Gilbert Sun News 03-19-2023

Gilbert hopes all’s well as it digs for water

BY CECILIA CHAN GSN Managing Editor

Gilbert has sped up its timeline to dig for more wells in anticipation of more drastic cuts in Colorado River water next year.

Currently 41% of the town’s portable water supply to meet demand comes

from water high up in the Rockies. The rest comes from the Salt River Project, 40%; groundwater, 4% and reclaimed water, 15%.

The town bumped up three wells for construction this year and three more next year at a potential cost as much as $56 million, though some factors may make the total cost less than that.

The six wells originally were scheduled for Fiscal Years 2025-31. The town last year met its portable water demand with 24% of water pumped from wells.

Gilbert currently has 20 groundwater wells throughout its service area and the majority are in Zone 1, where the North

see WELLS page 6

Call to arms led Gilbert man to a business he loves

BY CECILIA CHAN GSN Managing Editor

Mike Reber used to build custom acrylic aquariums until the housing market crashed and his business hit a slump.

“Nobody wanted aquariums anymore,” the Gilbert resident recalled. “My wife said, ‘do something you love.’”

And that’s what Reber has been doing for the nearly 15 years – selling antique and modern  rearms.

He recently relocated his business Arizona Arms Sales from Chandler to Gilbert to a historic house converted to commercial use, half a mile west from the Heritage District. e 2,200-square foot brick home was once the residence of Otto and Edna Neely and part of the Neely Family farmstead, a working dairy farm until 1972.

“I’m getting older and I’ll not do this forever,” the

Mike Reber, owner of Arizona Arms Sales LLC in Gilbert, holds an 1860s-era Henry Rifle, one of many vintage firearms he sells. (David Minton/GSN Sta Photographer) see REBER page 4

ENTERTAINMENT OF THE WEEK

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67-year-old Giolbert resident said.

“We downsized from a 12,000-squarefoot warehouse to this small property to basically have a mom-and-pop shop. It’s not stark and white. It’s a nice, quiet little place.”

Visitors who enter the shop are greeted by two life-size cardboard cutouts of actor John Wayne in his cowboy persona and autographed photographs of the costumed actors from the 1993 movie “Tombstone,” hanging on the wall – testimony to Reber’s love of the Wild West.

Reber says his customers comment how comfortable they feel in the store.

Helping with that comfort level is employee Joy Triplett, an avid shooter who started o skeet shooting while in high school.

Most gun stores are sta ed by men, which is intimidating to women, especially as rsttime gun buyers, she said.

“Women tend to sell better to women,” said Triplett.

Women increasingly are buying guns nationwide and Reber is also seeing the same: 25-30% of his customers are women looking for protection.

Women accounted for about half of all gun purchases between 2019 and 2021, and that new gun owners are more likely to be female, according to a survey by Harvard and Northwestern universities.

Gun manufacturers such as Smith and Wesson are taking note. e Massachusetts-based company released the Shield EZ in 2018 with an easy-to-rack slide and guns now come in all colors of the rainbow.

Americans own more guns per capita than any other country and 46% of U.S. households own at least one, according to the University of Chicago in 2022.

Arizona Arms Sales stocks about 2,500 guns and o ers an array of choices, half modern and half collectibles. e store also sells ammunition and some gun accessories.

“We sell lot of collectible rearms, lot of historic rearms,” Reber said.

ere’s a black-powder revolver dated 1860, an 1882 and an 1887 single-action Colts and an M1 Garand sniper ri e with scope and a funnel-like re hider attached to the muzzle end that was used during the Korean War.

“It’s one of the more unique pieces he has because it has all of the originals,” Triplett said of the M1. at weapon retails for

$5,200.

An 1865 engraved Henry Repeating Rie in pristine condition also is for sale for $35,000.

“I’ve sold ve of them already,” said Reber, who acquired them from a collector.

One of the oldest pieces in the store is a intlock ri e circa 1830s but that belongs in Reber’s private collection and isn’t not for sale.

Reber has been collecting guns for 40 years and has amassed a personal collection of 300.

“I love the Colt revolvers, the Winchesters,” said Reber, who works seven day a week and doesn’t have the time to go shooting anymore. “ ere’s history there and I like history.”

For the collector preferring something more modern, Reber o ers a custom “MAGA AR-15” stamped with “Trump” and “MAGA” on it that comes in a variety of colors such as red and purple, retailing for $1,195.

Reber has sold eight of those so far.

Besides the brick-and-mortar location, Arizona Arms Sales has a big internet presence – selling on gunbroker.com under “acrylictnk.” Another venue for his business is the weekend gun shows, like the one he’ll be attending this coming weekend in Queen Creek.

Reber said he attends 35 to 38 events a year, all in Arizona.

e shows comprise the biggest portion

of his business at 50%, he said.

His wife, Judy, mostly works the weekend gigs, and also has a business she runs out of the shop.

Judy Reber has owned Merino Skin Care USA for over 35 years and although the bulk of her sales is from online, she’s stocking her product at the shop.

“A lot of these gun people need this for their hands – especially the guys because they don’t go to a beauty supply to get something good,” she explained.

A bestseller is the “Crack Blaster,” which is great for outdoor shooters because their hands dry out in the Arizona sun or for people cleaning guns because the oil tends to eat up the hands a little bit.

Changing careers midstream isn’t new for Reber, who raised lions, tigers and bears for 20 years while living in Ohio.

He would get the exotic animals when they were 2 weeks old, raise them and take them into schools, nursing homes and the like for education presentations.

Federal regulations eventually made it increasingly di cult to run the business and Reber sold it.

He said the same thing is happening to gun sellers as increasing restrictions are placed on them.

He said that the federal Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms Bureau already can revoke a rearms license for any one of the ve visee REBER page 10

please contact Aaron Kolodny at aaron@phoenix.org

Arizona Arms Sales owner Mike Reber has a mix of vintage and modern firearms at his Gilbert store. (David Minton/GSN Sta Photographer)

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WELLS from page 1

Water Treatment Plant is located near Guadalupe and Higley roads. The plant also treats water from the Salt, Verde, and Colorado rivers.

But the town’s water system is hampered in its ability to deliver water from the North Water Treatment Plant to south Gilbert due to factors such as water resources limitations, pumping and reservoir configurations.

So, the six new wells are planned for zones 2 and 3, which are served by the San Tan Vista Water Treatment Plant near Ocotillo and Recker roads, according to Jeanne Jensen, projects supervisor. San Tan Vista also treats Colorado River water delivered by the Central Arizona Project.

“The cost per well is just under $9 million,” Jensen said. “But it could be less expensive if it’s easy to drill, we

already own the land or potentially take over an existing (irrigation) well.”

Treating the water from the wells is not included in the cost. Each well is anticipated to produce 2 million gallons of water a day. Well sizes in Gilbert range from half a million gallons a day to over 4 million gallons a day.

Jensen said staff hasn’t gone out yet to ask for bids for the three wells but anticipated something coming to council in August for approval.

Building a groundwater well typically takes three years from start to finish – up to six months to identify the land, up to six months to acquire the land and up to two years for construction, depending on the needs of the site.

The three new wells being dug this year are anticipated to be operational before June 2026.

Before any drilling begins, finding

a suitable spot that yields the highest quality of water in the greatest volume falls to the hydrologist, who understands the ancient river alignments and rock formations, according to Jensen.

“The hydrologist will determine how deep we need to go for water” with exploratory bores, she said.

For instance, the town is currently digging a well at the southwest corner of Ocotillo and Val Vista roads. The first exploratory bore went down to 1,500 feet and came up with no water and only clay and a second try farther west found water around 400-500 feet, according to Jensen.

