East Valley Tribune: Gilbert Edition - March 5, 2017
Through the universal language of music and dance, Shen Yun weaves a wondrous tapestry of heavenly realms, ancient legends, and modern heroic tales, taking you on a journey through 5,000 years of genuine Chinese culture. Its stunning beauty, purity, and tremendous energy leave audiences greatly uplifted and deeply inspired.
A Shen Yun performance features 100 world class performers, over 400 sets of exquisite handmade costumes, a unique orchestra blending East and West, and dazzling animated backdrops – creating a spectacular performance beyond imagination.
Experience divine culture! Experience Shen Yun!
THE NO.1 SHOW IN THE WORLD.”
“Exquisitely beautiful. An extraordinary experience for us and the children.”
— Cate Blanchett, Academy Award–winning actress
“The orchestra is phenomenal. They are very, very on top.”
— Roger Tallman, Seven-time Emmy Award–winning composer/producer
“Mesmerizing! Reclaiming the divinely inspired cultural heritage of China. I encourage everyone to see and all of us to learn from.”
— Donna Karan, creator of
“Priceless.”
“It is food for my heart and soul...”
— Segfried & Roy, “Magicians of the Century”
BY GARY NELSON Tribune Contributing Writer
t was one of the most legendary roads in
America.
Winding from Virginia to downtown Los Angeles, old U.S. 60 carried generations of families across the country and right through the neon-lit hearts of Tempe and Mesa.
“The 8th wonder of the world. People have no idea what they’re missing until they come here and see the show.”
—Joe Heard, former White House photographer, watched Shen Yun 6 times
“Absolutely the greatest of the great! It must be experienced.”
—Christine Walevska, “goddess of the cello”, watched Shen Yun 4 times
“A MUST-SEE!”
The remains of that highway are now called Apache Boulevard in Tempe, and Main Street in Mesa. Aging motels, trailer parks, car-sales lots and auto repair shops are reminders of its heyday.
But from Mesa’s venerable Mormon temple, westward through Tempe’s towering downtown, there is something new, something those bygone motorists might never have expected: Railroad tracks.
The sleek trains that ride those tracks deliver passengers, to be sure. Far more, however, they are delivering a tide of urban redevelopment that promises new residents, jobs and a vertical, futuristic new streetscape.
The first leg of light rail opened in late 2008, traversing Tempe and poking only a mile or so into Mesa’s west side.
One of the very earliest rail-oriented projects, Papago Gateway Center, was completed in April 2008, even before the trains began rolling. But by the time rail service began,
(Larry
Apartment construction takes shape near the Light Rail tracks in Tempe. A wave of urban redevelopment along the route promises new residents, jobs and a vertical, futuristic new streetscape.
the Great Recession had rendered Arizona’s construction industry all but comatose.
For a while, most of the rail-oriented projects came in the form of low-income housing, financed in large part by tax credits that enable developers to charge minimal rents. The Arizona Housing Department gave priority to such projects near mass-transit routes, and because of that policy some low-
income housing came to downtown Mesa even before train service began there in 2015. Tempe developer Charles Huellmantel spearheaded several such projects. Encore on Farmer, a 56-unit senior complex near Fifth Street and Farmer Avenue in Tempe, is an example.
At
“At
COVER STORY
Mangino/Tribune Staff Photographer)
on page 6
Homeless campers mourn member, will move
BY JIM WALSH Tribune Staff Writer
Despite the death of one of Camp Alpha’s founders and an order to vacate issued by the Arizona Department of Transportation, the homeless camp with a military flavor continues to survive.
ADOT gave the camp, operated by Veterans on Patrol near Loop 202 and McKellips Drive, at least its third reprieve, with the latest an order to leave by March 20.
The first threat to the hardscrabble desert oasis was a few days before Christmas, when ADOT posted a large “No trespassing” sign. The likelihood of a forced eviction evaporated when ADOT granted the veterans organization a 30day reprieve.
On Feb. 24, well after that period expired, ADOT posted a notice to vacate with a March 3 deadline. The notice said that conditions had deteriorated and that it was no longer safe to stay.
The notice was issued a day after Tristan Knight, 41, a U.S. Navy veteran and a co-founder of Veterans on Patrol, was
found dead in the Salt River bottom. He was lying face first in one inch of water, according to the Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office.
Knight’s gun and his cellphone were found on the seat of his car. An MCSO press release said Knight had been drinking throughout the day and was known to occasionally use street drugs.
“He was outgoing; he cared about everyone besides himself,” said Jeff Kagan, a volunteer who is helping to operate the camp. “He was totally against veteran suicide. His purpose was to get his fellow veterans off the street.”
Kagan declined to comment on Knight’s death pending the outcome of the investigation, but he questioned the accuracy of MCSO’s statement. The statement also said Knight had expressed suicidal thoughts and had recently been released from a hospital.
The cause and manner of Knight’s death is pending, according to the Maricopa County Medical Examiner’s Office.
“It gave them an excuse. It’s an excuse to get rid of us,” Kagan said.
The latest extension came after Michael
Lewis Arthur Meyer, the camp’s founder, persuaded ADOT to extend the deadline to ensure a safe transition.
Kagan said Veterans on Patrol will move to site along Arizona Avenue in Chandler owned by a veteran, who has agreed to allow the camp to move there.
“I think it’s a matter of us showing genuine concern for the people at
the site,” said Tim Tait, an ADOT spokesman. “We want to help them make the transition smoothly.”
Knight’s death shows “it is no longer a safe place,” Tait said. “It was certainly a poignant moment that caused us to access the situation at the camp.” – Reach Jim Walsh at 480-898-5639 or at jwalsh@timespublications.com.
(Jim Walsh/Tribune Staff)
Tristan Knight, 41, a U.S. Navy veteran and a co-founder of Veterans on Patrol, was found dead in the homeless camp. A makeshift memorial, fashioned out of two metal crosses and a sign honoring his naval service, was displayed.
Arizona Mills aquarium’s expansion
to feature Colorado River exhibit
BY PETER CHENG Tribune Staff Writer
The Sea Life Arizona Aquarium broke ground on its new Colorado River Adventure expansion at the Arizona Mills Mall in Tempe recently. The exhibit is scheduled to open to the public this spring.
“The Colorado River adventure will take guests on a journey down the river, where they’ll be able to twist and turn the water through to the Sea of Cortez,” said Joanna Hobday, general manager of Sea Life Aquarium and the Legoland Discovery Center. “Along the journey, our guests will discover one of the most diverse seas on the planet and the remarkable animals that call it home.”
Children from Sea Life Arizona Aquarium’s Young Environmentalists group were on hand to help dig up a flowerbed recently. The flowers will be repurposed elsewhere in the mall.
The large-scale water play table will have many hands-on features and will give kids to a chance to interact with the virtual ecosystem of the Colorado River while learning about how human activity can affect the environment.
“Even though we’re in a landlocked state, what you throw onto the ground, or the trash, or whatever you use can
eventually end up in the oceans, so we’re using that visualization to help drive that message home for the kids,” said Elizabeth Mathews, Sea Life Aquarium and Legoland Discovery Center head of marketing.
Merlin Entertainments, owner and operator of both Sea Life and Legoland, has invested heavily in the mall. The Legoland Discovery Center was just opened last April, and the company is spending around $1 million on the Colorado River Adventure project, according to a press release.
Tempe Mayor Mark Mitchell is enthusiastic about the educational and economic prospects of the new exhibit.
“Visitors of the expanded Sea Life Aquarium will learn about the importance of the local water systems as well as local conservation efforts, two things critical for our younger generations,” Mitchell said. “In addition to the important learning opportunities that this aquarium will offer, Sea Life has become a regional destination, driving visitors from all across the state to Tempe. There’s no question that this will be a great addition to Tempe, and our region.”
Carol Ferns, general manager of Arizona Mills Mall, expects the project to be completed in May.
Physicians Research Group is conducting a clinical research study with a new investigational medication for toenail fungus
Localized treatment of the toe(s)
3 treatments over 8 weeks
No daily topical application
No pills
You may qualify if you: are between 18-74 years old and have at least one thickened and discolored large toenail
Compensation for time and travel will be provided
No cost to you for participating in the research study
(Peter Cheng/Tribune Staff)
Tempe Mayor Mark Mitchell and children from Sea Life Arizona Aquarium’s Young Environmentalists group dig up a flowerbed to clear way for the new Colorado River expansion.
‘Ponderosa’ home a part of TV and EV history
BY DAWSON FEARNOW
Tribune Contributing Writer
Historians say that today’s East Valley was mostly just barren desert during the whole “Wild West” era. But don’t tell that to the hundreds of wannabe cowboys and cowgirls who flock to Mesa every year from the far-flung corners of the world, looking for an authentic slice of the Wild West. Or at least, Hollywood’s version of it.
“Bonanza” was a beloved TV Western that was one of the most popular shows of the 1960s and early ’70s, and still lives on in reruns – and Internet fan clubs –across the globe. So popular, in fact, that the show’s star, Lorne Greene, decided to build a replica of the show’s signature set piece, the Ponderosa Ranch House, on a golf course and home development on the then-distant outskirts of east Mesa.
That sprawling log cabin that Lorne Greene dubbed the Ponderosa II was the focal point last week for the annual “Bonanza Friendship Reunion,” a celebration of the show and its fans.
Now designated a historic landmark by the city of Mesa, this house might be a dream destination for “Bonanza” fanatics, but it’s also a private home, lovingly restored by the current owners, Louise and Tom Swann.
“My husband and I are lifelong ‘Bonanza’ fans,” said reunion host, Louise Swann, after yet another pesky reporter showed up at the door of her sprawling pioneer-style bunkhouse.
“I grew up in New Mexico and he grew up in Michigan, but we both knew about the house and knew that Lorne Greene built a replica of the ‘Bonanza’ set somewhere in Arizona. But was only after we moved to Arizona that we looked in earnest for the home and kept an eye on it. It had the same owner who bought it from Lorne Greene, and when he passed, we contacted the estate and finally closed on the home in 2011. It was an odyssey, but it’s truly the holy grail for ‘Bonanza’ fans like us.”
That said, Swann said that the home is not an exact replica of the original.
“On the show, the Ponderosa Ranch always had an upstairs, but this home is only one story. They built a staircase, but it only leads to a storage space.”
So how did a faux log cabin built as an nearly exact replica of the fictional home of a famed TV family end up in the middle of Mesa? Mostly it was a marketing gimmick, said Mark Vinson, a Tempe-based architect and author of the new book, “And TikoTu? The Midcentury Architecture of Greater Phoenix’s East Valley.”
“Lorne Greene was a major investor in what was then known as the Apache Country Club Estates,” Vinson said. “He and a few Hollywood pals built a golf course and subdivided the property and sold off lots. For Greene, it was a little getaway from show business, much like many stars built second homes in Palm Springs, California, but he just went a little farther east into the desert to Mesa.”
Other developers had apparently tried to get permission from the show’s producers to recreate the Ponderosa, Vinson said.
“But only Lorne was able to – he even hired the ‘Bonanza’ set decorator to help design the home – and it did definitely
generate buzz and home sales,” Vinson said. “I think it speaks to the impact of the show at the time, it was certainly on TV every Sunday in my house growing up.”
Today, the home overlooks the Arizona Golf Resort, and guests have always asked about the oddly familiar-looking home just across the first fairway, said the resort’s former general manager, Carolyn Denton. She worked at the property for 33 years before retiring several years ago.
“We don’t offer regular tours because it’s a residence,” Swann said. “We do offer the occasional open house, including the annual Bonanza Friendship Reunion for fans from all over the world.”
In fact, Swann said she and her husband first met through their shared love of the show.
“Tom ran the ‘Bonanza’ convention for 10 years,” she said. “It’s like ‘Star Trek’ for Western fans.”
At the 2017 reunion, dozens of fans were treated to everything from a chuckwagon cookout and campfire singalong, to roping contests and a backyard hoedown headlined by the Ponderosa Pickers. And following another full day of ‘Bonanza’-themed talks and tours, it all concluded with a memorabilia auction and after party – all under the watchful gaze of Lorne Greene himself, thanks to a large portrait of the actor and his wife Nancy in the living room.
The presence of the Ponderosa II is helping the whole neighborhood revitalize.
“We’re happy to see the Ponderosa II and the entire being area saved, because lots of cool neighborhoods were torn down in the name of progress and new development.”
Production Coordinator: Courtney Oldham | 480-898-5617 | production@timespublications.com
Circulation Director: Aaron
(ponderosa2.com)
The Ponderosa II, a replica of the house on "Bonanza," was built on a golf course and home development on the then-distant outskirts of east Mesa.
(ponderosa2.com)
At the Ponderosa II, Hoss' hat is on display, along with a photo of the original cast. Lorne Greene hired the ‘Bonanza’ set decorator to help design the home.
DEVELOPMENT
calls Eastline Village. Donna Kennedy, Tempe’s economic development director, said Eastline will straddle both sides of Apache Boulevard east of Smith Road.
In downtown Mesa, two phases of Encore on First, another senior complex a block away from the rail line, already have opened. They total 144 units, and Huellmantel is seeking tax-credit approval to build Phase 3.
But an added feature of Huellmantel’s next Mesa project signals a maturation of rail-oriented development in that city.
