Santan Sun News - December 15, 2018

Relentlessly local coverage of Southern Chandler and our neighboring communities

Dec 15, 2018 - Jan 4, 2019 | www.SanTanSun.com

Chandler schools due $2.2M in merit test score bonuses

BY PAUL MARYNIAK Executive Editor

Chandler Unified School District will be getting a $2.17-million windfall in additional public dollars as a result of last year’s AzMERIT test scores at 13 of its schools.

The money accounts for nearly a third of the $7.5 million in bonuses due East Valley schools in connection with the scores during the 2017-18 school year.

The money will be distributed during the 2018-19 school year.

How the money is used varies widely

from district to district, with some using it to give bonuses to teachers at the schools that earned the allotments and others spreading it around to reward teachers who do extra work.

In Chandler, Matt Strom, assistant superintendent for K-12 educational services, said the past allotment was used for three purposes – two of them directly benefiting the schools that the state Education Department designated as recipients.

He said funds were used to hire staff related to the district’s strategic goals in technology or “to enhance services at

the results-based funding sites in order to attract more students to these learning opportunities.”

Money also was used at other schools “to improve a school and accelerate academic growth,” Strom said.

The Chandler schools that will receive bonuses are: Jacobson Elementary, $191,810; Arizona College Prep Erie Campus, $177,826; ACP Oakland campus, $147,346; Ryan Elementary, $174,573; Chandler Traditional Academy Goodman Campus, $152,777; CTA Independence Campus, $174,439; CTA Liberty Campus, $136,713; CTA Freedom Campus, $136,023;

Patterson Elementary, $212,093; Carlson Elementary, $171,009; Knox Elementary, $144,585; Riggs Elementary, $193,547 and Santan Elementary, $164,231.

Other East Valley school districts, the number of schools receiving AzMERIT bonuses and their total allotment included: Gilbert Public Schools, seven schools, $1.02 million; Mesa Public Schools, 14 schools, $2.01 million; Higley Unified, five schools, $760,667; Tempe Elementary, two schools, $310,223; and Kyrene, 10 schools, $1.2 million.

See

BONUSES on page 12

Start-up firms thrive in revamped Gangplank

BY COLLEEN SPARKS Managing Editor

A newly revamped co-working space in downtown Chandler is giving entrepreneurs more opportunities to train teams, create products and use technological tools.

But the real magic of Gangplank is in the community it builds.

So say members of the nonprofit organization, as well as its responsible person and manager for the Chandler chapter of Gangplank, Mike Kovarik.

The organization, which opened its Chandler space several years ago on 250 S. Arizona Ave., celebrated a grand reopening on Dec. 7 after renovating about 3,000 square feet in its building.

The coworking space – where

businesses and individuals can come to grow their companies, work and collaborate with other entrepreneurs – takes up about 6,000 square feet in the building space it leases. Gangplank closed for a few months while phone booths/ webinar rooms and a training room were added, Kovarik said. Some conference rooms were consolidated to provide more room for desks, and a media room for photographers and artists to do photo shoots was set up.

“Gangplank is a co-working space where businesses can come and work with other individuals and creatives to grow their business and use this as a place to work and innovate, have collisions,” Kovarik said.

See

GANGPLANK on page 20

It’s him!

Lily Galindo stares in awe at Santa, not knowing it’s really Wesley Turner, who learned how to play St. Nick at a Santa school and recently visited a Chandler HOA’s holiday party. To learn more, see page 22.

Chandler nonprofit offers hope, food to thousands

BY COLLEEN SPARKS Managing Editor

A nonprofit organization that launched in a church kitchen nearly 20 years ago offers hope and nourishment to tens of thousands of people who struggle to get enough food to eat around Christmas and every month of the year.

Matthew’s Crossing Food Bank, which began in 2001 out of Saint Matthew’s

Episcopal Church in Chandler, will also be able to offer more fresh produce to food-insecure people thanks to a $12,000 grant from UnitedHealthcare to the Association of Arizona Food Banks.

The food bank became a separate entity in 2005 and now occupies a space on N. Arizona Avenue, just south of Knox Road.

Jan Terhune, executive director of Matthew’s Crossing Food Bank, said the

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nonprofit’s mission is to “provide food and basic necessities to our neighbors in need and unite the community in the fight against hunger.”

“What we’ve deduced over time is that our clients actually look a lot like you and I,” Terhune said. “They have jobs, maybe one, two, three (jobs). They have vehicles.

They’re just in that space where they can’t make ends meet and need a little help.”

Matthew’s Crossing Food Bank helped

more than 80,000 people last year, Terhune said. Its many programs include the food bank that is open weekdays, a holiday food distribution around Christmas, Thanksgiving and Easter and a Meals to Grow programs that provide food to students in East Valley schools.

Anyone in need can show up at Matthew’s Crossing Food Bank weekdays See

CROSSING on page 8

F E AT U R E STO R I E S

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Teen suicides prompt coalition . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . COMMUNITY . . . . . . . Page 4 Movies and brew come to downtown . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . BUSINESS . . . . . . . . Page 25 Chandler High revels in crown . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . SPORTS . . . . . . . . . .Page 31 Ocotillo neighbor comforts widow. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . NEIGHBORS . . . . . . Page 42 Peanuts classic hits local stage. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ARTS . . . . . . . . . . . Page 54 Where to celebrate 2019. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . EAT . . . . . . . . . . . . Page 68

Community . . . . .01-23 Business . . . . . . . 24-30 Sports . . . . . . . . . . 31-34 Opinion. . . . . . . . .39-41 Neighbors. . . . . . .42-53 Arts . . . . . . . . . . . 54-62 Faith. . . . . . . . . . . 63-64 Classifieds. . . . . . 65-67 Where to Eat . . . 68-70

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Chandler shut out of new school bus program

BY HOWARD FISCHER Capitol Media Services

More than four dozen Arizona school districts are getting new school buses at no cost to taxpayers, but Chandler Unified has been shut out.

The tab for the 142 new buses is coming from the state’s $59 million share of a nationwide settlement with Volkswagen over the sale of its so-called “clean-diesel’’ vehicles. Gov. Doug Ducey had ultimate authority on how to divide the cash, within certain court-approved guidelines.

Tempe Elementary School District is the only public school system in the East Valley to benefit from the windfall. It’s getting nine buses.

Although Mesa Public Schools had to ask voters to approve a $300 million bond issue partly to buy new buses, it and the rest of the school districts in the region won’t be getting any – at least for now.

More districts may benefit in the future. The governor’s office said it is still reviewing the applications from another 63 districts to see if they qualify.

What’s getting the state all this cash is a decision by Volkswagen in 2016 to settle a lawsuit about the marketing of vehicles under the VW, Audi and Porsche labels as having lower pollution.

It turned out that really wasn’t the case.

Instead, VW engineers had installed a

districts in areas which already are in danger of violating cleanair standards.

The decision of how to spend the money is not without controversy.

Last year Chispa Arizona, an arm of the League of Conservation Voters, submitted petitions with more than 16,000 names to Ducey requesting that he use the money to replace the aging diesel buses with zeroemission vehicles. They argued that is the only way to ensure that school children are not exposed to dirty air and cancercausing pollutants from tailpipe emissions.

Special to the San Tan Sun News But Ducey’s office opted not Tempe Elementary is the only school district benefi tting from the state’s new bus program. to replace the diesel buses with electric vehicles. “defeat device,’’ programmed to go into on projects to reduce emissions of Aides to the governor said a low-emission mode during testing but oxides of nitrogen, the very pollutants the decision starts with the fact that then spew out pollutants at much higher the VW vehicles were spitting out above fewer than 50 electric school buses – and illegal – levels when actually on permissible levels. could be purchased for the same price the road to improve performance.

That’s where the plan for new school as more than 150 conventionally fueled VW eventually pleaded guilty to buses comes in. vehicles. And, by extension, they said three felonies, including defrauding the State officials figure that for each that replacing that many diesel-powered U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. aging school bus replaced, those with at buses with new ones results in about 36 The company agreed to $4.3 billion in least 100,000 miles, emissions of nitrogen percent less overall pollution than buying penalties and another $4.9 billion to oxides will be reduced by nearly 1.4 tons fewer zero-emission buses. address pollution from the supposedly over that vehicle’s anticipated 12-year life.

The settlement requires that vehicles low-emission diesel vehicles.

Dawn Wallace, the governor’s being replaced be made inoperable Arizona’s $57 million share was not education adviser, said 80 percent of through a hole in the engine block and a unrestricted. Instead, it had to be spent the money awarded is going to school cut in the frame.

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SANTAN SUN NEWS | DEC 15, 2018 - JAN 4, 2019

Momentum growing to stem teen suicides here

BY JIM WALSH Staff Writer

A group of social workers, counselors and teachers are moving to form an East Valley suicide prevention coalition in response to the growing number of teen suicides in the region.

Ted Huntington, community programs manager for the Chandler Coalition on Youth Substance Abuse, said the coalition hopes to develop an action plan at its next meeting, scheduled for Jan. 10.

“If nothing else comes out of this, there is a collaborative effort to remove the silos in our different agencies,’’ he said. “They are working to come together as a community and they are willing to take some action.”

And they now have help from the state, which has filled the position of suicide prevention coordinator that the State Legislature created earlier this year.

Kelli Donley Williams, the new suicide prevention coordinator, told the group that she is looking forward to working with grassroots organizations and is planning a series of community meetings across the state.

“Suicide touches me both personally and professionally,’’ Donley-Williams said. “I feel like our state plan is more academic than it is practical.’’

She added that she suspects there are more suicides that are not turning up in state reports, noting that it can take months for medical examiners

file photos

Gilbert Mayor Jenn Daniels, left, and educator Katey McPherson are teaming up to address teen suicides in Gilbert and the region.

to complete toxicology reports and that distinguishing a one-car fatal car wreck from a suicide can be difficult.

“Our data is not up to date,’’ Donley-Williams said. “It’s very difficult for me to know what is going on in this community or in this school.’’

Donley-Williams pledged to assist in the East Valley efforts and said she is planning a series of community meetings around the state that would contribute toward re-writing the state’s suicide prevention plan.

Gilbert Mayor Jenn Daniels also is playing a pivotal role on another front, making teen suicide prevention a topic for her Advancing Gilbert’s educational leadership team, a panel of officials from public, charter and private schools, as well as colleges and universities and the

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Daniels also partnered with Katey McPherson, an East Valley education consultant and former Gilbert school administrator who has been mobilizing the community to fight teen suicide.

“I really want to understand what the schools are already doing and where are the gaps,’’ Daniels said. “Every youth matters, every child matters. I feel very strongly that youth are the key to the solution.’’

Daniels said she agrees with McPherson’s philosophy that children need to develop coping skills and emotional resiliency, learning from small setbacks, even in grades K through 6 so

that they can deal with greater challenges in junior high school and high school.

“There is a lack of human connection in our society,’’ Daniels said, with too many people fixated on cell phones and other electronic devices. “We need to make some changes.’’

McPherson said that promoting emotional wellness in young children is just as important as the suicide prevention efforts. She said children are struggling with anxiety as early as third and fourth grade.

“By the time a kid is 12-14 years old, undoing their patterns of behavior is a little harder,’’ she said, making early intervention critical.

“I think it’s definitely moving in the right direction,’’ she said about the suicide prevention efforts. “We need to put an equal amount of time and resources into the wellness component.’’

The hiring of Williams, the new suicide prevention coordinator, coincides with the release of the annual Child Fatality Review report by the state Department of Health Services. The report documented an increase in teen suicides in Arizona from 38 in 2016 to 50 in 2017.

Nikki Kontz, clinical director of Teen Lifeline, said half of the suicides documented by the report occurred in Maricopa County.

“Every number is a life lost,’’ she said. “We can’t say, ‘it’s predominantly See

SUICIDE on page 5

SANTAN SUN NEWS | DEC 15, 2018 - JAN 4, 2019

SUICIDE

from page 4

males, so we don’t have to worry about females.’ This data should not be used as predictability.’’

Kontz and other experts say research shows girls are more likely to attempt suicide, sometimes as a cry for help, while boys are more likely to complete it.

McPherson has tracked reports of 31 suspected suicides in 18 months in the East Valley, which would include parts of 2017 and 2018.

Kontz said she suspects McPherson’s numbers might be somewhat inflated, but added, “we know that historically suicide is under-reported. We know in some communities, there is a stigma attached to it.’’

Natalia Chimbo-Andrade, education and outreach coordinator for Community Bridges, said the results of a Youth Risk Survey also are troubling, with 12 percent of youths surveyed in Arizona saying they had attempted suicide, compared with 7.4 percent nationally.

She said 19.2 percent of Arizona youth reported seriously considering a suicide

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attempt and 14.6 percent said they had planned a suicide attempt.

McPherson said she has had contact with most of the parents whose children have committed suicide.

She said she agrees with Kontz and others in the suicide prevention field that much progress has been made.

But she cautioned that teens are still taking their own lives at an alarming rate – often over-reacting to stressful events in their lives, such as breaking up with a boyfriend or girlfriend or getting a bad grade on a test.

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McPherson said the pattern of teen suicides that she has noticed involves mostly white boys in grades 7 through 12 from middle and upper-middle-class backgrounds who have access to a weapon or other lethal instrument and the courage to use it because they are in emotional pain they find unbearable.

“Some of these children have never experienced a failure or any sort of mistake. When they make a mistake, they don’t know how to cope,’’ McPherson said.

“The under-developed brain can’t see a way out.’’

Chandler canvassing early for complete Census count

BY JASON STONE Staff Writer

Chandler residents already do their banking and shopping online. Now you can add the decennial census count to the list.

For the first time, the U.S. Census Bureau will be conducting its 2020 count online, putting pressure on local cities, states and regional governments to educate the public on the new procedures even a year and a half before the actual count begins.

Chandler has already started its efforts to get the word out with its 2020 Census Complete Count Committee.

The group has already met twice with hopes of raising public awareness about the Constitutionally mandated decennial count.

“The idea is this is our opportunity to figure out who we need to target the message of the Census to,” said Leah Powell, Chandler’s neighborhood resources director. “Certainly, it is for everybody in the community, so we want to make sure we identify places we normally don’t reach as much.”

Leaders across the East Valley said an accurate count is crucial for state and federal funding. It affects things such as state shared revenue, community development block grants, Department of Housing and Urban Development funding, infrastructure improvements, homelessness programs, education and parks funding and more.

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during the next count. The city is poised to officially become the third Arizona city with half a million people.

“We may already be over that mark, but we’re expecting to cross half a million in 2019 or 2020,” said Jeff Robbins, Mesa’s 2020 Census administrator. “We just haven’t counted all people.”

Mesa’s last population estimate in 2017 was at 496,395. Chandler was the second most populous East Valley municipality at 253,448, according to the most recent Census estimates. Rounding out the top populations in the East Valley are Gilbert (242,362), Tempe (185,025), San Tan Valley (92,851), Apache Jct. (37,775) and Queen Creek (30,849).

The 2020 Census will be different for two reasons: the online responses and the addition of a citizenship question for all respondents.

“We do expect there to be a lot of phishing attempts,” Robbins said. “There are a lot of things we need to educate people on.”

The good news is the U.S. Census Bureau has already been conducting online tallies for years with its other ongoing surveys. The American Community Survey, for instance, goes to around 3.5 million Americans each year with dozens of East Valley residents surveyed each month.

As for the citizenship question, it’ll be asked to all respondents for the first time in 70 years. Starting in 1950, Census takers only asked citizenship questions to respondents who were selected to fill out the “long form” of the survey.

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Most respondents were selected to answer the “short form,” which is now the regular decennial Census everybody takes. The former “long form” survey is now part of the American Community Survey that 1 out of 10 people are selected to take. The ACS has been asking a citizenship question for more than a decade.

Putting the question on the regular Census survey has been controversial since U.S. Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross announced in March that the question would be added to the 2020 survey, based on a U.S. Justice Department request.

Officials say the question is important to enforce Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act, but opponents say they don’t trust the government to keep that information confidential. That’s leading some to believe many non-citizens will decline to answer the survey.

“It’s something we’re very aware of,” Robbins said. “If you look at historical overcount/undercounts, Latino children are one of the most undercounted populations. We will need to outreach a trusted voice who speaks the language.

That’ll be up to task force.”

Powell said Chandler is already trying to reach out to heavy Spanish speaking neighborhoods.

“We’re trying to identify partners who help serve those populations,” Powell said. “We want to be cognizant of any language barriers.”

Chandler plans to mail postcards and promote through advertising as

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part of the community outreach. The members of the city’s Census committee include two City Councilmembers (Mark Stewart and Sam Huang), members of the Chandler Unified School District, the Chandler Chamber of Commerce, local churches and other community organizations.

Mesa City Councilmember Francisco Heredia was picked to chair the city’s Census committee. The group is composed of 24 individuals representing 23 organizations from nonprofit, business, healthcare, faith-based, education and other critical segments of the community.

It includes representatives from Mesa Public Schools, Benedictine University, Mesa Community College, the Asian American Association and more.

The plan is for the task force to meet quarterly between November until the summer of 2020.

“The 2020 Census is an important event not only for Mesa, but for the entire country,” Heredia said. “My fellow Task Force members (have) the very important task of making sure each and every person is counted.”

The Maricopa County Association of Governments is planning another media campaign next year to help get the word out countywide. East Valley cities are planning to piggyback on those ads.

If respondents don’t answer the Census online, numerators will go to the doors of those who didn’t respond.

“Having numerators go door to door will be the absolute last step,” Powell said.

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6

COMMUNITY NEWS

SANTAN SUN NEWS | DEC 15, 2018 - JAN 4, 2019

Ducey warns lawmakers against repealing vehicle fee

BY HOWARD FISCHER Capitol Media Services

Gov. Doug Ducey has signaled that state lawmakers should back off plans to repeal or reduce a new $32-a-vehicle annual registration fee increase to pay for the Highway Patrol.

Ducey said earlier this week that the $10.4 billion budget he signed for the current fiscal year is built on the presumption that the state will collect $185 million from the new fee – enough to pay not just for the Highway Patrol but also provide an extra 10 percent.

More to the point, the governor said the new budget he will propose next month for the coming fiscal year also will rely on the revenues from that fee.

But Ducey sidestepped questions of whether voters – and the lawmakers who approved the fee – were misled because they were told when it was first approved that the fee would be in the $18 range.

He pointed out that lawmakers specifically directed John Halikowski, director of the state Department of Transportation, to set the fee based on the Highway Patrol budget. And the governor said that’s precisely what Halikowski did in computing the fee at $32 versus what were estimates provided to lawmakers.

Ducey’s warning comes as Rep. Michelle Ugenti-Rita, R-Scottsdale, already has introduced legislation to void the fee even as the first notices of the

“we will leave it to ADOT.’’ Ugenti-Rita told Capitol Media Services she won’t be deterred from pursuing the issue even with the threat of a Ducey veto.

“I understand that’s a real possibility,’’ she said.

But Ugenti-Rita said she already has lined up support for SB 1001.

“I will do my job as a legislator by introducing a bill that I think that the voters in Arizona support,’’ she explained. “I’m Howard Fischer/Capitol Media Services willing to use the Republican State Rep.Michelle Ugenti-Rita is at loggerheads with Gov. Ducey process and see over the $32 fee imposed on motor vehicle registration by his administration. what happens and ultimately realize it’s new charge are going out this month for within his prerogative to veto.’’ vehicle registrations up for renewal in There is a way around the governor.

January. And other lawmakers, including Lawmakers can override a veto with Rep. Noel Campbell, R-Prescott, who a two-thirds vote of both the House and actually crafted the idea for the fee, are Senate. But the last time that happened weighing ways to reduce it. was more than 35 years ago.

The governor, for his part, isn’t hearing Ugenti-Rita, however, called that any of it. possibility “way too premature to even “That’s been passed,’’ he said. “There is respond.’’ a fee.’’

If nothing else, she hopes to provoke And as far as how much that fee is, a debate about the end-run that was

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made around the normal process for establishing new levies.

The goal of the fee was to wean the Highway Patrol away from its dependence on gasoline taxes and regular vehicle registration fees. That, in turn, would free up those dollars for needed road construction and repair projects.

Unable to get the constitutionally required two-thirds vote to set a new fee, Campbell crafted a workaround: Establish the fee but leave it up to Halikowski to determine how much it needs to be to cover the Highway Patrol costs. That needed just a simple majority.

But what caused the dust-up is that Campbell, in pushing the plan, was relying on estimates by legislative budget staffers who computed Highway Patrol spending and the number of vehicles on the road.

That simple math led to a fee of $18 a year.

What went wrong is that the Highway Patrol budget, which was $135 million last year, ballooned to $167 million after the agency added money for new staffers and to pay for retirement costs.

With some motorists having multiyear registrations not due this year, that pushed the burden onto the backs of everyone else who are getting new vehicles or have to renew their plates, to the tune of $32 for every car, truck, motorcycle and trailer.

Ducey said as far as he’s concerned, ADOT did what it was supposed to do, even if the per-vehicle fee ended up being higher than advertised at the time.

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COMMUNITY NEWS

CROSSING

from page 1

to get an emergency food box by showing a photo ID and registering with the nonprofit.

The boxes have enough nonperishable food for six to eight days of hunger relief, including pasta, rice, beans, fruit or vegetables and soup. The emergency food boxes are available from 9 a.m. to noon Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays and from 4 to 6 p.m. on Wednesdays.

Matthew’s Crossing also picks up perishable food such as milk, eggs, meat and yogurt from 18 grocery stores every week.

Matthew’s Crossing Food Bank also provides food through drives held by 50 to 60 other organizations, including the Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts, fitness centers, Intel and VFW posts.

“Our primary source of revenue is from individuals who either give to us at tax credit season, which is now,” Terhune said. “Every spring we have A Night To Fight Hunger gala.”

Matthew’s Crossing Food Bank also distributes meals for Thanksgiving, Christmas and Easter.

It gives out about 600 meals with turkey, pie and the traditional trimmings for Thanksgiving. Around Christmas, people receive ham, vegetables, stuffing, a cake mix and other items, Terhune said.

Hams are part of the meals at Easter.

Some of the food is provided by Marlin Services, a contractor.

Every month, people 65 and older can pick up boxes with pasta, vegetables, fruit

Kimberly Carrillo/Staff Photographer

Top: Henry Ortiz brings in a delivery at the Matthew’s Crossing Food Bank operations in a retail center on North Arizona Avenue in Chandler recently. Right: Volunteers Paula McKormick, left, and Alice Hogan cart food to people in need at Matthew’s Crossing Food Bank.

and other foods through a senior food box program that Matthew’s Crossing Food Bank offers in partnership with St. Mary’s Food Bank.

And children, teens and community college students can get help through Matthew’s Crossing Food Bank’s Meals To Grow program. The nonprofit distributes 1,000 backpacks filled with canned meat, fruit, vegetables, pasta and other foods to students in Chandler, Gilbert, Higley, Mesa and Tempe schools every week.

Each backpack has enough food to feed the students two breakfasts, two lunches, two dinners and many snacks so they can get through their weekend

without being hungry.

Food closets at Chandler-Gilbert Community College, as well as in junior high and high school campuses around the East Valley, offer food to students for weekday evening needs.

The Summer Snack Pack program offers students snacks with protein including vegetables and fruit to get through the summer as one of the

SANTAN SUN NEWS | DEC 15, 2018 - JAN 4, 2019

other Meals To Grow efforts. Matthew’s Crossing provided 200 snack packs in the summer of 2016 and 7,000 snack packs in the summer of last year, Terhune said.

As part of a new program in Meals to Grow, called Schools-2-Schools, the nonprofit teams up with Gilbert High School and Thew Elementary School in Tempe to provide backpacks filled with food.

Besides offering sustenance for their bodies, Matthew’s Crossing Food Bank also feeds children’s minds.

With its Read to Grow program, anyone in need ages birth to 14 can get free books at the nonprofit organization’s retail space. More than 25,000 books have been given out since the program began in the fall 2016.

Saint Matthew’s Episcopal Church buys new books while a book drive Chandler Kiwanis Club organized and donations from Savers thrift store also supply the program.

Matthew’s Food Crossing will be able to buy a three-door refrigeration unit to hold perishable foods after with the UnitedHealthcare grant to the Association of Arizona Food Banks.

UnitedHealthcare awarded $2 million in grants to local organizations in Arizona that focused on social determinants to good health, including hunger.

Paz de Cristo in Mesa is the other East Valley organization that received a similar grant and Terhune said, “What their investment is going to be used for is another three-door refrigeration unit.”

“It will help support rent in additional See

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Debanjan Ghosh, a volunteer who goes by the name Jon, gathers food to put in baskets and carts.

and it has allowed for what amounts to a distribution system. There’s a network for smaller food banks that are supported.

It’s really amazing to see how that system comes together to meet a great need, and we’re honored and privileged to be a part of it.”

He said UnitedHealthcare’s mission is “to help people live healthier lives.”

“We are a health insurance company,

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retail spaces so that we can put in a fridge,” she added.

The goal is to take fruits and vegetables that come to Matthew’s Crossing through United Food Bank via a program sponsored by Feeding America in vans to East Valley schools.

Matthew’s Crossing will likely rotate distribution, designating one day a week or month to Chandler-Gilbert Community College and the schools in the K-12 school districts, Terhune said.

“Just from a nutrition perspective, if you can eat healthier you’re gonna be happier,” she said. “And frankly children and adults who don’t have to struggle with hunger relief do better in school and life. We’re blessed. Those opportunities (for grants) are far and few between.”

Joe Gaudio, CEO of UnitedHealthcare Community Plan of Arizona, said Matthew’s Crossing Food Bank is a deserving organization.

The insurer chose Arizona and four other states for the recent grants.

Gaudio said he is “very impressed,” especially since Matthew’s Crossing is going to add fresh produce.

“They’ve been doing it for over 17 years,” Gaudio said. “They have an emphasis on emergency food boxes. We don’t talk enough about the Matthew’s Crossings and the Paz de Cristos and all the other smaller-scale food banks that take place that are out there that you’ll find in schools, find in churches.

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but we provide health insurance across multiple lines of business or products,” Gaudio said. “We’re more than a healthcare company. We’re more than a payer. We provide our members with access to a fantastic network of hospitalists and specialists and other physicians. We’ve done a very unique housing initiative.”

He said UnitedHealthcare invited

organizations to talk about their mission and how they would spend the grant money, and the Association of Arizona Food Banks was impressive.

“They are a disciplined organization,” with a strong reputation, Gaudio said.

“There’s just not a lot of fresh produce provided to food banks because it’s expensive to ship. That just really struck a chord.”

COMMUNITY NEWS

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SANTAN SUN NEWS | DEC 15, 2018 - JAN 4, 2019

Gilbert site becomes an answered prayer for church

BY CECILIA CHAN Staff

The Rev. Jeff Royce and his flock will soon have a place they can call home in Gilbert.

Oasis Church’s anticipated move from Chandler to its building – under construction near the corner of Greenfield and Queen Creek roads – will be sometime in January or early February.

“The location is in a growing area and we just love it,” said Royce, who lives in Gold Canyon with his wife. “We wanted a church home of our own and have a footprint in the East Valley.”

Since April 2010, church-goers have prayed, studied the Bible and sang hymns on the campus of Basha High School in Chandler. Sunday sermons have been held in the school’s auditorium, weekly Wednesday Bible study in the cafeteria and a children’s area and youth meetings in classrooms.

“Although it’s a great opportunity for churches being planted to meet at schools to get started, it’s not a good long-term solution,” Royce said. “We always have to go around the school’s calendar and the school gets first dibs in rooms.

“If we want to expand our ministry and do more things, we need our own place to do it.”

Another factor that spurred the nondenominational church of 250 members to own rather than rent was the cost.

“We realized we are paying $7,500 to $8,000 a month in rent to Basha,” said Royce. “People don’t realize how expensive every room you use is, has a certain fee. It can add up quickly. So, looking at each other as leaders at one meeting, ‘for the $7,500 or $8,000, we can pay a mortgage loan for that.’”

The church is being built in two phases to avoid accumulating debt. Phase one includes a temporary auditorium that will seat 300. When phase two is built, the two areas will be connected and yield a permanent auditorium for up to 600 people, according to Royce.

The 25,000-square-foot church also will include classrooms and offices.

“Our goal is not only to have a church but also a ministry training facility and a Bible institute here,” Royce said. “Being a place of worship and a place where people can learn is the reason why I

Special to the San Tan Sun News

Top: Members of Oasis Church broke ground earlier this year for a new church at Greenfi eld and Queen Creek roads in Gilbert and hope to have it completed by early next year. Right: Oasis Church Pastor Rev. Jeff Royce is thrilled at the prospect of getting a permanent home for his fl ock.

named it Oasis.

“There’s a passage from Isaiah that says God wanted to put water in the desert to quench the thirst of his people. That was always something that came to my mind when I moved to Phoenix 15 years ago. I wanted a church to be a place of refreshment, for people to come in the desert and have their souls refreshed.”

The church was able to buy the land for its building in cash and most of phase one was covered by donations from church members, according to Royce.

Oasis took out a $1 million loan, and Royce said he will make sure the debt is paid off before moving forward with phase two.

“Phase two will be a couple of million, probably $2 million to $2.5 million,” he said. “I’m hoping we go 50-50, half raised and the other half a loan.”

Not yet in the new building, Royce said he is already seeing growth in the congregation.

Gilbert residents who live near the future church site are starting to arrive

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for Sunday services in Chandler, he said.

“People drive by the property and see the sign, future home of Oasis, and they live around the area and are starting to come to Basha,” he said. “They say, ‘We’re looking for a church near us.’ Already I’m seeing visitors every week now.”

He also has congregants coming from places such as Superior, Globe, Ahwatukee and North Scottsdale.

Growing the size of his church is not his primary goal but rather growing a strong, spiritual church, Royce said.

“I want people to connect to God and connect with each other and that is not necessarily the appeal of things today,” he said. “Lots of people want to come into a church and become spectators and sit for an hour and let the professionals do their thing on stage and leave.

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“We are trying to encourage people to get connected on a deeper level and grow in faith with God and grow in relationships where we become a church family. We look at each other as family and that takes time to develop.”

A family is what Allison Area Summers of Gilbert found at Oasis.

