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An edition of the East Valley Tribune

INSIDE

This Week

NEWS................................3 Town buying abandoned Gilbert school for $6.8

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Higley raises Monday, Friday pay for subs BY CECILIA CHAN GSN Managing Editor

igley Unified School District is raising pay for short-term substitute teachers who will work Mondays and Fri-

days. The Governing Board last Wednesday approved upping the daily pay to $145 from $125 for those two days every week. “Just as we’re struggling in many areas with our labor shortage, we’re struggling

in this area in terms of sub pools, too,” said Mum Martens, Human Resources director. “We continue to have shortages. Pre-COVID, our fill rates were in the 90 percentile and currently our fill rates average in the 60 to 70 percentile and our hardest fill days are Mondays and Fridays.” HUSD and districts throughout the country are wrestling with a shortage of substitute teachers. Martens said she has heard of other school districts having success finding

Accelerated-learn 13 pilot coming to GPS

Higley Unified teacher cooks up lessons.

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Sunday, December 12, 2021

substitutes by offering higher pay for their hard-to-fill days. Kyrene School District in November hiked its substitute pay to $175 to $205 a day, depending on the prior experience of the subs and whether they sign on for long periods of time. And, a school district in the East Valley is now giving a $1,000 incentive for subs who work 60 days a year, according to Martens.

Early visit

see HUSD SUBS page 6

BY CECILIA CHAN GSN Managing Editor

ilbert Public Schools is launching a pilot accelerated- learning program at five K-6 campuses next year as it competes for students from other districts. Currently the gifted and accelerated programs are combined at the elementary level and under the proposal, they will separate. District staff currently is working to define what a gifted student means. “We need kids to go to college and get those skills for the future jobs that will be available,” Governing Board member Jill Humpherys said at the Dec. 7 work study. “It’s a huge concern that we’re not getting enough kids prepared at that level and to do that I think this is a great opportunity.” The pilot campuses are Highland Park, Meridian, Playa del Rey,

see GPS page 8

Giselle Diez got a hug from Santa, played by Officer Tom O’Brien, as the Gilbert Police Department hosted a photos-with-Santa event as the department conducted its annual Blue Line of Love Holiday Drive,. (David Minton/GSN Staff Photographert)

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GILBERT SUN NEWS | DECEMBER 12, 2021

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NEWS

Town buying old Neely school for $6.8M BY CECILIA CHAN GSN Managing Editor

ilbert Public Schools has agreed to sell the former Neely Traditional Academy campus to the Town of Gilbert for $6.85 million. The Governing Board last week approved the cash sale of the 13.6-acre property near Elliot and Gilbert roads. Town Council is scheduled to vote on the deal on Tuesday, Dec. 14. The acquisition will support the construction of the Vaughn Avenue Ventilator project, create new ingress and egress for improved circulation, access for pedestrian-oriented, mixed-use development, and address storm-water retention needs in the Heritage District, according to Town spokeswoman Jennifer Harrison. The money for the property will come out of the town general funds. The 2018 Heritage District Redevelopment plan spells out essential public amenities and infrastructure improvements that need to be made in order to stimulate market demand downtown. Gilbert in 1989 designated the .3-square-mile Heritage District as a redevelopment area in order to revitalize the downtown. Today, the downtown is

Town Council this Tuesday is slated to vote on the $6.85 million purchase of the old Neely Traditional Academy campus. (David Minton/GSN Staff Photographer)

a designation draw with more than 20 restaurants and other amenities. The Vaughn Avenue Ventilator project will help alleviate traffic congestion in the Heritage District. The project will extend Vaughn Avenue west from its existing dead-end to run parallel with the Union Pacific Railroad track until it connects to Neely Street. The extension is expected to take

pressure off of Gilbert Road, the only main road that is the entrance and exit for the downtown. The Vaughn Ventilator also is expected to help with retail development in the Heritage District Core by bringing in more traffic trips. Gilbert Road is reaching maximum

see NEELY page 8

Narducci named Chandler Unified superintendent BY KEN SAIN GSN Staff Writer

handler Unified School District Superintendent Frank Narducci’s title it getting a little shorter. A divided Governing Board voted to remove “interim” from his title and let him lead the district through at least June 2024. The Governing Board voted 3-1 to give Narducci a contract for the next twoand-a-half years. He has been running the district for the past year since Dr. Camille Casteel retired starting in January after being superintendent for 25 years. Board member Lara Bruner voted no,

see CUSD page 7

The Chandler Unified Govenring Board in a 3-1 vote took the word “interim” out of Superintendent Frank Narducci’s title, and gave him a contract to lead the district through at least June 2024. (GSN file photo)

NEWS

GILBERT SUN NEWS | DECEMBER 12, 2021

Cactus Yards becomes Town’s overachiever BY CECILIA CHAN GSN Managing Editor

o far, Gilbert is recovering 83 percent of its operating costs for Cactus Yards, exceeding the 50 percent goal set by Council. The sports venue at Elliot and Power roads features eight scaled-down replicas of famous ball fields like Fenway Park in Boston and Yankee Stadium in New York. It also includes a 20,000-squarefoot, indoor air-conditioned soccer pavilion, and batting cages. “Tournaments at Cactus Yards make up 50 percent of our budget so it’s a big driver,” said Dan Wilson, recreation supervisor for Cactus Yards and Freestone Park, at last week’s Parks and Recreation Board meeting. For fiscal year 2021, the venue hosted 54 tournaments compared with 39 the prior fiscal year during the pandemic. Wilson said. Cactus Yards saw its gate, rental and vendor fees for tournaments increased by 59 percent to $769,446 in fiscal year 2021 compared with fiscal year 2020, according to Wilson. Parks and Recreation Director Robert Carmona told the board that there were still a “little bit of room for growth” for tournament play. Gilbert reopened the town-owned venue in February 2019 after taking back control from private operator Big League Dreams. Data was not presented for fiscal year 2019 because the facility had not operated for a full year. The 2021 fiscal year saw a 40 percent uptick in tournament players to 237,346 from the prior year and a 59 percent increase in the number of games played for the same time period, according to Wilson. “That’s a huge number,” he said. “We’re proud of that. We’re starting to see more interest and people are reaching out to us.” A big drop was seen in out-of-state teams coming to Cactus Yards, however – from 966 to 418 for fiscal year 2021, which ended June 30, due to COVID-19, Wilson added. States such as neigh-

Gilbert recouped 83 percent of its operating costs for Cactus Yards, far exceeding Town Council’s goal. (GSN file photo) $4,355 from independent contractor programming, according to Wilson. The expenses that fiscal year for the venue came in at nearly $2 million. Wilson said the cost recovery of 83 percent was higher than 65 percent for fiscal year 2020 and much higher than “the 50 percent the Council set for us.” Recreation Director Robert Carmona said that while there is Commissioner Ben room for growth in Cactus Yards usage, it’s important to have Kalkman asked what enough time available for local teams. (Special to GSN) would be the venue’s boring California didn’t fully reopen its typical cost recovery without any restrictions that the pandemic brought. economy until June 2021. Carmona said the town is recouping But “local teams stepped up and really drove the numbers through the roof,” he 85-87 percent of Cactus Yard’s expenses, adding that the venue can host more said. Cactus Yards also saw a 10 percent tournaments for more revenue but it growth in league teams and a 22 percent needs to ensure the town’s residents have access as well. increase in participation at the venue. Board member Holly Pritulsky Rentals of the venue’s ball fields were said there was opportunity for genhuge at 743 compared with 440 in fiscal erating revenue by hosting corporate year 2020, according to Wilson. “People are really wanting to get out- team-building functions, such as whiffle side and practice,” he said, adding that ball, at Cactus Yards. Chairman Bob Ferron said the Cactus Yards’ fields at the time remained opened while others were closed be- 20,000-square-foot fieldhouse was not used enough and asked how the departcause of COVID-19. Overall revenue for Cactus Yards for ment planned to address that. Fieldhouse rentals were at 210 in fisfiscal year 2021 was strong with $1.6 cal year 2021, compared with164 the million earned from rental fees, $35,760 from concessions and vending and prior year.

Wilson said a morning program for youths, 3-5 years old, can be offered at the building but there’s not a lot of interest because that type of programming was already being offered in many places. Commissioner Scott Williams asked if the revenue were to go up would expenses increase as well. Wilson said bringing in more people to Cactus Yards would increase the cost for repair and maintenance and for supplies such as trash bags and cleaning agents. Wilson, who has 12 employees reporting to him, added that staffing costs would stay the same. The biggest cost, Wilson said, was to ensure the facility stayed up to date and is safe as the venue is old, having opened in 2008. Kalkman asked about the impact from the 320-acre Legacy Sports venue opening up in Mesa in January, less than a 10mile drive from Cactus Yards. “We see that as a great addition to the Valley,” said Carmona, adding that Cactus Yards gets three booking requests every weekend. “There’s enough to go around. We don’t see that demand diminishing.” The town was expected to need eight more softball/baseball fields and about a dozen multi-use fields when it reaches build-out. Carmona said he expected more outof-state teams coming to the Valley because of Legacy, which will likely draw people to Cactus Yards as well. “I think you will see the Valley turn into a national hub for a lot of these sports,” he said. “Legacy is only going to enhance the entire Valley.” Wilson added that the privately owned Legacy targeted different users – those with higher level skills. “We’re more focused on entry level, beginners,” he added. “We offer a different experience.” And, Legacy’s fields aren’t attached to restaurants or offer stadium seating like at Cactus Yards, according to Wilson. “We definitely are still learning and trying to be the best we can be and make the town proud of the facility,” he said.

