Failed veterans park leaves Gilbert taxpayers big bill
BY JORDAN HOUSTON GSN Staff Writer
Operation Welcome Home AZ, a Gilbert nonprofit dedicated to recognizing veterans and their families, is abandoning plans to build a highly-anticipated memorial park after failing to secure the funds and leaving taxpayers stuck with a big tab.
The proposed park was set to sit on a 7.7acre plot at the southeast corner of Gilbert Road and Civic Center Drive, and would have featured an 80-percent-scale replica of Washington, D.C.’s Vietnam Veterans Memorial Wall.
Plans for an education and resource center for public outreach and veterans’ assistance were also in the works.
But after unsuccessful attempts to raise the roughly $3 million needed to build the park, the organization was forced to dis-
BY PAUL MARYNIAK GSN Executive Editor
One of Gilbert’s most prominent business community leaders has announced her retirement – and what she wants to do next.
Kathy Tilque, president and CEO of the Gilbert Chamber of Commerce, last week said she would retire from her job of 23 years next June and simultaneously announced her candidacy for one of two Town Council seats up for grabs in August.
With former council member and Realtor Joan Krueger as her campaign chair and Councilwoman Brigette Peterson as one of her political mentors, Tilque enters the race with a high name recognition in Gilbert’s business and philanthropic communities.
But she also admitted that she and her campaign workers will be using a lot of shoe
leather in the coming months as she collects election petition signatures – and introduces herself to perhaps thousands of voters who may be unfamiliar her role in helping to shape what downtown Gilbert is today and building the Chamber into one of Arizona’s largest.
“It just feels like the right time,” she said in explaining her decision to leave the Chamber.
“The Chamber’s at the best place it’s ever been,” Tilque added. “I can look around and see so many things we had our hands in. I just felt like if I was going to leave, this is the time to do it. When I was making those decisions, I realized I can’t not be involved. So, the time just felt right to run for a council seat.”
With a campaign slogan of “Because Getting It Right Matters,” Tilque said she wants to serve on council to help Gilbert deal with the implications of the town’s approaching build-out.
She said that the town’s infrastructure is aging and there’s a need to “invest now and make the right decisions” because “when that last house gets built, we won’t have any more growth money coming in and we're going to have a big old darn bill.”
Given her long history in one of the nation’s premier business organizations, Tilque not surprisingly is stressing low taxes, efficient government and maintaining Gilbert’s high quality of life.
That last platform plank has as much to do with her history, however, as it does with her position in the business community.
The daughter of an Army chief warrant officer who had been a POW, Tilque moved around a lot when she was growing up. She came to Gilbert from Tennessee more than 25 years ago, when the town’s population
A fence, a sign and a big plot of dug-up desert are all that remains of the efforts by a Gilbert nonprofit to establish a veterans park that was supposed to have been completed two years ago. (Pablo Robles/GSN Staff Photographer)
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TILQUE
from page 1
of about 75,000 was not even a third of what it is today.
Even when she worked for a while at the Tempe Chamber after her arrival, she liked Gilbert’s small-town feel.
Indeed, of her many accomplishments in the community, she is proudest of her role in saving Gilbert’s iconic water tower.
“We were just a few votes away from tearing it down because people thought ‘How could you spend taxpayers’ dollars on removing lead?’”
And while some town leaders thought it a waste of money to salvage the water tower, Tilque said, “We just kept pushing and pushing and allowing other people to do a lot of the work, but they couldn’t do it without community support. And I was willing to be the one to stand up and take the bullets if I needed to because I felt so strongly about it.
“And now you look at it and it’s the icon of Gilbert. When you think of Gilbert, that water tower park has created a gathering place for downtown that all these businesses thrive from.”
Tilque said she has no bones to pick with the current council, stating “I think we are very blessed. We have a very probusiness council and not all communities can say that.”
Yet, when it comes to small and large businesses, she added, “I have been in the trenches with them and I look at things just like the business community and I think that perspective will be helpful.”
She said she believes she brings a perspective that will be “more related to strategic planning and making sure we’re continuing our pro-business environment.”
And having helped businesses of all sizes deal with all kinds of town regulations, Tilque said her experience can help the town shape its regulations and policies affecting them.
She admits feeling a bit daunted by the prospect of hitting the streets, knocking on doors and introducing herself to pro-
spective voters, though she also noted “I have a really big, strong group behind me. I don’t have to go and knock on all the doors by myself.”
Tilque also can brag about many accomplishments as the Gilbert Chamber’s chief executive.
First among them is how the Chamber grew from 250 to 815 members – though she eschews taking credit for that and stresses, “I’ve got a great team.”
She also helped founded, and for 10 years oversaw, Gilbert Leadership – a year-long program that acquaints prospective leaders with every facet of Gilbert, from municipal and school governance to the nonprofit and business community to its cultural institutions.
While many chambers have similar programs, Gilbert’s has lasted 28 years and has produced innumerable council and school board members, nonprofit directors and business leaders over that time.
Indeed, two Gilbert Leadership graduates are her campaign aides Peterson and Krueger.
Again, though, Tilque demurs at taking all the credit of the program, stressing the Chamber staffers and volunteers who have helped nurture it.
The Gilbert Chamber’s philanthropic arm also has become a big part of its community identity during Tilque’s tenure,
though she’s even more emphatic about crediting Chamber Vice President Sarah Watts for giving birth to it and finding ways to expand it.
“We’re very small staff and when we look at our business plan for the year, I go around the table and I look at Sarah and say, ‘This is money going out, not coming in and she will not ever let that go,’” Tilque said half-jokingly. “And I’m so proud of her because of her efforts.
“Now we have these programs to have these employees be involved. So, I can’t take credit for that one, but I am very supportive.”
Programs like the back-to-school backpack drive and the Adopt a Senior program provide a channel for businesses to help Gilbert’s underserved populations in meaningful ways, Tilque noted.
“I feel like our business community wants to serve, they want to give and even their employees, they want to engage their employees in these efforts. And so, for us, the value really is that we can have a concerted effort with the business community to benefit the larger community. They need help to make it easy for them to do that and we’re that connector.”
The Chamber also has been a connector for Tilque not only with Gilbert’s government leaders but also with Arizona’s.
As a member of the East Valley Chambers of Commerce, she has been involved in developing policy recommendations for the State Legislature and developed close relationships with many lawmakers and leaders in neighboring municipalities.
And in that capacity, too, Tilque believes she’s developed skills that she can tout as a candidate for Town Council.
“I already have really strong relationships with a lot of legislators and other chambers and even mayors in other communities,” she said.
“So, I think that helps when you’re on council. You want to work together because I’m a big believer in collaboration. I really believe in working together.”
Town seeks transportation panel members
GSN NEWS STAFF
The time is growing short for Gilbert residents to apply for the town's nine-member Citizens Transportation Task Force. The application deadline is Thursday, Oct. 31.
The force advises Town Council on projects and issues related to and including arterial streets, intersections, bicycles, pedestrians, trail crossings and traffic man-
agement systems.
It also reviews and advises on Gilbert’s overall transportation system to address needs in the areas of safety, traffic congestion mitigation, economic development and investment and advanced traffic management systems.
The town is in the midst of formulating a long-term strategy for future transportation needs.
Members must reside within the town
limits and be prepared for either monthly or weekly meetings as the need arises. The terms expire on Dec. 1, 2020.
People can apply at gilbertaz.gov/departments/clerk-s-office/board-openings. Applications are also available at the Municipal Center, 50 East Civic Center Drive, 1st Floor, between 7:00 a.m., and 6:00 p.m., Monday through Thursday. Email the completed application to Judy. Martinez@gilbertaz.gov.
An edition of the East Valley Tribune
Kathy Tilque
Long-dormant land now zoned for homes
BY JORDAN HOUSTON GSN Staff Writer
After the site failed to attract commercial interest, the Gilbert Town Council approved a Scottsdale real estate group’s request to rezone part of 125 acres at the northeast corner of Warner and Recker roads for homes.
The Council unanimously voted Oct. 17, to make a major General Plan amendment and rezone the land –which was originally slated for employment purposes – owned by Scottsdale Investment Management.
The parcel previously allocated 28.4 acres for a business park, 87.5 for light industrial and 8.9 for community commercial. None of it was zoned residential.
Now, 30.6 acres of land has been set aside for light industrial along Warner Road and the remainder 94.2 for residential.
“[I] believe this is a good compromise from both sides and a great example of a win-win for everybody,” said Vice Mayor Eddie Cook.
The residential portion will house 484 units, including 171 townhomes, according to Scottsdale Investment Management Partner Tim Grant.
Lennar Homes, one of the country’s largest homebuilders headquartered in Gilbert, will be the developer for the site.
“That [the parcel] will now have some prime residential land incorporating Lennar homes and they’re going to build the latest and greatest community out there,” Grant said.
“The homes will be fully Alexa-enabled with wifi,” he continued. “It has really been artfully integrated into the light industrial . . . so now you’ve got a plan that the market will receive well.”
Lennar originally requested 560 homes, but a Town Council majority rejected the major General Plan amendment that would have allowed for the housing, citing concerns over letting go of land that could potentially provide jobs for Gilbert.
Gilbert Planning Division Manager Eva Cutro told the Gilbert Sun News that the new amendment will now help
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fulfill the town’s economic development strategies.
“We don’t want to be just a bedroom community,” she said.
“We want a mix of residential, retail and commercial so that people can work and play in Gilber,.” Daniels added.
The 125-acre plot, which sat dormant for nearly a decade, was originally zoned for residential when Trend Homes owned it.
an apartment-like feel.
During a previous public hearing, real estate attorney Adam Baugh explained that he believes the residential zoning makes sense for the site, considering it is surrounded by residents on three sides and has no direct freeway access or visibility.
GILBERT
BEHIND
the Scenes
5 members of the Gilbert Town Council passed a special deal so that a bar in the Heritage District could have a neon rooftop sign. If you are located in the rest of Gilbert — no sign! Whatever happened to equal treatment under the law? Maybe if someone ran against the Mayor in the coming election these deals would stop.
One man’s opinion Edition #1 George Dotti, Taxpayer
In 2007, Rockefeller Group purchased the site and rezoned most of the property to light industrial in 2009.
A Rockefeller representative previously said the company was unsuccessful in developing the site in the 10 years it owned it and attested it was a mistake to have rezoned from residential.
The Scottsdale firm purchased the land in 2017 and after finding no commercial interest for the site, approached the town last year to build residential on it instead.
Lennar Homes was in escrow for the land.
Although the planning commission unanimously supported the applicant’s request, it was later shot down by the council.
Council members expressed concern over not wanting to lose an employment site.
But in late December, the council rescinded its rejection and allowed for a redo of the proposal.
Some requested deviations included 100 percent lot coverage for the townhomes, leaving them with no yard and
He added that the Scottsdale group met with experts and found that the best shot for industrial development on the land would be farther west along Warner Road given its arterial frontage and closer proximity to the Power Road Growth Area.
Cook and Councilman Jared Taylor spoke in favor of the change, noting the benefit of flexibility and the compromise between the town and the Scottsdale group.
“Normally in the past, the mayor and I have aligned quite a bit when we see properties of this magnitude that have been designated for commercial, light industrial and so forth,” said Cook.
“We tend to want to maintain and keep those properties as is, in anticipation of possible revenue generation from commercial, light industrial or even retail,” he added.
Grant applauded the decision.
“I think the plan turned out great and I think it shows the forward-looking nature that Mayor Jenn Daniels has for the community,” he said, adding:
“She was helpful in making sure the plan was sensitive to the area and consistent with the area, but yet had employment opportunities.”
Vacant land in the lower right quadrant of this aerial view of Warner and Recker roads in Gilbert will now be used largely for residedntial development. (Google maps)
ADOT inches closers to mega I-10 overhaul
BY PAUL MARYNIAK GSN Executive Editor
No more taking your life into your hands trying to get from the US 60 onto the I-10 northbound. Say goodbye to risking an accident trying to get from I-10 northbound just past the 60 to SR 143 and the airport.
And if you’re heading north on the I-10 from the Santan Loop 202 Freeway or anywhere from south of Baseline Road, imagine not waiting endlessly for traffic to inch along.
The prospect of all that coming true moved one step closer to reality last week as the Arizona Department of Transportation held a public hearing on its plans to widen and improve a stretch of the I-10 from the Santan Freeway to the I-17 split.
The hearing was part of the requirements ADOT needs to meet before it completes a final environmental impact study this year and submit its plan to the Federal Highway Administration before it can begin a four-year, approximately $600-million overhaul of portion of the I-10 that causes no end of headaches for thousands of East Valley commuters every day.
The project is not a completely done deal.
ADOT technically could decide against doing anything, though that seems unlikely after years of studying one of its most vex-some freeway segments.
And the FHA, which would foot a big part of the bill, also could turn down ADOT down.
But at last week’s hearing, ADOT appeared to be in full-speed-ahead mode as a few dozen people turned out to view maps, hear about the project and provide their observations on it.
Of course, there’s some bad news for motorists who look forward to a bigger, better and safer Broadway Curve.
Once the project kicks into high gear –most like in early 2021 – motorists can expect no end of torment as ramps are closed, lanes are blocked and annoying detours are the order of the day.
Indeed ADOT spokesman Tom Hermann said that once the project has a green light, motorists should “think about what’s your alternative, what’s your plan B and your plan C.”
“The goal is to minimize the impact of traffic as it goes through and minimize
the impact of our work,” he said. “Because there will be obviously a fair number of closures along I-10 while we’re doing that work. That’s a necessary part of what we do to build a freeway.”
In a nutshell, the project will produce six lanes in each direction between the Santan Freeway and Baseline Road and eight lanes in each direction between Baseline and the I-17 split.
Within that broad outline, however, there are other long-sought improvements as well as the introduction of a new concept in the Arizona freeway system called collector-distributor lanes.
Popular in California, those lanes resemble the frontage roads motorists are accustomed to seeing but with one big difference.
