Young chaplain one of Valley’s longest serving
BY SCOTT SHUMAKER Peoria Times Staff Writer
Firefighters are there during our worst moments. When the firefighters need some support during difficult times, there’s thankfully someone there for them: the department chaplain.
For the Peoria Fire-Medical Department, that’s the Rev. Kyle Layne — a man of God who carries a radio. Layne is also lead pastor of the Zoe Community Church in Peoria. Though he’s only 46, he’s served as the fire department’s chaplain for almost 18 years, making him one of the longest-serving chaplains in the Valley.
Chaplains are clerics who serve in secular organizations. Fire chaplains, along
with police and military chaplains, have a tradition of bringing spirituality to the front lines.
For many, Fr. Mychal Judge, chaplain of the New York Fire Department on 9/11, embodied the values of a fire chaplain. After the twin towers were struck, Judge went to the World Trade Center to pray for the firefighters on the front lines and administer last rites. He was killed by falling debris in the North Tower.
Peoria’s chaplain said that Judge’s example inspired him to pursue chaplaincy after he received his ordination as a minister. A theological teacher’s call to “get outside of church walls” also stuck with him.
SEE CHAPLAIN PAGE 4
BY SCOTT SHUMAKER Peoria Times Staff Writer
The Mission at Agua Fria Senior Living in Peoria held a birthday party for Wilma McDaniel, 104, on Feb. 4.
Wilma, with her son, David, at her side, was in high spirits, frequently flashing a broad smile or laughing as a score of friends and Mission staff joined her in the lobby for a cake with the rare number “104” drawn in icing on it.
Wilma’s birthday festivities coincided with the Beijing Winter Olympics’ open-
ing ceremonies. Wilma was 6 when the first Winter Olympics were held in Chamonix, France, in 1924.
Partygoers waited to cut the cake until Wilma finished an interview with a local TV station. After she was seated by the fireplace in the lobby, a piano player struck up “Happy Birthday to You” before continuing to entertain with classic melodies.
Friends took turns taking pictures with Wilma, the oldest resident at The Mission, and wishing her a happy birthday.
“This is a shock to her because she
wasn’t prepared for the fact that they were going to be celebrating her birthday today,” David said. “So, she’s kind of overwhelmed.”
Wilma operated a flower business for 35 years and raised four sons with her husband, Lester, in Atlantic, Iowa.
“And as a couple we would work together every day,” Wilma said. “That has something to say for itself.”
A longtime Sun City real estate agent, David said his mother is also an
Rev. Kyle Layne is the Peoria Fire-Medical Department chaplain and lead pastor of the Zoe Community Church. (Submitted photo)
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Wilma McDaniel celebrated her 104th birthday at The Mission at Agua Fria Senior Living on Feb. 4. McDaniel ran a flower business in Iowa with her husband for 35 years. (Photo courtesy of The Mission at Agua Fria Senior Living)
BIRTHDAY FROM PAGE 1
award-winning oil painter and musician.
“She’s a hard worker,” he said. “She’s a very, very talented lady musically and artistically with oil paintings. She’s won major awards.”
Asked about her secret to longevity, Wilma said, “I think having a healthy attitude to our whole (world) where we live and bringing forth what we do in our home.”
If having a healthy attitude is her secret, Wilma apparently practices what she preaches.
“I always see her with a smile,” Mission Executive Director Taryn Pratt said.
The Mission coordinator Melissa Purthill added, “She goes to all the activities. She comes down for breakfast, lunch and dinner.” PT
After feeling the call to chaplaincy, he interviewed with Peoria Fire-Medical for the volunteer position of chaplain in 2004. He said he told the department in the interview that he intended to be there for a minimum of 20 years. He’s almost reached that mark, and he says he has no plans to quit when he gets there.
Layne’s long service has helped him to earn trust within the Peoria Fire-Medical Department.
“My experience with him is he’s kind of like one of the boys — he’s a friend of ours,” Peoria Fire-Medical Capt. Mark Barbee said. “He’s welcome to our station just like any other firefighter would be.”
Barbee remembered an experience he had with Layne early in his career. Barbee was a new father with a young child at home. He was called to assist on a drowning call for a child about the same age as his own. The child didn’t make it.
“I was devastated afterward,” Barbee said. It was the only time in his career that he needed to leave a shift after a call.
“I had to call Kyle and just say, ‘Hey, man, this hit close to home,’” Barbee said. “And so, he just talked to me about it and helped me get through it.
“He’s a man of God, that’s pretty obvious,” Barbee added. “He’s a family man, he loves the fire department, and he would do anything for the fire department.”
There’s a culture of being stoic in the fire service, but Barbee said everyone needs help at some point.
In Layne’s view, “Firefighters and police officers are tough, but we’re all spiritual beings,” he said.
Layne said the nature of the chaplain role within the department may give firefighters the ability to speak more candidly with him than they might with others. As an ordained minister, his conversations with firefighters are even protected by minister-parishioner privilege.
“I’m a listening ear and my mouth is shut,” he said. “They call me, and they have private conversations.”
Barbee pointed out that Layne is
there for community members, too.
“If I saw a spouse lost, or a child, and they’re emotional and I feel like they could use help, I can call him,” Barbee said.
Family man
Layne has a calm, laid-back and nonjudgmental demeanor. Layne said that his busy schedule volunteering and pastoring “keeps him out of trouble.”
When the father of two does have some free time, he said he decompresses by playing board games with friends and family. He’s a pretty serious gamer: He has over 100 board games.
He’s also a reader.
Layne said he alternates between books about theology and “regular stuff.”
“I’ve read so much theology and things for many years now, I try to expand and read people who aren’t like me,” Layne said. “I think part of the problem is we read people who are like us. … I want to know what other people think.
“Believe it or not, I’m reading a book about debunking pirateness (right now),” he said.
Being present
Layne describes his approach to chaplaincy as “a ministry of being present for people.”
“I really, early on, learned that being a chaplain is different from being a pastor. Being a chaplain is just about being God’s presence there,” Layne said. “It’s just about being there.”
In an interview with his alma mater Fuller Theological Seminary, Layne recounted going to a hospital to be with a family who lost a loved one. He stopped by the emergency medical services room to meet with the firefighters first, and when he walked in, a firefighter said, “Oh, good, God’s here.”
Though the firefighter was making a joke, the comment resonated with Layne, reminding him that he was “the presence of Christ in the world.”
His ministry of presence approach also appears in his advice for people who know someone suffering from loss.
“Let’s say somebody passes away and it’s uncomfortable for people — because we’re all uncomfortable with that thing. What people need at that moment is your presence,” he said. “I think people worry too much about saying the wrong thing. I think rather than worrying about that, it’s more im-
portant to be willing to sit in that difficult space.
“If you sit with someone in their personal hell, it stops being hell.”
Heeding the call
Layne, who was born in Scottsdale, studied fire science in high school. After graduation, he worked as an ER tech at Banner Good Samaritan.
After several years in the ER, he thought, “I like this medical thing,” and considered pursuing a career in it. But when he was 21, he felt a call toward a different kind of service. He was talking with a pastor, Layne remembers, who said, “There’s other ways to help people, and I just see in you something I can’t explain.”
“I kind of laughed,” Layne said, “but at that moment I had an overwhelming, what you might call a, spiritual experience.”
The moment changed Layne’s life, and he decided to enter into ministry. But as he developed as a spiritual leader, Layne kept a foot in the world of emergency response.
