BY TOM SCANLON Tribune Managing Editor
AMesa may be one of nation’s safest cities
tained,” Mesa Police Assistant Chief Ed Wessing said.
really prioritized public safety in our city,” Giles said.
s crime rates have dropped signi�icantly around the country over the last decade, Mesa has not only kept up the pace but has become one of the nation’s safest big cities.
Preliminary data shows the trend continued in 2020, when violent and property crimes fell by another 2 percent here. Of�icial reports on 2020 crime in Mesa and other cities will not be released by the FBI for months.
In 2020, the number of crimes per 1,000 residents was 22.7.
“Our lowest since statistics have been main-
Wessing’s �igures are based on a conservative population estimate of 504,410. Other estimates for Mesa’s population range from 518,012 (U.S. Census) to 552,000 (Maricopa Association of Governments).
If the population is higher, the 11,440 crimes against people or properties rate per 1,000 could be even lower.
“I think we’re in the top three in the nation for cities our size. We’re proud of that,” Mayor John Giles said.
He acknowledged a national downward trend in crime, but said that isn’t the whole story.
“I also think part of the explanation is we’ve
Mesa schools ready to
BY TOM SCANLON Tribune Managing Editor
Fitness guru Chris Powell has a simple message to school kids: Let’s get moving!
Move One Mesa is a partnership of Mesa Public Schools, the City of Mesa, Mesa Chamber of Commerce and Mesa resident Powell’s Move One Million.
Starting tomorrow, March 29, MPS teachers will begin each day with two-and-a-half minutes of movement and one minute of mindfulness.
Powell and the district also hope parents, businesses and the general community will join the moving movement.
“Most cities of our size don’t have their own crime labs. We went to voters a year ago and asked for an increase in sales tax dedicated to public safety for more police of�icers.
“Having a well-funded, well-trained and well-equipped public safety department –that’s a priority in Mesa,” Giles said.
He said Mesa’s reputation is helping fuel its population growth: “The reason people (move) here is it’s a safe, desirable community.”
The mayor’s thoughts were echoed by a leader in the business community.
Tomorrow, March 29, is the launch date for Move One Mesa, fitness guru Chris Powell’s project to get kids in Mesa Public Schools starting their days with movement and mindfulness. (Chris Powell)
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Mesa school of�icials foresee no staff layoffs
BY TOM SCANLON Tribune Managing Editor
Renovations are in at Mesa Public Schools, but staff reductions are not.
At its March 16 meeting, the MPS Governing Board approved the �irst chunk of a $40 million – up from $35 million – upgrade at Mountain View High, calendars for the 2022-23 and 2023-24 school years and heard that teacher and staff layoffs are not in the works – despite looming budget question marks.
As for the calendars, the board approved no major changes, other than the addition of two “professional learning days,” with students not in school on days following winter and spring breaks.
Associate Superintendent Holly Williams said this item had a split response among the 27,826 responses to a districtwide questionnaire on the calendar.
“Staff wanted professional learning days, our families had concerns about additional child care needed,” Williams said. “One of the other concerns that came out in the parent comments doesn’t have to do with the calendar itself: There were comments about providing more consistency in early-release times.”
Logging in
The board unanimously approved the future school years calendars, which keep fall and spring breaks at one week each, with three days Thanksgiving week and a two-week winter break.
After an upbeat presentation showing COVID-19 numbers continuing to trend downward, Assistant Superintendent of Human Resources Dr. James Driscoll told the board the MPS traditional “huge turnover” is a good thing, this year.
Last month, the board heard of a dramatic drop in enrollment: From 61,344 two years ago to 56,807 this year.
Enrollment is a critical factor in any Arizona school district’s �iscal condition because the state reimburses districts on a per-pupil basis. Budget details for next year have not been provided, although administrators warned the board last fall that the district could be facing hard choices in program funding and overall staf�ing levels.
Asked if layoffs are a possibility, Driscoll was �irm in his response last week.
“We are not instituting a RIF,” he said, using the acronym for 'reduction in force.' “It hasn’t been a recommendation from the superintendent, we haven’t looked at that.”
As other districts are considering staff
reductions, Driscoll said MPS staff has expressed concern about layoffs here.
“I tell teachers, ‘No, don’t worry. We’re not RIF-ing,’ ” Driscoll said.
Part of the reason for that, he explained, is that in the �irst six months of 2020, “We had 1,540 resignations or retirements. This year to date we’re at 492,” he said. Instead of layoffs, the district has the option of not replacing some of the staff that is gone. “That’s the beauty of Mesa, that we have a large turnover,” Driscoll said.
Driscoll stressed even with 2,000 teachers and staff leaving, “Last year we had really low class sizes. This year, our projections are even with reductions, our class sizes are 26-1 K-3 and 30-1 (grades) 4-12.”
Driscoll said 10 percent of those who resigned or retired listed concerns about COVID-19. Another 14 percent gave the reason for departure as “family considerations,” which Driscoll conjectured could also have to do with the virus.
“I thought the numbers (or departures) were going to be worse. I’m not seeing that. Part of that have been vaccinations, which have helped,” Driscoll said.
The board gave the green light to the �irst phase of a $70 million, two-school renovation.
An extensive overhaul of Mesa High and Mountain View campuses with some new buildings and additions, revamped athletic �ields and other improvements that will cost an estimated $35 million for each school is funded by the $300 million capital bond issue voters approved in 2018.
The $35-million renovation of Mountain View High School is set to begin this spring. The biggest part of that project will be gutting the top �loor of the twostory building to create a performing arts addition with studios, a scene shop, backstage, auditorium and rehearsal areas.
The board approved $19.5 million to start on Mountain View, with a central “chiller plant” an addition to previous plans.
“We want to acknowledge our great support from the community,” Assistant Superintendent Scott Thompson said, promising “a similar narrative when we talk about Mesa (High) in a few weeks.”
He said the chiller will add to the Mountain View price tag, which may end up “closer to $40 million,” but will pay off in the long run: “It’s 22 percent more ef�i-
MPS Superintendent Dr. Andi Fourlis helped some kids at Stevenson Elementary School figure out how to use the laptops that the district purchased with the help of $6.5 million in pandemic relief funds. That enabled the district to buy 9,000 devices. (Courtesy Mesa Public Schools)
Intel’s $20B investment a huge boon to EV
BY PAUL MARYNIAK Tribune Executive Editor
In a move that will have major implications for virtually every facet of the East Valley economy, Intel last week unveiled plans to invest $20 billion for the construction of two new fabrication facilities at its south Chandler campus over the next three years.
“As I hope you’ve gathered, Intel is back,” Intel CEO Pat Gelsinger said at a press conference March 23 announcing the tech giant’s plans for its Ocotillo campus. “This is the old Intel. It’s now the new Intel as we look to the future.”
That future includes 3,000 permanent high-tech, high-wage jobs; over 3,000 construction jobs; and approximately 15,000 local long-term jobs in support companies.
Intel’s investment is part of its “IDM 2.0” Initiative – a major evolution of an “integrated device manufacturing” model that Gelsinger said makes Intel “the only company with the depth and breadth of software, silicon and platforms, packaging, and process with at-scale manufacturing customers can depend on for their nextgeneration innovations.”
“IDM 2.0 is an elegant strategy that only Intel can deliver – and it’s a winning formula,” he said. “We will use it to design the best products and manufacture them in the best way possible for every category we compete in.”
Assisted by unspeci�ied federal incentives from the newly passed CHIPS for America Act, which is designed to grow domestic semiconductor manufacturing, Intel’s expansion aims for an even bigger
global market share in the �iercely competitive semiconductor industry.
It also comes at a time when the Biden Administration is encouraging domestic manufacturing growth in an industry beset by a worldwide semiconductor shortage.
Automakers and medical device manufacturers, among others, have been pressing for federal investment in domestic semiconductor production.
Chip shortages are disrupting digital manufacturing, from electronics to medical devices to technology and networking equipment, according to the Harvard Business Review and other sources.
Particularly hard hit is the automobile industry, the Review said, reporting that
“automakers were slow to order more semiconductors and then lost out to more nimble electronics manufacturers.”
“The automotive industry is experiencing another critical market shift that has important supply chain implications: As carmakers increasingly prioritize electric vehicles, cars are becoming electronic devices,” it continued. “This means the automotive industry now must face the competing demands of all other industries, including those in electronics and those adding internet connectivity to their products.”
The strategy Gelsinger unveiled showed Intel’s determination to come to the rescue before competitors like Samsung Elec-
tronics and AMD can beat it to the punch.
“Overall, there are strong winds that are forming for expanding, accelerating and seeing the critical role that semiconductors play for the entire tech industry and, frankly, for the world as everything is becoming more digital,” Gelsinger said.
“And we are saying Intel is stepping into that gap aggressively to help provide the capacity that’s needed – U.S., Europe and worldwide.”
The plan outlined by Gelsinger includes a research partnership with IBM, which the corporation said in a release “will help unleash the potential of data and advanced computation to create immense economic value.”
Gelsinger also announced the creation of Intel Foundry Services at the Ocotillo campus to support commercial customers as well as address unique government and security requirements in the U.S.
He also stressed Intel’s commitment to accelerating semiconductor manufacturing innovation to enhance U.S. competitiveness in the global chip industry.
Gov. Doug Ducey and U.S. Senators Kyrsten Sinema and Mark Kelly – as well as Chandler city leaders – hailed the announcement.
Calling Intel’s move “the largest private sector investment in state history,” Ducey noted that Arizona is already a top-�ive state for semiconductor production, with other industry leaders choosing to start, expand or relocate operations here.
Mesa likely will reap some of what Gilbert Economic Development Director Dan
Intel's sprawling Ocotillo campus in south Chandler will be getting bigger as the tech giant this fall starts building two new fabs as part of a $20 billion investment here. (Courtesy of Intel)
Intel CEO Pat Gelsinger detailed the company's plans with its massive investment in Arizona during a press conference last week. (Courtesy of Intel)
Nanotechnology company to create cutting-edge lab in Mesa
Mechnano is coming to Mesa. The nanotechnology company will develop an advanced technology lab at the Arizona State University Polytechnic campus as part of the ASU Polytechnic Innovation District.
Mechnano’s focus is on “exponentially improving” additive manufacturing and 3D printing materials. Using its proprietary carbon nanotube-based technology, or CNTs, Mechnano has successfully
Henderson called a “spillover effect.”
He pointed out that geography and proximity �igures heavily in that.
It’s just not East Mesa’s proximity to the Loop 202, but West Mesa’s proximity to the Loop 101 Price Road Freeway as well that give the city pretty easy access to Intel’s Ocotillo facility.
Micah Miranda, Chandler’s economic development director, noted that Intel’s investment has signi�icant supply chain implications for local businesses since it annually spends about $1.5 billion with Chandler-based suppliers and another $3 billion with other Arizona-based suppliers.
“Existing and prospective Intel suppliers can connect with our economic development team for assistance with of�ice and industrial space site selection in Chandler,” said Miranda.
Miranda also noted that the economic ripple effect from the jobs Intel’s expansion will generate well beyond city boundaries and impact scores of industries that may not necessarily support chip manu-
improved existing material properties in UV Polymers including impact resistance and tear resistance.
“We are proud to be a cornerstone company for the ASU Polytechnic Innovation District,” said Steven R. Lowder, CEO and co-founder of Mechnano. “This collaboration with ASU is a perfect example of how the most innovative university in the country is working directly with advanced technology companies like Mechnano to provide a unique learning experience for ASU students while
directly bene�iting the company.”
He called the plan “part of a larger effort to return manufacturing to the USA.”
Mechnano will help train students on best practices for lab work, data recording and scienti�ic processes, particularly with CNTs.
“We have known for years the tremendous opportunity for private-sector companies to partner with us at the ASU Polytechnic campus and are excited to have Mechnano join us in driving and inventing the technologies of the future,”
Intel
campus, marking the 40th year anniversary of its arrival in Chandler. (Courtesy of Intel)
facturing – but will support the people who make them.
That means everything from restaurants to retail could bene�it.
said Duane Roen, vice-provost of the ASU Polytechnic campus.
