Mesa Tribune 03-19-2023

Sunday, March 19, 2023

Inside This Week Up to 4K apartments could replace Fiesta Mall

BY SCOTT SHUMAKER Tribune Staff Writer

Mesa did not have to wait long to see what the newly consolidated ownership of Fiesta Mall wants to do with the long-dormant mall.

Now that it is apparently down to just one owner, plans submitted earlier this month to the city show that Verde Investments propose

to level the vacant and graffitied mall buildings and transform the area into a mixed use live-work-play development.

New roadways would be created through the 80-acre site to connect a complex of retail, entertainment, apartments and office space. The design limits in Verde’s proposal speak to the potential intensity of the new development: A cap of 4,000 residential units on the site and a maximum building height of 120

SE Mesa intersection getting 9 drive-thrus

BY SCOTT SHUMAKER Tribune Staff Writer

District 6 in southeast Mesa has grown rapidly in recent years and residents crave commercial amenities for dining, nightlife and so-called “third spaces” like coffee shops for working outside the home or just hanging out.

The relative lack of these types of commercial places was an issue in last year’s District 6 city council race, with both candidates for the seat promising to help the district’s retail and cultural amenities catch up with its residential and industrial might.

feet, or about 12 stories.

The basic idea is not unlike what is underway for other mall redevelopment projects in Arizona, including at the former Paradise Valley Mall site, now a mixed-use development called “PV” currently under construction.

A website for PV describes the new development as a “mecca of dining, entertainment

see MALL page 3

At one key intersection, Elliot and Ellsworth roads, the see

page 6

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The similarity between PV and the Fiesta Mall plan isn’t just coincidence: Verde Investments, led by Carvana founder Ernie Garcia, tapped the architecture firm behind the Paradise Valley Mall redevelopment, Nelsen Partners Architecture, to create the Fiesta Mall redevelopment concept submitted to Mesa

Other mixed-use projects that Nelsen Partners has designed in Arizona include Kierland Commons and Scottsdale Quarter.

Attorneys for Verde Investments submitted the Fiesta Mall project documents to the city ahead of a scheduled meeting with city staff this week to discuss the plans.

The documents and the meeting are just the opening gambit in what could be a long dialogue between city staff and the mall owner, but city leaders are excited and cautiously optimistic about the plans.

“The fact that it’s gotten to this point is very encouraging,” Mayor John Giles said. “I think we all know what a strategic location it is.”

The Fiesta Mall site comprises nine individual parcels. For years ownership of the once-bustling regional mall was split among different entities that owned the anchor stores, mall interior and other bits separately, complicating efforts to put a redevelopment plan in place.

But in 2022 the number of owners had dropped to just two, and earlier this month

Vice Mayor Francisco Heredia told the Tribune that Verde Investments had reached a deal to buy out the only other remaining owner.

Verde has submitted a plan for the entire Fiesta Mall property, but it’s not clear whether a sale of the other half of Fiesta

Mall to Verde is official or not, as sale documents have not been posted to the Maricopa County Recorder’s Office website yet.

However, documents recorded with the county in 2020 show Verde has an option agreement to buy the other owner’s property effective through March 31.

Verde’s redevelopment plan divides Fiesta Mall’s 80 acres into “character areas” for multifamily housing, commercial, flexoffice and green space. In large swaths of the site, Verde wants to allow for a mix of two character areas.

Giles said he’s excited that the Fiesta Mall land is “going to come back online.”

“It’s so large you could do a lot of very interesting things,” he said.

Vice Mayor Francisco Heredia, who represents West Mesa where the mall is located, said that redevelopment of the Fiesta Mall could be one of the most transformative developments for the Fiesta District out of all the positive things currently happening in the adjacent commercial centers.

“We hope that the development that eventually goes there is a true destination location, with living, entertainment,

and working components with the highest quality of design and options for our current and future residents,” Heredia said.

Giles agreed with those sentiments.

“I have high expectations for the property given how strategic it is,” he said. “It’s close to some pretty significant infrastructure. We have high hopes that it will return to being a very prominent location.”

Fiesta Mall opened in 1979 after nine years of development. It was built by Homart Development Company, the former shopping mall development division of Sears, which was the first anchor to open in the mall in 1977.

Back then, Homart envisioned one of the largest malls in the Valley with over a million square feet of air-conditioned retail and eating places on 120 acres of farmland that it estimated would cost anywhere from $35 million to $55 million.

Over 100 stores and restaurants made it a destination shopping site for East Valley and Phoenix residents for nearly two decades until new centers like Chandler Fashion Center opened and residential growth sprouted farther east.

Verde’s project narrative tries to assure the city that it is aiming for quality, stating “the site is located in the heart of the Fiesta District and will be treated as such.”

Before taking office in January, Councilman Scott Somers said one of the issues he was most eager to tackle was mall redevelopment.

He called Fiesta Mall “a phenomenal opportunity to reinvent a well-accessible portion of Mesa. You’ve got the college right there. Phoenix Sky Harbor, the 202,

the 60. I expect great things out of that redevelopment.”

According to its submittal documents, Verde wants some help from the city of Mesa to make redevelopment happen, in addition to all the Fiesta District enhancements the city has put in over the years.

The city’s efforts include upgraded streetscapes in the Fiesta District and the designation of the area as a Opportunity Zone and blighted area to unlock incentives for developers from the state and federal government.

Verde is additionally asking the city to give the company flexibility and an expedited review process as it develops the site.

Verde proposes rezoning the entire mall site an Infill Development District with customized design standards. As long as new apartment building or office complex stays within the ID standards agreed to with Mesa, Verde’s projects could go through the shorter process.

Essentially Verde wants to go through the full zoning process with city council just one time, and after that, each individual component of the former Fiesta Mall property will only require the speedier site plan or administrative review.

The Infill Development zoning type is designed to “promote and facilitate the development and redevelopment of bypassed, underutilized or abandoned properties,” the city zoning ordinance states.

The developer said the ID zoning would give Verde maximum flexibility “to best meet ever-changing market demands.”

Verde also wants to discuss “expedited plan reviews and reduction in fees.”

Verde Investments propose to transform Fiesta Mall into a livework-play development with as many as 4,000 apartments. (City of Mesa)

The main entrance to the long-defunct mall is a hollow reminder of how it once was a mecca for shoppers of all ages. (YouTube)

Henry Alvarez posted a photo of Fiesta Mall after it opened in 1979. (Instagram)

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Eastmark is having a birthday.

And to celebrate the southeast Mesa community’s 10th anniversary, Brookfield Residential, Eastmark and DMB Associates are hosting a party 10 a.m.-3 p.m. next Saturday, March 25 at the Eastmark Great Park.

“With over 6,000 homes sold in the community and over $2.3 billion in residential home sales, Eastmark has continuously been ranked #1 in Ari -

zona and on the top 50 list for master planned communities throughout the country since 2015,” Brookfield Residential said in a release.

Currently, there are less than 650 homes remaining until the community is officially sold out.

The community-wide celebration will include hands-on activities, artistic exhibits, demonstrations, and live music as residents be hosting their Spring Neighborhood Boutique featuring over 50 unique valley businesses.

Eastmark’s farmer’s market will be in full swing, featuring baked goods, arts and crafts, local food trucks and snack vendors.

The public is invited to stick around for free live musical performances from local favorite artists and bands: Rock Lobster at Inspirian Peak, 11 a.m.– 1 p.m. and The Flying Squirrels at The Eastmark Great Park, 10 a.m.-

1 p.m.

The community also is celebrating the completion of Eastmark Great Park 4 – featuring turf fields, Fishing Pond, waterfall, and Inspirian Peak – a large adventure playground with an inclusive play zone that’s thoughtfully designed to be accessible to children with autism at 4565 S. Inspirian Pkwy.

The Deck – an epic 3.4-acre skate park with pump tracks, ramps, and quarter pipes – also has opened at 9362 E. Point Twenty-Two Blvd.

“This is a place that belongs to the entire City, and we are especially proud to invite visitors from across the Valley to come out and see why this community is so special,” said Dea McDonald, of Brookfield Land and Housing group.

In conjunction with DMB Associates Inc., Brookfield Residential is the master developer of Eastmark.

The content of any advertisements are the sole responsibility of the advertiser. The Tribune assumes no responsibility for the claims of any advertisement. © 2023 Strickbine Publishing, Inc.

The Mesa Tribune is published every Sunday and distributed free of charge to homes and in single-copy locations throughout the East Valley.

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Help us give our Vietnam Vets the respect they deserve!

What is Welcome Home Vietnam Veterans Day?

More than 8 million U.S. Troops served in Vietnam. The last combat troops were withdrawn from Vietnam at the end of March, 1973. These veterans came home to a country divided on their feelings about the war and many who returned did not receive recognition for their service.

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community is slated to get badly needed retail.

But it is coming with nine drive-thru eateries – a controversial building type that residents in District 6 have been telling the city they don’t want.

When District 6 Councilman Scott Somers asked social media followers in February what types of eateries they wanted to see in the district, many took the opportunity to say the area has enough drive-thrus already.

“Literally anything but fast food,” one commenter wrote.

“Not any more fast-food or drivethru,” another posted.

Many residents who replied to Somers’ online call for restaurant suggestions called for more sit-down restaurants and breweries.

“There’s a lot of pent up demand for the sit down dining experience,” Somers told the Tribune recently.

But at a key intersection in Southeast Mesa, Elliot and Ellsworth roads,

just north of Eastmark near the Dignity Health hospital and close to the Loop 202, nine new drive-thrus are planned. With the city’s current zoning rules, there’s not much residents can do about it.

El Coyote LLC, owner of the 17-acre parcel on the northeast corner of Elliot and Ellsworth, is planning a shopping center there totaling 18 buildings, including a Discount Tire and Cambria hotel.

The plan, which is up for final approval at the March 22 Planning and Zoning Board meeting, includes seven drive-thrus ringing the development’s perimeter.

A smaller commercial development on a parcel on the west side of Ellsworth will add another two drive thrus to the intersection, along with a hotel and retail buildings.

Last year, the Mesa Planning Department introduced proposed changes to the city zoning ordinance regarding drive-thrus that staff said would reduce clustering of the auto-centric eateries.

Staff also said its proposal, if adopted, would give neighbors more opportunities to weigh in before new drive-thrus go in.

Assistant Planning Director Rachel Prelog explained at the time that the city was seeing a sharp rise in the number of drive-thrus in commercial site plans, creating basically an “autocourt,” or food court for cars surrounding a retail core.

The Elliot and Ellsworth Commercial Center appears to be an example of what Prelog said the city wants to avoid.

Under the proposed changes to Mesa’s drive-thru zoning, the Elliot and Ellsworth Commercial Center would only be allowed four drive-thrus and those would need to be approved by city council, rather than just the Planning and Zoning Board, because of the parcel’s Limited Commercial zoning.

During a Design Review Board hearing for the commercial center last month, a Mesa city planner said a drive-thru ordinance wouldn’t apply to the Elliot-Ellsworth project even if it were adopted.

The official noted that a site plan for the 17-acre parcel was previously approved in 2021 and El Coyote is only seeking a modification.

Whether or not stricter drive-thru rules will ever be put in place is far from clear as intense opposition has formed in the commercial development community.

El Coyote attorney Sean Lake did not respond to a call requesting an interview on the plans for the Elliot and Ellsworth Commercial Center.

While the two developments at either side of Ellsworth at this intersection will inject nine drive-thrus into the area, they will also include walk-up retail space that could be used for sitdown dining.

