Ahwatukee Foothills News - 7.21.2021

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Wednesday, July 21, 2021

@AhwatukeeFN

In COVID’s shadow, schools hope for the best

BY PAUL MARYNIAK AFN Executive Editor

SHORTER SUMMER BREAKS?

@AhwatukeeFN |

K

yrene and Tempe Union governing boards last week heard administrators discuss their plans and hopes for a more traditional school year that students and staff

haven’t seen since the fall of 2019.

But that doesn’t mean they aren’t keeping a wary eye on the rising number of Delta variant cases across the state and �lagging vaccination rates, hoping the coronavirus doesn’t derail those plans.

Unlike the delayed start of last school year.

Kyrene will welcome a students back to campuses July 29 and Tempe Union will do the same on Aug. 2.

Both districts are planning on a full �ive days of instruction in classrooms, though Kyrene

��� SCHOOLS ���� 4

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SAVING CATS

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AIMING FOR MISS AMERICA

The Mandan Street Drainage Improvement project was completed in March. (Tom Sanfilippo/Inside Out Aerial)

Mission accomplished on Mandan Street

BY PAUL MARYNIAK AFN Executive Editor

. 22

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here hasn’t been enough rain yet to test it yet, but a unique engineering project to protect a portion of Warner-Elliot

Loop from �loods – particularly 17 homes along nearby Mandan Street – was completed without fanfare in March.

Costing about $1.2 million largely in federal funds, the Mandan Street Drainage Improvements project is an engineering marvel as

well as a marvel of diplomacy that involved homeowners, numerous governmental agencies, Arizona Public Service Co. and even the Ahwatukee Board of Management.

The first day of school is Thursday, July 29

Meet the Teacher: Middle School July 26 ; Elementary July 27. www.kyrene.org/backtoschool • 480-541-1000 • LEARNING. LEADING. ACHIEVING.

��� MANDAN ���� 12

#BackToKyrene

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AHWATUKEE FOOTHILLS NEWS | JULY 21, 2021

AHWATUKEE FOOTHILLS NEWS | JULY 21, 2021

The Ahwatukee Foothills News is published every Wednesday and distributed free of charge to homes and in single-copy locations throughout Ahwatukee Foothills.

Times Media Group: 1620 W. Fountainhead Parkway, Suite 219 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: Karen Mays, 480-898-7909, kmays@ahwatukee.com Laura Meehan, 480-898-7904, lmeehan@ahwatukee.com

Classified:

Elaine Cota, 480-898-7926, ecota@ahwatukee.com

Circulation Director:

Aaron Kolodny 480-898-5641, customercare@ahwatukee.com

NEWS STAFF Executive Editor:

Paul Maryniak, 480-898-5647, pmaryniak@ahwatukee..com

GetOut Editor:

Christina Fuoco-Karasinski, 480-641-4518, christina@timespublications.com

Sports Editor:

Zach Alvira 480-898-5630, zalvira@timespublications.com

Designer: Ruth Carlton - rcarlton@timespublications.com

Production Coordinator:

Courtney Oldham 480-898-5617 production@timespublications.com

Reporters:

Tom Scanlon, 480-278-6903 tscanlon@timespublications.com Wayne Schutsky, 480-898-6533 wschutsky@timespublications.com Cecilia Chan. 480-898-5613, cchan@timespublications.com Ahwatukee Foothills News is distributed by AZ Integrated Media, a circulation service company owned by Times Media Group. The public is permitted one copy per reader. For further information regarding the circulation of this publication or others in the Times Media Group family of publications, please contact AZ Integrated Media at circ@ azintegratedmedia.com or 480-898-5641. For circulation services please contact Aaron Kolodny at aaron@ azintegatedmedia.com.

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.

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The content and claims of any advertisement are the sole responsibility of the advertiser. The Ahwatukee Foothills News assumes no responsibility for the claims or content of any advertisement.

© Strickbine Publishing, Inc.

TU studying trimesters, new use for Compadre site

BY PAUL MARYNIAK AFN Executive Editor

T

empe Union is studying the adoption of a trimester calendar for 2023-24 that would shorten summer vacations but add three two-week breaks to a typical school year.

Meanwhile, Superintendent Dr. Kevin Mendivil also disclosed that “we are in the very, very infant stages of rebranding, repurposing” the now-empty Compadre High School building.

Mendivil said Tempe Union, Kyrene and Tempe Elementary school districts have formed a committee to study a move to trimesters in the 2023-24 school year, since the boards for all three systems already have approved a 2022-23 calendar.

Districts work a year ahead on their school calendars to give parents and staff plenty of time to prepare their household routines. Moreover, Tempe Union, Kyrene and Tempe Elementary try to coordinate their schedules since many families in the two elementary districts also have kids in high school.

“There’s a tri-district committee that is working right now with Kyrene and with Tempe Elementary School District so that we work on an alternative school year calendar similar to what Chandler experiences,” Mendivil told the Tempe Union Governing Board last week.

“Our teachers are involved with that,” he continued.

“We have representatives and we’ll be sharing that information at a later time.”

Chandler Unified students began their first day of the 2021-22 school year today, July 21. They will then have a two-week break, or intersession, Sept. 27-Oct. 12. Their winter intercession is Dec. 20-Jan 4 and the spring break is March 14-25. Chandler Unified’s summer vacation next year will run May 26-July 20.

see INNOVATION page 12

Education petitions are circulating here AFN NEWS STAFF

A

group of Ahwatukee residents is circulating petitions related to the Legislature’s bills on voting and education, saying they “will adversely affect” both.

Petitions are being circulated for signing at Nosh Café, 4855 Warner Road, Ahwatukee 7-10 a.m. this weekend, July 24 and 25, and next weekend, July 31 and Aug. 1.

Also available at the Ahwatukee Farmers Market, 4700 Warner Road, 8-11 a.m. this Sunday, Aug. 1 and Aug. 8, and Ironwood Library, 4333 E. Chandler Blvd., 8:30-11:30 a.m. July 24, July 31 and Aug. 7. ■

NEWS

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NEWS

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AHWATUKEE FOOTHILLS NEWS | JULY 21, 2021

Limits on sex-ed, bias lessons also starting this year AFN NEWS STAFF

V

oluntary-only masking policies are not the only thing that differentiates the new school year from 2020-21.

New limits on sex education and on what teachers can tell students about racial and gender discrimination also are coming into play this school year.

The Arizona School Boards Association last week briefed school officials on some of the 50 education-related bills passed by the Legislature that impose new mandates or limits on districts this year.

And it also discussed changes in funding that will bring districts some additional money as well as other measures that could severely impact school districts.

One example of the latter: the Legislature’s continuation of the formula used to reimburse districts for transportation costs, which currently uses the number of miles buses rolled in the previous school year.

The ASBA noted it urged the Legislature to change that funding formula because buses didn’t roll much last school year as a result of full and partial campus closures.

“The Legislature did nothing to change how that reimbursement is calculated,” said Chuck Essigs of the Arizona Association of School Business Officials. “So,

SCHOOLS from page 1

also is maintaining its Digital Academy with all-online classes.

Both districts will be continuing to assess and address learning loss resulting from the disruptions of the last 15 months while also focusing on the pandemic’s impact on students social-emotional well-being.

Both districts also are starting the 202122 school year in an enrollment hole with hundreds of fewer students than they had when 2020-21 began.

That student loss could have significantly impacted everything from staffing to class sizes had it not been for millions of dollars in three rounds of federal pandemic relief funding both districts received in the last 15 months.

Still, administrators in both districts are keeping their fingers crossed that enroll-

you’re going to see a big reduction in the miles that are counted in the calculation.”

Another possible hit to district pocketbooks could result from loosened qualifications for parents seeking vouchers to send their children to charter or private schools at public school districts’ expense.

The Legislature also broadened open enrollment provisions, requiring school districts to post their open-enrollment policies on their websites.

Under that legislation, the ASBA noted, “attendance boundaries may not be used to require students to attend certain schools based on the student’s place of residence.”

While an individual school’s capacity can still be used to prevent an overload of students, districts “must select students through an equitable selection process like a lottery, giving preference to siblings of a student selected through the lottery.”

The change could keep district lawyers busy, ASBA officials said, because the open enrollment policy covers students with disabilities. Thus, they explained, if a child from outside the district who has disabilities wants to enroll in a school that may not have the facilities to accommodate those disabilities, “that’ll be a question for your counsel.” ment will bounce back and prevent a loss in hundreds of thousands of dollars in per-pupil state reimbursement.

As an incentive for employees to help reverse its enrollment slide of about 650 students, Tempe Union is promising bonuses to employees of as much as $1,500 by next May, depending on the number of new or returning students added to its population.

Finances remain a challenge, particularly for Kyrene.

As the Kyrene Governing Board adopted a new budget for 2021-22, Chief Financial Officer Chris Hermann reminded members that despite the infusion of pandemic relief funds, “the district is expecting $9.4 million in revenue declines to be permanent.”

While the district took budget-cutting measures to “right-size and align” expenditures, the district had to use $1.9 million in

The Legislature also codified what already has been a mandate by the state Board of Education: mandatory lessons in junior and senior high school on the Holocaust specifically and genocide generally.

And sex education and lessons on discrimination also have new restrictions this year.

That includes an absolute ban on sex education of any kind before fifth grade.

Parents will need to affirmatively optin to such classes for their children in all grades 6-12. Until now, a parent had to actually opt-out of such instruction.

And when district committees are considering a district’s sex-education curricula, those meetings must be in public and any new sex ed courses must be available for public comment for 60 days and the subject of two public hearings within that time period.

The new version spells out that the ban on sex education prior to fifth grade does not preclude schools from providing “age and grade-appropriate classroom instruction regarding child assault awareness and abuse prevention.’’

Another measure that failed in the Legislature was a requirement for separate parental-signed permission any time there would be a discussion about AIDS

pandemic relief to bridge the funding gap.

One noticeable difference this school year will involve masks.

The Legislature passed a law forbidding all government entities, including school districts, from requiring staff and students to wear masks or get COVID-19 vaccinations.

Although the elimination of that deterrent to virus spread comes at a time when cases of the COVID-19 Delta variant are rising, administrators focused more attention on their proactive measures to combat infections without much to-do about the legislative ban on mask mandates.

Both Kyrene Superintendent Laura Toenjes and Tempe Union Assistant Superintendent Sean McDonald outlined their respective districts’ heightened precautions less than 48 hours before new data from the county health department

and the HIV virus that causes it.

Districts are required to review their sex education curricula for compliance with the new legislation by Dec. 15, 2021.

Districts also are limited in how they can train employees as well as teach students about racial, ethnic and gender discrimination.

The Legislature specifically prohibits “instruction that presents any form of blame or judgment on the basis of race, ethnicity, or sex.”

Noting teachers could be fined as much as $5,000 for violating that law, the ASBA panelists last week said the definition of “blame” is spelled out in “a little bit of an awkward way.”

But the ASBA advised that the legislation is “a little bit more trying to chill some of that discussion rather than actually ban a specific thing.”

Other legislative changes noted by the ASBA included a requirement that every elementary campus has a teacher with dyslexia training by next July 1; exempting school personnel from liability in the case of any COVID-19 infections except in a case of gross negligence; and lifting of letter grades for schools and performance evaluations of teachers and principals for the 2020-21 school year. ■

showed COVID-19 case increases in both districts for the second consecutive week after months of remission.

Kyrene entered the “substantial transmission” category as cases per 100,000 people rose from 43 to 57 and positive new test results increased from 4.6 percent to 6.1 percent.

Tempe Union also is at the same transmission level with similar increases in both indicators.

But that district also has the additional worry about the impact of significant numbers of students from outside its boundaries – particularly Laveen and South Phoenix, which both show “high transmission” levels. Mountain Pointe draws a significant number of students from those areas.

see SCHOOLS page 6

GOT NEWS? Contact Paul Maryniak at 480-898-5647 or pmaryniak@timespublications.com

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AHWATUKEE FOOTHILLS NEWS | JULY 21, 2021

SCHOOLS from page 4

also want to acknowledge that the updated CDC guidance states that face coverings In outlining Kyrene’s efforts, Toenjes ex- should be worn by unvaccinated individupressed excitement that “meet the teach- als indoors.”

“Kyrene cannot require face coverings,” er” events were back to being in-person, though their times were expanded so that Toenjes said. “However, we can and do fewer parents and children would be at- strongly encourage face coverings for unvaccinated individuals in alignment with tending at any one time.

“There will be multiple entrance points CDC recommendations.”

She also cited “key mitigation protocols, and groups such as PTO, Kids Club and transportation will be spread throughout that will continue to be in place this school the campus,” she said. “We continue to year,” including physical distancing “as strongly encourage face coverings for un- much as possible in our common areas, vaccinated individuals during meet-the- in our cafeterias, and in our classrooms as best as possible.” teacher events.”

Both Toenjes and McDonald also indiOnce classes are in session, she said, “Kyrene has built a plan that is flexible cated that their districts are prepared to enough to be responsive to the changing resort to quarantines and notifying famicircumstances of the pandemic and the lies of possible virus exposure.

Quarantines could put them on track evolving guidance from local state and for a confrontation with Gov. Doug Ducey, federal agencies.

“Our safety measures are based on that who last week told Peoria and Tucson’s guidance as well as our own experience Catalina Falls districts they were violating this past year delivering education and the law by quarantining unvaccinated stusafe environments,” she continued. “The dents exposed to COVID-19. Both districts latest CDC guidance, advises schools to are fighting his demand they withdraw thoses policies. layer our prevention strategies based on R ~ Luxury Viny l ~ Cwill Area ugToenjes also m said Kyrene our community’s transmission levels, vacouncontinue o t us t rt C ~ s r e to limit the number of parents and evoluncination coverage and other local data.

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teers on campus and at school events and reminded parents the district uses highperformance HEPA filtration systems in all classrooms.

McDonald told the board, “We’re still going to ask our Tempe Union families to go ahead and call in their student when they may have symptoms of COVID or actually have been reported with a positive case of COVID. That way our administration and nurses can help our students continue through school and help them get their learning even though they might have to be isolated or quarantined.”

He suggested the district will be heeding transmission levels reported by the county in determining whether five-day in-classroom instruction will continue.

“Health equity, I think, is very important,” McDonald said, “and as you know, schools and districts play critical roles in promoting equity in learning and in health, particularly for groups disproportionately affected by COVID-19.”

“Tempe Union, of course, will provide safe and supportive environments and reassure families and teachers and staff by planning on using comprehensive prevention strategies.”

He noted the district is helping families with testing and vaccinations and "support with anything that they might be struggling with – food services, mental health, those type of things.”

As for distancing on campus, McDonald said, “we still like to be in the 3-foot range when possible. We know that’s not always going to be possible to do.”

He said the district will encourage families to “do a passive screen at home and make sure that they’re looking for any symptoms that may be increased by COVID.” McDonald also said the district will continue to do intensive cleaning of schools five days a week with “one person doing all high-touch points all the time.”

“The difference of this year is that if someone is fully vaccinated, they will not have to quarantine,” he added. “We will just have them watch for symptoms and then if symptoms do occur.”

“Not only physical safety but the mental health of our students and staff is going to be huge,” McDonald said. “And so we’re going to be doing a lot with social-emotional wellness.”

Both districts have detailed safety guidelines outlined on their websites. ■

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AHWATUKEE FOOTHILLS NEWS | JULY 21, 2021

Ahwatukee store helping EV cat rescue

BY ASHLYN ROBINETTE AFN Staff Writer

P

et overpopulation has left animal shelters and rescues across the Valley at capacity or nearly full with pets needing homes.

Kattered Tails, a Chandler foster homebased rescue, is at capacity and in desperate need of help with food and supplies for their 80 cats and kittens in care.

“You get tired of telling everyone ‘sorry we’re full,’” said Monica Colello, CEO of Kattered Tails.

With community support, Colello and her colleagues believe they can continue to fight pet overpopulation and ensure that every homeless cat and kitten they foster finds a forever home.

“Community support is integral for us to continue to support the community,” the rescue stated on Nextdoor.

“Without community support we will be forced to implement the full surrender fees when taking in cats and kittens. Caring for these little families is not free. Sup-

port is needed.”

To help find homes for some cats, Kattered Tails will hold an adoption event 11 a.m.-3 p.m. July 31 at Gordy’s Goodies Pet Food & Supplies, 15425 S. 48th St., Ahwatukee.

Gordy’s Goodies owner Lisa Thayer has long helped rescues all over the Valley by hosting adoption events. She allows Kattered Tails at least one Saturday a month to hold an adoption event.

Pet overpopulation in Maricopa County was once second nationally only to Los Angeles County, according to the Arizona Humane Society.

Since then, more efforts have been made to save lives and Maricopa County Animal Care and Control reported a decline in overall animal intake numbers in recent years and a higher percentage of animals being adopted out or relocated after coming in through their doors. MCACC has maintained an average annual save rate of 94 percent or higher since 2017.

see TAILS page 17

Getting ready for an adoption event July 31 at Gordy’s Goodies Pet Food & Supplies are, from left, Gordy’s owner Lisa Thayer, Kattered Tails CEO Monica Colello and Kattered Tails Intake Director Amber Gries. The three kittens they are holding are up for adoption. (Special to AFN)

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AHWATUKEE FOOTHILLS NEWS | JULY 21, 2021

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The Arizona Department of Transportapon is improving 11 miles of Interstate 10 and construcpon is scheduled to last through late 2024. Work includes reconstrucpng I-10 between the Loop 202 (South Mountain/Santan Freeway) and I-17 near Phoenix Sky Harbor Internaponal Airport. Some work will also occur on US 60 and SR 143. Project benefits include improving safety, reducing traffic congespon and supporpng the growing economy.

Pursuant to Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Americans with Disabilipes Act (ADA), ADOT does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, naponal origin, age, sex or disability. Persons who require a reasonable accommodapon based on language or disability should contact Broadway Curve Constructors at 602.501.5505 or Info@i10BroadwayCurve.com. Requests should be made as early as possible to ensure Broadway Curve Constructors has an opportunity to address the accommodapon.

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AHWATUKEE FOOTHILLS NEWS | JULY 21, 2021

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NEWS

MANDAN from page 1

Its whole purpose is to prevent recurrence of devastating floods that have happened periodically over the last two decades as the result of South Mountain runoff during monsoon season.

While the last few monsoon seasons may not have been very impressive, some storms over the last 10 years have caused thousands of dollars in property damage in the neighborhood.

A particularly devastating storm near the end of the 2014 monsoon season flooded at least seven homes along Mandan Street with as much as two feet of water.

“The storm event on Sept. 8, 2014 was one of several downpours that have flooded Ahwatukee properties along South Mountain Preserve,” Maricopa County Flood Control District officials have noted. “Residents living near South Mandan Street have experienced repeated flooding during storm events.”

