Agua Fria standout returns to Valley; plays four games at Chase Field as a Philly — Page 10.
CELEBRATING OUR INDEPENDENCE
Fourth of July festivities set in West Valley — Page 9.
GOODYEAR FIREFIGHTER SHEYNA MCCLURE, right, and Hannah Smock, 17, perform an extended ladder climb during the Goodyear Fire Department’s annual Camp Fires program June 21 at Goodyear Fire Station 183. To see all photos from this shoot, go to www.westvalleyview.com/pictures.
by Kourtney Balsan special to
the View
‘Fighting like a girl’ has a whole new meaning as girls train to join a male-dominated industry.
Goodyear held its annual all girls Camp Fires June 19 to 23 to introduce teen girls to the job of firefighting.
“People think of firemen — men — as if it were only a guy thing. It’s for women, too, but that’s not why we’re doing it — we don’t need to prove ourselves. Girls have been firefighters before. Again, we don’t need to prove ourselves, we just think it’s interesting and want to do it,” camp participant Hannah Smock, 17, of Goodyear said.
Lora Davis, Goodyear firefighter and program lead, has been fighting fires with the city since she began her career 11 years ago and wanted to introduce girls to a career they may not have considered before, she said.
“There’s not a ton of diversity as far as females to males ratio goes. We only have five women on the Goodyear Fire Department out of 90 or so line guys. It’s not necessarily about wanting all these girls to become firefighters, but I know when I was in high school, I didn’t have anything like this and so this is showing them
that there’s opportunities out there and that they really can do that if they want to,” Davis said.
Davis started her professional life in another career, but realized the firefighting industry spoke to her louder, she said, adding if there had been a program such as this one when she was a teen, she would have heard those calls earlier.
“I think I would have started my career in the fire service sooner. I got out of college and started my career as a teacher, so I taught for five years and then I decided it wasn’t what I wanted to do forever. Then I had a couple of people in my life who were firefighters and were good examples for me and kind of mentors to me. That led me in this direction,” Davis said.
The camp trained the girls in various firefighting skills including certifying each girl for CPR, Davis said.
“The whole purpose of it is to encourage them to get out of their comfort zone and know that they can do whatever they want to do,” Davis said. “They’re conquering some of their fears and being exposed to some females who are in positions that are not necessarily traditional female jobs.”
Hannah conquered her fears by climbing the
by Chris Caraveo staff writer
The bell last rang out for Winters Well Elementary School in Tonopah about five years ago.
Soon, however, the school will be back in session. Well, for sheriff’s deputies at least.
The Saddle Mountain Unified School District approved a facility use agreement with Maricopa County and the Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office at its June 8 board meeting. The deal calls for MCSO to occupy a space at Winters Well — which has been closed since 2012 — after multiple reports of vandalism at the school.
The Maricopa County Board of Supervisors approved the agreement at its June 21 meeting.
“It’s kind of a win-win,” Saddle Mountain Superintendent Paul Tighe said. “Having MCSO deputies working from office space at the Winters Well campus will provide a law enforcement presence in an area previously prone to vandalism, and will benefit the community in providing shorter response times to calls for assistance in the Tonopah area.”
The closest stations to the area are in Avondale and Gila Bend, both more than 25 miles away. The District 2 Substation at 920 E. Van Buren St. in Avondale serves Maricopa County south of Northern Avenue and west of Central Avenue.
MCSO’s space at Winters Well will consist of three work stations inside one of the rooms, serving as a stopping point for deputies to get out of their vehicles, eat a meal and take care of paperwork and administrative tasks.
With the county’s approval June 21, it is only a matter of time before MCSO begins using the school.
“There is no hard date at this time,” according to MCSO officials. “We are in the process of finalizing agreements and once complete, will move towards moving office equipment into the area to be used. Optimistically, we would like to be in place before the school year begins.”
The term of the agreement is effective for five years with three automatic renewals for one-year terms. MCSO will have access to the space at all times along with the parking lot.
(See Fire on Page 4)(See Substation on Page 3)
by Chris Caraveo staff writer
The city of Buckeye said goodbye to a top official after 17 years of service.
Scott Ruby retired as the city attorney with a short ceremony at the June 20 City Council meeting.
“Scott has been our friend and legal mind for more than 17 years,” Buckeye Mayor Jackie Meck said. “We thank you for your service, dedication and guidance over the years. We will truly miss you and wish
you much relaxation in retirement.”
Ruby started as Buckeye’s attorney in 2000 through a contract with Gust Rosenfeld, PLC, and helped it move from “town” to “city” status in 2013.
“Scott has been instrumental in guiding Buckeye to the success we are currently enjoying today,” Communications Manager Annie DeChance said.
Ruby reviewed the guidelines and application procedures for community facilities districts, and also pre-annexation and development agreements with Caterpillar on a property north of Interstate 10 at Verrado Way. The property was called White Stone, but is now known as Verrado. He continued to develop and lay the groundwork and documentation to form 11 community
facilities districts throughout the city.
Ruby’s success recouping the city’s true costs covered spurred developers to work for years to get the law changed to limit what can be charged to establish CFDs.
He also created the districts that were put in place and used for the 2008 election, and helped negotiate the terms to bring Jones Ford to Buckeye.
“Scott, thank you for your service and knowledge of Buckeye,” Councilman Eric Orsborn said. “You’ve been instrumental in helping council understand the history of various projects and you’ve had a big impact on the city.”
Chris Caraveo can be reached at ccaraveo@westvalleyview.com.
View report
A woman died Monday night after she was stabbed in a Buckeye home near McDowell Road and Verrado Way, police said.
Officers were dispatched to the house at about 8 p.m. and found the woman with a stab wound to her neck, said Sgt. Jason Weeks, a spokesman with the Buckeye Police Department.
She was transported to a local hospital, where she was pronounced dead, Weeks said.
A man who was also inside the home was taken into custody, and another woman is being considered a witness, he said.
Names are not currently being released pending notification of next of kin.
Check back with the View for information as it becomes available.
View report
Sheriff’s deputies arrested a man June 20 after he allegedly entered property illegally at the nuclear power plant near Tonopah, according to officials.
MCSO deputies arrested and booked 33-yearold Alexander Chavez for criminal trespassing and possession of drug paraphernalia.
At about 5:40 a.m. Palo Verde Nuclear Generating Station security advised officials they had detained a person who illegally entered the property, according to the Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office.
Chavez allegedly drove his vehicle through the main employee entrance, passing a “No Trespassing” sign, officials said. He then followed employees throughout the parking lot and walked to the inner perimeter security fence, where Palo Verde security detained him.
The Palo Verde station is south of Interstate 10 on Wintersburg Road between Tonopah and Buckeye.
by Emily Toepfer assistant editor
An airman stationed at Luke Air Force Base was arrested June 20 after allegedly attempting to lure a minor for sex, court records state.
Staff Sgt. Brandon Vasquez, 31, is stationed with the 944th Fighter Wing at the Glendale base, officials said.
Earlier this month, Vasquez allegedly had an online conversation with an undercover Homeland Securities Investigation agent who was posing as a 16-year-old girl, records state.
On June 13, Vasquez allegedly sent a message saying he obtained a “remove before flight” tag, which is used on an aircraft to indicate that a device is only to be used when the plane is on the ground.
The agent responded, “I knew u would think sex with me was worth something good,” and Vasquez allegedly
replied, “Of course it is. It’s also breaking the law but I hope you can keep this a secret,” records state.
Vasquez also allegedly sent an explicit photo of himself wearing his Air Force uniform, records state.
During interviews with police, Vasquez allegedly admitted to attempting to have sex with a 16-year-old girl, records state.
Luke officials declined to comment during the investigation.
Emily Toepfer can be reached at etoepfer@westvalleyview.com or on Twitter @EmilyToepfer.
View report
A man accused of sexually assaulting a woman at her home in Buckeye turned himself in to police, according to records.
The incident happened June 16 at a residence northwest of Sun Valley Parkway and Interstate 10.
According to records, a woman allowed 29-year-old Jacob Glenn Smith to enter her home to retrieve video games, which Smith said he had permission to borrow from another person living at the home.
During the encounter, Smith allegedly told the woman to remove her clothes and get on the ground. She refused, leading to an altercation, records show. Smith allegedly pulled out a gun and fired it at the ceiling before pointing it at the woman’s head.
He allegedly tied the woman up and forced her into a
bedroom where he sexually assaulted her, according to records. Afterward, he allegedly took her cell phone and put it in the kitchen pantry, and asked the woman for a head start before leaving the home.
The woman reported to the Buckeye Police Department that she knew Smith, according to records.
The following day, Smith entered a Buckeye police station with a note saying he was sorry for what he had done and would cooperate if given three to four days in isolation to rest, according to records.
In a post-Miranda interview, Smith allegedly said he raped the woman, according to records. He was booked into Maricopa County Fourth Avenue Jail and awaits a future court date.
Smith faces one count of sexual assault.
View report
A 44-year-old man was arrested in connection to a June 21 road rage incident in Buckeye, according to Buckeye police.
Sergio Contreras Hurtado was booked into Maricopa County Fourth Avenue Jail and faces aggravated assault
and criminal damage charges, police said.
Officers responded June 21 to a parking lot on Verrado Way after receiving 911 calls reporting a man with a knife, police said.
The alleged teen victim told police Hurtado held a knife to his face and slashed his vehicle’s tires. Video footage allegedly captured the incident, and eyewitnesses aided in Hurtado’s identification, police said.
Hurtado told police the teen cut him off and “brake checked” him several times while traveling on I-10 near Perryville Road, police said.
The teen was not injured during the incident, police said.
Police are still investigating the events that occurred on the freeway between the drivers.
View report
Surprise police arrested a Buckeye couple June 19 in connection with an organized retail theft operation, according to a release.
The Surprise Police Department’s Neighborhood Response Unit arrested Joshua Atherton, 37, and Summerlea Hunt, 33 as a result of a two-month long investigation.
The investigation began in May when detectives established surveillance on the couple.
Surprise police and the Fry’s Food Stores Organized Retail Crime Investigations team identified the couple as responsible for more than 100 cases since December 2016 involving the theft of alcohol from Fry’s stores. The couple stole from locations in Buckeye, Goodyear, Surprise, Phoenix, Scottsdale and Tempe.
They face 15 counts of theft for incidents occurring between March 6 and June 19, according to records.
In all, they stole about $100,000 in liquor, according to records.
When the pair was arrested, they had just exited the Fry’s at 107th Avenue and Indian School Road carrying backpacks filled with stolen liquor, police said. They told police they had done this since December 2016.
During a post-Miranda interview, the suspects told authorities they committed the crimes to support their drug habits. According to records, they traded the liquor for illegal drugs at three residences. They traded with a friend to obtain the alpha keys to take off the liquor security caps.
Officials booked the couple into Maricopa County Fourth Avenue Jail on 19 felony charges including organized retail theft, trafficking in stolen property, removing an anti-theft device and fraudulent schemes.
View report
A Buckeye home caught fire June 21 after a woman and her daughter left for breakfast, according to officials. The fire happened at about noon in the 32000 block of West Latham Street, northwest of Interstate 10 and Sun Valley Parkway.
According to the Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office, deputies responded to a call for a structure fire. Upon arrival, the Buckeye Valley Fire District was already at the scene extinguishing the flames.
Deputies learned a woman and her daughter were making breakfast when they realized they did not have eggs. They decided to go to McDonald’s instead.
While away, they received a call from a neighbor who informed them of smoke coming from inside their home. When they returned, the house was fully engulfed.
A Buckeye Valley battalion chief said the home was fully engulfed when firefighters arrived. It appears the fire started from the center of the home, officials said. No one was injured.
Officials do not consider the incident suspicious.
JUAN MARQUEZ , Avondale Resource Center specialist, works with Natalie Covert, 3, of Goodyear June 21 during a free screening for children from birth to age 5. Screenings, which assess how well children are developing, as well as test vision and hearing, are offered from 1 to 3 p.m. the third Tuesday of every month at the Care1st Avondale Resource Center. For information, call 623333-2703.
View report
The Avondale Resource Center was temporarily closed last week after the building’s cooling system failed during a summer heat wave that hit the region.
The city announced the closing June 21, when temperatures in the Valley topped 117, a record high for the third day in a row.
The city said conditions made the building at 328 W. Western Ave. possibly unhealthy and unsafe for customers and staff.
(From Page 1)
Winters Well closed at the end of the 2011-12 school year after then Superintendent Mark Joraanstad said doing so would be cost-efficient for the district because of the school’s small enrollment capacity. The district changed its boundaries to consolidate Winters Well pupils with Ruth Fisher pupils at the latter’s campus.
Tighe listed a few of the vandalism attempts, including three incidents when damage was done to the air conditioning units, damage to outside water fountains, copper theft, the activation of the sprinkler system, holes in the wall and graffiti.
“Just stupid damage,” Tighe said.
MCSO continues to actively investigate the issues at Winters Well. Deputies have not made any arrests. However, MCSO said officials are working some developments with leads.
Some operations were moved to the Avondale Community Center, 1007 S. Third St., including Adelante/WIC, Helping Families in Need, the Community Action Program and IHELP.
The Community Center is open from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday.
For updates on reopening the building or for human service needs, visit avondaleaz.gov/nfs or call 623-3332703 or 623-333-2700. Updates are also available on the Care1st Avondale Resource Center’s Facebook page.
“For any of our districts, it is very important for individuals to have access to MCSO personnel,” MCSO said. “Timeliness in our response to answer calls for service is a priority as part of our service to the community.”
The school has had no electricity four of the five years since it shut down. Now, the power has been restored and an extensive camera system has been installed.
“And the camera is a good deterrent,” Tighe said.
The only area where MCSO has a similar use is Queen Creek.
Costs associated with facility use include increased utility expenses and custodial services.
Tighe said no plans exist to rename the campus.
Two other organizations are working with the district to use the school within the next year: Childhelp, which offers preschool and before/after school enrichment programs to other West Valley districts, and the Arizona Centers for Comprehensive Education and Life Skills, which will offer special education services and an adult services program. Tighe said having them there should limit some of the vandalism attempts.
100-foot ladder, she said, and because she’s participated in the camp every year it has been offered, she re-conquers her fears annually.
“I’m scared of heights,” she said.
To climb the ladder, the girls geared up in official firefighter gear, then climbed the ladder one step at a time to reach the top where they hooked on and leaned back, Hannah said, adding she “felt like Jell-O” afterward.
“It was fun. The hardest part was coming down and having all that gear on you,” Hannah said.
Alyssa Clarke, 14, of Waddell said the ladder climb was her favorite part of camp.
“You have to go slow, but at the same time, you can’t go super slow because you have to imagine there’s a person hanging out a window in front of you,” Alyssa said.
Another difficult aspect of climbing was having the full gear on during the hottest week of the year, she said.
“It’s like if you went outside in a blanket all day long. You’re wrapped up and the heat’s kept inside, but once you take it off, it feels really good,” Alyssa said.
This year was Alyssa’s first time attending the camp and she loved it, she said.
“It’s pretty fun because I’m meeting new people and I’m making new friends and we’re all learning together. There are a few girls who have already done this camp and they’re teaching us. It’s kind of cool to see the dynamic we all have. Some of them are about to be seniors and I’m about to be a sophomore, but it’s like we don’t have an age in this group — we’re all here together,” Alyssa said.
She is learning so much more than how to fight fires, Alyssa said.
“Lora talks about how this camp isn’t based off of ‘girl power.’ It’s teaching girls our age how to work together and work for a bigger goal,” she said. “One thing we learned is a lot of people think firefighters only fight fires, we all learned that it’s a lot of medical stuff, too. You’re keeping someone alive until the other people can get there to transport them to the hospital. You’re in charge of first responders getting there and helping these people.”
Alyssa is still tossing around the idea of becoming a firefighter even though it’s been something she’s dreamed of, she said.
“I’ve always wanted to be one since I was like 3. My dad became a firefighter when I was 6. I’ve just looked up to him my whole life,” Alyssa said. “If I become a firefighter, then I’ll be the first girl in my family to do that.”
Mike Clarke, Alyssa’s father, has been a firefighter for Goodyear for nine years and, like Lora, is where he began his firefighting career, he said. He expressed his joy for seeing his daughter learning about the industry.
“I’m really proud of her,” Clarke said. “I was surprised she wanted to do it. I really was, but she was really excited about doing it.”
Clarke said he’ll support Alyssa if she wants to become a firefighter, but he won’t push her in any direction.
“She’s going to do whatever she’s going to do and wherever she goes, I’ll be behind her guiding her along the way. If she wants to be a firefighter, then great. If not, that’s OK, too,” Clarke said.
Fellow camper Charleigh Haley, 17, of Goodyear can’t decide between fighting crime and fighting fires, she said.
“For most of my life, I’ve been planning on being on the SWAT team or a police officer. Then a few years ago, I’ve thought about being a firefighter and I’m really liking it,” Charleigh said.