And, Mesa Mayor John Giles promised, “This collaboration will drive worldclass applied materials technologies and further de�ine Mesa as a hub for innovation.”
The ASU Polytechnic Innovation District is 300 acres of land adjacent to the ASU Polytechnic School, one of the six schools comprising ASU’s Ira A. Fulton Schools of Engineering, the largest engineering school in the county.
and new homes.
As real estate experts have repeatedly pointed out in recent months, much of the developable land in East Valley has already disappeared.
Chandler and Gilbert quickly are approaching build-out and only large tracts of state land in far east Mesa are ripe for major residential construction in the region.
Yet, with the ongoing widening of I-10 between Chandler and Casa Grande as well as the completion a year ago of the South Mountain Freeway, Intel’s proximity to the Loop 202 likely foreshadows more housing growth in the West Valley and Pinal County.
Closer to home, however, the employment surge also could continue the relentless uptick in home prices and rents.
The expansion also poses major challenges – particularly in the Valley’s housing market, where there already is a critical shortage of inventory for both resale
Intel celebrated 40 years in Chandler last year and it opened Fab 42, a $7 billion investment that created the most advanced manufacturing facility in the world, Miranda noted, stating that once the two new fabs come online, more than 15,000 Intel employees will be working in Chandler.
cient, so we’re going to see a large reduction in our electric bill.”
And an ionization system will improve air quality, he promised, and “get viruses like COVID out of the air.”
Thompson promised the money approved by residents will be spent well at Mountain View and Mesa high schools.
“The work we’re doing at these two campuses will be transformational,” he said. “And then we will replicate that out to our other high schools.”
last year completed work on another fab at its Ocotillo
TRIBUNE NEWS STAFF
Mesa, AZ — The most common method your doctor will recommend to treat your chronic pain and/or neuropathy is with prescription drugs that may temporarily reduce your symptoms. These drugs have names such as Gabapentin, Lyrica, Cymbalta, and Neurontin, and are primarily antidepressant or anti-seizure drugs. These drugs may cause you to feel uncomfortable and have a variety of harmful side effects.
Chronic pain and/or peripheral neuropathy is a result of damage to the nerves often causing weakness, pain, numbness, tingling, and the most debilitating balance problems. This damage is commonly caused by a lack of blood flow to the nerves in the hands and feet which causes the nerves to begin to degenerate due to lack of nutrient flow.
NOTE: Once you have sustained 95% nerve loss, there is likely nothing that we can do for you.
3) How much treatment will your condition require?
The treatment that is provided at Aspen Medical has three main goals.
1) Increase blood flow
2) Stimulate and increase small fiber nerves
3) Decrease brain-based pain
The treatment to increase blood flow, stimulate small nerve fibers and get you back to health is our new $50,000.00 SANEXAS UNIT!
determined after a detailed neurological and vascular evaluation. As long as you have not sustained at least 95% nerve damage there is hope!
Aspen Medical will do a chronic pain and neuropathy severity examination to determine the extent of the nerve damage as a public service to you and/or your family and friends. This neuropathy/ pain severity examination will consist of a detailed sensory evaluation, extensive peripheral vascular testing, and a detailed analysis of the findings of your neuropathy.
As you can see in Figure 2, as the blood vessels that surround the nerves become diseased they shrivel up which causes the nerves to not get the nutrients to continue to survive. When these nerves begin to “die” they cause you to have balance problems, pain, numbness, tingling, burning, and many additional symptoms. The main problem is that your doctor has told you to just live with the problem or try the drugs which you don’t like taking because they make you feel uncomfortable. There is now a facility right here in Mesa that offers you hope without taking those endless drugs with serious side effects.
(See the special neuropathy severity examination at the end of this article)
In order to effectively treat your neuropathy three factors must be determined.
1) What is the underlying cause?
2) How much nerve damage has been sustained.
In addition, we use a state-of-the-art diagnostics like the TM Flow diagnostic unit to accurately determine the increase in blood flow and a small skin biopsy to accurately determine the increase in small nerve fibers!
The Sanexas electric cell signaling system delivers energy to the affected area of your body at varying wavelengths, including both low-frequency and middle-frequency signals. It also uses amplitude modulated (AM) and frequency modulated (FM) signaling. During a treatment session, the Sanexas system automatically changes to simultaneously deliver AM and FM electric cell signal energy.
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The amount of treatment needed to allow the nerves to fully recover varies from person to person and can only be
Aspen Medical will be offering this chronic pain and neuropathy severity examination from now until April 30, 2021. Call 480274-3157 to make an appointment to determine if your chronic pain and peripheral neuropathy can be successfully treated.
Due to our very busy office schedule, we are limiting this FREE consultation offer to the first 15 callers. YOU DO NOT HAVE TO SUFFER ANOTHER MINUTE, CALL Call 480-274-3157 … NOW!
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“I’m proud to live and work in a city where our crime rate continues to decrease while other cities rise. I love how our of�icers are involved in the community and get to know residents and businesses to better serve the people of Mesa,” said Sally Harrison, president and CEO of the Mesa Chamber of Commerce.
This is hardly to say Mesa is crime-free. Indeed, several shocking acts of criminal violence took place just this month.
On March 5, a wild shootout at an apartment near Rio Salado Parkway and North Country Club Drive left one dead and two injured.
After he was released from the hospital, Aaron Wright was arrested and charged with killing Deandre Brewer, who before succumbing �ired back at Wright. Police found 26 shell casings were found inside the apartment.
On March 8, Ruben Sanchez shot his wife and their two daughters (one was killed) before turning the gun on himself, leaving three dead in a home near Eastmark.
Violent and property crime in Mesa fell again in 2020, according to preliminary data from the Mesa Police Department. This continues the drop in crimes here over the last three decades. (Mesa Police Department data)
The next day, police say a 14-year-old shot his two adult roommates, wounding both at a home near Stapley and University drives.
Another frightening crime took place March 5 near South Stapley Drive and East
Broadway Road, when Rodrigo Garcia allegedly stole a parked BMW – with a sleeping 2-yearold in the back seat.
The car was found about an hour later, with the child unharmed. The mother told police she left her son in the car because he was sleeping and did not want to wake him up while she ran into a convenience store.
Despite that disturbing case, motor vehicle thefts have been reduced more than any other crime in Mesa.
In 1991, thieves swiped 2,605 vehicles
in Mesa.
A decade later, the number of cars jacked here nearly doubled to 5,088.
But since 2010, motor vehicle thefts fell steadily, bottoming out at 838 in 2019 before rising to 1,074 last year – a 28 percent spike over the previous year, but still one-�ifth of the number of cars and trucks ripped off 20 years ago.
In 1963, when Mesa �irst started tracking crimes vs. population, 1,617 crimes were committed. With a population of 40,329, that came to 40.1 crimes per 1,000 people – so the city is now twice as safe, per capita.
In 1978, the crimes per 1,000 here hit a high of 100.3. The crimes per 1,000 topped 85 only one other time, in 1994. Since then, the rate per 1,000 fell steadily, to 63.7 in 2000, 60.3 in 2005, 37.9 in 2010 and 30.1 in 2015. Over the last �ive years, the crime rate per 1,000 trickled down every year, to 28.4 in 2016, 26.5 in 2017 24.3 in 2018 and 23.4 last year.
Jon Gould, director of Arizona State University’s School of Criminology and Criminal Justice, said the reasons that crime rates have fallen here and around the
Mesa less violent than most cities its size
BY TOM SCANLON Tribune Managing Editor
Though the FBI is months away from releasing of�icial statistics on crime in 2020, its statistics for violent crime in 2019 show Mesa compares favorably with other cities its size.
And, according to Mesa Police Department Assistant Chief Ed Wessing, preliminary data show violent crime dropped another 1 percent here in 2020.
Mesa and Tucson are America’s 10 cities in the 480,000 to 600,000 population range.
According to the FBI, 1,953 violent crimes – murder, rape, robbery and aggravated assault – took place in Mesa in 2019. Included in that �igure is 11 murders. Tucson, which is similar in size to Mesa, had 40 murders and 3,775 violent crimes in 2019 – nearly twice as many as Mesa. In Tucson, one in 145 people experienced violent crime. In Mesa, one in 265 experienced violent crime.
Mesa’s crimes per capita was by far the
lowest of cities similar in size.
Baltimore, population 597,239, had 11,101 violent crimes and 348 murders in 2019, according to the FBI. That means 1 in 53 people experienced violent crime in Baltimore.
Milwaukee, population 590,923, had 7,784 violent crimes and 97 murders in 2019. One in 76 experienced violent crime.
Albuquerque, population 561,920, had 7,596 violent crimes and 84 murders in 2019. One in 74 experienced violent crime.
Kansas City, population 495,694, had 7,099 violent crimes and 150 murders in 2019. One in 70 experienced violent crime.
Colorado Springs, population 479,648, had 2,806 violent crimes and 23 murders in 2019. One in 171 experienced violent crime.
Atlanta, population 496,106, had 3,814 violent crimes and 88 murders in 2018 (2019 �igures were not available. One in 130 experienced violent crime.
In Miami, with an estimated population of 485,505, there were 2,850 violent crimes and 43 murders in 2019. One in 170 experienced violent crime.
Sacramento, population 513,934, had 3,223 violent crimes and 34 murders in 2019. One in 159 experienced violent crime. While Mesa’s violent crime per capita was far lower than cities of similar sizes, its smaller neighbors were safer per capita. According to the FBI, 593 violent crimes took place in Chandler in 2019, 254 in Gilbert and 889 in Tempe. In Chandler, population 252,692, one in 424 were victims
FBI data shows Mesa residents are least likely to be victims of violent crime in the 10 cities similar in size. (FBI data)
of violent crime. In Gilbert, population 243,254, one in 956 experienced violent crime. In Tempe, population 187,454, one in 210 were violent crime victims.
Phoenix, population 1.6 million, had 11,803 violent crimes in 2019; one in 135 Phoenix residents were victims of violent crime, making Mesa twice as safe, according to statistics.
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country are de�initely – unknown.
“For the last decade, crime in all categories is down. You would believe we would know why that is. But I was at a conference with a panel of experts from the National Academy of Sciences. They could not come up with a single answer,” Gould said. “It may have been a variety of things: improving economy, hotspots policing, demographics ... It may be over incarceration trends. There were four or �ive different hypotheses.”
He said “hotspots policing,” a growing trend with police departments, often uses mapping and statistical crunching to ana-
According to a presentation at the March 16 MPS Governing Board meeting by district Career and Technical Education Director Marlo Loria, “The Move One Million program will be foundational to moving Mesa forward, both physically and symbolically.”
“We are going to be moving forward as a community ... focusing on priorities that will make us a stronger and healthier community,” Loria said.
Added Superintendent Dr. Andi Fourlis: “We’ve learned a lot this last year. We’ve learned our physical health really is important. We knew it before but given this pandemic we learned it more … And mental health has impacted all of us. Our community has been incredibly divided with a lot of different feelings and opinions about what schooling should look like during a pandemic.
“I think Move One Mesa is the opportu-
lyze places and times where crimes are most likely to occur, then providing extra police presence to those locations.
“You know the places where to concentrate police, which is likely to dissuade people from committing crimes,” Gould said.
“You’re able to reduce crime in those areas.”
With preliminary data trickling in from various cities, “What we’re seeing nationally in 2020 was certain crimes seem to be up and a variety of crimes seem to be down,” Gould said.
While homicides and aggravated assault rates seemed to be on the rise in the pandemic-dominated year, “Burglary, theft, rape, robbery seem to be down,” he said.
nity to bring unity,” Fourlis said.
Powell explained this is the �irst move in his let’s-change-the-planet vision: “Move One Million is the service project I started to help millions of people take the very �irst step in their journey to a better life … and also to bring us together in this crazy time.
“I couldn’t think of a better place to begin this movement that’s eventually going to change the world than right here in my city.”
Mayor John Giles supports the Move One Mesa concept: “Something like this critically important in our community ... to address our spiritual and emotional health in response to this horrible challenge we’ve all had.”
