Death toll dropping, but drownings remain a problem
BY JIM WALSH Tribune Staff Writer
Chandler Fire and Medical
Battalion Chief
Blas
Minor remembers the warbled hot tone, then hearing his unit dispatched to a house where a parent found a child underwater in a pool. It is the call all firefighters dread.
When he got to the house, Minor saw something he will never forget: a grief-stricken father approaching firefighters holding the limp body of his daughter in his arms.
“I just remember the look on the father’s face,” Minor said.
“Dad said, ‘Please save my little
girl.’”
That’s exactly what happened. The girl, probably about
kindergarten aged, was coughing, lethargic and had a blue lip. Paramedics revived her in the
ambulance on the way to the hospital while Minor comforted her nearly hysterical mother.
“You take that home with you, there’s no question about it. It’s something every firefighter dreads. It sticks with you for the rest of your career,” Minor said.
Sadly, not all such calls have a happy ending, even though the death toll is dropping.
Firefighters, state health officials and the Drowning Prevention Coalition of Arizona have made great progress in reducing pediatric drowning, defined in statistics as children 5 years old or less.
Downed by enemy fire: A Memorial Day story
BY PAUL MARYNIAK Tribune Executive Editor
When Kathy Attwood of Tempe attends a special mass for the war dead at St. Vincent’s Cemetery this Monday, it will mark the 45th consecutive Memorial Day dedicated in part to the memory of her brother Tim.
In a war that many Americans have forgotten – or don’t want to remember – the memory of Army First Lt. Tim Conry is never far from her or her other brothers’ thoughts. Nor is it far from the hearts of retired Army Col. William Reeder and Army veteran Dan Jones. Each of them was indelibly affected by Conry’s death in Vietnam on May 9, 1972, when his Cobra helicopter gunship
corkscrewed in flames and crashed in the jungle near Ben Het, South Vietnam.
Providing air cover with Reed for a mission supplying some South Vietnamese troops that were hemmed in by Viet Cong guerrillas, Lt. Conry was one of 759 Americans killed that year in Vietnam. He died 23 days after his tour of duty began. He was one of 619 Arizonans killed in a war that claimed the lives of 47,434 Americans in hostile action and an additional 10,786 who died
in non-hostile incidents between 1956 and 2008, according to the National Archive. His sacrifice came nearly nine
months to the day before the United States reached a peace
(Special to the Tribune)
Kevin Conry of Ahwatukee and his sister, Kathy Attwood, hold the framed medals their brother, Army Lt. Tim Conry, earned before and after he died for his country in a South Vietnamese jungle in 1972.
(Special to the Tribune)
Children are getting swimming lessons from the YMCA in a new campaign it launched last week to reduce child drownings.
THE SUNDAY Tribune
Mesa’s
decision to use private jail is ‘the right thing,’ Giles says
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BY JIM WALSH Tribune Staff Writer
Mesa Mayor John Giles defended the city’s landmark decision to send inmates accused of misdemeanors to a private jail in Florence, rather than a Maricopa County jail, as the most humane choice as well as a fiscal “no-brainer.”
The move makes Mesa the first city in Arizona to contract with a private company to incarcerate misdemeanor defendants, who are charged with crimes such as driving under the influence and shoplifting. Mesa Police Commander Mike Beaton said the average stay in jail is 6-10 days.
The $15 million, three-year contract with CoreCivic, formerly known as Corrections Corporation of America, was unpopular with a large crowd of social activists who packed the council chambers, with 25 people requesting to speak against the plan and 12 eventually pleading with the council to reject it. They booed Giles and other council members after a stormy session that ended with a 4-2 vote to approve the deal.
Angry protesters chanted “Do the right thing” in the council chambers and “Boycott Mesa” outside the council chambers, with some of them arguing the contract is also racially insensitive because minorities tend to get arrested at higher rate in Mesa and elsewhere.
But Giles said Mesa is doing exactly what the protesters asked for – doing the right thing – by shipping the low-level misdemeanor inmates to the Florence jail, that human rights was a strong consideration in his mind and that race has nothing to do with the council’s decision.
“We want to send them to the more humane facility,” Giles said, noting that he had toured the CoreCivic jail and Maricopa County’s 4th Avenue jail and that CoreCivic was clearly the superior facility.
“We win because we have a better facility. We win because we have a dramatically lower cost,” Giles said. “This is a color-blind issue. They come in all shapes and sizes, but everyone deserves to have the safest, most humane cell.”
Council members Jeremy Whittaker and David Luna disagreed with Giles and voted against the contract. Whittaker said he is philosophically opposed to contracting with a company whose profits depend upon incarcerating the most people possible, even though the
Mesa Municipal Court has pursued innovative programs for years to avoid incarceration through diversion programs and electronic monitoring.
Whittaker said he also is concerned about CoreCivic lobbyists urging Mesa officials in the future to pass more city code laws that could lead to boosting incarceration, fattening their revenues and profits.
“We open our arms to a major lobbyist group with arms wide open,” Whittaker said. “I believe we have an obligation to give Paul Penzone more than four months to solve the problem.”
Councilman David Luna, the other council member to vote against the deal, noted that Mesa officials had dusted off an idea that was five years old, with the original request for proposals issued in 2012.
“I just don’t want to be impetuous. Why can’t we wait a year?” Luna said.
But Giles said the council’s action in contracting with the Florence prison would help put pressure on Maricopa County to improve the jails. He said in an interview that he respects Sheriff Penzone and that the county jails might improve a year or more from now, but CoreCivic is the best choice at this moment.
Giles said he found it ironic that opponents suddenly were advocating for inmates to remain in the county jails after criticizing former Sheriff Joe Arpaio’s management of the jails for years.
“Many of you have been asking someone to do something about the jails,” he said. “This is jail reform. This is what you want.”
Mesa cannot ignore at least $2 million in anticipated savings during the upcoming fiscal year, given the fiscal strain caused by being a growing city with no property
(Jim Walsh/Tribune Staff)
Ron Redlin of ACLU People Power was among those protesting May 22 against Mesa's plan to incarcerate inmates accused of misdemeanors at a privately owned jail in Florence. The Mesa City Council later that day approved the plan despite heckling by the protesters.
Panel sees bright future for East Valley sustainability, development
BY WAYNE SCHUTSKY Tribune Staff Writer
Sustainability is not just about electric cars, solar panels and recycling. In Mesa, sustainability encompasses a vast range of concerns, extending from education to economic development and public health.
City of Mesa Development Services Director Christine Zielonka addressed the subject as part of a four-person expert panel at the SRP 2017 Forum, which focused on sustainability and development in the East Valley. Salt River Project hosted the event along with the East Valley Partnership.
The panel also included Steve Betts, senior advisor to the Holualoa Companies and Hines Development; Marc Campbell, manager, Sustainability Policy and Programs at Salt River Project; and Steve Sossaman of Sossaman Farms.
Zielonka focused her opening remarks on city leadership’s top-down approach to developing a resilient economy that can help sustainably grow over time. She noted that getting residents to buy into the program is imperative, though the biggest challenge comes from the development community.
“One of our biggest challenges … is getting developers to get on board with the concept of a more resilient economy,” Zielonka said.
She went on to discuss the ways the city has attempted for the past decade to attract jobs to help residents avoid long commutes to other cities for work and has had difficulties bringing developer partners to the table.
Betts, an experienced developer, agreed. However, he does see this paradigm shifting in the post-recession economy as developers rethink their standard economic model to focus less on home building and “building outward” and directing more resources toward infill development, building inward and upward and creating walkable urban spaces.
“This (recession) was different,” Betts said. “I think this one was so severe, and for Arizona and the Valley it was so severe, that it caused all of us to rethink a little bit how we grow and how we build.”
Infill projects provide a variety of advantages for developers and communities. Namely, they take advantage of existing infrastructure at a time when developers do not have the funds to build new infrastructure, Betts
said.
Grady Gammage Jr., who delivered the event’s keynote address and moderated the panel, asked how cities like Mesa can deal with “shopping centers that are dying” as a result of many forms of retail moving to the Internet.
“I think you get really creative and really flexible,” Zielonka said. “You find
reuse success in Mesa are Santander and Benedictine University. Santander occupies a once-empty big box store on Southern Avenue. The company revamped the interior and made façade improvements to convert the space to support office operations.
Benedictine University worked with the city to completely revamp the former
“ One of our biggest challenges … is getting developers to get on board with the concept of a more resilient economy, ”
Christine Zielonka City of Mesa Development Services Director
ways, not necessarily just by putting money on the table, to incentivize the reuse of those buildings.”
Those methods include revisiting building codes to remove or modify prohibitive regulations. The city worked with Ross, Dollar General and other retailers that will occupy the old Kmart building at Main and Lindsay Streets to develop a phased-in approach to some improvements to avoid prohibitive costs that could have doomed the deal.
Mesa City Council recently approved a development agreement for that site.
Two major examples of adaptive
said. One example of this is the city’s interactions with Apple, which chose to turn its 1.3-million-square-foot facility on the Elliot Road Technology Corridor into a global command center after the previous tenant, an Apple supplier, went out of business.
Apple chose to continue working with Mesa, in part due to ease of doing business with the city, Zielonka said. For instance, Mesa allowed Apple to start a phased occupancy of the facility while it continued to make upgrades to the building.
Despite the buy-in from city leadership and SRP, the city faces challenges. One such barrier is education.
“The thing I get pushback on a lot is our education system,” Betts said. “They keep hearing a lot about the fact that we’re down here at 48th or 49th (ranked) in terms of our education system, so I oftentimes have to defend that.”
Betts went on to note that industry professionals he interacts with are impressed by Arizona’s university and community college systems.
Still, Zielonka recognizes that Mesa must show prospective employers that there is a political commitment to education in Arizona.
“When you look at high-tech companies, they want high-tech kids,” Zielonka said.
In addition to education, jobs and development, Zielonka also made a point to signal public health as a key cog in Mesa’s sustainable development. She emphasized the need to create recreational spaces for residents and promote healthy living.
“How do you provide those opportunities for people to have a healthy lifestyle – to have healthy air, to have clean water?” Zielonka said.
South Side Hospital site. Since that time, the campus has exceeded growth projections and is looking for additional space, Zielonka said.
In what could become the city’s most dynamic infill project, the Fiesta Mall site recently sold to Dimension Financial & Realty Investments, which plans to redevelop the space into a highereducation space complete with housing, food and retail options to support the potential influx of students.
Another way the city attracts business is focusing on the “quality and speed” of how business gets done, Zielonka
This move toward public health could include the creation of pocket parks but also includes focusing on developing urban agriculture like the Agritopia community in Gilbert as a way to provide those walkable outdoor spaces.
The number of acres used for agriculture in Arizona has not changed much in recent years, but farming has increasingly moved away from cities, Sossaman said.
The more traditional sustainability topics of water and energy conservation also received airtime at the event, specifically during Gammage’s keynote speech. Gammage spent the bulk of his
(Kimberly Carrillo/ Tribune Photographer)
Christine Zielonka, Mesa's development services director, said the city's approach to developing a resilient economy will build sustainability over time, but builders must "get on board."
time addressing what he claims are five incorrect indictments of Valley cities, including that they have no water, consume too much energy, and that they rely too heavily on automotive transportation and urban sprawl.
Gammage countered many of these claims by illustrating the ways in which local governments and utilities in Arizona have planned for the unique conditions in the desert over time. For instance, Arizona has regulated groundwater since 1980, but California only began doing so in 2015.
He also pointed out that Arizona has a water management system designed to deal with the variability posed by uneven and low rainfall.
“What the SRP reservoirs do, and SRP’s groundwater (supplies) that they still have, is they take a highly variable
minorities about the contract.
JAILS
taxes, no food taxes and a low sales tax, Giles said.
CoreCivic charges a rate of $67.96 per day per inmate with no additional booking charge. There is a $35,000 per month fee to take inmates from the Mesa police lockup to the Florence jail.
In contrast, Maricopa County’s housing rate has increased from $3.46 since the 2008-09 fiscal year to $101.72 for the 2017-18 fiscal year, with an additional booking rate that increased from $199.35 per inmate to $325.65.
The CoreCivic jail will have a separate area for Mesa inmates, with 160 beds for males and 80 for females. Beaton said during the council presentation that there have been 42 deaths in the Maricopa County jails, which incarcerate those charged with felonies and misdemeanors, compared with five at CoreCivic’s Eloy detention facility and three at the Florence jail.
