Gilbert Sun News: January 2015 by Times Media Group

Relentlessly local coverage of Gilbert and our neighboring communities

She and mom, Sara, enjoyed the food and entertainment at the

Generous boy wins award while awaiting kidney transplant

BY LYNETTE CARRINGTON

Vibrant and active, Logan Carson is a typical 9-year-old boy who loves to play. His beaming smile and positive attitude are the traits that people notice first. But Logan suffers from end-stage kidney failure—and he doesn’t let it define him. In November, the Playa del Rey Elementary School fourth grader was awarded the Young Hero Award for generously sharing his Make-a-Wish playground.

“There is no one more deserving of the Young Hero Award than Logan Carson,” says Gilbert Mayor John Lewis. “At his young age, Logan has made an enormous impact on our community, inspiring other Gilbertonians to get out and make a difference.”

This chapter of Logan’s life started in June 2012 when, after returning early

Topgolf dims lights, strives to be good neighbor

BY CHRISTINA FUOCO-KARASINSKI

When Stacy Phillips and her family moved into Agritopia, they knew the land near their property was zoned commercial.

But what they didn’t expect were the towering fences and bright lights over the fairway of Topgolf, an amalgamation of a driving range, nightclub and restaurant. As construction wrapped up in mid-October, Phillips says the building at SanTan Village was like something out of a movie.

“It was like ‘Close Encounters of the Third Kind’ had landed a half mile away.” Initially, she thought they were construction lights. But when she drove by Topgolf, she realized they were permanent.

In the name of being a good neighbor, Topgolf, after failing a photometrics

test, dimmed the lights, which appeased the Phillips family for the most part.

“I was emailing the Town of Gilbert to let them know these lights were a see TOPGOLF page 4

TOUGH KID: Logan Carson and his parents, Candy and Jamie Carson, display Logan’s Young Hero Award that he received at the 19th annual Gilbert Community Excellence Awards in November.

GSN photo by Lynette Carrington see LOGAN CARSON page 4

LET THERE BE (LITTLE) LIGHT: Stacy Phillips and her fellow residents of Agritopia, were set at ease when Topgolf turned down the lights at its SanTan Village location. GSN photo by Tim Sealy

GILBERT FIXER UPPER HOMES

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from a skating event, he was running a low-grade fever. It was an unnoticed strep throat infection.

“He was never complaining of a sore throat,” says his mother, Candy Carson. “It really took us by surprise.”

He woke up in the middle of the night, feeling as if he was going to vomit. The next morning when he woke, Logan’s right eye was swollen and he was taken to the emergency room for a CT scan.

“The swelling continued and had started with a pinpoint bruise and progressed and got really big,” his mother explains explains. He was admitted to Cardon Children’s Medical Center and, after testing, Logan was diagnosed with septic shock secondary to Group A strep. Because the strep had spread throughout his body, Logan’s heart, liver and kidneys began to fail. His vitals stabilized, but he was transferred to a San Diego hospital to address gangrene, which ultimately cost him his right leg below the knee, four fingers and his right eye.

While hospitalized in California, Logan’s therapist introduced him to Make-a-Wish and asked him for his wish. His idea was to build a playground in a nearby greenbelt, which was granted in March. His mother approved

nuisance and they were also unsafe for drivers headed west on Ray Road,” she says. “They literally were blinding.”

So bright that when she took a photo of the lights, her shadow appeared on a fence surrounding her property. Town officials told her that Topgolf hadn’t passed the photometrics test, which measures light in terms of its perceived brightness to the human eye.

Phillips continued to email photos to Town officials, who worked with Topgolf to solve the issue.

“I tried to keep it amicable because we wanted the Town to work with us,” Phillips says. “(Topgolf Director of Operations) Justin Norvell, he was very kind and he assured me that something was being done.”

In the meantime, a local television station interviewed Phillips for its news program, further hammering home the urgency of the matter.

“The next day, they started working on them,” she says. “Apparently they were at 100 percent brightness. They had to adjust down to 25 percent to pass photometrics.”

Norvell continued to reassure Phillips that Topgolf wanted to be a good neighbor. Norvell told the Gilbert Sun News that the venue is considering

of the idea because the Carson family didn’t have room in their backyard and Logan wanted to share it with his friends and neighbors. Other play structures in the neighborhood were too far for Logan, given his medical condition.

Logan undergoes nightly dialysis as he has extremely limited kidney function.

“We have a monthly nephrology appointment and he’s in workups for having a kidney transplant,” Candy Carson says. “He’s been approved for it, but we’re on our third donor workup.”

A potential donor is a family friend who is going through final stages of testing to determine if she is a solid match for Logan. If all goes well, he may get a new kidney early this year.

planting trees in Cosmo Dog Park at 2502 E. Ray Rd. to shield the lights from the neighborhood.

“We’re looking at that right now,” Norvell says. “We’re looking at that option. It’s a potential additional effort on our part to do whatever we can to make sure we’re being great neighbors.”

After all, the Town and its residents have been good to Topgolf.

“We’ve been popular, which we enjoy,” Norvell explains. “We’re off to a great start for the first few weeks. With school out (for the holidays), we’ve had an influx of families, which is awesome to see.”

As far as Phillips is concerned, the lighting problem has been resolved.

“I just question their wisdom of putting a Topgolf there,” she says. “I don’t think anybody in this neighborhood had any idea what a Topgolf was. I know they put one in Scottsdale, but I don’t think it was open when the public comments were invited. I thought it was just a golf range.”

In all fairness, she says, none of the residents attended a review meeting to complain because they were unfamiliar with the Topgolf business model. So, they had to issue comments when they saw the lights.

Positive Paths seeks nominations for EV Man, Woman of the Year

Positive Paths, a nonprofit focused on providing women with self-sustainability through job training and education, is seeking nominations of persons who have contributed to helping women in the East Valley for the 2015 Man and Woman of the Year awards.

Nominations will be accepted through Jan. 15 and should include examples of the nominee’s contributions to helping East Valley women through outstanding leadership and vision, significant volunteerism to a cause, or other criteria as set forth on the nomination form.

vice provost for academic partnership at Arizona State University.

The award winners for Man and Woman of the Year will be honored at the organization’s annual East Valley Night of Heroes event on May 7.

The 2014 East Valley Man of the Year award was presented to former Congressman and Tempe Mayor Harry Mitchell and the Woman of the Year award was received by Dr. Maria Hesse,

To learn more about the East Valley Night of Heroes event or to submit a nomination, visit www. positivepathswomen.org. Questions should be directed to kathy@ gilbertchamber.com.

Mercy Gilbert celebrates reunion with joint replacement patients

Dignity Health Mercy Gilbert Medical Center recently held its first reunion to celebrate and reunite with many of the patients who have received total joint replacements at the hospital.

The event gave the hospital’s orthopedic team the opportunity to see how their patients have fared since their surgery and followup medical care.

Approximately 40 patients attended the inaugural joint replacement reunion and were joined with their medical team including surgeons, nurses, physical therapists and case managers.

“The greatest fulfillment we receive as surgeons is to see folks out of pain and return to active lifestyles,” says Dr. Kipling Sharpe, medical director of the Total Joint Replacement Program at Mercy Gilbert.

“This reunion gives us a chance to see the results and share in their victories. We look forward to making this an annual event.”

The purpose of the event is to bring past hip and knee replacement patients

to Mercy Gilbert and provide an opportunity for them to share stories of their success and how they have been able to return to their daily activities.

“One of the many goals for our patients is to help them get back to enjoying their lives again, so we feel events like these help spread human kindness and foster lasting relationships,” Sharpe says.

Since Mercy Gilbert first implemented its joint replacement program in 2012, the hospital has successfully decreased the length of stay for joint replacement patients to an average of only two days.

REUNION: Joint replacement patients were reunited with the medical team that assisted in their surgeries and recovery. Photo courtesy Dignity Health Mercy Gilbert Medical Center

WISH COMES TRUE: Make-a-Wish Arizona granted Logan Carson’s wish of building a playground near his home so he could share it with his friends and neighbors. GSN photo by Lynette Carrington

Welcome Home Ranch more than a rehab center

BY TRACY HOUSE

Marijuana, alcohol, cocaine, heroin, prescription drugs. Casey Shuurman abused them all, starting at age 12. Jailed at age 27 in Salt Lake City, Schuurman questioned what he was going to do with his life.

“Nobody wanted to accept my phone calls,” he says. “My own mom and dad wouldn’t take my calls, wouldn’t write a letter back to me. Finally, I was broken enough, I think, to make a change.”

Now 29, Schuurman says Feb. 5, 2013, was the turning point in his life, thanks to his admission at Welcome Home Ranch in Gilbert. After 22 months at the ranch, Schuurman will graduate from the rehabilitation program this month.

“I’ve been homeless on the side of the road,” Schuurman says. “I had everything: the home, cars, the girl. I lost everything,”

Run by the Seattle-based John Volken Academy, Welcome Home Ranch is an addiction recovery program for adults ages 18 to 34. The academy provides 24 people who have already detoxed to not only learn sobriety, but to deal with the stresses of life that may have initiated the addiction.

Nicole Bonilla, a volunteer board member with the Welcome Home Ranch, explains the program at the ranch is the next step in sobriety.

“There are some milestones that they have to reach as they go along in a program,” Bonilla says.

“A typical student can reach those milestones within two years. I’d say the average graduate is probably more like two and half years. It could take up to three years. They can stay as long as is needed for them to get to a master in the program. And be able to leave confident that they’ll be able to stay sober for life and they’ll have the life skills necessary to deal with the stresses that led to them using substances in the first place.”

The students work on the ranch as part of the living arrangements. The program costs $5,000 for each student.

“They pay the initial intake fee and then the John Volken Foundation gives them a grant that pays for their remaining expenses throughout the duration of their program,” Bonilla says.

Students live and work at the ranch 24 hours, seven days a week, leaving only for supervised excursions or activities.

“They are under the supervision of the

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ranch manager, Johnny Haggard, and his wife, Debbie. They manage the Vista Feed & Market Store that is on the ranch.”

While there is no physician on the ranch, it is a therapeutic community.

“It’s a very structured and thorough program that has very high expectations for behaviors,” Bonilla says.

As students progress through the program, they become mentors for those newer to the program. Specialty

therapists provide sessions occasionally, and Bonilla says that part of the program is developing.

The ranch was purchased by the foundation in 2012 with the purpose of having the program on the premises, so it also serves as a boarding facility. And there is ample room for horses, which are an integral part of the program.

“They have stalls for about 150 horses,”

• Restaurant-style dining with chef prepared meals

• Weekly housekeeping and linen service

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• Weekly housekeeping and linen service

• Scheduled transportation for errands and appointments

• Levels of care to meet your personal care needs

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TOUGH LOVE: Welcome Home Ranch students work on the ranch as part of their addiction recovery program. Photo by Nicole Bonilla

Welcome to the community Gilbert Sun News

BARNEY: Gilbert resident and member of the Maricopa County Board of Supervisors.

The editors at the Gilbert Sun News promise us one thing as they begin their new monthly publication: Relentless local coverage. As a reader and occasional contributor to their sister newspaper in South Chandler, the SanTan Sun News, I know they can make good on that goal.

And if so, Gilbert residents—from Dana Park to SanTan Village and from Circle G Ranch to Agritopia—look forward to this welcome addition to our community.

We are proud of our town. Proud of how we have become one of the “Best Places to Live” in America. Of course, Gilbert is one of the fastest-growing communities in the United States. When my family moved here in 1983, Gilbert counted close to 7,000 residents. Now we are approaching 220,000. And there is a reason for that: Outstanding schools, a growing economy, affordable housing, low crime and plenty of leisure opportunities.

Many of you are familiar with Gilbert’s history, tracing its beginnings to the early 20th century as a rail station between Florence and Phoenix. It developed as a farming community soon after the construction of the Roosevelt Dam. Gilbert was once known as the “Hay Capital of the World” and for the better

part of a century, it remained a farming community.

Several of Gilbert’s landmark structures were built during those early years. And because we cherish our history and tradition, many of those remain our best known and most admired facilities. In Gilbert, “historic preservation” and “adaptive reuse” are second nature to us. Gilbert Heritage District, the Water Tower, Clare’s Metal Shop turned coffee house and The Farmhouse located in the old Creed Building are all as integral and as popular as they were nearly a century ago.

This same business vitality is what is bringing the Gilbert Sun News to Gilbert today. The paper will be a reflection of our community—from the American Legion chapter down the street to that new family-owned Mexican restaurant that just opened to an event at a local church—and it should keep a pulse on the little things in our own backyard. There will even be a place for dialogue with government leaders.

On that hope and promise, I welcome the Gilbert Sun News to our town and am pleased to be part of its first edition.

Denny Barney is a Gilbert resident and member of the Maricopa County Board of Supervisors. He will serve as chairman until Jan. 7, when the title will transfer to one of his colleagues in the Northeast Valley (Scottsdale/Phoenix). He will continue as one of the five Maricopa County Supervisors, serving district 1— Chandler, Gilbert, Tempe, Queen Creek and Ahwatukee—for two more years.

Enjoy day of skating at

AZ Ice Gilbert

U.S. Figure Skating is hosting one of five annual “SkateFest” events from 12:30 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 10, at AZ Ice Gilbert.

Enjoy a day of ice skating for free, with registration beginning at 11:45 a.m. Time slots are limited from 12:30 p.m. to 1:15 p.m. and 1:30 p.m. to 2:15 p.m. Rental skates are free as well.

SkateFest is an event held by the AZ Ice Gilbert Figure Skating Department for all ages, including adults.

“Skating is the closest you can get to flying while staying on the ground,” says Mark Fitzgerald, AZ Ice Gilbert skating director.

“We are proud that U.S. Figure Skating would help us host such an awesome event during National Skating Month, as it will help us grow our program within the community, giving as many people as

Town lowers debt service payments by $2.3 million

Gilbert, through the efforts of staff and swift action by the Town Council, has lowered its debt service payments through the final maturity on July 1, 2021, by more than $2.3 million, net of all costs of issuance.

This was accomplished by refinancing $30 million of the Town’s Series 2006 Public Facilities Municipal Property Corporation (“MPC”) Revenue Bonds.

During the course of the transaction, Gilbert’s Public Facilities MPC Revenue

RANCH from page 5

Bonilla says. “There will be equestrian events that will be going on year-round there.”

A significant aspect of the program is community involvement and stressing the importance of students feeling like they are part of a community.

“We want to teach these students about how important it is to be involved in your community, give back and to give that community service,” Bonilla says.

By interacting with the people who come to the events and the store, students gain communication and people skills, Bonilla adds. “The comment I hear most often when someone goes to the ranch for the first time is, ‘They are so polite.’”

Bonds were upgraded to AA+ by Standard and Poor’s Ratings Services (“S&P”) and affirmed as Aa2 by Moody’s Investors Service and AA+ by Fitch Ratings.

The S&P upgrade cited the improved financial condition of Gilbert and the strong debt service coverage. Gilbert’s high grade bond ratings and favorable market conditions resulted in approximately $500,000 of additional savings over the original projections.

that he’s learned how to better handle his problems from his experience at the ranch.

possible a lifetime love of skating.”

Coaches experienced in all skill levels will give lessons while representing AZ Ice Gilbert, located at 2305 E. Knox Rd., near Greenfield Road. For more information, call (480) 503-7080, ext. 305, or visit www.azicegilbert.com.

To enroll in figure skating classes, call Fitzgerald at (609) 577-7174.

Also at AZ Ice Gilbert, kids can try hockey for free through the Little Howlers Hockey program. Not only will they get to try out ice hockey with a full set of hockey gear to borrow, but by the end of the four on-ice sessions, most kids are skating on their own, according to AZ Ice Gilbert officials. Visit the website for more information.

The students in the program are there voluntarily; most at the Gilbert ranch are from out of state.

Participants also have an opportunity to gain education while at the ranch. Through online classes, students can take courses to earn a high school diploma or take college courses.

