Aprivate Ahwatukee school and its owners have denied they or the school share any blame for the 19-month sexual relationship their son had with an underage student while he taught there.
Responding to a lawsuit brought by the now 18-year-old victim, attorneys for James and Shetal Walters, owners of Desert Garden Montessori School, and lawyers for the school said
neither the couple nor the school bear any responsibility for the actions of their son, Justin Walters.
The Walters’ attorneys in the case, Elizabeth Fitch and Craig McCarthy, said that while the girl must prove any damage she suffered resulted from their actions, “any and all damages suffered by the plaintiff were the result of intervening/superseding causes through the negligence and/or conduct of some other person, party or third party, which bars recovery against” them.
The denials by Fitch and McCarthy and school attorneys Sean Healy and Gina Battoszek were filed June 30 with Superior Court Judge Peter Thompson in response to a lawsuit filed by Chase Rasmussen of Rasmussen Injury Law on May 27 – the same day Justin Walters, 29, of Tempe, was sentenced to four years in prison and lifetime probation for his guilty plea to three felonies. He also is named in the lawsuit but has not filed a response.
BY PAUL MARYNIAK AFN Executive Editor
He is part of a rapidly diminishing breed of men, a member of the Greatest Generation, though when you ask him what thought comes to mind when he looks back on his days as a telegraph operator in the European theater during World War II. Floyd Casey without hesitation says:
“The weather.”
“The weather was so damn cold,” recalled Floyd, who becomes a centenarian on July 20 and already is the oldest resident at the Sunrise of Chandler assisted living community.
“You couldn’t think every time you went out the door in the wintertime and summertime was so hot you couldn’t breathe.”
But Floyd survived not just the weather but every bullet and shell the Germans could fling against his units in major WWII clashes like the Battle of the Ardennes, the Battle of Central Europe, and the Battle of Rhineland – all
Larry Casey of Ahwatukee, right, is planning a special celebration at Sunrise at Chandler for his father Floyd when he marks his 100th birthday on July 20. Floyd could often be seen in his son’s golf cart when they played in Ahwatukee. Larry said. “He knew all the guys.” (David Minton/Arizonan Staff Photographer)
TheAhwatukeeFoothillsNews
Times Media Group:
1900 W. Broadway Road
Tempe, Arizona, 85282
Main number: 480-898-6500
Advertising: 480-898-5624
Circulation service: 480-898-5641
PUBLISHER
Steve T. Strickbine
VICE PRESIDENT
Michael Hiatt
ADVERTISING STAFF
National Advertising Director
Zac Reynolds 480-898-5603 zac@ahwatukee.com
Advertising Sales Representatives: Laura Meehan, 480-898-7904, lmeehan@ahwatukee.com
Lethal bacteria outbreak reported in area lovebirds
GERI KOEPPEL AFN Contributor
Ahwatukee Foothills residents are urged to keep an eye out for dead lovebirds in their yards and be careful about handling them or being near their waste after the Arizona Game and Fish Department (AZGFD) confirmed a recent outbreak of a bacteria that can spread to humans.
Judi Drake of Lakewood began seeing the birds dying in late May and eventually reported 22 dead lovebirds in all to AZGFD. “I lost one a day for three solid weeks,” she said. Prior to that, she said, she frequently saw about 40 lovebirds a day in her yard.
Posts on a neighborhood Facebook page also reported dead lovebird sightings at 48th Street and Chandler Boulevard, on Knox Road and off of the Warner-Elliot Loop.
Drake delivered one of the dead birds to the Mesa office of AZGFD in late June. Anne Justice-Allen, wildlife veterinarian for AZGFD, confirmed that a PCR test that checks for DNA confirmed the bird had avian chlamydiosis, or parrot fever, caused by the bacteria Chlamydia psittaci.
The bacteria can spread to humans through inhaling dried droppings or secretions from infected birds. In people, the disease is called psittacosis, which can present as flu-like symptoms, eye irritation or conjunctivitis—and in severe cases, pneumonia.
“If people are cleaning up the bird feeders or cleaning up the patio where lovebirds were around, wear a mask and gloves, and don’t use a leaf blower,” JusticeAllen said.
WRITE A LETTER
To submit a letter, please include your full name. Our policy is not to run anonymous letters. Please keep the length to 300 words. Letters will be run on a space-available basis. Please send your contributions to pmaryniak@ahwatukee.com.
EDITORIAL CONTENT
The Ahwatukee Foothills News expresses its opinion. Opinions expressed in guest commentaries, perspectives, cartoons or letters to the editor are those of the author.
Even though Drake wore gloves and handled the birds carefully, “I started getting sick and I didn’t know what it was,” she said. “I thought it was COVID and I took three tests; no COVID. My fevers were running 104.4, 103.9.… chills, sweats, cough. I found out I had pneumonia that was pretty extensive on my left side.”
She was treated with antibiotics and is recovering, but said she was “out of it” for about a week.
Contrary to information on Facebook, “People don’t need to take the feeders down unless they’re starting to see birds dying,” Justice-Allen said.
If you see dead lovebirds in your yard, remove the feeders, clean them with soap and water, and rinse them with diluted bleach water to disinfect them. The ratio is one part bleach to 30 parts water, which is about one ounce per quart or five ounces per gallon.
“It’s usually fairly local when we start seeing mortality in a given area,” Justice-Allen said. “It’s spread by direct bird-to-bird contact, which is why feeders are problematic.”
Outbreaks also depend on variables such as tempera-
CENTENARIAN from page 1
designated by the War Department in 1945 as Bronze Service Star campaigns.
Floyd and his son, Larry Casey of Ahwatukee, share a history of combat service to the country, though separated by more than a quarter of a century.
Larry was a helicopter mechanic and crew chief at a base at Pleiku in the central Highlands of Vietnam from 1969 to 1970 and recalls how “we were getting shot at every day” – a stressful time during which his weight dropped from 230 to 155 pounds.
He exudes a pride in his dad’s service as well as a son’s love. He noted “all the guys on the golf course” in Ahwatukee recall his dad from golf outings when Floyd lived with him and his wife Dianne.
Floyd moved to Florida after his wife passed away from cancer in 1985 and lived there until 2017, when he moved to Ahwatukee to live with Larry and his wife Dianne.
But after three years or so, Floyd decided he wanted the camaraderie and companionship of people his own age, so he moved to Sunrise at Chandler, where Larry has become as popular with the staff as his dad is as a result of his regular visits.
Indeed, as Larry plans a small parade and picnic at Sunrise at Chandler next Wednesday, June 20 – Floyd’s birthday – he made sure to invite the care home’s entire staff.
The staff already has arranged its own special tribute to Floyd as the Quilts of Honor Foundation visit on his birthday to present a special handmade quilt honoring Floyd for his service.
The youngest of three children who got
LOVEBIRDS from page 3
ture, density of the flock and movement, she said.
A report co-written by Justice-Allen on the Arizona Department of Health Services (ADHS) website details a case of a parrot fever outbreak and instance of psittacosis in an adult female in 2013.
A similar epidemic among the lovebirds happened again last year, she said. The report noted about 30 birds died in 2013, and she said around the same number was reported last year.
And though the disease can spread to other bird species, not all are susceptible to it, so don’t assume every dead bird you find has avian chlamydiosis. When AZGFD first detected the disease in 2013,
After getting conditioned for cold weather in training camps in Wisconsin and Upper Michigan, he was shipped to the European Theater – “it took 14 days to get there and only three to come back on the Queen Elizabeth,” he said.
He spent hours each day with a five-man radio communications team relaying and fielding messages between various Allied outposts, working “as long as you could stay awake.”
By then the first of his five children was close to turning 5 and as his family grew, he eventually left A&P, where he had risen to a manager position, and became a switchman for the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad in Elmira, New York.
His late wife, Norma, and their five children – Larry is the middle child – lived in a small house in Elmira. New York, until 1959 before they moved to Horseheads, New York, to work at a Westinghouse plant, where he was one of the first men in the country to work on cathode ray tubes used in cameras for outer-space travel, specifically the moon landing.
part of his formal education in a one-room schoolhouse in the Finger Lakes Region of New York, Floyd was a 20-year-old sales clerk for the Atlantic & Pacific Tea Co. who had recently married his high school sweetheart at the time he enlisted in the Army in October 1941.
He eventually became a Radio Operator 740, eventually winning promotion to Tech Sergeant 4th Class after becoming proficient in both American and Morse Code as well as telegraph and typewriter skills.
Those skills were not completely new to him: he had acquired a foundation in them as a Boy Scout in his small Finger Lakes hometown of Addison, New York.
But his Army duty was not without hardship and danger.
One day during the Battle of the Bulge, he was in the back of a canvas-covered transport when “a very big piece of metal” crashed through the canvas and “slammed into the radio and smashed it to bits,” he said. “We had to go back and get all new radios.”
During that same battle, he recalled, at some points “we were all huddled together and could hear the shells” without knowing exactly where they were coming from.
He was grateful he could hear them he said, because the conventional wisdom of the battlefront was “if you can’t hear them before you see them, it’s too late.”
For his service, Floyd received the American Service Medal; European African Middle Eastern Service Medal; Good Conduct Medal and was honorably discharged in October 1945.
Justice-Allen said, “We did a research study to see if others birds were getting infected or getting sick and dying from it, and we couldn’t detect it to any degree.”
However, “Parrots are more susceptible,” she warned, “so keep pet parrots inside.”
Rosy-faced lovebirds— also known as rosy-collared or peach-faced lovebirds— are not native to Arizona. The colorful and vocal species lives in arid regions in Africa, but are popular as pets.
The theory about the wild flocks, according to the online report on ADHS, is that 15 to 20 pet birds might have been released from an aviary in the East Valley in the 1980s. They were first seen in east Mesa in 1987 and have been multiplying ever since.
On a half-day census in 2011, 984 wild lovebirds were recorded, and the entire
Floyd and Norma’s five children have given him 18 grandchildren, 11 great grandchildren, and one great, great grandchild.
Floyd seems to take turning a century old in stride.
A football and track-and-field star in high school, he still exercises most days, using 5-pound weights to do arm curls. But he misses fishing and golf – he was pretty good at both, he said.
He attributes his longevity to “all the vitamins and minerals I took” when he and his wife were distributors for a health supplements company.
He still keeps up on current events and marvels at all the changes and advances in so many facets of society that he has seen.
Maybe that’s why when asked what the biggest difference he sees between today and years gone by, he seemed a little startled at the mind-boggling nature of the question and then simply replied, “Everything is different.”
population is estimated to comprise about 2,500 birds, according to the AZDH report. No more recent count was available.
Drake stopped feeding the lovebirds for now and said only a couple of stragglers have returned, but said she hopes to resume in about a month. When she saw one was struggling, she’d put it in a small “hospice” cage where it could be isolated and die in peace.
“Some of them died sitting in their water bowl, but it was comfortable for them,” she said. “It’s very sad. They’re very sweet little birds; they’re very personable.”
For more information and to report dead birds, visit www.azgfd.com/Wildlife/Diseases.
Floyd Casey was among countless thousands of U.S. soldiers who fought in some of the major World War II battles. (David Minton/AFN Staff Photographer)
Court upholds smut ban at Arizona prisons
BY NEETISH BASNET Cronkite News
WASHINGTON – A federal appeals court Friday upheld the Arizona prison system’s ban on sexually explicit material for inmates, rejecting claims by a censored prison magazine publisher that the policy violates the First Amendment.
The ruling by a three-judge panel of the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals agreed with the publisher that one part of the prison system’s Order 914 – banning material that “may,” “could” or “appears to be intended” to cause sexual excitement – was too broad and needed to be dropped.
But it said the rest of the Arizona Department of Corrections, Rehabilitation and Reentry policy is appropriate to keeping order in the prisons and maintaining a safe workplace for corrections employees, and is thus constitutional, even if it limits some speech.
Judge Eric Miller wrote in the opinion that the order is rational as it allows the administration to “mitigate prison violence.”
“Properly construed, it bans only content that graphically depicts nudity or sex acts,” Miller wrote of Order 914. “And so interpreted, the order is rationally related to its purposes.”
Response to the ruling was not immediately available from either the Arizona Attorney General’s Office or from the Human Rights Defense Center which publishes Prison Legal News, the publication at the center of the case.
But one advocate for prisoners in Arizona said that while maintaining security is important, it needs to be balanced against inmates’ rights.
“There are so many other problems that it seems like whether an inmate should be allowed to look at a Playboy magazine centerfold is rather minor,” said Donna Hamm, executive director of Middle Ground Prison Reform.
The prohibition on sexually explicit materials was initiated in 2010, after prison employees, particularly women,
said inmates used sexually explicit images to harass them. The court said those materials created unsafe situations for inmates and undermined the prison system’s efforts to rehabilitate prisoners.
The ban on explicit materials is part of a larger order that also prohibits inmates from having information on weapons, locks and security systems, gangs, brewing alcohol and ways to escape from prison, among other categories.
The language on sexually explicit material prohibits depictions of “nudity of either gender” as well as a laundry list of specific sex acts depicted “in either visual, audio or written form.” Since it was adopted, the department said, staff have reported they feel more comfortable “because they are not exposed to unwanted images and text of graphic, explicit sexual content.”
The court said Arizona prisons were among more than 3,000 institutions across the country with subscriptions to Prison Legal News.
More than 90 issues of the magazine had been distributed in Arizona prisons without incident before 2014, but officials refused to deliver several issues that year that they said contained sexually explicit material, in violation of Order 914.
Prison Legal News sued the department in 2015, claiming the ban violated the First Amendment and was “not rationally related to (the department’s) stated goals of rehabilitation, reduction of sexual harassment and prison security.”
A district court judge agreed and issued an injunction against further use of the explicit materials ban until the department could amend it to narrow the scope of the content prohibited. The district judge also ordered the prisons to distribute unredacted versions of Prison Legal News editions that had been censored.