While he awaits tax-credit approval for Phase 3 of Encore, Huellmantel is moving ahead with plans for an adjacent 24-unit market-rate apartment complex. It will be the first new market-rate multifamily housing in downtown Mesa since at least the 1980s.
“It’s being built because of the proximity to the rail,” Huellmantel said.
While Huellmantel’s project establishes a light-rail beachhead in downtown Mesa, its scope is modest compared with others in the two cities. Huellmantel himself is working on plans for a 202-apartment, mixed-use project at the southwest corner of Apache Boulevard and Loop 101.
Farther west, construction has been under way for more than a year at Dorsey Lane and Apache Boulevard in Tempe. There, several aging structures were demolished to make way for the Motley, a block-long, seven-story complex by Lennar Multifamily Communities with 399 luxury apartments.
Even that, however, may pale in comparison with plans by Scottsdalebased DMB Associates for what it
The first phase alone, according to Tempe planning documents, will cover nearly 14 acres on the south side of Apache. The 1.3 million square feet of building space will include nearly 700 apartments.
That kind of urban living appeals to folks like Hassan Salem Almousa, 28, a student from Saudi Arabia.
Taking a break from a solitary game of pool, he spoke in the rec room of Tempe Metro, a 408-unit complex that opened in 2009 at McClintock Drive and Apache Boulevard. The trains stop right outside his front door, and he uses them a lot.
For school, he rides the rail to Dobson Road in Mesa, and from there takes the bus to study accounting at Mesa Community College. For food, he takes the train to Mill Avenue restaurants. He can’t find that kind of transit in his home country, and he likes it. It’s a cheap way to get around, and, in his view, a smart way to build a city.
“It’s the best way if you’re going to reduce traffic and keep it cleaner,” Almousa said.
Kennedy said that even taking the recession into account, “Development along the light rail has exceeded expectations. We have businesses here because of the workforce that can easily get to downtown Tempe by light rail.”
(Larry Mangino/Tribune Staff Photographer)
Tempe.
Pacific paradise comes to Tempe for Aloha Festival
The Arizona Aloha Festival will turn Tempe Beach Park into a Hawaiian island Saturday and Sunday, March 11 and 12.
This celebration of Hawaiian culture features music, entertainment, island crafts, games for the entire family plus Hawaiian foods. It is free to the public.
The event is from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. at Tempe Beach Park, 80 W. Rio Salado Parkway. For more information, call 602-697-1824 or visit azalohafest.org.
– TRIBUNE STAFF REPORT
Mesa museum to offer spring break camp for kids
The i.d.e.a. Museum is hosting a spring break camp in March aimed at kids 6 to 12.
The Heroes Spring Break Camp takes place March 13-17. Kids will explore science topics, develop a superhero story and conduct science experiments.
Dinosaurs to entertain preschoolers at Museum of Natural History
A Dino Preschool Party is coming Friday, March 10, 5:30-7:30 p.m., at the Arizona Museum of Natural History, 53 N. Macdonald, Mesa.
The program is free for preschoolers up to age 5, and for their adult parent or guardian.
Activities focus on families learning together and to prepare children for school with themed learning stations. The party will include stories, crafts and a scavenger hunt.
For more information, visit www.azmnh.org.
– TRIBUNE STAFF REPORT
Big Band Dance and USO Show at Commemorative Air Force museum
“A Night in the ’40s Big Band Dance” begins at 5 p.m. Saturday, March 11, at the Commemorative Air Force museum at 2017 N. Greenfi eld Road, Mesa.
The half-day camp runs 9 a.m. to noon at the museum, 150 W. Pepper Place in downtown Mesa. Cost is $60 for i.d.e.a. Museum members; $75 for nonmembers.
Registration links and more information are at ideaMuseum.org/ classes.html.
– TRIBUNE STAFF REPORT
Free safety training in Tempe
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration is hosting safety classes at the Pacifi c Coast Safety Fest. The free event, held at 660 S. College Ave. on the ASU campus in Tempe, is open to the public from MondayThursday, March 6-9.
For schedules and registration, visit pacifi csafetyfest.com.
– RYAN CLARKE, TRIBUNE STAFF WRITER
The evening features a World War II 1940’s musical show followed by a Big Band orchestra playing sounds of the era in the shadow of a vintage B-17. Dancers are encouraged to show up in period costume, and prizes will be awarded for the best 1940s clothes. A swing dance contest will also take place, as will swing dance lessons.
For information, call 480-924-1940 or go to bigbanddance.com.
– TRIBUNE STAFF REPORT
Special screening of ‘Brothers Hypnotic’
In partnership with Alamo Drafthouse Cinema, the Chandler Center for the Arts is hosting a special screening of “Brothers Hypnotic” at 7 p.m. Thursday, March 9. The documentary tells the story of jazz icon Phil Cohran’s eight sons. Admission is free, but seating is not reserved, so a $5 food and beverage voucher guarantees attendees a seat. Alamo Drafthouse Cinema is at 4955 S. Arizona Avenue in Chandler.
– RYAN CLARKE, TRIBUNE STAFF WRITER
DEVELOPMENT
from page 6
According to Kennedy’s office, the total valuation of new development along the rail line between 2010 and 2015 was nearly $336 million. The 1,552 units of multifamily housing were valued at $247 million, and five new commercial buildings totaled $23 million.
While most of Tempe’s redevelopment has been in or near downtown, Kennedy expects the downtrodden eastward stretches of Apache Boulevard to see an urban revival. Looking eastward, she said, “I see jobs, jobs and jobs” as the corridor develops.
Arizona Walk Shop
In Mesa, city planner Jeff McVay became the city’s first manager of downtown transformation in 2015. His area of oversight stretches along the rail line from Tempe to its future terminus at Gilbert Road.
“I have been in conversations with many developers,” McVay said. “We probably have 1,200 to 1,500 residential units that are in some stage of development” in the rail corridor, although many discussions are still preliminary.
over nearly 21 acres.
The project is possible because the Sycamore Street station is no longer the rail line’s eastern terminus; the large park-and-ride there can be replaced with a smaller parking facility.
In contrast with a previous lowincome housing proposal for that corner, McVay said “every bit” of the housing at Sycamore Station will go for marketbased rents.
The light rail extension to downtown, and the end of the recession, helped revive one of the earliest rail-oriented projects planned in Mesa. The first of 42 town homes in Main Street Station west of Dobson are under construction; the units facing Main Street will offer ground-floor commercial space.
The days when Mesa struggled to generate interest
The biggest railoriented project on the books in Mesa will transform the northeast corner of Dobson and Main, site of the bygone Tri-City Mall.
The Safeway-anchored strip center that occupies much of the old mall site will remain, but to its east and north a project called Sycamore Station will offer apartments, town homes and commercial facilities in several buildings
Other downtown projects that will benefit from rail, McVay said, are the proposed concert hall and music academy on the old Brown & Brown Chevrolet site, a 50-unit low-income housing project for artists near the Mesa Arts Center, and a proposed mixeduse complex that would displace Bailey’s Brake Service at Country Club Drive and Main Street. Altogether, it appears that the days when Mesa struggled to generate interest in its historic Main Street corridor may be over.
“If there are headwinds,” McVay said, “it’s the fact that there’s a lot going on. We’ll always have a capacity issue in terms of being able to keep up with all the demand that’s going to be coming our way.”
NOT LIKELY
from page 6
engineer Dan Cook. “Light rail is one of the alternatives, but it also includes what is called bus rapid transit. … It also includes very frequent local bus service.”
Cook said that if the current study finds a need for high-capacity transit, the next step is to determine what form it should take.
“All of these different alternatives cost a lot of money,” he said. “Obviously light rail is the most expensive, but it’s a lot of money even if you’re just adding 10- to 15-minute service on a local route.”
Cook said the current study could
be followed by two more, each lasting at least three years. Although that may seem cumbersome, he said, “The cost of the studies is really low compared to the cost of operating any of these services.”
Farther east, planners have not decided what, if anything, to do after the light rail extension on Main Street to Gilbert Road in Mesa is completed in about two years.
One suggested route would take the tracks south on Gilbert Road to U.S. 60. There they could link with an existing transit corridor, set aside along the freeway years ago, that could conceivably accommodate higher-speed trains serving the Gateway area.
Coyotes looking to build arena in Mesa, team says
The Arizona Coyotes confi rmed reports that they have explored building a new arena in Mesa’s Sloan Park area, but any potential agreement appears to hinge on a funding bill that has run into opposition at the state Legislature.
The exact location remains a mystery. Sloan Park is the spring home of the Chicago Cubs, who have sold out the majority of their games since the new park opened three years ago.
The city also opened a rebuilt version of Riverview Park in conjunction with Sloan Park, and the new, family-friendly location has been well received. The Riverview shopping mall, which sits across Dobson Road and Rio Salado Park, also was a city redevelopment project, but it has been less successful, with some parts doing well and others vacant.
– JIM WALSH, TRIBUNE STAFF WRITER
Mesa woman survives car’s plunge off a cliff
A Mesa woman drove her car off a cliff near Apache Junction and survived. Jennifer Benson said she passed a vehicle around a curve on State Route 88 in a “no passing zone” on Feb. 23. She could not make it back into her lane in time and drove off the shoulder in a deep ravine about 275 feet down.
The Buick rolled at least one time and came to a rest on its roof. Reports of the accident started coming in around 8:15 p.m., authorities say.
According to DPS, Benson was wearing her seatbelt, but the airbags did not deploy properly. Passing motorists were able to get Benson out of the vehicle. She was transported to Mountain Vista Hospital in Mesa with injuries to her hands and arms.
Benson was not impaired and was cited for speeding.
– TRIBUNE STAFF REPORT
Arrest made in 2016 murder outside LA Fitness
Chandler Police have made an arrest in the murder of 84-year-old Shivaswamy Hosakote.
Freddis Williams III, 28, was arrested Feb. 28 and booked into the Maricopa County Jail on one count of second-degree murder.
On Aug. 18, 2016, Shivaswamy was found dead inside his vehicle in the parking lot of the LA Fitness at 2100 N. Dobson Road. Shivaswamy had suffered multiple stab wounds.
According to documents, fi ngerprints were found on Hosakote’s car, which led police to question Williams in September. Later, his Chandler home, vehicle and cellphone were searched.
Landscaping licenses suspended; firm accused of abandoning projects
Creative Paradise Inc. of Gilbert had its landscaping and irrigation licenses suspended after alleged abandonments.
The company reportedly signed contracts for more than $81,000 in landscaping work from November to as recently as Feb. 7. Creative Paradise reportedly collected $44,000 and performed no work.
The company alleged four counts of abandonment and is now in the process of revoking Creative Paradise's licenses.
Man sentenced in high-speed chase through East Valley
Joshua Michael Monigold was sentenced to 10 years in prison after leading police on a high-speed chase through the East Valley.
Monigold, 32, was arrested on March 24, 2016, after he stole a truck and tried to carjack a motorcyclist before evading police. This will be Monigold’s sixth time in prison since 2003.
– RYAN CLARKE, TRIBUNE STAFF WRITER
Missing Mesa woman found dead near Globe
A Mesa woman reported missing has been found dead off U.S. 60 near Globe. Foul play is not suspected. Cari Fort, 32, disappeared after sending her husband a text message Feb. 26. Police say her husband feared that she intended to harm herself.
Fort’s vehicle was found parked off the highway on Feb. 27, and her body was nearby.
– TRIBUNE STAFF REPORT
Most East Valley schools spend more on classroom instruction
BY HOWARD FISCHER Capitol Media Services
East Valley school districts are bucking a trend, spending more in the classroom than the state average, according to a new report from the Auditor General’s Office.
But the Arizona School Board Association said the Auditor General’s Office is out of step in the way it calculates classroom spending.
The report found that statewide just 53.5 cents out of every dollar spent in 2015 went for instruction. That includes everything from teachers, aides and coaches to supplies like pencils and paper and some extracurricular activities.
What it doesn’t include are various services needed to help kids succeed.
“We continue to stand by the fact that the “dollars in the classroom” measure is an outmoded way of benchmarking how Arizona supports student success. It does not describe effective use of dollars dedicated to teaching, learning and graduating students that are equipped with the skills to succeed in the real world,”
said Timothy Ogle, the association’s executive director.
Six of eight East Valley districts spent more than the average, ranging from 54.1 cents per dollar in the Tempe Union High School District to 60.1 cents in the Chandler Unified School District, according to the auditor general. Only Queen Creek Unified and Tempe Elementary fell below the average.
Chandler district spokesman Terry Locke said there’s a reason the district is well above the state average: “Classroom expenditures have been a priority of the district, starting with our citizens budget committee through the actions of our governing board.
“To attract and retain quality individuals, we ensure that our teacher salaries and benefits are among the highest in the state,” he added. “Other factors that help Chandler Unified is our continuous enrollment growth and the community’s support of a 15 percent budget override.”
Tempe Union High School District’s classroom spending figures are a bit misleading, district spokeswoman Jill Hanks said.
EAST
Queen Creek Unified – 51.0%
Tempe Elementary – 52.5%
Tempe Union – 54.1%
While its classroom spending increased slightly over the statewide average, Tempe Union far outpaced the average spent by those districts that have only high schools, Hanks pointed out.
When compared to other high-schoolonly districts, Tempe spent an average $4,088 last year, compared to the statewide high school district spending of $3,809.