In addition to volunteering as Peoria’s chaplain, Layne also teaches crisis intervention. For 10 years, he worked the night shift as an emergency dispatcher. For part of that time, Layne was in school earning his master’s degrees; Layne recalls finishing his shift at 9 a.m., then driving straight to class to study Greek.
“Don’t learn Greek that way,” he said.
One way the fire service has given back to Layne was the encouragement he received from a deputy chief to pursue higher education. Layne had no plans to attend college after receiving his ordination, but the deputy chief at Peoria Fire-Medical pushed him to get his bachelor’s degree.
Layne completed his bachelor’s degree, then went on to earn two master’s degrees. He said he was accepted to a doctoral program at Nazarene Theological Seminary in Kansas City. But he’s not going anywhere — he can do his academic work from Peoria.
Rev. Kyle Layne, 46, has served as the fire department’s chaplain for 18 years. The father of two also balances his time teaching crisis intervention. Layne worked the night shift as an emergency dispatcher for 10 years. (Submitted photo)
Jason Beck receives multiple endorsements
BY PEORIA TIMES STAFF
Peoria mayoral candidate Jason Beck has received several endorsements, including Councilmember Denette Dunn, who represents the city’s Pine District.
“I’m endorsing Jason Beck for mayor of Peoria,” Dunn said.
“Jason is the change we need and has the background and experience to bring targeted and relevant growth to Peoria. Jason lives in the north but has invested heavily in the south, creating hundreds of jobs. He is a man of integrity and is a proven leader who will ensure public health and safety is funded. He believes we all deserve access to the same quality of life and equitable resources throughout all of Peoria. A vote for Jason is a vote for lifting up all of Peoria.”
The owner of TYR Tactical, Beck is thankful for her support.
Peoria mayoral candidate Jason Beck has landed multiple endorsements, including one from Councilmember Denette Dunn. (Submitted photo)
ment. It is a privilege to receive Councilmember Dunn’s endorsement.”
Peoria Councilmember Jon Edwards and Vintage Partners’ Walter Crutchfield endorsed Beck as well.
“We are pleased to endorse Jason Beck as Peoria’s next mayor,” Crutchfield said.
“Jason’s faith, business background, humble roots, character and proven leadership simply make him the right choice for mayor of Peoria.”
Other supporters include Chicanos Por La Causa, economist Jim Rounds and Rep. Debbie Lesko.
“We need Jason Beck as our next Peoria mayor,” said Lesko, who lives in Peoria.
Jason’s career and personal efforts have protected the lives of our police and military and have provided tax revenue and jobs right here in our community.
As mayor, Jason will strengthen public safety and help Peoria realize its full potential.”
Surprise Mayor Skip Hall and Glendale Mayor Jerry Weiers are also behind Beck.
“Jason Beck wants to bring real-world ideas and successful business practices to Peoria’s city government,” Weiers said.
“Her commitment to our first responders is well documented, and she embraces the need for new leadership when it comes to economic develop-
“Ever since taking office in 2018, Councilmember Dunn has been a crusader for open, honest, transparent and accountable government,” he said.
“Jason and his wife, Jane, are personal friends. I have seen how they are devoted to faith, family, freedom and community. We are lucky to have a proven business leader and job creator that wants to step up and run for office.
“That’s a big part of why I ran for Glendale mayor nine years ago. My daughter and son-in-law live in Peoria, and I know he will make a positive difference for Peoria’s citizens.”
Beck has lived in Peoria since 2004. He and Jane have raised their six sons here. They attend Christ’s Church of the Valley and are active in a number of local causes and charities. PT
Police charity president, treasurer indicted for theft
BY PEORIA TIMES STAFF
Mitchell Fuller of Peoria and Cameron Lebbon of Anthem were each indicted with two felony counts of fraudulent schemes and artifices, and theft from the Peoria Police Officers Association.
FROM PAGE 1
Walking in others’ shoes
Once a year, Layne does a 48-hour shift along with the firefighters. This entails staying at the fire station for two full days.
He said the first time he did this, firefighters thought he was crazy, but he told them, “If you guys do it over and over, I need to do it once a year.”
“And man, it’s eye opening, and what an experience to walk in those shoes,” he said. “It kind of gave me perspective. Yeah, when these guys come off their shift, they may be a little grumpy or they may be a little tired. … Being
The alleged offenses by Fuller, 33, and Lebbon, 46, are Class 2 felonies.
The indictment alleges that Fuller and Lebbon took funds from the PPOA for their personal use.
As the former treasurer of the
PPOA, Fuller is alleged to have taken $34,000 and former PPOA President Lebbon is alleged to have taken $15,700.
Assistant Attorney General Tom Maksemous is prosecuting the case. This case was investigated by the
special investigations section of the Arizona Attorney General’s Office and is being prosecuted by the Arizona Attorney General’s Office’s Fraud and Special Prosecutions section. PT
away from your family for 48 hours over and over can take a toll.”
Layne also hopes he is able to give the firefighters an outside perspective.
Layne remembers going out on a call for someone who overdosed and “was dead.” The firefighters resuscitated the man, who survived. Layne was in awe, but the firefighters were nonchalant — they were just doing their job.
But Layne wanted them to appreciate the gift they gave this person. “Do you guys realize you just saved this person’s life? … I want them to have that perspective,” he said.
Layne’s long tenure at Peoria Fire-Medical has helped him to build bridges. Building those connections can pay off far down the road.
“The fire service tends to be like a family, so they can be protective of each other,” he said. “They care for each other. To me, they’re not different from other people, it just takes time and patience.
“Even just this week, people for the first time have said, ‘I’m glad you’re here.’” PT
CHAPLAIN
AROUND THE BLUHMIN’ TOWN
Always be bold when expressing love
BY JUDY BLUHM Peoria Times Columnist
How was your Valentine’s Day? Hope you had time to buy (or receive) flowers (red, of course), a box of chocolates and a wonderful bottle of champagne. We celebrate the “most romantic day of the year” that actually started in the fifth century as a pagan holiday. The “day of love” had its beginnings in Rome, when mid-February marked the annual Lupercalia festi-
val, an ode to the god of fertility. It was one huge celebration. Evidently, those Romans knew how to party, because it became the season to fall in love and marry. Then Claudius II became emperor and the party stopped. He had the notion that marriage only distracted and weakened men (sadly, my husband agrees) and so to assure quality soldiers, he banned marriage. A bishop named Valentine stood up for love and met couples in secret places and joined them in the sacrament of matrimony. When the evil Claudius learned of this, he labeled Valentine a “friend of lovers” and had
him arrested. Unless Valentine agreed to worship the Roman gods and stop marrying young couples, he would be executed. Valentine was a man of faith and conviction, therefore he refused to stop and was jailed.
A miracle happened while Valentine was in jail awaiting his fate. He fell in love with his jailer’s daughter, Asterius. Just before Valentine was executed, he wrote a heartfelt letter to Asterius and signed it, “Be mine, your Valentine.” Legend has it that he wrote love letters in his own blood and wore a red scarf to his execution.
At a garage sale I spotted a beautiful
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square piece of lace that was lying on a table. I picked it up and an elderly lady came and gently took it out of my hands. “This is mine,” she said sweetly. Then she scolded her daughter for putting it up for sale. The lady told me that her husband wrapped their wedding bouquet in this little piece of lace when they got married. “I still remember that moment,” she sighed. Love lives in those tender gestures. Valentine’s Day is about undying love. It’s not the candy but the sweetness of romance that it celebrates. It is
Anchovies on pizza? Only in weird Arizona
BY DAVID LEIBOWITZ Peoria Times Columnist
Having made it this far in life without landing on death row, I feel confident a lethal injection won’t be my fate. With that said, I have my last meal all picked out: a large pepperoni pizza from any restaurant not named Domino’s or Papa John’s.