For the Waterston well project, one of two currently underway in town, staff is in the process of acquiring four home lots from the developer and hiring a designer. The two wells are expected to produce water by the end of

2025.

The size of land required for a new well depends on “where we come in and the land available,” Jensen said. “We try to have ¾ to an acre to be able to lay down the piping into the ground.”

Once a site is identified and acquired, drilling begins into the aquifer and once that is completed, the next steps include dropping a casing into the hole along with a pump apparatus and building a water-delivery system.

The lifespan for a well that is regularly inspected and refreshed is about 50 years, Jensen said.

But various issues can dramatically affect the timeline to get the wells up and operational – such as a shortage of materials across the construction

Gilbert plans to build three more wells over this year and next, as this map shows their locations. (Town of Gilbert)

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PERIPHERAL NEUROPATHY AND CHRONIC PAIN TREATMENTS NOT WORKING!!

Mesa, AZ – When it comes to chronic pain and/ or neuropathy, the most common doctor-prescribed treatment is drugs like Gabapentin, Lyrica, Cymbalta, and Neurontin. The problem with antidepressants or anti-seizure medications like these is that they offer purely symptomatic relief, as opposed to targeting and treating the root of the problem. Worse, these drugs often trigger an onset of uncomfortable, painful, and sometimes harmful side effects.

The only way to effectively treat chronic pain and/or peripheral neuropathy is by targeting the source, which is the result of nerve damage owing to inadequate blood flow to the nerves in the hands and feet. This often causes weakness, numbness, balance problems. A lack of nutrients causes the nerves degenerate – an insidious

cannot survive, and thus, slowly die. This leads to those painful and frustrating consequences we were talking about earlier, like weakness, numbness, tingling, balance issues, and perhaps even a burning sensation.

The drugs your doctor might prescribe will temporarily conceal the problems, putting a “Band-Aid” over a situation that will only continue to deteriorate without further action.

Thankfully, Mesa is the birthplace of a brandnew facility that sheds new light on this pressing problem of peripheral neuropathy and chronic pain. The company is trailblazing the medical industry by replacing outdated drugs and symptomatic reprieves with an advanced machine that targets the root of the problem at hand.

1. Finding the underlying cause

2. Determining the extent of the nerve damage (above 95% nerve loss is rarely treatable)

3. The amount of treatment required for the patient’s unique condition

Aspen Medical in Mesa

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2. Stimulates and strengthens small fiber nerves

3. Improves brain-based pain

The treatment works by delivering energy to the affected area(s) at varying wavelengths, from low- to middle-frequency signals, while also using Amplitude Modulated (AM) and Frequency Modulated (FM) signaling

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The number of treatments required varies from patient to patient, and can only be determined following an in-depth neurological and vascular examination. As long as you have less than 95% nerve damage, there is hope!

Aspen Medical begins by analyzing the extent of the nerve damage –a complimentary service for your friends and family. Each exam comprises a detailed sensory evaluation, extensive peripheral vascular testing, and comprehensive analysis of neuropathy findings.

Aspen Medical will be offering this free chronic pain and neuropathy severity evaluation will be available until March 31st, 2023. Call (480) 274-3157 to make an appointment

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As displayed in figure 1 above, the nerves are surrounded by diseased, withered blood vessels. A lack of sufficient nutrients means the nerves

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market and getting a driller on board as everyone is trying to drill – and not just in Arizona, according to Jensen.

Staff acknowledges that the wells are just a short-term solution for the Colorado River deficit.

“In the longer term, we will have more water we can treat at the North Water Treatment Plant that will increase the amount of surface water to offset that as well,” said Jessica Marlow, Public Works director.

The treatment plant, which provides drinking water to most of Gilbert’s residents, is undergoing a multi-phase, multi-year project to do necessary upgrades and expansion, which began in March 2022.

The reconstruction, which is expected to finish in December 2027, will increase the plant’s capacity from 45 million gallons per day to 60 million gallons per day and allow for the town to fully use its SRP surface water.

As the Western states come to term with a 23-year-long megadrought, the

Arizona Municipal Water Users Association is sounding the alarm.

“Under the best-care scenario, the AMWUA cities should expect a 40% to 50% cut to our highest priority Colorado River water starting in 2024,” said Warren Tenney, AMWUA executive director in a Feb.9 letter to the board of directors, which includes Gilbert Councilman Scott Anderson.

Ten municipalities, including Gilbert belong to AMWUA, which advocates for sound water management strategies and policies and promote responsible water stewardship.

Tenney warned that because the Central Arizona Project has junior priority it “opens the possibility of having zero Colorado River water.”

“Under the worst-case scenario, Central Arizona Project supplies would be cut completely if shortage reductions are applied via the priority system,” Tenney said. “The AMWUA cities have 10 months to actively prepare our communities for the deep

see WELLS page 14

The town began digging the Waterston well plast year and the project is one of two currently underway in Gilbert. (Town of Gilbert)

24/7 unit ready to roll if a train derails here

BY JOSH ORTEGA GSN Sta Writer

Concern over the safety of hauling cargo on trains is foremost on the public’s mind following the Feb. 3 derailment in East Palestine, Ohio that spilled toxic chemicals into that community.

And more recently, a freight train carrying corn syrup, initially reported as hazardous material, derailed last Wednesday in Mohave County near the California border. East Valley o cials say a task force of rst responders is trained to handle any such emergency that may occur in the region.

“From a Valley perspective, we are extremely well-prepared to handle any type of hazardous materials leak, whether it’s by rail or industry or on the road – and I’ve had far more over-the-road incidents,” said Mesa City Councilman Somers, who spent 27 years with the Phoenix Fire Department. A similar incident occurred locally in

2020 when a broken rail on Tempe Town Lake bridge derailed a train causing it to catch on re.

Somers called the Tempe wreck “the largest risk” to the community, primarily because it was a ammable chemical leak and was close to the city’s downtown.

As the Union Paci c Railroad tracks also slices through Gilbert, including close to

Talk about remarkable!

the often-crowded Heritage District, the town’s Fire & Rescue Department has a fully trained hazardous materials response team sta ed 24 hours a day, seven days a week at Fire Station No. 5.

“ e team has a support apparatus that carries all the equipment needed to mitigate hazardous materials incidents,” said Fire Chief Rob Duggan. “Mesa and Chan-

dler Fire Departments also sta hazardous materials response teams. In a large-scale incident, these teams support one another to mitigate the incident.”

Although all hazardous materials technicians get a basic level of rail car emergency training in their initial 200-hour class, advanced training is provided in Gilbert.

Duggan said the department has partnered with Union Paci c for the past two years to provide the advanced “Tank Car Specialist” certi cation to all re ghters in the Valley.

Union Paci c even donated a tank railcar to the Gilbert Public Safety Training Facility in 2021 that is used to train rst responders on railcar emergencies.

“ e tank car was involved in the 2020 Tempe derailment and is a particular style of railcar that transports approximately 70% of the hazardous materials on the rail system,” Duggan said. “Union Paci c has

see TRAIN page 15

Scan

get started

Witnesses described the 2020 derailment over Tempe Town Lake as a “scene from hell.” (GSN le photo)

REBER from page 4 olations, including transferring a rearm to a prohibited person, failing to conduct a required background check and falsifying records.

“So, the goal is to get rid of gun dealers,” Reber said. “ at is the goal. And they’ve gone probably over the last 30 years, gone from almost 500,000 dealers to probably 60,000 now.”

e Gi ords Law Center reported that over 52,900 individuals currently have “Type 1” federal rearms licenses that allow them to act as rearms dealers.

Another 7,000 have “Type 2” licenses, which allow them to buy and sell guns as pawnbrokers, and about 74,251 individuals have other types of federal rearms licenses.

