East Valley Tribune: Gilbert Edition - July 2, 2017
This Week
BY WAYNE SCHUTSKY Tribune Staff Writer
From dine-in movie concepts to bowling, developers are increasingly opting to invest in entertainment destinations in an attempt to keep up with consumer demand, and no market better exemplifies this trend than the East Valley.
Several new entertainment projects and plans have popped up in recent months, including an Alamo Drafthouse-anchored complex in Tempe, a bowling concept in Gilbert, and a massive entertainment district near Ahwatukee in the Gila River Indian Community.
These new developments will compete for consumer dollars with other established entertainment brands that have hit the East Valley in recent years, from Top Golf in Gilbert to Main Event Entertainment, which has locations in Tempe and Gilbert.
“The key in retail today is to make sure there is an experience behind it (and to make sure it) is not run of the mill,” said Todd Folger, CBRE Retail Services first vice president.
With so many entertainment options, there is a risk that consumer dollars will be stretched thin. Success in the space largely depends on creating products that the market can support and, in that sense, not all retail is created equal.
and
“Entertainment isn’t a single thing, it’s many,” Mark Stapp, Fred E. Taylor professor of real estate at W.P. Carey School of Business at Arizona State University, said via email.
For example, the market can support many restaurant and food options, but the same is not true for bowling alleys, which are more
of a niche product.
“There is competition for every disposable dollar,” Stapp said. “People will pick the best experience – the market votes with its dollars, so the market will pick financial winners.”
Canadian for-profits eye EV as they cash in on marijuana market
BY WAYNE SCHUTSKY Tribune Staff Writer
Canadian companies are investing millions of dollars into Arizona’s medical marijuana market in order to turn profits and wield influence over the state’s lucrative non-profit dispensary market.
One company, Canadian Bioceutical Corp., has paid $30 million to acquire management
firms that provide services to two Mesa dispensaries. These Canadian corporations are purchasing management companies that provide a range of services to medical marijuana facilities. Multiple companies like Canadian Bioceutical Corporation refer to Arizona’s marijuana market as highly profitable, a statement seemingly at odds with the non-profit nature of Arizona’s medical marijuana industry.
According to the Arizona Medical Marijuana Act, “A registered nonprofit medical marijuana dispensary shall be operated on a not-for-profit basis.” However, that does not mean there is not money to be had.
Canadian Bioceutical paid over $30 million over the course of three deals between January and May of this year to purchase a range of
(Photos by Kim Carrillo/Tribune Staff Photographer, and LGE/Special to the Tribune)
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Gilbert group works to preserve Clydesdales horses
BY LEAH GILCHRIST Tribune Staff Writer
Feeding the horses, cooling the barn and mucking stalls are all in a day’s work for Rebecca Stivers. Though caring for horses isn’t out of the ordinary in Gilbert, Stivers is the only one keeping six Clydesdale horses.
She’s known as “the lady with the Clydesdales” around Gilbert as she goes to purchase supplies for the horses and when she attends community events. It started with Stivers’ horse, Lakota, and has now branched into working to preserve the Clydesdale breed from extinction.
The nonprofit USA Clydesdale Preservation Foundation was founded in 2012 and has worked for the last five years to spread awareness and education about the breed. Clydesdales were listed on a watch list in 2012, and in 2017, the breed was moved from the Livestock Conservancy Agency’s “watch” list to the “threatened” list.
The Livestock Conservancy Agency estimates that there are approximately 5,000 of the horses remaining in the world. The breed was noted as threatened when it was estimated that there were only about 500 to 900 adult females still breeding.
Stivers, the director and founder of the foundation, had been working with Lakota, a retired therapy horse, when she heard the breed was threatened.
“It’s the whole equine that has gone down in number, but the ones that matter are already at risk.” Stivers said. “We were at risk.”
Stivers has been in Gilbert for the last 30 years, and has worked with Lakota for the last 14 years. She has worked with horses for as long as she can remember, and now conserving a breed she’s worked with for many years has become the focus in her life.
The USA Clydesdale Preservation Foundation, formerly the USA Clydesdale Drill Team, currently houses six Clydesdales, many of which were former therapy horses.
revolution, new tractors and plows were created that could work fields without horses.
The Clydesdale essentially is losing its original purpose, and therefore fewer horses are being bred.
At peak, an estimated 140,000 Clydesdales existed around the world.
The horses have origins in Scotland, and require some necessary environmental adjustments to live in Gilbert.
Stivers and her volunteers work to make sure the horses are living in the best conditions possible in the searing Arizona heat.
A system of misters and fans cool them during the hot summers. They are kept in the barn during the day, let out only
once the sun has gone down, to protect them from overheating. The horses also get plenty of water to keep them hydrated throughout the day.
Stivers and the preservation foundation are working to reintroduce the Clydesdale as not only a horse for pulling but also riding.
“Our big goal is to get the country to accept them as a riding horse also.” Stivers said. “Because one of the biggest things in conservation is you’ve got to give them another purpose.”
Stivers said the horses at the foundation are sweet with people and gentle to visitors to the site. They have bonded with volunteers over the last five years.
Stivers said as far as she knows, the six they keep at the preservation foundation are some of the remaining few in the U.S. The foundation does not breed the horses; it houses the six horses in a barn that the foundation uses to educate different groups.
Clydesdales were originally used for pulling wagons and plowing fields in the early 19th century, when they were first brought to the U.S. During the industrial
Sheila Angerer, a board member for the foundation and regular volunteer, found a love for the horses working with them in the barn.
When she began to volunteer, Angerer was a new Clydesdale rider, and now has grown familiar and fond of them.
“It’s a privilege to take care of them, because there’s so few of them left,” Angerer said.
Stivers said that in 2012, the organization had about eight regular volunteers working with the horses; five years later, about 60 people have signed on as regular volunteers.
The foundation has had an increase in visitors over the last five years.
Stivers said she also has received more questions about the horses, and has seen that people are more attentive to the breed than they were before.
“If we can get them off the (endangered) lists, we’ll probably close this down.” Stivers said.
(Kimberly Carrillo/Tribune Staff Photographer)
Sheila Angerer (left) and Rebecca Stivers care for Naomi the Clydesdale. The USA Clydesdale Preservation Foundation in Gilbert has been working to keep the horse breed from extinction.
(Kimberly Carrillo/Tribune Staff Photographer) Working 14 years with Lakota, a retired therapy horse, inspired Rebecca Stivers.
Orbital ATK opens new satellite building in Gilbert
BY WAYNE SCHUTSKY Tribune Staff Writer
Advanced aerospace manufacturer and longtime Gilbert employer Orbital ATK officially pulled back the curtain on its new satellite engineering building on June 28.
The 60,000-square-foot facility is located on the site of Orbital’s existing satellite manufacturing plant and will provide a basis for the company’s employment growth plans moving forward.
The expansion is part of a five-year plan that will see Orbital ATK hire 155 additional workers, mostly engineering scientists, through 2020, said Rick Kettner, Orbital ATK Gilbert site manager.
The company will primarily be adding high-wage jobs with an average salary over $100,000, Gilbert Mayor Jenn Daniels said.
The grand opening kicked off with a ribbon-cutting ceremony with Daniels and Orbital ATK executives. Afterward, the company hosted an information session for press, staff, government officials and other interested parties that included talks by Daniels and company executives.
Gilbert Mayor Jenn Daniels (center) is flanked by fellow ribbon-cutters Gilbert Site Manager Rick Kettner (right) and Space Systems Group President Frank Culbertson, along with other city and company officials, at the opening of Orbital ATK's new facility.
Orbital has a presence in 17 states across the country, and Arizona contains one of the company’s largest single state footprints with over 1,800 employees spread across locations in Gilbert, Chandler and Mesa.
The company officially moved engineers
into the building in mid-June, culminating the 16-month-long build.
The company chose to expand in Gilbert due, in part, to its longstanding business relationship with the town. The company’s Gilbert manufacturing facility
came out of the ground in 2001 and has played a large role in Gilbert’s economic development since that time.
“The sleepy, conservative enclave of Gilbert was about to be tossed into the big leagues,” said Gilbert Chamber of Commerce Joan Krueger, who was present at that groundbreaking back in 2001.
Tax incentives along with ready access to an educated workforce – buoyed by STEM programs at ASU, ChandlerGilbert Community College and nearby Mesquite High School – also played a role in Orbital ATK’s decision to expand in Gilbert, Kettner said.
The new facility also solves some logistical problems for the company by allowing for easy collaboration between engineering and manufacturing teams. Those groups often work hand in hand, and the co-location will allow the company to build and integrate systems under one roof.
“Gilbert is business friendly and very proactive,” Kettner said. He added that the town is family friendly, which is an important consideration for much of the
(Wayne Schutsky/Tribune Staff)
ENTERTAINMENT
from page 1
That competition is heating up. Tempe residents can expect to see plenty of construction in the year ahead at the busy intersection at Baseline and Rural Roads in Tempe as work begins on The Collective, the 50,000-squarefoot mixed-use development from DMB Partners.
The 5.2 acres of land involved in the project lay east of the northeast corner of the intersection and recently sold for $3.2 million.
The forthcoming destination has already secured an anchor tenant in Alamo Drafthouse. The hip Austinbased movie theater chain currently has one Arizona location in Chandler and is seen as one of the originators of the all-in-one dinner, drinks and movie experience replicated by other chains like AMC and Harkins.
The Collective will also include other retail and restaurant options.
JLB Partners is also developing a 367unit apartment complex named The Harper next door to the property. The overall concept falls in line with the “live, work, play” mantra that has turned into gospel in recent years among developers and city planners in the East Valley who are attempting to create dense, walkable concepts.
“It is important in retail development that we tie projects into their suburban cores a little better and into their neighborhoods a little better, and we’ve been trying to do that with all of our projects,” said David Sellers, LGE Design Build president and CEO.
LGE Design Build is the general contractor on the The Collective.
The team behind the project has received positive feedback from meetings with the community, Sellers said.
Construction is already underway on The Collective, which has an approximate price tag of $15 million. Completion is expected in early 2018.
In Gilbert, Bowlmor AMF recently
in the RFQ, calls for the development of at least 68,000 interior square feet of restaurant, bar and entertainment as well as an outdoor patio and rooftop dining component. Traditional retail is absent from the request as the organization does not want to create competition for the existing outlets.
unveiled a new addition to its Bowlero brand at 1160 S. Gilbert Road. The bowling giant is keen on taking an advantage of the growing Gilbert market.
The brand offers a range of amenities that appeal to both children and adults, which makes sense in Gilbert. According to statistics from the town’s Department of Economic Development, 72.6 percent of Gilbert’s population is made up of “up and coming families” and 29.8 percent of the population is under the age of 18, the town’s largest single demographic age group.