In hopes of gaining more clarity, she attended Goodyear’s Teen Police Academy the following week in addition to Goodyear’s Camp Fires.
“It’s not a man’s job anymore,” she said.
Kirra Trotter, 16, traveled from California and is staying with relatives in Scottsdale to attend the firefighting camp, she said.
“It’s really cool to see how many girls like me want to go into a male-based field. It’s kind of empowering,” Kirra said.
Unlike others, Kirra knows for certain she wants to be a firefighter, she said.
“I’ve always wanted to be a firefighter ... They’re gnarly,” Kirra said. “Really strong people are firefighters and I respect them. I want to be like that.”
California has some programs for girls her age, but they’re not as in-depth, she said.
The hardest part for her has been the heat as she once believed 80 degrees was hot, she said.
“I’m just trying not to get heat stroke,” Kirra joked. Kourtney Balsan can be reached at Kbalsan@westvalleyview.com.
by Glenn Gullickson staff writer
Progress is being made on a decades-long project to eliminate toxins at a Superfund site in Goodyear, but there’s no telling when the cleanup will be completed, according to the Environmental Protection Agency.
The site involves two areas around the Phoenix Goodyear Airport where toxins were deposited, creating plumes of underground contaminated water.
Groundwater contamination was discovered in the early 1980s, when the EPA began an investigation and listed the area as part of a program known as the Superfund, which is responsible for cleaning up some of the nation’s most contaminated areas.
“We are making very good progress, but there is still a ways to go in order to completely clean up the plumes,” the EPA said in an emailed reply to questions for this story. “EPA’s goal is to clean up the plumes as quickly as possible, but it is difficult to estimate the number of years it will take to accomplish it.”
The EPA said similar plumes have been successfully eliminated, “but at very few sites because of the inherent difficulty in cleaning up these types of plumes.”
Jeff Raible of Litchfield Park, who co-chairs the Community Advisory Group for the local Superfund site, said, “The right things are happening now” to contain the plumes and eliminate the toxins, but he agreed it’s a longterm project.
“I believe it may continue beyond my lifetime, to be honest,” said Raible, who is in his 50s. “It will get done. I am confident it will get done.”
Raible, who also serves as a member of the Litchfield Park City Council, said there was more public interest in the Superfund site 15 to 20 years ago when it was what he called “a bigger unknown.”
Even though the topic has faded from the news in recent years, Raible said it’s important the public be aware of the Superfund site, where cleanup efforts have continued and even intensified.
“It’s under control, our drinking water is safe. But until this is cleaned up, it’s a concern to the community,” Raible said. “There is no reason for alarm at present. We
do have this risk, but it’s being managed.”
Some wells threatened by the plumes have been shut down in the past.
While officials said Goodyear’s water is not contaminated, the plumes complicate the process of finding places for wells that provide water for the city, according to Lauren Handley, a consultant to the city who reported on a well-siting study at a recent Community Advisory Group meeting.
Dozens of wells are also key to the cleanup effort, with several of them placed around the area to monitor and contain the plumes, which are designated as North and South sites.
Wells are also used in what’s described as a “pump and treat” operation that pumps out the contaminated water, which is treated and returned to the ground or used for irrigation.
For the South site, the EPA said the remediation process has accelerated since early 2015, when groundwater extraction wells over the plume went online to target higher concentration zones and achieve greater contaminant removal.
The EPA said the South site’s plume is “fully contained,” while the North site’s plume is “mostly contained.”
The main contaminate is trichloroethylene, or TCE, which was used as an industrial solvent that the EPA has classified as a probable cancer-causing agent. Elevated concentrations of TCE may cause damage to the liver and central nervous system.
At the South site, cleanup efforts have been underway for more than 30 years. The EPA said about 8,600 pounds of TCE has been removed from groundwater and soil at the South site from 1991 to 2016.
Goodyear Tire & Rubber is conducting the cleanup at the South site, which the EPA said measures less than half a square mile.
It’s an area where the U.S. Navy established an air facility where planes were cleaned with solvents. Goodyear Aviation also operated on the site, which became a municipal airport.
Emily Gloeckler of the Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co. told the advisory group that there has been significant progress since 1995 at the South site, where the use of wells is splitting up the plume and reducing contamination.
Raible said there’s a bigger challenge at the North site. Cleanup efforts started there in 1994 on the site of the former Unidynamics Phoenix, which in the 1960s began developing and testing aerospace equipment, systems and munitions and deposed of TCE and other chemicals in dry wells and ponds.
The North site’s plume of about two square miles has
had about 60,000 pounds of TCE removed from 1994 to 2016, the EPA said. North site operations are conducted by the Crane Co., which owns the property.
The EPA said more important than the number of pounds of TCE removed, “the currently highest TCE concentration at both sites are two orders of magnitude (or more) lower than in the mid-1980s, so a lot of progress has been made in terms of removal of the mass of TCE.”
A plan to use microbes to attack the contamination at the North site is being studied by the Swette Center for Environmental Biotechnology at Arizona State University.
Laurie LaPat-Polasko, who said she’s successfully used microbes at other cleanup sites, told the Community Advisory Group that she could have a recommendation on the proposal in about eight months.
“These microbes are amazing,” LaPat-Polasko said. Similar technology was used to clean up the BP oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico.
But LaPat-Polasko said she doesn’t recommend the mixture of bacteria and iron to be used at all cleanup sites and indicated that unintended consequences of the process need to be considered.
The EPA said microbe technology has worked at similar plumes.
“The entire project aims to greatly remove the source area contamination,” the EPA said. “This innovative application should greatly decrease the contaminant mass migration … and shorten the overall cleanup time for the entire plume area.”
Raible called the use of microbes a “much more aggressive solution” that’s faster, but more expensive than the “pump and treat” method.
“The cost involved will be huge,” he said.
Raible said laws and legal agreements mandate the cleanup will continue, but he acknowledged he has concerns about a new federal administration he called unpredictable.
“They could try to change the law,” Raible said. “I hope we don’t backtrack. If we do, we’ll have huge negative consequences.”
The nine-member Community Advisory Group, which was formed in 2001 and meets semi-annually, is an EPA effort to get citizen involvement in the issue, said Raible, who has been a member of the group for seven years.
Catherine Brown, the EPA manager for the Superfund site, attended the group’s recent meeting, but was not made available by the EPA for an interview for this story.
Glenn Gullickson can be reached at ggullickson@westvalleyview.com.
In compliance with §15-905.01, Arizona Revised Statutes, Littleton Elementary School District is notifying its property taxpayers of Littleton Elementary School District’s intention to raise its primary property taxes over the current level to pay for increased expenditures in those areas where the Governing Board has the authority to increase property taxes for the fiscal year beginning July 1, 2017. The Littleton Elementary School District is proposing an increase in its primary property tax levy of $600,000.
The amount proposed above will cause Littleton Elementary School District’s primary property taxes on a $100,000 home to increase from $0.0 to $25.87.
These amounts proposed are above the qualifying tax levies as prescribed by state law, if applicable. The increase is also exclusive of any changes that may occur from property tax levies for voter approved bonded indebtedness or budget and tax overrides.
All interested citizens are invited to attend the public hearing on the proposed tax increase scheduled to be held July 11, 2017, 6:00 P.M. at 1600 South 107th Avenue, Avondale, AZ 85323, ULC Boardroom.
Hallelujah, Goodyear has put election talks on its calendar.
The city will hold a work session Aug. 21 so staff (at the request of the council) can clarify the current process of how and when the city conducts its elections and possibly make recommendations for future elections.
For those of you who missed the last two editorials, we’ve been hammering the city pretty hard over the way it calculates election results.
Goodyear is the only West Valley city that adds over votes and under votes into the vote total to determine the majority of votes necessary to win the primary. Over voting happens when people cast votes for more candidates than available seats. Under voting happens when people don’t cast every vote available to them.
Under voting happens far more often than over voting, and in large enough numbers to have caused the city several unnecessary and costly general, or runoff, elections over the years.
We’re gonna be honest, we didn’t even know what over votes and under votes were until after the city’s primary election last March. We got the election results, did the calculations and determined that Wally Campbell, Joe Pizzillo and Brannon Hampton had all obtained the majority of votes necessary to win outright. But the city declared a runoff election between Hampton and Sara Gilligan, claiming neither received a majority. That election cost the taxpayers close to $90,000.
That’s when we found out the city counts over and under votes when determining a majority, and 5,422 under votes changed things big time.
Since then, we’ve been looking more closely at some of the city’s past elections and have uncovered all sorts of weirdness, such as the 2003, 2005 and 2007 elections that used the formula of “50 percent of all ballots cast plus one ballot” to determine a majority. We asked the city how that could possibly work when every other city uses the formula of “50 percent of all votes cast plus one.” It didn’t help that the city posted the wrong vote total for one candidate and failed to even list the number of over and under votes from the 2005 election on its website.
It took more than 24 hours to get back to us, but the city said it considers every possible vote as a vote cast. It takes the number of ballots cast and multiplies that by the number of open seats to come up with the total number of votes “cast.” So if three seats are on the ballot, every ballot counts as three votes no matter what the voter does or doesn’t do.
Our next question was how the city determines the number of over votes. We posed this scenario to the city: Five people are running for three seats. Someone votes for all five. How many over votes did he cast? The city got back to us right away with the answer: Two. So we circled back with, “If every ballot represents three votes, how does the third vote get counted?”
That question got kicked upstairs to the city clerk. Again, more than 24 hours later, we got an answer: Oops, the answer should have been three over votes, not two.
Bottom line is Goodyear has made calculating election results so confusing by tallying in over and under votes that nobody from the city even seems to understand it. Worse, it’s cost taxpayers a hefty sum for runoff elections that should not have been conducted.
We urge Goodyear residents to demand the city changes the way it calculates elections.
L etters to the editor are published without any editing. Any errors
in spelling, punctuation or grammar are those of the author. Two online reader polls have indicated that a majority of View readers prefer that the letters not be edited.
Editor:
As to Kathy Griffin getting fired from CNN last week, I don’t know how she thought the prank she pulled on-the-air, was in any way funny? It showed utter disrespect and a lack of judgment on her part. The station has guidelines which they have to follow. On her own free time and others who think like her, who knows?) What’s gong on with our news commentators? Now Bill Mahler, is also using inappropriate words on T.V? Some people think that when they get famous, they can say or do whatever they want — and we have to put up with it! There are also “celebrities” who think they know “a lot” — this is a moot question. But their opinion is written in stone and we (the “little people”) have to heed their voice. We have minds of our own. I’ll listen to the “voices” in my own head, thank you. I’m bright anyway...
Laura Rivas Buckeye
Editor:
I am writing this letter to our community concerning the dumping of live animals, mostly dogs in our community. We have lived in this area for over 30 years and it seems to be the place people think they can bring unwanted dogs, cats, whatever they want to get rid of and drive off leaving the animals to die of heat, get hit by automobiles or eaten by coyotes. I watched just two days ago as a SUV pulled up on the side of the road( Citrus) pull out two dogs and drive off and leave them there to die. I did get to rescue one of the dogs, but I could not catch the second dog, even though I did have concerned people in their vehicles stop and try to help me catch the little Chihuahua. People should know that if they have unwanted dogs, cats, they can take them to Az Humane Society or to Maricopa County Animal Control , they will also try to find new homes for the animal.
Dumping animals is cruel and people need to think before they do such a inhumane thing to any animal.
Judy Blakeman Goodyear
Editor:
Regarding the comments by Harry Callahan, “Low class west side”, I couldn’t agree more! We moved to Avondale in 2006 and hoping the area would grow. In last 10 years, the only major development was the Main Event and the American Sports Center. I have seen too many fast food restaurants being build and then close down. We need better restaurants, parks and outdoor activities. Whenever we go visit our friends in the east valley or north Phoenix, it feels better and nicer. The buildings are nicer and the streets are wide and clean. Nice big trees and good housing development. I would recommend anyone who moves to the Phoenix metro area to look for housing/apartments in the east valley.
Don’t get me wrong, I do like the west valley, but it seems the whole culture here just doesn’t care about the community and their neighbors. We need more trees along Van Buren Ave and Avondale Blvd because that is the main attraction area. Also, better streets and more lanes, including bicycle lanes. When visitors are passing by or going to PIR, the west valley needs to take pride on where they live and represent well. Cities like Anthem, Peoria,
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Do you agree or disagree with the Supreme Court’s decision to uphold parts of President Donald Trump’s travel ban? • Agree • Disagree LAST WEEK’S
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(From Page 6)
Scottsdale, Tempe and Mesa care about the community. Let’s do the same here!
Pete Hirpara Avondale
Editor:
I see Mr. Callahan (June 7th) has all the qualifications to be a resident of the East Side, especially the part “fondly” referred to as “Snobsdale”! He moved here without bothering to investigate the Valley? Judging from his Letter, he’s still woefully ignorant.
Want “better schools”? Guess he missed the news that Tolleson’s University High School is one of the best in the State! (Also 21st in the nation, according to U.S. News and World Report). And he never heard about the kids from Carl Hayden High School, who beat prestigious M.I.T. (a university, no less) in a robotics competition? Not bad for a place bordered by the “ghetto” of 35th Avenue!
He likes good views? How about the view of the South Mountains I see driving South on 99th Avenue (when not distracted by all the “slums” which don’t exist along it)? Driving West on I-10, I see the White Tank Mountains (stunning at sunset). And then there’s the mountains I see driving North on Loop 101 (sometimes with snow on their peaks).
Let’s talk about crime in the “ghetto”. According to the maps available on-line from the Phoenix Police Department, the highest concentrations of crime are in his beloved East Side — particularly the South East Valley, Central and North Phoenix, and (for some reason) Surprise. The West Side’s not crime free, but it’s better than “crime-ridden” Chandler, Gilbert, Mesa, Scottsdale, and Tempe.
Places to eat, and things to do? I won’t list them (lest the View reject this Letter as advertising), but rest assured I’ve never starved to death here, nor has boredom been a problem. (Plus, it’s a quick trip “downtown” to central Phoenix, with all its amenities. I’ll take West Side traffic over the East’s any day!)
Sad that only snobbery makes him feel tall!
Gordon P.R. Posner Tolleson
Editor:
Bernie Sanders is as communist as President Eisenhower (for single payer, 90% tax on rich, massive infrastructure, warned us about military industrial complex). How is sending banksters to prison and free tuition communism? Investing in higher education has proven to bring more tax revenue unlike the trickle down theory. Socialism for the rich is what trickle down is. Mr. Sanders is trying to reign in our out of control federal government. Make it work for the people, not the lobbyist and their masters. I thought you conservative’s would be for this. Even you don’t agree with his politics, he’s consistent and honest. You tube him and you will find that Mr. Sanders has only become more polite in his words. Personally I like the younger version.
Single payer will save us billions. And it’s the right thing to do. VA and UK have socialistic healthcare, government owns and operates it. In single payer, government only pays the bill. Basically buying and negotiating in bulk. Again how is this not a conservative issue.
You won’t hear this or anything I have written on any fascist cable “news” CNN & MSNBC included. Why? Who are their major sponsor’s? Big pharma (dope dealers) and politicians. If you insist on watching cable “news” try C-SPAN
Finally of all the nation’s who have a some form of single payer, ZERO have repealed it.
Damion Armstrong Avondale
Editor:
can you tell me verrado can get sex offender out of they town we can’t get them out of our town w got 500 or more u all got one and you cry about it . we got more you got we got drugs we got thieves we got to watch our kids more then you all take them all back ware they live so buckeye can be buckeye and why is verrado is on airport verrado is north of the freeway like sunvalley parkway that is dome you a kiss but you no I’m talking about land tax you can’t get it off the water so you put on land tax good move we all no you was going to do that
Javan Berry Buckeye
Editor:
Let us recap the past few months of utter despicable, disgusting, and violent remarks about President Trump. First it was Madonna who wanted to “blow up the White House”, then Kathy Griffin who showed the severed head of President Trump on live TV. Then we had the Shakespearean play in New York showing Julius Cesar, played by Donald Trump, stabbed and murdered at the end of the play. And no outrage from the national media, of course, they thought it was humor! Imagine the outrage had it been Obama’s head, instead of Trump’s! And now, we have this Trump hating, Bernie Sanders loving, leftwing radical sicko who tries to assasinate Congressman Scalise! Should anyone be surprised? Lay the blame where it belongs, squarely at the feet of Madonna, Griffin, and others who have advocated violence against President Trump and his supporters.
What has happened to our decorum, manners, and common decency?? News flash to all you Trump-haters out there, you give respect to the office of “President of the United States”. You don’t have to respect the man, and it’s okay to criticize his policies, mocking and making fun of the President on SNL is to be expected. But if you threaten to kill the President or blow up the White House, you have crossed the line. And don’t be surprised when the FBI or Secret Service knocks on your door and arrests you. So, be careful what you say in public, email to friends, or tweet....because the federal authorities are going to be watching closely now for any kind of activity that threatens the President, or any member of Congress.
