Mesa Tribune 02-12-2023

Sunday, February 12, 2023

Mesa dairy farm becoming ‘The Block’ megaproject

BY SCOTT SHUMAKER Tribune Staff Writer

The new owner of former dairy land at Elliot and Sossaman roads is moving at full steam to transform the 273-acre ranch into an industrial park with the specifications to attract Mesa’s next industrial megaproject.

Shopoff Realty Investments paid $80 million for the parcels of unincorporated Maricopa County land in September.

The sale represented the Morrison family’s final divestment of its Mesa-area land holdings after farming the region since World War II.

The dairy and half of the herd completed a move to Gila Bend last year.

With the cows gone, Shopoff is not wasting time on developing the site.

The company has simultaneously submitted an annexation request to the city, a rezoning application and a site plan review for a large industrial park Shopoff

Main Street project pits housing against history

BY SCOTT SHUMAKER Tribune Staff Writer

Abattle is brewing over the proposed demolition of the Kiva Lodge on Main Street in downtown Mesa to make way for 90 affordable rental apartments.

The proposal pits the city’s desire for affordable housing against its desire to use historic buildings for “placemaking” to help Mesa maintain a distinctive and attractive look among Valley cities.

Just last week, city staff unveiled plans to invest $4.4 million in federal grants toward restoring the historic facades of downtown storefronts.

see KIVA page 8

has dubbed “The Block.”

The company is currently hammering out the details of a development agreement with city staff that will go before the city council along with the other request.

Last week, the Mesa Planning and Zoning Board approved the rezone and plans for the first two phases of The Block, which call for 14 buildings totaling 2 million square feet of industrial space.

Striking up the band

While the Arizona Cardinals won’t have any presence in today’s Super Bowl, their mascot Big Red had a pre-game warmup earlier last week with the Mesa-based U.S. Coast Guard Arizona Band. The band is a little-known desert gem, as you’ll read on page 14 (Josh Ortega/Tribune Staff)

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Hobbs, Crow join mayor’s annual address

BY SCOTT SHUMAKER Tribune Staff Writer

Arizona Gov. Katie Hobbs and Arizona State University President Michael Crow were guests of honor at Mayor John Giles’ annual State of the City speech Feb. 7.

Hobbs’ appearance was not announced before the event and the city said it was the first time a governor has attended the speech since Jan Brewer stopped by one of former mayor Scott Smith’s State of the City speeches.

The Mesa Chamber of Commerce, which co-produces the speech, said this year’s sold-out event was the largest State of the City yet with almost a thousand attendees.

Giles’ “Back to the Future” presentation featured a video introduction with special effects filmed partially at ASU’s new film school building in downtown Mesa.

Hobbs praised Mesa for initiatives that she said fit in with her “Arizona for Everyone” vision.

“Arizona has enjoyed tremendous economic growth in the past several years, but it’s not necessarily growth that everyone is benefiting from,” Hobbs said.

She cited local jobs created by companies moving to Mesa and the city’s investment in downtown, support for small businesses and the passage of its nondiscrimination ordinance in 2021.

“When I talk about Arizona for everyone, we’ll look to the cities to lead the way on that,” she said.

Crow later joined Giles on stage to tout ASU’s $200 million expansion of its Polytechnic campus in southeast Mesa next to the Phoenix-Gateway Airport.

ASU has occupied the campus for decades, but it is expanding its footprint with the creation of a new advanced manufacturing school.

The recently launched School of Man-

ufacturing Systems and Networks is intended to complement southeast Mesa’s manufacturing “ecosystem,” which includes transportation, manufacturing and research nearby.

Crow called the school the most advanced manufacturing school “yet to be built by our species.”

“We’re growing the campus overall to 15,000 students overall, maybe 20,000,” Crow added.

To drive the event’s “future” theme home, State of the City organizers parked a replica of the Delorean time machine from the “Back to the Future” film franchise outside the ballroom entrance.

True to the theme, Giles looked toward the future in addition to celebrating the past year, officially announcing a new Trees are Cool initiative that aims to plant one million additional trees in Mesa by 2050.

Giles said the goal of the initiative is

to grow Mesa’s tree canopy coverage from its current 6% to 15%.

Increasing the number of trees in the city gives shade to cool people and pavements down, helping combat the heat island effect. Trees also capture and store greenhouse gasses, Giles said.

City staff currently maintains 30,000 trees on public property, but Mesa’s overall tree inventory includes those on private property too, so reaching the 1 million tree goal will require residents to plant trees on their own land.

Consequently, State of the City guests were offered free saplings to take home and plant. Each tree included a QR code so residents could register their tree with the city and count it as part of the 1-million-tree goal.

Giles also looked back at recent city accomplishments, and his bottom line assessment was “It’s clear that the state

see HOBBS page 4

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of our city is very good.”

On the economy, Giles highlighted the addition of 3,500 new high wage jobs in the past year and the development of 11 million square feet of industrial buildings.

He also touted the launch of the Mesa’s Climate Action Plan and pointed to initiatives like the rollout of smart meters at the city’s utilities and the conversion of street lights to more efficient LED bulbs.

The mayor praised initiatives to recognize and create understanding among the various communities that make up Mesa’s half-million residents.

He pointed to the launch of the Together Mesa diversity initiative last year, and the city’s honorary street dedications that pay tribute to Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and Cesar Chavez.

“Our diversity is one of our great strengths,” Giles said.

The mayor called public safety Mesa’s No. 1 priority, and thanked voters for approving $157 million in public safety bonds in 2022.

How Will They

He praised the city’s growing partnership with nonprofit mental health provider Solari to divert select 911 calls from police and fire services to crisis mental health teams. Giles said Solari responded to 3,500 mental health calls in Mesa last year.

He also highlighted the work of the Real Time Crime Center, which delivers a live feed of traffic and security cameras all over the city to a central location con-

stantly monitored by staff.

The mayor ended his speech with a reflection on the recent progress in revitalizing downtown Mesa.

For Giles, downtown is less about “Back to the Future” and more about getting back to the past.

“The more this area of our city transforms, the more it resembles the busy and active downtown I remember growing up,” he said.

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ASU President Michael Crow and Gov. Katie Hobbs praised Mesa during their appearance at Mayor John Gile’s annual State of the City address co-produced by the Mesa Chamber of Commerce. (Special to the Tribune)

A city planner told the board that the area currently does not have many restaurants or shops nearby, so the plans also include two cafe/club buildings to serve as amenities for workers on the campus.

The 2 million square feet represents just the north side of the site; Phase 3 to the south leaves room for two gargantuan build-to-suit structures larger than anything else on the campus.

Shopoff attorney Sean Lake said the third phase could be shaped to the needs of a future user.

According to Lake, the developer has ambitions to entice high-profile industrial users.

“There’s very few parcels left in the Valley with that much land,” Lake said. The Block “can accommodate some tenants that others can’t.”

He said one class of prospective user might be manufacturers supplying materials for Arizona’s growing semiconductor industry.

The Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, for example, is currently constructing a $40 billion semiconductor plant on a 1,000-ace site in north Phoenix. The facility is slated for completion in 2024.

Mesa already has several semiconductor suppliers or related industries, and city planners would probably welcome more at the intersection of Elliot and Sossaman Roads, an area inside the Loop 202 that is still dominated by agriculture.

In September, Mesa’s Economic Development Director Bill Jabjiniak told the Tribune that the city envisions technology and manufacturing jobs at the former dairy site.

“With the success we’ve had in the formal part of the Elliot Road Technology Corridor, it sort of makes sense with Google on the northwest corner to continue the theme and focus of technology all along Elliot Road,” Jabjiniak said.

The city has been engaged in an ongoing campaign to limit the amount of industrial land in Mesa used for warehouses to store and sort goods for transport.

Warehouses are seen as adding truck traffic to local roads without bringing jobs above the area’s median wage level.

Rather than warehouses, city leaders want industrial tenants that manufacture or design products in Mesa.

The development agreement currently under negotiation between the city and Shopoff will probably be aimed at giving the city some assurance that The Block will not become 300 acres of warehouses.

“The city wants jobs, employment, manufacturing, and that’s what we’re working on,” Lake said.

Lake wouldn’t go into more detail about the current terms of the development agreement for The Block, but he told the board that the agreement has “specific uses and different types of things that are allowed and disallowed.”

Last month, the city council approved a plan to turn 50 acres next to A.T. Still University into an industrial park, but conditioned the approval on a development agreement with the applicant that limited warehousing to no more than 49% of the buildings’ square footage.

In its project narrative, Shopoff says The Block would only house warehousing and distribution as a “secondary” activity. It envisions the development hosting primarily manufacturing.

But Shopoff’s team seems to think prospects are good for The Block attracting what the city wants even without restrictions.

The industrial real estate market is still strong, it reports in the project narrative, and Shopoff is bullish on the prospects of attracting “national corporations” to The Block.

Citing data from commercial real estate firm CBRE, Shopoff says the Mesa

Gateway area had an industrial vacancy rate of 4.2% in 2022. That is up from 1.7% vacancy the previous year, but still low.

The narrative claims that already CBRE has identified “an aerospace manufacturer, semiconductor group, and a chip manufacturer, and a clean tech company seeking to locate in the general area within a certain radius of the project site.”

Mesa native will support Super Bowl flyover

During the 2023 Super Bowl National Anthem performance today, a Mesa native will have a role in helping three Navy tactical squadrons conduct a unified flyover. Chief Petty Officer Joseph Parry is one of the sailors maintaining the aircraft for Electronic Attack Squadron 129. The flyover formation includes two F/A-18F Super Hornets from “Flying Eagles” of Strike Fighter Squadron (VFA) 122, a F-35C Lightning II from “Argonauts” of Strike Fighter Squadron (VFA) 147, and a EA-18G Growler from “Vikings” Electronic Attack Squadron (VAQ) 129. Parry joined the Navy 20 years ago. Today, Parry serves as an aviation machinist’s mate. “I joined the Navy due to the original ‘Top Gun’ movie” said Parry. “Funny to say that because I never thought they would make another one.” As Parry continues to train and perform missions, there’s a great deal of pride serving in the United States Navy, said Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Bryan Niegel of the Navy Office of Community Outreach. Parry agrees. “Serving in the Navy has been an honor and a privilege,” added Parry. “Because of the ‘Top Gun’ movie, I knew from a young age that I wanted to join.”

The developer of the “The Block” at Elliot and Sossaman roads in Mesa proposes 14 buildings totaling 2 million square feet of industrial space. (City of Mesa)

State Senate eyes curbs on local zoning rules

BY BOB CHRISTIE Capitol Media Services

Arizona cities and towns would be required to allow new homes, duplexes and triplexes on very small lots in residential areas and allow homeowners to add backyard casitas, known as auxiliary dwelling units, to their properties under a wide-ranging proposal that would eliminate many local zoning laws across the state.

SB 1117, approved by the Senate Commerce Committee on a 5-2 vote on Wednesday, also would ban cities from enforcing design standards, eliminate offstreet parking requirements, and override some height restrictions.

It also requires cities with light rail to allow apartments to be built on any commercially zoned property within two miles of the rail line and bypasses current requirements that local planning boards review new proposals and fast-tracks city approvals.

Sen. Steve Kaiser of Phoenix touted his measure as one way to help solve the state’s housing crisis by removing zoning rules and speeding up approval processes that housing advocates and apartment developers say have hamstrung development. He has been pushing for an overhaul of zoning laws for a year.

Some Democratic lawmakers on the panel noted, however, that Kaiser’s proposal requires no affordable housing actually be built. And cities and towns objected to having their ability to control local zoning taken away.

“This is basically a nuclear option to allow a whole bunch of housing but not saying it has to be affordable housing,’’ said Frank Cassidy, who represents the League of Arizona Cities and Towns. “It is just a ‘trickle down’ argument for that.’’

The plan is backed by developers of homes and apartments as well as urban renewal advocacy groups.

“The fact of the matter is, we have zoned out starter homes, that is just a fact,’’ Spencer Kamps of the Homebuilders Association of Central Arizona told Committee members. This bill, he said, would allow developers to produce “starter homes.’’

“We have zoned out accessory dwelling units,’’ Kamps continued. “We’ve zoned out single occupancy dwelling units. They don’t exist. You can’t build them. This bill allows the triplexes, duplexes, what we call the missing middle. This bill allows that to happen.’’

