SanTan Sun November 2, 2019

Relentlessly local coverage of Southern Chandler and our neighboring communities

NOVEMBER 2-15, 2019 | WWW.SANTANSUN.COM

Construction firms vote with bucks for schools

BY KEVIN REAGAN Staff Writer

Construction companies pledged a substantial amount of support this season for campaigns advocating to pass bonds and overrides in Chandler Unified and other East Valley school districts.

Because schools are not legally allowed to campaign for passage of ballot initiatives, political action committees, known as PAC's, are separately established to buy advertising or creating flyers.

Teachers and administrators are often the biggest donors to these committees, but the construction sector is showing significant financial support this year for many campaigns across the East Valley.

Public records show 'Yes for Chandler Students', a pro-bond PAC, collected more than $110,000 in donations

from construction, design, utility and contracting companies.

Chandler Unified District is asking voters to approve a $290-million bond for various construction, renovation, and capital projects in this years election.

Results of the all-mail voting will be disclosed Tuesday night, after the polling center closes. Elections officials have said it’s too late to mail ballots in and ballots must be dropped off at a voting center before 7 p.m., Tuesday, Nov. 5. Voters who received ballots can find the nearest polling center at recorder.maricopa.gov/ pollingplace.

Steep state-funding cuts is part of the district’s justification for seeking the large bond, arguing it needs more resources See

CONSTRUCTION on page 12

At 97, Chandler resident Major Gerald Gustafson will be celebrating Veterans Day as one of the dwindling number of men who served in World War II. (Kayla Van Rossum/Contributor)

ADOT inches closer to mega Chandler veteran served in overhauling of I-10 here WWII, Korea and Vietnam

BY PAUL MARYNIAK Executive Editor

No more taking your life into your hands trying to get from the US 60 onto the I-10 northbound.

Say goodbye to risking an accident trying to get from I-10 northbound just past the 60 to SR 143 and the airport.

And if you’re heading north on the

I-10 from the Santan Loop 202 Freeway or anywhere from south of Baseline Road, imagine not waiting endlessly for traffic to inch along.

The prospect of all that coming true moved one step closer to reality last week as the Arizona Department of Transportation held a public hearing on its plans See

HIGHWAY on page 8

Play fishin' Little Levi Davis tried his hand at "fishing" at the British Swim Club booth during the Chandler Mayor's Day of Play last month.

Numerous kids and adults showed up at Tumbleweed Park, as you'll see on page 45.

(Pablo Robles/GSN Staff Photographer)

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Even at 97, retired U.S. Army Major Gerald ‘Jerry’ A. Gustafson, 97, is still telling war stories as he celebrates Veterans Day this year and remembering his onetime comrades in arms.

He has a lot of both.

A resident of Solterra Senior Living in Chandler, Gustafson fought in World War II, Korea and Vietnam.

He recalls and honors the memory of those comrades who were killed and talks fondly about those who survived, he still connects with some by phone and letters.

He even reminisces about helping to rescue the “Lost Battalion” south of Bruyères, France, in 1944, breaking the Gothic Line in Italy in 1945, and enemy confrontations in Pusan in 1951, and again in Saigon in 1963.

He was part of the 100th Battalion of the Japanese-American 442nd Regimental Combat Team in Italy and France from February 1944 through August 1945.

Among his fellow soldiers was his longtime friend from Hawaii, the late U.S. Sen. Daniel Inouye.

The Lost Battalion is the most decorated unit in the history of the U.S. Army for its size and length of service.

Eight Presidential Unit Citations, 21 Medals of Honor, 9,486 Purple Hearts, 4,000 Bronze Stars are among the 18,143 individual decorations earned by those who served in it.

Among his many honors, Gustafson has two of Purple Hearts, two Bronze Stars, a Congressional Gold Medal for the rescue of the Lost Battalion and the Legion of Honor, 2014, the highest commendation France bestows for exemplary military service.

In France, some of Gustafson’s fellow soldiers were second-generation JapaneseAmericans fighting for America despite the 110,000 Japanese-American civilians sent to internment camps in the U.S. The unit’s heroism and achievements were celebrated in the 1951 movie “Go for Broke” and “Only the Brave,” which was released in 2006.

Gustafson said when he was a 22year old second lieutenant reporting for advanced infantry training at Camp Shelby

F E AT U R E STO R I E S Light rail for Chandler studied. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Community Page 8 Millennial workers target of big remodel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Business . . . . . . . Page 20 Virtual reality comes to Basha Elementary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Neighbors . . . . Page 43 Spectacle of dance, martial arts coming . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Art . . . . . . . . . . . . Page 51 Chandler farm host elaborate meal in a barn . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Eat . . . . . . . . . . . . Page 61

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VETERAN on page 4

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Father, son killed in Chandler hit-run

BY KEVIN REAGAN Staff Writer

Mohammad Misbah Uddin and his son had only been in Arizona for 11 days before they were killed by a motorist in Chandler while crossing the street to worship at a mosque.

Uddin, a 50-year-old from Bangladesh, died at the scene of Alma School Road and Erie Street on Monday, Oct. 21, after a Dodge Durango hit him while using a crosswalk. His 13-year-old son, Abdullah, was also hit and transported to the hospital.

The teenager was in critical condition, before his family took him off life-support on Tuesday.

Support for the Uddin family came quickly, nearly $65,000 in donations for funeral expenses was funneled through a GoFundMe.com site within hours after it was created.

Hermes Kyllini, Uddin’s nephew, formed the fundraising site and commented on the cruel irony of his uncle’s death.

“My uncle and his family just immigrated to Chandler from Bangladesh 11 days ago in hopes of a better life and future for his two young children,” Kyllini wrote on the page.

Uddin leaves behind a wife who cannot speak English and a 19-year-old daughter who aspires to be a doctor, Kyllini added.

Two days after the accident the Chandler Police Department arrested a

Michelle Hagerman Tempe woman on suspicion of driving the vehicle reported to hit the father and son.

Michelle Hagerman, 54, was charged with leaving the scene of a fatal accident after admitting to authorities she was involved in the collision.

Hagerman allegedly told Chandler Police she thought she hit a dog while driving north on Alma School Road.

She claimed she stopped and saw other motorists run over to the intersection.

“After seeing several people at the scene, she re-entered her vehicle and left the scene,” a police report stated.

One of Hagerman’s neighbors noticed her vehicle matched descriptions of the suspect’s car described in news reports.

The neighbor contacted Chandler Police after observing structural damage on the front of Hagerman’s car.

Witnesses told Chandler Police Hagerman allegedly accelerated her car after the traffic light turned green. The victims were about halfway through the crosswalk when the signals changed and Hagerman entered the intersection.

Bystanders estimated Hagerman was allegedly driving no more than 50 mph, according to police reports. The posted speed limit on this portion of Alma School Road, which is adjacent to a high school, is 40 mph.

Hagerman’s criminal charges can either be classified as a Class 2 or Class 3 felony, depending on whether it can be proved she caused the fatality before fleeing.

The presumptive prison sentence for a Class 2 felony is five years and three years for a Class 3 felony.

If convicted, Arizona law requires the revocation of Hagerman’s license for at least 10 years.

Members of the Chandler Muslim community were quick to offer condolences for Uddin’s family. The Islamic Center of the East Valley, the mosque Uddin was walking toward before his death, held a prayer service for him and his son on Wednesday.

Waqas Ellahi, a Chandler resident

who attends the mosque with Uddin’s family, said the deaths impacted their community.

“I don’t even have the words for the family for what they must be going through right now,” Ellahi said.

He regularly drives along Alma School Road and said the incident made him more vigilant about passing through that intersection.

“It just raises so much more awareness of people who walk, distracted driving, kids who walk to school,” Ellahi added.

“We don’t even realize what could happen – somebody could literally run you over.”

Pedestrian deaths have been on the rise across Maricopa County for the last few years. Public records show the number of fatalities jumped from 91 to 160 between 2014 and 2018.

Most of these deaths take place on the streets of Phoenix, but East Valley communities still report a handful of incidents each year.

Scottsdale and Chandler had a couple more pedestrian deaths in 2018 compared to the previous year, according to the Arizona Republic, but Mesa and Tempe each saw a drop in fatalities.

Safety advocates say speeding and alcohol are two main causes of traffic fatalities in Arizona.

Tara Gill, senior director of advocacy and state legislation for Advocates See

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HIT-RUN on page 4

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COMMUNITY NEWS

VETERAN

from cover

in Hattiesburg, Mississippi, in February 1944, he was surprised to see JapaneseAmericans stationed at the base.

In April 1988, Congress issued an apology and authorized $20,000 for each camp survivor.

But back in 1944, Gustafson recalled, Col. Charles Pence, the regiment’s commander, told him: “You will notice here the men are Americans of Japanese ancestry, and I am proud to be their leader. If there is anything that is of concern to you, matters of prejudice or bias you are feeling, report back to me and you will be transferred out within 24 hours.”

During a reunion of the 442nd in Hawaii, Gustafson related the story of Col. Pence’s introduction and how his JapaneseAmerican counterparts impressed him with their dedication in combat impressed him.

“There was never an AWOL, no courtmartials, no tussles with local citizens,” he said. “They just wanted to show their loyalty, to show that they were good citizens.”

A father of three, two living in north Phoenix, Gustafson was born in Chicago to Sara A. and Dr. J. Eric Gustafson.

When he was an infant, the family moved to a small Illinois town near the Wisconsin border.

“My father was the last of the country doctors, and he made calls in a Model T Ford, which I remember riding in, and later a Model A that I learned to drive when I was 14,” he said.

He attended Wentworth Military Academy, including ROTC training, at Lexington, Missouri, where he earned his license to fly, hoping to become a Marine pilot.

He joined the Army in April 1943, graduating with the first college-educated class at the Infantry Officer Candidate School, Fort Benning, Georgia, Dec. 7, 1943, – exactly two years after Pearl Harbor.

From Camp Shelby, the 100th Battalion was attached, in August 1943, to the 34th Infantry Division in North Africa and fought at Salerno, Italy, in September after the liberation of Sicily.

In April 1945, its members helped erase the Gothic Line in northern Italy, opening up Nazi Germany to Allied assault from the south.

The most famous of the 442nd’s exploits was in October 1944, rescuing “The Lost Battalion” in the Vosges Mountains of northwest France.

“The U.S. Army considers this one of the 10 most important military battles ever fought by the service,” Gustafson said.

Following questionable orders from the commanding officer, the 1st Battalion of the 141st Infantry, 36th Infantry Division, had been trapped five miles behind enemy lines by the German Army, and initial

HIT-RUN

SANTAN SUN NEWS | WWW.SANTANSUN.COM | NOVEMBER 2-15, 2019

from page 3

for Highway and Auto Safety, said her organization is pushing for states like Arizona to consider revising or lowering its speed limits.

Most states set speed limits by calculating how fast 85 percent of the population drives without regulation. But Gill thinks this method is outdated and ineffective.

“People tend to drive 10-15 miles an hour above the speed limit anyway,” she said.

Alberto Gutier, director of the Arizona

This photo from the rescue of "The Lost Battalion" shows the difficult terrain that Gustafson and his comrades in arms had to deal with. (Special to SanTan Sun New)

attempts to save them were thwarted.

The 442nd completed the rescue after five days of intense fighting, Gustafson recalled.

About 200 of the men were saved but his battalion had “many casualties, hundreds and hundreds of people lost,” Gustafson said.

Others were taken to a German stalag, where they remained until they were liberated in April 1945 as the war ended.

“We were fortunate to get out alive,” Gustafson said, noting that one of his Purple Hearts was awarded for the frostbite he suffered. “I could hardly walk.”

For their heroism, three surviving members received the Medal of Honor. And, each combatant received a Congressional Gold Medal at the U.S. Capitol in October 2011.

“The actual gold one is in the

Smithsonian,” he said. “We got brass ones.”

In April 1945, the 522nd Field Artillery Battalion, connected with the 442nd, liberated one of the satellite labor camps of Dachau, a Nazi extermination camp in Germany. Gustafson stayed with 442nd to the end of the war.

Later, in the Korean War, he did four campaigns with the 1st Battalion, 7th Infantry Regiment from January to November 1951, including the Battle of Imjin River in April.

He later served with the Military Assistance Advisory Group in Saigon as briefing officer for its commanding officer, Maj. Gen. Charles Timmes, for 11 months in 1963 during the early part of the Vietnam War before retiring from the Army on April 30, 1964.

Needing about 30 credits to finish his education degree, Gustafson moved his family to the Valley in August 1964 to attend Arizona State University – a fact

that prompted him to joke, “It took me 27 years to get through college.”

He then taught social studies at Moon Valley High School in Phoenix for 18 years before retiring in 1985.

Among his many retirement activities, he was a president of the Phoenix Chapter of the Military Officers Association of America.

He recently addressed the Superstition Mountain Chapter MOAA about his wartime service.

“He held our chapter audience spellbound for over an hour about the internal struggles of these JapaneseAmerican soldiers and their extraordinary bravery in war,” said Captain Al Anderer, an Ahwatukee resident, Air Force pilot and Vietnam War veteran.

In his two-bedroom apartment, festooned with pictures of his Army comrades, medals and other war memorabilia, Gustafson, who will turn 98 the day after Christmas, looks back fondly and proudly at his days when he wore a uniform.

“I was a patriotic Eagle Scout,” he said.

“I think I raised my kids pretty well, I made lots of great relationships and I served my country.”

Governor’s Office of Highway Safety, doesn’t think re-adjusting speed limits will have much of an impact.

“I don’t see what it will do,” he said.

Gutier agreed Arizona has a high number of traffic deaths, yet he highlighted how the numbers were worse back in 2006, when the state’s population was much smaller.

Today’s drivers just need to be more cognizant of the extra cars and pedestrians, he added.

“People don’t seem to have any patience to realize there’s more traffic,”

the director said.

Daily traffic counts show that the area of Alma School Road and Chandler Boulevard sees about 12,000 more motorists than back in 2013.

Chandler recently reported another hit-run pedestrian fatality on Aug. 16 near Ray Road and California Street. A 68-yearold woman in a wheelchair was struck by a motorist while crossing the street.

Chandler Police said the driver in that incident has yet to be apprehended.

Verge.com reported last week that while traffic fatalities overall decreased

last year, the rate of pedestrians and cyclists killed on the nation’s roadways increased dramatically.

“Nearly 36,600 people died on US roadways last year, a decrease of 2.4 percent from 2017, according to recently released figures from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration,” it said.

“Everyone else, especially vulnerable road users like pedestrians and bicyclists, is being killed at an alarming rate. The number of pedestrians killed – 6,283, an increase of 3.4 percent from the previous year – was the highest such number since 1990.”

SANTAN SUN NEWS | WWW.SANTANSUN.COM | NOVEMBER 2-15, 2019

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COMMUNITY NEWS

SANTAN SUN NEWS | WWW.SANTANSUN.COM | NOVEMBER 2-15, 2019

State not planning for future, Crow warns EV leaders

BY KEVIN REAGAN Staff Writer

Arizona State University President Michael Crow warned Chandler community leaders they need to hold themselves accountable for how unprepared the state’s workforce is for the future.

“We have big issues in Arizona,” Crow said at a talk sponsored by the Chandler Chamber of Commerce last month at Chandler-Gilbert Community College. “We grow and we think that’s economic growth – that’s not a sustainable economy.”

Crow, who has been leading ASU for the last 17 years, ticked off many achievements the university reached during his tenure; more students, more programs, more degrees.

The number of undergraduates annually earning engineering degrees has grown by about 15,000 over the last decade.

But these successes won’t matter much, Crow advised, in a rapidly-changing economy.

“We’re doing fantastically well for the past economy and not well for the future economy,” the president said, “because we do not have a workforce which is adaptable enough.”

Technological automation will replace low-skill workers, he warned, and these displaced individuals will need access to post-secondary education.

Better graduation rates, more investment in education and greater accountability from policymakers were all goals Crow set out before the large crowd of Chandler business leaders.

ASU President Michael Crow address business leaders at Chandler-Gilbert Community College. (Pablo Robles/Staff

Photographer)

“There’s nobody thinking through what the economy needs to be because they believe the economy solves itself,” Crow said. “Which it does – assuming you have an educated workforce.”

Sporting his signature crimson-colored tie, the 64-year-old president made his appearance in Chandler shortly before jumping on a plane to Texas to solicit donations.

He’s earned a national reputation as a crafty innovator, someone who shifted the university’s status from party school to research hub.

ASU now regularly makes lists of the

most innovative universities in the country.

But the university is essentially alone, Crow said, because the rest of Arizona does not yet have the same innovative mindset.

In the aftermath of the Great Recession in 2008, state funding for Arizona’s three public universities shrunk and tuition more than doubled. The state now ranks near the bottom for how many residents between 25 and 34 hold a bachelor’s degree.

The Arizona Board of Regents predicts the state will soon experience a decline in college graduates, estimating only 17 percent of today’s ninth-graders will earn a

bachelor’s degree by 2028.

Terri Kimble, president of the Chandler Chamber of Commerce, said her organization "has established and continues to foster an Education & Workforce Development Coalition dedicated to the issues President Crow addressed.

"The Chandler Chamber is making sure that education is a top priority in the business community," Kimble said. "We are and will continue to work with Chandler employers and all our educational institutions, from primary school to our community colleges and universities, to help establish both pipelines to employers with the qualified and adaptable workforce they require from our schools.

"We want to continue to see Chandler take the lead on raising the bar of educational excellence in Arizona."

Forty-two percent of Chandler residents have a bachelor’s degree – well above the statewide rate of 28 percent.

Crow, who called himself a “blue-blood capitalist,” said he doesn’t believe throwing more money at the problem will automatically fix it.

He doesn’t believe everyone should get a bachelor’s degree. But Crow does think everyone should attain some sort of post-secondary education like community college or certificate programs.

As the world continues to develop and change, he said, it will be necessary for individuals to have access to these resources for their entire lives so they can continue learning new skills.

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COMMUNITY NEWS

HIGHWAY

SANTAN SUN NEWS | WWW.SANTANSUN.COM | NOVEMBER 2-15, 2019

from cover

to widen and improve a stretch of the I-10 from the Santan Freeway to the I-17 split.

The hearing was part of the requirements ADOT needs to meet before it completes a final environmental impact study this year and submit its plan to the Federal Highway Administration before it can begin a four-year, approximately $600-million overhaul of portion of the I-10 that causes no end of headaches for thousands of East Valley commuters every day.

The project is not a completely done deal.

ADOT technically could decide against doing anything, though that seems unlikely after years of studying one of its most vex-some freeway segments.

And the FHA, which would foot a big part of the bill, also could turn down ADOT down.

But at last week’s hearing, ADOT appeared to be in full-speed-ahead mode as a few dozen people turned out to view maps, hear about the project and provide their observations on it.

Of course, there’s some bad news for motorists who look forward to a bigger, better and safer Broadway Curve.

Once the project kicks into high gear – most like in early 2021 – motorists can expect no end of torment as ramps are closed, lanes are blocked and annoying detours are the order of the day.

Indeed ADOT spokesman Tom Herrmann said that once the project has a green light, motorists should “think about what’s your alternative, what’s your plan B and your plan C.” “The goal is to minimize the impact of traffic as it goes through and minimize the impact of our work,” he said. “Because there will be obviously a fair number of closures along I-10 while we’re doing that work. That’s a necessary part of what we do to build a freeway.”

In a nutshell, the project will produce six lanes in each direction between the Santan Freeway and Baseline Road and eight lanes in each direction between Baseline and the I-17 split.

Within that broad outline, however, there are other long-sought improvements as well as the introduction of a new concept in the Arizona freeway system called collector-distributor lanes.

Popular in California, those lanes resemble the frontage roads motorists are accustomed to seeing but with one big difference.

The volume of daily traffic in the top chart is increasingly straining the I-10’s ability to be an efficient thoroughfare, according to the Arizona Department of Transportation, which is a few more bureaucratic steps away from launching a four-year project focused on an 11-mile segment whose centerpiece is the Broadway Curve. The improvements in the lower chart are part of that project. (ADOT)

Running parallel to I-10 those collector-distributor lanes won’t intersect at grade with perpendicular streets and instead have exit and entrance ramps. The goal is to ease motorists onto the main lanes of I-10 without slowing down the traffic already on them.

The other elements of the massive project include: • Widening the existing Salt River Bridge to accommodate seven general-purpose and two HOV lanes between 24th and 32nd streets; • Flaring the west end of the bridge to accommodate proposed future reconstruction of the I-10/I-17 system interchange;

• Reconstructing the SR 143, Broadway Road, and 48th Street interchanges and connect them to new collector-distributor roads; • Constructing a direct HOV connection between SR 143 and I-10 to and from the east; • Modifying the 40th Street transitional lane by eliminating the westbound off-ramp and the existing eastbound loop on-ramp, and relocating the 40th Street eastbound off-ramp; • Widening the westbound I-10 to eastbound US 60 ramp; • Creating a collector-distributor entrance ramp for westbound US 60 traffic heading to northbound I-10

that would resemble the existing ramp from US 60 to southbound I-10.

• Installing “dynamic message signs” throughout the 11-mile segment of I-10.

ADOT is approaching the project with considerable urgency.

Noting an estimated 300,000 vehicles use that segment every day, it says: “Without major improvements, the I-10 in the study area would suffer degraded traffic conditions, travel delays, and challenging mobility for moving goods, services and people.”

“The existing traffic congestion continues to increase from the extensive growth the Valley has been experiencing.

Recognized as a potential transportation problem in the early 2000s, the already challenged movement of goods, services, and people would experience major delays in the foreseeable future,” it adds, stressing that continued growth in the Valley “would continue to outpace the facility’s capacity to handle the demand.”

Herrmann said the opening of the long-awaited South Mountain Freeway – scheduled for Dec. 20, according to multiple sources – will not ease the crunch along that 11-mile stretch of I-10.

Although 120,000 to 140,000 vehicles are expected daily on the South Mountain Freeway – which last week was officially named by a state board after the late Congressman Ed Pastor – Hermann said the highway wasn’t built to relieve downtown.”

“It’s not built for that purpose. It’s part of the big picture of the Valley freeway system,” he added.

Consequently, the area targeted for the big project will be subjected to increasingly longer rush hours and delays as total daily traffic approaches 340,000 vehicles by 2025.

The preliminary environmental study indicates no significant roadblocks to the project, although ADOT is still continuing its evaluation.

The plan also indicates it will not be necessary to spend millions on land acquisition as ADOT did for the South Mountain Freeway.

Currently, three contractors are vying for the job and must submit plans that will be judged partly for their “technological innovation” as well as the timing of the work, one ADOT source said.

Part of those plans will involve whether to start the project at several points, possibly the two endpoints of the 11-mile stretch because the toughest challenge will involve the segment between 40th and 48 streets – the actual Broadway Curve.

DUI suspect causes dangerous explosion, police say SANTAN SUN NEWS STAFF

A 21-year-old Chandler man faces criminal charges after he allegedly crashed his car into a gas station pump in Chandler, igniting an explosion that burned a bystander.

Chandler Police said Clemente Torres was to Tempe for a court appearance on Oct. 24, when he crashed his vehicle outside an AMPM store on Chandler Boulevard.

After filling his gas tank, Torres allegedly accelerated his vehicle while making a U-turn, causing him to lose control and crash into another vehicle. The collision ignited a fire that resulted in a woman sustaining second-degree burns across her body.

The fire was contained by authorities

A witness captured what police say is Clemente Torres of Chandler fleeing from the explosion he allegedly caused when he drove drunk into a gas pump on his way to court on an earlier DUI charge he received.

(Chandler Police)

before it could spread further beyond the gas station.

Police did not identify the victim and said she was recovering from her injuries at Maricopa County Medical Center.

Witnesses spotted Torres exit his vehicle and flee the scene. Chandler officers later located the suspect near his home on Palm Lane and smelled alcohol on his breath.

A breathalyzer test found Torres had an estimated blood alcohol level of 0.241.

Court records show Torres allegedly was appearing in court that day for a prior DUI arrest.

Authorities arrested Torres on suspicion of endangerment, aggravated assault, criminal damage and leaving the scene of an accident.

SANTAN SUN NEWS | WWW.SANTANSUN.COM | NOVEMBER 2-15, 2019

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COMMUNITY NEWS

SANTAN SUN NEWS | WWW.SANTANSUN.COM | NOVEMBER 2-15, 2019

Chandler science teacher honored by White House

BY KEVIN REAGAN Staff Writer

A Hamilton High School teacher was awarded the government’s highest honor for science educators.

Deborah Nipar, who has taught at Hamilton since it opened in 1998, is one of four educators from Arizona picked by the White House to receive the Presidential Awards for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching.

A committee of scientists and researchers select a handful of applicants from all 50 states to receive the honor, which was established by Congress in 1983.