Running parallel to I-10 those collec-
• Constructing a direct HOV connection between SR 143 and I-10 to and from the east;
• Modifying the 40th Street transitional lane by eliminating the westbound off-ramp and the existing eastbound loop on-ramp, and relocating the 40th Street eastbound off-ramp;
• Widening the westbound I-10 to eastbound US 60 ramp;
• Creating a collector-distributor entrance ramp for westbound US 60 traffic heading to northbound I-10 that would resemble the existing ramp from US 60 to southbound I-10.
• Installing “dynamic message signs” throughout the 11-mile segment of I-10.
ADOT is approaching the project with considerable urgency.
Noting an estimated 300,000 vehicles use that segment every day, it says:
“Without major improvements, the I-10 in the study area would suffer degraded traffic conditions, travel delays, and challenging mobility for moving goods, services and people.”
“The existing traffic congestion continues to increase from the extensive growth the Valley has been experiencing. Recognized as a potential transportation problem in the early 2000s, the already challenged movement of goods, services, and people would experience major delays in the foreseeable future,” it adds, stressing that continued growth in the Valley “would continue to outpace the facility’s capacity to handle the demand.”
tor-distributor lanes won’t intersect at grade with perpendicular streets and instead have exit and entrance ramps. The goal is to ease motorists onto the main lanes of I-10 without slowing down the traffic already on them.
The other elements of the massive project include:
• Widening the existing Salt River Bridge to accommodate seven generalpurpose and two HOV lanes between 24th and 32nd streets;
• Flaring the west end of the bridge to accommodate proposed future reconstruction of the I-10/I-17 system interchange;
• Reconstructing the SR 143, Broadway Road, and 48th Street interchanges and connect them to new collector-distributor roads;
Hermann said the opening of the long-awaited South Mountain Freeway –scheduled for Dec. 20, according to multiple sources – will not ease the crunch along that 11-mile stretch of I-10.
Although 120,000 to 140,000 vehicles are expected daily on the South Mountain Freeway – which last week was officially named by a state board after the late Congressman Ed Pastor – Hermann said the highway wasn’t built to relieve downtown.”
Consequently, the area targeted for the big project will be subjected to increasingly longer rush hours and delays as total daily traffic approaches 340,000 vehicles by 2025.
Currently, three contractors are vying for the job and must submit plans that will be judged partly for their “technological innovation” as well as the timing of the work, one ADOT source said..
The chart at the top summarizes the major portions of the Broadway Curve project while the chart below shows the daily traffic volume on the affect portions of I-10 and the US 60. (ADOT)
Garage Door Repair
The two most common questions regarding batteries are which is the Best and how/should I recycle them. After almost 4 decades in the industry let me break down the truth, dispel the myths, and help you to make informed decisions on both. So, that being said let’s tackle which is the best:
Everyone is familiar with the big three when talking Alkaline Batteries; Energizer, Duracell, Rayovac. These three companies have been around for generations. At one time these were your only real choices in the United States. However, now, with the increase in importing of goods, licensing, and private labeling the choices are almost endless. Over the years we have run test after test regarding quality, life, and capacity of the different brands. It seems every year Energizer and Duracell are coming out with “new and improved versions”. So, which do you buy? The truth of the matter is when comparing brands, the difference is only a couple percent and that will typically vary based on batch, age, and how they were stored. When testing Energizer, Duracell,
Rayovac side by side under same load and same cut off voltage they all performed almost identical. Now, why would some people swear by Duracell and others Energizer? The answer may surprise you. They are both right. Because no two manufactures use the exact same formula one battery will perform better in high current applications, another in pulse applications, and so on. In other words, Energizer may perform better in one device and Duracell may perform better in something else. Freshness also plays a factor. If you go to a retailer and buy a pack of Duracell and a pack of Energizer the two packages were not produced at the same time. With extended shelf lives you may be purchasing a one-year old pack and the other only 1 month old. So, how do you choose? What I recommend to customers is this: First, test one pack of each brand in your specific device and see which works better for that device. Then, look at value. Which is most cost effective for your application. For example; If Duracell lasts only 10% longer in your device than a house brand yet costs twice as much, the house brand is still the
better value for you. One thing about house brands is you need to be diligent regarding changing them out as they are more prone to leaking than a Duracell or Energizer. Lastly, compare expiration dates. Typically (not always) expiration dates are 5 years from date of manufacture. So, find the freshest pack you can. Lastly, my recommendation is to buy in bulk packaging to cut cost substantially. Now, you find yourself with your perfect brand, and you bought bulk. How do you store them to keep them fresh? One of the most commonly asked questions is; “Should I store them in the refrigerator?” The answer is no. Here is why: First, consumer batteries are designed to operate at same ideal temperatures as we do. In other words, room temperature is ideal for them. Second, any small benefits the cooler temperature may provide are lost several times over due to moisture. There is too much condensation and moisture in your refrigerator which will cause rust/oxidation and so on. Again, the shelf life is typically 5 years so unless you need to store them for 10 years you would not see
any benefit at all.
Then there is the question of disposal/recycling of Alkaline batteries. First, let me say that ANY chemistry other than Alkaline needs to be properly disposed of or recycled. The big debate is over Alkaline batteries. First, the stigma over disposal comes from the days when these batteries contained Mercury. This has not been the case since the Mercury-Containing and Rechargeable Battery Management Act of 1996. Alkaline Batteries are pretty much Carbon, Zinc, some paper and plastic. They contain no mercury therefore no laws regarding disposal and are completely safe to throw in trash. However, if you do not wish to do this they can be dropped off at Battery Giant (Disposal/recycling free to our customers) or your city waste management facility for “proper disposal”. Unfortunately, it literally costs more to recycle an alkaline battery than the material return. Buyer beware, most companies “claiming” to recycle Alkaline batteries are only actually “disposing” of them. They do this solely to get you into their facility. The two or three facilities
that EVERYONE nationally uses do not recycle Alkaline batteries, only dispose of them.
How about Rechargeable batteries and buying online? It is ironic that we will demand an Energizer or Duracell brand name because of superiority yet ask why can I get a battery for my phone online for only ten dollars? Fact is NOT all batteries are created equal. Even though almost all lithium batteries come from China these days, it is about quality control and who stands behind it. In many cases when buying online batteries, you are purchasing someone else’s problem. Many are used, counterfeits, warranties, or out of code batteries. You simply apply logic, if they are selling at below cost, there IS a reason. With Lithium battery fires on a steady increase, it is highly advised you purchase locally from a reputable supplier.
WELCOME from page 1
solve.
It’s now up to the town – which invested more than $1.66 million in prepping the site – to decide what to do with the land.
Mayor Jenn Daniels played a key role in co-founding the organization six years ago while serving on the town council.
She helped organize regular ceremonies honoring military personnel from Gilbert who were returning from duty overseas.
Councilwoman Aimee Yentes also worked for the nonprofit as vice president and her mother, Lisa Rigler, was president.
The Council unanimously voted on Oct. 17, – with Yentes abstaining – to terminate its lease agreement with Operation Welcome Home AZ.
“I’m saddened that we are unable to continue in the partnership with Operation Welcome Home,” said Daniels.
“The values of our community keep us committed to veterans and supporting our men and women in the military and their families,” she continued. “We will continuously find ways to serve our veterans and show gratitude for their service.”
veterans’ organizations like Operation Welcome Home AZ to develop events commemorating the 50th anniversary of the Vietnam War
This is when talks for a memorial park began, said Presmyk.
Operation Welcome Home AZ dates back to 2014, when Daniels first approached former councilman Les Presmyk with the idea to kick-start the organization.
“The vision was entirely about honoring return servicemen and their families,” Presmyk said.
“At the same time, we were very adamant about engaging our young people – as well as the adults – to establish this sense in the town that our veterans always know they are welcome in Gilbert,” he added.
As part of this vision, the Town Council honored individuals with proclamations presented at meetings to celebrate returning service members.
Operation Welcome Home also educated thousands of school kids about military appreciation, patriotism and raised awareness about veteran issues.
Lisa Rigler, Aimee’s mother, eventually took over the operation as board president and guided the organization to its nonprofit status later that year.
Around the same time, the U.S. Department of Defense was offering grants to
“Early on, we decided to apply for the grants,” he explained. “At the same time, we said, ‘wouldn’t it be a great thing to build a park and bring a replica of the Vietnam Wall as a centerpiece?’”
The nonprofit’s board members had a vision for a park that would serve as a tourist attraction while also providing a space for education, reflection and veterans services.
In 2015, the nonprofit entered into a lease agreement with the town for a park across the street from Town Hall.
According to the original contract, the Town would charge Operation Welcome Home $1 per year for rent.
Gilbert committed $899,000 to build infrastructures, such as parking lot and utility lines, while Operation Welcome Home was slated to spend more than $3 million on the park’s design, memorial wall, education center and restrooms.
The overall project was expected to be finished and dedicated on Veterans Day 2017.
But as soon as the nonprofit started grading work, said Justin Yentes, husband of Aimee and fundraising volunteer, things took a turn for the worst.
Donors who promised in-kind construction services, among other things,
schedule at this point, and Gilbert had more than fulfilled its financial commitment – spending $1.47 million for construction, more than $79,500 for construction management and more than $111,300 for professional services, town records show.
suddenly pulled out.
“We had some pretty sizable commitments of in-kind donors that were going to step in and provide a lot of the construction and materials needed to finish the project,” he said.
“That didn’t come to fruition,” he continued. “And at that point, we were faced with a lot of costs that we had believed would be inkind.”
Justin said the group exhausted all possible fundraising opportunities, and even tried hiring professional fundraisers for damage control.
He also said the organization was constantly competing for donors’ limited dollars with other veterans and non-veterans’ nonprofits, and that a majority of volunteers were also working other jobs.
“We went as far as to work with some professional fundraisers – and their purpose was to go out and talk to their contacts and meet with donors, philanthropists and organizations,” said Justin. “We were just a bunch of people that all had the same goal.”
Operation Welcome Home’s Internal Revenue Service tax filings support Justin’s claims.
In 2017, the organization’s 990 form – the last one it appears to have filed –shows that its net assets for the year totaled $427,968.
Construction was already behind
“I think it’s a tragedy for a lot of the volunteers who put their blood, sweat and tears into this,” said Justin. “I’ve worked for years and years to try and bring this dream to fruition, and that’s the hardest thing to feel like I let them down.”
“I wish that we would have found the financial support we believed would be there,” he added.
On Sept. 25, Annie Remsburg – who took over as board president when Rigler stepped down after claiming health-related issues – wrote to Daniels announcing the organization’s dissolution.
“It has become apparent that revenues were going to be insufficient to continue construction of the park beyond early site readiness,” she wrote.
“After exhausting all fund-raising strategies given our resources,” she added, “the board determined that dissolution was the only rational conclusion to our efforts.”
The town is now in full control of the land and will need to decide how to proceed.
The site currently features an enhanced reclaimed water system within the Civic Center complex and a lot used for overflow parking.
A bus bay has also been added that allows buses to pull off the road, according to town spokeswoman Jennifer Harrison.
Harrison said that whatever the Town chooses, the current developments will only benefit the process.
“All of these enhancements were designed and constructed for the benefit of the Town and the future growth of the area,” she said. “As far as next steps are concerned, as Gilbert continues to grow, we will evaluate the best paths forward. We are confident the final outcome will be what’s best for the community.”
The town still must decide what it will do with the site and likely could just restore it to what it had been before.
(Pablo Robles/GSN Staff Photographer)
This rendering of what the veterans parks was supposed to look like when completed was circulated by Operation Welcome Home AZ shortly after it launched its ill-fated project. (GSN file photo)
Higley Unified to consider politics rules for staffers
GSN NEWS STAFF
Higley Unified Governing Board is taking the first steps toward adopting a policy precluding teachers and students from engaging in political activity in the classroom or on school time.
Stating it “recognizes the right of its employees, as citizens, to engage in political activity,” the policy declares “school time, personnel, equipment, supplies, materials, buildings or other resources may not be used to influence the outcomes of elections.”
There are two measures protecting staff from being sued for any political activity during class time – although the wording doesn’t exactly state that.
Those policy measures state:
• “Students may not be given written materials to influence the outcome of an election or to advocate support for or opposition to pending or proposed legislation.”
• “Students may not be involved in writing, addressing or distribution of material intended to influence the outcome of an election or to advocate support for or opposition to pending or proposed legislation.”
But district spokeswoman Michelle Reese stressed that the policy was only just introduced and will be discussed and likely refined at a future board meeting.
At least one board member last week raised concerns about the wording of those two portions of the policy, another district official said, - they are being rewritten.
The overall policy appears aimed at addressing concerns raised by some parents during the spring 2018 Red for Ed movement that emptied classrooms across Arizona as teachers lobbied the State Legislature for higher pay.
It forbids employees while on duty from engaging in political activities while they are on district property or to use public resources “to influence the outcome of bond, budget override and other tax-related elections.”
“This prohibition does not include routine District communications which are messages or advertisements that are germane to the functions of the District
and that maintain frequency, scope and distribution consistent with past practices or are necessary for public safety,” it states.
With a major local, state and national election year only two months away, the policy specifically states, “campaigning and other election activities must be done in off-duty hours, when not working in an official capacity or representing the District, and without the participation of District employees or students acting in the capacity of District or school representatives.”
It also limits invitations to candidates on campus unless everyone running in a particular election is invited.
The policy also states, “The rental use of District property by a private person or entity that may lawfully attempt to influence the outcome of an election is permitted if it does not occur at the same time and place as a related District-sponsored forum or debate.”
The policy also forbids:
• Distributing political flyers or petitions;
• Collection of campaign funds and/or the solicitation of campaign workers;
• Influencing the vote or political activities of subordinates.
The policy also states that discussion and study of politics and issues are permitted “when such discussion and study are appropriate to classroom studies.”
District employees shall be permitted time as provided in statutes, if required, to vote in the primary or general election.
The District may distribute informational reports on a proposed budget override election as provided in A.R.S. 15-481 and on a proposed bond election as provided in A.R.S. 15-491 if those informational reports present factual information in a neutral manner, except for those arguments allowed under A.R.S. 15-481.