According to the nonpro t, which works to enact stronger gun safety laws in the country, “dealers are subject to very little federal oversight” and claimed that “gun dealers represent a major source of illegally tra cked rearms.”

e organization was formed from a merger between a California legal group

and the group formed by former Rep. Gabby Gi ord, D-Tucson, who survived an assassination attempt in 2011.

e American Progress, an independent, nonpartisan policy institute, stated that guns are diverted into illegal gun markets in three common ways – straw purchases, secondary sales through private sellers, and theft from individual gun owners or rearm dealers.

Just last week, President Joe Biden, who has a long record of pushing for gun control, signed an executive order directing the Attorney General to move the country as close to universal background checks as possible without additional legislation.

e order also directs Cabinet members to expand existing federal campaigns and other e orts to promote safe storage of rearms and it helps catch shooters by accelerating federal law enforcement’s reporting of ballistics data.

An unsettling fact is that more Americans – 45,222 people -– died of gun-related injuries in 2020 than in any other year on record, which includes murders and suicides, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

But more legislation is not the answer to stopping the gun violence, Reber said.

“Punish the people – that is the rst start,” he said. “If they would just enforce the laws that are on the books already, which they do not.”

He recalled that a former employee stole “many guns” from his business and he reported it to the police and the ATF.

“ ey didn’t even make any attempts to contact him at all,” said Reber, who gave the agencies the accused thief’s identity. He said he was basically told that his case was a low priority.

Reber said he and other gun dealers also have told the ATF about a dealer transferring weapons to buyers at a gun show without doing a background check because the computer system was down.

At the end of the show when the computer system came back up, the dealer then submitted the background checks, which was “1000 percent illegal” but he’s still in business, Reber said.

And, he said, the ATF agents who do annual audits of his business give conicting information.

“ ey do not have a single clue about

their own laws and I know that for a fact,” said Reber, who knows the gun laws inside-out and is often called upon by media for commentary whenever there is a mass shooting. “All the laws are subjective to whoever is doing the investigation.”

Triplett added that it’s getting to the point that nobody wants to be in the business because of the hassle.

But it will take a whole lot more before Reber walks away from his business.

“After I spent 11 months ghting to get my business license, they’re going to have a tough time putting me out of business,” he promised.

Arizona Arms Sales

Location: 487 W Elliot Road, Gilbert

Hours: Mondays to Fridays, 10 a.m.4:30 p.m.

Gun show: Mike Reber will be selling his guns at the Crossroads of the West Gun Show, 9 a.m.-5 p.m., Saturday, March 25 and 9 a.m.-4 p.m., Sunday, March 26 at The Barney Family Sports Complex, 22050 E. Queen Creek Road, Queen Creek.

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cuts we will face in 2024 and beyond.”

He also advised against using groundwater and SRP supplies to meet long-term demands.

“A strong collective stance to reduce outdoor water usage needs to be a priority,” Tenney said, adding that municipalities need to activate further stages of their drought plans and implement more aggressive ordinances and development standards.

Gilbert last June activated the first stage of its four-stage Water Supply Reduction Management Plan – educating the public on how to save water.

It’s possible that Stage 2 will be implemented this year, according to Marlow. “We are having the discussions when that might be,” Marlow said. “It might depend on updated news on the Colorado River and how deep the shortage is.”

The Bureau of Reclamation is expected to announce the level of cuts for 2024 in August, which is when

town staff will likely recommend the council activate Stage 2 to help reduce reliance on groundwater.

Stage 2 includes removing turf from non-recreational areas in town, reducing the total area of over-seeded turf and encouraging customers to conduct water-efficiency audits.

Should the town see its share of Colorado River water cut in half, it can still meet its portable demands by increasing pumping from existing wells, spokeswoman Jennifer Snyder said.

“We cannot increase our legal supply of SRP water,” Snyder said in an email. “But we are working with SRP on creative solutions to move the town’s banked water through SRP facilities to utilize Gilbert’s existing capacity in the North Water Treatment Plant. We are also participating in opportunities to secure new surface water supplies.”

Gilbert is No. 2 in the state for banked surplus underground water, which is equivalent to approximately nine years of the town’s annual portable demand, Snyder said.

But “it would never be used that quickly because stored water would only be used to supplement renewable supplies – which will not all be reduced to zero at once,” she said, adding that the accelerated well projects will increase the town’s access to this stored supply.

“We do not currently have the infrastructure in place to access as much of that stored water as we might need in a year,” she said.

Snyder said given the declining conditions on the Colorado River, Gilbert is and has for many years actively prepared with ramped-up efforts over the last year, including offering rebates for smart-irrigation controller installations and turf conversions and doing more educational outreach with water workshops and social media.

The town just formed a Community Water Shortage Team of non-residential stakeholders who’ll share ideas on how to reduce water use in Gilbert. The applications for serving on the team closed March 2 and plans are to

hold the first meeting in April.

“The combination of enhanced water conservation and added infrastructure is necessary for Gilbert to adapt to the future, which will be drier and more variable for water supplies,” Snyder said. “We are also participating in regional efforts to address both short-term and long-term reductions in Colorado River water.”

Gilbert is participating in the SRP to CAP Interconnect Facility project, which would allow SRP supplies to be delivered into the CAP canal, Snyder said.

“This will provide us operational flexibility to move supplies throughout our system,’ she said.

And, the town is participating in the Bartlett Modification Feasibility Study with SRP and other water providers in Arizona to look at enlarging the reservoir to restore lost capacity in the system and capture additional runoff from the Verde watershed, which is a renewable surface water supply and would decrease groundwater pumping.

provided an assortment of other props to the Gilbert Public Safety Training Facility.”

Duggan added that his department constantly updates and adds new equipment to its HazMat truck in order to better combat those rail car emergencies.

At the state level, the Arizona Corporation’s O ce of Railroad Safety keeps a watchful eye over public rail and highway crossings through its jurisdiction and investigates accidents, including train derailments.

e safety division does annual inspections of over 3,000 miles of track and conducts unannounced “worker protection” drop-ins, according to a spokesman.

Although two freight lines run through Arizona – BNSF and Union Paci c – it is the latter that traverses the entire Valley from Queen Creek to Buckeye as it travels the width of the state from Yuma to San Simon.

Union Paci c carries goods to and from the Valley, including metallic minerals, sulfur, building materials and grains such as wheat and our.

From 2017 to 2021, Union Paci c reported seeing a 13% uptick in rail cars originating in Arizona and during that same period the company spent $301 million on infrastructure such as tracks, structures and facilities in the state.

Union Paci c spokeswoman Robynn Tysver said the company uses a heap of technology to monitor its rail cars and tracks, including GPS, specialized sensors and, in some areas, Positive Train Control. at advanced system is designed to automatically stop a train before certain incidents occur, such as train-to-train collisions and derailments caused by excessive speed or movement through misaligned track switches.

“ is commitment to providing a safe and e cient network allows Union Paci c to be a valuable resource in attracting new business and industry,” Tysver said.

Another helpful tool is the AskRail app launched in 2014, which gives over 25,000 rst responders from across the country immediate access to accurate, timely data about the types of hazardous materials a railcar is carrying so they can make an informed decision about how to respond to an emergency.

e app came about through a collaborative e ort among the emergency-response

community and all North American Class I railroads.

e app uses a simple railcar ID search to see whether a railcar on a train is carrying hazardous materials.

From there a user can view the contents of the entire train and emergency contact information for all Class I railroads, Amtrak, and available short lines.

For security reasons, only quali ed emergency responders with rail emergency training sponsored by one of the Class I freight railroads or with the Security and Emergency Response Training Center in Colorado, can download and use the restricted features in the AskRail app. Additionally, railroads can o er the app to known emergency responders along their routes.

