Summer deals EV a double-whammy
Banned gas poses costly AC dilemma
BY JIM WALSH Tribune Staff Writer
As temperatures soar across the East Valley, so is the cost of keeping aging heat pumps working for area homeowners.
Whether homeowners try to hang on to their existing heat pump till its last blast of cold air or are replacing it, they’re digging deeper into their wallets.
The choice: buying a new, more expensive heat pump or paying far more for a oncecheap refrigerant called R-22 to keep the old one hanging on.
A target in the war on climate change since the U.S. ratified the Montreal Protocol in 1988, the gas is being phased out because it depletes the ozone layer around Earth.
New heat pumps using it have not been manufactured since 2010. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has declared that since a heat pump lasts an average 10 years, R-22 can no longer be produced at all starting Jan. 1, 2020.
The EPA has already ordered severe cutbacks in its production as part of the phase-out and a transition to new units that use the less offensive R-410 refrigerant, a chemical that depletes the ozone at a lesser rate.
Meanwhile, the law of supply and demand is driving up the price of R-22 for homeowners who are holding on to their
older units.
While the R-22 is still widely available, the price has more than doubled, according to a Phoenix air conditioning contractor and the Air Conditioning, Heating and Refrigeration Institute, which represents the heat-pump industry.
The EPA ordered a steep, graduated step-down in R-22 production from 51 million pounds in 2014 to only 13 million pounds this year. Only 9 million pounds will be allowed to be produced in 2018, and less than half that amount during its final production year in 2019.
While the price of R-22 is rising, consumer advocates are urging homeowners to resist scare tactics some air-
conditioning businesses are using by telling them that the gas is no longer available and that they need the new and costlier heat pumps that use R-410.
Francis Dietz, a spokesman for the Air Conditioning Heating and Refrigeration Institute, said the rising cost of R-22 can motivate some homeowners to consider a higher-efficiency, R-410 unit.
“I would say it’s not as plentiful as it used to be and more expensive,” he added.
Dietz said it might be possible for someone to keep an older, less-efficient heat pump operating “if it is running fine
Vanilla prices soar for cake, ice cream
BY WAYNE SHUTSKY Tribune Staff Writer
The vanilla ice cream cone is in danger. The quintessential summertime treat may be harder to find in the East Valley this summer as local purveyors feel the effects of a global vanilla bean shortage.
Based on estimates from local business owners, the price of vanilla bean products – including extracts and pastes used to create ice cream — began to rise dramatically six to 10 months ago.
The source of the price spike is a shortage of vanilla beans from Madagascar. It provides roughly 80 percent of the world’s supply.
The price that Chandler’s Ice Cream Sammies pays for its vanilla has gone up “by hundreds of dollars” in less than a year, employee Asia Caldwell said.
Chelsea Mellor, owner of the Iced for Life bakery in Gilbert, said "the price has gotten so expensive."
"About six months ago," she said, "I decided to alter my vanilla recipe to require less bean in order to save on costs but ensure the flavor. Our vanilla bean cake is one of the most popular, so it is crucial we still use the vanilla bean. But if it continues to rise, we may have to find an alternative."
The price is not the only problem. The vanilla bean scarcity also means that vanilla is harder to find for local businesses.
Ice Cream Sammies staff has
(Kimberly Carrillo/Tribune Photographer)
The rising price of vanilla beans is driving up the cost of many sweet treats, such as the cake that 3-year-old Aristotle Fister recently enjoyed during the 30th anniversary of the Dobson Ranch Library in Mesa. For a look at the anniversary party, see PAGE 10
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Quidditch for muggles goes Major League
BY HAILEY MENSIK Tribune Staff Writer
Faces flushed and dripping with sweat, seven women and men dressed in red and orange faced their white-shirted opponents at the Benedict Sports Complex in Tempe.
Three hoops raised at varying heights stand tall on both ends of the grassy field, waiting for a chaser on his or her broomstick to toss the quaffle through and earn their team 10 points.
It’s the Phoenix Sol against their division rival, the Los Angeles Guardians, and they’re playing Quidditch – a coed, full-contact sport popularized by J.K. Rowling’s “Harry Potter” series, originally intended for the likes of fictional wizards.
Despite the lack of actual magic necessary to propel the golden snitch and players’ broomsticks, Quidditch – which some consider a combination of rugby, basketball and dodge ball – is on its way to becoming a professional sport.
Major League Quidditch (MLQ), a national league that runs from June 1 to Aug. 31, is home to 16 teams across the U.S. and Canada. On Aug. 12-13, League City, Texas, will host the top 12 teams in the league at the 2017 MLQ Championship.
The Phoenix Sol is one of the league’s newest teams, founded in 2015 and including many past and present players from successful college teams like Arizona State University and Northern Arizona University.
Fred Kerstad, ASU’s Quidditch club president, said his team is one of the best in the nation, ranking ninth last season at nationals in Florida. It is also one of the better-known clubs on campus, so large that it now has both A and B teams.
Quidditch is also an NCAA-registered sport and receives around $10,000 in funding from the university yearly for travel and expenses, according to Kerstad.
“I’ve been in competitive sports all my life: baseball, football, basketball, golf, wrestling … and this is some of the most fun I’ve ever had,” Kerstad said. “You get to travel the country for free playing a made-up game.”
He said the sport’s newness has helped its evolution from college campuses to the major league.
“When people figure out about it, they don’t have much playing career left, in college at least,” Kerstad said. “I found out as a junior, so I got last season and this season and that’s it.”
“I think people just want to keep playing,” he said.
Jacob Bordenave, the “golden snitch” at the Sol vs. Guardians match, said the sport gives players a sense of community that they want to maintain beyond their college years.
“I’m a Harry Potter fan, but ultimately that has not defined me with Quidditch,” Bordenave said. “Moreso the sport itself and the community (has).”
The sport’s inclusivity makes it unusual, allowing both men and women to participate in a combination of club and school teams while they try different positions and engage with other teams at tournaments.
“It’s a very close-knit community,” said Belmina Mehmedagic, a player for the Phoenix Sol.
Both club and school teams exist and typically compete against each other, but US Quidditch, the national governing body for the sport, will officially split the leagues into two next season, Kerstad said.
The game itself follows most of the rules from the “Harry Potter” series, with the most noticeable difference in the human embodiment of the golden snitch and grounded broomsticks.
On each team, seven players – three chasers, a keeper, two beaters and a seeker – either guard their hoops, throw dodge balls at opposing team members or attempt to toss the quaffle, a volleyball, into the opponent’s hoops for 10 points each.
The snitch, a neutral player dressed in
all gold with a Velcro tennis ball attached to his or her shorts, is released roughly 15 minutes into the game. Similar to Capture the Flag, one team’s seeker must detach the Velcro ball to score 30 points and end the match.
For first-time spectators, the game can get confusing with elements of several different sports and multiple balls flying mid-air while players run with broomsticks.
However, Kerstad said it is rapidly growing – both players and fans alike.
“It’s only been around for four or five years now but we’re having a big impact already,” Kerstad said.
“I think they estimated 6,000 people at nationals, which for a start up sport is a lot of fans.”
“It’s grown into something more than I think anyone expected,” he said.
(Kimberly Carrillo/Tribune Staff Photographer)
A Quidditch player from the Los Angeles Guardians takes a shot against the Phoenix Sol at the Benedict Sports Complex in Tempe. The game is a combination of rugby, basketball and dodge ball.
(Kimberly Carrillo/Tribune Staff Photographer)
The snitch, Jacob Bordenave, enters the game and gives a stiff arm to Alexander Richardson of the Los Angeles Guardians
Gilbert neighborhood upset junk yard is planned next door
BY WAYNE SCHUTSKY Tribune Staff Writer
Residents of the Silverhawke neighborhood in Gilbert are voicing concerns over the future of the former Schuff Steel site at Cooper and Guadalupe Roads as the property owner plans to turn a portion of the site into a junk yard.
After hosting a hearing on the project on May 3, the Gilbert Planning Commission approved a conditional use permit and site plan for the Arizona Auto Parts salvage yard to be located on over 13 acres of land at 623 N. Cooper Road. Concerned residents filed an appeal against those initial approvals with the Gilbert Town Council. The Town Council will consider that appeal at a public hearing when it hosts its regular meeting at 7 p.m. on Thursday, June 29.
Weinberger Waste Disposal, a Phoenixbased company, owns the 23-acre property, which it purchased from Schuff Steel in June 2016. The remaining 10 acres will house a future Weinberger Transfer Station.
While the site is already zoned for
industrial use, the project still required a conditional use permit due to requirements in Gilbert’s Land Development Code, said Ashlee MacDonald, land use planner for Town of Gilbert.
Section 5.401 of Gilbert’s LDC states that “Generally these uses require special consideration to ensure that they can be designed, located, and operated in a manner that will not interfere with
“ When
readily visible to the public.
“This was very hush-hush,” Mills said.
According to the planning commission staff report filed by MacDonald, Gilbert conformed to all public notification requirements, including publishing a notice about the meeting in a local newspaper and posting notices in required public places.
The appeal stated, in part, that
we bought homes, we never had any idea that Schuff Steel would be leaving and become a junk yard.
”
Patti Daley Mills, Gilbert resident
the use and enjoyment of surrounding properties. The process for review of use permit applications is designed to evaluate possible adverse impacts and to minimize them where possible through the imposition of specific conditions or requirements.”
Resident Patti Daley Mills claims that signs notifying residents of that initial Planning Commission hearing were not
it is challenging the commission’s determination “that the proposed use would not be detrimental to the health, rights, or safety of persons living or working in the area.”
The planning commission report states that the project meets four criteria in order to qualify for a conditional use permit. That criteria includes that it is not a public safety or welfare concern
for people living or working in the area, that it does not interfere with use or enjoyment of nearby properties, and that it conforms to intent for the site under Gilbert’s General Plan and any applicable local, state or federal requirements.
Auto salvage yard is an approved use for land zoned as general industrial in Gilbert, and the proposed yard will conform with all necessary regulations, according to the report.
Silverhawke residents are concerned that their homes will now bump up against a junk yard.
Home values in the neighborhood generally range from $250,000 to $400,000, according to the online real estate marketplace Zillow.
“When we bought homes, we never had any idea that Schuff Steel would be leaving and become a junk yard,” Mills said.
MacDonald’s report found that the project would not pose a public safety or welfare risk to the area due, largely because it is bordered on three sides by other industrial uses.
– Reach Wayne Schutsky at 480-898-6533 or wschutsky@timespublications.com.
Tempe Union, Kyrene to ask voters for financial help
BY PAUL MARYNIAK Tribune Executive Editor
Both school districts that serve Tempe and parts of Chandler will be asking voters this fall for financial help by continuing budget overrides in the face of what officials and some citizens call the state Legislature’s continuing refusal to adequately fund public education in Arizona –particularly adequate teacher pay.
Tempe Union High School District’s governing board on June 7 approved a ballot question for a 15 percent operations and maintenance budget override by a 4-1 vote, with Brandon Schmoll voting against it.
Kyrene’s governing board last month unanimously approved three ballot questions – two allowing continuation of 15 percent operating and 10 percent capital budget overrides and a third authorizing the district to borrow up to $116,750,000 in bonds.
Both boards’ actions climaxed several months of study and discussion by scores of business and property owners, parents and community leaders who had volunteered to study the two districts’ financial options and recommend solutions.
Despite a plea by one of those citizens for a united front in Tempe Union’s campaign, Schmoll opposed the override question because of the way the override money would be used to bolster teacher and staff salaries.
“It is risky for the district to allocate the money towards permanent expenses using temporary income, especially since we will be maxed out on overrides and unable to receive more funds,” he said. He also was critical of the $300,000 cost of the all-mail election.
“Regardless of the outcome of this override, I think it’s important for the state legislature to properly fund K-12 schools so that we don’t have to spend $300,000 of district money on proposition expenses asking voters to approve more funding,” Schmoll said. “It’s extremely inefficient.”
No disharmony appears among Kyrene governing board members on their ballot questions. On June 13, they unanimously approved two separate statements urging voter approval of the two override measures.
“We are in the midst of a crisis when it comes to attracting and retaining
in various stages of studying the sale of large tracts of land that the districts bought years ago.
Tempe Union is a little further along with one of its two parcels and is homing in on the sale of a 63-acre tract in Ahwatukee.
Kyrene is just beginning the process of hiring a broker to help study the disposition of two tracts it owns –including part or all of the district headquarters in Tempe.
While the disposition of those four tracts could yield tens of millions of dollars, the money could not be used for operating expenses. It could only go for capital expenditures or to pay down debt under state law.
highly qualified teachers, as the teacher shortage is all too real,” says the district’s “pro” statement that will be included in voter information guides before the November election.
“This governing board has made teacher compensation a priority and we have worked hard to adopt a longterm strategy for increasing teacher salaries,” it also says. “Continuation
approved. The operating budget override won approval in 2013 and the capital override was OK’d by voters two years before that.
Kyrene voters last authorized the district to float bonds in 2010.