“Comparing TUHSD with unified districts is not apples to apples,” Hanks said. “Operating high schools is much more costly than middle or elementary schools due to size, programs and administrators.”
The school boards group said, “The real issue should be student achievement – not how resources are allocated to get there.”
It also noted that even the governor and the Legislature acknowledged last year that the term “classroom … should be redefined as instruction, instructional support and student support.”
This definition includes physical and occupational therapists, reading and math intervention specialists, media specialists/ librarians, counselors and social workers, the group said.
Based on its own definition of classroom spending, the auditor general’s report said Arizona schools spent less of the money they received last year in the classroom than in any of the 16 years the state has been keeping track.
Auditor General Debra Davenport said that if districts had directed resources into the classroom last year at the rate they did in 2001, an additional $422 million would have been spent in the classroom.
With close to 1 million students in traditional public schools, that means an extra $422 per student.
And she said the decrease since 2004 represents more than $2.4 billion not being spent in the classroom during the 12-year period.
Aside from being at the lowest point since the agency started looking at the issue in 2001, it also is 7.3 cents below the national average.
Chuck Essigs, lobbyist for the Arizona Association of School Business Officials, said the decline should come as no surprise.
He said the state cut $114 million from one of the state aid formulas last budget year. And Essigs estimated that schools have lost out on $2 billion in capital
funding since 2009.
What that means, Essigs said, is schools have had to use a larger percentage of their funds fixing the things that the state should have paid to replace, like an air conditioning system or a new roof.
“They’re repairing buses they shouldn’t be repairing,” he said. “They ought to be replacing them.”
That leaves only a couple of areas to cut.
One is administrative, everything from the salaries of superintendents and principals to clerical staff. But Davenport said Arizona schools, as a whole, were slightly more efficient than the national average, spending just 10.4 percent of their dollars on administration versus 10.9 percent nationally.
What that largely leaves schools to adjust, Essigs said, is classroom spending. The net effect, according to Davenport, has been lower teacher salaries and larger class sizes.
– East Valley Tribune staff contributed to this article.
Wilkes U in Mesa switching to online-only classes
BY SHELLEY RIDENOUR Tribune Staff Writer
Students won’t attend face-toface classes at Wilkes University’s downtown Mesa campus after this semester ends in May.
Officials at the university based in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, said that demand for in-person, on-campus classes wasn’t high enough to continue offering them.
The same curriculum that’s been available in Mesa will continue to be offered through online classes, university spokeswoman Vicki Mayk said.
The college has seen its “greatest growth” in students who enroll in online classes, Mayk said, and the change in Mesa reflects that trend.
For decades, Wilkes has had “a fairly significant online presence” around
the U.S., especially for master’s-level education and nursing programs, Mayk said.
Currently, 77 students are enrolled at Wilkes in Mesa. That includes 34 undergraduate students taking both face-to-face and online classes.
The 31 students in the university’s accelerated bachelor of business administration program don’t attend any face-to-face classes, because that curriculum is entirely online, Mayk said.
The remaining 12 graduate students in Mesa, working toward masters in business administration degrees, took primarily face-to-face classes. Some also enrolled in online classes.
Wilkes has two full-time faculty members in Mesa. One will remain in Arizona next year to provide academic counseling, serve as a mentor and help with student internships and the like.
know when and where your services are by
Easter Worship Pages
Sunday, April 2nd & Sunday, April 9th Your
Space Deadline: Wednesday, March 29th by 5pm
(Tribune News Service)
Wilkes University has no plans to leave Arizona. Adjunct faculty in Mesa will retain their positions teaching online classes.
Community
Longtime broker remembered for bringing tech businesses
BY PETER CHENG Tribune Staff Writer
Donna Ellsworth-Bolen is credited with making a lasting impact on the development of Chandler as a real estate broker.
She passed away on Feb. 6 at age 90.
“She was involved with virtually all of the electronics firms that were located in Chandler in the early days,” said longtime friend Richard C. Ireland, business development manager for Arrington Watkins Architects. “Micro Electronics, Rogers, Gould – she worked on all of them.”
Life did not start out easy for EllsworthBolen. Born in Mesa in 1926, she lost her mother when she was 2 years old and her father when she was 19.
“She had basically been on her own since she was about 15. She lived with family, but she started working then,” daughter Tani Earnhardt said.
Earnhardt said her mother worked various jobs in Chandler, from a bank to the Rowena Theater to Serrano’s
dress store.
“She worked at the San Marcos Hotel, and talked about how Frank Lloyd Wright would come stay, and John Wayne would come,” Earnhardt said. “She’s seen a lot of things in Chandler in her lifetime.”
Ellsworth-Bolen received her real estate license at age 26, and her broker’s license at 28, making her the first woman in the state to do so. In 1964, she became the first female member of the statewide Economic Development Association.
Most will remember her as the real estate broker who brought the tech industry to Chandler, starting with the land deal that brought Intel in 1978.
planning administrator for the city of Chandler.
That deal continues to benefit the area today.
“There’s nothing that’s going to top the relationship with Intel. It really was the start of Chandler being the technology center of the Southwest,” said Jeff Kurtz,
“It was their first campus in Chandler, and 20 years later they invested in Chandler with a second campus,” Kurtz said. “Just recently, they announced a $7 billion project in Chandler to continue to outfit an existing building.
I think they employ like 10,000 people at the two campuses. So, that’s a crazy number of families that benefit from her efforts.”
As a lifelong member of the community, EllsworthBolen was able to establish the kinds of relationships that allowed her to succeed where her competitors failed.
“The reason Donna was so effective is that she knew all the farmers, and farmers don’t want to talk to anybody
about anything, so she was invaluable.” Ireland said. “If you wanted to sell a piece of dirt down there, you had to go talk to Donna.”
Friends and family say that EllsworthBolen’s personal attention to business matters, and her self-deprecating sense of humor, added to her charm. Earnhardt described her as a “Lucille Ball type” who was able to laugh at her own idiosyncrasies, like the time she broke her watch by driving through the car wash with the windows down.
Ellsworth-Bolen worked right up until the day she passed.
Besides being a tireless professional, Ellsworth-Bolen was known as a loving mother, a caring friend and a charitable soul.
“She was proud of everything that Chandler had become,” Earnhardt said. “But she was most proud of her family.”
Ellsworth-Bolen is survived by 2 daughters, Terelyn Riggs, and Tani Earnhardt, and one son, Bryon Ellsworth, as well as 5 grandchildren and 2 great-grandchildren.
Charity helps feed pets when their owners can’t anymore
BY RALPH ZUBIATE Tribune Executive Editor
If there ever was a perfect name for the job, Donna Barker has it. She’s president and founder of a charity that provides dog food – and cat food, too – to people who can’t provide for their pets.
Barker started Chuck Waggin’ Pet Food Pantry after finding out that people were abandoning their pets because they no longer could afford them. One big cost is the price of pet food.
Sometimes, she said, people who are older or in financial trouble have to choose between feeding their pets or their family.
“There are approximately 125 dogs a day turned into shelters by people for one reason or another,” Barker said. “They can’t feed them or provide veterinarian services to them.”
“Food banks don’t usually provide pet food,” Barker said. “A lot of these folks get rice and beans in their food boxes, and they give it to their animals instead of giving them even to their children.”
Barker decided to open the food bank for pets in April 2012.
“A person reached out to me and asked, ‘Donna, my dog is now on rice. Can you help me?’”
Chuck Waggin’s mission is “to provide pet food and pet service referrals to keep pets and the families who love them together,” its website says. People’s needs
have helped the group grow into a large operation.
“We’ve given out about 50,000 pounds of food a year, between cats and dogs. That’s about 3,000 animals a month,” she said.
She said the food is all donated from pet stores and rescue groups, who give them their overflow.
“We also get different retail stores, like Target, and Wal-Mart, to give me their broken bags or outdated food,” Barker said. “Those are good to give out about eight months after their date; otherwise, they start to lose their nutritional value.”
(Chuckwaggin.org/Special to the Tribune)
Chuck Waggin’ depends on food and money donations to make sure pets are fed, despite their owners’ problems.
Chuck Waggin’ operates out of a storage unit in Phoenix. On Wednesdays, it delivers to people all over the Valley.
The group also helps county agencies for the needy, veterans groups, social services and the like.
(Tribune News Service)
Funeral services for Donna Ellsworth-Bolen were held at The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Grover Ward, in Chandler on Thursday, Feb. 16.
(Chuckwaggin.org/Special to the Tribune) Donna Barker, pictured with a friendly pet, was in the mortgage industry for more than 30 years as a manager,
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Town says it supports ’18 folk festival after this year’s canceled
BY SHELLEY RIDENOUR Tribune Staff Writer
The 2017 edition of the Gilbert Folk Festival was abruptly canceled 10 days before it was scheduled to take place, with organizers blaming new town rules.
The town countered that it didn’t want the festival canceled and “extended resources” to help make it happen.
No one from either the folk festival committee or the town would talk to a Tribune reporter, but both parties issued statements.
According to festival organizers, they were notified 10 days before the festival that the town required additional permits. Organizers said those permits hadn’t previously been required. The festival was held from 2011 to 2013,
shelved for two years for financial reasons and resumed in 2016.
Rent and regulation changes triggered the cancellation, festival organizers said.
“Because of the short notice, organizers had to decide between coming up with several thousand more dollars to hold this event, or continuing the event with less than half the stage performances and workshop space available,” festival organizers said.
Gilbert Marketing Officer Jennifer Alvarez said the town has processes for public events to ensure they are seamless.
She wrote in an email that when town officials were notified of the cancellation, “we encouraged the Gilbert Folk Festival promoters to continue with the event as scheduled and extended resources to assist.”
Festival organizers disagreed in their release.
“Although the town likes to say it’s ‘open to business,’ its actions continue to be a roadblock for small businesses that are trying to contribute to a vibrant community,” Becky Cholweka said. Cholweka was a “title sponsor” of the festival.
Promoters haven’t indicated if they intend to revive the festival for 2018, but Alvarez said the town has “offered to partner with the Gilbert Folk Festival on next year’s event to help it surpass all community expectations.”
Posts on the festival’s Facebook page expressed dismay about the cancellation and suggested the event be moved to Mesa or Chandler.
Chelsea Schalton wrote, “So the increased tax revenues that the festival generated from increased local sales
wasn’t enough? They had to try to grab more money from the festival organizers? ... organizers and artists deserve a new festival in a friendlier town.”
That friendlier town might be Mesa, Anne McAuley Lopez suggested.
“This seems like an amazing opportunity for Downtown Mesa, Arizona! Just sayin ... If Gilbert doesn’t want it, let Mesa host!” she wrote on Facebook.
Chandler resident Robert McMahan Jr. favors moving the festival to Chandler.
“Bring this event to Chandler .... I live on the Chandler/Gilbert line and I am SO GLAD my official address is Chandler. They are so much more music & event friendly that Gilbert,” McMahan wrote.
– Contact reporter Shelley Ridenour at 480898-6533 or sridenour@timespublications.com.
East Valley radio show’s Hawaiian programming gaining fans
BY BRENT RUFFNER
Tribune Contributing Writer
Devida Pi’ilani Lewis infused an upbeat vibe with a way of life ‒almost by accident.
Now, East Valley residents are starting to notice.
Lewis co-hosts a show on iAloha Radio, an internet-based radio station that has brought fresh island sounds of Hawaiian and Reggae to the Sonoran Desert since 2013.
The station streams online 24/7 and currently gets about 5,000 downloads per month.
The AlohaZona Show is pre-recorded and airs 6-10 a.m. weekdays on ialoharadio. com or on the Tunein Radio app.
“My husband bought me radio equipment one Christmas,” Lewis said. “I didn’t know what to do with it.”
Lewis’ brother, Terrence “Big Teeze” Hallums, a well-known deejay for KCCN FM100 in Honolulu, flew to the mainland to help her build a Tempe studio and to show her how to run the equipment.
The station has gained traction over the last few years with topics that range from commercial real estate to Kanye West.
In fact, Reggae talent Pato Banton and Raging Fyah, a five-piece band from Kingston, Jamaica, have been in the iAloha Tempe studio for the live interviews.
iAloha is a 2017 sponsor of the Arizona Aloha Festival, an event held March 1112 at Tempe Beach Park. The festival celebrates Hawaiian and South Pacific Island heritage and cultures.
Lewis moved to Arizona in 1994 and is a traditional hula dancer as well as ukulele player.
On the show, Lewis goes by Aunty Pi’i, a title to which she says everyone can relate.
“Whether we are related or not, you always respect your aunty,” Lewis said. “They can scold you, they can spank you, they can cook for you or they can love on you ‒ just like your parents.”
Lewis, who works in commercial real estate, started the station when the radio industry was in a downturn. She said the station was a way to make extra income, and used her business background to get new clients for it.
“When the market was really slow in 2011, we had two choices, right?” Lewis said. “Get creative or go work at Target. Both are great options. But I decided to get creative.”
Co-host Malachi Crawford said he believes the music has attracted all cultures and backgrounds.
Crawford, a former football player at Arizona State University, admits that the Hawaiian/Reggae blend is fairly new to him.
But he said he understands the magnitude of what the music embodies ‒ unity and
a sense of community. He said the music “erodes borders” as people develop a natural fondness for the island sounds.