The 215 recipients get a free trip to Washington D.C., a certificate signed by President Donald Trump, and a $10,000 check from the National Science Foundation.

“It’s just a huge honor,” Nipar said.

It’s quite overwhelming to be recognized in this way, she added, as Nipar thinks of herself as an educator who still strives to be better.

“I’m just a regular teacher trying to do

Deborah Nipar a good job every day,” Nipar said.

Nipar hadn’t initially intended to pursue a career in public education.

She knew she wanted to study science and obtained a biology degree from Arizona State University. But she wasn’t eager to immediately enroll in graduate school and sought an alternative path that would lead to full-time employment.

Teaching seemed like it might be a good fit and Nipar became a student teacher at Dobson High School. She still remembers the moment when she realized she had found the right career.

Her students were conducting a lab assignment when an infectious laught began to spread amongst the students.

“It was a great day and that’s when I realized this isn’t just gonna be a job for me,” she said, “this is something I’m really going to like doing.”

During her tenure at Hamilton, Nipar tried to create opportunities for students to conduct innovative experiments and develop original scientific research.

Her students have delved into subjects like breast cancer, black holes and neurological disorders.

Students from Nipar’s research classes

regularly compete in international competitions with projects aiming to solve real-world problems.

One of her former students won a $25,000 scholarship last year for designing a device that can detect earthquake victims from under piles of debris.

The sky’s the limit in her classroom, Nipar said, because her students are encouraged not to be inhibited by their own insecurities. Her greatest joy is seeing students mature from novices into confident scientists.

“That’s always pretty meaningful to me,” she said.

She plans on sticking to teaching for the long haul. Even though some school days may be rough, Nipar said it's worth seeing young people become enthusiastic for science.

“I just feel so lucky that I have a job that I love,” Nipar added.

Nipar’s the only educator from Maricopa County to be given the presidential honor this year. The three other recipients all teach atNOW TucsonOPEN! schools.

GRAND GRAND EV surgeon sues after surviving 2 plane crashes

NOW OPEN! Chandler Chandler NOW OPEN! 4040 S Arizona Ave 4040 S Arizona Ave Chandler 480-534-5131

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SANTAN SUN NEWS STAFF

After surviving two plane crashes near Chandler, a Gilbert surgeon is taking manufacturers to court for faulty aircraft maintenance.

Dr. Peter Spanganberg filed a civil complaint last month in federal court, claiming

several manufacturers had negligently allowed his plane’s engine to malfunction during a flight in 2017.

Spanganberg has offices in Gilbert and Yuma and routinely uses a small plan to fly between the two locations.

During one of these flights in July 2017, Spanganberg noticed the plane’s oil

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Spanganberg had to make an emergency landing in an alfalfa field near Chandler.

The pilot and two passengers survived the NOW OPEN! crash unharmed.

Chandler S Arizonaon Ave Inspectors later discovered4040 a hole 480-534-5131

the top side of the engine crankcase, OPEN! which mayNOW have caused oil to leak out of Chandler the aircraft. According to his lawsuit, Span4040 She Arizona Ave ganberg alleges just had the plane’s oil 480-534-5131 changed 10 days before the crash.

As a result of the accident, the doctor

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SANTAN SUN NEWS | WWW.SANTANSUN.COM | NOVEMBER 2-15, 2019

Attention Maricopa County Voters!

Your next local election is Nov. 5, and all eligible voters will receive their ballot by mail. Check your mailbox, vote and mail your completed ballot by Oct. 30 or drop it off at a voting location before 7 p.m. Nov. 5.

recorder.maricopa.gov/elections/mappages/ jurisdictionalnov52019.aspx

11

12

COMMUNITY NEWS

CONSTRUCTION

from cover

to accommodate Chandler’s growing population.

The district is planning to build two new schools soon due to the influx of students it’s seen in recent years.

Some companies that could potentially bid to work on these schools and other projects have donated to the pro-bond committee.

McCarthy Building Company, Core Construction, and Chasse Building all donated thousands of dollars to the campaign. These companies all procured multi-million-dollar projects from CUSD in recent years, district records show.

Justin Kelton, president of McCarthy’s southwest region, said the business community is helping to fill a gap left by the Arizona Legislature’s inability to restore education funding back to prerecession levels.

“We value education and believe that it is necessary for the development of our future workforce and community leaders. Therefore we support schools, teachers and students being given access to needed resources that these elections provide,” Kelton said in a statement.

The construction sector regularly contributes to school campaigns all across the Valley for years.

But the level of support appears to be particularly high during this election for some campaigns and low for others.

According to campaign finance reports, 'Yes for Chandler Students' collected about $28,000 in donations from construction companies in 2015, when voters approved another bond for Chandler Unified. In 2013, the committee reported collecting $16,300.

A school committee in Gilbert raised

SANTAN SUN NEWS | WWW.SANTANSUN.COM | NOVEMBER 2-15, 2019

$29,000 this year from the construction sector, according to the most recent finance reports.

A Scottsdale PAC reported getting $30,000 and a Tempe committee received about $20,000.

The Mesa Alliance for Educational Excellence, a committee supporting Mesa Public Schools’ override, reported $84,393 in contributions so far this election year, based on the most recent finance reports.

About 67 percent of these contributions came from contractors and construction companies.

Although Mesa Public Schools is not building any new schools, it is considering a significant remodeling of a number of buildings.

Michael Hutchinson, chairman of the Mesa committee, said his team of volunteers does approach the construction sector for support – in addition to a variety of other businesses.

“We ask them all,” he said.

His committee uses its donations to pay for political consultants who help organize social media campaigns and neighborhood canvassing.

Hutchinson said the committee’s campaigning is more aggressive in recent years due to a shrinking media presence around Mesa.

When a district awards contracts for construction projects, it typically follows a process intended to be fair and unbiased.

The district has a committee review all bids it receives and ranks applicants through a points system.

For example, when Chandler Unified solicited bids for adding 10 new classrooms to Basha High School, a five-person committee reviewed four proposals.

The committee awarded the $3-million contract to Concord General Contracting because it got the greatest number of

points.

Concord is listed as one of the donors to 'Yes for Chandler Students'.

This type of interconnection between contractors, political committees and school districts is well within the bounds of Arizona law.

As long as district officials avoid conflicts of interest, like resulting in personally benefiting from a deal, this arrangement is legal and this type of arrangement seemingly became the norm in public education funding.

A review of public records from across the state shows many companies bankrolling bond and override PAC's are also part of a small group getting most of the contracts awarded by school districts.

The Arizona Center for Investigative Reporting found between 2013 and 2016, nine architects, construction firms, and subcontractors won more than half of all K-12 project contracts in the state.

In response to a recent corruption scandal at Scottsdale Unified School District, Arizona lawmakers recently added new restrictions to prevent companies from influencing a school’s procurement process.

These rules included prohibiting gifts from contractors to procurement officials and awarding contracts to the lowest qualified bidder.

When asked if McCarthy Building chooses to support bonds and overrides that may fund construction projects his company could bid on, Kelton responded “not necessarily” and emphasized how overrides often help fund teacher salaries and educational programs.

“Since we believe that the basis of a strong community and an educated workforce is rooted in a good education,” Kelton added, “We support these elections and other educational initiatives.”

Chandler Unified’s $196-million bond from 2015, funded a long list of construction and remodeling projects.

One of those items included design work for the district’s two forthcoming schools.

On Oct. 16, the district’s governing board used money from the 2015 bond to award a $3.5-million contract to HDA Architects to design the new high school.

Campaign finance reports show HDA donated $10,000 on Aug. 19, to the 'Yes for Chandler Students' committee. HDA also donated $3,000 during the 2015 election.

Governing Board President Barbara Mozdzen is the committee’s treasurer and voted to approve the HDA contract.

She said her volunteer work for the political committee does not influence her votes as a school board member.

“This has no influence on the district procurement process as it is completely independent from the PAC,” Mozdzen wrote in an email. “Donors to the PAC do not influence any of my decisions as a board member.”

Mozdzen is not the only school board president to be part of a pro-bond political campaign.

The Arizona School Board Association, an entity that guides school boards through navigating state laws, said the law allows board members to work on pro-bond campaigns, as long as it’s on their own time and without using school resources.

CUSD Associate Superintendent Frank Fletcher said his department has checks and balances to spot irregularities.

If members of the committee award points that are not consistent with the rest of the group, Flletcher said he may question the member's motivations or judgment.

He said the decision to give Had the design contract was overwhelmingly consistent.

3 light-rail routes being studied in Chandler SANTAN SUN NEWS STAFF

Valley Metro identified three corridors in Chandler where it’s studying the feasibility of constructing a light-rail route.

Price Road, Arizona Avenue, and Chandler Boulevard are being examined by engineers to see if any high-capacity public transit could operate along those roads.

In order to accommodate a growing population, Valley Metro is considering a project that could stem the flow of more traffic and serve the greatest number of residents.

“We’re planning for the future,” said Deron Lozano, a planner for Valley Metro.

“There’s a lot of growth coming to Chandler.”

Light rail, streetcars and bus-rapid transit are the three transportation models Valley Metro is exploring in Chandler. The agency will ultimately make some recommendations by early 2020.

Regardless of what type of transit Valley Metro recommends, the cost of building it out won’t come cheap.

The average cost of building one mile of a light-rail route costs up to $140 million. A streetcar costs up to $125 million per mile. These costs would be subject to change depending on which corridor is chosen.

“

We’re planning for the future, There’s a lot of growth coming to Chandler.

”

– Deron Lozano

The shaded areas in this map are being styudied for a possible light rail line. (City of Chandler)

“As you go further down the process,” Lozano said, “then you can get really get better cost estimates.”

Valley Metro said no funding has been identified for a potential project in Chandler.

The likelihood of such a project will probably depend on the availability of federal funds, the support of local government and the renewal of Maricopa County’s transportation tax.

Voters extended a half-cent sales tax back in 2005 to provide billions of dollars in transportation projects across the county. That tax is set to expire in 2025.

Some Valley cities have passed tax increases in order to fund transportation projects, though this doesn’t always guarantee the construction.

The Glendale City Council rejected Valley Metro’s plan to bring a seven-mile route to the West Valley in 2017. The $810-million project would have cost

Glendale about $114 million.

Valley Metro reports show Glendale residents use public transportation much more than Chandler. More than 181,000 Glendale residents boarded buses throughout September, far exceeding Chandler’s 78,254 riders.

Potential ridership is one element Valley Metro planners will consider when reviewing which corridor in Chandler could use some sort of mass-transit system.

Transportation officials told the City Council back in 2014 that Chandler needed to quickly start studies on a mass-transit project or else risk losing out on potential federal funding.

A recent city survey city found a majority of respondents favored a lightrail system as a long-term transportation improvement.

Chandler officials have said this past year that transportation will be one of the city’s main priorities as the city continues to grow and see more development.

The city’s in the process of updating its transportation master plan, which includes proposals to widen various streets and add bike routes.

Valley Metro is asking Chandler residents to submit feedback on the three corridors it's studying by Nov. 7.

SANTAN SUN NEWS | WWW.SANTANSUN.COM | NOVEMBER 2-15, 2019

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14

COMMUNITY NEWS

City of Chandler Insider

SANTAN SUN NEWS | WWW.SANTANSUN.COM | NOVEMBER 2-15, 2019

Chandler citizens can help set city spending priorities CITY OF CHANDLER

How well maintained is the park near your neighborhood? Do you feel like the City is doing a good job of sharing information?

Are the services provided by the City meeting your needs? The City wants to hear from you through its annual budget survey that is open through Nov. 17.

This is your opportunity to provide feedback on the future of your City and help the Mayor and Council decide how funds should be allocated.

The City has already begun its budget cycle for Fiscal Year 2020/2021, as it is nearly a year-long process to prepare it.

One of the first steps in the process is to get input from residents through the budget survey.

Depending on the amount of time you have, and the level of input that you desire to give, you can decide how much of the survey you want to complete.

It’s broken into two sections, and everyone is asked to answer the first six general questions which should only take about two to three minutes.

The remaining questions are optional and allow those completing the survey to answer more comprehensive questions within the six City Council strategic goal areas.

Those areas include: being the most connected city (transportation, mobility, technology); being a leader in trust and transparency (communication/ citizen engagement); maintaining fiscal sustainability (financial services, cost of services); attracting a range of private sector businesses (employment/economic vitality); fostering a contemporary culture that embraces unity (arts, culture, recreation) and being safe and beautiful (public safety, parks, neighborhoods, infrastructure).

Having the questions focus on specific council goals is new this year, and we hope it will allow for a better opportunity for citizens to comment on areas that are being targeted for improvement.

Another change made this year was the timing of the survey – it moved up a month to begin Oct. 1.

This earlier timeline provides additional time for staff to compile the results to share with the Mayor and Council and city leaders earlier in the budget process in mid-December.

All the survey responses are tabulated and every comment received in the survey

Chandler residents can tell city officials whart they think should be the city's spending priorities even by accessing the local government site on their mobile phone.

(City of Chandler)

is included in the budget survey report.

The information is then reviewed to gauge public sentiment and evaluate how well we are meeting the Council goals as

for residents to give feedback through different venues and forums later in the budget process, the budget survey is really a key way for the City to get early

if you think things are going great, we still want to hear from you.

“EvenMaybe you want to comment on a specific program or project, or maybe you just want to let us know we’re moving in the right direction. Every comment matters.

– Matt Dunbar

”

expressed by our residents.

Your feedback and comments are needed and do provide direction to the Council on priorities for the upcoming year.

While there will be more opportunities

feedback.

“We understand that people are busy,” said Budget Manager Matt Dunbar. “The survey is geared to be short, with only six required questions. But if you have more time to complete the rest, we really

appreciate the feedback.”

The City has strong fiscal policies that have provided stability, and Chandler businesses and industries are growing and new residents are arriving, furthering the City’s positive economic outlook.

With such an optimistic outlook, people might think they don’t need to provide feedback.

“Even if you think things are going great, we still want to hear from you,” Dunbar said. “Maybe you want to comment on a specific program or project, or maybe you just want to let us know we’re moving in the right direction. Every comment matters.”

To complete the survey, visit chandleraz.gov/budget, or stop by one of the Chandler libraries, community centers or the lobby of City Hall to complete a paper copy.

New city budget chief an old hand at the numbers CITY OF CHANDLER

Matthew Dunbar took over the role of budget manager for the City earlier this year, but he’s certainly not new to Chandler, as he has served as the tax and revenue manager for the past seven years.

In his new role for the City, Dunbar has a more holistic view of the overall city budget and will work to help guide all of the City departments through the process.

He really makes the role of a budget simple to understand when he describes it as “managing the inflows and outflows

of resources to align with the Council’s goals and objectives.

It’s like managing your home budget – having a set amount of income and deciding how to spend it to meet your family goals – but in a much more robust environment and with some extremely complex variables.”

Dunbar and his wife have four Chandler City Budget Manager Matthew Dunbar has a passion for public service.

(City of Chandler)

children, ranging in age from 8 to 17.

He was born and raised in Arizona, growing up near Prescott, and has been working in government ever since graduating from Northern Arizona University with his undergraduate degree.

Matt feels drawn to public service because he enjoys feeling that he is making a difference in the lives of all the individuals in a community.

He appreciates that he can have a positive impact on Chandler residents’ quality of life.

SANTAN SUN NEWS | WWW.SANTANSUN.COM | NOVEMBER 2-15, 2019

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COMMUNITY NEWS

SANTAN SUN NEWS | WWW.SANTANSUN.COM | NOVEMBER 2-15, 2019

Around Chandler Free concerts for the family offered downtown monthly

Two musical acts will perform the third Friday of every month at Dr. A.J. Chandler Park West at 3 S. Arizona Ave. from 6 to 9 p.m. The event, sponsored by the Chandler Downtown Partnership, is family-friendly and free.

On Nov. 15, performances will be presented by the Chandler Children’s Choir and Desert Dixie.

The rest of the schedule is: Dec. 20, Uptown Angels and Phoenix Boys Choir; Jan 17., the Basha High School Jazz Band and The Rave; Feb. 21, Jam Pak Neighborhood Band and Mogollon; March 20, Chandler High School Jazz Band and Pearl Ridge; April 17, the Willis Junior High School Jazz Band and Sugahbeat; and May 15, Corona del Sol Steel Drum and Shallow Water.

Chandler dentist offering free care for need adults

Dr. Rich Higgs and his team at Aquila Dental in Chandler is offering free extractions, fillings or cleaning to people over 18 who cannot afford proper care of their teeth between 8 a.m. and 2 p.m. Nov. 16 at 3175 S. Price Road.

The treatments are on a first-come, first-served basis.

As a dentist who has been practicing for over 25 years, Higgs said he knows how prevalent dental health issues are and how Information: 480-812-2800 or AquilaDental.com.

Aprende counselor nominated for big award

Aprende Middle School counselor Brook Norris has been nominated for the 20192020 national LifeChanger of the Year award.

Norris was nominated by her colleague, Jackie Williams, for supporting the social and emotional needs of students.

She leads Stand Up/Speak Up/Save a Life, a group empowering student leaders to work with their peers to promote a message of inclusiveness, empathy and the importance of reporting to a trusted adult if someone is need of intervention or support.

Norris works daily with the most atrisk students. For many of them, she is the only positive adult support in their lives. Students trust her, and as a result, Norris has been able to intervene when a student’s home life is not safe, or when they pose a safety risk to themselves.

Norris has also spearheaded Aprende’s PBIS program, including a store where students can purchase items as rewards for positive behavior.

“She goes above and beyond each day, ensuring that all students and staff feel uplifted,” a district spokeswoman said.

“Mrs. Norris continues to go above and beyond each day at Aprende Middle School,” said Williams. “We are a stronger school and community because of her. Without a doubt, she makes a tremendous impact and difference in the lives of our students each and every day.

We’d be lost without her.”

Sponsored by the National Life Group

Foundation, LifeChanger of the Year recognizes and rewards the best K-12 educators and school district employees across the country with cash awards as high as $10,000.

City seeks nominations for volunteer recognition

The City of Chandler and the faithbased and nonprofit group For Our CityChandler are accepting applications for the annual Volunteer Recognition Awards.

Applications are available at chandleraz.gov/volunteer100 and are due

by Nov. 15.

Faith-based groups, nonprofits, schools, businesses or any organization with volunteers are encouraged to nominate individuals for one of eight recognition awards for outstanding community service in 2019.

The award categories are: •M akes It Happen Award – This nominee works for many organizations, with the goal of contributing anywhere and everywhere, in any way they can • S unbeam Award – This nominee is the most cheerful person in the place. They have the best personality, attitude, always smiling and their mere appearance brightens the area around them.

• L ongevity Award – This nominee has worked for an organization for many years and they provide a commitment and dedication to their awe-inspiring service.

• I nnovation Award – This nominee brings

creative and unique solutions to the job.

• Youth Award – This nominee is strictly for youth, 17 years of age or younger.

This nominee can be dedicated, positive, and hardworking or somehow stand out among others • Multitasking Maestro Award – This nominee is someone who takes on a diverse array of multiple assignments, jobs or objectives at the same time and can juggle them effectively while accomplishing all of them successfully.

• Strong Arms Award – This nominee is not afraid to take on any job no matter how “down-and-dirty” it may be. This nominee also may be called the “jack-ofall-trades” in an organization.

• Working Together Award – This award category is for a group (in any organization) who completed a volunteer project in Chandler.

Information: rori.minor@chandleraz. gov or call 480-782-4329.

Weninger, Judicial Watch to address Sun Lakes GOP

The Sun Lakes Republican Club will feature “Issues and Answers” with Judicial Watch Southwest Projects Coordinator Mark Spencer and Chandler state Rep. Jeff Weninger at 6:30 p.m. Nov. 12 in the Navajo Room of the Sun Lakes Country Club, 25601 S. Sun Lakes Blvd., Sun Lakes.

The public is invited.

Judicial Watch is a non-partisan educational foundation that promotes See

AROUND on page 18

SANTAN SUN NEWS | WWW.SANTANSUN.COM | NOVEMBER 2-15, 2019

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accountability and integrity in government, politics and the law. Judicial Watch is based in Washington, D.C., and seeks to fulfill its mission to prosecute government corruption through litigation, investigation, and public outreach, because “no one is above the law.”

Spencer also is a Phoenix police officer and president of the Phoenix Law Enforcement Association.

Our Legislative District 17 Representative Jeff Weninger will provide an update on local and state legislative news that impacts the community.

Information: slgop.org or Mike Tennant, 480-802-0178.

Sun Lakes Veterans to distribute poppies

On Nov. 10 and 11 in honor of Veteran’s Day, Jewish War Veterans Copper State Post 619 will distribute poppies and poppy stickers to people who make a donation for veterans in need at local Fry’s Supermarkets.

The poppy is a symbol of remembrance and hope for a positive future and a peaceful world. Poppies are worn as a show of support for the armed services community including those currently serving, veterans and their families.

The Jewish War Veterans Post 619 based in Sun Lakes will sell the poppies from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. both days at the following Fry’s locations: Dobson and Ray roads, Alma School and Germann roads, Gilbert and Ocotillo roads and Higley and Chandler Heights Poppies will also be sold Nov. 10 at Mesa Marketplace. 10550 E. Baseline Road, Mesa.

The poppy sale is the largest fundraiser for the Post. Each year the post donates

approximately $34,000 to organizations that support Arizona veterans.

JWV invites everyone interested in supporting veterans to join the post. Their next meeting is Nov. 19 at 9:30 am at the Sun Lakes Country Club. Meetings are free and refreshments are served.

The November meeting will feature speakers from the Maternity Outreach for Moms program at the Phoenix VA Medical Center. Gifts will be collected for veteran moms and their newborns.

Membership is open to everyone in the community. Members and nonveterans represent a wide range of religious affiliations.

Information: Commander Robert Brooks at (480) 688-1827 or linbob72@ wbhsi.net.

Chamber celebrates Chandler 100 businesses

The Chandler Chamber of Commerce will hold its 2019 Chandler 100 celebration at 5:30 p.m. Nov. 6 at a specially prepared downtown Chandler parking garage.

This event celebrates Chandler’s top 100 companies with entertainment, food and surprises.

The Chamber is known for transforming unusual venues for the celebration and this year the venue is the New Square Oregon Street parking garage at 160 S Oregon Street.

This innovative city space built

by McCarthy Building Companies will offer attendees a creative, highenergy experience right in line with the forward-thinking Chandler Chamber.

Other highlights include a virtual reality encounter and autonomous vehicles from WAYMO. Also featured at this year’s event will be the Chandler Chamber’s, Taste of Chandler, highlighting some of the city’s restaurant fare. Each Chandler 100 company will be honored with an award and featured in the 2019 Chandler 100

Publication available at the event and Chamber office.

Tickets and corporate tables are available at http://bit.ly/CCOC100.

Information: 480-963-4571 or info@ chandlerchamber.com.

Corvette Club slates annual show downtown Sunday

The Corvette Club of Arizona will host its 20th-annual “Chevys in the Park” Charity Car Show 9 a.m.-2 p.m., Nov. 3 at A.J. Chandler Park, 3 S. Arizona Ave., Chandler.

All owners of Chevy cars and trucks, or those vehicles that are powered by a Chevy engine, can enter.

The Corvette Club of Arizona will donate $10 from every registered car in the show to Packages From Home, a Phoenix-based organization providing personal care and support items to active U.S. Military personnel stationed abroad and veterans. In the past 10 years, the Corvette Club of Arizona has raised over $25,000.

Chevys in the Park” has over 25 classes of cars to be judged by the participants and awards are presented for each class.

There will also be special awards for Best Paint, Best Engine, Best Interior and overall l Best of Show for both Corvettes and all other vehicles.

Last year’s show displayed over 100 models from the early 1950s to the current 2019 Corvette.

Pre-registration is $30 and the form must be received by Oct. 25. Day of the show registration will be accepted from 8-9:30 a.m for $35, based on space availability only.

Registration forms and additional information are available by contacting Brad Ryan at 630-284-1161 or at CorvetteClubofArizona.com.

The “Chevys in the Park” Show is free for spectators.

Mayor Hartke, expo at Paloma School Nov. 12

Residents are encouraged to join Mayor Kevin Hartke and the Neighborhood Advisory Committee during his Mayor on the Move event 5:30-7:30 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 12, at Kyrene de la Paloma Elementary School, 5000 W. Whitten St., outside in the amphitheater.

The event will kick off with a City Expo with 15 booths representing several City departments and provides an opportunity for Chandler residents to ask questions and share feedback about city-related services or programs. Kyrene de la Paloma also will have an informational booth.

The mayor’s remarks will start promptly at 6 p.m.

