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An edition of the East Valley Tribune

INSIDE

This Week

NEWS.................................3 Giving Machines return to encourage holiday charity.

SPORTS......................

FREE ($1 OUTSIDE OF GILBERT) | GilbertSunNews.com

Sunday, December 5, 2021

Gilbert businesses ask Town for help BY CECILIA CHAN GSN Managing Editor

t’s been trying for Emily Barton to keep the doors opened at Sweetz Cold Brew Coffee in the Heritage District with issues that include lack of employees and rising supply costs. “Now we are down to cups, lids and straws, which seems so simple and so silly but those are some of the strange challenges that all of us small businesses are facing is how do you

provide the products that your customers want and you can’t get your hands on it so everyone’s costs have gone up,” Barton said. “Cups alone right now are 30 cents more. I actually had a customer really upset that I had to sell her cups.” Barton recently came before Town Council with her concerns and asked for help. “There are a lot of small businesses that are hurting,” she told Council. “We are in a large community of small businesses and we don’t have a luxury of opening up 10 dif-

ferent drive-thrus just to keep us open and floating. “I have never in my whole history of owning our business been so stressed out over payroll as I am now,” Barton continued. “All of us little guys really would love to give our employees all the hours that they want and health benefits and all of the things and we can’t get there if we don’t have the support from our community and from our leaders.”

see BUSINESS page 6

Not-so-creep crawly Supply-and-demand woes hit Gilbert schools 28

App helps Gilbert school sports survive pandemic.

GETOUT.................... 30 Fancy cats ready for a convention in Mesa next

COMMUNITY....................................... 22 BUSINESS.............................................24 OPINION................................................ 27 SPORTS..................................................28 GETOUT................................................ 30 CLASSIFIEDS.......................................33

BY CECILIA CHAN GSN Managing Editor

ilbert Public Schools cafeterias are getting hit with a double whammy – a 400 percent uptick in the number of meals served to students over last year and a global disruption in basic food item supplies. Due to the pandemic, the U.S. Department of Agriculture in August extended the free breakfast and lunch program to all students in the country regardless of income level through the 2021-22 school year. GPS is the fifth largest district in the state with roughly 34,000 students. “Through Oct. 31 and in comparison to last year at the same time, Nutrition Services has served over $1.3 million worth of reimbursable meals,” said Bonnie Betz, assistant superinten-

see FOOD page 4

Three preschoolers at San Tan Charter School in Gilbert probably won’t scare the girls much with these “worms” because they’re fake, used as part of the school’s garden vermicomposting system. Real worms breathe through their skin and would prefer not to be touched, so, from left, Ronav Singh, Benji “Jesse” Magana, Luke Melby are being kind to the environment. For a report on the school’s environmental educaton efforts, see page. 22. (Courtesy San Tan Charter)

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GILBERT SUN NEWS | DECEMBER 5, 2021

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NEWS

Church’s Giving Machines return in Gilbert GSN NEWS STAFF

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fter a year’s postponement due to the pandemic, the popular Giving Machines are back in Gilbert after they were officially launched last week. The town is one of 10 locations around the world that host the vending machines, which allow people to donate to selected nondenominational charities. “The Giving Machines started in 2017 and in the four years over $9 million has been raised worldwide,” said Jennifer Wheeler, spokeswoman for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The Giving Machines are part of the Church’s annual Light the A ribbon-cutting ceremony at Water Town Plaza last Monday kicked off the Church of Jesus Christ World campaign that asks people of Latter-day Saints’ Giving Machine campaign. (David Minton/GSN Staff Photographer) to take the 25 days leading up to 34,000 transactions during the 38 days Christmas and turn it into a seaof the campaign. son of helping others in need. From those donations four Valley The Church first used the Giving Manonprofits – A New Leaf, Helen’s Hope chine in 2017, placing one machine in Chest, St. Mary’s Food Bank Alliance and Salt Lake City, which raised more than United Food Bank – received more than $550,000. In 2018, the first machines to a combined total of $240,000. Arizona landed in Gilbert. In the following year, Gilbert raised The machines are stocked with picapproximately $1.1 million for an overall tures showing items such as food, clothtotal of $6.2 million in 2019, according ing, medicine, hygiene supplies, wheelto Wheeler. chairs, sporting equipment and live“Since people can give to the world stock that can be donated to charity with wide organizations through the Gila credit-card donation. bert Giving Machines, approximately This year’s local nonprofits that’ll $750,000 went to the local charities in receive the donations are A New Leaf, 2019,” she said. Other locations with the Arizona Disabled Sports, Catholic Charmachines include Salt Lake City, Utah, ities Community Services Arizona, Child New York City, New York, London, EnCrisis Arizona, St. Mary’s Food Bank and gland and Manila, Philippians. United Food Bank. All the donations go directly to the Although the machines were not out The Giving Machines give donors options in 2020 due to COVID-19, the Church for the charity they want to fund. (David Min- charities with the church covering the administration costs. encouraged donors to continue giving to ton/GSN Staff Photographer) charities. “The format for last year directed do- would indicate if they came through the Light The World Giving Machines nors to the local charities’ websites,” Giving Machine portal or not. The total When: 9 a.m.-11 p.m., Wheeler said. “The church doesn’t have donated to global charities through the Where: Water Tower Plaza, 45 W. Page Ave. any information on how much was do- virtual Giving Machines last year was When: Through the first week of January nated to each local charity via the Giving approximately $850,000.” Information: churchofjesuschrist.org/ In its inaugural year, the Gilbert locaMachines online portal. comeuntochrist/light-the-world/giving“I’m not sure if the local charities tion ranked the second highest with the machines tracked their donations in a way that most money donated at $80,600 with

NEWS

GILBERT SUN NEWS | DECEMBER 5, 2021

GPS making it easy for kids to get vaccinated ilbert Public Schools is doing its part to ensure its younger students who want the COVID-19 vaccine, get it. The district has partnered with Safeway and Albertson’s on an event Nov. 17 and Nov. 20 at Global Academy campus that saw over 550 students ages 5-11 receive doses of the Pfizer vaccine, which was approved for emergency use in October by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. “Round two is coming up at the beginning of December,” Superintendent Shane McCord reported to the Governing Board at its meeting last Tuesday. Mandatory COVID vaccination for children is unlikely to come to GPS or Arizona for that matter. So far, California is the first state to announce in October that all K-12 students will be required to get the COVID-19 vaccine once it receives full FDA approval. Maine reportedly was contemplating a similar move. And a number of school districts

He gave examples, including Vermont where he said 71 percent of the population was vaccinated yet “another new time, all-time high” in cases were reported on Nov. 10. “Children do not succumb to COVID-19” Giemsoe said, adding that the mortality rate was low with 199 deaths out of 41 million chilHoward Giemsoe at the meeting warned the GPS Governing dren, 5-14. Board against enacting a COVID-vaccine mandates for students “You’re chasing even though that idea has never been brought up. (YouTube) smoke and all other groups that have around the country, including Phoenix been vaccinated have suffered injuries Union High School District in the Valley and deaths after being injected with this have mandated the vaccine for its stu- new type of vaccine,” he said. “If you mandent athletes. date this vaccine, some children will be Howard Giemsoe at the meet- experiencing adverse results. You will be ing, warned GPS against enacting a responsible for the damage caused and COVID-vaccine mandates for students. when it happens, when you see or hear “Children do not need this vaccine be- of a damaged child will you ask yourself, cause they do not work,” Giemsoe said. “did I cause that?’”

He asked the board to protect “our children by not creating mandates.” “Do not put children on the injection-booster merry-go-round,” he said. “Do not allow injection sites on school sites.” The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is recommending everyone 5 and older get the COVID-19 vaccine. “There are approximately 28 million children between the ages of 5 and 11 years old in the United States, and there have been nearly 2 million cases of COVID-19 within this age group during the pandemic,” the federal agency reported. “COVID-19 can make children very sick and cause children to be hospitalized. In some situations, the complications from infection can lead to death.” As of mid-October 2021, children in that age group ages 5 through 11 years have experienced more than 8,300 COVID-19 related hospitalizations and nearly 100 deaths from the virus, the CDC said. “In fact, COVID-19 ranks as one of the top 10 causes of death for children aged 5 through 11 years,” it added.

dent of Business Services at the Nov. 30 Governing Board meeting. “Last year it was less than $400,000,” Betz continued. So, it’s been a 400-percent increase for both breakfast and lunch due to the universal free breakfast and lunch.” From July to October 2020, the district prepared 147,887 breakfasts and 333,063 lunches compared with 503,753 breakfasts and 1.2 million lunches for the same time period in 2021, according to school officials. To stock its pantry, the district has had to go to outside vendors in order to get its hands on more eggs, cereal, hamburger patties, chicken tenders and the like needed to prepare the meals. The board last week approved a $600,000 emergency procurement for supplies from Sam’s Club, Costco, Vistar and Don Lee Farms at $150,000 each. “These emergency procurements are

expected to provide the Gilbert Public Schools Nutrition Services Department with as much flexibility as possible to meet the daily meal requirements for our students,” said district spokeswoman Dawn Antestenis. The district blamed its contracted providers for lacking the sufficient labor to produce and deliver the goods to GPS. “We awarded two main suppliers to ensure competition and pricing and neither of them have been able to provide what we’ve needed on a regular basis,” Antestenis said. “We do not pay upfront. We pay as we go based on the product received.” The district’s anticipated cost for food and related cafeteria supplies in July for this school year included Aspin/Mohave Arizona Food Service at $2.8 million, Shamrock Farms at $450,000, U.S. Foods Inc., $500,000; USDA Foods; $330,000 and $533,000 to shop at grocery stores

end of the school year. “We don’t know at this time,” she said. “It depends upon whether or not the supply-chain issues get resolved. “In spite of supply chain issues that are affecting all school districts nationwide, it remains our priority to ensure we are meeting the needs of our students and families and this process enables us to do this.” Higley Unified School District has experienced a 267 percent increase in meals year over year from July to October, according to spokeswoman Teresa Joseph. “As the demand has increased, Chartwells, HUSD’s food-service partner, is looking to expand their team with parttime and full-time positions,” Joseph said. Schools around the country are deal-

BY CECILIA CHAN GSN Managing Editor

FOOD from page 1

like Fry’s Food, Bashas’ and Costco. Antestenis said it was complex detailing all the goods needed to be purchased from the outside vendors but that generally the district is going to Costco, Vistar and Sam’s Club for “fill-in products such as muffins and yogurts and with Don Lee, beef patties.” Before last week’s vote, the district had already spent approximately $250,000 in emergency procurements from Don Lee Farms, Sysco Foods and JTM Food Group. The district is expected to be compensated by the federal government for its additional food expenses. “Reimbursement is received based on the number of meals served and the meals are created using the products ordered,” Antestenis said. She added that it was uncertain if last week’s board approval for outside purchases will carry the district through the

see FOOD page 7

GILBERT SUN NEWS | DECEMBER 5, 2021

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NEWS

GILBERT SUN NEWS | DECEMBER 5, 2021

Gilbert Chamber cites worker, supply line woes

usinesses in town are pivoting in order to deal with the ongoing economic fallout from the pandemic, according to Gilbert Chamber of Commerce. Employee recruitment and hiring continues to be top-of-mind with businesses finding ways to approach hiring differently, said Sarah Watts, Chamber CEO/president. The nonprofit has over 620 members ranging from home-based businesses to large corporations. “Some are relaxing job requirements, casting a wider net for applicants, and offering additional training,” said Watts in an email. “Expanded training, however, comes at additional cost. One small-business owner shared that he advertised a recent opening in another state with the offer to pay moving expenses.” Some service-related businesses are looking at modifying hours and/or auto-

mating certain steps in an effort to combat workforce shortage and increase in hourly wages, according to Watts, adding that increases also are occurring with insurance rates from 12 percent to 20 percent. She said in addition to recruitment, employers are placing emphasis on retaining current workers and creating ways to reward and show appreciation with things such as paid trips, guaranteed commissions, bonuses and referral commissions. The supply-chain disruption also continues to threaten these business owners, Watts said. “Examples of shortages included tires and other parts for vehicles, Freon, aluminum, plastic and dairy products,” she said. “Vehicles in for collision repair can sit for six months while waiting for replacement parts. Some expressed concern for balancing the demand of the upcoming

holiday season with cost of goods, shortage of supplies and limited employees.” With the costs of goods continuing to increase significantly and the distribution lead times increasing from two weeks to 10 or more weeks, business owners are finding it difficult to budget and project costs, according to Watts. “Many are stockpiling supplies, which is severely impacting cash flow,” she said. “As a result, most businesses report an increase in their prices and strict collection from customers.” She said some businesses have asked federal leaders to consider deploying the National Guard to help unload cargo at ports or to drive trucks. However, even with price increases, many customers understand why and anticipate the increase in cost, she added. “One franchise owner shared that he worked with other franchise owners across the country to combine orders

from distributors to decrease the cost of goods,” Watts said. During this time, keeping and increasing customer foot traffic have become key for survival. “Businesses find value in educating customers and creating a quality experience to encourage repeat business and new referrals,” Watts said. And “businesses are becoming increasingly strategic and intentional with their company goals.” Watts said the Chamber is sharing the recent feedback from its members with local, state, and federal leaders so that they know the challenges and needs Gilbert-area businesses are facing. The Chamber also continues to hold ongoing Business Recovery roundtables and workshops in an effort to keep a pulse on the needs of the business community and work to connect businesses to other programs and resources, she said.

She asked Council for a roundtable discussion with town officials and small-business owners to “come up with some solid plans” for survival. Because Barton spoke during public comments on a subject that was not on the agenda, council members were prohibited from responding. But Barton said the mayor later reached out to her and “offered a few roundtables.” “And a few other small businesses are getting together to come up with some hard solutions on our own as well as going to the Town Council meetings and Chamber meetings,” Barton said. Also speaking at the Nov. 16 meeting was Larry Melton, owner of AZ Water Systems, who faulted Gilbert’s elected leaders for not doing more to help. Although the pandemic has spared his business, it’s not so for many others, he said. “I have a lot of friends who own small businesses throughout the town and they don’t own their business anymore or they’re just barely scraping by to hit their payroll,” he said. “I come from a military background

what your role is for the small businesses not just putting a proclamation but being a voice for small businesses.” The plight of small-businesses hasn’t gone unnoticed by the Town, which has been surveying Emily Barton, owner of Sweetz Cold Brew Coffee in Gilbert, told Town owners to unCouncil small businesses like hers need some help. (David Minton/GSN derstand their needs and what Staff Photographer) resources they so I hold leadership at an incredibly wanted most “to endure the short-, midhigh standard…but the leadership level and long-term impacts of the pandemhas fallen far below on what a lot of us ic,” according to spokeswoman Jennifer Harrison. expect. She pointed to the Town’s use of $18 “These small businesses have just taken a beating over the last almost two million from its first allotment of fedyears,” Melton continued. “What I’m ask- eral pandemic-relief funding toward ing for is to really do some soul-search- helping businesses recover with grants, ing deep down inside and understand loans and technical help.