Two years later, in August 2016, one home on Mandan sustained thousands of dollars of damage when water gushed through the backyard, into the kitchen and across the living room and several bedrooms – ruining repairs the owners had just finished from the 2014 flood.

But the Flood Control District and several City of Phoenix departments came up with a plan that became a reality on March 29.

They built a concrete and earthen-lined channel a quarter-mile long, and as much as 65 feet wide in parts with an average

INNOVATION from page 3

Tempe Union Governing Board member Sarah James said she is looking forward to the trimester proposal the tri-district committee will develop.

Conceding “I don’t know what ours is going to look like,” Wright said two-week intercessions are “good to refresh for teachers and for students and that shorter summer is also beneficial.”

“I think that this would be very beneficial for everybody,” James said.

Meanwhile, the Governing Board took the first step toward the development of an “innovation academy” by unanimously approving a new position titled “innovation executive director” with an annual salary between $103,000 and $142,000 with a car allowance of $4,500.

The specific requirements and duties of

AHWATUKEE FOOTHILLS NEWS | JULY 21, 2021

depth of 3½ feet to reduce the risk of storm water runoff from South Mountain Park reaching homes along Mandan Street whose backyards abut the Preserve.

The channel is designed to collect water runoff and convey it south to an existing drainage channel.

Between the channel and the backyards of the houses it is protecting is a 3-foot path for cyclists and hikers.

Now that construction is done, the contractor will begin a one-year “plant maintenance and establishment period” that includes hydroseeding to restore vegetation destroyed during construction, the county said.

At the time, county and city officials agreed in 2017 to work together to solve the flooding problem; then county Board of Supervisors Chairman Denny Barney noted: “We often think of public safety in terms of law enforcement, but flood protection is a public safety issue as well.

This partnership with the City of Phoenix means homes and businesses in the Ahwatukee Foothills will be better protected in case of a big storm.”

But the challenge was getting agreement among seven different agencies – particularly city parks and APS – on what to do.

City and county officials began studying the problem in 2015 and originally came up with 10 different alternatives – including one that would have razed a couple homes to create a drainage channel.

They narrowed that list to three options, including one that called for doing nothing.

The second called for erecting a giant

that position were not spelled out in the administration’s request for approval of that position and salaries for a number of other administrators.

That’s likely because the district hasn’t yet developed a program for that new director to administer, according to what Mendivil had to say after board member Armando Montero asked for an explanation of the new position.

“I know there are others (who) have had that shared curiosity,” Mendivil said.

“We are at the very, very infant stages of rebranding, repurposing.”

The board earlier this year approved an administration to move the Compadre program to Marcos de Niza High School in order to save more than $1 million in operational expenses.

Mendivil noted that the program’s building, located next to district headquarters

wall.

That option was rejected, city documents show, because of “cost and the undesirable impact of impeding the views from the residential backyards facing the South Mountain Preserve. The mountain views from these lots is a significant factor in their economic value.”

It wasn’t until late 2019 that the Flood Control District officials told residents they had finally settled on a solution.

But even then, not all the homeowners in the area were happy. Some groused about a chain link fence that had to be installed along the channel rim because of a city law requiring it -- installation for any drop that’s at least 18 inches to prevent people, particularly children, from falling into the channel.

Those homeowners complained that the fence would mar their views of the preserve when they sit in their backyards.

Those concerns failed to change the minds of officials who had worked through years of negotiations to solve the flooding problem.

Another issue that had to be worked out was the width of the channel – which raised major concerns for APS, the city parks department and the Phoenix Parks and Recreation Board.

APS had indicated it has a particularly important interest in any construction that would infringe on its 120-foot-wide right-of-way that allows a monster truck to reach the high-tension powerlines that stand just at the edge of the Preserve behind the Mandan Street homes.

The truck is so heavy that it requires four stabilizing pads weighing 180,000 pounds each to support a 120-foothigh crane.

To build the channel too close to that right of way not only threatened APS’ access to their powerlines, but also risked a collapse of the channel walls under the pressure of the soil dislodged by the heavy stabilizing pads.

To prevent that from happening, officials would have had to build a wall so thick they would have had to spend nearly three times the $1.2 million the project ultimately cost.

Meanwhile, city parks officials did not want the channel to encroach too much on preserve land.

At a meeting in October 2019, one parks official told residents, “We all love that park so much. We’re trying to make this thing happen in as narrow a space as possible.”

Finally, the various government agencies, APS and ABM and most of the area homeowners reached an agreement that produced what exists today.

And true to their promises, the structure is not gray concrete and has a surface application that creates a “minimal footprint” and “visual mitigation color” that blends with the Preserve’s desert soils.

As one Flood Control District official vowed two years ago, “We want to make that look as pristine as possible so that when you’re looking out in the back of your homes... its look will be more natural, like native desert.” ■

The building that used to be Compadre High School next to Tempe Union’s district headquarters on Guadalupe Road near Hardy Road in Tempe could house an “innovation academy” to benefit students and staff, Superintendent Dr. Kevin Mendivil said last week. (Special to AFN) on Guadalupe and Hardy roads in Tempe, is “a fairly new facility” with classrooms that are only about seven years old.

“Our goal is to engage the community,

our community partners business partners, university partners in gathering

see INNOVATION page 15

AHWATUKEE FOOTHILLS NEWS | JULY 21, 2021

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NEWS

AHWATUKEE FOOTHILLS NEWS | JULY 21, 2021

Local trails spared from hot weather restrictions AFN NEWS STAFF

S

outh Mountain trails were spared last week from new restrictions imposed by the Phoenix Parks and Recreation Board on hikers in hot weather.

In response to a request by Vice Mayor Carlos Garcia “to explore ways to close or limit access to Phoenix hiking trails during extreme summer temperatures,” the board approved a pilot project from now through September.

Camelback Mountain’s Echo Canyon Trail and Cholla Trail and all trails associated with Piestewa Peak Trailhead in the Phoenix Mountains Preserve will be closed from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. on days when an Excessive Heat Watch is in effect. Cholla Trail is currently closed.

The board picked those locations on the advice of administration officials based on the number of mountain rescues that occur there annually, as well as the difficulty rating of those trails and how that impacts the complexity of the rescues.

Fire Department officials presented the board with data showing the increase in both hikers and mountain rescues between 2018 and 2020.

In 2018, for example, 600,000 hikers used Camelback and Piestewa Peak – 20 percent of the three million hikers who used any Phoenix trail that year. In 2020, those numbers have increased to more than 800,000 Camelback and Piestewa Peak hikers.

The number of mountain rescues also has increased, according to Executive Assistant Fire Chief Scott Walker.

Fire crews rescued 250 hikers in 2018 and 284 last year. He suggested crews may be on track to exceed that number

Piesteawa Peak Trailhead's trails are off limits to hikers during certain hours of days when the National Weather Service warns of excessive heat. (Special to AFN) this year, as so far 266 rescues have been undertaken.

“It’s also important to point out that we specifically identified Camelback and Piestewa Peak because these are more vertical and challenging parks,” Walker said.

“I think it’s important to point out that while they equal only 20 percent of the parks and preserve system, they are generally accounting for over 50 percent of the number of rescues we are doing every year.”

He stressed that rescues on some of the more vertical trails on those two mountains require anywhere from six to eight fire personnel, each wearing 40 pounds of gear.

Calls to the board last week during its consideration of the pilot program reflected conflicting opinions about the plan.

One opponent was a hiker who said

that “as a good steward of the mountain and a long-time taxpayer,” he wanted the board “to explore other options such as insurance.”

He blamed the resorts for “sending them (hikers) over in busloads and they have no clue what they’re getting into.”

Numerous speakers blamed inexperienced out-of-state visitors for the bulk of the rescues.

The last time hot weather trail restrictions were discussed was sometime between June 2016 and March 2017.

Back then, a recent administration memo to City Council said, a task force made up of fire officials and outside groups and individuals came up with a series of recommendations but “ultimately the board did not approve a policy to close trails to hikers due to a large public turn-

out in opposition” Erickson noted.

However, the task force did not work in vain.

Among the recommendations that were accepted, the memo notes, is a ban on dogs on trails when temps hit 100 degrees, improved signage warning the elderly and other vulnerable adults about the hazards of hiking in the heat, and extended summer hours at South Mountain Park Pima Canyon and other trails.

“The Parks and Recreation Department has continued to prioritize hike safety by leading with education and has protocols in place to increase education and deploy Park Range Heat Awareness Stations at major trailheads when temperatures hit 110 degrees and above,” the memo stated.

Avid mountain bike/hiker Andy Lenartz of Ahwatukee said he recalls the discussions that led to the ban on dogs on trails when temps hit 100.

But when it comes to keeping humans off too, he said, “My personal opinion is that this is a tough issue.”

“I lean toward fewer restrictions and people making their own decisions as long as it does not impact anyone else,” Lenartz said, adding he avoids outdoor physical activity when the thermometer enters triple digits.

“But I also know numerous people who are better able to handle the heat and can engage in moderate outdoor physical activity at higher temperatures,” he said.

“These individuals are careful in managing their fluid intake, diet, rest, and level of activity and have experience with higher temperatures.

“They track their heart rate and body

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see TRAILS page 17

NEWS

AHWATUKEE FOOTHILLS NEWS | JULY 21, 2021

Long-promised I-10 closures begin this weekend AFN NEWS STAFF

A

nd so it begins.

More than three years of aggravation and frustration for I-10 motorists – including those in Ahwatukee – will be kicking off at 10 p.m. Friday with a weekend-long closure of the I-10 westbound lanes between US 60 and the interchange with the Santan/South Mountain freeways. Lanes won’t reopen until 4 a.m.

Monday, July 26.

The closure is the first of at least eight weekend shutdowns slated this summer on either I-10 or US 60 between I-10 and Mill Avenue. On the weekend of July 31, the eastbound I-10 lanes will be closed between the same two interchanges.

Crews have to take the surface down to the concrete for the duration of the I-10 Broadway Curve Improvement Project.

Drivers on westbound I-10 will have to exit onto eastbound Loop 202 to access northbound Loop 101 Price Freeway, then get on US 60 to head west to reconnect with I-10 this weekend.

The Arizona Department of Transportation is taking unprecedented measures to help motorists avoid the impending traffic nightmare the project promises.

At least 50 closures on I-10 or US 60 are anticipated throughout the project and while most will be scheduled at night or on the weekends, ADOT is not promising none will occur during the work week.

ADOT also announced a virtual town hall on the project will be held at 6 p.m. Aug. 4 at i10broadwaycurve.com/meetings-andpresentations. At that time, people who want to tune into the meeting by phone,

INNOVATION from page 12

input on what would be the best way to repurpose and rebrand that building,” Mendivil said. “What you see today is the very first step with that process.”

He said those partners also would include those in the district’s Career Technical Education as well as at the East Valley Institute of Technology and Arizona State University.

“A building is just a building but what you put into it and its purpose make all the

can call 855-756-7520 Ext. 73680# for English or Ext/ 73681# for Spanish.

Motorists who want to check out this weekend’s detour can go to rb.gy/cdyibc.

But they can also go to i10broadwaycurve.com for other information about the project or download a mobile app at the App Store (rb.gy/gnpzao) or Google Play (rb.gy/smi4u9).

ADOT plans to widen I-10 to six general purpose lanes and two high-occupancyvehicle, or HOV, lanes in each direction between US 60 and I-17 and add a fourth general purpose lane in each direction between Ray Road and US 60.

Other parts of the project involve adding collector-distributor roads that parallel I-10 between Baseline Road and 40th Street to separate through-traffic on I-10 from local traffic entering or exiting the highway. Unlike frontage roads along portions of the existing freeway system, these CD roads will not intersect with perpendicular roads.

The project also includes rebuilding the I-10 interchange with SR 143 to improve traffic flow and create direct connections to and from SR 143 for drivers in the I-10 HOV lanes.

When work is completed, drivers on westbound I-10 will exit I-10 near Baseline Road and use the CD roads to access northbound SR 143 and reach the airport.

The entire SR 143 and I-10 interchange will be replaced by ramps that make a direct connection for drivers from the general and HOV lanes and eliminates the existing cloverleaf ramp that connects southbound SR 143 with eastbound I-10. ■

difference,” Mendivil said, adding: “The name ‘innovation academy’ is just like a nameplate. When we get more information from our community and stakeholders, that name could very well change as it should.”

Mendivil said both the new position and whatever is developed for the building “has to be separate from the six comprehensive high school sites.”

“It is not our intention to recreate another seventh high school all over again,” he said. “The intention in repurposing

15

The green arrows show the route that westbound I-10 motorists will have to take this weekend once they hit the highway’s interchange with the South Mountain and Santan Loop 202 freeways. (ADOT) the building is to find innovative ways in which we can meet the needs for our students existing in our district but also to attract new students to our system.”

While stating, “I have a lot of visions” for the program, he added, “that may not matter” depending on where the process finally leads.

“What we need to do is to gather the input of our stakeholders and so the work has to begin soon because time is flying.”

Stating the district may want to use a consultant as well, Mendivil added,

“There’s just a lot of promise and opportunity with that building, but we’ve got to get moving on it right away.”

Stating he planned to keep the board and the community updated on the process for repurposing the building, Mendivil also said, “My intention also is to – as we know more in the next four to six weeks – to provide that information to our employees because … I’m sure some wonderful ideas and input as well from our teachers and staff and so we would certainly entertain those as well.” ■

16

AHWATUKEE FOOTHILLS NEWS | JULY 21, 2021

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NEWS

AHWATUKEE FOOTHILLS NEWS | JULY 21, 2021

TAILS from page 9

Yet, the influx of homeless pets is still high.

Animal shelters and rescues like Kattered Tails now have to turn away pets due to lack of space, fosters, supplies or money.

Shelters being at capacity is normal for this time of the year, according to MCACC. Although the pet population always increases during kitten season – when shelters and rescues are flooded with litters from unaltered cats – Colello said this year is worse.

One reason may be that animals adopted during lockdowns at the height of the pandemic last year are now being abandoned. Moreover, many adoption events were canceled last year.

Colello said she noticed a correlation between the pandemic and amount of pregnant cats and kittens on the streets.

“I’ve noticed that a lot of people may have picked up kittens off of the street, didn’t get the kitten fixed, the kitten got pregnant and shooed out the door,” Colello said. “We’re finding a lot of dumped pregnant cats and we know they were formerly pets because they are approachable.

Strays are approachable, ferals are not.”

Due to the pandemic and a national veterinary shortage, many veterinary clinics were temporarily closed, shut down, no longer taking new clients, not accepting walk-ins, or booked for long periods of time. Hence, many strays were not being fixed.

“People weren’t able to get their cats spayed or neutered,” Colello said.

Closures and limited veterinary services weren’t just hard on pet owners but also impacted Trap-Neuter-Return (TNR) programs, said Amber Gries, intake coordinator for Kattered Tails.

TNR is a humane and effective way to stabilize outdoor cat populations by which feral cats are trapped, spayed or neutered, and then released into their colony environment, according to the AHS. TNR programs help reduce cat overpop-

TRAILS from page 14

temperature and have methods for keeping their temperature down using water and ice. This makes it hard to justify prohibiting those who can use the trails safely at higher temperatures from doing so.”

“It is negatively impacting first responders who need to put themselves at risk if

Among the cats being cared for by Kattered Tails is Juno, also known as Junebug, whom the rescue describes as “a marvelous cat with tons of personality.” (Kattered Tails) ulation without the need for euthanasia. It also reduces displeasing mating behaviors such as yowling and spraying.

“Vets were shut down,” Gries said. “Even now, I know people who do trapping, neutering and releasing and they can’t get appointments right now because vets are booked several weeks out.

“When you’re a trapper, you don’t have that much time to sit on a cat you trap. You have to get it in and release it. Feral cats can’t be caged for very long. It’s making the overpopulation cycle so much worse.”

The average mature cat can have three litters with a total 12 kittens per year, making it possible to have nearly 200 kittens in her lifetime, according to the AHS. “We want to stop the cycle,” Gries said.

The mission of Kattered Tails is “to rescue cats and kittens left behind for whatever reason within local communities and shelters where there is high risk of euthanasia due to overpopulation, abuse, neglect, abandoned or homeless strays.”

However, there is only so much that Kattered Tails can do without community support.

Donations have significantly faltered for

someone is having health issues due to the heat,” Lenartz noted. “Firefighters, police officers, park rangers, and other rescue personnel are not immune to heat-related health issues.”

He cited some news reports earlier in the year that claimed two firefighters were hospitalized and others suffered from heat exhaustion in one hot week be-

the rescue, which they rely on to keep operating.

“Lack of funding happened,” Gries said.

“We’re basically out of money.”

In the beginning of the pandemic, Kattered Tails received a lot of community support and there was an increase of adoptions during lockdowns, Colello said.

Yet, over time adoptions slowed and people lost their jobs, which meant money stopped coming in.

“Almost everything is out-of-pocket now,” Colello said.

Kattered Tails goes through about 75 pounds of cat food per week, Colello said.

Gries has 16 foster cats and kittens in her house alone. Formula and wet food for kittens costs more and she goes through four cans twice a day for six kittens.

Kattered Tails provides the food for all of their fosters, along with litter boxes and more, unlike most rescues where foster parents are often responsible for all caretaking costs, Gries said.

“If people are going to foster for you then you need to provide for them,” Colello said.

Kattered Tails relied on social media outlets to get kittens adopted when adoption events were canceled, Gries said.

However, social media isn’t enough. Cats are not being adopted fast enough and the rescue can no longer keep up with the influx of homeless pets.

“I’ve been turning away people,” Gries said. “We can’t take in more cats without more fosters and funding.”

Pet overpopulation worsened and at one point the rescue had over 100 cats and kittens in care from around the Valley, Colello said.

Now, with 80 cats and kittens in care, Kattered Tails needs help more than ever.

“For a while we didn’t have to put out a plea for food, but now we’re desperate for donations,” Colello said.

Even though Kattered Tails is not currently intaking, their agreement with Petco Love (formerly The Petco Foundation) requires they take in any kitten dropped

cause of mountain rescues.

“While I believe in people having the right to make their own choices, this particular choice is putting those responsible for a rescue at personal risk,” Lenartz said.

Lenartz praised the board’s decision.

“It seems reasonable, a trial period based on a request by the Firefighters’

17

“Stella is a fun and exciting little girl with a beautiful gray tabby coat,” Kattered Tails says. (Kattered Tails) off at Petco, Colello said, “whether we have room or not.”

They also pull from Yuma’s euthanasia list because there are no rescues there.

Kattered Tails has plenty of cats and kittens waiting to be loved. They are all spayed, neutered, tested for FIP and FeLV, microchipped, vaccinated, dewormed, and cleared by a vet for adoption.