“I felt welcomed and at home right away,” she wrote on the church’s Facebook page. “The people are real, down to earth and truly seem to be a church family.”

Oasis also builds relationships with the community. Currently, church members caravan to downtown Phoenix to minister to the homeless with food, clothes, prayers and conversation monthly, and once a month members participate in a Sack Lunch Ministry.

Royce said he has been in the ministry business for 34 years and never has he been a pastor of a “more loving, caring and generous people like the folks at Oasis.” He also has high praises for his church staff.

Prior to Arizona, Royce was a pastor for 10 years at a non-denominational church in Upstate New York and 10 years at a Baptist church in his home state of Maryland.

Royce said what sets his church apart from others is his approach to ministry.

One of the things lots of churches, no matter the denomination, would do is teach the Bible or teach the word of God but deemphasize praise or worship, he said.

“We feel our philosophy, my philosophy is the teaching of the word of God and the worship of God should be complementary of each other and not competitive of each other,” Royce said. “The more you teach the Bible and learn who God is, the more you want to worship him. One unique feature of the church is we don’t try to make the worship of God and the word of God compete.”

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SANTAN SUN NEWS | DEC 15, 2018 - JAN 4, 2019

Scooters alarm EV officials, but Chandler holds fire

BY JASON STONE AND JIM WALSH Staff

Chandler is taking a wait-and-see approach when it comes to the growing popularity of bikeshare and scootershare programs.

While some of its neighbors have begun adopting regulations for the popular bike and scooter programs that have popped up all across the Valley, Chandler hasn’t yet joined in.

“At this point, nothing has been presented to council,” said Chandler spokeswoman Stephanie Romero. “However, staff is currently researching what other cities have done regarding scooters and bikes and what’s worked for them.”

But officials in at least three other East Valley municipalities are moving to regulate them as they face complaints about blocked sidewalks and restricted access for the disabled as well as fears of serious collisions.

Tempe, which is inundated with hundreds of scooters along Mill Avenue, is on the verge of approving a new series of regulations early next year.

Mesa City Council is scheduled to review a potential ordinance early next year.

The Town Council in Gilbert – where Vice Mayor Brigette Peterson recently found two abandoned scooters on her front lawn – will discuss potential regulations at its Dec. 20 meeting.

And Arizona State University has already banned them from its Tempe campus.

While Tempe officials want to control the scooters, they don’t want to eliminate them – viewing them as helpful in reducing the number of cars, especially on crowded Mill Avenue, and curbing

emissions.

“We want the scooters here. It really adds to our multi-module transportation system,’’ said Tempe spokeswoman Tai Anna Yee. “We just want them to be safe.’’

But the vehicles got a less favorable reception at a Mesa council study session earlier this month, as Councilman Mark Freeman asked City Manager Chris Brady to report on how scooters are a benefit to the city and whether it would be possible to ban them.

Mesa officials appear to consider the scooters more of a nuisance, posing a potential threat to public safety and access for the disabled guaranteed by federal and state law.

Mesa Mayor John Giles directed City Manager Chris Brady to bring a potential ordinance before the council early next year after Transportation Director R.J Zeder outlined how the city’s streets were not designed to accommodate scooters.

Zeder said there have been problems with scooters blocking sidewalks and being left on private property.

“The roadway system was not designed with scooters in mind,’’ Zeder said. “With an inexperienced user, at 15 mph, that can create safety problems.’’

Freeman, a retired paramedic with the Mesa Fire Department, worries about inexperienced riders getting hit by cars and suffering serious injuries.

“Inexperienced riders really bother me,’’ Freeman said. “I see young people 12, 13 years old riding these. They are riding on sidewalks.’’

Zeder said that Mesa is looking to borrow some ideas from Tempe, and Brady said there is no consistency so far between the regulations being adopted in See

The electric scooters making headway into Gilbert and the rest of the East Valley have been linked to fractures, sprains, bruises and abrasions – and in one case even death.

Doctors are dealing with the fallout from the popularity of the two-wheel rentals that can go as fast as 15mph. Rollout of these ubiquitous scooters started in 2017.

“At Banner Baywood Medical Center in Mesa, we see electric scooter-related injuries in the emergency department fairly regularly, about two per month,” said Corey Schubert, a Banner Health spokesman.

“At Banner Gateway Medical Center in Gilbert, an ER doc said he has personally treated two cases in the last couple of

months. The injuries weren’t major, one involved a sprained ankle and another involved abrasions and contusions.”

At Banner Desert Medical Center in Mesa recently, an emergency-room doctor treated three cases in one day, according to Shubert.

“I think we’ve seen a little bit of everything, from road rash to fracture and of course, head injuries,” said Tracey Fejt, a registered nurse and Banner’s injury-prevention coordinator. “At Banner Baywood, I’ve seen one where someone ran into a wall. None of them wear any safety gear.”

The Banner cases involved all age groups and likely included pedestrians, according to Fejt.

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SCOOTERS on page 14

Injuries, even deaths, linked to electric scooters

BY CECILIA CHAN Staff

COMMUNITY NEWS

SCOOTERS SIDE on page 12

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In Kyrene, six of the 10 schools accounted for $797,000 of its total $1.2 million. The other four Kyrene schools that received the remainder are all in Chandler. None of the Tempe schools in the Kyrene District received bonuses.

Although scores at 10 of the 25 Kyrene schools qualified for the bonuses, Superintendent Jan Vesely said the money will be spread across all district schools and used as bonuses for teachers who do extra work on their own time, such as develop a new program.

But that’s where one of the two controversies involving the bonus program begins. The other controversy involves the way the state ends up distributing the funds.

Vesely conceded that some teachers at those schools that qualified for the bonuses feel they’ve already earned some extra pay. But Vesely said school superintendents felt a more equitable approach – and one that would encourage teacher development – would be to spread the money throughout the district.

That differs from the way Higley handled its allotment from the 2016-17

SCOOTERS SIDE

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areas is lot ride on the sidewalks and don’t obey the rules of the road such as stopping at intersections like they should,” Fejt said.

She’s also seeing riders wearing headphones and ear buds when they should be paying attention to their surroundings.

“Their headphones should be off and I’ve seen some carrying a cup of coffee,” she added. “They need two hands on the steering.”

She’s also heard stories of people drinking alcohol and then attempting to ride the scooters.

“They should not be drunk when riding them,” she said.

Fejt surmised people are getting injured because they think riding a scooter is so easy that anybody can do it and that might not be the case.

People don’t realize it takes time to get use to a scooter’s acceleration

SANTAN SUN NEWS | DEC 15, 2018 - JAN 4, 2019

school year.

“Every current employee who worked for the district the year the results-based funding was earned received a portion of the funds,” said Higley spokeswoman Michelle Reese. “They were distributed in a one-time payment in July 2018.”

Mesa spokeswoman Heidi Hurst said, “The distribution of the resultsbased funding is up to each school administrator” but did not have specific information on what those administrators did with the money.

For the most part, Hurst added, “our schools use it for teacher stipends. Many also compensate classified – instructional assistant, etc. – employees. Some schools also use a portion of the funding for professional development and other resources.”

Gilbert Public Schools spokeswoman Dawn Antestinis said, “A stipend will be given to current qualifying staff in those buildings. The stipend is given to all staff in the building, not just teachers.”

The bonuses are based on a complex formula that requires higher-income schools to have an overall passing rate of 67.5 percent on AzMERIT and low-income schools to have 44.25 percent of their student body pass the performance test.

High-performing schools in high-

income areas get a bonus of $225 per student while $400 per student is awarded to high performing schools in lower income areas.

Only schools in the top 10 percent of AzMERIT scores qualify for the bonus.

For those who might wonder why some schools didn’t qualify for bonuses, consider this: Only 193 public elementary and middle schools out of about 2,000 public elementary and middle schools across Arizona met the guidelines for bonuses at all, according to an analysis by Children’s Action Alliance. Also qualifying were 105 charter schools.

Of the qualifying schools, 79 public and 28 charter schools got a bonus of $400 per student because they are located in neighborhoods where at least 60 percent of all students qualify for federally subsidized free or reduced-price lunches.

The $225-per-student bonus went to 114 public and 77 charter schools of the highest performing schools located in areas where less than 60 percent of all students qualify for the free or reduced lunch program.

And that’s where the broader controversy comes in.

When Gov. Doug Ducey and the State Legislature adopted the $39-million

bonus program in 2017, they said it would expand access to high-quality education for all students throughout Arizona.

Ducey also said it would help lower-income students to close the achievement gap.

But critics say most of the money ends up going to schools in higher income areas.

The Children’s Action Alliance’s analysis showed that two-thirds of the pot of bonus money went to high-income schools and 24 percent went to charter schools – the latter more than twice the percent of public schools that qualified for the bonuses.

For example, state records show that 18 BASIS public charter schools got a total of nearly $3 million – higher than most public school districts received.

Looking at the combined charter and public school beneficiaries of the bonuses, the alliance found that 74 percent of all students attend schools in high-income neighborhoods.

“Nothing in the initiative expanded access to high quality schools or required any expansion of the schools getting the bonus,” the alliance complained, adding: “The initiative leaves less funding available to strengthen education in all the other schools with AzMERIT scores below the top 10 percent.”

and brakes and get thrown off it, she said, adding she’s seen riders wearing inappropriate shoes such as flip-flops.

The scooter companies do list safety tips on their website, such as wearing helmets and obeying traffic laws. The California company Bird, which requires people to be at least 18, even offers free helmets to active users if they cover the shipping costs.

The scooters are not only populating cities across the country but around the world with reported injuries and deaths.

In September, a scooter rider was reportedly killed after he collided with a vehicle in Washington, D.C. and earlier that month, a 24-year-old Dallas man died after he supposedly fell off a scooter.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is doing a first-ever study in Austin, Texas, looking at injuries involving dockless electric scooters after it was asked to by Austin Public Health, according to Courtney Lenard, a CDC spokeswoman.

“In the past few months Austin Public

Health has repeatedly heard of injuries related to use of electric scooters,” said Jeffery Taylor, senior epidemiologist with Austin Public Health. “This study will assist Austin Public Health in quantifying the frequency of occurrence and the severity of the injuries.”

He said the department asked for CDC’s help because the agency staff has experience in developing questionnaires for patient interviews, creating a database to manage the information collected from the interviews and performing data analysis.

The goals of this study are to describe the epidemiology such as person, place, time and circumstances of injuries related to the use of dockless electric scooters, Taylor said.

The study also will provide recommendations on surveillance and prevention of injuries associated with the use of these scooters, he added.

And that study’s findings could potentially help other communities seeing an increase in injuries.

Fejt said in areas of the Valley where there are more scooters, hospitals are

seeing more problems.

“People don’t realize scooters can go up to 15 mph,” she said. “Fifteen miles per hour in a car when surrounded by metal is nothing. But when you are on a scooter going 15 mph with no seat belt, no airbags, when you are going to get thrown is when your scooter stops and you are still going 15 mph until whatever stops you, and most likely it’s the sidewalk.”

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Electric scooter safety tips • Wear a helmet • Wear closed-toe shoes • Wear elbow and knee pads • Use both hands on handle bar • Don’t wear headphones or ear buds • Obey traffic laws • Watch out for pedestrians • Leave the scooters in places where pedestrians can’t trip and fall over them Source: Tracey Fejt, Banner Health injury prevention coordinator

SANTAN SUN NEWS | DEC 15, 2018 - JAN 4, 2019

COMMUNITY NEWS

13

Kyrene officials taking big steps on school security

BY PAUL MARYNIAK Executive Editor

Kyrene School District is taking new measures to enhance safety and security at its 25 schools.

Officials are hiring a coordinator for the district’s alarm systems and planning to install equipment that will give first responders a more complete view of any building during an emergency – making Kyrene the first district in the state with such a system.

The school board last month unanimously approved hiring a safety and security coordinator whose approximate $50,000 annual salary, at least for now, would be covered by bond money that funded the installation of an elaborate network of security cameras and other safeguards at all Kyrene schools.

The system will equip police from Tempe, Chandler and Phoenix with far more information about a building than they have for any school in their jurisdiction.

At a school security summit that city Councilman Sal DiCiccio held in June, Phoenix Police said they were currently collecting blueprints of schools in the city so they could have some knowledge of the interior layout in the event of an emergency.

“We’ll be way past that,” Kyrene IT Director Damien Nichols told AFN, explaining that the new system will provide aerial views as well as three-dimensional

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images of every room and corridor so that first responders will be able to immediately identify where exits, closets and any potential obstacle might exist within a building.

Currently a district safety committee is evaluating two systems and will have a recommendation for the school board either later this month or early next, he added.

The coordinator would ensure all schools follow emergency plans and safety policies, act as a liaison between the district and first responders from both the law enforcement and emergency medical communities, track and maintain all safety and security equipment and monitor bond spending for safety devices.

The position would be a low-cost but efficient alternative to school resource officers, who are police from whatever city a particular school is located in.

Currently, only the Kyrene middle schools in Chandler and Tempe have SROs, but their salaries are covered by state grants that the Arizona Department of Education awards. The funding for those grants is so limited that not many are awarded.

Without those grants, a district would be forced to reimburse a police department for the full salary and benefits of an SRO – which generally total well over the $50,000 cost of the safety coordinator’s position.

“As we know, SROs are extremely expensive and are employed by the police departments, not by the school districts,”

Nichols told the board Nov. 13. “This is a position that we are intending to use in support of schools, but that would help manage and monitor the systems that the district controls around safety and security.”

He said the district hopes to find applicants with a law enforcement background, “taking pressure off the schools to review, evaluate and help them redevelop their emergency response plans, which has everything from fire alarms down to an active shooter event and everything in between and make sure that they’re following the correct procedures.”

Among that coordinator’s responsibilities would be ensuring that the district’s vast network of security cameras is working.

Nichols told the board that the safety coordinator will ensure uniformity among all the schools when it comes to maintaining safety plans.

“We don’t manage the day-to-day policies of the district, so schools are left on their own to develop school safety plans from a manual that’s literally the size of two phone books to try and come up with a safety plan that’s adequate,” he said.

He said that he and an assistant have “walked campuses, we’ve helped improve policies and procedures” but that “it’s something we’re doing on the side.”

Another duty of the coordinator would be making sure the district security system is current on the data that feeds the monitoring systems, particularly the

more advanced program now being implemented in the district.

With that program, Nichols said, first responders are “able to see maps of the school, what classrooms currently have kids. They can click on the map, see pictures of the classroom, how it’s laid out.

They can access live cameras, they can access security systems.”

But the data that feeds that system is constantly changing.

“So, Mrs. Smith happens to be in Room 4 today, but for some reason we moved her down the hall to room 8 next week and we turned room into something else,” he explained. “And that happens a lot as you know, so somebody has to be managing these systems. Otherwise the data is stale and should we have an event …we need to make sure that data’s up to date.”

Maintaining equipment and data is only one need the coordinator would fill, Nichols added.

“The other big part of this role is to ensure that we’re actually following state mandated policies,” he said.

Each school has a safety team, he explained, but its composition is “different from campus to campus” and “some principals and some administrators are better than others at staying up to date on those policies.”

“I mean, let’s face it, they have a lot of other things to do on that campus. This role, this person would help ensure that those policies are being followed.”

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14

COMMUNITY NEWS

SCOOTERS

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Phoenix, Scottsdale and Tempe.

“We don’t think we will see the volume of vehicles that Tempe has seen,’’ Zeder said.

Scottsdale adopted new regulations governing bikeshare and scootershare programs in order to address sidewalk clutter and safety issues that have cropped up since the companies came to town in recent years – and business owners complained about bikes and scooters left on sicdewalks in front of stores and galleries.

Scottsdale, which is already home to Bird Scooters – the black, electric standup scooters that can be seen whizzing around Old Town and other neighborhoods – worked with a representative of Lime electric scooters in crafting the ordinance.

Lime has operated a bikeshare program in Scottsdale since last year and recently brought scooters to the city as well.

Taylor Strand, who represents Razor Scooters, said she “unequivocally supports” the regulatory framework cities are putting in place.

Representatives from the offices of the city manager, city attorney, police department and transportation department worked on the ordinance, which initially only focused on traditional bicycles, bicycle parking and updating old language.

However, the emergence of new technologies caused the city to expand the scope of the ordinance to include

SANTAN SUN NEWS | DEC 15, 2018 - JAN 4, 2019

public property for 72 hours.

Devices must also be picked up within two hours of owners being notified they are inoperable.

In Scottsdale, violations could result in impound and a fine between $50 and $1,000 depending on the number of violations.

Similarly, the ordinance allows Class 1 and Class 2 electric bikes – which can operate up to 20 mph – on sidewalks and multi-use paths.

Class 3 bikes, which have higher top speeds, would only be allowed on roadways.

Joshua Miller, a general manager for Lime in the Phoenix area, said he wants to work with municipalities on regulations. He recommended an annual fee based upon the number of trips per vehicle.

He said the company started with rental bicycles, but the market in the East Valley has evolved toward scooters.

“The bikes were fun, but we are seeing a decline in popularity,’’ Miller said, with Kimberly Carrillo/Staff Photographer the bicycles still used in Scottsdale but hardly at all in Electric scooters are becoming a frequent site in East Valley municipalities, and officials in many communities are talking about regulating their use. Chandler officials have adopted a wait-and-see attitude toward the the East Valley. popular two-wheelers.

He said one major difference is that the scooters require little or no exertion because electric bikes, scooters and other new are operable and used, and prohibits they are motorized. modes of transportation. owners from leaving any bike, electric The ordinance requires that devices bike or scooter in the same place on See on page 21

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SANTAN SUN NEWS | DEC 15, 2018 - JAN 4, 2019

COMMUNITY NEWS

15

East Valley group offers $18M cash to save Chinese center

BY CECILIA CHAN Staff

An informal group calling itself the East Valley Cultural Coalition has come up with an $18 million cash offer in private money to buy the Chinese Cultural Center in Phoenix – the focus of a long-standing controversy involving a Scottsdale company.

For the past year the center’s fate has been tied up in court after 668 North LLC – a private equity subsidiary of multinational Truth North Cos. in Scottsdale – purchased 95 percent of the site in June 2017 for $10.5 million with the intention of removing the rare Chinese artifacts and converting the site into its company headquarters and a technology campus.

Protests by the Chinese-American community and multiple lawsuits ensued.

But now members of the coalition are offering True North a cash payment of $18 million to end the litigation and rescue the center.

“It’s an 80 percent profit margin for what he’s paid for it a year ago,” said Felicia Vandermolen, founder/CEO of Nitro Live Ice Creamery in Gilbert and group chairwoman. “If he sells, all the lawsuits go away without prejudice.”

Greeting visitors to the complex on 44th Street is a pair of pi xiu granite statues – mythical creatures of good luck and fortune made of hand-carved stone

Special to the San Tan Sun News

For Sister Cities programs in the East Valley, the Chinese Cultural Center in Phoenix is a popular destination when they are entertaining guests visiting from China. But that site may be leveled unless an East Valley coalition can persuade the new owner to accept an $18-million cash offer to buy it.

shipped to Phoenix from the same quarry that was used to build the Forbidden City in Beijing during the Ming dynasty.

For more than two decades, the center’s imperial-style roof tiles, prayer garden and woodwork crafted by master Chinese artisans stood as a representation of the country’s 5,000-year cultural history.

But that could soon come to an end if the East Valley coalition can’t make a deal.

The proposal was sent to David Tedesco, True North company founder.

He has until Dec. 30 to accept the offer.

Company spokesman Jason Rose said last Thursday he had not seen the offer.

“We appreciate and respect the thoughts and good intentions of everybody in the community,” Rose said.

“But this is something we’ve heard before and it turned out not to be the case. The property is not for sale.

“The owner has tried to work with

Dr. Shadow Asgari, DDS, MS

numerous parties over more than a year and was willing at one point in time consider credible offers, but none were presented,” he added. “Any offers to buy it are just over a year too late.”

Rose said the owner last year laid out criteria for offers to be evaluated seriously, such as putting down earnest money and showing proof of funds.

“To date no one has been able to See

CULTURAL on page 16

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Special to the San Tan Sun News

The garden at the Chinese Culutral Center is one of many features that supporters fear they’ll lose.

CULTURAL

from page 15

provide a credible offer,” he said. “And so, that time has come and gone.”

According to the East Valley group’s proposal, $8.9 million is in an account at First American Title Co. and the balance is held in two banks in cash and certificates of deposit. The funds can be wired immediately into escrow upon execution of the purchase agreement, she said.

Felicia Vandermolen said the group is willing to buy the center as is.

The owner had 14,000 square feet of the tile roof removed to fix leaks from a torrential downpour on Oct. 13. An injunction was filed to stop the work but was lifted by a judge in December. Rose said repairs are continuing on the roof .

Felicia Vandermolen said the coalition includes a number of prominent people such as former Diamondbacks player Junior Spivey and that they come from Gilbert, Scottsdale, Paradise Valley, Fountain Hills, Anthem, Chandler and Santan. The group’s active members number 20.

“We are not doing it for notoriety,” said Rich Vandermolen, co-owner and president of Nitro Live as well as Felicia Vandermolen’s husband. “We are trying to help make a difference.”

He said with tension such as trade issues with China going on, the group wanted to save the center to bring about more cultural awareness.

“The Phoenix Cultural Center is a gift to us from China,” Felicia Vandermolen added.

She said China has ties with Gilbert,

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Crews are dismantling the cultural center’s roof, made of tiles from China that cannot be replicated.

Scottsdale, Mesa, Tempe and Phoenix, building cultural, educational and business relationships through the Sister Cities program. Gilbert’s sister city in China is Leshan, which the Vandermolens have visited.

Representatives from the Chinese sister cities to the Valley are brought to the Cultural Center for visits, according to Felicia Vandermolen. The center also has served as field trips for school children and Chinese cultural events.

She likened True North’s proposal to remove all the Chinese cultural and religious elements to that of knocking down the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints’ Mesa Arizona Temple.

The owner last year offered a number of solutions – such as giving $100,000 toward relocating the Chinese Cultural Center elsewhere, preserving and relocating some of the sculptures and signs, and preserving the garden and making it available to the public during business hours.

Rose said the proposals take two parties willing to engage in preservation talks and that has not happened.

None of the options, though, are viable as far as Elizabeth Mann is concerned because the artisans and the materials are for the most part gone.

Mann and her company BNU Corp. developed the Cultural Center, a 26-acre commercial-condominium complex, from 1990-96. It also includes a medical center and town homes. Her money partner was COFCO, a Chinese-holding company, she said.

She later sold her interest and COFCO took over ownership and management of the property in 2008, which eventually ended up in True North’s hands, according to Mann.

The center, which opened in 1997, was a project of the Phoenix Public Art program and Mann wanted it as authentic as possible.

“As a developer, I built it as a gift to the city because I am grateful,” said Mann, who emigrated from China. “I came here with $10 in my pocket.”

Mann hired Ye Juhua, the chief Chinese architect, who helped create a Mingdynasty courtyard at the Metropolitan Art Museum in New York.

She also hired craftsmen, whose ancestors built the Forbidden City, to install the Center’s tile roof and build the prayer garden, featuring replicas from five

Chinese cities.

Mann traveled to China a number of times to go over plans and inspect the quality of materials to be used at the Center.

She and a Phoenix city official later went to China to secure special visas to bring back 30 master craftsmen from four different trades.

Every craftsman had to be vegetarian, pray and go through a ritual every day, according to Mann.

Work for them began at 4 a.m. due to the hot Phoenix sun. The artisans painstakingly drilled holes and hand-tied the tiles with wire onto the roof of the Center’s buildings. The tiles were made out of a special purple clay, the same used for China’s renowned purple clay tea pots.

More than 4 million clay tiles were made in China in factories that no longer exist, but only 1 million were hand-picked and glazed with melted-down turquoise, giving it a rich yellow color, and shipped to Phoenix.

Yellow is a symbol of royalty and no buildings outside those of the Forbidden City – the imperial palace for 24 emperors – were allowed to have yellowtiled roofs.

The craftsmen also assembled all the hand-carved wood pieces in the garden, using a thousand-year-old technique to interlock them without one single nail.

“Everything was handmade,” said Mann, who made it clear she is not a member of the East Valley Cultural Coalition, just a retired grandmother.

The center contains replicas of the ceremonial arch to the Confucius Temple in Nanjing, West Lake in Hangzhou and the Surging Waves Pavilion, the oldest existing classical garden in SuZhou. The original is protected as a world heritage site by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization and can no longer be replicated, according to Mann.

Nothing at the center can be replaced, as the techniques and materials are long gone.

For example, the mountain where the granite came from is now off-limits by the Chinese government, and the craftsmen have either died or retired along with their skills because their children no longer practice the trade, Mann said.

“Everything there has a story,” she said.

“This is public art.”

SANTAN SUN NEWS | DEC 15, 2018 - JAN 4, 2019

COMMUNITY NEWS

17

Around Chandler Chandler part of EV Holiday DUI Task Force effort Chandler Police are out on the street in larger numbers during the holiday season for the annual East Valley Holiday DUI Task Force.

Members of the department’s Traffic Section are participating in the task force through New Year’s Eve as law enforcement agencies from the entire East Valley are partnering up to patrol a designated geographical area.

The Chandler Police Department will host the command post Dec. 28 at 250 E. Chicago St. The Arizona Governor’s Office of Highway Safety is funding the project.

received a $30,811 grant for it to continue its Child Safety Seat Clinics program.

The fire department plans to provide 150 child safety seats to families who can’t afford to buy them.

Motor vehicle injuries are a leading cause of death among children in the U.S., due in large part to the nonuse or improper use of child seats and seat belts.

CFD personnel are available on Saturday mornings to install car seats at various locations in the community. To schedule a free training session, call 480782-2046.

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This information is accurate ofcharge 7/1/2017 *Up to to $4,650 Brewer’s Dealer toterms) $800 Utility Rebate.

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Ifcard you are charged interest inwill any cycle, the minimum interest Up to of a $3,200 Brewer’s Dealer toup $800 Utility **The Wells Fargo Home Projects credit is issued by Wells Fargo Bank N.A., an The Governor’s Offi ce Highway duringthrough the promotional (special period. The APR forThis Purchases willinformation apply toinformation, certain fees such asFor a and lateispayment fee or ifFor you use the card forcallother various capital improvements Second Opinion information is accurate as of 3/13/2018 and is subject to change. current information, call us at 1-800-431-5921.

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18

Opening day

SANTAN SUN NEWS | DEC 15, 2018 - JAN 4, 2019

1

Community leaders and city residents turned out last weekend for the opening of the Chandler Museum. Among the crowd were 2) Chandler Fire Chief Tom Dwiggens; 3) Councilman Jeremy McClymonds; 4) Mayor Jay Tibshraeny; 5) a crowd of residents; 6) Michelle and David Reid; 7) architect Phil Meddle, who designed the museum; 8) Jim Ryan, left, and Chandler Councilman Terry Roe; and (9) Albert Awala, left, Anna Awala and Tom Coon. The crowd enjoyed two ongoing exhibits, one involving awkward family photos and the other about the American imprisonment of Japanese American citizens in the U.S. during World War II.

All photographs by Kimberly Carrillo/Staff Photographer

3 2

6

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SANTAN SUN NEWS | DEC 15, 2018 - JAN 4, 2019

COMMUNITY NEWS

19

Chandler ranks high as good place for disabled

BY JASON STONE Staff Writer

Chandler is already getting a national reputation as a growing hub for tech companies and for its high quality of life ratings.

Now, it’s turning into a hot place for people with disabilities, too.

Financial site WalletHub recently ranked Chandler 11th in the nation on its list of “Best and Worst Cities for People with Disabilities.”

The study looked at metrics such as health care facilities, quality of life and economy, and it listed Chandler higher than Denver and Kansas City, Missouri.

Chandler’s recreation department offers several activities that are disabledaccessible, including unified sports programs or mixed programs with nondisabled people.

Recreation Coordinator Collette Prather said about 350 to 400 people participate each month in the city’s programs designed for the disabled.

“We’re constantly getting new participants,” Prather said. “We offer a lot of recreation activities specifically for people with disability use. We have great instructors who are willing to modify or adjust programs accordingly, and we try to promote that.”

One of the city’s main events is a golf tournament in November that brings in about $10,000 for programming. This year’s event is scheduled for Saturday, Nov. 9 at Bear Creek Golf Complex.

Each March, the city teams up with the Chandler Unified School District for a fun run fundraiser as part of Disability Awareness Month. The annual event helped Chandler win the Arizona Parks and Recreation Association’s Adaptive Recreation award two years ago.

The city hosts social programs twice a month, giving a chance for some disabled residents to work on life skills.

“We’re working on independence and money-handling skills,” Prather said.

Chandler senior transportation planner Jason Crampton doubles as Chandler’s Americans with Disabilities Act coordinator. He’s working on updating

the ADA Transition Plan that every city is required to have to make city services and facilities more compliant to ADA standards.

Chandler first drafted its plan a decade ago and last updated it in 2015.

“It’s looking at self-evaluation,” said Crampton, noting the plan drafted three years ago needed a more detailed look.

“It looks at all the different facilities in the city and aspects that can be improved. We want to prioritize these potential spots for improvement. What we’re doing this time is taking a wider look at all our sidewalks and getting more in depth at all our facilities and parks for

accessibility.”

Crampton said the city is constantly attempting to make improvements for the disabled each time it fixes something else.

“Anytime we improve a street, we try to make sure the adjacent sidewalks are ADA compliant, which mean somebody with a wheelchair can access sidewalks and curb ramps,” Crampton said. “It’s something we are always trying to improve on.”

Those improvements are now starting to show up statistically, like in the WalletHub study.

“Over the past five or 10 years we’ve worked to remove any barriers for people with disabilities,” Crampton said. “The goal of the city is to make it a place where you get around the same and participate in our programs equally.

“But it’s a challenge. I don’t think anybody can say they’re 100 percent complaint in every aspect they do.”

October was Disabilities Employment Awareness month. To mark it, the monthly awards Mayor Jay Tibshraeny dishes out went to Even Western for his work with Chandler’s disabled programs and Harkins Chandler Crossroads as the top employer for disabled people. “(The month) is so members of our community will have a greater understanding of disability employment awareness and the impact it has on our society,” Crampton said.