“The Gilbert business grant and loan programs provided immediate relief and recovery support to hundreds of Gilbert-based businesses during fiscal year 2021,” Harrison said. “The long-term resiliency component of the program has continued into fiscal year 2022 and provides technical assistance resources for Gilbert businesses and residents. “The long-term technical assistance component of the Gilbert Program utilizes partners to deliver needed resources to the business community.” For example, she said, CO+HOOTS and Gilbert launched the GilbertTogether HUUB. It’s “a free, hyper-local platform to help Gilbert small businesses navigate courses, tap into experts, meet other local business owners and find grants to make their business resilient,” Harrison said. “Gilbert businesses can chat and be directly connected to local resources. “As of November 2021, 379 Gilbert businesses had registered and joined

GSN NEWS STAFF

BUSINESS from page 1

see BUSINESS page 7

NEWS

GILBERT SUN NEWS | DECEMBER 5, 2021

BUSINESS from page 6

the HUUB, with 128 of those utilizing 640 hours of one-on-one coaching, mentoring, and technical assistance.” The Town also has partnered with Maricopa County Community College District to provide career-training scholarships for Gilbert business owners and residents, according to Harrison. “The scholarships cover the cost of tuition, registration, and course fees in 19 different short-term certificates of completion training programs,” she said. “The programs of study provide entry-level and upskilling opportunities to prepare for high-demand careers in business, healthcare, information technology, manufacturing and trades.” To date, this program has awarded approximately 120 scholarships, she said, adding that roughly half of the recipients are first-generation college students and approximately 66 percent of the scholarships went to those 30 years and older. The Town also continues to partner

with the Gilbert Chamber of Commerce to host monthly business roundtable discussions, as well as monthly business recovery workshops.

Gilbert business snapshot

In looking at the pandemic’s impact to businesses in Gilbert, the town provided the following data for January to October because the latest data for 2021 is through October. The total for all new business licenses in January – October 2019 (pre-pandemic): 1,275 The total new licenses January–October 2020: 1,022 The total new licenses January–October 2021: 1,146 The total license renewals January–October 2019: 2,433 The total license renewals January–October 2020: 2,551 The total license renewals January–October 2021: 2,483

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FOOD from page 4

ing with the shortage of food and related cafeteria items in a number of ways from menu substitutions to one district in Alabama reportedly asking parents to send snacks with their children to school or to feed them breakfast before sending them to class. Some districts, however, don’t have that luxury. The National Education Association reported that about 30 million public school students rely on school meals as their primary source of daily nutrition. GPS has nine Title 1 campuses, where there’s a high concentration of students who qualify for free and reduced lunch. The School Nutrition Association, with over 50,000 members, in June first raised concerns with the USDA about disruption of the supply chain. In its back-to-school 2021 survey, the national nonprofit reported that 97 percent of school-meal program directors in the country worried about the on-going pandemic’s impact on their ability to procure supplies.

Its members reported problems such as canceled orders, food and supply shortages, product substitutions, price increases, delayed and canceled deliveries – often with little or no advance notice, according to SNA. The USDA in late September addressed the challenges with actions that included not penalizing schools if they can’t meet the federal-meal standards due to supply-chain issues and distributing nearly $1.5 billion in relief funds to help K-12 meal programs with supply-chain disruptions.

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NEWS

GILBERT SUN NEWS | DECEMBER 5, 2021

Lawmaker wants schools to teach communism’s brutality

BY HOWARD FISCHER Capitol Media Services

first-term Arizona lawmaker wants to require that students have to study what he says is the “brutality’’ of communism before they can graduate. Rep. Quang Nguyen, R-Prescott Valley, said that many Americans do not understand and seem not to fear communism. “We always think that, ‘Well, the United States maybe can do communism better than most people,’ ‘’ he told Capitol Media Services. That, Nguyen contends, is not true. “I lived it,’’ he said. “I was shot at as a child. When you think about it, who would ever shoot a child on purpose?’’ Consider, he said, that the Communist Party USA even felt comfortable putting out a statement after Kyle Rittenhouse was found not guilty in the Wisconsin shootings, calling the verdict “racist and unjust.’’

“When you see that kind of language reaching into our society, it makes me more motivated to introduce legislation to make sure that we hear the truth of communism playing around quite a bit,’’ Nguyen said. But the measure is likely to face opposition from Sen. Paul Boyer, R-Glendale. It’s not a question of his feelings about communism or, for that matter, any economic or political system. What it is, Boyer said, is whether state lawmakers should be dabbling in curriculum. “We have an entity that is responsible for that, which is the state Board of Education,’’ he said. In fact, Boyer said the board adopted new social study standards just four years ago. “They like for them to be in place for 10 years or so because, as you can imagine, it’s a very lengthy process’’ to amend them, said Boyer who chairs the Senate Education Committee. There is statutory precedent of sorts for warning Arizonans about commu-

nism, with measures statutes on the books condemning the Communist Party of the US and barring the party from state recognition One state statute goes back to 1961 and the Cold War declares that it is “essential that schools, colleges and universities teach objectively and critically the governmental and social forms of past and present totalitarian slave states.’’ The law even says that’s why students need to learn the foreign languages spoken in those countries. That verbiage actually is part of election laws that not only declare that international communism “seeks converts far and wide by an extensive system of schooling and indoctrination’’ but separately outlaws recognition of the Communist Party of the USA in Arizona. Those election restrictions are likely unenforceable, with a federal judge ruling in 1973 that it they are illegal and unenforceable, though he made no mention of the schooling language.

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But that didn’t keep the Republican-controlled legislature from reenacting the language as recently as 1979 as part of a rewrite of the state election code – and the bill from being signed by Democratic Gov. Bruce Babbitt. The statute is a diatribe about protecting the state from “the international Communistic conspiracy.’’ It declares that, unlike other political parties, members of the Communist Party have no role in determining its goals and cannot voice dissent. And it says they are indoctrinated and “organized, instructed and disciplined to carry into action slavishly the assignments given them by their hierarchical chieftains.’’ In deciding the Communist Party should have no role in Arizona politics, lawmakers declared that its members were simply waiting until the states was “so far extended by foreign engagements, so far divided in counsel, or so

see COMMUNISM page 11

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NEWS

GILBERT SUN NEWS | DECEMBER 5, 2021

Area man’s dad proud of freedom fighter role

BY MIKE SAKAL GSN Contributor

hen Andras Pongratz celebrated Thanksgiving at the Chandler home of his son, Joe Pongratz with 33 family members, he had many things to be thankful for. “I’m thankful for my family, first and foremost,” Pongratz, 82, of Ahwatukee, said. “I am thankful to be in America and I am thankful for my freedom and being able to go back to Hungary.” Pongratz recently returned from Budapest, where he spoke to thousands of people marking the 65th anniversary of the 1956 Hungarian Revolution. Pongratz was one of seven siblings who helped lead the ‘56 revolt against the Russian Communists as anti-sentiment against the oppressive government boiled over on Oct. 23,1956. The massive protests escalated into nearly two weeks of fierce fighting in the streets of Budapest and some of Hungary’s larger cities. Even children threw Molotov cocktails down the turrets of Russian tanks, burning Red Army soldiers trapped inside. Pongratz was 17 when he recruited a welder to cut Joseph Stalin’s statue – a symbol of hatred – in Corvin Square, toppling it with a resounding thud. The ‘56 Hungarian Revolution caused a crack in Communism’s foundation, inspiring other Iron Curtain countries to throw off its yoke some 25 years later. At the time, young adults presented 16 demands at the Parliament Building and radio station. Above all, they demanded freedom. Communist police on the roof of the Parliament building started firing shots into the crowd on Oct. 23, killing some of the protesters. The fight was on. The Hungarian slogan “Ruszkik haza!” – “Russians go home!” – grew louder than ever. In his most recent visit to Hungary, Pongratz spoke to 500 grammar school students in Dumafoldvar, outside Budapest, where his niece, Klari Cseke, is a schoolteacher and had arranged for his

Ahwatukee resident Andras Pongratz and his entire family fought in the Hungarian Revolution in 1956 and is grateful for the freedoms he enjoys in America. (David Minton/Staff

Photographer)

speech in the school’s auditorium. Pongratz also spoke to about 1,000 people on Corvin Square in Budapest, where Edmund Pongratz, one of his older brothers, had established headquarters for the Freedom Fighters at the height of the revolution. “It was a fantastic experience,” Pongratz said. “The students gave a wonderful presentation in the auditorium. They sang national songs about the country and freedom. They had me walk out onto the stage in the dark, and when they turned the lights on and I saw how the kids were looking at me in amazement, it was just an emotional experience. I was crying, I was amazed. “The kids listened to me speak and asked me questions.,” Pongratz added. “The younger generation is beginning to understand and appreciate what we did and why we did it back in 1956.” In Hungary, the Freedom Fighters are treated like World War II veterans are honored in the United States. They are considered part of Hungary’s Greatest Generation. The year following the Revolution, Time Magazine named the Hungarian Freedom Fighter its Man of the Year. “There’s not many of the Freedom

Fighters around anymore, but the few who were there on Corvin Square for the 65th anniversary felt appreciated,” Pongratz said. “Sixty-five years is such a long time ago.” Except for pandemic-shut 2020, Pongratz has returned to Hungary every year since 1990 to participate in the commemoration ceremonies of the uprising. Prior to 1990, he was not allowed to enter Hungary because of his and his family’s role in the revolution. In addition to Andras, all of his siblings – Edmund, Ernest, Christopher, Gergely, Balint and Maria – all participated in the Hungarian Revolution. In 2004, Pongratz was knighted in Hungary and received the Vitez Knight Award for his role in the uprising. Pongratz said it took a crowd more than two hours to pull down the Stalin statue. “We tried for two hours, and it wouldn’t budge,” Pongratz said. “It was so heavy. We tried to pull it down with cables, but the cables snapped. Knowing a little bit about cutting metal with a welding torch, I said that we needed some kind of metal cutter. A young man who was a student at a nearby welding school said he had his welder at the

school. He ran and got it, and after he brought it back, I used it to cut off the leg of the statue - and it fell.” Pongratz’s older brother, Edmund, re-assembled the cannon on Corvin Square so it again would fire. “My brother sent another teenager to the apartment building across the street,” Pongratz said. “He went up to the second floor and gave us a signal by waving a white handkerchief when a Russian tank was coming down Ferenc Boulevard and came within about 5 meters of the square. When the tank got close enough, we all pulled the firing line on the cannon and shot the tank. We took out about 12 tanks without damaging the building behind it.” Gergely Pongratz led the fighting, something which Andras said he was “in it” with his brothers “all the way through.” Pongratz’s only sister, Maria, delivered messages to those who were involved in the fighting. None of the Pongratzes were killed during the revolution. By Oct., 29, 1956, the Freedom Fighters had won and Premier Imre Nagy announced that the country had its new government in place. The Russians pulled out of the country. Hungary was ecstatic. Some 8,000 political prisoners were released. Hungary appealed to the United Nations for neutrality following the uprising but received no support. Andy Bogdanyi, a retired tailor who lives in Ohio and escaped Hungary in the wake of the revolution, said, “We had asked for freedom of religion. We had asked for freedom of the press. We asked for individual freedom and for the Russians to leave, but that was all just a dream.” Indeed, Hungary’s victory was shortlived. When the world stood by and watched, the Russians realized no other countries were going to intervene on Hungary’s behalf. During the early morning hours of

see FREEDOM FIGHTER page 13

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GILBERT SUN NEWS | DECEMBER 5, 2021

COMMUNISM from page 9

far in industrial or financial straits, that overthrow of the government of the United States and of the several state by force of violence may seem possible of achievement.’’ Lawmakers said they did not need to look far, citing “recent events in the neighboring country of Cuba’’ where the government of dictator Fulgencio Batista was overthrown in 1959 by a revolution led by Fidel Castro. All that, however, is likely to be little more than unenforceable rhetoric. U.S. District Court Judge William Copple looked at the statute when the state moved to block the Communist Party USA from putting its candidates for president and vice president on the 1972 general election ballot. The judge said that the question of how political activity might be prohibited “may depend to some degree on one’s philosophy of the fragility of the democratic process.’’ But he said that what Arizona sought to do was legally unacceptable.

“To peremptorily eliminate a large group of minority voters and their party from the political scene not only sweeps too broadly as a protection against subversion, but also set up in the current law constitutional conflicts not otherwise present,’’ Copple wrote. Anyway, he pointed out, there were federal laws on the books making it a crime to advocate the overthrow of government by force or violence. Nguyen wants schools to have a “comparative discussion of political ideologies ... that conflict with the principles of freedom and democracy that are essential to the founding principles of the United States.’’ Strictly speaking, nothing in HB 2008 would require that students be taught that communism or totalitarianism is inherently evil. But Nguyen said that’s what he believes. And the intent of his measure is clear. It first would require the state board of education to work with some outside groups to help “prepare students to be

civically responsible adults.’’ And that specifically includes the expectations that an “upright and desirable citizenry’’ that recognizes and accepts responsibility “for preserving and defending the blessings of liberty.’’ And it requires the creation of a list of oral history resources of first-person accounts “of victims of other nations’ governing philosophies.’’ Nguyen said it’s one thing to have ac-

ademic discussions of communism or Marxism as an economic concept. “We can talk about everyone being equal, there’s no social class whatsoever,’’ he said. But he said that ignores “the brutality of 100 million people being killed over 100 years.’’ “I’d like to share that,’’ Nguyen said. “I’d like to share the truth of what communism is all about.’’

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GILBERT SUN NEWS | DECEMBER 5, 2021

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GILBERT SUN NEWS | DECEMBER 5, 2021

FREEDOM FIGHTER from page 10

Nov. 4, Russia’s military thundered back into Budapest, fortified with more tanks, weapons and soldiers. “They surrounded strategic points around Budapest and retaliated with everything they had,” Pongratz said. “They started shooting everything.” On Nov. 10, the Russians had quashed the uprising. The ‘56 revolution claimed the lives of 2,500 Hungarians and 722 Red Army soldiers. Hungarian Premier Imre Nagy was apprehended and was assassinated in 1958 by the Communists for treason. In its aftermath, 200,000 Hungarians left the country, often traveling for days on foot to make it across to whatever country would take them. Andras and his brother, Balint, left the country with two of their friends. After a three-day trek on foot, Andras and his group made it to the Austrian border. “It took us three days and three nights to reach the border,” Pongratz said. “We didn’t want to take any chances on the

Hungary awarded Andras Pongratz the “Vitézi Rend” in 2004 for his role in the 1956 revolution. (David Minton/Staff Photographer)

Andras Pongratz visits his native Hungary annually and last month spoke to thousands of students about his role in the 1956 revolution. (Courtesy of Andras Pongratz)

roads, so we took the fields.” Of those who left Hungary, 5,000 were permitted to immigrate to the United States. They had to be sponsored by relatives or friends, and mostly were processed through Camp Kilmer, New Jersey.