But the circuit court ruling June 8 lifted most of the injunction, saying that the policy was constitutional on its face, and as it was applied by prison officials.
3 significant initiatives sought for November ballot
BY HOWARD FISCHER Capitol Media Services
away from medical debt,’’ said the Rev. Dr. Bill Lyons, with the Southwest Conference of the United Church of Christ.
Arizona voters are likely to get a chance to vote in November to bring an end to political commercials by anonymous special interest groups, reverse changes in election laws approved by Republican legislators and provide new protections for themselves against medical and other debt.
Backers of three separate measures each turned in more than the minimum 237,645 valid signatures needed to put the issues to voters.
State officials now have 20 days, exclusive of weekends and holidays, to do their initial processing of petition sheets, with counties then having another 15 business days to review a random sample of signatures to determine what percentage are qualified. And each is likely to face legal challenges from foes.
But each, if approved, would make immediate and visible changes in Arizona.
“More than two thirds of all bankruptcies are tied to medical debt from health care costs,” he said at a press conference Thursday when the petitions were submitted to the Secretary of State’s Office. “And 18% of Arizonans have medical bills that are past due.’’
Glendale resident Martha French said health insurance is not always an option.
She said her husband had to wait until he was 65 to qualify for health insurance as she could not afford to have him as a dependent on the coverage she had as a teacher.
Campaign spokesman Rodd McLeod brushed aside questions about the fact that the sponsoring organization, Healthcare Rising Arizona, actually is financed largely by a California branch of the Service Employees International Union.
The proposal by Arizonans for Free and Fair Elections contains a laundry list of changes in state elections laws.
Backers of an initiative to make changes in bankruptcy and other laws turned in about 472,000 signatures Thursday to put a series of changes in state law on the November ballot.
The measure, if approved, would increase the amount of equity someone could have in a home to keep it from being seized in bankruptcy to $400,000, up from $250,000. And it would mandate annual cost-of-living increases in that figure rather than having to wait for state lawmakers to marshal the votes for future changes.
Current law also allows individuals to keep up to $6,000 in household furniture, appliances and consumer electronics. That would increase to $15,000, also with inflation adjustments.
And the protected equity in a motor vehicle would go from $6,000 to $15,000 for most individuals, with the figure going from $12,000 to $25,000 for any debtor or family member with a physical disability.
Some are new ideas for Arizona, such as allowing people to register and vote at the same time, including on Election Day. And people would be registered to vote automatically when they get an Arizona driver’s license unless they opt out.
It would ensure that votes are counted no matter in what precinct they are cast as long as it is within the same county.
The proposal also would reinstate the state’s permanent early voting list which automatically provides mail-in ballots for anyone who opts in.
Lawmakers voted to repeal that last year, replacing it with a system that stops the early ballots from coming for those who do not use them for at least two election cycles, though they still would be able to vote in person. Backers of the initiative said that is not fair for those who may not be regular voters, turning out only when there are issues or candidates on the ballot of interest.
Separately, the measure would cap the amount of someone’s wages that could be attached. And another provision specifically limits the amount of annual interest that could be charged on medical debt to no more than 3%.
“Each one of us is only one major illness
Also gone would be the 2021 law that makes it a crime to take someone else’s voted early ballot to a polling place unless that person is a relative, member of the same household or a caretaker.
And the initiative would roll back decisions by lawmakers to increase the amount of money that individuals and political action committees can give to candidates, a figure currently set at $6,250. It would be capped at $1,000 for local and legislative candidates and $2,500 for statewide races.
Also up for voter approval is a measure designed to put an end to “dark money’’ in political races.
Campaign finance laws require public disclosure of who is spending money to influence candidate elections and ballot measures. But state lawmakers crafted an exception for “social welfare’’ organizations who are free to hide the names of their donors.
“I believe that Arizonans should have the right to know who’s paying for the advertisements that they get bombarded with in every election,’’ said former Attorney General Terry Goddard who has spearheaded the campaign.
He said the proof is as plain as what people are seeing in the 2022 election with TV ads for candidates, many of them listed solely as being paid for by organizations with names that provide
It also disagreed with the lower court’s ruling on some of the redacted issues: While graphic descriptions of sex acts connected to some crimes were rightly censored, the appeals court said a story about a New Mexico prison riot that talked about guards being beaten and raped was not explicit but “more akin to a mere mention of sexual violence,” which should not have been censored.
It did uphold the lower court’s injunction on section 1.2.17 of the order, the section that bans content “that may, could reasonably be anticipated to, could
no clue as to who actually is providing the financing.
The initiative requires the disclosure of true source of donations of more than $5,000 on political campaigns. And Goddard said it has to be traced back to the original source and cannot be “laundered’’ through a series of groups.
Retired business owner Bob Betrand, co-chairman of the campaign, said Arizonans got a close look at how the process works in 2014 when several groups, including the Arizona Free Enterprise Club and Save Our Future Now, spent millions to secure the election of Republicans Tom Forese and Doug Little to the Arizona Corporation Commission. The groups refused to disclose the source of those dollars, citing their status as “social welfare’’ organizations.
It took until 2019 for Arizona Public Service, the state’s largest electric utility, to divulge it was the source of $10.7 million to elect the two regulators.
A similar 2018 effort failed after foes mounted a court challenge to some of the 285,000 signatures collected, many by paid circulators. The 2020 measure using only volunteers faltered during the COVID-19 pandemic which included, for a period of time, a stay-at-home order.
reasonably result in, is or appears to be intended to cause or encourage sexual excitement or arousal or hostile behaviors, or that depicts sexually suggestive settings, poses or attire.”
That section had been used to censor “medical information as well as mundane images displaying fully clothed women doing nothing that could be considered suggestive,” the court said.
“There is no apparent connection between restricting all content that ‘may’ cause sexual arousal or be suggestive of sex … and the penological interests at stake,” Miller wrote, and that section thus violates the First Amendment.
Those felony counts, along with seven others dismissed as a result of his guilty plea, alleged that Justin Walters started grooming the victim in March 2019, seduced her June 1, 2019, and continued to sexually abuse her until Dec. 23, 2020 – nine days before he fled to Turkey after learning she had told her parents and Phoenix Police. He returned to the U.S. in May 2021 and was arrested.
The school’s denials cover a range of assertions Rasmussen makes in the lawsuit.
Rasmussen has charged that Justin, who was hired as a teacher in 2017, does not hold any education degrees or teaching certifications from the state.
Stating Justin “held a bachelor’s degree from an accredited institution prior to his hire,” the school “denies he was required to possess a degree in education prior to his hire.” It also said he “subsequently obtained his International Baccalaureate certificate.”
The Walters and the school also say they “lack knowledge or information sufficient to form a belief as to the truth of the allegations” that Rasmussen’s suit details.
Justin fled to Turkey and remained on the lam until May 2021, when he was arrested after returning to Chicago.
Prosecutors stated last fall in court documents that while he was abroad, he and his victim communicated.
Those allegations are based on police records and the girl’s testimony about a sexual relationship that began after Justin Walters spent several months grooming the girl during school-sponsor field trips to Disneyworld and Puerto Rico as well as through texts and other social media platforms.
Rasmussen alleges that Justin Walters “serially sexually abused, exploited and assaulted” the girl that began when he drove out to the desert in his pickup truck with her after buying a mattress and bottle of vodka at Walmart, according to police records.
The encounters continued on a regular basis – even in Justin’s parents’ home –until late December 2020.
According to the lawsuit, Walters was visited by Phoenix Police on Dec. 30, 2020 – seven days after they learned of the long-running sexual abuse. Two days later,
“The victim disclosed that he said he was in Ukraine and then Montenegro and that he was trying to find a way to get citizenship,” prosecutors said. “He said getting citizenship was hard but he could do it if his family made an investment to the country of $250,000. The victim also disclosed that he talked to her about not wanting to go to prison and mentioned that he had a plan, which the victim interpreted as a plan to get a fake identity.”
Rasmussen accuses the Walters of helping their son flee the country, but the school and the couple deny the allegation, stating they had reported the relationship to police on Dec. 23, 2020 –the same day Justin quit his job with the school.
The school said it “denies it was aware of Justin Walters’ underlying conduct – which gave rise to him being criminal charged – until Dec. 23, 2020 when Desert Garden was made aware of the conduct and promptly reported it to law enforcement.”
And it states the school “was unable to discipline him” because he quit the same day the owners learned of the relationship.
Justin Walters was a teacher at Desert Garden Montessori School in Ahwatukee when he began a sexual relationship with an underage student that continued for 19 months. (AFN file photo)
Justin has not filed his own response to the lawsuit, which accuses him of “intentional infliction of emotional distress on his victim.
But his parents and the school deny Rasmussen’s allegation that they failed to train school staff on how to spot red flags of inappropriate conduct by staffers with students “or implement safeguards to protect (the victim) and other Desert Garden students from the risk of sexual grooming, abuse, exploitation and assault.”
In denying those allegations, Desert Garden and its owners also address Rasmussen’s assertion that they “have a duty to use reasonable care to protect students from unreasonable risk of harm or from known or foreseeable danger.”
They replied those assertions “are not factual in nature and, instead, amount to a legal conclusion for which Desert Garden is not required to respond.”
Desert Garden and the Walters also are demanding a jury trial in the case and are asserting that any damages that might be considered against them on the victim’s behalf should be reduced by the amount of damages that could have been avoided had the girl, her parents or guardians “acted to mitigate her damages.”
They also say that punitive damages should not be filed against them on constitutional grounds that prohibit excessive fines or unusual punishment.
During Walters’ sentencing hearing, different staffers presented oral or written testimony both for and against Justin Walters.
A Desert Garden social worker wrote that Walters “is someone whose presence brings joy to others and a longtime Desert Garden teacher called him “an asset to our community.”
But a teacher who also is the victim’s aunt told the court that students reacted to Justin Walters “as if he were the Pied
Piper” and “looked up to him as a mentor and admired him and wanted to be who he was.”
“Others might share that Justin has found his way back to God, that he is serving his community, that he is remorseful for what he has done,” she said. “But his charming and charismatic personality are now …what actually make him a dangerous person in our society.”
“He kept a secret sexual relationship with a child that grew up in our community, not only under his parents’ roof but under our school’s roof.”
“He has negatively impacted countless families with his action,” she continued.
“Some amazing dedicated teachers resigned because they were worried that his actions reflected upon them. Students and families unenrolled, leaving their community and their support system behind. Students to this day still cry on campus at the mere mention of Justin’s name. … Students feel betrayed by him.”
Lisa Miguel
Extraordinary Real Estate Services
BY HOWARD FISCHER Capitol Media Services
Gov. Doug Ducey penned his signature week to creating the most comprehensive system of private and parochial school vouchers in the nation, paving the way for a petition drive to have voters kill it – again.
“Our kids will no longer be locked in under-performing schools,’’ Ducey said in a prepared statement.
“Every family in Arizona should have access to a high-quality education with dedicated teachers,’’ he continued. “This is truly a win for all K-12 students.’’
And the governor has said the law, which will allow any of the 1.1 million children in public schools to get what are called “empowerment scholarship accounts,’’ will make Arizona the “gold standard for educational freedom.’’
Ducey’s blessing was never in doubt. He has signed every voucher expansion bill that has come to his desk since becoming governor in 2015.
But it’s not the last word.
Beth Lewis, executive director of Save Our Schools Arizona, said the petitions to force a public vote on the issue already have been printed and signature gathering begins in earnest this weekend.
The organization of teachers and education groups has until the end of the day on Sept. 23 to gather at least 118,823 valid signature on petitions which would keep the new law from taking effect until the next general election. And given that date would be too late to put the issue on the November ballot, that effectively would put the whole program on hold until at least November 2024.
Lewis said, though, what’s needed is a more permanent solution.
“Arizona voters are absolutely exhausted with this nonsense,’’ she told Capitol Media Services.
What started out in 2011 as a program to provide an alternative to public school for students with disabilities and special needs has grown as supporters have succeeded in adding more and more categories. The current law now provides vouchers which typically are in the range of about $7,000 to children
from foster homes, military families, living on tribal reservations and attending schools rated D or F.
About 11,775 students currently get such vouchers.
The law Ducey signed would remove all the restrictions so any of the 1.1 million students in public schools could get public funding to attend a private or parochial school. Parents who home school also would be in line for those funds.
Lewis said the referendum drive should come as no surprise.
Lawmakers approved a large expansion in 2017. Her organizations got the signatures to put that plan on hold until the 2018 election when voters quashed the legislation by a margin of 2-1.
House Majority Leader Ben Toma, RPeoria, the architect of this year’s plan, said what happened in 2018 is irrelevant. He said some voucher supporters actually voted against that earlier plan specifically because it did not actually make all students eligible for vouchers. Instead, to get the votes, supporters had to agree to a cap of about 30,000 vouchers by 2021, a cap that would remain in place unless and until lawmakers decided otherwise.
More to the point, Toma said had the measure been approved, it would have been frozen in law. That’s because the Voter Protection Act in the Arizona Constitution precludes lawmakers from repealing whatever has been enacted at the ballot and restricts alterations only to measures that “further the purpose’’ of the original bill.
Lewis called Toma’s explanation of the failure of voucher expansion in 2018 “complete hogwash.’’
The lobbying of state lawmakers to approve the measure featured a parade of parents and children who said they are doing a lot better in private schools. The public campaign is likely to follow the same script.
Lewis said that won’t work for a simple reason: Nothing in the referendum would take vouchers away from students who already get them.
What the law would do is make more see VOUCHERS page 12
Spencers has been saving you money for over 50 Years. We provide the Best Products, at the Lowest Prices and Our Customer Service is Terrific! We are locally owned and operated. When you shop Spencers your hard earned Cash stays in OUR COMMUNITY!