That money funded a slew of repairs at schools throughout the district and the purchase of propane-powered school buses and air-conditioning upgrades on
“ We are in the midst of a crisis when it comes to attracting and retaining highly qualified teachers, as the teacher shortage is all too real.”
of our (maintenance and operating) budget override will allow us to continue that important work and honor our commitment to our teachers.”
In a separate statement urging approval of the capital budget override, Kyrene board members stress that the district needs technology upgrades – some necessary because of state-mandated tests.
The only alternative to financing those upgrades, they warn, would be taking the money from the district’s operating budget and “displacing funding for teacher compensation.”
Kyrene’s two budget overrides will not increase property taxes.
Rather, the district is simply asking voters to continue for another seven years of overrides that they have already
those vehicles.
The $12.6 million that Kyrene earned in the 2016-17 from the existing operating budget override “is the equivalent of 200 teacher salaries,” according to district records.
Those records also noted that override money goes directly to maintaining enough teachers to keep class sizes small, fund enrichment classes such as physical education and music, pay part of the cost of servicing students who have physical or learning disabilities, and pay for support services such as libraries and laboratories.
Much of the capital budget override will help Kyrene maintain its aging buildings – which average around 30 years old.
Both Tempe Union and Kyrene are
Some officials in both districts have said the Legislature needs to change that law so the money could help cover operating expenses, including teacher salaries.
Tempe Union officials’ override question would result in a small tax increase because it would raise the existing 10 percent override to the maximum 15 percent allowed by law. But that additional 5 percent might not take effect all at once and instead be phased in by the school board over four or five years. It would end up giving teachers an average 8.5 percent pay increase over those time periods, totaling an average $4,700.
Once full in effect, it would add $70 to the annual tax bill of a home valued at $204,500, according to district records.
Tempe Union plans to use the entire additional 5 percent in override money exclusively for teaching pay increases.
Arizona ranks among the bottom five states for teacher salaries, according to various national studies.
Salaries have not only driven many experienced teachers out of Arizona schools into other states or occupations, but also have diminished the number of new university and college graduates who want to teach in the state, education officials have said.
The resulting teacher crisis has fueled numerous demands by business and citizen groups for more state funding. It also has fueled anger among the same groups over the Legislature’s expansion this year of vouchers for parents who want to send their children to charter schools since a large portion of state funding for public school districts is based on enrollment.
(Lauren Scott/Special to the Tribune)
Kyrene del Milenio Summer Academy teacher Ruben Johnson shows youngsters some guitar basics as part of the district's elementary school program for students who want to pick up extra learning in areas such as movie making, chemistry and other subjects.
VANILLA
been able to insulate the company from the dramatic price increases and scarcity to an extent by stockpiling vanilla for future use. Caldwell also noted that only a handful of ice creams they make inhouse use vanilla.
The shortage is does not just affect ice cream. Makers of other vanilla-infused products – from coffee to cakes – are also feeling the burn.
For Mesa’s Smitholator Cookie Shop, the price of vanilla has risen roughly 30 percent over the past six months.
“It affects the bottom line a little, but it doesn’t cause us to raise prices because we just absorb it,” said Heather Smith, the shop’s owner.
Fluff It Marshmallows, a dessert shop in Gilbert, has also felt the economic impact of the vanilla shortage as well. Owner Tricia Arce used to source her Mexican vanilla bean paste from an online retailer, but the price rise along with shipping costs forced her to look for a cheaper, local supplier.
Luckily, she found nearby Gilbert retailer Shar’s Bosch Kitchen Store.
Still, Arce has seen the prices at Shar’s rise, though a close working relationship with the provider has allowed her to keep her vanilla costs down.
“If (Shar’s) runs out, I will have to look elsewhere and that could raise prices,” Arce said.
Shar’s has seen vanilla prices rise 25 to 50 percent over the past several months, beginning in the Christmas baking season. The company has also experienced shortages and went through a nearly two-month period when it could not find vanilla products. It recently upped its order to avoid running out in the future, employee Lisa Westwood said.
Vanilla cultivation and curing is laborintensive, especially in Madagascar where the plants have to be pollinated by workers by hand. Vanilla was originally cultivated in Mexico, where the plant is naturally pollinated by a small bee, according to supplier Nielsen-Massey.
Much of the scarcity has been caused by increased demand as more food manufacturers and consumers opt for natural vanilla over synthetic alternatives, according to Nielsen Massey’s crop report for spring 2017.
There is also a strong chance that the effects of Cyclone Enawo will damage crops in Madagascar.
That supply- demand imbalance has driven up the price of vanilla to historic
highs during a five-year price surge. Vanilla supplies dwindled early in the 2000s after a market crash forced many suppliers out of business.
Since that time, natural vanilla's use has skyrocketed with the increased demand for natural flavorings from big companies such as Hershey.
Madagascar has also faced quality issues in recent years as some farmers resort to early harvesting and less effective curing processes to combat theft and take advantage of soaring prices. This includes vacuum-sealing green vanilla beans without curing them.
“The higher the price, the poorer the quality,” said Josephine Lochhead, president of Cook’s Vanilla, a gourmet vanilla supplier.
The government of Madagascar has set up official markets and put regulations in place to combat early picking and increase the supply of vanilla. Last year, the price for green vanilla beans in Madagascar opened at $33 per kilo.
At the most recent market opening in
Madagascar on June 20, buyers offered $34 per kilo for green vanilla beans while growers sought $120 per kilo. The picked vanilla has to be sold within four days, so it is likely the two sides will compromise on a figure between $60 and $70 per kilo, Lochhead said.
It takes roughly five to six kilos of green vanilla beans to produce a kilo of cured ones. However, the quality issues have driven that ration to around 8:1, according to the Nielsen Massey report.
Even retailers that source vanilla from alternative markets are not protected from the price hikes since the Madagascar price heavily influences the world market.
Complicating the issue is that some alternative markets like Mexico have had low yields recently. Mexico produced under six tons of cured vanilla so far this year. Madagascar has produced roughly 1,200 tons during that time.
The Madagascar price has skyrocketed
so high that farmers are “swimming in cash,” Lochhead added, creating a volatile and potentially dangerous situation. Banks in Madagascar are literally running out of cash, forcing the government to put regulations in place limiting the amount of cash that can be withdrawn and creating a volatile situation in the country.
How much longer the vanilla price surge will last is still up in the air.
Suppliers like Cook’s Vanilla are being very cautious in their buying practices and are hesitant to stockpile too much product. During the price crash in the early 2000s, the price dropped from $650 to $20 per kilo in one week with devastating results for some companies.
“Nobody wants to be holding the beans when price drops,” Lochhead said.
– Reach Wayne Schutsky at 480-898-6533 or wschutsky@timespublications.com.
(Kimberly Carrillo/Tribune Staff Photographer) Amy Moss, head baker at Fluff it Marshmallows in Gilbert, makes some treats for the shop.
(Kimberly Carrillo/Tribune Staff Photographer) Dastinee Tann, 9, and her sister Aysia Marie, 7, enjoy the fare at Fluff it Marshmallows in Gilbert.
Tempe animal shelter to close, seeks homes for animals
Ohana Animal Rescue in Tempe is closing Friday, June 30, and is in the process of finding homes for its cats and dogs.
The shelter announced on its Facebook page that it has “been running in the red for a great time and can no longer sustain shelter operations.”
The organization says that it has been operating in Tempe for five years and has helped nearly 4,000 cats, dogs, birds, guinea pigs, and a chinchilla into homes.
“Due to tragic circumstances, the directors have stepped back and the Ohana volunteers are taking on the responsibility of getting these animals to safe placement,” the volunteers wrote on Facebook.
TRIBUNE STAFF REPORT
Workshop to teach leadership to high school students
The Logic and Leadership Workshop will teach high school students “how to break the mold of traditional habits and align yourself for success” from 9-11 a.m. Thursday, June 29, at the Gilbert Chamber of Commerce, 119 N. Gilbert Road, Suite 101.
The conference will be led by the Leadership Society of Arizona, a federal nonprofit leadership education and professional development organization.
Admission is free and space is limited to 40 attendees. To register, go to business.gilbertaz. com.
– TRIBUNE STAFF REPORT
Christmas in July drive to start for United Food Bank
United Food Bank in Mesa is kicking off its annual Christmas in July food drive competition at 5:30-6:30 p.m. Monday, June 26, Crescent Crown Distributing, 1640 W. Broadway Road.
Christmas in July is an annual food drive competition between local Chambers of Commerce in the East Valley and eastern Arizona to see who can raise the most money and collect the most non-perishable food to help stock the shelves of United Food Bank during the month of July.
Some kids face their toughest test when school’s out because summer is the end of free and reduced-school meal programs. Information: 480-926-4897.
and all it needs is to be topped off with some refrigerant.”
But, he added, “It’s never a bad idea to at least get a quote on a new unit and the efficiency rating.”
Some businesses are taking unfair advantage of the situation.
“There’s a lot of misinformation in the market. In some cases, they are telling people there is no refrigerant available,” said Mike Donley, president of Donley Service Center in Phoenix, which operates a Gilbert branch serving the East Valley.
“Most units out there have R-22 in them,” Donley added. “They are working fine. People don’t have to do anything. People will have R-22 units well into the future.”
But if an older R-22 requires an expensive repair, such as replacement of a compressor, the consumer should consider buying a new R-410 model, Donley said.
Donley said the prices of repairs as well as new units varies substantially in the market, depending upon the details of an installation and the size of the house.
As a rule, he said, a new unit, including installation, can range from $5,000 to
Gilbert moves to open new non-profit agency
BY JIM WALSH Tribune Staff Writer
(Special to the Tribune)
Mike Donley, right, president of airconditioning company Donley Service Center, seen here with his father Jim, said homeowners need to be wary of companies trying to take advantage of the R-22 refrigerant shortage to push people into buying an entirely new unit.
$8,000, with $7,500 an average.
“It depends on the efficiency level, the brand, who is putting it in,” Donley said. “The customer has a lot of options. We try to present the options.”
Donley said consumers need to make an informed decision on whether to repair an older heat pump, realizing that production of R-22 will be banned in three years and that they are looking at increasingly high repair bills in the event of a leak – a common repair issue with heat pumps.
The higher efficiency of new units and the promise of lower electricity bills also should be factored into the decision, he added.
The financial decision on whether to repair or replace a heat pump is not unlike the decision to pay higher maintenance bills to keep an older car running, instead of replacing it with a new or newer one, industry experts said.
Donley urged consumers to check out companies before hiring them, making sure they have a long track record in the business and a good rating from the Better Business Bureau.
“The most important thing is who you call, who is serving your home,” he said. – Reach Jim Walsh at 480-898-5639 or at jwalsh@timespublications.com.
Gilbert took a tentative step toward the opening of a new non-profit agency, approving the use of more than $1 million in federal funds for renovations at the closed Page Park library.
But while the Town Council voted 5-2 to approve the renovations, it did not specifically identify the services that would be provided by the social service agency or who would provide them. Town documents vaguely call the facility a “wellness center” but do not define its purpose beyond that.
The project dates back to a “needs assessment survey,” completed for the town three years ago. The laundry list of needs identified at that time included additional domestic violence shelters; employment services; mental health and substance abuse treatment facilities; youth services; and treatment for veterans suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder.
Melanie Dykstra, Gilbert’s community resources program manager, said she envisions the center as a one-stop shop where clients could receive information about a variety of social services. She said counseling, dental care and immunizations may eventually be available.
Gilbert issued a request for proposals to find potential operators for the center and the matter may go before the council on Aug. 17, she said.
Tom Freestone, a retired justice of the peace who spent more than 30 years representing the East Valley in a variety of elective offices, spoke in favor of providing for social services in Gilbert.
He said that people without adequate health care are in need of services and that the town can control the types of services offered through a request for proposals issued to service providers.
“You can design by contract. I think it will be a great benefit,” Freestone said. “That is an ideal place for it.”
Although he has always considered himself a fiscal conservative, Freestone also has spent most of his life responding to the needs of the less fortunate. He served decades on the board of Mesa’s Marc Center, a wide-ranging, nonprofit social service agency that serves the developmentally disabled and also
provides behavioral health services.
“They are in denial. They pretend that if they don’t have a place for them, they are not there,” Freestone said, with lowincome Gilbert residents generally going to nearby Chandler to get services and Mesa’s non-profits, such as Marc, offering regional services.
Freestone said he would like to see the wellness center offer healthcare to people without insurance, aimed at reducing communicable diseases, and dental services.
“It’s very unfair for those other cities to carry the burden of another town,” Freestone said. “We do have some people on welfare, through no choice of their own.”
But council members Victor Petersen and Jared Taylor voted against the construction project, expressing doubts about the lack of a specific plan for services and reservations about whether the town should have any role in social services.
“I support that outside of government. I think in the long run, it will end up a significant taxpayer liability,” Petersen said. “My view is that it will end up growing the welfare state in Gilbert.”
Taylor said there are other social services in the area, including some that are privately run, and he does not want to duplicate services.
“We don’t really have a defined strategy here,” he said. “It does move us more into the business of social services.”
