Gilbert Sun News - October 2017

October 2017

Relentlessly local coverage of Gilbert and our neighboring communities

Go Fish

Ava Jimenez, 5, hopes to make a big catch with her cute pink fishing pole at the Riparian Preserve at Water Ranch.

Welcome Home Veterans Park project gets underway

Gilbert’s new superintendent starts role this month

BY SRIANTHI PERERA

BY SRIANTHI PERERA

An inspirational Arizona landmark will soon begin to take shape in Gilbert.

The Welcome Home Veterans Park, anchored by an 80 percent scale of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington D.C., is due to start construction.

The memorial wall, named The Arizona Wall Project, will be one of the main features of the Welcome Home Veterans Park, which will occupy a 5-acre plot of land near Gilbert and Warner roads that has been dedicated by the town of Gilbert with an initial 30-year lease.

Shane McCord, assistant superintendent of Mesa Public Schools and a former employee of Gilbert Public Schools, has assumed the role of superintendent at GPS. His employment contract began October 2 and ends June 30, 2020.

McCord is being paid an annual base salary of $189,000, with 5 percent of the annual base salary as a performance-based pay and a monthly automobile stipend of $600, among other perks.

PAGE 6 McCord, who has a bachelor of

About $1.5 million of the $3 million project has been secured, some in kind, and the balance has been pledged. Also, the construction has been awarded to general contractor MT Builders Companies of Scottsdale, said Lisa Rigler, project chair.

The first phase will consist of most of the outdoor installations and the memorial wall, while the building will be constructed in the second phase. The first phase is expected to take about nine SEE

VETERANS

5 22 38 48

Community Neighbors Business Youth

education from Arizona State University, and a master’s degree in educational leadership and administration from Northern Arizona University, is working toward his doctorate and plans to be done

by May. He is to be paid an additional stipend of $6,000 during the fiscal year in which he earns his doctoral degree, if it falls within the period of the contract.

McCord, who has worked at GPS for SEE

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Community

October 2017

5

CGCC reflects on 25 years of serving the East Valley

BY SRIANTHI PERERA

In 1987, when students drove to the newly established Pecos Campus of Chandler-Gilbert Community College, their traffic jams were caused by sheep.

“It was a very rural setting,” recalled Maria Hesse, the second president of the college. “Because they would herd the sheep down through the middle of the road, you would try to time your entry into the campus to not get stuck behind the sheep because they would not move for your car.”

Hesse was reminiscing on the eve of CGCC’s silver anniversary, which will be celebrated with a dinner at the college on October 12. The community college, which now has four learning sites, was accredited as an independent college by the Higher Learning Commission of the North Central Association in 1992.

“There were roadrunners, coyotes, a big dairy across the street – Hamstra’s Dairy – and sheep,” said Hesse, who held various positions at the educational institution for 22 years and

Individuals who played a role in CGCC’s founding Paul Elsner, chancellor of the Maricopa County Community College District Dwight Patterson, board member, Maricopa Country Community College District Arnette Ward, founding provost and former president of CGCC Jerry Brooks, mayor of Chandler James Sossaman, member Arizona House of Representatives Sue Sossaman, chair of Community Member Committee Tom Freestone, Maricopa County Board of Supervisors Ann Marie Jacobson, president of the Chandler Unified School District Governing Board Jim Patterson, mayor of Chandler Hal Schilling, Chandler City manager Ted Perry, superintendent of the Chandler Unified School District Rich Oesterle, assistant city manager of Gilbert Don Skousen, Gilbert Unified School Board Wally Delecki, superintendent of Gilbert Public Schools Barbara Knox, community member Note: These individuals have retired from their positions.

Courtesy of Cindy Barnes, dean of Community Affairs and Maria Hesse, former president, Chandler-Gilbert Community College.

is now vice provost at Arizona State University.

“People at other colleges would laugh.”

Phoenix residents didn’t believe the East Valley would grow as quickly as it did.

“In many ways,” Hesse said, “the establishment of CGCC’s Pecos Campus was a lightning rod of development for the East Valley.”

At the time, Pecos Road was the only paved road going east to west in the East Valley.

Cindy Barnes, now the school’s dean of community affairs, grew up in Gilbert two miles from the site. “The campus was one of the first out here and the community grew up – that’s what helped the enrollment grow,” she said.

The impetus for its establishment came when technological giants Intel and Motorola moved to Chandler and warranted an educated labor force. Mesa Community College was overflowing and couldn’t accommodate more students.

Under the banner of Maricopa Community Colleges, CGCC began in temporary digs in 1985 in a burneddown Chandler girls school where staff would hold meetings at a picnic table outside due to lack of space.

The Pecos Campus, an H-shaped building on 80 acres in the middle of a farm field, opened in 1987. Construction funding of $5.6 million came from a bond the district passed in 1984.

The college didn’t have a marketing budget then, but it didn’t seem to matter. The small communities were connected and growing, and soon the campus enrolled about 1,000 students.

“It was like every year you blinked an eye and there would be some new neighborhood in the area that hadn’t been there before or a new elementary school from one of the school districts,” Hesse recalled.

Following the college’s accreditation, Annette Ward was named founding president. “She was absolutely loved and known in the community,” Barnes said, adding that Ward was an AfricanAmerican female president in a community dominated by farmers and mostly male business leaders. Ward retired in 2002 and moved to Florida, where she still lives.

“Early faculty members set up a culture of engaged student learning, active student learning and serviceoriented learning,” said Interim President William Guerriero.

“There was a very visible service component to our learning – students did volunteer work in a program called service learning. They were also very

committed to collaborative learning in the classrooms and classrooms were set up like meeting rooms,” he said.

In keeping with its role in shaping education according to the community’s (GSN photos courtesy of Chandler-Gilbert Community College) needs, CGCC An aerial view of the Pecos Campus taken in 1987 shows it consisted was in constant of an H-shaped building on 80 acres in the middle of a farm field. dialogue with Construction funding of $5.6 million came from a bond the district the community. passed in 1984.

“They began to identify the key economic trends that they wanted to focus on and that, in turn, those were the programs that the college now offers,” Hesse said. “It’s reflective of the unique blend of businesses and organizations that reside in Chandler, Gilbert and Following the closure of the Williams Air Force Base in 1993, CGCC took Queen Creek. over part of it and created the Williams Campus; it was enhanced in CGCC’s 1994 using bond money. primary role is providing basic courses to students who want to transfer to a four-year institution such as Arizona State University or Northern Arizona University.

But 20 percent of its students are in occupational Today, the Pecos Campus is fully fledged with all the trappings, including and technical programs such the nearly 75,000-square-feet Coyote Center, which blends athletics and as nursing (the academics with enrollment and student services, providing one location for students to complete administrative tasks. program was established in 2005 and has a 600-member waiting and languages. list), aviation maintenance and flight Following the closure of the Williams and law enforcement.

Air Force Base in 1993, CGCC took over Also noteworthy is the dual part of its footprint. enrollment program with high schools, Hesse, who was a teacher then, was whereby students may earn up to 60 pulled off her role and moved to the credits while still in school. Currently, Williams Campus to help take its shape.

5,000 students are enrolled in this SEE PAGE 8 program in math, English composition

PECOS

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October 2017

VETERANS

FROM PAGE 1

months to build.

The park was first announced in 2015.

Rigler said it took time to align the project’s various pieces.

“It took us years to write the land lease and get the land dedicated. The awareness campaign took time to get people to buy into the fact this is what we were going to do,” Rigler said. “We never had one person say, ‘This is a bad idea.’ Everybody has been really jazzed about what we’re doing. But it has taken us longer than expected.”

The Arizona Wall Project is part of the nonprofit Operation Welcome Home, Arizona, which provides welcoming ceremonies for returning veterans.

Five decades ago, returning Vietnam War veterans didn’t get the welcome they deserved.

In fact, they didn’t get a welcome at all.

“The American public didn’t care for the war a whole lot by then,” said Roger Pollard of Gilbert, who served in Vietnam in 1971. “There weren’t a lot of people who were coming over and shaking their hands and saying, ‘You did a good job’ or, ‘You are a patriotic guy.’ I never had anybody come over and shake my hand and say, ‘Welcome home.’”

Skip Erickson of Gilbert served from April 1968 to April 1969 at Phan Rang Air Base as a mechanic in the U.S. Air Force.

“In those days, we seemed to blame the soldier for the war, not the government,” Erickson said.

One of the lucky ones, he was met by his family upon his return. “While there was no big welcome home celebration, I was not as unfortunate as those who were spit on, harassed and called baby killers,” he said.

In 2013, Operation Welcome Home, Arizona began presenting ceremonies in Gilbert in the presence of military personnel and their families. Among them were Cory Remsburg, who served 10 deployments in Iraq and Afghanistan and was seriously injured in 2009; and Vietnam veteran Rick Romley, who lost both his legs to a landmine.

Pollard and his wife, Betsy, attended the often emotional ceremonies.

“We saw many good, positive things.

People were so grateful that this person

Walk of Time

A path of exhibits to recognize those who served in America’s wars from the Revolutionary War through the Korean War. The path continues to the Vietnam War Memorial, the park’s highlight, and then to areas for future exhibits including the Enduring Freedom efforts in Afghanistan and Iraq.

Vietnam War Memorial

An 80 percent scale wall of the memorial at Washington, D.C, with etchings of the names of 58,315 Americans who lost their lives during the war.

Communit

y www.GilbertSunNews.com had served in the military.

Very different from what I had seen and my buddies had experienced many years ago,” Pollard said.

The couple got involved in the nonprofit and began helping plan the ceremonies, which are now held Valleywide.

Pollard, now its vice president, said a permanent park would honor veterans of all wars, not just the Vietnam War. “We would be able to learn from what we did wrong in the past. Make sure we don’t do that same mistake in terms of welcoming home these people today. That’s the heart and soul of what the park is about,” he said.

As important is helping A bird’s-eye rendering of the Welcome Home Veterans Park in Gilbert, which will feature a model of the veterans with their lives. the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington.

“We can’t just say ‘thank you’ and turn around and not do something,” he said. “We need to remarkable opportunity for us to connect “It will be an opportunity for future help them out. That was the basis for this.” the community to our veterans and to generations to learn and reflect on those The park will serve as a place of begin to understand the price of freedom. that preceded them, and hopefully avoid reflection, healing and inspiration to This site will be hallowed ground for every mistakes that were made in this and all veterans, their families and communities. wars,” Erickson said.

American.”

In addition to the Vietnam Veterans Besides pledging the land, which is “Regardless of politics, we need to Memorial, it will feature a Walk of Time, make sure that from now on we teach kids a stone’s throw from the Gilbert Civic with exhibits of past wars starting with the that it’s honorable to serve in the military Center and adjacent to the Gilbert Police Revolutionary War, a pavilion dedicated and Fire administration buildings, the and we honor them and help them and to the consequences of war, a 12-by-4-foot that families make sacrifices,” Pollard said. town plans to build a parking lot, a bus map of Vietnam before the fall of Saigon, pullout on Palm Lane, underground utility “There is no better way to teach youth a walk of tranquility and a building housing gratitude and patriotism than to introduce infrastructure and a directional sign at an education center and a resource center Gilbert Road and Civic Center Drive. them to a veteran,” Gilbert Mayor Jenn where veterans could get direction on how Daniels stated in a release. “Operation SEE PAGE 8 to transfer to civilian life.

Welcome Home Veterans Park is a “Most people don’t understand the whole magnitude of it,” Rigler said. “It’s massive.”

Upcoming Events: Registration at 7 a.m. and tee-off at 8:30 Erickson said as veterans age and Tuesday, Oct. 24: Operation a.m. financial concerns arise, they won’t be able Welcome Home for Korean War Saturday, Feb. 24: Party for the Park, to make the trip to Washington to see the Veterans. 1110 N. Cooper Road, Gilbert. a 1960s-themed evening with dinner and original wall.

Korean War veterans are encouraged to dancing at Chandler Air Service Hangar, “I believe this park will become a email Lisa Rigler at info@owhaz.org or 1675 E. Ryan Road, Chandler. Fundraiser. destination for many, many folks on the call 480-400-9349 by Oct. 10.

Details: Operation Welcome Home, West Coast, certainly everyone in Arizona,” Saturday, Nov. 4: Fundraising golf 1760 E. Pecos Road, Suite 344, Gilbert or he said. tournament at Arizona Biltmore Golf operationwelcomehomeaz.com.

Another aspect of the monument is its Club, 2400 E. Missouri Avenue, Phoenix. educational value for the young.

VETERANS

Pavilion dedicated to the community

Designated for the Vietnamese community, which numbers about 40,000 in Arizona, the pavilion will feature a 12-by-4-foot granite map of South Vietnam before the fall of Saigon. Those who fought and/or lived in South Vietnam will be able to locate their post of duty/ homeland.

Consequences of war

Agent Orange, post-traumatic stress disorder and toxic exposures are three of the disastrous results that combat had

on those who fought. The pavilion will contain educational material on these and other issues.

Walk of Tranquility

With floral plants, trees and benches, this area will be a place for quiet contemplation. The serenity can be internalized and help in the healing process.

Grand Rotunda

A rotunda at the park’s center will house an 8-foot replica of the Battle Cross.

An American bald eagle in flight will form

a protective shadow on this symbol of a fallen solder.

Education Center and Veteran’s Services Building

The organization will partner with local, state and federal veteran programs to establish a resource center for veterans to obtain help in areas such as care giving, transportation and employment.

The building will also house a museum for memorabilia; theater that will screen films on military service, patriotism and public service; space for large events and workshops in a classroom setting.

Community

www.GilbertSunNews.com

SUPERINTENDENT FROM PAGE 1

19 years – as a fourth-grade teacher, sixth-grade teacher, assistant principal of Gilbert High School, principal of Houston Elementary, director of Community Education, executive director of Human Resources and assistant superintendent – left the district for Mesa Public Schools in 2014.

“As I moved through the system, I truly understood what GPS was all about. It was all about the people. It was all of you sitting here,” he said during a community forum for the four finalists held recently at Campo Verde High School.

“Gilbert Public Schools has gone through some rough times. I was here; I understand that. I think a lot of healing has gone on, and I’m ready to be here to help lead this district to the next level,” he added.

Following the forum, the GPS Governing Board voted 5-0 to offer McCord the job.

Steve Highlen of Arizona School Board Association assisted the district in the search to replace former superintendent Christina Kishimoto, who took the position of Hawaii’s superintendent of schools.

The district received nearly 30 applications for the position.

The other finalists were Anna Battle, assistant superintendent of the Tempe Union High School District; Steve Chestnut, superintendent of Maricopa Unified School District; and Shannon Goodsell, superintendent of schools, Casa Grande Union High School District.

Earlier, the candidates responded to questions submitted by the public on key topics including student retention, staff recognition, improving academics, community involvement and extracurricular activities.

“Why people choose to leave? It’s because there’s competition and we need to figure that out,” said McCord, answering a question regarding student and teacher retention.

“Do I have the magic bullet for that?

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No. But what I do know is that it starts with the relationships that we make in our classrooms and in our communities,” he said.

“Gilbert Public Schools is an easy sell. We’ve just got to sell it ourselves,” Goodsell said, answering the same question. “This school district is one of the crown jewels for the state of Arizona.

When people look for the models of school districts, they look toward this model.”

Battle, who had applied for the top position at Tempe Union and wasn’t chosen, said she is “battle tested, so to speak.”

“I would say that given the experience, both the positive and the challenges, I have what Gilbert schools can use so that we can serve our kids, we can increase student enrollment,” she said. “We can defeat and be proactive about defeating negative public opinion and that we can accelerate our learning and continue, I say continue, to be one of the best districts in Arizona as well as in the county.

“And I wouldn’t say it if I didn’t mean it,” she added.

McCord lives in Gilbert with his wife, Kristin, a teacher at Finley Farms Elementary. His two sons are following in his footsteps: The elder is studying at University of Arizona and plans to be in secondary math education, while the younger is at Northern Arizona University studying elementary education.

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(From left) Shane McCord, assistant superintendent of Mesa Public Schools; Shannon Goodsell, superintendent of schools, Casa Grande Union High School District; Steve Chestnut, superintendent of Maricopa Unified School District; and Anna Battle, assistant superintendent, Tempe Union High School District, at the community forum held at Campo Verde High School in Gilbert recently.

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Community

October 2017

VETERANS

PECOS FROM PAGE 5

FROM PAGE 6

The town, however, will not maintain the site; those duties fall to the nonprofit.

Daniels was instrumental in starting the simple welcome home ceremonies in 2010 in the town. After establishing itself as a nonprofit, Operation Welcome Home Arizona formally took over the ceremonies and began growing the program in the Valley. Its other achievements are raising funds to establish the 911 memorial in Gilbert, organizing the nationwide Military Appreciation Month in East Valley schools during May, and accepting a commemorative partnership with the Department of Defense to mark the 50th anniversary of the Vietnam War from 2015-17.

Under that partnership, the nonprofit brought the traveling Vietnam War memorial to Prescott, which attracted more than 10,000 people. It used the funds raised there to kick-start the current wall project.

“We knew we wanted something permanent when we saw 10,000 people there; it was an incredible experience for the committee who went up there,” Rigler said.

Today, the nonprofit is headed by an eight-member board and has about 60 active volunteers. Senator McCain, also a Vietnam veteran, is an honorary chair together with Romley and Remsburg.

There are 10 Vietnamese volunteers providing their leadership as well.

Several fundraisers have been held around Arizona and more are being planned. Recently, the Vietnamese community raised $30,000 from a fashion show.

Rigler, who puts in more than 40 hours a week toward the project, said she feels a “gravitational pull” to tell the story of Vietnam veterans.

“They were spat on. They had to throw their uniforms away. They have the highest suicide rate. At least 22 veterans commit suicide each day and most of them are Vietnamese veterans because they haven’t told their stories and they just kept them inside,” she said. “Now they are getting up to their 70s and their children have moved out and they are retired.”

The consequences of war are awful and it’s important that the public understands it, Rigler said. The military must be treated well, she added.

“These people are protecting our freedoms each and every day. And yet, if we don’t turn it around now and welcome home our veterans, it’s going to be a repeat of Vietnam,” Rigler said. “We’re just going to go back to just spitting on our veterans.