What I’m saying is, I am a certified pizza lover, a man who can hardly go a week without a slice or three. While I did not partake on Feb. 9 to mark National Pizza Day, I certainly planned to on Super Bowl Sunday, the busiest day of the year for pizza shops, ahead of New Year’s Eve and Halloween.
Unless, of course, I am served an abomination like pizza topped with anchovies. Which, according to the food blog “How to Cook Recipes” is
the most popular pizza topping in Arizona, at least according to rankings by Google search throughout 2021.
Yep, anchovies. Ahead of pepperoni, extra cheese, sausage and pineapple in the state’s top five.
People, must everything in this state be weird all the time? I’ve lived here 25 years and I love the place. But every time I speak to someone from out of state, it’s always, “What’s wrong with Arizona? Did the desert heat fry your brains?”
I’m sure you get it, too. “Joe Arpaio this, fraudulent election audit that. What’s up with you guys and _______.” Insert Gov. Jan Brewer wagging her finger in Barack Obama’s face or Arizona leading America in COVID-19 infection rates.
I would suggest there’s something in the water here, but given the drought, we barely have any water left.
Now we’ve desecrated pizza. Though, to be fair, anchovies were
also the most searched-for pizza topping in New Mexico as well. Just what we’ve always dreamed of: being associated with the home of Roswell in a national list.
Slice, the country’s leading app for independent pizzerias, put together their own study of the most popular pizza styles in the nation. Arizona apparently prefers Sicilian pizza, which I can get behind. As for popular toppings, Slice broke it down nationally: Pepperoni (of course) ranked first, appearing on 37% of pizzas. The rest of the Top 10 in order: mushrooms, extra cheese, sausage, onions, bacon, black olives, green peppers, Italian sausage and meatballs.
Anchovies didn’t even get a participation ribbon. In an effort to disprove this half-assed accusation — and potentially win a Pulitzer Prize for investigative journalism — I spent a solid two hours Googling pizza topping rankings in various fashions. A rival
ranking list, assembled by the health and wellness experts at YorkTest, arrived at a different answer, again using Google searches.
Drum roll, please.
They say Arizona’s favorite pizza topping is … pesto. Which is only marginally better than anchovies. And again, it’s weird. Though arguably not as weird as putting fruit on pizza, you pineapple people.
Pizza was not meant to be topped by fish or things that grow on trees or fungus or anything that’s green, if you really want to get down to it.
As a pizza purist, I just crave your standard cheese pie topped with something sold in the meat aisle. I’m not even a huge fan of the froufrou fancy pizza sold at places like Pizzeria Bianco or Pomo, though I’ll dabble in a pinch. Please just give me a few slices from Nello’s or Spinato’s, NYPD Piz-
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• Don’t start or stop an engine, or use automated (garage) doors.
Fed program would foster drug abuse, addiction
BY J.D. HAYWORTH Peoria Times Columnist
One century, one decade and one year separate us from the birth of Ronald Reagan. With each passing day, especially in these troubling times, we are reminded of Reagan’s basic goodness and yes, greatness.
Derided by the Manhattan elites and the Georgetown Cocktail Set as a “simpleton,” Reagan’s genius was his ability to simplify the seemingly complex.
“If you want less of something, tax it,” Reagan said, succinctly explaining the rationale for tax cuts. History recalls that the reduction of tax rates led to the expansion of economic opportunity during the Reagan era.
But our 40th president also under-
FROM PAGE 9
za or Lou Malnati’s.
Frankly, I’ve always subscribed to the idea that there’s really no such thing as bad pizza — until I contemplated my fellow Arizonans all fighting for the last slice of something topped with anchovies.
They say “pizza is life.” You serve
stood the absurdity of the big-talking, big-spending, big-government left. “If you want more of something, subsidize it,” Reagan warned.
Sure enough, Joe Biden is buying bigger and bigger problems for our nation and our future.
Among the outrageous examples of “your tax dollars at work” comes this gem: the funding of the distribution of crack pipes to drug addicts.
Courtesy of Senate Democrats and Vice President Harris, who cast the deciding vote, the American Rescue Plan features a “harm reduction” grant program.
Of course, it comes with a cheap price — at least by Washington standards: “Only” $30 million. As it stands now, that dough will be divvied up into $400 thousand chunks and sent to local governments as well as selected “nonprofit organizations.”
The goal? To make drug use safer for addicts.
How will that be accomplished? In part, through the purchase of “smoking kits and supplies” for addicts. The all-knowing, all-caring, sensitive bureaucratic souls at the Department of Health and Human Services will oversee this beneficence.
An HHS official confirmed this “forward-thinking action” to the “Washington Free Beacon,” explaining that the smoking kits will include those precious, specially made pipes for users to smoke crystal meth, crack cocaine or “any illicit substance.”
But faced with a strong and immediate backlash from media reports concerning the inclusion of crack pipes, HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra issued an “11th hour revision.”
A press release stated that “no federal funding will be used … to put
pipes in safe smoking kits.”
So the “safe smoking kits” remain… addicts will just have to furnish their own crack pipes. Got it!
And… with a bureaucratic bow to the American Rescue Plan, Ol’ Joe and his gang didn’t limit the giveaway by grants to just smoking kits. Other items to be distributed included fentanyl strips, syringes and condoms!
Also detailed among the items for which your tax dollars can be spent are “disease screenings” and vaccinations. Remember, this was enacted during the COVID-centric days of “crisis,” and as we’ve collectively learned, the left never lets a “crisis go to waste.”
Undergirding this entire exercise is a wrongheaded idea that government should shoulder the responsibility
me a slice with anchovies and death row may not be entirely out of the question. PT
David Leibowitz has called the Valley home since 1995. Contact david@leibowitzsolo.com.
PIZZA
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the joy of the children in classrooms, who make special cards and red construction paper hearts to take home to their parents. And why not be bold and wear red — that brazen flash of color that “shouts” out that our love will not be secret, quiet or go unnoticed. And let’s not overlook the power of a small, lovingly placed piece of lace.
To celebrate “love” properly, this week, call an old friend. Hug your children. Hold hands. Be bold, like the color red, in your expression of love. Treasure and rejoice in a little paper
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heart made for you by a child. Savor a cherished memory, like a piece of lace. Dear readers, be courageous and write someone a love note and sign it with the most famous and romantic phrases of all time, “Be mine, your valentine.” PT
Judy Bluhm is a writer and a local Realtor. Have a story or a comment? Email Judy at judy@ judybluhm.com.
of making drug use more secure and “healthier.”
Here’s the perverse rationale at work: These grants are prioritized for “underserved communities.”
While the late actor and comedian Robin Williams joked that “cocaine is God’s way of telling you that you’re
To the extent government is involved, its resources should be focused on the prevention of drug abuse. It’s bad enough that the Biden Bunch disregards this simple concept, but compounding the error is the curious moral and political “accounting” that accompanies it. By abandoning “equality” in favor of “equity,” the left confers special status on an underclass and a commitment to expanding that underclass.
making too much money,” can anyone seriously believe that expanding access to drugs and drug paraphernalia in “underserved communities” does anything but increase the number of drug abusers in those communities?
Compassionate? No, it’s “confused compassion” at best — and more likely, counterfeit.