“I enjoy every opportunity to connect with Chandler residents in their own neighborhood,” said Hartke. “November also is Native American Heritage Month, and I look forward to honoring their culture that night with special performances by Indigenous Enterprise. I encourage as many people as possible to join your City Council in West Chandler.”

Indigenous Enterprise is locally-based group that educates the public about real-life Native Americans, sharing proud tradition and culture through powwow dancing.

Their performances are high-energy with spectacular movements. In addition, the top three winners from October’s Miss Indian Arizona’s Scholarship Program will be in attendance.

The event is free. The Yellowman Fry Bread food truck will have Navajo tacos and fry bread with powdered sugar available for purchase starting at 5 p.m.

Attendees are encouraged to bring a lawn chair or blanket to sit and relax in a grassy area in front of the school’s amphitheater during the free performances. RSVP online at chandleraz.gov/MayorOnTheMove. For more information:l 480-782-2243.

10th annual Chuck Wagon cook-off rolls into town next weekend SANTAN SUN NEWS STAFF

A popular event where people get a taste of history as they chow down on meat, beans, bread and other food cooked outside of old-fashioned chuck wagons is coming to Tumbleweed Ranch next weekend.

The main event is the Dutch oven cooking competition on Nov. 9, featuring 1880s style chuck wagon teams cooking five courses over a wood fire: meat, potatoes, beans, bread and dessert.

The meals judged the tastiest get cash prizes at the event, sponsored by the Chandler Museum in partnership with Pardners of Tumbleweed Ranch.

The Ranch is an event space within Tumbleweed Park, 2250 S. McQueen Road.

Pardners of Tumbleweed Ranch is a nonprofit organization of volunteers who help interpret Chandler’s agricultural heritage through programs and events, while also enhancing Tumbleweed Ranch’s amenities through the donation of money, resources and time.

While the main culinary competition is on Saturday, this year’s event has expanded into Friday evening, Nov. 8, with a beer garden, live music, dancing and food from 6-10 p.m.

Good chow and informative presentations are on the menu for the Chandler Museum's 10th annual Chuck Wagon Cookoff next weekend at Tumbleweed Ranch inside Tumbleweed Park. (File photo)

The five-piece classic country band, Rhondavous, will entertain and a limited amount of small plates will be available for purchase from some of the participating chuck wagon teams. Admission is $10.

On Saturday, the Chuck Wagon Cook-

off runs from 10 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., with free parking, admission and activities. A limited number of tickets for Saturday’s noon meal are available to purchase starting at 10 a.m.

Each wagon cooks 60 meals and the

tickets always sell out quickly. Meals are served at noon, for one hour, tickets are $15 and available on a first-come, firstserved basis; there are no pre-sales for competition meals.

See

CHUCK WAGON on page 19

COMMUNITY NEWS

SANTAN SUN NEWS | WWW.SANTANSUN.COM | NOVEMBER 2-15, 2019

CHUCK WAGON

from page 18

“The old west chuck wagon was the first food truck and the black iron pot, called a Dutch oven or camp oven, was the original slow cooker. Both of them will be center stage at this year’s Chandler Chuck Wagon Cook-off,” said Dave McDowell, president of the Pardners of Tumbleweed Ranch.

“These meals are prepared by some of the best and most creative open fire cooks in the southwest.

It will be comfort food at its best,” McDowell added.

Saturday’s entertainment and activities include music from bluegrass band Old Blue, cooking demonstrations from the Gidgee Gang Aussie Bush Kitchen, trick roping with Cowboy Steve, a Lil’ Rustlers kids’ area, educational activities from the Chandler Museum and more.

Vendors selling unique gift items, western wares, and food are onsite throughout the event.

“We’re excited to celebrate 10 years of the Chandler Chuck Wagon Cook-off this year,” said museum Administrator Jody Crago. “We started the first year with just five chuck wagons and this year we will have 11 wagons. It’s exciting to see the growth and popularity of this event in the community.”

Adults will be dressed in cowboy boots, dresses and other clothes worn in

PLANE CRASH

from page 10

claims he’s endured substantial financial hardship and inconvenience to his business operation.

Nearly a year after the 2017 crash, Spanganberg had to make another crash landing after his plane lost power 20 minutes into the flight.

He had departed from Chandler and again had to make an emergency landing in a field.

After the second crash, Spanganberg told the media his business had not had any flying issues since it opened in 2011.

“In that time in the last seven years, we’ve never had any problems to really speak of,” Spanganberg said during a television interview last September.

Spanganberg has named 13 defendants in his lawsuit, many of which have already asked for the case to be dismissed.

The plaintiff is accusing the defendants of negligence and breach of warranty.

the 1880s as they work out of the chuck wagons.

The cooks can only use ingredients and tools ranchers who drove their herds of cattle to railheads would have had access to in the 1880s.

The Charlie Goodnight award will be given to the individual or wagon team that “goes above and beyond,” including possibly helping another team or visiting with the public.

The flavor of the past appeals to people who attend the Chuck Wagon Cook-off, museum officials have said in the past, noting people enjoy seeing the historic methods and how they differ from what everyday food is like today.

Ranchers in the 1880s drove their herds of cattle to railheads, where the cattle were loaded onto trains and taken to cities in the Midwest and East to be slaughtered at stockyards.

Often, cowboys would have to travel several hundreds of miles on trails to the railhead, so the chuck wagon would ride ahead and start a fire and begin cooking food so it was ready for the cowboys.

“Chuck” is a slang term for food. A cook, often called a “cookie,” was usually an older cowboy who was the “manager,” barber, entertainer and the one to settle any fights in the chuckwagon crew.

Information: pardnersoftumbleweedranch.org 480-782-2717.

Only the 2017 crash is mentioned in the lawsuit.

“These defendants consciously pursued a course of conduct knowing that is created a substantial risk of significant harm to others,” the lawsuit states.

Textron Aviation, a Kansas-based manufacturer, is one of the defendants and argues it can not be held liable because it doesn’t do business in Arizona.

Textron doesn’t design or build its aircraft in Arizona, the company argued in court records, nor does it target Arizona customers with its services.

Other defendants have made similar arguments that the plaintiff lacks cause and jurisdiction to sue them.

Spanganberg’s attorneys argue these out-of-state companies still maintain business contacts with Arizona customers, making them subject to federal litigation.

The plaintiff did not specify how much they are seeking in damages from the defendant. Spanganberg and his counsel did not respond to requests for comment.

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Mayor sees 5,600 new jobs for Chandler this year

BY KEVIN REAGAN Staff Writer

Mayor Kevin Hartke estimates Chandler will add 5,600 new jobs by the end of this year.

“That’s a banner year for us,” Hartke said. “There’s very few years that I can think of that we’ve seen 5,000 news jobs being brought to our community.”

Speaking before the Horizon Rotary Club, Hartke said Chandler’s already seen 3,100 new jobs in the city during the first three quarters of 2019, and he expects there will be more.

“If you want a job in Chandler, you can find one,” the mayor said.

If Hartke’s prediction turns out to be true, then Chandler’s job growth will remain on track with the upward trend that’s dominated the city for recent years.

According to the Maricopa Association of Governments, Chandler reported 98,259 jobs in 2015, 110,238 jobs in 2016, and 114,398 jobs in 2017. The association’s most recent data shows Chandler with about 117,000 jobs.

The entire East Valley region has generally seen substantial job growth in all its communities, thanks to big companies

Mayor Kevin Hartke, pictured here from an earlier address, told the Horizon Rotary Club Chandler likely will see 5,600 new jobs created in 2019 by year’s end.

(File photo)

like Freedom Financial, Paypal, Rogers Corporation, and Bank of West.

In the first half of 2018, more than 4,500 jobs were added in Chandler, Tempe, Mesa and Gilbert, according to

the East Valley Partnership.

On a statewide level, Arizona added 80,000 non-farm jobs during the last fiscal year – making it the second-fastest growing state in the country.

Hartke, who assumed office this year after serving as a councilman, said his priority is to protect Chandler’s five employment corridors for further growth.

The Price Corridor, home to Microchip and Intel, is the city’s biggest corridor with more than 40,000 jobs. The West Chandler Corridor has nearly 28,000 jobs, the Uptown Corridor has about 11,000 jobs, and the Downtown Corridor has 2,200 jobs.

The Airpark Corridor currently has about 9,000 jobs and Hartke said this is Chandler’s fastest-growing corridor with the potential to balloon up to 20,000 jobs.

“This is still our largest area that we can add more employment,” he said.

The mayor said he’s not interested in re-zoning industrial land for developers to build more condos or apartment complexes. His commitment is jobs, he told the Rotary members, and he’s not after call center jobs.

Hartke said he wants to diversify Chandler’s economy with a range of highpaying jobs. This will better protect the city when an inevitable downturn hits the global economy.

See

HARTKE on page 24

Remodeled downtown building will be hipper SANTAN SUN NEWS STAFF

A redevelopment firm plans to invest $14 million in sprucing up two Chandler office buildings and adding amenities appealing to a younger workforce.

Yoga studios, juice bars and game rooms are some of the features George Oliver, based in Phoenix, intends to add to two buildings it recently acquired near Arizona Avenue and Chandler Boulevard.

Curt Kremer, George Oliver’s founder, said the renovations aim to make the buildings more attractive to the millennial generation, people born between 1981 and 1996.

According to census data, millennials recently replaced Generation X as the largest group in the American workforce.

This shift in the labor pool prompted some to rethink how workplace environments can be hipper and more stylish.

The kids who grew up watching Michael Scott humiliate his employees on “The Office” are thought to want something more than cubicles and conference rooms; they want a place that feels more like home.

“That millennial that everybody’s trying to hire just has a different work style than the baby boomers,” Kremer said. “It’s a lot more experiential.”

George Oliver bought a 112,000-squarefoot building in the downtown region, the longtime home to First Credit Union.

The five-story facility will be rebranded as The Alexander and offers new amenities like exercise rooms, lounge areas, a training center and a billiards

Yoga studios, juice bars, pool rooms will all be part of the $14-million remodeling of two buildings near Arizona Avenue and Chandler Boulevard as the redevelopment firm makes them more user-friendly for millennials.

(Special to SanTan Sun News)

room.

Kremer said the renovations will help the building’s tenants hire and retain new talent looking for trendy features reminiscent of what’s seen in Silicon Valley.

“Everybody’s kind of chasing the Google, Apple, Facebook-type campuses where they have heavy amenities,” he said.

“It’s just tough to do that for smaller users.”

These big-tech companies have headquarters resembling little villages;

equipped with cafes, theatres and gyms.

Kremer said his firm essentially tries to resemble this model, but on a smaller scale.

In addition, George Oliver helps to host events for its tenants that give a sense of community to workers.

They provide on-site concierges to organize food truck festivals, guacamole contests, and farmer markets.

“We do that because we know employees want to go and find places to

work where there’s employers that work in those areas,” Kremer added. “When people are happy at work, they tend not to leave.”

First Credit Union has already signed a 10-year lease agreement with George Oliver to remain in what will eventually become The Alexander. Other potential tenants are still being negotiated.

JLL Executive Vice President Brian See

OLIVER on page 24

SANTAN SUN NEWS | WWW.SANTANSUN.COM | NOVEMBER 2-15, 2019

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SANTAN SUN NEWS | WWW.SANTANSUN.COM | NOVEMBER 2-15, 2019

Growing Thirsty Lion roaring into Chandler SANTAN SUN NEWS STAFF

A burgeoning bar-restaurant chain has its sights set on Chandler.

Thirsty Lion Gastropub & Grill will be opening at PRIMEGATE, the flagship component of the 25-acre, award-winning Chandler Viridian mixed-use project near the Chandler Fashion Center.

“Currently we are scheduled for midFebruary but do not have a hard opening date yet. We’ve started construction on the interior of the building and are making steady progress on the build-out,” said J.K. Kahl, marketing director for Thirsty Lion Gastropub & Grill.

The Thirsty Lion opened Arizona’s first location in 2012, in Tempe Marketplace. In Chandler, its official address will be 3077 W. Frye Road.

Chandler has been a long-desired target for the company and will be its fifth restaurant in Arizona.

“We’ve been wanting to open in Chandler for a while now,” said Kahl.

“We’ve just been trying to find the right location and feel that we finally did. It’s such a great thriving area with strong businesses, services and community around it.

“Chandler Fashion Center was also a driving force and we’re extremely happy

Thirsty Lion Gastropub & Grill is eyeing a February opening in PRIMEGATE, the flagship component of the Chandler Viridian project neat Chandler Fashion Center.

(Special to SanTan Sun News)

being right across the street from it at Chandler Viridian with our own dedicated parking,” Kahl added.

The Oregon-based Thirsty Lion –

boasting a scratch kitchen, seasonal menus, weekend brunches, mixology, a vast selection of tap beer and plenty of sports on TV – is among the nation’s

top 50 restaurant chains and is ranked nationally in the Top 12 “most successful See

THIRSTY LION on page 26

Parking garages may never have looked so good as the new one that has opened in Downtown Chandler. The $20-million, five-level garage offers nearly 1,000 spots on Oregon Street, providing a convenient place for downtown business patrons to stash their wheels. (Special to SanTan Sun News)

New garage aims to stimulate downtown businesses

SANTAN SUN NEWS STAFF

Downtown Chandler’s biggest parking garage is open for business.

McCarthy Building Companies Inc. completed construction of its $20 million, five-level 293,000-square-foot facility on Oregon Street that providing 932 parking spaces.

Located west of City Hall across Arizona Avenue on the northwest corner of Chicago and Oregon streets, the garage “adds much needed parking options for those accessing City Hall, restaurants and other venues in the bustling area,” a spokeswoman said.

“The Downtown is the heart and urban core of our City,” said Chandler Mayor Kevin Hartke. “With New Square opening later this year, along with the new additions to our Historic Square,

free parking will always be a welcomed and important amenity for our residents, businesses and visitors.”

The garage provides enhanced pedestrian connection between Downtown Chandler and the New Square development to the east of the parking structure.

It also can provide future ground-floor retail within the parking structure.

The project also included the installation of a new traffic intersection at Arizona Avenue and Chicago Street to improve traffic flow as more vehicles access the garage and the future New Square development.

Additionally, this parking garage has more architectural and art elements than any other garage McCarthy have built in the Southwest region.

Incorporated features include a concrete form liner along the perimeter

walls, as well as three different types of metal panels, including mesh fabric along the stairs where color-changing LED lights beam onto walkways.

As the city includes art in every downtown project, the team allocated funds toward functional artistic aspects that include pedestrian benches and louvered canopies designed by coLab Studio and Jeff Zischke.

“McCarthy was able to utilize our selfperform team for cast-in-place concrete as well as electrical and mechanical work on this project, which provided added value in the form of cost savings, quality control and schedule acceleration to the City,” said David Clarkson, McCarthy project director.

“We understand that construction zones can be a headache for local businesses,” he said. “We are pleased to

have been able to complete the project a month early.”

McCarthy Building Companies is the oldest privately held national construction company in the country – with more than 150 years spent collaborating with partners to solve complex building challenges.

It boasts of utilizing “industry-leading design phase and construction techniques combined with value-add technology to maximize outcomes.”

Often honored as a Best Place to Work and Healthiest Employer, McCarthy is ranked the 20th largest domestic general contractor with approximately 1,700 employees and offices in 15 cities across the country.

The fully employee-owned company used a number of female workers in top management positions overseeing the garage project.

SANTAN SUN NEWS | WWW.SANTANSUN.COM | NOVEMBER 2-15, 2019

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SANTAN SUN NEWS | WWW.SANTANSUN.COM | NOVEMBER 2-15, 2019

The Horizon Rotary Club in Chandler, which hosted the mayor’s outlook on the city’s economy, gives back to the community in numerous ways as this photo of recipients of its beneficiaries for 2019 shows.

(Horizon Rotary Club)

HARTKE

from page 20

“We’ll get a hiccup like everybody else,” the mayor said. “But the more we can preserve our reserves in the city and

OLIVER

diversify our economy, it means that we will survive and thrive.”

Among Chandler’s 117,000 jobs, its largest business sectors are high-tech manufacturing, finance, and retail. The city’s unemployment rate has hovered

between 3.9 and 4.1 percent over the last year.

Hartke presents himself as a fiscal conservative who values efficiency, yet aims to maintain good public services.

He was received warmly by the Rotary

members, who presented him with a certificate and called Hartke the “real deal.”

The mayor indicated he hopes to remain in office through 2027, which is when he’ll be termed out.

from page 20

Ackerman, who represented First Credit Union during the deal, said his client was interested in working with George Oliver due to the firm’s track record and reputation.

“Their renovations will be a gamechanger for how tenants use and enjoy these buildings,” Ackerman said in a statement, “and will keep First Credit Union and its significant jobs in downtown Chandler.”

George Oliver has also bought a 107,500-square-foot building it will redevelop as The Johnathan and include many similar features as The Alexander. The two buildings are being renamed after Dr. Alexander Jonathan Chandler, the city’s founder.

The total cost for the two buildings came out to $38.8 million.

Chandler’s downtown area has so many restaurants and entertainment venues within walking distance to the two buildings, Kremer added, which made this region appealing to the firm.

George Oliver has taken on redevelopment projects for buildings in

The idea behind The Alexander is to offer millenial workers a workplace that doesn’t look like work. It’s in keeping with a trend that aimed at providing millennials with amenities and an environment their parents would never have dreamed of having. (Special to SanTan Sun News)

Scottsdale and Phoenix – turning them into modernized offices with open layouts and plenty of lounging spaces.

The firm doesn’t have a specific design

aesthetic, Kremer said, because each project is influenced by the existing real estate. George Oliver doesn’t aim to force an entirely different style of architecture

on a location, he added, George Oliver will first work on renovating The Alexander building, which it hopes to start by early 2020.

Serrano sibling succumbs to breast cancer

SANTAN SUN NEWS STAFF

Only a month after Serrano’s Mexican Restaurants owners celebrated 100 years in business as a family-run enterprise, the brothers and sisters are mourning the loss of one of their siblings.

Stephanie Serrano, 65, passed away peacefully, surrounded by her family on Oct. 17.

“She fought a courageous battle with breast cancer for more than six years and we are so proud of her courage and perseverance,” said Theresa Serrano Keel, vice president of Serrano’s Mexican Restaurants and sister to Stephanie.

Ms. Serrano was born in Mesa to

Stephanie Serrano

Evangeline and Ernie Serrano and graduated from Seton Catholic High School in 1972.

Stephanie grew up in the family business working at Serrano’s Department Stores that her grandparents started 100

years ago and that 40 years ago morphed into the restaurant business that now has five locations in the East Valley.

She was co-owner of Brunchies, a popular Chandler breakfast and lunch spot, that closed in 2016 after 35 successful years.

She also co-founded Salina’s, a Mexican restaurant just outside of St. Louis.

With a keen sense for numbers and a savvy business mind, she took on numerous leadership roles within the community, including serving as a Chandler City Council member from 19881992 and was a member of the Chandler Chamber of Commerce board.

At the time of her death, she ran the payroll and accounting for all five East Valley locations.

“Stephanie was a devout Catholic and her faith and family were the greatest treasures of her life,” the family said in a statement. “Her quiet generosity touched many people over her lifetime.”

She was preceded in death by her father Ernie Serrano Sr., mother Evangeline and a brother, Thomas.

She is survived by seven siblings: Carolyn, Ernie Jr. (Patti), Lisa Serrano Chavez (Freddie), Theresa Serrano Keel (Terry), Ric (Davonna), Lorraine, Billy (Andrea), as well as 11 nieces and nephews and a large extended family.

SANTAN SUN NEWS | WWW.SANTANSUN.COM | NOVEMBER 2-15, 2019

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26

SANTAN SUN NEWS | WWW.SANTANSUN.COM | NOVEMBER 2-15, 2019

Chandler business debuts new approach to dry cleaning SANTAN SUN NEWS STAFF

A Gilbert man who made a career leap from aeronautical engineering to dry cleaning business owner, adopted an environmentally-friendly method to clean clothes at his two businesses.

Jeff Kline is now using GreenEarth at his Lapels Dry Cleaning outlets in Gilbert and Chandler.

The company, in a release said the sand by-product is not only safe for people and pets by doesn’t shrink or fade clothing.

“GreenEarth is virtually odorless,” Kline said. “No matter how challenging the dry-cleaning job, clothes will come back smelling like a beautiful day with no detergent smell lingering.”

GreenEarth is a more effective treatment for smoke- and water-damaged clothing, Kline said.

“You might think it impossible for an item damaged by smoke or water to be salvageable without the smell you were trying to get out or the smell of the detergent you used to get the smell out,” he said.

Kline, in 2011, took a career leap from his job as an aerospace engineer at Orbital Sciences Corp. to open Lapels Dry Cleaning franchises at 1085 West Queen Creek Road in Chandler and 2586 South Val Vista Drive in Gilbert.

“Since Jeff opened his doors for business in 2011, his Lapels Dry Cleaning

THIRSTY LION

from page 22

emerging restaurants” by the restaurant industry magazine FSR. Since it was founded in 2011, it has grown to nine locations in Oregon, Arizona, Texas and Colorado and plans to open two more U.S. locations this year – including on in the Desert Ridge Marketplace in Scottsdale.

In all, it employs 900 people, generally hiring about 100 per site.

“Each location is unique to its environment and features fire pits, multiple tv screens, outdoor patios and an industrial dining room equipped with top-of-the line acoustics, allowing for the simultaneous enjoyment of music, conversation and sports watching,” FSR noted.

Its brunch menu is considered a unique draw with such items as Spicy Fried

delivery.

He also praised Kline for working with corporate officials in developing a construction plan for new franchise owners to follow in opening their stores.

“Our goal in opening our Lapels Dry Cleaning stores was to bring high-quality dry cleaning and superior customer service to our friends, neighbors and fellow East Valley residents,” said Kline, who owns and operates both locations with his wife Tanya.

He was recognized in 2014, as the company’s franchise owner of the year.

He called that recognition “a testament to the business model Lapels has set up and the commitment and dedication of my wife Tanya and the rest of our team.”

Hours for the Lapels Dry Cleaning of Chandler and LaJeff Kline of Gilbert owns two Lapels Dry Cleaning outlets in Chandler and Gilbert. He was an aerospace engineer for Orbitpels Dry Cleaning of Gilbert al Sciences Corp. but went into the dry-cleaning business in 2011. (Special to the SanTan Sun News) are Monday through Friday, 7 am to 7 pm; Saturday 8 am to 5 Dubois said Kline’s plant in Gilbert stores have exemplified the excellence we pm; and Sunday, 12 pm to 3 pm. strive for with all our locations,” said Kevin has grown business by nearly 50 percent Information: mylapels.com. through strong residential and hotel Dubois, corporate CEO.

Chicken and Waffles, Irish Whiskey French Toast and Lion’s Breakfast Burger.

Besidesides specialty drinks, it also offers a “Texas Flight” – six 4-ounce pours from local breweries.

“Thirsty Lion believes in promoting from within and finding talent and potential within its servers, bartenders and back of the house staff who are looking for career advancement,” FSR said.

The new building housing the Thirsty Lion restaurant boasts trendy, progressive architecture and sits on the hard corner of PRIMEGATE which provides for great exposure, as well as for easy access for patrons.

Winlee Development, the commercial real estate division of Phoenix-based investment firm Winfield Lee Investments, is developing the 7,600-square-foot Chandler location.

“We’ve had enormous demand for our project, but we took our time to carefully

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create a selective tenant mix resulting in an energetic, yet polished experience true to the original vision,” Winlee President Peter Nelson said.

PRIMEGATE is the capstone to the $250-million Chandler Viridian project.

It includes Class-A office, luxury residential and a fully integrated campus replete with attractive architecture, wellness trails, fountains and a dog park.

Kahl said Thirsty Lion’s “commitment to quality has definitely been a driving force in helping us stand apart from the competition.”

“We really pride ourselves on being a restaurant that has something for everyone, both on the culinary and bar side,” Kahl said, adding: “We actually don’t really identify ourselves as a sports bar. We’re a gastropub that serves high-quality food and beverage and just happen to be a great sports viewing location.

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“There are literally hundreds of places to view sports in the valley. We strive to be the place where you know you can go and get a great meal, quality cocktails and local beer in a fun, professional and inviting environment.”

“We at Thirsty Lion are very excited to be joining the PRIMEGATE development in Chandler. This will be our 5th location in the Phoenix metropolitan area,” said Thirsty Lion CEO John Plew.

He noted that with the Chandler location becoming the 10th Thirsty Lion nationally, more locations are already in the expansion pipeline.

The project is being developed by WINLEE Development, a division of Phoenix-based Winfield Lee Investments.

Once it opens in February, Thirsty Lion will join will joinsThe Sicilian Butcher, Panera and Charles Schwab in the now fully leased project.

