West Valley View - February 1, 2017 by Times Media Group

LIFE SAVER

Greyhound bus driver awarded for quick actions that saved lives — Page 2.

SCOUT’S HONOR

Avondale vice mayor receives Lifetime Achievement Award from Boy Scouts — Page 5.

DAILY UPDATES!

Public housing project points to greater needs

Officials celebrate grand opening of Madison Heights

by Glenn Gullickson staff writer

A 143-unit rental housing project for lowincome residents that opened in October in Avondale is already full, and a waiting list of hundreds of families indicates there’s more demand for similar projects.

Public officials and the project’s developer celebrated the grand opening of Madison Heights on Jan. 26.

The $30 million development at 1103 N. Sixth St. replaces a complex of 77 dilapidated units.

Sheri Beery, resident manager of Madison

Heights, said the waiting list to move into the complex includes 600 families from a Housing Authority of Maricopa County list and 400 others who have expressed interest.

Thirty units are occupied by people who were previously homeless, Beery said.

Projects such as Madison Heights help people in need, such as the 46 families a week that become homeless, said Michael Trailor, director of the Arizona Department of Housing.

“There’s so much we have to do as a community,” he said.

Mother arrested after allegedly stabbing infant to death in Buckeye

by Emily Toepfer assistant editor

A 5-month-old boy died after his mother allegedly stabbed him Monday afternoon at their home in Buckeye, officials said.

Andrea Portillo, 29, was booked into Maricopa County Fourth Avenue Jail and faces charges of second-degree murder and intentional child abuse, said Sgt. Jason Weeks, a spokesman with the Buckeye Police Department.

KPHO/KTVK

THOMAS YOXALL recounts the events of

Jan. 12 when he saved a Department of Public Safety officer who had been shot and was being attacked on Interstate 10 near Tonopah during a press conference Jan. 24 in Phoenix.

Trooper’s rescuer speaks out

Man saves DPS officer’s life Jan. 12 near Tonopah

by Emily Toepfer assistant editor

When Thomas Yoxall set out on Interstate 10 in the early morning on Jan. 12, he never imagined he would end up saving a life, and also taking one, he said.

Emergency crews responded to the home near Roeser Road and Riata Parkway after a 911 call was made at about 12:35 p.m., Weeks said.

When police arrived, they found the infant’s grandmother holding the boy and screaming while Portillo stood behind them, allegedly covered in blood, court records state. Officers began life-saving measures on the baby, who had

The 43-year-old came to the aid of Trooper Ed Andersson, who was being attacked by a man on the side of the freeway at Milepost 89 near Tonopah. It was about 4:20 a.m. when Yoxall came upon Andersson’s stopped vehicle with its emergency lights on, and saw flares in the road.

Before exiting his vehicle, Yoxall grabbed his gun. What happened next will stick with him forever, he said.

“As I proceeded to go forward, I noticed the suspect on top of Trooper Andersson, beating him in a savage way,” he said. “My commands were ignored by the suspect as Trooper Andersson called out for help, and I alleviated the threat to him.”

Yoxall shot the man, later identified as 37-year-old Leonard Penuelas-Escobar, and turned his attention to Andersson. But when

photo

Andrea Portillo

View photo by Jordan Christopher

THE AGUA FRIA HIGH SCHOOL MARCHING BAND plays the national anthem at the grand opening of Madison Heights Jan. 25 in Avondale. Madison Heights is a 143-unit, low-income housing project.

(See Rescuer on Page 4)

(See Housing on Page 4)

Ed Andersson

(See Stabbing on Page 3)

Goodyear gives bus driver Lifesaving Award

By Kourtney Balsan special to the View

Imagine driving to Phoenix from California at 2:30 a.m. on Interstate 10. You finally reach the city of Goodyear. And then you see headlights coming your way.

That nightmare was Greyhound bus driver Margarita Bueno’s reality the day after Thanksgiving as she was driving a bus load of passengers from San Bernardino. Bueno tried to direct the bus out of the way, but the collision was inevitable, she said.

“You can’t believe it’s happening, but there wasn’t really any time to think about it,” she said.

“The reaction at the last split second you know it’s going to hit you, you hold onto the steering wheel and hope for the best, but you don’t really have time to think about it. You just have time to react.”

The Goodyear Fire Department presented Bueno with a Lifesaving Award at the Jan. 23 Goodyear City Council meeting because of her quick actions that saved the lives of her passengers.

“I feel glad that they believe I am worthy to receive this,” Bueno said.

“In this tragic moment, Ms. Bueno immediately took action to keep the bus upright, protecting her passengers from serious injury and death. The ability for Ms. Bueno to keep control of the bus as it took the full impact of the collision also saved the lives of countless other people on the highway.”

— Tim Wayne Goodyear deputy fire chief

Bueno managed to keep the bus upright and out of danger, and even though the wrong-way driver died, the passengers on the bus survived because of her actions, Goodyear Deputy Fire Chief Tim Wayne said in a press release.

“In this tragic moment, Ms. Bueno immediately took action to keep the bus upright, protecting her passengers from serious injury and death,” Wayne said. “The ability for Ms. Bueno to keep control of the bus as it took the full impact of the collision also saved the lives of countless other people on the highway.”

Goodyear council members said if they ever take a Greyhound bus ride, they’d want Bueno as their driver.

“It’s really humbling. I just feel honored,” Bueno

said. “I was honored, grateful and mostly thankful to the Goodyear Fire Department for bestowing this honor on me. You’re in an accident, you do the paperwork, and then life goes on. You never expect somebody is going to come and give you an award, especially this award.”

The accident was the first for the six-year veteran bus driver, who said she plans to continue working, but she’ll

never drive the same.

“I knew I did the best I could,” Bueno said. “I’m more cautious about looking ahead, more than what I’m used to, because no one thinks that there’s going to be a wrong-way driver coming.”

Kourtney Balsan can be reached at Kbalsan@westvalleyview.com.

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View photo by Ray Thomas

MARGARITA BUENO, a Greyhound bus driver, receives the Lifesaving Award from Goodyear Fire Chief Paul Luizzi Jan. 23 during a Goodyear City Council meeting. Bueno was awarded for saving the lives of her passengers during a deadly, wrong-way crash Nov. 25 on Interstate 10 in Goodyear.

Avondale man convicted of terrorism

by Emily Toepfer assistant editor

An Avondale man was convicted Monday of multiple terrorism offenses in connection to helping a New York college student join and train with the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria, or ISIS, according to the United States Attorney’s Office.

Ahmed Mohammed El Gammal, 44, is facing a maximum sentence of 55 years in prison after he was convicted of providing and conspiring to provide material support to ISIS, aiding and abetting the receipt of military-type training from ISIS and conspiring to receive such training, the U.S. Attorney’s Office stated in a press release.

Avondale police seek robbery suspects

View report

The Avondale Police Department is seeking the public’s help in identifying two suspects in a robbery at about 7:20 a.m. Dec. 17 at the Circle K at 1595 N. Avondale Blvd. in Avondale.

The suspects fled the gas station with about 20 cartons of cigarettes, said Officer Ray Emmett, a spokesman with the Avondale Police Department.

The men are described as Hispanic, in their mid-20s and about 5 feet, 10 inches tall. One suspect has a thin build, short

dark hair and a mustache, and was wearing a gray jacket and gray pants. The second suspect has a heavier build, full beard and mustache that appears to be closely cropped, darkrimmed glasses and was wearing a dark colored hoodie jacket, red baseball hat and gray jeans, Emmett said.

The suspects fled in a mid-2000’s blue or black Chevy Tahoe with large chrome rims, he said.

Anyone with information regarding the suspects or the robbery should contact the Avondale Police Department at 623-333-7001 or Silent Witness at 480-WITNESS.

Avondale police issue sex offender notice

View report

Avondale police have issued a public alert about a registered sex offender who has moved into the city.

Jack Munoz, 28, is living at a home in the 12200 block of West Washington Street, southeast of Van Buren Street and Fairway Drive, police said.

Munoz is not wanted by any law enforcement agency, said Sgt. Thomas Alt, an Avondale police spokesman.

attempted sexual conduct with a minor and one count of sexual conduct with a minor.

He was sentenced to lifetime probation and required to register as a sex offender, Alt said.

His 15-year-old victim was known to him, Alt said.