And, as part of a video presentation, Councilwoman Julie Spilsbury said Move One Mesa goes along with her idea of #mesakindness.
“I’m trying to create a culture of kindness in our community. This works perfectly with Move One Mesa,” she said.
“We do not yet know why these numbers look the way they do. Some of the theories being proposed have to do with the pandemic.”
In Mesa, as previously reported by the Tribune, murders spiked in 2020, rising from 11 in 2019 to 20. That was still well below the 30 Mesa murders in 2005.
The 30-year average number of homicides in Mesa is 18; the average number of murders per year over the last decade is also 18.
New data show the number of rapes fell signi�icantly, from a 30-year high of 285 in 2019 to 184 last year.
The number of sexual assaults last year was the lowest since 172 were reported in
Powell is an author who also hosted an ABC show “Extreme Weight Loss.”
His 13-movement program was displayed at the March 16 school board meeting, with those in attendance joining in the stretches.
Powell told the board he feels his program will help students who are struggling with mentalhealth as well as physical issues.
2012; in the seven years since then, the average was around 250 sexual assaults per year, with the 311 last year a 30-year high.
The number or rapes/sexual assaults reported in 2020 was 70 percent lower than the 2019 total and 24 percent lower than the seven-year average.
Nationally, while domestic violence crimes increased in 2020, “Some of the crimes that seem to be down are ‘stranger crimes.’ People are not out as much, as a result we’re not seeing as many thefts or robberies,” Gould said.
He added there is a simple reason that home burglaries trended down last year: “Criminals aren’t going to go into homes where they think people will be at home.”
He noted he borrows his morning movements from a Japanese program that starts the day with calisthenics.
Powell’s program is also available via app at moveonemillion.org.
“I created the whole thing as a gift to the world. We’re a 100 percent free service,” Powell said.
He said the school program will be different each day, with Tik Tok and Youtube stars who “will keep it fresh and exciting.”
At the board meeting, Powell was pumped up at the podium.
“We’re going to do exactly what they did in Japan but take it to a whole 'nother level,” Powell said. “I can’t think of a better place to start it than right in my home city.”
The motivational/�itness coach Powell’s website is, of course, upwardly optimistic: “My mission is to eradicate obesity-related suffering from humanity so you and generations to come never feel this pain again.
“Here is one thing I know for certain: You have the power to transform.”
Powell will be at Stevenson Elementary School to launch the program Monday morning.
“I know without a shadow of a doubt,” said Powell. “Eighty-two schools, 64,000 kids: We’re going to change a lot of lives for the better.”
For more information visit, move1mesa.com or chrispowell.com.
Mesa resident fitness guru Chris Powell is on a mission to "eradicate obesity-related su ering from humanity." (Special to the Tribune)
Mesa Public Schools students are getting pumped for the Move One Mesa program that begins this week. (Special to the Tribune)
Group wants Mesa discrimination ban on ballot
BY TOM SCANLON Tribune Managing Editor
On March 1, after the second of two marathon meetings with passionate public speakers on both sides of the issue, Mesa City Council voted 5-2 to create a non-discrimination ordinance.
But the ordinance outlawing discriminating based on gender, gender identity, sexual preference and other factors has an effective date of 120 days from its passage. It will never go into effect, if a group calling itself United for Mesa has its way.
Mayor John Giles’ signature on the ordinance was hardly dry when United for Mesa registered as a political action committee and �iled for a referendum, demanding the issue be put to voters.
“This measure would refer to a vote of the Mesa electorate Ordinance No. 5609, which prohibits many businesses, employers, housing providers, labor unions,
educational facilities, and city government entities from making distinctions on the basis of certain enumerated classi�ications, including ‘actual or perceived gender-related identity, in providing services or in employment or membership practices,” reads the text of the referendum petition, �iled March 4.
To stop the NDO council passed from going into effect after a six-month waiting period, United for Mesa needs 9,093 signatures of support by April 1.
The petition was �iled by Thomas Brown Jr., an attorney with Copper Canyon Law, with Youssef Kahlaf of 100 Squared Financial listed as treasurer.
Kay Rogers was among the �irst to show her support on the dotted line.
“My husband and I have both signed,” she said.
She chose not to disclose her reasons for signing.
City spokesman Kevin Christopher said
that if the United for Mesa referendum gets enough signatures, “it would be voted on at the November 2022 general election unless council decides to call a special election, which they could do in November 2021 or March, May, or August of 2022.”
The last successful referendum in the city was in 2005, when a group collected enough signatures to put ordinances dealing with the Riverview development on the ballot. Voters approved the development, with 55 percent voting for the measures.
Tim Taylor has operated Taylor’s Barber Shop in downtown Mesa for more than a decade.
When United for Mesa organizer Barbara R. Parker reached out to him, he was happy to have a copy of the petition for people to sign at his barber shop.
“It’s going really well. Everyone’s signing it,” he said.
Asked if the petition drive fails how the ordinance would impact his business, Tay-
lor said, “It wouldn’t affect me. I’m just a little barbershop.”
Parker and Brown did not respond to queries from the Tribune on the progress of the signature drive.
Councilman Kevin Thompson, who voted against the ordinance (Mark Freeman was the other no vote), said he has been in communication with the United for Mesa organizers, who told him they expect to get the issue on the ballot.
“It sounds like they’re going to have the signatures,” Thompson said. “Like any election, there will probably be someone who protests the signatures.”
Indeed, the group Equality Arizona sent out a mass email warning against “the reactionary campaign to overturn Mesa’s non-discrimination ordinance.”
The group encouraged followers to share a video “in support of the NDO, paid
Mesa teacher jailed for taking gun across border
TRIBUNE NEWS STAFF
Instead of spring break at the beach, Kayria Rosales, a science teacher at Red Mountain High School, has been stuck in a cramped Mexican jail since March 11.
“My sister was arrested in Mexico for accidentally bringing a gun into the country,” said Audra Rosales Ward, on a GoFundMe. com page raising funds for her sister’s legal help.
Ward said Taylor and two friends “were heading to Rocky Point for some spring break fun and to meet up with another group of friends. Unfortunately, during her quick packing for Rocky Point, Kayria grabbed a bag that she forgot had a gun stored in. She didn’t check her bag and just threw her thing together quickly as Rocky Point was a last-minute plan.”
During a search at the border crossing, the gun was discovered and the three East Valley tourists were arrested. Her friends, Brandon Grif�in and Mike Corder, were released after more than a week in jail.
“Thank you to everyone for all the love and support �inally free and on the way home,” Grif�in posted March 19.
The same day, Ward posted an update on the GoFundMe page: “Mike and Bran-
don are back on U.S. soil! Now that they are free, we can focus on getting Kayria home! We are anticipating a large bond, so we increased our goal. Thank you to everyone for your donations, love, and support.”
Last year, Rosales posted about herself on her school’s website: “I am an Arizona native and grew up here in east Mesa. I attended Skyline High School, class of 2010, where I cheered and danced!”
She said she started her teaching career
at Millennium High School in Goodyear, then took a position at Red Mountain High three years ago.
Ward started the GoFundMe site March 12. She has raised more than $16,000, with a goal of $27,000.
Responding to an email from the Tribune, Ward said her sister faces a “potential” two-month sentence.
“Our information is changing daily,” Ward added. “We just got a new lawyer that seems to be better at negotiating or
at least has most connections to negotiate with. We are �inding out that in Mexico law is about who you know. Connections are more valuable than knowledge and degrees.”
Ward posted an update, saying the new lawyer “is in the works of getting her out. He has managed to get her no more jail time and just a �ine. All we are waiting on is approval from a judge. Everyone cross your �ingers and pray! She should be home shortly.”
After she was found to have a gun in her purse at a border crossing, Kayria Rosales, a science teacher at Red Mountain High School, and traveling companions Mike Corder and Brandon Gri n were locked up in a Mexican jail. Gri n and Corder were released after a week but Rosales remained in jail awaiting trial. (GoFundMe)
P&Z approves business park, Eastmark expansion
BY TOM SCANLON Tribune Managing Editor
More homes and businesses are planned for southeast Mesa.
At its March 24 meeting, the Planning and Zoning Board approved slightlyre�ined plans by the Eastmark developer to allow for “a large-scale campus” in Eastmark’s northwest corner at Elliot and Ellsworth roads and new homes in two other sections.
The plans will go back to city council, which earlier received complaints from Eastmark residents about developer Brook�ield’s expansion of homes.
The P&Z board also approved a “high end business park” near Ellsworth and Ray roads — just west of Eastmark.
According to the developer, the Ryan Companies business park “will bring employment to this rapidly developing area.”
Ryan Companies plans six industrial buildings totaling 500,000 square feet on 35 acres.
“According to the applicant, the buildings will be used for general manufacturing and warehouse/storage uses,” a staff report states,
Ryan Companies’ portfolio includes Tempe’s Marina Heights, “the largest of�ice development in Arizona history.”
The P&Z board also approved a special
NDO
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for by United Mesa Fire�ighters. Sharing this video is a great way to showcase Mesa’s inclusivity and to encourage Mesa residents to decline to sign the petition to overturn the NDO.”
Equality Arizona also asked for money:
“Make a contribution to the �ight to save the NDO. In order to get our message out, we need to raise $15,000 to create positive videos and digital content, canvass, make phone calls and more … Non-discrimination means loving your neighbor, simple as that. Let’s do our part to make sure Mesa is welcoming and inclusive to everyone.”
Thompson said he �irmly believes that Mesa is already inclusive.
“I think we’re already an inviting community. I haven’t seen any headlines about any businesses discriminating against anybody,” Thompson said. “We do seem to
use permit to allow buildings as tall as 46 feet; normally, building heights are capped at 40 feet due to the land being close to Phoenix-Mesa Gateway Airport.
“The airport has reviewed this and they expressed no opposition to this,” City Planner Jennifer Gnif�ke told the board.
Gnif�ke also gave a presentation to the board on “the Planning Division’s work plan, including a list of major land use planning strategies and goals for 2021 and into the future.
Revitalization plans include “Identify strategies to revitalize deserted malls, vacant shopping centers and blighted strip malls.”
Providing statistics on building permits, Gnif�ke noted, “despite the pandemic, things didn’t slow down” during 2020. She said preliminary data shows continued growth during the �irst quarter of 2021, with “a lot of activity around the southeast part of Mesa with a lot of industrial development coming.”
A presentation to the board showed the city’s single-family and commercial permits did not slow down during the pandemic. (City of Mesa)
be an open and inclusive community.”
He repeated his complaint about the non-discrimination ordinance: “It seems to be a solution looking for a problem.”
The issue itself has ripped Mesa in half, he said.
“This NDO has become more divisive in our community than anything we’ve ever done before,” Thompson said.
In presentations to city council and discussions on the issue, Councilwoman Jen Duff said an NDO was key to recruiting big companies to come to the city.
Thompson disputed that. He represents the booming southeast portion of Mesa, with Apple and other big companies in the Elliot Road Technology Corridor.
“I’ve had conversations with Apple — Apple’s never brought (an NDO) up to me. I’ve met with several companies, it’s never been a topic of discussion,” Thompson said.
“Most big companies have an NDO in place through their human resources de-
partment … I always say, two places government doesn’t belong are in the bedroom and the boardroom.”
After Thompson made a similar post explaining his views on Facebook, some congratulated him, while others challenged him.
“It seems like the No. 1 thing you object to is the fact that this ordinance will prevent discrimination against LGBTQ+ individuals,” Will Gunty commented.
“I am a constituent of yours in District 6 and I DO NOT support discrimination against anyone, regardless of race, age, gender identity, marital status or anything.
A human is a human. They all deserve the same respect and dignity, whether you agree with their way of life.”
Thompson quickly responded: “Will, I agree that no one should be discriminated against. I said that numerous times in both the study session and in the council meeting. What I oppose is the city acting
as judge, juror, and executioner using the citizens tax dollars … I also don’t think the ordinance is truly protecting the most vulnerable, like (domestic violence) victims or sexually traf�icked survivors. Under this ordinance, a biological male identifying as a female would have access to a women’s shelter. Is that fair to the victims?”