Federal law requires common carriers, including Union Paci c to transport chemicals and other hazardous commodities that Americans use daily such as fertilizer, crude oil and chlorine and haul approximately 20% of the chemicals used in the United States.

In 2021, freight railroads transported 2.2 million carloads of plastics, fertilizers and other chemicals, the Association of American Railroads said.

e highest-volume chemical carried by U.S. railroads is ethanol and over half of all rail chemical carloads contain various industrial chemicals, including soda ash, caustic soda, urea, sulfuric acid and anhydrous ammonia, according to the industry trade group. Plastic materials and synthetic resins account for nearly a quarter of rail chemical carloads and most of the rest are agricultural chemicals.

“Union Paci c shares the same goals as our customers and the communities we serve – to deliver every tank car safely,” Tysver said. “It is important to remember that 99.9 % of all hazardous material shipments by rail reach their destination safely.”

Union Paci c’s HazMat teams perform about 5,000 tank car inspections annually, auditing everything from tank car ttings and car markings to safety appliances, Tysvers said.

For more information, visit Union Paci c Railroad at up.com or AZ Corporation Commission O ce of Railroad Safety at azcc.gov/safety/ railroad

50 years late, Vietnam veterans in region to be saluted

BY JOSH ORTEGA GSN Sta Writer

In March 1973, the last U.S. combat troops withdrew from Vietnam and returned to a divided country where many veterans didn’t receive recognition for their service.

Starting at noon Saturday, March 25, the 50th Anniversary Welcome Home Vietnam Veterans Day event looks to remedy that by honoring area veterans who served on active duty in the U.S. Armed Forces from November 1955 to May 1975, regardless of their location at the time.

Veterans are invited to receive free haircuts and other services from approximately 100 education and informational vendors.

e public is invited to join the celebration, which will include live bands, Native American and Mexican folk dance troops, military equipment displays a Wreaths Across America educational trailer, food trucks, and a replica of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial.

Organizers encourage people to contribute a small donation of a non-perishable food items to bene t the Superstition Community Food Bank.

Starting at 10 a.m., ceremonies will take place, including a color guard by the

Apache Junction High School Navy JROTC.

Additionally, students from Patterson Elementary School in Gilbert will be on hand holding signs with supportive phrases like “Welcome Home” and “ ank you for your service.”

From February 1961 until May 1975, approximately 2.7 million U.S. service members served in Vietnam, according to the Department of Veterans A airs. e Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington, D.C.. is inscribed with the names of over 58,000 service members killed in the war.

In 2012, President Barack Obama signed a presidential proclamation designating March 29 as the annual observance of Vietnam War Veterans Day. In 2017, President Donald Trump signed Vietnam War Veterans Recognition Act,to include National Vietnam War Veterans Day as an occasion for raising the ag on all public buildings.

In 2012, Nancy Fassbender of Gold Canyon started to hold an event that drew more than 1,500 veterans every March to the Mesa Market Place Swap Meet to honor veterans.

e Lincoln, Nebraska, native joined the Army National Guard in 1975 as a helicopter mechanic and although an injury

see VETS page 17

Gilbert Arc has been serving individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities in the East Valley since 1975, providing community living, community based employment and day services and training. We help people with

while improving their

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Gilbert Arc is an IRS Section 501 (c)(3) non profit corporation, and is a Qualifying Charitable Tax Organization registered with the Arizona Department of Revenue. Our

code is 20245. Contact the Arizona

Nancy Fassbender, Jerry Sullivan and Trio Caldwell show off the pins they will be giving to Vietnam War-era veterans. (David Minton/GSN Staff Photographer)

ended her military career three years later, Fassbender said she’s still “very proud” of it. Fassbender spent much of her career as an accountant and moved to Arizona in 1998.

An o ce manager for a tax preparation company in Gold Canyon, she organizes a variety of veterans events and even penned a book,“My Fallen Hero,” which chronicles the stories of all the service members from Pinal County who died in combat, starting from World War I to present day.

“I encourage the public because I want them to welcome home the Vietnam veterans,” Fassbender said. “ is is why in Iraq and Afghanistan we didn’t lose as many soldiers as we could have, because of what the technology and everything that we learned happened in Vietnam.”

Fassbender has partnered with Mountain View Funeral Home and Cemeteryin Mesa on other projects, including the Wreaths Across America, which o ers people a chance to sponsor a wreath for placement on a veteran’s grave during the Christmas holidays.

She approached Mountain View about hosting the Vietnam veterans celebration and was surprised by the response.

“I didn’t get one sentence out before they’re saying, ‘We’re in, we would be honored to work with you on this,’” Fassbender said.

Elisa Krcilek, vice president of Mountain View Funeral Home and Cemetery, said that while she holds a special place in her heart for all veterans, those who served in Vietnam hold a special distinction.

“I come from a very long history of military and the people serving today are treated and respected far greater than they were 50 years ago,” she said.

Krcilek and her sister were born on base at Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center Twentynine Palms, California, while her dad served as a heavy equipment operator in the Marine Corps. She has two sons serving in the Navy.

Along with the importance of the half-century anniversary, Krcilek said events like this allow the community to come together, regardless of political views of the war, to honor men and women who came home and found no respect or grati-

tude for their service.

“It gives our cemetery the opportunity to say thank you, to show reverence and respect to those that served during a very di cult time,” Krcilek said. “ ese guys, no matter what role or what job they had, during Vietnam, they’ve all come back with some heavy weight on their hearts.”

Krcilek’s dad served four years in the Marines and went to boot camp with many men who deployed to Vietnam, including two cousins, one of whom was featured on the cover of Time Life Magazine and in a documentary.

Because he never deployed himself, Kriclek’s father displays his Marine Corps pride with hats and shirts but never wears a Vietnam veteran cap.

“My father was always very proud of his cousin, but weirdly a little disappointed at the same time that he did not serve in the same capacity that they did,” Krcilek said.

Krcilek said events like this tell those veterans they are appreciated and their service has not been ignored.

She recalled an incident in a supermarket that occurred while she was wearing a “Proud Navy Mom” T-shirt and a elderly

gentleman walked up to her “clearly choked up” and thanked her son for his service.

Krcilek said the man told her, “You have no idea how prideful it is, but how sad it is, there’s not a day that goes by in my life that I do not think about that war.”

“I said, ‘Well, I’m really grateful you came home,’” she recalled, “and he said, ‘you have no idea what that means. So many of my friends and so many of the men I served with didn’t.”

at’s one reason that when Nancy Fassbender approached Mountain View with her idea, Krcilek said they “just fell in love with the idea.”

“So, it’s a very honorable thing to be able to do for our veterans and their families,” Krcilek said.

50th Anniversary Welcome Home Vietnam Veterans Day

When: Saturday, March 25

Time: 10 a.m. - 4 p.m.

Where: Mountain View Funeral Home and Cemetery, 7900 E. Main St., Mesa. Information: Nancy Fassbender at 520-280-4715.

Labor of love captures Mesa Easter Pageant history

BY SRIANTHI PERERA GSN Contributor

Local journalists Jill Adair and Cecily Condie have covered the Mesa Easter Pageant for over 30 years.

e two members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints turned their inside knowledge and history of the spectacle into a book last year.

At 7 p.m. on ursday, March 23, the duo will promote e Mesa Easter Pageant: 80 Years of Sharing the Story of Jesus the Christ at the Mesa Arizona Temple Visitor’s Center. e presentation will feature a brief talk by the two authors, a slide show, photos and a question-and-answer session.

Writing the book was no easy task.

ey culled 80 years of pageant history into a workable narrative and added hundreds of individual stories from a cast and crew of nearly 500 that participated each year.