“Gilbert has evolved into one of the fastest-growing communities in the United States and is ready for new entertainment options as the population grows,” said Samantha Bevacqua, director of brand management at Bowlmor AMF.
Arizona Cardinals running back David Johnson was on hand to host the Bowlero’s grand opening in June.
The former Brunswick XL location features a range of amenities geared toward children, including bumper cars, a laser tag arena, and – of course – bowling. There is also an arcade that features the world’s largest Pac-Man game.
For parents and other adults, Bowlero offers laneside food and beverage service and HD video walls. The venue also features a full-service bar.
Farther west, Gila River Indian Community recently made known its intention to develop a high-end entertainment district adjacent to the Wild Horse Pass Hotel and Casino.
The Wild Horse Pass Development Authority, GRIC’s development arm, issued a request for qualifications in order to find a developer to work on the future mixed-use project. It will serve as a bridge of sorts between the area’s two most popular destinations, Wild Horse Pass Hotel and Casino and the Phoenix Premium Outlets.
Phase 1 of the project, as described
Additionally, the project contains plans to create an indoor/outdoor concert-style venue like Stage AE in Pittsburgh that can host music, comedy, mixed martial arts and other entertainment. The RFQ calls for a venue with an indoor capacity around 3,000 seats and an outdoor capacity of roughly 6,000 seats.
Full buildout of the entertainment district could eventually encompass up to 59 acres.
Analysis included with the RFQ pegs the investment in project after year one by GRIC and/or private developers at roughly $87 million. That will include development of the entertainment venue and the first phase of office, restaurant, retail and hotel space. By year 10, according to estimates in the RFQ, the project will cost around $245 million.
These numbers are only preliminary estimates and the real cost will likely not become clear until a developer and plan are selected, said Hunden Strategic Partners President Rob Hunden, who is advising WHPDA on the project.
Once again, walkability is key as Wild Horse Pass is keen on creating an enclosed entertainment district similar to nationally-renowned districts like Kansas City Power & Light District, Louisville’s 4th Street Live! and Charlotte’s NC Music Factory.
Replicating the success of those projects will be no easy feat, though, as those districts are in dense urban environments and Wild Horse Pass is still edge development, Stapp said.
However, Stapp noted that the area surrounding the Wild Horse Pass Casino will likely benefit from the Loop 202 expansion and become “less edge.”
“The (Loop 202 expansion) is going to change the dynamics of West Valley and Southeast Valley, and this property is well-located,” Stapp said.
– Tribune Staff Writer Jessica Suriano contributed to this
– Reach Wayne Schutsky at 480-898-6533 or wschutsky@timespublications.com.
Call (844) 256-1202 today to schedule your complimentary lunch and visit. We are available 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. CT, Monday through Friday.
article.
(Kimberly Carrillo/Tribune Staff Photographer)
In addition to bowling, Bowlero features a range of amenities geared toward children, including bumper cards and a laser tag arena.
(Kimberly Carrillo/Tribune Staff Photographer)
Bowlmor AMF recently unveiled a new Bowlero location in Gilbert at 1160 S. Gilbert Road.
Chandler, Gilbert continue to grow downtowns with entertainment
BY WAYNE SCHUTSKY Tribune Staff Writer
Long overshadowed by their Valley counterparts, Chandler and Gilbert are now making inroads as entertainment destinations for residents as their long-gestating downtown development plans mature and draw key restaurants, retailers and other attractions to the areas.
The development plans behind both downtowns follow a valleywide trend that favors creating dense, walkable districts filled with local and regional vendors versus the traditional mall and power center models popular in the past.
But the walkable model has made parking another main concern for both Gilbert and Chandler. Both downtowns already contain several parking lots and garages and have more on the way.
The planned Chandler 87 multi-use building will include parking and the city is also developing a new garage near the San Marcos Resort.
Gilbert will invest in a new parking structure at the north end of the Heritage District that should open in early 2019 to coincide with the opening of the new Culinary Dropout at the Yard.
That parking will likely be necessary to support the influx of new business coming in alongside the homegrown brands that have provided the foundation for further development in Gilbert and Chandler.
In Gilbert, the native brands include Joe Johnston’s Joe’s Real BBQ and Liberty Market along with other local fare like Bergie’s Coffee Roast House and The Farmhouse.
Downtown Chandler’s local anchors include Peixoto Coffee, Bourbon Jack’s, Paletas Betty, Ice Cream Sammies, Yoli’s Café, and SanTan Brewing Co., among many others.
“I’m glad we came when we did, because this place is going to be a lot busier and real estate (costs are going to rise),” Peixoto Coffee owner Julia Peixoto Peters said. She opened the coffee shop, which sources beans from her family’s plantation in Brazil, about two and a half years ago.
In addition to local fare, Gilbert has also attracted Phoenix-based restaurant tenants, including concepts from Fox Restaurant Concepts (Zinburger) and Upward Projects (Postino, Joyride Taco House).
The presence of those chains has helped Gilbert attract other successful local Arizona restaurants to the area like O.H.S.O. Brewery, said Todd Folger, CBRE Retail Services first vice president.
The new O.H.S.O. location is scheduled to open in Spring 2018.
In Chandler, there are multiple major projects currently in the planning or development stages. The most obvious, the Overstreet multi-use development at Chandler Boulevard and Arizona Avenue, is under construction and will house a Flix Brewhouse movie theater along with restaurants, retail, fitness center and 19,000 square feet of office space.
Overstreet has an expected completion date of January 2018, said Kim Moyers, Chandler Downtown Development manager.
Gilbert’s Heritage District, which already has a unique entertainment option in longtime resident Hale Centre Theatre, is focused on developing additional retail and restaurant options, Amanda Elliot said.
Fox Restaurant Concepts’ Culinary Dropout at The Yard is scheduled to open in Spring 2019 at the north end of the district to coincide with the new parking structure.
There are also plans to add an over 8,000-square-foot restaurant and retail co-op space in between Vaughn and Page
Avenues on Gilbert Road. The space is being developed by LGE Design Build, and will be similar to the now-closed UNION at Biltmore Fashion Park in Phoenix with multiple small retailers in an open setting, Elliot said.
There are plans for an additional building on a site just west of the coop that will also include ground floor retail and restaurants with three floors of office space.
Gilbert is also putting out an RFP to develop additional office space on an eight-acre parcel west of Gilbert Road near the canal.
That diversification – retail mixed with office – is being developed in response to requests from the business community.
“We know we need offices in the area,” Elliot said. “Tech companies (and other companies in general) have reached out looking for office space in the Heritage District.”
Chandler is making a similar investment in office space. The Chandler City Council on June 22 approved a preliminary development plan and rezoning of the Chandler 87 site at Arizona Avenue and Chicago Street from commercial and multifamily to a planned area development that will allow for office, retail, and a parking garage, along with Mid-Rise overlay for building heights up to 115 feet.
Chandler awarded the RFP for Site
6, the five-acre plot where Chandler 87 will be built, in 2014 but the project has moved slowly – due, in part, to a city requirement that 50 percent of the space be leased before construction can begin.
The city already relocated electric lines at the site underground during necessary infrastructure upgrades, Moyers said.
Local businesses owners are ready for the project to come out of the ground.
“Anything that brings more foot traffic is welcome,” Peixoto Peters said. “There have been plans to develop (Chandler 87) for a long time, but we have not seen action for a while (because of the occupancy requirement).”
Despite all of the development in the pipeline, neither municipality is done establishing its downtown center yet.
Chandler has roughly $236 million in existing development agreements downtown, Moyers told a City Council meeting late last year. Between FY2010 and FY2017, the city will have invested over $54 million in downtown capital improvement projects.
Gilbert owns most of the land in the Heritage District and by the end of the next fiscal year it will have a masterplan in place for its remaining property in the area, Elliot said.
(Special to the Tribune)
The Overstreet project at Chandler Boulevard and Arizona Avenue is anchored by Flix Brewhouse, a combination microbrewery-movie theater.
150 people will become citizens at Celebration of Freedom
For the third consecutive year, the Republic Services Arizona Celebration of Freedom will include a naturalization ceremony at 7 p.m. Tuesday, July 4, at the Mesa Convention Center, 263 N. Center St.
The new citizens are from more than 15 countries, including Canada, Mexico, United Kingdom and Iraq. Mayor John Giles and Vice Mayor David Luna will participate in the ceremony.
The celebration will also include a historical presentation of the flags of the United States. Also, the Sertoma Club of Mesa is sponsoring a 10-question civics test for those interested in seeing how they would fare if they applied for citizenship.
The Celebration of Freedom event, which includes live music, patriotic displays, Revolutionary War reenactments and fireworks, is from 6-10 p.m. at the Mesa Convention Center, Mesa Amphitheatre and along Center Street between First Street and University Drive.
Tempe to debate establishing office to oversee airport noise
The Tempe Aviation Commission will address a proposal to establish a Noise Abatement Office to address disturbances from Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport.
The Noise Abatement Subcommittee will meet at 5:30 p.m. Wednesday, July 5, at Eisendrath House SRP Water Education Facility 1400 N. College Ave., Tempe.
Tempe has an agreement with Phoenix on flight procedures to mitigate noise over Tempe from jet and large turboprop aircraft departing the Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport.
To address noise, the Federal Aviation Administration is implementing new flight procedures at several airports, including Sky Harbor.
Parents to be briefed on Tempe’s free preschool starting this fall
The city of Tempe, the Tempe Elementary School District and the Kyrene School District are offering a free preschool program for qualifying 3- and 4-year-olds beginning in August.
A community meeting to share more information about Tempe PRE will take place at 5:30 p.m. Thursday, July 13, at the Tempe History Museum, 809 E. Southern Ave.
– TRIBUNE STAFF REPORT
Applications have been taken since early June and are still available at tempe.gov/tempepre.
Information: 480-858-7735 or pre-k@tempe.gov.
– TRIBUNE STAFF REPORT
MARIJUANA
management companies in Arizona. Other Canadian companies, namely General Cannabis Corp. and Aphria, have also made investments in the market in recent months.
In general, these management companies provide a broad list of services, ranging from financial and real estate management to providing skilled employees. And while the dispensaries are non-profits, the management companies are not.
In the first purchase in January, CGX Life Sciences, a Nevada corporation and wholly-owned subsidiary of Canadian Bioceutical, purchased management companies related to the Health For Life dispensary brand, which operates two dispensaries in Mesa.
Health For Life East is at 7343 S. 89th Place. Health For Life North is at 5550 E. McDowell Road.
Canadian Bioceutical just spearheaded a relocation of the North location to McDowell Road at the end of May. The design of the new facility will be the blueprint for future locations. The dispensary set a one-week sales record following the move, according to a Canadian Bioceutical press release.