The refugees were on their own as the government did not shoulder any of the expense for their immigration to the United States. After coming to the U.S., Andras first settled in Pennsylvania close to where his mother, Anna, lived, but later lived in

New York City, where he worked mowing the lawn of a cemetery. Andras later lived in Boston, where he owned a dry cleaner and laundromat, and worked at a wholesale car business.

see FREEDOM FIGHTER page 17

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GILBERT SUN NEWS | DECEMBER 5, 2021

Bricks and Minifigs Gilbert is a family affair BY CHRISTINA FUOCO-KARASINSKI GSN Staff Writer

heresa Bartholomew and Rachel Mangum understand Lego isn’t just for children. They have watched creativity blossom within their children and themselves, thanks to the colorful plastic bricks. Bartholomew and Mangum are getting their Lego fill daily as they’ve opened Bricks and Minifigs at Recker and Guadalupe roads in Gilbert. “Bricks and Minifigs is a place where we buy, sell and trade Lego,” Bartholomew said. “In our shop, you’ll find new Lego sets that are available in other places. Some of them are preowned and hard to find. A lot of those are preassembled, so you can see exactly what you’re getting.” At grand opening weekend, Saturday, Dec. 11, and Sunday, Dec. 12, the first 100 customers will receive exclusive Bricks and Minifigs minifigures. Other

Rachel Mangum, left, and Theresa Bartholomew own Bricks and Minifigs, a new LEGO store at E. Guadalupe and N. Recker roads in Gilbert. (David Minton/GSN Staff Photographer)

goodies include raffle prizes and a scavenger hunt. At the store, the sales floor is bordered on two sides by cases that sell individual minifigures. Other walls are filled

with new and used sets. Customers can build their own minifigures from parts in a bin. Loose bricks can be purchased in bulk. “Our kids love them,” Bartholomew,

a Southern California native, said about the minifigure table. “They just spend hours looking at the minifigures. In addition to that, there’s an interactive component where you can look at our bulk tables with loose pieces. “You can choose the pieces that you want for your special project. Whatever you’re adding to your collection, whatever you’re building, you can just get what you want. It’s an interactive shopping experience.” Because Bricks and Minifigs buys, sells and trades Lego, the inventory is constantly changing. Mangum said that encourages repeat visits. “You never know what we’re going to have,” she said. “You never know because customers are trading things in at different times. “That makes it a new experience every time customers come here.” The family learned of Bricks and

see BRICKS page 17

GILBERT SUN NEWS | DECEMBER 5, 2021

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GILBERT SUN NEWS | DECEMBER 5, 2021

Gilbert ranked tops in state for holiday spending n the second holiday season of the pandemic era, goods may cost more, but Americans have more money to spend – and they appear to be eager to spend it. That’s true in Arizona, where retailers say the holiday shopping season is already in full swing and residents are expected to spend anywhere from $590 to $1,558 on their shopping, according to one recent estimate. And Gilbert is at the top of that list. The personal finance site WalletHub. com’s 570-city list looks at income, age, debt, expenses and savings to generate an estimate of per-person holiday

spending by city. Of the 15 Arizona cities on the list, Gilbert led with projected spending of $1,558 this holiday, while Scottsdale ranked second with projected spending of $1,394. Tucson residents are expected to spend the least in the state, at an estimated $590. Nationally on that list, Gilbert placed 73 while Scottsdale was ranked 93rd. Experts say many shoppers started opening their wallets months ago. Katherine Cullen of the National Retail Federation said the Thanksgiving weekend rush is “not the kickoff to the season that it used to be.” “We consider it more of the halfway point,” said Cullen, the NRF’s senior director of industry and consumer insights. “But it’s something that consum-

ers really enjoy as part of their Thanksgiving tradition.” Hitendra Chaturvedi said it’s an acceleration of a trend that was seen in previous holidays. “That same trend that was happening even before COVID – where people are going online and a lot more Black Fridays are happening in September – just accelerated,” said Chaturvedi, a professor in supply chain management at Arizona State University’s W. P. Carey School of Business. “Eighty-five percent of the U.S. population would have done their holiday shopping by Cyber Monday,” he said, something that’s “never been done before.” The NRF’s Annual November Holiday

Customer Survey expected more than 158 million people to holiday-shop over Thanksgiving weekend, 108 million on Black Friday alone. But it also said that 61 percent of those “had already begun their holiday shopping,” slightly up from last year’s 59 percent, but 10 percentage points higher than the rate in 2011. This holiday season comes at a time when many Americans have more cash on hand, after a year in which the government doled out pandemic stimulus payments and the job market steadily improved. A Gallup report released two weeks ago predicted that Americans planned to spend an average of $886 on holiday

Minifigs when the aftermarket Lego toy shop opened in Avondale. Other Arizona stores are in Central Phoenix and Tucson. A North Phoenix location is slated to open soon. “We feel like it’s a second home,” Bartholomew said of their first time in Bricks and Minifigs. “It’s fun and it’s happy. We were just looking at our own lives and we thought it would be cool to create a space like that in the East Valley, where other families could have a place like that to go to.” Former Apache Junction Unified

School District teachers, Bartholomew and Mangum are using Bricks and Minifigs as a learning experience for their children, who are 6 and 8. “Our family has loved Lego together,” said Mangum, who grew up in Massachusetts. “This is also like a family project. They’ve helped a lot so far and they’re even getting in on the marketing of it. They want to pass out fliers to everyone they meet.” Bricks and Minifigs is more than a gathering place or store. A party room is available for birthdays and other cele-

brations. It will boast a 14-foot racetrack for Lego cars that can be created by partygoers. “It’s going to be really fun,” Mangum said. “We’re going to eventually have classes, but the parties will come first. “Our store is for all ages and abilities. We work really hard to have something for everybody here.” The couple even finds sets that it wants. “The preowned sets come from other people in the community when they’re done with them,” Bartholomew said.

“They get a new life and, selfishly, we’ve been enjoying them in our own home for the past several months. “We get to enjoy them for a little while. I’m looking at the SpongeBob up there,” she added with a laugh. “There’s just this cycle. You can move on to something new and bring joy to someone else.”

After the Blizzard of 1978 in Boston, Pongratz and his family moved to Arizona for warmer weather. He and his wife, Carolyn, have five children – Andrew, Therese, Edmund, Joseph and Stephen – and 20 grandchildren. Pongratz said he never regretted leaving his homeland. “We just could not live under Communism anymore,” he said. “The worst thing about Communism is the lack of individual freedom, and how the government uses its people to make money.” He recalled one time in the early 1950s, when the secret police came to his family’s home at 3 a.m. and took

away his brother, Ernest. “We didn’t know where he was for six months,” Pongratz said. “Then, we found out he was in jail. They charged him with “attempting to leave the country.” Attempting to leave the country? There was no truth to that. We were far from the border.” Pongratz also said that the Communists gave their family a plot of land to farm so they could grow corn and produce eggs from poultry. “My father, Dr. Simon Pongratz, was sick and bedridden,” Pongratz said. “He couldn’t do the work the government wanted him to do, so a judge came to his

bedside to charge him. But, they realized he was sick and couldn’t do the work, so they didn’t charge him with anything. My father died in his country under those circumstances in 1956.” After arriving in the U.S. early on, members of the Pongratz family spoke to schools, universities and organizations about the evils of Communism. Gergely Pongratz later moved back to Budapest and founded the 1956 Hungarian Revolution Museum. He died of a heart attack on the grounds of the museum in 2005, a year before the 50th anniversary of the ‘56 Revolution. Pongratz fears for the future of this

country, citing forces that are “putting the United States in shambles and pushing us closer to socialism – globalism, anyway,” Pongratz said. “The mess our country is in right now is beyond words. I won’t even watch the news on television anymore. People in Hungary and abroad feel sorry for the United States because of what is happening here.” But he also said he is grateful to live in America. “I’m proud to live in the United States,” Pongratz said. “I am thankful to be in a place where I and my family can be free.”

BY SIMON WILLIAMS Cronkite News

BRICKS from page 14

FREEDOM FIGHTER from page 13

see SHOPPING page 18

Bricks and Minifigs

4024 E. Guadalupe Road, Suite 103, Gilbert 480-588-3953, bricksandminifigs.com/ gilbert-az/

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GILBERT SUN NEWS | DECEMBER 5, 2021

Panel signs off on Cottage Lane project layout he Gilbert Planning Commission last week approved the layout of 21 homes on 3.1 acres in the Finley Farms neighborhood. Town Council in October unanimously approved the two-story Cottage Lane project despite opposition from residents whose single-story homes sit adjacent to the site at the southwest corner of Greenfield and Elliott roads. No one from the public spoke on the project last Wednesday. Commissioners took the opportunity to ask for updates on mitigations the developer proposed to help alleviate Finley Farms residents’ concerns about a loss of privacy. Commissioner William Fay asked about the block wall separating existing homeowner’s backyards from the project site. The developer has indicated the wall will be raised to 6’8” if possible to help provide privacy for the existing homeowners. “I guarantee it’s possible if you spend enough money,” Fay said. “Is it you’re going to do it or you’re fixing or thinking about it?” “It’s just too many houses,” he said. Chris Webb, who represented the developer Vasari Asset Management, said

none was being proposed for the northern boundary. “There were some discussions with the neighbors about two different scenarios,” Webb said. “One scenario in which we would add perimeter trees Some Gilbert Planning Commission members called the Finley Farms in the backproject too dense. (Town of Gilbert) yards of some of our lots residents have been told throughout as some additional screening buffering the process that if the existing wall was and scenario two was that we would buy structurally sound enough, it will be them trees to plant in their own yards if raised. they wanted that.” “That is our intent,” Webb said. “It may Webb said the feedback from the turn out that as we evaluate it, if the wall neighbors was they didn’t want the deis not in great condition, doesn’t look veloper to plant trees in the backs of the very good it may be to our benefit to re- new home lots because of concern about place it, fix it, whatever we need to do. leaves falling into their pools. That’ll be part of our analysis during the “What we ultimately decided with final design phase.” them is that we would work with each Commission Tyler Jones asked for the one of them to purchase trees for them status of planting trees to further buffer to put in their yards if they wanted to,” the project from homeowners and why he added. “We’ve committed to do that.”

Commissioner David Blaser thanked the developer for working with the neighbors to address their issues but still had concerns. “I’m struggling a little bit with this plat and with this project,” Blazer said. “I’m excited to see that this parcel be improved from its current state. I think efforts have been made to kind of mitigate some of the initial residential and neighbors’ concerns. “The zoning, it’s been addressed and discussed. But I think the lot sizes and all the two-story homes, they’re a bit out of scale with the adjacent development. With all the two-story homes and the density it still seems a little tight to me. I worry that it won’t be complementary or compatible with a lot of the adjacent residential development.” Jones said he echoed Bianchi’s sentiments. “I have the same concerns about the density but you know I was trying to take that hat off and look at this from a plat standpoint,” he said. “I still have some of those concerns about this project but as far as kind of the layout of what we see today I think with the current zoning it’s generally OK.” Jones and Bianchi were the dissenters in the 5-2 vote to approve the preliminary plat and open space plan for Cottage Lanes.

gifts this year, up from $852 last year. Despite fears of supply-chain problems disrupting holiday shopping, the interim president and CEO of the Tucson Chamber of Commerce said that retailers there seem to be doing OK so far. Michael Guymon, the CEO, said any supply chain problems that Tucson is facing have less to do with household consumers, and more to do with larger-scale operations like “a construction company trying to build houses to meet the demands of the market.” “It’s not as much in the retail space that we’re seeing problems” of supply chain complications, he said, but added that the chamber has had to help retailers “figure out how to pivot to have

product online” through the holiday season. “Online sales have trended up over the last five years,” he said, but more so “during the recent months of the pandemic.” That was echoed in the Gallup report, where Lydia Saad said that while some of the recent increase in e-commerce “could be a natural extension of the long-term increase in online shopping, it likely also reflects more people adopting the practice during the pandemic.” E-commerce sales totaled $214 billion in the third quarter of 2021, about 13 percent of total retail sales in the quarter, according to the Census Bureau.

ditional Black Friday shopping, both as a social activity with family and friends and a way to get those in-store deals that keeps this event still very popular. Chaturvedi’s “biggest appeal” is that consumers help alleviate some of the impacts of the pandemic by buying fewer products for gifts and spending more on experiences from local businesses. He also said that will help keep supply chain problems in check. “We can make a promise to ourselves that one, we are not going to hoard,” Chaturvedi said. “Because the moment you hoard and think about yourself, the supply gets more constrained and the price goes up. It’s a classic example of supply and demand.”

BY CECILIA CHAN GSN Managing Editor

SHOPPING from page 17

Most of the online business has gone toward chain stores like Walmart, Target and Home Depot, Chaturvedi said. He said the pandemic’s effect on the economy “was industry agnostic, but it was not size agnostic.” “Businesses that were smaller got hit harder, while the businesses that were larger, initially when they were hit, they figured out a way to mitigate the risk because they had deeper pockets,” he said. “Coronavirus, turned into a nice little shield for the large businesses in which they have killed their competition,” he said. Despite the surge in online sales, Cullen said there remains a place for tra-

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GILBERT SUN NEWS | DECEMBER 5, 2021

Chandler passport office a popular destination

BY KEN SAIN GSN Staff Writer

Los Angeles couple recently traveled to Chandler, spending the night at a local hotel and enjoying some of the city’s better restaurants. Nothing unusual about that, tourism is a major industry in Arizona. However, the reason they came is a bit unique. They wanted to visit the Chandler City Clerk’s office to get a passport. “We’ve had people come in as far as Oregon,” said Erica Barba, the program administrator for Chandler’s passport program. She said they’re starting to see a lot more people from California making the trek. In fact, Barba said about 70 percent of the people applying for a passport in that office live outside Chandler. There’s one reason why the city is a destination: They are one of the few sites that can accept an application and that have available appointments. “When all the facilities opened again after the pandemic, everyone had a hard time getting an appointment,” Barba said. “We got down a really good system, so we had open appointments and they would come here.” Why does Chandler have open appointments when almost no other office does? “A lot has to do with the Council allowing us to add a couple of employees to be able to do this,” said City Clerk Dana DeLong. “We only ever had two passport agents assigned as a permanent employees, but allowing us to have two more is giving us the opportunity to take on more appointments.” The city started accepting passport applications in 1994 and currently processes about 60 to 70 applications a day. DeLong said they’ve handled more than 200,000 applications since they started 27 years ago. The city manager approved hiring two more employees to process passport applications in July because of a huge backlog caused by the pandemic. They were hired through existing funds for temporary workers in the City Clerk’s office.

