Gilbert Sun News 04-07-2019

GPS to vote on revised bell times Tuesday

BY CECILIA CHAN GSN Managing Editor

ilbert Public Schools Governing Board is expected Tuesday to approve a new bell schedule for the coming academic year to resolve the ongoing late arrival and drop-off of over 10,000 students who ride the bus.

The board is contemplating a proposal with uniform bell times for each school level with high schoolers beginning class first, followed by elementary and then junior high students.

“We’ve been blaming our bus drivers for 10 years when it’s our structure that is causing the problem,” said board member Jill

Humpherys at last week’s work study session. “Changing start times, that’s controversial because it has a very personal impact to everyone in the district.”

The district’s bell-time structure is not only financially inefficient but results in an unprecedented 66 percent of all elementary buses running late almost every day, according to a district-hired consultant.

The current bell schedule doesn’t allow drivers the time to pick up or drop off the maximum number of students on time and move on to the next school.

The board was presented with two options in March. Both pared down the nine bell times for schools to three.

“Nine bell times for 40 schools is unprecedented,” said consultant Paul Novak last week. “I’ve never seen anything like it.”

The school district polled parents and staff during spring break on the proposals and an overwhelming number liked Option 2, which put elementary school bell times between that of high schools and junior highs. In Option 1, elementary schools were first, followed by high schools and then junior highs.

Of the 23,156 households in the district, 10,370 responded to the survey with 64 percent in support of Option 2, according to Dawn Antestenis, district spokeswoman.

Gilbert woman seeks home to help baby addicts

BY CECILIA CHAN GSN Managing Editor

Monique French was taking prescribed psychotropic medication and Subutex to treat an opioid addiction when she became pregnant in November 2017.

She had been on prescription opioids since 14 to treat chronic pain from endometriosis but ended up abusing her medication, at one point using heroin. She was switched to Subutex for pain management.

French said she had a normal pregnancy and there were no red flags until her son, Malachi, was born on Aug. 4.

“My son was in the hospital for two months,” the 33-year-old Mesa mom said. “He has neonatal abstinence syndrome.”

Gilbert-based nonprofit Hushabye

Nursery was founded to serve moms like French, but it also wants to help babies like Malachi.

The need has never been greater.

Neonatal abstinence syndrome commonly called NAS is the name for a baby’s withdrawal symptoms from drug exposure in the womb before birth. Most babies who withdraw show signs within 24 to 72 hours after birth, though some symptoms may not appear for seven to eight days, according to experts.

Malachi was one of 1,472 NAS babies born in Arizona from 2008-13, according to the state Department of Health Services. NAS rates have increased 235 percent in Arizona from 2008-14, the department reported.

A Centers for Disease Control and

Monique French of Mesa holds 7-month old son Malachi after she and the baby were treated for drug withdrawal symptoms related to opioid addiction.

(Kimberly Carrillo/GSN Staff Photographer)

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Despite Gilbert witness, lawmakers reject abuse suit change

BY HOWARD FISCHER Capitol Media Services

ictims of child rape and sexual abuse won’t get more time to sue their assailants, at least not this year.

Rep. Regina Cobb, R-Kingman, refused to allow a vote on the measure Thursday in the Senate Appropriations Committee, which she chairs.

Cobb said she has no problem with expanding the current law that now requires victims to file suit within two years of turning 18. SB 1011 would have expanded that to 12 years, meaning when someone turns 30.

But Cobb said she could not support a provision designed to provide some legal relief for those who were molested years ago but whose time to file suit under the current Arizona law has long since expired.

Her action came after Gregory Kelly, now a Gilbert resident, told lawmakers how he was able to use a more expansive law in Delaware “to expose a serial pedophile who had gone undetected for decades.’’

He and his brother, 12 and 11 at the time, were abused over a three-night period by a lifelong friend of the family. But Cobb said the shock of it all prevented him from disclosing what had happened until he was an adult.

It was only later he discovered the Delaware law allowing for late-filed lawsuits. He said the publicity around his case brought out dozens of other victims who were willing to testify, resulting in the judge stepping down from the bench, admitting to the incidents.

It is my belief that, without the civil window in Delaware (law), that Judge Bradley would have continued to molest children until caught, which might never have happened.

“Sadly, my brother, having never come to grips with his abuse in the way that I did, took his own life at age 55 last November, Kelly said.

The proposal by Sen. Paul Boyer, R-Phoenix, would have provided a twoyear window to bring all these old cases to court. That would have opened the door for victims of past child abuse to file new lawsuits, even if the incident had occurred decades earlier.

But the failure of the issue to advance can’t be blamed strictly on Cobb.

Sen. Eddie Farnsworth, R-Gilbert, said he was willing to hear Boyer’s measure in the Senate Judiciary Committee. But Farnsworth said he would not consider

any version that would open that new two-year window to file suit on prior cases.

Boyer found that unacceptable and sought to make an end-run around Farnsworth by having the measure heard in Cobb’s committee. Cobb agreed to allow testimony from Boyer as well as victims and advocates but no vote.

What makes Cobb’s action so crucial is this is the last committee hearing of the session. And Boyer, who has been championing the issue for years, cannot get the bill to the full House or Senate where he claims he has the votes if he can’t get out of a committee.

The problem, said Boyer, is that Arizona has a two-year statute of limitations to file civil claims of rape and sexual abuse.

That clock does not start running until the victim turns 18. But Boyer said that is insufficient time for someone who has been groomed by a predator to actually realize that it was not their fault and how they had been harmed.

Attorney Jeff Dion, who said he was a victim of child sex abuse, said that’s exactly the case.

“I did not recognize what happened to me counted as abuse until I was in law school, he told lawmakers. “I was in my mid-30s before I recognized how that abuse had harmed me and what the impact had been on my life."

Dion said this legislation isn’t simply about getting compensation and justice for victims. He said such lawsuits are the only way of shining a light on those who

committed abuse and putting a halt to their activities.

“We know that, even if it takes someone 30 years to disclose the abuse, when their perpetrator is still alive, they’re often still molesting kids," he said.

Boyer said the current requirement to file lawsuits by someone’s 20th birthday is the lowest of any surrounding state. There is some debate about whether to increase that to when someone turns 25 or 30. The issue, said Farnsworth, is allowing those who say they were prior victims of abuse to file suit now, no matter how long ago that was.

For example, he said, there may have been policies in place at the time about whether someone was allowed alone in a room with a child.

“That’s some evidence," Farnsworth said. “If that’s all been destroyed 50 years later, how do you present that?"

Ditto, he said, of a situation where there was someone else in the room who has since passed away.

“ e’re not talking about five years later," Farnsworth said. “We’re talking about potentially 30, 40, 50 years later."

That did not bother Rep. Randy Friese, D-Tucson. He said if the plaintiff can’t provide sufficient proof of the incident, a jury will throw out the case.

But Farnsworth, who is an attorney, said the allegation itself is a form of proof that puts the burden on the defense to find evidence that may no longer be around.

And that, he said, is the whole reason that there are statutes of limitations.

“The farther you are removed from an incident of harm, the less likely the evidence is going to be valid," Farnsworth said. “It may not even be existing because people shred documents, because people move away, because people die, because people don’t remember."

The legislation allows a lawsuit against officials of any organization who purposely ignore evidence that someone is guilty of sexual abuse and continue to allow them to come into contact with children.

“I’m concerned about the liability for first responders who just blow it and don’t see the signs" of sexual abuse, said Rep. John Kavanagh, R-Fountain Hills. He said that also could mean lawsuits against teachers who suddenly find themselves being sued decades later “when they can’t even get witnesses to testify in their favor because everybody’s gone or passed away."

An edition of the East Valley Tribune

Rep. Eddie Farnsworth

She said each household was asked to provide one response to the survey but there was no guarantee that happened.

Of the district’s 4,326 employees, 2,108 responded, and of that 60 percent preferred Option 2, Antestenis said.

A majority of those polled didn’t leave comments, but the ones who did ran on key themes.

Those themes included comments that older students should be released first so they can take care of their younger siblings; a later release time for junior high students would impact after-school activities and affect the ability to look after younger siblings; and elementary students shouldn’t have to get up early and be out at bus stops before 7 a.m., according to Antestenis.

People also commented that they liked the current start and end times.

Board members also addressed some of the questions the public put in their comments such as why a change is being considered and why the district spent money on a consultant.

Board President Reed Carr, who has a background in transportation with a Fortune 100 company, said it was cheaper for the district to hire a consultant for a one-time cost to come up with a solution to the district’s bus problem than to hire an employee, which would incur an ongoing expense.

“I’ve been there, made these decisions,” he said. “You have an external expert because it’s less expensive in the long run.”

Humpherys said some respondents suggested that the district should change school boundaries and questioned the need to change bell times.

She said everything changes and used Gilbert and traffic patterns as examples.

“We are at a good place to address it,” she said. “If we are not changing, we are in a static situation and falling behind. The status quo is not quite good enough.”

She said when 66 percent of the buses are late and 30 percent of students ride the bus, it disrupts learning for everyone

when they arrive late to school.

The bell times for Option 2 presented to the public, however, have now been slightly changed due to Senate Bill 1022, which the governor signed into law on April 1, according to Novak

The legislation allows districts to drop the instructional hours for junior high students to 890 hours from 1,000 hours, which allowed for junior high schools to start 5 minutes earlier and end 10 minutes earlier under the revised Option 2, Novak said.

The start and end times for high school and elementary vary by 5 minutes from the original Option 2 and is now Option 2.1.

Carr asked if it was possible for schools that didn’t have busing to have their own bell schedule.

Novak recommended against that, saying all schools have special-needs buses. About 1,000 students take those buses.

“I would caution allowing schools to pick their own start times because of the special-needs implication,” he said.

IF YOU GO

What: Gilbert Public Schools Governing Board to vote for a new bell schedule. Residents are given 3 minutes each to comment on the proposal.

When: 6:30 p.m., Tuesday, April 9

Where: 140 S. Gilbert Road

Option No. 2.1

High school start/end times: 7:30 a.m./2:20 p.m.

Junior high start/end times: 8:40 a.m./3:30 p.m.

Carr said staggering the start times of the district’s 20 elementary schools seems to make more sense because they wouldn’t be competing at the same time for buses.

Novak said staggering the start time would put elementary school bell times in conflict with that of junior high’s and high school’s.

Board member Lori ood said she looked at the schedules of surrounding districts, including Chandler and Mesa. She said their high schools start first, with elementary in the middle and junior high last. She asked why junior high can’t be in the middle as it is currently in the district.

Novak said it can be in the middle but district senior administrators suggested it come last.

He said parents tell them that by the time elementary school students take the

Elementary start/end times: 8:10 a.m./2:55 p.m.

Current bell schedule:

High school start/end times 7:30 a.m.2:30 p.m.

Junior high start/end times: vary, depending on the school, between 7:48 a.m. and 8:08 a.m./2:50 p.m. and 3:30 p.m.

Elementary school start/end times: vary, depending on school, between 7:58 a.m./8:53 a.m. and 2:45 p.m./3:40 p.m.

bus, there is no one at home to see them off. Older siblings have already left and so have parents for work, he added.

Sandwiching the elementary bell schedule between high school and junior high solves that problem, he said.

The junior high sibling is home to see the younger sibling off and the high school sibling is at home to receive the elementary student after school, Novak said.

“Are you confident that if we do 2.1, it will allow us to improve reliability and efficiency ” ood asked.

Novak responded the option would turn the district’s transportation system from high-cost and low-performance to low-cost and high-performance.

nder the proposal, the overall number of buses, routes and bus drivers needed would be reduced.

Gilbert Public Schools will likely need fewer buses, routes and drivers if the Governing Board adopts a new bell schedule for the coming school year. [Special to GSN)

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Prevention study of 28 states found that babies born with an opioid dependency tripled in the 15 years ending in 2013.

On average over 14 babies a week are born in Arizona with possible drug-related withdrawal symptoms, according to Hushabye Nursery, which has been holding support groups at various locations in the alley since 2017.

A pregnant woman using opioids who reaches out to Hushabye gets counseling on what to do and is connected to obstetrician and treatment programs.

The nonprofit is looking for donated space for a NAS residential facility that will keep moms and their babies together and support their recovery.

It would be the first in Arizona.

“Our goal will be to house 12 moms and their babies,” said Gilbert resident Tara Sundem, who co-founded Hushabye with Ahwatukee resident Kelly oody, both neonatal nurse practitioners.

The nonprofit envisions starting off with 12 private rooms, each big enough to have a twin bed, a crib and a rocking chair.

Neonatal withdrawal can take up to eight weeks. Once the babies are stabilized in the hospital, they would be transferred to Hushabye Nursery to continue their withdrawal journey.

nlike a neonatal intensive care unit which is high-paced and noisy Hushabye’s nursery would provide the quiet, calm environment NAS babies need to recover, according to its founders.

“Sometimes it can take a couple of months to recover, it just depends on the baby,” Sundem said. “Most literature say up to six months but in talking to many moms, it’s about a year.”

What a baby goes through during withdrawal is similar to that of an adult’s, according to Sundem.

“I had one mom describe withdrawal as the worst flu and migraine times 100,” she said.

Signs of withdrawal in a baby include seizures, high-pitch crying, sneezing, vomiting and sweating. Babies having a difficult time are given morphine and are then slowly weaned off of it, according to Sundem.

“We have specially trained staff that wants to work with this population,” she said. “You really have to have dedicated caregivers for this special population.”

Sundem said Hushabye want to replicate Lily’s Place in est irginia, the country’s first neonatal abstinence syndrome center when it opened in 2014.

But unlike Lily’s Place, which only treats babies, Hushabye would treat both

the baby and the mom or primary caregiver, Sundem said.

“The mom or primary caregiver can stay 24/7 and while they do that they will get intensive outpatient therapy and stay and learn to care for their babies,” she said. “We also treat their opioid-use disorder. We are giving these families hope. Babies are supposed to be fun and exciting and you find these moms hopeless.

“You give them support and treat them like we want to be treated. We are making it so they are healthy enough and that it is safe to keep families united.”

In Arizona, reports of substance-exposed newborns are increasing, according to Darren DaRonco, spokesman for Arizona Department of Child Services.

In fiscal year 2016, the department received approximately 3,700 reports; in 2017, 4,200 reports; and in 2018, about 4,300 reports, DaRonco said.

“The department does not automatically remove children due to substance exposure in utero and we do not remove children solely based on a parent’s substance abuse,” he said. “A removal is based on each family’s unique circumstances and whether the individual can safely parent the children.”

He said the goal is to to mitigate the safety concerns so children and families can remain together.

French said Hushabye’s proposed facility would have been a big help for her.

The hospital discharged Malachi from NIC after he was weaned off morphine and sent him home with French, who was clueless on how to care for her baby.

“I’m a first-time mom without support,” she said. “I didn’t understand why he was crying, why I couldn’t hold him and why he wasn’t sleeping. I didn’t know what was wrong.”

She also didn’t know a NAS baby could exhibit withdrawal symptoms for six months to a year.

She purchased a number of sleep-aid items such as a swaddle blanket in an effort to soothe her inconsolable baby. But after two weeks of literally not sleeping herself, she sought help at the Child Crisis Center.

A center nurse put French in touch with Sundem, who provided support such as teaching her how to console Malachi.

“With a NAS baby you have to shush and rock them differently,” French said. “Normally with a baby, you rock it back and forth. With him, it was up and down in a rapid motion. And when you shush a (NAS) baby, you slowly have to shush. Little things like that made a huge difference. I can put him down and he is fine. Before Tara, he would be screaming bloody murder.”

At 7 months, Malachi is now starting to

attend Tutor Time. Sundem had gone in beforehand to explain to the staff on how to comfort a NAS baby, French said. Her son also has access to health-care providers such as occupational and physical therapists.

Hushabye’s mission calls for offering nonjudgmental support, education and counseling to mothers and families, something French said she wished she had.

“It’s been really hard,” French said. “I wasn’t one of those moms on drugs and being in the hospital with my son going through withdrawal, everyone from the nurses to the doctors was horrible to me ‘How could you have your son like this?’”

French said because she was on prescription Subutex, she thought she was fine when she found out she was pregnant.

According to a 2016 study, the increase in use of prescribed opioids among women during pregnancy has probably contributed to the rise in NAS.

In the S, estimates suggest that 1422 percent of pregnant women obtain an opioid prescription during pregnancy, and there has been an increase in opioiduse disorders among pregnant women, according to the study.

Even if French could have gone through detox, she would have been advised against it. If a mom has been using and she finds she is pregnant and stops, she’s

at high risk for relapse, Sundem said.

“If you could go through cold turkey and not miscarry, the likelihood of people being successful is very low,” she said. “The next time they use, they are at a very risk at overdosing and losing the baby.”

