Oct. 3 - Oct. 16, 2015 www.SanTanSun.com
Golf tourney supports people with disabilities BY TRACY HOUSE
The Chandler Mayor’s Committee for People with Disabilities and the municipality’s Recreation Division are looking to the public to have fun playing golf while helping out a good cause. The 19th annual Chandler Golf Challenge is set for 12:30 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 13, at Bear Creek Golf Course. The event, which annually raises about $6,000, supports programs that benefit residents with physical and intellectual/developmental disabilities. The tourney also provides scholarships for disabled individuals. Organizers are hoping to get a field of 132 players, 32 foursomes, according to Collette Prather, City of Chandler recreation coordinator I and liaison to the mayor’s committee. Individuals can be placed with groups. A foursome’s cost is $325 for golf, dinner and a shirt. Individual golfers are charged $85. “At this point we’re pushing for players,” Prather said. “The more money we raise the more influence and difference we can make in the community.”
The 19th annual Chandler Golf Challenge to benefit the Chandler Mayor’s Committee for People with Disabilities brings golfers Rob Crego, Jimmy Mascitelli, Tom Foy and Eddie Mascitelli out to help the cause. This year’s event will be held on Saturday, Nov. 13, at Bear Creek Golf Complex. Submitted photo
Aiding the community Scholarships and programs for disabled individuals are important causes for the
Residents encouraged to participate in Census BY KRISTA TILLMAN
City of Chandler officials are encouraging residents to open their doors to census workers who are collecting facts about people in each household as part of the 2015 Special Census. With the census, which began Oct. 1, City officials are hoping to show a significant increase in population from the 2010 number of 236,000, said Jim Phipps, a public information officer with the City of Chandler. “It is costing us over $4 million to run this special census in Chandler alone,” he said. “We think we’re losing about $14 million between now and the 2020 census if we don’t get an updated count this year.” Unlike the Decennial Census, there will be no questionnaire to complete and mail
City. The scholarships in amounts up to $500, can be used for a variety of reasons. Two awardees just graduated from college.
“One graduated from MCC and one from ASU,” Prather said. “They can also be used if someone needs a bike to get to work or money for clothes for work—to better their circumstances.” Residents fill out an application for the scholarship, which is then reviewed by a committee. “We would love to give out more scholarships,” Prather said. “If you know a resident in Chandler who would like to pursue their education they can apply. If someone needs help related to increased independence, whether it be through vocational or educational, or furthering their employment opportunities.” In addition to scholarships, some of the proceeds are used for the Chandler Therapeutic Recreation Program. The funds help with the summer camp programs and provide uniforms and equipment when possible. Last year the money was used to help with Disability Awareness Month, an event that touched more than 500 lives in Chandler. Money raised through the tournament has also been used for awareness awards that have been given out to recognize individuals who have made a difference in the community. Registration includes a riding cart, range balls for warm-up, prize holes, riding cart for two players, drawing prizes, greens fees, silent auction and awards dinner, hosted at Bear Creek Golf Complex. Awards include first and second place, and closest to the pin, male and female player. see TOURNEY page 4
City looks at possible regulations on donation bins
back. Instead, a census enumerator will stop by. All workers are local residents and will have a U.S. Census Bureau badge and the information they gather is confidential and protected by law. They have received specialized training and a background check, are fingerprinted and sworn to secrecy. By being counted, Chandler receives funding that helps provide important City services. Each person counted in Chandler means about $318 in funding every year. Phipps has projected that the population is around 264,000 Chandler residents—a number that would hopefully result in the City receiving a larger portion of the state revenue. “State shared revenues are used for public safety, parks and recreation, see CENSUS page 5
BY KEN ABRAMCZYK
City officials are examining how to best regulate donation bins after discovering that some of them were installed without approval. Chandler’s zoning ordinance does not allow the bins. Officials are researching other communities and how they regulate them. Malcolm Hankins, neighborhood preservation manager for the City of Chandler, said officials examined more than 100 donation bins to assess them for appearance, placement, maintenance and safety. Most of these bins can be found in large parking lots at commercial shopping centers with grocery stores or big-box retailers, and on church and school properties. “A majority of them don’t have
problems,” Hankins said. Some “had trash around it and damage to the containers themselves.” “We did an assessment, and we were not approaching it from the aspect that regulations were required,” Hankins said. For some of the bins, “it was hard to get a read on who approved it for the property.” Hankins said the City wanted to see “what was out there” to regulate the bins. The majority of the bins were not placed in hazardous locations, like rights-of-way, and did not pose a safety hazard, he said. Hankins discussed the bins with the planning, public utilities, transportation and development subcommittee of the City Council recently. “I provided them with information, and shared
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“Selling Chandler Since 2005” See Page 7
Event raises awareness about domestic violence . . . . . . . community . . . . . . . Page 14 SoHo63 celebrates two years in downtown Chandler . . . . . . business . . . . . . . . . . . . Page 20 Chandler girl swings blade of gold . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . youth . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Page 30 Designers wanted for Trashion Fashion Show . . . . . . . . . . . . . neighbors . . . . . . . . . . . . Page 57 Oktoberfest to offer musical entertainment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . arts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Page 69
FAMILY FUN . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Center Section
see REGULATIONS page 5
More Community . . . . . . . 1-19 Business . . . . . . . . 20-28 Youth . . . . . . . . . . 29-38 Opinion . . . . . . . . 47-48 Neighbors . . . . . . 49-59 Where to eat . . . 60-62 Arts . . . . . . . . . . . . 63-71 Spirituality . . . . . 72-74 Directory . . . . . . . 75-76 Classifieds . . . . . . 77-78