Nothing in this policy shall preclude the District from producing and distributing impartial information on elections other than District budget override elections or reporting on official actions of the Governing Board.
The District shall not make expenditures for literature associated with a campaign conducted by or for a District official.
Implications of Hearing Loss
Untreated hearing loss will eventually lead to problems beyond di culties in understanding conversations or picking up sounds in noisy environments.
Untreated hearing loss can result in social and personal insecurity, as individuals su ering from hearing loss often become uncomfortable in social settings.
Many people soon find that their conversations become shorter, and some begin to avoid the telephone. Problems communicating with family, friends, and co-workers lead people to avoid large groups and strangers, and can lead some to withdraw from their social networks, and even decrease their work productivity. The emotional toll can be the greatest, as it can lead to anger and frustration, loss of concentration and confidence, and anxiety and depression.
If you find yourself having problems understanding conversations or hearing television programs, contact Fynes Audiology today to learn more about hearing loss treatment options in the Mesa and Phoenix areas.
Father, son killed in Chandler hit-run
BY KEVIN REAGAN GSN Staff Writer
Mohammad Misbah Uddin and his son had only been in Arizona for 11 days before they were killed by a motorist in Chandler while crossing the street to worship at a mosque.
Uddin, a 50-year-old from Bangladesh, died at the scene of Alma School and Erie Street on Monday, Oct. 21, after a Dodge Durango hit him while using a crosswalk. His 13-year-old son, Abdullah, was also hit and transported to the hospital.
The teenager had been in critical condition before his family took him off lifesupport on Tuesday.
Support for the Uddin family came quickly, nearly $65,000 in donations for funeral expenses was funneled through a GoFundMe.com site within hours after it was created.
Hermes Kyllini, Uddin’s nephew, formed the fundraising site and commented on the cruel irony of his uncle’s death.
“My uncle and his family just immigrated to Chandler from Bangladesh 11
days ago in hopes of a better life and future for his two young children,” Kyllini wrote on the page.
Uddin leaves behind a wife who cannot speak English and a 19-year-old daughter who aspires to be a doctor, Kyllini added.
The Chandler Police Department two days after the accident arrested a Tempe woman on suspicion of driving the vehicle that hit the father and son.
Michelle Hagerman, 54, has been charged with leaving the scene of a fatal accident after admitting to authorities she had been involved in the collision.
Hagerman allegedly told Chandler Police she thought she had hit a dog while driving north on Alma School Road. She claimed she stopped and saw other motorists run over to the intersection.
“After seeing several people at the scene, she re-entered her vehicle and left the scene,” a police report stated.
One of Hagerman’s neighbors noticed she had a similar vehicle as the suspect’s car described in news reports. The neighbor contacted Chandler Police after observing structural damage ono the
front of Hagerman’s car.
Witnesses told Chandler Police that Hagerman allegedly accelerated her car after the traffic light turned green. The victims were about halfway through the crosswalk when the signals changed and Hagerman entered the intersection.
Bystanders estimated Hagerman was allegedly driving no more than 50 mph, according to police reports. The posted speed limit on this portion of Alma School Road, which is adjacent to a high school, is 40 mph.
Hagerman’s criminal charges can either be classified as a Class 2 or Class 3 felony, depending on whether it can be proved the defendant caused the fatal accident before fleeing.
The presumptive prison sentence for a Class 2 felony is five years and three years for a Class 3 felony.
If convicted, Arizona law requires Hagerman’s license be revoked for at least 10 years.
Members of the Chandler Muslim community have been quick to offer condolences for Uddin’s family. The Islamic Center of the East Valley, the mosque
Uddin was walking toward before his death, held a prayer service for him and his son on Wednesday.
Waqas Ellahi, a Chandler resident who attends the mosque with Uddin’s family, said the deaths have had a major impact on their community.
“I don’t even have the words for the family for what they must be going through right now,” Ellahi said.
He regularly drives along Alma School Road and said the incident has made him more vigilant about passing through that intersection.
“It just raises so much more awareness of people who walk, distracted driving, kids who walk to school,” Ellahi added.
“We don’t even realize what could happen – somebody could literally run you over.”
Pedestrian deaths have been on the rise across Maricopa County for the last few years. Public records show the number of fatalities jumped from 91 to 160 between 2014 and 2018.
Most of these deaths take place on the
streets of Phoenix, but East Valley communities still report a handful of incidents each year.
Scottsdale and Chandler had a couple more pedestrian deaths in 2018 compared to the previous year, according to the Arizona Republic, but Mesa and Tempe each saw a drop in fatalities.
Safety advocates say speeding and alcohol are two of the main causes of traffic fatalities in Arizona.
Tara Gill, senior director of advocacy and state legislation for Advocates for Highway and Auto Safety, said her organization is pushing for states like Arizona to consider revising or lowering its speed limits.
Most states set speed limits by calculating how fast 85 percent of the population drives without regulation. But Gill thinks this method is outdated and ineffective.
“People tend to drive 10-15 miles an hour above the speed limit anyway,” she said.
Alberto Gutier, director of the Arizona Governor’s Office of Highway Safety, doesn’t think re-adjusting speed limits will have much of an impact.
“I don’t see what it will do,” he said.
Gutier agreed Arizona has a high number of traffic deaths, yet he highlighted how the numbers were worse back in 2006, when the state’s population was much smaller.
Today’s drivers just need to be more cognizant of the extra cars and pedestrians, he added.
“People don’t seem to have any patience to realize there’s more traffic,” the director said.
Daily traffic counts show that the area
of Alma School Road and Chandler Boulevard sees about 12,000 more motorists than back in 2013.
Chandler recently reported another hit-run pedestrian fatality on Aug. 16 near Ray Road and California Street. A 68-year-old woman in a wheelchair was struck by a motorist while crossing the street.
Chandler Police said the driver in that incident has yet to be apprehended.
Verge.com reported last week that while traffic fatalities overall decreased last year, the rate of pedestrians and cyclists killed on the nation’s roadways increased dramatically.
“Nearly 36,600 people died on US roadways last year, a decrease of 2.4 percent from 2017, according to recently released figures from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration,” it said, noting that was the lowest fatality rate in four years.
“That all sounds encouraging, but it’s really only good news for those of us driving or riding in cars,” the website said.
“Everyone else, especially vulnerable road users like pedestrians and bicyclists, is being killed at an alarming rate. The number of pedestrians killed – 6,283, an increase of 3.4 percent from
the previous year – was the highest such number since 1990.” in Chandler.
The Alma School is a pretty busy street, he drives along it all the time. There’s a huge fundraiser going on.
People are so touched by the story because there’s a 12-year-old involved. The driver fled, which made it worse. This story has touched whole community. People poured into the hospital Monday night.
Michelle Hagerman
AIA clears schools named in leaked information scandal
BY JOHN LEVALLY GSN Cronkite News
The Arizona Interscholastic Association decided not to punish any of the teams named in the Mountain Pointe High School recruiting scandal but did express concern that the story didn’t surface sooner.
“The best thing we can take away is, why is a school from out of state letting everybody know, ‘I think you’ve got a problem here.’ … The fact that this has gone on for a couple of years is disturbing,” AIA executive director David Hines said.
The AIA’s executive council met on Monday for the first time since news broke of former Mountain Pointe assistant coach Justin Hager leaking information to other schools.
Following a report that several Arizona high schools, including Pinnacle, Highland, Perry and Chandler, received sensitive game details from Hager’s burner email account, the AIA investigated the schools to see if any had benefited from the information shared to them.
“From the information that they were
able to retrieve, there was no dialogue back and forth,” Hines said. “They did receive an email, and most of those were just deleted, but there was not a dialogue going back and forth between WalterPayton12 and the schools in question.”
An investigation by Tempe Union officials revealed Pinnacle head football coach Dana Zupke had received emails from WalterPayton12 on two occasions
from 2018 and 2019. The emails contained game strategy for Mountain Pointe’s football program, which lost both contests against Pinnacle each year.
Highland head football coach Brock Farrel, Perry football coach Preston Jones and basketball
coach Sam Duane also received emails, according to findings by Tempe Union. Jones was the only coach to reply to the email he received in 2017, saying, “why would they do what they did against Chandler?” referring to game strategy for Mountain Pointe’s defense.
An investigation by Perry High administrators revealed Jones had replied in a joking matter, and that no informa-
tion was used.
Wellbrock only found out when an out-of-state school – Faith Lutheran High School in Las Vegas – contacted him about the information received.
Te AIA is hoping to prevent issues like this one from reoccurring.
“As an association, we need to police ourselves,” Hines said. “It’s appropriate for coaches to communicate to coaches, and athletic directors to communicate to athletic directors, ‘Hey we’ve received this, I think there’s something going on, you need to check into this,’ and end at that.”
Hines said that it should be the goal of the AIA, as well as coaches and athletic directors across the state, to ensure that all sports be held to a higher standard.
He also noted that not all the information shared by Hager was accurate, mentioning one email from the coach that said three players would miss a game because of injury.
All three ended up playing.
Tempe Union High School District's governing board fired Hager after refusing to let him simply resign.
Former Mountain Pointe assistant football coach Justin Hager was fired by Tempe Union High School District's governing board last month. (GSN file photo)
Will massive development threaten Gateway Airport?
BY JIM WALSH GSN Staff Writer
Depending on who’s talking, a massive development proposed for Southeast Mesa either threatens economic development around PhoenixMesa Gateway Airport or marks the inevitable and welcome replacement of six large dairy farms.
But one thing is certain: The Planned Area Development called Hawes Crossing would change that part of the city forever, if it is approved.
Located about a mile north of the airport, the mixed-use proposal will eventually go before Mesa City Council for what Mayor John Giles called possibly the most important decision he and many of his colleagues will make during their tenure in office.
“You are talking about 1,000 acres,’’ Giles said. “This is comparable to Dobson Ranch or Eastmark. For many generations, people will benefit or suffer from our decisions.’’
A coalition of six longtime dairy farmers and residents of nearby Boulder Creek who want to see 15,000 cows and their smelly manure gone as quickly as possible won a preliminary victory last Wednesday when the Planning and Zoning Board voted 3-2 to recommend Council’s approval of zoning changes that would make construction of housing possible.
The conflicting arguments about Hawes Crossing emerged during the three-hour hearing, which was packed by about 50 supporters wearing yellow shirts.
Economic development advocates, including the Mesa Chamber of Commerce, warned that residential encroachment on the airport eventually could lead restrict their operations.
“What we’re concerned about is the long-term impact on the airport,’’ said Otto Shill, an attorney who spoke for the chamber.
“They will ultimately complain,’’ he said, alluding to new residents of Hawes Crossing. “It will become a political problem, people complaining about noise, fuel and hydraulic fluid. We think the future of the airport could well be in danger.’’
Even if new home buyers sign required disclosure statements, the real problems would begin when people buy the hous-
es from them, opponents fear.
Mesa’s Economic Development Advisory Board expressed similar reservations, saying that it makes no sense to squander development opportunities along powerful Salt River Project transmission lines on Elliot Road by allowing housing.
Those transmission lines have helped lure big data center operators to the region.
The dairy farmers and their zoning attorney, Jordan Rose, argued about the benefits of a cohesive master plan for development of more than 1,000 acres roughly bordered by Elliot Road and the Loop 202.
She said the development would unlock the area’s potential, with 56 percent of the site still devoted to job creation.
“It’s going to be a special place unlike anything Mesa has ever seen,’’ Rose
said of the proposal – the culmination of three years of planning.
“We have gone through 28 renditions of this plan,” she said. “We really wanted to get it right.’’
J. Brian O’Neill, the airport’s executive director and CEO, carefully walked a tightrope, saying the airport does not oppose the Hawes Crossing plan.
But he also warned that new residents would hear and see planes in Airport Overflight Area III.
O’Neill said the airspace over the Hawes Crossing site is heavily used by flight schools, which are continuing the pilot-training mission that dates back to World War II during the operation of Williams Air Force Base, which preceded Gateway.
While most airports protect their closest and noisiest areas, Airport Overflight Areas I and II, from residential develop-
ment, the east Mesa airport added Area III as an additional means of disclosure to future residents, he said.
The first waves of homeowners in Hawes Crossing likely would be aware of their close proximity to the airport through deed restrictions, disclosure notices and signs required in sales offices.
The real problem, O’Neill said, typically occurs when the houses turn over to the second, third and fourth owners, who may not understand the noise associated with living in the area and may clamor for flight restrictions.
“I assure you that is not a good thing for an airport,’’ O’Neill said.
A letter from the airport’s management was quoted by Planning and Zoning Board member Jeffrey Crockett, who joined with Tim Boyle in voting no. Chairwoman Michelle Dahlke and members Jessica Sarkissian and Deanna Villanueva-Saucedo voted yes.
“Any development at this location, due to its proximity to Phoenix-Mesa Gateway Airport will be subject to frequent and high levels of aircraft overflights and will be affected by noise,’’ wrote Anthony Bianchi, the airport authority’s planning manager.
“Occupants will hear and see aircraft landing and taking off from the Airport and will experience aircraft overflights
Nearly 50 people jammed a Mesa Planning and Zoning Committee meeting to support the development last week.
Jim Walsh/GSN Staff Writert)
The farms that would move if the development is approved hold 15,000 cows. (YouTube)
BE DEBT FREE IN 24–48 MONTHS!
that generate noise levels considered by many to be “annoying,” Bianchi warned.
Approval from the Federal Aviation Administration would be required before any housing construction permits could be issued.
“This area is going to be an amazing job creator. It will put us on the map if we don’t mess it up,’’ said former East Mesa City Council member Rex Griswold, who vehemently opposes housing in that area.
“There’s a lot of companies interested in this land. There’s not a lot of industrial land available,’’ he said. “If you don’t have the jobs, you are a bedroom community, with people driving an hour to work.’’
But Sarkissian, a professional land planner, emerged as Hawes Crossing’s biggest supporter on the planning board.