At Ahwatukee Dental Health, Dr. Amy Nordquist and her team are dedicated to providing each and every patient with the care and attention they need in the most comfortable way possible. Her time spent with you will always be thorough and focused on your dental concerns. Our team values personalized attention and long-term relationships with all of our patients. We can’t wait to meet you!
students eligible for the state dollars. And, more to the point, that would include students whose parents already pay to send their children to private schools.
Estimates are that about 85,000 of these children would switch to state funding by the 2024-2025 school year at a cost of about $118 million a year.
That does not bother supporters of the plan, including the governor, who was already promoting the plan on Wednesday on KTAR, even before he signed it.
“Everybody listening that has a child when this law goes into effect will have access to their taxpayer dollars to send their child to the school of their choice,’’ Ducey said.
“We’re the No. 1 state for educational freedom,’’ he said. “Other states are going to be following us.’’
Lewis, however, rejected any argument that people who already send their children to private schools without a voucher effectively are being asked to pay not only for the service they are buying but the service they are not getting from the public schools. She said that’s the way democracy works.
“We all pay into the system,’’ Lewis said.
“Like because I don’t use the fire system this year, I’m lucky enough to not use firefighters, I should give that money back?’’ she continued. “That’s nonsense.’’
There is something else that could give
voucher foes some ammunition.
An early version of the legislation would have required that students in private and parochial schools using these vouchers of state funds to take some standardized tests, similar to those already administered in public schools. The results, as in the case of public schools, would have been reported on an aggregate basis.
That requirement was removed from the final version by Rep. Jake Hoffman, RQueen Creek, who said what’s happening at private schools is none of the government’s business.
But voucher foes like Rep. Kelli Butler, D-Paradise Valley, said the fact that tax dollars will be flowing to those schools is precisely what gives the state an interest.
“We will not know if students are using our tax dollars -- $7,000 is the typical award -- if they’re using that money to learn anything,’’ she said during legislative debate.
Ducey waited until Thursday afternoon, the last possible day for him to act on legislation from the just-completed legislative session. That cut 10 days from the time that referendum backers have to get their signatures, as the deadline falls 90 days after the end of the session, regardless of when the governor acts. Lewis, however, said she’s not concerned.
“We’re teachers,’’ she said. “We know how to plan behind the scenes and get ready.’’
Chandler discouraging panhandler support
BY KEN SAIN Arizonan Staff Writer
Acity official says Chandler residents are very willing to help when it comes to the growing homeless population, but that it might be doing more harm than good.
Now, the City of Chandler is starting a campaign to discourage citizens from giving money to panhandlers.
Riann Balch, city community resources manager, told City Council at its June 23 meeting that giving money to the homeless people on street corners is not really going to help them and could make things worse.
“Panhandling in Chandler, specifically, is extremely lucrative,” Balch said. “We’re a very generous community. Unfortunately, panhandling, while the intent is very good, the outcome is very bad.”
“The longer you live on the street, the faster you die,” she said. “So the average age for somebody that lives on the street is 49. That’s a very short lifespan.”
Balch argued that giving money to panhandlers may solve their immediate needs, but it’s allowing them to continue to live on the streets.
If people chose to give another way, then unsheltered people would be forced to seek out the city services that can help them get headed in the right direction again.
The city is starting a marketing effort this summer to encourage residents to help the homeless without giving money to panhandlers by emphasizing the ChangeUp program, which it introduced in 2018.
It will be using two different sets of signs to get the message out.
The first set will be near freeways. Unlike in 2018, the city can put signs on freeway land controlled by the Arizona Department of Transportation. However, city officials must follow ADOT rules that even dictate what words can appear on the sign.
Crews put up the metal signs on poles last week near the off-ramps of highways at 14 different locations around Chandler. ADOT limits those signs to being in the
same location for 30 days at a time. So, the city plans to rotate them to other offramps in the city.
There are three sets of locations for the 14 signs. Balch said their rotation plan is designed to maximize that.
Balch said the city is also planning to put up about 50 of its own signs on city streets around town, asking residents to give to ChangeUp instead of panhandlers. Those would likely start to be posted around town at the end of next month.
Three Phoenix City Council members are having similar signs posted on light poles in their districts.
Councilman Sal DiCiccio started that program and has had signs posted at various intersections in Ahwatukee.
But it’s anybody’s guess how much of an impact those signs might have because there is no way to monitor that.
The ChangeUp program collects money for the nonprofit For Our City Chandler. All the money donated to ChangeUp then goes to the city’s eight navigators, who are tasked with working directly with the homeless population in the city, helping them get whatever resources they need.
“Navigators then can use it for things that a government grant … wouldn’t necessarily support,” Balch said. “For instance, if we need to put somebody in rehab right off that corner, we’ll pay the first week while we are working with them to get their insurance in place.”
She said the money could also go to paying for a taxi ride so they can get to a medical appointment, or helping them get cleaned up for a job interview.
The navigators have a lot of discretion to give money however they think will help that person best. However, Balch said she personally reviews and approves every request so there is some control on how the money is spent.
Balch said so far Chandler residents have given about $20,000 since the ChangeUp program began in 2018. She said more help is needed, because the number of homeless in Chandler is increasing significantly.
“We know that homelessness across our
Kyrene to contract for some student transportation
The Kyrene Governing Board was scheduled last night, July 12, to consider two contracts with a maximum annual expenditure of $500,000 for transporting students to and from school as the district a – like most area school districts – can’t find enough drivers for its fleet.
Although the board meeting was scheduled to take place after the Ahwatukee Foothills News’ print deadline, an agenda item for the session says the district on June 9 sent notice to 66 vendors through azpurchasing.org, a website that provides a central and statewide list of prospective bidders for a wide range of services.
The item is listed on the consent agenda and states its purpose is “to obtain firms that can provide qualified bus drivers as needed throughout the year, for the Transportation Department.”
Arizona Purchasing website serves purchasers across different disciplines for the purposes of; developing a central and statewide prospective bidder’s list, post-
ing solicitations and requests for quotations online and to more effectively disseminate solicitation information to the vendor and varied buyer communities.
“Arizona Purchasing primarily began with its focus in aiding Arizona school districts, though it has grown to also help institutions of higher education, as well as municipalities, through the entire State of Arizona,” the website states.
The Kyrene agenda item said that out of 66 potential vendors, only two submitted a bid and 10 others submitted a “no bid” response.
to meet the needs of the district,” the agenda item states.
Assuming the board will approve the measure, services would begin July 25 and there will be an option to renew the contract annually for the next four years.
The Kyrene agenda item said that out of 66 potential vendors, only two submitted a bid and 10 others submitted a “no bid” response.
“The proposals were evaluated for compliance with the requirements outlined in the solicitation as well as for cost. It has been determined that both vendors, Desert Choice Transportation and Bee Line Transportation are needed
“Renewal will be determined based on cost, need, availability of funds, and the District’s satisfaction with the services provided,” the agenda item states, adding the cost will be covered by a Fund 329 Education Plus-Up Grant and the district’s own operating budget.
Azpurchasing.org, which began in 2008, posted some information about contracts awarded through bids submitted on its platform, and Kyrene’s is the only one listed for bus transportation.
Although the website does not name schools, it shows that winning bids have
covered a wide range of services and products, such as paper, special education providers and janitorial services.
Kyrene and other districts have struggled in recent years to find enough bus drivers for their routes even though they have upped the hourly pay.
What was once pitched as an easy way for retired people to earn some income for basically working a few hours in the morning and afternoon became an even tougher sell during the pandemic as older drivers quit their jobs rather than risk exposure to COVID-19 in spite of various social distancing and other precautions the district employed.
Many school districts across the state also have complained that the state rate of reimbursement for transportation costs comes nowhere close to what districts actually spend. That gap has grown even wider with the rising cost of fuel.
The state Auditor General’s report on Kyrene’s transportation spending shows
Some national parks struggle for tourism reboot
BY NEETISH BASNET Cronkite News
WASHINGTON – National parks in Arizona welcomed 10.7 million visitors who pumped $1.12 billion into local economies in 2021, both sharp increases from the pandemic-induced lows of the year before, according to the National Park Service.
While the numbers were still shy of their pre-pandemic levels, in the state and nationally, Arizona tourism officials were not complaining about the report for 2021.
“It’s a huge part of our city,” Flagstaff Mayor Paul Deasy said of national park tourism. “Small business is the backbone to most economies. And tourism is the way that our small businesses are able to survive and thrive.”
In Arizona, the number of visitors in 2021 was down from 12.5 million in 2019, when the amount spent by tourists was $1.3 billion. But both of the 2021 numbers were a vast improvement over the intervening year, when COVID-19 pushed visitors down
to 7.6 million and spending on gas, lodging, food and more to $711 million.
That pattern was repeated at Grand Canyon National Park, which remained
the state’s most popular national park. It saw visitors go from 5.9 million in 2019 to 2.9 million in 2020 before bouncing back to 4.5 million visitors last year.
But some parks in the region actually bested their pre-pandemic numbers in 2021. Visitors to Saguaro National Park spent $10 million more than they did in 2019, and Zion National Park in southern Utah saw spending rise by $409 million, a 158% increase over the same period. The number of visitors to Lake Mead in 2021 was 104,425 higher than in 2019.
That Grand Canyon did not match the surges posted by other parks in the region is “not concerning, at all,” said Brian Drapeaux, deputy superintendent for the Grand Canyon National Park.
“We don’t really look at how we compare visitations to other national parks,” he said. “Unlike many of the other large parks in the country, we’re a year-round park. A lot of the parks are seasonal parks, and so they’ll get crushed when they’re open.”
Drapeaux expects the number of visitors to rise this year as international travel returns to pre-pandemic norms. Financial
Cars are lining up again at the south entrance to the Grand Canyon after visits to national parks bounced back in 2021, not quite to pre-pandemic levels but high enough to give a significant boost to local economies. (Grand Canyon National Park)
Mesa, AZ — The most common method your doctor will recommend to treat your chronic pain and/or neuropathy is with prescription drugs that may temporarily reduce your symptoms. These drugs have names such as Gabapentin, Lyrica, Cymbalta, and Neurontin, and are primarily antidepressant or anti-seizure drugs. These drugs may cause you to feel uncomfortable and have a variety of harmful side effects.
Chronic pain and/or peripheral neuropathy is a result of damage to the nerves often causing weakness, pain, numbness, tingling, and the most debilitating balance problems. This damage is commonly caused by a lack of blood flow to the nerves in the hands and feet which causes the nerves to begin to degenerate due to lack of nutrient flow.
As you can see in Figure 2, as the blood vessels that surround the nerves become diseased they shrivel up which causes the nerves to not get the nutrients to continue to survive. When these nerves begin to “die” they cause you to have balance problems, pain, numbness, tingling, burning, and many additional symptoms. The main problem is that your doctor has told you to just live with the problem or try the drugs which you don’t like taking because they make you feel uncomfortable. There is now a facility right here in Mesa that offers you hope without taking those endless drugs with serious side effects.
(See the special neuropathy severity examination at the end of this article)
In order to effectively treat your neuropathy three factors must be determined.
1) What is the underlying cause?
2) How much nerve damage has been sustained.
NOTE: Once you have sustained 95% nerve loss, there is likely nothing that we can do for you.
3) How much treatment will your condition require?
The treatment that is provided at Aspen Medical has three main goals.
1) Increase blood flow
2) Stimulate and increase small fiber nerves
3) Decrease brain-based pain
The treatment to increase blood flow, stimulate small nerve fibers and get you back to health is our new $50,000.00 SANEXAS UNIT!
In addition, we use a state-of-the-art diagnostics like the TM Flow diagnostic unit to accurately determine the increase in blood flow and a small skin biopsy to accurately determine the increase in small nerve fibers!
The Sanexas electric cell signaling system delivers energy to the affected area of your body at varying wavelengths, including both low-frequency and middle-frequency signals. It also uses amplitude modulated (AM) and frequency modulated (FM) signaling. During a treatment session, the Sanexas system automatically changes to simultaneously deliver AM and FM electric cell signal energy.
THE GREAT NEWS IS THAT SANEXAS IS COVERED BY MEDICARE AND MOST INSURANCE! Depending on your coverage, your treatment could be little to no cost to you!
The amount of treatment needed to allow the nerves to fully recover varies from person to person and can only be
determined after a detailed neurological and vascular evaluation. As long as you have not sustained at least 95% nerve damage there is hope!
Aspen Medical will do a chronic pain and neuropathy severity examination to determine the extent of the nerve damage as a public service to you and/or your family and friends. This neuropathy/ pain severity examination will consist of a detailed sensory evaluation, extensive peripheral vascular testing, and a detailed analysis of the findings of your neuropathy.
Aspen Medical will be offering this chronic pain and neuropathy severity examination from now until July 31, 2022. Call 480274-3157 to make an appointment to determine if your chronic pain and peripheral neuropathy can be successfully treated.
Due to our very busy office schedule, we are limiting this FREE consultation offer to the first 15 callers. YOU DO NOT HAVE TO SUFFER ANOTHER MINUTE, CALL Call 480-274-3157 … NOW!
We are extremely busy and if your call goes to our voicemail, please leave a message and we will get back to you asap.
Skylights and Sun Tunnels
•Security Doors & Retractable Screens
SECURITY SCREEN DOORS
services giant VISA said Grand Canyon was the most popular of the national parks for foreign tourists before the pandemic. But international tourism to the state fell by 76% in 2020, according to the Arizona Office of Tourism.
Considering the tight travel restrictions and health safety concerns, the 4.5 million Grand Canyon National Park visitors in 2021 are “still really amazing numbers,” Drapeaux said.
The NPS report said visitors to Grand Canyon National Park spent $710 million last year in local “gateway economies,” or communities near the park, up from $433 million in 2020.