Tom Moore Goodyear
Editor:
A women held up a prop severed head looking like our President. Do you know the party she belonged too? The filthy mouth of Steven Colbert, can you guess what party he belongs to. The corrupt head of the FBI, and the Senators who knew the POTUS was innocent, but did not tell the citizens, What party did they belong to?
Who do you think is paying for this joke of an investigation? The wrong people are being
investigated. Who should be investigated? The answer is the the people who worked for Obama. Eric Holder for fast and furious, Loretta Lynch for obstruction of justice. She met with Bill Clinton on the tarmac at sky harbor? She asked Comey to call the investigation of Hillary a matter. That is the obstruction. The IRS corruption case. Remember Obama saying “there is not a hint of corruption”. during the investigation That is obstruction. How about Hillary and Bill? “Pay to play ”Their list of illegal activities is too long to list. Filthy words spoken by TV hosts on CNN, MSNBC, ABC, CBS. If we add their false news, we have no place to go for truthful news.
How about the man who was trying to kill Republicans. Cars being shot at if they have a Trump sticker.
I can not believe this country has sunk so low in such a short time.
Jean Levandowski Litchfield Park
Editor:
Sheriff Penzone closes Tent City to save taxpayers millions of tax dollars. Now Maricopa County approves a new $2.49 billon dollar budget, of that, $82.3 million for a new jail, for stays of less than 72 hours. Where is the savings?
Larry Ruvido Buckeye
Editor: Yes, I’m still enjoying reading the West Valley View! Having lived in the White Tank Subdivision for nine years, a graduate of Liberty Elementary School and a graduate of Buckeye Union High school I’m interested in what still goes on in that area. I get most of my information from the West Valley View. Boy did I have a let down from “Our Readers’ Viewpoints.” Laura Rivas usually writes quite sound letters, but “How valid is astrology?” leaves me wondering. Being that I’m a Bible based Christian, we don’t mess with “things” like astrology. Sure many people follow it, but you can’t serve two masters. I’m not claiming that is what she has done. Because I’m guilty of watching lots of garbage on T.V., so I’m not throwing stones.
As to other writers, Brenda Roden, you are correct the U.S.A. has never been a democracy. If students would pay attention in their History and Government classes they all would know this. The problem is not only students not paying attention, but teachers who do not get clear messages across to their students. By the way I am a retired High School teacher and several of my fellow teachers never had any business being in a classroom. True the major were good caring teachers, but some just wanted to be coaches and others were there to take advantage of young minds.
by Chris Caraveo staff writer
A new freeway may be coming to Arizona, and Buckeye is along the route.
The Federal Highway Administration and the Arizona Department of Transportation have teamed up to spearhead the Interstate 11 Corridor.
The agencies are in the early stages of an environmental study known as a Tier 1 Environmental Impact Statement. The study began in May 2016 and will take until 2019 before a proposed route is selected.
I-11 would take advantage of existing infrastructure. For example, I-10 and I-11 would exist on the same roadway but with added lanes. Officials would also construct entirely new roads in parts of the state to connect the southern areas of Tucson and Nogales with the West Valley and north to Wickenburg. Yes, this means bypassing Phoenix to head north into Nevada.
“Interstate 11 has the potential to bring many benefits not only to the city of Buckeye, but the West Valley,” Buckeye Mayor Jackie Meck said. “Once the final alignment is determined, it will create additional connectivity to the greater metro area and Las Vegas. It will also become an important industrial and distribution center corridor, bring hundreds of jobs to the area and Buckeye residents.”
No funding exists for the construction of I-11 but Study Manager Jay Van Echo said it can come in from anyone. However, once money is available, officials would need
to proceed with a Tier 2 study.
Officials are studying a 280-mile corridor, stretching from Nogales to Wickenburg. The study assesses the impact of several route alternatives within a corridor about 2,000 feet wide. However, any new roads would be about 400 feet wide.
Plans for a new north-south freeway began in 1991 when officials discussed the possibility of a new route in the west to link Canada and Mexico, called the CANAMEX Trade Corridor. The introduction of the North American Free Trade Agreement in 1994 increased the need for a northsouth corridor in the Intermountain West. The U.S. Congress labeled the corridor a high priority under the National Highway System Designation Act in 1995.
In 2016, the two lead agencies began a formal National Environmental Policy Act review process from Nogales to Wickenburg to identify a Preferred Corridor Alternative.
In the Southwest Valley, the cities of Buckeye and Goodyear are participating agencies in the environmental study.
Throughout May, ADOT and the FHWA have held public meetings throughout Arizona to discuss the study and solicit residents’ comments and concerns. The last of the meetings occurred May 17 in Buckeye, where Van Echo presented the purpose and need for a new corridor in the west.
Attendees talked with study officials and attached notes to enlarged maps of the study corridor to give their opinions on how certain alternatives would affect existing and future landscape and development.
Van Echo said the people at the meeting liked the idea of a new interstate.
“I’m pleasantly surprised that people were grateful that we’re going through the process,” Van Echo said. “One person said, ‘Well, have you determined where it’s going to be?’ And I said, ‘Of course not. We have to let the study do that.’”
Looking at the West Valley, landmarks such as the Sonoran Desert National Monument, White Tank Mountain Regional Park, Skyline Regional Park and the proposed Vulture Mountains Recreation Area south of Wickenburg are along some of the corridor alternatives. One route has I-11 running with Sun Valley Parkway. Along that road, two master-planned communities are in the works — Belmont (20,800 acres) and Douglas Ranch (33,800 acres).
Several existing or growing economic activity centers flock the area under study in the West Valley, including the Industrial Cluster in southern Goodyear, the Loop 303/I-10 Job Corridor, business park development in Liberty/eastern Buckeye and the Buckeye Industrial Corridor near the airport. Throw in planned growth near the Phoenix-Goodyear Airport as well.
Part of Proposition 400 in Goodyear funded right-of-way acquisition for Loop 303 farther south to Riggs Road, but was deferred when officials determined that revenues were less than previously projected due to the recession.
“There is no doubt that the I-11 will benefit from the connectivity to important future corridors like the Loop 303 and the future State Route 30,” Goodyear spokeswoman Amy Bolton said in an email. “We fully expect remaining phases of both the Loop 303 and State Route 30 to be included in upcoming regional transportation plans and this network of transportation corridors will be vital to the future development of the Southwest Valley.”
Officials are reviewing input from all parties involved in the study process. They will hold another round of public meetings in 2017 to present a clearer picture of the alternatives under consideration and how they may affect the surrounding areas.
Officials expect to identify a selected alternative in late 2019.
by Chris Caraveo staff writer
The Southwest Valley will see improvements to its freeways as the state transportation department continues its five-year construction program.
On June 16, the Arizona Department of Transportation Board approved an annual update of ADOT’s Five-Year Transportation and Facilities Construction Program, which includes projects in the Maricopa and Pima county regions and Greater Arizona.
“Connectivity and reliability are crucial for an ever-expanding state highway system like Arizona’s, especially as the population continues to grow and businesses choose to relocate here,” ADOT Director John Halikowski said in a release. “Projects in ADOT’s Five-Year Construction Program will help move people, goods and services,
In compliance with §15-905.01, Arizona Revised Statutes, Avondale Elementary School District is notifying its property taxpayers of Avondale Elementary School District’s intention to raise its primary property taxes over the current level to pay for increased expenditures in those areas where the Governing Board has the authority to increase property taxes for the fiscal year beginning July 1, 2017. The Avondale Elementary School District is proposing an increase in its primary property tax levy of $2,400,000.
The amount proposed above will cause Avondale Elementary School District’s primary property taxes on a $100,000 home to increase from $0.1344 to $69.5709.
These amounts proposed are above the qualifying tax levies as prescribed by state law, if applicable. The increase is also exclusive of any changes that may occur from property tax levies for voter approved bonded indebtedness or budget and tax overrides.
All interested citizens are invited to attend the public hearing on the proposed tax increase scheduled to be held Tuesday, July 11, 2017 at 5:30 pm at 295 W. Western Ave., Avondale, AZ 85323.
generate commerce and economic activity through investments in major freight and travel corridors, and deliver on the agency’s commitment to not only maintain but improve the quality of pavement, bridges and other infrastructure.”
New roads for the cities of Avondale, Goodyear and Buckeye include:
• State Route 30 from Loop 303 to Loop 202 South Mountain Freeway — Phase One construction of a new freeway costing $292,704,000.
• Loop 303 from MC85 to Van Buren Street — Construction of a new freeway costing $119,500,000.
• Interstate 10 from State Route 85 to Verrado Way — Construction of a general purpose lane in each direction costing $103,270,000.
ADOT’s update to its program expedites the start of construction for some projects. Maricopa Association of Governments Senior Engineering Manager Bob Hazlett said further construction of Loop 303 is expected to begin in September 2019, followed by SR 30 in June 2022.
The extension to Loop 303 south of Van Buren will include four regular lanes and one carpool lane in each direction for the entire length of the freeway.
SR 30 would traverse the cities of Goodyear, Avondale and Phoenix in order to provide relief to Interstate 10. The study area encompasses Lower Buckeye Road on the north to the Gila and Salt rivers on the south, and Perryville Road in the west to Loop 202 near 59th Avenue, which is under construction. The study team has not selected an alternative among the four potential alignments under consideration. Environmental studies are still being conducted before officials select set designs for both projects.
Transportation users fund the Five-Year Program through gasoline and diesel fuel taxes and the vehicle license tax. The Maricopa and Pima county regions have independent revenue streams established through voter-approved sales tax increases, allowing for more expansion projects to occur.
ADOT has committed to protecting Arizona’s nearly $21 billion investment in the state highway system through dedicated preservation funding. The program meets ADOT’s target of $260 million per year for preservation.
The board’s approval followed a call for public comment in March and three public hearings in Phoenix, Tucson and Flagstaff.
by Shane McOwen staff writer
Hi, folks, and welcome to another scorching edition of the Business Briefcase.
I’ll leave it up to you to decide where the focus of “scorching” lies, with the weather or the hot business tips.
I guess it’s possible for it to refer to both, a play on words, if you will. I take it back. I’ll leave it up to myself, and say it’s for both.
First up, a rather silly omission from last week. The Briefcase usually likes to give the hours of operation for new businesses, but somehow forgot for Boba House 994 S. Watson Road in Buckeye.
The boba shop is open from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Sunday through Thursday, and 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. Friday and Saturday.
Let’s get to this week’s news, shall we?
Boot Barn is now open in Avondale at 10105 W. McDowell Road, next to Hobby Lobby in the Gateway Village shopping center.
The retailer sells, you guessed it, boots, as well as
an assortment of different types of clothing. Actually, just saying boots may be a bit of an understatement. Boot Barn carries a variety of “cowboy” boots, as well as motorcycle boots, hiking and all-terrain boots, work boots and waders.
I’m not sure the entire selection would actually fit in a barn. It may be time for a name upgrade.
All jokes aside, this particular Boot Barn is celebrating its opening at 5 p.m. July 6 with a ribbon-cutting ceremony from the Southwest Valley Chamber of Commerce.
This is the first Boot Barn in the West Valley, and is one of more than 200 stores across 30 states.
The Avondale location is open from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Saturday and 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sunday.
For information, visit bootbarn.com or call 623-9363126.
In last week’s issue, we tackled some information regarding Cobblestone Auto Spa near Indian School and Litchfield roads.
The car wash facility remains closed, but those with Cobblestone prepaid vouchers can take them to other locations around the Valley, with the nearest in Surprise at 13811 W. Bell Road.
Unfortunately, for those with Classic Auto Spa vouchers, Cobblestone brass has said the car wash chain ceased accepting the Classic variety on June 1.
For information, call 602-788-9274 or visit cobblestone.com./contact, where you can send a direct message to the Cobblestone team.
For those who don’t know, the Park 10 development has been underway for some time, and is eventually going to stretch all the way from 103rd Avenue, south of McDowell Road east toward 107th Avenue. The development, which already houses Main Event, will include medical facilities, commercial retail stores, office space and various restaurants.
There’s currently a request with the Avondale City Council for an amendment to the Park 10 Planned Area Development to allow for additional commercial uses, and allow for commercial use throughout the entire site. The current plan limits the western area near 107th Avenue to office buildings only.
The city is hosting a meeting on the proposal at 6 p.m. July 24 at Avondale City Hall, 11465 Civic Center Drive. That’s all for this week, folks. Thanks for reading. Send any questions or comments to smcowen@ westvalleyview.com, or send a note on Twitter @ ShaneMcOwen.
Stay cool out there everyone, and have a great week.
Shane McOwen can be reached at smcowen@westvalleyview.com or on Twitter @ShaneMcOwen.
by Jack Hines special to the view
The Fourth of July is right around the corner, and what better way to celebrate Independence Day than with live music, food and drinks, rides for children and fireworks?
Francis Garcia, public affairs specialist for Tolleson, is promising an exhilarating fireworks show from the city.
“We’re expecting plenty of people for the event,” Garcia said. “We had a great turnout last year.”
It seems the primary duty of West Valley cities is outdoing each other in fantastic ways, as Goodyear is promising a 20-minute fireworks show.
And of course, with triple-digit temperatures, many cities will have water slides and other ways to keep cool.
Tolleson
Tolleson’s Fourth of July event will take place from 4 to 9:30 p.m. at Veterans Park, 8601 W. Van Buren St. Admission is free and food and drink will be sold on site.
The event will feature inflatable water slides, a hot dog eating contest and a water balloon toss, just to name a few. Free watermelon slices will be provided by members of the City Council, staff and management. The fireworks show is set to start at 9 p.m. For information, visit www.tollesonaz.org.
Litchfield Park will host its annual Fourth of July Splash Bash from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Litchfield Park Recreation Center, 100 S. Old Litchfield Road. Admission is $2 per person or free for anyone with a Litchfield Park pool pass and children younger than 3 years old.
The Splash Bash will feature relay races, cannonball contests, water balloons and water ring tossing. Prizes will be available to win and food and beverages will be available for purchase.
The Wigwam will host the Red, White and BOOM! 4th of July carnival from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m., featuring music and fireworks at 8:30 p.m. Concessions will be available. Admission to the event is free. Admission to the Kids’ Zone is $10 for unlimited rides. The Kids’ Zone will be open until 8:30 p.m. and will have bounce houses and water slides.
For information, visit www.litchfield-park.org.
Goodyear’s Star Spangled Fourth will be held from 6 to 10 p.m. at Goodyear Ballpark, 1933 S. Ballpark Way, Goodyear.
Some of the activities and entertainment will include a hot dog eating contest, live music by the Groove Merchants, cornhole games and a battle ball challenge. A
20-minute fireworks show will begin at 9 p.m.
Water slides and bounce houses will be set up, and tickets cost $10 for unlimited rides or $5 for three ride tickets.
Additional parking will be available at Desert Edge High School, 15778 W. Yuma Road, with shuttle service throughout the evening.
For information, visit www.goodyearaz.gov.
Buckeye
Buckeye’s Old Fashioned Independence Day Celebration will feature plenty of activities as well as a fireworks display at 9 p.m. The event will run from 6 to 9:30 p.m. at Youngker High School, 3000 S. Apache Road, Buckeye. The event will feature free watermelon, assorted food vendors, bounce houses and live music. Admission and parking are free, but some activities require a fee.
For information, visit www.buckeyeaz.gov/events.
Tonopah
Tonopah’s Independence Day Celebration starts at 6 p.m. with fireworks after 9 p.m. at Tonopah Valley High School, 38201 W. Indian School Road, Tonopah.
The event is free to enter and will feature fireworks, bingo, raffles and vendors selling food and drinks. Outside fireworks, alcohol, tobacco products and weapons are prohibited.
Darien Malkow-Dunham finishes basic training
U.S. Air Force
Airman Darien Malkow-Dunham has graduated from basic training at Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland in San Antonio. He is the son of Tammie MalkowDunham and the stepson of James Vollmer of Litchfield Park and is a 2015 graduate of Millennium High School in Goodyear.
Marcus Wallace finishes basic training
U.S. Air Force Airman 1st Class Marcus Wallace has graduated from basic military training at Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland in San Antonio. He is the son of Roger and Lynn Wallace of Buckeye.
Millennium grad drafted by Astros; Desert Edge football has strong summer; Club volleyball team playing in nationals
by Casey Pritchard sports editor
It was a memorable homecoming for Aaron Altherr.
The 2009 graduate of Agua Fria High School played his first games at Chase Field as a member of the Philadelphia Phillies June 23 through Monday, and did so in style. Altherr had at least one hit in all four games.
“Especially the first day, it’s a pretty surreal feeling, just being able to play in the stadium I grew up coming to the games, watching,” Altherr said. “It was a weird feeling, kind of like a nervous feeling, like my debut again. It was kind of weird. But, it was just a really cool feeling being able to play at home.”
