East Valley Business - 09.22.19

east valley

Volume 2 Issue 10 Mesa, AZ

September 22, 2019

Dirk Van Voris demonstrates the flight simulator used in drone classes at Chandler Gilbert Community College. The college invested about $1 million in building a flight lab .

(Kimberly Carrillo/Tribune Staff Photographer)

Drones school opens at CGCC campus

BY KEVIN REAGAN Tribune Staff Writer

A

IN THE BIZ

program devoted exclusively to teaching pilots how to fly drones has taken off at Chandler-Gilbert Community College.

Students at the college’s Williams campus can now take introductory courses in flying unmanned aerial vehicles and potentially become a licensed drone piPublic Notices ............... page 3 © Copyright, 2019 East Valley Tribune

lot.

Dirk Van Voris, one of the program’s instructors, said the program works the same as any other flight school, except the pilots are controlling their vehicles from the ground.

Theirs is the first drone program to operate in the Maricopa Community College District, Van Voris added.

CGCC joins community colleges in Maryland, Michigan, and New Jersey in (USPS 004-616) is published weekly

Mailing Address: 1620 W. Fountainhead Pkwy., Suite 219, Tempe, AZ 85282

(480) 898-6500 Steven Strickbine, publisher Paul Maryniak, executive editor

putting together courses that will prepare students for careers in the emerging drone industry.

Van Voris said drones are at the “Wright Brothers stage” in aviation – referencing airplane innovators Orville and Wilbur Wright – because everything about UAVs is still new and developing.

“What we’re trying to do is get ahead

Drones...continued on page 2

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Marianas Trench travels from Canada to Phoenix to play The Van Buren on Friday, Sept. 27. (Courtesy Marianas Trench)

Marianas Trench brings ‘sassy’ show to Valley

BY CHRISTINA FUOCO-KARASINSKI GetOut Editor

M

arianas Trench bassist Mike Ayley can sum up his band’s shows pretty quickly. He eschews cliché descriptions like “high energy” or “full of hits.”

“Shows are always new for us,” said Ayley, whose father is a former Scottsdale resident.

“There are new fans and new rooms and all of that keeps us on our toes. But most importantly, there is singing and good times and lots of Josh’s weird, sassy sense of humor, as usual. We can’t tame him no matter what.”

“Josh” is the Canadian band’s frontman Josh Ramsay, who brings Marianas Trench to The Van Buren on Friday, Sept. 27. The show is in support of its latest studio album “Phantoms,” which spawned the bouncy first single “I Knew You When.”

Ayley said the track is indicative of the album as a whole. “Phantoms” is set from the perspective of a man descending into madness as he inhabits a house haunted by the ghost of his former love.

According to the band’s bio, Ramsay was inspired by Edgar Allan Poe.

“Strangely, the date he was rushed to the hospital preceding his death was Oct. 3, the same day our first album was released, and the same date I was once to be married,” said Ramsay, who received a Grammy nomination in 2013 for cowriting and producing Carly Rae Jepsen’s hit “Call Me Maybe.”

“Even more strangely, we finished this album on Jan. 19, his birthday. I’m not one for superstition, but that does feel oddly serendipitous.”

Since its 2006 debut, “Fix Me,” Marianas Trench has hit platinum in Canada with “Masterpiece Theatre” and “Ever After.” Their hits include “One Love,” “Rhythm of Your Heart,” “Haven’t Had Enough” and “Who Do You Love.”

This jaunt has been particularly positive for Marianas Trench, Ayley said.

Fans have been receptive to the new music and the familiar tracks.

“If you know the band, over the course of the years, each album changes styles,” he said. “A lot of bands find it hard to change sounds because they don’t want to lose their fans.

“We’ve been doing it since the beginning. People expect it to be different and they’re waiting to see what that change

EAST VALLEY BUSINESS

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will be. We have creative freedom. We don’t have a box.”

That, Ayley said, keeps the band from losing its edge. The stylistic changes, too, encourage fans to listen to entire albums, instead of just singles. Marianas Trench wavers between emo, pop, rock and new wave.

“We’re still making full albums,” he said. “This album is a little shorter; we did 40 minutes. It’s not asking much of the attention span of a listener. I love that people dig into it and get a vibe from our music.

“The last track (‘The Killing Kind’) is such a cool piece. My son (who’s 9) got scared. I told him it’s just music. I think that’s pretty cool that we could make it creepy. As an adult, it gave me chills. To that degree, that’s cool.”

IF YOU GO

What: Marianas Trench w/The Unlikely

Candidates, DJ George Thoms and 76th Street.

Where: The Van Buren, 401 W. Van Buren St., Phoenix.

When: 8 p.m. Friday, Sept. 27.

Tickets: $25-$30.

Info: thevanburenphx.com.

SEPTEMBER 22, 2019

Drones...continued from page 1 of the curb before we get so many people that we don’t know what to do with them,” Van Voris said.

Drones were initially developed to carry out military missions thought to be too dangerous or dull for soldiers.

In recent years, the devices have grown in popularity among civilians for recreational, agricultural, and commercial uses.

Consumer drone sales ballooned from about $200 million in 2014 to nearly $800 million in 2016, according to the Consumer Technology Association.

Retailers like Amazon have been investing in the mini helicopters to deliver packages to customers for the last few years. Journalists have found drones useful in safely documenting war zones and natural disasters.