The measure is being pushed as a needed solution to a huge lack of housing supply in Arizona that has seen apartment rents and home costs soar.

Jake Hinman of the Arizona Multihousing Association cited state Housing Department figures that show Arizona is short 270,000 housing units. He said the proposal would cut local zoning regulation and open the floodgates to new building.

He said the big issue is “NIMBY-ism,’’ the fight that erupts when local residents take a “not in my backyard’’ approach, object to a new project and end up delaying or killing it outright.

“Projects that used to take six months

to be approved are taking years,’’ Hinman said. “The intensity grows with every aspect, whether it’s comments about traffic, comments about crime, comments about property values, all of these things we know not to be true, but yet they poison the well.’’

He and members of the Senate committee referenced emails they received from local community activists who said Kaiser's bill would destroy the character of their neighborhoods.

Indeed, cities and town are fighting the measure, with the League of Arizona Cities and Towns’ Cassidy and elected officials from the towns of Paradise Valley and Gilbert testifying against it.

Paradise Valley council member Anna Thomasson said overruling local zoning rules will have wide-ranging effects, including forcing change to local character.

“We think it’s important to hang on to the culture of all Arizona communities, including Paradise Valley, that we retain the

right to have our own zoning, and to have our own determination, public process involvement,’’ she said.

The proposed law does not override existing rules adopted by planned communities known as CC&Rs. That means many developments with homeowner associations could continue to maintain design standards and bar backyard casitas as extra housing that could be separately rented.

Kaiser pointed to the elimination of city-adopted design standards as a major point, at least for him. He cited historic districts in Phoenix where every home is different and “doesn’t look like cookie cutter.’’

“Imagine what we could have if we had variety, if we didn’t have governmentcontrolled design review standards that sound like Soviet-era construction of housing,’’ Kaiser said. “We need to let the free market, the architects, the designers, and the buyers decide what is going to be good.’’

It’s far from clear whether preservation advocates will be able to prevail on the current property owner to preserve any part of Kiva Lodge, which sits to the west of downtown near Main Street and Country Club Drive.

The 1930s-era Kiva Lodge is one of oldest surviving motor lodges in the state, older than the famous Buckhorn Baths inn and spa, and the Kiva boasts a surviving mid-century neon sign, the head of a Plains Indian man wearing a headdress.

It’s part of Mesa’s roadside history, when Main Street was the meeting place for three interstate highways, including a coast-to-coast highway, and Western Americana captured the national imagination.

The neon sign is often photographed, and an image of the sign by Carol Highsmith is included in a photo collection preserved by the Library of Congress

Besides providing stays for crosscountry travelers, Kiva Lodge also sold curios and Native American-themed

goods.

Mesa Preservation Foundation President Vic Linoff says there is some documentation that the original owners, Dick and Gladys Frank, claimed Apache

ancestry.

Before it was sold in 2020, the hotel had declined from its golden days.

The Kiva was one of six motels on Main Street caught up in human-smuggling charges related to illegal immigration in 2005 following a nine-month federal investigation, according to a Tribune report.

“There was drug activity and lots of unfavorable things” in the motel’s recent history, Linoff told the Historic Preservation Board last week, but the site is still loaded with historic value.

In 2020, the for-profit development arm of Chicanos Por La Causa purchased the hotel and adjacent properties with a plan to build 90 affordable housing units and a women’s business center.

The Kiva Lodge makes up about 17% of the overall project site.

CPLC is a nonprofit which aims to promote social equity and opportunity for underprivileged populations of all ethnicities.

It also has “mission-driven for-profit” affiliates, including La Causa Construction, which is developing the affordable

housing project on Main Street.

In documents submitted to the city last year, CPLC said its funding mechanism for the Main Street apartments will be federal Low Income Housing Tax Credits.

Ben Graff, an attorney for CPLC appeared before the Mesa Board of Historic Preservation in December amid increasing questions about the demolition of the Kiva and encouragement from city staff in September to coordinate with the board due to the Kiva’s “historic significance to the Main Street corridor and City of Mesa.”

Graff told the Historic Preservation Board that CPLC plans to donate Kiva’s historic neon sign for off-site preservation.

But CPLC needs to demolish all of the existing structures to make way for its affordable housing project, which calls for two three-story apartment blocks paralleling Main Street.

He said the group’s affordable housing plan doesn’t “pencil out” if there’s a

see KIVA page 11

The 1930s-era Kiva Lodge in downtown Mesa is one of oldest surviving motor lodges in the state. (Special to the Tribune)

Neuropathy or Poor Circulation? Diagnosing the Difference

Peripheral neuropathy is a condition that involves damage to the nerves in your feet. Symptoms include muscle cramping, difficulty walking, burning, tingling, numbness, and pain. In many cases, it’s caused by diabetes, but poor circulation can also cause these symptoms or make them worse. Poor circulation or PAD (peripheral artery disease) is caused by the buildup of fatty material inside the arteries, limiting the amount of blood that

passes through them. “Blood brings oxygen and nutrients to your legs and feet which they need to stay healthy,” explains Dr. Shahram Askari of CiC Foot & Ankle. “If you have cramping, leg pain, or non-healing sores, you could have PAD.”

The good news is specialists are able to treat PAD with a minimally invasive procedure in an office setting. Using x-ray imaging, Dr. Joel Rainwater, an interventional radiologist at Com-

prehensive Integrated Care, is able to go into the bloodstream through a tiny nick in the skin to see if there is any plaque buildup.

“We’re able to see if there is a blockage and then remove it with special instruments,” explains Dr. Rainwater. “Once the plaque is removed, blood flow improves.” Patients are home within hours and back to everyday activities with almost no downtime and no stitches. Medi-

care as well as most insurance plans cover treatment.

If you’re just realizing that you may be suffering from neuropathy or poor circulation, make an appointment to see a doctor. Or, if you’re not finding relief from medication or treatment, a second opinion may be helpful to determine the cause of the tingling, cramping, pain, or numbness in your feet.

Dr. Askari and Dr. Rainwater can be reached at 602-954-0777.

Council debates downtown Mesa parking expansion

BY SCOTT SHUMAKER Tribune Staff Writer

Mesa City Council debated the adequacy of the downtown Mesa’s current inventory of parking spaces at a study session earlier this month.

The majority of the council argued that downtown has plenty of spaces to accommodate its current visitation, but one council member advocated for more parking to make the district more attractive to people considering a drive in from outlying areas to shop or dine at one of the downtown’s award-winning restaurants or breweries.

The topic came up during an update from city staff on the next round of Mesa’s downtown Facade Improvement Program, which will channel almost $5 million in federal grants toward the restoration of the historic storefronts of 18 downtown buildings.

Mesa’s Downtown Transformation office believes the program will help downtown continue to draw new businesses and shoppers, and that raised the issue of parking for

Council member Julie Spilsbury.

She said a long-time downtown business owner has complained to her that a lack of parking makes some Mesa residents reluctant to visit the district and may discourage big-name tenants from moving into vacant buildings.

Spilsbury also pointed out that hundreds of new apartments are expected to open soon in downtown and will create greater demand for parking.

She argued that plentiful parking is a key part of the success of Gilbert’s Heritage District, which despite being smaller and having fewer historical buildings than Mesa’s downtown, has become the envy of the East Valley with dining options ranging from Dierks Bentley’s Whiskey Row to Postino East.

“They have huge parking garages by their downtown area, and so guess where everyone goes to eat? Because I drive down there,” Spilsbury said.

“I know we want (downtown) to be a walkable area, and so why would we put more parking to attract more cars, but … people

are gonna want to drive hopefully to (downtown Mesa) to eat,” she said.

Downtown Transformation Manager Jeff McVay pushed back on the idea that downtown Mesa lacks parking spaces.

“There are 10,000 parking spaces, and we have never had a concern voiced to us from customers that are unable to find parking spaces,” he said.

Prospective businesses considering a move to downtown are more concerned about access to designated parking spaces for their employees rather than customer parking, he said.

As far as existing businesses, McVay told council the concerns he hears are from employees and owners who can no longer park immediately in front of or behind their businesses and now have to buy parking permits for reserved spaces.

As the discussion of the facade program continued, several other council members weighed in on parking, and they expressed satisfaction with the current situation.

“I’ve always said we aspire to have a parking problem in downtown Mesa,” Mayor John Giles said.

Giles recalled a recent visit to downtown Mesa’s Espiritu, named one of the top 15 new restaurants in the country by Eater Magazine, and said he was “delighted that I had to drive around for probably 10 or 15 minutes to find a parking place.”

He said downtown was “hoppin’” and he didn’t mind “strolling around to get from point A to point B.”

Councilwoman Jenn Duff, who represents downtown, echoed the mayor’s sentiment.

“Distance is just a perception,” Duff said, “and when you have an area that is beauti-

ful, activated, interesting, you sometimes want to take that walk because you want to explore and see what’s there instead of exactly in front of the business and jump out.”

Downtown Mesa Association President Nancy Hormann said in an email to the Tribune that she feels parking is currently adequate for all visitors.

“We just need to future-proof our parking,” she wrote. “We are working on making sure our growth can continue with no parking issues.”

Duff told her colleagues that when downtown is further down its path of revitalization, she would like to see parking “centralized in a garage,” so the current parking spaces downtown can be made into more “awesome places to go.”

Spilsbury told staff that she doesn’t “want to wait until we have a problem.”

“Also, if we’re not attracting bigger names or bigger restaurant names because of the parking, that’s an issue,” she added.

City leadership tried to assure Spilsbury and the rest of the council that the city is paying close attention to downtown parking.

McVay said the city is currently planning to hire a consultant to conduct a downtown “mobility and parking study,” and there are also additional parking spaces.

City Manager Chris Brady also said there is an empty 900-space parking garage downtown, formerly used by the Brown and Brown auto dealership, at the northwest corner of Hibbert and Main Streets.

The city hopes to negotiate access to the garage for parking, but Brady said in the meantime, the existence alone of the lot makes it “difficult for anybody to come up with a solution of building additional capacity.

preservation component to the project.

Asked by board members if it would be possible to save any part of the historic buildings, such as the office, and repurpose them in the new development, Graff said no.

He also resisted the idea of incorporating design features of the historic lodge into the new building, saying Valley cities, including Mesa, expect “bright, open architecture,” rather than the Pueblo style of many historic buildings.

CPLC supports memorializing the Kiva Lodge on site with photographs or other documentation.

In defense of its plans to demolish the structures, Graff said CPLC was told by the State Historic Preservation Office two years ago that the Kiva Lodge buildings weren’t eligible for historic status when the group reached out before finalizing its purchase.

CPLC would not have purchased the property otherwise, he said.

In September of last year, however, the city informed CPLC that SHPO had changed course and issued a new determination that the buildings are eligible for National Register for Historic status, Graff said.

CPLC disagrees with SHPO’s revised opinion and plans to press on with demolition.

There have been “numerous non-historic additions” to the motel over years, Graff said, and the buildings are in “abhorrent condition.”

“The proper due diligence was done. The proper authorities provided confirmation that it could be demolished,” he said.

In public comments following Graff’s presentation, Linoff, who has been prominent in efforts to preserve Mesa’s neon signs and other historic features, disputed some of CPLC’s characterizations of the situation.

He praised CPLC for its “extraordinary” community development work and lamented that the group was probably given “faulty information” early

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PERIPHERAL NEUROPATHY AND CHRONIC PAIN TREATMENTS NOT WORKING!!

on, but he was “disappointed” it did not make an effort to communicate with local history groups before acting.

Regarding the lodge’s current condition, Linoff pointed out that the complex operated as a working hotel until it was purchased by CPLC.

And he pointed out that some of the “modernizations” done on the buildings were made in the 1960s – so it’s still historic.

Linoff also questioned the economic necessity of tearing down all the buildings, and he believes the city would work with the developer to reach its goals while still preserving a portion of the historic structures.

“If 90 (units) is the magic number, the city would not have an objection to an additional story of buildings to make up for what would be lost where the Kivas sits,” Linoff said.

Historic Preservation Board members appeared sympathetic to Linoff’s case for preservation, seeming to favor something more preserved on site than a photograph or plaque.

At the most recent meeting in February, city staff heard a longer presentation on the site’s history, and the board plans to talk more about the project at its next hearing.