“I don’t have to trust them. I have a contract,” Giles said, which includes an out clause that would cancel the deal with 60 days’ notice. If Mesa isn’t satisfied with CoreCivic’s performance, “that relationship won’t last very long at all.”
Mark Casey, a spokesman for the Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office, said higher operating costs made the fee increases necessary. They include pension costs for corrections officers, maintenance costs, and pharmacy and health care.
Matthew Whitaker, president and CEO of Diamond Strategies and a member of the Mesa Martin Luther King holiday committee, said the mostly white and Republican council could not comprehend the apprehension among
“I think what you saw last night was a clash between a very cloistered community” and minorities, who believe the new jail plan will affect them more because minorities are historically arrested at a higher rate.
“What this tells me is that Mesa values not increasing taxes more than the humanity of its citizens, especially the most vulnerable,” Whitaker said. “I think a lot of people in that room last night see themselves as one of the people who will be jailed. We take it personally.”
Whitaker is a former Arizona State University associate professor who agreed to resign in return for a $200,000 buyout amid allegations of plagiarism.
Mesa police and Giles have embraced programs in recent years to reach out to residents from all racial and religious groups. Former Police Chiefs George Gascon and John Meza both stressed community engagement.
But the critics say they are wondering if Mesa’s deeds match its words.
Heather Hamel, of Phoenix-based Justice That Works, said, “Why would you want to give your money, your taxpayers’ money, to a company with such a lethal record?”
She said CoreCivic has lower fees because it pays employees poorly and its facilities are chronically understaffed, with employees receiving little training. She said these short-sighted practices often have resulted in high turnover and a laundry list of abuses.
Caroline Isaacs, of the Tucson-based American Friends Service Committee, said CoreCivic has a terrible record of abuses, escapes, assaults, suicides and sexual assaults at its facilities in Arizona and throughout the nation.
input and smooth it,” Gammage said.
He also cited a Brookings study that showed that Phoenix, long criticized for urban sprawl, actually converted rural land to residential use at 1.48 acres per new home between 1980 and 2000, which is below the national average of 2.0 acres during the same span.
“The last criticism that you’ll hear a lot is that Phoenix is just a giant Ponzi scheme where people just sell real estate to each other. That’s really kind of true,”
Gammage said, eliciting laughs from the audience. “This is the one that I think is maybe the most justifiable criticism.”
Gammage then pointed out that Phoenix’s economy is actually more diverse than those of New York, Los Angeles and Philadelphia, according to information from Urban Land Institute. Though, he did note that in-migration and home building have buoyed the local economy historically and that will likely have to change.
In the end, neither Gammage nor the panel came up with a magic bullet. Rather, they compiled a list of potential solutions to the problems facing modern cities attempting to foster sustainable, healthy growth.
– Contact Wayne Schutsky at 480-898-6533 or wschutsky@timespublications.com.
As Gilbert superintendent leaves for Hawaii, more positions come open
BY SRIANTHI PERERA Tribune Staff Writer
Three years after taking on the rancorous school board of Gilbert Public Schools and helping bring more cohesiveness, Christina Kishimoto is leaving her superintendent role.
And a few top staffers are following her out the door.
Irene Mahoney-Paige, director of communications for the district, confirmed that chief academic officer Linda McKeever and chief of staff Alex Nardone are retiring. Chief financial officer Tom Wohlleber has accepted a job in Casa Grande, where he lives.
Although her current contract was extended for two more years, Kishimoto said she was invited to apply to be in the running for Hawaii’s State Superintendent position.
The rigorous interviewing process took place over nine days, and Kishimoto said she was “pleasantly surprised” to find herself moving forward at each step.
After beating out 91 other applicants, she is due to assume the role on Aug. 1. It pays a salary of $240,000.
“It’s a very unique job and they don’t come about often,” Kishimoto said.
“The state is doing some things that I think nationally we should be doing across the board, which is really looking at the language and culture that our kids bring to the classroom.
“That was extremely attractive to me,” she added.
“We thank Dr. Kishimoto for her service to GPS over the past three years and wish her the best as she takes on a new role in Hawaii,”
Sheila Rogers, president of GPS Governing Board, said in a statement.
“We will work together to place an interim superintendent while we begin our search for permanent leadership.”
Rogers may have to spend her time searching for replacements for the other positions as well.
All this, when GPS has a month to pass the 2017-18 budget and prepare for a new school year.
As her transition begins, Kishimoto said she’s “fully committed” to making sure it goes well.
“The Hawaii leadership has been accommodating and flexible; they’re waiting for me to say what’s going to work in terms of my timeline here,” she said.
Lily Tram, a former GPS board member who held office from 200816, said Kishimoto “was an amazing superintendent” for the town.
(Tribune file photo)
Fiesta Mall might be Mesa's most dynamic infill project.
(Special to the Tribune) Christina Kishimoto took over as Superintendent of Gilbert Public Schools July 1, 2014.
Queen Creek student in National Spelling Bee
Penda Ba from Sossaman Middle School in Queen Creek is competing in the Scripps National Spelling Bee this week.
The competition is Wednesday, May 31 and Thursday, June 1, at the Gaylord National near Washington, D.C. The competition will be streamed and broadcast on the ESPN group of networks, starting Wednesday on ESPN3 and Thursday on ESPN2 in the morning and on ESPN in the evening.
Penda’s progress can also be tracked live at spellingbee.com.
TRIBUNE STAFF REPORT
Waterline project will affect Rural Road for a year
A yearlong waterline project starts Monday, May 29, on Rural Road in Tempe.
Drivers are already being affected as construction crews have started work at Rural Road and Alameda Drive. The schedule will continue south to Southern Avenue over the next several months.
Nine miles of old, outdated pipes will be replaced in two different neighborhoods.
Work is scheduled to be complete by next summer.
TRIBUNE STAFF REPORT
Gilbert District nears decision on junior high
The Gilbert Governing Board is closing in on a decision on whether to close Gilbert Junior High.
The board will meet 6:30-9 p.m. Tuesday, May 30, at the Gilbert Public Schools District Office, Building B, Governing Board Room, 140 S. Gilbert Road. This is the third time the fate of the school is being put on the table. The options are to move and merge with Mesquite High School or repurpose the building for a school with increasing enrollment.
Gilbert Junior High School can fit 1,200 students, but next year’s projected enrollment is roughly 400.
TRIBUNE STAFF REPORT
Mesa celebrates new Passport Center
Mesa’s Sherwood Station Post Office will celebrate at 9:30 a.m. Saturday, June 3. The station is at 325 Lindsay Road.
The Passport Center offers customers a onestop opportunity for passports, passport photos and passport cards. Full USPS retail services are also available at the Sherwood Station location.
Regular passport hours at the Mesa Passport Center are 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday. Customers are encouraged to make an appointment at 480-985-9026.
TRIBUNE STAFF REPORT
from page 1
accord with North Vietnam. He was 26 years old.
Two soldiers who last saw Lt. Conry before he died have memorialized him in books.
One was just published by Reeder, a Washington State resident and the last American taken prisoner by South Vietnamese guerrillas during the war. In the other book, Vietnam veteran Jim Stein recounts his valiant effort to save Lt. Conry’s life after he was shot down. Attwood and Dan Jones, of Ahwatukee, also remember him.
Jones, who served two tours in Vietnam and earned the Silver Star for bravery during a particularly fierce battle with guerrillas in South Vietnam, has an eerie connection with Lt. Conry: He was Jones’ replacement when his tour of duty ended.
“I never really got to know him very well,” Jones recalled. “He showed up and I was in the process of leaving. I do remember sitting with him in our little club at base.
“Since we were both from Arizona, we talked a lot about home. I was going there and he had just left. I liked him. He was outgoing and personable. And he was very enthusiastic about why he was there. He was a good soldier.”
An all-American boy
Even today, Attwood chokes up sometimes over her brother’s memory, as she did when she recalled the day two uniformed soldiers rang the bell at her parents’ home.
It was the day before Mother’s Day.
“He was killed on Tuesday, May 9, and that Sunday was Mother’s Day – just like this year. I remember Mom got flowers that Sunday. He had ordered them sometime in the days before he died,” she recalled. “That was the kind of son he was, always thoughtful.”
Tim Conry was an all-American boy, a devoted son and a loyal brother, Attwood said.
“He was a very outgoing, warmhearted person that everybody loved,” she recalled. “He was very protective of me, being the only girl in the family. He was just a very good man. He had a lot of spiritual depth.”
had met at ASU. He got engaged and planned to marry. He never had the chance.
Under enemy fire Lt. Conry’s final days are recounted in a harrowing book by Reeder titled “Through the Valley: My Captivity in Vietnam,” published a few months ago by the Naval Institute Press (nip.org).
Reeder in March was a guest author at Changing Hands Bookstore in Tempe, where he read passages of his account of being captured after he and Lt. Conroy went down.
The book recounts Reeder’s forced march through a hot jungle to Hanoi, where he was held prisoner for about 10 months until the U.S.-Vietnam peace accord was signed.
While at Camelback High School, he was not only a good student but a good football player as well, earning an all-state title for his performance on the gridiron.
“He was also a wrestler in high school,” Attwood said. “And he loved the outdoors. He would play golf a lot. He loved being with people.”
After graduation, he enrolled at Arizona State University, majoring in education. He also enlisted in ROTC, and considered five years of mandatory service after graduation not only a small price to pay for an education but for thanking the country that had been so good to him.
His degree in hand, he went to several different American bases for training.
While on leave in the Valley before he shipped out for Vietnam, he kept busy with his family and visiting friends, Attwood recalled.
He had no trepidation over his next assignment.
“He was very committed to his service,” Attwood said. “He didn’t have much heartburn about anything.”
He also spent time with the woman he
The book also recounts a battle that occurred less than a month before Lt. Conry was killed. The surprise Easter Offensive by South Vietnamese guerrillas set the stage for Lt. Conry’s sacrifice. Jones and Reeder were manning a Cobra, a nimble helicopter gunship, during the fight for Firebase Charlie; only 36 of 470 members of the Army of Vietnam’s 11th Airborne Battalion survived.
Had it not been for the support provided by Jones and Reeder, Special Forces Maj. John Duffy later recalled, “None of us would have survived. … They saved my life. I wouldn’t be here today if not for their heroism that day in 1972.”
(Special to the Tribune)
Before he left for Vietnam, Tim Conry, center, enjoyed some time with his four younger brothers, from left, Jim, Dennis, Kevin and Paul. Jim and Dennis have since died.
(Special to the Tribune)
Then-Capt. William Reeder is congratulated by an unidentified U.S. officer in Hanoi upon his release by the North Vietnamese after 10 grueling months in a POW camp.
(Special to the Tribune)
Tim Conry was an all-state football player for Camelback High School before he graduated and went on to Arizona State University.
Winkle faces extreme DUI, jail after blood sample shows 0.22
Mesa City Council member Ryan Winkle is expected to be charged with extreme DUI after an analysis of his blood sample revealed a blood alcohol content of 0.22 percent, according to the Tempe police.
Drivers in Arizona are presumed under the influence with a blood alcohol content of 0.08 percent or more. Anyone with a blood alcohol content of 0.15 percent is usually charged with extreme DUI, which includes mandatory jail time. Winkle’s blood alcohol level falls into the super extreme DUI category, which calls for a penalty of 45 consecutive days in jail, an interlock device on his car for 18 months, a 90-day suspension of a driver’s license, probation up to five years and possible community service.
– JIM WALSH, TRIBUNE STAFF WRITER
New census data shows more growth in EV
Growth in the East Valley continues apace, according to new data from the Census Bureau.
Queen Creek had the biggest growth in population from 2015 to 2016, going to 35,524 residents from 32,824, a jump of 8.2 percent. Tempe grew by 2.6 percent, Gilbert by 2 percent, Chandler by 1.5 percent and Mesa by 1.3 percent.
Mesa is still the largest city in the East Valley by a wide margin. At 484,587 residents, it’s almost twice the size of Chandler, the second-largest city, at 247,477. Gilbert has 237,133 residents, and Tempe counts 182,498.
– TRIBUNE STAFF REPORT
Ex-Mesa legislator, lobbyist and Pinal developer indicted for bribery
A federal grand jury last week indicted former Mesa state Rep. Gary Pierce and his wife, prominent lobbyist Jim Norton and controversial Pinal County developer and utility operator George Johnson for bribery in connection with an $18 million wastewater plant deal.