Elliot and Ellsworth Commercial Center has two walk-up buildings totaling 5,400 square feet designated for

restaurant uses in the site plan, though some might consider that limited for a 17-acre site.

During public meetings about the proposed drive-thru rule changes, developers said that there is surging demand from the restaurant industry and consumers for those eateries.

And while developers want to include sit-down dining options, those prospective tenants are getting harder to find.

At Elliot and Ellsworth’s Design Review Board hearing, an architect for the project said the developer appreciated the importance of the Elliot and Ellsworth intersection and acknowledged the city’s desire for “placemaking” –or creating destinations where people want to go and spend time.

In rapidly developing District 6, there are a dwindling number of locations where a cultural and dining destination like Gilbert’s Heritage District and new Epicenter could go.

“We know this is a unique project because it is the only really retail project per se, and it is in the Gateway,” he said.

The architect said designers made an effort to make the commercial center as attractive and “sophisticated” as possible.

“We’re trying to spend a lot of time on the trellises and the shade structures. I’m a big believer in the way sun relates to people who use those buildings, so we’re really cognizant of that in a big way,” he said.

He also said the buildings in the shopping center were designed to get progressively taller the further from the street they are, culminating in the Cambria Hotel in the center, making for a more attractive look.

“We tried to create some visual interest rather than just everything the same height,” he said. “I think it’s going to appear a lot more interesting for somebody not only walking in the project, but also somebody driving by.”

Missing runaways’ deaths ruled accidental

BY JOSH ORTEGA Tribune Staff Writer

Nearly two months after the bodies of two teen runaways were founded in a water retention basin in Mesa, the Medical Examiner’s Office last week ruled their deaths accidental.

Sitlalli Avelar, 17, and Kamryn Meyers, 15, both died as the result of “drowning in the setting of acute alcohol intoxication,” the medical examiner ruled, though Kamryn also showed signs of “recent marijuana use.”

Their bodies were found Jan. 21, several weeks after they ran away from a group foster home run by P.O.W.E.R House Youth Facility.

A lawyer for the group home owner said in a statement that company founders Glen and Felicia Mayberry and P.O.W.E.R House staff considered the two girls family and “are deeply saddened by this news” and “continue to pray for both Ms. Meyers and Ms. Avela that they may rest in peace.”

“Raising and caring for children is probably the most difficult and most rewarding experience a person can go through,” the statement said. “The loss of a child is another matter altogether, since nothing can bridge the void created by their loss.”

Glen Mayberry is the founder/CEO of P.O.W.E.R House Youth Facility Inc. for the past 12 years.

Mesa Police in a release said detec-

tives are still following up leads and the case remains “active/open.”

“We welcome any information that could be useful in piecing together what the girls did in days prior to the discovery of their bodies,” Mesa PD said. “But right now, there is nothing to say foul play was a factor.”

On Jan. 7 at 12:30 p.m., Mesa Police initially contacted Holly Millanes, group home day staff at 5447 East Flower Ave., who reported the girls “had packed backpacks and left without permission,” according to a police report.

Two days later, a second Mesa PD officer contacted the group home and spoke with Robin Bryant, identified as program facility supervisor on P.O.W.E.R House’s website.

Bryant said Sitlalli was placed in the group home last Dec. 14 and Kamryn 12 days later.

Bryant said both teenagers had no probation officer.

Nor did either have a phone or any access to money, but there was some history of using illegal drugs and history of sex trafficking, the police report said. The report also said Kamryn had a history of being “destructive/violent with peers and staff.”

According to the police report, Shayne Esposito, a state case worker assigned to Kamryn, said Kamryn would eventually turn up somewhere in Phoenix when she was ready to come home, and would run away to her pimp in the past “somewhere in Phoenix.”

But Meyers refused to provide any details related to the pimp, according to the report.

On Jan. 11, after multiple calls to the state Department of Child Services case workers, a Mesa officer made contact with caseworker Marcia Garret about Sitlalli.

Garret said the girl had a sex trafficking history but was unsure for how long, and that she had a history of abusing multiple drugs and would run away to an address in Gilbert.

On Jan. 18, an officer spoke with an aunt, Rachel Coker, who said she had not heard from Sitlalli and suggested she would try to contact an older brother.

The brother later told another girl at the group home said Kamryn was still in the sex trafficking world and was possi-

bly recruiting Sitlalli and there was talk about her going to Mexico.

The brother said he attempted to contact his sister on five different Instagram accounts and that he also spoke with a close friend of his sister, whom officers contacted via text.

That friend said Sitlalli had wanted to go to Phoenix because “she had old friends out there.”

The two teens were found Jan. 21 in the retention basin near 5834 E. Southern Avenue, less than a mile from the group home they had fled.

They were discovered as the Legislature began considering HB 2651, which directs DCS to take more action to locate missing, abducted or runaway children and provides for legislative oversight of those efforts.

The bodies of Sitlalli Avelar, 17, and 15-year-old Kamryn Meyers were found in Mesa on Jan. 21, several weeks after they ran away from a group foster home. (Channel 3)

Volunteers re-home Buckhorn Bath cat colony

BY SCOTT SHUMAKER Tribune Staff Writer

Decades after the bustle and voices of major league ball players, cross-country tourists and locals getting a soak faded away at Buckhorn Baths spa and motel bathhouse in Mesa in 1999, feline guests continued to stalk the grounds of the historic landmark.

Feral cats, are outdoor cats with no owner, are also called “community cats,” a less pejorative term that reflects the reality that the community looks after them.

For years, Cathy Creighton Talbot has been caregiver to the colony of 16 cats at the shuttered motel, spa and museum as a volunteer with Purrfect Endings Feline Rescue.

The local nonprofit supports trapneuter-return efforts, raises money for

medical care and helps socialized community cats find homes.

Talbot learned last month from the Buckhorn Baths’ caretaker that the current owner was planning to erect a fence around the site that would limit

volunteers’ access to the grounds to feed and monitor the colony and trap unneutered cats.

So Purrfect Endings rehomed the colony.

Purrfect Endings volunteers began an

emergency trapping operation.

“We started trapping morning and night, put traps inside and out,” Talbot said. “Within two to three weeks we managed to get out 15 cats.”

But one white cat the volunteers dubbed "Ghost" continued to elude its pursuers, who new the cat was there because it showed up in ghostly images on cameras in the buildings

Ghost was skittish, but Talbot said she wasn’t going to stop until she got him. Finally, in early March, she found Ghost peering out of a trap.

All the cats “were pretty healthy at Buckhorn,” Talbot said, adding they all were placed in a Tucson cat program.

The program matches community cats with farms that would like to have outdoor cats on their property to help control pests, like rodents.

see BUCKHORN page 10

Feral cats have found a home at the historic Buckhorn Baths in Mesa, but a nonprofit rescue wants to make sure they are placed in more comfortable surroundings. (David Minton/Tribune Staff Photographer)

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BUCKHORN from page 9

Adopters provide the working cats with food, water and access to shelter, and in return they get a fixed cat skilled at hunting and being outdoors on its own.

While the threat of a fence around Buckhorn Baths spurred the emergency trapping, the owners have yet to put one up.

Buckhorn’s land use attorney Ralph Pew and architect Tim Boyle did not respond to an email requesting information about work planned at the site.

the years, Talbot estimates she’s trapped over 50 cats at the historic spa building.

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The long-term fate of the historic landmark is still in limbo. Mesa city planners and the owners wrangled in October over designs for multifamily housing on the vacant land outside of the historic portion of Buckhorn, as well as the timing of preservation work on the Buckhorn Baths.

The owner has said he intends to preserve the landmark, but local historic preservation advocates are worried that they increasing delay could lead to long-term damage to the historic structures.

Talbot has acquired a unique perspective on the Buckhorn Baths buildings while caring for the cats.

“I’m hoping that they restore the bathhouse and museum,” Talbot said. “When we were going through the structure of the bathhouse, it’s gorgeous. It’s well built and it’s iconic in Mesa. It needs to stay.”

Perfect Endings owner Patti O’Dwyer, who helped with the emergency trapping at Buckhorn, said the historic bathhouse and museum “definitely needs some work, but it’s in better shape than I thought it would be. It’s pretty well sealed up.”

In TNR, the cat is then returned to where it was caught. The cat is already familiar with the area, and its presence “prevents a vacuum effect which causes other feral cats to take over the voided territory,” according to the City of Mesa’s community cat information page.

Talbot said she started doing TNR five years ago, after she saw a woman feeding a cat outdoors and asked about it.

“I guess I drank the Kool Aid, and all of the sudden I’m trapping cats,” she said.

She said if concerned citizens don’t get community cats fixed, “we’re going to have hundreds of more cats that are going to be breeding outside, and there’s nothing worse than picking up a sick or dead kitten born outside.”

“I have seen colonies of cats that started out with four or five cats, and the next season, it was 20 cats,” she said.

Talbot said that nonprofits are important for TNR because many Good Samaritans need guidance through the process or financial help. Many community cat managers are seniors living on fixed incomes.

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She said a lot of it looks like it hasn’t been touched since the day the bathhouse closed, with everyday items associated with the spa still in place. It was almost “a little creepy,” she said.

Though the Buckhorn was a safe and secure place for its feline guests, Talbot said, “I don’t want more cats there. I want that to be a colony that is done.”

She has set up a camera to monitor whether new feral cats arrive.

While feeding and monitoring the colony for non-neutered arrivals over

Nonprofits like the Animal Defense League of Arizona can connect trappers with reduced price neutering appointments at local veterinarians, typically $35 or $45, and nonprofits can help cover those costs.

Dwyer urged cat owners to “No. 1,” get their cats fixed to prevent overpopulation. She also urged anyone struggling with caring for a cat to reach out to the rescue community for help.

For more information on community cats, visit Purrfect Endings’s website at purrfectendings.com or the City of Mesa’s feral cat info page at mesaaz.gov/ residents/animal-control/feral-cats.

Lawmakers push for state dementia plan

BY MADISON VEGA Cronkite News

State legislators are pushing a bill to build a state dementia plan and put up to $500,000 toward new jobs focused on Alzheimer’s disease, a common type of dementia that is rising especially fast in Arizona.

“We call it the silver tsunami,” state Rep. Jennifer Longdon, D-Phoenix, said last week at a news conference at the state Capitol. “The number of folks who are projected to experience Alzheimer’s in the coming years is going to be significant.”

Sen. T.J. Shope, R-Coolidge, sponsored SB 1220, which would require the Arizona Department of Health Services to build a dementia plan for policies and programs to fight Alzheimer’s and other forms of dementia, according to advocates.

That would include hiring two dementia services coordinators to collaborate across state agencies. Longdon is sponsoring a similar bill in the House.

The Alzheimer’s Association, in a 2023 report, said Arizona’s rate of diagnosis of a disease that destroys memories and leads to cognitive decline is expected to jump more than 33% over five years, ending in 2025.

That affects patients and their loved ones, who usually become caregivers. That comes at a cost – an estimated 18 billion hours of unpaid care, the association says.

Leonard Chayrez, who has Alzheimer’s, and his partner and caregiver Mark Garrity, said the diagnosis was delayed.

“Over three years, until finally they decided let’s start some testing on you,” Chayrez said.

Marisa Menchola, a Tucson demen-

tia specialist, said diagnosing symptoms early is key.

“We cannot reduce this burden without earlier diagnoses and there is no early diagnosis without public education and awareness,” Menchola said.

Dementia upends families.

