Time for maids, knights, turkey legs PAGE 34
An edition of the East Valley Tribune
INSIDE
This Week
NEWS .................................. 6 Mayor's State of Town speech looks ahead.
BUSINESS ......................25 New cookie shop in Gilbert stresses fresh.
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What the polar vortex taught us PAGE 29
| GilbertSunNews.com
Sunday, February 3, 2019
Cactus Yards makes Gilbert debut Saturday BY CECILIA CHAN GSN Managing Editor
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fter millions of taxpayer dollars spent on repairs, a town-owned sports facility re-opens this weekend with a new name and a new operator. Gilbert Parks and Recreation is now managing the facility renamed Cactus Yards. The town in 2017 severed all ties with former operator Big League Dreams on the grounds it failed to maintain the park leading to more needed repairs. The two sides were still embroiled in a lawsuit. The town is preparing a big celebration next Saturday to mark the reopening of the venue. “We anticipate 3,000 to 5,000 people over the course of the opening-day ceremonies,” said Robert Carmona, Parks and Recreation director. The $40-million taxpayer-funded facility features scaled-down replicas of eight pro-baseball fields such as Fenway Park in Boston and ankee
(Kimberly Carrillo/GSN Staff Photographer)
Gilbert is putting the finishing touches on Cactus Yards in anticipation of its grand opening at the end of the week.
see CACTUS page 4
Gilbert begins tackling cyclist safety on its roads BY CECILIA CHAN GSN Managing Editor
SPORTS ........................... 31 Elite soccer now a woman's game too.
COMMUNITY.................18 BUSINESS ......................25 OPINION ....................... 29 SPORTS ..........................31 GETOUT ........................ 34 CLASSIFIED ...................31
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avid Thomas is a serious roadie, pedaling 100 to 120 miles a week. His bike ride radius from Gilbert takes him to places like South Mountain in Phoenix, Mummy Mountain in Paradise Valley and Brenner Pass in Queen Creek. For the most part, the 41-year-old Gilbert resident rides in a group, and if he bikes alone, he sticks to the canals and neighborhood roads. “The primary reason is there are a lot of distracted drivers out there,” Thomas said. “The hands-free law here leaves a lot to be desired. You can have someone on the road having a
conference call. It’s pretty chaotic out there for sure. I like to ride in a group, you get a wider berth from cars. There’s safety in numbers.” Safety is paramount in the minds of Gilbert officials as they work on a plan for a more bike-friendly town. Council is expected to discuss the 2019 Bike Gilbert Plan at its meeting Thursday. The plan comes at a time when Gilbert still has the opportunity to incorporate new and innovative bike safety standards and roadway design elements as it reaches expected buildout in 2030. The bicycle-planning process kicked off in December 2017 with the goal of drafting a
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more modern and relevant document to replace Gilbert’s existing 13-year-old bike plan. Between 2016 and 2018, Gilbert saw a total of 243 bicyclist-involved crashes – an average of 81 crashes a year or seven a month, according to the report. Five of those crashes resulted in a bicyclist’s death. The majority of crashes in town occurred within an intersection with a crosswalk, with the next highest percentage of crashes occurring in a dedicated bike lane, the report said. Top crash sites included Higley Road with 29 reported crashes and Gilbert Road with 20. Gilbert staff reached out to the public and
see BIKES page 3
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