Johnson, whose utility company has frequently come under fire by San Tan Valley homeowners, is accused of bribing Pierce when he was a member of the state Corporation Commission by allowing him to buy land at belowmarket cost and securing a $3,500-a-month do-nothing job for Pierce’s wife Sherry, according to the indictment.
In return, the grand jury said, Pierce allegedly pushed through a Corporation Commission policy that enabled Johnson to make ratepayers pay the cost of his wastewater plant and the cost of his personal income taxes.
– TRIBUNE STAFF REPORT
Mesa’s Fiesta Mall switches to medical, education
Mesa’s Fiesta Mall, a nearly vacant regional shopping center, will become a medical and higher-education campus, new owners have announced.
“You have such a densely populated area, we’ve got to bring something exciting and vibrant to this area,” said Ray Cashen, who brokered the deal and will market the new complex.
The sale price for the 380,000-square-foot mall was $6.72 million.
New owners Dimension Financial & Realty Investments intend to spend as much as $30 million on the makeover.
Cashen said existing tenants, like Sears, will be allowed to stay “for the time being.” He expects construction on the new campus to begin by January.
– TRIBUNE STAFF REPORT
The day after the battle that Reeder writes “remains an icon … in Vietnam and among the expat community in the United States,” Lt. Tim Conry reported for duty.
Attwood, her brother Kevin and Jones were in the audience at Changing Hands as Reeder read a passage from his book about meeting the young lieutenant:
“He was immediately impressive: great bearing, well-spoken, intelligent, an exceptional aviator and a really likable guy. … I knew this young soldier would go places in the Army. As his platoon leader, I made him my front-seater. We grew close and became a great fighting team.”
On May 6, 1972, Lt. Conry and Reeder were sent to help extract American advisors who were hemmed in by enemy troops in a jungle outpost called Polei Kleng.
They provided cover for a larger aircraft that would extract the two advisors.
“Tim worked the nose turret, placing protective fire … all around it,” Reeder writes.
“Together we cleared a path for the (rescue helicopter) through some of the most intense fire I’d seen. Mission accomplished. The advisors were evacuated from Polei Kleng.”
Last words: “Roger that”
Three days later, Lt. Conry and Reeder again took a Cobra to Polei Kleng to provide cover for planes supplying two embattled South Vietnamese battalions.
“Thick dust and smoke hung over Polei Kleng, evidence of the hard-fought
predawn battle,” Reeder writes. “I could see enemy infantry running all over the camp … We dodged .51-caliber tracers on every gun run we made.”
The fighting died down and they were dispatched to another jungle outpost called Ben Het.
“As we got closer to Ben Het, the weather deteriorated,” Reeder writes. “Under a solid overcast of darkening clouds, we flew right up against the bottom of the stuff at 1,000 feet. Bad altitude. We were prime targets for every weapon at the enemy’s disposal.”
Reeder recounts how Lt. Conry “called out enemy positions and weapons firing as he saw them” and how he would “fire continuously on those firing at us.”
Suddenly, “rounds came through the cockpit.”
“They seemed like a jackhammer slamming into the aircraft.”
Then, “the tail rotor was shot off and the engine was shot up. Every system on the helicopter was damaged in some way. Without the tail roto, the aircraft began to spin. Fuel lines ruptured and we were burning.”
“My Cobra came down spinning and burning. It hit the ground hard, nose low on the left side. It bounced back into the air, spun around a turn and a half, and crashed. It settled nearly upright. Fire engulfed the cockpit. I called Tim on the intercom.
“Let’s un-ass this …”
Lt. Conry replied, “Roger that.”
Those were the last words anyone records him saying.
A hero never forgotten
After the crash, Reeder writes, “I knew I was hurt badly. I had no idea where I
was or what had happened.”
“Tim. I got to find Tim,” he recalled. As Reeder stumbled through thick smoke and jungle foliage, trying to lay low because enemy guerrillas were nearby, he saw a rescue helicopter hovering nearby, landing briefly, then taking off.
“They got Tim out. Thank God,” Reeder thought.
What happened to Tim after that is recounted by Army Capt. James Stein in a book titled “Kontum: The Battle to Save South Vietnam” by Tom McKenna.
“Stein’s observer sighted Tim Conry on his knees, and Stein maneuvered to land next to him, having his observer get out and help him,” McKenna writes. “Stein successfully extracted (Conry) and returned him to base with less than 10 minutes of fuel. “
Unfortunately, Lt. Conry was pronounced dead by the medics. They stated Tim had been dead for hours, but Stein remembers talking to Lt. Conry 20 minutes earlier.”
“’A chill ran up my back and as I walked out the door I took my fist and left a hole in their wall,’” Stein is quoted as saying.
In the months that followed, Reeder suffered a fractured spine, three kinds of malaria, an infected foot and other physical and psychological pain from torture and near-savage treatment in a POW camp that still haunts him today.
But throughout his 10-month ordeal, not a day went by when he didn’t think
of Lt. Conry.
Only after his liberation from the camp – the infamously named Hanoi Hilton –did Reeder learn what happened. He called his wife back in the States and when she answered, his first words were, “Have you heard anything about Tim?”
“No one told you?” she replied.
“I went to bed that night deeply saddened,” Reeder writes, recalling the dreams he had constructed to keep his hope alive while imprisoned. “The first of the sand castles I had built was washed away. Tim was dead.”
Jones noted the irony of Lt. Conry’s fate so soon after he arrived in Vietnam: Lt. Conry’s now deceased brother Jim spent 13 months there as a dog handler hunting for mines and came back.
Lt. Conry’s death haunted his parents till the day they died, though Attwood said, “Both my parents had a very deep faith, and they were able to continue their lives and live on. They never had bitterness or resentment in their heart.
Tim’s death was a very big blow.”
She recalled that her mother at times reflected that Jim Conry’s death in an accident in Arizona years later “was a bigger blow in some ways because God had already taken one of her sons.”
Attwood said reading Reeder’s book wasn’t easy, but she was glad he wrote it, explaining:
“It gave me more of an appreciation of what my brother did for our country.”
(Special to the Tribune) Army pilots Dan Jones, left, and William Reeder were glad to be alive after a fierce firefight in South Vietnam. The circles show bullet holes in the windshield of their Cobra chopper.
(Kim Carrillo/Tribune Photographer)
Dan Jones of Ahwatukee was coming to an end of his second tour of duty in Vietnam in April 1972 when he met Lt. Tim Conry, who replaced him.
Grandis™ Collection
DROWNINGS
The number of pediatric drownings in Maricopa County dropped from a high of 34 in 1986 to nine in 2015, the last year statistics are available, according to a report compiled by Dr. Timothy Flood, an epidemiologist with the Arizona Department of Health Services.
Although the buzz on drownings has faded since the 1980s, when it rocketed to the forefront of public health issues after a series of heartbreaking and avoidable deaths, there is still plenty of cause for alarm.
The carnage in the East Valley is recorded in grim detail on the Child Safety Zone website, with the four major cities of Mesa, Chandler, Gilbert and Tempe reporting 55 water-related incidents during 2016 and 17 deaths. Those tragedies include six pediatric deaths.
A somewhat surprising and rarely discussed trend also emerges, as the majority of East Valley and Phoenix victims are adults. All four drowning fatalities in Gilbert last year and all three in Chandler were adults, although three of Mesa’s four victims were children under 5 years old.
Flood said his efforts have been focused on prevention of pediatric drowning because toddlers are the most vulnerable population. He said the chronic nature of the problem reinforces the need for parents to be hypervigilant in watching children around water and the need for properly maintained pool fences, as required by state law.
The pool fences are vital in creating a barrier between an adventurous toddler and the threat posed by the pool, but pool fences alone don’t solve the problem and a multi-dimensional approach is required.
A graphic in Flood’s report, however, notes a severe drop in pediatric
SCHOOLS
from page 6
“We’ve moved the district forward definitely the past three years. We couldn’t have done it without her,” Tram said.
The successes, she noted, included overseeing the passage of an override and bond election; getting a digital platform on the curriculum, such as the 30,000 Chromebooks for seventh to 10th grade students and teachers; getting five more A+ rated schools (bringing the total to 12 schools) from the Arizona Educational Foundation;
drownings since 1990, the Arizona passed a statewide pool law. He said a barrier is still required everywhere in Arizona, even if a municipality does not have an ordinance. Mesa and Chandler have pool ordinances while Gilbert does not.
Flood, who has studied the drowning problem since the 1980s, advised parents to reduce the exposure of their children to water by not installing pools until their children have learned to swim. He said the next big reduction in pediatric drownings likely will come from an expansion of swimming instruction programs for children.
Flood recommends that parents consider enrolling their children in swim classes when they are 2 years old. His report notes a large cluster of 2-year-old victims, with most drownings in private, in-ground pools and on weekends.
“That decision to have a pool could be delayed,” Flood said, until all children in a household know how to swim.
partnering with local business leaders and with higher education institutions and working with peer districts to bring about positive outcomes, such as sponsorships.
Tram, however, cautioned that her leaving would hurt the district.
The first challenge will be finding a replacement. It took 1½ years to hire Kishimoto.
“It’s unfortunate that she’s leaving, because anytime we change a superintendent, it takes about three to five years, maybe seven years, before you can move back up again because things are all on hold whenever you change a
with a buddy to avoid drownings.
“We don’t like to lose lives no matter the circumstances,” Minor said. “Our number one priority is the safety of the people we serve.”
Mesa Deputy Fire Chief Forrest Smith said firefighters keep preaching the same safety message. He said a sober adult needs to be designated to watch children around water at all times, screening out all possible distractions.
“We will continue to educate, but what we really need is help from the public,” Smith said.
Smith concedes that firefighters are frustrated by the persistent problem and that drowning calls leave an emotional scar on firefighters, many of whom are also parents.
But firefighters realize that whatever emotional duress their own pales in comparison to the victim’s family.
He said he has not tracked the adult drowning issue closely, but said most people have traditionally attributed adult drowning to use of alcohol, drugs and adult swimmers experiencing a catastrophic health issues, such as a heart attack.
East Valley firefighters say they continuing their drive to eliminate drownings, repeating the message about watching children at all times around water, the need for barriers that act as a backstop if there is a lapse in supervision, and adding a component to prevent adult drownings.
“No one goes about their day thinking their children will get into the pool area. These are accidents. Are they avoidable? Yes, they are,” Minor said.
Chandler had 17 water-related incidents, with seven involving pediatric victims. All three fatalities were adults.
Chandler Fire Marshall Cina Sunderhaus said the city has updated its safety message to urge adults to swim
superintendent,” Tram said.
Another challenge, she said, would be for the district and the community, including parents, to get used to a new leader’s style.
Not everyone has kind words for Kishimoto.
“I’m not at all upset that she is leaving. I know it is a disruption for GPS to have to conduct a search for a new leader, but I do feel like her time here was somewhat toxic,” said Lisa Nicita, a parent of three who attend GPS schools.
“She built layers around her that created an unnecessary buffer between her and parents, unlike any other district
“That’s what makes this so gutwrenching. This is so preventable,” Smith said. “In most cases, these children being in harm’s way is preventable.”
Mesa had 22 water-related incidents, with 15 involving pediatric victims. Four victims died, including three pediatric victims and 1 adult victim.
In Gilbert, firefighters responded to a near-drowning involving a two-year-old girl last weekend, but were able to restore her pulse on the way Cardon Children’s Medical Center in Mesa.
Deputy Gilbert Fire Chief Josh Ehrman said 2016 was the worst year in the town’s history, with 19-water-related incidents, with the victims including 11 small children. All four deaths involved adult victims.
“It comes down to a conscious effort to provide a safe environment for your children,” he said. “Kids don’t drown when they are being watched by adults committed to their safety and their welfare.”
– Reach Jim Walsh at 480-898-5639 or at jwalsh@ timespublications.com.
leader GPS has known before. And, she definitely had an agenda for reform that I know wasn’t really welcomed among many parents,” Nicita added.
Kishimoto said her stay with GPS amounts to “three tough years.”
“When the board asked me if I was willing to accept the position in full disclosure that there was lots of disruption occurring, and the board really owning that that needed to be corrected, I asked the board if they were going to be willing to go through governance training together with me so we can set a new vision and mission for the district,” she said.
