East Valley Tribune: Southeast Edition - July 30, 2017

Teacher shortage no problem in East Valley

BY JESSICA SURIANO Tribune Staff Writer

As the new school year gets into full swing this week, teacher shortages are not nearly as high in the East Valley as experts say they are across Arizona.

In the major East Valley districts, there are relatively low numbers of unfilled teaching positions, and one even has no vacancies.

Among Tempe Union, Kyrene, Higley, Gilbert, Mesa Queen Creek, and Chandler school districts, only 128 teaching positions out of nearly 10,850 are unfilled.

In a September 2016 survey of 130 school districts and charter schools, the Arizona School Personnel Administrators Association survey found 2,041 teacher vacancies four weeks into the school year, which equates to about 25 percent of the total openings for that year.

“In 2015, I really heard a lot of concerns about a teacher shortage,” said Justin Wing, director of human resources at Washington Elementary School District in Phoenix and the immediate past ASPAA president.

“After hearing all these inputs and knowing that we’re a large elementary school district,” he continued, “we wanted to collect data so

we don’t use generalities. We inform everybody – key decision makers, key leaders –here’s what the real data is telling us.”

The ASPAA conducts the survey four weeks into every school year, when Wing said most

Hamilton High sex assault

BY JIM WALSH Tribune Staff Writer

Hamilton High School spent the first week of school reeling from a deepening sex assault scandal surrounding its once-exalted football team.

While it was disclosed that a $20 million claim has been filed by three victims against the Chandler Unified School District, police recommended criminal charges against the principal, the athletic director and the exfootball coach.

Police recommended child abuse and failure to report charges against Principal Ken James and former coach Steve Belles. A court document alleged that some of the sexual assault

scandal

and child molestation incidents could have been prevented if the two men had reported the allegations to police as required by law.

Instead, James and Belles attempted to investigate on their own, police told the County Attorney’s Office in seeking the charges. No decision has been made by the county attorney on the police investigators’ request.

“This failure to act allowed the circumstances to exist under which three separate juvenile

See HAMILTON on page 6

of these positions are filled because teachers are “coming out of the woodwork” for lastminute jobs.

widens amid new claims

See TEACHERS on page 4

(Kimberly Carrillo/Tribune Staff Photographer)

Principal Jeff Beickel of Bridges Elementary School in Higley School District high-fives Emily Nowakowski, 5, as she reported for her first day of school last week.

(Tribune file photo)

Steve Belles was reassigned months ago and no longer serves as football coach at Hamilton High.

(Special to the Tribune)

Ken James will remain as principal of Hamilton High for the time being, according to the Chandler district.

Dr. Jason Heavens M.D.

“On Parle Français”

Addie Roderick FNP-BC

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Arizona needs more dentists, U.S. rankings say

BY JIMMY MAGAHERN Tribune Contributor

As the dean of the Arizona School of Dentistry & Oral Health in Mesa, Dr. Jack Dillenberg has spent the last 10 years turning out dentists who deal with more than just crowns, bridges and teeth cleaning.

“It’s not just about the tooth,” Dillenberg is fond of saying. “It’s about the person attached to the tooth, the family attached to the person and the community attached to the family. We want to produce leaders in the community and, along the way, teach them to be great doctors.”

But perhaps the most unusual thing about Dillenberg’s school is its main stated mission: to provide dental care for underserved areas. All 15 counties in the state, including Maricopa, have areas designated dental Health Professional Shortage Areas, or HPSAs, as designated by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

That may sound surprising to East Valley residents accustomed to finding their mailboxes stuffed with flyers from new dentists in the area looking for business. Are we really facing a shortage of dentists here? Is Arizona heading into a statewide epidemic of bad teeth?

Not exactly, says Kevin Earle, executive director of the Arizona Dental Association.

“I disagree with the premise that there’s not enough dentists here,” he says. “As a matter of fact, data has just come out from the Health Policy Institute of the

American Dental Association that says, even when adjusted for population, the supply of dentists in Arizona has increased in the last 10 years by 7.1 percent. We also have two dental schools here, including ASDOH, that graduate over 200 dentists every year.

“Our problem is not a workforce issue, because there are plenty of dentists to treat the population,” he says. “Our problem is, how can we entice folks to work in areas where they can treat the underserved?”

Naturally, it’s easy to find graduating dentists eager to do cosmetic dentistry in North Scottsdale, where the financial rewards for simply applying porcelain veneers and teeth-whitening treatments can be substantial. It’s harder to persuade dentists still paying off their college loans to set up shop in a tiny rural town or on an American Indian reservation in Arizona, where the need for their services is much greater but where the average family income may be well below the national poverty level.

“In general, within the state of Arizona, we have a total of 177 dental HPSAs,” says Ana Roscetti with the Arizona Department of Health Services. That office determines those shortages, along with shortages in primary care and mental health providers, by comparing the distribution of full-time providers in any given geographical area of the state to the residents living in that specific area.

“And there are about 2.3 million residents living in these dental HPSAs. So basically, we need 338 more dentists to negate all the shortages in the state of Ari-

zona, and 181 to negate the shortages in Maricopa County alone.”

Fortunately, there are some incentives to help sweeten the pot. ADHS’s Arizona State Loan Repayment Programs allow dentists and other health professionals to receive generous loan repayments while providing service in underserved areas.

“Because many graduating dentists enter the field with a lot of student debt from their training, the loan repayment program provides a great incentive to work in these underserved areas,” Roscetti says.

To become prioritized as a candidate for the program, the dentist must first choose to work in an area designated as a dental HPSA. How much they’re awarded will depend on where that locality scores on the National Health Services Corps’ determination of “high needs” areas, a ranking that weighs not only the area’s shortage of dentists (anything less than one dentist per 5,000 residents is considered insufficient), but also what proportion of the population is living at or below 200 percent of the federal poverty level.

“The score can range from 0 to 26,” says Roscetti. “The higher the need, the higher the score.”

By that scale, a dentist working in an area with the highest need (having a score between 18 to 26) can receive an annual award of $65,000 in their first two years of serving in that community, dropping to $35,000 in their third year and $25,000 in their fourth. Working in an HPSA designation with the lowest needs score (0 to 13) will net the dentist $52,000 in their

(Special to the Tribune)

Kevin Earle, executive director of the Arizona Dental Association, says there are enough dentists in Arizona, just not in the right areas.

TEACHERS

Last year’s survey found that individuals who did not meet standard teaching requirements filled 22 percent of the positions and 465 teachers either abandoned or resigned from their jobs within the first four weeks.

Critics of Arizona’s education system say low pay and morale are moving many teachers to leave their jobs for posts in other states – or leaving the profession altogether.

As of May 2016, the annual average pay of an elementary school teacher in Arizona was just under $43,000, according to the United States Bureau of Labor Statistics.

When adjusted for the statewide cost of living, elementary school teacher pay in the state is the lowest in the nation, and high school teacher pay ranks 49th of the 50 states, according to a May 2017 report by the Arizona State University Morrison Institute for Public Policy.

Wing believes teacher retention and recruitment would improve with a substantial pay increase – and would attract more college students to the field and boost teacher morale.

“What we don’t do is address the main root cause (of teacher shortage) as a state,” Wing said. “They’ll address all the little ancillary, low-hanging fruit, but, really, teacher pay, in my mind, is the number one root cause.”

Chandler Unified is the only East Valley district that has filled all of its teacher positions already.

CUSD has about 2,300 teacher positions; 270 teachers were hired for this school year to replace those who retired, moved from the area or left the profession.

District spokesman Terry Locke attributes CUSD’s successful recruitment this year to its reputation for diverse and competent faculty as well as competitive

DENTISTS

from page 3

first two years, $28,000 in their third and $20,000 in their fourth.

The program has been successful in not only luring dentists to high-needs areas for those first four years but in keeping them in the communities long after their student loans are paid off.

“According to a study done by the National Health Services Corps, which runs the federal loan repayment program, 87 percent of the providers who have received funding through the program con-

teacher salary.

In Mesa, human resources assistant superintendent Shaun Holmes said about 60 teaching positions are still unfilled. Typically, the district hires about 400 new teachers a year and employs around 3,800 teachers total, he added.

This year’s recruitment was more successful than past years, according to Holmes, because of a faster, easier application process. He said the district also participated in job fairs and recruited from other states earlier this year as well.

If there are still vacancies by Mesa’s first day of school on Aug. 9, substitute teachers will begin the classes.

Across the East Valley, Holmes said special education, math and science positions are the most difficult to fill.

Like Holmes, Jennifer Liewer, executive director of community relations for Tempe Union High School District, said teachers of advanced science classes, such as physics, and special education are hardest to find. Administration jobs can be difficult to fill, too.

Liewer said 51 positions opened up at the end of the last school year and 30 percent of those openings were due to retire-

tinue to practice in the same underserved area at least 10 years after their commitment has finished,” Roscetti says. “That’s a pretty high retention rate.”

But the Arizona Dental Association’s director says the loan repayment program only benefits a handful of select graduates and is not enough in itself to fill in those shortage areas.

In a state where many of the underserved communities fall within the Native American reservations, Earle says there are also problems with the Indian Health Services loan repayment program.

“It’s the only loan repayment program

ment. Tempe Union has a total of 722 teacher positions. As of July 25, only five full-time positions and four part-time positions were still unfilled.

The district is optimistic and expects to fill these spots by its first day, Aug. 7, according to Liewer. She said the district is in better shape than others because the majority of its teachers tend to stay after they are hired and that the district offers a competitive benefits package.

Tempe Union employs substitute teachers out of Education Services Inc., a Phoenix-based company.

ESI President Phil Tavasci and vice president Tom Hancock said the company has been outsourcing substitute teachers for about three years and has found no shortage of people willing to be subs.

While ESI does not have a major shortage of subs, Tavasci and Hancock said there is a high turnover rate. Additionally, the majority of the subs the company outsources are for daily assignments; there are not many long-term assignments.

They said ESI mostly sees surges in classroom teacher absences around holidays and long weekends.

As of July 20, Kyrene School District had only three unfilled special-education teaching positions and one vacant physical education job. The district had 12 teachers retire in 2016 and 17 retire in 2017.

“On the first day of school, each principal affected by an unfilled position will most likely have secured a long-term sub from our sub pool or they will secure a retiree to fill in while the search continues,” said Nancy Dudenhoefer, marketing and communications director for Kyrene.

Higley Unified had two elementary school teacher vacancies due to additional student enrollment as of its first day of school on July 24, according to district spokeswoman Michelle Reese.

The district has a total 647 classroom teachers and of those, 130 are new to

run by the government that is not taxfree, so the IHS has to allocate millions a year to pay taxes on the loans that they forgive, which prevents them from filling slots in their facilities and offering more opportunities for folks to work in those underserved areas.”

Enticing dentists to work in underserved communities can be facilitated by funding or innovative uses of technology. But for Jack Dillenberg, the best way to address the issue is to find aspiring dentists who already have a desire to help those who need it most.

“One of the critical issues in dealing

Higley.

In addition to recruiting from ASU, Grand Canyon University and Northern Arizona University, Higley also recruited teachers from New Mexico and Ohio.

As of July 24, Gilbert Public Schools had 43 vacancies for certified teacher positions and had 2,067 teacher positions total.

GPS spokeswoman Irene MahoneyPaige said 193 teachers left at the end of last school year for retirement or other reasons. Again, special education, math and science positions have been the most difficult to fill. Mahoney-Paige said the district will also utilize long-term substitutes to fill vacancies until a certified teacher becomes available.

In May, Gov. Doug Ducey signed legislation that made teacher certification easier to obtain, a measure he said he believes will help alleviate teacher shortages.

SB 1042 “allows highly qualified professionals who have significant experience in a subject matter, possess a higher education degree and have passed a background check to be certified to teach,” according to Ducey’s website.

Opponents argued it will only lower teaching standards and not actually significantly improve gaps in vacancies.

“Today’s legislation is a win for schools, teachers, and students,” Ducey said in a prepared statement. “No longer will an outdated process keep qualified, dedicated individuals out of the classroom.”

While teachers are in high demand, the East Valley is experiencing an increasing supply of students.

According to U.S. Census Bureau, Maricopa County replaced Harris County, Texas, as the county with the nation’s highest annual population growth in March.

Regardless of varying public opinion on SB 1042, concerns of teacher shortages are not disappearing any time soon as long as Maricopa County continues to grow.

with underserved areas and areas where there’s shortages is who you pick to become a dentist,” Dillenberg says.

“If I see someone whose main goal is to become affluent doing cosmetic dentistry in Scottsdale, they’re not my prime candidate. I want to get a man or a woman who has documented community service, who wants to make a difference, and realizes they can make a great living even working on an Indian reservation or in a community health center in a rural community. What we do is we pick these young men and women and put them in a dental school culture that nurtures that.”

(Kimberly Carrillo/Tribune Staff Photographer) Emily Nowakowski, 5, gives her 3-year-old sister Madison a hug before starting her first day of kindergarten.

Big League Dreams seeks compromise with Gilbert over closed stadiums

BY JIM WALSH Tribune Staff Writer

The owners of Big League Dreams struck out with Gilbert on July 7, surprised by a knockdown pitch – an eviction order that temporarily put them out of business in the East Valley.

Realizing they are well behind in the game, with no revenues being generated at the facility for weeks, the venue’s California owners are now hoping for a comeback. They’re seeking at least a partial reopening of the complex while Gilbert undertakes some major renovations.

Whether a compromise can be worked out is uncertain. The two sides strongly disagree on the stadium’s safety.

Big League Dreams argues there is no threat to public safety, while Gilbert says two structural engineers found such an imminent threat that it was necessary to close the facility immediately.

The two sides have already sued each other, with the town seeking to terminate a long-term contract with Big League Dreams on grounds that the firm failed to maintain the facility as required.

Big League Dreams’ suit alleges the town failed to compensate the company for nearly $150,000 in business it lost when the facility was partially closed for a series of $2 million in “remedial” repairs paid by the town.

The town spent $40 million to build the complex and contracted with Big League Dreams to operate and maintain it. The arrangement quickly soured when an injury suffered by a visitor revealed millions of dollars in flawed construction work.