The Historic Preservation Board does not have legal authority over CPLC’s development plans, but the board issues recommendations to the city council, which does.

CPLC will need City Council to sign off on a rezone or council use permit in order to put in the density of housing it seeks in the current General Commercial zoning of the property.

The nonprofit may face a tougher battle if the local historic preservation community is dead-set against the plan.

Mesa, AZ – When it comes to chronic pain and/ or neuropathy, the most common doctor-prescribed treatment is drugs like Gabapentin, Lyrica, Cymbalta, and Neurontin. The problem with antidepressants or anti-seizure medications like these is that they offer purely symptomatic relief, as opposed to targeting and treating the root of the problem. Worse, these drugs often trigger an onset of uncomfortable, painful, and sometimes harmful side effects.

The only way to effectively treat chronic pain and/or peripheral neuropathy is by targeting the source, which is the result of nerve damage owing to inadequate blood flow to the nerves in the hands and feet. This often causes weakness, numbness, balance problems. A lack of nutrients causes the nerves degenerate – an insidious

cannot survive, and thus, slowly die. This leads to those painful and frustrating consequences we were talking about earlier, like weakness, numbness, tingling, balance issues, and perhaps even a burning sensation.

The drugs your doctor might prescribe will temporarily conceal the problems, putting a “Band-Aid” over a situation that will only continue to deteriorate without further action.

Thankfully, Mesa is the birthplace of a brandnew facility that sheds new light on this pressing problem of peripheral neuropathy and chronic pain. The company is trailblazing the medical industry by replacing outdated drugs and symptomatic reprieves with an advanced machine that targets the root of the problem at hand.

1. Finding the underlying cause

2. Determining the extent of the nerve damage (above 95% nerve loss is rarely treatable)

3. The amount of treatment required for the patient’s unique condition

Aspen Medical in Mesa, AZ uses a state-of-the-art electric cell signaling systems worth $100,000.00. Th is ground-breaking treatment is engineered to achieve the following, accompanied by advanced diagnostics and a basic skin biopsy to accurately analyze results:

1. Increases blood flow

2. Stimulates and strengthens small fiber nerves

3. Improves brain-based pain

The treatment works by delivering energy to the affected area(s) at varying wavelengths, from low- to middle-frequency signals, while also using Amplitude Modulated (AM) and Frequency Modulated (FM) signaling.

It’s completely painless!

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The city wants to build 90 affordable apartments to replace the Kiva. (City of Mesa)

School spending cap waiver OK’d despite local opposition

BY HOWARD FISCHER Capitol Media Services

With just weeks to go, the state Legislature last week agreed to allow school districts across Arizona to spend the money this academic year that they already have.

But four Republican Mesa lawmakers weren’t among the majority required to approved a waiver of the Aggregate Expenditure Limit that could have forced Mesa Public Schools to over $85.3 million in spending during the last two months of the current school year.

Among those voting against the waiver were Sens. David Farnsworth and Wendy Rogers and Reps. Justin Heap and Jacqueline Parker.

Republican opponents of lifting the cap said schools needed more accountability before the waiver should be granted.

Heap said student funding has nearly doubled in the last decade.

“So the question needs to be asked: What has Arizona received for its investment in education?’’ he asked. “And what we’ve received is failing schools where less than a third of our students are proficient in math and reading.’’

Scottsdale Rep. Alexander Kolodin said the state spends “more per pupil than most other countries in the world, with vastly superior results,’’ though he did not mention multiple studies that show Arizona is at or near the bottom in spending per student among all the states.

Kolodin said he believes that money is still being wasted.

“Where does the money go?’’ he asked. “Before we just keep throwing more money at this problem we need systemic reforms in terms of transparency and accountability to make sure that the money that we are intending to put into the classroom and give to teachers and students to facilitate education ... actually gets there.’’

State Auditor General Lindsey Perry said that does not paint the whole pic-

ture of spending effectively going into the classroom.

She said student support, consisting of counselors, audiologists, speech pathologists, nurses, social workers and attendance services at up another 9.1% of every dollar.

There also was 5.8% for instructional support, defined as librarians, teacher training, curriculum development and instruction-related technology services. That brought what Perry considers total classroom spending up to 70.2% for the most recent year, versus 69.3% for the prior year.

Rep. Rachel Jones, R-Tucson, who called it “a mismanagement issue,” did not dispute that the measure authorizes schools to use the nearly $1.4 billion that was appropriated to them last legislative session.

“I wasn’t part of the Legislature last year who promised that money,’’ Jones said, saying she’s “not comfortable’’ with that decision.

That logic drew a rebuke from Rep. David Cook, R-Globe, who has championed the waiver vote.

“We all took an oath at the beginning of this session to uphold the Constitution,’’ he said. And Cook said approving a budget is “the No. 1 constitutional duty’’ of the Legislature.

“This money was in that budget,’’ he said.

Approval of the spending cap waiver only takes care of current spending. Schools could find themselves in the same position for the next academic year.

At the root of the issue is a 1980 voter-approved constitutional measure which capped K-12 spending at current levels, with annual adjustments based on student growth and inflation.

The measure does allow lawmakers to approve a one-year override with a two-thirds vote. And that has occurred without incident in prior years.

What happened this school year is a convergence of two factors.

First, state lawmakers made a massive investment of new dollars, including making up for years during the last

recession when schools did not get all the funds to which they were entitled.

Second, the COVID outbreak resulted in a departure of some children from school in prior years.

The result is that schools were authorized to spend nearly $7.8 billion this current academic year. But the constitutional spending cap sits at $6.4 billion.

Complicating matters is that former Gov. Doug Ducey, to get Democrat votes for his budget last year, promised to call a special session to waive the cap.

That never materialized before Ducey left office at the end of the year. And the constitution says if the cap isn’t waived by March 1, schools need to cut an estimated 17% of their annual budgets -- and do it in just the four months remaining in this academic year.

State schools chief Tom Horne, a Republican, warned that would force many schools to close.

Rep. Lydia Hernandez, D-Phoenix, who has served on the school board of the Cartwright Elementary School District, said she agrees with some of the Republicans that there needs to be “systemic reform’’ of education funding.

“I, for one, am not supportive of continuing to throw millions of dollars at an issue without fixing it,’’ she said. But Hernandez said simply denying needed funds to schools in the middle of the academic year, as the failure of this measure would do, is not the answer.

“Until we fully invest and do our due diligence -- and I’m talking about real investment, critical analysis in fixing this problem -- we’re not going to find that solution,’’ she said. “Closing schools is not the answer.’’

There is an alternative to lawmakers having to vote on waivers of the education expenditure limit every year: rescind or at least sharply alter the 1980 cap. But that would require voter approval, with the next general election not until November 2024.

Mesa Arts Center hosts ‘soulful’ Super Bowl event

BY JOSH ORTEGA Tribune Staff Writer

Before the big hits of today’s Super Bowl, former players and celebrities gathered last week at Mesa Arts Center for a night of fun and faith.

Originating at Super Bowl XXXIII in 1999, the “Super Bowl Soulful Celebration: An Evening of Inspiration and Culture,” formerly called Super Bowl Gospel Celebration, unites key NFL players, top Gospel/Contemporary Christian and Grammy award-winning artists and special guests on stage for an evening of uplifting music and inspirational messages.

Following the theme “Unstoppable,” the night of music, comedy, NFL Players and soulful inspiration featured performances by Patti LaBelle, Israel Houghton, The Players Choir to name a few.

It also highlighted NFL players’ faith and philanthropy with uplifting songs of joy, including the presenting of this year’s Faith In Action Award to Philadelphia Eagles Quarterback Jalen Hurts.

Former Eagles Quarterback Donovan McNabb – who now lives in Gilbert – attended Wednesday’s event to show some love to God and respect for Hurt’s award.

He stole the show on the red carpet sharing the importance of this celebration, where faith and football collide.

“It’s being able to showcase what you truly believe and obviously when you believe in the man above being able to bless you with the talents that you have and also be able to display that in the right way,” he said.

He added the event also aims to show that God “is truly in your heart and in your mind and you continue to reach out to others to spread that awareness of what it means to you to have God represented.”

It’s something McNabb said Hurts has represented well and why he deserves the honor, though the Super Bowl contender did not attend the event.

Coincidentally, this Super Bowl marks

one of the first times in history where both team’s quarterbacks are African American – something McNabb called “very special.”

“It shows that anything is possible, and if you continue to work at your craft, you might find yourself here in this position as well,” McNabb said.

McNabb played 11 of his 13 NFL seasons for the Eagles, including when he led them past the Atlanta Falcons in the 2004 NFC Championship, a game that ex-Falcon Bryan Scott recalled last week.

Despite a valiant effort, McNabb’s Eagles lost the Super Bowl that year.

Scott retired after 10 seasons in the NFL and has taken singing in The Player’s Choir.

“Unfortunately, there’s a lot of negative stereotypes that surround professional athletes, and this is something where we can show a unified front,” Scott said.

“And even though no one on that stage is perfect, we all try to live life the right way, and that’s really just loving and kind, sincere, genuine.”

Scott grew up in Pennsylvania part of a praying family that attended church “every single Sunday” and said having that “spiritual foundation” shaped and molded him into a man who sees everyone as a child of God and who therefore loves people and treats everyone with respect.

“I think if the world had more of that, and they viewed it like that, there would be less of all the hatred and stuff that goes on in the world,” Scott said.

Scott said the choir helps alleviate the void left after a player walks out of the locker room, and the choir acts as an extension of that “brotherhood.”

Melanie Few founded the Gospel Celebration after attending Super Bowl XXIV in New Orleans and “noticed that there was a void because we had been partying all week.”

“But then we were like, ‘okay, where’s

Coast Guard Band leads NFL salute to service

BY JOSH ORTEGA Tribune Staff Writer

The U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary Arizona Band welcomed viewers to a special invitation-only screening as part of Super Bowl Week festivities.

As part of Super Bowl week, the NFL and Force Blue hosted a “Salute to Service” at OdySea Aquarium in Scottsdale to share the documentary “100 Yards of Hope” with 150 Arizona servicemen and women.

The Mesa-based band is a non-profit organization comprising “musicians from many diverse backgrounds who love to perform and more importantly want to honor our many veterans, military families, and first responders,” explained band spokesman Alan P. Yarusso.

“We rehearse every Tuesday evening in Mesa and perform all over the state and had the honor of performing on the US Midway every year.”

The film they helped to preview focus-

es on the unique partnership between the NFL, Special Operations military divers, scientists and natural resource managers who came together to restore a football field-sized coral reef and lay the groundwork for future collaborative conservation efforts worldwide.

Following the preview, scientists and the veterans from Force Blue discussed a new mission to use their significant military skills to help heal the ocean and save the only barrier coral reef in the continental United States.

As people headed to the film, everyone couldn’t help but stop to admire the U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary Arizona Band playing a medley of patriotic and classic band hymns as guests entered the venue.

Even Cardinals mascot Big Red tried his hand and conducting the military ensemble that practices in Mesa, but decided to leave that to professionals like Ensemble Leader Nikki White.

The United States Coast Guard Auxiliary is the civilian uniformed volunteer

component of the United States Coast Guard established in 1939 as the United States Coast Guard Reserve, and re-designated as the United States Coast Guard Auxiliary in 1941.

Today, the U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary has nearly 21,000 men and women comprising a unique force that touch almost every facet of the U.S. maritime environment and whose main goal is recreational boating safety and education.

Division 10 Commander Jonathan Dootson couldn’t help but use the word “blessed” to be recognized by the NFL as a partner for the event. The band falls under his division.

“We are a service organization, you know, we believe in helping others and that type of thing,” Dootson said.

“People give up their own time,” he said. “They come together a couple

times a month to rehearse on their own time, they pay for their own instruments, pay for their own uniforms.”

“They’ve been around since 2015 and every year it grows exponentially the number of requests they get,” Dootson said.

People in the band aren’t just limited to playing instruments, they’ll take their time to go out and give out life jackets to people that don’t have them at the numerous lakes around the state, among other events.

“So, it really is a service culture,” Dootson said.

That service primarily comes in the form of performing in parades to honor veterans. Dootson said it’s part of their duty to pay tribute to all U.S. veterans and do it with gusto.