Since its first purchase in Arizona, Canadian Bioceutical has expanded its footprint in the state by purchasing other management companies. Its last transaction "will bring total number of Arizona dispensaries under the Health for Life umbrella – current and under development – to four in a state with less than 100 dispensaries in total,” according to a company press release.
“I confirmed with the program that ADHS only oversees the dispensary and dispensary agents. Outside firms are not under our purview unless they are dispensary agents,” DHS staffer Ben Palmer said via email.
It is unclear who profited from the sales of the various management companies in Arizona bought by Canadian Bioceutical, though Elizabeth Stavola is regularly listed as a founding member on the acquired businesses, most of which were limited liability corporations.
Stavola is president of U.S. operations for Canadian Bioceutical via CGX.
according to documents from the New Jersey Department of The Treasury Division of Revenue and Enterprise Services.
In Arizona, these management companies can be owned and/or operated by the same people running dispensaries or their friends and family, though the situation is rare.
There is nothing in the Arizona Medical Marijuana Act that prohibits this arrangement. The dispensaries just need to make sure they do not run afoul of nonprofit regulations, so they must make sure the conflict of interest is exposed to other members of the board and refrain from charging exorbitant fees.
However, the management company model – and the sale prices and profit potential associated with it – may violate what Arizona voters intended when they approved the legislation by a slim margin in 2010.
The medical marijuana business in Arizona is thriving – cannabis industry analysis company New Frontier Data projects the market to grow to $681 million by 2020 – and management companies can take advantage of that by leveraging service contracts with dispensaries that often reach 20-30 years in length.
And while Canadian Bioceutical does not actually own dispensaries in Arizona, it claims that it “exerts considerable influence” over the dispensaries it services, according to statements on the company website and in its management presentation from May of this year.
Unlike dispensaries, these management companies are not regulated by the Arizona Department of Health Services.
The company has also made investments in medical marijuana and recreational marijuana industries in several other states to date, including Massachusetts and Maryland. The acquisitions make business sense.
ORBITAL
from page 4
company’s workforce.
Safety and quality-of-life concerns were also taken into account as the new facility will cut down on commute times for engineers who will no longer have to travel between two sites, said Frank Culbertson, Orbital ATK Space Systems Group president.
Currently, the company has several programs in production at the Gilbert manufacturing facility for public and private entities.
It is under contract with Thales Alenia Space to assemble, integrate and test 81 spacecraft for the Iridium NEXT program.
It is also working on the Ionospheric Connection Explorer satellite for University of California Berkeley/Space Sciences Laboratory and ICESat-2 ice topography measurement program managed by NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Program Center.
Additionally, the facility is going to begin production on Landsat9 and JPSS2, which will contribute to programs run by NASA, United States Geological Survey and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
Landsat9 is a $129.9 million project, and JPSS-2 is a $240 million project.
Stavola, a New Jersey resident and Wall Street veteran, was listed as a founding member on no fewer than five LLCs registered with the Arizona Corporation Commission that are now owned by CGX Life Sciences – including S8 Industries LLC, S8 Management LLC, S8 Rental Services LLC, H4L Management North LLC, and H4L Management East LLC.
In addition to being listed as a member on many of the LLCs purchased by Canadian Bioceutical, Stavola is also listed as the founder and CEO of Health For Life Inc. on the dispensary's website.
One of the directors for Health For Life Inc., the licensed nonprofit behind the dispensary brand, is Julie Winter. Winter, also a New Jersey resident, works with Stavola at a marijuana-based beauty product company called CBD For Life,
The expansion is another win for Arizona’s robust aerospace manufacturing industry.
During his brief comments, Keith Watkins, Arizona Commerce Authority executive vice president, noted that Arizona’s economy is driven by industry leaders like Orbital ATK. He said a PricewaterhouseCoopers report ranked Arizona number one in aerospace manufacturing attractiveness nationwide.
Arizona has managed to develop this industry despite a political climate that is not always friendly to weather and climate science, disciplines that often use satellites created by Orbital ATK.
“Our strong demographics and
“I think it is unambiguous in the law that the voters passed that the dispensaries are supposed to be non-profit entities,” said Daniel Orenstein, postdoctoral fellow at the UCSF Center for Tobacco Control Research and Education.
Orenstein was previously fellow and adjunct professor of law, public health law and policy program at Sandra Day O’Connor College of Law at Arizona State University. He also authored “Voter Madness? Voter Intent and the Arizona Medical Marijuana Act,” published in the Arizona State Law Journal.
“Because (the legislation) talks about non-profits in the law, it can be assumed that it was not meant to create this peculiar (management company) setup,” Orenstein said.
Health For Life and Canadian Bioceutical did not return requests for comment.
– Reach Wayne Schutsky at 480-898-6533 or wschutsky@timespublications.com.
commitment to the industry speak for (themselves),” Daniels said. “Because we all work so well together as region in the East Valley, we are lucky to attract employers like Orbital ATK.”
Kettner views Orbital ATK’s presence in Arizona as a net positive and a resource to keep an open dialog about climate change in the state. He referenced a carbon emission observatory manufactured by the company as a tool to help educate people.
“There are things technically that we can provide that can help us all make more informed decisions,” he said.
– Reach Wayne Schutsky at 480-898-6533 or wschutsky@timespublications.com.
(Facebook)
Health For Life dispensary brand operates dispensaries on S. 89th Place and McDowell Road in Mesa.
THE WEEK IN REVIEW
3-year-old killed, father arrested in Chandler incident
A 3-year-old girl was shot Thursday night and died Friday in Chandler, police say. Her father has been arrested.
Chandler Police responded to a shooting in the 700 block of West Ivanhoe Street, near Ray and Alma School roads, around 8 p.m. Thursday. The girl’s mother placed the initial 911 call. The girl was transported to a local hospital.
Friday morning, police reported that the girl, whose name was not given, had died of her injuries. The victim's father, 33-year-old Eric Sands, was arrested and was being held on a prohibited possessor charge and possession of dangerous drugs charge.
“This investigation is still ongoing, our investigators are still trying to piece together what led to this tragedy, and there is always the possibility for additional, or new charges,” Seth Tyler of the Chandler Police Department said in an email.
“This was a horrific incident for all involved, including all public safety personnel at the scene,” Tyler said. “As you can imagine, the parents are very distraught.”
– RALPH ZUBIATE, TRIBUNE MANAGING EDITOR
Mesa Temple to close for renovation
The Mesa LDS Temple will close for renovation beginning in May 2018 and will reopen in 2020 after upgrades and repairs are complete.
It is the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints’ seventh operating temple, and is the first of six temples either built or planned in Arizona. The 120,000-square-foot building was dedicated on Oct. 23, 1927.
In February 1974, the Mesa temple was closed for extensive remodeling. Rooms were equipped to handle new technology, and a new entrance was added. The renovation included an addition of 17,000 square feet, which increased the number of sealing rooms and provided temple patrons with larger dressing rooms. It was rededicated on April 16, 1975.
The Mesa Temple is built in a neoclassical style made to look like the ancient Temple of Jerusalem. Every December, thousands of guests visit the temple for a Christmas light and nativity display and in spring for its Easter Pageant.
– TRIBUNE STAFF
REPORT
Urban recreation areas restocked with fish
Arizona anglers can hook trout, bass and catfish at urban recreation areas in the East Valley and around the state after Arizona Game and Fish stocked waters with a quarter million fish.
Across the state, 39 urban waters received fish trucked in from Arkansas.
Arizona Game and Fish workers checked pH levels, algae growth and the overall condition of the water before deciding whether to stock each lake.
In the East Valley, the parks stocked included Chandler’s Desert Breeze and Veterans Oasis; Gilbert’s Water Ranch, Freestone, McQueen and Discovery; Mesa’s Red Mountain and Riverview; and Tempe’s Evelyn Hallman Pond, Kiwanis and Tempe Town Lake.
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Wednesday July 12, 2017 from 12:00-1:00
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Dinner and Learn Dates: (Location 21809 S. Ellisworth Rd., Queen Creek, AZ 85142)
Wednesday July 12, 2017 from 5:00-6:00
Thursday July 13, 2017 from 5:00-6:00
Mesa gun show finds more women, less urgency to purchase weapons
BY JESSICA SURIANO Tribune Staff Writer
Visitors and vendors at this season’s Crossroads of the West Gun Show in Mesa observed two trends: more women customers and less urgency to buy guns as soon as possible.
Mike Reber, vendor of Arizona Arms LLC, has been selling at gun shows for about 10 years, and said the past year he has sold concealed carry weapons to more women for self-defense and to more firsttime gun owners.
Arizona Custom Knife Maker Bob Ham has been selling knives for about 20 to 25 years as a hobbyist, but said he also enjoys looking at the guns sold at shows like Crossroads of the West. He said gun sales at the shows have decreased because people aren’t scared that their opportunity to purchase them will be going away any time soon with the new presidential administration.
“Politics may change, but the attitudes are not going to change,” Ham said. “I’m never going to give my guns up. I will bury them in the desert before I give them up.”
Lara Smith, national spokesperson and president of the California chapter of the Liberal Gun Club, said more liberals are buying guns now, too.
The organization had a 10 percent membership increase within the first month of President Donald Trump’s term, and since the inauguration, membership has nearly doubled.
Primavera Online High names
new principal for upcoming year
Donald Michell has been named principal of Primavera Online High School in Chandler for the upcoming school year. Mitchell will responsible for Primavera’s 20,000 full- and part-time students and approximately 300 teachers and staff. He will also collaborate with the school’s leadership team to oversee major administrative tasks to guide students in becoming college and career ready.
with
a
Smith attributes this jump in liberal gun ownership to people in groups such as the LGBTQ, people of color and disabled communities feeling their safety is now threatened.
“Lots and lots of liberals have guns,” Smith said. “They’re not as willing to talk about it. The gun culture, in general, lots of people don’t talk about it, and don’t talk about their politics partially for fear of being ostracized in the community.”
Vendor Larry Williams of Lucky’s Loaders has been selling at shows for about 25 years and said the youngest children he has seen families bring to a gun show are around 5 or 6 years old. He said he started teaching his own grandson to shoot when
Mitchell has more than 15 years of education experience, having held numerous district-level positions and serving as electives instructor and assistant principal at Primavera.
MESA
Mesa public art project wins national award
A public art project in Mesa is among the country’s best public artwork from 2016. Americans for the Arts recently singled out 49 projects for acclaim.
Mesa Musical Shadows was created by Canadian design studio Daily tous les jours. It was commissioned by the Mesa Arts Center.
he was about 9 years old. He said families bring their kids to the shows to teach them about gun safety.
Williams said he believes the number of provisions that usually delay a gun sale or add to the background check process will continue to decrease with the Trump administration.
The background-check process can trigger many delays, depending on what information is returned to a vendor about a customer. One criterion that can delay this process was nullified three months into Trump’s term.