(Special to the Tribune)
A Valley of the Sun YMCA lifeguard stands watch over children at a Phoenix pool during the Y's announcement last week of a plan to give 35,000 children and adults access to water safety and swimming lessons.
Community
Odd Jobs
Veterinarian treats pets’ medical problems with acupuncture
BY MARILYN HAWKES Tribune Contributor
In many ways, people treat pets like humans. Some let them sleep on beds and nap on couches. When they’re sick, people take them to a veterinarian, who treats their pain and other ailments. But sometimes traditional methods don’t work and some vets turn to alternative modalities, including acupuncture, an ancient Chinese practice that uses thin needles inserted into certain points on the body to stimulate a healing response.
At Animal Medical Center of Chandler, Carolyn Duregger, who is certified in veterinary medical acupuncture, performs acupuncture on cats and dogs as an adjunctive therapy for many medical problems, including chronic pain, back problems and chronic arthritis.
“I’ve had cases where (dogs and cats) haven’t had to go to surgery because we’ve been able to manage the condition with acupuncture,” Duregger said.
The placement of needles enhances blood circulation, stimulates the nervous system and aids in releasing anti-inflammatory hormones, such as endorphins and cortisol, that contribute to pain relief.
Acupuncture can also be used in both pre- and post-surgical situations and help sick animals with nausea and appetite
MESA
Aircraft maintenance, repair firm to locate at Gateway Airport
Constant Aviation, a full-service maintenance, repair and overhaul company, will establish a new facility at Phoenix-Mesa Gateway Airport.
About 200 jobs with an average wage of $60,000 a year will be created, according to Constant Aviation. The company itself will be investing nearly $12.5 million over the next three years.
The facility will contain 74,486 total square feet of space, with approximately
problems, digestive disorders, fecal incontinence, skin and wound issues and eye pain.
In some cases, Duregger will use acupuncture in conjunction with electrical stimulation of the needles, called e-stim, which involves running a current from one needle to the next.
“In addition to the needles, it adds more stimulation to the nervous system, which can be helpful in severe back cases,” she said.
When performing acupuncture,
50,000 square feet of total hangar space fully optimized for MRO operations.
Mesa opening Seed Library at Red Mountain Branch
Mesa Library and Garden Pool are offering a Seed Library at Red Mountain Branch, 635 N. Power Road.
The Seed Library enables any Mesa Public Library card holder to check out up to three seed packets per month, plant and donate seeds back to the Seed Library at the end of the growing season. The Seed Library will focus on edible plants that are well suited for the Arizona climate and terrain. Mesa Library is one of only a few libraries
Duregger places the first needles into specific points that calm the animal, and then places the needles according to the condition she’s treating.
“Most animals handle the needles very well,” she said. “I have some patients that literally run back to the acupuncture room because (the needles) relax them so much and they feel better. We have to distract some of the more hyper animals by feeding them treats to get them to hold still for their treatments.”
Duregger once treated a young husky
in Arizona to offer a seed-lending program. A Seed Library opened at the Mesa Main Library last fall.
Patrons can access the Seed Library during regular hours Monday through Thursday between 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. and Friday and Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. The library is closed on Sunday.
CHANDLER
30th Annual Chandler Chamber Community Awards event this week
Local businesses and individuals will be recognized for their outstanding contributions to the community through the Chandler Chamber Community
that was so nervous he was “literally bouncing around the room” during the exam. When it came time to place the needles, the dog hopped up on the bench next to his owner. After Duregger inserted the needles, the pup immediately relaxed and put his head on his owner’s lap for the remainder of the treatment.
The number of treatment sessions varies according to the condition. For osteoarthritis or back pain, Duregger will typically suggest twice-a-week treatments for two to three weeks and then go to a maintenance plan of once a month or once every three months.
“Acupuncture is a wonderful tool that’s becoming more recognized as a way of treating medical problems and pain conditions, either without medications or as an adjunctive to medications,” she said.
Animal Medical Center’s initial consultation, which includes a complete exam and thorough explanation of how acupuncture works, runs $160, and each follow-up visit is $70. Some pet insurance plans cover acupuncture.
After treatment, many animals show improvement and their owners report increased activity and interaction.
“Acupuncture can be a very safe and effective way of increasing their quality of life,” Duregger said.
To learn more about Animal Medical Center of Chandler, visit amcofc.com.
Awards. The event is 5:30-9 p.m. Thursday, June 1, at Wild Horse Pass Hotel & Casino, 5040 Wild Horse Pass Blvd.
Former radio DJ Dave Pratt will emcee and ’80s music will be featured. Information: info@chandlerchamber.com.
Police receive $60,000 grant for selected DUI enforcement
The DUI Abatement Council has awarded the Chandler Police Department’s Traffic Unit a $60,000 enforcement grant. This grant will fund officers to work DUI enforcement during select times of the year
(Animal Medical Center of Chandler/Special to the Tribune)
Dr. Carolyn Duregger of the Animal Medical Center of Chandler performs acupuncture on a dog.
Remote control planes soar among the birds in Mesa
BY MELODY BIRKETT Tribune Contributor
Adifferent kind of airport operates in a Mesa retention basin near Ellsworth and Elliot roads on the weekends.
It’s the only takeoff and landing site in the city for remote-control planes and sailplanes operated by the East Valley Electric Flyers, a club with 50 members that has a permit to fly there.
“I think it’s amazing that we have the privilege to fly here,” club member Randy West said. “We take it very seriously in protecting it in the sense that safety is first.
“Anyone can fly their RC as long as you’re an Academy of Model Aeronautics member or have some kind of supplemental insurance,” said West, adding that AMA membership is about $100 a year.
The club primarily comprises “pilots” of sailplanes, a type of glider launched either by hand or by motor.
Sailplanes and RC planes aren’t toys, West cautioned.
“We’re talking 400- to 600-watt
motors on the front of these planes,” he said. “They can chop you up if you’re not safe with them. It does require skill for what we’re doing here.
“Everything we fly here has a Federal
Aviation Administration number on it because of the drones. You have to go to the federal site and register.”
West has been flying the planes for six years, though he’s been a fan of them
since he was a kid.
When his son was 4 years old, he decided to get into the hobby and bought a simulator, telling the boy, “The day that both of us can fly in that simulator and land the plane nicely, then we’ll go get a plane together.”
On the low end, RC planes run about $100-$150. He highly recommends starting with a simulator but says most people don’t have that kind of patience.
“I’ve seen terrible disasters of very nice airplanes – several hundred dollars and they just lasted about five seconds,” West said. “So, I highly recommend a simulator; they’re not as expensive.
“There are planes that are actually trainer planes that’ll practically land themselves. You push a button and save yourself. So that does help so you can go from the simulator sooner to that.”
Sailplanes are more expensive.
“The airplane I’m flying – without any electronics in it – is $1,800,” West explained. “As totally built up, it’s around $2,300.” Some run as much as $3,000.
The club takes the hobby seriously,
(Melody Birkett/Tribune Contributor)
Mark Cheney of Mesa said remote-controlled planes and their accessories can easily cost thousands of dollars, but fans like him say the hobby is worth every penny.
PLANES
sponsoring sailplane contests as many as three times a month.
“It’s a man-on-man contest, meaning a lot of people fly at once, take off at once and land at the same time,” West said.
So, what’s the big fascination?
“I would say it’s a combination of things,” West said. “We all have a passion for soaring, just being a part of nature, just flying among the birds like we do and doing what they seem to magically do.
“You have to have a passion for it and have the dedication to take all your lumps along the way because there are a lot of crashes before you get to that point.”
Bill Wilson, who has been flying the planes since 1961, won’t say how many planes he has crashed or how much he has spent on planes, but he estimates it could be close to $10,000.
And that’s just what he has spent on frameworks, noting that motors, batteries and radios are extra.
BRIEFS
from page 15
when drinking and driving increases. This grant is effective through January 31, 2018.
Officers working under this grant are specially trained in the detection of roadway impairment due to excessive alcohol consumption and use of illicit or excessive prescription drugs.
GILBERT
Youth volunteers honored at ceremony in Washington, D.C.
Arizona’s top two youth volunteers of 2017, Emery Miller, 18 and Lauren Basye, 13, both of Gilbert, were honored recently in the nation’s capital for their outstanding volunteer service.
The 22nd annual presentation of the Prudential Spirit of Community Awards featured the Gilbert pair and 100 other top youth volunteers from across the country. Each received $1,000 awards and personal congratulations from Olympic gold medalist Michael Phelps at an award ceremony and gala dinner reception at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of Natural History.
The Prudential Spirit of Community Awards program was created in 1995 to identify and recognize young people for outstanding volunteer service.
Information: spirit.prudential. com or nassp.org/spirit.
“You have to love it” to afford that, Wilson added.
He recommends starting out with a foam glider.
“That way you can keep the cost down. If it breaks, you can glue it back together really easy,” Wilson said.
The more expensive ones, Wilson explained, “are a little bit more complicated because they’re made out of fiberglass, carbon, graphite and whatever else.”
Mark Cheney, an RC plane flyer and member of the Academy of Model Aeronautics, has been flying about 30 years. He started as a kid with gaspowered airplanes and later made the transition to electric.
He noted that jets are even more expensive, running $10,000-$20,000.
He has 50 planes and figures he has easily spent $10,000 on them.
“It’s just relaxing after a hard week at the office,” Wilson said. “It’s nice to come out here with people who have a passion
TEMPE
Tempe nurse given award for her outstanding care
Ann Longacre of Dignity Health St. Joseph’s Hospital and Medical Center has received the DAISY Award, which recognizes nurses for their outstanding care. Longacre has been with St. Joseph’s for more than four decades.
The DAISY Award for Extraordinary Nurses is part of The DAISY (Diseases Attacking the Immune System) Foundation’s program to recognize nurses.
The not-for-profit DAISY Foundation, based in Glen Ellen, California, was established by J. Mark Barnes and his family in memory of his son J. Patrick Barnes, who died in 1999 from a little-known autoimmune disease.
Tempe taking nominations for city awards until June 14
The Tempe Community Council is accepting nominations for the 2017 Don Carlos Humanitarian of the Year, volunteer and philanthropy awards. Nominations can be submitted online at tempecommunitycouncil.org/don-carlos. The deadline for submitting a nomination is June 14.
Winners will be honored at the 34th Don Carlos Humanitarian Awards event on Sept. 27. Information: cindy_kominska@tempe. gov or 480 858-2310.
for the sport, who just like to fly and talk about their models and what not.”
He said planes are also fun to build.
“They come almost ready to fly, but you do have to put the motor in, the servos, things like that. So, it’s relaxing to build them, as well,” he said.
Cheney recommends practicing online.
“They do have simulators that you can download on your computer that really helps quite a bit,” Cheney said.
“Obviously, it doesn’t cost you any money to wreck a bunch of planes on the computer. And they have several different types of models on the computer simulator – anything from gliders to high-wing planes to low-wing.”
“It’s one of those sports where it’s definitely not cheap because you’ll have to replace an airplane or part quite often,” Cheney added.
“If you’ve been doing this sport awhile and you claim you’ve never crashed, you’re lying. You can have a motor or servo go out and it’ll go right into the ground.”
TCAA moves to new office near Tempe light rail
Tempe Community Action Agency has moved to a new office, at 2146 E. Apache Blvd. in Tempe. The Norton and Ramsey Center is named in honor of longtime TCAA supporters Jenny Norton and Bob Ramsey.
The site hosts the agency’s Emergency Services programs, Food Pantry, I-HELP (Interfaith Homeless Emergency Lodging Program) team and administrative offices.
The new site is within the agency’s original Escalante neighborhood, and is closer to light rail to make it easier for more people to access assistance.
Bicycle-pedestrian underpass to open soon at Priest Drive
The Rio Salado Multi-use Underpass, a bicycle and pedestrian facility, will open at Priest Drive soon, the latest addition to more than 175 miles of bikeways in the city. The underpass connects the shared-use paths on the east and west sides of Priest Drive and includes a lighted 10-foot concrete path. It provides an accessible and more direct crossing under Priest Drive for Rio Salado Path users and links more than five miles of paths along the Rio Salado and Tempe Town Lake area.
For more information about the Rio Salado Multi-use Underpass at Priest Drive, go to tempe.gov/tim.
Regardless, Cheney recommends the hobby to others.
