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East Valley police, civilians ‘Ring’ in crime together

BY JIM WALSH Tribune Staff Writer

Adoorbell never made as many friends and enemies, but then again, The Ring is far from the ordinary lighted button with chimes.

Ring videotapes people walking up to your front door – some of whom might be up to no good.

And at a time when Christmas online shoppers are expecting packages, Ring has become a new crime-�ighting tool for Mesa, Chandler and Gilbert police.

In police Commander Ed Upshaw’s south Chandler district, Ring has helped police nab a stalker, porch pirates swiping Amazon packages – even a couple of Amazon delivery workers caught stealing packages they supposedly delivered or a previously delivered.

Chandler police also used the Ring to bust another sort of ring – a carload of teens from Phoenix who jumped out of a car early in the morning and opened the doors of unlocked, park cars to steal whatever valuables they could �ind.

“We have used it in

Mystery deepens as Mesa schools chief resigns

BY JORDAN HOUSTON Tribune Staff Writer

The longer Mesa Public Schools refuses to provide answers to the public surrounding the sudden resignation of former superintendent Ember Conley, the more havoc it wreaks on its employees.

It was former school board president Ben’s Smith’s assessment in the wake of Conley’s resignation last week – and the cloud of mystery surrounding her departure.

The mystery deepened as the board accepted Conley’s resignation – only about 18 months after hiring her – and refused to disclose whether it will be buying out her contract.

Smith, who played a major role in hiring Conley in 2018, told the East Valley Tribune

several teachers have reached out to him, expressing concern and exasperation over the current turmoil in the top tier of the district.

“It’s impacting morale in a major way,” Smith said. “I’ve had teachers and staff members reach out to me just asking for reassurance the district is ok.”

The mystery has been compounded by Smith’s own criminal complaint to the state Attorney General’s of�ice about the ex-superintendent and Conley’s initial suspension by the board for reasons it won’t disclose.

“There is a huge unknown,” he continued. “I read someone wrote a comment on a social media post about how MPS is like a boat with no captain.”

District spokeswoman Heidi Hurst said, “The district will continue to focus on student academic learning and social and emotional

well-being initiatives.”

Conley steps down

The governing board abruptly placed Conley on paid non-disciplinary administrative Nov. 18, giving no reason for the action or any indication of how long it would last.

“The board appreciates the community’s strong interests in the superintendent status and the district’s leadership, but the district does not, however, comment on pending personnel matters for a variety of reasons,” said attorney Robert Haws during a Nov. 26 meeting.

“And it’s based on my advice,” he continued. “But please know the board is diligently working on these issues and additional infor-

CHandler Police Commander Ed Upshaw shows the Ring kit, calling it a valuable tool in the ﬁght against property and other crimes. (Pablo Robles/Tribune Sta Photographer)

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A week later, Smith filed a criminal complaint with the AG accusing Conley of theft and embezzlement for giving out administrative raises and promotion salaries he claims exceeded the amounts approved by the board.

The three-page complaint cites a June 6 memo with approved $5,000 raises awarded to four members of Conley’s executive team: Assistant Superintendent of Business & Support Services Scott Thompson, Chief Financial Officer Daniel O’Brien, Chief Technology Officer David Sanders and Dobson/Westwood Area Assistant Superintendent Arlinda Mann.

Smith said his own research – which he claims was confirmed by an “anonymous source” – indicates the increases were “drastically higher” than what the board approved.

He also alleged several Mesa employees may have received salaries higher than what was set in contracts approved by the board.

Smith’s allegations echo the indictment filed by a state grand jury against EVIT Superintendent Chad Wilson for bonuses he doled out without board approval when he headed the Apache Junction Unified School District.

But Hurst asserted unlike the other case, the bonuses given out by Conley were approved by the board.

The Attorney General’s office confirmed it was conducting an investigation, but the district declined comment.

Conley could not be reached.

“If you look at the complaint, I didn’t include any of my findings – that way the agents can do their investigation and they’re not jumping into this looking for a specific number,” Smith said. “I want them to go into this taking an unbiased approach.”

Conley steps down

On Dec. 2, Conley officially resigned.

Following a three-hour executive session discussing her employment, the school board voted 4-1 during a special meeting to approve the resignation.

“The district is looking forward to getting accurate information out,” said board President Elaine Miner. “We look forward to moving forward.”

“We care about this district and we believe we are doing what is right,” she continued.

Board member Kiana Sears cast the lone vote against, saying only she disagreed with the “financial provision” of Conley’s departure agreement.

A resignation provision in Conley’s original contract states she could receive only her base salary prorated to the date of termination and forfeit all rights to compensation and benefits after her actual date of termination -- but it is unclear what Sears was referring to.

Conley’s base salary was set at $225,000 in 2018.

If Conley had been fired, MPS would have had to pay the remainder of her three-year contract, which ends in mid2021.

She would have also been eligible to receive payouts for any unused sick days up to 240 days at 55 percent of her daily rate and unused vacation days up to 60 days at her full daily rate.

Although the board is still not disclosing the details surrounding the suspension and resignation, members indicated they will make the terms of its departure agreement with Conley available soon.

How soon is unknown.

New beginnings

The board appointed former Mesa Associate Superintendent Peter Lesar as the interim superintendent at least through the end of the current school year.

In a message to staff, the Governing Board wrote, In a message to staff, the Board wrote Lesar’s “varied experiences, familiarity with the district and passion for our community were essential to his selection as interim superintendent.”

Lesar, who worked in the district for 32 years and retired last July, said he is looking forward to stepping up to the plate.

“I’m inspired by the dedication and commitment of our leaders, teachers and support staff and look forward to working side-by-side with all of you,” said Lesar.

“I am hopeful my experience, estab-

lished relationships and familiarity with the district will add stability during this transitional time,” he added.

While Lesar did not respond to the Tribune for a follow-up interview, Smith called him a sound choice.

“I think he is the perfect person to help ride that ship,” he said. “He’s got a very calming demeanor and I have a lot of respect for him.”

Adding to the mystery surrounding Conley’s demise is the uncertain future of her major strategic and master plans.

Deputy Superintendent Andi Fourlis previously told the Tribune MPS will continue to operate “business as usual.”

She said prior to Conley’s resignation no changes will be made to her initiatives.

“The district is going to continue to move forward,” she said. “Including all of the programs to support our social-emotional learning students and our strategic and master planning work.”

“Some other initiatives include inclusive preschools and developing strong partnerships with our community – both nonprofit and higher education,” she said.

While the board has made no mention of the plans Conley had been presenting to it in recent months, Hurst told the Tribune:

“We are committed to implementing a strategic plan and master facility plan, and continuing our emphasis on collaborative teamwork to support our Mesa Public Schools Promise.”

Next steps are expensive

The hunt for a new superintendent now begins.

The process, according to Smith, could potentially be costly to the district as well

Why the Mesa Public Schools Governing Board suspended former Superintendent Ember Conley remains a mystery and it has only deepened with her resignation. (Tribune file photo)

Mesa students play Council members

BY JIM WALSH Tribune Staff Writer

For an hour or so, Kyanna Ramos sat on the Mesa City Council’s dais and acted as if she mayor – and she was, kind of.

Kyanna was overseeing a mock city council meeting staged by the Mayor’s Youth Committee and involving some 30 students from Mesa schools who played elected officials and city administrators and reenacted hearings on actual bills previously seen by the real council.

With tags bearing the students’ names placed over the nameplates of the council members, they were “replacing,” Kyanna, a Mesa High student, replaced Mayor John Giles; Mallory Carlson of Red Mountain High School replaced Councilman Kevin Thompson; and Jonathan Guerrero of Mesa High replaced Vice Mayor Mark Freeman.

Kyanna was far from overwhelmed by the first-of-its-kind event – organized by city staffers to give the students a realistic look at city government.

“I definitely think I could be mayor,’’ she said. “This is one of my goals. You can command the room with one touch of a button.’’

Mesa’s real mayor thought Kyanna could do his job, too, and asked her when she turns 18 so she can qualify for the next election.

Just before the meeting started, Giles set the tone by swearing in Kyanna, telling her, “Don’t run us off the tracks. Keep the city alive and well.’’

Giles praised the students for their performance and explained a few procedural issues to them.

The meeting also contained some topical and even controversial agenda items such as the proposed vaping ordinance, changes to the recycling program and the Lehi Cove zoning case.

“I’m really proud of you. You did a great job,’’ Giles told the students. “It’s a re-creation, but it’s a re-creation with real cases.’’

For the most part, the 30 or so high school juniors and seniors took the exercise seriously, although a couple of goofy comments seemed to reflect the age

bracket involved.

Kyanna and Jonathan had their homework by attending the real City Council meeting and study session the previous night, hoping to get some clues on how they would handle the mock assignment.

Sam Stockfisch, a student at Mountain View High School, found himself making a detailed presentation on the rising costs of recycling and outlining several options for solving it.

In the end, the real council had voted to salvage the program by rebranding it, cutting back on the types of refuse collected and seizing the blue containers of customers who refused to cooperate. The goal is to curb contamination.

Sam clearly understood the issue, though he later confessed, “It definitely stressed me out. I have never been good at public speaking.”

He said he learned a lot about recycling, admitting “this is not something I would have investigated on my own.’’

But Sam said the experience turned him into a believer in recycling. “This is something we need to recognize as important for our city and our world,’’ he said.

The students had freedom to make up

Got

ever, when a study by the state Department of Environmental Quality Engineering found while there may be odors, there was little or no discernable threat to public health.

The real Council approved Lehi Cove unanimously after a year’s delay to do the air monitoring study.

“Multi-family housing does not have as much value as single-family housing,’’ argued Ryley Scantlebury, a Mountain View High School student, who played the role of a citizen opposed to the project. “Because it’s in close proximity to the Vulcan Plant, and there will be an odor, it makes it less desirable.’’

their own minds on the various issues they discussed.

They voted unanimously to approve the vaping ordinance, which applies the same restrictions to vaping as smoking. It is scheduled for a discussion at the council meeting tomorrow, Dec. 9, but is likely to be put off from a vote for several months after some council members expressed concerns about various aspects of the legislation.

“It has nicotine in it and is very addictive. It hurts your lungs,’’ said Shelbie Rash of Skyline High School, who played the role of a citizen arguing in favor of the ordinance.

Students arrived at a much different conclusion on the Lehi Cove zoning case, voting 6-1 against allowing a zoning change so the townhouse project could move forward on Thomas Road west of Val Vista Drive.

The zoning case was controversial this summer because it was in close proximity to Vulcan Materials, an asphalt plant. Homeowners in a closer development, Lehi Crossing, had complained about noxious odors emanating from the plant.