The town obtained a $13.5 million settlement with Mortenson Construc-

issues with the facility that need to be repaired.

tion, which argued that a poor design by Big League Dreams and abuse of the facility contributed to the structural issues.

Gilbert has always intended to start major repairs at the facility in September, but announced it had taken the unusual step of closing it down because of fears that outfield walls might collapse during monsoon storms and injure players or other visitors.

Big League Dreams’ owners met with town officials on Monday and were asked to put together a proposal aimed at reopening part of the facility. The owners said they want to open at least two of the facility’s eight baseball fields – and preferably up to six so they can still schedule tournaments.

Jeff Odekirk, one of the company’s founders, said he would like to make arrangements to have a structural engineer hired by the company inspect the facility and perform tests.

He said the company’s engineer has walked through the facility but needs additional access to perform the tests.

Odekirk said one major issue identified by the town engineer is that the wrong bolts were used in three of eight columns used to support outfield fences. The bolts have been encased in concrete for 10 years, he said, and there have been no problems.

“We are absolutely confident that the outfield walls are perfectly safe,” he said.

John Giambi – a co-owner of Big League Dreams and the father of two former major league players, Jeremy and Jason Giambi – blamed the dispute on communication problems between Big League Dreams and the town.

“We think if we can get the engineers to talk, they will come up with similar conclusions,” he said.

A press conference called by Big League Dreams last week resembled more of a rally by supporters, including children wearing baseball uniforms, their parents, coaches and Big League Dream employees who are out of work.

They all expressed doubt about the town’s assessment that the park poses an imminent safety threat.

The complex has eight baseball fields that are designed to resemble such iconic stadiums as Fenway Park and Yankee Stadium. The complex also features an indoor soccer facility.

Big League Dreams bases its business on attracting youth baseball tournaments and adult softball tournaments.

Dale Cooper, who coaches in the program, said his club team played 65 games last year, competing in tournaments against teams from Canada, Minnesota and other cold places in the winter months.

The availability of a facility such as Big League Dreams makes it possible to run such an intensive program, he said.

Cooper estimates that about twothirds of his teams’ games will be lost because of the closure.

“Essentially, it’s killing baseball and it’s breaking my heart,” Cooper said. Cooper said he never perceived a risk when he coached at Big League Dreams but said he was there to play ball and is a teacher, not an engineer. He said he is not qualified to determine whether a safety risk exists.

Robert Grasso, an attorney for Gilbert, said the town considered doing repairs in phases, the same policy it used in Phase 1 of emergency repairs after the flawed construction was discovered in 2011, but that the cost was prohibitively expensive.

He said the safety issues are a real threat, despite what Big League Dreams says, and he called it “shameful” that Big League Dreams is using children to further its business interests when the town’s primary interest in closing down the facility was to protect children.

Grasso’s suit against Big League Dreams says that Phase II of the renovations will take 15 months to complete and that the facility needs to remain closed. If the work was completed in phases as Big League Dreams requests, the repairs would take 2½ to three years and cost an additional $5 million to $8 million.

“The town is not going to force the

See BIG LEAGUE on page 6

(Kimberly Carrillo/Tribune Staff Photographer)

Big League Dreams, at 4536 E. Elliot Road in Gilbert, sits empty. The town says there are major structural

victims were either physically or sexually assaulted in the locker room at Hamilton High School between November 2016 and January 2017. It is likely these incidents could have been prevented with earlier police intervention,” a detective wrote in recommending the charges against Belles.

The court document said James was told by one victim’s parents about an incident in November 2016 and documented the conversation by taking notes. Police found the notebook while serving a search warrant at the school on June 1.

James told police he had interviewed the student who had allegedly been molested but the student did not divulge the incident.

“Ken James expressed to investigators during his interview he felt based on his experience he could conduct interviews with juvenile children regarding sexual offenses, although he had not received any formal training to do so,” the court document said, adding:

“This conduct is in direct violation of mandatory reporting laws and school protocols when dealing with these types of reports.”

Police also recommended that Shawn Rustad, the athletic director, be charged with failure to report.

Police said after he became aware of an anonymous voice message reporting the abuse in January, Rustad never notified authorities.

Following orders from James, Rustad interviewed four students who reported abuse but never notified their parents, police alleged.

Instead, Rustad “relayed this information to Coach Belles and instructed him to address this behavior with the team,’’ according to a court document.

The manner in which Hamilton and other district officials handled the sexual abuse allegations are cited by attorney Dan Raynak, who represents the families of three victims in the notice of claim, a precursor to a lawsuit.

Raynak also accuses CUSD Superintendent Camille Casteel of negligence in hiring and supervising the football coaches,

BIG LEAGUE

from page 5

taxpayers to pay millions of dollars more and expose the public to safety risks,” Grasso said. “The answer is no.”

“The town of Gilbert is wearing the white hat here,” Grasso said. “The town has reports from two separate structural

ficult time, and I think it will take a long time for them to feel normal again.”

The case centers on allegations that Nathaniel William Thomas, 17, a Hamilton player, committed sexual assault and sexual abuse in the football team’s locker room, with two other juveniles acting as accomplices.

Thomas was charged with felonies, including sexual assault and child molestation. Ken Countryman, his attorney, has adamantly denied the charges.

arguing that Belles knew about the abuse as early as 2015 and never reported it to police.

The claim says that one coach, identified as Manuel Alejandro Palomarez, “walked in on an assault” and had heard rumors about the sexual incidents as early as May 2016.

It says that Belles must have known about the sexual abuse as of September 2016, when he told players, “don’t do sexual things to each other” and “stop raping each other.”

“It is contended that the coaches knew, or should have known, back in 2015 what was transpiring and they failed to protect (victim’s name redacted) from harm,” Raynak’s claim says.

Raynak filed three separate claims, two demanding $7 million and one demanding $6 million.

Together, they depict a locker room culture full of fear, intimidation and lax supervision by Belles and his coaching staff.

“The coaching staff knew of hazing going on and tried to cover it up and/or blame some of the less-successful players,” Raynak wrote. “There were meetings held between coaches and players to try to cover up and/or minimize the fallout from these hazing incidents.”

Raynak said it is difficult to understand the alleged attackers’ motivations. He said he believes control and intimidation were probably factors as upperclassmen tried pulling rank on the freshman players.

“I think it’s something that will stay with them forever,” Raynak said about the impact on the victims. “It’s been a dif-

engineers saying this is dangerous and unsafe.”

Grasso said the town is dedicated to getting the repairs completed as quickly as possible, but ensuring safe conditions is the number one priority.

He said it is possible that Big League Dreams will never manage the facility again, depending upon the outcome of

Amanda Jacinto, a spokeswoman for the Maricopa County Attorney’s Office, said that prosecutors still have the Hamilton case under review and that no decisions have been reached on whether to file charges against Belles and James.

In Arizona, police investigate whether a crime has been committed and a prosecutorial agency, such as the County Attorney’s Office, reviews the case to determine if there is enough evidence to warrant a charge.

Thomas is charged with incidents involving three victims who police say were held down in the locker room and assaulted.

Court records said the assaults were committed between the fall of 2015 and January 2017. Two 16-year-old suspects also were arrested by police and referred to juvenile court. Thomas was charged as an adult.

A court document released Monday by police said the assaults occurred during two football seasons and were viewed as a “tradition” by some members of the football team. The victims were freshmen new to the varsity team.

In January, James received an anonymous voicemail message about students being “picked on and harassed” by football players.

He subsequently learned that there were four potential victims and instructed Belles to interview them, rather than reporting the incidents to a police school resource officer, the court document said.

Police accused James of three counts of child abuse between November and February, saying he had failed to report the incidents to police as required by state law.

the suit.

“We are not going to invest millions of dollars and give them the keys so they can destroy it again,” Grasso said.

Grasso accuses Big League Dreams of being responsible for $4 million in damages to the complex because of its failure to perform maintenance required under the contract.

Police also accused Belles of three counts of child abuse, citing the duty-toreport statute.

Sgt. Dan Mejia, a Chandler police spokesman, said Belles and James were not formally booked into jail and that detectives notified them by telephone that they were recommending the charges.

The arrangement is often used when police believe a suspect is not a threat to the public or likely to flee from prosecution. It also puts no time constraints on prosecutors while they review the case.

Police did not recommend charges against any other Hamilton employees named in the claim, which includes the football team’s coaching staff from last year. Palomarez is listed as a physical education teacher on the district’s website.

Belles is listed as a history teacher at the school and other employees named in the claim include a school counselor, a world history teacher, an economics teacher and the freshman assistant football coach.

The district was transparent in handling the highly critical claim, redacting only the names of victims.

Terry Locke, a district spokesman, said employees are not allowed to comment because of pending litigation, even if they would otherwise like to defend themselves.

Other than Belles, who was reassigned months ago, the other employees remain on the job. He cautioned that everyone named by police or in the complaint is innocent until proven guilty.

“The district understands that the recommended charges relate to the state’s mandatory reporting statute. Mr. James will remain serving in his position as principal of Hamilton High School during the pendency of the county attorney’s office review of charges,” Locke’s statement said, adding:

“The district reiterates the presumption of innocence that applies to these circumstances, and has no further comment on the matter.”

Locke said the district has taken numerous remedial steps toward protecting students participating in athletic programs since the case surfaced, including increased supervision of locker rooms and an anti-hazing video.

Michael Van, an attorney for Big League Dreams, said that mediation is scheduled in an attempt to settle the two suits on Aug. 15-17.

“This is not the way we wanted it to go,” Odekirk said. “We hope there is an amicable resolution.”

– Reach Jim Walsh at 480-898-5639 or at jwalsh@timespublications.com.

(DeeAnna Varela Photography)

Nathaniel William Thomas, 17, is charged with incidents involving three victims who police say were held down in the Hamilton locker room and assaulted.

Mining Camp Restaurant in AJ destroyed in fire

A historic Apache Junction restaurant was destroyed by an early morning fire July 25.

Firefighters were called out to the Mining Camp Restaurant at Val Vista and Mining Camp Road at 3 a.m. Fire crews were unable to save the structure.

The cause of the fire, which started in the gift shop at the front of the restaurant, has not yet been determined. The damage is estimated at $950,000.

The restaurant, built in 1961, offered family-style dining and a musical stage show in a rustic atmosphere. Jake Whitten, the owner’s grandson, said the family hopes to rebuild.

Tempe man accused of using identity of murdered infant

A Tempe man has been arrested and accused of using the identity of an infant murdered 35 years ago.

Social Security Administration investigators said a man tried to get a duplicate Social Security card in the name of Michael Anthony Lewis II. It had turned out that Lewis had been murdered at 10 months old in 1982.

Through facial recognition, it was determined that this “Lewis” was actually Jeremiah Elton Ash, 34. Ash has a warrant for his arrest out of Michigan.

In 2012, Ash used a Virginia birth certificate and a Florida driver license, under the name Michael Lewis, to get his Arizona license. Authorities say that for the past five years, Ash used this fake identity to get a Social Security card, health care and multiple jobs.

Ash has been charged with multiple counts of fraud, forgery and identity theft.

– TRIBUNE STAFF REPORT

Family of man killed in police chase files $4.3 million claim against state, Gilbert

The family of Brad Moore, who was killed in a high-speed pursuit in January, has filed a notice of claim against the state of Arizona and the town of Gilbert.

Moore’s parents seek $4 million from the Department of Public Safety and $300,000 from Gilbert.

Police say Moore stole a work truck in Gilbert in January and was chased by police and an off-duty DPS officer, Lt. Col. Heston Silbert. Moore, a 29-year-old Army veteran, died when the truck rolled several hundred feet down a mountain off I-17 near Camp Verde after crashing into a guardrail.

Moore’s camp says the pursuit broke department policy and state law –

TRIBUNE STAFF REPORT

Mylar balloons cut power to 3,000 SRP customers

More than 3,000 SRP customers in Gilbert lost power last weekend when a cluster of Mylar balloons came in contact with power lines in the area, officials said.

Kathleen Mascarenas, an SRP spokeswoman, said the balloons struck power lines near Pecos and Greenfield roads, triggering an outage that included a nearby substation.

Among the affected was San Tan Village, an outdoor shopping and entertainment center.

SRP warned its customers around graduation season to avoid releasing Mylar balloons as a way to celebrate.

– TRIBUNE STAFF REPORT

Jump in, the community is great.

At the risk of exaggerating just a bit, there must be a million reasons to live here.

Example number one is the pool. Example number two — all the great options you’ll find for fitness, socializing, healthy fine dining, and more. And if you need a little help, we offer assisted living services, too.

We invite you to see it all for yourself at a complimentary lunch and tour. Please call The Village at Ocotillo Senior Living Community to schedule.

Mesa woman continues fight against immigrant crime with new group

BY MEGAN JANETSKY Cronkite News

It was 3 a.m. on May 14, 2014, when Mary Ann Mendoza got the call that would change her life.

Her son, Mesa police Sgt. Brandon Mendoza, had been hit on his way home from work by a wrong-way driver who was high on crystal methamphetamine and had a blood-alcohol level three times the legal limit.

“I kept trying to call his cellphone and he didn’t answer,” Mendoza said. “Fifteen minutes later, the Mesa Police Department showed up and took me to the hospital. My son died about 40 minutes after I arrived.”

The driver was an undocumented immigrant who previously had been arrested on other criminal charges but released.

The events of that day –Mother’s Day – would ultimately take Mendoza to Washington to unveil Advocates for Victims of Illegal Alien Crime. The new group aims to assist victims of crimes committed by undocumented immigrants and advocate for an aggressive crackdown on illegal immigration.

Her new group’s mission statement says its “goal is to promote Americans’ safeness and security in legislation and public policy” and “educate the public on the statistics and impact that illegal immigration has on American lives.”

At the organization’s launch in June, members called for construction of a border wall, defunding sanctuary cities and the revocation of the Deferred Action of Childhood Arrivals program, which provides to protections to certain immigrants who were illegally brought to the U.S. as children.

“I don’t have a lot of sympathy for these people, the conscious decision was made to break the law and the consequences are there,” Mendoza said of the estimated 11 million immigrants in this country illegally.