Look for our Pizza Muffin Truck!

Please present coupon at time of order. One coupon per visit. Alcohol purchases not included. Not valid with any other specials. Offer expires 11-20-2019.

PIZZA, PASTA & WINE

590 North Alma School Road • Located in the Granada Plaza

www.Floridinos.net

BUSINESS

SANTAN SUN NEWS | WWW.SANTANSUN.COM | NOVEMBER 2-15, 2019

27

Don’t be seduced by the lure of Wall Street promises

BY DR. HAROLD WONG Guest Writer

Wall Street makes money either by commissions on the investments they sell or a percentage of the total assets they manage. The common pitch for most people is “I can make you more money in stocks than anyone else,” Research done at the UC Berkeley and Stanford 40-50 years ago found this was incorrect.

We looked at a 10-year period and found that only about 5 money managers could beat the stock market averages for that decade. Warren Buffett and Sir John Templeton were two of those folks.

Buffett later became acknowledged as the single greatest stock market investor of the last 50+ years. Templeton was way ahead of the curve after World War 2 and believed that if one invested overseas, stock market returns would outperform the U.S. market.

Wall Street has told folks that you can average 8-10 percent annual returns over long periods of time. If one goes to moneychimp.com, for 1/1/2000 to 12/31/2018, the average compound annual growth rate (CAGR) in the S&P 500 stock market index has been 2.85 percent.

If one adds the average 1.98 percent annual dividends, one’s total ROI has been 4.83 percent. When one adjusts for inflation, it’s 2.63 percent.

For the last 30 years, the goal of all Wall Street full-service brokerage firms has been to earn at least 3 percent annual

fees from money you deposit with them.

If you subtract this, your ROI is negative for this century.

I’m not saying that you should not try to get the highest ROI on your investments, but you also must temper that with the risk you are willing to take.

We’ve had two major stock market crashes this century: the 2000-2002 DotCom Crash, where the NASDAQ index dropped by about 78 percent; and the 2008-2009 financial meltdown, where the stock market dropped by about half.

In 1990, Harry Max Markowitz received the Nobel Memorial Prize in economic

Retire Early and Happy Without Wall Street Risk!

• Maximize Retirement Income

Dr. Harold Wong

Donate!

Thanks to the Arizona Charitable Tax Credit Law, ARS § 43-1088, donate to Chandler/Gilbert Arc. Contributions earn dollar-for-dollar tax credit on your Arizona Tax return.

The maximum credit for contributions is $400 for single or head of household, or $800 for married taxpayers.

480-706-0177 | www.drharoldwong.com harold_wong@hotmail.com

• Vehicle Registration • Title Transfer / Bond Title • Duplicate registration / iitle • Replacement Plate Or TAB • Permit 3, 30, 90 day • Level One Inspection: Abandoned title inspection • Mobile home • Handicap placard / plate • MVR / Driver license record • Fleet registration

- Dr. Harold Wong earned his Ph.D. in economics at the University of California/Berkeley and has appeared on over 400 TV/radio programs. He can be contacted at 480-706-0177 or harold_ wong@hotmail.com. Check for future free educational seminars at drharoldwong.com.

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sciences by proving that there is an “efficient frontier,” which is the ideal tradeoff of return vs. risk.

However, one cannot even approach the efficient frontier without owning at least three asset classes that are not closely correlated with traditional stocks, bonds or cash.

Alternate asset classes could include: commodities, farms, precious metals, foreign currencies, real estate, equipment leasing, and private pensions.

I have checked with people in the real estate, banking and mortgage business over the last three decades and the

consensus is that only about 2 percent of the population has even owned two rental houses or more.

For most, real estate is the alternate asset class that is easiest to understand.

To make the math easy, suppose that there are two families with the same $100,000 of annual household income.

Recent statistics show that the average U.S. savings rate is 8 percent of after-tax disposable income.

So, if this household saves 8 percent of $80,000 disposable income, or $6,400.

If they do this every year for 25 years and earn an average 6 percent net-after-fees ROI in the stock market, they will have $372,200 in their retirement account.

In contrast, if a different family saves three times as much ($19,200 annually) but earns half the ROI (3 percent), they will have $761,219 in 25 years, or double.

Instead of being seduced by Wall Street promising big returns, spend more time and effort figuring out how to up your savings rate.

What’s more important to you: a financially secure retirement or buying lots of stuff that does not create long-term happiness, joy, and love?

Credit eligible contributions that are made on or before April 15th following the close of the taxable year may be applied to either the current or the preceding taxable year and are considered to have been made on the last day of that taxable year.

TSI Title & Registration

Chandler/Gilbert Arc has been serving people with intellectual and developmental disabilities in the East Valley since 1975, providing community living, employment and day treatment & training opportunities daily.

1900 W. Germann Rd. # 9

Check to see if your employer will match your donation: http://doublethedonation.com/cgarc

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Chandler/Gilbert Arc is an IRS Section 501(c)(3) nonprofit corporation, and is a Qualifying Charitable Tax Organization registered with the Arizona Department of Revenue. Our QCO code is 20245. Contact the Arizona DOR at (602) 255-3381, or visit www.revenue.state.az.us

28

SANTAN SUN NEWS | WWW.SANTANSUN.COM | NOVEMBER 2-15, 2019

SANTAN SUN NEWS | WWW.SANTANSUN.COM | NOVEMBER 2-15, 2019

29

W

This East Valley tour is for the birds

November

BY DAVID M. BROWN Contributor

Birds frequenting the urban Sonoran Desert is the focus at the eighth annual Tour de Bird in 13 East Valley homes, parks and businesses next weekend.

The tour, 9 a.m.-2 p.m., today, Nov. 2, is aimed at demonstrating how backyards can be habitats to birds and wildlife, yet be water-wise, easy to maintain and tolerate extreme heat.

Sponsored by the Desert Rivers Audubon Society, the self-guided tour includes eight variously landscaped homes.

At every stop, volunteer bird watchers explain how native plants create pleasing spaces for birds and humans, as well as answer environmental questions about climate change, habitat encroachment and species endangerment.

The 12-year-old chapter is one of eight in Arizona and 500-plus throughout the country, sponsored by The National Audubon Society, based in New York City and founded in 1901.

“Transforming your landscape will take some research as well as sweat, but the Tour de Bird can help you figure it out,” said Liz Farquhar, an Ahwatukee writer, editor and the chapter’s spokeswoman.

“What if you gave up trying to make your backyard look like Chicago and instead mimicked our Sonoran Desert?”

What’s inside Page 2, 3 Santan Family Fun Calendar

Tour de Bird participants include, from the top, Mesa resident Don Cover, Audubon chapter spokeswoman Liz Farquhar and Mesa resident Jon Orona (Special to the SanTan Sun News)

Birds and how to make their desert homes more inviting are the goals of the eighth annual Tour de Bird next weekend in the East Valley. (Special to the San Tan Sun News)

Farquhar asked. “What if you dug up your grass and replaced it with native flowers, bushes and trees? The birds in your area would recognize your home as their home.

“Now, imagine that a few other people on your street did the same,” she added.

“Your neighborhood might become a patchwork of bird-friendly oases.”

Each tour venue offers informative discussions.

In Mesa, for example, Wild Birds Unlimited, 2136 E. Baseline Road, will present “Natural Landscaping and Responsible Bird-Feeding Practices” at 9 a.m. and 2 p.m., to participants, where fellow twitchers can enjoy refreshments and recive a gift.

“The Tour de Bird gives everyone the opportunity for anyone to see firsthand what is possible in your backyard,” said the owner Dave Covey, a Mesa resident who is hosting the event for the eighth year.

“It’s a wonderful hobby, beautiful and peaceful, and you’re participating in the second most popular hobby in the U.S., second only to gardening,” In Chandler, representatives from the Pond Gnome will answer questions about ponds and streams at the home of Krys Hammers, president of the Desert Rivers Audubon Society, who hosts the event every year.

The Colorado native said she’s seen more than 40 species in her yard, with every migration bringing new ones.

Her birding passion began 15 years ago when she and a birder friend visited southern Arizona.

“We were sitting by a small stream, and I saw a vermilion flycatcher, a brilliant red bird with dark wings,” she remembered.

“As a flycatcher, it swoops out from its perch and scoops up little gnats and bugs and then floats back to its perch. I was mesmerized.”

Also in Chandler at the Autery home, Mesa resident Jon Orona will discuss how native trees support wildlife and how to prune trees to prevent harm to animals.

The Pinetop-Lakeside native is a certified arborist and urban forestry specialist for the Arizona Department of Forestry and Fire Management.

At about age 10, Orona started watching and photographing raptors, especially the osprey, which dramatically dives to

capture fish.

He became a falconer at 14, and attended Northern Arizona University in Flagstaff and has since worked for a number of wildlife agencies.

“One of my favorite assignments was hooting for Mexican spotted owls in the steep canyons of northern Arizona,” he recalled.

Birds are a part of larger ecological issues everyone should consider.

“Our urban areas are expanding into wildland areas and we need to learn to live with our wild neighbors that are displaced by our urban encroachment,” he said, adding: “By planting bird and wildlife-friendly vegetation, we provide valuable habitat for wildlife and also receive benefits from

By planting bird and wildlife“friendly vegetation, we provide valuable habitat for wildlife and also receive benefits from the vegetation itself, including shade/ decreased energy costs, carbon sequestration, rainwater capture, soil stabilization and health benefits.

– Jon Orona

”

the vegetation itself, including shade/ decreased energy costs, carbon sequestration, rainwater capture, soil stabilization and health benefits.”

Gilbert’s Mike Evans, conservation director and a founding member of the Desert Rivers Audubon Society, will not be hosting at his home but will appear at one of the Valley’s best bird-watching areas, Veteran Oasis Park in Chandler.

Another the park on the tour is the avian-rich Gilbert’s Riparian Preserve at Water Ranch Park in Gilbert.

Evans, an University of Arizona alumnus and junior high school science teacher, will lead bird walks and plant tours around the Environmental Education Center in Chandler.

See

BIRD on page 30

SANTAN SUN NEWS | WWW.SANTANSUN.COM | NOVEMBER 2-15, 2019

30

November

Mon

4

Tue

• Suns Game • Lapsit Babytime • Read & Play Group

11 • East Valley Veteran’s Day Parade

5

Wed

• • • • •

Toddlertime Lapsit Babytime Lego Club Family Storytime STEAM Club

12 • • • • •

Toddlertime Lapsit Babytime Lego Club Family Storytime STEAM Club

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• Lapsit Babytime • Read & Play Group

• Lapsit Babytime • Read & Play Group

• • • • •

• • • • •

Toddlertime Lapsit Babytime Lego Club Family Storytime STEAM Club

Toddlertime Lapsit Babytime Lego Club Family Storytime STEAM Club

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• Ready, Set, Preschool • Lapsit Babytime

Thu

7

Fri

Sat

1

• Toddlertime • Ready, Set, Preschool!

8

2

• ImprovMANIA

9

Sun

• Arizona Railway Museum • ImprovMANIA • Chandler Farmers Market

• • • •

Arizona Railway Museum ImprovMANIA Chandler Farmers Market Tempe Town Lake Turns 20

3

• Arizona Railway Museum • Dia de los Muertos Festival

10

• Arizona Railway Museum • Arizona Harvest Festival • Suns Game

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• Ready, Set, Preschool • Lapsit Babytime

• • • • •

Toddlertime Lapsit Babytime Lego Club Family Storytime STEAM Club

• Ready, Set, Preschool • Lapsit Babytime

• Toddlertime • Ready, Set, Preschool!

• Toddlertime • Ready, Set, Preschool!

• Zoolights • Turkey Trot

• ImprovMANIA

• ImprovMANIA

• ImprovMANIA • Zoolights • Suns Game

• Arizona Railway Museum • ImprovMANIA • Chandler Farmers Market

• Arizona Railway Museum • ImprovMANIA • Chandler Farmers Market

• Arizona Railway Museum

• Arizona Railway Museum

• Arizona Railway Museum • Chandler Farmers Market • Zoolights

Always call to verify information as some events change or cancel after the calendar is printed.

Send family events and activities to STFF@SanTanSun.com SEE

BIRD

from page 29

He will also discuss desert and bird ecology, emphasizing the importance of planning for both birds and plants when designing home landscaping plans.

Planting trees and low-water-use plants help conserve water, fight climate change and habitat loss, he explained.

“Every tree we plant removes carbon dioxide from the air,” he said. “Habitat loss is the ultimate reason our bird populations have been declining across the country.

“By installing and growing native plants and flowers, we provide the appropriate plant community for our local bird populations to live and reproduce the next generation of birds.”

A few Ahwatukee homes also are on the tour.

Kathryn Elsaesser’s backyard is a bird and butterfly paradise; she will discuss how to incorporate both species in a garden. Among the many plants she grows is the milkweed Monarch butterflies need to reproduce. ”My love of gardening was passed on

to me by my mother, and my love and appreciation of all living entities in nature is from my dad,” said Elsaesser.

More than 60 species visit her backyard.

She and her husband Robert take annual birding trips to locations such as the Provence region of France, the Galapagos Islands and Central and South America as well as favorite spots in southwest Arizona, Texas and Cape May. “What I really love about birding is the quiet space and time it creates, allowing me to be in awe of nature and creation,” said Elsaesser, who notes 25 percent of the birds she enjoyed as a child are extinct.

“Whether it’s learning how a certain type of bird builds a nest, teaches nestlings to fly or what plants they need for nourishment, I find it all fascinating,” she said.

Tickets are $15 in advance or $20 the day of the event. Advance tickets are available online at Wild Birds Unlimited and at every stop the day of the tour.

Portions of the proceeds benefit bird and conservation educational programs through Desert Rivers Audubon Society.

Also participating is the Perch Pub Brewery, 232 S. Wall Street, in downtown

Chandler, where guests can enjoy lunch or dinner on a patio, home to rescued tropical birds.

The Perch will donate 10 percent of the check to Desert River Audubon when the

CALENDAR PAGE 31

customer presents a ticket. And, at Treeland Nursery in Mesa, tour guests receive a 10-percent discount on presentation of a ticket.

Information: desertriversaudubon.org.

Broad-billed Hummingbird Cynanthus latirostris in flight. (Special to the SanTan Sun News)

SANTAN SUN NEWS | WWW.SANTANSUN.COM | NOVEMBER 2-15, 2019

CALENDAR

from page 30

2, 3, 9, 10, 16, 17, 23, 24, 30 Arizona Railway Museum, noon-4 p.m. Visit Chandler’s railway museum at Tumbleweed Park.

The Arizona Railway Museum was founded in 1983 as a nonprofit organization and is dedicated to the railways of Arizona and the Southwest. All types of railroad memorabilia and cars are represented in the museum. Arizona Railway Museum, 330 E. Ryan Road, Chandler, Display yard and building free; display cars $5 per person or $15 per family/group. Information: Tim at 480-833-4353 or Bart Barton at 480-831-6520, azrymuseum.org.

2, 8, 9, 15, 16, 22, 23, 29, 30 ImprovMANIA, 7 p.m. Join ImprovMANIA on Fridays and Saturdays for family-friendly comedy shows.

ImprovMANIA’s improv performances are fast paced, like the show “Whose Line is it Anyway?” Prepare for a night of laughter in downtown Chandler.

ImprovMANIA, 250 S. Arizona Ave., Chandler, $10, 480-699-4598, improvmania.net.

2, 9, 16, 23, 30 Chandler Farmers Market, 9 a.m.-1 p.m. The market offers fresh local produce, prepared goods, desserts and some crafts on select days. All items are grown in Arizona or are homemade from local vendors. 3 S. Arizona Avenue, Chandler. Free. Downtownchandler. org/farmersmarket.

3 Dia de los Muertos Festival, 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Celebrate the Day of the Dead at Saint Mary’s Basilica’s 5th annual Dia de los Muertos festival. Along with traditional ofrendas, participants can view a selection of trunk ofrendas at the car show. Free children’s activities include face painting and balloon animals.

Saint Mary’s Basilica, 231 N. Third St., Phoenix, free, 602-354-2100, saintmarysbasilica.org.

4 Suns Game, 7 p.m. Watch the Phoenix Suns take on the Philadelphia 76ers at Talking Stick Resort Arena. Talking Stick Resort Arena, 201 E. Jefferson St., Phoenix. $11 to $225. 602-379-7867, nba.com/suns.

4, 18, 25 Lapsit Babytime, 10 a.m. Read books, listen to music and interact with fun puppets at play time. All activities are designed for newborns to 18-monthold children. One parent for each child is highly recommended.

Hamilton Library, 3700 S. Arizona Ave., Chandler, free, 480-782-2800, chandlerlibrary.org.

4, 18, 25 Read & Play Group, 11:30-11:55 a.m. Network with other parents while children read and play games.

Different child development experts may visit on certain days.

Hamilton Library, 3700 S. Arizona Ave., Chandler.

Free. 480-782-2800, chandlerlibrary.org.

5, 12, 19, 26 Toddlertime, 10:15-11:15 a.m. The 30-minute program features singing and puppets to engage children.

Sunset Library Monsoon Room, 4930 W. Ray Road, Chandler, free, 480-782-2800, chandlerlibrary.org.

5, 12, 19, 26 Lapsit Babytime, 11:30 a.m.-12:10 p.m. Read books, listen to music and interact with fun puppets at playtime. All activities are designed for newborns to 18-month-old children. One parent for each child is highly recommended.

Basha Library, 5990 S. Val Vista Drive, Chandler, free, 480-782-2800, chandlerlibrary.org.

5, 12, 19, 26 Lego Club, 4 p.m. Meet new friends and have fun building with Lego, which are supplied. Lego Club is a Vertex program, where Chandler Public Library intersects with STEAM and makerspace.

Sunset Library Monsoon Room, 4930 W. Ray Road, Chandler, free, 480-782-2800, chandlerlibrary.org.

5, 12, 19, 26 Family Storytime, 6:30 p.m. Read books, sing songs and play with puppets at Family Storytime. This week, families will build forts, select books and read.

Fort-building material will be provided.

Sunset Library Monsoon Room, 4930 W. Ray Road, Chandler, free. 480-782-2800, chandlerlibrary.org.

5, 12, 19, 26 STEAM Club, 4 to 5 p.m. Come to the Chandler Library STEAM Club and have fun every Tuesday with science, technology, engineering, art and math. Win prizes just for showing up. Ages 6-11. STEAM Club is a Vertex program, where Chandler Public Library intersects with STEAM and makerspace.

Downtown Library, 22 S. Delaware St., Chandler. Free.

480-782-2800, chandlerlibrary.org.

6, 13, 20, 27 Ready, Set, Preschool. 9:15 a.m. and 11 a.m. Preschoolage children prepare for kindergarten through

singing and activities. This program requires active participation by children and their caregivers so they can use these skills at home.

Hamilton Library, 3700 S. Arizona Ave., Chandler, free, 480-782-2800, chandlerlibrary.org.

6, 13, 20, 27 Lapsit Babytime, 10 a.m. and 11 a.m. Read books, listen to music and interact with fun puppets at play time. All activities are designed for newborns to 18-month-old children. One parent for each child is highly recommended.

Downtown Library Copper Room North, 22 S. Delaware St., Chandler. Free. 480-782-2800, chandlerlibrary.org.

31

W O H G N I N R A E L N I D E T S E R INTE ?

R E T P O C I L TO FLY A HE

7, 14, 21 Toddlertime, 9:15-9:45 a.m. Toddlertime features singing and puppets to engage the children. The storytime is approximately 30 minutes.

Basha Library, 5990 S. Val Vista Drive, Chandler. Free.

480-782-2800, chandlerlibrary.org.

7, 14, 21 Ready, Set, Preschool!, 10:15-11 a.m. Children ages 3 to 5 prepare for kindergarten through songs and activities. This is a 45-minute program.

Basha Library, 5990 S. Val Vista Drive, Chandler, free, 480-782-2800, chandlerlibrary.org.

7, 14, 21 Toddlertime, 10:30 a.m. and 11:15 a.m. Songs and puppets engage toddlers during this 30-minute event.

Downtown Library, 22 S. Delaware Street, Chandler, free, 480-782-2800, chandlerlibrary.org.

9 Tempe Town Lake Turns 20, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tempe Town Lake is celebrating their 20th anniversary with a bang with six zones of free activities. In the athletic zone, there will be an ASU volleyball tournament and fishing. The entertainment zone includes all the ingredients for a traditional festival, from live music to food trucks.

Tempe Town Lake, Tempe, free, tempe.gov.

10 Arizona Harvest Festival, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Celebrate fall in Downtown Chandler with a harvest festival perfect for the whole family. Some of the activities include a pie eating contest, cake walk, pumpkin toss and corn shucking. A craft marketplace will be offering a variety of fall-themed food along with seasonal merchandise.

AJ Chandler Park, 178 E. Commonwealth Avenue, Chandler, free, 602-276-2499, arizonaharvestfest. com.

10 Suns Game, 6 p.m. Watch the Phoenix Suns take on the Brooklyn Nets at Talking Stick Resort Arena.

Talking Stick Resort Arena, 201 E. Jefferson St., Phoenix. $11 to $225. 602-379-7867, nba.com/suns.

11 East Valley Veteran’s Day Parade, 11 a.m., Celebrate Veteran’s Day with a patriotic parade honoring fallen soldiers. Watch different floats, dance groups and more walk through downtown Mesa.

Downtown Mesa, free, 480-684-2324, evvp.org.

27, 28, 29, 30 Zoolights, 5:30 to 10:30 p.m. See millions of lights illuminate the Phoenix Zoo this holiday season. This year, Stingray Bay and the 4-D Theater is included with admission. Guests can also see live reindeer, the zoo’s latest holiday edition.

Phoenix Zoo, 455 N. Galvin Pkwy., Phoenix, $11.95 to $19.95, 602-286-3800, phoenixzoo.org.

28 Turkey Trot, 8:30 a.m. Burn the bird with either a 5k run or a 1-mile fun run around the San Tan Mall. The proceeds from the race go to various charities such as Families Fighting Blindness and AzBrainfood. San Tan Mall, 2218 E. Williams Field Road, Gilbert. $16.95 to $26.95, gilbertturkeytrot.com.

29 Suns Game, 7 p.m. Watch the Phoenix Suns take on the Dallas Mavericks at Talking Stick Resort Arena.

Talking Stick Resort Arena, 201 E. Jefferson St., Phoenix. $11 to $225. 602-379-7867, nba.com/suns.

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Grateful Gathering with Chandler Parks & Recreation!

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Whether you hit the links, ruff it with your furry friend or dive in to lap swim, you’ll have a little fun while making a big difference in our community.

For a complete listing of upcoming activities or for more information on programs highlighted below pick up the Break Time Recreation Guide at Chandler facilities, visit our website, or call 480-782-2727.

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SANTAN SUN NEWS | WWW.SANTANSUN.COM | NOVEMBER 2-15, 2019

SANTAN SUN NEWS | WWW.SANTANSUN.COM | NOVEMBER 2-15, 2019

37

For more community news visit SanTanSun.com

Ex-NFL coach enjoys his Hamilton High gig

BY TYLER HENRY Cronkite News

Before Bob Wylie became a viral sensation on the HBO show “Hard Knocks,” he put together a long and storied career as a professional football coach. Wylie worked for six Division I schools including Syracuse, two Canadian Football League teams and eight NFL organizations, including the Cleveland Browns in 2018, and the Arizona Cardinals in 2004.

For the 2019 football season, Wylie finds himself in a new and unexpected coaching role with the Hamilton High School football team.

Wylie moved back to his home in Chandler from Cleveland to continue rehabbing a dislocated right ankle, broken right leg and injuries to his left knee, suffered while coaching with the Browns.

Out driving one of his three Maseratis one day, he passed by a Hamilton football practice and something prompted him to park the car, step out and watch.

“One of the coaches came over and they thought I was scouting the kids,” Wylie said.

“But the head coach knew who I was, and he said, ‘You can do whatever you want to do.”

It didn’t take Wylie long to take head coach Mike Zdebski up on his offer, and

Bob Wylie has been on the coaching staff of six Division I college teams, eight NFL organizations and two Canadian Football operations. Now he’s helping to guide Hamilton High Huskie football.

(Special to SanTan Sun News)

he began working as an observer with Hamilton, keeping his watchful eye on the

team’s practices and games.

“I think the kids like the idea of having a

pro football coach overlooking them, and whatever I tell them they absorb,” Wylie said. “The coaches do the same thing, I sit in the coaches meetings and I tell ‘em, ‘This is what I saw today, whether you guys like it or not and it’s up to you whether you want to use it or not.’”

Incorporating Wylie’s insight was an easy decision for the Huskies coaching staff. Mark Tucker, Hamilton’s offensive line coach, has benefited the most from Wylie’s experience.