Authorities have classified Munoz as a Level II, or intermediate-risk, sex offender, he said.

Ahmed Mohammed El Gammal

“Once again, we have shown that terrorists and terrorist enablers can be brought to justice fairly, openly and swiftly in the crown jewel of our justice system civilian courts,” U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara said. “To grow their brand of hate-filled violence and radicalization, terrorist organizations like ISIS need facilitators and promoters around the world. And the jury found today that Ahmed Mohammed El Gammal was one such terrorist facilitator.”

El Gammal touted and glamorized ISIS online, ultimately recruiting and helping Samy El-Goarany, a New York college student, travel to an ISIS camp in Syria for military training, the release stated. El-Goarany later died in battle, the release stated.

A sentencing date for El Gammal has not yet been scheduled.

In 2010, Munoz was convicted in Maricopa County Superior Court of one count of

Stabbing

(From Page 1)

The alert is the result of the Arizona sex offender law that took effect in 1996. The law requires community notification for some sex offenders.

multiple stab wounds to his neck and was unresponsive, records state.

He was flown to Phoenix Children’s Hospital in extremely critical condition, where he later died, Weeks said.

The grandmother told police she went to the home at Portillo’s request, and that her daughter said, “Look what I did,” records state.

Portillo allegedly also told police she had stabbed her

baby, records state.

Jack Munoz

A 3-year-old girl who was also at the home told detectives that her mother had cut the baby’s neck, records state.

Portillo allegedly made statements about “voices in her head, possession and not being in control of her actions,” records state.

Her bond was set at $500,000 at the request of the prosecutor, who said Portillo is a danger to herself and others, and that mental health issues appear to be involved.

Portillo’s next court date is Feb. 7.

Buckeye police have not had previous contact with the family, Weeks said.

Rescuer

(From Page 1)

Penuelas-Escobar got up and came toward them again, Yoxall shot and killed him.

Yoxall describes his actions that morning as visceral and instinctive.

“I had to help. I knew I had to help, so there wasn’t an option for me,” he said. “It wasn’t until after, and you have that moment to think about your actions, that those emotions start to flood in.”

Looking back now, Yoxall doesn’t consider himself a hero, and said he would take the same actions again if necessary.

“Doing the right thing sometimes has a price, and that price is severe,” he said. “This is something that I will live with, but I wouldn’t change it, because another man got to go home to his family.”

The circumstances leading up to the incident that morning are still unclear as the Arizona Department of Public Safety continues to put the pieces together.

Investigators believe Penuelas-Escobar was driving westbound at a high rate of speed when his vehicle rolled over, DPS Col. Frank Milstead said.

A passenger identified as Vanessa Lopez-Ruiz, 23, was

ejected from the vehicle and died from her injuries, he said.

When Andersson responded to the scene, PenuelasEscobar shot him in the right shoulder and began attacking him, Milstead said.

Penuelas-Escobar was in the country illegally, but has no known criminal history. Information leads officials to believe he was a federal police officer for the Mexican Police in 2007, Milstead said.

He and Lopez-Ruiz, who are believed to have been in a relationship, were known meth users, he said.

Still healing

Yoxall said deciding to come forward and break his initial silence has been part of the healing process for him.

“You replay the moments through your mind, and they’re almost like chapters of a DVD — you just get to watch one segment over and over again, and it hurts,” he said.

He’s sought the council of his pastor, and DPS has also offered its support.

“It’s going to take some time, again understanding that I did save somebody’s life that morning, but I had to take a life in the process and that’s difficult to reconcile,” Yoxall said.

He works as a maintenance supervisor and hasn’t had formal gun training, but practices shooting his firearm several times a year, he said.

“I feel that it’s a right and a privilege to be a private gun owner, and with that right and privilege comes a great responsibility, not only for myself, but to those around me,” Yoxall said. “So I have taken the time to make sure several times a year, to go out and practice those safety techniques to make sure I’m always responsible.”

Milstead said DPS is a “grateful department” for Yoxall’s actions.

“I’m humbled to have met him and know what he did, because we’re having this conversation about a hero and not about an in-the-line-of-duty death,” he said.

Andersson, who has been with DPS for 27 years, underwent several surgeries at Abrazo West Campus in Goodyear and was released from the hospital, Milstead said.

His recovery is ongoing and includes more surgeries, as the gunshot caused severe damage to his humerus bone, but he’s in good spirits and is optimistic, Milstead said.

Emily Toepfer can be reached at etoepfer@westvalleyview.com or on Twitter @EmilyToepfer.

Housing

(From Page 1)

Trailor questioned the priorities of President Donald Trump’s plan to build a wall along the border with Mexico, which will cost billions, when he said the nation “can be spending that money to develop affordable housing.”

Maricopa County Supervisor Steve Gallardo said there needs to be a discussion about homelessness.

“Yes, we have a beautiful facility here, but there are so many folks who don’t have a place to call home,” Gallardo said.

Madison Heights residents pay 30 percent of their gross income, with adjustments for seniors, families with children and the disabled, Beery said.

Maximum income limits of those eligible to live in the complex range from $26,460 for one person to $49,860 for a family of eight, according to information supplied by the complex’s management.

One- to four-bedroom units ranging from 729 to 1,371 square feet include kitchen appliances and washers and dryers.

Among the 12 buildings on the property are a clubhouse with a lounge, meeting room, fitness center and office.

The complex also offers a playground, basketball court, splash pad, picnic areas with barbecues, community gardens and covered parking.

Maricopa County Human Services will provide workforce development, youth programs and other services to residents.

Development of the project dates back to 2012, when the Housing Authority of Maricopa County enlisted the help of Gorman and Co., which specializes in building affordable rental housing communities.

In late 2015, the housing on the site was demolished, eliminating bungalows built in 1973 with units outfitted with evaporative coolers.

Residents of the former housing were eligible to move into Madison Heights at the same rent they had been paying, officials said.

Avondale Mayor Kenneth Weise said Madison Heights replaces a “tired, inefficient piece of property” and marks another improvement in the city’s historic area.

“It’s what our residents deserve,” he said.

Weise suggested the project will spur other development in the area.

The project is the first in Arizona to use the federal Rental Assistance Demonstration program, designed to redevelop the nation’s aging public housing.

It allows a partnership of public and private agencies to leverage debt and equity to reinvest in public housing.

Glenn Gullickson can be reached at ggullickson@westvalleyview.com.

Campaign to recall mayor plans meeting

Fewer complaints recorded in Buckeye water billing controversy

by Glenn Gullickson staff writer

A leader of a campaign to recall the mayor of Buckeye spawned by controversy over disputed water charges is admitting the effort is more difficult than he anticipated.

Jeff Hancock said he doesn’t know how many signatures have been gathered for a campaign that could oust Buckeye Mayor Jackie Meek since the effort was launched two months ago.

His group will meet to determine “if this is what the community still wants and to see where we’re at,” Hancock said.

The meeting will be at noon Feb. 11 at the Buckeye Aquatics Center, 207 N. Ninth St., Buckeye.

Hancock said his group has heard fewer complaints about water billing in recent weeks.

Annie DeChance, communications manager for Buckeye, confirmed the city is receiving fewer complaints about water billing spikes.

“Things are getting closer to a resolution,” DeChance said. “We know we need to slowly rebuild our customers’ confidence. That’s our No. 1 goal.”

The recall effort started in early December after months of controversy over bills for hundreds of dollars for

thousands of gallons of water residents said they didn’t use and the city largely blamed on leaks.

To trigger a special election, city officials said the recall campaign needs to file 1,718 signatures of registered voters living in Buckeye by the March 22 deadline.

As the recall petitions have circulated, Hancock said residents don’t always understand the campaign that generated Valleywide media attention last year.

“A lot of people are wanting to know why we’re doing the recall,” Hancock said.

Meck was re-elected mayor in August.

While acknowledging that the water department and the city manager’s office have some responsibility for the billing issues, Hancock said his group targeted the mayor because “if you have a problem, you go to the man in charge.”

Hancock suggested that Dave Nigh, director of water resources, took the fall for the problem when he was put on paid administrative leave in December.

DeChance said Nigh continues to be on leave, but said his future is “with the lawyers” and will be resolved soon.

She said the city continues to promote a hot line for residents to report water billing problems, which was important for establishing a point of contact for residents with the city, which has a population of about 60,000

with about 20,000 water accounts.