“I think it enables great mixed-use development. I think it’s very well thought out,’’ she said. “I think it really came to-
gether nicely.’’
Sarkissian said she does not view Hawes Crossing as a threat to the airport and that people are bound to complain no matter what.
“I feel as if Mesa and our commission and the council has been very strong and supportive of the airport. As long as that continues, I don’t see a future problem.’’
Former Mesa planning director Wayne Balmer said he did not think he could oppose Hawes Crossing if the airport did not. He liked the assembly of properties into one coherent plan, setting a tone for future development throughout the area.
“I thought it would give it a unique theme and character,’’ Balmer said.
The plan does not detail what kind of housing is being considered. Nor does it mention the name of any developer.
Giles said a council vote on the zoning case is weeks, if not months away and that he has not decided yet on whether he will vote yes or no.
Calling Hawes Crossing one of Mesa’s most important zoning cases in decades,
he said, “We are not going to do anything that would impede operation of the airport.’’
“We get only one chance to do it right,” Giles added. “It’s important to me not to rush into a decision.’’
Councilman Kevin Thompson, whose fast-growing District 6 includes Hawes Crossing, said he is planning to vote no to protect the airport.
He said he sympathizes with the dairy farmers, who want to move away from the path of development to a more rural location.
Most of those farmers have been in that area for about 40 years.
“The more people I spoke with, the more they told me to protect the airport,’’ Thompson said. “The airport is our biggest asset in southeast Mesa. We have seen what has happened to airports across the country.’’
He said the dairy owners have valid arguments, but in the end, he has to protect the city’s long-term interests.
“It’s about building a vision and stick-
ing to that vision,’’ Thompson said.
Jim Boyle, a dairyman who served as a spokesman for his dairy partners in Hawes Crossing, said the six families have been patient in putting together the project.
But he said they can’t wait forever for a decision because they are at a crossroad between spending millions of dollars in renovations or selling their properties.
He said remaining in the path of development makes no sense. The lack of agriculture nearby forces him to truck his manure to southern Arizona and finding feed for the cows is increasingly difficult.
“I don’t want to make a quick buck off of this thing,’’ Boyle said. “We want to leave behind a really nice development. I think we have really great plans that we all support.’’
Developer Jason Barney of Gilbert, another property owner in the area, said, “I see this part of Mesa as a jewel for future development. Right now, this whole area is locked up by the zoning. This project unlocks that.’’
Serving her country
U.S. Navy Hull Maintenance Technician Fireman Camryn Currier, from Gilbert,
strengthen the ability to rapidly respond to crises throughout the Indo-Pacific region.
(U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Kyle Carlstrom)
Bondurant school teams up with actor for veterans
this event,” she added.
The Bob Bondurant School of High Performance Driving in Chandler is teaming up with actor Gary Sinise, who has raised thousands of dollars for wounded warriors.
The legendary driving school in Chandler has contracted with the “CSI: New York” and “Forrest Gump” star to make the Gary Sinise Foundation its long-term nonprofit partner.
He will be the star of a fundraising reception and dinner at the school that will end with veterans racing high-performance cars to Las Vegas.
The event begins with a reception and a chance to meet Senise at 4 p.m., Sunday, Nov. 3, at the school.
“We share Gary’s vision that everyone can always do just a little more for those who have done so much for all of us,” said Franki Buckman, the school’s newly appointed CEO.
“Dodge, our staff as well all of our partners are thrilled to welcome Gary to the School, to recognize our veterans and to meet the local enthusiasts and supporters who want to contribute to the ultimate goal of raising $250,000 for
Single seats and tables are available for purchase in advance, with all proceeds benefiting the foundation. Supporters can call 480-403-7600 or email cchapin@bondurant.com.
Select veterans will drive the Bondurant track and the “Hero Drive” to Las Vegas in new patriotic Stars and Stripes Dodge SRT Chargers.
Donors can sponsor drivers, pledge per mile or give a one-time or recurring donation at by visiting donate.garysinisefoundation.org/campaign/starsacross-the-desert/c252430.
Established in 2011, Sinise’s foundation runs the R.I.S.E. program (Restoring Independence Supporting Empowerment) that provides specially adapted smart homes for severely wounded veterans nationwide.
“Each one-of-a-kind home is customized to ease the everyday burdens of a wounded hero, their family and caregivers,” the foundation notes on its website.
A more recent addition is Snowball Express, which serves the children of our fallen military heroes, surviving spouses and Gold Star families.
GSN NEWS STAFF
Community
Gilbert travel company offers unique Cuba visit
BY SRIANTHI PERERA GSN Contributor
Art aficionados looking to experience what Cuba has to offer can join an upcoming organized tour, bypassing the typical visits to the island’s cigar factories and sugar plantations.
Neil Birnbaum of Gilbert and Woody Wilson of Tempe run a Gilbert-based travel outfit called Cuba Rhythm and Views.
They contend their music-inspired cultural exchange tours in Cuba are unique.
“Our personal relationships enable us to arrange private performances by Cuba’s most revered and distinguished artists,” Birnbaum said. “Every event includes meaningful and genuine opportunities to meet performers and learn about their lives in Cuba.”
The next tour, “The Enchantment of Havana with Stefan Sanders,” featuring an acclaimed U.S. orchestra conductor,
will take place January 8-13.
The $3,500 per-person, double-occupancy rate includes airfare and a stay at the five star Melia Cohiba hotel.
Space is available and the last day to join is Nov. 15. The tours are licensed and comply with new U.S. government regulations published in September.
“There are certainly less expensive trips that don’t include airfare or visa, include cafeteria-style meals in government restaurants, and visit typical tourist sites such as a cigar factory,”
Birnbaum said, adding:
“Of all the trips offering five-star comfort, ours is the least costly and the only trip to include numerous up close and personal encounters with Cuba’s artistic ‘royalty.’”
Stefan Sanders is the music director of the Central Texas Philharmonic in Austin; Spartanburg Philharmonic and Fayetteville Symphony Orchestra, both in South Carolina.
In Havana, he will conduct the Orquesta Sinfónica Nacional de Cuba during a performance on Jan. 12.
“We are honored to be working with Stefan Sanders on this most important cultural exchange,” Birnbaum said. “Our commitment to exposing Americans to civic and creative life in Cuba through
see CUBA page 22
Gilbert car show ‘serves the Lord’
Don Webb doesn’t let Jesus take the wheel at his Gilbert car shows
He lets him have the whole vehicle.
Webb, founder of Covenant Hot Rod Association, a 20-year-old non-profit organization uses its displays of antique, customized automobiles and trucks to “spread the Gospel through gentle conversation and Christian-themed giveaways.”
“Anyway that we can reach people for Jesus Christ, we do it,” said Webb, of Mesa, whose motto for the association is “Fully Restored, Serving the Lord.” His shows are always connected with a church, which is asked to select a charity to receive the proceeds Webb raises through the car owners’ show registration fees.
Covenant cars and trucks will be rolling into Gilbert next weekend with the “Des-
ert Harvest” show 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., Saturday, Nov. 2, at Valor Christian Center, 3015 E. Warner Road.
Valor Christian has selected Soldier’s Best Friend as the beneficiary. The Phoenix-based group pairs shelter-rescue dogs with veterans suffering from posttraumatic stress disorder.
Webb expects at least 80 to 100 owners for the show, Valor Christian’s fourth.
Finding owners who want to display their car is relatively easy, said Webb, a former pastor who is now dean of a Bible school in Scottsdale.
First, there’s the fact that “any car owner likes to show off his car,” Webb said. But
he sweetens the attraction by offering attractive trophies and other prizes, spending a lot of money on awards, t-shirts and best of show and other categories.
“What makes a quality show are quality plaques and trophies,” he said. “We
GSN NEWS STAFF
Woody Wilson of Tempe, left, and Neil Birnbaum of Gilbert run Cuba Rhythm and Views, which offers music inspired cultural tours of Cuba. (Special to GSN)
Don and Barbie Webb
The Desert Harvest Car Show at Valor Christian Church, 3015 E. Warner Road, Gilbert, next Saturday will feature sweet rides. (Spcial to GSN)
Gilbert woman overcame debilitating injury
BY MEGHANN FINN SEPULVEDA GSN Guest Writer
Four years ago, Ashley Owens was coaching basketball in Kingman when she was knocked down and suffered a painful landing.
The 31-year-old Gilbert woman felt a sharp pain when she was sitting and walking, but she pushed through and continued doing normal activities as a traveling physical therapist.
Days later, while lifting a patient’s legs into bed, she aggravated the injury, causing pain so severe she couldn’t walk.
For nearly a year, Owens saw doctors and specialists, trying almost everything including medication, physical and psychological therapies, injections and nerve ablation to stop the pain.
Then she met Ali Araghi, D.O., a boardcertified and fellowship-trained orthopedic spine surgeon and director of the spine division at The CORE Institute.
She underwent minimally invasive sacroiliac joint fusion surgery. The pain was finally alleviated.
An experienced physical therapist, Owens knows how muscles and joints work together and move. So, when she was injured, she was immediately aware something was wrong.
“I thought I had injured my sacroiliac joint and the pain was excruciating,” she recalled. “I couldn’t function and lost the ability to take care of myself.”
The sacroiliac joint is the strong connection formed where the bottom of one’s spine meets the pelvis. When the sacroiliac joint is disrupted, it can cause inflammation and severe, debilitating pain in the lower back, as well as the pel-
vis, groin and hip.
Many physicians have a hard time identifying an SI joint injury because it does not always easily appear on diagnostic imaging studies such as MRI or X-ray.
Owens spent eight months enduring physical therapy and seeing several specialists as she sought effective treatment but her condition continued to worsen.
“Eventually, I was completely bedridden and had to move into an assistedliving facility where I spent the next two years,” she said. “The doctors I saw couldn’t help me and I thought I would never walk again.”
She found Araghi a lifesaver.
“Ashley was transported by gurney to the appointment because she had no mobility,” Araghi said. “I knew she was in extremely poor condition and had exhausted all other treatment options.”
After reviewing Owen’s medical history and performing a physical exam, he consulted with the pain management team and ordered a numbing medication injected into Ashley’s sacroiliac joint to identify the pain source.
Araghi determined that Owens was a good candidate for SI joint fusion surgery, where spine surgeons fuse the sacroiliac joint during a minimally invasive procedure.
her right side.
“After surgery, I was immediately able to stand and walk a few feet with a walker,” she said. “The surgeries completely resolved my pelvic pain.”
Owens goes to physical therapy and is still working on regaining strength and range of
She underwent the operation two years ago this month at The CORE Institute on the left side of her sacrum. Two months later, Araghi performed the surgery on
motion that was lost during the time she was bedridden. Although she admits the healing process has been slow, she is making good progress.
“I’ve returned to swimming, lifting light weights and shooting hoops and hope
to go skiing this winter,” she said. “I am thankful for those who helped me survive this ordeal and am filled with gratitude for my incredible family, friends and team of healthcare professionals, including Dr. Araghi, who gave me a second chance at life.”
SE Regional Library offers full plate of programs
Southeast Regional Library is offering a full range of free programs next month.
The library, located at 775 N. Greenfield Road, Gilbert is open Monday-Thursday from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m., Friday and Saturday 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Sunday 1 to 5 p.m.
Here’s the lineup for November. Unless otherwise noted, registration is required mcldaz.org/southeast or 602-652-3000.
Nov. 4
Native American Hoop Dancing
3-4 p.m.
Indigenous Enterprise will perform hoop dances from various indigenous tribes from Arizona.
HealthRHYTHMS Drum Circle
6:30-8 p.m.
Stress-relieving community drumming is led by certified HealthRhythms drum circle facilitator Susy Manning. All instruments provided and no experience is necessary. Registration is only required if you need a drum.
Nov. 5
Masterworks at the Phoenix Art Museum
1:30-2:30 p.m.
Explore the 23 masterworks of art in the collection at the Phoenix Art Museum. Learn how art communicates the spirit of the era. Presented by Lisa White, a docent with the museum since 2010.
Nov. 6
Genealogy: I Do, I Don’t, I Didn’t 10:15-11:30 a.m.
Get tips for using court records to research the women in your family, who historically aren’t always well documented. Melanie Sturgeon, Mesa FamilySearch volunteer will provide valuable advice and resources.
Nov. 7
Tween Tinker Lab 3:45-4:45 p.m.
Tweens (ages 9-13) invited to this open workshop to design and build projects using assorted supplies. Each time there is a different building challenge.
Film Club
6-8 p.m.
View and discuss film classics and favorites from the 30s through the 80s. General discussion will take place after film screenings, as time allow. Today’s
Saved from a debilitating sacroiliac injury, Ashley Owens of Gilbert continues working out to build her strength. (Special to GSN)
Ali Araghi, D.O.
GSN NEWS STAFF
this compelling series provokes an important discussion about how the arts ultimately bring us together.”
In return, Cuban Rhythm and Views will facilitate a visit of a Cuban musician to the Valley to perform for its sister organization, Tempe-based Lakeshore Music.
In this cultural exchange, Havana pianist Harold López-Nussa will perform “Direct from Havana” for Lakeshore Music on April 25, at Tempe Center for the Arts.
Cuba Rhythm and Views was founded in 2013, when diplomatic relations between the U.S. and Cuba began to thaw, following the repoening of the U.S. em-
SHOW from page 19
award a very nice first-place trophy to the best of show.”
Although he’s been running car shows since 1999, Webb has had a lifelong affair with classic vehicles.
“When I was 18 years old, I bought a 1955 Pontiac,” Webb said. “A friend of mine and I rebuilt the motor and put a three-quarter cam in it, a couple fourbarrel carburetors … it was quite a car.”
bassy in Havana.
Birnbaum was executive director of Northwest Sinfonietta in 2012, and brought the orchestra to Cuba along with 62 patrons.
During the visit, he formed many significant relationships with officials in the Ministry of Culture.
Woody, while visiting Cuba months later, met some of the same people, who put the two together. In 2013, they formed their own tour company and has led three to four tours annually since then.