We can’t do that. We can’t let that happen again, ever.”

In 1994, the district passed another bond and provided $31 million to expand the Pecos campus as well as enhance the Williams Campus and also develop the Sun Lakes Education Center.

“It was an exciting moment for the college,” Hesse said.

During the course of working for the college, Hesse pursued a doctoral degree.

“At the time there was a slowing down in the nation of community colleges. It seemed to me a good topic for me to focus on because I was afraid that the history would be lost,” she said.

Hesse’s dissertation, which contained interviews with everyone pivotal to the college’s history and its unique differences, was placed in the national literature for higher education.

In 2000, the enrollment was just more than 6,000, which was a 76 percent increase over five years earlier.

Guerriero said another milestone followed the 2004 countywide bond election, which infused $83 million into the expansion and construction of new facilities for the college “to blossom and come into its own.”

Today, the college looks back at its many achievements during its 25 years, including granting 22,000 degrees and certificates and serving 168,500

www.GilbertSunNews.com students.

The current enrollment of 20,000 is drawn from across the Valley and Pinal County, and the college features full-fledged campuses in Chandler and Mesa and a location in Communiversity in Queen Creek.

The commitment to adapt its programs to the community’s needs continues and among them is a partnership with University of North Dakota to train about 200 international pilots each year.

Guerriero sees the college spreading its wings further to serve the community. Although more bond funding is not envisaged in the near future, there is still capacity to expand.

He foresees increases in programs for young, working adults, who usually attend classes at night. New offerings include emerging areas such as cybersecurity and unmanned aerial systems, i.e. drones.

It’s also emerging as a Hispanicserving institution, which is a federal designation when enrollment surpasses 25 percent Hispanic enrollment.

“What we’re seeing in Chandler is we’re a destination for students as they graduate from high school. They’re the first in their families to attend college,” Guerriero said. “That’s a change we see as our college is becoming more diverse and as our communities are becoming more diverse.”

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October 2017

www.GilbertSunNews.com

Copper Springs Retirement Community

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10

Community

October 2017

www.GilbertSunNews.com

Second parking structure for Heritage District moves ahead

BY ALEXIS POTTER

The Gilbert Town Council voted 5-2 recently to approve a contract with Tempe-based Okland Construction Company Inc. to plan the new parking structure to be built in downtown Gilbert.

The contract ensures that the total amount for the pre-construction services done by Okland Construction will not exceed $128,980.

The structure, which some council members referred to as the “Garage Mahal,” will be the second parking garage in the Heritage District. It will be located on Vaughn Avenue east of Gilbert Road, behind where Culinary Dropout and Outrageous Homebrewer’s Social Outpost (OHSO) will be located.

Construction is scheduled to begin in January and be completed by March 2019. The structure is expected to be five stories, include up to 600 parking spaces and cost around $18.5 million, adding to the more than 2,000 parking spaces already existing in the downtown area.

The first parking structure built in the Heritage District, on Vaughn Avenue west of Gilbert Road, opened in 2014, is four stories and includes 364 spaces.

As the downtown area expands,

supporters of the parking garage have said more parking is needed to accommodate for the increased number of businesses and traffic.

Brian Bergeson, owner of Bergie’s Coffee Roast House nearby, said he had hoped the parking structure would be further south, closer to Elliot Road, “so that people would park down there and walk by all of these businesses.”

However, Bergeson also said that as the downtown area continues to grow, he thinks there might eventually be a parking structure over there as well.

Numerous dining options have opened in Downtown Gilbert within the last two years, including Clever Koi, Even Stevens, Grubstak, Nico Heirloom Kitchen and Sushi Brokers.

Additionally, even more restaurants are scheduled to join the downtown area soon, including The Brass Tap Craft Beer Bar, Culinary Dropout at The Yard and OHSO. Vice Mayor Victor Petersen, who along with Councilman Jared L. Taylor voted against the pre-construction contract, said the restaurants in downtown Gilbert who will benefit from the structure should contribute to paying for it.

Gilbert’s first parking structure opened in 2014 in the Heritage District, on Vaughn Avenue west of Gilbert Road, and is four stories tall and includes 364 spaces.

“I’ve made my objections known,” said Petersen, “I believe that growth should pay for growth.”

Petersen has said before he believes too much taxpayer money is being invested in the downtown area without any report that it will benefit taxpayers in the long run.

Gilbert resident Davyn Matte, who

attended the town council meeting, said she believes the location of the new garage will be convenient for people dining in downtown Gilbert.

“It always seems really busy, even when you just drive through downtown,” Matte said, “so I’m sure they really need the parking.”

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October 2017

www.GilbertSunNews.com

Shivani Dallas

Mary Markou

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12

Community

October 2017

Candidate packets available

Gilbert will hold a Primary Election on August 28 to elect four councilmembers. A General Election will be held on November 6, 2018, if needed.

Candidate packets are available at the Town Clerk’s Office, 50 E. Civic Center Drive from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Thursday.

Appointments are not required, but are available upon request. Nomination papers may be filed with the clerk no earlier than April 30 and no later than May 30.

For more details, contact Lisa Maxwell, town clerk at 480-503-6861.

Youth ambassadors

Gilbert Sister Cities is looking for applications for its youth ambassadors program.

Interested students can attend informational meetings with this year’s youth ambassadors at Gilbert high schools before the December 1 deadline. Details: gilbertsistercities. com.

DEBx

Photographer Elaine Kessler of Gilbert is one of 15 speakers at the

www.GilbertSunNews.com

Gilbert Community Briefs inaugural DEBx to be held 7-10 p.m.

Tuesday, Oct. 17 at the Tempe Center for the Arts. Doors open at 6:30 p.m.

DEBx was created by professional speaker advisor Deb Shapiro with an aim toward sharing talks that have a positive impact on communities and around the world.

Tickets are $30 plus a service charge. tca.ticketforce.com/debx. (Use code ELAI to unlock the tickets.)

Survey on sign code

The Gilbert Chamber of Commerce is partnering with the town of Gilbert to collect feedback about the Revised Sign Code. Those who have a business located within the town limits, may access the survey at surveymonkey. com/r/GilbertSignCode_Oct2017.

It will be available until October 22.

For more information about the survey, contact Catherine Lorbeer, principal planner with the town at Catherine.Lorbeer@Gilbertaz.gov or 480-503-6016.

Fine art award

Gilbert Visual Art League is inviting qualified Gilbert high school juniors and seniors to apply for the annual Student Fine Art Award. Its purpose is

to provide recognition, encouragement and a monetary award to young artists who have demonstrated strong interests in pursuing education in the visual fine arts.

The $250 award is given to the most qualified applicant and the recipient will be invited to exhibit his/her art in the GVAL Annual Juried Fine Arts Show in March. Details: gval.org

Fall festival

Gilbert Christian School’s Greenfield Campus at 4341 S. Greenfield Road is holding its inaugural Fall Festival from 5-8 p.m. on October 28. It features carnival games, inflatables, a cake walk, pumpkin painting and food trucks.

Details: Write to Julie.Conover@gcsaz. org.

Car show

Covenant Hot Rod Association is organizing its second annual Desert Harvest Car Show 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on October 28 at Valor Christian Center, 3015 E. Warner Road, Gilbert.

Street rods, sports cars, custom cars, rat rods, muscle cars, classics and competition cars are among those welcome to display. Gilbert Mayor Jenn Daniels is slated to present a “Mayor’s

Trophy” to the car of her choice.

Registration is from 7:30 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. and a t-shirt, goody bag, dash plaque are included. Early registration fee is $20. All registration fees will be donated to Soldier’s Best Friend, a nonprofit that trains rescues to be rehabilitation dogs for veterans.

Details: covenanthotrod.com.

Trunk or treat

AZ Ice Gilbert is holding its annual Trunk or Treat from 6 to 9 p.m. Oct 27 featuring music, food, ice skating, games and candy. Entrance is free and participants may display their decorated trunks.

Details: azice.com/gilbert.

Science courses at Leading Edge

Leading Edge Academy Gilbert Early College has added two new science courses for students: marine biology, available as a science elective for high school sophomores, juniors and seniors, and robotics, a science elective for middle school students.

The high point of the Marine Biology course is a 10-day study trip

SEE

BRIEFS PAGE 15

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October 2017

Community

www.GilbertSunNews.com

Bears Ears exhibit offers images of sacred land

BY MELODY BIRKETT

“The Bears Ears not only about the Country: Seeking boundaries of Bears Ears, Common Ground on but about the public Sacred Land” exhibition land use in seven other by photographer Stephen counties,” Strom said.

Strom is at Gallery 4 “Bishop had proposed in Gilbert Historical setting aside 1.35 million Museum. acres as a pair of national The gallery, belonging conservation areas to Art Intersection around Bears Ears. The (Copyright photos by Stephen Strom) owned by Alan Fitzgerald, View of Bears Ears from Six Shooter Peaks near Dugout Ranch, on the Indian Creek/Canyonlands National Park to the north. tribes had proposed is reserved for social, 1.9 million acres. After environmental and consulting with the Utah cultural conversations. delegation as well as with recommendation shows a huge the process of designating national The monument of Bears Ears sits at the tribes, the Obama administration disregard for sovereign tribes with monuments faster as opposed to the heart of the Colorado Plateau in came up with a national monument ancestral connections. relying on Congress. southern Utah. The area was a gathering declaration that skewed very closely to “The Bears Ears are pretty significant Since the act was passed, many U.S. place for Strom’s family for years. the congressman’s boundaries for the because there are literally thousands presidents have set aside federal lands, A retired astronomer, he is working National Conservation Area.” of archaeological sites located in that usually when they’ve been threatened. on two books on Bears Ears: the first Fitzgerald said that most people area,” said Thomas Hulen, program In the case of Bears Ears, Hulen said, is a visual journey of the landscape don’t know about the controversy coordinator at the Gilbert Historical “mining could destroy a big part of the and the second is on the history of the surrounding Bears Ears. “So, the value Museum. region. battle over Bears Ears, told through In addition to the tribes, others “Open-pit mines quite often actually and importance of bringing it to the the voices of 20 Native Americans, public and having this conversation enjoy Bears Ears for its beauty. “There’s deplete the water table somewhat…If Mormons, lawmakers, commissioners, begin, the value is very high,” he said. hiking, hunting, camping, all kinds of you want to preserve this area at Bears environmentalists and businesspeople “We don’t want to make a mistake recreational value to that area,” he said. Ears for all times, it’s necessary for the – a broad spectrum of those involved in here because we don’t get to redo an “The concern is, if it became a mine president to step in,” he said. protecting the monument. open-pit mine….So I think these are or a series of mines, it would destroy Hulen admits, though, there aren’t Bears Ears is under threat of valuable conversations.

It would be a the character of that whole area,” said many people who share his views in rescission by the federal government. success from an exhibition perspective Hulen, adding that his opinion does not wanting to protect Bears Ears because The Trump administration is considering necessarily represent the views of the if people came in and some of them they look at federal land as potential scaling back the 1.35 million acres to changed their mind” due to being museum. revenue for mining companies or local 160,000 acres and using some of the better informed, he added.

“Once you infect the land, once you economies. lands for mining.

In the past, Gallery 4 has presented open up that mine, you can not go back.

“So a lot of locals think it’d be a The recommendation by Interior exhibits on Saint Anthony’s, a Greek It’ll never be the same. Even if you stop threat to the economic development to Secretary Ryan Zinke has several mining and tried to restore it, it’d never that area,” Hulen said.

Native American tribes upset because be intact. The other part is there’d be Strom’s interest in photographing SEE PAGE 15 they say the area is sacred and the the necessary destruction of lots of Bears Ears

SACRED

Aerial view of Bears Ears from near Salt Creek Mesa.

archeological resources…

Once it’s gone it’s gone,” he said.

The idea of creating national monuments originated in 1906 with President Theodore Roosevelt.

At that time, Congress passed the Antiquities Act, which made it possible for presidents to designate national monuments.

Hulen said the goal was to make

came after his wife of 54 years passed away. His family decided fighting for greater canyonlands would be an appropriate celebration of life.

“During 2013 and 2016, there was an effort led by Congressman Robert Bishop of Utah, chair of the House Natural Resources Committee, to have a stakeholderdriven process come to some compromise,

Aerial view of Valley of the Gods at Bears Ears.

Community

www.GilbertSunNews.com

BRIEFS

SACRED

FROM PAGE 12

in February to St. Ann’s Bay, Jamaica, the site of the Wilson Seaside Marine Biology Laboratory. Students will study oceanography, marine biology, ecology, and the history of Jamaica through real-life experience: hiking the rainforest on an ethno-botany expedition, snorkeling in the crystal clear water surrounding the pristine coral reef, charting a voyage using only the sun, horizon, and sextant and trekking through the Blue Mountains, famous for producing Jamaica Blue coffee. The students will also volunteer at St. Ann’s Infirmary.

With the help of Lego Mindstorms EV3 kits, student teams will be introduced to robotics engineering and programming and create their own robot. The course uses curriculum developed by Carnegie Mellon University and is designed specifically to spark interest in the subject.

Details: leadingedgeacademy.com.

Halloween with pets

Val Vista Animal Hospital invites families and their pets to attend its “Open House Spooktacular” from 3-5 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 21. It will feature refreshments, raffles, games, giveaways, a pet Halloween costume contest, dog kissing booth (by donation), pet paw

prints, pet/family photos and face painting. The hospital is at 747 N. Val Vista Drive. Details: 480-539-7999 or valvistaanimalhospital.

Barktoberfest

The AZ Friends for Life Animal Rescue presents Barktoberfest 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. on October 14 at Gilbert Civic Center, 50 E. Civic Center Drive.

The carnival features a dog parade, food trucks, arts and crafts and dog washing and raises funds to help the community’s homeless dog and cat population.

Details: azfriends.org.

Art of the Old Masters

Gilbert residents Karen Schmeiser and Marsha Gilliam are presenting an art workshop on the style of the Old Masters 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

November 6-10 at Schmeiser’s Gilbert residence. The Art of the Masters Workshop follows step-by-step art instruction in the teaching style of maestro Frank Covino, now deceased.

The cost for the workshop is $489.

Details: email marshagilliam@ hotmail.com.

UPGRADE

TO A

October 2017

FROM PAGE 14

Orthodox monastery in Florence; a conversation about immigration via objects that were left behind by immigrants that were being repatriated to Mexico and South America; the Holocaust, homeless men and civil rights.

As a curator of such exhibits, Fitzgerald keeps his eyes open for topics that interest many people.

“Part of our mission statement is to generate conversation,” he said. “And if we can generate the conversation about national monuments, the value they have, the conflict they have, the commercial entities like mining…then we can make the right decisions.”

The current exhibition offers many intricate landscape visuals of Bears Ears.

When photographing, Strom said, he responds to patterns, both abstract and mathematical, as a scientist.

“I think that transfers to my visual sense,” he said. “I think what attracts me to any landscape, in general, are a series of either grammatical or sculptural pattern.

“I might notice as well … superimposed broader patterns, finer patterns brought by foliage or petals traveling with the landscape. Something like that reminds the reader to hammer themselves to see those patterns on

The Bears Ears Exhibit runs through October 28 at the Gilbert Historical Museum, 10 S. Gilbert Road. There’s a $5 charge, but that includes admission to other exhibits. The museum is open 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesday to Saturday.

Lecture on Bears Ears: 6-8 p.m.

Tuesday, Oct. 10.

Closing reception: 4-6 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 28.

Details: 480-361-1118 or theartgallery4. com/portfolio/bears-ears-countryseeking-common-ground-on-sacredland/.

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very different scales,” he added.

Many of the photographs contain a lot of sky. “I wanted to also give people some relatable introduction to the landscape,” he said.

“Many of the images, particularly the abstract images in the sandstone or the aerial images of the ground, were so abstract that it’s difficult for somebody to immediately relate. So the ground-based images, in particular, were taken with the realization that I’d have to draw people into the landscape through somewhat more conventional presentations.”

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Community

October 2017

www.GilbertSunNews.com

Grassroots drug abuse help program launched in Chandler STORY AND PHOTO BY SRIANTHI PERERA

A grassroots pilot program to cope with drug abuse/treatment launched in Chandler recently could be easily replicated in Gilbert or any other city, volunteers said.

The Chandler IAM Project helps with counseling and treatment to provide hope, treatment, support and resources.

Every Tuesday from 1 to 5 p.m. at Chandler Presbyterian Church, volunteers from the program are available to assess those who seek treatment and refer them to the program’s partners. Medical insurance, although helpful, isn’t mandatory to participate.

Among the treatment partners of a burgeoning list are Addiction Haven of Chandler; Valley Hope, based in Chandler and Tempe; Awakening Recovery Center of Tempe and Calvary Healing Center of Phoenix.

“It’s neat to have the different components of the community involved,” said the Reverend Mike Japenga of Chandler Presbyterian Church, himself a recovering addict and a licensed substance abuse counselor with 15 years of experience.

Japenga, Mariah Hile, business development manager of Aurora Behavioral Health Systems and Jason Hutchings, executive director of Awakening Recovery Center provide the free assessments, treatment recommendations and other

appropriate help to begin a path to recovery.

“The intent and hope for Chandler IAM project is to provide a safe, nonjudgmental place where community members, despite their background and financial status, they will be treated with compassion, respect and they’ll receive an evaluation and proper placement into appropriate treatment for opiates and opioids,” said Ted Huntington, community programs manager of Chandler Coalition Against Youth Substance Abuse.

Huntington was speaking during the program’s ribbon cutting at the church recently, which was followed by a candlelight vigil organized by Addiction Haven in honor of those lost to overdoses.

If the nonprofit program is successful, organizers said they plan to offer the model to other entities in the East Valley.

The Chandler IAM Project is named for 25-year-old Adam Melle of Gilbert, who died of an overdose in February 2016. Melle’s father, Randy, learned of the program after his son’s death and joined the cause following attendance at many of its meetings.

“Through Adam’s drug addiction and through all the problems that our family faced, another door was open and it was a chance for me and my family to help other people who

experience the same problems and nightmares that we went through,” said Melle, who is the designated treasurer and involved in fundraising.

Dale Walters, assistant chief of Chandler Police Department said that he met with families on almost a weekly basis: “Desperate parents that were out of options on how to deal with their children.

