This Week
An urban vision for suburban relics
Dangerous
Tempe strip rebuilds as Mesa center finds hope
BY GARY NELSON Tribune Contributor
After more than a decade of disuse and decay, there are at last signs of hope that Mesa’s infamous Fiesta Village shopping center can be revived.
Meanwhile in Tempe, the site of the former Lake Country Village is seeing exactly that – rebirth as an urban-style, mixed-use center where people can literally walk out their doors to work, shop or dine.
Both centers were huge draws in the heyday of suburban strip malls, offering restaurants, theaters, trendy shops and convenient places to hang out with friends and family.
Then, drawn by newer, bigger and even more trendy attractions, the fickle crowds went away Fiesta Village and Lake Country Village died.
For Mesa, the result was spectacularly dispiriting – vacant buildings and chain-link fences at Southern Avenue and Alma School Road, one of the prime intersections in the city.
The property has remained inert for a decade or more despite signs of progress elsewhere in the Fiesta District.
Mesa has spent tens of millions of dollars on infrastructure in the neighborhood, spurring redevelopment of at least one old strip mall
as an employment hub. A new urban-style apartment complex now welcomes tenants a half-mile to the east on Southern Avenue. Plans are afoot to redevelop the all-but-dead
Eagle Scout, agencies help save housing for EV needy
BY WAYNE SCHUTSKY Tribune Staff Writer
After a year filled with hardship, the future is bright for Mesa nonprofit House of Refuge thanks to the generosity of the East Valley community and an enterprising Eagle Scout named Landon Pickering.
The organization first ran into trouble last year when it – and 200 other transitional housing programs across the country – lost funding from the Department of Housing and Urban Development.
“May 2, 2016, at 7:30 a.m.,” Executive Director Nancy Marion said, noting the exact time she received the email notifying her that funding was cut off.
HUD had provided funding for House of Refuge since it began operations nearly two decades ago, Marion said. The organization offers transitional housing, financial literacy training and employment services to homeless families in the Valley.
The email came months after the nonprofit began its fiscal year, meaning it had already nearly exhausted its contingency fund that
Marion planned to refill using those HUD dollars.
Due to loss of funding, House of Refuge had to move 59 families out of homes it administered. The nonprofit was able coordinate with local Mesa and Gilbert governments and other agencies to find housing for those families.
“This community wrapped around us and started donating. We were able to move every family – 144 people in 109 days – off
Fiesta Mall, immediately south of the old strip center.
(Gary Nelson/Special to the Tribune)
The once-thriving Fiesta Village shopping center at Alma School Road and Southern Avenue in Mesa has been vacant behind chain-link fences for about a decade.
THE SUNDAY
Tribune EAST VALLEY
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Dangerous creatures find a cozy home in EV
BY LEAH GILCHRIST Tribune Staff Writer
Reader’s Digest says there are 10 dangerous bugs to avoid, but that’s a little hard to do in the East Valley – they’re all native to Arizona. In fact, some of the most dangerous spiders and insects in the U.S. are found in the Southwest.
And even if their bites or stings might not be fatal to those they come in contact with, they can cause harm and even send humans to the hospital.
Chandler resident Jay Thomas was bit by an unknown insect this summer while taking the garbage out at his home. He thought it might have been a camel spider, but it is still unknown what bit him. The bite caused an infection, which spread through Thomas’ arm and put him in the hospital.
A camel spider was also found in Queen Creek this summer. Part of the arachnid family, it can be large enough to eat small rodents but isn’t known to be venomous. This camel spider was found before it caused any harm.
On the Reader’s Digest list, black widows, brown recluses, scorpions, tarantulas, red fire ants, Africanized bees, ticks, wasps, centipedes and millipedes are all found here. These animals also can be found in and around spaces people frequent, including in the home.
Black widows are some of the more common arachnids found in the home. They are known as one of the most venomous spiders found in the U.S.
(Special
Because of their unfamiliar spider-like appearance and rapid movements, camel spiders can be frightening when first spotted.
Though their bites are not fatal to most adults in the U.S., they can be fatal to children or elderly people.
Brown recluse spiders also can be found in the home, but aren’t likely to bite unless disturbed. When sharing a space with people, it is possible to accidentally disturb the spider.
It isn’t uncommon to find these arachnids in the home, where they hide in dark corners or spaces in the home. Scorpions and tarantulas also are
found in the Southwest. Scorpions are especially common during the summer months in Arizona.
While these species may sting or bite if they feel threatened, their bites are not usually fatal. Scorpions found in North America are generally harmless to healthy adults. Tarantula bites might cause only irritation and discomfort.
According to Robyn Baugh, a representative from Insectek Pest Solutions, scorpions in and around the home are one of the most common calls they receive from customers in the summer months. Baugh says scorpions are known to hide in dark and damp spaces or in the landscaping of the home.
There are a number of ways the spiders and insects can get into the home.
Baugh says homeowners can protect themselves from unwanted pests aside from a regular spray around the home.
“The number one thing would be to make sure the rubber seal is good.” Baugh said, “Those are the key ways for things to get in.”
Africanized honeybees, also known as killer bees, spread into the southern region of the U.S. from Brazil. The species is classified as an invasive species and is more likely to cause more harm than the European honeybee. Symptoms of several stings might include headaches, weakness, dizziness and skin inflammation.
Wasps can sting similar to bees, however when they sting they do not lose their stinger. This can cause the wasp to sting repeatedly, causing more harm if provoked.
Mosquitoes are found commonly in the U.S. and in Arizona. The mosquito is known for spreading illness in humans, and mosquito-borne illness is the leading cause of death in humans around the world.
Red fire ants are also common in Arizona and are commonly found on golf courses, picnics areas and playgrounds. Their sting can cause a burning sensation or cause irritation in the skin. Untreated bites can be at risk for infection.
Ticks are common across the U.S. and are known for carrying Lyme disease. People spending an extended period of time out doors are advised to carefully check for ticks once they come back indoors.
Centipedes and millipedes can carry venom that can cause an allergic reaction in humans.
to the Tribune)
(Gofundme)
Chandler resident Jay Thomas was bit by an unknown insect this summer, while taking the garbage out at his home.
STRIP MALL
But Fiesta Village itself is locked in time, a derelict that since 2003 has been the subject of at least 30 property codecompliance cases opened by the city.
There was bad blood between the company and the city for years after plans to redevelop the site for a Lowe’s home improvement store fell through. But now things appear to be moving.
Mesa Mayor John Giles said talks between the Grace company and the city have gone so far as a city review of preliminary redevelopment plans.
“They have not formally submitted redevelopment plans, but we have seen a proposal from them,” Giles said. “I can tell you there are plans that are being discussed with city staff right now.”
He added, “As the economy continues to improve, it becomes more and more untenable for that prime piece of real estate to be out of the market.”
A woman who answered the phone at Grace headquarters said the company is not ready to discuss redevelopment plans but that it might have something to reveal within the next few months. She declined to reveal her name.
In Tempe, rebirth of Lake Country Village is much farther along.
The resurrection is being orchestrated by Phoenix-based DBM Ventures, which specializes in “adaptive re-use” of previously developed properties. DBM
also is the company behind Heritage Marketplace in downtown Gilbert and the new Overstreet mixed-use project in downtown Chandler.
Tempe Mayor Mark Mitchell has fond memories of the old Lake Country Village.
“As a kid, that was one of the go-to sites in the city,” Mitchell said. “It was a hub,” with a six-theater AMC movie complex, a JC Penney store, other shops and a video arcade. There was even an indoor youth soccer field, Mitchell said.
The mayor said he “really wasn’t a fan” of initial plans to redevelop Lake
Country Village solely as an apartment complex.
“We worked with the developer to make sure we have some good retail space,” he said.
Owners of the Lake Country Village site began demolition of the old strip mall about six years ago, even before the property was sold and its re-use had been planned.
Under its new name, The Collective, the project will include:
The Harper, a 367-unit apartment complex.
Alamo Drafthouse Cinema, offering
movies, food and drinks.
Another 50,000 square feet of mixeduse space, expected to include shops, restaurants and fitness facilities.
Bret Anderson, a spokesman for DBM, said the urban ambiance is intentional.
“Tempe is increasingly becoming a walkable, bikable city, and The Collective is going to cater to that,” Anderson said in a press release prepared by the city of Tempe. “With ample options for public transit and a foot, bike and strollerfriendly design, The Collective will be easily accessible for all Tempe residents.” Completion is expected in early 2018.
Mesa looks at area around Fiesta Mall as employment hub
BY WAYNE SCHUTSKY Tribune Staff Writer
The city of Mesa will make a concerted effort to transform the area surrounding Fiesta Mall from an aging retail district to an employment hub.
In a unanimous vote, the City Council officially adopted the Southwest Redevelopment Area Plan at its Sept. 11 meeting. The adoption will allow the city to take advantage of a series of redevelopment incentives, including the Government Property Lease Excise Tax, also known as GPLET.
The Southwest Redevelopment Area includes areas along Southern Avenue surrounding Fiesta Mall along with a stretch of land along Country Club Drive roughly between Broadway Road and U.S. 60.
The Southwest Redevelopment Area Plan specifically pinpoints three priority spots for redevelopment,
including Fiesta Mall, Country Club Drive Gateway at U.S. 60 and the northwest corner of Southern Avenue and Alma School Road that includes Fiesta Village.
The plan, which is the result of work by the city’s Economic Development Department in concert with contractor Logan Simpson Design Inc., includes ways the city can leverage the district’s proximity to major employers like Banner Health and Maricopa County Community College to turn the region into a major employment hub.
Because of demographic shifts and the boom in online retail, the Fiesta District is not the retail destination it once was. However, a market study found that the area is a prime location for an employment hub because of its proximity to U.S. 60, Phoenix Sky Harbor Airport and a sizable workforce, said Bill Jabjiniak, Mesa’s director of economic development.
The area has seen some investment prior to the adoption of the RDA. Notably, Santander Consumer USA occupies the redeveloped former Circuit City and Bed, Bath and Beyond site on Southern Avenue.
“I think the RDA will enhance what the ongoing private investment (is doing in the area),” Jabjiniak said.
The RDA plan lays out a series of ways that the city can incentivize private businesses to participate in that shift, including infrastructure investments and a modification of zoning codes to allow for more office and mixed-use facilities.
Infrastructure improvements –including road, intersection and access improvements along with pedestrian and streetscape improvements – could cost $3 million to $5 million and take five to 10 years to complete, according to the plan.
The plan also calls for the programs
to incentivize the consolidation of properties and the creation of a demolition assistance program to reduce the costs property owners face in tearing down outdated properties.
