SanTan Sun December 07, 2019

Relentlessly local coverage of Southern Chandler and our neighboring communities

DECEMBER 7-20, 2019 | WWW.SANTANSUN.COM

Christmas season officially begins today in Chandler SANTAN SUN NEWS STAFF

It may already seem like the holiday season, but Chandler will make it official tonight, Dec. 7, with the annual lighting of the tumbleweed tree and the Parade of Lights at Dr. A.J. Chandler Park.

The Parade of Lights – which features a wide range of participants, including businesses, nonprofits and churches, and covers about a mile through downtown Chandler – will kick off the free event at 6:45 p.m., with the tree lighting ceremony set to begin around 8 p.m. But people can arrive at 4:30 p.m. to enjoy entertainment and other activities – including visiting with Santa.

The centerpiece of the celebration is the same as it has been since 1957 – a 50foot Christmas tree made of 2,000 tumbleweeds, 25 gallons of paint, 65 pounds of glitter and 1,200 lights.

“First and foremost, we’re the only

ones with a tumbleweed Christmas tree,” said Chandler spokesman Craig Younger.

“Not a lot of people can imitate it because it’s so unique.”

“It’s a great thing for people to bring families down to when they’re visiting and have a photo in front of it – it’s quite the conversation piece,” he added.

The enormous tree draws thousands of visitors – and also boosts businesses in the area.

“I think that the tree is a longstanding tradition,” Kim Moyers, city downtown redevelopment manager said last year. “On any given night, once the tree is lit you will see people surrounding the tree. It’s a good opportunity for people to come down with their family, get their picture taken.

“It’s definitely the busiest time of year for all the downtown businesses and they See

TREE on page 6

Thousands of people are expected in downtown Chandler tonight to celebrate the annual lighting of the iconic tumbleweed Christmas tree.

(Special to SanTan Sun News)

State’s first organ transplant Oversight of 6K noncertified games in Chandler today school workers sought

BY JIM WALSH Staff Writer

BY KEVIN REAGAN Staff Writer

Michael Scozzaro’s multiple kidney transplants have not inhibited his competitive streak.

The longtime Chandler resident has won several medals over the years by competing in Olympic-style games designed exclusively for recipients of organ donations.

One medal that was Michael Scozzaro of Chandler is out to prove that even after multiple particularly memorable for organ transplants he can compete in an athletic event.

Scozzaro was earned during a (Special to SanTan Sun News) tournament in Ohio.

He had already survived The mother was given the honor of two transplants by this point and had placing the medal around Scozzaro’s neck. begun participating in Transplant Games But something didn’t feel right. He of America, an annual event that invites knew the medal didn’t really belong to donor recipients from across the country him. to compete in a series of athletic events.

“Then I took it off and gave it back to Before the Ohio tournament, Scozzaro her,” Scozzaro recalled. reached out to the mother of his kidney It was a small gesture, he said, comdonor and invited her to the games. She pared to the gift the woman’s son gave accepted and flew out to the Midwest Scozzaro by being an organ donor. to watch Scozzaro swim his way to the winner’s circle.

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Arizona education officials are sponsoring a bill improving oversight of “noncertified educators,’’ plugging loopholes some accused sex offenders, and others with questionable backgrounds, have used to slip through in the past.

“Noncertified educators’’ represent a broad category of school professionals, which includes about 6,000 people working in public school districts and charter schools.

They would include coaches, student teachers and administrators who have regular or occasional interaction with students.

“There are gaps where fingerprint-identification cards aren’t necessary for people working with kids,’’ said Alicia Williams, executive director of the Arizona Board of Education.

If it becomes law, the bill could impact about 2,000 noncertified school district employees throughout the state and 4,000 charter school employees. Williams said about 60 percent of charter school teachers are certified.

Williams said the bill is in draft form and will be introduced in the legislative

session beginning next month.

The bill essentially would extend to noncertified teachers the rules already applied to certified educators.

School districts and charter schools would be required to submit a list of all educators working with children to the state Board of Education, a practice already followed by the vast majority of districts and charter schools.

“We’re trying to have oversight of unprofessional and immoral conduct,’’ Williams said.

The board currently has authority to investigate certified educators and to take action against them.

During the 2018-19 school year, the board disciplined 131 educators throughout the state. The variety of disciplines included revocation of certification, surrender, suspension, and a letter of censure, Williams said.

So far, 74 educators have been disciplined during the 2019-2020 school year, with another 21 scheduled to come before the board at the Dec. 13 meeting.

Williams stressed she is not attempting to expand certification, but the bill would subject noncertified educators to See

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OVERSIGHT

from cover

the same sort of discipline as certified educators.

She said she is working with state Rep. Michelle Udall, R-Mesa, a former Mesa Public Schools Governing Board member, on sponsoring the legislation.

Udall, who is also a part-time MPS math teacher at Red Mountain High School, chairs the State House Education Committee.

“With the idea, the concept, I am 100 percent aboard,’’ Udall told the Tribune, adding she needs to review the bill’s language carefully before deciding whether to file it, possibly within the next couple of weeks.

Udall said the primary loophole involves teachers accused of a crime, but the case for whatever reason either never reaches law enforcement or does not result in charges being filed.

By addressing the loophole, “we are not allowing them to shuffle from school to school,’’ she said.

Certified teachers, principals and school superintendents are required to obtain fingerprint clearance cards, which are monitored by the state Department of Public Safety.

The standard of proof used by the board in disciplining certified educators is lower than the proof beyond a reasonable doubt standard used in criminal courts.

Williams said an expanded safety net would allow the board to discipline certified and noncertified educators who, for one reason or another, have been accused of crimes but have not been prosecuted

KATHY HOFFMAN

ALICIA WILLIAMS

or convicted.

“We have to prove the conduct more than likely occurred,’’ she said. “It’s all about keeping kids safe.’’

The board approved the effort to get a bill introduced and some draft language at its Oct. 28 meeting. The proposed legislation was under review by the state Legislative Counsel’s Office.

“The most significant recommendation permits the state to investigate and take action against noncertified educators who engage in immoral or unprofessional conduct,’’ according to board documents.

The draft language in the bill backs up with the requirement school districts report such suspected instances to the Department of Education in writing as soon as possible.

Although the measure is in its infancy, two major education organizations, the Arizona School Boards Association and

the Arizona Charter Schools Association, both said they support it conceptually.

Chris Kotterman, director of government relations for the School Boards Association, said he supports additional oversight of noncertified educators.

He said it makes sense for the state to add noncertified educators to the tracking system already in place for certified employees. Certified educators already have an identification number districts can track.

“It’s just going to a website and making sure an educator’s identification number is clear,’’ Kotterman said. “From our perspective, we are in support of the state board having oversight.’’

If the bill is approved, “It provides a mechanism to attack allegations across districts,’’ he said. In other words, a district in central Phoenix would know when a red flag was raised about a job candi-

date in another district miles away, such as Mesa or Chandler.

The draft language specifically directs school districts to check the Educator Information System’ before hiring certified or noncertified personnel.

Some exceptions include transportation, food service and maintenance employees. Kotterman and Udall both said school bus drivers are required to get the fingerprint cards under different legislation.

Jake Logan, president and CEO of the Arizona Charter Association, said he also supports expanded oversight and praised the state board for initiating the legislation.

“I do think it’s something we can work out. I am in support of the concept,’’ Logan said. “We are very supportive of the concept no one has access to children who have slipped through the cracks.’

“There ought to be a mechanism in place so we know we have done everything possible to make sure children are safe.’’

Logan said he would have opposed legislation expanding certification. He said state statutes allow charter schools the flexibility to select the best teachers possible, even if they are not certified.

“If Bill Gates wanted to teach computers, it would be a good thing,’’ he said.

The Legislature last year approved a law allowing noncertified individuals to be hired as substitute teachers.

But protecting children is a nonpartisan issue and student safety is a high priority for all schools, whether they are district or charter, Logan said.

“I am optimistic we can get something done this year,’’ Logan said. “I can think of no higher priority than protecting our students.’’

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SANTAN SUN NEWS | WWW.SANTANSUN.COM | DECEMBER 7-20, 2019

from cover

Moments like these are what make the Transplant Games special and they're why the event is coming to the East Valley for the first time this year.

The Transplant Community Alliance, a local nonprofit, is hosting Arizona’s first Transplant Games in Chandler starting at 1 p.m. today, Dec. 7, at Seton Catholic Preparatory High School, 1150 N. Dobson Road. Details are at transplantaz.org.

Zoe Severyn, the nonprofit’s executive director, said the event is not so much about medals or sports – its more an opportunity for organ recipients to acknowledge the second chance they’ve been given.

“We’d rather see the recipients out there in the field celebrating life and their health,” she said.

At least 100 players, ranging in age

We wish to help build a strong “ transplant community with support for post-transplant patients to have an active, healthy lifestyle.

– The Alliance Website

”

Little Daisy Johnson, a transplant recipient from Surprise, will compete in the games today in Chandler as will the two unidentified youngsters in the photo to the right.

(Special to SanTan Sun News)

from toddlers to the elderly, will get to demonstrate their athleticism in a variety of track and field events, Severyn said.

They’ve undergone transplants for hearts, lungs, kidneys and livers. Some will participate in high-stress events like relay races, and others can opt out for simpler activities, like cornhole.

Spirit, the Fiesta Bowl’s sunny mascot, is expected to make an appearance and will escort juvenile players through a kiddy obstacle course.

The Transplant Community Alliance is hosting the community event to raise awareness of the importance of organ donation and highlight the successes of transplantation.

On its website, the alliance says it “wishes to help build a strong transplant community with support for post-transplant patients to have an active, healthy lifestyle.”

The games are a fun multi-sport festival event for anyone who has received a life-saving transplant surgery or are living donors. It will include dashes, relay races, high jumps, long jumps and a Youth Olympiad obstacle course.

The family-friendly event includes

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a Heroes Wall to honor donors, food trucks, kids activities, a health expo, a cornhole competition and pickleball demonstration.

Although admission is free, spectators are encouraged to make a donation to further the alliance’s work.

“That should be a lot of fun,” Severyn added.

Members of the Transplant Alliance have regularly traveled out of state for the national and international Transplant Games. The annual event was first held 30 years ago and attracts thousands of competitors from all over the country.

Severyn said her group thought they could replicate a similar competition on a smaller scale for local organ recipients.

It’s so important to spread awareness on organ donation, she said, and let Arizonans know how vital these operations are for saving lives.

Michael Scozzaro first heard of the Transplant Games shortly after undergoing his second kidney transplant in 1993.

He had been a talented wrestler in high school, but his athletic career was cut short after his kidneys started to fail in his early 20s.

Through the games, Scozzaro discovered a community of survivors who understood his fears and struggles.

There are so many inspiring stories of patients overcoming terrible odds, he

said, because there’s so much need and only so many donors.

Scozzaro has had four kidney transplants during his lifetime and hopes the fourth will be his last. It hasn’t always been easy for his family, he added, but the transplant community has helped them to keep moving forward.

“It was a rough road and we were able to come back from it,” he said.

A recipient’s lifestyle changes dramatically after receiving their donated organ, Severyn said, and they may not be prepared for the changes.

Recipients are heavily medicated and discouraged from visiting public spaces because their immune system is so weak.

“They often feel isolated and that can lead to depression and anxiety,” Severyn said.

The Transplant Community Alliance, which was founded in Tucson in 1988, provides free resources to make the post-donation period smoother for recipients.

In the last year, Severyn said her organization has had 300 people attend its support groups and has provided financial assistance to over 80 families.

Severyn hopes the games will become an annual event with the help of local sponsors like Dignity Health, the Mayo Clinic, and Donor Network of Arizona.

Scozzaro said he’s glad Arizona will now have its own Transplant Games. There’s so much information to learn about organ donation, he said, and these types of events help to spread the word.

It’s been 12 years since the Chandler resident last had a kidney replaced. He still worries he might need another transplant, but he tries not to let his anxiety consume him.

“It doesn’t completely go away,” Scozzaro said, “but you also have to balance that with living your life and appreciating what you have in the moment.”

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COMMUNITY NEWS

from cover

love the tree. It’s just a perfect evening for people to come out. They frequent the restaurants and it’s a good opportunity to spend an evening in downtown Chandler.”

The Parade of Lights brings tens of thousands of people to downtown, beginning earlier in the day. Many will eat at local restaurants before the parade starts and stick around after the parade is over. The tumbleweed tree is reportedly the only tree of its kind in the nation.

“The last few years, we’ve also seen the businesses decorate all of the windows, which is just beautiful, to stroll down and see all the paintings that have a holiday theme,” Moyers said.

City parks workers began building the unusual tree last month, placing hundreds of tumbleweeds on a wire frame.

Sibley’s West: The Chandler and Arizona Gift Shop, 72 South San Marcos Place, is one of the downtown businesses that thrives from the tumbleweed tree and its related celebrations.

John Wolfe, who co-owns Sibley’s with his wife, Michelle, said Brenda Schodt of Southwest Ornaments, which she owns with her husband, Rick, paints a special tumbleweed tree ornament sold at Sibley’s every year. A limited number are available for purchase.

“The Tumbleweed Tree is always one of the best days of the year both for the community and for our store,” John said last year. “It’s great. We get a lot of fam-

bring new, unwrapped toys for its toy drive for needy kids. Thousands of toys for newborns through 18 years of age will be distributed.

Visitors are encouraged to bring bikes, scooters, sports equipment, Hot Wheels, electronic games, learning toys, books and any other new toy they think might bring a little extra cheer to a needy boy or girl.

Visitors also can play a free session of glowin-the-dark laser tag, and youngsters can saddle up and enjoy free pony rides downtown.

Giant inflatables that bounce, bump and slide will be provided by AZ Inflatable Events, and people can purchase Chandler city workers Frank Martinez and Gabriel Mungvia spent part of November getting the tumbleweed Christmas tree ready for $10 wristbands for unthe 2019 holiday season.

(Chris Mortenson/Staff Photographer) limited play or individual tickets at $2 apiece for select attractions. ilies and regulars, visitors. The gamut of able to get a free picture with Santa at Later this month, people and it’s just a very warm, charmSanta’s House, except from 6:30-8 p.m., Downtown Chandler Community Parting evening. Usually we’re super-busy. when the house is closed because the nership is also hoping to boost downI try to run over and see some of the old man in the red suit is in the parade. town visits with its Sippin’ Santas Pub parade and the tree lighting.”

Meanwhile, people can make holiday Crawl starting at 1 p.m. Dec. 14.

Wolfe said the tumbleweed tree ornaments, and a special mailbox will be The adults-only event includes $2 speornament is “quite special” and many on the premises for kids to drop their cials, live entertainment, festive T-shirts people have been buying the ornaments letters to Santa. and a costume contest. To buy tickets every year since 2012.

A Chandler Fire Department fire truck for the pub crawl, visit downtownchanAt today’s celebration, kids will be also will be at the scene for people to dler.org/sippin-santas-pub-crawl.

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SANTAN SUN NEWS | WWW.SANTANSUN.COM | DECEMBER 7-20, 2019

Chandler ends sex ed for fifth- and sixth-grade pupils

BY KEVIN REAGAN Staff Writer

The Chandler Unified School District is asking parents to take on the responsibility of teaching sex education to their children who are in fifth and sixth grades.

In an email sent out last month, the district advised parents about videos and online materials they could use to teach their prepubescent children about their changing bodies.

The materials would no longer be taught in a classroom setting, the district said.

Terry Locke, a district spokesman, said CUSD had been considering alternative forms of sex education for the last couple of years to free up time in the classroom.

“We responded to concerns and challenges of fifth- and sixth-grade teachers and principals when it came to addressing the topic and loss of instructional time,” Locke said.

The changes impact only fifth and sixth graders, he added, and don’t affect the abstinence-based curriculum taught to eighth- and 10th-graders.

But some parents say they were blindsided by the sudden change because there was no public discussion or hearing about it before the district’s Governing Board.

April Arteaga, a parent of two CUSD students, said she was “shocked” when she got the email announcing the curriculum changes. She was expecting her fifth grader to get the same type of sex education Arteaga got – in the classroom.

“I think it’s a bummer because I think it’s creating a stigma. It should be talked about. It should be open,” she said.

The district’s email included links to videos on reproduction, menstruation and sexually transmitted diseases.

The free videos were produced by Procter and Gamble.

“It has been a trusted resource for over 25 years and has been taught to millions of students nationwide,” CUSD wrote in its email to parents.

It feels like the district is taking a step backward, Arteaga added, because there’s a benefit to learning about these topics alongside one’s peers.

She’ll review the videos and consider discussing them with her kids, but Arteaga worries they won’t be as engaged since the information is coming from their mother.

Arizona law does not obligate school districts to provide sex education. But the law encourages those that do teach the curriculum to promote abstinence, and parents have the right to not have their child participate.

This allows districts across the East

Valley to vary in what types of sex ed curriculum it wants.

In 2009, the Kyrene School District expanded its curriculum by teaching middle school students about condoms. Other districts have decided to remain focused on an abstinence-only message or not provide any curriculum at all.

The Tempe Union High School District was mired in controversy in 2014 when it considered introducing new sex ed materials that had ties to Planned Parenthood.

Communities outside Arizona have also had to contend with parents who oppose the curriculum they feel sexualizes young children.

One school district in Washington State succumbed to the protests of parents last month by eliminating sex education altogether.

Religious groups in Texas have been pushing against one district for trying to make its sex-ed curriculum more inclusive to LGBTQ students.

Despite some public backlash against comprehensive sex education, surveys show most parents approve of having this material taught in schools.

In 2011, 93 percent of parents polled by the University of Texas supported a school-based sex education. Seventy percent of Arizona households surveyed in 2013 favored having “medically accurate” sex education in secondary schools.

But researchers have been noticing a decline in the number of students receiving sex education.

The Guttmacher Institute, a research and policy organization, found that the proportion of teenage girls who received education about birth control dropped from 70 to 60 percent between 2006 and 2013.

Access to this information is vital for helping youth to build healthy relationships, the institute argues.

“A large body of research has found no evidence that providing young people with sexual and reproductive health information and education results in increased sexual risk-taking,” the Guttmacher Institute wrote in a report.

Starting in the mid-2000s, Chandler Unified began updating some of its sex-ed materials by replacing outdated videos from the 1970s and 1980s.

Sixth-grade teachers were given DVDs and PowerPoint presentations that they’d administer only three days out of the school year.

When the district made these changes, it put together an advisory committee of parents and staff to review the revisions being made to the curriculum.

Chandler Unified didn’t conduct a formal survey when it recently decided to stop classroom curriculum, Locke added.

Chandler Police to teach motorcycle safety

BY JUSTIN LYONS Contributor

The Chandler Police Department is hosting a civilian motorcycle training course Dec. 14 at Hamilton High School.

Officers will teach both beginning and veteran riders how to safely operate a motorcycle. Chandler Police spokesman Seth Tyler said the department has offered the course two or three times per year for the past four years.

“Riding a motorcycle is so different from driving with four wheels, and there are so many things you have to be aware of. That’s really the big thing that I think hits home in this training is the continuous need to be aware of so many different surroundings and different things on your bike,” Tyler said.

Terry Cooper, vice chair of the exec-

utive board for the Arizona Motorcycle Safety and Awareness Foundation, said all riders in the course must be licensed and have their own motorcycle, safety gear and insurance.

Cooper said the Arizona Motorcycle Safety and Awareness Foundation has partnered with the Chandler Police Department for four years for this event and that his organization not only provides scholarships for students to get licenses and but will be providing scholarships to attendees at the Dec. 14 training to take additional courses.

“It’s a great course. It helps them a little bit farther than just getting on the bike and riding. It improves their skills,” Cooper said. “The more skills you have, the better you are on the street.”

Tyler said some of those skills include braking, slow-speed maneuvering, using

the clutch and throttle and using the rear brakes.

He said students will learn skills employed by the officers teaching the class.

“You would see people on motorcycles come up to an intersection and pop the motorcycle in neutral while they’re at a red light. We’re not trained to do that.

We’re trained to keep it in gear and keep your hand on the clutch in the event that you need to get out of that area quickly,” Tyler said.

Applicants also learn about helmet safety, which is why Dave Steele, owner of the Helmet Center, has partnered with Chandler Police for the event. Steele, who opened The Helmet Center in 2006 and sells motorcycle helmets to almost every law enforcement agency in the area except for Scottsdale, lectures during the course’s lunch period.

Steel said everyone participating in the course must wear a helmet. He said that while most people willing to give up a Saturday to learn about motorcycle safety already wear a helmet while riding, some may not know how to choose a proper one.

Steele’s said his goal is to fine-tune beliefs about helmets and explain how a helmet that fits properly and has good safety ratings differs from one that is too large and would not protect the driver in a collision.

“Chandler Police Department is trying to teach you how to prevent it. I’m teaching you that if you can’t prevent it, cover it up and be geared up because eventually it’s going to happen,” Steel said. “I’ve been riding 30 years, and I’ve had three or four See

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SANTAN SUN NEWS | WWW.SANTANSUN.COM | DECEMBER 7-20, 2019

Chandler Unified settles suit for Hamilton hazing

BY KEVIN REAGAN Staff Writer

Hamilton High School students have settled a federal lawsuit against Chandler Unified School District for a hazing incident involving the school’s football team.

Five unnamed students filed the litigation last year against the district and several administrators after a criminal investigation uncovered a possible web of secrecy used to cover up the hazing incidents.

A district spokesman said the settlement’s terms are confidential and cannot be disclosed. Lawyers involved in the case did not respond to requests for comment.

In 2017, Chandler Police opened an investigation into allegations of sexual assault.

The case involved six freshman players who say they were pinned down in a locker room and sexually violated as part of a hazing ritual. The alleged assaults took place over two school years, from 2015 to 2017.

One player alleged he was assaulted at the beginning of his sophomore year at Hamilton.

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accidents, but I’ve walked away from all of them with minor injuries because I’ve had all my gear on.”

“I had heard of previous hazing activity before I was assaulted but didn’t know the severity of it until it happened to me,” the player stated in a court affidavit. “The hazing was common knowledge among those associated with the football team.”

The investigation ended with charges against three students – one charged as an adult – and the resignation of Steve Belles, the team’s head coach.

Hamilton’s former principal, Ken James, and athletic director, Shawn Rustad, were reassigned to new positions within the district.

Chandler Police recommended criminal charges for Belles, James and Rustad for failing to report sex crimes. But the Maricopa County Attorney’s Office declined to prosecute them due to a lack of admissible evidence.

Belles, James, and Rustad were listed as defendants along with CUSD in the civil suit, which accused them all of negligence.

“None of them can dispute the sexual assaults occurred as there was a concession the locker room was not properly supervised, and there was not constant supervision,’’ the plaintiff ’s lawyer wrote in court filings earlier this year.

Steele also said the class can be valuable for those who drive both cars and motorcycles.

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Multiple players told investigators Belles repeatedly warned the team to stop their hazing activities long before police got involved, court records show.

Belles told investigators no one had ever told him about the hazing until Chandler Police opened its investigation.

Attorneys representing Belles and the other defendants argued none of Hamilton’s staff knew of the hazing allegations until early 2017; and after they found out, the defendants responded with appropriate action.

“Without waiting for the results of any investigation, the Hamilton administration arranged to have a security guard in the varsity locker room whenever players were present and imposed strict limits on the amount of time players could be in the locker room,” defense counsel wrote in court documents.

One parent insisted Hamilton’s coaches knew of the hazing culture for months and blamed them for not stopping it.

“They chose not to investigate themselves,” the parent told Chandler Police.

“They’ve chosen not to punish or discipline kids.”

Students and parents described inci-

dents of players throwing bottles of urine at each other and grabbing the genitals of younger players.

The assailants allegedly called themselves the “The Tune Squad” and would sometimes document their hazing through Snapchat videos, police reports show.

Nathaniel Thomas, the only player to be criminally charged as an adult, allegedly recorded videos on his phone of physical fights taking place in the locker room, police reports show.

Thomas is scheduled to go to trial in January for charges of child molestation and sexual assault. Two other players, who were charged as juveniles, have had their cases adjudicated after admitting to the crimes.

Parents of the five players who filed the lawsuit claimed their child’s personalities have dramatically changed since the assaults.

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SANTAN SUN NEWS | WWW.SANTANSUN.COM | DECEMBER 7-20, 2019

VA clinic could be named after Chandler warrior

BY KEVIN REAGAN Staff Writer

Congressional leaders from Arizona want to name the Veteran Affairs clinic in Gilbert after a Chandler soldier killed last year in Somalia.

Staff Sgt. Alexander Conrad died on June 8, 2018 during a mission focused on targeting militant groups in Somalia. The 26-year-old was the first serviceman from Arizona to die in combat since 2016.