Sundem said Hushabye is open to offers of space anywhere in the alley.

“The opioid crisis is everywhere, so we are open to any location,” she said. “What we expect is wherever we start that once we are able to have proof of concept that we are able to say this works, we are able to spread out and go to different parts of the alley.”

While waiting for someone to donate the use of a building, Hushabye has been building community partners.

“By doing that, more and more people are realizing the impact we are having with the families,” she said. “We have a lot of community partners that reach to us and want to work with us but not anyone who says, ‘here is a building.’”

Information hushabyenursery.org

Kelly Woody, left, of Ahwatukee, and Tara Sundem of Gilbert are both neonatal nurse practitioners who hope to find a building they can convert into a residential facility for women and their babies as they go through drug withdrawal. (Special to GSN)

Sundem and Woody envision their facility would be a bit different from Lily's Place in West Virginia, the nation's first neonatal abstinence center, in that they would want to keep the baby and mom together. (Special to GSN)

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As their counterparts on the House Education Committee did during a March 18 hearing, some members of the House Judiciary Committee last week wept as mothers who

teens to suicide told them their sons might be alive today had teachers, princi dall, a part-time teacher, added, “I can tell you that teachers do want this training. They want to know how they can help. They see children in distress and they want to know how they can help.”

Town monitoring noise complaints at new bar

GSN NEWS STAFF

Sandbar Mexican Grill in Gilbert has taken steps to turn down the volume after receiving noise complaints.

Since the restaurant and bar debut in March at SanTan illage Shopping Center at Williams Field Road and Santan illage Parkway, residents have been taking to social media to voice their annoyance.

“I live at al ista and Ray and it is sooo bad,” wrote Anmaire Mitchell Gum on the Go Gilbert Facebook page last week. “And I love a good time But last weekend I did call the no emergency PD #. Dispatch said they were hammered with calls.”

Lisa Paris wrote, “Town of Gilbert isn’t going to do anything about it. They haven’t done a thing since hiskey Row opened up. The only thing that has helped for me is soundproof windows.

hich means on cool nights I can’t sleep with the windows open.”

Sandbar, however, has fixed the problem, according to Les Corieri, owner of Evening Entertainment Group, which includes other venues such as Casa Amigos and HiFi Scottsdale.

“As of Monday, March 25, Sandbar Gilbert disconnected the subwoofers and turned down the high speakers,” Corieri said in a statement. “Since we made those changes, we have received no further noise complaints.”

But a Facebook post a few days after March 25 by Pamela Morrison still spoke of a noise problem.

“To the person who posted about the Sandbar. I live at Ray and Greenfield and in addition to the Top Golf noise I also can hear what was concerning you hence why I’m up at 1 30 a.m.”

The town has taken note of the situation.

“Yes, we have received noise

complaints related to activity at the Sandbar since its opening,” said Jennifer Harrison, town spokeswoman.

She said that in accordance to the town’s ordinance, Gilbert Police Department will visit neighborhoods surrounding the Sandbar and measure noise levels emitting from the establishment to determine if any violation exists.

“Once that information is collected, the Police Department will take appropriate action if necessary,” Harrison said, adding

“With that being said, as with any new business, there are potential challenges that may arise and the Gilbert Police Department, Code Compliance, and the Planning teams are listening and diligently working with the owners of the Sandbar to find solutions regarding these resident concerns.”

The Sandbar on Williams Field Road wasn't open very long before nearby residential neighbors started filing noise complaints with the town. The bar owners said they've taken steps to mitigate noise, though the town is monitoring the situation. (Special to GSN)

Senior facility clears first town review

BY CECILIA CHAN GSN Managing Editor

An 85-unit assisted-care facility cleared an initial hurdle to build near the Mercy Gilbert Medical Center campus.

Planning Commission last week approved a conditional use permit for The Abbington at Gilbert on 3.18 acres at the corner of Mercy and Pecos roads. The site is part of the Celebration Campus to support the medical campus, according to Ashlee MacDonald, senior planner.

The 78,650-square-foot building would be two-stories, she told the commissioners, adding staff recommenced approval.

Sixteen of the units would be dedicated for memory care, according to Jared Humphries, a partner and architect for the project.

The assisted-living facility includes a mix of studios, one- and two-bedroom units.

More than a dozen senior housing

options currently exist in Gilbert, ranging from independent living to skilled nursing.

Matt Walker of Abbington Senior Living Corp. said the plan is to break ground within 180 days, provided the facility makes it through the approval process. It would then take 14 months to build, he added.

“We are an aging population,” Walker said after the vote. “Baby boomers are getting to the age they need care in the next 15-20 years. There may be a good amount of supply now, but there’s going to be more demand.”

The senior housing market is expected to grow with the graying of baby boomers, those born 1946 to 1964.

Roughly 10,000 baby boomers turn 65 each day, a trend that will rise through 2030 when all people from that generation will be older than 65, according to the S Census Bureau.

By 2035, people 65 and older are projected to outnumber children for the first time in S history 78 million

compared with 76.7 million, the Census Bureau added.

As such, all types of senior housing

facilities are poised for growth, according to Kidder Matthews, a commercial real estate firm.

Congratulations to our 2018 Best of the Best

The Abbington at Gilbert will sit on 3.18 acres at the corner of Mercy and Pecos roads and the 78,650-square-foot complex will house both assisted living and memory care residents. (Special to GSN)

Roger JohnsonStacie Neumann

David Arustamian

Genette Edwards

Carrie Black

Laurie Moore

Christine Anthony

Political firestorm surrounds EVIT chief

BY JIM WALSH GSN Staff Writer

Abitter election full of charges, countercharges, conspiracy theories and threats last fall soured an already tense relationship between the East alley Institute of Technology and Mesa Public Schools.

The outcome was catastrophic for longtime E IT Superintendent Sally Downey, who is on the verge of losing her once influential and lucrative position possibly as early as Monday, April 8.

The acrimonious ballot battle over the often overlooked and little known E IT Governing Board included accusations that a Mesa schools administrator was leading a “coup’’ a charge denied by the administrator and the district.

On the other side, Mesa officials worried that E IT personnel were encouraging voters to reject a critical bond issue, which won narrow approval, and a budget override, which was narrowly defeated.

Downey was placed on administrative suspension after the new board was seated in January.

Downey’s three-year extension on her contract was signed last year and runs through 2021 with a base salary of $188,613 annually.

Her perks include a $30,000 per year annuity contribution, a $750 monthly car allowance and a $100,000 life insurance policy.

Although E IT normally has a low profile, it is an important institution with a wide regional presence in the East alley, with an enrollment of 3,932 and campuses in west and east Mesa, Apache Junction and Fountain Hills.

The two Gilbert districts combined send the most students to E IT.

High school students from eight East alley school districts split their day between regular classes at their school and vocational classes at E IT.

An investigation by attorney Susan Segal revealed a list of suspected violations of procurement and contract laws, and an Open Meetings Law violation, that are under investigation by the Arizona Attorney General’s Office for possible civil sanctions.

With all signs pointing toward the board working out a separation agreement with Downey, her allies including former MPS governing board president Ben Smith are firing back. Smith, the former MPS governing board president who lost his re-election bid in

November, is not satisfied with the investigation by Mesa schools legal counsel Tom Pickrell.

Pickrell cleared career technical education director Marlo Loria of wrongdoing and concluded she was exercising her constitutional rights as a citizen to participate in an election.

Smith said he had a friend secretly record Loria at staff meetings.

He said he then arranged for a politically connected intermediary to deliver the recordings and other records to the state Attorney General’s Office for investigation into whether MPS resources were used to orchestrate the ouster of E IT candidates loyal to Downey.

The documents show at least two receipts for printing of fliers in support of Larry Johnson, who eventually was elected to the board, and an unspecified print order for Ronda Shumway Doolen, who also was elected.

It also included a detailed diagram listing all the E IT candidates, the districts they represent and their status for the upcoming ballot.

On the tapes, Loria mainly defends herself against charges that she violated state law through her support of E IT board candidates. Loria also explains a fundamental difference of philosophy between E IT and MPS about career education.

She said Downey wants “every kid to go to E IT, while MPS wants students to have an opportunity to explore career possibilities without committing to a potential career path.

“Our kids should have exploration opportunities. They have great programs at E IT, but so do we, Loria said. ith about 20,000 high school students in Mesa, “there’s plenty of kids to go around."

“ e are not shutting down E IT. e support E IT. You can go to E IT and we will make it work, Loria says.

But Loria also makes a comment about

Smith, who was the MPS governing board president at that time.

“Ben Smith supports E IT. He just does. He has been part of questioning the authenticity of our program, which is fine, Loria said on the recording. “I’m working with him so he can see the other side."

Smith said he believes Loria’s comments could have influenced his defeat in the MPS election.

“I had other board members telling me, ‘Ben, you need to be on our side, he said. “Mesa wants to offer more CTE (career technical education) programs on their campuses so that kids don’t have to go E IT.

He said MPS officials wanted Downey gone to protect their funding of CTE programs as E IT satellite programs.

At a point on both tapes, Loria tells her staff that she would not endorse any candidates at a staff meeting, but would share her opinions over a beer or a cider after school hours.

“I probably overstepped a few bounds, Loria adds. “My stance is always do what is best for the kids … this whole ideology that Marlo Loria is against E IT is false.

Pickrell’s analysis points to friction between the two public school governing boards that started grinding in February 2018 when Downey demanded that MPS fire Loria for her role in circulating petitions and serving as campaign manager for David Lane, an MPS auto repair instructor who had won election to the E IT board.

After determining Loria exercised her

First Amendment rights on off-hours, MPS informed Downey in May that “her complaint was unfounded" and refused to remove Loria from her job.

But the dispute was far from over.

The sparks seemed to smolder into a fire in August, when E IT governing board member Robert Covington and principal Craig Pearson appeared before the MPS board, where Covington accused MPS of orchestrating the “coup."

“Mr. Covington warned that if MPS does not ‘educate its employees about conflict of interest and hold them accountable for their misconduct,’ MPS will damage its reputation and may lose its override and bond elections," Pickrell’s report said.

He also said MPS might lose its state funding of satellite career education programs, which had been approved in the past.

But again, Pickrell said he found no violations of law by Loria and a second administrator, Barbara “Tot allace.

“They assured us that they circulated petitions only when off duty," Pickrell wrote. “There does not appear to be good cause to take disciplinary action against Ms. Loria, Ms. allace or Mr. Lane.

Pickrell noted that Downey, her administrative assistant and three E IT employees had circulated petitions for Shon Rasmussen, a longtime E IT supporter who eventually was defeated in the November election by Johnson.

“Evidentially, they welcome their employees support for incumbents and oth-

Supporters of EVIT Superintendent Sally Downey posted online secretly made recordings of Mesa Public Schools career technical education director Marlo Loria addressing her staff. (YouTube)

Gilbert trampoline park opening coming weekend

GSN NEWS STAFF

Residents can jump up and help Altitude Trampoline Park celebrate its grand opening in Gilbert this Saturday.

This is the company’s second facility in the alley; another is in Phoenix.

“We’re excited to be opening our first location in Gilbert and expand our presence in the Phoenix market,” said COO Jeff Rutten in a news release.

“We look forward to providing the Maricopa County community with a new destination for active, family entertainment in a safe and clean environment,” he added.

The first 100 people in line on Saturday will be admitted for free.

The 35,000-square-foot facility features trampolines, Trampoline Basketball,

Battle Beam, Zip Line, Monkey Bars, High-9 Reaction all, Kids Court and more.

Included with the purchase of jump time on Saturday, visitors will receive a raffle ticket to enter to win prizes announced throughout the day, including a family fourpack, free 10-person birthday party, four free Friday Night Friendzy tickets, free 20-person birthday party and a free jump pass for a year.

Altitude Gilbert will also host a full week of promotions and giveaways the week after the grand opening event, including April 14 Jumpers 6 and younger jump free all day April 15 30 percent off Birthday Parties booked today in person, online or by phone. Reservation accepted one year in advance April 16 $15 for three hours of jump time

April 17 Ribbon-cutting event with Gilbert Mayor Jenn Daniels. Family Night, four or more jumps for $10 a person

April 18 Buy one hour of jump time, get a second hour for free

April 19 Friday Night

Friendzy, first 30 jumpers receive free admittance, backpack and water bottle

April 20 Easter Egg hunt. All jumpers who arrive between 10 a.m. and 1 p.m. get three hours of jump time for $20. Easter Egg hunt open to all jumpers 15 and younger at 1 p.m.

Altitude Trampoline Park was founded in 2012 and touts itself as the fastest growing trampoline park company in the world. The company has parks on three continents and cities around the globe.

IF YOU GO:

What: Altitude Trampoline Park grand-opening

When: 10 a.m., Saturday, April 13

Where: 701 N. Gilbert Road

Hours: Monday-Thursday, 10 a.m.- 9

p.m.; Friday and Saturday, 10 a.m.-10 p.m. and Sunday, 11 a.m.-7 p.m. Single-jumper rates range from $9.99 to $19.99, and all jumpers must have a waiver signed before entering the park.

Info: altitudegilbert.com

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Anthony Petelin, MD Mohs Surgery James Young, DO Mohs Surgery

David Kelly, MD Plastic Surgery

Brian deGuzman, MD Vein Specialist

Altitude Trampoline Park will host a full week of promotions and giveaways the week after the grand opening event, starting April 14. (Pablo Robles/GSN Staff Photographer)

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Racing school auction depends on what’s in a name

BY PAUL MARYNIAK GSN Executive Editor

The internationally renowned Bob Bondurant School of High Performance Driving could be under new ownership by May if a big question can be answered to the new owners’ satisfaction Can it still be called the Bob Bondurant School if its namesake no longer has anything to do with the legendary automobile racing-training facility?

A federal bankruptcy judge last month approved the school’s sale for $1.67 million if the winning bidder can work out a lease with the tribal firm that owns the land as well as resolve a dispute over the use of the Bondurant name.

Stig Investments Inc. beat out five other bidders for the famed racing school just south of Ahwatukee, according to minutes of the courtroom auction that were filed last week in federal court.

Judge Brenda K. Martin gave Stig until early May to work out a lease with Sun alley Marina Development Corp. a development arm of the Gila River Indian Community, where the school has been located since 1990. Racing legend Bob Bondurant and his wife Patricia founded the school in California in 1968.

Martin allowed the school to be auctioned after the Bondurants’ bankruptcy lawyers saw no other way to save it from a sea of red ink.

But the personal attorneys for the Bondurants asserted that whether the name will be part of the acquisition had to be settled by a separate agreement between them and whoever placed the winning bid.

Also off the table in the auction, they asserted, is a museum on the site that contains extensive memorabilia and a small fleet of motorcycles and cars at the site, located on the Gila River Indian Community next to Wild Horse Pass Motorsports Park.

ith $3.5 million in debts, the Bondurants filed for bankruptcy last October nine months after the couple had celebrated the 50th anniversary of the school’s founding in Orange County, California. It moved to the Gila River Indian Community site in 1990.

Over those 50 years, the school has been a training ground for an estimated 500,000 beginners learning to drive, military and law enforcement personnel learning advanced pursuit and evasion techniques and competitive racers. It also

became a popular venue for corporate team-building activities and charity fundraising events.

In the nine months that followed the anniversary celebration, a variety of factors pushed the school into seeking bankruptcy protection so it could reorganize its finances.

Those factors included the loss of “a substantial contract with the .S. Government to train military personnel” that was worth millions, and a downturn in the auto industry’s economy that resulted in what the Bondurants called “inconsistent” payments from the school’s two primary sponsors Dodge and Fiat.

As a result, court papers state, that “disrupted Bondurant School’s ability to remain current with its own vendors” including rent to an arm of the Gila River Indian Community, which owns the site where the school is located. Back rent now totals more than $245,000.

The Bondurants’ personal lawyers filed court papers objecting to the sale including Bob Bondurant’s “name and likeness and related intellectual property” as well as the museum.

“Any buyer of the (school’s) assets will not acquire the right to use Bob’s name and/or likeness, the memorabilia or any of the information in the archive unless he, she or it reaches a separate agreement

with the Bondurants,” the couple’s lawyer told the court.

The museum houses seven motorcycles one dating to 1940 and dirt bikes and nine high-performance and other automobiles as well as a variety of memorabilia from Bob Bondurant’s days as an international racing star.

“He also knew that many fans of motor racing as well as persons passionate about classic vehicles were interested in seeing the museum cars, the memorabilia, the photographs and other material in archive and the other property,” Patty Bondurant stated in an affidavit, adding

“Any purchaser will be required to remove Bob’s name and likeness and my name and likeness from all web sites, social media platforms, retail locations, advertising, publicity pieces, signs, vehicles and any and all other material in any form.