“When we did the Veterans Day Parade and a veteran in a World War II uniform salutes you, you better salute back pretty snappy,” Dootson said. “Because they’re paying homage to you and really we should be paying homage to them.”

Flotilla Commander Jenny Goode plays the piccolo and said it’s an honor to perform patriotic numbers and to see veterans standing up for numbers like the “Star-Spangled Banner” and showing pride in their military service.

“The greatest joy that I have, and one I’m most proud, is when we can perform for veterans and active service members,” Goode said.

Flotilla Commander Jenny Goode plays the piccolo as part of the U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary Arizona Band. (Josh Ortega/ Tribune Staff)

SOULFUL from page 13

the good gospel brunch or something,’ and there was nothing,” she said.

Few said she pitched the idea of a gospel celebration to the NFL and NFL Player’s Association for eight years, and she still has the rejection letters as a reminder.

Few’s persistence even teed off the late-Hall of Famer Gene Upshaw, who once called her “crazy” for her unrelenting effort.

Few said the Upshaw and the NFLPA tried to throw her for a loop by telling her if she could get Gladys Knight to perform, they would help her put on the event.

“He didn’t realize Gladys is from Atlanta, and my aunt went to high school with Gladys, and they were friends,” Few said.

In 1999, Few’s work paid off and after two years of the NFLPA hosting and enjoying the event, the NFL approached her and wanted to make it an official sanctioned event.

After 23 years of the Super Bowl Gos-

pel Celebration, the MAC event marked the debut of the Super Bowl Soulful Celebration.

Few said they chose the word “soulful” because it is an extension of gospel, and it comes after much “careful con-

sideration” and discussion with their corporate partners that they want to make this a more welcoming event for everyone.

“I don’t look at gospel as religious, but some people do, and we want every per-

son to feel welcome,” Few said. “And we want to touch people in their souls, we want to inspire people, we want every single person to feel to feel welcome to be a part of this, this momentum that we have, it’s uplifting, it’s exciting.”

Gathering at Mesa Arts Center last week for the “Super Bowl Soulful Celebration” were, from left to right: Singer Israel Houghton, radio personality and event host WIllie Moore Jr., Judge Mablean Ephrian, Melanie Few, Raquel Nurse and Donovan McNabb. (Amanda Karas/Tribune Contributor)

Nonprofit honors 100-year-old WWII veteran

BY JOSH ORTEGA Tribune Staff Writer

It started when Kathy Davidson read a newspaper article about a local nonprofit and culminated the day before her father-in-law Carl Davidson turned 101.

On the eve of his birthday, Carl embarked on a journey that took him into the wild, blue yonder.

Kathy reached out to Grounded No More Inc. CEO Tony Anger and with his help, Carl on Jan. 21 caught a free halfhour Honor Flight at Falcon Field in a World War II trainer aircraft that he even piloted for few minutes.

“Oh, I had a good time,” Carl said. “It’s a nice flight and the terrain has changed so since I flew over during World War II.”

The Salem, Illinois, native joined the Army Air Corps in September 1942. He tested into a commission as a second lieutenant and spent just over three years in the service before he left as a captain in December 1945. Carl finished training and got as-

signed as a training instructor to Luke Army Airfield – now Luke Air Force Base – preparing hundreds of young men for aerial combat in a variety of single-engine fighter planes like a combat glider nicknamed “The Flying Coffin” as well as a B-24 Liberator bomber.

After leaving the service, Carl stayed in Phoenix “for the weather” and started his own paint business that is now owned by his son, Terry Davidson.

Despite the chilly conditions the day of his flight, Carl was all smiles from tarmac to taxi to takeoff and back and shared what a “tremendous job” Grounded No More has done a for him and other veterans.

“I am very appreciative of this organization for putting this all together and producing this for the many servicemen that deserve it more than I do,” Carl said.

see VETERAN page 18

Barbershop crooners ready for Valentine's

box of chocolates. Video Cards are $20.

With Valentine’s Day just a couple days away, a local group of singers expects to be busy delivering some harmony to special someones across the region.

Members of the East Valley Harmonizers Barbershop Chorus will deliver Singing Valentines throughout the East Valley.

The Mesa-based singers have been singing love songs since they organized in 1993.

Four tuxedo-dressed men visit homes, offices or restaurants to sing love songs from yesteryear – such as “Heart of My Heart”, “Let Me Call You Sweetheart, or “I Love You Truly.”

For a lesser price, people can order a

video card and the quartet will sing at any time of day or night. These greetings have a customized card sent with a personal message delivered via a link using text or email.

Quartets will deliver the Singing Valen-

tines on Valentine’s Day, Feb. 14.

The price is $50 for a three-hour delivery window. In addition to singing the songs, the men hand the recipient a card with the sender’s message, a fresh red rose, and a

Terry Morrison, Singing Valentines program chairman, said that “customers make the most of the requests.”

“The loved ones who receive them move through every emotion – surprise, happiness, gratitude – and may even cry; but all of them say that it is the best Valentine’s Day gift they have ever received,” he said, adding:

“It’s like a command performance, up close and personal. “We spread joy through harmony.”

Barbershop harmony music is an American art form with a small-town flavor. The four-part harmony and ballads, some more than 100 years old, is music that brings

At 100 years old, World War II veteran Carl Davidson still had a thrill during a flight in the Fairchild PT-26 propeller plane “Amazing Grace.” (Courtesy of Grounded No More)

TRIBUNE NEWS STAFF

The East Valley Harmonizers Barbershop Chorus is preparing to present singing Valentines this Tuesday. (Special to Tribune)

Mesa museum exhibit focuses on our roots

The i.d.e.a. Museum in Mesa is getting back to roots.

Its new exhibit, “Desert Roots: Story of a Seed,” immerses visitors in the life cycle of a seed from creating a root system to picking fruit to selling it.

Using the point of view of a prickly pear, the exhibit takes kids from germination to sprouting roots, leaves and flowers to edible fruit “through unique tactile art and STEM activities.”

Those activities include an interactive plant orchestra where families can create music using signals from plants in realtime; a large microscope that gives observers a closer look at plant structures; a multi-sense exploration of plant varieties; and art stations.

“Engaging activities and incredible artwork showcase each plant lifecycle stage,” said i.d.e.a. Museum Curator Mike Goodwin. “Guests will be inspired to play, create

and interact with plants, deepening our understanding of and connection to Arizona flora. Desert Roots features Arizona artists representing various art mediums, including neon and glass, wool and embroidery, paint and wood burning, ceramic and holograms.”

The exhibit also features local artists such as Ed Mel, Casey Olson and Shachi Kale, Jason Chakravarty and Jennifer Caldwell and Jake Early.

Anitra “Yukue” Molina, a graffiti artist and muralist, signs her work by her middle name, which means rain in Cahíta, the language spoken by native peoples of Sinaloa and Sonora, including the Yaquis.

Mary Meyer examines man’s relationship with the environment through mixedmedia wall sculptures and installations.

The roots exhibit is sponsored by ECO Mesa and Willmeng as well as the Arizona Commission on the Arts and the i.d.e.a. Museum Foundation.

Information: ideamusem.org.

This mural outside the i.d.e.a. Museum in downtown Mesa was painted by Anitra “Yukue” Molina, a graffiti artist and muralist, whose middle name means “rain” in Cahíta, the language spoken by native peoples of Sinaloa and Sonora, including the Yaquis. (Courtesy of the i.d.e.a. Museum)

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With his wife, four children, seven grandchildren, and four great-grandchildren in attendance, as well as the Desert Young Marines from Glendale, Carl said he was taken aback by the fanfare surrounding him.

“This is a surprise and more than I could comprehend,” Carl said.

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Young Marines – a youth program that mentors boys and girls from ages 8 to 18 through military discipline and education – provided a color guard ensemble for Carl that day.

Mary Lou Davidson, Carl’s wife of 62 years, anxiously watched his flight and was saying, “that’s enough.”

But she was happy to see her husband enjoy himself again in the skies.

“I think it’s great for him to have this, to be able to see other fliers and probably thought he was never really going to fly again, after all, look how old he is,” Mary Lou said.

“He was really surprised and really happy to have this,” she added. “But he didn’t think it needed to be such a fuss.”

Mary Lou said has always put others before himself, like when his younger brother passed away last June and he mustered the strength to fly to Illinois twice in one week – once to see him and again for the funeral.

“You’ll never find another one like him. One in a million,” Mary Lou said. “And he’s very thoughtful for everybody.”

Carl’s son Terry Davidson said he knew his dad would get excited before they told him because of how much flying means to him.

“I knew dad would be excited, and he was when we called him and talked to him,” he said. “And it’s a real honor for him to be back in the air again and even get the chance to fly the plane a little bit.”

Kathy said she originally wanted to sign Carl up to take part in the Honor Flight Network program that flies veterans back to Washington D.C. to visit the memorials dedicated to their service, but “it never worked out.”

“So, when I saw this, and I knew it was local, and it was something that was just, you know, half an hour flight, I contacted Tony Anger and I asked about it

and then we asked Carl, if he would be interested and he was very interested,” Kathy said.

Kathy said she held back tears watching everything unfold that day, especially because she wanted to do something like this for her own father, an Air Force veteran, who passed away before she could do it.

Above all, Kathy said she’s most impressed with Carl’s strength at and staying as ambulatory at his age.

“At 101, I don’t know if I’d feel comfortable doing this, and he was ready to go,” Kathy said.

The camaraderie in the veteran community that makes something like this possible also impressed Kathy but feels more should be done for veterans.

“It’s scary that there are veterans on the streets and people who really need help and I think that we all need to try to do more for them,” Kathy said. “I mean, this is wonderful but we have a good family and he has a good life but a lot of the veterans don’t and they fought for you and me too.”

Grounded No More, Inc. CEO Tony Anger has done his best and taken more than 500 veterans on a free flight in his Fairchild PT-26 propeller plane named “Amazing Grace.”

“When I hear World War II, they get moved right to the front of the line,” Anger said. “They get a day all by themselves.”

Of the more than 20 WWII veterans Anger has taken up, he said this sits up near the top with Carl’s backstory, his physical capability at his age and his flight skills.

On the tarmac, Carl needed little help getting into and out of the plane and in the air, Anger said Carl obviously had not forgotten his flying skills.

He said Carl flew “flawlessly” with coordinated turns and the proper altitude and that he let the flight last longer than the usual 30 minutes because “we were having so much fun that I didn’t want to come back,” Anger said, adding:

“If I didn’t know any better, I would have said ‘yeah, you can go fly it yourself,’ because he did that good.”

For more information about, or donate to, Grounded No More Inc., visit: groundednomoreveteranflightlift.com.

VETERAN from page 16

Alzheimer’s Association offers free conference in EV

TRIBUNE NEWS STAFF

The Alzheimer’s Foundation of America will launch its 2023 Educating America Tour in the East Valley this week.

At 10 a.m. Thursday. Feb. 16, the association will present a free Alzheimer’s & Caregiving Educational Conference at the Ahwatukee Event Center, 4700 E. Warner Road, Ahwatukee.

The free conference, which is open to everyone, will allow participants to learn from experts in the field of Alzheimer’s disease, brain health, and caregiving. Attendees can register at alzfdn.org/tour.

“Knowledge is a useful and powerful tool that can help make any situation easier to navigate, especially something as challenging as caring for a loved one with Alzheimer’s disease,” said association President/CEO Charles J. Fuschillo, Jr.

“Connecting families with useful, practical information and support that can help them now and be better prepared for the future is what this conference is all about,” he added, noting this conference is for anyone who is somehow affected by the disease either as a family member, or caregiver or are generally interested in brain health.

The topics include “Preventing Alzheimer’s Disease: From Cradle-to-Grave: with Dr. Jeremy Pruzin, MD, providing an overview of the disease and discussing two important areas in prevention: modifiable risk factors such as lifestyle choices and vascular risk factors.

He also will discuss promising, presymptomatic, pharmacological strategies that are currently being tested in clinical trials. There is currently no proven cure for Alzheimer’s.

Pruzin is an associate professor of neurol-

VALENTINE'S DAY from page 16

back memories of the good old days.

The East Valley Harmonizers are a chapter of the Barbershop Harmony Society, an international non-profit organization

ogy at the University of Arizona College of Medicine and a behavioral neurologist with the Banner Alzheimer’s Institute in Phoenix.