U.S. Rep. Andy Biggs, whose district includes a large portion of the East Valley, introduced the legislation, calling it a small token of appreciation for Conrad and his family.

“Staff Sgt. Conrad was one of America’s finest, and we all mourn his passing,” Biggs wrote in a statement. “His life of service and sacrifice reminds us that there are men and women fighting every day to keep our country free and prosperous.”

Christie Palcisko, Conrad’s sister, said naming the facility after her brother would be a nice tribute, but her family’s more focused on the clinic’s level of service.

“We want to make sure that if (they’re) putting Alex’s name on something, it’s gonna be run smoothly and provide the resources and treatment veterans need,” she said.

The Phoenix VA was plagued by scandal several years ago after whistle blowers revealed that veterans were being subjected to long wait times and that administrators covered it up by falsifying records.

It escalated to the national level as VA hospitals across the country began report-

Mesa U.S. Rep Andy Biggs requested that the VA clinic in Gilbert be named after Staff Sgt. Alexander Conrad of Chandler. (U.S. Army)

ing similar problems of staff shortages and delayed care.

Lawmakers have since passed or introduced legislation to fix the VA, but Palcisko wants to make sure any clinic sharing her brother’s name will measure up to the level of care that veterans deserve.

Conrad was born in Mesa and graduated from Hamilton High School in 2010.

He enlisted in the U.S. Army and was deployed twice to Afghanistan between 2012 and 2014.

His family described Conrad as smart, outgoing and kind-hearted. His interests varied from playing football to reading “Harry Potter” books.

Palcisko said her brother worked in the Army Special Forces as an intelligence officer – a job he particularly enjoyed because it let him interact with the locals.

“He loved going out and meeting the local populations and then going back with a plan to help keep them safe,” Conrad’s sister said.

At the time of his death, Conrad was assigned to 1st Battalion, 3rd Special Forces Group, Fort Bragg, North Carolina. He was sent to Somalia last year to take part in Operation Octave Shield, a mission focused on curtailing terrorist organizations like al-Shabaab.

The group of Islamic extremists is perhaps best known for orchestrating an attack at a Kenyan shopping mall in 2013 that left 62 civilians dead.

President Trump authorized the Department of Defense to go after alShabaab in March 2017, resulting in dozens of deadly air strikes.

Conrad was part of a counterinsurgency tactic that involved establishing outposts across Somalia for local soldiers to fight against al-Shabaab.

On June 8, 2018, Shabaab militants organized a rapid firefight at one of these outposts that ended with mortar detonations. Shrapnel from the explosions struck Conrad’s face and neck, according to reports obtained by the New York Times.

During the attack, Conrad reportedly ran out to rescue a civilian and help them take cover.

Conrad was still breathing by the time the blasts ended, but his airway was quickly blocked by bleeding from his facial

injuries. An army medic tried supplying oxygen to Conrad’s lungs by cutting a hole in his neck as they waited for an emergency helicopter.

The New York Times reported Conrad died about 15 minutes after he was flown to an American military base.

“Everyone did everything they could do,” Palcisko said about her brother’s medical treatment. “It’s just part of being in a dangerous spot and being in the wrong place at the wrong time.”

One of the Shabaab militants suspected of participating in the June 8 ambush was killed in an air strike earlier this year, according to the Military Times.

Conrad was posthumously awarded the Purple Heart, Bronze Star with Valor and Meritorious Service Medal.

All nine of Arizona’s congressional representatives have endorsed Biggs’ legislation to name the clinic after Conrad.

“Designating our local veterans’ health clinic in his name is the least we can do to honor his life and legacy of service,” said U.S. Rep. Greg Stanton, D-Phoenix, in a statement.

U.S. Sen. Martha McSally, R-Tucson, has introduced legislation to coincide with Biggs’s bill, as both chambers of Congress have to authorize naming the clinic after Conrad.

“Staff Sgt. Alexander Conrad gave the ultimate sacrifice in service to our country,” McSally stated. “Renaming the Gilbert VA clinic after him will be a tribute to his life of service and devotion, and a way for our community to remember this American hero.”

Big issues loom with driverless cars, experts say

BY KEVIN REAGAN Staff Writer

Who is liable for a car accident when no one’s driving the car?

That was one of several questions explored by experts recently in Arizona’s autonomous vehicle industry during a special symposium, where representatives from public and private sectors hashed out what the near future looks like for driverless cars.

As more self-driving cars move around the East Valley, stakeholders and policymakers gathered in Chandler to discuss how Arizona will adapt to the rapidly-developing technology.

“A lot of work needs to be done,” said Jill Sciarappo, senior marketing director for Intel, “and we need to come together to solve a lot of problems to make that happen.”

A reoccurring theme of the symposium, organized by the Chandler Chamber of Commerce, involved the liability factors involving self-driving cars.

“That is an enormous issue,” said Patricia Doersch, an attorney specializing in transportation. “That’s a bear at the federal level.”

If humans no longer control their vehicles, the courts will have to decide whether they can still be held liable for

accidents and property damage.

Some experts have suggested judges think of self-driving cars as analogous to elevators, autopilot systems – or horsedrawn carriages.

The laws currently on the books were written to regulate human drivers, who are expected to have the ability to adhere and react to certain environments on the road.

“But now the (computer) system is the driver, so there may be a little bit of gray area there,” said Kevin Biesty, deputy director of policy for the Arizona Department of Transportation.

For example, Biesty mentioned how adult drivers can be held criminally liable

for leaving children unattended in a car. But it’s unclear whether the same standard should apply to self-driving cars, he added.

The insurance industry is grappling with similar questions of how to factor autonomous vehicles into its business model.

Drivers have traditionally borne the risks associated with driving, but companies now have to evaluate who or what takes on that risk.

Doersch expects Congress to draft a bill next year that finally addresses some complex issues surrounding autonomous vehicles.

But it may be too late by the time legislation is passed, she added, because the technology keeps evolving and changing.

“Congress is terrified of looking stupid and getting it wrong,” Doersch added.

Chandler was the appropriate location to host the first-ever symposium dedicated to the self-driving industry.

The city is home to Waymo, which operates an autonomous ride-share service in the East Valley, and was one of the first municipalities to pass an ordinance related to self-driving cars.

“Autonomous vehicles could really change the way that cities look in the future,” said David de la Torre, Chandler’s planning manager.

The city last year passed new requirements for office buildings that will have workers arriving in autonomous vehicles, reducing the number of parking spaces that normally would be mandated when most employees drove themselves while requiring larger areas for drop-offs and pickups.

City officials also have talked of one day working out arrangements with Valley Metro that would allow driverless cars to pick up passengers at the agency’s bus stops.

Cities in Arizona could become more pedestrian-friendly as autonomous taxis and shuttles become the norm, de la Torre said, and the demand for parking spaces starts to drop.

“We’re gonna need to find out what to do with all those parking lots that are out there,” de la Torre added.

Because these vehicles are constantly gathering data and surveying their surroundings, some wonder what keeps them from becoming vulnerable to hackers.

“That’s the big question,” said Ram Pendyala, a professor from Arizona State University’s School of Sustainable EngiSee

AUTONOMOUS on page 18

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COMMUNITY NEWS

SANTAN SUN NEWS | WWW.SANTANSUN.COM | DECEMBER 7-20, 2019

Chandler developing program for ‘isolated’ adults SANTAN SUN NEWS STAFF

The Chandler Parks & Recreation program has become the first city in Arizona to offer online wellness classes to combat social isolation among people over 50.

“Social relationships are important to quality of life across one’s lifespan, and can bestow life with meaning, purpose, and a general sense of well-being,” a city spokeswoman Tiffanie Hawkins said, noting that the National Poll on Healthy Aging reported that one in three seniors is lonely.

The city is partnering with other organizations “to create resources that help our 50-plus community build the social connections they need to thrive,” Hawkins said.

With the help of televëda – a Phoenixbased company that offers live online wellness educational and recreational programs – Chandler starting this month will offering Empowered Living classes.

The classes are “virtual body and brain wellness” sessions where participants can “exercise to upbeat music from the past and play brain games to help stimulate the mind,” Hawkins explained.

For a limited time, the community will

be able to join the Empowered Living series for free and from anywhere by using their smartphone, iPad, tablet or laptop to access televeda.com at 10 a.m. Dec. 12 and 19.

People can click the “join class” button to be connected to the online community. Once they’re in the virtual classroom, participants can see, hear and talk to the instructor and their classmates and ultimately begin forming personal relationships.

Recreation manager Joe Petrella said being around other people is the best cure for loneliness but maintaining connections “gets more challenging as you age.”

“Finding solutions for loneliness is highly personal, and some of the best interventions are those that involve meaningful social contact – whether that’s volunteering, meeting a friend for coffee or now participating in an online wellness class,” Petrella said. “It’s really about the meaningfulness of the activity and forming relationships.

“Recreation is dedicated to providing activities that meet the aspirations of today’s 50-plus adult that gives them the flexibility to participate from anywhere,

including the comforts of their homes,” Petrella added.

Recreation coordinator Ray Kaniut said televëda’s flagship class is just the first step: “Our aim is to create an infrastructure to bring the community experience directly to individuals and help our community mobilize to prevent isolation. From socialization classes to art classes, we’re helping older adults engage with their communities both on and offline.”

Chandler plans to debut more online classes later in 2020. The televëda partnership coincides with the division’s push to “rewrite the rules of age-defining programs, appealing to the aspirations of Chandler’s highly-energized modern adult through modernized lifelong learning, promotion of health and wellbeing, and socialization,” Hawkins said; “We applaud the city’s innovation and willingness to implement this innovative partnership to make an impact in the lives of seniors,” said Shruti Gurudanti, CEO and co-founder of televëda. “We look forward to bringing our signature programs to the residents of Chandler and helping make it easier for them stay active, engaged and social.”

About televëda: Televëda was founded in 2018 with the mission to combat social isolation among seniors. televëda offers live online educational, wellness and recreational programs that are designed to reduce social isolation, build friendships, and encourage seniors to stay active. televëda has pioneered the creation of “virtual senior centers” by partnering with senior living communities across North America to offer residents both in-person and live online programming so that seniors can access educational, wellness and gaming programs wherever they are.

For more information, visit televeda.com or visit our social media pages at facebook.com/ Televeda, instagram.com/ televeda_ and linkedin.com/company/televeda.

Officials: Upcoming election won’t see mistakes

BY KEVIN REAGAN Staff Writer

County officials predict next year’s presidential election won’t produce the same blunders seen that resulted in voters waiting for hours to cast their ballot in 2016.

Speaking recently before a group of Chandler business leaders, Maricopa County Supervisor Jack Sellers highlighted the millions of dollars invested to improve how the Recorder’s Office conducts elections.

These new resources are intended to keep the past from repeating itself on March 17, when Democrats vote in Arizona’s presidential preference election.

The state’s last presidential primary ended in disaster due to a severe lack of polling places across the Valley. Only 60 polling sites had been set up to serve 1.25 million eligible voters.

One site in Chandler saw hordes of voters standing for hours in long lines that stretched out the door.

Then-County Recorder Helen Purcell admitted she made a mistake by reducing polling sites. Voters responded by booting her out in 2016 and replacing Purcell with Democrat Adrian Fontes.

Sellers, whose district encompasses Chandler and who was a two-term Chandler City Council member, doesn’t think the long lines were anybody’s fault – it was simply a poor estimation of voter turnout, he said.

Steps have been taken by the county, he added, that will ensure 2020’s elections will be an improvement.

“I’m really encouraged at the partnership we now have with the Recorder’s Office,” Sellers said. “This isn’t about partisanship or anything else; it’s about serving our constituents.”

Sellers voted with the four other

Recorder’s Office to ensure each election will run smoothly. It’s one of the recent changes made to revise the board’s role in conducting the county’s elections.

Sellers and the other supervisors decided this year to take on more responsibilities – breaking with a 65-yearold agreement that let the Recorder’s Office handle most election duties.

The board is now Long lines like the ones at several Maricopa County polling places during the Democratic presidential preference election in Arizona in responsible for Election 2016 are a thing of the past, election officials told Chandler business leaders last month.

File photot) Day matters, while Fontes deals with early voting supervisors in June to spend $6.1 million best in-class elections in 2020,” Coleman and registration. on leasing a new tabulation system that’s said.

The new arrangement is intended supposed to count ballots faster and Another problem in 2016 involved poll to add oversight to the planning and more securely. workers misinforming several voters they execution of election operations.

Sellers said they purposefully signed could cast ballots in the wrong precinct.

Cybersecurity became a topical subject a lease agreement for only three years in As a result, these voters did not get their during the 2016 election after Russian case something better and faster comes ballots counted. hackers attempted to penetrate Arizona’s out before 2024.

To remedy this, Coleman said, the voter-registration system. The security “The technology for that equipment Recorder’s Office has ramped up its breach was the result of an elections is changing so rapidly that we felt by the communication efforts by redesigning its worker in Gila County opening an infected next election cycle we didn’t want to have website to be easier to navigate. email attachment. our money tied up in something that had “We are looking to ensure we are Coleman said there’s much more already become obsolete,” the supervisor communicating concise, accurate awareness about security than a few years said. communications out to our voters over ago. The Recorder’s Office now has a fullKathren Coleman, deputy director the next four months,” she said. time security officer and regularly keeps in of communications for the Recorder’s A staffing analysis done by the contact with law enforcement officials on Office, said the agency’s old tabulation Recorder’s Office indicated it had about potential threats, she said. machines dated back to the 1970s and had 30 fewer employees than agencies “2016 was definitely an alarm bell for less memory than the most basic cellular serving areas comparable to Maricopa all election administrators across the phone.

County. Coleman said new funding from country,” Coleman added.

She said their newer equipment will the county has allowed the Elections One week before March’s presidential be better at counting close races – a Department to expand its staff. primary, Chandler will hold a special common occurrence during the 2018 Earlier this year, the Board of election to amend its charter. The all-mail midterm election, which had several Supervisors created a new position – election will ask local voters to change statewide races taking days to call.

Election Day and Emergency Voting the dates of future elections in order to “We’re gonna be able to provide the Director – that will work with the conform to state law.

SANTAN SUN NEWS | WWW.SANTANSUN.COM | DECEMBER 7-20, 2019

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SANTAN SUN NEWS | WWW.SANTANSUN.COM | DECEMBER 7-20, 2019

Chandler man admits abusing babysitter, 15 SANTAN SUN NEWS STAFF

A Chandler man has pleaded guilty to repeatedly abusing his teenage babysitter.

Joseph Sisemore, 42, pleaded guilty last month in Superior Court to three counts of sexual misconduct with a minor.

As part of his plea deal, Sisemore agreed to serve six months in jail and be placed on supervised probation for the rest of his life. He must also register as a sex offender and never make contact with his victim.

The 15-year-old babysitter told a family member in February she had been in a sexual relationship with Sisemore, who had hired her two years earlier to look after his 8-year-old daughter.

The teenager told Chandler Police she and Sisemore had engaged in sexual activity at least 25 times starting in November 2018.

She told investigators how the defendant would pick her up and take her into his bedroom. As he performed

Joseph Sisemore various sexual acts on her, the victim said she “froze” and didn’t know how to react,

court records show.

She further recalled how Sisemore would lock the doors to his apartment, barring her from trying to quickly escape.

Authorities accused Sisemore of “grooming” his victim by gaining her trust, forcing her to keep their relationship secret, and showing strange signs of affection.

For example, the victim claimed Sisemore would ask her to put on his own clothes so that he could smell her scent whenever he wanted.

The victim began recording her telephone conversations with Sisemore and got him to admit to the crimes he had committed.

During one call, the victim told Sisemore she feared becoming pregnant.

Sisemore agreed to buy the teenager some Levonorgestrel, more commonly known as the “morning-after pill.”

Chandler Police observed Sisemore visiting a pharmacy and buying the contraceptive. He was arrested and

charged with 11 counts of sexual misconduct, most of which were dropped as part of the plea agreement.

Investigators searched Sisemore’s apartment and found pictures of the victim and letters he had written to her, apologizing that their relationship was not as “passionate” as he’d like it to be.

Because of the victim’s age, Sisemore could be charged only with a Class 6 felony, which has more lenient penalties than higher-level felonies. If the victim had been younger than 15, Sisemore would have likely been subject to harsher charges.

Court records indicate Sisemore has no criminal record, but prosecutors allege he has a history of courting underage girls.

According to the Maricopa County Attorney’s Office, investigators made contact with one of Sisemore’s exgirlfriends, who claims to have been 15 when she started dating the then-25-yearold defendant.

Sisemore will be formally sentenced in Superior Court on Dec. 11.

Couple sentenced in man’s death in Chandler

SANTAN SUN NEWS STAFF

Two former managers of a Chandler assisted-living facility have been jailed for three months and placed on probation for three years after pleading guilty to abusing an elderly man who died under their watch.

Joseph and Lolita Somera will both have to serve an initial jail sentence before starting their probation terms for their involvement in the death of 69-year-old Jon Rader.

The Arizona Attorney General’s Office filed charges against the couple earlier this year for negligently allowing the broken air conditioner of their assisted-living home to go unfixed.

The air conditioner at Happy Homes Assisted Living broke down on Aug. 16, 2018, leaving Rader and four other residents to swelter in the summer heat.

Temperatures reportedly reached 100 degrees in some parts of the home.

Two days later, Lolita Somera called 911 after she discovered an unconscious

Rader. He was pronounced dead shortly thereafter.

An autopsy revealed Rader died from end-stage renal disease and pneumonia.

The Maricopa County Medical Examiner’s Office concluded Rader’s exposure to the extreme heat contributed to his death.

The Someras were initially charged with one count of vulnerable adult abuse, a Class 3 felony. They were later offered a deal that let them plea down to a Class 6 felony.

A Maricopa County Superior Court judge sentenced them to 90 days in jail followed by three years of probation.

After Lolita Somera completes her jail term, she may be handed over to U.S. Immigration and Naturalization Services due to her illegal status in the country.

Happy Homes, which closed after Rader’s death, had a history of violating Arizona’s health and safety regulations.

The state fined Happy Homes $250 in October 2018 for not fixing food temperatures, state records show.

A couple of weeks after Rader’s death, the state Health Department inspected

Joseph Somera Happy Homes and issued 11 citations for various infractions.

Some of the violations included not refrigerating food at proper temperatures,

Lolita Somera not controlling water temperatures and failing to document it had policies in place for employees to file complaints related to resident care.

Alleged car thief hits Chandler patrol car while high SANTAN SUN NEWS STAFF

A man faces eight felony counts and two misdemeanors after he tried to evade police by fleeing in a stolen car, only to crash into the patrol car of the officers trying to arrest him.

Cesar N. Limon, 25, whose address was not disclosed, was discovered slumped over the wheel of his running car on the afternoon of Nov. 24 in the 200 block of Kyrene Road.

When officers arrived on the scene they discovered that the vehicle, a white 2017 Subaru, had been reported stolen earlier in the day.

Officers said when they first approached the suspect in his vehicle, they noticed his eyes were bloodshot, according to a police report.

The officers ordered Limon out of the vehicle. Instead, he placed the stolen car

in drive, accelerated and struck a parked car, pinning an officer between the Subaru’s open driver’s-side door and the parked vehicle. A second officer attempted to remove Limon from the vehicle, but the Limon accelerated a second time and struck a patrol vehicle, according to a police report.

As Limon attempted to shift into reverse, another officer was able to pull the keys out of the ignition.

After a brief struggle, Limon was taken into custody. As officers started handcuffing him, Limon went into an apparent seizure, possibly from drug ingestion, and was transported to the hospital, police said.

He was treated at the hospital and then charged with counts that include aggravated assault, resisting arrest and drug possession.

Limon claimed he had permission to take the car from a woman whose name he couldn’t remember.

About four or five hours before his confrontation, he parked on Kyrene Road after getting lost.

He told police he was still high when officers had first approached him and that he couldn’t remember anything after they initially approached the vehicle.

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SANTAN SUN NEWS | WWW.SANTANSUN.COM | DECEMBER 7-20, 2019

Chandler rabbi to hold talk with Sikh leader SANTAN SUN NEWS STAFF

A Chandler rabbi will hold another conversation with a member of a different faith in his effort to deepen a mutual understanding among people who hold different faiths.

“Conversations with the Rabbi” will be held at 6 p.m. tomorrow, Dec. 8, at the East Valley Jewish Community Center on the southwest corner of Alma School and Ray roads.

Center CEO Rabbi Michael Beyo will host Dr. Jaswant Sachdev, a leader in the Sikh community at the free event.

Registration is required at evjcc.org/ conversation.

The Conversations series launched this past September with a dialogue between Beyo and Imam Faheem Arshad of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community. They discussed “Being a Religious Minority.”

Conversations with the Rabbi is part of CORE (Community. Outreach.

Relationships. Engagement), a project of the East Valley JCC.

AUTONOMOUS

from page 12

neering and the Built Environment.

He thinks data is the biggest ethical dilemma of the self-driving industry not only regarding how it’s protected, but in terms of how companies decide who has access to their information.

Rabbi Michael Beyo The mission of the East Valley JCC is to be a center for social, cultural and

Chandler currently has no data-sharing agreement with Waymo or any other companies, but representatives said the city may consider it in the future.

If these cars have a security breach, Pendyala said, it’s unclear to him who to assign blame.

“It’s really hard to say who’s responsible,” he said.

educational activities to engage families and individuals through Jewish values through their lifetime.

Beyo believes he can show people that despite some significant differences, major religions in the world have more in common than people might think.

To show those commonalities, he starting a series of conversations with leaders of several major faiths in the Valley. Future conversations will include a representative of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, the Baha’I faith and the Lutheran church.

“Fear comes when we don’t know about the person that stands across the table from us,” Beyo said, citing the numerous acts and rhetoric that have raised the level of antisemitism and hatred against different religious, ethnic and racial groups in the country in recent months.

He said he wants to “tear down the walls of ignorance.”

“When we tear down the worlds of ignorance, then we’re not afraid of each other and then we can build communities

together,” Beyo said, explaining: “We are not saying that we don’t have differences. We have differences. That’s why we have different religions. That’s why we have different faiths. But ultimately, we have so much more in common and we’re all here together to share what we have in common, to share all of our differences and build stronger communities.”

Beyo says these events will not be centered around theological questions, but rather topics that affect everyday life.

“We are doing a two-prong approach,” Beyo said. “One approach is that we are inviting these faith leaders to talk about their faith, religion and culture to our community.

“The second approach is that we’re going to have these conversations between a faith leader and myself on various topics that are not necessarily religious in nature.”

Beyo said the series has been in development for less than a year and was made possible by the East Valley Jewish Community Center’s good relationships with other faith leaders.

Many symposium attendees thought regulating self-driving cars too heavily during this infancy stage would stifle innovation.

The cars are intended to make roads safer, some attendees said, and that seems to be the industry’s main priority.

The regulations will come at some point, said state Rep. Jeff Weninger, R-Chandler, but Arizona has taken a good approach by

letting the technology flourish.

Weninger thinks these smart cars can make better decisions than most human drivers. He recently saw a Dodge Caravan drive down the freeway with eight mattresses strapped to its roof.

“I doubt the autonomous car is gonna make a poor decision like that,” the lawmaker joked.

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Around Chandler Sun Lakes Methodist Church slates caroling session

The public is invited to hear favorite Christmas carols at 3 p.m. Dec. 15 at Sun Lakes United Methodist Church, 9248 E. Riggs Road, just west of Robson Library.

The free one-hour concert will include hand bells and chimes performed by the church bell choir, the Sun Bells, as well as fun music by the bell sextet and a flutist.

Chandler seeks sponsors for Multicultural Festival

The City of Chandler Diversity Office, along with Cultura Communications, is gearing up for the annual Chandler Multicultural Festival on Jan. 18 in Downtown Chandler, 178 E. Commonwealth Ave. The 2020 event will celebrate the 25th anniversary of the Multicultural Festival, which celebrates diversity, multiculturalism and community in Chandler. Many cultural organizations, musicians, artists, historians and performers from around the Valley will come together to bring out the best of their traditions and history.

New next year will be an area dedicated to the Asian community as well as an adult beverage area with a portion of the proceeds benefiting the Chandler Youth Theatre.

There are several ways to get involved for this year’s event. Corporate sponsorships are available starting at $1,500. Information: Carmela Ramirez at 602-390-2966 or carmela@ culturacommunications.com.

Businesses and food vendors may purchase exhibit space for $250 per booth. A nonprofit rate also is available starting at $75. Vendor and exhibitor applications may be downloaded online at chandleraz.gov/unity. The deadline to submit an application is Dec. 20.

For general information: 480-782-4300.

‘Frozen’ Snow Queen at The Screamery in Chandler

In honor of the “Frozen” frenzy in the wake of the release of the new Disney movie, “Frozen 2,” The Screamery ice cream parlor in Chandler will have a special visit from the “Frozen” Snow Queen 2-3 p.m. tomorrow, Dec. 8.