Subsidizing drug abuse and all that
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comes with it — violent crime, homelessness and death — is no way to serve “underserved communities.” PT
J.D. Hayworth worked as a sportscaster at Channel 10, Phoenix, from 1987 until 1994 and represented Arizona in Congress from 1995-2007.
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Someburros expanding to the West Valley
BY CHRISTINA FUOCO-KARASINSKI Peoria Times Executive Editor
Someburros Chief Executive Officer Tim Vasquez is excited about his brand’s expansion to the West Valley.
This spring, Goodyear will see a Someburros at 50 N. Estrella Parkway, while Peoria residents can have enchiladas, chorizo, egg and potato breakfast burros, and margaritas in the fall near Thunderbird Road and 83rd Avenue.
“They’re super locations,” Vasquez said. “It’s been a long time coming for both of those areas. Goodyear is just bustling. It’s growing. A lot of young families are moving into that area. We wanted to find the perfect location.”
Vasquez said he looked just as hard for a spot in Peoria.
“My son was a high school baseball player,” he said. “When he played at the Peoria Sports Complex, we would
Someburros this fall will be heading to Goodyear, at 50 N. Estrella Parkway, and Peoria, near Thunderbird Road and 83rd Avenue. The new restaurants will offer residents enchiladas, chorizo, egg and potato breakfast burros, and margaritas. (Submitted photo)
see lines wrapped around the building for Chick-fil-A or In-N-Out Burger.
“We found the location that we thought would be perfect for Someburros.”
Both stores will have drive-thru windows and the same, extensive menus with items like breakfast burros and tacos; tacos; “traditional favorites” like tostadas, enchiladas, tamales, Mexican pizza and nachos; burros; and salads and bowls. Margaritas and beer will be available. Vasquez called the pollo fundido its signature dish, with its marinated chicken breast, wrapped in a flour tortilla, then deep fried and topped with jalapeno cream cheese, grated cheddar and green onions.
“The pollo fundido is so good,” he said. “It’s life changing.”
The restaurants’ design will match
Touch-A-Truck returns to Lake Pleasant
BY PEORIA TIMES STAFF
Kids can interact with large vehicles such as firetrucks, earth movers, dump trucks, backhoes, excavators and the APS Condor Bucket Truck during Touch-A-Truck from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 26, on the southeast side of Lake Pleasant.
The Condor Bucket Truck can reach a 20-story building and is the largest such vehicle in North America.
The event is free; however, there is a $7 per car entrance fee.
In addition to the large vehicles, this interactive event features food trucks, DJ and numerous hands-on kids activities. The event is sponsored by Pleasant Harbor and Maricopa Water District.
“Touch-A-Truck is a unique opportunity for kids,” said Deneen Ramirez, event director at Pleasant Harbor.
“They will be able to be hands-on and explore a wide variety of large vehicles.”
For more information, call the event line at 623-203-5173 or visit pleasantharbor.com. PT
Touch-A-Truck at Lake Pleasant will allow kids to explore large vehicles like construction trucks from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 26. (Photo courtesy of Pleasant Harbor)
• ARROWHEAD MALL (GLENDALE, AZ)
• MESA FARMERS MARKET (MESA, AZ)
• SUPERSTITION MALL (MESA, AZ)
• CHANDLER MALL (CHANDLER, AZ)
EVEN EXCHANGE
by Donna Pettman
Each numbered row contains two clues and two answers. The two answers differ from each other by only one letter, which has already been inserted. For example, if you exchange the A from MASTER for an I, you get MISTER. Do not change the order of the letters.
The Peoria Chamber of Commerce, please email memberservices@peoriachamber.com or call (602) 979.3601.
Winter Water Safety Day and Polar Plunge
PHOTOS BY DAVID MINTON
The city of Peoria’s annual Winter Water Safety Day and Polar Plunge returned to the Centennial Pool to raise water safety awareness. Participants received a free T-shirt and a hot breakfast provided by the Peoria Firefighter Charities.
1. Jovanti Brooks reacts as he swims across the frigid water at the Peoria Winter Water Safety Day and Polar Plunge.
2. Layla Brooks offers her dad, Jovanti, a towel as he lies on the side of the pool.
3. Jovanti Brooks hesitates to jump in as other swimmers make their way through the cold water.
4. James and Tony Van Goethem fist bump while getting psyched up to jump into the frigid water.
5. Brandon and Ernie Valenzuela splash into the pool.
6. Cianna Brooks gasps as she grabs a towel after getting out of the cold water.
7. The first group leaps into the pool at the Peoria Winter Water Safety Day and Polar Plunge.
8. Cold swimmers make their way across the pool.
Collectors to converge at annual button show
BY CHRISTINA FUOCO-KARASINSKI Peoria Times Executive Editor
Janet Parker has traveled the world, learned about history and studied art — theoretically, of course — all thanks to her collection of buttons.
For 23 years, the Sun City resident has cobbled together a collection of fasteners that most people would not think twice about. However, hers recall the Statue of Liberty, the USS Arizona Memorial and churches.
Parker will add new pieces to her collection at the Arizona State Button Society annual show on Saturday, Feb. 19, and Sunday, Feb. 20, at the Hilton Garden Inn in Avondale.
Themed “Hats Off to Buttons,” the show features educational programs, exhibits, creative works, dealers and competitions. Vintage, studio and craft buttons from the 18th century
SOMEBURROS FROM PAGE 13
the 12 existing Someburros locations.
“They’re both Someburros-style design,” Vasquez said. “They will have the Santa Barbara look on the outside — 3,600 square feet with a capacity of 92 people inside. It’s just a beautiful interior design as well. It’s the perfect place to stop by for a quick lunch, but it’s nice enough inside for a Friday or Saturday night date.”
The locally owned Someburros’ restaurants feature recipes passed down from generation to generation in the Vasquez family. Vasquez finds this is the best occupation for him.
“I wouldn’t be doing anything else,” he said. “It has been a challenge over the last year and a half.
“It’s also been very rewarding. We just have a great company culture. During the pandemic, the company culture got us through. We not only survived, but we thrived because of that culture.” PT
onward will be exhibited.
“A lot of people pick up the hobby as kids when they went through their grandmother or mom’s button box,” said Roberta Schuler of Tucson. She’s the society’s show chair.
“Serious collectors, like myself, go to the show looking for specific buttons that we don’t have. Say I’m looking for birds and I don’t have a peacock. I have to find a dealer who’s going to have a peacock button.”
Buttons come in a variety of materials as well, including celluloid, glass, vegetable ivory, and ivory.
“When you collect, the goal is to represent all different materials,” Schuler said. “It’s not everyone’s cup of tea. Some people just collect to hang on the wall or to make jewelry or crafty things.”
The National Button Society was founded in 1938, with many state
and local organizations subsequently forming. The first national button show was held in 1939 in Chicago.
The National Button Society has more than 2,700 members on four continents with 39 of the 50 states represented by state and local clubs.
Parker is a member of the Button Hooks Club, who meets the first Saturday of the month at the Glendale Main Library, 5959 W. Brown Street.
For Schuler, button collecting is an offshoot of quilting. During a visit to her local quilt shop, she saw “beautiful pearl buttons” on a block.
She was working as a dental assistant, when one of her patients opened an antique store. There, she saw trays of buttons and quickly learned about the hobby.
