East Valley Tribune West - 01-26-2020

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THE VOICE OF THE EAST VALLEY SINCE 1891 AND WINNER OF THE PULITZER PRIZE FOR LOCAL REPORTING

Case against EVIT superintendent dropped PAGE

EAST VALLEY

3

Family realizes dream with new RV resort PAGE

FREE ($1 OUTSIDE THE EAST VALLEY) | EastValleyTribune.com

West Mesa Edition

INSIDE

This Week

NEWS ......................... 6 Mesa brands Asian business district.

COMMUNITY ........ 14 Group helps Mesa schools cut use of plastic.

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Sunday, January 26, 2020

Storm clouds are The Coopers’ gift to Mesa gathering in the Mesa mayor race

BY JIM WALSH Tribune Staff Writer

M

esa City Councilman Jeremy Whittaker has expressed interest in mounting a potential mayoral bid – elevating himself from Mayor John Giles’ chief nemesis to a 2020 election opponent.

Irked by the emergence of a Giles ally as a possible challenger in his council district, hittaker filed a statement of interest for mayor job.

The statements of interest, required by a new state

�ee GILES page

Legendary Valley rocker Alice Cooper and his wife Sheryl dropped by Mesa last week to announce their gift to the city’s young people. Their foundation will be funding a Solid Rock Teen Center - their second in the Valley and their first on this side of the metro region. For a full report, see page 4. (Chris Mortenson/Tribune Staff photographer)

Lovin’ Life Expo provides a wealth of info, fun

CHRISTINA FUOCO-KARASINSKI Tribune Staff Writer

GET OUT ..............

24

The Greatest Show on Turf to start swinging

COMMUNITY ............... 14 BUSINESS ......................18 OPINION ...................... 21 SPORTS .......................... 22 GETOUT ......................... 24 CLASSIFIED ................... 30

T

he Lovin’ Life After 50 Expo is returning to the Mesa Convention Center from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 29, with exhibitors ready to talk about tour and travel, retirement living, health care, financial matters, leisure and more.

The Mesa event is part of Lovin’ Life After 50’s cadre of events, which are Arizona’s longest-running expos for the after-50 market.

“After 35 years, the Mesa ovin’ ife After 50 xpo is still the most well-attended event for those over 50 to enjoy in all of Arizona,” said publisher Steve Strickbine.

Don’t miss this great opportunity to meet

new friends, network with peers and build new relationships. There will also be raffle prize giveaways, live entertainment and a $100 cash prize each hour.

This year, The Duttons are returning to provide fun for all ages with their blend of bluegrass, country and pop music. Based in

If You Go...

What: Lovin’ Life After 50 Expo Where: Where: Mesa Convention Center, 263 N. Center Street, Mesa When: 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 29 Cost: Free More info: lovinlife.com

Branson, Missouri, the three generations of musicians manage The Dutton Theater in Mesa during the winter and the band is a popular attraction of the expos.

“We’ve done (the expos) almost every year,” said Ben Dutton of The Duttons. “The winter visitor group knows us really well. Our show really appeals to all ages. Teenagers love it. It keeps moving. There’s a lot of variety. It really caters to families as well.”

The Ms. Senior Arizona contestants will also make appearances throughout the day at the expo.

“I have been working the Lovin’ Life After 50 expos for over 15 years now and have watched

The latest breaking news and top local stories in the East Valley!

�ee EXPO page 3

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THE SUNDAY EAST VALLEY TRIBUNE | JANUARY 26, 2020

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008182

NEWS

THE SUNDAY EAST VALLEY TRIBUNE | JANUARY 26, 2020

THE SUNDAY

EAST VALLEY

The East Valley Tribune is published every Sunday and distributed free of charge to homes and in single-copy locations throughout the East Valley.

Times Media Group: 1620 W. Fountainhead Parkway, Suite 219 Tempe, Arizona, 85282

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The content of any advertisements are the sole responsibility of the advertiser. The Tribune assumes no responsibility for the claims of any advertisement.

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Charges against EVIT superintendent withdrawn

BY JIM WALSH Tribune Staff Writer

E

ast Valley Institute of Technology Superintendent Chad Wilson won a major – but possibly temporary – victory after the Arizona Attorney General’s Office agreed to dismiss criminal charges against him.

But the dismissal of theft and misuse of public monies charges against Wilson is without prejudice – leaving open the possibility they could be pursued by prosecutors at some future time.

Wilson was indicted on the charges stemming from his tenure as Apache Junction Superintendent of Schools. The indictment came down only a month or so after the EVIT Governing Board promoted him to superintendent.

Wilson served in the job on an interim basis prior to the EVIT board’s ouster of longtime superintendent Sally Downey.

The indictment on the theft charge automatically cost ilson his state fingerprint clearance card, a requirement of the superintendent’s position at EVIT. But the EVIT board accommodated Wilson, moving him to the position of director of external affairs – which did not require the clearance card – until his legal problems could be addressed.

Before this move, Wilson was forced

EXPO from page 1

them grow and also watched our Arizona seniors flock to each expo all over the Valley,” said Herme Sherry, executive director of Ms. Senior Arizona.

“The expos bring so much information to our seniors. They are there waiting for the doors to open and always leave with a bag full of information to maybe help them in some areas of their lives. The expos have grown each year and we look forward to working them and meeting and getting to know so many of our seniors we see year after year.”

Sherry shared the expos are a “blessing” to the senior community.

“We get to know so many of them year after year,” she adds. The Lovin’ Life After 50 expos are something we look forward to each year, also.”

Strickbine is proud of the longevity and quality entertainment that comes with

DR. CHAD WILSON

to take vacation time and his future appeared in doubt.

Dana Kuhn, an assistant principal, was promoted to serve as acting superintendent, although Wilson was still eligible to participate in leadership meetings.

“We applaud the Attorney General’s decision to withdraw these unprecedented charges and reconsider the Auditor eneral’s flawed investigation. o crime occurred here. The Auditor General proposed a novel theory that would criminalize the state educational budget

3 •••

process,’’ said Mark Kokanovich of Ballard Spahr, one of Wilson’s defense attorneys.

“They are matters to be handled within a school district, not the criminal justice system,” Kokanovich added. “Chad looks forward to continuing to work with educators from across the valley to change the lives of the students and communities he serves.’’

In a court filing, the Attorney eneral’s Office conceded the defense raised substantial issues in a motion to remand the case back to the grand jury and further investigation is required.

“Counsel for the defendant raised issues and possible defenses in it’s motion to remand the required additional investigation before the matter can proceed to the state grand jury,’’ a prosecutor wrote.

“The parties acknowledge this investigation will likely exceed the 15-day timeframe normally imposed for a remand, so for these reasons, the state requests the case be dismissed without prejudice to allow this investigation to take place,’’ the prosecutor’s motion stated.

The state Attorney eneral’s Office used an audit by the Arizona Auditor General to obtain charges of misuse of public monies, alleging Wilson arranged for 133,223 in payments not authorized

�ee EVIT page

Ateendees at Lovin’ Life after 50 Expo on Wednesday at the Mesa Convention Center will find plenty of useful information and entertainment.

(Special to the Tribune)

the expos.

“From entertainment like The Duttons, a wide spectrum of exhibitors and thou-

sands of attendees each year, the Lovin’ Life Expos are bound to have something for anyone over the age of 50.”

••• 4

NEWS

THE SUNDAY EAST VALLEY TRIBUNE | JANUARY 26, 2020

Alice Cooper funding Mesa teen performance center

BY CHRISTOPHER BOAN Tribune Staff Writer

dents, most of whom were far too young to ever hear his music when it was new.

Cooper believes teenagers are eager to learn new things, but need a reason to be drawn in. He’s confident the Solid ock The Coopers also funded this teen center in Phoenix, giving young people a to perform, meet peers and have fun.

Teen Center facility chance (Special to the Tribune) can do just that, providing a space where their creativity can tendent eter esar is one of the believers in Cooper’s altruistic vision. prosper.

To Lesar, having the Solid Rock Teen “I think we said a lot of things today that made them go, ‘I can’t wait for this place’,” Center in the heart of Mesa, near pubAlice said. “I didn’t see a cynical audience – lic transportation, will make it a popular and teenagers are basically cynical. Teen- hangout for students – which he called agers are basically pretty rough when it beneficial in the long-run, whether they comes to showing them why they should go on to become superstars or not.

“The Solid Rock Teen Center is intended care. These kids weren’t going, ‘show me,’ to inspire students between the age of 12 they were into it, and I love that.”

The main aspect Alice preached, both to and 20, to grow through music and dance the audience and in his post-ceremony re- as you’ve demonstrated here today, that’s marks, was people have to be passionate a very powerful thing in the Westwood about their life’s main interest, whether it community,” Lesar said, adding: “That you’re about performing arts, be music or anything else, in order to sucyou’re about family, you’re about commuceed in that endeavor.

“If you hear something in what you’re nity, you’re about reaching into the things doing you believe in, everybody in our you enjoy and expressing those things, band believed in what we were doing,” he both to your peers and to your commusaid. “And so, we said ‘we’re going to col- nity.”

Sheryl Cooper, who has toured the lege and we went for two years, then we went, we got to go, we’ve got to go give world as a dancer in addition to her work with Alice’s touring act, believes the centhis a shot.’ And it worked.”

Mesa ublic Schools Interim Superin- ter can be a bastion of creativity for Mesa

teenagers.

She has seen the impact the hoenix location had on the community and sees their second location as a natural evolution into the East Valley.

•••a community,” “Change a teen, change Sheryl said. “ ome on in and find your spark and then be the pilot light for the rest of the community. Ignite.”

For Alice, the teen center provides an opportunity to use the power of music to find a purpose in life, which can pay off in ways hard to imagine from the get-go.

“We’ve noticed there were kids coming in and parents would say to us, ‘I don’t know what you’re doing, but my kid’s getting better grades. My kids are talking to me now. My kids are wanting to do things at home with us because when they get into that school, they open up’,” Alice said.

“It’s easy when you’re a teenager to get introverted because you’re, everybody’s against me,” he added. “I was a teenager.

I was like that.”

Cooper said his reason for funding the centers is to give youngsters a calling in life.

There’s nothing like watching a student perform or achieve something in music they never thought possible, he said.

“You can blossom. You have that option to blossom,” he added. “And I noticed kids that blossom are the ones that are really going to do something.”

Velda Rose United Methodist kicking off organ concert series next month

Camping, Hunting, and the Outdoors.

The state will provide loaner roads and bait for the free event or participants can bring their own. Staff and volunteers will provide instruction. Fishing licenses are not required for those who register at the Game and Fish booth. The free fishing at the Mallard Ramada is open to all ages.

are an important part of our communities, and southeast Mesa and its growing population have been underserved on park space. Signal Butte Park is an important new piece of our community and I am very happy to the cut the ribbon on the first phase of this tremendous addition to the area,” Councilmember Kevin Thompson said.

The first phase is approximately 30 acres. The second phase, expected to be completed in 2023, will include a bridge over the wash and a BMX track or trail for nonmotorized dirt bikes.

The West Second Street Historic District is the oldest historic district in Mesa. Listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1999, the district was home to Mesa’s most prominent families from the early 20th century.

Special stops on the Historic Home Tour will include the Sirrine House, Irving School, Mitten House and Mesa Women’s Club.

Tickets are $20. Admission includes visits to the homes, free admission to the Mesa Historical Museum at 2345 N. Horne; a souvenir book and map of the tour locations.

Tickets are available online at mesahistoricalmuseum.com.

Tickets will be available for purchase the day of the tour beginning at 9:30 a.m. at the Sirrine House, 160 N. Center St., and at the Mesa Women’s Club, 200 N. Macdonald. Proceeds will benefit the Historical Museum.‘

A

packed grandstand of bright-eyed teens packed inside the outdoor amphitheater at Mesa’s Westwood igh School on a sun-splashed ednesday afternoon as they were treated to a performance by a band of their peers ahead of a surprise announcement few knew was coming.

The announcement turned out to be the opening of Rock and Roll Hall of Famer Alice Cooper’s newest Solid Rock Teen Center.

The center, which joins the Coopers’ other complex at 32nd street in hoenix, is set to open this summer near Country Club Drive and Main Street.

The facility – which aims to provide people between 12 and 20 a safe space to practice the performing arts – has become Alice and his wife Sheryl’s passion.

The space, which is completely free for teens to use, is fully funded by Cooper and his Solid Rock Foundation.

Alice addressed the impact music, dance and the performing arts as a whole had on his life, dating back to his days at Cortez High School in Glendale.

He said he wants teens in Mesa and beyond to have a place where they can learn the ropes of the music industry without falling into the traps that can come with it.

He was warmly received by the stu-

The Velda Rose United Methodist Church is about to realize a vision that was born when it bought a Rodgers Infinity Pipe Organ two years ago.

Church leaders wanted to have notable organists perform.

Now, the Velda Rose Infinity in Music Concert Series will start with a free concert by Canadian organist Leo Marchildon at 3 p.m. Feb. 9 in the church sanctuary, 5540 E. Main Street, Mesa.

He is the music director/organist for St. Dunstan’s Basilica in Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island and conducts the Prince Edward Island Pops.

Family fishing fun and lessons are on tap at Red Mountain Lake

A family fishing event will be held 8 a.m.-noon Saturday, Feb. 1, courtesy of a combined effort by Mesa Parks, Recreation and Community Facilities, Arizona Game and Fish Department, city Councilman David Luna and Hispanics Enjoying

AROUND MESA

City expands play opportunities in East Mesa with new Signal Butte Park

The city has opened the new Signal Butte Park at 11132 E. Elliot Road, featuring a unique custom made playground, four ramadas and a one-mile lighted asphalt walking path loop along the east, south and west sides of the Signal Butte Water Treatment Plant.

Siphon Draw Wash runs through the park and is almost always running with water, creating a riparian area. In addition, the basins in the park will handle regional stormwater flow to ease flooding on the roadways.

Funding came from the 2012 Parks Bond, 2014 Water Bond, Highway User Revenue Fund and City Transportation Fund.

“The voters of Mesa clearly told City leaders that parks

20th annual Mesa Historic Home Tour will open its doors on Saturday

Mesa’s 20th annual Historic Home Tour, will run 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 1, showcasing a dozen homes in the West Second Street and Evergreen historic districts with several special stops.

Included are homes built in various architectural styles, including Craftsman Bungalow, Colonial Revival, Spanish Colonial Revival, Tudor Revival, Mission Revival, Pueblo Revival and Ranch.

Submit your releases to pmaryniak@ timespublications.com

5 •••

THE SUNDAY EAST VALLEY TRIBUNE | JANUARY 26, 2020

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••• 6

NEWS

THE SUNDAY EAST VALLEY TRIBUNE | JANUARY 26, 2020

Mesa puts muscle in rebranded Asian District

BY JIM WALSH Tribune Staff Writer

M

esa will never be confused with Tokyo, Seoul or Shanghai, but the city hopes the addition of a “signature’’ Asian supermarket will boost an already burgeoning Asian District. ood similar to what you might find in all of these cities will be offered in the food hall at Mart when the ew ersey-based chain opens its first Arizona supermarket at Dobson and Main Street in February or March across from Mekong laza.

Billed as a statewide attraction, the H Mart and Mekong laza will become a gateway to the Asian District, which extends two miles south to another cluster of Asian businesses at Dobson and Southern Avenue.

Dubbed “Asian District, Mesa AZ,” it comprises more than 0 Asian-themed restaurants, grocery stores and other businesses.

“I think we have the right timing to join the movement and the expansion. We will contribute in any way we can,’’ said Sam Q. Kim, a director of H Mart.

Kim said he liked the idea of expanding in an area already with an Asian identity and a mixture of diverse cultures and looks forward to defining it more in any way possible.

The city also unveiled a new Asian District based on the tangram, a seven-piece Chinese geometric puzzle dating back 2,000 years. The multiple, colorful pieces of the tangram can be rearranged to create various shapes.

“The logo features a square comprised of the tangram pieces, symbolic of different Asian cultures coming together in a unified district community while maintaining the individuality of each culture,” the city said in a release.

The City also is developing signage and artwork to be installed on Dobson Road between Main Street and Broadway Road later this year.

A special website, AsianDistrictMesa. com, was created by the Asian Chamber of Commerce with additional information about the district as well as a business directory.

“This is the perfect place for people to gather, eat, shop and immerse themselves

Sam Q. Kim, a director of H Mart, outlined the national Asian market chains plans for Mesa’s newly rebranded Asian District during a press conference last week.

(Pablo Robles/Tribune Staff Photographer)

in the flavors and cultures of Asia,” Mayor John Giles said.

Although H Mart began as a Korean market in ew ork 3 years ago, it has rebranded itself as an international market and Mesa will become the 66th location in 14 states.

“We didn’t want to duplicate what was already here,’’ Kim said. “We’re trying to bring our best effort for a new or different taste.’’ im said the availability of the 63,000 square foot store, along with the area’s Asian identity, made Mesa a good choice for Mart’s first store.

He said he also likes the proximity of Arizona State University in Tempe and it is not too far from hoenix to attract shoppers and diners.

The Mesa H Mart is expected have six different restaurants operated by tenants.

Korean, Japanese and Chinese food will be featured at the food hall, called the “Market Eatery.’’