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NEWS

GILBERT SUN NEWS | DECEMBER 12, 2021

HUSD SUBS from page 1

“In the bigger picture we certainly don’t know whether or not we’ll see an increase in our fill rates but we think that if we can make any effort that we can, this is the way to go,” Martens said, adding that the district budget can support the proposal. She said supporting an increase for all five work days would have a bigger budget impact and staff was not comfortable doing that for now. But “it’s something we could potentially assess if we see this as positive and moving in the right direction and looking at what we’re expending and how much we’re expending,” Martens added. Martens also reminded the board that in April it approved increases to the daily sub rates from $100 to $125 for shortterm subs; from $120 to $145 for longterm subs and from $100 to $145 for HUSD retirees. The rates went into effect July 1. Board member Tiffany Shultz asked if shortage of subs stems from people not accepting the work rather than an actual lack of people. HUSD hires its subs from Educational Services, Inc. in Scottsdale. “Our pool in Higley is probably about 200 to 300 but we probably have only about a 100 of those that actually take assignments,” Martens said. “During COVID, the heart of COVID, we did a survey and the survey showed that people just weren’t comfortable still in taking the assignments and that’s what we still feel is happening as well as the fact that on Fridays and Mondays individuals like

The Higley Unified Governing Board last week approved higher pay for subs who work on Mondays and Fridays. (YouTube) long weekends.” Board member Michelle Anderson asked if staff was receiving any feedback from guest teachers on their experience working for HUSD. “Maybe there’s people just aren’t returning because of that experience or they’re not prepared,” Anderson said. Martens said the district is addressing those issues. “This actually came up about three to four weeks ago where we did receive some communication from some of our subs that the experience is very different from one site to another site,” Martens said. She said an HR specialist will be doing a survey and taking a look at schools that have received positive feedback from subs and modeling that experience at

other campuses. Martens also said long-term subs receive training and have more access to district resources because they are on site daily and while the short-term subs who may work a day here and there at multiple campuses don’t have the same access, they are provided with a packet of information. Anderson asked if teacher absences have increased. “You know people just feel more obligated to be out because they’re just so worried – just to sneeze, a headache, just even a fear of having anything – they’re out,” Anderson said. Martens said staff compared absenteeism for the last school year to prior years pre-COVID and “for the most part we’re trending in the same direction.”

torney general to investigate. And if the lawyers there agreed that the statute was being broken, it could order that some state aid be withheld if the district didn’t repeal the policy or practice. If all that sounds familiar, it should. What Kaiser wants is based on an existing 2016 statute that empowers the Attorney General to investigate actions by cities and counties, complete with the same ability to cut off state dollars. And it is a power that has been used since its enactment to force several Arizona cities to alter or repeal some ordinances,

ranging from a Sedona tax on vacation rentals to a Pima County moratorium on evictions. Kaiser said what made him decide to seek expansion of what law was the vote in late June by legislators to prohibit any requirement that students and staff wear masks while on campus. “I was shocked to see how many school districts and how many schools decided they were just going to snub their nose at state law,’’ he said. Only thing is, that law was not set to take effect until Sept. 29. But Kaiser said

Board member Amy Kaylor commented about the possible fallout from raising the pay. “When you talk about this sub rate, there’s going to be teachers leaving the field to go be a sub at this point,” she said. “It’s kind of scary to me that that would be the fee.” Board President Kristina Reese said the sub shortage is putting a burden on teachers. “Our other teachers get burnt out because when we can’t find substitutes we pull who we can from the site and then we pull who we can from at the district level and then at that point if it’s in elementary school those classes have to be broken up and go with other teachers,” Reese said. “So other teachers are getting more kids at the high schools,” she continued. “They’re missing their prep time. They’re compensated for it but when it’s over and over and over again they’re missing their prep time for their own class and they’re covering other classes. It’s just the domino effect that creates another concern on teachers who are already stretched thin and when we can’t find substitutes that makes it more difficult.” Reese said while she is hopeful the shortage is temporary, she was concerned with having to keeping raising pay to stay competitive. “Where does it end,” Reese said. “Where do we land and then what is our new number coming back from this so that budgets can support it.”

GOP lawmakers taking aim at school boards in 2 ways BY HOWARD FISCHER Capitol Media Services

Phoenix GOP lawmaker is looking for a new and quicker way to penalize school boards that ignore state laws while a veteran Scottsdale senator wants to make school board candidates run on party lines. Rep. Steve Kaiser wants to allow lawmakers to file complaints when they believe a school district or charter school is doing something that is illegal. HB 2009 would then require the at-

schools should have obeyed it anyway once it was approved. As it turned out, a judge declared on Sept. 28 that the law was illegally enacted, prohibiting its enforcement. Kaiser said, though, that doesn’t change the fact that some districts intended to keep the mask-up policy in place with or without that court ruling. Meanwhile, Republican Sen. Michelle Ugenti-Rita wants to scrap the current system where people interested in the

see BOARD page 10

NEWS

GILBERT SUN NEWS | DECEMBER 12, 2021

CUSD from page 3

but she made it clear she supported Narcucci and respected his work. She said her objection was over the process used to make the decision. “I can’t in good conscience vote for this action item,” Bruner said. “Not because of who is being recommended, but rather the process that was used to arrive at the decision. “I believe we owe it to the community to follow best practices when hiring a superintendent, which includes gathering feedback on the qualities that the community, parents, staff, community organizations and all the other stakeholders want to see in the superintendent. There should be a posting and there should be a public forum of the finalists.” Board member Jason Olive did not attend the meeting. Two of Narducci’s top assistants praised the selection. “If you look back at the history of hiring superintendents in the East Valley, there’s been a lot of ‘let’s go out and find someone that’s not in-house,’ and then sometimes that person doesn’t work

Governing Board member Lara Bruner explained that she voted against the move not because she opposed Narducci but because she felt the process for picking the district’s next superintendent did not involve the community. (CUSD) out, and then they go back in-house,” said Dr. Craig Gilbert, the assistant superintendent for secondary education. “And what you end up finding is there’s a lot lost because you’ve had to pause, because you thought you were going to get something else that was nice and green across the street, and you found

out there was a lot of weeds.” He was not alone. “As you know my tenure with this district, is coming to a close,” said Frank Fletcher, the district’s associate superintendent for support services. “So I don’t really have anything to lose. But the Governing Board absolutely made the correct decision. “We have seen it, the history of the East Valley, outside superintendents come in, blow up districts and that’s not what Chandler is about.” Under state law, the district cannot offer a contract of more than three years. “Mr. Naducci has strong connections within our Chandler community,” said board President Barb Mozdzen. “We’re confident he’ll be able to lead the district with his innovation and commitment to education.” She said the decision was not made in a vacuum. Mozdzen said board members heard from all the stakeholders and there was strong support for Narducci, who has worked in the district for 25 years.

“I have never been one that hasn’t accepted a challenge,” Narducci said. “These are tough times to lead, and we know that. I think our district deserves tough leaders in tough times. “I appreciate the confidence you have bestowed on me, and know it’s a great responsibility. … It isn’t a solo act, it never has been. Those of us that have been around a long time know it takes all of us, and even members sitting in this room, to engage and help our district become better.”

Your news 24/7 www.GilbertSunNews.com

NEWS

GPS from page 1

GILBERT SUN NEWS | DECEMBER 12, 2021

Quartz Hill and Val Vista Lakes elementary schools. Teachers at those schools will be trained to teach in the acceleration program. “We have many students that may not qualify for gifted services using the traditionally CogAT Test (Cognitive Abilities Test) or some other methods that we are now using but we have a lot of students that are motivated,” said Jason Martin, Elementary Education executive director. “By proposing to offer this acceleration model – where we have more students K-6 experiencing the accelerated curriculum – they’ll also have the opportunity in our secondary schools to move towards the honors classes. And eventually in high school, we hopefully will see more students in our AP classes as well, too.” Martin said enrollment in the acceleration program will be less formal than it is for the gifted program, which has certain parameters stipulated under state statute. “What we’re proposing here is that the placement would be based on parent and student request (and) teacher recommendation,” he said. “Review of appropriate placement will occur throughout the year.” Martin said the district fine-tuned the primary acceleration model used at Highland Park and at Quartz Hill. “We took what they’ve been working on and have refined it and hopefully we’re going to articulate it more so that we can also market it to our community,” he said, “because one of the things we know is that we’re in a highly competitive environment with school choice and we want to be able to market this accel-

eration model to students that may be currently attending or will be attending charter schools or surrounding districts as well.” He said the five locations were strategically chosen because they are near other districts “so hopefully maybe we can take some Mesa, Higley, Chandler or Queen Creek kids that are interested in having an accelerated curriculum.” The district did not respond to the Gilbert Sun News’ request for student enrollment figures. Martin also said the five schools each feed into a different junior high school, which offers equitably across the district. GPS has 26 elementary schools. “If this is popular, in future years we might add more elementary schools that have the acceleration program,” he continued. “But one thing we talked about is we have to start small in order to figure out what the program exactly will look like and work out those kinks and tweak it.” Val Vista Lakes Principal Patrick Miller briefed the board on what the program will look like, citing math being taught one grade-level ahead. For English language arts and social studies, the district-adopted ReadyGEN curriculum will still be used but with a faster pacing, he said. “In a normal, traditional conventional model it might take four weeks to get through a unit,” Miller said. “With the accelerated classroom, they might finish it in three and that would give a week for those standard-based projects. “Pacing is really good for the students as well. It kind of eliminates some of that off-task behavior because they’re focused more on the procedure and not

the product.” Miller said he’s seen it work at his school with students staying on task because time is clicking. “I know that a lot of students will thrive with that fast-paced curriculum,” he said. Board President Charles Santa Cruz said he was trying to wrap his head around “how we decided that this was a good thing for a grouping of our student population.” Superintendent Shane McCord said when he taught 6th-grade at Val Vista Lakes 25 years ago, staff noticed there were students that did not and could not qualify for an advanced-learning program or gifted but they needed something else. “And so, we developed a system within 6th grade to where one teacher would take a class and another teacher would take students from each classroom and supplement some of that curriculum that was going on in terms of math or science,” McCord said. “We actually dipped into some former ALP curriculum that was no longer being used but that we could modify a bit for the needs and I’ll tell you what, these students, these families loved it,” McCord continued, adding: “They ate it up because they knew that their kid, these kids were achievers, they were high-scoring, always things done but yet we could tell they were starving for a little bit more and so we provided something like that. This is similar to that so that’ll be good.” Miller said the program requires students to have more rigorous critical thinking and a higher depth of knowledge. The program also will provide daily academic extended-learning activities,

at-home support and interventions as needed. He added that homework will not be the typical practice assignment but “legitimate work to help them move forward.” Board member Lori Wood said if the learning pace is faster, students will need to be loaded down with homework every night – which might “create a place where they don’t love learning when they take it home.” “I don’t want it to be, ‘you’re in accelerated so five extra worksheets,’” she said. “I don’t think that will meet the needs at all.” Miller said he agreed with Wood but that some homework such as reading or writing will be required. “It’s not, ‘hey you’re an accelerated student congratulations, you have packets at home,’” Miller said. “I had two girls my own that were in club volley ball and I didn’t want them to have homework. District-wide we have talked about homework, the bang for your buck for homework and we know it’s low.” McCord said sometimes people get rigor confused with the amount of work. “That’s what we are trying to stay away from not just in a program like this but in everything we do,” McCord said. Miller also gave the attributes of an accelerated student that included enjoys and is interested in school, self-motivated, works hard, learns with ease and completes assignments. Humpherys asked how the district will handle a student who may accelerate in language arts but struggles with math. “What I see without thinking through

capacity with the average daily traffic increasing significantly due to local and regional commuters using it as a route to and from US 60 and to major destinations in the Heritage District and the surrounding areas, according to town officials. The project was included for funding in the $515-million bond voters approved in November and is in the Capital