“The first show I went to was in Phoenix,” she said. “I walked in and everyone was friendly and I got the
down from generation to generation
family, according to the restaurant’s chief
officer. (Submitted photo)
hang of it. The best thing to do when you’re a beginner — not just a casual hobbyist — is go to a show and ask to be an observer at judging day.
“You can’t talk or interrupt them. You get a feeling for what’s going on, though. Then, the next year, ask to be a runner. Then ask to be a clerk. Finally, you can ask to be a judge. It’s easy to learn.”
IF YOU GO...
WHAT: Arizona State Button Society
WHEN: 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 19, and 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 20
WHERE: Hilton Garden Inn, 11460 W. Hilton Way, Avondale
COST: Call for charge
INFO: 623-882-3351; 520-296-8196; bklassic@comcast.net
The Someburros restaurants feature recipes that have been passed
in the Vasquez
executive
According to Someburros Chief Executive Officer Tim Vasquez, the new eateries’ designs will match the 12 existing Someburros locations. They will also offer a capacity of 92 people inside. (Submitted photo)
Skatin’ for Leighton also honors Matt Shott
BY RYAN SCHWAGER Cronkite News
The Arizona hockey community rallied together recently for the second Skatin’ for Leighton event to honor Leighton Accardo, the youth hockey player who was diagnosed with germ cell cancer as a 7-year-old and passed away after a two-year battle with the disease.
But in many ways, the event was “A Shott for Matt” as well.
Matt Shott, the senior director of hockey development for the Arizona Coyotes, was instrumental in developing the Kachinas girls youth hockey organization that included Leighton. During his tenure with the Coyotes from 2012 to 2021, the number of girls playing youth hockey in Arizona tripled, according to USA Hockey.
Shott lost his own battle with cancer in December.
So Shott, who was only 34 when he passed from liver cancer, was also in the thoughts of those who celebrated Leighton at Phoenix Raceway, where the event was held this year.
“Matt was the one who, day one, was there as the Coyotes representative when Leighton got sick — not only as a member of the Coyotes but as a friend,” said Carly Accardo, Leighton’s mother. “I wish so bad that Matt could be here today, because this event was really special to him.”
Shott and Lyndsey Fry — a Coyotes radio analyst, community ambassador, and director of external engagement for youth and women’s hockey — organized the first Skatin’ for Leighton event last year.
In the inaugural year, Fry skated 96 miles around the Valley, visiting eight hockey rinks along the way to raise money for the Leighton Accardo Scholarship Fund. The former Team USA hockey star set out on her 14-hour journey last February, and she was greeted by large crowds at each rink, all there to support the cause and celebrate Leighton’s legacy.
However, this year’s event aimed
“We really wanted it to be something where Leighton could walk in and be like, ‘Whoa, this is so cool!’”
Phoenix Raceway provided the perfect location.
tive.
“They’ve gone above and beyond like they always do,” she said of the Coyotes organization. “They’ve had our backs with Leighton from diagnosis all the way through. The Coyotes knocked it out of the park.”
The baseball reference might not seem to fit for a young girl known for her love of hockey, but Leighton wasn’t just a hockey player. The Accardo family wanted to remind everyone that she was a multi-sport athlete and some of the earliest support after diagnosis came from her all-girls baseball team in Chandler’s East Valley Baseball league.
After raising more than $49,000 last year (a tribute to Leighton’s No. 49 jersey she donned for the Kachinas), the Fry and the Coyotes challenged the community to raise $149,000 this year. Thanks to the Skatin’ for Leighton event, the Leighton Accardo Memorial Fund, as it is now known, already has raised more than $54,000 toward that goal.
The proceeds are used to help young girls get started playing hockey, especially those facing financial hardship.
at bringing people together at one location, with the added twist of mixing in some of the other things in life that Leighton loved.
“When we planned out this event, our guiding light was ‘Would Leighton think this is the coolest thing ever?’”
Fry said. “We really tried to integrate elements that she would have loved. We have our slides, our Slap Shot (game), we have street hockey. We have a movie theater room that’s playing her favorite movies throughout the day.
For 12 hours there, participants could come in and out as they pleased and could now join Fry in a pair of roller skates or just to walk or run around the racetrack. Or, they could take part in the other activities.
One lane of the Phoenix Raceway mile oval was set up for rollerbladers and roller skaters. Another was reserved for participants who just wanted to walk or run in Leighton’s honor.
“There’s beautiful weather out here. … You can skate, walk, run or just hang out,” Fry said at the event. “I think that is just a wonderful way for everybody to come together and think about the impact that she had.”
Carly was impressed and apprecia-
“We used a lot of the money last year on girls this season,” Fry said after skating some laps around the track. “Obviously, we are in the desert and hockey is a very expensive sport, so it can be challenging for families. We have about 20% of our girls on the Kachinas that are the beneficiaries of this fund, and we want to be able to continue to offer this to people.”
Carly said her daughter would have loved what the Coyotes are doing for girls in hockey.
“She would love it,” she said. “When Leighton would get on the ice, and she’d see another pink helmet or another blonde ponytail coming out the bottom of the helmet, she would get so happy and so excited that there was another girl on the ice.
“Leighton was very fortunate that we were able to put her in hockey and sup-
Siblings of Leighton Accardo skate together during the second annual Skatin’ for Leighton at Phoenix Raceway held by the Arizona Coyotes. (Photo by Mary Grace Grabill/Cronkite News)
Leighton Accardo, who played hockey and baseball, passed at 9 after battling germ cell cancer for two years. The team autographed her jersey. (Photo by Mary Grace Grabill/Cronkite News)
port that desire to be on the ice. There’s a lot of girls who don’t have that, so for us to be able to help them and get them on the ice is amazing.”
And Fry said Shott remains an important part of the effort.
“To just have the permission and the relationship to be able to do this on behalf of someone’s child, that takes a lot of trust,” Fry said. “Obviously, our connection to her was through hockey. When Leighton got sick, it was imperative to (Shott) that we bring her into our family. I think that’s what it is now. We feel like we’re all one family.”
That was true in a literal sense for the Accardos. Leighton’s siblings LeeAnne, Larson and Locke were on the track along with Carly and Leighon’s father, Jeremy, when they weren’t keeping their eyes peeled to see what Howler, the Coyotes mascot, was up to.
“Seeing her siblings out here is so meaningful to me because they all look so similar and they all have the same energy,” Fry said, chuckling. “Just firecrackers, and that’s exactly what Leighton was. I think that’s special. To see her siblings have that reaction was really heartwarming.”
To further help build the sport for kids, the Coyotes also started the Team 94 General Donation in honor of Shott. That campaign has raised $9,700, surpassing the goal of $9,400.
The Accardos and Fry expect Skatin’ for Leighton to become an annual event, hopefully with the involvement of Phoenix Raceway and, of course, the Coyotes.
“As long as I’m around, we’re doing this,” Fry said. “It’s so important, as we’ve talked about, to keep Leighton’s memory alive. And this is such a fun way to do it.”
Carly agreed.
“I don’t think we can ask for much more than this, right?” she said. “This is pretty amazing. This is the perfect event for the sports community.”
For more information about contributing to the Leighton Accardo Memorial Fund and Team 94 General Donation, visit https://leighton.securesweet. com/default.asp. PT
Bellevue Heights Church celebrates 50 years
BY ANNIKA TOMLIN Peoria Times Staff Writer
Bellevue Heights Church Pastor Rob Boyd is proud of his congregation’s strength and drive.
For 50 years, members have upheld Bellevue Heights Church’s beliefs. To celebrate, Boyd offered a series of sermons called “A Season of Thankfulness.” They focused on building a strong church anchored by biblical principles and the mission statement “Following Jesus, Loving God, Loving His Church, Loving His World.”