Earlier this year in February, Trump signed the bill H.J. Res 40, which was passed by both the U.S. House and Senate and revoked an Obama-era regulation put in place following the Sandy Hook Elementary shooting.
The piece is an interactive pavement installed on the northwestern corner of the Mesa Arts Center campus, adjacent to a section of Main Street that’s part of the Valley Metro light rail system.
Free prescription drug discount cards are being made available to Mesa residents through a program sponsored by the National League of Cities. The discount cards offer city residents average savings of 20 percent off the retail price of commonly prescribed drugs. The discount only applies to prescriptions not already covered in full or in part by insurance.
The card can be used when purchasing prescription drugs at many pharmacies around the city, as well as at more than 59,000 participating retail pharmacies across the country.
Residents can call toll-free 1-888-620-1749 or visit caremark.com/nlc for assistance with the program.
EVIT to award female student auto technician scholarship
The East Valley Institute of Technology will award a woman an auto technician
(Kimberly Carrillo/Tribune Staff Photographer)
Mike Reber was
vendor
Arizona Arms LLC at the Crossroads of the West Gun Show at the Mesa Convention Center. He said he’s been selling more concealed carry weapons to women lately.
(Kimberly Carrillo/Tribune Staff Photographer) Rose Japngie of Elite Guns and Ammunition said the atmosphere at gun shows is more comfortable and less panicked because of Donald Trump’s presidency.
Kids can step into Harry Potter’s world of witchcraft and wizardry in magical class
BY JESSICA SURIANO Tribune Staff Writer
The enchanting world of the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry is coming to Chandler for all the kids who have had one too many pool days – minus the butterbeer, of course.
From July 10 to 14, kids ages 6 to 11 can escape the heat by creating wands and potions and participating in quidditch tournaments in the class, “Harry Potter: Join Our Magical Science Tour.” The class runs from 9 a.m. to noon at Chandler Community Center at 125 E. Commonwealth Ave.
BRIEFS
from page 10
scholarship to pursue a career in the automotive services industry. The scholarship cover the cost of one year of education and training in the automotive department at EVIT, as well as the program fees.
The Mesa school is partnering with radio station 88.7 FM The Pulse.
The scholarship will be awarded to the student that receives the highest average score on a rubric that will be used by the committee, and provided in the application. Winners will be notified by email and phone. Applications are being accepted now and final submissions must be received by 11:59 p.m. on July 16. The winner will be announced on or before July 23. Rules and application: wrenchnation. tv or pulseradio.fm.
GILBERT
Gilbert, UofA opening program to teach computer coding
Gilbert is teaming with the University of Arizona to open a new coding boot camp in the Heritage District area.
The 24-week boot camp offers students work in JavaScript, HTML, CSS, Java and other applications. Students also will get help with career counseling, resumes and portfolios.
The program starts July 10. Cost of the program is $9,500.
Gilbert is hoping to attract more tech companies to its downtown area and office parks
Highland High teacher recognized for work with biology students
Jamie Blum, a biology teacher at Highland High School in Gilbert, has been given the 2017 Outstanding Biology Teacher Award for the state of Arizona.
The honor, given since 1961, is awarded by
Tiffanie Hawkins, marketing and communications coordinator for Chandler Parks and Recreation, said the class has been widely popular since its inception for its ability to combine science, art and literature with a fun twist.
“This class seems to keep the kids engaged on an educational level almost without them knowing they are,”
Hawkins said in an email. “This class entices creativity to the point where boredom is pretty much off the radar, and keeps the kids wanting more.”
Kids will get to take part in hands-on science experiments, such as creating different edible items from the books. This will also double as a snack time.
the National Association of Biology Teachers, in conjunction with Carolina Biological Supply Company.
The award is given to teachers who make invaluable contributions to the profession, enhancing the teaching of biology.
Blum has taught for 26 years, the last 22 teaching biology, including Honors courses, at Highland High. She also is the coordinator and an instructor for Advancement Via Individual Determination, and the chapter sponsor for Fellowship of Christian Athletes.
Gilbert residents presented with Girl Scout awards
Stephanie Carriere and Donna Pocano of Gilbert were honored recently with Girl Scout High Achievement Awards.
The awards are granted annually to volunteers who have distinguished themselves by their outstanding service in furthering the Girl Scout mission.
Each year, Girl Scouts–Arizona Cactus-Pine Council holds a special recognition ceremony to honor volunteers, who are nominated by their peers and selected by the nominating committee. The honorees usually have served as a Troop Leader for several years and volunteer at the neighborhood level.
TEMPE
Tempe Tourism Office president will retire after 18 years
Stephanie Nowack, president/CEO of the Tempe Tourism Office, will retire at the end of the year.
She has served in her role for more than 18 years, joining in 1999 when the office was known as the Tempe Convention & Visitors Bureau.
Nowack previously handled strategic planning, marketing, advertising, public relations and event management for organizations such as the Arizona Bank, Valley
Registration for the class is $39 for Chandler residents or $53 for nonresidents. There is also a $138 instructor fee due on the first day for supply costs.
The activities are the perfect opportunities for parents to cast their own spells by “tricking” kids into thinking they’re not really in a class. Hawkins said the exciting theme of the class is something the kids can “both relate to and connect with on their own level of learning.”
Parents can register their kids online at chandleraz.gov/ registration.
of the Sun United Way and Motorola. She was the second CEO to lead the Tempe tourism group, following its founder, Sandy Hecomovich, who launched the organization in 1988.
Tempe Prep student selected to attend global youth summit
Tempe Prep Sophomore Madison Hanosh has been selected to represent Arizona at the Global Youth Summit on the Future of Medicine at Brandeis University in Massachusetts.
Students with exceptional academic records and test scores as well as documented interest in a medical or health career were invited to apply. Out of the hundreds of outstanding applicants, Hanosh is one of only 230 delegates selected for the program.
Hanosh attends Tempe Preparatory Academy.
EAST VALLEY
United Food Bank appoints interim CEO to assume job
Dave Richins has been tapped to lead the United Food Bank as president and CEO. Richins previously served as interim CEO for the past three months.
Richins has worked in nonprofit, government and corporate roles. Most recently, he served as a Mesa City Councilmember for District 1, completing two terms. Richins also worked for Resolution Copper.
He helped start the West Mesa Community Development Corporation and served as its first executive director. He also helped launch the Sun Corridor Legacy Program at the Sonoran Institute, a think tank on western policy issues.
Richins holds a bachelor’s degree in sustainable community development with a minor in leadership from Prescott College.
GUN SHOW
from page 10
deemed “unfit” to handle their own finances to the national background check database without due process. That could have included people receiving Social Security checks for mental illnesses and could have curtailed the ability of some veterans placed in any kind of conservatorship to purchase a gun.
Conservatorships are not limited to mental health status; people can be ordered a conservatorship by a judge for other reasons such as old age or a physical limitation.
“There was no hearing before your right got taken away,” Smith said. “That was the real issue. It wasn’t that hey, we want people with mental illness to have guns because obviously, really, we don’t.”
Rose Japngie, an employee of Elite Guns and Ammunition, remembers the first time she shot a gun: February 1989. Ever since, she said she loved the feeling of control and power shooting gave her.
She also thinks this year so far, the atmosphere at gun shows is more comfortable and less panicked because of Trump.
“People will always want to protect themselves,” Japngie said.
On Trump’s 99th day in office, he addressed the National Rifle Association at its 146th annual convention, and told the audience, “the eight-year assault on your Second Amendment freedoms has come to a crashing end.”
“The industry is still really dominated by the conservative side, which I think is a mistake,” Smith said. “I think it’s a mistake on the industry’s part, and I’ll tell you, I think it’s a mistake on the part of the (Democratic National Committee) to insist on this anti-gun platform.”
(City of Chandler/Special to the Tribune) Children can explore the world of the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry July 10-14 in the city of Chandler’s “Harry Potter: Join Our Magical Science Tour.”
Business
Girl Scouts official says organization builds leadership skills
BY COLLEEN SPARKS Tribune Staff Writer
When people think of Girl Scouts, they often picture children selling cookies or paddling in canoes on camping trips. They might not realize girls as young as 5 who participate in the organization are actually building leadership skills including financial literacy and entrepreneurial savvy.
Staci Charles, “Campaign for Girls” manager with the Girl Scouts-Arizona Cactus-Pine Council, explained the organization’s mission at the Chandler Chamber of Commerce’s Women in Leadership luncheon recently, celebrating the Scouts.
About 1,850 girls are involved with Girl Scouts in Chandler, as of a February count, she said. In Gilbert, a little more than 1,500 girls are Scouts and slightly over 1,450 girls participate in Mesa, Charles added.
Charles told a crowd of about 80 people how Girl Scouts is centered around teaching girls leadership skills.
The girls, while doing volunteer work in their communities, taking trips and earning badges, focus on three elements of leadership development: discover, connect and take action, she said.
“We want the girls to understand themselves; that’s a piece of it and their values and use their knowledge and own research and skills to explore the world,” Charles said. “It’s really discovering themselves, what’s out there available to them. We want girls to care about, inspire and team up with other girls, women, with other groups, the community.
BUSINESS BRIEFS
Native Grill & Wings closes amid questions about why
Native Grill & Wings in Chandler has closed, but has left some confusion why.
Initially, a note taped to its front door blamed the rising cost of business and Arizona’s minimum wage increase. However, a restaurant spokesman says the real reason it was closed is because of
“There’s so many causes out there: cancer, autism, so many important things. I don’t just pick one. At the same time, all causes are important but this is our future. I think people just don’t understand how really under funded it is and how important it is for us to talk to each other about this subject and the development of girls.
“We think about college mentors,” she said. “The belief of Girl Scouts is really starting this out at five years old, instilling these types of skills and skill sets in girls.”
The leadership building, bonding and fun of Girl Scouts is not just for children and teens anymore.
“We do a lot of service,” she added. “Girl Scouts provides more than 75 million hours of service a year to improve their communities” around the United States.
Charles said older girls striving for the highest Girl Scouts honor, the Gold Award, do “some amazing, amazing projects” after finding an issue “they’re passionate about in the community.”
They build teams and tackle heavy issues including boosting awareness of sex trafficking and suicide. It can take 18 to 24 months for girls to complete their projects in order to try to earn the coveted award.
Girl Scouts selling cookies learn about entrepreneurship, confidence, accepting “no” for an answer and not taking it personally, financial literacy/knowledge and other leadership skills, Charles said.
Terri Kimble, president/CEO of the Chandler Chamber of Commerce and a former Girl Scout, was impressed and excited about Charles’ visit.
“It was so wonderful to hear how the
“underperformance.”