Altherr said he didn’t know what to expect coming back to Arizona, especially the first game of the series. However, a 2 for 5 day with an RBI and run scored helped the Phillies to a 6-1 victory.
“To be able to get a couple knocks that day was pretty nice, and I had a good game [Sunday],” Altherr said before the start of Monday’s series finale. “I don’t mind playing at home. It’s great being in front of family and friends — it kind of energizes me a little bit.”
Altherr got to see his family when the team first arrived in Phoenix, going to his parents’ house before the start of the series.
“I saw the house again, saw the dogs again, I hadn’t seen them in a while. So, it’s always good to be back home,” he said.
Throughout the weekend, Altherr had family and friends in attendance, including approximately 15 people there for Sunday’s game. That wasn’t close to the fanfare teammate and Scottsdale Horizon graduate, Tommy Joseph, had last season when going to Chase Field.
“I think Tommy, last year, had a bunch of people come out, close to 90 or something like that,” Altherr said. “Nothing close to that, thankfully.”
The West Valley is still home to Altherr, who lived near Westgate in Glendale last offseason. Altherr recently got married, and is looking to buy a home in the Valley, he said.
“We looked at some houses Saturday before the game, looked at the Litchfield Park area, we’re probably going to look in the Scottsdale area sometime,” Altherr said.
Overall, Altherr went 7 for 18 in the series against the Diamondbacks, but Philadelphia only won the first game. It’s been a tough season for the Phillies, as they’re just 24-51 (through Monday), and in last place in the National League East.
“We’ve had some tough stretches as a team, but hopefully we can right some of those wrongs and start winning some games,” Altherr said. “That’s just the way baseball goes sometimes. I think we’ll be all right altogether.”
Despite the team’s struggles, Altherr has put up solid numbers as the everyday right fielder. Following Monday’s game, he’s batting .283 with 12 home runs, 39 RBI and 34 runs scored. Altherr didn’t have a starting job at the
(See Altherr on Page 13)
by Shane McOwen sports writer
Westview boys basketball wrapped up an impressive summer stretch by winning more than two-thirds of its games — without three of the team’s top players. The Knights were without D’maurian Williams, Jakob Lofton and Christian Diaz for much of the summer because of injuries.
Westview coach Brendan McEvoy said it’s been a bummer for the trio to miss time, but it’s given the younger players an opportunity to step in and get valuable reps. So far, the “kids” have impressed.
Williams was out for the summer with a broken middle finger, Lofton missed time rehabbing a minor knee injury, while Diaz recently picked up a calf/Achilles issue, but not before showcasing his skills at the University of Arizona team camp earlier in the month.
“We do have a lot of young guys, and they’re getting better,” McEvoy said. “We’re really excited about that. They’re getting better now. We’re so much deeper than we’ve ever been. We’re not experienced, I’d say that’s the thing [on our minds], but we’re as talented as we’ve ever been.”
“Christian just had a great U of A team camp, and I mean a great one,” McEvoy said. “He definitely looked like a college player at that camp.” McEvoy didn’t expect the Knights to fare as well as they did while missing such a big portion of the team. Westview went 8-3 before Tuesday’s summer finale against Chandler Basha, which included an undefeated run at the U of A camp.
“That’s 6-4, 6-4, 6-5 off of the floor,” McEvoy said.
(See Summer on Page 11)
by Shane McOwen sports writer
A former Millennium High School baseball player is taking his journey to the professional level.
Josh Rojas, a 2013 graduate of Millennium and 2017 graduate of the University of Hawaii, was selected as the 16th pick of the 26th round of the 2017 Major League Baseball FirstYear Player Draft by the Houston Astros organization. Rojas was the 781st player selected overall during the three-day draft event from June 12 to 14.
“I was definitely excited,” Rojas said. “It was kind of unexpected. I didn’t get many calls before that, nobody seemed overly interested. On draft day, I was relaxed and not really paying attention to it. To get the call was pretty exciting.”
Rojas was one of the Rainbow Warriors’ top performers in 2017. The infielder hit .294 over 170 at bats. He was tied for the team lead in home runs (5), first in triples (6) and on base percentage (.404), and second in doubles (15) and hits (50). Rojas played in all but one of the team’s games in 2017, and was the only player to start in 50 of them.
Rojas moved to Hawaii after completing two years at Paradise Valley Community College in Phoenix. The drafting process has ultimately solidified his schooling decisions after leaving Millennium, he said.
“That was one of the first things I
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“I’m just surprised that we were able to hold our own defensively without them.”
The Knights return many key players from last year’s 24-3 team, but one new face will greatly change the dynamic of the team’s offensive and defensive sets.
Cameron Katal, a 6-8 center, transferred to the school earlier in the summer.
“He’s going to be a handful, especially in our league,” McEvoy said. “He just fell into our lap.”
The Knights will be able to put their players in their traditional roles, and not have to play out of position as much with Katal in the mix, McEvoy said.
“That’s a nice thing to have,” he said. “We have a true five for the first time since Andre Adams [in 2014].”
Katal will split time at the center position
looked back on,” Rojas said. “This was the ultimate goal when I graduated high school and went on to play in college. It’s hard each step of the way, especially making your decisions. Most guys get the opportunity to go [Division I] and that’s kind of your final place for the next four years, whereas I went to a junior college. I had to make that decision out of high school, and two years later, I had to make another decision on where I wanted to go to college to finish my final two years. It was cool to be able to look back and think all the decisions were the right decision, [especially] because they were tough at the time.”
Draft journey
Rojas had one workout before the MLB draft. A representative with the Astros invited him to a pre-draft combine in Huntington Beach, Calif., to showcase his skills.
“I went there and did the workout, but didn’t really hear anything after that,” Rojas said. “Then on draft day, I got the call from the Astros.”
Rojas flew out to Troy, N.Y., on June 20, signed a professional contract with the Astros and began playing with the TriCity Valleycats, a short-season Class A team in the New York-Penn League. Rojas traveled nearly 5,000 miles from Honolulu to Troy, and then had to wait a few extra days for all the paperwork to go through.
with Michael McLane, McEvoy said.
“He’s a great guy to come in and spell Cameron,” McEvoy said. “He’s not going to score like Cameron, but he can defend. He’s super tough on the boards.”
McLane split time between JV and varsity last season.
“I think he and Cameron will make each other a lot better in practice,” McEvoy said. “I like that we have that balance in the post, that we complement down there.”
The Knights’ strength will continue to be its guard play, McEvoy said.
“At the guard spot, we’re as good as anybody talent-wise,” he said. “We just have to learn from our mistakes from last year and be better defensively. I think with our length and athleticism, we should be.”
Williams and Lofton will take the heavy load of work in the back court, but McEvoy said he feels young guys such as Zavohn Harris, Isaiah King and Sonny Contreras will play crucial roles next season.
“Zavohn Harris is a tremendous athlete
Houston Astros after finishing his collegiate career at the University of Hawaii.
“They just had to get the business side done before I could hit the field,” Rojas said. “I’ve been itching to play.”
Rojas will play with the Valleycats through September, then break for the offseason and report back to the organization in late January.
Rojas said he’s especially thankful to be in the Astros organization because of its reputation of developing minor league talent.
“They’re well known for getting guys up from the Minor Leagues to the Major Leagues,” he said. “I’ve been able to watch practices and watch workouts. The player development stuff going on is amazing. Everything they do is geared toward the Major League level. They’re not just focused on being successful here, that’s the main message. I’m super excited
who was used to playing a very free system at his old school two years ago,” McEvoy said. “He started on varsity, but we moved him to JV because he needed to get used to the organization of what we were doing. This year, he’s much more comfortable in what we do. With his athleticism jumping out of the gym, he’s just another guy [who’s] going to be tough to guard.”
Isaiah King, a junior point guard, will be playing his third year of varsity basketball. King didn’t see a lot of floor time as a sophomore, with senior Josh Tafoya and Williams handling most of the ball handling duties, but will be looked upon to provide another option for the Knights next season.
“I’d like to have more sets where I can move D’maurian, and [King] is proving to me he can handle the ball,” McEvoy said. “He knows what I want to run, knows what I want to do and does it, and can defend. He may look skinny, [but] he is not weak. He’s worked his tail off in that weight room and he can really get after it.
about being with the Astros.”
The players at the Valleycats camp have been told to expect to play multiple positions to help round out their game, something Rojas is already accustomed to, he said.
From his time at Millennium through Hawaii, Rojas has played in the outfield, third base, shortstop and second base.
“I’ve always been able to play every position,” he said. “I was talking to the other infielders here, and they said they like to move us all around and get us comfortable at every position, just so at the next level, you’re not at one spot stuck behind one person. That’s what I’m most excited about. I’ve done the whole moving around thing and I feel comfortable doing it.”
The Tri-City Valleycats’ season began June 20 with a loss to Connecticut, 9-0.
McEvoy said Contreras has proved he can perform at the varsity level.
“He makes some great slips under the basket, really gets into the teeth of the defense and is pretty crafty in there,” McEvoy said. “We’ve seen that he can play.”
The Knights have chosen their challenges carefully this summer, attempting to test their skills against some of the state’s best programs. Westview hosted Phoenix Sunnyside, as well as Mesa, Cave Creek Cactus Shadows and Basha.
Sunnyside won the 5A Conference state championship last season. McEvoy billed Mesa as “definitely a top-five 6A team,” and had high praise for both Basha and Cactus Shadows. The Knights took some lumps in each of those games, but McEvoy said he’s not worried about those results right now during the summer.
“It’s early on, and we’re still figuring ourselves out,” he said. “I think once we get those guys back to full strength, we’ll be pretty tough to beat. Right now, we’re finding out who can play.”
by Casey Pritchard sports editor
New coach, same old Desert Edge.
The Scorpions’ football team is navigating through a summer schedule without Rich Wellbrock at the helm for the first time since 2009, but new coach Jose Lucero is no stranger to the program.
Lucero spent last year as head coach of Phoenix North Canyon, but before that was the offensive line coach and offensive coordinator at Desert Edge, including in 2014 when it won the state championship.
“Coming back and being part of a pretty good situation is nice,” Lucero said. “We’ve got a lot of kids and a lot of good football players.”
Desert Edge went 10-2 last year, losing to Peoria Centennial in the 5A state quarterfinals. The Scorpions are hard at work this summer in an effort to return to the championship game such as they did in 2014.
“It’s been a good summer,” Lucero said. “The kids have been working hard. We do our workouts Monday through Thursday, and the kids have been getting after it, so it’s good.”
Desert Edge’s biggest accomplishments this summer came in big-man competitions. The Scorpions took the title at Arizona State University.
“It was real good for them,” Lucero said. “We were excited. The kids were pretty pumped.”
Desert Edge had to compete against Phoenix Mountain Pointe and Glendale Deer Valley in the semifinals and finals, respectively. The winner was determined through a tug of war competition. After beating Mountain Pointe, the Scorpions lost the first match in a best of three with Deer Valley, but came back to win the final two and take the title. Lucero said a little bit of strategy went into winning tug of war.
“We like to arrange our kids in a certain way, and we kind of talk about the technique,” Lucero said. “Four or five years ago when I was the O-line [coach], we never did very well. So, I think I spent two hours on YouTube one day trying to figure out how to do it right. We had a little strategy, try to teach them to pull so we can use more of our leg strength. Probably the biggest thing is we’re pretty big, so that helps.”
In addition to winning the ASU title, the Scorpions also won their home bigman month long competition, and were second in the Arizona Football Coaches Association event. Included in that was a victory in the one-on-one portion, which Lucero was really proud of, he said.
“The tournament was broken into two parts,” Lucero said. “The first part was like any other big man, tire flips and things like that, but the one-on-one is like a full tournament where all 20 teams get entered. You have five offensive lineman and five defensive lineman and it’s one-on-one pass rush down the line. So, it’s more football stuff. You have
four seconds to keep them from getting our quarterback, and when we’re on defense, we have four seconds to get the quarterback.”
Desert Edge faced Chandler Hamilton in the finals, and it came down to the last pass rusher as the teams were tied.
“Austin Young, our right tackle, beat their kid and won it for us, so it was pretty cool,” Lucero said.
In terms of passing league competition, the Scorpions had a 18-5 record. They didn’t win any, but won their pool a couple of times and made the quarterfinals of the Universal Athletic tournament and the Arizona Football Coaches Association event.
“We’ve run into some pretty good teams,” Lucero said “Overall, we’re performing pretty well. We’ve had some kids step up on both sides of the ball, so it’s pretty nice.”
Lucero plans to throw the ball more next season, as the Scorpions lost their dual-threat quarterback, Tehran Thomas, to graduation. Desert Edge attempted 160 passes last season, while carrying it 537 times. Thomas had 184 of those carries.
“Losing a kid like Tehran Thomas, we have to put in a different quarterback now,” Lucero said. “The quarterbacks we have competing now are doing a really good job throwing the ball. They’re different than T in how they play quarterback, so we want to build the offense around them. We won’t be doing quite as much read option and things like that, but we’ll open it up a little bit and see how it goes.”
Lucero said the team should also be more talented at wide receiver than in past years.
Throwing the ball to those receivers will be junior Tyler Henry and sophomore Miguel Valdovinos. Henry was the starting JV quarterback last season, while Valdovinos was the starter at the freshman level.
“The two of them are competing right now, and it’s been going real good,” Lucero said. “We have them rotating every two series.”
Strength in numbers
Desert Edge has a large squad competing this summer, as there are approximately 110 athletes out for the JV and varsity teams, while 40 freshmen are working out, also, Lucero said. Going back to Desert Edge has been great, he added.
“It’s big time football,” Lucero said. “It’s kind of cool because we go to tournaments and everybody gets up to play us, every game is a big game when we play somebody, so that’s fun. Going back with all the kids and athletes, it’s nice. I have a great coaching staff here. It’s cool, I can kind of pick and choose the things I want to focus on, and those guys can really pick up a lot of the slack, so it’s really good.”
Desert Edge’s last passing league and big-man competition was over the weekend, and things will slow down a bit in early July before the team goes to camp in Winslow July 17-20.
for
“We won’t do a lot of football related stuff other than lifting and speed and conditioning, that will be our focus,” Lucero said.
After returning from camp, the Scorpions get back to work almost immediately, as they open the season with a zero week game Aug. 18 against Centennial.
“We’re excited,” Lucero said. “Obviously, we know Centennial is going
to be good and it’s going to be a big challenge, but it’s kind of fun having your first game being one of the biggest games on your schedule just because the kids are excited, we’re excited to go over and play them. It’ll be a tough one, but it’ll be fun.”
Casey Pritchard can be reached at caseypritchard@westvalleyview.com or on Twitter @CaseyonSports.
beginning of the season, but Howie Kendrick was injured on a diving catch in the middle of April, opening the door for Altherr to get more playing time, and he ran with it.
“Fortunately, I was able to take advantage of the opportunity and do well,” he said. “It’s been a good experience being able to play every day. I’m having a good time.”
Altherr really caught fire at the start of May, hitting safely in eight straight games and nine of 10. During that stretch, he had six multi-hit games, crushed six home runs — including two in a game against Seattle — and drove in 16 runs. In fact, he hit five homers in five games during the hot streak.
“That was pretty cool; I never had a stretch where I hit that many homers in that many games,” Altherr said.
The hot streak was a combination of confidence and seeing the ball well, he said.
“When you’re feeling confident at the plate, you feel like the ball automatically looks a lot better and clearer to you,” Altherr said. “The biggest thing is being relaxed and confident, not trying to do too much, and you end up doing more than you think you can when you don’t try to do too much. That’s really the main thing.”
Although Altherr was not slated to be a starter at the beginning of the season, he was supposed to be the everyday guy last year until a wrist injury in spring training put him on the disabled list until late July. The reason he was pegged to be a starter was because of a strong finish to the 2015 campaign. When Altherr was called up from the minors in August 2015, he had 33 hits in 39 games. Twenty of those went for extra bases — 11 doubles, four triples and five homers. However, the spring training injury dampened things to start 2016.
“It was definitely frustrating, just knowing I probably was going to be the opening day right fielder,” he said of the injury. “To go down like that and be out as long as I was, it was definitely frustrating. But, stuff like that happens sometimes and you’ve just got to overcome it and not let it get you down. I didn’t, I worked hard trying to get back as fast as I could. Unfortunately, I didn’t perform as well as I wanted to when I came back.”
Upon his return from the DL last year, Altherr batted just .199 in 57 games, hitting four home runs and driving in 22. He said the wrist injury didn’t bother him, but he couldn’t get a feel for his swing right away.
“Nothing really felt right at the plate, and when that happens, my confidence kind of went away for me and I didn’t really feel like I could compete,” Altherr said. “When you’ve got that feeling in you, it’s kind of hard to do what you know you can do. I’m just glad that’s in the past now and I’m moving forward from it.”