“That’s especially why we need funding so badly too,” Gries said. ■

How to help

To help Kattered Tails save lives, donations can be made via PayPal at katteredtails.com/donate.

For adoption or foster information: katteredtails.com Kattered Tails is looking for volunteers aged 16 and up to help maintain the adoption habitat at the Petco, located at 3452 W. Chandler Blvd. Volunteers of all ages are welcome at their adoption events as well.

To volunteer for Kattered Tails, fill out their volunteer application at https://katteredtails.com/volunteer-application Association. I can see why some people wouldn’t like it, but my opinion is that this limited trial is worth testing out to see the impact.”

In the long run, Lenartz said, there needs to be a solution that will “balance safety for first responders with trail users who know what they are doing and can use the trails safely over the summer months.” ■

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Veterans parades will be VETERAN VETERAN

by Mike Phillips live this November

wo long-time Valley traditions are returning this Veterans Day after missing a year due to COVID restrictions.

The annual Phoenix Veterans Day Parade is scheduled to step off from Montebello and Central avenues at 11 a.m. Nov. 11 before an expected 45,000 spectators. And the East Valley Veterans Parade will be doing the same in Mesa.

Although it’s a popular way to recognize and appreciate veterans, there’s more to the parade than spotlighting those who have served.

The event has a therapeutic effect on participants suffering from PTSD and other service-related trauma, said Paula Pedene, director of the nonprofit group that produces the Phoenix parade.

“There is something about going down that route with the community out there cheering that changes lives,” said Pedene, a Scottsdale resident and Navy veteran. “We’ve had grand marshals tell us that the love they experi-

ence during the parade chases away their demons; It’s a healing experience.”

Seven grand marshals will be selected this year for the Phoenix parade, representing American conflicts going back to World War II. The Phoenix parade began in 1997 as an outreach project of the Veterans Administration. Pedene worked for the VA at the time and was instrumental in putting together that first parade.

She continued her involvement and in 2011 helped establish Honoring America’s Veterans, the nonprofit that today funds and produces the parade. The focus of the group has expanded beyond a one-day recognition event.

HAV also conducts a high school essay competition that asks students to honor a veteran in their lives and is preparing to host an inaugural Veterans Leadership Forum on Aug. 19 at Scottsdale’s McCormick Ranch Golf Club.

The aim of the forum, said Pedene, is to spotlight the achievements of veter-

ans in the civilian world – be it business, academics, the arts, or other fields.

“We want to hear from veterans who have contributed to our community and have them describe how military service has helped them achieve their life goals,” she said. “We hope this forum inspires others whether they’ve worn a uniform or not.”

For information on the Veterans Day Parade, the leadership forum or the other HAV initiatives, visit HonoringAmericasVeterans.org.

Rather than cancel a parade entirely, East Valley Veterans Parade organizers held a “parade in reverse.”

They stationed entries along the traditional route and spectators became the parade by driving past them.

Participants also were encouraged to decorate their own vehicles with patriotic themes as a sign of appreciation for the men and women who served in the military.

The parade theme, “Celebrating Lives of

Service,” recognized both military service as well as the many ways veterans continue to serve their communities through first responder and medical careers and other ongoing volunteer service.

When the annual Mesa Veterans Parade fell victim to necessary budget cuts in 2006, local residents Gerry Walker and Frank “Gunny” Alger spoke out on behalf of the 40-year-old Mesa tradition.

Walker remarked at one point, “There will be a Veterans Day parade if it is only me marching down the street with Frank watching.”

The Marine Corps League Saguaro Chapter in Mesa took the lead and the Mesa Veterans Parade Association was formed.

In 2013, the all-volunteer organization changed its name to the East Valley Veterans Parade Association to reflect the participation of parade entrants and sponsors from most East Valley communities. Donations to this 501c3 nonprofit organization are tax-deductible. ■

Feds dispute state AG on pandemic relief

BY HOWARD FISCHER Capitol Media Services

L

awyers for the U.S. Treasury are asking a federal judge to throw out a bid by state Attorney General Mark Brnovich to say Congress can’t tell Arizona it can’t use any of its COVID relief dollars to cut taxes for business and individuals.

Stephen Ehrlich, an assistant federal attorney general, said the state has accepted an estimated $4.9 billion as its share of the American Rescue Plan Act and that the law makes it clear that states cannot turn around and use those dollars “to either directly or indirectly offset a reduction in the net tax revenue.’’

Now, he told U.S. District Court Judge Diane Humetewa, Brnovich can’t argue that Congress has no authority to put conditions on the federal dollars. In essence, Ehrlich argued, if a state is uncomfortable with the conditions, it need not

take the money.

The legal arguments come on the heels of approval by the Republican-controlled legislature and the signature of Gov. Doug Ducey of $1.9 billion worth of tax cuts.

Drew Ensign, an assistant state attorney general, said he does not believe the state, in approving those changes in tax law, has run afoul of the federal law. But he wants a ruling that the conditions are unconstitutional and the state need not surrender any of the federal aid if the government later decides that the tax cuts are an indirect use of the federal dollars.

The problem with all that, Ehrlich said, starts in that there has yet to be a ruling that the state broke the law. And without some actual harm, he said, there’s no basis for her to even consider the state’s claim that the restriction is unconstitutional.

And even if a violation is found, Ehrlich said, Congress has an absolute right to put conditions on federal grants.

Ensign called the grants “insidious and

coercive,’’ amounting to close to 10 percent of the state budget. That, Ensign said, effectively made it impossible for Arizona to refuse to accept the cash in the first place, even with the conditions.

Ehrlich did not dispute that there are limits to Congress’ authority over the states.

He noted, though, that the U.S. Supreme Court says the Constitution says Congress “may, in the exercise of its spending power, condition its grant of funds to the states upon their taking certain actions that Congress could not require them to take.’’

In this case, Ehrlich told Humetewa, the Rescue Plan is a lawful exercise of the constitutional powers of Congress to spend.

Ducey last week allocated $101.1 million in ARPA dollars to launch what he called the Visit Arizona Initiative for campaigns to convince people from other states and countries to visit Arizona.

The governor said there is a direct link between the pandemic and the loss of thousands of jobs in the tourism industry.

He said the state is “making sure employment opportunities continue to grow for hard workers across Arizona.’’

The plan also includes funds to revitalize state parks, money for the Arizona State Fair for marketing and dollars specifically earmarked to upgrade older golf courses in the state.

Gubernatorial press aide C.J. Karamargin said 57 courses are eligible for up to $105,000. He said that Arizona had attracted 2.4 million visitors who came here for golf prior to the pandemic.

And Karamargin said at least part of the reason these older facilities – pre-1986 – are being singled out for dollars is because they could use the cash to make adjustments to their water use.

Earlier this week Ducey separately used $759 million in ARPA funds to boost the state’s unemployment trust fund balance.

That reduces the burden on employers who might otherwise have to pay higher premiums to keep that fund solvent. ■

20

AHWATUKEE FOOTHILLS NEWS | JULY 21, 2021

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Mountain Pointe grad is Miss America bound

BY COTY DOLORES MIRANDA AFN Contributor

W

hen Amber Barto was 16 and vying for the Miss Arizona’s Outstanding Teen title, she said upon winning, “My biggest dream is to become Miss America.”

The Ahwatukee woman took a big step toward achieving that dream when she was crowned Miss Arizona 2021 on July 19.

Her next step comes in December in Connecticut when she represents the Grand Canyon State in the Miss America Competition, which is celebrating its 100th anniversary.

In the seven years since she was crowned Outstanding Teen, Barto has accomplished much, both at Mountain Pointe High School and then at Arizona State University, where in May she earned a Masters of Legal Studies from Sandra Day O’Connor College of Law. Last year she earned bachelor degrees

Amber Barto of Ahwatukee will be shooting for the 100th Miss America title in December. (Pablo Robles/AFN Staff Photographer)

in business law and political science from ASU.

As she studied, she contributed more than 1,000 hours in various volunteer po-

noon and 2-4 p.m. at Janice Vaincre’s Boutique 4302 E. Ray Road, Ahwatukee.

The boutique recently was launched by Shante and Sheri Saulsberry of Ahwatukee, who are using it in their efforts to raise enough money to build a complex that provides both independent housing and services for domestic violence victims.

Before becoming JP, Sauls’ career included landlord-tenant counselor and a social worker who has worked for the City of Phoenix, a Texas government social service agency and a nonprofit.

She dealt with victims of abuse, veterans experiencing homelessness, families with physically or mentally disabled members and others who were struggling in life.

Kyrene Justice of the Peace Sharron Sauls’ book is largely fiction but also contains information on where domestic violence victims can find help. (Special to AFN)

Kyrene JP’s book focuses on domestic violence AFN NEWS STAFF

K

yrene Judicial District Justice of the Peace Sharron Sauls has first-hand experience with domestic violence – and not just from her 20-plus years as a social worker.

The Ahwatukee mother of two also was a domestic abuse victim for 12 years.

That experience ultimately promoted her this year to write her first book, ”Judge Me Not,” which is actually a combination of fiction, spiritual meditation and helpful guidance for other victims of abuse.

“It is a quick read that takes you into the world of a domestic violence victim then brings you out into a survivor’s success story,” said Sauls, who will be signing copies this Saturday, July 25, from 10 a.m.-

sitions, raising more than $300,000 locally to benefit various charities.

Barto, who divides her time between her family home in Ahwatukee and her own Tempe residence, represented Scottsdale in the Miss Arizona competition at the Madison Center for the Arts and bested 19 competitors.

According to MissAmerica.org, the Miss America event has evolved in society as women in society have evolved.

In 2018, they determined candidates would “no longer be judged on outward appearance” and eliminated the swimsuit competition to provide “additional time and focus on the candidates’ voices to be heard more often,” it proclaimed.

Barto lauded the program’s Social Impact Initiative, saying the Miss America organization is focused on giving back and making a difference in the community.

“Each candidate has their own cause that

see SAULS page 24

see AMBER page 23

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Ahwatukee fashion designer wins state arts award AFN NEWS STAFF

A

n Ahwatukee fashion designer has been named recipient of the first Arizona Governor’s Arts Awards Emerging Designer Award.

Jummy Salami of Ahwatukee received the inaugural award as part of this year’s hybrid Governor’s Arts Awards.

Leading up to the presentations, accomplished and emerging fashion designers were invited to dress local models to exhibit their creations at culinary venues in different Arizona communities.

“As we looked at the breadth and talent in Arizona’s arts and culture sector, we felt it was important to recognize artists dedicated to fashion design,” said Arizona Citizens for the Arts Executive Director Joseph Benesh.

An independent fashion committee judged the designers in categories including originality, wearability and fabric/ construction.

The award includes a private professional shoot with photographer Chris Loomis at Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation’s Taliesin West.

Salami is the hot, new designer to watch on the runway.

Her local clothing business, SiSi Aduke (pronounced “see-see ah-doo-keh”), debuted at Phoenix Fashion Week in October 2018 and has been growing steadily since.

Salami has been sewing fashion pieces for friends and families for nearly a decade, but officially went into business here in Arizona.

AMBER from page 22

they’ll use their title to promote throughout their year,” she said. “This is relatively rare in competitions like this and while community service is emphasized in other organizations, the Social Impact Initiative is a large part of our competition.”

“We do a pitch during the competition where we speak about our cause, why it is important and what we have done with it as well as submit an essay to the judges for the competition about the work we’ve done with our Social Impact. It also usually plays a massive role in the interview process,” she said.

Barto’s chosen Social Impact Initiative is “Leadership Through Service” – a cause

Ahwatukee fashion designer Jummy Salami showed off some of her creations at the October 2018 Phoenix Fashion Week. (Courtesy of Sisi Aduke) She is originally from Kwara, a western Nigerian state and moved to the U.S. in 2013.

Salami has made custom pieces for celebrity clients such as TV news anchors, music artists, fashion models and local influencers.

When asked last year about her ideato-design process, Salami replied, “Every outfit I design is based first on comfort.

Then, I create globally appealing silhouettes that celebrate African culture.”

On her web page, she calls her work, “Vibrant, Afrocentric designs for the bold woman.”

But the designs are not intended to be limited to any particular ethnicity of wearer.

The Afro-fusion blend is eccentric and meant to appeal to all demographics without an attitude of ethnocentricity.

She puts the idea of limits to rest with this statement: “My designs show appreci-

she has held dear for well over a decade, and one which launched her commitment to community service well before she entered Mountain Pointe.

“Community service is really a way of life for me; it’s something that’s been integrated in my life and I have personally seen the benefits of it,” she explained.

“After losing my mentor to pancreatic cancer when I was 13, I wanted to give back to the cause that took her and this helped me develop a deep passion for community service.”

Her mentor, Denise Swartzman, director of the Arizona Cinderella Program, lost a 10year battle with pancreatic cancer in 2012.

“Participating in volunteerism, I blossomed as a leader and person, continuing

ation for my own culture which I can share with everyone, but they are not limited to any particular race or color.”

The SiSi Aduke line incorporates Ankara fabrics that add a splash of color to every outfit. Ankara is printed cotton with traditional motifs, commonly referred to as “Wax Prints” in the fashion industry.

When creating a custom piece, she said, “We may start out with an idea in mind, but when translating it to the fabric, it doesn’t always work out. I take into consideration the client’s body shape, color preferences, personal style, and desires to highlight or tone down various features.”

Her goals also include accentuating femininity while keeping her prices affordable. She creates out of passion, desiring her client to look and feel good without hesitation.

The clothing line is not only for women, though they are her true niche.

to impact the world around me,” Barto said. “I continued to delve into my passion through my honors thesis, and using research and interviewing not-for-profit leaders, I discovered methods to encourage others to serve.

“In an incredibly volatile time where differences are questioned, community service provides a way to collaborate.”

She said Swartzman’s influence continues to inspire her.

“She really impacted the kind of person I wanted to be. I just lived by the legacy she left. She had this positivity about her; I wanted to follow her example and inspire other people to give back and be the best they can be.”

Community service was paramount

Jummy Salami of Ahwatukee, center, poses with two models wearing her designs. (Special to AFN)

“I love making clothing for curves,” Salami explained, “but, I have two beautiful daughters that ask me to make dresses for them, too, so I am new to dabbling in a more youthful line.”

Salami hopes to encourage women to dress confidently, starting at a young age.

When she arrived in the U.S., Salami observed, “a very real struggle young girls have with openly identifying with their roots and ancestry.”

Information: SiSiAduke.com. ■

during Barto’s ASU years, during which time, among other leadership roles, she was spokesperson for the Phoenix affiliate of the Pancreatic Cancer Action Network, a position she still holds.

Among the honors Barto received at ASU were graduating Summa Cum Laude, earning the Moeur Award by maintaining a 4.08 GPA and the Dean’s Award, and being chosen as the Graduation Celebration Speaker from the Sandra Day O’Connor College of Law. She was also a member of Barrett, the Honors College.

Pitching her Social Impact Initiative onstage to Miss Arizona 2021, judges counted for 15 percent of the competition’s

see AMBER page 24

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COMMUNITY

SAULS from page 22

But it was her own experiences with abuse that prompted her to write a fictional story based loosely on her own experience that also includes spiritual meditations reflecting her Christian faith, which gave her strength in her ordeal.

“I thought it was important to share what a victim goes through because so often people blame the victim and they don’t understand the emotional and the financial part of domestic violence, and all of the other things that go with it,” Sauls said.

She also was driven to write the book by the same Christian faith that propelled her into social services even as she was growing up in Wisconsin.

Besides becoming intrigued by sociology while earning her degree at the Univer-

AMBER from page 23

scoring, with the talent portion counting for 35 percent.

Following her lifelong passion for dance and choreography, Barto performed a contemporary dance to the instrumental “Dream Chasers,” by Future World Music, a composer she says she uses often for dance routines of her own, and for others.

“I love the style of this song because of the power that builds up. It feels so appropriate for a competition that empowers women to achieve their greatness,” she said. “The song is a couple minutes long, but for the competition it has to be 90 seconds.”

Barto choreographed the dance herself – she’s been doing choreography since she was 15 and calls it a passion.

“I have actually choreographed many dances that have graced the Miss Arizona stage, aside from my own. I often choreo-

AHWATUKEE FOOTHILLS NEWS | JULY 21, 2021

sity of Wisconsin, Sauls said her Christian And also to have the ability and resources upbringing moved her. to help them.”

“I saw other people were in need or the She calls “Judge Me Not” a “fictional tragedies that surbook with a twist rounded us and I of truth,” partly just felt that I had an because it echoes I thought it was important to things she is familobligation to help,” she said, quoting share what a victim goes through iar with but also besociologist-activist because so often people blame cause she includes W.E.B. DuBois’s exa guide for domesthe victim and they don’t hortation to Afritic abuse victims to understand the emotional and find legal and other can Americans who the financial part of domestic help. have succeeded in life to help others.

Sitting down to violence, and all of the other “I feel that God write in January durthings that go with it. gives us gifts for a ing the height of a reason and I always surge in COVID-19, tell my kids, ‘I’m not Sauls said the book going to squander my gifts.’ And so my gift was both painful and cathartic. from God is to see and feel a person’s pain.

“It brought me to tears many a days,” she

graph dances for individuals who are participating in competitions like Miss America, as well as frequently choreograph at my alma mater, Mountain Pointe High School, for their dance program.”

She also dances and tries to take ballet “every so often at the studio where I grew up, Tempe Dance Academy.”

A self-described avid dancer since age 2 who was also a member of the ASU Spirit Squad that captured the 2017 International Cheer Union Jazz World Championship, Barto said she will perform a similar contemporary dance for the talent portion of the Miss America Competition.

In addition to being crowned Miss Arizona 2021, Barto was also named as Talent Preliminary winner, Evening Gown Preliminary winner, and the Quality of Life Award for Social Impact Initiative Leadership Through Service, which encourages local youth to be involved with community service.

She earned approximately $8,000 in

ANSWERS TO PUZZLES AND SUDOKU from Page 44

scholarships for her post-graduate studies.

The Miss America Organization and the Miss America Foundation, both nonprofits, award scholarships to the new Miss America 2021, runners-up and others in and outside the competition.

And semantics are important: the Miss America event is no longer a pageant, but “a competition” and titleholders are referred to as “candidates” rather than contestants.

The competition is ever evolving” from its start in 1921 when it was touted as a “bathing beauty revue.”

In 1944, college scholarships replaced “furs and movie contracts,” a change credited to Miss America 1942 Jean Bartel, the first ‘college girl’ to win the crown.

Bartel, who followed her pre-Miss America passion and did become a film and stage actress, and remained single until two decades after winning the crown, died in 2011 at age 87.