Improvement plan for fiscal year 2023. GPS officials said they obtained two appraisals on the Neely site and the $6.85-million sale price equals the higher estimate. The site has sat vacant since May after the board made the cost-cutting decision in March to relocate the students and staff to the campus formally housing Houston Elementary School.

Houston was shut down due to low enrollment and its students were given the choice instead of attending Neely or Burk Elementary, which also had low enrollment. While Burk and Houston have experienced declining student head count, Neely’s enrollment has been steady and often has a waiting list for some grades, according to GPS.

It made sense for GPS to relocate the Neely to Houston, which has the largest campus in the western portion of the district. Additionally, the district determined that if students and staff remained at Neely, the aging campus would need $3 million in renovations over the next five years.

NEELY from page 3

see GPS page 10

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GPS from page 8

GILBERT SUN NEWS | DECEMBER 12, 2021

it because I really haven’t presented this to my staff yet, I could see that student being in an accelerated model and then when it’s math time they’re in the conventional math class.” Miller said. “We move students now for intervention and enrichment and so I don’t see why we couldn’t transition that student to conventional math, grade-level math.” Board member Sheila Rogers Uggetti asked how the program will address gifted students who don’t fit in these categories. “There’s a lot of those kids out there who get lost in the shuffle and you know sometimes don’t graduate from high school and they’re the truly gifted kids and they’re not necessarily moti-

vated,” she said. Martin said staff also was taking a look at the gifted program and in the coming months the board will hear about any refinements or changes to it. “We see some students will be in the gifted program, some students will be in the accelerated program and some students will also be in both programs as well based on what that child’s needs are,” he said. Wood asked how the district will address students who are not in the accelerated program and may look at themselves as being in a lesser class, getting a lesser education. “How do we make sure that they know that they’re getting the appropriate education for them and that they’re

moving along at a great pace, we’re going to have great teachers for them, we have great curriculum. How do we make it something that it doesn’t make somebody feel like they’re having a lesser experience.” Martin said it will come down to how the principals and teachers handle it. “First of all it’s the mindset of the principal and the teachers, too, and mixing the kids during lunch and recess or different times and opportunities and not segregating the one group of students with classrooms,” Martin said, adding that on campuses with dual programs students have commented they have not seen any separation occurring. “I predict that you’re going to have a real interest among the other campuses

once you establish the method and the mode in which you’re going to operate,” Dr. Santa Cruz said. Martin said the next steps include presenting the program at each of the campuses with the pilot program “We’re looking at starting to roll this out in January and February as parents start to think about the next school year and then marketing the program not only to GPS families but our marketing department wants to market this in many different ways to our non-GPS families,” he said. “We believe there is a niche out there amongst charter school and surrounding districts that families would come to one of these five schools to partake in the acceleration program.”

unpaid position submit nominating papers and then run against each other in a general election. Instead, all the registered candidates from each party would compete in an August primary, with the winners then facing off in November. It would be a massive change for the process now used in the more than 200 school districts across the state. And it also would put Arizona in the minority of states with a similar system, following only Louisiana and Pennsylvania. SB 1010 is drawing a chilly reception from Chris Kotterman, lobbyist for the Arizona School Boards Association. He said adding partisan labels would detract from the ability of board members to focus on what are issues of how to educate children in the community.

But Ugenti-Rita told Capitol Media Services that is denying the reality that much of what falls within the purview of board members is partisan. She said these range from issues of taxes and budget to curriculum, parental control and even whether schools should remain open during a pandemic. “This is helping voters understand where someone stands ideologically and politically so they have a better sense of how they’re going to govern and how they’re going to vote,’’ Ugenti-Rita said. “This holds elected officials accountable,’’ she continued. “And this provides additional transparency to the voter.’’ Ugenti-Rita said no one thing is behind the move. But it comes after more than a year of some high-profile battles, often between board members and parents, about things like whether schools should be open for in-person instruction and whether student and faculty should be required to wear face coverings while on campus. Kaiser acknowledged that the majority of those classroom site funds that districts would lose are earmarked for teacher pay. “I don’t want to have to enact this,’’ he said. “I certainly don’t want to hurt teachers’ pay ... because this isn’t about a teacher doing something wrong,’’ Kaiser

continued. “This is about a district or a charter enterprise deciding through policy or deciding through voting of the board, or a prescription from their superintendent or their CEO, that we’re going to do this policy that’s in direct opposition to state law.’’ In fact, HB 2009 has language which specifically prohibits a school district or charter school from reducing the pay of anyone during the same school year that a penalty is imposed. So if salaries can’t be cut, how do schools handle the financial penalty? “A lot of districts have balances,’’ he said. And those that do not? “This is a tough subject,’’ Kaiser said. “I have three kids in public schools, I love public schools.’’ But Kotterman said, “Its main purpose is to intimidate districts into doing what certain legislators want them to do, rather than what the law allows or requires them to do.’’ Ugenti-Rita charged, “I think that those who operate in the school board and in the education arena have gotten a little too cocky and taken advantage of the nice position they’ve been in.” “And, yet, they’ve acted very political,’’ she said. “And so I think we should align the system with how these boards have been acting for decades, which is political.’’

She said that party labels will help voters understand “where candidates are.’’ What Ugenti-Rita is seeking to impose in some ways runs counter to what fellow Republicans tried to do more than a decade ago. In 2009 Jonathan Paton, then a state senator from Tucson, convinced the Republican-controlled legislature to forbid candidates for local office from running with party labels. Paton argued that issues important to local voters, like fixing potholes and picking up trash, are not partisan. But there also was a partisan reason behind the measure: Patron conceded he believed that more Republicans would get elected in Tucson, a city with a Democratic majority, if they didn’t have to run with the party label. As it turned out, the Arizona Supreme Court voided the law, declaring that the legislature has no right to tell charter cities like Tucson how to conduct their elections. Ugenti-Rita said there’s no comparison between what Paton tried to do then with cities and what she’s proposing now for school boards. “This is already very political,’’ she said. “Let’s just get real and deal with reality,’’ Ugenti-Rita continued. “And school boards are political.’’

BOARD from page 6

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GILBERT SUN NEWS | DECEMBER 12, 2021

Town gets 68 applications for mayoral aide post BY CECILIA CHAN GSN Managing Editor

ilbert is looking to have a new mayoral aide on board by late January or early February. The Town received 68 applications for the job that pays $73,813 to $110,720 a year. The previous aide, Chris Kelly, left in November after being on the job for less than six months. “This position covers a wide range of responsibilities that directly benefit the Town of Gilbert, including support for

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the mayor’s many obligations at both the local and regional level,” town spokeswoman Jennifer Harrison said. “Based on our research throughout the region, other cities generally have at least one comparative position while many have multiple members of staff whose primary functions are related to some level of support for the mayor,” she added. The position reports to the Intergovernmental Relations manager. “The mayor’s aide has numerous other responsibilities within the organization like working with other departments on constituent issues, serving on internal workgroups and helping with special projects,” Harrison said. According to the job description, the aide’s duties include researching and helping the mayor execute top public-policy initiatives, building relationships with key-policymakers, influencers and the business community and creating briefings or talking points for the

mayor on legislative and public-policy related issues. The person also will handle administrative and logistical functions that affect the mayor such as managing emails and the calendar, helping with resident outreach and communications and making travel arrangements. Besides presiding over council meetings generally held twice a month, Mayor Brigette Peterson has a full schedule. She’s active on numerous regional organizations and attends meetings and events to stay informed and involved with issues that will impact Gilbert and other communities, Harrison said. “For example, the mayor currently serves as the official Gilbert representative on two Maricopa Association of Government Policy Committees, the Valley Metro Board of Directors, the Phoenix-Mesa Gateway Airport Authority Board, the Greater Phoenix Economic Council Board, the League of Arizona Cities and Towns Executive Committee and

more,” she said. “These organizations all have regular, re-occurring meetings and require Gilbert representation and involvement with actions that will impact the community. “Each requires a wide range of staff support, from administrative and logistical tasks to complex research, ensuring the mayor is prepared and supported with necessary follow-up.” The Town first created the position in January 2012. At the time, the job title was Intergovernmental assistant and was held by Kurt Sharp. A year later, the position was renamed mayor’s aide with Heather Wilkey appointed in 2016. Next in the post was Valerie Shaffer, who served from 2018 until May, when she left to follow former Mayor Jenn Daniels to her new job working for a lobbying firm According to the Town, Shaffer was earning $84,951 and Kelly, $75,000.

COMMUNITY

GILBERT SUN NEWS | DECEMBER 12, 2021

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Higley teacher augments classes with cooking lessons BY MONIQUE SELEEN GSN Contributor

rennan Hallock, a Spanish teacher and cross country coach in the Higley Unified School District, is finding ways to inspire his students and is being recognized for his efforts through various awards and grants. The six-year veteran teacher received the Diamondbacks Most Valuable Teacher award in July 2020 after being nominated by a student, earning $1,000 for classroom supplies. This year, he was selected as a recipient of the Desert Financial Fiesta Bowl Charities Wishes for Teachers Grant Program, receiving $2,500. He has also been recognized twice as Teacher of the Month at Sossaman Middle School, most recently last month.