Opposition seemed to dissipate, how-

Giles told the students he hopes the experience will motivate them to pay attention to city government.

He said the mock council meeting should demonstrate to students the council makes decisions sometimes on issues residents are very passionate about, and those decisions sometimes change people’s lives.

“I think you get a feeling sometimes it gets intense. People get upset and sometimes they cry,’’ he said. “There’s some real drama that goes on in Mesa.’’

The other high school students who participated in the mock session and their schools were: Chance Herbert and Jennifer Pino, both Desert Ridge; Catherine Prus, Alexandra Cahill, Jaycee Graffius and Miles Gordon, all Red Mountain; Sylvana Fuentes, AAEC - Red Mountain; Spencer Porter, Emilie Dunaway, Francisco Enriquez, Heather Vogler and Amanda Freeman, all Heritage Academy.

Also, Elizabeth Bolin, Shelbie Rash and Diana Saenz, all Skyline; Melanie Rivera, Mesa High; Phillip Smith and Asia Bach, both Westwood; Ben Kussmann, AAEC –Mesa; Ryley Scantlebury, Lili Chambers and Pratik Shah, all Mountain View; and Rachel Early and Sonary Amachree, both Dobson.

Mayor for a Day Kyanna Ramos of Mesa High School, left, and Councilwoman for a Day Alexandra Cahill of Red Mountain High pay close attention to a speaker’s presentation during a mock council meeting by the Real Mayor’s Youth Committee. (Pablo Robles/ Tribune Staff Photographer)

valuable tool our agency uses,’’ Upshaw said. “It’s 2019. It’s not the same world you lived in in 1970. The world has changed. You are under constant surveillance.’’

But some civil libertarians consider Ring a technological manifestation of Big Brother and a dangerous intrusion on privacy rights, with innocent people suddenly accused of suspicious behavior without reason and cops obtaining evidence quickly, with no oversight, through a network of nosey doorbells.

Upshaw and other East Valley police officials say their concerns are overblown.

They consider Ring the equivalent of a digital block watch, an update on an aspect of community policing departments have promoted for decades.

Instead of holding a Block Watch meeting or calling each other, neighbors are sharing videos and issuing potential crime alerts of their own.

“They are giving it to us for free and it works with every camera system,’’ Upshaw said, referring to Ring’s Neighbors App. “We’ve been trying to create something like this for years. No one has ever done it.’’

Gilbert police spokesman Sgt. Mark Marino, another Ring fan, said town residents have shown no hesitation about sharing Ring videos.

“The Valley as a whole works well with law enforcement,’’ Marino said. “As long as people are willing to share their videos, it will help us.’’

In a world where customers always are under surveillance at supermarkets,

big box stores and other public places, it shouldn’t be shocking the same concept would be extended by technology into neighborhoods, he said.

“We don’t have the ability to pull video from anyplace. This is a voluntary submission. We don’t have access unless you provide it to us,’’ Marino said.

Police have been asking major companies for access to surveillance videos for decades while investigating a wide range of crimes, from armed robberies to even hit-and-run accidents, he said.

“No one ever had privacy rights in public. Privacy and public are contradictory terms,’’ Marino said. “I think there is a misconception about what privacy is.’’

A Ring doorbell also recorded two thieves going through the owner’s car in a Mesa driveway while the unsuspecting owner was asleep inside his home. Mesa police eventually arrested the suspects.

None of these incidents qualify as crimes of the century. Instead, they are what police often describe as crimes of opportunity – incidents upset victims to no end but often do not lead to an arrest.

But to Chandler, Mesa and Gilbert police – which all have relationships with Ring along with about 600 agencies nationally – the popular device represents another crime-solving tool.

Residents can go to police web sites and enter a code to sign up for Ring’s Neighbors App, where videos are shared.

“We’re not seeing it wipe out the burglary problem, but it gives residents a little bit of power,’’ said Mesa police Commander Ed Wessing.

Residents download videos taken by

Walk through Bethlehem

the Ring, with a smartphone and other devices to Ring’s Neighbors App, alerting each other about suspicious activity.

Police can view such videos through Ring’s law enforcement portal, using geofencing to monitor up to a five-mile area.

Cops can also put out an alert requesting videos in response to a particular crime or crime trends, such as the vehicle burglaries.

Police also say civil liberties are not violated because they have no direct access to anyone’s Ring system and do not monitor specific doorbells on a daily basis.

“They are empowering each other through the Neighbors App, sharing the activity involved,’’ Wessing said. “Just like your neighborhood can view it, we can view it.’’

“It’s community-driven. These are videos they are giving us,’’ Wessing added.

After a string of vehicle burglaries in the Dobson Ranch neighborhood, for instance, when thieves can commit 15-20 burglaries in short period of time, “it was overwhelming sought after and supported by the community,’’ he said.

These agencies report no major crimes, such as homicides or sexual assaults, being solved by Ring.

But they say the doorbell might just capture a fleeing suspect’s car driving by or license plate number could be used a track down a suspect.

“It’s a much faster way for us to canvass a neighborhood than 15 years ago,’’ Wessing said.

The traditional police procedure is for officers to comb through a neighborhood, knocking on doors, looking for witnesses or others with information.

A civil libertarian, however, argues it’s part of the problem with Ring.

Depending upon how the settings are set by the owner, Ring can also record innocent people doing nothing wrong in a neighborhood – such as a delivery person simply leaving a package near a front door, someone soliciting contributions for charity or someone walking their dog along a familiar route.

Evan Greer, deputy director of Fight for the Future, a digital civil rights advocacy organization, fears Ring could create a nationwide neighborhood surveillance network, with police involved in cozy relationships with Ring and evidence obtained by police without obtaining a warrant.

She said there are no oversight or safeguards, creating a permissive atmosphere where residents with no law enforcement training have engaged in racial profiling, automatically assuming someone innocently walking through a neighborhood is acting suspicious because they are not white.

“Speed matters. It changes the impact on society,’’ Greer said. “I think it’s what is so concerning. They don’t need a warrant. It allows them to do it astonishingly fast. It makes it so much easier.’’

With Ring becoming so popular, it’s hard to escape from surveillance, she said.

“It’s not just stores, it’s literally everywhere,’’ Greer said.

Greer’s fears were amplified when BuzzFeed.com reported a former Chandler police assistant chief had spoken about the capability of matching Ring videos with facial recognition technology at a seminar in April before the International Association of Chiefs of Police.

Police have acknowledged they have access to facial recognition technology through the Arizona Counter Terrorism Information Center, but Upshaw said the level of effort would be reserved for solving major crimes, not property crimes.

“It’s there, but it’s for kidnappers, bank robbers, active killers,’’ Upshaw said. “We’re not going to use for simple burglars and shoplifters.’’

Greer accuses Amazon, the owner of Ring, of turning police into glorified Ring salesmen.

Police reject such a characterization. Upshaw said Ring gave Chandler police 25 doorbells when police entered into the agreement, and one new doorbell for every 20 people who sign up for the Neighbors App through the Chandler police web site.

The relationship paid dividends in crime prevention when Chandler police gave a free doorbell to a woman in south Chandler who was being stalked by her ex-boyfriend after she ended the relationship and threw him out of her house.

Upshaw said the ex-boyfriend is accused of terrorizing the woman for two months, slashing her tires, entering her house through a window and sending her text messages he was watching her.

The woman placed the Ring in an unconventional spot, not as a doorbell, and the video captured the ex-boyfriend trespassing on her property shutting off her power. Police arrested the ex-boyfriend at a hotel.

Despite the privacy concerns, Wessing said, “At the end of the day, we are trying to prevent future victims.”

Mesa residents who want to join can go to download.ring.com/mesa while Chandler residents should go to download. ring.com/chandler.

To get the phone app, in Chandler, text ChandlerAZ to 555888. Mesa residents can text MESAPD to that number. Infrmation:shop.ring.com/pages/neighbors.

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Mesa schools get $4M in state bonus payments

BY JORDAN HOUSTON Tribune Staff Writer

Mesa Public Schools is receiving roughly $4 million in additional funding through bonuses from the state Education Department for individual schools’ overall performances on last year’s AzMERIT tests.

A little over one-third of the district’s schools will be receiving a sum of the results-based funding, with 27 of the 82 schools eligible.

The bonus is also about double of what it received for its performances from the year prior.

The three schools getting the most include Taylor Junior High, with approximately $246,884; Summit Academy, $246,606; and Wilson Elementary, $243,868 – all of which are Title 1 schools.

“Essentially, it [Results-Based Funding] is a program created in order to pay high-performing schools on their AzMERIT,” said Arizona Department of

Education spokesman Stefan Swiat.

In 2017, Governor Doug Ducey and the state Legislature adopted results-based funding, setting up a $39 million in bonuses for select schools to encourage higher student performance.

Bonuses not only go to top-performing charter and public schools but also to Title 1 schools show significant improvement.

Bonuses can be used in virtually any way the district decides.

Some districts award bonuses to the staff at schools who scored high while other districts divvy up the money across all schools for professional development. Schools can also choose to use the funds to expand their programs within their district.

MPS has not yet determined how the monies will be divvied.

“The district doesn’t have a reactionary statement,” said MPS spokeswoman Heidi Hurst. “But we’d love to share more once we’ve determined how the funds will be allocated.”

Hurst told the East Valley Tribune last year the distribution is “up to each school administrator” but did not have specific information on what those administrators did with the money.

She said most schools use their bonuses for teacher stipends.

MPS has until Dec. 13 to tell the state Department of Education how they spent their funds from the previous year, which equaled $2.1 million, according to Swiat.

School and charter districts don’t apply for the extra funding as it is distributed through a statutory formula.

Although the funding sets out to level the playing field for lower-income schools, several critics claim it’s not necessarily the case.

An analysis by the Children’s Action Alliance showed two-thirds of last year’s bonus money went to high-income schools and 24 percent went to charter schools for a total exceeding the percentage of public schools qualifying for the bonuses.

“How the law was written and what

not – we did not propose it,” said Swiat. “We just administer.”

“It’s not for us to jump on it and discuss,” he continued. “There is just nothing really to add to the conversation right now.

Fifteen of Mesa Public Schools’ 54 Title 1 schools this year received the OK for the results-based funding for their AzMERIT scores.

Title 1 is the largest federally funded education program and provides supplemental funds to districts with the highest student concentrations of poverty in order to meet educational goals.

The total amount of being awarded to MPS Title 1 schools equals around $2.4 million.

