver, including an in-

house oral surgery center. Risas believes appropriate oral health and treatment is critical for overall health so it aims to offer affordable, flexible and convenient services and provides bilingual dental treatment. Since beginning, the company has provided more than $3 million in free dental work. “Teeth are meant to last a lifetime, and a healthy smile is important to a kid’s selfesteem,” said Jeff Adams, managing director at Risas Dental and Braces. “We’re invested in the Phoenix community and are excited to work with children and their parents to help them have a healthy smile.” Parents can make an appointment for their children to get the free exam and X-rays at one of the Risas offices by calling 480-566-2930 or visiting risasdental.com.

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SANTAN SUN NEWS | JAN 20 – FEB 2, 2018

NEIGHBORS

Kyrene Middle School students excited by Rise Up BY BONNY DOLINSEK Contributor

Kyrene Middle School students who live in Chandler are fired up after participating in a new program designed to help them uncover their potential in all areas of life. The 24 students chosen from Kyrene Middle School took part in Rise Up, a pilot program over eight weeks done in partnership with Activlab, as well as Mark Farrell, president of Progressive Roofing. The middle school children worked together before school for two days a week over six weeks to engage in physical and written team-building activities. To celebrate their accomplishments and recognize their time together, the students shared stories and played games and competed in team challenges at Arizona Grand Resort and Spa on Dec. 1. Activlab and the resort and spa hosted the gathering, where students also got involved in media and press opportunities and geared up for the next phase of their Rise Up journey, which is a three-part method. Farrell, an Ahwatukee resident, said his three daughters went to Kyrene Middle School “so my family has a long history with this district.” “It is great to give back to a school that helped to shape my daughters into who they are today,” Farrell said. “This was a way for me to support public education.” He said it was emotional watching the Rise Up students celebrate their accomplishments. “Seeing the students at

Special to the San Tan Sun News

The Rise Up program was conducted in partnership with Activlab as well as Mark Farrell, president of Progressive Roofing. Adults who are pictured: David Jack, director of Activlab, back middle; Adam Eslinger, academic and behavior specialist at Kyrene Middle School, back right; and Bradley Jarrett with Activlab.

the Rise Up end of year celebration was moving,” Farrell said. “These middleschoolers were so outgoing, they were given the opportunity to speak and tell the group what they had learned from this program and it was amazing to hear the life lessons.” The Rise Up program gives middle school

kids valuable skills, he said. “The Rise Up program definitely is helping to prepare students for prospective careers,” Farrell said. “Accountability is huge, at an early age these students are learning responsibility, punctuality and organization. “They are also learning about

teamwork. Rise Up demonstrated how to be inclusive to others, open-minded and encouraging to their peers.” Kyrene Middle School is at 1050 E. Carver Road in Tempe. Information: kyrene.org. Bonny Dolinsek is an open enrollment/communications specialist for the Kyrene School District.

Arts

SANTAN SUN NEWS | JAN 20 – FEB 2, 2018

For more community news visit SanTanSun.com

Young actors prepare to roar for ‘Lion King Jr.’ BY MELODY BIRKETT Contributor

Chandler and other East Valley kids ages 5 to 14 make up the “mane” event at an upcoming performance of “The Lion King Jr.” at the Mesa Arts Center. The 60-minute musical, based on the Broadway production and the 1994 Disney film, features actors from Limelight Performing Arts in Gilbert telling the story of a curious cub named Simba who struggles to accept adulthood and his destiny as king. Along the way, the young lion encounters a colorful cast of characters including spunky lioness Nala, charismatic meerkat Timon and lovable warthog Pumbaa. To claim his rightful place on the throne and save his beloved Pridelands, Simba must find his inner strength and confront his wicked Uncle Scar. This production of “The Lion King Jr.” is unique, taking a little different angle than the movie and other theatrical versions. “Instead of relying on just the characters that are found in the movie, we are really trying to display the African storytelling side of it and the tribal-like passing of folklore,” said Emma England, artistic director for Limelight Performing Arts in conjunction with Studio 3 Performing Arts and director of choreography for the production. “We’re not trying to disguise anyone,” explained England. “The lions and some of the other characters, instead of having masks and makeup, they’re wearing a hat

Photos by Kimberly Carrillo/Staff Photographer

Grace Gamble of Chandler practices some moves for the Lion King musical.

So many talented youth auditioned for the show that directors triple-cast most of the lead roles, something not done in youth theater. “Everybody performs in all of the shows,” England said. “So, it’s really one cast but they change what roles they play within.” “We have the lions who are doing specific choreography,” explained England. “We have humans that are being the stars and then we have another group that are different animals. And then we have people playing grass. So, each of them learned the entire routine separate.” Some younger kids perform the same role in each show, but some of the older performers have two or three roles. Limelight’s production also features full-size puppets, including giraffes towering over 12 feet – just like on Broadway. “When I chose to do this show, I just knew you couldn’t take the show lightly,” England said. “It’s a show that’s done epically on Broadway… I wanted to have that same splendor and extravagance of these puppets. The crocodile has a mechanical head that opens and closes. There’s even an Director Emma England leads her Lion King class in some elephant with four people warmup exercises. inside working the legs. Kayla King’s, 14, main role is Rafiki, but she also plays a bunch of with the face of the character. So, it’s like other ensemble parts. She attends Arizoa mask on their head.” na College Prep in Chandler and has been Something else unusual about this doing theater since 6. production is the music. “I love being Rafiki because she is just “We have the djembe players, who tralike this crazy kind of high priestess,” ditionally are not part of ‘The Lion King,’” said Kayla. “She’s like the lifeblood of the said England. “They come out and play show. She’s the link of the circle of life. live drums during the show.”