And the impact they’re having on Chandler residents with disabilities.

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A room where people can record podcasts is available after renovations at the Gangplank coworking space in downtown Chandler.

GANGPLANK

from page 1

“Gangplank is really the original co-working space,” he added. “It started all on social capital. One of the biggest differences from Galvanize or CO+HOOTS is you can come in and utilize the space at no cost. You can try (it) out, get coaching and mentoring.

Since we’re a nonprofit, we’re not focused on getting membership dues out of every individual.”

Gangplank has two other locations, in Queen Creek and Avondale. The one in Chandler gets some financial help from the City of Chandler and about 33 companies use the facility.

Some businesses pay membership fees to use the Gangplank space, but others can contribute through “social capital” – meaning they clean up, take out the trash and offer advice and coaching to people, among other tasks, in exchange for utilizing the space, Kovarik said.

Kovarik is also CEO of Attribytes, a software service company focused on the food service industry; he has been working out of Gangplank in Chandler for about two years. Attribytes began more than three years ago and the majority of its employees work out of Gangplank in Chandler, though some employees work in other states.

The mentoring and collaboration he received when coming to Gangplank inspired Kovarik to stay involved in the co-working space.

Kovarik said Shon Burton, CEO and co-founder of HiringSolved, “provided great advice to help us get through tough times.”

He added that Burton also provided some technological assistance to get through roadblocks and offered tips on seeking venture capital support.

Burton, as well as many other start-up founders, attended the grand reopening, and said Gangplank has also helped their companies.

Dozens of people mingled, worked on computers at several stations, talked in a conference room, worked in a workshop area with a laser cutting machine and toured the center, while others ate tacos at the gathering.

Using space at Gangplank for his company has saved Burton a lot of rent.

He started his company in 2011 and said his rent dropped from about $250,000 a

SANTAN SUN NEWS | DEC 15, 2018 - JAN 4, 2019

A 3-D printer is among the many technological tools available to businesses to use at the Chandler Gangplank.

month to $4,400 a month. Besides saving money, he also met HiringSolved’s cofounder Trevor Olson, now his company’s chief technology officer, at Gangplank.

“For me, what was important here… was being able to sit next to someone,” Burton said. “You get to kind of know somebody really well. It’s a talent pool for us. We got business advice. You could say, ‘What do you think of this design?’”

Collaboration at Gangplank is “huge,”

the same problem. I’ve been through five opportunity Gangplank gives him and start-ups. Gangplank, it attracts a lot of other entrepreneurs. everyone. I’m an engineer.”

“It’s amazing to bring that connective Daniel Graham, CFO and founder of a tissue to the Valley,” he said. digital advertising company called Subliminal Chandler Mayor-elect Kevin Hartke Group, also likes the Chandler space. praised Gangplank as well, stating: He spent the grand reopening making “We’re excited about Gangplank and an electric skateboard using the laserwhat you continue to do. We continue to cutting machine to build the fender. That be committed to downtown. Gangplank device is part of a personal project, but has been a staple here…and you guys have Graham said he and Subliminal Group’s continued to perform. You’ve continued co-founder also do work to incite and inspire our kids for for that ad business out technology…and you’ve been successful.” of Chandler Gangplank.

People who had previously used Graham worked in TechShop, a maker space which closed a room with several abruptly in Chandler, have found a place shelves, tools, the laserto work in Gangplank. cutting machine and Dave Kerr, an IT consultant who pieces of wood to create had been doing some prototyping at his electric skateboard.

TechShop, was on a computer doing work “This was one of the at the Gangplank grand reopening. first places I stumbled “I got into crypto currencies,” Kerr into,” he said. “I wouldn’t said. “I was just a member there. I helped have found the success people in the community from TechShop. as quickly…without I love Gangplank.”

Gangplank. Gangplank Terri Kimble, president/CEO of the allows us to bring in Chandler Chamber of Commerce, is also clients and look more pleased with Gangplank. professional.”

“This is great,” Kimble said. “Obviously Graham said he this is a huge component of our learned a lot from community – celebrating entrepreneurs. another advertising There are bumps in the road and you company that worked need that support system.” out of Gangplank.

Membership in Gangplank, other “I’m just grateful,” he than those who are contributing the said. “I put in a lot of “social capital,” is $500 a year for time here trying to help solo entrepreneurs; $5,000 a year for out other people, answer companies with a “couple more people” questions about video and $20,000 a year for larger businesses, work and live streaming.

Kovarik said.

It’s a great space.”

Cash prizes of $10,000, $3,500 and During a presentation $1,500 were given to business owners for in front of the crowd at the first, second and third place winners Gangplank during the after they pitched their companies to Mike Kovarik is the responsible person and manager for the grand reopening, Kovarik Gangplank as part of the grand reopening Chandler chapter of Gangplank, which celebrated its grand introduced Burton of event. reopening on Dec. 7.

HiringSolved and Lahti Members can access the building of Cerebrum. Lahti said whenever they want to, but the regular he added.

Kovarik had given him “great advice.” business hours for non-members is 9 “We stay here because when we move Kovarik said Gangplank is a place to get a.m. to 5 p.m. Mondays through Fridays. out, we get sad,” Burton said. “We miss advice and mentoring.

Non-members can also access the the people, energy.”

“It’s difficult to start your own building anytime a member is in there.

Gregg Lahti, CEO and co-founder business,” he said, and praised the Information: gangplankhq.com. of Cerebrum, a company he said sells software for anatomic pathology labs, has also worked out of Gangplank in Chandler since his start-up’s inception.

“Gangplank’s one of those places Contact Paul Maryniak at 480-898-5647 where you also contribute as much as or pmaryniak@ahwatukee.com you get,” Lahti said. “I get space for my team. Different businesses all go through

GOT NEWS?

SANTAN SUN NEWS | DEC 15, 2018 - JAN 4, 2019

AROUND

pet friendly, playground area, fitness center, picnic areas and barbecue grills, covered parking and parcel storage center.

from page 17

years, including washers/dryers installed in all units, roof replacement, exterior paint, and new black appliance packages in 31 units.

Units include washer/dryer, private balcony or patio, spacious pantry closets, wood style flooring, internet/cable ready, individual hot water heaters and walk-in closets. Common area amenities include two sparkling swimming pools and spas,

Toastmasters slates open house meeting

SCOOTERS

Bird describes 100 cities on its website, stretching from Los Angeles to Vienna, Austria, including Tempe and Mesa, as partners in combating carbon emissions and traffic congestion. The website includes endorsements from city officials in Cleveland and New York City.

Gilbert spokeswoman Jennifer Alvarez Harrison said, “The scooters are not sponsored in any way by the town and Bird does not have an agreement with the town or permit to allow such operations and encroachments.

“Staff plans to go before council to discuss a potential update to the code to address public safety concerns and other issues raised by such alternative transportation business models.”

It remains to be seen what Chandler will decide to do.

“Stay tuned,” Romero said.

from page 14

“The scooters are really easy to ride,’’ and have taken over the Tempe market, Miller said. “That’s what we see the public is more prone to ride.’’

Miller said the future of scooters is less clear in Mesa.

“We’re just getting started here,’’ Miller said. “We’re only testing them in Mesa. We haven’t seen a lot of demand so far.’’

The scooter-mania can be traced to the launch last year of Bird Rides Inc. in Santa Monica, Calif., Bloomberg News reported earlier this month. Bloomberg said investors pumped hundreds of millions of dollars into Bird and Lime, helping a new industry gain a foothold.

Cultivating Leaders Toastmasters invites residents to its New Year Open House to meet members and hear presentations by Nicole Nealon, vicepresident education, and Distinguished Toastmaster Jeff Morud, secretary, on leadership development for today’s

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professional.

“Cultivating Leaders Toastmasters provides a supportive and positive environment where members have the opportunity to develop their communication and leadership skills,” said club President Kathy Smith.

Guests also can enjoy Toastmasters Table Topics, or impromptu speeches, and speech evaluations.

Distinguished Toastmaster Michael Heier will be the Table Topics master.

“Table Topics are one of my favorite parts of the meeting,” said Heier. “This is

where guests and members are randomly selected to speak for one to two minutes.

It helps you think and speak clearly on your feet.”

Other speakers include Virginia Calleros and Kathy Smith.

The meeting is 6:30-8 p.m. Jan. 17 at 101 S. Yucca St., Chandler. Information: karl. rusnock@yahoo.com.

Cultivating Leaders Toastmasters meets on the first and third Thursdays of the month at 6:30 p.m. at the Atria Club House. Information: cultivatingleaders. toastmastersclubs.org.

Kimberly Carrillo/Staff Photographer

Besides governing where the electric scooters can be operated, some cities also wanted the rental companies to monitor where they are parked, since users often just dump them wherever it suits them, blocking disabled people’s access and creating an overall nuisance.

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SANTAN SUN NEWS | DEC 15, 2018 - JAN 4, 2019

Jolly couple brings Christmas to area groups

BY COLLEEN SPARKS Managing Editor

A married couple is ho-ho-hoping to get children of all ages excited about Christmas and at holiday parties and other events.

Wesley and Eileen Turner of Gilbert enjoy playing Santa and Mrs. Claus at house parties, HOA bashes, corporate events and other gatherings throughout the East Valley through their company East Valley Santa Claus.

With a naturally white beard, it is not hard for Wesley, 71, a retired electrical engineer, to play the role of Santa. Eileen, 66, a retired teacher, is a natural with children, accompanying Wesley on holiday gigs and portraying Mrs. Claus with other Santas at schools.

The pair recently entertained children and adults at an HOA block party in Chandler, where they posed for photos and spread holiday cheer.

Wesley and Eileen have taken many classes and belong to various organizations to continuously hone their performances, including Arizona Santas and the International Brotherhood of Real Bearded Santas.

Wesley and Eileen are also members of the Santa Claus Conservatory – which bills itself as “the most comprehensive, most convenient and least expensive school for professional Santas & Mrs. Clauses in the

Kimberly Carrillo/Staff Photographer

Santa asks the proverbial “What do you want for Christmas” during a sit-down with Kate Weber, 11, of Chandler.

Kimberly Carrillo/Staff Photographer

Part of Wesley Turner’s job as Santa Claus, of course, involves posing for family Christmas pictures, as he does here with Neil and Lea Tallo and daughters Rayna, 7, left; and Cora, 6.

world.”

Wesley explained the “set routine” to playing the jolly man in red: “You come in and talk to all the children, ask what they want for Christmas, get all the photos they want. You guarantee every child is on the nice list, then tell them to work hard and stay on the nice list, make jokes with parents that that’s a surprise.”

He shows up at gigs in a regular car and when children ask where the reindeer are, he tells them they only fly on Christmas Eve. He adds that he flew on an airplane to his destination from the North Pole.

He has held newborns and mingled with elderly residents at memory care units and other senior living homes. Wesley often jokes with grandfathers about how they did not get the motorcycles they requested at the previous Christmas.

“We listen,” Wesley said. “We never promise anything at all, even if parents say ‘yes.’ We always just tell them, ‘Yeah, we’ll see what we can do.

“We do promise you you’ll have some nice presents, really great surprises. You never tell them, ‘no, you can’t have that,’

unless it’s a pet or big electronics things.

We tell them, ‘What do my elves make?’”

He tells kids his elves “only make toys” and don’t deliver dogs, horses or other animals.

Wesley carries a big, red bag in which he places presents that the hosts are going to give the children at the parties. He passes them out to the children and then tells them to wait, and then open the gifts all at the same time.

In between posing for photos and handing out gifts, Mrs. Claus will engage guests in activities including giving them temporary stencil glitter tattoos and reading See

SANTA on page 23

Kimberly Carrillo/Staff photographer

Wesley and Eileen Turner, who at this time of year are better known as Santa and Mrs. Claus, pose with Vienna Rosas during a holiday party.

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from page 22

books to them including “Twas the Night Before Christmas.”

Wesley also performs magic tricks, like waving a special key over a padlock and opening it up to show how the unusual key will allow Santa to get into any house without a fireplace.

Wesley puts in more than 100 hours into his Santa gigs, accompanied by his wife a quarter of the time.

Eileen said she brings in fake fur that “feels like reindeer fur,” as well as real antlers, and recently wore her North Pole garb during a turkey drive at a Bashas’ grocery store in Chandler.

“It’s real easy for me to do having been a teacher,” she said.

Eileen and Wesley have gone through extensive training to perfect their performances.

Wesley said that at his first class in Denver, he and other budding St. Nicks practiced saying “ho, ho, ho” and learned how to get children onto their laps “so they’re not crying.”

He said babies usually stay calm until they reach 6 to 18 months, because by that time many are starting to fear strangers.

Wesley said Santas are also taught to make sure both their hands are showing in photos. They learn when asked how reindeer fly to tell kids “it’s a red fairy dust,” he said.

Wesley said he and Eileen got into the Santa business after their grandson, Jacen Campbell, who was about 18 months old at the time, went to Disneyland and was scared of a Santa Claus he saw there. The toddler was “trying to escape from Santa,” he said.

“My wife found a (Santa) suit on sale for half price,” Wesley said. “She said, ‘If you dress up, you can get some good pictures.’

Then I got to reading about Santa Clauses and saw it’s really a big business.”

When Jacen, now 6, and their three other grandchildren visit, Wesley tells them he is dressing up like Santa Claus to help kids so they “won’t be afraid of the real one.”

Eileen said she even participated in a school for female performers in Ohio,

Kimberly Carrillo/Staff Photographer

Santa and Mrs. Claus, aka Wesley and Eileen Turner, pose with Chris and Irina Galindo and their children, from left, Evi, 6; and Lily, 4. They were attending an HOA holiday party in Chandler whose organizers hired Turner, a professional St. Nick, to spread Christmas cheer.

learning to do many different types of activities on their own without just being Santa’s “arm candy.”

“Many Mrs. Clauses are going out on their own, doing cookie decorating, storytelling,” she said.

Gladys Rosas, who lives in the Germann Country Estates in Chandler, organized the recent block party. It’s a popular tradition every Christmas season and Wesley and Eileen visit in their North Pole roles.

“He’s extremely great with kids and he spends time with them as he’s talking with them,” Rosas said. “The kids get excited. He brings Mrs. Claus. They’re very cute together.”

She said at least 50 people usually come to the gathering, where a bounce house is set up, as well as snowballs, food and drinks.

“The community really enjoys it because it’s the one time we can all see each other and have a good time,” Rosas said. “The adults really look forward to having Santa in our neighborhood and they love taking pictures as a family with Santa and Mrs. Claus.”

She said Wesley’s suit is “awesome and he’s got a real beard.”

“They’re just a great couple and we look forward to having them for many years, keeping the tradition going,” Rosas said.

The cost for Wesley’s Santa visits in December, Mondays through Thursdays is $100 per half hour and $200 per hour. Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays in December, he charges $125 per half hour visit and $250 per hour.

To book Wesley through East Valley

$

Santa Claus on Christmas Day or Christmas Eve, the fee is $400 per hour.

Mrs. Claus receives half of Santa’s rate for her work. Santa also poses for photo shoots only, at $50 plus $125 per hour with a two-hour minimum.

“The most fun I get is the storytelling of the children asking about the North Pole, Mrs. Claus if they want to know and just making up stories and talking to them,” Wesley said. “It’s all ad lib.”

Information: eastvalleysantaclaus.com.

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Community bank is Chandler’s latest ‘Discovery’

BY JASON STONE Staff Writer

It’s not the typical way a bank partnership is formed, but sometimes stressful situations can bring out the best ideas.

Chandler cancer surgeon Dr. Albert Amini was looking for a side venture into the banking business when the opportunity literally fell into his lap.

Ernest Garfield, a former Arizona state treasurer who had launched a number of community banks across the state, just so happened to be his patient one day last summer.

As they prepared for the surgery, Garfield and Amini struck up a conversation about the banking industry.

Right before starting the procedure, Garfield asked the 36-year-old doctor, “Is this something you’d be interested in?”

Amini told Garfield he definitely was.

“He had no concern for his upcoming surgery,” Amini said with a laugh. “He just wanted to know if I’m interested in doing this bank. He said, ‘Let’s do this.’”

The doctor and patient hit it off and started talking about the idea after the surgery.

“He has a one-track mind,” Amini said.

“That’s when I started looking for people who were like-minded.”

That focus is now leading to the development of the first true “community bank” in Chandler in a decade.

Discovery Business Bank plans to cater to small businesses – especially the health care and technology industries – when it opens its doors next year at a site to be determined in Chandler.

The Discovery board is, pardon the pun, banking on the hope that Chandler businesses and residents will see the benefit of a community bank, especially in strong economic times.

“Mr. Garfield and his group of investors recognize that Chandler is an entrepreneurial community with a strong startup ecosystem,” said Chandler Economic Development Specialist Michael Winer. “They understand Chandler and see a need for a community bank to help fund local business growth.”

One of Amini’s work colleagues and friends, Dr. Nick Kehagias, was one of the first board members to jump into the venture because of the community ties to Chandler.

“Right now, only about 7 percent of all money from banks stays in Arizona,” Kehagias said. “All of this money will stay in Chandler, and I think that’s very important.”

The recent decade hasn’t been kind to community banks. American Banker reports only 11 current banks are based in Arizona, a big drop from 56 before the financial crisis.

Gateway Commercial Bank in 2007 was the state’s last to open, and between August 2009 and August 2013, as many as 15 of the state’s banks failed.

Nationwide, the number of community banks has decreased by more than 50 percent in the decade from 2008 to 2018. That’s because during the economic downturn, it was harder for banks to make money.

Kehagias, or Dr. Nick as he’s known to his patients, said lower profit margins meant small banks were forced to

consolidate. The FDIC put the brakes on approving new charters.

But Kehagias said that trend is turning, and with a rise in community banks nationally, the time is right for Chandler to get one again.

Discovery’s nine-person board has turned to Garfield, who heads up Interstate Bank Developers, for guidance.

Garfield has helped launch several community banks, including Rio Salado Bank, Aztec Bank and Veterans Business Bank, which is focused on veterans and first responders.

The two big items on the to-do list are securing the charter and finding a place to lease.

The group is raising $12 million in funding to start up by next year and is awaiting FDIC approval for deposits up to $250,000.

As for the bank’s physical location, Realtors are already scoping out the best existing location for the group. The most likely spots are somewhere in central or east Chandler.

“We’re probably going to rent a place for the first couple of years,” Kehagias said.

Once established, long-term plans include the construction of their own building in Chandler and possible expansion into other East Valley cities.

Board members said one aspect that will set Discovery apart from bigger banks like Wells Fargo and Chase is the personal attention to the customer.

The bank plans to provide educational resources to small-business owners and help them grow. For instance, the bank

will help newer businesses learn about accounting and keeping track of their progress.

That’s good news for the Chandler market, which is comprised mainly of small businesses. About 80 percent of Chandler’s nearly 3,400 businesses with five or more employees fall in the five- to 25-employee range.

Winer said these smaller businesses often have a more difficult time securing financing and could potentially benefit from having access to a community bank.

“We believe Discovery Business Bank could become a key piece in Chandler’s startup ecosystem, serving local entrepreneurs and benefiting our city as a whole,” Winer said.

The bank’s name even has an interesting twist. While brainstorming ideas, Garfield came across a bank that recently opened in San Diego named Endeavor Bank. It turns out Endeavour was in honor of the fifth and final Space Shuttle in the U.S. space program.

“That kind of inspired us to think of other Space Shuttle names,” Kehagias said. “A name like ‘Discovery’ kind of inspires you. Plus, it was the most successful NASA program.”

And if the bank has that kind of success, Amini said Chandler residents will be the winners.

“Because over 90 percent of money in banks goes outside the state of Arizona, there is not a big need for those banks to invest in the community,” Amini said. “If we have this community bank, we keep the money local and that means a higher amount will be invested locally.”

Skin Actives Scientific goes brick and mortar

BY COLLEEN SPARKS Managing Editor

Finding the perfect mix of moisturizers, serums and cleansers to clear up acne, reduce wrinkles and otherwise achieve healthy skin usually requires scientific experimentation.

Now, family-owned skincare company Skin Actives Scientific has an easier time doing just that after opening its first store at Chandler Fashion Center.

Mother and son Hannah Sivak and Jonatan Funtowicz started the company in 2005 solely as an online enterprise, first creating products out of Sivak’s home.

The skincare company, which manufactures most of its many skincare and hair growth products in Gilbert, aims to give customers honest products at affordable prices.

The help of the Chandler Innovations business incubation and entrepreneurial development program sparked recent company growth.

Skin Actives recently made a twomonth commitment to have the pop-up store in Chandler Fashion Center near Nordstrom and the company will see how it goes, according to Funtowicz, CEO and co-founder.

His mother, Sivak, a former

Kimberly Carrillo/Staff Photographer

Jonatan Funtowicz is CEO and co-founder and his mother, Hannah Sivak, is co-founder and director of scientific research for Skin Actives Scientific.

biochemistry professor and longtime health advocate, is co-founder and

director of scientific research for Skin Actives.

“Unlike most personal care companies, we develop and produce ingredients that the body uses to repair and defend itself,” Funtowicz said, explaining: “By integrating these ingredients into a complete line of finished products, we help men and women regain and retain the natural beauty of their skin and hair in a safe and sustainable way. Beyond the ready to use products, we also will be providing education and ingredients for those interested in taking full ownership of their skin care routine by mixing their own recipes.”

After selling their products for a decade online, Funtowicz said, “We are incredibly excited to be able to display our products to members of our community in such a great location.”

Funtowicz said Skin Actives Scientific is “very ingredient oriented” and began with 100 of them.

“Depending on the mix, you can make different products and have different effects,” he said. “Instead of one product that does everything, specific products (help) specific needs.”

Skin Actives Scientific moisturizers help people with acne and are “awesome products for people that have rosacea, See

SKINCARE on page 25

SANTAN SUN NEWS | DEC 15, 2018 - JAN 4, 2019

SKINCARE

from page 24

eczema, psoriasis,” Funtowicz said.

“Our specialty is in helping people that have real needs, helping them long term,” he said.

“Your needs will change because the body will need different nutrients and different ingredients,” he said. “The idea is as you age you need different things, the products become more complex.”

The collagen serum is the most popular Skin Actives Scientific product and the business boasts of its ability to reduce fine lines and wrinkles and enhance overall texture and tone, Funtowicz said. He added people can leave it on all day and put sunscreen on top of it.

Skin Actives has four collections designed to meet specific skincare goals: flawless, ageless, glowing and hydrating.

Each collection has creams, serums, cleansers, masks and other products. The serums also come in regular and vegan forms.

Customers can start with a basic cream and add ingredients if they like, or start with a moisturizer and add their own active ingredients and even just buy ingredients not readymade.

People can come into the store anytime and get help mixing ingredients with a list that “looks like an ice cream parlor,” Funtowicz said.

Skin Actives does not test on animals, but its employees try out products.

“The products are designed with science, but trying to figure out what works best for a specific person takes trial and error,” Funtowicz said. “Everyone’s skin is different. You need to be patient.

You need to try a product for two or three months. You want to have a scientific approach to what helps you.”

He and his mother are no strangers to science. Sivak finished her doctorate research at the Institute for Biomedical Research in Buenos Aires, Argentina, and she has published over 60 papers internationally and wrote a book, “The Scientific Revolution in Skin Care.”

She worked as a research fellow at the Universities of York and Sheffield in the United Kingdom from 1980 to 1990 and taught as a professor of biochemistry and molecular biology at Michigan State University from 1990 to 2002.

Kimberly Carrillo/Staff Photographer

Amanda Wolfe-Elampooranar, left, chief commercial officer, and Kynsi Hamilton make skin creams.

Funtowicz earned a bachelor’s degree in physics from University of Edinburgh in Scotland, and an MBA in Materials and Supply Chain Management at Michigan State University.

He also earned a master’s degree in energy and environmental studies at Boston University. Funtowicz had worked in logistics in Detroit, Michigan for DHL, a transportation company, prior to working for Skin Actives.

Funtowicz said his mother “did research on the chemistry of plants and starch.”

“She understands when you talk about what’s good about a lemon in skincare,” he said. “We talk about the chemicals that are found in a lemon. What we focus on is the chemicals in the plants and the allergy and everywhere as opposed to whether something’s organic or not.

“We’re focused on identifying the chemicals and how they operate on a physiological level with the skin. There are very dangerous natural things and there are very good synthetic things, and part of our mission is to educate customers.”

Skin Actives also has a hair care line. Its Double Action Hair Serum helps “strengthen and grow hair” and “should slow down the graying process,” Funtowicz said.

Funtowicz said an experiment he and some employees did showed the positive effects of the hair serum on men’s beards and on the top of his head, where it “increased the weight of my hair.”

The company also makes a Brow and Lash Serum that aims to make brows and lashes that look “thicker, stronger, and healthier,” the website said.

Lauren Whitaker, head of development at Skin Actives Scientific who works at the Gilbert headquarters, said the business stands out because of “how much of an ingredient they use.”

“A lot of (skincare) companies are trying to use just enough to get it on the label,” Whitaker said. “Dr. Sivak wants a high concentration of whatever active (ingredient) she’s going for that can make the skin benefit from it. Our catalog is huge.

“There are so many things that can benefit the skin. We have such a huge arsenal of ingredients.”

Kathryn Lyon, customer success manager at Skin Actives Scientific, said the “efficacy” of the products sets the company apart from the competition.

“The efficacy and just the variety that we have,” Lyon said. “We really focus on products that are gonna help the skin no matter what your concern. We have products for so many different skincare

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25

concerns.

I think that’s why our customers come back is because the products work for them. A lot of our customers like the customization aspect that they can start from scratch and use base cream and add all the ingredients they want or buy one of our readymade products and just add a little moisture.”

Holly O’Rourke, 31, of Scottsdale is a happy Skin Actives Scientific customer.

The Scottsdale professor of statistics at Arizona State University has been using the products for about a year.

“One of the reasons I was immediately interested in trying Skin Actives products is that they use an evidence-based approach to product development, and provide research study results to demonstrate product effectiveness,” O’Rourke said. “As a researcher who uses the scientific method in my own work, this was really appealing to me as a customer!”

She said she loves the Brow and Lash Serum “because it’s simply the most effective lash serum I’ve ever used.”

She said she also loves the Every Lipid Serum as she has “naturally dry skin and it’s exacerbated by the dry desert weather here, and the ELS serum keeps my skin so hydrated!”

Funtowicz said the City of Chandler and residents have been supportive of his and his mother’s company.

The council members in Chandler have been great,” he said. “The City of Chandler has helped us out with the publicity. The City of Gilbert has been amazing.”

He said the Chandler Innovations program was “really awesome” and is helpful to “mom and pop stores, which is what we kind of were.”

The city business and incubation and entrepreneurial development program is sponsored by the city but powered by nonprofit NACET and helps startups build and grow to viable companies.

Online sales for Skin Actives Scientific have grown to over $2 million via online sales and distribution agreements that sell the products around the world.

Besides selling to the public, the business also does private labeling so salons, spas and other businesses can make their own product and put their names on it.

Skin Actives Scientific is open during regular Chandler Fashion Center hours.

Information: skinactives.com

Flix hopes locals will eat, drink and be movie fans

BY COLLEEN SPARKS Managing Editor

Excitement is brewing over a Chandler movie theater that will cater to the craft beer crowd and entertain guests of all ages with much more than popcorn and soda.

Flix Brewhouse will hold its grand opening from 4 to 6 p.m. on Dec. 19 at 1 W. Chandler Blvd., as part of the Overstreet development in downtown Chandler.

Guests can celebrate the new, dine-in theater by viewing Disney’s reboot of the iconic movie “Mary Poppins.”

Tickets are already on sale and Flix will be giving away free movie passes for every purchase of a $25 gift card. The passes can be used in January.

“It’s always an exciting time when we launch in a new city, and we’re really inspired by the east Valley,” said spokesman Greg Johnson. “The goal isn’t to simply set

Kimberly Carrillo/Staff Photographer

Summer Hasan, marketing manager, and Greg Johnson, spokesman, pose at the new Flix Brewhouse in downtown Chandler. The theater has a full menu, craft beer and movies.

up shop here, we’re really looking forward to being an active part of the downtown Chandler community.

“This is the coolest area that a Flix has ever been in. It’s got a good energy. There’s people looking for something fun to do.”

The Chandler Flix Brewhouse will be the company’s seventh in the country. The closest one to Chandler is in Albuquerque, New Mexico; Flix also has theaters in other parts of the Southwest and the Midwest.

Customers can check out the 40,000 square foot space with nine auditoriums in the Chandler theater. Each auditorium will have from 40 to 207 seats. Johnson said Flix Brewhouse is the only movie theater that is also a brewery.

“We take our beer program very seriously,” he said. “We don’t see ourselves as a movie theater company. We are a hospitality company. Everybody at Flix See

FLIX on page 26

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FLIX

from page 25

cares deeply about every guest having a great time.”

Flix has hired at least 170 people already out of the 200 it planned to hire.

Founded in Round Rock, Texas in 2011, Flix Brewhouse has grown to become a onestop entertainment destination around the country.

The Chandler Flix will have a sevenbarrel brewhouse with numerous varieties of local and regional brews, as well as many made by the lead brewer, Marisa Bernal, who will create recipes “unique to the Chandler market,” Johnson said.

Some local beers the Chandler Flix will carry include Arizona Wilderness Brewing Co., SanTan Brewing Company and O.H.S.O. Flix will also offer wine, cocktails, soda, Italian ices and many milkshakes, as well as popcorn, candy, street tacos, scratch-made pizza, burgers, sandwiches and rich desserts.

Tuxedo cakes, blueberry cobbler cheesecake and handspun shakes with

SANTAN SUN NEWS | DEC 15, 2018 - JAN 4, 2019

“A lot of people get there early and order an appetizer,” Johnson said.

Flix will show the first-run movies and was recently named as one of Inc 5000’s “Fastest Growing Companies.”

The company often brings movie characters including superheroes into its lobbies to mingle with guests. It brought a Mary Poppins character to the Kimberly Carrillo/Staff Photographer downtown Chandler tumbleweed The lobby at Flix Brewhouse is expansive, ready for tree lighting ceremony Dec. 1. hungry and thirsty patrons of its first-run movies.