And the word is out. Barba said they DeLong said. “Some people waited … al- get contacted by some major employers most a year to get looking to help employees get passports. those documents Two of them are Intel and the Arizona Cardinals, who gave the City Clerk’s ofback.” The State De- fice a personalized team ball. “Our reputation is very well, we’re very partment was estimated to have had professional and we get them in and out,” a backlog of about Barba said. “When people think passtwo million passports, they think of Chandler City Clerk’s port applications office, and we take pride in that.” when it started processing them again. Chandler started accepting passport applications again Applying in February but You must apply in person at an approved used a new system: office if one of these is true: No more walk-ins, • You are applying for your first U.S. Jessica Sweet is the city’s record management coordinator in the appointments only. passport Chandler City Clerk’s office. (David Minton/Staff Photographer) “We’ve had actu• You are under age 16 ally really good input • Your previous U.S. passport was issued However, that money ran out, so the City from the citizens on going to the apwhen you were under 16 Council Nov. 4 approved paying those pointment system,” Barba said. “Back in • Your previous U.S. passport was lost, two employees through the end of the the day, we had like an hour to two-hour stolen or damaged fiscal year next June 30. wait.” • Your previous U.S. passport was issued Those expenses will not cut into the DeLong said they got busy at the end of more than 15 years ago city’s finances. each day, when people could just walk in “We make quite a bit in revenue,” De- and apply for a passport. She said going What to bring Long said. “In fact, the amount we make to the appointment model makes it eas• Proof of U.S. citizenship for the passport program not only pays ier to manage the staff and keeps their • Government-issued ID for two passport people, it pays for part lobby from filling up with bored folks • Passport photo of our staff here.” who are growing frustrated as they wait. • If you’ve changed your legal name, copy That makes Chandler’s City Clerk’s “It has changed everything about the of marriage certificate or court order office one of the few in the Valley that way that we do this,” DeLong said. brings in revenue. Other Valley cities that offer passport services are Avondale, Maricopa, Scottsdale and Surprise. People are coming to Chandler because Please call to book your personal service. All Covid protocols will be explained at time of booking. it has open appointments. One of those other offices doesn’t have an available Color/Highlight ............................ $30 appointment until January. Perms .......................................... $25 The U.S. State Department stopped Haircut and Style .......................... $10 issuing passports except for extreme Shampoo and Style ....................... $10 circumstances in the early days of the European “Spa” Facial ................... $30 (75 min.) Includes Steam & More! COVID-19 pandemic. DeLong said they Age Smart Skin Resurfacing tried to continue the service, but anyone Exfoliator (anti-aging) .................. $30 who had applied had to wait for months Medibac Clearing Facial (acne) ....... $30 while their paperwork sat with other Hot Stone Facial/Back Facial .......... $30 important documents attached on some Microdermabrasion Packages (Please call for pricing) desk. “So, all of those documents you have to Wednesday is now officially Senior Citizen Day. 610 N. Alma School Rd., #38 • Chandler send, your birth certificate, they sat there Must present ad at time of service. Services provided FINANCIAL AID FOR THOSE until they could get those processed,” WHO QUALIFY. VA APPROVED CLASSES FORMING NOW! by students and supervised by licensed educators.

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GILBERT SUN NEWS | DECEMBER 5, 2021

Gilbert retail site to house bank instead

is something that is unique in Gilbert that we haven’t seen before is they will have a portion of their parking lot on the ground floor underneath the second and third stories of the building,” Newman said. Vice Chairman Noah Mundt said he remembered his concerns with the “vast amount of in-and-out traffic” with the original proposal of 22,000 square feet of shops on the site. “I think this is a really good use and I think I actually enjoy the change,” Mundt said. Commissioner Anthony Bianchi said he also liked the new proposed use.

“Overall I think it’s a sharp-looking project,” Bianchi said. “I think it’s kind of unique.” However, he did have concerns with the possible reflection from the windows especially those facing west on drivers coming down Val Vista Drive. “I don’t know if there’s a potential for glare or if that can just be addressed through the reflective properties of the glass,” Bianchi said. Newman responded that staff planned on addressing that issue with the applicant during the first-review comments. Commissioner Brian Anderson called

the building a cool concept and asked if the drive-through underneath the building for parking was high enough for fire trucks to access. “Is 12 feet high enough for them?” Andersen asked, noting the developer already exceeded the building height limit by 2 feet and was working to reduce the height. “Is there a minimum height that they need for clear vertical clearance to get underneath things?” Newman said he was still in the process of verifying the height with the town’s fire department. The 11.35-acre site is being developed in two phases with the first phase to include shops, restaurants and the proposed bank building. Phase two includes a medical office, a five-story building and a vacant parcel reserved for a future hotel or medical office with parking garage, according to a staff report. It was unclear when the applicant’s requested amendment to allow for the Bell Bank project will come back to the commission for a formal vote.

By definition, the people currently paying the highest tax rates at 4.5 percent will get the biggest benefit. Legislative budget staffers say the plan would cut state revenues by about $1.9 billion a year by 2025 when fully implemented. But Ducey said the ballot measure need not be phrased as whether voters approve the lower tax rates. “You could say, ‘Do you want to raise taxes across the board?’ ‘’ the governor said. “That’s why the language is important before I give you my answer as to how we would conduct a campaign and what we would be advocating for.’’ And Ducey, who supports the tax cut, has one thing on his side for how the issue is presented to voters. By law, it is the Legislative Council that crafts the explanation of each ballot issue. And that panel is composed of lawmakers, and the majority comprise

Republican legislators, all of whom voted for the tax cut. But attorney Roopali Desai – who represents the Invest in Arizona campaign that gathered the signatures to force a public vote on the plan – said any bid by lawmakers to craft the ballot explanation as somehow an vote on increasing taxes will get a fight. Desai said that if the referendum succeeds and voters overturn what the legislature approved, all that would do is keep the tax rates at current levels. Put another way, no one would pay more than they do now. “It is simply not the same to say that stopping a massive tax cut is the equivalent of raising taxes,’’ she said. This isn’t the only way that the governor has sought to craft the debate in a manner designed to get public support. He has promoted the measure as providing a $300 annual tax cut for the

average Arizonan. But the Arizona Center for Economic Progress, working with data from the Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy, said that is far different than what most Arizonans will see. It figures the average benefit for a household in the middle 20 percent of all income categories in Arizona – those earning between $40,000 and $64,000 a year – would be $47 a year. That figure would be roughly the median, with half of Arizona households getting more and half getting less. In fact, those in the next highest income group, with taxable income of between $64,000 and $108,000, would be looking at reducing their tax liability by $174 annually. And that is still less than the governor’s $300 average. And those in the top 1 percent alone – bringing in $512,000 or more – would get an average break of $19,928.

BY CECILIA CHAN GSN Managing Editor

2.51-acre site for shops at the southeast corner of Val Vista Drive and Mercy Road is now being proposed instead to house the headquarters of a bank. The land is part of 11.35 acres that Town Council approved last year for commercial, retail, medical office and hotel development. The vacant property sits across the street from Mercy Gilbert Medical Center. “The developer is in the process of selling this (2.51-acre) land to Bell Bank for them to use this site as their East Valley headquarters,” Planner Keith Newman said at last week’s Planning Commission study session. A three-story, 29,041-square-foot building with a modern design is being proposed for the bank building. It’ll have the same footprint as the original building proposed for shops. “One new element that is being introduced with this development, which

Some town Planning Commission members said the bank’s design was appealing though others were concerned about the impact of reflection from its glass windows on passing traffic. (Town of Gilbert)

Ducey looks to shape tax referendum messaging BY HOWARD FISCHER Capitol Media Services

ov. Doug Ducey is hoping to portray a voter referendum to quash the largest tax cut in Arizona history instead as a bid to increase taxes. The governor told Capitol Media Services that a key to defeating the measure submitted for the 2022 ballot depends on how it is perceived. And that comes down to who gets to define the issue. “Part of, I think, any campaign or election is how is the language presented,’’ Ducey said. The referendum asks voters whether they want to ratify or reject the plan approved earlier this year by the Republican-controlled legislature to scrap the current state income tax system, with brackets and tax rates based on earnings, and replace it with a 2 percent flat tax, a rate lower than any that now exist.

GILBERT SUN NEWS | DECEMBER 5, 2021

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Lovin’ Life Expos return to the Valley BY ANNIKA TOMLIN GSN Staff Writer

fter a 2020 pandemic pause, the Lovin’ Life After 50 Expos are returning. They are set for 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Monday, Jan. 24, at the Sundial Recreation Center in Sun City, and 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 26, at the Mesa Convention Center. “We’re going to have great entertainment, a lot of informative exhibitors and it’s just a great way to get out and find out what is going on in the community,” says Lovin’ Life After 50 publisher Steve Strickbine. “It’s a great way to meet lots of people and have some fun.” Previously, Lovin’ Life After 50 Expos have attracted thousands of people who network and gather information, as well as participate in the raffle prize giveaway

After the pandemic hiatus, the Lovin’ Life Afgter 50 Expo is returning in January to Mesa Convention Center. (GSN file photo)

and take a shot at hourly $100 cash prizes. “These expos were started as just a way to allow organizations in the community to come together with people over 50 to show what they have to offer,” Strickbine says. “To give them information about things that are coming up in their organizations. “It has become a very good event though for entertainment and just a great way for getting out.” Among the exhibitors that will have booths at both the Sun City and Mesa Expos include 4C Medical Group (Optum Care), Arizona Liver Health, Home Concepts Custom Remodeling, Humana, AFC Physical Medicine and Hospice of the Valley. Specifically at the Sun City Expo will

see EXPOS page 23

Charter’s garden a classroom for earth study BY ALISON STANTON GSN Contributor

rowing tomatoes, zucchini, peppers and herbs from seed. Tending to three baby chicks. Learning about composting, how to use garden tools and beneficial bugs. These are some of the features and hands-on lessons from the Outdoor Environment at San Tan Charter School in Gilbert. Tabitha Maxwell, a Makerspace/ Outdoor Environment teacher, said the school’s pre-K through sixth grade Montessori students spend time and learn in the Outdoor Environment, which she describes as an extension of the classrooms. “We have been planting and tending to our flowers, chard, squash, zucchini, tomato, peppers and herbs in

San Tan Charter preschoolers, from left, Orson Corona, Jackson Cline and Harvey Spisak work their school’s garden. (Courtesy San Tan Charter)

our garden,” Maxwell said, adding that in addition to taking care of the trio of chicks, the students are also currently incubating a dozen chicken eggs. Each classroom spends time in the Outdoor Environment one day per week. This is the 15th year that the school has offered the nature-themed learning for students. Outdoor Environment teacher Tanna Dean said the students learn about a wide variety of important topics in the Outdoor Environment, including how healthy soil will help produce strong plants, how to properly compost and how an aeroponic garden works. “We check our aeroponic garden daily to make sure we do not have any unwanted visitors like aphids or whiteflies,” Dean said. “We spray the leaves to discourage pests and check on the progress our

plants are making. We have also discussed how beneficial insects like ladybugs can help keep aphids under control.” To ensure that the plants are watered during school vacation times and on weekends, teachers and students installed soaker hoses, and as each plant begins to grow, Dean and Maxwell point out and discuss the different shapes of the leaves and the process of photosynthesis. Prior to planting anything new, Maxwell said she will discuss with her students which months are best for growing certain types of plants in the desert climate. In addition to helping teach students about nature in a very hands-on way, Maxwell said being in the Outdoor

see GARDEN page 23

GILBERT SUN NEWS | DECEMBER 5, 2021

GARDEN from page 22

Environment – which is made possible through the school’s annual fundraising program – has a tangible and positive effect on the students’ mood and behavior. “Being outside in the space reduces stress, anxiety, anger and frustration.

EXPOS from page 22

be Arizona Institute and Cosmetic Laser Center, Edward Jones and MediSolutions LLC. Unique to Mesa are Bright Health Plan, Mesa Marketplace Swap Meet, Emphasis Advisors and National Cremation Society. “With COVID we are being very careful with how we proceed, and we are following the CDC guidelines of course to make sure that we are operating with best practices to make sure that everybody that does attend stays safe,” Strickbine says. In terms of entertainment, The Duttons will be returning to the stage once again. For those who don’t know, “they’re a

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It is calming whether the students are engaged in an activity or sitting and taking it all in. It has such a positive impact on mental health,” Maxwell said. “Other benefits of having an outdoor environment are children learning responsibility, building confidence, band that has a theater in Branson, Missouri where they play during the summer months and then they also have a theater in the East Valley (in Mesa) where they play during the winter months. They were on ‘America’s Got Talent’ at one point,” according to Strickbine. The Duttons’ setlist includes bluegrass, country and pop music. “They always attract a big crowd,” Strickbine says. Ms. Senior Arizona 2022 winner Patricia Person will meet and greet with attendees. “I think a lot of people are anxious to get back out,” Strickbine says.

using all five senses, communication and interacting with living things. Some children may not have the opportunity to be outdoors at home and this gives them that opportunity.” San Tan Charter School’s Power campus serves students in grades 7-12

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Gilbert firm’s gaming boosts employee morale BY ASHLYN ROBINETTE GSN Staff Writer

eepWOL (Keep Wondering Out Loud), a developer of immersive learning and development solutions, recently launched a talent development gaming platform designed to maximize workplace cultural intelligence and minimize turnover. As the first Black woman to graduate from the University of Kansas’ Aerospace Engineering Department, Lauren Fitzpatrick Shanks of Gilbert, founder and CEO of KeepWOL, knows what it’s like to be the only minority and formed her company to help others who feel that way. When she entered corporate America, she thought that things would change – but they didn’t. She still felt like an out-

Lauren Fitzpatrick Shanks is the founder and CEO of KeepWOL, which launched a gaming platform to reduce employee turnover. (Special to GSN)

sider. After over a decade of experience working at five different Fortune 500 companies in technology, Shanks witnessed other employees, and even herself at times, suffer and grow complacent at work. “When you feel unsupported, you provide less than optimal output,” she said, adding that the drive to excel can wither and die. “Companies had promises about diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging, but all of them were more so for vanity metrics purposes,” Shanks said. “None of the programs were geared around retention or ensuring the success of those diverse hires,” she continued. “On top of that, managers didn’t receive

see TALENT page 25

Family trio acquires Mesa event center at the right time BY PAUL MARYNIAK GSN Executive Editor

T W

iming can be everything in business and for Charles Cotter and his two children, buying Superstition Manor in Mesa could not have come at a better time. hile it caters to a variety of gatherings, its specialty is weddings and Cotter, his son Taylor and daughter Sharley Leavitt, acquired the 10-year-old property on the northwest corner of Signal Butte and Brown roads from the founding Burns family just as the pandemic loosened its grip on couples eager to tie the knot. “Weddings have not only come back in full force. It is a force to be reckoned with,” Taylor said. “You had a lot of people that rescheduled or postponed their wedding for a year and then you still had the busy season on top of that. And right now, the

The new owners of Superstition Manor in Mesa are, from left, Charles Cotter and his children, Taylor Cotter and Sharley Leavitt. (David Minton/GSN Staff Photographer) industry is projected to have more weddings in 2022 than there has ever been in the last several years. “So, 2022 is supposed to be crazy,” he

continued. “We already have over 160 events booked for 2022 and we are projected to break 200.” They got a taste of that level of business

in October, which Taylor called “literally insane” because “it was something like 19 events in eight days….That was our welcome to the new business moment.” And even more fortunate for them, the sprawling Superstition Manor grounds and mammoth reception center came equipped with three halls that can accommodate between 100 and 250 people, two fully equipped commercial kitchens and a half-kitchen and a staff of some 40 to 50 experienced servers, cooks and other personnel. Beyond that, however, two features have made Superstition Manor a high-demand wedding venue, Taylor said: first, it’s pretty much a one-stop-shop for weddings; and its pristine desert grounds with an unobstructed view of the majestic Superstition Mountains. Taylor has been in the wedding industry

see WEDDINGS page 25

BUSINESS

GILBERT SUN NEWS | DECEMBER 5, 2021

TALENT from page 24

training on how to manage, lead, motivate and communicate with people of all different walks of life, of different identities that are not of their own.” Shanks saw what was lacking in the workplace and noticed employees quitting or losing their drive because of it. So, she came up with a solution to keep employees supported, engaged and wanting to stay at a company. “The lack of resources and support for managers and teams to have those complex and non-combative conversations that provide the context, detail and learning you need to really understand where each individual employee is coming from, what they need to be the most successful, and how you can support them in being the most successful – that’s really what led me to creating KeepWOL,” she said. KeepWOL’s on-demand SaaS platform offers a digital library of live multiplayer psychology-based games that cultivate employee development in various areas. The impact of each session is tracked by data collected within the platform providing accountability and measurable change. The games are designed to help enterprises build tight-knit inclusive, high-performing teams by embracing differences and normalizing interpersonal skills such as communication, empathy and connection at work. KeepWOL has 10 games available in its current library with six more on the way that the company has been working with Mayo Clinic on, Shanks said. “The games are geared around all different kinds of things that will help you to become the most successful version of you in your personal life and professional life,” she said.

