Affordable home crisis looms over Mesa
BY GARY NELSON Tribune Contributor
Asea of challenges awaits Mesa as it seeks to guide the development of its housing stock over the next decade.
Primarily, according to a report prepared by a prominent Valley economist, Mesa faces a growing need for low-cost housing as a hefty portion of its population struggles with low incomes.
The city is gathering data and public feedback for its next housing master plan, which will go to the City Council in early 2019. The document will serve as Mesa’s framework for evaluating proposed housing projects across all income spectrums.
The new policies will be guided in large part by an extensive study of Mesa’s economic and housing conditions conducted by Elliott D. Pollack & Co., a leading Arizona economic analysis firm.
One headline from the study: Based on population projections, Mesa needs an average of
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Rockin’ no more: Mesa theater rides into sunset
BY JASON STONE Staff Writer
Local dinner theater fans were sad to learn that the nearly 35-year-old Rockin’ R Ranch in Mesa would be serving its last meal and performing its final songs over the weekend.
But the reason the 1800s-themed, Old West theater on Baseline Road between Higley and Power roads closed up shop yesterday, Dec. 1, has more to do with the future than Arizona’s past.
“We love what we do, but our real business is changing,” said Joe Robson, the founder of the dinner theater and patriarch of a family of singing entertainers.
The “real business” Robson is talking about is
(Photo by Jason Stone)
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More Arizona babies being smothered, report finds
BY JIM WALSH Tribune Staff Writer
Few events in life are sadder or more tragic than the death of a child, whether the cause is accidental suffocation while sleeping, a drowning, suicide or homicide.
Worse yet, a new report found that 337 of 806 child deaths in Arizona during 2017 – 42 percent – were preventable, with improper sleeping conditions alone claiming the lives of 83 children who were smothered.
The report also spotlights other preventable sources of childhood deaths, citing spikes in suicide and drownings as well as accidental tragedies that occur when children gain access to unsecured firearms.
Among the tragic highlights:
Firearms deaths increased from 36 to 43, with 88 percent ruled suicides or homicides and 63 percent occurring in the child’s home.
Substance abuse claimed the lives of 136 children younger than 18 and mostly 15-17.
Motor-vehicle related deaths fell 8 percent, from 71 in 2016 to 65 in 2017.
The Arizona Child Fatality Review Program’s 2017 report found that many of these SIDS deaths were attributable to a parent sleeping with a child or children sleeping together.
These deaths can be prevented by following “the ABCs of Sleep,’’ a relatively simple series of preventative measures that include infants sleeping alone, on their backs instead of on their side or stomach, and in a crib, the report noted, advising against having loose bedding nearby.
“It’s just a simple, simple thing,’’ said Dr. Russell Horton, a pediatrician for Banner Health. “You go to sleep, thinking everything is fine, and you wake up to a tragedy.’’
Suffocation deaths are classified as Sud-
den Infant Death Syndrome.
Although SIDS deaths in Arizona increased between 2016 and 2017, U.S Centers for Disease Control statistics show a sharp drop in sleeping-related deaths among children less than a year old since the prevention programs were adopted in the early 1990s.
Horton said hospitals typically instruct new parents about safe sleeping precautions.
The report also amplified a trend noted by education consultant Katey McPherson and counselors with behavioral health agencies – a disturbing 32 percent increase in suicides statewide, with 38 in 2016 and 50 in 2017.
The report found that 76 percent of suicide deaths involved boys and 24 percent involved girls. Experts say girls are much more likely to attempt suicide than boys as a cry for help and to tell others about their emotional struggles, while boys are more likely to act on the impulse to take their lives.
The most common risk factors cited by the report for suicides by children were a history of family discord at 20 percent, followed by a recent break-up in a relationship at 18 percent, an argument with a parent at 16 percent and a history of substance abuse at 14 percent.
“In 2017 the state of Arizona was at a total of 50 children loss by suicide and the youngest being 10 years old. It’s heartbreaking to read this for it is reported, and advocates in the valley are constantly screaming this is “preventable,” said Natalia Chimbo-Andrade, director of community education and outreach for Community Bridges, an East Valley behavioral health agency.
“This is a clear indication our youth need true connection, and resilience more than ever,’’ she added.
Chimbo-Andrade recommends that parents develop a meaningful relationship
with teenagers.
“Our state should not be in denial or choose to ignore this rising concern with our youth. There is good work being done with various agencies and organizations, but without the support of the entire community and the entire state. The work that is taking place is a life preserver in a river full of kids who are barley holding their heads above water,’’ ChimboAndrade wrote in an email.
Experts say suicide is traditionally under-reported, with deaths often attributed to other causes and many people trying to avoid the stigma attached to the topic.
“It’s a bigger problem than we realize,’’ Horton said. “We need more access’’ to behavioral health services. “Insurance doesn’t cover behavioral health well.’’
Horton said more early intervention is required to keep behavioral health issues from worsening to the point that suicide is perceived as an option by a troubled teen. He said teens should never feel that it is shameful to talk about their problems.
The escalating number of suicides –which mostly claimed the lives of teenagers – eclipsed another chronic tragedy, drownings, which also recorded a disturbing increase.
Child drownings to 35 from 27 in 2016, according to the report. That amounts to a 30 percent increase, with a corresponding increase in the number of drownings per 100,000 residents. The morality rate rose to 21 percent from 1.7, after a steady decline that started in 2014.
“Vigilance in promoting protective factors must continue as drowning fatalities in Arizona begin to climb,’’ the report concludes.
“Lack of supervision and access to water are the leading risk factors in drowning deaths, so prevention efforts need to continue to promote proper supervision of young children around water,’’ the report said.
Church’s ‘Giving Machine’ a special way to help
BY CECILIA CHAN Tribune Staff Writer
Barbara Payne inserted her credit card into a giant red vending machine and punched some numbers.
For $75, the Gilbert resident bought a goat that will go to someone in need in another country.
“I think it’s an incredible opportunity for people to pour out their heart and
be generous and show their gratitude for what they have,” she said. “I’ll come back and contribute to local groups.”
Payne was the first person to use one of two “Giving Machines” unveiled last Thursday by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints at Water Town Plaza. Gilbert is one of only five locations in the world that will have the machines now through Dec. 31. The others are in New York, Salt Lake City, London and Manila.
The church chose four Valley charities that will benefit from the donations – A New Leaf, Helen’s Hope Chest, St. Mary’s Food Bank Alliance and United Food Bank. Global charity partners include CARE, UNICEF, WaterAid and Water for People.
The machines are part of the church’s Light the World campaign the church holds each Christmas season. It asks
City’s private firm bid angers Dobson Ranch golfers
BY JIM WALSH Tribune Staff Writer
For 44 years, Mesa’s Dobson Ranch has been a venerable East Valley institution, a tree-lined oasis in the desert for golfers seeking affordable rates, good playing conditions and shade on a hot summer day.
The presidents of two men’s clubs that form the backbone of Dobson Ranch’s loyal, middle-class clientele couldn’t be happier with its condition and the comradery it inspires.
But while the highly-rated municipal golf course is still popular, it is also aging.
Now, Mesa parks officials put out a request for proposals – which they call a trial balloon – to see if a golf course management company would be willing to invest in capital improvements in return for a long-term contract.
Parks Director Marc Heirshberg considers it his obligation to Mesa taxpayers to see if a private golf company would be willing to pay for improvements – such as a new irrigation system, new cart paths or a new perimeter fence separating the course from the all too cozy nearby neighborhood, where stray golf balls often fly into backyards.
In the past, the city has managed and maintained the golf course, while a contractor has operated the pro shop and other concessions, including Dobson’s Restaurant.
Under the request for proposals, all elements of the course would be turned over to a private company while the city would maintain control over certain aspects – including final authority over rates.
But longtime golfers such as men’s club members Tom Anderson and Brad Evans want Dobson Ranch to remain as is and consider the possibility of an outside contractor a threat.
Evans is concerned that a private contractor might raise rates to compensate for the cost of its capital investment.
“The biggest fear is that someone will invest some money and make it unaffordable for our membership,’’ said Evans, president of the Dobson Ranch Golf Association, a men’s club with about 275 members. “If someone would do that and charge $80 to $100 (per round), it would devastate our members.’’
Anderson, president of the Fifty’s Club, said that he and many other members have been playing the course for 30 to 40 years, forming lifelong friendships that are so strong that golfers who have moved to other cities – including Queen Creek, Gil-
bert and Scottsdale – are willing to drive long distances to Dobson Ranch for tournaments.
“We don’t want anything new. We like it just the way it is,’’ Anderson said. “We eat this course up. It’s the environment. It’s a community and a family.’’
He said that anytime he walks into Dobson’s Restaurant, there’s a 95 percent chance that he will run into someone he knows and enjoy a friendly conversation.
A group of senior citizens were playing cards and other games at Dobson’s on a recent afternoon, enjoying a homey and no-frills ambience.
The request for proposals created a buzz at a recent tournament that fielded 124 players, Anderson said.
“To a man, not one person wanted anything to change,’’ Anderson said.
In an attempt to find a qualified operator with a vision for maintaining Dobson’s legacy, the city issued the request for proposals on Nov. 8. The bid period ends Dec. 18.
“We are looking for an opportunity to
make it better,” Heirshberg said. “We are looking for a partnership.’’
He said the current 10-year contract with MJ Golf, which operates the pro shop and Dobson’s restaurant, expires next May.
Noting that Dobson still generated 62,576 rounds of golf in 2018, Heirshberg said he considers the it a major asset to Mesa’s recreational offerings.
But he also said it also needs some tender loving care.
The Dobson Ranch Golf Course has a rich history that is closely associated with the Dobson Ranch master-planned community, the home of 30,000 residents in southwest Mesa.
The golf course opened in 1974, after it was donated to the city by Continental Homes, which built it as an amenity for homeowners and the public.
Continental bought a 2,600-acre cattle ranch in 1971 from rancher Cliff Dobson as a site for the master planned community and golf course. Dobson’s Restaurant was built in the early 1950s originally as the Dobson family’s home.