“They didn’t know what else to do,” he said. “They wanted to get them help. They didn’t have insurance; the kids were out of control. The kids wanted help but they didn’t know where to go.

“Seeing that day in and day out is overwhelmingly depressing for any law enforcement officer because we are an organization of fixers – we try Randy Melle of Gilbert, whose son Adam died of a drug overdose last year, speaks about the loss of to fix stuff,” he added. his son during the recent opening of the Chandler Walters said the Chandler Police IAM Project at Chandler Presbyterian Church.

Department often partners with the community to overcome its challenges and this is one such opportunity. met a year and a half ago and began “I realized early on this is not a identifying ways to deal with the problem we are going to be able to epidemic within the community. arrest our way out of,” he said. “We “It took the village to come up with have to find a solution. The most a solution on how to address those holistic approach is a grassroots buildup issues,” Walters said. “It’s been a long where everybody gets involved.” time coming.”

The project began when Chandler Police Chief Sean Duggan, Ed Upshaw, Chandler Heights Substation Details: chandleriamproject.com. commander, and CCYSA officials

The Gilbert Art Walk thrives over the years

BY MELODY BIRKETT

The weather is cooling off. Fall is in the air. Now is a good time to enjoy some outdoor fun, via the Gilbert Art Walk at the Water Tower Plaza, in downtown Gilbert.

The family-and pet-friendly art walk is kicking off its sixth season on Saturday, Oct. 7 and runs through midMarch. This year, it showcases nearly 50 artists.

“We have a large array of art mediums such as jewelry, painting, ceramic, woodworking, photography and much more,” said Cherie Montgomery, owner/coordinator of the art walk.

“The event is a juried event, so each vendor is handpicked to participate,” said Montgomery, who has organized it for six years. “Approval is based on quality of work, uniqueness, display

quality and overall fit with the community we have created.”

The art walk mainly consists of local artists and crafters and sometimes traveling artists that stay for a short time. A band plays, too.

There aren’t any significant changes this year other than a few artists participating for the first time.

The event is so popular, it’s sold out every year, Montgomery said.

“On average we have 1,500 to 2,000 visitors per morning with more near the holidays. Our visitors love that we have the friendliest vendors,” she said.

“There are currently no plans to expand because we really enjoy our location under the water tower. People know where to find us, and it’s a beautiful SEE

ART WALK PAGE 17

(Special to GSN)

When the weather is balmy, crowds flock to the Gilbert Art Walk, held under the Water Tower Plaza in downtown Gilbert. A new session begins Oct. 7.

Community

www.GilbertSunNews.com

ART WALK

FROM PAGE 16

setting.”

Vendors still have plenty of time to submit an application. There’s no official deadline, but typically it’s good to submit applications at least a week before the art walk.

The cost to be a vendor depends on how much space is needed; and three different types of space are available.

“The first thing that sets us apart is that we make it available for the artists to stay in the same space,” Montgomery said. “It doesn’t cost any more or less, but they’re able to stay at the same location.”

Even though it’s not a town event and is owned privately, the town of Gilbert supports the art walk.

“Since we are located in a park, we adhere to rules and regulations set by the Town of Gilbert Parks and Recreation Department. The Town of Gilbert has always been very supportive of us,” said Montgomery, who is a vendor herself and sells jewelry and T-shirts.

“Out of all the art shows that we do, this one is the most customer based,” Montgomery said. “It’s kind of like the artists have their store front through the Gilbert Art Walk” with a very loyal following of customers.

“I have people from Canada who come see me every year,” she added.

“So they’re winter visitors. There are people who come to buy my stuff year after year after year because it’s something new; they like to support locals. We have a lot of support from the community for our local artists.”

Vendors are required to follow a strict set of rules, but it’s all about keeping the event family friendly.

“They have to follow rules where there’s no graphic, no porn, no gore, no foul language; it definitely has to be family-friendly,” Montgomery said.

“I would come and set up even if I sold nothing because it’s such a good environment,” she added. .

The Gilbert Art Walk runs from 9 a.m. until 1 p.m. October 7 through March 17 on the first and third Saturdays of the month (additional dates/changes in November and December). Water Tower Plaza is at 45 W. Page Ave, Gilbert. Admission and parking are free. The deadline to be a vendor is generally one week before the event.

Details: gilbertartwalk.com.

October 2017

Fulton Homes runs flag campaign

17

BY GSN STAFF

For the fifth consecutive year, Tempe-based Fulton Homes is showing its appreciation for America’s veterans by encouraging everyone in the Valley to display the American flag on Veterans Day, and at the same time benefit the Wounded Warriors Project.

The homebuilder has partnered with 100.7 KSLX for the “Fly the Flag for Veterans Day” campaign. Through Nov. 11, anyone who visits Fulton Homes’ new communities and tours a model home can make a donation of $10 and receive a full-size American flag kit.

Fulton Homes will then match any $10 donation offered, up to a maximum of $25,000. One-hundred percent of donations will go to the Wounded Warriors Project. Only cash and checks will be accepted. The flag offer continues through Veterans Day. “Fulton Homes honors all of our military personnel who defend our country and protect our freedoms,” said Doug Fulton, Fulton Homes CEO. “Displaying our flag on Veteran’s Day is a way we can honor and support our

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troops and show our gratitude, and the donations collected will support those who have been wounded while in service. We are indebted to our veterans and their families for the sacrifices they make to keep us all safer.”

The Wounded Warrior Project empowers and raises awareness of the needs of injured service members.

Details: fultonhomes.com.

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October 2017

Community

www.GilbertSunNews.com

Cancer grounds Gilbert DJ/traffic reporter

BY MELODY BIRKETT

Cancer has silenced traffic reporter and on-air personality Jason Christopher of Gilbert.

The 46-year-old man’s voice has not been heard on Valley airwaves since July 5, when he was diagnosed with stage 4 brain cancer known as glioblastoma, the same type ailing Sen. John McCain.

Christopher started showing symptoms on June 16, when he and his wife, Kerri Tillwach, were DJs at a wedding through their business, Muscleman Music.

She said Christopher ended up hurting his shoulder, or so they thought, and was fatigued and overheated.

Days later, Christopher’s shoulder continued to bother him so he went to the doctor who figured he pulled a nerve and ordered a foot X-ray.

After that, his condition worsened.

“But he didn’t seem as concerned about it as I did and that’s not normal for him,” said Tillwach. “And then he started sleeping a lot, taking a lot of naps. So then, finally, I brought him to the emergency room at Mercy hospital.”

Again, Christopher was diagnosed with a pulled nerve in his shoulder.

Tillwach wasn’t convinced. Although her husband’s speech was fine, the left side of his body started to not function including his left leg. She asked for a CT scan but doctors never prescribed one.

“They refused,” said Tillwach. “They sent him home and a couple days later he was in a minor car accident because he had a seizure.”

A police officer called and asked if Christopher was under the influence.

“I told the officer to put him in an ambulance and not let him drive home because strange things are happening,” Tillwach said.

Doctors at the hospital asked the same question, if Christopher was under the influence and also asked if he might have hit his head in the crash due to having a seizure.

“And I said, ‘he needs a scan because something is going on,’” said Tillwach.

“And as soon as they put him in for a CT scan, they found the tumor.”

A surgery was able to remove about 85 percent of the tumor. It was stage 4 of Glioblastoma.

Tillwach said her initial thoughts were that “it was just a bad dream.

He’s such a health nut, works out four or five days a week, took a lot of vitamin supplements, likes preventative measures for anything.”

“He always worried about foods on the dirty list. Always tried to do things to prevent any kind of cancer because he had friends who have had different

issues with cancer so he never wanted to be that person,” she added.

More inoperable cancer cells were found in the brain tissue, so Christopher started chemotherapy and radiation treatment in August.

“Unfortunately, he has lost his voice so he can only whisper right now,” said Tillwach.

“He’s alert and he knows what he’s going through. He’s showing signs of short-term memory loss, but he recognizes everybody.

When he’s awake we have conversations but he does sleep a lot.”

Christopher has been a Valley fixture for more than 20 years after working for radio stations in Flagstaff and Roswell, New Mexico.

In Phoenix, Christopher started as an evening disc jockey at Valley country radio station 102.5 KNIX. (Special to GSN) He later moved to Jason Christopher, wife Kerri Tillwach and their two children, Jake and Kenzie, during a recent vacation. mornings as a producer and sidekick for the same station. our lives was for our kids. It took a long this happen to this person?’” Trella said.

After that, he transitioned into “It’s really heartbreaking and hurtful. time to get our kids here. We were giving traffic reports for a cluster of The best thing myself and all of his both in our 30s when we got married iHeartMedia stations, helping Valley friends can do is pray for him and so family was first and foremost for us. drivers get to and from work. support he and his family as best we Every waking minute we spent with the Christopher also has done numerous can.” kids and us as a family.” commercials, interviewed celebrities at The family has set up an account on The couple has a son, Jake, 11, and a the Academy of Country Music Awards gofundme.com account in the name of daughter, Kenzi, 9. Tillwach has tried to in 2010 and also worked a fight night Jason Christopher. explain to them what’s going on. event featuring Evander Holyfield.

“The biggest struggle with this type “I’ve explained to them what cancer “A lot of people knew his name. I is, I’ve explained that it’s in his brain and of cancer that he has is that he can’t knew his name before I personally met work,” said Henderson. “He’s lost a that he’s been sick, and there are going and started dating him,” said Tillwach. tremendous amount of income.” be good days and bad days and right Vicki Fiorelli, former KNIX director The family is living off their savings now we’re seeing a lot of the bad days of marketing and promotions, said and donations. and we just have to have faith and be Christopher “regularly volunteered his “This is such a heinous disease and hopeful for good things to come.” time and always put the KNIX listener it can be just all consuming, not just Traffic anchor Bill Henderson, who first, interacting with fans. worked alongside Christopher for many emotionally but financially,” said Trella.

“He was one of the first on-air “To cure this thing, it isn’t cheap. Health years, said, “Jason is what guys would personalities who teamed up with the insurance of any kind doesn’t cover all say is a great dude. He’s a family man, teacher of the week promotion, visiting committed to his wife, committed to the cost to try and fight this disease.”

Valley schools, recognizing teachers for Trella said even $5 or $10 will help, his kids.” their hard work and dedication,” she adding, “Even if you don’t know him Traffic anchor Steve Trella, who has added. personally when he comes through the known Christopher for almost 15 years, Christopher and Tillwach have been radio, he’s like that helpful friend. These echoed Henderson’s description. married more than 13 years. are very sweet and beautiful people.”

And he feels helpless.

“He’s just that guy everyone loves “When something like this happens, to be around,” said Tillwach. “He loves it shakes you to your personal core his kids. Everything we worked for in because you start asking ‘How could

Community

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New head at Dignity Health

October 2017

19

AWGA Golf Lesson Program for Women Arizona Golf Resort 425 South Power Road Mesa, AZ 85206

BY GSN CONTRIBUTOR

Mark Slyter has been named president and chief executive officer for Dignity Health Chandler Regional and Mercy Gilbert Medical Centers.

Slyter joins Dignity Health with more than 20 years of health care leadership experience leading teams and engaging stakeholders to deliver top performing results in quality, patient experience, employee engagement and physician satisfaction.

Prior to his arrival in the East Valley, Slyter served as president and chief executive officer for General Health System in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, a three-hospital organization and one of Louisiana’s largest health care systems.

While at General Health System, Slyter led teams to improve access to care, patient experience and operating margin while greatly reducing the number of preventable hospitalizations and emergency department visits. Under his leadership, General Health System

achieved the highest patient safety ratings in Baton Rouge.

Before joining General Health System, Slyter served as president and chief executive officer for Mississippi Baptist Health Systems, a four-hospital system.

“I’m excited to join the talented team of Dignity Mark Slyter Health and further its mission of advancing the healing ministry and delivering compassionate, high-quality health care,” Slyter said.

“Mark’s expertise, talent and skills are a perfect match for the East Valley’s growing services, commitment to excellence, and culture of kindness,” said Linda Hunt, senior operations officer for Dignity Health in Arizona. “On behalf of Dignity Health, we look forward to Mark leading Chandler Regional and Mercy

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Gilbert’s strong reputation for patient care and service to the community.”

Slyter received his undergraduate degree in exercise science and his master’s degree in health services administration from the University of Kansas. Last year, he obtained a doctorate of science in health services administration from the University of Alabama at Birmingham.

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Community

October 2017

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Agritopia events at the farm

KITCHEN & BATH REMODELS

KITCHEN & BATH REMODEL – FLOORING COUNTER TOPS & MORE

The Farm at Agritopia is celebrating its 90th anniversary with events in October and November.

October 7: Date Trail; pick up a map and check out the delicious places to try the farm’s dates.

10 a.m. October 11: Kids Art Class with Freckled Canvas in the Farm Store.

5:30 p.m. Gilbert Historical Society presents talk on Gilbert’s history including the farm’s establishment at Final Assembly event space in Barnone.

October 14: Agritopians Day is set aside for residents of Agritopia to learn about upcoming features and enjoy the farm.

5-8 p.m. October 18: First Wednesday Farmer’s Market at the Farm Store with Proof Bread, baking store in Chandler.

6 p.m. Free class with Greg Peterson from Urban Farm at Final Assembly event space in Barnone.

2 p.m. October 20: Outstanding in the Field, an open air feast.

6 p.m. Adult art class with iconic cocktail and Freckled Canvas in the Farm Store.

October 21: Kids Day; vendors directed to kids, such as Mini-Fresh baby food, Wil + Frida, Olivia + Ocean child swimwear and Alice & Ames children’s wear. Child Crisis Arizona and Family Music Studios will also attend. Other features include face painting and a kids’ planting project.

5-8 p.m. October 25: Farmer’s Market at the Farm Store with Stone Grindz chocolate and Truly Blessed Jewels.

October 28: Birthday Party for the Farm: Cake, a band, kids planting project.

6 p.m. November 1: Free class with Greg Peterson from Urban Farm at Final Assembly event space in Barnone.

Farmer’s Market at the Farm Store from 5-8 p.m. with D&D Beekeeping.

November 8th: Farmers Market at the Farm Store with Herbs from the Heart, Worth the Wait Farms Soaps and Yoga with Yoga Center Spa.

Details: email katie@agritopia.com.

Gilbert grad serves in U.S. Navy submarine

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Petty Officer 2nd Class Jeffrey Wilhalme of Gilbert has served in the Navy for five years as an electronics technician (radio). He is a 2010 Highland High School graduate and is currently serving aboard the Navy’s newest, fast-attack nuclear submarine, USS Washington, also known as the “Blackfish.”

The vessel’s impressive armament and sophisticated electronics suites enable it to meet national tasking uncontested, according to a release submitted by the U.S. Navy. Faster and quieter than the predecessors, its impressive capabilities are matched only by the men who operate her, the release also stated.

Washington will be officially commissioned into the fleet at Naval Station Norfolk on October 7. It will be the 14th Virginia-class attack submarine to join the U.S. Navy.

“Commissioning a United States (Special to GSN) warship is a rare opportunity to be a U.S. Navy Petty Officer 2nd Class Jeffrey part of the crew who brings the boat to Wilhalme. life,” Wilhalme said.

www.GilbertSunNews.com

October 2017

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October 2017

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Arizona Wilderness’ funky beers include a stout with mushrooms

BY WAYNE SCHUTSKY

Gilbert’s Arizona Wilderness Brewing Co. celebrated its 4th anniversary over Labor Day weekend with a full slate of events and special releases that highlight just how far the craft brewer has come since it opened.

Choosing Gilbert as the home for Arizona Wilderness was a risk for cofounders Jonathan Buford and Patrick Ware. While the town now hosts a fledgling beer scene, Wilderness was the first craft brewery to open.

“It was a point of pride when (Buford and Ware) opened Gilbert’s first craft brewery,” social media manager Chris Chappell said. “We still use that in our marketing language.”

In hindsight, it was a good decision.

“They were extremely receptive to a brewery,” Buford said via email. “They were just about to begin the downtown Gilbert project and we could feel the energy.”

Buford credited Gilbert Economic Development Director Dan Henderson for helping the would-be entrepreneurs realize their vision.

Since that time, Wilderness Brewing has repaid that favor in kind by becoming a destination for both local patrons and beer heads across the country alike.

The brewery has won several national awards including being named Top New Brewer in the World by RateBeer. com in 2014.

However, Wilderness is not just for beer aficionados. Part of its early success has been its ability to appeal to a wide audience – including the many families that call Gilbert home – thanks to a quality food menu and diverse beer list.

“We do that by having approachable beers and wild, interesting stuff,” brewer Chase Saraiva said.

He added “We have so many styles that we can generally find (something for everyone).”

While the on-tap menu at Wilderness now features 20 beers, that wasn’t always the case.

When they got started, Buford and Ware used a seven-barrel system. Now that production has grown, the brewery uses that smaller system for experimenting with funky new beers like a stout with mushrooms.

The brewery’s anniversary events included specialty keg tapping, new beer releases and live music by Chandler musician Jimmy Roca.

The array of specialty beers released during the celebration is indicative of Wilderness’ business model, which fo-

cuses on including locally-sourced and foraged ingredients in its beer.

Whether the brewers are sourcing 11,000 pounds of peaches from a farm in Cochise County or foraging for blackberries near Oak Creek, they are constantly looking for ways to incorporate Arizona-based fruits in their beers.

“Whether we’re going to farms or going out to the land, we are just trying to use as much Arizona agriculture and produce as possible,” Saraiva said.

Beers like Sour Bourbon Barrel Aged Picacho Pecan Pie Brown Ale and American Presidential Stout — which features peppers from Chandler’s Rhiba Farms and cacao nibs from Zak’s Chocolate in Scottsdale — exemplify this unique take on craft brewing.

The brewery’s founders came up with the new twist over four years ago after noticing that many new restaurants and breweries at the time were very similar to one another. Rather than abide by the typical model, Buford developed a brewery concept inspired by his passions — Arizona and the outdoors — and brewmaster Ware created beers to match.

“Visiting farms and agricultural regions of (Arizona) inspires me in a whole new way,” Buford said. “What better way to showcase the area’s diversity than with a showcase of its products?”