The school with the lowest poverty rate among those receiving the funding is Jefferson Elementary, with a poverty rate of 91 percent. It will be awarded a total of $110,646.

Jefferson showed an ELA percent passing rate of 33 percent and a math percent passing rate of 44 percent.

Lawmaker insists names are a meaty issue

BY HOWARD FISCHER Capitol Media Services

AArizona cattle rancher wants to ensure anything sold to Arizonans as “meat’’ came from something with at least two legs, if not more.

But Rep. David Cook, R-Globe, insists it won’t prevent people from calling things a “burger’’ – or even a “steak’’– as long as there’s no claim it’s beef, chicken, pork or anything once was a living, breathing animal.

Cook’s legislation seeks to make it illegal to “misrepresent’’ any product not derived from a harvested livestock or poultry animal as meat. More to the point, HB 2044 would define the act as

CONLEY from page 3

as time-consuming.

“The process is pretty long and very detailed,” said Smith. “If they decide to go the same route we went through last time, it’s about a four-month process.”

If MPS chooses a national search, it could face several obstacles relating to competitive salaries.

the use of “any untrue, misleading or deceptive oral or written statement, advertisement, label, display, picture, illustration or sample.’’

“It’s about truth in labeling,’’ he said.

Cook told Capitol Media Services he’s not trying to put a dent in the market for things like soy burgers. And even the commercial Impossible Burger would remain legal to sell, complete with what could be mouth-watering pictures of the product.

“The ‘burger’ is not the meat,’’ he explained.

“‘Burger’ is just what you grind up,’’ Cook continued. “It can be soy, it can be whatever.’’

It’s the word “meat’’ Cook is trying to protect against future incursions.

Superintendent pay is linked to state per-pupil funding, and Arizona ranks poorly in the area compared to other destinations.

A 2016 survey of school districts in suburban Phoenix found superintendent compensation averaged $233,177, assuming they received 100 percent of performance pay.

When hiring Conley, MPS went through

“This is what’s being done in laboratories and stuff where meat does not come from a carcass,’’ he said.

“You can call it a ‘burger,’ ‘’ he said. “You cannot call it ‘meat.’ ‘’

Similarly prohibited by HB 2044 would be any other words suggesting what is being offered for sale or consumption has some relation with something previously alive.

“They can’t call it ‘ground beef,’ ‘’ Cook said. Similarly, companies would still be able to sell “nuggets’’ to patrons -- as long as they are not labeled as chicken.

“When you walk up to a meat counter, you know what you’re buying,’’ he said.

“You know what you are putting in your body. You know what you’re consuming

the Arizona School Boards Association.

It spent about $45,000 – which Smith categorized as “more fiscally conservative” in comparison to other groups.

In total, the former board president estimates the total amount spent on the hiring process cost around $100,000 when taking into account the additional staff it needed to pay over-time.

Looking forward though, Smith said he

and what you are paying for.’’ Cook attempted similar legislation last year, but with a twist: It also would have prohibited the use of the word “milk’’ on any product not coming from a lactating animal, effectively saying products could not be called “soy milk’’ or “almond milk.’’ It proved too much as the House voted 36-22 to kill the plan.

This time, Cook said, the dairy farmers are on their own. But he questioned whether such a measure could get legislative approval.

“They’re 15, 20 years too late,’’ Cook said, with the plethora of non-dairy “milk’’ products already on store shelves. “We want to make sure we’re out in front of this thing before it even becomes an issue.’’

does feel optimistic the board will have a permanent superintendent by the beginning of the next school year.

“I don’t picture a scenario where they are still running an interim at the start of the 2020-21 school year,” he said.

Hurst told the Tribune:

“The board is still discussing next steps and will share more information with the community when available.”

Mesa Man and Woman of the Year announced

TRIBUNE NEWS STAFF

Mesa Fire Chief Mary Cameli and Southwest Business Credit Services President/CEO Rich Adams are the 2019 Mesa Woman and Man of the Year.

The Mesa Citizen of the Year Association last week announced the 84-year-old honors and Cameli and Adams will be feted at a dinner in February.

Cameli began her career as a firefighter in 1983 with the Mesa Fire and Medical Department and as one of its first female hires.

She rose through the ranks, including 11 years as assistant chief, before her appointment as head of the department in 2016.

Cameli, who holds a bachelor’s degree in education and a master’s in organizational management, is past president of the Arizona Fire Chiefs Association and is the metro section representative on its board. She also is involved in numerous community organizations and is past chair of the Child Crisis Arizona board and former Mesa Sunrise Rotary president.

Cameli is currently vice chair of the Community Bridges and International Fire

Service Training Association boards and a member of the International Center for Public Safety Excellence board.

“She

continues to stay very active in the community and volunteers her personal time to help and be involved with many volunteer operations within the community,” the Citizen of the Year Association said, quoting a Child Crisis Arizona member who declared:

“I have seen firsthand the deep commitment of Mary’s volunteerism on behalf of the children and families in the community. She has a passion to ensure the health and welfare of children is first and foremost a priority and truly stands up in the fight against child abuse & neglect.”

RICH ADAMS

Married to Mike Cameli, the couple has five daughters and four grandchildren.

Adams is a longtime resident and heads an

organization specializing in business credit information and professional education.

“Rich is a well-regarded civic volunteer and leader,” the association said, lauding his willingness to assume leadership positions.

“I have never seen Rich on any board he did not assume some sort of leadership role and where he did not give his all for the betterment of the effort,” an unidentified nominator told the Citizen of the Year Association.

A graduate of Valley Leadership Class XXI and Mesa Leadership Class of 1989, Adams

has chaired the city Falcon Area Visioning Commission, a member and past chairman of the city Economic Development Advisory Board, and past chairman of the City of Mesa Planning & Zoning Board.

He is on the Mesa United Way Board and chairs the Visit Mesa board.

The Mesa Citizen of the Year Association is one of the oldest groups of its kind in the State of Arizona.

Founded in 1935, the organization annually selects two individuals in the community who have dedicated a significant amount of time to volunteer activities.

It annually salutes people who have exemplified a long-standing commitment to volunteer activities and leadership.

The group also promotes volunteerism in Mesa and its positive impact on the well-being of residents and neighborhoods.

The association has also recognized Mesa High School seniors for “exemplary service in their school and the community.” Cameli and Adams will be honored at a banquet Feb. 18 at the Hilton Phoenix/Mesa. For tickets: mesacitizenoftheyear.com or contact Debby Elliot at 480969-2731.

MESA FIRE CHIEF MARY CAMELI

SOUTHWEST BUSINESS CREDIT SERVICES PRESIDENT/CEO

CUSD’s new elementary school will cost a bundle

BY KEVIN REAGAN Tribune Staff Writer

The cost of Chandler Unified’s newest elementary school will be about 35 percent higher than what the district paid five years earlier to construct its last school.

The district Governing Board approved a $23-million contract last week to build a 93,000-square-foot campus in Gilbert will open next year. The project’s price tag is significantly higher than the $17-million contract CUSD approved to build Auxier Elementary in 2014.

Associate Superintendent Frank Fletcher said upswings in the market are to blame for the higher construction costs.

“We are seeing escalating prices throughout the state of Arizona, especially in Maricopa County right now,” he said.

CUSD will pay about $1.34 million for the structural steel of its new school –about $578,000 more than what it paid for a school it built in 2011.

Construction costs in the Phoenix area have increased by about 5 percent over the last year, according to Rider Levett Bucknail, an international consulting firm. It’s a trend seen in most metropolitan areas as labor shortages and pricey materials continue to inflate construction costs.

When the economy is booming, Fletcher said school districts often get the byproduct of more expensive projects.

“It is what it is right now,” he added. Prices for building elementary schools in the East Valley have been rising over the last decade. CUSD paid $154 per square-foot for building Carlson Elementary in 2011. Three years later, the rate rose to $186 for building Auxier. The district had expected to pay about $225 per square-foot for building the new school near Ocotillo Road and 148th Street. The contract ended up costing $247 per square-foot.

CUSD awarded the contract to McCarthy Building, which has built out several projects throughout the district.

McCarthy notably contributed to a political committee advocating for passage of

Chandler Unified’s bond election last month. The company contributed $9,900 to the committee - pushing for voters to approve a $291-million bond to be used on various construction and maintenance projects in CUSD. It is common practice in Arizona for contractors to bankroll campaigns supporting school bonds and overrides.

McCarthy was one of four contractors to submit bids for building the new elementary school and was selected through a ranking process done by the district.

Blueprints of the new school depict a campus with basketball courts, playgrounds, and a large landscape area. The district is not expecting any changes to the school’s design since it is on a strict timeline to get the project done by July.

Weinberg Elementary, located off Val Vista Drive, will relocate to the new school site once it’s finished and Weinberg’s old campus will transform into an academy for gifted students.

CUSD is also in the midst of building a new high school on the northeast corner

of Gilbert and Brooks Farm roads, partly to serve Gilbert students.

The two new schools are expected to help CUSD accommodate the 3,000 extra students it’s projected to get over the next decade. Chandler Unified built Casteel High School only a few years ago, yet administrators claim another campus is already needed due to accelerated student growth.

CUSD has drafted designs for its new high school and will submit them to the city of Chandler for approval sometime this month.

The high school’s design and location has already raised the alarm of nearby residents who fear the facility will generate a large amount of unwanted traffic.

Residents of the Brooks Ranch neighborhood, located south of the school site, have advised the Governing Board their concerns of parents using Brooks Ranch roads as alternative drop-off sites. Administrators have tried appeasing these worries by communicating with the surrounding neighborhoods.

“I know there is some distress and concern but we’ve committed to partnering with the communities,” said Superintendent Camille Casteel.

Fletcher said he expects the costs for building the high school will be comparable to the new elementary school.

Boundaries determining which CUSD students will attend the high school are expected to be drawn in January.

Fewer people visited Arizona’s U.S. parks this year

BY MICHAEL PATTON Tribune Contributor

Despite record-breaking levels of tourism throughout the state, attendance at Arizona’s national parks and forests have declined sharply.

National parks state-wide had nearly a million fewer visitors in the first eight months of 2019 than they did in the same time last year, according to the Arizona Hospitality Research and Resource Center.

This follows an even more severe drop of 1.7 million visitors between 2017 and 2018 for a 17 percent reduction in two years.

Only four of the 21 national parks bucked the trend and have continued to attract more visitors each year: Coronado National Monument, Saguaro National Park, Pipe Spring National Monument and Sunset Crater.

This stands in sharp contrast to the rising numbers of tourists visiting other locations.

Joshua Coddington, spokesman for the Arizona Office of Tourism, noted, “Arizona attracted a record 45.4 million overnight visitors, which was a 3.5 percent increase over the previous year.”