During the challenging time of teaching online at the end of 20192020 school year and trying to connect with his students virtually during the pandemic, Hallock said he had to learn how to get creative with his lessons. “I was really trying to reach these kids who were at home and scared. I wanted students to have lessons they could attend and have a sense of normalcy, something engaging. I thought, ‘What is something I have always wanted to do in the classroom but never had the supplies to do?’” he said. “I had always wanted to teach my students how to make tortillas, salsa, and guacamole, but we don’t have a Sossaman Middle School teacher Brennan Hallock kitchen at the school, so I figured this shows his class how to make salsa. (Special to GSN) was the best time to try it. I could

teach these live cooking lessons from my kitchen while my students were at home in theirs.” The lessons were a hit with both students and their parents. “I had a parent tell me these lessons were something her daughter will always remember and that she still makes these recipes at home today,” said Hallock. “These lessons and the parent’s comment were really touching for me. I, myself, will always remember these virtual cooking lessons too.” While applying for the Fiesta Bowl Charities grant, Hallock said his mind went back to those lessons. “It’s something that I’ve really wanted to replicate now that we’ve been back in the classroom but I didn’t have the resources

from an early age,” said dad William Birch. “And she has always wanted to do everything well. “She had an outstanding academic background in Gilbert that helped her academic career.” He said his wife, Joanne, who passed away in 2011, made sure their daughter was exposed at an early age to successful women. “Her mother was a teacher and later a software support engineer at Motorola,” said William, who also was a Motorola engineer. Williams said while his daughter excelled academically at Gilbert High, she also participated in cross-country running and tennis. “We were a family that did a lot of white water rafting on the upper Salt River over quite a few years and she learned to guide a raft safely in unpredictable situations,” William said.

He said his eldest daughter kept with her athletic pursuits by participating in inter-mural triathlons while attending University of Arizona, where she earned a degree in mathematics, biochemistry and molecular biophysics. She earned a doctorate in biological engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in Massachusetts. At MIT, she switched to cyclocross and eventually track cycling, winning a Division 2 national championship in cyclocross, William said. Cyclocross is described as a cross between road cycling, mountain biking and steeplechase. “She trained from time to time in Gilbert and surrounding areas while she pursued her cycling career,” William recalled. Birch also attended Universidad de

see TEACHER page 16

Gilbert High alumna now official astronaut GSN NEWS STAFF

r. Christina Birch, a 2004 Gilbert High School alumna, is going to the moon. Birch is one of 10 new astronaut candidates picked from a field of over 12,000 applicants to represent the United States and work for humanity’s benefit in space, NASA announced last week. The 2021 astronaut class is the first new class in four years. Although the 35-year-old Birch was born in Mesa, she considers Gilbert her hometown. Birch has a younger sibling, Rebecca, who also graduated from Gilbert High. The family moved from Tempe to Gilbert in 1993, where Birch also attended Burk Elementary and Gilbert Junior High School. “She has always been highly curious and motivated, which was noticeable

Dr. Christina Birch, a member of the Gilbert High Class of 2004, is now an astronaut, NASA announced last week. Her father said she has always been “highly curious and motivated.” (NASA)

see ASTRONAUT page 16

COMMUNITY

GILBERT SUN NEWS | DECEMBER 12, 2021

Mesa woman makes partiers feel like royalty BY DANA TRUMBULL GSN Staff Writer

hen planning your career choices, did you ever consider Fairy Godmother? Gretchen Landin did. And with her background in theatrical set design – she interned with the Walt Disney Company – and professional event planning, she has achieved that goal. On Dec. 1, the Royal Soirée opened the castle gates on a new boutique event décor rental company. Based in Mesa, the team of three fairy godmothers deliver elaborately themed event packages designed to make your child’s dreams come true. “My goal is to take on the task of building the perfect setting for your celebration,” Landin explained, “so that you can focus on being present in those special, priceless moments.” Every event features hand-painted and

custom-embellished props to truly make guests feel that they have entered a magical world of celebration. The fairy godmothers, dressed in brocade, lace and rhinestones, handle delivery, set up and removal of the fully designed set. All the client adds are food and guests. Although the themes are magical, Landin designs with the reality of sustainability in mind. Rather than using mass-produced, non-recyclable party decorations to create the desired ambience, the unique decor pieces are sourced from antique stores and vintage resellers, or handmade and intricately embellished so that the items can be reused. Even the dinnerware is reusable: elegant GretchenLandin is the owner and founder of The melamine plates and metal cutlery. All linens, napkins, and chair covers Royal Soirée in Mesa. (Courtesy The Royal Soirée) are washed between uses with eco-

friendly detergent. “The Royal Soirée is dedicated to bringing sustainability to the world of event planning,” Landin said. “The event industry creates countless amounts of waste per year, and we want to change that!” A few of the available themes include “Cinderella,” “Beauty and the Beast” and the “Frog and the Princess.” Landin anticipates launching a new theme each month. Currently, the company has more than 40 themes planned, including a pirate theme, a wizarding academy – and “elegant, yet fun” adult themes. In fact, they are currently working on their first bridal shower theme and anticipate adding small wedding packages as well. “Due to the detailed and curated nature of our events, we are not currently

see ROYALTY page 16

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ASTRONAUT from page 13

GILBERT SUN NEWS | DECEMBER 12, 2021

Belgrano in Buenos Aires for a year and is fluent in Spanish. Her career path included teaching bioengineering at the University of California, Riverside, and scientific writing and communication at the California Institute of Technology, Pasadena. She subsequently left Caltech to become a track cyclist on the U.S. National Team and qualify for the Olympics, based out of the Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, Colorado, according to her NASA bio. With her teammates, she earned three World Cup medals in the team pursuit and Madison races, and twice partici-

pated in the World Championships. She supported her teammates up until final race selection for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. Besides cycling and white water rafting, Birch enjoys backpacking and visiting her family’s cattle ranch in Montana. Birch is in the middle of two years of initial astronaut training at NASA Johnson Space Center. Astronaut candidate training falls into five major categories: operating and maintaining the International Space Station’s complex systems, training for spacewalks, developing complex

robotics skills, safely operating a T-38 training jet, and Russian language skills. Upon completion, they could be assigned to missions that involve performing research aboard the space station, launching from American soil on spacecraft built by commercial companies, as well as deep-space missions to destinations, including the moon on NASA’s Orion spacecraft and Space Launch System rocket. For the first time ever, NASA required candidates to hold a master’s degree in a STEM field and used an online assessment tool. The women and men selected for the new astronaut class represent

the diversity of America and the career paths that can lead to a place in America’s astronaut corps, according to the release. NASA now has selected 360 astronauts since the original Mercury Seven in 1959. “We’ve made many giant leaps throughout the last 60 years, fulfilling President Kennedy’s goal of landing a man on the moon,” said Johnson center Director Vanessa Wyche in a released statement. “Today we reach further into the stars as we push forward to the Moon once again and on to Mars with NASA’s newest astronaut candidate class.”

to do it. So, I decided to fill out the Fiesta Bowl grant to be able to recreate these lessons,” he said. Upon being selected as a recipient, Hallock gathered all the necessary supplies to make salsa with students in his Spanish 2 classes. He bought 10 blenders, 10 cutting boards, 10 kitchen knives, mason jars, can openers, dish soap, Clorox wipes, aprons, and bins to store everything. Hallock and parents of his Spanish 2 students donated the ingredients. He was able to arrange for every student to take home their own jar of salsa after the lesson and said he hopes that it’s something they can put to use during the holiday gift-giving season. “With the holidays coming up, they’re learning a life skill—it’s something they

could make as a gift to bring to their neighbors or a family gathering,” he said. It’s not the first time Hallock has gone above and beyond to do something inspiring on behalf of his students. At the end of the 2020-2021 school year, Hallock showed the film “McFarland USA” in his Spanish classes as a way to enhance the students’ learning of migrant working conditions and several cultural traditions. After finishing the movie over the course of a couple days, Hallock said he held a discussion with his students and was amazed at their reaction. “They were super invested in the film; I had kids crying at different parts,” he said. “When it ended, they were thanking me for showing it, saying it was the best movie they had ever seen. It opened their

eyes to the world and let them see that it doesn’t matter where you come from, you can still be successful. Our discussions on what defines success were especially thoughtful.” Hallock was so moved by the way the film had influenced his students that he decided to reach out to one of the real-life runners from the movie, Danny Diaz. “I emailed him and let him know the impact his story had made on my kids and on me,” said Hallock. “I told him that I would love to be able to come to see McFarland and see the school and what the cross country team was like.” Within the hour, Diaz got back with him and soon the two were arranging a time for Hallock to come out to visit. In September 2021, while on fall break,

Hallock drove to McFarland, California, and not only had the chance to meet Diaz, but was also surprised by the appearance of four additional runners from the original team as well as Coach White, who were all there to greet him. They took Hallock on a tour around the school where he got to see outside of the gym where the state championships were painted, attended a volleyball game together, saw the track, and showed him parts around the town where the movie was filmed and where the real-life runners trained. Although Hallock’s students weren’t with him on the trip, he said he shared his experience when he got back by posting pictures on his school Instagram account. He looks forward to showing the movie annually, offering a chance for him to talk about his experience with each year’s group of students. “I hope they dream and reach for things that seem really unlikely,” said Hallock. “You never know if something good is going to happen from it.” Hallock is currently working on a master’s degree in school counseling and hopes to one day become a school counselor. But for now, he find meaning in the classroom and said his students’ enthusiasm motivates him striving to do more. “I get excited to see them excited,” he said. “That’s one thing I love about teaching middle school. They haven’t lost their spark.”