According to a summary of complaints reported to the hot line as of last week, 106 cases were open and 228 cases had been settled.

“It took a little while to get these detailed stats in place because we had to gather the data first,” DeChance said. Typically, the billing spikes were the result of leaky toilets or landscaping irrigation leaks, she said.

The city replaced nine meters that had malfunctioned, she said.

Other billing questions involved higher bills after rate increases, DeChance said.

The city hired additional staff to offer one-on-one assistance to residents, she said.

A visit to a residence can take 30 minutes to three hours to investigate potential leaks, she said.

The city said three new customer service representatives were hired as well as a new billing supervisor.

An upcoming systemwide update will allow customers to log in to get information about their accounts, DeChance said.

The city is also introducing a new billing system and customers of the former Valencia Water system will find the city’s customer service number on their bills rather than the number for a contracted service, she said.

Information about Buckeye’s water hot line is on the city’s website at buckeyeaz.gov. The hot line’s number is 623-349-6900.

Scouts honor Avondale vice mayor with award

Group’s 1st Lifetime Achievement Award goes to Sandi Nielson

by Glenn Gullickson staff writer

The West Valley Boy Scouts Firebird District has given its first Lifetime Achievement Award to longtime volunteer Sandi Nielson of Avondale.

The honor was among about 40 awards presented Jan. 12 at the group’s annual recognition dinner.

The award to Nielsen recognizes more than 20 years of work with Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts troops in Arizona.

When the Firebird District was considering creating the award, Jason Nielson, president of the West Valley Boy Scouts District, nominated his mother to be the first recipient.

Sandi Nielson said her work with the Scouts was part of her philosophy of being involved to make the community better.

“By being engaged in Scout duties, I was helping establish great character in the youth and helping them become stalwart citizens,” she said.

Sandi Nielson was in scouting as a youth and worked with the Cub Scouts after Jason and his brother Peter joined, then advanced with scouting as they did, she said.

“She got me started in Scouts,” Jason Nielson said. He and his brother achieved Eagle Scout awards with the help of their mother, he said. She also worked with the Girl Scout troops her daughters Heidi and Serina belonged to, serving as a cookie sales manager and conducting training on cookie sales.

In the early 1990s, Sandi Nielson became the advancement chair for the Boy Scouts Catalina Council Old Pueblo District in Tucson, handling approvals for

Eagle projects and courts of honors.

She continues to review Eagle Award projects for local Scouts.

As her children became adults, Sandi Nielson turned her attention to public service and was elected to school board and city posts.

She credited her work in scouting for teaching her necessary leadership skills, public speaking and confidence.

“It taught me one can work with [anyone],” she said. “I would not have been able to do school board or city council without scouting.”

Sandi Nielson was elected to the Avondale City Council in 2014 and was recently named vice mayor.

She also serves as a member of the Littleton Elementary School District Governing Board and as president of the Coldwater Ridge Homeowners Association.

The Firebird District has more than 1,900 Scouts in 10 units.

The district also gave Awards of Merit to Jason Nielson, Bill Huges and Tarinda Caglow for their contributions to scouting.

Stacee Burson, O.D.

Stephen Martin, O.D.

Anna Moore, O.D., F.A.A.O.

Brayden Lundquist, O.D. Optometrists (623 (623) ) 932-2020

Christopher Furey, O.D., P.L.C. Furey, Brent Wilson, O.D.

Sandi Nielson

Be in the know before you go play in the snow

Anyone else addicted to the Flagstaff webcam?

You don’t know what we’re talking about? Check out ﬂagstaffarizona.org/webcam. It’s so cool. It gives a 360degree view of the downtown area and allows the watcher to control it.

In full disclosure, the West Valley View news editor is probably hooked on it because her baby boy is a freshman at Northern Arizona University, unlike those of you who watch it for the snow. She grew up in Michigan, after all, snow isn’t exactly an oddity for her.

But after living in the Valley of the Sun for close to 20 years now, driving in the ﬂuffy, and sometimes not so ﬂuffy, white stuff is.

Someone who didn’t think twice about driving a compact car in a torrential downpour in Michigan now dreads the thought of tootling around in her SUV when the slightest possibility of rain is forecast.

And she’s not the only one. The Arizona Department of Transportation doesn’t post messages such as “Weather warning: Possibility of rain” on its overhead freeway signs because we’re all so experienced at driving in wet, slippery conditions. Truth is, most of us don’t excel at driving in the rain, forget about snow.

But now that Flagstaff has over 3 feet, it’s the place to be for winter fun. Yep, the quaint little town that’s only a two-hour or so drive from most of us got over 36 inches of snow from three storms in six days. It’s being hailed as “Snowmageddon” and is in 10th place among biggest storms since 1899, according to the Arizona Daily Sun. Arizona Snowbowl, Flagstaff’s ski resort, is up to almost 8 feet!

So naturally, we all want to zip up there with our saucer sleds and snow skis and tear it up.

But before we throw our duffel bags and snow toys in the car and blast out of the Valley, the Arizona Department of Transportation has some suggestions for safely getting us to our destination.

First off, we need to know what to pack. In addition to our toboggans and snowboards, ADOT recommends packing a fully charged cellphone; drinking water; winter coats, warm blankets or both; healthy snacks; gloves, scarves, caps and extra socks; necessary medications; an ice scraper; a ﬂashlight with extra batteries; a small folding shovel for snow removal; and a small bag of sand or cat litter for wheel traction.

Do any of us even own an ice scraper? Some probably do, maybe those who recently moved here from a colder climate where an ice scraper comes standard with every vehicle. But those of us who were born here or have lived here for any substantial length of time probably don’t because we rarely have occasion to use one. It’s a necessity in high country, even if we’re only spending a day or two there.

We should also plan our route in advance and notify someone of our route, destination and projected arrival time. We should also ﬁll up our gas tanks and keep them at no less than three-quarters full at all times.

Next up, ADOT reminds us to take our time on the drive, even if it’s not snowing, because melting snow can turn to ice, especially around bridges. ADOT advises us to avoid accelerating suddenly and to leave plenty of room between our vehicle and the one in front of us to avoid sudden braking.

Once we reach our winter wonderland destination, we are to park in designated areas rather than along highways or interstates while playing in the snow. Parking along the side of the road is obviously dangerous for everyone, but it also worsens trafﬁc congestion and makes it difﬁcult for snowplows to do their jobs. Speaking of snowplows, ADOT also tells us to give them a wide berth, staying at least four car lengths behind, and to never pass one that’s clearing a road.

Finally, it’s a good idea to ﬁgure out where the snow play areas are before we get up there, and that information can be found at FlagstaffArizona.org.

The whole point of running up north once the snow falls is to have fun. Let’s not let impetuousness get in the way of that.

More winter driving tips can be found at azdot.gov/KnowSnow.

United? Really?

Editor:

We are the United States of America in name only. Actually we are the divided states of America.

The reason for that is because Progressive core values are not American core values. Not to define American core values as my core values, or Conservative core values . American core values are those which are exemplified by our Constitution. Undeniably our Constitution is a document of limited government. Only specific powers are given to the Federal government. All other powers are reserved for the states. The founders were very precise and afraid of giving too much power to the Federal branch

It is also undeniable that Progressive core values demand a large all powerful and smothering Federal bureaucracy. These arrogant and elitists Progressives believe they are smarter than the people.

Look at Obama. Everything he did was based on his Progressive ideology. He did more harm to the nation than any other

one person . Because of him the Progressives have become very powerful. Our Republic looks more like a Democracy. Checks and balances have been blurred. For eight years the Obama administration illegally politicized everything it did . IRS targeting, Fast and Furious, Benghazi, NSA surveillance , Hillary email, Ransom paid to Iran . What have I missed ? Now that Trump is President the Progressives are outraged. They have been stopped. However, make no mistake . They will not go away. Some more militant Progressives will resort to anarchy and if necessary attempt to literally destroy the nation. The next few years will see very dangerous days for all of us. If President Trump is able to revitalize the economy, restore our international standing and protect the American people, the Progressive threat will be marginalized. We will then once again be the UNITED States of America.