But Petra Falcon, executive director of the immigrant advocacy group Promise Arizona, said that while she is deeply saddened for the victims, “blaming an entire community” is unfair.

Critics say they understand the pain that crime victims go through, but that groups like Mendoza’s – and the Department of Homeland Security’s new Victims of Immigration Crime Engagement Office – unfairly stigmatize all immigrants for the actions of a criminal few.

But Mendoza said critics can’t understand.

“My family is forever separated. I will never see my son again,” said Mendoza, the group’s co-founder. “These (undocumented) families have a choice to make a phone call, to visit them, to have Skype, to have emails, to do all of those things that I’m no longer able to do with my son.”

Mendoza, who visited the White House for a roundtable with President Trump, is no stranger to advocacy. She has spoken at a number of then-candidate Trump’s campaign rallies, was a prime-time speaker at the Republican National Convention and was on hand at the White House in January as the president signed executive orders clamping down on immigration policy.

“You’ve got to understand that there is a pain there, a loss, and there are a lot of emotions connected to that – anger, rage,” she said of survivors. “But I also don’t think it’s fair to broad-stroke the fault of one person who committed a crime and hold everybody hostage to that profile.”

The founding of Mendoza’s group comes two months after Homeland Security Secretary John Kelly announced the Victims of Immigration Crime Engagement Office as part of Immigration Customs Enforcement. VOICE is intended to help crime victims gather public information on suspects who may be undocumented immigrants.

Mendoza said there’s no way to have a proper immigration system in the United States with what she calls open borders.

“A lot of those people may have come here peacefully and may not have committed previous crimes, but, look, Americans are being killed every day,” Mendoza said.

“I think the American people need to start being more concerned about what’s happening to their fellow Americans and stop worrying so much about what’s happening to illegal aliens coming into our country,” she said.

(Megan Janetsky/Cronkite News)

Mary Ann Mendoza's son, Brandon, a Mesa police officer, was killed in a 2014 car crash with an undocumented immigrant.

THE WEEK AHEAD

Chandler National 12-year-olds win title

The Chandler National 12-and-under team will get ready this week for their next step toward a shot at the Little League World Series.

The boys will head to San Bernardino, California, to play Hawaii on Sunday, Aug. 6, in the first round of the Little League West Regional Tournament.

On Thursday, July 27, the Nationals beat the Prescott Little League All-Stars 9-0, with Josh Tiedemann throwing a shutout until running into pitch-count limits and was pulled with one out left. Roch Cholowsky hit two home runs.

Led by coaches Perry Galovich, Mike Noreus and Doug Brewster, the team also includes Gavin Noreus, Lucas Phan, Jake Gorrell, Brody Sexton, Trevor Galovich, Braeden Schnabel, Arnulfo Barocio, Braeden Romero, Kole Klecker and Alex Dabrowski and Angel Morales.

–TRIBUNE STAFF REPORT

Congressman Biggs to meet with public over coffee

The Chandler Chamber of Commerce is hosting Coffee with Congressman Andy Biggs from 8:30 to 9:30 a.m. Thursday, Aug. 3, at 25 S. Arizona Place, Suite 201.

Andy Biggs represents Arizona’s 5th congressional district, which contains Gilbert, Queen Creek, parts of Chandler and parts of Mesa.

Biggs will make remarks then answer questions from the audience. Register for the event at chandlerchamber.chambermaster.com/ eventregistration/register/18891.

–TRIBUNE STAFF REPORT

Model trains roll into Mesa Main Library

HO scale model trains will be exhibited Monday, July 31, to Saturday, Aug. 5, at the Mesa Main Library, 64 E. First St.

The exhibit, presented by Grand Canyon State Model Railroaders, will invite visitors to walk around more than 750 square feet of HO track and model towns. Model railroad operators will be on hand to answer questions.

Hours are noon-8 p.m. Monday, July 31; 9 a.m.-8 p.m. Tuesday, Aug. 1, through Thursday, Aug. 3; and 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Friday, Aug. 4, and Saturday, Aug. 5.

The Mesa Library Express trackless train will also offer free train rides Aug. 4-5. Raffle prizes will be given away after the exhibit ends, including two tickets to the Grand Canyon Railway; a family 5-pass for combination admission to Goldfield Ghost Town’s mine, train, and mystery shack; and a Lehmann train set. Information: mesalibrary.org.

–TRIBUNE STAFF REPORT

Enrich your family with another culture. Now you can host a high school exchange student (girl or boy) from France, Germany, Scandinavia, Spain, Australia, Japan, Brazil, Italy or other countries. Single parents, as well as couples with or without children, may host. Contact us ASAP for more information or to select your student.

(Special to the Tribune)

Chandler National 12-year-olds celebrated their Little League division win a few weeks ago and are now savoring a victory in the state championship.

Community

Young pianist takes his colorful music to Tokyo concert

BY LEAH GILCHRIST Tribune Staff Writer

Passion and talent – and literally colorful music – led a 14-year-old pianist from Chandler to an opportunity to perform his own composition at Yamaha Hall in Tokyo this summer.

Luke Hoang, a student at East Valley Yamaha Music School, was invited to play his original piece at the Yamaha International Junior Original Concert in August. He will be performing his original duet, “Saturday Procrastination,” with his accompanist, J.B. Smith, a professor of music and coordinator of percussion studies at Arizona State University.

Luke was one of 12 students selected from the international competition, which receives nearly 35,000 original compositions from students from 43 different countries. He was selected to represent the U.S. in the international concert.

“I was really shocked. It was really unexpected,” Luke said. “It’s really big.”

Luke’s passion for music and piano stems from the experience called “synesthesia,” a cross-sensory phenomenon in which the person experiences an involuntary cognitive response to a sensory stimulation.

Luke says music is “colorful” to him. When he plays piano, he experiences different colors as he plays.

“I’ve had a passion for piano since I was little, especially because I hear music a certain way,” Luke said. “Music is very colorful and a lot of it is about imagery

COMMUNITY BRIEFS

MESA

International rose trial to be held at Rose Garden at Mesa CC

The Rose Garden at Mesa Community College, the largest rose garden in the southwest, has been selected to sponsor an international rose trial.

The Sonoran International Rose Trials will display, in a park setting and for the benefit of parks departments, nurserymen and the general public, the value of modern rose varieties.

The planting of test roses at MCC took

ing talent in playing the piano, he began taking composition classes and started to write his own pieces for the piano.

several of the composers and pieces from which he has drawn inspiration for his own pieces.

“He’s an easy one to work with,” Yonemaru said.

and what I see when I play piano. Because I’m experiencing different things when I play piano, that’s one of my driving motivations for composing, too.”

In addition to performing in Tokyo, Luke was also one of the 12 students invited to perform recently in the Yamaha 2017 U.S. National Junior Original Concert in Cerritos, California.

“I’ve never traveled anywhere solely to perform and so that’s also a surprise to me,” Luke said.

Luke began taking piano lessons when he was 4 years old, after his mother enrolled him in classes at the East Valley Yamaha Music School. At 8, after show-

place in January, initiating the beginning of a two-year trial period. The unique climatic conditions in Arizona permit planting in late December to early January with the first blooms appearing in early April. Five to six complete bloom cycles may be observed annually.

The rose garden is at 1833 W. Southern Ave., Mesa.

2 free shade trees given by SRP at Mesa workshop

SRP is giving two free trees at its Shade Tree Planting Workshop, Aug. 12 at 8 and 10 a.m. at Mesa Community College, 1833

Over his 10 years at the school, Luke has taken classes with Heidi Grimes, the director of the school, and many of the other teachers. East Valley Yamaha Music School offers students a variety of structured lessons, consisting of a mix of individual and group lessons, and transitioning between playing various instruments and composing music.

“It’s really like a team,” Grimes said. “He also does stuff with the younger kids preparing them for their exams and coaching them. It’s really like a community.”

Luke attends classes twice a week at the school and practices piano for an hour every day at home. He enjoys playing jazz pieces and finds inspiration for his original pieces from composers such as Bill Evans and Nikolai Kapustin.

His piano instructor, Tomoko Yonemaru, has worked with him through his years at the school and in writing his own compositions. Yonemaru introduced Luke to

W. Southern Ave.

Attendees will be taught about planting and caring for trees. The free shade trees help reduce cooling costs, improve air quality and lower the urban heat effect without using a lot of water.

The trees will be available Sept. 16, which is a cooler time to plant.

RSVP at rsvpbook.com/event. php?547514.

CHANDLER

New graffiti removal vehicle shown at back-to-school event

Chandler’s new graffiti removal vehicle

Yonemaru worked with Luke while he composed “Saturday Procrastination,” and will travel with Luke, the Hoang family and Smith to Tokyo.

Luke will be starting his freshman year at Perry High School in Chandler in the fall and says he plans to continue his music education with East Valley Yamaha Music School throughout his high school years. Luke foresees himself pursuing a career in music composition following high school.

Luke comes from a family of musicians. His father, Dien Hoang, is a worship leader at the family’s church and wanted his sons to take music lessons so they could play together at church.

“My dream was just to get him into knowing music a little bit,” Dien said. “An average musician would make me happy, to play in the band in church or worshipping, but I never expected one day he would win this contest and would be playing at the international level.”

Dien is proud of his son’s talent, but it comes as no coincidence. He said both Luke’s grandfather and great-grandfather played music, and now the talent has been passed on to Luke. Music has had great influence in the family, and the talent continues though Luke and his brother.

“It’s a joy to listen to him practice,” Dien said.

was showcased recently at Operation Back to School Chandler, the largest back-toschool event in the East Valley.

The city’s graffiti abatement program is managed by one full-time staff member who handles nearly 2,000 annual removals. The new graffiti removal vehicle is equipped with all the necessary supplies and equipment including paint, solvents, multiple paint sprayers, and a high temperature power washer. Residents who wish to report graffiti may call in the location to the city’s 24-hour hotline at 480-782-4322. They also have the option to download a free app, called Chan

(Kimberly Carrillo/Tribune Staff Photographer) Luke Hoang began taking piano lessons when he was 4 years old, after his mother enrolled him in classes at East Valley Yamaha Music School.

Chandler couple gives back to hospital that saved their preemie

BY COLLEEN SPARKS Tribune Staff Writer

Breann and Jesse Vogt of Chandler understand the fear, chaos and trauma that parents endure when their babies are fighting to survive in the neonatal intensive care unit of a hospital. Their son Asher, who recently turned 1 year old, spent 310 days at Cardon Children’s Medical Center in Mesa after he was born at 29½ weeks.

That’s why the Vogts decided to collect toys and other baby items to donate to the medical center as a way to comfort families whose little ones are getting treated there.

Breann, 33, and Jesse, 37, who also have a 2½-year-old son, Colton, aimed to get 300 goodies donated from friends, family and anyone else to donate to the medical center. They surpassed their goal, gathering 600 items. Arizona Milk Producers/Dairy Council of Arizona donated 400 gifts – coloring books, storybooks, crayons, onesies, bibs, rattles, playing cards, toy keys, blankets and stuffed animal cows. Through an Amazon donation drive, people donated 200 items, including books, stuffed animals, monthly stickers, pacifiers and security blankets.

They pushed in carts full of boxes and gift bags at the medical center July 21, where smiling nurses and other staff members gratefully accepted the presents they can pass along to parents.

When Asher was treated in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) and later the pediatric intensive care unit (PICU) at Cardon, the Vogts received notes and gifts from other parents whose babies had been born prematurely.

“We had more than a handful of times NICU and PICU grads reached out to us,” Breann said. “It really was inspiring. It really gives you hope to get through.”

From January to July 21, Cardon Children’s Medical Center has cared for 145 babies in the NICU born before 35 weeks. Out of those babies, 14 were born at 23 weeks or less in their mothers’ wombs.

Cardon NICU registered nurses Jen Hoth and Jackie Marnell spent months with Breann, Jesse and baby Asher when he was a patient and are amazed by the couple’s generosity.

“The gifts will help brighten a lot of days,” Hoth of Chandler said. “I think it will help bring some comfort to a lot of parents to know someone’s going through the same things they’re going through.”

Asher was born. Breann would work for a while in the morning and then spend her days at the hospital with Asher, and Jesse, who works in marketing, would come to the hospital at night, after work.

“(Asher) had quite a journey with us,” Hoth said. She recalls how Breann would read “On the Night You Were Born” by Nancy Tillman to Asher every day. The nurses say Breann and Jesse kept their spirits up by planning themed days, like one where everyone wore Chicago Cubs T-shirts, with Asher wearing a Cubs onesie.

Because Asher’s condition was not improving, he underwent a tracheostomy, where an artificial airway is inserted into the windpipe through a surgical incision to offer a long-term way to ventilate him.

While Asher had “some really tough days,” Hoth said “he got stronger and bigger.” Asher is a fighter and when he was feeling good he would give everyone “the biggest smile,” said Marti Marnell, neonatal nurse practitioner at Cardon and Jackie’s mother.

Asher came home in April for three weeks but was not out of the woods. He suffered bronchial spasms, which Breann said are like a severe asthma attack. Asher had to return to the hospital to receive “more aggressive breathing treatments to open his airways” and get on the hospital ventilator for more support. He came home again on May 23 but had to return just four days later due to the same issues.

Breann said the good news is Asher has been home since June 14 and he’s making progress.

Breann said the nurses at Cardon are “all our besties” and always “just seemed to know what to say” to encourage her and Jesse.

Hoth and Marnell said they were impressed with Breann and Jesse’s dedication to baby Asher and how they kept taking great care of their older son, Colton, through Asher’s hospital ordeal.

“It blows my mind,” Marnell said of the gifts the Vogts donated. “They’re just so generous. I just find it so impressive that their son was here for so long, yet they’re able to find the good things and just be thankful and pay it forward.”

Breann said the difficult times began when she started bleeding around her seventh week of pregnancy. Doctors determined she had a blood clot, but

She said people often donate linens and knit hats for babies in the medical center but it’s rare to get such a large donation of items like these.

the bleeding eventually almost stopped completely so they did not anticipate any issues with her delivery. However, her water broke at 23 weeks and a test could not reveal whether she had any amniotic fluid leaking.