In recent years, the Fiesta District has been plagued by a glut of empty retail spaces. While creating the Southwest RDA, the city met with business and land owners in the area – including Fiesta Village owner W.M. Grace – to come up with solutions.
“When I see (vacant retail properties), I don’t see an empty shopping center,” Jabjiniak said. “I see an opportunity.”
The city also has been in discussions with the stakeholders who own property at Fiesta Mall, and the three landowners are currently in discussions with one another to develop a unified development plan moving forward, Jabjiniak said.
(Gary Nelson/Special to the Tribune)
ABOVE: The former Bobby McGee's restaurant at Fiesta Village shopping center in Mesa shows signs of deterioration after years of vacancy.
(Gary Nelson/Special to the Tribune)
BELOW: Work is well under way at The Collective, a mixed-use project on the site of the old Lake Country Village shopping center in Tempe.
EAGLE SCOUT
property into other agencies or housing,” Marion said.
Marion credits Mesa Mayor John Giles and Councilmember Kevin Thompson for spearheading a quick response by the city that helped the nonprofit relocate families and keep the its doors open.
“It was a real tragedy a year ago when they lost their funding, so we tried to do what we could to be a part of the response to that,” Giles said. “We had some city funding made available, but that was just a start. It was great to see the way the community responded to this need.”
The Mesa City Council was able to consolidate money already budgeted for human services organizations and prioritize the situation in order to provide immediate short-term funding for House of Refuge.
That end goal was enough to keep the high schooler motivated.
“I just knew it would be going to a good cause –giving a home to a family that needs it,” he said.
Somewhat surprisingly, Landon did not have much previous homeimprovement experience to draw from. Rather, he learned a range of learned skills on the job – from drywall to electrical – from his grandfather, parents, friends and House of Refuge employees.
During relocation process, one house was severely damaged by residents frustrated by the situation. The home –also called House 19 – was left in disrepair, with over 40 holes in the interior walls, dented doors, broken windows and piles of trash littering the floor.
Enter Landon, a Boy Scout with Troop 125 in Gilbert in search of an Eagle Scout Project.
The Queen Creek High School sophomore was introduced to House of Refuge by his father, Rowan Pickering. The elder Pickering runs Event Team, a corporate events company that includes charitable giving opportunities in its projects and often donates canned foods and other items to the organization.
Upon meeting with the 15-year-old, Marion showed him a range of typical Eagle Scout projects – such as food drives and small projects on House of Refuge homes – but none of those interested the scout, who was looking for a more intensive task.
In addition to the physical work, the high school student also fundraised to pay for the items needed for the home. He raised $2,840 through a GoFundMe page and went door to door to businesses like Home Depot and Lowe’s to receive sizable discounts on supplies.
Cabinets 4 Less provided him with $4,500 worth of cabinets for $800, Rowan Pickering said.
A grant from the Arizona Attorney General’s Office also provided for a new sewage system and flooring in House 19. In total, the grant covered new sewage systems in 40 House of Refuge homes.
Not one to rest on his laurels, Pickering traveled with his family to Houston on Sept. 1 with a box truck full of donations for Hurricane Harvey survivors.
Landon was not the only one to step up when House of Refuge ran into trouble.
This home adoption model allows private individuals and organizations to sponsor one House of Refuge home for $11,000. That covers utilities, house maintenance and a case manager for the residents for one year.
That prompted Marion to introduce him to House 19, which she referred to as “the big one.”
“I took Landon in there, and it’s not cleaned up. It’s not pretty,” Marion said. “He did not hesitate, (and said) this is it. This is what he wants to do.”
This is nothing new for Landon. A few years ago, he collected over 600 hats and bandannas to donate to the American Cancer Society.
Landon admits there were times during the eight-month renovation process that he questioned what he had gotten himself into, but he ultimately finished the project in early July. The fully-renovated home now houses a mother and 10-yearold daughter.
The local Trane office scoured the nation to locate replacement parts for the 45-year-old air conditioning unit at the House of Refuge offices, which broke last summer in the midst of the funding crisis. Trane had the parts shipped in and fixed the unit free of charge.
The communities surrounding the charity in Mesa, Gilbert and Chandler also responded by adopting homes. The organization now operates 66 homes with no federal government funding.
“This has been an all-out community effort that said this is a valuable resource in our community, and we are not going to let it go away,” Marion said. “You can’t have an agency with a 90 percent success rate fall off the map.”
High-profile donors like the Arizona Cardinals and Diamondbacks first baseman Paul Goldschmidt adopted multiple homes.
The Seville neighborhood, a community near House of Refuge in East Mesa, held a charitable masquerade ball that raised enough money to adopt 12 homes.
Other organizations that have adopted homes include the Otto & Edna Neely Foundation, Arizona Attorney General’s Office, The Thunderbirds and the city of Mesa.
“(House of Refuge) had to adjust their funding model, but the success they have experienced in doing that is a testament to the fact that they are a needed program in our community,” Giles said.
(Special to the Tribune)
Landon Pickering and Mesa Councilman Kevin Thompson helped make the future bright for nonprofit House of Refuge and the homeless people for whom it finds housing.
Tempe Union board appoints next superintendent in a split decision
A divided school board on Thursday night named Tempe Union Associate Superintendent Kevin J. Mendivil the next superintendent of the high school district, effective next July 1.
The board voted 3-2 to hire Mendivil, with board President DeeAnne McClenahan and first-year board member Berdetta Hodge voting against his hiring and favoring Assistant Superintendent Anna Battle.
Neither Battle nor Mendivil were at the Sept. 14 board meeting and could not be reached for comment. Also absent because he was attending another meeting was Superintendent Kenneth Baca, who two months ago submitted his resignation, effective June 30.
Baca gave no reason for his decision to resign, except to say in a letter that it was time for him to leave. He has been the district superintendent for six years.
Mendivil joined the district in 2011 as assistant superintendent for human resources until he attained his current post three years later. He oversees human resources and benefits as well as community relations.
Despite the divided vote, all five board members praised both candidates’ qualifications.
“I didn’t know how I was going to vote,” said board member Brandon Schmoll. “They were both excellent candidates and we are lucky to have them in our district.”
McClenahan called Battle “an excellent representative of our district” and cited her long history with Tempe Union as one of the primary reasons she preferred her. “The skills were tipped ever so slightly in that direction,” she said.
TRIBUNE STAFF REPORT
For 3rd year in a row, ASU named
most innovative school
U.S. News & World Report has named Arizona State University the most innovative school among national universities for the third year in a row.
The university got the most votes among college presidents, provosts and admission deans, who were asked to nominate up to 10 cutting-edge colleges for the ranking.
ASU again came out ahead of such schools as Stanford University and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
U.S. News publishes a variety of annual college rankings.
TRIBUNE STAFF REPORT
Man stole $16,000 diamond; police seek help identifying him
A man who is accused of stealing a diamond worth $16,000 is being sought by Chandler police.
On Aug. 19, a man walked into the Ben Bridge jewelry store inside the Chandler Fashion Mall and asked about buying a diamond. After being shown a loose diamond to inspect, he grabbed the gem and left the store.
Police say the man reportedly ran out of the mall and entered a green or gray Jeep SUV.
According to police, the diamond is 2.11 carats and is valued at $16,000. The suspect was last seen wearing a white pinstriped dress shirt with a multicolored bow tie and black dress pants. He is between 18 to 30 years old, with an average build, and earring in his left ear.
If you have any information on the identity of this man or this incident, you are asked to call the Chandler Police Department at 480-782-4130 or Silent Witness at 480-WITNESS. A reward of up to $1,000 is being offered.
– TRIBUNE STAFF REPORT
Sept. 18 - MVD at Mesa Dr. & U.S. 60 transferring operations. After Sept. 18, use these East Valley locations.
Greenfield & U.S. 60 Chandler Blvd. & 56th St.
McClintock Dr. & McKellips Rd.
Authorized 3rd Party locations also available Hours and locations: www.azdot.gov/mvd
Go online, save time! www.ServiceArizona.com
Solicite información en español a través de azdot.gov/contact
Motor Vehicle Division
New police contract links stun guns, body cameras
BY WAYNE SCHUTSKY Tribune Staff Writer
Mesa police will soon get new stun guns that automatically trigger body cameras to start recording.
The Mesa City Council recently approved a new contract with Axon – formerly Taser International – that will combine previous contracts for stun guns and body cameras into a single contract.
By combining both services into one contract, the city can benefit from unlimited data storage on Evidence.com and full warranty replacement or repair for body cameras and stun guns, also known as controlled electrical weapons, according to a Mesa City Council report.
Evidence.com is Axon’s cloud-based storage system that provides data management to police departments, including storage for body camera footage.
The previous contracts were on different cycles and budgeted in different areas, so the consolidation gives the city more predictability regarding the budget and simplifies the contract management process, Mesa Police Department Commander Ed
era until after he fired his weapon.
“(This technology) alerts cameras to turn on when (officers) need them most, which is typically an expeditious or dynamic scenario,” said Steve Tuttle, Axon vice president for strategic communications.
cameras in an approximately 30-foot radius.
The contract will also upgrade all existing stun guns used by the department to the new X2 model and upgrade body cameras to the Flex 2 model. It will also allow for the department’s body cameras to be upgraded to the latest version every 2½ years.
Typically, with new technology, Axon will send sales representatives or trainers to provide training to the department, Tuttle said.
Wessing said.
“It made sense to us to do one contract with the same company, because it is very challenging to try and manage two contracts,” Wessing said. “(This contract) standardizes our process of cost projection over time.”
Body cameras continue to be a hotbutton issue in cities across the country as debate rages about when and how officers should begin recording.
This debate hit close to home early this year following the officer-involved shooting of Dalvin Hollins in Tempe. Lt. Edward Ouimette did not turn on his cam-
Wessing emphasized that the Mesa Police Department trains officers from day one to routinely turn on cameras so that it becomes “muscle memory.”
Axon has developed several products to initiate automatic recording in order to take the onus off officers to begin recording in high-pressure situations, including the Signal Performance Power Magazine, which is included in the Mesa contract.
This technology wirelessly communicates with Axon body cameras to initiate recording any time a stun gun is armed, Tuttle said.
The SPPM communicates with all body
The Mesa Police Department uses materials provided by Axon and develops its own training programs that comply with all department regulations, such as use of force guidelines, Wessing said.
The Mesa Police Department currently has 350 body cameras and 823 stun guns, according to the city council report.
The department currently has 782 sworn officers.
The new contract will maintain existing quantities of stun guns and body cameras, Wessing said.