“All people of all cultures tend to like it and gravitate towards it,” Crawford said.
“We literally are the epitome of Aloha,” Lewis said. “It encapsulates so much, not just hello and goodbye. Aloha is truly a way of life. Aloha is an attitude. Aloha is how you treat people. It’s how we live.”
Lewis said she is looking at creating an iAloha app via the iPhone App Store or through Google Play Store. The station is working on getting a television component where viewers can see the show in real-time.
Lewis said residents should give the station a listen for her personal connection to the audience.
“It’s always just you and me having a conversation,” Lewis said. “People are
Brent Ruffner/Tribune Contributor Realtor Devida Pi’ilani Lewis co-hosts a show with Hawaiian and Jamaican music on iAloha radio, which broadcasts on the internet from a studio in Tempe.
LIVING TRUST SEMINAR
GILBERT
Higley district adds program for gifted preschoolers
The Higley Unified School District is adding a gifted preschool program for 4-yearolds.
Potential students are required to take an IQ test, and 10 have already been accepted. Ten more students are being sought for the program, which begins this July at the Sossaman Early Childhood Development Center, 18655 E. Jacaranda Blvd. For more information, go to husd.org/ domain/3641.
the change, which residents were told about in a letter and postcard sent in February. Pickup days will change, but procedures will remain the same. Containers must be at the curb no later than 6 a.m. on the collection day. Containers are emptied between 6 a.m. and 5 p.m.
To confirm collection days, go to chandleraz.gov/recycle or call Solid Waste Services at 480-782-3510.
Chandler residents offered discount to aquatic centers
Chandler residents can receive a 15 percent discount on a family season pass to the city’s six aquatic centers
Running event raises money for Gilbert elementary
Centennial Elementary School in Gilbert hosted a Boosterthon Fun Run event recently, part of a program to raise money for the school and to inspire student health.
~
to 1:45
Students ran, on average, 30 to 35 laps together to themed music.
Centennial Elementary is projected to raise more than $23,000 from the Boosterthon Fun Run. These funds will go toward classroom resources, curriculum and campus beautification.
CHANDLER
New trash pickup schedule will affect 28,000 homes
Beginning Monday, March 6, a new trash and recycling pickup schedule will begin across Chandler.
About 28,000 homes will be affected by
CHUCK WAGGIN’from
page 12
“They usually give them my name and number if they need help,” she said.
“A lot of people are seeking us out now. They’re hearing about us from the food banks and word of mouth.”
The charity relies on donations from the public. Its website, chuckwaggin.org, says the greatest need is in dog food, cat food and kitty litter. Other pet supplies, such as bowls, leashes and toys, are also needed.
Donations to Chuck Waggin’ can be dropped off in the East Valley at McClintock Animal Care Center Vet Clinic, 1836 E. Elliot Road, Tempe. Hours are 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. MondaySaturday.
Chuck Waggin’ is affiliated with PACC911, the Phoenix Animal Care Coalition 911. The group unites pet
The pass will be valid through November if purchased for $95 from March 11 to 26. Up to four family members can use the pass.
The discounted passes can be purchased online at chandleraz.gov/registration. They can also be purchased in person at the Hamilton Aquatic Center, 3838 S. Arizona Ave., and at the Mesquite Groves Aquatic Center, 5901 S. Hillcrest Drive.
For more information, call Chandler Aquatics at 480-782-2750.
MESA
Students
invited to celebrate Teen Tech Week at the library
The Mesa Public Library will mark the annual Teen Tech Week from Sunday through Saturday, March 5-11. Mesa Library will be offering workshops throughout the week to increase teen technology literacy.
For more information and registration, go to mesalibrary.org.
rescue organizations at pacc911.org.
“I am their pet food bank,” Barker said. Another interest of Chuck Waggin’ is doing its part to stem the epidemic of pet overpopulation.
“We have a requirement that your animal be spayed or neutered,” she said. “If they are not, we will find them lowcost spay and neuter services.”
Barker knows that some pet owners don’t think about this, even owners who are struggling.
“This lady recently, she was calling for food because she has had a hard time feeding her dog,” Barker said.
“I asked If her dog was spayed, and she said, ‘No, I want to breed her and have another litter of puppies.’ And I said, ‘No, how are you going to feed them when you can’t feed the one you have now?’
“She said OK, and we made the appointment.”
Academic Team
Arizona’s Community Colleges present Team
These Community College Students are selected for their academic achievement, leadership and service to the community. All receive scholarships from Arizona’s community colleges, as well as Arizona Board of Regents tuition waivers for any Arizona public university. Students are eliglible for selection to the All-USA Academic Team. For
Business Business
Dana Park showroom allows Ferguson to provide test-ready kitchens
BY DAVID M. BROWN Tribune Contributing Writer
Today, the kitchen is king, and Ferguson Bath, Kitchen & Lighting Gallery has created a throne in Mesa’s swanky Dana Park area. Its 10,000-square-foot showroom at Village Square, Val Vista Drive and Baseline Road, offers the latest in lighting and appliances as well as kitchen and bath faucets, fixtures and accessories from 86 top-grade manufacturers, such as Kohler, American Standard, Hubbardton Forge, Delta Brizo, Jenn-Air, Sub-Zero Wolf and Thermador.
The space that the showroom occupies has had several tenants since Dana Park opened 13 years ago.
It was first occupied by Summer Winds Nursery, then Recess Kids and Designs of the Interior split it.
Now, it’s a single unit again, home to the 64-year-old Newport News, Virginia, company that is the largest plumbing distributor in the U.S.
Unique to the new space are 10 working kitchens that give customers a chance to test new cooking technology.
“Most showrooms offer one or two working kitchens,” said manager Holly Harris, a Chandler resident. “But with 10 individual kitchens, we can accommodate professional chefs or homeowners any day of the week to prepare a dish and get a full understanding of how an appliance works.”
Customers can compare the functionality of products side-by-side and gain a full understanding of how they work.
“To help them fine-tune their selections, our associates work with customers to gain an understanding of how they cook. This way, we help customers select the features they actually need and will use versus what they think they want,” explained Harris, who holds a mass communications degree from Arizona State University.
Other individual products are also displayed in a hands-on environment to help builders, remodelers, interior designers and homeowners.
For instance, a shower wall shows
multiple showerhead and body spray options.
“Our interactive showroom offers customers a space to experience bath, kitchen and lighting products that can be incorporated into their existing home or new construction,” Harris added.
To assist shoppers with lighting, the showroom also features a lighting laboratory, which demonstrates how different color temperatures can change the look of an area.
Ferguson associates also assist with outdoor BBQ designs from such companies as Alfresco and Lynx, and refer clients to local contractors for interior finishes.
After 10 years in retail management, Harris joined the company.
“My team is committed to providing not only extraordinary customer service but also offering product expertise, design inspiration and project partnership to all Ferguson clients,” she said. “We’re always developing ways to provide a luxury shopping experience for our customers.”
She has eight East Valley associates, who live in Chandler, Ahwatukee and Mesa.
“Our product experts have years of industry experience and are extremely knowledgeable about design trends, product selection and the building and remodeling process,” she said, adding:
“Whether customers are renovating an outdated bathroom or designing their dream kitchen, we take time to listen to their ideas and work one on-one with them to bring their vision to life.”
Some trends include induction,
convection and steam cooking.
Induction relies on magnetic technology to heat the cookware and uses less electricity than standard cooktops and ranges.
“The heating response isn’t just fast; it is instant. You can boil a pot of water in three minutes. And, because induction cooking only heats the pot and the area directly under it, the surrounding area is safe to the touch even when in use,” Harris explained.
So, too, with convection cooking. Heat is evenly distributed, in contrast to electrical cooking. And, using steam cooking maximizes nutritional benefits and flavor, she noted.
“Steaming preserves many of the vitamins, minerals, nutrients and micronutrients in foods that are typically lost through traditional cooking
methods. And, steaming allows for flavorful cooking without using butter or added fat,” Harris said. “Since the food only absorbs the amount of moisture needed to cook, there is less chance of overcooking or drying out.”
Why shop in store and not online?
“Our customers receive an extra level of service when they make product selections in the showroom compared to online,” Harris said. “In the showroom, we’re able to service the needs of the customer before, during and after the product selections are made.”
The new showroom is open Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Saturday 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.; and Sunday, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Appointments are recommended but not required.
Information: FergusonShowrooms. com.
(Matt York/Special for the Tribune)
Amy Matthews, left, host of the DIY Network’s “Sweat Equity” show, tries a shower head as Ferguson showroom manager Holly Harris uses another.
Cabinet company locating north of Gateway Airport
EuroContempo Cabinetry, a Europeanstyle cabinet and materials manufacturing company, will move to a site north of the Phoenix-Mesa Gateway Airport.
The company will invest more than $10 million to build a 72,000 squarefoot manufacturing facility on a 5.22acre parcel. EuroContempo says the move will create 40 jobs over the next three years.
The facility will be built on the south side of Ray Road east of Sossaman Road.
Ahipoki restaurant joins San Tan Village Mall
Poke-bowl restaurant Ahipoki is joining new tenants Costa Vida, Noodles and Company and Habit Burger at San Tan Village Mall in Gilbert.
Poke is a Hawaiian-based dish featuring diced sushi-grade fish and vegetables over rice.
For more information, go to ahipokibowl .com
Chandler Chamber CEO to be honored at luncheon
Terri Kimble, CEO of the Chandler Chamber of Commerce, will be recognized at the Phoenix Business Journal’s 16th Annual Outstanding Women in Business event on April 3. Kimble was selected for her community leadership, professional accomplishments and personal achievements.
The Outstanding Women in Business Awards program recognizes 30 Valley women.
The luncheon will be held April 3 from 10:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. at the Montelucia Resort and Spa.
New shopping center coming to Gilbert by end of year
Gilbert will have a new shopping center by the end of this year.
San Tan Pavilions, at Williams Field Road and SanTan Parkway, has announced six incoming tenants. San Tan Pavilion will have almost 300,000 square feet of retail, shopping and dining businesses on 33 acres of land.
The center’s anchor will be home decor store At Home.
Mesa aerospace tech firm wins U.S. Army contract
GECO Inc., a Mesa-based aerospace technology company, will provide ground control system hardware and software for unmanned U.S. Army aviation.
The firm was awarded a one-year, $7.4 million contract to develop hand controllers that will allow operators to control any tactical unmanned aircraft system with a single, universal device. Flight testing is under way in Mesa.
GECO will initially manufacture 15 common hand controllers for two models of tactical unmanned aircraft systems before going on to compete for production of 5,000 units. The company is now expanding its manufacturing facilities and growing its workforce by 25 percent.
Indoor fitness park in Mesa to open its doors Friday
Urban Jungle Fun Park will open an indoor adventure facility Friday, March
10, at 5741 E. McKellips Road, Mesa.
The new $1.5 million, 18,000 squarefoot park includes trampolines, indoor climbing walls, ninja play, super slides, obstacle course, life-size interactive video games, a ball blaster arena and a gigantic multi-level play structure built for kids and adults.
Urban Jungle also features Urban Tot, a 1,200 square feet of play space inside the park built just for toddlers 5 and under with supervision of the parents. For more information, go to urbanjunglefunpark.com.
Soda Shop specialty store acquired by food company
The Soda Shop, which features a variety of house-made drinks in Mesa and Gilbert, was purchased by Four Foods Group, a restaurant development, investment and management company. Soda Shop founders Chase Wardrop and Dylan Roeder both retain equity in the company and will serve as division presidents. The friends first met as BYU students at an entrepreneurship seminar.
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In memoriam of the slower days of Life Before Digital
BY DAVID LEIBOWITZ Tribune Columnist
Had lunch with a buddy of mine last week. At least in body, if not in spirit. What I mean is, we ate burgers seated at the same table for 40 minutes. He spent most of that time checking his iPhone, firing off texts, tweets and Facebook comments.
“Been too long, man,” he told me out in the parking lot. “Really good to catch up.”
Uh, sure. I felt as special as any of his 567 Facebook friends, but more so for having witnessed live his “creating social media content” to “connect with his audience.” To think this privilege only cost me 21 bucks, plus tip.
Driving away, I was overcome with a powerful nostalgia for Life Before Digital – before we all began to live out loud, with nothing too secret to share and no moment deemed unworthy of documentation with a selfie or 10. What do I miss?
I miss hanging out. You remember hanging out, right? We used to actually talk to each other, spend time together,
plop on the couch and tell stories, or share a cold Budweiser and a half hour’s worth of the week’s events. No one took a call.
No one posted “this great #cheeseburger pic” to Instagram. The point of hanging out was to hang out, not to let everyone else not hanging out know, “Hey, look at us, we’re hanging out.”
I miss knowing phone numbers and addresses by heart. Used to be, I had 5,000 numbers in my head, along with
the eye of an attractive member of the opposite sex and shared a smile. Bookstores are mostly gone now. Because books and newspapers are gone now. Which bums me out because … I miss paper bag book covers. My mother was a wizard at turning brown paper grocery bags from ShopRite into customized, Scotch-taped protection for every elementary school textbook in my knapsack. Now? Kids have laptops
“ Days and nights were the same length as today, but they meant more, though they contained less – fewer posts, fewer images, fewer boasts.”
a mental map of every side street in Maricopa County. Now? It’s all in my phone. Provided I can find my damn phone.