A few weeks later, an ultrasound revealed she had low amniotic fluid and another test showed her amniotic sac had ruptured. Breann had to go on bed rest in Banner Desert Medical Center for 35 days.

When Asher was born, Breann said “he wasn’t breathing” and she had “no idea what condition he was in.” He was given oxygen and breathing tubes were placed in him. Breann said Asher was born with “severely underdeveloped lungs.”

She said her employer was understanding, allowing her to work part time as the communications director at Arizona Milk Producers while on bed rest and after

“Now he’s doing great,” Breann said. “Everything’s coming together. It was just head-spinning, chaotic. He’s been improving on his physical therapy. He’s turning pages, he sticks his tongue out, he’s been able to breathe.”

A physical therapist comes twice a week to work with Asher, who has a gastrostomy-jejunostomy tube, which is inserted through his abdomen that delivers nutrition to his stomach as he can’t eat orally. He also has the tracheostomy tube and a ventilator to help him breathe. Still it’s “night and day” from where he was, Breann said.

“He’s so much more stable,” she said. “Just having him that stable makes such a difference.”

Meanwhile, the staff members at Cardon say they’re thrilled Asher’s condition improved and he’s at home with his family, though they miss him.

“We’re so happy for him,” Marti Marnell said. “We just celebrate every day he’s home.”

(Corey Schubert/Special to the Tribune)

From left, Marti Marnell, neonatal nurse practitioner at Cardon Children’s Medical Center; Jackie Marnell and Jen Hoth, Cardon Children’s Medical Center registered nurses; Breann Vogt, Colton Vogt and Jesse Vogt mingle after the Vogts dropped off donations for families.

(Jesse Vogt/Special to the Tribune)

Asher Vogt was born at 29½ weeks and suffered from what his mother, Breann, said were “severely underdeveloped lungs.”

dler PublicStuff, to send photos and pinpoint the exact location of the graffiti.

Teachers get free car checkup at Desert Car Care of Chandler

Desert Car Care of Chandler is hosting its 6th Annual Back to School Teachers event from 8 a.m. to noon on Saturday, Aug. 19, at 95 N. Dobson Road.

Teachers who present their school I.D. will receive an oil change, which includes 5w20 semi-synthetic oil and filter, and a 15-point safety evaluation test. Both services have a $49.95 value.

The inspections will be given on a first come, first serve basis. Vouchers will be given for rescheduling if necessary.

Homeschoolers get day at Veteran’s Oasis Park

Celestial navigation and how it influenced today’s satellite navigation technology will be explored at Homeschool Day 9:30-11:30 a.m. Aug. 10 at the Environmental Education Center at Veteran’s Oasis Park, 4050 E. Chandler Heights Road.

The special day is part of the EEC’s Environmental Education Explorations program, which provides field trip experiences for students and other groups.

to serve on its Technical Code Advisory Board of Appeals.

The board meets every three months as needed to help ensure the safety of Tempe’s buildings. It is not necessary to be a resident of Tempe to be on this board.

This board will help review the city’s current code later this year and suggest updates. The board may hear and decide appeals of Chapter 8 of the Tempe City Code, Buildings and Building Regulations, and the technical codes, among other duties.

The current vacant positions are for those who qualify as electrician or mechanical contractor. To apply, go to tempe.gov/cityhall/city-clerk-s-office/boards-and-commissions/city-of-tempe-board-and-commission-application.

Tempe offers transportation grants for elderly, disabled residents

Tempe is providing $50,000 in annual recurring grant assistance to eligible providers of transportation services to Tempe’s elderly and disabled residents.

All transportation service providers who provide specialized transportation services to elderly and disabled Tempe residents are eligible to apply. Tempe grant assistance may be used for capital or operating needs and local match requirements for regional and national grants, but not staff salaries.

The programs are designed for children and youth ages 5 to 17 and offer gradespecific activities that allow students to experience the adventure of learning through hands-on inquiry-based activities and investigations.

The cost is $6 for homeschooled children living in Chandler and $9 for non-residents. Accompanying parents, chaperones and spectators attend for free.

To request a reservation, contact Ariane Francis at ariane.francis@chandleraz.gov or at 480-782-2886.

GILBERT

Basketball tryouts scheduled for sports club in Gilbert

Excel Sports and Gilbert North Basketball are staging tryouts for boys in grades 7-10 Aug. 7 and 9.

There is a $5 charge for the tryouts at Inspires Courts, 1090 N. Fiesta Blvd., Gilbert.

Information and registration: gilbertnorthbasketball.org, 480-296-3197, gilbertnorthbasketball@gmail.com.

TEMPE

Tempe seeks new members for Technical Code Advisory Board Tempe is seeking qualified, skilled people

The grant application, requirements, forms and more information can be found online at tempe.gov/tempeinmotion or by calling 480-350-2734.

EAST VALLEY

Arizona Commission on Arts gives out $2.7 million in grants

The Arizona Commission on the Arts has announced 234 grants to Arizona nonprofit arts organizations, local arts agencies, schools and community organizations.

In total, $2,360,000 was awarded, with $278,500 given in the East Valley.

Among those receiving funding were, in Chandler, the Chandler Cultural Foundation, $22,000; Gilbert, Ballet Etudes Youth Ballet, $18,000; Mesa, East Valley Children’s Theatre, $5,000; Queen Creek, Queen Creek Cultural Foundation, $12,000; and in Tempe, Childsplay, $47,000.

These funds are distributed throughout the state in the form of grants, but also in the form of programs and services that contribute to the growth and stabilization of Arizona’s arts sector, enhance student learning, nurture artists’ creative and professional development, and preserve the rich traditions of Arizona communities, a news release said. For more information about the grants, services and programs of the Arizona Commission on the Arts, go to azarts.gov.

Goettl leaving a legacy as a longstanding cooling company in EV

BY RALPH ZUBIATE Tribune Managing Editor

For 78 years, Goettl Air Conditioning has been cooling off the sweltering East Valley. Now, the hard-to-spell company is adjusting to new consumer needs and technology while expanding its footprint to Southern California and Nevada.

Gust and Adam Goettl developed the Phoenix area’s first evaporative cooler and refrigerated air conditioning unit in 1939 to battle the severe desert temperatures, according to the Goettl website.

Dan Burke, chairman of Goettl, joined the company in 1989.

“At the time I came, the business was focused on building and manufacturing of air conditioning equipment,” Burke said of the Tempe-based firm. “As time went by, we could see there was a growing need for high-quality and expert contracting to repair and replace units.”

“We’re a big contractor but we’re a relative small company and we do what we can,” Burke said.

“We do have a shortage of technicians and will probably always have that going forward. There is a lot of movement of employees, and a lot of competing for technicians.”

Burke listed reasons Goettl is a great place for an air conditioning tech to work.

“We have work year-round, at a level that will keep anybody who is good and wants to be successful in this industry busy,” he said. “We have a great operation here.”

The company’s unique Southwestern base helps it approach the job differently.

“For us, it’s not a hobby,” Burke said. “Back East and in the Midwest, you can open a window. But here, it’s not that way.

“It’s not just temperatures but dust storms and the monsoon. You need compression systems to deal with that. Otherwise, your utilities bills will continue to increase.

lowed us to grow.

“We decided to let the bigger companies make the best equipment and we would focus on the best service and installation. That was a good decision for us.”

Goettl and Burke have seen a lot of new innovations in their years. Among the most current are variable-speed and variable-capacity units.

“Now, units can operate at a lower performance level when you have less areas to cool or the temperature is less demanding,” Burke said. “That saves money and gives more comfort.

“Having it not run, then run like hell, then not run doesn’t provide the best comfort.”

Networked units and apps are also changing the game.

generation of people are quite comfortable with those kinds of apps.”

Despite all the new tech, gadgets and gizmos, the best thing a consumer can do to help keep the air conditioner in good shape is a simple one.

Goettl survived and thrived in its smallbusiness phase.

“We were one of the fewer smaller manufacturers still operating,” he said. “Most had already been gobbled up by bigger companies. In this business, you can’t be a small manufacturer.”

Times have changed for Goettl.

BUSINESS BRIEFS

Walgreens moving pharmacy center to Chandler from Tempe Walgreens is bringing nearly 500 jobs, including 191 new positions, to Chandler as it relocates its Tempe pharmacy operations support center.

The Tempe facility will remain open as a pharmacy mail services support center to support expected future growth, Walgreens said in a statement.

Jobs at the new 60,000-square-foot Chandler center, at 2225 S. Price Road, include pharmacists, pharmacy technicians

“Goettl provides comfort at a decent price.”

The company also made the shift to service because of government regulation.

“I’m not sure the typical homeowner realizes the regulations in this business,” Burke said. “We had to shift our focus to become expert in service. That has al-

and call center agents. It is scheduled to open this fall.

Breakfast/lunch restaurant

Scramble coming to Chandler

Scramble, a popular fast casual breakfast/ lunch restaurant known for using local farmers and vendors, will expand into Chandler by next spring.

The company also announced a new restaurant in Phoenix recently.

The Chandler restaurant will open at The Shoppes of Casa Paloma at 7131 W. Ray Road in Chandler, just off I-10 and Ray. Scramble, now in Scottsdale and elsewhere

“Another thing being implemented now is self-diagnostics systems that will alert the homeowner or service company to things it detects,” he said.

“Now, you can get applications through your wireless device to control the thermostat. When you’re getting on an airplane, you can tell your home in Phoenix to turn on the air conditioning.

“It’s really a wireless thing. The next

in Phoenix, features breakfast and lunch fare, with vegetarian and vegan options.

Mesa apartment complex sells for $7.4 million

Sonoma Village Apartments, in Mesa’s Fiesta District, recently sold for $7.4 million, or $77,083 per unit.

The two-story complex, at 1318 S. Vineyard, consists of 96 units and was constructed in 1973. It is minutes from Mesa Community College, Fiesta Mall, Banner Desert Medical Center, Cardon Children’s Medical Center and the core of Mesa’s Fiesta District.

“Make sure the filters are changed regularly,” Burke said. “If you don’t do that, you can get debris, cat hair and dust into the coils of the equipment, and that reduces the efficiency and slows down air flow.”

Burke also recommends maintenance.

“Units should be checked every year,” he said. “Refrigerant, tuneups and a general tightening would avoid a really extensive, serious failure later.

“Relatively modest repairs can help avoid major repairs.”

The buyer was Kenneth Schnerch of Sonoma One Properties LLC and Sonoma Two Properties LLC.

Sale of Chandler Panera Bread sets records for national chain

A recently built Panera Bread restaurant in Chandler was sold for $4.315 million, a new record for the highest price per square foot and lowest cap rate for the chain.

The property, at 3141 W. Frye Road, is in the Chandler Viridian PRIMEGATE Fashion Center Project, a 24,000-squarefoot, 25-acre mixed-use project.

The restaurant will open this month.

(Special to the Tribune)

Goettl vans can be seen all over the East Valley, installing units or servicing them. The company has been based in Tempe for 13 years.

(CDP Commercial/Special to the Tribune) Dan Burke, chairman of Goettl, joined the company in 1989.

A fuzzy-faced look at a failed masculinity experiment

BY DAVID LEIBOWITZ Tribune Columnist

Let history show that my attempt to grow one of humankind’s epic beards ended on Day 17, when I couldn’t take the itching or the fact that I looked like a cross between Hobo Adam Sandler and Dishonest Abe Lincoln.

Hipsters everywhere, this beardless wonder salutes you. I will forever be the few-days-stubble “Miami Vice” extra to your “Duck Dynasty” impersonation. Minus the $12 craft beers, skinny jeans and the “man bun” hair.

As many beard experiments do, mine began with a looming vacation and a casual aside from my wife: “You know, you would look really good with a beard.” Because most of Mrs. Leibowitz’s casual asides involve things like remodeling the master bedroom or sweeping the back patio until it’s clean enough to host surgical procedures, this aside seemed like an easy way to get in her good graces. I mean, if you can make your spouse happy by the mere act of growing hair –which you can do literally in your sleep –

Apache Junction is ready

In light of recent reports regarding the open land south of Apache Junction, it is important to know that we are ready.

The East Valley Tribune recently published a story on the Superstition Vistas project south of the city (“An EV vision on hold looks for new life,” July 9). The project dates back many years and the newspaper reported that no movement is expected any time soon, though regionally, the discussion continues.

However, it mentioned that perhaps the first domino in the process of long-term development is the land immediately south of U.S. 60, to be known as Lost Dutchman Heights, which lies within the city of Apache Junction. I am here to tell you that the city is ready to expand in this area responsibly.

In fact, the city’s infrastructure – including its water and sewer districts – are ready to add many residents to its systems in short order. The sewer district has the capacity to handle several thousand more residents almost immediately. The water district has a new purification plant that can serve several thousand more customers and beyond.

We know that residents throughout the region are ready

hey, that sounds like a job for yours truly.

Sadly, growing a beard is more work than it appears. For starters, there’s the onslaught of questions that begin around Day Five. With my vacation coming up, I decided to skip shaving despite having a bunch of meetings, each which began with someone asking, “Leibo, are you growing a beard?” Maybe these queries

dreading junk mail from the AARP, this was not a positive development, even given the vast trove of scientific research pointing toward beards as enhancing the owner’s masculinity in the eyes of both men and women.

Incidentally, who knew beard research was a thing? Personally, I recommend Barnaby Dixson and Robert Brooks’ 2013

“ if you can make your spouse happy by the mere act of growing hair – which you can do literally in your sleep – hey, that sounds like a job for yours truly.”

were innocent, but they sounded to me like either an accusation of sloth – “Gee, look who can’t be bothered to shave for the meeting” or a smirky crack about the onset of a midlife crisis – “Uh, what’s next, David, a convertible red Corvette and a ponytail?”

