BY SCOTT SHUMAKER Tribune Staff Writer
Bell
“Instead of our water going south to Ci
Lake Mead, which straddles the border of Arizona and Nevada, is a reservoir that stores Colorado River water, held back by the iconic Hoover Dam.
After opening in February to much fanfare, revenue for the destination 380acre sports complex’s first six months of op eration fell short of projections.
Money woes ringing
Candid
Creek is dotting i’s and cross ing t’s in a $21-million deal to pur chase Colorado River water from GSC Farm in Cibola that will yield 2,033 acre-feet of water annually for the town through the Central Arizona Project canal system.Thatwould satisfy the water needs of at
see BELL page 10
Bank Park in Mesa needs a grand slam this fall.
talk
BY MARK MORAN Tribune Staff Writer
匀琀漀渀攀䌀爀攀攀欀䘀甀爀渀椀琀甀爀攀⸀挀漀洀 伀刀䐀䔀刀匀 䈀夀 匀䔀倀吀 吀䠀 䜀唀䄀刀䄀一吀䔀䔀䐀 䐀䔀䰀䤀嘀䔀刀夀 䈀䔀䘀伀刀䔀 䌀䠀刀䤀匀吀䴀䄀匀 匀琀漀渀攀䌀爀攀攀欀䘀甀爀渀椀琀甀爀攀⸀挀漀洀 Queen
The U.S. Bureau of Reclamation this month cleared the way for Queen Creek’s purchase, which has been under consider ation since 2019 and it already has been approved by the Arizona officials.
Here’s how the water will get here:
least 4,066 homes a year and possibly as many as about 6,000.
The complex failed to generate profits in its opening months, and in August, Leg acy Cares, the nonprofit owner of the park, slashed its revenue forecast for the year by more than half.
COMMUNITY ........................ 16 BUSINESS .............................. 18 OPINION ................................. 20 SPORTS 23 GET OUT 25 CLASSIFIEDS ........................ 26 SPORTS ............... 23 More turn thumbs down on high school football. INSIDE COMMUNITY ..... 16 EV trio get welcome help for foster kids mission. NEWS .................... 8 QC ready to launch $95M worth of projects. Minimum wage jumping big / P. 18 Sunday, September 18, 2022FREE | QueenCreekTribune.comAn edition of the East Valley Tribune see WATER page 9 SUBSCRIPTIONFREE
QC nearing completion of big water deal
Queen Creek Unified School District Superintendent Dr. Perry Berry on Sept. 14 gave an overview of the district’s bond measure at the Queen Creek Chamber of Commerce networking luncheon spon sored by the Queen Creek Tribune. You can read about his presentation on page 3. (David Minton/Tribune Staff Photographer)
When an order comes in from a city or town, dam operators send the water to the Central Arizona Project (CAP) canal system at Lake Havasu, Arizona.
EV sports park’s bell
And Town Council this Wednesday, Sept. 21, will hold a hearing on the deal before taking a final vote on it.
2 QUEEN CREEK TRIBUNE | QUEENCREEKTRIBUNE.COM | SEPTEMBER 18, 2022 SAME-DAY AIR CONDITIONING & PLUMBING SERVICE Call us for quick, honest, reliable service 7 days a week! $3995 Air Conditioning Tune Up & Safety Inspection Limited time offer. Restrictions may apply. Call for details. Expires 9/30/22 Limited time offer. Restrictions may apply. Call for details. Expires 9/30/22 With Purchase of part/repair. Limited time offer. Restrictions may apply. Call for details. Expires 9/30/22 AirServiceConditioningCall 480.345.COOL (2665) 3065 N. Norfolk Ave., Mesa, AZ 85215 LICENSED • BONDED • INSURED SENIOR & westernstateshomeservices.comDISCOUNTSVETERANAVAILABLE! NONOFREEWeekendChargesOvertimeChargesAZROC #253810 / #321722 $3995 Water Heater Flush A+
Attendees at the Queen Creek Chamber of Commerce luncheon got a detailed and candid look at why Queen Creek Unified is posing a bond measure to voters on the Nov. 8 ballot. (Facebook)
QUEEN CREEK TRIBUNE | QUEENCREEKTRIBUNE.COM | SEPTEMBER 18, 2022 3NEWS
recent history is any guide, the schools are facing an uphill battle.
“Queen Creek School district is real ly doing a better job of educating the public,” said local business law attor ney Matthew Harrison, who supports the bond.
BY MARK MORAN Tribune Staff Writer
Voter hurdles loom over bond measure, Chamber told
see CHAMBER page 4
Q
“This type of growth is unprece dented. It’s unbelievable,” Berry said. “It’s not even close to what average growth is. It’s double-digit enroll ment growth, so it’s a unique chal
ueen Creek Unified School Dis trict Superintendent Dr. Perry Berry last week explained to local businesses why the district is asking voters to consider a $198-mil lion bond Addressingmeasure.theQueen Creek Cham ber of Commerce during a network ing luncheon sponsored by the Queen Creek Tribune, Berry explained that projects covered by the bond aim to help the district keep pace with en rollment growth, which has jumped 148% in the past decade.
lenge that we’re facing here in the area.”The measure would fund two new elementary schools, expand and ren ovate some buildings, upgrade athlet ic facilities, reduce student-teacher ratios, provide additional buses and improve security and fine arts facili ties.If
Voters last year rejected a bond measure for $286 million.
Queen Creek has added a new school in each of the last five years and there are more to come.
“I think the tax impact was too much the last set of elections where as this is more of a practical take into account the current economic situa tion,” he added.
© https://timespublications.com/phoenix/orcall480-898-7901
Photographer: Dave Minton | dminton@TimesLocalMedia.com
The content of any advertisements are the sole responsibility of the advertiser. Queen Creek Tribune assumes no responsibility for the claims of any advertisement.
But Queen Creek officials are point ing to the “hyper explosive” growth impacting schools.
Publisher: Steve T. Strickbine
CONTACT INFORMATION
4 QUEEN CREEK TRIBUNE | QUEENCREEKTRIBUNE.COM | SEPTEMBER 18, 2022NEWS
Reporters: Mark Moran | 480-898-5601 | mmoran@TimesLocalMedia.com Ken Sain | 928-420-5341 | ksain@TimesLocalMedia.com
2022 Strickbine Publishing, Inc. To start or stop delivery of the paper, please visit:
“I am in support of it because I be lieve that strong schools help strong business,” said Queen Creek business man and Councilman-elect Ryan Mc Clure. “We need work-ready folks that can help our economy grow, and con tinue to be a safe community to raise ourNinefamilies.”out of 14 of the district’s schools will be near or over capac ity by next year and the growth just keeps coming.
“The average home in Queen Creek has a limited assessed value of about $243,000. The average property own er paid about $37.17 a month for QCUSD bonds in school year 2021–22. If approved, properties appraised at the same value would pay a similar amount for QCUSD bonds for school year 2023-24 as they did in 2021–22, estimated at around $41 a month.”
Echols sends his kids to a local char ter school, but still voiced support for the bond measure, even though his kids wouldn’t benefit directly from it.
Queen Creek Tribune is distributed by AZ Integrated Media a circulation company owned & operated by Times Media Group The public is limited to one copy per reader. For circulation services, please contact Aaron Kolodny at aaron@phoenix.org. To your free online edition subscription, please visite: https://www.queencreektribune.com/e-subscribe/ CHAMBER from page 3 Know anything interesting going on in Queen Creek? Send your news to pmaryniak@timeslocalmedia.com
the future of the schools.
Steve Insalaco | 480-898-5635 sinsalaco@TimesLocalMedia.com
An edition of the East Valley Tribune Queen Creek Tribune is published every Sunday and distributed free of charge to homes and in single-copy locations throughout Queen Creek
The town’s research shows that resi dents support schools and the funding that it takes to build them, Berry said – until it’s time to pull the lever in fa vor of a property tax increase, which is what a bond measure often triggers.
“Next time you pass cleared land and you see that sign for an incoming subdivision, you can think to yourself
The district says on its website that “community hypergrowth” will allow “tax rates to remain the same as prop erty values increase.”
Berry’s message appeared to reso nate with the audience.
The district has also requested almost $40-milion from the state School Facilities Board to help offset localTheinvestments.district’sbond measure also is coming at a time amid concerns about runaway inflation. The Valley’s infla tion rate was the highest in the nation last month.
But there’s another challenge fac ing the district’s bond measure, Berry said.“Strike two: our registered voters,” he said. “Of all the areas in Maricopa County, Queen Creek has one of the lowest numbers of registered voters in any QCUSDcommunity.”hasadded a link on its web page that takes people straight to the voter registration page, hoping res idents will become engaged in the democratic process that will affect
Advertising Sales Executive: Jane Meyer | 480-898-5633 | jane@TimesLocalMedia.com
Distribution Manager: Brian Juhl | brian@timeslocalmedia.com
School officials are prohibited by law from lobbying one way or the oth er for any political measure and Berry carefully framed his explanation of a measure that would be a shot in the arm for students and teachers.
CIRCULATION : 623-535-8439
Managing Editor: Cecilia Chan | 480-898-5613 |cchan@TimesLocalMedia.com
‘there’s a hundred families,’” district spokeswoman Jessica Bautista said in a recent interview. “There is an el ementary school’s worth of children.”
Berry told attendees at the Cham ber gathering, “They can predict how successful a bond is going to be. Strike one is our polling data wasn’t that“It’sgood.”good that people love our dis trict but bad that they don’t want to pay for that type of vote,” Berry said.
“In Queen Creek, the median market price for a home is about $585,000, according to Realtor.com. While that may be what it’s valued on sites like Zillow or Redfin, the assessed value is different and comes from the Marico pa County Assessor,” it states.
“It’s just not a good look. Our board hates them. We hate them. The aes thetic appearance is not good and you’re also taking your money that you want to pay your teachers with and putting it into a capital expense,” BerryAddedsaid.Chamber of Commerce pres ident Chris Clark: “We’ll be headed back to portables if we don’t do some thing.”Berry also noted, “We’re trying to plan for a future with the bond and plan for the future without the bond. Either way, the growth is coming.”
Circulation Director: Aaron Kolodny | aaron@phoenix.org
“Given what they showed today, I would support it,” said Shawn Echols, a Queen Creek business owner.
ADVERTISING DEPARTMENT
But members of the business com munity, who are in a position to help shape the outcome of the election, are not so constrained.
“It’s a community thing, too. Help ing out kids here. Giving them better schools, better buildings. As long as the money is going there I have no problem. I would vote for it.”
Display Advertising: 480-898-6309
Classifieds/Inside Sales: Elaine Cota | 480-898-7926 | ecota@TimesLocalMedia.com
The third strike is the state of the current economy and runaway infla tion“It’snationally.verypolitical out there right now. The price of gas, the price of in flation – it’s clouding the political cli mate out there and sometimes they associate a school property tax with a national debate about education and inflation and everything and we feel like we are getting caught up in that,” Berry said.
Sports Editor: Zach Alvira | 480-898-5630 | zalvira@TimesLocalMedia.com
Citing “hyper growth” and the need to stay ahead if it, Berry said that put ting another bond measure before vot ers was really the only viable option.
Production Coordinator: Courtney Oldham | 480-898-5617 production@TimesLocalMedia.com
“We owe it to our families and our students to at least try. You can’t win the game if you’re not in the game,” Berry said. “The only way you have a chance of winning an election in this type of climate is through grassroots, factual presentation. Making sure people know what they are getting.”
TJ Higgins | 480-898-5902 | tjhiggins@TimesLocalMedia.com
The district has budgeted $5.5-mil lion for portable classrooms, which, school officials have said are not as ef ficient as a permanent school building and certainly not as pleasing to the eye.