She is the circle of life and I love playing her.” Kayla also plays a lioness, giraffe, hyena, grass, a dancer and a flower. “I love The Lion King music,” Kayla said. “This is going to be my show. I’m so

Gracie Gamble, a 14-year-old eighth-grader at Horizon Honors Secondary, plays Nala and Ensemble. “I’ve never played an animal before,” said Gracie, who started acting at age 4. “I love that there’s more musical numbers and there’s dancing and actual grass that does stuff,” said Gracie. “The grass does a bunch of dancing and singing. I like it more than the movie.” Olivia Woodward-Shaw is also 14 and an eighth-grader at Legacy Tradition School in Chandler. She plays Nala in one cast and plays featured ensembles in the other two casts. Olivia said cast members hang out together to make connections so when they’re on stage it’s not so awkward. “I love connecting with the cast. We’re just one big happy family.” England said it’s a very talented group of performers. “I think when people see this they’re going to forget how young these kids are ‘cause these kids are so talented,” England said. “And it’s amazing watching them jumping in and taking turns with these parts. And they’re also helpful to each other.” “I keep telling people it’s going to be epic. These kids are unbelievable for their age. There’s going to be a stampede for tickets.” “The Lion King Jr.” will be performed

The show features dozens of handmade puppets, some with young actors and actresses inside them to move jaws, legs or arms.

excited to be in it.” Garrett Lindsey, a 14-year-old freshman at Horizon Honors in Ahwatukee, plays Simba in one cast plus an elephant and a hyena. “I enjoy that it’s a singing role because I love singing more than anything,” said Garrett. “And that it’s different from other shows because of the whole animal aspect.” He only started performing two years ago and hopes to become a professional singer one day.

at Mesa Arts Center for four days starting on Jan. 24 at 6:30 p.m.; Jan. 25 at 6:30 p.m.; Jan. 26 at 5 and 7:30 p.m.; Jan. 27 at 10 a.m., 1, 3:30 and 7 p.m.; and Jan. 28 at 2 and 4:30 p.m. Tickets are $15 at the Mesa Arts Center box office or mesaartscenter.com. Information Limelight Performing Arts at 480-545-1492. Limelight also is providing free tickets to deserving and/or underserved youth in school choir and drama programs to give them an opportunity they may not otherwise enjoy.

ARTS

SANTAN SUN NEWS | JAN 20 – FEB 2, 2018

Artist creates digital picture of inner struggles BY COLLEEN SPARKS Staff

People often express their deepest, most personal feelings on the pages of a journal, but a local artist is making his voice heard through his digital collages on display at Vision Gallery. “Safwat Saleem: Concerned, but Powerless” will be available for the public at the gallery through March 2. A reception for Saleem will be held from 6 to 8 p.m. on Jan. 25 at the gallery, 10 E. Chicago St. in the City Hall complex. Saleem, who was born in Pakistan but grew up in the United Arab Emirates, said the artwork for the Vision Gallery exhibit is “mostly mixed media.” He sketches his images first and then composites them on a computer before printing and putting them together. He earned a master’s degree in graphic information technology from Arizona State University and a bachelor’s degree in computer science from the University of Southern Mississippi. While the work is “political,” Saleem said it is “very, very personal.” “I’m not calling anybody out,” he said. “I’m just like, all right, the past two years in America, this is what I’ve felt like. It’s pretty much journal entries I’ve made into art.” Saleem, 37, who moved to the Valley in 2002 to attend graduate school at ASU, said he began working on the idea for this exhibit about two years ago. He said he

Photo by Audrey Iffert

“Safwat Saleem: Concerned, but Powerless” debuted on Jan. 16 and will be available for the public to see at the gallery through March 2. Here is Saleem at work.

felt a “sense of isolation.” “I felt like nobody is speaking on my behalf,” Saleem said. “It started from a place of concern. I’m an immigrant from a Muslim background. Just the mood in America in general, the mood in the world over is generally anti-immigrant right now and anti-Islam and that’s where we’re at. I’m only expressing my opinions. This exhibit in particular is very personal.” He said a previous exhibit he created

with posters, video, sound and an interactive installation, called “A Bunch of Crock” was “overtly political” but “not necessarily super-personal.” That exhibit was intended to show “how utterly absurd political campaigns have become,” according to Saleem’s website. The collection of his artwork was displayed at Bragg’s Pie Factory in Phoenix and Saleem was a winner of the Phoenix New Times’ 2011 Big Brain Awards

in the visual arts category. Peter Bugg, visual arts coordinator for the City of Chandler, said Saleem is an “experienced artist,” who shows his sense of humor and expertise in graphic design in his work. “Everything that he does is just really beautiful,” Bugg said. “He has a very selfdeprecating sense of humor. He brings up a lot of issues that are important to talk about. When you first look at Safwat’s work, it seems nostalgic because of the vintage images. But after reading the captions, you realize they are not as innocent as they originally appear. They are clever responses to the current state of affairs.” He said Saleem expressed feelings other people might be experiencing in his exhibit at Vision Gallery. “I think that there’s a mix of the politics, but also sort of the ambivalence, too, that maybe people feel like they want to do something about a big issue but they don’t know where to begin,” Bugg said. “I think that the art gives voice to that sort of frustration that people feel.” Saleem is also a TED Senior Fellow, who has delivered talks at the TED conference twice. The TED Fellows program offers transformational support to an international network of 400 artists, scientists, activists, entrepreneurs, journalists, doctors and inventors who See

ARTIST on page 4

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SANTAN SUN NEWS | JAN 20 – FEB 2, 2018

Chandler student’s art on Valley Metro calendar riders to the zoo with the message “Share Fun. Save Earth.” Rajesh’s artwork was put on the cover of the 2018 Valley Metro Transit Education calendar. To view the whole calendar: valleymetro.org/transit-education.

SANTAN SUN NEWS STAFF

Courtesy of City of Chandler

Courtesy of Safwat Saleem

Left: The art exhibit “Safwat Saleem: Concerned, but Powerless” debuted on Jan. 16 and will be available for the public to see at Vision Gallery in Chandler through March 2. The digital collages use repurposed vintage imagery to create soliloquies expressing inner struggles. Right: This is an example of the pieces that are in the “Safwat Saleem: Concerned, but Powerless” exhibit at Vision Gallery.