Schuurman states that after graduation from the program, he plans to stay in Arizona and look into a plumbing career. While he’s on good terms with his family and speaks to his mother every Sunday, Schuurman has no plans to leave Arizona any time soon.

“I came here to start a new life and I plan on staying here,” Schuurman says, “I’ve got an awesome support group out here. People that love us. I’d be crazy to leave.”

He explains that everyone has a story, but not everyone knows how to tell it. “I still don’t know exactly who I am, because that changes every day, but I know who I’m not,” he says.

Schuurman is appreciative for his time at Welcome Home Ranch. He mentions

For the last two years, Schuurman has had the support to sustain his sobriety and is more optimistic about his future because of his experiences at Welcome Home Ranch.

“The program really starts when you graduate,” he says. “Right now, we’ve got 24 guys in the program. We all hold each other accountable. But what do you do when you’re by yourself? You need to make sure that you’re ready to handle anything. You need to make sure your foundation is unshakable.”

Bonilla recommends that individuals looking into treatment and joining the ranch should call (855) 592-3001.

“A phone conversation is really the best first step to assess where they’re at,” she explains.

Welcome Home Ranch is located at 26601 S. Val Vista Rd., Gilbert. There are two other treatment centers: in Seattle and Vancouver, British Columbia. For more information about the John Volken Academy, visit www.volken.org. To learn more about Welcome Home Ranch, go to www.welcomehomeranch.com.

WORK TO REHAB: As part of their program, students at Welcome Home Ranch must work at the Vista Feed & Market Store on the premises. Photo by Nicole Bonilla

DENNY

Blandford Homes is creating hometown charm, for real! Mulberry will feel like an enchanted land—magically reminiscent of the early1900s when homes sprung up to create quaint neighborhoods. Blandford Homes presents an inspired line of home designs with significant character differences. Imagine corner lots featuring homes with wraparound porches! This “New Old-Home Neighborhood” will be one-of-a-kind in Arizona.

Mulberry will feature two beautiful main entrances with lush date palm and tree-lined boulevards leading to centrally located Mulberry Park, no more than a 5-minute walk from anyplace in the neighborhood. You will enjoy the park’s impressive Georgian Colonial-style building complete with white trim and green shutters, along with the pool, sport courts, fitness, and playgrounds. Just imagine the events, concerts, and celebrations you’ll attend within the huge pavillions and green playing fields of Mulberry Park.

Mulberry is part of the top-rated Gilbert School District, and within a mile you’ll find major shopping, dining, a carwash and an IMAX theater. A shopping area, “Mulberry Marketplace,” will include a Fry’s Marketplace designed in a Craftsman Bungalow style to tie into Mulberry’s architectural theme. Mulberry residents won’t even have to leave the community to shop!

Located just 1.8 miles east of the 202 on Guadalupe and Signal Butte Roads in Mesa!

Local baker has right ingredients for culinary success

BY LYNETTE CARRINGTON

Homemade bread, pies and soups were always on the table of Melissa Stadler’s house as a child. With five older brothers, the Gilbert resident took naturally to baking.

“As soon as I was born, I was my mom’s right-hand girl,” Stadler says. “We didn’t go out to dinner hardly at all growing up. We basically cooked everything from scratch. I learned to love cooking for others.”

She learned a thing or two from those experiences and has parlayed them into award-winning recipes. Recently, she participated and was a finalist in Truvia’s Baking Star contest, launched in conjunction with the brand’s new Brown Sugar Blend, a proprietary combination of the natural, low-calorie sweetener stevia and old-fashioned brown sugar. Baking enthusiasts submitted videos featuring their own Truvia Brown Sugar Blend or Truvia Baking Blend recipe.

Stadler used a slightly modified version of her mom’s warm peach crisp recipe—submitted mere hours before the deadline—for the Truvia competition. The competition then utilized online voting to determine three finalists.

company partnered with four wellknown YouTube personalities—Gaby Dalkin, Byron Talbott, Joanne Ozug and April Moore—to create online recipe videos and spread the word about the contest.

“The public then voted and picked Melissa as one of three finalists to compete in a bake-off competition in New York City,” Heidemann says. “We thoroughly enjoyed Melissa’s video, demonstration and original recipe for warm peach crisp with vanilla whipped cream and are so happy she participated in the Truvia Baking Star contest.”

Competitions are a relatively new thing for Stadler.

“I really didn’t get into any type of contests until 2010 and that’s the very first time that I entered the Pillsbury Bake-Off and I got in,” Stadler says.

She was a finalist in that contest in 2010 and 2013. She also was the winner of the cookie contest hosted by Cooking Channel show “The Perfect 3” in 2011.

“Time wasn’t on my side, so I had to do something really quick and I had this recipe,” she says. “I’ve used Truvia a little

bit before, but in this situation I was so happy because I didn’t have a lot of time and I was able to switch out my sugars and use the Truvia Baking Blend,” Sadler explains.

Truvia’s U.S. and Canada marketing manager, Abby Heidemann, says her

As for the Truvia competition, Sadler enjoyed the experience.

“It was a beautiful event and it was a lot of fun,” recalls Stadler, who plans to start a baking blog. “We got to present about five minutes. I got to show my dish. It was a packed house and it was a great experience.”

Former police officers open upscale community barbershop

BY TRACY HOUSE

Lifelong friends Javier Cota and Carlos Gastelum grew up in the same small town and served in the Mesa Police Department.

Now they’re in business together, owning and operating the unisex Vintage American Barbershop in Gilbert’s Seville Golf & Country Club.

“We’re just like brothers,” Cota says. “We would die for one another,” Gastelum adds. “We were there for each other. It didn’t matter what it was, we were there.”

Vintage American Barbershop offers a wide array of quality services and products, with an emphasis on oldfashioned premium service. According to its website, www.vabarbers.com, the duo provides extra-close straight razor shaves. It is one of the few exclusive carriers of Billy Jealousy products.

The business is a team effort. Cota handles the administrative end of the business, while Gastelum focuses on the services. Gastelum says when he decided to open the shop, he looked no further than his best friend.

Cota and Gastelum have 47 years combined years in public service.

“I kind of see it as being the same as providing a service as police work,” Cota

says. “You try to do a service and you try to make the neighborhood look better; that’s the ultimate goal. Here, we make the individual look better. It’s similar and it’s providing a service here in Seville.”

Gastelum says the dream was to have a luxury barbershop, but that it’s developed into something much more and the learning continues. “We’ve evolved,” he says. “We’re not just a barbershop. We’ve evolved into a full-service ladies salon as well.”

Women in the area had been stopping in and so the partners decided to offer ladies services exclusively on Mondays and Tuesdays, preferably by appointment.

Gastelum stresses that working with the community is the focus of the shop, specifically after dealing with the public for so long as a police officer.

“Talking to people, dealing with the public, for me, we’re still doing that,” Gastelum says. The stress level is a lot lower than taking bad guys to jail.

“This is very therapeutic and relaxing as far as careers go,” he explains.

Reminiscent of the barbershop from their childhood, Vintage American Barbershop attracts regular customers, who according to Cota and Gastelum, just come in to hang out. They’re seeing different generations coming in,

especially fathers and sons who bond over the experience.

“That is something that’s unique,” Cota says. “There are not that many businesses in which you have that bonding, and I personally think that’s important to the family and helping the community. I think that’s also part of what we contribute to—having that bonding, making the family stronger.”

In keeping with those family values, Vintage American Barbershop sponsors ads in area high schools’ football programs. “We wanted to do something with family values,” Cota explains. “We wanted to give back to the community.”

The barbershop is open to the public; however, Seville members receive a 15-percent discount on services and products. Hours are 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday and Tuesday for women only; and 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Wednesday through Saturday for men’s services. Appointments are recommended and children are welcome. Call (480) 720-8160 to set up a time. For information, visit www.vabarbers.com.

TOP: PARTICIPANT: Melissa Stadler participated in the Truvia Baking Star contest held in New York City. Submitted photo

LEFT: MOTHER’S TOUCH: Melissa Stadler’s warm peach crisp included Truvia Baking Blend and is based on a recipe her mother shared with her when she was a youngster. Submitted photo

ENTREPRENEURS: Carlos Gastelum and Javier Cota are the owners of Vintage American Barbershop, a luxury barbershop in Seville Golf & Country Club. The World War II-era barbershop chairs in the shop have been restored, adding to the classic barbershop feel. GSN photo by Tracy House

Discover Delicious Gilbert

Town officials and residents celebrated the opening of Gilbert’s new 350-space parking structure with a festival that went straight to foodies’ stomachs. Mayor John Lewis cut the ribbon to get things started. Various local restaurants participated, including High Tide Seafood Bar and Grill, Flancer’s Café, Joyride Raco House, Postino East, So Cal Fish Taco Company, Salerno’s Restaurant and Pizzeria, Liberty Market, Lesley’s Creative Cakes and Bergies Coffee Roast House. GSN photos by Tim Sealy

NEW PARKING GARAGE: The new 350-space parking structure on Vaughan in downtown Gilbert is an important step in the redevelopment of the area.

LOOK OUT BELOW: Diners line the edge of the garage for a good view while they eat.

NEW AND IMPROVED: Gilbert Mayor John Lewis is proud of the redevelopment efforts in the downtown area.

FAMILY AFFAIR: Pablo Reynoso and daughter, McKayzlyn, served up some seafood, Southern California style.

FUTURE FOODIE: Nicole Spade and her daughter, Gwenivere, enjoy all the good food.

WALK THIS WAY: Kazmir Bluntschly and Brian Blackburn of the Desert Ridge High School Junior ROTC program direct attendees to the event.

PEEK-A-BOO: Linux Slibensky is a little shy about photos—or maybe it’s a fun game.

A NICE DAY OUT: Veelen and Ella Chengalaran enjoy the cool day on the roof of the garage.

FUN FOR ALL : Zena, with her handler Kendall Calback, reaches out for some cuddles.

Visually impaired veteran competes in Ironman triathlon

BY ALISON STANTON

For many people, completing an Ironman triathlon may seem like an impossible goal.

But for Gilbert veteran Michael Somsan, being totally blind didn’t stop him from training for and finishing the recent Ironman Arizona—or from training with and encouraging kids with disabilities. Despite his visual impairment, he finished the 2.4-mile swim, 112-mile bicycle ride and 26.2-mile run in just over 15 hours.

Somsan, who moved to Hawaii from Laos when he was a young boy, says he grew up valuing the democracy and freedom he and his family enjoyed in America.

“I came from a nonprivileged background, and my parents didn’t have any money for college, so in order for me to go, I had to find a way to pay for it,” he says.

So he decided to join the Army as a way to help fund his education.

“It was also good way to give back to my country.”

Somsan served as a lieutenant in the Army, and he was preparing to return to Kuwait when everything changed on Easter Sunday in 1995.

“It was supposed to be a peaceful day, but not for me,” he says.

Somsan says he and several fellow members of the military saw a man beating up a young woman in a parking lot in Austin, Texas. When they stepped forward to defend her, Somsan says the fight quickly escalated and he was shot in the head with an 18-gauge shotgun.

The blast severed both of Somsan’s optic nerves, which cannot regenerate or be surgically replaced with transplants.

“I had all of my dreams and goals when I was in my 20s and then I suffered a trauma that took away my eyes,” he recalls. “I didn’t know what I was going to do. It was really scary.”

After spending a month in a coma, Somsan underwent numerous surgeries. In 1996, he came to Tucson to begin rehabilitation.

“That’s when I realized I wanted to go back to school,” he says.

He enrolled at the University of Arizona and graduated with MBA and JD degrees.

Somsan, who recalls watching the Ironman World Championship in Kona, Hawaii, on television prior to losing his

see IRONMAN page 14

Business elevates confection to an art form

BY LYNETTE CARRINGTON

Tricia Medina confesses to not liking marshmallows much and she doesn’t have a baking background. But that hasn’t stopped her from finding success with Gilbert’s Fluff It Gourmet Marshmallows.

Medina was inspired to open the store after winning a friendly baking contest with marshmallows among Bass Pro Shop managers.

She quickly learned to make various marshmallows and put them for sale on Etsy.com. They quickly sold out. Former Bass Pro manager and Gilbert resident Chad Schimmel encouraged Medina and her partner, Hazel Arce, to try a Kickstarter campaign to raise funds to start a marshmallow business.

“I’m a corporate business person and I did retail management for 20 years,” says Medina, who co-owns the store at 1034 N. Gilbert Rd. in the Gilbert Encinas Plaza. Marshmallows are available in yearround flavors such as vanilla bean, caramel apple, mint chocolate chip, peanut butter and strawberry banana. Seasonal flavors include peppermint candy cane, pumpkin spice and Horchata. Some marshmallows—like banana split, coconut macaroon and s’mores—are partially dunked in chocolate. S’mores are served in a homemade graham cracker cup.

Other confections at Fluff It include gluten-free cookies, hot chocolate kits, gourmet marshmallow pops, oatmeal cream pies, moon pies, packaged marshmallows and s’mores parfaits.

“Our goal was $5,000 and we hit $12,000,” Medina says. She soon left her management job to open Fluff It in August.

The business has grown and Medina and Arce are staying busy as a team.

“She does all the graphics, packaging and the website,” Medina says about Arce. “I do the marshmallows, she does all the pretty stuff.”

“It has been really fun for me to get to see Fluff It start as a totally new and unusual concept and, through hard work and determination, grow into a business,” Schimmel says.

Fluff It Gourmet Marshmallows is located at 1034 N. Gilbert Rd., Suite 3. Call (480) 636-0597 or visit www. fluffitmarshmallows.com to order online.

Fluff It Gourmet Marshmallows co-owner Tricia Medina loves creating gourmet marshmallow treats, including brownie bomb s’mores, for her customers. GSN photo by Lynette Carrington

Library events scheduled throughout January

Maricopa County Library District’s Southeast Regional Library has scheduled a plethora of events throughout January, except for Monday, Jan. 19, when the facility will be closed for the holiday. The library is located at 775 N. Greenfield Rd. For more information, call (602) 652-3000 or visit www.mcldaz.org.

FOR CHILDREN

“Story Time with AzPac”

11:15 a.m. to 12 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 6

Story Time is sponsored by AzPac Parents as Teachers. Explore books through story time, socialization and a fun activity. Activities are aimed at toddlers, however, children of all ages are welcome. This fun story time includes stories, finger plays and songs. Learn letters, sounds and have fun with music and movement activities. Sessions are limited to 60 people, including caregivers. Free tickets are distributed at 11 a.m. Parents/caregivers are expected to stay with children during this story time.

Paws 2 Read

10:30 a.m. to 12 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 10

Paws 2 Read pairs Delta-registered therapy animals and their handlers with young readers. Warm, brown eyes and happy grins make all the difference to children’s reading experiences, resulting

in an increase in reading levels and word recognition, and a higher desire to read and write. The animals listen and don’t tease, laugh or judge the children. Sign up for a time slot.

Parachute Play Party

10:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. Monday, Jan. 12

This party, for children ages 3-10, encourages cooperation. It’s noncompetitive, so differing abilities are not an issue. Refines perceptual skills, reinforces turn-taking and sharing. Develops a sense of rhythm. Requires children to follow directions. Age-appropriate groups with a play area for infants.

Infant Lap-Sit

10:15 a.m. to 10:35 a.m. Tuesdays Jan. 13, Jan. 20 and Jan. 27

Infant Lap-Sit is a special story time for infants and toddlers up to 18 months. It’s designed to encourage development of language and motor skills by incorporating stories with simple songs, rhymes, movement activities and finger plays. A parent or caregiver is required to attend. No registration required. Tickets will be distributed at 10 a.m. near The Dig.

Story Time in The Dig

10:15 a.m. to 10:45 a.m. or 11:15 a.m. to 11:45 a.m. Wednesdays Jan. 14, Jan. 21 and

Jan. 28

Same times Thursdays Jan. 15, Jan. 22 and Jan. 29

Children ages 2 to 5 years and their parents/caregivers are invited to join the group for stories, songs and finger play. Learn letters and numbers with music and activities. Tickets are distributed at 10 a.m.