Municipal courses require heavy play to keep rates low, which usually lead to slow rounds – a fact of life at Dobson in the winter.
But the $44 greens fee, compared with $150 or more at a top privately-owned course, creates steady demand.
Dobson generated 58,631 rounds in 2017, 61,066 in 2016 and 68,362 in 2015, according to the request for proposals. It also generated about $3.2 million in revenue each year in 2015-2017.
“That’s a gem. You are talking about 145 acres of green space,’’ Heirshberg said. “It’s like a Midwestern golf course in the middle of the desert.’’
Although the city has been satisfied with MJ Golf as a concessionaire, the request for proposals tacks on many significant additional responsibilities, including maintenance and capital improvements to upgrade the facility, he said.
“The City of Mesa expects Dobson Ranch Golf Course…to offer at a minimum, excellent daily playing conditions at an affordable price and accessible to players of all age and skill level,” the request for proposal states. “The City values proposals which maintain and enhance current offerings in a manner that current customers have come to expect.”
Heirshberg said he has no cost estimate on what it would take to renovate the Dobson Ranch course. He said all bidders would be carefully scrutinized to make sure they can deliver on their promises while preserving the course’s legacy.
“This is a whole new approach for the city of Mesa. We’re not sure what we’re going to get,’’ Heirshberg said. “That’s what we’re hoping, that there is an operator willing to make the investment.’’
The agreement does not specify whether the city would share in the cost.
But Anderson and Evans said the need for capital improvements at Dobson Ranch has been over-stated.
They say the irrigation system and cart paths can be repaired. They added that golfers appreciate the low rates and realize they can’t expect the resort experience offered by private courses.
“It’s repair stuff. It’s not huge capital improvements,’’ Anderson said.
He said longtime golfers are apprehensive because a past effort by the city to turn over Dobson’s Restaurant to a major sports catering company ended in failure.
“They put out a fact sheet with all the accolades this course has received,’’ Anderson said. “So, what the hell problem are they trying to solve?”
(Kimberly Carrillo/Tribune Staff Photographer)
Tom Anderson, the president of one of two golfers clubs at Dobson Ranch Golf Course questions the city’s consideration of handing over management of the popular course to a private company. He and many golfers worry that it will lead to big increases in fees, which are now affordable.
(Kimberly Carrillo/Tribune Staff Photographer)
The Dobson Ranch Golf Course is a popular playground for duffers throughout the Valley who are drawn by its low fees and good playing conditions.
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cryptocurrency, a form of digital currency that’s so new many people don’t understand it.
That’s right, the family that made a living off of a business from the 19th century is leaving it for one firmly planted in the 21st.
“It’s a whole new world,” Robson, 71, said. “I’ve always wanted to make a difference in the world.”
Some could say Robson, a descendant of one of Mesa’s first families, has already done that with his dinner theater creation, which since the mid-1980s was unlike any other place in Mesa.
By his estimation, Robson has performed to three- to four-million people over the years. But he said the time has come for the family to move on.
To help clear out space for a new condominium project that’s going into the site, Blue Lead Estate Auctions is hosting a live auction at the ranch tomorrow, Dec. 2, to unload nearly all of the memorabilia the theater has collected over the years.
The items up for auction include all sorts of Wild West antiques, wall mounts, commercial equipment, a wishing well, a vintage sewing machine and a cantina bar.
An antique player piano with song rolls is available for a $100 opening bid. A covered wagon could be yours if you start out with a $500 bid. There’s even a big barrel that’s been converted into a big trash can that’s available.
Jim and his wife, Mary, moved out of their two-story home on the ranch and are renting a house in Queen Creek while waiting for another house to be ready. Robson said just about the only thing he’s keeping for the new home are a couple of wall mounts that have special significance to him.
Otherwise, as the cliché goes, “Everything must go!”
However, it’s still bittersweet for the Robsons. Their six children have performed with the family group for most of their lives. Jim said that’s his favorite memory of owning the theater.
“One of my daughters has Down syndrome and she performs each night,” Robson said. “The crowd loves it.”
Additionally, Natalie, Rusty, Rob, Randy and Chelsea all hit the stage at 2 or 3 years old. Chelsea is now a professional country singer and was the featured performer at the theater in its final years. But that all came to an end Saturday night when about 200 people were expected for the final two-hour show. No more panning for gold. No more covered wagon rides. No more Old West jail. No
more walks on a wooden bridge over a picturesque creek.
The site will be turned into a new condominium project, which itself is almost a cliché indication that the Old West is long gone – even on ground that has history rooted back to the real Old West.
Jim Robson’s great, great grandfather was Charles Innes Robson, head of one of the original four pioneer families who founded Mesa in the late 1870s.
His great grandfather was Deputy Marshal Frank Robson, who was famously killed by one of the Old West’s most notorious outlaws, Black Jack Ketchum, while in the line of duty in 1896.
Jim Robson grew up in Show Low before meeting his future wife, Mary Ellen, a former beauty queen. Mary was runner-up to eventual Miss America Vonda Kay Van Dyke in the 1964 Miss Arizona concert.
Jim and Mary got married in 1970. Their mutual love for performing and musical theater led to 16 years of crossing the U.S., Canada and England to show
off their unique brand of Cowboy entertainment.
“Big” Jim and “Sweet” Mary got the idea to open a dinner theater after coming across one in Colorado. The couple was still in their mid-30s and thought what better place to build it than on the family ranch land?
Using 150 tons of rock imported from the Show Low area, as well as timber straight from the Mogollon Rim area, the Robsons began construction on their four-acre Old West town. Doors officially opened on Jan. 6, 1984.
“When we started out, we were out in the middle of the country,” Robson said.
“There was nothing around us for 15 miles, just a couple of ranchers. They all laughed at us. From the day we opened.
“We were sold out 1,000 people a night and we did that for many years.”
The Robsons were able to draw big crowds thanks to its family-friendly fare. From the start, the family had a rule about any sexually-explicit content. Plus,
alcohol was not served at the beginning, and grace was said before every meal –even in front of 1,000 people.
“We’ve done that from the very beginning,” Jim Robson said. “In all the years, I’ve had maybe three people complain about it – at least to me.”
The theater drew 250,000 visitors over its first three years. By 1990, Robson was reporting attendance was growing by 15 percent each year – topping $1 million in gross revenues that year.
Eventually, attendance would hover around 100,000 annually.
A 1986 article in the Arizona Republic described the theater like this: “The short walk through the cave at the Rockin’ R Ranch takes you 100 miles north and 120 years back.”
Robson said several celebrities stopped by over the years, but he can’t remember who.
“But they know us,” he said.
As time went on, the ranch became more than a dinner theater and mini theme park.
It sold calendars each year, plus original recorded music. It welcomed in bus tours and hosted bar mitzvahs.
Companies held picnics and holiday parties there, and more than a few weddings were conducted on the grounds over the decades for a $2,000 fee.
The ranch was even available for afterhour private parties and as a setting for flim and photography.
The dinners themselves featured barbecue beef and chicken with beans. Prices ranged from $35 to $40, depending on seating options. Kids prices ranged from $25 to $30.
In recent years, business had slowed down since millions would come through in the early days.
“It’s not like it was in the heyday,” Robson said. “We’re not focused like we were back then. (At the end) we performed for about 100 people a night.”
Another sign of the changing times came about 10 years ago when the theater began serving alcohol.
“We had to add a bar to bring in bus tours,” Robson said. “We had to do that.” The Robsons don’t plan on giving up performing entirely. Jim said they’ll still do some concerts and special events but won’t be playing regularly anymore.
The full attention will now be turned to the family’s cryptocurrency business, Life Leadership.
“It was a family decision to close the ranch,” Robson said. “We’re all involved in the same stuff.”
Those interested in this week’s auction can view the items available at sales.rockinr.net. It takes place at noon at 6136 E. Baseline Road.
(Photo by Jason Stone)
The Rockin’ R Ranch in Mesa has closed its doors after nearly 35 years in business. The company is selling most of its Old West memorabilia at a live auction this week.
(Photo by Jason Stone)
The Rockin’ R Ranch in Mesa has closed its doors after nearly 35 years in business. The company is selling most of its Old West memorabilia at a live auction this week.
people to take the 25 days leading up to Christmas and turn it into a season of helping others in need.
“We have all felt the joy when we give something of ourselves,” said Sister Reyna Aburto. “As we participate in the campaign, we realize there is joy in giving. No matter our circumstance, we all can help. Jesus Christ is the light of the world and when we help others, we are sharing his light around the world.”
She said all donations will go directly to the charities with the church covering the administration costs. Aburto, who came down from Salt Lake City for the event, is Second Counselor in the church’s Relief Society.
The two machines, which sit near the town’s iconic water tower, are stocked with items that can be donated such as food, clothing, medicine, hygiene supplies, wheelchairs, sporting equipment and livestock.
People can buy three soccer balls for $45, school supplies for $20, a pair of boots for $50, polio vaccine for $19, malaria treatment for $31, two live chickens for $21, one holiday turkey for $10 and one box of fresh produce for $5.
Donors can see pictures of the item, the charity that it benefits and the price. Once purchased, a picture of the item drops to the bottom of the machine and shows where it will be distributed.
Some are actual goods, such as a bag of mac and cheese for $3 and a mosquito net for $25.
“The items you see in the machines are very basic, school supplies, Christmas gifts, things we take for granted,” said Katie Pompay, executive director of Hel-
en’s Hope Chest, a Mesa nonprofit that provides supplies such as clothes to foster children and teens. “These children don’t have that.”
Pompay said there are more than 14,000 foster children in Arizona.
“Consider what these small items mean to you and the big difference it will make in the lives of children and teens,” she said.
CEO Michael Hughes of A New Leaf in Mesa, which provides a number of service to the homeless and domestic violence victims, thanked the church for its help during the 48 years the nonprofit has existed.
“Thank you for giving us the opportunity to help those who are less fortunate,” he said.
Dave Richins, CEO of United Food Bank in Mesa, said he was proud of his church.