By using KeepWOL with teams on a recurring basis, organizations should see a more engaged workforce, better team dynamics, a boost in collaboration and innovation, and more, Shanks said. “With all of our games, we’re looking to humanize everyone,” she added. “We want to elevate the human experience to unlock that productivity within people.” Unlike traditional platforms, KeepWOL doesn’t rely on teaching methods like panels, surveys and pre-recorded videos as these strategies often don’t change employee behavior, mainly because they occur as one-offs and don’t focus on the ins-and-outs of everyday work life. Instead, KeepWOL enables recurring guided immersive team experiences that are powered by software but driven by humans to revitalize corporate culture. The goal is to take diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging from passive awareness to an actionable experience for all employees. “People aren’t leaving companies, they’re leaving environments,” Shanks said. “Putting that human factor first and realizing that if you want to keep employees longer you have to build relationships first. Relationships are built on trust, they’re built on transparency, they’re built on vulnerability. That’s what KeepWOL enables people to do in an easy way.” KeepWOL is designed for SMBs with at least 10 employees and enterprise organizations looking to build or shift corporate culture. Monthly subscriptions start at $10 per user, with certification available and required for those employees interested in becoming KeepWOL facilitators. Information: keepwol.com.

for years as a photographer and videographer and his sister also is a long-time wedding photographer. For them and their father, buying Superstition Manor was almost a no-brainer, since they were inheriting an experienced staff and a location that most couples likely will find an ideal venue for exchanging vows. “What’s really unique is where the

property is situated,” Taylor said. “Across the street is actually a part of Usery Park Preserve and so from a couple of our ceremony yards where people get married, the backdrop is literally raw desert and Superstition Mountains. That’s one of the really unique things about the property: the view is unmatched. If you look out

WEDDINGS from page 24

see WEDDINGS page 26

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across the street, you don’t see houses. You don’t see development. You don’t see anything except just straight desert and Superstition Mountain.” “Then there are lots of places on site as well,” he continued. “The previous owner did an amazing job of landscaping. And even without that view, you could stay just on the property and there is a ridiculous amount of places that you can go and couples can go to take gorgeous photos in a very well-maintained, landscaped area.” While Arizona currently is between the state’s two biggest wedding seasons of October-November and March-April, this is no time for the Cotter family to relax – and only partly because Superstition manor also caters to charity events, sports banquets for schools and other celebrations. They are more at a lull because in a few weeks, more than one man will be posing the big question with a holiday-wrapped engagement ring in hand. And that means, Taylor said, the next big busy period will be January and February, when those couples will hunt for venues.

Above: Superstition Manor has three ballrooms that can each accommodate different sizes of wedding and other kinds of parties. Taylor Cotter said the Superstition Mountains form a romantic (Photos by David Minton/GSN Photographer) backdrop to the grounds at Superstition Manor. “So all those engagement rings that are going to be given at Christmas time, people better move fast if they don’t want to lose out,” he said. “We will have more people come and do tours of the venue in January-February in those two months alone than we’ll probably have in any other six to eight-month segment of the year.” “It is very, very busy. Everyone gets engaged over the holidays and then

there’s a big Wedding Expo that happens in the Phoenix Convention every year at the beginning of January. So we’re at that. I mean, there’s literally thousands of couples. We’re already booking for 2023.” As almost a one-stop shop, the venue offers everything except wedding cakes and flowers and the Cotters have a list of recommended bakers and florists. Video and photography can be added on to the venue’s package.

Those packages include with all-day access to bride and groom suites, a DJ, a pro wedding coordinator a wide variety of décor, chairs, linens, tableware and centerpieces. From Italian to BBQ and beer and wines to top shelf alcohol. As the Cotters say on their website, “All that’s left for you and your guests to do is party.” Info: superstitionmanor.com

“With the expansion of our new Gilbert location we are providing more space to provide even more services to the growing community in Gilbert,” said Arett Zartarian, chief operating officer of Cigna Medical Group. “We’re also providing a refreshed and more state-ofthe-art space to deliver care.” The team at Gilbert currently provides care for nearly 3,000 patients and looks forward to welcoming even more members of the community. The two physicians on the Gilbert center team are Maria Angeli Del Mundo, M.D., who has been with Cigna Medical Group for 20 years, and Mitchell Gadow, M.D., who has been with the company for 13 years. The new 7,500-square-foot-medical office has nine exam rooms, a treatment room for minor in-office procedures, and even features a virtual care exam room that patients can use for appointments with specialists and clinicians who are located at a different office.

“From that space, patients can actually come in to see their care team at the Gilbert health care center while also meeting virtually with other specialists or behavioral health services without having to leave the building,” Zartarian said of the virtual exam room. Offerings at the Gilbert center include primary care, pediatrics, laboratory, behavioral health, pharmacy services and more, according to Cigna Medical Group’s website. “Our focus is first and foremost on quality,” Zartarian said. “Everything that Cigna Medical Group does has the patient at the center of it. “It’s all about coordinating the patient health care journey,” he continued. “Not only the work and care they receive within our four walls, but also the health care experience that they have when they leave our clinic or if they should have some sort of an experience outside of the building that we would still be supporting them through that journey.”

Gilbert’s opening coincides with Cigna Medical Group’s anniversary of providing high quality health care to generations of families for five decades. “Opening the Gilbert health center during Cigna Medical Group’s 50th anniversary year is a great way to celebrate our continued commitment to providing high quality medical care and services to individuals and families across the Valley,” Bennett said in a press release. Cigna Medical Group is one of the Valley’s largest multi-specialty group practices with over 20 health care centers located throughout the greater Phoenix area. Cigna Medical Group is constantly reviewing their centers and may open more next year, Zartarian said. Gilbert’s health care center is open Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Virtual appointments are also available. Information: cignamedicalgroup. com.

Cigna Medical makes healthcare convenient in Gilbert BY ASHLYN ROBINETTE GSN Staff Writer

igna Medical Group officials say their new offices in Gilbert will make it easier for local residents to get quality healthcare. “The new center is easy to access and conveniently located in a growing area of the East Valley,” said Matthew Bennett, president of Cigna Medical Group, in a press release. “The interior features an open, comfortable setting for patients and provides more space for our team of skilled, compassionate health care professionals to care for current and new patients.” The new center at 3717 S. Rome St. – off Val Vista just south of the 202 SanTan Freeway – which is less than a mile away from its previous location. The center was relocated to expand its health care services and provide a modernized facility with advanced equipment and spacious rooms.

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Converting old hotels can help reduce homelessness BY TOM SIMPLOT GSN Guest Writer

ecent increases in homelessness, coupled with the challenges brought on by the global pandemic, have made it progressively more difficult to provide enough shelter to house people living on the streets. The majority of Arizona facilities that focus on offering food and shelter to those in need are at maximum capacity, often making it difficult to properly social distance. Many times, people experiencing homelessness are faced with the choice of staying in a shelter (and facing a higher risk of acquiring COVID-19), or choosing a dangerous situation like sleeping in their cars or on the streets. This is a decision no one should have to make. Also as a direct result of the pandemic, many hotels and motels across the country have lost business, especially the older properties. With these two factors in play, homeless and housing providers throughout the country, including here in Arizona, developed a new service model for

transitional and permanent supportive housing. It’s called “hotels to housing.” With the need to rapidly adapt service models during the pandemic to accommodate safety protocols while still continuing to serve the homeless, housing providers started to look at vacant hotels as an opportunity – an opportunity to turn unused rooms into housing for those who so desperately need it. The “hotels to housing” concept allows homeless persons to be distanced for safety and stabilized in comfortable housing, before they move to permanent housing with the help of wraparound services. We have already learned that this new model for housing makes following COVID-distancing requirements easier and provides more humane housing than large, congregate shelters. We have also learned that this model results in shorter stays in transitional housing, and may even offer permanent supportive housing. Statewide, many homelessness agencies are moving to this new model and ADOH (AZ Dept. of Housing) is making major commitments to “hotels to housing.” ADOH has funded “Project Haven” in Phoenix, a former motel that will be transformed into a 130-unit transitional

housing community for seniors so they can achieve the dignity they deserve, and JoJo’s Place in Flagstaff, a former hotel on Route 66 that will be converted into a transitional shelter for all ages. ADOH is funding at least two more hotel acquisitions with federal CARES Act funding and we are developing a funding pipeline with additional federal funding. Most hotel conversions plan to offer closed facilities, where only residents cleared to stay will be allowed, and include full-time security and on-site supportive services. Residents will be provided all the necessities, within the converted hotel properties, to stabilize and move toward self-sufficiency and permanent housing.

While the pandemic created even more problems for an already tenuous housing situation, it is also forcing Arizona to find new, innovative solutions. Turning hotels into housing helps save lives and provides a potential long-term solution for reducing homelessness, but it also does something more. It offers a successful model for future regional, specialized housing that didn’t exist before. Through “hotels to housing” projects, homeless Arizonans can be safe and secure under a roof, receive needed healthcare services, and eventually get back on their feet. Tom Simplot is the director of the Arizona Department of Housing.

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GoFan helping Gilbert athletics bounce back BY REMY MASTEY GSN Contributor

ife is not about the setbacks but how you bounce back from them. Even though the COVID-19 pandemic caused the Gilbert High School athletic program to be distanced from its fans, the GoFan app has given it an effective way to draw fans back to sporting events safely. Gilbert was one of the first schools in the region to use the GoFan app, starting in 2018. While it was initially only used for dance recitals and theater performances, Gilbert ultimately decided that it would be beneficial to use GoFan for all its athletic events. It was not an easy transition for fans to adjust to the GoFan app, and there were early struggles right out the gate. Specifically, the app would often not accept Apple Pay, rejected credit cards and overall was difficult for fans to figure out. “Not having people able to just walk up and pay at the gate is hard and maybe they have no idea there is an app where you can go do the whole cashless thing,” said the head coach of the Gilbert football team Derek Zellner. With a lot of time to get accustomed to the GoFan app, the community of Gilbert started to learn how to work with it and even felt that it is a better alternative than handling cash. After a long hiatus where fans were unable to attend games due to the pandemic, the Gilbert athletic department felt that it would be best to steer away from cash and only allow people with the GoFan app to attend athletic events. “People didn’t want to touch cash, handle cash and we did not want to receive cash, so we went to that too,” Gilbert High School Athletic Director Dan Haasch said. Gilbert has the scientific data to back up its cashless choice as the Center for

Schools like Gilbert High School have already implemented the use of the GoFan app, a digital ticketing experience for fans who want to attend sporting events at the school. It was an adjustment, but athletic director Dan Haasch believes more schools will turn toward GoFan in the near future. (David Minton/GSN Staff)

Fans planning to attend any of the football playoffs or winter sports, such as basketball, will have to use the GoFan app to purchase tickets online. Most schools and the AIA will no longer accept cash transactions. (David Minton/GSN Staff) Disease Control stated that COVID-19 can spread through transmitted objects. A positive feature that Gilbert has implemented with GoFan is that it can track

how many tickets were purchased and only allow those GoFan users to cross the gates. This allows Gilbert to make sure its crowds do not get overpopulated and

assures that people who use the GoFan are prioritized. Cashless ticket systems are becoming the new norm around the sports community regardless of the pandemic. It is more convenient and easier for fans and athletic programs to handle. “I hate to outdate myself but personally I do not handle cash,” Micah Smith, father of wide receiver Evan Smith said. “I know the pandemic might have pushed them in that direction faster than originally planned but I believe we were going there anyway just out of convenience.” It’s not only beneficial with ticket sales but even payments for snacks and merchandise are usually permitted with credit card or Apple Pay across most sports stadiums all over the United States as cash continues to be outdated. While Gilbert is a pioneer in the cashless ticket system by being one of the first high schools to use GoFan in Arizona, they surely will not be the last. “The idea is that the whole state will be like that one day,” Haasch stated. “That’s what it is for playoffs. So, if you want to go see a playoff game that’s how you can get in.” Several other schools in Gilbert and across the East Valley resorted to digital ticket sales. The AIA has also implemented a new rule for cashless attendance to the football playoffs. It’s also already carried over to the winter sports season for most schools, which began Nov. 22 and includes boys and girls basketball, wrestling and soccer. The future of cashless payments is here as GoFan is rapidly growing across the state of Arizona. And while some schools still sell tickets at the door, Haasch believes they will quickly turn to the digital platform. Especially if cases of COVID-19 continue to fluctuate in the community. “One of the things that will change forever is that we switched to a cashless entry system,” Haasch said.

GILBERT SUN NEWS | DECEMBER 5, 2021

What’s The Real Value Of Hearing Aids? • Hearing Aids • Hearing Protection • Hearing Testing

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PERIPHERAL NEUROPATHY AND CHRONIC PAIN WARNING! Our clinic is taking every precaution and we follow strict CDC guidelines to ensure that our patients, clinic and staff are SAFE! Mesa, AZ — The most common method your doctor will recommend to treat your chronic pain and/or neuropathy is with prescription drugs that may temporarily reduce your symptoms. These drugs have names such as Gabapentin, Lyrica, Cymbalta, and Neurontin, and are primarily antidepressant or anti-seizure drugs. These drugs may cause you to feel uncomfortable and have a variety of harmful side effects. Chronic pain and/or peripheral neuropathy is a result of damage to the nerves often causing weakness, pain, numbness, tingling, and the most debilitating balance problems. This damage is commonly caused by a lack of blood flow to the nerves in the hands and feet which causes the nerves to begin to degenerate due to lack of nutrient flow.

determined after a detailed neurological and vascular evaluation. As long as you have not sustained at least 95% nerve damage there is hope!

Fig. 2

NOTE: Once you have sustained 95% nerve loss, there is likely nothing that we can do for you. 3) How much treatment will your condition require?