Roy Azzarello Goodyear

Docs disrespect mentally ill

Editor: Since doctors cannot make enough money with disabled patients, they label them useless and unworthy. I have

experienced discrimination as a patient with invisible disabilities. It is in significant part due to the fact that doctors can’t make money on patients who are unable to go through costly and invasive procedures. They also cannot make money on patients who cannot see them on a frequent basis. I suffer from chronic illnesses and PTSD. When the doctors find out that I take medication for my PTSD their demeanor and tone changes to hate and judgment. Once a mental disability is divulged we are reduced to nothing. Whether the doctors find out about the PTSD from the file and/or look up the medication we are marked as unwanted patients. I had one medical doctor order numerous tests but since I did not see him on a regular basis and I did not undergo the most invasive testing he had other office personnel deal with me. Obviously, he couldn’t make enough money working with someone who has anxiety. I did do a CT scan which showed all that was necessary.

In addition, I experienced discrimination with a dentist who when asking his dental assistant found out it was some time ago since I had been in his ofﬁce immediately advised he could no longer treat me. As I tried to explain that I have chronic illnesses and suffer with anxiety, he jumped up and motioned to his dental assistant to show me

(See Letters on Page 7)

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Letters

(From Page 6)

out. She quickly walked me to the door. I felt hurt, shame and disbelief.

Once again we are silenced and disrespected when divulging a mental disability.

Dee Perna Goodyear

Grijalva, Gallego show true colors

Editor:

These reps are supposed to represent us in Washington D. C. Instead they showed all of us what haters, bigots, and disrespectful men they are. We the people are certainly not represented by these two party followers.

Did you see those classless women wearing women’s body parts on their heads? Talk about ﬁlthy, vile, disgusting women. They even brought their children to see how vulgar they could be. One famous person said she would like to blow up the White House. Did she mean kill the President and his family? This woman is sick and should be locked up. When these women were asked what they were marching for, they couldn’t answer, or it was for rights they haven’t lost. Talk about stupid. I am ashamed . Mrs. Obama said now we will know how it is to live without hope. No Mrs. Obama we lived without hope for the last eight years.

Jean Levandowski Litchﬁeld Park

Guardian angels

Editor:

I tend to be an air-head. Years ago in another state I was hit upside my head and left deaf in my right ear when someone wanted my purse. Haven’t carried a purse since.

Last week and once before about a year ago my wallet fell out of my pocket on the ﬂoor in Fry’s Marketplace in Buckeye. Both times a good Samaritan found my wallet and turned it in. It was returned in tack with every penny and every card where it belonged. There are some great honest people in Buckeye and apparently they shop at Fry’s on Watson Rd.

Rhea Diamond Buckeye

A tribute to Darryl Crossman

Editor:

As a former city manager of Litchfield Park from early 1991 to early 1999 I feel as qualified as anyone to point out the exceptional service Darryl provided to our community. This town is a real challenge for anyone in the position that Darryl held. The reason is people who live in Litchfield Park are exceptionally passionate about the special place it is.

There’s no shortage of opinions about what needs to be done and anything that’s to be done is immediately strongly challenged whether it’s a good idea or whether it’s a bad. All change is suspect. City Managers deal in change, they have no choice.

Despite that Darryl was able to make realities of the dreams and vision people from the start have had for our community. He was a problem solver, a realist and had a special ability to make a vision become reality. I know he was working on making the 100 year old dream of a Village Center come true and I feel certain had he been given more time it would’ve become a fact. He made it look so easy but believe me, such things are not. I think he fell in love with this place.

I’m very proud to say I cast my vote to hire him and to put him in the unenviable position of having to deal with me a former manager of the town who happened to be on the City Council, in addition to all the other passionate and strong people in this community. It was daunting but he took the challenge and he did it and he did it well.

My most sincere sympathy goes out to his family, to the community and to the elected and appointed officials of Litchfield Park. We have sustained a terrific loss.

Bob Musselwhite Litchﬁeld Park

Bike lockers aren’t secure

Editor:

Think twice about utilizing the “secure” bike lockers at the Goodyear park & Ride. On January 11, 2017, someone forcefully opened the door to the bike locker I was using and stole my electric standup scooter valued at approximately $1000. The thief or thieves were not able to cut the lock as it was one of those indestructible kryptonite bike locks. I contacted

THIS WEEK'S QUESTION

Do you think President Trump’s ﬁring of Attorney General Sally Yates will speed up or slow down the conﬁrmation of Sen. Jeff Sessions?

Do you think the women’s march Jan. 21 in Washington, D.C., helped or hurt women? 78 total Votes

• Helped — 35% • Hurt — 65%

the Goodyear PD to have a police report filled out. To make matters worse, it took the PD one hour to show up. When the officers arrived, they took down all the information in regard to my scooter. When that was completed, I had the one officer try to open one of the other bike lockers, and with a few good pulls, the door opened right up. The officer even mentioned how easy it was to force the door open… poor design. Over the past few months, I have sent numerous emails to the Goodyear Facilities Manager to make them aware of the homeless population that have been recently hanging around the facility. I have seen everything from sleeping inside the bike lockers overnight to them using these lockers for their own personal storage. With every email to the Facilities Dept, I receive a message that “we are working on the problem”. The City of Goodyear & the PD needs to be more diligent in patrolling the area. Every now and then, the PD will do a quick check, but its not constant. Since this theft happened, I have sent two follow up messages to the Goodyear Mayor & the facilities manager, but my messages go un-answered. I am not surprised by their behavior. So much for being an All-America City. One very upset Goodyear Resident….

Jim Boyle Goodyear

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March editorial missed mark

Editor:

The editorial of January 25th is so wrong. The march was not limited to pro life women. The march was open to all. This was a pro woman march not a pro life march. Women’s rights are human rights, regardless of race, ethnicity, religion, gender, age, disability, economic or immigration status. I was there- I saw a group of conservatives (however small) protesting abortion and yes, they were carrying signs and marching. Your editorial demeans 500,000 DC marchers by reducing their purpose to a single issue. People marched on 7 continents- do you really think we have just a single platform?

We want to also remember this man in the oval ofﬁce has also demeaned women.

This is who is. He thinks it’s ﬁne to grab women and call us names. If you think wearing a pink hat with cat ears is “kooky” and “silly” well, that train has left the station. Get on board or get out of the way.

Barbara Wodrich Buckeye

1st week weirdness

Editor:

As a long time Republican and Trump voter, I must admit my

concern of our new presidents’ behavior. In just his ﬁrst week, Donald Trump is seeing things that are not there. He’s creating ghosts and buggy men.

By roughly 3 million votes, Hillary Clinton leads Donald Trump in the popular votes. Fine! But Trump won the most votes in the electoral college, so he won the election. There’s no questioning those two facts.

But in Trumps mind he can’t accept the fact that Hillary won more votes. He’s positive that there had to be wide spread voter fraud. Why?

Trump spent his ﬁrst Saturday trying to convince the world that there were more people at his inauguration address than were at Obama’s. Of course, this statement is false. The obvious, side by side pictures show the difference visually. But again, who cares? Yet Trump spent the entire day trying to prove the impossible. Why?

One of the responses I continue to hear is “Where did Obama and Hillary draw the line when it came to lies?” Well neither of those two are POTUS right now. Donald Trump is the president and he promised us much higher standards than either of them. The president is not supposed to spend all his time on conspiracy theories that are not based in fact nor this BS claim of “alternative facts”.

Arthur Richarelli Litchﬁeld Park

(From Page 7)

Illegals must be stopped

Editor:

Picture this for a scenario: You move into my house without my permission because there is more opportunity at my house. If my neighbor supports your illegal move and prevents me from removing you that would be wrong, right? I equate this scenario to the current problem of illegal immigration. I understand the why; I understand that vast majorities of the people just want to build a better life for themselves and their families, you have my empathy. However, we are a Nation of laws and we cannot just open our borders to anyone. Just because I’m against illegal immigration doesn’t make me a racist, I fully support DACA, I support the idea of allowing the families of good people that have built a life here the opportunity to stay but we ﬁrst must secure the border. We must hunt down and deport criminal illegal immigrants, we as a society simply cannot allow them to stay.

In 2015 the United States imported 316.4 billion dollars of goods. A 1% tariff of all those goods is approximately 3 billion dollars. That is money that could secure our border not only from Mexico but to add safeguards from illegal immigration from other Countries, that tariff could be applied equally across the board. Our Southern border isn’t the only place that we have to watch. Many here illegally come in on a Visa from European Countries and overstay a visitor’s Visa. Every

civilized Nation in the world has a policy on illegal immigration and they police that policy. Why should the United States be different? If a City or State wishes to be a sanctuary, bar them from receiving any Federal funds and see if they change their policy.