For Barto, watching the annual Miss America competition nurtured dreams of one day getting involved. In 2014, she was crowned Miss Arizona’s Outstanding Teen which, she said led to one of the most memorable years of her life.

“That year provided the opportunity and stance to make that difference I wished to achieve and led to significant personal growth, but also gave me an entire sisterhood of women from all over the state that have been involved in my life ever since,” she recalled.

She said as the years passed and she focused on college and other life goals, she never stopped wanting to be in-

said, as she recalled her own experiences and those of other victims she has helped.

“I felt compelled to do it because I feel some people think they understand my situation or another victim’s situation but they don’t,” Sauls said.

She is candid about her hopes for the book, which is available on amazon.com.

“I don’t think this would be any type of Pulitzer Prize for Literature or anything like that,” she said. “And you may find grammatical errors. You may find a lot of things wrong with it, but I felt compelled to tell this type of story to the public and honestly, I think a lot of victims will see themselves when they look at the main character in the book.”

“That is my absolute goal – that it will reach thousands of people and that they will find the help that they need.” ■

volved with the Miss Arizona Organization, and did so as a ‘forever titleholder’ and volunteer.

“In 2019, I decided to get back on the Miss Arizona stage and captured the title of Miss Scottsdale 2019 and served for a year and a half as a local titleholder, promoting my social impact of ‘Leadership through Service’ where I was then able to go on and spend time with the Miss Arizona class of 2021 who remind me every day why I love this competition,” she said.

“Aside from the immense amount of scholarship money that I earned to pursue a future in law and politics, this network of women pushes me to be a better version of myself and inspires me all the time through their accomplishments, kind hearts, and passion for giving back.

“Overall, the Miss Arizona and Miss America program provide so many benefits of which I have gotten to experience and my involvement has changed my life.”

The Miss America 2021 competition will be held for the second year at Mohegan Sun, a resort casino operated by the Mohegan tribe in Connecticut that opened in 1996. It boasts 185 acres along the Thames River and 1,600 hotel rooms. The 12,000 square foot Mohegan Sun Arena will host the Miss America competition for the next three years. ■

GOT NEWS?

Contact Paul Maryniak at 480-898-5647 or pmaryniak@ timespublications.com

JULY 21, 2021 | AHWATUKEE FOOTHILLS NEWS

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AHWATUKEE FOOTHILLS NEWS | JULY 21, 2021

SALE PENDING MULTIPLE OFFERS RECEIVED

Diamond Ridge

Complete Renovation • On-Trend Open Floorplan Custom Cabinetry • Biltmore Shutters Designer Light Fixtures • Custom Iron Doors 4 BR • 2.5 BA • 2,998 sf

$920,000

SALE PENDING MULTIPLE OFFERS RECEIVED

SOLD MULTIPLE OFFERS RECEIVED

The Foothills

Mountain Preserve Lot On-Trend Remodel • Separate Office and Loft Pool with Waterfall • Built-In BBQ 5 BR • 3.5 BA • 3 Car Garage • 3,432 sf

$775,000

SOLD MULTIPLE OFFERS RECEIVED

SALE PENDING SOLD OVER LIST PRICE

Foothills Club West

Single Story • Split Floorplan • Sparkling Pool Wood Look Tile • Walk-In Shower • Views Granite Counters • Newer HVAC 3 BR + Office • 2 BA • 3 Car Garage • 2,320 sf

$620,000

OVER HALF ACRE LOT

Cynthia Worley BROKER ASSOCIATE

Ahwatukee Custom Estates Over 22,000 sf Lot • Cul-De-Sac Fireplace • Diving Pool Open Floorplan • Car Collector’s Dream 6 BR • 5.5 BA • 3 Car Garage • 5,127 sf

$1,500,000

Mountain Park Ranch

On-Trend Remodel Full Bedroom & Bath Downstairs Pebble-Tec Pool with Waterfall Built-In BBQ with Seating 4 BR • 3.5 BA • 3 Car Garage • 2,824 sf

$700,000

480.330.7035 Private Summertime Resort Over 26,000 sf Lot • Pool • Spa Slide • Water Feature Sport Court • Huge Play Area • Built-In BBQ 6 BR • 6.5 BA • 5 Car Garage • 5,806 sf

$1,920,000

cynthia@stellarealtyAZ.com www.stellarealtyAZ.com All offices independently owned and operated

REAL ESTATE

Real Estate Guide Renters getting caught in housing price squeeze

BY PAUL MARYNIAK AFN Executive Editor

V

alley renters are increasingly finding themselves caught between rapidly rising rents and soaring home prices that make buying a house next to impossible.

Starter-home prices are rising seven times faster than a typical renter’s income, making saving for a down payment even harder, according to a new analysis

by Zillow.

The online real estate marketplace ear-

lier this month said its analysis shows first-time buyers need a year longer to save enough for a 20 percent down payment than they did in 2017 and must put away an additional $369 per month in the coming year just to keep up with the forecasted growth in home values.

But a report from Arizona Regional Multiple Listing Service on July 19 carried depressing news for any buyer, let alone first-timers: Year-over-year sale prices in the Phoenix metro region rose a whop-

see RENT page RE2

SPO OTLIGHT home New Listing

This custom home sits on over a half acre hillside lot in Eagle Ridge with stunning mountain and city light views.

Bonny Holland

See Page 6

Offered at $1,399,000

SOLD! Great location in a highly desired neighborhood!

Estate living with refined tranquility in this exquisite setting.

Meticulous stonework adorns entire exterior of this luxury home.

Mike Mendoza

Listed for $1,790,000

See Page Page 66 See

Geno Ross

Listed for $689,000

SeeSee Page Page6 6

Ahwatukee’s #1 Team for Over 30 Years 480-706-7234

D!

www.MendozaTeam.com

Mike Mendoza

!

LD

L SO

SO Sanctuary - Front

Sanctuary - Back

Tapestry Canyon - Front

Tapestry Canyon - Back

Stunning panoramic views from privately gated luxury retreat adorned with vibrant imported Montana stone accents. Prime elevated preserve lot with casita. 5 br, 5 ba with 6,455 sq. ft. Resort-style backyard with negative edge pool, custom artwork, fireplace and built-in DCS bbq.

Majestic Southwest contemporary estate on elevated 1.24-acre hillside lot with stunning mountain and city light views. 5 br, 4.5 ba with 4,924 sq. ft. Resort-style backyard with slate patio, built-in Viking grill, pool, spa, koi pond and ultimate privacy.

Listed for $1,950,000

Listed for $1,325,00

re2

REAL ESTATE

AHWATUKEE FOOTHILLS NEWS | JULY 21, 2021

Controversial 2018 state law threatens condo owners

BY PATRICK MACQUEEN Guest Writer

I

magine finally purchasing your dream condo, putting $50,000 into remodeling it and then being forced to sell for less than your total investment in it. This exact scenario and variations of it are playing out throughout Arizona.

Pursuant to Arizona’s controversial condominium conversion statute, i.e., A.R.S. 33-1228, a condominium owner may be forced to sell their condo with little, or no, notice or right to contest the sale, a limited ability to disagree with the price offered, and a quick timeframe to vacate the property.

Indeed, the Arizona condominium termination law permits investors or owners who acquire 80 percent of the condominium units in a condo development to force the remaining 20 percent of the owners to sell their homes.

These sales occur on short notice and with little protections to owners.

The only “protections” of any real significance afforded to a condo owner include the statute’s requirement that the 80 percent owner pay for the seller’s moving costs at a rate of 5 percent of the purchase price.

This “protection” applies irrespective of whether the affected condo owner resides in their condo or not.

Another “protection” is the right of the affected condo owner to request arbitration if there is more than a 5 percent

difference between the condo owner’s appraisal and the investor’s appraisal.

There are also disclosure requirements that investors must provide to existing condo owners. These include an obligation to disclose amounts paid for units and certain financial terms that were negotiated with other effected owners.

Many condo owners have been caught off guard by the condominium termination statute and are left wondering whether anything can be done. The answer is, fortunately, yes, and more protections may be coming.

As noted above, developers must follow a process. This process can be contested by affected condo owners and contesting the process may dissuade developers from continuing with certain projects.

Additionally, obtaining appraisals and attempting to overturn or contest the statute are other ways in which condo owners are protecting their interests.

There are other options, as well.

In situations like this, we strongly urge you to consult with an Arizona real estate attorney. The statute is unlike anything in other jurisdictions, and, at present, there are no judicial interpretations of significance involving the statute, which is why it is imperative that condo owners know what they can, and cannot do, in these situations.

If you have questions about options as a condo owner or have other real estate questions, contact patrick@ mandglawgroup.com or call 602-5332840. ■

Be Smart.

Choose LendSmart.

Contact Eric Kinneman

for your mortgage needs 602-757-2171.

When you support your local Community businesses, we are all winners, making our Community stronger one closing at a time.

Eric Kinneman, Branch Manager - Ahwatukee Branch. NMLS #212062 | AZ License 0911709

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Luxury for sale

This nearly 11,000-square-foot home on S. Rockhill Road in Ahwatukee is one of the few seven-figure homes for sale. Priced at $3.3 million, the three-story home, built in 1994, has layers of decks and three-story windows. (Special to AFN)

RENT ���� page RE1

ping 46.26 percent in June and the current average price of a home is $507,936.

Realtor.com last week reported,“High demand for a limited supply of rental housing has resulted in skyrocketing prices across the nation – and desperation from those seeking more affordable housing options."

Zillow did qualify its sunny outlook for renters by noting “monthly payments can remain affordable even with a smaller down payment, and flexible work options are providing new opportunities for many to buy a home in a less-expensive city.”

That likely doesn’t include the Phoenix metro area, where various reports indicate that both rents and house prices are skyrocketing.

The Cromford Report, one of the region’s premier analysts of the Valley housing market, last week said the median sales price for homes in June was $400,000 – up 24.2 percent from a year ago.

The new-build median was $407,047 – a 9.3 percent increase over June 2020 – and the median price for re-sales was $400,000 – a whopping 28.2 percent increase over June 2020.

Noting the market appears to be cooling as inventory steadily increases, Cromford doesn’t expect home prices to fall – or even weaken – observing, “You would be mistaken if you think most sellers are asking less for their homes.”

It’s not only home prices that are soar-

ing for renters.

Nationally, Realtor.com reported, the median rent hit a new high of $1,575 in June, up 8.1 percent compared with last year.

Phoenix is among the 44 of the nation’s 50 largest cities that “posted new highs, squeezing renters even tighter,” Realtor. com said.

Rental markets with the largest yearover-year price increases and median rents in June, with Phoenix median rent soaring 20.9 percent to $1,590 – a higher median rent than the national figure.

“We are seeing an excessive amount of people showing up for rental properties and turning applications in, probably five times the amount it was a year ago,” one broker told Realtor.com.

“Similar to the shortage of homes for sale, the number of homes available to rent is historically low, driving prices up,” it said. “That’s hurting cash-strapped renters vying for places to live that fit in their budgets.”

The pandemic’s economic pressures “have not affected everyone equally,” said Danielle Hale, chief economist at Realtor. com. “There has been a lot of government support, so incomes remained steady for a lot of people, and for some Americans, incomes have risen.”

Realtor.com surmised the shrinking rental inventory may have been partly impacted by landlords “throwing in the towel” as restrictions like the eviction

see RENT page RE7

JULY 21, 2021 | AHWATUKEE FOOTHILLS NEWS

re3

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AHWATUKEE FOOTHILLS NEWS | JULY 21, 2021

This is not a normal summer housing market

In the first half of 2021, 47 Luxury homes sold. In 2020 so far, 33 luxury homes sold.

Average days a luxury home has stayed on the market in 2021 is 30, whereas last year was 152 days. Luxury homes are selling so quickly, that there are currently only five active luxury homes for sale in Ahwatukee, when normally there are 30.

The most remarkable thing we are seeing is the increase in the price per square foot of luxury homes. Currently that number is $372.95 for active homes. In 2020, the average price per foot of the closed properties was $245.00 Please reach out to me to help you navigate this extremely complex and unique market.

Contact Bonny Holland for a conversation about what is right for you and your family in this market. bonny@leadingluxuryexperts.com 602-369-1085. ■

Leading Luxury Home Experts

BY DAN RICHARDS AFN Guest Writer

P

otential homebuyers are often unaware and surprised at the range of low credit home loans that are available. Having a low credit score does not mean you cannot get a loan to purchase a home.

There are options available and recommendations someone with a low credit score can take to help better position themselves for buying a new house.

Credit scores ranging from 500 to 580 have fewer options than those with a score above 600.

However, a government backed FHA loan and a non-qualified mortgage are options and recommended for someone with a credit score between 500 and 580.

FHA loans are backed by the Federal

11640 S Warcloud Ct, Phoenix

BONNY HOLLAND Ahwatukee Resident and Realtor since 1995

602.369.1085

Bonny@LeadingLuxuryExperts.com

2016 & 2017 BREA Award for Most Sales in Ahwatukee!

Contact Paul Maryniak at 480-898-5647 or pmaryniak@timespublications.com

$1,249,000

EAGLE RIDGE

715 E Windmere Dr, Phoenix

1,399,000

SUMMERHILL

14204 S Presario Trl, Phoenix

$3,000,000

4366 sqft, 4 bedrooms (+5), 3.5 baths

7213 sqft, 4 bedrooms (+5), 5.5 bathrooms

Beautiful custom home in the highly sought after Ahwatukee Custom Estates.

This custom home sits on over a half acre hillside lot in Eagle Ridge with stunning mountain and city light views.

Spectacular, one-of-a-kind, solid timber-framed Craftsman style home nestled against South Mountain Park with unobstructed panoramic views of the valley.

TAPESTRY CANYON

TAPESTRY CANYON

15832 S 22nd

$1,739,000

GOT NEWS?

4270 sqft, 5 bedrooms (+7), 4 baths

MOUNTAIN PARK RANCH

Luxury Custom Estate in The Sanctuary nestled on a 40,000 square foot lot with amazing views!

report for accuracy. Mistakes happen and when you see an error you can report it to hopefully correct your report and score.

Limit your other debt – for example, prioritize whether you want to buy a new home or a new car.

Regardless of your credit score, working with a trusted advisor and mortgage broker is essential so that you understand your options and all of the details related to the loan requirements.

Dan Richards is senior vice president of Homie Loans, which provides loan services. Information: homieloans.com ■

SOLD

THE SANCTUARY

5100 sqft, 5 bedrooms (+6), 4.5 baths

fy for a conventional loan.

There are two options that are more friendly to those with a minimum credit score of 620 – the Freddie Mac Home Possible buyer program and the Fannie Mae HomeReady loan.

These are options for low-to-moderate income borrowers and first-time homebuyers.

Additionally, there are other government assistant programs and grants for first-time homebuyers that are important to research when beginning the home buying process.

Having a high credit score will give you access to better loans and more options.

So, if your score is low, there are steps you can take to improve it.

Recommendations include pay down your credit card balances and improve your payment history. Check your credit

#1 AGENT IN AHWATUKEE CLOSED VOLUME 2020 AHWATUKEE CUSTOM ESTATES

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Housing Administration and in addition to being an option for those with low credit scores, these loans don’t carry additional fees and won’t necessarily have higher interest rates.

The borrower may have to put up to 10 percent down, but this is still a good option for those with low credit scores.

When someone’s credit score is 600 or greater, there are more loan options. A USDA loan is popular because of the zero down payment requirement, however, to use this loan you must buy a home in a qualified rural area – though it is good to check as some suburbs are included.

The interest rate and the amount of money needed to put down are often the two factors that have the biggest impact on a loan for someone with a low credit score. Most lenders will require a minimum of 620 credit score in order to quali-

2157 E Tecoma Rd, Phoenix

$799,000

1827 E Rocky Slope Dr, Phoenix

$2,995,000

14022 S 17th Pl Unit #8, Phoenix

SOLD

gage rates are still low and homes are still appreciating, albeit at a slower pace. At this point, affordability does come into play for buyers. More appreciation and the potential for higher mortgage rates going forward, creates less affordability for buyers.

For sellers, it is still a great time to sell.

While inventory is increasing – shifting from an extreme sellers’ market to a market that is not quite so extreme – we are still well below historical levels of inventory.

The difference between an extreme market and where we are now is that sellers will still get their asking price but will have to make more concessions that they’ve had to in past months.

The luxury market in Ahwatukee (over $1 million) is a completely different picture. It is still a very strong sellers’ market and prices are still increasing significantly.

SALE PENDING

A

s we move deeper into the summer housing market, things are very different than normal at this time of year.

Typically at this time of year, inventory declines after a busy spring, houses tend to stay on the market longer and appreciation slows.

This year is very different. Inventory levels have been increasing since February, houses are staying on the market a shorter time than normal (an average of 17 days!), and prices continue to appreciate.

But things are slowing.

In January, there was a 1.9 months’ supply of homes on the market and in May that number had increased to 2.5 months.

Not a huge difference, but still a notable trend upwards.

And while this number has increased, we are nowhere near a balanced market, which is around a six-month supply.

Currently, more and more homes are being listed for sale. It’s a relief for buyers. More homes equal more options and fewer bidding wars and concessions.

Earlier this year, buyers were fighting over one home, whereas now they might have five or six homes that meet their criteria.

From a more local perspective, inventory of homes between $400,000 and $800,000 has increased over 90 percent since February.

We’ve been seeing buyers giving up when inventory was so low and there was so much competition, but the right choice is to stick with it.

It’s still a great time to buy while mort-

re5

Buyers with low credit scores have loan options

SALE PENDING

BY BONNY HOLLAND AFN Guest Writer

REAL ESTATE

JULY 21, 2021 | AHWATUKEE FOOTHILLS NEWS

JUST LISTED

REAL ESTATE

NEW LISTING

re4

$265,000

2928 sqft, 4 bedrooms, 2.5 baths

6629 sqft, 3 bedrooms (+5), 3 baths

34,375 sqft view lot

Gorgeous highly upgraded single level home in Mountain Park Ranch.

One-of-a-kind architectural masterpiece! Built into the side of a mountain facing South Mountain in Phoenix’s Ahwatukee Foothills.

Build your Dream Home on this 34,375 sqft view lot in the Gated Hillside Community of Tapestry Canyon.

www.LeadingLuxuryExperts.com Each Keller Williams Office is Independently Owned and Operated.

re6

AHWATUKEE FOOTHILLS NEWS | JULY 21, 2021

SPO OTLIGHT home AHWATUKEE

715 E Windmere Drive 4366 sqft, 4 bedrooms (+5), 3.5 baths

New Listing

This custom home sits on over a half acre hillside lot in Eagle Ridge with stunning mountain and city light views.