Nina Landrum quickly �ired back to that: “First of all, transgender women ARE women. Saying otherwise is not supportive or sympathetic. And that’s de�initely not doing what you can to educate the public about LGBTQ+ issues.
“What you’re saying is that their gender identity is not real, and because they were born biologically male, they have less rights to a safe shelter than someone who was born biologically female. THAT is the example you are setting for your community. That it is OK to discriminate against the trans community.”
The debate may be just getting started.
Council postpones Riverview development vote
BY TOM SCANLON Tribune Managing Editor
Despite protests by Riverview neighbors, including one who gave a Powerpoint presentation, Mesa City Council appeared poised to approve a developer’s request to expand the Waypoint of�ice development.
But, just as Council was poised to vote on the request, Councilman Mark Freeman suggested delaying the vote until April 5, “to hash this out and provide more mediation and dialogue” between the developer and neighbors who live near the 30-acre of�ice park at Alma School Road and Bass Pro Drive.
The majority agreed with Freeman’s idea.
“I support the continuation,” Mayor John Giles said. “I think the more dialogue the better.”
Councilman Kevin Thompson begged to differ.
“How much more time will be spent by the developer to satisfy residents who may never be satis�ied?” he grumbled.
One Riverview neighbor said she read Thompson’s comment at a previous meeting –“The property owner has the right to build. If that affects the view, I’m sorry” –and said she was “offended” by his words and over-simpli�ication of the issue.
“I was offended when (the neighbor) was offended by my comments,” Thompson countered. He reiterated his position that neighbors are unjustly �ighting for views with developers who “seem like they are trying to accommodate the neighbors.”
At issue is owner Salt River Point’s plan to build a three-story, 55-foot of�ice building and four-level, 44-foot garage.
There are currently four of�ice buildings in the development. The �irst two, both two-stories, went up in 2007. Two more were built in 2014; neighbors complained that the view-disturbing three-story of�ice buildings received “administrative approval” and they were not informed about it.
According to City Attorney Jim Smith, “There’s no agreement between the city
and the developer what the building height will be.”
But Steve Brown, who moved to the appropriately-named Mountain View Drive in 1989 “to enjoy expansive views of the mountains,” said the original agreement with the developer included “promises to preserve views … Then, one day without any noti�ication a three-story of�ice building showed up and took away our view.”
Shawna Boyle seconded that in her 9-minute presentation. The time limit for public speakers is 3 minutes, but two other speakers “donated” their time to Boyle.
She called the proposed Waypoint expansion “an invasion of privacy – anyone (would be able to) enter the garage and see into our homes.
“We are asking for a compromise,” she stressed. “Why would the developers have more say than we do?”
“If this was being built in your backyard, you would �ight for a compromise,” she told council.
Representing the developer, Adam Baugh stated the plan was completely appropriate, with buildings no higher than the existing ones.
Answering a question from Councilwoman Julie Spilsbury, he said it would cost $8 million to build the garage partially underground, as some neighbors suggested.
The debate is likely to continue at the next council meeting, scheduled for 5:45 p.m. April 5.
In an interview with the Tribune, Giles was asked about how to strike a balance in cases like Waypoint and Eastmark, where residents also are vehemently opposed to development plans.
“There is tension inherent in growth,” Giles said. “When you have raw land and undeveloped in�ill pieces, people are happy they get to walk their dogs there and assume it’ll stay undeveloped. There are some reasonable expectations, and some that are not.”
As is the case in many cities, residents often don’t want any more growth – while the city government’s Economic Development Department is actively recruiting companies and residential developers.
But, Giles insisted, “We don’t get paid by just growing. There’s no �inancial incentive for us just to grow for the sake of
growth … What is on our agenda is a city that has good jobs ... for that reason we do put forth an effort to attract high-paying jobs to the community.”
And Giles again hinted at more “worldclass businesses coming here.
“We’re continuing to land some big �ish in Mesa.”
A plan for a three-story o ce building and four-level garage has drawn vehement protests by neighbors near Riverview. (City of Mesa)
Agency on Aging help seniors in pandemic
The Area Agency on Aging came out strong for seniors during the year of the pandemic.
The Area Agency on Aging funded more than 1.2 million meals to homebound seniors since last March and handed out over 2,100 cleaning supply kits, among other services and resources.
The Virginia G. Piper Charitable Trust awarded the agency a $50,000 grant to provide transportation for seniors to COVID vaccine sites and a $100,000 grant is being used to develop elderSHOP – through which Area Agency staff and volunteers grocery shop for older adults who can pay for groceries but can’t go to a store.
“The funding from Virginia G. Piper Charitable Trust enabled us to expand our services to assist older adults who wanted to get COVID vaccines but didn’t have the means and others who were unable or afraid to go to the supermarket. We are deeply grateful for that support,” said Area Agency on Aging President and CEO Mary Lynn Kasunic.
“On a broader scale, our staff and volunteers really went the extra mile to ensure that essential needs in the community were covered,” she said.
During the last 12 months, the Area Agency on Aging’s 24-hour Senior help line responded to 68,939 calls, 24,500 more than during a typical year and delivered an average 7,197 meals a day – dou-
ble the pre-pandemic volume.
It also said 936 older adults were transported to medical appointments through UberHealth and that 5,790 food bags and boxes were delivered by the Agency’s AmeriCorps Members and new volunteers.
In addition, 6,874 meals were delivered to homeless seniors living in hotels through the Central Arizona Shelter Services Project Haven.
It also made 2,466 well-check calls a week to isolated older adults.
To help homebound seniors celebrate holidays, Kasunic said that food bags with special ingredients and recipes were provided for major holidays.
“When the pandemic took hold, we knew that older adults would be particu-
larly affected and our team reacted quickly and strategically to ensure a solid lifeline was established for those who needed our help,” Kasunic said.
Individuals needing assistance are encouraged to call the help line at 602264-4357.
Since 1974, Area Agency on Aging has been planning, developing, coordinating and delivering critical programs and services to older adults and their caregivers, adults age 18+ with physical disabilities and long-term care needs, adults with HIV, residents in long term care facilities and survivors of late-life domestic violence and elder abuse.
Information: aaaphx.org.
Masks still required in Mesa schools, city buildings
BY HOWARD FISCHER Capitol Media Services
Declaring the COVID-19 pandemic under control and the need for restrictions over in Arizona, Gov. Doug Ducey last week abolished all the limits that still remain on businesses and public gatherings.
And he is eliminating the ability of local communities to maintain their own mask mandates.
But the order does not apply to schools and Mesa Public Schools issued a reminder saying its mask mandate remains in effect for students, staff and any visitors. Ditto for anyone visiting City Hall or any other city facility. And businesses are free to impose their own mask requirements on customers.
“While I remain an advocate for precautions to mitigate the spread of COVID19, including mask wearing, this can no longer be a legal requirement in the City of Mesa, based on Governor Ducey’s announcement,” Mayor John Giles said.
“The Governor’s Executive Order nulli�ies Mesa’s mask mandate. Mask wearing will continue to be required in City of Mesa buildings.
“All Mesa residents should remain actively vigilant because the pandemic is not over. Please continue to exercise the
effective habits we’ve learned during the pandemic, including social distancing, good hygiene and mask wearing when distancing is not possible. ..I encourage everyone to get their shot as soon as they are able. These intentional actions are how we will all be able to move past the pandemic.”
Giles also said a high-volume vaccination site will be opening next month in southeast Mesa, but gave no details.
Tucson Mayor Regina Romero said her community will not comply, essentially telling Ducey that he’ll have to go to court to void the Tucson ordinance.
The governor dissolved all the limits he had previously imposed on how businesses need to operate. That eliminates any remaining requirements to limit the number of customers to ensure social distancing and to require that staff and patrons wear masks.
Instead, everything that used to be a mandate is now simply a “recommendation.’’
That also means that all the music venues and bars that have been shuttered are free to open their doors again. And here, too, while there is a suggestion to maintain social distancing and masks, that is no longer a requirement.
Ducey acknowledged that there have been nearly 940,000 cases of COVID-19
in the state, including 16,874 deaths. But he also cited the fact that the number of new cases has been declining for 10 weeks and hospitalizations are at their lowest level since the end of September.
At the same time, he said, more than 1.9 million Arizonans have gotten at least one dose of the vaccine, with almost 1.2 million who are now fully inoculated.
And he said the Centers for Disease Control ranks Arizona as among the best states in getting the vaccine to those who are most vulnerable.
That pleased state schools chief Kathy Hoffman said, “Masking is one of the top mitigation strategies for safe in-person learning as recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.’’
she said in a statement. But Hoffman was clearly less impressed than Ducey with the number of Arizonans who already have been inoculated.
“With only one in four Arizonans vaccinated, I encourage everyone to continue wearing a mask when in public spaces,’’ she said in a statement.
Phoenix Mayor Kate Gallego said Ducey ignores the fact that the surge in June was curbed only when the governor relaxed his own opposition to masks and agreed to let communities impose their own mandates, many of which did.
“To abandon precautions now is like
spiking the ball on the 5-yard line,’’ she said in a prepared statement, pointing out the new variants of the virus.
“The risk of another surge is real,’’ Gallego continued. “The governor clearly cares a lot less about the people of Arizona than his political future.’’
In Tucson, the governor’s move could lead to more than talk.
“Our city attorney has advised me that we have clear local authority to continue implementing our city mask mandate,’’ Romero said. “I have no intention of removing our local mask-wearing requirement.’’
Ducey’s decision to lift restrictions comes as state lawmakers, many frustrated with the limits the governor imposed on individual activity are moving to exercise their right to terminate the emergency entirely or, at the very least, amend the Arizona Constitution to limit how long future governors can impose emergency declarations without legislative approval. Those restrictions at one time even included a stay-at-home order and the closure of all businesses he said were not essential.
Yet while Ducey is lifting all the restrictions, he is not ending the emergency he declared slightly more than a year ago. That gives him the right to reimpose any of the restrictions any time he wants.
Young EV thespians prepare in-person performances again
BY STACI HAUK Tribune Contributor
Known for presenting professional quality theater and offering educational experiences in the East Valley, Limelight Youth Theater boasts an array of springtime performances as young thespians venture into live performances instead of online.
Productions at Limelight are largely made possible because of its non-pro�it status and Artistic Director Emma England is grateful that sponsors and donors help her each year maintain a high bar for the quality of programs the theater is able to offer.
Coupled with sister company Studio 3 Performing Arts, young people interested in theater as a hobby or a future career can obtain top-notch training in dance, acting and voice.
The Actor’s Conservatory experience
at Studio 3 utilizes an authentic script, as well as hand crafted costumes, puppetry and scenery to bring a story to life.
The pull for budding thespians is the
“no-cut experience,” meaning every child gets a role they can audition for, take pride in and learn from.
This spring’s performance will be “Lion King Jr.,” held the �irst weekend in May at Superstition Springs
Amphitheatre. Sticking with an outdoor venue for safety purposes, the production offers a fun family outing.
“I love the Actor’s Conservatory Pro-
gram at Studio 3 because it’s a really great way for both new and veteran performers to do what they love to do – perform in a show,” said seasoned thespian and director Brianna Fallon.
“Working to get into shows can feel burdensome at times for many people, and I think it’s really refreshing to have a program like this where everyone gets in and everyone gets to participate in a signi�icant way.”
Fallon has two kinds of thespians to serve and “Lion King Jr.” �its the bill.
“We make sure to challenge students who have been performing for a while, and also do plenty of directing/educating for kids who are just starting out,” she explained. “This particular production was really special because we got to include two students in our leadership team –Sawyer Hauk is our stage manager and
Chandler woman helps grandparents raising grandkids
BY SRIANTHI PERERA Tribune Contributor
Raising children when parents are young brings its share of trials and tribulations, but how much more dif�icult is it when they have to do it the second time around?
If grandparents raising grandchildren feel isolated and helpless, there is help at hand in the community.
That’s the message new Duet employee Lisa McCormick of Chandler wants to spread.
At the Phoenix-based nonpro�it Duet: Partners in Health & Aging, McCormick works as a kinship care services coordinator to help grandparents raising grandchildren.