ARTIST

from page 55 collaborate to make positive changes in the world. TED is a nonprofit organization dedicated to spreading ideas, usually in the form of short talks. Saleem collaborated with Changing Hands Bookstore on a video and campaign to help the company raise money for its Phoenix store. He said he did a voiceover for Moby Dick, the

fictional whale. “I think it’s wonderful that there are places like Vision Gallery that are interested in bringing art with a point of view to downtown Chandler,” he said. “I’m excited to see the kind of impact Vision Gallery and arts at City of Chandler will have over the long term.” Saleem’s work is available to buy on the Society6 website at society6.com. To learn more about Saleem: safwatsaleem. com.Staff

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A student at a Chandler school is getting recognized for her creativity and artistic flair. The artwork of Addison Shell, who attends Chandler Traditional Academy – Independence Campus, was featured in the January section of a Valley Metro calendar. Her work was chosen as part of the 13th Annual Valley Metro Cool Transit STUFF 3rd Grade Art Contest. There were 600 students around the Valley who shared their favorite destinations in pictures they entered in the competition. The contest theme was “Valley Metro Connecting People to Places.” The contest is part of a program that teaches children about safely riding public transportation. The winning art was done by Harshita Rajesh, a Basis Peoria Primary This artwork by Addison Shell, who attends Chandler Traditional student. It is a drawing of Academy – Independence Campus, was featured in the January a Valley Metro bus taking section of a Valley Metro calendar.

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ARTS

SANTAN SUN NEWS | JAN 20 – FEB 2, 2018

Wild Horse hosts Indian ‘Storytelling & Song’ BY DAVID M. BROWN Contributor

A people’s heartbeat is its stories and songs. For two Valley Native peoples, the Akimel O’otham, or Pima, and the Pee-Posh, the Maricopa, that spirit is eloquently voiced in the “Storytelling & Song” program, which has returned to the Sheraton Grand at Wild Horse Pass, 5594 W. Wild Horse Pass Blvd., Chandler. Heritage stories and traditional and social songs are shared during the onehour presentation, 6 to 7 p.m. Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays at the resort’s outdoor fire pit. Complimentary for resort and restaurant guests, the 13th year for the program opened with a ceremonial blessing last month and continues until the closing blessing Feb. 17. The goal of “Storytelling & Song” is to protect and share the ancient cultures, traditions and meaningful history of the Pima and Maricopa people with resort and restaurant guests of all ages, explained Rosie Rivera, who manages the resort’s cultural concierge. “The songs and stories, like our traditional legends, teach us about our roles and responsibilities.” “We have different languages but share the same cultural values based on a sense of community – sharing resources, helping each other and our fellow man and the law of the common good,” she added.

(Sheraton Grande at Wild Horse Pass)

Aaron White plays a ﬂute to accompany Native American tales during the “Storytelling & Song” series at Wild Horse Pass.

“We revere all forms of nature, including animals and birds, as a meaningful part of our lives, and we consider the surrounding Estrella and South Mountain ranges to be sacred.” Comprising the Pima and Maricopa peoples, the Sacaton-based Gila River Indian Community owns the Sheraton Grand at Wild Horse Pass, a destination resort showcasing their heritage, culture, art and legends. Historically, different bands of the Maricopa people had lived along the lower banks of the Colorado River for centuries and left these areas, joining the homelands of the Pima people during the late 1700s, said Rivera. In 1859, Congress established the first reservation in Arizona, comprising 64,000 acres – the beginning of today’s Gila River Indian Community. Since then, Congress added to the designated land, total-

ing 372,000 acres today. Fed by the sacred waters of the Gila River, the people constructed 500 miles of large canals linked to smaller ditches and grew cotton for clothing as well as rugs and corn, melons, beans, fruits, tobacco and other foods. Enrolled tribal members tell and sing a combination of Pima and Maricopa legends based on desert wildlife, often with a moral lesson (but not always), as well as personal stories about their experiences growing up on the surrounding tribal lands. Some of the storytellers and singers are Tim Terry, Jr., Amil Pedro, Yolanda Hart Stevens and Robert Stone, who recently was elected lieutenant governor of the Gila River Indian Community. No specific dates for this tradition are stipulated, but winter is the only season when storytelling is permitted among the Pima and Maricopa people. Rivera noted that this seasonal tradition has never before been shared with the general public. “Much of our history is passed down to us orally through our families, which means storytelling has been a part of every generation,” she said. “The storytellers share different stories from their upbringing on and around the reservation lands. They also share lessons they were taught by their families, and sometimes they tell stories related to their artwork/craft, such as painting, beadwork, primitive See

STORYTELLING on page 59

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ARTS 58

SANTAN SUN NEWS | JAN 20 – FEB 2, 2018

Art gallery features rare glimpse of Pacific Crest Trail SANTAN SUN NEWS STAFF

The spectacular Pacific Coast is featured in a new exhibit at the Chandler Center for the Arts Gallery in downtown. Photographer Martin Gatrost will display numerous photos of the Pacific Crest Trail through Feb. 23. A photographer, avid hiker and nature lover, Gatrost takes viewers on his journey on the Pacific Crest Trail, which spans 2,650 miles from Mexico to Canada through California, Oregon and Washington. Visitors will relive his adventure through photographs of the three states, seven national parks and 28 national forests he traversed. “The landscapes in Martin’s exhibition are ones people may not often get the chance to see,” said Peter Bugg, visual arts coordinator at the gallery. “There is a limited number of Pacific Crest Trail passes granted to hikers each year. It’s quite a feat to not just hike the trail, but also stop and take stunning photographs of the adventure along the way,” he added. Gatrost will share more insights into his journey and photography during a free public talk at 6 p.m. Friday, Feb. 2, in the Recital Hall at the Center for the Arts, 250 Arizona Ave. The gallery is open 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday and noon to 5 p.m. Saturday. More information on the exhibit can be found at chandlercenter.org. After the exhibition concludes at

Courtesy of City of Chandler

Chandler Center for the Arts Gallery in Downtown Chandler is showing “Martin Gatrost: Pacific Crest Trail” through Feb. 23. The exhibit is the work of photographer, avid hiker and nature lover Martin Gatrost.

the Center for the Arts Gallery, it will be on display at the City’s Environmental Education Center from March 2 through April 1. Gatrost will give another talk about his Pacific Crest Trail experience at the EEC from 10 to 11:30 a.m. March 10. The EEC is located at Veterans Oasis Park, 4050 E. Chandler Heights Road. Vision Gallery and its sister gallery at

the Chandler Center for the Arts are fine arts galleries representing more than 300 regional artists and home to two Art-O-Mats in Chandler – the only Art-O-Mats in Arizona. Visitors can discover a varied palette of original artworks from oil and acrylic canvasses to ceramic works, sculpture, jewelry, and more. Exhibits are rotated on a regular basis

and are free for the public to view at this nonprofit gallery supported by the Chandler Cultural Foundation. A portion of all art sales are used to fund the Vision Kidz program, a series of education workshops offered to the community free of charge. In 2017, Vision Gallery was named one of the 10 Best Art Galleries in Arizona by Best of Arizona.