“The vending machines are a clever concept,” he said. “There’re lots of families to feed and we will feed more with the machines.”
It’s unfortunate that 500,000 children in Arizona go to bed hungry, said Tom Kerits, CEO of St. Mary’s in Phoenix, which covers 81,000 square miles.
“What you see in these vending machines is a basic need and a basic right – food,” he said. “With these vending machines, we will put food on people’s tables, nutritious food.”
Gilbert Mayor Jenn Daniels also spoke, thanking the church and announcing that Express Flooring was donating $1,000 to the cause.
Last year was the first time the church used the Giving Machine. A single machine in Salt Lake City raised more than $550,000 for local and global charities. That success led the church to expand
the program this year.
“Our hope is that there will be more placements next year, based on the success with the five machines placed throughout the world this year,” said Jennifer Wheeler, a church spokeswoman.
Several factors were considered to determine the location of the giving machines, according to Wheeler.
The location had to be one where the machines could be in place continuously for one month, where the public could have easy access throughout the day and would be strongly supported by local members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
“The Water Tower Plaza in Gilbert fit all of these criteria,” Wheeler said.
The charities that the church chose
were ones it has previously worked with, according to Wheeler.
“Specifically, they are all valuable partners that use our volunteer platform, JustServe.org to post volunteer opportunities and find volunteers,” she said. “We admire what they do in the community to alleviate homelessness and hunger and assist foster children.
“These charitable partners also have needs that work well with the vending machines, such as food items, clothing, supplies, etc.”
The goal is to beat the $550,000 raised, said Edwin Lamoreaux, director of public relations for the church. He added although the church is driving the campaign, it is a community effort involving all faiths and all people.
(Kimberly Carrillo/ Tribune Staff Photographer)
Representatives of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints joined leaders of a number of nonprofit agencies at last Thursday’s unveiling of the church’s Giving Machine in downtown Gilbert.
(Kimberly Carrillo/Tribune Staff Photographer)
The Giving Machine at Gilbert’s Water Tower Plaza works this way: Donors pick a charity, represented by a card or icon that shows what their donation will buy, whether it be a goat for a poor farm family in Africa or a backpack for a foster child in Arizona.
Some artists find affordable living in Mesa Artspace Lofts
BY KATY ANDERSON Tribune Contributor
Ahandful of low-income artists has found a quality place to live in Mesa despite the shortage of affordable housing.
Lorin Drexler considers himself fortunate to have found a place last April in the Mesa Artspace Lofts in downtown Mesa.
Not only can he afford the rent, but he also feels a synergy with his neighbors.
“Especially as an artist, because you’re already so used to working for free, any deductions on rent will definitely give you more time to do something that you’re not making a whole lot of money doing anyways,” Drexler said. “That’s just the way the arts go.”
Moreover, he added, “There’s an energy, and it’s in the air when you’re surrounded by other artists,”
Drexler has lived in eight different states and multiple cities in each state but said he has never come across anything like Artspace.
There may be a reason for that.
The Mesa Artspace Lofts offers affordable housing units to artists as part of a nationwide project to create safe, inexpensive residences for low-income artists, said Naomi Chu, vice president of asset management for Artspace.
The Mesa lofts, which broke ground in March 2017, is Artspace’s 50th project nationwide and first project in Arizona.
Chu said all of Artspace’s projects are implemented at the invitation of the community. In Mesa’s case, Chu said, the
Mesa-based Neighborhood Economic Development Corp. had expressed interest in bringing artists to downtown, closer to the Mesa Arts Center.
“The city of Mesa has clearly shown a focus and an interest in the arts, and certainly our coming in and having a project there is directly related to their focus and their agenda,” Chu said.
Before developing the Mesa project,
Artspace conducted market and feasibility studies and a citywide arts market survey and received input from more than 660 artists, according to the Artspace website.
Jean Kramer-Johnson, director of asset management for Artspace, said there is definitely a need for the lofts.
“We know there is a need by that research, and as a result of that we not only filled all 50 units of our project with artist families, we now have a waiting list of 50 more households that are interested in moving in,” KramerJohnson said.
The Mesa Artspace Lofts are also home to 48 children, Kramer-Johnson said. Units are limited to residents who meet income guidelines and pass the application process, she said.
The lofts serve households below 60 percent of area median income levels, and rents range from $465 to $992.
“The affordability part provides the
means for these artists to continue to create, and they’re not having to work two, three jobs to pay their rent,” KramerJohnson said.
Drexler said the affordability of his home enables him to do what he wants and have the space to create in. He said the extra time he saves from not having to work a second job has helped him put together a business and write and produce his own music.
He also said the project will have a positive effect on downtown by bringing it more life. He said he began to realize what being in a community meant when he started participating in events at the lofts and grew closer to people that were previously strangers.
The Mesa Artspace Lofts is also hosting a grand opening celebration next month.
“Art is there to connect people, and I think that’s an integral part of what community is about,” Drexler said. “It’s about connecting people that wouldn’t have necessarily been connected.”
Chu said it is incredible to see what individual artists can do when given an affordable space to create. She said the team at Artspace does everything they can to inspire the creative spirit and energy and see what the artists can do.
“Artists and their art are change-makers,” Chu said. “Consciously or unconsciously, they are change-makers.”
(Katy Anderson/ Tribune Contributor)
The Mesa Artspace Lofts in downtown Mesa offer affordable rents to artists who often don’t earn much money in the highly competitive art world. They were built as part of a nationwide project to create safe and inexpensive living spaces for low-income artists.
(Katy Anderson/Tribune Contributor)
The artists who live in the downtown Mesa Artspaces Lofts say the complex not only provides an affordable home but also a community of like-minded individuals who draw inspiration from their interaction with each other.
nearly 2,700 new housing units per year for the next decade to accommodate new residents.
It appears that is by no means undoable; in 2016 Mesa issued 2,000 permits just for single-family homes, according to the Pollack report.
Another upside is Mesa’s relative affordability, which means essential personnel such as teachers, first responders and nurses can live in the city.
Public meetings to discuss Mesa housing plan
Mesa will host two public meetings to seek residents’ ideas for a housing master plan.
6-8 p.m. Dec. 4, Desert Ridge High School lecture hall, 10045 E. Madero Ave. 6-8 p.m. Dec. 11, Benedictine University community room, 225 E. Main St.
Those who need physical accommodations or translation services may call 480-644-3536 at least 48 hours before the meeting they want to attend. Help for the hard-of-hearing is available at AzRelay 7-1-1.
According to Zillow, an online realestate analysis site, the median value of homes in Mesa this fall was $245,100 amid “hot” market conditions with high demand. Zillow said the median rent in Mesa was $1,385 a month, compared with a metro-area median of $1,450.
Those median home values compare with $285,000 in Tempe, $307,700 in Chandler and $327,700 in Gilbert. The median is the point in a series of numbers at which half the values are higher, and half lower. It’s not an average, but the real estate industry uses it as a key indicator of home-price trends.
Despite Mesa’s relative affordability, according to the Pollack analysis, underlying economic conditions suggest many residents will continue to struggle on the housing front.
Based on numbers dating from the middle of this decade, Pollack said: Mesa’s household incomes are lagging. In 2000, Mesa’s average median household income was 5.6 percent higher than the statewide median. By 2015, Mesa incomes had fallen to 4.5 percent below those of Arizona as a whole and a stunning 12.2 percent lower than those in Maricopa County.
More than 81,000 Mesa residents were living in poverty – more than 17.2 percent
of the city’s population.
Mesa had lower percentages of residents with college degrees, and of residents with jobs in higher-paying fields, than its neighboring cities.
Mesa had a higher percentage of renteroccupied units (41.6 percent) than neighboring cities, with more than a fifth of the city’s single-family homes occupied by renters.
Homeownership in the city declined from 66.5 percent of all occupied housing units in 2000 to 58.4 percent in 2015 – a lingering effect of the housing crash and Great Recession.
While the overall cost of living rose 12 percent between 2010 and 2015, the cost of rent went up more than 21 percent. A very low vacancy rate was pushing rents even higher.
Those factors spell trouble, Pollack said, for households earning less than $25,000 a year. As the report was written, Mesa needed about 30,000 more units to accommodate that cohort.
Mesa has attempted to address its economic problems by attracting universities and going after high-end employers. And especially on the east side, there has been steady growth in upscale housing options.
While the private sector meets the demand for Mesa’s middle-income and ex-
ecutive-level housing, government is left with the task of filling the gaps in its lowincome stock.
City government has worked with several nonprofits and facilitated the use of federal programs to build a housing safety net.
Several of these projects, such as the La Mesita apartments on West Main Street, downtown senior housing and new units that replaced the World War II-era Escobedo low-income complex near University and Mesa drives, were financed in part with federal tax credits that subsidize lower rents.
Mesa’s other efforts to boost its housing stock include innovative zoning patterns, but the city has discovered those can lead to unexpected problems.
For example, beginning in 2005, Mesa approved several styles of “cluster” home construction on small lots served by narrow streets and, in some cases, no driveways.
Staffers told the City Council on Nov. 15 that the cramped quarters have made it hard for trash collectors, emergency responders and utility workers to do their jobs. Some of the architecture has created hiding places for criminals. And some of the developments have experienced problems with parking and pedestrian access.
The city is now working to modify standards for such developments.
New Chandler Museum to open in days
BY COLLEEN SPARKS Tribune Staff Writer
The long-anticipated new museum bridging Chandler’s history with its future will open its doors in just days.
The Chandler Museum grand opening will take place starting at 9:30 a.m. Dec. 8 at 300 S. Chandler Village Drive. The existing museum has been closed while workers constructed a new 10,000square-foot building just north of the McCullough-Price House, slightly south of West Frye Road and west of the Loop 101.
The modern, new 10,000-square-foot building will house 5,000 square feet of changing exhibit space that is a mixture of local exhibits museum staff produces, as well as five to six nationally traveling exhibits. The national exhibits will change about once a quarter so visitors always have something new to view.