“ e biggest challenge was deciding what to include,” said Adair. “Almost everyone has a beautiful story to share, whether they watched it from the audience, participated in the cast, or helped behind the scenes. We also had hundreds of photos from over the decades from various photographers.”

Added Condie: “Truly, in all the interviews and stories we had done over the years, you could say that we’d already written a book.”

Among their interviewees, Grant Gunnell’s story stood out. At 96, Gunnell holds the distinction of being about the only person alive who had participated in the pageant the farthest back in time.

He was 17 and a senior at Mesa High School when he sang in the choir for the Easter Sunrise Service on the temple grounds in 1944 during WWII. He also met his future wife singing in the choir.

“It meant a lot to us to be there and sing.

It was a testimony-builder. I was about to graduate and go into the service. It makes you think about what you believe in. I think being in the chorus really strengthened my conviction of the gospel,” he said during his interview with the authors.

When the Mesa Temple was built in 1927, the city’s population numbered about 3,000.

In 1938, Arizona’s population was under half a million and Mesa had fewer than 7,000 people.

A group of young people from the church held a statewide gathering for peers in Mesa that culminated with an Easter Sunrise Service on the temple grounds.

e following year, the Easter Sunrise Service was repeated as a standalone.

From there on, the sharing of the Easter story on the temple grounds became an annual family and community event.

“For decades, the service began at the precise moment when Christ’s resurrec-

tion from the tomb was described and celebrated in song, the sunrise broke over the Superstition Mountains to the east, illuminating that side of the temple grounds,” Adair said.

Condie added: “It became a beloved tradition in Arizona, as people came from all over to attend.”

Today, the 70-minute, free outdoor musical dramatization highlights the poignant moments of the life of Jesus Christ, as found in the New Testament.

Organizers deem it the largest annual outdoor Easter pageant in the world as it draws more than 100,000 people to the Temple’s north lawn. e 70-minute pageant will be presented March 29-April 1 and April 4-8 at 8 each evening this year. Admission is free as the church considers this a gift to the community.

Mesa’s history is intertwined with the history of the pageant.

Mesa and the Easter celebration grew tremendously over the decades. e Mesa

Temple was the only temple in Arizona until a temple was built in Snow ake in 2002, so church members came to Mesa from around the state for decades.

As its fame grew, the pageant drew spectators from out of state and even abroad, Adair’s research indicated.

Newspaper reports from 1994 indicate the economic bene ts of the pageant at no cost to the city. at year, for example, a Chamber of Commerce spokesperson estimated a $250,000 bene t from the event. It was reported that spectators had come from Germany, England, Norway, Japan, Iran and Mexico.

Condie and Adair gleaned knowledge of the pageant’s history as publicity directors. But they also have had a closer look.

In 2009 and 2010, Condie was in the pageant as a “multitude woman” or bystander. In 2010, she was also asked to be in the cruci xion scene as a “mourner at the cross.”

“It was a surreal experience for me to put on a costume and to be transported in my mind’s eye, at least, to the time of Christ and to ponder what it may have been like to walk with Him then,” she said.

Adair performed in 1979 and 1997.

“I was cast as an angel and we danced on top of the old visitors’ center, she said. “Nearly 20 years later, in 1997, my family –husband Scott and three children Clint, Krystal and Justin – auditioned and was cast in the crowd scenes,.”

e Mesa Easter Pageant: 80 Years of Sharing the Story of Jesus the Christ, written by Jill Bishop Adair and Cecily Markland Condie and designed by Leslie ompson, is a 280-page, full-color, hardcover book published by Inglestone Publishing.

Available at mesaeasterpageantbook. com and also at Deseret Bookstores, three Costco stores in the East Valley and Amazon.

Cecily Condie and Jill Adair combined their energy to produce a history book on the Mesa Easter Pageant and will be on hand to autograph copies this Thursday at the Mesa Arizona Temple Visitor’s Center. (Scott Adair/Contributor)

Sonson’s Pasty owner calls Gilbert store a ‘blessing’

BY CHRISTINA FUOCO-KARASINSKI GSN Sta Writer

Julie Mercer is living her dream – one pasty at a time.

In 2018, she unveiled Sonson’s Pasty Company in Northeast Mesa. Five months ago, a second location in Gilbert debuted.

“ e response has been great,” Mercer said about the store at 1430 W. Warner Road, Suite 134, Gilbert.

It’s a blessing, as the opening date was uid, due to supply chain and licensing issues. Once it was nished, the Cornwall, England, native quickly opened the doors and started selling her Cornish pasties, a pastry shell lled with beef, sliced or diced potato, rutabaga and onion and then baked.

Sonson’s Pasty Company features a small menu of pasties, cakes and sausage rolls. Mercer said many Americans need to be schooled on pasties.

“ e history of the pasty is very interesting,” said Mercer, who moved to the

United States in 2002. “ ey were made by miners’ wives to take to the tin mines for their husbands hundreds of years ago.

“ e men would eat the pasties with their hands, but they had to throw away the crimp because their hands were lled with arsenic. ey are a delicious meal in one.”

Mercer learned to make pasties by working in a bakery, one of ve in her town of 3,000 people. She worked for them from age 22 to 30.

“ e owner o ered to sell me her other one, but I was too young,” Mercer said. “Instead, I moved here, worked for a company for 18 years, good company, good pay. I stayed with that until I was laid o in January. If I did this in my 20s, for sure I would have failed.”

Mercer took her severance pay and invested it in her pasty shop. She learned about nances and business during her 18 years as a retail manager. Her shop

PASTY page 20

GOP senators vote to give new businesses tax break

BY HOWARD FISCHER Capitol Media Services

Starting a new business?

Arizona lawmakers apparently want to help you succeed.

On a party-line vote, the Senate on March 14 voted to exempt new businesses from having to pay any state income taxes at all in their rst year of operation. at tax break would taper o to 50% in the second year and 25% in the third, by which point it should be clear whether a company will make it or not.

SB 1559 is the brainchild of Sen. Steve

Kaiser, R-Phoenix, who told colleagues of his own experience trying to start a business – he has since sold it – and the problems in arranging nancing. What this is designed to do, he said, is provide a bit of scal breathing room.

But Democrats were opposed even after he added requested language to ensure that companies don’t simply dissolve and reform on an annual basis to take advantage of the tax break.

“Of course, we support small businesses,’’ said Senate Minority Leader Mitzi Epstein, D-Tempe. “Arizona businesses are so important to every part of our economy.’’

But Epstein said that carving out a special tax break for those who start a new business is not good policy. And she noted that it’s not like lawmakers are providing similar relief for people who start a new job.

“Why is it only a person who owns a business that gets a tax break?’’ she asked.

Epstein said she believes that special carve-outs are not the best way to encourage economic development. Instead, she said, the state is better with low rates that apply to all.

“Everybody pays a fair share,’’ Epstein said.

Kaiser, however, said his legislation simply recognizes the hardships of starting a business from scratch.

About ve years ago, Kaiser said he bought into a franchise that does junk removal.

“We had some pretty heavy capital investment when it came to the dump trucks,’’ he explained.

“I leased my warehouses, but we had three of them,’’ Kaiser continued. “We had all the franchise fees.’’

Kaiser said he grew it during the time he had, to the point he had 15 employ-

see TAX page 20

Julie Mercer is pleased with the success of the Gilbert locationn of her Sonson’s Pasty Company, which she opened five months after her first location in Mesa. (Special to GSN) see

is named after her mother, Sonia, who moved to Mesa in 2007. Mercer and her mother worked in the same pasty shop in Cornwall.

It took Mercer a year to get to the point where she felt comfortable selling her pasties. Still, she doesn’t believe she’s at her best.

