East Valley Tribune: Gilbert Edition - Dec. 25, 2016

INSIDE This Week

East Valley worshippers turn to churches of all sizes

BY RALPH ZUBIATE Tribune Executive Editor

One church trucked in 100 tons of snow, set up a petting zoo and o ered rides on a carousel. ey were expecting upwards of 6,000 people to celebrate Christmas.

Another is conducting services in a school cafeteria decorated by volunteers. If they get much beyond 250, they’d be bursting at the seams.

e di erence in size demonstrates the diversity of worship in the East Valley. Churches big and small dot the area.

Cornerstone Church in Chandler is considered a megachurch. San Tan Bible Church in Gilbert is much smaller—and, of course, there are even smaller ones.

Each church has its advantages and disadvantages, but each is comfortable with its size. ey both also have the same goal: Sharing the gospel. ey just approach that goal in di erent ways.

Megachurch in Chandler

Megachurches are generally de ned as Protestant churches with regular, weekly attendance over 2,000. Cornerstone meets that de nition, and then some, with over 6,000 a week attending.

e most recent list of megachurches, from the Hartford Institute for Religion Research,

shows 10 in the East Valley, which have a total attendance of more than 45,000 people.

“It’s a unique situation,” said Marty Sawyers, Cornerstone executive pastor. “We don’t see this in almost any other place in the country. We have amazing churches all within 15 minutes of each other.”

He listed some of the biggest in the area: Cornerstone, Redemption, Sun Valley, Mission and Central.

“We have megachurch on megachurch on

megachurch on such a small geographic area. All thriving and growing, reaching people for Jesus,” he said.

Congregation sizes like that o er their own challenges, and advantages.

“One of the challenges of the big church is that you won’t know everybody,” Sawyers said. “ at’s why we try to make big churches small. e only way you’re going to be part

(Will Powers/Tribune Staff Photographer)

Cambria Bnintenei decorates the Gilbert Christian School cafeteria with poinsettias.

THE SUNDAY

EAST VALLEY

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The story of the Tribune and ‘The man who killed Santa’

BY MIKE BUTLER Tribune Staff Writer

“St. Nick Will Drop From Plane In Parachute.”

The headline writer for that Dec. 9, 1932, Mesa Tribune story unwittingly nailed it. A week later, the right jolly old elf dropped like a rock into a farm field. The chute didn’t open.

But don’t worry boys and girls.

Santa didn’t really die that day. It was a Santa-suited department store mannequin.

And why, you ask, was a Santa-suited department store mannequin tumbling out of an airplane over Mesa? Well, that’s the stuff of East Valley legend and lore.

Young Tribune editor John McPhee dreamed up the parachuting Santa stunt, and it was a brilliant example of civic boosterism and Depression-era marketing. Mesa merchants were licking their chops at the thought of thousands of children interacting with Santa and their parents merrily buying Christmas gifts.

On the fateful jump day, however, the daredevil McPhee had hired decided to fortify himself with some liquid courage. He was staggering with courage.

Thinking quickly, McPhee grabbed a store mannequin, dressed it up as Santa and instructed the pilot to pull the ripcord and toss the dummy out at the appropriate time. McPhee would meet the mannequin in the field, throw the Santa suit on and make a triumphant entrance into town on the hood of a police car.

The pilot either forgot about the ripcord part, or it was faulty. McPhee had no choice but to proceed with the plan. But by the time he got to town, the streets were deserted.

said official state historian Marshall Trimble. His mother, 12 years old at the time, was at the event with her younger brothers and sisters.

“People were pretty naive back then,” he said. “A lot of them didn’t even have radios. They were farm people.”

McPhee himself described the fallout many years later.

“Children cried, mothers screamed and the town was in an uproar. From behind closed doors, you could hear the wails of heartbroken children. I’m the man who ‘killed’ Santa Claus and I’m sorry.”

The next week’s Tribune tried to spin the incident as a Christmas miracle, but nobody was buying it. Fearing for his personal safety, McPhee left town for a while.

“Mothers were covering their children’s eyes,” said Victor Linhoff, president of the Mesa Preservation Foundation. “A lot of people were traumatized. The national wire services picked up the story.”

“The little kids were kind of in shock,”

Arizona papers, however, couldn’t resist branding McPhee as the man who killed Santa.

“He was really a rather remarkable man,” Linhoff said. “This was just a sad sidebar to his life story. Today, we find it humorous. It’s become a fun story to tell for the holidays.”

Linhoff said Mesa merchants and citizens must have recovered pretty quickly, or McPhee would have surely been fired. The colorful Irishman went on to have a distinguished career. He was one of the early editors of Arizona Highways and is said to have improved the literary quality of the magazine and attracted top artists and photographers. McPhee eventually ended up in Telluride, Colorado, where he founded The Times in 1962. He died a few years later. Interestingly, the Telluride obituary didn’t bring up the Santa fiasco. The Mesa Tribune and other

(San Miguel Basin Forum/Special to the Tribune) Tribune editor John McPhee dreamed up the parachuting Santa stunt, but he became known as the Man Who Killed Santa.

CHURCHES

of it is to join a small group, volunteer, have community.”

Another challenge for a church that big is making visitors feel welcome.

“That’s probably the biggest challenge. It’s a big step for somebody to say ‘I’m going to church today.’ Our goal is to make them feel as welcome as we can the moment when they come on campus.”

The Christmas activities are part of that strategy. The snow and animals and rides are part of the outreach.

“You’re going to have all sorts of guests who never go to church except on Christmas and Easter,” Sawyers said. “So, what we’re going to try to have a great experience for somebody who’s going to church for the first time or the only time this year. We do things like snow and a carousel and petting zoos and photo opportunities, things like that. An overall experience to enjoy as a family.

“It’s a fun experience. The first time my kids ever played in snow was here at the church.”

If that seems more like entertainment than worship, Sawyers is comfortable with that.

“We’re going to share a great salvation message, and a great gospel message. But we are going to do all sorts of things to try to encourage someone to check us out, so they can hear about Jesus. So, if we have to put snow out in the patio or have a carousel, we’re going to do that.

“We’re trying to bring people to Jesus. Are they going to accept Christ if they

play in the snow? No, but maybe they wouldn’t come if we didn’t have it.”

Sawyers says any criticism his church my face is not a problem.

“I would rather get criticized by people who think we’re trying to be entertaining and get a guest to hear about Jesus than not get people in and not have them hear about Jesus. I’ll take that criticism all day long.

“We have a saying that we will do anything short of sin to win people to Jesus.”

Small in Gilbert

Gary Bloomquist was at a megachurch in Gilbert when he and others decided they wanted to start again. The result was San Tan Bible, in Agritopia. The goal is the same, though.

“Everything you do is the same, just in a smaller venue,” he said. “The work’s the same. We do a chorale, we just don’t have 100 people in it.”

Bloomquist is pastor of worship and administration at San Tan Bible, where weekly attendance is just over 250. He is one of many that helps set up the service every week in the cafeteria of Gilbert Christian School.

“We don’t have a stage, so we put a flat platform of rugs, a small raised platform for our teaching pastor,” he said.

“When you’re in a gym and doing all the smaller stuff, you don’t have all the resources.”

Bloomquist says the church is happy with its relationship with Gilbert Christian.

“It’s phenomenal. We work together

and we serve one other,” he said. “We jointly purchased equipment that we share.

“I always wanted to be a blessing and not a burden.”

Brent Frazey and his wife, Allison, are among those who attend and volunteer at San Tan Bible. They came from a big Gilbert church, too, and feel the smaller size suits them better.

“You can’t hide in a small church,” Frazey said. “People know your name, they know who you are, they know your kids, your wife. There’s a bit more accountability.”

Because everybody needs to pitch in, the Frazeys teach Sunday school.

“We also help with setup on Sunday mornings. We are also greeters,” he said. There are drawbacks, too.

“In ways, you’re limited on resources,” Frazey said. “We’re limited as far as where we meet. It would be nice to not have to set up every Sunday. Even a place

to meet every week for a prayer meeting would be good. We don’t have that flexibility, which would be nice.”

The same commission

Bloomquist and Sawyers both have respect for churches of the other size.

“There are large churches, they’re teaching solid doctrine, going after people,” Bloomquist said.

“Whether you have 300 people in the church, whether you have four services of 700 each, it’s all the same.”

Sawyers agrees.

“There are thriving small churches, tucked in some of these neighborhoods as well,” he said.

The goal is the same for Cornerstone, San Tan and the rest.

“Big or small, we’ve all been commissioned to win people for Jesus,” Sawyer said.

– Contact Ralph Zubiate at 480-898-6825 or rzubiate@timespublications.com.

MEGACHURCHES IN THE EAST VALLEY

Church name City Average attendance Central Christian Church Mesa 8,786 Chandler Christian Church Chandler 2,530 City of Grace Mesa 4,500 Cornerstone Christian Fellowship Chandler 6,000 Grace Community Church Tempe 1,800 Mission Community Church Gilbert 6,195 Redemption Church Gilbert 4,500

Spring of Life Christian Church Mesa 2,100 Sun Valley Community Church Gilbert 5,500

The Living Word Bible Church Mesa 4,427

– Source: Hartford Institute for Religion Research

Mesa Temple is a special case when it comes to size

BY RALPH ZUBIATE Tribune Executive Editor

The Mesa Arizona Temple is no small facility, and it’s especially popular all dolled up for Christmas. But it doesn’t appear on the Hartford Institute for Religion Research list of megachurches for good reason.

It’s not a church.

“The public doesn’t probably realize that,” said Steve Harms, public affairs representative for Christmas lights at the Mesa Temple of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

“The Temple draws from the thousands of church members around the area. I guess the easiest way to say it is it’s mostly for instruction,” he said.

“We call it the university.

“Marriages are also performed there.”

The Temple campus sparkles with lights during the holiday season. It draws hundreds of thousands of people.

“Because people can come and go, from any point, it’s impossible to count them,” Harms said. “But we have determined that about 1.4 million people will come through in the five weeks we’re open.

“Sometimes, we can approach 100,000 people on a heavy night.”

They’re drawn to the lights, but the church isn’t sure anymore how many there are all over campus.

“It’s way beyond being able to even count,” Harms said. “We have a star over the manger scene that has 10,000 LED lights. We also have lights that

look like palm fronds, and they have 100,000 lights in each.

“We don’t have any way of counting.”

So, does the church itself feel more like a small one or a large one?

“That’s a good question,” Harms said.

“Congregations are small. They share one chapel. For example, the one I go to has three congregations at different times of the day. We try to keep them small—400 to 500 each.”

Harris said the smaller groupings are intentional, so each individual member can be ministered to more easily.

“If the congregation is smaller, then the church leadership can see to their needs on an individual basis.”

The Temple also doesn’t host the biggest gatherings in the church.

“Each congregation is organized into

something like a Catholic diocese,” Harms said. “Eight to 10 congregations are organized into what we call a stake. We will meet twice a year as a stake in one of the larger buildings. About 3,000 to 4,000 members come together.”