Story Time with Parenting Arizona 11:15 a.m. to 12 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 20

This is an interactive story time with stories, songs and a simple activity for toddlers and preschool-aged children. Parent participation is encouraged. Tickets are required and will be distributed near The Dig at 10 a.m.

Family Spot Playgroup 11:15 a.m. to 12 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 27

A free developmental playgroup for children through age 5 through Family Spot Resource Center Gilbert. Program includes a story time and hands-on activities for parents and children. Takehome activities will also be provided. Walk in, no registration.

ALL AGES

Arizona Rose Care

2 p.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 10

and the Super Nintendo game systems, has numerous games including: “Skate or Die,” “Super Mario Bros.,” “Super Mario Bros. 3,” “Castlevania II: Simon’s Quest” and “The Legend of Zelda.” Board and card games will also be offered. Register online.

TEENS/TWEENS

Teen Craftacular

6 p.m. to 8 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 7

Get creative and have fun making a variety of crafts. All materials provided. Registration is required.

Electronic Playground

3:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 28

Teens ages 12 and older, join the group for an informative and handson program exploring the basics of electronics. Using simple wiring diagrams and the Electronic Playground 130 kit from Elenco, participants will learn about capacitors, resistors, transistors and integrated circuits by completing a number of fun projects. Registration is required.

ADULTS

New Winter Reading Program Through Saturday, Feb. 28

Master gardener Marylou Coffman discusses growing roses in an arid climate. She will address when to prune and what to do during the winter season to prepare your roses for blooming. Registration required.

Digital Downloads at Your Library

3 p.m. to 4 p.m. Monday, Jan. 5

The library offers thousands of eBooks, audio books, magazines and streaming videos that cardholders can borrow for free. Join the group for an overview of the library’s free download services and how to access them through the website or by downloading their apps. Register online.

One-on-One Digital Download Assistance

11 a.m. to 12 p.m. Mondays Jan. 5, Jan. 12, Jan. 19 and Jan. 26

6 p.m. to 7 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 8

If you need assistance learning how to download digital eBooks or audio books to your reading device, then drop in for one-on-one help with a library professional.

Retro Family Game Night

6 p.m. to 8 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 14

Do you miss video games sporting 8-bit graphics? If so, join us for family retro gaming night at the library. Play with the Atari Flashback 2 or the FC Twin Console. The Atari has 42 pre-installed games for your plug-and-play gaming pleasure and the FC Twin Console, which is a combination of the original Nintendo

Open to ages 18 years and older; http:// winter.mcldaz.org

Genealogy: Using Vital Records

10 a.m. to 11 a.m. Wednesday, Jan. 7

Learn how to find and use vital records including birth and death certificates to discover family information. Registration needed.

Mystery Book Club

7 p.m. to 8 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 8

Join the group monthly to discuss a book from the mystery, thriller or suspense genre. Come and discuss the first book in Jacqueline Winspear’s mystery series, “Maisie Dobbs.” Available in book format and digital download eBook and eAudio through the Greater Phoenix Digital Library.

Social Security and You

10 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. Saturday, Jan. 10

Come and listen to an AARP representative and get the facts straight before deciding which way to go. Registration required.

Monday Morning Musings

10:30 a.m. to 12 p.m. Monday, Jan. 12

Join the group monthly for a discussion of titles by debut authors. This month features “Florence Gordon” by Brian Morton. Summary: An entertaining novel about a woman who has lived life on her own terms for 75 years, only to find she’s suddenly thrust into the center of her family’s various catastrophes.

Bookends: Adult Fiction Discussion Group

10:30 a.m. to 12 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 20

This month’s title is “Northanger Abbey” by Jane Austen. It is the story of the initiation into life of Catherine Morland, a victim of the contemporary craze for Gothic literature who is determined to see herself as the heroine of a dark and thrilling romance. Written in 1798 but not published until after Austen’s death in 1817, “Northanger Abbey” is characteristically clearheaded and strong, and infinitely subtle in its comedy.

Cary Grant Film Series

6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. Thursdays Jan. 22, Jan. 29 and Feb. 5

Celebrate the career of Cary Grant with a series of Thursday night film screenings.

The Changing Fashions of ‘Downton Abbey’

3:30 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 28

Presented by Phoenix Art Museum’s Fashion Design Department and Docents. Program highlights the glamorous fashions worn by the aristocratic Crawleys and functional clothes adorned by the staff. Get an appreciation for the impact that enormous social change had on fashion before, during and after World War I. Appropriate for ages 12 through adult. Registration required.

Former Miss Arizona inspires abuse victims in memoir

BY LYNETTE CARRINGTON

Gilbert resident Jessica Shahriari Nicely has been through extreme highs and lows in her life. She participated in the 1997 Miss USA pageant and emerged as a strong woman despite an abusive upbringing at the hands of her alcoholic father.

But she found the courage to share her story and use her pageant platform to help others who were or are in abusive relationships.

Her new book, “Baba’s Daughter: Memoirs of a PersianAmerican Girl,” reveals how she rose above the abuse by focusing on her future, which includes founding Winged Hope Family Advocacy Foundation. The organization focuses on child abuse and domestic violence awareness.

As director of Yavapai Family Advocacy Center, Kathryn Chapman has worked with Nicely in connection with Winged Hope Family Advocacy Foundation.

“I love her book,” Chapman says. “I think it was very courageous for Jessica to come forward to tell her story. Other victims of abuse need to hear things like this.

Jessica Shahriari

Nicely shares her message of hope and inspiration after an abusive upbringing in her new book, “Baba’s Daughter: Memoirs of a PersianAmerican Girl.”

“Writing the book was an extension of what I already do, which is public speaking, and I share my story around the state of Arizona,” Nicely explains. “My goal in writing the book is to be able to share it in places that I might not be able to physically get to.”

Submitted photo

“As a survivor, she is thriving with her life. She’s been able to overcome a lot of these barriers that victims often face through their victimization. In her book, her message is, ‘There were some bad things that happened but I got through it and I survived.’ Her message is that others can do this too, and it’s a message of hope and healing.”

Longtime writer

Nicely has been writing since she was a little girl, she says, using it as a way of healing. After she won Miss Arizona, she was asked to tell her story. Initially, she changed the characters’ names to fictionalize her story. When it became too complicated, she decided it would be best to tell the truth. “Baba’s Daughter” took about two years to write.

“When I speak, I’m generally pretty vague about what happened because I just touch on my past,” she says. “The focus of my speaking is to reach the people I’m talking to, so they know they can heal themselves. And I bring awareness about the problem of child abuse.”

In penning the book, she had to delve deep into sometimes painful memories.

“My mom left our family before I was a year old,” she recalls. “As a result, my dad became a severe alcoholic.”

Caring for Nicely and her older sister was overwhelming for her father.

“He drank literally throughout my life,”

FROM ABUSE TO ADVOCACY:

Nicely went from abuse victim to advocate and shares her story through her book and speaking engagements. Submitted photo

Nicely explains. “In my belief, it was what caused the abuse. There was a really short time before he died where he was sober and he was a completely different person—a kind and loving person.”

Nicely and her father, who had no memory of the abuse, reconciled before his death. She has not had contact with her mother for 18 years.

“Miss Arizona was such a blessing for me in my relationship with my daddy,” Nicely explains.

After winning Miss Arizona, she served as spokeswoman for Prevent Child Abuse America.

“My daddy was still alive then,” Nicely says. “When I told him about it, he said, ‘You’re going to tour the state and tell people that I’m such a bad father?’ I explained to him that I was going to share pieces of my story, but the point was to be there as a beacon of healing for the people that are living through it now.”

“Baba’s Daughter: Memoirs of a PersianAmerican Girl” is available at www. amazon.com. The author will sign copies of her book at 1 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 24, at Barnes & Noble Booksellers, 10500 N. 90th St., Scottsdale. For additional information about Nicely or her foundation, visit www.jessicanicely.com or www.wingedhope.com.

INSPIRING HOPE:

Jessica Shahriari

PGA professional certified through new training program

Craig Hocknull of Gilbert was one of 49 PGA professionals who completed the requirements to achieve advanced certification through the PGA Certified Professional Program 2.0 (CPP 2.0).

Hocknull works at Outback Golf Academy at 1245 E. Warner Rd., Gilbert. Serving as the PGA’s enhanced, all-digital training and education curriculum, PGA CPP 2.0 is a state-ofthe-art platform that ensures that PGA members have the skills, competencies and training demanded by employers and customers throughout the golf industry.

sight, says that he had always been physically fit.

About a year and a half ago, Somsan—who practices law in Gilbert—was talking with his neighbor. After mentioning his interest in triathlons, Somsan says his friend offered encouragement.

“He said, ‘You can probably do it.’”

Somsan got busy training, and finding guides who could help him. For the swim and run, he is tethered to a guide, he explains, and when he bikes, it’s on a tandem.

Last September, Somsan competed in the Sprint Triathlon, which featured a shorter 800-meter swim, 20 miles of cycling and a 3-mile run. In October, he finished a half Ironman with a 1.2-mile swim, 60-mile bike ride and 13-mile run.

“When I finished, I felt pure happiness,” he says.

Since the PGA Certified Professional Program’s inception in 2004, 940 PGA Professionals have earned a combined 1,757 certifications in their desired career paths.

“The new digital integration of the educational curriculum offers bestin-class e-learning solutions, so PGA professionals can acquire relevant knowledge and immediately apply it to real-time situations and everyday business matters,” says PGA Master Professional Dawes Marlatt, senior director of education and employment for the PGA of America.

To help inspire disabled children, Somsan recently participated in a training event with a group of young challenged athletes. UnitedHealthcare teamed up with Ironkids to sponsor the second annual Ironkids Tempe Fun Run in November. For the first time, the event offered a dedicated quarter-mile track for kids with special needs.

INSPRING KIDS WITH DISABILTIES: Sheila Shapiro, chief operating officer of UnitedHealthcare Community Plan of Arizona, and Michael Somsan, a Gilbert veteran, cheer on 450 kids as they finish the Ironkids Tempe Fun Run. With them is Dr. Health E. Hound, the UnitedHealthcare mascot. Submitted photo

Arizona, says Somsan was very generous with his time.

MWC Bistro could be a foodie’s best friend

BY KATHY KERBY

Foodies in search of a neighborhood wine bar may have found their new favorite place: MWC Bistro.

Located on West Warner in the heart of The Islands, MWC (short for My Wine Cellar) opened its doors in April. On a recent visit, my husband and I were immediately drawn to the casual ambiance: comfortable seating at the long bar, dark wood tables and leather chairs, couches for intimate seating and original art on the walls. The spacious patio had heaters and a second “event room” provided ample space for parties and classes.

We were warmly greeted by our server, Shannon. She brought menus and made some excellent suggestions. For our Nibble (cute name for appetizers), we selected the BYO Banh Mi lettuce cups ($8 during happy hour) and bruschetta ($9). We were delighted that the items were served promptly.

The build-your-own lettuce cups consisted of pork meatballs in a delicious Vietnamese-style sauce, cucumbers, carrots, radishes and jalapeno peppers all ready to be wrapped in bib lettuce and topped with Sriracha aioli. It was a lovely combination of flavors and textures.

accompanied by a fresh salad with dark mixed greens. We noticed a very large chalkboard almost covering one wall that lists all the weekly specials.

For dessert, we couldn’t pass up the ganache cake ($8), with warm chocolate sauce and vanilla ice cream, which was the perfect end to a nice meal.

STARTERS: The three toppings included with the rustic bruschetta included brie, carmelized onions and apple slices, roasted garlic and truffle mushroom slices with white bean puree, and the Italian which included prosciutto, tomato, artichoke hearts and two cheeses.

Owner Zoya Vora-Shah, also the proprietor of My Wine Cellar in Ahwatukee, has 10 years of experience as a wine distributor and an additional 10 years in restaurant management. Several wine bars have opened in the East Valley, and MWC Bistro is amongst the best.

“Kids are always insecure about how they look—imagine how they feel when they are disabled,” he says.

“I thought that if they could see a person who is disabled do this, they would think ‘I think I can do it too.’ Kids look to the environment to see how to behave, and I was really honored to train with them.”

Sheila Shapiro, chief operating officer of UnitedHealthcare Community Plan of

“Michael spoke with our local youth, and encouraged them to never give up. He used himself as an example, showcasing resilience, optimism and strength,” Shapiro says.

He attended the UnitedHealthcare Ironkids fun run and encouraged everyone to have fun.

“It was truly a pleasure to stand beside him as a partner, cheering on young athletes, and placing medals on them as they crossed the finish line,” Shapiro says.

Each of the toppings on the three rustic bruschetta was delicious. The brie and apple slice included apples braised in red wine, caramelized onion and melted brie. The roasted garlic and truffle mushroom slice also included white bean puree while No. 3, the Italian, was a medley of prosciutto, tomato, artichoke hearts, parmesan and ricotta cheese.

The menu’s “Bistrofare” has mains, flatbreads, soups and salads and, at Shannon’s suggestion, we selected the chicken pot pie ($14). It arrived piping hot in an overflowing crock topped with two golden brown biscuits. The large chunks of chicken breast were bathing in a cherry cream sauce along with peas, carrots and onions. We enjoyed each tasty bite. It was

Vora-Shah’s eatery boasts Wine 101, Wine 102, Wine 103 and painting classes, and even a book club. The regulars, as well as the newbies, enjoy live music on Friday and Saturdays with 10 to 12 different groups that rotate between the two locations.

She is very proud of her wines, hand-selecting the finest from all over the world, including flavorful selections from Australia, Chili and South Africa. The styles include sparkling, summer sippers, whites, reds and sake in addition to a variety of draft and bottled beers and microbrews.

Wine is served by the taste, glass or bottle, and the wine flights (choice of three wines) are also very popular. A card on each table reads “Winos Wanted” and gives the details of the Wine Club.

Plan a visit to MWC Bistro and sample the food and wine—it may become your new favorite spot to relax with friends who share a mutual love of good wine.

MWC Bistro is located at 1422 W. Warner Rd., Gilbert. For more information, call (480) 497-1422 or visit www.mwcbistro.com.

WRAP IT: The BYO Banh Mi lettuce cups included pork meatballs in a Vietnamese-style sauce along with vegetables, lettuce leaves and a Sriracha aioli.

SWEETSS: Ganache cake is the perfect end to a meal at MWC Bistro.

IRONMAN

Joyride Taco House rolls out $2 Taco Tuesdays

Joyride Taco House has introduced $2 Taco Tuesdays and happy hour menus at its locations in Gilbert and Phoenix.

In honor of Joyride Central Phoenix’s one-year anniversary, the restaurants have rolled out new food and drink specials, available from 2 p.m. to close Tuesdays. Joyride Taco House is offering a choice of six tacos, including smoky-spicy, pork adobada or the slow-simmered, crispy fish tacos. Plus, all handmade margaritas are $5 through Taco Tuesdays.

Both locations are also expanding their weekday happy hour from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m. to include select $2 tacos. The happy hour menu includes $4 guacamole, $6 ceviche and $5 Mexican beer pitchers.

Joyride Taco House is located at 302 N. Gilbert Rd., Gilbert. For more information, call (480) 632-8226 or visit www.joyridetacohouse.com. The Central Phoenix location can be found at 5202 N. Central Ave., Phoenix. Call (602) 274-8226 for more information about that location.

Chamber seeks donations for Chinese auction

The Gilbert Chamber of Commerce is seeking gift basket and auction donations for the second annual Chinese Auction Benefit Dinner, a community event raising funds for the Gilbert Community Action Program (CAP) and Gilbert Chamber of Commerce.

A Chinese auction is a fast-paced quarter auction where attendees can bid on gift baskets and other items for only a quarter. More than 100 gift baskets and 25 silent auction items are needed for the event.

“We are really looking forward to this unique event and the opportunity to raise awareness of resources provided by Gilbert CAP,” says Trinity Donovan, CEO of Chandler Christian Community Center.