Aspen Medical will do a chronic pain and neuropathy severity examination to determine the extent of the nerve damage as a public service to you and/or your family and friends. This neuropathy/ pain severity examination will consist of a detailed sensory evaluation, extensive peripheral vascular testing, and a detailed analysis of the findings of your neuropathy.

The treatment that is provided at Aspen Medical has three main goals. 1) Increase blood flow 2) Stimulate and increase small fiber nerves 3) Decrease brain-based pain The treatment to increase blood flow, stimulate small nerve fibers and get you back to health is our new $50,000.00 SANEXAS UNIT!

As you can see in Figure 2, as the blood vessels that surround the nerves become diseased they shrivel up which causes the nerves to not get the nutrients to continue to survive. When these nerves begin to “die” they cause you to have balance problems, pain, numbness, tingling, burning, and many additional symptoms.

“Did your new hearing aids cost much?” inquired a friend. “Well,” said the new hearing aid user as she drew a deep breath.” my hearing loss cost me three friendships that I know of, a strained relationship with my husband, two grandchildren who think I don’t understand them, boredom at church, and lost interest in attending get-togethers.” After a reflective pause, she added: “Sure I invested some money to get these hearing aids... but it doesn’t compare with what it cost before I got them.”

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The main problem is that your doctor has told you to just live with the problem or try the drugs which you don’t like taking because they make you feel uncomfortable. There is now a facility right here in Mesa that offers you hope without taking those endless drugs with serious side effects. (See the special neuropathy severity examination at the end of this article) In order to effectively treat your neuropathy three factors must be determined. 1) What is the underlying cause? 2) How much nerve damage has been sustained.

In addition, we use a state-of-the-art diagnostics like the TM Flow diagnostic unit to accurately determine the increase in blood flow and a small skin biopsy to accurately determine the increase in small nerve fibers! The Sanexas electric cell signaling system delivers energy to the affected area of your body at varying wavelengths, including both low-frequency and middle-frequency signals. It also uses amplitude modulated (AM) and frequency modulated (FM) signaling. During a treatment session, the Sanexas system automatically changes to simultaneously deliver AM and FM electric cell signal energy. THE GREAT NEWS IS THAT SANEXAS IS COVERED BY MEDICARE AND MOST INSURANCE! Depending on your coverage, your treatment could be little to no cost to you! The amount of treatment needed to allow the nerves to fully recover varies from person to person and can only be

Aspen Medical will be offering this chronic pain and neuropathy severity examination from now until December 31, 2021. Call 480274-3157 to make an appointment to determine if your chronic pain and peripheral neuropathy can be successfully treated. Due to our very busy office schedule, we are limiting this FREE consultation offer to the first 15 callers. YOU DO NOT HAVE TO SUFFER ANOTHER MINUTE, CALL Call 480-274-3157 … NOW! We are extremely busy and if your call goes to our voicemail, please leave a message and we will get back to you asap.

480-274-3157 4540 E Baseline Rd., Suite 119 Mesa Az 85206

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Feline lovers will flock to annual cat show next weekend Every cat is judged accordfter a pandemic-driven hiatus last ing to a written year, scores of cats and their masstandard for its ters – well, at least owners – will breed (with the be descending next weekend on the Mesa exception of the Convention Center for Arizona’s largest Household Pet cat show. Class, for which Presented by the Phoenix Cat Fanciers, there is no writthe show runs 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Dec. 11 and ten standard). 9 a.m.-4 p.m. Dec. 12 at Mesa Convention The standard is Center Building C, 263 N. Center St. Adpart blueprint bemission is $12 for adults, $10 seniors/ cause it describes military, $8 children 3-12. People can find the ideal specia $1-off coupon at phxfeline.com. men for the breed In addition, All About Animals Rescue and part constiwill offer cats for adoption and dozens of tution because it vendors selling cat-related products also can be revised by will be on hand. the members of The show is a popular gathering for pro- During the last live cat show in Mesa before the pandemic, some cats the breed council. fessional exhibitors, vendors and cat-lov- waited apprehensively to be judged on the basis of their Christmas finest. “A breed stan(File photo) ing spectators – and for good reason. dard is precise There are dozens of breeds from tiny enough to allow cats to Maine Coons that can weigh in at throughout the hall. Each ring is presided judges to evaluate cats accurately, and over by a different judge who has spent flexible enough to leave room for differover 25 pounds. A cat show is composed of a number of years training for the role, one they often ences in interpretation between judges of separate, concurrently running, individu- repeat at shows around the country and keen eye and good intention,” according al shows held in the various judging rings the world. to the national Cat Fanciers Association. A spectator guide is available to help visitors understand the different breeds’ distinctive characteristics. There were scores of categories and sub-classes such as Blue Point Female Birman, Balinese-Javanese and seven varieties of Persian cats. For the most part, though, members largely own purebred felines. And some have raised dozens of litters of cats since the 1990s. Visitors also will be able to peruse yearbooks of prior years’ national and world champion cats. “One of the requirements of getting into the judging program is your commitment and knowledge of a minimum of one breed,” one judge explained. She said most breeds “are unique because of their specific things attributed” During the last live cat show in Mesa before the pandemic, some cats waited apprehensively to standards set by a council of breeders to be judged on the basis of their Christmas finest. (File photo) “who work to define and improve their

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breeds.” “For example, the American Curl has ears that curl toward the back of their head,” she said. “The degree and amount of curl is defined as to what is desirable in that. Other attributes for the American Curl are the profile and the length of body.” Some competitions are more fun than serious. For example, there are Best Christmas Costume entrants that, like their more regal counterparts, will be gently lifted from their individual cage and placed on a small lab table, where a judge will hold it, pet it and eyeball it carefully. Some contestants aren’t all that thrilled to be wearing elf caps, red coats with bells and even Nutcracker tutus. A judge will take each cat through a small set of paces that includes waving a wand in front of them to see if they’d get playful. Sometimes, most are in the mood to bat the wand. Judges say the biggest change they have seen is in efforts by breeders to create cats of different colors. Because a council writes the standards for any breed, the breeders “want to see those colors in the championship ring.” The Cat Fanciers Association takes the work of judges seriously, producing annual yearbooks that are an inch thick or bigger that are filled with portraits of cats that won a championship medal. Achieving that status usually involves attending a number of shows – often around the country – and accumulating points that entitle their cats to an increasingly higher status in each subsequent competition. “I think people enjoy working toward a goal and in the Cat Fancy, that goal is to produce and show exceptional cats that meet or exceed the standards,” one judge said. ”I also think people enjoy spending time with their friends and producing quality examples of their breeds.”

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King Crossword

“Tees” The Season to Be Jolly

Answers on page 33

ACROSS 1 5 8 12 13 14 15 16 18 20 21 23 24 28 31 32 34 35 37 39 41 42 45 49 51 52 53 54 55 56 57

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1 “Serpico” author Peter 2 “-- girl!” 3 Blunder 4 Influence 5 How lovers may stroll 6 Meadow 7 Genie’s home 8 Monasteries 9 Slapstick missile 10 “Buenos --!” 11 Apple center 17 H.S. math 19 Eldest Stark child on “Game of Thrones” 22 Sailing vessel 24 Central 25 Green prefix 26 Fall-related 27 Relax 29 Actress Thurman

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MENDOZA Cleaning & Sanitization

Verna Marie Coupe

Verna (89), passed away in her sleep on 11/19/2021 in Dana Point, California. At her side, was her husband, Henry James Coupe. She was born in Toronto, Canada on 02/26/1932. She held a deep respect for the medical profession. In 1954, she graduated from Toronto General Hospital’s School of Nursing. Her first job as an RN, was at Brigham Young University in Provo, Utah. Prior to her employment at the University, she married Karl Glen Naylor (02/23/1956); they had three children and lived in Tempe, Arizona until their move to Tustin, California in 1968. Verna and Karl divorced on 09/10/1987. Verna is survived by: Spouse: Henry James Coupe (marriage to Verna: 11/12/1987) Children: Linda Marie Naylor, Lisa Diane NaylorDelgado, and Christopher Glen Naylor. Grandchildren: Three. Great Grandchildren: Three. Graveside Service and Dedication of her Grave, were held for Verna at Mesa City Cemetery 1212 North Center Street December 03, 2021

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Senior Design Engineer: Silergy Technology headquartered in Sunnyvale, CA. Work location in Tempe, AZ. Contribute to the integrated circuit development all the way from concept through tapeout. Be responsible for designing and developing high-performance IC products for timing applications. BS or foreign equivalent in EE, Micro Electronics, or related field plus 2 yr exp. Mail resume to 8950 S 52nd St, Suite 215, Tempe AZ 85284, Attn: HR, or email to alexandra.burke@silergy.com Deloitte Consulting LLP seeks a Consulting,Solution Specialist in Gilbert, AZ and various unanticipated Deloitte office locations and client sites nationally to perform software development and implementation services to address manufacturing, financial, human resources, customer relationship management, supply chain, and other business needs, utilizing SAP products. 15% Travel required nationally. Telecommuting permitted. To apply visit apply.deloitte.com. Enter XBAL22FC1121GIL3717 in “Search jobs” field. EOE, including disability/veterans.

Need help writing an obituary? We have articles that will help guide you through the process. Deadline for obituaries is Wednesday at 5pm for Sunday. All obituaries will be approved by our staff prior to being activated. Be aware there may be early deadlines around holidays.

Call 480-898-6465 Mon-Fri 8:30-5 if you have questions. Visit: obituaries.EastValleyTribune.com

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ments andise Dr. Gerald Lawrence Wathier

child, Tanya, was born. Jerry spent the next 16 years caring for the families of Standish. He truly loved “family medicine” and did it all, including working in the Emergency Room, acting as the Arenac County Medical Examiner, assisting in surgery, and running his own practice. With a compassionate and well-trained ear, along with his keen diagnostic skills, he played an important role in saving many lives over the years. One of his greatest joys was delivering babies, including his youngest daughter, Tanya. Jerry was truly a small-town doc, very similar to his father, and he passed this passion on to two of his children, Cheryl and Chris. As part of being a family doctor, caring for pediatric patients always held a Gerald was born April 15, 1939, in Rock special place in Jerry’s heart. He passed Island, Illinois, the son of Dr. Lawrence this love of children to his daughter Tanya, Nicholas and Madeleine “Babe” (Goering) who became a kindergarten teacher. Wathier. He was raised in the small-town Jerry was very active in the Kiwanof Geneseo, Illinois where his father was the town doctor. Jerry would share stories is service club in Standish. He also enof making house calls with his father and joyed coaching his children in basketball how he was paid with eggs and chickens. and baseball and loved officiating grade He graduated from Geneseo Senior High school and middle school basketball and School in 1957, and he attended the Uni- touch football games. This was much to versity of Iowa where he completed his the consternation of his son, who by then pre-medicine requirements and met his was coaching one of these elementary wife to be, Sharon Oeschger. An avid col- teams and somehow never seemed to get lege sports fan, Jerry spent many long hours the “questionable calls” as the referee (Jercalling not only his son Chris and brother ry) protected his record of going undefeatLyle, but his many friends spread through- ed as a coach several years earlier. Jerry out the country, rehashing game plays and also enjoyed the golf league and poker poor referee calls. He rarely missed a Sat- nights which he shared with some lifelong urday afternoon football game cheering on friends. They appointed Jerry as treasurer for his honesty and precise record keeping, his beloved Iowa Hawkeyes. since he always figured out the accounting In 1961, Jerry married Sharon in Gen- to the exact penny with never a mistake, eseo, Illinois. Soon after, the rigors of med- and this trait he passed on to his daughical school began. School during the day, ter Sue. Jerry was like a second father to stocking grocery store shelves at night, and many of his children’s friends who often still not feeling busy enough, Sharon and praised him for the positive impact he had Jerry had 3 little girls in quick succession, on their lives. Jerry and Sharon loved to Cheryl, Michele, and Susan. After grad- travel and took full benefit of having a uating medical school from Des Moines daughter Michele in the travel industry, College of Osteopathic Medicine, the cruising and flying throughout the world. Wathier family moved to Saginaw, MichNext came a short stay as another rural igan in 1970 for Jerry’s medical internship. A fourth child was brought into the doc in Walnut, Illinois from 1989-1992 world during that year, their one and only where Jerry was an active member of the son, Christopher. After completing his in- service organization, Rotary Club. It had ternship, Jerry’s first job as a fully trained been Jerry and Sharon’s lifelong dream to physician was in Rose City, Michigan. He retire to Phoenix and get out of the cold. commuted from the small lake town of Earlier than expected, a great job opportuHale, Michigan where the family enjoyed nity arose and they moved to Phoenix, Arisummers swimming and boating on Long zona in 1992. Unfortunately, the family lost Lake and winters snowmobiling. In 1973 Sharon prematurely to cancer shortly after their move to Phoenix so Jerry and youngthe family moved to Standish, Michigan. est daughter Tanya, only 16 at the time, Then, in 1976, Jerry and Sharon’s last embarked on a new chapter together. Tanya Dr. Gerald Lawrence Wathier, age 82, of Phoenix, Arizona, formerly of Standish, Michigan departed this life November 5, 2021. Jerry passed peacefully, surrounded by his loving children, after an extended and heroic battle stemming from long-standing complications of COVID-19 which he contracted in December 2020.

converted her dad to an ASU Sun Devil fan and they attended many sporting events. Jerry was always known as an active and involved father, proven more so by him being joined in Phoenix by three of his children. He cherished his beloved grandchildren who affectionally called him “Papa Doc.” In his twilight years, Jerry’s days were kept busy attending as many of their athletic games, concerts, plays, recitals, and graduations as he possibly could. His calendar was always packed full as he tried to attend every family event no matter how far he had to travel to get there. Throughout the years, Jerry never lost his love for fishing and card games and especially enjoyed these on family vacations. Those left to cherish Jerry’s memory include his five children, Cheryl (Hollis ‘Sonny’ – Deceased) of Phoenix, Arizona, Michele of Phoenix, Arizona, Susan (Ralph) of Belleville, Michigan, Christopher (Kelly Alexis – Deceased) of Falmouth, Massachusetts, and Tanya (Eric) of Phoenix, Arizona, brother Lyle (Brenda) Wathier of Sarasota, Florida, sister Jacqueline (William) Brokaw of Bolingbrook, Illinois, and eleven grandchildren (Jourdan, Nicholas, Samantha Grace, Hollis Nicholas, Courtney Brooke, Louis, Ben, Abby, Mackenzie, Mason, and Ryan), and many loving nieces and nephews. He is preceded in death by his wife Sharon Janan Wathier. A Mass of Christian Burial will be held at St. Malachy Catholic Church in Geneseo, Illinois on Saturday, November 20, 2021, at 12:00 pm. Father Daniel Gifford will officiate. The service will be livestreamed on the Vandemore Funeral Home Facebook page. Entombment will follow at St. Mary’s Cemetery in East Moline, Illinois. A visitation will be held the evening before on Friday, November 19, 2021, from 5–7 pm, followed by a rosary service at 7 pm at Vandemore Funeral Home and Crematory – Geneseo Chapel. The visitation service will be livestreamed on our website (https://www.vandemorefuneralhome.com/ live-stream). Memorials may be directed to St. Jude’s Children’s Hospital. Jerry’s children and grandchildren were the center of his life. He will be remembered as a loving and caring father and family man, and a fantastic storyteller! He did love to share a good story in exquisite detail and his memory for those elaborations and embellishments was simply unmatched.