ARTS

SANTAN SUN NEWS | JAN 20 – FEB 2, 2018

3 Doors Down to show songs’ roots at acoustic show BY CHRISTINA FUOCO-KARASINSKI Staff

(Sheraton Grand at Wild Horse Pass)

Tim Terry Jr. provides both music and traditional stories in the series, which continues every weekend through Feb. 17.

STORYTELLING

from page 57

tools, gourds and shell jewelry.” The Akimel O’otham and Tohono O’odham, a separate tribe in Pima County, were premier basket makers; the Tohono O’odham remain active. For the Akimel O’otham, basket-weaving is being revived, and more and more members of the community are making a living, or supplementing their income, through arts and crafts, Rivera said. On the other hand, the Maricopa are known for red clay pottery work. Made of natural materials, various jars and bowls

were created for essential needs. The clay was collected at various locations within the area, and natural dyes were used to depict geometrical designs. This pottery can be seen at the Huhugam Heritage Center. “‘Storytelling & Song’ provides us the opportunity to inspire our guests with a true sense of place and cultural awareness,” Rivera said. “The resort was created to authentically showcase the heritage and culture of the Gila River Indian Community, and this program is just one of the many ways that we continue to do that.” Information: wildhorsepassresort.com or 602-225-0100.

Whether it’s a rocker like “It’s Not My Time” or the melancholy “Here Without You,” 3 Doors Down writes most of its songs on acoustic guitar. Fans will hear the roots of these songs and more when 3 Doors Down brings its “Back Porch Jam” to Wild Horse Pass Hotel and Casino on Jan. 27. “It’s an acoustic tour,” lead singer Brad Arnold said. “Frankly, it’s set up like band practice. There are fans on stage with us. We chill out and play the songs as they were written. Playing the songs acoustically, the songs can breathe more than when we’re running around the stage, with flashing lights, smoke and explosions. It’s an intimate show that connects us with the fans and it’s a lot of fun.” There’s an added bonus: All ticket purchasers will receive a limited-edition digital EP featuring acoustic performances of “Kryptonite,” “It’s Not My Time” and “I Don’t Want To Know.” The tour is sentimental for Arnold, who explained the “Back Porch Jam” recalls the writing of the songs. Heavier songs like “Duck and Run” are popular among fans because, Arnold said, it doesn’t seem like it could be played acoustically. “Back Porch Jam” is a great way to kick

Photo by Dove Shore

3 Doors Down will perform its “Back Porch Jam,” which lead singer Brad Arnold describes as “an acoustic tour,” at Wild Horse Pass Hotel and Casino on Jan. 27.

off a busy year, he said. 3 Doors Down will spend the summer playing outdoor venues, writing songs and, Arnold hopes, working on a new album. “The main goal is to get out there and play some rock ‘n’ roll,” he said.

If You Go:

3 Doors Down will hit the stage on Jan. 27 at Wild Horse Pass Hotel and Casino, 5040 Wild Horse Pass Boulevard, Chandler. The doors open at 7 p.m. and the show starts at 8 p.m. Tickets will cost $70-$110, and $225-$400 for VIP packages. For more information, visit wingilariver.com.

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EVENTS

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1 2 5 7 8 8 8

9-11 9 10 10

10 10 10 10-11 13 15 15 16 16 17 17

JANUARY

City Council Study Session, Council Chambers, 782-2180 Artist reception, Safwat Saleem Vision Gallery, 782-2695 Downtown Chandler Farmers Market, Dr. A.J. Chandler Park, 855-3539 City Council Meeting, Council Chambers, 782-2180 Regional Unity Walk, Tempe Town Lake, 782-2214 Chandler Symphony, CSO Turns 25, Center for the Arts, 782-2680

FEBRUARY

Downtown Chandler Farmers Market, Dr. A.J. Chandler Park, 855-3539 Moscow Festival Ballet presents Sleeping Beauty, Center for the Arts, 782-2680 City Council Study Session, Council Chambers, 782-2180 PHXEV Angel Investor Workshop, ASU Chandler Innovation Center, 782-3034 City Council Meeting, Council Chambers, 782-2180 Downtown Chandler Farmers Market, Dr. A.J. Chandler Park, 855-3539 Community Nights in the Courtyard, Be MINE in the Courtyard, Community Center, 782-2746 Landscape Workshop, SMART Irrigation Controllers, ASU Chandler Innovation Center, 782-3589 Presidents Day NTRP Open, Chandler Tennis Center, 782-2651 Daddy Daughter Dance, Snedigar Recreation Center, 782-2641 Chandler Municipal Airport Open House, Chandler Municipal Airport, 782-3540 STEM Saturday, Microorganisms: The Invisible World, Tumbleweed Ranch, 7822717 Chandler Sports Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony, Center for the Arts, 782-2717 Black History Celebration, Folley Park, 9635213 Daddy Daughter Dance, Community Center, 782-2641 SHE Power Half Marathon & 5K, Downtown, 317-565-9110 Mayor’s State of the City Address, Council Chambers, 782-2180 Sonoran Sunset Series: Platinum Band, Veterans Oasis Park, 782-2890 Downtown Chandler Farmers Market, Dr. A.J. Chandler Park, 855-3539 Family Flix Art Walk, Dr. A.J. Chandler Park, 855-3539 Bumper Jacksons, Chandler Center for the Arts, 782-2680 Chandler Science Saturday, Downtown Stage, 782-3038 Our Stories: The Seeds that Grew Chandler and the East Valley, Sunset Library, 7822783 President’s Day holiday; City offices closed

For event details, visit

chandleraz.gov

or call the Chandler Special Events Hotline at

782-2735

SANTAN SUN NEWS | JAN 20 – FEB 2, 2018

Mayor to deliver annual State of the City address Feb. 13 Mayor Jay Tibshraeny will deliver his annual State of the City address Tuesday, Feb. 13, in the City Council Chambers, 88 E. Chicago St. The event will begin with a 6 p.m. reception, followed by a video presentation and the Mayor’s comments. It is free, open to the public, and no reservations are required. “My address will touch on the economy, our economic stability as a community, and the many plans we have for the coming year,” Mayor Tibshraeny said. “Plus, I plan to look back at the history of our community and those iconic moments, figures and businesses that have made Chandler the success it is today.”

