THE VOICE OF THE EAST VALLEY SINCE 1891 AND WINNER OF THE PULITZER PRIZE FOR LOCAL REPORTING
Goldwater Institute demands their punishment
THE SUNDAY
Tribune
PAGE 4 Chandler/Tempe Edition
INSIDE
This Week
NEWS ............................ 2 The remains of a Chandler woman killed in 2010 are found.
COMMUNITY ......... 11 Christian refugees from Iraq find help in settling here.
BUSINESS ................ 13 Realtors moved on a referendum question to ban services taxes.
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Hash Kitchen is bringing its monstrous Bloody Marys to Chandler.
COMMUNITY ......... 11 BUSINESS ....................13 OPINION ................... 16 SPORTS........................ 17 CLASSIFIEDS ............ 24
PAGE 14 Sunday, July 8, 2018
Mesa Council putting $196M in projects before voters BY JIM WALSH Tribune Staff Writer
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Mesa City Council meeting resembled a rally for the proposed Mesa Plays soccer complex, with several supporters representing youth soccer programs and the city’s tourism industry already focusing on their goal – victory in the Nov. 6 election. The council formally put Mesa Plays on the ballot, along with other critical questions that must be decided by voters and a promise to have a sweeping impact on the city. While the $30 million in excise bonds that would pay for Mesa Plays do not need voter approval, an associated 1 percent bed tax increase must be authorized for the financing package to proceed. A charter-related ballot question, calling for spending more than $1.5 million on a sports
complex, also must be approved. In all, six questions will be listed on the ballot. They include the soccer complex – billed as a major source of tourism revenue – as well as new dog parks, new police and fire stations in east Mesa and a new library in southeast Mesa. The campaign to persuade Mesa voters to authorize the $55 million Mesa Plays project appeared to launch almost on cue as speaker after speaker touted the sprawling project. Only two oppo(Special to the Tribune) nents emerged. Councilman Jeremy Whitaker, left, opposes the bond package, but Mesa Plays, which would feature 24 former city manager Mike Hutchinson lauds the Mesa Plays plan. fields, is a big enough project to get split into three interrelated ballot questions. bond issue costing $111, a price of about $24 The nine fields reserved for community to the average homeowner. leagues and games would be financed with Meanwhile, the 15 fields reserved for tour$25 million in general obligation bonds. That See BOND on page 6 is only one portion of a parks and cultural
Mesa group-home rules Piano prodigy draw mixed reaction BY JIM WALSH Tribune Staff Writer
GETOUT ................. 20
EAST VALLEY
Jewelry pair call Mesa a business gem
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ith downtown Mesa residents pleading for relief from a cluster of halfway houses, the city is following Prescott as it cautiously adopts an ordinance exerting some control over so-called sober living homes. But even though the ordinance is being adopted in less than a month’s time – a vote is scheduled at the City Council meeting Monday, July 9 – neighbors already are complaining that it won’t help
them. The new ordinance has plenty of requirements aimed at protecting both the homes’ clients from shoddy operators and neighbors who are leery of – if not frightened by – the thought of living next to ex-cons with drug and alcohol addictions recently released from prison. Following Prescott’s lead, the new ordinance sets a series of minimum requirements – including having a house manager on duty 24 hours a day, seven days a week to supervise See
GROUP HOME on page 2
(Special to the Tribune)
Saadhvi Sri Jayaram of Gilbert is only 7 and she composed a piece she presented at the Yamaha 2018 National Junior Original Concert last month. Organizers only select 13 performers from some 6,000 Yamaha Music Education System students. She is a student at a Chandler Yamaha school. For her story, see page 11.