– Reach Wayne Schutsky at 480-898-6533 or wschutsky@timespublications.com.
East Valley cities line up to win new Amazon headquarters
BY WAYNE SCHUTSKY Tribune Staff Writer
Amazon started a national bidding war earlier this month when it announced it is in search of a location for its second U.S. headquarters. The announcement has drawn interest from several East Valley cities that are jumping at the chance to bring the online retail giant – and tens of thousands of jobs – to the area.
Amazon already has a presence in Arizona with a distribution center in the West
Valley and a corporate office in Tempe, though the size of both of those facilities pales in comparison to the forthcoming new headquarters, also known as HQ2.
The company plans to spend roughly $5 billion constructing HQ2, which could eventually bring up to 50,000 high-paying jobs, according to an Amazon press release.
The facility is expected to be comparable to Amazon’s current Seattle headquarters, which that features 33 buildings totaling over 8 million square feet.
Based on the company’s request for proposal – which seeks a business-friendly
metropolitan area with more than 1 million people – the East Valley appears to fit the bill for HQ2.
Several local leaders agree.
“We received the RFP (on the morning of Sept. 7),” Mesa Economic Development Director Bill Jabjiniak said via email. “As usual, we will do a full evaluation of the opportunity. It is still early, but we do expect to submit several sites.”
ent,” according to the press release.
“Absolutely, we will put together a package for Amazon,” Chandler Economic Development Director Micah Miranda said
The city was aware of the opportunity prior to the RFP going out and is currently in the process of going through its due diligence and “scouring” every potential site across the city, Miranda said.
“I think the thing that really sets Chandler apart is it is pro-business, fiscally responsible and has great schools and great transportation,” Miranda said.
An obvious potential site for HQ2 in Mesa would be the city’s still-developing Elliot Road Technology corridor, which already is home to an Apple command center. The corridor has the utility infrastructure in place to support a massive high-tech facility and is in close proximity to Phoenix-Mesa Gateway Airport.
Mesa won’t be alone in its attempts to woo Amazon to the East Valley, though.
Like Mesa, Chandler will attempt to use its existing technology industry to attract Amazon. Its Price Corridor already is home to Intel and its 11,000 jobs and features a robust infrastructure grid.
With Intel, Orbital ATK and PayPal already in the city, Chandler has strong credentials as Amazon is looking for “urban or suburban locations with the potential to attract and retain strong technical tal-
Tempe, the only East Valley city that already has an Amazon facility, will look to leverage that existing relationship with the company to bring the project to the city.
“Tempe will work with Greater Phoenix Economic Council to offer a site in our city to be considered, alongside any others from our region,” Tempe Mayor Mark Mitchell said in an email. “We would be glad to see the region considered for this campus.”
Mitchell also pointed out that the entire region will benefit if Amazon chooses an HQ2 site in any city in the Phoenix metropolitan area.
(Axon/Special to the Tribune)
An officer draws an X2 stun gun weapon, triggering a body camera, in this photo illustration from Axon.
Tempe Union administrator among Gilbert superintendent candidates
Anna Battle, the Tempe Union assistant superintendent who lost a competition to be the high school district's next superintendent, is among four finalists for Gilbert Public Schools' superintendent position.
All four candidates will meet the public in a forum at 6 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 19, at Campo Verde High School.
The other candidates are: Steve Chestnut, superintendent of Maricopa Unified School District; Shannon Goodsell, superintendent of schools Casa Grande Union High School District; and Shane McCord, assistant superintendent at Mesa Public Schools.
– TRIBUNE STAFF REPORT
Valley of the Sun YMCA to hold annual prayer breakfast
The Chandler/Gilbert Family YMCA Gymnasium hosts the Valley of the Sun YMCA 11th Annual Prayer Breakfast this week.
Motivational speaker Darleen Santone will emcee and former TV news anchor Lin Sue Cooney is the keynote speaker at the breakfast, 7-9 a.m. Wednesday, Sept. 20, at the YMCA, 1655 W. Frye Road.
Tickets are $25 and can be purchased at 480-899-9622 or online at tiny.cc/ praybreakfast.
– TRIBUNE STAFF REPORT
Tempe to discuss new rate structures for waste and wastewater
Two utility rate public meetings to introduce the proposed rate structures for water/wastewater and solid waste are scheduled. Since city sales and property taxes do not fund water, wastewater or solid waste services, those costs must be recovered through residents’ monthly fees. Every two years, the Solid Waste and Water divisions work with a third party to conduct a joint rate adjustment study to help determine what adjustments are needed to recover the costs of these services.
The first meeting is 9:30-11:30 a.m. Saturday, Sept. 23, at Arizona Community Church, 9325 S. Rural Road, Building G-2. The second is 5:30-7:30 p.m. Sept. 27 at Tempe History Museum, 809 E. Southern Ave. Information: tempe.gov/city-hall/internal-services/finance/ customer-services/2017-utility-rate-study.
– TRIBUNE STAFF REPORT
Chandler shines light on domestic violence at awareness event
Chandler’s Domestic Violence Commission is conducting its 9th Annual Domestic Violence Awareness event, called “Seeds of Abuse,” 9-11 a.m. Wednesday, Sept. 20, at the Chandler Community Center, 125 E. Commonwealth Ave.
The free annual event will be a kickoff to the National Domestic Violence Awareness Month in October. The keynote speaker will be Kitty Chappell, author of “Soaring Above the Ashes on the Wings of Forgiveness.”
For more information, contact Chandler Police Victim Services Coordinator Katie Cain at katie.cain@chandleraz.gov. RSVP at tiny.cc/seedsofabuse.
– TRIBUNE STAFF REPORT
Community
Education group fights for higher pay for EV teachers
BY WAYNE SCHUTSKY Tribune Staff Writer
The Arizona Education Progress Meter, a joint project from Expect More Arizona and the Center for the Future of Arizona, is challenging the state to raise elementary teacher pay to the national median within five years.
In order to meet the goal – which would see the median salary for elementary teachers in Arizona rise to $56,000 – the state will have to make a concerted effort to raise funding for education.
“I appreciate the work done by Expect More Arizona, and their partner organizations to outline state educational aspirations,” Rep. Michelle Udall, R-Mesa, said via email. “Achieving any of these goals will require not only state leadership, but also local participation, collaboration and ownership.”
She added that “having data accessible to the public that displays how we are doing with the education system is great, and I hope it will spur public participation in helping student achievement.”
Currently, the median elementary school teacher salary in Arizona of $42,730 ranks 48th in the nation behind Mississippi and Oklahoma, according to recent numbers from the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
However, a study by Morrison Institute for Public Policy at Arizona State University from May found that Arizona’s elementary teacher pay ranked 50th in the country when cost-of-living adjustments were taken into consideration.
Several East Valley public school districts have higher average salaries than the state’s overall average of $46,384, accord-
CHANDLER
Registrations opening for program to get kids ready for kindergarten
A seven-week school-readiness program for children preparing to enter kindergarten begins in October, and registration opens Wednesday, Sept. 20.
“Ready, Set, Kindergarten” will give parents, caregivers and children the opportunity to par-
ing to the Arizona Auditor General’s report on school district spending for fiscal year 2016, though none currently reaches the national median.
Comparisons between average and median salaries are inexact because the measurements are calculated differently, though they both are meant to give a general picture of teacher pay.
Tempe Elementary School District ($39,936), Higley Unified School District ($43,789), and Queen Creek Unified School District ($42,529) fall below the state average, according to the Auditor General’s report.
The average teacher salary in Kyrene School District is $48,334.
In Mesa Public Schools, the average elementary teacher salary is $48,500, though
ticipate in stories, songs and activities with new themes each week. Parents will observe as children learn fine and gross motor skills, as well as social, emotional and academic skills.
Parents can register their 4- or 5-year-old child for the program by visiting any Chandler Library or online at chandlerlibrary.org. Each class accommodates 15 children.
Beginning Oct. 4, classes will be from 10:30 a.m.-noon Wednesdays in the Program Room of the Basha Branch, 5990 S. Val Vista Drive.
the overall average salary for teachers, including secondary education teachers, in the district is $55,413.
The average teacher salary in Gilbert Public School District is $47,692.
Chandler Unified School District has one of the higher teacher salaries in the region with an average salary of $52,001. The district has been able to offer those wages due to continuous employment growth and the passage of override and bond elections.
The averages are likely inflated in districts like Chandler, Gilbert, Higley and Queen Creek because they combine salaries for elementary and high school teachers, the latter of which typically have higher wages.
The solutions used to reach higher sala-
GILBERT
Dental office to give free services to veterans and active military
Free dental exams, X-rays and cleanings are being offered from 8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 21, to veterans and active military.
Arizona Contemporary Dentistry, at 1170 N. Gilbert Road, Suite 125, is offering the services.
To schedule an appointment, call 480-5071807.
ries in Chandler do not work for all districts because they rely on voter support at the local level and not all communities have the resources to approve such measures.
“Not all districts can (pass overrides and bonds) and that creates disparities between communities that cannot support that type of thing,” Expect More Arizona interim President and CEO Erin Hart said.
Low pay is making it difficult for public schools in Arizona to recruit and retain teachers as some opt to leave for higherpaying states or leave the profession entirely.
Of all public-school teachers hired in Arizona in 2013, 42 percent were no longer teaching in the state by 2016. The median salary for teachers in California is $30,000 per year higher than Arizona and teachers in New Mexico and Nevada earn $10,000 to $15,000 more per year than Arizona teachers, according to Morrison Institute.
There is a consensus among several public school officials at districts across the East Valley that a commitment from the state will be necessary to meet the Progress Meter’s goals for teacher salaries.
“I think the state Legislature would need to make plans over time to approve budgets that will support that goal,” Holmes said.
Terry Locke, director of community relations at Chandler Unified School District, agreed.
“The solution is pretty simple – it involves more funding,” Locke wrote via
MESA
Kleinman Park reopens after six-month renovation project
Kleinman Park, 710 S. Extension in Mesa, has reopened after a six-month renovation project.
The park now has three new lighted tennis courts and four new pickleball courts. The softball fields have been rebuilt with new backstops
(Kyrene School District)
Lauren Clark is a new teacher at Kyrene Traditional Academy-Sureno Campus in Chandler.
email. “With fixed costs related to utilities, maintenance, quality support staff (needed) for various functions like custodial, nurses, school office personnel, it is difficult for Arizona schools to match the median wage when the funding level is among the lowest in the nation.”
Teacher pay is a key issue related to overall funding because it accounts for roughly 90 percent of school district budgets, Hart said.