Arizona Avenue Improvements The second phase of the City’s vision for a “new front door” into the downtown and municipal corridor from the Santan Freeway is underway along Arizona Avenue. The stretch between Pecos Road and Frye Road will receive new landscaping, wider sidewalks, raised medians, bike lanes, streetlights and a new traffic signal at Fairview Street. Included in the construction will be the replacement of 1,700 feet of an aging waterline beneath Frye Road west of Arizona Avenue. The first phase of Arizona Avenue improvements occurred in 2010 and went from Chandler Boulevard to Frye Road. This next phase is scheduled to be completed in October, 2018. Traffic restrictions will be required for the safety of workers and traveling public, but Arizona Avenue will remain open at all times. Business access will be maintained and temporary signs will be used to direct downtown traffic and highlight business access. For ongoing information on the project, please visit ChandlersNewFrontDoor.com or contact the project hotline at 898-4060.

Chandler Municipal Airport to host Open House Chandler residents will have a unique opportunity to acquaint themselves with Chandler’s Municipal Airport at an event-filled open house to be held from 10 a.m.- 2 p.m., Saturday, Feb. 10. The airport has been in operation since 1948 and is owned and operated by the City. The terminal is located at 2380 S. Stinson Way. The free open house is a way for residents to familiarize themselves with airport operations, speak with airport officials, visit a variety of informational booths and talk to airport tenants and pilots. Chandler Police and Fire also will be in attendance. Each year, the Chandler Municipal Airport generates nearly $110 million in total economic activity. Recreational flying by residents, small business and corporate aviation, plus flight instruction and tourism have contributed to the airport’s growth. With more than 200,000 operations annually, it is among the nation’s busiest general aviation airports. For more information about the airport or open house, visit chandlerairport.com, or call the airport at 782-3540.

Participate in Budget Connect live online Mayor Jay Tibshraeny and the City Council are hosting Budget Connect, an online forum where Chandler residents can ask questions and learn about the City’s budget and fiscal policies during a special live event that will be held from 6-7 p.m., Thursday, Feb. 22. Mayor Tibshraeny will moderate the event and join with City staff and councilmembers in answering submitted questions in real time on the City’s website and through social media. Details on the forum and other community budget hearings are online at chandleraz.gov/budget.

Celebrate Science Feb 16-17 at Science Spectacular You’re invited to experience a whole new side of science during the two-day Chandler Science Spectacular. The event in Downtown Chandler kicks off at 6 p.m., Friday, Feb. 16, with the Family Flicks Art Walk. Grab a blanket and head to the grassy lawn of Dr. A.J. Chandler Park to enjoy a family friendly movie free of charge. The Third Friday Chandler Art Walk also will be the same night and kicks off the Chandler Science Spectacular. The following day, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., Saturday, Feb. 17, enjoy Chandler’s Science Saturday. This event will entertain the entire family and explain how fun, creative and important science can be to daily life. Participate in interactive demonstrations and exhibits by Chandler’s technology companies, including Intel and Orbital ATK, along with the next generation of science from ASU, U of A and Chandler-based schools. For more information, visit chandleraz.gov/science or azscitechfest.org for other SciTech Festivals and activities around the state.

SANTAN SUN NEWS | JAN 20 – FEB 2, 2018

Faith

For more community news visit SanTanSun.com

Spiritual Reflections

Even if nothing is new, we can improve upon helping others BY RABBI IRWIN WIENER, D.D. Guest Writer

“There is nothing new beneath the sun! Whatever has been is what will be, and whatever has been done is what will be done.” These words are profound and yet cynical. It is as though it does not matter what we do or say, everything is preordained. It was a difficult time for King Solomon, who is purported to have written the Book of Ecclesiastes from where this is quoted. We all have been there. Nothing seems to go right. No matter how hard we try, we come up empty. Perhaps it would have been better not to have been born at all. With all the wisdom Solomon was gifted with, he still had doubts about his abilities and his value as the leader of his people. More than that, however, were the doubts he had about God’s role in the universe, and the futility of life itself. He amassed great wealth, built magnificent structures including the great Temple in Jerusalem and marveled at all he had accomplished, but still no satisfaction. He then lamented, “Thus I hated all my achievements laboring under the sun, for I must leave it to the man who succeeds me.” Finally, after all his soul searching he concluded, “Send your bread upon the waters, for after many days, you will find it. Distribute portions to seven, or even to eight, for you never know what

calamity will strike.” It is then he realizes that there is no value to wealth if it is not shared in some way with others. We all know that poverty will never be eradicated, or homelessness eliminated, or hunger abated, but we do know that one person helping another will eventually begin a process that will relieve these afflictions. There are so many ways to accomplish these feats of mercy. Sometimes it appears that the efforts do not match the problems. Maybe Solomon understood this. Maybe he also realized that we are obligated to try even though we may not always succeed. There are many stories about the sages of the past. The one, however, that impresses me the most is the one that speaks to the issue of deeds versus despair, of conceit versus humility. It was taught during a class, where the subject of preaching was discussed. Questions were asked about the value of a sermon and whether any pastor, priest or rabbi has an effect on the people listening. After the class, the Sage asked one of his students about the lesson and whether he would like to accompany him as he traveled and preached. The student was overjoyed. To preach with the teacher – how wonderful! What an opportunity! They set out on their journey. Along the way, the preacher stopped to help a poor widow. He and the student chopped wood and helped with the livestock. As they left the grateful