Flix will anchor the Overstreet development, a retail project on the southwest corner of Chandler Oreos and other fillings are some popular Boulevard and Arizona Avenue. highlights. People can place their food While Flix Brewhouse in Chandler orders through a “silent ordering system” in the auditorium during the show or come 30 will open with “Mary Poppins,” starring Emily Blunt as the favorite nanny, minutes early to order whatever they want the full opening line of films will also to eat or drink, Johnson said. include “Spider-Man: Into the SpiderHe said “service ninjas” will deliver the Verse,” DC Comics’ “Aquaman” and food and drinks quietly, from a place 18 “Transformers” spinoff “Bumblebee.” inches lower than the seats so as not to Some people expressed enthusiasm disrupt those watching the movie.

about the Flix Brewhouse opening on the Living Chandler Facebook page recently.

“I’m so excited for the opening of this theatre!” Tina Milyiori said. “Since moving to Chandler in August, I’ve been anticipating this opening! We don’t have anything this cool close to where I lived in Ohio!”

Matthew Coates, who founded the Living Chandler page along with his wife, Tia Coates, also is happy the theater will be opening soon.

“Can’t wait to see Mary Poppins on the 19th!”Matthew posted. “Plus, we are going to give away a 4 pack of seats to a lucky LC member. Stay tuned!”

The 77,000-square-foot Overstreet project is being built along the south side of Chandler Boulevard between Arizona Avenue and California Street and will also include two restaurants – Camp Social and Over Easy, as well as office space and local and national retailers.

Overstreet gets its name from the large-scale skywalk that will rise over the destination’s entrance.

Information: flixbrewhouse.com/chandler

Radisson opens Country Inn & Suites near I-10 SANTAN SUN NEWS STAFF

Radisson has opened a Country Inn & Suites at 7425 W. Chandler Blvd. in Chandler. The hotel, which features an updated exterior with a refreshed lobby, is located near Interstate 10.

“We’re proud to expand the Country Inn & Suites by Radisson brand in Chandler, AZ with a hotel that features

our signature modern design and warm and welcoming environment,” said Aly ElBassuni, senior vice president. “We want our guests to feel at home no matter where their travels take them, and the incredible owners and thoughtful staff at this hotel will make guests feel like they are part of the Radisson family.”

The hotel offers 64 guest rooms, a 24-hour fitness center and business

center, outdoor pool and hot tub, complimentary parking and free Wi-Fi. Guests also can borrow any book from the Read It & Return Lending LibrarySM. Books can be returned during a guest’s current stay or during their next visit to any Country Inn & Suites by Radisson in the U.S. or Canada.

The hotel offers a complimentary hot breakfast, along with freshly baked cookies,

coffee and tea served throughout the day.

“We couldn’t be more excited to welcome guests to our beautifully renovated hotel under the Country Inn & Suites by Radisson brand,” said Hugo Correra, the hotel’s owner. “Our kind and caring staff, in addition to the complimentary services and convenient location, provides an excellent hospitality experience for guests.”

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27

Pet hospice, end-of-life care a labor of love in East Valley

BY DEB SAMSON Contributing Writer

In recent years, pet ownership has spiked in the U.S., sparking a growth of petrelated companies and services, from pet bakeries to doggie daycares to spas that offer massages, pedicures and stylish grooming.

According to the 2017-18 APPA National Pet Owners Survey, 68 percent of U.S. households own a pet, which equates to 84.6 million homes. By comparison, in the 1980s pet ownership was 15 to 20 percent lower.

Not all popular pet services are about pampering our furry friends, though.

Some bring comfort at a difficult time.

One quickly emerging field, in-home hospice care and euthanasia for older or ailing pets, is helping pet owners cope with the unfortunate inevitability of losing their animals.

Dr. Jordy Merrifield, a veterinarian with Lap of Love, a mobile veterinary-hospice and euthanasia practice serving the East Valley, said that the death of a pet is an incredibly difficult life event for pet owners.

“In many ways, the loss of a pet can be as traumatic as losing a friend or family member to a terminal illness,” Merrifield said.

Merrifield, an Arizona native, felt called to end-of-life care because of her own experiences with losing pets and human loved ones. Helping pets pass with dignity is a way for her to honor her grief and transform it into something meaningful.

Photo courtesy of Dr. Jordy Merrifield

Dr. Jordy Merrifield evaluates Mar the dog during an in-home visit. Merrifield specializes in pet hospice and end-of-life care for pets in the East Valley.

The Lap of Love team offers several related services, including in-home consultations aimed at helping families decide whether or not it’s time to euthanize their pet; hospice care to decrease pain and palliate other symptoms, such as nausea or anxiety; and euthanasia to alleviate and prevent

impending suffering.

“The absolute most important thing to owners is that their pet doesn’t suffer,” Merrifield said. “As a veterinarian, I believe in providing the best care for pets, but when treatment fails or is declined for any reason, it’s critical that families have palliative-care options.

“Going back and forth to the veterinarian’s office can be stressful for animals, especially those who are elderly or sick.”

Mobile veterinary services make it possible for a pet to receive care at home where they can stay in their own bed and be closely monitored by owners, the ones who know them best. Evaluation of a pet in the home is also helpful for veterinarians to assess the pet’s unique needs in that environment and personalize nursing care.

The holidays can be a particularly challenging time, according to Merrifield.

“Every year we see an increase in the number of pets getting sick and dying around this time,” she said. “As most families gather together to celebrate, some are forced to say goodbye to a best friend they’ve known for over a decade amidst the hustle and bustle of the season.”

For this reason, Merrifield believes it is important to offer appointments in the evening and on holidays.

Dr. Steven Hansen, president and CEO of the Arizona Humane Society, agrees that today’s pet owners are seeking more comfort and direction from professionals when a pet is gravely ill and approaching death. He recommends talking about the pet’s eventual death with a professional, even if it’s a difficult conversation.

“Knowing when to say goodbye to a beloved pet can be very difficult,” Hansen See

PET HOSPICE on page 29

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28

BUSINESS

SANTAN SUN NEWS | DEC 15, 2018 - JAN 4, 2019

Kimberly Carrillo/STSN Staff

Photo courtesy of Discount Tire

Brandon Wilcox balances a tire at Discount Tire near McKellips and Power roads in Mesa. The company has created a training and job program for students still in school that can include flexible schedules and college reimbursement.

Scottsdale-based Discount Tire operates its East Valley job-training academy at Country Club Drive and Baseline Road in Mesa. Classes are two weeks long. The company has reached out to students at area high schools to apply for positions.

Discount Tire forges partnerships with East Valley high schools

BY CHRISTINA FUOCO-KARASINSKI STSN Staff Writer

Discount Tire is encouraging East Valley high school students to start their working careers at its stores while they’re still in school.

Tom Stanage, the Scottsdale-based company’s training manager, said that after kids attend its academies they can take advantage of flexible schedules and

college reimbursement. Discount Tire sent announcements to area high schools.

“High school students can learn on the job,” said Stanage, who has worked for Discount Tire for nearly 30 years.

“You make a lot of good friends. It’s hard work, but once you figure everything out, it’s a lot of fun. They’ll have career opportunities as soon as they get out of school.

“We have the flexibility to work

around school. Plus, if they work down here during high school and they go to Flagstaff for college, they can transfer up there.”

This fall, 166 people were hired for Arizona’s 76 stores.

“All you need is a great work ethic,” Stanage said. “As far as how to change a tire, how to balance tires and fix tires, we (teach) that all in-house. You don’t need prior knowledge. If you have a can-do

attitude, we’ll take it from there.”

The Valley’s East Valley training academy is at Country Club Drive and Baseline Road in Mesa. Classes are two weeks long.

“Kids . . . who are hired are referring their friends,” Stanage said. “We have a great referral program. There’s no better person who can tell you about a job than a friend.”

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BUSINESS

SANTAN SUN NEWS | DEC 15, 2018 - JAN 4, 2019

29

PayPal awards grants to Valley charities SANTAN SUN NEWS STAFF

Chandler-based PayPal has awarded more than $70,000 in grants to Valley nonprofits though its Arizona GIVE Team, an employee-led committee.

PayPal encourages employees to recommend nonprofits in which they are directly involved for a grant.

Recipients included: Arizona Students Recycling Used Technology, which received $10,000 to refurbish a chromium configuration of 64bit laptops.

Translational Genomics Research Institute Foundation, which also got $10,000 to provide genetic sequencing for 10 low-income families.

The Arizona Council on Economic Education, which got a $10,000 grant to provide their Financial Fitness for Life program that reaches teachers, students and their families in ethnically diverse

PET HOSPICE

from page 27

said. “I recommend that pet owners schedule a wellness check-up with their veterinarian in order to talk through their pet’s quality of life and in doing so, it will often bring clarity and allow them to follow their heart and do what is best for their pet.”

Lori Eastin, an East Valley resident,

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AZCENC, which received $8,000 to purchase two electric pallet jacks, which will increase efficiency in food bank operations and provide much needed support to staff and volunteers.

One Small Step, which got $7,500 to buy new clothing and children’s shoes for needy families.

Junior Achievement of Arizona, which will use its $6,100 grant to sponsor 100 low-income Arizona students in their Finance Park program.

Read Better Be Better, which got $6,000 to fund one school for a semester in the Littleton Elementary School District.

The First Tee of Phoenix, which received $5,000 for its Life Sills Experience program at their Cave Creek Golf Course location, specifically used for scholarships to families that request financial assistance.

Project Sleep Tight got $5,000 for a

program that reduces the effects that homelessness can have and promotes the emotional well-being of the children by providing objects of reliable comfort.

Arc of Arizona, which got $5,000 for its Wings for Autism event.

“PayPal is committed to harnessing the power of people and technology to build a worldwide network for good that inspires and enables everyone and is very proud to support nonprofits that have special meaning to its employees,” the company said in a release.

PayPal also was one of 34 companies across the state that topped nearly 500 million steps in the first Arizona Walking Challenge, a six-week businessto-business competition that saw 2,008 participants walk an average of 41,491 steps each week. The program was designed to encourage employee wellness across Arizona.

Throughout the challenge period,

439,933,031 total steps were walked – which is equivalent to approximately 208,302 miles or nearly eight trips around the world.

Powered by Terryberry, the Arizona Walking Challenge is designed to spur greater attention to wellness in the workplace.

“The level of engagement and stories of personal success coming from companies across Arizona over past six weeks have been truly inspiring,” said Mike Byam, Terryberry Managing Partner.

“Just as we’ve witnessed in West Michigan, businesses across Arizona really stepped up to the plate and demonstrated their commitment to building and promoting a culture of wellness.”

Byam recognized PayPal as the Most Improved Company because its employees clocked 17,286 more steps per week at the end of the challenge as compared to the beginning.

recently chose in-home hospice for her 13-year-old golden retriever, Trevor.

It started with a frantic phone call to Merrifield, whom Eastin affectionately refers to as “Dr. Jordy,” at 5 a.m. because Trevor no longer could stand on his own.

“Dr. Jordy was amazing,” Eastin said.

“She spent the time to answer all of my questions, and she addressed the need

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“Dr. Jordy fully understood my relationship with Trevor and was supportive of my decisions. I am happy to say that he is still with us and is doing better. I’m not ready to say goodbye yet, and I don’t think he is either.”

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BUSINESS 30

SANTAN SUN NEWS | DEC 15, 2018 - JAN 4, 2019

Gilbert, Mesa hospital options keep growing

BY JASON STONE Staff Writer

Dignity Health is eager to show off its new hospital in east Mesa.

Now if it could just get the word out that it’s fully open.

“Some people have come in and said, ‘We didn’t know you were open yet,’” said Jane Hanson, president and CEO of the new Arizona General Hospital Mesa Campus on Elliot Road just off the Loop 202.

It’s been slow at first, but Hanson said the word is finally getting out. That’s good news for a rapidly growing East Valley, which needs more medical care options in the region.

Dignity Health opened the doors for the new Mesa campus at 9130 E. Elliot Road on Nov. 12, right around the same time it broke ground on a new medical facility for women and children at the existing Mercy Gilbert Medical Center about 12 miles southwest down the Loop 202.

The new facilities will add more critical health care options for East Valley residents without having to go far for full hospital services – not to mention creating hundreds of jobs.

The new Mesa campus includes 50 inpatient beds, two state-of-the-art operating rooms, an emergency department, a high-complexity laboratory and a full radiology suite equipped with the latest technologies.

“I would call this a small, community hospital,” Hanson said, adding that should result in lower costs for patients, who will still have full access to Dignity Heath’s networks of physicians and specialists.

Plus, Hanson said, wait times will be shorter in the ER, compared to the marathon sessions awaiting patients at most 400- or 500-bed hospitals in many big cities.

“This is a great project for that part of the city,” said Mesa Economic Development Director Bill Jabjiniak. “Any time that you’re growing at the pace the city of Mesa is growing at, hospital needs will be greater.”

Small community medical centers and so-called “micro-hospitals” are the latest trends for smaller neighborhood areas.

They’re small-scale inpatient facilities –

(Pablo Robles/ Staff Photographer)

Representatives of Dignity Health, the Town of Gilbert and Phoenix’s Children’s Hospital joined in the groundbreaking last month on the Mercy Gilbert Medical Center campus for a new medical center for women and children.

up to three stories – built on 20,000- to 50,000-square foot spaces. Micro hospitals are ones with 25 beds or less.

“Insurance companies are not paying for you to stay overnight anymore,” Jabjiniak said. “It’s a great example of a health care provider adapting to today’s environment.”

Hanson said the Mesa campus started operations with about 100 employees, but that’ll jack up to 400 to 500 workers once all four operating rooms are up and running.

The site of the hospital was longplanned for a medical center, but a bankruptcy case kept it vacant for years.

The new hospital should help ease the needs for residents in the Eastmark master-planned community.

(Pablo Robles/Staff Photographer)

Among the speakers at the groundbreaking was President/CEO Mark Slyter of Dignity Health Mercy Gilbert and Chandler Regional medical centers.

“It’s right along an area that’s growing,” Jabjiniak said. “Eastmark is the fastest-growing master-planned community in Arizona and fifth or sixth in the nation.

released specific details.

In addition to the NICU unit, Phoenix Children’s Hospital plans to operate 48 pediatric beds, a 12-bed pediatric emer-

“ Eastmark is the fastest-growing master planned community in Arizona and fifth or sixth in the nation. There’s just a lot of growth in the Southeast Valley.”

– Bill Jabjiniak, Mesa Economic Development Director There’s just a lot of growth in the Southeast Valley.”

Gilbert is feeling that growth as well with the start of construction of the auxiliary to the Mercy Gilbert Medical Center at 3555 S. Val Vista Drive.

Phoenix Children’s Hospital spokeswoman Erica Sturwold said the five-story, nearly 374,000-square-foot “Women’s and Children’s Pavilion” will offer a 60-bed Level 3 neonatal intensive care unit (NICU).

That’s currently only available at PCH’s main campus near downtown Phoenix.

“This is the first time we will be offering that level of neonatal care to the Gilbert area,” Sturwold said. “That’s an exciting thing to add.”

The “Women’s and Children’s Pavilion” will also include 24 labor and delivery rooms and 48 post-partum beds, which the hospital will operate. Plans also call for an emergency department dedicated to obstetrics.

Sturwold said Dignity Health is paying for the addition to the hospital, while PCH is leasing space from the women’s and children’s clinic. Hanson called the agreement with Phoenix Children’s Hospital “long-term,” but neither side has

gency department and pediatric operating rooms.

“Since we first brought our strengths together, Phoenix Children’s and Dignity Health have become a tremendous force in the care of children and women in this country,” Linda Hunt, president and CEO of the Dignity Health Arizona Service Area, said in a statement. “This pavilion … will mean better care for families in this rapidly growing part of the greater Phoenix area.”

Work is expected to be completed by 2020. When it opens, it should bring an additional 400 jobs to the East Valley, said Dignity spokeswoman Carmelle Malkovich.

In addition to the Mesa and Gilbert hospitals, the Dignity Health, Arizona Service Area includes four others: Chandler Regional Medical Center; St. Joseph’s Hospital and Medical Center, which includes Barrow Neurological Institute; St. Joseph’s Westgate Medical Center and Arizona General Hospital Laveen Campus.

For information about the hospital, log on to AZgeneral.com. For information about Dignity Health, visit DignityHealth. org/Arizona.

SANTAN SUN NEWS | DEC 15, 2018 - JAN 4, 2019

Sports & Recreation

31

For more community news visit SanTanSun.com

Brooks carries Wolves across finish line of long journey

BY MICHAEL CARPENTER Contributing Writer

With two state championship rings already, DeCarlos Brooks entered the 6A state-championship football game with a new role for the third straight year.

Contributing mostly on defense during his sophomore year in 2016, Brooks got his first taste of a state championship.

Last year, he was the backup running back on another title team.

On Dec. 1 at Sun Devil Stadium, this time the stage was all his as Chandler High’s featured back, and he made the most of it. Brooks rushed for 334 yards and six touchdowns as the Wolves rolled to a 65-28 thrashing of cross-town rival Perry for another state championship.

Brooks stole the show but he tried to deflect attention afterward to be just another guy.

“These guys aren’t just my teammates, they are my family, my ‘ohana’ as we call each other,” Brooks said. “So, going in we knew that we had each other’s back and if we preformed the way that we expected we would get the win.

“This may be my third state champi-

onship, but this one is definitely the sweetest to be able to end my career with it.”

Also playing his last game for the Wolves was senior quarterback Jacob Conover, who, like Brooks, won his third straight state crown.

Conover became the first quarterback in modern state history to accomplish the feat in the highest classification.

He, too, has been among the key players behind Chandler’s rise to success. He was 12-0 as a starter in the playoffs in his career.

“Being able to have the same core of lineman over the past three seasons has been big,” he said. “They have been a major part of our success. If they aren’t protecting me they are opening up (Pablo Robles/Tribune Staff)

Chandler High back DeCarlos Brooks stole the show with 334 rushing yards and six touchdowns as the Wolves won their third straight 6A state football championship in a 65-28 rout of Perry at Sun Devil Stadium.

holes for DeCarlos. It’s great to have that sense of security with them.

“Coach (Shaun) Aguano has had a major role in my success. The way he teaches and brings us together as a squad is energizing. You get the feeling he would do anything for us so that helps us give it our all out there on the field for him.”

Aguano said having players like Brooks and Conover help make a coach look good.

“We gave DeCarlos the ball and we let him do what he has been doing all year,” Aguano said. “And having Jacob leading your offense you can count on him making very few, if any, mistakes.”

Aguano said the game plan was to start with a balanced run-pass mix to feel out the Pumas defense.

“We practice a balanced offense each week to be safe but after seeing our defensive and offensive fronts dominating we decided to just stick with DeCarlos and it worked out just fine,” Aguano said.

Chandler (13-1) says good-bye to the senior class that was the heart of a dynasty.

“It’s bittersweet,” Aguano said. “Losing all of them after this year will hurt, but for now I’m focused on celebrating with this team and our championship.”

Although Perry fell short, it established itself among elite 6A programs

BY JOEL VISS Contributing Writer

It started with a quarterback battle in the scorching heat of July and quickly took an unexpected turn when an injury put one of its most explosive playmakers, D’Shayne James, on the sideline for the season.

It’s a team effort. One “player goes down, it’s not the end of the world. We’re going to be there with him, we’re going to help him recover but we still have football to play.

”

– Senior receiver Colby Dickie Yet there was Perry High at Sun Devil Stadium, back in the 6A state-championship football game, after the sixth-seeded Pumas matured and grew during the season. They knocked off No. 3 Desert Vista and No. 2 Pinnacle in the playoffs to earn a return match for the crown against its nemesis, cross-town rival Chandler.

Perry overcame a lot of adversity during the season, but on Dec. 1, it once again could not overcome Chandler, which smothered the Pumas, 65-28.

“It’s a team effort,” said senior receiver Colby Dickie. “One player goes down, it’s

an impact in 2019.

“Our center, (Hezekiah) Lockhart, he’s back,” Jones said. “We’ve got another offensive lineman back. We’ve got a couple of tight ends coming back. We’ve got two good linebackers.

We’ve got corners. We’re really excited about our future.”

It wasn’t an easy journey.

As the sixth seed, Perry went into games as the lower seed in three of its four playoff games.

Yet the Pumas went into the title game with the chance to complete a sweep of the top three seeds in 6A. “I know those sophomores and juniors that were playing, they’re going to want it again,” (Pablo Robles/Tribune Staff) Dickie said. “I know Perry High running back Jalen Young uses blocks by Justin Clatterbuck (left) and Joshua Amerine to break free in their they’re going to work 6A football state-championship loss to Chandler at Sun Devil Stadium in Tempe. their butts off to get back here next season.” who’s now building new fans as quarternot the end of the world. We’re going to Jones was especially proud of the back at Iowa State. be there with him, we’re going to help senior class.

It helps when his replacement is of the him recover but we still have football to “(I told them to) hold their heads up,” same blood. play. he said. “You did a great job, had a great Purdy’s young brother, Chubba Purdy, a “We came together as a team, even junior, emerged as the quarterback. Chub- run, had a great season. This senior class after losing a couple of players, and we has done a lot. Since they were sophoba passed for 3,425 yards and 36 touchjust worked our butts off all season long mores they’ve done a great, great job. downs and added another 1,152 rushing to get back to where we needed to be Nothing to be ashamed of. yards in his first year as the starter.

He will and that was here.”

“Of course, we want to win. We want be among the state’s top quarterbacks After losing to Chandler (13-1) in last the score to be flipped, but you can’t connext season. season’s title game, 49-42, the Pumas trol that. They have a lot to be proud of Along with Purdy, Perry coach Preston (11-3) were an unlikely candidate to make and show our gratitude and appreciation Jones looks forward to several other reit back. It lost Arizona’s 2017 high school turning players who are expected to make to everyone that supported us.” football player of the year, Brock Purdy,

SPORTS & RECREATION

32

SANTAN SUN NEWS | DEC 15, 2018 - JAN 4, 2019

The long road to the gold football The 6A high school football playoffs. It’s a grueling four-week test of will and endurance. School-district rivals Chandler, which won its third straight championship and fourth in five years, and Perry, which knocked off the second- and third-seeded teams in the field to get there, were the last two standing. While the championship game was a 65-28 blowout win for the Wolves, both teams had great moments en route to the big stage. 1: Wolves quarterback Jacob Conover unloads a pass in a semifinal cliff-hanging win against Highland. 2: It’s always a hard-hitting affair when Chandler and Perry meet. 3 and 4: It’s DeCarlos Brooks left and DeCarlos Brooks right in the semifinal. 5: Colby Dickie and the Pumas stiff-arm Pinnacle in a semifinal rout. 6: A semifinal upset of Pinnacle is within Perry’s reach. A championship is not. 7: Chandler players hoist the gold football, symbolizing the end of a long, successful journey.

1

2

3

4

6

7

Photographs by staff photographers Pablo Robles and Kimberly Carrillo

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SPORTS & RECREATION

33

Colts hope to repeat girls’ soccer success in 5A

BY ERIC NEWMAN Staff Writer

The classification has changed for Casteel High’s girls’ soccer team.

The expectations have not. They’re still high as the Colts move into 5A after winning the 3A state title last season.

Three years ago when the school was new, senior winger Mckenna Radder was part of the first Casteel team that initially did not have enough girls to field a starting 11.

“We had seven girls that came out the first day of tryouts and we had to get some volleyball players or other athletes that hadn’t even played before to come play with us,” Radder said. “Even then, we had this goal of being competitive.”

With another class of talented players, Casteel reached the playoffs in 201617. It then dominated 3A last season en route to a 21-1-1 record and the state championship. The Colts’ lone loss came in a mid-season, neutral-field tournament against Mountain Pointe, which made the playoffs in 6A. The Colts do not lose any players from last season’s roster. In fact, they’ve added talented freshmen and sophomores.

Coach Jason Hammonds said he and the girls celebrated the championship appropriately, but they understood that a tougher schedule awaited this year.

The Colts scheduled as many tough games as possible last season, including several against larger 4A, 5A and 6A schools to prepare.

They won most of them.

Eric Newman/STSN Staff

Casteel High senior winger Mckenna Radder was part of the first team that initially did not have enough girls to field a starting 11 three years ago when the school was new. The Colts won the 3A state title last year and are expected to contend for the 5A title after moving up this season.

Eric Newman/STSN Staff

Senior Maddie Zook played on the Casteel High back line that allowed three goals as it won the 3A state title last season. “We have basically the same starting group, and a lot of us play with each other on club teams, so our chemistry has been building for four years now,” Zook said.

“Last year our motto was that we were practicing for this year. So, the level of

expectation for the girls is as high as it was in Day One and after we won state,” Hammonds said.

Added Radder, “It was very exciting and we worked really hard to get there but right away it was like, ‘OK, what’s next?’ And, we wanted to move on.”

Casteel is among the most-talented attacking teams in the state with several speedy forwards and midfielders who qualified for the state track meet in the spring. The Colts scored 128 goals in 23 games, an average of more than 5.5.

The Colts were even stronger on

defense. Senior Maddie Zook was a part of Casteel’s back line that allowed just three goals all year, including just one in the regular season.

Defense in soccer is based on keeping tight shape and communication, such as closing on dribblers, blocking passing lanes and moving together to draw opposing forwards offside. The girls on the back line have all played alongside each other for years and know their strengths and weaknesses.

See

5A GIRLS SOCCER on page 34

Long on reputation but short on height, Seton girls’ hoops has new look

BY ERIC NEWMAN Staff Writer

The girls on the Seton Catholic basketball team are in an unfamiliar situation this season.

They are not the overwhelming favorite to win the 4A championship.

The Sentinels have not lost a state playoff game since their 52-49 defeat by Maricopa in the 2015 state final. Seton Catholic has won the title each year since.

Our kids know that “they’re the underdog regardless of what we’ve done in the past. We’re a new team, a different team, and kind of have a different look about us.

”

– Coach Karen Self No player on the roster has experienced anything other than a statechampionship season.

Sarah Barcello was the scoring leader in 2014-15 as a freshman and for the following three seasons. She’s now gone.

There is plenty of talent but the team lacks the same star power. Thus, this season presents a unique challenge to

Eric Newman/Tribune Staff

Seton Catholic girls basketball coach Karen Self, whose teams have won three straight state championships, said the Sentinels are shorter than in the past and now are the underdog. “We’re a new team, a different team, and kind of have a different look about us,” she said.

coach Karen Self.

“Our kids know that they’re the underdog regardless of what we’ve done in the past,” Self said. “We’re a new team, a different team, and kind of have a different look about us. And, there are other teams we’ll probably end up playing that are more highly-regarded than we are right now.”

As senior McKenna Klecker pointed

out, “We’ve had, what, like five players go Division 1 since our freshman year? We don’t have that one person now to rely on to just give the ball to and score big baskets. We kind of all have to be a part of it now.”

Seton Catholic lacks height, which Self said could be a problem against some of the state’s top teams.

“We really don’t have much size at all.

We have a couple of kids that are close to six-foot. Teams out there have multiple girls who are six-two, six-three that we’ll have to be able to defend in the post,” she said.

“We’ll do some double teams, some pressing. Even some of our guards will have to take some time battling inside See

SETON GIRLS BB on page 34

34

SPORTS & RECREATION

5A GIRLS SOCCER from page 33

“We have basically the same starting group, and a lot of us play with each other on club teams, so our chemistry has been building for four years now,” Zook said.

Hammonds knows the girls must battle nightly. There are no easy matches to boost the record. He believes that they have a chance to compete for a 5A title right away.

“We’re not going to win, 19-0, nothing like we did one game last year, and teams are going to really punish us if we make mistakes now,” Hammonds said. “At the end of the day, it’s still soccer regardless of conference, and I think we’ve got a team that can play with anyone.”

A look at others in 5A San Tan:

SETON GIRLS BB from page 33

and seeing what they can do. We’ll have to have those multiple looks to not get predictable and not just give up a bunch of easy points down there.”

What the Sentinels lack in height they make up in speed. By immediately running off missed shots, the Sentinels hope to attack defenses before they have time to get into their sets. They can drive to the rim for easy baskets or kick out to open shooters.

“We’re definitely a little bit faster than some years so we’re probably going to have to rely on fast breaks and transitions, and staying in shape to run some of the other teams off the floor if they are a

SANTAN SUN NEWS | DEC 15, 2018 - JAN 4, 2019

Higley

The Knights were a force in 4A last season, earning a 17-3-2 record and a spot in the playoffs. Higley won a first-round playoff match against Douglas, but fell, 6-0, in the quarterfinals against eventualchampion Salpointe Catholic.

The top-returning scorer is senior Elena Metchamendy (22 goals, 11 assists).

Junior Ellie Staffieri added nine goals and seven assists last year. Senior Aleksia Vranjes returns as the goalkeeper as Higley tries to replicate its success in 5A.

Williams Field

The Black Hawks went 3-10-4 last season, beating only winless Vista Grande in section play. If the 5A San Tan section is as good as it appears in the preseason,

Williams Field will have to improve drastically to find more wins.

Campo Verde

The Coyotes had a tough start, including consecutive losses in their first four games. Campo Verde won its last six in the regular season to finish 9-10, and earn a playoff spot. It defeated Deer Valley in the first round before a 2-1 overtime loss to Notre Dame Prep in the quarterfinals.

The team’s top two scorers return in Mia Duranczyk (8 goals, 10 assists) and junior Lina Hurley (7 goals, 6 assists). The Coyotes graduated just five seniors from last year’s varsity.

Gilbert Tigers

The Tigers went 11-10 in 2017-18 but

little bit bigger than us,” senior Kendyl said. “We hear Thompson said. that we’ve kind The Sentinels have plenty of young, of lost some of talented players who have a chance to the big players shine. Self said her multiple freshmen and and we don’t sophomores are “fearless” and they will have that same contribute right away. recognition and Seton Catholic must find its identity that we’re not against many of Arizona’s top teams in each winners anymore. conference before the playoffs. Klecker said “I think that’s the seniors are ready to lead and excited to completely make one more run at a title. false.”