Council member Jordan Ray also expressed some misgivings about the project, saying, ““I don’t want the town to run this facility or pay for this facility. I look forward to handing it off to someone else.”
But council member Scott Anderson said the wellness center is the intended use of the federal Community Development Block Grants program that would provide more than $1.1 million to fund the renovations.
“I can’t think of a better use of these funds,” he said. “I’d rather put this money into something that impacts lives.”
Council member Eddie Cook said that one possible use for the wellness center might be a free dental clinic, offered on a limited basis by St. Vincent de Paul.
Almost half in poll say Winkle should not resign
Most think Mesa City Councilman Ryan Winkle should remain in office despite his May DUI arrest, a poll from OH Predictive Insights has found.
In the survey of 304 registered voters in Mesa’s 3rd City Council District, 47 percent said he should remain in office. A little over one third, 36 percent, said he should resign. Seventeen percent had no opinion.
More residents had a favorable opinion of Winkle than unfavorable, 26 percent to 12 percent. Sixty-two percent had no opinion. OH Predictive Insights, a Phoenix-based leading behavioral research polling company, contacted people from June 8 to June 19. The margin of error is 5.61 percentage points.
STAFF REPORT
Phoenix-Mesa Gateway adds 8 new destinations
Allegiant Air is adding eight new nonstop destinations at Phoenix-Mesa Gateway Airport, the largest service expansion since the airline arrived in Mesa 10 years ago. The carrier will now offer service to 46 nonstop destinations from the greater Phoenix area.
The new routes include Midwest destinations such as Milwaukee and Kansas City, Boise in the Mountain West, and Tampa/St. Petersburg, Florida.
Gateway Airport had more than 1.3 million passengers in 2016, and anticipates a sharp increase in activity associated with these eight new destinations. Several construction projects designed to increase capacity and enhance convenience of existing airport facilities and infrastructure are already underway at the airport.
– TRIBUNE STAFF REPORT
Boeing mulls moving jobs to Mesa from Washington state
Boeing, the global aeronautics manufacturer, is considering growing its presence in Mesa by transferring employees from its facilities in Washington state.
Carole Thompson, a spokesperson for Boeing, said the company is considering relocating employees from the Shared Services Group that supports enterprisewide services and other business units within the company. However, she stressed that these discussions are in the early stages and relocations likely would not take place for two to three years.
“We don’t have a lot of details at this point. However, we have a great relationship with Boeing’s local office in Mesa, and we look forward to working with our partners to welcome employees and their families once the final decision is made to relocate to Mesa,” City of Mesa Economic Development Director Bill Jabjiniak wrote in an email.
Boeing currently employs over 3,700 people in Arizona, the majority of whom work in Mesa. The company employs nearly 72,000 people in Washington state.
WAYNE SHUTSKY, TRIBUNE STAFF WRITER
Mesa’s Dobson Ranch Library marks 30 years of service
BY HAILEY MENSIK Tribune Staff Writer
Thirty years ago, the Dobson Ranch Library in Mesa opened its doors to a community eager for all it had to offer.
It was ahead of its time – trading catalogues for then high-tech computers, automating the checkout process just before the imminent transition to the digital age.
The library faced its fair share of hardships, such as an early ‘90s recession spurring closure rumors and protests from hundreds of Mesa families to keep it open. Even the recent 2008 recession took its toll, but community volunteers stepped up to continue operations.
Today, with 25 computers, it remains a popular spot for residents to find information and use technology. The library celebrated its anniversary earlier this month with a party that looked backed at all its achievements since its doors opened in 1987.
Much has changed, particularly in
without leaving your house,” said Sarah Prosory, Dobson Ranch Library branch coordinator.
Despite such technological advancements, Wolf said, print remains the most popular form of circulation.
“Even though digital circulation is increasing, so is print,” she said.
terms of technology, such as the arrival of e-books – an online alternative to hard copies that library cardholders download directly to their computers, smartphones or tablets.
“We’ve always been about information,” said Heather Wolf, library director. “It’s the format that’s changed.”
E-books give visitors access to a variety of material and eliminate late fees by automatically retracting content from the renter’s device after two weeks of use.
“You can get a book at 10 at night
Oftentimes, the type of content dictates the preferred format.
“I don’t retain things as well when I’m reading it on a computer screen or hearing it,” Wolf said. “So for me, the print format helps me remember something better.”
As for leisurely reading, it’s all about preference, given increased accessibility
Doctors: Don’t substitute ride-sharing services for ambulances
BY LEAH MERRALL Tribune Staff Writer
Millions of Americans take ambulances to the hospital each year, but with the unpredictability of costs and destinations, many people are turning to a more affordable and predictable service: Uber.
At a recent Mesa budget meeting, someone referred to American Medical Response, an ambulance company that provides services in 42 states, as a “Big Box Uber,” a nickname that ruffled some feathers and even sparked a discussion at the latest International Association of Fire Chiefs EMS Conference.
Taking an ambulance is expensive, ranging anywhere from $500 to $2,000 depending on where you live. On the other hand, ridesharing services like Uber and Lyft give price estimates right off the bat and are a fraction of the cost.
Riders can also choose which hospital they’re transported to.
However, the two services are not interchangeable.
“It actually has become a topic of discussion in the industry, and I think that there’s a big difference between a ride-share company and an ambulance when it comes to an emergency,” said John Karolzak, government and public affairs liaison for AMR in Phoenix.
“We have highly trained professionals that can immediately identify medical emergencies and take immediate action to treat patients while en route to the hospital.”
The growing tendency for people to take a ride-sharing service to the ER rather than an ambulance is concerning to professionals in the industry because of what it can mean for everyone involved.
(Kimberly Carrillo/Tribune Staff Photographer) Dobson Library celebrated its 30th birthday with cake and well-wishers.
(Kimberly Carrillo/Tribune Staff Photographer) Stephanie Stoner, Dobson youth librarian, holds a bucket of markers and squares of paper that patrons were asked to use to decorate library walls.
Strep cases hitting at an unusual time of the year
BY ERICA APODACA Tribune Staff Writer
Arecent outbreak in strep throat cases has spread across the East Valley.
Jessica Rigler, branch chief for public health preparedness at the Arizona Department of Health Services, said, “This is about double of what we usually see.”
DHS only tracks Streptococcus Group A, which is a bacterium that makes its way into normally sterile places, such as the blood, muscles or lungs. Streptococcus Group A is also responsible for causing strep throat.
“These are people who are having sepsis, or significant lung infections or something else that’s really out of the ordinary,” Rigler said, “It’s not your general strep throat where you go to the doctor, get your throat swabbed, get your antibiotics and go home. These are your people that are developing pretty significant signs of illness that are seeking health care and are most likely hospitalized.”
According to the 2016 reports, 188 invasive strep group A cases were recorded for January through April 30. This year, 200 cases have been seen in the same time frame.
“Our five-year median for January to April is 102 cases,” Rigler said. The number of cases for this year has already doubled that.
Maricopa County has made up the majority of the cases, which is expected being the largest and most-populated county in the state, with 129 cases,
according to Rigler.
Pima County falls second with just under 60 cases.
Those most likely to be affected by strep group A are those with weakened immune systems, Rigler said.
“We’re typically seeing much higher rates or case numbers in older adults. So, 45 and older is where we are seeing the highest number of cases being reported,” Rigler said. “Also, we are seeing a larger portion of males than females being effected for 2016.”
Demographically, whites make up the majority of the cases as well as a good portion of the population.
“We are seeing a disproportionate effect in Native Americans.
While they aren’t the highest reported cases necessarily, when you look at the number of cases compared to their makeup of their rates are about twice as high as the rest of the population,” Rigler said.
online.
The arrival of online access freed up physical space in the 14,000-square-foot building, offering room to accommodate requests for new furniture, study rooms and partitions dividing silent reading areas from children’s play areas.
Both internal and external renovations were made over the years, but the building, nestled in the Dobson Ranch Park, still complements its surroundings.
“The design I think was pretty timeless,” said Dennis Kavanaugh, former vice mayor and a Dobson Ranch
seeing it in later spring this year, which is a little unusual.”
Strep throat is usually indicated with an “abrupt onset of a sore throat,” and a fever over 101 degrees.
“You might notice a tonsillar exudate; kind of a white coating in the back of the throat. Usually they have very sore lymph nodes along their neck and they lack a cough,” Ledesma said.
Strep throat spreads with the exposure of respiratory or oral secretion. This can range from inhalation of airborne particles to sharing straws or not washing hands.
(Special to the Tribune) Linda-Michelle Ledesma, physician at Banner Urgent Care, said the timing of the current outbreak of strep throat “is a little unusual.”
The outbreak of Streptococcus Group A stretches beyond those of what is tracked.
Clinics across the East Valley have seen an increase in strep throat cases this year.
Linda-Michelle Ledesma, physician at Banner Urgent Care, said, “Peak seasons for strep throat are winter and early spring but a lot of our clinics have been
resident. “It’s been a very flexible space and I think that’s been helpful as library activities and trends have changed over the past 30 years.”
Planning began around 1982 and the building opened six years later. The city received special permission from the federal government to locate it in the park, as the land was donated. Soon after, it became a hub for community and city activities.
“It’s right in the heart of Dobson Ranch and is set in well with the golf course, park and police and fire stations,” Kavanaugh said. “It really is a southwest city campus.”
The library had about 190,000 visitors since last June from East Valley cities,
stuff, Tylenol, ibuprofen sometimes a mouthwash. Antibiotics cannot fix a viral infection; they cause more harm than good.”
Testing for strep throat is dependent on the Centor criteria, which determines which a rapid strep test or culture test should be used.
The rapid strep test is done in five minutes and in clinic. However, it has low sensitivity and could misdiagnose a patient.
The culture test is swabbed in the clinic, then sent to the lab. There, the bacterium is grown and watched for Streptococcus group A.
“So, of course, a good hand-washing technique and proper coughing etiquette or not sharing straws or sloppy kisses when someone is not feeling well,” Ledesma said.
Strep throat is typically treated with an antibiotic and best if caught within the first 10 days.
“I would be saying within a day or two of symptoms, get checked by a physician,” Ledesma said.
If caught within those first 10 days, sore throat and fever will subside within the first 24 to 48 hours that antibiotics are initiated.
“The majority of sore throat cases are usually viral,” Ledesma said, “We want to provide supportive care, coming up with remedies like over-the-counter
according to Prosory.
As for the future of the library, a primary goal for the library is to use it to increase digital literacy as technology advances.
“We try to make sure they are not only aware of these resources, but show them how to use them,” Wolf said of its users.
Additionally, early childhood literacy remains a primary objective.
“We have programs that help parents realize talking with their children and singing with their children are going to help them build those pre-literacy skills,” Wolf said. “So when they get to kindergarten they’re ready to start learning.”
“Culture is considered the gold standard. That takes about 48 hours to get back and, again, you’re still within the 10 days to decide to initiate antibiotics or not,” Ledesma said.
But just because the test comes back positive for streptococcus does not mean that the patient has strep throat.
“Typically, up to 30 percent of the population that can be carriers of group A strep,” Ledesma said, “Some of it is benign so they could be carriers of the bacteria. That doesn’t mean they need to be treated if they aren’t having any symptoms.”
Although it is possible to catch strep throat from a carrier, there is a lower chance of getting strep from a carrier than from someone with an active infection.
“I would really encourage the public to trust their providers that they are making good decisions on when an antibiotic would be appropriate or not,” Ledesma said.
Within the past two years, two of Mesa’s other library branches: the Red Mountain and Main Branch, added “THINKspots” – areas with 3-D printers, audio and video equipment, green screens and other technology for visitors to conduct innovative work as part of a business, community or school group.
“They’ve been so popular that I’m hopeful library staff can be creative and find space to do that in the southwest part of the city,” Kavanaugh said. “That’s on my wish list.”
“They have to identify suitable space and it would have to be a budget item to work in,” Kavanaugh said. “But southwest Mesa deserves a THINKspot.”
Mesa’s Natural History Museum plans to replicate a ‘dino breakout’
BY BJ ALDERMAN Tribune Contributor
Many a prisoner held in the Mesa Territorial Jail, now on display at the Arizona Natural History Museum, spent long hours imagining how they could break through the strap iron barriers that confined them.
Mesa citizens need to prepare themselves for a different kind of break from the museum: an escaping dinosaur crashing through the brick wall at Pepper Place and McDonald.
A life-sized Acrocanthosaurus would have measured 38 feet from snout to tail tip and weighed over 6 tons.
The currently displayed model of the dinosaur in the museum lobby replicates the dramatic escape scenario that will jazz up the museum’s currently plain exterior on Pepper Place.
Staff at the museum “determined the probable coloration” of the dinosaur, said director Tom Wilson, “based on factors such as sexual attraction and predator/ prey relationship.”
Acrocanthosaurus translates into “highspined lizard” and the model was based on the museum’s replica of an actual one in its collection.
The museum last month sent a request for proposals all over the world to identify the artist to create this exciting addition to downtown Mesa. The response deadline is mid-summer.