Design: Nathalie Proulx | nproulx@TimesLocalMedia.com
Circulation: 480-898-5641
Vice President: Michael Hiatt
Main number: 480-898-6500 | Fax: 480-898-562
NEWSExecutiveDEPARTMENTEditor: Paul Maryniak | pmaryniak@TimesLocalMedia.com480-898-5647
QUEEN CREEK TRIBUNE | QUEENCREEKTRIBUNE.COM | SEPTEMBER 18, 2022 5 95 N. Dobson Rd. • Chandler, AZ 85224 480-726-8900 • info@huffsautomotive.comhuffsautomotive.com Appointment!ForCallAn We at Huffs Automotive are specialists in: • Mercedes Benz • Land Rover • BMW • Jaguar • Porsche • Audi • Volkswagen Serving the East Valley since 2009! Family Owned and Operated SeHablaEspañol #1 Rated Shop in the East Valley VOTED #1 EAST VALLEY AUTO REPAIR Your Trusted European Car Specialists NOW HIRING AUTO TECHNICIANS & MECHANICS Experienced & Entry-Level Call 480-726-8900 Or Submit Resume huffsautomotive@yahoo.comat BESTOF 2021 BESTOF 2022 Vote for us for Best Auto Repair! Vote for US! VOTE NOW! 2022 Chandler • Gilbert • Mesa
“Raised crosswalk table intersections and crosswalks along with street furni
6 QUEEN CREEK TRIBUNE | QUEENCREEKTRIBUNE.COM | SEPTEMBER 18, 2022NEWS 480-725-3511Some restrictions apply. See website for additional information. O ers expire 12/31/2022. www.BrewersAC.com Service Call (with repair) • Second OpinionFREEFREE We offer Big Savings and Great Financing! BESTOF 2021 40 Serving the Central Valley Years SINCE 1982 ROC #C39-312643 DOG DAYS OF SUMMER ARE HERE! We are offering $40 OFF our Brewer’s Deluxe 20 point Tune up REG. $119 Ask about our INDOOR REME HALO ® IN-DUCT AIR PURIFIER! Just in time for Haboob Season
The town also is adding a lot of traffic signals. City streets will have close to 100 by the end of the year.
This map illustrates the current stages for some of Queen Creek’s major road projects. (Town of Queen Creek)
Supply chain delays have a domino ef fect and can interfere with the town’s plan to start and finish projects within a de sired timeframe.
“To give you an idea,” Lipinksi said, “we use PVC for water and sewer. If I order it right now, I won’t have it until probably
“Design of the East Park Drainage Sys tem will also include initial planning and preliminary design of the future East Park Sports complex to roughly a 60% layout stage,” according to department staff.“This allows the town to shape the site to match the future park needs; only re quiring major earthwork to be done once.”
BY MARK MORAN Tribune Staff Writer
T
ture, knee walls, Town Center style street lights and landscaping will build upon the nearby Ocotillo Road’s design look,” the staffThewrote.$9.7-million project also includes improved infrastructure for water, sani tary sewer, storm water and drainage.
Known as the East Park Drainage Man agement Improvement Project, this is a partnership with the Flood Control Dis trict of Maricopa County, and will provide regional drainage and flood control ele ments connecting with existing infrastruc ture west of Crismon Road along Queen Creek Road and connect it to future im provements east of Signal Butte Road.
“Ocotillo Road has been improved in several locations by residential develop ers with more improvements planned,” according to CIP staff. “Completing the whole street with five lanes in this area will accommodate development and facili tate further growth.”
“We’re at full staff. We’re going almost as fast as we can from a town standpoint,” Lipinski said.
“Keeping up is relative,” said Dave Lip inski, director of the town’s Capital Im provement Projects Department. “We are in a busy environment. Everyone is going a million miles an hour to keep up with the growth.”Using a combination of impact fees and construction sales tax, the town will be breaking ground on a trio of projects rightOneaway.involves the $13.8-million widen ing Ocotillo Road between Sossamon and Hawes to two lanes in each direction with a middle turn lane, a curb, gutter, sidewalk construction, drainage upgrades, bike lanes, traffic signals and street light instal lations, according to department staff.
The second project involves construc tion of Aldecoa Drive and Munoz Street be tween Ellsworth Loop Road and Ellsworth Road. It will have on-street parking, offstreet bicycle paths and walkways.
The other project is the $70-million Frontier Family Park, near Ryan and Signal Butte Roads. It will include improvements to regional drainage infrastructure.
Those are other capital projects in the works.“Ithink right now we have almost 60 ac tive projects,” Lipinski said.
he Town of Queen Creek is in a flatout sprint to keep up with the ex ploding growth and transportation officials are set to start construction on additional roads and bridges with an esti mated price tag of nearly $95-million.
“It’s kind of a perfect storm right now. Everyone has got a full plate across the in dustry.”Lipinksi said this isn’t necessarily slow ing the projects’ progress, but it does mean that success comes down to executing nearly flawless planning.
“Right now, our biggest constraint is finding designers who have availability and time to get things designed and a lack of manpower on the construction side and material availability,” Lipinksi said.
“2022 was the year of the signal,” Pub lic Works Director Mohamed Youssef said at a recent Transportation Advisory Com mittee meeting.
QC ready to launch big-ticket capital projects
That committee is tasked with fore casting and implementing Queen Creek’s Transportation Master Plan and coordi nating projects with private utilities.
But despite the best laid plans, crews can only work as fast as they can get the people and materials.
January at the earliest.”
QUEEN CREEK TRIBUNE | QUEENCREEKTRIBUNE.COM | SEPTEMBER 18, 2022 7 JOIN US AND EXPLORE EXPERIENCE OUR 10 AMAZING ACADEMIES IN ALASCHOOLS.ORG/APPLIED-TECHNOLOGIESACTION! CONNECT WITH US FINANCEBUSINESSCOSMETOLOGYCONSTRUCTIONAVIATIONAUTOMOTIVE& HEALTHTECHNOLOGYHOSPITALITY//FIRSTEDUCATIONRESPONDERMILITARY @ALAAPPLIEDTECH/ALAAPPLIEDTECH
Town officials say the 27 square miles of land in yellow will be home to thousands of new jobs by 2030. (Town of Queen Creek)
“So, this is like two times of San Tan Valley in terms of population growth,” Youssef said. “Employment growth is also huge there.”
lanning for the infrastructure needs of a rapidly growing mu nicipality like Queen Creek can beButdifficult.inthe early 2000s, town offi cials worked with Pinal and Marico pa counties’ transportation planners to try and predict what a small but up-and-coming corner of southeast Queen Creek would look like in 2020. That small corner is expanding faster than even the experts could have imagined and Queen Creek of ficials are revisiting their prognosti cations.The27-square-mile block of land is bordered by Ray, Combs, Meridian and Schnepf roads and encompasses the proposed LG Energy Solutions battery factory, the State Route 24 extension and Pinal Parkway as well as houses and connector roads.
Perhaps the most high-profile part of this study involves the impact that the opening of SR 24 and the exten sion of the Pinal Parkway will have on traffic flow. Both freeways will combine to give drivers an option other than surface streets to access the Loop 202 freeway system.
“This will change the traffic circu lation in the area.”
The numbers might change over time, but for the foreseeable future, the demand on infrastructure and the need to stay ahead of the curve, won’t.“Planning is a very important part of the development,” Youssef said. “We don’t want to plan wrong and then construct wrong.”
network.“Thesmall study area will eventu ally be folded into the town’s Trans portation Master Plan.
Town plans for future growth in a sliver of Queen Creek
8 QUEEN CREEK TRIBUNE | QUEENCREEKTRIBUNE.COM | SEPTEMBER 18, 2022NEWS
“When an area has an explosion of growth, we do what’s called a small area transportation study,” said Mohamed Youssef, town public works director. “It’s a focused study in a cer tain area to see what’s going on there and how we can plan for better transportation systems to accommodate the growth that’s happen ing in the area.”
to the LG plant, this block of Queen Creek is predicted to add at least 7,500 jobs by 2030, a growth rate of 530%.Add the two miles surrounding the smaller focus area, and that job pro jection jumps to 9,500, for an overall growth rate of 150%, according to townTheredata.are about 100,000 people living inside this growth area, but given the projections, there will be triple that number by 2030.
BY MARK MORAN Tribune Staff Writer
But in the bigger picture, Queen Creek’s transportation budget dwarfs any other segment of the town’s $730-million spending plan with 73% targeted for capital im provement projects. Of that, a quar ter is spent on roads, bridges and other transportation infrastructure.
“You don’t want to deal with traffic signals and a roadway network that might be clogged with access and commercial and all of that,” Youssef said,“Youexplaining:willdefinitely take the park way all the way to SR 24 onto the freeway and that will relieve the traf fic right now on the existing street
“Thisneeds.council is committed to keep ing transportation a top priority,” said Mayor-elect Julia Wheatley.
Queen Creek is focus ing on this area and its infrastructure needs to keep up with the pro jected job growth part ly because this little block of land was always going to be something special.SR24 was projected to bring this type of growth. But now, partly due
The money for amending this small area plan is miniscule. It amounts to an intergovernmental agreement with Pinal County, and won’t exceed $40,400 but is an important compo nent in the methodical process of keeping a focus on future infrastruc ture
P
“The philosophy is to stretch the groundwater out to maybe 200 years or 300, where it almost become sus tainable ... to where that aquifer just becomes what we would consider the storage facility and water treatment plant for Gardnerus.”said this philosophy is an cient.
WATER from page 1 see WATER page 10 This map shows part of the Central
it,” Garner said. “The water district will use it and not pump groundwater.”
Groundwater is a significant factor in the town’s water equation.
Once in Queen Creek’s retention ba sins, the water from Cibola will even
Most Arizona municipalities didn’t either, although some have one into the first stage of a water management plan that calls for more education on conservation and urging consumers to reduce water usage by 5%. However, there are no mandatory restrictions on water use in those municipalities.
He pointed to the Egyptians, who took water out of the Nile and dug a storage basin lower than the river at which point the water would be puri fied as it percolated through the sand. Queen Creek wants to do the same thing with the Cibola water. Not everyone is happy with the water deal.“The town is not seeking a sustain able water supply,” said state Rep. Re gina Cobb, R- La Paz County, in a letter of opposition to sale, which she and others sent to the governor. “The town is seeking aggressive economic devel opment.”Others think buying river water from other places and routing it to booming and thirsty areas like Queen Creek is short-sighted.“It’sgoingto be a huge transfer of wealth if they succeed,” Mohave Coun ty Supervisor Travis Lingenfelter said during the public hearing stage of the sale. “It’s a horrible precedent to set and it opens the floodgates to similar Arizona Project
tually comingle with the underground supply, effectively increasing the size of the 100-year aquifer.
Queen Creek says it sits on a 100-year groundwater supply and did not react to federal drought actions in mid-Au gust that called for water restrictions.
The CAP canal forms part of Queen Creek’s border, so once the water ar rives, it will be diverted to a storage facility that the town has been building in anticipation of this water deal going through.Think of it as a series of giant reten tion“Thebasins.water will percolate down into the ground and that’s how we will store
The Arizona Department of Water Resources estimates than one acre foot of water can serve at least two and pos sible three households in the state for a year.Nomatter how the water is used, Gardner said, the goal will to be to off set any underground aquifer use at all.
bola, it will take a left hand turn at Lake Havasu and it will go into the CAP ca nal,” said Paul Gardner, director of pub lic utilities for the town. “As it crosses the Salt River in Mesa, it heads south and east to Queen Creek.”