Offered at $1,399,000 Bonny Holland 602.369.1085 www.LeadingLuxuryExperts.com

kw

®

KELLER WILLIAMS® REALTY

CIRCLE G AT RIGGS RANCH Estate living with refined tranquility in this exquisite setting.

Meticulous stonework adorns entire exterior of this luxury home. Inviting entry opens to diagonally laid tile with granite inlays and dramatic wooden staircase. Formal dining room with stacked stone fireplace. Gourmet kitchen features granite countertops, large island, Subzero refrigerator, and Wolf gas cooktop with double ovens. Fireplace and wet bar in great room. Floor plan boasts seven bedrooms, playroom and large game room. Expansive master suite includes large sitting area with two-way fireplace, crown molding, separate walk-in closets and spacious bathroom. Three custom iron doors lead to massive covered patio with pavers, built-in barbeque, heated pool with waterfall and slide, gorgeous landscaping with fruit trees and koi pond.

Large secondary bedrooms. Oversized laundry room with sink, granite countertops, cabinetry and room for a refrigerator. Additional upgrades throughout include 8’ solid core doors, speakers, surround sound in numerous locations, designer paint and exterior security cameras.

Three masonry fireplaces. Anderson windows installed six years ago on entire first level. Four Trane a/c units with variable speed. Over-sized side entry four car garage.

Availability to park an RV in the back as long as a garage is built for it. Over 7,000 square feet of stone on exterior.

Almost acre-sized lot affords complete privacy.

Listed for $1,790,000

kw

®

Mike Mendoza

SOLD!

SONORAN LIVING

KELLER WILLIAMS® REALTY

480.706.7234 • www.MendozaTeam.com

SONORAN LIVING

STUNNING MOUNTAIN PARK RANCH HOME! GREAT LOCATION IN A HIGHLY DESIRED NEIGHBORHOOD•5 BEDROOM, 3 BATH•FORMAL LIVING & DINING ROOM•FAMILY ROOM W/FIREPLACE•KITCHEN INCLUDES: S/S APPLIANCES, ISLAND, RECESSED LIGHTING, & WALK-IN PANTRY•BREAKFAST NOOK•SOARING VAULTED CEILINGS•NEUTRAL PAINT & CARPET•STONE-LOOK TILE FLOORING•UPGRADED FIXTURES THROUGHOUT•OPEN & BRIGHT•LARGE MASTER SUITE W/SITTING AREA•MASTER BATH WITH HIS/HER CLOSETS,DUAL VANITIES•MASTER DECK W/STUNNING MOUNTAIN VIEWS•UPSTAIRS GUEST BEDROOM LARGE ENOUGH FOR MEDIA/ GAMEROOM•LAUNDRY ROOM W/EXTENSIVE STORAGE•TROPICAL ENTERTAINER’S BACKYARD W/SPARKLING POOL, ABOVE GROUND SPA, COVERED PATIO,GAZEBO, KIVA FIREPLACE, BBQ, PAVERS, SIDE YARD, & GRASSY PLAY AREA•3-CAR GARAGE W/ EPOXY FLOOR•THIS IS A GREAT FAMILY HOME WITH A GREAT FLOORPLAN!

Listed for $689,000

Geno Ross (602) 751-2121 www.GenoRoss.com

REAL ESTATE

JULY 21, 2021 | AHWATUKEE FOOTHILLS NEWS

RENT ���� page RE2

moratorium make it harder to manage properties and pay their own bills.

Phoenix is a good case in point. A memo to City Council last week shows that between March and this month, the city has shelled out $18.8 million in rental assistance to 2,492 households.

With only 43 percent of its rental assistance funds expended, the city now wants to “hire approximately 20 additional temporary employees with higher pay to attract more applicants and more highly qualified personnel,” the memo from the City Manager’s office states.

It also wants to “increase pay of existing temporary employees to encourage retention” and “add premium pay to staff providing services,” according to the memo.

"Across Arizona and the nation, a lot of protections “are still in place but are close to expiring,” Hale said. Renters who are ultimately evicted will need to find new housing going forward, making it harder to find a place to rent, he added.

Zillow based its analysis on a starter home price of $148,500.

“If an average renter household saves 10 percent of its income, it would take about

480-706-7234 !

LD O S

six years and five months to save enough for a 20 percent down payment on today’s typical starter home worth about $148,500,” it said.

But Zillow also noted tat in reality, the typical starter home – the median home in the bottom third of home prices – is worth $270,560.

“Without the equity from a previous home sale, firsttime home buyers face more challenges in coming up with a down payment,” said Zillow economic data analyst Nicole Bachaud, adding: “In a housing market where prices are rising at record rates, especially when compared to renter incomes, the everincreasing sum of a 20 percent down payment can feel out of reach.

"The good news is that buyers who want to take advantage of today’s low mortgage rates can do so without putting a full 20 percent down – most conventional mortgages allow as little as 3 percent to 5 per-

4 BR / 2.5 BA / 2,941 SQFT

Estate living with refined tranquility in exquisite setting.

Meticulous stonework adorns entire exterior of home.

!

LD O S

Majestic Southwest contemporary estate on private hillside lot with stunning mountain and city light views.

Listed for $1,325,000

!

LD O S

Stunning panoramic views from privately gated luxury retreat with casita on elevated preserve lot.

Sanctuary

Bella Vista !

LD O S

Mountain Park Ranch

Listed for $1,950,000

4 BR / 3.5 BA / 3,860 SQFT

4 BR / 2.5 BA / 3,090 SQFT

Superb single level with travertine patio and fenced Pebble Tec pool with water feature.

Candleridge singlelevel with 2018 roof replacement and A/C installation.

Listed for $675,000

Mike Mendoza MendozaTeam.com 5 BR / 5 BA / 6,455 SQFT

Listed For $625,000

Listed for $1,790,000

5BR / 4.5 BA / 4,924 SQFT

Tapestry Canyon

Spotless single level with split master floor plan in popular Gilbert location.

re7

cent down. The difference in a mortgage payment at those percentages would be $1,133 and $1,551, respectively, it said.

“A smaller down payment, of course, comes with tradeoffs on the monthly mortgage payment, such as the private mortgage insurance lenders often require borrowers to carry,” Zillow said. “Buyers may decide the benefits of homeownership and the chance to build equity sooner outweigh the additional housing cost burden each month.”

Zillow also reported that its analysis found people of color who rent have even greater obstacles saving for a down payment.

“Because of differences in incomes and the lingering impacts of historical inequities, it is more difficult for Black and Latinx renters to come up with a down payment on their first home,” it said.

“It would take six years and one month for a white renter earning the median income, and four and a half years for an Asian American renter earning the median income to save for a 20 percent down payment on a starter home, compared with nine years and seven months for a Black renter, and seven years and eight months for a Latinx renter.” ■

Ahwatukee’s #1 Team for Over 30 Years 7BR / 4.5 BA / 8,873 SQFT

Circle G at Riggs Ranch

cent. That lower upfront payment comes with higher monthly payments, but the opportunity to build equity can outweigh those extra costs for many.”

Zillow forecasts 14.9 percent appreciation over the next year, which would mean renters need to save an additional $369 per month just to keep up.

Renters in California face the biggest barriers to saving for down payments.

San Franc i s c o renters e a r n nearly twice as much money as the typical U.S. renter, yet home prices are so high that it would take 17 years and five months ― 11 years longer than the national average ― to save enough to put 20 percent down on a local starter home.

Pegging a starter home price of $270,560 in Phoenix, Zillow said it will take 10 years and six months to put away enough for a 20 percent down payment but only just under three years for a 5 per-

Listed for $1,250,000

Monte Vista

Tapestry Canyon

AHWATUKEE FOOTHILLS NEWS | JULY 21, 2021

re8

Ahwatukee Custom Estates One of the most amazing view lots in

$2,099,000

SOLD!

all of AZ. Custom home with everythingl 10,000 sq. ft., 3/4 acre prserve lot, 6 bedrooms, 6 bathes, Executive Office Suite, Master Suite with Sitting Room, Master Bath with Jacuzzi, Theater Room, Exercise Room, Loft, Guest House, Grand Foyer, Gourmet Kitchen, Resort Backyard with Pebbletec Diving Pool, Watertalls, slide, Volcano, firepit, Spa, Sport Court, Grassy Play Areas, & Outdoor Kitchen, 4-car A/C Garage. A true masterpiece!!!

Calabrea

SOLD!

$1,339,000

Ahwatukee Custom Estates $1,750,000

Pristine & Classy Gated Estate On A Premium 2/3 Acre Hillside Lot, Private Cul-De-Sac, 6 Bedrooms, 4.5 Baths, 5200 Sqft Of Pure Luxury Finishes, Stunning Views In Every Direction, Iron Door, Butted Glass Windows In Entry & Kitchen, Custom Window Treatments, Decorator Paint, Dome Ceiling Foyer & Groin Vaulted Ceilings In Living Room, Travertine & Hardwood Floors Throughout, 7-Inch Baseboards, Media Room, Dream Kitchen Includes S/S Appliances, Slab Granite Counters, Alder Cabinets, Huge Island, Walk In Pantry, Large Master Suite W/Stone Fireplace, Master Bath W/Jacuzzi Tub, 3 Vanities & Snail Shower, Paradise Backyard W/Travertine In Versailles Pattern, Turf Grass, Pebbletec Pool/Jacuzzi, 4 Water Features, Large Covered Patio, Stacked Stone Bbq, 4 Car Garage W/Epoxy & Storage! Your Dream Estate Awaits!!

SOLD!

Amazing Remodeled Custom Estate with mountain views located at the end of a cul-de-sac.Over 8000sqft of pure luxury finishes.6 Bedroom,5.5 Baths.Custom Kitchen.Elevator.Executive Office.Basement Media Room.Dance Studio.Huge Backyard with Pool, Jacuzzi, Turf, BBQ, Sportcourt.This Spectacular Estate has it all!!!

Summerhill $1,099,000

Calabrea $1,099,000

Cabrillo Canyon $689,000

5 bedroom / 3 bath, 3,506 SqFt, Cul-de-sac location with huge backyard, sports court, built-in BBQ, mature shade trees, very private backing to wash. Good size SOLD! bedrooms, master downstai5. Features a large office with balcony, plus office/loft with built-in bookcase and 3 full baths. Th� home is perfect for family gatherings BEST NEAR THE LOOP 202 in gated withand stunning mountain only. views. andLOCATION entertaining.

CanNEW be previewed with 24Calabrea hour notice appointment

SOLD! Stunning Single Level Custom Remodel on a huge corner lot in a cul-de-sac! *4 Bedroom, 2.5 Bath *The highest quality custom finishes throughout *Grand foyer *Formal living & dining room *Familt room w/fireplace *Wetbar *Designer kitchen includes: quartzsite counters & island, s/s appliances, custom cabinetry, walk-in pantry *Recessed LED lights throughout *Plantation shutters *Large master suite *Master bath w/walk-in shower, free standing tub, & walk-in closet *Laundry room w/sink *Wood flooring *Custom fixtures *Trane A/C’s *Private backyard w/covered patio, pebbletec pool, turf, & RV gate with tons of room to park the toys *3 Car garage with epoxy *The lot is very private *The house shows like a new build *Do not miss your opportunity to own this amazing Cabrillo Canyon Estate!

SOLD!

Canyon Verde/$899,000--SOLD IN 1 DAY Foothills/$299,000--SOLD IN 1 DAY Ahwatukee/$489,000--SOLD IN 1 DAY

Complete with the highest quality build and finishes. Gourmet kitchen includes slab granite counters, alder cabinets, and stainless steel appliances. This estate also features a media/ theater room with 105 inch screen. The basement includes a full wet bar, family room & 2 bedrooms. Resort Backyard with pool. A perfect 10!

www.GenoRoss.com Donna Leeds

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TOP GRI, ABR REALTOR

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Stunning single-level custom estate gated summerhill on a 1/2 acre lot. beautiful mountain views. Gourmet Kitchen. Master Suite w/sitting area. Two master suites. Split floorplan. Executive office w/built-in cabinets. Tropical paradise backyard w/covered patio, gazebo, pebbletec pool, rock waterfall, built-in bbq, turf, & putting green. This estate has the perfect floorplan!!

Geno Ross

602.751.2121

wwwBestAgentWUSA.com

Making Ahwatukee

Home Dreams Come True Since 1986 www.WestUSA.com I 480.893.0600

4505 E. Chandler Boulevard, Suite 170, Phoenix, AZ 85048

Mountain Park Ranch

Lakewood

$635,000

PENDING!

2,498 Sq Ft. EXCEPTIONAL HOME Which Has One of the LARGEST LOTS in the Premier Lakewood Community!

PEBBLETEC POOL and SPA in your own Oasis backyard! 4 bedrooms 3 baths with Lakewood Parks, Greenbelts & 2 Fishing Lakes, Playgrounds and More.

Jenifer Bulfer 480-297-6968 jbulfer@westusa.com

Ahwatukee

$365,000

SOLD!

Pristine Curb appeal in desirable Adult 55+ Golf Community of Ahwatukee.

Open concept split floor plan with Vaulted ceilings. Many upgrades include remodeled and updated kitchen, tile floors, master bath, murphy bed, travertine deck and patio with misting system and a putting green. updated duel pane windows, Plantation shutters throughout, pebble-tech heated pool with a water feature, North South exposure and mountain views. Enjoy all the benefits that the ARC has to offer.

Troy Royston 480-435-3461 troyston61@gmail.com

$499,900

PENDING!

Original Owners Phoenix charmer in the Ahwatukee Foothills! 3 bedroom, 3 full bath home with tons of upgrades, vaulted ceilings, and a gorgeous pool.

Plantation shutters and top of the line energy efficient Anderson Windows installed throughout in 2014. The kitchen features granite countertops, a breakfast bar, and pendant lighting with an open concept feel. Optional space downstairs for a 4th bedroom with full bath if desired.

Coventry Tempe

$665,000

2,438 sq ft. Beautiful 4 bed, 2.5 bath. Master Down ! Great curb appeal with easy-care desert landscape and a two-car garage. New Carpeting discover formal dining and living areas, plantation shutters, and a soothing palette throughout. The charming kitchen offers ample oak cabinetry, tile counters, recessed lighting, & an island complete with a breakfast bar. The primary bedroom boasts its own ensuite filled with natural light & a sizable walk-in closet. Spacious bedrooms offer plush carpets and ceiling fans. Interior laundry with shelving. Backyard offers the best of both worlds with a covered patio and sparkling pool to cool off in.

Impeccable, Executive 5 bedroom/3.5 bath home in Foothills. This popular model includes formal living/dining areas plus a huge great room w/ gas fireplace. Chef’s Dream kitchen includes maple cabinets, granite countertops, stainless appliances, large island, & breakfast nook. Full bedroom w/ensuite bath on 1st floor perfect for guests.

Marty Griffin 602-692-7653 martygriffin@q.com

Foothills Reserve

Coventry Tempe

5 bedroom, 3 bath with Diving Pool.

Perfect Family Home.

Call for details Geri Thompson 480-239-7589 gerithompson@westusa.com

SOLD!

$625,000

Marty Griffin 602-692-7653 martygriffin@q.com

Coming Soon!

Foothills

Jill Ostendorp 480-678-7308 jillo@homesbyjillo.com

Mountain Park Ranch

RENTAL

$2,690 PM

Gated Community! 3bedroom/2bath PLUS Den/Office with built in cabinets. Easy access to freeways 101, US60, I-10 and 202. This home is located within the Kyrene school district. Open floorplan with Bosch stainless kitchen appliances and granite countertops. Large master bedroom and bathroom. Nice backyard and raise garden with tomato plants, chili and egg plants. Ready to be harvested!

Kelly Quek, M.B.A. 480-734-9808 kellyquek8@gmail.com

SOLD!

$495,000

3,250 sq ft. 5 bedroom, 3 baths! 3 car garage, short walk to the huge HOA pool and top-rated Kyrene Monte Vista. Large kitchen with multiple living areas, nice front/ afternoonshaded patio, in a family-friendly cul-de-sac. Plantation shutters, new plumbing, one newer AC on a split-system, newer interior paint and flooring.

Link Paffenbarger 602-989-7221 linkpaff@gmail.com

AHWATUKEE FOOTHILLS NEWS

WWW.AHWATUKEE.COM

JULY 21, 2021

3 new leaders starting posts in Ahwatukee AFN NEWS STAFF

N

ew leaders are taking the helm at three Ahwatukee schools this school year.

Akimel A-al Middle School is welcoming new principal Shalini McCarthy to campus while St. John Bosco Catholic School students and staff will be led by new principal Jamie Bescak.

At the same time, Tom Kandler begins his new job as Horizon Honors Secondary School assistant principal.

Kyrene continues to grow its own, promoting current staff to open administrative positions.

McCarthy’s educational career spans 12 years across a number of Valley school districts. Most recently, she served as an assistant principal of a PreK-8 school in

JAMIE BESCAK

SHALINI McCARTHY

TOM KANDLER

another Phoenix district.

“It was during my time as an assistant principal that I found my passion for working with middle school students,”

McCarthy said.

“I look forward to working alongside our dedicated staff and community to provide the best possible learning environ-

ment for our Akimel A-al students.”

Prior to entering school leadership, Mc-

see LEADERS page 28

New Kyrene teachers hold in-person orientation AFN NEWS STAFF

K

yrene School District hosted its annual Orientation for New Educators, or ONE, event in person this year at Aprende Middle School with limited attendance and plenty of space for social distancing.

Events like ONE are key to Kyrene’s culture of support and mentorship for teachers, which has helped the district to remain fully staffed on teachers despite a statewide shortage.

It was the first time since March 2020 that Kyrene hosted one of its premiere annual events in person instead of online.

Each year new Kyrene teachers begin the year ahead of the veteran teachers so they can spend a week getting acclimated

to the district and their individual schools.

The kickoff event was the first time that many Kyrene teachers had been under one roof, in one room, for more than 18 months.

The more than 50 educators included those new to teaching, those with years of experience and a few, like new Kyrene Middle School science teacher Dan Schack, who are embarking on a second career.

“I was formally an environmental scientist,” said Schack, who previously consult-

see TEACHERS page 29

New Kyrene teachers met in person this month for orientation. (Special to AFN)

28

BACK TO SCHOOL

LEADERS from page 27

Carthy served as a classroom teacher and an instructional coach. She is an Arizona native, growing up in the East Valley and graduating from Arizona State University with a bachelor’s degree in multilingual/ multicultural studies and a master’s degree in educational leadership.

Elsewhere in Kyrene, school principals remain steady.

At Kyrene de la Mirada in Chandler, Principal Michelle Anderson officially takes the helm this year. She is an experienced Kyrene leader with more than 20 years in education at every level, from elementary to collegiate.