Nationally, the number of visitors to national parks went from 327 million in 2019 to 237 million in 2020 before climbing back to 297 million last year. Spending over the same period went from $21 billion to $14.5 billion and then back to $20.5 billion.
The park service report ranked Arizona sixth among states for visitor spending and fifth for the total economic output from its national parks. It said Arizona’s 22 national park sites generated $1.8 bil-
lion in economic output and supported 16,074 jobs that paid $627.6 million in salaries.
Park visitors “support their nearby communities because they bring visitors there,” said Josh Coddington, director of communications at Arizona Office of Tourism.
“Visitors typically will stop and eat and buy gas and stay the night in different places in our communities across the state,” he said.
The diverse landscape and natural wonders Arizona offers will continuously bring tourism dollars to the state, Coddington said.
“Certainly, the pandemic had a major impact on tourism everywhere, including in Arizona,” Coddington said. “As people started going out again, one of the places that was top on a lot of people’s minds to visit was outdoor places – state and national parks.”
With more tourists expected in coming years, Coddington said the focus will need to shift to managing what he called an anticipated national park tourism boom.
“These places and experiences, these amazing natural places that people have enjoyed for many, many years, how do we
do it in a way that reduces the impact on that place?” Coddington asked. “It needs to be here for future generations to enjoy.”
It’s a sentiment Deasy also holds. His city is currently reeling from the Pipeline Fire, a wildfire that covered more than 26,000 acres.
“We welcome visitors. We want you to enjoy our natural environment,” Deasy said. “Let’s just make sure we’re being responsible and ensuring that we continue to protect that environment that we all love.”
area, across our state, and certainly across our country is growing,” Balch said. “And a lot of that is tied back to the housing for all incomes, and affordable housing.”
She said they are seeing more people who simply can’t afford to live in the city any longer.
Landlords raise rents to keep up with market demand, and they can no longer afford to stay in their place. When they go looking for a new place, prices everywhere are up and they can’t find a place they can afford.
Balch said only about 20% of the homeless people they work with have either
from page 14
mental health or substance abuse issues.
City Council approved a Community Development Block Grant request for nearly $110,000 to help the city’s homeless population at its June 23 meeting.
It also approved other grants for about $73,000 for a public housing youth program and $21,500 for temporary housing and case coordination for the homeless.
All that money comes from the federal government through a Housing and Urban Development program. The city received a little more than $1.4 million. Council then decided how they would distribute that money.
The city also handed out nearly $1.1 million in general funds to local nonprof-
its, something they do each year. This year they were able to hand out more because of about $350,000 in American Rescue Plan Act funds.
AZCEND, a nonprofit that helps the homeless among other things, received four different grants for a total of $410,000. The grants included money for their food bank and senior nutrition programs.
The city gave out $1.438 million to 48 programs. Nonprofits had requested more than $2.9 million for 54 programs.
“I think it’s important to note that providing homeless services is much less costly than not providing homeless services,” Balch told Council.
“So, when you don’t provide home-
less services, what you have is an unsheltered population who are using our public services as their main source of service,” she added.
She noted that many of these people “have lots of contact with police and fire, they go to the hospital and use the emergency room like it’s their doctor.”
“They’re involved with the criminal justice system just for survival to meet their basic needs. Living like that costs, exponentially, more than being stably housed.
“We can safely house people and provide support services for a fraction of the cost of people using our public services in a way that they weren’t meant to.”
that Kyrene has been particularly frugal in managing its transportation costs and has seen an actual decline of 1.5% in transportation costs between the 201616 and 2020-21 school years. In the 202021 school year, the audit noted, Kyrene’s transportation costs decline .5% from the previous year, although in actual dollars per pupil, that cost rose by $1 to $289.
state per pupil transportation cost average of $369 and below the $311 spent per pupil on transportation by districts of comparable size to Kyrene.
That per pupil cost was lower than the
Kyrene’s transportation costs in 202021 equaled $6.19 per mile – below the
statewide average of $7.22 per mile, according to the Auditor General.
That equaled an annual cost of $2,417 for each Kyrene pupil – lower than the statewide transportation cost average of $2,862 per student.
•
•
•
Ducey signs expansive water legislation
BY HOWARD FISCHER Capitol Media Services
Gov. Doug Ducey signed legislation Wednesday to provide $1.2 billion to fund grandiose projects to find new water for Arizona and smaller ones to conserve what the state already has.
The governor is particularly excited about the idea of the state being involved in construction of a plant to desalinate water, likely from the Sea of Cortez, providing fresh water that can be used for not only domestic use but also for the agriculture industry which consumes 70% of what Arizona now uses.
“We are in the second decade of the worst drought in recorded history,’’ Ducey said. “We continue to experience shortages on the Colorado River. And the forecasts are not getting better.’’
Federal officials recently told a Congressional panel that Lake Mead’s level has dropped faster than expected and warned that Arizona and the six other Basin States as well as tribal nations that rely heavily on the Colorado River will have to enact tougher water-use measures in 60 days – or they will.
What the new law does is enable Arizona to come up with a new source of water from outside the state. And what that particularly means, he said is “the largest desalination project in history, anywhere around the globe.’’
What that also will be is expensive –more than the money in the legislation. But House Speaker Rusty Bowers, R-Mesa, said the state won’t be picking up the entire tab.
“There are already groups, businesses that want to partner with the state,’’ he said, calling what’s in the legislation “leveraging money’’ to make the state “a partner in larger operations,’’ including with Mexico. And there are other options, Bowers said, like finding a way to get the floodwaters in Kansas to places where
water is needed, like Arizona.
That, however, then leaves the question of how much more Arizonans may have to pay for water.
Tom Buschatzke, director of the state Department of Water Resources, has put the cost of desalinated water in the neighborhood of $2,500 an acre foot, about 326,000 gallons. That’s the amount of water that, depending on the community, can serve about three homes for a year.
And any new costs would come on top of what’s charged now for delivery.
The governor, however, said he doesn’t believe Arizona water users will be in for sticker shock.
“We’re going to be the big boy of the lower basin states,’’ he told KTAR on Wednesday.
“Right now we’re the little brother,’’ Ducey said, with Arizona having the lowest priority to take water out of the Colorado
River. “We’re going to have water to sell to other states to supplement and bring out costs down.’’
All that, however, is years off. So the legislation also includes more short-term answers -- and $200 million specifically set aside for them. And many of them involve doing more with less.
“We have funding to address best management practices in our counties and our cities,’’ said Rep. Gail Griffin, R-Hereford.
That includes everything from recharging rainwater and use of more efficient plumbing fixtures to changing landscape practices to convert to more droughtresistant plants and replacing grass with artificial turf.
“I did that about eight years ago and it still looks great,’’ she said.
“It’s green, the dogs love it,’’ Griffin said. “And I haven’t used any water on it.’’
And there’s potable water reuse --
something that eventually could lead to what has been dubbed “toilet-to-tap,’’ where effluent is treated to the point that it can go immediately back into the drinking water supply.
“It’s not just one project,’’ she said. “It’s all of the above.’’
But it was only the Democrats who spoke at Wednesday’s press conference where Ducey signed the legislation who mentioned the controversial issue of why Arizona is hotter and dryer.
“Our state is confronted with the reality of climate change,’’ said Senate Minority Leader Rebecca Rios, D-Phoenix.
That, she said, comes in combination with the fact that the Colorado River has been “over-allocated,’’ with the agreement on the amount of water each state was entitled to take set half a century ago. Only thing is, the actual flow of the river now is far below when those agreements were set.
And that already has forced mandatory cutbacks, with future reductions possible to keep Lake Mead from become a “dead pool’’ with no water flowing over the Hoover Dam.
That rapid decline was noted by the governor who pointed out that he was signing the new legislation in the same location as he signed the 2019 “drought contingency plan.’’
That move provided cash to help farmers who would be getting less water from the river to instead construct new wells and water delivery systems. It also paid money to tribes, who have higher priority claims to the river, to reduce their own use to keep more water in the river.
The plan was supposed to take care of water shortages through 2026, complete with some hopes that the drought would abate.
But that hasn’t happened. And Ducey said that the state’s financial surplus provided the opportunity to act now to shore up those supplies.
Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey holds up Senate Bill 1740 at the Capitol in Phoenix on July 6, 2022. Ducey signed the $1 billion water conservation bill into law. (Troy Hill/Cronkite News)
HEALTH WELLNESS
Summer 2022
Jungle Roots offers quality pediatric care in Ahwatukee
You likely have the retro Volkswagen bus, “Shorty,” that is an official mascot for Dr. John Culp, whose pediatric clinic has been serving Ahwatukee for 25 years.
Culp’s practice, Jungle Roots Children’s Dentistry & Orthodontics, boats award-winning care in a safe and exciting environment.
“With so many dentists in the area, knowing where to begin your search for the perfect pediatric dentist for your child can feel overwhelming,” he said.
“On one hand, you want your child to be comfortable going to the dentist,
but on the other, you want to make sure they’re receiving the best possible care and maybe even enjoy their visit.”
Recognized as one of Arizona’s top dentists, Culp is board-certified and works with a dedicated team comprising experts in alleviating patient anxieties and specialize in calming techniques to help ensure patients remain relaxed during their visits.
Culp originated the “themed” kids’ dental office in the Phoenix area. His innovative approach resulted in their captivating and fun jungle-themed office, complete with interactive jungle motif.
see JUNGLE ROOTS page 24
Your Local Guide to Better Living
Arizona Premier Dermatology is a leading skin care provider
Arizona Premier Dermatology prides itself as a leader “in all things skin.”
And one of its providers of quality skin care is Brenda Vogl, RN, MSN, and a nurse practitioner in dermatology.
The Ohio native attended the University of Toledo/Medical College of Ohio to earn her bachelor of science in nursing.
She left the cold and snowy climate to attend graduate school and fell in love with Arizona.
Vogl graduated from Arizona
State University with a master of science in nursing and nurse practitioner. She had worked in two large dermatology practices prior to establishing Arizona Premier Dermatology in 2007.
She says she is “devoted to providing the most current treatment solutions and highest standards of care to patients and their families both in medical and cosmetic dermatology.”
Vogt has extensive training in laser skin treatments, scleotherapy, cosmetic injections, micro-needling and PDO threads.
A member of the Skin Cancer Foundation, Vogl founded the Arizo-
na chapter of the Dermatology Nurses Association and was its president for 5 years.
She also is a clinical preceptor for Nurse Practitioner Students for the college of nursing at ASU.
Arizona Premier Dermatology is located at 4545 E. Chandler Blvd., Ahwatukee. Information: 480-785-7546 or azpremierderm.com
AFN NEWS STAFF
AFN NEWS STAFF
Dr. Vanessa Antolinez-Kai, the newest addition to the staff at Jungle Roots Children’s Dentistry and Orthodontics, and owner Dr. John Culp show off the tree that is part of the practice’s waiting area. (AFN file photo)
BRENDA VOGL
Culp and his team say they are proud to offer preventative and restorative pediatric dental care and advanced orthodontic treatments under one rainforest lined roof.
And adults who might be getting a little jealous of their child’s dental office should know Jungle Roots also offers comprehensive teen and adult orthodontic services.
The practice is accepting new patients. JUNGLE
Appointments can be made at jungleroots.com or by calling 480759-1119. Jungle Roots Children’s Dentistry & Orthodontics is located at 4232 East Chandler Blvd., Ahwatukee
GOT NEWS?
Contact Paul Maryniak at 480-898-5647 or pmaryniak@ timespublications.com
AZKidsDoc devoted to quality pediatric care
Dr. Dwayne St. Jacques of AZKidsDoc Pediatrics, a private solo-pediatric practice in Ahwatukee Foothills, has over 27 years of experience with 24 of them devoted to caring for children in Ahwatukee and nearby communities.
The Kansas native, who was raised in Valparaiso, Indiana, attended the University of Arizona College of Medicine for his undergraduate and medical degrees and completed his pediatric residency at the University of Arizona.
He is a member of the American Academy of Pediatrics.
AZKidsDoc Pediatrics specializes in pediatric and adolescent medicine, offering health care services to newborns, infants, children,
check and same-day-sick exams, AZKids Doc Pediatrics also provides sports/camp/ school physical exams, immunizations, circumcisions, minor ambulatory procedures and behavioral consultations.
St. Jacques said his practice “will continue to bring the best possible healthcare service to its patients during this period of uncertainty.
DR. DWAYNE ST. JACQUES
adolescents and young adults through college years. Besides newborn, well-
“Ease of access, prompt courteous service and responsiveness to our patients’ concerns will always be our primary goal,” he added. “While we believe the best place for children to receive medical care is at a pediatrician’s office, we offer telehealth services (sick exams and consultations) that can be done from the comfort and safety of your home.”
Information: 480-783-8964.
Dr. Culp AFN NEWS STAFF
U V rays can reflect off water, sand, snow, glass, and concrete.
• 1 in 5 Americans will develop skin cancer by the age of 70
Ahwatukee residents with all their Dermatological needs for Individuals and Families
• In the past decade, the number of new Melanoma cases annually increased by 31%
• Make Sunscreen SPF 30+ , a hat, and uv-protective sunglasses a daily habit to help prevent skin cancer and sun damage
Accufit is a new comprehensive muscle activation system that enables patients to rapidly engage muscle groups not usually targeted during normal workouts. In addition, Accufit can enable you to focus on specific areas where you want to see results.
• Reapply every 2 hours or after swimming or exercise.
For more information on sun protection and skin cancer facts go to The Skin Cancer Foundation
The Accufit system incorporates a propriety muscle activation process to target specific muscle groups. During a direct activation sequence, energy flows through the selected muscle triggering a variety of responses depending on the treatment mode chosen. Activations will allow patients to receive a greater range of muscle movements than they would typically do during a normal exercise routine. BEFORE AFTER
The smarter way to rejuvenate aging skin. Finally, a way to look refreshed and renewed without having to worry about downtime!