The Snow Queen will pose for photos, sign autographs, and answer any questions that children may have. Children are welcome to come dressed in their favorite “Frozen” costumes as well. Admission is free. The Screamery is located at 140 N. Arizona Ave. Information: 480-597-3322 or thescreamery.com.

Children’s choir to present holiday masterpieces

Chandler Children’s Choir will present Benjamin Britten’s Ceremony of Carols, a masterwork written for children’s voices, soloists, and accompanied by harp.

In addition to the Ceremony of Carols, the choir we will also be performing holiday favorites and a traditional carol medley. From classical to contemporary, it will be an evening that will get you into the spirit of the season.

Aimee Stewart, Artistic Director

and Founder of the Chandler Children’s Choir, said, “Stunningly beautiful, at turns haunting, then instantly lighthearted, Britten’s music tells the Christmas story in a fresh way.”

The event will be held at First United Church of Mesa, 15 E. 1st Ave., at 7 p.m.

Dec. 13 and 2 p.m. Dec. 14. Tickets are on sale now at chandlerchildrenschoir.org.

$20,000 for the Know Your Limit nonenforcement program. Monies from the DUI enforcement sub-total will also fund phlebotomy supplies.

The lab was allotted $3,854 to fund in-state travel related to training and the Vehicular Crimes Unit will use $7,300 for the purchase of equipment utilized for collision investigations.

Bloodmobile will be at Chandler hospital Dec. 16

Willis Jazz Band to entertain educators next month

A bloodmobile will be stationed 1-5 p.m.

Dec. 16 in the parking lot at Phoenix ER & Hospital, 3050 S. Dobson Road., Chandler Donors can register at bloodhero.com (Sponsor code: PhxERMedical).

All donors will receive vouchers for a free 10-inch cheese pizza from Streets of New York and a ticket to an Arizona Coyotes game this season.

Info: AJascourt PhoenixERHospital.com or call 480-410-6778.

Chandler Police get grant for safety programs The Chandler Police Department has received a $195,350 grant from the Governor’s Office of Highway Safety for various safety programs.

The Traffic Section was allotted $16,000 of this grant to fund two civilian motorcycle training courses and $35,000 to enforce Arizona’s seat belt and child safety seat laws.

The DUI Squad will use $113,196 to fund officer overtime to work DUI enforcement during select times of the year when impaired driving increases and

The Willis Junior High Jazz Band has been selected to perform at this year’s Arizona Music Educators Conference in Mesa the weekend of Jan. 31.

The Willis Band also has been selected to present a clinic to state educators on building a successful jazz program. They will then perform for the music educators as an honorary ensemble representing the best of the state.

The Willis Jazz Band under the direction of John Studzinski has had a long standing of excellence, not only in the state but also internationally.

It has been featured at the Arizona Music Educators Conferences several times throughout the past 20 years, including being invited to perform at two international conferences. They performed at The Midwest Clinic in Chicago, in 2009 and The Jazz Educators Conference in Louisville, Kentucky, in 2016.

Both events only select one junior high jazz band per year to represent the best of the best. Last year, the Willis Jazz band received First Place Award at the Highland Jazz festival in Gilbert.

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For more community news visit SanTanSun.com

He fled Soviet Union, now gives Chandler ‘bees-ness’

BY KEVIN REAGAN Staff Writer

A swarm of buzzing bees sounds almost like soothing music to Stan Moukhtarov.

The political refugee has had a turbulent journey the last 24 years – fleeing the crumbling Soviet Union and adjusting to a capitalistic lifestyle in the United States.

He’s had days filled with feelings of anxiety and depression. But Moukhtarov has found a remedy for staving off these bad feelings: He puts on his gear and tends to his bees.

“It heals me. It calms me down,” Moukhtarov said. “Once you’re among the bees, you’re kind of underneath a halo.”

He’s found a way to make a business out of his beekeeping by selling jars of honey on the curbs of Chandler Heights Road. Over the last couple of years, Moukhtarov’s developed a base of loyal customers and sells a fair amount of honey each month.

“Enough to pay my bills,” he said.

He regularly gets calls from Chandler residents needing beehives removed from their yards. Moukhtarov is willing to help them out, since he can relocate the bees to a safe location and collect their honey.

“I don’t kill the bees,” he emphasized. “I recover them and put them back to work.”

Moukhtarov had been relocating bees for free, but the

service for protecting the local bee population.

Selling honey in sunny Arizona is quite different from Moukhtarov’s former life as a professional pianist in Uzbekistan.

He grew up during a time when his country was still under the control of the Soviet Union.

Life under the Communist bloc had its pros and cons, Moukhtarov recalled. He earned a master’s degree in music for free, yet he wasn’t free to express himself without fear of repercussion.

As the Soviet Union began to collapse in the early 1990s, Moukhtarov found out he might be vulnerable to government persecution.

Some of his relatives were active in politics, he said, so the government went after Stan Moukhtarov is a Russian immigrant who has made a living in Chandler beekeeping and selling jars of honey on the curbs them. along Chandler Heights Road.

Moukhtarov thought the (Chris Mortenson/Staff Photographer) government would consider him guilty by association, equipment and time it takes to do the job Honeybees help to produce billions as it regularly did, and come prompted him to start asking for small of dollars in American crops each year, after him next. donations. but experts have been recently noting a “They would prosecute you It can be dangerous work, he said, sudden decline in the insect’s population. the same, put you into gulag,” Moukhtarov but it’s worth saving an insect that’s People in Chandler don’t want to said, referencing the notorious Soviet responsible for pollinating a huge swath of exterminate bees, Moukhtarov said, so the world’s food supply. he sees himself as providing an important See on page 22

BEES

More driverless Waymo cars rolling in Chandler

BY KEVIN REAGAN Staff Writer

One year after Waymo began opening its fleet of self-driving cars to more Chandler residents, the company is growing riders and in opportunities to ride in cars that are completely driverless.

Waymo One, the company’s ridehailing service, launched last December and has grown from a couple hundred regular riders to more than 1,000.

Residents living in or near Waymo’s service territory, which encompasses a chunk of the East Valley, have to sign up and be accepted by the company before they can start requesting rides.

If accepted, then riders can have Waymo vehicles transport them to anywhere within the service zone. The company still has an employee riding in the driver’s seat in case they need to take control of the car for whatever reason.

But in the last few months, Waymo’s begun offering more rides that are truly driverless. Residents have been noticing these “ghost cars” and have taken to posting photos of them online.

A company spokesperson said Waymo is introducing this driverless feature incrementally to see how riders respond to this feature.

“We’re taking a really gradual approach to kind of rolling this out,” the spokesperson said. “You don’t just throw

Waymo is becoming such a presence in Chandler that businesses are making sure they have drop-off areas for the driverless auto’s passengers to get in and get out.

(File photo)

out a million self-driving cars and see how people react.”

Waymo first came to Arizona three years ago and has already created a notable presence around the East Valley.

The company’s white minivans regularly circulate around Chandler. It is testing self-driving trucks along Interstate 10 and it’s planning to build a facility in Mesa.

The city of Chandler is already preparing for how self-driving cars will

change the look and design of public infrastructure. It recently partnered with Waymo to create Chandler’s first “autonomous drop-off zone” outside City Hall.

The special space is designated exclusively for self-driving cars that are picking up or dropping off passengers.

Micah Miranda, the city’s economic development director, said Chandler is planning to create more drop-off zones in

the near future.

“We are gonna keep pushing this and also use it as an opportunity to support autonomous-vehicle research and development across the city,” he said.

The drop-off zones will strategically be placed in spots that won’t interfere with bike lanes or sidewalks.

Miranda said he regularly uses Waymo cars to move around Chandler. He’s one of a couple dozen city employees using Waymo as part of a pilot program that launched in June.

The city’s testing to see whether employees can increase their productivity by riding in self-driving cars during the workday. Miranda said the city’s considering opening up the pilot program to more employees in 2020.

Waymo’s presence in Chandler has shined a light on the city’s innovation muscle, he added, “We’re very much part of a living test lab for the deployment of this technology,” he said.

As for the near future, Waymo representatives said the company will continue to grow in the East Valley and may expand its service territory in the greater Phoenix area.

The company doesn’t disclose its labor statistics, but Waymo claims it has already created “hundreds” of Arizona jobs in the last couple of years.

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Education services firm completes move to Chandler SANTAN SUN NEWS STAFF

Zovio, an education technology company, has a new name, new mission – and a new home in Chandler.

The company, formerly known as Bridgepoint Education, relocated from San Diego to Chandler last month and appears to be moving away from running online universities. It’s now focused on delivering services used by these universities.

Zovio has recently had offers to sell Ashford University, a for-profit online school it’s owned for several years, and is trying to convert the college into a separate nonprofit entity.

“We are focused on working with higher education institutions, employers, and individuals to deliver innovative personalized learning solutions,” wrote Zovio spokeswoman Alanna Vitucci in a statement.

The changes come at a time when Zovio is reporting a decline in student enrollment and slight drops in revenue – and Ashford is fighting multiple pieces of litigation.

“While there has been a fair amount of uncertainty over the last year,” CEO Andrew Clark said in a statement last month, “Ashford has a great foundation for their future, and we are positioning Zovio to return to its historical solid profitability and cash flow in 2020.”

Clark founded Bridgepoint Education in 1999 and purchased Ashford University a few years later. The online college quickly became known as one of the fastestgrowing private institutions in the country.

Ashford’s enrollment started tapering off after federal and state authorities began probing allegations of consumer fraud. Investigators accused Ashford recruiters of using pushy sales tactics to get students to enroll.

In 2014, Bridgepoint agreed to pay $7.25 million to settle allegations made by students in Iowa.

The company then agreed to refund $23.5 million to the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau in 2016 for tricking students into taking out loans that cost more than advertised.

BEES

from page 22

labor camps that housed political prisoners. “That part was scary.”

He applied for asylum in the courts and was granted refugee status in 1995, which allowed him to come to the United States.

“When I came to the United States, it was completely different,” Moukhtarov said. “There were lots of restrictions back in Russia.”

He moved around a bit, working a number of odd jobs before settling down in Chandler.

Though he had been trained in music, Moukhtarov found himself drawn to beekeeping and started selling the fruits of his labor on the roadside.

His honey jars can cost up to $20, a bit pricy compared to what’s available at the supermarket. But Moukhtarov said he doesn’t treat his bees with any chemicals or feed them sugar, giving his honey a more natural taste.

“I value my customer. I don’t want to lose trust in my customers,”

Zovio, whose California headquarters is shown above, will be bringing 800 jobs when it has completed its move to Chandler (Special to SanTan Sun News)

The following year, California’s attorney general filed its own lawsuit against Bridgepoint for similar allegations of fraud and deception.

Bridgepoint immediately pushed back against California’s allegations, claiming thousands of its students can attest to the value of Ashford’s online programs.

“We are extraordinarily proud of our well-deserved and hard-earned reputation for improving the lives of thousands of students by providing a high-quality education that serves communities and gives families the opportunity to succeed,” the company wrote in a statement shortly after the lawsuit was filed. he said. “I would rather sell it a little more expensive than to give them cheap, bad honey.”

Moukhtarov lives in a residential neighborhood that’s governed by a homeowner’s association. This prohibits him from keeping his bees at home, so he depends on generous owners of larger properties to house his hives.

He’s got dozens of beehives located on parcels in Chandler, San Tan Valley, and Queen Creek.

As for the future, Moukhtarov would like to introduce the calming effects of beekeeping to others seeking a stressreliever. He’s particularly interested in helping military veterans suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder.

When it comes to his honey, he’ll continue selling it on the roadside, hoping more motorists will consider stopping to try a sample.

Word-of-mouth can be critical for a small operation like his so Moukhtarov takes customer satisfaction quite seriously.

“One bad jar can destroy your whole business,” he joked.

Court records show the California case remains pending and has a trial date set for April 2021.

Bridgepoint’s re-branding as Zovio and relocation to Chandler signifies a new chapter for the company.

A couple of new acquisitions and partnerships have been announced by Zovio in recent months, indicating a bigger focus on education technology.

The company recently spent $2.8 million on buying TutorMe, a Californiabased tutoring service that offers one-onone homework help for college students.

In March, Zovio spent about $17 million to purchase a coding boot camp.

Its new headquarters in Chandler is projected to bring 800 new jobs to the area. Zovio said Arizona’s business-friendly climate and talented pool of workers made it an appealing place to start afresh.

“Chandler is pleased to welcome Zovio to our community of innovation,” said Mayor Kevin Hartke during a welcoming ceremony last month. “Our city’s current workforce is highly educated – 43 percent of adult residents have a bachelor’s or advanced degree – and additional educational options in Chandler will provide even more opportunity to ensure the pipeline of skilled workers continues for years to come.”

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BUSINESS

SANTAN SUN NEWS | WWW.SANTANSUN.COM | DECEMBER 7-20, 2019

Pot shop’s bouquets can keep bride high on love

BY DEVAN SAUER Staff Writer

A Mesa medical marijuana dispensary is allowing brides to create original and unique bouquets with leaves from cannabis plants.

GreenPharms owner Marie Parades Saloum said she got the idea for the “cannabouquets” when she was tending to its marijuana garden.

She noticed the beautiful, untrimmed leaves on the plants that the public doesn’t frequently have the see with the finished product.

The leaves around the flower are commonly trimmed off before packaging and she thought they could complement floral bouquets.

Saloum said the cannabis flower gives bouquets a “pop that’s different than you see every other place.”

The creations can be customized to the bride or groom’s desire.

Patients can choose to have the cannabis be the focal point of the bouquet or to have it mixed with other flowers.

GreenPharms will work with customers to go over all of the options for the strain, color and aroma of the cannabis.

According to Saloum, the cannabouquets are something that need to be planned in advance to give the patient more options.

If the dispensary doesn’t have a certain strain the happy couple want, it can be grown if they give the dispensary sufficient notice.

The plant can come in purple, green, red, yellow or any mixture of those colors, according to Tyler Fuduloff, the grow

cannabis can have hints of strawberry, cherry or grape.

Customers can also choose whether they want to include the whole flower, which includes the bud that is what gets smoked, or just the leaves.

While customers won’t be able to choose a specific color for the leaves, the leaves give off a much milder scent than the entire plant will.

Patients can only possess two-and-one-half ounces of cannabis at a time, according to the Arizona Department of Health Services. However, purchasing only the leaves will not be counted against a patient’s allotment, said Fuduloff.

When it comes to the choosing the rest of the flowers for the bouquet, GreenPharms has in-house florists that will work with patients.

If the bride has her own florist, GreenPharms will prepare the cannabis and deliver them to the bride’s florist.

The wedding bouquets that GreenPharms puts together can come According to Saloum, these with the whole marijuana plant, leaves and all or just the leaves.

(Special to the SanTan Sun News) bouquets can be ordered online or in GreenPharms’s Mesa store, near the U.S. 60 and manager at GreenPharms.

Clearview Avenue.

Patients can tell GreenPharms the Customers need a medical card to color scheme they are hoping for, and purchase, and GreenPharms will work with Fuduloff will research strains that would every budget to make its cannabouquets best fit. accessible for any size wedding.

The aroma of the plant can be utilized In addition to wedding bouquets, to enhance the bouquet, as well. patients can purchase these medical arAccording to Fuduloff, the scent of

GreenPharms makes floral arrangements for all kinds of occasions. (Special to the SanTan Sun News)

rangements for any holiday or event.

Previously, GreenPharms made Valentine’s Day bouquets which featured a strain with a pink hue, according to Saloum.

“Normally after an event you have flowers,” said Saloum. “With this one, you actually invested into your medication.

You can’t smoke a rose.”

At the time of the event or holiday, the cannabis will still be a live plant and will need time to dry before it can be used.

The bouquets or arrangements come with cure instructions that detail how to prepare the cannabis for use after the event.

Fuduloff said the bouquets end the stigma of cannabis by mixing it in with flowers.

“We’re trying to break that whole cycle there and make it a comfortable thing that everybody is okay with,” said Fuduloff.

Woman inspires dog outreach by Papa John’s

BY KRISTINE CANNON Staff Writer

In July, a New Jersey pizzeria went viral for inviting its surrounding community to leave “lost dog” flyers at its restaurant to attach to its pizza box lids.

For no charge, the pizzeria distributed the flyers with every pizza it delivered.

That act inspired southern Scottsdale resident Marika Meeks to reach out to Papa John’s.

Meeks thought, instead of slapping “lost dog” flyers onto pizza boxes, why not attach “home wanted” box-toppers featuring an adoptable dog, encouraging residents to adopt?

“I couldn’t stop thinking about it and how we could use it to help rescue dogs get into homes. Then it hit me: We could feature local dogs in need of their own ‘furever’ home and I created a flyer and presented the idea,” Meeks said.

The idea appealed to Lance Stafko, Papa John’s franchise owner and operating partner of Round Rock AZ – which owns and manages franchise locations in Phoenix, Oklahoma City and Denver.

“The franchise owner of Papa John’s Pizza loves dogs and thought it was a great way to help,” Meeks said.

The box-toppers will be featured at a total of 36 Valley Papa John’s locations.

In addition to featuring a photo and

Marika Meeks, southern Scottsdale resident and founder of nonprofit Incredibull Stella, teamed up with Papa John’s to feature “home wanted” box-toppers on pizza boxes. These box-toppers will feature an adoptable dog from a Valley rescue or shelter. (Incredibull Stella/Special to the San an Sun News)

age of an adoptable dog in the Valley, the box-toppers also invite customers to text the word “dog” to 33777 to receive even more information on a dog, including photos, videos and adoption application information.

The box-toppers also include a 30 percent off coupon the customer can use on his or her next online Papa John’s order.

Stafko and his wife have two dogs of their own, so they were sold on the idea.

“We are devoted to our dogs and are

excited to have an opportunity to help amazing dogs find great homes and to be partnering with Incredibull Stella,” Lasko said.

Meeks rescued Stella when she was diagnosed with Stage 3 breast cancer at the age of 41. A survivor, Meeks went on to launch Stella’s Instagram page in 2017 and now has more than 69,000 followers.

Meeks also created a nonprofit called Incredibull Stella, named after her pit bull, Stella.

The nonprofit is not only an advocate for pit bull breed awareness, but it also supports rescue and adoption shelters, promotes spay/neuter initiatives, and rescues and fosters puppies and adult dogs until a “forever family” can be found.

This isn’t the first time Papa John’s has supported Meeks and the Incredibull Stella nonprofit’s efforts.

At a Nov. 9 adoption event at Maricopa County Animal Care & Control, Papa John’s fed volunteers with donated pizzas.

In 2018 alone, Maricopa County Animal Care & Control brought in more than 26,000 dogs, of which 29 percent were returned to the owner, leaving more than 22,000 dogs in need of homes.

Valley rescues and shelters would like to take part in the program and feature their own adoptable dogs can email crew@incredibullstella.com.

Information: incredibullstella.com

SANTAN SUN NEWS | WWW.SANTANSUN.COM | DECEMBER 7-20, 2019

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BUSINESS

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SANTAN SUN NEWS | WWW.SANTANSUN.COM | DECEMBER 7-20, 2019

Business Briefs ‘Pitty Row’ fundraiser set at Desert Car Care Chandler

Desert Car Care Chandler, 95 N. Dobson Road, Chandler, will hold its second Pitty Row Race to End Euthanasia fundraiser 9 a.m.-1 p.m. Dec. 14.

The event will have free food, coffee drinks, free windshield chip repair, vendors and rescue animals from the nonprofit Lost Our Home, which was founded in 2008 as a grassroots response to the housing crisis that left thousands of people displaced and thousands of pets abandoned.

Desert Car Care is hoping individuals and Chandler companies will help its effort by providing a one-time monetary gift or donating items to be raffled.

Last year, Desert Car Care raised over $800 and adopted out four dogs, including two that were scheduled to be euthanized within 48 hours.

Desert Car Care Chandler is a Small Business of the Year award winning auto repair shop that has been in Chandler 15 years. It hosts numerous community events by groups like Mothers Against Drunk Driving, Red Means Stop, Boy and Girl Scouts and Helping Hands for Single Mothers.

Chandler now has first full-service Marriott Hotel

Price Corridor in Chandler now has the city’s first full-service Marriott hotel.

Located at Price and Wills roads in Park Place, the Marriott Phoenix Chandler is not only the largest Marriott in the state but also offers the greatest amount of hotel conference space in the area.

It is managed by Cincinnati-based Winegardner & Hammons Hotel Group, an affiliate of the Pyramid Hotel Group.

It boasts more than 28,000 square feet of conference space and 20 different meeting spaces that can accommodate up to 1,000 people.

The 182,000-square-foot hotel also features 264 rooms spanning eight floors, the full-service restaurant Café MeSo and a lobby bar, Proof 19, that serves 30 varieties of tequila.

The pet-friendly hotel also boasts inroom recycling, filtered water dispensers on every floor, eco-friendly toiletries and water-saving opt-out room service

Chandler rated a top 10 ‘digital city’

The City of Chandler was recognized as one of the top 10 Digital Cities Survey award recipients, by the Center for Digital Government for using technology to tackle social challenges, enhance services and strengthen cybersecurity.

Chandler ranked ninth among cities with a population of 250,000-499,999.

“Chandler has a long-held commitment to innovation and technology, and looks for opportunities for smart, sustainable solutions and innovative ideas that promote efficiency, productivity and connectivity,” the center said.

Mayor Kevin Hartke said the award “speaks to the talented and innovative staff throughout the city who work day in and day out to ensure our Community of Innovation remains at the forefront of technological advancements and has the infrastructure in place to facilitate future opportunities.”

Senior living community in Chandler gets J.D. Power nod

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New golf instruction, club-fitting center opens

Clarendale of Chandler, has achieved top scores for customer satisfaction in the J.D. Power 2019 U.S. Senior Living Study.

The senior community ranked tops in all seven study categories, including resident services and activities, staff, food and beverage. new resident orientation, cost, community and grounds and resident apartment unit. Life Care Services, the nation’s second-largest senior living operator, scored 843 on a 1,000-point scale, a full 49 index points above the second-highest performing senior living organization.

The J.D. Power 2019 U.S. Senior Living Study examines industry-level performance metrics of senior living providers, and highlights the best practices that are critical to customer satisfaction, advocacy, and loyalty.

Clarendale of Chandler will serve more than 230 residents and 70 team members.

“The J.D. Power award represents the voice of the senior living customer, and I can’t think of a more important voice than that of the residents we serve,” said Joel Nelson, president and CEO of LCS, the parent company for Life Care Services.

“Clarendale of Chandler employees have

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a passion for serving seniors, and their dedication to its residents continually inspires me.”

J.D. Power surveyed 3,021 residents, family members and friends of residents living in independent living, assisted living, or memory care communities across the United States.

Information: ClarendaleOfChandler. com or 480-630-1515.

GOLFTEC has opened a state-of-the-art instruction and club fitting center at 7131 W. Ray Road, Chandler.

Relocating from 880 N 54th Street, the new facility is staffed by a veteran team of coaches and includes four teaching/ practice bays along with a putting and warm-up areas, advanced motion measurement, video analysis, launch monitors and putting lessons powered by TECPUTT. The new location also features an enhanced custom club fitting program.

The TOUR-like fitting experience combines swing characteristics with ball flight data to help identify optimal equipment for each student. An array of clubhead and shaft options is available.

The company claims its students drop seven strokes in their game and that 75 percent of those who have gone through its driver fitting have gained an average of 25 yards over their previous equipment.

Chandler GOLFTEC Center will be managed by Toby Baldwin, a PGA professional who has taught over 20,000 lessons and was one of the “2015 Best Teachers in Arizona” by Golf Digest.

Information: golftec.com or 877-446-5383.

Chandler agency raises over $156K for charities

HDE Agency, which stages some of Chandler’s biggest annual events, said the events it sponsored Valleywide this year drew 140,000 people and raised $156,600 that it donated to local nonprofits.

“It has been an honor establishing positive relationships and supporting these local nonprofits’ missions year after year,” said owner Landon Evans.

“We love entertaining the community by hosting our signature events throughout

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Arizona and giving back to these amazing charitable organizations is not only gratifying but one of the major catalysts for us.”

The KNIX BBQ & Beer Festival in March was the agency’s largest event of the year, attracting more than 30,000 people.

“Because of this, HDE’s largest donation of the year was given to the Downtown Chandler Community Partnership to help drive local economic development and the city beatification programming,” the company said.

The remaining signature events – including the Angry Crab Cajun Fest, the Rockin’ Taco Street Festival and The Town of Gilbert Oktoberfest – “had both impressive turnouts and community support which enabled HDE Agency to support several other local non-profits including Junior Achievement of Arizona, Downtown Phoenix Inc., HeartStrings Foundation, ICM Food & Clothing Bank and Phoenix Children’s Hospital,” HDE said in a release.