Also being presented is “Aging in Place Along the Alzheimer’s Spectrum” by Dana Kennedy, state director of AARP Arizona.

She will discuss options for care and the criteria that should be considered when making the decision to transition from a home to a professional care setting.

Belinda Ordonez, a board-certified nurse practitioner in the dementia care program at the Dementia Care and Education Campus in Phoenix and co-director for the Hospice of the Valley Dementia Fellowship, will discuss, “What Happens Next? Best Practices in Palliative Dementia Care.”

Ordonez will talk about the conversations and advanced planning that need to be made in order to navigate common challenges and end-of-life decisions in ways that honor and uphold what matters most to each person. Palliative care can include education, symptom management, advanced care planning and links to community resources.

There will also be a special presentation, “Highlights of a Baseball Reminiscence Program,” an initiative designed to promote socialization and improve quality of life for individuals living with dementia and their caregivers, by the Phoenix-based Society for American Baseball Research.

Free, confidential memory screenings will be conducted throughout the day.

Those who cannot participate in the conference or have immediate questions about Alzheimer’s disease can connect with licensed social workers seven days a week through AFA’s national toll-free helpline by calling 866-232-8484 or web chatting at www.alzfdn.org

founded in 1938 with over 20,000 members.

To order a Valentine: ordersingingvalentine.com/Mesa.AZ.

For more information about the chorus and the upcoming spring show: evbarbershop.com.

Gary Edward Schmidt

Mesa -- Born in Cherokee, Iowa, Gary Edward Schmidt graduated life in Mesa, Arizona at the age of 71. He is survived by his wife Kristy, his children Mackenna and Alexander, and two grandchildren. He is also survived by his brothers Don Schmidt of South Carolina and John Schmidt of Illinois. Gary was a proud ASU graduate, who received a Bachelor’s of Science. After many years in the construction industry, Gary fulfilled his lifetime goal of becoming a teacher with a Master’s Degree in Education, and used his sense of humor to connect with his students. Gary and was a kind, patient, thoughtful soul. He will be missed dearly. A memorial service will be held at God’s Grace Church in Tempe on February 11th. Meldrum

&

has served generations of Mesa families with exceptional care and value. Ask about our preplan arrangements that protect your loved ones from rising costs.

Chandler CEO launching kids’ mental health app

BY JOSH ORTEGA Tribune Staff Writer

While everyone else was learning how to make sourdough bread during the COVID-19 lockdowns, Ben Smith was learning how to launch an app that asks users a single question but could hold many answers in the youth mental health crisis.

Smith is founder/CEO of GnosisIQ, an artificial intelligence software company based in Chandler that partnered with nonprofits Death2Life and notMYkid to provide Arizona teens with immediate access to mental health and emotional support resources.

Smith wants to revolutionize education and considers this the next step in his company’s mission to help young people excel.

“The best way to engage with kids is to make it universal, comfortable, approachable and something they’re familiar with,” Smith said.

The GnosisIQ app checks all those boxes with kids answering a single question: “How are you feeling?”

They answer by picking one of 12 emojis: happy, confident, excited, content, bored, confused, mad, sad, stressed, sick and tired, and depressed. The app records their answers by date and time of day to help track a student’s well-being.

Gnosis IQ can help predict and track a student’s success. It also leverages academic research, artificial intelligence and educator insight to support the holistic success of K-12 students.

Smith said Gnosis IQ allows teachers, administrators, and parents to know how students perform academically and their state of mind at any

given time through individualized dashboards.

For those concerned about privacy, Smith said the app doesn’t record location, opting instead for a simpler record-keeping, like that of a journal.

“While the software is free, we don’t sell the data,” Smith added.

Because the data belongs to the user, Smith said they can access it

anytime like a journal.

“What I didn’t expect was for this tool to replace what used to be journaling,’ Smith said. “I used to keep a little notepad next to my bed, I’d scribble down thoughts and such, and I would just do bullet points. And for a lot of kids, this is replacing that.”

Smith said tech companies haven’t really innovated much on behalf of

education, and this app could be the beginning.

“They focus on aerospace, and the military and different aspects of business, banking, and so on,” Smith said. “No one really innovates in education.”

“We’re 100% self-funded, and now I’m just looking to maintain that so I don’t go bankrupt,” Smith said.

Both nonprofits partnering with him have a similar vision of finding innovative ways to assist struggling youth amid a shortage of counselors and emotional support specialists on school campuses.

Dawna Allington, director of peer programs at notMYkid based in Scottsdale, said partnering with Gnosis IQ provides a way to find youth who need support.

“My hope is that the software Gnosis IQ provides will find the individuals who would not otherwise ask for help and allow us the opportunity to assist them,” Allington said.

Whether teens need to talk to someone day or night, they will have access to a Death2Life counselor through notMYkid’s [I]nspired program app, which connects youth with a certified peer support specialist who has a wide variety of life experiences so that talking about life’s problems becomes a little more relatable for teens.

According to the Arizona Center for Investigative Reporting, Arizona schools have more than 700 students for one school counselor and a more than 3,000 students for one social worker. Those ratios should be 250to-1.

For school psychologists, Arizona’s ratio of 1,593-to-1 is more than three times the suggested 500-to-1. see APP page

The app by Chandler-based Gnosis IQ asks kids to indicate with a single click how they are feeling. (Courtesy Gnosis IQ)

“I don’t want lack of funding to result in the death of a student,” Smith said.

Smith started this venture as a big supporter of Alice Cooper’s Solid Rock Foundation and found out about notMYKid and Death2Life through a few “coincidental connections” at some of Solid Rock’s events.

“And it quickly became apparent that we were really out to help the same kids,” Smith said.

Smith said the software directly connects students with counselors and peer advisors to organizations that want to help.

Smith knows all too well the struggles kids face – not only with three kids of his own and one foreign exchange student living with his family – but also from his own life.

He grew up in Arizona and struggled academically with an undiagnosed case of dyslexia.

In fifth grade at Yavapai Elementary School in Scottsdale, Smith discov-

ered his passion for computers.

“I remember going into that computer lab in the library and interacting with a computer for the first time and just loving it,” Smith said. “Just seeing all the potential that it had.”

At Coronado High School, Smith

continued his fascination with computers and was given the opportunity to accelerate his learning.

As a sophomore, Smith sat “completely bored” in an online learning class reading prompts and answering questions, albeit repetitive and unengaging. So Smith decided to have some fun with the system.

Admitting to this much later, Smith hacked the system, passed his way through the class and spent the rest of the time designing an interactive online learning platform that Smith said he couldn’t have designed without the teachers and lab aides fostering his learning.

“That supported me through experimenting with coding and developing and building out something that ultimately other students would be able to use,” Smith said.

With computers on the forefront of Smith’s mind, mental health also sat heavy on his mind.

His mother suffered from mental health issues and addiction problems, and though her death in 2009 isn’t

classified as suicide “it was really selfinflicted over time,” he said.

As a nurse, his mom would know how to work the system to fill multiple prescriptions at different locations in a single day, and to this day, Smith has vivid memories of his mother’s struggles with prescription narcotics.

“She started mixing the batter and then passed out in the middle of making my birthday cake,” Smith said.

Smith said he designed the app at a third-grade level because that’s the age children start to read or at least understand and recognize what’s going on around them. But, he added, it doesn’t look childish for teenagers in high school.

Gnosis IQ is scheduled to launch on Jan. 31 in the Apple App Store and Google Play Store, and Smith said he hopes this will usher in a new era in the youth mental health crisis.

“It’s really something that I hope will hopefully be a true innovation in education, supporting kids going forward,” Smith said.

For more info, visit gnosis-iq.com.

Ben Smith is founder-CEO of Gnosis IQ in Chandler. (Special to Tribune)

BY DAVID LEIBOWITZ Tribune Columnist

When you consider the many threats faced by Arizonans on a daily basis, the usual evils come to mind: Double-digit inflation; chaos along the southern border; the fentanyl crisis; the Valley’s massive shortage of housing; our rising violent crime rate.

Toss in political turmoil and the ongoing insanity surrounding the 2022 election and it’s a long list.

All of which explains why this year’s session of the Arizona Legislature has seen conservative Republicans introduce no less than four bills targeted at that noted scourge … drag shows.

Apparently, there are gangs of marauding drag queens all over the state plotting to corrupt your kids. Or as freshman state Sen. Justine Wadsack, who seems to be driving this crazy train, explained at a Senate Judiciary committee hearing last week:

“I have enjoyed many drag queen

performances in my day, as an adult, around adults, in a roomful of adults. It’s been a great time. I have nothing wrong with the drag queen performances. … What I do have a problem with is when they go into the public libraries or the schools. I have watched them literally stand onstage wearing a G-string with breast implants. “And leaning over to a 5-year-old girl who has a dollar bill in her hand ready to put the dollar bill in this person’s G-string while this person leans over and says, ‘Are you thirsty for some milk little girl?’ … A 5-year-old does not need to be going up to a drag queen and putting dollar bills in their G-string.”

My guess is you, too, find the above absolutely absurd and completely unbelievable.

There’s not a chance in hell that southern Arizona Republicans sent someone named “Wadsack” to the Legislature. Sadly, they did.

Wadsack’s bill to combat drag shows is SB1698, a poorly written affair which seeks to make it a felony to expose a mi-

nor to “an adult oriented performance or an adult oriented business,” including a “drag show,” defined as a performance involving folks who “engage in singing, dancing or a monologue or skit in order to entertain an audience of two or more people,” while wearing clothing or makeup “opposite of the performers or group of performers gender at birth.”

This heinous offense would carry a minimum five-year prison sentence –surely sobering news for the actors set to appear in the June performances of “Hairspray” at Gammage on the Arizona State University campus.

Also at risk, as I read the bill: Any parent who screens “Tootsie,” “Mrs. Doubtfire” or “Big Momma’s House” for a kids’ sleepover party.

Wadsack claimed to have evidence at the committee hearing, where a different anti-drag bill – Anthony’s Kern’s SB 1028, which would ban drag shows on public property or anywhere a child might see it – passed out of committee by a vote of 4-3.

Said Wadsack: “If you guys don’t believe that these things happen, I have the documented proof. I just can’t put them up on the screen for you.”

If you ask me, these proposals sound like what our Legislature has specialized in for as long as I can remember: A solution in search of a problem.

Do I support sexualizing children, or a massive expense of tax dollars to sponsor Drag Queen Story Hour? I absolutely do not.

But the screeching here far outweighs the threat, given that such events targeting children appear to be non-existent.

From where I sit, the best defense against children being exposed to drag shows – or other sexual material – is something else that apparently doesn’t exist in our state.

Responsible parenting.

Arizona lawmakers won’t drag you down Balloon fiasco raises questions about Biden

I miss the days when Arizona’s legislative leaders believed in such principles, instead of political make believe. Because silly bills like Wadsack’s? They’re a real drag.

BY JD HAYWORTH Tribune Columnist

He may not wear a white suit, or a string tie—nor sport a silver goatee— but it appears as if Joe Biden wants to emulate the late Colonel Harland Sanders.

Sanders made millions with Kentucky Fried Chicken and franchising that fried fare…well after his 65th birthday.

The popularity of KFC now extends all the way to the People’s Republic of China.

Biden, for his part, hopes to increase his popularity here at home so that he can stay in the White House for eight

years – even though he’s now 80. Certainly, he must have fatherly pride in the popularity that his son, Hunter, now enjoys in China, in addition to his business success there.

That’s why it now appears that Ol’ Joe—with considerable help— has developed a national security “secret recipe.”

Admittedly, it is a curious concept— the notion of a deliberately delayed takeout service. Call it “Slow Joe’s ‘Biden’ Our Time.” Ask for it Wednesday, and you’ll see the order carried out on Saturday.

So what transpired off the South Carolina coast on the first Saturday in Feb -

ruary could accurately be described as a new type of “Chinese takeout.”

An American fighter jet finally shot down a Chinese surveillance balloon that had unfettered access to some of our most sensitive military sites after a weeklong trek across sovereign U.S. airspace.

Continuing “changes in narrative” emanating from the Potomac swamp began as soon as a video of the balloon taken over Montana was posted to social media sites, and the Billings Gazette published its account on Wednesday, Feb. 1.

Tthe reports from Big Sky gave birth to a rapidly changing Big Lie.