She replaces former Principal Nancy Branch, who retired last year but remained on to support a smooth transition and to hand over the reins of the Kyrene Aspiring Leaders Academy, which helps Kyrene School District to consistently promote from within.

AHWATUKEE FOOTHILLS NEWS | JULY 21, 2021

Kyrene Superintendent Laura Toenjes said, “Retention of leaders, teachers and support staff is more critical than ever as we address students’ academic and social-emotional needs in the wake of the pandemic and seek to drive student achievement forward in the new year.”

The Kyrene Governing Board recently approved a retention stipend for employees who remain with the district through December, and a second stipend for those who remain through May. Bescak takes over the reins at St. John Bosco from Anita Petitti, who retired.

Bescak praised her predecessor in a letter to parents, writing: “Her willingness to share her wisdom and experience with me during the summer has been a true blessing and her legacy will continue to guide me throughout the years. I am incredibly excited to begin our 2021-22 school year as your new principal and sincerely appreciate your continued support.”

She noted she is leading St. John Bosco at a momentous time: it’s marking its 20th anniversary this school year.

The school also is designating its seventh and eighth grades as a junior high and will be having sixth graders alternate between two teachers.

“This model allows for more instructional time for all students in each academic area,” Bescak told parents.

Bescak, who had been St. John Bosco’s preschool director, attended Catholic schools for 15 years.

“I feel as though Christ has brought me full circle – from student to teacher to preschool director to principal. It is truly a blessing to be a part of this Catholic preschool/elementary school/jr. high where I am able to share with our students the morals, values, and faith that I have received.”

Saint John Bosco Catholic School is one of the newest Catholic schools in the Diocese of Phoenix and has 22 classrooms, a stateof-the-art media room, music room, library,

science lab, and multiple sports complexes.

Jennifer Vanderzyl is the new preschool director and ESP supervisor. She has been teaching fifth grade for the past three years and has also served on the School Accreditation Leadership Team for the past two years. She will continue as fifthgrade teacher in addition to her new administrative responsibilities.

Kandler currently serves as our Horizon’s basketball coach and will continue to hold that position.

He has over 22 years of educational experience as both a teacher and school administrator. He has worked at schools in Illinois and throughout Arizona.

“My experience with Horizon Honors has been nothing but positive and I am extremely excited and humbled about the opportunity to join the community in a more significant position,” Kandler said.

“I look forward to working with and for the students, staff, faculty, parents and stakeholders of Horizon Honors,” he added. ■

The latest breaking news and top local stories in Ahwatukee!

www.Ahwatukee.com .com

JUST A CLICK AWAY

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JULY 21, 2021 | AHWATUKEE FOOTHILLS NEWS

TEACHERS from page 27

ed for the U.S. Department of Defense. “I am excited to use my prior experience to help students in my community here at home, and I know at Kyrene, I am being given the tools to make an impact in the lives of kids here.”

Speakers at the ONE kickoff event included Governing Board President Kevin Walsh, board member Michelle Fahy and Superintendent Laura Toenjes.

Nearly every speaker commented on how weird and wonderful it was to be together with teachers in person.

“The second I walked through the door, I felt welcomed,” Schack said. “It was inspiring to be in a room full of both new teachers and seasoned veterans who truly care both about the children and the community we are entrusted with.”

Schack and other new teachers were showered with gifts to help them equip

their classrooms and set students up for success.

Those gifts are possible thanks to Kyrene’s many education partners, including (but not limited to) the Kyrene Foundation, the Kyrene Education Association, the Keller-Gibbs real estate team, the Ross Murray Team at Neighborhood Loans, Back to School Bounty, the Home Smart Christie Ellis Team and Landings Credit Union.

“Once again, Kyrene is starting the school year fully staffed with teachers, despite a statewide teacher shortage plaguing Arizona,” district spokeswoman Erin Helm said.

“Inclusive events like ONE, that get teachers off to a strong start, are key to Kyrene’s retention strategies, along with mentorship programs, competitive wages, culture of collaboration, community support and Kyrene’s reputation for excellence in education,” she added. ■

Kyrene providing free meals for all kids AFN NEWS STAFF

K

yrene School District will continue to offer free meals to all students throughout the 202122 school year. The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) has expanded its free meal program through NEXT June 30.

Through the program, all children age 18 and younger are eligible for free breakfasts and lunches, distributed by school districts.

In Kyrene, students may receive free meals in person, at school or through curbside pickup at the Kyrene District Office, two days per week.

Kyrene Digital Academy students and even children who are not enrolled in Kyrene schools, such as younger siblings, are eligible for free meals. Curbside pickup days are Monday and Thursday and include multiple days of meals.

The USDA program comes at zero cost to Kyrene School District.

However, Kyrene meals continue to be the same high quality, nutritious meals the District has provided for years.

“Our curbside meals are made fresh, from scratch,” says Grant Moss, general manager of Southwest Foodservice Excellence, which provides Kyrene meals.

“Our goal is to fuel young minds and to always use fresh ingredients that taste delicious and provide the nutrients kids need in every bite.”

Additional information about the free meals program can be found on the Kyrene website at kyrene.org/ foodservices. ■

TWO SCHOOLS, ONE AMAZING EDUCATION

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Visit horizonhonors.o rg for details!

HORIZONHONORS.ORG

29

BACK TO SCHOOL

30

AHWATUKEE FOOTHILLS NEWS | JULY 21, 2021

Dr. Dwayne St. Jacques has COVID-19 isn’t the only decades of experience, care vaccine kids need this year AFN NEWS STAFF

D

r. Dwayne St. Jacques of AZKidsDoc Pediatrics, a private solo-pediatric practice in Ahwatukee Foothills, has over 26 years of experience with 23 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, adolescents and young adults through college years. Besides newborn, well-check and same-day-sick exams, AZKids Doc Pediatrics also provides sports/ camp/school physical exams, immuniza-

tions, circumcisions, minor a m b u l a to r y procedures and behavioral consultations.

St. Jacques said his practice “will continue to DR. DWAYNE ST. JACQUES bring the best possible healthcare service to its patients during this period of uncertainty.

“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. ■

Over 26 Years of Experience.

Over 26 Years of Experience.

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Experience.

Over Over 26 Years of Experience.

Providing the best pediatric & Providing the best pediatric & Providing the the best best pediatric pediatric & & Providing adolescent healthcare in the Providing the best pediatric adolescent healthcare in the adolescent healthcare in the the& adolescent healthcare in Ahwatukee community for adolescent infor the Ahwatukee community Ahwatukeehealthcare community for Ahwatukee community for over 23 years.

Ahwatukee community over 23 years. over 23 23 years. for over years.

23 years.

Most over Sick Visits Visits & Consults Consults Most Sick &

Most Sick Visits Visits &the Consults Most Sick Consults can be done done from & comfort can be from the comfort can be done from the comfort Most Sick Visits &the Consults can beof from comfort ofdone your home via a your home via a ofdone your home via can beof from the your home viacomfort aa Telehealth Appointment of your home via a Telehealth Appointment Telehealth Appointment Well-Check Exams, Minor Injuries Injuries & & Telehealth Appointment Well-Check Exams, Minor Well-Check Exams, Minor Injuries Injuries & & Well-Check Exams, Minor Immunizations are are done done onsite. onsite.

Immunizations Immunizations are done onsite.

Well-Check Exams, Minor Injuries Immunizations are done onsite. & Immunizations are done onsite.

Dwayne St. Jacques, MD Dwayne St. St. Jacques, Jacques, MD MD Dwayne 15215 South 48th Street, Suite 110 15215 South 48th Street, Suite 110 Dwayne St. MD110 15215 South 48th 48thJacques, Street, Suite Suite 110 15215 South Street,

Phoenix, AZ 85044 Phoenix, AZ 85044 15215 South 48thAZ Street, Phoenix, AZ 85044Suite 110 Phoenix, 85044 Phoenix, AZ 85044 783-8964 • www.AZKidsDoc.com

(480) 783-8964 •• www.AZKidsDoc.com www.AZKidsDoc.com (480) 783-8964 (480) (480) 783-8964 • www.AZKidsDoc.com Welcoming New & Established Patients Welcoming New New & & Established Established Patients Patients Welcoming Welcoming New & Established Patients

BY MELISSA BAKER, ROBERT OUIMETTE AND JENNIFER YOUNG Guest writers

A

s families prepare to send their kids back to in-person classes, there might be one essential item parents still need to add to the back-toschool list – immunizations.

Immunizations are shots that children and adults take to protect themselves and others against serious illnesses. Staying up to date on immunizations helps keep communities safe from an outbreak of a life-threatening disease.

Unfortunately, millions of people fell behind their vaccination schedule during the last year, as they could not physically visit the doctor or they put off well-checks during the worst of the pandemic.

Do you know the last time you or your children received their booster tetanus shot? Or if you and your loved ones are still protected against hepatitis? It is important to keep up to date with these

vaccines to receive the best protection against deadly viruses.

If you are still unsure why vaccinations are so necessary, consider the 1.5 million people who die from vaccine-preventable diseases every year.

According to the World Health Organization, around 86% of children around the world are vaccinated. These vaccinated people prevent anywhere from two to three million people from dying each year.

If 90-95 percent of children were immunized against preventable diseases - millions of lives could be saved.

Keeping up to date with your and your family’s vaccinations helps the population as a whole maintain herd immunity – a phenomenon that the world is attempting to reach to be protected against COVID-19. With teachers and kids heading back to the classrooms this fall, it has never been more important to take stock of your health and receive proper care.

see VACCINE page 32

BACK TO SCHOOL

JULY 21, 2021 | AHWATUKEE FOOTHILLS NEWS

Pecos Center revs up with full programming AFN NEWS STAFF

31

ic thent tion u a f o uca ori ed s s e t on

M

T

he Pecos Community Center has returned to full operations providing youth and adult classes and programs Mondays- Saturdays.

Low-cost new �itness classes will begin on July 22 along with the center’s long running karate, yoga, and Zumba programs.

These summer classes are still open for registration: Burn and Tone, Thursdays at 7 p.m.; Fit Camps on Wednesdays and Saturdays; karate juniors programs on Saturdays; youth piano classes at 6 p.m. Tuesdays; gentle yoga at 6 p.m. Tuesdays; and Zumba Gold at 9:15 a.m. Fridays.

New youth basketball programs are also starting in August: Junior Suns Boys Basketball clinics, Junior Mercury Girls Basketball clinics; Junior Suns co-ed and boys leagues; Junior Mercury Girls leagues.

Call 602-534-5252 for program information or see Phoenix.gov/parks. ■

Why Choose Children of Hope?

NOW ENROLLING IN OUR BILINGUAL PRIMARY PROGRAM www.keystonemontessori.com • (480) 460-7312 1025 E. Liberty Ln., Phoenix, AZ 85048 (Across the street from the YMCA)

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• Get Set for School Curriculum formally embedded in Pre-K Classes • Parent Communication App. • Project Based Learning Opportunities • Conscious Discipline Trained Staff To get started filling your child with hope, visit us at www.childrenofhopecdc.com

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32

BACK TO SCHOOL

AHWATUKEE FOOTHILLS NEWS | JULY 21, 2021

Where Love Prepares Leaders Introducing Moon Child Academy Before and after school, transportation included Spots are limited so call to register.

Whiz Kidz Playland offers a unique half or full day program.

M-F and some Saturdays: (AGES 3-18)

a Tutoring in all subjects a Social skills development a Recreational/sports development

a Anger/frustration a

a Art classes a Cooking/nutrition a Yoga

management Handwriting development

SAFE, CLEAN, SECURE SMALL GROUP FUN LEARNING AND DEVELOPMENT H Insurance may be accepted. Inquire within H Financial Assistance available H *Ask about our teen and college kids mentorship program.

Visit us online to register for classes!

whizkidzplayland.com • 480-550-5113

3233 E Chandler Blvd Phoenix AZ 85048 whizkidzplayland

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Accepting w Patients Now ProvidingNeOrthodontics!

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Dr, John Culp, Pediatric Dentist, Dr Vanessa Antolinez Kai , Pediatric Dentist & Dr Jessica Thayer, Orthodontist

www.jungleroots.com

Honoring all who served. Military and Veterans discount.

VACCINE from page 30

After more than a year of physically distant learning, teachers are cautiously excited and parents remain anxious about what to expect in the new school year.

Among the many challenges the pandemic brought onto families with schoolage children, coming home with exposure to a potentially life-threatening disease should be the least of your worries this upcoming year. Do your part by checking in with your doctor to confirm you and your family are protected.

If you are unsure of your vaccine history, you can request a copy of your immunization records from your primary care doctor. Upon pulling up your records, they may have you schedule an appointment for a vaccine or booster shot.

If you do not have a primary care physician or are unsure of your previous health history, there are many healthcare resources.

Melissa Baker, Robert Ouimette and Jennifer Young are with Jewish Family & Children’s Service’s integrated healthcare centers. jfcsaz.org. ■

JULY 21, 2021 | AHWATUKEE FOOTHILLS NEWS

33

YOUR LOCAL NEIGHBORHOOD

MUSIC SCHOOL WEEKLY LESSONS IN ALL INSTRUMENTS BESTOF

2020

FREE REGISTRATION FEE sign up for lessons & receive a $35 registration fee for free

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AHWATUKEE FOOTHILLS NEWS | JULY 21, 2021

BUSINESS

Business JULY 21, 2021 | AHWATUKEE FOOTHILLS NEWS

@AhwatukeeFN |

35

@AhwatukeeFN

www.ahwatukee.com

Ahwatukee Chamber honors businesses, students AFN NEWS STAFF

T

he Ahwatukee Foothills Chamber of Commerce saluted some local businesses and awarded three newly minted high school graduates scholarships during its annual 2020 - 2021 Chamber Day of Champions recently.

The honored businesses and the students were praised for “exceptional achievements throughout the year,” Chamber Executive Director Andrew Hayes said.

“These awards serve to raise the awareness of the businesses and community members in Ahwatukee that exemplify the excellence that makes our community a great place to live, work and play,” he added.

The Retailer of the Year award went to Vera Bradley of Vera Bradley Designs at Phoenix Premium Outlets.

Micro Business of the Year is Lynn Hennessy State Farm Insurance while Small Business of the Year is Interstate Auto Repair.

CK’s Tavern and Grill received the Medium Business of the Year award while Large Business of the Year honors went to Urban Air Ahwatukee. Cox Business

Winners of Ahwatukee Foothills Chamber of Commerce scholarships included, from left Caden Griffin, Abigail Gerdis and Mason Hickel.

(Courtesy of Ahwatukee Chamber)

Chamber Cup winner Dee Gordon of Sundance Salon & Spa received her award from Ahwatukee Chamber Executive Director Andrew Hayes. (Courtesy of Ahwatukee Chamber)

earned the Chamber’s Corporate Business of the Year award.

The Ahwatukee Chamber also honors a member with the Chamber Cup “to show appreciation for outstanding effort and support on behalf of the organization,” Hayes said.

This year that award went to Dee Gordon of Sundance Salon & Spa. The group’s Community Cup – honoring

an organization, individual or couple for outstanding volunteerism and/or other commitments to the community – was awarded to Jessica Magee of Music Makers Workshops.

This year’s scholarships were presented by Naveen Vadhwa with Bell Bank Mortgage.

The $1,000 Tim Hovik Scholarship was won by Desert Vista grad Abigail Gerdis

while $500 Bell Bank Mortgage/Ahwatukee Chamber Scholarships were earned

by Corona del Sol grad Caden Griffin and Desert Vista grad Mason Hickel.

The Chamber will hold a mixer 5-7 p.m. today, July 21, at Wicked Brews, Bites & Spirits, 4921 E. Ray Road, Ahwatukee.

AFN NEWS STAFF

teaching dermatology and skin surgery, and helping patients get to the other side of skin cancer treatment,” said ASL founder, Sarah Neumann, PA. In June, Mayo Clinic-trained dermatologist Dr. Ifty Ahmed joined the team of healthcare providers at the practice located at 4425 E Agave Road, building 9, suite 148.

The practice recently reinstated walkin urgent care appointments which were discontinued during the pandemic. The first-come, first-served appointments are available on Tuesdays from noon-1 p.m. and 7-8 a.m. Thursdays.

Ahwatukee Skin & Laser has been a

multiple year award-winner for Best Skin Care, Best Practice, Best PA and in other categories in local polls.

The practice creates custom skin care regimens that best fits patients’ medical and personal needs. It is a leader in skin cancer surveillance and specializes in the diagnosis and treatment of skin cancer and offers in-house general dermatology and esthetic services.

“We are also proud to be leaders in skin cancer surveillance and specialize in the diagnosis and treatment of skin cancer,” Neumann said.

Information: 480-704-7546 or ahwatukeeskincare.com. ■

Contact 480-753-7676 or email info@ AhwatukeeChamber.com. ■

Former Navy surgeon joins Ahwatukee Skin & Laser

A DR. THOMAS BARLOW

former Navy surgeon is joining Ahwatukee Skin & Laser, which has re-established walk-in visits.

Dr. Thomas Barlow is a dermatologist and Mohs surgeon who practiced medicine for 15 years in the U.S. Navy prior to joining the growing practice.

Barlow completed his dermatology residency at Naval Medical Center San Diego, and a fellowship in Mohs surgery at the renowned Scripps Clinic in La Jolla, California.

“We are thrilled to add another highly experienced Mohs Surgeon to our list of healthcare providers. Dr. Barlow enjoys

36

BUSINESS

AHWATUKEE FOOTHILLS NEWS | JULY 21, 2021

Consider Social Security’s role in your retirement

BY JOSEPH ORTIZ AFN Guest Writer

H

ere’s something to think about: You could spend two, or even three, decades in

retirement.

To meet your income needs for all those years, you’ll generally need a sizable amount of retirement assets. How will Social Security fit into the picture?

For most people, Social Security won’t be enough to cover the cost of living in retirement. Nonetheless, Social Security benefits are still valuable, so you’ll want to do whatever you can to maximize them.

Your first move is to determine when you should start taking Social Security.

You can begin collecting benefits when you reach 62 – but should you?

If you were to turn 62 this year, your payments would only be about 71 percent of what you’d get if you waited until your full retirement age, which is 66

years and 10 months. (“Full retirement age” varies, depending on when you were born, but for most people today, it will be between 66 and 67.)

Every month you wait between now and your full retirement age, your benefits will increase.

If you still want to delay taking benefits beyond your full retirement age, your payments will increase by 8 percent each year, until you’re 70, when they “max out.”

Regardless of when you file, you’ll also receive an annual cost-of-living adjustment.

So, when should you start claiming your benefits? There’s no one “right” answer for everyone. If you turn 62 and you need the money, your choice might be made for you.

But if you have sufficient income from other sources, you’re in good health and you have longevity in your family, or you’re still working, it might be worthwhile to wait until your full retirement

age, or perhaps even longer, to start collecting.