TEACHER from page 13

ROYALTY from page 14

offering custom themes,” she said, “but we absolutely welcome suggestions for new themes.” Events can be set up indoors or outdoors. Although seating can be adjusted to work with the available space and floor plan, Landin recommends a space that is approximately 20’ x 15’ for the ideal layout. Event services for 12 to 16 guests by The Royal Soirée LLC are available starting at the introductory cost of $900. For more information, email info@theroyalsoiree.com, or visit www.theroyalsoiree.com.

One of the Royal Soiree themes is “Beauty and Beast” and includes theme decorations for the food presentation table. (Courtesy The Royal Soirée)

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His arcade business evolved from YouTube tutorials BY GABRIELLA BURTON GSN Contributor

ormer YouTuber Will Leinart, owner of the arcade company Joystick, now counts Chandler Fashion Center among his multiple locations of self-monitored machines throughout Arizona. Leinart began YouTubing in 2011 with an unusual angle: throughout the years, he provided tutorials on claw machines that showed people how to get prizes. Forming an LLC called Claw Master, the Tempe resident racked up a million subscribers in the process. “It really helped grow my character, my YouTube helped me fund my career,” Leinart said. His first company was called Zap, which he bought in 2014. For a few years

Enter Joystick. “When I rebranded in 2018, I started over and then my YouTube started doing better,” Leinart explained. “Then everything worked off each other.” Now, with 10 years in the arcade industry, Leinart feels that he has gained a lot of experience. And because he is not a large arcade company, he doesn’t have much compeEntrepreneur Will Leinart made a reputation with YouTube tition because most other tutorials showing how people can get prizes on claw arcade businesses are machines in arcades. (Special to GSN) either far smaller or much he kept the name until he realized that bigger than Joystick. the brand had developed a bad reputaThat advantage made it easier for him tion and feared it might follow his career. to navigate through the challenges of the

pandemic, Leinart said. Joystick’s only obstacle throughout the pandemic occurred when malls were closed and therefore could not access his arcades. And when malls reopened, he said, he recovered more quickly than other family entertainment centers. But that doesn’t mean Leinart has avoided all the economic woes associated with the pandemic. Like many other businesses large and small, he has had trouble finding workers. He was elated when he recently found Zachary Mott to take on the role of fixing machines and checking security cameras. “Working for Will is a great experience,” Mott said. “I’ve known him for a

options for fresh seafood and an extensive list of bourbons and whiskeys. Bourbon & Bones is staffed with expert mixologists who deliver a robust cocktail program and, of course, certified sommeliers who oversee a significant wine list, including Coravin pours by the glass. The deal: Purchase $100 in gift cards, receive $25 bonus card; buy $250, get $75. 4200 N. Scottsdale Road, Scottsdale, 480-629-4922; 2150 E. Williams Field Road, Gilbert, 480-597-9459, bourbonandbonesaz.com

hood burger joint.” The deal: Buy two $25 gift cards, get $20 bonus gift card through Dec. 31. Multiple Valley locations, coldbeers.com

see JOYSTICK page 21

Holidays gifts are ‘in the cards’ around Valley

rom enjoying extraordinary meals to catching the sunrise from a hot air balloon, this selection of gift card packages showcases the best deals the Valley has to offer.

Arizona Wilderness Brewing Company Arizona Wilderness Brewing Company was created to celebrate hand-crafted, artisanal beers that are inspired by the beautiful and diverse state. The deal: Buy $50 worth of gift cards and receive a card a $5 card; buy $100 in gift cards and get a $20 bonus card. Purchases must be made in person. 721 N. Arizona Ave., Gilbert, 480-4972739; 201 E. Roosevelt St., Phoenix, 480-462-1836, azwbeer.com Bourbon & Bones The Bourbon & Bones menu features hand-selected wet-aged and dry-aged cuts of prime beef, wagyu beef, elegant

Cold Beers & Cheeseburgers: Can’t go wrong with gifts of beers and burgers. Cold Beers & Cheeseburgers’ 12 locations are dubbed the “ideal neighbor-

Crust Simply Italian Michael Merendino grew up a first-generation Italian in the heart of Long Island. He brought his family pizzeria concept to Arizona. The deal: Get a $25 gift certificate with the purchase of $100 gift cards, and buy a $50 gift card, receive a $10 certificate. The deal is only valid Dec. 20 to Dec. 24. 10 N. San Marcos Place, Chandler; 8300 N. Hayden Road, Scottsdale, crustrestaurants.com Daily Dose Kitchen & Bar Daily Dose is all about creativity. The

see CARDS page 21

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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. 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.

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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.

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GILBERT SUN NEWS | DECEMBER 12, 2021

Chandler flooring specialist sees uptick in business GILBERT SUN NEWS STAFF

att GiIstrap’s business gives him the chance to demonstrate his passion and skill for remodeling and designing. The Oregon native last year moved to Chandler and also opened Footprints Floors – a business that makes it easy for people to buy flooring and accent walls without ever leaving their home. “I have always had a passion for remodel and design,” Gilstrap said. “I love learning about the customers’ vision for the project and working together so see it come to life. I was drawn to flooring because there are so many choices and it makes such an impact. It’s the foundation to any great remodel.” Gilstrap specializes in installing luxury vinyl plank flooring, laminate, tile flooring, tile showers, backsplash and accent walls Though he has no storefront, he said, “We offer products using our mobile

Matt Gilstrap showroom that we bring to you or customers can use our ‘visualizer’ tool on our website to shop from home.

Not surprisingly, he hardly skipped a beat during the worst of the pandemic – particularly as people stayed home and got to pay more attention to their surroundings and where they might spruce things up. “When the shutdowns first happened, we saw a little slow down but it didn’t last long,” Gilstrap said. “Once customers were confident in our safety precautions and we could go back into homes, business picked back up. “Between the real estate boom, people relocating, and people spending more time working and learning from home, they began tackling projects and re-investing money back into their homes. We haven’t slowed down since. Year over year, we’ve seen an increase in revenue.” And one of the areas in their homes that people tend to notice quickly is the condition of their floors, he said. “As people continue to work and learn from home, it’s easier to notice the projects you’ve overlooked or improve-

ments you’ve been putting off. Because floors are such an integral part of rooms, floors are one of the first places people start,” Gilstrap said. Yet, the pandemic-driven supply chain disruptions have taken a toll. “Right now there is a national shortage of glue, which is affecting some of our installs,” he said, “but we work with great vendors and partners that make sure our customers get their new flooring even if a little delayed.” While he said “I’m looking forward to expanding my territory, giving back to the Chandler community, and hiring a production manager,” Gilstrap also saves time for other priorities in his life. “As many business owners will tell you,” the challenge of running your own shop is “maintaining a good work life balance.” “The business is obviously a huge priority, but so is making enough time for my family, friends and hobbies.” Information: footprintsfloors.com/ chandler.

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while because we met through an arcade almost half my life ago,” Leinart said. technology and innovate, Leinart said enthusiasts’ group but working for him is He said he wants to continue creating he might consider getting into the virusually a lot more fun than it is stressful. new experiences for families that enjoy tual reality industry or expanding into I also appreciate the flexibility of the his arcades, and said profit is not as another state. Until then he plans on job because there doesn’t need to be a important to him as creating more joy continuing to do what he loves, opening person manning every store. We just for customers. more arcades. watch the cameras.” It seems to work for fans. “I didn’t know I’d be making money Leinart said he just always had a pas“Some of the games I have played in the because it started from my hobby. I think sion for arcades. arcade are ones I have never seen before. that’s how everything should start. Like “It’s kind of funny because I did like it. I find They and have the best arcade games,” said color don’t think about the money so it will COLOR: Right click swatch, and replace with correct didn’t know I was going to own one, but I Mark Stempel, a Joystick patron at the come later,” Leinart said. Famous 48 Famous 48 just unveiled décor that knew I enjoyed it. I posted my first video Chandler mall. As arcade games begin to move with Information: joystickarcades.com honors Arizona with a palette of colors a decade ago which was like, literally Eegee’s Eegee’s has been a hit in the Valley since it migrated from Tucson. The fastfood and frozen treats restaurants have something special for guests. The deal: Buy $50, get a $10 bonus card 3535 E. Baseline Road, Gilbert, eegees.com

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Ling & Louie’s Asian Bar and Grill Ling’s Wok Shop Serving modern Asian cuisine with American flair, the chefs at Ling & Louie’s use traditional Asian cooking techniques to create bold, craveable flavors that appeal to all tastes. As for Ling’s Wok Shop, it serves healthy and convenient food that boasts crisp veggies and tender meats. The deal: Purchase $50 in gift cards get a $5 holiday certificate. Those who buy $100 in gift cards will receive a $15 holiday certificate. Ling’s Wok Shop, 20511 N. Hayden Road, Suite 100, Scottsdale, lingswok. shop; Ling & Louie’s Asian Bar and Grill, 9397 E. Shea Blvd., Scottsdale, lingandlouies.com Los Sombreros Los Sombreros is an iconic spot to enjoy flavorful bites and refreshing cocktails. With locations in South Scottsdale, Uptown Phoenix and Mesa, Los Sombreros has earned its reputation as the Valley’s ultimate locally owned Mexican

card purchasers will receive a $10 bonus gift card for every $50 in Macayo’s gift card purchases. Bonus card is valid Saturday, Jan. 1, to Monday, Feb. 28. Multiple Valley locations, macayo.com

food eatery. The deal: Buy $50 get $10; buy $100 get $25 through Dec. 31. 2534 N. Scottsdale Road, Scottsdale, 480-994-1799; 1976 W. Southern Ave., Mesa, 480-534-6742, lossombreros.com Macayo’s Macayo’s strives to use fresh ingredients in its family recipes. Guests can share the taste with their families and themselves. The deal: Through December 24, gift

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for the holidays. The deals: The “burro bundle,” includes a $25 restaurant gift card redeemable at all Someburros locations and a reusable tumbler for $35. For the second promotion, all guests who buy a $25 gift card will receive a $5 kick back card. 101 E. Baseline Road, Tempe, 480-839-8226; 7501 E. Frank Lloyd Wright Blvd., Scottsdale, 480-4438226. Other locations at someburros. com Taphouse Kitchen Taphouse Kitchen is getting into the generous spirit of the giving season with a holiday gift card bonus offer. Through December 31, holiday shoppers can get more bang for their buck when they purchase a gift card in restaurant or online. The deal: For each $100 gift card purchase, guests will receive an additional $25 gift card. 3131 E. Shea Blvd., Phoenix, 602-4822800; 6137 N. Scottsdale Road, Scottsdale, 480-656-0012, taphousekitchen. com