In the intervening four years, Buford and Ware have used their nature-based brews to educate customers about the bounty that the Arizona landscape has to offer and the history behind that landscape.

“We want to pay homage to the Native Americans who originally cultivated this land,” Buford said. “We want to pay respects to the decades of farmers who developed this land. We want Phoenix to respect its natural ability to sustain and not fall victim to a mundane nature.”

Over the past four years, Wilderness Brewing has largely stuck to that model, though other aspects of the business have changed.

“We aren’t just going day by day (anymore),” Buford said. “We’ve added a competent team with vast levels of experience. We hired a business advisor who helps guide us. It’s still fun and exciting but with less struggle.”

Arizona Wilderness Brewing Co is at 721 N. Arizona Ave., #103, Gilbert. Details: 480-4972739 or azwbeer.com.

(GSN photo by Srianthi Perera)

Jonathan Buford, co-founder of Arizona Wilderness Brewing Co.

(GSN photo by AZ Wilderness/Chris Chappell)

(GSN photo by AZ Wilderness/Chris Chappell)

Blood Orange Gose is one of its brews.

Brewer Robbie Roseman processes dragon fruit for the brewery’s collaboration IPA called July 11; the beer was made in partnership with friends from Cycle Brewing in Florida.

(GSN photo by Srianthi Perera)

The Gilbert brewery during a quiet morning; the place is a hub of activity when the brewery is open.

October 2017

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October 2017

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Kajukenbo, a practical martial defense that anyone can learn

BY MELODY BIRKETT

“Go, hit, palm strike.”

I can feel the adrenaline rush.

“Boom, right into the eye. Eyes, nose, throat — that can cause pain,” said Kelly Corder, Kaju Arizona Studio co-owner and instructor. “Alternate strike. Hammer strike might be more effective than palm strike. Make a fist and hit.”

This may sound like a law enforcement training class but I was actually listening in on the instruction in a self-defense class for women using the martial art form Kajukenbo.

“Kajukenbo was founded in 1947 at Palama Settlement in Oahu, Hawaii,” said Kaju Arizona Studio co-owner Jennifer Corder.

It encompasses five black belts of five different disciplines: karate, judo, jiu-jitsu, kenpo and Chinese boxing, a street-style self-defense system.

“And it’s a very effective system,” Jennifer said. “The nice thing is that it works for people of all sizes, ages, abilities because it’s very practical.

“By practical, we mean it uses wrist locks and chokes and things like that that people of all sizes and abilities can still do. So you don’t have to be 25 years old and running marathons.

That is not what Kajukenbo is all about.

Kajukenbo is for everybody.”

The Corders instruct children as young as 5, those with disabilities, as well as the elderly including a 70-yearold who has a black belt in Kajukenbo.

“We founded Kajukenbo Arizona in 2006 out of a desire to share our passion for Kajukenbo and also because we had two young sons we wanted…to keep busy,” Jennifer said. “So we’ve had this family business for 11 years. We teach and train all together.”

While Kelly is instructing all of us on a large square mat, their two grown sons are by his side, also teaching and answering questions.

“When they’re standing in front of you, stomp on their foot,” said Kelly, referring to an attacker.

“When someone grabs your wrist, the first thing you do is stomp on their foot,” the one that’s the closest.

The instruction continues as about a dozen women and I try to learn and remember the self-defense moves.

“Stomp, grab, pull. Grab with your other hand and pull away. Then you can come back with your elbow. Your thumb is the weakest part.”

“We start with a simple, single arm grab. You’re going to stomp, you’re going to pull towards the direction of the thumb, and then come back with a hit and they’re going to run.”

The first move is critical, but as Kelly explained, it shouldn’t get to that point.

“I believe the moves are there as a

safety net, but your real defense is your awareness and being in the right place at the right time,” he said.

“That’s more important than anything else.”

“If you put out a vibe, ‘don’t mess with me,’ you’ll never have to use it… 90 percent of why attacks occur is you being stupid, in the wrong place at the wrong time and being distracted. If you took all that out, there wouldn’t hardly be any crime or any attacks,” Kelly said. “Guys will use your good nature and intentions against you.”

“Predators want a (Special to GSN) weak target, someone Instructor Kelly Corder of Kaju Arizona’s Gilbert studio demonstrates the hammer strike with his whose eyes are down, clenched fists to a self-defense class. and someone who’s acting afraid. But if you look like you’re going to Jennifer said. “My shoulders are back, groin,” Kelly said. be a handful, they’ll move on to someI make eye contact with people, I’m I must admit, I figured the groin one else. How you walk, hold yourself watching everything that’s around me.” would be the first place I would want and where your eyes are is important.”

Cellphones are one of the biggest to kick an attacker. But as we learned It’s a lot to remember. It’s already distractions. “We feel like we’re more in the class, it’s not as effective as you well into the hour and I’m feeling like I connected, that people are close by, but may think. could use a few more hours of instructhey’re really not. So we should try not “A kick to the groin is potentially eftion to grasp all of this. I’m thinking fective, but the problem is most people to be distracted,” she said. the advanced two-hour class might be Beth Felix and her daughter Jessica, are expecting it,” Kelly said. “And so helpful.

15, also attended the class. for me, if she’s (referring to the other “If someone approaches from be“They taught us some really basic instructor) trying to kick me, I just have hind and touches your shoulder, turn skills that you would be able to defend to turn… and then you’ve wasted an towards them and hit their arm and do opportunity to defend yourself because yourself with and get away. And to see a palm strike in the head, temple, neck, my daughter who constantly has her you’re shooting for a target that just throat,” Kelly said. “If he’s grabbing you, phone in her hand and her shoulders moved.” tighten your shoulder. Hitting him in down. I think it was very beneficial for When it comes to using your elbow, the arm might not work. Might have to the teenager group, as well,” she said.

“The elbow strike is one of the most go directly to the palm strike and kick Melanie Smith has attended the class powerful strikes you can have,” Kelly in the leg.” three times and said she’s getting better said.

Kelly tried to keep the moves simple with repeating the moves.

The problem is you have to be super since in a panic situation, he says we After each class, she reviews the close to your attacker in order to use it. probably won’t remember anything too steps. This time, she said, she was hopHitting a person in the throat is also difficult. The idea is to practice, pracing to practice with her husband. a great way to disable them. tice, practice.

Does she think she could defend “In reality, 12 pounds of pressure, Going for the eyes is crucial, apparherself? you’re killing somebody,” Kelly said. ently.

“I think I probably could, but I would “Without medical attention, they’ll die.

“Eye rake is the most important need to get into action immediately,” So it’s a very dangerous part of your because that’s going to be the stunner Smith said. target.” that’s going to put them at a confused Would you still need self-defense or want-to-get-away type state,” Kelly training if you live in a safe area? said.

Kaju Arizona Studio offers free self-de“You need this because the world is He means using all five fingers to fense classes the first Saturday in March, a scary place,” Jennifer said. “It’s a sad June, September and December. They are search for an attacker’s eyes. By only realization.” open to children 5 and older and to all using two fingers, all the attacker has to The trainers said that awareness, women. do is turn their head a little and you’ll combined with confidence, is 95 permiss. Raking gives you more of a chance cent of the self-defense game.

The Corders rotate locations between their studios in Gilbert near Chandler of hitting the target.

“If someone sees me, they would Heights and Higley roads and in Mesa near Equally vulnerable are the throat, never think that I’m a 5th-degree black the Loop 101 and Baseline Road. Details: ears and nose. belt and that I will fight to the death kajuaz.com “So, eyes, ears, nose, throat and then to stay alive and to protect my family,”

October 2017

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25

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October 2017

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Connecting and inspiring women

October 2017

27

The second annual Connect-Inspire-Go conference for women by women took place at the Higley Center for the Performing Arts recently. Goods and services pertaining to women and their families, ranging from cosmetics to chiropractic, as well as presentations on topics such as financial planning, nutrition and empowerment were on offer. The conference is organized by estate planning attorney Becky Cholewka of Cholewka Law and independent financial professional Shanna Tingom of Heritage Financial Strategies.

All photos by Srianthi Perera

Contour Medical’s Julianna Dean promoted the benefits of cool sculpting. Contourmedical.com

Jolyn Lamb, independent distributor of SeneGence, marketed long-lasting lip color. Write to her at sassylipsforever@ gmail.com

Elizabeth Kiar of Positive Paths, a nonprofit based in Mesa that empowers women with education and mentoring. Positivepathsaz. org

Sonja Parkin of Ma’am Exams, which has locations in Mesa and Gilbert and is planning to open six more, was on hand to promote women’s health. Maamexams.com

The lobby of the Higley Center for the Performing Arts was an elegant setting for the conference.

Jan Newton, owner of Nothing Bundt Cakes in Gilbert, was on hand with some of her delicious cakes with signature frosting petals and fall flavors. Nothingbundtcakes.com/ bakery/az/gilbert.

Angela Sticca Snyder, founder of Taxanista, can help get rid of those headaches related to accounting and taxation.

Taxanista.com

Chiropractor Joshua Bock of AFC Physical Medicine offered neck massages and testing to detect whether those bones in the spinal column are moving and working as they should. Afcmed.com

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October 2017

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8060 S. AUTOPLEX LOOP TEMPE, AZ 85284

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October 2017

Seasoned restaurateurs at Cuisine & Wine Bistro have recipe for success

29

BY COLLEEN SPARKS

Mix two seasoned restaurateurs with escargot and other classic French food, then add a dose of family-oriented charm and you have a winning recipe for a Gilbert restaurant toasting its success.

Cuisine & Wine Bistro in Gilbert is busy with diners eager to try the flavorful escargot, veal chop, cuisses de grenouille (frog legs) – as well as quiche, chocolate soufflé and other French specialties prepared by head chef and co-owner Fabrice Buschtetz.

Customers also like to sip the 125 different types of wine, many of which are French.

Fabrice, a France native and longtime chef, owns the restaurant with his wife, Ireland native Mairead Buschtetz.

Mairead and Fabrice owned and managed several restaurants together in France before moving to Gilbert.

“People are lucky enough to eat food prepared by a chef who’s been doing it for 30 years,” Mairead said. “He puts a lot of love into his food. He’s very passionate about it. It’s in their blood; his grandmother and mother had restaurants.

“I love good food,” Mairead added.

“It’s cheaper than buying a ticket to Paris.”

The couple’s romance blossomed when they met when Fabrice was 18 and Mairead was 19 in Paris. On their first date, budding chef Fabrice cooked an omelet for Mairead, who worked in a hotel that housed the restaurant where Fabrice was employed.

Their love ripened like a fine wine and later they went to work in a restaurant Fabrice’s mother had bought for him near Chantilly, France.

Fabrice’s mother ran the front of the house in the restaurant and she trained Mairead as a waitress, while Fabrice worked as Chef de Cuisine.

After successfully owning and managing several restaurants together in France, Mairead and Fabrice decided to fulfill Fabrice’s longtime dream to live in the United States.

After visiting the United States many times, the pair finally moved to Gilbert with their children in 2013. They opened their first Cuisine & Wine in Gilbert in 2015 before opening the Chandler location on Alma School Road in 2016.

Business is a family affair as Fabrice and Mairead’s son, Killian, 23, of Chandler, works front of house at the couple’s Chandler restaurant.

Front of house responsibilities include looking after the servers, as

well as greeting and serving customers and opening and closing the restaurant.

Killian is also training to be a sommelier.

Fabrice and Mairead’s daughter, Laura, 22, works front of house at the Gilbert eatery and their son, Steven, 25, of Chandler, runs the kitchen at the Gilbert Cuisine & Wine Bistro.

While the Gilbert business is “more of a wine bistro,” where diners can drink wine as they listen to live music Friday and Saturday nights, the Chandler restaurant is “more of a dining experience,” Mairead said.

Customers are supportive in the Chandler and Gilbert restaurants, though the Chandler one draws residents who like to call it a night a bit earlier, she said.

The Chandler restaurant is open 3 to 10 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday while the Gilbert establishment’s hours are 3 to 10 p.m. Tuesday through Thursday and 3 to 11 p.m. Friday and Saturday.

Mairead said people from as far as Tucson drive to the Chandler Cuisine & Wine Bistro for the escargot facon Fabrice, which are spicy, tender snails cooked in garlic butter with a tomato base served with croutons.

The Tomahawk – a dry-aged, longbone rib eye steak – is also a crowd favorite, as is a French fish soup or soupe de poissons.

One of the chef’s recommended entrees is a 14-ounce, grilled Angus rib eye beurre Maître d’Hôtel served with cubed potatoes and a green salad.

Another is the Espadon Grillé, Sauce Beurre Blanc (grilled swordfish with a beurre blanc sauce served with sautéed zucchini).

The owners say French natives like to dine at their restaurant and often request Fabrice make certain dishes for them. He is happy to accommodate them.

The chef, who attended a culinary school northeast of Paris, said theirs is the only French restaurant in Chandler.

Fabrice and Mairead like dining at another French restaurant in the Valley, Christopher’s Restaurant and Crush Lounge in Phoenix.

Everything on the menu at Cuisine & Wine Bistro is homemade.

“I really like to cook stew,” Fabrice said. “A lot of dishes have wine in the sauce,” he said, adding he’s “always loved cooking.”

Mairead is happy to help Fabrice in the kitchen and quick to sing his praises.

“There’s nothing that he’s frightened

(Photos by Kimberly Carrillo)

Long-time restaurateurs Mairead and Fabrice Buschtetz of Cuisine & Wine Bistro.

Escargot facon Fabrice and Chablis Chardonnay are some of the French items customers can eat and drink at Cuisine & Wine Bistro.

of,” she said. “He has trained many young chefs, who have owned their own restaurants.

He gives them the magic of it.”

Mairead said the first year has been a success, with business growing. Initially the Chandler restaurant offered brunch on Sundays but the owners discovered diners were more interested in their famous dinners.

Loyal Gilbert customers came to the dining business’ grand opening in Chandler and word quickly spread about the new location.

“From the people who live here, they’ve been very supportive,” Mairead said. “We have some very, very good regular customers who come every week in the summer. We’re really looking forward to the winter coming up.”

Friday and Saturday nights tend to attract about 75 customers, while about 35 diners usually visit the Chandler spot Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday

nights, she said.

Mairead and Fabrice wanted to expand from their Gilbert restaurant eventually but had not planned to do it as quickly as they did.

However, the property manager for the shopping center on Alma School Road near Chandler Heights Road asked them if they would consider opening their restaurant there, where a previous eatery closed.

“The area needed a restaurant like ours, family run,” with serious cuisine, Mairead said. “We like working with our family. It’s very good demographics (in Chandler). I think they love the fact that we work as a family. The people from SEE

CUISINE PAGE 37

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October 2017

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October 2017

Grubstak Mobile offers a pared down version of the restaurant

31

BY GSN STAFF

Grubstak restaurant concept, located in downtown Gilbert’s Heritage Marketplace, recently launched a Grubstak Mobile food truck trailer. It packs a commercial quality kitchen in a fraction of the space.

Grubstak Mobile’s compact trailer design provides ultimate mobility for any event set up, has high-efficiency and multi-functional appliances for speedy service, according to the company.

“We designed Grubstak Mobile with convenience and quickness in mind, but in no way compromised the quality of our service,” said Colton Grubb, founder and owner of Grubstak. “Now we can fry, stack and serve our most popular items just about anywhere in the Valley.”

Grubstak Mobile features a pared down version of Grubstak’s in-store menu, including: Gold Rush Signature Stak, Sweet Lou’s BBQ Signature Stak, Chillax Signature Stak (vegetarian option), Power Salad Stak, Classic Grilled Cheese & Tomato Soup and Give Me S’more Bites.

Grubstak Mobile will be at Gilbert High School’s Friday night home football games during fall.

For more information on upcoming locations, or to schedule Grubstak

Mobile for an event, contact mobile@ grubstak.com or call 480-454-3299.

Grubstak Mobile will be in the East Valley as follows: *5:30 - 9 p.m. October 13 and 27 at Gilbert Feastival, Sam’s Club parking lot, 1225 N. Gilbert Road.

Details: azfeastivals.com/gilbertfeastival. *October 14, 28 at ASU Karsten Golf Course Tailgate, 1125 E. Rio Salado Pkwy, Tempe. *October 20 at Gilbert High School’s Friday night football games: Home game versus Highland High. *Oct 21- Taste of Gilbert at Freestone Park, 1045 E. Juniper Ave. Details: tasteofgilbertaz.com.

(Special to GSN)

Colton Grubb, founder and owner of Grubstak, shows his food.

Information on Grubstak Mobile and upcoming events can also be found at grubstak. com/grubstak-mobile-menu.

Grubstak Mobile food truck trailer packs a commercial quality kitchen in a fraction of the space.

Having Fun, Helping Others!

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Neighbors

October 2017

Fire, drums and a siege in Northern Ireland STORY AND PHOTOS SUBMITTED BY BRYSON JONES

When studying world history, my textbook devoted a scant few paragraphs to the Troubles in Northern Ireland. Visiting this beautiful country during a Gilbert Sister Cities exchange opened my eyes to what those years were like for the citizens, as well as the tensions that still run deep today.

Driving from the airport to my host family’s home in Ballyclare, I noticed towering structures made of wooden pallets and car tires. Some were several stories high; local unionists spend weeks building these impressive structures, only to set fire to them on Eleventh Night (July 11) in commemoration of the fires lit on the hills surrounding Belfast Lough to help William of Orange’s armies navigate to Carrickfergus Castle in 1689.

I could feel the heat of the fire from a few hundred feet away, not to mention smell and even taste burning rubber. It was exciting to watch the structure implode, especially to the accompaniment of marchers banging giant Lambeg drums.

Those drums were only a preview of the next day, when my host family and I attended a parade in honor of the Twelfth, also known as Orangemen’s Day in honor of William of Orange and his success at the Battle of the Boyne in 1690. There the sound of Lambeg drums reverberated off surrounding buildings.

It was deafening and unlike anything I’ve ever heard. My favorite part, though, was the kids from the crowd; anxious to mimic the baton twirlers, they ran into the street with their toy batons during breaks between groups,

then darted back to their Union Jack-waving families.