“Nothing prepares you for the day that your own mother looks you in your eye and doesn’t know who you are,” said Merry Grace, who cried at Wednesday’s news conference as she spoke of her mother, who died five years ago. Now Grace takes care of her father, who also has dementia.

Shope, who represents the Southeast Valley and parts of Tucson, said his great-grandmother was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s. As a child he watched his relatives take on caregiving responsibilities.

“You’re watching the sacrifices that your own family has to make because

my grandma, my aunt, and my mom did not want to have to send our great grandma away to a care facility,” Shope said.

Menchola said the battle against Alzheimer’s needs help from people from a variety of backgrounds.

“Our caregivers are doing their part. Our health care workers and our scientists are doing their part. We need our partners in the Legislature to do their part also,” Menchola said.

Similar bills, including one to raise awareness of the disease, are moving through the Senate and the House.

Garrity and other advocates say if the bills pass, it also will help to reduce misunderstandings about dementia.

“There is kind of a stigma that you don’t talk about it – something that happens to old people,” said Garrity. But it doesn’t, he said.

His partner, Chayrez, is 57.

50 years late, Vietnam veterans to be saluted

BY JOSH ORTEGA Tribune Staff Writer

In March 1973, the last U.S. combat troops withdrew from Vietnam and returned to a divided country where many veterans didn’t receive recognition for their service.

Starting at noon Saturday, March 25, the 50th Anniversary Welcome Home Vietnam Veterans Day event looks to remedy that by honoring area veterans who served on active duty in the U.S. Armed Forces from November 1955 to May 1975, regardless of their location at the time.

Veterans are invited to receive free haircuts and other services from approximately 100 education and informational vendors.

The public is invited to join the celebration, which will include live bands, Native American and Mexican folk dance troops, military equipment displays a Wreaths Across America educational trailer, food

trucks, and a replica of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial.

Organizers encourage people to contribute a small donation of a non-perishable

food items to benefit the Superstition Community Food Bank.

Starting at 10 a.m., ceremonies will take place including a color guard by the Apache

Junction High School Navy JROTC.

Additionally, students from Patterson Elementary School in Gilbert will be on hand holding signs with supportive phrases like “Welcome Home” and “Thank you for your service.”

From February 1961 until May 1975, approximately 2.7 million U.S. service members served in Vietnam, according to the Department of Veterans Affairs. The Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington, D.C.. is inscribed with the names of over 58,000 service members killed in the war.

In 2012, President Barack Obama signed a presidential proclamation designating March 29 as the annual observance of Vietnam War Veterans Day. In 2017, President Donald Trump signed Vietnam War Veterans Recognition Act, to include National Vietnam War Veterans Day as an occasion for raising the flag on all public buildings.

see VETERANS page 14

Bob Boze Bell, Executive Editor, True West magazine to speak and emcee Saturday and

events!

Photo courtesy Bob Boze Bell

Scheduled appearance by Miss Rodeo America, Kennadee Riggs on Sunday morning!

Photo by Art of Aperture Photography

Nancy Fassbender, Jerry Sullivan and Trio Caldwell show off the pins they will be giving to Vietnam War-era veterans. (David Minton/Tribune Staff Photographer)

In 2012, Nancy Fassbender of Gold Canyon started to hold an event that drew more than 1,500 veterans every March to the Mesa Market Place Swap Meet to honor veterans.

The Lincoln, Nebraska native joined the Army National Guard in 1975 as a helicopter mechanic and although an injury ended her military career three years later, Fassbender said she’s still “very proud” of it.

Fassbender spent much of her career as an accountant and moved to Arizona in 1998.

An office manager for a tax preparation company in Gold Canyon, she organizes a variety of veterans events and even penned a book, “My Fallen Hero,” which chronicles the stories of all the service members from Pinal County who died in combat, starting from World War One to present day.

“I encourage the public because I want them to welcome home the Vietnam veterans,” Fassbender said. “This is why in Iraq and Afghanistan we didn’t lose as many soldiers as we could have, because of what the

technology and everything that we learned happened in Vietnam.”

Fassbender has partnered with Mountain View Funeral Home and Cemeteryin Mesa on other projects, including the Wreaths Across America, which offers people a chance to sponsor a wreath for placement on a veteran’s grave during the Christmas holidays.

She approached Mountain View about hosting the Vietnam veterans celebration and was surprised by the response.

“I didn’t get one sentence out before they’re saying, ‘We’re in, we would be honored to work with you on this,’” Fassbender said.

Elisa Krcilek, vice president of Mountain View Funeral Home and Cemetery, said that while she holds a special place in her heart for all veterans, those who served in Vietnam hold a special distinction.

“I come from a very long history of military and the people serving today are treated and respected far greater than they were 50 years ago,” she said.

Krcilek and her sister were born on base at Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Cen-

ter Twentynine Palms, California, while her dad served as a heavy equipment operator in the Marine Corps. She has two sons serving in the Navy.

Along with the importance of the halfcentury anniversary, Krcilek said events like this allow the community to come together, regardless of political views of the war, to honor men and women who came home and found no respect or gratitude for their service.

“It gives our cemetery the opportunity to say thank you, to show reverence and respect to those that served during a very difficult time,” Krcilek said. “These guys, no matter what role or what job they had, during Vietnam, they’ve all come back with some heavy weight on their hearts.”

Krcilek’s dad served four years in the Marines and went to boot camp with many men who deployed to Vietnam, including two cousins, one of whom was featured on the cover of Time Life Magazine and in a documentary.

Because he never deployed himself, Kriclek’s father displays his Marine Corps pride with hats and shirts but never wears a Vietnam veteran cap.

“My father was always very proud of his cousin, but weirdly a little disappointed at the same time that he did not serve in the same capacity that they did,” Krcilek said.

Krcilek said events like this tell those veterans they are appreciated and their service has not been ignored.

She recalled an incident in a supermarket that occurred while she was wearing a “Proud Navy Mom” t-shirt and a elderly gentleman walked up to her “clearly choked up” and thanked her son for his service.

Krcilek said the man told her, “You have no idea how prideful it is, but how sad it is, there’s not a day that goes by in my life that I do not think about that war.”

“I said, ‘Well, I’m really grateful you came home,’” she recalled, “and he said, ‘you have no idea what that means. So many of my friends and so many of the men I served with didn’t.”

That’s one reason that when Nancy Fassbender approached Mountain View with her idea, Krcilek said they “just fell in love with the idea.”

“So, it’s a very honorable thing to be able to do for our veterans and their families,” Krcilek said.

If You Go...

50th Anniversary Welcome Home Vietnam Veterans Day

When: Saturday, March 25, 10 a.m. - 4 p.m.

Where: Mountain View Funeral Home and Cemetery, 7900 E. Main St., Mesa. Info: Nancy Fassbender at 520-280-4715.

Elisa Krcilek, vice president of Mountain View Funeral Home and Cemetery, said that while she holds a special place in her heart for all veterans, those who served in Vietnam hold a special distinction. (YouTube)

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United Food Bank names new top leader

BY JOSH ORTEGA Tribune Staff Writer

United Food Bank has a former executive with St. Vincent de Paul of Arizona as its new president/CEO.

Jason Reed is replacing Dave Richins, a former Mesa City Council member who had been at the food bank’s helm for five years and guided it through the harshest part of the pandemic.

United Food Bank has provided hunger relief in the East Valley and eastern Arizona since 1983.

As a Feeding America member food bank, it works with 150 agencies and programs throughout five counties and distributes over 21.6 million pounds of food annually, or about 49,000 meals a day.

United Food Bank board treasurer Mike Suriano served briefly as the group’s president board Chair Cathy Chlarson said Reed will be a welcome addition to the nonprofit’s team as it marks its 40th anniversary.

“Jason brings a wonderful mix of traditional food banking leadership, strategic and innovative thinking, as well as a personal passion for community service that will help take United Food Bank and Waste Not to the next level in providing and rescuing food for Arizona’s food insecure,” Chlarson said.

A Minnesota native and son of a South Korean immigrant, Reed said he has witnessed first-hand the power that food and nutrition can have on the lives of families experienc-

ing hunger.

“It’s hard to imagine a better role than one focused on guiding the mission of uniting communities to alleviate hunger,” he said.

“I’m thrilled for the opportunity to amplify and elevate the work of this team as we work together to bring hunger solutions for our neighbors experiencing food insecurity.”

Reed holds a master’s degree from Harvard University and an undergraduate degree from the University of Minnesota, was named a Fellow by the Aspen Institute in philanthropy and social innovation and a NextGen Fellow by Independent Sector.

He had been chief innovation officer of St. Vincent de Paul of Arizona and a member of its executive team since 2019.

Before that, he served as head of strategy for Second Harvest Heartland food bank in Minnesota and led several statewide hunger-relief initiatives. Among them was Farmto-Food Shelf, which moved over 45 million pounds of surplus crops from farmers to local food pantries.

Reed’s FoodRx program prescribed food as medicine for patients experiencing chronic health conditions through partnerships with healthcare systems as a way for people to have healthy food.

“If you can do that, that’s a cost savings to the healthcare system and that’s a revenue source for the food bank,” Reed said.

Reed said hunger remains “strongly prevalent” especially during the recent Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays, when United Food Bank served more than 15,000 people.

Reed said the nonprofit needs cash donations and volunteers to meet that growing need.

He said the United Food Bank board wants to see the nonprofit evolve into an agency that meets immediate food needs but also will “connect you to those things so that you are more sustainable for the long term.”

“If we have a good plan, a strong organization, then we can better able to lift people up so that they’re able to stand on their feet,” Reed said.

Jason Reed

Labor of love captures Mesa Easter Pageant history

BY SRIANTHI PERERA Tribune Contributor

Local journalists Jill Adair and Cecily Condie have covered the Mesa Easter Pageant for over 30 years. The two members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints turned their inside knowledge and history of the spectacle into a book last year.

At 7 p.m. on Thursday, March 23, the duo will promote The Mesa Easter Pageant: 80 Years of Sharing the Story of Jesus the Christ at the Mesa Arizona Temple Visitor’s Center. The presentation will feature a brief talk by the two authors, a slide show, photos and a question-and-answer session.

Writing the book was no easy task. They culled 80 years of pageant history into a workable narrative and added hundreds of individual stories from a cast and crew of nearly 500 that participated each year.

“The biggest challenge was deciding what to include,” said Adair. “Almost everyone has a beautiful story to share, whether they watched it from the audience, participated in the cast, or helped behind the scenes. We also had hundreds of photos from over the decades from various photographers.”

Added Condie: “Truly, in all the interviews and stories we had done over the years, you could say that we’d already written a book.”

Among their interviewees, Grant Gunnell’s story stood out. At 96, Gunnell holds the distinction of being possibly the only person alive who had participated in the pageant the farthest back in time.

He was 17 and a senior at Mesa High School when he sang in the choir for the

Easter Sunrise Service on the temple grounds in 1944 during WWII. He also met his future wife singing in the choir.

“It meant a lot to us to be there and sing. It was a testimony-builder. I was about to graduate and go into the service. It makes you think about what you believe in. I think being in the chorus really strengthened my conviction of the gospel,” he said during his interview with the authors.

When the Mesa Temple was built in

1927, the city’s population numbered about 3,000.

In 1938, Arizona’s population was under half a million and Mesa had fewerthan 7,000 people.

A group of young people from the church held a statewide gathering for peers in Mesa and, along with a weekend of fun festivities, culminated the event with an Easter Sunrise Service on the temple grounds.

The following year, the Easter Sunrise Service was repeated as a standalone.