That’s about how many people it takes to decorate the Mesa Temple for the holidays.

“It takes about 3,000 volunteers to assemble and put up the lights, then take them down again,” Harms said.

“We like to call it the church’s gift to the community.”

The free display, at 525 East Main St. in Mesa, is open nightly 5-10 p.m. until Saturday. The Visitor’s Center is open daily from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. during the same time period.

Snow wonderland in Chandler

The Environmental Education Center in Chandler is creating a free winter wonderland with snow on Tuesday at 10 a.m.

Visitors will be able to play in real snow and learn about the science behind snow. There will be a hill for sledding, special winter-themed crafts and activities.

The Environmental Education Center is at 4050 E. Chandler Heights Rd. For more information, call 480-782-2895 or visit chandleraz.gov/eec.

– RACHEL EROH, TRIBUNE STAFF WRITER

Coors Light, Valley Metro providing free rides New Year’s Eve

Coors Light is partnering with Valley Metro to provide free rides starting at 7 p.m. on New Year’s Eve, with an Uber discount to and from all rail stations until end of service.

The Uber discount will give travelers 10 percent off of rides from all Valley Metro Rail stations from 7 p.m. until 3 a.m. by entering the code CLNYE.

The program with Coors Light began in 2012 to provide safe transportation on New Year’s Eve. Last year, the program provided more than 27,000 people in the area with transportation.

– RACHEL EROH, TRIBUNE STAFF WRITER

Mesa tour of historic houses coming soon

Mesa is hosting the 17th Annual Historic Home Tour this Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

The tour will feature homes in the Fraser Fields and West 2nd Street historic districts. Stops will include the Sirrine House and Mesa Historical Museum.

Tickets are $20 and are available online at valleyhistoryinc.com.

They’ll also be available the day of the tour at Sirrine House, 160 N. Center St. All proceeds will benefi t the Mesa Historical Museum.

– TRIBUNE STAFF REPORT

Pet clinic offering special to neuter pets in January

A pet clinic is offering $20 neutering surgeries for dogs and cats during January. Altered Tails’ “Happy Neuter Year” campaign also will provide vaccinations, including rabies for dogs and rabies and FVRCP for cats. The “Happy Neuter Year” special must be mentioned when booking the surgery.

Altered Tails’ Mesa clinic is at 7246 E. Mesa St., Suite 3. For information or to book, call 480-807-1200 or visit alteredtails.org.

– TRIBUNE STAFF REPORT

Citrus-picking event at Agritopia in Gilbert

The Farm at Agritopia in Gilbert is hosting Citrus U-Pick on Friday and Saturday. Participants will be able to explore the farm and pick their own citrus from 20 varieties, including oranges, lemons and grapefruit.

The event will be from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. Five-pound bags are $5 and eight-pounds bags are $7.

For more information, visit thefarmatagritopia.com.

– TRIBUNE STAFF REPORT

Chandler’s Teen Talent Competition deadline coming

Teens interested in showcasing their talents for cash prizes have until Jan. 4 to enter Chandler’s Teen Talent Competition to be held Jan. 13 at 6 p.m. at the Chandler Center for the Arts.

Young adults between the ages of 13 and 17 who can sing, dance, rap, play an instrument or have a talent they wish to show are encouraged to sign up online at chandleraz.gov/registration using code 2YT001 or contact shawn.peoples@ chandleraz.gov or call 480-782-2746. The cost is $30 for each performing act. The fi rst place performance in each category will receive a cash prize.

The Chandler Center for the Arts is at 250 N. Arizona Ave. General admission tickets are $5 at the door.

( Jay Mark/Special to the Tribune)

Group that helps families adopt is expanding into Arizona

BY COLLEEN SPARKS Tribune Contributing Writer

The ways to build a family are as diverse as the people who live in the East Valley and around the country, but they aren’t always easy or free.

However, people of all ages, backgrounds and sexual orientations who want to adopt a child can often get nancial or emotional support from non-pro t organizations, the foster care system and adoption attorneys.

One such organization, the national non-pro t Gift of Adoption, is expanding its reach in Arizona after holding an event last month in Mesa. e Illinois-based non-pro t gives grants to people to help cover their costs for the nal stage in the adoption process, putting a priority on the most vulnerable children.

grants to families regardless of religion, marital status, sexual orientation, age or race,” Perlman added. “A family is a family, period, to me.”

She and her husband, Michael Perlman, got their adopted son, Dylan, now 8, when he was only a few days old. ey had gone through fertility treatments and tried unsuccessfully to conceive a baby.

“From the moment we held him in our arms, we were just sort of awestruck,” Perlman said. “It just always felt like he was meant to be with us.”

attorneys are helping them, paperwork costs and fees to pay for required home visits, where social workers evaluate their homes.

Gift of Adoption has given over $5.4 million to help bring more than 1,800 children to a permanent, adoptive family in the United States. e organization has given more than $51,000 in grants to help Arizona families adopt 19 children over the last 20 years.

More than 100,000 children are waiting to be placed in a permanent home in the United States, and most of them are living in foster or group homes, according to National Adoption Center.

“ People build their families so many different ways. ” Susan Perlman, Gift of Adoption’s Arizona

A Mesa family and a Tempe family each got grants of $3,500 apiece to help them adopt children in September. Last month, in order to celebrate National Adoption Awareness Month, Gift of Adoption held an event at the i.d.e.a. Museum in Mesa, taking in about $200 in donations to fund more grants.

“People build their families so many di erent ways,” said Gilbert resident Susan Perlman, a member of Gift of Adoption’s Arizona Board of Directors. “Knowing there’s an organization out there that will help complete that journey for you no matter how you’re building that family is a huge bene t to a lot of people.

“ e one thing that really attracted me to this organization is they o er the

e Perlmans went through another local non-pro t organization to nd a baby in Arizona and get help navigating the steps to adoption.

Susan, a marketing director for a healthcare company, says she and Michael, a self-employed consultant, were lucky that their families helped them pay for the extensive costs of adopting their son. She wishes she had known about Gift of Adoption back then so they could have sought a grant.

Gift of Adoption is in the process of forming its Arizona chapter and seeking more board members.

e organization says the average cost for a domestic adoption last year was $38,000, while the average cost for adopting a child who was living outside the United States was $42,000. Adoptive parents can face fees from the agencies that help them nd a child, legal fees if

People can choose to conduct a private adoption, going through an adoption agency that will match the adoptive parents with a child, or even nd a child on their own and go through an attorney to get them adopted.

Phoenix associate attorney Robert J. Ross said the amount of time it takes to

get a child adopted can vary greatly.

“Some adoptions require home studies and certi cations,” where social workers visit the potential adoptive parents’ homes, Ross said. “Some do not.

“ ere is always a mom and dad out there somewhere,” he added. “You have to gure out who’s adopting, what the relationship is, if any, and where the biological mom and dad are.”

Julie Alvarado of Chandler said she and her husband were already raising her step-son when they decided to adopt a 2½-year-old boy and his 1½-year-old sister from foster care. eir adopted son, Aaron, is 16 now, and adopted daughter Dominique is 15. e Alvarados also have an 8-year-old biological son.

“It was just part of our journey that we always intended to adopt,” Alvarado said.

She said Catholic Charities in the Mesa o ce o ered helpful classes to prepare them for the adoption.

To volunteer with or learn more about Gift of Adoption, visit giftofadoption. org.

Suspect accused of stealing contents of mailboxes

A suspect has been arrested during an investigation in Gilbert of several mailboxes that had been burglarized in the Allen Ranch Subdivision. Offi cials arrested Shawn Torrez in his Chandler home and there was evidence inside linking him to several mailbox mail thefts.

Police investigating animal-cruelty case in Mesa

The Maricopa County Sheriff’s Offi ce is working an animal-cruelty case in Mesa after deputies helping to remove six children from the home observed fi lthy conditions and what appeared to be a labradoodle breeding operation, a sheriff’s spokesman said.

Authorities say they hope this security breach will be a good reminder to residents to protect their mail by picking it up every day and having the postal service hold mail if they are out of town.

– RACHEL EROH, TRIBUNE

STAFF WRITER

Husband and wife Jason Rogers and Dodi Connor are facing multiple child-abuse charges. Rogers will also face multiple misdemeanor counts of animal cruelty and neglect, according to sheriff’s Detective Douglas Matteson.

Deputies seized 14 labradoodles for a veterinary evaluation and care.

Mesa councilman to lead National League of Cities panel

Mesa District 5 Councilman David Luna has been appointed as chair of the National League of Cities’ Information Technology and Communications Committee for 2017.

Luna served as vice chair of the committee in 2016.

The ITC Steering Committee is responsible for developing policy positions on issues involving telecommunications and information systems.

Luna is the third elected offi cial from Mesa to chair an NLC policy committee, joining former Councilman Scott Somers, who chaired the Public Safety & Crime Prevention Committee in 2014 and Vice Mayor Dennis Kavanaugh, who served as Chair of the Information Technology and Communications Steering Committee in 2004.

– TRIBUNE STAFF REPORT

– RACHEL EROH, TRIBUNE STAFF WRITER

Ex-coach accused of molesting teens

A former junior high school coach has been arrested and accused of molesting young teens over several years. Chandler police arrested 45-year-old Michael John Guest in Tempe. Police say two victims have accused Guest of molesting them when they were young teens from 1998 to 2004.

Police say Guest was an instructional assistant at Andersen Junior High from 1995 to 1999, and later an after-school coordinator at the school. Police say he took victims on to movies and camping. The fi rst victim was reportedly 13 to 16 years old when Guest allegedly committed sex crimes against him.

Guest is being held without bond and is expected to be charged with child molestation, sexual assault, sexual conduct with a minor and kidnapping.

Stolen truck in Tempe leads to chop shop

A man tracking down his stolen truck led police to an alleged chop shop in Tempe.

The man used the website Offer Up to fi nd his stolen vehicle for sale, court records say. He went to the address listed and saw his GMC truck, then called police.

They found a suspect, 50-year-old Richard Wills, dismantling the truck. Police say they allegedly found the truck’s parts all over the front yard and more parts in Wills’ vehicle.

Wills insisted that he had a bill of sale, saying that he paid $300 for it. Police say Wills had no title and the “bill of sale” was handwritten and illegible.

Police also reportedly found a black Harley Davidson motorcycle that was reported stolen as well.

– TRIBUNE STAFF REPORT

Intruder found holding 2-year-old girl

A suspect in Tempe is in custody after police say he reportedly broke into a couple’s apartment and was found holding their 2-year-old daughter on Thursday.

The husband went into the living room to fi nd the suspect, Oren Cohen, holding his daughter. The husband was fi ghting with the burglar when the wife called the police, according to the police.

Cohen is facing charges including kidnapping, burglary and aggravated assault.

– RACHEL EROH, TRIBUNE STAFF WRITER

East Valley districts taking first steps toward mandatory CPR training for students

BY PAUL MARYNIAK Tribune Managing Editor

Imagine having a heart attack when you’re out in public amid a group of strangers and everyone runs away.