Nearby, the 80-year-old McCullough-
Price House, which is about 3,300 square feet, will feature tiny exhibits, mid-century modern furniture, the offices for museum staff and a research and archive area with
old newspapers, photographs, yearbooks and maps the public can access.
A 10,000-square-foot courtyard and garden will create a “living room” type feel
outside. The McCullough-Price House served as the city’s museum from 2012 to 2017.
While construction of the new museum was underway, the McCulloughPrice House was revamped to now serve as administrative offices and the home of the new East Valley History & Research Center.
The new museum cost about $4.3 million and was paid for primarily through voter-approved bonds. Voters approved bond initiatives in 2004 and 2007 to fund the museum.
Chandler broke ground on the new museum in October of last year.
The 10,000-square-foot building, as well as the exterior courtyard and garden were designed by architects of the Weddle Gilmore Black Rock Studio and built by Danson Construction.
About 200 stainless steel fins make up “Infinite Shade,” the art created by artist
Chandler teen organizes library show about typewriters
BY BRENT RUFFNER Tribune Contributor
Clack, clack, clack. Ding. Next weekend, that percussion sound might make typewriter enthusiasts think it’s an early Christmas at a free event at the Chandler Sunset Library.
The event, called the “Type-In,” is a gathering where residents can tell stories and showcase all eras of typewriters.
Organizer Jeremiah Bukovszky doesn’t remember when people would hunt and peck on heavy, metal keys.
In fact, he doesn’t remember when there weren’t cell phones or the Internet. Still, Jeremiah, 15, stepped in to help organize the event after the original planners were unable to follow through with their commitment.
The spark of interest for the Corona del Sol High School sophomore came after he saw Bill Wahl, the owner of the Mesa Typewriter Exchange, and his business featured on the CBS News Sunday
Morning Show.
“It immediately caught my interest,” Jeremiah said.
The teen owns six typewriters – including a Sears Citation, a portable, manual machine built in the 1960s. He has also been writing a blog on typewriters since March 2018.
He said he wants his peers to develop a passion for them. In June, Jeremiah organized a similar gathering that drew more than 100 people to the library.
“I want them to see what they are all about,” Jeremiah said, adding it could be “a brand new experience.”
Wahl, a third-generation repairman, admits he gets an extra spark in his eye with increased popularity from the local youth. Wahl took over the Mesa Typewriter Exchange full-time in 1993.
“The enjoyment of working in this business now – it’s taken on a whole different look from what it did,” Wahl said.
“Like I say, 35 years ago, this was just a job. You know, I’d come down here and fix typewriters and go home.”
Educator Ryan Adney helps fuel the interest from younger generations.
Adney, a teacher at Alhambra High School in Phoenix, said he had typewriters in his classroom for five years to inspire interest among his students. He has organized typewriter events in the past and first became intrigued by the machines after he discovered one at his school’s library.
As an English
(Pablo Robles/Staff Photographer)
The new Chandler Museum features stainless steel fins created by artist Jeff Zischke called “Infinite Shade,” that provide shade and let sun in for museum visitors in the courtyard.
(Photo courtesy of Brent Ruffner) Jeremiah Bukovsky of Chandler may have been born and brought up in the digital age, but he still has a fashion for the virtually extinct typewriter.
MUSEUM
Jeff Zischke that provides shade and lets sun in for museum visitors in the courtyard. LED lights bounce light off the metal fins of the shade artwork, according to museum administrator Jody Crago.
The structure will provide 50 percent shade during the hottest part of the year but allow sun to come through in the colder months, Crago said. Public and special events can be held in the courtyard.
“We hope that the public’s really happy with the facility they’re getting,” Crago said. “One of the big things is we really are trying to build exhibits that are about the community.
“We’re not just a history museum. What are the influences that have created this space? We hope they can see themselves in the community, look at issues (we’re) facing today. We talk about ourselves as a community museum. We want to be about Chandler specifically. We want to tell those stories that are insightful. We’re trying to be that 21st century museum that can raise issues.”
The new museum will kick off with the famous national traveling exhibition, “Awkward Family Photos,” when it opens Dec. 8. The show reveals imperfect family photos in vintage and funky frames.
More than 200 photos celebrating awkward moments with loved ones will be on display through Jan. 19.
Chandler Museum staff member Lizzie Olson will see herself in the “Awkward Family Photos” exhibit. Her fourth-grade class photo was used in the traveling exhibition.
“It’s so fun to look through old photos and reminisce with my family about life’s funny moments,” Olson said. “I wanted to submit a photo after laughing so hard, wondering ‘What was I thinking?’ My outfit and hairstyle seemed so normal then, but now we just look back and laugh about it.”
An exhibit of a more serious nature will also debut Dec. 8. “Gaman: Enduring Japanese American Internment at Gila River” will display photos, text, a yearbook, paper cranes, crates and other objects and videos.
Grand opening highlights
At the museum’s grand opening today, a dedication and ribbon cutting will take place at 9:30 a.m. Then the museum will be open from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. that day.
Chandler Mayor Jay Tibshraeny, along with Chandler City Council members and members of the Museums Advisory Board, will be on hand.
Lyndsey Fry, a member of the 2014 United States women’s national ice hockey team that won a silver medal, will make an appearance at 1 p.m. Frye grew up in Chandler and in 2016 was inducted into the Chandler Sports Hall of Fame.
teacher, Adney kept typewriters in his classroom where students typed on typewriters 10-15 minutes each day. He said the writing ability of his students improved and as they practiced on
The display will tell the tales of the more than 16,000 Japanese Americans who were forced from the West Coast to Gila River Internment Camp near Chandler during World War II because they looked like the enemies. That exhibit will be shown through April 19, 2020.
The Japanese internment camp exhibit is an expansion of a previous one, “UnAmerican: Engaging Our Community With the Story of Japanese Internment,” which earned the museum a Leadership in History Award of Merit from the American Association for State and Local History.
Architect Frank Lloyd Wright’s work will be the subject of an exhibit from Jan. 13 to March 17. “Frank Lloyd Wright: Architecture of the Interior” will explore the famous architect’s design of houses through 19 reproduction drawings, eight photographs and four photographic murals.
Every detail of the larger whole exhibition is organized by International Arts & Artists of Washington, D.C., in collaboration with The Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation of Scottsdale.
Inside the new museum, visitors will find a gift shop with large light boxes on the walls in the entry area featuring different themes. When the museum initially opens, the boxes will have an ostrich motif.
A huge mural photo of Chandler’s downtown in 1913 will align one hallway, and it will be covered with 44 framed photos covering all of Chandler from 1912,
the machines, they learned to self-identify spelling and grammatical errors.
The instructor isn’t the only educator to use typewriters as a teaching tool.
David Bear, who teaches computer classes at Mesa’s Heritage Academy, takes regular trips with his students to the Mesa Typewriter Exchange. He keeps a
the year the city was founded, through the present.
Another big mural will illustrate the Chandler Sports Hall of Fame and photos of inductees in hockey, basketball, football, rodeo and other sports will be up for viewing. Two large TV monitors will show videos of the Hall of Fame inductees, and balls and other artifacts from the honored athletes will be available to see in glass display cases.
An exhibit called “Bigger than Boxing: Muhammad Ali vs. Zora Folley” will reveal the time the two famous boxers faced off in the ring for the Heavyweight Championship of the World.
Folley of Chandler was an American heavyweight boxer praised for his defensive and punching abilities. The exhibit will highlight Folley and Ali’s fight in the ring at the crossroads of religion, race, sports and politics in the 1960s.
Visitors can also learn and explore culture in the educational room in the Chandler Museum; The Saguaro Room will host students for field trips, as well as family programs. Children and others will be able to sit outside in a sunken courtyard with Sonoran desert landscaping.
The new museum also greatly expands the amount of space in which photos, pottery, furniture, paintings, costumes and numerous other artifacts for exhibits can be kept.
Staff members now have enough collection storage space to double the size of their current collection, Crago said. Pre-
typewriter in his classrooms for demonstrations.
“I just wanted my kids to be able to see and touch technology from the 19th century,” Bear said.
Adney said his students saw typewriters as “interesting and compelling” devices that allowed them to engage with
At 3 p.m. a piece of rock and roll history with a tie to Chandler will be revealed by Katie Hildebrand, who owns a vehicle that used to be the library bookmobile and then transported the band Green Day.
The regular hours of operation for the Chandler Museum will be 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesdays through Saturdays and 1 to 5 p.m. on Sundays. Information: chandleraz.gov/museum or 480782-2717.
viously, items for future collections were kept off-site.
Excitement is building over the new museum.
“I think the Chandler museum has always evoked a deeper, more personal experience telling the story of Chandler through individuals,” Terri Kimble, president/CEO of the Chandler Chamber of Commerce said. “The new building marries contemporary design with the intriguing stories of Chandler’s past. This space offers the opportunity to bring many stories to life from Chandler itself to individuals and experiences that have crossed Chandler’s path.”
Mary Ellen Crane, vice-president/secretary of the nonprofit Pardners of Tumbleweed Ranch, said she believes the new museum “will be a great place to learn about Chandler’s history both for visitors & residents.”
Taylor Wellman posted on the Chandler Museum Facebook page late last year.
“It’s already an amazing facility with great exhibits that will be expanding very soon!” Wellman said. “Very excited for the expansion!”
words and that regular exercise made it easier for his students to see their mistakes.
“I think kids in general engaging from any sort of tool or technology is really great,” Adney said. “We can’t recreate the past. But we can certainly learn from it.”
(Pablo Robles/Staff Photographer)
The new Chandler Museum will kick off with the famous national traveling exhibition, “Awkward Family Photos,” when it opens Dec. 8. More than 200 photos will be on display through Jan. 19.
East Mesa Boy Scout troop has 9 new Eagles
southwest climate.
For the second time this year, an East Mesa Boy Scout Troop has seen a large group of their members earn eagle rank.
This time, it’s Trooper 451, associated with Trinity Church, which recently saw nine Scouts jointly participate in a formal ceremony that elevated them to Eagle rank – the highest in Scouting. The troop is led by Scoutmasters Greg Randolph and Toby Hall.