“It’s a great reminder of men and women of faith who put forth the time, the effort and the energy to start a church in an area where there was no church,” Boyd said.
“We are thankful that people had a vision to plant a church in Sun City 50 years ago. We are thankful that they laid a solid foundation on which we can build our church today. We are thankful that they persevered and overcame so many obstacles to allow us to have such a vibrant church today.”
Founded as a mission church, Bellevue Heights welcomed its first members on Jan. 30, 1972. Bellevue Heights was once affiliated with American Baptist Churches USA; however, it is now a Bible-based community church, partnered with Transformation Ministries.
“Bellevue Heights began with a group of about 20 people in 1972 who were committed to start a church in Sun City,” Boyd said.
“Statistics say that 4 out of 5 churches do not last over five years. That means 80% of all churches die with-
Bellevue Heights Church Pastor Rob Boyd has offered a series of sermons called “A Season of Thankfullness,” focused on connection anchored by biblical principles. (Submitted photo)
in the first five years because there are so many obstacles to overcome. These 20 people were committed to their task and continued to trust in God during many difficult times and with their faith and perseverance and God’s blessing, a solid foundation was laid, and the church has continued to grow.”
Boyd said there have been many “ups and downs in the last 50 years,” God was faithful and allowed the con-
gregation to bless Sun City and the Northwest Valley.
Born and raised in Mississippi, Boyd graduated college with a degree in accounting. While working for a CPA firm, he spent his vacation time on a mission to Jamaica.
While there, he had an epiphany: God wanted him to spend his life as a pastor.
“I came home, resigned my position with the CPA firm, and enrolled in seminary,” Boyd said.
“I have served as a pastor for the past 35 years in churches in Mississippi, Texas and, for the last 18 years, in Las Vegas.”
In February 2021, he accepted the call as Bellevue Heights Church’s lead pastor.
“Although I felt successful as an accountant, I was not fulfilled,” Boyd said.
“My two greatest loves in life are God and people. Being a pastor enabled me to combine these two loves by dedicating my life to loving God and loving people as a pastor of a local church. After 35 years of being a pastor, it is not a job, it is a calling from God. I love what I do and cannot imagine ever doing anything else. I love God and I love people, and I get the opportunity every day to talk to people about God.
“Now we have cast a vision for the future that we will become a great big small church.”
Boyd shared some of this in “A Season of Thankfulness.” Two of Boyd’s sermons discussed the church’s foundation, relating it to “the foundation of Jesus Christ.” His sermon “Thus Far has the Lord Helped Us” reminded the congregation that “God has brought us these 50 years, and He has helped us along the way.”
“The last sermon was ‘God has Future Plans for Us’ from Jeremiah 29, ‘God knows the plans for us in the future,’” Boyd said. “Basically, thanking God for helping us in the past but thanking Him in advance for leading us in the future.”
The signature celebration was a Feb. 4 banquet at Palmbrook Country Club.
“We had a 50th anniversary banquet where we had 300 people gather at a local country club to celebrate the 50 years,” Boyd said. “Talking about turning the page from focusing on the past to focusing on the future.”
It concluded with a Feb. 13 concert featuring sacred music composer Mary McDonald. She directed the Bellevue Heights singers and other community choir members in many of her wellknown works.
Boyd said the celebration was moving, especially because he spoke with 102-year-old Betty Ball, one of the only surviving founding members.
PUZZLE ANSWERS
“She was the first choir director back in 1972,” Boyd said. “Just hearing the stories of the beginning of the church from the one person who is still alive to talk about it (was something special).”
As far as his time with the church, Boyd has enjoyed meeting Bellevue Heights’ members.
“I enjoyed hearing the stories of the faithfulness of God during good times and in bad,” Boyd said. “But mostly the family atmosphere and the desire to gather together and meet together as a church family even in times like these where churches are not gathering anymore.”
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The power of one decision is ready when you are
CHURCH-COMMUNITY CONNECTION
Pastor Ed Delph Peoria Times Columnist
I imagine every reader in newspaper land will relate to this story.
A friend promised his 8-year-old son, Bobby, that he would take him fishing on Saturday. The boy waited eagerly for the day to arrive, but rain spoiled their plans. Bobby grumbled all morning, moping about the house. The rain ended by 3 p.m., and they went fishing. They caught a boatload of fish.
At supper, Bobby’s mother asked him to say grace. Bobby did so and concluded his prayer with, “And, Lord, if I sounded grumpy earlier in the day, it was because I couldn’t see far enough ahead. Thank you for the fish.”
I like Bobby’s prayer. “It was because I couldn’t see far enough.” Are we seeing far enough? Saying “thank
you” is a great way to end the day for our life here on earth, but what about heaven and our eternal life? If you are ready to think God is a reality, you can believe that there is life after death. And the way to get into heaven is through His Son Jesus. We have talked about Him in these articles since November 2004.
Look at what God says in The Message version of the Bible in Romans 10:9-10 about Jesus.
“The word that saves us is right here, as near as the tongue in your mouth, as close as the heart in your chest.” It’s the word of faith that welcomes God to go to work and set things right for us. This is the core of our preaching. Say the welcoming word to God — “Jesus is my Master” — embracing, body and soul, God’s work of doing in us what He did in raising Jesus from the dead. That’s it.
You’re not “doing” anything; you’re simply calling out to God, trusting Him to do it for you. That’s salvation. With your whole being, you embrace God setting things right, and then you
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say it, right out loud: “God has set everything right between Him and me.”
There is a prayer that embraces what these Bible verses say. I prayed when I was 24 years old in March 1974 on a snowmobile at 3 a.m. in Pinetop. Before that prayer, I had never considered my future. But that night, I looked far enough into the future and decided for Christ. Afterward, I said, “Thank you.”
I’ve never been the same since that moment. I’ve found that God is reliable. I’ve found that God is who He says He is. I’ve found that God does what God says He will do. As I said a few weeks ago, “God’s not dead. God’s dad.” I found a new life through Jesus, and I’ve never turned back, nor do I want to turn back. I discovered the power of the one decision that matters most.
It’s not weird, like some religious stuff. My life is just the way I know you would like yours to be — normal yet supernatural. So, look over the prayer that follows and, if you are ready, go ahead and pray it if it ex-
Shepherd of the Desert
presses what you want God to do for you. No pressure; it’s just God and you.
Here’s the prayer. “God… I receive your Son Jesus into my heart. Even though I don’t understand it all, I say by the faith Jesus is Lord, and I believe that God raised Jesus from the dead, which is what God will do for me. Thank you for making things right between You and me. I thank You that I have a new start.”
If you prayed that prayer and meant it, welcome to a bigger world. Welcome to what God created for you. Welcome to the family of God. God has lit the candle of your life. You are in right standing with God, already producing the light that God has called you to. You have discovered the power of one decision.
Now for the rest of us, I hope that this article has inspired you, equipped you, and made you more aware of the God you can know. My sincere desire is that you could say after reading this artcle, “Ed, you and God have touched me, and I have grown.”
I hope God, through my writings, has shifted your thinking a bit from unaware to aware, unconcerned to concerned, and from uninterested to interested in knowing more about the God you can know. I pray that you are closer to God now than when you started reading these weekly articles. I also hope your heart and mind are open to considering the possibility of God. That would be a win-win for you and heaven.