“Grandparents have reported feeling ‘alone’ due to not having family and support or understanding from their social circles,” said McCormick, who began her job this month. “They struggle to �ind re-
sources and support with navigating the complicated state and legal systems which become involved in these situations.”
According to grandfamilies.org, more
than 60,000 grandparents in Arizona are responsible for their grandchildren. The reasons run the gamut from parents being incarcerated, becoming addicted to drugs and alcohol, child abuse, neglect or parental death.
In 2020, Duet provided services to 359 grandparents and their 539 grandchildren in Maricopa County.
Duet’s grandparents raising grandchildren program offers support for grandparents raising grandchildren through free-of-charge support groups, legal guidance and assistance, funds for extracurricular activities, information and guided assistance and educational workshops.
All services meet COVID-19 safety guidelines, according to the nonpro�it.
McCormick �ields inquiries for resources, legal assistance and guidance on navigating the multiple systems grandparents must learn to take on. She plans to organize four support groups monthly to give the kinship families a safe place to feel heard and �ind
resources amongst each other.
She is making connections with community agencies and partners providing resources and participating in advocacy groups to support legislation and policies around kinship care and the families.
McCormick will also be hosting workshops to build protective factors in the families to increase their knowledge on parenting, child development, self-care, advocacy and related other topics.
McCormick pulls experience from working with families for �ive years at Southwest Human Development in the East Valley.
“This is the �irst time I am working with the aging population and kinship families speci�ically,” she said.
An Arizona native who was born in Mesa, raised in Tempe and moved to Chandler 15 years ago, she also comes informed �irsthand about the dif�iculties of raising grandchildren from her extended family.
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LISA MCCORMICK
Vance Cook and Rachel Nathan will play Bonnie and Clyde in an upcoming Limelight Youth Theater production in Mesa. (Staci Hauk/Special to the Tribune)
Shayla Forero is our dance captain.
“After having participated in several productions themselves, showing passion and hard work, they each get the opportunity to start to learn the skills it takes to put together a production from the ground up. I’m passionate about mentorship and love getting to have them on board to assist and start to utilize their own experiences to help others,” she added.
Fallon has taken this opportunity to delve into technique work with the kids and help them understand African cultures the show pulls from – especially learning the correct way to pronounce the words.
“These songs are using real languages and it’s been so fun learning what each of the phrases mean! I always tear up a little when I see young people perform because I’m so impressed with what they were able to accomplish in such a short time. ‘Lion King’ is a touching story that addresses themes like grief, the power of friendship, hope, and learning from our ancestors so I am thrilled to bring you this exciting show.”
Mainstage performances are presented by Limelight Youth Theater, which is no stranger to the awards circuit in Arizona and on a national level.
Last season, the theater took home 12 AriZoni Awards as well as countless National Youth Arts awards, attracting a variety of talented youth from Scottsdale to Queen Creek.
The “25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee” will be presented at East Valley High School April 1-10.
The musical is directed by Van Rockwell, known in Gilbert and beyond for winning an AriZoni for “Miss Nelson is Missing” last season at Limelight and for his exten-
GRANDPARENTS ���� ���� 18
“I am recalling the experiences of my mother-in-law and other extended family members whom have been raising grandchildren over the past 20 years,” she said. “I am surprised and saddened to know they did not know this agency existed and the resources which would have been available to them during their experiences.”
McCormick said she became a social worker because of the gap she noticed in connecting people to resources in the community.
“I work hard to build relationships with
sive experience directing other Valley performances.
“Spelling Bee” is a musical about a �ictional bee where an eclectic group of sixth-graders arrives, each eager to win for very different reasons, and Rockwell said casting was a challenge “because of how much talent was present in auditions and callbacks.”
He paid careful attention to chemistry during auditions, explaining, “it was crucial for me to �ind the right cast because each actor would be playing a version of him or herself.
“Thus, it was important for each actor to show a bit of realism and individual personality to match the bold whimsicalness of the musical. It was all about the spark of
other agencies and organizations to better support the families I serve,” she said.
Her own grandparents played the traditional role of grandparenting; they were present and supportive of her parents.
“However, they did not play an active role in raising my sister and I,” she said.
“My grandma Pat played a role in aiding my passion for helping others; she was a registered nurse at skilled nursing facilities here in the Valley and I would go with her on ‘take your daughter to work’ days when I was in grade school.
“My other set of grandparents were entrepreneurs in the community, they
a character, and it proved to be a dif�icult choice to make in the end,” he said.
The cast members are excited about being in the musical.
“I have wanted to be in this show for several years. I love the unique take on each character and playing Schwartzy is something I am grateful for, along with working with this amazing cast,” said Kennady McDonald, 16, of Scottsdale.
Shayla Forero, 12, of Queen Creek, explained, “I play Vice Principal Panch and that is a very sarcastic role which I think I play really well. It was a great �it for me,” said Added Sawyer Hauk, 13, of Gilbert: “I have always played very comical roles, so for me, playing Marcy is a way to show my more serious side, while getting to dance
had multiple businesses in East Mesa including a gift shop and auction house. My sister and I would spend our weekends helping in the shop or at the auction,” she recalled.
and have an amazing song.”
Rockwell hopes the audiences’ “inner teenagers” will laugh – and be impressed by just how good each performer is.
To intrigue a more serious audience and tap into a darker and more dramatic show, Limelight is also presenting “Bonnie & Clyde” outdoors at a venue still to be determined April 23-May 2, also Rockwell’s direction.
Rockwell said casting for this show was more dif�icult “because it’s a more mature show which involves violence and suggestive intimacy between some characters.”
He sought actors who “showed intensity that they could bring a more dramatic performance.”
He noted that the play “is darker and mellowed, while remaining fast-paced, so it was important to utilize people who could keep up with the constant scenic, costume, and choreography changes.”
Rockwell is enthusiastic for this show because it combines his love for the era (Depression, Prohibition) with the rise of the outlaw culture and it is seen on stage in Arizona.
“My method of directing has always been on creating an ensemble; using the space to really bring out the most of each actor, and having a play be regarded for its text,” he said. “My job is to make the actors look good.”
For information on these upcoming shows and to order tickets, visit: ll-pa. org/ or check for updates via Studio 3 or Limelight’s Facebook pages.
McCormick has been married to Kurt, her high school sweetheart, for 22 years. They have three daughters, Alexa, 22, Sarah, 17, and Emily, 15. The younger two attend Corona Del Sol High School in Tempe. She herself earned her bachelor’s degree in social work from The College of St. Scholastica in Duluth, Minnesota in 2017. Her studies further nurtured her interest in social service and interacting with people.
“I love facilitating groups and trainings so I am looking forward to running support groups and workshops throughout the month for our grandfamilies,” she said.
“I am passionate about advocacy and macro-level change to enrich the communities I support. I am excited about the opportunities I will get to engage in on this level through coalitions and organizations whom partner with Duet on this mission,” she added.
To �ind out more about Duet, visit duetaz.org or call 602-274-5022.
Above left, Edward Oster rehearses with a puppet for Limelight Theater's "Lion King Jr." production while the other photo shows Lauren Lewis, left, and Ava Chiapetta rehearsing a scene as Rici Corbett looks on. (Staci Hauk/Special to the Tribune)
For over 100 years, Mesa Public Schools has been the No. 1 choice for Mesa’s families
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A fluttering heart is a romantic idea. But not a healthy one.
1 in 4 adult Americans over the age of 40 could develop an irregular heartbeat.
Those odd sensations, a fluttering feeling in your chest, erratic heartbeats? The fact is, irregular or abnormal heartbeats, known as arrhythmia, aren’t normal at all, and they definitely aren’t to be ignored. It could be atrial fibrillation or other heart rhythm disorders—conditions that may cause the electrical impulses of the heart to happen too fast, too slowly, or erratically, when left undiagnosed and untreated.
The first step in protecting yourself is a heart health checkup with one of our heart rhythm experts at the Dignity Health Heart Arrhythmia Center – Chandler Regional Medical Center. Now’s the time to schedule a consultation with our experts at LearnAboutArrhythmia.org or call 480-728-5500
Famed EV driving school takes new name
BY PAUL MARYNIAK Tribune Executive Editor
The Bondurant School of High Performance Driving is no more.
The storied school on the Gila River Indian Community – just a stone’s throw from Chandler – has been renamed Radford Racing School by owner Stig Investments.
The renaming, announced last week, not only brings a new storied name in automobiles to the site but also resolves a three-year legal �ight that school founder Bob Bondurant and his wife Patricia waged in a desperate bid to hang on to the debt-ridden school.
First, the Bondurants tried to keep the school from being sold at an auction in federal bankruptcy court to pay off some of its $3.5 million in debts. That effort failed when Stig Investments bought it in May 2019 for $1.7 million.
Then Patricia Bondurant sued Stig in state Superior Court to stop it from using her husband’s name. That suit was resolved in a settlement three months ago, though the terms are sealed.
In renaming the school, Stig has teamed up with another legendary name in the world of automobiles.
Radford is a global luxury automotive coachbuilder “with a British heart and soul, creating on-trend vehicles based on classic timeless designs,” according to its website.
It has a storied past that has been invoked by the new owners of the Radford brand – English television celebrity Ant Anstead, F1 champion Jenson Button, car designer Mark Stubbs and business partner Roger Behle.
Founded more than 75 years ago by Harold Radford, the company made the bodies for luxury cars like Rolls Royce and Bentley. According to autoweek.com, Radford & Co. was particularly famous in the 1960s, when it produced custom Minis for all four Beatles as well as model Twiggy and comic actor Peter Sellers.
“The renaming marks the school’s new
The four are reviving the Radford name “into a modern lifestyle brand that celebrates auto design and performance, high-performing driving and racing,” it continued.
The Radford partners also will be building and testing new vehicles at the school, located just south of the I-10’s intersection with the Loop 202 freeway.
“The racetrack is the perfect environment for building and testing Radford-built cars,” said Anstead.
brand, a name legendary among auto
enthusiasts for its coachbuilding legacy,” Stig said in a release.
The Radford Racing School bills itself as “the only purposebuilt driver training facility for performance enthusiasts and the largest driver training center of its kind in the world.”
The release said the Radford “heritage brand” means the school is becoming a “destination for international auto enthusiasts, everyday drivers, new drivers, racers, celebrities and in�luencers.”
The Radford Racing School also is the of�icial high performance driving school of Dodge//SRT, the school’s primary sponsors that provides a �leet of high-performance cars for driving instruction.
The drag racing course features the 840-horsepower Dodge Challenger SRT Demon, while other high-performance vehicles, including the Challenger SRT Hellcat, Charger SRT Hellcat and Durango SRT are just some of the options available for the on-track performance driving experience.
New Dodge//SRT owners also “are among the thousands of students who
association with the team behind the Radford
Owner Stig Investments says it has spent millions upgrading what is now called yjr Radford Racing School on Gila River Indian Community land just south of the I-10/Loop 202 Interchange. (Special to the Tribune)
These are three of the four Radford Racing School partners who are in the midst of reviving a legendary British car name, partly by running a racing school in the East Valley. (Special to the Tribune)
Crowd-funding investment �irm eyes Mesa project
Acrowd-funding real estate investment company is offering people a chance to get in on the purchase of a 20-unit apartment building at 407 Williams Road in Mesa.
Neighborhood Ventures boasts of being the nation’s largest communitybased real estate investment company that offers non-accredited investors a chance to invest as little as $1,000 in commercial real estate projects.
The Venture on Williams project was opened to current Neighborhood Ventures investors and 88 put in a total
come to the school annually to learn how to achieve optimum performance of highperformance vehicles in a controlled environment,” the release said.
The school also features Ligier JS F4 open wheel vehicles, vintage Dodge Vipers, go karts, and cars used in its special forces, police and military training.
General Manager Mike Kessler said among the school’s offerings are openwheel and drag-racing courses. New formula racing courses are in development.
He said the name change will “broaden the appeal of the school while retaining its legendary reputation” and positions the facility “as a place for speed, professional race car instruction and experiences, in addition to world-class driving instruction.”