“I think I’ve improved since I started making them in February,” Mercer said. “It took me a while because I was trying to nd out what meat to use, what shortening to use, our and all that good stu . It was di erent in England. I have to like what I’m making. If I don’t like it, I’m not

TAX from page 19

PASTY from page 19 ees.

“But I still had capital problems every year,’’ he said.

e problem, Kaiser said, is not unique to him. He said that’s why most businesses fail in their rst few years because of cash ow – or, more to the

going to sell it.”

Her menu is simple, and the pasties start at $9. O erings include steak (traditional), ground beef, steak and cheese, cottage pie, Cornish “cheezy,” Philly cheesesteak, breakfast, chicken pot pie, chicken green chili and chicken and mushrooms.

Vegan o erings include a medley (mixed vegetables, garlic, herb sauce and tater tots); lentil and walnut; cheese, potato and onion; and meatless sausage roll.

“ e steak and ground beef pasties are the more popular ones, especially the ground beef,” she said. “Ground beef is ground beef. You know what you’re get-

point, the lack of it.

“You can’t get nancing from traditional places,’’ he said.

“You have to go to these short-term, basically payday loans,’’ Kaiser said. “And those are really dangerous,’’ what with high interest rates that can leave a borrower even further in debt.’’

What SB 1159 would do, he said, is

ting.

“For steak, it could be avored differently. I started with a salad bar and sandwiches, too. People weren’t coming for that. ey are coming for pasties.”

Sonson’s also hosts a monthly special that is advertised through her mailing list. Former choices include chicken and bacon alfredo and chicken pot pie.

e new store serves as a restaurant and a central kitchen for Gilbert, Mesa, and any catering opportunities or future locations. Mercer has provided pasties to the Union Jack British Pub and the recent Phoenix Scottish Games in Gilbert. So far, Sonson’s is everything she’s wanted. “I’m putting in these long hours

allow new businesses to hang on to as much capital as possible “when they’re the most vulnerable, which is those rst few years.’’

Kaiser is no longer in the junk removal business. He said he concluded that the costs -- particularly those franchise fees plus having to spend time at the Capitol make it just too much of a burden.

every day, but it doesn’t matter,” Mercer said. “ is is what I was supposed to do and here it is, I’m doing it.”

But, she said, the success all comes down to her employees.

“We work together as a team,” Mercer said. “I’m very, very blessed to have that. I try and look after them as they look after me. We keep moving forward.”

Sonson’s Pasty Company

1430 W. Warner Road, Suite 134, Gilbert 602-300-0344, sonsonspastyco.com

6060 E. Brown Road, Suite 101, Mesa 480-845-8485, sonsonspastyco.com

He also said that giving a tax break to new businesses won’t increase everyone else’s taxes, as their income tax brackets and bills would remain unchanged.

But the ip side of that is the price tag. Legislative budget sta ers predict SB 1559 would reduce state revenues by close to $39 million by 2027.

e measure now goes to the House.

Housing market warning not what you think it is

BY MINDY JONES GSN Columnist

n the heels of some pretty big banking news this week, local professionals in the housing industry are sounding the alarm. But it might not be the warning that you expect.

While some are triggered by events that feel all too similar to “too big to fail,” the improvement in mortgage interest rates following the recent bank closures suggests that the investment in mortgage backed securities is an attractive alternative.

We learned the impact of an in ux of investment in mortgage backed securities from the federal reserve during the global pandemic, arti cially suppressed interest rates.

With the failures of two banks we’re seeing mortgage backed securities rally this week and mortgage rates starting to drop again.

So

what’s the warning you ask?

Well, with many folks sitting in homes that no longer suit their needs after because of housing market trends, there is pent-up demand that is sure to bubble over as soon

as there is an incentive like a rate drop to make a move.

OWhile industry professionals would welcome a higher volume of transactions, consumers can almost certainly expect a shortage of available housing and a decrease in the ability to negotiate price and terms with the sellers based on multiple o ers.

And to the dismay of those still hoping for declining prices – which is ultimately the last thing anyone investing in a home purchase really wants – consumers also can expect prices to increase during the second half of 2023 leading up to that rate drop.

While mortgage interest rates continue to be a moving target, we’ve already started to see various indicators that we’re headed for another competitive market in the spring and summer with a backlog of buyers who will likely extend our peak season well into the hottest months of the year.

To say that most people are confused by the real estate market is an understatement –and with good reason.

In the last ve years, the market has made rapid shifts in and out of sellers markets, balanced markets, buyers markets and ultimately back into a sellers market with a pace typically reserved for the more

volatile and unpredictable stock market. In fact, our 2022 buyers market lasted less than a month but left a lasting impression on those considering a purchase.

e nancial implications of escalating sales prices and unusually erratic swings in interest rates are matched by the emotional reactions to market instability and fear of the unknown that are driving inaction by those who likely could bene t MOST from current real estate conditions.

ey highlight a massive need for education on what really impacts our local real estate market, which is supply and demand.

So the question remains: what is the warning and what do we do about it? For those with homes to sell, the rise in Valley pricing even a modest 3.5% since prices stopped falling despite being down from the peak of $308 per square foot in Gilbert. You are likely sitting on enough equity to shore up those gaps in your recent home purchase or to put your equity to work building generational wealth while supply continues to drop.

With a higher sales-price-to-list-price ratio, the o ers are clearly coming in stronger in the fourth lowest inventory market we’ve since since 2005.

And if you plan to buy and sell in the same market, the lack of supply and competitive nature on the purchase side is becoming more concerning.

Gilbert buyers and sellers are pacing on the sidelines keeping our transaction count down but even more impactful to our 2023 projections is a new listing count that is setting records for the anemic pace at which it’s o ering new supply.

With fewer new listings, the multiple offers are starting to starting to stack back up, prices have reversed course and with additional rate improvements expected, and we’re projecting a surge in demand that could decimate our available inventory.

A proverbial caldron of statistics supports a low inventory market, fueled by continued job growth.

at supports the idea that home ownership in Arizona, and the East Valley in particular, will continue to be pro table and, more importantly, desirable.

e accessibility that Gilbert buyers and sellers are enjoying in today’s market will be impacted the lower the inventory falls. e warning? It’s coming.

Mindy Jones, a Gilbert Realtor and owner of the Amy Jones Group brokered by EXP Realty, can be reached at 480-2503857, Mindy@AmyJonesGroup.com or AmyJonesGroup.com.

Roller-coaster housing market tilting toward sellers

BY PAUL MARYNIAK

GSN Executive Editor

The year isn’t even three months old yet, and the most recent data from a leading analyst indicates the Phoenix Metro housing market is echoing national experts who see some trends that suggest 2023 will be a wild year in residential real estate.

People are still buying homes and

the demand continues to outpace supply.

Bank collapses caused mortgage rates to fall brie y on March 13 before ticking back up again, according to Mortgage News Daily‘s average rates for 30-year xed-rate loans. But the following day, rates ticked upward.

Two weeks ago, the Cromford Report noted when rates had moved upward past 7% that people “might expect de-

mand to be very weak because mortgage rates have jumped back.”

But. it said “buyers are not capitulating and the growth of listings under contract is much healthier than we expected under these circumstances.”

It added, “ e balance between supply and demand has shifted signi cantly over the past three months and there is now upward pressure on pricing once more.”

And for people who are predicting a Great Recession-style collapse of the housing market, the Cromford Report almost scornfully said:

“ e current pricing trend may contradict the claims by various amateur pundits and their daft YouTube channels, but there is almost no data that supports the theory that prices are going

MARKET from page 22

to collapse from this point.”

“Anyone who is hoping for a ood of supply from foreclosures is living on a di erent planet from our real world,” Cromford said last week, saying data show ”there is absolutely no sign of this becoming a possibility. In the YouTube world perhaps, but not on Planet Earth.”