Another key consideration is spousal benefits. If your own full retirement benefit is less than 50 percent of your spouse’s full retirement benefit, you would generally be eligible to claim spousal benefits, provided you’re at least 62 and your spouse has filed for Social Security benefits.

Survivor benefits are another important consideration. When you pass away, your spouse would be able to receive up to 100 percent of your benefit or his/her own retirement benefit, whichever is higher.

Thus, delaying Social Security could not only increase your own benefit, but also the benefit for your surviving spouse.

An additional issue to think about, when planning for how Social Security fits into your retirement, is your earned income.

If you’re younger than full retirement age, your benefit will be reduced by $1

for each $2 you earn above a certain amount, which, in 2021, is $18,960.

During the year you reach full retirement age, your benefit will be reduced by $1 for each $3 you earn above a set amount ($50,520 in 2021).

But once you hit the month at which you attain full retirement age, and from that point on, you can keep all of your benefits, no matter how much you earn (although your benefits could still be taxed).

One final point to keep in mind: The more you accumulate in your other retirement accounts, such as your IRA and 401(k) or similar employer-sponsored plan, the more flexibility you’ll have in managing your Social Security benefits.

So, throughout your working years, try to contribute as much as you can afford to these plans.

Joseph Ortiz is a financial planner for Edward Jones. Reach him at 480753-7664 or joseph.ortiz@edwardjones.com ■

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OPINION

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AHWATUKEE FOOTHILLS NEWS | JULY 21, 2021

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Send your letters on local issues to: pmaryniak@timespublications.com

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ADOT chief: Plan now for Broadway Curve project

BY JOHN HALIKOWSKI AFN Guest Writer

T

hink about this for a moment: Over the course of a month, the number of people who drive on Interstate 10 in the Broadway Curve area between Baseline Road and 40th Street is nearly as large as the entire population of our great state.

But even that incredible number doesn’t sufficiently explain the importance of the I-10 Broadway Curve area – or the 11 miles of I-10 between the Loop 202 (Santan/South Mountain Freeway) and I-17 – in the metroPhoenix area’s transportation network.

I-10 is a key commerce corridor that connects our state with the rest of the nation.

More than 4,600 businesses are located along the corridor, including 50 of the region’s largest employers. Millions of Arizonans and visitors use I-10 to reach Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport.

This month, the Arizona Department

of Transportation will begin preliminary work on one of the largest projects in our history to reconstruct and improve this essential freeway and several of its major interchanges.

• Between now and the end of 2024, we’ll make many important changes to I-10 in the area of the Broadway Curve, including: • Increasing the capacity of the roadway by adding travel lanes. When we’re finished, I-10 will have six standard travel lanes and two HOV lanes in each direction between 24th Street and US 60 Superstition Freeway and four lanes and an HOV lane in each direction from US 60 to Ray Road.

• Creating something new: CollectorDistributor roads that will improve driver safety and traffic flow by separating local traffic entering and exiting the highway from the “through” traffic on I-10 between 40th Street and Baseline Road.

• Replacing the interchange with State Route 143. The final configuration will include new bridges, four new ramps connecting I-10 and SR 143 and a new Broad-

way Road bridge.

• Improving the interchange at US 60 so drivers can choose whether to use the general-purpose or Collector-Distributor roads.

Our team has been working for more than two years not only to develop this project, but also to inform the community about what is ahead.

We’ve met with businesses and business leaders; town, city and county officials; leaders from Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport, freight and transit; and hundreds of others to share our plans.

We’re working with emergency responders to make sure they can respond safely and quickly during construction, and reaching out to special-event venues so we can avoid conflicts with major events planned in the Valley in the next few years.

You can help, too. Any project this large in this busy of an area will require a significant number of times we will need to close the freeway in one direction or the other, or at least restrict a few lanes.

You can start thinking now about how you’ll get where you need to go if I-10 in the Broadway Curve is closed or too congested because of lane restrictions. The more we plan ahead, the more we can minimize the inconvenience.

We’ll do our part, too. We have a website with current information about the project at i10BroadwayCurve.com. While you’re there, sign up to receive email alerts about construction work, lane closures and detour routes.

You can also learn more about our free mobile app, The Curve, which provides real-time traffic conditions and more. You can call us on the Bilingual Project Information Line at 602.501.5505 or email us at Info@i10broadwaycurve.com.

We’re going to do everything we can to provide a great project for Arizona’s future, safely, on time and on budget. We appreciate your help and support in accomplishing this major project.

John Halikowski is director of the Arizona Department of Transportation. ■

cial Protection Bureau’s consumer complaint database and found that payment apps surged during the pandemic year with 970 digital wallet complaints in April – almost double the previous monthly high from July 2020.

“Virtual Wallets, Real Complaints” found that the top 10 most-complained-about companies across the country accounted for 90 percent of all 9,277 digital wallet complaints, led by PayPal (which also owns the Venmo app), Square (which owns Cash App) and Coinbase, a cryptocurrency trading platform.

Americans also complained a lot about several big banks, including Bank of America, Chase, and PNC Bank.

The three most commonly complainedabout digital wallet issues identified in the Arizona PIRG Education Fund report: problems managing, opening, or closing accounts; problems with fraud or scams;

and problems with transactions (including unauthorized transactions).

And when a peer-to-peer payment (P2P) app is used, the instantaneous transactions are not reversible, and consumers have fewer rights by law.

Here are tips for consumers using payment apps: • Remember that using a P2P app is like spending cash. Only use it with friends and other people you both know and trust.

• Beware of phishing or unexpected requests.

• If possible, keep one separate bank account to link to P2P accounts. Do not link P2P apps to accounts containing significant funds.

• Make sure all your security settings are set to “most private”; the default is often “most public.”

• If you are going to send money to a new recipient through a P2P payment app,

even to a person you know, you should either initially send $1 as a test or ask the person to send a request for the money.

There are many similar accounts like BobSmith01 and BobSmith02. The accounts can have photos, but the photos are often so small, it’s difficult to tell whether it’s the correct person.

While consumers should adhere to the recommended tips, policymakers should also strengthen consumer protections on payment apps to ensure that consumers are protected if they are defrauded into sending money, and app providers should be required to investigate errors and fraud.

Ed Mierzwinski is the consumer program director for the Arizona PIRG Education Fund, an organization that conducts research and education on issues in the public interest. More information, can be found at ArizonaPIRGEdFund.org. ■

You can protect yourself from cash app swindles

BY ED MIERZWINSKI AFN Guest Writer

T

he odds are high that you or someone you know have turned to using digital payment apps, such as Venmo, Cash App or Zelle.

Originally marketed as a way for friends to split expenses, a 2020 Nerdwallet survey found that approximately four in five Americans now use mobile payment apps.

Whether out of convenience or concern for contactless payments during the pandemic, consumers are using apps for more and more financial transactions.

But if not careful, Arizonans could be opening their bank accounts to fraud and scammers.

In the Arizona PIRG Education Fund’s recent report, “Virtual Wallets, Real Complaints,” we analyzed the Consumer Finan-

OPINION

JULY 21, 2021 | AHWATUKEE FOOTHILLS NEWS

Be careful outside as you return to normalcy

BY ADAM PURVIANCE, DO AFN Guest Writer

A

s COVID-19 infection rates continue to improve, businesses are lifting mask mandates, events are resuming at full capacity, and a sense of freedom can be felt by all.

Along with this freedom is the urge to get outside and be active, travel, and enjoy new experiences — especially given the amount of time spent at home over the past year and a half.

As we embark on this journey back to normalcy, it’s important to keep in mind some simple safety measures: Limit sun exposure. Did you know that the hours of 10 am to 4 pm provide the most intense UV rays? This would be the time to limit direct sun exposure and find significant shade here in the “valley of the

Club West HOA board deserves patience, applause

It’s been nearly 20 years since I was a director and president on the Foothills Club West HOA Board of Directors. I should also add that I am (still) an original owner in Club West and am not a member of the Club West Conservancy, the Edge or the Community Land Services and I am not an employee of Shea Homes.

Much has changed since I was on the HOA Board, but one thing that hasn’t changed is what’s right and what’s wrong.

We live in an era when an apparently selfish and greedy person can come into Ahwatukee and ruin life for so many with just the stroke of a pen. Such a person can buy up golf courses and turn them into eyesores deliberately to try to get the right to fill the fairways with homes. They will shut down the courses completely and find legal loopholes through which to use to wiggle away from any responsibility.

The sad part is, our politicians and civic leaders seem to turn a blind eye to the destruction of our property and way of life hoping that this “investor” will throw some of his money their way.

Such is the case with the Lakes and Foothills Club West. Ahwatukee is lucky that residents of the Lakes were able to plug some loopholes. Club West is a community of 2,500 homes that has been here for 30 years.

39

sun”. UV rays are what damage skin cells, increasing risk of skin cancers.

Slather on sunscreen. Fortunately, it’s easier these days to protect yourself with high-quality sunscreen, sunglasses, and SPF clothing. SPF is a helpful indicator of how effective a sunscreen is.

Not sure which SPF is right for you? If a patch of skin would normally burn after 20 minutes in the sun, applying an SPF 15 would theoretically allow you to stay in the sun for 300 minutes without burning (15 times longer).

Sunscreen should generally be reapplied at least every two hours, especially during activities such as swimming or hiking.

Stay hydrated. Another important consideration to make when out and about is staying hydrated. How much water should we be drinking? A heavily studied question that has led to different guidelines and

goals for hydration.

However, most people in good health can stay hydrated by simply drinking when they are thirsty. So, ensuring an adequate supply of water, whether this is carrying a large water bottle, wearing a hydration pack, or being near a water fountain, is crucial.

Get the COVID-19 vaccine. Get vaccinated! Join over 3+ million Arizonans who have received the COVID-19 vaccine.

Whether it is Pfizer, Moderna, or Johnson & Johnson, your best option is the first one you have access to.

Continued vaccination by the general public will further decrease virus spread and also provide protection from variant strains in the future.

Take it slow. Lastly, ease yourself back into activity. Abruptly returning to large gatherings, concerts, sporting events, and

more can be overly stimulating. We saw a spike in anxiety and depression over the course of the pandemic.

Depending on how you feel, try starting with smaller social gatherings or have a trusted friend or family member accompany you.

If you are feeling overwhelmed, it’s okay to reach out. Make an appointment with your primary care provider or try a digital wellbeing solution such as Talkspace.

Getting back into the swing of things will look a little different for everyone — and that’s okay! This is not a comprehensive list, but rather a handful of important tips to consider when making your transition back into your pre-pandemic routines and activities. Enjoy!

Adam Purviance, DO, is chief resident family medicine at Mountain Vista Medical Center.

The central piece of our community, the Club West Golf Course, has been ravaged just as the Lakes course has. Instead of lending assistance to the community they constructed, apparently Shea Homes has now joined forces with the Edge to replace the open spaces with streets and homes in search of dollars.

These same groups want to work with Wilson Gee and help him out of the hole he dug for himself through his unethical practices.

They agreed to buy the golf course from him in order to relieve him of any responsibility for the damage he has wrought.

They want to put money in their pockets as well. They do not see a brown desolate field of dry dirt, but an opportunity to line their pockets using the disappearing property values of their neighbors.

They will crow about wanting to turn the rest of the dirt field into a park for all of us, but that will be after they do a deal to build streets and homes in the fairways.

And they worked behind the scenes with a past, now mostly terminated HOA Board of Directors in secrecy without transparency or proper legal processes in an attempt to ensure they get their way.

But they weren’t counting on Matt and Julie Tyler and their friends and neighbors known as the Club West Conservancy. Through their efforts we learned about the backroom deals between Wilson Gee, the Edge, and the past board of directors. And because of their work, enough of us rallied around the cause to vote

in a mostly new board of directors. Now the new board of directors needs to chart a path through this mess.

At the last meeting, there were some complaints arising from people who think the problem should be fixed now that the old board is gone. But that’s not true.

It took five long years for this situation to get to this point. It took two years just for the past board’s unethical behavior to be unearthed and to get them relieved of their duties. This isn’t going to be corrected in a month or two.

There are individuals who believe that, by allowing the Edge to have homes built, this situation will resolve itself. They are only kidding themselves. There has to be surveying, plot development, lot lines, streets, sewers, water, electrical and other utilities constructed and ready for use before even one home can be built.

A source for lumber, paint and other building materials must be found in a time of severe shortages and price increases. Labor has to be found to build the homes. Homes that will most likely cost a million dollars or more will not solve our golf course problems in the near term.

Contrary to what an additional group of people believe, it should not be the responsibility of all Club West homeowners to “buy” our way out of this by raising HOA dues by ridiculous amounts.

The cost of repairing the past destruc-

tion should be borne by those who caused it (Wilson Gee with assistance from the Edge, the past board, and Shea Homes for building loopholes into the system).

For those parts of the costs the responsible parties are allowed to get away with, it will take time to find good solutions.

We owe our thanks to the CWC and its members for their efforts. We owe the new board our vote of confidence and patience to find solutions. We cannot turn our backs on the 300 homeowners who back to the golf course and we cannot blame ourselves.

Lastly, it’s past time for our politicians and civic leaders to stand with us and help us work through this situation. Wilson Gee isn’t going to help them get re-elected, but helping to solve our golf course and community issues might.

-Lynn Lahman

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

Open letter to Club West board expresses frustration

Dear Club West HOA BOD, When are you going to represent us in your dealings with the Owners of Club West Golf Course? Your members say they have no bias or conflict of interest.

They also say they want what’s best for the community. Yet the lack of discussions and delays continue.

Help the golf course owners present their

see LETTERS page 40

40

LETTERS ���� page 39

proposals to us and let us provide input to the Owners as to what is best for Club West.

This should have happened almost two years ago. But a certain faction of you do not want it to happen.

Last time I checked, you were elected to serve us. Let’s move on and hear what is being proposed. Thank you.

-Chris and Pamela Henrichsen

Start �ighting back on Legislature’s education moves

A number of referenda have been proposed by the Arizona Legislature to undermine and suppress voters. In response, petitions are now available in efforts to garner enough signatures to allow the Arizona electorate to reject such efforts.

Why make it more difficult for citizens to vote? That is a good question. The response is purely political. Some in power were dismayed at the last election to see how many of us take our voting rights seriously and consider ourselves informed and active voters.

They want to diminish our ability to express our views through the sacred right of voting.

Another referendum seeks to undermine

AHWATUKEE FOOTHILLS NEWS | JULY 21, 2021

the Invest-In-Ed initiative. As an educator and parent and citizen, I find this particularly disturbing and insensitive to the needs of Arizona students who, as we all know, receive far less funding than other states in the U.S. How can this possibly be a good idea?

Signing a petition helps to ensure that we, the citizens of Arizona, fight decisions that impair our state’s ability to rise above the power pettiness and selfishness which dominate our Legislature this term.

Petition locations are Saturday mornings at Ironwood Library; on Saturday and Sunday mornings at the Ahwatukee Farmer’s Market and at The Nosh. Call Melissa at 480980-4689 for details or just show up.

Please get involved. We need you!

-Susan Schanerman

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SPORTS

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Devon Grubbs hoping to make most of senior year

BY ZACH ALVIRA AFN Sports Editor

D

evon Grubbs was just a freshman when he was called upon to lead the back�ield for the Desert Vista football program near the midway point of the 2019 season.

His older brother, Tyson, a junior running back at the time, was sidelined after just �ive games for the Thunder due to a broken bone in his foot that eventually resulted in surgery. Against Boulder Creek in week 6, the younger Grubbs showed why he would be regarded as one of the top players in the state.

He rushed for a career-high 237 yards on just �ive carries. He scored �ive touchdowns in Desert Vista’s 66-23 win. After the game, he and Tyson embraced one another. Tears began to fall from both of their eyes.

“I’m happy he can represent our family,” Tyson said in 2019. “We’ve always worked hard. Our parents have taught us to work hard. Even though I’m out, he’s able to show how hard we strive for what we want.”

Tyson went on to play another year at Desert Vista before signing with Northern Arizona where he remains to this day. His younger brother, now preparing to enter his senior season, has had more �lashes of great plays while transitioning from running back to defensive back for the Thunder.

But just like it did for Tyson, the injury bug has limited him in his last two seasons.

He missed one game in 2019, the year he found himself mostly playing defense with Tyson and current Northern Arizona defensive back Colby Humphrey taking most of the touches out of the back�ield.

In 2020, the year Desert Vista only played six games due to the pandemic, Grubbs battled through a groin injury most of the year before missing the Thunder’s �inal two games of the season while in a walking boot.

Now a 6-foot, 194-pound senior who

and often went head-to-head with ment after the 2020 season, Grubbs and Basha’s bigger running backs and his family hoped the Thunder would bring dropped back into pass coverage in a coach that would further help him dein an attempt to limit the Bears’ velop. They also hoped the offensive and similarly young but high-powered defensive schemes would, in a way, cater offense. to his style of play.

He often limped to the sideline Elliott Grubbs, Devon’s father, was part because of his groin, however. At of the hiring committee that eventually one point, he had to seclude himself chose Wisdom to become the program’s from the team to receive treatment third-ever head coach. Wisdom’s resume in order to continue playing. He led spoke for itself. He turned around a strugthe team in tackles that night with gling Horizon program and led it to the 19 — 12 of which solo.

Open Division playoffs in 2019.

“I like to listen to the saying, ‘what Grubbs now hopes Wisdom will be able doesn’t kill you, makes you stron- to do the same for Desert Vista in his �irst ger,’” Grubbs said. “It tested my season. He knows it won’t be easy, but he mentality. If I know I can go through aims to do whatever it takes as one of the injury and bounce back even stron- senior captains to lead the Thunder in ger, it boosts my con�idence.” such a way where there is improvement While Grubbs has been leaned on a daily basis. upon for his abilities on the �ield, “It’s my senior year, I have nothing to it’s his leadership skills off of it he lose,” Grubbs said. “Everything has been Devon Grubbs burst onto the varsity football scene has continued to develop despite building up to this point. I have to prove at Desert Vista as a freshman. Now entering his se- his own hardships. myself to everyone.” ■ nior year, he hopes to put his injuries behind him for He was one of the goyet another breakout year. (Zach Alvira/AFN Staff) to players for the likes of will primarily play defense at the safety Jackson Akins, Michael Allison position, he hopes to re-establish himself and Quentin Ivey — all of whom sophomores competing at and as one of the top players in the state.

“Injuries and being injury-prone is a big starting at the varsity level for the part of recruiting,” said Grubbs, who has �irst time. It was a steep learning offers from Arizona State, Arizona, North- curve for the Thunder, which had a ern Arizona and Air Force. “I have to show team full of young talent trying to all the coaches I can go a full season with- navigate through one of the most dif�icult seasons in Arizona high out injury and a successful one.”