Now you have some idea why Arizona is requiring mandatory cardiopulmonary resuscitation training as a high school graduation requirement for all public and charter schools by 2019-20.

Several East Valley school districts are already laying the groundwork for the training. Mesa plans to start next school year and Chandler Unified anticipates starting it a year ahead of the deadline.

“Looks like a good fit for the mandatory health class,” said Chandler spokesman Terry Locke.

In Mesa, the state’s largest school system, spokeswoman Helen Hollands said hands-only CPR will become mandatory next school year and will be taught in all physical education classes.

“All students must have one PE credit (two semesters) to graduate,” Hollands said.

move forward,” said Gilbert Public Schools Superintendent Christina Kishimoto. “We have had internal conversations about what this will require for implementation.”

The Tempe Union High School District governing board recently approve a policy that will guide the CPR program’s development over the next two years.

It states that by July 1, 2019, charters and districts must “provide public school pupils with one or more training sessions in cardiopulmonary resuscitation, through the use of psychomotor skills in an age-appropriate manner, during high school.”

The law made Arizona the 32nd state in the union to mandate CPR training for high school students. That means that by the time it takes effect, 61 percent of all high school students in the country will be exposed annually to such training, according to the Sudden Cardia Arrest Foundation.

The foundation is aiming for 100 percent.

“We believe this widespread implementation of CPR training has many benefits to high school students and the broader U.S. public,” the foundation stated.

The foundation wants all the states to mandate CPR training in more than 37,000 high schools.

of high school students emphasize that students are more likely to encounter out-of-hospital cardiac arrest victims in shopping malls or among family members at home than among their peers.

“Thus, learning CPR is mostly a selfless act both for the individual high school student and for high school students as a group,” the foundation said, stating that aspect may actually reduce resistance to receiving training.

A person who has a heart attack outside a hospital has a 95 percent chance of getting help if he or she is in the presence of someone trained in CPR.

“I think this is a good idea,” Tempe Union board member Michelle Helm said of the new state law.

Baca noted that the law does not provide any funding for schools to implement the training and that the state has yet to set out a reporting system.

Both Gilbert school systems are still working on a plan.

“We have not set this up at this time for our students, but are working to meet the state requirement for 2019,” said Michelle Reese, spokeswoman for the Higley Unified School District.

“We are not taking any steps at this time toward CPR training until the legislation is signed and confirmed to

Tempe Union Superintendent Kenneth Baca told the board the district still has a long way to go.

“Where it’s going to be taught, how will we keep track of students who had training in middle school, how we’re going to ensure it’s going to be done properly—those are things we still have to work out,” Baca said.

The law is aimed at making bystanders rescuers.

It noted that a common assumption is that “mouth-tomouth resuscitation is the major barrier to bystanders performing CPR.”

But a far more common reason, it said, is “panic and discomfort of the bystander.”

“Although not proven, it is likely that bystanders trained in CPR are more likely to act and act competently, for example, with the appropriate depth of chest compressions and with less hesitation,” it said.

Advocates of mandatory CPR training

The Tempe Union policy notes that part of the CPR training might involve homework and that it “shall be based on the most current national evidencebased emergency cardiovascular care guidelines for cardiopulmonary resuscitation.”

The instruction must be administered by a certified trainer if students would receive a certificate upon successful completion of the class.

Instruction could come from a wide range of people, including paramedics, police officers, representatives of the Red Cross or American Heart Association or others.

Google’s cars are now Waymo, still driving East Valley streets

BY MIKE BUTLER Tribune Staff Writer

Say goodbye to the Google SelfDriving Car Project. Say hello to Waymo.

“What is Waymo? It stands for a new way forward in mobility,” said Jennifer Haroon, head of business operations for Waymo at a christening ceremony in downtown Chandler last week.

Gov. Doug Ducey, an outspoken proponent of self-driving technology, got to take a 15-minute ride in the back seat of the Waymo Lexus. He was impressed and excited, if only to finally have the chance to “ditch my detail” for a few minutes.

Ducey applauded the technology’s benefits for the estimated 20 million-30 million adults with poor vision and other physical limitations that keep them on the sidelines. But he said Waymo’s selfdriving technology really hits home to him as a businessman.

“Time is money,” he said, pointing out that Americans lose $160 billion per year in wasted gas and lost time. “I can think of no better place to push these boundaries than right here in Arizona.”

Safety is the driving force behind the project, which started in 2009 in Mountain View, California. The program has since spread to Austin, Texas, and Kirkland, Washington. A fleet of self-driving cars has been

cruising Chandler and Phoenix streets since April.

Of the more than 35,000 people killed on U.S. roadways last year, 94 percent of the accidents were human error.

“We should not accept this as the cost of driving,” Haroon said.

Haroon also spoke about the company’s first fully self-driven ride with a lone civilian on October 20, 2015, in Austin. On that day, Steve Mahan, who is legally blind, rode from a doctor’s office to a park and through various Austin neighborhoods.

The prototype car had no test driver and no steering wheel or foot pedal. It wasn’t a closed course, and there was no police escort.

Software and sensors were in total control.

Nathaniel Fairfield, a principal engineer with Waymo, provided further details in a poignant, December 13 blog post. “I watched from the sidewalk as Steve rode down an ordinary Austin street, with everyday traffic. The wind from the open car was blowing through his hair, and he was chuckling as he relished the freedom and independence of being alone in a car for the first time in 12 years.”

To date, Waymo has logged more than 2 million miles of autonomous driving, equivalent to 300 years of on-the-road driving experience. Nearly 60 selfdriving Waymo cars are being tested on public roads.

(Special to the Tribune) Highland High School Students perform CPR on a dummy doll at the Banner Simulation Medical Center in Mesa. The state is requiring mandatory cardiopulmonary resuscitation training as a high school graduation requirement for all public and charter schools by 2019-20.

Kyrene school board confronts $5 million funding shortfall

BY PAUL MARYNIAK Tribune Managing Editor

Less than an hour after they approved the creation of the district’s first pre-K-8 campus, its first International Baccalaureate program and more early education offerings, Kyrene governing board members last week learned they may face a $5 million hole in five years.

The sobering news came from Jeremy Calles, district chief financial officer, who explained that a combination of cuts and new revenue will be needed to fill that hole so Kyrene can maintain a $15 million reserve fund.

“If we get below that $15 million, it gets extremely difficult to hold on to our credit rating,” Calles said.

And that means bad news for homeowners in Tempe and Chandler covered by the district, he noted.

“If we were to get downgraded on our credit rating, that means our interest rate goes up on all outstanding debt,” Calles said. “If our interest rate goes up, that interest rate is covered by tax rates— which means our secondary tax rate goes up and all us homeowners have to pay more money.”

Kyrene currently has the highest credit rating that two agencies, Moody’s and Standard & Poors, will give to any school district in Arizona.

Calles grimly admitted he was bearing bad news at a meeting where the board approved a series of plans aimed at not only stabilizing the district’s enrollment but attracting new students as well.

Kyrene’s enrollment has dropped by 400 students—which means a loss of state per-pupil revenue totaling $2 million.

The plan includes:

• Converting Kyrene Traditional Academy at the Sureno campus in Chandler into a school where students could remain from pre-kindergarten through 8th grade. A second school may also be turned into a pre-K-8 campus.

• Starting next year to introduce an IB program at Kyrene Middle School in Tempe, a process that would take three years to complete.

Currently offered at more than 1,370 schools in the U.S., the IB program highly regarded for setting high standards

and emphasizing creative and critical thinking. IB students are responsible for their own learning, choosing topics and devising their own projects, while teachers act more as supervisors or mentors.

“It’s what progressive schools need to do,” remarked outgoing board member Ross Robb.

• Continue the pre-K dual-language program at Norte and Lagos schools and the K-5 dual-language academy at both sites. A 6-8 grad dual-language program would be enhanced at Kyrene Middle School next year.

• Expand the district’s early education program by starting one at C.I. Waggoner in Tempe.

Calles said a number of factors threaten to eat away at Kyrene’s reserves, though the enrollment decline appears to be exacting the biggest toll.

Another new cost comes out of the newly approved voter proposition increasing the minimum wage to $12 by 2020. That not only will affect Kyrene employees but also its vendors’ workers and could cost between $1 million and $1.5 million in additional wage expense next year, Calles said.

The district is also trying to come up with a sufficient set of raises for teachers to improve retention rates.

And the state Legislature’s funding actions also loom large in Kyrene’s longterm financial picture.

Other than an enrollment increase, any other long-term budget solution would have to “come from is the generosity of the Legislature, and we have no reason to believe that is going to materially change,” Robb said.

He cited the program changes that the board had just OK’d and said that those and other improvements could spark an enrollment increase over the next five years, “and then those reserve figures don’t start looking so bad.”

But Robb said the board had little choice but to act boldly on efforts to attract new students or face “death by a thousand cuts.”

“We’re either all-in on these big, bold programmatic changes or we’re not,” he added.

Board member John King was distressed by Calles’ report, and said the board faced some difficult decisions.

East Valley volunteers collect nearly 90K shoebox gifts for needy kids

Tribune Staff Report

Some dedicated volunteers and a generous public in the East Valley will be giving thousands of needy children around the globe a merrier Christmas.

The local teams responsible for the annual Operation Christmas Child operation collected nearly 90,000 shoeboxes filled with gifts for delivery overseas.

The South Mountain team, which includes Chandler, collected a record 76,800 gift-filled boxes while the East Valley team, which covers Mesa, Gilbert and Queen Creek, collected more than 12,800 shoeboxes.

Both tallies exceeded what the teams collected last year, with the team netting 5,000 more boxes than it did in 2015.

The international nonprofit Samaritan’s Purse has distributed shoebox gifts to children in over 130 countries since 1993, and more than 11.2 million received one last year alone. Boxes packed by Arizonans are delivered to kids in the Philippines, Indonesia, Peru, Mongolia, Bangladesh and native Americans in the U.S.

The idea behind the project is simple: Pack a shoebox with school supplies, toiletries and small toys. Prohibited items include liquids, perishable food and warrelated toys.

The containers are either pre-decorated photo-storage boxes or plastic boxes with tops and bottoms gift-wrapped separately so they can be checked before they are shipped. Donors also kick in $7 per box to defray shipping costs.

Robin Earle of Chandler, who led the South Mountain team, said volunteers were “motivated by not only the needs of the children internationally but also the impact on individuals packing boxes.”

That attitude reflected the project’s theme of “reaching children and families on both sides of the box”—namely, the people who pack them and the kids who open them.

Among the supporters of the South Mountain team was the Hobby Lobby outlet in Chandler, as well as the Corona del Sol Men’s Soccer teams, Earler said.

Among the team members were Tina McDougall, community relations coordinator, and Cassie Pewitt, who

coordinated the local collection center.

Valleywide, volunteers also marked the 1 millionth gift wrapped since Operation Christmas first arrived in Arizona.

Earle said the most important thing is knowing where the gifts will go.

“For many of these children, the shoebox gift delivered through this local project will be the first gift they will have ever received,” she said.