Stemtree Education Center opening in Chandler

Chandler Stemtree Education Center will hold its grand opening at 10 a.m. Dec. 14 at 4940 W. Ray Road.

Stemtree boasts “a unique approach to providing students in grades K-12 with one-on-one instruction in science, technology and engineering” and is inviting the public to tour its facility.

“Stemtree is the first after-school center in the area to offer STEM-focused enrichment through hands-on projects and experiments which we have aptly named ‘workouts,’” a company release stated. “Students enjoy learning outside of a traditional classroom setting through a highly structured, yet highly customizable curriculum. Flexible scheduling and individual attention ensures students can progress at their own pace.”

During the week, after school programs are offered at the elementary, middle and high school levels with optional pickup at local elementary schools.

Students also get support for homework and test preparation as needed. A home school program is available weekdays. It also sponsors summer camps and hosts science-related birthday parties.

Information: stemtree.com/chandler

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BUSINESS

SANTAN SUN NEWS | WWW.SANTANSUN.COM | DECEMBER 7-20, 2019

27

Chandler teams shine in Intel robotics tournament SANTAN SUN NEWS STAFF

More than 200 elementary and secondary school students from throughout the East Valley descended on Intel’s Chandler complex last month to vie for robotics distinction.

Of the Chandler teams competing in a FIRST Lego League regional tournament, two won big awards and two others qualified for the state tournament.

And there were some individuals who won awards as well. Two Intel engineers, Rajnish Maini and Alan Tu, won the Best Volunteer Award and Best Coach Award, respectively, while Elaina Ashton, a senior at Arizona College Prep – Erie, earned the Best Youth Mentor Award. Coaches and mentors also included Robaba Shakiba of Intel), Jennifer Warren of American Airlines and Mamadou Diatta of Syntax.

The tournament champion was The Resistance and another Chandler team called the Street Rats won the Core Values Award. Two other Chandler teams, the Golden Knights and the Techno Destroyers, qualified for the state tournament.

The Resistance, sponsored by the nonprofit Education Empowers and coached

by Tu and mentored by Elaina, comprises mainly sixth through eighth graders, although one member, Jenna Carter, is in ninth grade at Tempe Prep.

The other members include Ethan Ashton, a seventh grader at Kyrene Aprende Middle School, Ria Nimbkar, an 8th grader at ACP Oakland; Reid Warren, 6th grade, Tempe Academy of International Studies;

Going over their plans that ultimately captured the top award in the FIRST Lego League robotics competition hosted last month by Intel are members of The Resistance, Trey Fisher and Ria Nimbkar.

(Chris Mortenson/Staff Photographer)

Landin Tu, 6th grade, Conley Elementary; Bacary Diatta, 6th grade, Tempe Prep; Trey Fisher, 8th Kyrene Aprende; Saba Mendoza, 7th, ACP Oakland; and Brooke Sanders, 8th, BASIS Mesa.

The Resistance developed a project aimed at cleaning trash in public places with the capability of sorting and shredding, powered by solar panels.

“We had learned, through researching

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INTEL on page 28

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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.

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local problems in our community, that trash was a big factor,” Saba explained.

“After presenting this data, our team decided that this would be our project.”

Some members were inspired to join the team through their association with Education Empowers: Landin’s father is a coworker with the nonprofit’s founder, Anna Prakash, who is Trey’s mother. Like most of the participants in the tourna-

ment, Resistance members found the competition a fun challenge.

“It is fun overall to be able to find a problem and formulate a solution,” Saba said. “It was also fun to be able to calibrate as a team and work together to create a working idea, that formed into a real thing.”

Added Brooke: “In addition to continuing to help me develop programming skills and skills to research and solve real life problems, the program helped me learn the importance of working as a team to get to the best decisions. I also learned to appreciate the importance of core values such as inclusion while having fun and developing relationships with other students from different schools.

“In addition, the opportunity to get exposed to real scientists, engineers and experts in different fields to get more insight on solutions that can be used to solve problems encountered throughout the missions has been wonderful.

Education Empowers also sponsored another trophy winner, the Street Rats, who were coached by Dominic Sirianni, Michael Mowry and Brian Romero. That team includes Arete Prep eighth grader Connor Friend and three seventh graders: Harper Mowry of SanTan Junior High, Gabriel Garcia or Taylor Junior High and Violent Sanchez of Ward Traditional Academy.

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INTEL

BUSINESS

from page 27

tions to the problems caused by climate change,” Connor said. “Sea level rise is a problem nearly all cities will face by 2050.

We want to solve that problem by building modular floating cities.”

The Golden Knights, affiliated with ICAN Chandler and also sponsored by

SANTAN SUN NEWS | WWW.SANTANSUN.COM | DECEMBER 7-20, 2019

Education Empowers, will now advance to the state tournament. It includes fifth graders Daniel Fernandez of Frye Elementary, Joanna Apodaca of Hartford Elementary and Jose Medina of Shumway Elementary. The rest, all in fourth grade, included Stefania Soto, Galveston Elementary; Cole Ogba of Frye, Allisson Rios of Bologna, Jonathan Gonzalez of San Marcos and Kaetlyn Philpot of Hartford.

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1) The Golden Knights, the team that included youth from ICAN, will be advancing to the state tournament.

2) Golden Knight William Flores carefully puts together his part of the team’s project. 3) Sujan Sureshkumar of the Chandler Boys and Girls Club team, Warrior Robots, was proud of his participation in the Intel-hosted tournament. 4) Madison Loprino, another member of Warrior Robots, looks over the project. 5) Joanna Apodaca and William Flores of the ICAN Golden Knights played key roles in the team’s project. 6) Christina Altamirano and Angel Ruiz were part of the Hartford Elementary School team, Los Robos Locos. 7) Chamira Allen of the Warrior Robots makes sure all the pieces are where they should be.

All photographs by Chris Mortenson/Staff Photographer

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SANTAN SUN NEWS | WWW.SANTANSUN.COM | DECEMBER 7-20, 2019

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Jam sessions with Alice Cooper at his Christmas Pudding Fundraiser always bring out some of the best musicians for a memorable experience.

(File photo)

Alice Cooper reforms band for Christmas Pudding CHRISTINA FUOCO-KARASINSKI

Staff Writer

Alice Cooper has been embedded into the Valley since he moved here in the late 1960s, but it doesn’t mean his heart isn’t in his home state of Michigan.

“Go Lions!” he exclaims as he hangs up the phone.

This forthcoming album is a love letter to Detroit. He used Detroit musicians like drummer Johnny “Bee” Badanjek; guitarists Mark Farner and Wayne Kramer;

along with Motown session musicians.

“It’s a tip of the hat to Detroit,” says Cooper, calling from Huntsville, Alabama.

“For some reason, with Detroit musicians, there’s a certain amount of R&B in guitar playing, in the drums, in the bass. They can’t get away from it. It’s built-in—even with the hard rock stuff.”

He’ll spend 2020 promoting his new album, but this holiday season, his efforts are in Phoenix where he’ll host the Christmas Pudding Fundraiser at 7 p.m.

Saturday, Dec. 14, at the Celebrity Theatre.

Cooper’s signature event will bring together Michael Bruce, Neal Smith and Dennis Dunaway from the original Alice Cooper Band. Other guests include Judas Priest frontman Rob Halford of Paradise Valley; guitarist extraordinaire Joe Bonamassa; Gary Cherone and Nuno Bettencourt of Extreme; musician/ comedian Gary Mule Deer; Cooper’s guitarist Nita Strauss; Mark Slaughter of Slaughter; and comedian Jim Breuer.

See

COOPER on page 31

Free programs presented by museum SANTAN SUN NEWS STAFF

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. Dec. 3

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

Get a Taste of Chandler history during 30-minute talks led by museum curators.

Bring your lunch as you listen. Today’s topic is the Tumbleweed Christmas Tree.

How did the Tumbleweed Tree tradition get started in Chandler? Hear interesting tidbits from the 60+ year history of Chandler’s best known holiday tradition.

Gain some insights to how the tree is installed and constructed. Get a taste of Chandler history during 30-minute talks led by museum curators. Bring some take out or a brown bag lunch.

C-Town Suitcase Club 10-11 a.m. Dec. 17

This early childhood program for ages 3-5 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. Today’s topic: Shoes

STEM Saturday

11 a.m.-2 p.m. Dec. 14 See

MUSEUM on page 30

SANTAN SUN NEWS | WWW.SANTANSUN.COM | DECEMBER 7-20, 2019

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• Lego Club • STEAM Club • Toddlertime

• Read to a Dog • Toddlertime • Lapsit Babytime

• Arizona Science Center: Victoria Exhibition

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• Toddlertime • Suns Game

• STEAM Club

• Last Minute Gifts

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• Arizona Science Center: Victoria Exhibition

• Read to a Dog • Suns Game

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• Arizona Science Center: Victoria Exhibition

• • • •

Toddlertime Suns Game Ready, Set, Preschool!

Lego Clu

• Lego Club • Make It! Take It! Holiday Gifts

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• Monthly Family Bird Walks • Tumbleweed Tree Lighting & Parade of Lights • Arizona Railway Museum • ImprovMANIA • Read to a Dog • Chandler Farmers Market

• ImprovMANIA

• ImprovMANIA • Lucky Star Crafternoon

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• Arizona Science Center: Victoria Exhibition

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• ImprovMANIA

• • • •

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• Arizona Railway Museum

Arizona Railway Museum ImprovMANIA Chandler Farmers Market Journey to the Moon

Arizona Railway Museum ImprovMANIA Chandler Farmers Market Suns Game

• • • •

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Arizona Railway Museum ImprovMANIA Chandler Farmers Market Journey to the Moon

• Arizona Railway Museum

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• Arizona Railway Museum • ImprovMANIA • Chandler Farmers Market

• Arizona Railway Museum

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• Arizona Science Center: Victoria Exhibition

SEE

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

MUSEUM

from page 29

aMUSEment

11 a.m.-2 p.m. Dec. 28

Join the Chandler Museum and Museum of Science and Sustainability for investigations into science topics. Today’s topic: “Heavy Dude: The Science of Mass and Gravity” Why do dust bunnies form?

Why does the earth rotate around the sun? Learn the science behind these questions.

A day of play, historical games, fun and merriment at the MUSEum. “Tinkering with Building Toys” is the topic. Come create and build your own designs with blocks, TinkerToys, and Lincoln Logs. This program is a fun escape for all ages.

Demonstration Day

Through Jan. 5 Featuring 51 aprons from the early 1900s through the present, this exhibition chronicles changing attitudes toward women and domestic work. Elaborately embroidered aprons of delicate cotton, for example, were worn by well-heeled women of the 1920s. In contrast, the Depression and war years of the 1930s and 1940s inspired sturdy, calico bib aprons. The post-war 1940s and 1950s— the June Cleaver era—stand out as the

11 a.m.-2 p.m. Dec. 21

Experience a historical craft, demonstration or performance with our special guest Tiffany Egnor as she discusses and shows the art of gift wrapping. Learn some easy and affordable gift wrap methods that you can put into practice just in time for the holidays. Bring a gift in and we’ll provide the instruction and the supplies to wrap it beautifully.

Exhibits

CALENDAR PAGE 31

acknowledged heyday of the apron, when commercial and intricately handdecorated aprons flourished as symbols of family and motherhood. An opening reception for this exhibit will be Thursday, Nov. 21 from 6-8 p.m.

loss and incarceration in the Arizona desert. See the photos, hear the stories, read the names of incarcerated, and view the community contributed paper cranes in this transformative exhibition.

A Program of ExhibitsUSA, a national division of Mid-America Arts Alliance and The National Endowment for the Arts.

Free 45-minute tours led by our volunteer docents. The tour will give you insights into the architectural and artistic components of the museum campus as well as details about Chandler’s history.

Each Tuesday and Wednesday 10 a.m.-1 p.m. and Sunday 1-4 p.m. The museum is always looking for volunteers to join the docent team. Contact Linda.Voss@ chandleraz.gov for more information.

Gaman: Enduring Japanese American Internment at Gila River Through 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

Docent Tours

East Valley History Center

Open weekly to researchers. The museum’s archival materials are available through the help of a research assistant.

Thursdays 2-5 p.m.

SANTAN SUN NEWS | WWW.SANTANSUN.COM | DECEMBER 7-20, 2019

CALENDAR

org.

from page 30

7 Monthly Family Bird Walks, 8 a.m.-noon. Desert Rivers Audubon leads free guided birdwatching tours through Veterans Oasis Park the first Saturday of every month from November to April. One-hour walks begin every 30-minutes. Sunscreen, closed-toe shoes, and plenty of water are recommended.

Environmental Education Center, 4050 E. Chandler Heights Road, Chandler, free, 480-782-2889, desertriversaudubon.org.

7 Tumbleweed Tree Lighting & Parade of Lights, 4:309 p.m. Celebrate the holiday season in Chandler at the annual lighting of the Tumbleweed Christmas tree and the Parade of Lights. There will be food, entertainment, craft booths and more.

Downtown Chandler, 25 S. Arizona Place No. 330, Chandler, free, chandleraz.org.

7, 8, 14, 15, 21, 22, 28, 29 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 $2 per person or $5 per family/group. Information: Tim at 480-833-4353 or Bart Barton at 480-831-6520, azrymuseum.org.

7, 13, 14, 20, 21, 27, 28 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 Avenue, Chandler, $10, 480-699-4598, improvmania.net.

7, 9, 23 Read to a Dog, times vary. Children of all ages are welcome to practice their reading skills with a certified therapy dog.

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

COOPER

7, 14, 21, 28 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.

9 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.

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

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

10 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.

10, 17 STEAM Club, 4-5 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 Street, Chandler, free, 480-782-2800, chandlerlibrary.org.

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

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

10, 17 STEAM Club, 4-5 p.m. Come to the Chandler Library STEAM Club and have fun every Tuesday with

31

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.

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

11 Lapsit Babytime, 10-11 a.m. Read books, listen to music and interact with fun puppets at playtime. All activities are designed for newborns to 18-monthold children. One parent for each child is highly recommended.

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

11 Suns Game, 7 p.m. Watch the Phoenix Suns take on the Memphis Grizzlies at Talking Stick Resort Arena.

Talking Stick Resort Arena, 201 E. Jefferson Street, Phoenix. $8 to $316. 602-379-7867, nba.com/suns.

12 Toddlertime, 9:15 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.

12 Ready, Set, Preschool! 10:15 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.

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

12, 19 Lego Club, 3:30-4:30 p.m. Meet new friends and have fun building with Lego. Lego are supplied, imagination required. No registration required. Lego Club is a Vertex program, where Chandler Public Library intersects with STEAM and makerspace.

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

14 Journey to the Moon, 2 p.m. The Arizona Science Center is stopping by the library to teach about the Apollo 11 moon landing. The program is designed for

t? o G ws Ne

16, 24, 26, 30, 31 Arizona Science Center: Victoria Exhibition, various times. Visit the Science Center this winter to see the largest touring tyrannosaurus rex, Victoria. The skeleton was initially discovered in South Dakota in 2013 and has undergone years of research and restoration.

Arizona Science Center, 600 Washington Street, Phoenix, 602-716-2000, $11.95 in addition to general admission, azscience.org.

18 Last-Minute Gifts, 5 p.m. Make a last-minute gift for a family member or friend for the holiday season.

Gifts being made include book pins, handmade photo frames and cards. There is a gift for everyone at all ages to make.

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

19 Make It! Take It! Holiday Gifts, 9:15-9:45 a.m. Craft supplies will be available for children to make their own personal Christmas gift for the holidays. This activity helps them to develop fine motor skills.

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

20 Lucky Star Crafternoon, 2 p.m. Spend a winter break afternoon making crafts for the holiday season. For this craft, children can make a bag filled with tiny origami stars.

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

21 Suns Game, 7 p.m. Watch the Phoenix Suns take on the Houston Rockets at Talking Stick Resort Arena.

Talking Stick Resort Arena, 201 E. Jefferson Street, Phoenix. $8 to $316. 602-379-7867, nba.com/suns.

23 Suns Game, 7 p.m. Watch the Phoenix Suns take on the Denver Nuggets at Talking Stick Resort Arena.

Talking Stick Resort Arena, 201 E. Jefferson Street, Phoenix. $8 to $316. 602-379-7867, nba.com/suns.

100 children a day and Cooper sees them work.

“I’ll see kids who transform from negative to being positive kids,” he says. “I just love seeing the progression. I’ll see a kid pick up a guitar and three years later, he’s a lead guitarist in a band.

“He’s more addicted to that and he has a career in front of him, rather than saying, ‘I don’t know what I’m going to do. I’ll just sell drugs.’ I’m not saying every teen is like that. Some are born into it. I like the idea of the kids coming in from the worst parts of town and the rich parts of town and the common denominator is music. They say, ‘Why don’t we put a band together?’”

Solid Rock Teen Center is a Christian nonprofit, but Cooper says, he and his staff don’t press guests about religion.

“We’re not sitting around beating you over the head with a Bible,” he says.

“We’re not judging anybody. This is open for you. Come on in.”

from page 29

“Every year, I try to get an entirely different lineup,” Cooper says. “I thought, ‘Who haven’t we had on the show?’

Bonamassa is going to be great. He’s one of the greatest guitar players of all time.

Rob Halford, the guys from Extreme, the original Alice Cooper Band, Jim Breuer, Gary Mule Deer, Mark Slaughter, and we invited Nita Strauss and her boyfriend, who plays the drums. They have an album out. She was just voted one of the best female guitarists in the world. She’s going to come up and do a couple songs.

“We make it very loose. Everybody can sit in with everybody. I’ve invited Johnny Depp. He’s been to the Pudding five or six times. If he wants to drop in, he can.”

Depp and Alice Cooper, along with Aerosmith’s Joe Perry, perform as the Hollywood Vampires, who return to the road in the spring.

“The Hollywood Vampires is entirely different than my show,” Cooper says.

“We’re one of the last hard rock bands out there. It’s fun. The Alice Cooper show is much more produced like a storyline. I call the Vampires ‘the world’s most expensive bar band.’

“The Alice Cooper band never talks to the audience until the end of the show. I don’t want Alice to be human. I want him to be a character. In the Vampires shows, I tell stories about Jim Morrison, The Who

children ages 3 through 8.

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

Alice Cooper recast himself as Scrooge in a video two years ago to promote his Christmas Pudding fundraiser.

(YouTube)

and John Lennon. That’s the nature of the show.”

Proceeds benefit the free music, dance, arts and vocational programs for teens ages 12 to 20 at Alice Cooper’s Solid Rock Teen Center.

“You’re never going to run out of teenagers who have the potential to go left or right,” Cooper says.

“They’re going to go in a really good direction or a damning sorts of direction where they’re going to get shot or go to jail. I try to give those same kids the opportunity to come in and try to learn art and dance, but mostly they come in to learn guitar, bass and drums. Everything is free.”

The Solid Rock Teen Center sees about

If you go

What: Alice Cooper’s Christmas Pudding Fundraiser Where: The Celebrity Theatre, 440 N. 32nd St., Phoenix When: 7 p.m. Dec. 14 Tickets: $50 to $220 Information: 602-267-1600, celebritytheatre.com

Contact Contact Paul Paul Maryniak Maryniak at at 480-898-5647 or or pmaryniak@timespublications.com pmaryniak@timespublications.com

SANTAN SUN NEWS | WWW.SANTANSUN.COM | DECEMBER 7-20, 2019

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Holiday Happenings with Chandler Parks & Recreation!

This month, Chandler Parks & Recreation has lined up some holiday happenings filled with maker merriment, seasonal special guests and jolly jams. From stargazing, to jingle bell rocking with Santa, to walking in a winter wonderland, we’ve got a holiday spectacular of special events that will ensure a jolly season for all. 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.

 chandleraz.gov/breaktime

FREE

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SAT., DEC. 14 | Noon-3 p.m.

Chandler Tennis Center

DEC. 23-JAN. 3

With the little elves out of school for winter break, it’s time to plan some Yule-tide fun to celebrate the season (and help burn off all that candy cane energy). From sports to arts and crafts to nature explorations our winter break camps offer a variety of opportunities to ensure a jolly season for all. Morning, afternoon and full day sessions are available. Check out our camp locations for winter themed curriculum.  chanderaz.gov/camps

SAT., DEC. 7 | 4:30-9 p.m.

Downtown Chandler

Get ready to light up your night and ring in the holidays at Chandler’s 63rd Annual Tumbleweed Tree Lighting. The holiday spectacular kicks off at 4:30 p.m. with festive crafts, energizing rides and a glowing pageantry of lights. The celebration culminates with the lighting of the Tumbleweed Tree at 8 p.m. Kids of all ages can sip hot chocolate, send letters to Santa and make holiday crafts. It’s an evening of merriment the whole family can enjoy.  chanderaz.gov/tumbleweedtree

Don your worst apparel and join us at the Tennis Center for an Ugly Sweater Social!

Run, walk or prance your way across the court as you enjoy some friendly competition and winter wonderland festivities. This season social is designed for players rated 3.0 or higher. Pre-registration is required.  chanderaz.gov/registration

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FRI., DEC. 6

6-8 p.m. | Veterans Oasis Park

Spend an evening under the starry sky where you’ll enjoy galaxies, games and goodies. Stargazers may see spectacular views of planets, double stars, nebulae, star clusters and more. Telescopes are provided and viewing will begin when the sky is dark. Set your sights on clear skies as you take a self-guided tour on the Chandler Solar System Walk. Telescope viewing may be canceled due to inclement weather but activities inside the EEC will still be available.  chanderaz.gov/eec

SAT., DEC. 7 | 5:30-8 p.m.

Chandler Community Center

Get into the holiday spirit and join Chandler’s active adult community for their annual Holiday Dinner Dance. Evening includes catered dinner, live music, and merry marking with Santa, himself. Preregistration is required.  chanderaz.gov/registration

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THU., DEC. 19 | 6-7 p.m.

Veterans Oasis Park

Dusk Jockey, anyone? Head over to Veterans Oasis Park with your blankets, chairs and coolers to enjoy a free concert under the stars. The Real Thing Band delivers an exhilarating live performance that pulls from an extensive holiday music repertoire.  chanderaz.gov/eec

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SANTAN SUN NEWS | WWW.SANTANSUN.COM | DECEMBER 7-20, 2019

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For more community news visit SanTanSun.com

Synchronized skating team a first for Arizona

BY ZACH ALVIRA Sports Editor

It’s a sport that has rarely ever been seen in Arizona, and one that has never had a team representing the Grand Canyon State.

That is, until now.

The Ice Denettes, a synchronized skating team made up of both boys and girls ranging from ages 5 to 18, has been practicing out of the Chandler and Scottsdale Ice Den locations for the past three years at the recreational level. They are the first team of this kind in Arizona.

“There’s a need for this,” said Danette Trett, one of the founders of the Ice Denettes. “There’s a lot of kids that are loving skating but want to participate in a team sport. It’s very popular on the east coast but not so popular in the west.

“California has a few teams, so it is starting to move this way. It’s kind of cool.”

Named after the venue in which they practice, the Ice Denettes was established three years ago by Trett and Jaime Kalnicki, who both have extensive backgrounds in synchronized ice skating.

Trett competed in show skating events dating back to when she was a kid. At the time, the sport was called precision skating. Kalnicki also competed.

The two senior coaches recently enlisted the help of Felicity Lothrop and Jacqueline Benson. Lothrop, who moved the Valley last November, competed in synchronized skating in her home state

Team Synergy, the Ice Denettes oldest and most competitive group, took fourth in their first competition in Irvine, Calif. on Saturday, Nov. 9. The other three Ice Denettes groups placed in the top two of their respective divisions.

(Chris Mortenson/Staff Photographer)

of New York. She also competed on the national team.

Benson, meanwhile, is currently a student at Arizona State University, dedicating her time to help kids learn and compete in the sport she also competes in and loves.

All of the coaches together have created a family environment for the skaters, which is an aspect they realized quickly kids need and want to help lead them toward success.

“Ice skating isn’t like this traditionally, it’s very individual and you usually don’t

have a community,” Kalnicki said. “We’ve all figured out recently that kids want and need that. We’ve started creating that atmosphere through parties and other activities.

“We are doing things to build the team which these kids don’t have.”

The entire coaching staff has seen exponential growth in the program since last year. The Ice Denettes previously had just two teams, made up of skaters from Ahwatukee, Mesa, Gilbert, Chandler, Scottsdale and elsewhere in the Valley.

Now, however, there are four different

teams that compete. With the influx of skaters brought along the opportunity to make the jump to a competitive skating league. It also meant the coaches had to hold auditions for specific teams in order to enter them in as a group into a category that matched their skill level.