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Mesquite’s Saenz thrived on and off field BY ADAM SCHWAGER GSN Contributor Writer

uring Mesquite’s Senior Night presentation, the Class of 2022 came out one-by-one as the PA announcer described their post-graduation plans. While most were either attending a twoor four-year college, starting quarterback Gerardo Saenz’ profile stuck out against the rest. “He plans to become a pipeline welder after high school,” rang out across the field as Saenz came out of the inflatable tunnel with his family. Throughout his senior year, Saenz has been attending the welding program at the East Valley Institute of Technology (EVIT) after finishing first and second periods. On a typical day, Saenz will wake up at around 5:30 a.m. to get to 6 a.m. practice and attend Mesquite for a couple of hours after practice before heading to EVIT around noon to start welding-specific training. On Mondays, Saenz participates in one hour of classroom instruction where he learns a new concept or weld technique to work on throughout the week. EVIT instructors help future welders work towards their certifications and competencies by giving them hands-on instant feedback, similar to how a football practice is run. “They won’t tell you a lie. If they think it’s bad, they’ll tell you straight up,” Saenz said. “Them being super straightforward with us really helps us, and just pushes us to work harder and get better welds to try to prove them wrong.” Saenz dipped his toe in the water with a welding class during his sophomore year of high school but didn’t start fully pursuing the craft immediately. “(Gerardo started expressing serious interest) this year actually,” Gerardo’s mother Michelle said. “It seems like it’s something he really likes, and he’s really got an

Mesquite senior Gerardo Saenz thrived this season as quarterback for the Wildcats, leading them to the 4A semifinals while also pursuing a career in welding. (GSN File Photo)

Mesquite coach Scott Hare said he saw constant improvement in Saenz this season and praised him for being a leader for the team. (Zac BonDurant/GSN Contributor)

interest in, so I think it’ll be great.” When Gerardo currently goes to welding class, he works hard to continue to improve upon his passion. However, when he

first started attending EVIT this semester, things started off a bit rocky. “He just didn’t want to get engaged, he just didn’t want to start,” team lead welding instructor Willard Deemer said. “I found him hanging out one day in the locker room; just things like that—he didn’t want to do it that day.” Around the same time, Gerardo was busy on the field trying to replace the top-rated quarterback in Arizona on a team coming off back-to-back 4A state championships. “Trying to replace him, I have a lot of haters, a lot of doubters saying, ‘we can’t do it,’ even from my own school,” Gerardo said. A couple of games in, the haters might have had a point. While the Wildcats opened the season 1-1, Gerardo struggled to move a brand-new offense against Cactus and Gilbert. In both games he combined for two touchdown passes and two interceptions on 15-of-38 passing. He only averaged 116 passing yards per game across the first two. But he was able to flip the narrative, leading the Wildcats to the 4A semifinals before falling to Casa Grande. “As a player I’ve learned more for sure,” Gerardo said. “The more games I’ve played with my teammates, we definitely bonded

more, we kind of figured each other out.” His teammates agree. “I’m really proud of that guy,” wide receiver Andrew Morris said. “You know it was a rocky start, but every single week he’s gotten better. He’s showed up to practice and he works hard.” As Gerardo grew as a quarterback, he’s also grew in his welding. “I don’t know what it was but there was a big change in him all of a sudden,” Deemer said. “He just came in and decided what he really needed to do and figured it out.” Some of the traits that have helped Gerardo rapidly improve in both his quarterbacking and his welding are his work ethic and his leadership. Much of that work ethic has been built up through not only his football work, but how he’s spent the past three summers. “I think (his work ethic) is great,” Michelle said. “He’s worked with his dad (doing drywall) over the summer, and he doesn’t whine about it being 115 outside.” As Gerardo continues to be a captain on the field for Mesquite, he also acts as a leader within his EVIT cohort. “Some of my friends in here, they come to me and ask for some tips and have me help them with their competencies,” he said. “For what it is, people will gather around him—good or bad, but we recently have been able to turn that all to the good,” Deemer said. “Now he has a better group around him that are actually all working, so we’re doing much better.” As Mesquite headed into the 4A playoffs in November, Gerardo’s coach took notice of his quarterback’s improvement and work ethic throughout the season. “He works incredibly hard,” Mesquite football coach Scott Hare said. “I think right now he’s pursuing to be the best captain he can be, the best player he can be and the best person he can be.”

GILBERT SUN NEWS | DECEMBER 12, 2021

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At the core of democracy is the duty of policymakers to consider the public’s voice. More than ever, people are demanding to be involved with issues that affect them—from climate change to rebuilding after the pandemic. Experts can no longer tell them “This is too complicated for you to understand.” People around the world are calling for greater action and greater inclusion. And, for the tobacco industry specifically, the need for an ongoing comprehensive and collective review of public opinion and the latest scientific data is critical in transforming the industry for the benefit of adult smokers, their loved ones, and public health. In fact, according to an international survey conducted by independent research firm Povaddo and commissioned by PMI, a majority of adults surveyed, around seven in 10 (72 percent) support tobacco companies working with governments, regulators, and public health experts to ensure that smokers have access to, and accurate information about, smoke-free alternatives. Support is even higher among current smokers, at 83 percent.* Transformative collective action occurs when policymakers consider such a clear consensus. But behind this consensus is a simple truth: More inclusive approaches yield more impactful solutions. On any number of global issues, considering experts—and the stakeholders who are most affected—clears a path for progress.

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Kids will jump for joy at Chandler bounce park BY KEN SAIN GetOut Staff

ome entrepreneurs saw an opportunity during the pandemic. Laurence Hallier said before the pandemic he and his partner did a number of Instagram pop-up museums at malls. It was successful, with some 300,000 people checking it out. However, he said they agreed that wouldn’t work after COVID-19. They wanted something big. Very big. They settled on the Funbox, the world’s biggest outdoor bounce park and chose Chandler to be one of the first cities to get to try it out. It is built in the west parking lot of the Chandler Fashion Center. The park consists of three inflatable structures, one that is 24,200 square feet. Combined with the other two that brings the total to 25,000. “We saw that things have shifted, the masks are going to stick around, so that’s when we decided to design something unique and different,” Hallier said. Since there were no large gatherings during the pandemic, Hallier and his partner used that time to design and build two giant inflatable bounce parks that they plan to travel to different locations. The first opened in Woodland Hills, California, about seven weeks ago. The other opened in Chandler three weeks ago. Hallier said the original plan was for the bounce park to stay in Chandler through January, but Hallier said if demand remains strong, they are open to keeping it here into February. It’s scheduled to go to Sacramento after its Chandler run. “It was really fun,” said 7-year-old Maya Battle. “My favorite part was the climbing stuff, and the little cute animal thingys.” Brigdon Schaub, 11, agreed.

Above: The park consists of three inflatable structures, one that is 24,200 square feet. Combined with the other two that brings the total to 25,000. Below: Over 5,000 people turned out for opening day and the operators donated the money to charity. (David Minton/Staff Photographer)

“We kind of focus on the older foster kids, because they’re the ones that kind of get lost, 16-plus,” Hallier said. Hallier said Nieves is the creative force behind the bounce park, and that he helped design and engineer it. He said the parks were built in China and because they are so large, they had to be built outdoors. “The challenge was no one had ever built anything like this,” Hallier said. “I think the largest one ever built before us was 8,000 square feet.” That would be less than a third the size of their bounce park. It only takes about five minutes to fill it with air, but it takes about an hour to deflate. The Funbox bounce park is open Fridays through Sundays and it costs $26 to play inside for two hours. There is no age limit. Hallier said they will likely be back again next year. They also plan to add to it with a couple of additional obstacle course structures, one for 13 and younger and the other for older folks. “One thing that has surprised us is the repeat business,” he said. “We were never in the repeat business, and we’re getting a lot of that.” Hallier said it takes 20 minutes to go through the entire bounce park. “It has a hide-’n’-seek area, an obstacle course, a bunch of slides, a dodge ball court, it’s pretty cool,” he said.

IF YOU GO

“It’s really fun,” he said. He said his favorite part was the maze. Based on the full parking lot, the attraction has been popular. “We did opening weekend for a $1 a ticket, and we had 5,000 people come

out,” Hallier said. “We donated the money to a foster charity.” Hallier said that’s something they do every time they open a new attraction. His partner, 27-year-old Antonio Nieves was part of the foster system.

What: Funbox Bounce Park Where: West parking lot of Chandler Fashion Center, Loop 101 and Chandler Blvd. When: 2-9 p.m. Fridays; 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Saturdays; 11 a.m.-7 p.m. Sundays through Jan. 15. Tickets: Timed tickets. $26 for two hours. Buy them at: funbox.com or at the site.

Have GetOut News? Contact Cecilia Chan at 480-898-5613 or cchan@timespublications.com

GILBERT SUN NEWS | DECEMBER 12, 2021

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Obituaries Christopher Dayton Thackeray

Christopher Dayton Thackeray, 48 years old, passed away early Saturday morning, November 27th, 2021. He was a loving father, son, brother, uncle, cousin and friend. His infectious smile and laugh will live on forever. He is survived by his parents Vance and Melissa, his two son's Vance Morley and Dayton Oliver, his sister Amy Lou, his niece and nephew Cera and Joseph, his love Natasha and several other family members. "We will always carry your memory in our hearts." A celebration of life was held on Dec 4th at Boone and Lorie's Home, Mesa. Sign the Guestbook at: obituaries.EastValleyTribune.com

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Classifieds: Thursday 11am for Sunday Life Events: Thursday 10am for Sunday

Apply at: 7607 E. McDowell Road Scottsdale, Az. 85257 (480) 947-9901 Located between Hayden Road and Scottsdale Road on the southwest corner of Miller Road.

