March 5 - March 18, 2016 www.SanTanSun.com
Ostrich Festival creates partnerships at many levels BY LT. SCOTT VEACH CHANDLER POLICE DEPARTMENT
While most look at an ostrich and imagine a fine pair of boots, Chandler long ago recognized an opportunity to bring the community together and celebrate this little piece of its history. The Ostrich Festival, which started nearly three decades ago as a small downtown gathering, is now the City’s signature event. Partnering with the Chandler Chamber of Commerce, the City of Chandler welcomes nearly 100,000 festival attendees each year. Planning an event on this scale takes many months and involves the collaborative efforts of a number of departments and divisions within the City, including traffic engineering, parks and recreation, and fire, health and medical. For an event this size, external sources are needed as well, requiring coordination with entities including the promoter, vendors and private security. Longstanding partnerships with other local law enforcement agencies provide additional police resources. With so many moving parts, cooperation among all involved is the key to running a smooth, efficient and safe event. The Chandler Police Department is responsible for the command structure, a critical component in coordinating all the moving parts. To achieve an effective
The Ostrich Festival, the City of Chandler’s signature event, runs from Friday, March 11, through Sunday, March 13 at Tumbleweed Park. Submitted photo
command arrangement, procedures for planning and coordination must be in place. The Chandler Police Department operates under the guidance of the National Incident Management System for the planning of the festival and utilizes the Incident Command System (ICS) to coordinate resources during the event. Along with our partners, Chandler Police personnel are vital to the safety and security of the Ostrich Festival. The department utilizes uniformed patrol officers from its field operations division inside the event on foot to provide security, while the more mobile bike officers are inside the festival and also are responsible for the majority of the external security. The traffic unit, which includes officers on motorcycles and in unmarked vehicles, provide traffic control and address any traffic issues that arise inside the festival or as a result of the event. The police explorers assist in many areas but are primarily responsible for the management of any children who become separated from their parents or caregivers while attending the festival. The ICS model allows the CPD to manage any issues that arise at the festival. This includes appropriating the proper resources to resolve any situation from a medical emergency to lost property. While significant incidents have rarely occurred in the past, the partners SEE FESTIVAL PAGE 5
Community gives back to one of its most generous givers BY KENNETH LAFAVE
If Alberto Esparza had a quarter for every young person he’s helped, he’d have more than enough to pay for the eye surgery he needs. Esparza’s friends, colleagues and benefactors are hoping to help with the cost of his eye surgery by mounting a GoFundMe campaign to raise money for a man well-known for selfless giving. Esparza is the founder, president and CEO of Si Se Puede, a 501 (c)(3) nonprofit organization devoted to helping schoolchildren in low-income areas of Chandler and South Phoenix access educational and recreational activities. “Alberto started his foundation focusing on ZIP code 85255, which has probably the highest poverty rates in Chandler,” said Heather Anguiano, principal of Hartford Elementary. Since its incorporation in
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1998, the foundation has expanded to all of South Chandler and South Phoenix. Si Se Puede works closely with the Chandler Unified School District. Through Si Se Puede (Spanish for “Yes, It’s Possible,” and the motto of the United Farm Workers), Esparza “each year provides more than 1,400 local youth with opportunities to participate in soccer, robotics, a scholars program and folkloric dance,” Anguiano added. But when Esparza, a Type 1 diabetic, started noticing his vision blurring, it was time for the roles of benefactor and beneficiary to be reversed. “My vision had been in and out for years,” Esparza said in an interview. “Finally, it got so bad that my doctor said I needed eye surgery.” SEE ESPARZA PAGE 5
The state of Chandler is ‘outstanding,’ mayor says in city council address BY SRIANTHI PERERA
Citing the city’s record low crime rate, Triple A bond rating, new wave of commercial development and a stable employment base, Mayor Jay Tibshraeny used the word “outstanding” to describe the state of the city. “Chandler holds a Triple A bond rating from all three national rating agencies. We do so for the number of strong fiscal policies that go back more than two decades,” he said on Thursday, Feb. 18. Adhering to certain fiscal principals has helped the City maintain its ratings even through the last recession, the mayor said. The City Council Chamber was filled with many residents who serve as volunteer officials of the City’s boards and commissions. Members from the
60-year-old Chandler Kiwanis Club, a few of the 90 volunteers who helped low income individuals with tax preparation and those involved in neighborhood and youth initiatives were among those who were asked to stand and be noted. Tibshraeny paid tribute to the City’s employees in a more colorful manner. A drone named “Video Bob” took attendees on a behind-the-scenes, around-the-clock video tour of the City’s various operations. During the day, Video Bob visited places such as the traffic center, fire department, the water treatment center where water tests are analyzed more than 100 times daily and the Snedigar Complex, where a “rest and recovery” program helps keep the fields in top condition.
F E AT U R E STO R I E S
Check out our Family Fun Section! You will not want to miss any of the fun events listed on Family Fun calendar this month.
Chandler volunteers honored . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . COMMUNITY . . . . . . . . Page 17 Repainting a home’s exterior . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . BUSINESS . . . . . . . . . . Page 22 Student and teacher honor a hero . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . YOUTH . . . . . . . . . . . . Page 32 Fashion show helps clothe children . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . NEIGHBORS . . . . . . . . . Page 49 Art blooms at TechShop Chandler . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ARTS . . . . . . . . . . . . Page 59
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More Community . . . . . . 1-20 Business . . . . . . . .21-26 Youth. . . . . . . . . . .27-35 Opinion. . . . . . . . . . . . 36 Neighbors. . . . . . 45-58 Arts . . . . . . . . . . . 59-67 Spirituality . . . . . 68-70 Directory . . . . . . .71-72 Classifieds. . . . . . .73-74 Where to Eat . . . 75-78