Team Rising Stars was created for the intermediate skill level, where some of the youngest skaters participate. The Ice Denettes also have Team Unity, which is the next level up from the Rising Stars, Team Harmony and Team Synergy, which competes in the Open Juvenile Division, the most competitive of the four.

On Saturday, Nov. 9, the Ice Denettes took part in the Synchronized Fall Classic in Irvine, Calif. It was their first-ever competition at the competitive level. But that didn’t stop them from impressing on a national stage.

Team Synergy place fourth out of 13 teams, while Team Harmony and Unity both placed second. Team Rising Stars, the youngest group, placed first overall.

“This is a project we put together for four different teams, which we were told we probably wouldn’t be able to do, but we did it,” Kalnicki said. “Nobody does this is Arizona, so there really isn’t someone we can model after. We are the first and the only team.

“We are kind of figuring things out as we go.”

The Ice Denettes plan to compete in another competition in San Diego, Calif. in See

SKATING on page 39

Chandler vs. Saguaro: The game everyone has waited for

BY ZACH ALVIRA Sports Editor

It’s finally happening.

Chandler and Saguaro, two of the most dominant prep football teams in the state in recent years will finally face off against one another to be crowned true state champion.

It will likely be the first time this many future Division I athletes will be on the field at the same time outside of postseason All-Star games. It’s a historic matchup that will cap off a historic prep football season in Arizona.

Chandler, the top-ranked team in the tournament, advanced to the championship after beating No. 8 Chaparral in the quarterfinals and No. 4 Salpointe Catholic in Tucson. The Wolves beat the Firebirds convincingly but struggled at times again a Lancer team filled with Division I talent.

Salpointe senior running back and Texas commit Bijan Robinson, arguably the best running back to ever come out of Arizona, surpassed 7,000 career rushing yards against the Wolves and had a 50yard touchdown run. His teammate, senior athlete and Ohio State commit Latham Ransom, helped limit Chandler’s high-powered offense on defense and added a 68-yard touchdown reception of his own.

But Chandler’s stifling defense proved to

Left: Saguaro, the No. 3 ranked team in the Open Division playoffs, rallied to defeat Hamilton to move on to the state championship game. (Chris Mortenson/Tribune Staff) Right: After defeating Salpointe Catholic in the Open Division semifinals, top-ranked Chandler will compete for the state championship. (Pablo Robles/Staff Photographer)

be the difference, as a dominant fourth quarter filled with sacks and a fumble recovered in the end zone fueled Chandler’s will to come out with the win.

Saguaro, the No. 3 team in the Open playoffs, dominated No. 6 Horizon in the quarterfinals before taking on a seventh-ranked Hamilton team that had just beaten the two-time defending 5A champion in Centennial a week prior. The Huskies caught the Sabercats off guard, at one point jumping out to a 16-3 lead.

But Hamilton senior quarterback sidelined with an injury late in the game, Saguaro

clawed back into it and eventually took the lead and the win.

Hamilton and Salpointe pushed the top two teams in the state, regardless of classification, to their limits in the semifinals. They, along with south the rest of the Open teams, will forever be a part of history.

But now it’s time for more to be made.

The matchup between Chandler and Saguaro is one fans have wanted to see for years. It’s one that will give the winner ultimate bragging rights. But not just for current players on the roster, for the

alumni as well. Players that have already made their way through each program, who for years were asked whether they would be able to beat one another if they played.

The time for speculation is over. On Saturday, Dec. 7 at 4 p.m., thousands are expected to fill Sun Devil Stadium to watch Chandler and Saguaro compete for the Open Division State Championship.

It’s a matchup years in the making. It’s a matchup fans have asked for. Finally, the question, “who would win?” will be answered.

38

SPORTS & RECREATION

SANTAN SUN NEWS | WWW.SANTANSUN.COM | DECEMBER 7-20, 2019

Hamilton players reflect on bounce-back season

BY ERIC NEWMAN Staff Writer

Tears were shed by several players at Coronado High on Saturday, Nov. 23 as the turnaround Hamilton football season came to a close with a 20-16 loss to Saguaro in the Open Division semifinals.

The Huskies are a year removed from a troubling 3-7 season in which they missed the playoffs for the first time in program history. However, with many of the same players and coaches, Hamilton righted the ship and went 8-2 in the regular season, 9-3 including two games in the newly-formed Open Division.

Junior quarterback Gavin Goulette, who entered the game late when senior Nick Arvay was injured, said the community was questioning the team all offseason. But, a semifinal berth in the state’s top playoff bracket confirms the Huskies’ notion in their locker room that things would be alright.

“We put our heads down as soon as we didn’t make it last November, and worked to see what we could do. So, to get to this point is just amazing,” Goulette said.

Goulette’s pass on fourth-and-goal in the final seconds of the game fell incomplete due to an immense Saguaro pass rush, and the black-clad Saguaro defense celebrated the win. It was the first time the Sabercats had truly been tested since Halloween against Chaparral.

The semifinal score is the first close game Saguaro’s played since an 18-10 loss to San Diego Cathedral Catholic on Oct. 31, the team’s second game of the season.

Left: Hamilton senior wide receiver Brenden Rice, a Colorado commit, was one of the top players for the Huskies in their turnaround season. Right: Hamilton senior quarterback Nick Arvay, who was sidelined with an injury late in the game against Saguaro, led the Hamilton offense to success this season as one of the top four teams in the state. (Chris Mortenson/Staff)

Hamilton senior Brendan Maslin said the loss was a “tough pill to swallow,” but even playing the Sabercats close and having a chance to win at the end is a cause for celebration.

“They, with their six titles in a row, saw some competition tonight. I know for a fact they felt us, and now everybody knows what we’re made of,” Maslin said.

Hamilton’s defense was able to shut down one of the state’s most prolific offenses, at least more than the other competition Saguaro has faced in 2019.

20 points is the lowest Saguaro scored against an Arizona team since putting up 12 against Pinnacle High in 2015. The Huskies started a few freshmen and sopho-

mores on that side of the ball.

Hamilton’s freshman and junior varsity rosters also boast several talented players, who merely did not make the varsity roster because of the talent of the older and more experienced Huskies. While some of the state’s top talent at the offensive skill positions will graduate – Arvay and receiver Brenden Rice were among the highly-regarded players at their positions this season – the defense will likely be a strength moving forward.

“We’re going to be back every year.

We’ve got four years of talent, way more players that are good on the younger teams,” said freshman cornerback Cole Martin. “It’s going to be a bright future on

defense and offense too.”

It will take some time to heal the wounds from the loss, and many will never have a chance for revenge at all.

For seniors like Maslin, there will be no more Husky football to be played. However, the massive turnaround in record and team spirit constitutes, in his mind, something the graduating players can be proud of.

“Going from 3-7 to now, we set a legacy for Hamilton,” Maslin said. “I know the next junior class are going to step up as leaders, and the ones coming up are set because of what this year’s team accomplished.”

“The Hamilton Huskies are back.”

Basha wins 6A volleyball state championship

BY BRITTANY BOWYER Contributor

The third-ranked Basha Bears girls volleyball program found themselves facing an uphill battle on Tuesday night at Desert Financial Arena in Tempe, as they trailed top-seeded and district rival Perry by two sets in the 6A Girls Volleyball State Championship.

But the Bears didn’t let the deficit get to them, as they managed to force a decisive fifth set. Basha ultimately pulled out the victory in the final set of the match to defeat Perry 3-2 (14-25, 21-25, 32-30, 25-23, 15-10) and claim the 6A title.

“We have nothing but respect for that team, that program, those players,” Basha coach Terri Spann said. “We know every point matters. So, I just couldn’t be more proud.”

It was the third time this season that a match between Basha and Perry went to five sets. The two teams split the regular-season contests. On both occasions, however, it was the Pumas to play from behind. But Tuesday night’s match was the first time either team came back from a two-set deficit.

Perry dominated the first two sets as junior middle blocker Makayla Long got off to a fast start with four kills at the net.

Senior outside hitters Tatum Stall and Sian Richardson and junior outside hitter Ella Rud contributed greatly to the Pumas’ offense and defense with 31 combined kills and six digs through the first two sets.

Basha senior Jaelyn Hodge’s 33 kills helped lift the Bears over district-rival and top-ranked Perry in the 6A championship. (Chris Mortenson)

Basha High’s girls volleyball program battled back from a two-set deficit to beat top-ranked Perry for the 6A state championship in five sets on Tuesday night at Arizona State’s Desert Financial Arena. (Brittany Bowyer/Contributor)

It wasn’t until the third set when there was a true momentum shift that could be felt by everyone in the arena, as the Bears avoided a sweep with a score of 32-30.

Basha players said that a moment like that might be overwhelming for some, but for them, it was no big deal. Not only did they prepare to be in situations like that, but they worked hard to ensure their conditioning was up to speed so they could continue to fight.

Standout senior Jaelyn Hodge, whose 33 kills helped carry the team to the win, said that the victory was largely based on the team’s ability to trust in each other and their preparation, both mentally and physically.

“Great coaching and conditioning, and just working hard for every point,” Hodge said. She added, “Just being fearless and swinging through every ball and trusting your teammates,” were all keys to the Bears’ success.

It was a sentiment echoed by seniors Haley Carrington and Samantha Drewry.

“We’ve been there before, so I knew we could push it,” said Carrington, who led the team with 22 digs. “We’ve gone into the 30s in sets and I knew that we could come back and we could get through, and we just needed to get into a position where we could strike and get the two points and get the set.”

“We do drills like that all the time in practice,” added Drewry, who had 26 kills and 11 digs. “Coming back from hard deficits, See

VOLLEYBALL on page 39

SPORTS & RECREATION

SANTAN SUN NEWS | WWW.SANTANSUN.COM | DECEMBER 7-20, 2019

SKATING

from page 37

March. Before then, however, the coaching staff is planning to put together an exhibition here in the Valley in the next couple of months.

Their main goal is to continue to grow the team to add groups for competition.

Auditions will be held in March, so they go into the summer months with the different groups already established for competitions in the fall.

“We want to set up the program when the summer hits so when we go into the competitive season, we are ready instead of still trying to choreograph and find music,” Trett said.

The Ice Denettes welcome all skaters to join the team, however, some skating experience is required. Each skater is responsible for paying for their own equipment, but the coaches set up fund-

VOLLEYBALL

from page 38

and 24-24 drills. So I knew we could do it, I knew as soon as we were in that position we could push through and win the set.”

The two teams continued to trade blows in the fourth set, as neither was able to pull away. After several lead changes, Basha managed to force a decisive fifth set, sending Desert Financial Arena into a frenzy.

“I already knew at 0-0 in game 5 we were winning,” Spann said. “You don’t go against Perry for five sets and just lay on

39

raisers and do what they can to keep the cost down.

The team generally practices once a week for 45 minutes. Before competitions, they may add another practice or two, but the goal is to allow the skaters to compete in other club or school sports as well.

“We are working diligently to keep the cost down and not have it be so demanding,” Trett said. “So, the kids that are in the elite schools and other activities can still participate in this particular sport.”

The coaches tend to put in several hours of work outside the 45 minutes per week at practice, but it’s something they do out of pure joy and love for the sport.

From finding costumes to music and creating the choreography, it’s a job that is necessary to help the team succeed in national competitions.

They believe the work they put in behind the scenes has been a part of the reason for the growth and overall im-

provement of the team since its first year.

“We pushed it,” Lothrop said. “The choreography isn’t always easy, but I think

it has drawn a lot of interest because it is something new, something different.”

the ground.”

At this point, all of the momentum in the arena was in favor of Basha. There was a clear feeling of determination, excitement and confidence from the Bears and they immediately showed it.

Basha jumped out to an early lead in the final set and never looked back. The Bears continued to play stifling defense, while Hodge dominated on the offensive side of

the net. Leading 14-10 and needing just one point to claim the title, the Bears stuck to their game plan that has been intact all season.

An assist soared to the far side of the net where Hodge awaited. She connected with the ball, sending it to the opposite side of the court. Perry had no answer. Chaos ensued as Basha players stormed the court to celebrate the championship win.

“It just came down to the heart

and the desire to want to win,” Carrington said. “It just really started to kick in and we started coming back and from there, I think it just helped the whole team to continue fighting.”

The emotional win was special for Basha. But perhaps even more so was the fact that each girl bought into the process and created a special bond which helped claim the state title.

“These girls are my best friends,” Carrington said. “I think it’s just the best way for our goodbye and I’m so in love with this team.”

The Ice Denettes, Arizona’s only synchronized skating team, have skaters ages 5-18 competing in four different groups at national competitions. (Chris Mortenson/Staff Photographer)

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County working to ensure affordable housing

BY JACK SELLERS Guest Writer

To ensure the continued growth and prosperity of our region, I see three major areas in which we need to devote considerable time and resources: education, transportation and housing.

I’d like to spend a few minutes discussing the latter because I’ve had the opportunity to see some amazing work being done in this area.

You’ve probably seen the headlines.

Record home prices. Record rents.

Incomes not keeping up with rising costs.

A greater number of evictions. A rise in the number of those experiencing homelessness.

The overall story seems to be that while our population is booming and opportunity is expanding for many, there are also an increasing number of families and individuals being left behind.

While we’re not San Francisco, the fact is, there’s not enough affordable housing in Maricopa County. And when I talk about affordable housing, I’m talking

about apartments or condos or houses that cost 30 percent or less of someone’s income.

This is not a secret, but it’s also not an easy thing to solve. The vast majority of apartments being built in the Valley right now are considered “luxury.”

For developers, this makes sense. These projects are typically easier to finance and carry lower risk.

Affordable housing projects, on the other hand, often require complex land deals and piecemeal financing. That is why it makes sense for the public sector and the private sector to work together on solutions, which is exactly what we’ve been doing in Maricopa County.

In early November, I was at the ribboncutting ceremony for the Valley’s newest affordable housing complex, River at Eastline Village, along Apache Boulevard in Tempe.

The Housing Authority of Maricopa County worked with Gorman and Company as well as local, state, and federal partners to bring the project to life.

The apartments are high-quality, with washers and dryers and modern amenities.

But, more important, the design means residents here will be connected.

There’s light rail on one side of the complex and public buses running up and down the other. There’s a school and a park nearby. River at Eastline Village is a mixed-use development, and on the ground floor, residents will have access to Newtown Community Development Corporation, a nonprofit that helps individuals and families improve their financial well-being.

The goal is not just a stable home; it’s a solid home base from which to build a stable life.

River at Eastline is special, but it’s not unique. Over the past six years, the Housing Authority of Maricopa County and Gorman and Company have worked together to redevelop 600 units of public housing across the county.

Maricopa County was one of the earliest adopters of the federal government’s Rental Assistance Demonstration (RAD) program, which provides federal funding to housing authorities that partner with private companies on housing revitalization projects.

The Maricopa County Industrial Development Authority often supports these projects through grants or bond financing. What it means in practical terms is that we’re leveraging partnerships, stretching our dollars and maximizing our impact.

It’s easy to get excited about growth.

In my time in Maricopa County, I have seen us take huge strides in terms of the diversity of our economy, higher education, transportation and more.

However, we need an economy and a housing market that works for everyone and there is clearly work to be done when it comes to affordable housing.

Maricopa County is a regional leader and active partner on this issue, bringing people to the table, funding programs and facilitating developments that connect individuals to a better quality of life.

I believe more projects like River at Eastline Village are needed to ensure the continued growth and prosperity of our region.

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

ICAN focuses on ‘Adverse Childhood Experiences’

BY SHELBY PEDERSEN Guest Writer

ICAN recently held a training for our staff about Adverse Childhood Experiences and Trauma Informed Care.

Community Programs Manager Ted Huntington has been trained in these areas, including certifications. The training was a great experience for our staff to learn more about ACEs and TIC, not only how it impacts the youth that we serve, but to take a better look at how they handle stressful situations managing our youth.

ACEs is the term given to describe all types of childhood trauma, including abuse, neglect and other traumatic experiences. If you are curious about your own ACE score, you can take the quick assessment at: acestoohigh.com/got-yourace-score.

Knowing your ACE score is one thing,

but investing in the solution is another.

We assume at ICAN that the majority of the youth we serve have experienced some childhood trauma. We need to ensure that we are prepared to equip these youth with the skills they need to conquer their ACEs. Ted had the group talk through stressful situations where things are not in our control – such as traffic, youth acting up or being short-staffed. We also identified how youth might end up in a stressed-out state, maybe they started their day with their parents fighting, then had to sit quietly in school all day.

The other side of that thought, is things that are in our control – our attitude, thoughts and actions.

Ted gave a great analogy using the incredible Hulk. He calls it “Hulk Mode” – when that stress starts to build and you turn into a different person. That’s a “toxic cocktail” where cortisol and adrenaline are released into the body, resulting in

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aggression, impulsion, irrationality and anxiety.

Identifying and countering toxic stress is key to regulating this vicious cycle, and everyone can benefit from some of the steps it takes to get from a “toxic cocktail” to a “soothing smoothie.”

First, you have to know your triggers – what tends to set you off ?

Second, learn some skills that are immediate counters to toxic stress – maybe that is self-talk “not today trigger!” or some deep, concentrated breathing.

Third, re-evaluate your state, what are you doing and is it effective?

Lastly – figure out what works best to calm you down and use these as longterm coping techniques.

Toxic stress that builds up in the body and keeps coming back can have serious health implications. There’s evidence that ACEs and built up toxic stress lead to disease, disability, social problems and early death.

Deadline

Our ICAN programs team talked through “soothing smoothie” ideas for themselves, as well as dealing with kids.

One really unique skill that worked great for one of the youth was holding and petting a soft blanket. This particular youth was really having trouble controlling their emotions, so one of the staff members asked them what they do at home when they get upset. They said that they pet their guinea pig.

So, the staff member came up with the idea of giving them a soft blanket to hold and pet, which worked great.

Whether it is yourself, your child, or someone you care for – understanding ACEs and having compassion for what others have been through is helpful for everyone.

Developing skills to calm toxic stress – in yourself or in a child you know will have long-term health benefits.

Shelby Pedersen is CEO of ICAN: Positive Programs for Youth.

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Apples – and sons – don’t fall far from the trees

BY DAVID LEIBOWITZ Columnist

The criminal case against County Assessor Paul Petersen, accused of 32 felonies in Arizona for leading an adoption fraud scheme, brings me back in time more than 20 years and reminds me of a saying that rings especially true these days.

The apple does not fall far from the tree.

Assessor Petersen’s father, you see, was an Arizona legislator who later became state Treasurer before resigning in criminal disgrace in 2006.

Almost a decade before David Petersen, Paul’s dad, faced his own legal proceedings, I had a run-in with the man that Paul’s case brought back to mind.

The year was 1997. Back then I was a columnist for the Arizona Republic. On the afternoon of Dec. 17, I went to the

state Capitol for a hearing on a bill.

Wait, scratch that. I went down to the Copper Dome for a hearing on what remains the dumbest legislative bill I have seen in more than a half century on this green earth.

It was called, as I labeled it in multiple columns back in the day, the “Rapist Protection Act.” The sponsor? Mesa state Senator David Petersen.

The bill, as Petersen drafted it, would have given sex offenders, including child molesters and rapists, more control over their own treatment. Petersen even had the gall to hold hearings where sex offenders testified about how they didn’t like their court-mandated treatment.

His bill included a line that positively boggles the mind: “A patient may refuse to participate in a counseling program if the procedures, policies or practices … denigrate the religious beliefs of the patient.”

Petersen attacked me at length from the dais, always referring to me as “LIE-

bo-witz.” After the hearing, I tried to interview the senator about his bill. The man was absolutely not happy.

“You’ve impugned my character,” he thundered. “I don’t have to be harassed in this Senate building. Don’t harass me.”

Petersen summoned Capitol police to escort me out of the building. Naturally, I went back in. Petersen blathered about having me arrested but ultimately stopped short of that.

Contacted by reporters after the hearing, Petersen explained, “I was mad. I wanted him out of my face. He wouldn’t leave. He was a jerk.”

Talk about compliments.

The Pedophile Protection Act bill never saw the light of day after that brouhaha.

A decade later, in what can only be described as the Petersen Principle, David somehow rode his own incompetence all the way to the state Treasurer’s office.

As treasurer, Petersen ended up being criminally investigated for trying to force the state to do with business

with an Oklahoma-based nonprofit to which he had financial ties. The name of the company? The Character Training Institute.

You can’t make this stuff up.

Twenty years later, we are confronted with news detailing that son Paul is far, far slimier than his old man. The charges include selling off babies like merchandise and bilking the state’s Medicaid program out of more than $800,000.

Petersen has been suspended without pay from his assessor duties, which makes sense given that he faces criminal charges in three states.

He’s so far fought to keep his $77,000-a-year job, which also makes sense, given that he’s David Petersen’s son and likely believes he should be allowed to craft his own punishment.

What do I believe? Well, call me a jerk, but I believe character matters. And in the matter of these two characters, it seems the old saying, “like father, like son,” has never been more accurate.

How to handle common parenting challenges

BY DR. ARIE ZAKARYAN Guest Writer

The situations are all-too familiar. The teenager who refuses to get out of bed. The middleschool daughter who rages when it’s time to shut off her phone. The 6-year-old who screams when she’s refused a new toy, and the pre-teen who punches the wall when his parents won’t allow video games until his homework is done.

These kids are holding their parents hostage. Today’s moms and dads face a constant onslaught of demands, from home and work responsibilities to school projects and extracurricular schedules.

Many simply don’t have the energy to battle their children. They give in to their kids’ demands – and make few demands of their own – in favor of momentary peace.

This is especially true for parents of children who have difficult temperaments.

Not surprisingly, they often walk on eggshells or turn a blind eye to bad behavior to avoid a fight. Unfortunately, this can rob them of the joys of parenthood and instead consumed them with feelings of failure and guilt.

How can parents – including those with moody and oppositional kids – coursecorrect to help their children grow into healthy, happy adults? These evidencebased parenting strategies can take the edge off challenging behaviors and restore happiness at home.

Start small: Parents often try to tackle big issues all at once. This won’t work.

Instead, I advise parents to take baby steps and address one issue at a time. If a child is frequently disrespectful, parents may set a simple, clearly defined goal for their child to use only kind and quiet words from 4-6 p.m.

Rewards: Of course, a child or teenager won’t get on board if there’s no perceived prize. The reward should be attractive enough to compel an improvement in your child’s behavior, whether it be a night

out with friends, a new toy or game or a fun evening with Mom or Dad. Praise: Parents will find success by focusing on positive behaviors and ignoring negative behaviors, within reason.

Many children act out because they want attention – even negative attention.

Parents can meet these needs for attention by heaping praise on them when they make good choices. As the saying goes, “catch them being good.”

Consequences: Parents should expect their child’s behavior to get worse before it gets better. Kids have learned that if they fight hard enough or cry loudly enough, their mom or dad will give in. Parents should anticipate such occurrences and discuss with their children appropriate consequences, like the loss of a privilege or the addition of an extra chore. Though easier said than done, parents who respond consistently will see improvements over time.

Time in: Instead of a timeout for bad behavior, parents can increase connection through regular time-ins with

their children. This time-in – like a visit to the bowling alley or a movie night at home – must not be contingent on good behavior. Time-ins are separate from other behavioral goals and are intended to strengthen the parent-child relationship.

The majority of these parenting strategies were first put forth by Alan Kazdin, PhD, a noted professor and researcher of child behavior. All of the interventions have proven effective in my own work with families.

Parents who are concerned their child’s behavior goes beyond willfulness or teenage angst should seek advice from their pediatrician. The doctor may suggest cognitive behavioral therapy with a psychologist or counselor.

Most importantly, moms and dads should expect to stumble. It’s about setting manageable goals, aiming for small improvements and cutting themselves some slack when things go wrong.

Dr. Arie Zakaryan is with Barrow Neurological Institute at Phoenix Children’s

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Chandler bookworm fights to keep her eyesight

BY KEVIN REAGAN Staff Writer

Megan Kiriakidis has shelves of books scattered around her Chandler home.

The 21-year-old has been an avid reader since she was young – starting the “Harry Potter” books when she was in first grade.

“I could talk about my favorite books literally forever,” said Kiriakidis, a Chandler High School graduate.

Talking is mostly all Kiriakidis is able to do these days, since her deteriorating eyesight keeps her from reading anything new.

Surgeons have operated on her eyes several times over the last couple of years in an attempt to save her retinas.

Despite her most recent surgery, Kiriakidis said, she’s practically blind in her right eye and can hardly see out of the left one.

She is able to detect the lights on her Christmas tree yet unable to make out the individual ornaments.

Her mom has to read restaurant menus to her, friends have to move board game pieces for her, and her choice in movies is limited.

Megan Kiriakids of Chandler is fighting to save her eyesight, which has been imperiled by type 1 diabetes.