Among other requirements, Scouts who earn Eagle rank must complete a community project, usually involving volunteers whom they organize and lead in the effort.
The new Eagles and their projects are:
Brady Williams, 15, an Apache Junction High School junior and son of Michelle and Don Williams. Brady planted 16 new Mulga Acacia trees in front of his school for shade. He chose that tree for its versatile low water use landscaping plant, and its adaptability to the
Jake Larrabee, 16, an AAEC Red Mountain sophomore and son of Lisa and John Larrabee. He built coyote house at the Southwest Wildlife Conservation Center. He gathered a group of people to build a 4’x8’x4’ den to be used to rehabilitate coyotes and/or the Mexican gray wolves into the wild.
Morgan Campbell, 15, a Mountain View High sophomore and son of Liz And Brad Campbell and Julie and Darren Roggeman. In a project at Highland Arts Elementary School in Mesa that involved 42 people and 240 total hours, he provided emergency safety buckets with new supplies for 60 classrooms and offices in the school. They also repainted the safety circle lines on all exterior school doors and re-painted a storage room to be re-purposed for a teacher’s office.
Matthew Atkinson, a 16-year-old Mountain View junior and son of Kelli
WHEN:
Registration: 9:30 AM
Program Start: 10:00 AM
WHERE: Saturday, December 15, 2018
Tribune News Staff
(Pablo Robles/Tribune Staff Photographer)
The new Eagle scouts are, from left, Back row: Mason Biegel, Alexzander Cook, Hunter Page, Morgan Campbell and William Snitzer; Front: Christopher Sakanye, Jacob Larrabee, Brady Williams and Matthew Atkinson.
and Todd Atkinson, gathered a group to clean up Usery Park and paint ramadas at trailheads.
Alex Cook, 18, a Skyline High senior and son of Eve and Wayne Cook, completed a project at Lost Dutchman State Park at the Siphon Draw trailhead. He led a bridge-building project on the trail to Flatiron that included burning Scout law into the bridge planks.
Hunter Page, 17, a Mountain View junior and son of Laura and Talon Page, made “dog enrichment toys” for the Friends for Life Animal Rescue in Gilbert. The PVC toys have properly sized holes drilled into them to release food as the dogs play with them and reduce the animals’ stress and anxiety, making
it easier for the staff to work with them.
Will Snitzer, 16, also a Mountain View junior and son of Marcy and Sean Snitzer, deep-cleaned the floor of his school’s machine shop, removing a few decades of faded paint and re-establishing new safety lines throughout.
Mason Biegel, 17, a Mountain View senior and son of Mark Biegel and Susan Chambers, worked on the Sycamore Creek Trailhead near the Bush and Beeline highways. Mason worked with the Tonto National Forest service rangers to plan some trailhead repairs near the Sycamore Creek staging area and organized nearly 40 people in a clean-up effort.
Christopher Sakauye, 18, a Mountain View senior and son of Deborah and Miles Sakauye, also built a coyote den at the Southwest Wildlife Conservation Center.
Gilbert, Mesa hospital options keep growing
BY JASON STONE Tribune Staff Writer
Dignity Health is eager to show off its new hospital in east Mesa. Now if it could just get the word out that it’s fully open.
“Some people have come in and said, ‘We didn’t know you were open yet,’” said Jane Hanson, president and CEO of the new Arizona General Hospital Mesa Campus on Elliot Road just off the Loop 202.
It’s been slow at first, but Hanson said the word is finally getting out. That’s good news for a rapidly growing East Valley, which needs more medical care options in the region.
Dignity Health opened the doors for the new Mesa campus at 9130 E. Elliot Road on Nov. 12, right around the same time it broke ground on a new medical facility for women and children at the existing Mercy Gilbert Medical Center about 12 miles southwest down the Loop 202.
The new facilities will add more critical health care options for East Valley residents without having to go far for full hospital services – not to mention creating hundreds of jobs.
The new Mesa campus includes 50 inpatient beds, two state-ofthe-art operating rooms, an emergency department, a high-complexity laboratory and a full radiology suite equipped with the latest technologies.
of
the
and
for a new medical center for women and children.
shorter in the ER, compared to the marathon sessions awaiting patients at most 400- or 500-bed hospitals in many big cities.
“This is a great project for that part of the city,” said Mesa Economic Development Director Bill Jabjiniak. “Any time that you’re growing at the pace the city of Mesa is growing at, hospital needs will be greater.”
“ Eastmark is the fastestgrowing master planned community in Arizona and fifth or sixth in the nation. There’s just a lot of growth in the Southeast Valley. ”
– Bill Jabjiniak, Mesa Economic Development Director
“I would call this a small, community hospital,” Hanson said, adding that should result in lower costs for patients, who will still have full access to Dignity Heath’s networks of physicians and specialists.
Plus, Hanson said, wait times will be
Small community medical centers and socalled “microhospitals” are the latest trends for smaller neighborhood areas. They’re small-scale inpatient facilities – up to three stories – built on 20,000- to 50,000-square foot spaces. Micro hospitals are ones with 25 beds or less.
“Insurance companies are not paying for you to stay overnight anymore,” Jab-
jiniak said. “It’s a great example of a health care provider adapting to today’s environment.”
Hanson said the Mesa campus started operations with about 100 employees, but that’ll jack up to 400 to 500 workers once all four operating rooms are up and running.
The site of the hospital was longplanned for a medical center, but a bankruptcy case kept it vacant for years.
The new hospital should help ease the needs for residents in the Eastmark master planned community.
“It’s right along an area that’s growing,” Jabjiniak said.
“Eastmark is the fastest-growing master planned community in Arizona and fifth or sixth in the nation.
There’s just a lot of growth in the Southeast Valley.”
(Pablo Robles/ Tribune Staff Photographer)
Representatives
Dignity Health,
Town of Gilbert
Phoenix’s Children’s Hospital joined in the groundb eaking last month on the Mercy Gilbert Medical Center campus
(Pablo Robles/Tribune Staff Photographer) Among the speakers at the groundbreaking was President/CEO Mark Slyter of Dignity Health Mercy Gilbert and Chandler Regional medical centers.
DIGNITY
from page 15
Gilbert is feeling that growth as well with the start of construction of the auxiliary to the Mercy Gilbert Medical Center at 3555 S. Val Vista Dr. Phoenix Children’s Hospital spokeswoman Erica Sturwold said the five-story, nearly 374,000 square-foot “Women’s and Children’s Pavilion” will offer a 60bed Level 3 neonatal intensive care unit (NICU). That’s currently only available at PCH’s main campus near downtown Phoenix.
“This is the first time we will be offering that level of neo-natal care to the Gilbert area,” Sturwold said. “That’s an exciting thing to add.”
The “Women’s and Children’s Pavilion” will also include 24 labor and delivery rooms and 48 post-partum beds, which the hospital will operate. Plans also call for an emergency department dedicated to obstetrics.
Sturwold said Dignity Health is paying for the addition to the hospital, while PCH is leasing space from the women’s and children’s clinic. Hanson called the agreement with Phoenix Children’s Hospital “long-term,” but neither side has re-
In addition to the NICU unit, Phoenix Children’s Hospital plans to operate 48 pediatric beds, a 12-bed pediatric emergency department and pediatric operating rooms.
“Since we first brought our strengths together, Phoenix Children’s and Dignity Health have become a tremendous force in the care of children and women in this country,” Linda Hunt, president and CEO of the Dignity Health Arizona Service Area, said in a statement. “This pavilion … will mean better care for families in this rapidly growing part of the greater Phoenix area.”
Work is expected to be completed by 2020. When it opens, it should bring an additional 400 jobs to the East Valley, said Dignity spokeswoman Carmelle Malkovich.
In addition to the Mesa and Gilbert hospitals, the Dignity Health, Arizona Service Area includes four others: Chandler Regional Medical Center; St. Joseph’s Hospital and Medical Center, which includes Barrow Neurological Institute; St. Joseph’s Westgate Medical Center and Arizona General Hospital Laveen Campus. For information about the hospital, log on to AZgeneral.com. For information about Dignity Health, visit DignityHealth.org/Arizona.
Border tear-gassing raises questions with no answers
BY DAVID LEIBOWITZ Tribune Columnist
If the adage remains true and a picture is worth a thousand words, then the photograph, shot on Nov. 25, is worth the tens of thousands of words that have been spent analyzing it since then.
The picture shows a 39-year-old mother of five, a refugee from Honduras by the name of Maria Meza, dragging two little girls away from an ominous tendril of teargas. The daughters, identical 5-yearold twins, are clad in diapers. One of the girls flees barefoot. Meza wears a T-shirt that depicts the smiling faces of Elsa and Anna from the Disney movie Frozen. The picture, shot by Reuters photographer Kim Kyung-Hoon, got front-page play in the New York Times, the Washington Post and scores of newspapers and websites worldwide. That’s not a shock.
NKyung-Hoon’s image crystallizes the American debate over immigration in a single frame.
Buzzfeed News found Meza and her kids at a refugee encampment in Tijuana that afternoon.
“I felt sad, I was scared. I wanted to cry,” she explained. “That’s when I grabbed my daughters and ran. I thought my kids were going to die with me because of the gas we inhaled.”
Monday morning, President Trump weighed in to defend the Customs and Border Protection agents who deployed the gas.
“They had to use [it] because they were being rushed by some very tough people and they used tear gas,” said the President. “And here’s the bottom line: Nobody’s coming into our country unless they come in legally.”
Amid the uproar over this image resides some fundamental questions about what we want this nation to be in the 21st century.
VETERAN2VETERAN
by Mike Phillips
Are we still the America of Emma Lazarus’ The New Colossus, her famous words inscribed in bronze on the Statue of Liberty: “Give me your tired, your poor, Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free, The wretched refuse of your teeming shore?” Or has that age passed us by?
Are we Ronald Reagan’s “shining city on a hill,” or have we become a nation defined by razor wire, tear gas and military vehicles rolling through border towns like Nogales? Do we build the President’s “big, beautiful wall with Mexico,” or do we encourage a border that’s less like a blockade and more like a port, a linkage between our country and those who want to visit or, yes, move here?