Although the Twelfth is a holiday in Northern Ireland, not everyone was out cheering and celebrating; my host father, who was eight years old on Bloody Friday, shared his confliction between wanting to remember his roots and concerns about some focusing on the sectarian and prejudicial parts of their past. Visiting the Troubles exhibit at the Ulster Museum the next day helped me better understand both sides, what they have been through and why the Eleventh and Twelfth mean so much to the unionists while also upsetting the nationalists.

Stepping onto the grounds of 800-yearold Carrickfergus Castle, I was able to witness what the holiday is really about: the Siege of Carrickfergus and landing of King William III. It was fascinating to watch the annual reenactment – not only for the firing of cannons and other weapons, but also the variety of period costumes. To my delight, participants allowed me to try on a number of hats and even the helmet from a suit of armor. Their enthusiastic commitment to preserving and teaching history brought this event to life.

It’s impossible for textbooks to convey what historical events were actually like, not to mention their long-term consequences.

Being in Belfast for Eleventh Night and the Twelfth was an incredible experience that provided deep insight into Northern Irish culture, and I will never forget it.

Bryson Jones, a senior at Mesquite High School in Gilbert, spent two weeks in the summer with a host family in Northern Island. His visit as a youth ambassador was organized by Gilbert Sister Cities. For a chance to feature your travel in the next column, write a 500-word description and email it with a photo to srianthi@ timespublications.com by October 18.

Jones also tried on hats during the annual reenactment of the Siege of Carrickfergus and landing of King William III.

A towering structure is on fire during Eleventh Night, July 11.

During a visit to Carrickfergus Castle, Bryson Jones tried on the helmet from a suit of armor.

Unionists spend weeks building impressive structures such as these, which are set on fire.

33

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October 2017

www.GilbertSunNews.com

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Neighbors

October 2017

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Early detection helps a 94-year-old continue passion for art

BY GSN CONTRIBUTOR LESLIE DAVIS, MARIPOSA POINT OF GILBERT

Gilbert resident Audrey Greever has been a breast cancer survivor for the past 30 years. How did she overcome a disease that affects more than 252,710 women a year (according to BreastCancer.org)?

Greever credits early detection and treatment.

In 1987, what started as a normal day in February for Greever soon became a day she will never forget. Her doctor called to inform her that the radiologist who read her mammography had found a lump in her left breast.

The physician shared that this radiologist was extremely skilled to have spotted her tumor, as it was still very small and could have easily been overlooked.

The more advanced options for detection available nowadays were not around in the ‘80s. The mammography as a screening device became standard practice only in 1976. The FDA approved the first digital mammography system in 2000, and Hologic’s 3D mammography technology came about in 2011. The 3D mammogram finds significantly more invasive cancers than a traditional mammogram.

Greever was extremely fortunate to have had her cancer found in its beginning stage. Hence, she was given

(Special to GSN)

(Special to GSN)

Greever’s art will be on display at Mariposa Point of Gilbert through October.

Audrey Greever

the option of having a less invasive lumpectomy, where just the tumor and surrounding tissue would be removed. However, Greever made the very personal choice of having a total mastectomy where the entire breast is removed. She felt she would have better peace of mind going forward knowing

that there wouldn’t be any remnant of cancer that could be left behind.

Greever also opted against any reconstruction surgeries and was told she would not have any follow up treatments such as chemotherapy or radiology, which helped shorten her recovery time.

When Greever received her breast

cancer diagnosis, she knew of the hereditary connections. Almost immediately, she recommended her sister and two nieces get tested.

Greever’s sister and one of her nieces did turn out to have a higher probability of developing breast cancer at some point in their lives, and they both opted to have preventive doublemastectomies. Greever feels blessed not only for surviving cancer, but also for quite possibly being a catalyst in saving the lives of her sister and niece.

Now jump to another seemingly normal day in 1992, when Greever got a very different kind of call. This time it was to inform her that she was officially cancer-free.

Greever was elated to celebrate the monumental event of hitting her “5year mark,” which is a profound day for anyone battling cancer.

In remission, Greever has gone on to live a vibrant and full life, and celebrated her 94th birthday in August.

She’s also an artist and her work will be on display in October at Mariposa Point of Gilbert, where she is a charter resident.

Leslie Davis is director of Sales and Marketing at Mariposa Point of Gilbert, Surpass Senior Living.

Clydesdales keep cool after swamp cooler donation

BY GSN CONTRIBUTOR

The USA Clydesdale Preservation Foundation got a little cooler, thanks to a much-needed donation by Phoenix Manufacturing, a builder and supplier of residential, commercial and industrial evaporative cooling products in the Valley.

When Phoenix Manufacturing heard of the USACPF’s fundraiser for swamp coolers, the company provided the foundation with exactly what they needed – an industrial strength mobile evaporative cooler large enough to cool their largest barn.

The Master Blaster 36, which retails upwards of $3,000, is a portable evaporative cooler that can lower temperatures up to 30 degrees in areas larger than 2,000 squarefeet. Set on wheels, it can easily be relocated and repositioned for the horses throughout the property.

“Our products are able to cool in locations where air condition is not feasible. In those types of spaces this is a perfect solution,” said Anne Wood

(Special to GSN)

(From left): volunteer Denise Murphy with Sakari and Rebecca Stivers with Lakota enjoy their new Master Blaster 36, a donation from Phoenix Manufacturing. of Phoenix Manufacturing.

The nonprofit oversees six

Clydesdales with support from more than 60 volunteers, and focuses on

raising awareness of its iconic namesake through educational events, youth programs and breed presentations.

Its mission is to bring attention to the purpose of Clydesdales beyond that of a draft horse, a job that is all but obsolete today.

In 2017, Clydesdales were added to the Livestock Conservancy Agency’s “threatened” list because only about 5,000 of the breed remain in the world.

Thus, it is imperative that each horse at USACPF receives the highest quality care.

“Care is really important. We have protocol to not let them out above 94 degrees,” said Rebecca Stivers, director and founder of the nonprofit.

Details: phoenixmanufacturing.com and usaclydesdalepreservationfoundation.org.

www.GilbertSunNews.com

CUISINE ROM PAGE 29

Chandler are great people to help you.

“You really depend on word of mouth.”

The family’s personalities balance each other out. Mairead said she’s a talkative Irishwoman, while Fabrice is shy but smiles often as he is happy living in this country. He also loves country music and classic cars and often rides a motorcycle with Mairead as his passenger.

While some people might think the dishes will be “expensive” with a “very small quantity of food,” they are pleasantly surprised to find ample portions at reasonable prices, Mairead said.

Appetizers range in price from $6 to $9, starters cost from $11 to $14 and the chef’s recommended entrees are priced from $18 to $30. During happy hour from 3 to 6 p.m. Tuesdays through Saturdays, customers can buy wine for $2 off per glass and order appetizers for $6, as well as beers and well drinks for $5.

For now, the couple is happy to enjoy this latest adventure. Their journey to Arizona occurred after a survey online revealed Arizona was one of the best areas in the United States in which to live.

Neighbors

After driving through the Phoenix area from Las Vegas, Mairead and Fabrice fell in love with the warm weather and mountains and their children were “all on board” with moving here, Mairead said.

It’s a long way from Mitchelstown, a small town in County Cork, Ireland, where Mairead was born and raised.

She wanted to explore the world and expand her horizons so she moved to Paris at age 18.

“I always knew there was so much more that existed,” in the world, Mairead said. “You have to go and get out of your comfort zone. You have to learn other languages.”

She went to school in Paris and Ireland to become a bilingual secretary, speaking French and English, then began working in the hotel industry before meeting Fabrice and entering the culinary world.

“He made me an omelet with Swiss cheese; it was the best thing I’d ever tasted,” Mairead said. “We were made for each other.”

Cuisine Wine & Bistro in Gilbert is at 1422 Warner Road and the Chandler restaurant is at 4991 S. Alma School Road. Information: cuisineandwinebistro.com.

October 2017

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October 2017

Business

Bishops salon nurtures neighborhood vibe

www.GilbertSunNews.com

BY SRIANTHI PERERA

At Bishops, a haircut is an added bonus Goodrich said. “We’ve been battling to socializing. Or so it seems. in Arizona whether we can or not.

The franchised salon with an edgy We think we can, because we actually identity and spirited brand culture from don’t charge and the beer is part of the Portland, Oregon recently opened its service. You get your beer while you’re second outlet in the southeast Valley, in waiting.”

SanTan Village.

If all else fails, the company might Clients can expect a laid-back settle for providing a can of cold brewed atmosphere where early-MTV-style coffee. curated music videos play on TV and art “It’s all about the customer. And the adorns the walls. Eight retro-style barber service on being comfortable,” said chairs will be at the ready. So will five or Daniel Davoodi, marketing manager in six stylists.

Portland.

“We try to be a (GSN Photo by Srianthi Perera) little different,” said Franchise owners Scott and Jenn Goodrich chose Scott Goodrich, Bishops after evaluating dozens of franchises. franchise owner, who lives in the Seville California and Arizona. development in The business is “taking the brand Gilbert. nationwide,” said Scott Goodrich, and the Clients are taken on (Special to GSN) total salon count of 23 will soon increase. a walk-in-only basis Bishops encourages people to celebrate “We’re very busy; it’s exciting,” Davoodi (no appointments can their differences via their hair. said. be made, but online What’s outstanding about the check in is allowed); weekends, and no appointments are franchise? can choose from an required. We’re a place where everyone is “I think it’s the look, the vibe,” he said. à la carte menu of welcome, with no judgments,” said Jenn “We love our clients. And not only that, services that includes Goodrich, co-owner. we love our employees. They get the style, shampoo, blow The Goodriches are opening six Bishops proper training and they get the freedom dry, a variety of cut locations in the Valley. The first, just (GSN Photo by Srianthi Perera) to kind of be themselves. There are no and color options or across from the ASU Campus on Rural Bishops SanTan Village is in a shopping plaza near Costco Wholesale in descriptions in terms of their wardrobe. a hot towel shave.

Road in Tempe, is also open and was Gilbert.

They can choose the music they like. I These, in addition the chain’s debut in Arizona. The couple don’t want to say anti-corporate but in a to unisex pricing, hasn’t finalized the other spots, but is sense it is. are some features that make Bishops But the emphasis, of course, is on hair. fairly certain one will be in Chandler.

“You feel like you’re going into your different, Goodrich said.

The motto is to “be you,” Goodrich Scott Goodrich feels the salon fits in friend’s house to get a haircut.”

Some locations serve a can of said. “We celebrate different. We between a regular hair salon and a highMontucky Cold Snacks to those over the encourage people to express themselves end one. age of 21 while they’re waiting, but it’s through their hair.”

Bishops SanTan Village is at 3051 S. Market unsure whether the Gilbert salon will “Bishops is different than anything in St., Suite 102, Gilbert. Open 9 a.m. to 7 p.m.

Bishops receive approval for that. the area. All of our stylists can perform Sunday, 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday to Saturday.

Bishops was founded in Portland “In Portland and Seattle, they serve a color service, style your hair, or work Details: 480-272-9788 or bishops. in 2001 by Leo Rivera and expanded saloncheckin.com/5006334. beer for free before you get a cut,” on your fade. We are open late, on to Seattle, and then to Ohio, Indiana,

Tuft & Needle offers a comfortable mattress, honest sheets and pliant pillow

BY SRIANTHI PERERA

John-Thomas Marino had a bad mattress-shopping experience five years ago.

“It was worse than shopping for a used car. My co-founder and I decided – this was in Silicon Valley – to build a mattress company: to cut out the middle man, to cut out the gimmicks, to reimagine the mattress as sleep,” he said.

The result is Tuft and Needle, which opened a store in Gilbert’s Heritage District recently.

Its other retail locations are in Phoenix, Scottsdale and San Francisco.

Founded in 2012, the Phoenix-based

company offers just one style of mattress comprising its unique Adaptive Foam designed for people of all shapes, sizes and sleeping styles. The mattress, made in the U.S., is compressed into a small box and shipped free of charge to the customer’s door. When the box is opened, the mattress unfurls and expands.

The company has also developed its own specialized bed frame, linen and pillow.

The mattress comes with a 100-night sleep trial, free returns and a 10-year warranty.

“Ninety-seven percent of people

keep and love it,” said Marino, whose background in computer science and mathematics came in handy to lead the company’s product and software development.

Marino and his co-founder, Daehee Park, invested $6,000 of their own funds to start the company. They didn’t seek investors or loans.

They sold their first test mattress online within a matter of minutes.

“It has been growing and crazy ever since,” said Marino, who lives in Phoenix.

The company now employs 150 people, has three offices and manufactures and

ships from five states. It did $100 million in sales last year.

The company brands itself as leading the revolution against the current industry. The mattress industry as a whole hasn’t been innovated, Marino said.

“And it hasn’t been putting customers first,” resulting in very high mark-ups, commissioned sales and gimmicks such as “going out of business” sales.

“Our idea was, why do you need a store with a hundred mattresses in it to find a good mattress? It is possible to make one and it works for a lot of people – that was the theory,” he said.

At Tuft & Needle, staff is available to answer questions and provide information; pushy salespeople are not part of the equation.

Pushiness is also unnecessary when SEE

TUFT PAGE 39

Business

www.GilbertSunNews.com

TUFT FROM PAGE 38

products sell themselves. A case in point is the one-size-fits-all pillow, which is a success as well.

Arizona State University fiber arts graduate Sarah Grindle leads the bedding line. She is credited with developing “honest sheets.”

Like the mattress industry, linen has become confusing to the customer, Grindle said. Thread counts, fancy materials and inconsistent fits are some of the gimmicks that distract from poor quality and justify high pricing.

Grindle visited many factories and saw low-quality fiber, which was cheap to obtain, and high thread-count products.

“They slept on mid-range thread-count and high-quality fiber,” she said.

Grindle scoured availability of quality cotton and honed in on Supima cotton grown in the U.S. Southwest. The sheets are woven in a mill belonging to a fifthgeneration family in South Carolina.

“Some of the best things about it are it’s super strong, durable, makes really strong cloth and is really smooth and soft,” Grindle said. “It’s certified as being extra-long staple fiber.”

With products as popular as they are, lines form outside the stores during weekends.

“On Saturdays, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., it’s insane,” Marino said. “We’ve so much

October 2017

39

(GSN Photo by Srianthi Perera)

J.T. Marino, co-founder of Tuft & Needle, outlines his company philosophy.

traffic in one week; it’s honestly more than a typical mattress store gets in an entire year. That’s really a testament to the problems that are in this industry.”

A suitable spot was difficult to find in Gilbert, so the store, at about 1,200 square feet, is comparatively tiny. But it makes up for the size by offering foot traffic, which is a novelty to the business because it deems its other stores as a destination.

Marino said his decision to establish the company in the Valley and not in Los Angeles or in Silicon Valley paid off not only because of the lower startup costs.

As they began the company, they saw

that the talent (Special to GSN) has been People formed a line outside on opening day of Gilbert’s Tuft & Needle store. critical, as The company donated its proceeds of more than $20,000 to Furnishing well.

Dignity, a nonprofit that collects donated household furnishings for people “People are in need. not thinking fully embraced it,” he said. about working for a startup for a few years and jumping to the next one. They lead a more balanced lifestyle,” he said.

Tuft & Needle is at 350 N. Gilbert Road, “And we are building this company to last Suite 104, Gilbert, in the Downtown a long time.”

Heritage District. Open 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.

Monday to Saturday and 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Marino also credits the help from the Sunday. entrepreneur community and customers who have been sharing their story.

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Business

October 2017

www.GilbertSunNews.com

Alliance Bank opens location in Gilbert

BY GSN CONTRIBUTOR

Alliance Bank of Arizona, a division of Western Alliance Bank, has opened its newest East Valley branch in Gilbert at the southwest corner of Market Street and Pecos Road.

The goal is to bring added local and national business banking resources to this expanding part of the Valley.

The brand-new 4,500 square-foot commercial banking facility includes two drive-up lanes, a drive-thru ATM lane and a night depository. The Gilbert office will provide Western Alliance’s range of sophisticated banking products and solutions geared to the needs of commercial, industrial and professional businesses.

“Alliance Bank is proud to be the go-to banking resource in Arizona’s growing markets and the Town of Gilbert, which routinely ranks among the country’s fastest-growing communities,” said Don

Garner, CEO of Alliance Bank of Arizona.

“In Gilbert, our customers can expect exceptional local commitment, along with national resources across every business sector, and real expertise and tailored banking solutions designed for small and middle-market businesses,” he added.

The Gilbert branch will become the seventh Alliance Bank location in greater Phoenix and the third location in the East Valley, joining branches in Chandler and Mesa. With workspaces for up to 23 employees, the branch was designed by Davis Design Solutions and built by Sun State Builders, which are both longstanding clients of the bank.

The Gilbert branch is located at 1907 E. Pecos Road. Details: 480-867-4800 or alliancebankofarizona.com

(Special to GSN)

Alliance Bank is now open in Gilbert.

GoDaddy won’t leave Gilbert after all

BY WAYNE SCHUTSKY

GoDaddy and the more than 1,300 employees at its Gilbert site will be staying put after the two sides came to an agreement that will see the company invest $15 million in the facility and receive more than $800,000 from the town.

In order to keep GoDaddy in Gilbert, the town agreed to a development deal with the company. As part of the deal, Gilbert will provide GoDaddy with $83,600 a year over 10 years to go towards job training costs.

For its part, GoDaddy must sign a 10-year lease for the site and invest $15 million in the building within the next five years. It must also retain the 1,364 jobs at the facility, which have an average salary of $44,800.

If the company fails to maintain those job numbers for two years, the town has the option of terminating the deal.

Business Briefs

BY GSN STAFF

Industrial building sold

A 53,500 square-foot industrial building at 619 N. Cooper Road sold for $3,840,000 recently.

The new buyer, Arizona Auto Parts, will use the facility for auto dismantling and recycling of automotive parts. Built in 1973, the manufacturing space features heavy power, 14’-28’ clear heights and a rail line.

“GoDaddy has occupied space in the northwest corridor and is a very significant tech employer in Gilbert,” Gilbert Economic Development Director Dan Henderson said.

The town commissioned an economic impact study by Applied Economics that found retaining GoDaddy will create an economic impact of $1.53 billion for Gilbert over the next 10 years and contribute $80.5 million in annual personal income to the town.

