New justice no stranger to Gilbert PAGE 3
An edition of the East Valley Tribune
INSIDE
This Week
NEWS .................................. 8
High-dollar dealer coming to Gilbert.
COMMUNITY .............21 Gilbert musicians help jazz quartet take off
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ocal designer competes on TV show PAGE 13 Sunday, May 5, 2019
Lawmakers OK suicide-prevention training bill BY PAUL MARYNIAK GSN Executive Editor
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n a rare display of bipartisanship, Democrats and epublicans in the tate egislature unanimously passed a bill requiring suicide prevention training for all school personnel who deal with students in grades 6 through 12. esponding to the anguish of parents who lost sons and daughters to suicide – including 33 in Gilbert, Chandler, Mesa and Queen Creek and five others in neighboring communities since July 2017 – both chambers last week wasted little time in passing the bill. The bill mandates training every three years for teachers, administrators and even bus drivers who have contact with kids and teens in public and charter schools. The train-
ing must be “evidence-based” – meaning that it must have proven effectiveness in helping to identify suicidal tendencies and knowing how to respond. The training will not be required until the 2020-21 school year and at the behest of some lawmakers, notably Gilbert epublican Sen. Eddie Farnsworth, school personnel would not be held civilly liable for any actions in connection with the bill except in cases of gross negligence, willful misconduct or intentional wrongdoing. Awaiting Gov. Doug Ducey’s signature at press time, the bill was sponsored by state en. ean owie, an hwatukee Democrat whose district also includes parts of Chandler, Mesa and Tempe. nd while owie shepherded the bill through at least four committee hearings,
support from two influential Chandler epublicans ep. eff eninger and en. .D. Mesnard – helped the bill succeed in this session after it failed to pass last year. eninger was indirectly touched by the problem: a friend of his son took his life last year. Mesnard had attended several meetings in his district, which includes part of Gilbert, where parents and professionals discussed strategies for curbing what has become a major mental health issue for teenagers in Arizona and across the nation. Saying he is “very happy to see the bill pass both chambers and head to the governor’s desk,” owie also underscored the two epublican lawmakers’ support, calling them “champions on this issue and integral to the
see SUICIDE page
Gilbert school provides students a new start BY CECILIA CHAN GSN Managing Editor
SPORTS .......................... 33
Broncos interested in Higley gridiron star COMMUNITY.................19 BUSINESS ..................... 24 OPINION ....................... 28 SPORTS ..........................31 GETOUT ........................ 34 CLASSIFIED .................. 38
M
ekenzie Valdivia was 16 when she dropped out of Campo Verde High School in Gilbert. The teen was living with her aunt at the time and her mother, who was jumping from place to place for shelter, needed some help. So, Valdivia quit school, where she wasn’t doing too well, and began working 45 hours a week for two years. Her four older siblings had already dropped out of school and earned GED degrees. “Finally, my boyfriend tried to get me to go back to school,” Valdivia said. She arrived to Canyon Valley School in Gilbert over the summer with 7.5 credits to her name – well shy of the mini-
see CANYON page 5
Canyon Valley Principal Chad Fitzgerald has seen a change in the student demographic over the 10 years that he has led the school. (Kimberly Carrillo/GSN Staff Photographer)