I miss bookstores. You could spend hours in Borders or an indie shop, flipping the pages on a new hardcover novel, or browsing last week’s Sunday newspapers from cities half the nation distant. Bookstores smelled like books and coffee, and occasionally you caught
encased in $300 Tumi backpacks. Textbooks are gone. Hell, paper bags have been an endangered species since 2003.
I miss when people believed that it was impolite to discuss politics and religion. No one asked for whom you voted – rude! – any more than they asked your weight or salary. Now? Politics is all anyone talks about, unless they’re talking about how much money they
earn, or how they’re trying to lose weight by going Paleo, eating vegan, avoiding gluten or killing it at CrossFit.
I miss waiting to have pictures developed. I miss the trip to the Fotomat hut and the ceremonial tearing open of a cardboard envelope full of prints and negatives. It would be 12, 24, 36 shots, precious images of a sandlot baseball game played with wooden bats and a frayed hardball, or that summer afternoon your family shared Happy Meals in the shadow of the Manhattan skyline.
We used to really see each other then, in a crystal-clear focus that felt slower and yet more real. Days and nights were the same length as today, but they meant more, though they contained less – fewer posts, fewer images, fewer boasts. Not email. Real mail, actual letters. We had fewer “shares” then, yet so much more sharing.
Those days would’ve made a great Facebook post. Thank God that wasn’t an option.
– David Leibowitz has called the Valley home since 1995. Reach him at david@leibowitzsolo.com.
Chandler Ostrich Festival celebrates city’s heritage in a fun way
BY MARK STEWART Tribune Guest Columnist
The 29th Annual Chandler Chamber of Commerce Ostrich Festival is right around the corner. This three-day event will be take place March 10-12 at Tumbleweed Park, at the southwest corner of Germann and McQueen roads. The festival continues to grow, drawing in more than 100,000 visitors of all ages and offering something for everyone.
This community event celebrates Chandler’s ostrich ranching heritage. At one time, Dr. A.J. Chandler had the largest ostrich farm in the country. In 1920, top-quality ostrich feathers were in great demand for women’s clothing. Over time, feathers went out of style and the industry soon went away. More than 25 years ago, a group
of residents wanting to celebrate that history created the Chandler Ostrich Festival, and it continues to be a premier event for the community.
Tumbleweed Park will transform into our city’s largest community festival. As always, there will be rides, entertainment, food, and of course ostriches. Top-rate musical acts include the Gin Blossoms, Spin Doctors, Eddie Money, Starship and Los Lobos. More than 100 exhibitors will showcase arts and crafts available for sale.
New attractions this year include a high-dive acrobatic stunt team, i-Flip aerial acrobatics, STEM Wild Science attraction and a drone zone. The Rhinestone Roper and his trick horse, Lucky Joe, will thrill audiences with their award-winning trick roping, knife throwing and gun spinning. This event would not be possible
without the hundreds of dedicated volunteers, and a committee that works year-round to ensure the best entertainment and experience is enjoyed by all. There are many opportunities to become involved. Visit ostrichfestival. com to learn how. The most important ingredient is you!
Chandler is proud to partner with the Chamber of Commerce on the Ostrich Festival. The proceeds support the critical services and programs provided by the chamber in assisting local businesses. Admission starts at $10 and discount tickets can be purchased at any Fry’s grocery store. Parking will be available around the park for a nominal fee. Information on all events can be found at ostrichfestival.com or by calling the 480 588-8497.
– Mark Stewart is an at-large member of the Chandler City Council.
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
Get over yourself, Hollywood
I agree completely with David Leibowitz’s column (“Oscars are here again, and it all feels like a bad, boring sequel,” Feb. 26). I read it every week. I don’t always agree, but his columns always make me think. And that’s good, especially for a 70-year-old.
I haven’t watched award shows in ages. (They actually remind me of professional sports’ all-star games, which are all about personal showboating and not the game. I avoid these “games” as well.) It is extremely disingenuous of the Hollywood crowd, who live in a bubble and are wealthy far beyond our comprehension, to think we are all waiting with great expectation for them to tell us what to do, think or how to vote. We really do not need actors, directors, producers, sports personnel or anyone else to educate us. We are all capable of researching the many issues facing our nation, especially now, and finding our own way. The Bible says, and I paraphrase, that one should not think more of him/herself than they ought. Hollywood needs to get over their irrelevant selves. No one really cares!
– Roger Herd – Mesa
Gun measure and humanity
Barbara Steele wrote in a letter to the editor (“Stop this hunting measure,” Feb. 26) about a new law that would allow the use of traps and other inhumane methods to hunt animals. The writer apparently blames conservatives, and marvels how they all can sleep at night, for supporting such a cruel practice.
As a hunter, and conservative, I have never supported these unsportsmanlike methods, and do consider them cruel. I will contact my senators to voice my opinion on this law.
I agree with the Left that this is a cruel practice, and that life is precious. I find it ironic, however. I always wondered how the Left slept at night, constantly defeating laws that would have protected the lives of unborn children!
– Gary Larson – Mesa
Flake is taking action
Sen. Jeff Flake has been taking some heat recently from a California-based anti-immigration group that is airing television ads that claim he’s weak on immigration reform.
Let’s be clear – Sen. Flake is one of the few members of Congress who is actually taking action. The BRIDGE Act, which he has cosponsored, proposes a common-sense, short-term resolution to the individuals known as Dreamers who were brought to the U.S. illegally as children but know no other home (recipients of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program). Since President Trump’s election, they’ve been left in limbo, living in fear that they might be deported at any moment.
Our entire Arizona delegation needs to get on board with the BRIDGE Act and help write legislation in both the Senate and House that tackles immigration reform this year.
– Chris Dahm
– Tempe
Tremendous, and gone
Trump states his folks are “tremendous” –regardless of real facts to the contrary. Both Gen. Michael Flynn and Andrew Puzder, as well as his other picks, received this presidential rating, and now they are both out!
In “Trumpland,” I wonder how many “tremendouses” it takes to get to an “acceptable” rating in the real world?
– Rick Temple – Mesa
Flake, step up for Muslims
In the weeks since President Trump signed an executive order banning most people from seven Muslim-majority countries from entering the U.S., we’ve seen people’s human rights in the U.S. and around the world trampled.
Adawr Oraha, a 60-year-old Iraqi green card holder whose story was reported by the New York Times, recently traveled from his home in Phoenix to northern Iraq. He had planned to return in late January. But Adawr is now uncertain on his ability to return to the United States – despite having lived in Arizona since 2001. Adawr suffers from diabetes and a respiratory ailment. His health could deteriorate if forced to remain in Iraq for an extended period, where he has no long-term place to live. His wife, who entered on a Special Immigrant visa granted for her work assisting U.S. troops in Iraq, remains in Arizona, as do their daughter and son.
Though the White House is revising the order, reports indicate it will still block most people from the same seven countries, which could lead to confusion even for those whose visas and paperwork are correct. The new policy will continue to cause fear and extreme uncertainty for thousands of people, including students at universities in Arizona and around the country. Congress must step in immediately to block this new order. And Sen. Jeff Flake must help lead the way.
According to Business Insider, Arizona State University stands to lose about $8.2 million in revenue that would have been generated from bachelor’s degree-seeking students from the seven Muslim majority countries. Over 70 professors from at least three state schools have signed a petition that says, in part, “this measure is fatally disruptive to the lives of these immigrants, their families, and the communities of which they form an integral part. It is inhumane, ineffective, and un-American.”
Sen. Flake has also been speaking out against Trump’s executive order, saying that “enhancing long term national security requires that we have a clear-eyed view of radical Islamic terrorism without ascribing radical Islamic terrorist views to all Muslims.”
We need real leadership to protect Arizona and safeguard human rights. This bigoted ban on Muslims entering the country goes against our values and our interests, and we must stop it from going into effect.
SPRING TRAININGGuide
★ Special Commemorative Section featuring the 2016 Chicago Cubs World Series Champs!
to see the digital copy
PATSY AND GOMER Sunday, March 5, 6-8 pm $10 in Advance • $12 at Door VOICES OF MANY ARTISTS MISSED HIM LAST YEAR – SEE THEM NOW! THE BEATLES ARE COMING! Saturday, March 11th, 6-9pm $25
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‘CLASSIC COUNTRY SUNDAYS’ March 12th & 26th, 6-8pm
throws
High school pitching regulations in place for first time
BY JASON P. SKODA Tribune Prep Sports Director
Spencer Babson has had arm trouble in the past, but that wasn’t the case on Wednesday when his right arm was wrapped and he was in the Gilbert dugout watching practice.
It was just the “day after” routine.
“It’s part of the process,” he said. “You always feel it the next day.”
About 24 hours earlier, he took a sphere that weighs about 5 ounces and used his right arm to violently whip it 60 feet, 6 inches, while trying to manipulate the flight pattern, 74 times.
It’s called pitching and has been done for over 120 years, but it is under more scrutiny, at every level, much like concussions in football.
Major League pitchers are throwing harder, breaking down and having surgeries more than ever before, mostly ulnar collateral ligament reconstruction,
nicknamed Tommy John surgery for the Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher who made it famous. They’re being placed on pitch limits, in contrast with pitchers of decades past, who broke 300 innings in a season and regularly approached 150 pitches per start.
The amateur game, from Little League up to the colleges with high school and club ball in between, has changed as well, but in the opposite direction.
The younger kids are often throwing more innings over the course of a calendar year than most college pitchers do in a season between travel ball, showcases and sessions with pitching coaches.
It’s led to what many in the industry have called an epidemic, so much so the National Federation of State High School Associations mandated in July 2016 that each state adopt a pitching limit. This requires that pitchers be given several days’ rest between appearances based on pitch count, changing its focus from innings pitched to how many times the arm is being used.
The limits have been in place in Arizona since the season started on Feb. 22. Even though most coaches have always used their own early-season pitch limit as pitchers build up their arm strength, this is the first year they are mandated to do so.
“It’s a really good guide, and coaches will get used to it,”
Mountain View coach Mike Thiel said. “We’ve always done our best to make sure arms don’t get overused, especially in the early part of the season, so this won’t change things too much. It’s a matter of weighing
the decision between that 75th and 76th pitch meaning an extra day off.”
Freshman pitchers are treated differently, with a maximum of 95 pitches in any one game and fewer pitches required for days off.
Sophomores also are limited to 95 pitches, but match up with juniors and seniors when it comes to days off in between appearances based on pitches thrown.
The older pitchers are allowed a max of 105 pitches and need to take four days off in between appearance anytime they throw more than 75 pitches.
“It’s smart in the big picture, but as a player right now, you aren’t sure about it,” said Babson, who dealt with fractured growth plates in his arm because of pitching. “If you are cruising along, not giving up much and you have to come out because you hit your limit, you aren’t going want to come out. You want to keep competing, but it will help you later in life, even if that means being able to play catch with your kids someday.”
The new mandate will really come into play as teams try to get into the postseason or stay alive in it. That’s when coaches will be forced to treat their pitching staffs differently.
The days of an ace pitching a team to a state title are over. One of the more scrutinized pitching-count situations in Arizona came in 2009 when Hamilton’s Cory Bernard threw about 160 pitches in 11 innings over two games on the same day. Cactus’ Andrew Walter threw 120 in seven innings. Both players helped their teams advance to state championship games.
It would never happen today, as both would be pulled after 105 pitches, and another pitcher would be called on to get those high-pressure outs of the late innings.
“We are going to have to develop more pitchers at every level and make sure they are ready when called on,” said Gilbert coach Matt Gutierrez. “It’s going to be good for the game. They will be more invested knowing we are going to count on them with the game on the line.”
The hope is it will reduce injury, saving arms from having to be surgically repaired.
“The surgeries are coming early in a player’s career now and it is becoming too common,” Gutierrez said. “We won’t know for years from now how much this will help, but it is clear something had to be done.”
(Eric M. Byrne/Tribune Contributor) Mesquite’s Chase Webster and the rest Arizona’s high school pitchers are under new pitching guidelines this season that dictates how many days off between appearances based on amount of pitches thrown.
(Tribune file photo)
High school pitchers like Desert Vista’s Connor Holloway put a lot strain on their arms at a young compared to their contemporaries in past decades, and it has led to more arm injuries at every level of the game.
Five area teams win state basketball championships
BY JASON P. SKODA Tribune Prep Sports Director
The basketball season in the East Valley was pretty impressive. Seven local teams advanced to their respective classification state championship games and came away with five titles.
That means five different schools will be purchasing banners to hang in the gym, forever marking the 2016-17 season as one to remember.
Here is a look at each team’s championship run.
Stepping to the line
The Valley Christian girls basketball team has been close before, but this time around it finally got the last click of the scoreboard.
The top-seeded Trojans beat Page 4140 when junior Anna Gorman made two free throws with 8.8 seconds left for the 3A title.
“She has no fear in late-game situations,” Trojans coach Scott Timmer said. “I love that she sent the seniors out as champions.”
Page (26-4) led 39-36 with 1:12 left in the game and had two free throws, but neither was made. That gave the Trojans (26-3) new life.
Trojan senior Megan Timmer made a layup to draw within one, and Bethany Wolph followed with a steal of the inbounds, and was fouled. She made the front end of a 1-1 to tie it but missed the second.