In addition, having high quality technology employers like GoDaddy can help the town attract similar companies to the area in the future, East Valley Partnership President and CEO John Lewis said.

When GoDaddy determined that it needed additional space and upgrades to retain its employees, the company considered sites in Gilbert and others

The building sits on 13.33 acres south of U.S. 60 and has a two-car rail spot serviced by Union Pacific.

Previously occupied by Schuff Steel, the site is located in Gilbert’s last remaining heavy industrial area.

Pete Batschelet, principal with Lee & Associates, Arizona represented the buyer, Cooper Property of Phoenix.

Jim Passey with Passey Realty & Investments represented the seller, GMW Enterprises of Phoenix.

outside of the town and outside of Arizona, Henderson said.

Because of the company’s importance to the local economy – it is the largest technology employer in Gilbert – local leadership made a concerted effort to work out a deal to keep GoDaddy in Gilbert.

“Through talking to them and their real estate group, we felt that it was important to enter into a development agreement for the purpose of (keeping GoDaddy) in the community,” Henderson said.

The interior and exterior renovation will expand the facility by about 15,000 square feet and includes employeefocused upgrades like a fitness center, café and coffee bar.

“Each of our GoDaddy facilities features different designs and unique amenities that help drive creativity and collaboration,” Vice President of Global

Real Estate Calvin Crowder said.

The goal of the renovation project is more about employee retention than expansion, as the facility is nearing capacity. Many of the upgrades will “help drive creativity and collaboration” among employees in the facility, Crowder said.

He also noted the company will be taking advantage of virtual reality technology to give employees a virtual walk-through of the new facilities before the renovation is complete.

The project will also include work station and equipment upgrades for employees as well as infrastructure improvements, including a new HVAC system and energy-efficient LED lighting.

GoDaddy is currently in the process of finishing the design phase of the renovation.

Highland Corner sells above asking price

ORION Investment Real Estate has sold retail center Highland Corner for $1.3 million, above asking price.

The fully leased center, built in 2006, benefits from high visibility and access points on both Guadalupe and Recker roads.

Lacey Eyman and Judi Butterworth of ORION Investment Real Estate represented the seller. “This is a unique, beautiful property in an SEE

BRIEFS PAGE 44

(Special to GSN)

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Business

October 2017

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General contractor offers insight to those considering renovations

BY DAVID M. BROWN

Nine years ago, Gilbert resident Tom Monte founded Arizona Structures, a general contracting company that quickly established its “passion for perfection” by completing home additions, bathroom and kitchen remodels and major renovations.

Together with business partner Dave Green of Phoenix, the company has completed projects in Mesa, Gilbert and Chandler and has since brought its expertise for design, craftsmanship and personalized service to other parts of the Valley as well.

“Your home is your sanctuary, your retreat from the busy world.

We have enjoyed the trust given to us by our clients throughout the East Valley and elsewhere and look forward to continuing those valued relationships,” Monte said.

According to the Joint Center for Housing Studies at Harvard University, Americans will spend about $317 billion on home repairs

and renovations in 2017. Monte noted the home owner must beware of less-than-reputable contractors who promise all and deliver much less.

Recently, clients came to Arizona Structures for a variety of homeimprovement goals, including sustainability and energy efficiency, universal design, improved market value and indoor health and comfort.

Remodeling green can reduce waste and energy consumption, conserve natural resources, improve both air and water quality and protect ecosystems. A majority of consumers consider energy savings and environmental features a priority when looking for a new home, the contractor said.

Many homeowners are opting for Universal Design, configurations that satisfy a wide variety of users, according to him.

“Universal Design allows you to design to be functional through

your lifetime rather than spending a great deal of time and money remodeling each time something changes, be it health or accessibility,” Monte said. “It can also increase the value of your home, expanding its marketability.”

Improving outdated design or materials can improve market value. Installing highefficiency windows and doors is a capital-intensive example; switching older bulbs out to LEDs is a less costly one.

In addition, studies have documented that the inside environment of your home can be far worse than the outside from a health perspective. Eliminating mildew and using materials low in volatile organic compounds, for example, can promote the health and SEE

CONTRACTOR PAGE 43

(Special to GSN)

Tom Monte of Arizona Structures

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CONTRACTOR ROM PAGE 42 wellness of your family.

Arizona Structures is partnering with The Mayo Clinic on Delos, which has brought wellness to the forefront of design,

43

construction, facilities and operations decisions.

“I have become the first contractor in Arizona to offer this program and am looking forward to using it to help my neighbors improve their lives through home improvement,” Monte said.

When choosing a general contractor…

• Look for a culture of communication and teamwork. Find a company you feel will give you the most personalized encounter. You can tell from the very first meeting if they are engaged and partnering with you rather than trying to push their own agenda.

• Determine if the contractor has a set of company procedures. Process and project oversight are two that sometimes get overlooked when selecting a general contractor, so make sure they have clear and defined ways of communicating and interacting with your project.

• Make sure that all of the costs are revealed up front. Ask for all the options and explanations on what dollars are involved.

Most often, homeowners don’t hear the final cost until late in the development stages.

They’re disappointed, as the cost has busted the budget.

One of Tom Monte’s renovation projects in Gilbert.

• Feel the love, but also put feelers out. Trust, but verify. Ask for a few referrals with past projects and possibly the contacts of recent clients so you can chat with them. Make sure the general contractor has your best interests in mind.

• Is the company licensed with the Arizona Registrar of Contractors? Does it carry the insurance and bonding to protect you from risk? Is it familiar with all local building codes?

• Are they sharing openly about what you should expect? If they are saying everything is going to be just fine, they are already misleading you. There are always challenges that come in any remodeling or new home construction, and a reputable contractor will address these up front in the initial meeting.

(Special to GSN)

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Business

October 2017

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Young artist’s foil creations on display at Arizona State Fair

BY CHRISTINA FUOCO-KARASINSKI

Tamiko Azuma would have described her son, Sam Goldinger, as shy and quiet five years ago. He had very little interest in performing or showing off his artwork.

But that was before he entered his artwork in the Arizona State Fair and demonstrated his ability to fashion animals and bugs out of foil. His whole persona has changed thanks to the fair, which opens Friday, Oct. 6.

“These demonstrations that he did at the state fair really boosted his confidence,” said Azuma, who lives in Gilbert with her fellow ASU professor husband, Steve Goldinger. “He started in the home arts division in 2015, and in 2016 he demonstrated in the fine arts building.”

This fall, the 18-year-old Chandler Preparatory Academy student is widening his scope by exhibiting a painting inspired by the film Kubo and the Two Strings, and a papier mache sculpture of a dragon at the fair.

“I’ve always had creative tendencies,” Goldinger said. “One of my big artforms is foil sculpting. I made little paper people, action figures to mess around with. But paper was a terrible medium. They would fall apart and I would have to use tape to hold them together. So, I made them out of foil instead.”

He challenges himself by creating a variety of foil creatures. Goldinger, who is applying to study marine biology or environmental science at Arizona and California universities, admitted he is fascinated with dragons. He agreed

with his mother that demonstrating at the fair helped him.

“I learned a lot about showmanship,” Goldinger said. “I learned how to talk with other people and share the same story, but make it slightly different. That’s very important for making presentations in the scientific community.

It will improve the quality of what I do.”

He prefers to make larger foil sculptures, but understands that sometimes he has to create smaller ones because they take up less space.

“The larger ones are incredibly fragile,” Goldinger said. “Plus, I cannot demonstrate the larger ones at the fair. I taught myself how to make smaller and smaller versions of them, so the audience will find the demonstration interesting. I need to make sure they don’t look shabby, compared to the other things I’ve built.

“Believe me, foil sculpting is a relatively quick medium, compared to painting and paper mache. The big dragons take a few hours. One that I made took the entirety of my summer vacation.”

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Azuma is thankful for her son’s time at the fair.

“Now he’s been doing workshops at the Chandler Public Libraries,” she said. “He’s also been doing these demonstrations for the elementary school that’s connected to his school. He has a lot more confidence in his ability to present. He’s creative and I’m proud of him.”

BRIEFS FROM PAGE 40 excellent trade area. We had substantial buyer interest and a smooth closing process,” Eyman said.

The seller in this transaction was David Christenholz. The buyer was Bikramjit Nanar, represented by Barbara Lloyd and Lane Neville of NAI Horizon.

Marcus & Millichap sell properties

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Sam Goldinger has been creating tin foil sculptures for about five years.

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Commercial real estate investment services firm Marcus & Millichap has sold The Learning Experience, a 16,000 square-foot retail property in Gilbert for $3,821,400.

The Learning Experience is located at the southwest corner of Pecos and Higley roads.

Also recently, the firm sold Banner Urgent Care, a 4,481 square-foot leased property located at 641 W. Warner Road for $2,570,000.

AT&T wireless service expanded

AT&T has upgraded six cell towers on its

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4G LTE network to give customers faster, more reliable wireless service.

Customers will experience better network connectivity while streaming videos, sharing on social media or texting, the company stated.

The upgrades are part of AT&T’s ongoing efforts to increase speeds, add capacity and expand the availability of its network using the latest technology.

AT&T invested nearly $425 million in its Phoenix area wireless and wired networks during 2014-2016.

Iced for life celebrates two years

To celebrate its second anniversary, Iced For Life will host a day of celebration from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. on October 7.

It will offer customer specials, prize wheel spins, entertainment and photo opportunities. The store is located at the northwest corner of Williams Field Road and Val Vista Drive.

For details, contact Chelsea Mellor at 480-786-8858 or email at info@ icedforlife.com.

www.GilbertSunNews.com

Business

October 2017

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Business

October 2017

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Gilbert, Chandler atop U.S. list of prosperous areas

BY WAYNE SCHUTSKY

The East Valley is laden with prosperity, according to a recent economic analysis of ZIP codes across the country, though that affluence is not evenly distributed throughout the region.

The Economic Innovation Group, a bipartisan public policy organization, recently released the 2017 Distressed Communities Index, which analyzes a range of economic factors in communities across the country and ranks ZIP codes and cities using a cumulative distress score.

Gilbert (No. 1) and Chandler (No. 4) outranked haughtier locales like Scottsdale, San Francisco and Seattle on the report’s list of the most prosperous large cities in the country.

Arizona and California were the only states with three municipalities listed in the top 10 on the most prosperous cities ranking.

“The big dividing line at the city level tends to be an old and new question,” said John Lettieri, EIG co-founder and senior director for policy and strategy.

“The places that are newer and faster growing tend to be more prosperous … the older, slower-growing cities tend to be at the lower end of the prosperous spectrum.”

The factors the group took in to account include poverty rate, median income ratio, percentage of the population over 25 without a high school diploma, and percentage of adults between 25 and 64 not working.

It also looks at community-based factors like housing vacancy rate and the percent change in the number of jobs and businesses in the community between 2011 and 2015.

EIG then classifies communities as prosperous, comfortable, mid-tier, at-risk or distressed based on the distress score.

“At the community level, (we are looking at whether) places are seeing business growth or business decline,” Lettieri said. “At the center of this question is do you have growth or decline in your stock of businesses.”

Gilbert ranked number one on the list with a distress score of just 2.1 and 99.9 percent of its population living in what the report deemed prosperous ZIP codes. The low score was driven by the town’s poverty rate under 10 percent, low housing vacancy rate and booming employment numbers.

Gilbert ZIP code 85298 saw businesses increase by over 70 percent and employment jump 205 percent between 2011 and 2015. The median income in Gilbert ZIP codes is between 150 and 192 percent of the state median income.

Chandler ranked fourth on the list with a distress score of 10.6 and 64.9 percent of residents living in prosperous ZIP codes. The majority of Chandler ZIP codes show a poverty rate of 10.3 percent or lower, though 85225, the largest ZIP code with 73,155 residents, has a poverty rate over 18 percent.

Despite the higher poverty rate, other measurables in 85225 fall in line with the rest of the city. The ZIP code has a median income higher than the state median and saw employment and business presence grow between 2011 and 2015.

The housing vacancy rates across all Chandler ZIP codes are under six percent.

The report also signaled out Arizona Congressional District 5 – which includes Gilbert, Queen Creek and parts of

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Chandler and Mesa – as the eighth most prosperous congressional district in the country.

Only 0.5 percent of all residents in the district live in distressed communities while 61.4 percent live in prosperous communities.

EIG defines prosperous communities as those with a distress score of 20 or below, which ranks in the top 1/5 of all ZIP codes included in the study.

While the majority of the ZIP codes in the East Valley are considered prosperous or comfortable, those designations are by no means a blanket designation for the region.

Mesa, for example, has six ZIP codes that qualify as prosperous or comfortable, meaning they have a distress score of 40 or lower.

The city also has five ZIP codes that fall under the at-risk or distressed designation.

Mesa’s second most populace ZIP code, 85201, is also its most distressed with a score of 84.2. That ranking largely stems from its poverty rate of 25.2 percent, which is nearly 10 points higher than the national average of 15.5 percent.

The ZIP code also has a higher than average percentage of adults without a high school diploma (29.1 percent) and the median wage in the community is only 70.4 percent of the state’s median income.

While 85201 saw slight business growth between 2011 and 2015, the overall employment in the area dropped by nearly five percent.

ZIP code 85202 – which includes the Fiesta District – has slightly better measurables than 85201, though it still

falls under EIG’s at-risk designation. The report shows the community has seen business loss and negligible job gains between 2011 and 2015.

One way a city like Mesa can promote the growth of prosperous communities is by encouraging home-grown businesses that “have skin in the game,” said Steve Glickman, EIG co-founder and executive director.

He added that Mesa currently underperforms in this area versus the state as a whole.

“You have to be an attractive location for entrepreneurship in general,” Glickman said.

Unsurprisingly, the most prosperous ZIP codes in Mesa are on the east side of the city and include 85212, 85209 and 85207.

Leading the way is 85212, home of residential and employment hubs like the Eastmark masterplanned community and Phoenix-Mesa Gateway Airport. The ZIP code has a distress score of 11.6 and a poverty rate under 10 percent.

The study also raises questions about equity and access to prosperity. The Mesa ZIP codes with the highest minority populations are also those with the worst distress scores.

The ZIP codes in Gilbert – where virtually every resident lives within a prosperous ZIP code – were also less diverse than its East Valley counterparts.

“A place can appear prosperous because it is not accessible to lower or middle-income people,” Lettieri said.

“Part of this is (showing) how you got there and how you can allow access to lower and middle-income people – how you can connect places and people so you are sharing that prosperity.”

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October 2017

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Mesquite High’s experiment to fly on International Space Station

BY EDUARDO BARRAZA

Can growing peanuts in space drastically reduce the need for fertilizer, and provide a ready food source for astronauts to make the long journey to Mars?

A space experiment designed by students at Mesquite High School earlier this year is trying to find out.

The experiment consists of testing the nitrogen fixing properties of a peanut plant in micro-gravity by flying it on the International Space Station for 30 days.

The ISS functions as a microgravity and space environment laboratory, where research of this type is conducted, and where crew members carry out experiments in fields like physics, biology and astronomy.

The students’ experiment will be placed in a four-by-four-inch metallic cube, and launched into space on an Antares rocket from NASA’s Wallops Flight Facility located in Wallops Island, Virginia on November 10, a target date.

Students who were involved in creating the experiment will collect data remotely with the help of the astronauts aboard.

If successful, Mesquite High’s peanut plant experiment could contribute to preparing the way for the future cultivation of crops for food in space.

The experiment was created in February during a three-day space camp called “Go For Launch!” that involves space exploration as a platfom to launch student involvement in Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM).

“We had about 40 students participate and compete in a project-based contest where they formed teams, and spent the weekend working with astronauts to develop an experiment,” said Mark Jordan, Mesquite’s engineering and woodworking teacher.

Mesquite hosts this program every year in partnership with Orbital ATK. The aerospace manufacturer and defense industry company sponsors, mentors and works with the students.

This year, one of Mesquite’s teams, the Saguaro Snakes, won both the regional and the national science experiment contests in the Orbital ATK Division, thus qualifying to fly their experiment on the ISS. Jordan said the students came up with the idea of an experiment based on peanuts due to the amazing nitrogen-fixing properties of these edible seeds.

“When you plant peanuts, they put nitrogen back into the soil, and nitrogen is what every other plant uses as a fertilizer,” Jordan said. “One of the problems that we are going to have when we travel to Mars is not only growing crops when we get there, but also supplying food on the way there.”

Devin Askue, a Mesquite junior student and member of the Saguaro Snakes team that developed the peanut experiment, said the team researched a number of ideas prior to choosing peanuts.

“We looked at peanuts, and we thought it would be a good thing to use them as fertilizer for other plants,” he said.

(GSN photo by Eduardo Barraza)

Mesquite High’s Junior student Devin Askue (left), and Mark Jordan, Mesquite’s engineering and woodworking teacher.

For Askue, whose goal is to become an aerospace engineer, the experiment as well as winning the regional and national competitions is definitely something that can serve him well in the future.

“I think it opens up opportunities for me and everyone on the team. It will look great on my resume,” he said.

Jordan feels the same way, and thinks that having won the contest is a great experience, since Mesquite students competed against much larger schools and districts.

“Having Mesquite win put us on the map as kind of like a force to be reckoned with, and in the aerospace community as

it’s being taught throughout the nation,” he said.

Jordan and four of his students were invited to do a presentation for Go for Launch! at the Project Lead the Way Summit in Orlando, Florida in October. In 2018, Mesquite High will host its annual Go For Launch! camp from March 1-4.

The Go for Launch! program is sponsored by Higher Orbits, a nonprofit that promotes Science, Technology, Engineering and Math.

For more information on the Go for Launch! program,visit goo.gl/7ANhnj.

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The Prudential Sprit of Community Awards has issued a call for entries for its 2018 awards; they may be submitted until November 7.

Sponsored in partnership with the National Association of Secondary School Principals, it is one of the nation’s largest youth volunteer recognition programs.

Winners receive $5,000, a gold medallion, a crystal trophy for their nominating organization and a $5,000 Prudential Foundation grant for a charitable organization of their choice.

More than 33,000 applied this year.