“I feel like now that we’re Eric Newman/Tribune Staff not the favorite McKenna Klecker, a senior on the Seton Catholic or not like the girls’ basketball team, has known nothing but big name, our state championships. She said all of the seniors biggest goal is are ready to lead in the absence of an established proving people name player they’ve had in the past. “Our biggest wrong,” Klecker goal is proving people wrong,” she said.

earned a playoff spot due partially to its strength of schedule and winning three of four games to end the year. Gilbert drew 1-1 with Desert Vista in the first round, but was eliminated on penalties.

Gilbert graduated six seniors from last year’s roster, but may see early success moving down to 5A from 6A.

Maricopa

The Rams last season went 8-7-1 and narrowly missed postseason play.

Moving from the Metro to the San Tan section could be tough. Maricopa brings back plenty of starters, hoping to reach the playoffs for the first time in more than a decade. The Rams return their top scorer, senior Shannon Coutre, who tallied 20 goals last season.

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Opinion

39

For more community news visit SanTanSun.com

Harnessing the power of music to spread God’s word

BY ERIC JOHNSON

Guest Writer

Come, let us sing for joy to the Lord; let us shout aloud to the Rock of our salvation: Psalm 95:1 Music is a powerful thing. It can stir the heart, lift the spirit and unify people and communities like few other forces on earth.

It’s not a new phenomenon.

Throughout history, music has provided a powerful soundtrack to life’s most poignant moments. This is especially true in sharing Christ’s message.

As a worship leader at Compass Christian Church in Chandler for more than 15 years, and recording studio manager at Grand Canyon University’s Center for Worship Arts, I am continually

amazed at the power of music to open hearts and wrap people in God’s warmth and love.

The Bible is full of passages about the importance of music in praising our Lord. From David’s inspired harp to Moses and the Israelites’ songs of thanksgiving, music is a consistent theme in scripture.

It continues to play an integral role in worship today.

At GCU, we are training Worship Arts students to harness the power of music not only to excel in the classroom, but also to share the gospel. The students’ third – and arguably best – album, “Canyon Worship 2018,” is proof of that.

Produced in GCU’s state-of-the-art recording studio by two nationally acclaimed Christian recording artists, the album features original songs written and performed by students.

I relish their work. Many of the student artists are exceptionally talented performers while others have a Godgiven gift for songwriting. No matter what their background or skill level, all have found their purpose in spreading Christ’s message through music.

Giving these emerging artists a place to hone their skills is central to the mission of GCU’s Center for Worship Arts.

The center was established four years ago and is distinct among performance-based programs, as it combines classes in both ministry and performance.

The idea is to help students not just create and lead great music, but prepare them to become worship leaders in churches and other faith-based settings throughout the world. Because at its heart, the Worship Arts program is about raising up servant leaders with the

spiritual maturity and character to glorify God through music.

Leading this effort is no small task, yet the students inspire me every day. Their music moves me to tears and strengthens my own faith in God. Today, 125 of GCU’s Worship Arts graduates are hard at work in churches in Arizona and across the country. They are realizing their dream of leading and teaching music. But even more important, they are inspiring action, calming troubled hearts and bringing people closer to God – all through the power of music.

- Eric Johnson is recording studio manager in Grand Canyon University’s Center for Worship Arts. Canyon Worship 2018 is $9.99 on iTunes, Google Play, Spotify and Shazam, and in the Lope Shop and other locations on GCU’s west Phoenix campus

Letters to the Editor Almighty dollar threatens environment

Why can’t we get our act together and start solving some of these problems? Clean air, clean water and a livable planet are within our grasp, but we need to act now!

I’m a baby boomer, a mother, grandmother and great grandmother.

I’m also angry and worried about the condition of the planet that’s being left behind for the future generations.

They have every right to be upset with us, and I’m sure they will blame my generation for the mess.

The almighty dollar has ruled our lives, and it’s going to be our undoing. Please get behind your political representatives and give them a shove. They need to hear from every one of us. They need to know the will of the people.

Help save our planet.

If you’re still with me and want to help, go to Citizens Climate Lobby.org and join the fight. We have solutions.

-Diane Hansen

Carbon act deserves serious attention

Recently, I ran into a friend whose

granddaughter was happily skipping alongside her. As we stopped to chat, I learned that my friend was quite upset after just receiving a letter from her Arizona Congressman after she wrote to him asking for his support for the Citizens Climate Lobby’s bipartisan carbon fee and dividend proposal.

The letter from her Congressman laid out his unwillingness to take a stand on climate change out of his deference to the less than 3 percent of climate scientists who question whether or not global warming is truly human caused.

As we talked on, I learned from my fellow baby boomer friend that the Citizens Climate Lobby is the only environmental group that is offering a practical solution to reduce global warming.

The Citizens Climate Lobby proposes a national, revenueneutral carbon fee-and-dividend system (CF&D) that would place a predictable, steadily rising price on carbon, with the fees returned to households as a monthly energy dividend.

More than 58 percent of all households are projected to receive more in dividend than they pay in the increased costs of fossil

fuel sources of energy.

In fact, an Energy Innovation and Carbon Dividend Act modeled on the Citizens Climate Lobby CF&D proposal was recently introduced in the closing days of the 2018 session of the U.S. House with bipartisan sponsorship as HR 7173.

Clearly, our grandchildren’s future and their memories of us depend on what we do next. Can we come together to ‘inspire’ Congress to work across partisan lines on climate change? I feel like I can hear my Dust Bowl era grandma whispering, “You must act now! To not try would be a sin against our grandchildren’s future!”

-Bill Elliott

Foster kids’ helper grateful for donations

On Dec. 5, Arizona Helping Hands held our third annual Fill Santa’s Sleigh event. This event welcomed the community to our new facility at 3110 E. Thunderbird Road, Phoenix, and asked participants to bring toys in support of our 20th annual holiday toy drive for foster children.

More than 200 attendees joined in the festivities. Santa was on hand to accept toy donations which more than filled the AHH

Deadline

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Total Circulation 27,250+ Driveways Fifty square mile coverage area from Price/101 to Greenfield and from Frye to Hunt Highway.

20-foot box truck.

The evening also celebrated the 20th anniversary of the organization’s founding by Kathy and Judge Paul Donaldson. Arizona Helping Hands is the state’s largest provider of basic needs to the 15,000+ kids in the foster care system. From beds and cribs to clothing, diapers, birthday gifts, back to school supplies and more, we step up every day to help these boys and girls feel better about themselves. We give hope to the family and work diligently to bring joy to children who have been victims of abuse and neglect.

More than 6,000 children will receive a toy package to place under the tree this year, thanks to our work.

Randy Nelson presented a check from area Great Clips salons for $14,541, which was raised during a one-day benefit for the drive.

Toys are always needed to fill the requests at AHH, during the holidays, as well as year-around through our Birthday Dreams program. Those interested in putting smiles on the faces of children in foster care, kids who don’t smile enough, are encouraged to contact us for ways you can help.

In this holiday season, and

all year long, everyone can do something. That Barbie doll or Candyland game might not seem like much, but for some children it is the most marvelous gift ever.

-Dan Shufelt, executive director, Arizona Helping Hands

Schools must do more to control vaping

My view on high schoolers vaping is that they should not vape. As a high-schooler, I know of people who vape, and one of them said not to do it because it is addicting.

I like what the Kyrene School District did in adding vape fume detectors to alert the teachers when someone is vaping. I agree with what the article is saying, and that vaping should not be done by students.

I do not feel like the schools are doing enough because they are not putting a stop to it, and are just saying do not do it. At least, that happens at the high school level. I also feel like the vape companies are not helping because they are advertising it as better than cigarettes, cigars, and tobacco. Also, the companies put fun sounding names for the flavors like the article said.

-Clay Diggs

SanTan Sun News is distributed by AZ Integrated Media, a circulation service company owned by Times Media Group. The public is permitted one copy per reader. For further information regarding the circulation of this publication or others in the Times Media Group family of publications, and for subscription information, please contact AZ Integrated Media at circ@ azintegratedmedia.com or 480-898-5641. For circulation services please contact Aaron Kolodny at aaron@azintegatedmedia.com.

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OPINION 40

SANTAN SUN NEWS | DEC 15, 2018 - JAN 4, 2019

Study: More electric vehicles means more savings for Arizonans

BY DIANE BROWN Guest Writer

Electric vehicles are the gift that keeps giving. Electric vehicles help cut consumer energy bills and boost the economy while protecting air quality and public health.

According to a new groundbreaking study, if Arizonans register just one million more electric vehicles in our state by 2050, consumers and our economy would reap $3.6 billion or more in statewide benefits.

If 90 percent of vehicles on our state’s roads are electric by 2050, our state could accrue $31 billion in benefits, with the average Arizona household saving an estimated $176 per year on their utility bills.

The independent study by national research firm M.J. Bradley and Associates

was commissioned by the Southwest Energy Efficiency Project and Western Resource Advocates to examine how greater electric vehicle sales and use would help Arizona and its residents.

Today, it may seem optimistic to think that 90 percent of all vehicles on the road in the future will run on electric motors, but such industry-wide revolutions aren’t unprecedented.

Just think about how fast Americans adopted automobiles in the early 20th Century, or, for a more recent example, how quickly consumers adopted smartphones -- which didn’t even exist a mere dozen years ago. Consumers will embrace technology when it works for them and when it is affordable.

The good news is that, when it comes to electric vehicles, Arizona already has started to make notable advancements.

Arizona is ranked 15th in the nation for

electric vehicle sales, which have grown six-fold in our state since 2011.

Broad electric vehicle adoption means Arizona will, by necessity, develop businesses that provide charging stations and other services for electric vehicles.

This kind of local and shared economy based on vehicle charging will, in turn, create local jobs. In other words, instead of outof-state oil companies, it will be Arizona and Arizonans who will benefit from energy independence – both in the job sector and in reduced imported fuel costs.

Perhaps even more directly significant to ratepayers, the Arizona Corporation Commission is expected to adopt a policy this month that -- if the Commission strives to achieve the findings of this study -- can provide a strong boost to the electric vehicle economy and utility customers.

If our regulators encourage charging electric vehicles during the hours when

energy is less expensive and more abundant, a utility’s resources can be more effectively employed and savings can be passed on to all ratepayers, not just electric vehicle owners. And that they should.

We are pleased that Commissioners are increasingly mindful of the benefits that electric vehicles can bring to our electric system and that they are considering how to best advance electric vehicle adoption.

To us, the next step is clear: build a roadmap to capture the billions of dollars in consumer savings Arizonans can enjoy through advancing the electric vehicle economy in our state.

- Diane E. Brown is the executive director of the Arizona PIRG Education Fund. The Arizona PIRG Education Fund conducts research and education on issues in the public interest.

Boycotting Prescott now seems like a good idea

BY DAVID LEIBOWITZ

Columnist

Some ideas get better the more you consider them. A perfect example: The East Valley NAACP’s Dec. 5th call for a boycott of the City of Prescott over a years-long string of racist remarks and vile musings spewed by the area’s state House representative, David Stringer.

I’ve written about Stringer, a 70-something coot who clearly despises anyone a shade darker than himself, several times before. The representative made headlines again last week when a recording surfaced of a conversation he had with several Arizona State University students. Among the gems contained in this go-round: Stringer’s denunciation of recent immigrants to America on the grounds that they simply aren’t white enough for his taste.

As he put it, “That’s not the case with African-Americans and other racial

groups because they don’t melt in.

They don’t blend in. They always look different.”

Just so we’re clear, I personally appreciate people who don’t resemble Stringer. A wave of immigrants in horrible toupees should have been made illegal by our Founding Fathers back in 1776.

Stringer’s tonsorial poor judgement aside, his prejudicial views have never been a secret, not during his first campaign in 2016, nor during his reelection primary and general election campaigns this year. Even so, Stringer easily coasted to victory in 2018.

In the August primary, Stringer earned 25,476 votes, beating his conservative Republican challenger, Jodi Rooney, by more than 10,000 votes. Rooney certainly was qualified to join the state House, having served on the Prescott Valley Council. She’s a fierce Second Amendment supporter and a selfdescribed Daughter of the American Revolution whose campaign raised and spent nearly $40,000.

Still, she was swamped by Stringer, who loaned his own campaign $140,000 this election cycle.

That’s right: The man spent $140,000 to win a job that pays $24,000 a year.

Buying a seat in the State House paid off handsomely on Election Day. Stringer received more than 67,000 votes, easily beating his Democrat challenger, Jan Manolis, who got less than half Stringer’s tally.

In a letter to Rusty Bowers, the incoming House speaker, East Valley NAACP President Roy Tatem Jr. wrote, “A strong example must be made to Arizona, that, in no way, shape, form or fashion will racism, bigotry or intolerance be accepted in our political spaces and from our elected officials. … Until Rep. Stringer is removed from office, the NAACP will recommend a travel advisory on the City of Prescott advising our members, supporters and allies to discontinue any shopping, travel, and lodging in hotels in Prescott, AZ effective immediately.”

My first thought was, gosh, why punish

the whole city for the actions of one man – especially after the Prescott City Council on Wednesday called for Stringer to step down. Then I thought about it some more. If David Stringer didn’t have 67,000 voters on his side, he wouldn’t be in the State Legislature.

These are Prescott residents and business people who in Rooney had an equally conservative alternative to Stringer but absolutely rejected it. Then they voted for him again in November knowing full well they would be sending a racist to represent them beneath the Copper Dome.

Prescott is a beautiful little city, one I’ve visited many times. I’ve had drinks on Whiskey Row, spent the night at the Hotel St. Michael and the Hassayampa Inn, and enjoyed many a meal in the restaurants across from the Courthouse.

That stops now. Why, you ask? Oh, I can think of 67,000 good reasons why none of us should spend a thin dime in Prescott so long as Rep. David Stringer serves in the Arizona Legislature.

This is the season when loss can hit hardest

BY LIN SUE COONEY

Guest Writer

I recently shared a bittersweet experience with hundreds of strangers in a city park.

We didn’t know each other. It didn’t matter. We were all there for the same heartfelt reason – to honor someone we love, who isn’t here anymore.

For 20-plus years now, Hospice of the Valley has welcomed families to a huge community remembrance event. More than 1,500 people came to the recent Light Up My Life gathering at Steele Indian School Park just after sunset.

They watched a beautiful photographic tribute of their loved ones set to music and projected against the night sky on giant screens. They nibbled

cookies and sipped hot cocoa. They laughed. They cried. They remembered.

It’s the remembering part that’s so hard. Especially if the loss was recent.

This article is for you – because ready or not, the holiday season is here. Those happy memories brushing up against you may come with piercing moments of heartache.

It may be the first time that someone besides dad carves the turkey. It may be the first time that mom isn’t there to add an extra dollop of butter that’s not in the recipe. It may be the first time someone’s stocking is missing from the mantle.

It may also be the first time you’re too overwhelmed to put up a tree, prepare a big dinner, or brave shopping malls blaring happy music and bustling with people.

So, don’t.

Grief experts say it’s perfectly normal to scale back when you’re grieving.

Just because you lay aside cherished traditions this time, doesn’t mean they’re gone forever. You can choose to celebrate the holidays on a smaller scale this year. And maybe even create a new family tradition.

“A lovely way to honor someone,” says Hospice of the Valley bereavement counselor Joyce Vidal Thornburg, “is to come up with a way to celebrate who they were.”

One idea is to ask each family member to write a note to, from or about your loved one – then put them in a place where everyone can take time to read them.

“And be kind to yourself,” Joyce advises.

“You’d be gentle with a friend who was grieving – why wouldn’t you give yourself the same compassion?”

If you’re really struggling, consider attending one of Hospice of the Valley’s community grief support groups offered Valleywide at no charge. Times and locations can be found at hov.org/our-care/ grief-support/grief-support-groups.

Most of all, remember that people who love you will understand your sadness – and that many of them are good listeners who would be honored to support you as long as it takes. Give them this joy!

“Let yourself experience the pain and tears and have faith that you will get through this,” says Hospice of the Valley bereavement manager Mara Goebel, “Do whatever you can, and let it be enough.”

- Lin Sue Cooney is director of community engagement for Hospice of the Valley.

602 530-6900.

Have a story idea or news tip? Know of an interesting photo opportunity? How about positive feedback or constructive comments? We’d like to hear from you. Email us at News@SanTanSun.com.

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SANTAN SUN NEWS | DEC 15, 2018 - JAN 4, 2019

Neighbors

For more community news visit SanTanSun.com

Ocotillo neighbors help ease a widow’s grief

BY COLLEEN SPARKS Managing Editor

An elaborate Christmas display with a Santa Claus riding his sleigh into the sky linked to two houses demonstrates the strong bond between neighbors and a woman grieving the loss of her husband around the holidays.

Bonnie Flores, a mother of two children and stepmother to one, organized an army of volunteers to set up numerous Christmas decorations at the house of her next-door neighbor and close friend, Cathy Noli on Raven Drive in the Carino Estates community.

Noli, a mother of three, lost her husband, Daniel Noli II, 49, in June. Daniel loved decorating the outside of their home for Christmas, and the two families had talked for years about hanging Santa in a sleigh between their two houses.

Flores and Noli are close friends, having hit it off as soon as they became neighbors nearly 18 years ago.

They have become like family members as they share life’s ups and downs, raising kids and spending much time in each other’s homes on holidays and other occasions.

They also share the pain of losing a

Special to SanTan Sun News

Bonnie Flores, on left, and her good friend and next-door neighbor, Cathy Noli, stand in front of their two houses recently.

spouse.

Flores’ 38-year-old husband Michael Grumski died of a heart attack about four

years ago, leaving her to raise their two children – Joshua, now 15; and David, 13 – on her own. Flores has since remarried to

John Flores and Noli helped throw her a bridal shower.

Flores, 41, who teaches high school geometry to gifted eighth-graders at Bogle Junior High School, said Cathy and Daniel were the first people she ran to in the middle of the night after her husband had collapsed. They offered comfort, love and practical guidance as she adjusted to being a single mother.

Flores is glad she can return that kindness as Cathy as deals with the sadness and strain of losing her husband to respiratory arrest due to asthma exacerbation.

Flores said Cathy, 47, told her she wanted to hang Christmas lights on her home, as Daniel had always done, but she was not sure how to do it.

Noli has a 16-year-old son, Danny Jr., an 11-year-old daughter, Cian, and a 20-year-old daughter, Cheyenne. Danny Jr. is a sophomore at Chandler High School, and Cian is a sixth-grader at Hancock Elementary, while Cheyenne is in college in California.

“I knew that the holidays were going to be tough,” Flores said. “It’s hard, but I knew what Cathy was feeling and I See

DECORATIONS on page 43

Chandler teen’s cystic fibrosis fight pays off big

BY JASON STONE Staff Writer

Vinnie Acedo-Holmquist doesn’t need long to describe one good aspect about living with cystic fibrosis.

“The Six Flags Fast Pass is a big bonus,” the Chandler teenager said with a laugh.

“Actually, it’s a lot of amusement parks.

They’re accommodating for it.”

It’s certainly one break Acedo-Holmquist, 19, has earned after dealing his whole life with the inherited chronic disease that affects the lungs and digestive system.

Another break is coming in the form of a big financial reward.

Acedo-Holmquist recently earned $25,000 as a recipient of the AbbVie CF Scholarship and was named the 2018 Thriving Undergraduate, based upon his impressive academic and extracurricular achievements as well as public votes.

A 2017 graduate of Chandler High School, Acedo-Holmquist is currently attending Chandler Gilbert Community College and pursuing a degree in Business Administration.

The AbbVie CF Scholarship has been helping families deal with the financial burdens of cystic fibrosis for a quarter century. In its first 25 years, the scholarship program awarded more than $3.2 million in scholarships to more than 1,000 students.

Acedo-Holmquist won an online contest after completing a wide-ranging application that included a video, details of his achievements and an essay he devoted to the need for a social media

Submitted photo

Chandler teenager Vinnie Acedo-Holmquist is hoping to turn his love of turtles and other reptiles into a business career. Acedo-Holmquist, who lives with cystic fibrosis, recently earned a $25,000 scholarship for his studies at Chandler-Gilbert Community College, and ASU, starting next year.

app designed for the adult cystic fibrosis community.

“As far as I know I don’t see anything close to that,” Acedo-Holmquist said.

“There are certain Facebook groups and CF websites that may facilitate something like that. But as far as a true app dedicated to that, I haven’t seen anything to that.”

The scholarship award was great news to his parents, who have been forking over nearly $10,000 a year on sophisticated medications he must take every day of his life.

“Without insurance, I don’t know how people do it,” said Patty Acedo-

Holmquist, Vinnie’s mother. “The regimen is pretty grueling.”

Cystic fibrosis patients must deal with a thick, sticky mucus that’s produced in certain organs throughout their bodies, most commonly the lungs and digestive system.

The mucus buildup in the lungs causes difficulty breathing and could lead to life-threatening lung infections.

In the digestive system, the thick mucus may prevent proper food digestion, potentially leading to malabsorption and malnutrition.

Statistics show more than 30,000 people in the U.S. are afflicted with

cystic fibrosis. More than half of them are adults.

Vinnie’s daily morning regimen is daunting. He must take up to six pills every meal. One of the medicines he inhales costs $5,000 a month before insurance. Another daily pill runs $1,400 every month. Another he must take every day costs $900 a month.

Puls, a vest he uses to help break the mucus down from his lungs, costs up to $20,000 alone.

“It’s an insanely expensive disease,” Patty said.

That’s what makes the college scholarship so nice for the family. He’s taking 15 credit hours this semester as he prepares to transfer to ASU’s polytechnic campus in Mesa next year.

Because of his love for animals – or more specifically, reptiles – AcedoHolmquist originally chose veterinary medicine for his major. But he soon decided that “chemistry wasn’t for me.”

So, he switched to business administration, but he’s still undecided about what kind of business he wants to open. All he knows is it’ll likely be animalrelated in some way, much like his current employer, the Arizona Reptile Center.

“It’s a job I really enjoy,” AcedoHolmquist said. “I would love to open a business similar to that.”

He owns several reptiles, including leopard geckos and an argentine boa, and has a salt water tank full of clown fish and coral. He even has scorpions in his collection.

Acedo-Holmquist still lives at home, See

CF STUDENT on page 46

NEIGHBORS

SANTAN SUN NEWS | DEC 15, 2018 - JAN 4, 2019

DECORATIONS

43

from page 42

thought to myself, what does this family really need for the holidays? It was Dan’s lights, his Christmas.”

Though a private person, Flores posted a message on the Ocotillo Friends Facebook page asking people for help.

About 40 people answered her call.

Some donated gift cards and gift baskets and Sal’s Pizza contributed money for Cathy and her family to have a holiday meal.

Danny and Sue Creek, contractors, donated an inflatable Santa Claus on a sleigh being pulled by reindeer and put it up on strings linked to Noli’s and Flores’ homes.

An inflatable snowman, numerous colored lights, a Santa Claus, white glowing reindeer and other festive decorations brighten up Noli’s front yard, garage and roof.

“It’s touching,” Flores said. “It’s emotional and touching and kinda keeps Dan’s spirit alive. I did this because this is I thought family and they’re hurting, and I thought what can I do to actually lessen their pain a little bit? Grief is very personal. I had to think what do they

A Santa Claus decoration was linked between the homes of Bonnie Flores and Cathy Noli.

It was just an amazing feeling to come home and see it. It’s beautiful.

“He (Dan) would be so happy and proud. I could not believe how many

Bonnie Flores organized a group of about 40 volunteers who spent several hours setting up Christmas decorations to comfort her friend and neighbor Cathy Noli, whose husband died in June.

really need?”

The outpouring of support from Flores and her family, as well as friends, neighbors and people she had not even met, also made a big impact on Noli.

“It’s just been so amazing, overwhelming,” Noli said. “I’m so thankful.

responses Bonnie said that she had received from friends and strangers alike that had come out and helped, especially this time of year.”

She said when she came home and saw the decorations for the first time:

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“I remember looking at our house and then there was Dan and Cathy,” Flores said. “They had a little girl.”

Dan and Cathy were “so friendly” and having moved to the area from Florida, without relatives nearby, Flores said she was eager to make new friends.

“We got to be friends pretty quickly,” she said.

Flores used to teach private preschool out of her home, and children who spent part of their days in Cathy’s daycare center would walk next door to work on reading and writing with Flores.

David, Flores’ son, now a seventhgrader at Bogle Junior High, plays waffle ball with Noli’s daughter, Cian. The children have done Easter egg hunts together and celebrated Christmas and Hanukkah as families.

“We have each other’s keys to each other’s houses,” Flores said. “It’s family.”

Cathy’s son Danny is 6 months older than Flores’ son Joshua, and the two boys are good friends.

“I’m just so thankful that we’re a part of each other’s lives and have been able to help each other during tough situations,” Cathy said. “I’m just thankful she’s part of our family, their whole family is. It’s so special to be able to call your neighbor your family. I think everybody’s put in each other’s lives for a reason.”

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“When we drove up, my youngest daughter looks out the window and said, ‘Look Mom, oh my God!” Noli said. “She was so in awe of everything that was up.

She was smiling from ear to ear.”

Noli, who runs a daycare center out of her home, said every year she and Dan had assembled a big Christmas display.

Dan would hang over the roof to put lights on top and “was always climbing somewhere” to create the Christmas magic.

“He did it for our kids and for myself,” Noli said. “He knew that it just made the spirit of the holiday that much better. He knew it made us happy.”

She said her husband was involved in many things in the community and once helped another friend who had lost her husband hang up Christmas lights.

Thomas Baldrick, of Chandler, a friend who helped publicize the decorating and aided in setting up the Christmas attractions, said the outreach was tremendous. His son, Julian, 12, goes to Bogle Junior High, where Flores teaches.

“It was very nice,” Baldrick said. “It was people without agendas other than coming together to help someone. In these times where it seems like so many people are divided, it was nice to see people coming together for one purpose, all from the heart.”

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SANTAN SUN NEWS | DEC 15, 2018 - JAN 4, 2019

2 Chandler teachers use Fiesta Bowl award for kids Created in 2016, the Fiesta Bowl Charities Wishes for Teachers Powered by DriveTime Program grants classroom

SANTAN SUN NEWS STAFF

Centennial Middle School wrestlers in Ahwatukee will be doing their thing on new mats, thanks to their coach Juanpablo DeLeon, a Chandler native, and the Fiesta Bowl’s 2018 Wishes for Teachers program.

DeLeon was one of two Kyrene School District teachers to get $5,000 from the program and he decided to use the money to buy new mats. The other Kyrene teacher, Andrea Vester of Kyrene Traditional Academy in Chandler, will use her money to purchase digital tablets for students.

Credit

Chandler native Juanpablo DeLeon received a certificate from Kyrene School Superintendent Jan Vesely last year for his performance as a teacher at Centennial Elementary School in Ahwatukee.

wishes to teachers across the state of Arizona “as a way to thank and honor Arizona educators.”

Winners are selected randomly and will get a chance to walk in the Fiesta Bowl Parade and be recognized on the field of the Cheez-It Bowl, to be played Dec. 26 at Chase Field.

Wrestling is nothing new for DeLeon, a Chandler native who started wrestling when he was in the sixth grade at Pueblo Middle School in Chandler, and is in his sixth year coaching Centennial wrestlers.

See

TEACHER on page 49

Purposity connecting generous Kyrene residents with needy kids SANTAN SUN NEWS STAFF

What if you could get a kid a pair of shoes or buy a needy family a small heater without any more effort than tapping your phone?

Since August, countless people in the Kyrene School District are doing just that, thanks to its relationship with a Georgiabased digital charity called Purposity and its mobile phone app.

Kyrene this year became the first school district in Arizona to adopt Purposity, which matches specific immediate needs for needy kids or their families in the district with local donors who signed up at purposity.com to meet them.

People who sign up provide their

Kyrene School District

Donors who buy a requested item for a child in need in the Kyrene School District receive a photo of the item and a thank you note.

cell number and then are texted by the district through Purposity once a week about particular needs of Kyrene kids that cost up to $250 and are purchased through Amazon.

The item is set up to ship directly to the Kyrene district headquarters, where a staffer gets the item to the student.

Purposity also can be used “if a family were to experience a large loss due to a life event like a fire. Purposity will even purchase small furniture items,” according to a district memo.

The needs are transmitted by a counselor or other school staffer to Purposity, which never discloses the student’s identity.

Instead, people who have signed up get a text that says something like this:

“This student and her family have been through a lot of transitions lately!

They migrated to Arizona and have been working hard for a hopeful future.

Unfortunately, medical issues have led to this student’s mom being forced to return to her home country to receive treatment. This student’s single dad is doing all that he can to help soothe this transition, but times have been tough and he could use some support. Give this student and her siblings a sense of hope by sending them a few basics, starting with these shoes.”

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Church’s ‘Giving Machine’ a special way to help

BY CECILIA CHAN Staff Writer

Barbara Payne inserted her credit card into a giant red vending machine and punched some numbers.

For $75, the Gilbert resident bought a goat that will go to someone in need in another country.

“I think it’s an incredible opportunity for people to pour out their heart and be generous and show their gratitude for what they have,” she said. “I’ll come back and contribute to local groups.”

Payne was the first person to use one of two “Giving Machines” unveiled last Thursday by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints at Water Town Plaza.

Gilbert is one of only five locations in the world that will have the machines now through Dec. 31. The others are in New York, Salt Lake City, London and Manila.

The church chose four Valley charities that will benefit from the donations – A New Leaf, Helen’s Hope Chest, St. Mary’s Food Bank Alliance and United Food Bank. Global charity partners include CARE, UNICEF, WaterAid and Water for People.

The machines are part of the church’s Light the World campaign the church holds each Christmas season. It asks people to take the 25 days leading up to Christmas and turn it into a season of helping others in need.

“We have all felt the joy when we

Kimberly Carrillo/Staff Photographer

Gilbert officials and representatives of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and numerous area and global charities gathered at Gilbert's iconic water tower last week to unveil the church's Giving Machine, which makes it easy for people to donate to a wide variety of causes. Express Flooring got the giving started with a $1,000 donation.

give something of ourselves,” said Sister Reyna Aburto. “As we participate in the campaign, we realize there is joy in giving.

No matter our circumstance, we all can help. Jesus Christ is the light of the world and when we help others, we are sharing his light around the world.”

She said all donations will go directly to the charities with the church covering the administration costs. Aburto, who

came down from Salt Lake City for the event, is Second Counselor in the church’s Relief Society.