“The guy’s been an offensive line coach in the NFL for 40-plus years,” Tucker said. “He doesn’t overstep his bounds, he just tells you what he sees and gives you things to make a part of your toolbox as a coach. It’s been a great combination having him around.”

Wylie was a hit when “Hard Knocks” featured the Cleveland Browns for his largerthan-life personality and funny responses, like this once caught while chatting with one of his linemen before a practice.

“World War I and World War II … They did push-ups, jumping jacks, sit-ups! None of this fancy … They won two World Wars! … You think they were worried when they were running across Normandy about xxx See

WYLIE on page 38

Colorado was the right fit for Hamilton’s Brenden Rice

BY ZACH ALVIRA Sports Editor

It’s a decision that caused many sleepless nights for Hamilton senior wide receiver Brenden Rice and his family.

It’s a decision that was delayed on several occasions because he wasn’t completely set on his decision. But on Oct. 3, his mind was finally made up.

“I’ve decided,” Rice posted on his Twitter account. More than 230 responses from fans across the country followed, promoting their favorite schools in hopes Rice had decided to attend in the fall.

Three days later on Oct. 6, Rice committed to the University of Colorado.

“I trust in coach [Mel Tucker’s] vision and truly the background of what they present themselves as,” Rice said after his commitment. “They always try to go after all of the sleeper athletes.

“I just want to be a part of that because I want to grow with a group of dudes that know they’re going to compete day in, and day out and not be privileged.”

Rice, the son of NFL Hall of Fame wideout Jerry Rice, worked his entire life toward creating his own legacy. Since arriving at Hamilton as a freshman, he’s been able to do just that.

Rated as a three-star prospect by 247Sports Composite, the 6-foot-2, 208-pound senior become one of the most highly touted prospects in the state for the 2020 class. Since he began playing at the varsity level as a sophomore, he has caught 102 passes for 1,788-yards and 22 touchdowns.

There are times where he is still left in the shadow of his father, but he has learned to work through that and embrace

Above: Hamilton senior wide receiver Brenden Rice announced his decision to commit to the University of Colorado. Left: Rice, the son of NFL Hall of Fame wideout Jerry Rice, has forged his own path of success at Hamilton High School. (Kimberly Carrillo/ Contributor)

the last name on his jersey. If anything, it’s only helped him work harder to become his own person, something Hamilton coach Mike Zdebski believes he already accomplished in his young career.

“To me, anybody is their own person,” Zdebski said. “As long as you worry about yourself and not what anybody else says or thinks, all of that outside noise, then you’re in a good place.”

So far this season, Rice has 28 receptions for 450-yards and four

touchdowns. He has helped lead the Huskies to a 7-1 record to become the sixth-ranked team in the Open Division heading into their contest against districtrival Perry this past Friday.

Despite being Hamilton’s leading receiver, he feels he hasn’t performed up to his own standards.

“My dogs have actually been doing it without me because I’ve had a terrible season,” Rice said. “I’m just proud of them, I’m cheering them on. I just want to get

back to where I was and get better every day.”

The decision to commit to Colorado wasn’t easy for Rice, despite falling in love with the campus in Boulder.

It created many restless nights, as he constantly went back and forth in his head thinking of what the best fit for him as a player and person would be. Finally, it all seemed to click, and he knew Colorado was the best place for him to go.

“It was stressful, it took a lot of my focus,” Rice said. “There were times where I couldn’t sleep at night, honestly. My mom and I believe God put us in the right place at the right time and we believe in See

RICE on page 38

SPORTS & RECREATION

from page 37

stretching? … Give me my rubber bands so I can stretch so I can run across the beach …

You’ve got to be kidding me!”

While Wylie has made many invaluable contributions to Hamilton this season, it’s his attention to detail that has garnered the most praise.

“It’s the technical parts of the game, the small details that sometimes people forget about what he’s done the most with,” Zdebski said. “Game and practice management, line spacing, identifying coverages, working with the offensive line on posture, stances and recovering fumbles.

It’s the little details.”

Wylie had equal praise for the Hamilton coaching staff, which he said put in a ton of work getting the team ready for the season before his arrival.

“I thought (Zdebski) was very organized,” Wylie said. “This is not a day-to-day operation, it’s all been thought out what

RICE

from page 37

Colorado’s plans, so we knew that was the place I had to go.”

Rice aims toward becoming one of the best receivers in college football and make a name for himself at the next level. He hopes to contribute right away at Colorado but doesn’t want it to be handed to him.

He wants to work for his success and face being challenged every day to become great. His father did that at Mississippi Valley State from 1981-84. Now he wants to do the same at Colorado.

“That’s where my dad came from, that’s

he wants to get done and he stays with the plan. Last year, the team wasn’t winning games, but he stayed with the plan, and now you see the plan starting to come together.”

The impact of Zdebski’s plan and Wylie’s contributions have already been felt, like Hamilton, a team that went 3-7 last season, is off to a 7-1 start and is ranked No. 7 in the open division.

“We’re not beating ourselves this season,” Zdebski said. “Things like turnovers, penalties and overall execution have been a lot better this year.”

With just two more games in their regular season, Hamilton is in a good position to reach Arizona’s first open playoff, which will feature the top eight teams battling it out for one state title, regardless of classification.

As for Wylie’s future, after this season he hopes he can find his way back into an NFL coaching role.

“If I can get back I want to get back,” he said. “The thing you have to understand about the NFL is there are only 32 seats, and whatever one you have is the best one.” where so many of the other greats have come from,” Rice said. “To get to the next step in life, I need to go through that. I want to be a factor right away, but I have to put actions where the words are and match it.

“I have to keep grinding, keep going every day.”

The stress Rice had when thinking of where to commit didn’t necessarily leave when he announced his commitment to Colorado. In fact, he said he still had a sleepless night that Tuesday.

But now more than a week after he decided on where he would continue his career after high school, he has no regrets.

“I finally got some sleep,” Rice laughed.

“I feel amazing.”

Hamilton sophomore Rujuta Sane didn’t lose a match lose a single game en route to the Division 1 state badminton championship. (Eric Newman/Staff)

Hamilton’s Rujuta Sane claims D1 badminton title

BY ERIC NEWMAN Staff Writer

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No. 1 Hamilton sophomore Rujuta Sane did not lose a single game en route to the Division 1 state final, where she faced No. 3 senior, Eileen Li from Corona del Sol. The two were some of the smaller players in the whole competition. Nearly every point was a long rally, as neither were able to overpower the other. They both hit several well-placed, finesse shots to angles that made winning hits difficult.

“That’s just my style, and from what I’d seen, she’s not a power player either, so

both of us just use a lot of drops and not as powerful shots, but that’s just the style of how we did it,” Sane said.

“It’s fun but it’s also stressful during the points because so many of them went long and there’s so much pressure on each one.”

But, Sane did enough to control the match. A-Li shot flew long on the final point, and Sane celebrated the title with a 21-18, 21-16 win.

Sane hugged family, friends, teammates and coaches after the victory, but had trouble putting her happiness into words.

“It’s a lot to process,” she said, smiling.

“I’m just really glad to be here.”

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For more community news visit SanTanSun.com

Adel was right choice for Maricopa County Attorney

BY JACK SELLERS Guest Writer

From time to time, the Maricopa County Board of Supervisors is required, under state law, to appoint people to vacated countywide or statewide elected positions.

Over the past couple of years, this board has appointed justices of the peace, constables and even legislators.

Supervisors Gates, Hickman, Chucri, and Gallardo also had to fill an open position on the Board of Supervisors several months ago. I’m honored that out of 13 candidates they chose me to fill that position.

Each vacancy that comes to this board is met with a great deal of thought and consideration.

Who is qualified for the job? Who would best represent those constituents?

Who has a good chance of sticking around for the long-term?

In my time as a supervisor, there has never been an appointment that carried quite as much consequence as our recent appointment of Allister Adel as Maricopa County Attorney.

The county’s chief prosecutor plays a significant role in ensuring the security and well-being of our residents.

The county attorney leads an office

of more than 900 full-time employees including attorneys, investigators, paralegals, victim advocates, and support staff.

This group is responsible for prosecuting all felonies that occur in Maricopa County and all misdemeanors that occur in unincorporated areas.

As importantly, the county attorney helps shape the discussion about law and order in our community.

His or her priorities and approach to prosecution impact the region in myriad ways, not all of which are immediately obvious.

I believe Bill Montgomery, the former County Attorney, served us well in

pursuing justice.

He was a valuable advisor to the board who brought clarity to complex issues and decency to debates.

I knew choosing his replacement would be difficult, but I’m proud of how we, as a board, approached it.

My colleagues and I wanted the community to have a voice in this decision so we set up a webpage where we posted the candidates’ application packets and a form for people to send their comments to us.

I appreciate those who contacted us. We also appointed a diverse, sevenmember citizen advisory committee to screen and interview the eight candidates.

These committee members did a phenomenal job on a tight timeline. I am grateful for their time and insight.

The committee recommended five candidates to us for final consideration.

Allister Adel rose to the top of the

list because not only was she a successful prosecutor, she also had experience as an administrator.

I felt that experience was crucial for someone expected to come in and run an organization as large and varied as the Maricopa County Attorney’s Office.

County Attorney Adel knows this place.

She served as deputy county attorney from 2004-2011 where she prosecuted several high-profile cases. Following that, she led ADOT’s Executive Hearing Office, managing 45 employees and an annual budget of three million dollars.

From there, she provided legal counsel to the Arizona Department of Child Safety, ensuring their compliance with the laws, among many other things. She was also the executive director of the Arizona Bar Association.

As a talented prosecutor and capable administrator, County Attorney Adel will be a great addition to the county team.

I am proud of her unanimous appointment by the board, excited that she is the first woman in county history to serve in this position, and anxious to work together in the pursuit of justice in our fast-growing county.

- Jack Sellers is a Chandler resident and a member of the Maricopa County Board of Supervisors

City Council helping to prepare tomorrow’s workforce

BY COUNCILMAN MATT ORLANDO Guest Writer

Chandler is a city that embraces global technologies, implements sustainable solutions and pilots innovative ideas.

This practice has dubbed the city as the “Community of Innovation” and attracts companies and residents from all over the world to call Chandler home.

As a Council member, I recognize the importance of providing infrastructure and services will support current and future companies and technologies, and the workforce is a major part.

Chandler is committed to preparing the workforce of tomorrow through a variety of partnerships and programs.

From early literacy initiatives to regional workforce coalitions, we aim to provide workforce development at every level.

I’m personally involved in Read On Chandler, which is a collaborative literacy project made up of community organizations and businesses committed to ensuring that children obtain the necessary literacy skills for school readiness.

I am a firm believer that early education has a positive long-term effect and I am proud that the city supports programs like this.

The businesses in our community are actively invested in playing their part in preparing their future workforce, and many partner with local K-12 schools to offer STEM and STEAM programming.

Microchip founded AZFirst, an organization dedicated to the support of science and technology programs.

AZFirst offers grants and scholarships to students at the middle school, high school, college and graduate school levels who intend to pursue careers as scientists and engineers. AZFirst has reached more than 40,000 students since its inception in 2004 through their various programs, including the FIRST Robotics Competition, an international competition where teams solve an engineering design problem.

The city also works to connect higher education partners and local companies so students can build the skill sets that our current and future companies desire.

We participate in regional workforce conversations to stay on top of statewide trends and locally we partner with the Chandler Chamber of Commerce in providing ongoing support for our Chandler businesses through forums for networking and conversation between diverse trades to improve our business community and be a vehicle of change.

Chandler is the premier location for cutting-edge technologies and City Council is dedicated to providing resources and leveraging partnerships to create a workforce to support that.

Share Your Thoughts: Send your letters on local issues to: pmaryniak@timespublications.com

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Looks explain media infatuation with Jodi Arias

BY DAVID LEIBOWITZ Columnist

At last count, Arizona had 4,377 women in its state prisons. You’d be forgiven for thinking there was only one female currently under

lock and key.

Jodi Arias.

The confusion stems from the fact that reporters, editors and producers remain fascinated with all things Arias, now 39d and serving life in prison for the 2008 killing of her lover, Travis Alexander.

This fascination can be explained by two simple facts.

One, women rarely commit murder.

Two, and far more importantly, hot chicks commit murder about as often as you find a parking place beside the door at In-NOut – which is to say almost never.

My proof? Samantha Allen, Wendi Andriano and Shawna Forde.

They are the only three women on

Death Row in Arizona and, with all due apologies, they are not hot. Thus, you’ve never heard of these three female killers.

But Jodi Arias? We hear about her with regularity, most recently when the Arizona Court of Appeals held oral arguments to determine whether allegations of misconduct against Juan Martinez, lead prosecutor on the Arias’ case, might warrant granting her a new trial.

I’m rooting against that proposition, though surely I’m outnumbered by TV producers, true crime trolls and a legion of Jodi fans – a titillated throng ever-ready to consume more Arias minutiae. It takes little imagination to conjure them hanging on every sick detail: Did you know she stabbed Travis at least 27 times? Do you like her better as a blonde or a brunette? Have you seen her nudes on the Internet? Can you believe a hung jury spared her the death penalty?

Central to the obsession with Arias is a question I’ve heard time and again during 25 years in journalism. Over and over,

we wonder how it can be that attractive people – Arias, Casey Anthony, Amanda Knox – commit heinous crimes.

How can people endowed with the gift of physical beauty also possess such darkness and savagery?

I wish the answer was sexier, so I could cash in with a couple of crappy Arias books to fund a villa in the south of France.

Alas, my hypothesis is only a few sentences long: Physical looks and sociopathic tendencies are not mutually exclusive. Profound mental illness also has no respect for a pretty face.

Let’s not confuse what causes people to commit murder with a set of pouty lips and deep brown, almond-shaped eyes.

Jodi Arias’ looks – which seem to be the crux of so many people’s obsession – are beside the point when it comes to what matters here: That she took a handgun and a knife to a 30-year-old human being, stabbing Travis Alexander repeatedly and slashing his jugular vein, carotid artery and trachea.

The question of what makes goodlooking people kill mistakenly imputes rational thought to irrational, sick people like Arias.

It’s the same mistake people made wondering how Susan Smith, that “nice mom from South Carolina,” could drown her two sons in the trunk of her car. Or how handsome Ted Bundy, soon to be the subject of still another documentary TV series, could have been so charming, so smart and so deadly?

The sad reality? Travis Alexander was a handsome young man. Bundy’s victims were virtually all beautiful young women in the prime of their lives. But because they didn’t commit murder, they’ve been lost to time.

In a better world, Jodi Arias wouldn’t be a household name. She’d be graveyard remains, rotting in the ground or in hell.

The next story I intend to read about this psycho won’t be on the front page of a newspaper.

It will be in the obituaries.

A mother’s anguish, a son lost to a red-light runner

BY BARBARA HOFFMAN Guest Writer

Editor’s note: The author titled this “My Last Day on Earth by the Late Michael David Allanson, Forever 14.” He was her son.

I never thought that today would be my last day on earth. I woke up feeling the wet tongue of a puppy licking my eyelids.

It startled me at first, then I remembered my dad bought me a new beagle puppy that I called Copper.

The school year has just started for me.

I was excited to be in ninth grade. I got to ride my bike to school now. I got a job in the school cafeteria. It will be cool to get a paycheck. I can save some money so I can fix up my bike.

I love working on bikes, skateboards and motorized skateboards. I want mine to be different from others, faster and to look amazing.

Bad news recently hit my family as my older sister, Jenn, was in a rollover crash on her way home from Mexico. My mom and dad are very upset. My mom has taken me to see her in the hospital a few times. She broke many bones and she had bleeding in her brain.

When she came home from the hospital, they gave her a wheelchair because she can’t walk. She sleeps a lot because of the pain medicine.

My sister and I decided we could watch a movie together, so I rode my motorized scooter over to my mom’s house from my dad’s house. It is only a few miles apart.

I got there fairly fast. I always wear my helmet and sunglasses because I don’t want to get pulled over. It is a law in our city. I don’t need to get in trouble.

We watched the movie and of course, my sister fell asleep. I got up to leave. For some reason, I felt the need to give my sister a hug.

I looked up and saw my mom smiling.

She liked it when we got along. My mom had friends over to play computer games.

She asked me if I wanted to stay as she was going to order pizza, but I told her I

needed to get back to dad’s house to feed my new puppy. I also needed to ride my scooter before dark. I love pizza but I have a little puppy that needs me.

I headed out on my motorized scooter.

When I stop, the motor stops. I just rebuilt the engine on this scooter, and it is running pretty well. Makes me feel proud of myself for fixing it up.

It didn’t even run when I got it from my friend. When I got to the intersection of McKellips Road and 64th Street in Mesa, my light was red. I pulled up to the side of a large SUV. I stared at my light until I saw the light turn to green.

As I pulled forward, I got a nod from the SUV driver as they were going to turn right and indicated that they would wait for me to go first. I took off in the proper crosswalk and wham, out of nowhere a car hit me.

It was a big old white Buick. I screamed out in pain as I flew up in the air. My scooter shattered into pieces and I fell down hard to the burning hot asphalt. Immediately, I saw a white light. It was warm and calming. I followed it to a more peaceful place.

Looking down from my new heavenly home, I saw my next-door neighbor run to my body. She was screaming my name. I saw her kids stay in their car. They were crying.

An off- duty police officer came and took my pulse. I didn’t have one. A few people called 911.

An ambulance, police and a fire truck came. Paramedics began to work on me.

My neighbor drove off to tell my mom what happened.

I realized that I was hit and killed by an elderly man who ran a red light.

My life was over just like that.

In my new realm, I could see things in many places. I watched as my neighbor knocked on my mom’s front door. Her twin daughters were crying hysterically. My mom opened the door and they all told her at once that I had been hit by a car.

My mom looked over to my sister and said, “You will have to move over as your brother probably broke his leg too.” My neighbor looked at my mom’s boyfriend and shook her head.

They pretty much knew I was dead but didn’t want to say it out loud. My mom asked our neighbor to take her to the scene of the crash.

My mom got out of the car at the intersection and ran toward the crash scene.

A police officer stopped her. She wanted to see me, but they wouldn’t let her.

I was bleeding badly out of my head.

My heart had stopped. Many of my organs were damaged. They worked on me for a long time but couldn’t do much.

The police officer told my mom that a helicopter was standing by and would take me to the hospital, but they needed to get me stable. I never got stabilized.

Two men walked over to my mom who was sitting on the curb by the road and they told her that they couldn’t save

me. My mom had an oxygen clip on her nose as they had thought she was going into shock.

She said the words out loud to her boyfriend. “They couldn’t save him.” Her voice quivered.

I saw my mom dialing her cell phone to call my dad. He was at work. She was put on hold. Her hands were shaking. My dad got on the phone. She told him that I was hit by a car and they couldn’t save me.

I heard my dad yelling out on the phone, “NO, NO, NO.” My mom was paralyzed with grief.

My dad also came to the scene. He was terribly upset.

My mom realized it had gotten dark by that time. The flashing of all the emergency lights were everywhere. She asked to go home. She knew she had to tell my sister what happened.

They got to the house and my mom ran to my sister to tell her. They cried and hugged even though my sister was cringing in pain because hugging hurt her broken ribs.

Shortly afterward, my dad, my grandparents, old neighbors and the fire department showed up at my mom’s house.

The social worker for the fire department was the mom of one of my best friends.

I saw her crying. I spent the night at their house many times. She was a cool lady and I felt bad that she was so devastated by my death.

I watched as people made phone calls.

Crying and sobbing were all around. My grandfather, who is normally a very strong man, was laying on the floor sobbing.

One tragic mistake from a driver who neglected to stop at a red light devastated many lives that day, especially mine.

I will never get to graduate high school, go to college, get married or have children of my own.

He took away my future. He broke the hearts of my family and friends.

Please, if you are reading my story, “STOP ON RED!” - Barbara Allanson is executive director of Red Means Stop Traffic Safety Alliance, redmeansstop.org.

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For more community news visit SanTanSun.com

GAIN Day a win for Chandler police, citizens

BY KEVIN REAGAN Staff Writer

Sgt. Jason McClimans walks down a row of vehicles parked outside Epiphany Lutheran Church.

It’s the standard trunk-or-treat setup; adults decked out vehicles with decorations and passed out candy to kids dressed in Halloween costumes.

McClimans casually approaches some attendees, ready to pass out stickers and chitchat with residents. He walked up to a car made to like Cookie Monster from Sesame Street and complimented the driver’s creativity.

It may seem like McClimans is just having fun. But he’s actually fulfilling an important requirement of his job.

“It’s building relationships with the community,” the sergeant said.

McClimans, a long-time veteran of the Chandler Police Department, is the agency’s newest public information officer.

He’s the guy journalists call when there’s a homicide or a major wreck on Arizona Avenue.

But responding to the media is only one piece to the job, McClimans said.

Most of his time is devoted to community outreach in one way or

McGruff the Crime Dog may visit one party near Ray Road, while Chandler’s drugdetection dogs might do a demonstration at another party off Ocotillo Road.

Some parties attract a handful of guests, but others may get hundreds of attendees.

McClimans and a group of assigned officers spend hours hopping around from one party to another – making contact with as many residents as possible.

This event is critical for the city, the sergeant said, because it’s one of the few chances residents can meet and Chandler Police Sgt. Jason McClimans chatted with Julie Cook during GAIN Day in a neighborhood near Chandler Boulevard and mingle with officers in a Kyrene Road. (Kevin Reagan/Staff Writer) nonemergency setting.

“They see us not another. And on one particular night Involved in Neighborhoods, the onewhen we’re on a call or in in October, all his attention is steered night event has officers cruising around a crisis,” McClimans said. “They see us as toward Chandler’s annual GAIN event.

Chandler to various block parti’s like being Formally known as Getting Arizona a police officer.

See on page 44

GAIN

VR takes Chandler students to another dimension

BY KEVIN REAGAN Staff Writer

William Harvey discovered blood circulation by cutting open living animals and observing their still-beating hearts, watching how quickly the blood emptied through their veins.

Several Chandler Unified students don’t have to resort to such grizzly experiments to see the same thing. They can just turn on a laptop and put on some 3-D glasses.

Education recently advanced to another dimension at Basha Elementary School after it recently introduced a set of virtual-reality computers to its classrooms.

Students can examine the entire human anatomy by pulling digitized organs out of their computer screens and rotating it around until they inspect every single crevice.

After obtaining a grant earlier this year, Basha bought 16 VR laptop computers to circulate various classrooms.

Jessica Pfau, Basha’s technology integration specialist, said these new computers

Stephanie Nilan peers over Sienna Logsdan’s shoulder as both 11-year-old Basha Elementary School students try out the new virtual reality gear. (Pablo Robles/Staff Photographer)

offer hands-on learning opportunities students can’t get anywhere else.

“I can have my kids hold a human heart,” Pfau said. “They can feel it beating while they’re holding it.” zSpace produces the VR computers deployed at Basha Elementary. Its computers and tablets have been used by school districts all across the country.

The company claims its technology can engage students more so than pictures in a textbook and boost a pupil’s critical-

thinking skills.

The Chandler Traditional AcademyIndependence was the first CUSD campus to introduce zSpace a couple years ago.

After observing how the school incorporated this technology, Pfau was interested in starting a similar program at Basha.

While these computers have several science and math lessons, Pfau said they can be used for language arts, music, or developing social skills.

“These zSpace computers aren’t just for STEM,” Pfau added. “If you need a

lesson, you can find them.” zSpace has several applications exploring nearly every academic subject.

The software has lessons about exploring the White House, studying the depths of the ocean, or watching how bees pollinate plants.

One application lets students demonstrate the theories of Sir Isaac Newton, while another has them playing with electricity in Benjamin Franklin’s lab.

Basha Principal Stephanie Reeves said she hopes the zSpace computers will help students discover a passion for STEM subjects.

“Anytime you can get kids excited about science and math and bring that to life,” Reeves said, “it just opens a lot of doors and possibilities for them.”

The zSpace computers come equipped with trackers connecting to 3-D glasses, worn by students – allowing them to gaze at virtual objects from multiple perspectives. A pen-shaped device enables users the ability to virtually pickup and move objects around.

Basha obtained licensing to use zSpace for all its grade levels. Reeves said teachers in the lower levels are particularly eager to introduce their students to the technology.

“Our kindergarten teachers are super excited about it,” the principal said, “they’re like chomping at the bit to see how they can integrate it with their curriculum.”

Hancock Elementary also recently introduced zSpace computers to its See

ZSPACE on page 46

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GAIN

SANTAN SUN NEWS | WWW.SANTANSUN.COM | NOVEMBER 2-15, 2019

from page 43

human beings.”

Most police agencies conduct a GAINtype of event at some point during the year. The idea started several years ago as a way to get residents to network with their neighbors and potentially prevent future crimes.