“I would encourage anybody who wants to try it to give a try. There are plenty of airplanes out now with the technology that even have what is called safe technology where you push a button on the transmitter and it’ll level out the airplane. So, there has never been a better time to get into the sport,” he said.
“If you’re thinking about doing it, go for it.”
Josh Steiner is has been flying the planes for about five years and owns six or seven.
“I’m an engineer by career so I like getting down, figuring things out, and putting things together,” Steiner said. “It already comes pre-built but I’d like to get into actually building some foam planes.
“It’s not a cheap hobby but it’s a lot of fun … and it’s a very friendly hobby to get into. Almost anybody you walk up to is pretty friendly.”
Information: evefphx.net, modelaircraft.org.
EAST VALLEY
East Valley cities offering rebates for water bills
Chandler, Mesa and Tempe are offering residents rebates on their water bill if they take measures to curb use.
The cities are urging residents to change from grass to desert landscaping or to use automated irrigation controllers.
For example, Chandler offers a $250 rebate toward a weather-based irrigation controller. For replacing grass, Chandler offers a $200 rebate, while Mesa offers $500 and Tempe rebates 25 cents per square foot. For more information, including terms and how to get rebates, go the Arizona Municipal Water Users Association website, amwua.org/rebates.html.
QUEEN CREEK
Town annexes two properties in Pinal County, effective in June
The Queen Creek Town Council has annexed two properties in its planning area: Banner Health’s Banner Ironwood Medical Center and Amerco.
The annexation process for Banner Ironwood began in 2008 and the Amerco process started in 2016. Both properties will remain in Pinal County, and continue to pay taxes assessed by Pinal County.
There is a 30-day waiting period and the annexation will be effective on June 16. Information: queencreek.org/annexation.
Chandler corner comes back to life as old Mervyn’s gets new tenant
BY MICHAEL BUTLER Tribune Contributor
Chandler residents who have been cringing for years every time they drive by the former Mervyn’s building on the southwest corner of Alma School and Elliot roads are doing fist pumps now that the finishing touches are being put on the new home of Furniture & Mattress Discounters.
Ted Hass, regional operation manager of the store, said he hopes to have a soft opening in the next week or two, followed by a grand opening.
“We’re taking our time,” he said. “We want to do it right. We want everything to look as first class as possible.”
While Hass is whipping the 75,000-square-foot showroom into shape, and getting the 25,000 square feet of storage space ready for new inventory, investor Michael A. Pollack is overseeing the exterior makeover.
Pollack doesn’t own the former Mervyn’s property, but he does own the Chandler Central Center plaza, which is also undergoing an exterior renovation. He said the project includes new paint, decorative stone trim, columns, monument signage and landscaping.
BUSINESS BRIEFS
Mesa offering small businesses amnesty for delinquent taxes
Mesa is offering a Tax Amnesty Program for small businesses.
Any Mesa business with delinquent Transaction Privilege Tax, Transient Lodging Tax and Use Tax is eligible for consideration of a penalty waiver and reduction of half the interest charged. The program will run from June 1 to July 31.
A tax amnesty program will generate tax revenue, clean up aging tax accounts receivable balances and clear delinquent tax returns. While the amnesty program will not collect all amounts due, a compliance rate of 60 percent will
“We’re just thrilled that we’re able to breathe new life into that intersection,” Pollack said. “It’s finally coming into fruition.”
Pollack said he’ll be losing a good 6,000-square-foot tenant in Furniture & Mattress Discounters, which has been in the Alma School Village Shoppes strip mall about a half-block south for seven years.
But he said that he’d much rather have the furniture store in the old Mervyn’s, which has been a drag on Chandler Central Center since the department store chain went out of business in 2008.
The building, frequently broken into by copper thieves after it was abandoned, was also a headache for Chandler police.
Pollack said the intersection at Elliot and Alma School is getting another “shot in the arm” thanks to the addition of a new Starbucks store with a drivethrough on the southeast corner. The coffee chain currently has a smaller store without a drive-through on an end cap in that plaza.
Pollack said the city of Chandler planning department moved with “lightning speed” on the permitting and approval process. “They were very responsive.”
amount to more than $581,000 in collections.
Information: mesaaz.gov/business/ collections/tax-amnesty, 480-6445473 or TaxAmnestyInfo@mesaaz.gov.
Cabinetmaker breaks ground for facility near Gateway Airport
EuroContempo Cabinetry LLC, a European-style cabinet and materials manufacturing company, has broken ground on a 72,000-square-foot facility in Mesa, north of Phoenix-Mesa Gateway Airport. The company is investing more than $12 million in the facility, which will result in 40 jobs.
EuroContempo Cabinetry sells to interior designers, cabinet shops,
Hass said work on the new furniture store at 2994 N. Alma School Road began 19 months ago and crews have been working seven days a week.
“The electricians have been here since the start, and they’re not done yet,” he said.
Hass said Furniture & Mattress Discounters buys furniture by the container and passes those savings on to the customer. Customers are also treated with respect, he said.
“Everybody is a guest, not a prospect,” he said. “It’s not the building. It’s the people in the building.”
Hass said he will soon be hiring about seven new salespeople and six delivery drivers, plus a handful of administrative and customer service employees.
commercial and residential contractors, homebuilders, and home improvement stores.
Chase to offer 300 positions at Tempe job fair June 6
Chase will be filling 300 job openings in the Phoenix area at a job fair June 6.
The financial institution is hiring for positions in customer service, collections, merchant services, fraud, and new client engagement. Candidates who have held jobs helping customers face-to-face are also encouraged to apply for call center positions.
Previous call center experience is not required and bilingual individuals are encouraged to apply.
The job fair will be from 9 a.m.
to 7 p.m. at the Chase CenterPoint Operations Center, 100 W. University Drive, Tempe.
Job candidates may find more information by applying to job #170056383 at chase.com/careers.
Gilbert health business Isagenix expands into United Kingdom
Gilbert-based Isagenix expanded to the United Kingdom on May 15, the company’s 13th market.
The main U.K. office is in central London, serving England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.
The company, marked its 15th anniversary in March and surpassed $5 billion in cumulative global sales since opening in 2012.
(Mike Butler/Tribune Contributor)
Ted Hass of Furniture & Mattress Discounters said he can’t wait for his new signs to go up.
Let’s hope you did a better job naming your kids than these parents
BY DAVID LEIBOWITZ Tribune Columnist
This Sunday, let’s start with a stipulation: I have no clue what it’s like to raise a child, having raised precisely zero myself. Nor have I experienced firsthand the awesome responsibility of naming another human being. The closest I have come is naming two dachshunds, who seemed very willing to sit when their names were called, provided a healthy chunk of jerky was involved.
Having said that, clearly, there are hundreds of couples nearly ready to bring a child into this world who are about to make a life-altering error in judgment. Because – please excuse my coarseness – a lot of you really suck at naming your kids.
I say this having spent nearly three hours mesmerized by the latest Social Security Administration list of the top
1,000 names for American newborns. Yes, I need more hobbies. Yes, I have consulted a therapist. And no, it’s still not OK that in 2016, 370 newborn girls were named Khaleesi by parents who clearly watch way too much “Game of Thrones.”
All I can say is, let’s hope little Khal doesn’t eventually fall in love with one of the 303 boys named Anakin by “Star Wars” geeks in 2016, thus leading to the worst mixed metaphor theme wedding in recorded history.
Why do I care what other people name their children? Largely because I believe names carry with them an emotional weight and a hint of destiny. My own – the third most popular name in 1965, the year of my birth – always has been a mixed blessing. During my school years, I was always “David L.” because invariably there were two or three other Davids in every classroom. That made my name feel ordinary. However, my parents’ explanation for the name, that in Hebrew it means “beloved,” has
always served as a source of strength and contentment.
For little baby boy Stetson, I’m not sure knowing “wow, I was named after a hat,” will have the same effect. The same goes for baby girl Oakley. I’ll grant you a special dispensation if you’re British and this is a reference dating back to Anglo Saxon tribal times, but if you’re naming your baby girl after a pair of sunglasses? You’re doing it wrong.
The same goes if you’re dooming your child to a lifetime explaining how to spell a name that looks misspelled by parents trying too hard. I’m talking to you, parents of little Paityn (317 girls) and little Xzavier (287 boys).
The truly tragic overachievers are the new moms and dads who adventure past the top 1,000 names, perhaps striving to get extra credit for cleverness. This explains why last year in America, we christened 10 newborn boys Rambo, 40 baby girls Sephora, 11 little boys Simba, and 32 little girls Katniss.
As for the nine of you who thought it would be terrific to name your son Zepplin (yes, misspelled), I simply have no words.
The same goes for the parents of the 13 little Osamas, nine Mansons, seven Adolphs and 13 Lucifers born last year. When he comes home from kindergarten crying for the 78th time, don’t say I didn’t tell you so.
As for naming a child Messiah (1,776 boys and 35 girls) or Christ (35 boys and five girls), Winner (19 boys and seven girls) or Champion (27 boys), let’s hope for society’s sake you don’t raise the entitled little narcissist you so clearly deserve.
What’s in a name? Shakespeare argued that, names aside, a rose would still smell as sweet. Of course, old William never met a little girl named Lemon. Somehow, sadly, there were 26 little Lemons born last year.
– David Leibowitz has called the Valley home since 1995. Contact david@leibowitzsolo.com.
Google facilitates needed help for wounded military veterans
BY ANTHONY AMEEN Tribune Guest Writer
In 2008, I was serving as a hospital corpsman in Helmand Province, Afghanistan, when my unit came under attack. As I rushed to help an injured Marine, I stepped on an IED. And in that split second, my life changed. My left foot was amputated at a military hospital in Afghanistan before I was flown to Germany and ultimately to the Brooke Army Medical Center in San Antonio, Texas.
While I received medical care, my family lived nearly a thousand miles away and the airline flights quickly piled up. I was lucky. A local church raised more than $25,000 for what they called “Wings for Anthony” to make sure my parents could be by my side while I underwent more than 30 surgeries and 2½ years of intense physical therapy. My family was there with me as I grew stronger, stood up on my own, and
eventually walked out of the hospital on my new prosthetic leg.
That experience taught me that for injured veterans, recovering from the trauma of war requires a lot more than surgeries, doctor’s appointments and physical therapy. It also means reconnecting with the family members who can help us heal. And it inspired me to help other veterans that were struggling to navigate their own recovery.
Less than three years after that terrible day in Afghanistan, I founded Wings for Warriors, an Arizona-based nonprofit to help families to be at their loved ones’ sides, as well as to support health-care benefits and financial counseling.
The need was clear. And I brought the passion and the energy for helping veterans. But it turned out that wasn’t enough.
We needed some help to connect with veterans and families, find funders, and build partnerships with hospitals and communities. Government downsizing
and budget cuts are nothing new. Successful nonprofits innovate so they can do more with less. The Internet is helping us do that.
That’s why we’ve been so happy to work with companies like Google, which gave us an advertising grant to help put our organization on the map. Internet advertising may not sound like much, but it has enabled us to reach millions of people across the country and connect with donors, sponsors and volunteers.
A high school senior nearly 2,500 miles away from Arizona raised $3,700 for our organization, and her school has decided to continue her work. She first found and researched our organization through a simple online search.
Google provided nearly $2.9 billion in economic activity for local businesses, publishers and nonprofits. Tens of thousands of Arizona businesses and nonprofits depend on the internet to find customers or volunteers and collaborate with partners.
As I struggled through my own long recovery, I never imagined that I would have the opportunity to offer a helping hand to those who have sacrificed so much for our nation. To date, we have served more than 2,500 wounded warriors and 300 military families.
The secret to our success at Wings for Warriors has been the incredible staff, volunteers, veterans and families that we get to work with every day. But the secret to finding and funding all these efforts has been getting online.
When I talk to entrepreneurs, activists and students across Arizona about what it takes to succeed, I tell them the same thing. It’s time for our businesses, nonprofit organizations and schools in Arizona to get online and connect to the world. In today’s digital world, we simply can’t afford to wait.
of Phoenix founded Wings for Warriors in 2010. Information: wingsforwarriors.org.
– U.S. Navy Hospital Corpsman Anthony “Doc” Ameen
Thoughts on Memorial Day
As we Americans pause to celebrate this Memorial Day, our immediate thoughts go to those in the military who go into harm’s way on our behalf, as well they should. But we should also include in those thoughts the hundreds of thousands who also wear uniforms in the service of their fellow Americans, our first responders – law enforcement, firefighters and emergency teams – who rush into crisis situations, placing themselves between the source of danger and us.