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GILBERT SUN NEWS | DECEMBER 5, 2021

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PhillipsRoofing.org PhillipsRoofing@cox.net Public Notices The City of Ketchikan (Alaska) is advertising for a professional search firm to provide recruitment services for our City/General Manager. Proposals can be submitted at www.ktn-ak.us/bids Proposals must be received by 4:00pm on December 8, 2021.

Anyone knowing the whereabouts or the address or the telephone number of TERRY LYNN BRADSHAW, are requested to communicate with Keith E. Thibodeaux, Attorney At Law, 422 South Main Street, St. Martinville, LA 70582, (337) 394-3034, who has been appointed to represent the Defendant, TERRY LYNN BRADSHAW, in a civil action in St. Martin Parish, Louisiana. PUBLISHED: East Valley Tribune, Dec. 5, 2021 / 43205

GILBERT SUN NEWS | DECEMBER 5, 2021

Public Notices

Advertisement of Sale NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that the undersigned intends to sell the personal property described below to enforce a lien imposed on said property pursuant to the Arizona Self-Service Storage Act, Arizona Statutes 33-1704, Section H, Enforcement of Lien. The Undersigned will sell at public sale by competitive bidding on or after December 17, 2021 at 9:00am using an online auction at www.storagetreasures.com, said property has been stored and located at US60 Self Storage, 1661 S Alma School Rd, Ste 105, Mesa, AZ 85210. Property to be sold as follows: Misc. household goods, personal items, furniture, clothing, toys and/or business fixtures and items belonging to the following: Tenant Name Unit # Prince Willis 228 Laura Cooper 517 Tyler Crocker 334 Jeff Lewis 2303 Sale subject to cancellation in the event of settlement between owner and obligated party. Items sold “as is”, CASH ONLY, and Buyer must pay a security deposit and broom sweep/clean the unit. Go to www.storagetreasures.com to bid on unit(s). Published: East Valley Tribune Dec 5, 12, 2021 / 42827

INVITATION TO BID: East Valley Men’s Center, 2345 N. COUNTRY CLUB DRIVE, MESA, ARIZONA 85201. The owner will receive Bids for the bathroom renovation project. This project is federally funded through Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) funds. Federal labor standards, Davis-Bacon prevailing wages, and Equal Employment Opportunity regulations apply of the Housing and Urban Development Act of 1968 for Employment and Contracting Opportunities. Small, minority and/ or women owned businesses are encouraged to submit bids. Sealed Bids will be received until 12:00PM (noon) Arizona Time, on Thursday, January 6, 2022 at A New Leaf, 868 E University Drive, Mesa, Arizona 85203. Bids will be publicly opened and read aloud at 12:15 PM on Thursday, December 16th, 2021 at A New Leaf conference room, 868 E. University Drive, Mesa Arizona 85203. Bidding documents, including specifications to the proposed work and instructions to Bidders may be obtained via email. Contact Keon Montgomery, Director of Real Estate at: kmontgomery@turnanewleaf.org, Tel 480-733- 3063, ext. 4311. All bids must be on a lump-sum basis. A schedule of values will be provided by the Contractor at the time of contract. A New Leaf, Inc., reserves the right to reject any and all bids. A Mandatory Pre-Bid Conference will be held at 10:00AM Thursday, December 2, 2021, at the project site, East Valley Men’s Center, 2345 N. Country Club Drive, Mesa, Arizona 85201, at which time the Architect and Owner will be available to answer questions. Bidders are required to attend. Unless provided in writing, verbal authorizations or acknowledgments by anyone present will not be binding. Published: East Valley Tribune, Dec. 5, 2021 / 43110

Public Notices OUT WITH THE OLD, CHIP RETURN RETURN YOUR TABLE GAMES CASINO CHIPS AT HARRAH’S AK-CHIN BEFORE THEY EXPIRE! If you have Table Games Casino chips received before July 7, 2021, please redeem them at the Harrah’s Ak-Chin Casino cashier cage no later than March 31, 2022 for a full refund. Disclaimer: Any discontinued Table Games chips not returned by March 31, 2022 will be void and hold no cash value. Redemption must take place at the Harrah’s Ak-Chin Casino cashier cage in person. Harrah’s Ak-Chin Casino is not responsible for any unreturned Table Games chips. IN THE SUPERIOR COURT OF THE STATE OF ARIZONA IN AND FOR PINAL COUNTY Case No: DO2021-01436 NOTICE OF HEARING ON PETITION TO ESTABLISH PATERNITY, LEGAL DECISION-MAKING, PARENTING TIME AND CHILD SUPPORT (Honorable Patrick Gard) n Re the Matter of: CORY SCHINDEHETTE, Petitioner, and MELISSA VARGAS, Respondent. TO: MELISSA VARGAS, Respondent/Mother in the above referenced matter. A Petition to Establish Paternity, Legal Decision-Making, Parenting Time,and Child Support and a Motion for Temporary Orders Re: Legal Decision-Making, Parenting Time and Child Support has been filed by Petitioner, CORY SCHINDEHETTE; NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN: The Court has set a telephonic hearing on the Petition to Establish Paternity, Legal Decision-Making, Parenting Time, and Child Support on the 14th day of December, 2021 at 10:00 o’clock a.m., at the Pinal County Superior Court, located at 971 Jason Lopez Circle, Building A, Florence, Arizona 85132, before the Honorable Honorable Patrick K. Gard. The Honorable Patrick K. Gard’s division can be reached at (520) 866-5405 and HYPERLINK "mailto:nbrokaw@courts.az.gov" nbrokaw@courts.az.gov. The hearing shall be set for 15 minutes, and the Court will not hear or take evidence at this hearing. FAILURE TO APPEAR TELEPHONICALLY AT THE HEARING MAY RESULT IN THE COURT ISSUING A CIVIL ARREST WARRANT, OR WHERE APPLICABLE, A CHILD SUPPORT ARREST WARRANT, FOR YOUR ARREST. IF YOU ARE ARRESTED, YOU MAY BE HELD IN JAIL FOR NO MORE THAN 24 HOURS BEFORE A HEARING IS HELD. Counsel and/or parties shall provide the Court’s Judicial Assistance, Natalie (520-866-5405 & HYPERLINK "mailto:nbrokaw@courts.az.gov" nbrokaw@courts.az.gov) with a telephone number, not less than two and not more than five judicial days prior to the hearing; the Court shall initiate the call as near the scheduled time as the Court’s calendar permits. Requests for reasonable accommodation for persons with disabilities must be made to the office of the Judge or Commissioner scheduled to hear this case five days before your scheduled court date. If you are receiving this Notice by publication, you may obtain a copy of the Petition by submitting a written request to: Renee King, 7702 E. Doubletree ranch road, Suite 300, Scottsdale, Arizona 85258. RESPECTFULLY SUBMITTED this 27th day of October, 2021. GUYMON LAW /s/ Renee King Renee L. (Cook) King, Esq. Attorney for Petitioner. Published: East Valley Tribune, Nov 14, 21, 28, Dec 5, 2021 / 42723

Public Notices NOTICE OF TRUSTEE’S SALE PAINTED MOUNTAIN GOLF VILLAS 32997.0018 (HERNANDEZ & TRANSFER FOR YOU LLC ONLY) The following legally described property will be sold pursuant to the power of sale under that certain Amended Notice of Delinquency of Assessments recorded under Instrument Number 20210032990, records of Maricopa County, Arizona. The owner(s) (see Exhibit “A”) have breached and defaulted under the Declaration of Dedication, Interval Ownership Plan, and Covenants, Conditions, Restrictions and Easements and Bylaws of the Association by failing to pay the amounts as specified herein. NOTICE! IF YOU BELIEVE THERE IS A DEFENSE TO THE TRUSTEE SALE OR IF YOU HAVE AN OBJECTION TO THE TRUSTEE SALE YOU MUST FILE AN ACTION AND OBTAIN A COURT ORDER PURSUANT TO RULE 65, ARIZONA RULES OF CIVIL PROCEDURE, STOPPING THE SALE NO LATER THAN 5:00 PM MOUNTAIN STANDARD TIME OF THE LAST BUSINESS DAY BEFORE THE SCHEDULED DATE OF THE SALE, OR YOU MAY HAVE WAIVED ANY DEFENSES OR OBJECTIONS TO THE SALE. UNLESS YOU OBTAIN A COURT ORDER, THE SALE WILL BE FINAL AND WILL OCCUR at public auction to the highest bidder in Suite 700, at 8585 East Hartford Drive, Scottsdale, AZ 85255, in Maricopa County, Arizona, at 1 p.m. on Friday, January 28, 2022: Painted Mountain Golf Villas Interval Interest consisting of: (i) an undivided (SEE EXHIBIT “A”) for Annual, (SEE EXHIBIT “A”) for Biennial Even Years, (SEE EXHIBIT “A”) for Biennial Odd Years fee interest in Unit No(s)/ Interval No(s)/Assigned Year (SEE EXHIBIT “A”)/(SEE EXHIBIT “A”)/(SEE EXHIBIT “A”) PAINTED MOUNTAIN GOLF VILLAS CONDOMINIUM, according to the Declaration of Covenants, Conditions, Restrictions, and Easements for Painted Mountain Golf Villas Condominium recorded in instrument no. 97-0704664, and plat recorded in Book 451 of Maps, Page 11, records of Maricopa County, Arizona, by which an Owner is entitled to occupy a Unit for one (1) Interval on an annual or biennial (whichever is indicated above) and recurring basis, the exact Interval to be established every year (or, for biennial, every other year) by reservation, all as defined and governed by the Declaration of Dedication, Interval Ownership Plan, and Covenants, Conditions, Restrictions and Easements for Painted Mountain Golf Villas, dated September 18, 1997, and recorded October 8, 1997, in instrument no. 97-0704665, records of Maricopa County, Arizona, as amended (collectively, the “Declaration”); and (ii) the non-exclusive right to use and enjoy the Common Area, and to use and enjoy the Common Furnishings contained in such Unit, during such Owner’s Use Period, as provided in the Declaration. For convenience in inventory control, conveyancing, and titling, an Interval Interest is granted in a specific Unit; however, this interest does NOT carry with it the right to use that specific Unit. Property address: 6302 E. McKellips Road, Mesa, AZ, 85215. Tax parcel number: 201008093. Name and address of owner(s): (See Exhibit “A”) Delinquent Assessments: (See Exhibit “A”). Trustee: Sharon A. Urias, 8585 East Hartford Drive, Suite 700, Scottsdale, AZ, 85255, Phone no. (480) 306-5458. Manner of trustee qualification:

Member, State Bar of Arizona Name of trustee’s regulator: State Bar of Arizona. This is a non-judicial foreclosure proceeding to permit Painted Mountain Golf Villas Vacation Ownership Association, An Arizona Nonprofit Corporation, to pursue its in rem remedies under Arizona law. EXHIBIT “A” - NOTICE OF TRUSTEE’S SALE Owner(s) Address Undiv Int ICN Unit Assigned Yr Yrs Due Delinquent Assessments RUTH M HERNANDEZ 1740 SW 18 St Miami, FL 33145, 1/104, 28E, 139, Biennial, 2018-2020, $759.00; TRANSFER FOR YOU, LLC & JOSH UNGARO, AGENT 402 B #112 W. Mt. Vernon Rd Nixa, MO 65714, 1/52, 40A, 225, Annual, 20182020, $3,326.45; NOTICE OF TRUSTEE’S SALE PAINTED MOUNTAIN GOLF VILLAS 32997.0039 (RILEY JR.) The following legally described property will be sold pursuant to the power of sale under that certain Notice of Delinquency of Assessments recorded under Instrument Number 20210916756, records of Maricopa County, Arizona. The owner(s) (see Exhibit “A”) have breached and defaulted under the Declaration of Dedication, Interval Ownership Plan, and Covenants, Conditions, Restrictions and Easements and Bylaws of the Association by failing to pay the amounts as specified herein. NOTICE! IF YOU BELIEVE THERE IS A DEFENSE TO THE TRUSTEE SALE OR IF YOU HAVE AN OBJECTION TO THE TRUSTEE SALE YOU MUST FILE AN ACTION AND OBTAIN A COURT ORDER PURSUANT TO RULE 65, ARIZONA RULES OF CIVIL PROCEDURE, STOPPING THE SALE NO LATER THAN 5:00 PM MOUNTAIN STANDARD TIME OF THE LAST BUSINESS DAY BEFORE THE SCHEDULED DATE OF THE SALE, OR YOU MAY HAVE WAIVED ANY DEFENSES OR OBJECTIONS TO THE SALE. UNLESS YOU OBTAIN A COURT ORDER, THE SALE WILL BE FINAL AND WILL OCCUR at public auction to the highest bidder in Suite 700, at 8585 East Hartford Drive, Scottsdale, AZ 85255, in Maricopa County, Arizona, at 1 p.m. on Friday, January 28, 2022: Painted Mountain Golf Villas Interval Interest consisting of: (i) an undivided (SEE EXHIBIT “A”) for Annual, (SEE EXHIBIT “A”) for Biennial Even Years, (SEE EXHIBIT “A”) for Biennial Odd Years fee interest in Unit No(s)/ Interval No(s)/Assigned Year (SEE EXHIBIT “A”)/(SEE EXHIBIT “A”)/(SEE EXHIBIT “A”) PAINTED MOUNTAIN GOLF VILLAS CONDOMINIUM, according to the Declaration of Covenants, Conditions, Restrictions, and Easements for Painted Mountain Golf Villas Condominium recorded in instrument no. 97-0704664, and plat recorded in Book 451 of Maps, Page 11, records of Maricopa County, Arizona, by which an Owner is entitled to occupy a Unit for one (1) Interval on an annual or biennial (whichever is indicated above) and recurring basis, the exact Interval to be established every year (or, for biennial, every other year) by reservation, all as defined and governed by the Declaration of Dedication, Interval Ownership Plan, and Covenants, Conditions, Restrictions and Easements for Painted Mountain Golf Villas, dated September 18, 1997, and recorded October 8, 1997,

in instru County, “Declar use and enjoy th Unit, du in the D control, Interest interest specific Road, M 100809 Exhibit “A”). T Drive, S (480) 3 Membe regulato foreclos Golf V Arizona remedie EXHIB Owner( Yrs Due WILLIA Crappie Annual, JR & P NY 114 $885.91 State H & 1/52, 2018-20 STEPH Dr Peo 2019-20 STEPH Peoria, 2021, $3 State Hi 1/104, FLOYD Lincoln 2021, $3 CONWA 1/52, 4 JOHN AKA A Laguna 2019-20 & MIC Gerald dated O Worth, & 226, DELOR IN 463 $3,351.