He also said Stig’s multi-million-dollar investment has included the main track’s �irst resurfacing in 30 years, signi�icant upgrades of the visitor center and related facilities, the diversi�ication of course offerings and becoming the �irst school of its kind to offer professional drag racing instruction to the public and the chance to earn an NHRA Drag License.
Radford’s extension into the racing world positions the school “as a place for
$750,000 into the venture. Now, Venture on Williams is opening the project up to the public to raise a total $1.1 million.
“The target hold period for this property is three years, during which time renovations will be completed, rents stabilized and cash �low generated,” Community investors said in a release, stating investors will receive a 12 percent preferred annual return when the property is sold.
Neighborhood Ventures CEO Jamison Manwaring said, “Each time we announce a new investment opportunity, the project funds more quickly, and Venture on Williams is no exception.”
The Neighborhood Ventures team has been chronicling the process of identifying, buying, renovating, and selling their properties in a YouTube series.
The Venture on Williams property is at youtube.com/watch?v=mx5x7faOPWQ.
“We are de�initely in buying mode,” said Neighborhood Ventures President of Real Estate, John Kobierowski. “The real estate market is strong and there is a lot of interest in Arizona multifamily investments. I am fortunate to have the experience and connections in this industry to �ind and secure the best deals for our investors.”
Lead Neighborhood Ventures designer
speed, professional race car instruction and experiences, in addition to worldclass driving instruction,” he noted.
The school came close to being evicted by the Gila River Indian Community’s economic development arm in 2018 when the Bondurants failed to pay its rent in 2018.
That rent was part of $3.5 million debt that drove the school into bankruptcy.
Stig has spent the last year and a half
�ighting a suit �iled by Patricia Bondurant over the school’s use of her husband’s name.
The suit was prolonged by Stig’s efforts to depose Bob Bondurant over a claim by his wife that he had revoked the use of his name before the bankruptcy auction.
Stig contended that Bondurant had lost that right because he had trademarked his name and the trademarks were part of the auction.
Rocky Petersen, said extensive renovations are planned, adding, “This neighborhood will support higher rents, so we’ll be taking this ideally situated architectural gem and refreshing it with both interior and exterior upgrades.”
Founded in September 2017 by multifamily brokerage veteran John Kobierowski and former Goldman Sachs tech analyst Jamison Manwaring, Neighborhood Ventures offers local investments in multifamily real estate to both accredited and non-accredited investors.
Information: neighborhood.ventures
Further complicating the suit was the inability of Stig’s lawyers to depose the 87-year-old racing legend because he has been in a care home since at least early 2019, “unable to care for himself or be cared for by his wife,” court papers said.
Lawyers could not even visit with him since early last year because the pandemic had forced the care home to prohibit visitors.
Inducted into the Corvette Hall of Fame in 2016, Bondurant’s racing accomplishments in Corvettes and Selby’s between 1959 to 1965 earned him numerous accolades both in the U.S. and abroad.
He founded the school in California in 1968 but relocated in 1990 to the Gila River Indian Community site.
Over the years the school has taught beginners how to drive and trained thousands of race car enthusiasts, professional drivers and law-enforcement and military personnel advanced-driving skills. Court papers alleged that his wife assumed day-to-day control of the school several years before the bankruptcy and Stig alleged it was “�inancially mismanaged for the past several years, which coincides with Patricia Bondurant’s time running the school.”
Information: RadfordRacingSchool. com or 480-403-7600.
TRIBUNE NEWS STAFF
Racing legend Bob Bondurant and his wife Patricia, seen here in a 2016 photo, lost their school of nearly 50 years in a bankruptcy auction in May 2019. (Tribune file photo)
Our Legislature’s unconscionable attack on voters
BY MARK KIMBLE AND DAMIEN MEYER Tribune Guest Writers
John McCain would be ashamed of some things going on at the Arizona Legislature – actions being taken in the name of addressing alleged election fraud.
The traditional, good faith practices of �inding better candidates and developing better policies and ideas to appeal to more voters are being cast aside for a dispiriting, anti-democratic effort to pass laws that hinder – rather than promote – voter participation.
The Arizona Citizens’ Clean Elections Commission is a nonpartisan organization created by voters more than two decades ago when they passed the Citizens Clean Elections Act in 1998.
In passing the act, the voters identi�ied two critical concepts. First, the intent of the act was to “encourage citizen participation in the political process.” A second intent is “to improve the integrity of Arizona state government and promote public con�idence in the Arizona political process.”
The commission is non-partisan and works to implement the intent of the act.
As commissioners, when we observe
Conversion ‘therapy’ imposes predetermined outcome
The “therapists” told me that if I came out as gay, my wife of 12 years would leave me, I wouldn’t see my �ive children anymore and that my entire family would disown me. They said I would become a drug addicted alcoholic and die alone of AIDS.
I was terri�ied and would have killed myself rather than risk such a fate.
I know now that they were using scare tactics to alter my reality and I paid them to hear it. It was part of something called “conversion” or “reparative” therapy.
It is rooted in the belief that a therapist, through myriad debunked practices, can change a person’s sexual orientation or gender identity. Conversion therapy imposes a predetermined outcome: they contend the patient is broken, someone is to blame, and with their therapies, patients can be “cured.”
a concerted and focused effort to make it more dif�icult for Arizonans to vote and participate in the political process, that is something we are obligated to oppose.
We see that happening now.
Many members of our Legislature want to keep perceived unfriendly voters out of the election process.
There are numerous bills this session that make it more dif�icult for Arizonans to vote and they lack the integrity of fair and robust elections.
We oppose these bills.
These bills address early voting procedures and voter registration, the favored voting procedure in Arizona, as about 80 percent of Arizona voters prefer to vote by mail.
However, those who cast early ballots are a major source of concern for some of our legislators.
Most of those early voters receive an early ballot automatically because they signed up for the Permanent Early Voter List (PEVL). But new proposed legislation is aimed at removing names from the PEVL and making it more dif�icult to vote early. These bills include:
HB 2560: Would remove Arizonans
from the PEVL if they didn’t use their early ballot in one general election.
SB 1485: Would remove Arizonans from the PEVL if they don’t vote an early ballot in two consecutive primary and general elections. This bill targets Independents who frequently skip voting in a primary because they incorrectly assume the primary is open only to voters registered with a political party.
SB 1003: Would require that voters who forget to sign their early ballot would have only until 7 p.m. on Election Day to �ix the error.
SB 1593: Early ballots would go out �ive days later than now. And they would have to be returned earlier – postmarked the Thursday before the election. This gives people less time to cast an early ballot.
SB 1713: Instead of just signing their early ballot to prove their identity, voters would have to provide an af�idavit with their date of birth and driver’s license number.
Legislators also want to make it more dif�icult to register to vote:
SB 1358: Would prohibit county recorders from registering voters anyplace that is not government property.
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
Conversion therapy is condemned by the American Medical Association, American Academy of Pediatrics, the American Psychological Association and every other respected professional association.
It is banned in 20 states but remains legal here in Arizona. We have an opportunity to ban it this year. If lawmakers care about the health and safety of minors and families, they must vote to do so.
The state regulates all state licensed professionals to protect the public from fraudulent and abusive practices.
The proposed conversion therapy ban was crafted in collaboration with mental health professionals and religious leaders to protect children from licensed therapists who practice it.
I entered conversion therapy on the advice of my faith leaders, with the support of my wife. For over three years, I met with a conversion therapist in Mesa twice a week, going to
group sessions as well as monthly activities where our group “practiced our masculinity.”
Through every session I was told the same thing: that I was a broken, damaged, sex addict. I was desperate to be “�ixed” and grew more depressed as the promised “�ix” didn’t come. The longer others in the program stayed, the more depressed they became, the more help they needed, and the more “services” they required. We were caught in a vicious cycle that didn’t help patients but perpetuated our pain.
It was also harming our families, breaking the ties with those we love, when we needed them most.
I broke free when I �inally saw this process for what it really was. When I did, my world did not end. I did not lose my children; I did not contract AIDS nor die alone.
When I came to terms and admitted who I really was, my depression and unhealthy behaviors began to fall away. I also have full custody of my children.
There are many more bills that seek to make it more dif�icult to register and vote for no legitimate reason. There is simply no basis for a democratic form of government to actively attempt to limit a citizen’s right to vote. This is unconscionable.
We want to make one thing crystal clear: our opposition is not political. We are charged with standing up for the rights of Arizona voters. That is our only concern. We want voting in Arizona to continue to be safe, secure and convenient – free of contrived barriers designed to make voting more dif�icult. Elections must be won or lost based on candidates and their ideas – not on who successfully navigates a maze of unfair and unnecessary rules.
Please take the time to give these bills some thought, develop your own opinions and contact your legislator with your position. In other words, we encourage you to participate in the political process and to help improve the integrity of our elections. Mark Kimble of Tucson is a retired journalist and registered Independent. Damien Meyer of Phoenix is an attorney and registered Democrat. Both are appointed members of the Arizona Citizens Clean Elections Commission.
A close friend of mine in the program was not so fortunate. He killed himself after years of what he called “white knuckling it” through conversation therapy.
That this practice is allowed for children is a shameful scar on Arizona. As the father of �ive children I cannot sit on the sidelines knowing this torturous “therapy” is being practiced on minors. If sharing my pain can save even one child or one family from this same fate, I have to tell my story.
The Legislature has an obligation to protect children and families from harm done by licensed professionals. This is not a Republican or Democrat issue, nor is it even an LGBTQ one. It’s a simple matter of regulating professionals from being able to commit fraud and abuse. Lawmakers must ban conversion therapy to prevent more abuse, harm and suicide, particularly for Arizona’s kids.
-Roger Webb
Red Mountain bats coming alive early in season
BY ZACH ALVIRA Tribune Sports Editor
Red Mountain’s baseball program shined during the shortened preseason, opening the eyes of recruiters and competition for its talented lineup.
Eight Division I players make up the Mountain Lions’ roster this season, with more eager to prove they can play at the highest level. And while only a handful of games into the season, Red Mountain has already put much of its �irepower at the plate on display.
“One through nine we have a good lineup and on any given day we can put it all together and score some runs,” Red Mountain baseball coach Rob Gorrell said. “But we know we are going to see a lot of aces. The runs might make it seem a little misleading but as we go through the year, I think we will be able to get some runs against some of those top guys.”
The Mountain Lions scored 53 runs through the �irst four games of the year, an astronomical number in baseball that equated to an average of over 13 runs per game. On two occasions Red Mountain scored 16 runs and has had three of its six games last all seven innings.
Red Mountain took its hot streak into a March 22 matchup with Hamilton, the favorite to win the 6A crown and contender for national champion after �inishing at the top of the MaxPreps’ leaderboard last season despite the cancellation. Hamilton’s Brock Selvidge, an LSU commit, was on the mound for the Huskies and limited the Mountain Lions to just one hit through six innings.
After Selvidge was forced out due to pitch count, Red Mountain mustered two hits in the bottom of the seventh to knock off Hamilton 2-1. The lack of offensive display against one of the state’s best wasn’t a sign of weakness for the Mountain Lions. Rather, it was a sign they knew how to �ight through adversity to win close games.
At the end of the day, that’s all that matters to the seniors on this year’s team.
“I don’t want to jinx anything, but I feel
like we can make it pretty far,” Red Mountain senior pitcher RJ Elmore said. “If we just continue to �ind ways to win, I think we can be really good.”
Elmore, a Grand Canyon commit, has been key on the mound for Red Mountain to start the year. As the team’s ace, he helped limit Hamilton’s high-powered offense to six hits and no earned runs. Overall, he hasn’t allowed an earned run this season in 16 innings as of Thursday, March 25, and has 15 total strikeouts.
He credits much of his success to senior catcher Ryan Campos, who has been behind the play for them since their youth baseball days. The two have developed a chemistry with one another that goes beyond friendship. They’re two of the leaders on defense
for the Mountain Lions, and their chemistry has begun to spread to the rest of the team.
