5,000 YEARS OF CIVILIZATION REBORN
Tucson • Phoenix • Mesa
FEB 22–MAR 15
THE VOICE OF THE EAST VALLEY SINCE 1891 AND WINNER OF THE PULITZER PRIZE FOR LOCAL REPORTING
A journey through 5,000 years
“It is breathtaking! I am walking away deeply inspired and profoundly moved!” —Rita Cosby, Emmy Award-winning journalist
“The energy, the precision, the beauty... I’m just overwhelmed. It’s so beautiful!” —John Anthony, retired judge
“ I’ve reviewed about 4,000 shows. None can compare to what I saw tonight.” ALL-NEW PROGRAM WITH LIVE ORCHESTRA
Early Purchase Special Code: Early20 Get best seats & waive fees by 11/30/2019
—Richard Connema, theater critic
FEB 22–23
MAR 3–8
MAR 12–15
Tucson Music Hall Phoenix Orpheum Theatre Mesa Arts Center
Tickets
ShenYun.com/AZ 800-880-0188
800.880.0188 ShenYun.com/AZ
SHEN YUN presents an epic production that expands the theatrical experience across time and space. We invite you on an inspiring journey into one of humanity's greatest treasures—five millennia of Chinese civilization. Featuring one of the world’s oldest art forms—classical Chinese dance—along with patented interactive backdrops and all-original orchestral compositions, Shen Yun brings to life ancient China’s enchanting beauty and profound wisdom.
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FREE ($1 OUTSIDE THE EAST VALLEY) | EastValleyTribune.com
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Sunday, October 20, 2019
12 painful weeks later, Mesa boy returns to school BY JORDAN HOUSTON Tribune Staff Writer
S
cott McKenzie’s life changed forever on July 20. The 11-year-old Mesa boy, described by his parents as curious and active, was watching his dad repair a neighbor’s truck fuel tank in their driveway. Scott made his way to the back of the truck when things went awry. “We were �inishing up and there were some fuel vapors that leaked out of the tank and were in the back of the truck,” said Charlie, Scott’s father. “When you weld, it creates heat,” he continued. “There was immediately a �lash �lame and it exploded the tank – it happened so quickly.” In a matter of seconds, Scott’s clothes were on �ire and his hair was gone. “I remember in the ambulance I felt super cold and I was terri�ied,” Scott recalled. “I thought my face was going to be weird.” It wasn’t until staff at the Arizona Burn Center told Charlie and his wife Sandee their son needed to be sedated for several weeks, they realized the severity of his injuries. Scott was suffering from third- and seconddegree burns – which require medical atten-
Twelve weeks after he was horribly burned, 11-year-old Scott McKenzie of Mesa returned to school and during a “re-entry ceremony” at Hermosa Vista Elementary, he got a knowing hug from Robert Gibson, a burn victim himself who now helps young burn victims get readjusted to normal life after prolonged hospital stays. (Pablo Robles/Tribune Staff Photographer)
tion and skin grafts – on 50 percent of his body. Forty-two miraculous days later, Scott was back at home. Last week, he was ready to head to school. Scott joined his �ifth-grade class on Oct. 14
at Hermosa Vista Elementary School for a “reentry ceremony.” The entire grade sat on the media center
least $66 million and whose construction will wreak havoc on traf�ic in its path, no matter which route is chosen. But long-term, “we will recover that $60 million. This is an investment in our next bucket of water,’’ Brady said. Mesa would be building a pipe system to deliver treated ef�luent from the Northwest Mesa plant to a hookup with the Gila River Indian Community’s pipeline near Baseline and Recker roads. A map shown during at least two Mesa City Council study sessions plots the pipeline heading south along Val Vista Drive until it takes a sharp turn and heads east along Baseline Road. Jake West, Mesa’s water resources director, said of�icials will study the issue for at least a
year before determining the best alignment. Selecting the best route is more complicated than it might seem, he said, because of the need to negotiate the labyrinth of underground utilities and other potential obstacles. “This is just an illustration. We have no idea where the alignment is,’’ West said. “We’re just in the beginning of an alignment study to make it as successful and economically done as possible.’’ The route’s eventual selection will help city of�icials �ine-tune the projected cost. But West is convinced the pipeline is absolutely necessary to assure the city’s long-term needs.
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City envisions a $66M pipe as a lifeline to SE Mesa
BY JIM WALSH Tribune Staff Writer
A
deal with the Gila River Indian Community could deliver billions of gallons of drinking water to southeast Mesa, fueling the area’s development in exchange for billions of gallons in ef�luent. “It’s our next pocket of water,’’ City Manager Chris Brady said. “It’s going to be our lifeline for the future expansion of southeast Mesa.’’ While the deal would help both parties – with the Native American community receiving water for irrigating crops and Mesa receiving drinking water at a cut-rate price – there is a catch. It’s an eight-to-10-mile pipeline, costing at
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