The other problem? My burgeoning beard was mostly gray. While George Clooney can pull off the “silver fox” look, all signs pointed to me instead looking like Gandalf’s less wizardly brother, Cletus of Elder. For a guy already

classic, “The role of facial hair in women’s perceptions of men’s attractiveness, health, masculinity and parenting abilities,” from the journal Evolution and Human Behavior. The verdict? “Women judged faces with heavy stubble as most attractive and heavy beards, light stubble and clean-shaven faces as similarly less attractive. … Men and women rated full beards highest for parenting ability and healthiness.”

Of course, as with all research, there’s a flipside: A May 2016 study in the

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

for shorter commute times and more convenient access.

The city is set to embrace more diversified housing options as Apache Junction grows. The school district also has resources to expand. The proximity to Phoenix-Mesa Gateway Airport is another key piece of the growth puzzle. The region would be very attractive with lower costs for land.

The city also has a robust, well-developed conceptual community plan and design for the first 12 square miles of the area.

We have seen the mushrooming growth far south, but the initial area was leapfrogged. All parties must understand that for the region to grow responsibly, many of these issues must be addressed. We already have taken them into account.

This is a long-term process. Lost Dutchman Heights, if it is to be developed, will need many champions. We must galvanize the region to pursue more housing, shopping and employment options – overall higher quality of life.

The city and the surrounding area is ready to work together to develop the Superstition region. All residents in these areas share city facilities, including the city parks, the library and city streets.

While much of the growth talked about in this newspaper report maybe years off, when it does happen, it will start right here in Lost Dutchman Heights.

We must set a high standard for this future development. The infrastructure is in place. The access is in place with U.S. 60 and the soon to be extension of State Route 24 and the north-south corridor. We look forward to working with any possible developer and with potential business partners to make this the next great area of the southeast Valley.

We’re ready.

– Jeff Serdy – Mayor, Apache Junction

Trump report card a joke

Richard Meszar’s letter (“6-month job review”, July 23) setting the criteria for grading President Trump’s first six months lacks only “plays well with others” to make it total nonsense. Only one of the seven criteria concerned policy –coal mining and jobs – the rest being campaign rhetoric.

Mr. Trump’s problem is that he steps on his own agenda, giving the liberal press fodder with which to fill air and print space instead of having to address actual progress his administration is making. Despite fanatical efforts by congressional Democrats to thwart any accomplishments – even those they might otherwise support – the president made his first and most important appointment to the Supreme Court, restoring a balance toward fidelity to the

Archives of Sexual Behavior reports that men with beards are more sexist than the rest of us. “Hostile sexism was a significant predictor of facial hair status … and facial hair was more frequent among ambivalent and hostile sexists than among benevolent and non-sexists. It is suggested that sexist men choose to grow facial hair because it maximizes … perceived masculinity and dominance.”

To think I was just trying to make my wife happy, even if that meant looking a little bit like a wookiee.

In mid-shave, I briefly considered leaving a goatee or maybe a Tom Selleck mustache, but hair anywhere near my mouth always makes me worry I’m walking around with stray breadcrumbs or chowder droplets on my face. No, better shaven than sorry. That’s my motto from here on out. Leave the bushy beards to coffeehouse baristas and those two dudes from ZZ Top. I’m moving on to my next masculinity enhancement project.

Next Sunday’s column is about fullsleeve tattoos, I promise. – David Leibowitz has called the Valley home since 1995. Contact david@leibowitzsolo.com.

written word of the U.S. Constitution. He has unleashed our natural gas producers, which will not only help American consumers save money but will put pressure on our enemies, Russia and Iran, while helping balance imports and exports, all while helping lower carbon emissions (natural gas producing 40 percent less than coal). Almost as important as the Supreme Court is his agenda to ease the regulatory strangle that politicized agencies, intent on oppressive federal control of all aspects of our lives, have visited upon us.

Mr. Meszar’s focus on whether or not Mrs. Clinton is in jail, or how many people cheered the destruction of the World Trade Center, is evidence of how effective the left has been in keeping their minions in line. They, in effect, use the old line “Who’re ya gonna believe? Me or your lying eyes?”

– Jim Barber – Mesa

Ward sinks lower still

I was wrong again! Just when I thought it would be impossible for our state’s Republican Party to sink any lower than it already has, along comes Kelli Ward to crawl underneath the belly of a Gila monster.

Kelli “I can’t get elected to any elected position on my own” Ward now says she wants to be appointed to fill Sen. John McCain’s position (which, according to Ward, he should relinquish for his own benefit). We have repudiated Ward’s attempts to win office at least twice, and I’ll gladly vote for “none of the above” before I cast my vote for her for ANY office.

What gall, what chutzpah, what an egomaniac. Can someone check to see what grade Dr. Ward earned in Ethics 101 when she was in medical school?

– Richard K. Meszar – Mesa

Interfere? Yup, we did

The Democrats and R.I.N.O. Republicans in the Senate and the House, and the “Fake News” media have been on a crusade against Russian interference in the 2016 election for almost a year now. To the Washington Beltway

Establishment, this is another “Pearl Harbor.”

Talk about the pot calling the kettle black. Maybe the American People need to put their thinking caps on and remember that “people in glass houses shouldn’t throw stones.” Our country has interfered in the politics of more than 40 nations since 1946. Just to name a few: Iran 1953, Guatemala 1954, Chile 1973, Nicaragua 1990, Czechoslovakia 1989, Haiti 1986, Yugoslavia 2000, Honduras 2009, South Vietnam 1967, the Congo 1961, Indonesia 1967 and Afghanistan in 2014. Oh, and let’s not forget the Obama Administration’s hacking into the cellphones of Germany’s Angela Merkel and the President of Brazil among many others, too.

Folks, Britain, France, Germany and other European nations and Japan all have blood on their hands historically. So, before we assume the “mantle of righteousness” let us considerer the Bible verse “And why beholdest thou the mote in thy brother’s eye, but considerest not the beam in thine own eye.”

– Leon Ceniceros – Mesa

Sports

ASU golf hopes Valley becomes permanent home for NCAA championship

BY GREG MACAFEE Tribune Sports Editor

Arizona State University has dreams of becoming the permanent home for an NCAA championship.

The Sun Devils will take the first step toward that goal in 2020, when they are set to partner with Grayhawk Golf Club in Scottsdale to host the NCAA Golf Championships. It will be the first venue to host the men’s and women’s NCAA golf championships for three years in a row.

“Our ultimate goal, long-term, is not just to host it for that three years,” said Rocky Harris, Sun Devil athletics chief operating officer. “We want to become what Omaha is for baseball, where we make this – Grayhawk, Scottsdale, Phoenix, the Valley – the home of collegiate golf championships forever.” Omaha, Nebraska, has been home to baseball’s College World Series since 1950 and recently hosted its 68th tournament, with the Florida Gators bringing home their first NCAA baseball championship. To approach Omaha’s longevity, ASU knows it must produce a successful product for the NCAA and Golf Channel. It also must draw support

‘My

from the community.

A history of hosting big-time golf tournaments may give Grayhawk an edge.

From 2007 to 2009, the club presented the PGA Tour’s Frys.com Open. It also brought the Williams World Challenge and Waste Management Phoenix Open pro-ams to Scottsdale, along with others.

“We understand it’s a long road between here and there,” president and owner of Grayhawk Development Gregg

Tryhus said. “We have to prove it out, the Golf Channel has to prove it out, ASU has to prove it out, and the community has to embrace it. But should everybody do that, I think there is a chance for us to turn this into the kind of event that will be hard to take away.”

ASUe Athletic Director Ray Anderson said the partnership between the school and Grayhawk came together after the NCAA and the Golf Channel approached

Tryhus about the possibility of hosting the NCAA Golf Championships. Tryhus then brought it to the school to discuss the possible partnership.

“Part of the discussion was how do we do something different and unique that will help the Golf Channel produce an event with some continuity and consistency of quality,” Anderson said.

True to its reputation as an innovator, ASU came up with a unique plan. The two sides discussed the possibility of offering a multi-year agreement to host the golf championships at Grayhawk. This offer will allow the Golf Channel and the NCAA to make significant investments in the broadcasting aspect of the tournament.

Beyond the NCAA Golf Championships, the Sun Devils hope to become the home for many future NCAA championships.

Anderson said they currently don’t have any bids for future events, but they want championships for hockey, tennis, and even wrestling to be brought to the Valley

“We declared very vocally that ASU wants to be the place where championships for the NCAA come out here on a regular basis,” Anderson said. “So, golf is our first opportunity to prove that we can do this at a high level.”

legs are still shaking’: Bungee workout springs into Valley gym

BY REINERT TOFT Cronkite News

People who walk into Tough Lotus for the bungee workout class often have the same reaction.

“It’s crazy,” said Amanda Paige, owner and operator of the fitness gym. “First of all, you’ll see it and you think it’s going to be so much fun and it doesn’t look like it’s going to be that hard. It is so much harder than you think it is and it’s even more fun than you think it is.”

The bungee workout is a new fitness routine that originated in Thailand about two years ago and is springing into gyms around the country. The workout combines aerial fitness, dancing, core workouts, aerobics and toning. The harness used in the workout look

like one from a rock climbing gym. The bungees, suspended from the ceiling, pull on students as they perform exercises that resemble sequences from an action movie.

“We were both studio-trained, competitive dancing from the time we were 4 and 2,” said participant Gillian Grabowski, referring to her and her sister, Allison. “So we grew up dancing, and this isn’t like any other workout we’ve ever done. This is even harder than dancing, I think. There’s a lot more core and …”

“You use different muscles,” said Allison, finishing her sister’s sentence. “My legs are still shaking.”

When Paige first saw the video of the

(Greg Macafee/Cronkite News)

Arizona State University will host the NCAA Golf Championships at Grayhawk Golf Club in Scottsdale for three straight years starting in 2020.

BUNGEE

from page 16

bungee workout in Thailand, she fell in love with it. A sign in her gym says, “Master Training Center, 1st in the United States.”

“I called them. I said, ‘Hey, how do I get this out here?’ I flew to Thailand. I spent two weeks out there (and) became a master trainer,” Paige said.

The class lasts 75 minutes. Paige has her students do a 15-minute pre-workout stretch to make sure the body is loose before she has her students put on the harness.

“I always tell them, ‘You’re going to feel a little lift.’ So, I hook it onto their lower back and they go ‘ooooh,’” Paige said. Once the harnesses are on, the students do squats and pushups. Paige also has them walk and lean forward in the harness to have them engage their core muscles.

All the little steps are meant to teach the students an important lesson when doing the bungee workout.

“You have to think about it this way: The bungee cord, its job is to pull you up to the ceiling,” Paige said. “So your job is to pull it down.”

“To do that you have to use core, you have to use quads and hamstrings to keep it low. The lower you go, the higher you’re going to release up into the air.”

In order to be successful in pulling off the moves in the class, a 100 percent effort is required or the bungee will take control, Paige said.

“People want to do the moves, they want to fly, they want to jump from their hands to their feet so it literally pushes them harder than anything else because they want to do it,” Paige said.

She has her workouts follow the flow of the upbeat songs she plays

during the class, like “Sweet Dreams” by the Eurythmics, “(I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction” by the Rolling Stones.

Ever since Paige brought the workout to the United States, she has received nonstop calls from people trying to open bungee workout studios.

“I was very grateful, because when I purchased this studio it was an aerial studio, so it was rigged for aerial work,” she said. “It was a very easy installation for me. (People) came in from Las Vegas to rig this. It’s all professionally done. It’s not just your traditional ceiling. There’s a lot to it.”

Paige is hoping to expand the program. There are more advanced dances, including the vertical wall, which also involves a harness, but the class is able to utilize more of the room, including running and bouncing along walls, flying higher for longer periods of time and being able to perform flips.

“When we get a bigger location, then we can add that vertical wall and do that but right now we don’t have the space for it here,” Paige said. “It’s fun though. I did it when I was out there.”

Paige plans to open new bungee classes to cater to a wider audience.

“We have a bungee fit that I’m about to introduce,” she said. “It’s going to be no combo, more like one song of just lunges, one song of just pushups. It’s go, go, go like that.”

Paige also has in mind a class for those who are older or injured who need to go at a slower pace, and a bungee workout for kids.

For those who aren’t used to being active, Paige advises building up endurance before participating. Her requirements for the class are still simple.

“If you can go for a walk or a run or whatever, come on give it a try.”

Barbara Cushing VP/Business Banking Officer

(Reinert Toft/Cronkite News)

Originally from Thailand, bungee workouts are becoming increasingly popular in the United States.

God’s challenge: To embrace, not ignore, someone else’s story

BY LYNNE HARTKE Tribune Guest Writer

When we were two years into grandparenting, I realized it was long past time to buy our own baby things for when the grandchildren visited.

Before purchasing a Pack ‘N Play, I decided to check Craigslist, but the equipment in the ads looked old and worn. I popped up one more ad that advertised the collapsible crib as “like new.” The pics looked promising, the house was in my ZIP code, and the seller promised to take $10 off the price. I headed over.

A young woman greeted me – all long legs and willowy arms with straight blond

FAITH CALENDAR

MONDAY, JULY 31

T’SHA B’AV

Join us for an evening of reading and discussion of Lamentations by candlelight. Come explore and learn about our Temple and home in Jerusalem, followed by the screening of a thought-provoking, contemporary film.

DETAILS>> Service begins at 7:30 p.m., film at 9. Pollack Chabad Center for Jewish Life, 875 N. McClintock Drive, Chandler, southeast corner of McClintock and Ray. RSVP requested. Information: 480-855-4333 or chabadcenter.com.

SATURDAY, AUGUST 19

TEA FOR ‘WOMEN IN WHITE’

The Lawrence Memorial A.M.E.Z. Church is inviting ‘Women in White’ to bring their favorite tea cup or tea pot and enjoy games, poem reading and refreshment. DETAILS>> 1-3 p.m., Pearl’s Banquet Hall, 1455 S. Stapley Road, Suite 12, Mesa. Cost: $20, $10 girls 5-12.

Summer and the fun times are drawing to a close. As we reflect on the adventures and memories of the past few months, may we also recognize that there may be challenges ahead.