Citing a wealth of data from February sales, the Cromford Report noted, “ e 16.6% growth in listings under contract since the beginning of February, and the 31% increase in the monthly sales rate, are surprisingly strong.”

It said year-over-year data from the Arizona Regional Multiple Listing Service show total active listings more than doubled in February over February 2022 with 17,937 versus 8,305 last year.

e roller coaster becomes evident in other data for the last two months: Under-contract listings by March 1 totaled 9,109 versus 12,050 March 1, 2022. While that’s down 24%, the March 1, 2023, total also was up 16.6% from 7,810 in January, Cromford reported.

Though not yet finished, this 5,135-square-foot house on S. 155th Street in Gilbert sold recently for $2.5 million. Sitting on over 1.2 acres, the four-bedroom, five-bath home sports a large kitchen, floor-to-ceiling sliders leading to the backyard and pool, and other amenities.

(Special to GSN)

It also said that while monthly sales of 5,693 last month were 29% below the 7,993 the same month last year, they were 31% above the 4,357 in January.

And the monthly median sales price

of $413,000 in February, while 7.2% lower than February 2022’s average of $445,000, nudged up above the January 2023 average of $410,000.

Phoenix REALTORS said that in Feb-

ruary, “the average sles price increased month-over month moving from $539,617 to $544,906.”

As for the Phoenix Metro market’s inventory of for-sale homes, the Cromford Report stated. “ e supply of active listings has been trending lower for several months, although this is not true of the luxury sector, and particularly Paradise Valley.”

It added, “Pricing remains weaker than a year ago, when we were still in a boom period with exceptionally low supply. But the trend is now pointing higher, not lower.”

e Cromford Report also said continuing low inventory of homes for sale means no buyer should expect the bottom to fall out and causing housing prices to hit bargain-basement levels.

“For this to happen we would need to have a wave of new supply creating problems for sellers,” it said. “While this is always a remote possibility, there is very little foreclosure activity and low levels of mortgage delinquency. So where is

see MARKET page 24

MARKET from page 23 ceded that some trends in the Valley’s housing market run contrary to normal expectations.

this ood of homes for sale supposed to come from?

“ e builders have cut back drastically on new home permits, so we are more likely to see a shortage of homes for sale than a glut. And rising mortgage rate discourage homeowners with mortgages from selling because that would mean the loss of their cheap loan and the acquisition of a much more expensive one.”

e report also said that among the Valley’s 17 submarkets, “looking especially strong are Gilbert, Chandler, Peoria, Phoenix and Glendale.”

Phoenix REALTORS President Butch Leiber gave a more upbeat appraisal of inventory, calling it “robust” despite a slow pace in sales.

He also advised, “the market has been red hot, so seeing huge uctuations in the market may be nerve wracking.”

“In reality, the residential real estate market is closer to the ‘normal’ of where it should be,” Leiber added.

e Cromford Report indirectly con-

“ e improvement in the market is going to surprise many people, given the increase in the typical mortgage interest rate over the past month,” it said.

“ e majority of people seem to assume that the rise in mortgage rates over the past ve weeks will have caused homebuyers to reconsider and delay their purchases,” it also said.

“While there may be some, or even many who have done just that, reports from new-home sales o ces suggest that orders have stayed remarkably strong. Sales incentives are not being raised and I fear that the result will be another shortage of homes to buy within a few months,” it continued, citing the fact home building permits “have been extremely few in number and trending lower.”

It noted that new-home building permits are being issued at about half the rate they were for two years through early last summer in Pinal and Maricopa counties.

“Yet new home closings are currently down only 5% year over year in Maricopa County and order books are lling up,” Cromford said. “It is obvious from these trends that homebuilders are not starting enough homes to replace the ones that are going under contract.”

Cromford also noted: “New homes have been gaining market share over resales but this will come to a grinding halt if new homes supply runs short.”

“At the moment new builds are a dominant force in the market, but they will only remain so if we see permits climb much higher in the next few months.”

It also disputed some national media, speci cally the Wall Street Journal, which said the housing market is stalling.

“ ere is a widely held belief that rising interest rates always mean falling demand,” the Cromford Report said. “ is is sometimes true but surprisingly often untrue. Housing a ordability gets worse when interest rates rise, but if the buyers’ perception is that it may get even worse in the future, this brings on a fear of missing out and a desire to buy right

now before rates rise further.”

All of this spells oddly good news for sellers, the Cromford Report said, observing:

“ e volume may be low, but the market is operating with great e ciency and it is getting easier to sell a home, not harder.”

Adding to that optimism, the Cromford Report o ered another glimmer of hope on mortgage interest rates, saying they had slipped down a few tenths of a percent in recent days.

Warning “rates are extremely volatile at the moment, so forecasting is unusually tricky,” the Cromford Report added, “but the widespread desire to own a home is unchanged.

“ e main inhibitor for younger rsttime buyers appears to be coming up with the down-payment,” it said. “A surprisingly large percentage of would-be buyers can qualify based on the monthly cost.

“Now that they are feeling a fear of missing out, we might see a spike in demand which could move market volumes back towards normality.”

Brandon Phelps a do-it-all athlete for ALA Gilbert

BY BREVAN BRANSCUM

GSN Contributing Writer

Before kicking o their rst 3A Conference Tournament game in the 2020 season, American Leadership Academy Gilbert North head football coach Randy Ricedor was preparing for the game that his team worked all season for. However, he got the feeling that some of his older players that he usually relies on were unprepared for the big game.

Up walks freshman wide receiver Brandon Phelps, a player who had never played football before his freshman year and was about to play in his rst playo game.

“Coach, you’re gonna see ‘Playo Brandon’ tonight,” Phelps said.

Ricedor was immediately puzzled at Phelps’ self-proclaimed nickname before even playing in his rst playo game, but Phelps reassured his coach that he was going to rise to the occasion.

In the team’s two conference tournament games that season, Phelps scored a touchdown and led the team in receiving in the rst game and had over 100 yards in the second game.

He proved his coach right for trusting him and that his words weren’t just unwarranted con dence.

Two years later, Phelps caught 97 passes for 1,710 yards and 28 touchdowns in his junior year, all in 13 games, and provided outstanding playo performances to lead the Eagles to the 4A Conference title. He won 4A All-Conference First Team as his receiving yards nished second statewide.

‘Playo Brandon’ is still going strong.

“When you get in the playo s, and you get into big games, some guys are really good when you play lesser teams, and other guys ourish when you’re on the biggest stage,” Ricedor said. “And Brandon is the guy that shows up on the biggest stage.”

Even with all the stats and recognition, Phelps’ main takeaway from the football

season was his leadership role.

“It was great, I’m glad I could be such a leader for the team,” Phelps said. “It’s just a very humbling experience having guys look up to you and being able to lead them.”

His coach added that aside from his intrinsic con dence, Phelps is one of the most hard-working, dedicated and smart players he has coached, and that these traits will lead him to great success next season and beyond.

Phelps verbally committed to the University of Arizona in December 2022. He has also gotten o ers from Arizona State and Michigan State, while Ricedor mentioned that other major schools such as Michigan, USC and Oregon have been looking at him.

Even though he rose to stardom in football, it was basketball that had been Phelps’ main sport growing up.

ALA Gilbert North’s basketball team also had an amazing season, nishing 18-0 overall in AIA play before falling short in

the 4A Conference Tournament. However, with the football team’s deep run, Phelps wasn’t able to fully train for the start of the basketball season and had to start practicing and playing several games in.

“Brandon has always brought immediate energy to our team,” basketball head coach Dave Novak said about Phelps’ adjustment from football to basketball. “He still came in and contributed very well for not touching a basketball since last season.”