The costs to retain district support staff is also on the rise following the passage of Proposition 206, which will incrementally raise the state’s minimum wage toward $12 an hour.
BRIEFS
and shaded dugouts. There is also an open, lighted turf area.
The improvements also include refurbished restrooms to meet Americans with Disabilities Act standards, new signage throughout the park and a fresh coat of paint for the restrooms, ramadas and lights.
The Kleinman Park renovation project was funded by the 2012 Parks Bond approved by Mesa voters.
TEMPE
Longtime Tempe restaurateur receives award for diversity
Raveen Arora, longtime owner of the Tempe restaurant The Dhaba, has been given the National Diversity Council’s DiversityFirst Award.
Arora was selected “for being a true advocacy leader for diversity and inclusion,” said Dennis Kennedy, the founder and chairman of the National Diversity Council. Arora settled in the U.S. about 35 years ago and moved permanently to Tempe in 2002, where he and his wife Clara opened an India-themed cultural center on Apache Boulevard.
The award will be presented at the Arizona DiversityFirst Awards Luncheon at 11:30 a.m. on Thursday, Oct. 5, in the Carson Ballroom of Old Main at Arizona State University, 400 E. Tyler Mall.
For more information or to register for the event, visit arizonadiversitycouncil.org.
Veterans, families encouraged to sign up for housing project
Valor on Eighth, an affordable housing project scheduled to open in early January in Tempe, is encouraging veterans and their families to get their names on the waiting list.
The project, a 50-unit complex on city-
Districts will need additional money to address those rising wages along with teacher salaries, Holmes said.
“Presently, the state of Arizona only provides a small cost-of-living increase that helps to keep the current ranking in place, which is at the bottom of national rankings,” Dr. Mark Knight, assistant superintendent, academic services with Kyrene School District, said via email.
“Cost-of-living increases over the last two years are in the neighborhood of 1.3 to 1.4 percent per year and this does very little for school districts who hope to move closer to a national median wage,” Knight added.
Kyrene School District has made an effort to increase starting teacher salaries from $36,000 to $42,000 over the next
owned land at Rural Road and Eighth Street, is a collaboration with the city of Tempe and co-developers Gorman & Company and ARM of Save the Family.
The community will include five market-rate live-work units on the ground floor and 45 units primarily for veterans and veterans with children.
Anyone interested in being placed on the waiting list for consideration should contact Elena Wyatt at 480-486-6688.
three years, though it is doing so without the expectation of support from the legislature. Rather, it will make budget cuts in other areas to accommodate the pay raise.
Several school district officials from across the East Valley suggested ways to raise education funding, including a renewal of Proposition 301, which voters approved in 2000. The legislation increased state sales tax from 5 percent to 5.6 percent and the additional revenue has gone towards public education.
The tax hike is set to expire in 2021. The measure accounts for over $600 million a year in revenue for Arizona’s schools.
Tempe Elementary School District Superintendent Christine Busch noted that in order to make the education meter’s salary goals realistic, the governor and Leg-
Tempe offers $300 rebates for installing Little Libraries
Tempe City Council has again approved providing rebates to community members who set up Little Libraries, which are small roadside boxes filled with books that are placed in neighborhoods for community use.
Residents or nonprofit organizations that purchase, install and register a Little Library will be rebated up to $300.
islature would need to allocate per-pupil funding commensurate with top-ranked states, eliminate unfunded educational mandates and restore education funding that has been reduced for districts over the last 10 years.
Hart said Arizona could also look into enacting more policy measures that can help Arizona attract and retain educators like the existing teacher student loan forgiveness program.
“Highly effective teachers are the reason for student success,” Hart said. “The more we can invest in our teachers, the more we can assure success for our students across the state.”
– Reach Wayne Schutsky at 480-898-6533 or wschutsky@timespublications.com.
The Little Library concept is Tempe’s version of the national Little Free Libraries program. Since being set up two years ago, 34 Little Libraries have popped up around the city and more than $8,000 has been rebated to residents.
Participants are responsible for keeping their Little Libraries stocked and in place for a minimum of five years.
For rebate applications and more information, visit tempe.gov/LittleLibraries.
Business
Idea turns ASU student into Mountainside Fitness CEO
BY JENN BALUCH Cronkite News
An idea that came to him as an Arizona State junior turned Tom Hatten into a successful entrepreneur.
His company, Mountainside Fitness, is celebrating its 25th anniversary and opened a 14th location this summer at the Marina Heights development on Tempe Town Lake.
“It’s taken decades (to build the brand),” Hatten said. “Now when we put the Mountainside ‘M’ up, everyone knows. Which is kind of cool.”
Even while Hatten was pursuing a degree in education in the early 1990s, he had an interest in fitness. One day, he decided to take the business route and secure a loan to open up his first health club. Hatten’s parents offered to co-sign on a $15,000 loan to help start up the business.
During Hatten’s time in high school, he and his friends would hang out in Ahwatukee near a shopping center called Mountainside Plaza. It was the inspiration for the Mountainside Fitness name. In March 1991, the 4,800-square-foot location debuted.
BUSINESS BRIEFS
Gilbert to pay GoDaddy
$800,000 to stay in town
Gilbert has agreed to pay GoDaddy more than $800,000 to remain in the town, and the company in turn has signed a new 10year lease.
GoDaddy will invest $15 million on improvements to its call center in the El Dorado Tech Center Business Park, at 2299 West Obispo Ave., Suite 201. The call center is the town’s largest tech employer.
The Gilbert call center was opened with 200 employees in 2005. Today, the facility employs 1,364 employees, according to the town.
Free workshops for artists to teach entrepreneurial skills
Aspiring artists will get hints and tips from the city of Tempe on how to make a living.
Step aerobics were popular at the first club but Hatten couldn’t afford to purchase the equipment. His dad, a shop teacher at McClintock High School, allowed him to raid his classroom and the two built 4-inch, 6-inch and 8-inch steps. They painted them teal, which would rub off on the new hardwood floors.
Making equipment wasn’t Hatten’s only challenge. He was one of the first gym
The workshops begin 6-8 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 20, at the Tempe History Museum, 809 E. Southern Ave. The topic for the first workshop is “Getting Your Foot in the Door.”
The workshops will continue 9 a.m. to noon Saturday, Sept. 23, and Sept. 30, at the Tempe Public Library, BRiC, 3500 S. Rural Road. The final workshop will be 6-8 p.m. Oct. 4 at the Tempe History Museum, 809 E. Southern Ave.
The workshops are free and open to all artists. Childcare will be provided free. Information: tempe.gov/city-hall/community-services/arts-culture/arts-opportunities/ tempe-creatives-workshops.
Mesa’s Coventry Square sold for $1.36 million
A buyer from Washington state has purchased Coventry Square Apartments, at
owners to offer complimentary towel service, which meant Hatten would take towels home to wash and then return the next day.
“This company was built by the people,” Hatten said. “We are so ingrained into this community. It’s our home.”
The business has a family feel. The company’s director of marketing, Brittany Mahoney, said members and employees from
1859 E. Broadway Road in Mesa, for $1,356,000 cash.
The 13,860-square-foot property was owned by Francisco & Gloria Magana for over 12 years. Don & Melinda Nelson are making their first-time multifamily investment.
The apartments are approximately two miles east of the downtown Mesa. The buyer will start renovations soon.
Pioneer Landscape Centers to open redone Chandler store
Pioneer Landscape Centers will launch one of its new homeowner-focused stores in Chandler.
In addition to a re-imagined retail approach that increases convenience and choice for homeowners and contractors, the transformation includes a name change from Pioneer Sand to Pioneer Landscape
that first Ahwatukee location 25 years ago have children attending and working at the gyms now. Plans for two more locations are in the works, Hatten said, but didn’t specify where.
“Not only are they bringing more jobs, it’s great to see a locally owned company and community supporter continuing to expand,” Tempe Mayor Mark Mitchell said.
Centers and an updated website. Pioneer plans to expand the Marketplace and Inspiration Center concept to each of its stores this fall, starting the Chandler store at 11243 E. Willis Road.
The store is near Arizona Avenue and Arizona 202.
Tempe apartment complex sold for $75.5 million
The Lofts at Rio Salado, a 466-unit apartment complex in Tempe, has sold for $75.5 million.
The property is at 1033 N. Parkside Drive, next to Grand at Papago Park Center, a 3.2-million-square-foot mixed-use urban development project.
Tempe Town Lake and Arizona State University are within walking distance, and prominent employment corridors are within a 10-mile radius.
(Tyler Drake/ Cronkite News) Mountainside Fitness’ newest center is located right off of Tempe Town Lake. It’s the company’s 14th location.
(Tyler Drake/ Cronkite News)
Mountainside Fitness’ newest location offers a view of Tempe Town Lake while working out.
#NeverForget that we were at our best as a nation after 9/11
BY DAVID LEIBOWITZ Tribune Columnist
The two words appeared everywhere last week in the days surrounding Sept. 11, the phrase offered like a magical incantation meant to conjure a sense of reverence in the writer or speaker, reader or listener. Never forget. Or #NeverForget, depending on the medium.
I saw those words so often last week that the sentiment began to feel like a brand tagline, Madison Avenue wordplay meant to pitch a product rather than express anything sincere or profound. You know the slogans I’m talking about. You see them and hear them all the time.
There’s Nike’s classic “Just do it.” Apple’s “Think different.” McDonald’s “I’m lovin’ it.” And now America’s “Never forget.”
This brings me to a question, the point of this comparison: Sixteen years after 9/11 and the worst terrorist attack ever
Keeping Kyrene Strong needs you
Keep Kyrene Strong, the citizens’ political action committee which we all co-chair, has kicked off the grassroots campaign to continue to keep our Kyrene schools strong.
On the November ballot will be three measures critical to the future of the district: a continuation of the maintenance and operations budget override, continuation of the district additional assistance capital budget override and the reauthorization of a bond.
Sometime around the first week of October, you will receive a ballot in the mail. Unlike a traditional election in which you have the option of going to your neighborhood polling place to cast your vote, this will be a mail-in-ballot election only.
It is important that when you receive your ballot, you take two minutes or so to vote on all the measures and return it in the mail immediately.
We need our community’s support to continue these two overrides and bond authorization. A “yes” vote will not increase your property tax rate but will maintain the current tax rates.
A lot is at stake.
We need to vote yes to keep our teachers’ salaries competitive. We need to vote yes to keep our classroom sizes down so each child can get the instruction they need to be successful. We need to vote yes to keep pace with technology, not only as a valuable instructional tool in the classroom, but to provide safety and security to our campuses and for parent notifications in times of emergency and crisis.
perpetrated on U.S. soil, what exactly is it that we are ceaselessly urged never to forget?