H Mart revolves around its produce, meat and seafood departments, offering marinated Asian meats and groceries from a wide variety of Asian countries, Kim said.

He said he has nine more stores in the planning stage, including some in other parts of Arizona, which he did not dis-

close.

Ritta Yee Fagain, director of operations with Whyfor, a consulting agency hired by the city, said she plans to unveil some branding touches designed to make the district unique very soon.

The Asian District would join the Fiesta District, the Falcon District and the Elliot Road Technology Corridor as areas in Mesa with unique street signs and architectural features designed to help create a distinct identity.

Fagain said H Mart represents an anchor for the district, not just for the shopping center where it is located.

“H Mart is huge. It’s got a brand, a success story,’’ Fagain said.

Former Mesa City Council member Ryan Winkle, a community activist who now works with the Asian Chamber of Commerce and other organizations, said: “This is almost the culmination of what has been happening since 200 with the development of Mekong laza. It’s almost like the topping on the cake.’’

One idea is to rename the Sycamore light rail stop, the first in Mesa when heading east, after the Asian District, Councilman Francisco Heredia said.

“We saw it as an opportunity to lift up these entrepreneurs who have settled here,’’ he said.

“It’s important for us to be involved as a city,’’ Heredia said. “I think what makes us stronger is becoming more diverse and adding different cultures and food.’’

Councilwoman Jen Duff added, “It’s really something between Main and Southern. There are many more Asian businesses than you can imagine.’’

She said the cluster of Asian businesses is “organically grown,’’ and city wants to give the effort of small businesses a boost.

H Mart also represents the sort of redevelopment project Mesa has been hoping for since Metro Light Rail arrived a decade ago, replacing a long-gone Albertson’s supermarket.

Jaye O’Donnell, Mesa’s assistant director of economic development, said a consultant identified the cluster of Asian businesses as “something special’’ as part of a redevelopment plan.

“This is the kind of signature store a community really wants to be different,’’ she said. “It will draw visitors from around the state.’’

O’Donnell said Mayor John Giles plans to more fully describe the Asian District as part of his annual State of the City breakfast in February.

After unveiling the plan, Mesa will need to find a funding source and the improvements might take a little while to progress.

“It will be known much more as a place to experience Asian culture and cuisine,’’ she said, with more special events, such as the celebration of hinese ew ear.

Beyond the H Mart, Mesa would like to encourage more housing and office space in the area, she said.

The H Mart previously was an Albertson’s closed long ago and later turned into a consignment store.

Dan Hinkson, president of Sigma Contracting, said the store is about the same size as a Fry’s or a Safeway. He said the store was completely gutted and the project should be finished in mid- ebruary.

“It is absolutely amazing to see the unity behind this endeavor,” said Vic Reid, CEO of the Asian Chamber of Commerce.

“The Asian District is a place for our community to truly take pride in – we know the work being done today will have an everlasting impact on future generations.”

7 •••

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NEWS

GILES from page 1

law, qualify candidates to collect the signatures of registered voters to get their names on the ballot.

Also gunning for Giles’ job, is Verl Farnsworth, an outspoken council critic who failed in 201 to unseat council member Dave Luna, a frequent Giles ally. He too filed a statement of interest for the mayoral position. iles is seeking a second full, four-year term as mayor. e filled out the last two years of former Mayor Scott Smith’s term after Smith left to run unsuccessfully for governor. iles is already flexing his muscles for the upcoming Aug. 4 primary election.

In a press release, his campaign highlighted his fundraising prowess.

Giles has raised about $250,000 for his campaign – a Mesa record – with a list of contributors demonstrating strong support from the business community and utilities.

“This is all very transparent. The contributions are 100 percent appropriate,’’ Giles said. “I think it’s very important for the mayor to have a great relationship with the business community.’’

He said an inherent part of his job is to serve as the city’s cheerleader and a salesman.

Among the businesses Mesa has recruited are an Apple data center and plans for a Google data center, in the Elliot Road Technology Corridor.

“This is still a safe, affordable and fiscally sound city,’’ Giles said. “I am grateful for their support.’’

Giles did not mention Whittaker as a potential challenger, but he said he did not think his campaign contributions would translate into an uncontested election. e faced only write-in candidates in

EVIT from page 3

by the Apache Junction Governing Board to administrators from 2012 to 2016.

The $126,000 in “performance payments’’ went to 11 to 15 administrators, while another 3, 0 was spent on “professional development instruction’’ and $2,550 was spent on paying three administrators to attend athletic events on Friday nights. ilson received 4 0 in unauthorized payments, according to the audit.

In the motion to remand, Wilson’s at-

THE SUNDAY EAST VALLEY TRIBUNE | JANUARY 26, 2020

2016.

“I think when you do things in this job, some people will take issue with it. I am expecting a contested election,’’ JOHN GILES Giles said.

But Whittaker charged many of Giles’ supporters, notably real estate developers and property owners, have received subsidies and sweetheart deals for a variety of projects during Giles’ administration.

“They are all getting handouts from his policies,’’ Whittaker said. “These are his supporters, people who donate to Giles and they are getting handouts.’’

Whittaker noted homebuilder Jeff Blandford, who donated $5,000 to Giles campaign, is now planning to build the eserve at ed ock on a piece of cityowned, pristine desert previously reserved for a park near Red Mountain Ranch in northeast Mesa.

However, Giles noted Blandford was the highest bidder during an even-handed auction called after the city decided it was unlikely the property would ever be developed as a park.

Blandford bid more than $21 million for the land, exceeding the city’s expectations, and plans to build 296 luxury homes in a resort-style gated development designed to blend into the desert environment. hittaker, a first-term council member from District Two, has consistently clashed with iles over city finances and torneys argued prosecutors provided the grand jury with misleading evidence.

They wrote investigator Tina Mann testified the board needed to approve expenditures in advance.

However, Mann did not mention some expenditures could be approved afterward while others did not require any form of board approval.

The motion said the state did not provide the grand jury with the Apache Junction policies Wilson was accused of violating.

“Instead, the state’s presentation re-

the controversial ASU@MesaCityCenter project, one of Giles’ top priorities for awakening downtown and improving educational opportunities. iles has pursued an aggressive probusiness, pro-education agenda in Mesa as a strong economy has bolstered his efforts to attract more high-paying obs.

Voters also approved more than $100 million in bond issues during his term to expand city services and parks – especially in East Mesa, where new parks, a library, and police and fire stations are planned.

Whittaker repeatedly has voted against funding for Mesa’s share of the 63.5 million Arizona State University project but has often found himself on the losing end of a series of 5-2 and 6-1 council voters.

Whittaker also criticized the city’s heavy reliance on bond issues, a financing method Giles and others consider necessary because of Mesa’s lack of a primary property tax.

Whittaker said it was Giles’ recruitment of Julie Spilsbury, a Mesa mother and volunteer in the Mesa ublic Schools, to run against him in his district which prompted him to consider a mayoral campaign.

“Julie is just a puppet for the mayor and the establishment,’’ Whittaker said, describing Spilsbury as well-connected with the upper echelon of the Church of esus hrist of atter-day Saints even if she is a political novice.

“If I have to run, I mind as well run against the mayor,’’ Whittaker said, rather than running against a Giles surrogate.

Whittaker said he will decide at a later date if he is running for mayor or a second term in his present position.

Giles said he was one of several people who urged Spilsbury to run either for council or for the M S overning Board.

He said he is impressed by Spilsbury’s

lied on a witnesses’ flawed and misleading interpretation of district policy, a mischaracterization of interviews with district employees related to district policy, and a withholding of evidence suggests Dr. Wilson actually complied with district policy,’’ the defense motion said.

The defense motion also implied political interference may have played a role in Wilson’s indictment.

It noted a policy advisor for the state Legislature initially requested the Auditor eneral’s Office investigate the case.

The defense motion said the Auditor

community involvement at her children’s schools.

Spilsbury said she is the mother of six children and serves as the bookR HITTAK R keeper for her husband’s tree business.

“My parents are both teachers. That’s where I chose to spend my time, in a lot of schools over the years,’’ she said. “It’s different when you are a mom. I really want to help families, and the city can help families in a lot of different areas.’’

She said she considered running for the school board, but decided she could have a bigger impact on the council by focusing mostly on quality-of-life issues.

“I’m a conservative,’’ Spilsbury said, but “I am totally fine with spending money on the local level.’’

She conceded she would probably have fewer objections to Giles’s policies than Whittaker, but she praised Whittaker for asking good questions.

“I’m excited about where he is taking Mesa,’’ Spilsbury said, referring to Giles.

District Three, in west Mesa, may also feature a contested election in 2020, with incumbent Francisco Heredia potentially running against Jacob Martinez and hristopher Bown, who have both filled out a statement of interest.

Bown ran unsuccessfully against Heredia in 201 to fill out the final two years of former council member Ryan Winkle’s term. Mesa council members and mayors normally serve a four-year term.

General’s initial response was the mere violation of district policies did not necessarily rise to the level of committing a crime.

Kevin Koelbel, the district’s director of legal services, said the EVIT board will not consider giving Wilson his superintendent’s job back until he obtains the fingerprint clearance card.

It is unclear how quickly this may occur.

GOT NEWS?

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

9 •••

THE SUNDAY EAST VALLEY TRIBUNE | JANUARY 26, 2020

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THE SUNDAY EAST VALLEY TRIBUNE | JANUARY 26, 2020

Mesa hits reset on historic preservation

BY GARY NELSON Tribune Contributor

M

onths after a bitter rift with its former historic preservation officer, Mesa believes it has found the right person to steer its program into the future.

Arianna rban, a hoenix native who spearheaded historic preservation projects in the Bay Area, joined the city late last year in the role of historic preservation coordinator.

She is digging into the job with the same enthusiasm she led in the awardwinning preservation of an 1 2 railroad station in Livermore, California, while she was working for an environmental consulting firm.

“It was a move-it-or-lose it situation,” rban said. “My firm was contacted in sort of a flurry. They needed a qualified historic consultant to help them figure this out.”

Cutting the building in half, moving it a mile, reassembling it and seeing it come back to life as a functioning railroad depot was “probably my proudest historic preservation achievement,” Urban said.

Urban honed her preservation skills

Arianna Urban, Mesa’s new historic preservation officer, honed her skills as an intern at Frank Lloyd historic sites.

(Gary Nelson/Special to the Tribune)

in previous stints as an intern at Frank Lloyd Wright historical sites, including Taliesin West in Scottsdale. She holds a masters degree in historic preservation

from the University of Oregon.

There aren’t any endangered train depots to save in Mesa – the city’s abandoned 1 30 Southern acific station on

The utility rate package includes adjusted charges for all five of the ma or services Mesa provides – electric, natural gas, water, sewer and solid waste. City council weighed the proposed changes during several study sessions late last year.

Here’s a quick look at some of the proposals: Solid waste o changes for residential customers; modest increases for commercial front-load trash and roll-off trash collection, and an 0 percent increase in commercial front-load recycling charges.

It’s because Mesa now must pay to get rid of recyclable trash, as opposed to making money on the operation in past years.

Electric: Residential service charges go up 25 cents a month, and non-residential by $1. There is no change in the energy usage charge and users will continue to pay rates based on what Mesa has to pay for the electricity on the open market.

The electric utility serves the downtown and nearby areas, and Mesa has worked in recent years to avoid having its electric customers pay more than those on the Salt iver ro ect system. atural gas esidential service charges go up 5 cents a month, and non-residential by $2. Energy use charges remain stable; commercial compressed natural gas users will see some rate and servicecharge increases. ater on-residential customers will see a 6 percent increase in usage rates. astewater on-residential customers will pay 4.35 percent more for services in the coming year.

Mesa, which hasn’t levied a primary property tax since at least the mid-1 40s, has long relied on utility revenue to help pay for city services.

Utilities and other city business revenue goes into what is called the enter-

the south edge of downtown burned in 1 . But rban faces other challenges as Mesa races toward its 150th birthday, now just eight years in the future.

Some of those challenges involve the need to balance preservation with the constant, almost organic, tendency of a city to constantly reinvent itself. owhere is this more evident than on the east end of downtown, where a massive redevelopment program near the Latter Day Saints temple has swallowed up a slew of post- orld ar II homes.

“It’s always a compromise,” Urban said.

“We really feel like historic preservation and new development progress are not at odds with each other. They don’t need to be. There’s always a middle ground.”

Apart from specific preservation issues, Urban knows she is stepping into a role that in recent years has been problematic for Mesa.

The city thought it had a good match last year when veteran preservationist Kate Singleton became its historic preservation officer. But within months Singleton resigned, accusing city officials of obstructing her efforts and blocking any

�ee PRESERVATION page 11

Mesa holding line on water, sewer rates

BY GARY NELSON Tribune Contributor

M

esa residents who have gotten used to annual increases in their water, sewer and trash-collection bills are in for a nice surprise this year.

The city council on Jan. 27, is expected to approve a package of utility fees and includes no change in what residential customers will pay for city water, sewer and trash service.

The only exception, according to city documents, will be for those residential customers who use more water than average.

It’s because Mesa adopted a tier structure under which per-gallon charges increase depending on how much water a home uses. The usage thresholds at which higher charges kick in are lower in this coming year, meaning high-volume users could see steeper bills.

prise fund, which Mesa can tap for special projects such as the downtown Arizona State University campus now under construction.

Each year, however, the enterprise fund also supports general city services. During the current fiscal year, Mesa will move $110.6 million from the enterprise fund into the general fund.

Utility rates also pay for the bonds Mesa issues to pay the huge cost of building and maintaining infrastructure.

Scott Butler, an official with Mesa’s budget department, told the city council in October the city spent more than $400 million on utility infrastructure over the past five years.

Critical needs over the next three years – including continued work on watertreatment plants and replacement of aging underground utilities – are estimated a $264 million.

NEWS

THE SUNDAY EAST VALLEY TRIBUNE | JANUARY 26, 2020

11

Lawmaker wants to plug food protection loophole

BY HOWARD FISCHER Capitol Media Services

I

t may be gross to take the lid off a quart of ice cream, lick it and then put it back on the shelf of a grocery store.

But what it’s not, according to Rep. T.J. Shope, is illegal. So now the Coolidge Republican wants to make it a crime, depending on the circumstances, could lend an offender in state prison.

It’s only one of the ways Shope is seeking to protect consumers.

A separate bill is aimed at those delivering food who, for whatever reason, decide it’s OK to sample what’s in the bag or box. B 22 would extend the requirements to get a food-handler’s license to those who work for private delivery services like Uber Eats and ostmates.

But Shope’s main focus is HB 2299.

He said there is a craze of sorts which apparently started last year with a girl taking a video of herself at a Texas store taking a container of ice cream off the shelf, licking it and the putting it back.

What happened is it became a game of

PRESERVATION from page 10

real progress in the preservation field.

Mesa staffers rejected this accusation, and ana Appiah, the city’s planning director, said the hiring of Urban shows preservation is important to the city. reservation is “a very central part of our function as a planning division,” Appiah said. “We are very serious about historic preservation.”

And, he said, with Urban on board “I think a year, two years from now we’re definitely going to be up there with one of the best historic preservation programs in the nation. That’s our goal.”

There is a slight but significant difference in the job title between Urban and her predecessor.

As historic preservation coordinator – not historic preservation officer – rban lacks the legal authority to make property-use rulings affecting historic structures and neighborhoods.

The authority still resides with Appiah, just as it did with his predecessor, John Wesley. But Appiah expects Urban

sorts – it picked up the informal name of the Blue Bell Challenge – with others seeking to follow suit and post their own videos.

There also are videos of people spitting into containers of ice tea and putting the containers back for others.

Shope said he’s heard of one such incident in Arizona.

“It’s been our understanding law enforcement has been unable to charge,’’ he said, as there is no specific law in Arizona covering the situation. So his HB 2299, Shope said, is modeled after a law adopted in Texas.

As crafted, it would be a Class 2 misdemeanor to “knowingly introduce, add or mingle any bodily fluid, foreign object not intended for human consumption or unsanitary surface with any water, food, drink or other product may be consumed by a human being.’’

Violators could end up in the county jail for up to four months and face a fine of $750.

But Shope said the focus of his bill is “these viral wanna-be’s are manipulating food products.’’

So HB 2299 reserves its felony pen-

to transition into a meatier role with the requisite legal clout before long.

In the meantime, Urban and Appiah, who is her boss, see her role as one focusing on education and advocacy.

“We were looking for someone who has strong foundations and a strong understanding of the principles of historic preservation,” Appiah said. “And Arianna, it’s one of the things she brought to the table. One of the things we wanted … was to be able to go to the community, which is very critical, to educate the community on the importance of historic preservation. She has the passion. That’s really something you cannot instill in somebody.” rban described her two-day ob-interview as “intense,” including conversations with City Manager Chris Brady and members of the council-appointed istoric reservation Board.

One keen observer of the process believes Mesa has made a good hire.

“I think it’s a positive thing, certainly, for Mesa,” said Vic Linoff, a prominent local historian and president of the Mesa

alty – up to a year in state prison for those who post photos or videos online of what they have done. “ eople want to become the next Instagram hero of the day,’’ Shope said.

“It gets a bunch of clicks on a day,’’ he said. “And it makes somebody feel good, I guess.’’