Mike Misetic, a spokesman for the Chandler-based chain, said that the note was posted by an “uninformed manager” and that Native supports the wage increase.
Job-helping RV to park outside community center
The Mobile Success Unit, a job development office in an RV, will offer help for job seekers from 1-4 p.m. Wednesday,
Girl Scouts continue to mold our future leaders with the new Parsons Leadership Center,” Kimble said.
“The program introduces girls to skills they will use for a lifetime. I am so proud to mention that our marketing and events interns, Allyson Wittekind, Macie Chavez, Lindsey Foley and Mackenzie Manguso were all Girl Scouts.”
The new Girl Scouts–Arizona CactusPine Council’s Bob & Renee Parsons Leadership Center for Girls & Women at Camp South Mountain is a place where the Girl Scouts offers programs and focuses on leadership development for all girls.
Charles said the goal is to help the girls “grow in their ability, take healthy risks, develop a strong sense of self, and grow into our community’s future leaders.”
She said unfortunately leadership training for girls and women around the country “overall is scarce.”
“We don’t really get as much leadership training as we should,” Charles said.
July 5, at the Tempe Community Center Complex parking lot, 3500 S. Rural Road.
The unit shares St. Joseph the Worker’s employment aids, such as computers and internet access to job-search online, create and print resumes; professional clothing and hygiene items; and Outreach Employment Specialists to craft a jobsearch plan and offer job-hunting advice.
Information: sjwjobs.org, Carol Reed at 602-292-4294 or creed@sjwjobs.org.
The new Troop Pearl–Phoenix is for women who meet four times a year to focus on the Girl Scouts initiatives of STEM (science, technology, engineering and math), entrepreneurship, outdoors and life skills, said Charles.
Charles, who owns a marketing and communications company, fits in well at the Women in Leadership luncheon. The purpose of the Women in Leadership program is to empower and advance women into business success through networking, mentor and education programs.
Charles is no stranger to networking as she’s had more than 25 years of corporate and business experience as a marketing and business development executive. She is on the Dignity Health Community Grants Committee and serves on ICAN’s Development Committee. Previously she volunteered on the Chandler/Gilbert Family YMCA Board.
“I’m very excited to continue to participate in these groups. I truly enjoyed the women that were there and the whole environment, everybody’s spirit that was in the room,” she said.
Blooming Beets restaurant in Chandler closes after 1 year
Blooming Beets, a Colorado-based health restaurant, has closed in Chandler after less than a year.
Located in Casa Paloma shopping center near 56th Street and Ray Road, it touted gluten-free, locally sourced, non-GMO food. Its Boulder, Colorado restaurant will remain open.
(Paulette Pacioni/Chandler Chamber of Commerce)
Chandler Chamber of Commerce intern Allyson Wittekind, “Campaign for Girls” manager with the Girl Scouts-Arizona Cactus-Pine Council Staci Charles and Chandler Chamber of Commerce interns Macie Chavez, Lindsey Foley and Mackenzie Manguso bond at the Chandler Chamber of Commerce’s Women in Leadership luncheon on June 20 in downtown Chandler.
The circus is over, let Ringmaster Joe Arpaio just go home
BY DAVID LEIBOWITZ Tribune Columnist
The old man shuffles some now, but he still lights up as he approaches the cameras and microphones assembled outside the federal courthouse in downtown Phoenix. Joe Arpaio – no longer Sheriff Joe, at least not officially – grumbles at the journalists blocking the sidewalk and mostly ignores their shouted questions, save one.
“Was it a good day for you Sheriff, a good day?” one of the reporters called out Monday afternoon, as Arpaio climbed into his lawyers’ black Mercedes sedan after the first day of his trial on a misdemeanor charge of contempt of court. Arpaio’s response? “Every day is a good day when you’re my age.”
Then the Benz, with the 85-year-old defendant riding shotgun, headed west on Washington Street, toward the setting sun. The criminal case against Arpaio dates
back to an 18-month stretch between 2012 and 2013. Prosecutors from the U.S. Department of Justice charge that Arpaio purposely violated a 2011 court order issued by federal judge Murray Snow, who demanded that the Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office stop enforcing federal immigration laws and stop profiling people with brown skin.
Already, Arpaio has been found guilty of the charge in civil court. Now, he’s a criminal defendant in U.S. District Court Judge Susan Bolton’s courtroom, where he faces up to six months in jail.
To which I say, respectfully, are you freaking kidding me?
I understand the concept that in America no one is above the law. But putting Arpaio on trial now strikes me as too much, too late. Besides that guilty verdict in civil court, the case of the People vs. Joe Arpaio also was tried to its conclusion last November, at the ballot box. A jury of his peers issued the one sentence Arpaio might actually fear: After
24 years in office, America’s Toughest Sheriff lost to Paul Penzone by 196,176 votes.
Penzone took office January 1st. In April, he announced the closure of Arpaio’s Tent City jail.
“Starting today,” Sheriff Penzone told the press, “the circus ends and that tent comes down.”
We’re moving on. That was Penzone’s theme. Too bad the feds missed the news flash. Experts say it’s highly unlikely that Arpaio will ever serve a day behind bars if convicted. Maybe he gets probation. Maybe he gets hit with a fine. Either way, Arpaio goes home to Fountain Hills and his dotage, to early bird specials and autograph requests and maybe the occasional appearance before throngs of adoring conservatives.
He no longer pins on a badge, or decorates his collar with a phalanx of gold stars. No driver picks him up to head downtown for the press release of the day, and no cops jump when Arpaio says sic ’em.
We’ve all read for years about our overburdened court system and jails so full of criminals – irony of ironies – one crazy sheriff actually decided to house offenders in tents in the burning desert. So, tell me, what exactly is the point of spending two weeks trying an octogenarian because he didn’t listen to a judge back five years ago?
Activist Arpaio haters will argue that the point is procuring justice, that we need to send a message to our community that it’s not OK for anyone to profile based on skin color. They’re half right. It absolutely isn’t OK for law enforcement to profile, but that message has already been sent. This case really isn’t about justice at all, however. It’s about punishing a defiant old man years after the fact.
You don’t punish Joe Arpaio by making him the center of attention. You punish him by ending the circus and sending home the ringmaster.
– David Leibowitz has called the Valley home since 1995. Contact david@leibowitzsolo. com.
Longtime EV leader hails local-government group’s achievements
BY ROC ARNETT Tribune Guest Writer
Many of us take for granted the Valley’s transportation system. With active daily lives, many Valley residents don’t spend much time thinking about long-range transportation planning.
We don’t think about how we got the great freeway system we have. But we use it every day.
For the past 20 years, it has been my privilege to have served on the State Transportation Board and chair the Citizens Transportation Oversight Committee.
With these appointments, it has been my pleasure to meet twice monthly with the mayors and transportation professionals from across the Valley, as we all work closely with both the Arizona Department of Transportation (ADOT) and the Maricopa Association of Governments (MAG) planning and
developing our Valleywide freeways and transit system.
Now, as MAG celebrates its 50-year anniversary and I step away, I offer a few thoughts about this important regional organization and applaud MAG for the monumental work it accomplishes quietly and mostly unnoticed by the general public.
MAG is the transportation planning agency that determines which transportation projects are funded and built in the Valley.
With the repeal of CTOC taking effect in August, I take this opportunity to thank MAG’s governors for providing me the opportunity to represent the citizens on two of MAG’s key policy committees, the Regional Council and the Transportation Policy Committee.
As the CTOC representative, I always felt confident the decisions of these committees were in the best interests of our citizens.
MAG has a rich 50-year history. Major accomplishments include the
passage of Proposition 300 in 1985, which implemented a half-cent sales tax for transportation, and the passage of Proposition 400 in 2004, which extended that revenue to 2025.
In partnership with ADOT and the Federal Highway Administration, this funding has built 181 miles of freeways – those beautiful freeways that we don’t think much about.
These two propositions also created the regional transit agency, Valley Metro, implementing 26 miles of light rail and 100 bus routes and planning more to be built and added over the next 10 years.
Transportation infrastructure plays a key role in economic development.
In 2010, MAG created an Economic Development Committee. This committee has developed initiatives ranging from improving international trade to workforce development.
MAG uses its extensive datasets to reveal patterns in demographics and travel behavior that provide valuable
insight about our region and our communities. This research ensures data-driven decisions for the future. The old adage “if they build it, they will come” is well and alive at MAG.
The transportation planning at MAG is motivated by the economic development value it will bring to this growing Valley.
MAG’s legacy of excellence is built upon the leadership of numerous former and current members who have made MAG a world-class organization. While I attended my last meeting at MAG last month, I, like the other 4.5 million Valley residents, will continue to rely on MAG to improve our roads, our environment, our global competitiveness and to meet the human needs of our region.
We owe big thanks and congratulations for 50 years of great accomplishments from MAG.
– Mesa resident Roc Arnett chairs the Citizens Transportation Oversight Committee and is the former president/CEO of the East Valley Partnership.
Sports
Like father like son: Two generations of Haisleys tied to Rattlers
BY ALEXIS RAMANJULU Cronkite News
In 1992, the Arizona Rattlers played their first season as a franchise with a Louisiana Tech University alumnus at quarterback and a Haisley at center. Fast forward to 2017 and the Rattlers are playing for the Indoor Football League championship with a Louisiana Tech product at quarterback and a Haisley at center.
In their 25 years, the Rattlers have won five Arena Football League championships and will play for their first IFL one Saturday, July 8. Until this year, they never had a son of a former Rattlers player on the team.
Glen Haisley Sr. was an offensive lineman for the franchise when it debuted, and Glen Haisley Jr. is a member of this season’s team.
As the Rattlers play the Sioux Falls Storm in South Dakota for the title, Haisley Sr. will drive all the way from New Orleans so he can see his son play. “It would mean everything (to win a championship with the Rattlers),” Haisley Jr. said. “My dad didn’t win a championship with the Rattlers, so I can hold that on him and say, ‘I was with the Rattlers and I led them to a championship.’”
Haisley Sr. played just one season with the Rattlers, finishing his career with the team a year before son was born. The quarterback on that team was Louisiana Tech’s Gene Johnson. This year, the Rattlers are led by former Louisiana Tech QB Cody Sokol, who played high school ball at Desert Vista.
“It’s surreal,” Haisley Sr. said. “I prepare all week waiting for the game and when the game comes on and I see that No. 50, it’s unbelievable because I have a big poster in my house in pregame warmups with the Rattlers in ’92. And I got my No. 50 and you can see the ‘Haisley.’ The only thing missing is the ‘Jr.’” In addition to sharing a name, Haisley wears his father’s number as he has done for most of his football career.
“It’s something that me and my dad are going to share for a lifetime,” Haisley said. “We wear the same number, we have
the same name so it’s something cool between me and him.”
His father agreed that the bond he has with his son is special.