woman, the student asked his teacher why he had not preached to her. He was told not to worry. On and on, they visited village after village. In some there were sick people in need of some comfort and prayer. In others there were people who needed someone to prepare food and feed them. Again, the student would ask, after each visit about preaching. And, as before, the preacher assured him that there was no cause for concern. At the end of a full day, after they had tended to many others in need, the frustration was even more prominent. And, again, the student questioned the preacher about the preaching. Finally, he turned to the student and calmly and politely admonished, “What do you think we have been doing all day?” Surely, there is nothing new under the sun, but we were placed here to establish goodness and mercy because all of us depend on this attitude for true completion. We may not feel as though our little bit helps, but it does if it is given with sincerity and compassion. Here in our little corner of the world, we see these acts of kindness performed each and every day. Whether it is visiting the sick in the hospital, or bringing a pet to a sick bed to bring a little sunshine and smile to someone’s life, or many others tirelessly devoting their energies to the greatness of the human spirit. All who toil in the vineyard of goodness and mercy raise a banner of tenderness and sympathy to those who

Special to SanTan Sun News

Rabbi Irwin Wiener, D.D.

are reachable regardless of race, color or creed. All who volunteer to relieve the pain and suffering of others speak to our goodness. All who extend themselves surely understand that forgiveness and leniency also help to relieve the suffering. We can turn with pride to their many achievements. Perhaps Solomon was right that what has been done will be done. I believe that what has been done can always be improved upon. I can think of no better way to continue the concept drawn from the holidays recently concluded. -Rabbi Irwin Wiener, D.D. is National Chaplain of Jewish War Veterans-USA and he is with Sun Lakes Jewish Congregation.

Faith, like a plant, requires nurturing to thrive BY ASSOCIATE PASTOR JEAN NEWELL Contributor

A green thumb I have not. In my house, a plant needs to get its own drink of water if it wants to survive. It’s not that I don’t like plants. Quite the opposite; love plants, but I either over water a plant, or I completely forget it until it dies a quiet death. All of which is why I was nervous when I decided my yard needed a “facelift,” yet I knew I needed some greenery to add character to my home. After an internet search for ideas, we headed to a nursery where my son and I considered various options. With an eye to my budget, we finally selected two yellow lantana shrubs for the front yard and two multi-trunked mesquite trees for the backyard. Knowing my history with plants, I realized I was taking a gamble; however, the purchases were made, and the delivery date was set. After actually purchasing living trees

Special to the San Tan Sun News

and shrubs, I now needed to make sure they would be properly cared for and that meant driplines needed to be installed for them. What I thought would be a simple

process became complicated when the landscaping company I was using for my yard refused to put in the driplines because I had not bought the trees from them. As the trees were to be delivered in

a few weeks, the search was on to find a landscaper who would put in the driplines. The day came when the trees and shrubs were delivered. In talking with the nursery foreman who supervised the planting, I took careful notes of when the shrubs and trees needed to be watered because now it was up to me to keep them alive until I could find a landscaper who would put in the driplines and take care of my yard. In time, I found the landscaper I needed, and the trees and shrubs are thriving. How like my trees and shrubs might our faith be? A faith that is not nourished will die much like plants I neglected to water. To have a living faith, though, one must care for it and nurture it. How? We do it by “watering” it daily with prayer, with reading and studying scripture, with spending time with other believers, and with helping those less fortunate. As this New Year begins, may each one of us be intentional about “growing” our faith. Jean Newell is an associate pastor at Sun Lakes United Methodist Church.

FAITH 62

Spiritual Connections Call ahead to confirm as details occasionally change after print. If you have a recurring monthly support group or meeting to list in Spiritual Connections, email complete details to news@santansun.com.

SUNDAYS Celebration Service 10:30 a.m. Sundays All with peaceful beliefs are welcome to this inclusive, loving, thriving UNITY Community. Join the group at 10 a.m., preceding the service, for fellowship. Youth and toddlers meet during service. Interfaith CommUNITY Spiritual Center 952 E. Baseline Road, Suite 102, Mesa 480-593-8798, interfaith-community.org Kids’ Sunday School 10 to 11 a.m. Sundays Unity of Tempe, formerly Unity of Chandler 1222 E. Baseline Road, Suite 103, Tempe 480-792-1800 Lift Your Spirit 10 a.m. Sundays Hear inspirational messages and music. Unity of Tempe, formerly Unity of Chandler 1222 E. Baseline Road, Suite 103, Tempe, 480-792-1800 Traditional and Contemporary Services 7:30 a.m. daybreak contemplative worship, 9 a.m. traditional worship and choral music, 11 a.m. contemporary worship with live Christian rock band. There is also a service at 12 p.m. Wednesdays. St. Matthew’s Episcopal Church, 901 W. Erie Street, Chandler 480-899-7386, saintmatthewschurch.org MONDAYS The Art of Parenting 7:30 p.m. Mondays Six-session course from the Rohr Jewish Learning Institute and presented by Rabbi Mendy Deitsch of Chabad of the East Valley, designed to help parents at all levels of Jewish knowledge develop their own parenting philosophies and techniques. Cost is $99. Pollack Chabad Center for Jewish Life 875 N. McClintock Drive, Chandler 480-855-4333, rabbi@chabadcenter.com TUESDAYS Silva Class and Meditation 6:30 to 8 p.m. Tuesdays Learn the Silva method with Lois Britland. Unity of Tempe, formerly Unity of Chandler 1222 E. Baseline Road, Suite 103, Tempe 480-792-1800 Career Connectors 8:30 a.m. to noon, fourth Tuesday of month Nonprofit organization connecting professionals in career transition to high-quality resources and hiring companies; each event includes professional career speakers with presentations on relevant job search topics, three to four hiring companies, networking, resume help, career coaches, LinkedIn coaches and business portraits. Central Christian Church, Gilbert Campus/Student Center, 965 E. Germann Road, Gilbert 480-442-5806, careerconnectors.org