The two machines, which sit near the town’s iconic water tower, are stocked with items that can be donated such as food, clothing, medicine, hygiene supplies, wheelchairs, sporting equipment and livestock.

People can buy three soccer balls

for $45, school supplies for $20, a pair of boots for $50, polio vaccine for $19, malaria treatment for $31, two live chickens for $21, one holiday turkey for $10 and one box of fresh produce for $5.

Donors can see pictures of the item, the charity that it benefits and the price.

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GIVING MACHINE on page 49

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CF STUDENT

SANTAN SUN NEWS | DEC 15, 2018 - JAN 4, 2019

from page 42

but he’s been slowly transitioning into taking full care of his health. His parents were away for four months over the summer, giving Acedo-Holmquist his first

taste of solo responsibility.

“He got it done,” Patty said. “He was adulting on his own. He handled all his appointments. He reordered all his meds.”

She said that’s not always the case with cystic fibrosis patients.

“I’ve been part of the CF family

advisory group, and we have some kids that aren’t doing so well,” She said. “Some of them have rebelled against treatments and don’t take care of themselves. I feel blessed that Vinnie takes care of himself.”

Besides the medication, Vinnie always has to make sure to keep clean,

constantly washing his hands and making sure surfaces he comes into contact with are sterile.

“We’ve definitely gone through the supply of Clorox in the house,” Vinnie said.

Too bad insurance or a scholarship can’t pay for that, too.

Popular German-language Christmas service marks 9th year SANTAN SUN NEWS STAFF

Why do more than 400 people attend an event that many can’t even pronounce?

Because the visitors to this event at Mountain View Lutheran Church’s share a common love of the German language and customs.

“Weihnachtsgottesdienst in deutscher Sprache” – “Christmas Service” in German – will start at 4:10 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 16, with caroling at the church, 11002 S. 48th St., Ahwatukee, for the ninth year and likely will again draw people as far away as Tucson and Flagstaff.

The service celebrates one of the most important holidays in German-speaking countries, where Christmas has its own set of rich traditions,” said Claudia Smith, one of the organizers.

Added Ingeborg Mack, who leads the organizers: “There are Germans, Austrians, Swiss and everyone who enjoys the German culture. The Christmas Service is offered for Christians of all denominations and even those who do not belong to any are welcome.”

In past years, she said, about 20 percent of guests could not speak German but got involved anyway by singing hymns that can be also sung in English, such as “Silent Night.”

Special to SanTan Sun News

Children tell the meaning of Christmas in a pl;ay that is part of the German-language Christmas service organized by Chandler resident Ingeborg Mack at Mountain View Lutheran Church in Ahwatukee.

Mack grew up in Stuttgard, Germany, and moved to Chandler 30 years ago.

A former deaconess in the German Lutheran Church, she has been a volunteer deaconess at Mountain View Lutheran for about 25 years.

The celebratory afternoon begins with singing traditional Christmas songs. The hour-long Christmas service starts at 4:30 p.m. with the ringing of the church bells

of the Dom in Trier.

The brass ensemble, a children and adult choir and recorder ensemble “enrich the celebration with their music and remind many of their traditional childhood holidays past,” Mack said.

The question, “Why do we celebrate Christmas” will be answered in a short play presented by several children. The children’s choir and soloists will sing

about the joy that the many Christmas traditions give people.

“Children will narrate the Christmas story and will conduct a play in which children from different countries become friends as they follow the star to the manger,” Smith said.

“But the wonder of God’s love is the real reason of the Christmas joy,” Mack added.

Presiding over the service will be Wolf W. Kaufmann, an immigration lawyer with offices in Palm Desert and Scottsdale and former honorary consul in Phoenix for the Los Angeles German Consulate.

Kaufmann holds degrees in English, evangelical theology and law, and previously served for 20 years as a pastor in Germany and New York City, where he led a small congregation of German immigrants.

Following the service, everyone is invited to chat over coffee, tea and Christmas cookies in the community room.

“Prepared and donated by community members, the cookies are reminiscent of the sweets that are consumed during this time in German-speaking countries,” Smith said.

German-themed handmade Christmas decorations will also be sold at the event.

“Everyone is welcome, including those who do not speak German,” Smith added.

“Some of the songs during the service will be sung in both English and German.”

Information: weihnachtsgottesdienst.org.

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SANTAN SUN NEWS | DEC 15, 2018 - JAN 4, 2019

Santa gets the word

2

Santa visited downtown Chandler earlier this month to get gift ideas from local kids such as 1) Vincet Oliver, 2) Victoria and Gavin Blinick, 3) Milly Shindo, 4) Aadit Keesara, 5) William Savage and 6) Mateo Bartlett. Santa dropped by the tumbleweed Christmas tree exhibit at Dr. A.J. Chandler Park as part of the city’s month-long celebration of the holidays.

All photographs by Kimberly Carrillo/Staff Photographer

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NEIGHBORS 48

SANTAN SUN NEWS | DEC 15, 2018 - JAN 4, 2019

EV woman’s book offers a raw look at suicide

BY SRIANTHI PERERA Contributor

In the aftermath of her husband’s suicide, Chandler helicopter flight instructor Missy Palrang felt alone even when surrounded by friends.

Her grief therapist, Jill McMahon, would come to her house and tell those friends during those early dark days, “You guys need to be Missy’s bubble wrap while she heals.”

Three-and-a-half years later, Palrang has written a book she hopes will help other survivors of suicide victims – and their “bubble wrap.”

“I would hope that the bubble wraps in these people’s lives could read this book and understand the experience and know how to better assist the survivor so that they could heal,” Palrang said. “I learned later that a lot of people didn’t have friends to help. They were doing it on their own. It was really hard for me and I had so much support.”

The book, titled “Frantic Unleashed: Navigating Life After Suicide—A Survivors Journal,” is the first of her three-part Frantic Series and highlights the first three months after the suicide. The other two books, featuring the months four to six and seven to 12, are to be published soon.

Based on the journals after her husband of 24 years, Scott McComb, took his life, Palrang’s book may be a selfhelp book – but it is hardly a detached,

Special to the San Tan Sun News

Chandler helicopter flight instructor Missy Palrang’s life was shattered by her husband’s suicide and she has co-written a book on her painful attempt to recover.

pragmatic account. Her voice is direct and raw.

Of the first day she wrote: “I was eating a hamburger and tater tots with my boss at Sonic Burger Drive when my husband ended his life. I have not been back to Sonic since. When we got back to work, a man and a woman approached me in the parking lot as we got out of my car. … They were detectives. I remember

someone saying, “very bad news” and the woman told me Scott had died. I think she told me it was a suicide without me asking, or maybe I did. It’s all a haze.

I remember calmly walking to her car and sitting there emotionless for the three-mile drive to my house. …In hindsight, I just don’t think I understood what had happened. The dogs were barking when we got to my house. It’s not

where he killed himself. Maybe I crawled through the doggie door to get in. The detectives wanted to know if we kept a gun. I checked the closet where it should have been. It was gone. The magazine had been unloaded. I guess he figured he only needed one bullet.”

“He was my everything, my other half.

We were one of those couples who did everything together. Maybe he just wasn’t as happy with our life as I was. Maybe this was the only way he had the courage to escape it. Why didn’t he just ask for a divorce if that was the case? Why didn’t he reach out to me? To anyone. Or maybe he did, and I didn’t recognize it.”

To the beginning of each chapter, Palrang added things that she wishes people had told her at the time.

McMahon, who owns Scottsdalebased Spring Returns Counseling, offers her perspective at each chapter’s end, drawing from 16 years of working with people who lose a love one to suicide to share the common reactions, feelings and behaviors as they go through the healing process.

“Most people don’t know how to approach suicide,” McMahon said. “The question of ‘why’ will never be answered and that sticks with the loved ones and the family members forever.”

Most often, there’s shame and guilt.

“If somebody dies of heart attack See

PALRANG on page 49

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PALRANG

from page 48

or cancer, there isn’t this feeling of ‘I could’ve done something differently,’” McMahon said. “There’s shame and guilt with this traumatic loss that’s not associated with any other loss.”

And then there’s stigma and misunderstanding.

“People want to create a story in their head about what has happened. They make all these assumptions. He must’ve been an alcoholic, she must have had an affair. More times than not, there’s no story behind it,” she said.

Scott McComb, 49, was a successful veterinarian and had sold his veterinary clinic in Gilbert a year before his death and was still working there. Palrang and McComb met when they were both studying at Oregon State University.

Shortly after graduation from her master’s degree in counseling, Palrang began

TEACHER

from page 44

As a student at Corona del Sol High School, he did so well at wrestling that he’s on the school’s wall of fame. He placed fifth in state competition at 171 pounds in 2011.

In a letter to parents at the beginning

PURPOSITY

from page 44

“Right about now you’re making someone’s day. The Purposity need you met has arrived, and we just wanted to say thanks for making a difference.

Kyrene Superintendent Jan Vesely said response by the community to Purposity

49

working as a parole officer in Oregon.

They later moved to Arizona, where Palrang learned helicopter piloting and began a new career. Now, she works as the chief flight instructor at a helicopter pilot school based in the Chandler Municipal Airport.

Three days after the death, Palrang began to write her feelings. She had never journaled before.

“Early on in our therapeutic relationship, she would have so much energy and angst and sadness that she didn’t know where to put it. I would only see her once a week. In between those times she would feel like she was going to explode,” McMahon said. “She needed somewhere to leave all of her angst. She would write in the journal every day and she would give it to me. I was reading the journal every single week.”

Journaling in the middle of the night was therapeutic. Subsequently, when she wanted to turn it into a book, it also

became a project, a goal to finish and something other than the day-to-day dealing with the loss.

“What we’re going to do in between now and whenever it takes, makes a big difference how we come out on the end,” Palrang said. “You’d see how I struggled a lot and I’m extremely angry throughout the book.”

Three days after the suicide, she wrote: “Mostly right now I’m angry. Angry he, without my consent, turned my life into something I don’t recognize or want. I liked my life, it was good, it was our life.

Happy, purposeful, full of future. Now it’s just empty. I don’t know if I feel more loss for what I had, or loss for the future we planned.”

Palrang’s other aim is to help those who lose a loved one to suicide learn “a little bit earlier than I learned” that there is hope.

“For me, it was the darkest place I’ve ever been by far,” she said. “I want to tell

someone else that you can get past it…

I do want people to know that there is hope at the end of it.”

“You will feel joy again. You will love again. You will play again,” she writes in the book.

When asked where she is in the grieving process, Palrang said she didn’t know.

“I feel like I’ve come a long way. I certainly, back then, would have never anticipated my life would have gotten to this point,” she said. “I just anticipated this horrible future for myself.”

McMahon thinks her client’s writing has been transformative. “I think that she needed it to grieve…I think, now threeand-half years later, she’s gotten herself to the place where, in her grief process, she wants to turn her story around to help others.”

“Frantic Unleashed: Navigating Life After Suicide—A Survivors Journal” is available on amazon.com; Reach her via Facebook at franticbooks.

of this school year, DeLeon noted that in his three years at Centennial, he’s led the school to three top-three finishes, a conference championship and a fourth and 15th place in state competitions.

“I believe that wrestling is the hardest sport a student can choose to compete in. I also believe it earns the most reward,”

he told parents. “The sacrifice is immense, but the reward is priceless.”

“I am very proud to be coaching at CMS for my sixth year, and I promise to continue the elevation of our program,” he added. “Parents and coaches are on a team; we must work together and never break the line of communication.

Although wrestling is an individual sport, it takes a team and a community to make a group of champions and form a sense of family on and off the mat.”

In its first two years, Wishes for Teachers granted over $1.2 million to Arizona teachers, impacting over 60,000 kids across the state.

has been overwhelming.

Purposity was started by a selfdescribed Atlanta, Georgia, “social entrepreneur” named Blake Canterbury, who wanted to use storytelling and the digital world to help people.

Canterbury and other volunteers craft small stories around each need to make each text a heartfelt message rather than a cold and heartless list.

“Purposity isn’t just a tool. It’s a vision,” Canterbury explained. “It’s a vision of seeing the world as it should be. It’s the quest to connect neighbors and communities around purpose. It’s you helping those around you.”

“As a group of social entrepreneurs, from the very beginning we wanted to make something that mattered,” he added.

“The solution we envisioned needed to be user friendly enough that anyone could navigate it, but sophisticated enough to solve complex social issues. To bring this to you, we had to ask ourselves, ‘Is it possible to create a legacy that connects organizations and individuals in a meaningful way, unifying us all under the common quest for purpose?’ Turns out, the answer is ‘yes.’”

with the machines.”

It’s unfortunate that 500,000 children in Arizona go to bed hungry, said Tom Kerits, CEO of St. Mary’s in Phoenix, which covers 81,000 square miles.

“What you see in these vending machines is a basic need and a basic right – food,” he said. “With these vending machines, we will put food on people’s tables, nutritious food.”

Gilbert Mayor Jenn Daniels also spoke, thanking the church and announcing that Express Flooring was donating $1,000 to the cause.

Last year was the first time the church used the Giving Machine. A single machine in Salt Lake City raised more than $550,000 for local and global charities. That success led the church to expand the program this year.

“Our hope is that there will be more placements next

year, based on the success with the five machines placed throughout the world this year,” said Jennifer Wheeler, a church spokeswoman.

Several factors were considered to determine the location of the giving machines, according to Wheeler.

The location had to be one where the machines could be in place continuously for one month, where the public could have easy access throughout the day and would be strongly supported by local members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

“The Water Tower Plaza in Gilbert fit all of these criteria,” Wheeler said.

The charities that the church chose were ones it has previously worked with, according to Wheeler.

“Specifically, they are all valuable partners that use our volunteer platform, JustServe.org to post volunteer opportunities and find volunteers,” she said. “We admire what they do in the community to alleviate homelessness and hunger and assist foster children.

“These charitable partners also have needs that work well with the vending machines, such as food items, clothing, supplies, etc.”

The goal is to beat the $550,000 raised, said Edwin Lamoreaux, director of public relations for the church. He added although the church is driving the campaign, it is a community effort involving all faiths and all people.

GIVING MACHINE

from page 45 drops to the bottom of the machine and shows where it will be distributed.

Some are actual goods, such as a bag of mac and cheese for $3 and a mosquito net for $25.

“The items you see in the machines are very basic, school supplies, Christmas gifts, things we take for granted,” said Katie Pompay, executive director of Helen’s Hope Chest, a Mesa nonprofit that provides supplies such as clothes to foster children and teens. “These children don’t have that.”

Pompay said there are more than 14,000 foster children in Arizona.

“Consider what these small items mean to you and the big difference it will make in the lives of children and teens,” she said.

CEO Michael Hughes of A New Leaf in Mesa, which provides a number of service to the homeless and domestic violence victims, thanked the church for its help during the 48 years the nonprofit has existed.

“Thank you for giving us the opportunity to help those who are less fortunate,” he said.

Dave Richins, CEO of United Food Bank in Mesa, said he was proud of his church.

“The vending machines are a clever concept,” he said. “There’re lots of families to feed and we will feed more

NEIGHBORS

Kimberly Carrillo/Staff Photographert

With the Giving Machine, donors can select a representation of an actual item their donation would buy for a charity.

NEIGHBORS 50

SANTAN SUN NEWS | DEC 15, 2018 - JAN 4, 2019

Casteel High adopts national anti-bullying program

BY COLLEEN SPARKS Managing Editor

Some students at Casteel High School will be the first in the Chandler Unified School District charged with using peer pressure in a positive way to prevent or stop bullying through an unusual national program.

The nationally recognized Safe School Ambassadors Program stands out in that students are tasked with making changes on campus, rather than relying on adults.

The Casteel junior high and high school students were recently trained in tools to use to try to improve the social dynamics through the Safe School Ambassadors Program.

Casteel, which houses junior high and high schools on the same campus, has already trained 32 high school students and 40 junior high school youths with guidance from a Community Matters company representative.

Community Matters is the company that created the research-based Safe School Ambassadors Program, which teaches students ways to change a school’s environment.

The reason it relies on students is that they are more likely to see, hear and find out about their peers’ activities than adults are. Community Matters also believes students are often the first ones on the scene of a negative incident, before an adult arrives.

At Casteel, 12 staff members – including teachers, a teaching assistant

Kimberly Carrillo/Staff Photographer

Above, Zora Kaltaler asks a question during an antibullying training session while looking on, from left, are teacher Alyssa Pitner and counselor Christy Cunico and student Preston Slaton.

At left, Facilitator Annette Schyadre, left, leads student Avery Burks through a training by adding color to the water for every way bullying is mentioned.

and other employees – and all counselors have also been trained in the Safe School

the-cays_santan-sun_half-page-ad_phase-2-closeout_112718.indd 1

Ambassadors Program.

The adults are matched with several

of the student ambassadors, whom they will meet with frequently in “families” for guidance. The family groups will initially meet once a week for the first month, then twice a month after that.

Once trained, those student ambassadors will remain ambassadors as long as they go to that school.

Christy Cunico, a counselor at Casteel, spearheaded the program at the school with help from Carrie Shropshire, another Casteel counselor.

Cunico had worked at a high school in Albuquerque where the Safe School Ambassadors Program was run previously.

“It was very effective,” Cunico said. “It’s different than any other program because it used our students to bring out change, where other programs use the adults.

Research shows students listen more to other students; they listen more to their peers.”

Students who are “influential peers that students will listen to” are chosen to be the ambassadors, Cunico said. They are students who represent “different facets on campus” including athletes and those who are involved in fine arts, she said.

“You want them to be agents of change,” Shropshire said. “We want them to change our culture.”

Students participate in two days of training, along with the adults. The aim is to empower the students to get involved in specific situations that occur.

See

ANTI BULLYING on page 51

11/28/18 2:51 PM

NEIGHBORS

SANTAN SUN NEWS | DEC 15, 2018 - JAN 4, 2019

ANTI BULLYING

from page 50

The goal is to train students to not just intervene when they see bullying occur but to alter the culture on campus so those bullying behaviors don’t occur in the first place, Cunico said.

“They do a lot of activities that really get them thinking,” Cunico said.

The training aims to help student ambassadors understand what it is like for students who are excluded and “getting them to understand empathy,” she said.

Students learn specific tools and roleplay situations. For example, they learn about “balancing,” where if someone is insulting another student they can say something positive about the student who is being criticized.

Or if a student wants to leave out one of their peers and not include them in an activity, the ambassador can reach out and invite the student into their group. The ambassadors are trained to do something positive but not show negativity towards the person who is doing the unkind action.

“You’re not saying something like, ‘Hey

you shouldn’t do that’ to the attacker,” Cunico said. “You don’t want to create hostility towards the person that did say something bad.”

The Safe School Ambassadors Program has provided communication and intervention skills to more than 70,000 students in grades fourth through 12th in over 1,500 schools in 38 states, as well as in three Canadian provinces, Guam and Puerto Rico since 2000, according to the Community Matters website.

The program helps prevent and stop physical and emotional bullying.

Community Matters is a nonprofit headquartered in Sonoma County, California, that draws its funding from various public and private sources. The organization began in 1996.

The founder and former executive director of Community Matters, Rick Phillips, is the lead author of “Safe School Ambassadors: Harnessing Student Power to Stop Bullying and Violence,” published

by Jossey-Bass/Wiley.

“I’m thrilled that it’s going so well, that everybody is super excited,” Cunico said.

“We have a great culture here anyway, very supportive parents. This could just only add to our great culture.”

51

Kimberly Carrillo/Staff Photographer

Maclayne Justus, left, and Regan Smith participate in an anti-bullying learning session while watching them in the background are, from left, Gabriel VanArsdale, Keane Wheeler and Ella Choy.

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SANTAN SUN NEWS | DEC 15, 2018 - JAN 4, 2019

Arizona College Prep athletes embrace giving for holidays

BY ZACH ALVIRA Sports Editor

The season of giving is upon us, and Arizona College Prep athletes are joining the fight to reduce child hunger in the Valley and around the world.

Evie Jimenez, a senior on the Chandler school’s cross-country team, has celebrated her last three birthdays packing meals at Feed My Starving Children in Mesa. She invites friends and family to join her.

“I just thought, ‘What if I can give someone else another birthday?’” Jimenez said. “It just gives me goose bumps to think about that and it means a lot to me to think about someone else rather than myself on a day like that.”

Jimenez’s community service at Feed My Starving Children and other charities extends well beyond her birthday in October, however, as she and family friends routinely dedicate two hours of time every few months.

The senior takes pride in putting herself before others, a trait that is recognized by her coach and peers.

“She is going to be hard to replace, but on the other hand, her giving is infectious and it spreads to other kids,” said Alan Dosmann, coach of ACP’s cross-country team. “We give a Knight Award every year, and I think we should name it the Evie Award.”

After just 2 minutes speaking with Jimenez, it’s obvious that she will go out of her way to help others.

Photos by Kimberly Carrillo/Staff Photogrpher

Coach Kristine Nelson, center, is surrounded by her team after volunteering at Feed My Starving Children’s food-packing center in Mesa.

Whether it’s cheering on her teammates at the finish line of a race or finding new ways to help those in need, she has made it her goal to be there for those who need help the most.

After graduating, Jimenez hopes to attend Brigham Young University in Provo, Utah, though she wouldn’t complain if

she attends BYU in Hawaii. She plans to make a career of helping others.

“I would like to major in psychology so I can help other people solve their problems,” Jimenez said. “Eating-disorder psychology is my preference. I’ve always wanted to be a problem solver.”

Jimenez’s love for community service

began at a young age, when her family regularly participated in church-organized events benefiting those in need. It’s then that the love for Feed My Starving Children and other charities around the Valley grew.

See

STARVING on page 53

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SANTAN SUN NEWS | DEC 15, 2018 - JAN 4, 2019

53

Melanie Haas prepares bags of the high-protein food that Feed My Starving Children sends to impoverished communities around the world.

Catherine Shimkus also is filling up bags of food that will then be weighed, securely tied and packed for shipment.

STARVING

it a team-bonding event. The idea came from a questionnaire that first-year coach Kristine Nelson asked her swimmers to fill out in order to get to know them.

Feed My Starving Children was among the top responses among them for a teambonding activity.

“I read through every one and picked the top responses and that was one of them,” Nelson said. “It seems to be a place where the kids really like to go to give and serve the community.”

Among the athletes who chose Feed My Starving Children was Kelsie Pisors, a senior in her first year at ACP. Another was Melanie Hass, whose mother is from the Philippines.

According to Nelson, Hass and her family have taken food from Feed My

from page 52 While celebrating her birthday at the organization, she refuses to make it about her.

“This last birthday there was a lady from church who is spunky and fun and kept making comments about my birthday, but I was like, ‘No, no, no, that’s not what it’s about,’” Jimenez said. “Everyone gets to meet someone new. It’s fun.”

At school, she is an ambassador of community service. Jimenez writes kindness challenges for ACP each month as part of the school’s Social Behaviors Committee through the National Honor Society. Each challenge emphasizes a specific word associated with helping others.

November’s challenge was “gratitude.”

Each day a different letter was given to students, and using it they were asked to focus on an aspect of gratitude.

This month, Jimenez and others are asking the teachers at ACP to check on their students. Whether it be grades or whatever may be going on in their personal lives.

“Those are the big things that I have worked on recently,” Jimenez said. “It’s sincere and fun. I do it because I enjoy it.”

Along with Jimenez, other athletes from Arizona College Prep have made it their mission to help those in need through Feed My Starving Children.

The Knights’ swim team visited the organization in Mesa on Dec. 9, making

Starving Children to the Philippines in the past. The team was excited to learn they would be attending a session at the organization.

“I told them via email and I got thumbs-up, smiley-face emojis and some said, ‘I’ll be there, coach!’” Nelson said.

“We haven’t seen each other in about four weeks and they want to make a team-bonding experience.”

Nelson said the swim team likely will make a tradition of donating time to Feed My Starving Children.

“I am a kid builder so I want kids to see the world beyond themselves,” Nelson said. “I think beyond athletics and a team atmosphere. I want to be able to give back to the community together.”

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SANTAN SUN NEWS | DEC 15, 2018 - JAN 4, 2019

For more community news visit SanTanSun.com

Chandler Youth Theater to perform classic Christmas musical

BY COLLEEN SPARKS Managing Editor

The sweet sounds of boys and girls singing holiday melodies and dancing in a lighthearted, zany fashion associated with the popular Peanuts gang characters is expected to generate laughter and tug at the heartstrings when Chandler Youth Theater performs an iconic musical.

Chandler Youth Theater will deliver “A Charlie Brown Christmas” musical, based off the TV special featuring Charlie Brown, Snoopy, Lucy, Linus and the other familiar childhood, colorful characters Dec. 15 and 16 and Dec. 22 and 23 at ImprovMANIA Comedy Club at 250 S. Arizona Ave. The youth theater is part of ImprovMANIA Comedy Club, a business opened in September 2014 where children, teens and adults can take improv comedy classes and perform in shows.

The 1965 TV “A Charlie Brown Christmas” special is based off the late Charles M. Schulz’s comic strip “Peanuts” featuring the loveable “blockhead” Charlie Brown, his feisty dog Snoopy and the other young characters who at times pick on Charlie Brown and other times support him.

Generations have made it an annual tradition to watch “A Charlie Brown Christmas,” which tells the tale of underdog Brown. He feels depressed during the holiday season, so Lucy recommends he direct a neighborhood Christmas play.

Kimberly Carrillo/Staff Photographer

Above, “Peanuts” characters dance toward Veronica Mendez, while at left, director Audrey Pfeifer leads some cast members in warm-up exercises as they rehearse “A Charlie Brown Christmas.”

He takes her advice, but the children in the play do not cooperate, often taking breaks from rehearsals to dance and goof around. The kids also criticize Brown’s choice of a tiny Christmas tree with few

needles. The show ends on a high note, though, after Linus tells him the true meaning of Christmas. The Peanuts gang then rallies around Brown to celebrate the season.

A cast of 14 fourth- through ninthgraders with different levels of experience

delivered the well-known lines, danced and played some instruments – an alto saxophone, a makeshift drum and a tiny piano – during a recent rehearsal. Though the TV special debuted decades before these youths were born, they expertly adopted the characters’ personalities, including Lucy’s bossiness, Brown’s frustration and sadness and Sally’s love for Linus.

Two casts are performing “A Charlie Brown Christmas” at Chandler Youth See

CHARLIE BROWN on page 55

Music is family affair for band gearing up for park concert

BY COLLEEN SPARKS Managing Editor

Temperatures might be chilly outside, but a local band with strong family ties plans to fire up the crowd when it takes the stage at Veterans Oasis Park next week.

The Real Thing Variety Band will perform rock hits, as well as soul and funk, Motown and some Christmas songs in the Sonoran Sunset Series concert Dec. 20 at Veterans Oasis Park at 4050 E. Chandler Heights Road.

Various bands take the stage in the free Sonoran Sunset Series shows the third Thursday of the month in that park October through March.

Members of The Real Thing Variety Band include longtime singers and musicians who are also family members.

The two lead singers are Melisza Gransbergen of Gilbert and her sister, Jessica Gransbergen, who will soon move to Gilbert, and their father, Pete Gransbergen of Ahwatukee, plays bass in the group.

The other band members who will be playing in the Dec. 20 show are Jonathan Nilsen of Anthem on guitar, Dowell Davis of Tempe on drums and Blake Stephens of Goodyear on keyboard.

Melisza Gransbergen, who also manages the band, said the group plays current radio hits, as well as ‘80s and ‘90s songs, Motown tunes and “anything that gets you moving.”

Bob Smith Photography

Singing is a sister act for Melisza Gransbergen, on left, and Jessica Gransbergen, who perform in The Real Thing Variety Band along with their father, Pete Gransbergen, who plays bass in the group. The Real Thing Variety Band will perform in the Sonoran Sunset Series concert Dec. 20 at Veterans Oasis Park in Chandler.

She said fans love when she covers the late Queen of Soul, Aretha Franklin.

“I love doing anything that’s got some soul and funk to it,” Gransbergen said. “I love singing Aretha, but the No. 1 requested artist for me to sing would be Adele. They love when I do Adele.

Motown is a real big fan favorite.”

Gransbergen, who will turn 40 on Dec. 20, grew up in Ahwatukee. She said her father, Pete, was the “biggest influence” on her and Jessica. He has played in bands since before the two women were born.

“It just is kind of a part of us,” Melisza

said. “We’ve literally been singing since we were itty-bitty. It’s definitely what we were born and meant to do. It really did help to have our dad there to kind of show us. We were so versed in all See

REAL THING on page 58

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SANTAN SUN NEWS | DEC 15, 2018 - JAN 4, 2019

CHARLIE BROWN

from page 54 Theater, with one older and the other a younger group. About 30 kids altogether are in the different shows, and they range in age from 6 to 16.

Audrey Pfeifer, director of Chandler Youth Theater and “A Charlie Brown Christmas,” kept the cast focused, offered praise and encouragement, and allowed the young actors to experiment with their lines and actions during the recent rehearsal. Music Director Maya Chavez also gave the cast directions and helped them when they forgot lines or needed guidance with playing a song.

Pfeifer is working on her bachelor’s degree in theater and a certificate in secondary education at Arizona State University. Chavez is studying arts at Rio Salado College and then plans to get a bachelor’s degree in film and media studies.

“I just think it’s a really wholesome show,” Pfeifer said. “It’s a classic. They’re very enthusiastic. … They’re just so excited about the work they’re doing.”

She said the older cast was asked to delve more deeply into the script and asked them to dissect the text and focus on “what the piece is saying rather than the final product.”

Pfeifer has a lot of acting and musical experience under her belt. She acted and composed and performed music for ASU Mainstage Productions of “She Kills Monsters” and “Brooklyn Bridge,” in which she was nominated for an ariZoni as Best Supporting Actress in a Play. Pfeifer also worked as a performer, deviser and musical composer for Vessel’s production of “Conference of the Birds,” which

Kimberly Carrillo/Staff Photographer

While director Audrey Pfeifer checks the script, Tyler Kuehns, playing Charlie Brown, rehearses a scene with Whitney Pierzga, playing Lucy.

premiered at the Unexpected Gallery in Phoenix.