But not all of them are remembered for their courage in crisis. Some, like Tempe Police Detective Tim Barber, are remembered for their dedication to educate their fellow citizens.
Tim died of prostate cancer Aug. 27, 2011, at the age of 42. When he was diagnosed, he was told the cancer was so advanced and aggressive that it would be fatal. On the way home from the doctor’s office, he told his soon-to-be wife that he was not going quietly. He was soon in touch with the founder of Prostate Onsite Project (POP), an organization dedicated to getting young men, to which prostate cancer is most deadly, early testing.
Prostate cancer is one of the most common cancers. When diagnosed early, it is among the most survivable. Tim became a board member and the public face of POP for the two years before he lost his battle. He spoke before large groups and small, appeared in TV and newspaper
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
interviews and, along the way, made possible the free testing of every male employee or employee spouse in the city of Tempe. He was interviewed for TV during his final month, even as he had trouble finding words for what he had to say due to damage in his brain from the disease, but he would not give in.
On the day he entered the hospital for the last time, he insisted on showing up at the fundraiser being held by his fellow Tempe police officers and friends. After being, literally, carried in, he gave his last interview, still carrying the standard against his horrific disease, to a tearful Tram Mai of Channel 12.
Many times since that day, my family has had men tell us that Tim saved their lives. I’m proud of him. He makes Memorial Day personal. He is my son.
For David Schapira
The time has come for Arizona voters to finally elect an educator to head one of the most important agencies in our state government. The statistics speak for themselves. Arizona is near or at the bottom of every measurable category involved with public education.
It is obvious after several decades of political hacks heading the Department of Education that a change is long overdue. The last time that we had
A TABLE
anyone from the education community, heading that agency was in the 1990s.
I must admit that I have been a strong supporter of David Schapira for several years. His service as a professional educator, school board member and city council member has been outstanding. He was my choice for the Congressional District 9 seat. I still believe that he would have been outstanding.
My reasons for supporting David Schapira for the position of Superintendent of Public Education are simple. David is passionate about public service in general. His dedication to public education has been well documented.
He started out as a math teacher. Seeing the state of our education system prompted him to seek election to the Tempe Union High School District Governing Board. He is currently the Assistant Superintendent of the East Valley Institute of Technology, and served from 2007–2013 in the Arizona Legislature, representing District 17 and served as Senate Minority Leader. In 2010, he was elected to the Tempe Union High School District Governing Board. In 2014, he was elected to the Tempe City Council, where he currently serves.
I have worked with David, had very frank discussions with him on many issues. I have found the he listens and does his homework.
– Ron Pies
– Tempe
Unhappy Democrats
I know that there were at least six very, very, very unhappy Arizona State House Democrats at the close of the 2017 legislative session.
In the Senate, Katie Hobbs, Steve Farley, Lupe Contreras; and in the House, Rebecca Rios, Randall Friese and Charlene Fernandez. All are licking their wounds after seeing little, if any, of their liberal/ progressive agenda (welfare, Arizona teachers’ pay) become law.
Now, to be honest, it wasn’t that their bills and amendments were over the top ... well, in some instances anyway. But it was the way that the Arizona Democrat Caucus used every trick in the book (race-baiting, income redistribution, values, etc.) while blathering on and on and on about bills they wanted and especially the ones they didn’t want. Charter schools and scholarships, law and law enforcement were the targets du jour, or should I say, du session, for the Democrat Caucus in 2017. Attempts to force adjournments or sin dine session end, while bills were still to be voted on, and endless roll calls were a little beyond the pale, even for our Arizona Democrats.
To submit letters: Go to eastvalleytribune. com/opinions and click “Submit letter” or email forum@evtrib.com.
– Jim Barber – Mesa
– Leon Ceniceros – Mesa
Valley offers adaptive sports options for disabled community
BY CAELA FOX Cronkite News
Mohamed Raafat was hanging out at school and perched on a children’s car when a friend abruptly moved it. Just like that, his life changed.
Raafat, then 14, suffered a spinal injury that left him paralyzed from the waist down. Now, 11 years later, he has traveled 7,500 miles to visit Ability 360 in Phoenix to learn more about the growing world of adaptive sports, information he hopes to share with his home country of Egypt.
The Valley is home to several facilities designed to empower people with disabilities and help them pursue their athletic goals.
Mesa-based Arizona Disabled Sports provides sports and recreation opportunities, and Scottsdale’s Miracle League of Arizona offers baseball experiences for those with disabilities or special health-care needs. Ability 360 offers a 45,000-square-foot sports and fitness center.
Since the first Paralympic Games in 1960, the world of adaptive sports has grown exponentially. Greater knowledge of disabilities, from cognitive to physical to visual, brought awareness about the need for more athletic options.
The Americans with Disabilities Act came into law on July 26, 1990. Ramps, elevators and bathrooms that were accessible for the disabled became more available.
And so did facilities that addressed the community’s competitive needs.
“No one is looked at differently or less than, and that’s something that the organization really prides itself on, that we provide that community family environment,” said Tiffany Wilkinson, executive director of Arizona Disabled Sports.
Many have had their lives changed by
participating in adaptive sports.
Sarah, who was born with spina bifida and is now in her mid-20s, started playing wheelchair basketball about eight years ago. She also is dealing with a cognitive disability due to a shunt in her
brain that was surgically placed to help drain fluid.
Time with her team helped her rely less on her parents, said Wilkinson, who is also Sarah’s former teammate.
“Her mom would always thank us for pushing her to do things herself,” Wilkinson said.
“It was nice to see that growth within someone who so heavily relied on their parents to help them do everything.”
One sport that has grown significantly in the adaptive sports world is golf, which many experts believe has had a positive impact on those with autism and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder.
A big reason is the structure the sport provides. It helps them stay focused but not feel
overwhelmed.
Those with ADHD learn how to focus on one thing at a time. For individuals with autism, it helps develop social skills and can help them feel less isolated.
The focus at the Southwest Autism Research & Resource Center is to help them find a passion, whether it is sports or art or something else.
A sport like golf can help those with autism “practice being out in the community with people who don’t have autism and practice appropriate social skills around a shared interest,” said Daniel Openden, its president and CEO.
The opportunities that some take for granted in the United States are almost nonexistent in many other countries, where passage of bills that would address the needs of the disabled has been slow.
Raafat’s goal is to help the disabled community in Egypt have a better experience than he did growing up.
“I got the passion to work with them so I can make the lives of people much easier than mine and hope that they don’t meet the difficulties that I met and my friends met,” Raafat said.
During Raafat’s time in the United States, he has done things he never thought possible. He attended Suns and Diamondbacks games. He also went skydiving, which was the favorite part of his trip to Arizona.
He benefited from his experience at Ability 360, a nonprofit organization that started in 1977 as the Arizona Congress for Action.
Its focus during the past 30 years has been to provide an array of services and programs to people with all types of disabilities. Now, it is also helping people around the world start similar programs.
The goal of these organizations, their leaders say, is to make life easier for the disabled and their families and to help them feel more accepted.
(Special to the Tribune)
Mesa-based Arizona Disabled Sports provides sports and recreation opportunities for the disabled, including wheelchair racing.
(Caela Fox/Cronkite News) Mohamed Raafat is gathering information at Ability 360 in Phoenix with the hope of helping others.
Higley’s Hall shifts focus back to football after successful track season
BY GREG MACAFEE Tribune Sports Editor
Higley High School junior
Draycen Hall continues to make a name for himself on the Arizona high school sports scene after he recently took third in 100-meter dash at the AIA Division II Track and Field State Championships at Mesa Community College.
The junior, who got notice in the fall rushing for 2,298 yards and 29 touchdowns and earning Gatorade Player of the Year honors, finished the dash in 11.26 seconds. Hall came in behind Queen Creek’s Kevon Jackson and North Canyon’s Tyreese Moulton, who tied for first with a clocking of 11.15 seconds. Having a top-three finish at state was a goal Hall and his coach had in mind from the very beginning of the season.
“We just came into the season with goals in mind and eyes on the state meet in the 100,” Higley track coach Devin Green said. “Our focus shifted when he was running so well at the beginning of the year from, ‘Let’s make the state meet to let’s place at the state meet.’ And we did that. We feel we may have left a fast time out there, but we will take this year from where we were last year.”
According to athletic.net, Hall turned in times right around 11 seconds all season long. He set his new personal record at the 14th Annual Hohokam Invitational in April with a clocking of 10.75. After his electric run at the Hohokam Invitational, Hall began to
realize that he was a lot faster than he thought.
“I was like, woah, we can place at
Due to a production error, the puzzle and sudoku answers ran incorrectly on May 21, 2017. Below are the correct answers. We apologize for the inconvenience.
this so let’s start training harder and we can see where that goes,” Hall said. “So, we started working harder, and obviously it turned out pretty good.” Hall had an impact on other events at the state meet as well.
The Knights’ 4 x 100 relay team of Hall, Jacob Thompson, Jordan Rule and Quiitalig McSwain turned in the fastest preliminary time and a new Higley high school record with a clocking of 42.14 seconds, beating Queen Creek’s clocking of 42.25.
Due to a false start in the
finals, Higley was then scratched from the event. Queen Creek then outdid their preliminary time with a clocking of 42.07 for a first-place finish. Cienega turned in a time of 42.32 for a secondplace finish.
“We hyped it up a lot, nerves were high, obviously at the state meet, we
had broken the school record,” Hall said. “The only thing I really feel bad for is our seniors because we had two on our team. Other than that, we kind of just have to look past it and look toward next year. We have to work even harder to get back.”
Now, Hall has already dived back into preparing for his next football season as the Knights look to capitalize on their 11-2 2016 season. Their season ended in the state semi-finals with a loss to No. 6-seeded Catalina Foothills. They plan to come back even stronger this season and with the improved speed of Hall, head coach Eddie Zubee is excited to see what he can bring to the field in the fall.
“He’s put on 10 pounds since last season and he’s running faster than he’s ever run before,” Zubee said. “He ran that electric 10.75 and that’s moving. He’s up to about 165 right now so just the straight ahead linear speed.
“Not that anyone could catch him last year, but he’s also trying to get ready for college so that no one catches him in college either.”
Hall, who is also a scholar in the classroom, has received offers from several schools since his breakout year last season and is hoping to play at the next level. As his skills on the football field and his times on track improve heading into his senior year, the 5-foot-8 multi-talented athlete might find himself competing in two sports at the next level.
“I think that’d be cool. I know a couple guys who do that. It’s probably even harder at the division I level but If I do that would be cool,” Hall said.
– Contact Sports Editor Greg Macafee at gmacafee@timespublications.com or at 480-898-5630. Follow Greg on Twitter @ greg_macafee.
ANSWERS TO PUZZLE & SUDOKU FROM 05/21 ANSWERS TO PUZZLE & SUDOKU FROM PAGE 28
(Special to the Tribune)
Higley High’s Draycen Hall was named the Gatorade Arizona Football Player of the Year in 2016.
Faith
Money may
not be the root of evil, but it can easily lead
to it
BY WILLIAM HOLLAND Tribune Guest Writer
There is more to being rich than having money.
We often hear the phrase “it’s all about the money,” but nothing could be further from the truth when it comes to hope and a sense of spiritual well-being. Humans use their creativity and imaginations to dream about being satisfied, but I would say that fantasies about power, fame and money are the most common.
Record-breaking lotteries generate quite a bit of excitement and, like everyone else, I am amazed at how jackpots grow and what a mesmerizing effect they have on the masses.
FAITH CALENDAR
SUNDAY, MAY 28
HONORING OUR VETERANS
Valor Christian Center will honor veterans at a service at 10 a.m. Please encourage your veteran friends to come so that we may celebrate them at this special service.
DETAILS>> 3015 E. Warner Road, Gilbert. Information: 480-545-4321, valorcc.com, thor@valorcc.com.
TUESDAY, MAY 30
ALL-NIGHT LEARNING
Chabad of the East Valley will be hosting its annual ikun Leil Shavuos, an all-night study of inspirational, intellectual, energetic and fun classes. The event is in keeping with the age-old tradition of staying up and studying all night in honor of the holiday of Shavuos, the giving of the Torah on Mount Sinai.