Christian Business Networking, Tri-City Chapter – Chandler, Tempe, Mesa 7:15 a.m. Tuesdays Offers members the opportunity to share ideas, contacts and business referrals. Crackers and Co. Café, 535 W. Iron Avenue, Mesa Maia, 480-425-0624, christianbusinessnetworking.com Christian Business Networking, Chandler Bi-Monthly Chapter 7:45 a.m. second and fourth Tuesdays each month Offers members the opportunity to share ideas, contacts and business referrals. Chandler Christian Church, Building B, Room 202 1825 S. Alma School Road, Chandler Maia, 480-425-0624, christianbusinessnetworking.com HOPE—Help Overcoming Painful Experiences 7 p.m. Tuesdays Free weekly small-group sessions helping people overcome emotional pain caused by divorce, grief, addictions and more; free child care for children ages 10 and younger. Desert Springs Church 19620 S. McQueen Road, Room 106, Chandler, hope4all@comcast.net, helpovercomingpainfulexperiences.org Shalom Chapter of Hadassah 11:30 a.m. second Tuesday of each month Iron Oaks (Oakwood) Clubhouse 24218 S. Oakwood Boulevard, Sun Lakes Cyril, 480-802-0243; Kathy, 480-895-5194; Shirley, 480883-9159; or Joyce, 480-802-4902. Monthly Women’s Fellowship 6:15 p.m. fourth Tuesday of each month The monthly fellowship Bible study with the East Valley Chapter of Christian Women’s Devotional Alliance “ministers to women’s spiritual, emotional and physical needs.” Best Western-Mezona, 250 W. Main Street, Mesa 480-232-3773 Narcotics Anonymous (Nar-Anon), Chandler Chapter 7 p.m. Tuesdays and Thursdays Twelve-step program for families and friends of addicts. Faith Community Church 1125 N. Dobson Road, Chandler, nar-anon.org WEDNESDAYS _____________________________________ Panic Healing 7 to 9 p.m. every Wednesday Receive a 15-minute energetic tuneup. Unity of Tempe, formerly Unity of Chandler 1222 E. Baseline Road, Suite 103, Tempe 480-792-1800 Gong Meditation and Yoga Nidra 7 to 8:30 p.m. third Wednesday Presented by Will Zecco, gong master. Bring yoga mat, blanket and pillow as desired. Love offerings will be

accepted. Interfaith CommUNITY Spiritual Center, 952 E. Baseline Road, Suite 102, Mesa 480-593-8798, interfaith-community.org “A Course in Miracles” with the Rev. Julianne Lewis 1 to 2:15 p.m. Wednesdays The weekly group is an interactive time of learning and sharing, appropriate for course beginners, as well as longtime students of ACIM. Interfaith CommUNITY Spiritual Center 952 E. Baseline Road, Suite 102, Mesa 480-593-8798, interfaith-community.org. The Art of Parenting 9:30 a.m. Wednesdays Six-session course from the Rohr Jewish Learning Institute and presented by Rabbi Mendy Deitsch of Chabad of the East Valley, designed to help parents at all levels of Jewish knowledge develop their own parenting philosophies and techniques. Cost is $99. Chandler Jewish Community Center 908 N. Alma School Road, Chandler 480-855-4333 or rabbi@chabadcenter.com. Grief Care 6:45 p.m. Wednesdays A place to come share your feelings or just listen to others as we try to navigate through our grief. You don’t have to do it alone. Epiphany Lutheran Church, South Campus, old church building, 800 W. Ray Road, Room 325, Chandler griefcareaz@gmail.com. Healing Prayer and Meditation Circle 7 to 8:15 p.m. Wednesdays Guided prayer, affirmations and visualization for those facing physical, emotional, mental or spiritual issues in their lives. Love offering requested. Unity of Tempe, formerly Unity of Chandler 1222 E. Baseline Road, Suite 103, Tempe 480-792-1800 Meditation Moments 7 to 8:30 p.m. third Wednesday of the month An interactive time of learning and sharing, appropriate for beginners or longtime students of ACIM. Interfaith CommUNITY Spiritual Center 952 E. Baseline Road, Suite 102, Mesa 480-593-8798, interfaith-community.org St. Mathew’s Episcopal Church 12 p.m. Healing and Eucharist service St. Mathew’s Episcopal Church 901 W. Erie Street, Chandler 480-899-7386, saintmatthewschurch.org THURSDAYS Women’s Empowerment & Awakening 7 to 8:30 p.m. third Thursday Release negative beliefs. Unity of Tempe, formerly Unity of Chandler 1222 E. Baseline Road, Suite 103, Tempe, 480-792-1800 A Course in Miracles 7 p.m. first, second and fourth Thursday Unity of Tempe, formerly Unity of Chandler 1222 E. Baseline Road, Suite 103, Tempe, 480-792-1800 Empower Model for Men 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. Thursdays The three-class series is taught by author Scott E. Clark and designed to offer practical wisdom and tools to help men shift into their higher consciousness, based on the seven-step empower model detailed in Clark’s book, “Empower Model for Men.” Cost is $85. Unity of Tempe, formerly Unity of Chandler 1222 E. Baseline Road,, Suite 103, Tempe 480-792-1800 Real Love Support Group 6:30 p.m. Thursdays For those who have a desire to acquire more “real love” and in the process find great personal happiness and more fulfilling relationships. Love offering requested. Unity of Tempe, formerly Unity of Chandler 1222 E. Baseline Road, Suite 103, Tempe, 480-792-1800 FRIDAYS Temple Havurat Emet 7:30 p.m. first Friday of each month Lecky Center, Robson Library 9330 E. Riggs Road, Sun Lakes templehavuratemet.org