(CAP) canal system at Lake Havasu, which opposed the deal because the Colorado River is its primary water source. (Special to the Tribune) Your Idea • Our Craftmanship Bring Your Vision To Life With Custom Design 4980 S. Alma School Rd., Ste A-7, Chandler 480.659.6984 (Next to Safeway) Open Monday - Saturday 10am to 5pm PRECIOUS ELEMENTS JEWELRY & COIN Jewelry • Coins • Repairs • Gold Buying
“What will happen is this 2,000-acre feet of water will be stored and it will go down into the aquifer and it will be stored for either future pumping or for current pumping,” Gardner said.
QUEEN CREEK TRIBUNE | QUEENCREEKTRIBUNE.COM | SEPTEMBER 18, 2022 9NEWS
“If we pull out 2,000-acre feet, 2,000acre feet of the Cibola water will go back into the aquifer,” he said.
usually issued by cities and towns, but Arizona law allows organizations to sell tax-incentivized municipal bonds to in vestors through AZIDA.
“I don’t think this proposal opens any floodgates or creates some massive precedent for other transfers to take place,” said Gammage, Jr., an attorney representing GSC.
Things really haven’t changed all that much. It’s just that now, water diver sion is a highly legalized, complicated, high stakes and pricey endeavor, and the population relying on the water is astronomically larger.
Once the paperwork is done and the water starts flowing down from lake Havasu, about 4 ½ million gallons, or 13 ½ acre feet, of water will be diverted into the Queen Creek retention basins every day, forever, as long as the Colo rado River continues to supply it.
Chad Miller, CEO of Legacy Sports –the entity that manages the park for the nonprofit Legacy Cares – told the Tribune that Bell Bank Park is well-po sitioned to hit its targets for the coming months and meet all its financial obliga tions.“We were dealing with material delays and some facilities at the park not being able to open up 100% for the first six to seven months,” Miller said. “We unfor tunately had to deal with that, and the
order to hit even its scaled-down revenue targets and make next year’s loan repayments due to its institutional investors, Legacy Cares is counting on a dramatic increase in income once cooler weather arrives.
Queen Creek will get its water from the Cibola National Wildlife Refuge, which will not be affected by the deal.
“That’s why you have Salt River Proj ect. That’s why you have Lake Mead and Lake Powell. We haven’t moved people to the rivers. We’ve actually moved the rivers to where people want to live.”
Little time for the bottom line
It took major companies like Google and Facebook years to become profit able, but due to the nature of its financ ing, the 320-acre Bell Bank Park doesn’t have a lot of time to start generating healthy profits.
During an Aug. 30 disclosure call with investors, representatives for the park’s creditors asked Legacy Cares leadership pointed questions about the park’s abil ity to start generating greater revenue.
Summer business was especially dis appointing, prompting Bell Bank Park to modify its business model to be more of a seasonal operation than the yearround venue originally pitched to inves tors.In
“Arizona has always moved water to where the people are. They’ve nev er moved people to where the water is,” Gardner said. “Where people want to locate that’s where they’ve always moved water.
10 QUEEN CREEK TRIBUNE | QUEENCREEKTRIBUNE.COM | SEPTEMBER 18, 2022NEWS
Historically, it was common practice for farmers and other residents to take matters into their own hands when it came to water. The closer that your
“We are going to continue to stay ag gressive and we’re going to continue to do our best to take what we call this finite water supply that we have and stretch it out from 100 years to 200 to 300 to 400 hundred to basically sus tainable to where it’s forever water,” Gardner said.
Queen Creek expects their water to start arriving early next year.
Miller said Bell Bank Park is seeing increases in registration for leagues and events, and venue manager Oak View Group is investing in the construction of a concert venue that is expected to begin hosting concerts in November.
water deals.”
great thing about it is we now are head ing into our busy season, which is Sep tember all the way through May.”
land was to the mouth of the river that you lived near, the luckier you were and the more “water rights” you had.
“There is plenty of water on the river for both urban growth and continued agricultural use. This is not in any way going to cause some catastrophic result in water on the river,” he said.
That’s because prior to statehood and thus any real regulation, water rights were largely decided simply by where you put down roots.
AZIDA says the practice provides fi nancing for projects in the public inter est, like low-income housing, at no risk to the state – the bond seller is entirely
The attorney representing GSC Farm, Grady Gammage Jr disagrees.
Legacy Cares raised money by sell ing $280 million in municipal bonds through the Arizona Industrial Devel opment Authority. Municipal bonds are
And the town is not done looking for additional water.
WATER from page 9 see BELL page 11
BELL from page 1
In February, Bell Bank Park in Mesa opened with high hopes on the part of owners and users alike, though they both have encountered some disap pointments in the months that followed. (Tribune File Photo)
The project’s principals have commit ted to contributing $7.9 million out of pocket to help cover the loan payment due in January 2023 and say they will kick in more if necessary.
By selling its water to Queen Creek, GSC Farm, which has said it wants to stop irrigating most of its farmland and will keep enough water rights to devel op 400 acres.
“It’s not like this land is going to sit there and have dust blowing in the wind,” Gardner said. “This is going to be something where it’s developed for a better use. It’s like a sportsman’s ranch.”
see BELL page 12
In Gilbert, both town and school offi cials looked at the park as useful,
A Wall Street Journal article published earlier this month featured Bell Bank Park as an example of the risks posed to investors by high-yield municipal bonds issued by “conduit issuers” like AZIDA. It said these types of bonds surged in popularity in the last five years, but more recently “bond prices are plum meting, construction and labor costs are soaring and risky deals are faltering.”
A mammoth building at Bell Bank Park houses a concessions area that links basketball and volleyball courts. (Tribune file photo)
Gilbert Public Schools in June inked a partnership agreement with Legacy Sports to use the venue for its Perfor mance Academy, a flexible learning pro gram for student athletes in grades 4-8.
on the hook for the loan repayments. A spokesman for AZIDA said that only two projects out of the 128 it funded have defaulted.
Lots of people are enjoying and root ing for Bell Bank Park.
Legacy Cares shared data with the Tri bune from foot traffic data service Plac er.ai showing 2.9 million visits to the Bell Bank Park this year from 816,000 visi tors.On a recent weekday morning, pick leball players chatted outside a building after a match and young basketballers streamed into a building.
QUEEN CREEK TRIBUNE | QUEENCREEKTRIBUNE.COM | SEPTEMBER 18, 2022 11NEWS
But Bell Bank Park’s backers are exud ing confidence about the coming season, saying they have numerous contracts signed and events planned.
Visit Mesa, the city’s official destina tion marketing partners, made Bell Bank Park a centerpiece of a presentation on the city’s tourism and hospitality indus try in August.
Adding pressure to the venture, Lega cy Cares doesn’t own the land the park is built on – it has a 40-year lease with owner Pacific Proving LLC and must pay $3.4 million in rent annually.
BELL from page 10
Fans and doubters
Legacy Cares is slated to repay its bonds over 30 years according to a fixed schedule. Next year, Legacy Cares must repay investors a total of $24 million. The annual payments then ramp up to $32 million the following year.
Student Choice. Student Voice.
Located next to some of the fastest growing communities in the country, residents of Queen Creek and southeast Mesa are starved for entertainment and cultural amenities closer to home.
Queen Creek officials earlier this year launched the town’s first tourism web site and it also touts its proximity to the venue while also discussing the use of Bell Bank Park’s LED screens to adver tise its attractions.
Sitting amid concrete warehouses and data centers, Bell Bank Park is a wel come project for many in the region.
“We’re“no.” right on track in the fall and winter heading into a position where we don’t anticipate having any short falls whatsoever in regards to those pay ments next year,” he said.
The Tribune asked if there was any chance of defaulting on the bonds next year, and Legacy Chairman Doug Moss said
“Everything is trending and tracking as we suspected it would the second part of this year, so, no, we’re very confi dent in the revenue anticipation and the partnerships that we have.”
“They are proposing to eliminate that from the land use.”
bathrooms and better food and beverag es, which he felt were overpriced.
Town of Gilbert officials viewed Bell Bank as an addition that would draw in more baseball players to the Valley, which would benefit its sports venue, CactusUnderYards.the terms of a development agreement with Legacy Cares revised in October 2021, the City of Mesa has invested a total of $1.4 million to accel erate road work on the Ellsworth and
BY MARK MORAN Tribune Staff Writer
The hangars will measure 80’x80’ and will be “ready to park an airplane,” said Lake, adding that people who buy the hangars do not have to be residents of Volare and may
“We envision somebody maybe flying their aircraft here and maybe spending the night or maybe they’re spending a couple of months here. There is no guarantee that any of them will be residential,” he said.
“We will be working with Town staff on the site plan and design review, as well,” Lake
In the Volare scenario, a customer can choose to buy a hangar and build a home or just buy a hangar and use it as they see fit and not as part of the community.
In the face of big financial demands, Bell Bank Park needs to win back these customers and add even more to the
Instead of a locker room, “they gave us chain link fence with tarps on it,” he said.
There were stands only on one side of the stadium, and the venue needed more
“We’re at halftime of our first year,” Miller said, and “we were able to learn from some of the things at the start of the year, even when some of our venues were not yet being able to operate 100% capacity. We learned a lot when it came to customer service and the customer experience.”
Private pilots are running out of space Valley-wide to park their planes.
“It wouldn’t be a 185-foot office build ing,” said David Gillette, chair of the com mission. “And if those plans were present ed to the commission, I’m sure we would have quite a few questions at that point.”
Students are bused by the district to the facility to practice their particular sport because Legacy Sports offered over 15 different athletic competitive environments for students to be trained in everything from speed and agility and baseball, basketball, softball, cheer and gymnastics.
Queen Creek Planning and Zon ing Commission has cleared the way for an additional 34 airplane han gars at Pegasus Airpark, a master planned airfield and neighborhood inside the Vo lare Estates neighborhood that allows people who live there to park their planes on their property and use central runway.
The
He was excited to sign a contract a year in advance to hold his season at the park instead of renting fields at lo cal high schools as he had done in pre vious.But he said when it came time to start the season, promised amenities like a locker room and media staging area were underwhelming or non-existent.
He said it felt like there wasn’t enough staff managing the fields and he was no tified close to the start of the season of scheduling conflicts that required him to change plans.
“We have gone through a lot regard ing the acreage that is directly across the street with the rezoning for the LG bat tery factory, and now we are looking at rezoning 1,600 acres of land just down the street, a short distance away. Once you change this zoning over … the fight is al ready lost,” Pint said.
Thesaid.action on Pegasus was part of a larger suite of measures the commission passed at its recent meeting.
But some people are disappointed in the park’s execution so far.
“The vision of what they wanted to build is amazing; it’s the execution of the operation where they failed,” he said, adding that he plans to hold next year’s seasonOnlineelsewhere.reviewers have raved about the park but also have complained about traffic backups while entering and ex iting the park and the high cost of food and beverages.
The commission also approved the re zoning of 32 acres for the Queen Creek Olive Mill Phase II, allowing it to make var ious aesthetic and structural additions to its Agritainment venue, and rezoned 11 acres at the northwest corner of Ironwood and Ocotillo Roads to make way for a 110unit multi-family development.
BELL from page 11
12 QUEEN CREEK TRIBUNE | QUEENCREEKTRIBUNE.COM | SEPTEMBER 18, 2022NEWS
choose to use the hangars seasonally.
The 7 acres at the corner of Ellsworth Road and Empire Boulevard were rezoned from residential to commercial because, according to Lake, developers originally planned for six residences in the area that will now house 34 hangars.
In the National Football League, he said, “the teams that seem to make the best second half adjustments are usually the teams that win.”
“We started with more of a residential feel, and in meeting with the neighbors and meeting with the developer, they wanted to go with more of a business park, high class look as opposed to a residential look. They didn’t want it to look like townhomes, they wanted it to look different,” he said.