The immediate challenge for the “Biden Bunch” was clear—somehow

how our “woke” military leaders had to appear awake, in charge and giving clear advice to the increasingly befuddled “Leader of the Free World.”

Instead of exhibiting the fundamental instinct expected of military leadership—protecting Americans—our now hyper politicized Pentagon officials were engaging in what they believe to be a much more urgent priority: shielding a lone American octogenarian from any further collapse in his poll numbers.

That led, in turn, to a seemingly endless stream of “clarifications” that could be more accurately described as contra-

HAYWORTH from page 22 dictions.

We were initially informed that American intelligence had been tracking the balloon since it had taken flight in China. Then for good measure, “unnamed sources” insisted that similar balloons had breached American airspace on four earlier occasions during Donald Trump’s presidency. It was subsequently reported that those incursions had previously been undetected.

To modify the “Orange Man Bad” narrative, the NORAD commander had to go on the record and appear red-faced. Said General Glen D. VanHerck, “It’s my responsibility to detect threats to North America, [and] I will tell you that we did not detect those threats.”

VanHerck then made himself an early favorite for the “Best Bureaucratic Euphemism “ Award, describing the failure as a “domain awareness gap.”

The ever-helpful “Politico” then took its turn at creative writing, publishing a “timeline” of the events surrounding the balloon’s flight across America and insisting that Biden wanted the balloon shot down over Montana, but that VanHerck—in cooperation with Joint Chiefs’ Chairman Gen. Mark Milley—persuaded Mr. Biden to wait until the balloon was off the Atlantic Coast before taking any military action.

It’s not enough to call Milley “silly,” but that must suffice for this family publication.

Any American military commander who would brag to Bob Woodward that he intervened to disrupt the chain of command because of his distrust of Donald Trump—to the point of secretly calling his Chinese counterpart to pledge that America would not launch

an attack—is not courageous, but confused, to put it mildly.

In stark contrast to his oft-observed confusion, Joe Biden had a clear-eyed motive to delay shooting down the balloon – his son’s “business connections” to Beijing.

Hunter Biden hasn’t had the longterm relationship that Kentucky Fried Chicken has enjoyed there, but the younger Biden has been generously compensated by businesses connected to the Chinese Communist Party.

And unlike Colonel Sanders, Joe Biden’s “secret recipe” may result in our collective goose getting cooked.

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When We Waste Food, We Waste Arizona’s Precious Water

BY HILLARY BRYANT Guest Writer

(Mesa, AZ)— As water cuts take effect in Arizona and Valley residents aim to conserve water, one crucial point is being overlooked: food waste. Simply put, when we waste food, we waste water. And Arizona is the worst offender when it comes to tossing out meals.

The Arizona Department of Water Resources promotes water conservation in ways like reduced shower times, running a dishwasher or washing machine only when you have a full load, or shutting off automatic watering systems. While all of these steps are critical, we would all benefit from food waste reduction being top of mind, too.

Held on the majestic grounds of the Wigwam Resort, a short drive from the Phoenix Metro area. The festival is a life-size picture postcard framed by towering palms, lush green lawns, and flowering gardens—creating a stunning outdoor gallery.

Featuring 125 accomplished fine artists and craftsmen from around the nation, the three-day event guarantees its patrons an unparalleled cultural experience. Amenities include daily music, performance art, and trendy food, wine and beer concessions. The resort also offers upscale restaurants and patio dining.

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Whether directly or indirectly, water is used to produce every item of food. According to data from the Water Footprint Calculator, a 4 oz serving of chicken uses 130 gallons of water, and 4 oz of almonds uses a shocking 483 gallons.

If these numbers seem extreme, take a moment to think about how water is necessary in multiple aspects of the processes that get our food from farm to table. Plants need watered. Animals need hydration. Products need to be cleaned. Then there are packaging and distribution protocols that require even more H2O.

As of January 1, 2023, Arizona has entered into a Tier 2a water shortage condition. This means Arizona will face a 21% cut of the state’s yearly water allotment from the Colorado River, according to the Bureau of Reclamation.

Meanwhile, with minimal legislative direction, Arizona is the state wasting the item that requires the most water to make: food.

LawnStarter.com analyzed data from Food Rescue US, ReFED, US Environmental Protection Agency, and US Composting Council. The analysis revealed our state has the highest share of food wasted and the lowest share recycled. It also ranked third for the lowest share of food donated to people in need. Regarding policy, Arizona has robust protections for food donors, but no laws mandating food donation. Waste Not knows how to correct course and mitigate water waste via food rescue. In 2022, the nonprofit conserved over 220 million gallons of water.

There are two simple ways residents can be a part of eliminating food waste. One of the easiest ways is to plan out your meals and only buy what you know you will use. Another is to use the FIFO method of ‘first in, first out’ when organizing your food, using expiration dates as guideposts.

If you find yourself with excess food, we encourage individuals to find a food bank that will accept the donation. The Arizona Food Bank Network is a great resource to find your nearest local food bank. For businesses, we encourage becoming a food donor with Waste Not.

Every month, Waste Not picks up tens of thousands of pounds of excess food that would otherwise have been wasted. The food is rescued from restaurants, grocery stores, catering companies, and other businesses which we deliver to nonprofit agencies valleywide. Seven days a week, Waste Not is rescuing food, conserving water, and feeding hungry Arizonans. For every pound of food rescued, 99 gallons of water are saved.

Arizona is at a crossroads when it comes to where we stand on issues like food waste and water conservation. We have the opportunity to be at the forefront of policy change to better our state and secure our future. Individuals and businesses alike can do their part to reduce their own environmental impact, but lasting change will only be achieved by advocating for new legislation. The time for talk is over. It is now time to take action.

Hillary Bryant is the Executive Director of Waste Not.

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TJ, Jordan Hagen embracing final moments together

BY ZACH ALVIRA Tribune Sports Editor

It’s hard for T.J. Hagen not to become emotional when he thinks about the final match he will coach with his son, Jordan, in goal.

He’s only been his soccer coach for four years at Mesa High School, but he’s been his mentor his entire life. Through youth and club soccer, the father-son duo has bonded over the game.

They’ve had times of triumph together, most notably beating Brophy this season for the first time in program history. There have also been times where the two may not see eye to eye or have difficult conversations on the car ride home from a tough loss.

But that’s life living with a coach. And Jordan wouldn’t change it for the world.

“It’s been so fun,” Jordan said. “I love playing for my dad. I wanted to help him win some region titles and maybe a state championship this year, we’ll see. That’s what I’m aiming for.”

Jordan’s soccer journey at Mesa began earlier than expected.

As a freshman, T.J. had hoped he would have a year or two to sit and learn behind experienced goalkeepers on the Jackrabbits’ roster from the year prior. But those players decided not to return to the team.

That opened the door for Jordan to immediately become the varsity starter. The role came with pressure, as the older players on the team expected him to succeed. He had 84 saves that season as the Jackrabbits went 14-7-1 overall.

“I knew he could play,” T.J. said. “There were definitely times where maybe somebody else might’ve had a better game if they were in, but you can never know in those situations. There was a group of juniors and seniors that expected a lot out of him because he is the coach’s son.

“But over the last couple of years the growth has been very good.”

Since his freshman season, Jordan has only improved. Year by year he has gotten better in goal, earning postseason awards and honors from the Arizona Interscholastic Association and coaches from region rivals.

But most importantly, he started to become a leader. He began feeling confident in his ability to bark orders from goal to his teammates.

That role carried over to his junior season and has expanded even more as a senior captain.

“It’s his senior year, he’s the starter,” T.J. said. “He had some things to do this year and I think being on the team for three years already gave him the confidence. It’s still always hard for his dad to be the coach, but I’ve always tried to allow him to lead on his own.

“I think he’s done a great job.”

Mesa entered the postseason for the fourth straight season with Jordan in goal this past week. The Jackrabbits, ranked No. 9 in the 6A Conference, host-

ed No. 24 Corona del Sol in the play-in round.

They’ve been led all season by Jordan’s 67 saves and a trio of forwards and strikers in junior Giovanni Fierro and seniors Pablo Guerrero — who is also a defender on the team — and senior Kevin Ortiz.

The three have combined to score 44 goals this season. Fierro leads the way with 18 of his own. But Meza’s defense has been the bright spot as of late.

Heading into the postseason the Jackrabbits won six of their last seven games and shut out opponents in all six victories. Their only blemish came against rival Mountain View in a 1-0 doubleovertime loss.

Overall, after starting the season 1-21, the Jackrabbits have lost just three

matches. Their play, especially as of late, has brought confidence to the program. But first they had to get through the play-in game.

“It’s win or go home, we have to stay motivated,” Jordan said. “We’ve been on a pretty hot win streak since mid-season. We just have to keep on going with it, keep pushing forward.

“It’s been good defensively, just gotta keep the offense going.”

The Hagens are enjoying every practice, team meeting and game remaining together.

Senior night for T.J. was difficult, though he admits it was more of a joyous moment rather than sad. Jordan agreed.

But the two know that may not be the case when their season comes to an end. It’ll be emotional, both admitted they may have tears in their eyes. But winning a title would alleviate some of the sadness that comes with playing their final game as coach and son.

No matter when the time comes for the duo, they will enjoy the moment and cherish the memories they have made together on the field.

“Just mentioning that to me makes me have a little lump in my throat,” T.J. said. “I’ll probably hug him and have a tear in my eye. I’m hoping they are tears for happy stuff and raising the ball. No matter what happens I’ll be proud of him and proud of what we do as a

team.”

Mesa senior goalkeeper Jordan Hagen and his father, head coach T.J., are cherishing the final moments they have left together this season as the Jackrabbits played in a postseason play-in match this past Thursday against Corona del Sol. (Dave Minton/Tribune Staff)

Jordan Hagen has been a four-year starter in goal for Mesa. It has come with pressure but also allowed him to grow as a leader. His dad said he is proud of who he has become on and off the field. (Dave Minton/ Tribune Staff)

Arabian Horse Show gallops into 68th year

BY SUMMER AGUIRRE GetOut Staff Writer

From chestnuts, to bays, to roans, hundreds of Arabian horses will be in the spotlight for the 68th annual Scottsdale Arabian Horse Show. The largest Arabian horse show in the world, the prestigious event attracts the best of the best owners, trainers and breeders from around the globe vying to snatch the blue ribbon in a wide variety of competitions with top Arabians. Hosted by the nonprofit Arabian Horse Association of Arizona, the show will start at 8 a.m. each day running from Thursday, Feb. 16, to Sunday, Feb. 26, at WestWorld of Scottsdale.

“Scottsdale is the mecca for Arabian horses and each year we’re thrilled to have unique, beautiful horses from around the world come here for this event,” said Taryl O’Shea, executive director of the AHAA.

“The Arabian horse community helped shape what Scottsdale is today and has had tremendous impact both economically, culturally, and socially over the past six-plus decades. We’re grateful for the opportunity to welcome back the horse community, newcomers and enthusiasts this February.”

In 11 days, the 2023 show will feature more than 2,000 horses and over 1,000 riders, some as young as 5 years old, competing for more than $3 million in

prize money.

The Arabian breed’s beauty, versatility and elegance will be showcased in several hundred classes each day, ranging from dressage, horsemanship, side saddle, to English and Western pleasure.

This is also the first year that the Scottsdale show will include ranch horse classes, which test the Arabians’ ability to perform ranch tasks and demonstrate their adaptability for pleasure riding, working and agility.

Every discipline and age division will have normal classes pinned by place, in addition to larger classes having elimination rounds before the final championships.

Molly Schwanz, a 21-year-old competi-

tor and Scottsdale resident, said she believes that the finals nights on the weekends are the best time to experience the show. The first weekend mostly consists of youth competitions, while the last features many championship events.

“They have the Liberty (class), where they let the horses go and they let them run around, and then they have the jumping — that’s something that we’re not really known for,” Schwanz said.

“But it’s really cool to watch them jump the arena, and then it’s all the really amazing, exciting classes for people to watch that really show off the Arabian breed.”

see HORSE SHOW page 27

Punk rockers Bayside to visit Nile Theater

BY ALEX GALLAGHER GetOut Staff Writer

For more than two decades, Queens, New York punkrockers Bayside has become a house-packing, energetic live act.

However, the band has also fallen victim to the rigors of excessive touring, prompting the band to scale back its schedule, vocalist Anthony Raneri said.