My purpose in writing this article is to put things “God’s way, but nicely” and truly. I desire to see you unencumbered. I wish you would be free from the ghosts of the past and prepared for opportunities in the future. The wel-
DECISION FROM PAGE 24
come mat of this article is always here for you. And we’ll leave the lights on for you.
Don’t forget, the power of one decision is ready when you are. If your decision is for God, remember gratitude gives you a confident assurance about the future.
God loves you, and He approved this message. PT
Ed Delph is a noted author of 10 books, as well as a pastor, teacher, former business owner and speaker. He has traveled extensively, having been to more than 100 countries. He is president of NationStrategy, a nonprofit organization involved in uplifting and transforming communities worldwide. He may be contacted at nationstrategy@cs.com. For more info, see nationstrategy.com.
www.fsbcg.org 10250 N. 59th Ave. 623-937-9216
Dr. Mark Mucklow, Pastor
Student Chronicles
BY PEORIA TIMES STAFF
Know of a student doing something remarkable? Tell us about it! Email christina@timespublications.com.
Alexandria Thiel, an exercise science major from Glendale, and Madison Lung, a physical education major from Peoria, were named to the dean’s list for the fall semester at Aurora University in Aurora, Illinois. The dean’s list recognizes full-time undergraduate students who have earned a 3.6 GPA or higher.
Rylee Stanton of Peoria was named to the fall 2021 president’s list at Geor-
gia Southern University in Statesboro, Georgia. To be eligible for the president’s list, a student must have at least a 4.0 grade-point average and carry a minimum of 12 hours for the semester.
Alisa Rikert of Glendale was named to the student honors list at Community College of Vermont in Montpelier, Vermont, for the fall 2021 semester. The honor recognizes part-time students with a 4.0 grade-point average.
Daniel Bentivegna of Peoria earned semester honors for the fall 2021 semester at Edgewood College in Madison, Wisconsin. Full-time students who achieve a 3.5 grade-point average for
the semester are eligible for this honor.
Alyssa Buckner of Glendale graduated from Champlain College in Burlington, Vermont. Buckner was one of 273 students who completed their degree requirements and received their diploma at this time. Buckner completed a Bachelor of Science degree in computer forensics and digital investigations.
Jazmine Moreno Lopez of Glendale was named to the dean’s list for the fall semester at Cazenovia College in Cazenovia, New York. Those named to the dean’s list have achieved a 3.5 or better grade-point average.
Brendan Bogaard, Keaton Rodgers
and Leah Gilbertson of Peoria were named to the dean’s list for Central College in Pella, Iowa. The honor is awarded to full-time students who achieve 3.5 GPA or higher on a 4.0 scale, while taking 12 or more graded credit hours for the semester.
Trevor Garner of Peoria made the dean’s list for the fall 2021 semester at the Georgia Institute of Technology in Atlanta. This designation is awarded to undergraduate students who have earned a 3.0 or higher academic average for the semester.
Alex Cimbal of Peoria was named to
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the fall 2021 dean’s list at the University of Rhode Island in Kingston, Rhode Island. More than 6,800 students were named to the fall 2021 dean’s list. To be included on the dean’s list, full-time students must have completed 12 or more credits for letter grades, which are GPA applicable during a semester and achieved at least a 3.3 quality point average. Part-time students qualify with the accumulation of 12 or more credits for letter grades, which are GPA applicable earning at least a 3.3 quality point average.
Yining Zhang of Glendale and Atilano Escobar and Daniel Muller of Peoria were named to the dean’s list for the fall semester at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. To be eligible for the dean’s or dean’s high honors lists, students must complete a minimum of 12 graded degree credits in that semester. Zhang and Escobar are studying in the school of education, while Daniel Muller is in the school of human ecology. Muller made the dean’s high honors.
Grant Bowley of Peoria made the dean’s list at Hamilton College in Clinton, New York, for the 2021 fall semester. To be named to the dean’s list, a student must have carried throughout the semester a course load of four or more graded credits with an average of 3.5 or above. Bowley, a first-year student, is a graduate of BASIS Peoria.
Natalie Oosterhouse of Glendale made the dean’s list for the fall 2021 semester at Trinity Christian College in Palos Heights, Illinois. Traditional undergraduate students who attend Trinity full time and earned a 3.5 grade-point average receive this honor.
Morgan Keller of Peoria was among the nearly 900 students named to the fall 2021 dean’s list at Elmhurst University in Elmhurst, Illinois. The dean’s list is composed of students who during the term concerned, attained a gradepoint average of 3.75 or higher out of 4.0.
Max Lyons and Katrina Wetherell of
Peoria were named to the dean’s list for the fall 2021 semester at Marquette University in Milwaukee. To make the dean’s list, students must have earned at least 12 credits for the fall 2021 semester and have no disqualifying grades. The GPA threshold varies by college; for the College of Education and the Klingler College of Arts and Sciences, undergraduate students must have at least a 3.7 to be named to the dean’s list. Lyons is pursuing a Bachelor of Science degree in business economics, while Wetherell is studying to earn a Bachelor of Arts degree in corporate communications.
Hauraa Alsilawi of Glendale was named to the dean’s list for the 2021 semester at the University of New England in Maine. Dean’s list students have attained a grade-point average of 3.3 or better out of a possible 4.0 at the end of the semester.
Micah Collins of Peoria made the president’s honor roll at College of St. Mary in Omaha for the fall 2021 semester. Collins is a senior working toward a Bachelor of Science degree in occupational therapy. For inclusion on the president’s honor roll, students must earn a 3.9 GPA or above.
Joshua Lauer of Peoria earned a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Alabama in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, in December.
Courtney Wahl of Peoria graduated from Jacksonville State University in Jacksonville, Alabama, in December. Wahl earned an emergency management degree.
Andrea Marisa Gameros and Claire Tsune Sarbacker of Peoria earned dean’s list honors at Iowa State University in Ames, Iowa, for the fall semester. Gameros is a second-year computer science student, while Sarbacker is a fourth-year student studying environmental science. Students named to the dean’s list must have earned a grade point average of at least 3.5 on a 4.0 scale while carrying a minimum of 12
credit hours of graded course work.
Tyler Love and Jennie Wood of Glendale graduated from the Georgia Institute of Technology in Atlanta in December. Love earned a Master of Science in computer science, while Wood received a Master of Science in analytics.
Tyrell Aponte of Peoria graduated with a Bachelor of Criminal Justice from Washburn University in Topeka in December.
Anna Phillips of Peoria and Maximo Lawlor of Glendale were named to the dean’s list at Emerson College in Boston for the fall 2021 semester. The requirement to make dean’s list is a grade-point average of 3.7 or higher for that semester. Phillips is projected to graduate in 2023 with a degree in writing, literature and publishing. Lawlor, a former intern at the Times Media Group, will graduate this year with a degree in journalism.
Elijah Anderson of Peoria was named to the dean’s list at Eastern New Mexico University in Portales, New Mexico, for the fall 2021 semester. To be eligible for the dean’s list, a student must complete a minimum of 15 credit hours with a GPA of 3.25 or greater.
Kristin Campbell of Peoria was named to the dean’s list at Belmont University in Nashville for the fall 2021 semester. Eligibility is based on a minimum course load of 12 hours and a quality grade point average of 3.5 with no grade below a C.
Alexandra Wnuk of Peoria was named to the dean’s list at Lehigh University in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, for the fall 2021 semester. Dean’s list status is awarded to students who earned a scholastic average of 3.6 or better while carrying at least 12 hours of regularly graded courses.