My preference would be more compassion like that evinced by Lazarus and less the bitterness spewed by our President. And yet Donald Trump is correct when he demands a border that admits people to this country legally or not at all. A border that lacks security is not a border; it’s
a sieve. We need an orderly, fair and efficient process to vet those who seek asylum here, whether they are fleeing war-torn Rwanda or coming here to seek a doctoral degree in medicine or tech.
A migrant caravan of 4,000 refugees from Central America shouldn’t demand attention simply because some in the group rushed the border and tear gas was fired to disperse the throng, including at Maria Meza and her frightened little girls.
Meza’s crisis started more than 2,000 miles away, in a country where gangs hold sway and lawlessness is the only rule.
Are we an America that helps – and how much help is enough for the families camped on our southern border? Or are we satisfied with a “big, beautiful wall” endowed with the smallest of doors?
The problem with the image of Maria Meza and her girls isn’t the tear gas, if you ask me. It’s everything else that brought 4,000 people to stand in a dirty field on the San Diego border.
2 area attractions offer a stirring tribute to warriors
o matter when or where you served, if you are a veteran, chances are that experience left lasting impressions.
Military service helps shape our character and our views of the world. It also does something more profound – it ties us to something larger than ourselves. One way or another, we leave military service, but we never really leave those experiences or the people we served with behind.
There are dozens of organizations in the Valley dedicated to veterans or assisting veterans. They form a network of support and fellowship for those in need or for those who want to give back.
That’s what this column is about. It’s a clearinghouse of information about Valley veteran events, activities and accomplishments. The goal is to provide you with information you can use to get help, give help or just rekindle the ties and camaraderie we felt while serving in the military.
The goal is also to share the information you have about veterans and the military. If your organization is hosting an event, launching a program or activity or celebrating an accomplishment, please send details to AzVetsToday@ gmail.com. Include a contact name and phone number.
With Veterans Day and the Marine Corps Birthday, November was obviously an event-packed month for military vets. Here are a few destinations worth checking out any month: Scottsdale dedicates World War II memorial:
World War II changed the Valley in many ways. One was the construction in 1942 of several airfields to train fighter pilots. Those airfields, built in the rural deserts, would evolve to become familiar airports and centers of economic activity. One was Scottsdale Airport. Visitors have a new opportunity to learn about its origins as a military base, the pilots who trained there and the workhorse air-
planes they flew.
The Thunderbird Field II Veterans Memorial was dedicated Nov. 3. It serves as the gateway to Scottsdale’s new Aviation Business Center. The central focus of the memorial is an actual Stearman PT17 Biplane, the plane used to train the 5,500 soldiers who earned their wings in Scottsdale and went on to see action in both the Pacific and European theaters.
The memorial and center are located at 15000 N. Airport Drive. It’s a beautiful venue where you can spend a few moments soaking in history and reflecting on those brave souls who trained here and helped win World War II. You can learn more at www.tbird2.org.
Portraits of Courage exhibit open in Tempe:
There is a unique veterans’ exhibit on display through Dec. 29 at the Arizona Heritage Center at Papago Park.
Portraits of Courage: A Commander in Chief’s Tribute to America’s Warriors brings together 66 color portraits and a
four-panel mural painted by President George W. Bush. The exhibit depicts 98 veterans who have served our nation with honor since 9/11, and whom President Bush has come to know personally since leaving office.
Each painting is accompanied by the inspiring story of the warrior depicted, written by President Bush.
The Papago Park center is one of just four venues nationwide selected to host the paintings this year. The exhibit is hosted by the Arizona Historical Society and the Sandra Day O’Connor Institute. The exhibit is on loan from the George W. Bush Institute.
The center, located at 1300 N. College Ave., is open every day except Sunday. Admission is free for active military and veterans. To learn hours and other admission prices, visit portraitsofcourageaz.org.
– Mike Phillips of Gilbert is a Marine Corps veteran and the retired communications chief for the City of Scottsdale. Reach him at AzVetsToday@ gmail.com.
Sports & Recreation
East Valley youth football team in Florida for national championships
BY ZACH ALVIRA Tribune Sports Editor
An East Valley youth football team opens play today in the American Youth Football Organization national championships in Kissimmee, Fla.
The Southeast Valley Titans are representing Arizona as a result of defeating Gilbert/Chandler Elite, 31-6, at Sun Devil Stadium in Tempe in the Pee Wee division state championship last month. Nationals begin today.
“The boys have worked hard and they deserve this experience,” said Larry Davis, Titans head coach. “They’re ecstatic. Now it is really starting to get real.”
The Titans – comprising 25 players ages 11-13 from the Southeast Valley –went 11-0. Along with Davis, five other coaches make up the staff, including of-
fensive coordinator Eddy Zubey, who is head coach at Higley High.
The Titans join 180 other teams from across the nation for a chance to win a national title in their respective divisions.
Skyline and Mesa high schools begin searches for new football coaches
hopes to begin interviews in mid January.
Two Mesa district high schools fired their football coaches after the season just ended.
Skyline High terminated Angelo Paffumi, who had a winning record and a string of playoff appearances in his tenure. His final season, however, involved incidents that may have harmed him.
After three losing seasons at his alma mater, Kap Sikahema also was relieved of his duties at Mesa High.
Searches for successors have begun.
In seven seasons, Paffumi led the Coyotes to a 54-25 record and five playoff appearances, including the big-school state semifinals in 2012. Before his arrival, Skyline won six games in three seasons.
“I informed Angelo Paffumi that he would not be renewed as Skyline’s head football coach,” Skyline principal Tom Brennan said in a statement. “I appreciate Coach Paffumi’s seven years of service to the Skyline Coyotes football program.
“He has made a difference in many student-athletes’ lives.”
Skyine is accepting applications and
Brennan is hopeful that a new coach is in place by late January, pending approval by the Mesa Public Schools Governing Board.
Following Skyline’s game at rival Red Mountain in September, it was discovered that the visiting locker room had been vandalized. The letters “SHS” had been scratched into a door leading out of the locker room and a mural on a wall of Red Mountain players had been torn.
A joint statement by Red Mountain and Skyline was released shortly afterward acknowledging the incident and indicating that Skyline would pay to repair damages.
Later in the season, Paffumi was kicked out of a Skyline freshman game as he was watching his son play. Paffumi was a spectator in the stands but as a result of the ejection he was suspended from coaching the varsity game the following Friday.
Paffumi said his firing caught him off guard, but he believes it was the result of differences with school administrators.
“The first thing they said was, ‘Coach, you’re not the right fit anymore for the kids at Skyline, and we’re going to go in a different direction with a coach that can lead
Each team is guaranteed at least two games. Winning teams advance. Losing teams go into a consolation bracket. The Titans have been together for three seasons. Last year, they also were unde-
us even further into the future,’” Paffumi said in a statement to the Tribune. “I found that disheartening because I have as close as you can get to 100 percent parent approval and 100 percent buy-in from the kids.
“I believed I was fired because of a personality conflict between the district administrator and then our principal.”
Paffumi’s firing brought protests from the Skyline booster club. Students staged a walkout before the school’s first-period classes. They returned for the start of the school day. A Twitter account for the program expressed discontent with the firing, asking other supporters to speak out and demand “answers” for his departure. The boosters said that Paffumi had a positive impact on students, not only those in football but also in the community.
Paffumi called the support “inspirational.” He plans to search for another coaching position. He said his time at Skyline always will hold a sacred place in his heart despite how it ended.
“I loved the challenge of it. I know it
feated but fell in the first round.
“Nobody really plans for it,” Davis said of going to nationals. “Next thing you know, you’re in the playoffs and that situation becomes real. You then get into a scramble mode to fundraise.”
The experience and passion that the players share to represent Arizona well is something that Davis cherishes.
“We’ve always emphasized that football is a platform to shape and mold the lives of these kids,” Davis said. “It’s the things that kids learn that will carry on with them for the rest of their life. We have a lot of tough kids that want to represent the state well and they’re excited for it.”
The Titans continue to fundraise for their trip, hoping to raise $20,000. They have set up a GoFundMe for any donations. For more information or to donate, visit www.gofundme.com/sendtitans-to-florida.
sounds crazy,” Paffumi said. “Before we went there, we were told by the coaches that I used to coach with at Desert Ridge and other places that Skyline is a place where coaches go to die. You’re going to disappear and nobody’s going to hear from you.”
Sikahema’s Mesa teams were 11-22. The Jackrabbits, once among Arizona’s elite programs, missed the playoffs each year.
“Coach Sikahema is as good a man as you will ever come across,” David Huffine, Mesa High athletic director, said in a statement. “He is all about the kids. But moving forward it was important to have someone on campus that was a part of the faculty and staff as well as a terrific mentor for our student athletes.”
Sikahema did not return an email requesting comment.
“We have had a first round of interviews and looking to talk to some of them again,” Huffine said. “We are excited about the candidates that have interviewed and look forward to Mesa High School’s future on and off the field.”
Tribune News Staff
(Special to the Tribune)
The Southeast Valley Titans youth football team, shown at Sun Devil Stadium for the American Youth Football Organization state-championship game last month, open play today in the AYFO national championships in Kissimmee, Fla.
ANGELO PAFFUMI
KIP SIKAHEMA
Chandler High alum N’Keal Harry declares for NFL 2019 draft
Chandler High alum and current Arizona State football standout receiver N’Keal Harry announced Monday that he is leaving the Sun Devils a year early to declare for the 2019 NFL draft.
“I would like to express my gratitude to everyone who has supported me throughout this journey,” Harry said in a statement released by ASU on Twitter. “These past three years have been filled with unforgettable memories that I will cherish for the rest of my life. It has truly been an honor to represent Arizona State University.
“With that being said, I would like to announce that I am declaring for the 2019 NFL Draft. This is something I have dreamed about as long as I can remember and I am extremely excited to see what the future holds. Forks Up!” Harry did not say whether he will play in whatever bowl game the Sun Devils are assigned. Bowl-game selections are expected Dec. 2.