“Donations to this event are not only a great support to our fundraising efforts but also an opportunity for donors to receive recognition for their support of our community.”

Donations of any value are appreciated and themed gift baskets are always a popular raffle item. All donors will be recognized in the event program and verbally at the event. Donors providing an item valued at $250 or more will be listed on the event’s webpage. Donors providing an item valued at $500 or more will receive their logo on the event program.

To provide a donation in support of this event, contact Sarah Watts at the Gilbert Chamber of Commerce by phone at (480) 941-6322 or by email to

“I looked at the submittal package after the fact and it said it would be ‘well buffered from surrounding neighborhoods,’” Phillips says.

“Who in their right mind thinks this is well buffered? We heard them Saturday night in the kitchen, from a half mile away.”

At 11:30 p.m. she could hear faint music and customers laughing and yelling. She

sarah@gilbertchamber.com. A donor participation form can be completed online at www.gilbertaz.com by clicking on the Event Calendar tab and visiting the Chinese Auction Benefit Dinner event page.

The Chinese Auction Benefit Dinner will be held from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 26, in the Firenze ballroom of Villa Siena, 890 W. Elliot Rd., Gilbert. General admission is $50; advance registration is required. The event is sponsored in-part by Orbital Sciences and Southwest Airlines.

Many Gilbert residents will be in need of emergency assistance at some time in their lives. Gilbert CAP offers a balanced approach to meet the needs of our community. Case management includes goal planning, job training, financial education, referral to other programs and ongoing follow-up/support. Emergency financial assistance includes utility assistance, eviction prevention, shelter/ housing referrals, and food/clothing assistance.

The Gilbert Chamber is a nonprofit, membership-based organization with more than 630 members ranging from home-based businesses to large corporations and representing more than 47,000 employees. The chamber works to lead the business community by providing programs and services and by partnering in relationships that strengthen the business climate in Gilbert.

admits that it doesn’t totally bother her, she’s glad to hear someone is having fun.

“We bought here knowing that that was commercial land,” Phillips says. “We loved our dark views and nice, quiet little cul de sac. But it’s a business’ right to go through the right channels and build what the Town of Gilbert thinks is appropriate. I’m pro-business, but I’m mourning our darkness.”

Earnhardt family opens Maserati dealership in Gilbert

The Earnhardt family recently opened a Maserati dealership in the San Tan Motorplex at the Loop 202 and Val Vista Drive in Gilbert. Earnhardt Maserati is one of only two dealerships in Arizona that sells this Italian high-performance luxury car.

Earnhardt Maserati has initially stocked about 30 vehicles in three models, the four-door salon Quattroporte, the twodoor coupe GranTurismo and the Ghibli, priced in the low $70,000s.

“Maseratis are among the most exciting cars sold in America today and give an unforgettable driving experience,” says owner Hal Earnhardt.

He explains that a large inventory is unnecessary because customers are able to order a car to their own specifications and have it built by the factory.

Earnhardt Maserati is housed in a temporary site next to its Chrysler Jeep Dodge dealership. This year, it will build a boutique-style 12,000-square-foot facility on a 1.5-acre site in the San Tan Motorplex.

The general manager of the new store is Frank Armani, who is a longtime manager within the Earnhardt organization. Maserati, which was developed in Bologna, Italy, 100 years ago, is headquartered in Modena, Italy.

CORPORATE CHRONICLES

Moyer earns NAR’s Military Relocation Professional certification

James Moyer with HomeSmart has earned the nationally recognized Military Relocation

Professional (MRP) certification. The National Association of Realtors confers the MRP certification to Realtors who want to help military personnel and veterans find housing solutions that best meet their needs and allow them to take full advantage of their military benefits.

“Homeownership is an important part of the fabric of America, and having a stable home environment is vital when men and women of the military are called away to serve their country,” says NAR President Gary Thomas. “Working with a Realtor who understands specific needs and timetables related to military service will help make their transfers easier, faster and less stressful. The Military Relocation Professional certification will help Realtors hone their knowledge and skills for working with veterans and active-duty military buyers and sellers to ensure that home ownership remains affordable and accessible to them.”

The certification provides NAR’s members with resources to accommodate current and former military service members at any stage of their military career, and is an approved elective for NAR’s Accredited Buyers Representative (ABR) designation. To earn the MRP certification, Realtors are required to be in good standing with NAR; complete a one-day MRP certification core course; complete a pre-class reading to learn military background information and better understand important acronyms and military culture; and complete two webinars. For more information about the MRP certification, visit www.militaryrelocationpro.org.

The Kid to Kid Store of the Month for November was given to the Gilbert store and owner Erica Gentile. The store of the month award is given to a franchise store that has shown outstanding performance and customer satisfaction. The store, located at 1652 N. Higley Rd., was selected from more than 100 stores because of a 56-percent increase in sales over the last year, as well as a significant increase in the amount of product bought from customers.

Gentile, who also owns the Chandler store, credits much of the increase of sales to having a great selection of merchandise available.

“We have really focused on keeping our racks organized and full of high-quality merchandise so our customers have a variety of items to choose from,” she says. “By offering more choices, our shoppers have a much better experience.”

Luxury Treehouse Realty knows the local area

BY ALISON STANTON

When East Valley newcomers want to buy a home in the area, but are not really sure which subdivision is best, they can seek the expert advice of Valerie and Charlie Randall, Realtors at Luxury Treehouse Realty in Mesa.

The Randalls are lifelong Arizona residents, and as Valerie states, this means that the two of them know Gilbert and Mesa like the proverbial backs of their hands.

“We know when all of the homes were built, and we can tell them about the previous owners of the homes, and the history of the homes and subdivisions,” Valerie says.

The Randalls started Luxury Treehouse Realty in March; Danny Perkinson serves as the broker. Charlie Randall entered real estate development in the 1970s and residential real estate in the 1980s. He has been a top-producing agent in Arizona since he began working in the field.

“I got into real estate in the early 1990s. We handle residential buying and selling, and we do everything from $50,000 homes up to $5 million,” Valerie says.

In addition to being exceptionally knowledgeable about Gilbert and Mesa, Valerie says she and Charlie are very careful in the way they market the homes that are for sale.

“We pride ourselves in using highquality photos, and we make sure videos help to make the home appealing to see,” Valerie says.

They will not shoot footage of dirty and disorganized closets or other parts of the home that might not look their best.

Valerie says she and Charlie also believe in the power of advertising to continue to get the word out about Luxury Treehouse Realty and their work.

“During the recent short sales season, when everyone else was closing, we were still advertising. We know that it is what it takes to stay open,” she says.

From using social media to ads in magazines, they are sure that the houses they are representing look as nice as they can.

Charlie enjoys people—getting to know his clients and helping them through the entire transaction process. Valerie, however, says she enjoys “connecting the dots” and putting together the deal.

“I just love helping to find a home for people and helping them get on with their lives,” Valerie says.

She and Charlie have noticed an increase in buyers from Canada, as well as from oil-rich states like North Dakota, who are interested in buying a property with cash.

No matter who they are or what they are looking for, Valerie says, she and Charlie are happy to show them around and work with them on buying the home of their dreams.

“It’s fun to take somebody out to do a tour in Mesa, Gilbert and Las Sendas and say, ‘This is what’s good about this neighborhood, and this is who lives here.’” Luxury Treehouse Realty is located at 1733 N. Greenfield Rd., Suite 101, in Mesa. For more information, call (480) 325-1000 or visit www.charlierandall. com or www.facebook.com/ Luxuryrealestatespecialists.

WELL-VERSED: Realtors Valerie and Charlie Randall are lifelong Arizona residents and they enjoy sharing their vast knowledge of the East Valley. Submitted photo

Gilbert Kid to Kid franchise wins award

James Moyer

Everybody Loves Fondue owners smitten with eatery

BY CHRISTINA FUOCO-KARASINSKI

Living in Switzerland while on a mission, Bill Dixon indulged in Swiss fondue, dipping various vegetables, breads and meats in cheese.

His Canadian-born wife, Celine, who lived in France for a time, knew a thing or two about fondue as well.

“They did a lot of fondue when she was growing up,” Bill says.

Since the end of summer, the duo has been living their dream of owning a fast and affordable fondue restaurant, aptly named Everybody Loves Fondue.

“Who doesn’t love cheese and chocolate melted?” Bill asks rhetorically when asked about the name of the Gilbert restaurant. “We do things like large soft pretzels dipped in cheese. You can’t go wrong with that. We have angel food cake dipped in chocolate. You can’t mess that up.”

Guadalupe roads. Bill, who worked in machinery for Empire before opening the restaurant, adds that he gets a thrill out of watching first-time customers discovering fondue.

“I love seeing people the first time they take a bit of our chocolate or cheeses and light up,” he says. “They’re surprised at how good it is. When you get fast fondue at a reasonable price, nobody expects Ghirardelli quality or the cheese quality that we use.”

As Bill states, Everybody Loves Fondue uses only the freshest ingredients. Celine elaborates.

“We have a Swiss and cheddar fondue,” she says with her trademark smile. “You get French, wheat or focaccia bread. Then with everything else you pick your sides. The meat—turkey, chicken or ham—is already cooked.”

says Celine, a former physical education teacher.

“With the chocolate, it’s the same things—dark and white milk chocolate. We have strawberries and pineapple. Everything’s fresh.”

Bill admits that Everybody Loves Fondue has a “secret” menu as well as its posted list of dishes. He revealed one item—a peanut, dark chocolate and marshmallow, rocky road-like dipping sauce.

The prices are affordable. Each serving is $1.49; while a meat serving is $2.99. Chocolate, cheese and peanut fondue range in price from $3.99 to $6. Sandwiches are $4.99 to $6.99. The large soft pretzel—which is heavenly with cheese fondue—is $2.99.

Apparently, the recipe is working. Everybody Loves Fondue has found success at its location at Higley and

The all-white-painted restaurant also offers fresh vegetables, such as raw broccoli, carrots, cauliflower, pickles, jalapenos and celery.

“We have pretzels, crackers, chips, whatever else you can dip in the cheese,”

Not only does Bill and Celine feed the community, they support it as well. Daughters, Ryan, 15, and Sierra, 13, play sports and participate in performing arts at Highland High School and Highland Junior High School, respectively. Everybody Loves Fondue makes it a point to advertise in the programs.

“It’s neat to be involved in the community,” he says. “It’s a charitable

thing for us, to support the girls. That’s the main thing.”

Unlike chain fondue restaurants, Everybody Loves Fondue doesn’t serve raw meats for diners to cook.

“We don’t do raw meats. We don’t deal with hot oils,” he says. “Fondue means ‘melted.’ We melt. That’s what we do. We do fondue.”

Everybody Loves Fondue is located at 3244 E. Guadalupe Rd., Gilbert. Hours of operation are from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Saturday. For more information, call (480) 268-9284 or visit www.everybodylovesfondue.com.

DELECTABLE: Bill and Celine Dixon serve up affordable, fun fondue at Everybody Loves Fondue in Gilbert. GSN photo by David Karasinski

SWISS BLISS: Since the end of summer, Everybody Loves Fondue has been bringing the joy of Swiss fondue to Gilbert residents. GSN photo by David Karasinski

Businessman, Businesswoman of the Year nominees announced

The Gilbert Chamber recently announced nominees for the 2015 Businessman and Businesswoman of the Year awards and will host a luncheon on Wednesday, Jan. 28, to honor each nominee and reveal the award winners. Individuals are nominated by the business community and the winners are selected by chamber member peers serving on nomination review panels.

Nominees for 2015 Businessman of the Year are Tim Bricker, Dignity HealthMercy Gilbert Medical Center; Andrew John, John’s Refrigeration; JW Rayhons, Rayhons Financial Solutions; Ralph Willett, Ralph Willett CPA; and Tony Yantos, Walmart at SanTan Village.

Nominees for 2015 Businesswoman of the Year are Jasmine Holmes, 910 West; Elaine Kessler, Elaine Kessler Photography; Joan Krueger, RE/MAX Solutions; Alissa O’Neil, Paradise Bakery & Café; Shanna Tingom, Edward Jones Investments; and Stacey Waddell, 20 Volume Salon and Spa.

The 2015 Businessman and Businesswoman of the Year Luncheon will be held from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 28, at the DoubleTree by Hilton Phoenix-Gilbert/SanTan Elegante Conference & Reception Center. General admission is $50; member admission is $35. For more information, contact Sarah at (480) 941-6322 or register online at www.gilbertaz.com.

Sponsorship provided by National Bank of Arizona and Employee Benefit Exchange Corp.

The Gilbert Chamber of Commerce is a nonprofit, membership-based organization with more than 630 members ranging from home-based businesses to large corporations and representing more than 42,300 employees. The chamber proactively serves as a business advocate to strengthen the business climate in Gilbert. To learn more about or join the chamber, call (480) 892-0056 or visit www.gilbertaz.com.

Send in your business profile for ‘Doing Business’

The Gilbert Sun News would like to welcome new area businesses or existing ones that may be new to our readers.

Submit information about your business for a “Doing Business” mini-business profile in an upcoming issue of our publication, which is distributed to 25,000 homes, racks and boxes the fifth of each month.

Please include all of the following items: name of business, name of owner(s), how long the business has existed, unique features, hours of operation, address, telephone number, website and email address. Also include an at least 300 dpi photo of the business owner or logo.

Email this information to info@gilbertsunnews.com or visit www. gilbertsunnews.com and click on the “Doing Business” form at the top of the page to submit.

Doing Business

Rebellious Addiction Tattoo & Piercing

Owner: Doug Esteves

How long in business: Four years

Specialty: Rebellious Addiction tattoo and body piercing studio specializes in custom tattoo artistry. The contemporary studio has six professional tattoo artists and a full time piercer.

Address: 1111 N. Gilbert Rd., Gilbert

Hours: 12 p.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Saturday

Phone: (480) 343-3513

Website: www.rebelliousaddiction.com

Formal dresses and personalized service glitter at Sparkle

BY ALISON STANTON

Stylish and sparkly prom dresses. Colorful Quinceanera gowns. Beautiful baptism dresses for babies.

These are just a few of the many types of formal dresses available at Sparkle at SanTan Village.

“We are a destination dress shop, and we offer all types of women’s formal wear as well as jewelry and accessories,” says co-owner Dev Gupta, who opened Sparkle about five years ago with his wife Suprit. “Everything from newborns to women ages 60-plus.”

work with brides-to-be and their attendants.

At one time, the couple had three locations throughout the Valley including stores in Fiesta Mall and Arizona Mills. Now, Gupta says, they are focusing on the SanTan Village shop, which they opened last June.

Unlike some other dress shops that might carry a limited selection of sizes and styles, Gupta says he and his wife pride themselves on offering a variety of sizes.

“From a size standpoint, one of the things that separates us is that we can get plus-sizes dresses and other sizes and all of the styles in whatever color,” Gupta says.

It usually takes roughly 10 days to receive a special order at Sparkle, as opposed to upwards of two months at major dress stores.

If a woman loves a particular dress but it is a bit too long or needs other alterations, Gupta says an on-site seamstress is available to help. Store employees are also happy to offer advice on which dress is best.

“Sparkle is a family-owned store, and there is always a family member there who can offer that one-on-one experience. Everyone who comes in our store will get someone who knows the products and understands the business and wants to help,” Gupta says.

In addition to teenage girls who are looking for the perfect prom or Quinceanera dress, he says they also

“A lot of bridal customers come to us, including the maids of honor and the mother of the bride. We really get the full spectrum,” he says.

Gupta says he and his wife are passionate about helping their customers get the best deals.

“The economy has changed, and we understand that it’s not feasible for the average person to spend a couple hundred of dollars on a prom dress,” he says. “We offer dresses with very low price points, and can help teenage girls find a dress for $60 to $70.

“We also contribute to charities that help disadvantaged kids who can’t afford the prom.”