“I realize that you say in your notes there that it is called ‘Urban Employment,’” said local resident Katrina Pint, who lives across the street from the land. “But if you look at what that breakdown is, ladies and gentle men, that very definition is industrial use. It will allow factories. It will allow recycling.
“We have gone through several itera tions of what the hangars would look like,” said attorney Sean Lake, who presented details of the plan to the commission.
Williams Field Road intersection and the State Route 24 freeway.
ranks.Legacy
Among the most prominent was the re zoning of 1,600 acres of State Trust land bordered on the north by State Route 24, on the south by Germann Road, on the west by Kenworthy Road on the east by the Central Arizona Project canal, from “Neighborhoods and Urban” to “Urban Employment.”“According to the state Land Depart ment, this is necessary to eliminate the ability for future residential in this partic ular area, single family and multifamily de velopment,” said Brett Burningham, devel opment services director for Queen Creek.
In the August investor call, Moss used a sports analogy to describe Bell Bank Park as it heads into what he believes is its prime season.
The land would now be zoned for build ings that could be as high as 185 feet, though any structure that tall would be limited to equipment use or storage only.
Planning panel approves more hangars at Pegasus Airpark
A part of Pegasus Airpark in Volare Estates, Queen Creek, will become home to 34 additional private airplane hangars as the result of town Planning and Zoning Commission action last week. (Town of Queen Creek)
A local sports club owner who wished to remain anonymous said the region needs a venue like Bell Bank Park.
Cares executives say they are ironing out Bell Bank Park’s opening year issues.
QUEEN CREEK TRIBUNE | QUEENCREEKTRIBUNE.COM | SEPTEMBER 18, 2022 13 $25OFFREPAIRFREESERVICECALL ROC #223709 ROC #289252 | ItsJustPlumbSmart.com 480-405-7099 VOTE PLUMBSMART BEST OF THE BEST! Over 1,000+ Five-Star Reviews PLUMBING & HVAC SERVICES • $99 Sewer Camera Inspection • $49 Seasonal A/C Tune-up! • 10% OFF Tankless Water Heaters • 3 Ton Trane A/C Unit only $5,995 • FREE Slab Leak Detection w/Repair • $500 OFF any Whole House Repipe Best Plumber BESTOF 2022 BESTOF 2022
District officials took exception to news stories in the SanTan Sun News and criticized the newspaper for mis representing their position.
AZLegacyFuneralHome.com Call today to make an CallvaluemoreservesorwithGiveWhat480-207-2286appointment.MattersMost?yourfamilypeaceofmindpreplannedburial,cremation,funeralarrangements.NooneMesaandChandlerwithcompassion,experience,andthanLegacy.orvisitusonlinetoday.
“Programs have been implemented for eighth and 10th graders, which is wonderful, and I’m very grateful for that,” said Kailani Higgins, a sopho more at Arizona College Prep High School. “But unfortunately, thoughts like these don’t end after sophomore year. When we end this conversation, we increase the likelihood that more kids will end their lives.”
My Ascension
BY KEN SAIN Tribune Staff Writer
There are other programs as well.
“These kids are coming to you, they’re coming to the top, and they’re begging the top to help change the culture,” said Karianna Blanchard, a founding member of Parents for Sui cideBothPrevention.womensaid the district needs to listen to the students who have been coming to their meetings since June.“It is said that a district of this size is a big ship to turn around,” Warnock said. “However, our group and other moms were here in 2018, laying out the same issues related to suicide pre vention.“Theterm ‘evidence-based’ is used like an educational news-speak weap on against students and community members wishing to speak with dis trict administrators. Here is an evi dence-based fact: Med students are now trained to listen to their patients’ stories. They have learned that listen ing to stories saves lives.”
T
The district has 117 employees who in one way or another focus on the mental well-being of students, the spokeswoman said. That includes 92 counselors, 21 social workers and fourCUSDadministrators.trainedmore than 800 staff in mental health first aid last year, and 700 support staff were trained in safe talk this year. More than 150 mental health professionals were also trained in Applied Suicide Intervention Skills Training.CUSDhas added Lifeline hotline numbers to the back of student IDs and put hotline numbers on school buses. It has increased the number of mental health clubs and added well ness/mindfulness rooms. It also plans a “parent university” to help parents understand the issues.
to listen to his students and their ex perience of the ocean in real time. Why won’t the head lifeguards who manage the pools in this district come down from their chairs to meet their kids in the water?”
board and the district to do this alone. We are hoping for more transparency and commitment to mark partner ships.”One student who has become a reg ular speaker complimented the Dis trict for one step it has taken, but said more needs to be done.
CUSD urged to do more to address student mental health
WHEN: 5:30 p.m., Wednesday, Sept. 21
Warnock did credit CUSD for doing more training in mental health aware ness than the state requires.
Warnock was one of four speakers to address the mental health crisis during the public comments portion of the Sept. 14 board meeting.
The district gives prevention les sons from kindergarten through sixth grade, and specialized lessons in the seventh, eighth, 10th and 11th grades. The ASU mental health toolkit is avail able for all high school students.
“There was some misrepresentation on what was said and how that con text was taken as well,” said Superin tendent Frank Narducci. “There is no intention that suicide should not be talked about in our district, and that we should look at every remedy we possibly can to help students at their point of need at the point of discov ery.”Narducci and Board Member Lara Bruner both spoke about a special film being presented at an event this Wednesday, Sept. 21. It is put on by teen mental health advocate Katey McPherson of Chandler and being co-sponsored by the Chandler Educa tionTheFoundation.filmis“My Ascension” and de tails a young woman’s suicide attempt and the events that led to it. McPher son will lead a panel discussion after the“Thefilm.film screening is not a District partnership, but we invited them and I’m glad they are promoting it,” said Riana Alexander, one of the co-found ers of AZ Students for Mental Health and a senior at Chandler High School. “I don’t see many signs that they are putting the focus they need to on mental health. The only person we
have been working with is Natasha Davis (CUSD’s prevention coordina tor).”ACUSD spokesperson was asked for a list of the events the district has planned or scheduled that put a focus on teen suicide and mental health.
“We all learned the big ships can be turned,” Blanchard said. “COVID showed us that. Do our adults have permission and the ability to say, ‘I want to take a minute because I can see you and I want to talk to you. And I want to see if you’re OK,’ because somewhere there’s a dis connect between in this room, and in this building, and all of our other buildings.”“Weareurging a more preventative and proactive approach to suicide and mental health,” said Wendy DeTata, a member of the Chandler Youth Well being Coalition. “We don’t expect the
WHERE: Majestic Neighborhood Cinema Grill, 4955 S. Arizona Ave., Chandler
he mother of a Tempe Union High School student who took his life was among those who urged the Chandler Unified School District Governing Board to do more to address the mental health crisis that has led to four students’ suicides since“TheMay.superintendent of Tempe Union High School District meets with student reps from each of his schools to see what he is not seeing from his metaphorical lifeguard chair,” said LorieHerWarnock.son,Mitch, was a senior at Co rona del Sol High School when he died in“He2016.knows his vantage point of the water is different from theirs inside the water,” Warnock said of Tempe Union Superintendent Dr. Kevin Men divil. “For that reason, he makes time
14 QUEEN CREEK TRIBUNE | QUEENCREEKTRIBUNE.COM | SEPTEMBER 18, 2022NEWS
“CUSD is dedicated to keeping ev eryone well,” the district said in a statement. “Parents/guardians/stake holders, you are our eyes and ears. This needs to be a community focus. This will take all of us as a collective group because we are stronger to gether. In closing, CUSD takes this top ic very seriously and we are actively seeking ways to grow and improve our partnerships, resources, and efforts when it comes to raising awareness for youth mental health.
3. Improves brain-based pain
cannot survive, and thus, slowly die. This leads to those painful and frustrating consequences we were talking about earlier, like weakness, numbness, tingling, balance issues, and perhaps even a burning sensation.
“It’s our belief that by having those individuals in a safe living space… we begin leaning into being able to truly change their life,” he said in an interview.
state allocation will fund construction, EVIT will have to pay for the residency’s operation.
Aspen Medical in Mesa, AZ uses a state-of-the-art electric cell signaling systems worth $100,000.00. Th is ground-breaking treatment is engineered to achieve the following, accompanied by advanced diagnostics and a basic skin biopsy to accurately analyze results: 1. Increases blood flow 2. Stimulates and strengthens small fiber nerves
WNOW!!eare
“What we’re wanting to be mindful of is that we’re funded by our taxpayers,” WilsonWhilesaid.the
Thanks
EVIT plans residence hall for foster youth
Aspen Medical begins by analyzing the extent of the nerve damage –a complimentary service for your friends and family. Each exam comprises a detailed sensory evaluation, extensive peripheral vascular testing, and comprehensive analysis of neuropathy findings.
PERIPHERALWARNING!NEUROPATHY AND CHRONIC PAIN TREATMENTS NOT WORKING!!
In 2021, EVIT started a foster care pro gram that allows youth who are getting ready to transition out of foster care to take an EVIT program while they finish their
State officials reported that in the 2021-22 fiscal year, 841 teens aged out of the state foster care system.
While participating in career and technical education programs on EVIT’s campus, resident foster youth would rely on the Paul Revere Academy, an offshoot of Heritage Academy, for traditional high school classes on the same campus. The charter high will give preferential place ment to foster youth.
Effective neuropathy treatment relies on the following three factors:
for a $10 million item in the current state budget, the East Val ley Institute of Technology hopes to open a residence hall for foster teens on its downtown Mesa campus by the 2023-24 school year.
Wilson said this will enable students to acquire high school diploma, a trade certification and/or dual-enrollment credits for community college.
3. The amount of treatment required for the patient’s unique condition
The number of treatments required varies from patient to patient, and can only be determined following an in-depth neurological and vascular examination. As long as you have less than 95% nerve damage, there is hope!
The drugs your doctor might prescribe will temporarily conceal the problems, putting a “Band-Aid” over a situation that will only continue to deteriorate without further
way to effectively treat chronic pain and/or peripheral neuropathy is by targeting the source, which is the result of nerve damage owing to inadequate blood flow to the nerves in the hands and feet. This often causes weakness, numbness,balance problems. A lack of nutrients causes the nerves degenerate – an insidious
1. Finding the underlying cause 2. Determining the extent of the nerve damage (above 95% nerve loss is rarely treatable)
The treatment works by delivering energy to the affected area(s) at varying wavelengths, from low- to middle-frequency signals, while also using Amplitude Modulated (AM) and Frequency Modulated (FM) signaling.
Mesa AZ – When it comes to chronic pain and/ or neuropathy, the most common doctor-prescribed treatment is drugs like Gabapentin, Lyrica, Cymbalta, and Neurontin. The problem with antidepressants or anti-seizure medications like these is that they offer purely symptomatic relief, as opposed to targeting and treating the root of the problem. Worse, these drugs often trigger an onset of uncomfortable, painful, and sometimes harmful side
Aspen Medical will be offering this free chronic pain and neuropathy severity evaluation will be available until October 31st, 2022. Call (480) 274 3157 to make an appointment
Wilson, EVIT superintendent for the past four years, said his inspiration for the residency hall came from visiting a similar facility in Orange, California.
BY JOSH ORTEGA Tribune Staff Writer
QUEEN CREEK TRIBUNE | QUEENCREEKTRIBUNE.COM | SEPTEMBER 18, 2022 15NEWS
“This is a space that we want these individuals to be able to live in and to grow and thrive in – and exit from with a better footing underneath them to go out into our communities and be produc
WilsonGED.said some foster students are not in high school equivalency programs but rather attend a traditional East Val ley high school while also attending EVIT.