Monday morning, shortly before the moments of silence offered as tribute to the nearly 3,000 victims of 9/11, I listened to talk show commentators and callers recall precisely where they were when the jet planes struck the Twin Towers and how they felt at the sight of those magnificent buildings toppled at the hands of evildoers. On social media, friends posted images of the World Trade Center emblazoned with the Stars and Stripes, and offered tributes to loved ones and acquaintances lost in the tragedy. Elsewhere, I read screeds against kowtowing to terrorists, foreign policy prescriptions for the Middle East and political rants about the dangers of radical Islam.
There was a lot of jabber, a lot of never forgetting. Still, something felt like it was missing. It took a few days, but finally I put my finger on it – the thing I wish we would all never forget, the quality that
would lift those two words out of the realm of marketing and place them back where they belong, as an exhortation not to mere thought, one more social media post, but to action.
You know what we should never forget? What it meant to be an American in the aftermath of 9/11.
We were at our best as a nation in those moments 16 years ago, clear-eyed, determined. The spirit seized us so quickly, it happened even as the terrorists attacked us. I am talking about United Flight 93 and brave souls like Todd Beamer, Mark Bingham and Jeremy Glick, strangers who recited the 23rd Psalm aloud and then rushed the hijackers in an attempt to take back that plane. I will never forget Beamer’s final words before he ran toward the terrorists:
“You ready? OK, let’s roll.”
Roll we did in the months after 9/11. The partisan walls that divide us – walls that today feel higher than ever – also came down with the planes and towers.
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
We need to vote yes to keep our schools safe and in good repair so students can focus on their learning. We need to vote yes because excellent schools make a difference in keeping our property values high. We need to vote yes to all three initiatives so we can create the future we want for tomorrow’s generation of leaders.
We are voting yes and we encourage you to do the same to Keep Kyrene Strong.
– Christie Ellis, Ahwatukee; Michelle Hirsch, Chandler; Jose Leyba, Tempe
The right to speak hate
I was born in Phoenix 76 years ago. Although there are people with agendas who don’t know, or don’t want to know, I went to school with black kids when they were still relegated to the back of the bus in the South. My immediate family includes American Indian, while my extended family includes whites, Hispanics, blacks and various religions, including Judaism.
I won’t pretend to know what it’s like to be black. But I do know we’ve come so far that they are guaranteed, under the law, every right that I possess. To believe there will be a day when prejudice doesn’t exist is fantasy. Prejudice finds its roots in fear of that which is different. The real progress in civil rights has occurred on the playgrounds of our schools. Kids, until poisoned by adult actions, don’t really care what color or religion their friends are.
I abhor everything the racist white nationalists, skinheads, and KKK stand for. But there is no law against being prejudiced. In regard to the violence in Charlottesville, they had a valid permit and the constitutional right to
express their opinion peacefully. Anyone feeling they have some special mandate to take away that right is, as far as I’m concerned, a threat to our country and as wrong as those they hate.
I gave this country four years of my life in the Marine Corps to protect freedom of speech. I don’t appreciate a bunch of leftist goons deciding that service was meaningless.
– Jim Barber – Mesa
Save foreign aid
In an emerging world of self-driving cars and automated manufacturing, my generation has an understandable anxiety around jobs and opportunity in America. From the position of a student all the way up to the national level, we have to be creative and look to the future for new opportunities. America has always been innovative in business – this is what has made us the strongest economy in the world. Now, it benefits us to help lay the groundwork for developing economies through foreign assistance programs.
We can create jobs for American workers by selling more of our products in emerging African markets. Foreign assistance programs give communities in Africa the tools to grow their middle class, resulting in hundreds of millions of potential new consumers of American goods. America’s smart investment in foreign assistance accounts for less than 1 percent of the federal budget, but it has yielded significant gains not only for people living in extreme poverty but for Americans at home and our economic
We helped the wounded and the families of the fallen. We donated billions. We gave our blood, toil and prayers. We showed reverence through action, not through hashtags and memes. We exhibited compassion and grace. We were that best version of ourselves possible, the self we could be, should be, when crisis demands it.
That commitment to country before self was bound to vanish, I guess. New spectacles gripped us. Elections came and went. Leaders disappointed us. Kardashians fascinated us. Life went on.
Maybe now, 16 years later, a slogan is the best we can do. Maybe a hashtag is better than nothing.
Or maybe we would do well to never forget not only what we lost on 9/11, but who we were in that moment and what we, 325 million Americans, were able to do united as one.
– David Leibowitz has called the Valley home since 1995. Contact david@leibowitzsolo.com.
interests overseas. Sen. John McCain and Sen. Jeff Flake should act to make sure life-saving, foreign assistance programs are fully funded.
America has always stood for helping impoverished nations gain the footing they need to stand on their own, and there is no reason to change this now.
Arts education is transformational
According to a decades-long study, students who participate in the arts during their middle-school years are more likely to be civically engaged than their peers who did not have arts education, meaning they are more likely to vote, more likely to volunteer in their community and more likely to sit on the board of a nonprofit organization as an adult.
For over a decade, states and communities across the nation have been using the arts as an intervention in Title I schools to great success. Data shows that English Language Learners, students with intellectual and developmental disabilities and students facing school discipline benefit greatly from arts learning.
In light of National Arts in Education Week (Sept. 10-16), we should remember the work we have to do. So often, disadvantaged young people – particularly students of color – have no access to arts education. It’s up to us, the artseducation community, to take a stand and take the lead, and we can start during National Arts in Education Week.
– Alison Gwinn – Tempe
Avery Jones
Tempe
Sports & Recreation
Yoga instructor helps high school athletes excel
BY GREG MACAFEE Tribune Sports Editor
The lights in the Higley High wrestling room were turned off and soothing music played from a portable speaker as the football team listened to instructions for their next pose in an hourlong yoga session. While the sun peeked through three windows above the left wall, yoga instructor Donna Chasan walked around the room and observed as each player finished their movements. This has become a common theme for Chasan.
In the past 15 months, the fulltime saleswoman and part-time yoga instructor, has started to teach yoga classes to four high school football teams around the East Valley. In November, she’ll start teaching the Perry High girls basketball team as well.
While every yoga teacher brings a different background or kind of experience to their classes, Chasan stands out to her coaches because of the athletic mindset that she displays.
“When I go in and teach them, I can talk to them like I am one of them,” Chasan said. “I go in like an athlete, we’re
Chandler MMA fighter enjoys grueling sport
BY MELODY BIRKETT Tribune Contributor
Dan “The Man” Charles loves being in a cage – at least the kind he fights in.
The Chandler man has been a full-time mixed martial arts fighter for about seven years.
“I’m just an Irish boy. I grew up boxing and wrestling as a kid, playing sports,” Charles said. “My dad had me in that at an early age. I was just always interested in competition and at the time I just didn’t want to follow through with college. I just felt it wasn’t for me so I stepped away from it for a little bit.”
His interest in MMA started in his 20s when Charles followed his younger brother Nate to a training session at a gym.
“One thing lead to another and I was down there training,” Charles said. “The next thing you know, I had a couple of amateur fights that I started winning. I turned to pro. And then here I am now, 16 professional fights later.”
Charles turned pro in the first year. He hopes to go global after a few more wins. He’s now 31 and takes his career very seriously.
“I’ve been training about three times a day and every training session is about 1½ to 2 hours a day,” Charles said. “That’s Monday through Saturday. I give myself Sunday to hang out with my daughter” who’s 2½ years old.
In between matches comes recovery time.
“It really depends on how hard the fight it was, how many rounds it was, damage taken to your body,” said Charles.
“Anywhere between a month or two before you usually get back in there and start going hard. But as far as if you have a good fight, a good quick finish, you don’t sustain any damage, you can get back in the gym the next week.”
Sometimes that has been the case for Charles but other times, he has had to take time to recover from his injuries.
“I’ve been fairly fortunate. I’ve taken some pretty hard shots. I’ve broken my
right hand, had it reconstructed with eight rods. I’ve banged my knees up. Just the natural wear and tear of a combat sport.”
MMA is a grueling sport that uses boxing and wrestling techniques but also martial arts maneuvers such as judo, kickboxing and karate. Charles compares it to skydiving, cliff jumping or other extreme sports.
“It’s just the love of the sport. The adrenaline I get, the pureness of the actual sport. Because there’s nothing like getting inside a ring or cage. You really get to see the honest side of yourself,
speaking the same language. I get you, I know what you’re going through, so let’s figure it out.”
After a multiple-sport high school career, Chasan received a five-year scholarship to play golf at the University of Arizona. Even though she played one sport in college, she stayed as active as she could. But she never tried yoga. That didn’t come until after her time in Tucson.
“I was playing indoor soccer and I went like this,” Chasan said as she made a cutting motion with her leg. “My entire knee was wiped out. ACL, medial and lateral meniscus tears, all gone. So, I was very limited with what I could do. I wasn’t going to be running so I ended up going to yoga. I ended up loving it and eventually became a teacher.”
At first, she began by teaching hot yoga classes and then she ventured into teaching boot camp classes for her athletes.
See YOGA on page 17
(Greg Macafee/Tribune Staff)
Yoga instructor Donna Chasan stretches with Highley High football players during an hourlong session.
(Special to the Tribune)
Dan Charles says he loves the competitive aspect of MMA as well as the ability to travel. He hopes to fight at least another four years.
Because of her knee injury, Chasan said one of the key components of her yoga classes is putting a heavy focus on injury prevention for athletes.
This caught the attention of one of her yoga instructors, who happened to be the mother of Casteel High head football coach Spencer Stowers.
“It’s something that I had kind of thrown around a little bit in the past and I’ve just never been able to put a finger on it,” Stowers said, recalling how he first brought Chasan in to teach yoga classes.
“So, I called Donna and I said, ‘Hey do you want to come out and teach some classes just to see how it goes?’ It really took off with our kids and they really enjoy that mental part of it, too.”
Since then, Chasan’s popularity has grown throughout the East Valley and other teams have followed in Casteel’s footsteps. McClintock High head football coach Corbin Smith started to bring in Chasan this summer, and in the past month, both Higley and Red Mountain have implemented Chasan’s yoga classes into their program as well.
All the programs are different. Higley went through a class ahead of their big matchup with Saguaro, and during their recent bye week Casteel brought Chasan for two sessions. Finally, the Red Mountain football program brings her in on Saturday mornings for a recovery session.