From there on, the sharing of the Easter story on the temple grounds became an annual family and community event.

“For decades, the service began at the precise moment when Christ’s resurrection from the tomb was described and celebrated in song, the sunrise broke over the Superstition Mountains to the east, illuminating that side of the temple grounds,” Adair said.

Condie added: “It became a beloved tradition in Arizona, as people came from all over to attend.”

Today, the 70-minute, free outdoor musical dramatization highlights the poignant moments of the life of Jesus Christ, from birth to resurrection, as found in the

see PAGEANT page 18

Exhibit offers trip down Cactus League’s memory lane

the history of Spring Training in Arizona.

how they ended up leaving Florida to start the Cactus League in Arizona.

ries ring. “He is a huge supporter of our exhibit,” Ricci added.

With Spring Training in high gear, East Valley fans might also want to take in a history lesson on the Cactus League.

That’s why the Mesa Historical Museum has returned with its Play Ball exhibit that spotlights both Cactus League Hall of Fame members and

“The exhibit this year will focus on such Cactus League Hall of Famers as the late Vin Scully and Gaylord Perry,” said museum Executive Director Susan Ricci.

“We are also highlighting Giants owner Horace Stoneham and flamboyant Indians owner Bill Veeck and

“Both of these gentlemen were important in breaking the color barrier in major league baseball,” she added.

The newest Cactus League inductees are Randy Johnson, Reggie Jackson, Rollie Fingers and Bob Feller.

Also on display is Diamondbacks organist Bobby Freeman’s World Se -

The museum’s Cactus League exhibit changes annually changing, said Ricci, explaining “we re-do our Play Ball exhibit and feature new players, stories and photos.”

The exhibit takes museum-goers

see EXHIBIT page 20

Cecily Condie and Jill Adair combined their energy to produce a history book on the Mesa Easter Pageant and will be on hand to autograph copies this Thursday at the Mesa Arizona Temple Visitor’s Center. (Scott Adair/Contributor)

New Testament.

Organizers deem it the largest annual outdoor Easter pageant in the world as it draws more than 100,000 people in the two weeks before Easter to the Temple’s north lawn.

The 70-minute pageant will be performed March 29-April 1 and April 4-8 at 8 each evening this year. As always, admission is free as the church considers this a gift to the community.

Mesa’s history is intertwined with the history of the pageant.

Mesa and the Easter celebration grew tremendously over the decades. The Mesa Temple was the only temple in Arizona until a temple was built in Snowflake in 2002, so church members came to Mesa from around the state for decades.

As its fame grew, the pageant drew spectators from out of state and even abroad, Adair’s research indicated.

Newspaper reports from 1994 indicate the economic benefits of the pageant at no cost to the city. That year, for example,

a Chamber of Commerce spokesperson estimated a $250,000 benefit from the event. It was reported that spectators had come from Germany, England, Norway, Japan, Iran and Mexico.

Condie and Adair, both lived in Mesa for many years (Condie lives in Litchfield Park now).

They gleaned knowledge of the pageant’s history because they served in the role of publicity directors. But they also have had a closer look.

In 2009 and 2010, Condie was in the pageant as a “multitude woman” or by-

stander. In 2010, she was also asked to be in the crucifixion scene as a “mourner at the cross.”

“It was a surreal experience for me to put on a costume and to be transported in my mind’s eye, at least, to the time of Christ and to ponder what it may have been like to walk with Him then,” she said.

Adair was in the pageant in 1979 and 1997.

“I was a junior at Mesa High School and friends invited me,” she recalled. “I was not a member of the church at that time. I was cast as an angel and we danced on top of the old visitors’ center.

“Nearly 20 years later, in 1997, my family –husband Scott and three children Clint, Krystal and Justin – auditioned and was cast in the crowd scenes,” she said. With their personal experiences and the many articles they had written, the authors thought they knew much about the pageant.

“But as we uncovered the vast number of articles written in various newspapers, found personal mementoes and letters, and then interviewed individuals who had made contributions over the years, we were able to collect and to verify facts and to even sort out some of the mistaken ideas about the pageant that had been passed down over the years,” Condie said.

“The result is not only a clear history of the growth of the annual Easter celebration, it is also a chronicle of what the event has meant to those who have participated and attended and also, how it has impacted the community as a whole over the past 80 years.”

"The Mesa Easter Pageant: 80 Years of Sharing the Story of Jesus the Christ," by Jill Bishop Adair and Cecily Markland Condie and designed by Leslie Thompson is a 280-page, full-color, hardcover book published by Inglestone Publishing.

It is available at mesaeasterpageantbook.com and also at Deseret Bookstores, three Costco stores in the East Valley and Amazon.

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The book contains historical pictures from past pageants as well an explanation of the various scenes. (Scott Adair/Contributor)

Ob uaries

480-898-6465

obits@timespublications.com

Deadline: Wednesday by 5pm for Sunday

Dawn Joy Bersche

Dawn Joy Bersche, born June 23, 1938 in Rock Springs, Wyoming passed January 26, 2023 in Las Vegas, Nevada.

She was preceded in death by sisters Margaret Allen, Mary Lee Sinclair, first husband Shearl Nielson and second husband Clayton Bersche. She is survived by 1 sister, Frances Arrington; 4 children: Shonna, Jacqueline, Brenda, Kent; 8 grandchildren and 10 great-grandchildren.

Dawn worked at Sonora Laboratory in Phoenix, retiring to Las Vegas in 2003. She enjoyed golfing, sewing, quilting, crocheting, card making, crafts, decorating, daily crosswords, puzzles, and playing cards and board games with her family.

Dawn will be remembered most as a wonderful loving sister, wife, mother, grandmother, aunt and friend. She will be dearly missed by all.

EXHIBIT from page 17

through decades of Spring Training history and the birth of the Cactus League – showcasing old uniforms, signed memorabilia, vintage video footage and other relics of the past that have survived decades mostly in private collections.

“There’s a strong presence of baseball here in Mesa because of spring training and we felt it was the right thing to do, to bring it back to the museum and back to Mesa,” said Ricci.

Launched in 2009, the Play Ball exhibit has been displayed at various venues with parts of the collection, including the Scottsdale Civic Center Library in 2017.

Now, the museum, at 2345 N Horne in Mesa, is the only venue with the collection, some of which the Cactus League has sponsored.

Museum board Chair Anita Peters last year explained the approach to each year’s exhibit is to create a “wow factor” for visitors eager to see “a fun part of Mesa’s history.”

Hundreds of pieces of Cactus League memorabilia can be viewed in a space that was once a storage room.

The exhibit weaves in storyboards that depict the early days of Arizona spring training at Rendezvous Park –a recreational site that housed some

of the state’s first spring training games in Mesa – and other pivotal points of Arizona’s baseball tradition.

A mini dugout includes outpost memorabilia from the Cubs and the A’s.

Of course, the museum itself is a piece of an even older part of Mesa’s history as it occupies the historic Lehi Schoolhouse, which dates back to the 1880s.

And Play Ball is not the only exhibit await visitors.

One exhibit examines early entertainment in Mesa, which a collection of movie and theater memorabilia that captivated residents long before anyone ever heard of streaming.

Two other exhibits look at the city’s history as well as that of the families that founded Mesa and its historic Lehi neighborhood.

Artist Karen Kuykendall’s paintings, jewelry and papier-mache, which have been exhibited at both the Phoenix Art Museum and the Tucson Art Museum, also are part ofa permanent exhibit. Individual works will rotate in May.

Another exhibit celebrates the Onk Akimel O’odhan and Piipaash cultures and visitors also can check out a replica of an adobe schoolhouse built in the early 20th century.

Information: 2345 N. Horne, mesahistoricalmuseum.com, 480-8352286.

Hundreds of items on display in the Play Ball exhibit at the Mesa Historical Museum recount the history and evolution of the Cactus League. (YouTube)

Business is sweet for Mesa gelato-grocery shop

BY DAVID M. BROWN EVT Contributor

With so many standing in line for his Italian desserts, Frabrizio

Cali expanded his Mesa business to include an adjacent grocery with foods from his native Sicily.

Then, after adding paninis and salads, he began serving traditional, authentic house-made Italian foods in 2022.

The reasons to visit Dolce Vita Gelato and Grocery, 5251 E. Brown Road were increasing.

And another: In Italy, visiting a restaurant is not just about the food; it’s an event, an experience, he said.

“You don’t go to eat,” the Mesa resident explained. “You spend the time with some friends. You go to be together. And, in Italy, it’s easy to meet people; you sit down, you meet.”

Today, Cali’s staff of 14 serves pastas, pizzas, a large assortment of Italian meats, cheeses and desserts, Sicilianinspired specialty platters and premium groceries.

This weekend the high-end deli started a 20-week series of specials today. Each week, a different region of Italy will

be highlighted with a dish.

“We sell only imported items from Italy, including olive oil, Italian cookies,

pastries and other desserts like tiramisu, fruit tarts, cannolis, sfogliatelle, millefoglie cream cake, 7 veli and hazelnut

cake,” Cali said. “We always try to find products that are hard to find for Italians and for other Americans who want to explore.”

His menu is based on well-known Italian recipes, but Cali will improvise with a house version, as it’s done in the old country.

“There are many different versions of carbonada in Italy, so if you go into one place it might be different from another,” he noted.

The paninis are prepared hot or cold and there is a seemingly endless array of salads for which guests can choose the ingredients.

“We want to keep our traditions intact,” Cali said. “We make and serve food exactly like it’s done in Italy.”

Cali was born and raised in Palermo, Sicily, the 2,700-year-old city known for its architectural and culinary treasures.

Here one of his grandpas made wine at home and his mother prepared dishes unique to the island and her kitchen.

“I became passionate about food because of her; she’s 88 now and an amaz-

see SWEET page 22

Sonson’s Pasty Co. tempts NE Mesa taste buds

BY CHRISTINA FUOCO-KARASINSKI Tribune Staff Writer

Julie Mercer is living her dream – one pasty at a time.

In 2018, she unveiled Sonson’s Pasty Company in Northeast Mesa. Five months ago, a second location in Gilbert debuted.

“The response has been great,” Mercer said about the store at 1430 W. Warner Road, Suite 134, Gilbert.

It’s a blessing, as the opening date was fluid, due to supply chain and licensing issues. Once it was finished, the Cornwall, England, native quickly opened the doors and started selling her Cornish pasties, a pastry shell filled with beef, sliced or diced potato, rutabaga and onion and then baked.

Sonson’s Pasty Company features a small menu of pasties, cakes and sausage rolls. Mercer said many Americans need to be schooled on pasties.

“The history of the pasty is very interesting,” said Mercer, who moved to the United States in 2002. “They were made by miners’ wives to take to the tin mines for their husbands hundreds of years ago.

“The men would eat the pasties with their hands, but they had to throw away the crimp because their hands were filled with arsenic. They are a delicious meal in one.”

Mercer learned to make pasties by

working in a bakery, one of five in her town of 3,000 people. She worked for them from age 22 to 30.

“The owner offered to sell me her other one, but I was too young,” Mercer said. “Instead, I moved here, worked for a company for 18 years, good company, good pay. I stayed with that until I was laid off in January. If I did this in my 20s, for sure I would have failed.”

Fabrizio Cali opened his Mesa gelato shop, Dolce Vita, in March 2007. (Special to the Tribune)

SONSON’S PASTY from page 21

Mercer took her severance pay and invested it in her pasty shop. She learned about finances and business during her 18 years as a retail manager. Her shop is named after her mother, Sonia, who moved to Mesa in 2007. Mercer and her mother worked in the same pasty shop in Cornwall.

