Neighbors
www.SanTanSun.com
Feb. 20 - March 4, 2016
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Neighbors EVCT asks who has heard of 67 Cinderellas page 62
Oasis of Grace installs new pastor page 69
Where to Eat page 77
Someburros celebrates 30 years of Sonoran success BY JUDI KING
Someburros, a Valley institution since 1986, is celebrating its 30th anniversary this year. But, its heritage dates back another 14 years to Poncho’s, a small restaurant in South Phoenix which the Vasquez family launched in 1972. The Vasquez’s modest take-out business began with Isabel Vasquez cooking in the small family kitchen where she prepared one pot each of red chili, green chili, rice and beans, served with warm homemade tortillas. The popularity of this simple take-out spread surpassed expectations, and the family knew they needed to expand. In 1975, the Vasquez family converted their home into a fullfledged restaurant and bar, with family members participating in its operation. Over the years, Poncho’s has developed into a Valley favorite, tradition and icon, with President Bill Clinton stopping by the restaurant. It continues to reign as one of the most popular Mexican food restaurants in the valley. In 1986, Isabel’s son, George, and his wife, Mary, opened the first Someburros in Tempe. The idea was to create an eatery that combined the original family recipes from Poncho’s with a fast-casual atmosphere that onthe-go families could enjoy without having the wait of a traditional sit-down Mexican restaurant. At Someburros, diners order at the counter and a server delivers the food to the table. It is a fast process, without the fast-food feel. Authentic Sonoran-style cuisine served quickly, was a recipe for success. Someburros—and the Vasquez
family—continued to expand over the next three decades. Now, George and Mary’s three children—Tim, Amy and Jennilyn—have joined the family business and run the daily operation of all the Someburros restaurants.
The team at Sonoran Smile Orthodontics in Gilbert offers dental services in a caring environment. Submitted photo
Amy Vasquez says their restaurant is all about family. STSN photo by Judi King
The seventh location debuted last fall inside Tempe’s Sun Devil Stadium, and there are plans to expand—yet again— to include three new Valley locations this year. They are seeking submissions from property owners and commercial brokers who may have potential locations. The Chandler location is at 3461 W. Frye Rd. To contact the restaurant, call see SOMEBURROS page 44
Ostrich Festival parade, fun run to precede event The Chandler Chamber of Commerce is inviting the community to bring their running shoes and lawn chairs to celebrate the kickoff of the Ostrich Festival. The Mayor’s 5K Fun Run and Parade are set for March 5, while the festival itself follows the next weekend. The festivities begin at 7:35 a.m. Saturday, March 5, with Chandler Unified School District running clubs— more than 400 kids—participating in the 1.5K run.
The 5K starts at 8:20 a.m. at Arizona Avenue and City Hall and travels north through the downtown district. Runners and walkers are welcome. Registration is $25 until 6 p.m. Friday, March 4, and $30 on the day of the race. All ages are welcome, and children younger than the age of 10 participate for free. Participants who pay to enter receive a T-shirt and awards for first, second and third place adult and child winners. A portion of see OSTRICH page 47
Sonoran Smile
Orthodontics offers care with a motherly touch BY ALISON STANTON
When orthodontists Dr. Shadow Asgari and Dr. Samantha Vu opened Sonoran Smile Orthodontics in Gilbert 10 years ago, they had one goal in mind: to provide the best possible orthodontic services in a caring environment. Recently, Asgari and Vu opened a second Sonoran Smile Orthodontics in Chandler. Asgari said both locations offer orthodontics for children, teens and adults as well as appliances to stop common habits like thumb sucking. “We have regular metal braces, clear ceramic braces and Invisalign,” she said. Ideally, they like kids to have their first
orthodontic checkup by age 7. “Some people think kids need to wait, but this is not the case. Sometimes problems develop early on and if caught early it can make braces easier, and some issues cannot be fixed as well when the child gets older.” In addition to their work as orthodontists, Asgari said she and Vu have another important role in common—they are both busy moms. “Our kids go to Chandler and Gilbert schools and we are in different moms groups and the PTA and are really involved in the community,” Asgari said. They pride themselves on offering a see SMILE page 45
Big Train Show coming to the Valley Several homeowners throughout the Valley will open their backyards to the public from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, April 2, and Sunday, April 3, so they can check out displays by Arizona Big Train members. Homes in North Central Phoenix, Sun Lakes and Gold Canyon will host visitors. The names of the engineers as well as their addresses will be listed at www.
azbigtrains.org. With an earlier Easter this year, members of the club are eager to show their creations in the beautiful spring weather. The freshness of the season motivates the engineers to fire up their engines, refuel the locomotives, clean the tracks and show onlookers maybe one or two new scenes on their layout. see TRAIN page 45