Roger Reeves Buckeye

Bad behavior abounds

Editor: It’s only January, but bad behavior is off and running!

First, when (and why) did this shopping cart riding craze start? I don’t mean babies in back behind the cart handle, but twelve year olds sitting in the basket!

Seriously, what parent decided it would be cool to allow their older child to risk bodily injury climbing in and out of a rolling cart basket? Not to mention being struck sitting like a human pretzel on hard metal wires for an hour or longer while being pushed around a busy, hazard ridden store.

Think long and hard, parents, this is nothing but abuse and mistreatment! There is no logical reason whatsoever for encouraging this, carts are built solely for groceries. I have often seen several children squeezed together in baskets, unable to move! Don’t believe it’s a problem? Go to HealthyChildren.org or www. saferidenews.com to learn more. God forbid if these kids have an “accident” in the cart — other customers depend on carts being sanitary at all times. Retailers really need to enforce strict policies against this senseless behavior, for everyone’s health and safety. Parents, please start being the

responsible, mature ADULT and teach your kids the priceless value of learning how to help you by ﬁnding items and putting groceries in the basket to save a lot of time.

Second, are pet owners going to be pro active with responsibility and keep their cats safely indoors? The feral cat problem is epidemic everywhere, and nobody wants your cat leaving their disease ridden feces in their yard! I have even seen cats on my porch, desperate to come in the house! Please, everyone, make this the year of GOOD behavior, and you’ll see how much better life will be.

Lisa Black Goodyear

More to march

Editor:

In Wednesday’s WVV editorial you state that the women who marched in DC cared only about their ‘female parts’. This is quite untrue and I think this must be your version of an ‘alternative fact’. I attended the Phoenix march along with 20,000 other people. Presumably you did not attend. I read the national newspapers and watched television coverage of events in DC, NY, and major cities throughout the country and across the globe. I saw thousands of signs carried by marchers covering a multitude of issues, including the environment, health, education, poverty, criminal justice reform, science, global warming, etc. These marches were deﬁnitely not ‘single issue’ events. Yes, in addition to the issues mentioned, many women were concerned about their ‘body parts’ as you put it, and why shouldn’t they be concerned? Access to legal abortion and birth control is

under attack and has far-reaching consequences for women everywhere.

Many men joined the marches in support of their partners. The elderly and young marched side by side. The disabled arrived in wheelchairs; entire families took time out from their busy lives to spend up to six hours in the open and march peacefully together. This was a powerful, positive and lifeafﬁ rming event encompassing all elements of our diverse population. Hundreds of thousands of people chose to demonstrate peacefully on multiple issues, including women’s reproductive health, and did so joyfully, with good humor, and without violence or aggression. I am enormously proud to have participated in such an extraordinary event.

At 73 years of age this was the ﬁ rst time in my life that I have demonstrated or marched, but I can assure you that I will march again if necessary.

Susan Alves Litchﬁeld Park

Editorial was unsubstantiated

Editor:

I’m fascinated by your January 25th editorial regarding January 21st protest marches. The premise leaves no confusion about your perspective; your viewpoint was extremely clear. There was no doubt the editorial was an apparent attempt to diminish many based on a position devoid of even a trivial discovery of protest marcher’s purposes. I presumed unintended

ignorance was at play. At ﬁrst, I thought you weren’t aware of the march platform, which encompassed much more than as you described a minimized “women’s issues” demonstration. To be clear, the platform was about much more than women’s rights, it also included issues of LGBTQ rights, living minimum wage, civil rights, immigrant and refugee rights, environment and climate protection and voting rights. I’m kinda thinking this got by you. Then, I thought you missed these issues because you couldn’t (wouldn’t?) participate in the Phoenix march. It was there the misguidedly described “demonstrators” showed their true colors, actively and peacefully representing platform issues, as well as more, mostly the well-known unsavory characteristics of the new president. I’m pretty sure you didn’t make it to the march, because had you it’s inconceivable you could have authored your editorial.

Then, I thought you took the position of writing an editorial you believed would appeal to base readership, thinking they would concur and applaud your clarity in serving these “demonstrators” their comeuppance. The apparent shallow depth of research done to substantiate your position was only sufﬁcient enough to profess an uninformed stance that is unbecoming of a Managing Editor, and even more so, of a woman I presume is capable of more than the editorial portrays. In today’s heated environment, doesn’t it seem everybody deserves the beneﬁt of the doubt; “minimized demonstrators” and

(See Letters on Page 9)

Gema Fernandez, M.D.

Maria R. DiLeo, M.D.

Kim Roberts, W.H.N.P.

Cari L. Cowling, M.D.

James M. Johnson, M.D.

Briggs J. Geier, D.O.

Raymond D. Suarez, M.D.

(From Page 8)

of issues, alike?

Ric Little Litchﬁeld Park

Editor missed point

Editor: I think Ms. Hines missed the point of the women’s march in Washington, D.C. and the concurring marches in all major cities here and abroad. The march was in protest of the inequality felt by women, immigrants, LGBT’s, religions, etc. The “silly” costumes were a response to the current President’s past remarks on what he could do to women without repercussions. The pro-lifers were not banned from the march, in fact many participated. The prolifer organizations were removed from “partnership sponsors” by the original organizers which is their right. It may have been a bad move, but, they were not banned from participating. Demonstrations such as this give many of us a chance to voice their opinions and views. It also makes the representatives in government aware of what the voters concerns are. This was not a one issue march. I am sorry that you have to take a thyroid pill every day but not understanding the correlation between that and a woman who needs access to basic “female body part” medical care issues.

Catherine Raborn Avondale

Vote for Wally Campbell

Editor:

A vote for Wally Campbell is a vote for a bright future here in Goodyear. I have personally attended the city Council meetings for over a year and watch the proceedings closely. Wally is a stand up and stand out council member who understands the intricacies of city management from planning to execution. Responsible, enthusiastic, dependable and involved. You will ﬁnd no better candidate for the position and the future growth and prosperity of Goodyear. Vote for Wally Campbell!!!

Walt Steiner Goodyear

March editorial made sense

Editor:

Thank you for your editorial, it was to the point and we really enjoyed reading it. We just wish the other media would publish something other than the liberal view that is seen on TV. Good for you and thank you.

Karin and Bernd Kallweit Goodyear

Art of the argument

Editor:

Dear Art Boyle: I was very interested to see what you were going to write after you claimed Gordon Posner’s opening argument about

the electoral college was so weak.

The reason I was interested was because his argument quoted and referred to original source documents written by the Founders themselves.

I mean, if that was what you considered to be a weak argument, then what you had to say must be spectacular, right? And I had to literally pick myself up off the ground from laughing because you think Posner supported the man he’s called “Lying Trump” for the past year in his letters and online comments. That’s even funnier than Roy Azzarello’s “Alternative Facts”! Thanks for the laugh. I truly did not see that coming.

Patrick Orr Avondale

Wall will hurt taxpayers

Editor:

Most of Trump’s advisors have told him that building a wall along the Mexican border is a poor use of tax dollars. A wall will do little or nothing to improve our immigration problem and in fact will cost the tax payers 25 billion dollars to build. Think what 25 billon dollars can do to improve our school, our roads, our bridges or our health care system. I was reminded lately of a quote by General George Patton “Fixed fortiﬁcation are a monument to man’s stupidity”. I couldn’t have said it better. Trump has suggested that Mexico will pay for the wall. How can you effectively force another country to pay for a wall? His initial proposal is impose 20% trafﬁcs on imports from Mexico. Can you imagine the cost

this will have on goods coming into this country? Arizona relies heavily on importation of produce from Mexico. Say goodbye to reasonably priced produce. How many seniors go to Mexico to buy reasonably priced drugs or to receive dental care? With an adversarial relationship with Mexico how hard or impossible will it be for that to continue.

Bob McCarty Goodyear

Disappointed in editorial

Editor:

Re: The editorial “D.C. march sets all women back” I read this editorial with deep disappointment.

First, there were a substantial number of men who attended all of the marches, which included groups advocating for rights of women in jobs and health, people of color, immigrants, people with disabilities, the LGBT community, and other minorities.