Students paid to participate in “A Charlie Brown Christmas” at Chandler Youth Theater musical so all were accepted to perform, but they auditioned for the specific parts. Some students are “good at singing or dancing or acting or they’re funny,” so they are placed in the roles to which they are best suited, said David Specht, co-owner of ImprovMANIA Comedy Club. He and his wife, Colleen Specht, are comedians who co-own the comedy club and co-own Chandler Youth Theater.

The children and teens began rehearsing for “A Charlie Brown Christmas” in October.

“It’s really kind of perfect, and everybody’s got some nostalgia that goes with it,” David said. “Our venue is kind of custom-made for it. It’s small. We make it

really intimate and the audience is really, really close to the action. This one’s really kind of a classic.”

Chandler 12-year-old Tyler Kuehn, a seventh-grader at Bogle Junior High, plays Brown in one of the casts. He has also performed different roles at other local theaters, and he performed in “Willy Wonka Jr.” at Chandler Youth Theater previously.

“This musical’s really cool,” Kuehn said.

“It’s a cool part because I get to explore depression in a young kid. Many people can relate. The cartoon’s pretty cool. My parents are big fans.”

He said the musical offers a good lesson about how “friends can lead the way” and cheer up someone who starts out “not very happy.”

Chandler 10-year-old Whitney Pierzga, a fifth-grader at Chandler Traditional

Academy–Independence, plays Lucy.

She’s also performed in other theater companies.

“I really enjoy this place a lot,” Pierzga said. “I love playing Lucy. She’s definitely an odd character. I love theater. I do love this movie.”

Her older sister, Alina Pierzga, 12, plays Sally in the musical.

“My sister, she is like full-on in musical theater,” Whitney said. “It’s fun to see her really happy. She’s a great role model.”

Dominic D’Amico, 11, a sixth-grader at Knox Gifted Academy, brought lots of energy and humor to his role as Snoopy.

He wore a white dog costume with floppy ears and played part of the classic, jazz song “Linus and Lucy” popularized by the Vince Guaraldi Trio on his alto saxophone in one scene, where another boy playing Schroeder banged away on a small piano and another boy in the cast drummed with drumsticks onto a pad on a chair. D’Amico said he enjoys playing the feisty dog.

“It’s fun,” D’Amico said. “He’s funny, and he does the funny things that people wouldn’t expect in a lot of cases.”

He said he has performed in the other Chandler Youth Theater shows – “Willy Wonka, Jr.,” “Peter Pan Jr.” and “Shrek Jr.” The Chandler Youth Theater plans to perform “Annie Jr.” next year.

“We’ve had some kids who have been in every play,” David said. “It’s a pretty welcoming community. We’ve only been doing this less than a year. It’s been great.”

All the Chandler Youth Theater shows are sold out, so he recommends buying tickets for “A Charlie Brown Christmas” in advance. To buy tickets and more, visit ImprovMania.net.

December 26 January 6

Zoppé Circus Camp Join the circus! Take a peek into the circus world while enjoying the low wire, balancing, juggling and clowning around! On the final day of camp, campers perform for family and friends.

• January 2-4, 2019 • 9:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m.

• For Ages 7-13 Tickets on sale at

ChandlerCenter.org 480.782.2680

$99

per camper

55

Expert Jewelry Repairs

NEWS+Events NEWS+Events

56

SANTAN SUN NEWS | DEC 15, 2018 - JAN 4, 2019

chandleraz.gov/news–center chandleraz.gov/news–center

‘Awkward Family Photos’ exhibit at new Chandler Museum through Jan. 19

EVENTS

The first national traveling exhibition at the newly opened Chandler Museum is “Awkward Family Photos,” a funny and memorable display of more than 200 photos of families immortalized in awkward moments and presented in funky and vintage frames. “Awkward Family Photos” will be on display through Saturday, Jan. 19. A free public reception for the exhibit will be held from 6-8 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 17.

15

DECemBER

Pictures with Santa at Santa’s House, Downtown Chandler, 782-2735 15 Downtown Chandler Farmers Market, Dr. A.J. Chandler Park, 855-3539 18 Holiday Craft & Cookie Decorating, Community Center, 782-2727 19 Family Night at the TRC – Winter Wonderland, Tumbleweed Recreation Center, 782-2900 20 Sonoran Sunset Series featuring Holiday Songs by The Real Thing Band, Veterans Oasis Park, 782-2890 21 Drumline Live Holiday Spectacular, Chandler Center for the Arts, 782-2680 22 Downtown Chandler Farmers Market, Dr. A.J. Chandler Park, 855-3539 25 Christmas Holiday, City offices closed 26-31 Zoppé, an Italian Family Circus, Chandler Center for the Arts, 782-2680 29 Downtown Chandler Farmers Market, Dr. A.J. Chandler Park, 855-3539

1 2-6

JANUARY

New Year’s Holiday, City offices closed Zoppé, an Italian Family Circus, Chandler Center for the Arts, 782-2680 5 Downtown Chandler Farmers Market, Dr. A.J. Chandler Park, 855-3539 7 City Council Study Session, Council Chambers, 782-2180 10 Klezmer Film Screening and Concert, Center for the Arts, 897-0588 10 City Council Meeting, Council Chambers, 782-2180 12 Downtown Chandler Farmers Market, Dr. A.J. Chandler Park, 855-3539 13 Klezmer Musical Fest, East Valley Jewish Community Center, 897-0588 17-21 Chandler International Film Festival, Downtown Chandler, 455-5214 17 Sonoran Sunset Concert Series featuring Rockin’ Memories, Veterans Oasis Park, 782-2890 18 Pink Martini, Chandler Center for the Arts, 782-2680 19 Downtown Chandler Farmers Market, Dr. A.J. Chandler Park, 855-3539 19 Chandler Multicultural Festival, Downtown Stage Plaza, 782-2735 20 One: Candlelight Vigil for Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Downtown Stage, 782-2214 21 Martin Luther King, Jr./Civil Rights Day, City offices closed 24 FitDC, Downtown Stage Plaza, 782-2669

For event details, visit

chandleraz.gov/events

or call the Chandler Special Events Hotline at

782-2735

Another current exhibition is “Gaman: Enduring Japanese American Internment at Gila River,” which explores the experiences of more than 16,000 Japanese Americans who were forcibly removed from their west coast homes at the beginning of World War II and placed in the Gila River Internment Camp, located south of Chandler. This all new presentation is an expansion of the museum’s previous work on internment and features objects from the camp provided by museum collections across the nation. This exhibition will run through April 19, 2020.

The new Chandler Museum is located southwest of Chandler Fashion Center at 300 S. Chandler Village Drive. Regular hours of operation are Tuesday through Saturday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Sunday, 1-5 p.m. Admission is free. More information can be found online at chandleraz.gov/museum, or by calling 782-2717.

Trash and Recycling Collection Days Shift for Two Week Holiday Period

There will be no trash or recycling collection on Tuesday, Dec. 25 or Jan. 1, 2019. Every household must place their can at the curb by 6 a.m. on the day following their regular collection day from Dec. 25 to Jan. 5, 2019. If your regular collection day is Tuesday, place your container at the curb by 6 a.m. Wednesday. Residents with Wednesday collection switch to Thursday, Thursday to Friday and Friday to Saturday. Collection can occur anytime from 6 a.m. to 5 p.m.

City offices will be closed: • Tuesday, Dec. 25, for the Christmas holiday • Tuesday, Jan. 1, 2019, for the New Year’s Day holiday

Christmas Tree Disposal and Recycling Options

Let the City of Chandler recycle your Christmas tree after the holidays. Christmas trees that are collected are chipped and reused in park landscaping projects. For safety, please remove tree stands, nails, lights, ornaments and garland before recycling, and do not place trees in bags.

Chandler offers several methods for tree recycling.

• Drop-off boxes are available at multiple locations from Dec. 26, through Jan. 11, 2019.

Visit chandleraz.gov/recycle or call 782-3510 for locations.

• Trees also will be collected separately at the curb on your recycling collection day, from Dec. 26, to Jan. 11, 2019.

You do not have to schedule this collection, but trees must be at the edge of your driveway (no more than four feet onto your property) by 6 a.m. on your recycling day. Do not place the tree in the recycling bin, on the side walk or street.

• Live potted Christmas trees can be donated for replanting at City parks by dropping them off at the City’s Community Center or schedule a pick up by calling 782-2752.

Resident feedback affects future budget priorities

The City of Chandler wants feedback from residents about issues affecting the community, including transportation, public safety, leisure and culture, utilities, customer services and more. Chandler residents may complete the online Citizen Budget Survey at chandleraz.gov/budge through the end of December. Paper copies, in either English or Spanish, also may be picked up at various City facilities, or downloaded from the website. The results of the annual survey help the Mayor, City Councilmembers, City Manager and staff in the formulation of the City’s financial plans. For more information, call 782-2252.

Change the way you give

The goal of Chandler’s new ChangeUp campaign is to make a lasting impact on the lives of people who are experiencing homelessness in our City. The text-to-donate and public awareness campaign is generating positive reviews from residents and social service agencies that serve the homeless population. ChangeUp is a quick and easy way for people to donate directly to local charities, instead of people who panhandle along major intersections or near freeway exit ramps. All proceeds collected through the ChangeUp initiative will go directly to programs and services provided by local nonprofits to help end homelessness. Making a donation is easy. Residents may text “ChangeUp” to 44-321 to make a one-time or monthly donation of $1, $5, $10, $25, or any amount. Donations also will be accepted online at chandleraz.gov/ChangeUp.

Shop Chandler to Support City Services

As always, remember to “Invest Wisely, Shop Chandler” for your holiday gifts, as those tax dollars are critical to maintaining City services. Sales taxes from the money you spend here help support public safety, road improvements, neighborhoods – and our economic development efforts. These revenues also are critical for maintaining a high quality of life enhanced by parks, sports fields, trails, pools and recreation programs.

Mayor Jay Tibshraeny & City Council

@cityofchandler

cityofchandleraz

cityofchandler

cityofchandler

SANTAN SUN NEWS | DEC 15, 2018 - JAN 4, 2019

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Dave Koz brings his charitable personality back to Mesa

BY CHRISTINA FUOCO-KARASINSKI Staff

When saxophonist Dave Koz comes to the Valley to play a Christmas show, he’s doing more than showing off his talents.

He’s helping critically injured kids at Maricopa Medical Center’s Burn Center through the Starlight Children’s Foundation, to which he’ll donate a Nintendo Fun Center and playful hospital gowns.

“The Nintendo Fun Center connects the kids with the outside world,” said Koz, who has raised $1 million for the Starlight Foundation. “It allows kids to be kids for a while.

“Hospital gowns are so drab and depressing. Starlight created this new line of children’s hospital gowns. I helped design the one we’re donating right now.

One hundred of those beautiful Starlight children’s hospital gowns will be going to

IF YOU GO

What: Dave Koz and Friends Christmas 2018.

Where: Mesa Arts Center, 1 E. Main St., Mesa.

When: 8 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 15.

Cost: $60.50-$90.50; VIP tickets available.

Info: 480-644-6500, mesaartscenter.com.

“Last year was the 20th anniversary and the original cast came back,” Koz said.

“This year, half of the cast has never done the tour.

It’s a jolt of new energy.

“One returnee is my partner in crime Jonathan Butler. We have the best time. He’s almost the cohost of the show.

Returning for the third time is Keiko Matsui, who adds a tremendous eleAntonio Dixon Dave Koz and Friends, who appear in a holiday concert at the Mesa Arts gance to the show.

Center on Saturday, Dec. 15, are assisting injured kids at Maricopa Medical Mindi Abair has Center’s Burn Center through the Starlight Children’s Foundation. been a friend for many years. She the Arizona Burn Center. I’m very honored brings a certain blues swagger that works to make those donations to the hospital.” perfectly with Christmastime.

On the music side, Koz is bringing his “Then, we’re introducing Sheléa, who Dave Koz and Friends Christmas Tour 2018 was discovered by Quincy Jones and has to the Mesa Arts Center on Saturday, Dec. been on the road with Stevie Wonder, 15. Mindi Abair, pop/blues saxophonist/ David Foster and Take 6. She’s an unbesinger; South African guitarist/singer lievable vocal talent. She’s as close to a Jonathan Butler; Japanese keyboardist Whitney Houston as I’ve seen since WhitKeiko Matsui; and up and coming vocalist ney’s passing.”

Sheléa, who also appeared on Koz’s album The tour has received nationwide “Summer Horns II From A To Z,” join Koz, critical acclaim since its 1997 inception. a Grammy-nominated saxophonist.

Koz’s 2018 Christmas Tour brings fresh renditions of Christmas classics and hits from his catalog. Koz has logged nine No. 1 albums on Billboard’s current contemporary jazz album chart, including 2015’s “Collaborations: 25th Anniversary Collection,” and received nine Grammy nominations. His five holiday albums include 2017’s “Dave Koz and Friends 20th Anniversary Christmas” and 2014’s “The 25th of December.”

“I’m a real collaborative spirit,” Koz said.

“I love to work with other artists and see what they can bring to the party. That’s my October, meeting with artists and finding out what they want to do, how we can collaborate and how best to achieve their vision.”

Koz, who is Jewish, enjoys his tour and plans to continue as long as fans keep coming.

“Last year we had a sold-out show in Mesa, and this year it’s on track to do the same,” he said. “I love Christmas music.

I’m Jewish, so it’s kind of funny. I was raised on Christmas music. I love these people and the songs.

“Christmas songs have so much meat on their bones. We do them every year in a new way. They’re so good. Most of us crave that familiarity at Christmastime.

These songs have been around forever and carry such weight for us. They’re emotional pieces of music that remind us of very emotional experiences. We’re happy to oblige.”

ARTS 58

REAL THING

from page 54

different genres and styles of music. We love it. There’s always something to be appreciated.”

She said her and Jessica’s late uncle on their mother’s side was a roadie for REO Speedwagon, Chicago and others.

“We used to be back stage,” Melisza said. “We got to see a lot of cool stuff when we were little.”

She and Jessica performed in school choirs and briefly in a church choir.

Melisza went to Mountain Pointe High School and then transferred to an online charter school, from which she and Jessica graduated.

Jessica, 36, said she and her father started their first band together in 2000 and then formed another band in 2004 called Exit 157, “which was a pretty successful, working band and a whole lot of fun.”

“I can’t remember a time I wasn’t singing or writing music,” Jessica said.

“As a child, I’d lock myself in my room and sing for hours. Our poor neighbors had to hear the same song over and over and over again. Music is where I find joy, connect with others and I’ve been doing it my entire life. I was always involved in music in school as well as outside of school. Outside of being in choir through grade school, middle school and high school, I sang at many high school graduations, including my own.”

She and Melisza said they enjoy singing together and with their dad playing in the band.

“I love being in a band with my sister and dad,” Jessica said. “My sister and I

are best friends. Something really special happens when we sing together. I can’t explain it completely, but it’s really as if our voices belong together. They are different and special on their own, but together they are supported and taken to another level.”

While their mother, Dianna, is not in the band, Melisza said she is their “No. 1 fan.” Jessica, who works a day job overseeing training and development, as well as policy and procedures at American Airlines, agreed their parents have been supportive.

“My dad has always been an inspiration in music,” Jessica said. “He and my mom have always encouraged my sister and me to go for our dreams and pursue a career in music. Their support and guidance have played a huge role in who I am today. I always strive for more. Once we reach a goal, we set a new, higher one and we continue to work hard at achieving them.

Connecting with others through music is something I am so grateful for and having the support system to do that has really helped me to continue on and reach new levels.”

Jessica and Melisza are looking forward to performing at Veterans Oasis Park, where they have sung with the band several times before.

“We get to see the sun set and the audience gets to see the reflection of the sunset on that water,” Melisza said. “It’s super cool. It’s very cold in December, but families come out and they bundle up.

It’s great. We love that venue. Everybody that has been involved in that particular event has been phenomenal. They’re very accommodating.”

SANTAN SUN NEWS | DEC 15, 2018 - JAN 4, 2019

Elaine Kessler Photography

The Real Thing Variety Band will bring its mix of rock hits, as well as soul and funk, Motown and Christmas songs to the Sonoran Sunset Series concert Dec. 20 at Veterans Oasis Park.

Jessica said she also really enjoys performing at the park.

“We love being outdoors next to the water, and the audience is always a pleasure,” she said. “It’s always a great experience.”

People can bring blankets, folding chairs and food to the park to listen to the band play at the free event alongside the park’s five-acre lake.

Information: chandleraz.gov/eec.

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CHAN San Tan News 12 1 15 18

SANTAN SUN NEWS | DEC 15, 2018 - JAN 4, 2019

ARTS

59

Black Moods are back in town CHRISTINA FUOCO-KARASINSKI Staff

The Black Moods have been traveling the United States, putting in their time playing their Top 40 hit “Bella Donna” at radio stations and performing gigs.

And it’s paying off for the Tempe band, who’s playing New Year’s Eve at the Marquee Theatre. “Bella Donna” is in its second week in the Top 40.

“It’s crazy, right?” said singer Josh Kennedy. “I was surprised to see it there the first week.”

On Oct. 31, The Black Moods released the follow-up single “Bad News,” which is about stalking in the days of social media.

“It’s a modern-day stalking song about things like Facebook,” said Kennedy, who’s joined in the band by drummer Chico Diaz and bassist Jordan Hoffman. “People go to places and they check in. You can find anybody and completely stalk them because of their online presence.”

The song was written because The Black Moods’ producer, Grammy-winner Johnny K, was less than thrilled about another song the band penned.

“We played some songs we had been playing live and the fans really liked,” he said.

“He said he didn’t like it, but we were so attached to the songs, as were the fans. We didn’t want to mess with that.

“We asked him to go back to his hotel room and let us come up with something else that night. We looked at each other and said, ‘Oh (crap).’ We messed around with it. The guys were jamming on a groove

and whatnot. Johnny K came in and put his Johnny K on it and we had ‘Bad News.’”

Diaz agrees. “We couldn’t be prouder of the single. ‘Johnny K’ Karkazis did a beautiful job producing this track.”

The Black Moods received more good news this fall when they were asked to tour with Joe Perry, Brad Whitford and Gary Cherone.

“Somebody pinch me because this does not feel like real life,” Diaz says.

Kennedy hopes The Black Moods have just as much success with “Bad News” as the band had for “Bella Donna.” The most gratifying part of having a hit song is celebrating with his family.

“We’ve had a bunch of people approach us and say, ‘We have this for you. We have that for you,’” he said. “Then it never comes to fruition. The Top 40 is something you can’t argue with. It’s actually for real because it’s in print. It’s amazing. We’re very lucky.”

IF YOU GO

What: The Black Moods w/Analog Outlaws, Interfate, Diedre, Stereo Rex, Alien Atmosphere and Natalie Merrill.

When: 6:30 p.m. Monday, Dec. 31, Where: Marquee Theatre, 730 N. Mill Ave., Tempe Info: 480-829-0607, luckymanonline.com Tickets: $20-$40.

Special to SanTan Sun News

The Black Moods, who will be appearing New Year’s Eve in Tempe, released a new single on Halloween and are looking forward to presenting some new tunes at their Tempe concert.

ARTS 60

SANTAN SUN NEWS | DEC 15, 2018 - JAN 4, 2019

Gilbert band marks 10th anniversary of ‘Illuminate’

BY MCKAYLA HULL Contributing Writer

Ten years after Lydia’s album Illuminate lit the band’s way to success, the Gilbert act is headlining two nights at Crescent Ballroom.

To celebrate the decade anniversary, Lydia will play the album front to back, with assorted other tracks incorporated into the set.

“We are very lucky to be in a band that anybody in the world cares about at all,” said pianist Matt Keller, whose band performs Friday, Dec. 28, and Saturday, Dec. 29.

“It’s a record that people really, really, really loved and the songs are fun to play.

They’re still relevant in people’s lives.”

Although Lydia is celebrating Illuminate, the musicians say the band has evolved and fans need to grow with them.

“It’s so incredible how fans have stuck with us from the get-go, and how they’re still here,” Keller said. “But at the same time, I feel like we wouldn’t have anybody still here if we were just trying to make music for the old fans. We’re not going to pretend to play some other kind of music so that somebody is happy. We won’t be happy.”

Lydia’s newest member, guitarist Shawn Strader, added, “I made a very active de-

Kat Nijmeddin

Gilbert-based Lydia is celebrating its 10-year anniversary with two special shows, Dec. 28 and 29, at Crescent Ballroom in downtown Phoenix. The group will play its entire album, Illuminate, along with other assorted tracks woven into the show.

cision to not play into how Lydia used to sound.”

Formed in 2003 by front man and guitarist Leighton Antelman, Lydia has gone through band/touring members but has settled on Keller, Strader and Antelman as the core group.

In July, the trio released its 10-song album, Liquor, which features the track “Sunlight” and the first single “Goodside,” an experimental take on its emo-tinged indie folk.

“People expect us to be a certain way because our music is soft, sensitive and real,” Keller said. “At the same time, it’s that way because in real life we’re not the type to express our feelings to people and get all deep. If somebody wants to get deep with us, we’re going to say, ‘Later.’

“It’s the music you make, at least that’s how we all operate.”

The recording of Liquor was trying for Lydia.

“Sometimes you live as a musician or an artist or a writer or just a human and the things you experienced don’t surface until a lot longer,” he said. “This record brought out a lot.”

Keller said the biggest inspiration for him on the band’s seventh record was the musicians’ unwillingness to settle.

“If somebody was not happy, somebody spoke up,” he said.

After all, the mission is to create music that’s going to be heard, Strader said.

“I just want the album to elicit some sort of reaction from somebody, even if it is hatred,” Keller said.

During the holidays, Lydia expects its fans to do one thing: “Get drunk at a show with Lydia.”

IF YOU GO

What: Lydia, Celebrating 10 Years of Illuminate

Where: Crescent Ballroom,

308 N. Second Ave., Phoenix.

When: 8 p.m. Friday, Dec. 28, and Saturday, Dec. 29.

Tickets: $18, 16 and older.

Information: 602-716-2222, crescentphx.com. El West and Barefoot open on Dec. 28; Anarbor and New Heat on Dec. 29.

eSports finds a receptive audience in Chandler

BY JENNIFER HUTCHISON Contributor

Over 200 gamers assembled earlier this month in Chandler for what was billed as Arizona’s first eSports tournament for local children and teens.

Boys & Girls Club CEO Connie Perez said turnout for the Mario Kart 8 Deluxe Tournament, held at the Compadres Branch, was a welcome surprise.

“Teaming up with Bravous to give kids and teens who have a passion for eSports a chance to interact with other kids their age is so important,” Perez said, because it matched the club’s aim to “provide an inclusive environment for children and teens while allowing them to show their drive and competitive side in other forms of sport.”

Perez is now interested in hosting monthly tournaments: “Our goal is to enable all youth, especially those who need us most, and I immediately saw what this could be. This is going to have a huge impact; not all kids can play sports and this is a way for kids to play, compete, make connections and learn skills. I think it will take off.”

Colltey Sheldon, a nonprofit marketing professional with Maag Commplus, agreed, noting “There’s already over 20 university level scholarships available right now. We’re seeing a lot of growth and excitement.”

Kids and teens ages 8 to 18 worked in teams of two, using Nintendo Switch handheld devices loaned by Bravous and playing under creative pseudonyms.

At 9 a.m. sharp, fast fingers began flying across the controllers, and eyes zeroed in on dozens of screens as they guided veteran cartoon drivers along the speedway, battling for a spot on the

solving,” he said.

For the video game entrepreneur, competitive gaming is more than a business venture; it is a chance to provide young people the opportunity to learn important life skills, while at the same time addressing the isolation and loneliness that sometimes occurs among gamers.

“The goal is not to Jennifer Hutchison try for more games, we More than 200 kids and teens gathered at the Boys & Girls Club of are trying for less games the East Valley’s Compadres Branch in Chandler recently for the alone,” Novis explained. state’s first eSports tournament.

“We look at why kids are gaming so much, and we winner’s podium. want to fill those voids Gaming enthusiast Domenick Aragon, by encouraging face-to-face connections 9, was excited to spend the day doing in a safe environment with others who what he enjoys. share the same interests.”

“I love it, I love how everyone comes According to Perez and Novis, the together,” said the third-grader, who has Boys & Girls Club was chosen to pilot this been gaming since he was 5. program because it provided a safe and The young video game whiz secure environment for kids to game. “We encourages other kids to try a use our own closed network, kids can tournament, even if they are scared compete against others in the room, and or have never played the game. “You parents and coaches know who they’re should face your fears; it won’t be that playing with,” Novis said. competitive,” Dominick said.

Novis, an engineer and former Disney At a time when video gaming is and video game executive, is no stranger facing increased scrutiny, some question to the concept of multiplayer gaming. whether or not eSports programs are As the founder of Game Truck, a mobile a good idea. Bravous founder and CEO gaming truck company, he sees firsthand Scott Novis said he understands and the benefits of social and face-to-face agrees with the skeptics, but he also sees communication while gaming. Bravous, a a need to do more for the community. portmanteau of ‘brave and courageous’ “Competing teaches kids how to be was the product of experience, research their best when it’s most needed. Working and the next logical step. as a team, creating game plans and Since their launch in 1980 with games strategy teaches leadership and problem like Space Invaders, competitive gaming

tournaments were relatively tame and typically geared towards adults.

Today that is hardly the case; according to Newzoo, eSports has become a $900 million industry with nearly 400 million viewers, a multi-age player base of over 150 million and shows no sign of slowing down.

Competitive gaming has gained so much popularity that it even piqued the interest of local high school officials.

This year, the Arizona Interscholastic Association (AIA), which oversees high school athletic programs, embraced the idea of competitive video gaming and officially adopted eSports as a sanctioned high school event. “eSports is growing rapidly all over the world, and the time was right for the AIA to get involved and create a structured environment by which students in our member schools could compete for a state championship,” said Brian Bolitho, director of business development for the AIA. “It is no different than students competing in any other sport or activity that we sanction.”

According to the AIA, participants will compete for titles in a state championship every school year, but they will not travel for weekly matchups nor earn a varsity letter.

With dozens of member schools and approximately 25,000 interested students in Arizona alone, eSports is joining the ranks of robotics and chess clubs.

“During our informational meeting in mid-October, we had over 50 schools represented and countless others watching the live stream,” Bolitho said. “Our partner, Legacy Esports, will be providing all the rulebooks and guidelines for our member schools and will be there for school and coach support as well.”

ARTS

SANTAN SUN NEWS | DEC 15, 2018 - JAN 4, 2019

61

Sons of Serendip give a nod to fate for group’s success CHRISTINA FUOCO-KARASINSKI Staff

Sons of Serendip singer Micah Christian feels a connection with the audience when the band performs. That keeps the quartet energized and positive about its future.

“Every night we have great experiences with the audience,” Christian said.

“Instead of just performing songs, we connect with people. Whenever we have those moments, we know we succeeded in what we hoped to do.”

Christian – along with cellist Kendall Ramseur, harpist Mason Morton and pianist Cordaro Rodriguez – will perform at the Chandler Center for the Arts on Friday, Dec. 14.

Finalists on “America’s Got Talent” Season 9, Sons of Serendip was called “the most musically talented act on the show” by the judges for its heartwarming arrangements of classic tunes.

The four men came together in 2014 as graduate students at Boston University. The gig at the Chandler Center for the Arts will be a holiday performance with songs like “Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas,” “The First Noel” and “This Christmas,” plus others from their album “Christmas: Beyond the Lights.” Last year’s concert sold out.

“We’re going to be doing a number of classic Christmas songs, but done in a creative way so people feel like they’re hearing the song for the first time,” Christian said. “That’s the goal whenever we work on arrangements.”

Sometimes those arrangements can

be challenging, Christian said. Choosing which songs to translate to its style is a task.

The goal is to find music with good lyrics and melodies, with room for Sons of Serendip to experiment.

“We’ve done a number of Stevie Wonder songs in the past,” said Christian, who was studying theology when the group came calling. “He’s a musical genius Photo courtesy Chandler Center for the Arts and his songs Sons of Serendip met as graduate students at Boston University. They perform at the Chandler Center for the Arts on Friday, Dec. 14. are the hardest to switch.

“With Christmas Jan. 7, on NBC (Channel 12). Favorite conlarge audience. Things just took off and songs, those are a lot of fun. I think it’s testants from other international “Got completely changed our lives.” always a challenge just getting started Talent” franchises, spanning 184 countries, and deciding what direction we want to also join. Sons of Serendip will also retake on with the song. There’s a flow that lease an EP of original material next year.

What: Sons of Serendip. happens. We’re excited about taking on “We’re super excited about all that,” Where: Chandler Center for the Arts, any challenge.”

Christian said. “Little by little, we’re 250 N. Arizona Ave., Chandler.

Christian predicted 2019 to be remarkplugging away at building a career. When able. Sons of Serendip was chosen to When: 7:30 p.m. Friday, Dec. 14. we started with ‘America’s Got Talent,’ we participate in “America’s Got Talent: The had no idea what was in store. We had Cost: $32 and $38.

Champions,” which premieres Monday, never performed together in front of a Info: 480-782-2680, chandlercenter.org.

IF YOU GO

ARTS 62

SANTAN SUN NEWS | DEC 15, 2018 - JAN 4, 2019

The show goes on for blind theater director

BY CECILIA CHAN Staff

Seated mid-row inside Gilbert’s Tuscany Theatre, artistic director Tracie Jones shouts out directions to her cast of young actors, relying mostly on touch and sounds to guide them.

Jones, 38, of Mesa, is legally blind, able to see only shadows.

She relies on her other heightened senses – touch and hearing, and her memory has sharpened to where she can retrace her steps in new surroundings effortlessly.

But the show must go on and Jones’ blindness hasn’t stopped her.

It is week seven of rehearsals for the Actor’s Youth Theatre, which is staging the Broadway musical “Annie” – the popular musical about the adventures of a little red-haired orphan, her dog, Sandy, and her wealthy benefactor, Oliver “Daddy” Warbucks – the next two weekends.

“Here we go Annie, you are coming down the stairs,” Jones calls out. “Take a minute, look up at the other side, look back at your room and think about all the stuff you’ve done in the house. Walk over to the red chair.”

Jones wasn’t always handicapped.

“I started having really bad headaches last New Year’s,” she said. “I had pneumonia so I thought I was sick.”