Lutronic Genius uses unique and intelligent technology to he!p protect the top layers of the skin while providing real-time feedback during the procedure.
Brenda Vogl, RN, MSN, NP
Lorraine Kempton, DNP, AGNP-C
Neuropathy Is Often Misdiagnosed
Muscle cramping, difficulty walking, burning, tingling, numbness, and pain in the legs or feet are symptoms of neuropathy people live with every day,” explains Dr. Kerry Zang, podiatric medical director of CIC Foot & Ankle. “The thing is PAD has very similar symptoms. So similar that in many cases, people are told it’s neuropathy when it may not be.”
Medicine is often prescribed. “Pills aren’t a cure, they just suppress the symptoms,” says Zang. “If neuropathy
isn’t causing the symptoms, the real problem could get worse.”
It’s important to determine if PAD (peripheral artery disease) is causing the pain or making it worse. PAD is plaque in the arteries which causes poor circulation. “Blood brings oxygen and nutrients to your feet which they need to stay healthy,” explains Zang, “When your feet aren’t getting an adequate supply, they start sending signals.” Those signals include pain, burning, tingling, numbness, or cramping. The good news is PAD is treatable in
Don’t wait for your feet to yell at you. If your feet hurt, they are talking to you. Our doctors can help tell you what they are saying.
/ N
Does foot pain prevent you from doing your favorite activity?
Do you have burning or tingling in your legs or feet?
Do you have leg or foot cramps with activity or at rest?
If you’ve answered “yes” to any of these questions, call our office today to see how our doctors can help.
an office setting. Dr. Joel Rainwater, MD endovascular specialist explains, “We go into the bloodstream to find the blockage using imaging guidance. Then with small tools that can go into the smallest arteries, remove the blockage, and restore blood flow.”
Getting the proper diagnosis is the first step to getting better. “It’s all about finding out what’s causing the problem,” says Zang. “When your feet burn, tingle, or feel numb, it’s your body telling you it needs help, and you should listen.”
If your neuropathy medication is not working, your symptoms may be an indication of another condition.
Stiff Joints Interfere with Everyday Living
One in 40 people over the age of 50 may find themselves limiting their activity because of a condition called hallux rigidus. It’s a degenerative disease of the big toe joint. As it progresses, the pain in the joint increases and motion decreases.
“People don’t realize the impact their big toe has on their life. It plays a role in balance, shock absorption, and forward movement as you walk,” explains Dr. Daniel Schulman, of CiC Foot & Ankle. “When the joint is stiff, it’s not able to bend and rotate properly, and it changes how we walk without us even realizing it.” These changes can lead to back or knee pain as well as discomfort in other parts of the foot.
“It always concerns me to hear that someone is playing less golf or staying home because they’re in pain,” says Schulman. “There are ways to help.”
The goal is to protect your feet from the repetitive stress of everyday activities. “We have several treatment options to not only relieve foot pain but help improve how your feet work. If we can help your feet function better, in many cases the need for surgery can be avoided or at the very least postponed,” says Schulman. “Patients are always happy to learn about ways to alleviate their symptoms.”
For golfers, a stiff big toe can make their game suffer.
•
•
•
Community
EV author pens new book on parental death’s impact
East Valley freelance author Michelle Shreeve was only 9 when her mother died and even 30 years later, her loss is never far from her mind.
In many ways it has shaped her career as a student and a writer. The Mountain Pointe High alumna for several years wrote a column for the Ahwatukee Foothills News that was directed to young people.
While earning her master’s degrees in English and creative writing, one of her projects focused on how bibliotherapy and writing therapy can help children, teens, and young adults cope with the death of a parent at a young age. She has written numerous articles for local and national publications about the impact of a parent’s death on children and teens and in 2018 published a book, titled “Parental Death: The Ultimate Teen Guide,” that was based on her interviews
Michelle Shreeve holds up copies of her first book on how losing a parent at a young age can impact people, like her mother’s loss did to her, for decades. (AFN file photo)
with 90 people ranging in age from preteen to the mid-80s.
It was the 56th book in the “It Happened to Me Ultimate Teen Guide” series
published by Rowman & Littlefield and is still available on a variety of book-sale websites.
This month, Shreeve is publishing a se-
quel to her book that is directed mainly at teens who have lost a parent and for the surviving parent trying to guide an adolescent child through the trauma of losing a mother or father.
“Parental Death: The Ultimate Teen Guide,” which is also published by Rowman & Littlefield, offers a variety of ways in which teens especially can cope with the universal difficulties of losing a parent. She also delves into the unique dynamics of specific losses – sons who lose fathers, daughters who lose mothers, and vice-versa – and how that impacts a teen’s future development. This book also identifies how the challenges of life without a parent can affect a young adult at different stages of life.
Shreeve has been writing about parental loss and its impact since 2008 and has talked not only with counselors and experts but dozens of people young and old
see SHREEVE page 29
Festival of Lights donation drive in full swing
With July’s searing temperatures and an equally hot primary election underway, it may be hard to think about the Christmas season and the festive decorations that come with it.
But that’s not far from the mind of a group of residents and board members of the Foothills Community Association.
A group of them are trying to get ahead on fundraising for the annual display of lights in the medians of Chandler Boulevard between 24th Street and Desert Foothills Parkway.
The annual cost of setting up and tearing down the display – along, of course, with the cost of electricity – exceeds $110,000 and even though both the Foothills and Club West homeowners associations have supported this in the past with
Foothills Community HOA board president Rob Doherty and resident Carrie McNeish got their holiday on to drum up support for the Festival of Lights fund drive. (Special to AFN)
annual contributions – usually $50,000 and $25,000 respectively – the holiday effort requires the support of individuals, groups and businesses.
“We are doing this earlier this year to make sure we have the funds prior to the HOA bidding out the lights and entering into the contracts,” said Foothills resident
Carrie McNeish, adding that “we had an amazing light display for over two months last year.”
But how long the lights can remain this season very much depends on the current fundraising efforts, she stressed.
Doherty led the Foothills HOA board in crafting an agreement with the all-volunteer Festival of Lights Committee to take over the responsibility for setting up the display. The committee remains in existence to raise funds and volunteer support for the effort.
This year the Foothills HOA board is bidding out the contract for the lights, which McNeish said “has not been done for years.”
“In order to know how much money they have to spend they have to collect the
see LIGHTS page 29
SHREEVE from page 28
who lost a parent as a child.
“I got creative with my own research along the way, researching writing therapy, bibliotherapy, and movie therapy, focusing on fictional relatable characters who lost a parent,” she said. “I’ve compiled lists over the years of notable society members who lost a parent young, but still gave something extraordinary back to the world such as Nobel Prize Laureates, athletes, scientists, actors, and more to serve as a healing coping mechanism.
“This book, and the research and interviews I conducted for my first book, have all been a 30 year process for me. In both books, I’ve shared what I’ve learned along the way to try and help others navigate this difficult situation.”
Shreeve felt a certain urgency to write a book that focused on the unique impact of a parent’s death on a teenager.
“When a parent dies before a child turns 20, they’re still very much dependent on them in many ways – emotionally, financially, physically, and more,” she explained. “This book would be the ideal go-to book for a child, teen, or young adult who just lost a parent, or a book for adults looking to support grieving children.”
A major undercurrent to her book is provided by real-life experiences that people of all ages shared with her,. For the first book, Shreeve put the word out on social media and through various local publications, looking for people who lost a parent as a child and she was bombarded by more than 90 letters from people of all ages.
She did it again for her new book, but didn’t garner nearly as many, although she added, “I thankfully was able to interview 13 brave participants.”
LIGHTS from page 28
monies prior to entering into the contract – which is why we are asking for donations now,” McNeish said.
McNeish said so far the fundraising has generated $37,000.
Besides contributions from the two HOAs and the Festival of Lights Commit-
“The pandemic caused issues for me writing this book,” said Shreeve, explaining, “I was having trouble finding participants willing to share their story. They had a minimum amount of participant stories they wanted me to include throughout the book, and I was struggling with getting teens to commit.”
“I pretty much wrote this second book right smack in the middle of a pandemic and a recession which was no easy task,” said. “However, sadly, more than 200,000 children have lost their parent due to CO-
tee, several businesses have stepped forward to help.
They include San Tan Ford, The Longo Firm, Albertsons/Safeway, and Jill Bittner with Tukee Homes Realty.
While fundraising will continue throughout the year – including a new “2022 Million Lights 5K Fun Run” along Chandler Boulevard on Dec. 10 – Foothills
VID-19 alone, so I feel like the timing of this book was meant to be, as it can serve as a helpful resource to all of these newly grieving parentless children.”
Shreeve explained, “A lot of the teens I interviewed for this book were struggling to participate, not only because they are so young and have been dealing with a lot just regarding the death of their parent alone, but also because of the at-home school transition caused by schools closing their doors due to the pandemic.”
Her subjects for the new book’s inter-
residents are focused on raising $50,000 by Aug. 31.
Businesses and individuals contributing $1,500 will get special recognition on the Foothills and Club West HOA websites, on flyers that will be sent later this year to 4,000 households in those two communities, and in the Ahwatukee Foothills News in both ads and news coverage.
views ranged from 15 to 65 years old and she describes them as “brave” because “it’s not easy to share your story, especially when you’re young and the loss is so new.
“I was there in that position once myself and completely get it.”
One of her most memorable interviews involved a young teen who had lost one parent around the time she wrote her first book and the other parent around the time she was preparing the new one.
“My heart broke for that participant because the participant is still just a young teenager and has already gone through two tragic parental losses,” Shreeve said.
Now that the new book is ready to hit book shelves, she said, “I’m very thankful for the participants who came forward, for had they not, this book, as well as my first one, would not have been made to try and help others.”
... She said her book “can also be a helpful resource for grieving families, teachers, school administrators, counselors, organizations, and other supportive adults looking to help guide and support youth trying to navigate the death of their parent.”
“My hope for this book is that no child, teen, young adult, or grieving family will think they are alone in navigating this tragic situation,” Shreeve said, “and that every reader can walk away feeling like there’s at least one person on the planet that can relate to what they’re going through and that some of my research and individual chapters can give positive insight into their loss to help guide them to a positive future.
“I hope readers will appreciate the bravery my 13 participants had by sharing their personal story of the death of their parent when they were young that can also provide many unique perspectives that can hopefully help readers as well.”
There are ways to help -- people can make a donation at gofundme.com (search by “foothills festival of lights”) or they can send a check to Premier, with “Foothills Holiday Lights Donation” in the memo field, attention Jatana Wylie, 3930 S. Alma School Road, Chandler AZ 85248. Information: cmcneish@cox.net or 480221-9090.
Michelle Shreeve’s new book examines the impact of a parent’s death on a teenager. (Special to AFN)
Gilbert girl, 6, now one of world’s youngest authors
BY CECILIA CHAN AFN News Staff
When Kyra Mishra laid eyes on Cowboy, a Shetland pony, she felt an instant bond.
The Gilbert girl, then 4 1/2 years old, had insisted on equestrian lessons and Cowboy was her first ride in a saddle.
“He’s a grumpy horse and everybody told me to stay away from him,” Kyra recalled. “He looked really sad.”
But remembering her mother’s advice to trust her instincts, Kyra did trust the horse and the two became fast friends.
“They were good for each other,” mom Isha said. “She would give apples to Cowboy and he started recognizing her and started neighing. They just connected.”
Kyra, who is now 6, penned and pub-
Speakers name for Democrats & Donuts event next week
A Democrats & Donuts event sponsored by LD12 Democrats will be held at 8 a.m. next Wednesday, July 20, at Denny’s, 7400 W. Chandler Blvd., Chandler. Speakers will include Julie Gunnigle, candidate for Maricopa County Attorney; Kevin Walsh, candidate for re-election to Kyrene Governing Board; and Triné Nelson, candidate for Kyrene Governing Board. Although the start time is 8 a.m., attendees are asked to arrive a little earlier to get seated and get their breakfast order in. Hosts will be there by 7:30 a.m.. For questions, email Julia Fleeman at juliafleeman@cox.net.
lished a book in June based on her experience with Cowboy titled, “Kids, Horses and Apples: Come Join My Horsey Fun.”
And that’s not all – Kyra’s dedicating a portion of the book’s proceeds to horserescue organizations such as S.T.A.R.S of Horsemanship, where she continues to take weekly lessons to this day.
“I thought that abandoned horse needed help,” Kyra said. “And I wanted to share my story with lots of kids.”
The book’s available in paperback and on Kindle at Amazon and the Barnes & Noble store in Mesa. The Mesa Public Library also has purchased the book for patrons to check out.
So far, the book’s getting five stars with one person calling it, “Fantastic... seamless and encouraging” and a United Kingdom reader saying, “Excellent read, will be waiting for the next one.”
Kyra’s now one of the world’s youngest female published authors.
The title for the youngest to publish a book belongs to a British girl, who was 5 years and 211 days old, according to Guinness World Records. The youngest boy to achieve that distinction was 4 years and 356 days old.
Kyra put pen to paper last fall as a kindergartener and wrote the book in bits and pieces, taking one to two weeks to accomplish her task. She’s dedicated the book to sister, Amaira, who’s soon turning 4 months old.
One of the most fun parts of writing was coming up with the glossary to acquaint readers with equestrian words and phrases, Kyra said.
Isha said her daughter often wrote stories on her own but when she saw how se-
rious her oldest born was with her book, a professional illustrator was called in.
Although Isha said she had a hand at editing for grammar, everything else was Kyra, including her thought process, telling the illustrator what scenes she wanted depicted and the colors used in the book.
“I’m like she ended up actually writing and publishing a book,” Isha said. “Best thing about her is how much she cares about animals. It was her idea to do something for Cowboy.
