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THE SUNDAY EAST VALLEY TRIBUNE | APRIL 9, 2017
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Brewer has grander mission to honor fallen, wounded veterans BY MIKE BUTLER Tribune Staff Writer
L
ike any craft brewing startup, Honor Brewing’s goal is to make great beer. But this company also aims much higher with a unique mission to honor fallen and wounded veterans and give back to their families. You’ll soon be seeing the Virginia brewery’s distinctive packaging – featuring a logo of well-worn combat boots – in East Valley package stores. Honor’s four craft beers will also be available on tap at select restaurants and bars. The beer is distributed in Arizona by Young’s Market Company. Honor partner Dave Keuhner was in Mesa recently to launch a tap at the Brass Tap that honored the memory of Marine Sgt. Christopher Lee Flatt. With a special tap handle designed to look like a dog tag, Honor’s Night Vision Maple Porter was flowing and fueling lots of bittersweet memories. “I was so happy to see it was a porter,” said Christopher’s father, Gordon Flatt. “I don’t drink IPAs. It pairs perfectly with my son. We drank a lot of beers together.” Christopher, who grew up in Mesa, served in Iraq and received a medical discharge. He suffered from PTSD and COMMUNITY BRIEFS
EAST VALLEY
Girl Scout Gold Awards given to 7 East Valley girls
Girl Scouts-Arizona Cactus-Pine Council has presented the Girl Scout Gold Award to the 33 scouts this year, seven in the East Valley. The Girl Scout Gold Award is the highest honor a Girl Scout can receive, and is the equivalent to becoming an Eagle Scout in the Boy Scouts. In order to earn the award, a Girl Scout must create a project that continues to give back to the community long after she moves on, and often take as long as 18 to 24 months to complete. The winners in Chandler are Amanda Molina, Claire Mushet and Kathlene Hartle. In Mesa, Lauren Hawks, Paige Brown and Rachel Spielberger were given awards. Gilbert resident Sarah Perrin also won.
had difficulty settling into civilian life. He took his own life in 2011, leaving behind a pregnant fiancée and a 4-yearold daughter. “It was a huge, huge, horrible shock,” said Stacy Chatham, Christopher’s sister.
(Mike Butler/Tribune Staff)
A special tap handle that resembles a dog tag honors the memory of fallen soldier Christopher Lee Flatt, a Marine sergeant.
“It was absolutely devastating. We were all going to go to Hawaii for the wedding.” Honor Brewing has amassed more than 1,400 soldiers’ stories in 38 states now, but this one really hit home to Keuhner. He was just 6 years old when he lost his father, who served two tours in Vietnam as a Special Operations helicopter pilot. He, too, came back (Mike Butler/Tribune Staff) a very different man. His official cause of Jessie Rowe, who owns the Brass Tap in Mesa with his dad and brother, death was a car crash. jokes with Gordon Flatt and Honor Brewing partner Dave Keuhner. Keuhner doubted it was an accident. America’s Fallen and the LCpl. Cody S. Keuhner dedicated a second tap at the Childers Memorial Fund. Devil’s Advocate in Tempe to honor the As the night at the Brass Tap wound memory of Sgt. Gene Lamie, who was down, Flatt decided to get a growler of killed by a roadside bomb in Iraq. He said his son’s beer to go. all families of heroes are encouraged to “I think it’s a great tribute to them all – submit a tribute story at honorbrewing. not just my brother,” Chatham said. “It’s com/tribute. a really good idea.” The company has donated more “It’s not about how they died,” said than $200,000 to veteran’s advocacy Keuhner. “It’s about how they lived. We groups such as Warrior 360, Hope for can’t bring them back, but we can say the Warriors, HeroHomes, Angels of thank you.”
TEMPE
MESA
CHANDLER
Learn about the people who live, work and play in Tempe at Who’s Your Neighbor, a free luncheon lecture series on cultural awareness. The periodic lectures are intended to create a greater understanding of each other in an effort to eliminate biases. On Wednesday, April 12, “Creating Welcoming Spaces for Individuals With Autism” will be presented at the Tempe Council Chambers, 31 E. Fifth Street. Speakers will include Arielle King, registered behavior technician, and James Hopkins, special education teacher. This free program includes lunch. RSVPs are encouraged to assist with food count. Information: 480-350-8979.
Nancy Parra-Quinlan, a STEM teacher from Kino Junior High School in Mesa, has been named the Frank Luke Chapter of the Air Force Association 2017 Teacher of the Year. Parra-Quinlan has taught for 23 years but concentrated in science and STEM (science, technology, engineering, mathematics) for the past 10. At Kino Junior High, Parra-Quinlan has developed a far-reaching program that attracts students anxious to learn more than core STEM subjects. In her classes, she says, “We build rockets, dissect sheep brains, do 3-D print projects and program robots.”
Chandler is seeking public comment on proposed amendments to its sign regulations. The Planning and Zoning Commission will conduct a public hearing to review and hear public comments on the proposed sign code at 5:30 p.m., Wednesday, April 19, in the City Council Chambers, 88 E. Chicago St. Proposed amendments to Chandler’s sign code allow for signs previously not allowed, including A-frame and T-frame signs for businesses, and allows for placement of some sign types in public right of way. In addition, the maximum number of temporary signs allowed for events occurring on private property, such as garage sales and open houses, would increase to 10.
Tempe hosts free lectures on cultural awareness
Mesa junior high instructor named Teacher of Year
Public invited to comment on Chandler sign regulations
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BRIEFS on page 14