“They have to be things I’ve seen before since I can’t really see it,” Kiriakidis explained.

She started feeling a terrible pain in her eyes two years ago during a family trip to Wisconsin. Doctors discovered Kiriakidis’ eyes were creating new blood vessels that put pressure on her retinas.

It appeared she was suffering from diabetic retinopathy, a condition that causes blindness for individuals with diabetes. It’s been known to come on quickly without many early warning signs.

Pam Kiriakidis, Megan’s mom, said her daughter was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes at age 14. She was given prescriptions to keep her blood sugar under control.

The doctors in Wisconsin discovered that Megan actually had type 1 diabetes, meaning Megan was not producing enough insulin. Type 2 diabetes involves the patient not reacting well to insulin.

Both conditions can lead to eye problems.

Forty percent of Americans with diabetes experience some level of retinopathy at some point in their life, See

(Chris Mortenson/Staff Photographer)

EYES on page 47

Chandler teens brighten memory care patients’ lives

BY HALEY LORENZEN Contributor

Six high school students in Chandler bring joy every week to residents of Parkland Memory Care.

The residents plant succulents, tend to their garden and make crafts with the assistance of the six teenagers, whose goal is to cultivate a culture of intergenerational interaction.

“I want them to be compassionate,” said Roopa Srinivas, whose two children began volunteering about a year ago.

“The holidays are coming up, and I keep telling the kids, ‘Instead of spending time buying gifts, spend time with the elderly.

Spending time is the ultimate gift you can give to anybody.’ That’s what we believe.”

Srinivas’ two children, Sripriya and Karthik, are freshmen at Horizon Honors Secondary School in Ahwatukee. In middle school, they met the rest of the group they would begin volunteering with.

Aidan Karan, a junior, and his sister, Sarah, a freshman, attend Arizona College Prep, along with Shreya Bhandarkar, also a freshman. One of their other friends who volunteers with them, Anushka Agrawal, is a freshman at BASIS Chandler.

Sripriya and Karthik began volunteering at Parkland Memory Care in Chandler first and were soon joined by the rest of the group along with two younger siblings as well.

“Me and my sister started at the beginning, but then our mom helped expand it. We knew that if we can somehow get this to be a popular thing, like a club, then more people would be positively affected,” Karthik said.

Parkland Memory Care provides care

The group of volunteers includes, from left, Shreya Bhandarkar, Sarah Karan, Anushka Agrawal, Aidan Karan, Karthik Srinivas and Sripriya Srinivas. (Special to SanTan Sun News)

for individuals with Alzheimer’s, dementia and other forms of memory loss.

“I’m a physician, so I did some reading about getting involved in intergenerational interaction with elderly people with dementia,” said Dr. Gujjarappa Srinivas.

“They’ve gone a long way in improving social skills, memory. It reduces the cognitive decline, so we thought let’s go and do that,” the doctor said.

He also explained that as the group

has continued to go every Saturday, when they do miss a day, such as a holiday, some members will ask where the kids are.

“There is definitely an impact,” he added.

Originally, the group helped members of the memory care center plant succulents every Saturday morning. As the weather got warmer, the group shifted their focus to indoor activities, such as arts and crafts.

Using YouTube, the group researches different activities and modifies them to be best-suited for the members of the memory care center.

“Usually we go on Saturdays, and a couple days before, as a group we’ll sit down and think of what we should do the following week, have an activity in mind, get all the materials, so were fully See

VOLUNTEERS on page 46

NEIGHBORS

SANTAN SUN NEWS | WWW.SANTANSUN.COM | DECEMBER 7-20, 2019

43

Chandler student named to state advisory panel SANTAN SUN NEWS STAFF

A Chandler middle school student is one of 20 pupils from around Arizona who will advise public officials on issues plaguing adolescents.

Ahamadullah Abdulhayy Syed, a seventh grader at BASIS South Chandler, was recently picked from hundreds of applicants to serve on the Arizona Department of Education’s first advisory council made up exclusively of students.

He and the rest of the council’s members will meet with Superintendent of Public Instruction Kathy Hoffman several times throughout this school year and offer input on how the state can improve public education.

“I don’t want to just fix my own problems,” Syed said. “I want to listen to other people’s problems.”

Syed said he liked to see more resources in school that bring awareness to mental health issues, social media

Ahamadullah Abdulhayy Syed bullying and cell phone misuse. These topics can be balanced more with academics, he added, so that they have

more of an impact on students.

Mental health has been at the forefront of local education issues in recent years after a spike in teenage suicides around the East Valley. This is coupled with the fact that Arizona schools have the highest student-tocounselor ratio in the country.

“These problems still appear to continue,” Syed added.

History, geography and biology are some of Syed’s favorite subjects. He enjoys competing in science fairs and is thinking of becoming a cardiologist. Last year, he conducted an experiment that explored the human memory.

When Syed is not in school, he likes swimming, soccer and archery. He’s also thoughtful about those who are less fortunate by helping out at local food banks.

“I just want to help people and I have that kind of mindset,” Syed said.

Hoffman, a speech pathologist elected

to office in 2018, created the advisory council this year so she could gain some perspective on what its like attending Arizona’s public schools.

“It’s vitally important to elevate student voices as we implement policies that affect their lives,” Hoffman said in a statement. “I look forward to hearing the perspectives of these young leaders on topics like school safety, technology, arts education, testing and more.”

Syed is one of the youngest students from the East Valley to be appointed to the advisory council, which consists of students between fifth and 12th grade.

Other council members come from schools in Tucson, Sierra Vista and Laveen.

Syed said he’s excited to hear the needs of students living elsewhere in the state. He hopes this advisory council will effectively represent the demands of his peers.

“I think I can form an important bridge of communication of their needs,” Syed added.

New Vistas teacher in WWI memorial project

SANTAN SUN NEWS STAFF

New Vistas Center for Education language and history teacher Stacey Trepanier researched the life and service of First Lt. Joseph Fletcher Swift as part of Memorializing the Fallen, a teacher professional development program from National History Day.

In honor of Veterans Day, Trepanier’s eulogy and profile of Swift will be published at NHDSilentHeroes.org.

In addition, a lesson planis on the World War I page of National History Day’s website and will be featured in the upcoming publication, Great War, Flawed Peace, and the Lasting Legacy of World War I.

Sponsored by the U.S. World War I Centennial Commission and the Pritzker Military Museum & Library, the Memorializing the Fallen program has educators rediscover the history of World War I to invigorate its teaching in America’s classrooms.

“By researching the story of an American service member who made

the ultimate sacrifice during World War I, program participants can be the voice of these Americans who died a century ago,” spokesman Rick Stoddard said.

On Sept. 25, 1918, Swift, an Iowa native, and his men faced fierce German opposition near Avrecourt, France.

Heavily fortified machine gun nests halted See

TEACHER on page 45

There’s no better time to get the “Wright Smile”

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r e i m e r P

Make Your Community a Stacey Trepanier, a teacher at New Vistas Center for Education in Chandler, is saluted by an Historical League representative for her work on a World War I hero. (Special to SanTan Sun News)

TEACHER

from page 43

American advances and forced battalions to retreat. Armed only with a pistol, Swift single-handedly raided one of the German nests, killing four German soldiers.

Swift and his men advanced on German positions Gesnes, France two days later. When faced with machine gun fire, he again tried a “daring attempt to perform a similar act,” but was shot in the head and killed instantly. For his valor, he was awarded the Distinguished Service Cross posthumously.

Swift was initially buried in an isolated grave north of the Bois de Cierges. His father indicated his desire for his son to be buried in France. He was re-interred in Meuse-Argonne Cemetery in Romagnesous-Montfaucon, France.

In July 2018, Trepanier joined nine other educators as they traveled through Europe. Using their research, teachers created lesson plans, profiles and eulogies now published on NHDSilentHeroes.org.

The lesson plans are multi-disciplinary.

Using primary and secondary sources, videos, and hands-on activities, students can examine the war and its legacy.

“This partnership with the U.S. World War I Centennial Commission and the Pritzker Military Museum & Library has allowed us to take extraordinary educators to battlefields and memorials of Europe,” said National History Day Executive Director Cathy Gorn.

“Their unique experiences will now

help teachers bring history to life with the materials they produced for use in classrooms around the world,” she said “Each lesson plan is based on solid scholarship, integrated with Common Core Standards, and makes use of interpretive materials,” Gorn added. “They are accompanied by research about Silent Heroes of World War I who are honored at cemeteries in Europe.”

National History Day is a nonprofit in Maryland that seeks to improve the teaching and learning of history.

The National History Day Contest was established in 1974 and currently engages more than half a million students every year in conducting original research on historical topics of interest.

Students present their research as a documentary, exhibit, paper, performance or website.

The World War I Centennial Commission was created by Congress in 2013 to provide educational programs, public outreach, and commemorative events regarding America’s involvement in World War I. Founded in 2003, the Pritzker Military Museum & Library in is a nonprofit center where citizens and soldiers come together to learn about military history and affairs.

It features an extensive collection of books, programs, artifacts, and rotating exhibits covering many eras and branches of the military. Programs include a lending library, the archives, recorded TV shows, podcasts and oral histories, and museum exhibits.

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SANTAN SUN NEWS | WWW.SANTANSUN.COM | DECEMBER 7-20, 2019

Area mom has a special reason to be thankful

BY LAUREN RAGUSA Guest Writer

When I walked into my ultrasound at 37 weeks pregnant, I was worried my baby was in the breech position.

When I walked out of my appointment, it didn’t seem to matter what position my baby was in: I was told she was going to die.

Iniencephaly is a devastating diagnosis: A neural tube defect combines extreme backward bending of the head with extreme spinal defects.

At birth, a baby’s facial skin is connected to their chest and their scalp is connect to their back with no neck present.

Babies diagnosed with iniencephaly typically present with additional associated conditions like anencephaly, hydrocephalus, no lower jaw bone, cleft lip and palate, heart disorders, diaphragmatic hernia and gastrointestinal malformation, to name a few.

For those who are unlucky enough to be diagnosed with iniencephaly, the prognosis is terrifying: Most newborns with iniencephaly typically live only a few hours.

The baby’s malformations may also pose a danger to the mother’s life, as their bodily distortions create additional risk during childbirth.

In my baby’s case, a diagnosis came when an ultrasound showed abnormalities: Because of an ultrasound’s limited capabilities, the specialist couldn’t get a clear read on my baby’s face because

Thanks to intervention by a Phoenix Children’s Hospital medical team, Savannah Ragusa is a happy little baby.

(Courtesy of Phoenix Children’s)

it was pressed against my cervix.

My baby’s neck was so far hyperextended the base of her back was touching her forehead. The image resembled a misshapen candy cane.

Our doctor discussed my options: I could go through the process of giving birth to a baby who likely would not live

long, or I could begin taking steps to end my pregnancy.

I was dumbfounded. We had gone into the appointment with a healthy baby just an hour before. How did something like this happen, and when did it happen?

One day later, we received a call from specialists at Phoenix Children’s Hospital who wanted to do additional imaging. Our Maternal Fetal Medicine specialist (MFM) had reached out to them and insisted we get a second opinion before confirming a bleak diagnosis.

And two days later, we sat down with Dr. Luis Goncalves, who conducted an advanced fetal MRI of our baby at Phoenix Children’s radiology department.

Like I mentioned earlier, iniencephaly is a devastating diagnosis, but there are certain hallmark traits should have been present in our baby.

Babies who have iniencephaly don’t move around a lot. Our girl was particularly squirmy.

Babies who have iniencephaly typically have malformations in the brain would appear on the MRI. Zero for two.

Babies who have iniencephaly may have malformations in their appendages. Ten fingers, ten toes.

Most importantly, Dr. Goncalves pointed to her neck: He told us her positioning made her look like a stargazer.

And while I couldn’t imagine anyone’s neck being able to bend far back without being damaged, he showed us her spine and vertebrae.

He pointed to each individual vertebrae, spaced perfectly apart from

one another –they were perfectly formed, as though they were drawn by a ruler.

When Dr. Goncalves walked me through the imaging, he said he wasn’t worried about brain and spinal malformations, nor was he worried about my baby passing away at birth—he was worried about a possible club foot.

And he said if club foot was the case, it could be easily corrected. There was an immediate lightning strike of joy: Our baby does not have iniencephaly.

Our baby would live!

With a new outlook on my pregnancy, we got to work developing a birth plan: Her positioning in utero could lead to complications if we proceeded with a traditional C-section.

We decided the best option would be a vertical caesarean section, and, just in case, we planned to have a specialist in the room who would assist should our baby have difficulties breathing on her own.

A Phoenix Children’s surgeon was also to be at my side during delivery as a precautionary measure. We set up tours with the CVICU at Phoenix Children’s and set up meet-and-greets with the NICU team.

Shortly after preparing our plan, I went into labor. Savannah was born at 6 pounds, 7 ounces. The surgeon looked at my sweet, healthy girl, looked at me, and said: “Well she doesn’t need me!”

Savannah was given a breathing and feeding tube but was quickly weaned off both. Savannah is doing great.

People think fetal scans and tests are See

SAVANNAH on page 47

NEIGHBORS

SANTAN SUN NEWS | WWW.SANTANSUN.COM | DECEMBER 7-20, 2019

SAVANNAH

from page 46

scary. I used to be one of those people.

Why? Because the reasons babies need

VOLUNTEERS

from page 42

prepared to execute the activity,” Aidan said.

“I just think it tells them the reality of life. You won’t always be this young or energetic, so they’ll see this is the reality as you get old. They learn to be compassionate, and that’s very important exposure for them. It’ll make them humble,” said Anchal Agrawal, Anushka’s mother.

The group said some of the residents

EYES

from page 42

according to the National Eye Institute.

Pam said she’s not sure whether her daughter’s misdiagnosis would have made any difference, but she would have liked more time to know exactly what they were dealing with.

“We had no idea what a vicious disease it was,” the mother said.

Megan’s undergone multiple surgeries to keep her retinas in place and prevent them from tearing.

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47

those tests may, in fact, be scary. But the tests and imaging exist for our benefit.

Going into labor without any idea about my baby’s positioning could have been detrimental. Had I gone in for the initial ultrasound and not for a second

opinion with advanced imaging, my labor wouldn’t have gone as planned, and this story may have had a very different ending.

Savannah has returned to Phoenix Children’s for follow-up tests including an echocardiogram, a few MRIs and some

bloodwork.

And we’ll keep going back to make sure she stays healthy and happy. But for now, we’re happy to watch her sleep in her crib, head just slightly back, staring at the stars.

at Parkland Memory Care like to share stories with them, ranging from their childhood to their young adulthood.

“Usually I hang out with peers in my own age group, so it’s nice to go and hang out with someone in an older generation than us, and get to hear about their experiences, and just how they react to different things, that we wouldn’t have the same reactions to,” Aidan said.

Sarah, who had a similar experience, added, “The world has really changed in the past 60 years, so it’s really interesting to hear from the perspective of someone who has seen all these changes

happening.”

The group also plans on adding a holiday twist to some of their arts and crafts activities, such as making Christmas cards they can give to family members.

The group also hopes to expand.

As Karthik Srinivas explained, “We’re planning to make clubs within our schools to help expand this, and if it somehow becomes successful, we’ll try to get all of Arizona to do it, and then expand upon that.”

“I talked to the counselor about it, and she says it would be a good idea, and she wants to have a meeting with me to talk

about it. I’ve gotten some of my school friends interested too,” he added.

The parents are also very hopeful to see this group grow, and aim to get involved with local researchers to further study the impact of intergenerational interaction.

“Going forward, we want to get involved in research, and identifying the objective parameters, and see how this intergenerational interaction and different kinds of activities help elderly people.

There have been very few publications made, so that’s a future goal,” Dr. Srinivas said.

“It’s scary each time and it hurts,” Megan said.

The recovery process is especially exhausting, as Megan must keep her head face down for days at a time and keep her eyes still.

During one operation, Megan claims, her regional anesthetics started to wear off and she could feel the doctors working on her eyes. The experience left her feeling traumatized and fearful of any future procedures.

Megan’s daily life is pretty quiet for the time being.

Because she can’t work, she stays at home and fills her days with music. She’s

tried listening to audio books, but it’s not quite the same as holding a book in her hands.

She dreams of someday being a writer, which she knows will be more challenging with her eyesight.

“I don’t like to get my hopes up but I still like to try and be hopeful,” Megan said.

Pam Kiriakidis worries about what type of future awaits her daughter.

They’re in a limbo at the moment, the mother said, waiting to find out whether Megan’s condition is bad enough for her to receive disability assistance from the state.

There are not a lot of resources out there for someone in Megan’s position, Pam said, so it’s been difficult knowing who to turn to for help.

At times, they don’t know whether to stay optimistic or to start thinking more practically about their situation.

“I don’t know how many times they can operate on this poor girl’s eyes without there being permanent damage,” Pam said.

Though her last checkup with the doctor went well, the family said, there’s still uncertainty of whether Megan’s vision will ever get better.

“We just have to wait and see what happens,” Pam added.

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SANTAN SUN NEWS | WWW.SANTANSUN.COM | DECEMBER 7-20, 2019

Group offers care for moms of special needs kids

BY PAUL MARYNIAK Executive Editor

Michele Thorne’s life took an unexpected turn not long after she became a mother.

With a bachelor’s degree in genetics and a master’s in science, she had worked at the Translational Genomics Research Institute, or T-Gen, for five years.

But she gave up her career because her children, Jackson, 6, and Maria, 3, were both diagnosed as autistic.

“I had to quit my career in order to be with them,” she said, explaining the need to get her kids to various therapies was just too time-consuming to also hold down a job.

It is out of this understanding of the challenges faced by mothers of special needs children – or, as she prefers to call them, “differently abled” kids – the Tempe woman formed an organization called DAMES, an acronym for Differently Abled Mothers Empowerment Society.

The acronym plays off a the name of an honorific title given women in Britain and some other countries.

“I was searching for a word that kind of encapsulates moms like me who are out there battling for their kids relentlessly day in and day out,” she explained. “These mothers are relentless in their search for care and protection of their children.”

Thorne is active in a number of region-wide organizations such as the Autism Society of Greater Phoenix, but she did not find a group filling the kind of needs she’s trying to meet with DAMES. “There’s nothing out there that really takes care of the deeper self-care mothers really need,” she said.

For example, she said, “It’s really hard for parents who have special needs children to get out and find somebody to watch their kids so they can go to a support group meeting.”

So she developed an elaborate website, damesusa.com, where they can find the support online.

“What I’ve tried to do is make sure everything is accessible to a mom anytime she needs it, wherever she’s at,” she said.

“That’s why it’s all online. That’s why there’s an app. If she’s having a rough day and needs to meditate or she needs to maybe do a yoga class just to kind of re-center herself, all of those tools are available to her wherever she’s at.”

She offers yoga and other fitness classes online, as well as guided meditation,

or other debilitating ailment.

“When you think about parents who are raising special needs children, we’re not doing it for five to six years. I mean, we’re doing it for the rest of our lives most likely. And so, there’s a whole other level of just wear and tear that goes on because it’s not a short-term commitment. It is the rest of your life dedicated to caring for your child.”

She stressed that other organizations, such as the Autism Society, provide critically needed help, but the assistance her organization offers is directed at people whose children confront a whole range of disabling ailments.

“Sometimes I feel very blessed that my children have autism because I have so much help and support,” she said. “There are networks out there, organizations like the Autism Society, that are there for me. But I have friends whose children have like fibromyalgia. I have another cousin whose son has a feeding tube.

“And my whole feeling is, ‘Where is their community? Where is their tribe and how do we build a tribe that’s not just for autism families but for all families who are raising special needs children?’”

Despite the demands of motherhood, Thorne said, she derives Michele Thorne, whose son Jackson and daughter Maria, were diagnosed autistic, thinks mothers of special needs satisfaction through DAMES. children should get social, mental and emotional support that they can’t find from groups that help the kids, so she “I’m giving back and trying to give started an organization to provide that support. (Pablo Robles/Staff Photographer) hope and self-care and community to these women and it has just been monthly webinar series and similar helpful students about genetics, but at home a real big blessing for me. And it’s tools.

I couldn’t even teach my child how to a real part of my self-care too – to help “At the end of the month they will speak,” she said, noting her son is nonothers.” have 12 webinars they can actually just verbal. And so, there’s a lot of depression She has organized an expo/donation watch at home instead of having to go out with that. And it took a lot to pull me out drive for moms of special needs children. to a conference where maybe they won’t of depression.”

“Many mothers raising special needs even be able to get to 12th,” Thorne said.

She said she realized that, “I have to children become entrepreneurs because Thorne envisions taking the organizastart taking care of myself before I can rea 9-5 job doesn’t work when you are tion nationally, which is why she focuses ally start to care for my child. And so that’s juggling getting your child to doctor’s on online services for moms. where the emphasis of this came from appointments, therapies and school,” she Although she thinks she eventually will, – that realization of: We are people, too, said. she said, “I haven’t really started to do in these relationships and as moms, we’re At the expo/donation drive today branch-out sessions yet in the community. driving the bus and so we can’t fall off. and Sunday, the public can get Christmas I’m not sure what those are going to look “We have to keep ourselves together shopping done and support special needs like.” so that we can give our kids the care that families in their communities.

She explained moms with differently they need.”

The expo will be at Function Pilates abled children face a great deal of physical She recalled attending a Caregivers Day Studio at 1840 E. Warner Road, Tempe, 7 and emotional challenges – something she gathering last year at the state Capitol, a.m.-1 p.m. Dec. 7 and 8:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m. knows firsthand. where most of the attendees had been Dec. 8.

“I was teaching classes to college caring for an elderly parent with dementia Information: michele@damesusa.com.

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SANTAN SUN NEWS | WWW.SANTANSUN.COM | DECEMBER 7-20, 2019

49

Elite Performance Academy student crowned cancer, Ashley opened her own charity, “Sargeant’s Army,” in his honor.

She makes and donates toys and blankets for cats waiting for their forever home from scraps of material she gets from her mother, a costume designer.

SANTAN SUN NEWS STAFF

A student at the Elite Performance Academy in Chandler has been crowned Royal International Miss Arizona Preteen 2020.

Ashley Nevison, 12-year-old seventh grader and daughter of Jonathan and DeAnn Nevison is a straight A student and secretary of the school’s student council.

An alumna of The Awakening Seed School in Phoenix, Ashley represented EPA in the 2018 Hamilton Invitational Science and Engineering Fair with a project on hydroponics.

She loves science and math and hopes to study medicine and become a pediatric orthopedic surgeon after a professional ballet career.

“I want to help kids with their sports injuries just like the doctors are helping me today,” Ashley said. “I know my career as a professional ballerina will be short so I want to return to school and start a second career.”

Ashley said she always dreamed of becoming a professional ballerina and has danced since she was 2 ½.

Starting out in all styles of dance, she danced competitively for seven years before focusing only on ballet. Then in 2017 she began concentrating on ballet full time. She currently dances more than 20 hours a week in a pre-professional ballet program through the Russian Ballet Academy at Club Dance in Mesa.

Besides dancing, she sings, plays piano and loves musical theater. She played Wil-

silver President’s Volunteer Service Award in 2018 based on 78 hours of community service.

Ashley’s 2020 Queen’s message platform concentrates on standing up for your friends against bullies.

I was bullied when I was younger and want to help kids today “ understand and get through a bad experience. If I can help even one kid, all the time and effort will be worth it, I am developing my message on discussing bullying and reading books on bullying for 3- to 8-year-old children.

– Ashley Nevison

”

Ashely Nevison, a student at Elite Performance Academy in Chandler, recently was crowned Royal International Miss Arizona Preteen.

ly Wonka in Ahwatukee Children’s Theater’s production of “Willy Wonka and The Chocolate Factory” in 2017 and had parts in “Beauty and the Beast,” “The Little Mermaid,” “The Wizard of Oz” and “Shrek Jr.” from 2015-2018.

After the recent loss of her cat, Sargeant, to

“That way,” said Ashley, “the cats get something and all the scraps stay out of the landfill.

It’s a win for everyone.”

Ashley and her mom are members of the San Tan chapter of the National Charity League.

She earned the

“I was bullied when I was younger and want to help kids today understand and get through a bad experience. If I can help even one kid, all the time and effort will be worth it,” said Ashley. “I am developing my message on discussing bullying and reading books on bullying for 3- to 8-yearold children.”

She hopes to visit many schools throughout her reign.

This year will be Ashley’s seventh year dancing the Nutcracker. You can see Ashley, the Royal International Miss Arizona Preteen 2020, at Symphony Hall in Ballet Arizona’s performance of the Nutcracker in December.

She can be reached on Instagram @ rimarizonapreteen.