With his injury in the rearview mirror, Altherr is playing well in 2017 and looks to continue that. He really hasn’t set too many expectations for himself, though, he said.
“I just try to take it day by day,” Altherr said. “You can’t really put too much pressure on yourself, just go out there, have fun, take it day by day and at the end of the year, the numbers will be what they are. You can’t really
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by Shane McOwen sports writer
With the NBA Finals wrapped up, and the MLB season months away from the playoff push, View Sports is venturing into the unknown, taking a look at popular sports around the globe that maybe aren’t so big in our own backyard.
Over the next few issues, we’ll tackle what it’s like to learn popular sports from scratch, and see what we find.
Today’s sport: Olympic Team Handball.
People may remember some form of Olympic team handball from their physical education classes back in the day. As far as popularity goes in the United States, that’s possibly the pinnacle the game’s reach has had for a large portion of the population.
There’s nothing extraordinarily complicated with handball. It’s a simple game where teams attempt to score more goals than the other with a leather ball about the size of a volleyball. It mixes elements of soccer, hockey, water polo and basketball to create a sort of Frankenstein’s monster super sport.
Anyone familiar with those games won’t need to spend a lot of time becoming familiar with the basics of handball to understand it.
The game is made up of two teams of seven, six court players and one goalie, attempting to score more goals than the other. Players can move with the ball for three steps, hold it for three seconds, or move with an unlimited dribble with three steps allowed before and after the dribble.
A key feature of the sport, which is one of the first things noticed while watching, is the off-limits nature of the goal area. There’s a solid line that travels in a semicircular direction around the baseline, six meters from the goal. Only the goalie is allowed to stand in that area, but players may land in it on a shot attempt as long as they release the ball before touching the ground.
Players don’t have to attempt a jumpthrow to score a goal, but that option gets them closest to the goal, increasing their chances for success.
The founding fathers of handball definitely had excitement on their minds when coming up with the rules and guidelines. Players commit a turnover when holding the ball for more than three seconds without moving. More than that, an entire team can be penalized at the referee’s discretion if they’ve been deemed to
be stalling. Passive play is not a part of the act.
As a result of the aggressive nature, and relatively small court dimensions, teams usually combine for more than 50 goals per match, which consists of two 30-minute halves.
Like soccer, goals are scored when the entire ball crosses the goal line between the posts.
The sport shares its discipline measures with soccer and hockey. Players can receive red and yellow cards. Players can receive one yellow card, like in soccer, but the team can only receive three in total, whereas in soccer you can technically have one for every player on the field without further consequence. A red card still means a disqualification for the offending party, but unlike soccer, the team doesn’t have to play with a oneplayer disadvantage for the rest of the game.
Players guilty of more serious or repeated rule violations receive a twominute suspension, and the offending team has to play a player down, like a power play in hockey.
The only time a team remains a man down for the entirety of the game is for a severe foul, basically an assault on the court.
The question remains with handball: Why isn’t it more popular in the U.S.?
All the ingredients are there. It’s fast paced and high scoring with a decent amount of physical contact between players. As one New York Times article pointed out in 2009, “It’s the most American sport at which Americans stink the most.”
And that’s completely true. The U.S. hasn’t qualified for the Olympics on merit since 1988, where the national team finished 12th. We qualified in 1996, but only because the U.S. hosted the games in Atlanta and had an automatic spot.
The sport isn’t a pariah around the world. It’s extremely popular in Europe. In fact, a European national team has won all but one men’s world championship since 1938.
Handball seemed to be created for those looking to get rid of all the undesirable portions of soccer (low scoring), basketball (more contact), and hockey (more accessible), but sometimes the best ingredients fail to make the perfect dish. At least in the U.S., anyway.
Shane McOwen can be reached at smcowen@westvalleyview.com or on Twitter @ShaneMcOwen.
CLUB PLAYERS from the 15 open team pose with their medals after earning a berth in the Junior National Championships. The team started competition Monday in Minneapolis, Minn., and will conclude Thursday.
15 open club team earns American bid
by Casey Pritchard sports editor
White Tank Mountain Volleyball Club’s 15 open girls team is going to the Junior National Championships in Minneapolis for the first time.
The club team, coached by Jennifer Gonzales, consists of nine girls who are 15 or younger. It finished ninth in the Arizona qualifier and got a “trickledown” bid, Gonzales said.
instrumental in its success, Gonzales said.
“They never give up,” she said. “We could be down by 12 to 15 points, and they’ll, for the most part, come back and make it a good match. They never give up, and they never roll over.”
Most of the girls have played together for a long time, too, which helps with the chemistry, Gonzales said.
“Other people ended up with bids, and we got one because we were next in line,” said Gonzales, who also coaches the varsity team at Estrella Foothills High School.
There are four different types of bids for the national tournament: open bid, national bid, USA bid and American bid. White Tank Mountain volleyball club got an American bid.
White Tank Mountain also attempted to qualify through two other tournaments, but finished second in a Southern California event, and second in a tournament in Reno. In each of those tournaments, only one American bid was given.
However, the Arizona tournament worked out, despite the ninth-place finish.
“The eight teams above you got a bid, so the bid they already had goes to the next one in line,” Gonzales said. “Since we finished pretty good in the Arizona national qualifier, we were the next one in line for the bid.”
No one has accomplished that feat at their club, Gonzales said.
“For my team, this is the first time any of them are going to nationals,” she said.
“The majority of them have played together for two or three years, some of them, it’ll be their fourth year playing together,” she said. “So, a majority of them have been together for quite some time. They have good team chemistry, they’re very hard working, and probably one of the toughest teams mentally I’ve ever coached.”
The team consists of girls from a handful of different schools, including three in the Southwest Valley — Verrado and Millennium high schools and Odyssey Preparatory Academy.
The players on the team are Jada Britt, Nicole Cabrera, Mikayla Cook, Regan Ferguson, Mataiah Fike, Amanda Heidkamp, Kahrizma Kyles, Emily Matancillas and Denise Morales.
In preparation for the national tournament, White Tank Mountain has been practicing twice a week, and just competed in a tournament it hosted. In six matches, White Tank Mountain went 5-1.
“We’re getting ready; I just hope we keep our eyes open and we don’t get mesmerized by everything that’s going on [at nationals],” Gonzales said. “But, I hope they soak it all in because you never know when you’re going to get back.”
As far as winning the national tournament, Gonzales said she doesn’t know how good the team’s chances are.
The Junior National Championships began Monday and run through Thursday. The first three days are pool play, with the bracket portion of the tournament starting Thursday. Sixty-four teams are competing.
“It’s really exciting,” Gonzales said. “It could be a once-in-a-lifetime experience for some girls.”
The team’s never-say-die attitude has been
“I told the girls there aren’t going to be any easy teams, because we’ve already seen a couple of the teams that are going to be in it,” she said. “So, everything is going to be tough because all those teams had to earn their way into the tournament.”
Casey Pritchard can be reached at caseypritchard@westvalleyview.com or on Twitter @CaseyonSports.
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benefit local charities. For information, call 623-512-8878.
Thursday
come. Some basic instruction in needle crafts will be available. For information, call 602-652-3000.
The West Valley View publishes on Wednesday.
The 9 Days a Week calendar — a listing of entertainment events such as concerts, theatrical performances, events for schools, churches, county parks and nonprofit groups — runs every issue. Events must be open to the public to be considered and generally must be held within the View’s coverage area, which is south of Northern Avenue, west of Loop 101, plus all of Tolleson, extends to Estrella on the south and Tonopah on the west. Events such as concerts and theatrical performances that fall outside of the View’s circulation area will be considered as there are no concert halls or theater venues within our boundaries.
Fundraisers that are held at restaurants where only a portion of the proceeds benefits the charity or nonprofit will not be considered.
9 Days a Week calendar items print on a spaceavailable basis; the only way to guarantee that an item will print is to purchase an advertisement.
The 9 Days a Week calendar now may contain paid listings which are clearly marked by “Advertisement” across the top and bottom of paid listings and appear in a screened box. Submissions for paid items may be made by calling the classified advertising dept. of the West Valley View at 623-535-8439. Available sizes and prices: 2 inch ad = $80.00, 3 inch ad = $120.00.
Submissions must reach our office by 4 p.m. Friday to be considered for the Wednesday publication. Submissions must be in writing and may be emailed to news1@westvalleyview.com; faxed to 623-935-2103; or dropped off at the West Valley View, 1050 E. Riley Drive, Avondale AZ 85323.
Games for Brain Health
Games for Brain Health, designed to keep people’s brains active and healthy, will begin at 2 p.m. at the Litchfield Park Branch Library, 101 W. Wigwam Blvd., Litchfield Park.
Blood drive
The American Red Cross is holding a blood drive from 1 to 5 p.m. at the Avondale Civic Center Library, 11350 W. Civic Center Drive, Avondale. To make an appointment to donate, call 1-800-RED-CROSS (1-800-733-2767) or visit redcrossblood.org.
Heart disease support group
The National Coalition for Women with Heart Disease hosts a support group for women living with heart disease from 2:30 to 4 p.m. the fourth Wednesday of every month at Trinity Lutheran Church and School, 830 Plaza Circle in Litchfield Park.
Estrella Republican Club
The Estrella Republican Club
meets at 6:30 p.m. the fourth Wednesday of every month in the lecture room at Estrella Foothills High School, 13033 S. Estrella Parkway, Goodyear.
Citizenship class
People wanting to become U.S. citizens are invited to a free class from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. every Monday and Wednesday at the Care1st Avondale Resource Center, 328 W. Western Ave., Avondale.
Domestic violence support groups
New Life Center offers free confidential support groups for those who have experienced domestic violence. The meetings are held Monday evenings, Tuesday mornings, Wednesday afternoons and Friday afternoons, with varying times and confidential locations. For information, call 623-932-4404, Ext. 123.
Computer classes
Learn the basics of operating a computer from 6 to 7 p.m. every Wednesday in the Program Room at the Buckeye Library Coyote Branch, 21699 W. Yuma Road, Suite 116, Bu ckeye. Registration is required. For information, call 623-349-6300.
Community Bingo
The Rotary Club of Buckeye sponsors Community Bingo at 6:30 p.m. Wednesdays at 3690 S. Estrella Parkway, Suite 108, Goodyear. Doors open at 5 p.m.; cost is $21 per person for all 18 games (paper). Daubers and Power Bingo King electronics are available. Proceeds raised
Zoo animals visit library
Library patrons can get up close and personal with live animals from the Wildlife World Zoo at 10:15 a.m. at the Litchfield Park Branch Library, 101 W. Wigwam Blvd., Litchfield Park.
Self Defense with Krav Maga
People can learn how to defend themselves at Self Defense with Krav Maga at 2 p.m. at the Litchfield Park Branch Library, 101 W. Wigwam Blvd., Litchfield Park.
Park Series: Critter Riddles
People can try to guess the identity of more than 500 types of animals at Park Series: Critter Riddles at 2 p.m. at the White Tank Branch Library, 20304 W. White Tank Mountain Road, Waddell. Registration is required at mcldaz.org.
Follow Your Art Jr.
Teens can create an art portfolio and improve their art skills at the free four-week long Follow Your Art Jr. classes beginning today from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Tuesday to Thursday at the Goodyear Community Center, 420 E. Loma Linda Blvd., Goodyear.
Veteran support group
A veteran and military personnel support group meets from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. every Thursday at the Christ Presbyterian Church, 925 N. Sarival Ave., Goodyear. For information, call 623-8820721.
ESL Cafe
Participants can practice their English or Spanish skills from 5 to 6:30 p.m. every Thursday at the Buckeye Public Library, 310 N. Sixth St., Buckeye. Spanish will be spoken for the first half and English for the second.
New Life Al-Anon
New Life Al-Anon meets at noon every Thursday at Vineyard Christian Fellowship, 255 N. Litchfield Road, Goodyear.
St. Peter’s RePete Boutique
St. Peter’s RePete Boutique thrift store is open from 9 a.m. to noon every Thursday, Friday and Saturday, with the exception of holidays, at 400 S. Old Litchfield Road, Litchfield Park.
Al-Anon Stepping Stones
Al-Anon Stepping Stones meets at 7 p.m. every Thursday at Christ Presbyterian Church, 925 N. Sarival Ave., Goodyear.
Ala-Teen
Ala-Teen meets at 7 p.m. every Thursday at Christ Presbyterian Church, 925 N. Sarival Ave., Goodyear.
Overeaters Anonymous
Overeaters Anonymous, a 12-step program modeled after Alcoholics Anonymous, meets at 6 p.m. every Thursday at the Buckeye Valley Chamber of Commerce, 508 E. Monroe Ave., Buckeye. The goal of the group is to address and work toward recovery. For information, call 623-693-6244.
Taking Turns Toybrary
The Care1st Avondale Resource Center opens the doors to its Taking Turns Toybrary from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Thursdays at 328 W. Western Ave., Avondale. Families can check out fun, educational toys for up to two weeks with a photo ID. For information, call 623-333-2703.
In Stitches in Goodyear
In Stitches in Goodyear meets at 1:30 p.m. every Thursday at the Goodyear Library, 14455 W. Van Buren St., Goodyear. Share ideas, tips and patterns with other crochet, knitting and sewing enthusiasts. Novice to advance needle crafters are wel-
Community Bingo
The Goodyear White Tanks Rotary Club sponsors Community Bingo at 6:30 p.m. Thursdays at 3690 S. Estrella Parkway, Suite 108, Goodyear. Doors open at 5 p.m.; cost is $21 per person for all 18 games (paper). Daubers and Power Bingo King electronics are available. Proceeds raised benefit local charities. For information, call 623-512-8878.
5 p.m. every Saturday at 3690 S. Estrella Parkway, Suite 108, Goodyear. Doors open at 5 p.m.; cost is $21 per person for all 18 games (paper). Daubers and Power Bingo King electronics are available. Proceeds raised benefit local charities. For information, call 623-512-8878.
dence Day Celebration at 6 p.m. at Youngker High School, 3000 S. Apache Road, Buckeye. Fireworks are set to begin at 9 p.m.
Tolleson’s Fourth of July Celebration
Friday Origami 101
Participants can learn the art of origami and make a variety of paper forms at Origami 101 from 2 to 3:30 p.m. at the Litchfield Park Branch Library, 101 W. Wigwam blvd., Litchfield Park.
Boogie Time
Boogie Time, featuring Hawaiian hula and musical favorites, will begin at 2 p.m. at the Goodyear Branch Library, 14455 W. Van Buren St., Suite C-101, Goodyear.
Overeaters Anonymous
Overeaters Anonymous meets at 4:30 p.m. Fridays at Verrado Coffee Co., 1829 N. Verrado Way, Buckeye.
Blood drive
The American Red Cross is holding a blood drive from 9:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. at The Salvation Army Estrella Mountain Corps, 11 N. Third Ave., Avondale. To make an appointment to donate, call 1-800-RED-CROSS (1-800-733-2767) or visit redcrossblood.org.
Youth gaming day
Youths 10 to 18 can join in a video game and board game day from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. the first Saturday of the month at the White Tank Branch Library, 20304 W. White Tank Mountain Road, Waddell.
Cody’s Reading Pack
Young readers can build confidence by reading to therapy dogs during “Cody’s Reading Pack” at 10 a.m. the first Saturday of the month at the Coyote Branch Library, 21699 W. Yuma Road, Buckeye. Readings are by appointment for 15-minute sessions. To reserve an appointment, call 623-349-6300.
Buckeye DAR chapter meeting
Daughters of the American Revolution, Buckeye Chapter, meets the first Saturday of the month at the Buckeye Valley Chamber of Commerce, 508 E. Monroe Ave., Buckeye. Contact Linda Davis at GDavis1003@aol.com if you are interested in attending, becoming a member or learning more about the Daughters of the American Revolution.
Button Hooks Button Club
The Button Hooks Button Club is hosting its monthly meeting starting at 10 a.m. the first Saturday of the month at the Clubhouse Meeting Room at Good Samaritan Care Center, 10323 W. Olive Ave., Peoria. The meeting is for those interested in collecting and/or learning about buttons. For information, call Mary at 623-972-9028.
Texas Hold’em games are held at 6 p.m. every Saturday in the Butler Bistro Room at the American Legion Post 53, 402 E. Narramore Ave. in Buckeye. For information, call 623-327-0227.
Community Bingo
The Rotary Club of Buckeye sponsors Community Bingo at
Adult Children of Alcoholics
The support group Adult Children of Alcoholics meets at 5 p.m. every Sunday at the Litchfield Park First Baptist Church, 901 E. Plaza Circle, Litchfield Park.
Group meditation class
St. Peter’s Episcopal Church, 400 S. Old Litchfield Road, Litchfield Park, hosts a group meditation class from 5 to 6 p.m. Sundays. The class is designed for those desiring to learn meditation or deepen their practice. All faiths are welcome. For information, call the St. Peter’s Office at 623-935-3279 or visit stpetersaz.com.