That same penalty also would apply if it turns out someone else ended up consuming the contaminated product.

Shope said the problem may not be limited to grocery stores. “ laces that have buffets have noticed some of this type of behavior as well,’’ he said. “So it runs the gamut.’’

B 22 deals with a different kind of interaction between some people and food meant for someone else.

Last year US Foods, a major wholesale food distributor, conducted a survey of 1,51 people nationally who have food delivered by services like Uber Eats, rubhub, oor ash and ostmates as well as 497 who said they had worked for at least one of the food delivery apps.

It turns out 21 percent of customers suspected drivers sampled some

reservation oundation.

“We’ve had our ups and downs over the past couple of years with preservation and I think Arianna will be a good fit,” he added. “She’s young, she’s very high-energy, which I think is something that will be an asset to the preservation program.”

Linoff said, “I’m particularly excited and energized because if preservation is going to be a success in this city or anywhere else, it’s got to come up with another generation and she’s part of that generation.”

“There’s a lot at stake in this city right now,” Linoff said. robably the top item on any preservationist’s list of must-do items in Mesa is the Buckhorn Baths, the 1 30s motel at Main Street and Recker Road is widely regarded as the reason Arizona attracted Major League Baseball teams for spring training. ow unused for years, the motel and its famous neon sign are deteriorating.

Linoff fears it could be lost if remediation doesn’t happen soon, but the city’s leverage is limited because the property

of their food. But the problem actually is larger, with 2 percent of those who deliver admitting they took food from an order.

Shope’s solution: license these independent drivers the same way employees of restaurants already have to get certified as food handlers. That, he said, would instruct them on things like safe handling of food and preventing contamination.

Still, Shope conceded, nothing in that bill actually would keep a delivery driver from dipping into the fries or taking a sip of that milkshake. If nothing else, he said, it might make those on the delivery end at least “make a dent and make people feel more comfortable about what they’re eating at home.’’

“I think the public needs a little peace of mind that at least their deliverers have been trained,’’ Shope said.

And Shope said now is the time to act.

“The craze, the direction, is definitely moving in that direction,’’ he said, with food delivery becoming more popular.

“I use them as well.’’ o date has yet been set for a hearing on either measure.

remains in private hands.

Urban and Appiah also are keeping their eyes on neighborhoods not yet qualifying for historic designation but could do so within a few years. It could include areas like Dobson Ranch, which will see its 50th anniversary early this decade and the ad acent ark lace neighborhood, which dates to the late 1970s.

“We’re looking to preserve some of their historic integrity,” Appiah said. “As much as our goal is to protect the alreadydesignated properties, we also want to look to the future.”

Urban believes historic preservation is no mere luxury in a world of dizzying societal and technological change.

“The historic buildings and resources and landscapes and objects around us give us a chance to anchor ourselves in both space – where we are geographically – and also time – where we are chronologically,” she said. “It gives us a chance to reconnect ourselves to where we came from. We can’t ignore those things. For us to disregard them, we’re doing a disservice to ourselves as well as to the past.”

•••

••• 12

NEWS

THE SUNDAY EAST VALLEY TRIBUNE | JANUARY 26, 2020

Seclusion cited as factor affecting senior health

BY MEGAN U. BOYANTON ronkite ews

W

AS I TO – Advocates say more quality time with elderly citizens could help turn around Arizona’s faltering standing in a national report on senior health.

Social seclusion was cited by the experts as one of the biggest factors affecting senior health, along with poor access to healthy food and a lack of community support.

Those factors combined to drop Arizona to 31st in a report last year on senior health by the United Health Foundation, down from 24th place in 2013.

“We have many seniors who are very isolated,” said eborah Schaus, chief executive officer of ast Valley Adult esources. “They really are on their own now, far from family.”

The report measured everything from behaviors like smoking to prescription drug coverage to the number of home health care workers in the state.

Arizona did relatively well for senior

behaviors, such as physical activity and low geriatric obesity rates. It was second in the nation for both its high percentage of hospice care users and low number of hospital deaths.

But the state fell short in several areas, including an absence of dedicated health care providers, low rates of flu vaccination coverage and significant intakes in intensive care units.

Looming over it all was social seclusion of seniors, a problem Schaus compared to the impact of “smoking 15 cigarettes a day.”

The impact is particularly evident in rural areas like Apache, ava o and raham counties The report identified those three as high-risk areas for senior social isolation, where elderly adults are more likely to be alone, in poverty or living with disabilities.

A representative of the orthern Arizona Council of Governments Area Agency on Aging said the problem is aggravated by limited transportation options in rural counties.

“That portion of Arizona has areas that

are frontier, where there is no local government to assist them,” Assistant irector Michael Burrington said. “It is difficult to find resources, to find caregivers or even to get transportation for them and deliver meals.”

He added lack of mobility also means trouble accessing hospitals, doctors’ offices and senior centers.

And in a state with more than 1 million people over age 65, the problem is not limited to rural areas. ebra Mc herson said she has seen seniors develop depression, withdrawing themselves from society.

“Sometimes, people are better off in an assisted living setting because there’s more social opportunities,” said Mc herson, a nurse and owner of Arizona Care Advocates. “When you’re at home and all you see is a caregiver 24 hours a day, and you can’t get out, it is social isolation.” lyse uidas suggests one possible solution: access to healthy food. Guidas is executive director of Discovery Triangle evelopment orp., a nonprofit working to bring healthy food to people in “food

deserts.”

“One thing gets overlooked in this conversation a lot is what food does to build community,” uidas said. “Seniors specifically, they experience some loneliness and neglect, and food is a great opportunity to connect them.”

She said the state is a hotbed for food deserts, areas where “healthy food access” is a challenge. uidas explained a grocery store located miles away could pose difficulties to residents without reliable transportation. actor in the heat and sprawling development – both common in Arizona – and the problem is exacerbated for seniors, she said. o quick fix will do, Schaus said, as the elderly population only continues to grow.

Instead, she believes the answer for longterm success is in the hands of Arizonans. “ e need to keep our older adult neighbors in mind here in Arizona,” Schaus said. “With that state of isolation among so many of our seniors, we all have to come together and find some ways to create community.”

THANK YOU Chairman Grijalva | Rep. O’Halleran | Rep. Gallego Rep. Kirkpatrick | Rep. Stanton | Senator Sinema

for your work to protect the Grand Canyon from uranium mining. © Marc Adamus

The Wilderness Society | Grand Canyon Trust | National Parks Conservation Association Natural Resources Defense Council | Earthjustice | Sierra Club - Grand Canyon Chapter | Chispa Arizona Center for Biological Diversity | Arizona Trail Association | Wild Arizona

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THE SUNDAY EAST VALLEY TRIBUNE | JANUARY 26, 2020

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Female pinball wizards compete in East Mesa

BY HALEY LORENZEN Tribune Contributor

A

mong rows of flashing pinball machines along with the sounds of flippers and bumpers reverberating throughout Starfighters Arcade in Mesa, 16 women competed to become the first Arizona women’s pinball champion.

But only one would claim the crown Sun ity resident ee Ann Scardina, with handler resident Tracy indbergh taking second place, Terri Boyd in third place, and handler resident Mary opez in fourth place.

The Arizona omen’s inball State hampionship, the first specifically for women competitors in Arizona, was organized by a local women’s pinball group, Belles himes. “ e’re both all trying to win and yet so supportive of each other getting better and playing well. It’s pretty exciting. It’s a pretty wonderful group of women,” said indbergh, the Belles himes hoenix founder. indbergh, who founded the chapter in

Tracy Lindbergh of Chandler realized a long-standing dream of having a pinball championship in Arizona for women last weekend, thanks to Starfighters Arcade in East Mesa. (Pablo Robles/Tribune Staff Photographer)

201 , has played pinball most of her life.

“I was playing as a teenager. I was very drawn to pinball, but in hindsight, I had no clue what I was doing,” she said.

The first Belles himes chapter was

founded in Oakland, alifornia, in 2013 and has since grown to 21 chapters worldwide. ntil the hoenix chapter was founded, indbergh said there weren’t a lot of op-

3 Mesa schools get help in curbing plastic

BY CHRISTOPHER BOAN Tribune Staff riter

E

very year, more than million tons of plastic finds its way into the world’s oceans that dot the earth.

According to lastic Oceans, a nonprofit dedicated to addressing the litter plaguing waterways, some 14.1 percent of all litter comes from beverage containers.

This cause motivates organization members like ulie Andersen, who serves as lastic Ocean’s global executive director, to inspire the next generation of Americans to be more sustainable with their beverage containers.

Andersen’s organization has donat-

ed 12 water bottle filling stations to accommodate reusable water bottles, along with reusable water bottles themselves, across the state – including three at three Mesa elementary schools.

The stations at rismon, Ida edbird and ashington elementary schools cost between 2,200 and 2,500 each and serve a far-reaching goal for Andersen’s organization. “ e are an organization fighting to end plastic pollution and we do it mainly through educational awareness with the idea the reason we have so much plastic waste is because it’s thrown away and ends up in our environment inappropriately,” she said.

“So, one of our initiatives is to edu-

cate younger students, particularly in elementary and unior high schools, about our new understand of plastics, and what we can do to eliminate some of our single-use plastic usages.”

Andersen’s organization focuses on underserved schools across the country and worldwide, spreading the gospel of sustainability across income levels and demographics.

The executive director said the key takeaway for students is single-use plastics are no longer a cure-all for

�ee BOTTLES page 15

Youngsters at three Mesa schools are learning to reduce their use of plastics, thanks to reusable beverage containers. (Special to the Tribune)

tions for playing competitive pinball in the Valley – especially for women. indbergh said when she began dating her husband, they began playing pinball together and were soon looking for competitions to enter. “ hen we started dating, he loved pinball,” she recalled. “So, it was ust sort of a natural thing we would play pinball. e would go out, but machines were very hard to find when we were dating.

“There were not a lot of places to play in the Valley. There’d be like one machine in this bar, and it was broken, and one over there, and it was broken,” she said.

She added, “There was very little pinball here, though, maybe one tournament a month. And so, we started to travel, we would go to Vegas, or we’d go to alifornia for tournaments, ust because we wanted to play more.” ventually, indbergh heard about the Oakland chapter of Belles himes and contacted them to see if they minded if she started one in hoenix.

�ee PINBALL page 15

COMMUNITY

THE SUNDAY EAST VALLEY TRIBUNE | JANUARY 26, 2020

PINBALL from page 14

Since then, Belles himes hoenix has grown to almost 60 members who get together each for monthly tournaments.

The women not only compete with each other, but they also teach, learn and form new friendships.

“It’s the community, the friendships.

Belles himes is a way for women, not that there’s an advantage or disadvantage for being a male in pinball, but I think the relationships we build in a smaller group of ust women is different,” said Mesa resident athy ovato, a Belles himes member who owns Starfighters Arcade.

“The environment itself is ust different and it becomes more a friendly competition and like family, like sisters, not ust competitors,” she added.

Starfighters Arcade is one of the few spots Belles himes meets each month to practice and compete. The arcade itself, located in ast Mesa, was founded in 2014 by ovato and her husband. ovato said she was never a huge fan of pinball, as she preferred playing traditional upright arcade games, but said she was encouraged to oin Belles himes by her husband. “ hen we opened, we had a few pinball machines, and then we had some pinball people coming in saying we can help you fix games, you know, pinball is getting big,” she said.

“I think Tracy started coming in and

BOTTLES from page 14

consumers.

Andersen believes children and young adults these days have a much better grasp on the environmental degradation with such items wreaking the world’s ecosystems and she believes organizations like hers can do a world of good.

“The biggest takeaway for me is really recognizing it’s not about the convenience of their single-use plastic water bottles, but it’s normal to ust carry around your own water bottle,” Andersen said.

“I think 30 years ago, the ma ority of kids always brought along some type of thermos or a water bottle because we didn’t always have plastic water bottles.

And then we got used to the comfort and the convenience of water bottles.

Kathy Lovato, owner of Starfighters Arcade, plays pinball at her East Mesa establishment. She hosted the state’s first pinball tournament for women last weekend. (Pablo Robles/Tribune Staff Photographer)

then I think we ust kept buying pinball machines and more people came in, and then Tracy said, I’m going to start a league.’ And I’m like, Oh, cool.’ And my husband said I should play. I’m very competitive. It doesn’t matter what it is, I’ll compete,” ovato said.

Although interest in competitive pinball is growing, the International lipper inball Association reported in 2016 fewer than 10 percent of competitive pinball players are women. “ hen I first started, the first tournament I went to there was one other female,” indbergh said, adding

“And it started, I think the last 15-20 years, it’s felt like there is no alternative. hereas, we really are implementing these reusable bottles and refill stations so it’s a new norm because it’s not uncommon to ust carry your reusable bottle and get water that way.” rismon lementary rincipal Sandi uhn shared a similar sentiment about the impact on her pupils. uhn believes the filling station, which was placed in the school’s multipurpose room, will benefit her students in ways almost incomprehensible currently. uhn said the station will help students in their physical education courses, as the station’s location is in close proximity to where those classes are held, in addition to where school breakfast and lunch is served.

She sees the station as the tip of the ice-

“If I hadn’t been there with my husband as my support system, I would have felt very nervous in a room full of a bunch of guys I don’t know. It’s like an interesting challenge for women which maybe isn’t evident to men, how hard it might be to ust walk into a room of guys and try to oin the competitive landscape.”

As groups such as Belles himes have continued to grow, the number of women involved in competitive pinball has skyrocketed, with the I A reporting a 14 percent increase in female representation. irsten rozdowski, a handler resi-

berg, when it comes to teaching students about environmental sustainability, with a series of events centered around lowering our collective environmental footprint. “ e are planning a contest inviting indergarten to first-grade students to draw a picture about recycling and second to sixth-grade students to write about recycling, where the winning entries will receive a reusable water bottle,” uhn said.

“Our water refilling station complements several school activities where our students help the environment and reducing plastic pollution is another way the students can give back to make the world a better place,” she added. uhn younger students already are seeing first-hand the benefits of the stations and they are looking at single-use bottles.

Such an evolution in young pupils’

15 •••

dent and member of Belles himes, said she has been playing pinball as long as she’s “been alive.” er favorite part of playing pinball with Belles himes is the learning experience, as she said she isn’t a super competitive person.

“As an adult, I think it’s a little harder to find stuff you’re interested in and take courageous steps to go out and try it. And, you know, it would be my message to everybody is it’s such a low-risk activity to try. I mean, it’s pinball. ome ust have fun,” she said.

Michelle ack, one of the co-founders of Belles himes, also said she en oys being a part of a group in which not only has healthy competition but also provides a safe learning environment. “ e coach each other. If someone doesn’t know how to do something, we help them. I’ve learned a lot from these women, everybody here is like a family,” she said.

Although this year’s championship, sponsored by Scottsdale law firm avis Blase Stone older, has come to a close, the women of Belles himes hope to compete in many more championships as the group grows.

“It’s amazing how different and how wonderful it is. It’s very supportive, even while we’re being competitive, it’s like, I want to win, but I’m so happy for you when you win. ike if you beat me, I’m so happy you did that,” indbergh said.

minds is key, according to Andersen, as it makes a plastic-free or reduced plastic future more realistic – which is a win-win for the environment at-large. or students in various alifornia schools, Andersen said. “It is required for them to bring some type of reusable bottle for their water. “ rismon physical education teacher Shelby asmussen, who also is the school’s wellness ambassador, said the program “means a lot to me.” “ or our students, the water filling station is increasing the amount of water that our students are consuming in a school day, which also shows our students are learning the importance of hydration and filling up their reusable water bottles during and during lunch,” asmussen said. “Because of it, they’re drinking more water and being more hydrated.”

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

•••

16

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2

THE SUNDAY EAST VALLEY TRIBUNE | JANUARY 26, 2020

Army reservists from Mesa VETERAN VETERAN

by Mike Phillips support El Paso children

oldiers with a Mesa-based Army eserve unit are on a year-long deployment, but it hasn’t stopped them from contributing to nearby civilian communities in need. hile serving to support the ort Bliss, Texas, Mobilization Brigade, members of the 653rd egional Support roup are pitching in to assist the children of nearby l aso.

The west Texas community was the site of a horrific mass shooting in August.

Shortly after this tragic event, the soldiers of the 653rd delivered goods and renovated playgrounds of the hild risis enter of l aso.

It was part of an ongoing effort by unit member apt. erald Bodden.

On previous deployments, Bodden became familiar with the center, which is an emergency shelter for children, newborns to age 13. e makes it a point to introduce new soldiers to the center and get them involved. ast volunteer work has included diaper drives and building maintenance.

“Soldiers are so diverse – especially in the eserve and ational uard – because they have a career outside of the Army,” said Bodden. “They bring an array of talent to the table.”

Volunteers with the 653rd egional Support roup continued their good deeds prior to the holidays. They col-

GOT NEWS?

lected toys and other goods and delivered them to the l aso hildren’s ospital.

“Soldiers are mobile – we go all over the world – we want to leave a good mark on the communities hosting us,” said Ma .

Michael raydon, assigned to one of the subunits. “It’s very important to get the soldiers involved in giving back to the community.”

Members of the 653rd are scheduled to return to Arizona in April.