Van Voris said industries are constantly finding new ways to utilize these flying vehicles, creating a demand in the labor market.

“They’re gonna need pilots,” he said.

“We hope to fill that void.”

Law enforcement is another sector

Public Notice CITY OF MESA MESA, ARIZONA DOWNTOWN FAÇADE IMPROVEMENTS PHASE 2 MAIN STREET, MESA, ARIZONA CITY OF MESA PROJECT NO. CP0962CDBG HUD PROJECT NOS. 836 / 837 / 838 (FEDERALLY-FUNDED PROJECT – DAVIS BACON WAGES APPLY) ADVERTISEMENT FOR BIDS

NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that sealed bids will be received until Thursday, October 31, 2019, at 1:00 p.m. All sealed bids will be received at Mesa City Plaza Building, Engineering Department at 20 East Main Street, 5th Floor, Mesa, Arizona; except for bids delivered 30 minutes prior to opening which will be received at the information desk, 1st floor, Main Lobby of the Mesa City Plaza Building. Any bid received after the time specified will be returned without any consideration. Bids will be publicly read in Conference Room 170, at 20 E. Main Street, Mesa, Arizona, at 1:00 pm on October 31, 2019.

This contract shall be for furnishing all labor, materials, transportation and services for the construction and/or installation of the following work:

that could potentially benefit from the college’s classes, as more agencies in the Valley consider using drones to monitor traffic and investigate crime scenes.

A small police agency can’t afford to buy a big helicopter, Van Voris added, so licensing an officer to fly drones could be an affordable substitute for some situations.

The Federal Aviation Administration estimates the fleet of commercial drones flying in the United States will grow three times larger by 2023.

CGCC already offers various degrees and certifications for students wanting to become pilots or technicians within the aviation industry. It currently partners with the University of North Dakota to provide upper-division coursework in pilot training.

The aviation department has been “booming” in recent years, according to CGCC President Greg Peterson, and faculty saw an opportunity to continue growing by delving into drones.

“There’s a lot of applicability of this drone technology across industries,” Peterson said. “We’re really excited about being able to grow that.”

Colonnade demolition and building façade improvements at 3 separate addresses in downtown Mesa The Engineer’s Estimate range is $160,000 to $200,000.

For all technical, contract, bidrelated, or other questions, please contact Donna Horn at donna.horn@ mesaaz.gov.

Contact with City Employees.

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

Contractors desiring to submit proposals may purchase sets of the Bid Documents from ARC Document Solutions, LLC, at https://order.earc.com/arcEOC/PWELL_Main. asp?mem=29. Click on “Go” for the Public Planroom to access plans.

NOTE: In order to be placed on the Plan Holders List and to receive notifications and updates regarding this bid (such as addenda) during

EAST VALLEY BUSINESS

Peterson was hired to lead the college a couple years ago and said he’s tried to strategically partner with local industries to find out their workforce needs.

“We’re really ramping up our ability to be more responsive,” the college president said.

The drones program will eventually allow students to earn a certificate of completion or an associate’s degree in applied sciences.

Students could then transfer to Arizona State University and possibly pursue a bachelor’s degree in aeronautical management technology.

The college’s governing board invested about $1 million in building a flight lab at the Williams campus, which will allow students to safely fly drones within an enclosed space.

Van Voris said the college copied the designs of similar flight labs at Kansas State University and the Virginia Polytechnic Institute.

The school’s close proximity to Phoenix-Mesa Gateway Airport made it necessary to construct a facility where drones could fly without interrupting the international air space.

the bidding period, an order must be placed. The cost of each Bid Set will be no more than $20, which is nonrefundable. Partial bid packages are not sold. You can view documents on-line (at no cost), order Bid Sets, and access the Plan Holders List on the website at the address listed above. Please veri-fy print lead time prior to arriving for pick-up. For a list of locations nearest you, go to www.e-arc.com.

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

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

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

Work shall be completed within 120 consecutive calendar days, beginning with the day following the starting date specified in the Notice to Proceed.

Bids must be submitted on the Proposal Form provided and be accompanied by the Bid Bond for not less than ten percent (10%) of the total bid, payable to the City of Mesa, Arizona, or a certified or cashier’s check. PERSONAL OR

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INDIVIDUAL SURETY BONDS ARE NOT ACCEPTABLE. The successful bidder will be required to execute the standard form of contract for construction within ten (10) days after formal award of contract. In addition, the successful bidder must be registered in the City of Mesa Vendor Self-Service (VSS) System (http://mesaaz.gov/business/ pur-chasing/vendor-self-service).

The successful bidder, simultaneously with the execution of the Contract, will be required to furnish a Payment Bond in the amount equal to one hundred percent (100%) of the Contract Price, a Performance Bond in an amount equal to one hundred percent (100%) of the Contract Price, and the most recent ACORD® Certificate of Liability Insurance form with additional insured endorsements.

The right is hereby reserved to accept or reject any or all bids or parts thereto, to waive any informalities in any proposal and reject the bids of any persons who have been delinquent or unfaithful to any contract with the City of Mesa.

BETH HUNING City Engineer ATTEST: DeeAnn Mickelsen City Clerk Published: East Valley Tribune, Sept 22, 29, Oct 6, 2019 / 23972

SEPTEMBER 22, 2019

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