“I honestly didn’t know it was such a thing,” said Britta Bowers, who hosted one of the block parties for the GAIN event on Oct. 19.

She had hosted parties in the past for her neighbors near Kyrene Road and Chandler Boulevard, but was surprised by the resources Chandler Police offers to GAIN participants.

Party hosts who register with the city enter a lottery, which is how Chandler Police divvies up who gets a visit from McGruff and who gets a tour of the SWAT van.

Bowers said she’s already pretty close to some of her neighbors, but she feels it’s still important to have block parties so she can put a face to those she hasn’t met yet.

“We really like the neighborhood,” she said. “Everyone is pretty laid back.”

McClimans said the domineering presence of technology has made personto-person contact between neighbors almost antiquated – making an event like GAIN more valuable to a community.

More neighborhoods are depending on social media or mobile apps to send out alerts to residents about suspicious activity. It can make communication more convenient, but limits the in-person interactions between residents.

Chandler Police Det. George Arias took advantage of GAIN Day last month to meet with adults and kids alike in neighborhoods where some residents made it a time for festive block parties. (Kevin Reagan)

Pamela Barrett, who lives at the Stonebridge Ranch Apartments off Pecos Road, said living in a large a complex can feel distant and isolating. That prompted her to start hosting GAIN parties a couple years ago.

“Our goal as a community is to establish a sense of home,” Barrett said.

Even if only a handful of people show up each year, Barrett said it’s worth putting the event together so her neighbors can feel like they belong in Chandler.

McClimans grew up around the East Valley and knows the streets of Chandler well.

He seems to enjoy riding around on

GAIN night; he gets the chance to revisit familiar places and bump into old acquaintances.

Before he was promoted to sergeant in 2015, McClimans investigated narcotics and vice crimes. He helped conduct wiretaps, drug busts, and surveillance on criminal suspects.

More recently, his time has been occupied by field training and outreach events like teaching self-defense to teenage girls.

Outreach appears to be something he’s comfortable doing. It’s easier to talk to people than to fight them, McClimans said.

He recalled an incident in 2016,

when he was called to the scene of an intoxicated man in his vehicle. McClimans said he tried approaching the car, but the man was disgruntled and refused to engage.

Through speaking with the man’s family, the officer discovered the man was suffering from a traumatic brain injury and not acting like himself.

The situation could have ended badly, McClimans said, but they were able to resolve the issue peacefully and no one got hurt.

“We work so hard to build that relationship with our citizens,” the sergeant added.

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SANTAN SUN NEWS | WWW.SANTANSUN.COM | NOVEMBER 2-15, 2019

Play Day players

1

Chandler’s annual Mayor’s Day of Play, held to encourage fitness and a healthy lifestyle, brought out young and old alike last month to Tumbleweed Park. Naturally, 1) Mayor Kevin Hartke was on hand to get into the giant bubble pool set up for the occasion as 2) Makayla Portillo played a water safety bingo game and 3) Reagan Novak and Jake Schroeder exchanged high fives after okaying a game of Twister. 4) Even Chandler Councilman Jeremy McClymonds got into the act as Ryann Cruz enjoyed the bubble party. 5)Megan Leonen was excited to pose for a photo with Bubble the Elephant and 6) Zoe Richmond and Timothy Linskey played a game of giant checkers and 7) Alex Solitz played with artificial bubbles.

All photographs by Pablo Robles/Staff Photographer

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ZSPACE

SANTAN SUN NEWS | WWW.SANTANSUN.COM | NOVEMBER 2-15, 2019

from page 43

classrooms. District records indicate the technology cost the two schools about $102,000.

Hancock’s 15 zSpace laptops will be part of the school’s new “innovation lab,” where teachers can schedule times for the students to come in and use the technology.

“We created a little calendar and I noticed the calendar is just filling up,” said Connie Hull, Hancock’s principal.

The school spent a year developing and planning what types of technology should be included in its innovation lab. Hull said they realized they didn’t want it to only include zSpace; they also wanted robotics, printers, and other cutting-edge technology.

She said the goal is to offer a range of devices and software that fit the needs of every student.

“This is just a great way to prepare our kids for the future,” Hull added.

Basha’s students and staff have just begun training on the devices and Pfau said everyone’s amazed by the technology. zSpace recommends students work in pairs on the technology; with one student controlling the computer and the other acting as co-pilot.

This shared-experience can be quite

t? o G ws Ne

Basha Elementary teacher Jessica Pfau and student Callie Schinker test the virtual reality equipment while at right, Cooper Bennett puts on his VR glasses to explore the whole new world that the equipment brings to students.

(Pablo Robles/Staff Photographer)

powerful, Pfau added, because it gets students working and collaborating with their peers.

Pfau has spent the last three years integrating robotics, coding, and 3-D

printers into Basha’s curriculum; the arrival of zSpace adds yet another tool Pfau thinks will ideally complement what the teacher is already doing in the classroom.

Her greatest hope is that zSpace

encourages Basha students to be a little less passive and a little more creative.

“I hope I inspire kids to be producers of the next technology and not just consumers,” she said.

Contact Contact Paul Paul Maryniak Maryniak at at 480-898-5647 or or pmaryniak@timespublications.com pmaryniak@timespublications.com

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SANTAN SUN NEWS | WWW.SANTANSUN.COM | NOVEMBER 2-15, 2019

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Chandler Girl Scout brings social media to the elderly BY: AUTUMN JARRETT Contributor

We have all experienced answering questions from our grandparents, parents, aunts or uncles about new technology.

While helping her own grandmother, Girl Scouts–Arizona Cactus-Pine Council’s Tressa Stevenson saw an opportunity to teach other older adults how to use technology to stay connected.

Inspired by her grandmother’s experience, Tressa decided to pursue her Gold Award to help others struggling using social media applications.

This distinguished award, considered the most difficult to earn, is earned by Girl Scouts who take action in their communities by tackling an issue and implementing measurable and sustainable change.

“When I was a sophomore in high school, my grandma got her first iPhone and wanted to use Snapchat to communicate with my younger cousins,” said Tressa. “For months, every time I saw her, she would have lots of questions for me about using her new phone.”

After noticing how her grandmother benefited from the social media tutorial, Tressa focused her Gold Award project on using social media to bridge the gap of isolation that many individuals experience as they age.

“If my grandma – who is tech-savvy for her age – is struggling, I wondered how many other people out there were struggling too and how many people I could help,” said Tressa, adding:

needs,” Tressa explained.

Tressa’s project took about three years to complete.

Even when the Chandler Senior Center made some changes by hiring a new program director, she didn’t let it stop her.

“Through this project, I really learned the perseverance to keep going,” she said, explaining: “The center got a new program director and I had to re-explain my project and get permission to start volunteering at the center again, but I was truly passionate and wanted to do this despite the amount of work and obstacles.”

After graduating from Chandler High School last spring, Tressa began her studies at Barrett Honors College at Arizona State University this fall.

Chandler Girl Scout Tressa Stevenson earned her Gold Award, the highest honor Girl Scouts can achieve, by helping She is studying business with a seniors become comfortable with social media applications. dual concentration in global politics (Autumn Jarrett) and Spanish language culture through W.P. Carey School of Business.

“With my help, I saw an opportunity to the age of 65, are the most common Tressa attributes her confidence and make them feel more connected.” victims of identity theft,” she said. “I ambition for her future aspirations to her Based on her experience with her wanted to make sure I taught them how 13 years of being a Girl Scout. grandmother, Tressa developed a to be safe on the internet.”

“It is so much more than third graders curriculum detailing internet safety and The other half of the curriculum selling cookies and people don’t realize social media how-tos. focused on the ins and outs of social that as much as they should,” she said.

Tressa would spend up to two hours media, including what to do, what not “Girl Scouts showed me how I was capable every week at Chandler Senior Center to do, and how to use social media as an teaching her curriculum, answering additional tool to stay in touch but not as of doing so much cand how valuable my voice is if I am willing to use it.” questions and helping set up devices. a substitution for human interactions.

In the future, Tressa has her sights set For Tressa, internet safety was an “During my time at the center, I on possibly working abroad for the U.S. important element to include and served realized that the seniors just needed Embassy or State Department to represent as the first part of her curriculum. someone there to be available to them the United States in a different country.

“The older demographic, people over and to be flexible and adapt to their

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SANTAN SUN NEWS | WWW.SANTANSUN.COM | NOVEMBER 2-15, 2019

Charity store manager high on giving back

BY LACEY LYONS Contributor

Giving back has been in Tracey Lynch’s blood since her father first taught her at age 8 that kindness is the best quality to have.

“When I was young my dad would take me with him to give boxes of food to the homeless, and growing up I wanted to be a lawyer or a judge like my dad. He was such a fair and kind man,” she said.

Lynch has been giving back to others ever since she can remember and has applied that to her daily life by operating a nonprofit charity, teaching her 11-year-old daughter lifelong lessons and supporting cancer research.

Lynch was raised in Window Rock and moved to Scottsdale after she graduated high school in 1999. She went to Scottsdale Community College as a freshman then transferred to Arizona State University in 2001.

“During college, I worked full time at My Sister’s Closet and learned that I could impact people by turning them on to new styles and looks. It built their confidence to look good, and it was inspiring to see them step out of their comfort zone,” said Lynch, referring to the consignment store.

Seeing those everyday customers come in with more confidence each visit warms her heart and motivates her to continue she said.

She graduated from ASU in 2004 with a political science degree.

After continuing to work at My Sister’s Closet for several years and rising to the position of store manager, Lynch decided in 2014 that she wanted to help open My Sisters’ Charites, a nonprofit thrift store in Chandler.

“I appreciate my staff for pouring their hearts into their work, my friends for making courageous decisions and moves, my fellow cancer survivors that fight a good fight each and every day and the stranger who remembers to be a good human,” she said, adding: “All too often we put ourselves in bubbles and forget to be kind and courteous.”

When Lynch is not working to give back to the community, she likes to travel with her family, root on the Arizona Cardinals and enjoy a Cancer survivor Tracey Lynch of Scottsdale manages the the My Sister’s Charities thrift store at 4985 S. Alma School Road in Chandler.

Venti green tea at her (Lacey Lyons) local Starbucks.

“I love being with my My Sisters’ Charites takes the items family, especially when that My Sisters’ Place did not sell and sells we’re road-tripping, exploring some them at a lower price to raise money for hidden gems in the state or the country.

Arizona nonprofits such as the Arizona We’ve had many great adventures, and Humane Society. recapping the moment is always amusing,” In 2015, Lynch transferred to become said Lynch. the store manager at My Sisters’ Charities.

In 2016, Lynch was diagnosed with Kyle Allen, a longtime friend of Lynch, breast cancer. whom she met through My Sisters’ While fighting breast cancer, raising Charities, said, “One of the really great her daughter and working at a nonprofit things about Tracey is that she has a way charity, Lynch discovered a new calling: of motivating and being encouraging raising support for cancer research. without pointing out faults.”

Lynch uses her personal Facebook page Lynch is also in charge of hiring at to fundraise for the American Cancer My Sisters’ Charities and loves the Society and participates in the yearly opportunity to give others the chance to breast cancer walk Making Strides of give back to the community as well.

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“My favorite motto I live by is ‘no matter the challenge, let’s keep it moving in a positive direction,’” said Lynch.

Lynch said that is her favorite motto because it keeps her on the right track mentally and reminds her to only look forward.

After chemotherapy, Lynch went into complete remission in September 2017.

Lisa Smith, one of Lynch’s childhood friends describes her as “poised,” saying, “She always keeps her composure through any tough situations.”

Battling cancer and continuing to give back to the community all with a smile on her face shows Lynch’s strength and dedication to work hard and be kind.

Lynch looks to her daughter for positivity and light when times get tough she said.

“I admire my Phoebe for being a leader at such a young age. Her confidence overwhelms me at times, but I love that she just dances to the beat of her own drum,” said Lynch.

In 2018, Lynch, along with her team at My Sisters’ Charities, raised their highest total to date of $486,000 for nonprofit organizations within Arizona.

“I have an overwhelming sense of pride and joy,” she said.

“To see this little 3.2 square foot store go from donating $72,000 our first year open to $485,000 five years later is mindblowing. I truly enjoy coming to work each day knowing that we’re making a positive impact in our community,” Lynch said.

Lynch said she wants to continue to grow with My Sisters’ Charities and hopefully find a bigger storefront to raise more money for the organizations that benefit from her work.

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SANTAN SUN NEWS | WWW.SANTANSUN.COM | NOVEMBER 2-15, 2019

49

Chandler dance group a ‘house of culture’ for Mexican traditions

BY KEVIN REAGAN Staff Writer

When Gloria Garza-Wells moved from Tucson to Chandler a few years ago, she felt a bit of a culture shock.

The history teacher had grown up immersed in Latino culture – dressing in colorful dresses and learning traditional Mexican folk dances.

She had the benefit of having mentors in Tucson who taught her the value of preserving their artistic heritage.

But Garza-Wells had a difficult time finding the same creative outlet in the sprawling Phoenix metro area.

“I felt kind of out of place because I had nowhere to go for dance,” she said.

This prompted her to form a nonprofit in 2014 that would educate younger generations on the customs of Latino culture.

Five years later, the Instituto de Folklorico Mexicano now has a dance studio in Chandler and teaches up to 70 students from across the Valley.

The dancers range in age from toddlers to teenagers and regularly perform throughout the year.

Late October is a particularly eventful time for the group, as they’re asked to perform at Day of the Dead festivals all over the Valley. The Mexican holiday pays tribute to the recently departed through building altars and elaborate parades.

At a recent celebration in Mesa, Folklorico’s dancers donned long dresses, pinned flowers to their hair, and pasted their faces with skeletal make-up. At one point during the performance, dancers

The dance studio in Chandler that’s run by the Instituto de Folkerico Mexicano draws students from across the Valley who are interested in learning more about the cultural traditions of Mexico. Students also put on dance presentations around the region. (Special to SanTan Sun News)

balanced candles on their head as they twirled and side-stepped across the stage.

Garza-Wells said everything her dancers do is rooted in history and they pride themselves on their meticulousness.

“That’s really big in the folk community that we have to be authentic and we have to be accurate,” she said. “We can’t stray from the original.”

Cynthia Ramirez, the nonprofit’s assistant director, said they help some dancers make their costumes – teaching them how to cut patterns and do basic sewing.

Students have a greater appreciation for their outfits when they see the work that goes into constructing it, Ramirez said.

Like Garza-Wells, Ramirez is a transplant from Tucson and felt out of place when she first moved to Ahwatukee. ”I felt lost,” she said, adding she didn’t connect with any of the local dance groups.

Ramirez’s parents immigrated to the United States from Mexico, making her a first-generation resident. She had danced throughout her childhood, learning all the customs of traditional folk dance.

But many of the student dancers in Folklorico Mexicano are third or fourth-generation residents, Ramirez said, and bits and pieces of their culture get lost or forgotten over time.

And there’s much to learn when it

comes to Mexico’s folk dances. Each of the country’s states and regions has its own style of dances that have different origins and carry specific meanings.

“Every dance tells a story,” Ramirez said, “There’s so much heritage attached.”

“Our culture is often seen in a negative light,” Ramirez said, “this just promotes so much positivity.”

“My goal for this group is to have dance just be a small branch on the tree of a bigger umbrella,” she said.

Instituto de Folklorico Mexicano offers a variety of dance classes in Chandler and Queen Creek.

Information: folkloricoaz.com.

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NEIGHBORS

SANTAN SUN NEWS | WWW.SANTANSUN.COM | NOVEMBER 2-15, 2019

Summit School first-graders are all business

BY COTY DOLORES MIRANDA Contributor

On Oct. 22, a community-ribbon cutting and business expo was held with a near-capacity crowd but the Chamber of Commerce was not around.

Instead, it involved Summit School of Ahwatukee first-graders who just completed a multidisciplinary unit on economics and business.

Yes, first-grade students.

As part of the creative project, Summit teachers Christine Odenkirk and Leslie Gearhart encouraged students to develop their own businesses complete with creatively designed coupons and business cards to hand out at the expo.

But they didn’t stop there - students wrote and read business plans, identifed potential customers, justified decisions on specific locations and demonstrated why their community business is needed.

And in keeping with the school’s emphasis on science, technology, engineering, the arts and mathematics, the lessons and experiences provided student’s opportunities like touring local businesses and posting on Yelp.

The first graders were immersed in problem-solving on multiple levels as they focused on issues such as “Does location of a business matter?” and “What’s the benefit of saving money versus spending it?”

They researched locations with Google Maps technology.

Among the scores of parents in attendance at the Business Expo were Dipali Pradhan and husband Ashish Arora, who came to see their daughter Anya Arora’s presentation.

Both engineers, they were amazed by every presentation.

“They had such wonderful business ideas, very practical and pertaining to real-life needs; they had coupons and business cards to advertise their businesses which was so professional. One child even tried to sell us stocks in his business, which definitely got a lot of cheers,” said Pradhan.

“My daughter Anya chose Anya’s Healthcare as her business and located it close to the houses with the reason being that she didn’t want anyone to be sick or drive long hours to reach a doctor. She also offered a night service. It’s just amazing to see how the kids used this opportunity to come up with solutions which are actually real-life problems,” said the proud mom, adding: “The models that she built for house and school were very realistic and artistic.

I was telling my husband that I can take her model for our new home because I loved how she used slanting walls and open spaces that you only see in television shows.”

Summit art teacher Kathleen Kupper, who holds a master of architecture degree from UCLA and a bachelor’s degree from the California Institute of the Arts, had students integrate community planning designs into their projects and design their own business structures.

“We designed our communities by working together as a team: architects design buildings, city planners design the layout and land use, landscape architects create parks and public spaces for everyone to enjoy, and artists create public art,” explained Kupper, a Summit instructor since 2001.

Chandler and Ahwatukee first-grade student at Summit School of Ahwatukee recently showed off their business skills to parents after spending several months learning about the basics of running a small business. (Sara Chambers/Special to SanTan Sun News)

“The students were immersed in the design thinking process,” she added. “After learning to define problems, the students began to research, discuss, and generate solutions. Our community design was based on new theories of urbanism.”

Students were enthusiastic about the project that began in August.

“It was fun but challenging,” said Aurelia Anderson, 6, who founded Come and Play. “I learned a lot; I learned that sometimes you can’t fit your budget to your budget.”

“My customers are kids and parents.

At my business, you can play on a play structure. Come and Play is needed because I think parents need more places to take their child,” she wrote. “My business is located by a neighborhood because some neighborhoods have children and children like to play.”

Simone Hart, who turned 7 on Expo day, created Toys and Accessories, a business providing “toys and accessories that teachers and moms need.”

“The unit was fun, and it was a lot of work writing about it, and I almost gave up but I didn’t give up,” she said.

The 25 first grade students – 12 in Odenkirk’s classroom and 13 in Gearhart’s – went beyond what even their teachers expected.

“When young children are engaged in their learning because we, as teachers, take their inquiries and create lessons out of them, the children’s understanding and learning soars,” said Gearhart, who began teaching in 2000 and joined Summit School in January.

“For example, instead of reading about producers and consumers in a text book, we created our own Market Day where the children took turns selling their own goods and services - bookmarks, superhero puppets, and cubby cleaning,” she continued.

“Later, they switched roles and became consumers purchasing those items.”

She complimented the classes’ enthusiasm, noting, “Our amazing first graders were so thoughtful with their chosen locations.”

Gearhart, who has two of her three children enrolled at the school, noted that student Isabel Frank located her business, The Cutie School, near a hospital because “when moms go to the hospital to have a baby, they will see the store and want to stop and buy a stuffy for their baby.”

“Our first graders at Summit are actively engaged and thinking critically,” Gearhart remarked.

Odenkirk concurred.

“Students might not be inclined to ask questions if they were just reading about economics or different businesses in a book,” the 14-year Summit School teacher said.

“Rather than just teaching the vocabulary and expecting memorization, the project-based approach gave students valuable experiences that invited them to make observations and ask questions,” she said, explaining: “The results spanned multiple disciplines, and students had a deeper understanding of complex concepts. And we love to get out and give them real-life contextual experiences.”

Field trips to a nearby business plaza allowed students to observe service and retail establishments first-hand.

One of the more popular “real-life” experiences students enjoyed was sampling products from three area pizzerias.

They followed up by penning their own Yelp! reviews.

“Grimaldi’s cheese pizza made my heart dance and dance, and dance and dance when I tasted it,” wrote Ari Lozada.

Anisa Arredondo wrote: “In my opinion, Barro’s Pizza is the best in my life. I will go there again.”

Audrey Sublette wrote her review on Little Caesars Pizza, one of the three she blind-tasted with fellow students.

“Even though I am six years old, I LOVE this pizza. I recommend every kid’s birthday party should have Little Caesars Pizza,” she said.

Sergei Jin chimed in: “Little Caesars has the best pizza in the world.”

Teachers were as excited as their stu-

dents and their families by the expo.

“It was so uplifting and energizing,” said Odenkirk. “What you discover about your students is their passion. … Each student had to provide justification for their business and the location, so there’s a lot of critical thinking involved.”

She and Gearhart designed this unit to meet Arizona State Standards.

For instance, the Yelp reviews fulfilled the mandate for first-grade students to pen an opinion piece. Utilizing Google Maps to determine their business locations answered technology mandates.

“Our inquiry project is guided by Arizona State Standards, but the depth of learning is inspired by the curiosity of the students,” said Odenkirk. “Essentially, for us, the standards serve as the floor, not the ceiling.”

“When students are given choices during the learning process and you provide numerous opportunities for their voices to be heard, they embrace their learning with excitement and a deep commitment,” Odenkirk continued.

“Our first graders were actively engaged in the rigor of writing a business plan because they were motivated by their topic. I became aware of each child’s passion through this inquiry project.”

Summit Head of School Mark Bistricky noted, “Our job as educators is to prepare students for a world that is innovating faster than we can imagine. Giving them opportunities for creative problem-solving that connects to the “real world” is one of the best ways we can do this.”

Bistricky who is in his third year at the school’s helm, added, “What students learn is very important, but it’s no longer enough in today’s world. What they do with what they have learned—applying it in a real-world setting--is every bit as important. These first graders give me a lot of hope for our future.”

Summit School, founded in 2001, serves students in preschool through eighth gradeand is located in Ahwatukee at 4515 E. Muirwood Drive. For more information, see SummitSchoolAZ.org

51

SANTAN SUN NEWS | WWW.SANTANSUN.COM | NOVEMBER 2-15, 2019

For more community news visit SanTanSun.com

Arts Center hosts a dazzling display of dynasty

BY SRIANTHI PERERA Guest Writer

To bring to stage the story of China spanning 2,200 years, from the first Qin dynasty to modern times, is no easy feat.

The Phoenix Wushu Academy, which recently moved from Chandler to Gilbert, is attempting to do just that.

Seventy of the school’s students under the age of 18 will dance their way through “Dynasty: A Martial Arts & Dance Epic” Nov. 17 at Chandler Center for the Arts.

The Qin Dynasty began in 221 BC, and was the time that the Great Wall of China began to be constructed.

It follows with 10 major time periods, including the Golden Age of the Han Dynasty, when the martial arts flourished; the Song Dynasty, when paper money and gun powder were first used; and modern China, where the martial arts, dances and art forms of the past have become sports and cultural activities that are being passed to the younger generations.

Script writer Jane Ho co-directs the production along with Bonnie Fu and Andrew Ho. Dynasty promises to be a rich spectacle of entertainment where dynasties rise and fall, battles are won and

The Phoenix Wushu Academy’s production at Chandler Arts Center later this month will offer a feast for the eyes as it presents an interpretation of 11 major time periods in China through a combination of dance, martial arts and music. (Wushu Academy)

lost and adventures unravel.

In essence, it is a treasury of Chinese history and culture, which will be performed without dialogue but with Kung Fu (also known as Wushu, a modern

form of traditional Chinese martial arts), dance, music and acting.

“However far we progress into our future, it is our past that defines who we once were and reminds us of where we

came from,” said Jane Ho, who teaches Wushu and piano at the school.

“We believe it is our duty to bring awareness of our cultural heritage and encourage the people around us to also appreciate the breathtaking history and culture of China.”

Jane Ho called the show the school’s “most elaborate” production so far.

“Dynasty is a visually stunning show that combines advanced technological moving backgrounds as well as beautiful staging and on-set props,” she said.

As visual director, she has worked for three months to bring to life each individual scene in Dynasty. She has even collaborated with international visual effect artists to create some of the scenes.

The production uses 250 sets of costumes. Head of wardrobe, Chloe Cheng, who has handled similar shows for six years, has custom-ordered the costumes from factories in China that specialize in creating realistic ancient Chinese costumes.

The show is also an opportunity to listen to ancient Chinese music.