It can be difficult to attribute the drop in park attendance to any single factor.

There are 21 wildly different national parks, monuments and historical places falling under the umbrella of the National Parks Service and all are affected to varying degrees by different one-time events.

“It is tough to speculate on why attendance changes at any given park. Visitation varies so much from park to park it’s difficult to make a blanket statement for all national parks,” Coddington said.

Tonto National Forest, for example, was closed for almost all of August 2019 due to the Woodbury Fire, triggering an unusual 98 percent reduction in visitors during the month.

“We’re actually getting more and more

people who use [Tonto] all the time,” said Renae Cox, rangeland management specialist for the Forest Service.

“That’s mainly because of Phoenix and how quickly people are moving into it; we’re really an anomaly being so close to the city,” Cox added.

Some large issues consistently impact nearly all parks – most significantly, the 35-day government shutdown between December 2018 and January 2019.

“It is important to consider parks are not being staffed during these shutdowns, and while some visitation continues anyway, these visitors are very likely not to be counted,” said Sheila Poole, spokeswoman for the Forest Service.

“It also scares away visitors for months after the shutdown, because people think the parks are still closed when they’re not,” she said.

The only park unaffected by the shutdown was the Grand Canyon, which main-

tains a unique plan known as the Grand Canyon Protection Plan to continue operating in emergency situations

Both 2016 and 2017 were somewhat exceptional years for national parks due to the National Parks Centennial marked the founding of the national parks system.

“[The celebrations] really shined a spotlight on national parks, helping to increase awareness and overall visitation,” Coddington said.

Even with attendance dropping at the state’s national parks, people are finding other ways to see the natural beauty of Arizona, he said, noting state-managed parks have retained relatively steady attendance.

“People always seem to focus on the big stuff like the Grand Canyon,” said Anita Lewis, a visitor to the Lost Dutchman State Park. “There’s a lot of really nice stuff out there less known if you just take the time to look.”

This map shows the plan for Chandler Unified’s new elementary school in Gilbert, which the district hopes to open by the new school year. (Special to the Tribune)

Hospice nurse learns ‘backstory’ of Mesa icon

BY DEBORA BRITZ Tribune Guest Writer

When Bessie Medigovich visited her beloved patient, Wayne Pomeroy, shortly before he died in April, the Hospice of the Valley nurse had no idea the affable 98-year-old was a bona fide Mesa icon.

All she saw was an extremely kind man and “very family-oriented person” adored by his four girls.

She didn’t know the civic leader and fourth-generation Mesa resident served on the City Council and as mayor from 1966 to 1980. Or that his Main Street store, Pomeroy’s, was a fixture in downtown Mesa since 1951.

Or that he was active and widely respected in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

Pomeroy’s is a “destination store” for church missionaries in need of suits, ties, shoes and other accessories.

The artwork is part of “Sculptures in the Street,” which Wayne created in 1999 to draw business to Main Street.

“He was the sweetest man. He was the nicest man!” Bessie said when she recently reunited with two of Wayne’s daughters, Michel Fluhr, who owns the store now, and Lisa Bargery.

Lisa couldn’t wait to thank in person the “wonderful young nurse” who went above and beyond to give them a positive experience during such a trying time.

The 32-year-old Bessie is a “visit nurse,” helping with urgent needs and covering for other nurses when they’re off. All nurses, however, play a critical role in hospice care: “We are the eyes and ears for the doctors,” Bassie said.

“At the end, our visits increase because patients need more support. With each encounter, I try to take in what’s import-

Then there was his Air Force service during World Word II. Badly wounded flying on this 11th bombing mission, Wayne received both Purple Heart and Silver Star medals. “We don’t get the backstory. I had no idea!” Bessie said outside Pomeroy’s, marveling at a bronze sculpture of Wayne graceing the front of the store.

EVIT student collects 1K pounds of food for college

BY ALYSSA AVILA Tribune Contributor

An East Valley Institute of Technology recently collected over 1,000 pounds of food for Mesa Community College’s food pantry, Mesa Market.

Brian Valentine and his family helped Mesa Market volunteers unload the heavy boxes containing nonperishable food like pasta, water, and tuna fish to help Mesa Community College students struggling with food scarcity and homelessness.

Mesa Market addresses a food-insecurity problem college students nationwide are confronting.

A 2018 report by Wisconson Hope Lab found two in three college students can’t afford to eat regularly while nearly half confront housing insecurity and 14 percent are homeless.

A representative for the Mesa Market, who asked not to be identified, said the problem exists for Mesa Community College students as well.

“The number one cause of stress for stu-

dents is their finances,” the representative said, “Students who come to the pantry are hungry until their next paycheck.”

The representative also reported about 405 students visit the food pantry every month and the pantry made an impact on

students’ lives.

Each student is eligible to receive up to 10 non-perishable food items and five hygiene items per week.

Valentine chose this food pantry project to earn his Eagle Scout badge for Troop 614 because he sympathized with students as he can imagine himself in their shoes.

“It seems unfair of them doing all this schoolwork when they need to eat,” Valentine said. It took Valentine and his family two weeks to collect 1,600 items by placing boxes with signs reading “Brain Valentino’s Eagle Scout Project: Mesa Market Place Food Drive.”

“I got a lot more support than I thought,” he said.

His mother, Julie Peterson, added that despite having a few difficulties collecting the goods, they received overwhelming support from people wanting to help Valentine’s efforts in supporting homeless and starving college students.

“They really wanted to support the students,” Peterson said.

The Mesa Market had been getting low on supplies and Valentine’s collection filled a vital gap.

“The food will help us stretch our food supply for the coming weeks,” the representative said.

College Bound AZ, a nonprofit helping low-income students in college, works with Mesa Market food pantry.

College Bound AZ Executive Director Elizabeth Paulus said Valentine’s gift surprised her.

“I didn’t realize it was going to be big like this,” she said.

Standing around the late Mesa Mayor Wayne Pomeroy’s statue are, from left, Pomeroy’s daughters Michel Fluhr and Lisa Bargery and Hospice of the Valley nurse Bessie Medigovich. (Hospice of the Valley)

Elizabeth Paulus and Brian Valaentine cart the food he collected to the Mesa Community College food pantry, Mesa Market. (Alyssa Avila/Tribune Contributor)

10th annual German-language Christmas service slated

Why do more than 400 people attend an event many can’t even pronounce?

Because the visitors to “Weihnachtsgottesdienst in Deutscher Sprache” –or the German Language Christmas Service – share a love of the country’s language and Christmas traditions.

The 10th annual service – which draws hundreds of Germans from across the Valley – will be held at 4:10 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 15, at Mountain View Lutheran Church, 11002 S. 48th Street, Ahwatukee.

It includes 20 minutes of caroling, followed by the service itself and then a social with German Christmas cookies.

The sermon will be delivered by Pastor Wolf W. Kaufmann, a native of Germany who earned degrees in English and evangelical theology, he was ordained as a pastor in 1990 and parish priest in the Waldeck Upland in Germany. His wife Stella worked at the University of Marburg, so he became parish pastor in a small rural community near the university town.

In 1997, the German Protestant parish of Yorkville in New York City elected him pastor of their small immigrant community. The work with emigrants justified his interest in a second career along with his ministry: He became a lawyer with a specialty in immigration law.

In his two offices in Palm Desert, California, and in Scottsdale, he advises immigrants who are looking for a new home in the United States. He also has served as a German honorary consul for Arizona.

The Christmas service also will include the music of a recorder ensemble, the brass choir and the children’s and adult

POMEROY from page 12

ant to the family,” she said. For Wayne’s family, “his comfort and peace were very important — and respect, of course.”

Lisa was blown away by how thoroughly Bessie explained “everything” to them, from how to administer medication to manage pain to what to expect in Wayne’s final days.

“I think you were there for 45 minutes to an hour,” Lisa told Bessie. “You helped him feel comfortable and put us at ease. It was so helpful, you were so calm.”

Lisa and Michel said Bessie prepared them emotionally, too.

“We used to say he’d get better. He al-

choirs. Several children will narrate the Christmas story and read an Advent prayer.

“Christians of all denominations and everybody who wants to experience a traditional German Christmas Service are welcome,” said Ingeborg Mack, one of the initiators of the service and is responsible for managing it, especially in terms of its musical design, recruitment of staff and

ways rebounded,” Michel said of her dad, who worked every day until he was 93.

His second-story office remains intact, filled with memorabilia from a life fully lived.

Wayne’s great-grandfather, Francis Martin Pomeroy, co-founded Mesa in 1878. Serving the community was in Wayne’s DNA. He always said, “This city did so much for me, I have to give back,” Michel recalled.

Wayne met his wife, Cecil, at Mesa High School and they were married for 73 years. She died in early 2017 of Alzheimer’s disease at age 93. It was the family’s first experience with Hospice of the Valley.

“the festive preparation of the parish hall.”

Other key players in putting the service together are Hella B. Kinney, who says she enjoys “arranging the cookies and cake donations for the cozy get-together; Bettina Munn, a former teacher in Germany; Petra Schmid-Riggins, who works with the Germanic Language Culture Club students and designs thank-you cards; Peter Wrschka, a physicist who reads the

“They were fabulous,” Lisa said.

When Wayne’s health began to decline due to heart failure, the family wanted the same compassionate care for him. Wayne continued to live in the house where he raised his children.

“It’s not about dying,” Lisa said.

Hospice of the Valley believes it’s about living every moment you have left.

The not-for-profit hospice upholds a mission to provide comfort and dignity at end of life, while supporting the family and caregivers throughout the patient’s journey.

Many need help with important healthcare decisions or spiritual healing, so care teams include a social worker and chap-

Christmas story; Daniela Yuenyongsgool, a German and yoga teacher who works with the children’s choir; and Birgit Zimmermann, a German teacher at Mountain Point High School who helps with a variety of tasks.

Information about the service: ingeborg07@hotmail.com, 480-961-4649 or weihnachtsgottesdienst.org

lain. Volunteers provide patient companionship and respite to caregivers.

Now, Lisa says, it’s her turn to give back after Hospice of the Valley cared for both of her parents. She is eager to join the volunteer ranks and lend whatever support she can to the agency that has turned no one away since it was founded in 1977.

“We can’t thank them enough,” she said. To learn more about volunteer opportunities: Go to hov.org/volunteer-opportunities, call 602-636-6336 or email volunteeropportunities@hov.org.

Debora Britz is a spokeswoman for Hospice of the Valley.