One of the most enjoyable parts of owning Sparkle, Gupta says, is working with repeat customers and getting to know them and their families. In one case, a customer bought all of her prom dresses from them over the years and then returned to pick out a dress for when she was competing in the Miss Arizona pageant.

“Then she came back again to buy her wedding dress, and her mom came too to pick out a mother-of-the-bride dress,” Gupta says. “Customers come in who are generations apart, and it’s very interesting to see the same faces coming back to see us.”

Sparkle is located at 2218 E. Williams Field Rd., Suite 235, in Gilbert. For more information, call (480) 820-2257.

ALL-OCCASION DRESSES: At Sparkle, females

SPECIAL ORDERS WELCOMED: Sparkle can order dresses and gowns of any color and size. Submitted photo

Our Community

Welcome to our community map. Custom designed for Gilbert Sun News by talented artist, Valerie Gower, it will serve as a monthly gathering place for our readers. Each month, look for events, businesses opening and lots more, including an expanded map to include South Gilbert.

What’s Missing?

See something missing from the map? We would like to add local landmarks and businesses serving our community. Please email anything you see missing to: mapit@gilbertsunnews.com, and we will see that it gets added.

Thanks for the help!

Pre-teen preparing to graduate high school

BY LYNETTE CARRINGTON

Ria Cheruvu is advanced beyond her 11 years. So intelligent that she is preparing to graduate high school this year from Arizona Connections Academy in Gilbert after she wraps up her world history, calculus and Spanish courses.

“It’s always been normal for me since my childhood,” says Ria about the time she realized that she might learn at a different pace than her friends.

Her mother, Sunitha, says, for example, when Ria was 3 years old, nature piqued her curiosity.

“We used to go for walks and right outside our condo there were tiny plants and I’d explain to her that they were flowers,” says Sunitha.

Ria wasn’t content with hearing they were just flowers. She wanted to know everything about them, including the names of the individual parts.

Biology has always interested Ria, whose teacher, Dan Bergher, speaks highly of her.

“It’s been a beautiful experience teaching Ria,” he says. “This is the perfect situation where you have a student who is very bright in a family that really treasures education and encourages her to think and work.”

Bergher especially loves challenging Ria in deep, critical thinking.

PREPARING TO GRADUATE: Ria Cheruvu will graduate high school from Arizona Connections Academy this year and then embark on her college education studying neural cryptography. GSN photo by Lynette Carrington

“It’s a joyful experience. I call her up and see how far I can take her,” Bergher says. “When she gets into college, she’s going to be amazing. She’s been working her brain from the word go. Most people are not raised that way. When a lot of people get to college they hit the wall

names of presidents. By kindergarten, she mastered multiplication. Her father, Sunil, has since taught her binary code. She excels in every area of learning and is a member of the National Honor Society.

“I’m not taking any advanced placement courses or any college courses right now, but I may be trying to in the future,” Ria explains.

The Cheruvu family is working together to strategize a college plan for Ria. Tentatively a combination of ASU and Harvard is being considered.

“We’re thinking perhaps undergrad and maybe grad at ASU and I love Harvard,” Ria explains.

“We want her to be right next to us,” adds Sunitha, who gave up her career in software engineering to assist Ria in her studies. “We’ll try to stick together and unity is what is important in family. Once she’s a little older, we’ll take her to Harvard.”

The Ivy League college is one of only a few schools that offer courses in neural cryptography, an emerging field of study in which Ria is very interested.

because they’ve never learned how to think. Ria has never stopped thinking.”

Young learner

From the time she was very young, Ria has displayed an exceptional capacity for learning. As a baby, she could repeat the

“Neural cryptography combines biology, computer science and a bit of mathematics as well,” Ria explains. “I really want to help the people of this world—not just to prevent diseases, but to collaborate and contribute to the findings that have already been discovered.”

Parks and Rec hosts slew of events this winter

BY KELSEY SEDERSTROM

From laser tag to “Downton Abbey,” Gilbert’s Parks and Recreation Department serves up a variety of classes and activities. Outlined in the Winter 2015 Guide, the variety of events is meant to stretch the mind and body.

Some events are one-time happenings, while others last throughout the winter session, Jan. 12 through March 7. Participants who do not want to commit to an ongoing class can take advantage of the pay-as-you-go feature.

Here are some of the highlights:

Bowling and Laser Tag

For a $25 fee, guests can enjoy an hour of bowling and a game of laser tag, as well as lunch and a $10 game card. Those who would like to play additional games should bring the appropriate amount of money. This event is intended for participants ages 12 and older.

Registration is required as transportation is provided and limited to 20 passengers. The event starts at Gilbert Community Center, 130 N. Oak St. and runs from 11:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. Friday, Jan. 23.

Little Ninjas

This is a great class for little ninjas to learn basic safety training and selfdefense. To kick off this class, kids will cover topics such as stranger danger, fire safety plans, bike safety, and how and when to call 9-1-1. The class will end with children learning basic self-defense moves such as blocking, punches, kicks and escape holds.

This is not a parent-tot class; participants must meet minimum age requirement by the first day of class. There are two classes divided by ages: 2 to 3 year olds participate in 11 a.m. Tuesday classes beginning Jan. 13 ($40); and 3 to 6 year olds attend 12 p.m. Monday classes beginning Jan. 12 ($31). Both age groups will take classes at McQueen Park Activity Center, 510 N. Horne St.

Fly Fishing for Beginners

Special Olympics Pom and Cheer

Join the gold medal team and instructor Jennifer Myers and have fun learning cheers, chants and dances. This activity gives participants a chance to belong to a team, make new friends, increase coordination and enhance self-esteem.

The Tuesday classes begin Jan. 13 and run through March 3. Class time is 4:30 p.m. to 6 p.m. at the Gilbert Community Center, 130 N. Oak St. Spots are guaranteed through an RSVP. This is a payas-you-go event for $5 a week or a flat fee of $40.

Messy Monsters, a Parent-Tot Activity

Toddlers ages 18 months to 3 years are invited to have messy fun with art projects using shaving cream, paint and Play-Doh from 10:15 a.m. to 11 a.m. Fridays Jan. 16 through March 6 at the McQueen Park Activity Center, 510 N. Horne St. Explore the amazing world of art and leave the cleaning to the activity center. Mom and her tot will get messy, so remember to dress down. The class fee is $48. Toward the end of the class, there will be a winding-down circle to enjoy songs, play or participate in storytime.

Led by Arizona Game and Fish-certified instructors, this introductory class will teach fledgling anglers everything they need to know about the beautiful sport of fly fishing. Learn about equipment, flies, knots, tactics, etymology, fish behavior, fishing locations in Arizona and receive hands-on casting instruction. The class is appropriate for men, women and young adults. The classes cost $5.

The 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. Saturday classes run Jan. 10 through Jan. 31. Students will fish for trout and sunfish at the pond at town hall during the last class. Participants are required to wear eye protection while casting and fishing. All materials and supplies are provided, but a $20 materials fee will be collected during the first class. Meet in room 300 at the Gilbert Municipal Center Administration Building, 50 E. Civic Center Dr.

The Changing Fashions of ‘Downton Abbey’

The Phoenix Art Museum’s Fashion Design Department and docents highlight the glamorous fashions worn by the aristocratic Crawleys and functional clothes worn by the staff in the TV show “Downton Abbey.” Get an appreciation for the impact that enormous social change had on fashion before, during and after World War I.

The free event will be held from 1:30 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 28. Meet at the Perry Branch of the Maricopa County Library District, 1965 E. Queen Creek Rd. This program is intended for participants older than age 18.

THE MARKET GUIDE

FISH ON: Young fishermen get ready to cast their lines. TOG Photos

Teacher honored as Childhood Educator of the Year

BY LYNETTE CARRINGTON

Preschool teacher Janell Cox has devoted her life to education. Recently, Cox’s efforts and commitment to quality early childhood education were recognized when she was named the 2014 Pacific Southwest District Early Childhood Educator of the Year.

“Everyone at the school was so excited for her,” states Olga Garcia, admissions director at Christ’s Greenfield Lutheran School of Gilbert, which offers preschool through eighth grade.

“We had a big poster in the lobby for her. Mrs. Cox has been here for 19 years and she’s one of the teachers who has been here the longest. She’s amazing.”

Cox says her teaching success comes from her work with her assistant Carol Schooley.

Cox was nominated for the award by former preschool director Rhonda Dilzer, who is teaching kindergarten.

“In my opinion, Janell epitomizes what it means to be a great teacher,” Dilzer says.

“In her room she creates an environment where the love of Christ and the wonder of learning are experienced and nurtured. Christ’s Greenfield also benefits from her years of experience and her team spirit as she willingly mentors new teachers. Janell understands the value of quality early learning and wants all children to enter kindergarten with a love of learning and a feeling of success.”

to better herself and for new things to do with her kids.”

Cox attended Wisconsin’s Concordia University, where she earned a bachelor’s degree with a minor in early childhood education.

“That is one of the 12 Concordias in the country and they are all Lutheran colleges,” Cox explains.

After graduating, she began teaching preschool in Chicago, where her husband was teaching at a Lutheran high school.

“We decided we would never be able to afford a house or a family there and we didn’t like the weather,” Cox notes. They soon moved to southern Illinois, where they found teaching positions.

“Carol Schooley and I have been a team teaching together for 12 or 13 years,” Cox says. “We call each other ‘work wives.’ This can’t be done with just one person successfully. It’s a team effort. I say whatever I’m lacking, Carol makes up for.”

Cox, who received her award during a conference in Palm Springs, was among 100 nominees for the award, which recognizes teachers in the Pacific Southwest Lutheran District, including Arizona, California and Nevada.

“You can see that she genuinely loves what she does and loves the children,” Garcia says. “She looks at the children and helps them right where they are. She has amazing ideas and is always looking

Cox’s sister and her family lived in Mesa and the Coxes came to visit. Shortly thereafter, the husband and wife teachers made the move to Mesa.

“We looked through the Lutheran annual that lists all the Lutheran churches with and without schools and my husband found Christ’s Greenfield,” Cox says. “My husband called and asked if they were hiring.”

She began teaching at the preschool shortly thereafter and it now feels like home for her.

“We have a curriculum that rotates on a two-year basis,” Cox says. “We don’t have textbooks and, coming from teaching

Gilbert Youth Soccer Association turns 30

BY TIM J. RANDALL

The Gilbert Youth Soccer Association thanked players, families, volunteers and the community for 30 years of hard work with a celebration at the Gilbert Sports Complex.

They were treated to live entertainment, soccer activities, a food vendor village and a parade of teams.

“It was a recognition of the growth of the organization and a tribute to our founding message of inclusivity,” says GYSA president Thom Intieri.

The organization was founded in 1984 when families recognized the need for a standalone soccer club because “Gilbert residents were restricted from participation with the San Tan Youth Soccer Association in Chandler,” says Cindy Barnes Pharr, GYSA field director.

players and 292 teams competing over eight weeks on Saturdays in the spring and fall.

While the Gilbert Sports Complex has been GYSA’s home since 2004, the teams played their first game at Williams Air Force Base, as it was known, and at Barney Park.

Since the beginning, the GYSA and the Town of Gilbert have worked as a team.

“The Town of Gilbert is a dedicated partner to GYSA,”

Barnes Pharr says.

“We have together put over $500,000 into the current complex, and we handle maintenance, which reduces the financial burden for the Town.”

To play in the GYSA, kids ages 4 through 19 are charged $95.

and giving back to the community.”

The 30th anniversary jubilee came at a time when soccer was riding a new wave of popularity after the recent World Cup and surging interest in Major League Soccer (MLS).

“I think soccer is going to be one of the two dominant American sports in the next 25 to 30 years,” Intieri says.

GYSA is now Arizona’s biggest youth soccer group with more than 4,300

“This is a well-run league that is affordable for families,” Barnes Pharr explains. “It’s about soccer, but also about players and families, being good citizens

sixth grade, that was a real shock to me.” Curriculum at the preschool revolves around monthly themes. Reading, writing, math and art then are geared toward themes ranging from Mother Goose to the desert. Biblical instruction in preschool is called “Jesus Time” and children also attend chapel twice a month.

“We try to incorporate Jesus across the board,” Cox adds. Cox and Schooley utilize the Zoo Phonics method of pre-reading in their pre-K classroom and Spanish instruction is also taught twice weekly. Cox says she believes whole heartedly in an engaging educational experience before kindergarten.

“This is the foundation,” she says. “There has been research and it shows that this is the age where everything is making a difference in how they think and how they behave. It will be what carries them through the rest of their life.”

Barnes Pharr concurs and can see that growth and favorability of the sport in the association’s ranks.

“We are seeing our second generation now,” Barnes Pharr says. “Players that I coached years ago are now moms and dads and they are coaching their 5 and 6 year olds.”

The GYSA’s five-year president, Intieri is excited at how kids learn to be better soccer players. He also enjoys watching players develop life skills like confidence, teamwork and commitment. For Barnes Pharr, a 26-year veteran of

the organization, the growth of GYSA has been especially memorable.

“I got involved because I wanted to share my experiences with kids,” she says. “I had to stop playing soccer at age 16 because girls were not allowed on the high school team. Now we field entire age groups of girls’ teams. It is very rewarding.”

TOP: GETTING READY: The Wildcats get excited for the parade.

RIGHT: KILLING TIME: Participants played games laid out on the field while waiting for the parade to start. GSN photos by Kimberly Carrillo

RHINOS ON PARADE: The Rhinos show off their colors and team spirit during the parade.

GSN photo by Kimberly Carrillo

HONORED: Teacher’s assistant Carol Schooley, left, and lead teacher Janell Cox have taught preschool together for 12 of the 19 years that Cox has been at Christ’s Greenfield Lutheran Preschool. GSN photo by Lynette Carrington

RECOGNIZED: Preschool teacher Janell Cox was chosen as the 2014 Pacific Southwest District Early Childhood Educator of the Year by the Lutheran Church. GSN photo by Lynette Carrington

Deadline approaching for YES scholarships

The application deadline for the 20152016 Kennedy-Lugar Youth Exchange and Study (YES) Abroad scholarship program is Jan. 7.

The program provides full scholarships to American high school students to experience overseas communities and cultures, preparing students to collaborate on global challenges such as human rights, community development, workforce development, climate change and global health.

Sponsored by the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs, the YES Abroad program enables students to study for one academic year in countries that may include Bosnia and Herzegovina, Ghana, South Africa, India, Indonesia, Macedonia, Malaysia, Morocco, Oman, Philippines, Thailand and Turkey. The merit-based scholarship covers domestic and international travel; applicable visa fees; medical benefits; room and board; tuition at the local high school; orientations; and fees for educational and cultural activities.

Participants in the program fully immerse themselves into the culture of their host family while attending local

high school. Erica, a current scholarship recipient from Wisconsin, who was named the October 2014 American Abroad of the Month by the State Department, says, “My time in South Africa has given me a chance to learn from daily life in my host school, while focusing my attention outward to my host family and community. Every day I am both a student and teacher to my peers, and I have learned so much not just about what it means to be Zulu, Xhosa or Afrikaans, but also what it means to be an American. I have found that it is in the informal conversations between classes and sport where I have learned and shared the most.”

A 2012 participant, Hannah, who studied in Malaysia for one year, states that “the YES Abroad program opened my eyes. I learned about a new culture and shared my own. I now have two homes, two families and countless friends from around the world.”

Interested students should visit www.yes-abroad.org to learn more the program and to apply. Contact the YES Abroad program at yesabroad@afsusa. org or (800) 237-4636 x2151 for more information.

Two East Valley singers to compete in Phoenix

Two East Valley singers, Jessica Tisdale of Chandler and Samuel Thomas Loose of Gilbert, will be competing in a statewide vocal contest.

The first round will be held from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 17, at the Mayo Clinic in Phoenix. Twenty contestants will advance to the second round, which will be held from 1 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 18, at the same location.

Song Festival; Georg Stangelberger, Artistic Director, Phoenix Boys Choir; and Barbara Honn, Professor of Voice (Ret.), University of Cincinnati CollegeConservatory of Music.

