West Valley View - August 31, 2016 by Times Media Group

POLICE ACADEMY

Teens learn about law enforcement during annual program — Page 10.

Expert teaches ins and outs of latest craze — Page 9.

Home, sweet home buyer

State program offers assistance to people purchasing houses

by Glenn Gullickson staff writer

As a real estate agent, Brittany Brown spends her days helping others find the homes of their dreams, but she needed a little help to buy a home of her own recently in Goodyear. Brown is among the homeowners who

are taking advantage of a state program that provides some of the cash necessary to close the deal on a home.

The Arizona Department of Housing’s Pathway to Purchase home loan program is offering assistance to buyers in areas that have been identified as lagging behind in the housing recovery, including Avondale, Buckeye and Glendale.

For buyers who qualify, the program offers a deferred and forgivable loan equal to 10 percent of a home’s purchase price up to $20,000 to go toward the down payment and closing costs, according to Reginald H. Givens, the program’s administrator.

The program is available to homebuyers with an annual income of less than $92,084 who are working with a participating lender to purchase

homes not exceeding $371,936.

“You could get it for zero down,” Givens said. For Brown, the program meant she could settle her three sons — a 10-year-old and 7-year-old twins — into a four-bedroom, 2,100-square-foot house in the Palm Valley development in Goodyear.

Brown had previously owned a home, but was renting since the Great Recession.

“The program allowed me to get back into home ownership, which had been on my goal board for years,” Brown said.

She said the assistance allowed her to buy a bigger house earlier than she had planned. Without the program, “I would have had to

(See Home on Page 2)

Buckeye park employee honored

Skyline Regional Park also recognized by Arizona Parks and Recreation Department

by Glenn Gullickson staff writer

Buckeye’s Skyline Regional Park and the employee who helped guide its development have been recognized with top awards from the Arizona Parks and Recreation Department.

Robert Wisener, who received the Outstanding Parks Professional Award, said helping to create Skyline “has been the capstone project of my career in Buckeye.”

Skyline, which opened in January, was

named an Outstanding Facility for cities with populations between 25,000 and 100,000.

The 8,700-acre park on the south side of the White Tank Mountains offers 27 miles of trails for hiking, mountain biking and horseback riding as well as facilities for picnicking and camping.

“For me, it’s rewarding going out there and seeing people enjoying the trails,” said Wisener, who is Buckeye’s conservation and project manager.

He said the park’s usage has exceeded

(See Park on Page 3)

View photo by Jordan Christopher

BRITTANY BROWN stands with her sons, 7-year-old twins Ryan, left, and Dylan, and 10-year-old Justin, Aug. 16 outside their newly purchased home in Goodyear. Brown used the state’s Pathway to Purchase Program to buy the house.

View photo by Jordan Christopher

BOB WISENER, Buckeye Conservation and Project manager, stands at Skyline Regional Park Aug. 25 in Buckeye. Wisener recently received the Outstanding Parks Professional Award from the Arizona Parks and Recreation Department.

HULA HOOPING

settle for something smaller or waited longer,” she said. It also freed up some money to make some renovations, including new paint and flooring and a backyard ramada. She and the boys are dreaming about putting in a swimming pool.

Givens said there’s been “tons of interest” in the program, and “it’s well received by the lending community.”

The program covers existing homes, including singlefamily houses, townhouses, condos and multi-family complexes of up to four units as long as the buyer lives in one of the units, Givens said.

The program that started in March is working with $76 million in federal funds, which are administered by the state, Givens said.

He estimated the money would last for 18 to 24 months and help 38,000 to 46,000 homebuyers with an average loan of $16,300.

The money comes in the form of a soft-second mortgage, which would be forgiven after five years, with no payments and no interest, Givens said.

The funds are not taxable, he said.

If the homeowner sells the house within the five years, the money is required to be repaid, he said.

Givens said the program should appeal to all kinds of buyers, including first-time homeowners and those wanting to move up or downsize.

That could include singles, couples, families and others who may have been affected by a transition, such as death or divorce, he said.

Givens said the program should appeal to renters experiencing escalating rent increases that may hamper their ability to save for a down payment.