“We start with a one-hour long yoga session and then go into a 30-minute full-body flush lift and finish the morning off with ice baths,” said Red Mountain football’s strength and conditioning coach Ben Brandau. “We have found this works effectively with recovery for our team. Adding Donna’s expertise is vital for our athlete’s muscle recovery and for them to stay flexible.”
The physical component helps athletes gain flexibility and prevent injuries, but Chasan believes that the mental component of yoga is an important factor as well. At times athletes can be overwhelmed with thoughts about making a play or relishing in the fact that they didn’t. Chasan says yoga can help control those thoughts to optimize a player’s performance.
“One of the big things yoga teaches us is how to be present, and it’s through how you breathe,” Chasan said. “All you have to do is take three deep breaths and it brings you back to the present moment. So, for an athlete its huge to be present, they have to be, because if they aren’t, they aren’t going play their best.”
Learning these concepts through yoga may be important for young athletes looking to accomplish their dreams of competing at the next level. As for Chasan, she’s just looking to help them anyway she can.
– Contact Greg Macafee at gmacafee@ timespublications.com or at 480-898-5630 or follow @greg_macafee on Twitter.
fight since you have to pay for your medical bills, your blood work and your physical.”
your competitor and that’s what I really enjoy.”
The sport has three five-minute rounds. In a championship, it can be up to five five-minute rounds.
It might not seem like a long time, but Charles said when you factor in “stress, excitement, nerves, etc., it can sometimes feel like an eternity in there.”
While Charles says there’s plenty of money to be made, most fighters aren’t making major league baseball salaries.
“But for a guy like myself who has really come from nothing and had to work and practice and really hone my skills and get everything that I have now, it can be a very good living,” explained Charles.
“But it’s a tough living. You start out making no money. Obviously, in the amateur rings, you have to pay to
Not all fighters make enough money off of MMA to make it a full-time job. Charles said fighters must “have good sponsorships, good people around them.”
Charles said he didn’t make much money in his first six professional fights.
“A couple grand here, a couple grand there. Then I saw my way up and started getting bigger fights and bigger names and then of course the fights go into the tens of thousands of dollars and into the hundreds of thousands, and of course the top fighters get millions of dollars every fight.”
Charles’ next match will be at the RUF MMA event at 5 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 23, at Ultra Star Multi-tainment Center-Amphitheatre, 16000 N. Maricopa Road, Maricopa. Information: ultrastarakchin.com.
Helping the less fortunate is as important as scriptural study
BY RABBI SUSAN SCHANERMAN Tribune Guest Writer
Ioccasionally volunteer with my congregation at I-Help, a local agency that feeds and provides shelter at nearby churches and synagogues for homeless folks.
Groups volunteer to provide dinners and we sit and chat with the adults who are admitted to the program for counseling and resources as they struggle to get on their feet.
A few weeks ago, I sat down next to a diverse group of I-Help dinner companions. The man on my left, late 30s, was nicely dressed and eager to continue polishing his resume as he searched for jobs. He expressed himself with sensitivity and self-awareness.
The woman next to him, mid-40s, told
me about her recent run of bad luck and her son’s personal substance abuse struggles (he was with her). She was also eager to find work, hoping that she might find holiday employment as fall approached. She had worked in libraries and offices in the past and thought that retail might be a good option for her now.
The woman across from me (late 40s) had been homeless for only a week. The rent on her apartment had risen too high. She was one of the folks who currently had a job. She works as an instructional assistant at a Kyrene elementary school.
Imagine: She gets to school each day with no car and then spends six to eight hours helping to educate our children. After work, she must find her way to that evening’s church/synagogue for dinner and a night’s sleep on a mattress on the floor.
She told me that no one at her school has any idea of her predicament and she
does not want them to know.
“It’s temporary,” she told me, confident in her voice and manner.
Every religious tradition that I know of mandates care and comfort for those without the basic human needs of food and shelter. It is a responsibility shared by all.
Whether we drive the shower truck, counsel the participants in their quest for jobs, prepare a main course for an occasional dinner or donate financially to agencies that care for those without a roof over their heads, we have a spiritual and religious obligation to tend to the metaphorical widow and orphan in our midst.
It is a religious duty that, I might ar-
FAITH CALENDAR
SUNDAY, SEPT. 17
‘A DAY OF RETURN’
Chabad of the East Valley will host Selichot services to start the High Holiday season. Featured will be the recital of the traditional Selichot song with meditative singing.
DETAILS>> 1 a.m. Sunday, Sept. 17, at the Pollack Chabad Center for Jewish Life, 875 N. McClintock Drive, Chandler. Information: 480-855-4333.
THURSDAY, SEPT. 21
NEW YEAR WITH THE MINIONS
Chabad of the East Valley is hosting a special Teen Minyan with the Minions. Teens from across the East Valley are invited to discuss their struggles and inspirations on the holy day of Rosh Hashanah.
DETAILS>>0:30 a.m.-noon, CTeen Lounge, 875 N. McClintock Drive, Chandler. For information or reservations, contact rabbi.t@chabadcenter.com or call 480-855-4333.
THURS., SEPT. 21-FRI., SEPT. 22
HIGH HOLIDAY SERVICES
Chabad of Mesa will conduct High Holiday services for
gue, is every bit as important as scriptural study, service attendance and ritual observance.
In our personal and communal quest to make God’s world a haven for all who walk upon this earth, we are called to balance that which honors God through religious act and that which honors God through social justice.
We sway delicately, but deliberately between these two spiritual endeavors and we never give up. Why? Because there is always more to do.
-Rabbi Susan Schanerman is spiritual leader for Congregation NefeshSoul. nefeshsoul.org
Rosh Hashanah. There is no charge or membership, no background or affiliation necessary, and the services are open for all. Services are traditional and contemporary with entertaining stories and short sermons. We use Hebrew/ English prayer books and everyone is made to feel at home. DETAILS>> 9:30 a.m., Chabad Jewish Center of Mesa, 941 S. Maple. Information: chabadmesa.com, chabadmesa@gmail. com, 480-659-7001.
THURS., SEPT. 21-SAT., SEPT. 23
ROSH HASHANAH SERVICES
Traditional services will be held at the Pollack Chabad center for Jewish Life in Chandler, ushering in the Jewish New Year. A special children’s program for three different age groups will also be available. RSVPs required. DETAILS>> Pollack Chabad center for Jewish Life, 875 N. McClintock Drive, Chandler. Times posted at chabadcenter. com. Reservations and information: 480.855-4333 or chabadcenter.com.
All ages perform vibrant mariachi music, folklorico dance at festival
BY COLLEEN SPARKS Tribune Contributing Writer
Mexican culture will come to life in a colorful display of dynamic dance and music at a festival that merges budding child performers with professional adult artists.
Musicians will strum guitars, blow trumpets and bow violins in passionate melodies while dancers will perform intricate footwork in colorful skirts at the 18th Annual Mariachi and Folklorico Festival, presented by the Chandler Center for the Arts. The lively traditional music and dances of Mexico will come to the stage at 7 p.m. Sept. 30 at the arts center, 250 N. Arizona Ave.
Nonprofit organization C.A.L.L.E. de Arizona produces the annual event marking Hispanic Heritage Month. Festival director Vanessa Ramirez hopes the show will draw 1,500 people.
Dance is also a big part of the mariachi festival. About 60 child and adult dancers from four folklorico dance groups in Chandler, Queen Creek and other parts of the Valley will perform together accompanied by the mariachi groups.
“It’s a unique thing that we’re doing in the Valley,” Ramirez of Chandler said. “Each group has their own style to what they do. Every director has their own style. It definitely is a bit of a challenge, but a fun one to get all these dancers on stage and have them look as if they are one company.”
Ramirez is also owner and director of Ballet Folklorico Quetzalli-AZ, a nonprofit
organization in Chandler with dancers as young as 2 years old and as old as 68. For the festival, dancers performing will range from 11 to 23 years old, she said. Usually only the teenage and adult dancers perform at the festival, but this year Ramirez is allowing the younger dancers to participate.
“They’ve been working really hard to be up to par with the more advanced dancers,” she said.
The young dancers are excited to be part of the huge performance, and Ramirez is thrilled to work with the other dance troupes at the festival.
Primavera Folkorico Dance Company of Phoenix, Institute of Folklorico Mexicano of Queen Creek and Tradiciones Dance Company of Phoenix will perform with Ballet Folklorico Quetzalli-AZ at the festival.
from “Good Vibrations” to “Kokomo,” when The Beach Boys play the Mesa Arts Center.
DETAILS>> 7 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 17. Mesa Arts Center, 1 E. Main St., Mesa. Tickets: $45$99.50. 480-644-6500. mesaartscenter.com.
Since July, the four dance groups have been rehearsing four to six hours every weekend. The joint performance has “created just an awesome unity,” Ramirez said.
“It’s amazing,” she said. “Every year it’s just growing and growing; the dancers get really excited about coming back to work on this project. With everything going on in the world right now, it’s wonderful to escape all the negativity and come see all the positive activities that our youth are doing, the way they’re all collaborating, communicating. It’s another way to be proud of their culture and share the world.”
Mariachi Garibaldi de Jaime Cuéllar, a premier mariachi ensemble based in Los Angeles headed by Grammy Award winner Jimmy “El Pollo” Cuéllar, will perform again this year. Also featured at the festival will
U2: The Joshua Tree Tour
be Mariachi Sonido de Mexico from Tucson. Youths who participate in the 2017 C.A.L.L.E. de Arizona Mariachi Music Workshops Sept. 27-29 at Hartford Sylvia Encinas Elementary School in Chandler will also perform.
Ticket sales for the festival go toward scholarships for students. C.A.L.L.E. de Arizona said it is committed to promoting the beauty, characteristics and qualities of the Mexican/Hispanic culture through various art forms.
Ramirez described folklorico as a traditional folk dance from all the states of Mexico. Mariachi songs express various themes including love, loss and patriotism. Children, teens and adults in Chandler, Mesa and Tempe through nonprofit organizations,
‘Get Moving!’ exhibit
Help the young ones develop healthy lifestyles and active behaviors as they take this interactive and energized class to build good habits.
DETAILS>> 10 a.m. now through Friday, Sept. 22. Halle Heart Children’s Museum, 2929 S. 48th St., Tempe. Tickets: $5. 602-4142800. halleheartchildrensmuseum.org.
The Beach Boys
Hear all the songs you grew up loving,
‘Joseph & the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat’
Sibling rivalry can be a challenge, especially when there are 12 brothers involved. This Old Testament story is told as a musical.
DETAILS>> Times vary, now through Saturday, Oct. 7. Hale Centre Theatre, 50 W. Page Ave., Gilbert. Tickets: $20-$32. 480497-1181. haletheatrearizona.com.