Arizona’s top teen volunteer winners were Emery Miller, 18, of Gilbert, who launched an annual holiday drive that collected more than 17,000 teddy bears in six years for hospitalized children in seven states and Lauren Basye, 13, also of Gilbert, who led

a small group of students in turning an old storage room at their school into a library. Lauren’s group worked during lunch hours and free periods to clean out the room, gather and sort books and develop the operating procedure.

Each year, 102 State Honorees are named, two from each state, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico, as well as 230 Distinguished Finalists.

In May, the top 10 volunteers are selected and named America’s Top 10 Youth Volunteers.

Details: 855-670-4787 or prudentialspirit-of-community-awards-nassp.

Youth

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October 2017

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Photos by Cheryl Haselhorst At first glance it seems these preschoolers from The Goddard School in Gilbert are just playing. They are actually testing toys for brands such as Lakeshore Learning, Hape, Faber-Castell, K’Nex, Fat Brain Toys, Peaceable Kingdom and Learning Resources. While the children are at play, teachers observe and document how the toys rate among the judging criteria: interactivity, skill development and creative inspiration. The Goddard School is at 1420 N. Higley Road, Gilbert.

1. Natalie plays the “Lil Lemonade Stand-Off” memory matching game.

2. Carter, left, and Amelia try the “Lil Lemonade Stand-Off” game.

3. Farah, left, and Elia lay out tiles from the “Let’s Go Code!” activity set.

4. Tristan drives a car up the ramp of the “Go! Go! Smart Wheels Race & Play Adventure Park.”

5. Alina plays coy with a toy pig.

6. Vincent takes a dining order from the “Star Diner Restaurant Play Set.” 7. Katie cuts a toy tomato at play with the “Star Diner Restaurant Play Set.” 8. Bryanna shows her creativity with the “Budding Builder Set.” 9. Josephine demonstrates a toy pig’s grunt.

10. Teacher Christi Williams explains the “Farm Alarm” card game to students, from left, Zack, Josephine, Alina and Angus.

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October 2017

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EV teen suicide cluster alarms officials

BY JIM WALSH

Seven East Valley teenagers committed suicide during a six-week period this summer, creating a disturbing suicide cluster and a grassroots effort to do everything possible to prevent additional deaths.

The unusual suicide cluster included six boys and a girl ranging from 13-18 years old. Six victims hanged themselves and one death was by shooting. The deaths started on July 24 and ended on Labor Day weekend.

The teens lived within 10-12 miles of each other. They did not know each other, but one boy knew another boy who killed himself in May. The victims – from Chandler, Gilbert and Queen Creek – were described as high-achieving students with plenty of friends who might not fit the preconceived notion of a suicidal teen.

The suicides came to the attention of Katey McPherson, executive director of the Gurian Institute, a Washington State organization dedicated to “helping boys and girls reach their full potential by providing professional development that increases student achievement, teacher effectiveness, and parent involvement,” according to its website.

McPherson monitored teen suicides for the past year, since a Corona del Sol High

HUNTERS

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School student killed himself. Another committed suicide a year prior on campus.

As a result of the cluster, teen suicide – a problem traditionally cloaked in stigma and relegated to the shadows – suddenly emerged as a topic earlier this month when an estimated 350 people packed a room to hear about the psychological issues that motivate youngsters to take their own lives.

McPherson read off the victims’ first names at the conference but mentioned no other details to protect their privacy.

The conference focused on prevention, such as recognizing warning signs, improving communication between parents and teens, monitoring social media, getting help immediately for those in crisis and removing “lethal means” of committing suicide, such as guns and belts.

“We have to get in front of this story.

We don’t have any choice. We can’t afford to lose another child,” said McPherson, who organized the conference at Gilbert’s Campo Verde High School.

McPherson, a former Gilbert school administrator, noted the disturbing trend by networking with school administrators and friends, colleagues and fellow parents on East Valley social media sites. What she found shocked her and persuaded her to

JUMPERS

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(Photo by Kimberly Carrillo)

Katey McPherson, executive director of the Gurian Institute and a former Gilbert school administrator, has helped mobilize more suicide prevention efforts.

launch the conference as a call to action.

“It is my hope that this is the beginning, that we turn this tragedy into a legacy,” McPherson said.

Natalia Chimbo-Andrade, director of

education and community outreach with Community Bridges, a major East Valley behavioral services provider, said she has heard that a dozen teenagers in the region killed themselves during the past year.

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SIGNS TO WATCH Experts list these basic signs of a potentially suicidal teenager: • Talking about suicide • Making statements about feeling hopeless, helpless or worthless • A deepening depression • Preoccupation with death • Taking unnecessary risks or exhibiting self-destructive behavior • Out of character behavior • A loss of interest in the things one cares about • Visiting or calling people one cares about • Making arrangements; setting one’s affairs in order • Giving prized possessions away

She said suicide statistics are sometimes hazy because of the stigma attached. A death might be classified as accidental, for instance, instead of suicide.

CDC data reported by the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention ranks suicide as the eighth-leading cause of

death in Arizona, with 1,276 people taking their own lives in 2015.

Suicide is the leading cause of death for people 10-14 years old and the second leading cause of death for those 15-34.

An Arizona Department of Health Services report for 2015 logged 10 suicides by children 14 or younger and 60 by those 15 to 19. The majority were white males.

Before the meeting, McPherson arranged a meeting of East Valley school superintendents at the school.

Glenn “Max” McGee, superintendent of the Palo Alto School District in Palo Alto, California, briefed them on how he dealt with a suicide cluster and how to prevent such deaths.

“I am hoping that school district officials who have the power and money will work as partners with us and mobilize,” McPherson said. “We need pervasive, ongoing programming.”

Chimbo-Andrade provided Suicide Alertness Training last week to 151 staff members with Gilbert Public Schools. The training helps educators recognize people who might be having suicidal thoughts and to connect them with the help they need. Those receiving the SafeTALK training included counselors, nurses, psychologists and school administrative staff.

“With the recent loss to suicides the East Valley has experienced, it’s nice to work with districts that understand the importance of evidence-based training and prevention efforts to keep their schools

and students safe,” Chimbo-Andrade said.

She hopes more school districts will contact her to seek training. And she recommends confronting people – asking them if they plan to kill themselves – if warning signs are present. Research shows many suicidal people are ambiguous about whether they want to live or die, ChimboAndrade said.

“You are not going to plant a seed,” she said. “Part of them wants to live and part of them wants to die. Asking them shows genuine concern. Reaching out to someone says ‘I care.’”

The Gurian Institute’s work includes study and training sessions on how the brains of boys and girls develop differently and how teachers and parents can reach them. McPherson said the female brain is fully developed at 22, the male brain at 30.

“Boys are much more likely to execute” suicide, she said. “Boys don’t tell anyone.

They turn inward and not outward. Girls are much more likely to attempt but not complete suicide.”

Parents are urged to keep a close watch on their teenagers’ cellphones. “I call it the phone check,” Chandler police Officer Kevin Quinn said. “You have to know what your kids are putting into these things.

Everything is in the phone.”

Experts at the conference said warning signs can be cryptic or not exist at all.

LeAnn Hull, a businesswoman from north Phoenix, formed Andy Hull’s Sunshine Foundation after her son, a promising

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October 2017

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left-handed pitcher on the Sandra Day O’Connor High School baseball team, shot himself to death in December 2012.

On a Saturday night, “He said, ‘Mom, if you knew what is going on in my head, it would scare you,’” Hull said.

On the following Tuesday, Andy came home from school at lunchtime, watched a music video and apparently mimicked it by shooting himself with a gun, she said.

“You have to respond to the one message. I didn’t hear it,” Hull said.

Hull also spoke to the Tempe Unified High School District board Sept. 6 about the importance of suicide awareness and has spoken to school boards around the U.S. “Had there been any education and awareness presented at our schools… I honestly believe my son would be here,” Hull said.

She said some schools resist addressing the topic. “I get a lot of pushback from educators and administrators” who say, ‘They don’t need something else to do.’ ... A lot of districts are not brave enough to talk about this subject.”

While that attitude may have persisted in the East Valley at one point, school officials seem to be recognizing teen suicide is an epidemic that must be addressed.

At Gilbert Public Schools, each school has a behavioral health team comprising a social worker, counselor, nurse and SEE

SUICIDE PAGE 52

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SUICIDE FROM PAGE 51

school psychologist, said Jon Castelhano, executive director of technology.

Students and family can be referred to the behavioral health team in a number of ways – as a self-referral, or via the team, a teacher, family or community agency.

“That team can better get in there and address some of those needs,” Castelhano said.

The district also provides depression awareness and suicide prevention education to students and staff, as part of an SOS (“Signs of Suicide”) prevention program.

Those prevention programs have been successful in “increasing help being sought by students concerned about themselves or a friend,” Castelhano said.

The behavioral health team takes that

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referral and sets in motion steps to work with the student.

Since 2013, the Chandler Unified School District has been training teachers to recognize the early warning signs of suicide, said Meg Gianesello, executive director of educational programs.

“Students who present suicidal ideations meet immediately with a counselor, school psychologist or social worker,” she wrote in an email. “Parents are always contacted.

If the student needs immediate attention, crisis hotlines are called.”

Recently, junior high and high school students viewed a suicide prevention video in recognition of National Suicide Prevention Week and were given an opportunity to speak with counselors.

(Special to GSN)

SHINY AND NEW: Gilbert Christian School opened a new 60,000-squarefoot location at 4341 S. Greenfield Road recently.

The facility, built at a cost of $14 million, may accommodate up to 500 K-8 students. The chain, which has elementary and middle schools in Agritopia, teaches a Biblebased curriculum.

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New Vistas students win national history awards

BY GSN STAFF

The brightest young historians in the world gathered for the International Finals of National History Day at the University of Maryland in College Park recently. These exemplary students from the United States and countries around the world competed in the final round of eliminations which began a year ago with more than 500,000 entrants.

For the past six years, New Vistas elementary school in Chandler has participated in the National History Day yearlong academic program which

(Special to GSN)

Participants form New Vistas elementary school in Chandler pause for a photo during their parade at the International Finals of National History Day at the University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland recently.

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Audio students to get Blue recording tools

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GSN CONTRIBUTOR

The proper tools are necessary for any craftsman to put their passions to work and the world of professional audio is no different. The Tempe- and Gilbert-based Conservatory of Recording Arts & Sciences, an institution for audio engineering education, announced that new students entering the Master Recording Program will receive numerous bluemic.com Blue “tools” as a part of their Laptop Recording Package.

Blue is a company that produces stateof-the-art recording tools.

“CRAS and Blue have a successful history together, from product clinics for our students to Blue’s Internship Program that CRAS students have participated in and, in many cases, have been hired to work at Blue,” said Kirt Hamm, CRAS administrator.

As part of the MacBook Pro Laptop

Recording Package that students receive upon starting classes, Blue is providing a Spark SL microphone, Mo-Fi headphones, and Dual cable, among other tools.

The package also includes Avid Pro Tools, the Apple Pro Apps bundle with Logic Pro X, Compressor, and Final Cut Pro, MainStage, and Motion, and plug-in bundles from iZotope and Waves. It also includes a Native Instruments Komplete Audio 6 USB audio interface.

“We feel it’s important to provide students with high-quality professional audio tools early in their education, and our hope is that these tools help foster more creativity and support CRAS students as they move to the next level in audio production,” said Ben Thompkins, Blue regional sales manager.

Details: cras.edu

(Special to GSN)

Students at Tempe- and Gilbert-based Conservatory of Recording Arts & Sciences will receive Blue recording tools.

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HIGLEY HAPPENINGS

AZ Diamondbacks name 2017 Most Valuable Teacher MICHELLE REESE/HIGLEY UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT

The moment Baxter the Bobcat walked through her door, Sossaman Middle School physics teacher Nancy Foote knew something was happening.

The Arizona Diamondbacks surprised Nancy Foote recently with the announcement that she was selected as the 2017 Most Valuable Teacher of the Year. More than 350 applied for the honor. Pitcher Shelby Miller presented her with a $5,000 check and the Sept. 22 home game included a presentation to Foote on the field.

“I was shocked to see Baxter, Shelby Miller and the DBack staff, plus Higley VIPs, come to my room... I had absolutely no idea that they were coming. I never expected to be named DBacks 2017 MVT of the year!” Foote said.

Sossaman Middle School in Queen Creek is part of the Higley Unified School District.

“This award was created by the Diamondbacks ‘to support our everyday heroes in schools that are shaping the future for our community.’ Nancy Foote supports students daily and teaches more than science in her class. Life lessons are learned and she truly is shaping the future of this community,” Sossaman Principal John Dolan said.

The presentation turned into a science lesson as Baxter and the Diamondbacks pitcher joined with Foote as she explained the physics aspect of baseball.

The students also earned opportunities to win tickets to the baseball game and many jumped in a photo to cap off the event.

“I teach because I love it. I hope I have a positive impact on the lives of kids. I hope they learn from me – about life as well as about physics. But, as a teacher, you never really know if you

(Special to GSN)

Arizona Diamondbacks pitcher Shelby Miller, along with Baxter the Bobcat, honor Nancy Foote of Sossaman Middle School as the 2017 Most Valuable Teacher.

are accomplishing what you hope to accomplish,” Foote said. “Well, until something like this happens.”

That’s because the students who nominated Foote for the award were former students, ones she taught more than two decades ago.

“They all wanted to say thanks to me. How humbling. It’s affirming to know that I am having the positive impact I want to have, that students remember the lessons I taught, not just about science or math, and that maybe a small part of them is better because I was their teacher. I know I am better because they were in my life,” she said.

Earlier this year, Foote was selected as a monthly Diamondbacks Most Valuable Teacher winner and presented a $1,000 check at a home game.

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54

Spirituality

October 2017

Spiritual Connections The Bridge Church 645 N. Gilbert Road, Suite 180, Gilbert 480-294-7888 bridgechurchaz.org Service: 10 a.m. Sundays We exist to help people know God and become everything God created them to be. We do this by helping people begin a relationship with God, grow in that relationship to find freedom from the struggles they experience, discover the purpose for which God made them and live out their purpose to make a difference in the church and in the world.

Central Christian Church-Gilbert 965 E. Germann Road, Gilbert centralaz.com Services: 4 and 5:30 p.m. Saturdays and 9 a.m., 10:30 a.m. and noon Sundays While the Bible itself is the church’s official document of faith, the website lists a variety of statements that fundamentally define the church. Please visit the website for more information.

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints 3301 S. Greenfield Road, Gilbert 480-822-5000 lds.org

www.GilbertSunNews.com

First United Methodist Church of Gilbert 331 S. Cooper Road, Gilbert 480-892-9166 gilbertumc.org Services: 8 and 9:30 a.m. (traditional services) and 11 a.m. (contemporary service) Sundays The two traditional services feature the Chancel choir and traditional worship.

The 11 a.m. service has a contemporary feel, with music from the Praise Band.

The 9:30 a.m. service generally has the largest attendance.

Gilbert Presbyterian Church 235 E. Guadalupe Road, Gilbert 480-892-6753 azgpc.org Services: 8:30 and 11 a.m. Sundays Gilbert Presbyterian Church is called to be a Christ-centered covenant family nurtured by the Holy Spirit to worship God and to share God’s love.

The Lawrence Memorial AME Zion Church 1141 E. Guadalupe Road, Gilbert 480-772-3603 Services: 10:15 a.m. Sunday; Bible study is 6:30 p.m. Tuesday The Lawrence Memorial Church is a contemporary church. We are a multicultural church that is simply looking to reach the unreachable with love.

Living Water United Methodist Fellowship Highland Park Elementary School 230 N Cole Dr., Gilbert livingwaterum.org Services: 10 a.m. Sundays Living Water exists to bring people in to meet Christ, build people up to follow Christ and send people out to share Christ.

Mission Community Church 4450 E. Elliot Road, Gilbert 480-545-4024 mission68.org Services: 4 and 6 p.m. Saturdays and

Join us for our current series in the Book of Proverbs.

Sundays at 10:00 am New Location 645 N Gilbert Rd, Suite 180 Gilbert, AZ 85234 (Southeast corner of Gilbert & Guadalupe, south of EVDI) Pastor Kent Bertrand 480.294.7888 www.bridgechurchaz.org

9, 10:30 and 11:59 a.m. Sundays The Bible is God’s word to all people.

It was written by human authors under the supernatural guidance of the Holy Spirit. Because it is inspired by God, it is truth and without error in the original manuscripts.

Redemption Gilbert 1820 W. Elliot Road, Gilbert 480-632-2220 gilbert.redemptionaz.com/about/ a-brief-overview/ Services: 8, 9:30 and 11 a.m. Sundays Gospel means good news, but it is truly the most profound and glorious truth ever revealed. It is not advice, nor is it a system or philosophy to add to the congregants’ lives. It is an exclusive truth claim, a holistic worldview, the true story of the whole world, which by its very nature must redefine and recolor everything else.

Resurrection Episcopal Church Meets at Gilbert Community Center, 130 N. Oak St., Gilbert 480-719-5343 resurrectiongilbert.org Services: 10 a.m. Sundays Resurrection officials say the congregation is a church you can believe in because you belong. This means it welcomes and embraces all people because God already has. Come for worship, fellowship and Bible study on Sundays and join the group on a spiritual journey to better understand God’s plan for our lives.

San Tan Bible Church 1424 S. Promenade Lane, Gilbert th Starting January 8 , 2017, Phone number not available. please join us as we work throughsantanbible.org the Services: 8:30 a.m. (Bible hour); 9:30 Community Bible Experience together, a.m. (Café 2:42) and 10 a.m. worship as a church family! service Sundays The church believes the glory of God is the chief end of all we do.

E. Guadalupe Rd.

Sun Valley Community Church 456 E. Ray Road, Gilbert 480-632-8920 sunvalleycc.com Services: 4 and 5:30 p.m. Saturdays and 9, 10:30 and 11:59 a.m. Sundays The atmosphere is casual and friendly at Sun Valley Community Church.

It places high value on authentic Christian living and placing Christ at the center of all our teachings. The church also offers worship music that is current and uplifting, along with focused weekend sermons that break down the Bible in a way that makes it easy to connect the word of God with today’s busy life.