Musical’s proceeds to help educate Marines’ kids.

A new musical production not only pays homage to the Marine orps, but also is dedicating a portion of its proceeds toward educating the children of Marines. roducers of “Americano ” – running an. 2 - eb. 23 at the hoenix Theater ompany – are partnering with the nonprofit Marine orps Scholarship oundation on several initiatives. oundation volunteers will host a table at many performances to promote the organization and the official Arizona Marine orps license plate. ach plate sale nets 1 for the Marine orps Scholarship oundation, which provides educational assistance to the children of Marines and avy orpsmen who served with Marines.

The foundation will also be recognized during the eb. 5 production of “Americano ” and 20 percent of the proceeds

from the show will be dedicated to the foundation. oundation national director et. Marine t. en. obert uark will introduce the show.

A portion of proceeds from the sale of the musical’s will also be donated to the foundation.

A pivotal song in the musical is entitled, “ ome oin the Marines.” The production company for “Americano ” will give the oundation 100 percent of the publisher’s share of download revenues for the song for one year and will also give it a portion of the profits from the album sales. or a sample of some of those recordings, visit outube.com and search “Americano the musical” One of the creative forces behind “Americano ” is Scottsdale publicist ason ose, president of ose Moser Allyn ublic Online elations, who came up with the concept and is producing the musical.

“Americano ” tells the real-life story of Tony Valdovinos, whose parents brought

him to the .S. from Mexico when he was 2 and did not know the background until he tried to fulfill his dream of serving his country by oining the Marines. enied that opportunity, Tony’s disappointment propelled him in a different direction. e became a community activist and has helped elect countless Arizona candidates.

“In a way, the M S donation helps bring some resolution to my ourney,” said Valdovinos. “ ot able to serve this country by oining the Marines, the telling of my story will honor those who served by enabling the sons and daughters of Marines to realize the promise of a college education.”

Information: AmericanoTheMusical. com When purchasing tickets for the Feb. 5 production enter the code “MARINES. To learn more about the foundation: mcsf.org or Victoria Bellomo at 602909-5989.

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

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BUSINESS

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THE SUNDAY EAST VALLEY TRIBUNE | JANUARY 26, 2020

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East Valley housing stock gets gloomier by the day

BY PAUL MARYNIAK

Tribune Executive Editor

T

he year started bad for homebuyers in the East Valley and it didn’t take long to get worse.

So said the Cromford Report, which closely analyzes the Valley’s housing market.

It reported two weeks ago while Maricopa County is welcoming new residents by the thousands, active listings of homes are down by 30 percent from where they were when 2019 began.

Last week, Cromford had even more distressing news for buyers looking in the East Valley, stating while the Valley barely held onto the pattern of having more homes listed by Jan. 15, than there were on an. 1 of any year, “significant segments of the market have broken the rules and reported lower active counts on Jan. 15 than on Jan. 1.”

It specifically cited every community in the East Valley, as well as Maricopa – which 10 years ago had trouble giving away homes, wracked as it was by the Great Recession.

Overall, the fact listings were high- Maracay has closed on this piece of land east of Ellsworth Road between Ray and er by mid-January Williams Field roads, Mesa, with an eye toward completing 127 single-family homes by than they were next year and completing the residential phase of the 464-acre Cadence at Gateway, master-planned community. (Special to the Tribune) when the year began Valley-wide wasn’t all that much to January 2019. “ ot only are they not getting a flood, cheer about either, according to Cromnew listings are well below what we ford’s data.

Inventory this month rose a paltry .8 would normally expect,” Cromford said.

“After two full weeks, we have seen fewpercent between Jan. 1 and Jan. 15 – a far cry from the 7.2 percent increase in avail- er than 4,000 new listings across all areas able homes for the same time period in & types – down 15 percent from last year

at this time.

“This is an unexpected turn for the worse for supply and if it keeps up, we are going to see unusually weak supply during the key buying season kicking off in February. The competition for the listings that do exist will be intense.”

Even scarier for homebuyers in 2020, is rising prices. or the first time in Maricopa ounty, Cromford reported, one community registered a shocking statistic: The average price of single-family active listings in Cave Creek exceeded $1 million.

While homes on the perimeter of the metro area, such as Florence, are seeing square-foot price increases of 10 percent, others closer to the center are seeing prices rise by 8 percent.

“Most of the larger cities are around 6 percent at present but heading higher,”

�ee INVENTORY page 20

New East Mesa RV resort aims for friendly feel

BY LACEY LYONS

Tribune Staff Writer

A

family-owned RV resort billing itself as “a wonderful place to call home while living on wheels” opened recently in East Mesa.

Mesa Sunset RV Resort, at Broadway and Ellsworth roads, replaced an old RV park that went bankrupt many years ago.

Following a soft opening in November, the park was officially christened with a ribbon-cutting Jan. 17 by Mayor John Giles and Mesa Chamber of Commerce representative Susan Tychman.

Jessie Keith, the sales manager at Mesa Sunset RV Resort, said her family has been in the RV park business for over 40 years and owns three other RV and mobile home resorts in the state.

Keith’s mother, Jessie Reid, and father, George Reid, moved from the east coast to Arizona to pursue the RV park business

The family-owners of the new Mesa Sunset RV Resort include, from left, Daniel Williamson Jr., Daniel Williamson, Tom Bolin, Paul Mitchell, George Reed, George Reed Jr. and Jessie Kieth. (Pablo Robles/Tribune Staff)

over 40 years ago.

“Our goal is to create a family atmosphere in our park. If you don’t have family around, we will be your family,” said Keith.

Keith said she considers her brother-

in-law, Daniel Williamson, the businessman of the family and he purchased the Mesa property from the bank in early 2019.

That was when the Reids came in to

make the resort their own.

Keith said her mother designed the lobby and common area to resemble the legendary Route 66 because her family drove it many times while on family road trips in their personal RV. Mesa Sunset RV Resort will strive to beat their competitors by offering mobile homes, short- and long-term rentable RV lots and affordable prices, Keith said.

The resort provides discounts for active military members and veterans.

Mesa Sunset RV Resort is also a part of the Good Sam Club camping organization, qualifying members for discounts.

The resort is conveniently located walking distance from a CVS Pharmacy, Fry’s Food & Drug store and other fast-food restaurants, Kieth noted.

“This park is a total 360-degree change from the old park that used to be at this

�ee RV PARK page 20

THE SUNDAY EAST VALLEY TRIBUNE | JANUARY 26, 2020

INVENTORY from page 1

Cromford reported.

The imbalance between supply and demand is driving prices, but so too is the rapid increase in people moving to Maricopa County, particularly from other states and especially from California.

“The lack of supply can only be described as shocking,” the Cromford Report said of the overall situation confronting buyers in the county, noting the 30 percent decline puts inventory at the lowest level since August 2005.

“Anyone who thinks this severe shortage will not result in a significant rise in prices is going to have another thought coming pretty soon,” it added, noting: “The median sales price is already up 11 percent over the last 12 months and the average price per square foot is up almost 9 percent and probably heading for a double-figure appreciation rate.

Analysists “are clutching at straws here to find something indicating a little cooling in the market,” the website reported.

“The big hope for buyers must be for a surge in new listings arriving over the next 12 weeks,” it said. “Perhaps sellers will be tempted by the higher pricing they

can achieve. However, if they are staying around Phoenix, they will have to pay more for their new home too.

“Phoenix is currently the strongest large-city housing market in the USA and this is fueled by inter-state population movements. Retirees are a big part of this, but so are people moving here from California and other Western states for work and the lower cost of living. Demand is likely to remain healthy despite the rising prices.”

Calling current inventory “the weakest start to the year we have recorded since 2005,” Cromford noted the market also has impacted iBuyers, whose purchases of homes last month fell 13 percent from December 2018, it added.

While Opendoor and OfferPad tend to prefer homes under $250,000, “these properties are an endangered species in Phoenix” amid competition “for a rapidly diminishing pool of homes with additional competition from buy-to-rent investors,” Cromford observed.

While many iBuyers’s sales have gone up by more than half over December 2018, it added, their sales “cannot continue to grow indefinitely if purchases are declining.”

BUSINESS “The biggest problem facing buyers is the shortage of homes for sale,” it said.

“The problem gets worse the lower the price range, but exists at all price levels up to $1 million.”

While conceding “it is a little too early to be drawing firm conclusions,” romford said initial signs in the market “suggest the supply problem will intensify rather than get resolved.”

It noted when calendars flipped to a new decade, numerous East Valley ZIP codes showed alarmingly low listings – including Gilbert 85296, with 20; Mesa 85208, 19; and Chandler 85224 and 85225, both around 25 homes each.

“If you are house-hunting in these areas you will find very few homes to choose from,” Cromford said, noting listings in those ZIP codes typically exceed 120.

On the other hand, anxious buyers might find better conditions elsewhere in the Valley – if they’re prepared for long commutes.

Places like Carefree, far North Scottsdale, Wickenburg and Paradise Valley all have more listings, but they “tend to fall into one of two camps – very expensive or very remote from the center of the Valley,” it said.

RV PARK from page 1

19

property. I love everything about it, especially the location,” said resident Brenda Helgeson.

The park’s amenities include a pickleball court, a dog park, a fitness center and a pool.

Keith said she and her family want to get to know all their tenants on a firstname basis to create a nostalgic, safe and carefree way of living. “ hen you call or come into the office, you speak directly to the owner, not just some employee,” said Keith.

Currently, this is their busy season due to the influx of Snowbirds and cooler weather however, the park is open to schedule stays and invites all walk-ins based on availability of lots, Keith said. “ e see the park filling up quickly after the grand opening and couldn’t be more excited to welcome everyone to our brand new park,” said Keith.

“We want the public to know this is not the old RV park that used to be at this location. This is an all-new five-star resort,” said Keith.

Information: mesasunsetrvresort.com.

•••

••• 20

BUSINESS

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Paralyzed in accident, this woman was reborn

BY DAVID LEIBOWITZ Tribune Columnist

S

he was born in September 1989, which makes her 30 in calendar years but it’s really the date of her rebirth that matters now.

So much of what Christa Cairus once was ended in that moment, June 27, 2010 – the morning her then-boyfriend’s Ducati motorcycle crashed at more than 40 miles per hour into a parked fire engine along Route 66 near Albuquerque.

The impact should have killed her. Instead it crushed Cairus’ spinal cord at the -5 vertebrae. er head denting the fire truck left Cairus an incomplete quadriplegic, unable to move her legs or her hands, though she can still move her arms.

It’s tempting to describe Cairus as “confined to a wheelchair,” though little about the oodyear resident suggests confinement.

Cairus is lifting weights as we chat,

Mesa woman laments stolen cat’s absence

I am reaching out to the family or person that found a very special black cat lost last March or April near Westwood High School.

We found Mother Jewel in a shelter in 2004. My nephew Nathan had lost his mother and sister in a tragedy just two weeks prior to his 4th birthday. A year or so later, we set out to find athan a special companion that would help him through his grief and depression.

After visiting a few shelters, he came across his companion. He picked her out of hundreds of potential candidates. They bonded immediately and became constant companions.

She loves him as much as he did her. Every day like clockwork, she would wait for him at the door 10-15 mins prior to him

working on her triceps and shoulders.

Her workout will take two hours. Then she’ll drive to pick up her three young kids from daycare and spend the balance of Monday caring for them and her husband, ric, a hoenix police officer.

It’s a light day because Cairus, a special education teacher and Special Olympics coach, has the day off from her full-time gig at La Joya High School in Avondale. Tonight, maybe she’ll find time to work on her second Master’s degree, this one in special education.

One thing airus won’t find time for Pity.

“It’s obvious that I have a disability, but I don’t refer to myself as disabled,” she explains. “I can essentially do everything I want to do. I just can’t do leg day with you at the gym.”

If a day in Cairus’ life sounds exhausting, understand that her whirlwind schedule is world’s better than life before the crash.

She has recently published a memoir that details the old Christa. Beautiful Sur-

vivor: Escaping the Statistics has little to do with her accident.

Instead, it focuses on Cairus’ escape from an abusive relationship that included her boyfriend forcing her to have sex with other men for money. His is a name she rarely speaks now, except as a profanity.

The boyfriend escaped the motorcycle crash with road rash and one maimed finger. airus escaped him back home to Iowa in 2012.

Two years later, Christa, at the time a single and paralyzed mother of one, met the Army soldier she would marry in November 2014. The two moved to Arizona in 2016.

Despite her paralysis, she has had two children with Eric Cairus, though the pregnancies – like so much else she has faced – were anything but easy. Cohen, her second child, came five weeks early amid pre-eclampsia and life-threatening blood clots in Cairus’ legs.

“I don’t know how that pregnancy didn’t kill me,” she says. “Sitting in this position

all the time was awful. It’s like sitting here having a watermelon in your lap. I had these pains in my legs, blood clots, urinary tract infections.” arter, her firstborn, will be 10 in March. Son Cohen is 4. Cora, the couple’s daughter, turns two in a few weeks.

Cairus is working on a second book. She has dreams of becoming a motivational speaker and one day playing wheelchair basketball.

In between being a wife, a mother, a teacher, a coach, a weightlifter and a writer, she’s also found time to amass 13 tattoos.

Some are self-explanatory, like “I Refuse To Sink” inked on her right shoulder. She has her kids’ footprints in tribute and a rollercoaster to symbolize her life.

Then there’s a quote from Proverbs 31:25: “She is clothed in strength and dignity and she laughs without fear of the future.”

Laugh Christa Cairus does. It is a joyful noise and the soundtrack to her new life.

arriving home from school. When he hit that door, immediately he would call her name and she would do her little dance while “shaking” her tail, which always made him laugh and reach down to give her that big hug and kiss.

In 2005, I watched a friend’s cat whose spouse had passed from cancer. Mother ewel, who was supposedly fixed, became pregnant by my friend’s cat and had 3 kittens early Christmas morning under her best friend’s bed.

My nephew was beyond ecstatic as he became a “cat dad” and dubbed her “Mother ewel.” She O let athan handle her little treasures. He built a beautiful nursery for her her little gifts.

Mother Jewel made things and life itself so much easier for Nathan to bear and I swear, she understood how he felt. She rarely if ever, left his side. They played, slept and cared for each other.

She brought him unconditional love. Just over two years ago, Nate suffered another tragedy: his father passed away from a 10 -year battle with CTE. This was an extremely difficult time for Nate and myself too. I had to watch Nate’s pain and sorrow and keep mine silent.

His grief was all-encompassing but, again, his companion always expressed her love and comfort to him and eased his grieving.

Nine months ago, he experienced another loss – Mother Jewel herself. She was never let out and free to roam. I was home and a plumber was working in the bathroom.

I locked her in a bedroom and went about my business of cleaning and preparing for an exam. I went back to check on her and she was gone. In 16+ years, she had never left our home like that. I am not sure how she got out the door.

I had asked the plumber to keep the gate closed, but he left the gate wide open.

My nephew and I searched for many months. I went door to door with flyers, put up posters on corners. I went to the shelters, I looked for six months. I have to believe she is out there.

I am hoping this letter finds her. She is an all-black domestic feline with green eyes with a constant head bob.

I believe, Nate needs her as much as she needs Nate. I also believe that not knowing what happened to Mother Jewel is the worst possible ending Nathan can experience. Mother Jewel is every bit his family and beloved lifelong friend.

I hope and pray this story can have a much better ending than what he has gone through with the loss of his parents and sister. ou can reach me at okowal sbcglobal.net -Mary Ellen Kowalski

LETTERS

• ••

22

SPORTS

THE SUNDAY EAST VALLEY TRIBUNE | JANUARY 26, 2020

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Mesa High wrestling fueled by family mentality

BY BRITTANY BOWYER Tribune Contributing Writer

M

esa High School’s wrestling program has a long-standing pedigree as one of the best in the state.

With the mentality anyone has the potential to become a champion as long as they show up and work hard, coach David DiDomenico created a welcoming environment and gets the most out of the athletes, which is not always an easy task.

The program has produced numerous state and NCAA champions like former Sun Devil standout Anthony Robles and easily is one of the most popular athletic teams at Mesa.

“It’s produced a lot of state champions in the past,” said junior John Jarman, who placed fifth at state last year and is eyeing another shot at the state title. “A lot of Mesa’s people don’t start off the best, but they work, and they work their tail off until they become state champions.”

important and cared for when they participate in his program.

A number of students at Mesa High School are from low-income backgrounds, forcing many students to take on adult responsibilities at a younger age and hindering their ability to fully be present and participate in extracurricular activities such Seniors Jesus Cardenas (left) and John Jarmon (right) have both feel a sense of com- as wrestling. munity within the Mesa wrestling program. (Brittany Bowyer/Tribune Contributor) For him, it’s important the students know they have a safe But the popularity isn’t just because of place away from home and an environthe success the team has on the mat and ment that will be supportive and conthe feeling of accomplishment when you ducive to their growth.

It doesn’t matter compete and win. It’s also because of the what it is the kids may need, DiDomenico strong feeling of family they’re created.

DiDomenico goes out of his way to works to make sure they have it. If his make sure all of the kids feel like they are athletes can’t afford the proper headgear

they need to participate, he finds a way to make sure they get it.