DETAILS>> 11:30 p.m.-5 a.m., 6 to 9 p.m., Pollack Chabad Center for Jewish Life, 875 N. McClintock Drive, Chandler. RSVP strongly suggested. Information: 480-855-4333.
JUNE 11-15
VACATION BIBLE SCHOOL
St. James Episcopal Church invites children to SonQuest RainForest Vacation Bible School, based on five parables of Jesus.
DETAILS>> 6-8:45 p.m., St. James Episcopal Church, 975 E. Warner Road, Tempe. This VBS is for kids from 3 years old to those exiting 5th grade. Information: 480-3452686.
JUNE 26-30
‘ONE OF A KIND ZOO’
Calvary Lutheran Church will host “One of a Kind Zoo,” a Vacation Bible School class. Bible lessons, music, crafts, games and snacks are part of the program. Children ages 3 until 6th grade are welcome.
DETAILS>> 9 a.m.- noon, Calvary Lutheran Church, 1270 N. Dobson Road, Chandler. Register online at
Human behavior is interesting, especially when it comes to considering the influence money has on us and how easily it can distract us from what’s really important.
Certain religious interpretations declare that gambling is a sin – and it might be – but casting lots is not always associated with wrongdoing.
I agree that someone who cannot afford to pay their bills yet wastes money on daily lottery tickets needs more than financial help.
Nonetheless, I personally do not see anything wrong with someone spending a couple of dollars every now and then to have a chance to be financially secure. It is true, money cannot bring happiness and I question whether or not even winning the lottery would truly be a blessing for many, as I believe that would depend on how
calvarychandler.net under EVENTS, until June 19. Information: 480-963-9397 or 480-204-4297.
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: 480-3933001, tlmchurch.info@gmail.com.
VALOR CHRISTIAN OUTLINES MISSION
Valor Christian Center in Gilbert offers “great praise and worship and great messages for today’s living,” according to Associate Pastor Thor Strandholt. “Our mission is to evangelize, heal and disciple through the word of God.”
DETAILS>>10 a.m. Sundays and 7 p.m. Thursdays. 3015 E. Warner Road. Information: valorcc.com.
HORIZON SEEKS YOUNG PEOPLE
High school and middle school students meet to worship and do life together.
DETAILS>> 4 p.m. at Horizon Presbyterian Church, 1401 E. Liberty Lane. 480-460-1480 or joel@horizonchurch.com.
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.”
DETAILS>> 9 and 10:45 a.m. 2700 E. Southern 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: 480-8922700, unityofmesa.org, lori@unityofmesa.org.
mature and level-headed the individual is.
I have also pondered that instead of praying to have more money, maybe we should spend more time asking God how to better manage what we have.
I am not knocking money. In fact, I need it and it can do a lot of good. But in the hands of those who pay no heed to God’s instructions, it can become like a blind man operating a wrecking ball. Instead of wealth being used as an instrument to help the poor and finance God’s ministries, it can actually use us by capturing our mind and possessing our soul if we are not careful.
I have also often wondered if winning the lottery is strictly by chance or if God has a hand in who wins.
We realize He already knows in advance who will have the correct numbers, but how in the world with so many people
DETAILS>> 10 a.m. Sundays at Unity of Tempe, 1222 E. Baseline Road, Suite 103, Tempe. Information: 480-7921800, unityoftempe.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.
MONDAYS
BEYOND BELIEF
Reflections on Jewish faith, reason, and experience. The course will provide the Torah’s perspectives on many of the most important questions that are asked by each one of us, and that we are sometimes challenged by.
DETAILS>> Mondays, 7:30-9 p.m., until June 12 at 875 N.
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!
praying to win, does He choose one winner?
Let’s just say it’s possible that God could give us the numbers through road signs or a dream, but we must remember that more important than having a bank filled with money is to make sure we are not in love with it.
Hopefully, we all can agree that even if we have small finances, our joy, peace and contentment will always be found in the secret place of His presence.
“For the love of money is the root of all evil: which while some coveted after, they have turned away from the faith and pierced themselves through with many sorrows” (I Timothy 6:10).
– William Holland lives in central Kentucky, where he is a Christian author and community outreach chaplain. Request a free copy of his new CD at: billyhollandministries.com
McClintock Dr., Chandler. Cost: $99, includes textbook and light refreshments. Information and registration: info@ chabadcenter.com or 480-855-4333.
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: 480-792-1800, unityoftempe.com.
TUESDAYS
WOMEN OF INFLUENCE BIBLE STUDY
Join Valor Christian Center in Gilbert for great fellowship and walk through the word of God with depth. DETAILS>> 10 a.m. Tuesdays, 3015 E. Warner Road between Greenfield and Higley. Free. Information: 480-545-4321, valorcc.com.
Remember the Fallen: Memorial Day ceremonies in the Valley
BY JUSTIN FERRIS
GetOut Editor
More than just a Monday off work, Memorial Day – which falls on May 29 this year – reminds us to honor those military personnel who fell in the line of duty protecting our country.
Unlike Veteran’s Day, though, there are no large celebrations or parades in the East Valley. Instead, individual ceremonies take place at the area’s cemeteries and museums, and everyone is invited. Here’s where to look and what to expect.
Chandler
Valley of the Sun Mortuary & Cemetery
Attend a ceremony that includes a color guard, military honors and a World War II airplane flyover. Afterward, enjoy a catered hot dog lunch. 9 a.m., 10940 East Chandler Heights Road, Chandler. 480-895-9232.
Gilbert
Gilbert Historical Museum
The museum’s annual Memorial Day service includes a flag ceremony, the laying of wreaths, live music and multiple speakers. Visitors are encouraged to bring lawn chairs for seating. 9 a.m., 10 S. Gilbert Road, Gilbert. 480-926-1577, gilberthistoricalmuseum.org.
Mesa
City of Mesa Cemetery
Participate in a Remembrance program attended by multiple Valley veterans’
Memorial Day Grill at the Mill
Don’t feel like grilling? Enjoy grilled food in the olive groves along with live music, lawn games and more fun. Pets are allowed, but must stay on a leash. Bring blankets and chairs.
DETAILS>> 11 a.m.-3 p.m., Monday, May 29. Queen Creek Olive Mill, 25062 S. Meridian Road, Queen Creek. Cost: Free entry. 480888-9290. queencreekolivemill.com.
organizations and run this year by Disabled American Veterans Chapter 8. It will feature a Massing of the Colors and wreath-laying ceremony. Flags will be placed at each military grave. 10 a.m., 1212 N. Center St., Mesa. 480-644-2335.
Mountain View Funeral Home and Cemetery
A number of organizations, including the Veterans of Foreign Wars and the American Legion, will present memorial arrangements, plus there will be a plane flyover. Light refreshments will follow. 9 a.m., 7900 E. Main St., Mesa. 480-832-2850.
Maricopa County Reads
Get your kids reading this summer through Maricopa’s online website and fun event and activities at participating local libraries. Kids who meet their reading goals can win prizes, including free food and books.
DETAILS>> Starting Thursday, June 1. Online and your local library. Cost: Free. maricopacountyreads.org.
Tamburitzans ‘Jubilee’ Show
More than 30 performers use more than 400 costumes to showcase folk dances from Croatia, Armenia, Romania,
Care
This ceremony sees a Boy Scout color guard, an avenue of flags and a guest speaker. A hot dog lunch will follow and a blood drive will take place from noon to 5 p.m. 9:30 a.m., 400 S. Power Road, Mesa. 480-830-4422.
Queen of Heaven Catholic Cemetery
Participate in a Memorial Day mass in a tent on the cemetery grounds. The Knights of Columbus and Boy Scouts will provide the color guard. Light refreshments will follow. Park at the Harris Elementary School; there will be a shuttle. 8 a.m., 1562 E. Baseline Road, Mesa. 480-892-3729.
Macedonia, Russia, France and many other countries. This is the show’s 80th season.
DETAILS>> 7:30 p.m., Thursday, June 1. Mesa Arts Center, 1 E. Main St., Mesa. Tickets: $30-$35. 480-644-6500. mesaartscenter.com.
Motorcycles on Main: June Bike Night
Enjoy looking at thousands of motorcycles as you enjoy the music of the Moonshine Voodoo Band. Beer gardens, vendors, food and other fun will also be on hand.
DETAILS>> 6-10 p.m., Friday, June
Tempe Double Butte Cemetery
The American Legion Post 2 of Tempe will hold a public service and put up flags at the military gravestones. The cemetery dates back to 1888, so it holds a large number of military personnel from several generations. The flags will stay up all week for visitors to view. 8 a.m., 2505 W. Broadway Road, Tempe. 480-350-5244.
Other options
If you don’t mind leaving the East Valley, you can attend the official military Memorial Day ceremony, which takes place at the National Memorial Cemetery of Arizona. 8 a.m., 23029 North Cave Creek Road, Phoenix. 480-513-3600.
For something a bit more central, and that includes historic groups and re-enactors, the Pioneer & Military Memorial Park holds a ceremony. Radio personality Marty Manning will emcee and local historian Len Marcisz will be the speaker. Afterward, you can tour the historic cemeteries and the 1897 Smurthwaite House. 9 a.m., 13th Avenue and West Jefferson, Phoenix. Free parking at Wesley Bolin Plaza or the Department of Education lot on the west side of 15th Avenue.
Of course, whether you go to a ceremony or not, you can observe the National Moment of Remembrance. From 3 to 3:01 p.m., local time, you’re invited to stop what you’re doing and say a silent “thank you” to those who gave all for our freedom.
2. Downtown Mesa, 1 N. MacDonald, Mesa. Cost: Free. downtownmesa.com/ motorcyclesonmain.
First Friday Concert: Rock Lobster
Join Rock Lobster for a free outdoor concert of classic ’80s tunes. Also, enjoy food trucks, and a splash pad for the kids.
DETAILS>> 6-8 p.m., Friday, June 2. Eastmark, 10100 E. Ray Road, Mesa. Cost: Free. eastmark.com, rocklobsterband.com.
I Hate Musicals
Join singer Johanna Carlisle for an evening of songs and stories about her
Mariposa Gardens Memorial Park and Funeral
(Special to the Tribune)
Blooming Beets’ fare expands to autoimmune protocol
BY PAUL MARYNIAK Tribune Executive Editor
Although Boulder, Colorado, and Chandler differ in many ways, Iva Paleckova counted on one thing when she opened Blooming Beets Kitchen in the Shoppes at Casa Paloma: There would be just as many people here as there who craved really healthy food.
So, after tailoring her menu with glutenfree food and dishes appropriate for people on a Paleo diet, she’s now introduced what she thinks might be unique for a restaurant anywhere in the country – items prepared with an autoimmune protocol.
“There are five Paleo restaurants in the country, but we’re the only one with an autoimmune menu,” said Paleckova, who engineered some of her dishes to help people subdue or even conquer conditions that arise “when your gut isn’t working.”
While a Paleo-style diet focuses on eating like our prehistoric ancestors did – with unprocessed food such as all-natural meats and fish, fruits, seeds and leafy vegetables – the autoimmune protocol includes foods and their preparation that help heal the immune system and gut mucosa.”
“Gluten-free foods can still be bad for you,” she explained, noting that an autoimmune protocol can help with various ailments, such as acne, arthritis and celiac.
“I didn’t know about all this and my customers started telling me they had cleaned up their diet and it really helped,” she said. “There are people who come here almost every day to eat.”
One patron had undergone 34 stomach operations, she said, and she still had various problems with her digestive tract.
A self-described “ingredient Nazi,”
favorite musicals. Proceeds go to Light Walker Theatrical’s first musical.
DETAILS>> 7:30-10 p.m., Friday, June 2. Tempe Center for the Arts, 700 W. Rio Salado Parkway, Tempe. Tickets: $20 adult, $15 students and seniors. 480-350-2822. tca.ticketforce.com.
Don Friesen
Comedian Don Friesen brings to the stage hilarious family stories that anyone can relate to. He’s appeared on the Showtime special “Ask Your Mom” and on satellite radio.
DETAILS>> 7:30-9 p.m., Friday, June 2. Tempe Center for the Arts, 700 W. Rio Salado Parkway, Tempe. Tickets: $10-$25.
Paleckova said Blooming Beets is not like a restaurant that sports an organic menu. “You have places that have organic dishes, but then they fry them in canola oil.”