“Bob and I will aggressively prosecute causes of action against any person, including a purchaser of the school, who uses any of the museum cars, memorabilia, other property, his name and likeness, photographs, videos, articles, interviews of bob or me and/or any pictures or information from the archives without first entering into agreements with bob on terms acceptable to us.”

But the lawyers for the school disagreed

strenuously and said the Bondurants have lost any legal right to protect their name from continuing to be used regardless of whoever owns the school.

“To be absolutely clear no party wants to treat Bob Bondurant unfairly. All parties recognize he built this business over an illustrious 50-year career. What he owns, the (school) is not attempting to take.”

On the issue of the museum, they noted, “There are multiple ‘Museum Cars’ that have no clear evidence of ownership.”

The school’s lawyers also asserted that the school, and not Bondurant personally, owns his name, memorabilia and image.

“Bondurant cannot lawfully prevent the use of his name, image or likeness embodied in the marks, or currently embodied in the memorabilia and archive; The Bondurant name embodies the significant goodwill that has been built over the 51-year history of the school,” they said, adding

“The statement that Mr. Bondurant never transferred the right to use his name or the memorabilia or the archive to the (school) is demonstrably false.”

It added that the prospective new owner would own virtually anything with Bob Bondurant’s name even his personalized signature.

The sprawling Bob Bondurant School of High Performance Driving on the Gila River Indian Community was sold at a bankruptcy court auction for $1.65 million, but the sale is in jeopardy because of a dispute over whether the Bondurant name and memorabilia come the track and school building. (Special to GSN)

er favored candidates, but they demand that MPS suppress its employees support for E IT governing board employees that they oppose," Pickrell wrote.

Pickrell cited ARS 15-511, which gives the Attorney General authority to sue school districts for violating the prohibition against actions intended to influence an election, using school resources or time. The penalty is $5,000 per violation.

In part, the law says, “A person acting on behalf of a school district or a person who aids another person acting on behalf of a school district shall not spend or use school district or charter school resources, including the use or expenditure of monies, accounts, credit, facilities, vehicles, postage, telecommunications, computer hardware and software, web pages, personnel, equipment, materials, buildings or any other thing of value of the school district or charter school, for the purpose of influencing the outcomes of elections.”

Helen Hollands, an MPS spokeswoman, said all of the questions raised by Smith have been thoroughly investigated and none of it violates the law, including the tapes.

She said the election diagram was “fac-

ith five positions open on the nine-member board, two incumbents were eliminated from the ballot for having too few signatures of registered voters to qualify, Norman Colbert and Matt Wright, who missed out by only seven.

on administrative leave and hired attorney Susan Segal to investigate her almost as soon as the new members were seated.

Segal’s list of possible violations of state procurement and contract laws are the subject of a civil investigation by the Arizona Attorney General’s Office, while the state Department of Education is investigating the certification of as many as 60 E IT teachers.

Katie Conner, a spokeswoman for the Attorney General’s Office, said the additional allegations generated by Smith will be added to the civil investigation already underway into Downey’s management practices.

tual," making it exempt from being a violation, and that no one controls emails that are sent to their inbox by another party.

Hollands also confirmed that Loria has been promoted to executive director of innovative partnerships, effective July 1, and will likely receive a pay increase. She said she does not know Loria’s new salary.

The E IT election’s dynamics were especially dicey and eventually left Downey and her supporters at a disadvantage.

Another incumbent, Erwin “Erv" Heimbuck and Downey supporter Rasmussen, lost their elections. Heimbuck was defeated by Shumway Doolen.

right’s disqualification left a clear path for election of Shelli Richardson Boggs, who had clashed with Downey when Boggs worked for E IT.

Colbert’s disqualification cleared space for Bryghtyn Franker, a estwood High School teacher, to win election to the E IT board as a write-in candidate.

Downey’s downfall came swiftly.

The new board quickly placed Downey

The board also is seeking a separation agreement with Downey, who spent 19 years as the face of E IT.

“I think it’s all minor stuff, Smith said about Segal’s accusations about Downey, saying she deserved only a reprimand.

While the Attorney General’s investigation continues, Smith said he also is working on another front.

Joined by Rasmussen and Rhonda Levenda, who lost a bid for the Mesa school board, Smith has launched a drive to recall Lane, the E IT board’s new president. He said the three have established the Recall David Lane Political Action Committee.

Sherah LaBuff

In her 19years as EVIT Superintendent, Sally Downey made many powerful friends, such as former Mesa Mayor Scott Smith, who now heads Valley Metro. (Special to GSN)

Gilbert-area lawmaker gives up on state income tax fight

BY HOWARD FISCHER Capitol Media Services

With less than two weeks until the filing deadline, Chandler Republican Sen. J.D. Mesnard and other proponents of saving Arizonans from an unexpected $155-million income tax hike sought by Gov. Doug Ducey this year have given up.

But they’re still hoping to give back to taxpayers next year what they say is an unearned “windfall’’ for the state.

Rep. Ben Toma, R-Peoria, who chairs the House Ways and Means Committee, said Tuesday there simply isn’t time to adjust Arizona tax laws to deal with the fact that changes in federal laws will mean higher bills for some state residents.

“I’ve been telling all my friends to file, he said.

Mesnard, who chairs the Senate Finance Committee and whose district includes western Gilbert, pointed out that many state residents already have, in fact, filed their returns.

New figures Tuesday from the state Department of Revenue show that more than 1.9 million returns already have been received out of what may be an estimated 3 million expected based on prior years.

The forms used by those filers include changes in Arizona tax law that the governor wants, the ones legislative staffers say will boost state revenues by $155 million,

even though that has yet to be approved by the legislature.

But Mesnard said that, given the timing, he doesn’t want to create a situation now where Arizonans who already used those forms would have to file amended returns.

Both Toma and Mesnard told Capitol Media Services, though, that they continue to demand that any final deal with Ducey will ensure that Arizonans in the long run won’t get hit up for more taxes than otherwise would have occurred.

And that, they said, is likely to mean preparing legislation to be enacted this year that either refunds the $155 million excess when people file their 2019 returns a year from now, or making other prospective changes in the tax code.

The concession by the pair that it’s too late to do anything is a victory for the governor, who has insisted all along that Arizona will conform its tax code to the changes in federal law signed by President Trump in late 2017. That is why the state will end up with about $155 million more in its coffers than had Trump never signed the law.

Central to the issue is the federal 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act. It eliminated or reduced many of the deductions that people could take on their 2018 federal returns the ones due on April 15 like taxes paid to state and local governments and interest on mortgages.

But it more than made up for that, at

least in bottom-line revenues, by doubling the standard deduction. That eliminated the advantage of itemizing.

In general, Arizona conforms with federal law, using the same definitions as the Internal Revenue Code to make filing state returns simpler. That conformity, sought by Ducey, would eliminate those same deductions.

The only thing is, there would be no change in the standard deduction for Arizona filers. And legislative budget staffers figured the net impact of conforming to federal law would be to increase state tax collections by about $155 million.

That proved politically unacceptable to Mesnard and Toma as well as to most GOP lawmakers. So they pushed through the Republican-controlled legislature what they saw as a simple solution reduce tax brackets by 0.11 percentage points to shed the extra dollars.

Ducey, who wants the extra dollars for the state’s “rainy-day fund," wasted no time in using his power to veto the measure. And with Democrats wanting to keep the extra cash, there are not enough votes for an override.

Now, with taxes due in less than two weeks, time is running out to create a revenue-neutral fix this year. So now they are focused on how to fix the problem by enacting a future change in the tax code.

The key, said Toma, is to be sure that just because the state gets extra tax dollars this year because of the federal

changes, this does not continue “in perpetuity. More significant, he wants any extra dollars collected this year given back in future years.

“There are different ways to do that," he said. “It could include a one-time tax credit” on individual 2019 taxes.

“It could include some sort of increased exemption for one year just to sort of make it right, if you will," Toma continued. “ e haven’t landed on anything specific.

Still, Toma conceded it won’t be a “perfect offset," with no guarantee that the people who will pay more on their returns this year getting back the same amount next year.

Mesnard said a crucial component is having the entire package both the conformity for this year and the tax offsets for future years approved as a single package to deter future mischief.

The Arizona Constitution requires a two-thirds vote of the legislature not only to increase taxes but also to eliminate any tax cuts or deductions.

Mesnard said that means if a bill is approved this year for a future tax break, it would take a two-thirds vote of a future Legislature to repeal it. That, in turn, would make it difficult, if not impossible, for the governor or future lawmakers to undo the package and the refund of that $155 million.

“My main concern is to make sure that, on the whole, taxpayers are equal to, if not better off than they were," he said.

Company under fire by investors moving to Chandler

BY PAUL MARYNIAK

GSN Executive Editor

ACalifornia for-profit online education services company last week announced it’s moving its headquarters to south Chandler and changing its name less than a month after a class action lawsuit by investors was filed against it and the Securities and Exchange Commission launched an investigation into its financial activities.

Bridgepoint Education Inc. announced

earlier this week it is changing its name to Zovio, moving its headquarters to a new 130,000-square-foot building at 1181 E. Northrup Blvd., and eventually expects to house 800 jobs over the next two years, starting with 200 employees now in temporary offices in Tempe.

The announcement came less than a month after Bridgepoint advised that investors should not rely on two of its consolidated financial statements filed last year because it had “identified errors, relating to revenue, provision for bad debts,

accounts receivable and deferred revenue, which resulted in the overstatement of revenue and expenses.”

The announcement triggered a series of actions for the company, which is already under investigation by the federal Consumer Financial Protection Bureau and the attorneys general for five different states for, among other things, allegedly inflating its student retention rate.

A class action lawsuit was filed by investors against the company, and two law firms began courting potential clients by

announcing that Bridgepoint could be held liable for losses they incurred between March 6, 2016, and March 7, 2019. Bridgepoint’s stock also plummeted by 34 percent.

On March 12, 2019, Bridgepoint filed amended financial statements for the periods containing restatements of balance sheet and income statement data.

“We’re focused on investors’ losses, admitted improper accounting, whether the

This new office building near Chandler Airport and Gilbert will be partly occupied by as many as 800 employees of Bridgepoint Education under its new name, Zovio. (Special to GSN)

so-called errors were in fact irregularities, and the extent to which Defendants may have misled investors,” said Hagens Berman partner Reed Kathrein. Hagens Berman, a national investorrights law firm, also posted invitations on social media to whistleblowers that stated “persons with non-public information regarding Bridgepoint Education should consider their options to help in the investigation.”

Block Leviton LLP, a securities litigation firm, which filed the class action suit, accused Bridgepoint of maintaining “deficient internal controls” and said it was “prone to and did commit material accounting errors related to revenue, provision for bad debts, accounts receivable and deferred revenue.”

Those accounting errors, the suit said, “resulted in the overstatement of revenue and expenses and as a result, Bridgepoint’s public statements were materially false and misleading at all relevant times.”

The owners of online Ashford niversity, Bridgepoint says it “partners with higher education institutions and em-

ployers to deliver innovative, personalized solutions and is redefining education technology.”

Bridepoint spokeswoman Dori Abel declined comment on the litigation, but noted "Ashford has never been found liable of any wrongdoing despite the almost obsessive focus on our institution."

As for the state investigations, she said "We intend to vigorously defend this case and we emphatically deny the allegations made by the attorney general that we ever deliberately misled our students."

She also said the Chandler moved "has been in the works for a much longer time" and that "we have been developing our strategy to transition to a leading education technology services company for a number of years."

In announcing the name change, Bridgepoint CEO Andrew Clark said the rebranding is “further advancing the company’s strategy and transformation to an education technology services company.”

“Today, America has 7 million jobs currently vacant because of a shortage of qualified workers a skills gap that threatens our country’s competitiveness in a global economy,” Clark said in a re-

lease, adding “Zovio will work alongside education institutions, employers and learners to provide technology and services differentiated by meaningful insights gained through powerful data and analytics, which will enable our partners to address the skills-to-employment challenge.”

He said the company was moving in order to “tap into local talent, enjoy a favorable business environment, and provide a more reasonable cost of living for our transferring employees with opportunities for transferring spouses to find employment.”

“Our team looks forward to working with local leaders as we move our headquarters and bring jobs to Chandler,” he added.

The company also explained its new name in a news release, which said

“The name was inspired by the Greek word ‘sophos,’ meaning ‘skillful and intelligent,’ and the Latin prefix ‘vi’ for ‘visionary.’ It speaks to the company’s ability to provide colleges and universities, corporations, and learners with the right insights to improve outcomes.”

Both Mayor Kevin Hartke and Gov. Doug

Ducey hailed the announcement.

“With the relocation of their headquarters, more than 800 employees and their families also will call Chandler home,” Hartke said. “I’m confident they will enjoy Chandler’s quality of life, including recreation, schools, diversity and workforce opportunities. I wish Zovio and their employees continued success.”

Ducey said, “Arizona’s education programs are training corporate employees, software developers and more. As we expand these programs, education technology must also keep up. We’re proud that Zovio chose Arizona to expand its headquarters and congratulate them on their growth.”

The company signed a lease for more than 11 years for a building in a multi-use business parked near Chandler Airport Center called Ascend, at the Loop 202 and Cooper Road interchange.

That building recently opened and boasts “an energy-efficient and open working environment, with a café, gym, and on-site health clinic,” according to a release.

State Legislature to address code of ethics for itself

BY HOWARD FISCHER Capitol Media Services

Facing Democrat demands, House Speaker Rusty Bowers last week directed the Ethics Committee to come up with a code of conduct for lawmakers including whether they can be ousted for their public comments - more than a year after it was first promised.

But it took Minority Leader Charlene Fernandez calling out Republican leadership before there was action. GOP leaders had promised last year to create a committee in the wake of the decision by the House to oust Rep. Don Shooter, R-Yuma, over charges of sexual harassment of other lawmakers and colleagues.

It also came after reporters questioned Bowers about the lack of action to date. What makes the lack of a code crucial, said Fernandez, is there are no clear guidelines for what makes someone unfit to serve in the Legislature. And she said that should include whether it should cover things that occur elsewhere, like the racially charged remarks made by now-gone Rep. David Stringer, R-Prescott

to the Republican Men’s Club in Prescott.

But several Democrats already have concluded that such comments should be grounds for discipline and even expulsion.

Rep. Reginald Bolding, D-Laveen, sought to remove Stringer in January based solely on those remarks -- and long before anyone knew about a1983 arrest in Baltimore on charges of paying two teen boys for sex, one of whom was developmentally disabled. Stringer resigned late Friday but continued to insist on Facebook the following day those events never happened.

But Bowers questioned whether speech by itself, particularly away from the Capitol, should ever put a lawmaker’s right to serve into question.

“He was not thrown out due to racial comments,’’ Bowers said of Stringer.

“He was thrown out for his inability to act in this body because of things that happened long ago,’’ the speaker said, saying Stringer’s actions showed a lack of “ability to have respect for this institution.’’

Rep. T.J. Shope, R-Coolidge, who chairs

the Ethics Committee, agreed that it is unlikely that his panel, had it completed its work before Stringer resigned, would have recommended that he be removed for his comments.

The move came shortly after former Senate President Steve Pierce, R-Prescott, was sworn in to replace Stringer, who quit suddenly March 28 in the wake of disclosure of the arrest report. Pierce had been selected earlier in the day by the Yavapai County Board of Supervisors.

That appointment finally allows the House to once again resume floor action Stringer’s resignation left the GOP with just 30 Republicans in the 60-member chamber, an insufficient margin to pass any bill without Democrat cooperation.

Fernandez said that forming the longpromised committee to craft a code would finally decide what is and is not acceptable from elected officials.

“ here’s the line ’’ Fernandez said. “I think it’s going to be drawn by our fellow colleagues,’’ with input from members of the public.

That still leaves open the question of removing a lawmaker for something said

elsewhere.

Stringer called immigration, legal and otherwise, an “existential treat to the nited States,’’ that American’s “melting pot’’ exists for “people of European descent,’’ and how immigrants from south of the border don’t assimilate because they maintain connections with their home countries.

Despite that he was returned to the Legislature by area voters.

A month later, though, Stringer made comments to Arizona State niversity students saying that African-Americans “don’t blend in, they always look different.’’

Rodriguez said such comments go beyond a lawmaker’s First Amendment rights. He said what Stringer said “go directly to the legitimacy of other American citizens and their legitimacy and their role in our society.’’

Rep. Mitzi Epstein, D-Tempe, said that, if nothing else, a code of conduct could provide some guidelines and training, including how to work with women and how to “understand that racism is not tolerated in the House of Representatives.’’

Community

Gilbert chef keeps Scottsdale families well fed

BY LILA BALTMAN GSN Contributor

Hiring a personal chef may sound like a lavish extravagance to some, but for Suzanne Muchin of Chicago, it’s proven to be the winning, key ingredient to her large family’s vacation success.