COMMUNITY BRIEFS
CHANDLER
Friends of Chandler Library to host annual meeting
Friends of the Chandler Public Library will conduct its annual meeting from 6-7:30 p.m. Thursday, June 27, at the Chandler Downtown Library’s Copper Room, 22 S. Delaware St.
Plans for 2017-2018, board positions open and the upcoming donation campaign will also be discussed.
Back to school supplies
being collected for event
Chandler’s Diversity Office and its community partners collecting school supplies and more to give out during July’s Operation Back to School
“We are hoping for a four to six-month construction, subject to the artist’s fabrication time,” Wilson said.
Wilson also noted that the American Alliance of Museums (AAM) will meet in Phoenix in the summer of 2018, with the kickoff taking place in Mesa.
“We are expecting 5,000 attendees from all over the country and from around the world,” he said, adding that with luck, the museum’s celebration of
Chandler event.
The city is accepting school supplies, shoes, socks and underwear, as well as supplies from a recommended wish list directly for Federal program students.
For a list of school supplies needed, plus a list of drop-off locations, go to backtoschoolchandler.org.
Chandler student wins award from textbook publisher
Natalie Cowell, an 8th grade student at Anderson Junior High School, is one of 15 national winners of the 2017 180 Student Awards from Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. The awards honor students for their significant math and literacy gains using intensive intervention programs Read 180, Math 180 and System 44.
Natalie hopes to attend the University
Wilson said most museums find that “the generosity of donors is not unusual, but I find that the generosity to the Natural History Museum is extraordinary.”
He reported that staff recently unwrapped the most recent donation to the museum, a collection of native baskets and Plains beadwork for eventual display after photographs of each piece are taken, descriptions are written and mode of display determined.
Concurrently, the Lou and Evelyn Grubb collection is being readied for exhibit.
It consists of “almost 500 baskets from the Southwest, Great Basin, California and Northwest coast, along with prehistoric and historic ceramics, Navajo textiles, Plains and Plateau beadwork on leather,” Wilson said, adding:
“In the last few years, the museum has attracted major collections of preColumbian objects from the Southwest, Mesoamerica and South America.”
the great dino breakout will be enjoyed by AAM visitors if everything goes according to plan.
The museum has $120,000 for the project to date. Once the museum identifies an artist or fabricator to lead the project, the team will develop the budget. The Arizona Museum of Natural History Foundation will lead the effort to raise the money necessary to complete the project.
of Arizona and then law school.
She will receive a cash prize for her education, while her nominator, Carol Lynn Wood, will receive HMH educational materials for her school or district.
MESA
City conducts annual survey of bicycling in the community
Mesa Transportation Department’s Bicycle & Pedestrian Program is seeking input on the cycling culture in the community through its annual survey.
The city hopes to collect data on who is biking in Mesa, what motivates people to ride, their concerns as cyclists and the types of programming they want.
The survey is open at surveymonkey. com/r/MesaBikePedSurvey and will be available until July 31.
The works of art can be viewed on the museum’s website (azmnh.org) and in the exhibition “Cultures of the Ancient Americas.”
The website also is the place to see what artist is chosen to make the bricks fly as Mesa’s very own Acrocanthosaurus muscles its way through the museum wall, as well as opportunities to donate to the visionary enhancement to Downtown Mesa.
Participants will be entered in a random drawing for Mesa Downtown Dollar gift cards, redeemable at more than 40 Downtown Mesa businesses.
Coast Guard Auxiliary meets in Mesa, seeks members
The Coast Guard Auxiliary is seeking people 17 and older for membership. Members may become involved in boating activities, such as safety patrols on Arizona’s lakes, public education classes, vessel safety checks and marine and environmental safety. Extensive training is provided.
The group meets at 6:30 p.m. on the fourth Monday of each month at the Bass Pro Shop meeting room, 2nd floor, 1133 N. Dobson Road, Mesa.
Information: David Icenhower at DJIcenhower@msn.com.
(Special to the Tribune)
A life-sized Acrocanthosaurus breaks out of the Arizona Natural History Museum at Pepper Place and McDonald.
Oftentimes, people who think they’re experiencing a minor medical inconvenience can actually have symptoms masking a much larger problem that can manifest itself suddenly on the way to the hospital, according to Dr. Joseph Winchell, who treats patients in the emergency department at Banner Desert Medical Center in Mesa.
Most Uber and Lyft drivers aren’t trained for medical emergencies, so there’s the potential for both drivers and riders to be put in compromising situations.
Winchell said that he’s seen drivers run into the ER because their rider is unconscious in the backseat. Other times, drivers call 911 from the side of the highway because their rider lost consciousness halfway through the drive.
added. On the other hand, ride-sharing services can be used for discharge from hospital, a ride to the doctor for scheduled appointments and trips to the pharmacy to pick up prescriptions, he said.
AMR actually has a partnership with Lyft to provide non-emergency medical transportation services. According to a March 2017 article in Business Wire, the partnership uses a “one call” service so hospitals and caregivers can arrange any patient transport from a non-emergency rideshare service to ambulance transport through a single call or online portal.
In cities like Washington, D.C., and Boston, this system is more common than it is in the greater Phoenix area, although Winchell said he hopes a system like that could be put in place here soon.
Many patients don’t have transportation options to get to a hospital for non-emergency services,
“ EMS can get medicine to you faster than you can get to medicine.”
Dr. Joseph Winchett
Many Uber drivers have shared their stories on a discussion board, with experiences ranging anywhere from drivers who have taken bleeding riders to the hospital and charged them for the damage, or drivers who have canceled their ride and called 911 for the people they’ve gone to pick up.
There is not a required protocol for Uber drivers in this situation, however.
“We’re grateful our service has helped people get to where they’re going when they need it the most,” said an Uber spokesperson in an email. “However, it’s important to note that Uber is not a substitute for law enforcement or medical professionals. In the event of any medical emergency, we encourage people to call 911.”
Winchell suggests that drivers should trust their instincts upon picking up a rider. On the other hand, Karolzak, from AMR, said an ambulance is always the safer bet.
“EMS can get medicine to you faster than you can get to medicine,” Karolzak said.
Cases like cardiac arrest, chest pain, trauma, heart attack, stroke, burns, shortness of breath, injuries, fractures and childbirth should warrant a person to access the 911 system, Karolzak
so they’ll call 911 for a ride, which also dispatches the fire department. That means those crews get taken away from public service.
“When it’s used appropriately, I would say it’s a good alternative,” Winchell said. “When it’s non-emergency and non-medical issues, it frees up the ambulances to respond to true emergencies.”
According to the National Emergency Number Association, an estimated 240 million calls are made to 911 in the U.S. each year. The continuous development of a relationship between emergency services and ridesharing services can help ensure the best option for people with medical issues moving forward, and make sure resources are being properly utilized.
In the meantime, professionals agree that it’s best to err on the side of caution.
“We need to continue to educate our elected officials, all the key stakeholders and the communities that we serve about when’s the right time to use an ambulance and when’s the right time to use an Uber or a rideshare service,”
Karolzak said. “When an ambulance is referred to as a ‘Big Box Uber,’ maybe you need to step back and make sure stakeholders understand your capabilities.”
Sotheby opens office for East Valley in Gilbert
BY PAUL MARYNIAK Tribune Executive Editor
Sotheby’s International Realty might be known for marketing places like the $165-million, 12-bedroom home and 15-acre ocean-to-lake estate in Manapalan, Florida, but that doesn’t mean the company doesn’t like what it sees in the East Valley.
In fact, it is specifically opening an office in the area because it likes what it sees – a lot.
So much that Sherri Monteith is leaving her home of 24 years in Flagstaff, where she has been the managing broker of Ross Lyons Sotheby’s office in that city, to assume the same position for the company’s new office in Gilbert.
“I’m making a huge change and making a huge commitment to this office,” said Montieth, a Pittsburgh native who has been in real estate for 17 years – all but three with Sotheby’s.
She has been Ross Lyon Sotheby International’s managing broker for its Sedona office for nine years and the rest of the time at its Flagstaff operation.
“This is a very important office she’ll be running,” said Jeff Hall, an Ahwatukee Realtor and retired attorney.
Hall is not only relieved he doesn’t have to drive to Sotheby’s Scottsdale office anymore, but he’s excited about seeing more exposure for Sotheby’s in the East Valley.
The 250-year-old British multinational company, based in New York City, is
BUSINESS BRIEFS
Tempe-based Goettl acquires HVAC company in California
Goettl Air Conditioning has purchased Walton’s Heating and Air of Corona, marking Goettl’s first entry into California. Goettl, based in Tempe, adds 35 employees and access to more than 10,000 families in the Inland Empire, Orange County and San Gabriel Valley of California.
Family-owned Walton’s Heating and Air has been in business for 32 years.
often recognized for its massive auction house operation.
But Hall said that when comes to real estate, “We have the sophistication of a well-cut suit. Nothing is loud. Everything is subtle. That’s what Sotheby represents – quiet sophistication.”
And for agents like himself, he added, “The management is so professional and meticulous. They take care of their agents. They make sure their agents have every single tool they need, and the monthly fees are a quarter of what many agents pay elsewhere. They go all out to help the agents.”
Zenefits ordered to pay
$3.4 million in unpaid overtime
Zenefits, which has an operations base in Tempe, will pay $3.4 million in unpaid overtime after U.S. Department of Labor Wage and Hour Division investigators found that the human resources startup violated the Fair Labor Standards Act.
Zenefits misclassified 743 account executives and sales development representatives as exempt from minimum wage and overtime in its Tempe, Scottsdale and San Francisco offices.
The company cut almost half of its
Hall said Sotheby’s decided to open an East Valley office after studying upwardtrending real estate markets worldwide. Montieth said the decision has little to do with the region’s seven-figure housing market even though the company’s name often is associated with high-end luxury homes.
“Our bread and butter is the threebedroom and two-bath home,” she said. “We do well in the high-end market because of the international exposure but the client selling the $100,000 condo will get the same treatment as the person selling the seven-figure mansion.”
workforce in February and centralized operations in its Tempe office.
Toyota
Financial Services expanding jobs in Chandler
Toyota Financial Services, a financing and insurance arm of Toyota Motor Co., is adding 50 workers in Chandler.
The company has 700 employees at an operations center at Ray and Price roads along the Price Road Corridor, one of the top employment hubs in Arizona.
Toyota is hiring for bilingual and other customers service jobs, collections
Conceding “we’ve always done very well in the high range,” she added, “but our emphasis has always been on quality, not price point.”
Montieth didn’t set out for a career in real estate when she started at Northern Arizona University, graduating with an advertising-marketing degree.
She worked at Century 21 for three years before Sotheby’s lured her away.
Despite her long tenure in real estate, “I’ve never sold any,” she said. “I’ve always been in management.”
And she sees her new job as an attractive challenge.
“I love start-ups and love meeting people” she said. “And I’ve always had my eye on the East Valley.”
“There’s plenty of room for this office to grow. In Flagstaff, you get to the Tonto Forest pretty quickly,” she noted, a reference to how nature hems in the firm’s geographical area.
Her job at the new office will growing its presence in the region and making sure her agents have all the tools they need to succeed.
“If they are successful, we’re successful,” Montieth said. “I want people to come in and be part of the family atmosphere. I take a huge interest in my agents.”
Montieth said that as she figures out “how to use the Sotheby name and branding to build its business,” she’ll be pushing hard the notion that sellers can expect “the international treatment” from the company, whose dark blue “sale” signs “carry a lot of prestige.”
positions and contract analysts.
Tempe names Chamber Volunteer of the Year
Desirae Noonan, the branch manager of Express Employment Professionals in Tempe, has been named the Tempe Chamber Volunteer of the Year. She will be honored at the Chamber’s Annual Luncheon on June 29.
She is also a member of the Women in Business Council, and was a protégé graduate in its mentoring program this year.
(Kimberly Carrillo/Tribune Staff Photographer)
Sherri Montieth left her longtime home in Flagstaff to become the managing broker of Ross Lyon Sotheby International’s first oEast Valley office.
You are cordially invited to join us for educational presentations in your neighborhood!
MEDICARE 101
Ever wonder what Medicare Parts A, B, C and D cover? Want to know if you are eligible? Attend our Medicare Educational Workshop, where you can ask questions and learn all about your Medicare options.
MEDICARE SAVINGS PROGRAMS & EXTRA HELP
Would you like more money in your Social Security Check? Find out how you may be able to: Keep more money in your Social Security check and get help to lower your prescription drug costs.
June 28 at 11 a.m.
Iora Primary Care
- Ellsworth
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June 29 at 11 a.m.
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5110 E. Southern Ave.
July 5 at 11 a.m.
Iora Primary Care
July 6 at 11 a.m.
Iora Primary Care - Higley
5110 E. Southern Ave.
- Ellsworth 9124 E. Main St. *Educational presentation has been prepared by Humana’s clinical education team and will be presented by a licensed Humana sales agent. Humana is a Medicare Advantage HMO, PPO and PFFS organization with a Medicare contract. Enrollment in any Humana plan depends on contract renewal. GHHJVWFEN
Everyone is invited – you don’t have to be a Humana member to attend. Presented by, Israel Acevedo and Linda Stemerman, licensed sales agents* Call (480) 325-4707 to RSVP. See you there!