It took Mercer a year to get to the point where she felt comfortable selling her pasties. Still, she doesn’t believe she’s at her best.

“I think I’ve improved since I started making them in February,” Mercer said. “It took me a while because I was trying to find out what meat to use, what shortening to use, flour and all that good stuff. It was different in England. I have to like what I’m making. If I don’t like it, I’m not going to sell it.”

Her menu is simple, and the pasties start at $9. Offerings include steak (traditional), ground beef, steak and cheese, cottage pie, Cornish “cheezy,” Philly cheesesteak, breakfast, chicken pot pie, chicken green chili and chicken and mushrooms.

Vegan offerings include a medley (mixed vegetables, garlic, herb sauce and tater tots); lentil and walnut; cheese,

SWEET from page 21

ing cook still,” he said.

“I was living in the old town and, this is probably destiny, above the oldest rosticceria, which is like a deli,” he explained.

Sicily has been a crossroads since the ancient world, conquered and settled by many powers.

“Most of the conquerors and the local people had a good relationship that made for an easier exchange of culture, including food,” he says. “Because of this, Sicilian cuisine is influenced by a lot of different peoples but is made with local ingredients.”

“Italians have very strict rules about food, and it is like a religion to them. We try to follow all those rules in order to provide an authentic experience,” he said.

“And even with all the cultures that

potato and onion; and meatless sausage roll.

“The steak and ground beef pasties are the more popular ones, especially the ground beef,” she said. “Ground beef is ground beef. You know what you’re get-

have lived in Italy, Sicilian food is the richest in Italy,” he says.

Sicilian cuisine is also different city by city. For instance, Caponata, a popular side, has about 30 versions.

When Cali was 10, his family moved to fashion and culinary capital, Milan, where he was an amateur chef and owned a restaurant for two years.

“I was following the love of online videogames then, knowing that one day I could follow my other passion, food,” he explained. The family owned an electrical company for many years and most of them remain in Italy, which he visits as often as he can.

When he came to the United States, he was an executive producer of online videogames for MMORPG in San Francisco, and they offered him a position in Phoenix. His other passion caught up with him and he left the company after three years for the food business.

ting.

“For steak, it could be flavored differently. I started with a salad bar and sandwiches, too. People weren’t coming for that. They are coming for pasties.”

Sonson’s also hosts a monthly special

He started with gelato, because for a Sicilian, “Gelato is blood.”

“So growing there, you breathe gelato culture every day. I was passionate about it, and I decided to learn how to do it there.”

On Friday and Saturday nights, lines of fans of all ages wait for their favorites in the glass counters

The gelato is made at Dolce Vita in an Italian-made processor, and kept displayed for a maximum of only three days, after which the product can lose consistency and taste.

“The low temperature of ice cream dulls the taste buds and can give you ‘brain freeze.’ The first taste is wonderful, then you can’t taste it,” Cali said. “Not so with gelato.”

His staff includes Mesa residents Francesca Ciro, head prep chef, and Marica Prodnov, pastry chef. They carefully prepare menu items and weekly Sicilian

that is advertised through her mailing list. Former choices include chicken and bacon alfredo and chicken pot pie.

The new store serves as a restaurant and a central kitchen for Gilbert, Mesa, and any catering opportunities or future locations. Mercer has provided pasties to the Union Jack British Pub and the recent Phoenix Scottish Games in Gilbert.

So far, Sonson’s is everything she’s wanted. “I’m putting in these long hours every day, but it doesn’t matter,” Mercer said. “This is what I was supposed to do and here it is, I’m doing it.”

But, she said, the success all comes down to her employees.

“We work together as a team,” Mercer said. “I’m very, very blessed to have that. I try and look after them as they look after me. We keep moving forward.”

If You Go...

Sonson’s Pasty Company

1430 W. Warner Road, Suite 134, Gilbert, 602-300-0344, sonsonspastyco.com

6060 E. Brown Road, Suite 101, Mesa, 480-845-8485, sonsonspastyco.com

Board specials, “We do everything from scratch daily,” Cali said. “We buy ingredients but we don’t buy prepared or semi-prepared food; we’re very stubborn about that.”

“If you want fresh food, please take the little extra time to wait. I cannot give you good food in just three minutes.”

Dolce Vita is distinct from other Italian-American restaurants. “We don’t blame the American Italian cuisine; it is actually very good,” he said.

“But my food culture is very different, and I would like to give my customers an authentic Sicilian experience.”

“We don’t make complicated recipes with a lot of ingredients or with many flavors all together because this is not real Sicilian,” Cali added. “We make authentic food, nothing fancy, just simple and good.”

Information: 480-218-0225, dolcevitagroupaz.com

Julie Mercer opened Sanson’s Pasty Company in northeast Mesa in 2018 and a second location in Gilbert five months ago. (Special to the Tribune)

Case studies show little used IRA strategies work

BY DR. HAROLD WONG Tribune Guest Writer

My February column identified three advanced IRA strategies that aren’t used enough. these strategies and the huge benefits become more understandable with real-life client case studies.

The Roth IRA conversion strategy: I met Joe and Judy in a seminar I gave in June 2019. Joe was 63 and an outside salesman for a premium window and door company. Jill was 65 and retired. They had saved $850,000 of financial assets and wanted to secure their retirement without stock market risk.

They were currently spending $50,000 per year and in retirement asked whether they could spend $75,000 per year in order to afford lifelong bucket list dreams.

Retirement income solution: We were able to reduce the amount invested in Wall Street to only $85,000 and used the other funds to deposit in private pension annuities and other safe alternatives.

Joe was able to wait until age 70 to retire and take maximum Social Security because he loved his job. At age 70, total annual retirement income is projected to be about $119,922, which is much more than their $75,000 goal.

Tax solution: In 2020, the only question left was whether Judy wanted her future $22,097 annual private pension income to be taxable (because it was funded with a traditional IRA) or tax-free.

They bought some solar business equipment to reduce federal tax to $0 on a total $300,566 taxable income, including the $252,720 Roth IRA Conversion of her private pension. Now her future $22,097 of annual income will be totally tax-free for the rest of her life.

Roth and Multi-Generational IRA strategies: Mary is a retired nurse, age 71, whose physician husband died many years ago. She has $4 million of financial assets, including $1.2 million in a traditional IRA. She has only one child, a son age 40 who

lives with her. Her goal is to avoid having to take required minimum distributions (RMDs), starting at age 73, and leave her son as much as possible.

She decided to convert $600,000 to a Roth IRA in 2022 and will convert the other $600,000 to a Roth IRA in 2023. Using an advanced financial concept, economic opportunity cost/benefit analysis, the tax-savings effect of a $1.2 million Roth IRA Conversion will add $4,981,524 more net wealth for her family.

She bought solar business equipment, and used the massive 30% solar credit and “bonus” depreciation to offset all the federal income tax on a total $790,053 of 2022 federal taxable income.

She has achieved her goal of a large Roth IRA Conversion without paying federal income tax or having to take future RMDs. She will owe $0 income tax for the rest of her life on the $1.2 million Roth IRA and her son will owe $0 income tax on the Roth IRA for the first 10 years after he inherits it.

Conclusion: these advanced IRA strategies can add millions of net wealth to a family.

Free live seminars: 6 p.m. March 22 followed by free dinner or 10 a.m. March 25 followed by free lunch. Both are at Hyatt Place, 3535 W. Chandler Blvd. Chandler. Topic is “Advanced IRA Strategies: Secrets of Roth, Multi-Generational, and Self-Directed IRAs.”

Free tour/workshop: 9 a.m.-noon April 1 at Solar Reefer (Refrigeration) Factory. Topic is “How Solar Reefers can Reduce Taxes to $0 and earn a steady 10-14%.” Lots of tasty refreshments served.

Location is at Advanced Energy Machines: 4245 E. Norcroft St., Mesa, a quarter mile southwest of McDowell and Greenfield roads.

To RSVP for the seminars or schedule a free consultation, contact Dr. Harold Wong at 480-706-0177 or harold_wong@hotmail. com. His website isdrharoldwong.com. Dr. Wong earned his Ph.D. in economics at University of California/Berkeley and has appeared on over 400 TV/radio programs.

Opening a box brings a flood of memories

BY DAVID LEIBOWITZ Tribune Columnist

The cardboard box sat in the garage for years, in part because the shipping label said it weighed 110 pounds. But the real reason I put off unpacking the box was fear of what it might contain.

My brother packed it up shortly after our mother died at the end of 2017. She was a bit of a packrat, my mom. There was no telling what she might have saved.

Lately, with another birthday looming, I’ve been on a neatness kick. You know the drill: As getting older sets in, you think more order in your life, less detritus, will make you feel on top of things, not quite so ancient.

In a fit of motivation, I opened the box. And found a thousand yellowed newspaper columns dating back to the first tales I ever got paid to write in Trenton, New Jersey, in 1992 and after my move to Arizona in spring 1995.

My parents subscribed and had those newspapers mailed to Florida. I dug in and spent the morning reading Valley news from what feels like an eternity ago.

What struck me was how little has changed over the better part of three decades. Back then, the sad sack Arizona Cardinals were on the prowl for a new taxpayer-funded stadium. Today it’s the equally sad Arizona Coyotes looking for a new home and a massive handout.

In May 1995, I wrote about the National Rifle Association coming to town for a national convention. I contrasted the exhibit halls full of guns with a sober scene across town in Mesa: 400 schoolkids and teachers mourning the shooting death of 16-year-old Derrick Garcia, killed by a former classmate who put a bullet in his chest.

“It’s just going to go on and on,” said Jessica Olivarez, Derrick’s 17-year-old cousin. “I hope this time, Derrick’s death changes everything. … Nothing is worth this.”

I shared her hope. A few hundred thousand senseless shootings later, we remain stuck in place.

So it goes for gay rights, as well. We’ve come a long way since I wrote about Dawn Bates and Barb Jones, a Tempe couple together for 16 years, but whose union could not be made legal back then.

The two had faced financial struggles, discrimination and hatred for being out and lesbian.

“I think we’re looking for a level playing field,” Barb said in 1996. Many of my gay friends are still looking today. Barb concluded with a thought that makes every bit as much sense to me today as it did 27 years ago.

“We,” she said, “ought to be accorded the respect that any American would expect.”

In the paper days later, a guy named John Camp singled out the column in a letter to the editor.

“I would like for Mr. Leibowitz and all those who support the marriage of

homosexuals and enjoy parading ‘loving’ couples to advance their cause, to answer one simple question: Must all loving relationships end in sexual acts of some kind in order to prove their validity?”

Like I said, the years pass, but some things stay the same. I still have no clue what that guy is talking about.

Some days, I fear this beautiful state of ours is about to come undone, that Arizona will finally break beneath its stressors: Drought, sprawl, hatred, political tomfoolery, evil HOAs, sports team futility, too few dollars for education, too many incompetents in too many elected positions.

Probably not, the contents of the box reminded me. We’ve battled the same problems for decades. We’ve outlasted them so far. We probably will for years to come.

I packed up the box and put it aside, vowing to visit it again down the line. Because what good are memories if you never unpack them?

Kelly’s censorship question may tip voters against him

BY JD HAYWORTH Tribune Columnist

Mark Kelly, who used a stellar resume’ to win a 2020 special election for the U.S. Senate, then spent an astronomical sum to keep the seat in 2022 for a full term, is discovering the effects of gravity on governing. You won’t find Arizona’s junior senator prepping to star in a remake of the 1976 movie, “The Man Who Fell to Earth”— at least not yet. But the Tucson Democrat, like that film’s leading man, the late David Bowie, may soon sing of “Ch-Ch-ChCh-Changes.”