“We try to include everyone on the team,” Elmore said. “We want everyone to feel welcome and it’s showed so far. Everyone has a good energy throughout the game and giving each other high �ives. That can go a long way.”
Along with his role on behind the plate, Campos has made an impact in front of it, too.
The University of Arizona commit has been one of Red Mountain’s big bats this season, recording 4 RBIs and a home run through six games so far this season. Part of his drive for success this season stems from last year’s cancellation. He watched as his senior teammates were brought to tears when the
season was cut short due to the pandemic. He went on to play summer and fall club ball but admits there is nothing quite like representing his school.
“There’s just something about high school, it’s just different,” Campos said. “It gets your blood going in a different way. I missed it.”
He feared the season would once again be canceled when the Arizona Interscholastic Association initially canceled the winter season. But once the decision was reversed just days later, he realized he had to make the most of his senior year.
After all, he still knows it can be taken away due to circumstances related to the pandemic.
“We were really worried we wouldn’t have a senior season,” Campos said. “But now that we are out here, we have to do our best and make the most of it. It’s awesome to be able to be out here.”
Red Mountain suffered its �irst loss of the season to Skyline Tuesday, March 23 — one day after beating Hamilton in dramatic fashion. But players and coaches on the team are far from entering a state of panic. While shortened, the season remains long with some room for error, albeit less than in years past. But the Mountain Lions remain con�ident in their ability to not only play as a team but for each individual to do what they are asked to on a nightly basis. As long as they do that, they believe they can compete deep into May for a championship.
“This is really a good group,” Gorrell said. “Since I’ve been here for three years, I’ve had a lot of good kids come through. We are going to have big games against big names. We have to show respect to all of our opponents because we will see most of them down the line.”
Have an interesting sports story?
Contact Zach Alvira at zalvira@ timespublications.com and follow him on Twitter @ZachAlvira.
Red Mountain head baseball coach Rob Gorrell is impressed so far this season by his team’s ability to stack up runs on o ense and limit opponents on defense. (Pablo Robles/Tribune Sta )
Red Mountain senior pitcher RJ Elmore “right” and senior catcher Ryan Campos have been playing with one another since youth ball and have since spread their chemistry to the rest of the team. (Pablo Robles/Tribune Sta )
John Cleese, daughter swap comedic chops here
BY CHRISTINA FUOCO-KARASINSKI GetOut Editor
John Cleese and Camilla Cleese have a father-daughter relationship most would envy. They perform together, as they will tomorrow, March 29, at Rick Bronson’s House of Comedy at High Street in Phoenix.
They also bounce comedy ideas off each other and swap gag gifts. John is on the phone when Camilla walks into the room and hands him a gift.
“They’re socks!” John said excitedly before breaking into laughter. “They say, ‘It all hurts and I’m dying.’”
John and Camilla will share stories and allow the audience to ask questions.
John is a comedic living legend. His �irst big success was as a writer and performer for “The Frost Report.” John is best known for co-founding the Monty Python Comedy Troupe, writing and performing in the TV series and in �ilms that include “Monty Python and the Holy Grail” and “Life of Brian.”
In the 1970s, John and his �irst wife, Connie Booth, co-wrote and starred in the English sitcom “Fawlty Towers.” Later, he wrote and co-starred in “A Fish Called Wanda” and “Fierce Creatures.”
John and Camilla began performing together in 2006, during a gig in New Zealand when he challenged her to a comedic solo.
“It was a really good solo, based on the misfortune of being the child of a comic,” John said with a frequent laugh. “It was an 8- to 10-minute solo and it was as if she’s been doing it all her life.”
Camilla interjects, “Didn’t I have the nerve to give you notes after the show?”
The father and daughter break into laughter.
They are quick to turn the discussion to the cancel culture. They both think it’s ridiculous.
“I don’t have a big enough career,” she said for her take. “I’m a little protected at this point. I could cancel myself before I
even had a career.”
John earned a license to be naughty during the Monty Python days and he hasn’t stopped yet, he said.
“The audience knows what they’re going to get,” he said. “We never get any complaints.”
The tides would turn if Monty Python was on television these days. He said executives would try to “cancel” them.
“They all live with the sinking feeling that somebody’s having a good time,” he said. “It’s all very, very silly and I think it will calm down.”
He cited a recent example when he used the word “jolly” and was told it’s of-
fensive.
“I speak English pretty �luently,” he said with a laugh.
“I’ve been at it for 73 years, since I was younger. I described someone as ‘jolly’ and was told this was a very bad word, that it meant fat. I thought ‘fat’ meant ‘fat’ because that’s how the word is used. I guess ‘jolly’ is a code word for ‘fat.’ Jolly people are great to be around. Now it’s become a rude word.”
Camilla said she’s still trying to �igure out what words are OK to use.
“It’s so ludicrous that words are offensive,” she added. “You can’t say anything. I was supposed to do a gig at a liberal arts college — which should have been my �irst red �lag — right before the pandemic. I was looking at their trigger words. I found it quite surprising that guns and bullets were, but ‘trigger’ was not a trigger word. It’s surprising because of its correlation to guns.”
Continuing on the “cancel culture” and what’s proper and improper, John said there’s a �ine line between being funny
and insulting.
“There’s affectionate teasing and nasty teasing,” John said. “Nasty teasing is inexcusable, and they shouldn’t do it. The evangelicals in America, they want to take the Bible literally. I don’t think they know what parables are. They’re stories. They’re not stories of historical events. Stories are not supposed to be taken literally. The literal minded cause all kinds of problems.”
John is in town �ilming a movie with Rob Schneider, with whom he appeared recently at Stand Up Live in Downtown Phoenix. He said he came out here because his daughter “gets me more work than my agents.”
He and Schneider will team up again in Australia for a �ilm written by John, Schneider, Jamie Lissow and Monty Franklin, who’s going to play the lead. It takes place in Australia in 1932, when there was a movement to get rid of the emus because they were eating crops.
“I get to play someone very sleazy,” he said with a laugh. “I love playing sleazy. I usually get the uptight roles.”
At Rick Bronson’s House of Comedy, John and Camilla are guaranteeing a good time.
“It’s effortless performing together,” Camilla said. “We have material that’s not material, really, because we’ve played off each other for my entire life. We’ve written so much together. I know where he’s going with things. It takes the pressure off to have someone who’s going to have my back.”
If You Go...
What: John Cleese and Camilla Cleese
Where: Rick Bronson’s House of Comedy, 5350 E. High St., Ste 105, Phoenix.
When: 7 p.m. Monday, March 29.
Cost: $65 to $160.40.
Info: 480-420-3553, houseofcomedy.net.
John Cleese said he has the nicest fans and doesn’t mind answering Monty Python questions. (Photo courtesy of Rick Bronson’s House of Comedy)
Global Village Fest has virtual, live offerings
BY CASEY FLANAGAN GetOut Staff Writer
Gilbert Global Village Festival event planners have decided the show must go on, and are making the most of COVID-19 limitations with a week of multicultural activities.
This year’s festival will be a mix of virtual and in-person activities between tomorrow, March 29 and April 3.
The festival will culminate with a live multicultural performance held at Gilbert Regional Park Friday, April 2. The event will include performances from Instituto de Folklor Mexicano, Astarte Belly Dance, and Native Spirit Dancers.
There will also be crafts available for children to assemble at the event, according to Kimi Shackelford, senior recreation leader at Gilbert’s Parks and Recreation Department.
Shackelford said there will be “a variety of cultures represented in those crafts,” which may include drum kits and masks to decorate, she said.
“All three groups have been a part of our festival in previous years,” Shackelford said. She added that “all three of them were booked to perform last April,” before it was postponed twice due to COVID-19.
Shackelford said the Gilbert Global Village Festival normally has “thousands of people that attend with multiple performance stages and food vendors and craft booths.
“And this year, since we can’t hold an event like that, the only things we’re doing in person are things where we can limit capacity.”
Friday’s performance is free but space is limited to maintain social distancing and advanced registration is required.
Shackelford said people can reserve “circles that hold two, four, and eight people, depending on the size,” painted into the grass at the park.
People may recognize this setup from other events in the past year, Shackelford said, and the circles are “their own little pod so they can safely enjoy whatever event they are attending while we’re able to maintain social distancing.”
This week Gilbert Parks and Recreation will offer “virtual language lessons” on their Facebook page, Shackelford said. She said these short educational videos are “de�initely something to tune in that week.”
The parks and recreation department will also offer Global Village “remote rec bags” that people can pick up March 29 between 9 a.m. and 6 p.m. at the Gilbert Community Center.
The $10 bags will have “art projects, fun boredom busters like coloring books and word searches, ingredients to make fun snacks and more,” according to the website.
The department will also host a “kids paint party” at 4:30 p.m. March 31 at the Gilbert Community Center, where “we provide all the supplies and you get to go home with your very own masterpiece,” their website said. A similar paint party for adults will be held at the same location at 5 p.m. April 2.
At 9 a.m. April 2, the department will host “Dances Around the World,” a onehour class featuring 20 minutes each of belly dancing, bollywood dance and Zum-
ba, at the Freestone Park Amphitheater. Advanced registration is required.
On Saturday, April 3, the parks and recreation department will host “Highland Games,” a traditional Scottish competition consisting of a variety of challenges, their website said. The Highland Games will take place at Gilbert Regional Park, and competition starts at 9:30 a.m.
Highland Games veterans and novices alike can register to participate for free using the event’s website.
Also on April 3, the AZ Cricket Club will play two playoff games at Nichols Park, the festival website said. The event is open to the public and free to attend.
According to Shackelford, the interactive events and classes are “a really fun way to do something that is really big in another culture,” and “the experience of seeing different cultural performances is just really mind opening if you’ve never seen anything like that before.”
Gilbert Global Village Festival information/registration: at gilbertaz.gov.
King Crossword
ALASKA NORTHERN LIGHTS
7 days, departs February - March 2022
Anchorage • Talkeetna • Healy (Denali) • Fairbanks — Travel deep into the rugged Alaskan wilderness in pursuit of nature’s most spectacular nighttime display. Chase after the vibrant lights of the aurora borealis while you enjoy Alaska’s culture, nature, and wildlife.
CRIMSON CANYONS & MESAS NATIONAL PARKS TOUR
10 days, departs June - September 2021
Las Vegas • Grand Canyon • Bryce Canyon • Zion • Capitol Reef • Arches & Canyonlands • Grand Junction • Denver and more — Prepare to be awed as you experience the stunningly red rocks of these 6 iconic southwestern national parks. Travel through deserts, forests, mountains, and to the very edge of the Grand Canyon in this breathtaking tour.
5 days, departs December 29, 2021
Los Angeles • Pasadena — Immerse yourself in the pomp and circumstance of the 133rd Rose Parade with pre-parade viewing of the floats, dinner with the Tournament of Roses Committee, and grandstand seating to see the parade up close. You’ll enjoy 5 days in Los Angeles, and enjoy one of the world’s most memorable New Year’s celebrations.
BEST
OF
HAWAII FOUR-ISLAND TOUR
12 days, departs year-round
Oahu • Hawaii Island • Kauai • Maui — Enjoy a fully guided 4-island Hawaiian vacation with centrally located lodging in Waikiki on Oahu, and beachfront lodging on the “Big Island” of Hawaii, Kauai, and Maui. Guided throughout by our friendly Tour Directors—your local experts. Includes 3 inter-island flights.
ROSE PARADE & LOS ANGELES TOUR
Obituaries
Lou Barnes
Lou Barnes, 70, of Mesa, AZ, passed away on 01/10/2021 after a battle with kidney failure. Lou was born on May 7th 1950 to Albert & Olive (Polly) Crockford Barnes in Ithaca, New York. His siblings are Gene and Cheryl Barnes. Lou graduated from Groton Central School in 1968. Lou moved to Chicago where he studied electronics at DeVry and worked at Motorola. Lou worked at Motorola for 40+ years. Lou was a really great dad. He worked hard his whole life to provide a nice life for his family. He was always present. He never missed a game or event. He was always there to support us. Lou was hilarious. He was so witty & never passed up an opportunity to crack a joke. He always made everyone laugh. Lou was predeceased by his mother, Olive Crockford Barnes, his father, Albert Ira Barnes and his son, Brian Barnes. He is survived by his wife, Marianne, his sons, Mark, Robert & Albert, his daughter, Rebecca & his grandchildren, Drew, Calvin, Isabel, Collin, Noah, Gabriel, Jonathan & Angela.