Whenever she and her husband, their five kids and their daughter-in-law travel to their Scottsdale vacation home, the daily highlight is sitting around their dining room table and enjoying gourmet meals prepared by Gilbert resident and private chef William Turner.

While other families in Scottsdale make dinner reservations, the Muchin family is very happy to dine in.

“I’m normally the cook in my home, but when we’re all in Arizona, I want to relax and take a break, too,” Muchin said. “Having chef Turner help me with the daily meal planning, food shopping and cooking is the much-needed break I need.

“We actually alternate with the cooking

on a daily basis. One day he’ll cook us a beautiful, casual brunch and then I’m in charge of dinner that night. And the next day, I’ll take care of brunch and then he’ll come over and prepare us an amazing dinner. It’s become a great arrangement.”

Turner’s meals are not only gastronomical delights but have great eye appeal as well.

(Special to GSN)

Known for his warm and friendly demeanor, charming Southern accent, ever-present backward black baseball cap and black chef’s coat, Turner lives in Gilbert but cooks for clients in Scottsdale and Paradise Valley.

All of his clients quickly discover he’s able to cook a wide variety of food styles and will gladly prepare any specific dishes. You name it and Turner will cook it.

The Muchins, for example, keep a kosher home, and Muchin said Turner quickly learned how to prepare and cook appropriate meals.

“He now makes a matzo ball soup that my kids adore and the kosher steaks that he grills on our backyard grill, my sons say are the best steaks they’ve ever had,” she said.

A self-proclaimed master of the grill and meat expert, Turner proudly said, “I’ll cook you the best steak you’ve ever had in your life.”

A native of South Carolina and trained as an executive banquet chef and lead chef for upscale restaurants and country clubs, Turner admits he prefers being a private chef and working in residential kitchens.

Four Gilbert students named Sister Cities reps

Four local high school juniors have been selected as the 2019 Youth Ambassadors who will visit Gilbert’s two sister cities abroad.

The nonprofit Gilbert Sister Cities selected Jonah Call and Svannah Marshall to visit Leshan, China, for two weeks and picked Lindsey Giles and Mackenzie Goldman to visit Antrim-Newtownabbey, Northern Ireland, for three weeks. The teens were selected following a rigorous, four-month selection process that included writing an essay, participating in group and individual interviews and interacting with Gilbert Sister Cities board members and business community members at social events. They also had to visit local businesses to obtain donations for a silent auction and wash cars.

“With nearly triple the amount of applicants over the previous year, it was

an especially competitive process,” said Greg Tilque, Gilbert Sister Cities’ president.

“Observing applicants in a variety of

situations allows our selection committee to get to know them very well to ultimately determine who would not only be an outstanding host and guest, but

also generate interest in the program through speaking engagements and on social media.”

To help the applicants prepare for the selection process, the organization brought in four accomplished local businesspeople to conduct an interview and networking skills clinic.

Jeff Ehrlich, executive director of Park University’s Gilbert campus; Amanda Kay, financial advisor at Edward Jones; Michael Voss, dean of career and technical education instruction at Mesa Community College; and Sonu Wasu, news reporter at ABC15, discussed interview preparation, answering questions, proper attire and etiquette and how to make a lasting impression.

“The interview clinic was frequently cited as one of the highlights of the entire selection process; Applicants will be able to use the advice received and

Gilbert chef William Turner devotes his culinary and grilling expertise to serving up haute cuisine in private Scottsdale homes. (Special to GSN)

GSN NEWS STAFF

Getting ready to visit Gilbert’s Sister Cities are, from left, Mackenzie Goldman, Lindsey Giles, Jonah Call and Svannah Marshall. (Courtesy of Sister Cities)

Gilbert romance author in running for award

GSN NEWS STAFF

Gilbert resident and author Lisa Heartman is a finalist for the 2019 Golden Heart Award from the Romance Writers of America.

Heartman’s manuscript, “High Heels and Handguns,” was a finalist in the romantic suspense category. The annual Golden Heart Award recognizes excellence in unpublished romance manuscripts.

The Golden Heart winner will be announced at the RWA National Convention in July in New York.

Heartman is a member of the Phoenixbased RWA chapter, Desert Rose.

The following is a question and answer with Heartman by Gilbert Sun News.

To find out the release date for her book that she is doing final edits on, sign up at LisaHeartman.com or follow her on Twitter, Facebook, or Instagram @heartmanlisa.

Question: How long have you lived in Gilbert and tell us about your family?

Answer: My husband and I have been living in Gilbert since the summer of 2009. It’s just the two of us and a crazy cat that thinks she owns the place (and she kind of does).

Q: When did you start writing books?

A: I didn’t start writing seriously until about five years ago. I’ve written three books, although the first two will never see the light of day. A former critique partner told me I should bring them in the backyard and set them on fire. Advice I did not take for fear of burning down the neighborhood. I’ve made every writing mistake in

those first two books, and that is how I’ve learned what not to do. By the time I’m done editing my current book, High Heels and Handguns, it will be about a year and a half total I’ll be working on it.

Q: Why did you pick this genre, what is it that attracts you to romance writing?

A: Pick up a newspaper or watch the news for 10 minutes and it’s easy to get lost in all the negative. With all the ugliness going on in our world, I like to remember that people fall in love every day.

Matter of fact, someone somewhere probably just fell in love. When I pick up a romance novel, I know that no matter what awful things these characters are going through, they will find their happily ever after.

Q: Tell us a bit about “High Heels and Handguns.”

A: Personal security expert Kate Howard relies solely on her intuition, ingenuity and trusty 9mm, Ziggy, to keep her clients safe in rapid-response situations. Escorting a state senator to his re-election gala was the highest profile client she’d landed yet, but when it’s brought

to an explosive halt, Kate is forced to work side-by-side with the one man she’d avoided for 12 years.

The one man she ever loved. The one man she almost got killed. Paxton Banks, her former captain-turned-FBI agent.

Q: Because you like to develop characters, which one is your favorite and why?

A: I really enjoy writing my main character, Kate Howard. When you say the word bodyguard, most people think big, muscular dudes in black suits and sunglasses. That’s the complete opposite of Kate. She’s average height, average build, and she uses it to her advantage.

She’s a no-nonsense woman who’s developed her bodyguard business by hiding in plain sight. She can walk into a room on the arm of a senator or a CEO and no one would think she’s there to protect him. People overlook her, they underestimate her, and she’s got no problem proving them all wrong.

Q: How has your writing evolved since you began this?

A: When I started writing, I was focused on contemporary romance, but see HEARTMAN page 25

Lisa Heartman

Busy Bee sale

my voice never really fit the genre. Now I write romantic suspense, and it just feels right. I wanted to be an FBI agent as a kid, so having an FBI agent (also the love interest) in my book has been amazing.

I’ve spent time interviewing female soldiers, ATF and FBI agents, as well as participated in Cop for the Day where we toured a precinct, sat down with dispatch to hear 9-1-1 calls coming in, toured the crime lab, participated in a virtual reality scenario drill and even took a helicopter ride with the police air support unit.

I’ve had a blast doing research for this book. I really enjoy finding those little clues to bury deep in the story for readers to discover. It’s hard but exciting, and I hope readers will love it as much as I do.

Q: What is the subject of your next book?

A: The next book is just a mush of random “what if” scenarios floating around my head right now, but it will be a continuation of Kate’s story.

Q: What advice would you give to new writers just starting out?

A: My first piece of advice would be

to tell them to go for it. If you want to write, do it. I didn’t write for a long time, because I didn’t think I was any good. But here’s the thing, it doesn’t matter if what you write is good or not, first drafts are supposed to be awful, it’s what you do with the draft that makes you proud.

My second piece of advice I would give is find your tribe. There are writing groups all over the country. Some meet in person and some are only online, but find a group that you are comfortable with and join. For me, that was Romance Writers of America®.

Writing is a lonely job. Having a community of like-minded individuals to talk to, run ideas by, discuss challenges and celebrate wins is important.

Busy Bee Mothers of Multiples, an East Valley nonprofit group of moms of twins, triplets and higher-order multiples, will hold a huge consignment sale of everything from maternity clothing, nursing and feeding items, baby clothes, strollers and related items at big discounts 7 a.m.-noon Saturday, April 13, with half-off designated items in the final hour. $1 admission to shop. The sale is at the Boys and Girls Club of Gilbert. 44 N. Oak St., Gilbert.

Gilbert boxing gym slates Parkinson’s fundraiser

GSN NEWS STAFF

Rock Steady Boxing Gilbert is helping to raise money for the fight against Parkinson’s disease.

The gym, 2335 S. Lindsay Road, Gilbert, is participating in the Baehr Challenge Obstacle Course Race April 13 to help raise money for Team Fox, the fitness affiliate of the Michael J. Fox Foundation.

“This is a fun way for our boxers to promote awareness for Parkinson’s disease in April,” head coach Nikkel Nielsen said. Parkinson’s disease is a degenerative movement disorder that can cause dete-

rioration of motor skills, balance, speech and sensory function. Rock Steady Boxing Gilbert offers a non-contact, boxinginspired fitness routine proving to improve their quality of life.

According to the Parkinson’s Disease Foundation, more than 10 million people worldwide are living with Parkinson’s disease and more than 60,000 Americans are diagnosed each year.

“Parkinson’s Awareness Month not only raises awareness about the disease our Rock Steady Boxers live with every day, but also shines a light on their incredible tenacity in ‘fighting back’ against the disease. We are about more than just one class or program. Our goal is to provide hope, friendship, fun and a better quality of life for people with Parkinson’s disease,” Nielsen said.

The family-friendly obstacle race is 8 a.m.-noon April 13 in Phoenix.

Details: baehrchallenge.org. To learn more about Rock Steady Boxing Gilbert’s Parkinson’s program: gilbert.rsbaffiliate.com

Turner is hired to cook for a wide variety of special occasions. Some may be formal dinner parties with plated, coursed meals. Other events might be casual like a backyard barbecue for golf buddies visiting Scottsdale.

Recently, Turner created a casual, poolside barbecue dinner at a private home for a bevy of bridesmaids at a bachelorette party who chose to do a “spa day” theme. Because the ladies were in a private home, the bridesmaids opted to dine in their bathing suits along with fluffy white bathrobes for dinner. Flip-flops were optional.

“My dinners are very wide-ranging in scope and price point and although I love bringing the formal Southern fine dining experience to Scottsdale homes, I also enjoy setting up casual, poolside barbecues where formalities and formal attire go right out the window,” Turner said.

What really makes Turner happy is when he’s asked to cook for a milestone occasion at a private home. Those could be parties that are formal, or those celebrating a birthday, anniversary, engagement or graduation. Small wedding receptions and bridal or baby showers are frequent, too.

“Knowing I’m creating incredible meals and lasting memories for people in their own homes is very rewarding and meaningful to me,” Turner said. His charge begins at $75 per person and goes up from there, depending on the menu and level of service. He’s also available for destination needs.

Turner said he also loves that dinner, brunch or luncheon parties do not have specific closing times. From start to finish, set-up to clean-up, Turner will do all the work and occasionally, when he needs the extra help, he has a highly qualified team of servers and bartenders ready at a moment’s notice.

Check us out and like the Gilbert Sun News on Facebook and follow @ gilbertsunnews on Twitter. Begins With a Single Step

“Fun is the focus of the night. My goal is to provide my clients with whatever type of dinner party they want. I’m extremely flexible. For example, if a client wants to incorporate a cooking lesson while I’m cooking and setting up for the event, I’m more than happy to do that. My clients love to watch me cook in their kitchen and I always welcome that.”

Each Year, The Journey To Earning $46,134,775 In Merit Scholarships

“This is a people-pleasing business and you can’t be successful at it unless you love people,” Turner said. “For me, my first love is people, and food is the way I express that love in a tangible way.”

-Chef William Turner can be reached at chefwilliamturner.com.

Great Hearts tuition-free public schools prepare students to be more than pro cient test takers, but rather, to become great-hearted leaders capable of success throughout their higher education and professional careers. With a curriculum built upon a classical liberal arts tradition and a revolutionary approach to school itself, Great Hearts cultivates the hearts and minds of students in the pursuit of Truth, Goodness and Beauty.

TWO K-12 CAMPUSES IN THE SOUTHEAST

Teens learn safe driving at two-day workshop

BY COLLEEN SPARKS GSN Staff Writer

Teenagers can gain the critical safe driving techniques in an upcoming program started by a Top Fuel drag racing champion after his two sons died in a car accident.

The free, national teen defensive driving program called B.R.A.K.E.S., an acronym for “Be Responsible and Keep Everyone Safe,” will be held from 8 a.m.noon and 1-5 p.m. April 13 and 14 at Chandler-Gilbert Community College on the Pecos campus at 2626 E. Pecos Road.

Doug Herbert, 51, a four-time Top Fuel drag racing champion in the IHRA division and a 10-time Top Fuel national event winner in the NHRA division, started B.R.A.K.E.S. after his sons Jon and James died in a crash when Jon was driving in North Carolina in 2008. Herbert, who lives in Charlotte, North Carolina, said a police report showed Jon was “driving fast and was swerving through traffic.”

“The reality of it is I was 17 years old before, too,” Herbert said. “We did dumb things without really thinking about the consequences. That’s the reason why I made my mind up I want to do everything I can to keep another parent from getting this phone call.”

In 2008, Herbert’s goal was initially to teach his sons’ friends smart, safe driving methods. He trained 50 of the boys’ friends and then got calls and letters from parents who wanted the same kind of program for their children.

The program became a nonprofit organization in 2009 and the B.R.A.K.E.S. team has trained more than 35,000 teenagers in 30 different states.

“It’s therapy for me,” Herbert said. “Really it’s a performance driving experience. Everything we focus on is safetyrelated..

The classes April 13 and 14 have sold out, but people can get on a waiting list in case spots open up. Information: put-

skills practiced in interviews for years to come,” Tilque said.

Johan, who attends Williams Field High School, plays on the men’s volleyball team and is also a member of the ping pong club. He also plays piano and taught lessons to 17 students for three years.

In addition to maintaining a 4.0 unweighted grade point average, all of his courses taken this year have earned him credit at Chandler-Gilbert Community College.

Svannah, who attends Desert Ridge High School, is involved in activities including orchestra, speech and debate, track and field and the yearbook. Additionally, she participates in Mercy Gilbert Medical Center’s Summer Volunteen Program and served as a shift leader last year.

Lindsey, who attends Higley High School, competes in school and club volleyball, and is a member of Best Buddies and National Honor Society. She plays piano and teaches lessons to 13 children. She is enrolled in several Advanced Placement classes at school as well.

Information: gilbertsistercities.com YOUTHS from page 23

Before beginning the student exchange, Gilbert Sister Cities Youth Ambassadors participate in the Gilbert Global Village Festival and receive culture and protocol training for their respective countries.

After they return, they are involved in the Gilbert Days Parade, visit schools and youth programs to share information about the program and serve as mentors for the next group of candidates.

“The experiences our youth ambassadors have throughout the year give them an even greater advantage as they enter the real world,” Tilque said, adding:

“They return with broadened perspective and anecdotes that impresses admissions and scholarship committees, and they hone networking and speaking skills that helps in interviews, college presentations and the workplace.”

Gilbert Sister Cities will begin accepting applications for 2020 on Sept. 1. Any junior living in Gilbert or attending a Gilbert or Higley school can apply.

Mackenzie, who attends Highland High School, plays flute in the marching and symphonic bands, and is a member of National Honor Society and Physics Club. Additionally, she participates in the school’s auto technology program and studies kajukenbo and kenpo.

New senior-care facility entering the Gilbert market

GSN NEWS STAFF

Anew player is getting ready to enter the growing assisted living industry in Gilbert, and this one offers a lifestyle based on a philosophy more commonly associated with schools.

Eyeing a July date for their certificate of occupancy, the owners of Eternal Spring of Gilbert expect that by September, they’ll have people living in their assisted living and memory care wings at 940 East Williams Field Road.

With an 80-bed, 59-unit assisted living facility and a 36-unit, 48-bed memory care wing, Eternal Spring is championing a lifestyle built on the Montessori philosophy – something that is more commonly associated with private and public charter schools.

For Eternal Spring, that philosophy translates into “supporting our residents’ ideas, choices, independence and empowering them to create a community that speaks to them with a staff that will “foster the natural spark within each individual by allowing forums for discussion,

input and finally assisting in the details to make these ideas a reality regardless of deficits,” according to its website.

Weekly resident committees, a lifelong learning university and community ser-

vice projects aim to “fill our residents’ days with a true with sense of purpose, contribution and belonging.”