Phoenix has a small Cuban community, while Gilbert has no organized group. The fascination of Cuba, however, is prevalent and driven by the country’s vintage cars dating to the 1950s
He can list some of his prized possessions over the years: “I had the ’55 Pontiac. I had a ’47 Ford Coupe, a ’50 Mercury, a ’57 Chevy, a 67 Chevelle, a 68 GTO Convertible.”
Webb appreciates the fact that spectators come to his shows to ogle muscle cars, restored classics and other impeccably restored vehicles and that their owners come to show them off and win a trophy.
But he feels driven to remind visitors
and earlier.
“The culture that has evolved while struggling with the embargo is unique to Cuba,” Birnbaum said. “They have had to develop their own genres of art due to the lack of so many basics we have come to take for granted.”
Their tours are designed for people who can understand the challenges of creative life in a country that has very few resources to draw on. For example, items such as violin or cello strings, saxophone reeds, sheet music, paints and paper are scarce.
“The high level of performing arts is doubly impressive when you consider the poor condition of most instruments and the shortage of supplies that artists face,” Birnbaum said. “It’s heart-
and car owners alike of less earthly pursuits.
“We are very, very soft with what we do,” Webb said. “We’re not pushy. We instruct we don’t preach. We minister to people one on one. We walk around, ask them about their cars, and if we can strike up a conversation long enough, we’ll ask, ‘Is there is anything we can pray with you about?’”
Webb said the reaction is nearly always positive.
breaking.”
The arts, however, are timeless and a way of life in Cuba. Musicians and artists are well-trained and find a way to uniquely and creatively express themselves.
“We love going to Cuba and exposing people to another world just 90 miles away,” Wilson said.
“Havana has been at our doorstep for 500 years, and everyone should see and hear it at least once,” he added. “Our delegates come back having seen something that is completely unique in our hemisphere.”
Details: Call 602-679-0590, email cubarhythmandviews@gmail.com or visit cubarhythmandviews.org.
“We get a few who walk away, but generally people are receptive,” he said. He and his other members also hand out goodie bags to vehicle owners that contain car-related items as well as items that help CHRA deliver their message.
“The Bible tells us, in essence, to be either the light of the world or the salt of the earth,” Webb said. “What we do is bring the Gospel to these guys, what they do with it is up to them.”
CAR
Nov. 9
The ABCDs of Medicare
10-11:15 a.m.
Learn about the options and requirements for Medicare to choose the coverage to meet your specific needs. Also covered will be additional resources available to help you make these important decisions about your healthcare plan. Rob Foster, a volunteer AARP educator, will present this unbiased overview of options.
Nov. 13
Genealogy: Open Lab
10-11:30 a.m.
Work with Mesa FamilySearch volunteers to reach your next step in discovering your roots. Access to free genealogy library databases and computers. Free WIFI for personal laptops brought to the lab.
Computer Puzzles
1:30-3 p.m.
Join the Southeast Regional Library Adult Code Club the second and fourth Wednesday of the month. Sharpen your mind solving computer programming
puzzles. You can show your family what you make with “code”. No experience is required.
Teens Crafter Hours
6-7:30 p.m.
Enjoy exploring new crafts? Teens (ages 12-18), join us for this fun evening of crafting. Each time we meet we make a new project. All materials are provided.
Nov. 15
Organizing
1:30-3 p.m.
Reduce your stress by simplifying your life and organizing your personal space. Professional organizer Andrea Brundage shares her proven tips and strategies for decluttering, purging, and organizing.
Nov. 18
Creative Crafters
10-11:30 a.m.
New crafters and all skill levels are always welcome. This month’s project will be making greeting cards. Project is selfdirected, all supplies will be provided.
Master Your Stress
6:30-7:45 pm
Join Sara Regester RN, as she shares her unique mind-body-spirit techniques to become more resilient to stress in your life. Learn mindfulness practices and
how to shift your mindset to become less reactive to stress and its harmful effects on both mental and physical health.
Nov. 19
Color Me Relaxed
6:30-7:30 p.m.
Join us for adult coloring and conversation. If you never find time at home, come relax and de-stress. We provide supplies, and free designs. You’re also welcome to bring your own pages and supplies if you’d like.
Nov. 21
Desserts & recipe exchange
6:30-7:30 p.m.
Discuss favorite desserts and learn some fun and healthy ways to satisfy our sugar cravings. We will review a number of dessert recipes, assess or edit them for health, and enjoy samples!
Nov. 21
Computer basics
2:30-3:30 p.m.
Learn how to use mouse and keyboard and practice using various introductory computer programs. This class is for those new to computers and requires no previous experience. Computers will be available during the session.
Nov. 25
Consumer scams
6:30-8 p.m.
Protect yourself from identity theft and scams by learning how the criminals operate. A representative from the Attorney General’s office will cover red flags to be aware of and how to avoid being a victim, how to protect your personal information, and what to do if your identity is stolen.
Nov. 26
Military History Club
4-5 p.m.
Join us once a month for discussion on different military events that changed the course of history.
Register at www.mcldaz.org/southeast/ Or call 602-652-3000
Nov. 27
Computer puzzles
1:30-3 p.m.
Join the Southeast Regional Library Adult Code Club on the second and fourth Wednesday. Sharpen your mind solving computer programming puzzles. You can show your family what you make with “code”. No experience is required.
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Candy remains dandy for this businessman
BY KAYLA RUTLEDGE
GSN Staff Writer
A mega candy warehouse comfortably nestled in Chandler has a history as sweet as the candy itself.
Sweeties Candy of Arizona, on the southwest corner of Alma School Road and Warner Road, is Arizona’s largest candy store and specializes in nostalgic treats, toys and soda.
From the store’s youngest customers to its eldest candy veterans, Sweeties gives each customer a chance to act like a kid in a candy shop regardless of the generation of sweet treats they seek.
“Believe it or not, the kids are usually more reserved than mom and dad and grandma and grandpa. Mom and dad go crazy because now they have the budget – they didn’t have when they were kids so it’s fun to watch them get excited,” said owner Mike Manzo.
“That’s what sets us apart. We always say we sell happiness one piece at a time,” he added.
Manzo has been wrapped up in candy his entire life.
Since 1975, he watched his father,
Chuck, handle sweets every day as a broker in the confectionary business in Ohio.
Chuck represented about 75 percent of the classic brands sold in Sweeties today.
But when Manzo was 11, he unrav-
eled his true love for sugary treats - after lending a hand in a neighbor’s confectionery on Saturdays.
After a long day’s work restocking shelves of sweets, mocked by their deliciousness and crinkling cellophane wrapping, the neighbor paid Manzo for his work and self-control with a white two-pound paper bag.
“I could put whatever candy I wanted in there and take it home with me. I was the richest sixth-grader in the world and I’ve been hooked on candy ever since,” said Manzo.
While his time spent around candy taught him the ins and outs of the business, it also taught him about a crazy little thing called love.
“My dad would represent the lines in Tom’s store, and when they would go to candy conventions, Tom’s daughter, Dawn, and I would have to hangout and wait for them.
“We grew up together, our homes were actually back to back and we’d see each other every day,” Manzo said.
After years spent as playmates collecting bruised knees and building forts together, the two started dating and re-
New cancer clinic picks Gilbert for 3rd site
Cancer Treatment Centers of America has set up its third Valley location in Gilbert.
The business boasts of providing more options for patients seeking oncology care.
“The expansion of this third outpatient care center to the East Valley allows us to provide personalized, patient-centered care in a convenient outpatient setting to more patients,” said company President/CEO Rob Gould. “Our organization is committed to expanding care to as many Arizonans as possible.”
Physicians with decades of experience, treating cancer patients work collaboratively throughout the CTCA network and the CTCA Cancer Institutes.
The Gilbert center will provide patients “with access to a range of certified specialists across areas including medical oncology, nutritional services as well as integrative supportive services designed to help combat side effects and enhance quality of life both during and after treatment,” a company spokeswoman said.
Treatment includes an integrated approach to care that combines surgery, radiation, chemotherapy and immunotherapy with advancements in precision cancer treatment.
The center also offers qualified patients a range of clinical trials in new treatment options supported by scientific and investigational research.
Information: cancercenter.com/Gilbert.
Sweeties Candy of Arizona owner Mike Manzo, right, has a wide assortment of treats ready for Halloween. (Kimberly Carrillo/Contributor)
Candy is dandy at Sweeties and much of hit may hit a nostalgic chord with adults who remember their favorite treat but have trouble finding it on most story shelves. Besides American favorites past and present, the company also offers some international sweets.
Cancer Treatment Centers of America has opened at 3530 S. Val Vista Drive in Gilbert, becoming the company’s third Valley location.. (Special to GSN)
Newcomers influx keeps job numbers unchanged
BY HOWARD FISCHER Capitol Media Services
Arizona’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate barely budged in September as the number of jobs available pretty much matched the number of people entering the workforce.
The 4.9 percent figure was down a tenth of a point from August but up that same amount from a year ago.
At the height of the recession, Arizona’s unemployment rate hit 11 percent. It then dropped more or less steadily until about two years ago.
Arizona’s ``new normal’’ has been floating in the same range since then, even as the federal jobless rate last month slid to
3.5 percent, the lowest since December 1969.
It’s not that Arizona isn’t creating jobs. The latest numbers show the number of people working last month was 16,883 over the prior month and 85,887 more than a year ago.
But those numbers are pretty much mirrored by the increase of people in the labor force, meaning they are working or actively looking.
So, the overall jobless rate – a figure determined by the number of active job seekers compared with the total labor force – does not change.
The state’s construction industry continues to lead growth, adding another 1,800 jobs in September and bringing employment levels up by 16,800 since
the same time last year. That is a 10.4 percent year-over-year increase.
About the closest in terms of adding workers is the state’s health care industry which hired an additional 12,700 in the last 12 months.
But that marks an increase of just 4 percent in that sector of the economy, which was unaffected by the Great Recession.
Manufacturing shed about 400 jobs in September – not unusual for this time of year, but employment remains 8,900 higher than a year ago.
At the other extreme, retail trade remains weak, with a year-over-year loss of 2,200 jobs. But, the real losers within the retail sector are clothing and accessories stores, losing another 800 jobs in just the past month amid continued
strong competition from online retailers.
On another front, average hourly earnings of Arizonans employed by private industry are up 4.4 percent from the same time last year, compared with a 2.9 percent boost for the country as a whole.
Much of that is driven by a 9.6 percent increase in wages paid by bars, restaurants and hotels, fueled in large part by the voter-mandated increase this past January in the minimum wage from $10.50 an hour to the current $11.
That initiative will drive the minimum up to $12 automatically at the end of this year.
Overall, though, Arizonans on average earn less than the national average at $26.88 an hour versus $28.24 nationally.
Gilbert businessman debuts new approach to dry cleaning
GSN NEWS STAFF
AGilbert man who made a career leap from aeronautical engineering to dry cleaning business owner, adopted an environmentally-friendly method to clean clothes at his two businesses.
Jeff Kline is now using GreenEarth at his Lapels Dry Cleaning outlets in Gilbert and Chandler.
The company, in a release said the sand by-product is not only safe for people and pets by doesn’t shrink or fade clothing.
“GreenEarth is virtually odorless,” Kline said. “No matter how challenging the dry-cleaning job, clothes will come back smelling like a beautiful day with no detergent smell lingering.”
GreenEarth is a more effective treatment for smoke- and water-damaged clothing, Kline said.
“You might think it impossible for an item damaged by smoke or water to be salvageable without the smell you were trying to get out or the smell of the detergent you used to get the smell out,” he said.
SWEETIES from page 25
alized their love was much sweeter than most.
The couple took their love on the road from Ohio to Arizona to spread the reach of Sweeties treats.
Kline, in 2011, took a career leap from his job as an aerospace engineer at Orbital Sciences Corp. to open Lapels Dry Cleaning franchises at 1085 West Queen Creek Road in Chandler and 2586 South
After opening up shop in Chandler, now at 1986 N. Alma School Road, Dawn and Mike knew they were here to stay.
Today, Manzo and Dawn, are married, and just as the brand grows, so does their family.
The couple’s two children Giovanni, 7,
Val Vista Drive in Gilbert.
“Since Jeff opened his doors for business in 2011, his Lapels Dry Cleaning stores have exemplified the excellence we strive for with all our locations,” said
and Gianna, 3, are now living every kid’s dream of growing up in a candy shop, just as their father did before them.
“Of course, it would be great if they took over the store one day, but they can go down whatever career path they want. It would be really cool though,” said Manzo.
Kevin Dubois, corporate CEO. Dubois said Kline’s plant in Gilbert has grown business by nearly 50 percent through strong residential and hotel delivery.
He also praised Kline for working with corporate officials in developing a construction plan for new franchise owners to follow in opening their stores.
“Our goal in opening our Lapels Dry Cleaning stores was to bring high-quality dry cleaning and superior customer service to our friends, neighbors and fellow East Valley residents,” said Kline, who owns and operates both locations with his wife Tanya.
He was recognized in 2014, as the company’s franchise owner of the year.
He called that recognition “a testament to the business model Lapels has set up and the commitment and dedication of my wife Tanya and the rest of our team.”
Hours for the Lapels Dry Cleaning of Chandler and Lapels Dry Cleaning of Gilbert are Monday through Friday, 7 am to 7 pm; Saturday 8 am to 5 pm; and Sunday, 12 pm to 3 pm.
Information: mylapels.com.
But taking over the superstore comes will come with a lot of responsibility, as Manzo has even Willy Wonka beat.
The 13,000 square foot facility houses over 4,000 different kinds of treats, 360 kinds of glass bottled cane sugar sodas and
Jeff Kline of Gilbert owns two Lapels Dry Cleaning outlets in Chandler and Gilbert. He was an aerospace engineer for Orbital Sciences Corp. but went into the dry-cleaning business in 2011. (Special to GSN)
Father of suicide victim praises Daniels
BY DR. TIM HAMPTON GSN Guest Writer
On June 7, 2015, my son Mark ended his life; he was 30 years old.