Second, ANY group could join the march, including antiabortion groups. However, the emphasis was on preserving WOMEN’S rights, which antiabortion groups would curtail. While I respect the latter group’s right to their beliefs, they don’t have the right to legislate those beliefs.

Third, while there were some women in “silly costumes”, by far, the majority were dressed in clothes they would wear every day. Your demeaning comment was unbecoming and an inaccurate description of the vast majority of attendees. In any case, marches typically don’t have dress codes.

Your remark “These women have sent a clear message to the rest of the world: American women care about one thing only: their body parts. They don’t care about jobs, they don’t care about terrorism, they don’t care about any of our rights except the one that was born out of Roe v. Wade.” is beyond inaccurate. This statement is far from the truth, which you easily could have established if you had simply looked at the TV coverage. The signs were there; the men were there. A few minutes of homework on your part would have provided you with accurate information. We have to contend with enough “Fake News” these days. The last place we should be ﬁnding it is in the editorial section of a newspaper.

Ann-Louise Truschel Buckeye

Business Briefcase

by Shane McOwen staff writer

Hello, readers, and welcome to a “Super” edition of the Business Briefcase.

As many of you know, there’s a little game being played Sunday to determine the champion of the National Football League.

Want to guess what it is? Surprise! It’s the Super Bowl, and the yearly event has been 19 of the top 20 most watched broadcasts in the United States of all time.

Something tells me many Briefcase readers have contributed to some of those ratings.

The other pesky entry? The M*A*S*H series finale that aired in 1983. That episode is No. 8 on the list, so its place in the upper echelon is quite safe for now.

Another fun fact, since the M*A*S*H finale aired in February, all 20 of the mostwatched broadcasts have come in the first two months of the year. We hit our television peak and it’s all downhill from there. Unless you could not care less about the game. One former West Valley View reporter (and Briefcase host) referred to the game as the Superb Owl.

Whatever adjective you’d like to use to describe your owls is fine with the Briefcase. Let’s see what we have this week.

The first order of business is a correction. Shocking, I know! No need for snarky remarks, I’m being facetious. They do happen from time to time.

For those who didn’t see the updated story on our website, Estrella Animal Hospital’s email address should have been listed as eahreception@hotmail.com.

Those interested in receiving their animal records can send a message to that address.

OK, let’s get on to the new listings.

A Facebook commenter has pointed out that a previously reported project is open. Thank you!

Urgent Care Extra is now open at 16430 W. Yuma Road in Goodyear, in the Fry’s shopping center complex on the northwest corner of Yuma and Sarival roads.

I probably don’t have to go into much detail about what an urgent care facility does, but I can say Urgent Care Extra has more than 40 locations in Arizona and Nevada. The Yuma Road location is the second in Goodyear, and second in the West Valley.

For information, visit urgentcareextra.com.

Over in Avondale, the Madison Heights public housing development held its grand opening celebration on Jan. 26.

The $30 million affordable housing development is at 1103 N. Sixth St., just off Dysart Road and north of Agua Fria High School. It encompasses 143 units, and was the first project in Arizona to take advantage of the Rental Assistance Demonstration federal program, designed to “redevelop the nation’s aging stock of public housing,” according to a press release.

The project replaced 77 units that were originally built in 1973. Redevelopment began in September 2015.

Out in Buckeye, Arizona Public Service Co. , more commonly stylized as APS, has purchased approximately 83 acres of land just west of SR85, south of Baseline Road. The site will eventually house a new substation, staging yard and administrative and regional offices.

The facility will be the largest in the Phoenix area and will bring 300 jobs to the site.

There will be more to come once dirt begins to move.

Cardinal IG, just north of downtown Buckeye, is eyeing an April 1 opening for its glass manufacturing facility.

Cardinal IG is a subsidiary of Cardinal Glass Industries, which employs 6,000 people across 37 locations in the U.S.

Cardinal IG announced the project in June 2016, and completed the land purchase in August.

The facility is expected to bring 100 jobs once open and will pump upward of $5 million into the area over the next 20 years, according to a 2016 economic analysis done by Rounds Consulting Group.

That’s everything for this week. Thanks for reading!

As always, send tips, questions or comments to smcowen@westvalleyview.com. I have a few inquiries in the hopper that I’m working on getting answers to, so stay tuned.

Have a great week!

Shane McOwen can be reached at smcowen@westvalleyview.com or on Twitter @ShaneMcOwen.

Air Fair to celebrate aviation

Vintage aircraft to

on display Saturday at Buckeye airport

by Glenn Gullickson staff writer

Aviation will be celebrated during an event in Buckeye that will feature everything from vintage aircraft to remote control airplane demonstrations.

The annual Buckeye Air Fair will be from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday at the Buckeye Municipal Airport, 300 S. Palo Verde Road, Buckeye.

“It’s a great family event,” said Miranda Gomez, who is coordinating the air fair for the first time as part of her job as recreation manager in the city’s Community Services Department.

She is expecting a turnout similar to last year, when 8,000 to 10,000 people attended.

The event will feature displays of historic aircraft from the Lauridsen Aviation Museum and the Arizona Military Vehicle Collectors Club.

Other groups expected to participate include the Arizona Aviation Historical Society, Women’s Air Corps and the 101st Airborne.

“That’s what makes it really special, the different groups that are participating,” Gomez said. “There’s a ton of historic military groups coming out. We’ll have a full ramp of planes.”

She said planes will be taking off and landing at the

(See Air Fair on Page 11)

Shane McOwen

Air fair

(From Page 10)

airport throughout the event, with some planes and helicopters offering rides for visitors, which can be booked in advance.

The event will kick off with the national anthem featuring a skydiver jumping with the American flag. Skydiving demonstrations will also take place during the day.

A local remote control aircraft group will conduct a one-hour demonstration at 1:30 p.m.

Stage entertainment during the day will include the U.S. Air Force Band of the Golden West and the Manhattan Dolls, a swing-style USO-inspired vocal trio from Tucson that specializes in performing at air shows.

Members of the local Rosie the Riveter group, representing women who worked in factories and shipyards during World War II, will be on hand for photographs.

Local police and fire personnel will meet the public and display their vehicles.

A children’s zone will feature a 200-foot zip line and an opportunity for children to build model planes from Lego blocks.

For the fourth year, the air fair will include the SciTech Festival, which offers interactive science, math and technology activities.

SciTech provides opportunities for members of the Boy Scouts to earn up to five merit badges, Gomez said.

About 50 vendors will include some selling aviation memorabilia as well as nonprofit organizations.

Festival food will be available from about a dozen food trucks and booths.

Admission and parking are free, but some activities come with fees.

Glenn Gullickson can be reached at ggullickson@westvalleyview.com.

Annual Tale of Two Cities to celebrate cultural diversity

Avondale, Goodyear, EMCC

sponsor parade, festival Saturday

by Glenn Gullickson staff writer

Local law enforcement will be honored during the sixth annual Tale of Two Cities parade and festival, an event that also celebrates the West Valley’s diversity of cultures with a naturalization ceremony for new citizens.

The free event on Saturday will be staged by the neighboring cities of Avondale and Goodyear as well as Estrella Mountain Community College, which is observing its 25th anniversary.

Planner Stacey Lindsay of Goosebump Marketing and Events said the event’s cultural elements make Tale of Two Cities unique.

“I don’t think anyone else in the Valley does a cultural parade,” she said.

The theme will be “Heroes in Blue” for a parade that Lindsay said will feature a larger law enforcement presence, including honorary grand marshals Avondale Police Chief Dale Nannenga and Goodyear Police Chief Jerry Geier.

Lindsay said the event’s planning committee of about a dozen people agreed on honoring the police agencies.

“It’s a nice way to show respect for them,” she said. “The community really does feel very positively about their police officers.”

The parade will include other law enforcement personnel, K9 units and police vehicles, she said.

More than 8,000 people attended last year’s Tale of Two Cities.

Here are other event details:

Naturalization ceremony

The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services will administer the oath of citizenship to 125 people at 9 a.m. on an outdoor stage at EMCC, 3000 N. Dysart Road, Avondale.

Keynote speaker will be Gary Hart, a Goodyear police officer, who is originally from Jamaica and is a naturalized citizen.

After the ceremony, the new citizens will ride in the parade.