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SANTAN SUN NEWS | WWW.SANTANSUN.COM | DECEMBER 7-20, 2019

East Valley student aids starving ASU students

BY PAUL MARYNIAK Executive Editor

While many of her fellow residents were busy shopping for Thanksgiving, Lindsay Pacheco’s mind to a large extent was where it has been for a while – collecting food for her classmates.

The Arizona State University sophomore is one of the coordinators of the ASU Pitchfork Pantry, which helps students who can barely afford it to eat.

“I am very passionate about fighting food insecurity in college students and families, which is why I decided to take on the role,” the 2018 Valley Christian High School graduate said.

“Hearing stories of my own mom being a starving student reinforced my belief no student should have to decide between eating a good meal and buying a textbook,” she said.

The Pitchfork Pantry is a student-run food pantry serving ASU students.

It is run by volunteer students such as Lindsay and is fueled by donations – which they desperately need.

Since she lives in Ahwatukee, Lindsay is offering to even pick up donations so she can take them straight to the pantries on the Tempe and downtown campuses.

They can accept only non-perishable food items and hygienic products, but the needs are great.

Among them are rice, whole-wheat pasta, canned chicken and other meats, canned fruits and vegetables, peanut butter, canned soup, oatmeal and cereal cups and similar breakfast items, mac and cheese, quinoa and any kind of noodles.

The pantry also stocks dish soap, bath soap, toothpaste, toothbrush, female hygienic products, shampoo and toilet paper so anything like this people can give will be appreciated.

Lindsay, a pre-med major who plans to go to optometry school, has a long history of helping people who face food insecurity.

As a member of Generation Church in Ahwatukee, she worked at its St. Mary’s Food Bank pantry there when she was attending middle school and high school.

When she started at ASU, she said, “I was excited to see there was a similar resource for college students on my campus.”

As long as students have an ID, they

Lindsay Pacheco of Ahwatukee helps to run Arizona State University’s Pitchfork Pantry.

(Special to the San Tan Sun News)

can visit the Pitchfork Pantry and stock up for the week on hygiene and food items.

Lindsay sees the need every day.

“I have absolutely encountered students who are in need of the pantry’s services,” she said. “Food insecurity in college students is a serious issue and has been around for decades.”

She said when her mother was a starving student, “she wasn’t aware of the resources that may have been available to her – or if there even were any.”

The thought of a student having to choose between a meal and a textbook bothers her. Studies have shown those choices are far more common than one might think – although studies have disagreed on what percentage of higher education students confront this problem, with estimates varying wildly.

While some national estimates put the figure around 22 percent, ASU College of Health Solutions assistant professor Meg Bruening conducted her own study of ASU freshmen living in residence halls in 2016 and found among this group, the number was closer to 35 percent.

Bruening’s study also found food insecurity is associated with unhealthy eating habits and increased rates of depression and anxiety, according to the university magazine ASUNow.

ASU’s Pitchfork Pantry stocks nonperishable food items and basic hygiene supplies for students who literally must choose between them and buying a textbook. (Special to the San Tan Sun News)

ASUNow reported the students who use the pantry “range from doctoral candidates who are waiting for grant money to come through to students who have run out of financial aid money before the semester’s end to those who have grown up in environments of systemic food insecurity and may be food insecure before arriving on campus.”

A U.S. Government Accountability Office report released in January found a broad agreement the food insecurity is a problem, however, and recommended federal agencies improve college students’ access to food-assistance programs.

But statistics don’t drive Lindsay’s fervor, anyway.

She sees it in the students she meets.

“There is one specific student who comes to mind who comes in every week,” she recalled. “He comes in with such a grateful spirit. Without fail, he’ll always says, ‘Say thank you to everyone who has donated. You don’t know how much it means to me.’”

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Among Lindsay’s duties as one of five pantry coordinators – the other four are Hannah Rater, Roxanna Lopez Quintero, Ashley Thorp and Ariane Coyle-Vigil – are to run the facility’s social media, design all the graphics, organize events, collect donations and coordinate volunteers.

“I am also currently working on putting together a digital cookbook to help students cook with things they can find in our pantry,” she said.

The pantry started a couple of years ago when a freshman named Stephanie Kaufman had a friend who dropped out of college because she couldn’t make ends meet even while working multiple jobs.

“She just couldn’t muster up the energy anymore to keep going,” Kaufmann told ASUNow. “At one point, I was sharing my meal plan with her. And even then, it just wasn’t enough.”

Lindsay said beyond food, the pantry also accepts cash donations. To help, contact her at asupitchforkpantry@gmail.com.

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51

SANTAN SUN NEWS | WWW.SANTANSUN.COM | DECEMBER 7-20, 2019

For more community news visit SanTanSun.com

Father, son celebrate Serrano’s with colorful mural

BY KEVIN REAGAN Staff Writer

Noe “Such Styles” Baez used to do his art in the dark of night – hidden from public view and guided only by streaks of moonlight.

His brand of graffiti art was not socially accepted back when he first started, Styles explained. It was the 1980s and spray-painting buildings was considered delinquent behavior.

So, Styles went underground, painting in old train yards and hoping to remain undetected from the cops.

But on a recent afternoon, Styles could be seen painting in broad daylight outside City Hall and across the street from the Chandler Police Department.

There was no reason to hide because he had been asked to paint a mural on the back wall of Serrano’s Mexican Restaurant.

The Serrano family is celebrating 100 years of business in Chandler and commissioned Styles to paint a mural that commemorates this milestone.

“This is their story,” Styles said, pointing to his panorama of purple desert skies and cactus patches.

The Serranos moved from Tucson to Chandler in 1919 and opened their first of many mercantile stores.

Styles displays the family’s Tucson roots by painting the city’s famous San Xavier Mission in the mural’s background.

There are 10 roses lined up across the See

MURAL on page 54

The back wall of Serrano’s Mexican Restaurant in downtown Chandler now sports an elaborate work of graffiti art by father-and-son team Noe “Such Styles” Baez and his son Champ.

(Chris Mortenson/Staff Photographer)

EV youths bring ‘Christmas Pageant’ to the stage SANTAN SUN NEWS STAFF

A talented young East Valley cast at the Limelight Youth Theatre will be presenting the beloved holiday musical, “The Best Christmas Pageant Ever,” later this month.

The play is based on a children’s novel written by Barbara Robinson in 1971 and tells the story of six misfit children who volunteer to star in their town’s Sunday school Christmas pageant and end up teaching the town the true meaning of Christmas.

The book is narrated in first person perspective by the unnamed daughter of the pageant’s director.

The six children are juvenile delinquents who smoke, cuss, drink jug wine and shoplift and despite their poor performance, steadily pass through elementary school since holding any one of them back would mean having two or more of them in the same grade.

They go to Sunday school for the first time after being told the church offers snacks and end up volunteering for the school Christmas play. Since they’ve bullied all the usual cast members into remaining silent during the call for volunteers, the director has no choice but to cast them.

Having never heard the Christmas story before, the misfits take an uncharacteristic interest. Everyone in town is expecting

Limelight Youth Theatre thespians in the upcoming Christmas usical include, from left, Payton Shoffner, Libby Carr and Sophia Sanchez. ( Pablo Robles/Staff Photographer)

a disaster but the kids unconventional performances actually make the whole show more realistic and moving.

Robinson first published the story in McCall’s magazine before it was adapted into a book, which sold over 800,000

copies.

The book was adapted by Robinson See

LIMELIGHT on page 53

52

ARTS

SANTAN SUN NEWS | WWW.SANTANSUN.COM | DECEMBER 7-20, 2019

Downtown becoming hotbed for live music

SANTAN SUN NEWS STAFF

Downtown Chandler is welcoming musicians to perform in the heart of the city for a new series of monthly events.

The Downtown Chandler Community Partnership launched “Friday Night Live”

We were ecstatic over the “ attendance we had for our first one and we’re looking forward to what is ahead of us.

– Mary Murphy-Bessler

”

last month in an attempt to offer some free entertainment for patrons visiting downtown’s restaurants and shops on the third Friday of every month.

Starting at 6 p.m., visitors can enjoy live music while partaking in games and activities spread out across A.J. Chandler Park.

Rock Lobster, a 1980s cover band, kicked off the first event on Oct. 18 in front of a considerable crowd of spectators.

Mary Murphy-Bessler, Downtown Chandler’s executive director, estimated about 1,000 attendees turned out for the October concert and hopes to see the same at future events.

“We were ecstatic over the attendance we had for our first one and we’re looking

around the area and provide a platform for Valley artists to find new audiences.

“It was our ability to really start telling the story of a great music scene we have in downtown Chandler,” Murphy-Bessler added.

The organization also publicizes local restaurants that have live music Friday nights and encourages concertgoers to take a stroll around downtown’s retail strip after the park performance.

“The event kind of expands into the businesses after the concert,” MurphyBessler said.

The styles of music will change throughout the year, offering performers that range from jazz bands to choir groups.

The Uptown The Uptown Angels, a trio of singers who perform vintage show tunes, will entertain in downtown Chandler in a free concert Dec. 30.

Angels, a trio of singers (Special to SanTan Sun News) specializing in vintage show tunes, will forward to what is ahead of us,” she said. perform on Dec. 20 alongside the Phoenix Downtown Chandler wanted to make Boys Choir. use of the several public stages scattered

The Jan. 17 concert will feature The Rave, a classic rock band, and student musicians from Basha High School. Jam Pak, a collection of kid-led bluegrass bands that originated in Chandler, will perform a show on Feb. 21.

A substitute teacher of the Chandler Unified School District formed Jam Pak’s group of mandolin players more than 20 years ago and the neighborhood band of young musicians now regularly tours across the country.

Pearl Ridge, Shallow Water, Sugahbeat, Corona del Sol High School’s drum line, and Chandler High School’s jazz band are other acts expected to perform at concerts in the spring.

The first round of “Friday Night Live” events will end in May 2020.

Chandler’s downtown region has changed considerably over the years, attracting new business development and an investment in infrastructure from the city.

There’s an upward momentum happening in the downtown area, Murphy-Bessler added, with six new restaurants moving in to the area by December – including Cheba Hut, Over Easy and the Tipsy Egg. “To have that many restaurants opening in the course of a couple months, that’s a considerable amount,” she said.

It’s a sign that the downtown area intends to keep growing in the near future, she added, and the arrival of a new parking garage only makes the vibrancy of downtown more accessible to residents.

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ARTS

SANTAN SUN NEWS | WWW.SANTANSUN.COM | DECEMBER 7-20, 2019

53

Chandler artist Laurie Fagen in musical and art show SANTAN SUN NEWS STAFF

Fox Crossing resident Laurie Fagen will perform in a holiday stage musical that she wrote, produced and directed for the Herberger Theater Center’s Lunchtime program through Dec. 19 and is part of an art exhibit in Scottsdale.

“Holiday Music through the Decades” runs at noon Dec. 10-12 and 17-19 at the Herberger’s Kax Theater, 222 E Monroe St., Phoenix.

Fagen, who owned the SanTan Sun News for 13 years with her late husband Geoff Hancock, portrays Trilby the Musicologist, who brings new music each decade to the elves at the North Pole for them to enjoy while they make toys for children. Al, the piano-playing elf, will be performed by Sydney Zack.

“It’s a fun, light show to help everyone get into the spirit of the holidays,” Fagen said.

Fagen has performed on community and professional theatre stages in the Phoenix and Prescott area, including earlier this year in “Boa Babes” at the Herberger’s Lunchtime Theater; Third Street Theatre’s “Dames at Sea,” “The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas” and “Jerry’s Girls.” A professional singer, artist and novelist, this is the fifth stage production she’s written.

There will be traditional, popular, ethnic and new holiday tunes from mid1800s through present day and sing-alongs at the conclusion of the one-act show.

Tickets are on sale at herbergertheater. org/lunch-time. Boxed lunches can be purchased in advance. Information: 602252-8497.

Meanwhile, Fagen, a jewelry artist, and Chandler painter Lauri Koo have their work in the Sonoran Art League show at The Gallery at El Pedregal, 34505 N. Scottsdale Road, Scottsdale, through February.

Fagen said she and Koo recently met at the gallery on the north side of the Valley to realize they live within a couple of miles of each other.

“We also discovered we are both highenergy, Type A people,” Fagen said.

Fagen’s polymer clay jewelry accepted to the gallery show includes earrings, necklaces, rings and an Australian opal set in a polymer pendant. Fagen has shown her jewelry and fiber work in galleries and shops including in Arizona, Washington, D.C., Illinois, Nevada, North Carolina and Iowa and welcomes commissions that are highly personalized in nature.

Her work can be found at Sibley’s West in downtown Chandler, the TCArt Shop at Tempe Center for the Arts and at FagenDesigns.com.

LIMELIGHT

from page 51

into a play and first performed in 1982 and since then has been a favorite for children’s theater and the kids such popular characters they were featured in two sequels, “The Best Halloween Ever” and “The Best School Year Ever.”

The musical will be presented Dec. 13-22 at Studio 3 Artspace Theatre, 511 W. Guadalupe Road, Gilbert but three dates already have sold out. Tickets are still available for Dec. 13, 15, 18 and 2022. Admission is $15 and tickets can be purchased at limelight.ticketleap.com.

Group discounts are available by calling 480-480-545-1492.

Acrylic paintings like the one above, titled “Eternal Bliss,” by Chandler artist Lauri Koo, and jewelry by artist-entertainer-novelist Laurie Fagen of Chandler, are part of the Sonoran Art League exhibition in Scottsdale.

(Special to SanTan Sun News)

Koo, who paints large nature themes in acrylic, refers to her work as capturing “Nature’s Spirit.”

“Whether my subject is a forest, bird, tree or seascape, I love using a variety of color and technique through realism, fantasy and imagination that captures my mood and expression,” she explains. “I am deeply inspired by nature and the healing ability it carries in my soul.”

Formerly a telecommunications professional in Miami, Koo suffered a series of motor vehicle accidents, which led her to pursue a career in the healing arts as a licensed massage therapist with a practice in Mesa.

Koo’s paintings were also part of the SAL Emerging Artist Show at the Desert Foothills Library in April. Her work can be seen at laurikoo.com.

Hours at El Pedregal, which is on

the second floor next to the Spotted Donkey, are 11 a.m.-6 p.m. Wednesday through Sunday and 1-8 p.m. on

The cast includes Mesa thespians William Lovell, 12; Abigail Lovell, 10; Elliot Lovell, 8; David Lovell, 7; Abby Springer, 12; Aston Grantham, 13; Samia HankinsonMiller, 9; Owen Aspinwall, 11; Imogene Herdman, 12; Edward Oster, 8; and Jonas Boyer, 11.

Chandler residents in the case are Kaleb Vallier Schulken, 12; Riley Wiggins, 13; Emily Colmenero, 12; Camryn Taylor, 13; Anna Alvarez, 13; Janelle Frazier, 9; Tyler Berger, 13; Kaylee Delgado, 11; Emily Colmenero, 12; and Sophia Sanchez, 13.

Gilbert young people in the cast include Libby Carr, 16; Olivia Gregory, 11; Zoe Hatziathanassioum 12; Remi Rasmussen, 7; Peyton Shoffner, 12; Brandon Bui, 12; Tara Todd, 7; Mason Todd, 12; and Piper Perea, 11.

Emily Colmenero rehearses a scene from “Best Christmas Pageant Ever.”

Laurie Fagen

Lauri Koo

Friday. Information: 480-575-6658 or sonoranartsleague.org.

ARTS

54

MURAL

SANTAN SUN NEWS | WWW.SANTANSUN.COM | DECEMBER 7-20, 2019

from page 51

bottom edge of the mural; two are white and the rest are red.

Styles said the white roses represent Ernie and Eva Serrano, who opened the family’s first Mexican restaurant in 1979.

The remaining roses represent the couple’s eight children.

“The mural they designed and spray painted reflects our history as well as the three pillars of our business – faith, family and food,” said Ric Serrano, president and CEO of Serrano’s Mexican Restaurants.

It’s fitting their family mural was made

by Styles, Serrano added, since he created it with his own family.

Champ Styles, the muralist’s oldest son, has been tagging along with his father to graffiti projects since he was a toddler.

“It’s like in his DNA,” the senior Styles said.

The father and son have worked on projects all over the Valley. Their work has been displayed in galleries, museums, and clubs.

Champ said his father never pressured the younger Styles to follow in his footsteps. He was bit by the graffiti bug as a kid after watching “Style Wars,” a documentary about New York City’s street artists.

Champ was quickly hooked, but his dad was strict about treating graffiti as a discipline that had to be learned and practiced.

Champ recalled his dad forcing him to spend long stretches of time learning how to paint each letter of the alphabet.

Sometimes his father purposefully made it more challenging by turning the lights out, the son said, replicating the

and technique of all types of artwork.

He was like Mr. Miyagi, Champ added, referencing the wise karate master of the “Karate Kid” films.

As Champ got older, graffiti became legitimized in the art world and was no longer considered a form of vandalism.

Such credits this shift in public opinion to the power of the worldwide web. Graffiti was generally more acceptable in Europe, he said, and attitudes started to change once Americans saw how artists overseas used this medium.

When Champ became a student at Marcos de Niza, he spearheaded his own mural project that championed diversity.

The school let Champ do it and he decided to add his own personal touch to the portrait.

Champ said he made a stencil Champ Styles is following in his father’s footsteps as a graffiti artist as he puts some finishing touches on the back wall of of his father’s name and sprayed it Serrano’s Mexican Restaurant in downtown Chandler. on one corner of the mural. It was (Chris Mortenson/Staff Photographer) a subtle tribute to an artist who once had his work erased on the conditions Such had to paint under as a Santa Claus were meant to be perfectly same campus decades earlier. teenager. wholesome, nothing that would rile the “It just kind of came full circle,” Champ This art form is so temporary, Such nerves of school administrators. said. would teach his son, because it may exist When Such returned from winter break The father and son now try to promote one day and then get painted over the next. that year, the teenager noticed all his graffiti in a positive light by going into Therefore, it was necessary to know how to work had been sandblasted off. local schools and teaching lessons on detach quickly from the work and to let it go.

People back then didn’t really street art.

The father learned this lesson early on understand what this was, Such said, so They particularly enjoy doing in his career. it was vital for his son to see that graffiti community projects like the Serrano’s Such said he completed his first graffiti was like all other types of art – a form of mural, as the duo thinks of their work as project while attending Tempe’s Marcos creative expression. portals into the stories of their friends de Niza High School in the early 1980s. He Champ credits his dad with teaching and neighbors. painted a Christmas-themed mural near him not to be close-minded about culture.

“It takes you to another place,” Champ the school’s racquetball courts.

If Champ wanted to be great artist, his Its depiction of Mickey Mouse and father encouraged him to study the history said. “It’s an attraction.”

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SANTAN SUN NEWS | WWW.SANTANSUN.COM | DECEMBER 7-20, 2019

55

For more community news visit SanTanSun.com

We are more than players on the stage of life

BY RABBI IRWIN WIENER Guest Columnist

William Shakespeare declared in his famous “All the world’s a stage,” that we are merely players and that we all have our exits and entrances.

If we examine this profound pronouncement, we are left with the understanding that life, as we know it, is a play that has been written and we just act it out.

I find that this interpretation leaves us with the belief that we have no choice in the determination of our lives and the script is set and each of us just plays the part offered us. No way!

Life is a gift that includes the ability to choose how to live it and what makes for fulfillment and completion.

Then I remembered another expression found in a song made famous by Frank Sinatra.

In fact, it was written for him and describes his attitude about life and how he found meaning in its expression: “And now the end is near, and so I face the final curtain…I’ve lived a life that’s full, I’ve traveled each and every highway…I planned each chartered course, each careful step along the byway.”

There is no doubt that listening to, and reading the words are an insightful understanding of what the journey is all about.

We are besieged each and every day with stories of hate and destruction that sometimes boggle the imagination.

How can people condone murder and the willful destruction of society’s norms?

We seem to be in a state of motionless action, just watching from the sidelines with no ability to alter the forces of evil.

We were given a gift, the gift of life.

Are not gifts to be cherished? Is life so cheap that we have no regard for its sanctity? Where does dignity and sacredness enter into the equation? We ask these questions, but cannot find the answers.

Or can we?

Perhaps the answers can be found in a simple word: faith. This single word can mean so many things to so many people.

Some cry that the word “faith” is easier to say that to understand. Some say that faith is no longer part of our everyday experiences. Some even exclaim that faith is a destructive force.

There was another song written with words that state: “The world is the same, you’ll never change it.”

What a sad commentary to think that all is designed in advance and we have no control over our own destinies. It negates the opportunity to choose things that will help as well as hurt.

It eliminates the free will we were

blessed with and teaches that our future is chartered in advance with no opportunity to change.

How sad to think that we have no control over our future and can do nothing with what we learn from the past.

If that were true then all we would have to do is sit back and wait for things to happen because it has been ordained.

How sad that when it really matters, we lose sight of the one thing that can give us the understanding of our place and our purpose: faith.

For it is with faith that we understand our value as human beings given the gift of life so that we can enhance our experiences to achieve meaning.

We may be players on the stage of life, but the script continually changes because we make the adjustments as we live each and every day.

Dr. Irwin Wiener is the spiritual leader of the Sun Lakes Jewish Congregation.

This is Advent, when we prepare for His coming

BY LYNNE HARTKE Guest Writer

The bugle of a lone elk drives me from the comfort of my afghancocooned existence on the couch in our cabin in northern Arizona.

Coming up from the frozen lake beyond the cliff edge, the call repeats deep and low, ending in a higher pitch of urgency. A pair of owls joins the chorus under the light of a waning crescent moon as I step out on the back deck.

Still in my winter jammies, I am not

inclined to go investigate any further, but am content to listen while I wait for the ending of darkness and the arrival of morning light.

In the northern hemisphere, Christmas lands in the season of darkest nights.

The calendar might say December, but in my mind, I think Advent, the time for preparation.

As a child, our Christmas tradition included lighting candles on an advent wreath, the flickering flame illuminating the table while our family shared an evening meal.

I’m sure Mom and Dad had hoped it would be a time for memories and religious instruction, but more often than not, my

three siblings and I argued over whose turn it was to light the candles in the age-old language of children seeking to be noticed in a life-is-not-fair-to-me world.

Light shining in darkness. The people in Christ’s time needed it. My siblings and I needed it. I still need it.

In her book Roots and Sky, author Christie Purifoy writes, “During Advent, we prepare room in a new day for an old story. Through our attentive waiting, we participate in the story of the season and make it new again.”

This hope of newness is one reason I order a devotional book each Advent as I prepare my heart for His coming. I join a dark world that stands in anticipation of the light.

In Luke 1:78-79, a prophesy was spoken about Christ, describing him as the dawn who comes “to shine on those who live in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the path of peace.”

As I stand on the snow-encrusted porch on a 24-degree morning, I find my eyes drawn to the east.

The elk and owls fall silent as I join the rest of creation in waiting. I whisper a prayer for peace as a ribbon of orange light stains the distant horizon.

The dawn has come.

Lynne Hartke is the author of “Under a Desert Sky” and the wife of pastor and Chandler Mayor Kevin Hartke. She blogs at lynnehartke.com.

Spiritual Connections

Chandler 1222 E. Baseline Road, Suite 103, Tempe 480-792-1800

Unity of Tempe, formerly Unity of Chandler 1222 E. Baseline Road, Suite 103, Tempe 480-792-1800

Traditional and Contemporary Services 7:30 a.m. daybreak contemplative worship, 9 a.m. traditional worship and choral music, 11 a.m. contemporary worship with live Christian rock band.

There is also a service at 12 p.m.

Wednesdays.

St. Matthew’s Episcopal Church, 901 W. Erie St., Chandler 480-899-7386, saintmatthewschurch.org

MONDAYS

The Art of Parenting

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

Lift Your Spirit

10 a.m. Sundays Hear inspirational messages and music.

Unity of Tempe, formerly Unity of

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

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

Christian Business Networking, Chandler Bi-Monthly Chapter 7:45 a.m. second and fourth Tuesdays each month Offers members the opportunity to share ideas, contacts and business referrals.

Chandler Christian Church, Building B, Room 202 1825 S. Alma School Road, Chandler Maia, 480-425-0624, christianbusinessnetworking.com

TUESDAYS

Silva Class and Meditation

6:30 to 8 p.m. Tuesdays Learn the Silva method with Lois Britland.

See

CONNECTIONS on page 56

56

FAITH

CONNECTIONS

SANTAN SUN NEWS | WWW.SANTANSUN.COM | DECEMBER 7-20, 2019

from page 55

HOPE—Help Overcoming Painful Experiences

7 p.m. Tuesdays Free, weekly small-group sessions helping people overcome emotional pain caused by divorce, grief, addictions and more; free child care for children ages 10 and younger. Desert Springs Church 19620 S. McQueen Road, Room 106, Chandler hope4all@comcast.net, helpovercomingpainfulexperiences.org

WEDNESDAYS Panic Healing

7 to 9 p.m. every Wednesday Receive a 15-minute energetic tuneup.