A Children’s Choir is one of the many features of the German Language Christmas Service in Ahwatukee that draws hundreds of people from the East Valley and beyond. (Special to the Tribune)

EV teams shine in Intel robotics tournament

TRIBUNE NEWS STAFF

More than 200 elementary and secondary school students from throughout the East Valley descended on Intel’s Chandler complex last month to vie for robotics distinction.

Of the Chandler teams competing in a FIRST LEGO League regional tournament, two won big awards and two others qualified for the state tournament.

And there were some individuals who won awards as well. Two Intel engineers, Rajnish Maini and Alan Tu, won the Best Volunteer Award and Best Coach Award, respectively, while Elaina Ashton, a senior at Arizona College Prep – Erie, earned the Best Youth Mentor Award. Coaches and mentors also included Robaba Shakiba of Intel), Jennifer Warren of American Airlines and Mamadou Diatta of Syntax.

The tournament champion was The Resistance and another Chandler team called the Street Rats won the Core Values Award. Two other Chandler teams, the Golden Knights and the Techno Destroyers, qualified for the state tournament.

A Mesa team of fifth-graders called the Lugnuts and coached by Daja and Russ Harris won the award for best robot design and performance.

The Resistance, sponsored by the nonprofit Education Empowers and coached by Tu and mentored by Elaina, comprises mainly sixth through eighth-graders, although one member, Jenna Carter, is in ninth-grade at Tempe Prep.

Other members include Ethan Ashton, seventh-grader, Kyrene Aprende Middle School; Reid Warren, sixth-grader, Tem-

pe Academy of International Studies; Landin Tu, sixth-grader, Conley Elementary; Bacary Diatta, sixth-grader, Tempe Prep; Trey Fisher, eighth-grader, Kyrene Aprende; Saba Mendoza, seventh-grader, ACP Oakland; and Brooke Sanders, eighth-grader, BASIS Mesa.

The Resistance developed a project aimed at cleaning trash in public places

with the capability of sorting and shredding, powered by solar panels.

“We had learned, through researching local problems in our community, that trash was a big factor,” Saba explained. “After presenting this data, our team decided that this would be our project.”

Some members were inspired to join the team through their association with Education Empowers: Landin’s father is a coworker with the nonprofit’s founder, Anna Prakash, who is Trey’s mother.

Like most of the participants in the tournament, Resistance members found the competition a fun challenge.

“It is fun overall to be able to find a problem and formulate a solution,” Saba said. “It was also fun to be able to calibrate as a team and work together to create a working idea, that formed into a real thing.”

Added Brooke: “In addition to continuing to help me develop programming skills and skills to research and solve real life problems, the program helped me learn the importance of working as a team to get to the best decisions. I also learned to appreciate the importance of core values such as inclusion while having fun and developing relationships with other students from different schools.

Stevenson Elementary School fielded a team in the FIRST LEGO League tournament at Intel’s Chandler campus. Among members of Stevenson’s Technology Dragons are Zyonn Walker and Elizabeth Mercer. (Chris Mortenson/Tribune Staff Photographer)

At left, Marcos Lopez, another member of Stevenson’s Technology Dragons, makes some adjustments to the team’s robot. In the photo on the right, Trey Fisher and Ria Nimbkar of the Chandler team called The Resistance examines the playing field for their robot, which helped the team win the tournament’s grand prize trophy. Looking on is The Resistance’s coach, Robaba Shakiba of Intel. The robot was designed to pick up trash from the street and sort it in a sustainable way. (Chris Mortenson/Tribune)

The Lugnuts is a Mesa team that included Ishikawa Elementary �ifth grader Calvin Campbel and four �ifth-grade students from the Mesa Academy for Academic Studies: Dustin Harri, Davis Sterling, Emerson Andrews and Jayden McConnell. That team developed a project aimed at stopping wrong-way drivers on Arizona freeways,

Dustin said he enjoyed being able “to think outside of the box to solve problems while Emerson said, “I liked teamwork and building and programming the robots.”

Education Empowers also sponsored another trophy winner, the Street Rats, who were coached by Dominic Sirianni, Michael Mowry and Brian Romero. That team includes Arete Prep eighth grader Connor Friend and three seventh graders: Harper Mowry of SanTan Junior High, Ga-

briel Garcia or Taylor Junior High and Violent Sanchez of Ward Traditional Academy.

Their project involved �loating cities.

“We wanted to explore potential solutions to the problems caused by climate change,” Connor said. “Sea level rise is a problem nearly all cities will face by 2050. We want to solve that problem by building modular �loating cities.”

The Golden Knights, af�iliated with ICAN Chandler and also sponsored by Education Empowers, will now advance to the state tournament. It includes �ifth graders Daniel Fernandez of Frye Elementary, Joanna Apodaca of Hartford Elementary and Jose Medina of Shumway Elementary. The rest of the members, all in fourth grade, includes Stefania Soto, Galveston Elementary; Cole Ogba of Frye, Allisson Rios of Bologna, Jonathan Gonzalez of San Marcos and Kaetlyn Philpot of Hartford.

The Street Rats, a Mesa team sponsored by the nonproﬁt Education Empowers, won the trophy for Best Core Values. Members include, from left, Connor Friend, Harper Mowry, Violet Gamble and Gabriel Garcia. (Chris Mortenson/Tribune Sta Photographer)

Among the members of the Chandler ICAN robotics team, called The Golden Knights, are Joanna Apodaca and William Flores. (Chris Mortenson/Tribune Sta Photographer)

You’ll be happier living your gifts, not your dreams

BY DAVID LEIBOWITZ Tribune Columnist

Most times when you go to a concert, it’s the music you remember. With that said, it’s been a month since I saw Post Malone play Glendale and still find myself pondering his parting message to his fans.

I’ll have to paraphrase a bit, since the hip-hop pop-rapper favors saltier language than my editors will allow.

The gist: “Do what you want! Don’t let anybody tell you you can’t do $#*ing something or tell you what you can $#*ing be. Live your $#*ing dreams.”

Given that “Posty,” born Austin Richard Post, owns the top-ranked album of 2019 with “Hollywood’s Bleeding” and that his music has been streamed more than 6.5 billion times this year on Spotify, this philosophy appears to have worked out pretty well for him – at least to the ripe

old age of 24.

But is it good advice? That’s what I’ve wondered for weeks.

Have to say, I don’t think so – though the concept of living your dreams has launched a million self-help books and, more recently, a few zillion social media posts and hashtags.

All around us all the time you bump into people who describe their new job, new business or their kid’s next JV basketball game as the pursuit of destiny, a desire burning in them like a cauldron.

They’re “on their grind,” #hustling, forever busy “living the dream.”

So busy that they never appear to notice something else essential to success: Having talent and skill also play a role in achieving your dreams, alongside passion and desire.

Maybe that sounds like a killjoy way of looking at things, but with all due respect to Post Malone, I don’t think telling a kid who can’t sing that he can be a rock star is

doing him or her any favors.

Then again, people love Bob Dylan’s voice, so I suppose there’s always a chance, however infinitesimal it may be.

When I was a kid, my dream was to play NBA basketball like my idol, Julius “Doctor J” Erving.

I’d clear snow off the playground to shoot jump shots in winter and dribble and work on moves to the hoop for hours.

Somewhere around age 15, I realized that at a shade over 5-foot-10, my NBA prospects were limited.

A few years later, my parents, teachers and professors helped me understand that my gifts involved words and stories.

In this way, a journalist and communications consultant was born.

Point being, I was never going to fly to the rim like Julius or become a point guard like Steve Nash. Would pushing me to try regardless have been doing me a favor? I think not.

Instead of living your dreams, I’d like to

advocate for living your gifts.

Maybe your child has a unique ability to connect with people emotionally and empathize with their troubles. Encourage them to become a doctor, a nurse, a therapist. Maybe you hate your retail job today, but you have a passion for tinkering and the ability to see how pieces and parts fit together.

Great.

Start that side business as a handyman or assembling Amazon orders. Maybe you dream of seeing far off places. Learn to save money and then by all means go.

Of course, this sounds like much less fun than your average Post Malone lyric. Like this chorus from “I’m Gonna Be”: “So I’m gonna be what I want, what I want, what I want, yeah/I’m gonna do what I want, when I want, when I want, yeah.”

The dude brought 15,000 screaming fans to Glendale. Meanwhile, no one came out to see Post Leibo. So maybe my practical vision is all wrong. But I think not.

Empire Southwest –A penchant for business. A heart for the community.

HONORING TWO OF THE REGION’S MOST CELEBRATED COMPANIES

They are companies generations in the making.

Berge Ford and Empire Southwest each began with a visionary concept – to provide best-in-class products and unmatched service by people who are the linchpin to their success.

As their companies took hold in the burgeoning PHX East Valley, the Berge and Whiteman families also became synonymous with something else: social purpose. With a genuine desire to help others, they championed everything from arts and culture to early childhood education, protections against human trafficking, transportation and more.

The PHX East Valley Partnership congratulates Berge Ford and the Berge family, along with Empire Southwest and the Whiteman family, as the 2019 Corporate Legacy Award honorees.

They are shining examples of how doing business in our region is also about doing good.

The PHX East Valley Partnership will honor Empire Southwest and the Whiteman Family, along with Berge Ford and the Berge Family, at the 2019 PHX East Valley Thought Leader Forum on Dec 3. For details, visit www.evp-az.org.

Hamilton players reflect on bounce-back season

BY ERIC NEWMAN Tribune Staff Writer

Tears were shed by several players at Coronado High on Saturday, Nov. 23 as the turnaround Hamilton football season came to a close with a 20-16 loss to Saguaro in the Open Division semifinals.

The Huskies are a year removed from a troubling 3-7 season in which they missed the playoffs for the first time in program history. However, with many of the same players and coaches, Hamilton righted the ship and went 8-2 in the regular season, and 9-3 overall (including two games in the new Open Division).

Junior quarterback Gavin Goulette, who entered the game late when senior Nick Arvay was injured, said the community was questioning the team all offseason. But, a semifinal berth in the state’s top playoff bracket confirms the Huskies’ notion in their locker room that things would be alright.

“We put our heads down as soon as we didn’t make it last November and worked to see what we could do. So, to get to this point is just amazing,” Goulette said.

Goulette’s pass on fourth-and-goal in the final seconds of the game fell incomplete because an immense Saguaro pass rush, and the black-clad Saguaro defense celebrated the win. It was the first time the Sabercats had truly been tested since Halloween against Chaparral.

The semifinal score is the first close game Saguaro’s played since an 18-10 loss to San Diego Cathedral Catholic on Oct. 31, the team’s second game of the season.