Last year, despite not being 100 percent, school football history.

But Grubbs was always there to Grubbs provided a spark to the Desert Vista offense and defense. His explosiveness help lead the way. And this upcomthrough the hole with the ball in his hands ing season will be no different.

“I expect Devon to be Devon,” often caught opponents off guard.

While his stats from the Thunder’s �irst-year Desert Vista coach Ty Week 3 matchup against Basha don’t Wisdom said. “I don’t want him to jump off the page — he had six carries put too much pressure on himself for 57 yards and a touchdown — he was and enjoy his senior season. We primarily responsible for Desert Vista all know his talents. We are very �inding the ability to move the ball down fortunate to have a player like First-year Desert Vista football coach Ty Wisdom the �ield early on. him who leads this program in a knows what he is getting in Devon Grubbs, a versatile athlete who can play anywhere on the field. He On defense, his speed and natural ball great way.” skills motivated the rest of Desert Vista’s When former Desert Vista coach has also seen his leadership throughout the offseason. young secondary. He �illed running lanes

Dan Hinds announced his retire-

(Zach Alvira/AFN Staff)

42

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Puppeteer ready for a Valley road show

BY ROB WINDER Cronkite News

S

tacey Gordon’s road to becoming a puppeteer began very early in life.

“I don’t know a preschooler that doesn’t look at ‘Sesame Street’ and say, ‘I want to live there.’ I de�initely wanted to do that,” she said.

The Phoenix resident made that childhood dream a reality in 2016, when she was selected as the puppeteer behind one of “Sesame Street’s” newest neighbors, Julia. Like Gordon’s son, Julia is autistic.

In addition to her work on “Sesame Street,” Gordon owns and operates Puppet Pie, a downtown studio at Grand Avenue and McKinley Street where she builds puppets available for purchase, and where children of all ages apply science, math, engineering and art concepts as they create puppets of their own.

Now, with help from a grant from the Arizona Commission on the Arts, Gordon and her puppets might soon be coming to your street.

Gordon was one of 24 Arizona artists awarded the commission’s research and development grants for 2021. The $5,000 grants were given to the artists to “advance their artistic practice, expand their creative horizons, and deepen the impact of their work,” according to the commission’s website.

Gordon is using her grant to bring the fun of Puppet Pie to Valley neighborhoods with a vehicle that’s already beloved by many children: an ice cream truck.

Last year, Gordon purchased a 1973 step van from Conrad Martinez, owner of Mis�its Cick Kustoms, who is restoring and modifying the truck to be used as a mobile puppet studio and theater.

“It will allow me to bring my art to underserved communities,” Gordon said.

“Not every kid can get in a car and drive here. Not every parent has the resources to bring their kids here.”

The truck won’t merely make the work-

“To me, there would be nothing more fun and special than getting to come to a puppet ice cream party where you watch a show, you get to eat popsicles and ice cream. And then you get to make a puppet and bring it home,” Stacey Gordon says. “And doing that in communities and making it accessible is kind of where my heart is.” (Courtesy of Stacey Gordon) shop activities of Puppet Pie portable.

Gordon also will use the truck to put on full-�ledged puppet shows for families.

“I’ve done short pieces for children. I do a lot of work with children, but it’s all workshops,” Gordon said. “This grant is allowing me to take time and build a show the right way. And bring in a story from start to �inish that has a lesson in it, that does teach kids to be OK with themselves and to persevere and to try and think outside of the box.”

That ambition and sense of mission wasn’t part of Gordon’s original vision for putting her puppets on wheels. Initially, because many of her puppets are foodthemed, she was simply looking for a fun way to juxtapose her booth at Phoenix Fan Fusion with the food cart she always found herself next to each year.

“I thought, ‘Wouldn’t it be hilarious if I’m selling the exact same thing, but as puppets?” Gordon recalled.

Gordon credits her dad with inspiring

her to use the ice cream truck for something more.

“I really was just going to do just a little space where I could keep my stuff in there and then roll into a festival or fair and sell my puppets that I made,” she said.

To create the kind of mobile show she envisions now – developing a script, music and the “actors” – would require Gordon to take a couple of months off from her puppet-building workshops, she said.

But “the constant grind of doing all the workshops” is what keeps the rent and utilities paid at her studio, not to mention what allows her to make a living as an artist.

“It would take me years to be able to do this, if it weren’t for this grant,” Gordon said.

The grant will also be used to obtain the various permits she will need to hold both public and private events across metro Phoenix, as well as purchase items needed to perform.

Additionally, the grant has also accelerated the restoration of the truck itself, which required even more work than expected, Gordon said.

When it comes to getting an old ice cream truck back on the road to bring smiles in a different way, “there’s a lot that goes into it,” Gordon said.

The same should not be true of the application process for the grant, said Kesha Bruce, the Arizona Commission on the Arts’ artist program manager. Like Gordon’s truck, that process recently underwent a renovation to be less intimidating for applicants, she said.

“The goal of it was to make it so that it wasn’t so labor intensive and cumbersome, especially for �irst-time applicants,” she said.

Rather than use “grant speak,” applicants are urged to be their authentic selves and talk to the selection panel “like you would speak to a normal person,” Bruce said. Answers to the application questions can be given in an audio or video recording instead of in writing, she said.

Besides passion and heart – and puppets – younger patrons of Gordon’s ice cream truck probably will want to see some actual ice cream.

They won’t be disappointed. A new freezer has been installed in the truck.

“To me, there would be nothing more fun and special than getting to come to a puppet ice cream party where you watch a show, you get to eat popsicles and ice cream,” Gordon said. “And then you get to make a puppet and bring it home. And doing that in communities and making it accessible is kind of where my heart is.” ■

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Twice Baked Potato Casserole

otato salad is always a summertime favorite. But how about if we kick it up a couple of notches and build a tasty Twice Baked Potato Casserole fully loaded with all of your favorite fixings? This hearty recipe was sent in from Sun City resident Linda Smith, and it’s a rock star side dish that she’s been making for years. Linda includes it in all of her special gatherings.

“I had a humongous four-day bash where friends and family from Omaha, Kansas City, Tucson and the Valley partied hearty on the fourth of July.

My Twice Baked Casserole is always a hit because it’s so much easier to make than traditional stuffed baked potatoes. And it feeds a crowd. I always serve it with some type of beef.”

The minute you start building this sassy side, you can see why it gets devoured. It starts with the sweetness of cubed red potatoes and then layered with chopped crisp bacon, sour cream, cheese and green chiles with

a burst of colorful scallions. Linda says she doesn’t often have leftovers to enjoy the next day, but it’s just as tasty if you’re lucky enough to save a little! This recipe can be made ahead and frozen (baked or unbaked) and re-heated when ready to use. Thanks Linda, for a great dish! I made a giant casserole of your Twice Baked Potatoes for a gathering recently and you’re right. Leftovers are hard to come by. ■

Ingredients: 6 medium to large red potatoes, scrubbed and diced into one-inch cubes 2 tablespoons olive oil ½ teaspoon salt ½ teaspoon pepper 1 pound sliced bacon, cooked crisp and crumbled 1 (24 ounce) container Light Sour Cream

8 ounces shredded mozzarella cheese 8 ounces shredded cheddar cheese 1 (4 oz) can diced green chiles 4 scallions, sliced

Directions Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 13 x 9 inch casserole dish. Cut baked potatoes into one-inch cubes.

In a bowl, mix together potatoes, olive oil, salt and pepper until well combined.

Place on a baking sheet and cook until golden brown.

Remove from oven. Place half of the potatoes in cas-

serole dish. Sprinkle half of the bacon over potatoes.

Then layer half of the sour cream, mozzarella, cheddar and green chiles. Repeat layers. Bake uncovered at 350 degrees for 20 to 25 minutes or until cheeses are melted. Sprinkle with scallions.

Serving Size: 6-8

For more great recipe ideas and videos, visit jandatri.com.

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Pool Service / Repair

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$35 off

Any Service

Garage Sale Fri & Sat 7a-11am Household, clothes, kitchen items, furniture, electronics, mason jars, kid items, DVDs, MORE 555 W. Lane Dr Mesa

602-546-POOL 7 6 6 5

Water Heaters

Bonded/Insured • ROC #223709

You will find them easy with their yellow background.

Monthly Service & Repairs Available

Anything Plumbing Same Day Service

Disposals

480-405-7099

Roofing

Filter Cleaning!

Your Ahwatukee Plumber & East Valley Neighbor

Not a licensed contractor

10% OFF

www.affinityplumbingaz.com

Licensed, Bonded & Insured ROC# 272001

Owned and Operated

by Rod Lampert Ahwatukee Resident Serving Ahwatukee for over 25 years

Our services include: Sinks, Toilets, Faucets, Water Heaters, Garbage Disposal, Drain Cleaning, Pressure Reducing Valves, Pressure Vacuum Breakers, Hot Water Circulation Systems, Main Service Valves and Hose Taps.

(480)

279-4155

Licensed • Bonded • Insured • ROC 189848

$85/month with chemicals

Ask About Filter Cleaning Specials!

Mark

602-799-0147 CPO#85-185793

We Repair or Install ROC # 272721

AHWATUKEE’S #1 PLUMBER Licensed • Bonded • Insured

704.5422

(480)

602-471-2346

Family Operated by 3 Generations of Roofers! We have a “Spencer” on every job and every step of the way.

showing, Pool Light out? I CAN HELP!

Not a licensed contractor.

$35.00 Off Any Service Call Today!

FREE ESTIMATES

Tiles & Shingles sunlandroofingllc@gmail.com Installation Repair Re-Roofing

PPebbleOcracking, O L Plaster R Epeeling, P ARebar IR

480-720-3840

A+ RATED

• • • •

Clean, Prompt, Friendly and Professional Service

Juan Hernandez

Call Juan at

PLUMBING

Serving All Types of Roofing:

Pavers • Concrete • Water Features • Sprinkler Repair

FALL SPECIAL! $500 OFF COMPLETE REMODEL! 25 Years Experience • Dependable & Reliable

Plumbing

480-706-1453

Licensed/Bonded/Insured • ROC #236099

Pool Service / Repair

Play Pools start at

We offer personalized service for our customers.

We use the best materials that we can find.

Over 30 yrs. Experience

To place an ad please call: 480-898-6465 class@times publications.com

Owner Operated - 20 Years

SERVICE • REPAIR • REPLACEMENT

Tiles, shingles, flat, repairs & new work Free Estimates • Ahwatukee Resident

Only $27.50 includes 1 week online

MARK’S POOL SERVICE

Plumbing

49

Roofing

TILE ROOFING SPECIALISTS

Flat and Foam Roof Experts! desertsandscontracting.com FLAT ROOFS | SHINGLES | TEAR OFFS | NEW ROOFS | REPAIRS TILE UNDERLAYMENT | TILE REPAIR | LEADERS | COPPER ALUMINUM COATINGS | GUTTERS | SKYLIGHTS

10% OFF COMPLETE UNDERLAYMENT Commercial & Residential Family Owned & Operated

480-446-7663 Ahwatukee’s Premier Tile, Shingle & Foam Roofer!

FREE Estimates • Credit Cards OK www.spencer4hireroofing.com ROC#244850 | Insured | Bonded

See MORE Ads Online!

AZROC #283571 | CONTRACTOR LIC. AZROC #312804 CLASS CR4 | FULLY INSURED

FREE ESTIMATES 602-736-3019

www.Ahwatukee.com

50

CLASSIFIEDS

AHWATUKEE FOOTHILLS NEWS | JULY 21, 20211

Roofing

Roofing

Roofing

PHILLIPS

Family Owned & Operated for over 30 years

ROOFING LLC COMMERCIAL AND RESIDENTIAL

LICENSED | BONDED | INSURED | ROC #269218

$1000 OFF when you show this ad *on qualifying complete roof replacements

Family Owned and Operated 43 Years Experience in Arizona

480-699-2754 • info@monsoonroofinginc.com

ROC #152111

Quality Repairs & Re-Roofs Complimentary & Honest Estimates

Call our office today!

480-460-7602

623-873-1626

Ask us about our discount for all Military and First Responders!

Free Estimates Monday through Saturday

www.porterroofinginc.com

u Th

e IN

Call

-EX D i ffe r e n c e

g.c o m

Get Free notices in the Classifieds!

Ahwatukee Based Family Owned and Operated Insured • Free Estimates

See our reviews and schedule at:

480-330-2649

Over 30 Years of Experience Family Operated by 3 Generations of Roofers!

Your leaks stop here!

New Roofs, Repairs, Coatings, Flat Roof, Hot Mopping & Patching & Total Rubber Roof Systems

FREE ESTIMATES & MONSOON SPECIALS

SAME DAY SERVICE 30 Years Experience References Available

Licensed Bonded Insured ROC 286561

Spencer 4 HIRE ROOFING Valley Wide Service

480-446-7663

623-522-9322

“Many a small thing has been made large by the right kind of advertising” - Mark Twain

10% OFF with this ad

Ahwatukee’s Premier Tile, Shingle & Foam Roofer!

Senior & Military Discounts

CLASSIFIEDS 480-898-6465 class@timespublications.com

Meetings/Events?

www.cousinswindowcleaning.com

for your FREE Roof Evaluation Today! ofin

Licensed – Bonded – Insured – ROC187561

Licensed, Bonded, Insured

602-938-7575

www.InExRo

MonsoonRoofingInc.com

Window Cleaning

!

Let Us Show Yo

10% Discount for Ahwatukee Residents 100% NO Leak Guarantee Re-Roof & Roofing Repairs Tile, Shingles & Flat Roof

Submit to ecota@timespublications.com

Licensed 2006 ROC 223367 Bonded Insured

PhillipsRoofing.org PhillipsRoofing@cox.net

Roofing

FREE Estimates • Credit Cards OK www.spencer4hireroofing.com ROC#244850 | Insured | Bonded

480.898.6465

class@timespublications.com

CLASSIFIEDS

JULY 21, 20211 | AHWATUKEE FOOTHILLS NEWS

palmabrisa.com

NOW SELLING

A new gated resort community is now selling in the Ahwatukee Foothills with a dramatically different style. It feels exclusive, but also lively and exciting — and it's called Palma Brisa.

• Modern resort-style gated community with stately palms

• Diverse architecture: Modern Bungalow, Urban Farmhouse, Italian Cottage, Andalusian, Modern Craftsman, French Country, and Spanish Mission • Four amenity areas connected by expansive lawns

• Homes from 1,700 sq. ft. to 4,000 sq. ft. from the low $600’s

ERIC WILLIAMS

480-641-1800

TERRY LENTS

© Copyright 2021 Blandford Homes, LLC. No offer to sell or lease may be made prior to issuance of Final Arizona Subdivision Public Report.

Offer, terms, and availability subject to change without prior notice. Renderings are artist’s conceptions and remain subject to modification without notice.

51

52

CLASSIFIEDS

AHWATUKEE FOOTHILLS NEWS | JULY 21, 20211

INVENTORY REDUCTION

Guaranteed Lower Prices and

12

FAST DELIVERY

MONTHS NO INTEREST**

58” 4K UHD SMART TV 18 CU. FT. REFRIGERATOR • 2 HDMI Inputs • Airplay2 Built-In

WASHER • 3.5 Cu. Ft. • Porcelain Tub • 700 RPM Spin Speed

$

NTW4500XQ CLOSEOUT

1000’s OF ITEMS IN STOCK FOR FAST DELIVERY

499 $549

449

UN58TU7000

RANGE • 4.8 Cubic Foot Capacity • Self Cleaning Oven • Smooth Top • Proudly Made in USA WFE505W0HS CLOSEOUT

• Integrated Control Styling • Premium Nylon Racks • In Door Silverware Basket • Energy Star Qualified WDF520PADM

2350

$

• Normal Wash Cycle (on dial) • Heated Dry On/Off (on rocker) • Standard Upper Rack

$

12 MONTHS NO INTEREST**

FRONT LOAD WASHER

REFRIGERATOR

• 25 Cubic Foot Capacity • Spill Proof Glass Shelves • Humidity Controlled Drawers • Energy Star Qualified WRS325SDHZ

BUYS ALL 3 PIECES DRYER

• • 4.5 Cu. Ft. Capacity • • • 10 Wash Cycles • • Smart Care

7.5 Cu. Ft. Capacity 10 Cycles 9 Options Steam Sanitize

299 599 EACH

HDA2000TWW CLOSEOUT

GRM183TW

$ DISHWASHER

DISHWASHER

• 2 Adjustable Glass Shelves • Fixed Gallon Door Shelves • Sealed Drawers with Glass Cover

WF45T6200AW

$

DVE45T6200W

BFTF2716SS

NO MATTER WHERE YOU SEE IT, READ IT, OR HEAR ABOUT IT, SPENCERS IS GUARANTEED TO BE A LOWER PRICE!

STAINLESS STEEL 23 CU. FT. SIDE BY SIDE • Deli Drawer • Crisper Shelves

• LED Lighting

949

FFSS2314QS CLOSEOUT

$

** NO INTEREST IF PAID IN FULL IN 12 MONTHS. $799.00 Minimum Purchase Required Minimum Payments Required 30.79% APR If the promotional balance is not paid in full by the end for the promotional period or, to the extent permitted by law, if you make a late payment, interest will be imposed from the date of purchase at the APR noted above. This APR is as of 7/4/2019 and will vary with the market based on the Prime Rate. Your card agreement, the terms of the offer and applicable law govern this transaction including increasing APRs and fees and terminating the promotional period.

MESA SHOWROOM & CLEARANCE CENTER 115 W. First Ave. | 480-833-3072 AHWATUKEE 4601 E. Ray Rd. | Phoenix | 480-777-7103 ARROWHEAD RANCH 7346 W. Bell Road | 623-487-7700 GILBERT Santan Village | 2711 S. Santan Village Pkwy | 480-366-3900 GLENDALE 10220 N. 43rd Ave | (602) 504-2122 GOODYEAR 1707 N. Litchfield Rd | 623-930-0770 RECONDITION CENTER 160 EAST BROADWAY | 480-615-1763 SCOTTSDALE 14202 N. Scottsdale Rd. | 480-991-7200 SCOTTSDALE/PHOENIX 13820 N. Tatum Blvd. | (602) 494-0100 NOW OPEN - MESA 5141 S. Power Rd. | 480-988-1917

Arizona’s largest independent dealer!

“It’s Like Having A Friend In The Business” Check Out Our Website

WWW.SPENCERSTV.COM OPEN DAILY 9AM-9PM | SATURDAY 9AM-6PM | SUNDAY 11AM-5PM

HOUSE IN S R E C SPEN PLANS PAYMENT BLE AVAILA Due to current circumstances, some items may be out of stock.