“When he went to camp and sent me a snapshot of his locker with the jersey with his name and the number, I mean, it really felt special,” he said. “He put a little touch with it when he puts the ‘junior’ on it, so when I’m watching the game and he’s known as ‘Haisley Jr.,’ it had to grow on me.”
Once Haisley Sr. was finished with his gear, his son claimed it.
“I use to always play in his Rattlers’ helmets and jerseys that he had around the house from when he played with them,” Haisley said.
In 2016, Haisley Jr. signed with the Rattlers, a team he grew up following and that had a special place in his father’s heart.
“We’re like best friends,” he said. “The first person I called was obviously my dad. I had to tell him that I was offered by the Rattlers. He was just as excited as me.”
Even though father and son are more than 1,000 miles apart and are in different time zones, they discuss the Rattlers’ upcoming opponents and watch film together while talking on the phone.
The elder Haisley has had an active role in his son’s football career, helping him advance his skills as a center from the age of four or five.
“If he’s not advanced and I played the position, there’s an issue there,” Haisley Sr. said. “We even took it to another point where I even taught him how to deep snap, which is what he does for the Rattlers now.”
While at New Orleans’ St. Augustine High School, where he was a teammate of the Cardinals’ Tyrann Mathieu, he
attended a deep snap camp and met a college scout, which led to him signing at Prairie View A&M in Texas. And although football has worked out for the younger Haisley, his academic accomplishments are what has made his father most proud.
“His success now is great but I don’t think it can compare to when we were at his college graduation and they said ‘School of Sciences please stand up,’” Haisley Sr. said. “To know he has a degree in biology and chemistry, I mean that just takes it all.”
With the unwavering support he receives from his dad, Haisley hopes that his professional football career is just beginning.
“We just love the fact that he’s doing what he loves doing,” his father said. “I’m just a dad that’s proud of him and want to see him continue to strive to do what he wants to do.”
(Alexis Ramanjulu/Cronkite News)
Glen Haisley Jr. (50) is an undersized center with the Arizona Rattlers who models his game after his father, who also played for the team. The team practices in Mesa and is one win away from its first Indoor Football League championship.
Chandler Buddhist temple shows how to cultivate tranquility within
BY SRIANTHI PERERA Tribune Staff Writer
With its low-slung roof and red brick exterior, the dwelling near Alma School Road and the Chandler Boulevard looks like any other in the mature Chandler neighborhood.
The one giveaway is the statue of Maitreya Buddha (the Buddha of the Future) in the front yard, flanked by two sturdy potted plants and shaded by a leafy tree.
This is the Vien Minh Buddhist Temple, which houses two Buddhist nuns of Vietnamese origin, bhikkunis Thich Nu Lien Phung and Thich Nu Lien Thuy. As ordained by their patriarch Minh Dang Quang, their practice mixes the orthodox Theravada Buddhism with the newer tradition of Mahayana Buddhism.
“It’s a place for Vietnamese community, and everyone is welcome here,” said Lien Thuy, who conducts services on Sunday mornings for about 30-40 devotees. They chant Buddhist stanzas, listen to her sermon delivered in Vietnamese and then eat a community lunch.
“Anyone is welcome to learn about Buddhism,” Lien Thuy said, and that includes students from Arizona State University, who often conduct research here.
Lien Thuy teaches the principals of Buddhism, which are simple but often difficult to follow, she said.
“Buddha says, don’t believe whatever is said in the book, don’t believe it because someone very famous said it, don’t believe because generally they keep doing that. You just believe when you understand and apply it to your life and it brings the benefit to you and the others,” she said.
Vien Minh was established in 2005 by
MONDAY, JULY 17
MAKER FUN FACTORY
Vacation Bible School at St. Mark’s Episcopal Church in Mesa will feature “Maker Fun Factory-Created by God, Built for a purpose!” The program is free for kids ages 3 to 11.
DETAILS>> 9-11:30 a.m., 322 N. Horne St. Information and registration: stmarksmesa.org or email Dianne Nunez at nunezkevin@msn.com.
education, Lien Thuy met Thich Giac Nhien, who was opening a temple in Tucson in 2003. She went there to help him.
Great Master Thich Giac Nhien, who died two years ago. He established similar temples in Seattle, Florida and the New York cities of Syracuse and Binghamton.
Lien Thuy’s story begins in communist Vietnam in the mid 1970s, when she was 13.
“Life was so hard,” she said, recalling those years. “I saw life’s suffering. Nobody had a happy life. That time, I followed my mom to the temple and I learned the way the Buddha had to benefit everyone.”
Lien Thuy’s father was placed for seven years in a training camp, “like prison,” she said.
“Sen. John McCain has been there. That’s why he asked the government to give a chance for the people to come to U.S. I very much appreciate the U.S. government, not only my family, but a lot of Vietnamese families in south Vietnam have had a chance to come to
SATURDAY, JULY 29
BACK TO SCHOOL
Generation Church in Mesa will be having its annual Back to School Community Day. Free backpacks and school supplies will be handed out to children in need. Items will be distributed on a first-come, firstserved basis until supplies are exhausted.
DETAILS>> 8-10 a.m. on Saturday, July 29, 1010 S. Ellsworth Road, Mesa. Information: help@ generationaz.org or 480-986-3149.
live in ‘the freedom country,’” she said.
During those seven years, she prayed for her father’s safe return.
“I took a vow, if my father could back to the family early, I would become a nun,” she said.
But fulfilling the vow wasn’t the only reason she embraced a life of piety.
“I also wanted to become a nun to devote my life to help others,” she said. “That’s why, when my father came back, still life was very hard.”
Her mother, who had to feed her family of seven children, sewed, sold vegetables and did menial tasks to survive.
“I was with them for a few years and then I asked my parents whether I could become a nun to help more people,” Lien Thuy said.
In 1992, when her family migrated to what she refers to as “the freedom country,” she was already in saffron robes.
After obtaining a college degree in
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.
Nowadays, Lien Thuy meditates and studies Buddha’s teachings that she shares with others.
The Lotus Sutra is her favorite.
The lotus contains a seed and flower together; no other flower has a seed inside, she said; usually, the flower dies, and the seed grows.
“But with the Lotus, when the flower comes, the seed comes together. It’s cause and effect; that’s how the Buddha teaches cause and effect,” she said.
“If you say something harmful to the others, it’s harmful to yourself. The lotus flower is so special because it grows from the mud, but it has a fragrance,” she said.
“Everyone has a Buddha seed inside,” Lien Thuy added. “You need to know it and let it grow.”
The Vien Minh Buddhist Temple is at 285 N. Comanche Drive, Chandler. Details: Facebook page, “Chua Vien Minh.”
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
(Srianthi Perera/Tribune Staff)
(Srianthi Perera/Tribune Staff) Thich Nu Lien Thuy stands in front of a large framed portrait of temple patriarch Minh Dang Quang and small portrait of Great Master Thich Giac Nhien.
(Srianthi Perera/Tribune Staff)
The Vien Minh Buddhist Temple has a large statue of the “Buddha of the Future” in front.
‘Never be afraid to trust an unknown future to a known God’
BY LISA JISA Tribune Guest Writer
Iwent for a run this morning. I knew I’d pay for it later in the day with a pounding headache and the need for a nap, and that I will likely experience pain lasting through tomorrow and the next day.
All this for a 20-minute run – and I use the word “run” loosely.
But I was desperate for some endorphins, some sweat and a little sense of normalcy. Eleven years ago, I had already run a marathon and a 50k-trail race by this point in the year, and a 20-minute run wouldn’t have mattered one way or the other.
I’ve mentioned before that I am recovering from chronic Lyme disease. I was finally diagnosed correctly in 2015 but most likely contracted Lyme many years earlier.
Although I am doing better now than
CALENDAR from page 17
“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 for infants through kindergarten at service times. Youth ministry classes are open in the Education Annex at 10:15 a.m. Information: 480-8922700, 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. We welcome you! 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
I was a few years ago, I never know from day to day how I will feel. One of the hardest things is that I can look completely fine on the outside to others, but on the inside, I might be battling extreme fatigue, nausea that comes and goes in waves, and a multitude of other crazy symptoms.
Stress makes everything worse. Sometimes when I am writing by hand, I will miss a letter even though I know exactly how to spell the word.
Last week, I came across a blog by a woman whose Lyme has been in remission for two years and she is now leading a normal, healthy life. Her words gave me so much hope and encouragement. I often wonder how long it will take me to get to that point. Will I get to that point?
Jeremiah 29:11 is a verse we hear often. “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”
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
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
ANSWERS TO PUZZLES AND SUDOKU from Page 21
Anyone else ever want to cling to those words while simultaneously thinking about family and friends whose futures were cut short due to accidents and illness? Ever wonder if that hope refers to Heaven alone?
I want to know what my future holds. God wants me to cling to Him and trust Him for each day, one moment at a time.
When Jesus was teaching His disciples what we refer to as The Lord’s Prayer, He gave them the words, “Give us today our daily bread.” (Matthew 6:11)
It’s only for today, not for tomorrow or next week or next year. When the Israelites gathered manna in the wilderness, they had to trust God to provide it fresh each morning (Exodus 16:4). If they tried to keep any until the next day, it would rot.
A friend recently shared a video of Brett Hartford describing the green pastures referred to in Psalm 23:2, “He makes me lie down in green pastures.”
between Greenfield and Higley. Free. Information: 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.
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 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.
I have always pictured a luxurious carpet of green grass when I read those words, but apparently the grass in that region grows up scattered in tiny tufts amongst the rocks. From a distance, the landscape looks sparse and barren. The sheep need to trust the shepherd to lead them to what they need, one mouthful at a time. It’s only enough for right now.
I have a sign above my kitchen sink with the words, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart” (Proverbs 3:5). The rest of verse 5 and 6 says, “and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight.”
In the words of Corrie ten Boom, “Never be afraid to trust an unknown future to a known God.”
If He makes my path straight while I’m trusting Him one day at a time, I’m more likely to be able to see light at the end of the tunnel.
– Lisa Jisa is a former Ahwatukee resident.
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 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 month. Grace United Methodist Church, 2024 E. University Drive, Mesa. Information: 480-828-5146,
America birthday bash: Dazzling fireworks shows in the East Valley
By GetOut Staff
Celebrate America’s 241st birthday with an evening of music, food and colorful sky explosions. Check out our “boombastic” list of events around the East Valley. For events around the entire Valley, visit phoenix.org/fireworks.
Chandler
July 4th Fireworks Spectacular
Join the city of Chandler as it hosts Independence night at Tumbleweed Park. Activities include laser tag, sports and video games, the Lego Trackless Train, and a cooling “car wash.” The high-energy celebration also features music by People Who Can Fly and Blaine Long. Fireworks kick off at 9 p.m.