When the Trojans got the ball back, Gorman was fouled bringing the ball up the court. She stepped to the line to give Valley Christian its third state championship – its first since 2011.
An all-timer
The Seton Catholic girls basketball team continued its superiority in Arizona with its sixth title in eight seasons of this decade, but this one came with a little more significance.
The 4A state title was the ninth for coach Karen Self to set the state record, breaking the tie she had with Don Petranovich.
Fittingly, it came in dominating fashion as Seton Catholic hammered No. 1 Cactus Shadows 61-27 to avenge the only in-conference loss of the season.
“Our kids really took that loss to heart,” Self said.
It marked the end of the careers of the Wirth sisters – LeeAnne and Jenn – as they combined for 25 points and 16 rebounds.
Finishing on a roll
Gilbert Christian entered the 2A boys state championship as one of the hottest teams in the state, and that didn’t change in the 66-51 win over Alchesay.
The Knights (25-5) ended the year with an 18-game win streak. Nate Graville led the Knights with 20 points, including eight in the third quarter.
“Nate has been a four-year varsity player for Gilbert Christian, and he’s been through the wars,” coach Kurt Keener said of the 6-foot-7 forward.
38 win over Sierra Linda to become the school’s first female team to win a state title.
“It’s a dream come true,” junior guard Lindsey Vanallen said.
Sierra Linda gave the Wildcats a difficult test from start to finish, which has been a rarity in a year that Mesquite finished 31-1, with an average margin of victory of 45.25 per game.
“They had an unreal season, and it feels great to finish it the way we did,” Mesquite coach Candice Gonzales said.
Team basketball
“We just told him that he needed to step up today, and he did.”
It was the second title in three years for Gilbert Christian.
Combined with his days at famed Detroit Country Day, Keener now has 11 titles in his impressive career.
Dominating fashion
The Mesquite girls closed out a nearly perfect season with a 59-
Just four years ago, Basha was six games under .500 and Mike Grothaus was a first-year coach.
A lot has changed.
Grothaus has a little more gray hair, the program is now nationally ranked and the freshmen from Grothaus’ first season back in 2014 are now seniors getting ready to be fitted for state championship rings.
The second-seeded Bears beat No. 1 Corona del Sol 75-65 at Grand Canyon University Arena to win the program’s first state championship and school’s first boys state title of any kind.
“We knew that freshmen class was special, and you can see why. If you track their entire four-year career, they don’t lose much,” Grothaus said. “They are tough competitors, and every single thing they do, they complete.”
– Contact Jason Skoda at 480-898-7915 or jskoda@evtrib.com. Follow him on Twitter @ JasonPSkoda.
(Billy Hardiman/Special to the Tribune)
The Basha Bears celebrate the school’s first basketball title after beating Corona del Sol 75-65 for the 6A Conference title.
(Jason P. Skoda/Tribune Staff) Valley Christian’s Hailey Russell (4) and Megan Timmer (10) celebrate the Trojans’ state title.
(Jason P. Skoda/Tribune Staff
The Seton Catholic starting five - LeeAnne Wirth, Sarah Barcello, Jenn Wirth, Liz Holter and Kendall Krickcelebrate with coach Karen Self after coming off the court with a minute left in the Sentinels’ 4A Conference championship win.
Make Jesus your partner in the dance called Lent
BY REV. SUSAN WILMOT Tribune Guest Writer
Slow-slow-quick-quickslow! How many of us recognize that dance step pattern for the classic American style foxtrot? Even if you’re not a dancer, I bet you still appreciate the beauty of the moves, and the skill involved.
As we enter into the season of Lent, our part in the cosmic dance unfolds with tantalizing possibilities. The first Scripture readings for Lent always mention Jesus’ baptism and the story of how Jesus is driven into the wilderness by the Spirit.
Lent helps to douse our rapid-fire lives in the cleansing and healing water of life that is Jesus, our Lord. Lent helps us to slow down. Well, at least if we’re willing to welcome the Lord guiding our steps, and willing to open our ears to hear and participate in the rhythm of the season. Just like the pattern of the traditional foxtrot, our busy-ness is enfolded in the loving embrace of the slower pace, the graceful and surprising movements of Lent.
As Jesus is driven into the wilderness, we too have the opportunity to explore our own wilderness experiences, as well as deepening our understanding of how important Jesus’ 40 days of trials and temptations are in shaping his identity and mission for the sake of the world.
THUR-SAT, MARCH 9-11
TWO REVIVALS
The Lawrence Memorial A.M.E.Z. Church in Mesa is conducting a pair of revivals with Rev. Albert Bolden. DETAILS>> 6:30 p.m., Thursday and Friday, March 9-10, 931 E. Southern Ave., Suite 108, Mesa. Noon, Saturday, March 11, Countryside Park, 3130 E. Southern Ave. Bring chairs and blankets. Information: 480-393-3001.
SUNDAY, MARCH 12
COLONIAL PURIM
DETAILS>> 9 and 10:45 a.m. 2700 E. Southern SPIRITUAL SIDE
Chabad of Mesa presents a “Colonial Purim.” The celebration includes live band, buffet lunch, quill writing, candle making, megillah reading and Circus Farm entertainment. All children in costume will get a prize. There is no charge.
It’s definitely worth taking time to appreciate the glorious music, and the seductive rhythm of the dance of Lent as God’s gift to each of us. One thing that ballroom dancing teaches us is that it takes two to participate in the dance.
Whether or not we feel alone and abandoned, or are wandering about in some kind of personal wilderness, the reality is that in this glorious dance of faith, we are never alone. The Holy Spirit is always ready to guide us into the next steps of our spiritual journeys.
Just as John came preaching a baptism of repentance, the first words of Jesus’ public ministry also contain a message of repentance (see Mark 1:15 or Matthew 4:17).
others in word or deed, or to put an end to any harmful self-destructive behaviors.
Jesus’ wilderness experience changes him and prepares him for his unique ministry as Lord and Savior of the whole world. If we’re just learning the dance, or trying to learn a new dance, we’re going to feel awkward and out of step. We’re going to make mistakes.
We all experience trials in our spiritual transformation, and temptations that distract us from living into our new identity as God’s beloved sons and daughters. We also have to deal with
“ Let’s resist the hurried rush of daily life sweeping us away in its ever-hungry grasp. ”
We can’t dance our way around a ballroom floor without turning around, or changing direction at some point. Nor can we dance without considering our partner or others on the dance floor.
Repentance is all about changing our wayward habits, and turning our sinful lives around. It’s about remembering to put others ahead of ourselves, including respecting those who are dancing alongside us.
Repentance involves purposeful action to refocus on God in Christ Jesus, with a heartfelt desire to desist from wounding
DETAILS>> 11:30 a.m., 941 S. Maple, Mesa. Information: 480-659-7001, chabadmesa.com.
SUNDAYS
NEW CHURCH IN MESA
The Lawrence Memorial A.M.E.Z. Church has opened in Mesa with the Rev. Albert Bolden leading as pastor. DETAILS>> Sunday School at 9 a.m., worship at 10 a.m., 931 E. Southern Ave., Suite 108. Information: 480-393-3001, tlmchurch.info.com, f@ TheLawrenceMemorialChurch.
VALOR CHRISTIAN OUTLINES MISSION
Valor Christian Center in Gilbert offers “great praise and worship and great messages for today’s living,” according to Pastor Thor Strandholt, associate pastor. “Our mission is evangelize, healing and discipleship through the word of God.”
DETAILS>> 10 a.m. Sundays and 7 p.m. Thursdays. 3015
unhelpful attitudes and bad habits that impede our new identity in Christ. We’re on the dance floor, but Jesus can’t take our hands as our partner if they’re already full of other stuff.
We can’t dance properly if we keep tripping up on our bad habits. Likewise, our dancing will be erratic and graceless if the shoes of our faith keep slipping off, if we’re carrying around baggage, or if we close our ears to the music.
By definition, being in the wilderness gives us little choice but to rely on God for the necessities of life. The desert has a way of helping us discard the accumulated clutter of life, everything from constant noise and interruptions to
E. Warner Road. Information: valorcc.com.
HORIZON SEEKS YOUNG PEOPLE
High school and middle school students meet to worship and do life together.
DETAILS>> 5 p.m. at Horizon Presbyterian Church, 1401 E. Liberty Lane. 480-460-1480 or email joel@ horizonchurch.com.
KIDS CAN LEARN JEWISH LIFE
Children can learn and experience Jewish life. Chabad Hebrew School focuses on Jewish heritage, culture and holidays. DETAILS>> 9:30 a.m. to noon, for children ages 5-13 at Pollack Chabad Center for Jewish Life, 875 N. McClintock Drive, Chandler. 480-855-4333, info@ chabadcenter.com, or chabadcenter.com.
RABBINIC LIT COURSE OFFERED
Ongoing morning study of two classics of rabbinic
fear, anger and all forms of violence, our judgmental attitudes, and the illusion that money or worldly success is our key to safety and security.
The good news is that we’ll emerge from this intimate time with God, this important time of self-examination and discernment, prayer and preparation, ready to serve the world more fully in Christ’s name.
Lent is associated with giving up something that’s beginning to possess or control us, taking on new responsibilities of service to others, or perhaps both, for the sake of our spiritual health and growth.
As we dance on with the Lord through Lent, let’s take it slow. Let’s resist the hurried rush of daily life sweeping us away in its ever-hungry grasp. Let’s practice being attentive to the beautiful rhythm of life in Christ. Let’s take time to notice the graceful and gentle hold of God, guiding each movement in our ongoing transformation.
Let’s be purposeful in recommitting our lives to God’s will in loving service. Let’s rejoice in our freedom in Christ, by releasing anything that’s holding us hostage to the world.
And may the Lord always be our partner in the dance of life.
– The Rev. Susan E. Wilmot, vicar at St. James the Apostle Episcopal Church & Preschool, Tempe, can be reached at rector@ stjamestempe.org, 480-345-2686 or stjamestempe.org.
literature by medieval philosopher Moses Maimonides (the “Rambam”). At 10 a.m., Prof. Norbert Samuelson, Grossman chair of Jewish Philosophy at ASU and TBS member, teaches “Maimonides’ Guide of the Perplexed: What Jews Ought to Believe.” At 11:15 a.m., TBS member Isaac Levy teaches “Maimonides’ Mishneh Torah: How Jews Ought to Behave.” Readings in both Hebrew and English. DETAILS>> Community Room of the administration building at Temple Beth Sholom of the East Valley, 3400 N. Dobson Road, Chandler. 480-897-3636.
UNITY OFFERS A PATH
Unity of Mesa says its Sunday service offers “a positive path for spiritual living” through “transformational lessons, empowering music and various spiritual practices with an open-minded and welcoming community.”
FAITH CALENDAR
Ave., Mesa. Nursery available for infants through kindergarten at service times. Youth ministry classes are open in the Education Annex at 10:45 a.m. Information: 480-892- 2700, unityofmesa.org, lori@ unityofmesa.org.
ALL ARE WELCOME
All on a peaceful spiritual path are welcome and honored in this inclusive, loving, thriving Unity Community. Join us for Interfaith CommUNITY Spiritual Center’s Sunday Celebration Service
DETAILS>> 10:30 a.m. Toddlers and children meet during our service. Interfaith CommUNITY Spiritual Center, 952 E. Baseline, Suite 102, Mesa. Information: info@interfaith-community.org.
SUNDAY CELEBRATION SERVICE
Inspirational messages and music to lift your spirit. A welcoming community committed to living from the heart. Many classes and events offered. We welcome you! DETAILS>> 10 a.m. Sundays at Unity of Tempe, 1222 E. Baseline Road, Suite 103, Tempe. Information: 480-7921800, unityoftempe.com.
MONDAYS
CHURCH PRAYER CALL
The Lawrence Memorial A.M.E.Z. Church in Mesa has a prayer call every Monday.
DETAILS>> 7 p.m., 1-712-775-7085. PIN 162106#.
JOIN CHRIST-CENTERED YOGA
This Flow 1-2 class (intermediate) is free and open to the community.
DETAILS>> 6-7 p.m., Mountain Park Community Church, 2408 E. Pecos Road. Greg Battle at 480-759-6200 or gbattle@moutainpark.org.
Support group for those struggling with how to deal with a loss in life.
DETAILS>> 7 p.m., 1825 S. Alma School Road, Room C201, Chandler. Pastor Larry Daily, 480-963-3997, ext. 141, larrydaily@chandlercc.org or chandlercc.org.
PROSPERITY RECIPES AT UNITY OF TEMPE
Internationally known speaker and author, Maureen G. Mulvaney brings back her Prosperity Recipes class series to Unity of Tempe on Monday evenings. Cost: $10 per session
DETAILS>> 6:15-8:15 p.m., Unity of Tempe, 1222 E. Baseline Road, Suite 103, Tempe. Information: 480-7921800, unityoftempe.com.
TUESDAYS
MESA BIBLE STUDY
The Lawrence Memorial A.M.E.Z. Church conducts Bible study on Tuesdays.
DETAILS>> 6:30 p.m., 931 E. Southern Ave., Suite 108. Information: 480-393-3001, tlmchurch.info.com, f@ TheLawrenceMemorialChurch.