Prearranging gives you peace of mind; it allows your family to understand your wishes. Be informed about the options available and do this in an unpressured environment. Take time to think things through, discuss your decisions with family, and select the services that have meaning to you.

hair pulled back in a ponytail. “Do you want to see it set up?” she asked as we headed into their garage. As she unpacked, unrolled and popped open the Pack ‘N Play, I realized it didn’t just look new, it was new. Never used.

“Why do you have a new Pack ‘N Play?” I asked.

She looked up briefly, eyes shadowed by falling hair. “The baby died,” she said. She said it clinically. Brief. Short. But I heard the bandage over a gaping wound being torn off.

“I’m so sorry.”

“It’s OK.”

But it was not OK. I knew.

Two-plus decades later, I remembered the words, “I’m sorry, Mrs. Hartke, but we can’t find a heartbeat.” I remembered leaving the hospital overwhelmed by grief,

Information: 602-817-8675 or 602-689-0457.

SUNDAYS

HORIZON SEEKS YOUNG PEOPLE

High school and middle school students meet to worship and do life together.

DETAILS>> 4 p.m. at Horizon Presbyterian Church, 1401 E. Liberty Lane. 480-460-1480 or joel@horizonchurch.com.

NEW CHURCH IN MESA

The Rev. Albert Bolden leads the Lawrence Memorial A.M.E.Z. Church in Mesa.

DETAILS>> Sunday school at 9 a.m., worship at 10 a.m., 931 E. Southern Ave., Suite 108. Information: 480-393-3001, tlmchurch.info@gmail.com.

UNITY OFFERS A PATH

Unity of Mesa says its Sunday service offers “a positive path for spiritual living” through “transformational lessons, empowering music and various spiritual practices with an open-minded and welcom-

For more information, please feel free to contact our professional staff for a

angry that the sun still dared to shine, But I said none of this to her. I didn’t mention my own loss or pain. I didn’t offer hope or speak of faith.

My tongue stuck to the roof of my mouth as I found myself tiptoeing away from her pain. I pulled out my bills and unfolded the cash. I drove home.

“Did you offer to pray for her?” my husband asked me later, the extrovert who lives a green-light life – unlike me, the analyzing introvert who lives with a yellow light on her soul. A caution. A pause. A reluctance to invade someone else’s space.

That caution is my constant wrestling point, where I try to push words around my guarded personality. I wait, yellowlight cautious and the moment is so often lost. This is my challenge – not to be an

ing community.”

DETAILS>> 9 a.m. Spiritual Discussion Group and Meditation Practices Group. 10:15 a.m. Celebration Service. 2700 E. Southern Ave., Mesa. Nursery available for infants through kindergarten at service times. Youth ministry classes are open in the Education Annex at 10:15 a.m. Information: 480-892- 2700, unityofmesa.org, lori@unityofmesa.org.

VALOR CHRISTIAN OUTLINES MISSION

Valor Christian Center in Gilbert offers “great praise and worship and great messages for today’s living,” according to Associate Pastor Thor Strandholt. “Our mission is to evangelize, heal and disciple through the word of God.”

DETAILS>> 10 a.m. Sundays and 7 p.m. Thursdays. 3015 E. Warner Road. Information: valorcc.com.

SUNDAY CELEBRATION SERVICE

Inspirational messages and music to lift your spirit. A welcoming community committed to living from the heart. Many classes and events offered. We welcome

extrovert, but when I feel that nudge, that prompting of God, to take a step forward, not a step back. To embrace, not ignore, someone else’s story.

To live the yes.

Jesus, God with us. God in man, not just one step into humanity’s story, but all in. Fully human, yet fully God. God all in to mess and pain and confusion of earthly life. Jesus came wearing baby skin. As an image bearer of God, I come also with skin – his hands, his feet, his touch in a world of painful stories.

And somehow, some way, God moves through me – a person, yellow-light cautious in this world of hurting people. This. Yeah, this. Amazes me.

– Chandler author Lynne Hartke, a pastor’s wife, writes often on spiritual matters: lynnehartke.com

you!

DETAILS>> 10 a.m. Sundays at Unity of Tempe, 1222 E. Baseline Road, Suite 103, Tempe. Information: 480-792-1800, unityoftempe.com.

KIDS CAN LEARN JEWISH LIFE

Children can learn and experience Jewish life. Chabad Hebrew School focuses on Jewish heritage, culture and holidays.

DETAILS>> 9:30 a.m. to noon, for children ages 5-13 at Pollack Chabad Center for Jewish Life, 875 N. McClintock Drive, Chandler. 480-855-4333, info@ chabadcenter.com, or chabadcenter.com.

MONDAYS

CHURCH PRAYER CALL

The Lawrence Memorial A.M.E.Z. Church in Mesa has a prayer call every Monday.

East Valley youth ready to swing into ‘Tarzan’ musical

BY MELODY BIRKETT GetOut Contributor

There will be plenty of singing – and swinging – next month as Studio 3 Performing Arts in Gilbert presents “Tarzan the Stage Musical.”

About 30 cast members from Studio 3 will perform a Limelight Performing Arts version of the Disney classic.

“Some of the characters are a little bit different,” said Emma England, artistic director for Limelight Performing Arts, owner of Studio 3 Performing Arts.

“One of the characters who dies in the movie doesn’t die in our version,” England said. “There’s also some new songs.”

The musical is about Tarzan’s family shipwrecked on an island. His parents die and mother ape Kala finds Tarzan and decides she wants to raise him since she lost a child of her own.

The story fast-forwards to when Tarzan is coming into contact with humans for the first time, specifically Jane.

“Without giving the ending away, he has to make that decision on whether he wants to be part of the human world or if he wants to stay with his animal family,” England said. “And Jane has to make that same decision, too. You need to come to the performance to see how it ends.”

The music is by Phil Collins.

“I like the music in the show because it can be related to by lots of generations,” England explained. “A lot of different people can fall in love with it.”

This version has many of the same songs as the Disney movie, including the Academy Award-winning “You’ll Be in My Heart” along with “Son of Man” and “Two Worlds.”

“Phil Collins, in general, he’s got a good way of creating these catchy beats that kind of make you feel good,” England added. “So, as you’re watching the show you can really get into it.”

It has been a challenge pulling off the production during the summer months.

“It’s about 10 weeks of rehearsal altogether,” England said. “We did a lot of rehearsal upfront before everyone started leaving on vacation. We have not had a rehearsal yet with the whole cast here. There has always been at least two people gone until the day before opening, when we actually have our entire cast with us.”

In the meantime, videos were made and posted online so the kids could practice at home or while on vacation.

Another unique thing about this

production is that young Tarzan is played by a girl. England said her production company is open to different casting, explaining:

“We believe that age and gender and race and all those things, sometimes there’s flexibility there. We had so many girls audition that were just so talented that we decided we were going to be open. And they all came in wanting to be young Tarzan, which was funny. So, we were like, ‘Sure, let’s do it.’”

There are also understudies for all the roles to give as many kids a chance as possible at having a lead role.

Ava Wright, 10, plays young Tarzan. She attends Chandler’s C T Liberty Elementary School and has been in theater since age 5.

“In past plays, I always auditioned for boy roles because girls roles I don’t fit in because I’m a tomboy,” Ava said. “I’m not a girly girl.”

The role is very athletic, but Ava said, “There are a lot of stunts, but I do enjoy it. They’re pretty hard, but they’re really fun to do.”

“You’re being flipped, you’re being pushed around in some of these acts, and it’s kind of hard to keep your voice without shaking and stuff,” she added.

Ava hopes to make a career out of musical theater one day, noting, “Acting is my life. I love singing. I love dancing.”

Tarzan – or rather the grown-up Tarzan –is played by Connor Brigola, 17, of Chandler, a senior at Hamilton High School. He has been in musical theater for about five years and is enjoying the role of Tarzan.

“It’s honestly really a lot of fun,” Connor said. “It’s one of those roles that you just always want as a kid. You watch the movie and you say ‘I want to be Tarzan. … It’d be so cool swinging on vines, fighting lions and leopards and digging up bad guys and getting the girl in the end.’”

He feels the pressure of having such a big role.

“It’s a lot of stress, but it’s so much fun to be up there singing Phil Collins legendary song ‘Strangers Like Me’ and just trying to do him justice and Disney justice through the show Tarzan and being able to portray that character.”

The reward is the feedback from the audience.

“I love just seeing the audiences faces when you’re up their singing and entertaining, doing what we do best, and just seeing the audience’s reactions whether it be sad, or happy, or when they get scared if something really suspenseful happens,” he said.

While he would love to make a career out of it, Connor plans to major in medicine in college and do a minor in musical theater.

Audrey Coleman, 15, who plays the role of Jane, is a sophomore at Gilbert Classical Academy and been performing since she was 3 and doing musical theater since 7.

“The thing I love about Jane is she has a very strong love for plants and discovering and doing research and stuff like that because she’s a botanist,” said Audrey.

“So, I can relate because I have a love for animals and love for plants.”

Annabelle Skala, 15, a sophomore at

Queen Creek High who plays the role of Tarzan’s ape mother, describes her costume as having a lot of fringe that’s “ape like.”

Nicolas Caglia, 19, of Mesa, is starting college in the fall, so this is his last show before moving to New York and attending American Academy for Dramatic Arts. He plays the role of Kerchak.

“I’m Kala’s husband and she brings in Tarzan to the family and I don’t like it since he’s a human and my family was killed by humans,” he explained. “So, I push him away until he gets older and starts proving himself and at the end I finally accept him.”

Young Terk is played by Abby Springer, 10, and a sixth-grader at Mesa’s Barbara Bush Elementary. She started musical theater when she was around 7.

“Young Terk is very confident,” Abby said. “He’s full of himself. He thinks he’s superduper cool. He thinks he’s strong and better than everyone. He thinks he can do everything. He’s a really fun character to play. And he’s also best friends with the role of young Tarzan.”

Like young Tarzan, Abby also has a boy role. “There weren’t very many girl roles in this anyway,” she said. “I don’t really care what I play. Whether it’s a girl or a boy, it’s still fun just to do it.”

Abby is taking her part very seriously. “I still have to figure out what a guy would do,” she explained. “I’m watching the guys in there, watching how they walk, watching what they do with their heads, just really weird stuff.”

She has done about a dozen performances in her short career.

“My favorite part of doing the show is making people happy whether it’s a happy show or not. Making them believe it’s actually you being that person,” Abby said. “I love the people in it and you can just make such good friends because they’re so much like you.”

IF YOU GO

What: “Tarzan”

Where: Studio 3 Performing Arts, 511 W. Guadalupe Road

When: 7 p.m. Fridays, 3 and 7 p.m. Saturdays and 2 p.m.

Sundays, Aug. 11-13 and 18-20

Cost: Tickets: $15; group discounts are available

Info: limelight.ticketleap.com/tarzan, 480-545-1492

(Tyler Padjen/Special to the Tribune)

Abby Springer of Mesa, playing Young Terk, rehearses a scene with Ava Wright of Chandler, who plays young Tarzan.

Hip-hop ‘Outlawz’: Gilbert-based dance troupe takes on the world

BY CHRISTINA FUOCO-KARASINSKI GetOut Contributing Writer

Red Mountain High School graduate Max Thompson doesn’t know the meaning of “give up. ” Thompson and his Gilbert-based dance troupe, Outlawz, have been rehearsing for its August world championship bout for a year.

Veterans of the T V show “America’s Got Talent,” Outlawz will compete against the best street dancers and dance crews from 50 countries during the USA and World Hip Hop Dance Championships held in the Valley from Friday, Aug. 4 to Aug. 12.

The World Hip Hop Dance Championship finals start at 6:30 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 12 , at GCU Arena. All USA Championship events (Aug. 4 to 6), World Preliminary Championship events and World Battles (Aug. 7 to 11) will be held at the Arizona Grand Resort and Spa.

The competitions are the flagship events developed and organized by Hip Hop International and its founders, Howard and Karen Schwartz. They also created the Emmy Award-winning T V series “America’s Best Dance Crew.”

“The Outlawz are proud of ‘America’s Got Talent,’” Thompson said. “It was a pretty big accomplishment because it’s hard for dancers to make it on that show. We were on three episodes and made it to the live shows, which a lot of dancers don’t do.

“With this, we’re pretty confident that we’re going to do well. We’ve been doing this competition for three years now. We know how it goes. We took third in the world last year. This year, we know what

we need to do to get first.”

Outlawz are the 2016 USA Hip Hop Dance Champions and World bronze medalists, adult division. If Outlawz win the worlds, it’ll be the first U.S troupe to do so in HHI’s history. In the group, Thompson is joined by Dominic LaRovere of Chandler, Phoenix Banuelos of Gilbert, Marcus Pope of Peoria, Tam Rapp of Los Angeles and Josh Ulep and A.J. Pak, both of Hawaii.

“USA has never won worlds before,” Thompson said. “We just don’t give up. Some crews make it as far as we have, they get second or third, and just stop. We got third last year and decided we had to try one more time.”

Dancing is something that Thompson only took up in high school, and it wasn’t for the most practical of reasons.

“I would dance, honestly, to impress girls,” he said with a laugh. “I would just mess around when they had a DJ at lunch. Then, I realized I really liked it.”

Before dancing to the likes of rappers Drake, Chance the Rapper and Travis Scott, Thompson played on Red Mountain’s basketball and football teams. He is the second oldest member of Outlawz.

“We’re all pretty experienced the same way, in terms of dance, but I’m way more experienced in life,” Thompson said. “I hope that the younger members look up to me and, more so, my life experience. They can learn a lot through me, with what I’ve been through. I want to teach them to have a good attitude and be patient with people.”

Human relations came into play when Outlawz traveled to China to promote the

HHI brand and dance on the Great Wall of China.

“That was super-cool,” said Thompson, who is planning a move to Los Angeles. “We got first place in the USA our first year. We had the opportunity to go to China and teach and coach. We performed our routine for them and showed them how to dance. It was awesome.

“I learned, through the trip, that all cultures are completely different from each other. We should appreciate America because we’re super-blessed over here.”

And Thompson is blessed with the opportunities he’s received thanks to HHI.