See

WUSHU on page 53

Multi-cultural comedy club coming to Chandler

BY KEVIN REAGAN Staff Writer

Rodney Montreuil spends much of his time helping immigrants and refugees resettle in central Arizona.

He visits them in detention centers, translates documents for them, and generally makes sure they’re acclimating well to life in a new country.

But the Mesa man has noticed there’s something missing in the lives of these individuals.

“I don’t feel like their psychological wellbeing has been addressed,” Montreuil said.

That’s why he’s organizing a comedy event in Chandler that welcomes attendees from all cultures and ethnicities.

Montreuil’s calling his event the KrikKrak Comedy Club. “Krik-Krak” is a Haitian expression that’s the English equivalent of a “knock-knock” joke.

Mackenson Louis, a Haitian-born comedian, is scheduled to be Krik-Krak’s first performer at an event on Nov. 16 at Tumbleweed Recreation Center.

Louis is known for penning the series “Comedy Joy Ride” and his celebrity impressions of Denzel Washington and Mike Tyson.

Montreuil said he hopes this will become a regular, ongoing event, where comedians from different backgrounds will get a chance to share their jokes with a new audience.

The Krik-Krak Club will serve two purposes: offer a platform for up-andcoming, diverse comedians to tryout their material, as well as provide a communal place for residents to feel welcomed.

The refugee population in central Arizona is consistently growing, Montreuil

I want people to start “ feeling happy to be part of this community, I don’t want them to think that the United States is only expecting their hard labor… and then push them to the side and that’s it.

”

– Rodney Montreuil

Mackenson Louis

Rodney Montreuil

said, and these individuals deserve a therapeutic place to feel some joy.

Some of these people have endured natural disasters and political turmoil in their home countries, he added, and are still recovering from their trauma.

“I want people to start feeling happy to be part of this community,” Montreuil said.

“I don’t want them to think that the United States is only expecting their hard labor… and then push them to the side and that’s it.”

Montreuil immigrated to the United States from Haiti about 30 years ago. The

teacher and business developer had been living in New York City until the Sept. 11 attacks pushed him to find a safer place to raise his children.

He relocated to the East Valley and embedded himself in the immigrant community. He founded the Haitian American Center for Social Economic Development and was recently awarded the Martin Luther King Diversity award by the city of Tempe.

This comedy club is Montreuil’s latest project to bring cultures together.

“I’m in this for real with a lot of

passion,” he added.

The Krik-Krak Club is expected to be family-friendly and the humor will be respectful of all demographics.

The event will eventually become multilingual, featuring comedians who speak English, Spanish, French, and Creole.

This is an incredibly unique event, Montreuil added, and will hopefully attract patrons from outside Arizona.

Depending on the turnout of the first show, Montreuil said he hopes to have another performer come to Chandler in early January.

“I’ve got to go slow because I got to make sure it works,” he added.

If you go

What: Krik-Krak Comedy Club When: 6:30 p.m. Nov. 16.

Where: Tumbleweed Park, 2250 South McQueen Road, Chandler Tickets: $25 Info: krik-krak.eventbrite.com.

52

ARTS

SANTAN SUN NEWS | WWW.SANTANSUN.COM | NOVEMBER 2-15, 2019

Museum’s aprons exhibit a slice of Americana

CITY OF CHANDLER

The newest traveling exhibition to hit the Chandler Museum takes a deeper look at domesticity, personal expression and craft techniques through the lens of a common textile in many homes – the apron.

Opening Nov, 12, “Apron Strings: Ties to the Past” features 51 vintage and contemporary aprons dating from the late 1930s through the present.

It will run through Jan. 5, at the Chandler Museum, 300 S. Chandler Village Drive.

The exhibition chronicles changing attitudes toward women and domestic work. It also surveys the wide range of design and craft techniques apronmakers have used to express themselves, while still working within creative venues traditionally available to women.

The exhibition serves as an excellent tool to bring together diverse parts of the community through shared experiences with, and memories of, a common, everyday textile.

Apron Strings is organized into several thematic groups addressing design, historical context, use, and cultural message.

Today, artists continue using aprons to explore cultural myths and realities as well as their individual experiences with American domesticity.

“This exhibit will offer many points of nostalgia for guests who grew up with aprons in the household as they see

The apron exhibition at Chandler Museum chronicles changing attitudes toward women and domestic work in America. (Chandler Museum)

familiar patterns and styles,” said Tiffani Egnor, education coordinator at the museum.

“The themes covered in this exhibit give a voice to the common person

and weave their story into our cultural history,” she added.

A series of events and programs will accompany this exhibit.

A reception is scheduled for 6-8 p.m.

Nov. 21. Two of the Museum’s Saturday Family Programs events coincide with the exhibit : “Embroidery Demonstration Day” with Evelyn Johnson on Nov. 16, and “In the Exhibits” where guests can create their own apron on Nov. 30.

Both Saturday Family Programs are drop-in programs from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Additionally, two talks are scheduled that will dive into the family stories and oral tradition surrounding food preparation and meals.

“Stories Around the Thanksgiving Table,” at 10:30 a.m. Nov. 30 will feature Arizona State University Professor Denise Ann Bodman, who will outline ways to capture all of the family stories that are shared at family gatherings and holidays.

“Food Stories,” at 7 p.m. Dec. 4 and presented by Arizona State University Professor Vanessa Fonseca-Chávez and Chandler Gilbert Community College Faculty Erica Acevedo-Ontiveros.

This talk will examine the oral storytelling space that exists when family members cook together and pass down recipes or cooking methods.

Chandler Museum hours of operation are Tuesday- Saturday, 10 a.m to 5 p.m.; Sunday, 1-5 p.m.; and closed Monday.

Admission is free. This exhibition is a program of ExhibitsUSA, a national division of Mid-America Arts Alliance and The National Endowment for the Arts.

Information: 480-782-2717, or chandleraz.gov/museum.

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ARTS

SANTAN SUN NEWS | WWW.SANTANSUN.COM | NOVEMBER 2-15, 2019

WUSHU

from page 51

“Throughout the show, there will be traditional Chinese music that varies from epic to sorrowful, depending on the scene,” Jane Ho said. “Since it is traditional Chinese music, most of the songs in the show were composed many years back and have been passed on from one generation to the next.”

The performing arts school, which was established nearly a decade ago by Andrew Ho and Bonnie Fu, moved to a larger facility in Gilbert.

Currently, about 100 students are enrolled and they come from every city in the East Valley as well as the San Tan Valley, Peoria, Glendale and Phoenix.

Intake isn’t limited to those of Chinese ethnicity, however, and it welcomes anyone who would like to study the country’s heritage.

“We are blessed to have this facility because it offers a professional and spacious environment for our students to train in,” Jane Ho said.

“I like that I get to perform with other people and get to play characters that are very different,” said Elise Yeung, 11, of Chandler, who has studied there for five years. “Even though training takes a lot of hard work and practice, I enjoy being able to perform in both Wushu and dance in Dynasty.”

Elise performs three roles, as Wu Tang tai-chi master, Ming Dynasty assassin-intraining and a Chinese ethnic tribal dancer.

“For Wushu, I will do hand forms and tai-chi and also use weapons like the straight sword and broad sword,” she said.

“I will also do different styles of Chinese dances; some of them use long ribbons and tambourines.”

Phoenix Wushu Academy’s productions are elaborate in many ways, from the unusual combination of dance and martial arts to spectacular costumes.

(Wushu Academy)

The school is home to some top athletes that are currently in the US Wushu Team, representing America in the Pan American and World Championships, Jane Ho said. They include Song Tian Ou and Allyson Huang, who have trained there since the beginning of their Wushu studies.

“The sport of wushu entertains the idea of pushing past your limits almost to your breaking point,”16-year-old Allyson said. “It requires a deep understanding of the borderline between ambition and exhaustion.”

Allyson, a Chandler resident, is a soloist in Dynasty and performs several roles with an assortment of weapons and styles, each reflective of a specific dynasty.

One such weapon is a straight sword from the Qing Dynasty, a long, thin blade without curved edges.

“I gracefully slice my sword through the air while sprinting and leaping across the stage. My quick, light movements wow the audience. The brightly colored silk uniforms represent the silk clothing often worn by nobility in Ancient China,” she said.

Allyson said she enjoyed the “hospitable environment” that the school

53

provides.

“Families are able to create and maintain strong bonds between one another,” she said. “We support each other with humble cheers and shouts of encouragement. They teach discipline, moral values and respect for others.”

In addition to Wushu, the school teaches Sanda, (Chinese kickboxing), Taichi, Chinese dance, piano and linguistic Chinese studies.

One of the school’s missions is to preserve and promote Chinese culture and the arts because some of its ancient art forms and customs are fading away. An example is the ancient ink painting skill known as “Guo Hua.” The East Valley is home to a large Chinese-American community, with a steady rise in population over the span of a few years. Arizona has an estimated 200,000plus community and it’s growing, according to the school.

If you go What: “Dynasty: A Martial Arts & Dance Epic,” presented

by Phoenix Wushu Academy.

When: 7:30-9:30 p.m. Nov. 17 Where: Chandler Center for the Arts, 250 N. Arizona Ave. Cost: Tickets start at $20 and discounts are available for groups of 20, seniors and juniors.

Details: chandlercenter.org/events/ dynasty-martial-arts-dance-epic or phoenixwushu.com.

Ditching tech for music computes for Chris Donnelly

BY SRIANTHI PERERA Guest Writer

Sometimes – say, with a microchip – taking something very small can lead to something really big.

Chris Donnelly is all over that.

The Ahwatukee resident spent a professional lifetime in microchips and semiconductors, including nearly 16 years at the director level with Cadence Design Systems and six as an engineering director at Intel in Chandler.

Two years ago, at 54, he’d had enough.

“Most of the areas I worked in were high pressure, 60-hour work weeks, and you’ve got to deliver,” Donnelly said.

“It’s tough to find a laid-back side of that business, where I want to work less than 40 hours a week. I talked to my wife, Molly. We did the math and said financially I could retire.

“But, as she said to me, ‘Mentally, what the hell are you going to do?’”

Donnelly, who grew up immersed in a musical family, decided to go back to his roots, which had become a casualty of corporate America. He’s now playing musical gigs across Chandler and Ahwatukee.

He started with something small. His legion of personal friends followed him from gig to gig but he is building a new audience of those who hear him play and return to his next engagement.

All tips collected from his playing to go the Crohn’s and Colitis Foundation, which impacts Donnelly and took the life of Glenn Frey of the Eagles. Donnelly’s

Chris Donnelly walked away from a career in microchips and semiconductors to return to his love of music. (Steve Brown)

audiences, who evidently forgive him for his eight years as chief umpire of Ahwatukee Little League, donated more than $1,000 in the first year.

Donnelly’s dad was on Broadway in “Life with Father.” His mom was an opera singer and also choir director at their church.

“There were five of us kids, a big IrishCatholic family, and almost as soon as we could talk we all sang in the church choir,” said Donnelly, who today sings in the Corpus Christi Catholic Church choir in Ahwatukee.

He picked up the guitar while in high school. It was strangely foretelling: A microchip cannot do much by itself. The

information stored on one is a sort of a binary-code alphabet, and its transistors control which letters are being used and tell the chip how to work – sort of the way a guitarist controls a guitar’s strings to produce chords and make music.

“I’m self-taught,” Donnelly said. “Back then it was hard. There was no internet.”

Armed with that background, when he got to Widener College in Chester, Pennsylvania, just outside of Philadelphia, he couldn’t miss the guy playing guitar and singing at a pub near campus.

“I asked how many songs he knew.

Thirty songs. How much they paying? Back then it was about hundred bucks playing for 2 ½ hours,” Donnelly said. “In college that was big money. I went to the guy who ran the place and said, ‘Hey, will you book me?’ And he was like, ‘Sure.’

“I played twice a month. It was extra money and it was a lot of fun. I‘ve always enjoyed performance-based music, being out having a good time and having people enjoy the music.”

Now back at it, Donnelly has a repertoire of about 200 songs and prepares a set list of about 40 for each gig, allowing time at the end for requests.

He enjoys folk music that is good listening, tells a story and resonates socially from musicians like Loudon Wainwright III, Bob Dylan, Woody Guthrie and the Grateful Dead.

“It’s been fun and the audience is engaged. That’s what it comes down to,” Donnelly said.

He has upcoming gigs in Ahwatukee

at Keegan’s and CK’s Tavern & Grill, and at the Elks Lodge in Chandler. He has played the Angry Crab, Florencia’s Pizza Bistro and the Irish Hare in Ahwatukee, as well as Jersey D’s in Chandler and the Dirty Blonde Tavern, near the Intel plant.

“My old Intel buddies come to my shows no matter where they are,” he said.

“They’re a fun group. They’re like, ‘Hey boss, how you doing?’”

He’s hopeful of cracking the wine-bar circuit in Ahwatukee and Chandler next.

“Getting back into music is fulfilling and it’s flexible, as well,” he said. “I can go to New Jersey in the summer (where he played eight gigs this year while escaping the Valley heat at his lake home).

“I’m a big skier so when I go to Colorado I ski during the day, and then go to local bars. I’ll go in and ask if they have an artist playing tonight. If they don’t and they have a P.A. system, I’ll plug in and sing for free.”

He’s still knocking on doors trying to get gigs and gain recognition, but after one year, his post-tech avocation has not hit control-alt-delete. information: chrisdonnellysings.com

If you go

What: Chris Donnelly Sings When: Wednesday, Nov. 6, 4-7 p.m Where: CK’s Tavern & Grill, 4142 E. Chandler Blvd., Ahwatukee. Friday, Nov. 22, 7-11 p.m.: Chandler Elks Lodge, 1775 W. Chandler Blvd., Chandler.

54

ARTS

SANTAN SUN NEWS | WWW.SANTANSUN.COM | NOVEMBER 2-15, 2019

Free programs cover the bases at museum Stem Saturday

SANTAN SUN NEWS STAFF

11 a.m.-2 p.m. Nov. 9 The Chandler museum and the Museum of Science and Sustainability will look at the invisible world of microorganisms.

Explore the microscopic world of microorganisms with the Museum of Science and Sustainability. You’ll see just how small bacteria really are and how fast they can multiply. Learn about the secret ingredients that keep the ecosystem (and your own body) running. Look at your own hair or shirt, magnified at 400x.

Chandler Museum, 300 S. Chandler Village Drive, Chandler is offering a variety of free programs this month. The museum is open 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday and 1-5 p.m. Sunday. It is closed Mondays. Information: 480-782-2717 or chandlermuseum.org.

History Bites Lunchtime Talks

Noon-12:30 p.m. Nov. 5 Get a Taste of Chandler history during 30-minute talks led by museum curators.

Bring your lunch as you listen. “Baseball at Gila River Internment Camp” will be presented by Bill Staples. Learn about the impact of baseball for Japanese Americans incarcerated at Gila River. Staples is the author of “Kenichi Zenimura, Japanese American Baseball Pioneer.” He will talk of how Zenimura took the lead to build a field and provide a way for incarcerated individuals to pass the time. After the talk, take a walk through the exhibit hall to see a uniform, baseball and championship banner all from Gila River Internment Camp.

C-Town Suitcase Club

10-11 a.m. Nov. 19 This program for kids 3-5 and their caregivers explores everyday objects from the past and how they compare to today.

The group “travels” through time enjoying musical, hands-on and theme based activities. No registration necessary.

Today’s topic is bugs.

Demonstration Day

11 a.m.-2 p.m. Nov. 16.

Experience a historical craft, demonstration or performance with our special guests. “Embroidery with Evelyn Johnson” is the topic.

Step In Their Shoes: Kids and adults can enjoy making holiday crafts during the “Step in Their Shows” program Nov. 23. (Chandler

Museum)

History Detectives

11 a.m.-2 p.m. Nov. 2 This drop-in program uses clues from local primary resources to solve a history mystery. Today’s topic is “Photos that Tell a Story.” Learn how historians use photographs to learn more about the past. Which clues can you find to tell the story of Chandler and its people? Make a timeline using photos, do a jigsaw puzzle, and use the historian’s Crop It Tool.

11 a.m.-2 p.m. Nov. 23 Walk. in the lives of those who make up and impact our community using interactive and engaging activities.

“Southwest Holiday Traditions” will show how people from the past celebrated the holidays and explore winter traditions around the Southwest. Decorate a tumbleweed tree, make luminarias to light up the winter nights and create a poinsettia flower to take home.

Exhibits

Infamy: Dec. 7, 1941 Through Nov. 24. Through iconic photographs, this exhibit focuses on the

attack on Pearl Harbor and examines the moments that led the United States into World War II. It was a day of tragedy, sacrifice and heroism that united a nation; it was a day that lives in Infamy. Produced

by The National World War II Museum

Gaman: Enduring Japanese American Internment at Gila River Dec.8-April 19.

During World War II over 16,000 Japanese Americans were forcibly removed from the west coast to Gila River Internment Camp, near Chandler, simply because they looked like the enemy. This poignant exhibit demonstrates how the Japanese value gaman, enduring the seemingly impossible with patience and dignity, guided these American citizens, through loss and incarceration in the Arizona desert. See the photos, hear the stories, read the names of incarcerees, and view the community contributed paper cranes in this transformative exhibition.

Docent Tours

Free 45-minute tours led by volunteer docents will give you insights into the architectural and artistic components of the museum campus as well as details about Chandler’s history.

10 a.m.-1 p.m. Tuesdays and Wednesdays and 1-4 p.m. Sundays.

East Valley History Center

Open weekly to researchers. The museum’s archival materials are available through the help of a research assistant.

Each Thursday 2-5 p.m.

SALON OROZCO Beautiful new colors from your salon.

Styles that you can trust.

October - May Saturdays 9 a.m. - 1 p.m.

Dr. A.J. Chandler Park West

OCTOBER SPECIALS!

$10 Off Haircut -or- $20 Off Color (new clients only)

3125 S. Alma School Rd. #4 • Chandler • 480-590-1386 TUES., WED., THURS. 9AM - 8 PM • FRI., SAT. 8AM-6PM

Dozens of local vendors + free Yoga in the Park at 10 a.m.

DowntownChandler.org/FarmersMarket

SANTAN SUN NEWS | WWW.SANTANSUN.COM | NOVEMBER 2-15, 2019

55

For more community news visit SanTanSun.com

Remember to thank God every day for his goodness

BY RABBI IRWIN WIENER Guest Columnist

Faith and hope consist of many considerations.

For example, there is the undying wish for a life of contentment and fulfillment. To accomplish this, we have faith that our future is determined by a power greater than we are.

Then there is the belief that doing good and acting kindly will find favor with God. Of course, the main ingredient of faith is hope.

Most often, we encounter episodes that test our faith and even cause us to doubt our purpose or the reason for our existence.

We sometimes look at life through rosecolored glasses and when reality sets in we are stunned, amazed, and perplexed. Poof – there goes faith out the window.

Many tragedies have occurred in our lifetime. Sometimes we dwell on them more than the accomplishments we have achieved.

We forget the creativity and exploration that we shared with all of humanity. We dreamed and achieved unimaginable heights in reaching for a life with meaning.

We read the words of Isaiah and realized that even though his message is one of

despair, it also contained hope. We also gained a better understanding of how God works, how we fit into the design, how to realize that hardships can bring redemption.

It reminds me of something I once read that deals with the effects of gratitude.

It starts by talking about our parents.

Hopefully, our parents teach us the path to independence however, we often find ourselves rebelling.

We can be audacious and obnoxious, but we know that our parents will accept us with open arms ever forgiving.

God too sees us succumbing to temptation and floundering with no purpose or destination. God sets a plan before us and we choose not to follow knowing full well the consequences of our actions.

Still, we are determined to go it alone, going nowhere and arriving there with nothing.

What does God do? Does God throw up His hands and turn His back on us? Yes, at times, it seems that way, but not in the final episode of our rejection.

God smiles and accepts the good with the bad because God is love and forgiving.

There is one thing missing – gratitude.

Just as we found our parents to be less than understanding at times, we were still grateful for their open arms, their unconditional love.

How about extending that to God a

little? The reading I referred to goes even further. It talks about dreaming together.

It then leads us into a dream of meeting an Angel as we ascend the seven rungs on the ladder to eternity. The angel takes our hand and begins showing us around. Eventually, we arrive at a room where there are many angels.

Our guide tells us that we are in the reception area. Here is where the many prayers that are said are received.

Yes, prayers are received. Then they are distributed to the various sections to be considered by the angel in charge of that section.

All the requests are then sorted for distribution and eventually delivered to God. If we close our eyes for a moment, we might find ourselves in an Amazon warehouse!!

Finally, we arrive at a room at the end of the corridor and much to our surprise only one angel is there sitting idly doing nothing. This is the gratitude section.

Naturally, we are curious as to why it was not busy. The angel told us that after people receive the blessings they ask for, very few send back acknowledgments.

Naturally, we asked our guide as to how one acknowledges God’s blessings. The answer was quite simple – “just say thank you.”

How many of us stop to say thank

you to God. We complain to God, we blame God, we even deny God. For that matter, how many times do we say thank you to anyone who is kind to us, shows generosity or just befriends us?

How do we say thank you to God – think of all the people in the world who have no food, no shelter, not enough resources to make their lives livable. Think of all the people in the world who are ill with no hope for a recovery, imprisoned, lonely or maimed.

Think of all the people in the world who cannot pray to God without the fear of being murdered because of their practices or beliefs.

Then bow your head and give thanks to a God who is here this very moment, this day we should express our gratitude, this time for renewal.

For that is the way to start a new day – grateful for the past and ever grateful that there is a tomorrow.

It is not an easy road we travel, but if we say thank you enough maybe our attitude and the results of our positive response will make all the difference in how we live our lives and at the same time extend them so that we can say thank you again the next day, and the next day, and, yes, the next day as well.

- Rabbi Irwin Wiener is spiritual leader of the Sun Lakes Jewish congregation.

November is a special month for thanking God

BY LYNNE HARTKE Guest Writer

I came over a rise on the Ridgeline Trail at South Mountain to discover two ravens doing “touch and go’s” off a boulder only twenty feet away, soaring in the air currents, oblivious to me or my dog.

I took pics as fast as I could with my phone, not bothering about shadows, light, or focus.

The identifying marks of the hefty bill, shaggy neck, and wedge-shaped tail in flight were obvious, as was the typical

monochromatic Goth attire from head to toe: black eye makeup, black toe polish and black feathers.

The pair called occasionally to each other but most were silent in the early colors of the dawn as they soared and glided with only a few flaps of their four-foot-wide wingspan, before lowering their landing gear to start the process all over again.

The month of November is our culture’s season to take note of the ordinary and the out-of-the-ordinary, to pause and give thanks.

I love the practice. The challenge. The intentionality.

As a family, we have participated in different traditions during Thanksgiving,

whether adding gratitude feathers to a paper turkey or tying leaves with grateful reasons to a small tree.

As a parent and grandparent, I want to instill the value of gratitude. I know the challenge of giving thanks in the rush of our busy lives, where we don’t always take the time for reflection, to discover the simple joy of the moment.

In his book, The Winding Path of Transformation, author Jeffrey Tacklind writes, “So much of life is a constant struggle to remain present. It feels like chipping away at something that we can’t quite see in its entirety. And then, every once in awhile, we get these profound moments of deep joy.”

In those moments, the veil is lifted, and we get a glimpse behind the curtain of all God has made to be good and beautiful.

The only response possible is to give thanks.

I discovered such a moment when I came around the bend on a hike in South Mountain as I watched the flight of two common ravens who in that frozen memory of time were anything but common as they preformed a graceful dance above the desert foothills.

I paused. And gave thanks.

- Lynne Hartke is the author of “Under a Desert Sky” and the wife of pastor and Chandler Mayor Kevin Hartke. She blogs atlynnehartke.com.

Sun Lakes church hosts ‘Surviving the Holidays’

BY LINDA K. GERCKEN Guest Writer

The holidays are a busy time of year.

It is a time filled with anticipation and excitement, endless shopping and cookies, and gathering with friends and family.

It may seem like everyone is full of holiday spirit, but for some, the holidays are a painful reminder of happier times when a loved one was alive.

If you are grieving and dreading the holiday season, you are invited to attend Surviving the Holidays, a workshop which will offering ideas on how to survive the season.

The workshop will be 10-11:30 a.m. Nov. 16 at Sun Lakes Methodist Church at 9248 East Riggs Road, west of Robson Library.

A $5 fee covers the cost of a student guide. To register: 480-895-8766 or sunlakesumc.org.

Mesa City Band to perform

Don’t miss a performance of the Mesa City Band at 7 p.m. Nov. 12 in the church sanctuary.

The 60-musician band, directed by Larry Baedke and assisted by Chris Perry, will transport you to a city park during a spring day with Broadway hits, marches, overtures, and swing. A free-will offering will be taken for a charity donation.