Harry signed with Arizona State in 2016 after finishing his career at Chan-
receiver in the country. In three seasons at Arizona State, Harry became one of the best receivers the school has produced in a lengthy line of luminaries at the position.
Going into the bowl game, Harry is third on the ASU career list in receptions (213) and receiving yards (2,889). He also has 25 total touchdowns.
According to Pro Football Focus, Harry is projected to be picked by the San Francisco 49ers with the No. 13 overall pick in first round by the April 2019 draft. Harry would join Brett Hundley, Cameron Jordan, Dion Jordan and Adam Archuleta as notable Chandler High alums who have played in the NFL.
dler High with 119 receptions for 2,715 yards and 25 touchdowns, leading the Wolves to the 2014 state championship.
The 6-foot-4, 216-pound junior was rated a five-star recruit by Rivals.com out of high school and the No. 1 wide
Arizona State (7-5) finished its regular season with a come-frombehind victory over rival Arizona in the Territorial Cup.
Gilbert-area players Kendrik Gannon (senior/Basha High) and Carter Aby (senior/San Tan Valley Combs High) are back after being key contributors a year ago for the Benedictine men’s basketball team. Incoming prospects include guard Carter Wilson (senior/Queen Creek High).
(Tribune file photo)
Arizona State standout receiver N’Keal Harry, who attended Chandler High, announced
Devils a year early to declare for the 2019 NFL draft.
Mesa Arts Festival a sensory delight for unique gifts and entertainment
GET OUT STAFF REPORT
Are you shopping for unique gifts? Or just looking for an opportunity to get into the spirit of the season? Do you enjoy art and entertainment?
If the answer to any of these questions is yes, then consider attending the annual Mesa Arts Festival downtown Dec. 8-9 at Mesa Arts Center, 1 E. Main St.
One-of-a-kind items will be plentiful, carolers from C’est la vie will serenade the crowd and performing artists from Rachel Bowditch’s Vessel collaboration titled “Chrome” will be interacting and offering photo opportunities.
Mesa Arts Center’s free annual arts festival will feature original works for sale from Valley, regional and national artists in various media, live entertainment showcasing Valley and national talent on three stages, artist demonstrations, roaming performers and an array of culinary delights.
Hours are 10 a.m.-5 p.m. each day. Parking and admission are free.
Mesa Contemporary Arts Museum’s five gallery spaces will be open, as well as The Store, where original art created by Valley artists will be displayed for purchase. Artist demonstrations in ceramics, enam-
It’s
eling, flame working, glass blowing, blacksmithing, jewelry making, drawing, painting and print making are available at various times during the festival. Festival-goers may try their hands at many of the classes offered at Mesa Arts Center.
Live music will be performed by Jan Sandwich Jazz Quintet, Chasing Ember, Pearl Ridge Band, Losers Way Home Trio, Devon Bridgewater Nuance Quintet, Three-Legged Dog,
See FESTIVAL on page 24
(Megan
Do you fancy yourself as an artist? Hands-on activities are plentiful at the Mesa Arts Festival. Mesa Contemporary Arts Museum’s five gallery spaces will be open, as well as The Store, where original art created by Valley artists will be displayed for purchase.
Hale’s entertaining ‘Christmas Carol’ serves up double dose of Scrooge
GET OUT STAFF REPORT
The champion of dour and sour, Ebenezer Scrooge, is back at Hale Centre Theatre in Gilbert.
The 16th annual presentation of the holiday classic “A Christmas Carol,” which runs through Dec. 24, is an uplifting, spirited and heartwarming production filled with all the joy and excitement that the holiday season brings.
Cantankerous, stingy Scrooge’s world is turned upside down one Christmas Eve when four ghostly visitors appear and show him the error of his ways. Tiny Tim, Bob Cratchit and a host of Charles Dickens’ most delightful characters enthusiastically join in the fun helping Scrooge remember his myriad mistakes and his long-lost good nature. Dickens’ redemptive tale of Scrooge’s journey from greed to generosity wrapped around the warmth and joy of the Christmas season has become one of the greatest holiday stories ever told.
Hale’s unique and beautiful production is true to the spirit of Dickens and tells the
story with great enthusiasm and joy. Ripe with beautiful costumes, amazing special effects, Christmas carolers and unique staging and sets, Hale Centre Theatre makes this story leap to life like no other.
Producer/director Dave Dietlein is more excited than ever about this year’s production.
“Christmas is my favorite time of the year,” Dietlein said. “I love everything about it. Directing and being a part of ‘A Christmas Carol’ makes it that much more special. One thing that makes our production stand out is that I stay very close to what Dickens wrote, both in dialogue and spirit.
“Plus, we have amazing, talented actors in the show making the story more alive and fun than ever. I think audiences are going to love this year’s show!”
There are two casts, therefore a doubledose of Scrooge.
In the Red Cast, Valley television personality Cory McCloskey plays Scrooge. In the Green Cast, the role is played by award-win-
(Megan Robbins/Special for GET OUT)
an arts sensory overload at the annual Mesa Arts Festival at the Mesa Arts Center in downtown Mesa. Hours are 10 a.m.-5 p.m. each day. Live music and artist demonstrations in an array of media are part of the festivities.
Robbins/Special for GET OUT)
(Hale Centre Theatre photo) Veteran award-winning actor Rob Stuart is Ebenezer Scrooge in the Green Cast of the 16th annual presentation of “A Christmas Carol” at Hale Centre Theatre. Hale Center veteran Dave Dietlein directs.
(Hale Centre Theatre photo)
Valley television personality Cory McCloskey plays Ebenezer Scrooge in the Red Cast of “A Christmas Carol” at Hale Centre Theatre in Historic Downtown Gilbert. The show plays through Dec. 24.
Ethe recipe that shows up at family pot-lucks, parties and special occasions because it’s everyone’s favorite. In fact, you wouldn’t think of not bringing it because people would never forgive you. Keep that in mind as you’re putting together your holiday brunch menus.
in the Noe Family.
What’s Cooking
What’s Cooking
ACROSS
With JAN D’ATRI
With JAN D’ATRI
GetOut Contributor
GetOut Contributor
Skip’s Rice a Roni Salad family’s ‘The One’ recipe – and maybe it will be for your family, as well
Apple maple-glazed pork chops a plateful of comfort
org.
shares this most delightful salad passed down from her mom, Edie “Skip” Noe. It starts with a chilled Chicken Rice A Roni base and comes alive with marinated artichoke hearts and a hint of curry.
LIt has always been the favorite summertime salad in the Noe family, and here Shana shares some great memories:
ove pork chops and looking for a new way to serve them? I have just the dish. It’s a plateful of fall comfort. Fresh sliced apples soaked in a beautiful rich maple sauce spooned over pan-
Maple-glaze pork chops
Ingredients:
grilled pork chops. It’s not just a “be back” dish. It’s an “I’m never leaving” dish. These chops are the perfect idea for a delicious weeknight meal or tasty Sunday supper.
“This is my Mom Edie’s rice salad recipe and it is my ‘if-you-could-only-eat-one-thing-forever-whatwould-it-be’ pick,” she said. “We generally had this in the summer with ribs, hamburgers or barbecue chicken. Pops would barbecue and Mom would make up all the other things. This was our favorite salad for her to make.
“When Mom and Dad moved to Alaska and Pops worked on the pipeline, they started a tradition. All the new guys were invited over and Mom would put together a dinner party for them. Her motto was ‘No one should ever have to eat alone,” and she carried this on throughout her life. I treasure this recipe for the memories I have of Mom, and I started sharing it a few years back because I guess I felt like I was sharing Mom a bit.”
4 center cut pork chops, at least 1-inch thick (boneless or bone-in)
“Each time we have it now, it reminds me of when
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon pepper
2 teaspoons chili powder
Skip’s Rice Salad
1 teaspoon garlic powder
Ingredients:
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 box Chicken Rice A Roni
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
½ cup chicken broth
2 green onions, thinly sliced
½ cup pure maple syrup
½ green bell pepper, seeded and chopped fine
2 teaspoons coarse ground mustard
8 pimiento-stuffed green olives, sliced thin
2 (6 ounce) jars Marinated Artichoke Hearts
¼ teaspoon curry powder (Do not omit!)
1 tablespoon of cornstarch or flour dissolved in 2 tablespoons of warm water
1/3 cup mayonnaise
2 crisp apples, peeled and sliced thin
1 tablespoon butter
1 tablespoon butter
3 tablespoons olive oil
Directions:
Parsley for garnish
Directions:
Pat pork chops dry with paper towels. In a bowl, mix together the salt, pepper, chili powder, garlic
Thank you, Shana, for sharing the recipe!
powder and onion powder. Press seasoning evenly over both sides of the pork chops. Set aside.
For a great side that’s super simple, savory and perfect for a family meal or a big crowd, this one’s a Noe brainer!
In a saucepan, add the apple cider vinegar, chicken broth, maple syrup, mustard and dissolved cornstarch, whisking to combine. Bring to a boil and add apples, stirring to combine. Continue cooking on a low boiling until mixture thickens, stirring often, about 5 minutes. (For thicker glaze, mix one more tablespoon of cornstarch or flour with warm water. Add to apple mixture while on a low boil.)
When apples have softened and glaze has thickened, add butter, stir well and then turn off heat. Cover pan to keep warm.
In a large skillet, on medium high, heat the olive oil until oil glistens. Place the pork chops in the pan without crowding (this allows pork chops to sear all the way around.) Cook until browned, about 2-3 minutes on each side. Reduce the heat to medium-low and cook until pork chops are done or reach internal temperature of 160. Do not overcook.
Cook rice as directed on package but reduce the amount of butter in half (use only 1 tablespoon). Remove from heat, pour into a medium-size mixing bowl and cool to room temperature. When cooled, add chopped onions, pepper and olives. Drain artichoke hearts, reserving the marinade to a bowl. Combine the marinade with curry and mayonnaise and blend well.
Transfer pork chops to a serving platter and spoon apple maple glaze over top. Garnish with parsley.