U2 celebrates the 30th anniversary of its landmark album, “The Joshua Tree,” by playing tracks from it at University of Phoenix Stadium. Other hits will follow. Beck opens.
DETAILS>> 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 19. University of Phoenix Stadium, 1 Cardinals Drive, Glendale. Tickets: $42-$297. 623-433-7101, 800-734-3000. universityofphoenixstadium.com.
The Magic of Bill Blagg
Don’t believe in magic? Tell that to magician Bill Blagg, who will attempt to persuade fans that it’s the real deal.
DETAILS>> 7:30 p.m. Friday, Sept. 22. Mesa
Arts Center, 1 E. Main St., Mesa. Tickets: $33. 480-644-6500. mesaartscenter.com.
Global Dance Festival
The fall season kicks off with a bang at the Global Dance Fest at Rawhide with performers like Flosstradamus, Showtek and Yellow Claw. General admission and reserved tables are on sale.
DETAILS>> 5 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 23. Rawhide Western Town and Event Center, 5700 W. North Loop Road, Chandler. Tickets: $55-$99. 480-502-5600. globaldancefestaz.com.
See FOLKLORICO on page 20 Phoenix.org
(Special to the Tribune)
Mariachi Garibaldi de Jaime Cuéllar, a premier mariachi ensemble headed by Jimmy “El Pollo” Cuéllar, will perform at the 18th Annual Mariachi and Folklorico Festival presented by the Chandler Center for the Arts.
Ben Folds to take paper airplane requests at shows
BY CARSON MLNARIK
Get Out Contributor
Fans headed to see Ben Folds this fall should remember to grab their keys, their ticket and a pen and paper. A good throwing arm would help, as well.
For this tour, the singer-songwriter is compiling his set lists from paper airplanes thrown onstage by audience members. The airplanes have become a custom for Folds, who spent the late ’90s as frontman of alternative rock band Ben Folds Five.
“I remember I was going to a gig and just having that idea and putting it out on Twitter,” Folds said. “When the gig started, people started throwing airplanes.”
The concept struck a chord with fans and the rest is history. Folds will play 40-plus paper airplane shows around the country this fall.
“It seemed like kind of an interesting idea that I might at least do part of a set without any idea of what I was going to play,” Folds said. “You pick up the planes and see people’s handwriting and it’s pretty cool.”
The format ensures every show is different – ranging from hits to B-sides to his solo albums, EPs and everything in between.
“It’s interesting. Some parts of the country lean toward certain songs more or I’ll get the same request over and over again or
back on the floor and pick up another one,” he said with a laugh.
“For the most part, I don’t need to do that but you know, (when) someone writes, ‘Play a Bon Jovi song’ or something like that.”
A jack of all trades, even when he is not on the road, Folds stays busy.
His last album, released in 2015, was a chamber pop collaboration with the yMusic Ensemble and featured a piano concerto performed with the Nashville Symphony.
He has also contributed to film soundtracks, judged the reality TV competition
He spent more time on his photos and once he hit the road, he expanded his passion for shooting into what he calls “a third act.”
While Folds has succeeded in a number of mediums, he doesn’t have much advice for growing artists beyond one word: “Try.”
“I don’t think it does anything but help someone to try other artistic disciplines if they’re in the arts,” he said. “If you’re a singer, try your hand at dancing or if you’re a writer, try music.”
The Paper Airplane Tour brings him back to just a piano on stage, a set up that he feels is real to his work.
“I think what I do, at its core, is songs played at the piano,” Folds said. “That’s the most honest. That’s it. That’s what I do.”
won’t see that song then for four shows,” he said.
“It has a really good vibe to it.”
Folds jokes that his only preparation for the tour is “learning a good 80 of my songs that I’ve forgotten,” but insists that he is down to play any of his songs … to an extent.
“I retain the right to just drop an airplane
“The Sing-Off” and most recently completed an assignment as a photo editor for National Geographic. His editor debut is years in the making as his interest in photography has grown over time.
“I started putting together a darkroom when my kids were born,” he said. “I was making and printing photographs that I thought would mean something to them later on.”
Oils show explores what happened ‘When You Weren’t Looking’
Two Arizona artists will explore the moments that people miss in an oil paint exhibition called “Laura Best & Cam DeCaussin: When You Weren’t Looking,” presented at the Chandler Center for the Arts Gallery until Oct. 1.
Best’s website notes that she takes her inspiration from the desert Southwest and contrasts it with the modern world, where “the raw beauty of the desert is abruptly met with concrete.” The artist paints on found objects to “emphasize and celebrate the strained overlap of the romantic southwestern desert and its modern support system.”
DeCaussin’s photorealistic works are inspired by “quiet living spaces and their ability to express themes of solace, sadness, separation and contemplation,” according to his website. Low light and seemingly private moments that weren’t meant to be captured make his work unique.
“Both of the artists in this exhibit are in-
(Special
“A lie is often hidden between two truths” is the title of this painting by Cam DeCaussin.
credible at creating bold images with subtle touches of light so that the viewer feels like they are looking at an intimate moment that has happened while we were busy living our own lives,” said Peter Bugg, visual arts coordinator for gallery.
The Chandler Center for the Arts Gallery is open Monday through Friday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Saturday, noon to 5 p.m. Details: chandlercenter.org.
IF YOU GO
Who: Ben Folds
Where: The Marquee Theatre, 730 N. Mill Ave., Tempe
When: 8 p.m. Friday, Sept. 22
Cost: $35-$249
Info: 480-829-0607, luckymanonline. com
after-school programs and Arizona State University take classes and perform throughout the year.
Chris Nguyen, a general music teacher at Hartford Sylvia Encinas Elementary School, is looking forward to the festival. He runs an after-school mariachi club for children at the Chandler school through the nonprofit Desert Sounds Performing Arts organization in Mesa.
“I feel like listening to live professional mariachi is just so beneficial,” Nguyen, of Chandler, said. “I think the more I know as a teacher the better I am as an instructor. Music is a language of the soul. Anyone can just listen to the mariachi music and as long as it’s played well, it will reach out to you.
“If a person is appreciative of other cultures and just listening to great, quality music, they’re going to get a lot out of the festival,” he added.
To learn more about the 18th Annual Mariachi and Folklorico Festival and to buy tickets, visit chandlercenter.org.
(Special to the Tribune)
Ben Folds was born in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. He became interested in piano at age 9.
Tribune Staff Report
to the Tribune)
Crossword
IGreen chile chicken casserole is comfort in a dish
BY JAN D’ATRI
BY JAN D’ATRI
BY JAN D’ATRI
AFN Contributor
Gourmet seasoned pretzels a delight on game day or for any other occasion
Tortillas give iconic sloppy Joe an Arizona spin
Tribune Contributor
Once you’ve had this tuna salad, you won’t want any other
AFN Contributor
BY JAN D’ATRI
BY JAN D’ATRI Tribune Contributor
ow does comfort food Southwest-style sound?
BY JAN D’ATRI
AFN Contributor
Tribune Contributor
IHWThis green chile chicken casserole is perfect for Sunday Supper or a makeahead-and-freeze-for-later dinner.
f you really enjoy tuna salad but haven’t found the perfect recipe yet, you’ve come to the right place.
hy not celebrate Labor Day Weekend Southwest-style? A great party sandwich is the iconic sloppy Joe, and you can certainly give it an Arizona spin by adding spices, peppers, chiles and cilantro.
or on the grill, replaces the traditional sloppy Joe bun and ketchup gets replaced with any number of kicked-up tomato-based condiments like chile-style ketchup or jalapeno pepper sauce.
It’s simple, versatile and tasty. I think this is going to a new go-to favorite.
One of America’s favorite party sandwiches and a staple of the Midwest, has just moved a bit “closer to home.”
Ingredients:
Voila! The Southwestern Sloppy Joe. Our beloved flour tortilla, charred in a hot skillet
Ingredients:
Ingredients:
2 1/2 pounds ground beef
This recipe is fantastic in a sandwich, stuffed in peppers, spread on crustini or scooped on top of a fresh salad.
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 bags of small twist pretzels (About 16 oz. each)
t was exactly nine years ago that I first wrote about this recipe, and I’ve yet to meet anyone who didn’t absolutely go crazy over it. It’s become one of the most popular recipes I’ve ever shared and described by just about everyone who makes these snacks as “the best pretzels we’ve ever eaten!”
It’s a favorite dish in the Kerr Dairy Farm kitchen! Arizona dairy farmers Bill and Sine Kerr have had their dairy farm in Buckeye, Arizona through fourgenerations, and this scrumptious and hearty recipe has been passed along through the ages.
I completely agree. If you’re looking for the perfect snack now that football season is in full swing, you’ve got a hands-down winner with this one. In fact, when it comes to snack food, this is my all-time MVP – Most Valuable Pretzel!
2 cans (5 oz.) albacore tuna in water, drained well 1/4 cup Marzetti Cole Slaw Dressing Lite 1/4 cup Lite Miracle Whip
This recipe can be made with ground turkey or ground chicken instead of ground beef.
1 tablespoon celery, chopped fine
1 teaspoon ground cumin
2 heaping teaspoons sweet pickle relish
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 tablespoon brown sugar
It starts with a couple of cans of albacore tuna strained, drained or squeezed to get most of the water out. It’s then added to just a few ingredients to give it zip, zing and sweetness.
2 teaspoons red onion, diced fine 1/2 teaspoon lemon pepper
Salt and pepper to taste
1 bottle of popcorn oil (12 oz. Orville Redenbacher Popping Oil). Do not substitute.
1 packet of Hidden Valley Ranch Salad Dressing and Seasoning Mix, 1 oz. powder form
8 table-size flour tortillas (about 6 inches in diameter) shredded cheddar and lettuce for garnish
½ teaspoon lemon pepper
For the veggies:
Directions:
1 sweet yellow onion, diced
3-4 cloves fresh garlic, chopped fine
2 teaspoons garlic powder (not garlic salt)
This recipe was created by one of my servers, Lori Lill, for my restaurants years ago and quickly became one of the most popular items on the menu. If you have a hankering for a great tuna salad sandwich or you are looking for a new kid’s lunchbox specialty, this is the recipe for you.
By the way, we’re right in the middle of Hatch chile season, so this dish is a great way to take advantage of one of the Southwest’s edible treasures. If not, a can of green chile works just as well. Thanks, Kerr family, for a tasty dish for supper tonight!
1/4 cup green onions (white and green part), sliced thin
Directions:
For the liquids:
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 1/2 cups chili style ketchup (I used Heinz) or any ketchup
Drain the juice from the albacore tuna and place in a bowl. Add the remainder of the ingredients and gently mix together. Can be used in a sandwich, on a crustini, stuffed in bell peppers or in a salad.