Sure it’s hot in Arizona, but in Florida, it’s nasty wet hot
BY DAVID LEIBOWITZ Tribune Columnist
Kfetid, muggy hell that is Florida. Why, you ask? Because humidity, that’s why.
EY WEST, FLORIDA
–
Economists like to chatter in eggheaded ways about something they call “the misery index,” which combines the unemployment rate and inflation to rank how Joe Bagodonuts is doing walletwise. Me, I prefer to measure misery in terms of weather – as in, exactly what constitutes the most miserable weather conditions known to man?
Hint: It is not a dry heat, people. Sure, all week the Valley felt like camping inside the 900-degree oven at your nearest Capitol Grille. Record desert heat does rank high on the misery index – like somewhere between listening to an entire Justin Bieber song and eating a bad clam – but it still isn’t the worst possible state to support human life as we know it.
That miserable title belongs to the
The word “humidity” actually derives from the French term “humide,” which, loosely translated, means “yoo meaned people actually live in the middle of dis?” And the answer ought to be a resounding “No!,” at least where I am concerned, except that back in the late 1970s my dear mom and dad decided that life in a swamp would be preferable to living in the concrete environs of Queens. Since they have never left south Florida, a Father’s Day trip home means a solid week of humidity and a tsunami of sweat.
You never how much you miss the fourth-degree burns caused by black leather car seats on a 117-degree afternoon until you venture outside to fetch dad’s Miami Herald when it’s 86 degrees accompanied by 90 percent humidity.
Apparently, many Earth species besides Homo sapiens thrive in humidity, at least
judging by the size of Florida’s iguanas, cockroaches and mosquitos, all of which I experienced during an ill-advised attempt at a round of golf down here.
The best shot I hit? A low line drive at a four-foot-long green iguana that looked ready to steal my cart. Seriously, when a mosquito lands on your ball, glances up and says, “I think this putt breaks about a foot left,” it’s time to call it a day.
Besides, it was time for a boys’ trip down to the Keys, where a group of my best buddies gather annually to argue about Florida State football in conditions reminiscent of a sweat lodge. Mostly, I entertained myself by changing my shirt and Jockey shorts hourly and monitoring my Facebook feed to see who back home would post the picture of the hottest car thermometer. The Germans have a concept known as schadenfreude – taking joy in the misfortune of others – that perfectly explains my sudden obsession with the Phoenix heat. Except, alas, I kept finding reasons to go outside into the oppressive Florida afternoon,
not unlike the Democrats recounting the electoral votes from back in November and hoping for a different result this time.
Nope, Trump is still president. And Florida is still Hell – except that Hell probably has better drivers.
The moral here? Sure, Arizona broke all sorts of weather records over the past few days. Epic heat can be dangerous, and it has the capacity to make you very miserable. But I will take roasting on a 122-degree afternoon any time versus needing to be wrung out like a dishrag after enduring an hour of Florida weather that feels like the steam room at LA Fitness.
Just remember, friends, as annoying as it is to hear someone say, “But it’s a dry heat,” no human being ever has announced with a glorious grin and a song in his heart, “Hey, at least it’s a wet heat!”
– David Leibowitz has called the Valley home since 1995. Contact david@leibowitzsolo.com.
Vision for downtown bringing new life to city core
BY JAY TIBSHRAENY Tribune Guest Writer
Last month, I delivered my annual State of the Downtown at the annual breakfast of the Downtown Chandler Community Partnership. I think this is one of the most exciting periods of growth for our city core. What we have always wanted to achieve in downtown is a wellbalanced place that embraces many uses. From multi-family, office, entertainment and retail, to arts and culture, we are well on our way to a true urban environment that is energized 24 hours a day, seven days a week
Having grown up in Chandler, I have seen this area undergo many changes. Most have been good – some
not. We’ve overcome many challenges through the years and are now in a period of remarkable rebirth, and it’s very exciting for me to see the transformation.
We are in the midst of a very strong local economy that allows these partnerships to thrive, and we continue to invest as a city. We are in the final design stages for the master plan of Dr. A.J. Chandler Park – a wonderful open space that we feel can be better utilized. We are at the 60 percent design phase for Arizona Avenue from Frye Road south to Pecos Road. Just as the first phase of this project in the heart of downtown has fostered development, we know that will continue as we head south – and we hope to begin those enhancements in January 2018.
We continue to perform infrastructure work near the square,
and will begin the Dakota Street punch-through by the end of the month. We are also making some nice aesthetic modifications along the canal south of the San Marcos, adding historical signage and a walking path.
I also highlighted some of the new companies that have located or expanded here in the past year. They include the extension of Sibley’s West, and the addition of La Bocca, Modern Margarita, VB Lounge, the Mission Belle Bed and Breakfast, Blue Planet Outdoors and Puro Cigar Bar. Future projects include West Alley BBQ, Even Stevens Sandwiches, the Hidden House, Faithlife and Execute To Win. We also look forward to the redevelopment of the old ICAN building with Civic Market and Quarthaus, as well as the old NAPA auto parts store on Frye Road that will soon house an exciting new use.
We continue to see great interest on Site 7 at Arizona Avenue and Chandler Boulevard. There is a mixed-use RFP getting ready to close in mid-July –and I am told we have a lot of strong interest to develop this gateway parcel. Overstreet Chandler broke ground in March and this project will be a game-changer for our downtown. It will add a new level of energy and additional entertainment options for residents. With 77,000 square feet of new restaurants – and the Flix Brewhouse Cinema – it will surely be one of the hottest destinations in the East Valley, if not the state. There is a lot going on here, and getting to this point has not been easy. Redeveloping downtowns is tough. It takes time. It takes vision. And in Chandler, it’s working.
– Jay Tibshraeny is mayor of Chandler.
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
Keep foreign aid to fight poverty
International poverty is an issue that affects everyone. There is a common misconception that foreign aid receives enough funding, and that its importance pales in comparison to other national issues. While it is true that there has been improvement over the years, it is only due to the consistent funding that that we provide to impoverished countries, which happens to be only 1 percent of our national budget.
However, with the White House’s proposal of a 31 percent cut to the international affairs budget, this could stall future progress. This cut also presents possible threats to American citizens.
In light of recent attacks tied to terrorist groups around the world, there has been a heightened fear of foreign entities, and from this fear, there has been an alienation of our foreign allies. Yet military members agree, force must be complementary to aid in order to prevent harmful groups from forming.
Economically our nation could also see some setbacks as well. About half of our exports go to developing nations, and 95 percent of potential consumers of U.S. goods and products live in another country. It’s very important for the U.S. to maintain good relationships with these countries in order to alter these poor territories to potential consumer territories. Overall, suffering for many will occur if major cuts are to be made.
That’s why the Borgen Project promotes political accountability and urges constituents to be more politically aware by contacting their local congressman in support of legislation that protects the International Affairs Budget. – Zoe West – Gilbert
Coyotes show no loyalty and honor
I am not a hockey fan but I know plenty that love the leadership, passion, talent and community service Shane Doan has showed to the Phoenix Coyotes and the city of Phoenix. I heard him on the radio and he never said a bad word publicly to his bosses by being rudely fired. I hope that Phoenix gives him a thank you ceremony for his dedication passion and being the positive face of the Coyotes. Shane, I hope you take my advice. Please call Gary Dulac, senior sportswriter of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, and let the World Champion Pittsburgh Penguins know you can help them nail down another title next year. You deserve being on a championship team who keeps leaders that lead by performance, pays for talent and embraces leadership like Sidney Crosby and Mario Lemieux.
This is like firing Roberto Clemente or Joe Greene because your organization is broke. Pittsburgh fans will love you and the Pens know it takes money to make money in order to win another Stanley Cup. You, your family and your next team will show the Coyotes they made a mistake plus a PR blunder.
Best of success in your future. Your interview shows nothing but class plus loyalty to your team and to the Phoenix sports fans.
– Jeff Eger
Mesa
Pediatrician weighs in on AHCA
As a pediatrician, I urge Sens. Flake and McCain to preserve the gains made in children’s health coverage and ensure this coverage is comprehensive, affordable and accessible for children and families.
Today in Arizona, the number of children with health insurance is at a historic high of 92 percent. Proposals to cap and cut Medicaid are detrimental to children and families. Cutting federal funding will shift costs to the states, lead to enrollment cuts, meaning less coverage for those who need it most.
In Arizona, Medicaid provides affordable health care for 2 million adults, children, seniors and people with disabilities. In Arizona, 51.5 percent of all Medicaid enrollees are children.
The AHCA will cause 23 million people to lose health care. While cutting Medicaid lowers spending now, it will cause more expenses in the future. Children who have Medicaid miss fewer days of school, graduate at higher rates, earn better incomes, and pay more taxes as adults. Cutting Medicaid will also economically affect Arizona. The cost of uncompensated care provided by hospitals will increase, get passed onto citizens in the form of increased hospital costs and taxes and cause many rural hospitals to close. Medicaid and CHIP are lifelines for working parents, who receive health care from their employer but rely on AHCCCS to take care of their children, so that when their children are sick and need medical care, they can be treated, not have persistent illness and miss school, causing their parents to miss work. Medicaid is crucial for families who have children with special health-care needs for their children to receive specialty care and necessary therapies. In addition, Medicaid and KidsCare provide guaranteed essential benefits; comprehensive screenings, necessary to detect developmental delay, vision and hearing loss early, so that deficits can be detected and treated early and children are able to learn and succeed in school.
We ask Sens. Flake and McCain to not vote for a bill which allows insurers to discriminate against those with preexisting conditions, effectively denying coverage by charging them unaffordable premiums. We urge them to oppose a bill which would allow insurance companies to charge a 30 percent increase in premiums, if families lost their insurance and had a delay in reapplying due to life events such as inability to work or serious illness. We urge them to oppose any bill that would make premiums for people seeking comprehensive health care unaffordable, and increase out of pocket costs for those on plans that do not cover essential health benefits. We ask that our senators and legislators work together to do what they promised, improve and fix our state’s health-care problems, not make them worse.
– Dr. Elizabeth Homans McKenna
– Healing Hearts Pediatrics, Chandler
To submit letters: Go to eastvalleytribune.com/opinions and click “Submit letter” or email forum@evtrib.com.
Elite East Valley players to show skills at Nike football competition
BY GREG MACAFEE Tribune Sports Editor
Next weekend, two of the top high school football players in Arizona will have the opportunity to test their talents against the nation’s most elite high school football prospects at Nike’s football competition The Opening.
The Opening brings together the best football prospects from around the country. Hamilton quarterback Tyler Shough and Chandler receiver Gunner Romney were among the invitees to the elite competition.
Recently, they both competed at the Elite 11 quarterback competition, where Romney received MVP honors for the wide receiver position. After receiving their recent invites to The Opening, both said they were ecstatic to compete against the best talent in the country.
“It’s a true honor and a privilege,” Shough said. “The Elite 11 was one of the greatest experiences that I’ve had as a QB and person as well, so I’m really excited to see what The Opening has to offer.”
With so much exposure to the top talent from around the country, Shough has had the opportunity to learn and refine his craft throughout the summer. That’s been one of his main goals throughout the summer as he has attended camps all over the country.
“I just try to soak up all the knowledge I can from these excellent coaches and players,” Shough said. “I just apply what I can to myself and get better. It is a whole lot of fun to just compete and throw it around with these quarterbacks knowing you will see each other on Saturdays and hopefully on Sunday as well for some.”
As a junior at Hamilton High, Shough was a 2,000-yard passer, throwing for 27 touchdowns and only nine interceptions. Multiple Division I schools had Shough on their recruiting
list before the 6-foot-5 senior officially signed with the University of North Carolina after his visit to Chapel Hill.
“They just had everything that I was looking for in a school and I felt the coaches could develop me into a better player and person,” Shough said.
On the other hand, Romney hasn’t found a home for next year quite yet. But that doesn’t mean he hasn’t been getting the attention. Most recently, he received an offer from Arizona State and has also received offers from the University of Arizona, Boise State and
Iowa State, among others.
And he has deserved it.
As a junior, Romney was the top target of 3,000-yard passer Jacob Conover, who threw for 32 touchdowns as a sophomore. Romney caught 70 passes, nine touchdowns and 1,309 yards, the third most in the state of Arizona. Just like Shough, Romney has always wanted to compete at The Opening.”
“It’s been a dream of mine to compete at The Opening ever since I heard about it in like 7th grade,” Romney said. “It was one of my biggest high school goals.”
The pair of Arizona representatives will chase their dreams together. They will also share the same field while doing it, as Romney and Shough were both placed on Team Untouchable. It may be a little strange for the pair as they will go from rivals at Chandler and Hamilton to teammates. But, top talent sticks together.
“I requested him to be on my team for The Opening,” Shough said. “So, it is pretty sweet to see it happen and be able to work with him and other toptier athletes on and off the field.”
North Canyon’s Solomon Enis will be another Arizona representative at The Opening next weekend in Oregon.