CELEBRATE RECOVERY
Celebrate Recovery is a Biblical program that helps us overcome our hurts, hang-ups, and habits. Through teaching, worship, and sharing in small groups, you will find genuine people devoted to help discover the power of Christ through the recovery process.
DETAILS>> 6:30 p.m., Central Christian Church, 933 N. Lindsay Road, Mesa. Information: Eric at 480-924-4946.
GRIEFSHARE
Mountain Park Community Church is offering an ongoing GriefShare programs to help people deal with the pain of losing a loved one.
DETAILS>> 6:30-8 p.m., 2408 E. Pecos Road, Ahwatukee. To register: mountainpark.org and click on Launch. Information: Alex at 480-759-6200
FINDING HEALING FOR PAIN
HOPE, an acronym for “Help Overcome Painful Experiences,” offers support for men and women who seek God’s grace and healing.
DETAILS>> 6:30 to 8 p.m. Mountain Park Community Church, 2408 E. Pecos Road. mountainpark.org.
SENIORS ENJOY ‘TERRIFIC TUESDAYS’
The program is free and includes bagels and coffee and a different speaker or theme each week. Registration not needed.
DETAILS>> 10-11 a.m., Barness Family East Valley Jewish Community Center, 908 N. Alma School Road, Chandler. evjcc.org or 480-897-0588.
UNITY YOGA AT UNITY OF TEMPE
Center in Mind, Body & Spirit at our weekly Unity Yoga classes with Mary Jo “MJ” Kuzmick. Bring your own mat (2 blankets & blocks, if you have them). Suggested love offering: $8 a class.
DETAILS>> 10 a.m., Unity of Tempe, 1222 E. Baseline Road, Suite 103, Tempe. Information: 480-792-1800, unityoftempe.com.
WEDNESDAYS
HEBREW READING COURSE
Chabad of the East Valley is offering a Hebrew Reading Crash Course to all Jewish members of the East Valley community. The class will take place over five weeks.
DETAILS>> 7:30-8:30 p.m., March 8-April 12, 875 N. McClintock Drive, Chandler. Cost: $50. Information: 480855-4333 or rabbi@chabadcenter.com.
CELEBRATE RECOVERY MEETS
Celebrate Recovery says it “brings your relationship with the Lord closer to your heart as it heals your hurts, habits and hang-ups.” Participants can discuss issues ranging from feeling left out to addictions.
“Nothing is too small or too large.”
DETAILS>> 6:20 p.m. at Mountain View Lutheran Church, 11002 S. 48th St., Ahwatukee. mvlutheran.org/ celebraterecovery or email cr@alphamvlc.com.
WOMEN’S BIBLE STUDY OFFERED
Living Word Ahwatukee women’s Bible study and fellowship that offers “a short, low-key time of praise and worship in music and message.” It’s also an opportunity to meet other Christian women in Ahwatukee.
DETAILS>> 10-11:30 a.m., Living Word Ahwatukee, 14647 W. 50th St., Suite 165, Ahwatukee. Free child care.
‘A COURSE IN MIRACLES’
Longtime “A Course in Miracles” student and teacher Rev. Julianne Lewis leads this interactive time of discussion and sharing. This group is appropriate for ACIM beginners as well as experienced ACIM students— and everyone in between.
DETAILS>> 1-2:15 p.m. Interfaith CommUNITY Spiritual Center, 952 E. Baseline, Suite 102, Mesa. $10 love donation. Information: revj4u@gmail.com.
MEDITATION ON TWIN HEARTS
“Every day you take a shower. Practicing Twin Hearts Meditation is like taking a spiritual shower. When your aura is clean you experience a higher level of awareness. When your aura is clean you see through things more clearly. Even good luck increases.”
DETAILS>> 7:30-9:30 p.m., Unity of Tempe, 1222 E. Baseline Road, Suite 103, Tempe. Information: 480-7921800, unityoftempe.com.
Fish frys pop up in unexpected places in East Valley
BY MIKE BUTLER Tribune Staff Writer
East Valley residents love their Friday fi sh frys, and everyone has their favorite spot or two.
Here, as in the Midwest and Britain itself, good-natured arguments break out over cod vs. pollock.
Then, there’s the preparation. Some want that lightly breaded touch, while others insist on the crispy-crunchy experience that only batter can provide.
These passions extend to a lesser extent to tartar sauce, cole slaw and French fries, or chips.
But it’s all whitefi sh, mayonnaise, cabbage and potatoes – and it’s all good.
Friday fi sh frys are so popular that you’d be hard-pressed to fi nd an East Valley restaurant with an American menu that didn’t have a year-round one.
The interest and action ramps up this time of year because of Lent, when practicing Catholics are obliged to abstain from eating meat on Fridays. Lent began this year on March 1, Ash Wednesday, and ends on Thursday, April 13.
It is a 40-day period marked by fasting and abstinence, penance and prayer. Many faithful donate time and money to good causes. Families give up toys, sweets, alcohol, tobacco and other pleasures.
But not Friday fi sh frys, especially for those who grew up on tasteless frozen fi sh sticks.
For folks who take
few secret places in Mesa and Chandler that you wouldn’t automatically think of as being fried-fi sh sanctuaries.
On any given Friday afternoon, for example, the Knights of Columbus hall at 644 E. Chandler Blvd. (between Hamilton Street and McQueen Road) is one of the most well-attended fi sh frys in Chandler.
This open-to-the-public gem runs like a well-oiled restaurant, with a full-service bar and wait staff, except that everyone’s a volunteer and all revenue above costs goes to support St. Mary’s parish and many other good causes.
Fish frys are from 5 to 7:30 p.m. It’s nearly a full-time job for the cooks and manager Ralph Mendibles, who start preparing for the fi sh fry on Wednesday. They make the cole slaw and potato salad and hand-bread all the fi sh.
Mendibles is fi rmly in the cod camp.
“I probably go through fi ve cases of fi sh on Friday,” he said. “That’s about 200 pieces. We double our business during Lent.”
Regular patrons appreciate that he cooks fi sh in one fryer, shrimp in another, and fries and chicken in a third.
Although not all-you-can-eat, guests can order from one to fi ve pieces of cod. The three-piece dinner costs $10 and includes cole slaw, dinner rolls and your choice of fries or potato salad. You can also get a side of clam chowder and order a chickenstrip or shrimp dinner. Take-out is another option.
Mendibles said the fi sh fry operation netted Council 3121 enough money to give away about $25,000 last year to struggling
“It’s everybody working together that
(Jesus Valencia/Special to the Tribune) Eight or nine volunteer cooks are needed to handle the crowds who come to the Friday fi sh fry at the Knights of Columbus hall on East Chandler Boulevard near McQueen Road.
makes it a success,” he said.
If a friend or a neighbor said he was going to take you to a great Friday fi sh fry, and pulled up to a Tom’s BBQ, you’d probably roll your eyes.
No one’s more aware of that than Rick Pawlak, nephew of Tom Ryan and owner of the two Mesa barbecue restaurants.
That’s why he often sneaks a piece of fried fi sh onto a new guest’s rib or brisket platter. He calls it “bait.”
“Once you try it, you’re going to be hooked,” Pawlak said. “Every year gets bigger and bigger. Friday nights are packed – and it’s 75 percent fi sh fry.”
Tom’s offers fried fi sh every day of the week, but Fridays are all you can eat. Pawlak lightly breads basa, a tasty cousin of the catfi sh, to allow its delicate fl avor to shine through. The inspiration for the dish came after Tom tried a fi sh taco at a friend’s Mexican restaurant.
The all-you-can-eat Friday fi sh dinner costs $11.99 (dine-in only) and includes hand-cut fries and cole slaw. The restaurants
(Mike Butler/Tribune Staff)
Bear Creek Golf Complex in Chandler goes the batterfried fi sh route. The all-you-can-eat Friday special includes cole slaw and fries.
also throw in a few hush puppies, those deep-fried balls of cornmeal goodness. Although Tom’s BBQ has the same menu at all of its locations, note that only the East Mesa store, near Falcon Field, has the full bar/full service/patio experience.
South Chandler residents are accustomed to driving up to Ocotillo or downtown Chandler when they want to dine out. But they don’t have to go very far at all for the great fried fi sh dinner at Bear Creek Golf Complex, 500 E. Riggs Road, near Arizona Avenue.
The cod here is under the crispy/ battered tent, and it’s delicious. The allyou-can-eat Friday special is served from 4 to 8 p.m. and costs $11.95, which includes cole slaw and fries. For variety, you can also order fi sh tacos, the Bear burger, chicken alfredo, fried shrimp, a pulled pork sandwich or chicken Caesar salad. If there’s room for dessert, try the brownie a la mode or apple pie crisp.
The Friday fi sh fry at Bear Creek is seasonal, starting in mid-January and ending April 14 this year.
– Reach Mike Butler at 480-898-5630 or at mbutler@timespublications.com.
Flightless birds take center stage at Chandler’s one-of-a-kind Ostrich Festival
BY MEGHANN FINN SEPULVEDA GetOut Contributing Writer
More than 100,000 people are expected to celebrate Chandler’s heritage at the 29th Chandler Chamber Ostrich Festival from Friday, March 10, to Sunday, March 12, at Tumbleweed Park.
The event features 14 attractions, including ostrich races, carnival rides, musical performances, arts and crafts and interactive exhibits, along with food and beverages, and family-friendly entertainment.
Ostriches are a part of Chandler’s history, as the city was peppered with ranches.
“The City of Chandler and the Chamber of Commerce got together and started the Ostrich Festival because it was a way to celebrate the heritage in the community,” says Terri Kimble, CEO of the Chandler Chamber of Commerce. “The event was originally held in downtown Chandler before it moved to Tumbleweed Park in 2004.”
The festivities actually kick off March 4, with the Mayor’s 5K fun run, a parade, public safety fair and classic car show. The parade’s grand
IF YOU GO
Where: Tumbleweed Park, 745 E. Germann Road, Chandler
When: 2 p.m. to midnight Friday, March 10, 10 a.m. to midnight Saturday, March 11, and 10 a.m. to 11 p.m. Sunday, March 12
Cost: Starting at $7. Discount tickets available at Fry’s More info: ostrichfestival.com
marshal is Clark, the World Champion Chicago Cubs’ mascot. The big draw, however, is the ostrich races, which this year will be joined by camel, zebra and emu races.
The three-day Ostrich Festival is produced by Scottsdale’s Steve LeVine Entertainment and features performances by dozens of local and national musicians.
“There will be 100 hours of musical entertainment during the entire event,” Kimble says.
Performers throughout the weekend include the Blaine Long, Spin Doctors, Gin Blossoms and Grammy-award winning Latin group Los Lobos, who will headline the festival on Sunday.
Those in attendance can bounce, zip and spin on more than 40 carnival rides, geared for children and adults of all ages, including a Ferris wheel, fun house, merry-go-round, slide tower and spinning coaster. Individual tickets and wristbands for unlimited rides are available for purchase.
Other attractions include the new highdive show, produced by Milord Entertainment, where spectators can watch performers dive into a pool that is 26 feet in diameter and includes an 80-foottall high dive. An aerial show features extreme trampoline and high fall acrobatics.
Kids can enjoy bounce houses along with special performances and story time with favorite cartoon characters like Clifford the Big Red Dog on the family
“New this year is a Hatchimals meet and greet and dance party,” Kimble says. “There will also be a
ANSWERS
TO PUZZLES AND SUDOKU from page 29
Yes, the Ostrich Festival features real birds! See them race, or check out the carnival rides, live music and other family-friendly activities.
drawing for a free Hatchimals giveaway on Saturday and Sunday.”
A petting zoo along with camel and pony rides will also be available.
At the Drone Zone, an interactive exhibit which lets kids of all ages fl y quadcopters in a safe, enclosed environment, utilizes fl ight simulators for practice with the controls.
(Peter Speyer)
‘In My Life’ takes you behind the scenes of The Beatles’ rise to
CHRISTINA FUOCO-KARASINSKI
GetOut Contributing Writer
The story behind Beatlemania fascinates Andy Nagle.
“I’ve been in music for a while and have never seen anything like the love for The Beatles,” Nagle says. “They are the most popular tribute in the world – more popular than Elvis, The Rolling Stones and Led Zeppelin.”
He is the cowriter/producer behind “In My Life,” a musical retelling of The Beatles’ story through the eyes of manager Brian Epstein. The Long Beach, California-based show features the live music of renowned
IF YOU GO
Where: Herberger Theater Center, 222 E. Monroe St., Phoenix
When: 7 p.m. Sunday, March 12
Cost: $46-$75
More info: 602-254-7399, herbergertheater.org
tribute band Abbey Road, featuring Chris Paul Overall (Paul), Nathaniel Bott (John), Zak Schaffer (George) and Axel Clarke (Ringo). Murphy Martin plays Epstein. The production includes multimedia, period costumes and vintage instruments.
“I always wondered about what it’s like to witness Beatlemania from The Beatles’ perspective,” says Nagle, who wrote it with longtime friend Tom Maher. “I wanted to look inside of the whole tidal wave that went on for nine or 10 years. We researched it and I read every book from sources who were there – everybody from studio engineers to the Beatles themselves.
“When we saw events described two to three times by different sources, we would go with that.”
Nagle hired Martin to play Epstein and to narrate the show. He meets The Beatles at the Cavern Club at the beginning of the show, while the musicians were still donning black leather jacks and smoking on stage.