Theeffects.only
EVIT currently works with some foster care organizations, including Foster360 and Hope & A Future, but the school hasn’t begun to seek out partnerships for the residence hall yet.
tive,” he said.
Wilson touted the work of the EVIT Governing Board in looking for innova tive pathways to support the community.
“It’s our belief that at EVIT, we change lives,” Wilson said. “That we change lives by loving our students and serving our communities.”
THE GREAT NEWS IS THAT THIS TREATMENT IS COVERED BY MEDICARE, MEDICAID, AND INSURANCES!!MOST
Depending on your coverage, your peripheral neuropathy treatment could cost almost nothing – or be absolutely free.
extremely busy, so we are unavailable, please leave a voice message and we will get back to you as soon as possible.
*(480) 274-3157* *this is a paid advertisement* 480-274-3157 4540 E Baseline Rd., Suite 119 Mesa Az 85206
Also, Wilson thanked the work of state Reps. Steve Kaiser, Michelle Udall, and Rusty Bowers in helping to allocate the“Thatfunds.anchor has allowed us to lean into space that is good for students, is good for our communities and is good for the state,” Wilson said.
Mesa is the birthplace of a brandnew facility that sheds new light on this pressing problem of peripheral neuropathy and chronic pain. The company is trailblazing the medical industry by replacing outdated drugs and symptomatic reprieves with an advanced machine that targets the root of the problem at hand.
It’s completely painless!
EVIT’s program will help provide fos ter youth with more stability, consisten cy and opportunities as they transition into adulthood, Wilson said.
Some other ideas Wilson said they will look at including utilizing the current training and facility space to create ame nities such as a grass field or basketball courts for extracurricular activities.
In addition to enrolling in EVIT’s adult career training programs, the students will receive social, emotional and mental health support services and learn life skills such as financial plan ning and nutrition.
Aspen Medical 4540 E. Baseline Rd., Suite 119 Mesa, AZ, 85206
EVIT Superintendent Dr. Chad Wilson said this is just the first step in changing the lives of foster youth by giving them not only a place to live but also a place where they can learn a trade and earn certification in it by the time the age out of the system.
Wilson said the school still is working on construction plans, but the residence would hold 64 beds and possibly eight shared-living areas similar to most mod ern university dormitories.
Thankfully,action.
As displayed in figure 1 above, the nerves are surrounded by diseased, withered blood vessels. A lack of sufficient nutrients means the nerves
Due to our very busy office schedule, we are limiting this offer to the first 10 c allers YOU DO NOT HAVE TO SUFFER ANOTHER MINUTE, CALL (480) 274 3157
The Hansens have been involved in real estate investing since 1992 and wanted to help a charity that embodied “true“It’svolunteerism.”easytodonate money, it’s easy to donate things,” Randy Hansen said. “But donating your life, that to me is the true gift.”
There, families can connect to sup port, advocacy, and assistance with im mediate needs 24/7, life skill programs and activities for children and foster and adoptive families.
see HELP page 17
The ladies have all provided homes for dozens of foster kids over the years, Ani
Hansen first read in a newspaper arti cle about the work the ladies did passing Jacob’s law, but the paper had become lost in the recycling.
Though he doubted they would show up given their busy schedules, Hansen said all three ladies showed up with the dozens of kids in tow.
sion Community Center located at 7830 East University Drive in Mesa.
That perfectly sums up the work real estate investors Randy and Dell Loy Hansen are doing for Advocacy, Sup port & Assistance Now Founders Anika Robinson, Susan Mulhearn and Angela Teachout. The ladies fought back tears, as Randy shared the story.
Randy Hansen (right) helped (from left) Angela Teachout, Anika Robinson, and Susan Mulheran expand the work of their nonprofit, Advocacy, Support & Assistance Now expanding their center to help foster children behavioral health needs. They are planning a gala at Falcon Field Sept. 23. (David Minton/GSN Staff Photographer)
QueenCreekTribune.com | @QCTribune @QCTribune Community For more Community News visit QueenCreekTribune.com 16 QUEEN CREEK TRIBUNE | QUEENCREEKTRIBUNE.COM | SEPTEMBER 18, 2022COMMUNITY
ka the longest, for the last 15 years. That moment Hansen realized that these women are angels among us.
Jacob, now 22, still lives in a devel opmentally delayed group home and requires round-the-clock care due to severe physical abuse from his biologi cal parents that deteriorated his mental health.In2018, ASA Now opened Jacob’s Mis
“She knew from day one that we were going to do it,” Hansen said. “That left them on this free and clear so they could put all of their money into finishing the building and serving customers.”
old Greek proverb says that a society grows when old men plant trees whose shade they will never sit in.
“They were bringing it back to life through pure sweat and volunteers,”
After getting to know the ladies even more, Hansen said he invited them to a Feeding My Starving Children event at the convention center.
he visited one Saturday afternoon when the ladies were in the middle of renovating the dilapidated old church with overgrown landscaping.
In December 2018, that prompted Hansen to step in and pay off their $1 million mortgage. Hansen said it’s a gift only his wife predicted would happen.
BY JOSH ORTEGA Tribune Staff Writer
EV benefactor helps trio help foster kids
After two days of googling every pos sibility of “foster kid” and whatever else he could think of, he finally stumbled upon the ASA Now website.
HansenHansensaid.said
he was so impressed by that simple effort, he made a check out for to buy paint for the building.
After a year-and-a-half of working
“I was crying so hard right there in the middle of Wells Fargo,” Robinson said.
“Lo and behold, I don’t remember how many people showed up but it turned out to be a really fun day,” Hansen said. “I was so impressed by that.”
An
“They weren’t sponsored by some consultant or pocket money people,” Hansen said. “They wanted a law for a specific reason, these were people that just care a lot as to doing the right thing.”
Robinson said she called crying that Hansen made a mistake when she dis covered the check was for $50,000.
“I feel like each one of us was tasked in this lifetime with doing pretty big things,” Robinson said. “And knowing that God commanded us to help others, and to leave this world better than when we came Hansenin.”said
Since passing Jacob’s Law in 2016, ASA Now has helped thousands of foster kids throughout the State of Arizona.
“That is something that we will never know the impact that it will have for the rest of their lives,” Robinson said. “But the Hansen family has done that, not only have they touched our lives, they will touch the lives of thousands upon thousands.”Intotal, the Hansen brother’s have agreed to donate $4 million to build the 18,000-square-foot school, as well as a swimming pool that will provide aquatic therapy for the kids.
comesTicketsin. for the festivities start at $100 perMarriedperson. couples can get a dol lar-for-dollar tax credit up to $1,000.
the Mesa Hangar at Falcon Field located at 4517 East Mallory Circle in Mesa on Friday, Sept. 23 at 5:30 p.m.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, ASA Now became the epicenter for getting help to the 14,000 kids in the foster care system in the State of Arizona.
The ladies of ASA Now will have to raise $1 million to break ground for the facility.“Itfeels impossible,” Robinson said.
As of Sept. 7, the nonprofit has only raised $153,000, and that’s where the Flight Night Gala on September 23
The Flight Night Gala will be held at
with volunteers, in December 2019 they finished renovations on the building. Then, the calendar turned to 2020 and a pandemic slowed the world down.
“We were only really serving our coun ty,” Anika said. “The pandemic made it to where we have to serve statewide.”
For more information, go to asanow. org and click on “Attend Our Upcoming Gala.”
Suddenly it became a mad rush to find volunteers to drive boxes of diapers, clothes, food, etc. around the state.
“We became a 24/7 distribution cen ter,” Robinson said. “It looked like a sec ondhand store on steroids for over a year.”In2020, ASA Now also established Shade Tree Academy and a small class of students at Jacob’s Mission Community Center located at 7830 East University Drive in Mesa.
“I wanted something that was true volunteerism with people that are mak ing a difference,” Hansen said.
Advocacy, Support & Assistance Now founders hope to raise money with their upcoming gala to realize their dream of a new and larger center to help foster children. (Special to GSN)
Shade Tree Academy looks to curb the effects foster kids feel from trauma they’ve endured and create the thera peutic component for kids and helping them gain the tools to cope with their trauma.“What they really need is someone that can help them work through their trauma,” Robinson said.
HELP from page 16 Coming in Call:HEALTHMEDICAREOctoberANDCAREISSUEIncludingourAnnualMedicareSupplementGuideDeadlinetoReserveSpaceSeptember23rd480.898.5609orEmail:Mhiatt@TimesPublications.com
epicenter for distributing training to volunteers throughout the entire state.
“Once we get the school built, then I want to start at the heart of that,” Han senRobinsonsaid. said the Hansens have gifted their school with opportunities they will never see come to fruition.
QUEEN CREEK TRIBUNE | QUEENCREEKTRIBUNE.COM | SEPTEMBER 18, 2022 17COMMUNITY
Classes officially opened in August 2021 and is now in their second aca demic year with its trauma-informed education for seven students because that’s all it can provide for now.
The nonprofit hopes to grow the amount of kids they can serve up to 100 students.Hansen has known charity his entire life, considering his mother was a high school English teacher that developed a reading program for underprivileged kids in Northern Utah.
Much like during the pandemic, the plan is to make ASA Now the permanent
Over the last 30 years, his family has built a foundation and helped set the standard for building child crisis family support centers in that area. Now, he wanted to help a group in Mesa.
“There will be people over the next 10 years, brought into this network to learn how to do a better job to support the needs of your foster family,” Hansen said.The next issue for the partnership is to work on helping those kids who age-out of the foster care system.
According to the Arizona Commerce Authority, “Arizona is the best state in the nation for entrepreneurship, in novation and emerging technology.”
Steve Chucri, president of the Arizona Restaurant Association, said restaurant employees who work “front of the house” will especially benefit from the big bump in Arizona’s minimum wage in January. (Special to GSN)
Even with the big increase and the new $13.85 wage floor, the automatic boost being precipitated by the Sept. 13 BLM data may have little practical effect on what many companies pay their Ari zona
ment, has its regular meeting.
BY HOWARD FISCHER Capitol Media Services
New figures reported Tuesday by the Bureau of Labor Statistics show that costs as measure by the Consumer Price Index for urban consumers, have ris en 8.3% between August 2021 and last month.What makes that important is that laws approved by voters in 2006 and again in 2016 require annual inflation adjustments based on the August annual figures.
see WAGE page 19
Inflation turbocharging minimum wage hike in 2023
see CHIP page 19
staff-starved business es are finding they can no longer offer the bare minimum allowed by law to attract and retain employees. And that
A formal announcement, however, won’t come until Thursday. That’s when the state Industrial Commission, which has purview over the annual adjust
QueenCreekTribune.com | @QCTribune @QCTribune Business For more Business News visit QueenCreekTribune.com 18 QUEEN CREEK TRIBUNE | QUEENCREEKTRIBUNE.COM | SEPTEMBER 18, 2022BUSINESS
Gov. Doug Ducey capitalized on
The Semiconductor Technician Quick Start program can be complet ed at no cost to Arizona residents. Those meeting the eligibility will re
That started at $13 on April 1, going to $13.50 in 2023 and $14.25 in 2024 be fore hitting the target. After that, as with the state minimum, adjustments would be made based on inflation.
I
at the bottom of the Arizona wage scale are going to be legally entitled to a pay hike of $42 a week beginning in January. And you can credit – or blame – infla tion.
to learn the skills needed to join the fast-growing industry in less than two weeks. Estrella Mountain Community College and Mesa Community College are offering the program as well, de veloped in partnership with major area employers, including Intel Corp.