The HHI championships have earned the respect of dancers and choreographers worldwide. Many competitors discovered by Hip Hop International have launched careers working with the likes of Justin Bieber, Jennifer Lopez and Rhianna. Hiphop dance is represented routinely in countless awards shows and can be seen promoting respected brands including the Grammys, Emmys, Oscars, NBA, NFL and Cirque Du Soleil among many others.

“In today’s world, where travel bans and proposed walls to separate peoples are prompting concern, the longstanding mission of Hip Hop International to unite the world of hip hop through dance is

more relevant than ever,” Howard Schwartz said in a press release.

All events are open to the public. Tickets for the family-friendly events start at $25. Complete event schedules, ticket information, championship videos and more can be found at hiphopinternational. com.

IF YOU GO

What: USA and World Preliminary Championships

Where: Arizona Grand Resort and Spa, 8000 Arizona Grand Parkway, Phoenix

When: Aug. 4-11

Cost: $25-$200

Info: hiphopinternational.com

Gilbert dancer chosen for prestigious New York City Ballet apprenticeship

BY AMY SCHRADER Tribune Contributor

Childhood dreams can come true. Just ask Gilbert native Gabriella Domini.

From the moment she saw the New York City Ballet perform “The Nutcracker” during a vacation with her family, the then9-year-old set her dreams on becoming a ballerina.

“I have a very vivid memory of one moment in the Sugar Plum pas de deux where the ballerina is balancing on one point shoe, being led across the stage by her partner, giving the illusion that she is floating,” Domini said. “In that moment, there was something special there that captivated me.”

That moment captivated Domini enough to work hard and chase her dreams.

On June 5, Domini’s hard work paid off when she was chosen as one of only eight new apprentices at the New York City Ballet, founded by legendary choreographer George Balanchine, and was presented with the 2017 Mae L Wien award for outstanding promise.

The dancer, who attended the School of American Ballet (SAB) in New York, a feeder school into the New York City Ballet, was presented with the Mae L Wien award onstage at the beginning of SAB’s annual Workshop Benefit performance.

After the show, Peter Martins, ballet master in chief of the New York City Ballet, gathered a small group of dancers onstage and delivered the news of the apprenticeships.

“I was completely overwhelmed with emotion,” Domini said. “My wildest dream

had come true. After dedicated years of work and sacrifice, especially moving away from home, I felt that it had all culminated in that moment. It was surreal”

The hard work began in a garage dance studio in Gilbert, where a 6-year-old Domini took dance lessons from a family friend.

When she was nine, she began serious ballet training at the School of Ballet Arizona after auditioning and being cast in their showcase of “The Nutcracker.”

At 13, she enrolled at Ballet Etudes in Gilbert, under the direction of Sharon Meko, and later danced Aurora in the school’s

Gabriella Domini performs the principal female role in George Balanchine’s Scotch Symphony in early June at the School of American Ballet’s 2017 Workshop Performances. See BALLERINA on page 23

(Paul Kolnik/Special to the Tribune)

(Special to the Tribune)

The Gilbert-based Outlawz took first place in the 2016 USA Hip Hop Dance Championships and have appeared on “America’s Got Talent.”

• Immunizations

• Sports Physicals

• Same Day sick Appointments Available

• Most Insurance Accepted Including AHCCCS Accepting New Patients!

21805 S Ellsworth Rd, Ste B111 Queen Creek, AZ 85142

LA CASA DE JUANA

Upon entering you’ll be dazzled by the colorful decor and the gracious service with warm gold and yellow tones echoing throughout the restaurant. Great atmosphere, the unique tables and live music are waiting for you.

This is a very affordable spot. The flavorful salsa, the delicious margaritas, the extraordinary and well-priced food will definitely keep you coming back. Check out La Casa De Juana at 1976 W. Southern Ave, Mesa, AZ 85202 For reservations call 480-962-9112 www.juanashouse.com

Nutella mousse Klondike cake is easy, scrumptious

Simple cheesecake is simply a tasty treasure

BY JAN D’ATRI

Contributor

sheet pan cooking tips:

BY JAN D’ATRI Tribune Contributor

IACROSS

ACROSS

1 Speedometer stat

1 Several

4 Puncturing tools

8 Into the sunset

12 Savings plan acronym

13 Biblical boatwright

14 Eastern potentate

15 Wanting company

17 One of the Jackson 5

Joey and his parents?

18 Margery of nursery-rhyme fame

Hi-tech SFX

Be philanthropic

19 Played aloud, as a TV

21 Without a cent

Contraband measure

24 Winter woe

Author Brown

Got up

25 Year, in Uruguay

26 Snitch

Vast expanse

28 Square dance group

Successful horticulturist

32 Rickey flavoring

Upright

34 Pint fraction

34 Shrill bark

36 Genealogy chart

35 Hitting sound

37 Plead

37 Put forth

38 Gardener, at times

39 Hosp. section

39 Cookie holder 41 Coffee vessel

Add your favorite seasonings (salt, pepper, garlic salt,

Drizzle with some olive oil and then toss to

When sheet pan is hot, lay proteins on (The hotter

Return pan to oven and cook until proteins and

2 teaspoons fresh or dried herbs of your choice. (All

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Directions:

1. If you really want to make sure that your steak has a nice sear on the outside, you can cook your steak in a hot skillet to sear before finishing it off in the oven to desired temperatures.

hour. Then make the topping and you’re golden. This cheesecake is delicious plain or with fresh berries in season. I simply mixed the berries together with a fruit glaze and then I spooned it right over the top! With this recipe, you’ll get one large or two small cheesecakes.

t’s frosty! It’s scrumptious! It’s refreshing! It’s so easy! I don’t think I’m going to have to talk you into trying this Nutella Mousse Klondike Cake.

Oh, I must say … life is sweet!

Easy Cheesecake

For the crust:

2. If using potatoes, cut them into wedges or smaller pieces, and cook in microwave for two minutes to soften. Then, add them to the other vegetables. Check out my how-to video here: jandatri.com/ recipes/one-minute-kitchen.

1 quart vanilla ice cream

1 (6-count) pack Klondike Bars of your choice 1 bar dark chocolate (3.5 oz.)

Soften butter just enough to combine herbs, garlic and salt.

Directions:

Mix together, spoon into container. Or, spoon herbed butter on parchment paper, cover and roll into a log and chill in the freezer for 30 minutes, then slice!

42 U.K. flyers

41 Sharpen

45 Poe topic

44 Burns or Browning

47 Scale member

48 Dime portrait

52 Midafternoon, in a way

46 Serving piece 50 Astronaut Grissom 51 Floater

53 Trip around the world?

54 Lawyer’s due

55 Superlative

52 Boring 56 Con 57 Culture medium 58 Scratch

59 Uncategorized (abbr.)

60 Legislations

61 Early bird?

DOWN 1 Wire measure 2 Expert 3 Good-looking

Id counterpart

It takes some of our favorite dessert ingredients and turns them into a sensational frozen cake that you cut into slices of delicious decadence. The Nutella whips up with heavy cream or Cool Whip to make a mouthwatering mousse that gets sandwiched in between layers of chocolate wafer cookies, vanilla ice cream and, oh, did I mention frozen Klondike Bars?

2 ready-made graham cracker crusts (6 oz. Keebler)

For the filling:

Sheet Pan Steak and Veggies

5 packages (8 oz. size) cream cheese, softened

Ingredients:

1 3/4 cups sugar

5 large eggs plus 2 yokes

Protein of your choice (steak, chicken, fish)

Yeah, those too! This is about as easy to put together as it gets and the only real challenge is waiting for it to freeze. But so worth the wait.

3-4 or more fresh veggies (1-2 cups each)

1/4 cup sour cream

Olive oil to coat veggies

2 teaspoons fresh grated lemon zest

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

For the cheesecake topping

Salt, pepper and seasonings of your choice to taste

Ingredients:

3 cups sour cream

3/4 cup sugar

1 pint heavy cream/whipping cream or 8 oz. container Cool Whip

Directions:

Juice of 1/2 lemon

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 small jar (13 oz.) Nutella

Preheat oven to 475 degrees.

1 (9 oz.) box Nabisco Famous Chocolate Wafers

Coat a sheet pan lightly with olive oil.

For the berry topping

Fresh berries of your choice (I used 1 pint each

Season your steak with salt and pepper.

In a large mixing bowl, beat together softened cream cheese and sugar until smooth. Add eggs one at a time, mixing well. Add sour cream, lemon zest and vanilla, mixing until well combined. Pour into two 8-inch ready-made graham cracker pie shells. Bake for 10 minutes. Without removing cheesecakes from oven, reduce oven temperature to 250 degrees and bake for about 70 minutes (1 hour and 10 minutes).

Place a pat of the herbed butter over top of steak after cooked.

Cheesecake is done when toothpick comes up clean. Allow cheesecakes to cool.

Make the Nutella mousse: Whip heavy cream then mix together with 1/4 cup Nutella. (If using Cool Whip, mix together container of Cool Whip and Nutella until well combined).

Meanwhile, make cheesecake topping. In a bowl, whisk or beat together sour cream, sugar, lemon and salt until smooth and creamy. When cheesecake has completely cooled, spread topping evenly over cakes.

Place a layer of chocolate wafer cookies on the bottom of a bread-size baking container or small casserole dish. Spoon first layer of Nutella mousse over top. Place Klondike Bars over top of mousse, filling in all spaces with sliced bars. Spoon softened

Talent show prop

Walked (on)

PBS curmudgeon

Before

Rotation

And the like (abbr.)

Lamb’s dam

Chicken --

Ammo unit

Staff leaders?

Wickerwork willow

AFN

Marie’s Glaze for Strawberries (14 oz. container,

MARK YOUR Calendar

‘The Little Mermaid’

Head under the sea for the musical version of Disney’s timeless classic “The Little Mermaid.” It features your favorite characters, including Ariel, Sebastian and Flounder, and hits songs like “Part of Your World” and “Kiss the Girl.”

DETAILS>> Wednesdays-Saturdays, Aug.2Aug. 19. Hale Centre Theatre, 50 W. Page Ave., Gilbert. Tickets: $22-$32. 480-497-1181. haletheatrearizona.com.

Solar Eclipse Safety Program

A solar eclipse is coming up Aug. 21. “Dr. Sky,” Steve Kates explains eclipses and how to observe them safely.

DETAILS>> 3-4:30 p.m., Wednesday, Aug. 2. Red Mountain Library, 635 N. Power Road, Mesa. Cost: Free. 480-644-3100. mesalibrary.

BALLERINA

from page 20

production of “The Sleeping Beauty.”

“There was always something special about Gaby,” said Meko, Ballet Etude’s founding artistic director. “Her work ethic was remarkable. While other students would stop and take breaks, Gaby continued to work, always perfecting her technique. While a driven and focused student, Gaby was an exemplary role model and was always polite, kind and respectful.”

Gabriella attended SAB summer courses in New York before enrolling there as a fulltime student in 2014, at the age of 15. This entailed her moving to New York to live in the school’s dorms and attend the worldrenowned school, which can be described as an elite ballet boarding school.

“I come from a very tight-knit family, so it was hard to wrap my head around moving across the country to pursue my dreams,” Domini said. “It didn’t take long to realize that it was where I was supposed to be. Being surrounded by people who shared my passion was invigorating.”

The dancer’s schedule while attending SAB kept her busy. Dancers take multiple ballet classes six days a week, and on top of that, have extra rehearsal and Pilates hours. While maintaining her dance schedule and practice, Domini completed high school classes online.

All of the hard work helped Domini achieve her childhood dream, as she will officially begin her apprenticeship with the New York City Ballet in August.

Domini will attend ballet class and rehearse everyday with the company, and will also perform in up to seven of their shows each week.

org.

Santa Pachita with Funky Bonz

This nine-piece band combines musical styles such as ska, cumbia, rumba-salsa and more into a night of dance-friendly energy.

DETAILS>> 7:30 p.m., Friday, Aug. 4. Chandler Center for the Arts, 250 N. Arizona Ave., Chandler. Cost: Free. 480-782-2680. chandlercenter.org.

Live Action Roller Derby Bout

Watch hard-hitting roller derby action from the Arizona Rollergirls, plus participate in raffles for a chance to win great prizes.

DETAILS>> 6-9 p.m., Saturday, Aug. 5. Broadway Recreation Center, 59 E. Broadway Road, Mesa. Tickets: $10 online, $15 at the door, Free for kids 13 and under. arizonarollergirls.com.

– Justin Ferris, Phoenix.org.

Get more ideas for fun things to do in the East Valley – and beyond – at Phoenix.org.

Even though Domini had to move across the country from her family home to pursue her dreams, her parents, Matt and Jennifer Domini, have supported her every step of the way.

“We couldn’t be happier for Gaby, as her accomplishments are definitely the result of hours of hard work and dedication,” Jennifer said. “This has been such a wild journey. We are so incredibly proud of her.”

Obituaries

JAVINE, SherrieJo

Gaffney,SC -SherrieJoJavine,71,of121FortanberryRoad,wenthometobewiththeLordon Monday,July24,2017atMaryBlackHealthSystem-Gaffney.BorninNorfolk,VA,shewasthe daughterofthelateFloydJohnJavineandDorothy AndersonJavineandstepdaughterofthelateLeo Vining.

ShepreviouslyworkedforJobst,wasahomemakerandprofessionalaccordionist.Shelovedcrocheting,puzzles,gardening,computers,crafting,cookingandwas amemberofLivingChurchofGod.Shelovedher family,especiallyhergrandchildrenandgreat-grandchildren.

Survivingarethreesons,BillMcGonigalandwife,TammyofBlacksburg, JosephMcGonigalofGaffneyandD-rayMcGonigalandwife,Nicoleof GrandView,Missouri;twodaughters,RuthannaLewisofGaffneyand SherrieJoLewis-JavineofKingsMountain,NC;aspecialfriendand companion,LeeMcGonigal;twobrothers,LeoViningofFloridaandJack ViningofWashington;threesisters,MelodeeBadley,RetaVining,both ofOregonandJillVining,ofOhio;tengrandchildren;thirteengreatgrandchildren.Inadditiontoherparentsshewasprecededindeathbya sister,MelanieJavine,twobrothers,DanielViningandFredVininganda grandchild,JacobMcGonigal.