Community Bingo
The Goodyear White Tanks Rotary Club sponsors Community Bingo at 6:30 p.m. Sundays at 3690 S. Estrella Parkway, Suite 108, Goodyear. Doors open at 5 p.m.; cost is $21 per person for all 18 games (paper). Daubers and Power Bingo King electronics are available. Proceeds raised benefit local charities. For information, call 623-512-8878.
Spend a day with Tolleson eating marshmallows, hot dogs and watermelon at Tolleson’s Fourth of July Celebration from 4 to 9:30 p.m. at Veterans Park, 8601 W. Van Buren St., Tolleson. Fireworks will start at 9 p.m. Fourth of July Splash Bash
Litchfield Park is celebrating the holiday with music, water balloons, greased watermelon polo and other activities at its annual Fourth of July Splash Bash from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Recreation Center Pool, 100 S. Old Litchfield Road, Litchfield Park. For information, visit litchfield-park.org.
Tonopah’s Independence Day Celebration
Tonopah’s Independence Day Celebration will start at 6 p.m. with fireworks after 9 p.m. at Tonopah Valley High School, 38201 W. Indian School Road, Tonopah. The event is free to enter and will feature fireworks, bingo, raffles and vendors selling food and drinks.
Monday Avondale City Council meeting
The Avondale City Council meets at 7 p.m. the first and third Monday of the month at 11465 W. Civic Center Drive, Avondale.
Citizenship class
People wanting to become U.S. citizens are invited to a free class from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. every Monday and Wednesday at the Care1st Avondale Resource Center, 328 W. Western Ave., Avondale.
Crazy 8s club
The Crazy 8s club meets from 4 to 5 p.m. every Monday at the Goodyear Branch Library, 14455 W. Van Buren, Suite C-101, Goodyear. The club is open to third- through fifth-graders who want to learn about math in new ways, including building projects, making music and other techniques.
Mental Illness peer support group meeting
The mental illness support group “Hope” meets from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. every Monday at Christ Evangelical Church, 918 S. Litchfield Road, Classroom C, in Goodyear. The group is free to attend, is for adults 18 and older and is open to the public. For information, call Andy Arnowitz at 480-994-4407.
4
Tuesday Star Spangled Fourth
Goodyear is holding its annual Star Spangled Fourth celebration with a hot dog eating contest, live music and other festivities from 6 to 10 p.m. at Goodyear Ballpark, 1933 S. Ballpark Way, Goodyear. Fireworks will begin after 9 p.m.
Old Fashioned Independence Day Celebration
Celebrate Independence Day with Buckeye the all-American way at Old Fashioned Indepen-
Wednesday Venomous Creatures Hike
Hikers can learn about snakes, Gila monsters, scorpions and other creatures during the Venomous Creatures Hike at 6:30 p.m. at Skyline Regional Park, 2600 N. Watson Road, Buckeye.
District 19
Democrats meeting
The Legislative District 19 Democrats of Maricopa County meets at 7 p.m. the first Wednesday of every month at Tolleson City Library, 9555 W. Van Buren St. Tolleson. The district includes most of Avondale, all of Tolleson and a portion of southwest Phoenix from Interstate 10 up to 35th Avenue. Its purpose is to support the state’s Democratic representatives, senators and all other elected Democrats on city councils and school boards. For information, call Chair Juli Myers at 570-837-9668 or email ld19dems@gmail.com.
Tolleson Elementary School Board meeting
The Tolleson Elementary School District Governing Board meets at 6 p.m. the first Wednesday of the month at the district office, 9261 W. Van Buren St., Tolleson. For information, visit tollesonschools.com.
District 29
Democrats meeting
The Legislative District 29 Democrats meets at 7 p.m. the first Wednesday of each month at the Maryvale Community Center Arts and Crafts Room, 4420 N. 51st Ave., Phoenix.
Thursday
Meet with Rep. Ruben Gallego
U.S. Rep. Ruben Gallego, D-District 7, has a representative from his office available from 9 to 11 a.m. the first Thursday of each month at Tolleson City Hall, 9555 W. Van Buren St., Tolleson. For information, call 602-256-0551.
Quilters Anonymous meets
Quilters Anonymous, a chapter of the Arizona Quilters Guild, meets at 6:30 p.m. the first Thursday of every month at Christ Presbyterian Church, 925 N Sarival Ave., Goodyear. For information, call Stacey at 623-979-1775.
Adolpho Joseph Baca, 36, of Avondale died June 22, 2017, in Goodyear.
Mr. Baca was born Oct. 17, 1980, in Phoenix to Adolpho Santos Baca and Delores Yolanda Baca.
He was a student.
He is survived by one daughter, Nevaeh Renee Baca; three sons, Joseph Isiah Baca, Joshua Jacob Baca and Alex Matthew Gutierrez; his parents, Adolpho and Delores Baca; two sisters, Genevie Baca and Francina Flores; one brother, Jacob Baca; and two grandparents, Jesus and Lupe Gonzales.
A visitation will be from 3 to 5 p.m. Friday at Avenidas Funeral Chapel, 522 E. Western Ave., Avondale. Condolences may be left at avenidasfuneralchapel.com.
John Soto ‘Little John’ Bandin
John Soto “Little John” Bandin, 61, of Buckeye died June 22, 2017, in Buckeye.
Mr. Bandin was born May 15, 1956, in Maricopa.
He attended Tolleson High School and worked on the farms.
He is survived by one daughter, Joanna Webb; one son, Joseph Webb; his parents, Guadalupe Bandin and Delfina Bandin; four sisters, Mary Ellen Lara, Delfina Bandin, Eleanor Sade and Connie Hansen; and five brothers, Ralph Rodriguez, Guadalupe Bandin Jr., Ismael Bandin, Ernie Bandin and Raul Bandin.
Funeral services will be at 10 a.m. Saturday at Ganley’s Buckeye Funeral Home, 104 Baseline Road, Buckeye.
James Harold Blain
James Harold Blain, 80, of Litchfield Park died June 20, 2017, in Avondale.
Mr. Blain was born Sept. 7, 1936, in Powell, Ohio, to George and Frances Blain.
He served in the U.S. Air Force, achieving the rank of second lieutenant.
He was preceded in death by his wife, Anna M. Blain. He is survived by two daughters, Nicole Blain and Michelle D. Younger; three grandchildren; and one greatgrandchild.
Interment is at the National Memorial Cemetery of Arizona in Phoenix.
Bill Morse
Bill Morse, 78, of Buckeye died June 22, 2017, in Goodyear of heart failure.
Mr. Morse was born March 16, 1939, in Phoenix.
He served in the U.S. Army. He is survived by one daughter, Billie Ortiz; three sons, Frank Morse, Perry Morse and Kevin Morse.; one sister, Lorrain Marquez; and four grandchildren.
Memorials may be made to the family at 29520 W. Pierce St., Buckeye, AZ 85396.
Gilbert J. ‘Jack’ Nowlin
Gilbert J. “Jack” Nowlin, 92, of Litchfield Park and formerly of Dayton, Ohio, died June 22, 2017, in Phoenix.
Mr. Nowlin was born July 2, 1924, in Lawrenceburg, Ind., to Gilbert and Mae Nowlin.
He served for four years in the U.S. Navy aboard the USS Idaho and was honorably discharged in 1946.
He was a member of the Antioch Shrine, Masonic Temple and Scottish Rite.
He was preceded in death by one son, Terry Nowlin.
He is survived by his wife, Marijo; one daughter, Pamela Cooke; three sons, Tom, Tim and Paul Nowlin; six grandchildren; and seven great-grandchildren. Condolences may be left at thompsonfuneralchapel.com.
William Lloyd Price, 88, of Waddell died June 13, 2017. Mr. Price was born Oct. 14, 1928, in Hannibal, Mo. He lived in St. Louis and attended St. Louis University. He joined the U.S. Navy at age 16 and served on the USS Providence and USS Hobson as well as shore duty at the U.S. Naval Academy and Naval Medical Center in Washington, D.C.
He was a detective with the St. Louis Police Department and joined the Army National Guard and was recalled to active duty as a medic during the Korean War.
He moved to Phoenix in 1972 and received a physician assistant license and practiced in Goodyear, Sun City and Phoenix and continued practicing in the West Valley until he retired in 2004.
He was a Mason and a member of the DAV Ritual Team, Elks and Shriners. He was a member of the Disabled American Veterans for more than 40 years, recently serving as the department chaplain, and was recognized for his efforts at this year’s DAV state convention.
He was a Boy Scout leader, serving as a commissioner, camp inspector and scoutmaster. He received the Silver Beaver, Order of the Arrow and Vigil awards as well as the St. George Emblem for service to Catholic Scouting. He manned the Health Lodge at Camp Geronimo, recruited medical staff and performed free camp physicals.
He is survived by his wife, Cathy; six sons, James, Fredrick, William, John A., Joseph and Daniel; 14 grandchildren; and seven great-grandchildren.
Services were June 20 at Arizona Veteran Memorial Cemetery in Phoenix.
Memorials may be made to the Disabled American Veterans, Chapter One, Treasurer Tom Linton, 12615 N. 35th St., Phoenix, AZ 85032.
Diana Lynn Olson
Diana Lynn Olson, 60, of west Phoenix died June 9, 2017, in Phoenix.
Mrs. Olson was born July 28, 1956, in Oak Park, Ill.
She moved to Arizona in 1971.
She was a member of Palm Valley Church in Goodyear.
She is survived by her husband, Rex Olson of Phoenix; two daughters, Christine Thompson of Goodyear and Amy Olson of Phoenix; her father, Robert White Sr. of Buckeye; one sister, Barbara White of Olathe, Kan.; one brother, Robert White Jr. of Litchfield Park; and three grandchildren.
James Michael Popoff, 39, of Buckeye died June 10, 2017, in Buckeye.
Mr. Popoff was born Sept. 11, 1977, in Glendale.
He worked for the city of Surprise, the city of Buckeye and Sunland Co.
He is survived by his wife, Cassandra Popoff of Buckeye; two daughters, Ariana F. Popoff and Alexa L. Popoff, both of Buckeye; his father, Mike Popoff of Peoria; his mother and stepfather, Dolly and Randy Huron of Tolleson; one sister, Pamela J. Baldwin of Tolleson; one brother, David J. Popoff of Peoria; and one grandchild. Memorials may be made to Shadow Mountain Mortuary, 2350 E. Greenway Road, Phoenix, AZ 85022.
Antonia Sandoval Rodriguez, 95, of Tolleson died June 15, 2017, at her home.
Mrs. Rodriguez was born Sept. 2, 1921, in Nochistlan, Zacatecas, Mexico.
She was a homemaker.
She was preceded in death by her husband, Felipe; and one son, Francisco.
She is survived by four children, Josefina Rodriguez, Delia Palafox, Jesus Rodriguez and Alvaro Rodriguez; 11 grandchildren; 25 greatgrandchildren; and two greatgreat-grandchildren.
Memorial services were conducted June 11.
This obituary is being rerun with additional information.
Elaine J. Vinci, 84, of Goodyear died June 20, 2017, in Surprise.
Mrs. Vinci was born June 14, 1933, in Newark, N.J., to Anthony Lawrence Pace and Minnie Kaplan Pace.
She worked in business, accounting and office management positions in the insurance industry and in bookkeeping for AAA, retiring as an internal auditor in the reinsurance business.
She was preceded in death by her husband of nearly 60 years, Vincent Vinci; two sons, Mark Vinci and Vincent Vinci; two daughters, Susan Vinci Lucero and Patty Vinci; and three grandchildren.
A gathering was held June 23 at Thompson Funeral Chapel in Goodyear and a memorial Mass celebrated June 24 at St. Francis Xavier Catholic Church in Phoenix.
Condolences may be left at thompsonfuneralchapel.com.
Alex was born on December 1, 1998. He passed away on June 20, 2017 at the age of 18. His parents are Jason and Karen Keaveny and he has a twin sister, Makayla, who he was proud to make fun of for him being a minute older. In his short time here he became an accomplished soccer player. His team, Banat, won 3 consecutive state titles. He was known throughout the soccer world as number 18. As a freshman at Verrado High School, he played on the varsity soccer team and won the Agua Fria player of the year. He also enjoyed skateboarding. When he tried a new trick, he would not stop until he mastered it.
He is survived by his parents Jason and Karen Keaveny, his twin sister Makayla, his half brother Mark Sullivan (Tina), his half sister Leanne Sullivan (Benny), his Grandmother Juanita Gall and his Grandfather Doug Hersey. He was preceded in death by his nana, Margret Keaveny and his papa, Mike Keaveny.
Alex was a beautiful soul, loved by many and he will be truly missed. We all love you Buddy Boy and can’t wait till we are together again.
Alex’s services were held on Tuesday June 27. Arrangements were handled by Thompson Funeral Chapel. The Keaveny family wishes to express their most sincere appreciation for all the prayers, love, and support that they have received.
School Notes are published as space permits. The View runs these items free of charge as a service to the community and puts as many into each newspaper as possible. If you have a notice that must run by a certain date, please contact our advertising department at 623535-8439.
Western Maricopa Education Center (West-MEC) honored former Assistant Superintendent Clifford Migal at his retirement celebration by unveiling the new name of the main building as the Clifford A. Migal Aviation Building.
The honor was inspired by Migal’s 14 years of service to West-MEC.
The Buckeye Elementary School District has been recognized by the Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports of Arizona for improving pupil academic and behavioral outcomes.
Buckeye Elementary was recognized with a gold award; Bales Elementary, Inca Elementary, Jasinski Elementary and WestPark Elementary were recognized with silver awards; and Sundance Elementary was honored with a bronze award.
Twenty-five Allstate agency owners and the Homeless Youth Connection are celebrating the graduation of 102 high school seniors who were part of the Homeless Youth Connection.
The Allstate owners worked to secure $1,000 each for a total of $25,000 from the Allstate Foundation Helping Hands in the Community grant program. The grant is intended to support HYC’s mission to provide students with basic needs so they can focus on school.
According to HYC, 75 percent of homeless youths drop out of high school. HYC said 83 percent of the seniors in the program have completed their education.
Kwinten Shackleford of Goodyear has graduated from Benedictine College in Atchison, Kan. Shackleford earned a bachelor’s degree in exercise science.
Manny Martinez of Tolleson graduated from Trine University in Angola, Ind. Martinez earned a degree in electrical engineering.
Teon Gudina named to dean’s list
Teon Gudina of Goodyear has been named to Trine University’s dean’s list for the spring 2017 semester. Gudina is a design engineering technology major. Kourtney King named
Kourtney King of Tolleson has been named to the president’s honor roll at the University of Central Oklahoma in Edmond, Okla.
Goodyear and the Catitude Gallery and Studio are working together for the Follow Your Art Jr. program for high school juniors and seniors. The program is designed to help students complete portfolios needed for graduation and acceptance into art school. For information, visit goodyearaz.gov.
Matthew Luna receives Dorrance Scholarship
Matthew Luna of Buckeye has received the Dorrance Scholarship. Luna is a graduate of Verrado High School in Buckeye and will attend Arizona State University.
Jason Bourne and Karen Peyer have been selected for the Maricopa County Education Service Agency’s Aspiring Principals Program.
The program’s two-week course and multiple seminars are designed to develop skills and competencies for being a principal.
Sara Nicole Williamson of Goodyear and Kristen Noelle Bolte and Veronica Michelle Garcia, both of Litchfield Park, have graduated from Baylor University in Waco, Texas.
Avondale teacher rewarded with car
Samantha Neely, a physical education teacher at Canyon Breeze Elementary School in Avondale, was rewarded with a new car for perfect attendance. The reward is part of an attendance-based program that focuses on increasing the attendance rate of pupils and staff in the Pendergast Elementary District.
Other prizes awarded to staff members included a vacation in Mexico and $1,000 cash. The prizes were provided by the Pendergast Education Foundation, which worked to raise funds along with Sands Chevrolet.
Mallory Rose Tower of Goodyear has graduated magna cum laude from the University of Northern Colorado in Greeley, Colo.
Daniel Witt named to dean’s list
Daniel Witt of Buckeye has been named to the dean’s list for the spring 2017 semester at Eastern New Mexico University in Portales.
To be eligible for the dean’s list, a student must complete a minimum of 15 credit hours with a GPA between 3.25 and 4.0.
(From Page 17)
Barry L. Vonder Mehden
Barry L. Vonder Mehden, 88, of Litchfield Park died June 15, 2017, in Litchfield Park.
Mr. Vonder Mehden was born Feb. 17, 1929, in San Francisco.
He graduated from Cal-Poly University and Boston College.
He earned medals while serving in the U.S. Army and was a member of the VFW and the American Legion.
He moved to Arizona in 2006.