Workers
That’sworkers.because
The Tucson ordinance, though, is de signed so that workers get the benefit of whatever calculation is more generous. So if any time the state figure is higher – as it will be in January –that becomes the floor.
n an effort to provide the talent needed to keep production of semiconductor chips going, Chan dler-Gilbert Community College is one of three colleges in the Maricopa County Community College District to offer a Semiconductor Technician Quick Start program.
The in-person 10-day certification course gives participants a chance
that sentiment with a five-day trip last month to the Republic of Korea and Taiwan for relationship building within the international technology industry.Lastyear, trade between Arizona and Taiwan equaled $1.92 billion and is only growing. “To say that this is important is an understatement,” a college spokeswoman said. “Semicon ductors make the use of almost every piece of technology possible. Without
Rounded to the nearest nickel, as re quired by statute, that translates out to $1.05 an hour on top of the current $12.80 figure.
The latest state minimum wage hike comes after Tucsonans voted last year to impose their own $15-an-hour mini mum wage by 2025.
Chandler-Gilbert Community College offers chip program
TRIBUNE NEWS STAFF
continued production, there would be no smartphones, radios, TVs, com puters, video games, or advanced medical diagnostic equipment, em phasizes the Semiconductor Industry Association. It’s exciting to think that Arizona is such a major part of that.”
A decade later, voters decided to tur bocharge the raises, imposing a $10 minimum with automatic increases up to $12 as of 2020.
Outlined in the CHIPS and Science Act signed by President Joe Biden in
“And in the back of the house, we’re also seeing the introduction of robotic arms that are working in certain parts of the kitchen, whether it’s turning over fries or flipping burgers, whatever the case might be,’’ he said.
By last year, inflation hit 5.3%, adding another 65 cents to reach the current $12.80.
to CGCC, this stipend is awarded upon successfully complet ing the class and passing the NIMS Technician Certification test. Stu dents who do not pass the certifica tion test will be responsible for pay ing the $270 tuition.
The other big hike has been the price of cars and trucks, up 10.1% for new ve hicles and 7.8% for used.
“It’s not necessarily job elimination,’’ Chucri explained.
CHIP from page 18
BLS reports that gasoline prices are up 25.6% over a year earlier.
There has been a sharp drop recent ly, including a 10.6% reduction just last month. But even with that,
Plus there were inflation adjustments.
Some fast-food and even casual dining spots direct customers to kiosks to place their orders and pay.
was $15.93. And dishwashers were be ing paid an average of $14.08 an hour.
QUEEN CREEK TRIBUNE | QUEENCREEKTRIBUNE.COM | SEPTEMBER 18, 2022 19BUSINESS
Who the state-mandated increase could help, Chucri said, are those in the front of the house.
What’s driving this year’s inflation fig ure, not surprisingly, is the cost of fuel.
But Steve Chucri, president of the Ari zona Restaurant Association, told Capitol Media Services neither the federal wage nor even the new state minimum wage is particularly relevant right now when members of his association are hiring.
And for those looking for a steady career, the job outlook is a good one.
Shelter prices, including rent and what the BLS calls the owners’ equivalent rent of residences, are up 6.2% nationally.
Contact Paul Maryniak at 480-898-5647 or pmaryniak@timeslocalmedia.com
Had those businesses been successful, Arizona would have the same $7.25 an hour minimum wage that has been fed eral law now since 2009.
Arizona already leads the nation in pay for semiconductor processing technicians, with an average salary of nearly $30 per hour according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
BUSINESSGOTNEWS?
ceive a $270 tuition stipend, fully cov ering Maricopa County resident tui tion and partially covering non-resi dentAccordingtuition.
The training supports the renewed effort to grow the workforce needed to support the production of semi conductors and related technologies, preventing a large-scale shortage that could span worldwide.
August directly impacts Intel, cur rently expanding its chip manufac turing plant in Chandler and adding 3,000 new jobs.
There also has been a 33.0% increase in the cost of piped gas, versus a 15.8% hike in electricity.
BLS also released separate data Tues day for the Phoenix metro area -- Mar icopa and Pinal counties -- that showed some marked differences with the na tionalMostfigures.notably, annual inflation is up 13.0% compared with 8.3% nationally. And that is largely driven by a 17.1% year-over-year increase in housing costs, a reflection of sharply higher home prices and rents.
There has been an immediate rush locally to sign up for the Semiconduc tor Technician Quick Start program, with a waitlist of over 300 at CGCC alone.“Fortunately, with the three MCCCD colleges offering multiple courses monthly at each location, the educa tional demand will continue to fit the need,” the spokeswoman said.
The voter-approved laws do allow their wages to be set $3 an hour below the state minimum. But that is condi tional on proof that their tips are making up the Wheredifference.thehigher wage may hurt, said Chucri, is down the road, after infla tion has cooled and after there is better alignment between the number of open jobs and the number of people who wantUnderone.other circumstances, he said, that could allow employers to offer less.
Arizona voters mandated in 2006 that the state have its own minimum wage not tied to the federal figure. That set the bottom of the pay scale here at $6.75 an hour, $1.60 higher than what federal law mandated at the time.
WAGE from page 18
Two years ago, with inflation at just 1.3%, that gave workers at the bottom an extra 15 cents an hour.
And grocery prices are up 13.5% year over year. But the cost of eating out has risen by just 8.0%.
Only thing is, the state minimum wage law is a one-way ratchet: It can only go up. And even if there were deflation, there is no provision for it to ever go down.What restaurants are preparing to do is limit labor costs.
“Our ‘back of the house’ is making more money than ever before due to la bor shortages and a whole host of rea sons,’’ he said. “We’re well above the minimum wage in the back of the house.’’ That is borne out by a report from the state Office of Economic Opportunity.
specifically includes the restaurant and fast food industry which fought hard –and unsuccessfully – to convince voters not to adopt a state minimum wage.
For 2021, the most recent data avail able, fast food cooks already were earn ing an average $13.58 an hour. The figure for cooks at more traditional restaurants
but you will be able to see what they are posting and what their friends are sending to them.
arents across the shouldwhetherstrugglecountrywithornottheymonitortheir
There are a lot of free apps that can track things like key-strokes and the minutes your child spends on specific apps, too. They can even shut the phone down if needed. Do a little research and determine what works best for your family.
Keep lines of communication open. Monitoring your child’s so cial media is not just about what they posted online, but who is con tacting them and what they are say ing to – and about - your kid.
child’s social mediaQuestionsaccounts.Ioften hear from par ents are things like: “Is it fair to read through my child’s private ac counts?” “Should I say something about what they post?” “How often do I need to check my child’s social media?”Asacounselor who specializes in teen mental health issues like anx iety and depression, I encourage parents to keep tabs on their child’s
Link their accounts to yours. Linking accounts means you will have access to the same informa tion as your child. It also provides an easy way to start having hard conversations, if needed.
Monitor your child’s history
The “Children enteredwho9/11”—infantsofliterallythisworldon
Parents can monitor their teens’ social media
Nation sleeps amid disturbing signs of change
Sept. 11, 2001—reached the age of “le gal majority” this year. As they turned 21 on the most disturbing date in American history, those young adults and the rest of us were reminded to take note of the threatening changes underway to profoundly alter our po litical process and way of life.
Suburban housewife Lisa Gallagher is no “MAGA mastermind.” She is sim ply an American citizen who support ed the 2020 Trump Campaign with posts on social media, a banner in her yard, and, presumably, her vote on Election Day.
BY JD HAYWORTH Tribune Columnist
The revisions at hand are truly revo lutionary, especially the manipulation of our legal system to criminalize po litical differences. Yet they are greeted with a collective yawn and deliberate disinterest from a politicized press
P
When you friend your child, it gives you a brief look into the lives they live while they are away from you.
Ol’ Chuck seldom disappoints pow erful Democrats, and sure enough, af ter the obligatory mention of the 9/11 anniversary, Todd teed up the admin istration’s theme:
“We are now as a nation fighting a threat from within. Is the threat equal or greater than we faced on 9/11?”
Note that the NBC moderator em ployed no modifier when introducing
QueenCreekTribune.com | @QCTribune @QCTribune Opinion For more Opinions visit QueenCreekTribune.com 20 QUEEN CREEK TRIBUNE | QUEENCREEKTRIBUNE.COM | SEPTEMBER 18, 2022OPINION
To her credit, Kamala suppressed her customarily reflexive cackle, but that was probably due to prearranged “message management” rather than mereRightcoincidence.oncue,she responded that “there’s an oath we always take, which is to defend and uphold our Constitu tion against all enemies foreign and domestic.”WhileHarris at least mentioned the Constitution, she and her senior partner in the executive branch seem intent on pursuing the illogical and dangerous notion that they can best
a dubious assertion as settled fact. Nope, for Chuck Todd and the “news organization” where he is gainful ly employed, controversial partisan talking points are presented as the truth and nothing but.
see HAYWORTH page 22
The Commander-in-Chief said as much 10 days earlier in Philadelphia, snarling that “Donald Trump and the MAGA Republicans represent an ex tremism at threatens the very founda tions of our Republic.”
Here are four practical things you can do to better monitor your child’s social media: Friend your kids. One of the big gest things to do when your child creates a new social media account is to “friend” them. You won’t be able to see any private messages,
phone and social media accounts. While I understand there are some privacy issues, for me the positives greatly outweigh the negatives. Our children are easily influenced. I worry about predators, online games trying to get them to upgrade and unintentionally spend money and also pornography websites do ing everything they can to bait chil dren into seeing things their brains aren’t ready to process.
corps.Instead, the Fourth Estate seems intent on playing up a phantom fifth column in an effort to aid the Biden Administration’s ominous objectives.
How else to explain the outrageous content and conduct from former Democrat political operative Chuck Todd and Vice President Kamala Har ris on the Sept. 11 telecast of NBC’s “Meet the Press”?
Your child, their friends and even strangers are going to post ques tionable things online. In these cir cumstances, don’t brush it under the rug. Have your child tell you what they thought about the post. Ask what they would do different ly. Talk about the worst things they have seen online.
preserve our founding document by destroying it.
Make no mistake: Joe Biden wasn’t spouting a boilerplate political script; he was priming the rhetorical pump for the actions that followed.
BY MICHAEL KLINKNER Tribune Guest Writer
Take time to look at your child’s web browser and each of their so
see KLINKNER page 22
QUEEN CREEK TRIBUNE | QUEENCREEKTRIBUNE.COM | SEPTEMBER 18, 2022 21 JOIN US FOR THE EASTMARK FALL HOME TOUR 12 Active Neighborhoods 8 Phenomenal Builders50+ Floorplans Saturday, September 24th 10am – 3pm What do beautiful neighborhoods, award-winning schools, and more than 40 neighborhood parks have in common? They all have a home in Eastmark—Arizona’s top master-planned community. Start your visit at The ‘Mark located at 10100 East Ray Rd, Mesa AZ 85212 For more information, please call (480) 725-5121 or visit www.eastmark.com © 2022 DMB Mesa Proving Grounds LLC. Obtain the Property Report or its equivalent, required by Federal and State law and read it before signing anything. No Federal or State agency has judged the merits or value, if any, of this property. All features, dimensions, drawings, renderings, plans, and specifications are conceptual and subject to change without notice. The information provided in this advertisement is strictly for informational purposes and shall not be construed as an offer to sell real property. Sales terms and prices are established by builders and subject to change without notice. Maps not to scale. Map, renderings, plans and future amenities show planned vision for Eastmark and remain subject to change.
It doesn’t have to be a nightly check, unless your child has done things on the internet that are dan gerous, but make a habit of check ing where they have been on the world wide Monitoringweb.your child’s social me dia use is a daunting task at first, but the peace of mind you will gain is worth the effort. Being an in
Lending credence to Lisa’s instinc tive assessment was the false accusa tion that prompted the arrival of fed
ing…” and ultimately, about “wrong voting…” at least in the eyes of the Biden Bunch.