Earle participated two years ago in a shoebox distribution in the Philippines, where local pastors invited children from surrounding communities to receive gifts.

The country had been hit with a typhoon and a powerful earthquake.

“People were literally walking on rubble and were so grateful for our gifts of love,” Earle said.

Neysa Grzywal of Gilbert, who helped run the East Valley Team when its leader stepped down in October to head a women’s ministry, said she relied on the help of the other women to run the collection: Cary Kent, relay center coordinator; Kayelynn McClary, who ran the collection center at Compassion Church; and prayer coordinator Shannon Greany.

But others were involved as well.

“We had some incredible volunteers at each of our church drop-off locations, many of whom have been volunteering for year,” Grzywal said. “I also have a few wonderful ladies on my community

relations team.”

They included team newcomers Angela Carlon and Bioleta Medar, both of Gilbert.

The East Valley team attracted a total 129 volunteers who put in nearly 800 hours of work and represented 72 community organizations.

That team got a special inspirational message during a visit from Jaki Stewart, a “full circle speaker” for Samaritan’s Purse because she received a shoebox gift when she was 6 years old and living in an orphanage in Guatemala.

Although local collections have finished for the season, Earle and Grzywal said there is still time to pack a gift-filled shoebox online for children suffering

from poverty, natural disaster, war, terror, disease and famine.

Visitors can browse samaritanspurse. org/occ to select gifts matched to a child’s specific age and gender, then finish by uploading a photo and writing a note of encouragement to be included in the shoebox they build online. They can also follow their box to discover where in the world it will be delivered.

Participants can give a $25 gift card to a family member or friend so they can pack a shoebox gift online. These shoeboxes—filled with school supplies, toys, hygiene items and notes of encouragement—are delivered to children in some of the hardest-to-reach countries around the world.

(Special to the Tribune)

Among the Operation Christmas Child volunteers from Chandler were, from left, Wendell and Linda Hollinshead and Vicki and Vern Demand.

(Special to the Tribune)

Volunteers from Chandler helped deliver the shoeboxes they collected to Operation Christmas Child’s distribution center in California for shipment overseas.

Lifesaving Chandler teen

BY RALPH ZUBIATE Tribune Executive Editor

Nathan Boyer has been busy since he saved a life.

He’s been in newspapers around the world, on TV, all over YouTube.

Now, he’s going to ride a parade float. Nathan, a Chandler teen who saved the life of his baseball coach, will be riding on the American Heart Association float “Keep the Beat Alive” during the 2017 Rose Parade in Pasadena on Jan. 2. The parade this year will be delayed a day to Monday, to avoid conflicting with NFL football.

“I like parades, they’re festive, they’re fun,” he said. “I usually watch the Thanksgiving Day parade with my family. That’s sort of a thing we do.”

Nathan’s been celebrated as a hero since March. Nathan, 13, and coach Isaac Wenrich, 26, were practicing baseball drills together when Wenrich suddenly slumped to the ground.

After first thinking Wenrich was joking around, Nathan realized that his coach wasn’t breathing, and that his face was turning purple.

“It was so scary,” Nathan said. “I was thinking that I needed to save him. It was more reaction than thinking. I just reacted to saving him since he’s a mentor to me.

“I can’t lose him.”

He started the CPR chest compressions he learned as a Boy Scout and had a bystander call 911.

“The doctors who did surgery on Isaac’s heart said if the chest compressions weren’t done, he probably wouldn’t have made it,” Nathan said.

Now, Nathan will join 13 other

“Heart Heroes”— youths who saved lives —on the American Heart Association float along with the people they saved.

The riders will stand on the float’s 55-footlong floral piano keyboard and among its four eight-foottall floral drums and a nine-foot heart-shaped DJ booth, according to a press release. Music on the float will represent the beat of the heart and the correct compression rate for CPR—a rhythm of 100 beats per minute.

“We’re only going to be there one day, because I have school the next day,” Nathan said. “If we could stay longer, we have Disneyland tickets. We might do that later.”

Nathan’s dad Rick will be joining him for the trip, while his mom Julie will hold down the fort with his sisters, 11-year-

old Grace and 7-year-old Reagan. Julie and Rick take turns ushering Nathan to events. She was with him when he was honored by the city of Chandler earlier this year. Afterward, Seton Catholic Preparatory Principal Patricia Collins, who had been there for her own recognition, went up to

(Nina Ronstadt/Special to the Tribune)

Isaac Wenrich (right) loves to tell everyone that Nathan Boyer saved his life. “Everywhere we go together, he brags about it,” Nathan said

Blue Santa swoops from the sky to visit hospitalized kids

BY SHELLEY RIDENOUR Tribune Staff Writer

Out in the parking lot arose such a clatter that people sprang from the buildings to see what was the matter.

No, it wasn’t a miniature sleigh and eight tiny reindeer.

Rather, it was Santa making a grand entrance at Cardon Children’s Medical Center.

Blue Santa, a member of the Mesa Police Department, hovered above the hospital parking lot in a department helicopter, which blasted dirt and leaves from its landing path. A door opened and out popped Santa, all dressed in blue. After all, officers wear blue, not red.

He scurried into the building where the tiny patients were gleefully awaiting his arrival.

The throng of grown-ups was every bit as excited to watch the man in blue, surrounded by a cadre of police officers and Mesa Fire Department staffers who toted boxes, crates and bags of goodies from the back of a SWAT truck into the hospital lobby.

Once inside, the toys and gifts were quickly spread out on tables and Santa took up residency in his official chair. It took just seconds for kids to start hopping into his lap and parents to pull out cellphones and start snapping

MESA

Mesa appoints Dvorak

interim chief of police

Assistant Chief Michael Dvorak has been selected as Mesa’s interim police chief, replacing outgoing Chief John Meza.

Dvorak, who has more than 29 years with the city of Mesa, has served as part of the command staff since 2004, most recently overseeing investigations. He was hired in 1987.

Dvorak serves as a member of the Major Cities Chiefs Intelligence Command Group, International Association of Chiefs of Police, Police Executive Research Forum and the East Valley Chief’s Association. He is also a graduate of the Southern Police Institute Leadership Academy. He has a bachelor’s degree in justice studies from Arizona State University and a master’s degree in educational leadership from Northern Arizona University.

photos. After chatting with Santa, each child could pick out a toy.

Meanwhile, two elves snuck around the crowd bringing cheer to everyone.

Not real elves, but Mesa City Council members Dennis Kavanaugh and David Luna. They dubbed themselves Santa’s official elves for the event. Santa indeed towered over his assistants, who were decked out in striped elf hats, complete with ears, as they made their rounds.

Kavanaugh spearheaded the toy drive and distribution for an eighth year, his final at the helm because he’s departing the Mesa City Council in early January.

New Councilman Ryan Winkle was on hand picking up tricks for his turn next year and promising to set a new collection record.

A total of 1,044 toys were donated by people who dropped them off at 10 collection sites in Mesa or attended a pancake breakfast hosted by Kavanaugh.

A bunch of toys—$4,000 worth—were purchased by the East Valley Firefighters Charities and the Mesa Police Association. Toys not distributed at the event are added to the hospital’s toy closets. All year, the young patients at Cardon get to choose a toy after they’ve undergone a difficult procedure.

Kavanaugh is leaving the council and he claims he’s not joining any new boards or committees for a while, but he fully intends to be an honorary elf at next year’s toy distribution.

Cubs’ World Series trophy in Mesa for spring training

The Chicago Cubs’ World Series trophy is on tour and will be in Mesa in time for spring training.

The trophy is also traveling to Illinois, Iowa and Indiana in the off-season.

Fans looking to see the trophy and take a picture with it can follow the tour on Twitter and Instagram (@Cubs) by using the “CubsTrophyTour” hashtag.

A New Leaf adds housing at downtown Mesa complex

A New Leaf has begun building 30 housing units on its downtown Mesa campus.

The new development will join La Mesita Apartments and La Mesita Emergency Family Shelter to offer a total of 126 units of housing to help homeless and low-income residents in the East Valley get a new start.

Kavanaugh initiated the toy drive in part because of his involvement with the advisory committee created when Banner officials decided to add a wing and create the separate Cardon Children’s Medical Center. Banner Children’s Hospital previously was inside Banner Desert Medical Center.

Kavanaugh is proud that the toy drive has strengthened the connection between the city and the hospital. And, he was relieved that the visit to the hospital by the firefighters and police officers was for a happy reason.

“They come here all the time, not usually under good circumstances,” he

The 30 units comprise 10 studio, 18 one-bedroom and 2 two-bedroom energy efficient homes. The La Mesita campus, along the light-rail route, features onsite support services, including individual case management, after-school and Head Start preschool programming, workforce development, educational classes and a Financial Opportunity Center.

CHANDLER

Chandler Council appoints new city attorney

Kelly Schwab has been appointed city attorney by the Chandler City Council. Schwab had been assistant city attorney for Mesa the past year. She had been a partner in a Phoenix law firm for 10 years and has been in practice for 24 years. Schwab chairs the Public Law Section for the State Bar of Arizona and is an executive board member on the Alliance for Construction Excellence. She also is member of the Arizona State Bar.

said, “but they got to come here in a fun way today.”

New Mesa Fire Chief Mary Cameli was at her first Cardon toy distribution.

“We’re public service,” Cameli said, “that’s what we’re all about.” She promised that next year at least some department members would have to consider arriving in holiday costumes.

Retiring Mesa Police Chief John Meza was at his last distribution. Meza brought his wife to this year’s event, because he wanted her to see how moving the experience is for him and the department’s officers.

“When I was driving into the hospital, there was a sign that said ‘peace and hope,’” Meza said. “That’s really what we’re trying to bring to the kids.”

The toy drive and distribution is a great opportunity for police officers and the community to intersect, Meza said.

“I will miss those opportunities,” he said. “Not everyone gets to go do these kinds of things.”

– Contact reporter Shelley Ridenour at 480-8986533 or sridenour@timespublications.com.

PARADE

from page 11

Nathan.

“She said, ‘I want this kid at my school,’” Julie said. “Nathan’s whole story spoke to her, and the next day, we got a call from the admissions department. He’s really enjoying it over there now.

“Seton has been very supportive of him.”

Nathan, a freshman, is already thinking past high school.

“I would like to go to Vanderbilt,” he said. “It’s a really good school, and their baseball is really good. It’s sort of like my passion.”

For now, he continues to enjoy his close friendship with Wenrich.

“Everywhere we go together, he brags about it,” Nathan said with a laugh. “You have to learn CPR because you never know when you’re going to use it.”

(Shelley Ridenour/Special to the Tribune) Spencer Thomas, 4 welcomes “Blue Santa” to the Children’s Hospital.

Just in time for Christmas, ‘A visit from St. Leibowitz’

BY DAVID LEIBOWITZ Tribune Columnist

Now comes the holiday season 2016, when our thoughts turn to tinseled trees and seasonal carols, family gatherings and this place we call home. So, with all due apologies to Clement C. Moore, here’s a little holiday cheer for you on this lovely Sunday Christmas morning:

’Tis the dawning of Christmas all ’cross this fine state. And one Yuletide verse demands a shiny update. Thus along comes yours truly wielding his pen, Thrilled to poke fun at Arizona again.