– Contact Greg Macafee at gmacafee@ timespublications.com or at 480-898-5630 or follow @greg_macafee on Twitter.
Legion of Hoops gains popularity among young basketball fans
Former Desert Vista High School varsity boys basketball coach
Antonio Darden is turning his youth basketball organization into one of the Valley’s largest.
In two years, his Legion of Hoops has attracted more than 80 boys and girls ages 7 to 17 from the East Valley and beyond.
“Our youth program has been pretty successful thus far in a short period of time,” he said. “We have won a state championship.”
He also said that club leagues West Coast Elite and Grassroots 365 consider the League of Hopes teams for 10-, 11and 12-year-old kids among the best in the state.
Darden on his legionofhoops.com
website said the club aims “to provide a platform for the youth of Arizona to achieve excellence in the sport of basketball.
“Through intense training, exceptional coaching, competitive experiences, and educational mentoring, members are given the very best opportunity to maximize his/her potential and reach their basketball and educational goals,” it adds.
He said he chose the name for a reason.
“The definition of ‘legion’ is a vast host, multitude or number of people,” he said. “Our vision is to create a large, welcoming family environment where all kids are welcome to come and improve their skills.
(Greg Macafee/Tribune Staff)
Hamilton’s Tyler Shough throws a pass at the Elite 11 quarterback competition. Shough will show his talent again at Nike’s football competition The Opening.
Darden is a 1998 graduate of Randallstown High School in Randallstown, Maryland, where he helped the school to four consecutive region championships, the 1995 State Championship and trips to the state semifinals in both his sophomore and junior seasons.
He averaged 17.3 points, 11.4 rebounds and 3.0 assists per game as a senior, and averaged 11.5 points and 7.3 rebounds per game and was named Honorable Mention All Baltimore County as a junior.
At Costal Carolina, Darden was a 6-foot-5 small forward/shooting guard. He finished with 720 career points, 520 rebounds and 32 blocked shots.
He returned to Randallstown in Baltimore after his playing days in Germany and the ABA were over and helped the program to the first of back-to-back state championships as an assistant.
In Darden’s first season at Desert Vista, He won the state Coach of the Year award for leading the Thunder to a 26-5 regular season record and reaching the state final, where it lost to Tempe Corona del Sol. In his second year at Desert Vista, the Thunder went 14-13 and lost to Chandler Hamilton 63-50 in the first round of the 24-team Division I state tournament.
Darden promises parents that for the standard $75 monthly fee in his yearround program, their children will be involved “in wholesome, energetic activity based on teamwork, good sportsmanship, and fellowship;” “have pride in achieving the best possible;” and “sharpen their individual understanding of the importance and necessity of teamwork, fair play, cooperation, dependability and unity—the core of success in all team efforts.”
In addition, he aims to “build selfconfidence and poise in your child through personalized attention, encouragement, and interaction with teammates” and “provide thorough, personalized training in the skills of the game according to individual age and exposure.”
Many of his 10 teams have been traveling throughout the West to participate in a variety of tournaments. Many of them also are ranked within the top five club basketball ranks.
“Our primary goal is to develop wellrounded basketball players with a high basketball IQ, who can compete not only at the club level, but at the middle/high school level and beyond,” he said, noting 96 percent of his players have made their middle-school or high school teams.
Darden also will be conducting a summer basketball camp and Chandler-Gilbert Community College, where he also coaches the school’s team. The camp is 9 a.m.-3 p.m. July 10-13 and includes lunch.
“We have done this camp for several years and has always had a great turnout and been lots of fun for the kids in the surrounding community,” Darden said. “Further, it is likely one of the best skill development camps in the valley.”
All that’s required for the camp and the Legion of Hoops, he said, is “a love for basketball and a willingness to learn and play their role, whether that is a starring role or supporting cast.”
Information on the club: legionofhoops.com; information on the camp: hopethroughhoops.com
((Special to the Tribune)
Former Desert Vista High boys basketball coach Antonio Darden is seeing success with his 2-year-old Legion of Hoops basketball team.
Know when to be humble and yield space to someone else
BY RABBI DEAN SHAPIRO Tribune Guest Writer
City folk that we are, how can we understand the injunction, “when you reap the harvest of your land, you shall not reap all the way to the edges of your field, or gather the gleanings of your harvest; you shall leave them for the poor and the stranger: I God am your God” (Leviticus 23:22)?
Even had we been farmers who tilled the field, planted the seeds and harvested the grain, we still would not have caused the sun to shine, the rain to fall, or the seed to germinate.
So, too, although we may work the hours, close the deals, or design the product, we still do not create the natural resources, guide the economy, or cause the inspiration.
FAITH CALENDAR
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. Information: 480-9639397 or 480-204-4297.
SUNDAYS
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 a.m. Spiritual Discussion Group and Meditation Practices Group. 10:15 a.m. Celebration Service. 2700 E. Southern Ave., Mesa. Nursery available
We are limited beings, not solely responsible for our success. Since we are not the Source, we are obliged to share the bounty with those in need. We would do well to be humble.
A widow once told me that her husband’s motto had been “never take everything.” In grocery stores, he always left a box or two of an item behind because the next customer might need it more than he. It’s a virtue that’s basic and profound, but seemingly forgotten: leave something for someone else.
American restaurants serve portions that would feed a family elsewhere. We have closets full of clothes we rarely wear. We tear up the earth to extract oil and metal, and tear down the rainforest to graze cattle.
We speak so loudly on our cellphones that others can’t hear themselves think. We don’t let other drivers merge into our lane.
for infants through kindergarten at service times. Youth ministry classes are open in the Education Annex at 10:15 a.m. Information: 480-892- 2700, unityofmesa.org, lori@unityofmesa.org.
SUNDAY CELEBRATION SERVICE
Inspirational messages and music to lift your spirit. A welcoming community committed to living from the heart. Many classes and events offered. DETAILS>>10 a.m. Sundays at Unity of Tempe, 1222 E. Baseline Road, Suite 103, Tempe. Information: 480792-1800, 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
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: 480792-1800, 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:
We expect others’ schedules to conform to our own, and curse them when they don’t.
“Tzimtzum” is the Hebrew term for the voluntary contraction of self that allows others to have what they need. The term is derived from a Kabbalistic story of creation. God wanted to create a world, but since God filled all there was, there was no room for anything else! God determined to contract, to make space for Existence.
The practice of tzimtzum is important and powerful for human beings, too.
Tzimtzum means knowing when to yield space to someone else. It means knowing when to stop talking, when to ask a question rather than give an answer. Tzimtzum allows other people to make decisions for themselves.
It’s a check on privilege determined by race, class and gender, among other attributes. When can you take up a little
480-545-4321, valorcc.com.
MESA BIBLE STUDY
The Lawrence Memorial A.M.E.Z. Church conducts Bible study on Tuesdays.
DETAILS>> 6:30 p.m., 931 E. Southern Ave., Suite 108. Information: 480-393-3001, tlmchurch.info@gmail.com.
CELEBRATE RECOVERY
Celebrate Recovery is a Biblical program that helps us overcome our hurts, hang-ups, and habits. Through teaching, worship, and sharing in small groups, you will find genuine people devoted to help discover the power of Christ through the recovery process.
DETAILS>> 6:30 p.m., Central Christian Church, 933 N. Lindsay Road, Mesa. Information: Eric at 480-924-4946.
less – food, space, time – so that others might have a fuller experience?
It’s true that some people hold themselves in check too often, thinking that they don’t count, that their opinions don’t matter. These folks do not need to engage in tzimtzum. Rather, we who are used to having our say and getting our way need to practice self-contraction so that others can enjoy their share of the sun. They get to blossom, and we get to learn from them.
Whether it’s the corners of your field, a product at a store, the earth’s resources, or the power to speak, please be considerate enough not to drain all the stock. Instead, leave enough for others to have a share, and for the supply to be replenished. In the words of Bernard Etzine, a quiet hero: “never take everything.”
– Rabbi Dean Shapiro of Temple Emanuel of Tempe can be reached at emanueloftempe.org.
GRIEFSHARE
Mountain Park Community Church is offering an ongoing GriefShare programs to help people deal with the pain of losing a loved one.
DETAILS>> 6:30-8 p.m., 2408 E. Pecos Road, Ahwatukee. To register: mountainpark.org and click on Launch. Information: Alex at 480-759-6200
FINDING HEALING FOR PAIN
HOPE, an acronym for “Help Overcome Painful Experiences,” offers support for men and women who seek God’s grace and healing.
DETAILS>> 6:30 to 8 p.m. Mountain Park Community Church, 2408 E. Pecos Road. mountainpark.org.
UNITY YOGA AT UNITY OF TEMPE Center in Mind, Body & Spirit at our weekly Unity
Muslims seek religiously inclusive food, beauty services in Valley
BY SAUNDRA WILSON Cronkite News
Muslims in Arizona are just wrapping up celebrations of the holy month of Ramadan. But for some Muslims in Arizona, living out their faith at any time of the year can be difficult as they struggle to find businesses that cater to their needs.
Some choose to live according to two Islamic traditions: wearing a hijab, or head covering for women, and eating halal, referring to meat that is prepared according to Islamic law. The practices can make eating out, grocery shopping and getting beauty services more difficult for some Muslims.
“It is hard to find halal food, period,” said Aminah Shakoor, a 21-year-old Chandler resident who adheres to halal guidelines.
For Shakoor, eating out with friends means always having to order a vegetarian or fish entree because the meat is not halal.
For other Muslim women who wear hijabs, finding beauty salons that are familiar with Muslim culture and can provide extra privacy for them isn’t made simple by a Google search.
Most salons don’t market or advertise their privacy options for Muslim women wearing hijabs.
Wasiba Rahman and Lena Sarsour, who wear hijabs, grew up getting their hair done by family members or other Muslim women in their community.
Within the comfort of their own homes and communities, they could have hair care experiences free from the pressure
from page 20
Yoga classes with Mary Jo “MJ” Kuzmick. Bring your own mat (2 blankets & blocks, if you have them). Suggested love offering: $8 a class.
DETAILS>> 10 a.m., Unity of Tempe, 1222 E. Baseline Road, Suite 103, Tempe. Information: 480-792-1800, unityoftempe.com.
WEDNESDAYS
CELEBRATE RECOVERY MEETS
Celebrate Recovery says it “brings your relationship with the Lord closer to your heart as it heals your hurts, habits and hang-ups.” Participants can discuss issues ranging from feeling left out to addictions. “Nothing is too small or too large.”
DETAILS>> 6:20 p.m. at Mountain View Lutheran Church, 11002 S. 48th St., Ahwatukee, Preschool, Room 6. mvlutheran.org/celebraterecovery or email cr@ alphamvlc.com.
‘A COURSE IN MIRACLES’
Longtime “A Course in Miracles” student and teacher
(Saundra Wilson/Cronkite News)
salon in Chandler because “she doesn’t have to constantly worry about a man walking by and seeing her hair.”
Finding halal food
Eating halal in Phoenix can be a struggle for some Muslims, especially when eating out.
Shakoor said it’s difficult to find restaurants that use halal meat and she doesn’t bother asking if the food is halal unless she is at an expensive restaurant.
She said she frequents some local Middle Eastern restaurants, but can’t eat find halal meat at most non-Middle Eastern restaurants, grocery stores or fast food eateries.
“It feels really
awful when someone is just not aware of my culture,” said Aminah Shakoor, who lives in Chandler and is a senior at Arizona State University.
and potential awkwardness of explaining their requests for extra privacy to salon staff unfamiliar with their faith.
Rahman, Sarsour and Shakoor said that Phoenix businesses can expand their businesses and customer base by offering Muslim-friendly services and products.
“It makes us feel like we belong here,” Sarsour said. “It makes us feel like people are making space for us.”
Some Phoenix businesses are doing just that.
Muslim women and salons
Shakoor said she loves the Phoenix area but has struggled to find places to get her hair done as a Muslim woman who wears a hijab.
She said all of her salon experiences
Rev. Julianne Lewis leads this interactive time of discussion and sharing. This group is appropriate for ACIM beginners as well as experienced ACIM students – and everyone in between.
DETAILS>> 1-2:15 p.m. Interfaith CommUNITY Spiritual Center, 952 E. Baseline, Suite 102, Mesa. $10 love donation. Information: revj4u@gmail.com.
MEDITATION ON TWIN HEARTS
“Every day you take a shower. Practicing Twin Hearts Meditation is like taking a spiritual shower. When your aura is clean you experience a higher level of awareness. When your aura is clean you see through things more clearly. Even good luck increases.”
DETAILS>> 7:30-9:30 p.m., Unity of Tempe, 1222 E. Baseline Road, Suite 103, Tempe. Information: 480792-1800, unityoftempe.com.
GET-ACQUAINTED COFFEE
East Valley Friends and Neighbors holds a monthly get-acquainted coffee and short general meeting on the first Wednesday of each month. The group supports local charities and has special-interest groups, such as book discussions and card game groups, that meet throughout the month.
DETAILS>> 9:30 a.m. the first Wednesday of each
have been positive, but said her mother had a negative experience at a Phoenix salon.