He was a writer, with a story published in Chicken Soup for the Veterans Soul.
He is survived by two daughters, Oriana Mehden of Katy, Texas, and Tanya Carlson of Tampa, Fla.; two brothers, Henry Vonder Mehden and Lloyd Vonder Mehden, both of Santa Rosa, Calif.; and six grandchildren.
A viewing will be at 10 a.m. today at Ganley’s Buckeye Funeral Home, 104 Baseline Road, Buckeye, followed by funeral services at 12:30 p.m. at the National Memorial Cemetery of Arizona, 23029 Cave Creek Road, Phoenix.
Memorials may be made to the National Memorial Cemetery of Arizona, 23029 N. Cave Creek Road, Phoenix, AZ 85024.
Nathan Andrew Waddell
Nathan Andrew Waddell, 36, of Buckeye died June 17, 2017.
Mr. Waddell was born Jan. 24, 1981, in Danville, Va., to John Waddell and Tama Collins.
He served in the U.S. Army from 2003 to 2011.
He is survived by his wife, Corinna Waddell; two daughters, Jacqueline and Sedona; one son, Anthony; his mother, Tama Collins; his father, John Waddell; and one sister, Vanessa Nelson.
A visitation will be at 5 p.m., followed by a funeral service and military honors at 6 p.m. Thursday at Thompson Funeral Chapel, 926 S. Litchfield Road, Goodyear.
Condolences may be left at thompsonfuneralchapel.com.
The West Valley View publishes free obituaries for people who were residents or former residents of the West Valley.
We also encourage the use of photos with obituaries. Photos will be cropped to a head shot, so they must be of fairly high resolution (at least 200 dpi) if submitted electronically.
Free obituaries are edited to conform to newspaper style. People who wish to have obituaries published verbatim, without any editing, may purchase a paid obituary; call 623-535-8439.
Funeral homes may submit obituaries using our online form at westvalleyview.com; click on Submit an Obituary. They may also email, fax or mail us obituaries. Our email is news1@westvalleyview.com. Our fax number is 623-935-2103. Our mailing address is West Valley View, Inc., 1050 E. Riley Dr., Avondale, AZ 85323.
LUNG CANCER? And 60+ Years Old? If So, You And Your Family May Be Entitled To A Significant Cash Award. Call 877-510-6640 To Learn More. No Risk. No Money Out Of Pocket. (AzCAN)
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ADVERTISE YOUR JOB Opening in 68 AZ newspapers. Reach over half a million readers for ONLY $330! Call the West Valley View at 623-535-8439 or visit: www.classifiedarizona.com. (AzCAN)
CALGON CARBON CORPORATION
is seeking a skilled Field Production Technician for its site in Gila Bend, AZ. This position will be responsible for coordinating with the Control Room Operator to handle the movement of raw materials from the field, perform process changes, and investigate and correct equipment issues. Pay starts at $19.00 /hour, depending on experience. To learn more or to apply, visit the careers section at calgoncarbon.com
CAREGIVER Female required NO EXPERIECNCE Needed Part-time, private home in Buckeye. On the job training. 623-826-6715 for interview.
JBS
Tolleson, AZ NOW HIRING MASTER ELECTRONIC TECHNICIANS
JBS Case Ready Facility located in Tolleson Arizona is now hiring Master Electronic Technicians for its NEW state of the art operation. Candidate should possess a strong knowledge of electronic controls and industrial electrical. Associates Degree + 5 years applicable industry experience required. PAY RANGE
$26.50/hr- $31.50/hr + Benefits Quick Start Option Available for qualified candidates with experience and education above minimum requirement.
Apply at: jbssa.com/careers For further information please contact: Linda at 623 476-4086
LOOKING for experienced compassionate CNA’s, Certified Caregivers. Part time/ full time. 623-547-7521.
Paraprofessional Wanted Special Education Teacher Wanted Part Time Cafeteria Assistant Wanted Palo Verde School District 10700 S. Palo Verde Rd. Palo Verde, AZ 85343 623-327-3690 www.paloverdeschools.org ttreece@pvesd.ord
SUPER 8 now accepting applications for Part- time Night Auditor. Apply in person, 840 N. Dysart Road, Goodyear.
Trained/Experienced Techs Make Approximately $20-$30 /hour + bonuses! Taking resumes for a quaified septic employee. Honest, strong, good attitude, hard working person that is not afraid of a shovel, yet personable & professional. Drivers license is a must. CDL is a plus, but not required at first and will be required to be obtained. Will train to our high standards. Pay starts at $16-$20/hr depending on experience. Email resumes to septictech@att.net.
WAREHOUSE clerk. 32 hours/ wk. $10/ hr. 67th Ave & Northern. Family friendly. Resume: reldistributing@gmail.com Call 623-930-0152
Our advertisers say: “WVV is an excellent source for advertisement!”
Twin or full new Orthopedic mattress set in plastic. Let the VIEW work for you. Call 623-535-VIEW (8439)
DAYCARE in my home. Snacks, meals, some weekends, some evenings. Esther 602-361-1607.
Housekeeping 32
PERSONAL touch cleaning without crew, servicing Litchfield Park, Verrado, Estrella Mountain and Goodyear, weekly & biweekly special, Call Robin 623-853-5324.
Classes And Instruction 40
Highland Aikido Self-defense mini-seminar Saturday, July 15, 2017 420 E. Loma Linda Blvd., Goodyear, AZ Loma Linda Recreation Center 9:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. Ages 13 and over. www.highlandaikido.com Email aikelew@aol.com
Home Sales 50
1366 S 221st LANE. 2,375 Square feet. 4 Bedroom 3 Bath. Just Refurbished. $209,900. Ron Trinka Realty 623-853-2525.
ADVERTISE your home, property or business for sale in 68 AZ newspapers. Reach over half a million readers for ONLY $330! Call the West Valley View 623-535-8439 or visit: www.classifiedarizona.com. (AZCAN)
Land 51
1 ACRE +, Near Lower Buckeye and 355th Ave. Owner will carry, $25,000; 10% down, 10% interest, 15 year amoritized, 5 year balloon. Shared well, 6 foot chain link fenced. Ron Trinka Realty Inc., 623-853-2525.
1 to 18 acres, starting $10,000, various locations, payments, owner/ agent, 602-510-8900.
FAMILY Liquidation- Last 160 acres, $149,900. Offers accepted. Owner will carry for 3 years at a low 8% interest. 888-444-1220.
NEW MEXICO 10 to 20 wooded acres near Arizona border. Electric and gravel roads. Great horse property, owner financing, low down from $19,995. Hitching Post Land Co. 888-812-5830. www.Hitchingpostland.com (AzCAN)
Job Title: CDL Class “A” Driver
Description:
• Deliver product to customers
• Ramp delivery, multiple stops
• Solo and team runs required Qualifications:
• Must be 21 years of age
• Possess a CDL License
CAREGIVERS and drivers needed. Hiring for summer only and permanent positions. We train for certification to care for special needs. Trainees start $10.00/ hour. Higher pay for experience. 623-547-4839. Experienced or trade school student wanted for repair shop in Buckeye. FULL /PART TIME. Call 602-486-4456. 623-547-0712
www.westvalleyview.com
NORTHERN AZ Wilderness Ranch $197 Month. Quiet secluded 37 acre off grid ranch set amid scenic mountains and valleys at clear 6,200’. Near historic pioneer town & fishing lake. No urban noise and & dark sky nights amid pure air & AZ’s best year-round climate. Evergreen trees /meadowland blend with sweeping views across uninhabited wilderness mountains and valleys. Self-sufficiency quality garden loan soil, abundant groundwater & maintained road access. Camping and RV’s ok. N homeowner’s Assoc. or deed restrictions. $22,900, $2,290 dn, seller financing. Free brochure with additional property descriptions, photos/ terrain map/ weather chart/ area info: 1st United Realty 800.966.6690. (AzCAN)
are searching for a self-motivated, energetic candidate. Qualifications include good interpersonal skills, exceptional written and verbal communication skills. College degree with three- five years supervisory experience required. Bi-lingual in Spanish is a plus.
DISTRIBUTION 2ND ND SHIFT SUPERVISOR
This position is responsible for establishing and maintaining successful operations of an assigned area, department, or shift within the distribution center. It ensures that the department has adequate staffing, proper training, the needed tools and resources, standards of productivity, safety and sanitation. It also ensures proper procedures of stocking, selection, and quality that will meet customer demands for accurate, quality, on-time deliveries.
McLane is a drug free employer, EOE, M/F/D/V. Apply online at www.mclaneco.com/careers. Click on “join the McLane Team”, locate the Supervisor opening for Sunwest (Goodyear, AZ), click on “Apply”
• Minimum 2 years driving experience or 50,000 miles
• No Felony Convictions
• No more than 2 moving violations within the last 3 years
• No DWI/DUI within the last 5 years in any vehicle, public or private
• No more than 2 major preventable accidents within the last 3 years
• Must be able to pass D.O.T. physical and able to pass written and driving test
• Must be willing to travel out of town overnight or more if required
• Be customer focused
Other Qualifications:
• Must pass hiring background requirements, drug test and physical assessment testing
• Must have a High School diploma or GED McLane is a drug free employer, EOE, M/F/D/V
Benefits Start Your First Day Apply online : www.mclaneco.com/careers Excellent opportunity to join McLane Company, the nation’s largest wholesale convenience store supplier.
WENDEN, AZ. Beautiful 40 acres, near government land, special price $48,900. Close to Highway 60 off Alamo Road. Owner 888-444-1220.
Commercial Properties 52
OFFICE/ Retail/ Premium/ Affordable suites available, 722’-2000’. Dysart/ Van Buren/ Litchfield. 602-694-3158.
Manufactured Homes 55
2-3 BEDROOM mobile homes for sale. New factory to you homes and lots available. Owner financing. All age family gated community. New homes available. 623-935-4296, 623-826-5398, 623-853-5739.
$25,000 under dealer’s cost! New 2017 Schult mobile homes. 3 bedroom /2 bathroom. Deck, carport awning, shed. 28 X 52.
2000 S. Apache Rd., Buckeye
Home Rentals 60
SALOME, Arizona 4 bedroom, 2 bath on 1 fenced acre. Private well, paved road, nice neighborhood. Rent to own. $975/ month. Mark O/A 928-856-1144 or email markjcooper1@gmail.com.
SAVE YOUR HOME! Are you behind paying your MORTGAGE? Denied a Loan Modification? Is the bank threatening foreclosure? CALL Homeowner’s Relief Line now for Help! 855-801-2882 (AzCAN)
SOCIAL SECURITY Disability? Up to $2,671/mo. (Based on pain-in amount.) FREE evaluation! Call Bill Gordon & Associates. 1-800-960-3595. Mail: 2420 N St NW, Washington DC. Office: Broward Co. FL., member TX/NM Bar. (AzCAN)
Services 80
HANDYMAN-37 years experience. Drywall, framing, plumbing, painting, electrical, roofing and more. Stan, 602-434-6057.
JOEL Cedillo- I do construction work! Concrete, Block, Stucco, Bobcat work, Haul-away, Demolition. Call for free estimates. 623-707-6072.
LITCHFIELD ClockworksQuality antique clock repair. House calls on grandfather clocks. 623-759-3151.
YARD work, clean ups, removal, sod installation, irrigation systems, hauling, rock spreading. Juan 623-242-4161, 623-242-4159.
ACORN Stairlifts. The affordable solution to your stairs! **Limited time- $250 off your Stairlift purchase!** Buy direct and save. Please call 1-800-268-9843 for free DVD and brochure.
CUT the cable! Call DirecTv.
Bundle & save! Over 145 channels PLUS Genie HD-DVR.
$50/month for 2 Years (with AT&T Wireless.) Call for other great offers! 1-800-404-9329. (AzCAN)
DISH NETWORK- TV for Less, Not Less TV! FREE DVR. FREE Install ( up to 6 rooms.)
$49.99/mo. PLUS HiSpeed Internet- $14.95/mo (where available) 1-855-722-2290 (AzCAN)
EMPTY 30 gallon steel drums with cap and ring lids. $20 each. See at West Valley View, 1050 E. Riley Drive, Avondale. Monday through Thursday, 9:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. Email: Rwestfall@westvalleyview.com
NEWSPAPER end rolls for sale, $1.50 and up. One-Half inch of paper or more. West Valley View, 1050 E. Riley Dr., Avondale. Great for children’s fingerpainting and drawing. Or use it for packing dishes, etc. for that big move.
OXYGEN- Anytime. Anywhere. No tanks to refill. No deliveries. The All-New Inogen One G4 is only 2.8 pounds! FAA approved! Free info kit: 844-843-0520 (AzCAN)
SAFE Step walk-in tub. Alert for Seniors. Bathroom falls can be fatal. Approved by Arthritis Foundation. Therapeutic jets. Less than 4 inch step-in. Wide door. Anti-slip floors. American made. Installation included. Call 800-538-3092 for $750 off.
Automotive 500
$ $100- $500+ ABANDONED all as is autos! Good condition more $$$$. Best prices! Fast, free pick up. 623-329-2043.
$ $100- $500+ ABANDONED all autos! Any condition. Good condition more $$$$! Call 602-561-6291.
DONATE YOUR CAR TO CHARITY. Receive maximum value of write off for your taxes. Running or not! All conditions accepted. Free pickup. Call for details. 866-932-4184 (AzCAN)
602-818-6291 or Jeff 623-932-5444.
City
Avondale Public Notice
NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN THAT THE REGULAR MEETING OF THE AVONDALE CITY COUNCIL SCHEDULED FOR MONDAY JULY 3, 2017 HAS BEEN RESCHEDULED TO MONDAY JULY 10, 2017 IN OBSERVANCE OF INDEPENDENCE DAY.
Published in the West Valley View, and the West Valley Business on June 21, and 28, 2017.
IN ACCORDANCE WITH ORDINANCE # 316, SECTION 3, pertaining to liquor license applications and Publication of Notice, notice is hereby given that the Avondale City Council has received for approval an application for a liquor license within the corporate limits of Avondale, Arizona from: Andrea Dahlman Lewkowitz Walgreens #07387
Location: 10710 W. McDowell Road, Avondale, AZ 85392 Series 10 – Beer and Wine Store License
Any person who is a resident of Avondale of the age of eighteen (18) years or more, residing, owning or leasing property within one-half mile radius of 10710 W. McDowell Rd., Avondale and who is in favor of, or opposed to the issuance of a Series 10 liquor license shall, file with the City Clerk of the City of Avondale, a written argument in favor thereof, or objection thereto by July 5, 2017.
Any person interested in said application is hereby notified that the Mayor and City Council will review said application at their Council meeting on July 10, 2017 at 7:00 p.m. at the Council Chambers, 11465 West Civic Center Drive, Avondale. Published in the West Valley View, and the West Valley Business on June 28, and July 5, 2017.
City of Avondale
Public Notice
IN ACCORDANCE WITH ORDINANCE # 316, SECTION 3, pertaining to liquor license applications and Publication of Notice, notice is hereby given that the Avondale City Council has received for approval an application for a liquor license within the corporate limits of Avondale, Arizona from: Andrea Dahlman Lewkowitz Walgreens #05776
Location: 1451 N. Dysart Road, Avondale, AZ 85323
Series 09 – Liquor Store License
Any person who is a resident of Avondale of the age of eighteen (18) years or more, residing, owning or leasing property within one-half mile radius of 1451 N. Dysart Road., Avondale and who is in favor of, or opposed to the issuance of a Series 09 liquor license shall, file with the City Clerk of the City of Avondale, a written argument in favor thereof, or objection thereto by July 5, 2017.
Any person interested in said application is hereby notified that the Mayor and City Council will review said application at their Council meeting on July 10, 2017 at 7:00 p.m. at the Council Chambers, 11465 West Civic Center Drive, Avondale. Published in the West Valley View, and the West Valley Business on June 28, and July 5, 2017.