“Montessori-Inspired methods are utilized at each of our communities,” the brochure notes, stressing the “individualized life enrichment programing” that gives residents “a sense of belonging and

Realtor awards honor the most productive agents

GSN NEWS STAFF

In 2017, Heidi Zebro, director of sales acquisitions for On Q Financial Inc., had an idea.

She wanted to acknowledge some of the top Realtors in Ahwatukee and the East Valley, but reduce the element of subjectivity as much as possible by looking strictly at the most productive agents, based on the number of closed units and sales volume according to data pulled from the Arizona Regional Multiple Listing Service.

Zebro came up with the idea of the BREA Awards – an acronym for Best Real Estate Agent – and wound up attracting about 150 Realtors and public officials to her first gala in 2017.

Last year, the number of attendees doubled.

And this year, she’s banking on an even bigger audience with a bigger venue, a new award and a nonprofit recipient for the proceeds raised by the awards gala

April 18 at the Scottsdale Center of Performing Arts.

“The real estate industry is one of the most intriguing and followed segments of any thriving metropolitan area,” Zebro said, adding the “BREA Awards specifically recognizes the performances of the top producing real estate licensees on a local level.”

The BREA awards also have expanded in scope, with honors now going to individuals, groups of three to eight, teams of 9 or more Realtors and a brokerage in each of the four quadrants of Maricopa County.

Zebro has designed an “Academy Award” feel for the event by adding an element of surprise: Unlike the last two years, winners won’t know who they are until the big night.

The emcee will be Holly Mabery, managing broker for eXp Realty of Arizona, a past director of National Association of Realtors, and a past president of both the Arizona Association of Realtors and the Sedona Verde Valley Association of Realtors.

In addition, a new award will be added in honor of a West Valley Realtor, Mark Parris, who died in his sleep at age 44 last fall. He had suffered from sleep apnea.

The Mark Parris Award will be presented “to an outstanding individual in the

real estate community who represents the gift of promoting others, making others know their value, professionalism and integrity,” Zebro said.

All proceeds from the event will go to The Foundation of Blind Children whose mission is to “provide education, tools and services that enable all persons with vision loss to achieve greater independence.”

Zebro, with the support of On Q Financial Inc., is chairing the event with the help of a team of organizers that include: Ben Andrus, Justin Baker, Steve Chader, Randy Cooney, John Creighton, Jennice Doty, John Foltz, Pam Frestedt, Cari Gilliland, Rebecca Grossman, Joan Krueger, Breanna Kruger, Kenny Klaus, Kathryn Lansden, Matt Long, Debbie Marquez, Roger Nelson, Michelle Regier and Jim Sexton.

Ngaio Tracy, left, and Marcia Turner,executive director of Eternal Spring of Gilbert, take a moment from inspecting progress of the new assisted living facility. (Kimberly Carrillo/GSN Staff Photographer)

Heidi Zebro

This aerial view shows the progress being made on building Eternal Spring of Gilbert, set to open in September. (Special to GSN)

ecords disposal the final chapter for Gilbert ospital

GSN NEWS STAFF

Patients at the defunct Gilbert Hospital who want their medical records better act fast.

A receiver handling the dissolution of that facility and the related Florence Hospital at Anthem in Florence have less than 90 days to request and get their records before they’re destroyed.

The receiver has set a June 23 deadline for former patients to retrieve their records from both hospitals or else they “will be permanently destroyed for security measures,” according to a release.

To obtain copies of records, former patients and other appropriate parties must first fill out a medical record request form for either Gilbert Hospital or Florence Hospital at Anthem, and send it to nvhrecords@resolutecommercial.com.

Copies of the record request forms may also be obtained by either emailing nvhrecords@resolutecommercial.com; calling 480-947-3173; or mailing Resolute Commercial, the Receiver of Gilbert and Florence Hospital, at 7201 E. Camelback, Ste. 250, Scottsdale.

The once-prosperous Gilbert Hospital

shut down for good last June 15, falling victim to longstanding financial problems stemming from a 2014 bankruptcy and a changing market for health care services.

Court-appointed receiver Jeremiah Foster of Resolute Commercial Services made the decision to close the hospital – along with the Florence facility – only eight days after a Superior Court judge gave him power over the hospital’s parent entity, New Vision Health.

The decision resulted in the immediate closure of the emergency rooms at both hospitals. All patients receiving care were discharged or transferred to other facilities.

At the time it closed, Foster stressed that patient care was never in jeopardy, but rather the hospital’s solvency was at stake.

Foster tried to secure sustainable financing to keep Gilbert Hospital open. However, Medical Properties Trust was unable to agree to a deal with the hospitals’ primary creditor, exhausting any possibility of a financial lifeline.

The hospital’s economic distress dates back to at least fall of 2017, when New

Vision Health began to look for potential buyers for the operation and its assets but found no viable offers.

But the real problems started much earlier when the hospital filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in 2014.

The bankruptcy filing indicated the hospital had liabilities of over $7.6 million and under $50,000 in assets.

The primary debt holder at that time was Stillwater National Bank. Indigo Holdings acquired all of the bank’s interests in New Vision Health in 2016.

Despite the dire financial state of both hospitals at the time, fortunes appeared to be improving for the hospital as recently as last year after reorganization efforts stemming from the 2014 bankruptcy received a Turnaround Award from the M&A Advisor, a mergers and acquisitions industry organization.

The new entity committed to paying back Stillwater National Bank in full to the tune of roughly $14 million. That optimism appeared to be misplaced as the new entity ultimately failed to meet those obligations.

By February 2018, Medical Properties Trust had terminated the leases for Gil-

bert Hospital and Florence Hospital at Anthem for non-payment of rent, and multiple creditors began pursuing legal action.

In April, several creditors filed an involuntary Chapter 11 bankruptcy against New Vision Health in US Bankruptcy Court for roughly $1.9 million to recoup back wages and other debt.

Gilbert Hospital opened to immediate success in 2006.

Gilbert Hospital’s early successes resulted in profitability, which allowed the hospital to build up cash reserves of over $20 million, according to court documents.

However, by 2014, the hospital had filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection. hen it first opened, Gilbert Hospital was the only hospital in Gilbert and thrived due to its 30-minute door-todoctor business model, which saw ER patients receive care in an average of 10 minutes.

Its market share lessened because of the emergence of nearby hospitals, including Mercy Gilbert Medical Center, and the proliferation of urgent cares.

Couple’s scissor-lift business cuts role for their 5 kids

BY PAUL MARYNIAK GSN Executive Editor

Justin and Krissy Hagerty aren’t waiting for their five children to learn about the world of business in school. Instead, the Queen Creek couple started their own business where they could learn.

Their business, Prolift Rental at 20048 E. Kestrel St., Queen Creek, rents scissor lifts of various heights.

And while it serves what Justin says is a big need in the Valley, it also serves a few other purposes as well.

While making sure customers have a seamless experience, the Hagertys’ company has “a focus on teaching our kids how to run a business and also the opportunities that might be out of the collegepath norm.”

“We want our kids to be exposed to all opportunities out there, and as they grow and understand the path they choose to take, it would be what they had the passion and drive to do,” said Justin, 45, who married Krissy, 41, two years ago after a yearlong courtship, creating a blended family with kids ranging in age from 13 to 25.

“The business was created for my wife and kids to run,” said Justin, who has been in manufacturing of some capacity most of his life, “from working in machine shops to owning my own shops here in the alley,” and is currently a metalworking specialist at Grainger.

Krissy was in the health care industry

for over 20 years and needed a change.

“I have always been that out-of-the-box thinker entrepreneur and trying to find the right fit for my wife to have a fun yet rewarding career, and we decided that a small business would be the direction we go,” Justin explained.

So, he and his wife purchased a new

truck and trailer because they “wanted to ensure that the customers renting from us would have a great rental experience with no service or downtime issues on the job site.”

As for scissor lifts, “we were looking to see what type of business would sustain the ups and downs of commercial growth, and this was a good fit,” he said. “From new builds, additions to maintenance, there is a need for scissor lift rentals.”

While providing free pick-up and delivery – “which sets us apart from the competition,” he said the Hagertys also purchased the trailer from Empire Caterpillar in Mesa and the truck from Santan Ford in Gilbert because they wanted to “really focus on keeping that business local and establish relationships as opposed to the quick, online shopping solutions today that don’t give you that one-on-one interaction.”

To start off, Justin said, they decided they had “to initially concentrate on the needs of the companies looking to rent for a day or a week at a time and fill that quick-need gap in the industry.”

see SCISSOR page 34

Justin and Krissy Hagerty opened their Queen Creek scissor-lift rental business partly to teach their five kids about opportunities in the workforce and business world. (Special to GSN)

•

•

Thursday, April 11th | 11:30am – 12:30pm

Lunch & Learn (complimentary)

Slate Bistro & Bar at Trilogy Golf Club 4415 E. Village Pkwy, GIlbert, 85298

Please RSVP by 4/8 to Arax at Asausa@surpassliving.com Tuesday, April 30th | 11:30am – 12:30pm Lunch & Learn (complimentary)

Gilbert Historical Museum 10 S Gilbert Rd., Gilbert, AZ 85296 (parking off Elliot)

Please RSVP by 4/26 to Arax at Asausa@surpassliving.com

meaning and where loved ones are happy to visit.”

Through a partnership with the Center for Applied Research in Dementia, Eternal Spring touts its staff’s ability to get “a crucial glimpse into remaining skills often missed by traditional healthcare assessments.”

Executive Director Marcia Turner said the goal is to “keep our residents linked to resources and opportunities that will fulfill their needs and interests in the Gilbert area. Residents have many opportunities to participate in a variety of life-enriching activities and events to stimulate the mind, body and soul.”

Turner has been in senior care for more than 40 years, starting as a 14-year-old Candy Stripe volunteer at a geriatric center in Rochester, New York.

“It ignited my passion and I have been in the business ever since,”said Turner. “I was drawn to working with seniors as I lost my grandparents in my youth. It filled the void of not having my

own grandparents.”

She stressed that it would be a mistake to associate assisted living with the notion of giving up anything.

“Assisted Living means giving nothing up and regaining a renewed sense of purpose-driven living, independence and privacy, compassionate care within your own apartment home and a dignified and meaningful lifestyle. We offer a 24-hour dedicated and caring team that is prepared to meet personalized needs and wants.”

Martin said owners Frontier Management have a long record in senior care.

“I am a strong believer it begins at the top,” she said. “Our CEO has very high gold standards. He is one of the few CEOs who actually takes the time to visit his communities. He started in this business at a young age – which I can certainly relate to – and has enthusiasm and passion which is highly contagious.”

But she also sees that the responsibilities for building a sense of community among resi-

dents “all starts with me.”

“I am a person who comes from the heart. I believe in doing the right thing – the right way –every day for my residents and family members. My own father had Alzheimer’s and had lived at my community. I thought I was a compassionate and empathetic person, but once experiencing this disease firsthand as a daughter, I truly gained an even deeper understanding and a newfound level of compassion as to what the family members and caregivers experience.

“It was a journey that I can now share and help my family members.”

With about 100 employees, Eternal Spring has a social rather than medical model for the facility, though caregivers are on the premises around the clock and a nurse is on call 24/7.

She said Frontier picked Gilbert for its operation because of its national recognition as a safe community that is one of the best places to live in the nation.

Information: eternalspringofgilbert.com

“As we grow and see a demand for monthly rentals of our equipment, we will acquire more to our fleet, but for now we wanted to start slow and be able to keep up with demand,” he added.

The company rents new, state-of-the-art Genie Scissor lift equipment with reaches of 19 feet and 26 feet that are designed for tight maneuvering within facilities.

“These scissor lifts are units that companies would rent for indoor or outdoor usage on flat ground,” Justin said, adding that because they are new, they eliminate the possibility of down-time for their customers.

As for challenges, the biggest is “just getting our name out there and the service we provide.

“We started small so we can focus on the quick needs of the customer, but yet grow with the demand,” he said. “ e didn’t want to go too big, too fast, as I

have been there before. Let’s focus on what we do right, master that, then grow.”

Because he has a full-time job, Justin focuses on marketing and “making sure equipment is ready,” while his wife has a “very demanding” role that keeps her busy handling scheduling, quoting and deliveries from 4:30 a.m. to 6 p.m.

As for the kids, most of them are part of the operation to varying degrees.

“We have the older kids helping with social media, running day-to-day deliveries and operations as well as showing the customer a flawless experience, and what that does for the business,” he said.

“ For them to learn the in and outs of the business and be successful while having the work/ life balance is key for us,” he added. “You can work yourself to death, but why? Work hard, and smart … that’s what we want to instill in the kids.”

Information: 480-925-6190, proliftrental.com

GILBERT,

National Sales Event

GILBERT

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More counselors only part of the answer for kids

BY MIKE SISSEL GSN Guest Writer

As nationwide incidents of teenage suicide continue to rise, districts are slowly acknowledging the urgent need for SEL – social and emotional learning. While schools have historically paid lip service to a whole child educational approach, the time has come for mere words from lips to become boots in the trenches, advocating and fighting for the mental and emotional well-being of our students. You can’t solve an inside problem with an outside approach.

I recently read an article about several Arizona school districts who’ve chosen to address this pressing need by assigning more counselors to middle and high schools.

The article didn’t stipulate as to what type of counseling would be provided, but regardless of the counselor’s specific role, many would argue that it’s a step in the right direction.

hile I’m in agreement that an influx of trained counselors in our schools certainly can’t hurt, I don’t think it’s a viable solution to the teenage suicide epidemic.

Unless the counselors are actually going into classrooms and sharing SEL disciplines (tools and strategies) with all students, it’s simply a shortterm solution to a longer-term problem. A Band-Aid approach, if you will.

Here’s why.

The mental health stigma affects the pre-teen/teenage demographic more than any other. In an effort to avoid various mental health labels, students often

resort to masking any mental or emotional turmoil they may be experiencing. If you ask them how they are, the classic response is, “I’m fine.”

Furthermore, the excessive use of social media greatly exacerbates the aforementioned masking dilemma. You’d be hard pressed to find a teenage social media user who doesn’t filter pictures as a means of looking good, despite perhaps not feeling good.

Back to the counseling solution.

If you notify a middle school or high school student that a trained counselor is available to talk, I don’t know too many that will volunteer to do so. While there are countless students who could benefit from one-on-one counseling, the mental health stigma would serve as a major boundary for this type of service. Unfortunately, as I mentioned, looking

good often trumps feeling good, especially for boys.

While I’m clearly biased given the work I do, I’ll always advocate for social and emotional learning to be a part of every classroom curriculum, regardless of age.

When you make SEL part of the entire classroom, not an individual visit to a counselor’s office, you create a safe space for kids to take off the collective masks. Put another way, you make it cool (acceptable) to talk about something that’s perceived to be uncool, or weak.

As someone who’s visited hundreds of classrooms over the last 10 years, I can assure you that mental health barriers can be destroyed in the matter of a

see SISSEL page 38

Suicide prevention training in schools a critical need

BY JOE GARCIA GSN Guest Writer

With at least 88 Arizona youths taking their own life over the last two years, including a recent wave in the East Valley, the issue of teen suicide has been in the news lately and has garnered the attention of the legislature.

Senate Bill 1468, which has bipartisan support in both the House and Senate, would provide training in suicide prevention for school counselors, teachers, principals and other education personnel who work with students in grades 6-12.

Experts note that sometimes there are symptoms of teens who are at higher risk for potential suicide: depression, feelings of isolation, mood changes, withdrawing from personal interaction, sudden euphoria, quick temper, erratic eating habits, etc. Also, certain occurrences in teens’ lives sometimes can act as suicidal triggers: a relationship breakup, struggles with grades, not making a team or club, bullying or feeling ostracized, poor body image, feeling misunderstood, parents’ divorce or death of a friend or family member.

Life being what it is, most if not all teens

have experienced one or several of the symptoms and/or possible triggers at one time or another, making identification that much more difficult and that much more important.

But there are some important demographic facts that also cannot be ignored, including LGBTQ youth, who are particularly vulnerable to suicide with unique challenges and issues.

Consider these well-sourced facts from

The Trevor Project, a national organization providing crisis intervention and suicide prevention services to lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer questioning young people under age 25:

• Suicide is the second-leading cause of death among young people ages 10 to 24.

• LGB youth seriously contemplate suicide at almost three times the rate of heterosexual youth.

LGB youth are almost five times as likely to have attempted suicide compared to heterosexual youth.

• 40 percent of transgender adults reported having made a suicide attempt, with 92 percent of these individuals reported having attempted suicide before the age of 25.

• LGB youth who come from “highly rejecting families” are 8.4 times as likely to

have attempted suicide as LGB peers who reported no or low levels of family rejection.