Look for Kelly’s popularity among

Arizona voters to suffer a precipitous fall –all because of a not-so-innocent question he asked.

It came during a March 12 Zoom call of 200 people, including other senators, House members and committee staffers from both parties – all joining with representatives from the Federal Reserve, Treasury Department, and the Federal Deposit and Insurance Corporation (FDIC). The subject was the Silicon Valley Bank bailout.

The former astronaut and his crew were looking for a way to bailout of the incoming critical press coverage once that call concluded.

“Sen. Mark Kelly Called for Social Me-

dia Censorship to Prevent Bank Runs,” read the headline on journalist Michael Shellenberger’s Substack blog, “Public.”

Rep. Thomas Massie (R-Kentucky) provided details of what’s quickly become a massive headache for the Arizona senator, saying that Kelly “asked the three agencies if there was a program underway on social media to censor information that would lead to a bank run.”

“I believe he couched it in a concern that foreign actors would be doing this, but he didn’t suggest the censorship should be limited to foreigners or to things that were untrue. The people from the three agencies couldn’t answer him and just sort of took a pass on the ques-

tion.”

Massie initially took a pass on directly identifying Kelly—as did Rep. Lauren Boebert (R-Colorado)—who took to Twitter to claim that “a member asked if they (Treasury officials) were reaching out to Facebook and Twitter to monitor misinformation and ‘bad actors.’”

Lest the GOP stand accused of manufacturing misinformation, Rep. Dan Bishop (R-North Carolina), Chairman of the Subcommittee on Oversight, Investigations, and Accountability ID’d the Arizona senator and demanded that Kelly be held accountable.

HAYWORTH from page 24

“I have confirmed with (House Speaker Kevin) McCarthy that it was Sen. Mark Kelly who asked on last night’s zoom call whether the call hosts (at Treasury, the Fed, and the FDIC) were interacting with SM (social media) platforms and on the lookout for foreign influence that might promote bank runs.”

Kelly and his staff didn’t exactly run to cameras and microphones to deny the senator’s line of questioning. In fact, it took almost 24 hours for Kelly to respond.

Curious timing, that.

Remember his aforementioned “stellar resume’?” Kelly’s qualifications as a fighter pilot and astronaut?

Both those positions require lightening-quick reflexes and instant responses. If untrue, a simple “No!” could have been uttered in less than a second.

When Kelly’s staff finally formulated a response, it was more lawyerly that leisurely offered. Mark’s underlings insisted that their boss was focused on foreign

adversaries potentially trying to take advantage of the situation by spreading misinformation.

Actually, it appears “Team Kelly” was more interested in misdirection than misinformation in responding to concerns, emphasizing a focus on “foreign actors.”

Granted access to contemporaneous notes taken by another participant on the March 12th Zoom call, this columnist can reveal that a couple of questions asked by Senator Kelly were much more “universal” in nature, going far beyond the oft-mentioned overseas “actors.”

Specifically, “Do we have a group of people paying attention to what’s going on online?”

Then, more troublingly, “Are we making social media companies aware so that they can take action?”

Given the Democrats’ collective coziness with Big Tech—and their successful efforts at censoring their GOP opponents during the 2020 and 2022 campaigns, it’s not far-fetched to suggest that Kelly views his own experience with political

censorship as a benefit. Whether Arizona voters will view their junior senator’s embrace of censorship as a much-needed tool—and even an asset to government— is doubtful. Share

ANSWERS TO PUZZLES AND SUDOKU from Page 30

EV athletes honored with scholarship

BY ZACH ALVIRA Tribune Sports Editor

Joseph Desjardins’ world was turned upside down when lost his beloved aunt, Rhonda Andre, last year.

Andre was a security guard at Arizona College Prep. But more than that, she was one of Desjardins’ biggest supporters. She would routinely watch him play football, cross country and track and field at Dobson High School. Not having her there this year was difficult, but he used the loss as motivation to continue trying to excel both on the field and in the classroom.

He knows that’s what she would’ve wanted. So, he made it happen.

“It was always fun to think about how maybe I can still honor her and do good things,” Desjardins said. “Be the athlete and persons she saw in me.”

Desjardins’ grief helped to make him a perfect candidate for the Arizona Breaking Barriers Student Athlete Scholarship, which is awarded through the Desert Financial Foundation and Arizona Cardinals. Its aim is to aid student athletes who have demonstrated resilience in their lives.

He was one of 14 high school students chosen for the scholarship. He received $3,000 and a backpack with an iPad, iPad case, AirPods and school supplies. He plans to use everything he received, as well as the Lumberjack Scholarship, when he studies astrophysics at Northern Arizona University in the fall.

He said the money will be used for anything from room and board to food while he is studying. He said it eases some stress he had for the next step in his academic career.

“When I heard I received it, it was really surprising and really cool. I felt honored to be a part of that,” Desjardins said. “Being around all of those great

student athletes, it was a cool opportunity to see all the other people that are like me who want to do great things.”

Like Desjardins, Anthony Garcia’s world shattered when he was 12 after his mother passed away from brain tumors.

She meant everything to him. He felt lost and angry, but he knew she always wanted him to be successful. That’s when he found wrestling and realized it was his true calling and what he needed to gain the motivation needed to make his mom proud. It wasn’t an easy road, but he made it and ended his career this past winter as a state placer.

“When I lost my mom, it left a hole in my heart. Wrestling helped fill it, which is why I took it so seriously,” Garcia said. “She would’ve wanted me to do really well and be a big man. It would mean a lot to her to know now I am a state placer and I’m going to college.

“She would be proud of me because I lived up to her hopes.”

Dobson senior Joseph Desjardins has fought through the loss of his aunt, who was his biggest supporter at athletic events. As a reward, he was one of 14 student athletes that will receive the Arizona Breaking Barriers Student Athlete Scholarship. (Special to the Tribune)

Garcia’s bout with sadness stemming from his mom’s death was just one piece of the adversity he has faced in his life.

While wrestling, he broke his elbow twice — the first required surgery — and had two minor knee surgeries.

He applied for several other scholarships as well and received most of them. He plans to use them to help pay for his classes at Arizona State, where he plans to study engineering.

Garcia said it’s a way for him to make his mom proud.

“All the scholarships will help me pursue the goal my mom wanted, being that big man, going to college and getting a good job for myself,” Garcia said.

“All these scholarships will help me go to college. I want to be that person she

wanted me to be.”

Along with Garcia, four other East Valley student athletes were named recipients of the scholarship.

Higley senior tennis player Madeline Martin, who is also part of the National Honor Society, received the scholarship along with Williams Field senior Brianna Rowe, who plays softball for the Black Hawks and is student body president.

Like Desjardins and Garcia, Peyton Martin has dealt with several bouts with adversity during her time at Desert Vista.

Her mother, Kim, was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2021 and has since fought it to enter remission. Last spring, Martin was running a race for the Thunder track team when she felt pain in her

knee – a nagging issue from when she was younger.

A few days later at a specialist, she was told she wouldn’t be able to run her senior year.

“That kinda took away the biggest thing in my life,” Martin said. “I was still chosen to be team captain despite not being able to run which proved to me I showed my teammates what it takes to be a leader.”

Martin was diagnosed with patellofemoral pain syndrome, which is a result of the anatomy of her body and tracking of her knee cap.

Even when she couldn’t run, she still showed up for her team.

She was present for every 5:30 a.m. practice and didn’t leave until the last runner on the team finished. She plans to do the same this spring for the track team.

Like Desjardins, she applied for the scholarship though Desert Financial and shared her story. She was pleased to learn she was awarded the $3,000.

“For me, I have a fear of failure and put a lot of pressure on myself,” Martin said. “I feel like I don’t always give myself enough credit for all the hard work I put in.”

Martin aims to study communications at the University of Arizona next year. She applied to be in the school’s honors college with her 4.0 GPA. She aims to hopefully venture into sports media while at Arizona, as she currently serves as the sports editor for the Desert Vista yearbook.

Like others given the scholarship, she knows it’ll make a positive impact on her college education.

“For me, it was a good motivator and made me take a step back and feel like I was finally getting recognized for that hard work,” Martin said. “It meant a lot.”

Symphony of the Southwest entertains for 8 decades

BY COTY DOLORES MIRANDA GetOut Contributor

The Symphony of the Southwest, a hidden gem of an orchestra with members from throughout the East, presents its season final concert on April 1.

Playfully titled Romantic Favorites for April Fools, the eclectic symphony will perform at 7:30 p.m. at the Mesa Arts Center.

Until 2008, Symphony of the Southwest was called the Mesa Symphony.

The current name better indicates not only the demographics of its 70-plus musicians, but also the composition of the audience it attracts.

The Symphony of the Southwest has been under the baton of conductor Cal Stewart Kellogg since 2005. His vast experience, as indicated in his biography on SymphonyoftheSouthwest.org, spans the world.

Before moving to Phoenix in 2000, Maestro Kellogg conducted 24 opera productions over 16 consecutive seasons for the prestigious Washington

National Opera at the Kennedy Center, Washington D.C.

The maestro is an avid believer in the power of live music.

“The symphony concert is a real thrill; you can’t match it. You can play CDs all day but they’re not the same as when you hear the symphony live. It’s exceptional.” said Kellogg, who lived and studied in Italy for two decades right after high school.

Among the symphony orchestra’s members is Mesa resident Andrew “Andy” Bunch, who is concluding his 49th season. He joined in 1974, shortly after graduating from Arizona State University.

The bassoonist has served under seven conductors, including Kellogg. His first three conductors were Bill Engelsman of Mesa’s Westwood High School; Ralston Pitt, who at the time was music supervisor for Mesa Public Schools; and Wayne Roederer, string specialist for the Mesa district.

“It is always inspiring to work with colleagues that are as dedicated and talented as the musicians in the orchestra,”

said Bunch.

“In the early years the symphony held its concerts at high schools and churches, but since the opening of the Mesa

Arts Center we now have a world class venue in which to perform. We have also had the pleasure of performing with a number of talented, creative guest artists.”

Bunch has also performed with the Arizona Wind Symphony for 12 years.

Chandler resident Timothy Haas, principal clarinetist for Symphony of the Southwest, is in his 18th year. He teaches clarinet and saxophone in his home studio, online with students nationwide, and as clarinet professor at Grand Canyon University.

He said he was introduced to the clarinet in sixth grade.

“When we were in elementary school, I played recorder. Sixth grade at our school was the first year band was offered. I didn’t want to do it, but my mother signed me anyway,” he laughed.

“It was awful. I stuck with it for a while and discovered I liked it,” he said, admitting by high school he was All-State California in the instrument.

He chose it for his career, earning his

see SYMPHONY page 28

NHRA’s Erica Enders is ready for a sixth win

BY CHRISTINA FUOCO-KARASINSKI GetOut Staff Writer

The impending closure of Wild Horse Pass Motorsport Park means the end of an era for fivetime Pro Stock world champion Erica Enders.

Enders’ family has a long history with the Valley. A former recordbreaking water-skier, her father, Gregg Enders, helped dig Firebird Lake, near the track. They frequented Manzanita Raceway in Phoenix, prior to its clo-

sure.

“Before I raced professionally, I always traveled to Phoenix to race, even though it’s a long haul from Houston,” she said. “That’s even as kids and junior dragsters. It’s sad that it’s coming to a close.”