Tumbleweed Park, 2250 S. McQueen Road, Chandler, 480-782-2735, chandleraz. gov/4thofjuly. 5-10:30 p.m. Free, $5 parking.
Gilbert
Gilbert’s July 4th Celebration
The town of Gilbert hosts its July 4th celebration at Higley High School. The event and parking are free, with fireworks beginning at 8:30 p.m. There will be live music and food trucks will sell food and
MARK YOUR Calendar
‘Independence Day’
See the original summer blockbuster on the big screen one more time. When huge alien ships invade Earth, it’s up to Will Smith, Jeff Goldblum and Bill Pullman to stop them.
DETAILS>> 3 p.m., Tuesday, July 4. Alamo Drafthouse, 4955 S. Arizona Ave., Chandler. Tickets: $5.39. 520-213-8129. drafthouse. com/phoenix.
Holiday Hoorah!
Celebrate your favorite holiday – and the rest of them – all at once. Enjoy holidaythemed activities and games while you cool off at the pool.
DETAILS>> 2-4 p.m., Wednesday, July 5. Carson Aquatics Complex, 525 N.
beverages. Additional fireworks viewing sites in the area are available at the website. Higley High School, 4068 E. Pecos Road, Gilbert, gilbertaz.gov/July4th, 6 p.m., free.
Mesa
Arizona Celebration of Freedom Dubbed the “‘coolest’ Independence Day
festival in Arizona,” the huge Celebration of Freedom includes live music, patriotic displays, a naturalization ceremony, Revolutionary War reenactments, Freedom Express trackless train, family fun and, of course, fireworks.
Mesa Amphitheatre and Mesa Convention Center, 263 N. Center St., and along
Center Street, between Second Street and University Drive, azcelebrationoffreedom. org, 6-10 p.m., free.
Queen Creek
Your Hometown 4th of July Journey to Schnepf Farms for an afternoon and evening of fun. Hang out in the Fun Zone and its range of rides, listen to live music, play games and enter contests. Also, take advantage of the food trucks and fair-style eats. The fireworks begin at 8:45 p.m.
Schnepf Farms, 24810 S. Rittenhouse Road, Queen Creek, schnepffarms.com, 4-10 p.m., $20 per car.
Tempe
July 4th Tempe Town Lake Festival
Tempe presents the “best fireworks show,” which will be set to patriotic, pop and country music. The evening includes performances by Lane Change, Kianna Martinez and Levi Rebel. Other activities include the kids’ ID tent, family fun fest with a free inflatable village and a food court.
Tempe Town Lake, 80 E. Rio Salado Parkway, Tempe, 480-350-5189, tempe4th. com, 5 p.m., visit any Fry’s store for tickets.
Comedian and wildlife expert Wildman Phil presents an all-ages show that combines humorous stories and live creatures for an unforgettable afternoon.
DETAILS>> 2-3 p.m., Thursday, July 6. Chandler Public Library, 22 S. Delaware St., Chandler. Cost: Free. 480-782-2800. chandlerlibrary.org.
Drop-in improv classes
If you ever wanted to try your hand at improvisational theater, drop in on one or more classes at the National Comedy Theatre. Learn from the experts through games and exercises.
DETAILS>> 7-8:30 p.m., Thursdays, July 6-Aug. 3. National Comedy Theatre, 1111 S.
Longmore, Suite 6, Mesa. Cost: $15. 602-3745638. nctphoenix.com.
Summer Splash Thursdays
Bring the kids out to meet their favorite Disney princesses and superheroes, plus games, music and fun in the splash pad. This week, take part in the Under the Seas Soiree with Ariel and Moana.
DETAILS>> 6-7:30 p.m., Thursdays, July 6-27. Tempe Marketplace, 2000 E. Rio Salado Parkway, Tempe. Cost: Free. 480-9669338. tempemarketplace.com/summer.
‘The Little Mermaid’
Head under the sea for the musical version of Disney’s timeless classic “The Little Mermaid.” It features your favorite characters, including Ariel, Sebastian and Flounder, and hits songs like “Part of Your World” and “Kiss the Girl.”
DETAILS>> Wednesdays-Saturdays, July
7-Aug. 19. Hale Centre Theatre, 50 W. Page Ave., Gilbert. Tickets: $22-$32. 480-497-1181. haletheatrearizona.com.
Valley Vocal Ensemble
This fun singing group offers an evening of Broadway tunes, classic standards and a medley from “The Sound of Music.” DETAILS>> 7 p.m., Friday, July 7. Mesa Arizona Temple Visitors’ Center, 525 E. Main St., Mesa. Cost: Free. 480-964-7164. facebook.com/MesaVC.
Roga in the Park
If you’re willing to brave the heat, participate in a two-mile walk/run/jog followed by 30 minutes of yoga in the park. DETAILS>> 6-7:30 a.m., Saturday, July 8. Higley Park, Higley Road, between Loop 202 and Ray, Gilbert. Cost: Free (Donations accepted). 480-652-3654. facebook.com/ localoveyoga.
(Tribune file photo)
The July 4th Fireworks Spectacular in Chandler lights up Tumbleweed Park every year.
Organ Stop Pizza launches drive to help United Food Bank
By GetOut Staff
Organ Stop Pizza is once again sponsoring its Christmas in July Food Drive Challenge, which gives a break to customers who help feed hungry people in the East Valley.
Patrons who bring in at least two approved non-perishable food items for the United Food Bank any time this month will get 10 percent off their entire kitchen bill.
Organ Stop Pizza, 1149 E. Southern Ave., Mesa, also will match cash donations to United Food Bank up to $5,000 from customers. In addition, it is donating $2 from each sale of organist Lew Williams’ Christmas CD, “Holiday Pipes.”
Besides meats, vegetables and fruit in cans, the food bank most needs cash donations, peanut butter, whole-grain cereal, soups, chili, stews, beans, canned or dried milk, rice and pasta. Baby food, opened containers and anything in glass will not be accepted.
The 45-year-old pizzeria, home to the nation’s largest pipe organ, each year helps to stock the food bank’s shelves during a rough time of the year.
“Summer is the hardest time of the year for many individuals and families in Arizona,” said Organ Stop owner Jack Barz. “Kids are out of school, meaning parents have the added pressure of providing more food. Temperatures rise, making electric
bills higher – forcing families to make tough decisions like choosing between paying bills or paying for food.
“When you drop off donations for this food drive in July, you will be able to step out of the triple-digit temps into the spirit of the holidays. We’ll deck the Mighty Wurlitzer and walls with a Christmas feel,” he added. Information: unitedfoodbank.org, organstoppizza.com.
(Facebook.com)
Lew Williams plays on the Mighty Wurlitzer at Organ Stop Pizza.
Chandler native Michael Cienfuegos makes film debut in ‘Fat Camp’
BY CHRISTINA FUOCO-KARASINSKI GetOut Contributor
Michael Cienfuegos knew as a student at Chandler High School that he was going to succeed in the entertainment industry.
“I felt like it was going to happen,” said Cienfuegos, who now lives in Los Angeles. “I didn’t think it was going to be just a dream.” He was right. Cienfuegos stars in the upcoming film “Fat Camp,” which debuted at the L.A. Film Festival last week.
Directed by Jennifer Arnold from a script penned by Chuck Hayward, “Fat Camp “tells the story of immature fitness fanatic Hutch Daily (Chris Redd). To avoid being kicked out of his mom’s (Vivica Fox) house, Hutch agrees to work at his uncle’s (Mel Rodriguez) fat camp for the summer.
Cienfuegos plays Charlie Soto, a sweet and slightly nerdy rule-abiding counselorin-training under Hutch. Together, this odd duo must supervise an irreverent group of chunky boys on their weight-loss journey.
“I’m starring as the second lead,” Cienfuegos said. “I play a counselor in training, a motivational leader. My character’s favorite place in the whole world is fat camp. The two must work together to help these kids on their weight-loss journey. Charlie and the kids, meanwhile, help Hutch in his journey to be a man.”
Cienfuegos adds that the movie “has a lot
of heart to it. The cast was incredible. We’re all lifelong friends now. I’m really excited for us to all get together and watch it, to be honest with you.”
He is proud that the producers of “Fat Camp,” which doesn’t have a firm release date, were set on casting “real people.”
“The production company was interesting in seeing real people on the screen—all colors, sizes, genders and types—and paint a picture of what we see every day when we walk outside,” he said.
“They didn’t want cookie-cutter actors. They really taught me that there’s a place for everyone. Diversity is real life. Diversity is every day you walk outside. If it isn’t that way to you, then you’re not seeing it right.
I promise it is.”
A former Chandler High School defensive tackle, Cienfuegos moved to the Big Apple to study at the New York Conservatory for Dramatic Arts after graduation.
He then made his way to Los Angeles and landed a part in Showtime’s series “Shameless.” In addition to his on-camera pursuits, Cienfuegos is a rising stand-up comic who bases his jokes on his childhood in Chandler.
“It lends itself to my whole career,” he said about his formative years. “While I was in high school, I did a little of everything. I played sports. I was in theater. All of that stuff really drove me or gave me the idea that this is a thing I could do.”
Throughout his schooling, Cienfuegos was supported by his fiancée Kyley Koeth, whom he will marry later this year in the
Besides Koeth, he was inspired by CHS English teacher Luann Ewan and Kathy Valin
“Kathy Valin was basically my first director,” he said. “Even though it was early on in my life, she molded me to continue to love this. I played football, but I thought the plays were fun.
“By the end of school, I was strictly in theater. It was rewarding. Literature is very important to me as well. Literature and acting and writing. I write all the time with my stand-up.”
Cienfuegos said he can’t believe how his personal and professional lives are coming together.
“My wedding is the biggest thing for me this year,” he said. “My fiancée and I have been together for eight years. We met at Chandler High School. We went to New York City to go to school together. She’s also an actress.”
“We’re out here living our dreams together. It’s incredible to be in love with the person you’re doing this with. It’s been incredible and I can’t wait to be married.”
(Special to the Tribune)
“Fat Camp” is the story two counselors supervising an irreverent group of chunky boys on their weight-loss journey.
(Special to the Tribune)
Michael Cienfuegos, left, and Chris Redd star as Charlie Soto and Hutch Daily in the upcoming film “Fat Camp.”
ACROSS
1 One of the Three Bears
5 Unhappy 8 Stare
12 Exhibit “A,” e.g. 14 Figure-skating leap 15 Give a home a makeover 16 Actress Sorvino 17 18-wheeler
18 Toxin
20 Support for a painting 23 Plant with fronds 24 Small salamanders
25 Went back on a promise
28 Put (down) 29 Partners
Caterpillar bread a perfectly dipping idea
Cool things down with this smooth treat
BY JAN D’ATRI
Directions:
30 Churchill’s gesture 32 Changed the title 34 Tempo
35 Matterhorn’s range
IBY JAN D’ATRI AFN Contributor
Tribune Contributor
t’s fun. It’s tasty. It’s easy. The perfect thing to find on your picnic blanket this Fourth of July weekend is Caterpillar Bread. It’s the perfect pull-apart, dipping twist on your favorite hot dogs and sausages
Icould live on smoothies this time of year. Recently, I tried a new twist on some old blender favorites and they’re delicious.