“For her to say she wanted to write a book and contribute to them, I’m so proud of her.”
Isha said her daughter developed an interest in horses at an early age, explaining that “my grandfather was a polo player.”
AROUND AHWATUKEE
Ahwatukee women’s group sets luncheon, invites new members
Ahwatukee Foothills Friends and Neighbors, a women’s club serving Ahwatukee since 2001, offers women of all ages an opportunity to share dining, cards and other games, gardening, book discussions, exploring Arizona day trips and other activities. Check out its web page at affanwomensgroup.org/public .
AFFAN will be hosting a luncheon at Biscuits Foothills 11:30 a.m.-1 p.m. July 25. Matt Metz, volunteer navigator at Sky Harbor Airport, will share his experiences assisting travelers. Contact affanwomensgroup@ gmail.com for more details and to register. The cost of the lunch is $20. A prepaid reservation is required
by tomorrow, July 14.
Ahwatukee
Kiwanis lists speakers at its meetings
The Ahwatukee Kiwanis Club is always looking for new members and invites interested people to attend one of their weekly meetings at 7:30 a.m. Thursdays at Biscuits restaurant, 4623 E. Elliott Road in the Safeway plaza. People also are invited to hear the speakers. Speakers who will appear and the dates are: House candidate Jim Chastan; July 14, Stephanie Walsh, Arizona Children’s Association; July 28 Stacey Travers, LD 12 House candidate; Aug. 11, Amanda Nosbisch, One Small Step/Clothes Cabin; Aug. 25 Kyle Ross, Kyrene
And, without fail, every time they drive to the stables, Kyra brings along carrots or apples for all the horses.
Kyra’s accomplishment at such a young age is no surprise to Isha or dad Abhudaya, who says their daughter is a star pupil at a BASIS charter school.
Danya Wright, founder of S.T.A.R.S. of Horsemanship near Williams Field and Lindsay roads, called Kyra’s endeavor “wonderful.”
“Almost all the horses in our program are rescues and many were once in an auction kill pen,” Wright said. “Cowboy, however, was owned by a lady who did parades with one of our instructors and
Digital Academy principal.
Local
American Legion Post always seeking new members
Men and women who served in the Armed Forces are always invited to join Ahwatukee American Legion Post 64, which meets 4-5 p.m. every third Wednesday of the month at the Ahwatukee Rec Center, 5001 E. Cheyenne Drive, Ahwatukee.
The post’s mission is to “enhance the well-being of America’s veterans, their families, our military and our communities by devotion to mutual helpfulness.” Information: Americanlegionpost64.com or 480326-4656.
Kyra Mishra’s family includes her father, Abhudaya Mishra, mother Isha, and baby sister Amaira. Kyra is one of the youngest published authors with her book “Kids, Horses and Apples.” (David Minton/Staff Photographer)
Cowboy inspired Kyra’s book. (Special to AFN)
she sold him to our program.”
The equestrian facility teaches English and Western Horseback riding lessons to all ages and also has a Special Olympics Equestrian Team.
“My business motto is, my horse, my hero,” Wright said, “because of how much they have inspired me and changed my life. I am so thrilled to hear Cowboy has inspired Kyra to write a book about horses.”
Kyra no longer rides Cowboy, having advanced in her skills and is on the backs of lar
She says she wants to become a doctor and an equestrian when she grows up.
But for now, she has first grade to look forward to and a second book is in the works.
“I’m trying to finish my tooth fairy story,” she said, unsure when she might publish again but then adding, “Maybe next year on June 22.”
www.ahwatukee.com
Wild Horse Pass is upping its appeal to locals
BY GERI KOEPPEL AFN Contributor
If you haven’t been to Gila River Resorts & Casinos Wild Horse Pass just south of Ahwatukee Foothills lately, you might not know what the ubiquitous TV ads that promise a glitzy Las Vegas-style experience are referring to.
And in fact, it boasts a range of new offerings designed to appeal to locals as well as visitors.
In addition to a rebranding from Gila River Hotel & Casinos, the $180 million expansion includes an 11-story hotel tower, a sports book, Topgolf Swing Suite, a new rooftop steakhouse and patio bar, coffee and pastry shop, pool renovations and additions, gaming tables on the casino floor and more conference and convention space.
To be clear, the Gila River Resorts & Casinos Wild Horse Pass only refers to the casino and attached resort run by the Gila River Gaming Enterprise. Other businesses on its land, including the Sheraton Grand at Wild Horse Pass, the Whirlwind
Gila River Resorts & Casinos Wild Horse Pass has spent $180 million on a massive expansion and upgrade as it woos locals to its many amenities. (Courtesy Gila
Golf Club at Wild Horse Pass, and others are separate entities.
The project, which broke ground in 2020, mostly was completed in January with the exception of the Topgolf Swing Suite, which opened in May.
“It’s only been open a few weeks, but we’ve been pretty busy,” said Daniela Vizcarra, public relations manager for Gila River Resorts & Casinos.
This is the only Topgolf Swing Suite in the state, Vizcarra noted, and includes two bays for up to eight people playing virtual sports against a screen, including golf, hockey, football, soccer and baseball.
It also features a full bar, table games, three betting kiosks, a broadcast/DJ booth and more than 20 TV screens. It accepts walk-ins, and reservations are accepted on OpenTable.
Topgolf is open Thursday through Sunday and can be booked for private events Monday through Wednesday, with catering and blackjack available.
see WILD HORSE page 34
Buzzed Goat grows into an Ahwatukee success story
BY GERI KOEPPEL AFN Contributor
The motto of the Buzzed Goat Coffee Company is “stay buzzed,” but that can be taken two ways: First, it offers an eye-popping brew that gives a good jolt, and secondly, it doubles as a full bar featuring cocktails, wine and craft beer.
An Ahwatukee Foothills success story that opened in October 2018, Buzzed Goat has blended the two facets to become an integral daylong hangout spot at 4302 E. Ray Road near East Ranch Circle Drive North. It’s open 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Tuesdays through Saturdays and 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sunday and Monday, with a daily happy hour offering drink discounts. Now, it’s opening a second location in Tempe at 3415 S. McClintock
Drive near Southern Avenue with a drive-through along with a larger capacity and bigger bar selection. The Ahwatukee location is 1,110 square feet with a capacity of 40, including a back meeting room with tabletop shuffleboard; the Tempe location will hold more than 50 in 1,400 square feet.
“I think it’s going to be a younger vibe catered to the college crowd,” said owner Gabe Von Weimer, of Chandler. “I’ve always imagined this concept would do well in college towns. It’s hip; it’s fun. It’s not a quiet coffee house. It’s more energetic.”
He said he hopes to open before Arizona State University resumes classes in August, but it depends on whether permits are approved. He’s also applying for a permit to sell both package liquor and cocktails to go.
Though the liquor selection at the Ahwatukee location isn’t extensive, it includes all the basics and special bottles such as Don Julio 1942 tequila, which sells for $25 a shot. The beer list eschews mass-market lagers in favor of craft beers with a focus on Arizona.
It also sells coffee cocktails, including the signature Buzzed Goat, with house-made cold brew, cream and SanTan caramel whiskey for $7 ($6 during happy hour).
Although the bar sells breakfast items like quiche and avocado
see BUZZED GOAT page 34
Buzzed Goat owner Gabe Von Weimer has generated a lot of buzz with his café. (Special to AFN)
River Resorts & Casinos Wild Horse Pass)
During regular hours, “You do not have to play Topgolf,” Vizcarra mentioned. “It’s an open bar—you can just hang out.”
It’s housed on the second floor, where the old Shula’s Steak House was located, with a birds-eye view of the gaming floor below.
Opposite Topgolf, also overlooking the gaming floor, is the sports book, which Vizcarra said was “packed” during March Madness. It was their first time taking bets for it since the 2021 Arizona Gaming Compact was signed.
With a capacity of 246, Wild Horse Pass is the biggest of Gila River’s three sports books, which also opened at Vee Quiva and Lone Butte. It has a full bar and food service as well as rows and rows of big screens and 10 betting kiosks (there are two more near the River Bar).
Although all bets are placed online, Vizcarra noted an employee is always on hand to help.
“A lot of people have never done this before, so it can be a little intimidating,” she said, adding, “Because we are on the reservation, you can only bet here in person” and not on an app on your phone.
The nonsmoking casino floor also got a refresh with new colors, carpeting and lighting as well as a giant LED screen. After the gaming laws changed, the casino also added a total of 51 table games like blackjack, craps, roulette and baccarat.
“We are really catering to the Asian com-
BUZZED GOAT from page 33
toast, Von Weimer hosts food trucks on Saturdays and allows people to bring in carryout from Moku Hawaiian Grill and Kolache Cafe, his neighbors in the Ranch Circle Plaza.
The Buzzed Goat began as a mobile truck while Von Weimer was still employed in the corporate world.
The Desert Vista High School graduate managed Ra Sushi on Ray Road and ran bars for years, but “after having my second child, I wanted to get a quote unquote ‘real job,’” he said.
While working as a network engineer and in IT sales, he missed the food and drink industry and bought the coffee truck. His first year was a success, so he
The Topgolf Swing Suite at Gila River Resorts & Casinos Wild Horse Pass is the only one in Arizona and includes two bays for up to eight people playing virtual golf. (Courtesy Gila River Resorts & Casinos Wild Horse Pass)
munity” with baccarat, Vizcarra said, offering perks and incentives.
The gaming floor still includes 1,100 slot machines and a food court, and just outside is the entrance to the 1,400-seat Showroom theater that hosts music, comedy and more.
Also upstairs next to the sports book is a gift shop and a new café called Aroma Coffee & Pasticceria, selling Starbucks drinks as well as desserts and gelato.
Just past that is the new, brighter, mod-
left his job to open a location full-time.
“Just being in sales you see how much coffee people drink, so I knew there was a market for that,” Von Weimer said.
He chose Ahwatukee because he had ties in the community and knew how fervently people here support small businesses.
“From day one, we’ve had nothing but a ton of community support,” Von Weimer said. “I’d be at teacher appreciation, little leagues; anything in the community that asked for a coffee or dessert truck, we’d show up. I think that helped us build the name pretty quick in Ahwatukee.”
The truck still travels to events from charity car shows to seasonal festivals, and the bar became an instant hit as well, winning the Ahwatukee Foothills News’ Best New Business after opening and then
ing, and from 10–11 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays, the patio becomes 11VEN, a chic cocktail lounge with deejay.
“The views out here when the sun is setting is absolutely gorgeous,” Vizcarra stated.
Also, the pool area was completely reconfigured and a “Serenity Pool” for age 21 and up was added. The main Oasis Pool is all ages and open to guests only.
“Unlike other resorts, we do not do day passes,” Vizcarra said. They also never charge a resort fee, she added.
The only exception is from 2–6 p.m. the last Saturday of each month through September, when the public can attend a Vegas-style “Summer Oasis Pool Party” for age 21 and up. The ticket price is $40; hotel guests get two free passes.
If You Go...
What: Gila River Resorts & Casinos
Where: 5040 Wild Horse Pass Blvd., Chandler, AZ 85226
Hours:
Casino: Open 24 hours daily
ern 11-story Sunrise hotel tower with 205 guest rooms and suites. It connects to the original Sunset Tower, which has 242 rooms and was renovated in 2019.
On the roof of the Sunrise Tower is Prime, A Shula’s Steak House, which has been a big draw for locals. It boasts expansive views, a visible kitchen, semi-private dining room and glass elevator.
It’s been “booked for weeks” and reservations are a must, Vizcarra said.
Prime also has outdoor seating for din-
Best Coffee Shop three years running.
Thanks to its devoted clientele, the Buzzed Goat weathered the early days of COVID-19 better than most.
“We were super fortunate we had regulars coming in buying gift cards just to keep us open,” Von Weimer said. “We were selling out of merchandise weekly—shirts, cups, hats… They were tipping the staff like $100 multiple times. We were able to stay afloat just with that and we were doing to-go cocktails, which really helped us out when they passed that law.”
Though the bar lost snowbird business in the winters during COVID, Von Weimer said the regulars have come back and they’ve never been busier. He’s also partnered with other local business like Wick-
Sports book hours: 8 a.m.–10 p.m. daily
Topgolf: Swing Suite hours: 5 p.m.–midnight Thursday-Friday, 11 a.m.–midnight Saturday, 11 a.m.–10 p.m. Sunday and for private events Monday–Wednesday Prime, A Shula’s Steak House and 11VEN: hours: Dining 5–10 p.m. Tuesday–Thursday, 5–11 p.m. Friday-Saturday, 10 a.m.–2 p.m. Sunday; 11VEN open 10-11 p.m. Friday-Saturday for cocktails Info: playatgila.com
ed Brews, Bites & Spirits, which sells The Buzzed Goat’s hot coffee and cold brew made with their own Buzzed Blend beans.
Tom Howard of Ahwatukee, who owns Valley Pro Power Wash, said he stops in to The Buzzed Goat a couple times a week.
“One of the things I rave about the most is the vibe, the feeling,” he said. “You know everyone. There’s lot of locals coming out; Ahwatukee businesses that come in. It’s got a real welcoming feel.”
“A lot of friendships have been made here,” Von Weimer said. “They come here to meet friends, talk business, talk shop. They start with coffee and end with cocktails or beer.”
Information: 480-706-7411; thebuzzedgoat.com
www.ahwatukee.com
Share Your Thoughts:
Send your letters on local issues to: pmaryniak@timespublications.com
Legal implications of lottery wins in Arizona
BY JENNIFER L. SELLERS AFN Guest Writer
The lottery is fun to play
– thinking about what we’ll do if we win –but it also serves an important purpose. In Arizona, the money from ticket sales go to programs and organizations that help education, health and human services, the environment and economic and business development.
According to GoBankingRates.com, for one of the most popular lotteries in the United States, Mega Millions, your odds of winning are about 1 in 176 million. If you’re playing a single-state lottery, your odds increase to 1 in 42 million.