PA VAC 32997

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GILBERT SUN NEWS | DECEMBER 5, 2021

Public Notices in instrument no. 97-0704665, records of Maricopa County, Arizona, as amended (collectively, the “Declaration”); and (ii) the non-exclusive right to use and enjoy the Common Area, and to use and enjoy the Common Furnishings contained in such Unit, during such Owner’s Use Period, as provided in the Declaration. For convenience in inventory control, conveyancing, and titling, an Interval Interest is granted in a specific Unit; however, this interest does NOT carry with it the right to use that specific Unit. Property address: 6302 E. McKellips Road, Mesa, AZ, 85215. Tax parcel number: 201008093. Name and address of owner(s): (See Exhibit “A”) Delinquent Assessments: (See Exhibit “A”). Trustee: Sharon A. Urias, 8585 East Hartford Drive, Suite 700, Scottsdale, AZ, 85255, Phone no. (480) 306-5458. Manner of trustee qualification: Member, State Bar of Arizona Name of trustee’s regulator: State Bar of Arizona. This is a non-judicial foreclosure proceeding to permit Painted Mountain Golf Villas Vacation Ownership Association, An Arizona Nonprofit Corporation, to pursue its in rem remedies under Arizona law. EXHIBIT “A” – NOTICE OF TRUSTEE’S SALE Owner(s) Address Undiv Int ICN Unit Assigned Yr Yrs Due Delinquent Assessments WILLIAM G RILEY JR. & JEAN M RILEY 2001 Crappie Cv Bellevue, NE 68123, 1/52, 20A, 122M, Annual, 2019-2021, $1,165.57; ARTHUR FLUDD JR & PAULA E FLUDD 13017 148th St Jamaica, NY 11436, 1/104, 49E, 132M, Biennial, 2019-2021, $885.91; TIMESHARE TRADE INS, LLC 10923 State Highway 176 Walnut Shade, MO 65771, 1/52 & 1/52, 33A & 2A, 121 & 237P, Annual & Annual, 2018-2020, $4,454.02; GREGORY A MOSER & STEPHANIE A MOSER 9341 W Via Montoya Dr Peoria, AZ 85383, 1/52, 40A, 127, Annual, 2019-2021, $3,351.88; GREGORY A MOSER & STEPHANIE A MOSER 9341 W Via Montoya Dr Peoria, AZ 85383, 1/52, 41A, 127, Annual, 20192021, $3,351.88; TIMESHARE TRADE INS 10923 State Highway 176 Ste E Walnut Shade, MO 65771, 1/104, 7E, 123M, Biennial, 2019-2021, $885.91; FLOYD H COX & H. AGNES COX 720 N 56th St Lincoln, NE 68504, 1/52, 48A, 125, Annual, 20192021, $3,351.88; HARRY E CONWAY & CAROL D CONWAY 1513 N Westgate St Wichita, KS 67212, 1/52, 49A, 235, Annual, 2019-2021, $3,351.88; JOHN E. MICHAEL & ALAYNE MICHAEL AKA Alayne Michael Todd 25231 Spindlewood Laguna Niguel, CA 92677, 1/52, 11A, 136, Annual, 2019-2021, $3,351.88; GERALD W NIMERICK & MICHELE A NIMERICK, Co-Trustees of the Gerald and Michele Nimerick Management Trust dated October 19, 2004 1600 Texas St Apt 421 Fort Worth, TX 76102, 1/52 & 1/52, 32A & 33A, 226 & 226, Annual & Annual, 2019-2021, $6,628.19; DELORES A HAUER 402 N True St Griffith, IN 46319, 1/52, 34A, 235, Annual, 2019-2021, $3,351.88; NOTICE OF TRUSTEE’S SALE PAINTED MOUNTAIN GOLF VILLAS VACATION OWNERSHIP ASSOCIATION 32997.0040 (COMMERCE SYSTEMS, LLC) The following legally described property will be sold pursuant to the power of sale under that certain Notice of Delinquency of Assessments recorded

under Instrument Number 20210916757, records of Maricopa County, Arizona. The owner(s) (see Exhibit “A”) have breached and defaulted under the Declaration of Dedication, Interval Ownership Plan, and Covenants, Conditions, Restrictions and Easements and Bylaws of the Association by failing to pay the amounts as specified herein. NOTICE! IF YOU BELIEVE THERE IS A DEFENSE TO THE TRUSTEE SALE OR IF YOU HAVE AN OBJECTION TO THE TRUSTEE SALE YOU MUST FILE AN ACTION AND OBTAIN A COURT ORDER PURSUANT TO RULE 65, ARIZONA RULES OF CIVIL PROCEDURE, STOPPING THE SALE NO LATER THAN 5:00 PM MOUNTAIN STANDARD TIME OF THE LAST BUSINESS DAY BEFORE THE SCHEDULED DATE OF THE SALE, OR YOU MAY HAVE WAIVED ANY DEFENSES OR OBJECTIONS TO THE SALE. UNLESS YOU OBTAIN A COURT ORDER, THE SALE WILL BE FINAL AND WILL OCCUR at public auction to the highest bidder in Suite 700, at 8585 East Hartford Drive, Scottsdale, AZ 85255, in Maricopa County, Arizona, at 1 p.m. on Friday, January 28, 2022: Painted Mountain Golf Villas Interval Interest consisting of: (i) an undivided (SEE EXHIBIT “A”) for Annual, (SEE EXHIBIT “A”) for Biennial Even Years, (SEE EXHIBIT “A”) for Biennial Odd Years fee interest in Unit No(s)/ Interval No(s)/Assigned Year (SEE EXHIBIT “A”)/(SEE EXHIBIT “A”)/(SEE EXHIBIT “A”) PAINTED MOUNTAIN GOLF VILLAS CONDOMINIUM, according to the Declaration of Covenants, Conditions, Restrictions, and Easements for Painted Mountain Golf Villas Condominium recorded in instrument no. 97-0704664, and plat recorded in Book 451 of Maps, Page 11, records of Maricopa County, Arizona, by which an Owner is entitled to occupy a Unit for one (1) Interval on an annual or biennial (whichever is indicated above) and recurring basis, the exact Interval to be established every year (or, for biennial, every other year) by reservation, all as defined and governed by the Declaration of Dedication, Interval Ownership Plan, and Covenants, Conditions, Restrictions and Easements for Painted Mountain Golf Villas, dated September 18, 1997, and recorded October 8, 1997, in instrument no. 97-0704665, records of Maricopa County, Arizona, as amended (collectively, the “Declaration”); and (ii) the non-exclusive right to use and enjoy the Common Area, and to use and enjoy the Common Furnishings contained in such Unit, during such Owner’s Use Period, as provided in the Declaration. For convenience in inventory control, conveyancing, and titling, an Interval Interest is granted in a specific Unit; however, this interest does NOT carry with it the right to use that specific Unit. Property address: 6302 E. McKellips Road, Mesa, AZ, 85215. Tax parcel number: 201008093. Name and address of owner(s): (See Exhibit “A”) Delinquent Assessments: (See Exhibit “A”). Trustee: Sharon A. Urias, 8585 East Hartford Drive, Suite 700, Scottsdale, AZ, 85255, Phone no. (480) 306-5458. Manner of trustee qualification: Member, State Bar of Arizona Name of trustee’s regulator: State Bar of Arizona. This is a non-judicial foreclosure proceeding to permit Painted Mountain Golf Villas Vacation Ownership Association, An Arizona Nonprofit Corporation, to pursue its in rem remedies under Arizona law. EXHIBIT “A” – NOTICE OF TRUSTEE’S SALE Owner(s) Address Undiv Int ICN Unit Assigned Yr

Yrs Due Delinquent Assessments TOTAL COMMERCE SYSTEMS, LLC AN ARIZONA LIMITED LIABILITY COMPANY 989 S Main St Ste A435 Cottonwood, AZ 86326, 1/52, 11A, 231, Annual, 2019-2021, $3,351.88; PHYLLIS DENISE JEFFERSON 8 Mcchurch Ct Apt E Randallstown, MD 21133, 1/52, 37A, 226, Annual, 2019-2021, $3,351.88; TOTAL COMMERCE SYSTEMS, LLC AN ARIZONA LIMITED LIABILITY COMPANY 989 S Main St Ste A435 Cottonwood, AZ 86326, 1/52, 41A, 129, Annual, 2019-2021, $3,351.88; JASON C TRAFTON & BRENDA TRAFTON 15827 Pine Cone Ln Tomball, TX 77377, 1/104, 46E, 122M, Biennial, 2019-2021, $885.91; JAB PROPERTIES INVESTMENT, LLC A TENNESSEE LIMITED LIABLITY COMPANY 4544 3rd Ave S Saint Petersburg, FL 33711, 1/52, 12A, 229, Annual, 2019-2021, $3,351.88; KASSI HARRIS 3000 Green Mountain Dr Ste 420 Branson, MO 65616, 1/52, 16A, 124M, Annual, 2019-2021, $2,620.95; KIPP JOHANNSEN PO Box 7293 Seminole, FL 33775, 1/52, 13A, 224M, Annual, 2019-2021, $2,620.95; TOTAL COMMERCE SYSTEMS, LLC AN ARIZONA LIMITED LIABILITY COMPANY 989 S Main St Ate A435 Cottonwood, AZ 86326, 1/52, 20A, 228, Annual, 2019-2021, $3,351.88; MARINA BAY AND MIDLER SERVICES, LLC, A LIMITED LIABILITY COMPANY 28 Shannon Circle Mascotte, FL 34753, 1/52, 29A, 125, Annual, 2019-2021, $3,351.88; ALEXANDRU COLEV PO Box 692468 Orlando, FL 32869, 1/52, 6A, 230, Annual, 2019-2021, $3,351.88; JACE ELLIS BINGHAM 6 Anne St Canton, NC 28716, 1/52, 18A, 117, Annual, 2019-2021, $3,351.88; JERRY WAYNE THOMPSON 124 Mill Creek Cir Lot 7 Jesup, GA 31545, 1/52, 8A, 133, Annual, 20192021, $3,351.88; NOTICE OF TRUSTEE’S SALE PAINTED MOUNTAIN GOLF VILLAS 32997.0041 (GROUPWISE) The following legally described property will be sold pursuant to the power of sale under that certain Notice of Delinquency of Assessments recorded under Instrument Number 20210916758, records of Maricopa County, Arizona. The owner(s) (see Exhibit “A”) have breached and defaulted under the Declaration of Dedication, Interval Ownership Plan, and Covenants, Conditions, Restrictions and Easements and Bylaws of the Association by failing to pay the amounts as specified herein. NOTICE! IF YOU BELIEVE THERE IS A DEFENSE TO THE TRUSTEE SALE OR IF YOU HAVE AN OBJECTION TO THE TRUSTEE SALE YOU MUST FILE AN ACTION AND OBTAIN A COURT ORDER PURSUANT TO RULE 65, ARIZONA RULES OF CIVIL PROCEDURE, STOPPING THE SALE NO LATER THAN 5:00 PM MOUNTAIN STANDARD TIME OF THE LAST BUSINESS DAY BEFORE THE SCHEDULED DATE OF THE SALE, OR YOU MAY HAVE WAIVED ANY DEFENSES OR OBJECTIONS TO THE SALE. UNLESS YOU OBTAIN A COURT ORDER, THE SALE WILL BE FINAL AND WILL OCCUR at public auction to the highest bidder in Suite 700, at 8585 East Hartford Drive, Scottsdale, AZ 85255, in Maricopa County, Arizona, at 1 p.m. on Friday, January 28, 2022: Painted Mountain Golf

Villas Interval Interest consisting of: (i) an undivided (SEE EXHIBIT “A”) for Annual, (SEE EXHIBIT “A”) for Biennial Even Years, (SEE EXHIBIT “A”) for Biennial Odd Years fee interest in Unit No(s)/ Interval No(s)/Assigned Year (SEE EXHIBIT “A”)/(SEE EXHIBIT “A”)/(SEE EXHIBIT “A”) PAINTED MOUNTAIN GOLF VILLAS CONDOMINIUM, according to the Declaration of Covenants, Conditions, Restrictions, and Easements for Painted Mountain Golf Villas Condominium recorded in instrument no. 97-0704664, and plat recorded in Book 451 of Maps, Page 11, records of Maricopa County, Arizona, by which an Owner is entitled to occupy a Unit for one (1) Interval on an annual or biennial (whichever is indicated above) and recurring basis, the exact Interval to be established every year (or, for biennial, every other year) by reservation, all as defined and governed by the Declaration of Dedication, Interval Ownership Plan, and Covenants, Conditions, Restrictions and Easements for Painted Mountain Golf Villas, dated September 18, 1997, and recorded October 8, 1997, in instrument no. 97-0704665, records of Maricopa County, Arizona, as amended (collectively, the “Declaration”); and (ii) the non-exclusive right to use and enjoy the Common Area, and to use and enjoy the Common Furnishings contained in such Unit, during such Owner’s Use Period, as provided in the Declaration. For convenience in inventory control, conveyancing, and titling, an Interval Interest is granted in a specific Unit; however, this interest does NOT carry with it the right to use that specific Unit. Property address: 6302 E. McKellips Road, Mesa, AZ, 85215. Tax parcel number: 201008093. Name and address of owner(s): (See Exhibit “A”) Delinquent Assessments: (See Exhibit “A”). Trustee: Sharon A. Urias, 8585 East Hartford Drive, Suite 700, Scottsdale, AZ, 85255, Phone no. (480) 306-5458. Manner of trustee qualification: Member, State Bar of Arizona Name of trustee’s regulator: State Bar of Arizona. This is a non-judicial foreclosure proceeding to permit Painted Mountain Golf Villas Vacation Ownership Association, An Arizona Nonprofit Corporation, to pursue its in rem remedies under Arizona law. EXHIBIT “A” – NOTICE OF TRUSTEE’S SALE Owner(s) Address Undiv Int ICN Unit Assigned Yr Yrs Due Delinquent Assessments JOHN W MCMULLEN 2811 Citrus Lake Dr Unit J101 Naples, FL 34109, 1/104, 45O, 137, Biennial, 2019-2021, $2,035.36; LIZDENNI LIBEL GIL SANTO Casa #195 Los Limones Nagua, DOMINICAN REPUBLIC, 1/52, 33A, 229, Annual, 2019-2021, $3,351.88; JAMES ANDERSON & CAROL ANDERSON 207 N 9th Ave P.O. Box 26 Winneconne, WI 54986, 1/52, 40A, 236, Annual, 2019-2021, $3,351.88; DAVID SKINNER, LLC A NEVADA LIMITED LIABILITY COMPANY C/O Holiday Equity 3605 Airport Way S Seattle, WA 98134, 1/52, 34A, 232, Annual, 2019-2021, $3,351.88; MICHAEL C MAXWELL 401 N Brookhurst St Ste 116 Anaheim, CA 92801, 1/52, 17A, 122M, Annual, 2019-2021, $2,620.95; WENDY JOSEFINA GIL SANTOS Edeficio Luz Maria 1 Apt # 7 Calle Duverge #124, Capacito San Francisco De Macoris, DOMINICAN REPUBLIC, 1/52, 33A, 127, Annual, 2019-2021, $3,351.88; Published: East Valley Tribune Nov. 14, 21, 28, Dec. 5, 2021 / 42205

GILBERT SUN NEWS | DECEMBER 5, 2021