Add dressing to rice mixture. Add artichokes and gently mix. Cover and refrigerate until well chilled; several hours or overnight. Makes 6-8 servings.
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All Cigna products and services are provided exclusively by or through operating subsidiaries of Cigna Corporation, including Cigna HealthCare of Arizona, Inc. The Cigna name, logo, and other Cigna marks are owned by Cigna Intellectual Property, Inc. This plan is available to anyone with Medicare and a clinical diagnosis of diabetes. Calling the toll-free number will direct you to a licensed sales agent. This information is not a complete description of benefits. Contact the plan for more information. Limitations, copays, and restrictions may apply. Benefits, premiums, and/or copays/coinsurance may change January 1 of each year. You must continue to pay your Medicare Part B premium. Cigna complies with applicable federal civil rights laws and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, age, disability, or sex. Cigna cumple con las leyes federales de derechos civiles aplicables y no discrimina por motivos de raza, color, nacionalidad, edad, discapacidad o sexo. English: ATTENTION: If you speak English, language assistance services, free of charge are available to you. Call 1-888-284-0268 (TTY 711). Spanish: ATENCIÓN: Si habla espanol, tiene a su disposición servicios gratuitos de asistencia lingüística. Llame al 1-888-284-0268 (TTY 711). Navajo: Díí baa akó nínízin: Díí saad bee yániłti’go Diné Bizaad, saad bee áká’ánída’áwo’dęˇęˇ’, t’áá jiik’eh, éí ná hóló˛, kojį’ hódíílnih 1-888-284-0268 (TTY 711). Cigna is contracted with Medicare for PDP plans, HMO and PPO plans in select states, and with select State Medicaid programs. Enrollment in Cigna depends on contract renewal. 922897 09/18 © 2018 Cigna. Some content provided under license. H0354_18_64480 Accepted 04272018
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:
EASTMARK DISC GOLF COURSE - EASTMARK COMMUNITY FACILITIES DISTRICT NO 1 PROJECT NO S886
The City of Mesa is seeking a qualified Construction Manager at Risk (CM@Risk) to provide Pre-Construction Services assistance and complete Construction Services as the CM@Risk for the Eastmark Disc Golf Course 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
DMB Mesa Providing Grounds, LLC, a Delaware limited liability company (“Owner” and “Master Developer”) is the owner/master developer of approximately 3,200 acres located south of Elliot Road, north of Williams Field Road, east of Ellsworth Road
The Eastmark Disc Golf Course (“Project”) is a linear park that will be located approximately one-mile south of Elliot Road and will extend approximately 1 ½ miles between Signal Butte Road to Eastmark Parkway The width of the Project is approximately 150 feet and was originally conceived to provide a buffer between the planned single family residential uses in this development phase (DU5/6 south) and the planned employment and data center uses north of the residential This buffer area was intended to provide an appropriate separation between the uses but also contribute to the overall outdoor recreational connectivity and experience in Eastmark
The Project is planned to provide both active and passive recreation uses with primary use being for an 18-hole disc golf use together with a linear multi-use pathway that can be used for hiking, jogging and biking This pathway will provide an east-west route for pedestrians and bikers and will connect to pathways along Signal Butte and Eastmark Parkway ultimately connecting to the Eastmark Great Park and other paths in the community Exercise stations will also be located throughout the route Additionally, some areas will also be utilized for drainage purposes
Access to the Eastmark Disc Golf Course will be via Eastmark Parkway, Everton Terrace and Parc Joule with a small parking area at Everton Terrace Parc Joule will also have some parking within a turn around area that leads directly to the linear park Additionally, pedestrian access points will be provided via pathways that lead directly to the residential area allowing for easy access for residents
The Eastmark Disc Golf Course, while not a park of the Eastmark Great Park, will ultimately be connected to it via a series of trails, and together they will form a significant system of outdoor active and passive spaces that will benefit the Eastmark Community
The Disc Golf Course will be owned and maintained by the Eastmark Community Alliance and will be available for use by Eastmark residents and their guests
The estimated construction cost is $3,150,000 00 The total estimated is $3,200,000 00
A Pre-Submittal Conference will be held on Wednesday, December 12, 2018 at 10:00AMat the City of Mesa Plaza Building Conference Room 170, 20 East Main Street, 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 staffandDeveloper 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 and Developer 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, 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-atrisk-and-job-order-contracting-opportunities
The Statement of Qualifications shall include a one-pag e 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 Tuesday, January 8, 2019 at 2:00 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 Stephanie Gishey of the Engineering Department at stephanie gishey@mesaaz gov
BETH HUNING District Engineer
Public Notices
CADENCE COMMUNITY FACILITIES DISTRICT MESA, ARIZONA
CADENCE PARKWAY LANDSCAPE IMPROVEMENTS – PHASE C
ADVERTISEMENT FOR BIDS
NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that sealed bids will be received until December 19, 2018 at 11:00 a m All sealed bids will be received at Mesa City Plaza Building, Engineering Department at 20 East Main Street, 5th Floor, Mesa, Arizona Please mark the outside of the bid envelope with the name of this bid document Any bid receive d after the time specified will be returned without any consideration, 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 No bid shall be altered, amended or withdrawn after the specified bid due date and time
A mandatory Pre-Bid Conference will be held on Monday, December 10, 2018 at 1:00 p m in the upper level Council Chambers at 57 E First Street, Mesa, Arizona There will not be a pre-bid review of the site
Cadence Parkway Landscape Improvements – Phase C
This contract shall consist of furnishing all labor, materials and equipment required to construct the facilities and features called for by the plans and specifications for the following work:
Landscape Improvements along Cadence Parkway consisting of trees, shrubs, irrigation, headers, electrical, and all other means and methods outlined by the Improvement Plans for Cadence Parkway Road This bid is for Phase C only A Phasing Map has been provided on Page 89 of the manual
The ENGINEER’S ESTIMATED RANGE IS $750,000 – $1,250,000
Contractors desiring to submit proposals may purchase sets of the Bid Document s from Thomas Reprographics, Inc , dba Thomas Printworks, http://public constructionvaults com Click on “Register Today” and follow the prompts to create your account Please be sure to click finish at the end NOTE: In order to receive notifications and updates regarding this bid (such as addenda) during the bidding period, REGISTRATION ON THE WEBSITE IS REQUIRED For a list of locations nearest you, go to www thomasprintworks com, and click on Phoenix The cost of each Bid Set will b e no more than $145 00, which is non-refundable regardless of whether or not th e Contractor Documents are returned Partial bid packages are not sold You can view documents on-line (at no cost), order Bid Sets, and access the Plan Holders List o n the Thomas Reprographics website at the “Public Construction Vaults” address listed above Please verify print lead time prior to arriving for pick-up
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) 6442251 prior to arriving to ensure that the documents are available for viewing
Work shall be completed within ninety (90) consecutive calendar days, beginning with the day following the starting date specified in the Notice to Proceed
Bids must be submitted on the Proposal and Schedule Form provided and be accompanied by a Bid Bond, certified check, or cashier’s check (PERSONAL OR INDIVIDUAL BID BONDS ARE NOT ACCEPTABLE) for ten percent (10%) of the total amount of the Bid, payable to Otago Development, Inc , as a guarantee that the contractor will enter into a contract to perform the proposal in accordance with the plans and specifications
The successful bidder will be required to execute the Otago Development, Inc Contract and respective Addenda for construction within ten (10) days after formal Notice of Contact Award Failure by bidder to properly execute the Contract and provide the required certification as specified shall be considered a breach of Contract by bidder Otago Development, Inc shall be free to terminate the Contract or, at option, release the successful bidder
Payment and Performance Bonds will be required for this Work The successful bidder, simultaneously with the execution of the Contract, shall be required to furnish a Payment Bond in the amount equal to one hundred percent (100%) of the Contract Price, and a Performance Bond in an amount equal to one hundred percent (100%) of the Contract Price The successful bidder shall name Otago Development, Inc as obligee on both the Payment and Performance Bonds and name the City of Mesa as an additional obligee on the Performance Bond using a Dual Obligee Rider form An approved Dual Obligee Rider Form is included in Chapter 2
The right is hereby reserved to accept or reject any or all bids or parts thereto, t o waive any informalities in any proposal and reject the bids of any persons who have been delinquent or unfaithful to any contract with Otago Development, Inc , the City of Mesa or Cadence Community Facilities District
BETH HUNING District Engineer
ATTEST: Dee Ann Mickelsen District Clerk
Published: East Valley Tribune, Dec 2, 9, 2018 / 16982
ATTEST:
DeeAnn Mickelsen
Obituaries
LOPEZ, Evangelina
EvangelinaLopez, wenttolivewithour LordonOctober31, 2018.BornonMay 9th,1923inLos Angeles,Californiato ElenaCarreraZurita deLópezyAndres LopezCardenas. Sheissurvivedby sixofhernine childrenJesusRoberto,Juan,Soledad, MariaCelia,Evangelina,Beatrizand88 grand/greatgrandchildren."LaFamiliaes Todo"shesacrificedeverythingforher family.Unamujerejemplar,afaith-filled piouswomanofGod;shedrewstrength, courage,wisdom,forgivenessandlove fromourLord.Shewitnessedmany historicalevents,andtookgreatpridein helpingthepoor,desamparados,and immigrants.Ellaerapaz,graciaydulce amoreterno.Shewasknownforher dichos,cooking,knitting."Nossaco adelante,empezoconloshijosyseguio conlosnietosybisnietos".Shewasa saint,ourrock,andbelovedbyall. Thoughshehasleftthisearth,herlegacy, smile,andgentlespiritwillliveoninour hearts.
SigntheGuestbookat: obituaries.EastValleyTribune.com
HEADSTONES
2B Wrkr to be paid U S Consulate, border, lodgin
portation (including meals & to the extent necessar y lodging) to place of employment or its cost to workers reimbursed, if the worker completes half the em-
charge to worker” Apply in person @nearest SWA, call 602 542 2484, fax res 602 256 1366 Attn: Kam
Apartments
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