“Over the last five to seven years, the band has been transitioning from touring all the time to doing one or maybe two tours a year,” Raneri said.

“We were at a point where we were on tour for 10 months out of the year, but now we’re on tour for maybe 10 weeks out of the year, which is cool, be -

cause every time we go on tour, it’s super exciting and we’re ready to go on tour again.”

Raneri said this also has increased fans’ appetite to catch the band in person at intimate venues – like the Nile Theater in Mesa, where the band plays on Tuesday, Feb. 14.

“As bands grow and progress in size, you have to change your strategy,” he said. “When we were growing in the early to mid-2000s, we had to sort of grind it out to develop the band.

“Now that we have the fans and the shows have gotten bigger and bigger, we

Punk outfit Bayside will bring its “Just Like Home” tour to the Nile Theater on Tuesday, Feb. 14, with special guests I Am The Avalanche. (Courtesy of Alexandra Snow)

HORSE SHOW from page 26

Adding to the experience of watching the top equines and riders in the Arabian world perform, event goers can explore a shopping expo adjacent to the main arena.

There are expected to be over 300 artisans and entrepreneurs selling oneof-a-kind goods, products and services, including fine art, crafts, clothing and jewelry.

Returning this year is an immersive experience hosted by Phoenix-based organization HoofbeatZ USA, which offers event goers the opportunity to ride, interact with and learn about equines. The experience is included in the event ticket and introduces newcomers to the horse world.

Interacting with the horses on such a personal level is something that Schwanz said attendees don’t expect.

“I feel like every horse you meet impacts your life in some way that you have no idea about. They are such emotional, sensitive animals and they can really feel how you feel,” Schwanz said.

“I just think that when these spectators come, they get to meet these horses and get to watch them perform, I feel like it’s such an incredible feeling that gets people excited.”

The AHAA will also celebrate the second National Arabian Horse Day on February 19, complete with special events and activities at the show.

Proceeds from the 2023 Scottsdale show will benefit several charities, including the Arabian Horse Promotional Fund, Arabian Horsemen’s Distress Fund, Friends of Vail Foundation, Healing Hearts Animal Rescue and Refuge, Horses Help TRC, Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation (JDRF), March of Dimes, Scottsdale Community College, Scottsdale Rotary and Youth for Troops.

The Arabian horse show has been held at WestWorld of Scottsdale since 1989. Since then, it has expanded from 50 horses to over a few thousand.

The Scottsdale show was the first horse show that Schwanz competed in over 10 years ago, and she looks forward to it every year.

“It’s just something that you have to

go and be there (the show) for to experience. You see it and it’s like, ‘wow, this is so incredible that all the hard work that these trainers and these riders put in throughout the year gets shown off here,’” Schwanz said.

“It really is just an amazing show, an amazing stay, an amazing city. WestWorld is such a beautiful venue to be at for this horse show and it’s just a great area. Overall, so many people come for it, it’s just incredible.”

If You Go...

Scottsdale Arabian Horse Show

Where: WestWorld, 16601 N. Pima Road in Scottsdale

When: Beginning at 8 a.m. each day Feb. 16-26.

Cost: $15 for general admission, $10 for seniors, children aged 10 and under are free. Military personnel and their families are free February 21. Info: scottsdaleshow.com

The Scottsdale Arabian Horse Show begins at 8 a.m. each day and will run from Thursday, Feb. 16 to Sunday, Feb. 26, at WestWorld of Scottsdale. (Evolve PR and Marketing)

AJ’s cowboy lifestyle celebrated at Superstition Museum

TRIBUNE NEWS STAFF

Mesa residents who want a look back at a time when cowboys ruled the roost in Apache Junction might want to head over to the Superstition Mountain Museum for its Western Cowboy Day this weekend.

The museum’s exhibits and some special attractions celebrate local history, the cowboy lifestyle, the Apacheland Movie Ranch and Native American culture 9 a.m.-4 p.m. Feb. 18. The family-friendly event is free.

“This region was favored in the 50s and 60s as a backdrop for many TV and movie westerns,” a spokesman said. “Apache Junction and Gold Canyon played host to cowboy legends like Ronald Reagan, John Wayne and Audie Murphy, but also was home to real-life cowboys like Superstition Mountain Historical Society founder

Tom Kollenborn and Oscar-winner Ben Johnson.”

Many of the original western movie actors are gone, but their legends and stories live on at the museum, 4087 E. Apache Trail, Apache Junction.

BAYSIDE from page 26

have to leave space in between when we go to cities just to rebuild that hunger for the band.”

“Somehow we’ve been a band for going on 25 years now, and somehow I think that we’re playing the best that we ever have, from a live perspective,” he said. “I think that we’re putting out the best music we ever have, we’re writing the best songs we ever have and I’m hungry to be better and we’re constantly trying to get better.”

Raneri said Bayside’s live shows

The Superstition Mountain Renegades will present sketches with cowboy themes and Teton Ken will bring some horses while the museum also will host cowboy poets, show some classic Westerns and offer live music as well.

differ from other bands’ gigs because of their communal nature.

“Our show feels like a communal thing where things are a little bit more collaborative,” said Raneri, whose band will tour with I Am the Avalanche and Koyo.

“We recognize that going to shows is a night away from your problems and that’s what entertainment brings to the world, that’s the purpose that we serve.”

Because of this, Raneri is excited to treat fans to new tunes like “Go To Hell” and “Strangest Faces” off 2022’s “The Red EP.”

Food trucks also will be on the scene.

You can make a whole day of this event because there will be food trucks provided. Information: superstitionmountainmuseum.org or 480983-4888.

However, he expects to hear fans roar when he belts out the hit “Devotion and Desire” from the 2005 selftitled sophomore effort.

“We’ve been closing with ‘Devotion and Desire’ since it came out and that’s always when the set reaches the fever pitch,” Raneri said. “What’s cool about it is that we’ve been able to make that the last song for all this time because a lot of times it speaks to our catalog and how much our fans enjoy everything that we do.”

Info: baysidebayside.com, theniletheater.com

With JAN D’ATRI GetOut Contributor

Give a perfect Valentine: flourless chocolate cake

Sudoku

It has always been a favorite dessert in fine dining establishments. Flourless Chocolate Cake is that elegant finishing touch that makes a gourmet meal satisfying, sweet and complete. And with Valentine’s Day approaching, how fabulous would it be to create a delicious chocolate cake with just three ingredients! Can it really be done? Absolutely!

That’s what makes this cake so delightful. You really don’t believe it until it comes out of the oven, cooled and ready to be cut. Before making this dense and delicious chocolate wonder, I spent hours viewing flourless chocolate cake recipes and techniques on line.

Ingredients:

• 8 eggs

• 16 ounces semi-sweet chocolate chips

• 1 cup butter

• pinch salt, optional

• powdered sugar, whipped cream or fresh berries (for garnish)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease an 8 or 9 inch cake pan, or spring form pan. Select a baking sheet or roasting pan in which the cake pan will set. (You will be adding water to the bottom of the sheet or roasting pan.)

In a microwave safe bowl, combine chocolate chips with the butter. Melt at 45 second intervals, and stir until the chocolate and butter are fully melted and

I found some techniques to be overly complicated, and some recipes called for pretty random ingredients like garbanzo beans.

But really, all you need to create chocolate decadence are three simple ingredients: chocolate, eggs and butter. (I did take liberties, however, and added a pinch of salt to sharpen up the flavors, but it’s still basically three ingredients.) Most of the videos had decent results, but I was set on keeping it simple so this cake could possibly be declared one of your new go-to treats. I think it will be because it’s decadently delicious and as easy as one, two, three!

combined. With an electric mixer, beat the eggs for 6-8 minutes or until double in size. The eggs should be foamy and light colored. Pour the melted chocolate into a large bowl.

Spoon one third of the whipped eggs into the chocolate and gently fold until combined. Add the remainder of the eggs into the chocolate and fold until completely combined.

Pour mixture into prepared cake pan. If using spring form pan, seal the outside and bottom with aluminum foil and place in sheet or roasting pan. Place in oven. Pour 1-2 inches of hot water into the roasting pan. Bake for about 35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes up clean.

Do not over bake. When done, let cool. (The cake will deflate.) Serve in wedges and garnish with powdered sugar, whipping cream or berries.

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CLASSIFIEDS.PHOENIX.ORG

CITY OF MESA, ARIZONA ENGINEERING DEPARTMENT REQUEST FOR QUALIFICATIONS (RFQ)

NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that the City of Mesa is seeking qualified Consultants for the following:

CONSULTANT ON-CALL LIST FOR ELECTRICAL, INSTRUMENTATION, AND CONTROL INSPECTION AND TESTING SERVICES

The City of Mesa is seeking qualified Consultants to provide design services and/or construction administration services on an on-call basis in the following area/category: Electrical, Instrumentation, and Control Inspection and Testing Services. All qualified firms that are interested in providing these services are invited to submit their Statements of Qualifications (SOQ) in accordance with the requirements detailed in the Request for Qualifications (RFQ). From this solicitation, the Engineering Department will establish a list of on-call consultants for Electrical, Instrumentation, and Control Inspection and Testing Services. This category is further defined below:

Electrical, Instrumentation, and Control Inspection and Testing Services projects might involve design support, construction inspections, and commissioning testing for projects associated with electrical instrumentation and control systems for the Water Resources Department.

A Pre-Submittal Conference will not be held.

Contact with City Employees. All firms interested in this project (including the firm’s employees, representatives, agents, lobbyists, attorneys, and subconsultants) will refrain, under penalty of disqualification, from direct or indirect contact for the purpose of influencing the selection or creating bias in the selection process with any person who may play a part in the selection process. This policy is intended to create a level playing field for all potential firms, to assure that contract decisions are made in public, and to protect the integrity of the selection process. All contact on this selection process should be addressed to the authorized representative identified below.

RFQ Lists. This RFQ is available on the City’s website at http://mesaaz.gov/business/engineering/architectural-engineering-design-opportunities.

The Statement of Qualifications shall include a one-page cover letter, plus a maximum of 10 pages to address the SOQ evaluation criteria (excluding resumes but including an organization chart with key personnel and their affiliation). Resumes for each team member shall be limited to a maximum length of two pages and should be attached as an appendix to the SOQ. Minimum font size shall be 10 point. Please submit one (1) electronic copy in an unencrypted PDF format with a maximum file size limit of 20MB to Engineering-RFQ@mesaaz.gov by 2:00 PM, Thursday February 23, 2023. The City reserves the right to accept or reject any and all Statements of Qualifications. In the subject line and on the submittal package, please display: Firm name and Electrical, Instrumentation, and Control Inspection and Testing Services.

The City is an equal opportunity employer.

Firms who wish to do business with the City of Mesa must be registered and activated in the City of Mesa Vendor Self Service (VSS) System (http://mesaaz.gov/business/purchasing/vendor-self-service).

Questions. Questions pertaining to the Consultant selection process or contract issues should be directed to Tracy Gumeringer of the Engineering Department at tracy.gumeringer@mesaaz.gov.

BETH HUNING City Engineering

PUBLIC NOTICE - REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS FROM QUALIFIED CONTRACTORS FOR PAD PREP, EXCAVATION, AND CUT AND GRADE

PROJECT NAME / REFERENCE NO.: 1800317-E Don Carlos Ave. Pad Prep, Excavation, and Cut and Grade

DATE OF ISSUANCE: February 12, 2023

PROJECT DESCRIPTION: Habitat for Humanity Central Arizona (HFHCAZ) is requesting proposals in the form of lump-sum, sealed bids, from qualified contractors. Project site is 0.83 acres comprised of 6 Single-Family lots in Tempe, Arizona. Civil infrastructure work includes pad prep, excavation, cut and grade of retention basin, and fill of existing hole.

PROJECT LOCATION: Tempe, Arizona 85281

BID DOCUMENTATION: Bid documentat ion will be available via email. Send requests for information to kristen@habitatcaz.org no later than February 22nd, 2023.

DEADLINE FOR SUBMITTAL: Sealed bids must be delivered to Habitat for Humanity Central Arizona’s Corporate Office located at 2830 W Glendale Ave, Phoenix, AZ 85051, no later than 2:00 p.m. on March 2nd, 2023. The public bid opening will begin at 2:01 p.m. Habitat reserves the right to reject any or all bids and to withhold the award for any reason Habitat determines.