The horror of mental illness is never more implicit than when your son is removed from your home by the Medical Examiner’s Office.
Reality is never clearer than when your brother, brother-in-law and stepson remove blood-soaked bedding, mattress and carpet from your son’s room.
The finality of death is never more acute than when final arrangements are made at a funeral home to honor your son’s life.
Pain is never more overwhelming when you realize your son is not coming home.
Mark suffered from severe bipolar disorder. It is difficult to describe his mental illness without using terms of hopelessness, helplessness, guilt, shame, self-loathing, severe depression, anger and insignificance of life.
For Mark, death was always an option, and he eventually chose death because he would rather die than continue in his tortured life. Mark did not give up; he was exhausted from fighting his bipolar disorder.
Mark’s psychiatrist described bipolar disorder as living with postpartum depression every day of your life.
The disease creates an exaggerated irrational distortion of internal feelings which intensely distort cognitive associations and beliefs often rendering the patient incapable of sustaining a functioning life.
The last words from my son: “I’m going to kill myself tonight. I’m sorry dad. Please don’t blame yourself for this. I just can’t take it anymore. Please forgive me. I love you dad with all my heart.”
Mental Health America, formerly the National Mental Health Association, was founded in 1909, and is the nation’s leading community-based nonprofit mental health entity committed to America’s mental health.
The compilation of their data is in cooperation with the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, the Centers for Disease Control and Pre-
vention and the U.S. Department of Education.
MHA assesses a total of 15 variables to rate the quality of mental health care, access to care and other topics related to mental health.
Their comparisons rate each U.S. State and the District of Columbia with a total of 51 comparisons (the higher the number, the poorer the rating). As you will see, Arizona rates poorly and has been rated below par for the last six decades.
· Adult ranking of high prevalence of mental illness with lower rates of access – AZ #42.
· Youth ranking of high prevalence of mental illness with lower rates of access – AZ #50.
· Prevalence of mental illness – AZ #45.
· Adult access to care ranking – AZ #39.
· Adult alcohol dependence and illegal drug use (marijuana, heroin, and cocaine) – AZ #42.
· Adult alcohol dependence – AZ #42.
· Youth prevalence of mental illness – AZ #43.
· Youth alcohol and illegal drug dependence – AZ #50.
· Youth alcohol dependence – AZ #48.
· Youth Heroine use – AZ #50.
· Youth Cocaine use – AZ #49.
· Youth severe major depression episodes – AZ #46.
· Survey reports that 48.77 percent of children ages 11-17 report significant thoughts of suicide and self- harm.
Arizona suicide rates in 2018 show: Almost twice as many people die by suicide in Arizona annually than by homicide; suicide is the eighth leading cause of death, the second leading cause of death for ages 15-34; the third leading cause of death for ages 35-44.
Suicide is the fifth leading cause of death in Arizona for ages 45-54 and seventh for people over 65.
In 2010, suicide cost Arizona: $1,246,005,000 in combined lifetime medical and work loss compensation – an average of $1,139,987 per suicide.
Suicide rates in Arizona are 4.17 percent higher than the national average Arizona continually failed to meet the needs of the mentally ill for six decades and remains uncommitted to this exas-
perating issue.
Arizona continues to fail the residents of Arizona in providing adequate care for the mentally ill; a continual assessment since the 1960s.
In 2018, Arizona ranked 50 of 51 in the United States for overall care for mental illness (MHA, 2018).
Interestingly, Arizona is at the top of the list for allocation of monies toward mental health care but continues to miss the mark in providing adequate treatment for the severally mentally ill population.
We spend more money without improving the system. Either Arizona is unable to locate the right personnel having the expertise to fix the problem or cannot induce radical change to the policy for evidenced-based treatment programs.
Either way, the results remain constant: unacceptable.
Arizona public education spends less
money on their students than any other state in the United States.
Further, public schools in Arizona have the least number of school psychologists than all other states and we wonder why teenage suicide continues to rise.
Thankfully, Gilbert Mayor Daniels is attempting to address our societal concern for teenage suicide, and hopefully bring change to a much-deserted topic through substantive policy execution and community involvement.
My son made numerous suicide attempts during his teen years and was eventually successful in 2014. My hope is that no parent should endure the pain and suffering that follows the suicide death of a family member.
I have never been the same and suspect I never will.
- Dr. Tim Hampton has been a Gilbert resident since 2012.
Chandler’s Premier Memory Care Community
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ACTIVE ADULT APARTMENT COMMUNITY OPENING SOON BRING A FRIEND, ENJOY LUNCH ON US AND LEARN ABOUT THE ASPENS!
WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 6TH |1:00PM – 2:00PM
Top Ten Tech Devices for Seniors ( Complimentary Lunch)
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Trilogy at Power Ranch – at their new Trilogy Café | 4369 E. Village Pkwy, Gilbert, AZ 85298
RSVP’s required by 11/01/19 to: JDolter@SurpassLiving.com or (480) 267–9851
TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 12TH |11:30AM – 12:30PM
Speaker: Beth Sutherland, Kindred Tours
Waldo’s BBQ | 4369 E. Village Pkwy, Gilbert, AZ 85295
RSVP’s required by 11/08/19 to: JDolter@SurpassLiving.com or (480) 267–9851
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Higley’s Harris receives All-America jersey
BY ZACH ALVIRA GSN Sports Editor
It’s one of the premier high school football showcases in the country, where some of the nation’s most highly recruited players come together to form All-Star teams and battle one last time on the gridiron.
Entering its 13th year, the Under Armour All-America High School Football Game has long been known to feature some of the top names in football. Several Arizona prep football stars have appeared in the game, including Perry alum Mo Latu (2011), Hamilton alums Christian Westerman (2011) and Casey Tucker (2014), Chaparral alums Davonte Neal (2012) and Connor Brewer (2012), Pinnacle alum Spencer Rattler (2019), Saguaro alum Christian Kirk (2015), Chandler alum Brayden Liebrock (2019), Mountain Pointe alum
A two-sport athlete, Jason Harris has several offers from major division I programs in both football and basketball. (Zach Alvira/GSN Staff)
Isaiah Pola-Mao (2017) and Desert Ridge alum Adam Bay (2017), among
others.
Now, it’s Higley senior defensive end Jason Harris’ turn to play on a national stage.
“It means a lot, I’ve been watching this game since I was like 12 years old,” Harris said. “I’ve always thought it was cool because they always have nice gear, nice jerseys and it’s organized well.
“Just the atmosphere around the game and learning from all the coaches will be a great experience.”
Harris officially received his Under Armour All-America jersey Thursday during a ceremony held at Higley High School. He will play in the game alongside Hamilton wideout Brenden Rice.
To Harris, receiving his jersey was a symbol of hard work not only for him-
see HARRIS page 32
Perry High grad plays key role for ASU
BY MATTHEW ROY Cronkite News
Two years ago, Cristian Zendejas was a preferred walk-on for the Arizona State football team, unsure where his role would take him.
Today, he is the starting kicker for the 24th-ranked team in the country. If anyone knows about expectations, it’s a Zendejas.
“I was worried that would probably make him try too hard to do something because of the name,” said Luis Zendejas, Cristian’s father.
Luis played in the NFL for three seasons, but it was his career at ASU for which he is best known. He was an AllAmerican three times, and still holds the school record for field goals made in a season with 28 in 1983.
Arizona State kicker and Perry High alum Christian Zendejas has secured the starting job for the Sun Devils after an injury to Williams Field alum Brandon Ruiz, who has since announced he will transfer from the program. (Photo courtesy Andy Silvas Photography)
Additionally, Luis’ brother Alan kicked at ASU, and another, Max, kicked at Arizona. Their cousins Tony and Martin both kicked at the University of Nevada Reno, and Tony had an 11-year NFL career. Cristian’s cousin Alex was also a kicker with the Wildcats.
Now it’s time for Cristian to be the next leg in this legacy while wearing an ASU uniform.
The sophomore has connected on 11 of 14 field goals this season and is expected to play a big role in the Sun Devils’ Pac-12 game at Utah on Saturday.
The role is firmly his after the surprise news last week that Brandon Ruiz was transferring. He was the team’s kicker in 2017 and 2018 but had sat out this sea-
see KICKER page 30
Leading Edge wins girls junior high volleyball championship
BY ZACH ALVIRA GSN Sports Editor
The Leading Edge Academy Gilbert Early College junior high girls volleyball team has ended the 2019 season with yet another state title.
The Lady Spartans won the 2019 Canyon Athletic Association Junior High Girls Volleyball Division 1 State Championship on Saturday, Oct. 19, defeating Val Vista Academy 2-1. It’s the second title in three years for Leading Edge Academy’s junior high girls volleyball program, as it finished the season with an overall record of 12-4.
“I am happy for our girls and our program to compete and win a state championship,” said Erik Gray, the athletic director at Leading Edge Academy. “I know many of these girls have seen the accomplishments that our volleyball program has had over the years and have worked extremely hard to achieve this level of success.
“Their hard work paid off and they deserve to be called state champions.”
The win over Val Vista Academy for
KICKER from page 29
son for what was called a lower extremity injury.
Cristian, a local kicking prospect out of Gilbert’s Perry High School, played soccer growing up but surprised Luis in high school by saying he wanted to play football instead.
Cristian took a few visits before deciding where to go to school, but Luis knew that for his son, it was always ASU.
“He just loves football and the football family,” Luis said. “That’s my son. He’s always known.”
When Cristian committed to ASU before the 2017 season it was not as a scholarship athlete. The Sun Devils gave a scholarship that year to Ruiz, who had committed to Alabama before changing his mind.
For Cristian, this meant a kicking competition, a battle he lost. ASU special teams coordinator Shawn Slocum said Ruiz has a combination of power and accuracy that is hard to match.
So Cristian was to serve as the backup and wait for his chance.
“I’ve really just kept my head down and kept working,” Cristian said. “I’ve
the Lady Spartans avenged a loss they suffered earlier in the season.
Hayley Foster, a seventh grader at Leading Edge Academy, led the team this season with her play on the court. She was recognized as the tournament’s most outstanding player. Emilee Vukovich, Marisol Aranda, Anna Pena, Madison Herfurth and Rayna Smith, among others, also contributed to the Lady Spartans success and championship win this season.
There are 85 schools that compete in volleyball in the Canyon Athletic Association, with three total divisions.
Junior high girls volleyball is one of four middle school sports offered at Leading Edge in the fall, including boys flag football and boys and girls cross country.
Boys basketball, softball, coed wrestling, girls basketball and coed track are also offered at the middle school level, while additional spots are offered
for high schoolers.
Leading Edge Academy Gilbert Early College Junior High girls volleyball roster
Hayley Foster Emilee Vukovich
Madison Herfurth
Amaya Downey
used (Ruiz) as help. Just watching him every day because he is a great kicker and just learned that way and just got ready for my opportunity.”
That opportunity came in a way that no football player wants it to come: Injury.
Before the start of the 2019 season, Ruiz went down with his injury and suddenly it was Cristian’s time to shine.
“Coach told me to be ready that night, just to be ready just in case no matter what,” Cristian said. “Went in at warmups, made all my kicks right down the middle and coach was excited for me, too.”
Luis said that he is always on the sidelines during the games watching Cristian and waiting for his son to get his moment. Cristian told his dad that
Hazel Casteel
Anna Pena
Brooke Romero
Kaydence Miller
Sophia Krug
Marisol Aranda
Rayna Smith
Kaylee Richardson
he was starting the game 10 minutes before kickoff and Luis said two words: “Embrace it.”
Cristian went 3 for 3 in week one, 4 for 4 in week two – earning Pac-12 Special Teams Player of the Week honors – and he was 1 for 1 in week three. On Sept. 17, ASU coach Herm Edwards awarded Cristian with the Kevin Turner walk-on scholarship.
“It was the happiest moment for me, for him, because I know that he works so hard for it,” Luis said.
“You never know how a young man is going to respond until he gets in the moment,” Slocum said. “But I’m not surprised. He works extremely hard and he has a great foundation for what he is doing.”
When Luis heard the news, he said his first inclination was to do something and celebrate, but knowing Cristian the way that he does, he knew exactly what to do.
“His favorite thing is a Jack in the Box lava cake,” Luis said. “So I went over and got him the little lava cake and put it in the refrigerator and when he got home we just ate a little bit of it.
“That’s as simple as he is.”
Arizona State’s Cristian Zendejas has a secure role as the team’s kicker now that Brandon Ruiz has transferred. (Karrissa D. Herrera/Cronkite News)
From left: Hayley Foster, Emilee Vukovich, Madison Herfurth, Amaya Downey, Hazel Casteel, Anna Pena, Brooke Romero, Kaydence Miller, Sophia Krug, Marisol Aranda, Rayna Smith, Coach Carla Howard. Not Pictured: Kaylee Richardson (Photo courtesy Leading Edge Academy)
self, but his family as well.
“I think it shows growth and how far we’ve come,” Harris said. “Now I just want to take it even higher and get to that next level.”
The Harris family are no strangers to athletics. In fact, it practically runs through their blood.
Sean Harris, Jason’s father, played from 1991-94 at the University of Arizona before he went on to play seven seasons in the NFL. Cha-Ron, Jason’s mother, played basketball at Arizona from 199698. Jalen, Jason’s older brother, graduated from Desert Ridge High School in 2017 as a three-star prospect and attended Arizona, where he saw playing time in four games as a freshman before a season-ending injury.
Since then, however, Jalen has worked his way into the starting defensive end role for the Wildcats.
The moment Harris received his jersey was one he said he has been waiting for. He’s always had high expectations for himself in both football and basketball, where he is also a highly touted recruit. Both sports hold a special place in his heart, but he admits he may be leaning
Texas Tech.
“I’m enjoying football a lot right now so we will see,” Harris said. “I’m still keeping all of my options open. I would be ignorant to be singleminded and not consider all of the schools in my top list.”
Harris transferred from
also has a staggering 15 sacks, which leads the state among all division.