“They were just being nasty to her and not being accommodating,” Shakoor said. “They didn’t offer any other room even though they had another room.”
Muslim women who wear hijabs often request privacy screens or a private room to get their hair done.
Having male stylists nearby, large windows or people coming in and out of the studio regularly can be a stressful experience.
“At the end of the day we’re going to get the service done to relax and not be worried,” Rahman said.
Rahman said her aunt gets her hair done exclusively at a women-only
month. Grace United Methodist Church, 2024 E. University Drive, Mesa. Information: 480-828-5146, evfanaz.org or email Tinytubes@cox.net.
FRIDAYS
NEFESHSOUL HOLDS SERVICES
Congregation NefeshSoul holds Shabbat services the third Friday of every month on the campus of the Valley Unitarian Universalist Congregation.
DETAILS>> 6:15 p.m., 6400 W. Del Rio St., Chandler. Information: nefeshsoul.org.
SERVICE INCLUDES KIDS
Designed for children up to 5 years old and their parents or other adult. Following the service is an Oneg Shabbat, a time for a snack and to meet other families with young children.
DETAILS>> 5:30 p.m. first Fridays, Temple Emanuel, 5801 S. Rural Road. 480-838-1414 or emanueloftempe.org.
SEARCH FOR GOD: AN EDGAR CAYCE STUDY
If you are interested in knowing more about yourself and how you relate to others and God, please join us
“It would be nice to see more companies offer that selection,” she said.
Baiz Fresh Foods, a local family-owned Mediterranean market with a store in Mesa, sells halal meat and traditional Middle Eastern and Mediterranean cultural foods and products.
The market has its own slaughterhouse and draws customers from all backgrounds, according to store manager Sarah Soueidan.
“We get a lot of customers who come here who are not Muslim and they buy halal just for the health benefits,” she said.
Soueidan said that though the store offers halal foods, they do not cater to just one community.
“We don’t want people to think that we’re a Middle Eastern store just for Muslims,” she said. “No, we’re for everyone.”
as we study this in-depth information given through Edgar Cayce. If you already own any version of the “Search for God” books, please bring them. Books will also be available for purchase at the meetings. There is no charge for this group itself but a love donation will be taken for the church.
DETAILS>> 7 p.m., Unity of Tempe, 1222 E. Baseline Road, Suite 103, Tempe. Information: 480-792-1800, unityoftempe.com.
SATURDAYS
WEEKLY SERVICES SCHEDULED
International, nondenominational church offers weekly Sabbath services. Congregational meeting in the morning and Bible study in the afternoon.
DETAILS>>10:30 a.m.-noon; 1:30-2:45 p.m. at True Jesus Church, 2640 N. Dobson Road, Chandler. 480899-1488 or tjcphoenix@tjc.org.
Submit your releases to rzubiate@ timespublications.com
Rawhide goes all-out for Fourth of July festivities
BY COLLEEN SPARKS
GetOut Contributing Writer
People can sway to the sultry sounds of Santana music, two-step to a country band and groove to R&B tunes at Rawhide Western Town and Event Center, where the diversity and freedom of America will be celebrated on July 1.
Music from a variety of bands, a huge fireworks display, as well as water slides and bounce houses will be part of the entertainment at the 5th Annual Red, White & Rawhide Fireworks Spectacular.
A country band will play inside the Rawhide’s Steakhouse, while Santana tribute band Zebop featuring Tony Lindsay (one of Santana’s vocalists) and Latin group LaDezz will perform on the main stage of the old Western town-themed site.
IF YOU GO
A crowd of 4,000 to 5,000 people usually hits Rawhide
and
for its Fourth of July event.
“We have a multi-cultural take that we do on it,” said Mark Grado, assistant general manager at Rawhide. “We have some country, some Latin music, old school R&B. It is America. It’s the diversity, the opportunity to celebrate in a truly familyfriendly environment.”
Where: Rawhide Western Town, 5700 W. North Loop Road, Chandler When: Saturday, July 1, 4 p.m.-Close Cost: $20 advance, $25 on-site. $10 parking. Kids 5 and under are free. Info: 480-502-5600, rawhide.com
MARK YOUR Calendar
Carnival H2O
Cool off at a water carnival. Fun activities, games and a high-flying “blob” will make for a memorable family-friendly evening.
DETAILS>> 5-8 p.m., Monday, June 26. Shepherd Aquatic Complex, 1407 N. Alta Mesa Drive, Mesa. Tickets: $2 adults, $1 under 18. 480-644-3037. facebook.com/ shepherd.mesapools.
‘Aida’ – final week
This Tony Award-winning musical tells a tale of love and betrayal in ancient Egypt. It features intricate choreography, brilliant costumes and the music of Elton John, including the hit “Written in the Stars.”
The old-school R&B tunes will be provided by radio station Mega 104.3 FM.
Besides jamming to a variety of music, people celebrating the Fourth of July can
DETAILS>>Tuesdays-Saturdays, June 27July 1. Hale Centre Theatre, 50 W. Page Ave., Gilbert. Tickets: $18-$30. 480-497-1181. haletheatrearizona.com.
Everclear 20th Anniversary Tour
Twenty years ago, the band Everclear hit big with the album “So Much For The Afterglow.” Help them celebrate their 20th anniversary at this all-ages show that includes bands Vertical Horizon, Fastball and Darkness Dear Boy.
DETAILS>> 5:30 p.m., Tuesday, June 27. Marquee Theatre, 730 N. Mill Ave., Tempe. Tickets: $36-$56 480-829-1300. luckymanonline.com.
Explore the Night Sky
The East Valley Astronomy Club will host a lecture and stargazing event at the Riparian Preserve. The lecture on gas giants
also participate in various entertainment attractions. Rawhide will offer its liveaction stunt shows and rides and has added more water slides and bounce houses this year, Grado said.
The Independence Day event at Rawhide is a popular attraction for people who live in Chandler but also draws folks from all over the Valley, he said. Typically, the celebration brings 4,000 to 5,000 people to Rawhide,
starts at 7 p.m. at the Southeast Regional Library, then the fun moves to the Gilbert Observatory.
DETAILS>> 7-10 p.m., Tuesday, June 27. Gilbert Riparian Preserve, 2757 E. Guadalupe Road, Gilbert. Cost: Free. 602-652-3203. evanced.mcldaz.org.
Kidtastic: Comic Book Drawing
Does your kid want to draw comic books? Send them to this fun class that lets them learn from a professional artist. All supplies are included.
DETAILS>> 11 a.m.-noon, Wednesday, June 28. Gotham City Comics, 46 W. Main St., Mesa. Tickets: $12. downtownmesa.com/ kidtastic.
ZEN Night Block Party
Join in on a family-friendly, and plantfriendly, block party. It features more than
but the Fourth of July party has attracted more than 8,000 people in the past.
Vendors will be selling food and visitors can also feast on a special Red, White & Rawhide Buffet that includes top sirloin, St. Louis ribs, a chili bar and desserts for $17.95 per person ($9.95 per child).
Tickets to the Rawhide Fourth of July event cost $20 each in advance; $25 on site. A family four-pack of tickets is available for $60. Children ages 5 and younger get into the event for free. Parking costs $10.
Tickets cover the cost of admission, the musical performances, live action stunt shows, fireworks and unlimited rides and attractions, but they don’t include the cost for the buffet, retail stores and outside vendors.
“We’re just excited and we want to make sure everybody knows it is an opportunity to come out and see Rawhide and see some of the changes we continue to make at the event center,” Grado said. “It’s a good opportunity to … get to know your community.”
Rawhide, on the Gila River Indian Community, is an 1880s Western-themed family entertainment venue and steakhouse. For tickets to the 5th Annual Red, White & Rawhide Fireworks Spectacular and more information, visit rawhide.com.
40 cruelty-free vendors, proving that plantbased diets can be yummy.
DETAILS>> 6-10 p.m., Friday, June 30. Downtown Mesa, Main Street and Macdonald. Cost: Free. facebook.com/ zennightsaz.
Mesa Meltdown
Melt even more at a concert of rock bands Stone Sour (“Through Glass,” “Bother” and “Fabuless”), Powerman 5000 (“When Worlds Collide,” “Bombshell”) and DED (“Anti-Everything,” “I Exist”)
DETAILS>> 6-10 p.m., Friday, June 30. Mesa Amphitheatre, 263 N. Center St., Mesa. Tickets: $42. mesaamp.com.
Sound Splash in Tempe
Cool off at the water park and then dance
(Casey James/Special to the Tribune)
Western Town
Event Center
Roger Clyne acknowledges nerves about forthcoming CD release party
BY CHRISTINA FUOCO-KARASINSKI GetOut Contributor
Roger Clyne’s concerts should be easy for him with 20 years of music under the Tempe performer’s belt.
But he admits that, with shows like the June 30 CD release party for “Native Heart” coming up, there’s a “touch of healthy anxiety.”
“We want to make sure we know these songs on our home turf,” said the frontman of Roger Clyne and the Peacemakers. “We want to give the best presentation of the music and knock it out of the park.”
“Native Heart,” due out Friday, June 30, as well, is available for preorder with instant access to the single “Flowerin’.” The 10-track project was produced by Grammy winner Steve Berlin and mixed by Michael Brauer at Electric Lady Studios in New York City. As usual with Roger Clyne and the Peacemakers’ music, there is a buzz around “Native Heart.”
“I have already seen people out there wearing preorder T-shirts,” said Clyne, calling in the midst of a U.S. tour. “We saw some last night in Atlanta. There are people singing ‘Flowerin’’ and ‘Every Kind of Lucky.’ Fans are getting familiar with it before it hits the shelves, so to speak.”
Although the records fare well, live shows
IF YOU GO
Who: Roger Clyne and the Peacemakers
Where: Livewire, 7320 E. Indian Plaza, Scottsdale
When: Friday, June 30, 7 p.m.
Cost: $35.50 plus fees
Info: livewireaz.com
are the Peacemakers’ bread and butter, Clyne explains.
“I think it just goes back to no matter how the record gets disseminated, i.e., radio, internet, record store shelves or if somebody burned it on a mixtape, our band is a live band,” he said. “We connect to people person to person. We stay touring, even though it’s energy-intensive. The Peacemakers’ voice becomes their voice. We speak with one heart – one ‘native heart,’ so to speak, to go back to that.”
That belief creates a bond between the Peacemakers and their fans.
“The line between band and fan is really blurred and we’re just a community of friends,” Clyne said. “I hang out with our fans
because we’re all Peacemakers. We’re lucky that our music resonates with so many.”
Clyne took a chance with the writing of “Native Heart,” deciding to improvise instead of sitting down and creating a “statement of intent.”
“For example, (2004’s) ‘Americano’ was largely an exploration into the price of the course of empire for a nation and an individual human heart,” he said.
“For ‘Native Heart,’ I was approaching my 10th studio record, which is a watermark for any artist, 20-years-plus in the business. I wanted the music to flow more spontaneously and explore what I would say without a statement of intent. ‘Native Heart’ is what came about. It’s a summation.
It’s a compilation of free expression without following a path.”
“Native Heart” was a labor of love because of this.
“I love, love, love songwriting, but the more I do it, the more I realize I have a habit and I fall into certain routines,” Clyne explained. “I wanted to challenge those in ‘Native Heart,’ and that became difficult. I wanted, one, to see what was becoming rote in my writing, and break it in a way that was uncomfortable and challenging.
“Two, I wanted good quality. I didn’t want to throw something out there because it was different. I wanted it to be informative to the piece of work, to the song and to the album. It was tough. It was one of the tougher writing sequences I’ve been involved in.”
Clyne admitted to being a perfectionist, something that’s clear when he describes his music.
“I create a lot of things, a lot of music and I don’t use most of it,” he said. “At the same time, I never throw anything away. I work on my music quickly and spontaneously. I scrutinize my songs. I don’t want to put too much glaze on the songs, though.”
One commonality among his music is his love of Arizona and Mexico. He recently returned from Circus Mexicus, his annual four-day music festival in Puerto Peñasco, Mexico.
“I’m really fortunate to have been born in Arizona and have this confluence of cultures here, and the best Mexican food outside of Mexico,” he said with a laugh. “The whole Southwest region is home to giants and legends and sweeping, amazing, mythological-sized landscapes that I get to use as the backdrop for my songs, my life and the Peacemakers’ music.”
Drums Across the Desert offers a unique blend of entertainment
By GetOut Staff
Outside of the beloved musical
“The Music Man,” Broadway shows and marching bands don’t seem to intersect that often. The upcoming Drums Across the Desert drum corps show offers a rare opportunity for fans of both forms of music to enjoy themselves.
Elite marching bands from around the country will present a range of “Broadwaystyle performances full of exciting music, dynamic movement and eye-catching color,” according to a release. Groups can field upwards of 150 musicians and dancers in stunning displays of precision choreography.
Representing Arizona will be The Arizona Academy of the Performing Arts out of Tempe. It supports both The Academy Drum and Bugle Corps – the only drum and bugle corps in Arizona – and Phenom SoundSport Ensemble.