Thousands of cookies for sale

We know just the place where there will be thousands of homemade cookies and the proceeds from your purchase will help

people in need.

The annual Cookie Walk hosted by the Sun Lakes United Methodist Women will begin at 9 a.m. Dec. 7 in Lindsay Hall, so come early to get the best selection from tables filled with scrumptious homemade cookies or candy.

For $10, you will be given a carry-out box and a plastic glove to use while you make your personal selection of cookies, filling your box to the brim (you have to be able to close the lid).

Then stop by the Candy Shop and pick up some bags of fudge, peanut brittle, or other holiday treats.

Consider buying extra boxes as gifts for hostesses, friends or neighbors. All proceeds of the Cookie Walk are donated

to UMW mission projects, which include local, national and international needs.

Come early to enjoy free coffee and broken cookies while you wait for the doors to open.

Celebrating our veterans

Sun Lakes United Methodist Church will present an evening of patriotic music featuring the SLUMC Choir, the Hamilton High School Choir, and the ASU Men’s Choir, The Arizona Statesmen, in the church sanctuary at 4 p.m. Nov. 7.

The event will honor and recognize the veterans by service group, and there will be a sing-a-long of old favorites with a free-will offering taken. Visit our Veteran’s Memorial in front of the church while you are here.

FAITH

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SANTAN SUN NEWS | WWW.SANTANSUN.COM | NOVEMBER 2-15, 2019

Spiritual Connections

Unity of Tempe, formerly Unity of Chandler 1222 E. Baseline Road, Suite 103, Tempe 480-792-1800

THURSDAYS

Blessed Always Gift Shop

Women’s Empowerment & Awakening 7 to 8:30 p.m. third Thursday Release negative beliefs.

Unity of Tempe, formerly Unity of Chandler 1222 E. Baseline Road, Suite 103, Tempe 480-792-1800

A Course in Miracles

SUNDAYS

Celebration Service

10:30 a.m. Sundays All with peaceful beliefs are welcome to this inclusive, loving, thriving UNITY Community. Join the group at 10 a.m., preceding the service, for fellowship.

Youth and toddlers meet during service.

Interfaith CommUNITY Spiritual Center, 952 E. Baseline Road, Suite 102, Mesa, 480593-8798, interfaith-community.org

Kids’ Sunday School

10 to 11 a.m. Sundays Unity of Tempe, formerly Unity of Chandler 1222 E. Baseline Road, Suite 103, Tempe, 480-792-1800

MONDAYS

The Art of Parenting

7:30 p.m. Mondays Six-session course from the Rohr Jewish Learning Institute and presented by Rabbi Mendy Deitsch of Chabad of the East Valley, designed to help parents at all levels of Jewish knowledge develop their own parenting philosophies and

techniques. Cost is $99.

Pollack Chabad Center for Jewish Life 875 N. McClintock Drive, Chandler 480-855-4333, rabbi@chabadcenter.com

TUESDAYS

Silva Class and Meditation

6:30 to 8 p.m. Tuesdays Learn the Silva method with Lois Britland.

Unity of Tempe, formerly Unity of Chandler 1222 E. Baseline Road, Suite 103, Tempe 480-792-1800

Christian Business Networking

Tri-City Chapter – Chandler, Tempe, Mesa 7:15 a.m. Tuesdays Offers members the opportunity to share ideas, contacts and business referrals.

Crackers and Co. Café, 535 W. Iron Ave., Mesa, Maia, 480-425-0624, christianbusinessnetworking.com

WEDNESDAYS Panic Healing

7 to 9 p.m. every Wednesday Receive a 15-minute energetic tuneup.

Chandler United Methodist Church

7 p.m. first, second and fourth Thursday Unity of Tempe, formerly Unity of Chandler 1222 E. Baseline Road, Suite 103, Tempe 480-792-1800

FRIDAYS

Sun Lakes Jewish Congregation

7 p.m. second Friday of each month Sun Lakes Chapel 9240 E. Sun Lakes Blvd., Sun Lakes sunlakesjewishcongregation.org

St. Steven’s Catholic Church 24827 S. Dobson Road Sun Lakes, AZ 85248 480-895-9266 - Ext 1115

Gift Shop Hours Monday - Thursday 8:00am - 2:00pm

(Closed for lunch 12-12:30pm)

SATURDAYS

Spirit Night – Psychic Fair

4 to 8 p.m. third Saturday of each month The “Lightworkers” offer a wide range of services, including Reiki, facials, mediums, drumming, tarot, angel messages and more. Services range from $20 to $30.

Cash only.

Interfaith CommUNITY Spiritual Center 952 E. Baseline Road, Suite 102, Mesa interfaith-community.org

Friday 8:00am - 12 noon Sunday 8:30am - 12:30am Closed during Mass times

Public is Welcome!

Sun Lakes Counseling Services A ministry providing confidential individual, couples and family counseling services by experienced professionals on a sliding fee scale.

Anxiety/Fear • Depression • Stress • Grief/Loss Veterans and/or Family Members

Making and Deploying Disciples for over 100 Years.

Open hearts. Open minds. Open doors.

SUNDAY WORSHIP At 8:30 am & 10:00 am Childcare Provided • All Welcome!

480-963-3360 | www.chandlermethodist.org | 450 E. Chandler Heights Rd.

Come, Worship the Lord

Praise Him

Glorify His Name

Dr. Julian Pickens, EdD, LISAC, LMFT, BRl-11

Licensed in Arizona as an Independent Substance Abuse Counselor and Marriage and Family Therapist. Specializes in couple and family counseling and substance abuse counseling.

Deb Ralston, MC, LPC, NCC

Licensed in Arizona as an Independent Professional Counselor and certified as a National Certified Counselor.

Call 480-895-8766 today for a complimentary initial consultation. A counselor will promptly return your call.

Sun Lakes United Methodist Church, 9248 E. Riggs Rd.,Sun Lakes, AZ 85248 www.sunlakescounselingservices.org

DIRECTORY

SANTAN SUN NEWS | WWW.SANTANSUN.COM | NOVEMBER 2-15, 2019

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58

SANTAN SUN NEWS | WWW.SANTANSUN.COM | NOVEMBER 2-15, 2019

DIRECTORY PAINTING

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Upholstery cleaning also available.

Tile and grout cleaning.

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Proud member of

Lic. ROC153202/213278, Bonded & Insured *Call office for details

Affinity Plumbing LLC

• Anything Plumbing • Water Heaters • Inside & Out Leaks • Toilets, Faucets, Disposals • Same Day Service • Available 24/7 • Bonded & Insured • Estimates Available

1-Story $145

SEWER & DRAIN

24-HOUR SERVICE

480-892-5000 480-726-1600

John’s Window Cleaning

DIRECTORY / CLASSIFIED

480-726-1600

HOME IMPROVEMENT & PAINTING

SUN/SHADE SCREENS

Sewer Replacements Water Heaters Repipes Watermains

% 20% 0 Financing Fast* *Call for details.

Senior Discount!

480-968-1371 PLUMBING PLUMBING PLUMBING

480-726-1600

Since 1968 ROC#153202/213278

• Located in Chandler

480-688-4770

www.eastvalleypainters.com Bonded/Insured • ROC#153131

Proud member of

Kent Mortensen

East Valley PAINTERS

Family Owned & Operated

Call us at 480-898-6465 or email classifieds@santansun.com

CLEANING SERVICES

SPARKLE & SHINE CLEANING SERVICE Immaculate, Dependable Service. Affordable Rates.

Commercial & Residential services available.

All supplies included. " You've tried the rest, now try the BEST!" Ask for Martha or Annie 480-495-5516 or 480-797-6023

CLASSIFIEDS

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CLASSIFIEDS CLEANING SERVICES

MELISSA'S CLEANING SERVICE Make Your House Sparkle & Shine.

Reliable Energetic Cleaning.

Reasonable Rates.

Free Estimates. giada42607@gmail.com 480-395-8757

ELECTRICAL E. Z. ELECTRIC SERVICE RETIRED ELECTRICIAN. SMALL JOBS WANTED. ALSO FIX LOW VOLTAGE OUTDOOR LIGHTING. ALL WORK TO CODE. Not a licensed contractor

I SHOW UP! 480-406-3610

ESTATE/GARAGE SALES

LANDSCAPING BERNIE'S LANDSCAPING Mowing, Clean-Ups, Gravel, Winter Grass, Irrigation Repair, Tree Removal & Pruning.

Landscape Maintenance FREE Estimates (not a licensed contractor)

480-340-6009

Aqua Masters Sprinkler & Drip Repairs Specializing In: *System Check-Ups *Valves, Heads, Timers *Leak Detection *Wire Locating and Troubleshooting *Brown Spots & Low Pressure Problems 30+Years Experience Quality Service 480-478-0073 www.AquamastersAz.com

KUTTINGEDGE LANDSCAPE

GARAGE SALE Weeders Garden Club November 15 & 16 Friday: 7am-2pm Saturday: 7am-12pm Lots of Donations From Our Garden Members. Furniture, Clothing Household Items, 864 W. Beechnut Dr. Chandler, AZ 85248 South of Chandler Heights & East of Alma School

A Professional and Reliable Maintenance Company.

Services Include, Weekly and Bi-Weekly Maintenance, One Time Clean Ups, Weed Control, Tree Work and More.

Call Rick For a Free Estimate 480-250-6608 or email:

GLASS SERVICES

MOVING

GLASS, MIRRORS, SHOWER DOORS Family Owned with 50 years' EXPERIENCE. Shower and tub enclosures Framed, Frameless or Custom Doors We also install insulated glass, mirrored closet doors, window glass, mirrors, patio doors, glass table protectors.

If it’s glass, we can help you.

QUALITY SERVICE at Competitive Prices.

FREE Estimates WESLEY'S GLASS & MIRROR

Call 480-306-5113 wesleysglass.com SERVICING THE ENTIRE VALLEY

HANDYMAN

A FRIEND IN ME HANDYMAN

Honey-Do List Electrical, Plumbing, Drywall, Painting & Home Renovations.

Not a licensed contractor.

Call Greg 480-510-2664 AFriendInMeHandyman @gmail.com

Kuttingedgelandscape@cox.net

and Visit:

www.kuttingedgelandscape.com

IN OR OUT MOVERS Professional, hardworking, excellent service. No hidden fees. Whether you are moving in or moving out LEAVE THE LIFTING TO US! Serving the East Valley. www.inoroutmoversphoenixmetro.com

Call Terry at 602-653-5367

PLUMBING HOME OF THE $69 DRAIN CLEANING!* • Employees Background Checked • Up-Front Pricing • Tankless Water Heaters • Tank Water heaters • Fixture Replacements •Plumbing & Drain Repairs • Water Treatment • Best Warranties • Fully Stocked Vans • Fix It Or It's Free Guarantee $45 Off Any Service Call With Service Performed*

480-281-7563

EZFlowPlumbingAZ.com

Proud Winner of 2018 Best of Gilbert / Best of the Best and 2019 Best Of Gilbert Awards *Call For Details Licensed•Bonded•Insured ROC 242432

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Call us at 480-898-6465 or email classifieds@santansun.com

PLUMBING ABC PLUMBING & ROOTER CHANDLER/GILBERT *$79.00 OFF with this ad* 110% Guarantee*/OWNER OPERATED Small & Large REPAIRS 24/7 Slab leak, water main, hot water heaters, & sewer repair specialist.

Water softening specialist, water filters, and reverse osmosis. 100-year warranty on parts & labor. * BBB A+ Rating. BBB Ethics Award Winner. Chandler Chamber of Commerce Employer of Choice Award.

ROC#153202/213288 *Call for details 480-726-1600

REAL ESTATE MANUFACTURED HOMES (SALE)

BRAND NEW NEVER LIVED IN 2 BED / 2 BATH HOMES $58,900 Financing Available.

Also Available Affordable Homes Between $5K - $15K 55+ Mobile Home Park in Great Chandler Location.

Call Kim 480-233-2035

SEWER & DRAIN DRAIN & SEWER SPECIALISTS

$69 DRAIN CLEANING!* • Employees Background Checked • Up-Front Pricing • Clean Out Installation • Sewer Repair/Replacement • Hydrojetting • Pipe Relining • Fully Stocked Vans • Pipe Bursting • Best Warranties • Fix It Or It's Free Guarantee FREE Camera Inspections With Every Drain Cleared

480-281-7563

EZFlowPlumbingAZ.com

Proud Winner of 2018 Best of Gilbert / Best of the Best and 2019 Best Of Gilbert Awards *Call For Details Licensed•Bonded•Insured ROC 242432

ABC PLUMBING & ROOTER 480-705-7772 SERVICE NOW!!

110% Guaranteed/100 Year Warranty.

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Financing approval in minutes with NO MONEY DOWN & ZERO INTEREST. ROC#153202/213278

Proud member of

WINDOWS/ CLEANING

"MOM WAS RIGHT" Appearance Counts!

PROFESSIONAL WINDOW CLEANING Detailed Service and Tidy Inside Your Home!

1 Story-$110 & 2 Story-$150 Up to 30 Panes.

Price Includes Inside and Out. Screens Pressure Washed $3 Each. Light Fixture and Fan Cleaning Also Available.

Professional Services Since 1995!

CALL RON at 480-584-1643 A+ Member of BBB Bonded & Insured

DIRTY WINDOWS? Call Fish Window Cleaning @ 480-962-4688 and you will have the cleanest windows and screens on the block.

Below is the list of services we offer: Windows – Interior & Exterior Screens – Sunscreens and Regular Tracks, Ceiling Fans, Light Fixtures Power Washing - Your driveway, sidewalks and patios.

Follow us on InstaGram @FISH_WCEASTVALLEYAZ

SanTan Sun News Classified Ads To Place Your Classified Ad 480-898-6465 class@timespublications.com

Read our paper online: www.SanTanSun.com

Stuff for Sale?

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480-898-6465

LEGAL SERVICES SOUTH DAKOTA STATE BANKING COMMISSION Department of Labor and Regulation DIVISION OF BANKING NOTICE OF APPLICATION Notice is hereby given that the Director of the South Dakota Division of Banking (Director) has received an application from Great Western Bank, Sioux Falls, South Dakota, to establish a branch bank at 180 S. Arizona Ave., Suite 180, Chandler, Arizona 85225.

Notice is also given that, as provided in South Dakota Codified Law (SDCL) 51A-2-16, a fifteen-day period is provided to file a written objection or comment to this application.

The comment period on this application opens on the date of this publication and will close on November 18, 2019. If you wish to submit a comment or objection to this application, please send your objection or comment in writing to the Director, no later than 5:00 PM CST on November 18, 2019, at the following address: SD Division of Banking, 1601 N. Harrison Avenue, Suite 1, Pierre, SD 57501; via email to banking@state.sd.us; or by facsimile at 1-866-326-7504.

At the conclusion of the fifteen-day comment period, the Director is provided fifteen days to consider any written objections and comments, and to make a decision on the application. When the Director’s decision is issued, written notice will be sent to the applicant and to any individual who submitted a comment or objection to the application within the fifteen-day comment period. The applicant will then have fifteen days to request a hearing before the South Dakota Banking Commission. Anyone who submitted a comment or objection to the application may apply with the Banking Commission to become a party as provided in SDCL 1-26-17.1, and request a hearing before the Commission, within the same fifteen-day period. Any application to become a party must be filed within the same fifteen-day period from the date of the Director’s decision, and must demonstrate how the individual’s interests are directly and immediately affected by the Director’s decision. Any hearing before the Banking Commission will be held in conformity with SDCL 1-26.

If special accommodations are required for the disabled, please advise the Division of Banking 24 hours in advance at (605) 773-3421.

Dated this 2nd day of November 2019. /s/ Bret Afdahl BRET AFDAHL, Executive Officer to the South Dakota State Banking CommissionDirector of Banking, Pierre, SD 57501 Published at the approximate cost of $294.12.

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SANTAN SUN NEWS | WWW.SANTANSUN.COM | NOVEMBER 2-15, 2019

*

Voted Best Of Chandler for 2 consecutive years by consumers

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For more community news visit SanTanSun.com

Chandler farm lures diners to the barn

BY KEVIN REAGAN Staff Writer

The farm-to-table philosophy takes on a literal meaning when Greenhouse Gardens serves up its own produce for a fivecourse dinner party on Nov. 17.

After selling out its first event in March, the Chandler farm is hosting another dinner inside its vintage barn with a new menu to match its seasonal shift in vegetables.

Fifty guests will be able to sample appetizers, entrees and desserts prepared by a professional chef and made with ingredients grown on the farm.

Patrons will sit along a long table, beneath strings of lights and surrounded by shelves of old gardening tools.

Cameron McChesney, co-owner of Greenhouse Gardens, said the event is intended to show guests how his farm’s carrots and cucumbers can be fancily transformed into high-end meals.

“I hope that they see that our produce can be crafted into some amazing dishes – not just the steamed vegetables we all grew up with,” he said.

McChesney and his wife, Jeannine, bought the historic farm property, located between Gilbert and Cooper roads, a couple years ago and hold a weekly farmer’s market every Saturday.

They grow up to eight vegetables at any given time, McChesney said, averaging about 80 sales per week. The farm also supplies produce to restaurants in Chandler and Scottsdale.

The McChesney’s are in the process of harvesting the last of their zucchinis, peppers and eggplants for the season.

Concurrently, they are starting to plant its next round of lettuce, spinach and radishes.

Greenhouse Gardens in Chandler hosted their first dinner in March and won plaudits from everyone who attended. The evening included soft music, a cocktail hour and a gourmet menu.

(Greenhouse Gardens)

The upcoming dinner event will find ways to incorporate sweet potato, roasted garlic and squash into the menu.

Appetizers will consist of chorizo meatballs with pickled veggies. The five courses will include bisque with a French-

styled cream, risotto with eggplant and lobster and a sweet-corn buttermilk pie.

One course is being kept a secret as a special surprise.

Chris Castro, an executive outlet chef of the Scott Resort in Scottsdale,

The McChesneys provide a relaxing and elegant setting in a barn of all places where diners enjoyed a specially prepared gourmet food with ingredients from their farm.

(Greenhouse Gardens)

is partnering with the McChesneys to prepare the event.

He was intrigued by the opportunity to experiment with his culinary skills outside of the kitchen and cook a meal based mostly on what’s available at the farm.

“Sometimes (the farm) has specialty things they’re growing that you don’t even know and it just makes it more fun,” Castro said.

Castro was classically trained to use French techniques around the kitchen. But he now calls himself a “global” chef – one that can adapt to any type of cuisine.

Serving five courses to 50 guests on a farm can be a bit challenging, Castro added, but he’s learned some tips after the March event that will make the operation a bit smoother.

Aside from being a unique night out with friends, Castro thinks the event helps to better inform patrons on how their food is grown and prepared.

“People get to understand more of where their food comes from,” Castro said. “It’s very important.”

McChesney agrees a visit to his farm can be quite educational. He and his wife try not to be preachy, but he’s quick to point out that his vegetables can go weeks in the refrigerator before rotting.

The couple plans to host dinner parties more regularly throughout the year.

The first event turned out to be such a success, McChesney said, they’re hopeful the next one will have similar results.

“If we could recreate that again,” he said, “we’ll be doing quite well.”

Tickets cost $119 and can be bought by searching “Greenhouse Gardens” on eventbrite.com.

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WHERE TO EAT

SANTAN SUN NEWS | WWW.SANTANSUN.COM | NOVEMBER 2-15, 2019

Bleachers changes hands, but the vibe remains

BY PAUL MARYNIAK Executive Editor

Bleachers Sports Grill is under new management and above all else, Tedi and Cristina Georgescu want you to know one thing.

They aren’t changing much at the venerable Ahwatukee bar-restaurant at 15410 S. Mountain Pkwy.

They like it just the way it is.

“This is a great neighborhood bar,” Tedi said, likening the atmosphere and location to Pier 54, the other restaurant they’ve owned the last six years at 5394 S. Lakeshore Drive in Tempe.

“I’m not on the main street,” he continued. “It’s a little bit hidden. But everybody in the area knows it’s here. It’s welcoming and it’s warm for every age.

“Before we bought it, we came here as customers and we saw people with kids coming in and having dinner and having a good time, watching sports. The patio is beautiful here. It’s fun.”

It’s also loaded with TVs for sports buffs, particularly Nebraska Cornhusker fans since Bleachers is an official gameday gathering spot.

Indeed, on the last Saturday of September – the first weekend that the Georgescus were officially in charge – the couple had to be prepared for more than 50 University of Nebraska football fans.

The Romania natives bought Bleachers last month from Mark Clarke, who decided to retire after 13 years of ownership that capped a career of more than 40 years in the restaurant industry, including

But the couple won’t be bringing the entire menu from Pier 54 because they cherish the differences between the two establishments.

Pier 54 has no indoor seating, though all tables are protected on the bilevel patio from the elements.

Instead of being drawn to cheer on a team, the Pier 54 clientele come to their Tempe establishment to enjoy the peaceful atmosphere of a lakeshore setting.

“It’s a unique setting,” Tedi said. We have a more private area on the lower patio and the lower deck is right on the water level. And we have turtles, fish, duck.”

The Georgescus relocated to America nine years ago, though they had started visiting Arizona and the western Cristina and Tedi Georgescu just took over Bleachers Sports Grill in Ahwatukee as the new owners. They say they like the sports states as tourists in 2008.

They ran an export-import bar’s neighbohood vibe, which reminds them of their other restaurant along the shore of Tempe Lake. (Kimberly Carrillo) business in Romania and also owned a restaurant. ing what games should be on the larger a stint as regional vice president for the When they finally decided to take flat screens among the 40 that hang from Carl’s Jr. chain. the plunge and move to America, they the walls both inside and on the patio.

In the time he owned it, Clarke started a shipping business but eventually “The services that you offer here in a upgraded the establishment with new became frustrated with the length of sports bar, they are different than a regbooths, a pool table and dartboard, the time it took the goods they shipped to patio with its lake-front seating and TVs – ular restaurant,” he said. “That’s why they reach their destination in Romania. are so many TVs.” lots of TVs. They discovered what is now Pier 54, One group of fans might want to Indeed, the Georgescus are getting bought it, remodeled it and this year watch their team on a big screen while accustomed to a kind of majority-rules, began looking for a second place. another group wants to watch their team. home-teams first approach when decidWhen they saw Bleachers was for sale, They all get a chance to watch the game, but whether it’s on a larger or a smaller screen can depend on the numI’m not on the main street, It’s ber – except when it comes to Arizona teams. a little bit hidden. But everybody “Of course, Arizona wins because it’s in the area knows it’s here. It’s our team,” Tedi said. “If you’re 49er fan, welcoming and it’s warm you have to watch on the smaller screen.

It is what it is. I mean you have to make for every age. those choices.”

– Tedi Georgescu Even so, Tedi added, the nice thing about Bleachers is that the patrons might be ardent sports fans but they’re not they checked it out carefully, coming in disrespectful ones. as customers to get a feel for the place.

“It’s a welcoming atmosphere and They liked what they saw and now vibe that’s in this restaurant,” he said. they’re ready to committed to carrying “And that’s not very often in a sports bar on the legacy Clarke established over if you think about it. You have fights. more than a decade.

Everybody’s yelling. We don’t do that And that includes making the neighhere because it’s not good for kids. We bors happy with their neighborhood bar. have to be neighborhood friendly, family “All our food is made fresh from friendly.” scratch,” Tedi said.

But sports TV isn’t the only draw at The couple, who have a daughter at Bleachers – and the Georgescus plan to Arizona State University and a son in high keep it that way. school, are splitting their time between With a big selection of beer and the two restaurants – Cristina and Tedi booze, Bleachers also has built up a repeach taking one. utation for its food that the Georgescus And despite the differences between plan to enhance with some Romanian the two establishments, Tedi explained, specialties. there is one essential common ingredient.

They include stuffed cabbage rolls and a “There are differences but the core ground beef sandwich that looks like a hamis always the same – the quality of the burger except for its sausage-like shape. drinks and the quality of the food,” he Some vegetarian and vegan dishes are said. “No matter what type of restaurant being added, said Tedi, who sometimes you have, even a fast food restaurant, it will spend a little time in the kitchen doesn’t matter. You have to have good making up customer orders. food and good drinks – always – and a “I love cooking, but it’s not my forte,” he said “I like it, but I don’t want to spend good staff. That’s the core and we’re making sure we keep it.” a lot of time in the kitchen.”

This month in honor of Octoberfest, Bleachers: bleacherssportsgrill.com, the accent will be on German fare such as 480-759-4034, Pier54: pier54az.com, brats with sauerkraut nestled in a pretzel 480-820-0660 hoagie roll and Weinger Schnitzel..

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