Hamilton senior Brendan Maslin said the loss was a “tough pill to swallow,” but even playing the Sabercats close and having a chance to win at the end is a cause for celebration.

“They, with their six titles in a row, saw some competition tonight. I know for

see HAMILTON page 22

Mesa schools impress in state’s toughest conference

BY ZACH ALVIRA Tribune Sports Editor

The end of the fall sports season has officially arrived, as athletes from across Mesa have already jumped into winter sports seasons.

The beginning of yet another round of prep sports allows the time to reflect on what was a successful season for several teams.

Here’s a look at how each school fared in the fall sports season.

Red Mountain

Red Mountain has long been home to successful athletics programs, and this year is no different. Its football program made it to the 6A Conference championship for the first time in 18 years, while the girls and boys cross country teams finished fourth and sixth in state, respectively. The boys golf program tied for seventh place in state this season, while Sydney Bryan and Kailani Deedon helped elevate

Hamilton senior wide receiver Brenden Rice, a Colorado commit, was one of the top players for the Huskies in their turnaround season. (Chris Mortenson/Tribune Staff)

The Red Mountain football program appeared in the 6A Conference championship game for the first time in 18 years this season. (Chris Mortenson/Tribune Staff)

Chandler schools were title contenders

BY ZACH ALVIRA Tribune Sports Editor

The end of the fall sports season has officially arrived, and athletes from across Chandler have already jumped into winter sports seasons.

The beginning of yet another round of prep sports allows the time to reflect on what was a successful season for several teams.

Here’s a look at how each school fared in the fall sports season.

Basha

Basha High wrapped up its fall athletics season watching its girls volleyball program hoist the 6A state title trophy after an high-intense match that went five sets against top-ranked Perry. The Bears battled back from a two-set deficit to win the title. Sticking on the hardwood, the Bears badminton program made it to the quarterfinals of the Division I tournament. Basha was led by Hannah Doyle and Katie Pryor, who represented the team in the doubles tournament.

The Basha swim program finished eighth overall in Division I, while the football program battled injuries throughout the year but still made an appearance in the 6A Conference playoffs.

Chandler

The Chandler football program made its fourth straight title appearance Saturday against Saturday in the historic Open Division championship game. The Wolves went undefeated leading up to the matchup with arguably the two most dominant programs in the state in recent years. Chandler’s badminton program also enjoyed success this season, making it to the semifinals of the Division I tournament. The girls cross country team finished sixth overall while the boys finished ninth at the state meet. Lucas Kelly represented the Wolves in the pool by finishing third in the 100-yard butterfly, while Abby Taylor finished third in the girls 100 backstroke.

Hamilton

Rujuta Sane claimed the Division I state badminton title this season, representing a Hamilton team that finished as the runner-up to Perry. Sane also ran cross country for the Huskies, finishing fourth overall in the Division I race to help her team place seventh. Johnny Walker and Joy Callinan won the boys and girls golf individual state titles, while the Hamilton boys also claimed the team championship. The volleyball program made a run to

the 6A quarterfinals this season, losing to eventual runner-up Perry. After winning just three games last season, the Hamilton football program elevated itself into one of the top four teams in the state. The Huskies nearly knocked off Saguaro in the Open Division semifinals, which would have set up a rematch with Chandler for the state title.

Perry

Perry’s badminton team has long been one of the most dominating teams in Division I, and they proved that yet again this season. The team captured its third

straight badminton title, while Nikhita Jayaraj and Ashley Rodarte beat teammates Sophie Jex and Megan Dye to claim the doubles championship. The volleyball team continued the Pumas’ success on the court with a second-place finish in the 6A Conference tournament, losing to Basha in five sets. Kalli Fama finished second in both the girls 100-yard freestyle and backstroke to help the Pumas place sixth overall in Division I.

The football program, which appeared in the last two 6A Conference championships, fell short in the quarterfinals after a shootout with Desert Vista. The boys

cross country program finished eighth while the girls placed fifth in state.

Casteel

Led by Dayton Carlson’s seventh-place finish, the Casteel boys cross country program managed to place second overall in Division II at the state meet. The girls, led by Cassidy Cann’s eighth-place finish, placed fifth overall. Rio Newcombe placed third in boys Division II golf followed by his teammate, Wyatt Chapman in fourth. The two helped lead Casteel to a fifthplace finish overall in the division.

The volleyball program made the postseason tournament but fell in the first round. The football program, led by second-year coach Bobby Newcombe, advanced to the 5A semifinals before falling to top-ranked Williams Field.

Arizona College Prep

Arizona College Prep’s football team went from a one-win team in 2018 to the playoffs in 2019 under coach Myron Blueford. The Knights entered the postseason as the 12th-ranked team in the 3A Conference but ran into Blue Ridge in the first round.

The girls cross country team placed 10th overall in the Division III race, while the boys finished 12th. The ACP volleyball team was the No. 7 seed in the 3A bracket and made a run to the quarterfinals.

Chandler Prep

The Chandler Prep football program made the postseason as the No. 13 seed but fell in the first round. Colorado Stanley represented the Titans in the pool by finishing fifth in the boys Division III 100yard backstroke. The boys finished 23rd overall while the girls placed ninth.

The Chandler Prep volleyball team also enjoyed success this season as the 10-seed in the playoffs. But the Titans ran into a Scottsdale Christian team in the quarterfinals that went on to win the state title.

The Basha High volleyball program captured the 6A state title after coming back from a two-set deficit to beat top-ranked Perry in the championship game. (Brittany Bowyer/Tribune Contributor)

Chandler High’s football program played for its fourth title in four years Saturday in a history-making final against Saguaro in the Open Division championship. (Chris Mortenson/Tribune Staff)

a fact they felt us, and now everybody knows what we’re made of,” Maslin said.

Hamilton’s defense was able to shut down one of the state’s most prolific offenses, at least more than the other competition Saguaro has faced in 2019. Twenty points is the lowest Saguaro scored against an Arizona team since putting up 12 against Pinnacle High in 2015. The Huskies started a few freshmen and sophomores on that side of the ball.

Hamilton’s freshman and junior varsity rosters also boast several talented players, who merely did not make the varsity roster because of the talent of the older and more experienced Huskies. While some of the state’s top talent at the offensive skill positions will graduate – Arvay and receiver Brenden Rice were among the highly-regarded players at their positions this season – the defense will likely be a strength moving forward.

“We’re going to be back every year. We’ve

page 20

the girls to a fifth place finish. In the Pool, the Girls swim program finished third overall in the Division I 200-yard medley and fifth in the 400 relay freestyle to place fourth overall. The boys also had success this season, finishing 11th.

Desert Ridge

Desert Ridge’s swim program dove headfirst into the conversation as one of the best in the state after impressive performances across the board at the championship meet. Luke Walker placed first in the 200-yard individual medley and came in second in the 500-yard freestyle. Camron Pazand improved Desert Ridge’s team score with a third-place finish in the 50-yard freestyle, while Essias Smith captured gold in the 100-yard butterfly. Karina Harr, the daughter of Desert Ridge coach Brock Harr, finished fourth in the girls 100-yard butterfly. Desert Ridge’s girls finished ninth overall in the state while the boys placed third. While the swim team handled business in the pool, the Desert Ridge football program did the same on the field. The Jaguars rattled off four wins in a row to win the region title before losing in the quarterfinals of the 6A playoffs. The volleyball team, meanwhile, also made the postseason as the 13-seed while Halle Swinney represented the Jaguars in the singles badminton tournament.

Mountain View

Mountain View’s swim program once

got four years of talent, way more players that are good on the younger teams,” said freshman cornerback Cole Martin. “It’s going to be a bright future on defense and offense too.”

It will take some time to heal the wounds from the loss, and many will never have a chance for revenge at all.

For seniors like Maslin, there will be no more Husky football to be played. However, the massive turnaround in record and team spirit constitutes, in his mind, something the graduating players can be proud of.

“Going from 3-7 to now, we set a legacy for Hamilton,” Maslin said. “I know the next junior class are going to step up as leaders, and the ones coming up are set because of what this year’s team accomplished.”

“The Hamilton Huskies are back.”

again showed why it is one of the best in the state, as Emma Becker took gold in the Division I 100-yard backstroke and third in the 200 individual medley. Becker helped lead the girls swim team to a third place finish this season, while the boys enjoyed their own success in sixth. The cross country program represented the school in the top 10 of both the boys and girls race, as the two finished fourth and eighth, respectively. Mountain View’s football program, once a powerhouse in the East Valley, entered the 6A Conference playoffs as the 15th seed. But that didn’t stop the Toros from upsetting

second-ranked Brophy in the first round. Mountain View lost the next week to Liberty, but it was one of the biggest upsets the state has ever seen.

Skyline

Skyline was represented in the post season by several of its teams, including Stephanie Quinones and Priscilla Mendoza. The pair entered the Division I badminton doubles tournament, but ultimately fell in the first round.

Tatum Jellebers and Jade Boyles helped lead the boys and girls cross country programs to top 12 finishes at the state meet,

as the boys finished seventh and the girls 11th. The volleyball team, led by legendary coach Venese Hiapo, made it to the 6A Conference playoffs.

Mesa

For the first time in four years, the Mesa High football program finished with a record above .500, as the Jackrabbits finished 6-4 overall. While they may have missed the playoffs, it’s something firstyear coach Chad DeGrenier and his staff can build on for next season.

The Mesa volleyball program made the postseason play-in tournament but ultimately fell to Queen Creek.

Dobson

Dobson was represented in the Division I swim meet by Carson Hamblin, who finished sixth in the boys Division I 100-yard butterfly and fourth in the 100 backstroke. He helped lead the team to a 14th place finish.

The Mustangs took strides under firstyear coach Bill Godsil despite having a 3-7 record. With talent coming into the program at the lower level, Dobson should continue to improve over the next couple of years.

Westwood

Westwood’s teams fought week in and week out but struggled on occasions. The football program, led by alum Kyle Ide, went 2-8 this season but will look to improve next year.

The boys swim program finished 19th overall at the state meet.

MESA FALL from

Mountain View swimmer Emma Becker capped off an impressive season with a first-place finish in the girls Division I 100-yard backstroke and third in the 200 individual medley. (Chris Fahrendorf/Tribune Contributor)

Hamilton senior quarterback Nick Arvay, who was sidelined with an injury late in the game against Saguaro, led the Hamilton offense to success this season as one of the top four teams in the state. (Chris Mortenson/Tribune Staff)

12K’s of Christmas a holiday is a treat for pets and people

GETOUT STAFF

Pets, Christmas and exercise are the order of the day next Saturday as the 11th annual Fulton Homes 12K’s of Christmas takes place.