Just to make sure all of his athletes have an opportunity to eat after practice, DiDomenico makes sure there’s always some sort of food in the wrestling room. From oranges to peanut butter and jelly, he just wants to make sure the kids are taken care of.

“Not all of them have what they need at home, but I can help them with this because this is their home too,” DiDomenico said. “Some parents do the best they can, but some of our areas here in Mesa, they struggle. They don’t have a lot, or there are other siblings so they aren’t eating as much as their body needs, and that’s not the parents’ fault. That’s just circumstances.”

He also gives kids the chance to get more involved by giving back to the program.

By creating jobs within the program, he allows students who may not have oth-

Daniel started showing signs of the disorder in the summer of 2017. But with the rarity of the disease, it took time for doctors to properly diagnose his condition as PSP. “He was diagnosed with PSP in March 2018, at Barrow (Neurological Institute),” Sylvia said. “Once you know what it is, you can identify symptoms.

As Diego entered his junior season at ACP, Daniel’s condition worsened. In Jan. 2019, he was placed in hospice care. But until he was physically unable to attend his son’s games, Daniel was always there, just as he was when Diego was growing up.

Diego was coached by his father until he entered the seventh grade. A basketball player himself growing up in El Paso, Texas, Daniel shared his love for the game with his son at an early age and it stuck right away. Sylvia Navarro, Diego’s mom, still recalls Daniel and Diego walking around the block with one hand in their pockets and

dribbling a basketball in the other.

The drill was for Diego to improve his ball-handling skills. It was one of many the two did on a consistent basis, which helped formed their strong relationship.

“Danny always found ways to bond with the kids,” Sylvia said. “For Diego, it was sports. It was something they both loved and because Danny played basketball, it was easy for them to bond over it.”

With his father unable to attend games due to his condition, Diego spent much of his time at home by his dad’s side. Having been told about what Diego was going through, ACP basketball coach Clint Treadway wanted to give him space. But eventually, Treadway felt it was the right time to approach him.

“It was rough on him,” Treadway said.

“I eventually talked to him about it and let

�ee WRESTLING page 23

Diego Navarro succeeding in honor of late father

BY ZACH ALVIRA Tribune Sports Editor

D

iego Navarro sat on the bleachers inside Arizona College Prep’s gymnasium with his basketball team practicing in front of him.

Diego was deep in thought, recalling in his mind all of the great memories he and his father, Daniel Navarro, shared together.

“It would have to be when we went to see the Cowboys play,” Diego said with a smile. “We are both big Cowboy fans. It was a really good day. We just spent the day together, talking about sports.

“He meant everything to me. He was my biggest role model.”

Daniel passed away last August at 48 years old after suffering from a rare brain disorder called Progressive Supranuclear Palsy (PSP). According to the Mayo Clinic, the disorder results in the deterioration

Diego Navarro embraced his mother, Sylvia, following his record-breaking performance in front of a packed crowd to honor his father, Daniel, who passed away from a rare brain disorder last August. Photo courtesy Sylvia Navarro)

of cells in areas of the brain controlling movement and thinking. It can also affect a person’s ability to speak and eat.

�ee NAVARRO page 23

THE SUNDAY EAST VALLEY TRIBUNE | JANUARY 26, 2020

WRESTLING from page 22

erwise been able to afford to participate earn their place with a little “sweat equity.” From picking up trash at the volleyball games to cleaning the mats, the added responsibilities help build a sense of pride and ownership among the athletes. “ oach knows I struggle financially, so he’s always like, ‘Do you want to do a job to help earn some money to pay off the sport?’” sophomore Wyatt Bayer said.

“Yeah, of course.”

For some of the student-athletes, the biggest battle is making sure they are meeting expectations in the classroom.

DiDomenico does grade checks every Monday to make sure the kids are all academically able to compete, and for some of them, it’s the first time anyone has set any academic expectations for them in their life. “ hampions can be defined in a lot of different ways,” DiDomenico said. “They feel a sense of accomplishment and now they’re achieving a lot more than they thought. They’re a champion in this aspect. They’re a champion by showing up

NAVARRO from page 22

him know I was here if he ever wanted to talk to me. I kind of noticed a change in his mood, like he felt the support after that.”

Diego and his family constantly felt support from Treadway and the rest of the ACP community. Father’s from the basketball team offered pointers and overall support for Diego, recognizing he was going through a difficult time. This support became key for Diego in August of last year.

As Diego was getting ready for school on Aug. 14, 2019, he felt like something was off. Normally, he would get ready and walk out the door. But on that day, something compelled him to go upstairs and say goodbye to his father.

“I had a bad feeling throughout the day,” Diego said. “I went home, and my mom told me today would be the day. It was hard.”

Pins in Daniel’s honor were created and have been worn by the basketball team since his passing. But the team wanted to find another way to honor a man who meant so much to one of their key players.

Treadway already thought of hosting an awareness game this season. It only made sense to him and the rest of the team to do it in honor of Daniel.

The team came up with the idea of cre-

out the best version of each and every individual who participates.

It’s something that has changed the high school experience for nearly every person in the room.

“It’s really just paying attention to them and holding them to high standards when other people just blow them off,” DiDomenico said. “ obody flies under Mesa wrestling coach David DiDomenico has made it his mission to make sure each the radar. They’re all of his wrestlers feel welcome in the program. (Brittany Bowyer/Tribune Contributor) important. We pay and working all the time even if they’re attention to them, and kids want attention. Sometimes it’s just a thumb, but it’s average in their win-loss record.”

It’s this feeling of accomplishment and always followed up with some kind of pride mixed with the strong-knit sense compliment and some way to succeed.”

The way he treats his student-athletes of family leading to the success of Mesa’s wrestling program. It doesn’t matter if a has allowed for him to have a greater wrestler is a freshman or a senior, if they impact on their lives than he may even come out and prepare to do their per- possibly realize. In his attempt to create sonal best, the program will help bring a family atmosphere for the kids, some of

Normally wearing No. 24 for the Knights, Diego reached out to his teammate, senior Matthew Kearney, and asked him to switch numbers for the game. Instead of wearing his normal jersey number, Diego wore No. 11, the same number his father wore when he played in high school.

“We had the names on the back, and I heard his mom say it was just like seeing Danny on the court,” Kearney said. “I’m glad I was able to help make it even more of a special night.”

Fans packed ACP’s gym for the game to honor Daniel. As the Knights revealed their Arizona College Prep senior point guard Diego Navarro looked up and special uniforms, including Dismiled after breaking the school record for points in a game on the ego’s new number, fans quickly same night his father, Daniel, was honored. (Photo courtesy Elizabeth realized they would be a part Bishop) of something special that night.

But what transpired during ACP’s game ating special teal uniforms for the game, which would represent the color of the against St. John Paul on Jan. 9 was someribbon for PSP. The team, however, settled thing even Daniel’s family didn’t imagine on an electric blue jersey color. Players, in- would happen.

“There was a different energy in the gym cluding Diego, quickly came up with the design and were prepared to place the order. that night,” Sylvia said. “It all happened so But there was one other way Diego fast. Every shot Diego took went in. At one point I even had to ask myself what was wanted to honor his father.

SPORTS

23

them say he also is somewhat of a father figure in their lives and is someone they look to for guidance because he always expects them to be their best self.

Bayer said the relationship he has with coach DiDomenico and how much he’s taught him and helped him grow is a big reason why he never gave up or stopped trying. He said it’s because the best advice DiDomenico ever gave him was to just keep going.

Bayer said DiDomenico told him, “whenever it gets hard, or whenever there’s a spot in life where you’re starting to struggle, just keep pushing through and good things will happen.”

Senior Jesus Cardenas, who joined the team this year, agrees with Bayer, saying DiDomenico is always there for support and is one of the most understanding people he’s ever met.

“He’s able to understand and comfort you and not just yell at you,” Cardenas said. “ e’s more like a father figure to others rather than a coach because he pushes us to our limits to make sure we succeed, and he makes sure he knows he wants us to succeed.”

going on.”

Shot after shot, baskets kept falling for iego. At the end of the first half, he had nearly eclipsed the 20-point mark. With just over a minute left in the game, he was at 34 points and at the free-throw line shooting for two more. iego made both shots to finish with 36 points. On the same night his father was honored, Diego set a new ACP record for points in a game.

“All I could do was smile,” Diego said. “I was just thinking about my dad, my mom and how great it was everyone came out.

It was a packed gym. I just thanked God, thanked my dad for everything.”

Diego was met by Sylvia and his older sister, Daniela, after the game. Diego and Sylvia embraced for several minutes.

“I just told him how proud I was of him, and how proud dad would have been,” Sylvia said. “Danny was there that night. It was something all of us needed.”

The game and his performance was more than just a way to honor the man who meant so much to him and his family.

It showed while he may not be with them in person, he will always be there in spirit.

“There were definitely a few shots I knew someone helped me out,” Diego said.

“I could tell he was with me that night.”

•••

•••

24

THE SUNDAY EAST VALLEY TRIBUNE | JANUARY 26, 2020

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Black Violin to appear at Chandler arts center

BY ALAN SCULLEY GetOut Contributor

A

ny music act with a unique sound – such as Black Violin’s fusion of classical music and hip-hop – is bound to sound familiar from album to album.

But violinist Kev Marcus has no problem seeing a difference between “Take the Stairs,” and especially the previous two albums he has made as one half of the duo, Black Violin.

In fact, he can sum it up stressing one

If You Go...

What: Black Violin.

Where: Chandler Center for the Arts, 250 N. Arizona Avenue, Chandler.

When: 7:30 p.m. Jan 31. Kids program for $2 at 10 a.m. Jan. 31.

Cost: $36-$56. A special program for kids is 10 a.m. Friday, More info: 480-782-2680, chandlercenter.org,

Violinist Kev Marcus, left, and keyboard artist Wil Baptiste are performing as Black Violin, bringing their eclectic sound to the Chandler Center for the Arts on Friday. (Special to GetOut)

word. “This is the most authentic album we’ve ever done,” he said.

Audiences will get a chance to see what he’s talking about when Black Violin appears Jan. 31 at the Chandler Center for

the Arts.

“The album is who we are,” Marcus said.

“That was the best part of it. It didn’t feel like we had to try to conform or act like anything else, and we were still able to

make an album we feel very, very proud about without necessarily compromising our ideas in any way – all without being preachy.”

Marcus will allow the first Black Violin album was also authentic. But he sees several reasons why he and his partner in Black Violin, viola/keyboardist/singer Wil Baptiste, were able to achieve startto-finish authenticity on “Take the Stairs.”

“Our very first album was, it was our life’s work,” he said.

“It’s everything up until the point where we were 23 years old and we put that out.

But since then, this is the most authentic album, and I think it’s because honestly, we had a long time to do it.”

After the previous album, “Stereotypes” came out in 2015, he added, “we were looking for producers, looking for different situations since we had to fight to get out of our deal with Universal. We had so

�ee BLACK VIOLIN page 26

Waste Management Phoenix Open returns

BY CHRISTOPHER BOAN GetOut Staff Writer

T

he Phoenix Open launched 87 years ago as the brainchild of Bob Goldwater Sr., offering a $500 prize to the event’s champion.

Fast-forward 10 decades, and the Waste Management Phoenix Open has become one of the mainstays on the Professional Golfers Association tour.

Last year’s tournament, which was won

by Rickie Fowler, raised an event record $13.2 million for local charities, while bringing $389 million in economic impact to the local economy, according to Arizona State University’s W.P. Carey School of Business.

The tournament, which has taken on the motto, “The People’s Open,” thanks to its outsized, stadium-style galleries and hedonistic bravado, is a labor of love for members of the Thunderbirds, a local

The crowds that gather around the legendary 16th hole at the Waste Management Phoenix Open in Scottsdale are so large that special seating was built to accommodate them. (Special to GetOut)

nonprofit putting on the event.

Few understand this labor like Tim

Woods, who serves as the tournament director for the 2020 tournament, which

will once again be held at TPC Scottsdale from Monday, Jan. 27, to Sunday, Feb. 2.

Woods pointed out a few new features at this year’s tournament, such as a 36,000-square-foot pavilion, dubbed the Ridge, where general admission patrons can relax and enjoy panoramic views of several holes on the course.

“We’ve really tried to focus on how we can increase the access to the course for the general public,” Woods said. “We really wanted to elevate the experience in those venues, and to balance the hospitality side of what we do out on the course, with making sure we maintain some really cool spots for the fans.”

This sense of hospitality extends beyond the tournament itself, with the Coors Light Birds Nest concert series including acts like Miranda Lambert, G-Eazy, Dierks Bent-

�ee OPEN page 25

GET OUT

THE SUNDAY EAST VALLEY TRIBUNE | JANUARY 26, 2020

Birds Nest returns with hometown heroes CHRISTINA FUOCO-KARASINSKI GetOut Editor

W

hen Austin Burke was a child, he remembers his parents not allowing him to go to the Birds Nest. An established national anthem singer by elementary school, Burke instead stayed at home while his parents attended the Phoenix Open-sponsored concerts.

This year, he jokes, he’s getting a babysitter for his parents so he can open for Dierks Bentley on Friday, Jan. 31, at the Coors Light Birds Nest.

“It’s a dream come true for me,” Burke said. “It’s my first-ever hometown show.

I know I played Country Thunder, but I never played my hometown of Scottsdale, Arizona. It’s really surreal for me.

“Obviously, I grew up going to the Waste Management Phoenix Open and spent so much time there as a kid watching the golfers.”

Bentley and Burke are on the bill along

If You Go...

What: Coors Light Birds Nest.

Where: The venue is directly across from the main Waste Management Phoenix Open Tournament entrance at 82nd St and Bell Rd. When: Gates open at 3:30 p.m. daily; headliner takes the stage at 8:30 p.m.

Cost: Tickets start at $75, More info: coorslightbirdsnest.com.

OPEN from page 24

ley and Kygo spread out through the week.

Woods’ task is to make the event a can’tmiss occasion for golfing aficionados and the general public.

The result is a golf tournament unlike any other, with a boisterous, stadium-like grandstand on most holes.

The centerpiece of this year’s tournament, as in past years, is the 162-yard 16th hole, which is enclosed by grandstands.

This par 3 took on a life of its own through the years, thanks to the beer-fueled noise from the peanut gallery sitting quite close to the action on all sides.

“Every year, it seems to kind of take on more life,” Woods said. “I’ll tell you with a bunch of pride, the Thunderbirds are a special organization. We are out attracting top talent, which is why we exist ultimately.

“We try to take care of caddies and golfers and their families, and what we have

Austin Burke will be opening for Dierks Bentley at the Coors Light Birds Nest Friday. (Special to GetOut)

with Miranda Lambert and Cody Johnson on Wednesday, Jan. 29; G-Eazy and special guest on Thursday, Jan. 30; and Kygo and special guest on Saturday, Feb. 1.

“There’s a lot of pride around our event,” said David Baum, Birds Nest chairman. “To be able to see these acts like Dierks, Kygo, G-Eazy and Miranda Lambert in a small, intimate setting is incredible.

“The acts are attracted to that, too, because sometimes they don’t have the opportunity to play to these smaller venues.”

created is an environment and a culture that really makes us unique.”

Perhaps the biggest storyline heading into the 2020 event is more focused on a local favorite who won’t be in the field – Phil Mickelson – as it is on those who will tee it up in Scottsdale.

Woods addressed Mickelson’s decision, saying the ASU alum’s decision in no way generates an ill will from the event or its organizers.

“Phil needs to take care of Phil and the Mickelson family,” Woods said. “He’s been a great ambassador for the tournament.

He’s been a friend of the tournament. He’s a friend of the Thunderbirds. He’s going to do what he’s got to do, and things change.

“I’ve been asked the question a lot, of whether it’ll hurt,” Woods said of Mickelson’s decision. “And we go out and break another record and give more to charity. I don’t say it flippantly, I don’t take it for granted we have the field we have, but

Baum has been attending the Birds Nest for 20 years and has seen the event evolve.

“On the tournament side, it’s a bigger and better venue,” he said, “The Birds Nest is right there with that. In the last five years, we’ve grown even more with the large, national-scale acts performing.”

This year, the VIP experience has been upgraded, according to Baum. The main tent will be split in half – one for general admission and the other for VIP. “It will no longer have a platform viewing the performance,” he said. “There’s a lot more surface area and an upgraded bar area and food experience for the guests in VIP. Additionally, we’ve added cabanas over the VIP section. We’ve traveled around and taken best practices from other concert venues and other festivals around the country to incorporate what we can do.”

Now living in Nashville, Burke is looking forward to opening for Bentley, who helped him propose to his then-girlfriend, Lexi. The couple married on New Year’s Eve in Tennessee.

On the day of the show, Burke will release his new single “Desert Child.”

Another new song will make its way on the setlist, “Young Love,” which was written by Thomas Rhett. The country star coproduced the song.

“He’s been super involved in the process

we’ve created something more than any other golf tournament is able to create.”

Woods’ sentiments surrounding the 2020 tournament are shared by Scott Bradley, who serves as Waste Management’s area vice president for the Four Corners region.

Bradley noted Waste Management, through its 11-year relationship with the Phoenix Open, has been able to build great bonds within the community, thanks to the charity outreach from the company and the Thunderbirds as a whole.