Parade

The parade will step off at 10:30 a.m. at Goodyear Community Park, 3151 N. Litchfield Road, and proceed along Thomas Road, ending west of Dysart Road at the college, which is the site of the afternoon festival.

The parade will use music and dance to promote cultures from around the world.

About 80 entries will include decorated floats, equestrian units, school marching bands, cultural dance groups, local celebrities, state political figures, mascots, antique and specialty vehicles, and community and school clubs.

The parade will also include the Wells Fargo stagecoach, El Zaribah Shrine miniature cars, a street dance performance by the Chinese dragon from Dynamic Wushu and ballet folklorico dancers.

EMCC will mark its anniversary with a giant birthday cake parade entry.

World War II Stearman bi-planes will do a flyover and there will be historic military vehicles from the Frank Luke Jr. Memorial Museum.

Festival

The festival runs from noon to 3 p.m. at EMCC.

Multicultural musical and dance acts will perform on two stages, including the Bollywood-style Sampradaya Dance of India, Mariachi Juvenil de Mi Tierra and Danzarte Danza Folklorica.

The headliner will be Str8up, an R&B and Latino band that was popular at last year’s Billy Moore Days in Avondale.

The event will also have multicultural displays, arts and crafts vendors and educational booths.

An education zone that was introduced last year will be back with STEM demonstrations, and EMCC will have

MEMBER of Ballet

waves from a float during last year’s Tale of Two Cities Parade in Goodyear. This year’s parade is set to begin at 10:30 a.m. Saturday at Goodyear Community Park on Litchfield and Thomas roads and proceed east along Thomas.

displays that will spotlight the school’s 25th anniversary. The cities of Avondale and Goodyear will provide information along with exhibits, displays and booths from community organizations and sponsors.

Festival food will include Native American, British, Mediterranean and Australian choices.

Road closures

Litchfield Road northbound lanes only between Thomas and Indian School roads will be closed from 7 a.m. to noon. Detours will be set up for northbound traffic at Thomas Road.

Thomas Road between Litchfield and Dysart roads will be closed from 7 a.m. to noon. Detours will be set up for west and eastbound traffic at Litchfield Road and Santa Fe Trail. Dysart Road will not have closures.

Access to EMCC and surrounding neighborhoods will be available throughout the event.

The intersection of Litchfield and Thomas roads will be closed and traffic will be directed off the parade route. Non-local traffic traveling north or south should remain on Indian School or McDowell roads.

Parking

Free parking will be available at St. Thomas Aquinas Catholic Church, 13720 W. Thomas Road, Avondale, by entering from 137th Avenue; Palm Valley Elementary, 2801 N. 135th Ave., Goodyear, by entering from 135th Avenue; and EMCC by entering from the north off Dysart Road. For information, visit taleof2cities.org or call Avondale Recreation at 623-333-2400 or Goodyear Parks and Recreation at 623-882-7525.

Glenn Gullickson can be reached at ggullickson@westvalleyview.com.

View photo by Jordan Christopher MIA PACO LITTLETON-WILLIAMS , Miss Buckeye Days 2017, rides in the annual Buckeye Days Cattle Drive and Parade Jan. 28 in downtown Buckeye. Buckeye Days, which ran over two weekends, included a rodeo, Dr. Buck’s Wild West Show and a carnival.

View photo by Jordan Christopher

YOUNG

Folklorico Esperanza

Trivium Prep girls soccer heading to playoffs as No. 3 seed; Agua Fria soccer teams lose in play-in games

Buckeye hangs on, beats Estrella in wild finish

by Casey Pritchard sports editor

The script of Buckeye and Estrella Foothills’ boys basketball game Jan. 24 was playing out much like it did the first time the teams met, but the Hawks wrote a different ending this time.

Buckeye let a 13-point advantage slip away Jan. 5 in a 90-77 loss at Estrella, and surrendered a 21-point advantage at home Jan. 24.

The Hawks bent again, but didn’t break this time. Buckeye scored on an Otis Frazier put back with 49 seconds remaining to break a 63-63 tie, and Frazier blocked Grant Greabell’s 3-point attempt at the buzzer to preserve a 65-63 win.

“It’s huge for our program to beat a team like that, that’s so disciplined,” Buckeye coach Randy Bland said. “We knew they were going to make a run in the second half, and we withheld the run and came out with the victory. It’s huge … coming into the playoffs for state, they know they can win a close game. Since I’ve been here, we lose a lot of these close games. Somehow we fold, either it’s the coaches or players, but today we did our job and stuck together.”

Estrella was undefeated in the region going into the game, having beat all four region foes in the first go-around. This time, the Hawks got the better of the Wolves.

“It hurts a lot,” Estrella coach Rich Gutwein said. “I was very proud of the second half. I thought the effort was outstanding, so there’s some good things to take from it, but I told the guys, we just can’t afford to lose this game. We’ve got to learn from it. So, we’re going to watch it tomorrow, learn as much as we can and move on.”

Buckeye built a 21-point advantage early in the third quarter, but it started to evaporate. Estrella cut the deficit to seven by the start of the fourth, and the Hawks only scored seven points through the first seven minutes of the fourth quarter. Estrella eventually tied the game on a Greabell bucket off an inbounds play with 1:28 remaining, and had a chance to take the lead with possession of the ball following a steal. However, the Wolves turned the ball over themselves.

“Turnovers, I think, hurt us a ton,” Gutwein said. “They came at critical times, but the turnovers weren’t lack of effort or laziness, Buckeye made some plays. We’ve got to give them credit.”

Round

goes to the Lobos

La Joya came out of the opening tipoff on fire, going up by as much as 18 in the first quarter and holding the Knights to only six. La Joya’s defense frustrated Westview’s ball handlers over the length of the court, forcing them into traps or bad passes.

by Shane McOwen sports writer

La Joya boys basketball flexed its defensive muscle against Westview Jan. 27, snapping the Knights’ 17-game win streak with a 77-47 victory in front of its home crowd.

La Joya spread the wealth on offense with four players scoring in double digits, but really excelled on the defensive end. The Lobos held Westview to under 40 percent shooting and caused havoc all night with an aggressive press defense.

“They’re finally playing the way they know how to play,” La Joya coach Roger Lefebvre said. “It’s effort for four quarters. It’s just effort. That’s the biggest thing we haven’t had, and [this is] where we’ve been the past three games.”

La Joya avenged its loss to Westview on Jan. 10, when the Knights prevailed 82-75.

Westview hadn’t lost a game since the Welcome to the Jungle tournament championship Nov. 25, but the recent run of good form didn’t help the Knights fend off La Joya. “Credit to them,” Westview coach Brendan McEvoy said. “When they play like that, that’s the best team we’ve faced this year, this version of La Joya. If that’s who they are, then they’re going to be very tough in the playoffs. Hats off to Coach Lefebvre. He put a great game plan together and his kids executed.”

“We just went with our Run and Jump that we put in about two weeks ago,” Lefebvre said. “They’re aggressive. It’s more of letting them just read what’s going on and attacking.”

La Joya’s pressure led to a poor shooting night for Westview. Knights sophomore D’maurian Williams, who scored 38 in the teams’ first meeting, was held to six points on 2 of 12 shooting. The Knights shot 38 percent overall.

“Really, what it got down to was they out hustled us and did not melt down at any stretch of the game,” McEvoy said. “They maintained their focus and composure. Even when we put a few things together, they were able to get over the hump and maintain their course.”

Westview cut the lead to 10 early in the third quarter with two consecutive baskets, but La Joya answered with a 10-0 run coming out of a timeout that effectively iced the game.

“When we made our little run to start the second half, they came out of a timeout and again beat us to loose balls,” McEvoy said. “It ended up being big 3s in the corner that put the lead right back to 16. I think that’s where we really kind of got hurt emotionally, and never really recovered.”

From there, La Joya’s lead ballooned to 33 points in the fourth quarter. Lefebvre said he wanted his team to keep the foot on the gas for the entire 32 minutes to ensure victory.

View photo by Ray Thomas

OTIS FRAZIER, right, of Buckeye drives the lane Jan. 24 as Estrella Foothills’ Jacob Ellis defends. Frazier scored the go-ahead basket and had a game-saving block to help the Hawks beat the Wolves 65-63 and even up the 4A Southwest Region standings.

View photo by Ray Thomas

MALIQUE COLLINS, 5, of La Joya leans in on Westview’s Christian Diaz Jan. 27. Collins scored 14 points in the Lobos’ 77-47 victory.