The severe headaches continued for two weeks until she went to her eye doctor, who sent her to the emergency room. Within days she went completely blind in her left eye, and the right eye followed soon afterward.

She was diagnosed with pseudotumor cerebri, a condition where the cerebrospinal fluid that surrounds the brain and spinal cord builds up pressure inside the skull and damages the optic nerves.

A lumbar puncture was done and a shunt was placed in Jones’ brain to drain the fluid to her stomach. She hopes one day to be able to remove the device.

“At first I was really super scared,” she said upon returning to the Gilbert theater, where she has worked with the young thespians the last four years.

Jones has 30 years of music and performance experience that include working as an accompanist and musical director for various theaters, schools and

Cast Orphans Annie Williams (Annie), Audra South, Lindsay French, Saniya Sapakie, Camryn Taylor, Katie Mullen, Marguerite Durma, Zoe Bauerle, Lyla Merrill, Katie Stone, Tatum Meeker, Elise Johns, Ashlynn Taylor, Madison Brassow, Nadia Gilbert, Garrett Lindsey, Bonnie Wanstreet, Noah Delgado, Carter Neef, Laine Bombard, Max Meeker, Jakob Garcia, Eric O’Dell, Katie Wright, Katrina Sapakie, Justine Wattay, Sarah Brassow, Remington Rathbun, Ellie Nordquist, Kendall Morgan, Ryan Hooks, Devorah “DJ” Coon, Emma Benham, Isabella Bombard and Adele Johns.

Performances 7 p.m. Dec. 21; 2 p.m. and 7 p.m. Dec. 22 Higley Center for the Performing Arts 4132 E. Pecos Road Gilbert 480-279-7194 higleycenter.ticketforce.com

organizations in the Valley.

“My biggest fear was not teaching,” she said, recalling she cried after a neurosurgeon questioned her ability to direct theater production as a blind person. “These kids are my life.”

Although her vision improved a tad, she can no longer drive or read things such as a script, which means preparation

(Kimberly Carrillo/ Staff Photographer)

Tracie Jones, left, can give directions to actresses like Katie Wright and actors at Gilbert's Tuscany Theater even though she is blind, relying on sounds to figure out where thespians are on stage and what they are doing.

takes her much longer.

Someone must read the script for her or she uses her cell phone to highlight a passage that is then read out loud.

An accomplished pianist, Jones also can’t read sheet music and learns new pieces by ear. She also is an accomplished singer and songwriter.

Initially, Jones relied on colleagues and friends to act as co-directors. She would call out a stage direction and then turn to the co-director to ask if it was done.

Today, she is in total control.

If she needs to see something on stage, she would point her camera phone and zoom in to the scene. She has to place the phone within inches of her eyes to see.

Her hearing also plays a big part in helping her direct the young actors.

“I can hear what they are doing,” she explained. “I can tell if their faces are happy because I hear the emotion in their voices. I’m always listening. My ears are always on.”

During a recent rehearsal, simply by using her hearing she could tell the actor pushing “Franklin Roosevelt” in a wheelchair to scoot him back because he was taking up too much of center stage and blocking Daddy Warbucks.

“The frame was off,” she said. “The person behind was covered.”

She said she also learned to trust her innate sense where she can tell if an actor was doing something correctly or not.

But her biggest help is her assistant Bailey Gorman, whom she first met and mentored when he was a 12-year-old acting student. He took over driving her around after her mom had assumed the duty.

Jones is due to take over as CEO of the company and is showing Gorman the ropes and teaching him how to be a stage manager.

“He is my left arm,” she said of the 20-year-old. “I can’t do it without him and he can’t do it without me.”

Jones said she was told that many people with pseudotumor cerebri become shut-ins because they are always in the dark.

“I think positive and just keeping swimming,” she said.

Noah Delgado, 19, who plays Warbucks in the musical and has been with the Actor’s Youth Theatre for four and a half years, said Jones’ blindness has not affected her ability to teach.

“It’s a very subtle difference,” said the Gilbert teen, who is studying journalism at Arizona State University. “She’s still able to play the piano like nobody’s business. She’s an amazing director and she’s able to do things that I’m amazed at given her vision.”

SANTAN SUN NEWS | DEC 15, 2018 - JAN 4, 2019

Faith

63

For more community news visit SanTanSun.com

We should be mad when our traditions are scorned

BY RABBI IRWIN WIENER Guest Columnist

First – animals get mad, people get angry. In this instance however, perhaps the right terminology is MAD. Things are happening in this country that sometimes appear to be so convoluted that we lose sight of the original intent.

We have heard the slogan, “politically correct.” To me, that is not a license for intolerance, but rather an opportunity for dialogue. At every turn we seem to be at each other’s throat just like mad dogs.

Insults have supplanted common decency. Vitriol has replaced civility.

Everything is scrutinized to determine if there is a hidden meaning or agenda. The gun has replaced exchange.

Confrontation has destroyed plain, old-fashioned negotiation. Conflict

has become the norm, and peaceful demonstrations old fashioned.

Our lives are threatened. We are afraid to react to danger because we may make a mistake and then be condemned for reacting altogether. Our police are attacked, our humanity put on hold. Our armed forces are in situations that were never dreamed of before.

Will there ever be a meeting of the minds? Our country is famous for its ability to weather the storms. God is no longer welcome in invocations or benedictions. Decorations for holidays have to be designed to portray secular images because someone may be offended.

To be politically correct now means to ignore our identity. We are witnessing the cessation of the Presentation of Colors or the Pledge of Allegiance because it might offend someone.

I begin to wonder what we fought and sacrificed for – and, yes died for, on the battlefields of Europe, Asia, Africa,

the Middle East and South America. On and on the list is endless of past and present events that ultimately required our participation before the whole world destroyed itself.

We are the only ones – America – who understand that freedom is not just legislated, but something that requires work – hard work, both on and off the battlefield.

Fighting Mad – you “betcha.” Mad that we cannot do or say anything for fear of offending. I am not talking about hate speech or words that incite, just plain old talking. Saying what is on our mind is now relegated to thought alone.

Fighting mad – of course, because this country gave so much for so little in return. I wonder what G.I. Joe, returning from the battlefields of Europe and Asia, would think if he were here now?

I wonder what the mothers and fathers who lost a son or daughter would think as they were forced to remove the gold star from their window because someone may

take exception to their misery?

Fighting mad because we see the world around us melting away into chaos and destruction, and sit idly by trying to understand what our blind acceptance has wrought. Innocent people slaughtered, all supposedly in God’s name. Headlines scream of carnage and the debate begins anew. This is followed by calm and then relegated to memory.

Fighting mad – I believe we should all be fighting mad that we cannot be who we are without feeling the insecurities of patriotism or faith. What’s next?

Perhaps we should remember the words of the Prophet Isaiah (12:2), “Behold, God is my salvation; I will trust, and will not be afraid; for the Lord God is my strength and my song, and he has become my salvation.”

Rabbi Dr. Irwin Wiener, DD, is national chaplain of Jewish War Veterans-USA and he is the spiritual leader of Sun Lakes Jewish Congregation.

A granddaughter’s birth inspires Christmas thoughts

BY LYNNE HARTKE Contributor

What do you say when you hold your baby for the first time? This is the question I pondered when I arrived at the hospital to witness our granddaughter being held by her parents.

Do you give speeches about the inconvenience of her six-weeks-early arrival? Of the chaos of quickly throwing together the hospital bag and of grabbing the still-boxed infant car seat on the way out the door?

Do you chastise her for the expense her premature birth will mean to the family budget? Of bills from occupational

therapists, lactation consultants and neonatologists?

Do you scold her for the fear she caused? Do you give a lecture about how she better not stir up any more fear in all her days of growing up, that you already had enough to last this lifetime?

Or do you say none of those things?

Do you put her skin-to-skin into the security of your chest? Do you count her ten tiny fingers? Then touch her nose? Do you breathe on her cheek in hopes she will look at you and you can see if she has her father’s eyes?

Do you call her by name? And kiss the silky strands on her forehead?

And then, rather than speak, does a song arise from the depth of your being, a song that has never been sung by you before, but a melody that has been

voiced from parents throughout the ages, by countless cultures and languages – the unrehearsed tune of a lullaby?

And maybe. Just maybe. Do you have a new understanding of this Christmas season, when God became a baby and dwelt among us? Do you wonder how Mary responded when she held her son?

Did Mary give a speech about the inconvenience of Jesus’ arrival? Of the long trek from Nazareth to Bethlehem while nine months pregnant? Of the cost of multiple days on the road and the jostle of fellow travelers making the same journey?

Did Mary scold him for the fear he caused, of giving birth in a stable with no family around and only the animals for company? Did Mary give a lecture about how Jesus better not cause any more fear in all his days of growing up, that she

already had enough to last her lifetime?

Or did Mary place him skin-to-skin?

Did she count his ten tiny fingers? Then touch his nose? Did she breathe on his cheek in hopes that he would look at her and she could see if he had his Father’s eyes?

Did she call him by name? And kiss the silky strands on his forehead? Did Mary sing an unrehearsed lullaby of welcome?

We do not know. Scriptures only tell us this about Mary’s response to that day: Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart. (Luke 2:19 NIV).

Because that is what parents (and grandparents) do.

Lynne Hartke is the author of Under a Desert Sky and the wife of pastor and Chandler Mayor-elect Kevin Hartke. She blogs at lynnehartke.com.

Christmas’ meaning offers hope in the darkest hours

BY REV. JEAN NEWELL Guest Columnist

Emergency vehicle sirens wailing. Hurricanes and floods destroying businesses and neighborhoods. Violence shattering lives. We live in troubled times.

In the midst of such pain and sorrow, what is it about Christmas that can still bring a smile, touch a heart or stir one’s spirit? It’s more than colored lights, decorated trees and wrapped packages, is it not?

Over 2000 years ago, life was not

easy. A decree went out throughout the Roman Empire from Emperor Caesar Augustus requiring everyone to register for the census. To do so required returning to one’s birthplace. Thus it was a carpenter named Joseph and his very pregnant wife, Mary, had no choice but to make the long, arduous journey from their home in Nazareth to his hometown of Bethlehem.

Not an easy journey to make in the best of times, but especially difficult with a baby due any day.

At journey’s end, unable to find lodging, the soon-to-be-parents found shelter in a stable. Homeless, far from home and lacking a support system familiar to them, the couple prepared as best they could

for the imminent birth.

What must it have been like for Mary as she held her newborn son for the first time? Did she carefully count his fingers and toes? Did she gently kiss his forehead? Did she know the angel told Joseph that she would “bear a son” and he was to be named “Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins” – Matthew 1:21?

Did Mary wonder how it was possible the baby she cuddled so closely would bring hope for all generations?

Obviously, we don’t know what Mary thought, but God’s Word declares that “God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eter-

nal life – John 3:16.

Therein lies our hope!

In a world in which the battle between good and evil continues to wage on, what is it about Christmas that continues to bring smiles, touch hearts and stir spirits? Maybe for some, Christmas is all about to-do lists, last minute shopping and holiday parties.

However, for many, Christmas is more about the hope that is ours through faith in the One born in a Bethlehem stable – the hope that prevails even when one walks through the darkest of valleys – the hope that promises goodwill to all and peace on earth!

Rev. Jean Newell is associate pastor at Sun Lakes United Methodist Church

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64

SANTAN SUN NEWS | DEC 15, 2018 - JAN 4, 2019

Spiritual Connections Call ahead to confirm as details occasionally change after print.

If you have a recurring monthly support group or meeting to list in Spiritual Connections, email complete details to news@santansun.com.

SUNDAYS

Celebration Service 9:30 a.m. Sundays Unity Church of Sun Lakes meets in the Arts and Crafts room of Sun Lakes Country Club, 25601 S. Sun Lakes Blvd., Sun Lakes. Rev. Debbi Brown/Adams presides and coffee and fellowship will take place after the service. The church reports it is a loving, positive, active and health-minded spiritual community.

480-277-4576, unityofsunlakes.org 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, 480-593-8798, interfaithcommunity.org

MONDAYS

The Art of Parenting 7:30 p.m. Mondays Six-session course from the Rohr Jewish Learning Institute and presented by Rabbi Mendy Deitsch of Chabad of the East Valley, designed to help parents at all levels of Jewish knowledge develop their own parenting philosophies and techniques. Cost is $99.

Pollack Chabad Center for Jewish Life 875 N. McClintock Drive, Chandler 480-855-4333, rabbi@chabadcenter.com

TUESDAYS

Silva Class and Meditation 6:30 to 8 p.m. Tuesdays Learn the Silva method with Lois Britland.

Unity of Tempe, formerly Unity of Chandler 1222 E. Baseline Road, Suite 103, Tempe 480-792-1800

Lift Your Spirit 10 a.m. Sundays Hear inspirational messages and music.

Unity of Tempe, formerly Unity of Chandler 1222 E. Baseline Road, Suite 103, Tempe 480-792-1800

Career Connectors 8:30 a.m. to noon, fourth Tuesday of month Nonprofit organization connecting professionals in career transition to highquality resources and hiring companies; each event includes professional career speakers with presentations on relevant job search topics, three to four hiring companies, networking, resume help, career coaches, LinkedIn coaches and business portraits.

Central Christian Church, Gilbert Campus/ Student Center, 965 E. Germann Road, Gilbert 480-442-5806, careerconnectors.org

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

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

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

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 CHRISTMAS EVE WORSHIP At 2 pm, 4 pm & 6 pm - All services with candlelight!

Childcare provided. All Welcome!

480-963-3360 | www.chandlermethodist.org | 450 E. Chandler Heights Rd.

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 “A Course in Miracles” with the Rev. Julianne Lewis 1 to 2:15 p.m. Wednesdays The weekly group is an interactive time of learning and sharing, appropriate for course beginners as well as 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 A Course in Miracles 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 Empower Model for Men 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. Thursdays The three-class series is taught by author

Scott E. Clark and designed to offer practical wisdom and tools to help men shift into their higher consciousness, based on the sevenstep empower model detailed in Clark’s book, “Empower Model for Men.” Cost is $85.

Unity of Tempe, formerly Unity of Chandler 1222 E. Baseline Road, Suite 103, Tempe 480-792-1800

SATURDAYS

Spirit Night – Psychic Fair 4 to 8 p.m. third Saturday of each month The “Lightworkers” offer a wide range of services, including Reiki, facials, mediums, drumming, tarot, angel messages and more.

Services range from $20 to $30. Cash only.

Interfaith CommUNITY Spiritual Center 952 E. Baseline Road, Suite 102, Mesa interfaith-community.org heatherposey70@gmail.com Spirit Night – A Holistic Healing Festival 1 to 6 p.m. third Saturday of the month Lightworkers offer a wide range of services including Reiki, facials, mediums, drumming, tarot, angel messages and more. Services range from $20 to $30.

Interfaith CommUNITY Spiritual Center 952 E. Baseline Road, Suite 102, Mesa interfaith-community.org, heatherposey70@gmail.com 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.

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SANTAN SUN NEWS | DEC 15, 2018 - JAN 4, 2019

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68

Where To Eat

SANTAN SUN NEWS | DEC 15, 2018 - JAN 4, 2019

For more community news visit SanTanSun.com

New Year’s Eve options at Chandler eateries

BY COLLEEN SPARKS Managing Editor

Anyone who wants to toast the New Year can soak up champagne and feast on special menus at many local restaurants.

Here is a look at some of the Chandler restaurants that will be open and offering unusual treats for customers the night of Dec. 31.

The Keg Steakhouse + Bar 3065 W. Chandler Blvd.

4 p.m.-midnight.

A select, two-course menu will include customer’s choice of one seafood side and range from $42 to $57 per person.

The main dishes customers can choose from include oven roasted chicken with garlic mashed potato, bacon sautéed Brussels sprouts, top sirloin with a baked potato and seasonal vegetables; baked salmon with asiago rice and steamed asparagus; and prime rib with garlic mashed potato.

Information: kegsteakhouse.com or 480-899-7500.

The Hungry Monk 1760 W. Chandler Blvd., Suite 2 11 a.m. to 2 a.m.; dinner starting at 4 p.m.

A five-course, chef-inspired menu includes customers’ choice of a shared

bottle of wine or one craft beer and cocktail. The cost will be $95 per couple or $50 per person.

Information: hungrymonkaz.com or 480-963-8000.

Fleming’s Prime Steakhouse & Wine Bar 905 N. 54th St. 3-10 p.m.

A prix fixe menu for $92 per person includes choice of a seafood Louie wedge salad or wild mushroom soup; filet mignon and colossal North Atlantic lobster tail with cabernet demiglace, mixed sautéed mushrooms and merlot salt; pumpkin cheesecake with pumpkin spice and gingersnap crust.

“Reservations are recommended,” Fleming’s assistant manager Marc Flatley said. “That’s one of our busiest holidays.”

Information: flemingssteakhouse.com or 480-940-1900.

Cuisine & Wine Bistro 4991 S. Alma School Road 3-10 p.m.

For $70 per person, diners can choose from four different appetizers and three desserts as well as one of the following entrees: Black Angus filet mignong, See

NEW YEAR’S EVE on page 69

Gila River Hotels & Casinos

The dining room at Shula’s Steak House offers a multi-course menu on New Year’s Eve.

West Alley BBQ enjoys sweet taste of fame

BY COLLEEN SPARKS Managing Editor

A downtown Chandler barbecue restaurant sizzled on the small screen when a TV show featured the familyowned business with its Tennessee-style, slow-cooked meats and flavorful sauce on a recent episode.

West Alley BBQ was one of two restaurants profiled on “Man Fire Food,” a show on the Cooking Channel. On the episode that aired Nov. 28, show host Roger Mooking talked to Bardo Brantley, West Alley BBQ president and founder of the Chandler restaurant, as well as the West Alley BBQ in Jackson, Tennessee.

Mooking also mingled with West Alley BBQ’s longtime pit boss Jim Dandy, cooked with him and shared a meal with Dandy and Brantley.

Bardo’s son, Christian Brantley, is vice president of operations and also coowner for West Alley BBQ in Chandler and in Jackson.

The West Alley BBQ in Chandler opened about a year ago to rave reviews; the family’s original restaurant has been a popular place to eat in Jackson for about five years.

Bardo and Dandy celebrated with a viewing and one-year-anniversary party that drew customers to the Chandler West Alley BBQ on Nov. 28 while Christian savored the restaurant’s fame hosting a viewing party in the Tennessee eatery that night.

West Alley BBQ

Celisse Jones

Left: Roger Mooking, host of the Cooking Channel’s “Man Fire Food” TV show, gets a taste of the extensive meat preparation West Alley BBQ pit boss Jim Dandy does at the restaurant in Chandler. Right: Christian Brantley, vice president of operations and co-owner, on left, and his father Bardo Brantley, president and founder of West Alley BBQ restaurant in downtown Chandler, pose inside the restaurant at 111 W. Boston St.

“The producer called me,” Christian said. “I was actually sending out some stuff to different networks anyway. I was pretty surprised. I was just happy that they even considered us. We had to do a series of interviews and things of that

nature. To be chosen, we’re blessed.”

In the episode, Mooking said, “it’s about the meat and the smoke” when describing West Alley BBQ. He talked about how “some of the best Tennesseestyle barbecue is on the other side of the

country” from Tennessee – in Chandler.

Christian said the “Man Fire Food” team “was very interested in the pit that we built and how we cook our meat.”

See

WEST ALLEY BBQ on page 69

WHERE TO EAT

SANTAN SUN NEWS | DEC 15, 2018 - JAN 4, 2019

69

WEST ALLEY BBQ

In the episode, Dandy showed Mooking how he used almond wood to cook.

“I really love these fruit and nut woods,” Mooking said. “It adds a different twang to the meat.”

He helped Dandy cook pork butts and ribs, and later the two men prepared a BBQ Jim Dandy sandwich, which has a toasted bun with a slice of deepfried bologna topped with pulled pork, combined with creamy coleslaw and BBQ sauce. Mooking praised the flavorful BBQ Jim Dandy sandwich, calling the ribs “very succulent” with a “rich, smoky flavor.”

Bardo also told Mooking about his long history with Dandy. Bardo’s father used to take him to eat barbecue food Dandy’s father made at his shop in

Tennessee.

West Alley BBQ in Chandler attracted more than 4,000 customers over the first 30 days it was open, Bardo said. The restaurant’s large menu offers a wide range of hearty meals with meats and poultry as well as Southern fried fish. It is also known for its live music.

Fans praised the local restaurant on the West Alley BBQ Chandler Facebook page.

“This was part of West Alley’s One Year Celebration!” Jackie Keeter posted on the restaurant’s Facebook page. “It was awesome to be there and play a small part!”

Many customers have also raved about the food and ambiance on the West Alley BBQ Facebook page.

“I think the overall experience was

fantastic,” Price Karen D’Antonio wrote.

“The owner & chef came over to greet us and asked how our meal was. It’s a very friendly and personable atmosphere.

The food was delicious. We left very satisfied.”

Darrell Malone also showed love for West Alley BBQ in Chandler on Facebook.

“What a great fit in downtown Chandler!” Malone posted. “First off, the employees have great attitudes. Service was excellent. The 1/2 rack of ribs was full of flavor and cooked perfect. Green beans great and the vinegar slaw was strong but good. My partner in crime had the loaded baked potato, we shared and it was good. Good beer selection. The music was great, perfect for the scene.”

Information: westalleybbq.com

NEW YEAR’S EVE

choose prime rib, turkey or grouper served with family style sides of mashed potatoes, Brussels sprouts and glazed carrots as their entrees, crème brulee as dessert.

and a free champagne toast.

Lobster Thermidor, wild boar tenderloin or wild halibut. All four come with paired sides. ine pairing is available at additional cost. 480-275-6700.

Fullhouse Café 4 p.m.-midnight Three-course menu of house-made comfort food favorites for $22.95 per guest includes a 10-ounce prime rib, loaded baked potato, sautéed asparagus, rolls and mocha Panna Cotta.

New Year’s Day brunch buffet for $15 from 7 a.m. to 1 p.m. includes eggs, asiago hash browns, Applewood smoked bacon, buttery biscuits, country gravy and waffles.

Wild Horse Pass will create a Casino Royale theme this New Year’s Eve hosted

by local TV personality Cory McCloskey.

Live DJs will spin tunes at the casino all night and complimentary party favors will be offered. Showgirls will entertain guests; a ball drop will take place and a champagne toast will be made at midnight. Dueling Pianos will perform in the Wild Horse Pass Showroom on New Year’s Eve. Guests can request their favorite songs. The show starts at 8:30 p.m. and tickets are $20 at the box office or PlayatGila.com.

from page 68 The production crew spent two 16-hour shoots over two days at the Chandler restaurant, Christian said.

“Roger was amazing,” Christian said.

“They were amazing people to work with.

They were very helpful. Jim Dandy is the superstar. He did an amazing job and he was very cooperative. The customers are very excited as well.”

Dandy showed Mooking the large smokers in the patio. Mooking asked him how he learned to cook and Dandy said his father taught him.

“It’s in my blood,” Dandy said. “I started when I was 12.”

from page 68

Gila River Hotels & Casinos – Wild Horse Pass 5040 Wild Horse Pass Blvd.

Shula’s Steak House 5-11 p.m.

A multi-course menu for $105 per guest includes champagne toast. Starters include burrata salad or lobster bisque, followed by shrimp cocktail. Diners

Gila River Hotels & Casinos – Lone Butte 1077 S. Kyrene Road The theme will be a Neon New Year with live entertainment, food and drink specials, LED stilt walkers, party favors

Cities Bar & Grille Surf & Turf for New Year’s Eve includes a four-ounce sirloin steak, crab legs, green chile and cheese mashed potatoes and roasted cauliflower for $36.95. On New Year’s Day, customers can take advantage of a special fruit-stand baked chicken made with roasted apples, peaches and grapes for $15.95.

Fullhouse Café A three-course dinner for $14.95 per guest, available from 4 p.m. to midnight a house salad, Southwestern Salisbury See

NEW YEAR’S EVE on page 70

Where Great Food, Craft Beer & Sports Collide INCREDIBLE CHICKEN WINGS KID’S MENU W/ FREE ICE CREAM BUFFALO’D CAULIFLOWER WARM FRIENDLY STAFF AWARD WINNING CRAFT BEERS BACON SIRACHA BRUSSEL SPROUTS OLD SCHOOL FRIDAY FISH FRY FULL SPIRITS/GREAT WINES CHANDLER FAMILY OWNED & OPERATED YOUR HOME FOR FOOTBALL

480.963.8000 • 1760 W. Chandler Blvd, Chandler • HungryMonkAZ.com

70

WHERE TO EAT

SANTAN SUN NEWS | DEC 15, 2018 - JAN 4, 2019

Gila River Hotels & Casinos

Grouper is one of the main dishes customers can try on the multi-course menu at Shula’s Steak House at Gila River Hotels & Casinos – Wild Horse Pass on New Year’s Eve.

NEW YEAR’S EVE

from page 69 Steak and chocolate cake. The New Year’s Day menu from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. includes a house salad, roasted half chicken and slice of cheesecake topped with white chocolate sauce and raspberries.

Lone Butte will feature independent female-fronted group Halocene on New Year’s Eve at 8 p.m. Visitors can also take part in the $100,000 Bingo New Year Celebration at Lone Butte starting at 7 p.m. Information: playatgila.com.

The Sheraton Grand at Wild Horse Pass 5594 W. Wild Horse Pass Blvd.

Two restaurants that will offer prix fixe menus on New Year’s Eve. Ko’sin Chef de Cuisine Kit Tang will offer a special menu featuring roasted pumpkin soup with spiced crème and pepita brittle and ginger spiced roast beef with horseradish celery root purée, roasted heirloom carrots and classic au jus. $60 per person or customers can order any specialty dishes a la carte.

Kai Chef de Cuisine Ryan Swanson, has prepared a seven-course New Year’s Eve tasting menu that includes posole with mangalitsa trotter consommé, red Supai hominy with Iberico cheek and a smoked trout and celebration of caviar with black

tepary miso, yuzu sabayon and kalettes topped with a grapefruit saguaro mist.

Guests may choose from two entrees – Kachk with Martha’s Vineyard Bay scallops, lobster, trout, TOCA squash and osha root purée, Ramona Farms Pima wheat berries and petite vegetables or Wagyu crafted with sweet grass, koji aged striploin, sweetbreads cassoulet and festival of roots.

Dinner is $225 per person and will be offered from 5 to 9 p.m. Wine pairings chosen by sommelier and wine director Kevin Lewis for an additional $100.

Information: wildhorsepassresort.com.

Ginger Monkey 135 W. Ocotillo Road The no-admission-charge, family-oriented Bash for Lil’ Monkeys will feature board games, party favors, a sparkling cider toast at 10 p.m. and a chance to watch the ball drop in New York, from 7 to 10 p.m.

The Bash for Big Monkeys will be an ‘80s-themed party with popular music from that decade, party favors, ‘80s drinks and shots and a champagne toast at midnight. That party goes from 10 p.m. to 2 p.m. Information: gingermonkeyaz. com or 480-802-6659.

DC Steak House 98 S. San Marcos Place, will serve dinner with a scaled-down version of its regular menu from 4 to 11:30 p.m. Hats, horns and complimentary champagne at midnight Central time will be offered, and then again at midnight Arizona time.

Information: dc-steakhouse.com.

Flourless veggie brownies kids can eat – and make

BY JAN D’ATRI Contributor

Want kids to love vegetables? Make ooey, gooey, scrumptious brownies out of them. I actually never thought this recipe would work.

A delicious-tasting brownie with no flour? No butter? No oil? No added sugar and one secret ingredient? How does that even work? Well, I found out pretty quickly it works out all too well, as a group of kids in the One Minute KidChen recently discovered.

These brownies are so delicious I have to steal a line from Food Network’s newest star, Kentuckian Jason Smith.

“Lord Honey, (these brownies are) so delicious yo tongue will slap yo brains out.” Yep, that pretty much describes it!

I came across this recipe quite a while ago, and besides having no flour, butter, oil or added sugar, it was egg free. The secret ingredient was grated zucchini, which you will never taste in the baked brownie. I made it several times and it just sort of fell apart on us. (These brownies are very, very moist!)

Still, it was so tasty that we refused to give up. I didn’t want to add the flour back in as a binder, so we decided to start with an egg. Perfection! That did it! One large egg was just the thing to hold it all together – the most chocolaty, dense and delicious brownie ever! Trust me, this recipe is kid-tested and kid-approved!

Flourless Brownies Ingredients: 1 1/2 cups of grated zucchini

1 cup almond butter (room temperature) 1 large egg 1/2 cup of honey 1 tablespoon pure maple syrup 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 1 heaping tablespoon of cocoa powder (I used Hershey’s Special Dark) 1 teaspoon baking powder 1/2 tsp. of baking soda 1/2 teaspoon salt 1 large bar (about 5 oz) dark chocolate (I used 70%), chopped 1/2 cup of mini semisweet chocolate chips, plus 1/4 cup for topping DIRECTIONS: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease the bottom and sides of an 8 x 8 pan or line with parchment paper. (I used glass baking dish so I can see if the brownies are getting too dark or burning.)

With a grater or in a mini food prep, grate the zucchini fine. In a bowl, mix together zucchini, egg, almond butter, honey, maple syrup and vanilla until well combined. Combine cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda and salt.

Add to wet ingredients and mix to combine well.

Place chopped chocolate bar in a microwave-safe bowl. Heat at 30 second intervals until melted. Let cool for a few minutes, and then mix into the brownie mixture. Fold in the mini chocolate chips.

Pour the batter into the prepared baking pan.

Sprinkle 1/4 cup chocolate chips over top. Bake for about 35-40 minutes or until toothpick comes up clean. Remove from oven and about 10 minutes later, cover with plastic wrap or aluminum foil while they are still warm. Allow them to cool completely at room temperature. Place in refrigerator for 2-3 hours to harden.

(Note: These brownies are very soft, dense and moist!)

Makes about 12-16 brownies.

Watch the kids make this recipe: jandatri.com/recipe/flourlessbrownies-2.

SANTAN SUN NEWS | DEC 15, 2018 - JAN 4, 2019

71

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SANTAN SUN NEWS | DEC 15, 2018 - JAN 4, 2019