Retro Family Game Night offered at library

BY MEGHAN MCCOY

Board games and Atari, Nintendo and Super Nintendo systems have given way to the Wii, PlayStation 4 and Xbox One. But families can walk down memory lane with Retro Family Game Night at the Southeast Regional Library 775 N. Greenfield Rd.

“It’s a fun, free way to connect with your family and get out of the house and do something different in a nice environment at the library,” says Southeast Regional Library Librarian Tara Carpenter. “I hope it’s a nice fun night out for people.”

The event, set for 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 14, was created after the administrative office purchased an Atari Flashback system, as well as a Nintendo and Super Nintendo combo system.

“It’s a nostalgia factor for parents who grew up playing these kinds of games,” she says.

Gaming, she says will help strengthen the bonds of the community as well as families who participate.

Carpenter says such games as “Super Mario 3” and “The Legend of Zelda” will be offered during the two-hour family event. With two televisions and two

Wednesday, Jan. 14. Submitted photo

controllers for each gaming system, up to four people can play at once. Depending on the number of participants, there may be a time limit on each game. But while the video games are occupied, board games like “Life,” “Scrabble” and “Munchkin” will be offered.

“We have a whole variety and people can choose what they like depending on age,” she explains.

Individuals can also bring their own cards, such as “Pokemon,” “Magic the Gathering” and “Yu-Gi-Oh!” to the game night.

“That might be a neat way to connect with others,” Carpenter says.

The library is using the event to gauge community interest. Carpenter says they are kicking off the program with retro video games as the focus. If people attend the event and enjoy themselves, the library will host it regularly.

SOPRANO: Jessica Tisdale

The competition is sponsored by the Mayo Clinic.

“The Mayo Clinic Voice Program is proud to sponsor the Southwest Vocal Competition. It is beautifully aligned with our mission to bring the art and science of medicine to the performing arts community and our passion to care for professional vocalists by focusing on the vocal arts, healthy vocal technique and advancements in medicine,” says Dr. David G. Lott, laryngeal surgeon and director of the Mayo Clinic Voice Program in the Department of Otolaryngology and Head and Neck Surgery in Arizona.

The judges for the preliminary rounds and Master Class will be Jacqueline Zander-Wall renowned mezzo-soprano and founder of the Vocal Artistry Art

Ten singers will advance to the finals concert and perform with Phoenix Opera Orchestra under the baton of Maestro John Massaro, on stage at the Orpheum Theatre in Phoenix on Sunday, Feb. 8.

The finalists will compete for a $5,000 grand prize and all contestants will receive special instruction in healthy vocal techniques conducted by health professionals from the Mayo Clinic Voice Program in Arizona.

Winners will be announced immediately following the concert from the stage.

The judges for the Finals Concert will be Katherine Olsen, Founder and Artistic Manager, Encompass Arts, LLC; William Florescu, General Director, Florentine Opera Company; and Karan Armstrong, Celebrated International Operatic Soprano.

Tickets for the finals concert can be purchased through the Orpheum Box Office at www.orpheum-theater.com.

Not satisfied with your current health insurance plan? Now’s the time to make a change. Let me show you how simple it is to get quality health coverage that fits your needs. Be informed. Be covered. Be confident.

GAME NIGHT: Southeast Regional Library is hosting a Retro Family Game Night from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m.

Experience the Difference

Water Features Barbecues, Fireplaces, Decking

Pool Remodeling

Around the district

Have school news? Send items to christina@gilbertsunnews.com.

Boulder Creek Elementary School

Boulder Creek Elementary School is hosting a night out with the Phoenix Suns on Jan. 16, followed by craft night on Jan. 23. For more information, see the parents’ newsletter at www.gilbertschools.net.

Carol Rae Ranch Elementary School

This year’s PTSO officers are: President Dana Fredericks; Co-Vice Presidents Pam Scandrett and Dawn Beeson; Secretary Cori Tinney; and Treasurer Molly Skaar. The PTSO holds meetings at 7 p.m. every other month. The upcoming meetings are Jan. 8, March 5 or 19 (TBD), May 7 or May 13 (TBD). For more information, email crreptso@gmail.com or visit www. facebook.com/crreptso.

Gilbert Elementary School

The school’s PTSO is hosting the APEX Fun Run, Jan. 5 through Jan. 16. For more information, email tigerptso@gmail.com.

Mesquite Elementary School

Local Businesses Add to the Culture and Flavor of Our Community

Congratulations to Mesquite Elementary teacher Morgan Pardy-Hyatt who won the Fuel Up To Play 60 Super Bowl contest. Pardy-Hyatt beat out teachers across the state for this honor. Her teachers and students flooded the committee with letters and a video to state all of the great programs and events she has put together to help Mesquite Elementary students keep healthy. Arizona Cardinals’ mascot Big Red was on hand to help celebrate her win. PardyHyatt received two tickets to the Super Bowl and a huge basket full of goodies. Check out her reaction to the news at http://youtu.be/pTIvpeCQ4EI.

Campo Verde High School

Campo Verde High School has released its calendar for January. It is as follows: Jan. 5: School resumes

Jan. 6: Parent Site Council meeting in library, 5 p.m.

Jan. 7: PLC Early Release Day, 1:30 p.m.

Jan. 8 through Jan. 9: Senior Credit

Checks, counselors

Jan. 12: AP registration begins in the bookstore

Jan. 14: PLC Early Release Day, 1:30 p.m. Jan. 19: Martin Luther King Holiday, no school

Jan. 21: PLC Early Release Day, 1:30 p.m. Jan. 24: Saturday School in library from 8 a.m. to 12 p.m., NHS peer tutoring available

Jan. 28: PLC Early Release Day, 1:30 p.m. Jan. 29 through Jan. 31: Performance Troupe production “Singing in the Rain” in the auditorium, 7 p.m.

Jan. 29: Link Crew Nominees Meeting in auditorium, 2:40 p.m.

Desert Ridge High School

The first day of school is scheduled for Jan. 5, before which schedules will not be printed. Students are asked to go to the school’s portal on Infinite Campus and print their schedule. For more information, visit https:// ic.gilbertschools.net/campus/portal/ gilbert.jsp

Gilbert High School

Baseball camp starts on Tuesday, Jan. 6. Anyone who is planning on trying out for baseball is encouraged to attend this camp. See Coach Gutierrez in room 1603 for more information.

Seniors are asked to bring their college acceptance letters to the counseling office so staff can make copies.

Students in grades nine through 12 are invited to visit www.gilbertschools. net/Page/1975 to find out about college scholarships.

Highland High School

Many students will be looking for scholarship opportunities during their junior and senior years. However, as some scholarships are available to freshmen and sophomores, it is never too early to begin planning for postsecondary education. To become an eligible candidate, it is important that students do as well as they are capable of academically.

Mesquite

High School

Congratulations to the MHS freshmen cheerleaders on their first place win at the Fiesta Bowl Cheer Competition. They beat Gilbert and Fairfax high schools and marched in the Fiesta Bowl parade on Dec. 27.

Sound Off: WE WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU!

SOUND OFF was transcribed from our Sound Off line during the past month. Sound Off is a monthly editorial feature of Gilbert Sun News. We encourage you to participate. As long as it's not profane or libelous we will print it in our next issue. Calls are limited to one minute. Please leave your name only if you'd like it printed. Come on, get it off your chest!

To Sound Off: soundoff@gilbertsunnews.com e-mail us at: soundoff@gilbertsunnews.com leave a message at: (480) 348-0343 Option 8 visit: www.gilbertsunnews.com

In the movies today we see the final result of ignorance in charge of stupidity with the story “The Interview.” Heaven help America. Stupidity rules social media. If you don’t think so, check the movies. Sex and nudity has been teaching our youth the last 50 years. What’s your opinion? Speak up!

For once the politicians are right when they called the public “stupid people.” All those “stupid people” voted them in office and they’re not even saying thank you.

We will never understand why the good people of Ferguson do not accept the fact that the young

Letter to the editor

About Care thanks Intel, community during holidays

Intel’s employees provided more than 150 wrapped Christmas presents to our homebound neighbors. For many of them, this was the only present they would receive over the holidays.

A local Girl Scout Troop 1661, About Care Board of Directors and our volunteers played elves and delivered the gifts. One woman stated that she hadn’t received a gift in years and was overwhelmed by the generosity of the Intel employees. Also, thank you to Without Walls Christian Church, which provided free holiday meals to those of our clients in need.

About Care’s mission is to deliver caring, compassionate support services using trained volunteers with special concern for the elderly and disabled homebound residents of Chandler and Gilbert. In the New Year, we would urge everyone in our community to try and dedicate a few hours a month volunteering. Not only will you reap the benefits of this gift, but you will impact the lives of others by your generosity. Thank you again Intel employees! You may want to consider making a donation, which is tax deductible. About Care is a Qualifying Charitable Organization in Arizona and is listed with the Secretary of State’s office. Individuals may deduct $200 and married couples may deduct $400 from their Arizona state income tax owed at the end of the year. About Care’s Tax ID is 34-2047687. Any and all donations are welcome and appreciated. A receipt will be sent immediately for your tax filing. About Care, a nonprofit 501(c)(3)

man was a bully, thief and a lawbreaker. It was OK to be that, but not OK for the law to try to arrest him? What happened to sanity in America? There is no common sense anywhere you look.

Please explain to me why no one in the news media has ever mentioned the fact that we have three of the most prejudiced and biased people in our government today and in the news media—President Obama, Al Sharpton and our wonderful, wonderful secretary of defense. I know this won’t be printed, but please, someone, get with it because these people ruined this country and turned the biased between whites and blacks into a civil war.

Did you notice the best of America’s youth can still march and pray at the same time, even in a snowy parade? No bomb-strapped terrorist slipped past America’s defense team. Did you thank a citizen on patrol, otherwise known as a cop, for your safety today? Are you paying attention?

If all the children in school are being taught to fight off the bullies, what happened to the people who are allowing the bullies to take over all the movies? Stand up and fight, you idiots. You want to go to the movies, go to the movies. Never mind the bullies.

I have a Sound Off. I have a neighbor who has not gotten a license plate in almost five years. She drives around with the little paper in her window and has never paid the amount to get her license like all of us. They say there’s nothing they can do until she does something wrong on the street and they pull her over. You’d think there would be something in computers that they can keep on track with people who haven’t paid.

organization, serves the homebound elderly and disabled in Chandler and Gilbert. About Care’s mission is to deliver caring, compassionate support services using trained volunteers. About Care was created because of the need to assist the elderly and disabled residents with services that enabled them to remain in their home, live with self-respect and dignity while encouraging independence. About Care’s free services help postpone the expense of long-term care. The majority of individuals served by About Care are economically disadvantaged elderly women.

The majority of requests to About Care for services are for transportation to medical appointments or procedures. About Care also offers weekly transportation for shopping and errands, respite, reassurance phone calls, computer assistance and minor home repairs. The services are provided without charge by trained and insured volunteers—compassionate, caring individuals who want to make a difference in someone’s life by offering their time.

If you are unable to make a monetary donation, About Care is always looking for volunteers with big hearts who really want to help others. For more information or to obtain a volunteer application, visit www.aboutcare.org. The About Care volunteers do “small things with great love that truly impact the lives of the homebound.”

There is one simple solution for all the problems with police violence and it’s this: Stop breaking the law, you dummies. Stop breaking the law. That’ll solve your problem. But that’s too simple for the public to understand.

Just reading about the people who had gone to an ice cream social and a group did a Johnny Cash tribute...and people were leaving before it was over. Well, I encountered this last month while at a luncheon. Granted, he wasn’t good—played guitar, sang and tried to be funny. Bless his heart; a person can’t be something you’re not. But women left and he was singing. I didn’t care for him either, but in no way would I have left. I wrote an apology on

a napkin and gave it to him. At least I felt better. (He thanked me!) I honestly couldn’t believe these dumb women!

President Obama and the Democrats are trying to make themselves out to be like they’re really after helping these poor Mexicans and their children get a better life in America. The reason he wants to put all these people in citizenship is because 75 percent of them vote Democrat. That’s the only reason he’s doing it. He wants the vote.

President Obama and the Democrats are at it again. Deceptiveness. They’re trying to make the American public feel the most important and interesting thing on the agenda with immigration is they want to help these poor people who came into this country illegally, their children came in illegally and he’s so concerned about their welfare? He’s concerned about the fact that he’s going to let 5 million people in this country to allow them to vote. Seventy five percent of these people vote Democrat.

The latest TV news: Doctors are going back to making house calls again. Isn’t that amazing that the old ways are the better ways?

I have read about renters and their problems with landlords, but what about homeowners who have to live next to rental homes? The house next door has been rented for five years and has had four renters—all bad (partying, playing loud TV and music, barking dogs, not picking up dog doo in the yard, weeds in the front yard, fliers laying in the yard, leaving garbage cans out for days after pickup). These renters are reducing the value of homeowners’ property! The leasing agents or property owners should take some responsibility for their renters!

Believe it or not, if you have an old car or an old system that is running in your house, and it needs replacement parts, you may be out of luck. Someone has bought up all the extra plumbing, auto and electrical repair parts. That’s the height of greed, to have a bidding war on leftover parts for running America. Sounds more like Congress than ever. It’s the new way of business.

What I would like to know is why can’t the states that need water get together with the states that have way too much now and make arrangements to harvest that snow because snow, when melted, is nothing but water. Texas has been in a longtime drought. Arizona’s lakes and rivers need

water. California is depleting its water reserve because of drought. It seems to me that harvesting the snow would not only help states that need the water, but it would also decrease the threat of flooding in the states in the news.

It seems as if most everyone is upset about a lasting solution to education funding. Equality and justice for all students and teachers must be part of the solution. Florida and other states with fewer school districts, more students and higher grades after offer an excellent guide to our dysfunctional system. With only 67 districts, Florida literally has million more to invest into the classroom.

Have you ever stopped to think that the poor and the middle class work for wages? Have you ever stopped to ask, “Who pays the wages?” Think about what would happen if you bring down the wage payer! There would be no jobs to bring home wages! The wage payer pays your salary, pays the government your with holdings, pays for insurance in case you get hurt on the job, may give you a uniform or other special clothing and, if large enough, would offer health insurance and a pension plan, in which they also pay. Business pays wages! When business makes money, they hire more workers and everybody profits!

Just where did all those protesting Republicans’ ancestors come from around the world? How did they think they’re not lucky to be born here because their ancestors came here? How stupid can all these people be? It’s just unbelievable. They don’t remember their ancestors had to come here first for them to be where they are today. Why are they denying others the same rights, and thinking they’re always right and everyone else is wrong? Poor dumb, dumb, dumb people. Shame on you. Ungrateful to your ancestors. Think about it or else look for a brain somewhere under the bushes.

It’s hard to believe these Republicans are screaming for everybody to pay their fair taxes. That includes you with all the money you’re hiding overseas in banks. You’re traitors, liars, crooks and double-talking politicians.

To the person who was surprised that the Obama administration is using the IRS to spy on people and do other harmful things to people. You act as if this is the first time this has happened. Does anyone out there remember the Nixon administration? They used every federal agency that they could to spy on and use corruption and any other dirty tricks that he could

to get at their supposed enemies. They were paranoid. By the way, for all of you great Republicans out there, Nixon was a Republican and arguably the worst president we’ve ever had in the history of our country.

Where are the Republicans going to find all the money to fix America—roads and bridges and towns and people. It’s simple. Stop spending it on fixing other countries. It should have been done 15 years ago, instead of going to a stupid war.

President Barack Hussein Obama at least 22 times stated that he could not act alone to reform immigration policy. Yet he did it. He needs to be reminded this is the United States of America and he was elected president, who has one-third of the power. It’s his job to enforce the laws, not to make the laws. He is acting like a dictator and he needs to be stopped.