Of course, it’s a Sunday, I’ll try to be nice; There’s better chance of Helen Purcell being precise. So, put aside your coffee and grab up your Trib, We have a slew of famed Arizonans to rib.

Like far off in Glendale, where the Cards play without

zeal, And dumb Michael Floyd got cut, a drunk at the wheel.

And let’s not forget Scottsdale, land of many fake racks.

Where guys have the dough to get hair waxed off their backs.

Then there’s Tucson, two hours’ dull drive to the south.

Go? Heck no. I’d rather kiss Sheriff Joe on the mouth. There’s also Queen Creek, which smells a lot like a dairy,

And each day resembles “Little House on the Prairie.”

From east yonder west, we’re all repped by John McCain.

Man, he’s won more elections than Saddam Hussein. Don’t get me wrong, I adore the crusty old guy, Who may very well punch Donald Trump in the eye.

If he does that, McCain might need to resign. Half the state would run. With Kyrsten Sinema first in line.

Perhaps Christine Jones. And Mayor Stanton and Matt Salmon?

The Senate is one race they’d all surely examine.

Hey, I don’t blame ’em. It must be fun in D.C. Where you cannot watch the Suns lose on local TV. I don’t fault the team, though. I fault Robert Sarver. A bad owner who’s given us b-ball Pearl Harbor.

In happier news, there’s a new sheriff in town. Who vows not to profile folks just for being brown. I’ll miss the chain gangs and the green bologna, too. Not so much the feds’ threats to jail Joe’s whole darn crew.

Of course, in weeks our legislature will gather. To make screwy new laws amid political blather. The Dems will whine daily about Governor Ducey While bigwigs and lobbyists scarf steaks so juicy.

’Cross the aisle, Republicans have all the power. Thus, public schools and pro-choice folks can only cower.

It’s all part of what makes this state like an asylum. Though for such wacky tales I cannot revile ’em.

We’ve got Alice Cooper. And also Pat McMahon. On radio so long, Methuselah was a fan. We once chose Jan Brewer, who jabbed at Obama. And signed SB1070, sparking more drama.

For years, ev’ry time you flipped on CNN

They claimed we had millions of nutty women and men.

Me, I think the truth isn’t nearly that crazy. Though the Copper State feels ripped straight from Scorsese.

Sure, we have goofballs and sports teams that stink. And those snowbirds whose driving makes you want to drink.

But here there’s no winter and the taxes are low. And the cops have cleared Van Buren of every last … you know.

So as Christmas Day begins, be full of good cheer. Like a Mill Avenue hipster full of craft beer. Arizona is home, for which you should be glad Unless you’re in Yuma. Then you’re right to be sad.

Here’s hoping you and yours have a terrific holiday and a wondrous 2017. And that I absolutely have no reason to visit Tucson, Queen Creek, or, heaven forbid, Yuma.

– David Leibowitz has called the Valley home since 1995. Reach him at david@leibowitzsolo.com.

Thomas saddle shop ,Is available for immediate liquidation, to be sold by auction to highest bidder without reserve.

Western Art, Collectables and western saddles and horse equipment to be sold at public auction. Nothing held back you bid you set the price. We are liquidating a very nice collection of high end top quality saddlery, including: Bronzes by Fredric Remington and C M Russell lots of collestables.

Over 80 NEW and used top quality saddles including: Roping, Wade, Full Silver Show Saddles, Pleasure Saddles, Pony, Barrel, Australian, English, plus Many Custom Made Saddles (seat sizes from 12"-17", including: English and Treeless (seat sizes from 10"-18").

Over 100: wool saddle blankets, memory core pads, 100% wool saddle pads, gel core saddle pads and many other style saddle pads.

Lots of Leather goods of all kinds; over 500 lots of USA bridles and breast collars. Cowboy halters, Bronc halter, bling halter, leather, and nylon halters. Harness, Show Headstalls, and lots of silver and spurs, Stable Supplies and more. Leather goods of all kinds; over 100 bridles and breast collars.

A complete inventory of western saddles and horse equipment to be sold at public auction. Nothing held back. You bid, you set the price. A very nice collection of high end top quality saddlery. Terms of sale: 10%bp, cash, all major credit cards & debit. No checks, Murphy AZ

Business Business

Eggington’s keeps cracking those eggs, 31 years and counting

BY SHELLEY GILLESPIE Tribune Contributing Writer

Kathy and Thom Coker decided 31 years ago that it time for Thom to be with the family more. Working as a regional manager for some wellknown restaurant chains, he traveled extensively and, even when in the area, he worked evenings. He was left out of family events.

Solving those concerns, they opened T.C. Eggington’s, a breakfast and lunch restaurant with a cozy, family-style, farm country décor and a from-scratch menu dominated by creative breakfast recipes. They were the first tenant at Fiesta Crossing and now, 31 years later, the only one from those early years still remaining.

“We opened the door with a sign saying, ‘We’re open,’ and some notices in the nearby theaters. One line we used was, ‘Mesa, your eggs are done,’” Kathy said.

Word of mouth has been a potent source for business and new employees.

On a recent weekday lunch time, Greg and Brenda Nielsen enjoyed a leisurely meal along with friends from out of town who had been at Eggington’s before.

She was enjoying the peppered Italian parmesan chicken salad.

Since everyone is greeted as a friend, and often by name, it is not surprising when a customer’s high school or collegeaged student becomes an employee.

Thom recently hired a new hostess, the daughter of a customer who was one of the earliest Eggington’s patrons.

The restaurant offers a homey charm with chicken, roosters and chicken wire everywhere. Even the menus and lamps have chicken wire on them. The rooster is still on the menu, but is crowded by all the new menu items.

Their signature dish, the Eggington Omelette, is known for an innovative use of hollandaise sauce over the threeegg omelet with chicken, mushrooms, broccoli and cream cheese. It wowed a food critic, ensuring the crowd pleaser would be one of their most-ordered items.

“We love it. We’ve been coming here for 30 years. It’s a family tradition for every birthday, Christmas and special occasions,” Brenda Nielsen said. “And their chocolate walnut pie is the best.”

T.C. Eggington’s greets guests with a homey, country-style look at the entrance.

In a recent remodel that was accomplished in a mere two days without closing the restaurant, they removed the dated mauve and blue decor and added some new touches, like a barn door leading into the kitchen that seems like it’s always been there. The tables lost their worn, plaidchecked tablecloths and now are a lightcolored butcherblock finish without any tablecloths.

Foster’s French toast is made from scratch and is also a popular item.

Thom, who cooked in the early days of Eggington’s, often invents a daily special. On the day the Cokers visited, the special sandwich was roast turkey with avocado, strawberry sauce, candied walnuts, jack cheese, tomato and spring lettuce. If a special proves popular enough, they add it to the menu.

The very popular chocolate walnut pie is the only dessert they serve. Laticia Ramirez, a 28-year employee who is a prep cook and their baker, makes their walnut pie plus cinnamon toast, muffins, soups, and biscuits and gravy, all from scratch.

David Rodriguez, their cook for 30 years, also shares the kitchen with his sons, David Jr. and Bruce.

Kathy said, “When Davey started with us, he wasn’t married. He married and now has four kids.”

T.C. Eggington’s is at 1660 S. Alma School Road, Suite 129 in Fiesta Crossing, Mesa. For information, call 480-345-9288 or go to tcegg.com. They offer catering, but for pickup only.

Food tastes have changed a bit through the years, as the croissant sandwiches, which were popular in the mid-1980s, are not requested often now. Gluten-free items are often requested now.

“The gluten-free waffles on Sunday are ‘the best,’” Thom says. “We wouldn’t service anything unless we could do it well.”

Davey, the dad, grins as he scoops up a three-egg omelet and generously covers it with hollandaise sauce. David Jr. garnishes it with paprika.

With all of the food available and everything Thom and Kathy like, how do they stay healthy?

“Thom eats anything and everything and is healthy as a horse. He also mountain bikes. I don’t eat dairy or gluten, but our Sunday (gluten free) waffles—I love to eat breakfast. I love our salads, too,”

Kathy adds.

In a restaurant that has doubled in size over the years to 4,900 square feet, they developed a plan to save them from moving. They added an extra kitchen, which they only open during the busy holiday season or on weekends.

“We served 1,400 meals on Mother’s Day,” Thom said. They needed both kitchens that day.

(Shelley Gillespie/Tribune Contributor)

Kathy and Thom Coker opened T.C. Eggington’s, a breakfast and lunch restaurant at Fiesta Crossing, 31 years ago.

(Shelley Gillespie/Tribune Contributor)

(Shelley Gillespie/Tribune Contributor) In the kitchen, Davey Rodriguez and David Jr prep The Eggington Omelette, the restaurant’s signature breakfast dish.

Tempe firm given $2.1M for law enforcement training

Tempe-based VirTra Inc. will receive$2.1 million in state money to for law enforcement training.

The company will provide simulators to law enforcement.

The simulators surround officers using five screens in a 300-degree environment to train them in potentially deadly situations and simulate de-escalation training.

DPS officials said the simulation would help them better train officers to face real scenarios.

Korean

shipping company to cut jobs, close in Chandler

Korea-based Hanjin Shipping is cutting jobs and will close an operations center in Chandler.

Hanjin was once one of the largest shipping companies in the world but filed for bankruptcy earlier this year.

Reports say 181 jobs will be lost in Chandler.

Software company to move into former Chandler market

Faithlife Corporation has purchased a former 6,725-square-foot grocery store 398 S. Arizona Ave., Chandler.

The company is headquartered in Bellingham, Washington. It also has a 20,000-square-foot building in Tempe. It provides Bible study software along with a line of resources for Christian living, according to its website.

Tempe Chamber hires new business development director

Joanne Stockdale has been hired by the Tempe Chamber of Commerce as its new business development director.

She will be responsible for the organization’s membership sector, overseeing business support services and developing corporate partnerships.

Melody Johnson was the Chamber’s former business development director. She left to start her own boutique bakery.

Galveston Tech Center bought by Calgary developer

Wexford Developments of Calgary has paid $8.8 million to buy a 74,525-squarefoot, Class A flex/R&D building at 6825 West Galveston Street in Chandler.

ViaWest Group and Cushman & Wakefield announced the sale of the Galveston Tech Center.

The project is a single-story building configured for technology, healthcare and business service tenants. It encompasses 4.88 acres and boasts two billion-dollar tenants occupying almost 70 percent of the total property square footage, including CVS Health Corporation and Qorvo.

Mercedes dealership opens in Gilbert business district

A Mercedes-Benz full-service dealership is the newest business to join Gilbert’s Rivulon business district.

The Mercedes-Benz of Gilbert dealership will bring more than 100 new jobs and approximately $15 million in new capital investment to Gilbert’s central business district.

The dealership is at 3455 S. Gilbert Road.

Burlington to open store at Rio Salado in Mesa

Burlington Stores will open a new 42,000-square-foot store in Mesa next year.