Bradley and Woods share a vision of shirking the buttoned-down mentality shared by most professional golf tournaments, creating a unique atmosphere that’s welcoming to everyone.

“Together with The Thunderbirds, we are very proud of what we’ve accomplished for the benefit of the community and the environment,” Bradley said. “Many see the Waste Management Phoenix Open

25 •••

Cody Johnson will be playing the Birds Nest with Miranda Lambert on Wednesday. (Special to GetOut)

and the fact that he wants me to sing it is so special,” he said. “I’ll be singing that song and just lots of new songs I sang in Gilbert the night before Thanksgiving.”

“Everyone in Arizona loved it when I played it in Gilbert,” Burke said. “I’m really owning being from Arizona. I’m a fifthgeneration native. I will always have a special place in my heart for Arizona, and to get to go back and play it with Dierks is going to be so special.”

as a bucket-list sporting event.”

Woods highlighted the social aspect of the tournament as being a major draw, as locals and tourists alike feel a draw to the Scottsdale course, because of what they’ve seen on television or on social media in years past.

This draw allows people of all walks of life to convene during the first weekend of February, under the bright skies of the Valley, to enjoy a week of great golf and greater company.

“It’s just something for everyone,” Woods said. “And that’s what we’ve done a really good job of creating, and that’s why you want to come out to the Phoenix Open. “You’re going to see some great golf, while also having an unbelievable social experience out there.”

Waste Management Phoenix Open TPC Scottsdale, 17020 N. Hayden Road, Scottsdale, wmphoenixopen.com, times and ticket prices vary by day.

•••

26

GET OUT

BLACK VIOLIN from page 24

many other things happening at that time.

“Then last year, we got together with (producer) Phil (Beaudreau) in like September, and the album was done in like October last year. Since then, we’ve just sat on it and been able to fix this note, change this snare, fix this word. I mean, I’m more at peace with every note on this project than I’ve ever been on anything we’ve ever done.”

So, I think that’s some of it, just the authenticity of it,” Marcus added. “ The only thing that’s on the album, every note and every word, we both loved it and wanted it. Because of that, there’s this authenticity, there’s this real rawness, this genuineness about it.”

Beyond authenticity, Marcus sees musical growth in “Take the Stairs.”

And while the fusion of classical and hip-hop remains very much at the core of the duo’s sound, he refers to “Serenade” to explain what was different.

Drawn from classical composer Antonin Dvorak’s “Serenade For Strings,” the song essentially turns the group’s usual approach to mixing hip-hop and classical on its head.

“Normally in pop or hip-hop, when you sample a classical song, normally it would be like you open up Pro Tools or whatever you use to create music, and you’ll start a click (track), with the click being like 120 (beats per minute), and you take that classical piece and you match it to the click,” Marcus said.

“That’s how we’ve always done it. That’s how everyone seems to do it when they want a sample or they want to use classical elements (and bring them) into a pop world. ‘Serenade’ we did it differently. We took London (Symphony Orchestra’s) interpretation of it, and then we mapped out a beat to it, as if a conductor is conducting with a beat in the orchestra.”

“To me, that’s almost like a breakthrough song for us,” he said. “We found a new way to create and to blend classical and hip-hop we had not done before, and for us, that’s a big deal.

While “Rise,” “Serenade” and “Elgar Nimrod” are decidedly classical, most of the other songs more equally blend hiphop and classical instrumentation and melody.

For instance, “One Step” starts out with a sonic blast that’s almost industrial before layering in hip-hop beats and an

THE SUNDAY EAST VALLEY TRIBUNE | JANUARY 26, 2020

R&B-leaning vocal melody. “Lost in the Garden” has a bit of Marvin Gaye in its soulful sound, while “Spaz,” “Showoff” and “Dreamer” are good examples of the melding of hip-hop and classical.

This musical hybrid is something Marcus and Baptiste first began forming in high school when one day Marcus had an idea for how to incorporate violin into the Busta Rhymes song “Gimme Some More.”

That musical idea, however, was put on hold when, in 2004, after winning the “Showtime at the Apollo” talent competition, Marcus and Baptiste were introduced to the manager of Alicia Keys, and were then hired to join her band for a performance during the 2004 “Billboard Music Awards.”

This led to opportunities to tour, not only with Keys, but Jay-Z, Kanye West and Linkin Park, among the notable acts.

But the duo never lost sight of the idea of creating their own music, and eventually, they decided to stop taking touring gigs and pursue Black Violin in earnest.

With “Take the Stairs” out, Marcus and Baptiste have returned to the road, bringing along drummer Nat Stokes and turntablist extraordinaire DJ SPS—both long-time touring members—to create a unique live experience.

“It’s more dynamic than the show has ever been because of the new album,” Marcus said of the new show. “The first and last songs on (“Take the Stairs”) are the first and last songs of the show. So, it’s like we really frame the show around ‘Take the Stairs.’

“We wanted to kind of use the character of the album and start and end the show with the two kind of like classic kind of palate cleansers,” he said. “Of course, we tell kids to dream, tell people to dream, the impossible is possible, just run through walls for whatever you’re passionate about.”

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28

THE SUNDAY EAST VALLEY TRIBUNE | JANUARY 26, 2020

Public Notices

Public Notices

CITY OF MESA, ARIZONA ENGINEERING DEPARTMENT REQUEST FOR QUALIFICATIONS (RFQ) NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that the City of Mesa is seeking a qualified firm or team to act as the Construction Manager at Risk for the following: THE STUDIOS AT MESA CITY CENTER 59 E. FIRST STREET

CITY OF MESA, ARIZONA ENGINEERING DEPARTMENT

PROJECT NO. CP0880 The City of Mesa is seeking a qualified Construction Manager at Risk (CMAR) to provide Pre-Construction Services assistance and complete Construction Services as the CMAR for the Studios at Mesa City Center Project. All qualified firms that are interested in providing these services are invited to submit their Statements of Qualifications (SOQ) in accordance with the requirements detailed in the Request for Qualifications (RFQ).

The following is a summary of the project. The required tasks will be reviewed with the selected CMAR and defined to meet the needs of the project as part of the contract scoping.

In February 2018, the Mesa City Council authorized an Intergovernmental Agreement (IGA) between the City of Mesa and Arizona State University (ASU). This agreement outlines a plan for the development of both educational and civic facilities in the City Center of Downtown Mesa over several years. Subsequently, in June 2018, the City and ASU agreed to terms of a lease and jointly finalized a master plan for these improvements.

REQUEST FOR QUALIFICATIONS (RFQ) NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that the City of Mesa is seeking qualified Consultants for the following: CONSULTANT ON-CALL LIST FOR Electrical, Instrumentation, and Control Inspection and Testing Services The City of Mesa is seeking qualified Consultants to provide design services and/or construction administration services on an on-call basis in the following area/category: Electrical, Instrumentation, and Control Inspection and Testing Services. All qualified firms that are interested in providing these services are invited to submit their Statements of Qualifications (SOQ) in accordance with the requirements detailed in the Request for Qualifications (RFQ).

From this solicitation, the Engineering Department will establish a list of on-call consultants for Electrical, Instrumentation, and Control Inspection and Testing Services. This category is further defined below:

This phase of the project is comprised of a 6,000 to 12,000 square-foot remodel of an existing 26,500 sf building located at 59 E 1st Street, Mesa, Arizona. The proposed renovation of the building will create a facility that will empower modern workforce development and serve as a startup pipeline to fuel the economy of today and tomorrow. There will also be a strong connection between the Studios and the new ASU facility. The City may include other miscellaneous improvements at the site, as needed.

Design support, construction inspections, and commissioning testing for projects associated with electrical instrumentation and control systems for the Water Resources Department.

The estimated construction cost is $7,000,000. The total estimated project cost is $8,500,000.

Contact with City Employees. All firms interested in this project (including the firm’s employees, representatives, agents, lobbyists, attorneys, and subconsultants) will refrain, under penalty of disqualification, from direct or indirect contact for the purpose of influencing the selection or creating bias in the selection process with any person who may play a part in the selection process. This policy is intended to create a level playing field for all potential firms, to assure that contract decisions are made in public, and to protect the integrity of the selection process. All contact on this selection process should be addressed to the authorized representative identified below.

A Pre-Submittal Conference will be held on Wednesday, February 5, 2020, at 8 am at the Mesa City Plaza Building, 20 E. Main Street, Mesa, Arizona 85201, in Conference Room 501. At this meeting, City staff will discuss the scope of work and general contract issues and respond to questions from the attendees. Attendance at the pre-submittal conference is not mandatory and all interested firms may submit a Statement of Qualifications whether or not they attend the conference.

All interested firms are encouraged to attend the Pre-Submittal Conference since City staff will not be available for meetings or to respond to individual inquiries regarding the project scope outside of this conference. In addition, there will not be meeting minutes or any other information published from the Pre-Submittal Conference.

Contact with City Employees. All firms interested in this project (including the firm’s employees, representatives, agents, lobbyists, attorneys, and subconsultants) will refrain, under penalty of disqualification, from direct or indirect contact for the purpose of influencing the selection or creating bias in the selection process with any person who may play a part in the selection process. This policy is intended to create a level playing field for all potential firms, to assure that contract decisions are made in public, and to protect the integrity of the selection process. All contact on this selection process should be addressed to the authorized representative identified below.

RFQ Lists. The RFQ is available on the City’s website at http://mesaaz.gov/business/engineering/construction-manager-at-risk-and-job-order-contractingopportunities.

The Statement of Qualifications shall include a one-page cover letter, plus a maximum of 10 pages to address the SOQ evaluation criteria (excluding resumes but including an organization chart with key personnel and their affiliation). Resumes for each team member shall be limited to a maximum length of two pages and should be attached as an appendix to the SOQ. Minimum font size shall be 10pt. Please provide eight (8) hard copies and one (1) electronic copy (CD or USB drive) of the Statement of Qualifications by February 20, 2020 at 2 pm. The City reserves the right to accept or reject any and all Statements of Qualifications. The City is an equal opportunity employer.

Delivered or hand-carried submittals must be delivered to the Engineering Department reception area on the fifth floor of Mesa City Plaza Building in a sealed package. On the submittal package, please display: Firm name, project number, and/or project title.

Firms who wish to do business with the City of Mesa must be registered in the City of Mesa Vendor Self Service (VSS) System (http://mesaaz.gov/business/purchasing/vendor-self-service).

Questions. Questions pertaining to the Construction Manager at Risk selection process or contract issues should be directed to Donna Horn of the Engineering Department at donna.horn@mesaaz.gov.

BETH HUNING City Engineer ATTEST: DeeAnn Mickelsen, City Clerk Published: East Valley Tribune, Jan. 26, Feb. 2, 2020 / 27757

A Pre-Submittal Conference will not be held.

RFQ Lists. This RFQ is available on the City’s website at http://mesaaz.gov/business/engineering/architectural-engineering-design-opportunities.

The Statement of Qualifications shall include a one-page cover letter, plus a maximum of 10 pages to address the SOQ evaluation criteria (excluding resumes but including an organization chart with key personnel and their affiliation). Resumes for each team member shall be limited to a maximum length of two pages and should be attached as an appendix to the SOQ. Minimum font size shall be 10 point. Please provide six (6) hard copies and one (1) electronic copy (CD or USB drive) of the Statement of Qualifications by 2:00 pm on Wednesday, February 5, 2020. The City reserves the right to accept or reject any and all Statements of Qualifications. The City is an equal opportunity employer.

Delivered or hand-carried submittals must be delivered to the Engineering Department reception area on the fifth floor of Mesa City Plaza Building in a sealed package. On the submittal package, please display: Firm name and On-Call Electrical, Instrumentation, and Control Inspection and Testing Services.

Firms who wish to do business with the City of Mesa must be registered and activated in the City of Mesa Vendor Self Service (VSS) System (http://mesaaz.gov/business/purchasing/vendor-self-service).

Questions. Questions pertaining to the Consultant selection process or contract issues should be directed to Michele Davila of the Engineering Department at Michele.Davila@mesaaz.gov.

BETH HUNING City Engineer ATTEST: DeeAnn Mickelsen City Clerk Published: East Valley Tribune, Jan. 19, 26, 2020 / 27578

THE SUNDAY EAST VALLEY TRIBUNE | JANUARY 26, 2020

29

Public Notices

Public Notices

CITY OF MESA, ARIZONA ENGINEERING DEPARTMENT REQUEST FOR QUALIFICATIONS (RFQ) NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that the City of Mesa is seeking a qualified firm or team to act as the Construction Manager at Risk for the following: FEDERAL BUILDING REMODEL 26 N. Macdonald

CITY OF MESA

PROJECT NO. CP0213 The City of Mesa is seeking a qualified Construction Manager at Risk (CMAR) to provide Pre-Construction Services assistance and complete Construction Services as the CMAR for the Federal Building Remodel Project. All qualified firms that are interested in providing these services are invited to submit their Statements of Qualifications (SOQ) in accordance with the requirements detailed in the Request for Qualifications (RFQ).

The following is a summary of the project. The required tasks will be reviewed with the selected CM@Risk and defined to meet the needs of the project as part of the contract scoping.

The project site is an existing 16,650 square-foot building, located at the southwest corner of MacDonald Street and Pepper Place. The goal of this project is to create a welcoming environment that can host multiple programs and events. The proposed improvements will concentrate on the reconstruction of all three floors of the existing building’s interior.

The estimated construction cost is $5,500,000. The total estimated project cost is $7,500,000.

A Pre-Submittal Conference will be held on January 27, 2020, at 10 am at the Federal Building at 26 N. Macdonald, Mesa, Arizona. At this meeting, City staff will discuss the scope of work and general contract issues and respond to questions from the attendees. Attendance at the pre-submittal conference is not mandatory and all interested firms may submit a Statement of Qualifications whether or not they attend the conference. All interested firms are encouraged to attend the Pre-Submittal Conference since City staff will not be available for meetings or to respond to individual inquiries regarding the project scope outside of this conference. In addition, there will not be meeting minutes or any other information published from the Pre-Submittal Conference.

Contact with City Employees. All firms interested in this project (including the firm’s employees, representatives, agents, lobbyists, attorneys, and subconsultants) will refrain, under penalty of disqualification, from direct or indirect contact for the purpose of influencing the selection or creating bias in the selection process with any person who may play a part in the selection process. This policy is intended to create a level playing field for all potential firms, to assure that contract decisions are made in public, and to protect the integrity of the selection process. All contact on this selection process should be addressed to the authorized representative identified below.

RFQ Lists. The RFQ is available on the City’s website at http://mesaaz.gov/business/engineering/construction-manager-at-risk-and-job-order-contractingopportunities.

The Statement of Qualifications shall include a one-page cover letter, plus a maximum of 10 pages to address the SOQ evaluation criteria (excluding resumes but including an organization chart with key personnel and their affiliation). Resumes for each team member shall be limited to a maximum length of two pages and should be attached as an appendix to the SOQ. Minimum font size shall be 10pt. Please provide eight (8) hard copies and one (1) electronic copy (CD or USB drive) of the Statement of Qualifications by February 6, 2020 at 2 pm. The City reserves the right to accept or reject any and all Statements of Qualifications. The City is an equal opportunity employer.

Delivered or hand-carried submittals must be delivered to the Engineering Department reception area on the fifth floor of Mesa City Pla a Building in a sealed package. On the submittal package, please display Firm name, pro ect number, and/or pro ect title.

Firms who wish to do business with the City of Mesa must be registered in the City of Mesa Vendor Self Service (VSS) System (http://mesaaz.gov/business/purchasing/vendor-self-service).

Questions. Questions pertaining to the Construction Manager at Risk selection process or contract issues should be directed to Donna Horn of the Engineering Department at donna.horn@mesaaz.gov.

BETH HUNING City Engineer ATTEST: DeeAnn Mickelsen City Clerk Published: East Valley Tribune, Jan. 19, 2020 / 27542

RIVERVIEW SOCCER FIELDS UTILITY RELOCATION 940 N. RIVERVIEW AUTO DRIVE, MESA AZ 85021 PROJECT NO. M99-2019-036 ADVERTISEMENT FOR BIDS NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that sealed bids will be received until Thursday, February 6, 2020, at 1:00p.m. All sealed bids will be received at Mesa City Plaza Building, Engineering Department at 20 East Main Street, 5th Floor, Mesa, Arizona; except for bids delivered 30 minutes prior to opening which will be received at the information desk, 1st floor, Main Lobby of the Mesa City Plaza Building. Any bid received after the time specified will be returned without any consideration.

This contract shall be for furnishing all labor, materials, transportation and services for the construction and/or installation of the following work: Installation of 616 linear feet of new 36-inch Sanitary Sewer piping and 602 linear feet of new 36inch Concrete Cylinder Pipe Force Main Reclaimed Water Line. The work also includes removal of existing sewer, reclaimed and stormwater lines, excavation, removal of contaminated soils, recompacting clean / reusable soils, and soil import.

The Engineer’s Estimate range is $1.00 to $2.00 million.

For all technical, contract, bid-related, or other questions, please contact Stephanie Gishey at Stephanie.Gishey@mesaaz.gov.

All project questions must be submitted by 5:00 p.m. on Monday, February 3, 2020. See Section 11 of the Project Special Provisions for more information.