Started in 2001, The Academy Drum and Bugle Corps provides drum and bugle corps experience to performers ages 16 to 21. In addition to being the official drum and bugle corps of the city of Tempe, it’s also one of the top groups in the country. The ensemble won Division II of the Drum Corps International World Championships in 2006. Last year, it placed 11th in the DCI World Class Finals (formerly Division I). This year, the corps’ 150 members will
travel 12,000 miles and compete in 28 events around the country, ending at the 2017 DCI World Championships.
Phenom SoundSport Ensemble, whose performance will kick off the event, started in 2013 to provide a less time-intensive, more affordable summer marching band for local high school and college performers. It currently boasts more than 30 members and an eclectic repertoire. Scholarships
See DRUMS on page 24
(Special to the Tribune)
Roger Clyne and the Peacemakers’ latest release, “Native Heart,” will be released Friday, June 30. It is the band’s 10th studio record.
(Special to the Tribune)
RIGHT: The Academy Drum and Bugle Corp based in Tempe boasts 150 performers between the ages of 16 and 21.
(T. McCourt/DCI.org)
DRUMS
from page 23
ABOVE: The Academy performs at the 2016 DCI World Championship Finals, where they took eleventh place. and other support are available to help anyone who wants to join.
Drums Across the Desert should be an impressive evening of family-friendly entertainment. According to Mike Ripley, the event chairman, “Everyone will be thrilled and inspired by the high level of performance they see from these young people.”
IF YOU GO
Where: John D. Riggs Stadium at Mesa Community College, 1833 W. Southern Ave., Mesa
When:Monday, July 3, 7:30 p.m. (box office opens at 5:30 p.m.)
Cost: $15-$35
Info: 317-275-1212, arizonaacademy.org
CALENDAR
from page 22
the evening away to artists like Chanel West Coast, MadeInTYO, Ty Dolla $ign and more. Hosted by Bow Wow. Only 18 and over.
DETAILS>> 5 p.m.-midnight, Saturday, July 1. Big Surf AZ, 1500 N. McClintock Drive, Tempe. Tickets: $40-$100. tinyurl.com/ soundsplashaz.
4th of July Weekend Food Truck Festival
Chow down on treats from your favorite food trucks, plus there will be a live DJ, wet bounce houses for the kids, face painting, free raffles and giveaways. Leashed dogs welcome.
DETAILS>> 6-10 p.m., Saturday, July 1. AZ International Marketplace, 1920 W. Broadway Road, Mesa. Cost: Free. facebook. com/AZInternationalMarketplace.
– Justin Ferris, Phoenix.org. Get more ideas for fun things to do in the East Valley – and beyond – at Phoenix.org.
Dad will like this bacon – no fakin’
Cool things down with this smooth treat
BY JAN D’ATRI
BY JAN D’ATRI
AFN Contributor
Tribune Contributor
OIcould live on smoothies this time of year. Recently, I tried a new twist on some old blender favorites and they’re delicious.
I added instant pudding – just a tablespoon or two – to the fruit, yogurt, liquid and ice cubes. Wow! It makes the drink so smooth, rich creamy.I got the idea by stumbling across Jell-O’s new packets of natural instant puddings – vanilla, chocolate, strawberry and banana. The mixed-berry gelatin packet was
K dads, even though your official day has passed, we’re making you the most “highly craveable” snacks in existence – according to me, anyway. It’s hard to believe that only four ingredients could create such a taste sensation, but when you combine bacon, brown sugar, maple syrup and crescent rolls, you pretty much know what the reaction is going to be.
Best part is, this bacon candy-like snack is easy. But wait! There’s more! I’ve included an irresistible recipe for Beer Candied Bacon, too.
Banana Smoothie
large ripe banana
Check out my how-to video for candied bacon and bacon crack and then … get crackin’ on snackin’: jandatri. com/recipes/one-minute-kitchen.
1 container (10 oz.) vanilla yogurt
1/2 cup milk
Maple-bacon crack
fantastic.,a blend of fresh seasonal fruits like raspberries, blackberries and blueberries. Here’s another idea that takes my smoothies to a whole new level. Instead of using ice cubes, I add pieces of fruit or berries to ice cube trays, add water and freeze.
Even better, I made several different flavored smoothies, poured them into ice cube trays, and the next time I had a smoothie, I had refreshing fruit cube trays to toss in for added flavor. Give it a try.
Drizzle with half the maple syrup. Sprinkle a half cup brown sugar over dough. Top with cooked bacon, distributing evenly. Sprinkle remainder of brown sugar and drizzle with remaining maple syrup. Bake for about an hour or until golden brown and brown sugar has caramelized. (Note: It could take less time than one hour, depending on your oven.)
Let cool completely to harden before slicing into pieces.
There are lots of variations you can make. Here were the four I really enjoyed.
Beer candied bacon
Directions:
Ingredients:
1 lb. bacon, thick-cut
Blend for at least 2 minutes to get the pudding thick, and enjoy.
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/3 cup dark beer (I used Stockyard Oatmeal Stout)
Ingredients:
2 tablespoons banana instant pudding (or vanilla pudding)
1 tablespoon honey if needed for more sweetness
1 lb. bacon, chopped
1 cup of ice cubes or fruit cubes (I used banana smoothie cubes)
1 tube crescent rolls
1/4 cup real maple syrup, divided
Directions:
1 cup brown sugar, divided
Blend for at least 2 minutes to get the pudding thick, and enjoy.
Directions:
Chocolate Smoothie Shake
1/2 cup ice cream
1/2 cup milk
Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Line a 9 x 12 inch baking sheet with parchment paper and spray lightly with cooking spray.
3 tablespoons instant chocolate pudding
In a medium skillet, cook bacon until almost done, about 5 minutes.
Transfer to plate with paper towels to drain.
1/4 ripe avocado, optional (it makes it so creamy and delicious!)
1-2 cups of ice cubes
Roll out crescent rolls or puff pastry onto parchment. Pinch seams to make one single sheet. Prick all over with a fork.
Strawberry Smoothie
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper or chipotle powder
2-3 cups fresh strawberries
Directions:
1/2 container (10 oz.) vanilla or strawberry yogurt
1/2 cup milk
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
1 tablespoon of honey if needed for more sweetness
2 tablespoons strawberry or vanilla pudding
Line a rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil. Place a wire cooling rack or oven rack on top. Arrange bacon on the rack. Cook for 10 minutes.
1 cup of ice cubes or fruit cubes (I used strawberry smoothie cubes)
Directions:
Blend for at least 2 minutes to get the pudding thick, and enjoy.
Mixed Berry Smoothie
2-3 cups mixes berries; strawberries, blueberries, blackberries, raspberries
In a bowl, combine brown sugar, beer and cayenne, whisking to form syrup. Arrange bacon on the rack. Cook for 10 minutes. Remove from oven and brush one side of the bacon with the beer syrup. Turn bacon over and brush the other side with syrup. Return to oven and cook for 7-10 minutes. Repeat process until bacon is browned and syrup is used up. (Do not burn the bacon.)
Cool to allow bacon to harden, about 10 minutes.
1/2 container (10 oz.) vanilla, berry or any fruit yogurt
1/2 cup milk
1 tablespoon of honey if needed for more sweetness
2 tablespoons Jell-O mixed berry
gelatin
1 cup of ice cubes or fruit cubes (I used fresh fruit cubes)
Directions:
Blend for at least 2 minutes to get the pudding thick, and enjoy.
Obituaries
McLEAN, Delores Mae
89, Our beloved mother and friend passed away on August 6, 2014 She is missed by all of her family and friends
SEERY, Sharon
Sharon Seery, age 70, died at the Lund House of Hospice of the Valley in Gilbert, Arizona on Friday, May 26, 2017 The cause was metastatic cancer
Born May 6, 1947, in Hamilton, Ohio she lived there until the early eighties when she settled here in Apache Junction, Arizona She worked in Environmental Services at Banner Baywood Hospital She was involved in family and church events
Survivors include her son Timothy Seery of Apache Junction, Arizona, o n
Helton of Gilbert, and two brothers, Dennis Helton of Phoenix and Phillip Helton of Sioux Falls, South Dakota
A Celebration of Life service will be held at 4:00 p m , Saturday, July 1 at the East Valley Holiness Church, 805 S Mesa Drive, Mesa, AZ 85210 Relatives and friends are welcome at the service and the meal immediately following the service
Sign the Guestbook at: www.EastValleyTribune.com
Employment General
NEED EXPERIENCED TRANSMISSION BUILDER, R&R guy & Exp in Diagnostics Pay DOE. FT position in A J with long standing family business Call Darren 480-431-1671 OR 480-482-8112
Software Developer of robust apps utilizing Microsoft Net, C#, SQL Mgmt Studio & SQL Server. Various unanticipated job sites w/in U S Must be willing to travel to various job sites w/in U S Mail to The Maxis Group Inc , 8225 East Del Camino Dr , #100, Scottsdale, AZ 85258
Now hiring Janitors for Tempe, Scottsdale, Mesa, Chandler & Gilbert
The available positions are full time and part time, If interested please apply in person at ACE Building Maintenance 7020 N 55th Ave Glendale AZ 85301 (623) 937-3727.
Now Hiring Day Porter for Tempe
Main cross streets Priest and Broadway this building is combined with two other properties making it a full time position Hours are Monday through Friday from 6am to 2:30pm Pay rate is $12 25 per hour If interested please apply in person at ACE Building Maintenance 7020 N 55th Ave Glendale, AZ 85301
The core focus of Business Banking Officer is:
specting new customers, business/customer visits, and strong community focus
✦Maintain ongoing credit and file administration
✦Collaborate and cross-sell between other internal teams and services
✦Analyze, review, and prepare annual review documents on customers
The qualities of the ideal candidate are as follows:
✦Currently managing commercial and industrial ope
✦Bachelor
s Degree in Business Administration, Finance, or Business Management preferred
✦7 to 10 years of business banking experience preferred
Seeking Mobile Home Park Manager or Management Team to live on-site and oversee our 55+ Mobile Home Park
This team will divide duties between office and maintenance to guarantee successful operations We are looking to employ long-term employees with strong work ethics and a positive attitude Email resume: Stewartmainoffice@ gmail com or call 480-367-0707
ENGINEERING PayPal, Inc has career opportunities in Scottsdale, AZ for Engineers including:
Software, QA, Web Development, Software Developers, Database, Data Warehouse Data
Architect, User Interface, Information Security, System Integration, Release, Network and Cloud Positions include: junior, senior, and management positions Positions require BA/BS, MA/MS MBA or PhD Multiple positions/ openings Must be legally authorized to work in the U S without sponsorship
Please mail resume w/ ref to: Req No : SWE300PP(AR) at: ATTN: HR, Cube 15.1.131, PayPal, Inc HQ 2211 North First Street, San Jose, CA 95131 EOE
Region Technologies has openings for Software Engineers in Phoenix, AZ Candidates must have US Masters degree/foreign equiv or Bach +5 yrs exp, w/ skills in SDLC,SQL,SQL Server,IIS Net,Linux, Windows to analyze/dsgn/dev/implement/test systems/applics Fax your resume with ref no 2016-19 to Vishnu @ 602-926-0370 with ref to ad in EVT
Desert Choice Schools, seeking Behavior Technicians & Special Education Teachers Experience w/children with emotional and behavioral needs is preferred but not mandated Apply at www desertchoice schools com/careers 480.398.1994
This is a full time position with benefits
A re you Ready to Join the Western State Bank Team?
If you are looking to contribute your energy and skills to our team apply online at www westernbanks com/careers Western State Bank is an Equal Opportunity Employer and Affirmative Action Employer Member FDIC
INVITATION TO BID: East Valley Men’s Center, 2345 N COUNTRY CLUB DRIVE, MESA, ARIZONA 85201 The owner will receive Bids
project is federally funded through Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) funds Federal labor standards, Davis-Bacon prevailing
We sing secular songs primarily from the
40 s, and 50's as well as patriotic and gospel songs, from September through May We rehearse Wednesdays from 9:30 to 11:30 a m at Pyle Adult Recreation Center, 655 East Southern Avenue, Tempe, AZ For more information, call 480-775-0730
Development Act of 1968 for Employment and Contracting Opportunities Small, minority and/ or
encouraged
project site, East Valley Men’s Center, 2345 N Country Club Drive, Mesa, Arizona 85201, at w
available to answer questions Bidders are re-
verbal authorizations or acknowledgments by anyone present will not be binding
Published: East Valley Tribune June 18, 2017 / 6223
Meetings/Events
OPTIMIST CLUB
Would you like to belong to an organization dedicated to improving children's lives in a variety of ways? Do you have a desire to give back to the community? If so, we are looking for new members & new ideas for fundraising! We have supported Sunshine Acres Children's Home for 60 yrs, we provide scholarships to students from local schools & we support the Children s Cancer Fund
If interested, contact Ann Crawford 480-234-1549
craftyanni@aol com OR phxphntm@cox net
LEGAL NOTICES
Deadline for Sunday's Edition is the Wednesday prior at 5pm.
Please call Elaine at 480-898-7926 to inquire or email your notice to: legals@evtrib.com and request a quote.
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