Enders will have one more shot with the 28th annual NHRA Arizona Nationals at the Chandler track from Wednesday, March 22, to Sunday, March 26.

“I think you can look forward to some pretty outstanding performance

there,” Enders said.

“We’re on the heels of our fifth world title last year. Our expectations are set pretty high.”

Enders, 39, is in her 19th professional season, but she has been racing since she was 8. She grew up watching Gregg race as an amateur, along with her sister, Courtney Enders. In 2003, The Disney Channel released a movie about the sisters called “Right on Track.” Erica was portrayed by Beverley Mitchell, while Brie Larson played Courtney.

In 1993, she won the Division 4 Junior Dragster championship in the 8to 9-year-old class. Two years later, she was crowned Junior Dragster Driver of the Year. She now boasts 37 career wins.

“At 16, we joined the Lucas Oil Series, which is like the minor leagues,” Enders said. “I did that for five years. Then I got a deal to drive professionally at the end of 2004. Back, when I was a kid, when they’d ask what I wanted to

Andrew “Andy” Bunch of Mesa is winding up his 49th year on the bassoon with the Symphony of the Southwest, which will perform its final concert of the season on April 1. (Courtesy of Kathy Roark)

SYMPHONY from page 27

undergraduate degree at ASU and then his Master’s in Clarinet Performance from Florida State University.

Haas said he appreciates the mastery of his fellow symphony musicians and their conductor.

Gilbert residents Trent and Megan Bender, who’ve been with the Symphony of the Southwest since 2011, play viola and French horn, respectively.

“I love playing the music that Maestro Kellog selects. We seem to play one of my favorite composers almost every concert. Dvorak, Tchaikowsky, Brahms, they all wrote fantastic parts for the viola,” said Megan, adding:

“We’re playing selections from ‘West Side Story’ which is one of my all time favorites, at our next concert.”

The couple, who met in orchestra while attending the University of Iowa, concur that their conductor is one reason for the Symphony of the Southwest’s continuing success.

“Maestro Kellog is one of the kindest

people I have ever met. He’s so knowledgeable about the music and I truly feel it is a privilege to be following his baton,” said Megan, an orchestra teacher at Mesa’s Poston Junior High and Field Elementary schools.

“The players in our orchestra are also some of the most talented musicians as well as just enjoyable people to be having fun creating music together.”

After directing a high school band and teaching music at the elementary school level, Trent Bender is dean of students at Desert Ridge High School in Gilbert.

Symphony of the Southwest musicians as well as Kellogg say full audiences at their concerts are a boon, though ticket prices don’t begin to cover the symphony’s financial needs.

“It really depends on fundraising efforts,” said Kellogg, specifically pointing to Tempe residents Kathi Roark and Patricia Cosand, neither of whom are among symphony members.

Instead, these two women launched an Etsy shop called “Sewing for the Symphony” where they sell their handcraft-

ed works with all proceeds earmarked for the Symphony of the Southwest.

“We’ve done many things to help raise money,” said Roark. “Patricia (cq) does a lot of smocking, mainly children’s clothing. She has a huge following in the UK. I do machine-embroidered towels, aprons; I’ve also knitted scarves.”

Why put the profits of their labor into the symphony’s coffers? Roark doesn’t hesitate to answer.

“It’s such a good organization; our biggest issue is letting people know we’re here,” she said. “And we have enormous respect for the conductor and musicians. Actually, we have many friends who are musicians.”

The April 1 concert line-up is a varied one with presentations from Brahms (‘Academic Festival Overture’) to Bernstein (‘West Side Story Symphonic Dances’).

And though the 2022-23 season comes to an end, there are other ways to enjoy the musicians.

People can hire the Symphony’s Community Ensembles for private events,

large or small.

Their website SymphonyfortheSouthwest.org lists the various possibilities ranging from string quartets to full orchestra. There’s even a ‘Sing-a-long with Cal’ with Maestro Kellogg performing ‘golden Broadway favorites’ on piano.

Donations can also help the Symphony of the Southwest continue to fulfill their mission “to enrich the community through quality musical performances and educational programs for people of all ages, backgrounds and economic levels.”

It is also possible to “Sponsor a Chair” in the orchestra through donations.

Opportunities for tax-deductible donations can be made on their website , through PayPal, or by check mailed to 2109 E. Greenway Drive, Tempe AZ 85282

For more information on the Symphony or to purchase tickets for the April 1 concert: SymphonyfortheSouthwest. org.

They can also be found on Twitter and Facebook.

NHRA from page 27

be when I grew up. Other kids would answer doctor, lawyer, astronaut. I always wanted to be a race car driver and I’ve been blessed to accomplish that dream.”

Girls look up to her, she said. In 2006, she was the first woman to qualify No. 1 in Pro Stock, in Topeka, Kansas. She broke the national speed record in Pro Stock at 213.57 miles per hour in Gainesville, Florida. The accolades continued.

“I remember being a fan and going to see the women I looked up to,” Enders said.

“I stood outside the pit waiting to get autographs. I see the same sparkle in some of those kids’ eyes. It’s been a surreal, pinch-me moment. I try to make it the best experience I can for them.

“The first time someone asked for my autograph, I was a kid racing juniors. I thought, ‘So, this is where I’m going.’ We’ve had a blast of a life get-

ting to do what we love.”

In 2018, she began driving a Pro

Modified entry for Elite Motorsports, a twin turbo 2019 Camaro. The following year, Enders escaped serious injuries when her Chevrolet Camaro caught fire at the end of a qualifying run in the NHRA Pro Mod class in Ohio.

The challenges of racing have kept her passionate throughout the years.

“The challenges intrigue me,” she said. “Pro Stock is a challenging car to drive. You’re pretty busy inside the cockpit, having to shift and whatnot. It’s a cool class. No matter how much seat time you have, or years you’ve done this, it’s still tough. It’s really humbling. That’s what keeps me coming back. I want to be the best.”

If You Go...

NHRA Arizona Nationals

When: Various times Wednesday, March 22, to Sunday, March 26

Where: Wild Horse Pass Motorsports Park, 20000 S. Maricopa Road, Chandler

Cost: Tickets start at $44

Info: nhra.com

Climbing stairs shouldn’t feel like climbing Camelback.

Get back to the little things you love with stronger joints. Whether it is climbing Camelback Mountain or climbing your stairs without joint pain, we’re here to get you back to the life you love. Our highly specialized physician and patient care staff works with each patient to establish a personalized treatment and rehabilitation program.

Discover how we can get you back to living your life your way.

NHRA Arizona Nationals speeds back into Arizona for one last time and Erica Enderswill be racing for one last win at the track. (Special to GetOut)

With JAN D’ATRI GetOut

Contributor

Runzas are a little known delight for your table

When it comes to runzas, I’ve discovered there are generally two types of people.

Those who have never heard of them, and those who would travel for miles just to find a runza that’s as tasty as the one they remembered way back when.

If you’re from the Midwest, especially from states like Nebraska, Iowa and Kansas, you’re as likely to stumble across a Runza restaurant or drive-in as you would a burger joint.

Runzas (also called “bierocks”) are fantastic. There’s no other way to put it.

They are slightly sweet soft yeast dough made into bread pockets and filled with ground beef, cabbage onions, and seasonings. A good sharp cheddar can also be added for extra zing.

Sudoku

They are baked in various shapes. The official Nebraska Runza is always baked in a rectangular shape, and the Bierocks of Kansas are baked in the shape of a bun.

Both the bierock and the runza sandwich have German-

Ingredients:

Dough:

• 1 package active yeast

• 2 cups warm water

• 7 cups flour, divided

• 1/2 cup sugar

• 1 tablespoon salt

Runza filling:

• 2 cups sweet yellow onions, finely chopped

• 2 tablespoons olive oil

• 2 lbs hamburger (or one pound of ground turkey and one pound of ground pork.)

• 5 cups (one head) cabbage, shredded or chopped

• 1 1/2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce

• 1 teaspoon oregano, optional

• 1 teaspoon salt

• 1 black pepper

• 1 block sharp cheddar cheese

• 2 egg whites, beaten

Directions:

Make Dough:

In a bowl, place 2 cups of warm water. Sprinkle packet

Russian roots going back to the 18th century. Originally the bierocks were served to the field workers for lunch. Today runzas and bierocks can be found at just about every church fund-raiser in the Kansas area.

For this recipe I’ve substituted ground turkey and pork for the beef simply because I now have beefless eaters in my family. In my opinion, they’re just as delicious. 

of yeast over top.

Stir gently and let dissolve.

Transfer to a bowl with electric mixer. Add sugar, salt and 2 cups of flour.

Mix with paddle attachment until blended. Add melted butter and remaining 5 cups of flour. Mix until dough ball comes together.

Place dough in a large bowl (greased with melted butter), cover and let rise for 2 hours or until doubled in size.

Push down and let rise 5 minutes. Divide into 15 balls. On a floured surface, Roll out dough to 1/4 inch thick and cut into approximately 5-6 inch rectangles.

Make filling:

Sauté onions in oil until soft. Add meat and brown. Add cabbage, stirring to combine.

Add Worcestershire sauce, oregano, salt and pepper. Stir and cook for about 15 minutes. When done, spoon 2 heaping tablespoons of meat on each rectangle. Add slices of cheese if desired.

Fold up burrito style, seam side down. Brush with egg whites. Bake at 375 degrees for 20 minutes or until runzas are golden brown.

CLASSIFIEDS.PHOENIX.ORG

PUBLIC NOTICES

CITY OF MESA, ARIZONA ENGINEERING DEPARTMENT

REQUEST FOR QUALIFICATIONS (RFQ)

NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that the City of Mesa is seeking a qualified firm or team to act as the Construction Manager at Risk for the following:

SIGNAL BUTTE PARK PHASE 2

11132 E. Elliot Road

PROJECT No. CP0707

The City of Mesa is seeking a qualified Construction Manager at Risk (CMAR) to provide Pre-Construction Services assistance and complete Construction Services as the CMAR for the Signal Butte Park Phase 2 Project. 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).

The following is a summary of the project. The required tasks will be reviewed with the selected CMAR and defined to meet the needs of the project as part of the contract scoping.

The proposed Signal Butte Park Phase 2 project is located at 11132 E Elliot Rd in Mesa, Arizona, and is north of the existing Signal Butte Park. At approximately 43 acres, the project scope includes:

• Construction of approximately 1.5 miles of paved trails; a pedestrian bridge connecting Phase 2 to the existing Phase 1 of Signal Butte Park; one restroom building; five ramadas; a lighted 50-stall parking lot; a lighted 10-stall parking lot; a lighted park access road; two bicycle pump tracks; and walking paths.

• City may include other miscellaneous improvements and permitting at the Site, as needed

The estimated construction cost is $3,500,000 and is anticipated to be completed in Winter 2024.

A Pre-Submittal Conference will be held on March 28 at 7:30 am, through Microsoft Teams. At this meeting, City staff will discuss the scope of work and general contract issues and respond to questions from the attendees. Attendance at the pre-submittal conference is not mandatory and all interested firms may submit a Statement of Qualifications whether or not they attend the conference. All interested firms are encouraged to attend the Pre-Submittal Conference since City staff will not be available for meetings or to respond to individual inquiries regarding the project scope outside of this conference. In addition, there will not be meeting minutes or any other information published from the Pre-Submittal Conference. Anyone interested in attending the Pre-Submittal Conference can request an invitation from Donna.Horn@mesaaz.gov

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. The RFQ is available on the City’s website at http://mesaaz.gov/business/engineering/construction-manager-at-risk-and-job-order-contracting-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 10pt. Please provide one (1) electronic copy of the Statement of Qualifications in an unencrypted PDF format to Engineering-RFQ@ mesaaz.gov by no later than 2 pm on April 6, 2023. The City reserves the right to accept or reject any and all Statements of Qualifications The City is an equal opportunity employer.