A 12K run and runs/walks of 6 and 1.2 kilometers are a central feature of the event beginning at 7:30 a.m. Dec. 14 and runs through 12:30 p.m. at Freestone District Park, 1045 E. Juniper Road, Gilbert.

Started a decade ago by Fieldworks Events & Marketing, Inc. of Scottsdale, the 12K’s of Christmas has been rated as one of the 10 best family runs in the country by Runners World magazine. The magazine also rated the 12k’s as one of the nation’s top “bucket-list races for you and your dog.”

But besides offering a chance for a healthy run/walk, including trophies for the top �inishers, the festival also offers several attractions for pet owners and pet lovers.

It includes one of the season’s largest pet-adoption events as well as a Santa’s Pet Village with 20 pet rescue groups on hand offering information as well as animal-oriented gifts to raise money for their cause.

Among those groups are the Akita Advocates Relocation Team Arizona, Any Rat Rescue, Arizona Adopt a Greyhound, Arizona Border Collie Rescue, Arizona Sheltie Rescue, Arizona Great Pyrenees Rescue, Back the Blue Pet Rescue, Boxer Luv, Desert Harbor Doberman, K9 Heroes, Mini Mighty Mutts, R.A.I.N.

Rescuing Animals in Need, Rusty’s Angels Sanctuary, Save the Cats Arizona, Saving One Life Animal Rescue, Southwest Collie Rescue and W.O.W. Dog Rescue.

A Christmas Bazaar will feature more than 50 vendors with gift items for people and pets.

Admission is free to both the Santa’s Pet Village and the Christmas Bazaar.

Of the three runs/walks, the shortest is the Santa Sled Run for families, who are welcome to bring decorated wagons strollers or similar vehicles along with their pets – preferably dressed in holiday attire.

Christmas carolers and performers will be stationed along the run/walk route and �� 12K �� 24

Alice Cooper reforms band for Christmas Pudding

CHRISTINA FUOCO-KARASINSKI Staff Writer

Alice Cooper has been embedded into the Valley since he moved here in the late 1960s, but it doesn’t mean his heart isn’t in his home state of Michigan.

“Go Lions!” he exclaims as he hangs up the phone.

This forthcoming album is a love letter to Detroit. He used Detroit musicians like drummer Johnny “Bee” Badanjek; guitarists Mark Farner and Wayne Kramer; along with Motown session musicians.

“It’s a tip of the hat to Detroit,” says Cooper, calling from Huntsville, Alabama.

If You Go...

What: Alice Cooper’s Christmas Pudding Fundraiser.

Where: The Celebrity Theatre, 440 N. 32nd St., Phoenix,

When: 7 p.m. Dec. 14.

Cost: $50 to $220.

Info: 480-987-7469, qcpac.com,

“For some reason, with Detroit musicians, there’s a certain amount of R&B in guitar playing, in the drums, in the bass. They can’t get away from it. It’s built-in—even with the hard rock stuff.”

He’ll spend 2020 promoting his new album, but this holiday season, his efforts

are in Phoenix where he’ll host the Christmas Pudding Fundraiser at 7 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 14, at the Celebrity Theatre. Cooper’s signature event will bring together Michael Bruce, Neal Smith and Dennis Dunaway from the original Alice Cooper Band. Other guests include Ju-

das Priest frontman Rob Halford of Paradise Valley; guitarist extraordinaire Joe Bonamassa; Gary Cherone and Nuno Bettencourt of Extreme; musician/comedian Gary Mule Deer; Cooper’s guitarist Nita Strauss; Mark Slaughter of Slaughter; and comedian Jim Breuer.

“Every year, I try to get an entirely different lineup,” Cooper says. “I thought, ‘Who haven’t we had on the show?’ Bonamassa is going to be great. He’s one of the greatest guitar players of all time. Rob Halford, the guys from Extreme, the original Alice Cooper Band, Jim Breuer, Gary Mule Deer, Mark Slaughter, and we invited Nita Strauss and her boyfriend, who plays the drums. They have an album out. She was just voted one of the best female guitarists in the world. She’s going to come up and do a couple songs.

“We make it very loose. Everybody can sit in with everybody. I’ve invited Johnny Depp. He’s been to the Pudding �ive or six times. If he wants to drop in, he can.” Depp and Alice Cooper, along with

Jam sessions with Alice Cooper at his Christmas Pudding Fundraiser always bring out some of the best musicians for a memorable experience. (File photo)

Sean Geasley and Aleta Ewing were dressed in the spirit of the 12K’s of Christmas last year.

gifts will be given for the “most Christmas spirit and the best Christmas-themed running out�its on people and their pets,” organizers said.

Dozens of Scout troops, school chorale and instrumental groups, performing out�its and families sing carols, play handbells and provide other holiday entertainment. There even is a Christmas karaoke area.

All 6K and 12K participants will receive a pair of high-quality running socks. There will be 5” �inishers medal this year for all 12k and 6k �inishers, plus �irst, second and third place agegroup awards.

People can pre-register for the run/ walk at 12krun.com or sign up the day of. A portion of the proceeds supports participating animal rescues.

Over the past 10 years, the 12k’s of Christmas has raised over $100,000 to help the animals and has helped almost 2,200 pets �ind forever homes.

Aerosmith’s Joe Perry, perform as the Hollywood Vampires, who return to the road in the spring.

“The Hollywood Vampires is entirely different than my show,” Cooper says.

“We’re one of the last hard rock bands out there. It’s fun. The Alice Cooper show is much more produced like a storyline. I call the Vampires ‘the world’s most expensive bar band.’

“The Alice Cooper band never talks to the audience until the end of the show. I don’t want Alice to be human. I want him to be a character. In the Vampires shows, I tell stories about Jim Morrison, The Who and John Lennon. That’s the nature of the show.”

Proceeds bene�it the free music, dance, arts and vocational programs for teens ages 12 to 20 at Alice Cooper’s Solid Rock Teen Center.

“You’re never going to run out of teenagers who have the potential to go left or right,” Cooper says.

“They’re going to go in a really good direction or a damning sorts of direction where they’re going to get shot or go to jail. I try to give those same kids the opportunity to come in and try to learn art and

dance, but mostly they come in to learn guitar, bass and drums. Everything is free.”

The Solid Rock Teen Center sees about 100 children a day and Cooper sees them work.

“I’ll see kids who transform from negative to being positive kids,” he says. “I just love seeing the progression. I’ll see a kid pick up a guitar and three years later, he’s a lead guitarist in a band.

“He’s more addicted to that and he has a career in front of him, rather than saying,

‘I don’t know what I’m going to do. I’ll just sell drugs.’ I’m not saying every teen is like that. Some are born into it. I like the idea of the kids coming in from the worst parts of town and the rich parts of town and the common denominator is music. They say,

‘Why don’t we put a band together?’”

Solid Rock Teen Center is a Christian nonpro�it, but Cooper says, he and his staff don’t press guests about religion.

“We’re not sitting around beating you over the head with a Bible,” he says.

“We’re not judging anybody. This is open for you. Come on in.”

Alice Cooper reprised the role of Scrooge in a promotional video for one of his Christmas Pudding shows. (Special to the Tribune)

Ancient Inspiration for Today

Obituaries

MSgtElmerCurry

Creek on Thursday, 11am at 21915 E Cloud

Road A viewing will be held prior to the services from 9:30 to 10:30am Full obituary and f

https://www.dignitymemorial.com/obituaries/scottsdale-az/ann-olsen-8944605

Obituaries

Gretchen Heyer

Gretchen Aleta Van Sant Heyer, age 79, died November 30, 2019, following a long battle with Alzheimer’s disease, in her home at Saddle Brook Memory Care Community in Frisco, TX. Gretchen was born March 30, 1940, in Santa Fe, NM to Joel Nicholas and Mary Foy Van Sant IV. She married Lamont "Monty" D. Heyer on June 14, 1959. He preceded her in death April 23, 2017.

Gretchen is survived by her son, Scott (Stephanie) Heyer; 3 grandchildren and 4 great-grandchildren, with another on the way. Also preceded in death by her parents and brother, Joel Mathis Van Sant V. Graveside services and interment will be held Wednesday, December 11, 2019 at 11:00 a.m. in the Panguitch Cemetery. Funeral Directors: Magleby Mortuary, Richfield Salina and Manti. Full obituary at www.maglebymortuary.com

MSgtElmer(Tom) Curry,age93,slipped peacefullyfromthis lifeonFriday, November29th,athis homeinPhoenix surroundedbyhis lovingfamily. Althoughhisbody succumbedto Alzheimers,henever failedtorecognizefamilyandfriends.Heis survivedbyhiswifeDolores;sonCharles, daughtersBrendaGray,KimBoganey(Stan), andKarenStewart(Warren),7grandchildren and13greatgrandchildren.Funeralservices willbeheldatFirstInstitutionalChurch locatedat1141E.JeffersonSt.,Phoenix,AZ onTuesday,November10at11am,viewing 10am.BurialatVeteransNationalCemetery Phoenix.

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

Mon-Fri 8:30-5 if you have questions.

Ann Lousie Francom Olsen

IWhoever came up with the combination of cherries and chocolate hit a home run.

t’s said to have come from the Yiddish word “rugel,” meaning royal. Rolled out delicate dough ﬁlled with a variety of ingredients, rugelach (pronounced rug-a-lach) has grown in popularity from a Jewish specialty baked during the holidays to an American favorite enjoyed all year long.

It seems as though every country has its own version and name for rugelach and there are hundreds of recipe variations for this bite-sized goody. For the dough, sour cream or cream cheese is added to the ﬂour which makes for ﬂavorful dough that’s extremely easy to work with.

That combo is especially delicious in a black forest cake with layers of cherry ﬁlling, chocolate cake and whipped cream. Have you ever thought about a frozen version of this favorite dessert? It’s delicious. This cake starts with a thin layer of chocolate cake or brownies on the bottom, then layers of cherry ice cream, ice cream sandwiches and whipped topping make this recipe a frozen dream! It all gets topped with fresh berries, cherry pie ﬁlling and maraschino cherries for color. I screamed, and you’ll scream for this refreshing gourmet ice cream cake.

These one or two bite morsels are generally ﬁlled with ingredients like sugar, cinnamon, walnuts, raisins, chocolate, or preserves with a little cinnamon sugar sprinkled on top.

