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Best of Gilbert
An edition of the East Valley Tribune
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This Week
NEWS ............................... 14 2 more East Valley teens, 13 and 17, take their lives.
COMMUNITY ............22 Gilbert teen impresses at global science fair.
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Gilbert mom takes on anti-vaxxers PAGE 16
| GilbertSunNews.com
Sunday, May 26, 2019
Gilbert library fines for late books eliminated BY CECILIA CHAN GSN Managing Editor
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atrons at Gilbertâs two libraries will no longer have to pay a fine if they forget to return a book on time. Maricopa County Board of Supervisors last week unanimously voted to eliminate overdue fines for items such as books, magazines and DVDs at its public libraries. The county is the first to do so in Arizona. âIâm supportive of this because we should be encouraging people to read especially as we go into the summer right now,â Chairman Bill Gates said at the meeting. âItâs an innova-
tive approach. After this passes, there should be no excuse not to be reading in Maricopa County.â The revised fine schedule took effect immediately in the library districtâs 18 locations, including Southeast Regional and Perry libraries in Gilbert, Ed Robson Library in Sun Lakes and ueen Creek Library. Gilbert contracts with the district to operate both branch locations in town for $3.5 million, according to Kelsey Perry, a town spokeswoman. The town owns the land, building and contents at Southeast Regional Library and shares ownership of the contents at Perry Li-
brary with Chandler Unified School District. The district owns the land and building. The Phoenix-Mesa Gateway Airport Library is not included because it operates on an honor system. All late fees will be erased from cardholdersâ accounts. âWhat we did as the leadership is recognized overdue fines were blocking the accounts and usage of people, primary disadvantaged people who more (than) likely got their cards blocked,â said Jeremy Reeder, deputy director with the Maricopa County
Chain of love
Gilbert church struggles to grow
see FINES page
BY CECILIA CHAN GSN Managing Editor
SPORTS .......................... 38 College coaches check out Gilbert's football talent
COMMUNITY................ 22 BUSINESS .....................30 OPINION ....................... 36 SPORTS ......................... 38 GETOUT ........................ 42 CLASSIFIED ..................49
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at Warner was raised Catholic but said she didnât have a relationship with God until two years ago. Thatâs when she bought her first Bible and started attending Valor Christian Center in Gilbert after she was invited by a friend. âOther churches, although they were nondenominational ,never spoke of the Holy Spirit within their sermons,â Warner said. âWe felt like we were missing out of something.â Warner, 68, said she and her husband, Robert, 79, found the Gilbert church âthe best enlightening experience we ever had.â Valor Christian Center boasts just 90 members â if everyone was to show up. 46 percent of American churchgoers belong to congregations with no more than 100 members, according to the Barna Group, a California research company that tracks the role of faith in America.
see CHURCH page 8
Madison Bowen, left, and Josie Ryan hang a paper chain made of thousands of notes by American Leadership Academy students that recorded their acts of kindness during a special 10-day effort. The chain was hung in Gilbert Town Hall. For details, see page 10. (Pablo Carrillo/GSN Staff Photographer)
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