Lady Vipers win 5A play-in game 1-0

Verrado advances to play No. 3 Arcadia

by Casey Pritchard sports editor

The Verrado girls soccer team’s late season success continued Jan. 26 in the 5A play-in game.

The Lady Vipers won their sixth consecutive game, beating Surprise Shadow Ridge 1-0. The victory advanced Verrado to the state tournament bracket, where it is seeded 14th. The Lady Vipers play at 6 p.m. today at No. 3 Scottsdale Arcadia.

“At this point, we’re kind of playing with house money,” Verrado coach David Hopkinson said. “The girls have now won six games in a row, they’ve gotten a playoff win, and for a lot of these girls, it’s their first playoff win, first playoff experience. We have a few juniors and seniors that were part of the last semifinal run, but for a lot of these girls, new players, freshmen, transfers, this was their first experience. It was kind of cool to get out here. You can tell them how exciting a playoff game is going to be and there’s nothing like it, but you have to experience it yourself.”

The lone goal in Verrado’s win against Shadow Ridge came late in the first half from freshman forward Ali James. It was an all-out hustle play, Hopkinson said.

“She was one on one with the keeper, challenged the keeper, the ball is bouncing,” he said. “It’s one of those plays where someone is going to the ground, either the keeper or the forward. Just no fear, she jumped through the ball, headed it past the keeper and right in. Just a really nice goal.”

Hopkinson said there wasn’t much

buildup to James’ goal. The Lady Vipers played the ball forward and James took care of the rest with her hustle.

“That’s her mentality; she’s a tough kid, no fear, lots of hustle, and she’s not afraid of contact,” Hopkinson said. “She went right in and scored a great goal. With the formation we play, she’s up there quite a bit, so she has to work a ton up there to create some chances so we can get the ball out wide, and she does a great job with that.”

James’ goal proved to be all the Lady

Vipers needed. They had an earlier goal negated because of an offsides call.

“We had a couple chances early; the keeper made a good save on one, and offsides on the other,” Hopkinson said. “There wasn’t a whole lot else for either team.”

Despite holding a 1-0 lead going into the second half, Hopkinson didn’t really change the team’s strategy, he said.

“When it got later in the game, we dropped in a little bit, but we didn’t really pack it in,” he said. “It wasn’t like we

were ever overwhelmed. It was a good game back and forth, neither team had a ton of chances inside the [18-yard box]. Chances came from distance. It was just kind of winning the midfield, winning between the 18s, and I figured we could do that with the lineup we had and the formation we had.”

Even while holding down the midfield, Verrado still pushed for a second goal, Hopkinson said. He knew Shadow Ridge had the firepower to come back, so he didn’t want to settle. The Lady Stallions came into the playoffs having lost four straight, but three of those were one-goal games and they scored nine times in those contests.

“They scored a lot of goals in those games,” Hopkinson said. “So, I was a little surprised we were able to hold them to a shutout because they were able to score some goals on good teams this year. Big credit to our defense and our goalkeeper for keeping that shutout. It was huge.”

Strong turnaround

The win was very gratifying for Hopkinson, especially after how the season started, he said.

“Starting out 1-6, if you would have told me we’d win our first-round playoff game, I would have taken it,” he said. “I kind of knew the season would be like this, maybe not to the extreme. I was hoping to win an early game or two, but I knew with our schedule, wins would be at a premium and it would come down to our region play. Once we could do that, we could get into the playoffs.”

Verrado’s opponent today is a familiar one. The Lady Vipers hosted Arcadia Jan. 6, losing 3-0. The Lady Titans scored a first-half goal on a PK after a questionable hand ball call against the Lady Vipers. However, just because Verrado has played Arcadia doesn’t give it an advantage, Hopkinson said.

“I think there are certain teams we

View photo by Ray Thomas

ALI JAMES, 18, of Verrado powers through the Shadow Ridge goalkeeper Jan. 26 as the ball caroms off a Lady Stallions defender. James scored the lone goal for the Lady Vipers in a 1-0 victory.

The following three pages of West Valley View are zoned for the 02/01/17 edition.

Each zone pages 14, 15 & 16

(14N=North, 14E=East, 14S=South, 14W=West) appears in its designated geographical zone within the West Valley View circulation boundaries. For the purpose of the online edition, all zone pages appear.

Westview comes up just short of playoffs

Knights’ have strong turnaround season after difficult 2015-16

by Shane McOwen sports writer

Westview boys soccer entered the final week of its season tied for first place in region play, just on the cusp of a playoff berth for the first time since the 2012-13 season.

Unfortunately, neither the weather nor the opposition cooperated with the Knights’ quest to bring home the region title.

Westview fell to district rivals Tolleson, 5-1, and Glendale Copper Canyon, 2-1, on consecutive days Jan. 23 and 24 to end the season.

La Joya, was able to win by a four-goal margin.

“Corona and Tolleson are really the only teams that took it to us,” Bower said.

Bower said it’s a frustrating feeling knowing the team was a few plays here and there, over the course of the season, to being one of the few squads to earn an appearance in the tournament.

“It’s frustrating, but it’s definitely a positive,” he said. “It’s hard to see that now, and it’s hard to say that for the seniors because they don’t have next year.”

Final stand; growth

The Knights battled Tolleson during a torrential downpour Jan. 23, but lost the match 5-1 to 6A’s No. 3 seed.

BOYS SOCCER

The Knights were shut out of the playoff picture with a final ranking of No. 30, six spots away from the last conference play-in position.

The Knights finished miles ahead of last year’s season, when they went 3-9-1 in coach Stephen Bower’s first year at the helm. Westview tallied seven wins and eight losses in all competitions, including a 3-2 record and third-place finish in the 6A Southwest Region.

The Knights undoubtedly exceeded their previous results, but with progress comes a different set of expectations, Bower said.

“Based on where we were last year, where we ended up this year was great, but that doesn’t take the frustration out of it,” he said. “We lost a handful of games that were close.”

Only two of Westview’s seven powerpoints losses came by more than two goals. Tempe Corona del Sol, the state’s No. 4 seed, whitewashed the Knights 8-0 early in the season. Tolleson, which wrapped up an undefeated year in all competitions Jan. 24 with a win over

Tolleson was able to overcome the conditions and saw five goals from four contributors. Rolando Oropeza’s brace led the way, while Cesar Martinez, Emmanuel Rayas and Luis Uribe each had one.

While Westview’s Jan. 24 game against Copper Canyon was rain-free, the aftermath of the weekend storm still caused some issues. The entire pitch was soft and muddy from the rain, leaving puddles of water and mud at various points along the way. Multiple instances occurred where the ball came to a complete stop after a solid strike because of the mud. Bower said the conditions made for a rough outing for both sides.

“Obviously, both teams have to play on it, but both of our teams like to play with the ball at their feet,” he said. “That kind of gets erased when the ball literally gets stuck.”

Copper Canyon took an early lead, scoring in the game’s first 10 minutes on an Alvaro Garcia goal.

Copper Canyon extended the lead to 2-0 with five minutes to play thanks to Wualbertro Torres, but only held that advantage for a few moments.

Westview cut the lead in half a minute later thanks to a penalty conversion by Sergio Ayala. Ayala played a long ball and got behind the last of the defense, only to be pushed from behind in the box, and was subsequently awarded the penalty.

Unfortunately, that was all the Knights could get, and came away from the game with the 2-1 loss.

Westview took a step in the right direction this season, increasing its win total and closing the gap with teams it lost to. The future outlook continues to be bright, Bower said.

“We’re going to be returning nine of 11 starters next year,” he said. “We’re losing

six [seniors], four who got [significant] minutes. We’re going to be pretty deep, there’s going to be a bunch of [players] around. That [still] doesn’t really take the sting out of a game like this [losing to Copper Canyon].”

Bower said it was big for the program to be in contention during the final week of the season.

“That’s encouraging,” he said. “Again, based off of where we were last year, that’s huge.”

Shane McOwen can be reached at smcowen@westvalleyview.com or on Twitter @ShaneMcOwen.

View photo by Ray Thomas

MANNY FRANCO, left, of Westview chases the ball Nov. 30 while Tolleson’s Luis Uribe challenges. The Knights won four more games this year compared to last, but still missed the postseason.