To put that in perspective, you are about 30,000 times more likely to experience a bathroom injury than you are to win the Mega Millions jackpot, 250 times more likely to be struck by lightning and 80 times
more likely to die by shark attack.
While the odds are low that we’ll win, it’s still exciting to play and we can always remain hopeful that it will work in our favor. However, should you win, there are a few legal implications to consider, and it’s always a good idea to consult with an attorney in your state.
Redeem your prize. Arizona Lottery retailers will redeem prizes up to $100 and may redeem up to $599. Prizes of $600 or more must be claimed at the Arizona Lottery office. If you hold a winning ticket, you have 180 days from the draw date, purchase day or game-ending date for scratchers.
Once the ticket is expired, it cannot be redeemed. Keep in mind, if you lose the ticket you are out of luck. Remember to sign the back and fill out your address as soon as you buy the ticket; otherwise anyone holding the ticket can redeem it.
Protect your privacy. In Arizona, the names of persons or legally formed entities
that are paid lottery prizes or winnings of $600 or more are held confidential for 90 days from the date the prize is awarded. Winners of $100,000 or greater may elect to keep their name permanently confidential.
Decide between cash or annuity. Winners have 60 days from the claim date (the date the ticket is presented for validation) to choose either the cash or an annuity. If you choose cash, the lottery will issue a check once the ticket is validated.
The cash value is approximately half the advertised value of the jackpot and is paid in one lump sum. But if you select an annuity, you are paid a lump sum and 29 annual graduated payments. This decision is best discussed with a lawyer, CPA or financial planner.
Pay your taxes. The law considers lottery winnings taxable income, for both federal and state tax purposes. Winnings are taxed the same as wages or salaries, and the total amount the winner receives must be re-
ported on their tax return each year.
Before the winner receives any money, the IRS automatically takes approximately 24% of the winnings and you pay the rest when filing your taxes. Arizona is one of only two states that tax the winnings of people who live out of state. Arizona automatically withholds 4.8% for state taxes on lotto winnings.
It’s important to make sure we are prepared to abide by the laws of winning. To ensure you are doing what is best for you and your family, consider consulting with an attorney.
It’s also not a recommended investment strategy. However, winning the lottery is a good reason to revisit your estate planning strategy. Information: arizonalottery.com. Jennifer Sellers is a senior member at The Cavanagh Law Firm specializing in employment and corporate law, representing clients on a variety of employment matters.
Griner case illustrates plight of detained Americans
BY DAVID LEIBOWITZ Tribune Columnist
The open letter to President Biden, written by hand and released on the Fourth of July, tore at the heart. This is the unfortunate plight of Phoenix Mercury star Brittney Griner, wrongfully detained for 143 days and counting in a godforsaken gulag 6,000 miles from home.
“As I sit here in a Russian prison,” Griner wrote, “alone with my thoughts and without the protection of my wife, family, friends, Olympic jersey, or any accomplishments, I’m terrified I might be here forever.” She went on to beseech Biden: “I realize you are dealing with so much, but please don’t forget about me and the other American Detainees. Please do all you can to bring us home.”
We have been told by the White House press secretary that Biden has read the letter. We also have been told his Administra-
tion will “use every tool we possibly can” to bring Griner home. I hope so, because Russian news reports have said Griner, arrested on Feb. 17th, faces up to 10 years in prison for allegedly having .702 grams of hash oil in two vape cartridges in her luggage. She pleaded guilty to drug charges on July 7. Biden and the U.S. State Department should use every tool in America’s toolbox to secure Griner’s release – exactly as he should on behalf of the more than 60 Americans currently held hostage in foreign countries.
Like Paul Whelan, a former Marine wrongfully detained in Russia since 2018. Like “the Citgo 6,” petroleum executives wrongfully held in Venezuela since 2017. And like Alina Lopez-Miyares, wrongfully locked up in a Cuban prison since January 2017. In a more just world, we would care about all these Americans with the same vigor and at the same loud volume. The truth? As a culture, we have a limited attention span, a finite amount of compassion we spend
in dollops – a sprinkling for the homeless here, a few spoonsful for the struggling poor there, and a drip or two for Brittney Griner.
Is that right? I don’t think so. I wish we had an endless reserve of compassion, enough to go around in the right proportions.
Even so, I disagree wholeheartedly with Mercury head coach Vanessa Nygaard, who took dead aim at America in comments supporting Griner last week.
“If it was LeBron, he’d be home, right?” Nygaard declared. “It’s a statement about the value of women. It’s a statement about the value of a black person. It’s a statement about the value of a gay person. All of those. We know it.”
Actually, it’s a statement about how little we pay attention to wrongful detainees and their suffering. Virtually no one save the families of the imprisoned has made a peep about wrongfully imprisoned Americans anywhere, about Whelan, the Citgo 6, or Lopez-Miyares. This silence has nothing to do
with race, gender, or who someone loves. It has everything to do with our culture’s capacity to empathize.
Nygaard seems to think if Griner was male, white and straight, America would be threatening nuclear war. Reality says otherwise. Nygaard is correct about one thing, though. If Lebron James was wrongfully imprisoned, Americans would be rioting in the streets.
That has everything to do with celebrity, which is the only reason you have heard about Brittney Griner’s case at all. If Griner couldn’t dribble, couldn’t dunk, wasn’t a six-time WBNA All-Star, her imprisonment would be occurring in silence.
Nygaard is dead wrong about for whom we care and why. We reserve the greatest compassion for the most famous among us – that is a perverted truth about the American way.
I hope Brittney Griner comes home soon. And I hope we bring every other wrongfully detained American home with her.
@AhwatukeeFN
Sports & Recreation
Antonio Delgado cementing legacy in final year
BY ZACH ALVIRA AFN Sports Editor
Antonio Delgado’s love for Desert Vista High School and the football program is undeniable.
He’s been enamored by both since he was in the eighth grade, when his older brother Armando established himself as a leader for the Thunder football team as a senior at linebacker and fullback. Armando helped lead Desert Vista to a win over rival Mountain Pointe in the annual Ahwatukee Bowl between the two community high schools, forever cementing his legacy.
Three years later, the younger Delgado brother did the same with a game-winning sack in overtime against the Pride last season. Now he’s ready to further cement his own legacy in the program as a senior.
“I still think about it, getting the tackle and seeing everyone come from the stands and run out onto the field,” Delgado said. “I still think I have a lot more to prove this year.
“I want to leave a good legacy and show what the Delgados are about, leadership and respect and leading the school to success. I have a lot to do this year to set that in stone.”
Delgado’s football career at Desert Vista started with him playing offensive line on the Thunder’s freshman team. He came into the program at 6-feet, 205 pounds but lacked some muscle. He worked to better himself throughout the season as a freshman and as he headed into his sophomore year.
He quickly turned fat into muscle and became the starting guard on the varsity offensive line. But even with a key role at the varsity level, he wasn’t satisfied. He wanted to play defense, just like Armando.
Delgado took a giant leap that off-season heading into his junior season. He worked nonstop in the weight room and quickly made the transition to defense where he shined as an outside linebacker where he would occasionally come off the edge. But his biggest development came off the field with his leadership skills.
Vista senior Antonio Delgado
“I feel like I’ve seen a lot of growth not just physically but mentally,” Delgado said. “I feel like I’m more in-tune with the sport even though I’ve been playing my whole life, basically. It’s suddenly clicked a lot more.
“Now I’m older so I get a little more respect from the younger guys so it’s easier to share what I’ve experienced.”
Delgado aims to accomplish several feats during his senior season.
He wants to earn a Division I offer to continue his career at the next level. He wants to surpass 100 total tackles this season. He was second on the team last year with 86. Most importantly, he wants to help put his team in the best position to win a championship.
Delgado knows, however, that won’t be easy. The Thunder have had to learn a new offense and defense for the third time in as many years with Nate Gill taking over the program. The transition process has
had some ups and downs, as would any program. But with Gill being a defensive-minded coach, Delgado immediately gravitated toward him.
Gill said he watched film on Delgado before he arrived at Desert Vista. He was impressed with his selflessness, passion for the program and his play on the field.
When he was hired, Delgado was one of the first players to reach out to him to get going with off-season work.
The two text back and forth almost daily. Gill said Delgado is the perfect representation of what he wants from players in his program. Guys that are bought in and are willing to put in the work necessary to be successful.
“He’s just an overall solid kid,” Gill said. “Majority of the time when we talk, it has zero to do with football. I take pride in having those kinds of relationships with guys on my team.
“My goal is to get him the best possible opportunity in college that I can. I want to show his versatility and his intelligence not only as a student but as a football player.”
Desert Vista is preparing to head to its annual football camp up north this month. There, the team will have an opportunity to further establish close bonds as the season quickly approaches.
The Thunder have the talent necessary to be successful. They have experience on both sides of the ball and size in the trenches. Now, it’s all about putting it all together.
Delgado is aiming to win a championship in his final season. But if he falls short, he hopes to at the very least lay the foundation for the team to be successful going forward.
This is a program Delgado has come to love the last eight years. While still several months away, he knows his final home game will be one filled with emotion. In the meantime, he aims to make the most of the time he has left with his team.
“I’ll be sad when it’s my last time on this field,” Delgado said. “Just knowing I spent four years out here and gave it all I’ve got for four years, it’ll be pretty sad. I’ll definitely miss it.”
Vista coach Nate Gill said Delgado was one of the first players to reach out to him when he was hired this past winter. He said Delgado has proven himself as a leader and advocate for the program. Now, he aims to do what he can to get him to the next level. (Dave Minton/AFN Staff)
Desert
Desert
has established himself as a leader for the Thunder football program. Now, as he prepares for his final season, he wants to further cement his legacy as a hard worker and lay a foundation of success for the team moving forward. (Dave Minton/AFN Staff)
Playful O.A.R. kicking off U.S. tour in Mesa
BY CHRISTINA FUOCO-KARASINSKI GetOut Edtor
When O.A.R. multi-instrumentalist Jerry DePizzo thinks about the Maryland band’s tours, he recalls love and memories.
Within seconds of hearing the word “Phoenix,” he thinks Celebrity Theatre and its quirky revolving stage.
“It’s one of my favorites, in a weird and wild sort of way,” he said with a laugh. “It’s quirky. There’s nothing else like it. It’s a great room and when it’s at capacity, the audience has the ability to be a lot louder.”
The guitarist/saxophonist fondly recalled the Valley, and venues around the state. On Friday, July 15, O.A.R. will kick off its summer jaunt with G. Love and Dispatch at the Mesa Amphitheatre.
“We’re excited to go out with Dispatch this summer,” he said. “That one’s been
On Friday, July 15, O.A.R. will kick off its summer jaunt with G. Love and Dispatch at the Mesa Amphitheatre. (Special to GetOut)
three years in the making. Any time OAR is going out with Dispatch, it’s a good idea.”
O.A.R. – which features vocalist/guitarist Marc Roberge; lead guitarist Richard
‘The Lion King’ comes to ASU Gammage
BY ABI CELAYA GetOut Staff Writer
Darian Sanders and Michelle Scalpone are obsessed with “The Lion King.”
They call the musical – now at ASU Gammage through July 31 – beautiful, stunning and a story for all ages.
“I have been obsessed with big cats and lions my entire life,” said Sanders, who plays Simba.
“I named my first dog Nala and this was 15 years ago. I was obsessed with the animated feature. I absolutely loved it. It’s been cool to come full circle.”
Broadway’s “The Lion King” hit stages for the first time in 1997, three years after Disney’s animated film was released. Since then, it has garnered more than 70 theatrical awards.
With roots in Kentucky, Sanders joined the cast of “The Lion King” in September 2019. He heard about the role after sing-
ing the national anthem at a basketball game. And, thanks to his former manager, he was connected with “The Lion King” producers.
He was hired as a cover for Simba and was in the ensemble for the Broadway show. Last year, he landed the role of Simba on the national tour.
Sanders said, in some ways, he’s similar to his character.
“Everybody has a little bit of Simba in them,” he said.
“That story and that journey are personalized for everyone when they come and watch the show.”
The strongest connection between Sanders and Simba rests in their faith.
“My faith is what grounds me,” said Sanders, who also works as a worship leader.
“For Simba, Mufasa has told him that the kings of the past are who he can rest on and who he can call upon and I say, ‘Man, that’s awesome.’”
Sanders, who made his theatrical debut at Lexington Theater Co., said audiences should keep an eye on the opening scene, “The Circle of Life.”
“There’s something about being there in the theater and having Rafiki do that opening call,” Sanders said.
“That just shifts and changes something in your heart and it brings you back to the first moment you ever saw the animated feature.”
At Tucson native, Scalpone is the assistant stage manager for “The Lion King.” She speaks to the joy of working on such a large-scale production.
She fell in love with the magic of stage
Darian Sanders as Simba and Kayla Cyphers as Nola share a tender moment in “The Lion King,” now at ASU Gammage Theater. (Special to GetOut) see LION KING page 43
On; drummer Chris Culos; bassist Benj Gershman and DePizzo – formed in high school and this year rings in 25 years.
Sticking with its moniker, Of a Revolution, the band helms Heard the World Foundation, which raises money to create education-based opportunities, including music therapy programs in hospitals, scholarships, donating computers to schools and provided an infrastructure in Flint to help with the ongoing water crisis.
July 15 is a special day for O.A.R., best known for the hits “Shattered” and “Love and Memories.” That morning, it releases its 10th studio album, “Arcade,” which features the first single, “In the Clouds.”
The “In the Clouds” video features Barstool Sports’ John Feitelberg in singer Marc Roberge’s treatment.