Grandma said that from the beginning of recorded time, common sense died when one group of people enslaved others. In America today, common sense died when one group of people built a memorial to a bully boy who stole property, abused the owner, defied the law, fought the policy and ran away and died as any coward might who oversteps the rules of a peaceful society.

It’s interesting only one TV station is live broadcasting history being made tonight in Ferguson, Missouri. All the other commercial managers are waiting for the first collection of pre-paid advertisement profits without interruption. What does that tell citizens about no longer having free press? Now the nuts will be turned lose and start a riot.

Michael Brown was no angel. He was a thug. He had marijuana in his system, robbed a store and assaulted a clerk. He was responsible for his own death by attacking a policeman. Where’s the outrage when the white policeman is killed by a black? There just isn’t any.

The snowbirds are back and the Sun Cities will once again look like South Phoenix. Do they have any goals in life besides buying and selling junk at odious, trash, socalled garage sales?

Ferguson is still the biggest issue on television. It’s the

only thing they’re looking at? What did the old newspaperman used to say? If it doesn’t sell newspapers, don’t print it. It’s not freedom of the press. It’s freedom of the stupid who put it in the press.

The most hard-working, underpaid Americans are tired of the complaining illegals and others who are unhappy. They’re at our borders and freebie lines. If they don’t like the country they were born in, then they won’t work to improve it. Go back to your own country.

What kind of judges do we have here in Arizona? One is conducting a “circus” with this Jodi killer allowing her to manipulate the system and costing millions of taxpayer dollars. The judge should be tossed in a cell with Jodi and the other mother that is not ever going to set up trust funds for her kids. She is laughing at the system on her shopping trips. She, and the judge on her case, should all be in one cell.

I encourage everyone who enters a contest to read the rules first and then decide if the taxes are worth it. The other day I saw a local contest for a trip to California. Want to know what the prize was valued at? $9,000! And it wasn’t even that great of a trip. You shouldn’t even be taxed on a trip, but that is the U.S. Government for you! If you find 50 cents on the ground they will want their cut. So please make sure that whatever contest you are entering is worth it since you’ll be getting a 1099 in the mail come January.

If the new ruling crowd of Tempe does not preserve the oldest treasure on First and Mill, then it deserves the next 100-year flood that totally destroys the place. Shame on Monti’s, selling out for the millions. You crooks should preserve history. You, you’re a bum.

Officer Darren Wilson, who was doing his job and who was cleared by the grand jury, has resigned and will not get one penny severance pay. Meanwhile, Michael Brown’s siblings will get fully paid college tuitions. Don’t tell me crime doesn’t pay.

What do you think?

Leave a message: (480) 348-0343 option 8 e-mail us: soundoff@gilbertsunnews.com

Freddy G. “Elvis”

VENUES

CCA—Chandler Center for the Arts

250 N. Arizona Ave., Chandler Tickets: (480) 782-2680, www.chandlercenter.org

GCC—Gold Canyon United Methodist Church

6640 S. Kings Ranch Rd., Gold Canyon Tickets: www.gcac1.com/cynsnds.html

HT—Hale Theatre

50 W. Page Ave., Gilbert. Tickets: (480) 497-1181, www.haletheatrearizona.com

HCPA—Higley Center for the Performing Arts 4132 E. Pecos Rd., Gilbert. Tickets: (480) 279-7190, www.higleyarts.org

ON STAGE

“Lend Me a Tenor,” through Saturday, Feb. 14, HT. The Cleveland Grand Opera Company has planned a gala $50,000 fundraiser. World-famous Italian tenor Tito Morelli is slated to sing the title role in “Othello,” but he has other plans.

MAC—Mesa Arts Center

One E. Main St., Mesa Tickets: (480) 644-6500, www.mesaartscenter.com

MIM—Musical Instrument Museum

4725 E. Mayo Blvd., Phoenix Tickets: www.mimmusictheater.themim.org

MN—MusicaNova

Central United Methodist Church, 1875 N. Central Ave., Phoenix Tickets: (480) 585-4485, www.musicanovaaz.com

SUL—Stand Up Live

50 W. Jefferson St., Phoenix Tickets: (480) 719-6100, www.standuplive.com

“Churchill,” Friday, Jan. 9, HCPA. “Churchill” is a one-man play about Sir Winston Churchill. It was written by Andrew Edlin and performed by Edmund Shaff.

Young Performers Concert Series, Sunday, Jan. 11, MIM. Arizona Musicfest

FIREFLY CROSSING

Every Wednesday thru Saturday 11-7 PM 2665 E. Broadway Rd., Mesa, AZ 85209 Located in Fry’s Shopping Center (SW Corner of Lindsay & Broadway) 480-621-7473

Always looking for antique dealers, crafters and vendors with unique merchandise

partners with the Musical Instrument Museum to showcase talented young musicians.

Dave Nachmanoff, Sunday, Jan. 11, HCPA. Singer-songwriter/multiinstrumentalist Dave Nachmanoff is inspired by Al Stewart, whose London show he saw in 1985.

“Unexpected Affinities,” Sunday, Jan. 11, MN. Local chamber group Paradise Winds joins the MusicaNova Orchestra for the world premiere of Graham Cohen’s “Unexpected Affinities,” a concerto grosso commissioned by the Selznick Tikkun Olam Foundation in honor of Holocaust survivors Max and Nina Gurin.

Fab Four, Friday, Jan. 16, MAC. The ultimate tribute band pays homage to The Beatles with classic favorites like “Can’t Buy Me Love,” “Yesterday,” “A Day In The Life,” “Twist And Shout,” “Here Comes The Sun” and “Hey Jude.”

Carpe Diem String Quartet, Friday, Jan. 16, GCC. This unique string quartet blends a traditional string repertoire with a passion for tango-, folk-, pop-, rock-, jazz-inspired music and more. Part of the Canyon Sounds Artist Series presented by the Gold Canyon Arts Council.

Alpin Hong, Friday, Jan. 16, CCA. Alpin Hong, called “a pianistic firebrand” by the New York Times and a fierce supporter of musical education, performs in his inspirational and energetic style.

African Children’s Choir, Sunday, Jan. 18, CCA. African children, 7 to 10 years old—many of whom have lost parents through war, famine and disease— take the stage to sing African tunes including well-loved children’s songs, hand clapping, traditional spirituals and contemporary music. The choir helps raise awareness for children’s needs in Africa and supports the program, which provides unique opportunities for the children involved.

Travis Tritt, Sunday, Jan. 25, CCA. Enjoy an up close and personal evening of music with two-time Grammy winning and three-time CMA-winning country artist Travis Tritt.

Collin Raye is one of the true hitmakers of country.

Celebrating the Year of the Sheep, Friday, Jan. 30, CCA. The Chandler Symphony Orchestra’s professionally trained musicians present a free classical concert.

Johnny Rivers, Saturday, Jan. 31, HCPA. Born Johnny Ramistella, Johnny Rivers has 17 gold records, 29 chart hits and two Grammy Awards.

The McCartney Years, Friday, Feb. 6, HCPA. The McCartney Years boasts that it offers a note-for-note, faithful recreation of a mid-1970s Paul McCartney concert.

“The Midtown Men,” Saturday, Feb. 7, CCA. Watch four stars from the original cast of Broadway’s “Jersey Boys” reunite as they establish themselves as rock stars in their own right, bringing to life their favorite tunes from The Beatles, The Beach Boys, Motown, The Four Seasons and more.

Ryan Shupe and the Rubberband, Saturday, Feb. 7, HCPA. Hailing from Salt Lake City, the five-man band is led by Ryan Shupe, who has been playing violin for most of his life.

“Hardcore Legend: An Evening with Mick Foley,” Sunday, Feb. 8, SUL. The WWE champion, speaker, author and stand-up artist gives a performance that is by turns uproariously funny, simply surreal and surprisingly sensitive.

“Of Legends and Lovers: Doc and Kate,” Sunday, Feb. 8, CCA. A performance of the story of the West’s most famous dentist, a man who went, as he likes to put it, “from the one who heals to the one who keels” (kills) and his life with Mary Katherine Haroney Cummings.

“Flamenco Vivo Carlota Santana: The Soul of Flamenco,” Saturday, Feb. 14, CCA. One of the nation’s premier flamenco and Spanish dance companies celebrates its 30th anniversary season with innovative music, exotic movement, passionate dancing and more.

“Camelot,” Friday, Jan. 23 through Sunday, Jan. 25, MAC. The legendary tale of King Arthur and his knights of the roundtable told through Lerner and Loewe’s enchanting melodies and a classic stage performance.

Collin Raye, Friday, Jan. 23, HCPA. With 16 No. 1 hits and 24 Top 10 singles,

2015 Chinese New Year Show, Sunday, Feb. 15, CCA. The Eastern Art Academy hosts the 2015 Chinese New Year Show in a lively and unique show that the entire family will enjoy. The year of the ram is welcomed with song, dance, instrument and martial arts performances and more.Symphony Orchestra’s professionally trained musicians present a free classical concert.

The Duttons’ shows are a family affair

BY CHRISTINA FUOCO-KARASINSKI

Ben Dutton understands the importance of family.

As a member of The Duttons music group, he feels strongly about uniting families through the magic of his act.

“We get a lot of parents who say, ‘This is the first show my 2-year-old has sat all the way through,’” Dutton says.

“That makes me so happy that we, as a family, can play a part in bringing families together.”

The Duttons have returned to Mesa from Branson, Missouri, for their winter performances at the Dutton Theater at East Valley High School, 7420 E. Main St. They will also perform at Lovin’ Life After 50’s Sun City Expo on Tuesday, Jan. 13, and Mesa Expo on Wednesday, Jan. 28. For information about The Duttons’ shows, visit www.theduttons.com. To find out about the Lovin’ Life After 50 expos, see www.lovinlifeafter50.com/expo.

“We’ve done (the expos) almost every year,” he says. “The winter visitor group knows us really well. Our show really appeals to all ages. Teenagers love it. It keeps moving. There’s a lot of variety. It really caters to families as well.”

Many folks know The Duttons from their several PBS specials as well as a stint on “America’s Got Talent.” The band will perform a different show each month through March at the Dutton Theater.

“It’s not a regular concert,” Dutton says. “It’s a full show with special effects, backdrops and choreographed lighting. It’s a bit to change the show with how we do it, but it definitely makes it better. It’s never stale. We want to mix it up to give people that new experience.”

The audience is just as varied as the music The Duttons play.

“I like to tell this story,” Dutton says. “A guy was in the front row of one of our shows with gold teeth, chains around his neck, big combat boots and kind of looked like a gang banger type. I came up to him and asked him what drew him to our show. He said that ever since ‘America’s Got Talent,’ he’s been a fan. He said he loves the variety and it keeps him interested.”

The Duttons have been playing music since they were youngsters. Persuaded by their parents, the Dutton siblings each started on classical violin when they were around 4 years old.

“They wanted to teach us to work hard,” he says. “They didn’t have the plan that we were going to be professional musicians. My dad was a tenured professor of economics and my mom was a school teacher.

“They knew that music would be a great thing for us. We worked really hard.”

a variety show that includes music, special effects and choreographed lighting. Submitted photo

The children were soloing with symphonies when they were young. That is, until a man came knocking at their door after a gig.

“He spent the afternoon teaching us bluegrass,” Dutton says.

Soon, the kids were gigging and were then asked to perform in Europe.

“We thought it was just a hobby, although we worked really hard at it,”

Dutton says. “We were on the biggest TV shows. We toured Europe several times. We made some videos for TV stuff, we did over there, and then agents got a hold of it over here.”

By 1991, The Duttons were playing 250 to 300 shows a year. In 1997, the family opened its theater and subsequent hotel, the Dutton Inn, in Branson. After seven years in Branson, they expanded to Mesa by partnering with East Valley High School and building an auditorium that could serve as a permanent winter venue in Arizona.

“It’s been a great thing,” says the Utah native. “This has been our 10th season in Mesa. It’s been awesome.”

The secret of The Duttons’ success is hard work, he says.

“Not only did we practice a lot growing up, but our parents really stood by our sides,” he says. “We’re all adults with our own children now, but we’re still working with them. There are three generations in the family. First and foremost, aside from the music, they tried to teach us to live according to good principles and have good values. That’s kept us together, to keep focused on the good things.”

Programs abound at downtown’s Art Intersection

Art Intersection, located at Gilbert and Elliot roads, has scheduled a plethora of programs and exhibits throughout the winter and spring.

Emerging photographers and artists will benefit from a seven-session seminar during which their works will be critiqued. They are scheduled for 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. Feb. 5, Feb. 12, Feb. 19, March 12, March 19, March 26 and April 16.

Whether participants want help bringing a project to completion, direction in establishing a unique artistic voice, or preparing a portfolio for admission into school or gallery, this opportunity provides individuals with a structured option. The seminar is facilitated by veteran educators who understand the creative process. Both instructors provide a professional and supportive atmosphere in which to grow. Seminar meetings are strategically spaced throughout an almost three-month period to allow time in between to create new work.

In addition to group critiques, each participant will have a private, oneon-one consultation with nationally renowned artists James Hajicek and Carol Panaro-Smith.

SEMINAR: Emerging photographers and artists have the opportunity to engage in a sevensession seminar that includes one-on-one consultation with James Hajicek and Carol Panaro-Smith. Submitted photo

Past participants have been accepted into graduate school, found gallery representation and have been invited to exhibit work at Art Intersection Galleries.

‘Home’ exhibit to open Jan. 17 Home, it is at once a noun and an adverb; physically and metaphorically, it is a dwelling.

“I believe that one carries the shadows, the dreams, the fears and dragons of home under one’s skin, at the extreme corners of one’s eyes and possibly in the gristle of the earlobe,” writes Maya Angelou in her book, “Letter to My Daughter.”

NOTHING LIKE FAMILY: The Duttons put on

Gilbert dancer among prestigious grant winners

Leah Roman of Gilbert was among the 13 applicants who received Artist Research and Development Grants for fiscal year 2015 through the Arizona Commission on the Arts, as announced on Dec. 29.

This highly competitive grant program awards funding to Arizona artists practicing in a variety of artistic disciplines in support of research and development leading to the creation of new works of art. This year, 13 of 95 applicants received up to $5,000 in funding.

Roman will use her funds to develop a model and platform for bridging dance scenes, the public, musicians, and young people. Roman and her dance partner, Rae Rae, will collaborate with, interview and observe local representatives of the choreography and freestyle scene during this year and next.

She has taught workshops in studios around the Valley including Dance Element, Precision Dance and CanDance Studios. She has also traveled around the world to teach, compete and “battle.” Roman is the co-director and founder of The Jukebox Dance Studio, a dance studio in Gilbert that specializes in street styles.

Other Arizona grant recipients include:

David Adams (Phoenix): Adams will employ an 1850s photographic process known as wet-plate collodion to make tintype photographs of power plants and oil refineries on 55-gallon oil drum lids. Adams’ work is exhibited nationally and internationally. He is the recipient of numerous awards, including the Society for Photographic Education’s Crystal Apple Award, the Magenta Foundation’s Emerging Photographers Award, and the Nathan Cummings Travel Award.

Susan Bendix (Tempe): Bendix will adapt and integrate techniques used in choreography, improvisation and ritual to develop a movement-based curriculum for use with people experiencing grief or loss, as a means for the intense energy of grief to take expressive form. Bendix trained with the Mark Morris Dance Company in Dance for PD (Parkinson’s disease) and teaches dance for the Muhammad Ali Parkinson’s Center in Phoenix. She has conducted workshops for incarcerated young women at the Black Canyon School and with women recently released from prison.

Geneva Foster Gluck (Phoenix): Through an interdisciplinary performance project featuring elements of circus, trained physical performance and multimedia, Gluck will deconstruct the genre and traditional narrative of the Western.

Gluck was a founding member of Tucsonbased Flam Chen Pyrotechnic Theatre. She earned her M.A. in scenography from University of London and went on to work with some of the U.K.’s most successful contemporary and immersive theater companies before establishing her own company, Sugar Beast Circus, in 2007. In 2012 Gluck returned to Arizona to teach theater design classes at Pima Community College.