“He is very gifted, athletically,” Higley coach Eddy Zubey said. “He frees up a lot of other people on our defense. He’s quick, he has long arms and he has improved dramatically in the run game. He adds a different flavor.”
Harris has overcome injuries throughout his prep career but has been able to return faster and stronger in each instance.
Zubey said he saw a vast improvement in Harris this offseason as he was able to remain healthy and get into the weight room to prepare for his senior season.
more toward football when he goes off to a college of his choice next year.
Harris has football offers from several major division I schools across the country. He announced his top-6 schools in July, which includes Arizona, Arizona State, Colorado, Oregon, Texas A&M and UCLA.
He also has several offers in basketball, including Nevada, Ole Miss and
Donate!
ARIZONA INCOME TAX CREDIT
Thanks to the Arizona Charitable Tax Credit Law, ARS § 43-1088, donate to Chandler/Gilbert Arc. Contributions earn dollar-for-dollar tax credit on your Arizona Tax return. The maximum credit for contributions is $400 for single or head of household, or$800 for married taxpayers.
Credit eligible contributions that are made on or before April 15th following the close of the taxable year may be applied to either the current or the preceding taxable year and are considered to have been made on the last day of that taxable year. Chandler/Gilbert Arc has been serving people with intellectual and developmental disabilities in the East Valley since 1975, providing community living, employment and day treatment & training opportunities daily.
Check to see if your employer will match your donation: http://doublethedonation.com/cgarc
Desert Ridge to Higley before his sophomore season. Since then, he’s gotten bigger, faster and stronger both on the gridiron and the court. He’s become a force in both sports he plays, using his 6-foot8, 220-pound frame to overpower opponents in both sports.
In football, he’s become a force on a Higley defense filled with talent. Through eight games this season, Harris has 35 total tackles, 20 of which were solo and a team-high 17 for a loss. He
“He works his tail off,” Zubey said. “Whether he had a basketball game the same night, he never missed a lift. That’s rare for a lot of kids now that play multiple sports. He would come in early in the morning to get his basketball shots in.
“He has his priorities in line so to see him have this success and reach this level of potential people pegged on him at an early age has been really good.”
The 2020 Under Armour All-America Game will kickoff on Thursday, Jan. 2 at Camping World Stadium in Orlando, Fla. The game will be televised live on ESPN2 beginning at 3 p.m. local time.
Higley senior defensive end Jason Harris, one of the most highly recruited players in the 2020 class, received his Under Armour All-America Game jersey Thursday during a ceremony at the school. (Zach Alvira/GSN Staff)
This tour is for the birds – literally
BY DAVID M. BROWN GET OUT Contributor
Birds frequenting the urban Sonoran Desert is the focus at the eighth annual Tour de Bird in 13 East Valley homes, parks and businesses next weekend.
The tour, 9 a.m.-2 p.m., Sunday, Nov. 2, is aimed at demonstrating how backyards can be habitats to birds and wildlife, yet be water-wise, easy to maintain and tolerate extreme heat.
Sponsored by the Desert Rivers Audubon Society, the self-guided tour includes eight variously landscaped homes. At every stop, volunteer bird watchers explain how native plants create pleasing spaces for birds and humans, as well as answer environmental questions about climate change, habitat encroachment and species endangerment.
The 12-year-old chapter is one of eight in Arizona and 500-plus throughout the country, sponsored by The National Audubon Society, based in New York City and founded in 1901.
“Transforming your landscape will
take some research as well as sweat, but the Tour de Bird can help you figure it out,” said Liz Farquhar, an Ahwatukee writer, editor and the chapter’s spokeswoman.
“What if you gave up trying to make your backyard look like Chicago and instead mimicked our Sonoran Desert?” Farquhar asked. “What if you dug up your grass and replaced it with native flowers, bushes and trees? The birds in your area would recognize your home as their home.
“Now, imagine that a few other people on your street did the same,” she added. “Your neighborhood might become a patchwork of bird-friendly oases.”
Each tour venue offers informative discussions.
In Mesa, for example, Wild Birds Unlimited, 2136 E. Baseline Road, will present “Natural Landscaping and Responsible Bird-Feeding Practices” at 9 a.m. and 2 p.m., to tour participants, where fellow twitchers can enjoy refreshments and receive a gift.
Chandler, Mesa hold Day of Dead celebrations
GETOUT STAFF
Both Chandler and Mesa are hosting major celebrations this week in honor of Dia de los Muertos, or Day of the Dead and All Souls’ Day. A time historically marked by honoring relatives and friends no longer with us. The three-day celebration grew from a month-long Aztec festival and moved from August to October to coincide with the Christian Allhallowtide celebrations.
Traditions include visiting graves of family members to tidy them and leave small altars called ofrendas.
Offerings of marigolds, personal possessions of the departed, poems, foods, toy (for children) or alcohol (for adults) left at altars help draw spirits of the dead to hear the prayers and words
of the living. Other traditions include calaveras makeup — sugar-skull-like face painting — or masks, stilt walkers, sugar or chocolate skulls, and La Prócesion — a parade to various burial sites.
Mesa Arts Center is continuing its free community celebration of Latin American Art, food and culture related to the Mexican holiday Day of the Dead noon-5 p.m. today, Oct. 27.
The festival features food and a colorful market of 50 craft, jewelry and other various Day of the dead vendors. Activities include a giant altar display created by lead artist Kyllan Maney and volunteers. Family-friendly activities such as face-painting, flower-making, artist demonstrations, and musical and cultural performances will be among
see DEAD page 35
Jon Orona will discuss how trees support birds and other wildlife and how to prune them ina way that won’t harm them. (Special to GSN)
Colorful masks and costumes are a staple of Day of the Dead celebrations in Mesa and Chandler. (Special to GSN)
“The Tour de Bird gives everyone the opportunity for anyone to see firsthand what is possible in your backyard,” said the owner Dave Covey, a Mesa resident who is hosting the event for the eighth year.
“It’s a wonderful hobby, beautiful and peaceful, and you’re participating in the second most popular hobby in the U.S., second only to gardening,”
In Chandler, representatives from the Pond Gnome will answer questions about ponds and streams at the home of Krys Hammers, president of the Desert Rivers Audubon Society, who hosts the event every year.
The Colorado native said she’s seen more than 40 species in her yard, with every migration bringing new ones.
Her birding passion began 15 years ago when she and a birder friend visited southern Arizona.
“We were sitting by a small stream, and I saw a vermilion flycatcher, a brilliant red bird with dark wings,” she remembered. “As a flycatcher, it swoops out from its perch and scoops up little gnats and bugs and then floats back to its perch. I was mesmerized.”
Also in Chandler at the Autery home, Mesa resident Jon Orona will discuss how native trees support wildlife and how to prune trees to prevent harm to animals.
The Pinetop-Lakeside native is a certified arborist and urban forestry specialist for the Arizona Department of Forestry and Fire Management.
At about age 10, Orona started watching and photographing raptors, especially the osprey, which dramatically dives to capture fish.
He became a falconer at 14, and attended Northern Arizona University in Flagstaff and has since worked for a number of wildlife agencies.
the festivites.
Also featured is live painting by muralists Such and Champ, La Morena and Lalo Cota; a Mesa Public Schools mariachi showcase; and storytime and book signings with author Roni Capin Rivera-Ashfordor.
A special Day of the Dead concert and costume party featuring Andrew Johns will run 8-11 p.m., Friday, Nov. 1, at The Vistas Pavilion at Las Sendas in Mesa. Johns is known for his one-man fourpart harmonies Queen, the Eagles, Steely Dan and Steve Wonder. Through
“One of my favorite assignments was hooting for Mexican spotted owls in the steep canyons of northern Arizona,” he recalled.
Birds are a part of larger ecological issues everyone should consider.
“Our urban areas are expanding into wildland areas, and we need to learn to live with our wild neighbors that are displaced by our urban encroachment,” he said, adding:
“By planting bird and wildlife-friendly vegetation, we provide valuable habitat for wildlife and also receive benefits from the vegetation itself, including shade/decreased energy costs, carbon sequestration, rainwater capture, soil stabilization and health benefits.”
Gilbert’s Mike Evans, conservation director and a founding member of the Desert Rivers Audubon Society, will not be host in his home this year but will instead appear at one of the Valley’s best bird-watching areas, Veteran Oasis Park in Chandler.
Another park on the tour is the avianrich Gilbert’s Riparian Preserve at Water Ranch Park in Gilbert.
technology he also impersonates the vocals of music divas like Pink, Adele, Norah and more.
Tickets are $45 and available by calling 480-396-4000, ext 227.
In Chandler, the city’s diversity office is partnering with Cultura Communications to host a free Day of the Dead event from 5-10 p.m., Friday at the Downtown Stage, 178 E. Commonwealth Ave.
“Chandler has such a large Hispanic population and the City’s Diversity Office has always wanted to hold a free community celebration during Hispanic Heritage Month,” said Niki Tapia,
Evans, an University of Arizona alumnus and junior high school science teacher will lead bird walks and plant tours around the Environmental Education Center in Chandler.
He will also discuss desert and bird ecology, emphasizing the importance of planning for both birds and plants when designing home landscaping plans.
Planting trees and low-water-use plants help conserve water, fight climate change and habitat loss, he explained.
“Every tree we plant removes carbon dioxide from the air,” he said. “Habitat loss is the ultimate reason our bird populations have been declining across the country.
“By installing and growing native plants and flowers, we provide the appropriate plant community for our local bird populations to live and reproduce the next generation of birds.”
A few Ahwatukee homes also are on the tour.
Kathryn Elsaesser’s backyard is a bird and butterfly paradise; she will discuss how to incorporate both species in a garden. Among the many plants she grows
Chandler Diversity Office supervisor. “
The event features a huge community altar, historical exhibits featuring Chandler’s first families, live cultural entertainment, food trucks, a community mural for attendees to paint, unique arts and craft vendors, plus an appearance by PBS Kids’ Maya and Miguel.
There’s also planned altars paying tribute the fallen Chandler Police and Fire departments officers and firefighters. The evening closes with a community procession celebrating loved ones.
A schedule of events is available online at chandleraz.gov/diadelosm-
is milkweed, a plant Monarch butterflies need to reproduce.
”My love of gardening was passed on to me by my mother, and my love and appreciation of all living entities in nature is from my dad,” said Elsaesser.
More than 60 species visit her backyard.
She and her husband Robert take annual birding trips to locations such as the Provence region of France, the Galapagos Islands and Central and South America as well as favorite spots in southwest Arizona, Texas and Cape May.
“What I really love about birding is the quiet space and time it creates, allowing me to be in awe of nature and creation,” said Elsaesser, who notes 25 percent of the birds she enjoyed as a child are extinct.
“Whether it’s learning how a certain type of bird builds a nest, teaches nestlings to fly or what plants they need for nourishment, I find it all fascinating,” she said.
Tickets are $15 in advance or $20 the day of the event.
Advance tickets are available online at Wild Birds Unlimited and at every stop on the day of the tour.
Portions of the proceeds benefit bird and conservation educational programs through Desert Rivers Audubon Society. Also participating is the Perch Pub Brewery, 232 S. Wall Street in downtown Chandler, where guests can enjoy lunch or dinner on a patio, home to rescued tropical birds.
The Perch will donate 10 percent of the check to Desert River Audubon when the customer presents a ticket. And, at Treeland Nursery in Mesa, tour guests receive a 10-percent discount on presentation of a ticket.
Information: desertriversaudubon. org.
uertos. New this year is a partnership with Party Dogs Productions. The Party Dogs will have more than 25 tasting stations of hand-crafted margaritas, mojitos, craft beers, wines and spirits. Attendees may purchase a ticket for the tasting experience and will receive an embossed tasting glass to use throughout the festival. There also will be a cash bar.
A portion of the proceeds will be donated to Ballet Folklorico Quetzalli-AZ, a Chandler youth dance troupe. Early
David Covey Gwen Grace
SEE WHAT
1.4 BILLION IN CHINA
—Edward McMillan-Scott, former Vice-President of the
With JAN D’ATRI
GetOut Contributor
You don’t need an excuse with this over-the-top
cake
If I create it, then I get to name it, right?
So, I’m naming this scrumptious, moist strawberry bake the Strawberry Excuse Cake because, besides a delicious ruby-red batter made from fresh crushed strawberries and Jell-O, the top is, well, over the top!
The cake is basically an excuse to incorporate all of your favorite cake toppings, I’ve added things like strawberries, blueberries, kiwi, star fruit and chopped Snickers bars, but you can add whatever your heart desires.
V-Fusion Strawberry Banana Juice.
This optional, but I also added several tablespoons of strawberry liqueur to the batter, which gave the cake another boost of berry.
Besides achieving a deep, rich cake batter, I also wanted the real flavor of fresh strawberries to come through, so instead of the cup of water required in the cake mix, I replaced the water with strawberry juice. For this recipe, I used V-8
Ingredients:
1 box white cake mix
—Rita Cosby, Emmy Award-winning journalist
1 small package (3.5 oz) strawberry Jell-O (not sugar free)
3 eggs
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1 cup strawberry juice, optional or 1 cup water (V-8 Fusion Strawberry Banana Juice)
3 tablespoons, strawberry liqueur, optional
2 pints fresh strawberries
1 tablespoon sugar
Kiwi, grapes, blueberries, star fruit or fresh fruits of your choice
5-6 mini bite-sized Snickers bars, cut in small chunks
2 containers buttercream or white icing
Directions:
Grease an 8- or 9-inch spring form pan. Mix
Buttercream or a white icing goes beautifully with this strawberry cake and all of the delicious topping! Need an excuse to make dessert this week?
This one takes the cake!
cake according to package instructions. For deeper strawberry flavor substitute strawberry juice for water (optional.) Add package of strawberry
Jell-O to mixture. Mash one cup of fresh strawberries and one tablespoon of sugar in a zip lock bag with rolling pin or use a mini blender. Add mashed strawberries to cake batter and blend well to combine. If adding strawberry liqueur, blend into cake batter. Pour into greased spring form pan and bake according to package instructions.