“It was a great experience from soup to
see O.A.R. page 41
Indie rock band on O.A.R. card as well
BY ALEX GALLAGHER GetOut Staff Writer
When Brad Corrigan and Chadwick Stokes re-formed the Boston-based indie band Dispatch in 2011 after a seven-year hiatus, they agreed that music would not be the sole focus of the band this go-around.
Instead of using their platforms to perform groovy music, the two decided to shed the spotlight on social injustices with live performances.
“We kind of see two chapters in our band: there’s the first chapter up until we took a massive hiatus in 2004 and then we started playing again in 2011,” Corrigan said. “When we started playing again, in 2011, Chad and I felt strongly that we wanted to see if there was a way to support so many non-governmental organizations and so many incredible leaders doing great work in the world.”
Because of this, Dispatch will donate $1 from each ticket sold during the upcoming jaunt with rockers O.A.R. – which kicks off on July 15 at the Mesa Amphitheater – to organizations devoted to ending mass incarceration.
“In the last two years, we’ve been learning about (mass incarceration) in particular through Chad’s nonprofit, which is called ‘Calling All Crows,’ and mass incarceration seems to be the biggest question mark that Chad or myself have ever seen in our country,” Corrigan said.
“We don’t understand how it’s possible that our country – which is supposed to be the land of the free – is actually one
O.A.R. from page 40
nuts,” he said.
“It’s rare when you have an idea or a vision for something and it gets executed. All the pieces fell into place. When we were initially talking about it, we said it’ll be light, super positive, and put a smile on people’s faces. People are enjoying it and it’s bringing a sound that’s not only for people familiar with O.A.R., but others as well.”
DePizzo compared “Arcade” to video
of the most incarcerated countries in the world, if not the most.”
According to data from The Sentencing Project – a D.C. based 501(c)3 that advocates for effective and humane responses to crime that minimize imprisonment and criminalization of youth and adults by promoting racial, ethnic, economic and gender justice – the United States has an international rate of incarceration of 693 people per 100,000 people.
Not only did this statistic alarm Corrigan and Stokes, but the trickle-down effect of the statistic was also heartbreaking to the multi-instrumentalist duo.
“If we could spend the next five or 10
games — each song has its own story behind it.
“The album is a collection of all of those sounds and styles of O.A.R.,” he said.
“We never tried to define ourselves as one thing. We’re a collection of five guys coming together with musical taste and interest, throwing it in a pot and out comes O.A.R. It’s certainly very much in that vein.”
DePizzo revealed O.A.R. cowrote a song with Rob Thomas of Matchbox Twenty,
years of our band’s lives just trying to bring a little more spotlight to that problem in our country, It might help address food insecurity, (it) might help address education issues and it might help address racial inequality since those strands tend to coalesce together in the issue of incarceration,” Corrigan said.
Dispatch will also be selling a limitededition poster and t-shirt that have been designed by artists who were incarcerated and donating 100% of the sales to organizations fighting to end mass incarceration.
Dispatch hopes to raise $100,000 for its cause by the tour’s conclusion.
In conjunction with raising awareness
“Over My Head.”
“It’s an earwig that — even as I’m saying the title of that song — is earwigged into my brain and lasts the rest of the day.
I enjoy this album.”
DePizzo described the album as trademark O.A.R., which is rooted in early Genesis and Phil Collins.
“That was imprinted into our brains, watching it on TV and live concert videos, along with UB40, Sting and Police,” he said. “Those kinds of sounds and ele-
about mass incarceration, Corrigan hopes to inspire a sense of community at each venue Dispatch pops into.
“What you learn as a musician is that it’s not about you, it’s about just creating a community moment where everyone who comes to the show agrees,” Corrigan said.
“When everyone is singing the same songs and the same lyrics and leaning toward the stage kind of as one and then for us to get to, hopefully, create a show that does give people kind of a dynamic ride and involves them makes them feel like they’re a part of something, that’s such a fun energy.”
Playing the show outdoors is a bonus for Corrigan.
“Outdoor shows are our favorite,” he said. “Outdoor shows are where music is most powerful because even if it’s bad weather, there’s still something so magical about being outside making music.”
With the backdrop of shining stars and an ambient crowd, Corrigan is most amped to jam tracks like “Be Gone” and “Alias” and hear the crowd sing the lyrics with him.
“We just love rocking on those, I just love hitting (those songs) so hard and hearing everyone in their sweet spot,” he said.
As Corrigan and co. jaunt from city to city, he feels determined to provide a night of entertainment and address a cause he has become enthusiastic about.
“We’re so fired up for the music, but it’s equally important to us that, that we’re able to share why we still do what we do,” he said.
Info: mesaamp.com and dispatchmusic.com
ments and textures really played a part in this album.”
If You Go...
Who: O.A.R. and Dispatch w/ G. Love
Where: Mesa Amphitheatre, 263 N. Center St., Mesa
When: 6 p.m. Friday, July 15
Cost: Tickets Start At $48.75
Info: Mesaamp.Com, Dispatch-Oar. Com
Boston-based Indie-rock outfit Dispatch is donating $1 from every ticket sold on its upcoming tour with O.A.R. to charities devoted to ending mass incarceration. (Courtesy of Mike Smith)
It’s always on the list of favorite treats for summer – ice cream in any shape, flavor or form.
And if you want to create a cone with a real Southwest twist, how about a home-made, hand-crafted ice cream cone that tastes just like a Mexican churro, and it holds as much ice cream as the cone you are willing to create. While homemade churros are pretty tough to tackle (churro dough is very dense and sticky),
Ingredients:
Ice cream churros are
a
tasty answer to any heat wave
this cone is made with store-bough biscuit dough, making the process a whole lot easier. The dough is wrapped around a homemade paper mold. It is then baked, rolled in cinnamon and sugar, baked again and then coated on the inside with dipping chocolate which seals it, preventing a soggy cone. Load it up with scoops of your favorite ice cream for a cool and festive way to celebrate summer, Southwest style!.■
• 1 (16.3) ounce package biscuit dough (Grand’s or larger biscuits work best)
• 1/4 cup flour
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 2 teaspoons cinnamon
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
• 1 cup dipping chocolate or chocolate coating
Directions:
Place oven rack in the bottom third of the oven, removing the rack above the one you will be using. Preheat oven the 375 degrees. Take the sheet of paper and roll into a tight cone, securing the end with a piece of tape. Trim the wide end of the cone straight across so it will stand upright on a baking sheet. Wrap cone tightly with foil (on the inside too), completely covering the paper. Lightly spray with cooking oil and set aside. Repeat with remaining sheets of paper. Dust work surface with flour. Using a rolling pin, roll out the biscuit dough to a 1/4-inch thick piece of dough large enough to wrap around the cone mold. Wet your fingertips with water and press and seal dough around mold. Place the cone, base side down on a lightly greased
• 1 pint ice cream
• Candy sprinkles
• Special equipment:
• 6 sheets (8x10inch) of heavy stock paper or manila folders
• Painter’s or regular tape
• Aluminum foil
• Pastry brush
baking sheet. Bake for about 12 minutes or until cone is golden brown.
In a small bowl, mix together cinnamon and sugar. Remove the cones from the oven and brush the outside with melted butter. Sprinkle cones evenly with cinnamon sugar and return to the oven, baking for an additional 3 minutes. Remove the cones from the oven and let cool. While the cones are cooling, melt chocolate in a microwave safe bowl in 30-second intervals until spreadable. When the cone is cool enough to handle, remove it from the mold. Pour chocolate into the cone and coat all the way around, pouring out any excess. Let the chocolate harden. Fill the cone with a scoop of your favorite ice cream and sprinkles.
Serving size: 6
management at a young age when she attended a production of “Beauty and the Beast.”
“I remember more things that happened in that wing than what happened on stage,” Scalpone said.
“I immediately went to my middle school like, ‘How do I do that?’ I staged my way through high school and went to college for it and then I went to Juilliard working professionally and now I work for Disney,” Scalpone said.
She started with the legendary company 10 days before the pandemic put its clamp on the world.
She was working on “Love Life” for Encores at City Center when she got a text from her mentor asking her if she wanted to go on tour for “The Lion King.” Scalpone interviewed and two days later
she was hired.
Scalpone — who travels by car so she can sightsee—agrees with Sanders that the opening scene is moving.
“I’ve been working here, technically, for two years,” she said. “‘The Circle of Life’ still brings me to tears because it is just so beautiful.”
She said her favorite line in the performance is, “The past can hurt, but the way I see it, you can either run from it or you can learn from it.”
Sanders and Scalpone say they believe “The Lion King” is a show for people of all ages.
He said anyone who has a pulse, heartbeat and breath in their lungs needs to see “The Lion King.”
“It is phenomenally great, and it is timeless,” Sanders said.
Scalpone was quick to add that the show isn’t just for kids.
“The messages are so universal and make you feel like it is an individual story being told just to you,” Scalpone said.
“The Lion King” is about inner strength and being OK with your journey, she adds.
“The aspect of redemption” is important, Sanders adds.
“There is nothing you can do or a spot you can go too far that you can’t come back and be redeemed from.”
If You Go...
Who: “The Lion King”
Where: ASU Gammage, 1200 S. Forest Ave., Tempe
When: Various times through July 31
Cost: Tickets start at $75
Info: asugammage.com, ticketmaster.com
Avoiding Cover Letter Mistakes
They may feel old-fashioned, but a well-crafted cover letter could mean the difference between being employed and unemployed.
MAKE IT UNIQUE
It’s tempting to craft one catch-all letter, proof read it, then simply copy and paste the same content over and over to multiple possible employers. You may also find yourself applying for more than one job at a time, and standardizing the letter can seem like a great stream-lining idea. But you won’t be differentiating yourself or highlighting the parts of your background that might improve your candidacy.
Hiring managers can get the nuts and bolts of your career path from the resume itself. Your letter should put all of that in perspective as it relates to this
particular position, while showcasing you as a person — rather than just another applicant.
LANGUAGE IS IMPORTANT
Always use conversational, firstperson language in a cover letter. Mention how you were alerted to their vacancy, and why the position is attractive to you. At the same time, focus on using words like “we” and “us.” It may sound counterintuitive, but cover letters can’t be all about the candidate. You’ll never be able to completely avoid using the word “I” — and you shouldn’t. But cover letters tend to be better received if you make them more about how you’ll integrate with the company. Do a bit of research into their values, projects and mission statement, then focus on how you’d like to further those goals. Including your thoughts
on these initiatives shows a dedication to becoming a committed, engaged employee. Remember to customize every letter by integrating as many of their job-announcement keywords as possible.
DISPLAY ORIGINALITY
Let’s face it, there aren’t many ways to bring a spark to the average resume. The document is really only there to share employment details, not to show off your personality. That’s where a cover letter can set your application apart. Take a more anecdote-driven approach. Offer insights into your own motivations, what inspired you and how that fed into your desire to become a leader, collaborator and mentor at their company.
The goal is to tell your story in a brief but engaging way. Hiring managers
Why Work Here?
Times Media Group offers a positive work environment, employee training, a talented team, and lots of professional growth opportunities. Times Media Group is a digital and print media company operating in the Phoenix, Tucson, and Los Angeles markets. We have experienced significant growth in recent years due to our commitment to excellence when it comes to providing news to the communities we serve.
Job Description
We are seeking a highly organized, friendly, and outgoing individual who excels at making customers happy and keeping the office environment functioning. A good candidate will have strong computer and communication skills and an ability to build rapport and communicate with customers, usually by phone.
are likely shifting through many cover letters, and being yourself is one way to stand out.
An energetic and upbeat attitude • A minimum of two years of office experience
• The ability to work well on a team
• An ability to thrive in a fast-paced environment
• Exceptional organizational skills
• A desire for hands-on professional growth experience
If you are a hardworking and resourceful individual, please respond with your resume and a cover letter outlining why you believe your skill set and experience make you a good fit for this position. We are currently scheduling interviews for an immediate opening.
JOIN OUR TEAM!
•General Laborer
•Shipping & Inventory
Crane Operator
•Maintenance Mechanic
•Production Operator
And more!
Two Day Hiring Event
When: Friday and Saturday July 15 - 16; 9am - 2pm
Where: CMC Steel Arizona 11444 E Germann Rd. Mesa, AZ 85212
CMC Steel Arizona has proudly been making the steel that builds America since 2009.
Come tour our facility and learn about our openings and potentially receive an on-thespot offer! At CMC, we offer great benefits and provide all necessary training and certifications.
Scan to see all job openings!
NortonLifeLock Inc. has an opening for a Financial Analyst in Tempe, Arizona. Duties include working on financial activities such as cash flow forecasting and liquidity management, capital planning, investments and foreign exchange risk management. May telecommute from home. Contact: Send resume to Brett Goodman, Sr. Global Mobility Specialist, at jobads@nortonlifelock.com. Must reference job 1648.6947.
FREEDOM. TO BE YOU.
If you think oxygen therapy means slowing down, it’s time for a welcome breath of fresh air.
Introducing the Inogen One family of portable oxygen systems. With no need for bulky tanks, each concentrator is designed to keep you active via Inogen’s Intelligent Delivery Technology.® Hours of quiet and consistent oxygen flow on a long-lasting battery charge enabling freedom of movement, whether at home or on the road. Every Inogen One meets FAA requirements for travel ensuring the freedom to be you.
• No heavy oxygen tanks
• Ultra quiet operation
Senior Program Manager position available in Tempe, AZ. Amazon.com Services LLC seeks candidates for the following (multiple positions available): Senior Program Manager: Lead various crossfunctional teams to design, develop, execute and implement revenue-generating and cost-saving projects and programs impacting business and customer experience involving Supply Chain, Retail, Import, Fulfillment Center Customer Service, and related operations by applying Lean/Six Sigma manufacturing operations and best practices to increase efficiency within processes. Domestic travel is required up to 10 % of the time. Interested candidates should apply at https://www.amazon.jobs/en/ referencing Job ID: 2126521.