Check out my how-to video: jandatri.com/recipes/ one-minute-kitchen
Ingredients:
Step #1 Cook your hot dogs and sausages according to desired cooking method. (Hot dogs can be boiled, grilled, oven baked or can be used right out of the package, uncooked. Sausages can be grilled, oven baked or cooked in skillet until done.)
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.
36 Bamboo-eating critter
37 Nervous system disorder
39 Approximately
Make a sweater
The whole enchilada
In medias --
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 fantastic,
Step #2 For mushrooms, in a medium skillet sauté whole mushrooms in butter until softened
Step #3 For onions and peppers (as a side dish for sausages) sauté onion and pepper in 2 tablespoons olive oil. Set aside.
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.
1 cup of ice cubes or fruit cubes (I used banana smoothie cubes)
Optional, 1 large sweet yellow onion and 1 large pepper, sliced thin
Step #4 Roll out refrigerated dough and cut into three sections. Place hot dog, sausage or a line of mushrooms in the middle of dough. Fold dough in half and pinch the edges to seal. On the side where the dough is folded, make 1 inch slits, leaving 1/3 from the sealed edges uncut.
Directions:
Blend for at least 2 minutes to get the pudding thick, and enjoy.
Strawberry Smoothie
2-3 cups fresh strawberries
1/2 container (10 oz.) vanilla or strawberry yogurt
1/2 cup milk
1 tablespoon olive oil
Directions:
Blend for at least 2 minutes to get the pudding thick, and enjoy.
1 egg plus 1 teaspoon water or milk, beaten for egg wash
1 cup shredded cheese, optional
Chocolate Smoothie Shake
1/2 cup ice cream
1/2 cup milk
3 tablespoons instant chocolate pudding
Twist first cut portion to the left, and second to the right. Repeat this for the rest of the portions.
Step #5 Place the shaped dough onto a parchment lined or greased baking sheet and brush dough parts with egg wash. Bake at 350 for about 20 minutes or until golden brown.
1 tablespoon of honey if needed for more sweetness 2 tablespoons strawberry or vanilla pudding
Step #6 For cheese topping, remove caterpillar bread from oven about 5 minutes before done.
1 cup of ice cubes or fruit cubes (I used strawberry smoothie cubes)
Sprinkle with cheese. Return to oven and bake until cheese is melted, about 5 minutes.
Directions:
Isn’t well
DOWN
Apiece 2 “Hail, Caesar!”
Bowling target
Worships 5 Unseen problem
Performance 7 Intensified
Casino doings 9 Center of rotation
Sudoku
Pull apart, dip in condiments or serve with onions and peppers. Enjoy.
Blend for at least 2 minutes to get the pudding thick, and enjoy.
Verve 13 Satan’s specialty
1/2 container (10 oz.) vanilla, berry or
1 tablespoon of honey if needed for
There are lots of variations you can make. Here were the four I really enjoyed. Watch: jandatri.com/recipes/one-minute-kitchen.
Raw minerals 20 Moray, for one 21 In the distance 22 Eyelid woe 23 Big parties 25 “O’er the -- we watched ...”
26 Divisible by two
27 Out of play
29 Masculine
31 Greek vowel
33 Not wide 34 One of the bunch?
36 Pocket bread 37 Fellow
38 War, to Gen. Sherman
Amazing summer outing: Parents and kids both win at Amazing Jake’s
BY CRYSTAL LEWIS BROWN GetOut Contributor
No matter how much I love the outdoors, when Valley temperatures hit triple digits, I’m all about the AC. But with two active boys, it’s tough to stay inside all day. A parent’s secret weapon for days like those? An indoor amusement center like Amazing Jake’s.
My son had visited Amazing Jake’s a few times during summer camp, so I knew that it was “kind of like” an arcade. But I didn’t realize just how vast it actually was. I found out later that it’s just a little under 100,000 square feet. And we tried out just about everything they had to offer.
Here’s how it works: The price of admission includes access to the buffet. Then for an additional fee, you can add in the Amazing Fun Pass, which includes three hours of unlimited access to all the rides, plus a $5 Fun Card for arcade games. “Little Jakes” – kids 3 and younger – get access to the smaller rides and a $2 Fun Card. For another $5 per person, you can get an all-day pass. You can also go just for the buffet.
“You can come in when we open and you can stay until we close if you want to,” said Melisa Schisel, Amazing Jake’s Director of Group Sales. “I think it’s a great value.”
Schisel said that when she’d bring her kids, she always told them to eat first. And that’s exactly what we did.
The spread included a pasta and baked potato bar, desserts, salad bar and a pizza bar And not just the regular cheese/pepperoni/ sausage pizza. They had a couple of fancier options, too, like Buffalo chicken and bacon, pear and gorgonzola.
IF YOU GO
Where: Amazing Jake’s 1830 East Baseline Road, Mesa
Cost: $10.99, 11 and older; $7.99, 4 to 10 years; $9.99, seniors; free for children 3 and younger. Price includes buffet admission. Fun passes start at $16.99. Little Jakes are $9.99. Games, attractions and fun passes can also be purchased a la carte.
Info: 480-926-7499 or amazingjakesmesa.com
(Special to the Tribune)
ABOVE: The 12-lane bowling alley was recently upgraded, along with the addition of more than $300,000 worth of games.
(Crystal Lewis Brown/GetOut Contributor)
RIGHT: The 100,000 square foot facility includes a huge range of games, rides and food suitable for all ages.
After grabbing our trays, we looked for a spot to sit. The kids led us into the Movie Mania room, where we ate our lunch while they watched “How to Train Your Dragon.”
There were a few other options for eating, too, including the Sports Zone and The ClubHouse, which seemed like a quieter, more adult option. In addition to the fountain drinks, adults could also buy a beer, wine or other beverage at the bar.
After lunch, we split up and decided to explore the rest of the park. Amusement centers can be hit or miss for me; I often spend half the time wrangling my children or stressing out about how many credits and tokens we have left. But from the time we battled it out in a four-person game of PacMan until the moment I was betrayed by my family (more on that later), we all had a blast.
The rides included the Monaco Grand Prix go kart racing (which was the only ride we didn’t get to), bumper cars, a carousel and more. It also includes laser tag. And here’s where we get to the betrayal.
With my 4-year-old being the smallest player in the group, I ran alongside him
instructing him to take cover and showing him how to shoot. His vest, which hung to ground, went dark, which meant he’d been “shot” and would have his laser gun disabled for a few moments. As soon as it reactivated, he shot me. Each game lasts just five minutes, but we were all out of breath and laughing by the time our round was over.
Schisel said the laser tag was among those areas of the center slated to be upgraded during renovations later this year. Already, she said, the 12-lane bowling alley has been upgraded, along with the addition of more than $300,000 worth of games. The center also has eight private rooms, which can be used for parties, along with an event space that can sit up to 500. Parties can also be held in the dining rooms.
Although it’s a cliché, the phrase “There’s something for everyone” is a perfect description for Amazing Jake’s. I put the kids on the Chocolate Tea Cups ride while
my husband played what seemed like 23 consecutive games of The Walking Dead. My older son jumped on the Frog Hopper while my younger son played one of those impossible dance step games. Then we all played the wackiest game of air hockey I’ve ever seen.
In addition to the normal prices, Schisel said the center also is offering a Family Tuesday promotion. For $21.99 a person, you get an all-day pass, which includes the buffet, soft drink, rides, bowling (including shoes) and all games that don’t give out tickets. In mom speak, that means there’s no need to cook that day: Dinner and lunch is on Amazing Jake’s. Between that and the AC, I’d call that a win. Parents, 1. Summer, 0.
Employment General
WANTED CAREGIVER
KLARA’S ADULT
CARE HOME, LLC
1934 E Smoke Tree Rd, Gilbert AZ 85296
Caregiver Training Certificate
High School Graduate, Salary: $1,800/month State Workforce Agency
Contact:
ARSENIA FABROS
480-332-4504
Fax Resume: 480-539-0642
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 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
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 op-
✦Bachelor
s Degree in Business Administration, Finance or Business Management preferred
✦7 to 10 years of business banking experience preferred This
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
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
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 @
weeks; will make all deductions from the wkrʼs paycheck reqʼd by law No addtʼl deducts will be made Submit resumes directly to the nearest AZ Job Connection office & include SWA contact info Emplye must have own transp to/from work Emplyr will pay all costs associated with emplye obtng work visa which includes visa procsng, border crossing & other related fees incldng those m
charge or deposit charge, all tools, supplies & equip reqʼd to perform the duties assigned Emplyr will offer the worker emplymnt for a total number of work hours equal to at least ¾ʼs of the workdays of each 12 week period, if the period of emplymnt covered by the job order is 120 or more days or each 6-week period, if the period of emplymnt covered by the job order is less than 120 days If the wrkr completes 50% of the work contract period, emplyr will reimburse the wrkr for transp & subsistence from the place of recruitment to the place of work Upon completion of the work contract or where the wrkr is dismissed earlier, emplyr will prov
or pay for wrkr
reasonable costs of return transp and subsistence back home or to the place the wrkr originally departed to work, except where the wrkr will not return due to subsequent emplymnt with another emplyr The amount of transp p ayment or reimbursement will be equal to the most economical or reasonable common carrier for the distance involved Daily subsistence will be
a rate of $12 07 per day during travel to a maximum of$51
Rooms For Rent
the public by including the words
Interior/Exterior Painting
RESIDENTIAL/COMMERCIAL
• Free Estimates
• Light Repairs, Drywall
• Senior discounts
Plumbing
Plumbing
Meetings/Events
SENIOR SONGBIRDS LOOKING FOR MALE AND FEMALE SINGERS
If you are age 50+ and love singing and entertaining, we would be happy to have you check us out at one of our rehearsals We are all volunteers and perform weekly at assisted living and care centers. We sing secular songs primarily from the 30's, 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
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
FACT SCRAMBLER: Birth of Our Nation
FACT: On July 2, 1776, Congress secretly voted for independence from Great Britain. Two days later, on July 4, 1776, the final wording of the Declaration of Independence was approved, and the document was published.
Thomas Jefferson and John Adams, both signers of the Declaration of Independence and presidents of the United States, died on July 4, 1826 - exactly 50 years after the adoption of the declaration.
Unscramble the letters to find the words on the list.