Contact with City Employees. All firms interested in this project (including the firm’s employees, representatives, agents, lobbyists, attorneys, and subconsultants) will refrain, under penalty of disqualification, from direct or indirect contact for the purpose of influencing the selection or creating bias in the selection process with any person who may play a part in the selection process. This policy is intended to create a level playing field for all potential firms, to assure that contract decisions are made in public, and to protect the integrity of the selection process. All contact on this selection process should be addressed to the authorized representative identified above.

Contractors desiring to submit proposals may purchase sets of the Bid Documents from ARC Document Solutions, LLC, at https://order.e-arc.com/arcEOC/PWELL_Main.asp?mem=29. Click on “Go” for the Public Planroom to access plans. NOTE: In order to be placed on the Plan Holders List and to receive notifications and updates regarding this bid (such as addenda) during the bidding period, an order must be placed. The cost of each Bid Set will be no more than $16.00 which is non-refundable. Partial bid packages are not sold. You can view documents on-line (at no cost), order Bid Sets, and access the Plan Holders List on the website at the address listed above.

Please verify print lead time prior to arriving for pick-up. For a list of locations nearest you, go to www.e-arc.com.

One set of the Contract Documents is also available for viewing at the City of Mesa’s Engineering Department at 20 East Main Street, Mesa, AZ. Please call 480-644-2251 prior to arriving to ensure that the documents are available for viewing.

In order for the City to consider alternate products in the bidding process, please follow Arizona Revised Statutes §34.104c.

If a pre-bid review of the site has been scheduled, details can be referenced in Project Specific Provision Section #3, titled “Pre-Bid Review of Site.”

Work shall be completed within 163 consecutive calendar days, beginning with the day following the starting date specified in the Notice to Proceed.

Bids must be submitted on the Proposal Form provided and be accompanied by the Bid Bond for not less than ten percent (10%) of the total bid, payable to Union Mesa 1, LLC, or a certified or cashier's check. PERSONAL OR INDIVIDUAL SURETY BONDS ARE NOT ACCEPTABLE. Published: East Valley Tribune, Jan. 26, Feb. 2, 2020 / 27810

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Submit to ecota@timespublications.com

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30

THE SUNDAY EAST VALLEY TRIBUNE | JANUARY 26, 2020

East Valley Tribune

1620 W. Fountainhead Parkway #219 • Tempe, AZ 85282 480.898.6465 class@timespublications.com

Deadlines

The Place “To Find” Everything You Need | EastValleyTribune.com

Obituaries Mi ah

ames Medina Becerril

Passed away anuary 9, 2020. ames was only 16 years and attended Red Mountain High in Mesa Ari ona. ames was tragically taken away from us and the circumstances of this case are currently under investigation.

Need help writing an obituary?

We have articles that will help guide you through the process.

Deadline for obituaries is Wednesday at 5pm for Sunday. All obituaries will be approved by our staff prior to being activated. Be aware there may be early deadlines around holidays.

Call 480-898-6465 Mon-Fri 8:30-5 if you have questions.

Visit: obituaries.EastValleyTribune.com

H E A D STO N E S

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Make your choice Everlasting

Employ ment Employment General Creative Innovation Leader (Chandler, AZ) needed to dvlp & dsgn packaging products, collaborate with internal & external customers regarding product re mts & dsgn concepts & prepare product sketches, illustrations, drawings & computer-aided dsgns & fabricate workable models. Interested candidates should send resumes to HR, Phoenix Packaging Operations, LLC, 464 E. Chilton Dr., Chandler, AZ 85225. Ref code CIL19 in response.

Clairvoyant has openings for the following positions in Chandler, A area.

Software Engineers re s US Masters degree/foreign e uiv or Bach degree + 5 yrs experience w/ skills in 2EE, ava, ML, SQL, and Unix to analy e/dsgn/dev/implement/test systems & applics. Sr. Programmer Analyst re s US Bachelors/e uiv (3 or 4 yr degree) in Commerce/BusAdm/ST EM field to analy e/resolve/test/report on IT related pro ects using skills in EMC/MS/SQL/Excel/ ava/C. Email your resume to obs clairvoyantsoft.c om with ref 2020-19 for Software Eng 2020-20 for Sr. Prog Analyst & ref EVT ad

MISSED THE DEADLINE? Place your ad online!

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Employment General TechMileage has openings for the following positions in Scottsdale, A area.

Software Engineers res US Masters degree/foreign e uiv or Bach degree + 5 yrs experience w/ skills in ava/ script/SOAP/CSS/ Clear Case to dsgn/dev/implement/test apps/systems. Sr. Programmer Analyst re s US Bachelors/e uiv (3 or 4 yr degree) in Commerce/BusAdm/STEM field to analy e/resolve/test/report on IT related pro ects using skills in EMC/MS/SQL/Excel/ ava/C. Email resume to careers techmileage.co m with ref 2020-19 for Software Eng 2020-20 for Sr. Prog Analyst & ref EVT ad.

Now hiring anitors for office cleaning in various valley locations.

Please apply in person at ACE Building Maintenance 7020 N 55th Ave Glendale, AZ 85301.

Se solita personal para limpie a de Oficina en varias localidades del valle.

Favor de aplicar en persona a ACE Building Maintenance 7020 N 55th Ave Glendale, AZ 85301.

Employment General

Classifieds: Thursday 11am for Sunday Life Events: Thursday 10am for Sunday

Employment General

PayPal, Inc. has the following openings in Scottsdale, AZ MTS 1, Systems Administrator (Re . 18-7070) Analy e users need & build infrastructure, support & monitor & bring in efficiency for production dplymnt. Re s 8 yrs. exp.

Financial Analyst 2 (Re . 19-1902) Execute corp. audit assignments on a timely basis incl. special investigations. Re s MS(or e uiv.) OR BS(or e uiv.)+5 yrs. exp.

Must be legally authori ed to work in the U.S. without sponsorship. Mail resume w/ ref. (include Re . for position) to ATTN HR, Cube 10.3.561, PayPal, Inc. HQ, 2211 North First Street, San ose, CA 95131. EOE TIBCO Senior Developer SME Ntelicor LLC seeks a Tibco Snr Developer SME in Tempe AZ w/Bach's deg in Comp Sci, Engrg or reltd field & 5 yrs proven exp w/the following architecture, design, develop, administration, performance analysis & tuning. Exp w/TIBCO BusinessEvents 5.x (EventProcessing & decision tables), TIBCO BusinessWorks 5.x, TIBCO BusinessConnect, TIBCO EMS, TIBCO RV, TIBCO Hawk, TIBCO Administrator, SQL, SVN & TFS re 'd. Exp in complex Event Processing & Middleware Integration based solution design & implementation using TIBCO Suite of products is mandatory. Mstr's deg will sub for the above exp. Excel written & verbal skills re 'd. Send resumes to DR 5720 LB Frwy, Ste 410 Dallas Tx 75240. EOE PUBLIC NOTICE OF UPCOMING ACCREDITATION REVIEW VISIT BY THE ACEN The Carrington College wishes to announce it will host a site visit for initial accreditation of its Registered Nursing program by the Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing (ACEN).

You are invited to meet with the site visit team and share your comments about the program in person at a meeting scheduled from 4pm to 5 pm on Wednesday, anuary 29, 2020, in Room 129 of the campus located at 1001 W. Southern Ave, Suite 100, Mesa, Ari ona.

Seniors Welcome - oin Our Family Healthy Habits is a leader in the supplement industry with a proud history that spans 40 years.

Based in vibrant Scottsdale, we re looking to add a couple of family members to our customer support team in either a full-time or part-time capacity.

The environment is casual, low stress & friendly.

Generally you ll be taking customer orders & providing customer support. No outbound sales calling is re uired, & our customers relationships are the best in the business because we re fair, honest & friendly.

If you d li e to learn more about this position, please visit website at www.HealthyHabits.com/ obs/

PROMOTERS WANTED AVG. PAY $19.48 - $27.33 Large Home Improvement Company Looking For People to Work at Chandler Fashion Center, Superstition Springs Mall & Ari ona Mills Locations as well as Home Show Events to Schedule Appointments. Must be able to approach people.

GUARANTEED HOURLY PLUS COMMISSION (DEMO BONUS PLUS of sale) PAID TRAINING PART TIME & FULL TIME BENEFITS FOR FULL TIME RETIREES & COLLEGE STUDENTS WELCOME

To Set Up Interview Call, National Trainer, Steve Bloechel 480-298-3688

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COMPETITIVE PRICING AND EXPOSURE More info: 480-898-6465 or email jobposting@evtrib.com

Most jobs also appear on Indeed.com

J BS.EASTVALLEYTRIBUNE.COM

THE SUNDAY EAST VALLEY TRIBUNE | JANUARY 26, 2020

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Call Kim 480-233-2035 ran New 2019 Clayton

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31

Real Estate

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Miscellaneous For Sale FOR SALE QUALITY USED FURNITURE SOLID WOOD BED AND FRAME $350 DESK (INLAID WOOD) & OFFICE CHAIR $175 LEATHER/CLOTHC HAIR & OTTOMAN $75 BAR $175 LEATHER SECTIONAL $275 MEDIUM SIZE ROUND WOODEN TABLE $75 DINNING ROOM SET (SEATS UP TO 7) $350 LARGES STAINLESS STEEL GRILL$ $125 CUSTOM HALLWAY DECORATIVE MIRROR $125 WOODEN NIGHT STAND INTERIOR LIGHT $75 TEXT 480-495-9193 FOR PICTURES. BEST OFFERS ACCEPTED

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PROVIDING SERVICE IN THE PHOENIX EAST VALLEY & SURROUNDING AREAS WE’RE PERFECT FOR: AFTER REMODELING & CONSTRUCTION, CONSTRUCTION COMPANIES, MOVE IN/MOVE OUT

30 YEARS OF EXPERIENCE IS YOUR WARRANTY

3 HOURS 1 LADY $100 2 HOURS 2 LADIES $120 DEEP CLEANING AFTER 5 HOURS

$50

DISCOUNT ON THE NEXT HOURS

‘A+’ RATED AC REPAIR FREE ESTIMATE SAME DAY SERVICE RESIDENTIAL & SMALL BUSINESS CLEANING SPECIALISTS SINCE 2007

Bonded/Insured • ROC #289252 FROM THE UPPER 100’S

ASK US HOW YOUR $105,000 CASH INVESTMENT AND OUR SENIOR LOAN PROGRAM ENABLES QUALIFIED 62+ SENIORS MAKING THE LINKS THEIR PRIMARY RESIDENCE HAVE NO MORTGAGE PAYMENT & NO LOT RENT AS LONG AS YOU LIVE IN HOME.

Gawthorp & Associates Realty 40667 N Wedge Dr • San Tan Valley, AZ 85140

602-402-2213

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480-659-1400 Licensed & Insured

Weekly, biweekly, tri-weekly, or monthly; same talented crew each visit Flexible, customized services to meet individual needs of each client GREEN eco-friendly products used to clean and sanitize Move-in/move-out and seasonal deep cleans Small, family-owned company with GUARANTEED high quality services Always dependable, excellent references, bonded, and insured

FreeFree estimates estimatesat at 480-802-1992 480-802-1992 or or dennis@simplygrandcleaningaz.com reed@simplygrandcleaningaz.com

Honey Do List Too Long?

Check out the Handyman Section!

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32

THE SUNDAY EAST VALLEY TRIBUNE | JANUARY 26, 2020

Concrete & Masonry

Fencing/Gates

DESERT ROCK

Block Fence * Gates

CONCRETE & MASONRY

BLOCKWALL

RETAINING WALL BLOCK FENCE PLANTER BBQ

CONCRETE

FOUNDATION DRIVEWAY SIDEWALK PATIO

PAVER • CONCRETE REMOVAL • HARDSCAPE BONDED & INSURED • ROC#321648 SATISFACTION GUARANTEED! FREE ESTIMATES • 16 YEARS EXPERIENCE RESIDENTIAL CALL JOHN: 480.797.2985 COMMERCIAL

N N ears e erience r all ra in l in aintin electrical roo in and ore tan

602-789-6929 Roc #057163 Lowest Prices * 30 Yrs Exp Serving Entire Valley

Classifieds 480-898-6465

YOU’LL LIKE US - THE BEST!

SIR JOHNS CONTRACTING

➧ LANDSCAPING ➧ TREE TRIMMING & REMOVAL ➧ IRRIGATION ➧ YARD CLEAN-UP ➧ GRAVEL ➧ COMMERCIAL ➧ RESIDENTIAL LICENSED • INSURED • OVER 25 YEARS EXPERIENCE Call or Text Today for a FREE ESTIMATE

Garage/Doors

ACTION CONTRACTING INC. WE DO IT ALL! Bath & Kitchen Remodels • Drywall & Stucco Repairs Plumbing • Electrical • Can Lights Windows • Doors • Cabinets • Painting Block Fences • Wrought Iron Gates Remodeling • Additions • Patios • Tenant Improvements

Painting of All Types Interior & Exterior Cabinets Stains & Paints Over 30 Years Quality Experience

H

RAMIRO MEDINA LANDSCAPING

Carlos Medina - 602-677-3200

Home Improvement

HOME IMPROVEMENTS REMODEL& REPAIR

QUA Lice LITY ns ROC ed & B 251 ond 661 ed

Landscape Maintenance

Insured/Bonded Free Estimates

Contractors

HIG

Handyman

Contractors

Est Free ima tes A+

Handyman

josedominguez0224@gmail.com Not a licensed contractor.

LLC

• Drywall Repair • Bathroom Remodeling • Home Renovations

• Electrical Repair • Plumbing Repair • Dry rot and termite damage repair

-

LIC/BONDED/INSURED Res/Comm’l ROC#218802

L L C

Prepare for Winter Season!

LANDSCAPING, TREES & MAINTENANCE

Tree Trimming • Tree Removal Stump Grinding Storm Damage • Bushes/Shrubs Yard Clean-up Commercial and Residential PMB 435 • 2733 N. Power Rd. • Suite 102 • Mesa dennis@allprotrees.com

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Why re-do when you can RE-NEW? YOUR #1 CABINET REFACING COMPANY IN THE VALLEY

GENERAL CONTRACTOR / HANDYMAN SERVICES SERVING THE ENTIRE VALLEY

All Estimates are Free • Call:

520.508.1420

www.husbands2go.com

Marks Services the Spot for ALL Your Handyman Needs!

Licensed, Bonded & Insured • ROC#317949 Electrical Marks the Spot for ALL•Your Handyman Needs!

Painting Flooring • Electrical Ask me about FREE water testing!

Painting • Flooring • Electrical Plumbing • Drywall • Carpentry HONESTY • INTEGRITY • QUALITY Marks the Spot for ALL Plumbing • Decks Drywall • Carpentry • Tile • More!

Marks the Spot for ALL Your Handyman Needs!

Your Handyman Needs!

Decks • Tile • More!

Painting • Flooring • Electrical • Panel MarksChanges the Spot for ALL Your Handyman Needs! • Drywall • Carpentry Plumbing Painting • Flooring • Electrical • Plumbing andPainting Repairs • Flooring Marks the Spot for ALL Your Handyman • Electrical • Tile More! Needs!

DrywallDecks • Carpentry • •Decks • Tile • More!

• Installation of • Drywall Plumbing • Carpentry Painting • Flooring • Electrical • More!

Ceiling FansDecks • Tile “No Job Too Plumbing • Drywall • Carpentry Too Man!” • Switches/Outlets “No JobSmall Decks • Tile • More! “No Job Too Small Man!” Small Man!” - Ahw Resident Since 1987 - • Home Remodel rk Since 1999 Affordable, Quality Wo 1999 ce Sin rk Wo y Affordable, Qualit

78

S E R V I C E

Home Improvement

House Painting, Drywall, Reliable, Dependable, Honest!

480.266.4589

19

Your Ad can go ONLINE ANY Day! Call to place your ad online!!

Classifieds 480-898-6465

Drywall

QUICK RESPONSE TO YOUR CALL! 15 Years Experience • Free Estimates

I -S

E NC

aaaActionContractingInc.com

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4960 S. Gilbert Rd. Suite #1 Unit #260 John McMillan-Owner Chandler, AZ 85249 sirjohn53@gmail.com

JOSE DOMINGUEZ DRYWALL & PAINTING

East Valley 480-833-7353

ALL Pro

T R E E

“No Job Too

Work Sinc Quality le,Small 2010, 2011 Affordab Man!” ALL RESIDENTIAL & 2012, 2013, 2010, 2011 “No Job 2014 Call Bruce at 602.670.7038 Call Bruce at 602.670.7038 2012,92013, e 199 Resident/ References/ Insured/ Not a LicensedToo Contractor “No Man!” Job Too Work SincAhwatukee Small QualityContractor 2014 Ahwatukee References/ELECTRICAL Insured/ Notle,a Licensed Affordab CallCOMMERCIAL BruceResident/ at 602.670.7038 Small Man!” Ahwatukee Resident/ References/ Insured/ Not a Licensed Contractor Call Bruce at 602.670.7038 Call Jim Endres 480.282.7932 Ahwatukee Resident/ References/ Insured/ Not a Licensed Contractor Call Bruce at 602.670.7038 9

AT ANY WE WILL BE TIMATE! S WRITTEN E FR E E

Es In-Home

timates

-3121 480-361 om

inets.c Re-NewCab

e 1999

2010, 2011 2012, 2013, 2014

2010, 2011 2010, 2011 2012, 2013, 2012, 2013, 2014 2014

rk Since 199

Quality Wo Affordable,Ahwatukee Over 28 Years Experience • ROC #246019 Bonded/Insured 2010, 2011 Resident/ References/ Insured/ Not a Licensed Contractor

Call Bruce at 602.670.7038

Ahwatukee Resident/ References/ Insured/ Not a Licensed Contractor

2012, 2013, 2014

Visit Our Showroom!