“Brian went into the Cavern Club and was impressed with them,” Nagle says. “He told them he wanted to be their
manager. He was only 26 years old and didn’t have experience in the business. But he understood they had a real ability to connect with the audience.
“He also cleaned them up – wearing the matching suits and adding the synchronized bows at the end of songs.”
The phenomenon was “crunched” into a two-hour script, he says.
“The show has 33 songs in it,” he says. “So as the story goes, people not only get to hear The Beatles’ music, people get an understanding why the songs came and went on that particular point of their career.”
An important part of the Sunday, March 12, show at the Herberger Theater Center is the string quartet of teens from Saguaro High School in Scottsdale. Seniors Alex Garza and Cameron Whyte and sophomores Davis Whyte and Austin Thurman will join the band for the songs “Eleanor Rigby,” “Yesterday,” “A Day in the Life,” “Hello Goodbye” and “Hey Jude.” “Yesterday” is played as a scene in which the Paul McCartney character plays the song for the first time for Beatles producer George Martin, with the songwriter
fame
explaining that he envisioned a stringquartet accompaniment.
“We hired a local high school string quartet to bring in string accompaniment for some of the songs,” he says. “It’s nice musically because Beatles fans don’t get the chance to experience Beatles songs performed that require strings. ‘Eleanor Rigby’ and ‘Yesterday’ are the songs that really come alive in the theater because of the kids.
“For a lot of the kids, this is their first hired gig. They get to see how a touring show operates from the inside.”
The permanent cast members are all in their 20s and 30s, to accurately reflect the time in which “In My Life” is set.
“We tried to cast people who can act and perform the music and sound like The Beatles,” he says. “We’ve learned so much about the Beatles and how they’re still loved.
“My four musician/actors who play The Beatles, none of them were born when the Beatles broke up. People respect that, and they come to the meet and greet to tell us they still love the Beatles, even though they broke up 45 years ago.”
King Crossword
ACROSS
1 Do as you’re told
5 A cont.
8 Old fogy
12 Geometry measure
13 Born
14 Divisible by two
15 Soared
17 Choose the best
18 Japanese pond carp
19 With resolution
21 Twelve
24 Highway division
25 Saharan
26 Demonstrated, as when on strike
30 Chaps
31 Chess wins
32 Consumed
33 Sank a billiard ball
35 Caspian feeder
36 Addict
37 William Tell’s target
38 Formosa, today
41 Annoy
42 -- Major
43 Fined for speeding, e.g.
48 Indonesian island
49 High-arc shot
50 Basin accessory
51 Help in a crime
52 “Tasty!”
53 Annoyingly slow
DOWN
1 Rowing tool
2 Sis’ counterpart
3 Common Mkt.
4 Talked on and on
5 Opposed
6 Lawyer’s payment
7 Clearly embarrassed
8 Edict
9 Egg
10 Farmer’s home?
11 Sans siblings
16 A billion years
20 Tattoo-parlor supply
21 Moist
22 Sandwich cookie
23 Brass component
24 Metric measure
26 Obviously
27 Rainout cover
28 Common Latin abbr
29 Strike from the text
31 Smaller plateau
34 Persian Gulf nation
35 Maintenance
37 Noah’s boat
46 “A mouse!”
47 Parched
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When you lose a loved one, it is one of those times in life when you can feel lost, or adrift–not sure of which way to turn and how to make it through. You need to know that there’s someone there that you can trust, someone who feels like family. A funeral director who cares can make a huge difference in your comfort level, and allow you to the safety of knowing that your best interests are being considered. This is the benefit of choosing Mountain View Funeral Home and Cemetery for your final arrangements and those of your loved ones.
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Finding the right fit for a funeral home is important; you want to know that not only is your loved one being treated with dignity, but that you and your family will feel comfortable and supported in your decisions during this time.
Selecting Mountain View Funeral Home and Cemetery is one way to ensure that you are using a family funeral home who will go above and beyond your expectations.
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CyberSponse has opening for Business Systems Analyst in Scottsdale, AZ
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EARN EXTRA INCOME! $100 to $200 per week. The Arizona Republic wants to contract you to deliver newspaper on the weekends in the East Valley and Apache Junction. For additional details, contact Bob Griner at 602-444-4069 or rgriner@republicmedia. com.
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Apply in person 2601 E Thomas Rd #220 Phoenix AZ 85016 or call 602-993- 0297 for more information
Business Banking Officer
Western State Bank is a 115 year old progressive financial institution with total assets of over $900 million and growing! Western has an opportunity for a highly motivated individual to join our winning team as Business Banking Officer in Chandler, AZ. This individual will be responsible for generating business through sustaining and servicing existing portfolios and/or developing new commercial and industrial business for designated market in accordance with our organization’s vision, core values, mission, team guidelines, and business plan. This position will originate and manage a compliant and profitable portfolio. Position is responsible to forge relationships with other internal departments as well build strong ties within the community and maintain strong customer to ties in an effort to continue to build business. A qualified candidate is currently managing commercial and industrial operating companies as well as commercial real estate and owner occupied businesses. Bachelor’s Degree in Business Administration, Finance, or Business Management preferred with 5 to 7 years of business banking experience preferred.
At Western State Bank, “what” you know is important, but not as important as how you relate to teammates and customers. Our environment is based on the principles of respect, curiosity, creativity, individual empowerment, and the ability to listen effectively and communicate openly. We also believe in continual learning, bias toward action, keeping commitments, and doing our absolute best every day. We believe that our ability to deliver on our promise of being Your Hometown Bank is a result of these high standards. This is a full time position with benefits (health, life, dental, vision, disability, 401k, and ESOP).
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Janitorial company hiring night janitors
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Equal Opportunity/Affirmative/Action/Minorities/ Women/Individual with Disabilities/Protected Veteran Employer
Dialog Semiconductor, Inc
Opening for Team Lead Layout in Chandler, AZ
Western State Bank is a 115 year old progressive financial institution with total assets of over $900 million and growing! Western has an opportunity for a highly motivated individual to join our winning team as Cash Management Officer in Scottsdale, AZ. This individual will be responsible for identifying and analyzing cash management opportunities and facilitate the sales and support of such functions in accordance with our organization’s vision, values, team guidelines, business plan and ability to provide a superior customer experience. Position provides online banking support both externally to customers as well as internally through inter-departmental collaboration, by providing expertise through technical solutions and troubleshooting. Qualifications include a Bachelor’s degree in business or finance-related field required with three (3) years of financial experience preferred.
At Western State Bank, “what” you know is important, but not as important as how you relate to teammates and customers. Our environment is based on the principles of respect, curiosity, creativity, individual empowerment, and the ability to listen effectively and communicate openly. We also believe in continual learning, bias toward action, keeping commitments, and doing our absolute best every day. We believe that our ability to deliver on our promise of being Your Hometown Bank is a result of these high standards. This is a full time position with benefits (health, life, dental, vision, disability, 401k, and ESOP).
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Western State Bank is an EEOE and Affirmative Action Employer. Member FDIC
Western State Bank is an EEOE and Affirmative Action Employer. Member FDIC
Manage Layout team to support device/silicon layout req & meet time scales Exp incl: design large analog power ICs for high vol mobile customers; cadence physical design tools, incl V-XL & VCAR routers, & calibre DRC/LVS/Extraction tools; Chiplvl ESD protection distrib analog layout tech for high perf analog & power circuitry; and floor plan new semiconductor prods, incl prepare early area est, routing channels, & est power FET sizes routing strategy; Apply: resumes@diasemi com job#10564 53 EOE
Business Intelligence Developer: As part of the Business Intelligence Team generate reports as outlined as part of a project or ad hoc user request using Cognos Codes, tests, debug and install operating programs and procedures in coordination with development and technical services departments Primary Responsibilities: Maintain and enhance the Cognos framework that is delivered with our ERP software application Responsible for developing and maintaining business report requests, dashboards, and dashboard widgets, which support internal and external customers Confer with programmers and architects to gain understanding of needed changes or modifications of existing framework and reports Write and maintain documentation Provide training, support and best practices for Ad Hoc query users Business Author and Professional Author May require evening and weekend work in response to needs of the systems being supported Job Location: Scottsdale, AZ Must have a Master's degree or Foreign Equivalent in Information Technology or in a related field Must have certification for Cognos Must be able to use: Cognos Administration and Security and Cognos Transformer To apply, go to www computerguidance com/careers C
Mesa AZ 85210 seeks 30 “temporary full-time“ D
roplex area apply plasterboard/wallboard to ceiling/interior walls Bend, lift&hold up 50Lb, 3mo exp in Res constr, work in ext weather, on-thejob train avail, no edu reqd, travel in Metropl x area M-F 7am-3pm @$17 74/hr OT if needed @$26 61 from 4/1-12/15/17 US&H2B workers offered same wages& working conditions to include paid post-hired drug test Sgle wrkwk computes wages Weekly pmt H2B wrkr to be paid U S Consulate,border,lodging fees on 1st workw
c
on
Cash Management Officer
Announce ments
Prayer Announcements
Thank You
St. Jude For Answering My Prayers -John
Java Developer: Develop programs in the JAVA language Provide internal expertise in Java Server Faces Troubleshoot problems with applications and components written in Java Participate in Java development projects as required Must be proficient with Java, J2EE, SQL, C#, HTML, jQuery, JavaScript and XML Must have well developed analytical thinking skills, problem solving abilities, ability to multi-task and an understanding of Java technology potential Understanding of cost accounting software is desirable Job Location: Scottsdale, AZ Must have a Bachelor s degree or Foreign Equivalent in Electronics Engineering or related field and 60 mos of exp in a related position Must be able to use JAVA/J2EE, JSF/JSP, JDBC, JNDI, JavaWS & DB; MS MSSQL & IBMi Please apply at computerguidance com/careers
Merch andise
Auctions & Estate Sales
Office Furniture Auction Online Only - Open to the public!
2055 E Centennial Circle, Tempe, AZ
Bidding Ends Monday, March 6th at 4:00 PM MST Featuring: Tables, Filing Cabinets, Projectors & Screens, Household Appliances, Desks, Office Chairs, Cubicles, White Boards, and more! For more information and to view the full catalog online, visit www SAMauctions com or call 877 SAM AUCT
Real Estate For Sale
FRIENDSHIP VILLAGE
KIWANIS RUMMAGE
Manufactured
For Sale
Garage Sales/ Bazaars
COMMUNITY GARAGE SALE - GOLD CANYON EAST
Sat, March 11 Betw 7am2pm
Many homes! Follow signs from Hwy 60 & Superstition Mtn Dr & from Hwy 60 & Kings Ranch Rd
Major intersection in center of community is King s Ranch & Golden Rim
Public Sale 3/6 10am Furniture, Kirby vacuum and household items must go All reasonable offers will be entertained Cash only! 3250 S Arizona Ave Chandler, AZ 85248- Check in at the Leasing Office
Wanted to Buy
Test Strips by the box unused Any
place of employment or its cost to workers reimbursed, if the worker completes half the employm
if the worker completes employment period or is dismissed early by employer” “Tools provided at no charge to worker” Apply in person at nearest S W A , c a l l 5 2 0 - 8 6 6 - 3 6
-
3 65876 Attn: Desirae Diaz or fax emplr 602-5690999 Attn: Michael McCrery RE JP 2521288
LEGAL NOTICES
FACT AND FIND: March
FACT: March used to be the first month of the year.
We used to use the Julian calendar, introduced by Julius Caesar in 45 BC. March was the first month, February the last, but it had to be replaced because it did not properly reflect the actual time the Earth circles once around the Sun.
The Gregorian calendar was first introduced in 1582 but it took 300 plus years for all the different countries to stop using the Julian calendar. Turkey was the last country to officially switch to the new calendar on Jan. 1, 1927.
When we finally changed to the Gregorian calendar, the years then started on January 1st.
Many old headstone markers have different dates due to the change in calendars.
(March has two birthstones)
Cellco Partnership and its controlled affiliates doing business as Verizon Wireless (Verizon Wireless) proposes to build a 59-foot Stealth Structure/ Palm Tree Communications Tower (Ref EBI #6116005743) Anticipated lighting application is medium intensity dual red/white strobes The Site location is 6101 East Virgin-
CITY
OF
MESA MESA, ARIZONA
NOTICE OF PUBLIC MEETING
Elliot Road Waterline, Sossaman to Signal Butte Road and the CAP Raw Waterline Project Project No CP0054CAP & C01645
The City of Mesa is bringing two critical waterline projects to your area that will provide and distribute water to the new Signal Butte Water T r e a
structed at the northeast corner of Elliot Road and Signal Butte The first project is the CAP Raw Waterline project being construct ed by Garney Construction This project includes the
mately provide
The
project is the Elliott Road
and
contractors will be
answer your questions No formal presentation will be given
Date: Tuesday, March 14, 2017
Time: 6:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.
Location: Sunland Spring Village-Auditorium 2240 S Springwood Blvd Mesa, AZ 85209
If you have any questions or concerns regarding this project, please contact Rene Powell, Jaime Otter, or Michele Arrollado with the City of Mesa Engineering Public Relations at (480)
Proyecto, favor de llamar a Maggie Martinez, con la Ciudad de Mesa al (480) 644-5672