Pour bags of pretzels into a large bowl. Sprinkle ranch dressing packet, garlic powder and lemon pepper over the pretzels. Pour bottle of popcorn oil over pretzels. Gently stir to coat the pretzels. Stir every 15 minutes or until the oil doesn’t pool at the bottom of the bowl (about 2 hours). The pretzels will eventually absorb the oil and the spices will coat the outside. Use entire bottle.
Can be made days ahead. Store in airtight container.
Make cream of chicken soup. In a medium saucepan, combine chicken broth and 1/2 cup milk. Bring to a boil. In a small bowl whisk together flour, 1/2 cup milk and seasonings until thickened. To avoid lumps, sprinkle flour
Pour flour mixture into the saucepan with broth mixture and cook over low heat, whisking often. Continue to simmer and stir for 10 minutes. Note: If you choose to use canned cream of chicken soup, heat in medium
the
of
1/2 cup milk, sour
cream
green chiles, enchilada
Add ground beef and cook until browned. Add spices: red pepper flakes, dry mustard, cumin, chili powder and
Add green chiles, tomatoes, parsley and cilantro, stirring to combine. Add Worcestershire sauce and ketchup.
and green
to combine, and cook for 2-3 minutes. Pour over the chicken. Top with the shredded cheese. Bake at
cheese (colby Jack, Monterey Jack,
To
cream
chicken soup,
cream,
cheese,
sauce
onion. Mix
Heat olive oil in large skillet. Sauté onion, garlic, green onion, leek, green pepper, red pepper and jalapeno
Heat tortillas in a hot dry skillet, grill, grill pan or griddle just to char, about 10-15 seconds on both sides. Spoon
Upon
This
I’d like to tell you a story about Georgina. Her name has been changed but her story is true. Georgina has had migraine headaches for 20 years. They would come about once each month. She had seen neurologists and other physicians help her over the years but with little success. She has tried so many medications, at one point, upon entering the neurologist’s office that she had been working with for 10 years, they asked for the list of medications she had been given over the years to determine which new medication they should try. Most of the prescriptions left her in a mental fog and some cost upwards of $3000 for the prescription. The
EAST
VALLEY
As the largest annual event of its kind in the East Valley, the expo provides a dynamic setting for both business-to-business and business-to-consumer outreach.
Location: Mesa Convention Center 263 N. Center Street, Mesa, AZ 85201
Date/Time Information:
Wednesday, October 4, 2017 2:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m.
Showcase Your Business: Limited Exhibitor Booths are Available starting as low as $440
Admission is free with a business card and attendees have their chance at winning gift cards, door prizes, raffles and giveaways.
The expo is a joint production of the Tempe, Chandler, Gilbert and Mesa Chambers of Commerce and draws exhibitors, attendees and talent from these powerful organizations. www.eastvalleybusinessexpo.com
headaches slowly became more common and chronic in nature.
For the past 3 months she was having a migraine each week lasting 4 days each episode. She was feeling hopeless. Her life was a balance of living in a dark, cold room and having to take care of her children and go to work. There was no joy or brightness for her future.
It was at this point that her friend, Steve, reached out to her and told her about a brand new way to relieve migraines. In as little as 5 minutes, the MiCalm device delivers anesthetic straight to the sphenopalatine ganglion (the nerve area responsible for causing all migraines). The procedure provides most patients with immediate relief of pain simply and comfortably. No harsh drugs with a mental fog, no needles and no risk for harmful side effects. Georgina could
not believe it but hoping against hope she reached out to Arizona Migraine Relief, the first office in Arizona to deliver MiCalm. Although nervous for another disappointment she moved forward with this inexpensive alternative. What she found was that within 5 minutes the anesthetic worked just like she had hoped! And more importantly, the migraine did not return quickly. With the ganglion anesthetized, the nerve resets itself and can stay calm for up to 6 weeks. She can preempt the migraine as well so she never has to experience the debilitating effects of that headache again.
If you experience chronic migraine headaches, you owe it to yourself to check out Micalm at AZmigrainerelief.com. Get your life back and see the world without a drug induced fog. Call us today at 480.899.9423
Dr. Thomas Chamberlain
Obituaries
WILEY, Barbara Rynae
After giving all she had to everyone that asked her for anything, Barbara
Nevada for a few years as a teen She and her family moved to Mesa, Arizona in 1995, where she raised her three children and doted on her five grandchildren
Barb worked at Osco/CVS for over 20 years She is survived by and will be dearly missed by her husband of 31 years, Rick Wiley, her three adult children, Natalia, Justin (Karen), and Sonia (Jerry), and her parents (Bob and Patti Hiltachk) and brother and sister-in-law (Tom and Kim Hiltachk) , her aunts, uncle, nephew, and cousins May she find the peace that she so rightly earned
A memorial service for family and friends to celebrate her life will be held at 12:30 pm on September 22nd at Legacy Funeral Home located at 4403 E Broadway Road, Mesa, Az
m
Carol S McLean Cooper was born December 5, 1953 Lusk Wyoming to Charles and Dorothy McLean The M
Guernsey Carol and her family moved to Denver Col-
ears and transferred to Hanna Wyoming for her senir year She graduated from High School in 1970 She
Kenly Farms, Inc of Arizona seeks 48 temp full-time workers from 10/27/2017-03/01/2017 for a Nursery worker (Ref Job Order #2776363) Workers will be involved in various tasks such as, but not limited to: Cutting rose root stock in fields, processing root stock, planting root stock in fields, cutting rose plants in fields, processing rose stock, planting rose stock, cutting rose grafting wood in fields, process rose grafting wood, weeding, thinning and general farm work rose bush harvesting, sorting plants, grading plants, stacking plants, tying plants into bundles or 10, sawing plants, counting bundles, loading plants bundles into trailers, loading and moving plant bundles from trailer to semi trucks, cleaning and maintaining facilities Lift cartons approx 60 lbs Wage offer is $11/hr , 42 hr work week, M-Sat, 7 hr/day Employer guarantees each worker the opp of employment for at least ¾ of the workdays of the total period of work contract & all extensions Tools, supplies & equip provided at no cost Housing provided at no cost to workers who cannot reasonably return to their permanent residence at end of each work day Transportation & subsistence expenses to the worksite will be paid by the employer upon completion of 50% of the work contract or earlier.
The Lord called Carol home on April 1, 2017 following extensive heart surgery A C e l e b
a n d T h a n
s g i v i n g f o r t h e L i f e o f C a r o l S u s a n M c L e a n
Cooper will be held on Saturday, October 14, 2017 at St Markʼs Episcopal Church, 322 N Horne Street, Mesa AZ at 11:00 am Carol was a blessing in our lives, and although we miss her beyond words, she left us w i t h h e r l o v e , l a u g h t e r , s i s t e r h o o d ,
U
m
S h e w a s
Cooper, her son, Chase T Cooper (Brandy), her granddaughter, Gemma
P a i g e C o o p e r a l
M
McLean(Burgess)-Mesa AZ, John M McLean-Sheridan WY and Charles
T ( T o m ) M c L
C
D
She loved and worked to protect children throughout her life Helping and giving was always in her nature Donations may be sent in her name to the St Markʼs Children Fund, 322 N Horne, Mesa AZ 85203
Apply at nearest AZ Dept of Economic Security office, such as 4635 S Central Ave , Phoenix, AZ 85040 (602)771-0630 or see https://eol azdes gov for addtʼl locations
Apply in person at 8271 N Green Rd Maricopa, AZ 85139 Or Fax: 602-955- 0100
Juan Hernandez
Do you remember?
Sept 17, 1966, Mission Impossible TV show premiered on CBS-TV. The one-hour show ran over seven seasons. Each episode followed a small team of secret agents on a covert mission. Each team member had a specialty.
Exit Search: Impossible Escape
Actors included: Steven Hill (original leader, Dan Briggs), Barbara Bain and her husband, Martin Landau (Sleepy Hollow film, XFiles), Barbara Anderson, Greg Morris, Peter Lupus, Peter Graves (leader Jim Phelps), Leonard Nimoy (Star Trek), Lesley Ann Warren (Cinderella 1965), Sam Elliott (Tombstone) and Lynda Day George.
The most famous character of the series was the theme music by Lao Schifrin.
The original series episodes can still be found online and on the CBS app and Amazon Prime.
A revival series ran for two seasons on ABC between 1988 and 1990, and featured many of the same characters and actors: Peter Graves, Thaao Penghlis, Tony Hamilton, Phil Morris, Terry Markwell, Jane Badler, Greg Morris and Linda Day George.
The movies inspired by the series starring Tom Cruise, began in 1996.
WHO DO YOU TRUST WITH YOUR HEARING?
Give yourself this simple self-evaluation
Give yourself this simple self-evaluation
Give yourself this simple self-evaluation
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answered
If you answered “yes” to one or more of the above questions, it is recommended that you get
If you answered “yes” to one or more of the above questions, it is recommended that you get a free hearing screening. IT
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Instrument Specialist
MESA: 7165 E. University Dr., Bldg. 17, Suite 167 • (480) 719-7720 Baywood Professional Square. 3/10 of a mile east of Power and University. Look for the
MESA: 7165 E. University Dr., Bldg. 17, Suite 167 • (480) 719-7720 Baywood Professional Square. 3/10 of a mile east of Power and University. Look for the white flags!
Baywood Professional Square. 3/10 of a mile east of Power and University. Look for the white flags!
7165 E. University Dr., Bldg. 17, Suite 167 • (480) 719-7720
MESA: 7165 E. University Dr., Bldg. 17, Suite 167 • (480) 719-7720 Baywood Professional Square. 3/10 of a mile east of Power and University. Look for the white flags!
PEORIA: 14155 N. 83rd Ave., Bldg. 7, Suite 147 • (623) 565-9101 Stonegate Plaza. Near 83rd & Thunderbird. Next to Culver’s
PEORIA: 14155 N. 83rd Ave., Bldg. 7, Suite 147 • (623) 565-9101 Stonegate Plaza. Near 83rd & Thunderbird. Next to Culver’s Are you having difficulties hearing?
PEORIA: 14155 N. 83rd Ave., Bldg. 7, Suite 147 • (623) 565-9101
Stonegate Plaza. Near 83rd & Thunderbird. Next to Culver’s
PEORIA: 14155 N. 83rd Ave., Bldg. 7, Suite 147 • (623) 565-9101
Stonegate Plaza. Near 83rd & Thunderbird. Next to Culver’s
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