Two Rivers Church 326 E. Guadalupe Rd., Gilbert 85234 480-892-2435, 2riverschurch.org Services: 6 p.m. Saturdays; and 10 a.m. and 12:30 p.m. (Spanish) Sundays Two Rivers Church exists to help lead congregants into a growing relationship with Jesus Christ by encouraging and equipping them to love God intimately and serve others. It has a casual environment with a serious faith.

N. Gilbert Rd.

Vineyard Community Church 601 S. Cooper Road, Gilbert 85233 480-892-5828 vineyardaz.com Services: 9 a.m. and 11 a.m. Sundays Vineyard Community is a casual, friendly and inviting church. Its desire is to be a safe place where people’s lives are being transformed by Christ in community for the world. The diverse community of Christ-followers seeks the radical in-breaking of the kingdom of God here and now. Followers worship God with the intention of touching heaven and changing earth.

www.GilbertSunNews.com

Arts

October 2017

55

Imogen Cunningham’s art on display

BY GSN STAFF

“Imogen Cunningham: Through Her Lens,” an exhibition of vintage and estate prints by Imogen Cunningham, will be held through October 21 at Ryan Gallery, Art Intersection in Gilbert.

One of the first professional female photographers in America, Imogen Cunningham is best known for her botanical photography, although she also produced images of nudes, industrial landscapes and street scenes.

The photographer broke the barriers for women in photography as early as 1906, and caused a stir with her series of printmaker Roi Partridge nude on Mount Rainier in 1915.

A contemporary of Ansel Adams, Alfred Stieglitz, Wynn Bullock, and Edward Weston, Cunningham took a unique approach to photography for that time with her straight-on detailed plant studies, female and male nudes, portraits of fellow artists, and by putting herself in front of the camera.

This is a notable and rarely seen collection of intriguing and dynamic vintage and estate prints, including platinum and gelatin silver, exploring Cunningham’s femnine perspective and celebrating some of her most notable photographic works.

“Imogen Cunningham, my grandmother, occupies a singular position in the history of American art of the twentieth century,” said Meg Partridge, director, Imogen Cunningham Trust. “I have worked closely with Ryan Gallery to curate some of Imogen’s most impactful and acclaimed prints for this exhibition.”

For collectors of fine art and 20th-century photography, the show is an opportunity to purchase collectable Imogen Cunningham prints.

Ryan Gallery at Art Intersection presents exceptional 20th- and 21st-century fine art photography by artists whose handcrafted images present the unique quality found only in prints created using traditional and alternative darkroom techniques.

Art Intersection is at 207 N. Gilbert Road, Suite 201, Gilbert. Details: 480-361-1118 or artintersection.com.

“Three Dancers, Mills College, 1929.”

A self-portrait of Imogen Cunningham and one of her famous magnolia images.

(Copyright 2017 Imogen Cunningham Trust)

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October 2017

Concerts by the Water Tower

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BY GSN STAFF

Fall is a time of balmy temperatures in the Valley. It’s also the time for some free concerts courtesy of the town of Gilbert.

The Downtown Concert Series is held at the Water Tower Plaza at 45 W. Page Ave., in the heart of Gilbert’s Heritage District.

Here’s the schedule: 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 12: 3Nations Band 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 26: Sir Harrison Band 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 9: August in Stereo 6 to 8:30 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 30: Amazing Pianos The concert on Nov. 30 will be held in conjunction with the Annual Holiday Lighting of the Gilbert Water Tower

and will include complementary horse and carriage rides and more musical entertainment for the whole family.

Participants may pack a picnic basket or dine at one of the nearby restaurants before heading to the concert. Alcohol or glass containers are not permitted and there aren’t any food or beverage vendors onsite.

Bring a blanket or chairs because lawn space is limited.

The Splash Pad will remain on during the concert, so please refrain from placing chairs on its lights and water fixtures Children will be permitted to play in the splash pad prior to the start of the concert and during intermission only.

Details: gilbertaz.gov/concerts

Gilbert lawyer doubles as tenor in Cinematic Pop

BY CHRISTINA FUOCO-KARASINSKI

Gilbert attorney Greg Adams has stood before judges most of his adult life.

Sometimes it’s stressful, but Adams hopes he has a calming influence on clients and peers.

Earlier this year, the Fennemore Craig water and environmental law attorney made his point in front of another set of judges: Simon Cowell, Heidi Klum, Howie Mandel and Mel B of America’s Got Talent.

Adams and his wife, Tammy, are members of Cinematic Pop, a local 100-voice choir. The tenor, who has lived in Gilbert since 2006, performs with Cinematic Pop worldwide.

“America’s Got Talent was a blast,” he said. “Reality TV is not exactly reality. We had to scale the group back to a 20-voice choir, and a 10- to 12-piece orchestra because of the logistics of getting all of us out there.”

The group received the votes to advance; however, Cinematic Pop pulled out of the show due to contractual issues.

Cinematic Pop is the creation of Adams’ childhood friends, Rob Gardner, Drex Davis and McKane Davis. “Rob was one of my friends since kindergarten,” he said. “[He] came up with the idea of taking pop music and converting it to an orchestral setting with a full choir and a huge orchestra,” Adams said. “I love music. I would have pursued it, but I reached a point in my life when I realized it wasn’t going to pay bills.”

Cinematic Pop performed sold-out shows at the Mesa Arts Center and the Musical Instrument Museum, and released a CD earlier this year, Prologue; it debuted

Upcoming events at Higley Center for the Arts Jim Pipkin and Friends: Around the Campfire Mesa-based singer and songwriter Jim Pipkin will be joined by special guests Dolan Ellis, Arizona’s official state balladeer; Marshall Trimble, Arizona’s official state historian; and local country crooner Wally Bornmann for a musical storytelling adventure about Arizona, set around a campfire. 7:30 p.m. Saturday, October 14. Tickets cost $18 to $30.80.

Bellamy Brothers Brothers Howard and David Bellamy will perform songs from their 40-year musical career, including “If I Said You Had a Beautiful Body,” “Redneck Girl,” “Santa Fe,” and their breakout 1976 popcountry hit “Let Your Love Flow.” 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, November 7. Tickets cost $32 to $50.40.

Ronny Cox Actor Ronny Cox is best-known for his appearances in movies including Deliverance, Beverly Hills Cop, Total Recall and Robocop, but in this performance, he’ll be showing off his musical comedy talents. 7:30 p.m.

Thursday, November 9. Tickets cost $24.

Heart By Heart The songs of rock band Heart take on new life in this concert featuring original Heart members, bassist Steve Fossen and drummer Michael Derosier. The rhythm section is joined by vocalist Somar Macek, multi-instrumentalist Lizzy Daymont, and guitarist Randy Hansen.

7:30 p.m. Saturday, November 18. Tickets cost $32 to $50.40.

Higley Center for the Arts is located at 4132 E. Pecos Road in Gilbert. For more information about events at Higley Center for the Arts, call 480-279-7194 or visit higleycenter.org.

Greg Adams

at No. 2 on the Billboard Classical Crossover Chart. It features Nirvana’s “Smells Like Teen Spirit,” The Cure’s “Friday I’m in Love,” and Coldplay’s “Fix You,” among others.

“Music is an outlet for so many things,” he said. “I enjoy being on stage and performing for people. It’s an adrenaline rush.”

Being in music and working as a lawyer are like worlds colliding. But it’s necessary for Adams, who has two children with Tammy, 9-year-old Emma, who plays the violin, and 6-year-old Grant, a cellist.

“It’s great to have this opportunity to sing and still have a day job that provides for my family,” Adams said.

For updates on scheduled shows, visit cinematicpop.com.

(Photo by Jarrett Gaza)

The Bellamy Brothers perform on November 7.

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Teens cement bond playing conjoined twins

BY COLLEEN SPARKS

With the many hours they spend practicing lines, learning songs and battling nerves as they portray characters on stage, it’s no wonder actors bond with each other like family members.

But two Chandler teenagers are perhaps forming an even stronger alliance than actors in other productions, as they are playing conjoined twin sisters in a musical at Limelight Performing Arts in Gilbert.

Gracie Gamble, 13, and Jessica Montecalvo, 14, take on the roles of teenage Violet Hilton and Daisy Hilton, respectively, in the musical Side Show this month at the theater.

The musical is about the ups and downs of the real-life Hilton twins, born in England in 1908, who captured the world’s attention as they performed in a traveling circus, vaudeville and movies.

Gamble, an eighth-grader at Horizon Honors Secondary School in Ahwatukee, and Montecalvo, a freshman at Hamilton High School in Chandler, are learning how to walk, stand, sit and even dance together in the unusual roles. Montecalvo said many people have often said she and Gamble look alike. In rehearsals, a string is tied around both of them to keep them moving together and in the shows they will be wearing costumes that are sewn together.

They even dance with two partners, creating a quartet of actors moving together, and Gamble said in one rehearsal it was “hard going down stairs” as a unit.

Gamble and Montecalvo say despite the odd challenges, they fell in love with the

musical and its diverse songs. Both from ages 8 to 18. Besides being have performed in other plays the star characters, Gamble and musicals in the East Valley and Montecalvo play other and taken dance classes. roles in the musical. Both “I thought it was super girls perform in the cool and something ensemble; Gamble is different,” Montecalvo also a sword swallower said. “I just wanted to and Montecalvo see how the conjoined also plays a snake twins would work.” charmer.

Gamble echoed that “It’s like you’re sentiment. “I was like, four different ‘Oh, my gosh, how is people in the span that gonna work?’” she of two hours,” said. “Sometimes I’m Gamble said. like, ‘I’m honored to act At a recent out this part.’ They’re rehearsal, the many real people.” young actors in the Though the girls musical clowned form a close bond in around, hugged, the musical, they explain acknowledged a new Violet and Daisy have haircut and talked distinct personalities. Daisy about their weekend was flirtatious and wanted to plans in between dancing, perform in vaudeville singing and navigating and be famous. Violet (GSN photo by Emma England) a dance floor at Studio was more reserved and 3 Performing Arts (From left) Samantha Timothy and Annabelle Skala in costumes for the wanted to settle down Academy, a business Limelight Performing Arts production with a husband. that provides lessons in Despite the twins’ acting, singing, dance, differences, Gamble and Montecalvo said musical theater and musical instruments on the sisters’ love for each other was evident West Guadalupe Road in Gilbert. from what they have learned while doing Limelight, a nonprofit youth theater, the musical and through their own research. holds its show rehearsals at Studio 3, but The budding East Valley actresses have all youths are encouraged to audition and forged close bonds with the fellow actors participate in Limelight productions. Other in the musical, about 30 youths ranging Southeast Valley youths are also getting

their moments in the spotlight in Side Show at the Gilbert theater. Annabelle Skala, 15, a sophomore at Queen Creek High School, plays the adult version of Daisy in the musical. Samantha Timothy, 17, a senior at Campo Verde High School, plays the adult version of Violet.

Emma England, owner of Studio 3 Performing Arts Academy and artistic director and board president of Limelight Performing Arts, wears many hats for Side Show, including choreographer, music director and set designer. She said Side Show captures some, but not all, of the dark moments in the twins’ lives. “We knew that we were going to have a show two weeks before Halloween,” England said. “I chose Side Show because it has a kind of whole Halloween-esque feel. It’s actually a really family-friendly show.”

The musical deals with topics including how the twins were exploited and their decision on whether to be separated, but it’s appropriate for all ages to see, she said.

Side Show conveys the idea people should accept themselves as they are. “We’re all different and we all have something to offer this world,” England said. “It goes back to being in someone else’s shoes.”

Side Show runs October 20-22, October 25 and October 27-29 at Limelight Performing Arts, 511 W. Guadalupe Road, Gilbert. For tickets, times and more information, visit limelight.ticketleap.com/sideshow.

Hale Centre Theatre stages comedy ‘Kiss and Tell’

BY DON ANDREWS

Hale Centre Theatre in Gilbert presents the hit romantic comedy Kiss and Tell, playing through November 14th.

This hilarious Broadway and Hollywood smash features a family feud that begins when two teenage best friends, Corliss and Mildred, come up with a scheme to sell kisses at a USO bazaar. Endearing love plots and madcap mistaken identities evolve from there, including the secret marriage of Mildred to a young Air Force officer and a prospective visit from the stork. Their bickering parents precipitate more problems than they’re able to solve, including a lawsuit and countersuit.

Called a “riotous romp” as well as a “fresh, funny and completely beguiling comedy” by critics, Kiss and Tell will be performed at Hale Theatre on Monday and Tuesday nights. The play, written by F. Hugh Herbert, successfully ran on Broadway for 956 performances over the course of about (Photos courtesy Hale Centre Theatre) three years. A popular movie of the same Kiss and Tell performances run every Monday and name starring Shirley Temple was followed Tuesday through November 14.

by a sequel, also starring Ms. Temple, in the 1940s after World War II. In Hale’s production of Kiss and Tell, Meg Farnsworth will debut as Corliss Archer, the role Shirley Temple played in the movie. Lizzy Jensen will make her debut performance playing Corliss’ best friend, Mildred Pringle. Hale Theatre veterans Mark Kleinman, Kale Burr, Alan DeWitt, Matthew Cary, Tom Endicott, Justin Howell, Ami Porter, Laura Soldan, and Yvonne Yanez are also in the cast, which is rounded out by Benjamin Harris, Mary Beth Hollman, and Jonah Romanoff. The ariZoni Award-winning Cambrian James is the director.

Actors (left to right) Laura Soldan, Meg Farnsworth and Mark Kleinman star in the Hale Centre Theatre production, Kiss and Tell.

Tickets for Kiss and Tell are available at Hale’s box office or online. Call the Hale box office at 480-497-1181 or visit Hale’s website at haletheatrearizona. com for details and to buy tickets.

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October 2017

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Opinion

October 2017

www.GilbertSunNews.com

Why you might want to work for Maricopa County

BY DENNY BARNEY

One of the primary missions of this Board of Supervisors is to ensure Maricopa County provides exceptional customer service to the residents who do business with us. A major aspect of that is hiring the right people.

We want sharp, dynamic people from the private sector who can help us innovate, as well as efficient, flexible doers from the government world who enable us to streamline our processes and achieve more. In short, we want the best service-oriented people we can get.

Here’s why you might want to come work for us.

Career flexibility: Here Denny Barney in Maricopa County, we have more than 50 lines of business which often collaborate with one another. If you want to rise up the ladder in your department and become a manager or director, you can. But it’s also possible to take your skills and

move laterally to another department.

That variety surprises many people who think of government work as “boring.”

The reality is, where you start in the county may not be where you end up.

Workforce transformation: We are in the middle of a process that will evolve our workforce so that high achievers are rewarded and those who are not meeting our standards are held accountable. Workforce transformation is about creating an environment that allows you to know what’s expected of you and where you stand with your supervisor. It (Special to GSN) also empowers you to shape the track of your career so you can grow professionally while also serving the county mission.

Potential references: With more than 13,000 employees at Maricopa County, when you come to work here, your

network immediately expands. This is a big place that employs experts and innovators in many different fields.

Whatever the future holds, you’ll have mentors and colleagues who can support you.

Innovation: As the fastest-growing county in the United States, we need to do more with less. You can push us forward with the programs you create, the systems you design and the partnerships you forge.

Serve your community: This is the reason I am a county supervisor and it is why so many of us make careers at Maricopa County. No matter what job you have in our organization, your primary function is to make life better for four million other people. Every day here is an opportunity to do something small that could make a big difference in someone’s life.

There are many examples, but here’s one I heard recently. A disabled veteran ran a red light a decade ago but didn’t have proof of insurance. There was a mix-up with his court date that never got resolved, he moved out of

the county, and the notices about his mounting fines never got to him. One day, the 63-year-old received a letter saying his license would be suspended if he did not pay hundreds of dollars in fines. He didn’t have the money.

So he wrote a letter to a judge at the West Mesa Justice Court asking for leniency, saying “Forgive me. I will do whatever you think is fair. I’m not an outlaw but a straight upstanding person.” That judge, Fred Arnett, works for the county. And that day he had a chance to make a difference. He looked at this man’s situation, kept in mind his commitment to serve the public, and did the compassionate thing. He waived the man’s fines and cleared the way to have his license reinstated. As that veteran put it, Judge Arnett’s decision “touched my heart and put a tear of joy in my eyes.”

There are a lot of reasons to consider working for Maricopa County, but it’s hard to top that one.

Denny Barney is a Gilbert resident and chairman of the Maricopa County Board of Supervisors.

ATTENTION CROSSFITTERS!

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Saturday, October 28 at 2:00 PM

Taking place in America’s Health Center 3530 S Val Vista Dr, Ste A111 Gilbert, AZ 85297 Dr. Brianne Showman Brown, PT, DPT, CIMT has been helping active adults and athletes ages 35-55 to resolve their pain and get their lives back for over 11 years. She understands the importance of returning to the activities you love and works hard to keep you involved in those activities. She has an extensive background many different sports, including running, soccer, golf, and track and field, and is now highly involved in the CrossFit, Olympic lifting, and running communities.

To register, go to www.getyourfixpt.com

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Gilbert Hospital Is Now Proudly Accepting UnitedHealthcare Contracting with major health insurance providers including:

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Biz Box

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To place a business card ad in the Biz Box, contact Tracey Wilson: 480-898-5611 • tracey@timespublications.com • www.gilbertsunnews.com PRICE: $50 + tax or 6 months for $275 + tax. Vertical business cards will be reformatted to fit this space.

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OT SO E LO E TO SP RE....WE RE IN NEED OF FOSTER F ILIES ND OL NTEERS Our ission is to save and re-ho e unwanted sick or in ured ani als using our hearts, hands and eterinary skills. ni al Doctors to the RESC E is a local certified 0 c non-profit rescue dedicated to pets in need of i ediate lifesaving edical care. We are in need of olunteers for all types of work. Whatever your talents are, if you have a love for ani als, we would love for you to oin the group If you are interested in donating, volunteering in any capacity, or fostering, please visit us at our website, www.adrescue.org/volunteer for ore infor ation or you can e ail ni alDoctorstotheRescue@g ail.co Thank you for your interest in helping ni al Doctors to the RESC E save ore pets lives We look forward to having you oin us in our ission

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All prices, specifications and availability subject to change without notice. *Vehicles may not be as shown and are subject to prior sale. **YTD in retail sales. Contact dealer for current information. Expires 10.31.17 close of business.

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NTC

64

October 2017

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