The new Burlington, to open in spring 2017, will be at 1812 W. Rio Salado Parkway. Approximately 50-100 new jobs will be added.

For job opportunities, visit Burlington’s website, burlingtoncoatfactory.com.

Bagel restaurant opens Restaurant in Tempe

New York Bagels `N Bialys has opened a store in downtown Tempe at 922 E. Apache Blvd. in the bottom of the 922 building.

The Tempe restaurant is open seven days a week for breakfast & lunch, Monday through Sunday from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. For information, call 480-292-7300 or visit nybbaz.com.

Advance Auto Parts to open Chandler store

Advance Auto Parts, a leading automotive aftermarket parts, has opened in Chandler at 6170 W. Chandler Blvd.

The store is open Monday through Friday from 7:30 a.m. to 9 p.m., Saturday from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m., and Sunday from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Crepe restaurant opens second shop in Gilbert

The Crepe Club opened its second restaurant recently, in the San Tan Village at 2268 E. Williams Field Road, Gilbert.

The Gilbert restaurant’s grand opening will be Jan. 6 from 5 to 7 p.m.

Coming soon! Savanna House will offer a beautiful private residence with wonderful amenities and activities for residents, plus peace of mind for their families in an all-new community fully licensed for assisted living and memory care.

Sports

All-Tribune selections

Tribune Prep Sports Director Jason P. Skoda’s selections for the 2016 All-Tribune athletes are being presented in three weeks.

Last week, badminton, boys golf and girls golf winners were highlighted. This week, boys and girls cross country and swimming selections are presented. Next week, selections for football and volleyball will be published.

Boys cross country: Cheney setting new DV standard

BY JASON P. SKODA Tribune Prep Sports Director

Habtamu Cheney was finishing up the Desert Vista training camp up north with the Thunder cross country team.

The fun and games that bond the team were over, and it was time for the final preseason test with annual run up The Quest, a hill that starts with a down slope but features a staggering incline for the final two miles.

No one had ever broken the 19-minute mark. Until this year.

“I knew I was ready for the season,” Cheney said. “I broke DJ (Harris) time heading into the season by a minute. I felt really about good about where I was at with my conditioning.”

With that, the Thunder junior was off and he went out to set the standard for East Valley runners to become the Tribune’s Boys Cross Country Runner of the Year.

“He made big jump this year and became our lead runner,” Thunder coach Chris Hanson said after the Thunder won the state meet. “He had DJ in front of last year, and even though, he was a junior to took control of the pack along with Chris D’Angelo.”

Cheney, who was a first-team AllTribune pick last season, came out of fast in the regular season and it showed at the prestigious Woodbridge Classic in California.

Cheney, who has a 3.4 grade-point average, ran the fastest time ever by a Thunder runner at the 3-mile distance with a time of 14:32, good enough for a 12th place finish. The Thunder also added onto the record with the best team finish ever for the school, earning a solid fourth out of 26 teams at the race.

As the season wore on, he had overcome some injuries including an IT band injury that slowed his training leading up to the state meet.

He managed to finish fourth at the state meet with a time of 15:54, which was five seconds off the championship winning time.

“It was a pretty good race, but I didn’t do much speed work so I knew I was not going to be able to make a late push,” Cheney said. “I started out in front of the pack and went hard until the 800 mark when (the leaders) took off. It gives me something to work on.

“I feel great going into next. We bring almost the whole team. We have bigger goals ahead.”

– Contact Jason Skoda at 480-898-7915 or jskoda@ evtrib.com.

All-Tribune Boys Cross Country First team singles

Name School Year

Comment

Habtamu Cheney Desert Vista Jr. 2-time All-Trib pick finished fourth at DI state

David Nelsen Hamilton Jr. Finished eighth at DI state meet, 21 seconds off the lead

Slade Sumners Corona del Sol Sr. Aztecs always produce quality runners; underrated career

Reece Donihi Desert Vista Jr. Finished 9th in team race to push to DV to the top

Liam Kovatch Corona del Sol Sr. Cut 20 seconds off last year’s state run, climbed 10 spots

Rylan Stubbs Campo Verde So. Came in third in DII, time of 16:16

Runner of the Year: Habtamu Cheney, Desert Vista

Coach of the Year: Chris Hanson, Desert Vista—There may be no better coach in the state in preparing his team for the rugged, hilly state championship course at Cave Creek Golf Course. He did it this year with just one senior among this top seven.

Second

team

Names School Year

Comment

Carson Klepinger Mountain View Jr. Toros’ top runner finished 15th at DI state meet

Anthony Haren Perry Jr. Time, finish better last year, but still strong season

Quinn Burdick Seton Catholic Jr. Area’s top DIII finisher came in at 16:50

Chris D’Angelo Desert Vista Sr. Thunder’s senior leader will be missed next year

Nick Thatcher Desert Vista Jr. Great comeback story for Thunder program

Will Daschbach Highland Jr. he Hawks always manage to field top runners

Honorable mention

Zack Prusse, Campo Verde; Aksel Laudon, Desert Vista; Tristan Young, Gilbert Classical; Trevor

Grant Kennedy, Skyline.

Horizon

Joe

(Will Powers/Tribune Staff Photographer) Habtamu Cheney to finished fourth at the state meet with a time of 15:54, which was five seconds off the championship winning time.

Tam,

Honors;

Meade, Mesquite; Braden Rasmussen, Mountain View;

Girls cross country: Crall relishes in team’s success

BY JASON P. SKODA Tribune Prep Sports Director

Emily Crall had no idea what a small amount of water she used to take in before 125 ounces became the daily routine.

“I came to DV and it is a program with very high expectations,” she said. “I didn’t know how much went into being a runner at that level. All of sudden I was expected to drink 125 ounces a day. I didn’t know I was supposed to do that.

“There was so much to learn and grow. The learning curve never ends.”

Crall, who transferred from Chaparral, was indoctrinated to the Thunder Way pretty quickly and became one of the state’s elite runners. She’s the Tribune’s Cross Country Girls Runner of the year.

“Emily never focused upon nor addressed the issue of her individual accomplishments,” Thunder coach Jeff Messer said. “Rather, her defining foci included a range to team goals and aspirations that provided precise direction and tremendous focus for our overall program.”

The results were pretty impressive for Desert Vista all year long as the Thunder won its third state title in four years,

All-Tribune Girls Cross Country

First Team

setting a new big-school standard with a winning score of 20 points.

Crall, who named the Tempe City runner of the year, finished fourth at the state meet, third on the Thunder, and was the one of the team’s essential leaders in pushing the program to the Nike Cross Nationals, where they finished sixth in the country.

“It was pretty special to be part of that,” she said of the trip to Oregon. “You are meeting and socializing with people that have the same goals and aspirations and have the same lifestyle as you do.”

A lifestyle that means waking up 4 a.m. every day for 5 a.m. practices, keeping track of how many ounces of water you drink so you are well hydrated, eating to fuel the body and falling asleep by 8 p.m. most days.

“You do it all so you can better contribute to your team,” said Crall, who is headed to New Mexico to continue her career. “Most people look at cross country as an individual sport, and it is, but we all love it so we dedicate ourselves and run because we have a larger purpose.”

– Contact Jason Skoda at 480-898-7915 or jskoda@ evtrib.com. Follow him on Twitter @JasonPSkoda.

Name School Yr Comment

Emily Crall Desert Vista Sr. Team leader for squad that nearly finished 1 thru 5

Baylee Jones Desert Vista Sr. Nice rebound year after mono marred Jr. year

Haley Wolf Desert Vista Jr. Finished as state runner-up to SDO’s Bries

Brooklyn Christofis Desert Vista Fr. Ranked top 10 nationally for Class of 2020 Amanda Davis Desert Vista Sr. A top runner at nearly any other program

Runner of the year: Emily Crall, Desert Vista

Coach of the year: Jeff Messer, Desert Vista. A year after finishing a surprising third, Messer re-evaluated a few things of the process and posted one of the best seasons ever seen in Arizona.

Second Team

Name School Yr Comment

Caroline McCleskey Highland Fr. Will battle DV’s Christofis for years to come Kailey Welch Mountain View So. The Toros program continues to crank out young talent

Sydney Rhodes Highland Sr. The Hawks always have a top competitor

Alaina Katuz Campo Verde Jr. Highest finisher in DII finished eighth Mihajla Milovanovic Chandler So. Top placer for runner-up Wolves at 18 Morgan Foster Chandler So. Chandler has nice 1-2 punch for two more years

Honorable mention

Becca Taylor, Chandler; Gabrielle Enns, Chandler; Nikki Hemmerlin, Red Mountain; Olivia Grieve, Mountain Pointe; Rachel McClevel, Highland; Dantella Miranda, Tempe; Alexus Navarro, Queen Creek; Rachel Field, Gilbert Christian; Jhaerie Sebastian, Gilbert Christian; Olivia Mountain, Chandler Prep; Justine Cooper, Chandler Prep.

Emily Crall was the one of Desert Vista’s essential leaders in

Nationals, where they finished sixth in the country.

Boys swimming:

the

DV’s Vedder leaves legacy

BY JASON P. SKODA Tribune Prep Sports Director

JoshVedder finished his swim event and nearly all of family was there to see him make it through one of the most difficult turns of his career in the pool.

His father, John, had died not long before and Josh competed with a different purpose that day in May of 2014.

“I wasn’t swimming for myself anymore,” Josh recalled. “It was for both us; kind of like a legacy for him. All my family was there that day, and it changed how I looked at things.”

Vedder has been doing great things in the pool ever since for Desert Vista and is the Tribune’s Boys Swimmer of the Year.

“Each week, when filling out the team’s lineup for a dual meet, I looked at the opponents’ top athletes and began with Josh,” Thunder coach Shawn O’Connell said. “Where could he impact the meet that would potentially lead us to a win?”

Vedder competed in four events plus

relay. His best was the 100 backstroke as he won the state title for the third time this season.

“I am not going to lie, that’s pretty fun,” said the owner of two Desert Vista records. “My first year was a learning experience and I was the first sophomore at Desert Vista to ever win a title as a sophomore. I just built on it from there.”

He will be attending Arizona State on a scholarship after strongly considering UNLV and Denver as well.

Vedder said he chose ASU over the others because of the changes in the coaching staff and the potential to work with Olympians like Misty Hyman, Bob Bowman and Michael Phelps.

He has shown an impressive development each year after switching from soccer, where his Dad coached him, when an injury kept him from running in the sixth grade.

So, they chose one of the few sports

(Will Powers/Tribune Staff Photographer)

pushing

program to the Nike Cross

VEDDER

from page 17

that running is not required.

“He was like why don’t you give

swimming a try,” Vedder said. “I’ve been doing it ever since.”

– Contact Jason Skoda at 480-898-7915 or jskoda@evtrib.com. Follow him on Twitter @ JasonPSkoda.