KLINKNER from page 20
HAYWORTH from page 20 www.fosteringre.com480.221.3034 Each office is independently owned and operated BESTOF 2022 BESTOF 2021 4489 W Maggie Drive, Gilbert 3 bedroom, 2 bath with NextGen suite to use as an office, for inlaws, or simply additional living space. 3907 S Coach House Dr, Gilbert. 4 bedroom, 2 bath with soaring ceilings. Paver patio and ramada in backyard to take in Arizona outdoor living For Sale in Queen Creek For Sale in Gilbert www.queencreektribune.com Subscribe here Receive your digital flip-thru edition every week in your e-mail box! www.centralaz.eduCentral Arizona College Paths to Great Careers The population Creek grew faster municipality from and grow Town Manager said the town can“Despite rapid growth 8-10 percent five thisis manageratefor saidKross, hasbeen longestlocalwitnesses growth since town planning director and became managerHe community has residential secWriter T day Korean energy thesolebid 650.5 Creekfor manufacturingplant, angrycitizens confronted Council oppose the$1.4 project. LG Energy Ltd won Land officialsauction,promptingwhich saidwouldbring jobs northeast Ironwood mann ZimmermanDairy CouncilGatewayArizona,Airport. approved the site’srezoning employment residents the were given theopportunity providecomment, spokeswoman Constance Halonen-Wilson residentsTribune who the April council meeting complaints made anothercouncil two accused Officials hail, residents condemn QC land deal Creek’s population more than 125% and there’s slowing down lippo/Inside COMMUNITYOPINIONESTATE...............24 Casteel girlschallenge INSIDE WELCOMEESTATE......22.............3 StrickbinePublisher the Creek QC park gets new Hoffman kills budget plan Sunday, 24, 2022 QueenCreekTribune.com An edition Valley Tribune Queen Creek growth barreling along Easy-To-Read Digital Edition He 匀琀漀渀攀䌀爀攀攀欀䘀甀爀渀椀琀甀爀攀⸀挀漀洀 A another snafu CountyElectionsDepartment, least three Queen seats NovemberTuesday’srun-off With some countywide still being the Tribune’s deadline results from CountyRecorder’s showed incumbent Dawn with 27% the vote; McClure, 25%; MattMcWilliams, County Oliphant 27%; McClure, 24% latest available reported that ballots been cast Queen Creek while Maricopa portion threshold for an individing votes by the number available seats, dividing of PadillaFriday, McWil6,100-5874. But the further compliORTEGA TribuneE municipalities yeartook unantici patedgeneral revenueincreases make earnedpayments policeofficers But Tempe, Chandler and Scottsdale longwayto hugeunfunded five municipalities $1.4 billion covering 955 retired 1,471 retired PENSION page QC an exception amid big pension debt Pinal snafus muddy outcome of QC council races SPORTS...............22OPINIONCLASSIFIEDS QC together. INSIDE BUSINESS...........18 women NEWS....................4 road EV stage-boundband Sunday, August QueenCreekTribune.com edition the Tribune ELECTIONS page SUBSCRIPTIONFREE The plane is on the way jet engineschool, butsoon on 223,000-square-footcampustheAmericansprawlingschoolvocationalpage (Enrique
volved parent is not an easy task so give yourself grace and trust your gut.
Six days later, 35 FBI raids were con ducted, aimed at senior MAGA officials.
Five days after that, the feds surround ed successful “My Pillow” entrepreneur and outspoken Trump defender Mike Lindell in the takeout lane of a fast food restaurant, taking away his phone.
But even if she had been on the Cap itol grounds that day, she was well within her constitutional rights. The First Amendment affirms our basic right to freedom of speech and assem bly. Yet the fear felt by this everyday American prompted her to show the agents her phone and her personal calendar to “prove” she was nowhere
22 QUEEN CREEK TRIBUNE | QUEENCREEKTRIBUNE.COM | SEPTEMBER 18, 2022OPINION
The rest of us, including the “Chil dren of 9/11,” can take a cue from to day’sEveninfants.though “Freedom from Fear” has disappeared, we can all sleep like babies.Wecan wake up every two hours andOrcry.more likely, we’ll sleep with one eye open.
Don’t be deceived. This isn’t about wrongdoing. It’s about “wrong think
near Washington.
cial media accounts.
The agents told Lisa the FBI had re ceived an anonymous tip that she was at The Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021. She wasn’t.
Of course, all of this was preceded in August by the unprecedented raid on the home of the 45th President.
On Sept. 2, three armed FBI agents arrived at her front door. Gallagher later recounted her experience for Fox News: “I was crying, my knees were shaking. And even though I knew I’d done nothing wrong, after Joe Biden’s speech the night before, I thought, ‘Oh my God, this is political.’”
eral law enforcement officers.
Michael Klinkner is a licensed clin ical social worker who specializes in cognitive behavioral therapy, dialec tical behavioral therapy and neuro linguistic programming and is part of Evolve Counseling and Behavioral Health Services in Central Phoenix and Gilbert. Information: evolve counselingaz.com/ or info@evolve counselingAZ.com.
This chart shows a steady decline in the number of Valley parents who are allowing their sons to play contact football. (Barrow Institute)
In 2016, 68% of parents allowed their kids to play football. That num ber has fallen each year to a low of 47% in Football2020.remains king among pop ular high school sports, but con cern over traumatic brain injuries has seemingly resulted in a dip in overall participation. And as experts learn more, there’s still the unan swered question of whether playing contact football is in a teenager’s best“Theinterest.biggest unanswered question is, ‘How far along are we after a con cussion?’” said Dr. Jonathan Lifshitz, the director of the Translational Neurotrauma Research Program at Phoenix Children’s Hospital.
More parents snub contact football
“How far are we removed from the injury? How far into recovery are we? How much longer do we have to go?“You can put it in the context of COVID. Someone tests positive with COVID. They don’t yet know if they’re going to have mild or severe symp
BY TAYLOR CORLEW Cronkite News
viable option.
Thefootball.study revealed that athletes who played contact football from ages 6 to 14 suffered 15 times more head injuries than flag football ath letes and 23 times more high-magni tude head impacts.
The research also revealed that youth tackle football athletes under go a median of 378 head impacts per athlete during the season. In con trast, flag football athletes experi ence a median of eight head impacts
or more than two decades, con tact football has faced a concus sion crisis.
In Arizona, the response to ac cess to more information about concussions has resulted in par ents seeking alternatives to contact football. Flag football is the most
Head injuries, once considered an occupational risk, have steadily gained the attention of the sports world, specifically the parents of younger athletes.
In 2021, the CDC conducted a study comparing the number of head im pacts in youth tackle football versus flag
QueenCreekTribune.com | @QCTribune @QCTribune Sports For more Sports News visit QueenCreekTribune.com QUEEN CREEK TRIBUNE | QUEENCREEKTRIBUNE.COM | SEPTEMBER 18, 2022 23SPORTS
perKerryyear.DeSpain, the senior commis sioner for the Gridiron Flag Football league, said she’s aware of the low er participation in contact football among high schoolers and is wellequipped to offer a safer route to athletes.“Sowe saw increased enrollment because of concerns about tack le (football) and concussions and all that,” DeSpain said. “Since 2016, we’ve been working to adjust to the newfound volume so that we can ac commodate everyone accordingly.”
see FOOTBALL page 24
F
toms, and they don’t know how long those symptoms are going to last. And if they lose their sense of smell, that unknowing amount of time is veryConcussionschallenging.”are defined by the Centers for Disease Control and Pre vention as “a type of traumatic brain injury caused by a bump, blow or jolt to the head by a hit that causes the head and brain to move rapidly back and forth.”
As awareness of sports-related concussions and brain injuries in creases, Arizona parents have ex pressed apprehension about allow ing their children to play contact football, according to a study pub lished by the Barrow Neurological Institute in Phoenix.
“So, a lot of high school programs, like in Arizona specifically, Banner has a lot of high schools that do im PACT testing, so that if their athletes get concussed, they go do imPACT testing and once you meet your score of impact, you’re technically cleared for game play.”
“It’s growing,” DeSpain said. “Over the last couple of years, we’ve seen more junior highs starting their flag football teams. They’re not quite there yet, but it is growing.”
FOOTBALL from page 23
The future of contact football is cloudy at the moment, with strong opinions on both sides of the argu ment about the sport’s viability.
Contact Zack Alvira at 480-898-5647 or zalvira@timeslocalmedia.com
It is important to note that the perception of concussions has dra
matically changed over the years. In 1994, NFL commissioner Paul Ta gliabue created the Mild Traumatic Brain Injury Committee and appoint ed New York Jets team physician El liot J. Pellman as chairman.
“Thesesaid.football players are hitting their heads too many times, they’re going crazy, they’re killing their wives, they are taking their lives type of stuff. So the concussion rap has gotten very bad. So that push away from letting your kids play has got ten extremely large.”
In a study, the Boston University Research CTE Center linked CTE to both repetitive brain trauma, such as concussions, and subconcussive hits.
“Concussions are part of the pro fession, an occupational risk,” Pell man told Sports Illustrated.
24 QUEEN CREEK TRIBUNE | QUEENCREEKTRIBUNE.COM | SEPTEMBER 18, 2022SPORTS Now in our 38th year! ARIZONA’S LONGEST-RUNNING EXPO IS HERE! Healthcare | Retirement Living | Financial Leisure | Home Repair | Education Casinos | Tour & Travel and More... (480) 898-6500 • (480) www.seniorexpos.com959-1566 Lots of PrizesandEveryINCLUDINGGiveawaysa$100CASHDRAWINGHour! Entertainment by MS. SENIOR ARIZONA FREE PARKING! FREE ENTRY! Wednesday, November 2nd 8am - 12pm Mesa Convention Center 201 N. Center Street, Mesa, AZ 85201 Expo Partner Gold Sponsor Entertainment Sponsor Bag Sponsor
Youth sports provide an outlet for children and teenagers to learn char acter development, accountability, working within a team environment and dealing with adversity.
In areas where flag football isn’t a viable solution, advanced tools are being implemented to measure the effects of concussions on the brain and estimate a safe timetable of re covery.
Stough
“It’stime.one of the things (that’s done) nationwide, and it’s used in concus sion research all the time,” said Dr. Christina Stough of OneAccord Phys ical Therapy. “It’s not the best con cussion tool, but it will at least give you some prediction of what your function was preconcussion.
GOT NEWS?
Although injuries may be baked into football by nature, the increased awareness of the different forms of brain injuries has caused concern surrounding the overall safety the sport, the most concerning for Ari zona parents being the link between concussions and chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE).
Replacing contact football with flag football is the most pragmatic solution to the concussion problem, but whether flag football will ever be accepted as a mainstream alterna tive isn’t clear.
It is imperative to keep adoles cents safe and make the changes necessary to prevent traumatic brain injuries that may result in long-term psychological complications. Replac ing contact football with flag football accomplishes just that.
ImPACT testing, also known as baseline testing, is done at Arizona’s middle and high school levels after an apparent concussion to gauge an athlete’s impairment. ImPACT test ing checks for IQ, memory and reac tion
The study concluded that for every 2.6 years of playing contact football, the risk of an athlete developing CTE
doubles.“Sothe concussion research right now is trying to figure out whether that CTE is related to concussion and impact in chronic concussions, or is it normal people playing football?”
BY CHRISTINA FUOCO-KARASINSKI GetOut Editor
R
“I still have more work to do before my time is up,” she said. “I feel like I have more to say, more to do. There were certain goals set for myself as a teenager and I’ve spent my life trying to fulfill all of those goals.