Beau Wilkins of Peoria was named to the dean’s list at Kennesaw State University in Georgia for the fall 2021 semester. Wilkins, an information systems major, was among the more than 7,300 students named to the list. To qualify, students must earn a gradepoint average of 3.5 or higher and complete a minimum of nine credit hours.
Shante Diggles of Peoria was named to the fall 2021 dean’s list for Southern New Hampshire University in Manchester, New Hampshire, for the fall 2021 semester. Full-time undergraduate students who have earned a minimum grade-point average of 3.5 to 3.699 are named to the dean’s list.
Olivia Mbugua of Peoria was named to the dean’s list at Berea College in Berea, Kentucky, for the fall 2021 semester. A student is named to the dean’s list for achieving a GPA of 3.4 or higher while passing at least four total credits, a course load equivalent to 16 semester hours.
Zoe Dalessandri of Glendale was named to the dean’s honor roll at the Abilene Christian University in
Abilene, Texas, for the fall 2021 semester. Dalessandri is a sophomore majoring in child and family services. To qualify for the dean’s honor roll, students must be registered for 12 or more credit hours and earn a GPA of 3.6 or higher.
Lauren Denning of Peoria earned a spot on the dean’s list at Coastal Carolina University in Conway, South Carolina, for the fall semester. Denning is a management pre-major.
Dallis Mitchell of Peoria was named to the dean’s list at Dickinson State University in Dickinson, North Dakota, for the fall 2021 semester. Eligible students must be enrolled full time and must earn a 3.5 GPA or higher.
Kathryn Waycaster of Peoria was named to the president’s list at Bob Jones University in Greenville, South Carolina. Waycaster is a freshman premed/pre-dental major. She was among approximately 660 Bob Jones University students named to the list, which requires a 3.75 or higher grade-point average for the semester.
Riley Lanning of Glendale was named to the dean’s list at Hastings College in Hastings, Nebraska, for the fall 2021 semester. To be eligible for the dean’s list, students must achieve a gradepoint average of 3.7 to 4.0 scale and be registered for full-time coursework.
Karissa J. Stancato of Glendale was named to the dean’s list for the fall 2021 semester at Morningside University in Sioux City, Iowa. The dean’s list recognizes Morningside students who achieve a 3.67 grade-point average or better and complete at least 12 credits of coursework with no grade below a “C-.”
OBITUARIES
Robert N Bailey
Contact Christina Fuoco-Karasinski at 480-898-5631 or christina@timespublications.com
Joseph Christian of Peoria received the Panther Preferred Scholarship for Greenville University in Greenville, Illinois. This $19,500 scholarship is offered for fall 2022 and is renewable annually. PT
Landon, Luke, Violet Bailey, Serenity, and Celine On 1/30/22 at 3:24pm he went to be with the angels above
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LLC, ABLA Studio is proposing minor amendments to the existing Vistancia Planned Community District (PCD) for the following: 1) update maps, graphics and tables for consistency and recognition of existing development, 2) revise regulatory development standards for residential, commercial and mixed-use areas , 3) modernization of Appendix F with regard to Article 14-2, 14-9, 14-23 and 14-34, in order to better match recently adopted sections of the Peoria City Code and Zoning Ordinance, and 4) refinement of character expectations within the Commercial Core
and generally is bounded by Cloud Road alignment on the north, the Jomax Road alignment on the south, 113th Avenue on the east, and 163rd alignment on the west
Review unless a protest is received within the required notification period All comments for this application shall be received by the Planning Department prior to
Vistancia Planned Community District (Z01-10A.15):
Neuropathy Is Often Misdiagnosed
BY REISHA ZANG
PHOENIX –Neuropathy is a condition that involves damage to the nerves in your hands and feet. “Muscle cramping, difficulty walking, burning, tingling, numbness, and pain in the legs or feet are symptoms people living with neuropathy experience on a daily basis,” explains Dr. Kerry Zang, podiatric medical director of CIC Foot & Ankle. “The thing is these symptoms are very similar to those of PAD. They are so similar that in many cases, people are given a diagnosis of neuropathy when in reality it isn’t.”
With a diagnosis of neuropathy often comes a prescription for neurotropic medication. “Medicine isn’t a cure, it’s a way to suppress the symptoms,” says Zang. “The concern with that is if it’s not neuropathy causing the symp-
medication is not working, your symptoms may be an indication of another condition.
toms, the medication may be masking developing, progressive vascular insufficiency allowing PAD, if that’s the root of the problem, to get worse.”
Neuropathy symptoms are very similar to those of PAD. It’s a circulation disorder which can be easily treated in our office without the need for general anesthesia. If you’ve answered “yes” to any of the questions above, call our office today to see how our doctors can help.
It’s important to determine the cause of these neuropathy symptoms, oftentimes it’s PAD (peripheral artery disease). PAD is caused by the buildup of fatty material inside the arteries which hardens into plaque. When this occurs, it limits the amount of blood that passes through the arteries.
“Blood brings oxygen and nutrients to your feet which they need to stay healthy,” explains Zang, “When your feet aren’t getting an adequate supply, they start sending signals.” Those signals include pain, burning, tingling, numbness, or cramping.
The good news is that PAD is treatable. Specialists are able to perform an angiogram which lets them see if disease is present. This minimally invasive procedure is done through a
tiny nick in the skin in an office setting. “So, what we do,” explains Dr. Joel Rainwater, MD endovascular specialist, “is go into the bloodstream to find the blockage with imaging guidance. Then with small tools that can go into the smallest arteries, remove the blockage, and restore that blood flow without surgery, without scalpels, without stitches.”
Getting the proper diagnosis is the first step to getting better. “It’s all about finding out what’s causing the problem,” says Zang. “When your feet burn, tingle, or feel numb, it’s your body telling you it needs help, and you should listen. In fact, if you are experiencing any type of discomfort or things just don’t seem right, tell your doctor. The only way we can help is if you let us know you need it.”
Heel Pain Is On The Rise
The weather has a big impact on heel pain. As the days cool down, our activity levels heat up. Going for a walk, playing a round of golf, and hiking are all possible again with the temperature below 100 degrees. But you need to pay attention to your feet. “Getting back to a normal lifestyle can be a shock to your feet, especially to your heels,” says Dr. Shah Askari of CIC Foot & Ankle.
More than two million Americans suffer from plantar fasciitis, a sharp, stabbing, sometimes burning pain in the heel or arch of the foot. It’s anticipated this number will rise as people start taking advantage of better weather.
It typically hurts when first getting up, may lessen after a few steps but always returns. In the past, a cortisone injection was the treatment of choice.
“Cortisone manages the pain, but it doesn’t address what’s causing the pain,” explains Askari. Now, treatment focuses on the condition, not just the symptom.
“Regenerative medicine is one of the most promising ways to deal with pain, because it triggers the body to heal,” he explains. “Prolotherapy is an option that uses a natural irritant which starts the healing process.” Growth factor therapy also jump starts and maintains regeneration of new tissues.
In addition, the FDA recently approved cold laser therapy for plantar fasciitis. “Laser treatment is another way to treat heel pain, because it increases circulation, which promotes healing,” says Askari. “It’s all about healing.”
DR. JOEL RAINWATER / DR. MICHAEL SWITZER / DR. HASSAN MAKKI / DR. KERRY ZANG
DR. SHAH ASKARI / DR. DAN SCHULMAN / DR. KIM LEACH / DR. BARRY KAPLAN / DR. JEFF WEISS
If your neuropathy