Unity of Tempe, formerly Unity of Chandler 1222 E. Baseline Road, Suite 103, Tempe 480-792-1800

Gong Meditation and Yoga Nidra

7 to 8:30 p.m. third Wednesday Presented by Will Zecco, gong master.

Bring yoga mat, blanket and pillow as desired. Love offerings will be accepted.

Interfaith CommUNITY Spiritual Center, 952 E. Baseline Road, Suite 102, Mesa 480-593-8798, interfaith-community.org

Meditation Moments

7 to 8:30 p.m. third Wednesday of the month An interactive time of learning and sharing, appropriate for beginners or longtime students of ACIM. Interfaith CommUNITY Spiritual Center 952 E. Baseline Road, Suite 102, Mesa 480-593-8798, interfaith-community.org

THURSDAYS

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

Avodah Chapter 1581 Monthly luncheon. Social Box Eateries, 1371 N. Alma School Road, Chandler RSVP: 480-802-9304, 480-655-8812

A Course in Miracles

Meets twice a month Members of the Women’s Life Group study the Bible and discuss how the lessons can relate to their lives. Sun Lakes United Church of Christ, Chandler Jan Olson, 480-802-7457, Joy King 480588-1882

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

Bible Study

Sun Lakes Jewish Congregation

East Valley Jewish Couples Club

SATURDAYS

Let us help you publicize your church or temple’s events in the Spirituality section by emailing details to news@santansun. com. Include a brief description of the event, times, days, dates, cost or free, if registration is required, venue, address, publishable phone number, website if applicable and contact information for verification purposes. We welcome photos, which must be 300 dpi JPEGs or taken on a digital camera on the “best” or “highest quality” setting. Information is due 10 days prior to publication date. Submission does not guarantee placement.

7 p.m. second Friday of each month Sun Lakes Chapel 9240 E. Sun Lakes Blvd., Sun Lakes sunlakesjewishcongregation.org

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 heatherposey70@gmail.com

OTHER

Jewish Women International

Blessed Always Gift Shop

Offers once-a-month social activities such as dining, movies and plays for Jewish couples in the 45- to 65-year-old age range.

Melissa, 480-785-0744, beadlover@cox.net

Chandler United Methodist Church 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.

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) Friday 8:00am - 12 noon Sunday 8:30am - 12:30am Closed during Mass times

Public is Welcome!

Sun Lakes United Methodist Church

Chancel Choir presents a Cantata for Christmas

by Joseph M . Martin Conducted by Music Director Cris Evans

Saturday, December 7 at 4:00 p.m.

Sunday, December 8 at 8:30 and 10:00 a.m.

9248 E. Riggs Road, Sun Lakes Candlelight Service

Saturday, December 21 4:00 p.m.

Phone (480) 895-8766

Christmas Eve

Tuesday, December 24 3:00 p.m. & 5:00 p.m. sunlakesumc.org

DIRECTORY

SANTAN SUN NEWS | WWW.SANTANSUN.COM | DECEMBER 7-20, 2019

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Owner Does All Work All Honey-Do Lists and General Handyman Services All Remodeling, Additions, Kitchen, Bath, Patio Covers, Garage, Sheds, Windows, Doors, Drywall & Roofing Repairs, Painting, All Plumbing, Electrical, Concrete, Block, Stucco, Stack Stone, All Flooring, Wood, Tile, Carpet, Welding, Gates, Fences, All Repairs.

Free Estimates with Pride & Prompt Service!

CONTRACTORS

25 $ 500

$

Gift card to Lowe’s with Quote off project

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HOME REMODELING

39 Years of Masterful Craftsmanship 0% Down (OAC) Credit Union West FREE In-Home Estimates

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Not Enough Time in the Day? Call

CONTRACTORS

SIR JOHNS CONTRACTING HOME IMPROVEMENTS REMODEL & REPAIR

Quality Professional Cleaning

Weekly, Bi-Weekly & Monthly

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It’s a Clear Choice!

Painting of All Types Interior & Exterior Cabinets Stains & Paints Over 30 Years Quality Experience HIG HQ Lice UAL Est Free nse ima ITY ROC d & B 251 ond 661 ed

602-315-5470

John McMillan-Owner sirjohn53@gmail.com 4960 S. Gilbert Rd. Suite #1 Unit #260 Chandler, AZ 85249

tes

Call or Text Today for a FREE ESTIMATE

plansbydesignaz@outlook.com

Carlos Medina - 602-677-3200

IRRIGATION

LANDSCAPING

Sprinkler Detective

Sprinkler & Drip Systems • 20 Years Experience • 6 Year Warranty

480.345.1800 Free Estimates Repairs • Modifications • Installs ROC# 195213 • Licensed & Bonded

IRRIGATION

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• Sprinkler/Drip Repairs • New Installs Poly/PVC • Same Day Service

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Visit our chandler showroom

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Re-NewCabinets.com

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5-YEAR WAR

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www.abahomeremodeling.com

Considering a remodel, Need plans?

YOUR #1 CABINET REFACING COMPANY IN THE VALLEY

KITCHEN • WINDOWS • BATHROOMS

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• TUB TO SHOWER CONVERSIONS • KITCHEN & BATHROOM REMODELS • MASTER BATHROOM WALK IN SHOWERS

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RAMIRO MEDINA LANDSCAPING

Black Sheep Motorsports

Trans Rebuilding & Repair All Vehicle Types

57

Licensed, Bonded, Insured ROC#293053

25 $ 500

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Cutting Edge LLC • ROC 21671

HOME REMODELING $

480.654.5600

LANDSCAPING LANDSCAPING

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PAINTING

PAINT SERVICES

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mi.landscapinginc@hotmail.com PAVERS, WATER FEATURES, FLAGSTONE, FIREPLACE, SOD, BBQ, SYNTHETIC GRASS, ROCK AND IRRIGATION Remodeling License ROC #183369 • Bonded, Insured

Voted #1 Paint Interior & Exterior • Drywall Repair Light Carpentry • Power Washing • Textures Matched Popcorn Removal • Pool Deck Coatings Garage Floor Coatings • Color Consulting

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We Beat Competitors Prices & Quality Free Estimates• 3 Year Warranty

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www.eastvalleypainters.com Family Owned & Operated

Bonded/Insured • ROC#153131

Now Accepting all

major credit cards

DIRECTORY

58

SANTAN SUN NEWS | WWW.SANTANSUN.COM | DECEMBER 7-20, 2019

DIRECTORY / CLASSIFIED Proud member of

Four ads for $116.73

PAINTING

PLUMBING

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Interior/Exterior Painting 30 YEARS EXPERIENCE Dunn Edwards Quality Paint Small Stucco/Drywall Repairs We Are State Licensed and Reliable!

Free Estimates • Senior Discounts

480-338-4011

ROC#309706

PAINTING

affinityplumber@gmail.com

www.affinityplumbingaz.com

Your Ahwatukee Plumber & East Valley Neighbor • Anything Plumbing • Water Heaters • Inside & Out Leaks • Toilets, Faucets, Disposals • Same Day Service • Available 24/7 • Bonded & Insured • Estimates Available

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$ Any Service

PLUMBING

John’s Window Cleaning

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The Owners Clean Your Windows!

48 YEARS In Business

Inside & Out Up To 30 Panes Screens Cleaned $3 each Additional Panes $3 each Mobile Re-Screening

Licensed/Bonded/Insured

Since 1968 ROC#153202/213278

% 20% 0 Financing Fast* *Call for details.

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Not a licensed contractor

PLUMBING PLUMBING

SUN/SHADE SCREENS

High Quality Materials & Workmanship • Customer Satisfaction Free Estimates • Countless References • Carpentry Services Now Available Visit us at Suntechpaintingaz.com or view our video promo at: www.youtube.com/watch?v=GM5pbvpZJlg

visit

ezflowplumbingaz.com FIX IT OR IT’S FREE GUARANTEE!

Financing Available

602.625.0599 ROC #155380 Family Owned • Free Estimates

PET SERVICES

ROC#242432

480-281-7563

PLUMBING

ABC Plumbing SAN TAN PLUMBING & DRAIN CLEANING & Rooter

Discounts to all: • Seniors • Military • First Responders Since 1968

ROC#153202/213288

POOL SERVICES

Kent Mortensen

Plumbing C O. Family owned in Chandler since 2002 • Daily Visits to Your Home • Multiple Visits to Your Home Don’t feel guilty for leaving your pet ...

Sandi will keep those tails waggin’

10% Off Your First Booking Call for reasonable rates

480-699-3290 www.sandistailwaggers.com Member of the PSI and Chamber of Commerce Licesed, Insured and Bonded

PLUMBING PLUMBING PLUMBING

• A licensed plumbing contractor for over 40 years • No Employees - Owner operated • Specializes in water heaters and all plumbing repairs • Located in Chandler

WEEKLY SERVICE CHECKLIST:

• Brush Walls & Benches • Remove all Debris from Surface of Water • Empty all Baskets (skimmer, leaf canister, pump baskets, etc.)

• Inspect Equipment for any Repairs, Leaks, Etc., and Report to Customer if Anything is Needed • Backwash as Needed • Check & Balance Chemicals • Basic Chemicals Included with Monthly Service!

Monthly Service Starting at $89

ROC 035930

Lifetime East Valley Arizona Native!

• Locally Owned & Operated • • Honest & Reliable • TONY ALMADA OWNER 602.574.7690 • WINGMANPOOLS@YAHOO.COM

PLUMBING

SEWER & DRAIN

480-968-1371

1 HOUR RESPONSE

480-726-1600 *All Competitor’s Coupons Accepted ABC PLUMBING & ROOTER

A+ Rating

SINCE 1968

EMERGENCY SERVICE www.abcplumbingandrooter.com

Lic. ROC153202/213278, Bonded & Insured *Call office for details

WINDOWS/ CLEANING

25 $ 500

$

TO SEE OUR

DRAIN SERVICES &

SERVICE SPECIALS VISIT

ezflowplumbingaz.com FIX IT OR IT’S FREE GUARANTEE!

Gift card to Lowe’s with Quote off project

12 MONTHS NO INTEREST NO PAYMENTS

• TUB TO SHOWER CONVERSIONS • KITCHEN & BATHROOM REMODELS • MASTER BATHROOM WALK IN SHOWERS

ABA HOME REMODELING

KITCHEN • WINDOWS • BATHROOMS DON’T OVER PAY! Call or text us TODAY!

480.988.1903 www.abahomeremodeling.com BONDED & INSURED • ROC#271056

CLASSIFIEDS SanTan Sun News Classified Ads To Place Your Classified Ad 480-898-6465 class@timespublications.com

Read our paper online: www.SanTanSun.com

Financing Available *$69 drain offer good Monday thru Friday during normal business hours and not combined with any other offers.

ROC#242432

480-281-7563

2-Story $165

480.201.6471 CARPET CLEANING

480-892-5000 480-726-1600

A+

1-Story $145

CLASSIFIEDS

24-HOUR SERVICE

PLUMBING & SERVICE SPECIALS

WINDOWS/ CLEANING

ABC Plumbing & Rooter

480-726-1600

480-487-5541

HOME IMPROVEMENT & PAINTING

SEWER & DRAIN SEWER AND DRAIN

Classified Works!

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BIG JOHN'S CARPET CLEANING Our truck-mounted steam cleaning system will deep clean your carpets, ridding them of unwanted dirt, bacteria, fungus and chemical residues.

Upholstery cleaning also available.

Tile and grout cleaning.

For a clean and healthy carpet, call 480-786-6610 or 602-989-8311 John Downs, Owner/Operator, Ocotillo Resident.

Call for monthly specials.

MUSTANG CARPET & TILE CLEANING Carpet, Tile & Grout, and Upholstery Cleaning. Family owned, truck-mounted steam cleaning. We off 1/2-hour appointment time frames, so no waiting around. We include pre-spraying, mild deodorizer and degreasers for high traffic areas at no charge.

Member BBB with A+ Rating!

"We clean like it's our own!"

480-688-3003

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

SANTAN SUN NEWS | WWW.SANTANSUN.COM | DECEMBER 7-20, 2019

CLASSIFIEDS CLEANING SERVICES HOUSE CLEANING The lowest prices in the Valley! We provide all cleaning supplies.

20 years experience Trustworthy and dependable We pay attention to details Excellent References Call Vicky 480-227-1890

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

EMPLOYMENT Family owned child care center in Ahwatukee looking for qualified and experienced teachers/teacher aids for all ages, 6 weeks to 5 years.

FT/PT hours. Benefits Available For more information Call 480-704-5256

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

Proud member of

LANDSCAPING

PLUMBING

A FRIEND IN ME HANDYMAN

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

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

Not a licensed contractor.

Call Greg 480-510-2664 AFriendInMeHandyman @gmail.com

LANDSCAPING A+ SPRINKLER REPAIR SERVICE Are you tired of fixing drip system leaks?

20 years experience repairing and replacing drip systems, valves, wire troubleshooting & timers. All repairs!

Honest and reliable.

East Valley Native.

Call and compare prices!

602-826-4717 www.AplusSprinklerRepair.com

KUTTINGEDGE LANDSCAPE

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: Kuttingedgelandscape@cox.net

and Visit:

www.kuttingedgelandscape.com

BERNIE'S LANDSCAPING Mowing, Clean-Ups, Gravel, Winter Grass, Irrigation Repair, Tree Removal & Pruning.

Landscape Maintenance FREE Estimates (not a licensed contractor)

GLASS SERVICES

Call us at 480-898-6465 or email classifieds@santansun.com

HANDYMAN Honey-Do List Electrical, Plumbing, Drywall, Painting & Home Renovations.

480-340-6009

MEDICAL SERVICES Adult Day Care “The Perfect Place” Nonprofit 501(c)(3)

Caregiver Respite • Structured recreational environment • Dignity, compassion and respect

480.895.2892

23914 S Alma School Chandler, AZ 85248 theperfectplace85248 @gmail.com www.tpp-adultdaycare.org

59

MISCELLANEOUS ITEMS WANTED SILVER & GOLD COINS & BARS Also Buying Sterling Silver, Flatware and Holloware.

Best Prices Paid Call Ted 480-620-2822

MOVING 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

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 ABC PLUMBING & ROOTER 480-705-7772 SERVICE NOW!!

110% Guaranteed/100 Year Warranty.

OWNER Operated (Licensed, Bonded, Insured).

20% OFF Seniors/Military. A+ Rating with BBB, Chandler, Gilbert, Phoenix, AZ award winning. If it's plumbing, we do it! 24-hour flood restoration services.

Financing approval in minutes with NO MONEY DOWN & ZERO INTEREST. ROC#153202/213278

Roommate needed?

Classifieds can Help!

480-898-6465

Stuff for Sale? Your Neighbors are ready to buy!

Place your Ad today!

480-898-6465

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

WINDOWS/ CLEANING

PAUL'S WINDOW WASHING Professional and Reliable The Owner Washes Your Windows!

1-Story $110.....up to 30 panes.....Inside and Out Screens.....$3 each Other services include: Light Fixtures and Fans For a FREE estimate call Paul at 602-717-8818 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 "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

60

SANTAN SUN NEWS | WWW.SANTANSUN.COM | DECEMBER 7-20, 2019

30% OFF Accessories

25% F

OoFre Minimum

St Entire

5 Piece Set - Table & 4 Chairs $1598 Now $1098 (30% OFF)

30% OFF

Accessories

98 $2998 Now $23 ry After $500 Facto Instant Rebate

Voted Best Of Chandler for 2 consecutive years by consumers

Fina c e 60 Mon nths

0% Intere st (OAC)

61

SANTAN SUN NEWS | WWW.SANTANSUN.COM | DECEMBER 7-20, 2019

For more community news visit SanTanSun.com

Mesa banned her tacos, so she’s in Chandler

BY KEVIN REAGAN Staff Writer

Alma Kerby never thought she’d be able to open her own brick-and-mortar taco shop.

She had already been quite successful selling her special “drowning tacos” out of a food truck on the street corners of Mesa.

Kerby would pitch a tent and set out chairs for her customers to use as they enjoyed her Mexican cuisine.

It was really enjoyable, she recalled, because it got residents to come out and mingle with one another.

But then the city told Kerby she had to move. Her truck was parked near her husband’s car battery shop and unless Kerby’s menu included batteries, the city told her she would have to relocate.

“And I said, ‘Well, my cart has a battery.

we were forced out of “thatBasically, location, but it was good for me, because it kind of pushed me to move forward.

– Alma Kerby

”

Does that count?’” she joked.

Though it was devastating to close her taco truck, Kerby said, it ultimately pushed her to dream bigger.

“Basically, we were forced out of that location,” she said. “But it was good for me because it kind of pushed me to move forward.”

After searching across the East Valley, she found an empty shop in Chandler and opened The Drowning Taco in October.

Her menu is mostly the same as when she was in the taco truck. She’s got street tacos, Sonoran hot dogs and French fries topped with nacho cheese.

She personally loves the tripas tacos, which consist of grilled meat taken from the cow’s small intestines.

Kerby’s Mesa fans still long for her

The Drowning Taco crew includes, from left, Natalie Kirby, Anthony Castillo, Lance Kerby, Alma Kerby, Rebecca Kerby and Catalina Vargas.

(Pablo Robles/Staff Photographer)

tacos, but she’s building a new fan base in Chandler.

“A lot of people are happy that we’re here,” she said.

The mother to six never saw herself as having time to run her own business.

It was her father, Ruben Ontiveros, who really encouraged Kerby to share her culinary skills with the community.

He’s originally from El Paso, Texas, where drowning tacos are a popular dish among the locals.

Chico’s Tacos, one of El Paso’s oldest and most famous eateries, is known statewide for serving rolled tacos submerged in a bowl of spicy tomato

broth.

Kerby said Chico’s tacos was always a popular staple in her household – a place for her family to visit whenever they ventured back to Texas.

Thanks to appearances on the Food Network, the restaurant earned a reputation as the local go-to spot for comfort food.

“In El Paso, it is the White Castle of restaurants,” Kerby said.

As a gift for her father, Kerby attempted to replicate the restaurant’s drowning tacos. It took her 10 years of experimentation, she said, before she finally found a recipe that matched the

Drowning Taco owner Alma Kerby displays one of the restaurant’s signature Sonoran hot dogs, which are reason enough to visit her Chandler restaurant.

(Pablo Robles/Staff Photographer)

flavor of Chico’s Tacos.

With the nudging of her family, Kerby started selling her tacos and hot dogs out of a cart on the roadside in 2017.

It didn’t take long for word to spread around the Valley about Kerby’s cheesy, crunchy tacos drowning in tomato broth.

“People started flocking to us and it just kind of became a media sensation,” she said.

Phoenix New Times crowned her food truck as the best of 2019.

Kerby shared her success with a group of other food trucks that had been stationed all along Broadway Road. There were little trucks on almost every corner, selling corn-on-the-cob and burritos.

“We called it hot dog world,” Kerby said.

Mesa officials told the vendors they’d have to get off Broadway Road if they didn’t have the necessary permits.

The city’s in the process of spending $31 million to revamp the road with new traffic signals and better lighting.

Kerby said she understands the city’s actions, but she still pines for the communal camaraderie of slinging food on the street corner.

“I miss being out there with the people,” she said.

Her new Chandler shop certainly affords Kerby some more room to operate and the chance to play around in the kitchen. She’s planning to add flan soon to the menu.

Despite the warm welcome from Chandler, Kerby said she’d like to get back to Mesa at some point, as she still hears from customers who crave her tacos.

“People do miss us down there and they were very upset we moved,” she added.

The Drowning Taco is open Monday through Thursday from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. and on Friday and Saturday from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m.

62

WHERE TO EAT

SANTAN SUN NEWS | WWW.SANTANSUN.COM | DECEMBER 7-20, 2019

With JAN D’ATRI GetOut Contributor

These side dishes will make a big hit on Christmas Yam-apple bake (serves 8-10)

bundles and the cranberry cream cheese pockets are colorful, flavorful and easy as 1,2,3!

Enjoy your feast and Happy Holidays to you!

Cranberry cream cheese pockets

Ingredients: 4 large yams or sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into ½ inch cubes 4 large crisp apples, cored, peeled and cut into ½ inch cubes

4 tablespoons butter 3 tablespoons brown sugar 1 teaspoon cinnamon 1 teaspoon salt 1 cup pecans, chopped

Directions: Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Butter a 9 x 13-inch casserole dish. Spread the yams or sweet potatoes and apples in the casserole dish. In a small saucepan, melt the

butter, brown sugar, cinnamon and salt, cooking and stirring until sugar has dissolved. Pour over yams and apples. Sprinkle pecans over top. Cover with foil and bake for 1 hour. When yams are soft, uncover and cook for another 10 minutes

Bacon-wrapped asparagus bundles (Serves 4) Ingredients: 16 large or 24 small asparagus 8 pieces of bacon Olive oil for drizzling

1 teaspoon salt 1 teaspoon pepper 3 hard-boiled eggs French’s fried onions

Directions: Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Pre-cook the bacon until it is halfway done. Drain

and set aside. Bend the asparagus until they snap.

Discard the stem portion of the asparagus. With a potato peeler, trim the bottom part of the

-:a=..sm;-::"-

H

ave you decided on your side dishes for Christmas dinner yet? Here are three very simple and delicious ideas for last-minute sides!

The yam-and-apple bake, bacon-wrapped asparagus

Ingredients: 2 containers Pillsbury Crescent Rolls 1 cup cranberry sauce (with berries) Directions: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly spray a mini muffin tin.

Roll out a container of cinnamon rolls on a floured surface. Gently pinch together the seams to create one large sheet. Cut into approximately 2-inch squares or large enough to fit a mini muffin

asparagus. Rap two pieces of bacon around four large or 6 small asparagus. Place all four bundles in a baking sheet. Drizzle olive oil over asparagus and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Bake for 15 minutes or until bacon is crisp and asparagus are tender.

1 package cream cheese 1/2 cup chopped pecans tin. Press the squares into the tins. Place a 1 inch square of cream cheese into the crescent pockets.

Top with 1 heaping teaspoon of the cranberry sauce. Sprinkle pecans into each pocket. Bake for 15 minutes or until pockets are golden brown.

Serve immediately.

Remove from oven and place on a serving platter.

Chop hard-boiled eggs. Sprinkle over asparagus bundles. Finish off with a sprinkling of French’s fried onions.

Watch my how-to video: jandatri.com/recipe/reeses-peanut-butter-oatmeal-bars

Purchase one entree plus 2 beverages at regular price and receive 50% off 2nd entree of equal or lesser value. Not valid on weekends or holidays or with any other coupon,specials or private groups. Limit 1 per coupon,1 per table. Exp.12/31/19.

____________________________ J SHOPS AT SPECTRUM VILLAGE

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LINDSAY GROVES LINDSAY GROVES PROFESSIONAL PLAZA CONDOMINIUM

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EAGLE GLEN

LAYTON LAKES

2970 E. Germann Rd Chandler, AZ 85286 (480) 207-1160

OPEN DAILY

Mon-Fri 7:00am - 2:00pm Sat-Sun 6:00am - 3:00pm

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BROKENYOLKCAFE.COM

SANTAN SUN NEWS | WWW.SANTANSUN.COM | DECEMBER 7-20, 2019

63

FIND YOUR PURPOSE Private. Christian. Affordable. Nonprofit.

OVER 100 Generous

undergraduate programs, including in-demand STEM degrees

SCHOLARSHIPS and early graduation opportunities

AFFORDABLE

tuition has remained unchanged for the last 11 years

NO OUT-OF-STATE tuition means that a private Christian education is attainable for all

21 NCAA D1 sport teams and 24 competitive club sports teams

855-428-7884 | gcu.edu

Club sports are not regulated by the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA), and do not have varsity status at the intercollegiate athletic level. However, club sports are organized and administered by their respective national sport governing body. For more information about the median debt of students who completed the program and other important information, please visit our website at gcu.edu/disclosures. Please note, not all GCU programs are available in all states and in all learning modalities. Program availability is contingent on student enrollment. Grand Canyon University is regionally accredited by the Higher Learning Commission (hlcommission.org). GCU, while reserving its lawful rights in light of its Christian mission, is committed to maintaining an academic environment that is free from unlawful discrimination. Further detail on GCU’s NonDiscrimination policies can be found at gcu.edu/titleIX. The information printed in this material is accurate as of SEPTEMBER 2019. For the most up-to-date information about admission requirements, tuition, scholarships and more, visit gcu.edu. ©2019 Grand Canyon University 19GTR0106

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SANTAN SUN NEWS | WWW.SANTANSUN.COM | DECEMBER 7-20, 2019