6503 W Frye Rd, Suite 1 Chandler, AZ 85228

Licensed, Bonded, Insured - ROC#293053

THE SUNDAY EAST VALLEY TRIBUNE | JANUARY 26, 2020

33

Landscape Maintenance

Irrigation Repair Services Inc. Licensed • Bonded • Insured Technician

Specializing in Controllers, Valves, Sprinklers, Landscape Lighting, P.V.C. & Poly Drip Systems

Painting

Painting

HOME IMPROVEMENT & PAINTING

Jose Dominguez Painting & Drywall SEE OUR AD IN DRYWALL! Quick Response to your Call!

15 Years Exp 480-266-4589

Interior/Exterior Painting 30 YEARS EXPERIENCE

Pool Service / Repair

Not a licensed contractor

Dunn Edwards Quality Paint Small Stucco/Drywall Repairs

Call Lance White

We Are State Licensed and Reliable!

480.721.4146

480-338-4011

ROC# 256752

Affinity Plumbing LLC 480-487-5541 affinityplumber@gmail.com

Your Ahwatukee Plumber & East Valley Neighbor Anything Plumbing Same Day Service

Paint Interior & Exterior • Drywall Repair Light Carpentry • Power Washing • Textures Matched Popcorn Removal • Pool Deck Coatings Garage Floor Coatings • Color Consulting

Water Heaters

24/7

Inside & Out Leaks

Bonded

Toilets

Insured

Faucets

Estimates Availabler

$35 off

Any Service

480-688-4770

Now Accepting all major credit cards

ACID WASH SPECIALIST  PUMPS  MOTORS  WEEKLY SERVICE  FILTER CLEANING  DRAINING  GREEN POOL CLEANUP  INSPECTIONS  OWNER OPERATED 

ACCREDITED BUSINESS ®

Not a licensed contractor

See MORE Ads Online!

www.eastvalleypainters.com Bonded/Insured • ROC#153131

CDM

Disposals

Free Estimates!

Home of the 10-Year Warranty!

Family Owned & Operated

Lic’d, Bonded • ROC #235771 • ROC #235770

POOL SERVICE & REPAIR

Voted #1

10% OFF

Please recycle me.

602-505-8066 Cell

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We Beat Competitors Prices & Quality

Your newspaper.

Your community.

Your planet.

Pebble • White Plaster • New Pool Builds Tile • Deck • Pump & Filters

Se Habla Espanõl

ROC#309706

East Valley PAINTERS

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All Complete Pool Renovations FREE Estimates • BEST Prices

Plumbing

Free Estimates • Senior Discounts

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AE &Sons Pool Plaster Company

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Plumbing

CALL OR TEXT CLAY FOR FREE ESTIMATES

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Plumbing

PlumbSmart Plumbing Heating & Air

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We are A+ Rated by the BBB and stand behind our work with a Lifetime Warranty. Call us for the BEST SERVICE and PRICES in the East Valley!

Call 480-868-6722 ROC 316690

Thank you Mesa for Voting us #1

Experience, Service and Price

Find out why our customers become customers for life! Over 700 five-star Google reviews!

FREE ESTIMATES

ItsJustPlumbSmart.com

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34

THE SUNDAY EAST VALLEY TRIBUNE | JANUARY 26, 2020

Remodeling

Pool Service / Repair

APPEARANCE

General Contacting, Inc.

Professional service since 1995

Licensed • Bonded • Insured • ROC118198

Pavers • Concrete • Water Features • Sprinkler Repair

Window Cleaning

One Call, We Do It All! 602-339-4766

PPebbleOcracking, O L Plaster R Epeeling, P ARebar IR

$100 - One Story $140 - Two Story

Owner Does All Work

showing, Pool Light out? I CAN HELP!

FALL SPECIAL! $500 OFF COMPLETE REMODEL! 25 Years Experience • Dependable & Reliable

480-720-3840 Not a licensed contractor.

• All Flooring • Wood • Tile • Carpet • Welding • Gates & Fences • Tractor Services • Repairs

Includes in & out up to 30 Panes Sun Screens Cleaned $3 each Attention to detail and tidy in your home.

(480) 584-1643

Free Estimates with Pride & Prompt Service!

Your leaks stop here!

Roofing

New Roofs, Repairs, Coatings, Flat Roof, Hot Mopping & Patching & Total Rubber Roof Systems

FREE ESTIMATES & MONSOON SPECIALS

Roofing

PHILLIPS ROOFING LLC Member of ABM

Licensed • Bonded • Insured

SAME DAY SERVICE Tiles, shingles, flat, repairs & new work Free Estimates • Ahwatukee Resident Over 30 yrs. Experience

480-706-1453

Licensed/Bonded/Insured • ROC #236099

Bonded & Insured

LLC

Call Juan at

• Drywall • Roofing Repairs • Painting • All Plumbing • All Electrical • Concrete • Block • Stucco • Stack Stone

• All Remodeling • Additions • Kitchen • Bath • Patio Covers • Garage • Sheds • Windows • Doors

COUNTS

Juan Hernandez

Window Cleaning

Roofing

ROC 223367

Valleywide

CR 42 DUAL

623-873-1626

30 Years Experience References Available

All employees verified Free estimates on all roofs 36 Years experience in AZ Licensed contractor since 2006

Licensed Bonded Insured ROC 286561

Senior & Military Discounts

480-280-0390

Plumbing

Your Ad can go ONLINE ANY Day! Call to place your ad online!!

Classifieds 480-898-6465

phillipsroofingaz.com phillipsroofing@cox.net

Roofing

What we do…

• Employees Background Checked • Up-Front Pricing • Tankless Water Heaters • Tank Water Heaters • Fixture Replacements

• Plumbing & Drain Repairs • Water Treatment • Best Warranties • Fully Stocked Vans • Fix It Or It’s Free Guarantee

Drain Specialists…

• FREE Camera Inspection With Every Drain Cleared • Hydrojetting

$45 off Any service call With service performed

Financing Available

• Pipe Relining • Clean Out Installation • Sewer Repair/Replacement • Pipe Bursting

*$69 drain good Monday thru Friday during normal business hours and not combined with any other offers.

480-281-7564

The Most Detailed Roofer in the State

TK

®

Tim KLINE Roofing, LLC Roofs Done Right...The FIRST Time!

15-Year Workmanship Warranty on All Complete Roof Systems

www.timklineroofing.com

480-357-2463

FREE Estim a and written te proposal

R.O.C. #156979 K-42 • Licensed, Bonded and Insured

THE SUNDAY EAST VALLEY TRIBUNE | JANUARY 26, 2020

Public Notices

Homes For Rent

Notice of Public Meeting Town of Gilbert FY 2020-2025 Consolidated Plan & Annual Action Plan Public Meeting The Town of Gilbert will host a public meeting for Gilbert’s 2020-2025 CDBG/HOME Consolidated Plan and 2020 Annual Action Plan.

The public meeting is available to allow public input on meeting the needs and priorities of the community.

The 2020-2025 Consolidated Plan (CP) and Annual Action Plan (AAP) is required by the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) in order to receive federal funds under the Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) program and HOME Investment Partnership Funds.

Anticipated resources, eligible range of activities, and needs will be outlined to be included in the five year and annual action plan (AAP). Focus areas will be on housing, community development and other programs designed to improve the quality of life for low and moderate income Gilbert Residents.

Public Meeting Thursday, February 5, 2020 5:30 - 6:30 p.m.

Heritage Center 132 W Bruce Ave Gilbert, Arizona 85233 Persons with disabilities or requesting information in other languages are encouraged to contact Melanie Dykstra at 480-503-6956, AZ Relay 711 or melanie.dykstra@ gilbertaz.gov to request information in an alternate format or language.

To the extent possible, additional reasonable accommodations will be made within the time constraints of the request.

Published: Gilbert Sun News, January 26,2020 / 27xxx

PUBLIC NOTICE The City of Chandler Housing and Redevelopment is re uesting comments on the proposed 2020-2025 Five-Year Plan and 2020 Annual Plan prepared for the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development. The plans are comprehensive guides to the policies, programs, operations, and strategies for meeting local housing needs and goals. The plans are available for review at the Housing Office located at 235 S. Ari ona Ave., Chandler, AZ, 85225, Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., and on our website chandlera .gov/affordablehousing from an. 27, 2020 to March 12, 2020. A Public Hearing will be held at the Housing and Redevelopment Office on Feb. 12, 2020 at 6 p.m., located at 235 S. Ari ona Ave., Chandler, AZ, 85225.

Written comments must be addressed to Annual and Five-Year Plans at the address above and must be received by March 12, 2020 at 5 p.m. For more information, please contact Amy acobson at 480-782-3200. Persons with disabilities re uiring assistance or alternative forms can contact the Housing Office at 480-782-3211 or the Ari ona Relay Service at 800-367-8939 or TTY 7-1-1, TTY English 800-367-8939, or Espa ol 800-842-2088, or email chandler.housing chandlera .gov.

AVISO P BLICO La Divisi n de Vivienda y Redesarrollo de la Ciudad de Chandler est solicitando comentarios sobre el Plan a Cinco A os 2020-2025 y el Plan Anual 2020 propuestos, preparados por el Departamento de Vivienda y Desarrollo Urbano de los Estados Unidos. Los planes son gu as completas a las normas, los programas, las operaciones, y las estrategias para satisfacer las necesidades y las metas locales de vivienda. Los planes est n disponibles para su revisi n en la Oficina de Vivienda ubicada en 235 S. Arizona Ave., Chandler, AZ, 85225, de lunes a viernes de 8 a.m. a 5 p.m., y en nuestro sitio web chandleraz.gov/affordablehousing del 27 de enero de 2020 al 12 de marzo de 2020. El 12 de febrero de 2020 se llevar a cabo una audiencia p blica a las 6 p.m., en la Oficina de Vivienda y Redesarrollo ubicada en 235 S. Arizona Ave., Chandler, AZ, 85225. Los comentarios por escrito se deben dirigir a “Annual and Five-Year Plans”, enviarse al domicilio mencionado previamente, y deben ser recibidos a m s tardar a las 5 p.m. del 12 de marzo de 2020. Para m s informaci n, por favor llame a Amy Jacobson al 480-782-3200. Las personas con discapacidades que requieran asistencia o formas alternas se pueden comunicar con la Oficina de Vivienda llamando al 480-782-3211 por medio del Servicio de Relevo de Arizona al 1-800367-8939 TTY al 7-1-1, TTY en ingl s al 1-800-3678939, en espa ol al 1-800-842-2088, escribiendo una nota electr nica a chandler.housing@chandleraz.gov.

Published: East Valley Tribune, January 26, 2020 / 27824

MISSED THE DEADLINE? Call us to place your ad online!

480-898-6465

35

Public Notices

Public Notices

CARE AND PROTECTION, TERMINATION OF PARENTAL RIGHTS, SUMMONS BY PUBLICATION, DOC ET NUMBER 19CP0008HO, Trial Court of Massachusetts, Juvenile Court Department, COMMONWEALTH OF MASSACHUSETTS, Hampden County Juvenile Court, Holyoke Division, 121 Elm St., Holyoke, MA 01040 TO: Jesus Gonzalez or the father of Joilyn Aida Gonzalez born on 11/15/2011 to April Danielle Richard in Northampton, MA: A petition has been presented to this court by DCF Holyoke, seeking as to the following child: Joilyn Gonzalez, that said child be found in need of care and protection and committed to the Department of Children and Families. The court may dispense the rights of the person(s) named herein to receive notice of or to consent to any legal proceeding affecting the adoption, custody, or guardianship or any other disposition of the child named herein, if it finds that the child is in need of care and protection and that the best interests of the child would be served by said disposition.

You are hereby ORDERED to appear in this court, at the court address set forth above, on the following date and time: 02/24/2020 at 9:00 AM Other Hearing.

You may bring an attorney with you. If you have a right to an attorney and if the court determines that you are indigent, the court will appoint an attorney to represent you.

If you fail to appear, the court may proceed on that date and any date thereafter with a trial on the merits of the petition and an adjudication of this matter.

For further information call the Office of the Clerk-Magistrate at 413-322-6700 WITNESS: Hon. Lois M. Eaton, FIRST JUSTICE, DATE ISSUED: 01/14/2020, Donald P. Whitney, ClerkMagistrate Published: East Valley Tribune, Jan, 26, Feb 2, 9, 2020 / 27628

Notice of Categorical E clusion For the Town of Queen Creek Encanterra Reclaimed Water Exchange Agreement The Water Infrastructure Finance Authority of Arizona (WIFA) has received a request for financial assistance from the Town of Queen Creek to purchase/exchange effluent from the Trilogy at Encanterra community for recharge that would enhance the sustainability of water for Queen Creek and provide quality water to the community.

WIFA staff analysis concluded that this project qualifies for a CATEGORICAL E CLUSION following the requirements of A.A.C. R18-15-106, as amended.

The proposed project will not impact the environment either by itself or in combination with other projects, and the environmental information provided has met statutory intent of the WIFA’s environmental review requirements.

CW-007-2020 Encanterra Reclaimed Water Exchange Agreement 22350 S. Ellsworth Rd, Queen Creek, AZ 85142-9311 Documentation regarding the proposed project is available for review at WIFA, 100 N. 7th Avenue, Suite 130, Phoenix, Arizona 85007.

WIFA complies with the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990. Alternative formats for the project documentation are available upon request. Please contact Samantha Lemke, Environmental Program Specialist, (602) 364-1326 for any requests or inquiries.

Published: East Valley Tribune, Jan. 26, 2020 / 27707

Public Notices Notice of A aila ility of a Draft En ironmental Assessment for the Pro osed SkyBridge AZ Business Park at Phoeni -Mesa Gateway Air ort Pursuant to Title 49, United States Code, Section 47106(c)(1)(A), notice is hereby given that the Phoenix-Mesa Gateway Airport Authority (PMGAA) proposes to seek Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) approval of the Airport Layout Plan for the Phoenix-Mesa Gateway Airport for the proposed SkyBridge AZ Business Park project. FAA will also approve the proposed taxilane, ramp, and hangar uses. The proposed project is a mixed-use development that includes a joint United States (U.S.)-Mexico Customs inspection facility and air cargo hub and consists of both aeronautical and non-aeronautical land uses. Anticipated businesses include air cargo, aerospace and auto parts, food processing (dry goods and refrigerated products), e-commerce, office/research and development (R D), retail, and a hotel. A Draft Environmental Assessment (EA) has been prepared to evaluate the potential environmental impacts of the proposed action and has been prepared pursuant to the requirements of Section 102(2)(c) of the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), and Section 509(b)(5) of the Airport and Airway Improvement Act of 1982, as amended. The FAA is the Lead Agency to ensure compliance with NEPA for airport development actions. The Draft EA was prepared in accordance with FAA Order 1050.1F, Environmental Impacts: Policies and Procedures and FAA Order 5050.4B, National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) Implementing Instructions for Airport Actions. Pursuant to the federal Clean Water Act, Clean Air Act, the National Historic Preservation Act, and the Department of Transportation Act, the Draft EA includes an analysis of prudent or feasible alternatives, potential impacts, and mitigation measures, as appropriate.

Beginning January 27, 2020, a copy of the Draft EA will be available for review at http://www.gatewayairport.com or at the following locations during normal business hours through February 25, 2020: Phoenix-Mesa Gateway Airport Authority, 5835 S. Sossaman Road, Mesa AZ 95212-0919 FAA Phoenix Airports District Office, 3800 N. Central Avenue, Suite 1025, Phoenix, AZ 85012 Mesa Main Library, 64 E. 1st Street, Mesa, AZ 85201 Southeast Regional Library, 775 N. Greenfield Road, Gilbert, AZ 85234 Queen Creek Library, 21802 S. Ellsworth Road, Queen Creek, AZ 85142 Any written comments on the Draft EA should be submitted to the following address: Mr. Carl D’Acosta, Environmental and Safety Coordinator Phoenix-Mesa Gateway Airport Authority 5835 S. Sossaman Road Mesa, AZ 85212-0919 cdacosta@gatewayairport.com The cutoff date for comment submission is not later than 5:00 PM Mountain Standard Time, February 25, 2020.

Please allow enough time for mailing. All comments must be received by the deadline, not simply postmarked by that date. Before including your name and telephone number, email, or other personal identifying information in your comment, be advised that your entire comment - including your personal identifying information - may be made publicly available at any time. While you can ask FAA in your comment to withhold from public review your personal identifying information, FAA cannot guarantee that it will be able to do so.

Published: East Valley Tribune, Jan. 26, 2020 / 27756

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THE SUNDAY EAST VALLEY TRIBUNE | JANUARY 26, 2020