• Each episode of LGBT victimization, such as physical or verbal harassment or abuse, increases the likelihood of selfharming behavior by 2.5 times on average. hy talk specifically about LGBT youth? Because in Arizona, teachers, counselors, educators and school personnel currently cannot. They are legally silenced.

As a recent KJZZ story pointed out, Arizona state law makes it illegal for school sexual health education or counseling to include information that “promotes a homosexual lifestyle” or “portrays homosexuality as a positive alternative lifestyle.”

Negative reinforcement, even in the form of silence, can be a trigger in and of itself to a kid struggling in coming to terms with sexual identity, or being bullied in the hallways or on social media simply for being themselves.

In her first State of Education speech last month, Arizona Schools Superintendent Kathy Hoffman told House Education Committee that schools must create “an inclusive environment that supports children from all backgrounds” and that includes students in the LGBTQ community (including straight kids with gay parents).

Hoffman also noted that educators must protect and help those students who are more likely to be bullied or harassed, which can trigger suicidal thoughts – and once again that includes students in the LGBTQ community, which today gets the silent treatment.

“A simple step we can take to help reduce discrimination and bullying for these students is to repeal the ‘no promo homo’ law, (which) contributes to an unsafe school environment,” Hoffman said of the state law, which also is being challenged in federal court by two civil rights groups. Let’s be honest: Kids can be cruel; Public policy should not be.

There appears to be colliding public policy here that needs to be discussed and somehow reconciled. Talking, after all, remains one of our best tools – including when discussing teen suicide prevention. The Trevor Project 24/7 suicide prevention hotline 1-866-488-7386.

Arizona Teen Lifeline phone or text 602-248-8336.

-Joseph Garcia is director of communication and community impact for the Morrison Institute for Public Policy at ASU and director of the Latino Public Policy Center.

Can you be sure that leafy substance won’t kale you?

BY DAVID LEIBOWITZ GSN Columnist

Back in college, I waited tables at a chain restaurant called Bennigan’s, which prided itself on the “eye appeal” of its food.

The secret? We put some half-wilted kale on virtually every plate leaving the kitchen. Because I inevitably forgot to add the kale garnish or couldn’t find the right-size sprig to adorn some poor schlub’s Monte Cristo sandwich – I came to despise this leafy green.

You can imagine my horror 20 years later when kale suddenly became a culinary thing.

Kale is everywhere in 2019: salads, smoothies, juices, powder, chips. Hating kale has become a full-time job because marketers and tastemakers have branded this tasteless crap a “superfood,” allegedly capable of curing disease and making us

all live to be 104 years old while still running the 40-yard dash with the speed of an NFL wide receiver.

At a salad bar this week, I literally couldn’t locate a shred of real lettuce. There was only kale.

As I pondered launching a rebellion, a thought occurred to me: Perhaps medical science might come to the rescue? And it did.

See, one of the great things about living in the 21st century – besides the disappearance of Bennigan’s – is that researchers spend time and taxpayer cash studying literally everything. And, given the nature of science, all these conflicting studies seem to lead to one conclusion. Everything is simultaneously good for us and bad for us.

Like kale.

Sure, a single cup of kale contains 200 percent of your recommended daily allowance of Vitamin A. But you know what else kale contains? Pesticides.

A study by The Environmental Working Group ranks kale third on their Dirty Dozen list for pesticide contamination.

As they explained it quoting recent federal agricultural statistics, “more than 92 percent of conventionally grown kale samples had at least two or more pesticide residues. Some samples contained residues from as many as 18 different pesticides.”

Screw kale then. And screw red wine, too.

Whenever I eat out with friends lately, someone raves about “dark oak accents” or some such nonsense.

My new response: “I’ll pass. I just read a new study in the August journal BMC Public Health. Did you know drinking a bottle of wine per week increases your cancer risk? Sad, but true. Researchers say a bottle of wine weekly is the equivalent of a guy smoking five cigarettes a week, or 10 cigarettes if you’re a female.”

I’m also taking a break from the gym, thanks to the recently published study, “The Emergence of Exercise Addiction, Body Dysmorphic Disorder, and Other Image-related Psychopathological Correlates in Fitness Settings.” The conclusion after

studying 1,711 gym users across Europe? “ e found 11.7 percent of the exercising population are at risk of exercise addiction.”

Fortunately, not all the research news is bad. It turns out pizza can be a useful motivational tool, according to research conducted by Duke University behavioral economist Dan Ariely, who studied workers at an Israeli semiconductor factory.

Ariely offered different motivational rewards for a productive work week – including $30 cash, compliments and free pizza. Workers offered the pizza saw their productivity jump 6.7 percent on Day One. That beat workers who chose sweet praise (a 6.6 percent spike) and cold cash (4.9 percent).

The interesting part of the study? While pizza and compliments increased productivity over the course of the week, the offer of a modest cash reward actually hurt weekly productivity.

If the editors are reading this, I’m happy to take payment this week in large pies. ith extra pepperoni, please. And for heaven’s sake, absolutely no kale at all. I’ve read how that stuff can kill you.

single lesson.

A stigma can be quickly replaced with a willingness to openly discuss thoughts and feelings. The result is a collective vulnerability, which leaves students with a firm understanding that they’re not alone in their struggles.

Unfortunately, countless young people are suffering in silence. If you simply observed their body language, you wouldn’t necessarily see any of the classic signs of depression, anxiety or other mental health challenges. In fact, you might even see bright smiles and confident dispositions.

This is what makes it so difficult to

address these issues using an a la carte menu of prevention techniques. True prevention happens in the safe, comfortable environment of their classroom. I will continue to advocate that every child has access to social and emotional learning opportunities.

P.S. This is not meant to be a knock on school counselors. They do wonderful work. My intention was to address the way in which school districts are choosing to use counselors.

-Mike Sissel is a former Kyrene School District teacher who currently owns and operates KaleidoEye, a youth leadership company that specializes in social and emotional learning. He can be reached at mike@kaleidoeye.com.

Thank You

Join our dynamic team of volunteers, bring your expertise and work with individuals in areas like these –

Agency on Aging celebrates and thanks all of the volunteers in our community every day, but especially during National

• AmeriCorps Caring Circles – Building neighborhood awareness and networks to help homebound seniors be safe, remain in their homes and age with dignity.

• Bene ts Assistance – Medicare – Providing independent, unbiased assistance to Medicare and Medicaid bene ciaries.

• DOVES® – Transitional housing to help victims of domestic violence and elder abuse achieve self-su ciency.

• Mosaic® Elder Refugee Program – Providing services and teaching classes to refugees, age 60 and older, with the ultimate goal of putting them on the pathway to U.S. citizenship.

• Long-Term Care Ombudsman – Helping residents in long-term care facilities to be aware of their rights, work to resolve problems and to improve resident care.

• Scottsdale Home Delivered Meals –Delivering nutritious midday meals and checking on clients’ safety and welfare.

Sports & Recreation

BY ZACH ALVIRA GSN Sports Editor

Jeff Holland doesn’t have to say much to motivate his Mesquite High baseball team.

As the school’s only baseball coach since it opened in 1998, Holland has established a culture of hard work and dedication.

“Tradition never graduates,” Holland said. “I will pull out stuff and just tell them that I don’t have a magical speech. I just tell them it’s going to be a dog fight and every team is out here to beat you and you’ve got to beat them.”

At 18-4 through 22 games, Mesquite has been involved of plenty of dog fights. The 4A Wildcats’ losses were to Hamilton, Basha, Desert ista and Corona del Sol, top teams in larger 6A.

Close victories over fellow 4A contenders have showcased Mesquite’s resilien-

Mesquite baseball hungry for shot at state title Club lacrosse league raising funds to scrape by

Lacrosse is a growing sport, especially among girls, but one that still is not sanctioned for interscholastic high school play in Arizona.

So, like ice hockey, lacrosse is a club sport, on its own for funding.

Typical of leagues that scrape to get by is One Team Lacrosse, a Southeast Valley league of about 250 boys and girls who live in Chandler or Gilbert and attend Chandler nified School District schools.

Their annual fundraiser, a corn-hole tournament, is 1-6 p.m. Sunday at Buffalo Wild Wings, 970 S Gilbert Road in Gilbert. One Team Lacrosse is a 501(c) 3 nonprofit organization.

“We brought teams together to have a larger and, frankly, more positive voice in the East Valley,” said Leslie McCoy,

Senior left-handed pitcher/infielder TJ Clarkson, who is headed to the University of Utah this fall, is 5-0 on the mound with a 1.73 ERA and is hitting .433 for 4A top-ranked Mesquite High. (Zach Alvira/GSN Staff)

cy in tough situations. Several times, the Wildcats have mauled teams, too.

“They’re hungry,” Holland said. “I tell them all the time to not let umpires or anybody else dictate the game. At the end of the day they’re playing against the white ball, which isn’t friendly at times.

“It’s about not taking anything for granted.”

It seems to be sinking in. Mesquite is the top-ranked team in 4A and third in the state, according to MaxPreps. The Wildcats have scored 10 or more runs in 10 games. They had outscored opponents 63-13 in their previous nine heading into a showdown April 4 with second-ranked Seton Catholic.

“We get two-out hits and pick each other up in the field,” senior pitcher and infielder TJ Clarkson said.

see MESQUITE page 43

league president. “We support a healthy extracurricular activity for our kids.”

Players from kindergarten through 12th grade participate on age-group teams. Youth boys and girls teams and high school girls play January through April. High school boys play February through May. They generally play in Arizona, most games in the Valley or in Tucson. Teams do travel to tournaments in California, New Mexico, Utah and Colorado.

It isn’t necessarily an inexpensive sport. Costs range from $175 to $525.

“We are 100 percent nonprofit, so it depends com-

pletely on our costs incurred for field space, lighting, field lining, team equipment and uniforms,” McCoy said.

“We have purchased and collected donated equipment for new kids to borrow so they don’t have a large outlay in cost to try the sport.”

Club lacrosse is thriving in other areas, including Ahwatukee, as well.

Seth Polansky of the Arizona Interscholastic Association, the governing body of high school sports in the state, said that the organization, recognizes the growth of lacrosse.

For it to become a sanctioned high school sport, it must be recommended from a conference committee, a school representative or the like.

Those recommendations are then pre-

see LACROSSE page 44

One Team Lacrosse, a Southeast Valley club league with young players like Beau Hittle, is having a fund-raiser 1-6 p.m. April 7 at Buffalo Wild Wings, 970 S Gilbert Road in Gilbert. One Team Lacrosse is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. (Special to GSN)

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Clarkson is 5-0 on the mound with a 1.73 ERA in 36 1/3 innings. His 55 strikeouts are among the most in the state and he’s walked only 18.

At the plate, Clarkson has a .433 average in 60 at bats. He’s second on the team with 24 RBI and has a home run.

“I just try to hit the ball hard and throw strikes,” Clarkson said. “I know if I do that then good things will happen.”

In his fourth year on the varsity, the 6-foot-4, 215-pounder earned a full scholarship to the University of Utah.

Meanwhile, he and other Mesquite senior leaders focus on the task at hand: A state championship.

“It’s our last year in high school so we are going to give it everything we’ve got,” senior infielder Holden Breeze said. “That’s our goal. We’ve got to win state.”

Like Clarkson, Breeze has done damage to opposing pitchers. The South Mountain Community College commit has a .431 batting average in 72 at bats, producing 18 RBI and 3 home runs. He, too, has been on the Mesquite varsity since his freshman year, when the Wildcats went 9-19. But as a start-

er since his sophomore year, he helped Mesquite turn it around and make the playoffs the past two seasons.

Mesquite fell short of the title game last year, when it lost to eventual champion Liberty in the semifinals after the Wildcats entered the tournament as the top seed.

They’ll likely be the top seed again. The program’s last state championship was four years ago, when the Wildcats were in the big-school division.

“A lot of these guys have been threeyear starters,” Holland said. “Their maturity has helped out a lot. Nothing fazes them. They have one thing on their mind and hopefully they can get it this year.

“They want to finish the big dance.”

Have an interesting story? Contact Zach Alvira at zalvira@timespublications.com and follow him on Twitter @ZachAlvira

Mesquite High senior infielder Holden Breeze, who has committed to South Mountain Community College, has a .431 batting average, producing 18 RBI and 3 home runs. (Zach Alvira/GSN Staff)

Gilbert High’s Carson Towt commits to California Baptist

BY ZACH ALVIRA GSN Sports Editor

Everything seems to have come full circle for Gilbert High senior forward Carson Towt.

A co-captain on the Tigers’ 5A statechampionship basketball team, Towt has committed to California Baptist University.

“I hope to bring my competitiveness and will to win to the program,” Towt said. “I’ll do whatever it takes to win.”

Towt was named 5A Conference Player of the Year by the Arizona Interscholastic Association. He averaged 10.7 points and 11.2 rebounds as the Tigers went 29-1, their only loss to Pinnacle High, the back-to-back 6A state champion.

The 6-foot-7, 200-pounder visited CBU the week after the state-title game on March 2. He was offered a full basketball scholarship on March 14. He knew right away it was a good fit.

“Everything about Cal Baptist checked off the list,” Towt said. “The coaches are fully committed to making me a better basketball player as well as a person, and the team is fully committed to winning.

Carson Towt’s 10.7 points and 11.2 rebounds led Gilbert High to the 5A state title. The 6-foot-7, 200-pound senior has committed to California Baptist University. (Pablo Robles/GSN Staff)

LACROSSE from page 40

sented to the AIA Executive Board for consideration.

It was that board that in recent years voted to add beach volleyball, girls wrestling and, coming this fall, e-sports.

Lacrosse came to the board a few years ago,” Polansky said. “A group associated with lacrosse was in discussion with a board member. However, that board member passed away. It never came back to the board as an action item after that.

“All it would take is an official committee or group to make a recommendation at a board meeting through an agenda item, and then for the board to approve. With most of our board members serving at member schools, they probably al-

“That’s the type of atmosphere I came from and where I see myself fit best.”

Winning a state title with his best friend, Doc Self, Gilbert’s point guard and co-captain, was a goal Towt had since he arrived at Gilbert in 2014.

“It feels great to represent Gilbert at the D-I level,” Towt said. “Not many guys get the opportunity to play at any level, let alone at the best.

“I’m very excited to get things started.”

Have an interesting story? Contact Zach Alvira at zalvira@ timespublications.com and follow him on Twitter @ZachAlvira.

ready know the positives and negatives about adding these sports.”

The big issue is field space. Lacrosse would compete with football and boys and girls soccer for use of fields.

Meanwhile, leagues like One Team Lacrosse negotiate with Chandler schools and city parks officials for fields, and conduct fundraisers like the corn-hole tournament to raise money to pay for them.

Entry fee for the tournament is $50 per team.

The winning team gets $400, the runner up $200. Those who don’t want to play but want to stop by to watch, eat, drink and support the cause should mention the tournament when ordering.

The league then receives 15 percent of food and bar tabs.

Gilbert thespians diving into beloved ‘Mermaid’

BY COLLEEN SPARKS Get Out Staff Writer

Many Gilbert children and teens are hoping to make a splash when they dive into the popular musical “Disney’s The Little Mermaid” at Limelight Performing Arts.

A cast of 44 young actors is going to perform the classic love story about Ar iel, a mermaid who longs to be with hu man being Prince Eric in the world above the sea. The kids will take the stage April 10-14 at Mesa Arts Center, 1 E. Main St. Audiences can expect to ride a wave of musical and visual stimulation with elaborate and complex costumes and choreography, said Emma England, artist director of Limelight Performing Arts in Gilbert.

“It’s exactly the movie that everyone remembers and loves, but it’s been given new music and moments,” England said. “It’s so much fun. I have known for more than a year that I wanted to direct this show.”

She said the musical features “more songs and meat to the plot” than “Dis ney’s The Little Mermaid Jr.,” which Limelight Performing Arts brought to life six years ago.

The audience at Mesa Arts Center can expect the fin-tastic songs from the movie, including “Under the Sea,” “Kiss the Girl” and “Part of Your World.”

“‘Under the Sea’ is like an extended, five-minute experience,” England said. “Three of us are designing costumes. We’ve got puppets. There’s a huge tap number in act two. We’re really making it our own. There’s some really good talent in the show.”

Several young performers will play the roles of water, and dancers will move under and over organza fabric as if they are in the water in one scene.

The children and teens wear Heelys, a brand of shoes with wheels in them, to glide across the stage in the scenes where the characters are in the sea.

The kids are soaking up the choreography, music and lines of the humorous, romantic and sometimes dramatic tale.

Many actors and actresses are taking on multiple roles in the production Ciara

a flying fish, a maid, a sailorette and reed grass while also serving as an understudy for a trumpet fish.

Several got their feet wet in previous musicals.

Brett Small, 18, of Gilbert, plays Prince Eric, the love interest of Ariel, and he is also the assistant stage manager for the show. A high school senior, he takes classes at Highland High School and the East Valley Institute of Technology (EVIT) and is homeschooled.