Ingredients:

1 box Chocolate Cake mix or Fudge Brownie mix (or store-bought cake or brownies)

Again, there are a number of ways to roll and cut rugelach, but the classic shapes are crescents or squares. I know that rugelach is baked up en masse for

1 quart cherry or cherry chocolate ice cream, thawed

1 package (12) ice cream sandwiches

Ingredients:

1 tub, Cool Whip, thawed in the refrigerator

Dough:

1 package Oreo cookies, thin or regular

1 cup butter, softened

1 small jar maraschino cherries

1 (8-oz.) package cream cheese, softened

1 can Cherry Pie ﬁlling

2 cups all-purpose ﬂour

2 tablespoons sugar

Fresh berries like blueberries, raspberries and blackberries, optional Chocolate coating, optional

1/8 teaspoon salt

Directions:

In a mixing bowl, blend together butter and cream cheese until well incorporated. Add ﬂour, sugar and salt, blending well. Gather dough and divide into two balls. Refrigerate in plastic wrap for at least 1-2 hours. Meanwhile, make ﬁlling. In a bowl, mix together 1 cup sugar, 2 teaspoons cinnamon, 1/8 teaspoon salt and 1 ½ cups chopped walnuts. When dough is chilled, cut each ball into two pieces. You will have 4 dough balls to work with.

Line an 8 x8 inch square cake pan with foil, extending enough foil on both ends to be able to lift the cake out when frozen. Bake the chocolate cake or fudge brownies according to package instructions in a shallow baking sheet pan so that the cake is only about 1 inch high. When done, cut the cake or brownies to ﬁt the 8” cake pan. (You can also use a store bought frozen chocolate cake or store bought brownies.)

Thaw the cherry ice cream in a container enough so it can be spreadable. Spread about ½ to ¾ inch of the melted ice cream over the cake bottom. Place the ice cream sandwich bars over the ice cream so that they all ﬁt snuggly together. Press down on the ice cream sandwiches so they press into the ice cream. Top the ice cream sandwiches with the remainder of the melted ice cream.

For crescent shape: On a lightly floured surface, roll dough ball into an approximate 9-inch circle 1/16 of an inch thick. Sprinkle ¼ of filling mixture over circle, leaving a ¼ inch border. Gently pat filling into dough. Cut circle into 12 wedges. Roll each wedge up starting at the wide end to form a crescent. Sprinkle top with filling mixture.

Cover and freeze overnight. When cake has hardened, spread Cool Whip over the top and sides of the cake. If desired, put some Cool whip in a piping bag to decorate the top. Combine about ½ cup of the cherry pie ﬁlling with several fresh berries, mixing gently to combine.

For square shape: On a lightly floured surface, roll dough into a 9-inch long rectangle. Sprinkle ¼ of filling mixture over dough, leaving a ¼ inch border. Gently pat filling into dough. Starting at the bottom, roll dough up tightly into tube shape. Gently flatten tube with your hands.

Spoon the berry mixture in the center of the cake. Press Oreo cookies around the top of the cake so that they are standing up. Rinse maraschino cherries and place a few around the top of the cake.

Cut into 1-inch squares. Sprinkle tops with ﬁlling mixture. Place pieces onto parchment lined (or lightly greased) baking sheet. Bake at 375 degrees for about 15-18 minutes or until deep golden brown. Makes about 36 pieces. Dough can be made ahead and stored in plastic wrap for up to one week. Baked rugelach can be frozen.

(Optional: In addition to the bright red cherries, you can also dip cherries in chocolate coating. Let harden, and place around the cake.)

Return to freezer for several hours. When ready to serve, cut cake immediately and serve while cake is still frozen.

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 Job Order Contractor for the following:

JOB ORDER CONTRACT ELECTRICAL SERVICES

PROJECT NO. JOC-EL20

The City of Mesa is seeking a qualified Contractor to provide Job Order Mechanical and Plumbing Services All qualified firms that are interested in providing these services are invited to submit their Statements of Qualifications (SOQ) in accordance with the requirements detailed in the Request for Qualifications (RFQ)

The following is a summary of the project

The Electrical Services will include maintenance, repair, minor and/or major new construction services, including minor associated incidental design services, for a broa d range of City projects

A Pre-Submittal Conference will be held on December 18, 2019, at 8:00 am, at the Mesa City Plaza Building, Engineering Department, 20 E Main Street, Conference Room 170, Mesa, AZ 85201 At this meeting, City staff will discuss the scope of work and general contract issues and respond to questions from the attendees Attendance at the pre-submittal conference is not mandatory and all interested firms may submit a Statement of Qualifications whether or not they attend the conference All interested firms are encouraged to attend the Pre-Submittal Conference since City staff will not be available for meetings or to respond to individual inquiries regarding the project scope outside of this conference In addition, there will not be meeting minutes or any other information published from the Pre-Submittal Conference

Contact with City Employees All firms interested in this project (including the firm’s employees, representatives, agents, lobbyists, attorneys, and subconsultants) will refrain, under penalty of disqualification, from direct or indirect contact for the purpose of influencing the selection or creating bias in the selection process with any person who may play a part in the selection process This policy is intended to create a level playing field for all potential firms, 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

R F Q L i s t s T h e R F Q i s a v a i l a b l e o n t

http://mesaaz gov/business/engineering/construction-manager-at-risk-and-job-order-contractingopportunities

The Statement of Qualifications shall include a one-page cover letter, plus a maximum of ten (10) single-sided pages (maximum 8½” x 11”) with a minimum of 10 pt font size, to address the SOQ evaluation criteria Do not include a table of contents Submittals should be plastic or metal spiralbound only, do not use binders of any kind The following information is not included in the 10page limit and should be attached as appendices: bonding capacity letter, certificate of insurability, Workers’ Compensation Experience Modification Rating (EMR), and maximum two (2)-page resume for each key team member Please provide six (6) hard copies and one (1) electronic copy (CD/DVD/USB) of the Statement of Qualifications by 2:00pm on January 15, 2020 The City reserves the right to accept or reject any and all Statements of Qualifications The City is an equal opportunity employer

Delivered or hand-carried submittals must be delivered to the Engineering Department reception area on the fifth floor of Mesa City Plaza Building in a sealed package On the submittal package, please display: Firm name, JOC Small Project Landscaping Construction Services, JOC-EL20

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 con-

BETH HUNING

City Engineer

ATTEST: DeeAnn Mickelsen City Clerk

Published: East Valley Tribune, Dec 8, 15,

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 Job Order Contractor for the following:

JOB ORDER CONTRACT MECHANICAL AND PLUMBING SERVICES PROJECT NO JOC-MP20

The following is a summary of the project

The Mechanical and Plumbing Systems will provide mechanical, plumbing, and other related services for maintenance, repair, minor and/or major new construction services, including minor associated incidental design services, for a broad range of City projects

A Pre-Submittal Conference will be held on December 18, 2019, at 8:30 am, at the Mesa City Plaza Building, Engineering Department, 20 E Main Street, Conference Room 170, Mesa, AZ 85201 At this meeting, City staff will discuss the scope of work and general contract issues and respond to questions from the attendees Attendance at the pre-submittal conference is not mandatory and all interested firms may submit a Statement of Qualifications whether or not they attend the conference All interested firms are encouraged to attend the Pre-Submittal Conference since City staff will not be available for meetings or to respond to individual inquiries regarding the project scope outside of this conference In addition, there will not be meeting minutes or any other information published from the Pre-Submittal Conference

http://mesaaz gov/business/engineering/construction-manager-at-risk-and-job-order-contractingopportunities

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 cont

ATTEST:

DeeAnn Mickelsen City Clerk

Published: East Valley Tribune, Dec 8, 15, 2019 / 26570

BETH HUNING City Engineer

located NE Mesa. Call 480-664-6096

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d a l e , A Z O f f i c e M a y req traveling Send res u m e , C v r L t r , & S

, Suite E 218, Scottsdale, AZ 85260 M e n t

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O Holy St Jude! Apostle and Martyr, great in virtue

Herder Plumbing Inc 3707 E Southern Ave #1039 Mesa AZ 85206 hires 25 temp, full-time Pool labrer helpers to work &reside in Phx Metroplex area t o use, supply&hold pipes, hand/electr tools &materials for pools, clean wk area Bend lift&hold up 50Lb, work in ext weather, 3mo exp in Res cosntr, no edu , transp nor train reqd, on-the-job train avail, travel in Phx-metroplex area M-F 7am-3pm $16 79/hr if O T @$25.19 1/22-10/20/20. US&H2B workers offered s

post-hired drug test Sgle wrkwk computes wages Weekly pymt H-2B wrkr to be paid U S consulate, border, lodging fees on 1st workwk on a company check Transp (incl meals &to the extent necessary, lodging) to the place of emplmt or its cost to workers reimbursed, if the worker completes half the emplmt period Return transp prvdd if the worker completes the emplmt period or dismissed early by the emplr. Tools, supplies, &equip prvdd by emplr at no c

NOTICE TO READERS:

Most service advertisers have an ROC# or "Not a licensed contractor" in their ad, this is in accordance to the AZ state law

i n g a n a d i n t h e y e l l o w p a g e s , o n b u s i n e s s c a r d s , o r o n f l y e r s

What it does require under A R S §32-1121A14(c) http://www azleg gov/ars/32/01165 htm, is that the advertising party, if not prope r l y l i c e n s e d a s a c o n t r a c t o r , d i s c l o s e t h a t f a c t o n a n y f o r m o f a d v e r t i s i n g t o the public by including the words "not a l i c e n s e d c o n t r a c t o r " i n t h e a d v e r t i s em e n t

and close on Monday, January 6, 2020 at 6:00

Advertisement of Sale

N O T I C E I S H E R E B Y G I V E N t h a t t h e u n d e rsigned intends to sell the personal property described below to enforce a lien imposed on said p roperty pursuant to the Arizona Self-Servic e Storage Act, Arizona Statutes 33-1704, Section H, Enforcement of Lien The Undersigned will sell at public sale by competitive bidding on or after December 20, 2019 at 9:00am using a n o

A g a i n , t h i s r e q u i r e m e n t i s i n t e n d e d t o m a k e s u r e t h a t t h e c o n s u m e r i s m a d e aware of the unlicensed status of the individual or company

US 60 Self Storage, 1661 S Alma School Rd , Suite 102, Mesa, AZ 85210 Property to be sold as follows:

C o n t r a c t o r s w h o a d v e r t i s e a n d d o n o t disclose their unlicensed status are not eligible for the handyman's exception

Reference: http://www azroc gov/invest/licensed by law html

Tenant Name Unit #

Mark Simmons 225

Sidney

As a consumer, being aware of the law is for your protection You can check a b u s i n e s s e s R O C s t a t u s a t : h t t p : / / w w w a z r o c g o v /