All-Tribune Boys Swimming

First Team

200-yard medley relay: Desert Vista (Josh Vedder, Aaron Beauchamp, Frank Van Alstine, Garret Chance) 1:35.53

200 freestyle: Terry Yang, Chandler (1:40.63)

200 individual medley: Chris Allen, Mesa (1:55.28)

50 freestyle: Luke Lyons, Mountain View (21.17)

100 butterfly: Michael Klaus, Chandler (49.78)

100 freestyle: Bobby Johnson, Mountain View (46.87)

500 freestyle: Terry Yang, Chandler (4:33.06)

200 freestyle relay: Perry (Kaden Miller, Jayton Jensen, Tate Lewis, Tai Combs) 1:27.56

100 backstroke: Josh Vedder, Phoenix Desert Vista (50.26)

100 breaststroke: Aaron Beauchamp, Desert Vista (56.64)

400 freestyle relay: Mountain Valley (Bobby Johnson, Trey McDaniel, Wesley Hendrickson, Luke Lyons) 3:09.36

1-meter diving: Derek Bowers, Gilbert Classical (476.40)

Swimmer of the year: Josh Vedder, Desert

Vista

Coach of the Year: Robert Ronan, Mountain View – Led the Toros to a runner-up finish at the Division I state meet for the third straight year. Mountain View continually gets better as the season wears on and always ready to perform the first weekend of November.

Second team

200-yard medley relay: Mountain View (Trey McDaniel, Bobby Johnson, Luke Lyons, Wesley Hendricks) 1:37.49

200 freestyle: Archie Spindler, Seton Catholic (1:41.47)

200 individual medley: Luke Walker, Desert Ridge (1:57.67)

50 freestyle: Bobby Jackson, Mountain View (21.58)

100 butterfly: Luke Lyons, Mountain View (49.98)

100 freestyle: Josh Vedder, Desert Vista (47.20)

500 freestyle: Archie Spindler (Seton Catholic) 4:36.45

200 freestyle relay: Red Mountain, (Thomas Darling, Joe Bitterman, Thomas Anderson, Austin Nally) 1:28.35

100 backstroke: Brian Rawlinson, Gilbert (51.42)

100 breaststroke: Jeff Snoddy, Tempe Prep (58.52)

400 freestyle relay: Desert Vista (Garret Chance, Aidan Schramm, Frank Alstine, Josh Vedder) 3:12.25

1-meter diving: Jacob Hoo, McClintock (454.30)

Honorable mention

Ben Quon, Corona del Sol, Garret Chance, Desert Vista; Tai Combs,

Chris

Perry; Carter Hill, Red Mountain; Frank Van Alstine, Desert Vista;

Allen, Mesa; Luke Walker, Desert Ridge; Skyler Hojnacki, Hamilton; Miller Browne, Williams Field, Cash Heath, Williams Field; David Mickelson, Mesa; Daniel Miovcic, Mesquite; Kaden Miller, Perry; Vincent Hemingway, Seton Catholic; Jeff Snoddy, Tempe Prep; Austin Nally, Red Mountain; John Day, Higley

(Will Powers/Tribune Staff Photographer)

Josh Vedder will be attending Arizona State on a scholarship after considering UNLV and Denver.

Girls swimming:

Grossklaus crashes swim party with a leap to the top

BY JASON P. SKODA Tribune Prep Sports Director

Olivia Grossklaus looked like there was a surprise party thrown for her at the Skyline Aquatic Center in November and she truly had no clue it was coming. The look on her face, seen on film

many times over, was of someone who was caught off guard by what she had accomplished.

“I saw some pictures and I had this huge smile,” the Red Mountain junior swimmer said. “I didn’t know what to expect at the state meet, and I just wanted to do my best and see how it went.”

Rather well to say the least.

There were other swimmers who accomplished more at the state meet this season, but there may not have been anyone who made a bigger leap from one year to the next.

Grossklaus finished 20th in both the 100 butterfly and 200 freestyle as a sophomore only to come back win the 100 butterfly in 55.42 seconds and finished third in the 50 freestyle in 23.88, which was the best time in the East Valley.

“I have coached in Arizona for a long time and I have never seen a swimmer go from 20th to 1st in one year,” Red Mountain coach Michael Peterson said.

“Never. She finished the season ranked in the top 10 in five events.

“She has always worked hard but this year made a strong commitment to

All-Tribune Girls Swimming

First Team

focusing on her technique as well. It paid off.”

Grossklaus helped the Mountain Lions medal in two relay races as well. The individual times she posted allowed her to qualify for the Speedo Winter Junior Nationals in College Station, Texas, where she competed recently.

“That was a great event, and a huge confidence boost for me,” she said. “I had a chance to compete against the best in the country. It wasn’t just a goal anymore. I was there.

“Now I can see myself working really hard and pushing myself even more. Instead of hoping to win I know I can do it.”

– Contact Jason Skoda at 480-898-7915 or jskoda@evtrib.com. Follow him on Twitter @ JasonPSkoda.

200-yard medley relay: Desert Vista (Sydney Garvey, Emma Utagawa, Peyton Garvy, Brenna Larchick) 1:47.35

200 freestyle: Shae Nicolaisen, Desert Vista (1:49.96)

200 individual medley: Jaiyden Wolfe, Desert Ridge (2:05.48)

50 freestyle: Olivia Grossklaus, Red Mountain, (23.88)

100 butterfly: Olivia Grossklaus, Red Mountain (55.42)

100 freestyle: Kyla Yetter, Highland (51.39)

500 freestyle: McKenzee Gordon, Hamilton (4:52.73)

200 freestyle relay: Desert Vista (Noelle Lavigne, Breanna Larchick, Alisha VanderWerf, Shae Nicolaisen) 1:37.81

100 backstroke: Sophie Velitcjkov, McClintock (56.45)

100 breaststroke: Katie McBratney, American Leadership (1:04.18)

400 freestyle relay: Hamilton (Jamie Seddon, McKenzee Gordon, Kate Seddon, Irena Putikova) 3:32.20

1-meter diving: Victoria Knapp, Skyline (433.95)

Swimmer of the year: Olivia Grossklaus, Red Mountain

Coach of the Year: Shawn O’Connell, Desert Vista – For the second time in four years, the Thunder managed to find the top of the leaderboard. In between those bookend years, Desert Vista finished second and third. It shows how well maintained the program is when a team can withstand the loss of competitors to graduation and not have much of a drop-off.

Second team

200-yard medley relay: Chandler (Sarah Quintana, Marina McInelly, Sydney Chun, Ashyln Reidhead) 1:47.95

200 freestyle: McKenzee Gordon, Hamilton (1:50.01)

200 individual medley: Sydney Chun, Chandler (2:05.89)

50 freestyle: Noelle Lavigne, Desert Vista (24:25)

100 butterfly: Shae Nicolaisen, Desert Vista (56.22)

100 freestyle: Kali Brown, Mountain View (52.28)

500 freestyle: Destiny Kling, Chandler (5:02.11)

200 freestyle relay: Hamilton (Jamie Seddon, Natalie Hart, McKenzee Gordon, Irena Putikova) 1:37.91

100 backstroke: Kalli Fama, Perry (56.48)

100 breaststroke: Kati Hage, Campo Verde (1:04.75)

400 freestyle relay: Chandler (Siera Kling, Destiny Kling, Shea Burcham, Marina McInelly) 3:32.29

1-meter diving: Lexi Letts, Red Mountain (433.95)

Honorable mention

Kyla Yetter, Highland; Sydney Chun, Chandler; Kali Brown, Mountain View; Kaylie Jackson, Perry; Serene Augustain, Basha; Kaitlyn King, Campo Verde; Emma Utagawa, Desert Vista; Melanie Hass, Arizona College Prep; Katie McBratney, American Leadership; Naomi Vaughn, Gilbert Christian; Sadie Edwards, American Leadership; Abigail Zajdzinski, Arete Prep

(Will Powers/Tribune Staff Photographer)

Olivia Grossklaus qualified for the Speedo Winter Junior Nationals in College Station, Texas.

followers of Jesus let their light shine to keep others spiritually alive

BY LISA JISA Tribune Guest Writer

“For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.” (Isaiah 9:6)

Every time I read those words, I hear them being sung in my head, thanks to Handel’s “Messiah.” Such beautiful and powerful words were used by Isaiah to describe Jesus more than 700 years before His birth.

Just a couple of verses before this wellknown verse, Isaiah described the coming Messiah as a light. “The people walking in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of the shadow of death

a light has dawned.” (Isaiah 9:2)

Jesus came into the darkness of the world as light. He said, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows Me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” (John 8:12) He came to show us the way. He is the way and the truth and the life, and no one comes to the Father except through Him. (from John 14:6)

Jesus was THE light of the world, but He also said to His followers, “You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven.” (Matthew 5:14-16)

My bathroom has a light fixture with three bulbs. About two months ago, one of the bulbs burned out. I kept forgetting

to buy a new bulb, and I squinted at myself in the dimly lit mirror for a few weeks. It was so much easier to see once all three bulbs were working as they were designed to.

In the same way, if those who claim to follow Jesus Christ truly let their light shine, people who are falling asleep spiritually in the darkness just may be awakened. “For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light...” (Ephesians 5:8)

My friends John and Kay West moved to Swaziland in June 2010 after quitting their jobs, selling their home, cars and virtually everything they owned.

God had called them to minister to people in this poverty-stricken, AIDSafflicted country situated near South Africa. They were going to be the light in the midst of darkness. John and Kay have truly experienced the Lord as Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, and Prince of Peace, in addition to knowing Him as Provider, Protector, Comforter, Healer, Miracle-worker,

Hope, Strength, Redeemer and so much more.

Kay wrote a book, titled “Refiner’s Fire,” about their experiences in Swaziland that was published on Dec. 1. Money from book sales will go back into the ministry.

These stories from Africa about snakes, mud, AIDS, miracles and more will slow you down and inspire your heart like nothing else can. (And yes, I am biased! Kay included a couple of powerful, lifechanging experiences my daughter Molly and I shared with them in 2011.)

At a time of year when many are bustling about in search of the perfect gift, how about a copy of this book? It’s a way to share the light, and you don’t have to go to Africa to do it!

“Refiner’s Fire: My Walk with God in the Kingdom of Swaziland” by Kay Cassidy West is available at CreateSpace and Amazon for $11.95.

HANUKKAH BOWLING CELEBRATION

Chabad of the East Valley is hosting an afternoon of bowling, food, music, raffles and prizes. A latke bar, menorah lighting, Hanukkah gifts and Hanukkah arts and crafts will be offered.

DETAILS>> 2-4 p.m., McRay Lanes, 3825 W. Ray Rd. Chandler. Cost: Fee for bowling and shoes. Information: Rabbi Mendy Deitsch at 480-855-4333.

MONDAY, DEC. 26

‘CHANUKAH WONDERLAND’

“Chanukah Wonderland,” a project of Chabad of the East Valley, will feature a concert and dancing, a photo booth, olive oil press and “Dreidel Mania.”

DETAILS>> 10:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m., Pollack Chabad Center for Jewish Life, 875 N. McClintock, Tempe. Cost: Free. Information: 480-855-4333 or visit chabadcenter.com.