“He uses a fair amount of electron ics,” she said. “It ranges from very acoustic to some of the produced songs. We do the remix version of ‘Tom’s Diner’ and ‘Luka.’ We do a lot of songs people know and a couple of new things. We love it. It’s been great to get back on the road again.”
Vega recently sent to cinemas her one-woman stage show about the life of 20th century American writer Carson McCullers in the Michael Tul ly-directed “Lover, Beloved.”
“I had to be ready to field questions as if I was on a television show,” she said. “We had to really inhabit them. I really got way into her. I ended up doing my senior thesis on her, her work and her life and how they com ingled.“It’s been a lifelong challenge to put her life and work on a stage in a one-woman show. It’s something I’ve gone back to time and time again. The film is the end of that journey with Carson. I’m way older than she was she died. I thought it’s time to put this down. It’s been such a plea sure and real interesting exercise for me. I’ve loved it.”
She thought McCullers would be an ideal character to play. When her college professor asked the class to come in dressed as a notable figure, Vega appeared as McCullers.
Suzanne Vega recalls inspirational MIM show
Get Out
eturning to the Musical In strument Museum Oct. 1-2, Suzanne Vega was moved by previous visits.
“I had seen a picture of Carson Mc Cullers back then and I knew one or two of her stories. I remember we sort of look alike.”
The “Lover, Beloved” project was on Vega’s bucket list, of which there are plenty of other tasks.
“It’s a beautiful place,” Vega said. “I remember all the beautiful instru ments and what they look like. I be gan my Instagram account there — however long ago it was.”
For more Get Out News visit QueenCreekTribune.com QUEEN CREEK TRIBUNE | QUEENCREEKTRIBUNE.COM | SEPTEMBER 18, 2022 25GET OUT
The film debuted at SXSW in March. For the trailer, visit https://vimeo. com/680131952.“Itstartedwith an acting exercise that I was given in college a long, long time ago,” she said with a laugh.
“I had a lot of interests as a child. I used to draw. I used to sculpt. I made busts out of clay. I studied dance for 10 years. I’ve done all kinds of oth er training — martial arts, the swim
QueenCreekTribune.com | @QCTribune @QCTribune
The film features music by sing er-songwriter Duncan Sheik, who won Tony Awards for “Spring Awak ening.”“He’s
Vega’s shows are dubbed “An Inti mate Evening of Songs and Stories.” They will feature her on acoustic gui tar and her musical director, Gerry Leonard, on guitar.
great. It was great working with him,” she said. “It was very in spiring. He pushed me way out of my comfort zone. He has a very different sense of melody than I do. I thought we were a good team. I thought we worked together well. Musically it’s thrilling to sing the work.”
Suzanne Vega is best known for her songs “Tom’s Diner” and “Luka.” (George Holz/Contributor)
see VEGA page 26
• 1/2 cup chopped jarred roasted red peppers, drained
Gruyere Cheese Sauce
Melt butter in small saucepan over medi um-low heat. Add flour; stir until dissolved (do not brown). Gradually whisk in 1 1/2 cups milk. Bring to boil, then reduce heat to medium and simmer until mixture is thickened, stirring con stantly, about 4 minutes. Remove from heat. Add cheese, stir until melted. Season with salt and pepper.
In a large bowl, toss bread, spinach, roasted red peppers and ham. Add the custard and toss
With JAN D’ATRI
WHEN: 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 1, and 7 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 2
• 2 tablespoons flour
• 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
• 1 cup milk
If
well to coat. Transfer to the prepared baking dish and push down to compact. Cover with foil. Bake at 375 degrees until the custard has set, 40 to 45 minutes. Uncover, sprinkle with cheese and continue baking until the pudding is puffed and golden on top, 15 to 20 minutes more. Remove from oven and cool for 15 to 20 minutes before serving. Serve with Gruyere Cheese Sauce driz zled on top of wedge of bread pudding.
Know oninterestinganythinggoinginQueenCreek? Send your news pmaryniak@timeslocalmedia.comto Ahwatukee Chandler Gilbert Glendale Mesa North Valley Peoria Phoenix Ahwatukee Chandler Gilbert Glendale Mesa North Valley Peoria Phoenix SanTan Scottsdale Queen Creek West Valley To Advertise Call: 480-898-6465 or email Class@TimesLocalMedia.com CLASSIFIEDS.PHOENIX.ORG Air Conditioning/Heating Lifetime Warranty on Workmanship New 3-Ton 14 SEER AC Systems Only $5,995 INSTALLED! New Trane Air Conditioners NO INTEREST FINANCING - 60 MONTHS! QUALITY, VALUE and a GREAT PRICE! Bonded/Insured • ROC #289252 833-777-8337 Plumbing Heating & Air PlumbSmart $49 Seasonal A/C Tune-up! www.BrewersAC.com 480-725-7303 SINCE 1982 ROC #C39-312643 40 Serving the Central Valley Years NOW TECHNICIANSHIRING Competitive performance based salary at the best AC company in the Valley! Call today and become part of the Brewer’s Family!
“It’s the whole process of acting to make the emotion alive in the mo ment on the stage,” Vega said. “It’s surprisingly draining. The film is an hour and 15 minutes. The one-wom an show is an hour and 45 minutes. It’s me up there holding on to the audience as someone else. I couldn’t ad lib or change the order of things. I had to commit myself to the mo ment.”Shehopes to write a book as well, to follow up to 1999’s “The Passion ate Eye: The Collected Writing of Su zanne Vega.”
team for a while. It was a challenge for me as a kid to express the feel ings and ideas of the moment as well as express myself emotionally and personally.”Vegahopes to move more on stage and be more present when she sings. Acting helped with that goal.
Suzanne Vega
“I’d like to write something a little more narrative,” she said. “I’d love to draw again. I fooled around with paint ing, but I can’d do everything.”
Imagine a savory soufflé-like bread pudding with a good quality ham (smoked is delightful), the sweet and slightly salty flavor of Gruyère cheese, fresh sautéed spin ach and roasted red peppers all baked to perfection. This dish is so appetizing and versatile it can be enjoyed as a main meal or sliced in wedges for the perfect holiday party appetizer.Where did I find this sumptuous selection? In the “Sing For Your Supper Cookbook” compiled by the Sounds of the Southwest Singers. This 85-plus member non-profit volun teer choir has been singing in the Valley since 2010, per
• 1 cup (5 oz) diced ham steak
In a medium bowl, whisk together eggs, egg whites and milk. Add mustard, pepper and rose mary, whisking to combine. (The more you whisk, the lighter the custard.)
• 5 heaping cups fresh spinach, wilted (plus 1-2 tablespoons olive oil if sautéing)
• 4 large egg whites
• 1 teaspoons minced fresh rosemary
• 3/4 cups shredded Gruyere cheese
Wilt spinach by putting in steamer over boiling water for 2-3 minutes, or sautéing in 1-2 table spoons of olive oil until wilted.
Directions:
This choir-inspired dish will have you singing for supper
• 4 heaping cups whole grain (or other) bread, crusts removed and cut into 1-inch cubes
• 4 large eggs plus
Grease an approximately 11-by-7-inch (or 2-quart casserole) glass baking dish.
• 2 tablespoons butter
Directions:
you think that bread pudding is just a dessert, I’m about to change your mind in a delicious and surprising way.
WHERE: Musical Instrument Museum, 4725 E. Mayo Blvd., Phoenix COST: Tickets start at $54.50 INFO: 480-478-6000, mim.org
VEGA from page 25
Ingredients:
• 1 1/2 cups whole milk
• Sea salt to taste
forming a variety of music in concerts throughout the year. Members have sung at Carnegie Hall and Lincoln Center in New York City, and by the recipes in this cookbook, it’s apparent that this group can cook as well as they can sing! Make this dish and you’ll be singing for your supper too!
• 1/4 teaspoons freshly ground pepper
• 1 cup grated gruyere cheese
Ingredients:
26 QUEEN CREEK TRIBUNE | QUEENCREEKTRIBUNE.COM | SEPTEMBER 18, 2022GET OUT
• Dash of white pepper or to taste
GetOut Columnist
QUEENCREEKTRIBUNE.COM | SEPTEMBER 18, 2022 | JOBS.PHOENIX.ORG / JOBS.PHOENIX.ORG / JOBS.PHOENIX.ORG / JOBS.PHOENIX.ORG / JOBS.PHOENIX.ORG / JOBS.PHOENIX.ORG 27 MISSED DEADLINE?THE Call us to place your ad online! 480-898-6465 ROC 304267 • Licensed & Bonded 480.345.1800 Sprinkler & Drip Systems • Modi cations • Installs • 20+ Years Experience • 6 Year Warranty Air Duct Cleaning RBEFOE RAFTE (480) 912-0881 Licensed & Insured R Air Duct Cleaning & Dryer Vents BY JOHN H 30+ Years ExperienceHVAC H Disinfected & Sanitized With Every Job Plumbing PLUMBERS CHARGE TOO MUCH! FREE Service Calls + FREE Estimates Water Heaters Installed - $999 Unclog Drains - $49 10% OFF All Water Puri cation Systems Voted #1 Plumber 3 Years In A Row OVER 1,000 5-STAR REVIEWS Bonded/Insured • ROC #223709 844-560-7755 Handyman All Estimates are Free • Call: 520.508.1420 www.husbands2go.com LLC Ask me about FREE water testing! • Drywall Repair • RemodelingBathroom • Home Renovations • Electrical Repair • Plumbing Repair • Dry rot and termite damage repair GENERAL CONTRACTOR / HANDYMAN SERVICES Licensed, Bonded & Insured • ROC#317949 SERVING THE ENTIRE VALLEY Irrigation • RepairsSprinkler/Drip • NewPoly/PVCInstalls • Same Day Service 5 -YEAR PART WARRANTY 480.654.5600 azirrigation.com Cutting Edge LLC • ROC 281671 Interior/Exterior Painting 30 YEARS EXPERIENCE Dunn Edwards Quality Paint Small Stucco/Drywall Repairs We Are State Licensed and Reliable! Free480-338-4011Estimates•SeniorDiscounts ROC#309706 HOME IMPROVEMENT & PAINTING PAINTING Interior & ReferencesSeniorDrywallFreeResidential/CommercialExteriorEstimatesRepairsDiscountsAvailable (602) 502-1655 — Call Jason — Painting Craig PAINTINGAllen480-221-7375 ROC 330199 Interior/ExteriorDrywallRepairs FREE ESTIMATES Remodeling 602-363-2655https://www.rrdelacruzshowerandmore.com/|fredydelacruzluis@icloud.comFREEESTIMATES•COMPETITIVERATES Your best choice for shower walls & floor installation with all kind of materials like wood, laminate & more. 10 YEARS EXPERIENCE | RESPONSIBLE | QUICK RESPONSE *NOT A LICENSED CONTRACTOR Roofing MonsoonRoofingInc.com Licensed – Bonded – Insured – ROC187561 10% Discount for Ahwatukee Residents 100% NO Leak Guarantee Re-Roof & Roofing Repairs Tile, Shingles & Flat Roof 480-699-2754 • info@monsoonroofinginc.com Ahwatukee Chandler Gilbert Glendale Mesa North Valley Peoria Phoenix SanTan Scottsdale Queen Creek West Valley To Advertise Call: 480-898-6465 or email Class@TimesLocalMedia.com CLASSIFIEDS.PHOENIX.ORG CALLCLASSIFIEDS 480-898-6465 We'llGetYourPhonetoRing! WeAccept: CALL CLASSIFIEDS 480-898-6465 We'llGetYourPhonetoRing!
28 QUEEN CREEK TRIBUNE | QUEENCREEKTRIBUNE.COM | SEPTEMBER 18, 2022