Paleckova’s experience with her own diet years ago led her not only into healthy eating but eventually into healthy restaurateuring.
She had been working in Texas at the computer giant Dell in the smallto-medium business segment, marketing storage units and servers and training for 100mile runs, when she started having fainting spells.
“I used to eat out all the time, and I would go out and get sick. I knew something was not right,” she recalled. “Somebody told me I should try Paleo and my reaction was, ‘You’re telling me whole grains are bad and bacon is good, right? Whatever.’ Then I started reading up on it.”
“I’m just a nerd who does a lot of research,” added Paleckova, who can rattle off things she has learned about autoimmune, paleo and gluten-free eating and dining.
“I cleaned up my diet and started blogging about it,” she said, and then decided to move to Boulder in 2012, working for Dell on a remote basis.
But she quickly noticed, “There were no Paleo restaurants in Boulder and I asked, how come? All the health nuts live in Boulder.”
So, she found some investors and decided to open her own restaurant, but even that
480-350-2822. tca.ticketforce.com.
Yoga in the Park
Follow yoga instructor Tracy Buresh in a relaxing, free outdoor yoga class. No prior experience is required. Bring a yoga mat or beach towel.
DETAILS>> 8-9 a.m., Saturday, June 3. Tempe Beach Park, 80 W. Rio Salado Parkway, Tempe. Cost: Free. facebook.com/ womenonadventures.
Free Self-Defense Classes for Women and Children
Learn the basics of verbal and physical self-defense. The class for boys and girls
required research and learning.
“I had no experience and no idea what I was doing,” she recalled. “You don’t find chefs out of cooking schools that know how to do Paleo, so I had to learn.”
“I took online classes and watched YouTube videos for cooking techniques, and some people on my staff knew what they were doing — just not the Paleo part.”
Paleckova opened her first Blooming Beets restaurant in Boulder in 2014 – but she doesn’t look fondly on its beginning.
“Learning the restaurant business was a nightmare – more than a nightmare,” she added. “It was all trial and error. I didn’t ask for help. I didn’t know how to manage people or set expectations or hire the right people or get people with the right experience or how to train them.”
She also was determined to make the food taste good.
“Sometimes people still come in here and say, ‘Healthy food? It’s going to be awful,’” she said. “I knew we need food that is super
5-13 starts at 10 a.m., and the session for women 14+ starts at 11:30 a.m.
DETAILS>> 10 a.m.-12:30 p.m., Saturday, June 3. Kajukenbo Arizona, 2602 W. Baseline Road, Mesa. Cost: Free. Register at 480-755-3008 or sifu@kajuaz.com. kajuaz. com.
Safety Day
Attend a festival that let you talk with public safety officials and explore emergency vehicles. Kids will also enjoy face painting, live entertainment and more. The first 100 kids get a free gift.
DETAILS>> 1-4 p.m., Saturday, June 3. Arizona Mills, 5000 S. Arizona Mills Circle, Tempe. Cost: Free. 480-491-7300.
flavorful. We need to convert people who think healthy food is awful.”
She did – and Blooming Beets caught on. She decided early last year she wanted to branch out, and deliberately picked a spot along the Chandler/Ahwatukee line because she had been told “there are a lot of people who live there who are big on being healthy, exercising and eating right.”
Paleckova said she envisions her Chandler restaurant becoming a community spot.
“A lot of people come here are so into health, too, and they want to meet each other. They get to know each other and network here”
She hosted a fashion show recently put on by photographer Amy Aranyosi and Metro Image Consulting owner Ashley Krupnik and hopes to do more communitytype events.
“People here are the most amazing people,” she said.
Information: 7131 W. Ray Road, Chandler; bloomingbeets.com, 480-699-7639.
Saturday Night Live Action Roller Derby
Watch fast-paced roller skate action at Mesa’s only flat-track derby league. Fans can enter contests and raffles to win prizes.
DETAILS>> 6-9 p.m., Saturday, June 3. Broadway Recreation Center, 59 E. Broadway Road, Mesa. Tickets: $10 pre-sale, $15 at the gate, Free for kids 13 and under. facebook.com/arizonarollergirls.
– Justin Ferris, Phoenix.org.
Get more ideas for fun things to do in the East Valley – and beyond – at Phoenix.org.
(Special to the Tribune)
ABOVE: Bacon-wrapped dates are one of the healthy appetizers on the menu at Blooming Beets Kitchen.
(Kimberly Carrillo/AFN Photographer)
LEFT: Iva Paleckova opened the Blooming Beets Kitchen just over the city line in Chandler because her research told her many people in Ahwatukee were into healthy living styles.
Summer fun for families –
BY JUSTIN FERRIS GetOut Editor
The kids are out of school for the next few months, which means a lot of additional hours spent in the company of energetic lit tle ones. You should also occasionally drag the older ones away from their smar tphones and latest Net flix binge. Fortunately, the East Valley offers plenty of family-friendly options to get everyone out of the house.
Water parks
Of course, the obvious family day out during the scorching Phoenix summer is to the water park Big Sur f in Tempe (bigsurffun.com) and Golfland Sunsplash in Mes a (golfland.com/mesa) are both excellent options. The former features a massive wave pool that mimics the beach, but doesn’t require the 12-hour, round-trip car ride. The latter offers mini-golf, laser tag and arcade games to round out the day.
The major water parks make a great day out, but regular visits will deplete your
SUMMER FUN on page 27
(Golfland Sunsplash)
Water parks, such as Golfland Sunsplash, are great places to cool down the kids this summer.
SUMMER FUN
from page 26
bank account in short order. However, the East Valley also offers a number of less-expensive alternatives. Many parks and outdoor malls, such as Tempe Marketplace and SanTan Village, host free splash pads for younger kids. There are also a number of private and municipal aquatic complexes that have low entry fees or season passes. Kids can enjoy respectable wave pools, slides and play areas at places like the Kiwanis Recreation Center in Tempe and the lazy river-like Mesa Aquatic Complex. The Rhodes Aquatic Complex in Mesa even houses a FlowRider system for a surf-like experience. Most of these complexes opened May 27.
Visit tiny.cc/splashpads to find splash pads and public pools near you.
Movies
If you don’t feel like braving the heat involved in an outdoor activity, Harkins Theatres might provide the answer. From May 29-Aug. 4, locations around the Valley play kid-friendly movies like “The Lego Batman Movie,” “Kung Fu Panda 3,” “Trolls” and more. There’s a new movie every week for 10 weeks.
A season pass to see all the movies costs only $7 per person. You can also pay $2 on the day of to see individual movies. Visit harkinstheatres.com/SMF for the movie lineup, showtimes and more information.
Bowling
Get the kids out of the house and exercising without risking heat stroke. Bowlmor AMF, which operates AMF,
Bowlero, Brunswick Zone and Bowlmor Lanes bowling alleys, offers a Summer Games Pass. For a one-time payment of $30-$45, kids and adults can bowl up to three games per day every day through Labor Day. Learn more or buy online at bowlsummergames.com.
Museums
Combine fun and education at some of the East Valley’s family-focused museums.
The i.d.e.a. Museum (ideamuseum.org) provides plenty of cool exhibits and hands-on activities for kids from toddlers and up. Starting June 16, the exhibit focus switches from superheroes to cute monsters.
The Arizona Museum of Natural History (arizonamuseumofnaturalhistory. org) makes another great day out. Look at dinosaur bones, visit the three-story animatronic Dinosaur Mountain, pan for gold, and enjoy plenty more kid-friendly exhibits that reveal the distant past.
Farms
Spend a day on the farm. Both Vetruccio Farms in Mesa (vertucciofarms. com) and Schnepf Farms in Queen Creek (schnepffarms.com) offer play areas, games, rides and other kid-focused activities. While there, you can also score fresh fruits and vegetables to prepare delicious, healthy meals.
Summer camps
To get the kids out of the house on a regular basis, consider a summer camp. The East Valley hosts camps in art, sports, science, theater and even more niche areas. You can explore 400 options across the Valley at raisingarizonakids. com/summer-camps.
S H OW U S
YO U R
(Facebook.com)
Arizona Science Center will host “Camp Innovation” June 19-23
This grilled chicken is something to remember
BY JAN D’ATRI
Tribune Contributor
It’s Memorial Day Weekend grilling time all over the Valley.
So this week, I’m sharing a big secret recipe from my two restaurants. I have to, because this recipe will help you create the most delicious grilled chicken ever.
“Home” Dressing
Ingredients:
1/2 cup good marsala
(or a good sherry if preferred)
1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
1 small clove garlic
1 tablespoon sweet yellow onion
1 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons sugar
1 1/4 cups extra virgin olive oil
Directions:
Place ingredients in blender except olive oil. While blender is on low, slowly pour olive oil into blender. Turn to medium, then high and blend for about 2 minutes. Dressing will thicken as it is blended and then chilled. Refrigerate. If separates, just whisk to combine. Makes about 2 cups of dressing. Will last in fridge for weeks!
Grilled chicken marinade
Make the Home Dressing. Set some aside for salad dressing. Place chicken breasts in a glass or plastic container and pour Home Dressing over chicken. Turn chicken to fully incorporate dressing. Cover and
It’s our family’s very versatile recipe for a marinade, which also acts as a salad dressing. While it’s absolutely fantastic over any salad of your choice, using it as a marinade for chicken will take your dish to a whole new level. Whether you use it as a dressing or a marinade or both, I think you’re going to love it.
Happy grilling this Memorial Day weekend!
let sit for several hours or, even better, overnight. When ready to grill, lift chicken from dressing and cook according to your desired method. (Grilled, pan seared or oven baked. I prefer grilled in a grill pan on the cooktop.)
Discard dressing that the chicken was marinating in. Salt and pepper or season chicken with your desired seasonings.
Cook chicken until internal temperature reaches 165 degrees. Serve chicken hot or cold. Delicious!
Watch my “how to” video: jandatri.com/ recipes/grilled-chicken-miracle-marinade/ ?category_id=384
Obituaries
BROOKS, Merle Gordon
Classifieds: Thursday 11am for Sunday Life Events: Thursday 10am for Sunday
M
Arkansas, passed away March 16 in the home he s
Creek He spent his childhood in Globe and Miami, served in the US Army, 82nd Airborne and supported his family as a union journeyman carpenter for o v e r 3 0
trips, hard worker, always putting his family first, generous, fun loving, a jokes and story teller Preceded by his parents Survivors include chi ldren y, granddaughters, Clara and Elise, siblings Jesse, He is dearly missed
Please Sign the Guestbook at eastvalleytribune com
ALLEN, Alvin
On May 15, 2017, the world lost one heck of a man During Alvin Allen’s 97 years, he endured the dust bowls of the Texas panh
picked some cotton, served in the Army Air C
master’s degree in agronomy from the U of Arizona, served as Yavapai County’s Agriculture Agent based in Prescott for about 20 years, became a regional director of Ariz
and then retired at the age of 57 He would often brag that he had been retired longer than he had worked And, indeed, work was only a small part of Alvin’s life story
Alvin Allen was born on November 6, 1919, in Wheeler, Texas, to Leslie Dabney and Golda Mae Allen He spent most of his youth in the farming community of Cottonwood, a few miles from Wellington, Texas His siblings all called him Si, and their kids still do He moved with his family to Mesa, Arizona in 1938, where he met his future wife, Marjorie Stapley They married in 1945, and after the war ended, moved to Tucson, where Alvin made what he deemed to be the most important decision of his life He was baptized and confirmed as a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints He served faithfully in many callings in the church, including that of a Bishop He became a master of genealogy, researching his family roots and helping others to research theirs He authored a book on his parent’s lineage, featuring the li fe stories of his ancestors and his cousins He also became an expert in digitizing hundreds of thousands of American and foreign vital data from imaged parish and government records
Alvin is survived by two sisters (Mary Francis and Betty); one brother
great- grandchildren He was anxious to return to his beloved wife, whom he thought about a lmost every day after she passed away He was an unsurpassed example of integrity, honesty, and hard work for his descendants to emulate But his most tender heartfelt emotions were lodged in his absolute love and belief in our Savior, Jesus Christ Rest in peace, Alvin You will be greatly missed
There will be a memorial service for him to be held at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints located at 1010 South Recker Road, Gilbert, AZ 85296, at 10:30 a m on June 2, 2 017, followed by a luncheon for family and friends
Please Sign the Guestbook at: eastvalleytribune.com
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