Thefamilyreceivedfriendsfrom5:00until6:00PMonThursday,July 27,2017atBlakelyFuneralHome.Memorialservicesimmediatelyfollowedat6:00PMintheBlakelyFun eralHomeChapelwithRev.MichaelDesimoneofficiating.Inlieuofflowers,memorialsmaybemadeto: LivingChurchofGod,2301CrownCentreDrive,Charlotte,NC282277705.ThefamilywillbeattheresidenceofLeeMcGonigal,251York Road,Blacksburg.

Anonlineguestregisterisavailableat www.blakelyfuneralhome.com.

THRALL

,ZilaceE.(Lacie)Jacobsen

ZilaceE.(Lacie)JacobsenThrall,64,ofMesa,Arizona,passedpeacefullyonMay11,2017,intothe lovingarmsofAlmightyGodandintothewarmembraceofherearthlyfamilynowinheaven.Lacievaliantlyandcourageouslyfoughtaseriesofcancersfor thirteenyearswithgraceanddignity.

BornAugust19,1952,inSpiritLake,Iowa,shewas thebeloveddaughterofLeonardG.(Butch)JacobsenandEileen (Barney)Sears.

Sheissurvived byherlovinganddevotedhusband,Colonel(Retired) TerryThrallandherfourprecious“fur”children:“Gracie”,“Zeke”,“Hershey”and“Sam,IAm.”Shewaspreceededindeathbyherparents, stepmotherNormaandbelovedbrotherMarc.

LaciegraduatedfromtheUniversityofMinnesotaatMankatoand beganalengthycareerinthefoodserviceindustryasanInspectorfor theIowaStateDepartmentofInspectionsandAppeals.ShewasaCertifiedFoodSafetyProfessionaland retiredastheDirectorofFood SafetyManagementServicesforFoodhandler,Inc.,asupplieroffood safetybarrierproductstothefoodserviceindustry.Laciehadanationwidereputationandwascalleduponfrequentlybyfoodsafetyprofessionalsinboththeprivateandgovernmentsectors.

Inretirement,Laciepursuedalong-timegoalofcompetingindog showsandwassuccessfulinshowingherBedlingtonTerrier“Hershey” toa“Champion”designationbytheAmerica nKennelClub.Shewasan experttrainerandgroomer,andwashighlyregardedbytheentireBedlingtonTerrierowner/trainer/handlercommunity.Shewasespeciallyinterestedintherescueandre-homingofBedlingtonTerriers.Sheand Terrydrovecountlessmilestoretrieveanddeliverrescueddogs.

MemorialsmaybesenttotheBedlingtonTerrierClubofAmerica Health,EducationandRescueTrust(BTCA-HEART),c/oLisaClarkson,2NorthCantonRoad,WestSimsbury, CT06092.

MemorialserviceswillbeheldinArnoldsPark,IowaonAugust19, 2017andinMesainDecember2017.

SigntheGuestbook: www.EastValleyTribune.com

Employment

General

Software

Engineer (Tempe, AZ): R&D nextgeneration technology in machine vision, artificial intelligence & machine learning. Requires: MS EE & 2 yrs. research exp. in s/w development with algorithm prototyping for image/video processing & computer vision applications, including Advanced Driver Assistance Systems, Object Detection & Recognition, Content-based Video Coding, Image Quality Assessment & Biomedical Image/Signal Processing. Send resume to: Edge3 Technologies, Inc., Attn: SVP, 688 West First St., Suite 3, Tempe, AZ 85281.

Energy Management Specialist 6 yrs exp in energy management, engineering or with building automation systems. For a complete Job Description please email: irma@gdbarri.com

Obituaries

MOTLOK, Joseph

Joseph Motlok, AGE 92, formerly of MESA, was laid to rest in Queen Of Heaven Cemetery on Friday, July 21, 2017 Surviving are his wife of 65 years, Ann, his 3 children, Patti Dent, Renee Schweinberg, and son, Ron Motlok, 5 grandchildren, 6 great grandchildren

Please Sign the Guestbook at: eastvalleytribune.com

Valley Road, Phoenix, Az 85024 seeks 50 “tem-

work&reside in PHX Metropolitan area to help

c

tools &materials, clean wk area Bend, lift&hold

travel in Metroplx area M-F 7am-3pm $15 81/hr

US&H2B workers offered same wages& worki n g c o n d i t i o n s t o i n c l u d e p a i d p o s t - h i r e d d r ug test Sgle wrkwk computes wages Weekly pmt H-2B Wrkr to be paid U S Consulate, border, l o d g i n g f e e s o n 1 s t w o r k w k o n a c o m p a n y check “Transportation (including meals & to the e

w

R e t u r n t

early by employer” “Tools provided at no charge to worker” Apply in person at nearest SWA, call 5

Desirae Diaz or fax emplr 602-569-0999 Attn: Michael McCrery RE JP 2739699

Furtmann Bros LLC 5742 W Maryland Ave Glendale AZ 85301 seeks 45 “temporary full-time” H e l p e r s o f C

H X Metroplex area to help carpenters, use, suppl y & h o l d h a n d / e

wk area Bend, lift&hold up 50Lb, 3mo exp in Res constr, work in ext weather, on job train avail , no edu reqd, travel in Metroplex area M-F 7am3pm $15 81/hr OT if needed $23 72 from 4/1 to 1 1 / 1 5 / 1 7 U S & H

wages& working conditions to include paid posthired drug test Sgle wrkwk computes wages Weekly pmt H-2B Wrkr to be paid U S Consulate, border, lodging fees on 1st workwk on a c o m

place of employment or its cost to workers reimbursed, if the worker completes half the employm e n

ASU Athletics seek PT

Tram Drivers who operates a multi-passenger vehicle to transport football team members and other groups of people to and from football practice or around campus Deadline: Every Monday until the search is closed

Salary $10 77-$16 15 per hour/DOE -AA/EOE

See Req Id# 34024BR at: www asu edu/asujobs/ for more info

Lead Technical Engineer

Conduct engineering projects and continuous improvement initiatives related to manufacturing processes for on-site waste compaction and recycling systems products Employer: Marathon Equipment Company, Location Phoenix AZ Incidental domestic travel required To apply, mail resume (no calls/emails), to H Stalvey, 2030 Hamilton Place Blvd , Suite 200, Chattanooga, TN 37421

Sushi Chef, Full-time Apply at Hsueh Chiang, dba Lucky Sushi & Chinses Restaurant 1350 E Florence Blvd #B, Casa Grande, AZ 85222 mchiang1963 @hotmail com 480-208-0865

Tailor, Full-time, design, make, alter, repair & fit garments Email to starcleanersaz1@ gmail com

Star Cleaners Inc 10421

E McDowell Mountain Ranch Rd Scottsdale, AZ 85255 3

Seeking CAREGIVERS

Join our ResCare HomeCare Team! Hiring for all East Valley Cities in Maricopa & Pinal Counties

Great Caregiver Candidates:

* High level of Professionalism

* Are Caring & Compassionate

* Looking for Rewarding Work

* Have LIFE Experience Caring for a Loved-One and/or Currently a PROFESSIONAL Caregiver

* Would like to Give Back to the Community

While Earning Income

* Seeking Flexible Hours

of customer service experience, preferably

At Western, “what” you know is important, but not as important as how you relate to teammates and customers We differentiate ourselves through our

ment, and the ability to listen effectively and com-

ments, and doing our absolute best every day We believe that our ability to deliver

n our promise of being Your Hometown Bank is a result of these high standards This is a

Direct Care Workers Curriculum Paid Training and Employee Discount Program offered!

Open Caregiver Positions

* Companions * Personal Care Attendants

* Certified Nursing Assistants

* Home Health Aides * Certified Caregivers

For more details please call: Carol at 480-491-1140 www ResCareHomeCare com

Meetings/Events

SENIOR SONGBIRDS

LOOKING FOR MALE AND FEMALE SINGERS

If you are age 50+ and love singing and entertaining, we would be happy to have you check us out at one of our rehearsals We are all volunteers and perform weekly at assisted living and care centers We sing secular songs primarily from the 30 s, 40's, and 50 s, as well as patriotic and gospel songs, from September through May We rehearse Wednesdays from 9:30 to 11:30 a.m. at Pyle Adult Recreation Center, 655 East Southern Avenue, Tempe, AZ

For more information, call 480-775-0730

Pathway Santan Freeway (202), Baseline Road to Elliot Road Project No CP0198

J Banicki Construction has been awarded the contract to construct the Southeast Mesa Bi-

Santan Freeway (202) between Baseline Road and Elliot Road This project will provide

and provide recreational and exercise activit-

week of July 24, 2017, and will last for approximately eight months Your contact for J Banicki is Tony Stanley at (602) 399-0119

where City staff and both contractors will be available to answer your questions No formal presentation will be given

Date: Tuesday, August 8, 2017

Time: 6:00 p m to 7:0 0 p m

Location: City of Mesa Fire Station 217 - Community Room 10434 E Baseline Road Mesa, AZ 85212

If you have any questions or concerns regarding this project, please contact Rene Powell or Michele Arrollado with the City of Mesa Engineering Public Relations at (480) 644-3800 Si usted tiene preguntas de ste Proyecto, favor de llamar a Maggie Martinez, con la Ciudad de Mesa al (480) 644-5672

Published: East Valley Tribune, July 30 & August 6, 2017 / 7197

MESA PUBLIC SCHOOLS Notice of Nondiscrimination

Mesa Public Schools – by its policies, practices, and decisions – prohibits discrimination in any program (including Career and Technical Education programs) or activity of the district on the basis of race, color, national origin, religion, sex (including gender identity, sexual orientation, marital status, or pregnancy), or disability, and provides equal access to the Boy Scouts and other designated youth grou ps The lack of English language skills shall NOT be a barrier to admission or participation in the district’s activities and programs In addition, the right of a student to participate fully in classroom instruction shall not be abridged or impaired because of any other reason not related to the student's individual capabilities No student shall be precluded from enrolling in any fee course because of inability to pay Financial assistance information may be obtained from the school principal or student adviser Mesa Public Schools Career and Technical Education department does not discriminate in enrollment or access to any of the programs available Mesa Public Schools offers the following ADE Career and Technical Educational programs: Career Exploration, Agricultural Science, Automotive Technologies, Biomedical Sciences, Biotechnology, Computer Technologies, Construction Technologies, Culinary Arts, Design and Merchandising, Digital Publications, Digital Photography, Drafting and Design, Education Professions, Engineering, Financial Services, Manufacturing Technologies, Sales and Marketing, Sports Medicine, Theater Design and Management, Video Production, Welding Note: not all CTE programs are offered at each of Mesa Public Schools high schools, however all CTE courses are open to any student regardless of location of residence Mesa Public Schools also does not discriminate in hiring or employment practices This notice is required by Title VI of the Civil Rights Acts of 1964, Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, the Age Discrimination Act of 1975, and the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 Questions, complaints, or requests for additional information may be directed to the Title IX and Title VI Coordinator, Dr Pete Lesar, 63 E Main St , Mesa, AZ 85201, phone 48 0-472-0205 Concerns about discrimination on the basis of disability may be directed to the Section 504 Compliance Officer, Dr Jan Cawthorne, 1025 N Country Club Dr Mesa, AZ 85201, phone 480-4720702

ESCUELAS PUBLICAS de MESA Aviso de no discriminación

L a s E s c u e l a s P ú b l i c a s d e M e s a – p o r s u s p o l í t i c a s , p r á c t i c a s y d ecisiones – prohíben la discriminación en cualquier programa (incluyendo los programas de Educación Técnica y Profesiones) o actividad del distrito en base de raza, color, origen nacional, religión, sexo (incluyendo identidad de género, orientación sexual, estado civil, o embarazo), o discapacidad y proporciona el acceso igualitario a los Boys Scouts y otros grupos juveniles designados La carencia del conocimiento del idioma inglés no debe ser una barrera para la admisión o participación en actividades y programas del distrito Adicionalmente, el derecho de un estudiante a participar plenamente en la instrucción del salón de c l a s e n o d e b e s e r l i m i t a d o o v i s

u a l q u i e r o t r a razón no relacionada con las capacidades individuales del estudiante Ningún estudiante debe ser excluido de matricularse en cualquier curso de cuota debido a la inhabilidad de pagar Información sobre ayuda financiera puede ser obtenida con el director de la escuela o consejero estudiantil El departamento de Educación Técnica y Profesiones de las Escuelas Públicas de Mesa no discriminan en la inscripción o acceso a cualquier de los programas disponibles Las Escuelas Públicas de Mesa ofrecen los siguientes programas ADE de Educación Técnica y Profesiones, Exploración de Profesiones, Ciencia Agraria, Te cnología Autom o t r i z

Diseño, Profesiones en Educación, Ingeniería, Servicios Financieros, Tecnología de Manufactura, Ventas y Mercadeo, Medicina del Deporte, Diseño y Gestión de Teatro, Producción de Videos, Soldadura Tome en cuenta: no todos los programas de CTE se ofrecen en cada escuela preparatoria de las Escuelas Públicas de Mesa, sin embargo todos los cursos de CTE están disponibles a cualquier estudiante sin importar el lugar de residencia Las Escuelas Públicas de Mesa tampoco discriminan en las prácticas de contratación o empleo Este aviso es requerido por el Título VI de las leyes de los Derechos Civiles de 1964, Sección 504 de la Ley de Rehabilitación de 1973, Título IX de la Enmienda de Educación de 1972, la Ley de Discriminac ión de Edad de 1975 y la Ley de Estadounidenses con Discapacidades de 1990 Preguntas, quejas o solicitudes de información adicional puede dirigirse al Coordinador de Título VI y Título IX, Dr Pete Lesar, 63 E Main St , Mesa, AZ 85201, teléfono 480-472-0205 Inquietudes sobre la discriminación en base a la discapacidad puede ser dirigido al Representante de Cumplimiento de Sección 504 Dra Jan Cawthorne, 1025 N Country Club Dr Mesa, AZ 85201, teléfono 480-472-0702

PUBLISHED: East Valley Tribune, August 30, 2017 / 7166

Public Notices