Phelps had a larger role on the basketball team during his sophomore year, which he wasn’t able to build on this year because of his breakout and team success in football. As he attempted to shake o some rust, Phelps started coming o the bench and found a role there.

“My approach was like, if I’m going to get in, I’m going to give it my all in those little minutes that I get,” Phelps said. “I started getting a lot more minutes ... as much as a starter, because when I get in the game, I’m a game changer.”

Of course, he was ready for the playo s. Phelps also brought up the unsel sh attitude that helped him buy into a smaller role while contributing to the team in a very di erent way than football. is same attitude brings him joy to see other players succeed, such as star basketball teammates Dylan Novak and McGuire Andrus.

Phelps has now taken his talent back to the football eld where he is in the middle of a club 7-on-7 season. Like many other football players, it keeps him busy and in shape in the months leading up to the start of spring ball in April.

e ALA football team will look di erent next season. But ‘Playo Brandon’ will remain. He hopes he can in uence others into stepping up in big-time games, too, especially with ALA making the move to the 5A Conference for the 2023 season.

“Hopefully it can turn into other people’s names, playo whoever,” Phelps said. “I want them to bring the same intensity and re that I do when I’m in the playo s.”

American Leadership Academy – Gilbert North junior Brandon Phelps has become a multi-sport star for the charter school. His ‘Playoff Brandon’ persona came alive for the Eagles in the 4A football championship and continued as he helped the basketball team make a deep run. (Dave Minton/GSN Sta )

ALA Gilbert basketball coach Dave Novak said Phelps has always brought a certain level of energy to the team. Even when missing some games due to the overlap of football into basketball season, he comes ready to play. (Dave Minton/GSN Sta )

Symphony of the Southwest entertains for 8 decades

BY COTY DOLORES MIRANDA GetOut Contributor

The Symphony of the Southwest, a hidden gem of an orchestra with members from throughout the East, presents its season final concert on April 1.

Playfully titled Romantic Favorites for April Fools, the eclectic symphony will perform at 7:30 p.m. at the Mesa Arts Center.

Until 2008, Symphony of the Southwest was called the Mesa Symphony. The current name better indicates not only the demographics of its 70plus musicians, but also the composition of the audience it attracts.

The Symphony of the Southwest has been under the baton of conductor Cal Stewart Kellogg since 2005. His vast experience, as indicated in his biography on SymphonyoftheSouthwest.org, spans the world.

Before moving to Phoenix in 2000, Maestro Kellogg conducted 24 opera productions over 16 consecutive seasons for the prestigious Washington National Opera at the Kennedy Center, Washington D.C.

The maestro is an avid believer in the power of live music.

“The symphony concert is a real thrill; you can’t match it. You can play CDs all day but they’re not the same as when you hear the symphony live. It’s exceptional.” said Kellogg, who lived and studied in Italy for two decades right after high school.

Among the symphony orchestra’s members is Mesa resident Andrew “Andy” Bunch, who is concluding his 49th season. He joined in 1974, shortly after graduating from Arizona State University.

The bassoonist has served under seven conductors, including Kellogg.

His first three conductors were Bill Engelsman of Mesa’s Westwood High School; Ralston Pitt, who at the time was music supervisor for Mesa Public Schools; and Wayne Roederer, string specialist for the Mesa district.

“It is always inspiring to work with colleagues that are as dedicated and talented as the musicians in the orchestra,” said Bunch.

“In the early years the symphony held its concerts at high schools and

churches, but since the opening of the Mesa Arts Center we now have a world class venue in which to perform. We have also had the pleasure of performing with a number of talented, creative guest artists.”

Bunch has also performed with the Arizona Wind Symphony for 12 years.

Chandler resident Timothy Haas, principal clarinetist for Symphony of the Southwest, is in his 18th year. He teaches clarinet and saxophone in his home studio, online with students nationwide, and as clarinet professor at Grand Canyon University.

He said he was introduced to the clarinet in sixth grade.

“When we were in elementary school, I played recorder. Sixth grade at our school was the first year band was offered. I didn’t want to do it, but my mother signed me anyway,” he laughed.

“It was awful. I stuck with it for a while and discovered I liked it,” he said, admitting by high school he was All-State California in the instrument.

He chose it for his career, earning his undergraduate degree at ASU and then his Master’s in Clarinet Performance from Florida State University.

Haas said he appreciates the mastery of his fellow symphony musicians and their conductor.

Gilbert residents Trent and Megan Bender, who’ve been with the Symphony of the Southwest since 2011, play viola and French horn, respectively.

“I love playing the music that Maestro Kellog selects. We seem to play one of my favorite composers almost every concert. Dvorak, Tchaikowsky, Brahms, they all wrote fantastic parts for the viola,” said Megan, adding:

see SYMPHONY page 27

Gilbert residents Trent and Megan Bender have played with the Symphony of the Southwest and for 12 years. (Courtesy of Kathy Roark)

“We’re playing selections from ‘West Side Story’ which is one of my all time favorites, at our next concert.”

The couple, who met in orchestra while attending the University of Iowa, concur that their conductor is one reason for the Symphony of the Southwest’s continuing success.

“Maestro Kellog is one of the kindest people I have ever met. He’s so knowledgeable about the music and I truly feel it is a privilege to be following his baton,” said Megan, an orchestra teacher at Mesa’s Poston Junior High and Field Elementary schools.

“The players in our orchestra are also some of the most talented musicians as well as just enjoyable people to be having fun creating music together.”

After directing a high school band and teaching music at the elementary school level, Trent Bender is dean of students at Desert Ridge High School in Gilbert.

Symphony of the Southwest musi-

cians as well as Kellogg say full audiences at their concerts are a boon, though ticket prices don’t begin to cover the symphony’s financial needs.

“It really depends on fundraising efforts,” said Kellogg, specifically pointing to Tempe residents Kathi Roark and Patricia Cosand, neither of whom are among symphony members.

Instead, these two women launched an Etsy shop called “Sewing for the Symphony” where they sell their handcrafted works with all proceeds earmarked for the Symphony of the Southwest.

“We’ve done many things to help raise money,” said Roark. “Patricia does a lot of smocking, mainly children’s clothing. She has a huge following in the UK. I do machine-embroidered towels, aprons; I’ve also

knitted scarves.”

Why put the profits of their labor into the symphony’s coffers? Roark doesn’t hesitate to answer.

“It’s such a good organization; our biggest issue is letting people know we’re here,” she said. “And we have enormous respect for the conductor and musicians. Actually, we have many friends who are musicians.”

The April 1 concert line-up is a varied one with presentations from Brahms (‘Academic Festival Overture’) to Bernstein (‘West Side Story Symphonic Dances’).

And though the 2022-23 season comes to an end, there are other ways to enjoy the musicians.

People can hire the Symphony’s Community Ensembles for private events, large or small.

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Their website SymphonyfortheSouthwest.org lists the various possibilities ranging from string quartets to full orchestra. There’s even a ‘Singa-long with Cal’ with Maestro Kellogg performing ‘golden Broadway favorites’ on piano.

Donations can also help the Symphony of the Southwest continue to fulfill their mission “to enrich the community through quality musical performances and educational programs for people of all ages, backgrounds and economic levels.”

It is also possible to “Sponsor a Chair” in the orchestra through donations.

Opportunities for tax-deductible donations can be made on their website, through PayPal, or by check mailed to 2109 E. Greenway Drive, Tempe AZ 85282

For more information on the Symphony or to purchase tickets for the April 1 concert: SymphonyfortheSouthwest.org.

They can also be found on Twitter and Facebook.

“The players in our orchestra are also some of the most talented musicians as well as just enjoyable people to be having fun creating music together.”

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