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Obituaries
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Obituaries
RoseElizabethLainhartTurner
RoseElizabeth LainhartTurner,age 88,diedpeacefully Saturday,March20, 2021atOtterbeinof Springboro,Ohio.She wasborninAlbany, MissourionDecember 21st,1932toEstherE. (Duncan)andJamesF. Lainhart.Sheattended NorthwestMissouriStateTeachersCollege, becameaGIbride,mother,corporatewife,and consummatevolunteer.Mrs.Turnerworkedas relocationallowed,fromcountersinkingholes intheskinsofairplanesinSanDiegotoalong -distancetelephoneoperatorinMilwaukeetoa SearsassociateinDayton.Hertalentsledher tosingontheradio,singandplaypianofor communityandMethodistchurchchoirs,and performincommunitytheatre.Shewasan amateurgenealogistresearchingfamilyhistory forover60years.Hersearchestookherto distantcemeteries,courthousebasementsand librarystacks,whichresultedintwoextensive familybooks.Shepursuedandexcelledat sewing,refinishingandreupholstering furniture,andfindingthenextperfectantique. Hervolunteerworkincludedleadership positionsinGirlScouts,BoyScouts,Orderof theEasternStarStateofArizona,OES Chandler,AZChapter#18,OESJacob-Eby Chapter#571WestCarrollton,OH,American LegionandVFWauxiliaries,Welcome Wagon,andDaughtersoftheAmerican Revolution,GovernorGeorgeHuntChandler, AZChapterandJonathonWrightSpringboro, OHChapter.Inparticular,sheadvocatedfor educationalprogramsandscholarships.
Mrs.Turnerisprecededindeathbyher parents,olderinfantsisterVirginiaGail,her collegesweetheartandloveofherlifefor58 years,JackP.Turner,andveryspecialparentsin-lawJennieE.(Patton)andPaulE.Turner.
SheissurvivedbyherchildrenKarenE. Wensel,JamesP.(Robin)Turner,RobertN. (Julie)Turner,andBethA.Newtonandtheir belovedfamilies.Shewasaproudmatriarch offivegenerations.
IntermentwillbeatHighlandCemetery, Miamisburg,OH.Aprivate,graveside ceremonyandCelebrationofLifeforfamily memberswilltakeplaceonSaturdayMay8, 2021.ArrangementsbyGEBHARTSCHMIDT-PARRAMOREFuneralHome, Miamisburg,OH.
Thefamilywouldappreciateanywritten remembrancesbeforwardedtothefamily throughwww.gebhartschmidtparramore.com andanymemorialcontributions,onRose Turner'sbehalf,bemadetotheShriners Children's Hospital, www.shrinershospitalsforchildren.orgortoan educationalscholarshipfundorlocalhistorical societyofyourchoosing.
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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:
MONTEREY PARK SPORTS FIELDS
7045 E. Monterey Road
PROJECT NO. CP0914
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 Monterey Park Sports Fields 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 project scope includes:
• Construction of four (4) LED-lighted youth baseball/softball fields, LED-lighted parking lot, restroom building and associated infrastructure improvements;
• Shipping container to be repurposed as a pop-up library including associated site improvements.
The estimated construction cost is $7,000,000. The City anticipates completing construction in Winter 2022.
An electronic Pre-Submittal Conference will be held on April 1, 2021 at 8:30 am through Microsoft Teams. If you would like to participate, please send an email to Donna Horn at donna.horn@mesaaz.gov to request an invitation. 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 PreSubmittal 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 PreSubmittal Conference since City staff will not be available for meetings or to respond to individual inquiries regarding the project scope out side of this Conference. In addition, there will not be meeting minutes or any other information published from the Pre-Submittal Conference.
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 pur pose 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 authorize d 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 in an unencrypted PDF format to EngineeringRFQ@mesaaz.gov by 2 pm on April 15, 2021. Please refer to the City’s website (listed above) for the most current information regarding submissions of SOQs. 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: DeeAnn Mickelsen City Clerk
Published: East Valley Tribune Mar 28, April 4, 2021 / 37214
Obituaries
LouisAnderson
OnThursday,March 18,2021at10:25p.m, Louis(Skip)Anderson ofMesa,Arizonaleft thisearthtojoinour heavenlyFather. SkipAndersonwas survivedbyhiswife, Linda,threechildren, BrianAnderson,Kris Uribe,WendiRozzi andherhusband,ChristopherRozzi,andone step-sonLamontBankson.Aswellas12 grandchildren,onegreatgrandchild. Acelebrationoflifewillbeheldat2:00PM on2021-03-25atBroadwayChristianChurch, 7335EastBroadwayRoad,Mesa,AZ,USA.
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Deadline for obituaries is Wednesday at 5pm for Sunday. All obituaries will be approved by our staff prior to being activated. Be aware there may be early deadlines around holidays.
Call 480-898-6465 Mon-Fri 8:30-5 if you have questions.
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Deadline for Sunday's Edition is the Wednesday prior at 5pm.
Please call Elaine at 480-898-7926 to inquire or email your notice to: legals@evtrib.com and request a quote.
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Chinese food. Req. 2 yr exp. Apply at Shanghai Club 3434 W. Anthem Wy #166, Anthem AZ 85086 jtfeng21@yahoo.com
Employment General
Now hiring for parttime and full-time janitorial positions in Mesa and Phoenix For further information apply in person at 7020 N 55th Ave Glendale AZ 85301 or call 623-937-3727
Chef Chinese Food, FT, plan menu & cook Chinese food. Req. 2 yr exp. Apply at Kawaii Japanese & Asian Cuisine 6530 W. Happy Valley Rd #112, Glendale, AZ 85310 joeyselamat456 @gmail.com
Inspector, FT, req. 2 yr exp. Inspect/test auto components. Apply at Catalina Components 4015 W. Milky Wy Chandler, AZ 85226 nicole@catalinacomponents.com
IntraEdge has multiple openings for Sr. Programmer Analyst II in Chandler, AZ. Reqs US Bachelor degree/foreign (3 or 4 yr degree) equiv in Commerce/BusAdm/STEM field. Will accept combination of IT training/education/experience for equiv to ed req. Analyze/resolve/test/report on IT related projects using skills in EMC/MS/SQL/Excel/ Java/C. Email resume to jobs@intraedge.com w/ ref no 2021-25 directly on resume & ref ad in EVT
Now hiring for parttime and full-time janitorial positions in Mesa and Phoenix For further information apply in person at 7020 N 55th Ave Glendale AZ 85301 or call 623-937-3727 Employment General Employment General
Chef Chinese Food(2 openings), FT, plan menu & cook Chinese food. Req. 2 yr exp. Apply at R&P Enterprise, Phoenix Palace 2075 N. Dobson Rd. Chandler, AZ 85224 lijuanz84@gmail.com
IntraEdge has multiple openings for Software Engineer (SE) positions in Chandler, AZ. SE candidates req US Masters degree/foreign equiv or bachelors degree + 5 yrs exp, w/ skills in C,SQL,Oracle,J2EE,SA P,JAVA,JSP,UNIX to analyze/dsgn/dev/implement/test systems & applics. Email resume to jobs@intraedge.com w/ ref no 2021-19 for SE directly on resume/cover & ref ad in EVT
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SVB Financial Group has openings for the following positions (various types/levels) in Tempe, AZ : S enior Systems Analyst (781.432) Analyze an d translate complex business requirements into a functional system design document and analyze informat ion to determine, recommend, and plan compute r specifications and layouts, and peripheral equipmen t modifications. May telecommute. Some travel is required. Sr. Systems Analyst (781.445) Analyze and translate complex business requirements into a functional system design document and analyze informat ion to determine, recommend, and plan compute r specifications and layouts, and peripheral equipmen t modifications. Travel is required. May telecommute S enior Software Engineer (781.463) Design and develop technical solutions that meet user needs with respect to functionality, performance, scalability and reliability. May telecommute. Send resume to S.M a t Staffing Operations Team, Silicon Valley Bank , 80 E Rio Salado Pkwy Ste 600, Tempe, AZ 85281 Must reference job #.
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CITY OF MESA MESA, ARIZONA
MESA FALCON FIELD AIRPORT (FFZ) RECONSTRUCT HIGLEY RAMP
PROJECT NO. CP0918
FAA AIP NO. 3-04-0023-XXX-2021
DAVIS BACON WAGES APPLY ADVERTISEMENT FOR BIDS
NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that sealed bids will be received until Thursday, April 15, 2021, at 1:00 p.m. All sealed bids will be received electronically at EngineeringBids@mesaaz.gov . Bids must be submitted as an unencrypted PDF attachment with a maximum size limit of 20MB. Any bid received after the time specified will be returned without any consideration.
This contract shall be for furnishing all labor, materials, transportation and services for the construction and/or installation of the following work:
The project will consist of 3 phases. Each phase will consist of reconstructing a portion of the ramp to the limits shown in the project plans. The existing asphalt and base materials will be removed, and a new pavement section will be constructed. The existing aircraft tie-downs in all phases will be removed prior to the pavement removal operation and new aircraft tie-downs will be installed after the new pavement section is constructed. Temporary and permanent pavement markings will be applied to the new asphalt.
The Engineer’s Estimate range is $2,700,000 to 3,300,000.
For all technical, contract, bid-related, or other questions, please contact Donna Horn at 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 above.
Contractors desiring to submit proposals may purchase sets of the Bid Documents from ARC Document Solutions, LLC, at https://order.earc.com/arcEOC/PWELL_Main.asp?mem=29. Click on “Go” for the Public Planroom to access plans. NOTE: In order to be placed on the Plan Holders List and to receive notifications and updates regarding this bid (such as addenda) during the bidding period, an order must be placed. The cost of each Bid Set will be no more than $45, which is non-refundable. Partial bid packages are not sold. You can view documents on-line (at no cost), order Bid Sets, and access the Plan Holders List on the website at the address listed above. Please verify print lead time prior to arriving for pick-up. For a list of locations nearest you, go to www.e-arc.com.
One set of the Contract Documents is also available for viewing at the City of Mesa’s Engineering Department at 20 East Main Street, Mesa, AZ. Please call 480-644-2251 prior to arriving to ensure that the documents are available for viewing.
In order for the City to consider alternate products in the bidding process, please follow Arizona Revised Statutes §34.104c.
If a pre-bid review of the site has been scheduled, details can be referenced in Project Specific Provision Section #3, titled “Pre-Bid Review of Site.”
Work shall be completed within 160 consecutive calendar days, beginning with the day following the starting date specified in the Notice to Proceed.
Bids must be submitted on the Proposal Form provided and be accompanied by the Bid Bond for not l ess than ten percent (10%) of the total bid, payable to the City of Mesa, Arizona, or a certified or cashier's check. PERSONAL OR INDIVIDUAL SURETY BONDS ARE NOT ACCEPTABLE.
The successful bidder will be required to execute the standard form of contract for construction within ten (10) days after formal award of contract. In addition, the successful bidder must be registered in the City of Mesa Vendo r Self-Service (VSS) System (http://mesaaz.gov/business/purchasing/vendor-self-service).
The successful bidder, simultaneously with the execution of the Contract, will be required to furnish a Payment Bond in the amount equal to one hundred percent (100%) of the Contract Price, a Performance Bond in an amount equal to one hundred percent (100%) of the Contract Price, and the most recent ACORD® Certificate of Liability Insurance form with additional insured endorsements.
The right is hereby reserved to accept or reject any or all bids or parts thereto, to waive any informalities in any proposal and reject the bids of any persons who have been delinquent or unfaithful to any contract with the City of Mesa.
BETH HUNING City Engineer
ATTEST:
DeeAnn Mickelsen City Clerk
Published: East Valley Tribune Mar 21, 28, April 4, 2021 / 37xxx
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