Ring in a Happy New Year with parties and performances

BY CASSIDY LANDAKER, CHRISTINA FUOCOKARASINSKI AND JUSTIN FERRIS GetOut

Say goodbye to 2016 and hello to 2017. Whether you want to dress up, dance to music, drink fancy champagne, or spend a night out with family and friends, you can find plenty to do around and adjacent to the East Valley.

We rounded up some of the biggest events around that will ring in the New Year right.

But first, a quick reminder: DO NOT drink and drive. To help you get around, Valley Metro makes bus and light rail transportation free on New Year’s Eve from 7 p.m. to 2 a.m. Learn more about the routes and schedules at valleymetro.org/ celebratesafe.

Decadence

This year’s biggest act, The Chainsmokers, will slip under the radar to spend New Year’s Eve with their fans in Chandler. That sexy video for their hit “Closer” might raise eyebrows, but it’s nothing compared to the steam The Chainsmokers will generate during its set at Decadence. Decadence begins on Friday, but on New Year’s Eve Saturday, The Chainsmokers will be joined

by the likes of DJ Snake and Zedd.

WHERE: Rawhide Western Town and Event Center, 5700 W. North Loop Road, Chandler

WHEN: Friday and Saturday

COST: $99-$399

MORE INFO: relentlessbeats.com

Marquee Theatre

Join San Diego-based reggae band Dirty Heads, along with Katastro, Mouse Powell, Neato and Highest Conspiracy for an allages concert at the Marquee Theatre.

WHERE: Marquee Theatre, 730 N. Mill Ave., Tempe

WHEN: Saturday, 6 p.m. - 2 a.m.

COST: $20.25-$75

MORE INFO: luckymanonline.com

New Year’s Eve Celebration

The Phoenix Symphony sends off 2016 with a concert full of favorites from Strauss waltzes to Broadway showstoppers to seasonal classics. Each concert-goer of appropriate age receives a complimentary glass of champagne.

WHERE: Symphony Hall, 75 N. 2nd St., Phoenix

WHEN: Saturday, 4 or 7:30 p.m.

COST: $25-$109

MORE INFO: tickets.phoenixsymphony.org

NYE On Mill Avenue

While a formal “Block Party on Mill” with scheduled entertainment and a family fun zone won’t take place this year, Mill Avenue still remains an NYE hot spot. The bars will open and offer specials, and several streets will close to traffic for reveling. Food trucks and other amenities will also be on hand.

Plus, Four Peaks Brewery provided the money for a midnight fireworks show.

WHERE: Mill Avenue, Tempe WHEN: Saturday COST: Free MORE INFO: downtowntempe.com/ nye2016

Noon Year’s Eve

Let the kids experience their own New Year’s Eve party earlier in the day so mom and dad can go out and celebrate later. The Phoenix Zoo’s Noon Year’s Eve offers 30 tons of snow, live music, dancing, games,

prizes and a noon ball drop with a juice and cider toast.

WHERE: Phoenix Zoo, 455 North Galvin Parkway, Phoenix

WHEN: Saturday, 9 a.m. - noon

COST: $24.95 adults, $14.95 kids 3-13

MORE INFO: phoenixzoo.org

Roger Clyne & The Peacemakers

One of the Valley’s most celebrated acts, Roger Clyne & The Peacemakers will perform their last show of the year at Celebrity Theatre. RCPM’s private label of ultrapremium tequila called “Mexican Moonshine Tequila” will be available for revelers to enjoy. And dancers rejoice: Seat rows one through three disappear to make a dance floor.

WHERE: Celebrity Theatre, 440 N. 32nd Street, Phoenix

WHEN: Saturday, 9 p.m.

COST: $43-$53

MORE INFO: celebritytheatre.com

Magic in the Garden: Luminarias shine bright in the desert night

BY JUSTIN FERRIS

Get Out Editor

Abig part of the magical holiday spirit stems from the thousands— sometimes millions—of lights adorning houses and landscapes around the East Valley. These displays push back the gloom of the early evenings and provide a canvas to celebrate various aspects of the month, whether seasonal, religious or just plain fun.

When it comes to pure magic, however, Desert Botanical Garden tops the list with its Las Noches de las Luminarias. Started in 1978 by executive director Rodney Engard, this event quickly blossomed into a beloved annual tradition.

“Knowing Rodney and the way he thought, Luminaria was brought to the Garden as a truly special evening to be shared with the entire community,” says Wendy Hodgson, senior research botanist

and herbarium curator. She was also present at the first Luminaria.

Now in its 39th year, Las Noches de las Luminarias sees the Garden’s already picturesque desert landscape strewn with white twinkle lights.

IF YOU GO

Where: Desert Botanical Garden, 1201 North Galvin Parkway, Phoenix

The real attraction, however, lies in the 8,000 hand-lit luminaria bags. It takes the staff an hour and a half each evening. These bags outline the pathways and structures in a warm glow.

When: Monday-Saturday, Dec. 26-31, 5:30-9:30 p.m.

Cost: $30 adults, $12.50 children 3-12, Free for children under 3

More info: dbg.org/luminaria

As visitors stroll the Garden and soak

in the view, or relax on a bench, they may hear music from one of the nine ensembles scattered around the grounds. These include Mariachi Pasión, Scott Jeffers of Traveler, Simply Three and the Salt River Brass Quintet. Handbell ensembles also make an appearance. For the final week, Dove of the Desert UMC will appear Monday and Tuesday, and Bronzeworks Encore will feature on Wednesday.

(Special to the Tribune)

Although the celebration on Mill Avenue has been dialed down, the Tempe location still remains an NYE hot spot. The bars will open and offer specials, and several streets will close to traffic.

(Special to the Tribune)

ACROSS

1 Final

5 Recipe meas.

8 Foolproof

12 Eastern potentate (Var.)

13 Carnival city

14 Slaughter of baseball

15 Parks at a bus stop?

16 Japanese sash

17 Gallon fraction

18 Hands-on-hips

20 Small combo

22 Women’s wear

26 Wander off

29 Height of fashion?

30 Bother

31 Addict

32 Supporting

33 Cruising

34 Aries

35 Despondent

36 Square dance group

37 “It’s a Wonderful Life” director

40 Hearts, for one

41 Phone function

45 “Simpsons” creator Groening

47 Yoko of music

49 Nervous

50 Help a hood

51 Debtor’s letters

52 Early period

53 Indiana city

54 CD successor

55 Verve

DOWN

1 Zhivago’s love

2 Out of control

3 Emphatic assent in Acapulco

4 It gets a load from a lode

5 Scout group

6 Bro or sis

7 “Lilies of the Field” actor

8 Brown tone

9 Norma Rae, for one 10 Paul of politics

11 Superlative ending 19 Chesapeake, e.g. 21 Spinning stat

23 “Mary Tyler Moore Show” spinoff 24 Genealogy chart

25 Old card game

26 Look for a website

27 Despot

28 Digitize an old LP, e.g.

32 Bit of trivia

33 College life

35 Tackle moguls

36 4-Down contents

38 Eccentric

39 Pleased with oneself

42 “American --”

43 City in India

44 Loretta of country music 45 Periodical, for short 46 Lawyers’ org. 48 Thanksgiving mo.

Resorts, clubs aren’t the only way to celebrate the dawning New Year

BY COLLEEN SPARKS Tribune Contributing Writer

Anyone who wants to ring in the New Year without squeezing through crowds at busy resorts or clubs can find lots of more low-key entertainment in the East Valley.

Local restaurants, theaters, coffee shops and other venues will give people a chance to unwind and have fun without having to spend a fortune, get glammed up or dodge drunken revelers. Families can even bring little ones to toast the New Year with non-alcoholic drinks before their children’s bedtime.

People of all ages can grab coffee and food while listening to live music on New Year’s Eve at Talebu Coffee and Wine Café on Alma School Road, north of Warner Road, in Chandler. Singer-songwriter Wyatt Espalin will perform 5-7 p.m.

downtown on New Year’s Eve. The male a cappella group Straight No Chaser will take the stage as part of its I’ll Have Another 20th Anniversary Tour. The group sings a wide genre of songs.

Regular tickets for the New Year’s Eve Straight No Chaser show at 8 p.m. range from about $50 to $80. For tickets and information, visit mesaartscenter.com.

For those who want to see a show in Gilbert on New Year’s Eve, the play “Is He Dead?” will be performed at 6 and 9:30 p.m. at Hale Centre Theatre on West Page Avenue. The play is based on a book by Mark Twain and adapted by David Ives to give it a more modern feel.

“Is He Dead?” is a funny play about a painter who fakes his own death in order to sell paintings.

“You can come grab a cup of coffee, get a glass of wine,” said Tayler Roost, barista and sound technician at Talebu Coffee and Wine Café. “You’re still going out and doing something, but it doesn’t have to be all hustle and bustle.”

Talebu offers sandwiches, bruschetta plates, salads, as well as bagels, cookies, brownies and other baked goods.

Another place where families, couples and singles of all ages can see live entertainment in Chandler on New Year’s Eve is at Chandler Center for the Arts on North Arizona Avenue. Zoppé An Italian Family Circus will be performing its European-style intimate show featuring Nino the clown, acrobatics, a trapeze act, equestrian ballet and canine tricks.

The New Year’s Eve shows are at 1 p.m., 4 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. Performers do a preshow outside about 20 minutes before they head into the tent for the main show.

Tickets for the circus on New Year’s Eve range from $28 to $40 for adults and $20 to $32 for children. Prices are slightly lower for Zoppé An Italian Family Circus shows other days and nights. To learn more visit chandlercenter.org.

A musical performance is on the menu at Mesa Arts Center on East Main Street

Tickets cost $42 per person for the New Year’s Eve performances. Party favors, soda and cheesecake will be served at intermission for both shows.

Also in Gilbert, families can reserve a bay at Topgolf and swing in the New Year from 9 p.m. to 2 a.m. with unlimited golf, party favors and glow sticks. Prices vary. Learn more at topgolf.com.

People who prefer a smaller stage event for a young audience can check out the Barnes & Noble bookstore at Tempe Marketplace on East Rio Salado Parkway in Tempe on New Year’s Eve morning. A freeof-charge story time will take place at 11 a.m. when the children’s book, “Hap-Pea All Year” by Keith Baker will be read.

Pomegranate Café, a vegan restaurant with vegetarian options on East Chandler Boulevard near 40th Street, is serving a special dinner featuring a cauliflower picatta with spaghetti squash pasta and lemon beurre blanc on New Year’s Eve. The dinner, which will cost $35 a person, also includes a winter jewel salad with pomegranate vinaigrette, a POM-Berry champagne sparkler and tiramisu trifle.

Pomegranate will be open the usual Saturday hours on Dec. 31, from 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. and reopen for a special New Year’s Day brunch on Jan. 1 from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.

(Special to the Tribune)

The Zoppé Family Circus features the best of the Old World tradition in a one-ring tent.

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Re|Engage marriage program

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JumpStart 11:45 A-4:30P Saturdays

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