In Scottsdale, AZ: • Software Engineer 3 (Req.#: 20-7732): Design & implmnt CI/CD pipelines ensuring high lvls of quality. Req’s: MS(or equiv.)+3 yrs. exp. OR BS(or equiv.)+5 yrs. exp. • Senior Business Analyst AFI (Req.#: 19-7806): Mnge & support maintenance, config., reporting, and analytics data for the Finance organization. Req’s: MS(or equiv.)+2 yrs. exp. • Business Process Analyst 4 (Req.#: 20-5990): Mnge the functional & tchncl design, config., testing & maintenance of the P2P sys. Req’s: MS(or equiv.)+3 yrs. exp. OR BS(or equiv.)+5 yrs. exp. • Senior Product Manager 1- Technical (Req.#: 211123): Mnge proj. execution to ensure adhrenc to budget, schedule & scope. Req’s: MS(or equiv.)+3 yrs. exp. OR BS(or equiv.)+5 yrs. exp. In Chandler, AZ: • Senior Testing Associate (Req.#: 19-7125): Prfrm risk analysis, dvlp compliance testing plans & execute SLOD test plans. Req’s: MS(or equiv.)+1 yr. exp. • Compliance Analyst 3 (Req.#: 21-1107): Dvlp & implmnt effective policies, advncd analytics & thorough investigative processes that consider risks posed by PayPal's products, customers, trnsactn volumes & jurisdictions in which PayPal operates. Req’s: MS(or equiv.)+2 yrs. exp. • Data Engineer 3 (Req.#: 21-2959): Anlyz s/w product req’s & trnsfrm them into scalable tech. designs. Req’s: MS(or equiv.)+3 yrs. exp. OR BS(or equiv.)+5 yrs. exp. Bill Me Later, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of PayPal Inc., has the following position available in Scottsdale, AZ: • Software Engineer 2 (Req.#: 20-2625): Design & implmnt cmplx, multi-tier distributed s/w apps, using REST API, SOAP & ORM Hibernate. Req’s: MS(or equiv.)+2 yrs. exp. OR BS(or equiv.)+5 yrs. exp. Must be legally authorized to work in the U.S. w/o sponsorship. To apply, please send your resume w/references, specifying the Req. # w/your application, to: By email: paypaljobs@paypal.com; or by mail: ATTN: HR, Cube 10.3.561, PayPal, Inc. HQ, 2211 North First Street, San Jose, CA 95131. EOE

GILBERT SUN NEWS | DECEMBER 12, 2021

Employment General

Announce

ments

Real Estate for Sale Manufactured Homes

Join our experienced inside sales team!

Do you have print media/digital advertising selling experience? We may be looking for you! The position is in Tempe (Broadway curve area) includes lots of outbound calls selling advertising all over Phoenix Metro and even Tucson! Our 20 local publications, newspapers, magazines and digital solutions fit pretty much every need! Great team environment Our small team wants to grow with you! Do you get excited when you sell? Do you talk louder when you are selling something you believe in? We get it it's exciting to sell!

Do you learn quickly, like to stay organized, multi-task, are you familiar with Gmail, Google Docs/ Sheets/Voice, Word, Excel, internet browsing and other software programs? This is a full time job with benefits. 8:30-5pm Mon-Fri. If you think you are the missing puzzle piece, please apply! Wait, did I mention we are a FUN team? Send resume with over letter to Elaine

ecota@times publications.com EOE

HOME FOR RENT? Place it here!

Meetings/Events NEW YEAR'S EVE DANCE W/ Julie Lee & The White Rose Band Tickets - $15 Doors Open @ 7:PM Band Starts @ 8:00PM Ice, Coffee, & Food RSVP. 480-380-4787 11101 E University Dr University Between Signal Butte/Meridian

Merch andise

Three Phase Mechanical

480-671-0833

THE LINKS ESTATES Why Rent The Lot When YOU CAN OWN THE LAND And Own Your New Home

www.3phasemech.com Sales, Service & Installation

NO TRIP CHARGE • NOT COMMISSION BASED

HEATING & AIR CONDITIONING FROM THE UPPER 200’s

ASK US HOW YOUR $150k-180k CASH INVESTMENT AND OUR SENIOR LOAN PROGRAM ENABLES QUALIFIED 62+ SENIORS MAKING THE LINKS THEIR PRIMARY RESIDENCE HAVE NO MORTGAGE PAYMENT & NO LOT RENT AS LONG AS YOU LIVE IN HOME.

602-402-2213

Cemetery Lots

www.linksestates.net

Companion crypt (1 or 2 persons) Green Acres, Scottsdale. Cemetery sells for $6000. Have moved, will sell for $5000 OBO. (928) 940-3317

SOS MECHANICAL Installation and Maintenance of New Units Air Duct Cleaning and Dryer Vent Cleaning

49 MAINTENANCE*

Deadline: Thursday at 10am for Sunday 480-898-6465 Email Your Ad: class@times publications.com

gilbertsunnews.com

See MORE Ads Online! www.GilbertSunNews.com

*CALL FOR DETAILS

70 SERVICE FEE ON BROKEN UNITS

$70 fee on broken units waived if repair is made by my company

480-650-7087

M-F 8 TO 5 • SAT/SUN ON CALL • 24/7 EMERGENCY SERVICE Licensed, Bonded, Insured • ROC# 315986

QUALITY, VALUE and a GREAT PRICE!

Miscellaneous For Sale

CLASSIFIEDS and LEGALS

ROC# 247803 Bonded • Insured

ACCREDITED BUSINESS

4046 N Green St. • San Tan Valley, AZ 85140

FOR SALE Rebuilt 1" Impact Wrench With Hose. $300 Call 602-531-3044

Carpet Cleaning

Family Owned & Operated

Gawthorp & Associates

81% of our readers, read the Classifieds!

Call Classifieds 480-898-6465

Air Conditioning/Heating

Lifetime Warranty on Workmanship New 3-Ton 14 SEER AC Systems Only $4,995 INSTALLED! New Trane Air Conditioners NO INTEREST FINANCING - 60 MONTHS!

Over 1,000 Five-Star Google Reviews ★★★★★ BESTOF

2021

FALL TUNE-UP SPECIAL!

REG. $99.

Includes a 16-Points Inspection. LIMITED TIME ONLY. RESIDENTIAL ONLY

FREE INDOOR REME HALO® IN-DUCT AIR PURIFIER*

• Reduces common allergens from pollen, mold dander & dust • Eliminates pet, cooking and musty odors • Reduces airborne and surface bacteria & viruses, such as MRSA, e-coli, and Norwalk 99+%,

*With a qualified ac system purchase

YOUR HOMETOWN AIR CONDITIONING SPECIALIST FREE Service Call With Repair FREE Second Opinion ★ FREE Estimate

A + Rating

480-725-7303 www.BrewersAC.com SINCE 1982 ROC #C39-312643

We offer Big Savings and Great Financing!

Some restrictions apply. See website for additional information. Special rebates and financing offers are valid on qualifying equipment and pre-approved credit. Offers expire 12/31/2021.

Concrete & Masonry

Block Fence * Gates

602-789-6929 Roc #057163 Lowest Prices * 30 Yrs Exp Serving Entire Valley

YOU’LL LIKE US - THE BEST!

Bonded/Insured • ROC #289252

480-405-7588

MORE CLASSIFIED ADS ONLINE! www.GilbertSunNews.com

Appliance Repairs

Electrical Services

Appliance Repair Now

HONESTY • INTEGRITY • QUALITY

If It’s Broken, We Can Fix It! • Same Day Service • On-Site Repairs • Servicing All Major Brands • Quality Guaranteed

We Also Buy, Sell & Trade Used Appliances Working or Not

480-659-1400 Licensed & Insured

• Serving Arizona Since 2005 •

• Panel Changes and Repairs • Installation of Ceiling Fans • Switches/Outlets • Home Remodel

ALL RESIDENTIAL & COMMERCIAL ELECTRICAL Call Jim Endres 480.282.7932 Over 28 Years Experience • ROC #246019 Bonded/Insured

GILBERT SUN NEWS | DECEMBER 12, 2021

Garage/Doors

Classified Ads Work!

GARAGE DOOR SERVICE East Valley/ Ahwatukee

Broken Springs Replaced Nights/Weekends Bonded/Insured 480-251-8610

Need to hire some help? Call Classifieds Today!

480.898.6465

Not a licensed contractor

CLASS@TIMESPUBLICATIONS.COM

Glass/Mirror

GLASS, MIRRORS, SHOWER DOORS

Family Owned with 50 years' EXPERIENCE. Shower and tub enclosures, Framed, Frameless or Custom Doors, We also install insulated glass, mirrored closet doors, window glass, mirrors, patio doors, glass table protectors. If it’s glass, we can help you. QUALITY SERVICE at Competitive Prices. FREE Estimates

WESLEY'S GLASS & MIRROR Call 480-306-5113 wesleysglass.com SERVICING THE ENTIRE VALLEY

Handyman LLC

• Drywall Repair • Bathroom Remodeling • Home Renovations

• Electrical Repair • Plumbing Repair • Dry rot and termite damage repair

GENERAL CONTRACTOR / HANDYMAN SERVICES SERVING THE ENTIRE VALLEY

520.508.1420

Home Improvement HOME REMODELING REPAIRS & CUSTOM INTERIOR PAINTING Move a wall; turn a door into a window. From small jobs and repairs to room additions, I do it all. Precision interior painting, carpentry, drywall, tile, windows, doors, skylights, electrical, fans, plumbing and more. All trades done by hands-on General Contractor. Friendly, artistic, intelligent, honest and affordable. 40 years' experience. Call Ron Wolfgang Pleas text or leave message Cell 602-628-9653 Wolfgang Construction Inc. Licensed & Bonded ROC 124934