BID CONTACT: Kristen Folsom, 602-232-1082, kristen@habitatcaz.org

Published in East Valley Tribune Feb 12, 19, 2023

INVITATION TO BID

Owner Central Arizona Shelter Services at 230 South 12th Avenue Phoenix, Arizona 85007 will receive Sealed Bids for the BOILERS PROJECT.

PROJECT SCOPE: Provide upgraded equipment and increased domestic hot water capacity for two separate domestic water heating loops in the Central Arizona Shelter Services building on the City of Phoenix Human Services Campus at 230 S 12th Ave Phoenix, AZ. Loop 1 is located on the south side of the facility and serves the men’s dormitory, and laundry. Loop 2 is located on the north side of the facility and serves the women’s dormitories. Scope of work will include removal of existing domestic water heating equipment, installation of the selected water heating equipment, and revisions to domestic cold water, hot water and natural gas piping.

BIDDING DOCUMENTS & SPECIFICATIONS:

May be obtained via email by contacting Doug Pilcher, Project Manager doug@pilcheretal.com

2023 at 10:00 AM Arizona Time at the Central Arizona Shelter Services Administrative Office Conference Room located at 230 South 12th Avenue Phoenix, Arizona 85007. Bids will be publicly opened and read aloud on the same day at 10:15 AM Arizona Time

All bids must be on a lump-sum basis. A schedule of values will be provided by the Contractor at the time of contract. Central Arizona Shelter Services reserves the right to reject any and all bids.

This project is federally funded through Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) funds. Federal labor standards, Davis-Bacon prevailing wages, and Equal Employment Opportunity regulations apply of the Housing and Urban Development Act of 1968 for Employment and Contracting Opportunities. Small, minority and/ or women owned businesses are encouraged to submit bids.

Published in East Valley Tribune Feb 12, 2023

NOTICE TO CREDITORS

In the Matter of the Estate of CAROL J. WALKER

NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that the undersigned has been appointed as the Personal Representative of this estate. All persons having claims against the estate are required to present their claims within four (4) months after the date of the first publication of this Notice or the claims will be forever barred. Claims must be presented by delivering or mailing a written statement of the claim to undersigned Personal Representative at Sharona Joseph, 2322 S. Rogers #35 Mesa, AZ 85202

Published in East Valley Tribune Feb 5, 12, 19, 2023

ATTEST:

Holly Moseley City Clerk

MANDATORY PRE-BID CONFERENCE: Will be held on March 2, 2023 at 10:00 AM Arizona Time at Central Arizona Shelter Services Administrative Office 230 South 12th Avenue Phoenix, Arizona 85007. DIRECTIONS: In Downtown Phoenix, take 15th Ave to Harrison Street. Go East on Harrison Street 50 yards to the Employee & Volunteer Gate and press the call button on the entrance keypad. Once in the parking lot turn left and go 50 yards to the CASS Administrative Office and check-in at the front desk.

If you need additional assistance please call Bruce Hall, Director of Facilities at 602-290-9049.

SEALED BIDS: Will be received until March 23,

Case Number JS21167

NOTICE OF HEARING ON PETITITION FOR TERMINATION OF PARENT-CHILD RELATIONSHIP

SUPERIOR COURT OF ARIZONA IN MARICOPA COUNTY Juvenile Department

PARENT/GUARDIAN NAMES(S)

Dominica Nicole Cordova

John Doe

In the Matter of Minor(s):

Adrian Eulalio Cornal-Bernitez

This is an important notice from the court. Read it carefully.

A petition about termination of parent-child relationship has been filed with the court, and a hearing has been scheduled related to your child(ren). Your rights may be affected by the proceedings. You have a right to to appear as a party in the proceeding. If you fail to participate in the court proceedings, the court may deem that you have waived your legal rights and admitted to the allegations made in the petition. Hearings may go forward in your absence and may result in the termination of your parental rights. Judicial Officer: Christopher Whitten

Hearing Date/Time: March 10, 2023 at 9:30 am

Hearing Type: Severance

Publication/Evidentiary Hearing

Location: Old Courthouse, 125 W. Washington St, Phoenix, AZ 85003

Court Connect Hearing:

Video: http://tinyurl.com/judgewitten

Dial-in Information: + 917-781-4590

Dial-in Access Code: 591 182 803#

Private Dial-in Information: for privacy purposes, you can block your phone number by dialing *67

Published in East Valley Tribune Jan 29, Feb 5, 12, 19, 2023

8 Feb 2023

US Army Resources Command ATTN: AHRCPDR-VIB

1600 Spearhead Division Avenue Dept 420 Fort Knox, KY 40122-5402

Jacob Brant Taylor

SS#

c/o 5231 S 158th Street

Gilbert, AZ 85298

Dear Sirs:

My intention in submitting this "application" is to allow you to access my service record and satisfy yourselves that I am properly and completely discharged from any other, further, or additional claim or service obligation referenced by Public Law 95202 and the associated Executive Order.

It is my wish and intention that I shall be recognized

City of Mesa Housing Authority

now and forevermore as fully, completely, and permanently discharged from U.S. military service and severed from the accompanying obligations of federal citizenship.

I have returned to my natural birthright political status and removed my permanent domicile to the land and soil of my birth state.

Please confirm my election to be removed from any further claim of federal connection effective with my date of discharge as shown on the DD 214 associated with my name.

Sincerely yours,

Jacob Brant Taylor

Published in East Valley Tribune Feb 12, 2023

ARTICLES OF ORGANIZATION HAVE BEEN FILED IN THE OFFICE OF THE ARIZONA CORPORATION COMMISSION FOR I Name: FULLMER LLC DBA T.A.C.T. EAST VALLEY

II The address of the registered office is: 35575 N. THURBER RD. QUEEN CREEK, AZ 85142 The name of the Statutory Agent is: STEVEN TODD

FULLMER III Management of the Limited Liability Company is vested in a manager or managers. The names of each person who is a manager and each member who owns a twenty percent or greater interest in the capital or profits of the limited liability company are: MEMBER/MANAGERS/ORGANIZ-

ERS: Name and address for each. STEVEN TODD

FULLMER, DENISE LUPO FULLMER, 35575 N. THURBER RD QUEEN CREEK, AZ 85142

Published in East Valley Tribune Feb 5, 12, 19, 2023

Public Notice

Notice of Availability of the Proposed Public Housing Authority

FY 2023/2024 Annual Plan

Notice of 45-Day Public Comment Period

February 12, 2023 – March 29, 2023

Notice of Public Hearing on Proposed Public Housing Authority

FY 2023/2024 Annual Plan

March 30, 2023, 7:30 a.m.

Date of Publication: February 12, 2023

Mary Brandon Housing Services

City of Mesa

P.O. Box 1466 Mesa, AZ 85211-1466

480-644-5852

Notice of Availability of the Proposed Public Housing Authority

FY 2023/2024 Annual Plan

The 1998 Federal Housing Act requires all Public Housing Authorities to complete and submit an Annual Plan to the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), and that the public be given the opportunity to provide comments. The purpose of the Plan is to outline the goals, objectives, and methodology the agency will use to provide assisted and affordable housing through the use of federal funds in Mesa.

Notice is hereby given that Commerce Bank of Arizona, located at 7315 N. Oracle Rd. Suite 181 Tucson, AZ 85704 has filed, with the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, an application to establish a new branch to be located at 2915 E Baseline Rd. Suite 112, Gilbert, AZ 85234. Any person wishing to comment on this application may submit written comments to the regional director of the Federal Deposit Insurance Cooperation at its regional office, 25 Jessie St at Ecker Square, Suite 2300, San Francisco, CA, 94105, no later than 2/27/2023

The public portion of this application is on file in the regional office and is available for public inspection during regular business hours. Photocopies of the public portion of the application are available on request. Published pursuant to section 303.7 and 303.44 of the rules and regulations of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation.

Commerce Bank of Arizona Chris Webster

President & CEO

Published in East Valley Tribune Feb 12, 2023

Beginning on February 12, 2023, the Mesa Housing Authority’s proposed FY 2023/2024 Annual Plan will be available electronically for review by the general public and can be found on the City’s Housing Services website at: https://www.mesaaz.gov/housing

Notice of 45-Day Public Comment Period

February 12, 2023 – March 29, 2023

A 45-day public comment period regarding the Housing Authority’s proposed FY 2023/2024 Annual Plan will begin on Sunday, February 12, 2023, and conclude at 6:00 p.m. on Wednesday, March 29, 2023. Public comments will be accepted anytime during the 45-day public comment period. Concerned residents should submit their comments to the: City of Mesa Housing Services by fax at 480-644-2923 or email to housing.info@mesaaz.gov. Written comments regarding the Plan will be accepted on or before March 29, 2023.

Notice of Public Hearing (Proposed Public Housing Authority FY 2023/2024 Annual Plan

March 30, 2023, 7:30 a.m.

A public hearing will be held to review and solicit comments from the general public regarding the Mesa Housing Authority’s proposed Public Housing Authority FY 2023/2024 Annual Plan. The hearing will occur at a meeting of the Housing Governing Board on Thursday, March 30, 2023, at 7:30 a.m. To request to speak at the meeting, please contact Mary Brandon at 480-644-5852 or at mary.brandon@mesaaz.gov by March 29, 2023.

The City of Mesa endeavors to make all public meetings accessible to persons with disabilities. If you are a person with a disability and require a reasonable accommodation in order to participate in programs and services offered by the City of Mesa Housing Authority, please contact Mary Brandon at 480-644-5852 or at mary.brandon@mesaaz.gov. Hearing impaired individuals should call 711 (Arizona TDD Relay). To the extent possible, accommodations will be made within the time constraint of the request.

Mary Brandon, Housing Services February 12, 2023 East Valley Tribune Equal Housing Opportunity

EMPLOYMENT-GENERAL

Deloitte Consulting LLP seeks a Consulting, Senior Solution Specialist in Gilbert, AZ and various unanticipated Deloitte office locations and client sites nationally to drive software testing and implementation services to help companies unlock the value of big technology investments big technology investments, ranging from requirements to architecture, design to development, testing to deployment, and beyond as discrete services or comprehensive solutions in the insurance, financial services, healthcare, state and local government, telecom, and retail industries. 15% travel required nationally. Telecommuting permitted. To apply visit apply.deloitte.com. Enter XBAL23FC0123GIL7677 in “Search jobs” field. EOE, including disability/ veterans.

EMPLOYMENT-GENERAL

Deloitte Consulting LLP seeks a Consulting, Senior Solution Specialist in Gilbert, Arizona & various unanticipated Deloitte office locations & client sites nationally to Drive software development and implementation services to help companies unlock the value of big technology investments, ranging from requirements to architecture, design to development, testing to deployment, and beyond as discrete services or comprehensive solutions 15% travel required nationally Telecommuting permitted To apply visit apply deloitte com Enter XBAL23FC0223GIL4459 in “Search jobs” field EOE, including disability/veterans

EMPLOYMENT-GENERAL

Bank of the West seeks Quality Assurance, Supervisor II in Tempe, AZ to lead QA team to develop, implement & maintain quality practices supporting corporate initiatives. Req’s Bachelor’s or foreign education equivalent in CS, Electronics Eng. or IT plus 7 years’ experience testing ETLs, including writing SQL queries to validate data transformations in enterprise data warehouse & data marts. Telecommute beneit 3 days/week.

Submit resume to Maralba.Montalvo@bankofthewest.com & reference job code QAS2GC.

SOFTWARE DEVELOPER LEAD FOR BANK OF THE WEST IN TEMPE, AZ TO PERFORM FULL STACK DEVELOPMENT, DESIGN & ARCHITECTURE. REQUIRES BACHELOR’S OR FOREIGN EDUCATION EQUIVALENT IN CS, IT OR ELECTRONIC/ELECTRICAL ENGINEERING PLUS 7 YEARS’ EXPERIENCE BUILDING SOFTWARE SOLUTIONS, INCLUDING DESIGN, DEVELOPMENT, TESTING & IMPLEMENTATION. WILL ALSO ACCEPT MASTER’S PLUS 5 YEARS. SUBMIT RESUME TO MARALBA.MONTALVO@BANKOFTHEWEST.COM & REFERENCE JOB CODE: SDLGC.

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