Mayoral candidates speak on build-out
Low-key Fourth planned here
PAGE 22
An edition of the East Valley Tribune
INSIDE
This Week
NEWS......................... 8-9 Learn more about town candidates.
NEWS..............................12 Gilbert Chamber has new leader.
BUSINESS................20 New downtown neighbor unveiled.
COMMUNITY........................................17
BUSINESS.............................................20 OPINION..................................... 22
PUZZLE.......................................26
CLASSIFIED..........................................28
PAGE 3
FREE ($1 OUTSIDE OF GILBERT) | GilbertSunNews.com
Sunday, June 28, 2020
Higley unveils first cut of reopening plan BY CECILIA CHAN GSN Managing Editor
I
n the topsy-turvy world of COVID-19, Higley Unified School District students for now will have two options – return to classrooms or stay at home for remote learning when the academic year begins July 27. A district taskforce last week presented an update of the plan for reopening schools at a Governing Board’s study session that lasted 3.5 hours. “What you see and hear tonight is probably going to change,” Superintendent Mike
Thomason said. “We enter with caution that we know what we say tonight may change tomorrow.” Thomason said there were discussions about delaying the start of school but that would limit the length of breaks and may not benefit students if schools are closed again. Thomason is recommending that the board not move the start date and keep the current calendar’s two-week breaks every nine weeks, which he said could allow for natural breaks that would flatten the virus curve or provide isolation periods. Dawn Foley, assistant superintendent of
Crime lab builder hired to examine town’s need for lab BY CECILIA CHAN GSN Managing Editor
F
or $135,311, Gilbert will find out if it will need to build and operate its own crime lab in the future. Town Council recently voted 5-2 to hire McClaren, Wilson & Lawrie, Inc. for $99,311 to do the assessment and to spend another $36,000 for the internal management of the agreement. The firm also builds crime labs. “We are always looking to provide quality service to our citizens through our crime lab so there is not a specific ‘tipping point’ either in crime or population to determine if a crime lab is needed,” said Officer Dani Covey, spokeswoman for the Gilbert Police Department. “Concern is over routinely providing timely, quality service to our citizens through our crime lab.”
see CRIME page 7
K-12 Educational Services, said it will be important for parents to indicate which of the two options they want in order for the district to appropriately staff positions. A form asking them to make their choice was expected to go out at the end of last week. Foley also said parents who feel uncomfortable sending their children to school could have their students learn from home and later transition them back into the classroom and vice-versa. What models look like For students returning to school five days
see SCHOOLS page 4
Art for the times
This mannekin at Art Intersection reflects the times we live in and symbolizes the pandemic’s impact on Gilbert’s arts community.. For a report on how the community is dealing with it, see page 17. (Srianthi Perera/GSN Contributor)