Public Notice
FORM OF NOTICE REQUEST FOR ARGUMENTS FOR AND AGAINST THE ISSUANCE OF BONDS BY THE DISTRICT TO BE CONSIDERED BY THE VOTERS OF LITTLETON ELEMENTARY SCHOOL DISTRICT NO. 65 OF MARICOPA COUNTY, ARIZONA, AT AN ELECTION TO BE HELD ON NOVEMBER 7, 2017
Pursuant to a resolution adopted by the Governing Board of Littleton Elementary School District No. 65 of Maricopa County, Arizona (the “District”) on June 13, 2017 (the “Resolution”), a special election in and for the District was ordered and called to be held on November 7, 2017 (the “Election”). Notice of the Election will be given by mailing an informational pamphlet. Such pamphlet is to include arguments for and against the authorization of the issuance of bonds payable from a secondary, ad valorem property tax by the District to be considered at the Election. (The text of the question to be considered at the Election is included in the Resolution which is available by request to the undersigned at Littleton Elementary School District No. 65 of Maricopa County, Arizona, 1600 South 107th Avenue, Avondale, Arizona 85323.) Any person interested in providing any such argument is hereby requested to provide the same to the County School Superintendent of Maricopa County, Arizona, at Suite 1200, 4041 North Central Avenue, Phoenix, Arizona 85012, before 5:00 p.m., Arizona time on August 11, 2017. If you have any questions about the foregoing, please contact the Superintendent of the District at (623) 478-5611. /s/ Dr. Roger Freeman Superintendent, Littleton Elementary School District No. 65 of Maricopa County, Arizona Published in the
PURSUANT TO ARIZONA REVISED STATUTES SECTIONS 9-462.04 et seq., NOTICE IS HEREBY
GIVEN that the Planning Commission and City Council will be holding separate public hearings at the dates and times set forth above, in the place specified above, at which times and place all interested persons will have an opportunity to appear and be heard in relation to the following:
CONDITIONAL
These are public hearings before the Planning Commission and the City Council to review and solicit public input on PL-15-0067, a request by
Campbell AZ, LLC., for approval of a Conditional Use Permit (CUP) to
a Personal Wireless Service Facility located at 715 E. Western Ave. The 50-foot tower and associated ground equipment will be fully enclosed, landscaped, and located behind the church in the back of the lot. The tower features a water tank design and will be located near the railroad tracts. The application number for this request is PL-17-0062.
Information regarding the proposal may be obtained by contacting the City of Avondale Planning Division located at 11465 W. Civic Center Dr., Suite 110, Avondale, Arizona. Written comments on the request may be submitted to the Planning Division for consideration by the Planning Commission. If you have any questions concerning this request, please contact Rick Williams with the Avondale Planning Division at (623) 333-4018.
Published in the West Valley View, and the West Valley Business on June 28, 2017.
business support, and/or hospitality would be permissible along with residential uses secondary to the employment and commercial components. Vertical or horizontal integration of all uses are expected via street access, site design and orientation, and pedestrian connectivity.
The proposed rezone from Agriculture to Planned Area Development for the 54.5 acres will expand upon the new General Plan designation and create development standards for the various types of uses that will be allowed.
At the meeting, representatives from the City of Avondale will be available to answer questions and solicit comments on this request. Please note, this is not a public hearing and no official action will be taken.
The meeting is scheduled as follows:
of Avondale contact for
decided at the meeting may be obtained by contacting:
Contact Name: Kelley
Baysinger
Phone: 623-474-6600
Email Address: kbaysinger@ liberty.k12.az.us
Phone Ext: 1013
The information above is posted on the ADE’s Web site pursuant to A.R.S. §15-905(C) and Laws 2017, Ch. 305 §33, and is not intended to satisfy Open Meeting Law requirements under A.R.S. §38-431.02 et seq. Published in the West Valley View, and the West Valley Business on June 28, 2017.
Public Notice
FORMULARIO DE AVISO
SOLICITUD DE ARGUMENTOS A FAVOR Y EN CONTRA DE LA EMISIÓN DE BONOS POR EL DISTRITO
A CONSIDERACIÓN DE LOS VOTANTES DEL DISTRITO ESCOLAR PRIMARIO NÚM. 65 DE LITTLETON DEL CONDADO DE MARICOPA, ARIZONA, EN UNA ELECCIÓN QUE SE LLEVARÁ A CABO EL 7 DE NOVIEMBRE DE 2017
Conforme a una resolución adoptada por el Consejo Directivo del Distrito Escolar Primario Núm. 65 de Littleton del Condado de Maricopa, Arizona (el “Distrito”) el 13 de junio de 2017 (la “Resolución”), se ordenó y se convocó a una elección especial en y para el Distrito que se llevará a cabo el 7 de noviembre de 2017 (la “Elección”). Se dará aviso de la Elección enviando un folleto informativo por correo. Dicho folleto incluirá argumentos a favor y en contra de la autorización de la emisión de bonos, pagaderos de un impuesto secundario ad valorem a la propiedad, por el Distrito que se considerará en la Elección.
(El texto de la pregunta que se considerará en la Elección se incluye en la Resolución que está disponible a petición del firmante en el Distrito Escolar Primario Núm. 65 de Littleton del Condado de Maricopa, Arizona, 1600 South 107th Avenue, Avondale, Arizona 85323.) Por la presente se les solicita a las personas interesadas en suministrar dichos argumentos que los presenten a County School Superintendent of Maricopa County, Arizona, Suite 1200, 4041 North Central Avenue, Phoenix, Arizona 85012, antes de las 5:00 p.m., hora de Arizona del 11 de agosto de 2017. Si usted tiene preguntas sobre lo anterior, por favor comuníquese con el Superintendente del Distrito en el (623) 478-5611.
/s/ Dr. Roger Freeman Superintendente, Distrito Escolar Primario Núm. 65 de Littleton del Condado de Maricopa, Arizona Published in the West Valley View, and the West Valley Business on June 28, 2017.
DIVORCE SUMMONS Docket No. WO17D1100DR Commonwealth of Massachusetts The Trial Court Probate and Family Court Tuan Le Thanh Vo vs. Xena Nguyen To the Defendant: Worcester Probate and Family Court, 225 Main Street, Worcester, MA 01608
The Plaintiff has filed a Complaint for Divorce requesting that the Court grant a divorce for Irretrievable Breakdown. The Complaint is on file at the Court. An Automatic Restraining Order has been entered in this matter preventing you from
taking any action which would negatively impact the current financial status of either part.
SEE Supplemental Probate Court Rule 411.
You are hereby summoned and required to serve upon: Andrea Lee Smith, Esq., Tadmor & Tadmor LLP, 340 Main St., Suite 610, Worcester, MA 01608
Your answer, if any, on or before 07/25/2017. If you fail to do so, the court will proceed to the hearing and adjudication of this action. You are also required to file a copy of your answer, if any, in the office of the Register of this Court.
WITNESS, Hon. Leilah A Keamy, First Justice of this Court.
Date: May 10, 2017 /s/ Stephanie K. Fattman, Register of Probate
Published in the West Valley View, and the West Valley Business on June 28, 2017.
Public Notice
TOLLESON ELEMENTARY
SCHOOL DISTRICT #17
Notice of Destruction of Special Education Records
All special education data and information on students who were in special education will be destroyed five years after the child has withdrawn, transferred, promoted from the district, or phased out of special education. It is the responsibility of the parent(s) or adult age student (18 years of age or older) to obtain copies of the information they may need for other purposes before special education data and information is destroyed. (Authority – 20 USC, 1412(a) (8), 1417(c)).
Should you have any questions or would like to obtain copies of special education records you can call the Tolleson
Elementary School District at (623) 936-9740.
Tolleson Elementary District
Provides Screening for Children with Special Needs
Parent of School age Children
If you think your school age child (k-8) may have a delay in academics, speech/language, motor skills, adaptive (selfhelp), or social skills, please contact your child’s teacher or the Special Programs office at (623)533-3923.
Parents of Preschoolers
Do you have a child in your home who is 3 or 4 years old?
Tolleson Elementary School District provides free screening for children who may be delayed in the following areas:
Physical: fine and/or gross motor muscle development; sensory (vision and hearing)
Cognitive: thinking, mental or problem-solving development
Communication/ Language: receiving Information (receptive) and expressing understood information (expressive) development
Social/ Emotional: internal and external adaptation to environmental stimuli development
“Adaptive: self-help development to attain basic needs.
Sensory: vision and hearing
If you think your child may have a delay in any of these
areas, please contact the Special Programs office at (623)5333923.
Parents of Child Birth to Three Years Old
A child from birth to 36 months of age will be considered to exhibit developmental delay when that child has not reached 50 percent of the developmental milestones expected at his/her chronological age, in one or more of the following domains:
Physical: fine and/or gross motor muscle development; sensory (vision and hearing)
Cognitive: thinking, mental or problem-solving development
Language/communication: receiving information (receptive) and expressing understood information (expressive) development
Social/Emotional: internal and external adaptation to environmental stimuli development
Self-help: adaptive development to attain basic needs.
Sensory: vision and hearing
If you have questions regarding developmental delays for your child birth to three years old, call your local Arizona Early Intervention Program, 602-5329960.
Published in the West Valley View, and the West Valley Business on June 28, July 5, and 12, 2017.
2016 Drinking Water Annual Water Quality Report
We’re pleased to present to you this year’s Annual Water Quality Report (see charts on page 21). This report is designed to inform you about the water quality and services we deliver to you every day. Our constant goal is to provide you with a safe and dependable supply of drinking water. We want you to understand the efforts we make to continually monitor the water quality process and protect our water resources. We are committed to ensuring the quality of the water provided to you. We are pleased to report that our drinking water is safe and meets federal and state requirements. This report shows our water quality and what it means.
Our water and its source.
Valley Utilities water comes from deep underground, from the Agua Fria aquifer. Our aquifer was created primarily from mountain runoff and storm water infiltrating beneath the ground along the Agua Fria River and up in the Bradshaw mountain range.
Our 5 active wells pump water from 350 to 800 feet below the earth’s surface from the aquifer. Water from the wells is pumped into storage tanks. With a series of booster pumps, the water is
pressurized and pumped through transmission and distribution mains to reach your home.
Source Water Assessment Report
Source water protection is a method to identify, develop and implement local measures that advance the protection of the drinking water supply. Based on the information currently available on the hydro geologic setting of and the adjacent land uses that are in the specified proximity of the drinking water sources of Valley Utilities Water Company Inc., A.D.E.Q. has given a low risk designation for the degree to which our public water system drinking water sources are protected. The Source Water Assessment Report is available at our office upon your request.
Who do I contact if I have any questions about Valley Utilities drinking water supply or this report? If you have any questions about your water or this report please call Bob Prince at (623) 935-1100 during normal business hours (8:00 am to 11:30 am & 12:30 pm to 4:00 pm., Tuesday through Friday, except holidays.)
Monitoring your drinking water is important to us. Valley Utilities Water Company and the State of Arizona via ADEQ’s Monitoring Assistance Program, routinely monitors for
constituents in your drinking water according to Federal and State laws. This table shows the results of our monitoring for the period of January 1st to December 31st 2016. Drinking water, including bottled water, may reasonably be expected to contain at least small amounts of some contaminants. The presence of contaminants does not necessarily indicate that water poses a health risk. More information about contaminants and potential health effects can be obtained by calling EPA’s Safe Drinking Water Hotline (1-800426-4791). Some people may be more vulnerable to contaminants in drinking water than the general population. Immunocompromised persons such as persons with cancer undergoing chemotherapy, persons who have undergone organ transplants, people with HIV/AIDS or other immune system disorders, some elderly, and infants can be particularly at risk from infections. These people should seek advice about drinking water from their healthcare providers.
Environmental Protection Agency/Center For Disease Control guidelines on appropriate means to lessen the risk of infection by Cryptosporidium and other microbial contaminants are available from the Safe Drinking Water Hotline (1-800-426-4791). The sources of drinking water (both tap water and bottled water)
include rivers, lakes, streams, ponds, reservoirs, springs, and wells. As water travels over the surface of the land or through the land, it dissolves naturally occurring minerals and, in some cases, radio active material, and can pick up substances resulting from the presence of animals or from human activity.
Contaminants that may be present in source water include:
• Microbial contaminants, such as viruses and bacteria, which may come from sewage treatment plants, septic systems, agricultural livestock operations, and wildlife.
• Inorganic contaminants, such as salts and metals, which can be naturally-occurring or result from urban storm water runoff, industrial or domestic wastewater discharges, oil and gas production, mining, or farming.
• For public Pesticides and herbicides which may come from a variety of sources such as agriculture, urban storm water run-off and residential uses.
• Organic chemical contaminants, including synthetic and volatile organic chemicals, which are byproducts of industrial processes and petroleum production, and can also come from gas stations, urban storm water run-off, and septic systems.
• Radioactive contaminants, which can be naturally occurring,
in the community as a result of materials used in your homes plumbing. If you are concerned about elevated lead levels in your home’s water, you may wish to have your water tested and flush your tap for 30 seconds to 2 minutes before using tap water. Additional information is available from the Safe Drinking Water Hotline 1-800- 426-4791.
Arsenic Health Information
“While your drinking water meets EPA’s standard for arsenic, it does contain low levels of arsenic. EPA’s standard balances the current understanding of arsenic’s possible health effects against the costs of removing arsenic from drinking water. EPA
continues to research the health effects of low levels of arsenic, which is a mineral known to cause cancer in humans at high concentrations and is linked to other health effects such as skin damage and circulatory problems.”
Nitrate Health Information
Nitrate in drinking water at levels above 10 ppm is a health risk for infants of less than six months of age. High Nitrate levels in drinking water can cause blue baby syndrome. Nitrate levels may rise quickly for short periods of time because of rainfall or agricultural activity. If you are caring for an infant you should ask advice from your health care provider. Valley Utilities provided its customers drinking water below the MCL of 10 ppm during 2016. Attencion, hablantes de Espanol
Este informe contiene informacion muy importante sobre su agua beber. Traduzcalo o hable con alguien que lo entienda bien. In this table you will find many terms and abbreviations you might not be familiar with.
Maximum Contaminant Level (MCL):
The highest level of a contaminant that is allowed in drinking water. MCLs are set as close to the MCLGs as feasible using the best available treatment
technology.
Maximum Contaminant
Level Goal (MCLG):
The level of a contaminant in drinking water below which there is no known or expected risk to health. MCLGs allow for a margin of safety.
Maximum Residual Disinfection (MRDL):
The highest level of a disinfectant allowed in drinking water. There is convincing evidence that addition of a disinfectant is necessary for control of microbial contaminants
Maximum Residual Disinfection Level Goal (MRDLG): The level of a drinking water disinfectant below which there is no known or expected risk to health. MRDLGs do not reflect the benefits of the use of disinfectants to control microbial contaminants.
To help you better understand these terms we’ve provided the following definitions:
Non-Detects (ND)
Parts per million (ppm)
Parts per billion (ppb)
Parts per trillion (ppt)
Parts per quadrillion (ppq)
Picocuries per liter (pCi/L)
Entry Point Distribution System (EPDS)
Millirems per year (mrem/yr)
Million Fibers per Liter (MFL)
Nephelometric Turbidity Unit (NTU)
Variances & Exemptions
(V&E) - State or EPA permission not to meet an MCL or a treatment technique under certain conditions.
Action Level (AL)
Treatment Technique (TT)
Maximum Contaminant Level
– (MCL)
Maximum Contaminant Level Goal – (MCLG)
Maximum Residual disinfection Level Goal –(MRDLG)
Maximum Residual Disinfection Level – (MRDL)
Water Conservation Water conservation is everyone’s responsibility and there are many ways to accomplish conservation. Stay vigilant in finding and repairing ALL water leaks regardless how small. A small investment in repairs today will pay big dividends in the future. The following are a few simple ways to conserve water:
1. Install water-saving shower heads.
2. Many high water consumption problems stem from toilets which slowly leak water because of bad valves, improperly positioned float arms or defective overflow tubes. Use anything that will safely color the water in your toilet tank. After several minutes if you see that color in your toilet bowl you know you have a leak. Consider installing a high efficiency toilet
(HET) that only uses 1.28 gallons/flush.
3. Wash only full loads in the dishwasher. Use the “light wash” setting when possible.
4. Water your lawn in the early morning hours or early evening. In many cases when you water your lawn in the heat of the day as much as 90 percent of that water can evaporate. A note from the team at Valley Utilities Water Company:
All of us at Valley Utilities are concerned about the quality and cost of our product, the water we deliver to your home. As we have all experienced the price of everything is on the rise and the cost of producing and treating the water we deliver to your homes and businesses is no exception. Although we pump the water from a deep underground aquifer, we constantly monitor for quality and treat for harmful constituents as they are identified by the agencies that regulate our industry. Not only is this the right thing to do and a requirement of the law but there is an even more compelling reason for our diligence, we who work here, as well as our children and grandchildren, drink and use this same water. Even with all of our testing monitoring and treatment, we also depend on you, our customers, to advise us if you notice any differences in the water such as taste, color and aroma, even pressure. We
also depend on our customers to report any water leaks, not only in our transmission and distribution system but also for your neighbor’s homes and businesses. There is another area where we depend on our customers help. Please, call us if you see anyone, other than a Valley Utilities employee, working on water company equipment. Also, if you suspect someone is tampering with any water company equipment or on company property, call us any time day or night. Intentional damage to equipment or theft of water costs all of us money. Worst of all, intentional or accidental contamination of a water source or water lines could be devastating to people’s health and costly to all of us who pay for the water we use. With the aid of our customers, we at Valley Utilities will continue to deliver to your tap, dependable, high quality water, at a reasonable price. Thank you for your help in our ongoing effort, from all of us at Valley Utilities. Bob Prince President Published in the West Valley View, and the West Valley Business on June 28, 2017.