Paul Nosa (Mesa): Nosa will embark on a statewide “sewing tour.” With a portable sewing machine powered by a solar panel and a bicycle that generates electricity, Nosa settles in public areas and asks people to describe a scenario in five words or less. He interprets these scenarios in the moment, sewing intricate designs onto a patch. An artist, musician and DIY inventor, Nosa started sewing in 2003 to make functional art, creating a

clothing line from resourced material. In 2005 he began sewing patches. Drawing with a sewing machine has developed from a rewarding art form into a full time career.

Jia Oak Baker (Peoria): Baker will write “Radius,” a book-length collection of poetry that tells the story of three generations of immigrant women. Baker’s poetry was awarded first place in the 2013 Tucson Festival of Books Literary Contest as well as first place in the 2012 Arizona Literary Awards. Other honors include a 2012 Pushcart Prize nomination, a full merit scholarship to the New York State Summer Writers’ Institute, the 2014 Archie D. and Bertha H. Walker Scholarship to the Fine Arts Work Center in Provincetown, and a Helene Wurlitzer Foundation Artist Residency. She serves on the editorial board for Four Chambers Press and teaches writing at Paradise Valley Community College.

Forrest Solis (Phoenix): Solis will complete a series of paintings, titled the L&D Day Series and expand her discipline of figure painting into the realm of installation, audio documenting and archiving women telling their stories of labor and delivery. Solis earned her B.F.A. in 2001 from the Kansas City Art Institute and an M.F.A. in 2003 from Indiana University. She is an associate professor of art at Arizona State University. Her paintings have been exhibited regionally and nationally in solo exhibitions, group exhibitions, juried exhibitions and at major Art Fairs. Her work has been published in American Art Collector, Arts+Culture Magazine, Direct Art, Studio Visit and Visual Overture Magazine

Lauren Strohacker (Scottsdale): Collaborating with Kendra Sollars, Strohacker will expand the scope of their ongoing Animal Land project, wherein larger-than-life video projections of wild animals are directed onto and within urban spaces. The grant will enable Strohacker to incorporate more sophisticated projection techniques and

interactive technologies. Strohacker’s work has been published in the National Endowment for the Arts eBook, “Exploring Our Town” (2014), Sierra Magazine (2014), Java Magazine (2013) and Phoenix Magazine (2013). In 2014, Strohacker was named one of the top 100 creatives in the city by the Phoenix New Times. Animal Land was awarded the Contemporary Forum Emerging Artist Grant (2014) by the Phoenix Art Museum.

Jonathan VanBallenberghe (Tucson): VanBallenberghe will explore the potential of fulldome cinema, developing new techniques for filming live performances, cultural events, and natural phenomena throughout Arizona with a six-camera, 360-degree fulldome rig. VanBallenberghe earned an MFA in poetry from the University of Arizona in 2001. In 2005 he and his wife created Open Lens Productions, which has produced independent documentaries, wildlife films, commercials, website videos, and fulldome planetarium shows. VanBallenberghe’s documentary films have screened at festivals including SXSW, Tribeca, the American Conservation Film Festival, and the Arizona International Film Festival.

Steven Yazzie (Phoenix): Yazzie will incorporate elements of his Indigenous Tours Project, a video documentation and social engagement project centered on regional tours with indigenous participants, into The Mountain Project, an exploration of the artist’s personal and cultural history through a documented hiking expedition, culminating in threechannel video projections in a mix-media installation environment. Yazzie is a proud member of the Navajo Nation and served honorably with the U.S. Marine Corps. Yazzie has been exhibited at the Museum of Modern Art, New York, New York; National Museum of the American Indian, New York, New York; National Gallery of Canada, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada; the Museum of Contemporary Native Art, Santa Fe, New Mexico, and museums throughout Arizona.

In this Art Intersection exhibition, a selected group of artists looks at home and all the ghosts of memory that inhabit it. The artists include Daniel Coburn, Emily Matyas, Kristin Bedford, Joshua White, Angela Bacon-Kidwell, Kelsey Vance, Christina Z. Anderson and Liz Steketee.

The opening reception will be held from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 17. The show is open from Saturday, Jan. 17, through Saturday, Feb. 28.

For more information, email meredith@ artintersection.com.

Members’ Portfolio Sharing Event

Members of Art Intersection will show their work during the Members’ Portfolio Sharing Event on April 30 and Sept. 10. One of the benefits for all membership levels is the opportunity to exhibit at Art Intersection. Each member will have a table top space about 30 inches by 72 inches to show their work.

The event is free and open to the public for viewing at Art Intersection, 207 N. Gilbert Rd., Suite 201.

Members wishing to participate should RSVP by emailing info@artintersection.com or by calling (480) 361-1118.

New school hopes to ‘inspire’ kids to pursue the arts

BY CHRISTINA FUOCO-KARASINSKI

With schools regularly cutting funding to arts programs leaving the Valley’s talented kids without a performance outlet, Michael Sackett and LaDawn Pettitt felt they needed to do something.

So the duo founded Inspire Entertainment, which is slated to open this month in Gilbert.

“We’ve noticed that schools, when they cut the budget, they take out music and performing arts,” says Sackett, a resident of Mesa.

community service with other groups or nonprofits.

“We sing. We dance all different performance styles,” Sackett says. “When the studio opens, the goal is to start all of our music programs and dance programs. We are planning on starting a preschool, which will very much focus on music, but it has an actual curriculum to be certified.”

“They’ve done so many studies on this. Music enhances all sorts of things. It helps with brain development and child growth. It gives kids confidence and breaks down the barriers that a lot of teenagers are having these days. We want to keep music and the performing arts a valued thing for the youth in the community and Valley. It’s so important and unfortunately it’s being cut left and right.”

Sackett and Pettitt are lifelong performers. At Brigham Young University, Sackett was in Young Ambassadors and Vocal Point, a nine-man a cappella ensemble. He moved to Arizona six and a half years ago.

“I noticed there were a lot of little groups here and there, with more dance opportunities than singing and performing— especially here in the East Valley,” he says.

Inspire Entertainment— located at 3244 E. Guadalupe Rd., Suite 109—provides high-quality education and instruction in music and dance for children ages 2 through 18, Sackett says. For more information visit www. inspireent.com

Music education is broken down by age to include: music and movement-based pre-school; parent-child music classes; music education, arts and creativity; fun with music; music theory, games, group piano; and basic performing techniques.

Music instruction for ages 13-18 consists of continued performing skills, music workshops, master classes, performance opportunities, choreography, voice lessons, tours, building repertoire books, composition, recording and more.

The school provides monthly opportunities for its performers to do

“We wanted to create a premiere performing arts studio, where people can start at age 2 or 3 and, by the time they’re 18, they understand all those things and know where they want to go with that.”

Sackett adds that after several years with Inspire Entertainment, kids will have been schooled in entertainment. Whether or not they make it as a YouTube sensation or hit on Broadway, young adults will have the goods to succeed in the music field.

The duo chose Gilbert because of the proximity to talented kids.

“We both have lived on the east side,” he says. “There’s just a really good market for it. We’ve researched all the dance studios, all the music groups, and there are a lot of really talented kids here who are not necessarily using their talents and abilities.

“They need one main place to go to

all that.”

SMOOTH

HOME: Daniel Coburn will have his Field of Dreams piece on display during the “Home” exhibit at Art Intersection. Submitted photo

SHARING: Members of Art Intersection are invited to participate in the Members’ Portfolio Sharing Event. Submitted photo

Raye yearns to bring back classic country music

BY CHRISTINA FUOCO-KARASINSKI

Country singer Collin Raye is up for a challenge.

The ’90s hitmaker, known for “Love, Me” and “I Can Still Feel You,” wants to show that he’s still relevant with his latest album “Everlasting,” a collection of 11 classic love songs and two original tracks.

“A label approached me about doing a classic love songs album and I jumped at it,” Raye says during a recent phone interview.

“I like being known more so as a singer than a guy who’s connected with my hits from 1991 to 2002. I’m very blessed and thankful for every one of those hits, but I like to be known as a singer.”

He elaborates that God has blessed him with “biceps in his throat” and he says that in humility, not arrogance.

“I know I was blessed with a powerful voice and I can do a lot of things that other singers can’t,” he says. Raye doesn’t want to be known as a “one-trick pony.”

great ‘Rhinestone Cowboy,’ ‘Galveston’ and ‘Wichita Lineman’ are. We’re probably never going to get new songs like that ever again.

“Our society—and it trickles down to the music—is into fast food, fast music, fast gratification. We’re shallower than we once were. You can notice that in all walks of life.”

He laments the never-ending cycle of “no-brainer” comic strip movies and the absence of poetry in music.

“There’s this country ‘lifestyle’ of the wanna-be cowboy and his pickup truck,” he says. “They party on a truck. They party on a dirt road. They’re hoping to get lucky in the truck. The first 300 or 400 of those songs didn’t bother me too much. It’s been a decade of this stuff, though. Who are these people who are loving this music?”

“I love a challenge at this point in my life,” he says. “I want to sing songs by great artists and take them on head on and see if I can bring something new to them.”

To promote the album, he’ll perform at the Higley Center for the Performing Arts on Friday, Jan. 23. He will also spend next summer in Branson, Missouri.

“It’s a challenge,” he says, saying that word again. “It’s something new for me. I’m 54 years old. Being able to sit still for three months is huge. I dare say we will probably cut another record in the midst of that as well. I’ve got two or three projects I’d like to do, but I haven’t decided which one yet.”

The key is to stay relevant, Raye explains. He says he loves when a label asks him to do something other than produce a traditional new record. So, for example, in 2013 he released “Still on the Line...The Songs of Glen Campbell,” in honor of his friend who is stricken with Alzheimer’s disease.

“I wanted to do a tribute to him while he could still comprehend it,” he says. “We barely got it done in time.”

Besides being acquainted with Campbell, Raye is a longtime fan. He knew there were tributes in the pipeline once Campbell’s family announced he was ill. But he wanted to be the guy who beat everyone else to the punch.

“The nice thing about it is I get to sing Glen Campbell songs every night,” Raye explains. “I get to remind people how

Born in De Queen, Arkansas, Raye says he grew up in a time when Bob Dylan was a master. The Eagles were writing incredible lyrics, as was Billy Joel.

“In country music, you have the Glen Campbells, the Waylon Jennings, Willie Nelson had ‘Red Headed Stranger,’ which was a concept album, almost a country opera. You had all this stuff going on.

“That’s what has created me as the artist that I am. I miss that. I know that for a fact there are a lot of people who miss that. If I can be one of those vessels who keeps those beautiful songs with great melodies and phenomenal lyrics and moving stories alive, then I’ve done my job.”

Sure, he says, there have always been drinking songs in country music. But, for example, Merle Haggard and his song “The Bottle Let Me Down” are sheer poetry.

“He’s very cleverly and poetically lamenting his state that he has sunken down to,” he says. “He’s not celebrating being drunk. Now it’s just singers basically celebrating drinking and driving. Getting behind the wheel of a truck— it’s always a truck—and they’re driving around with a case of beer, getting drunk, never leaving the cab of that truck. It’s embarrassing.”

Some of country music’s greats would feel the same way, he continues.

“A lot of people say Hank (Williams) would roll over in his grave,” he says. “Hank would get out of his grave, get a 12-gauge and go down to Music Row and shoot every label head on 16th and 17th avenues for putting this junk out.

“I feel it’s trashed this beautiful musical genre that people like Hank created. It’s the music of the people. Now we have sunk way back into this safe party boy (mode) with piercings and they’re tattooed up. They have six-pack abs, of course. You can’t get a record deal unless you have six-pack abs. It’s silly.”

He describes himself as a glass-halffull person and he’s optimistic that acts like himself can swing the pendulum of

country music back to a meaningful art.

“I think it can return to a greater sense of thought,” he says. “I’m up for the challenge.”

Collin Raye performs at 8 p.m. Friday, Jan. 23, at the Higley Center for the Performing Arts, 4132 E. Pecos Rd., Gilbert. Tickets are $44 to $74.20. For more information, call (480) 279-7190 or visit www.higleyarts.org.

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COMING TO TOWN: Country singer Collin Raye is reimaging classic love songs with his album “Everlasting.” He performs at the Higley Center for the Performing Arts on Friday, Jan. 23. Submitted photo

EVERLASTING: Raye doesn’t want to be known as a “onetrick” pony. His new album is designed to illustrate his range. Submitted photo

St. Mary Magdalene expands to accommodate town’s growth

BY CHRISTINA FUOCO-KARASINSKI

Gilbert’s second-largest Catholic church, St. Mary Magdalene, has responded to the town’s growth with an expansion of its own.

The congregation recently completed a 7,000-squarefoot building with a 90-seat adoration chapel and a permanent office to the tune of $1.5 million.

“We’ve been working out of a really tiny office space where everybody shared offices— except for me,” says Father Will Schmid.

“So there were two to three people working out of tiny little offices and they were getting kind of cramped. The parish was growing so much that we needed the space to be able to work. We needed a chapel for people to pray in. The multipurpose building was getting so much use that it was hard for people to come in and pray.”

and have a quiet time with the Lord,” he says. “Then the rest of the building is for offices and cubicles for those who volunteer and for the various ministries that need access to computers.”

Schmid says he and the congregation are “very excited” about the expansion, especially the chapel.

“The 90-seat chapel is for people to come in throughout the day and pray

The expansion is a two-phase project. The second part involved minor renovations to the existing building.

“We took the old offices and turned them into meeting spaces, classes for education, various ministries, and

expanded the back of the church a little bit to put in more seats,” he says. “Our Masses were standing room only. We wanted to add more seats for people to be able to sit down during Mass.”

The Mesa-born Schmid has been with St. Mary Magdalene Catholic Church since 2012; his previous assignment was as a chaplain at Seton Catholic Preparatory High School in Chandler. Since he arrived in Gilbert, the church’s congregation has grown from 2,600 families to 4,000 families.

“Everybody’s moving out here,” he says of Gilbert. “For people who are Catholic, it’s a logical place for them to really settle down their roots. There are a lot of young families. It’s a growing part of Gilbert.”

Now that St. Mary Magdalene has the space, Schmid and other church officials are considering the sort of events they want to host.

“Our next goal is to build an actual church,” he says of the $7 million to $10 million project. “We’re going to put our heads together and pray about what kind of events to put on, not only for fundraising, but for community building and culture building. We want to help form a culture.”

Schmid says a church “in the near future is highly likely.”

“We have a really strong parish and the families are generous,” he says. “They really want a church.”

Not only are the parishioners generous, but they’re excited about being Catholic as well, Schmid says.

“The Holy Spirit is really at work,” he says. “There are a lot of young families, which is great. There are places in the U.S. where there aren’t a lot of young people involved in their faith.

“We have a whole parish full of young Catholics. They’re very excited about their Catholic identity. We’re trying to reach out to everybody. It takes time to build programs for that.”

Schmid is trying to minister to the needs of his parishioners. Recently, St. Mary Magdalene Catholic Church hired a director of marriage and family life, and formed a ministry for senior singles who are widows and widowers.

“That’s been a real blessing to see that ministry grow,” Schmid says. “On every level, we’re trying to strengthen our program. The adoration chapel is huge. We’re starting to see people all throughout the hours pray and be with the Lord. We hope to have a perpetual adoration chapel within the next year. Right now, the adoration chapel is open from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. The adoration chapel would be open 24 hours a day.”

St. Mary Magdalene is one of two Catholic churches in Gilbert. The other, St. Anne Roman Catholic Parish, has 5,000 registered families. They belong to the 93-parish Phoenix Diocese, which serves about 800,000 Catholics.

BUILT IN 2010: St. Mary Magdalene Catholic Church seats more than 950 congregants. Photo courtesy of St. Mary Magdalene Catholic Church

ADORATION CHAPEL: The Adoration Chapel is open from 9

a.m. to 9 p.m. daily. Photo courtesy of St. Mary Magdalene Catholic Church

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