SANTAN SUN NEWS | JAN 20 – FEB 2, 2018

Grief 10 to 11:30 a.m. every Friday Each session presents a 45-minute videotape of expertise of counselors, pastors and others who have coped with grief and understand its effects and the steps toward healing. Each week a different stand-alone topic is presented as part of 13 sessions. Discussion follows, but participation is entirely voluntary. Call 480-8951088 for information. The program is offered at First Baptist Church Sun Lakes. SATURDAYS Spirit Night – Psychic Fair 4 to 8 p.m. third Saturday of each month The “Lightworkers” offer a wide range of services, including Reiki, facials, mediums, drumming, tarot, angel messages and more. Services range from $20 to $30. Cash only. Interfaith CommUNITY Spiritual Center 952 E. Baseline Road, Suite 102, Mesa interfaith-community.org heatherposey70@gmail.com. Spirit Night – A Holistic Healing Festival 1 to 6 p.m. third Saturday of the month Lightworkers offer a wide range of services including Reiki, facials, mediums, drumming, tarot, angel messages and more. Services range from $20 to $30. Interfaith CommUNITY Spiritual Center 952 E. Baseline Road, Suite 102, Mesa interfaith-community.org heatherposey70@gmail.com Unity Drumming and Healing Circle 6:30 to 8 p.m. fourth Saturday of each month Beginner, expert drummers and observers welcome. Bring snack, appetizer or dessert to share. Love donation accepted. Interfaith CommUNITY Spiritual Center 952 E. Baseline Road, Suite 102, Mesa 480-593-8798, interfaith-community.org OTHER Forever Marriage Ministries Marriage Restoration Support Group for Wives Offers hope to the hurting Valleywide through oneon-one Biblical marriage teaching, God-honoring wife discipleship and marriage restoration mentoring to wives seeking God’s will in the restoration of marriage. Lisa, 602-377-8847, marriage@lisacmyers.com, forevermarriageministries.com, facebook.com/forevermarriages Jewish Women International, Avodah Chapter 1581 Monthly luncheon. Social Box Eateries, 1371 N. Alma School Road, Chandler RSVP: 480-802-9304, 480-655-8812 Moms in Prayer International A group of mothers who meet one hour each week to intercede for their children and schools through prayer. Liane Wright, 480-699-7887, momsinprayer.org Bible Study Meets twice a month Members of the Women’s Life Group study the Bible and discuss how the lessons can relate to their lives. Sun Lakes United Church of Christ, Chandler. Jan Olson: 480-802-7457, Joy King 480-588-1882 East Valley Jewish Couples Club Offers once-a-month social activities such as dining, movies and plays for Jewish couples in the 45- to 65-year-old age range. Melissa, 480-785-0744, beadlover@cox.net. Let us help you publicize your church or temple’s events in the Spirituality section by emailing details to news@santansun.com. Include a brief description of the event, times, days, dates, cost or free, if registration is required, venue, address, publishable phone number, website if applicable and contact information for verification purposes. We welcome photos, which must be 300 dpi JPEGs or taken on a digital camera on the “best” or “highest quality” setting. Information is due 10 days prior to publication date. Submission does not guarantee placement.

SANTAN SUN NEWS | JAN 20 – FEB 2, 2018

FAITH

God will help you shine your light if you just let him do it BY LISA JISA Guest Writer

I went to my parents’ church in Madison a few weeks ago to hear my dad narrate an advent program. My mom and I arrived just before the service was about to begin, and my dad promptly came over to ask if I would be willing to light five candles, one at a time, during the appropriate times. No problem. When it was time for the first candle, I pushed up the wick from inside the candle lighter, lit it, and walked up to light the candle. Then I snuffed out the flame by sliding the wick back inside the candle lighter. For the second candle, I took the candle lighter, pushed out the wick, walked over to the first candle, lit it from there, and used that flame to light the second candle. But when it was time to light the third candle, I couldn’t get the wick to come up inside the candle lighter. After a momentary panic, I saw my dad motioning for me to just use the Bic lighter that was on the seat next to me, which I did. After I sat down, one of the ministers brought me a new candle lighter. She quietly explained that after snuffing out the flame, I needed to immediately push the wick back out or else the hot wax would melt to the inside and it would get stuck. After I learned what to do, the last two candles were lit without incident. This was kind of a silly issue, but it

spoke to me deeply. You’ve probably heard the children’s song “This Little Light of Mine.” The first verse is about letting your light shine. The verses go on to say not to hide your light, but to let it shine. And another verse says not to let Satan blow it out. Jesus said, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows Me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” (John 8:12) In Matthew 5:14,16, Jesus said, “You are the light of the world. Let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven.”

Chandler United Methodist Church Making and Deploying Disciples for over 100 Years.

Open hearts. Open minds. Open doors.

January 11th @ 7 pm in the Worship Center Guest Speaker Judi Edmonds presents a program – “Welcoming the Stranger” addressing refugees in Arizona. All Welcome!

SUNDAY WORSHIP

SUNDAY SCHOOL

9 a.m. & 10:30 a.m.

9:10 a.m. & 10:40 a.m.

Worship

For Children

ADULT SUNDAY SCHOOL 9:00 a.m.

480-963-3360 | www.chandlermethodist.org | 450 E. Chandler Heights Rd.

GOT NEWS? Contact Paul Maryniak at 480-898-5647

If Jesus is the light, and because of my relationship with Him I am also the light, then I ought to be shining. All the time. But I admit I have sometimes hidden that light, and I have allowed a few others to snuff out my wick as well. One of the ways I have let my light shine over the past 14 years is by consistently writing encouraging articles in the paper. But lately I have gotten stuck in thinking that perhaps if people find out I am in the process of getting divorced, they won’t take me seriously. I received a very judgmental email from someone who found out I was get-

ting divorced. He twisted Bible verses and was anything but loving and kind. Then I started to wonder if people would think my faith was weak, so therefore I have no right to encourage others in their faith – after all, I have written many times about how nothing is impossible for God, how we need to only have faith the size of a mustard seed, etc. But God! He does not see me as used up, washed out or unable to shine anymore. He has brought me some wonderfully supportive and caring friends who are not out to judge or condemn me. He still has a purpose for my life, regardless of whether or not there is a ring on my finger. He has reminded me that His opinion of me is the only one that counts. I am encouraged by verses like these: “I cry out to God Most High, to God, who fulfills His purpose for me.” (Psalm 57:2) “Many are the plans in a man’s heart, but it is the Lord’s purpose that prevails.” (Proverbs 19:21) “For it is God who works in you to will and to act according to His good purpose.” (Philippians 2:13) Sometimes I might feel more like a tiny night lightbulb than a house shining as brightly as Clark Griswold’s. But I can overcome the darkness of lies, hatred, bitterness and pride with the light of truth, love, hope, grace, peace, encouragement and pure motives. And so can you. Shine on, friends! -Wisconsin resident Lisa Jisa can be reached at lisa.jisa@gmail.com