Landscape/Maintenance

TREE

Decks • Tile••ROC#317949 More! Licensed, Bonded & Insured

Marks the Spot for ALL Your Handyman Ask me about FREE Needs! water testing! rks the Spot for ALL•Your Handyman Needs! ✔ Painting Painting Flooring • Electrical “No Job Too ✔Small Flooring Painting • Flooring • Electrical Plumbing • Drywall • Carpentry Man!” Plumbing • Drywall • Carpentry ✔ Electrical Decks • Tile • More! 1999 e Sinc Quality Work Decks •Affo Tile • More! rdable, ✔ Plumbing 2010, 2011 2012, 2013, 2014 Call Bruce at 602.670.7038 ✔ Drywall Ahwatukee Resident/ References/ Insured/ Not a Licensed Contractor “No Job ✔ Carpentry Too Small Marks the Spot for“No Job Too ALL Your Handyman Needs! ✔ Decks Painting • Flooring • Electrical Small Man!” “No Job Too Man!” ✔ Tile Plumbing • Drywall • Carpentry

Small Man!” Decks • Tile • More! ✔ Kitchens ce 1999 Sin rk Wo y alit Qu , ble rda ✔ Bathrooms BSMALLMAN@Q.COM 2010, 2011 9 Quality Work Since 199 2012, “No 2013, Job Too And More! 2010, 2011 Small Man!” 2014 Call Bruce at 602.670.7038 2012, 2013, 2014 dent/ References/ Insured/ Not a Licensed Contractor Since 1999 Ahwatukee Resident / References Affordable, Quality Work 2010, 2011 2012, 2013, rences/ Insured/ Not a Licensed Contractor Insured / Not aCall Licensed Contractor 2014 Bruce at 602.670.7038

uce at 602.670.7038 at 602.670.7038

Ahwatukee Resident/ References/ Insured/ Not a Licensed Contractor

Hauling

• Furniture • Appliances • Mattresses • Televisions • Garage Clean-Out • Construction Debris

• Old Paint & Chems. • Yard Waste • Concrete Slab • Remodeling Debris • Old Tires

SPRINKLER

TRIMMING

BROADCAST YOUR BARGAINS. REACH THOUSANDS OF BUYERS.

25 Years exp (480) 720-3840

Drip/Install/Repair & Tune ups! Not a licensed contractor

25 years exp. Call Now (480) 720-3840

Irrigation Repair Services Inc. Licensed • Bonded • Insured

Specializing in Controllers, Valves, Sprinklers, Landscape Lighting, P.V.C. & Poly Drip Systems

CLASS@ TIMESPUBLICATIONS .COM

CALL US TODAY!

480.721.4146

480.898.6465

www.irsaz.com

Insured/Bonded Free Estimates

Sell Your Stuff! Call Classifieds Today!

480.898.6465

CLASS@TIMESPUBLICATIONS.COM

Home Improvement

General Contracting, Inc.

ALL Pro

T R E E

S E R V I C E

L L C

Prepare for Winter Season! LANDSCAPING, TREES & MAINTENANCE

One Call, We Do It All! 602-339-4766

Tree Trimming • Tree Removal Stump Grinding Storm Damage • Bushes/Shrubs Yard Clean-up Commercial and Residential

Owner Does All Work, All Honey-Do Lists

PMB 435 • 2733 N. Power Rd. • Suite 102 • Mesa dennis@allprotrees.com

Licensed • Bonded • Insured • ROC118198

All Remodeling, Additions, Kitchen, Bath, Patio Covers, Garage, Sheds, Windows, Doors, Drywall & Roofing Repairs, Painting, All Plumbing, Electrical, Concrete, Block, Stucco, Stack Stone, All Flooring, Wood, Tile, Carpet, Welding, Gates, Fences, All Repairs.

480-354-5802

Interior & Exterior Residential/Commercial Free Estimates Drywall Repairs Senior Discounts References Available

— Call Jason —

(602) 502-1655

East Valley PAINTERS

Irrigation

• Sprinkler/Drip Repairs • New Installs Poly/PVC • Same Day Service

NTY

5-YEAR WARRA

Painting

480.654.5600 azirrigation.com

Paint Interior & Exterior • Drywall Repair Light Carpentry • Power Washing • Textures Matched Popcorn Removal • Pool Deck Coatings Garage Floor Coatings • Color Consulting

10% OFF

We Beat Competitors Prices & Quality Free Estimates! Home of the 10-Year Warranty!

480-688-4770

www.eastvalleypainters.com Family Owned & Operated Bonded/Insured • ROC#153131

Now Accepting all major credit cards

PLUMBERS CHARGE TOO MUCH!

HOME IMPROVEMENT & PAINTING Interior/Exterior Painting 30 YEARS EXPERIENCE

FREE Service Calls + FREE Estimates Water Heaters Installed - $999 Unclog Drains - $49

10% OFF

Dunn Edwards Quality Paint Small Stucco/Drywall Repairs

We Are State Licensed and Reliable!

Free Estimates • Senior Discounts

480-338-4011

Voted #1

Plumbing

Free Estimates with Pride & Prompt Service!

Cutting Edge LLC • ROC 281671

PAINTING

ROC# 256752

Marks Spot• for ALL Your Handyman Needs! All Estimates arethe Free Call: Painting • Flooring • Electrical www.husbands2go.com Plumbing • Drywall • Carpentry

Juan Hernandez

Painting

All Water Purification Systems Voted #1 Plumber 3 Years In A Row OVER 1,000 5-STAR REVIEWS

ROC#309706

Your Ad can go ONLINE ANY Day! Call to place your ad online!! Classifieds 480-898-6465

Bonded/Insured • ROC #223709

480-405-7099

GILBERT SUN NEWS | DECEMBER 12, 2021

Plumbing

Roofing

Drain Cleaning Experts, water heaters, disposals, water & sewer lines repaired/replaced & remodels. Rapid Response. If water runs through it we do it! 602-663-8432

Your newspaper. Your community. Your planet. Please recycle me.

Plumbing

Tiles, shingles, flat, repairs & new work Free Estimates • Ahwatukee Resident Over 30 yrs. Experience

480-706-1453

Licensed/Bonded/Insured • ROC #236099

HYDROJETTING

480-477-8842

SEWER CABLE COMPREHENSIVE, FULL-SERVICE PLUMBING COMPANY

BOOK ONLINE! STATE48DRAINS.COM 20+ YEARS OF EXPERIENCE FAMILY OWNED & OPERATED LICENSED, BONDED & INSURED ROC 3297740

Pool Service / Repair

Juan Hernandez

Pavers • Concrete • Water Features • Sprinkler Repair

PPebbleOcracking, O L Plaster R Epeeling, P ARebar IR showing, Pool Light out? I CAN HELP!

FALL SPECIAL! $500 OFF COMPLETE REMODEL! 25 Years Experience • Dependable & Reliable

Call Juan at

480-720-3840 Not a licensed contractor.

Roofing

Serving All Types Clean, Prompt, Friendly and Professional Service of Roofing: FREE ESTIMATES

10% Discount for Ahwatukee Residents 100% NO Leak Guarantee Re-Roof & Roofing Repairs Tile, Shingles & Flat Roof

MonsoonRooﬁngInc.com Licensed – Bonded – Insured – ROC187561

Sell Your Stuff! Call Classifieds Today! 480.898.6465

CLASS@TIMESPUBLICATIONS.COM

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

• Tiles & Shingles sunlandroofingllc@gmail.com • Installation • Repair • Re-Roofing

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.

PHILLIPS

Go to www.storagetreasures.com to bid on unit(s). Published: East Valley Tribune Dec 5, 12, 2021 / 42827

602-471-2346

ROOFING LLC COMMERCIAL AND RESIDENTIAL

Family Owned and Operated 43 Years Experience in Arizona

623-873-1626 Free Estimates Monday through Saturday

480-699-2754 • info@monsoonroofinginc.com

Public Notices

Licensed 2006 ROC 223367 Bonded Insured

It is understood that the Arizona Museum of Natural History (AzMNH) made an agreement with now deceased Mr. Richard Hupfer in Mesa, AZ to house archaeological material uncovered in the Riverview complex. The agreement was made in 2004 or 2005. It is the intent of AzMNH to claim title to these artifacts if no valid claims are made by Feb. 15, 2021. To make a claim or for further information, please contact Dr. Emily Early at emily.early@mesaaz.gov or (480)6445907. Published: East Valley Tribune, Dec 12, 19, 2021 / 43287

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.

LEGAL NOTICES

Deadline for Sunday’s Edition is the Wednesday prior at 5pm. Please call Elaine at 480-898-7926 to inquire or email your notice to: legals@evtrib.com and request a quote.

Roofing

aOver 30 Years of Experience

aFamily Operated by 3 Generations of Roofers! Premier Tile, Shingle & Foam Roofer!

Spencer 4 HIRE ROOFING Valley Wide Service

PhillipsRoofing.org PhillipsRoofing@cox.net Meetings/Events?

Get Free notices in the Classifieds!

Submit to ecota@timespublications.com

480-446-7663 FREE Estimates • Credit Cards OK www.spencer4hireroofing.com ROC#244850 | Insured | Bonded

GILBERT SUN NEWS | DECEMBER 12, 2021

China Before Communism

2022 PRODUCTION WITH LIVE ORCHESTRA

“A fascinating insight into what China’s culture used to be and what I hope one day will be restored to China.”

EXPERIENCE the brilliance and majesty of China’s civilization before communism.

—Edward McMillan-Scott, former Vice-President of the European Parliament

“There is massive power in this. It brings great hope...”

Exquisite beauty from the heavens, profound wisdom from dynasties past, timeless legends and ethnic traditions all spring to life through classical Chinese dance, enchanting live orchestral music, authentic costumes, and patented interactive backdrops. It is an immersive experience that will uplift your spirit and transport you to another world.

—Daniel Herman, former Minister of Culture of the Czech Republic

“It is breathtaking! I am walking away deeply inspired and profoundly moved!” —Rita Cosby, Emmy Award-winning journalist

“I encourage everyone to see and all of us to learn from.”

Join us for a night filled with courage and wisdom, light and hope... Experience Shen Yun!

—Donna Karan, creator of DKNY

FEB 26–27

MAR 2–6

MAR 10–13

Tucson Music Hall

Orpheum Theatre

Mesa Arts Center

TUCSON

PHOENIX

MESA

Tickets ShenYun.com/AZ

800-880-0188