“I feel really at home here,” Small said. “It’s just a big family group. It’s a really good story. It’s one of those big Disney movies everyone sees. I do like to sing.”

Lina Cappellano, 18, a freshman at Grand Canyon University, plays Ariel in most of the shows of “Disney’s The Little Mermaid.”

“Ariel’s my favorite Disney princess,” Cappellano said. “I’ve been wanting a theater around me to do ‘The Little Mermaid’ a long time … Ariel’s just an amazing princess. She’s always wanting more. I’m definitely primarily a singer. I like acting, too. ‘The Little Mermaid’s’ a classic.”

She works for Once Upon a Tiara, a children’s entertainment business where fairy tale “princesses” mingle, play games, sign autographs as well as teach dance and etiquette at children’s parties, corporate gatherings and other events.

A psychology major at Grand Canyon University, Cappellano likes the novel touches England brings to the musical.

“Emma’s put a lot of fun, interesting, creative things as she always does,” Cappellano said. “She’s so clever in the way she does things.”

Halle Prusse, 13, of Gilbert, an eighthgrader at South Valley Junior High School, will play Ariel in a Friday morning show for school students that is not open to the public, and on the night of April 13.

“I like how she’s like such, like an adult, but she’s such like a little kid,” Halle said. “The costumes are amazing. The storyline’s like so great.”

Another Gilbert actress, Paige Erdmann, 12, a seventh-grader at Chandler Preparatory Academy, plays Flotsam, who is an eel, performs as a water dancer and serves as an understudy for Sebastian, a crab.

“I like how it’s very realistic,” Paige said. “She’s (Ariel) a teenager. She wants stuff. I always said I wanted to be a mermaid when I grow up. I specifically like dancing the most.”

Her friend, Baylee Horvath, 10, a fifthgrader at Christ’s Greenfield Lutheran School, plays Jetsam, an eel, and performs as a water dancer. She is also the understudy for Scuttle, a bird.

“The one thing I really like is after all these rehearsals we all come together as one group,” Baylee said. “I love the music. This is especially challenging because of the water and tapping. I just love musical theater in general. I started dancing when I was 2.”

She said one challenge is manipulating puppets while moving on the Heelys. Olivia Gregory, 10, of Gilbert, a fourthgrader at Greenfield Elementary School, portrays a clam, a chef, a frog and tapdances as a member of the ensemble.

“I like the music,” Olivia said. “I think it’s fun to dance.”

She said she also really likes the cos-

Arlongs hu-

“Dis- Bogan, for example, plays very

Colorful costumes and a talented cast make Limelight Performing Arts’ version of “Disney’s The Little Mermaid “ a treat for the whole family. (Special for Get Out)

Learn all about tiki culture at Valley Ho

BY OCTAVIO SERRANO GET OUT Contributor

The tiki culture is in the blood of Otto and Baby Doe von Stroheim.

“It’s in our blood for sure,” Otto said. “I grew up in Torrance (California) and every house that was made in the ’50s and ’60s had tropical landscapes. I didn’t realize until I grew up and left that area that the whole world wasn’t like that.”

by bringing the tiki culture and AZTO (Arizona Tiki Oasis) to the historic Hotel Valley Ho from Friday, April 12, to Sun day, April 14.

ki Ho-Ho Luau, a stylish luau at Hotel Val ley Ho’s OH Pool, complete with a tradi tional pig roast, fresh poke bowl station, grilled options including crispy colamarinated short ribs, Hawaiian-themed desserts and an array of tiki cocktails.

marketplace featuring more than 60 cu rated artisans.

Evenings will be filled with rooftop parties, cocktail-lounge-style dinners and a suite open to those with the evening resort pass.

The von Stroheims founded Tiki Oasis 18 years ago when they tried to revive the mid-century Palm Springs Caliente Tropics Motel, which attracted a small gathering of tikiphiles.

“They were under new management and they were thinking about changing the style of the hotel from ‘tiki’ to ‘southwestern,’” he said. “We threw our event there and convinced them that tiki was big and popular.”

by Robert Black will be doing a poolside fashion show.

Authors Sven Kirsten (“The Book of Tiki” and “Tiki Pop”), Beachbum Berry (“Grog Log and Sippin’ Safari”) and Shannon Mustipher (“Tiki: Modern Tropical Cocktails”) will also make appearances at weekend seminars.

Eventually, Tiki Oasis outgrew The Tropics and moved to the Crowne Plaza in San Diego in 2006. Since then, it has grown to include two locations, three hotels and well over 3,000 attendees. The inaugural AZTO will welcome nearly 2,000 attendees.

“We were looking to expand Tiki Oasis and we were looking for a location that would have the correct vibe for us,” Baby said. “Funny, playful and something

Arizona Tiki Oasis brings the tiki culture to historic Hotel Valley Ho April 12-14 with the Tiki-Tiki Ho-Ho Luau at the hotel’s OH Pool, with traditional pig roast, fresh poke station, crispy cola-marinated short ribs, Hawaiiantheme desserts and an array of tiki cocktails. (Special for Get Out)

tumes and how all the “different parts and pieces” fit together in the musical. It’s her first time performing at Limelight and she said the other youths are “nice and involving.”

Olivia Timothy, 14, of Gilbert, a freshman at Campo Verde High School, enjoys playing the evil witch Ursula in the shows.

“It has fabulous music,” Olivia said. “The music is very alive when it needs to be alive and very creepy and dreadful when it needs to be.”

Playing a villain is “very fun,” she said, adding “It’s very addictive. You feel the sense of power. I can feel the energy.”

Shayna Padjen, 17, is assistant choreographer for the musical.

Peyton Shoffner, 11, also of Gilbert, a sixth-grader at Valley Christian Junior High, plays Flounder, a fish, in the musical.

“It’s really fun because I’ve been here for a while so I have a lot of friends here,” Shoffner said. “I love acting and singing.”

jen, 17, of Gilbert, a junior at Campo Verde High School, is assistant choreographer for the musical.

She said she also thinks it is a “really cute concept” how Flounder, in this version of the musical, is only 3 years old, but he has a crush on Ariel.

Another East Valley teen, Shayna Pad-

Adults play big roles in directing the sea life in the musical. The music director and co-director for “Disney’s The Little Mermaid” is Corinne Walker and Wendy Crawford is the stage manager.

Limelight Performing Arts rehearses for its shows at Studio 3 Performing Arts, which is at 511 . Guadalupe Road in Gilbert.

Studio 3 is the business that provides lessons in acting, singing, dance, musical theater and musical instruments.

Limelight is a nonprofit youth theater that holds its shows’ rehearsals at Studio 3, but all youths are encouraged to audition and participate in Limelight production.

IF YOU GO

What: “Disney’s The Little Mermaid” Where: Mesa Arts Center, 1 E. Main St.

When: 6:30 p.m. April 10; 6:30 p.m. April 11; 7 p.m. April 12; at 11 a.m. and 3 p.m. and 7 p.m. on April 13 and 2 p.m. on April 14 Info: mesaartscenter.com

Gilbert actors, actresses

The following Gilbert children and teens are performing in Limelight Performing Arts’ production of “Disney’s The Little Mermaid” April 10-14 at Mesa Arts Center, 1 E. Main St.:

Lina Cappellano, 18, Grand Canyon University, graduated from Valley Christian High School in Chandler, plays Ariel.

Catherine Curtis, 14, South Valley Junior High, eighth grade, is in the ensemble.

Mylee Dockter, 17, Higley High School, junior, plays Atina, a princess, and is in the ensemble.

Raiya Dockter, 14, Higley High School, freshman, plays a maid and is in the ensemble.

Simone Elizabeth, 9, Eduprize, fourth grade, is in the ensemble.

Paige Erdmann, 12, Chandler Preparatory Academy, seventh grade, plays Flotsam, is a water dancer and is an understudy for Sebastian.

Olivia Gregory, age 10, Greenfield Elementary School, fourth grade, is in the ensemble.

Kayla Hardin, 13, Eduprize, seventh grade, is in the ensemble.

Zoe Hatziathanassiou, 11, Eduprize, fifth grade, is in the ensemble.

Baylee Horvath, 10, Christ’s Greenfield Lutheran School, fifth grade, plays Jetsam, is a water dancer and is an understudy for Scuttle.

Adele Johns, 13, Arete Preparatory Academy, seventh grade, is a water dancer and in the ensemble.

Halle Prusse, 13, South Valley Junior High, eighth grade, plays Adella and is an understudy for Ariel.

Ainslee Schmidt, 10, St. Timothy’s Catholic School, fourth grade, is in the ensemble.

Peyton Shoffner, 11, Valley Christian Junior High, sixth grade, plays Flounder.

Brett Small, 18, Highland High, East Valley Institute of Technology and homeschooled, senior, plays Prince Eric.

Olivia Timothy, 14, Campo Verde High, freshman, plays Ursula.

Kaitlyn Woodward, 12, Gilbert Christian Agritopia, seventh grade, plays Scuttle.

Meredith oodward, 15, Gilbert Christian High, freshman, plays Andrina and is in the ensemble.

WKing Crossword

King Crossword

With JAN D’ATRI

With D’ATRI

With JAN D’ATRI

GetOut Contributor

Peach-a-berry pie a winning combo With JAN D’ATRI

GetOut Contributor

Calzones more than pizza’s ‘red-sauced

e’re approaching the peak of peach season in Arizona.

But you can always find frozen peaches in the freezer section of your grocery store.

from the website Thrillist, in which a columnist was defending “pizza’s forgotten redsauced stepchild.”

Whether fresh or frozen, when you pair peaches with fresh or frozen blueberries, you have the beginnings of a truly delicious fruit pie. I’ve been making peach-a-berry pie for years, so I was surprised to learn that for many people, it’s an unusual combination.

delight

stepchildren’

“If calzones are pizza’s kid brother, then stromboli is like the annoying cousin, always trying to butt in on the fun. The stromboli is a pinwheel, more like a rolled sandwich than an inside-out pizza. If sauce is on the side, you’re looking at a calzone. It’s that simple.” It’s that simple to make, too. I happen to love the refrigerated, ready to bake pizza dough and pizza

St. Paddy’s Day may be gone, but it’s never too late to enjoy this tasty Irish feast.

But these two fruits go together like cookies ‘n cream. By the way, I wondered where the saying “cookies ’n cream” came from, and it’s actually an ice cream or milkshake combination that apparently became the best-selling flavor of ice cream in 1983.

Here’s what is so great about corned beef and cab bage: It’s easy! The spice packet comes with the corned beef brisket, you provide the cabbage, carrots and po tatoes and a couple of hours later, it’s time to eat.

calzones

No Bake Black Forest Cake

Ingredients:

When I started making this pie, I wanted both flavors to come through separately, so I cooked them in different pots and then layered the fruits in the pie shell. That way, with each bite you distinctly taste the peaches and the blueberries.

2 sleeves (12 full-size, 5”x21/4”) Nabisco

Honey Maid Chocolate Graham Crackers

Ingredients

For the pie crusts, I generally buy a package of two

2 boxes (3 oz.) Instant Hershey’s White Chocolate Pudding

4 cups milk (for pudding)

1 (5 lb.) corned beef brisket (plus spice packet)

12 small red potatoes

1 (21 oz.) can cherry pie filling

chocolate lover in your life. It takes a bit of planning ahead, and don’t worry if, when assembling the cake, the layers aren’t perfect. Once the cake freezes and you enrobe the outside with whipped cream and then slice the cake, the layers of chocolate graham crackers, white chocolate pudding and dots of cherry pie filling are a gorgeous surprise. If you don’t have a 12x4 inch bread loaf pan (which give you lots of layers), you can always use a cake pan. You won’t get the height, but the delicious, rich but subtle flavor combination of cherries, chocolate and whipped cream comes through loud and clear.

6 large carrots

2 cups heavy whipping cream

Ingredients:

1 green cabbage

Ingredients:

¼ cup powdered sugar

1 pint fresh white mushrooms, diced small

2 deep dish pie shells

1 bar (approx. 3.5 oz.) dark chocolate bar

2 tablespoons butter

2 tablespoons olive oil

1/2 large onion, minced

Directions:

deep dish pie shells. I’ll sprinkle a little sugar over the first pie shell and blind bake it, which is cooking it halfway (about 15 minutes or to a light golden crust) so that the shell stays crusty and firm, and not soggy from the fruit juice.

are not just pizza’s red-sauced stepchildren!

If you’re looking for a new way to wow, this cake is

Here, I’ve provided the five-ingredient version as well as the recipe that my family has used for decades! It offers just a few more spices to give your brisket

The second unbaked crust goes right over the top of the fruit and then it goes into the oven until it too bakes up to a golden brown. So now you can head for the produce section or the frozen food area of your grocery store and bake up your own Peach-A-Berry Pie, with plenty of vanilla ice cream.

1 cup pizza sauce, divided 1 small container (16 1 8 oz. package shredded mozzarella

6-8 cups sliced peaches or 2 (16 oz.) packages frozen peach slices

Olive oil and vinegar for drizzling over vegetables, optional packet for several hours or until fork-tender. In another pot, steam the veggies until fork tender. Slice the corned beef, surrounded with steamed veggies drizzled with olive oil and vinegar.

1 leek, diced fine

3-4 cloves fresh garlic

8 thin slices of 4-5 large leaves of basil, rough chopped

Jan’s Family Corned Beef and Cabbage (Serves 4)

4 tablespoons milk

1 quart fresh blueberries or 2 packages frozen 4 tablespoons butter, divided 1 cup sugar plus 4 tablespoons

1 pound ground beef

1 16 oz. bag refrigerated, ready to bake pizza dough

Line a 12x4 bread loaf pan with enough plastic wrap to line the bottom and have plenty hanging over the side to wrap over the cake when layered.

Salt for sprinkling on top of dough

Directions:

Directions:

Open can of cherry pie filling and reserve 10-12 cherries for the top. Prepare pudding according to package instructions. Set aside.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Lay 2 full-sized cookies side by side in the bottom of the bread pan.

Place pizza dough on a floured surface and cut in two equal portions. Cover with a cloth and let rise for about two hours. Meanwhile, make the filling.

cloves, peppercorns, garlic and onion. Pour enough water in pot to cover the corned beef. Cover and cook on medium high for several hours or until fork tender. (corned beef package should have cook time instructions as well.)

Sprinkle one pie shell with 1 tablespoon sugar and bake until golden brown, about 12-15 minutes. Set aside to cool.

Spoon a thin layer of white chocolate pudding over the cookies. Spoon about 3 tablespoons of cherry pie filling over pudding. Repeat process until you have 6 layers, ending with a layer of chocolate graham crackers.

In a large skillet, heat butter and add mushrooms. Cook until mushrooms are browned. Remove and set aside. In the same skillet, heat olive oil and sauté onion, leek and garlic until soft and translucent.

In a saucepan, heat peaches, ½ cup sugar and 2 tablespoons of butter. (If peaches are too tart, add more sugar.) Cook over medium high heat until peaches are softened.

small

Olive oil and vinegar for drizzle

Carefully seal the cake with the plastic wrap, gently pressing the sides together to compress. Slip cardboard or cake board pieces in between the plastic wrap-sealed cake and the pan to compress even more. Place in freezer to harden for at least 6 hours.

When ready to serve, beat together whipping cream and powdered sugar to stiff peaks. Remove cake from freezer and spread whipping cream on top and sides of cake.

and pepper to taste Mustard for spreading on corned beef, optional

Add in the mushrooms, stirring to combine. Add beef and cook until browned. Add ¼ cup pizza sauce, stirring to combine. Simmer for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. When done, set aside to cool. In a bowl, combine ricotta and shredded mozzarella. Set aside. Using a rolling pin or by hand, roll out first pizza dough into approximately 8-inch rounds. Spread pizza sauce over entire round, leaving 1/2 inch border. On the bottom half of the dough, place 4 slices of pepperoni.

In another saucepan, do the same with the blueberries. Consistency should remain fairly thick with both fruits.

Pour fruits onto baked pie shells in layers, one fruit per layer. Reserve a few berries and peach slices for top of pie.

When corned beef is cooked, turn heat off and cover pot with lid. In another pot, add cabbage quarters, potatoes and carrots. Add 3-4 inches of water to steam veggies. Keep checking to make sure you have enough water in the pot. Add more if needed. Cook vegetables until fork tender. (The potatoes may take a few minutes longer to cook.)

Directions:

Using a carrot peeler or paring knife, scrape chocolate bar to create chocolate curls or shavings. Sprinkle over cake. Dot top of the cake with reserved cherries. Cake will take about one hour to thaw completely. Slice and serve.