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

Questions. Questions pertaining to the Construction Manager at Risk selection process or contract issues should be directed to Donna Horn of the Engineering Department at donna.horn@mesaaz.gov

BETH HUNING City Engineer

ATTEST:

Holly Moseley

Clerk

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 TRANPORTATION ENGINEERING 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: Transportation Engineering. 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 Transportation Engineering Services projects. This category is further defined below:

Transportation projects may include roadway improvement projects, transportation alternative projects (i.e., bike, pedestrian, transportation enhancement, and safe routes to school projects) and commuter park-and-ride projects. Design components associated with these projects might include, but will not necessarily be limited to, grading, drainage, demolition, pavement, concrete, driveways, sidewalks, ramps, traffic signals, intelligent traffic systems (ITS), signage, striping, storm drain, streetlights, landscaping, landscape irrigation, aesthetic elements, pedestrian improvements/amenities, bus shelters, surveying, bridges, block walls, environmental, and utility undergrounding. These projects also often include utility (including water and wastewater) upgrades, installation and/or rehabilitation in the same project areas as the transportation-related improvements. Other tasks that a design consultant might be asked to perform include alignment studies, design concept reports, environmental studies, environmental clearances, cost estimating, legal descriptions and exhibits, geotechnical reports, drainage reports, utility coordination, and public outreach. Transportation projects differ from the other projects in that transportation needs drive the project and are the emphasis.

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 April 6, 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 On-

Call Transportation Engineering 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 Stephanie Gishey of the Engineering Department at stephanie.gishey@mesaaz.gov

BETH HUNING

City Engineering

ATTEST: Holly Moseley City Clerk

Published

SUPERIOR COURT OF ARIZONA MARICOPA COUNTY

In the Matter of Estate of: LOUIS R. MASTERSON, adult. Case Number PB2022-002036

NOTICE OF CREDITORS OF INFORMAL

APPOINTMENT OF PERSONAL REPRESENTATIVE AND/OR INFORMAL PROBATE OF A WILL

NOTICE IS GIVEN THAT:

1. PERSONAL REPRESENTATIVE: RENEE L. KIMBALL has been appointed Personal Representative of this Estate

DATE: 12 JAN 2023

Address: 1506 CANYON CREEK DR NEWMAN, CA 95360

2. DEADLINE TO MAKE CLAIMS. All persons having claims against the Estate are required to present their claims within four months after the date of the first publication of this Notice or the claims will be forever barred.

3. NOTICE OF CLAIMS: Claims must be presented by delivering or mailing a written statement of the claim to the Personal Representative at (address) ADDRESS 1506 CANYON CREEK DR NEWMAN, CA 95360

4. NOTICE OF APPOINTMENT. A copy of the Notice of Appointment is attached to the copies of this document mailed to all known creditors.

DATED: MARCH 3, 2023

/s/ NAME RENEE L. KIMBALL

Published in East Valley Tribune Mar 12, 19, 26, 2023

In accordance with Sec. 106 of the Programmatic Agreement, AT&T plans a NEW 65’ MONO-EUCALYPTUS at 712 WEST FAIRVIEW STREET CHANDLER, AZ 85225. Please direct comments to Gavin L. at 818-898-4866 regarding site AZL01776. 3/19, 3/26/23 CNS-3678964#

EAST VALLEY TRIBUNE

Published in East Valley Tribune Mar 19, 26, 2023

NOTICE OF SALE OF MOBILE HOME

NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that the following item of personal property will be sold at public sale to the highest bidder, to satisfy a landlord’s lien: Mobile Home Make: CARME Body Style: 14 X 56

MH Model Year: 1974 VIN: 153

Date and time of Sale: 03/15/2023 at 10:00 AM

Location of Sale: Space No. 468

HOLIDAY VILLAGE

701 S DOBSON ROAD MESA, AZ 85202

Name of landlord: HOLIDAY MHC, LP DBA HOLIDAY VILLAGE

Amount of Claimed Lien: $2,690.20 as of December 12, 2022

The Landlord reserves the right to bid at said sale and if its bid is the highest, to purchase said mobile home. The Landlord claims a lien against this property in the amount shown above as of the date shown above, for rents and other charges which have accrued through that date under a rental agreement covering the space occupied by the mobile home. The rental agreement giving rise to this lien was entered into by the Landlord and the following parties, owners of the mobile home, as tenants: Date of Rental Agreement: August 3, 2012

Name(s) of Tenant(s): Robert Casey Owner of Record: Heather A Lange Said mobile home is located at the address shown above as the location of sale. The above described property shall be offered for sale pursuant to A.R.S. 33-1023. The proceeds from the sale will be applied to the cost of sale and to the lien, and any money that remains will be disposed of as provided in A.R.S. 33-1023. HOLIDAY MHC, LP DBA HOLIDAY VILLAGE

By: Cecilia A. Prendergast

Title Administrator

Dated: February 8, 2023 & February 15, 2023

Published in East Valley Tribune Mar 12, 19, 2023

NOTICE OF SALE OF MOBILE HOME

NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that the following item of personal property will be sold at public sale to the highest bidder, to satisfy a landlord’s lien:

Mobile Home Make: GRAN Body Style: 14 X 60 MD Model Year: 1973 VIN: 2FPA3981E

Date and time of Sale: 03/15/2023 at 10:00 AM

Location of Sale: Space No. 199

HOLIDAY VILLAGE

701 S DOBSON ROAD

MESA, AZ 85202

Name of landlord: HOLIDAY MHC, LP DBA HOLIDAY VILLAGE

Amount of Claimed Lien: $2,593.53 as of December 12, 28,2022

The Landlord reserves the right to bid at said sale and if its bid is the highest, to purchase said mobile home. The Landlord claims a lien against this property in the amount shown above as of the date shown above, for rents and other charges which have accrued through that date under a rental agreement covering the space occupied by the mobile home. The rental agreement giving rise to this lien was entered into by the Landlord and the following parties, owners of the mobile home, as tenants:

Date of Rental Agreement: APRIL 1, 2013

Name(s) of Tenant(s): Rose Mary Quattlebaum

Owner of Record: Rose Mary Quattlebaum

Said mobile home is located at the address shown above as the location of sale. The above described property shall be offered for sale pursuant to A.R.S. 33-1023. The proceeds from the sale will be applied to the cost of sale and to the lien, and any money that remains will be disposed of as provided in A.R.S. 33-1023.

HOLIDAY MHC, LP DBA HOLIDAY VILLAGE

By: Cecilia A. Prendergast

Published in East Valley Tribune Mar 12, 19, 2023

IN THE CIRCUIT COURT OF THE FOURTH JUDICIAL CIRCUIT EFFINGHAM COUNTY, EFFINGHAM, ILLINOIS No. 2022SC146

CITY OF EFFINGHAM, ILLINOIS

a municipal corporation, Plaintiffs, ARMONDO VELLEJO, Defendants.

NOTICE OF PENDENCY OF ACTION

NOTICE is hereby given to ARMONDO VELLE-

JO, of a Complaint filed in the above entitled casc on June 20, 2022, and that he is a named Defendant in the above entitled case, pursuant to the provisions of 735 ILCS 5/2-206, and that the above entitled suit is now pending in said court and the day on or after which a default may be entered against said Defendant is April 6, 2022, at 9:00 a.m., and that the following information applies to said Complaint:

1. The names of all Plaintiffs and the case number are identified above.

2. The court in which said action was brought is identified above.

3. The name of the Defendant is: Armondo Vellejo

4. The last known address of Defendant, Armondo Vellejo, is 2258 E. Diamond Ave, Mesa, Arizona 85204.

5. The captioned matter relates to the following described real estate: 2258 E. Diamond Ave, Mesa Arizona 85204.

3/8/2023

Tammy Keeke ND

Clerk of the Circuit Court of Effingham County, Illinois

Tracy A. Willenborg Taylor Law Offices, P.C. Attorneys for Plaintiffs

122 East. Washington Avenue P.O. Box 668 Effingham, Illinois 62401

Telephone: (217) 342-3925

Published in East Valley Tribune Mar 19, 26, Apr 2, 2023

NOTICE OF SALE OF MOBILE HOME NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that the following item of personal property will be sold at public sale to the highest bidder, to satisfy a landlord’s lien: Mobile Home

Make: WHITTIER

Body Style: 14 X 82 MH

Model Year: 1983

VIN: KBAZSN314853

Date and Time of Sale: 04/18/2023 10:00 AM

Location of Sale: Space No. 148 HOLIDAY VILLAGE

701 S DOBSON ROAD MESA, AZ 85202

Name of landlord: HOLIDAY MHC, LP DBA HOLIDAY VILLAGE

Amount of Claimed Lien: $2,797.32 as of MARCH 2, 2023

The Landlord reserves the right to bid at said sale and if its bid is the highest, to purchase said mobile home. The Landlord claims a lien against this property in the amount shown above as of the date shown above, for rents and other charges which have accrued through that date under a rental agreement covering the space occupied by the mobile home. The rental agreement giving rise to this lien was entered into by the Landlord and the following parties, owners of the mobile home, as tenants:

Date of Rental Agreement: 06/14/2010

Name(s) of Tenant(s): Elsie Louise Winfrey & Brenda Ervin

Owner of Record: Elsie Louise Winfrey & Brenda Ervin

Said mobile home is located at the address shown above as the location of sale. The above described property shall be offered for sale pursuant to A.R.S. 33-1023. The proceeds from the sale will be applied to the cost of sale and to the lien, and any money that remains will be disposed of as provided in A.R.S. 33-1023.

HOLIDAY MHC, LP DBA HOLIDAY VILLAGE

By: Cecilia A. Prendergast Title Administrator

Dated:

MISCELLANEOUS - FOR SALE

Diabetic Test Strips by the box, unused. Any type or brand. Will pay top dollar.

Call Pat 480-323-8846

EMPLOYMENT-GENERAL

Qorvo US, Inc. has multiple openings in Chandler, AZ for a Senior RF Design Engineer. Collaborate with system engineers to architect/define/specify solutions. Responsible for design and simulation per defined product functionalities and specifications. To apply: email resume to: Job.Applicant@qorvo.com. Must include Job Ref. 20711.187.N

GARAGE SALES/FOR SALE

HUGE COMUNITY SALE!

Entrada Del Oro 18437 E. El Buho

Pequeno - Gold Canyon AZ 85118

April 14, 15 & 16 7am-3pm

GARAGE SALES/FOR SALE

HUGE COMUNITY SALE!

Peralta Canyon – 10893 E. Peralta Canyon

Dr – Gold Canyon AZ April 14, 15 & 16 7am-3pm

Most holy Apostle, St. Jude, friend of Jesus, I place myself in your care at this difficult time. Pray for me; help me remember that I need not face my troubles alone. Please join me in my need, asking God to send me consolation in my sorrow, courage in my fear, and healing in the midst of my suffering. Ask our loving God to fill me with the grace to accept whatever may lie ahead for me and my loved ones, and to strengthen my faith in God’s healing power. Thank you, St. Jude, for the promise of hope you hold out to all who believe, and inspire me to give this gift of hope to others as it has been given to me. Amen. JR

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