Let cool. Freeze cake for one hour for easier slicing and frosting. Slice cake in two layers. Frost the layers of cake with butter cream or white icing and then frost the entire cake. Top cake with remainder of fresh strawberries, and add fresh fruit of your choice. Mound the Snickers chunks in the middle of the cake.
bird tasting tickets are $28 and available for advanced purchase at thepartydogs.com/dia-de-los-muertos. Tasting tickets also may be purchased at the event for $30.
“More than 300 hundred staff, volunteers, artists, merchants, vendors and community support groups contributed to the overall production of the event,” said Carmela Ramirez, event producer with Cultura Communications.
Also in downtown Chandler, Ghett’ Yo’ Taco announces the inaugural Dia de los Muertos event benefiting Los Diablos ASU Alumni Chapter Oct. 31Nov.3.
This four day event will begin Thursday night with a bar crawl through downtown Chandler and will culminate with a family fun day on Sunday.
The Halloween bar crawl will take place from 5 p.m. to 1 a.m. and will include stops at Chandler establishments
The Local, Perch, Sleepy Whale and Quart Haus.
The night will continue at Ghett’ Yo’ Taco with a costume contest for cash prizes and a candle lighting vigil. Guests are encouraged to bring candles and photos of their departed loved ones. Each bar will have drink specials and live music.
There are also concerts and bar specials Nov. 1 and 2. For a full schedule and tickets: GhettYoTaco.com.
Father, son spice up local sandwich shop
BY KEVIN REAGAN GET OUT Staff
Mario Ventura describes his new sandwich shop, Mezquite’s Café, as a fusion of Southwestern cuisine and culture.
His menu includes the standard sandwich fare: like tuna salad or ham on cheese. But Ventura’s dishes add a spicy twist. Smoked turkey is served on jalapeño-cheesy bread, veggie wraps are smeared with roasted-pepper hummus, and salads with chili powder.
He wanted to offer something unlike anything he had seen before, Ventura said. The palette is considerably much simpler to make, the chef added, when compared to the years he spent working in the kitchens of fancy resorts.
Ventura’s father, Romario, introduced him to the culinary world at a young age and helped him get his first job in a kitchen. The younger Ventura was allured by the creativity and technique chefs demonstrate when pairing ingredients together - making them sing.
Ventura enrolled at the Le Cordon Bleu College of Culinary Art in Scottsdale and went on to work in kitchens at The Phoenician and Fairmont Scottsdale Princess shortly after graduation. But his dream? To run his own kitchen, enabling him to cook up his own menu and colorful ingredients.
He and his father decided to take a
chance when opening Mezquite’s Café last month, on the corner of Chandler Boulevard and Fresno Street.
Ventura explains it’s taken a lot of work and effort, but “it’s satisfying to build something from the ground up.”
Ventura said they’re creating a fresh and hip environment – a place offering the flavor of Mexican street food and cultural vibes like at an artisanal café.
Mezquite’s patrons can sip organic Mexican coffee while admiring the shop’s wall of portraits - depicting cultural icons like Frida Kahlo, Elvis Presley and Ray Charles.
The Venturas make almost all of their dishes from scratch – except the bread, which they buy from a local bakery.
Besides praising the food - patrons remarked how it was an atmosphere where “everyone was friendly.” Adding, “such a cute restaurant to hang!”
Despite living in Phoenix, the Venturas were attracted to the Chandler location because of its close proximity to the downtown area.
The city seems like an up-and-coming place, Ventura said, so they’re excited to be part of the community.
“We were looking for a little homey place (where) everybody felt comfortable coming in,” Ventura added.
Mezquite’s Café is located at 444 East Chandler Blvd., and is open seven days a week from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m.
Information: 480-504-5136
Production Farm Management, Inc. seeks 15 workers from 12/02/2019-02/18/2020 (Ref. Job Order # AZ3620491) for Farmworker positions: Harvesting (clipping) Navels, Lemons, and Minneolas, suckering, general cleaning up, clean up around the groves, irrigation, machine operator (tractor driver, forklift driver), and pruning, food preparation. Three months experience is required, no education, training will be provided. Must be able to work outside for at least 6 hrs./day (M-Fri), 6 hrs./day (Sat), 6 days a week (MSat), in all types of weather. The worker may be requested but not required to work 1-8 additional hours per day and/or on Sundays as needed or federal holid ays depending upon the conditions in the field , w eather and maturity of crop. Work involves frequent: Climbing & lifting, climb ladders against trees in order to harvest the top section and lift their harvest bags, bending, walking & standing. Wage offe r is piece rate for Harvester (Navel Orange)- $25/bin , Harvester (Lemons)-$40/bin, Harvester (Minneolas)$ 30/bin, All other duties- $12 per hour. Employer guarantees each worker the opp. of employment for at least ¾ of the workdays of the total period of work contract & all extensions. Tools, supplies & equip provided at no cost. Housing provided at no cost to workers who cannot reasonably return to their perm r esidence at end of each work day. Post-acciden t drug and alcohol testing. Transportation & subsistence expenses to the worksite will be paid by the employer upon completion of 50% of the work contract, or earlier. Apply at nearest AZ Dept. of Economic Security office, such as 4635 S Central Ave, Phoenix AZ, 85040. 602-771-0630, or see https://des.az.gov/ f or addt’l locations. Please call to set up an interview 480-882-9634
Employment General
B&J Concessions, LLC 7133 W. Caribbean Ln, Peoria, AZ 85381/ PH: 623-326-9622 - 5 temp FT Carn ival Wrkrs 1/3/20 – 10/30/20. Perform duties @ a musement facility (traveling carnival) serve customers in eating places specialized in fast svc & inexpnsive carry-out food carnival settings food stand, o n-site clean & organize, prepare simple food/bev such as sandwich, salad, soup, corn-dog, pizza, usi ng proper safety/sanitary measures. Set up , s tock/clean, ready for svc, tear down/pack up , stock/close booth, attend/maintain equip, heavy lifting & physically mobile, operate food concessions, g ames, rides. Hrs/schd/days vary typically a 9 h r
s hift b/w 12p – 9p; two 30 min unpd breaks; 3560hrs/wk. (42 median), extra hrs may be req/avail ,
m ay incl wknds/holidays. Pay varies $12.22$ 15.09/hr. Merit/sick pay savings program, wag e p re-pay @ emplyr discretion. Trvl reqd & prvd t o work in Maricopa & Pima Co’s AZ; Riverside, Sa n
D iego, Ventura, Los Angeles & Santa Cruz Co’s , CA. Must commute from home @ prior wrksite to nxt wrksite. Wrk outside in all weather. Travl prvd’d to all events as per itinerary. Emplyr may provd addl pay (performance/tenure). OT is defined by & paid a s reqd by prevailing law, varies @ $18.33 –$22.64/hr. No min edu/exp reqd. Wkly pay, singl e wkwk used to compute wages. Emplyr will make all deductions from wrkr paychk reqd by law. Emplyr’s opt shared housing ($120/wk value) is avail for wage credit & or deduction, or any lesser amt to the max e xtent not prohibited by law. Local convenienc e travel ($20/wk. value), 2 meals per shift prvd, food avail for wage credit &/or deduction, or any lesser a mt to max extent not prohibited by law. Emply r provds wrkr @ no charge all tools/supplies/equip req d to perform job. OJT prvd’d. Transp costs (incl meals, lodging if nec) to place of emplymt prvd’d if w rkr completes half the emplymt pd. Rtrn trans p prvd’d if wrkr completes emplymt pd or dismissed e arly. Wrkr reimb visa/border crossing fees in 1s t wrkwk & apprvd trvl expns w/in 1st pay pd. Rcpts reqd. Must be qualified, willing & avail entire emplymt @ designated wrksites under adverse weather; to enter into & comply w/ emplymt contracts; follow wrkplace rules/meet job performance standards; comply w/ grooming reqrmnts/dress code/complete job app & interview truthfully. Post-emplymt/pos t injury/incident drug test req, paid by emplyr. Subject to discharge for cause. Must be willing to work up to 7 days/wk. Apply @ AZ State Wrkforce Agncy 3406 N 51st Ave, Phoenix, AZ 85031 / PH 623245-6200. https://arizonaatwork.com/locations/cityphoenix. EOE/M/F/D/V JO#3624660
Employment General
Wells Fargo Bank, N.A. seeks an Information Security Engineer 4 in Tempe, AZ (multiple position s available, worksites nationwide, base location flexible) to participate in the research, analysis, design, testing & implementation of complex computer network security/protection technologies for compan y information & network systems/applications. Mus t have a Bachelor’s Degree in Computer Science, Engineering, or a related field plus 5 years of progressively responsible information security applications & systems experience. Must possess 5 years of experie nce with each of the following: authentication & directory services; IAM/authentication/authorization solutions; Federation technologies; CA SSO (SiteMinder); & LDAP, SAML & ADFS. Please send resume to www.wellsfargo.com.
Arizona Wholesale Growers, Inc. of Arizona seeks 1 9 temp. full-time workers from 12/05/201909/30/2020 for Farmworker and Laborers position s ( Ref. Job Order #3624406) The work would include retrieving plants from the field and bringin g them to the potting area, unloading delivered plants from trucks and delivering them to the field or potting area, potting plants* at a potting machine, potting plants* at a tree canning area, bringing potted plants back to the field and connecting them to irrigation. Potting plants * - This includes proper pruning of the plant before it is planted in the next container, staking the plant and tying it to the stake and may include adding fertilizer at the time of planting W orking Conditions: Frequently exposed to sun, w ind, mud, dust, heat, cold and other elements of normal field environment. Work station might be in c lose proximity to machinery and equipment an d other potentially hazardous equipment. May be required to lift heavy objects, bending, reaching in the course of performing required activities. No experience, ability to lift 50lbs, education, or training/ orientation is required in order to qualify for all of the a bove referenced positions. Wage offer is $12/hr. , 3 5hr. work week, M-F, 6hr/day 5hours per day is normal on Saturday and Sunday. Employer guarantees each worker the opp. of employment for at leas t ¾ of the workdays of the total period of work cont ract & all extensions. Tools, supplies & equi p p rovided at no charge to the worker. Housin g provided at no charge to workers who cannot reasona bly return to their permanent residence at end o f e ach work day. Transportation & subsistence expenses to the worksite will be paid by the employe r u pon completion of 50% of the work contract, o r earlier. Apply at nearest AZ Dept. of Economic Sec urity office: 4635 S Central Ave, Phoenix AZ , 85040. 602-771-0630 Please reference AZDES Job O rder #: 3217592. Apply in person at 24032 19th Ave Phoenix, AZ 85085 from 8am to 4:00pm.
O Holy St Jude! Apostle and Martyr, great in virtue and rich in miracles, near kinsman of Jesus Christ, faithful intercessor for all who invoke you, special patron in time of need; to you I have recourse from the depth of my heart, and humbly
Real Estate For Rent
at $600 Includes utilities (602) 339-1555
APACHE TRAIL & IRONWOOD Secluded Cute Studio, A/C $625/Month Bad Credit ok No Deposit. Water/Trash Inc. (602) 339-1555
CITY OF MESA PUBLIC NOTICE
The Mesa City Council will hold a public heari ng concerning the following ordinance at th e November 4, 2019 City Council meeting beginn ing at 5:45 p.m. in the Mesa City Counci l C hambers, 57 East First Street.
1 . ZON19-00444 (District 5) Within the 710 0 t hrough 7200 blocks of East University Drive and within the 100 through 400 blocks of North S unvalley Boulevard. Located west of Soss aman Road, on the south side of University Drive (11± acres). Modification of an approved PAD and associated conditions of approval; and s ite plan modification. This request will allo w amendment to remove a condition of approva l limiting the square footage allowed for medica l o ffices. Dorothy Shupe, Sketch Architectur e Company, applicant; Baywood Square Owners Association, Arbor 5800, LLC, Balance Capital , LLC, Bodo Park Holdings, LLC, Shepherd Ent erprises, LLC, Blackstone Charitable Trust , Pinion Properties, LLC, B&B Office Condo, LLC, A dvanced Equity International, LLC, Kelle y S hepherd Holding, LLC, Lodoc Investments, L LC, Branberger Investments, LLC, Bogl e Building, LLC, JAI LAXMI, LLC, Faith Edward, LLC, G to G, LLC, owners.
2 . ZON19-00473 (District 6) Within the 310 0 b lock of South Eastridge (east side). Locate d south of Guadalupe Road and east of Hawes Road (4.2± acres). Rezone from RS-6 to RM-2 PAD; and site plan review. This request will allow for the development of a multi-residence development. Sean Lake, Pew and Lake, P.L.C. , applicant; James Render, owner.
DATED at Mesa, Arizona, this 21st day of October 2019.
DEE ANN MICKELSEN, City Clerk
Published: East Valley Tribune, Oct 27, 2019 / 25119
L COTTO PO BOX 7206 MESA, AZ 85216 (480)416-1956 Plaintiff(s) Dianna Lindenfelser 9739 E Empress Ave. Mesa, AZ 85208. 480-984-9414 Defendant(s) NOTICE AND SUMMONS TO THE ABOVE-NAMED DEFENDA NT(S): You are directed to answer this complaint withi n TWENTY (20) DAYS by filing a written ANSWER in the court named above. If you do not answer or defend, you run the risk of having a judgment entered against you for the amount of plaintiff's claim, plus court costs. A filing fee must be paid at the time your answer is filed. If you cannot afford to pay the required fee, you may request that the Court either waive or defer the fee. Date: 5/20/19 Clerk: JB (SEAL) PLAINTIFF'S CLAIM This Justice Court has venue because -The debt, or cause of action, or the incident that resulted in this claim, occurred in this precinct at the following location: n/a $3500 is the total amount owed me by defendant because: Defendant(s) Dianna Lindenfelser neglected to return my deposit within the 14 days per landlord/tenant Act Article 2 33-132 1 (item D & E or 33-1341.) Nor has she given me a written explanation on why she didn't do
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