Spread half of the cheese mixture on top of the pepperoni, and then add four to six tablespoons of the filling on top of the cheese. Sprinkle basil over top. With a pastry brush, brush the outer edges of the dough.

Remove spice packet from brisket. Place brisket in a large pot or Dutch oven.

Place remaining uncooked pie shell over top of fruit and seal the edges with your fingers. Place reserved fruit in the center for garnish. Sprinkle with 1 tablespoon sugar. Bake for about 25 minutes or until top is golden brown. Serve with good vanilla ice cream.

Bread Pan Alternative:

Carefully fold half of the dough over the half that has the filling. Press edges together to seal. Brush entire calzone with milk. Sprinkle lightly with salt. Repeat with second pizza dough. Bake at 350 degrees for about 25-30 minutes or until golden brown. Serve immediately with a side of the remainder pizza sauce.

Add contents of spice packet, bay leaves,

Place corned beef, sliced against the grain, on a platter. Surround the corned beef with steamed vegetables. Drizzle with extra virgin olive oil and vinegar. Salt and pepper the vegetables as needed. Serve with mustard if desired.

If using an 8x8 inch cake pan instead of bread loaf pan, you may only get 2-3 layers. Line with enough cookies to cover the bottom and follow above instructions until ingredients are used up.

potentially historic, and we were really pleased when we found the Hotel Valley Ho because that is a historic hotel that was built in the 1950s.”

Baby said Tiki Oasis is having a free marketplace with Tiki art, jewelry, clothing and collectible ceramics.

“We have artists who will be coming from all over the country to sell their wares in our marketplace, which is free and open to the public,” Baby said.

Tiki seminars are the anchor of the weekend, Baby said.

“They are all about a variety of topics including historic preservation, the history of tiki in the Southwest, cocktails and mixology and mid-century art,” Baby said.

Those with an evening resort pass will have access to the Tiki Oasis nightclub, Baby said.

Although the duo founded Tiki Oasis in San Diego, she said the Scottsdale event is different.

“This is less of a large-scale music festival and there will be opportunities to hang out and get to know people. It has a more intimate setting,” Baby said.

“You learn during the day and you have cocktail parties at night where you can

hopefully discuss and share what you’ve learned,” Otto adds.

Like their previous efforts, AZTO is for charity.

“Arizona Preservation Restoration Foundation is a great partner for us at this event because they care about keeping and holding onto history in Arizona and they want to make sure these things are preserved for future generations,” Baby said.

To streamline the cause, Otto and Baby say their passion is to preserve the history of tiki and its culture. Historic sites and architecture fuel their desires.

“We really want to try and preserve what’s left of tiki architecture so people can go and experience it again,” Otto said.

IF YOU GO

What: Arizona Tiki Oasis (AZTO)

Where: Hotel Valley Ho, 6850 E. Main St., Scottsdale

When: April 12-14

Cost: Varies Info: aztikioasis.com

Something for everyone: It’s all fair at the County Fair

BY LAURA LATZKO

Get Out Contributor

Whether it is raising animals for auction, baking a pie, making a quilt or performing with a choir or dance group, there is opportunity to showcase talent for a spectrum of people at the Maricopa County Fair.

This year’s edition is April 10-14.

Among the attractions are a livestock show and auction, motor sports, carnival rides, multiple entertainment stages, petting zoo and agricultural exhibitions.

The county fair, which dates to the 1950s, when it was not only a fair but also a citrus festival, offers categories for traditional and modern hobbies, including the culinary arts, photography, horticulture, clothing design, quilting, cellphone photography and model building.

“Whether it’s something that people do for a hobby because they love it or even professionally, we welcome it all,” said Karen Searle, executive director of the fair. “The talent that is in our community is extremely impressive. That’s why I encourage everybody to participate.”

The livestock show is expected to have more than 1,000 animals. Searle said that raising animals teaches young people important lessons they can use throughout their lives.

During the fair’s livestock show and auction, children ages 9 to 19 show animals they have raised, such as pigs, sheep, pygmy and dairy goats, chickens, rabbits and dairy cattle.

“When they are raising an animal that is going into the food chain, they learn responsibility,” Searle said. “They learn

so much about business, and by that I mean the costs and expenses of raising an animal, how much the animals cost, how much time they have to put in. So, it’s not just responsibility for themselves, but it is responsibility for another living creature.

“Parents are driving them every weekend or transporting those animals. It is definitely a commitment by the family.”

The fair will showcase acts on four stages. Dance troupes, bands, cloggers, belly dancers, a safety magic show, karate schools and choirs will entertain.

Nostalgic and thrill rides are back, including Ferris wheel, carousel and carnival. Monster trucks, freestyle motocross motorcycles and Demo Cross demolition figure 8 derby races also return.

Seniors 55 and older and those in military and first-responder uniforms receive free entry on Wednesday.

Those who bring canned food goods to be donated to St. Mary’s Food Bank receive $4 off admission on Thursday.

Students in kindergarten through sixth grade get free admission and four free rides on Thursday when they read four books. They must complete a Read to Ride form to participate.

IF YOU GO

What: Maricopa County Fair

Where: Arizona Exposition and State Fairgrounds, 1826 W. McDowell Road, Phoenix

When: 10 a.m.-10 p.m. April 10, 11, 14; 10 a.m.-midnight April 12-13

Cost: $9 general admission, no admission charge to children 8 and younger. $10 parking

Info: maricopacountyfair.org

Obituaries

Katherine Hays LaRoy

K atherine Hays LaRoy, 92 died Feb. 7, 2019 i n Mesa. Born in Binghamton, NY on April 26, 1927 to Grace Hotchkiss Hays and Mathew Hays. She married: Norman H Light from Nov 26, 1944 to 1975 She married Don LaRoy July 17 1982. Survived by daughters Connie Light Dedrick and Carol Light Byassee; and step children Beck LaRoy Pugh and Jef f LaRoy and Carl Light.

HelenMillerSencenbaugh

HelenMillerSencenbaugh96,passedaway o nMarch16,2019atherhomeinArizona. A CelebrationofherlifewillbeatheldonJune 3 atFortSamHoustonNationalCemeteryinSan A ntonio,Texas.HelenwasbornonMarch4 , 1923inLawrence,KansastoCharlesEdwar d MillerandCorinneHenriettaWoottenMiller. HelenattendedtheUniversityofMissourii n Columbia,Missouri.ShejoinedtheMarinesduringWorldWarIIandwashonorablydischarged inMarch26,1945.Shelovedreading,architecture,interiordesignandtravel. Shewasprecededindeathbyherhusband, L eslieEdwinSencenbaugh,herparent s C harlesEdwardMillerandCorinneHenriett a W oottenMiller,andhersistersMaryLouis e HurlbutandEffieMillerandSon-in-Law.Helen issurvivedbyherchildrenLeslieWootenNeil l (GaryNeill)ofScottsdale,AZ,JayCharlesSencenbaugh(LindaZ.)ofSanAntonio,TXElan a M illerWiernasz,6grandchildrenand4greatg randchildren.Condolencesmaybelefto n HelenMillerSencenbaugh’sonlineguestbook atwww.sonoranskiesmortuaryaz.com.

CLASSIFIEDS

Baseline

Ste. A-8 Gilbert, AZ 85233

www.everlastingmonumentco.com info@everlastingmonument.phxcoxmail.com

Obituaries - Death Notices - In Memoriam Visit: obituaries.EastValleyTribune.com

RonaldEugeneHughen

RonaldEugeneHughenpassedonMarch27,2019.BorninMemphis,TennesseeonSeptember27,1949,Ronisprecededindeath byhisfatherEugeneHughen,motherSilviaHughen,andsister MarionHatcher.RonleavesbehindhislovingfaithfulwifeMona Hughen,sonJefferyHughen,daughter-in-lawJeniferHughen,and hisbelovedgrandchildrenRaelynandVance.

Asaboy,RongrewupinJoiner,ArkansasbuteventuallyrelocatedtoYuma,Arizonawhereheattendedhighschool.Hi sfather EugeneworkedforNewHollandTrackerswherehisjobwould eventuallytakethefamilytoVisalia,California,whereRonattended ThreeRiversJuniorCollege.WhileattendingThreeRiversheworkedatthelocalgolf course,radiostation,andautopartsstoreearninghiswaytoCalPoly,SanLuis Obispo.Hereceivedadegreeinelectricalengineeringgraduatingwithhonors.

HebeganhiscareerwithMosley’sElectronicsinSantaBarbara,California.After leaving Mosley’shemovedtoCarpinteria,CaliforniafindingworkatCetecandmeeting hisbeautifulbrideMona.RonandMonamovedtoPhoenix,Arizona,married,and settleddowntoraisetheirbelovedsonJefferyR.Hughen.RonwouldholdseveralpositionsatArizonaRadio,StandardCommunications,thenlandedatModularCommunicationsfortheremainderofhiscareer.Ronwasdeeplyvestedinhisfamilyandlife’s work,sellingandsupportingthe2-wayradioplatform.Ron’s workwouldleadhimto workdirectlywiththefederal,state,andlocalgovernmentsselling911radiosanddispatchequipmenttoassistfirstrespondersandtheU.S.ForestryDivision.

RonandMonamovedtoPagosaSprings,ColoradowhereMonaworkedatFireside CabinsandRoncontinuedworking.In2014,theymovedtoKingman,Arizonadueto healthreasons.Ronenjoyedbowling,carraces,CaliforniaAngelsBaseball,Arizona CardinalsFootball,TheDenverBroncos,andmusic.Cherwashisfavorite,whichhe wasluckyenoughtoseeherinconcertlastyear.

RonwillbegreatlymissedbyfriendsandfamilythatknewhiminSanLuisObispo, Mesa,PagosaSprings,TopockandKingman.Ifyouwereluckyenoughtohavemet Ron,youwouldknowthathewasafunnymanwithremarkablewitandcharm.Hewas alwayscrackingajokewhichwouldmakelaughterandsmiles.Peopletrulylovedhis drysenseofhumor.There’sanewstarintheuniversetonight.Serviceswillbeheldat OakStreetBaptistChurchinKingman,ArizonaonApril13,2019at11:00A.M.

Traditional rides remain among the favorite attractions at the Maricopa County Fair, which runs April 10-14 at the State Fairgrounds. (Special for Get Out)

Central Ari ona Farming, nc. seeks 280 workers f rom 05 0 2019-11 01 2019 Re o r er for. Farmworker Stacking Cartons Set ff ; Cantaloupe Cutter; Cantaloupe Loader; Lemon Drop, Honeydew, Golden Honeydew and Mini atermelon Cutter; Lemon Drop, Honeydew, Golde n H oneydew and Mini atermelon Grader Packer; L emon Drop, Honeydew, Golden Honeydew an d Mini atermelon Labeler; Lemon Drop, Honeydew, G olden Honeydew and Mini atermelon Bo M aker; atermelon Cutter; atermelon Loader ; atermelon Labeler; atermelon Sorter; atermelo n Packer; atermelon Pitcher; Packing Facilit y P acker; Packing Facility Grader; Packing Facilit y Cleaner; Packing Facility Bo Maker; ransplanter; eeding; Plastic Removal Laying and Disposal ; Machine uipment perator; Facility Forklift perator Single Double ; Field 10 Pallet Forklift perator , tractor operator.All worksites located in onopah, A Aguila, A . Positions are temporary. Duties include: Lift cartons appro 42 lbs place on pallet; alk through field, determine if melon is ripe cut from vine; alk in furrow, pick up melons place on conveyor belt; Retrieve appropriate si e d melons, place in carton, move carton to conveyor belt; Place stickers labels on melons; Fold un-made cartons into bo es; Stand on platform direct melons into lane for particular si e; Pick up melons from l anes place melon into appropriate bin for tha t si e; Bend down retrieve melon pitch melon t o pitcher, forming a chain pitching melons to trailer; Cleaning of packing facility; Bo making; Place ind ividual plants in seed holes; alk through fiel d p ulling weeds by hand or hoe; alk through field turning melons as to not allow spotting; Repair and flush drip tape irrigation lines and perform irrigation f unctions as directed by foreperson; perate machinery incl. tractors as directed trained and Random Drug Screening. For CDL drivers Pre-employment CDL Medical am and Drug est and n-going Random Drug and Alcohol testing. Must be able t o work outside for at least 6 hrs. day M-Fri , 5 hrs. day Sat , 6 days a week M-Sat , in all kinds of weather. ork involves fre uent bending, walking standing. age offer is 12 hr in Ari ona in California the wage is 1 .92. mployer guarantees eac h worker the opp. of employment for at least of the workdays of the total period of work contract all e tensions. ools, supplies e uip. provided at n o c ost. Housing provided at no cost to workers who cannot reasonably return to their perm residence a t end of each work day. ransportation subsistenc e e penses to the worksite will be paid by the employer upon completion of 50 of the work contract, or earlierat nearest A Dept. of conomic Security off ice, such as 4000 N Central Ave, Phoeni A , 85012. 602-542-2484, or see https: des.a .gov for addt l locations. Apply in-person at our Aguila, A address: 51040 . alley Rd., Aguila, A 85 20.

Employment General

EXP'd ROOFERS

Tile roofing installers Call or text: Name phone & Exp 480-430-1160

for work throughout Maricopa County. Must have a valid driver s license, own transportation and be able to bend and lift. e are looking for highly motivated individuals that en oy teamwork. n the ob training, paid time off with a competitive rate. ease e ai res e to errett ao o or i e s a a at .

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Buy Harris Bed Bug Sprays, Kits, Mattress Covers Available: Hardware Stores, he Home Depot, homedepot.com

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imes Media Group has an immediate full-time opening for a inside Business Development Specialist. he successful candidate will be responsible for developing new business for targeted specialty publications. Primary responsibilities include strategic prospecting, sales ac uisition via the phone, account retention and must be able to work collaboratively w ith clients and internal staff.

a i i ations Re ire ents

Min of yrs sales e p; advertising preferred; knowledge of print media a plus cellent customer service skills internal and e ternal

Strong computer skills, ord, cel, Gmail, Google doc and spreadsheet cellent written and verbal communication skills alid Driver s License and Proof of ehicle nsurance

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f you are interested in applying for this position please send your resume to aine ota e ota ti es i ations o

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ene its 401 k , Dental, Life, Medical, ision

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Present and sell company products and services to new and e isting customers

Prospect and contact potential clients

Reach agreed-upon sales targets by the deadline

Set follow-up appointments to keep customers aware of latest developments

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Strong negotiation skills

Deadline and detail-oriented

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Paid acations and Holidays

In anticipation of Homeland Security Fede ral Emergency Management Agenc y making announcement for availability of intercity bus security grant funding, Industrial Bus Lines, Inc. is currently soliciting bids f rom qualified vendors for the followin g project(s): vehicle/driver security enhancem ents including real time GPS trackin g and video surveillance system for over the r oad coaches. This bid should also include the necessary costs for professional installation. The cut off to participate in the bid process expires on April 20, 2019. For more information, please contact Eugene Thomas at 480-281-0773 or e-mail ethomas@allaboardamerica.com Publish: East Valley Tribune, Mar. 31, Apr 7, 2019 / 19523

The Mesa City Council will hold a public hearing concerning the following ordinance at the April 15, 2019 City Council meeting beginning at 5:45 p.m. in the Mesa City Council Chambers, 57 East First Street.

1. ZON18-00933 (District 6) Within the 10800 to 11600 blocks of East Williams Field Road (south side), the 6000 to 6300 blocks of South Signal Butte Road (east side), the 6000 to 6300 b locks of South Mountain Road (west side), the 6000 to 6500 blocks of South Mountain Road (east side), and the 6000 to 6300 blocks of South Meridian Road (west side). Located south of Williams Field Road east of Signal Butte Road (203± acres). Rezone to modify an existing PAD; and Site Plan Review. This request will allow for the modification of the PAD for single residential development. Sean Lake, Pew & Lake, PLC, applicant; Groh Revocable Trust, Demuro Properties, SB CLB 18, LLC, Tres Points, LLC, owners.

2. ZON19-00016 (District 6) Within the 7100 to 7600 blocks of East Elliot Road (north side) and the 3100 to 3500 blocks of South Sossaman Road (west side). Located north of Elliot Road and west of Sossaman Road (187± acres). Rezone from LI-PAD-PAD and PEPPAD-PAD to EO to create the Red Hawk Empl oyment Opportunity Zone. This request will establish zoning to guide future development of employment and industrial uses. W. Ralph Pew, Pew & Lake, PLC, applicant; MBR Land I, an Arizona General Partnership, MBR Land I, LLP, B&K Land Investment Co., et al, and Morrison Ranch, Inc., owners.

DATED at Mesa, Arizona, this 7th day of April 2019.

DEE ANN MICKELSEN, City Clerk Publish: East Valley Tribune, Apr 7, 2019 / 19873

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