It’s also available to what’s known as “boomerang buyers,” former homeowners who are coming back into the housing market after suffering through foreclosures or short sales during the housing market downturn, he said.

Brown said she’s promoting the program in her business, using it to help two other homebuyers close the deal.

Since the program targets areas where the housing market is lagging, Givens said homes in those communities don’t come with the high price tags found in overheated markets.

“Prices shouldn’t be artificially inflated by pent-up demand,” he said.

Givens said the program also benefits cities where the homes are sold by moving existing inventory, drawing people to town, building the tax property tax base and increasing spending.

Other cities eligible for the program are Arizona City, Casa Grande, Coolidge, Douglas, El Mirage, Fort Mahave, Huachuca City, Laveen, Maricopa, Red Rock, Sierra Vista, Snowflake, Tucson and Yuma.

Avondale program helps ﬁrst-time home buyers

An Avondale program is expected to help 10 to 15 first-time buyers become homeowners.

An agreement recently approved by the City Council establishes the First-Time Homeowner Assistance program to help Avondale home buyers, according to Matthew Hess, of the city’s Neighborhood and Family Services Department.

Hess said the program will provide a maximum of $30,000 to buyers who qualify based on income and family size.

The money can be used for a down payment, closing costs and principle reduction for single family homes costing up to $219,000, Hess said.

“Our assistance fills any gaps they may have,” he said.

The home purchaser is required to contribute a minimum of $1,000 or 1 percent, he said.

“We know there’s a need and demand” for home buying assistance, Hess said.

“People are generally very excited purchasing their first home,” he said. “It’s a very rewarding program to operate.”

Beyond helping home buyers, Hess said the program benefits the city by working to stabilize neighborhoods that may have been affected by the downturn in the housing market.

Existing homes in all parts of the city qualify for purchase under the program, but mobile homes do not, Hess said.

Hess said city officials determined that assisting people in buying homes was the best use of $300,000 in Community Development Block Grant money, which funds the program.

The program continues city efforts to help home buyers in place after the downturn in the housing market.

The program is being administered by Trellis, a nonprofit organization that Hess said will also provide credit and financial counseling as well as workshops on the closing process, budgeting and home repairs.

For information, contact Avondale’s Neighborhood and Family Services Department at 623-333-2706.

For information on the Pathway to Purchase program, visit www.azhousing.gov or call 602-771-1000.

T-shirt sparks protest at Buckeye Union H.S.

by Kourtney Balsan special to the

View

The Black Lives Matter Movement is spreading to a local level. Ten Buckeye Union High School students protested Monday after one student was banned from wearing a black lives matter T-shirt on picture day last week.

On Aug. 23, Mariah Havard, 15, was escorted by a security guard to the administrative office. She was handed a white T-shirt and told to change because the shirt she was wearing was disruptive to the school’s educational environment, Mariah wrote on her Facebook page.

She said the incident dated back to Aug. 19 when she got into an argument with a white student who said, “black lives don’t matter,” and, “That shirt is meaningless.”

The Washington Post, Teen Vogue, International Business Times and Buzz Feed all reported on the incident.

Buckeye Union High School isn’t commenting on the event, but it went to Facebook and its website to announce its policy and opinion.

“The district is aware of the peaceful protest adjacent to our campus today. In regards to the reasons they protested, you will have to ask the organizers. The district is working with staff, local leaders and black lives matter representatives to develop a plan to turn the incident involving the black lives matter T-shirt from a negative situation into a positive learning experience. This is an excellent opportunity to teach tolerance, understanding and acceptance for the diverse learners that make up BUHSD. This will be a process and not happen overnight. It will take the support of all involved and from the communities we serve. BUHSD is committed to the success of all students,” the district wrote on its website and Facebook page.

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

(From Page 1)

expectations, with up to 10,000 people visiting a week.

Even as the heat of the summer was setting in, Wisener said almost 400 vehicles filled the park’s parking lot on Memorial Day weekend.

Wisener said visitors are attracted by the park’s free admission and location just a couple of miles north of Interstate 10 at 2600 N. Watson Road.

Once inside the park, visitors enjoy trails leading to vantage points with views of the Buckeye Valley and toward the University of Phoenix Stadium in Glendale, he said.

“We have some really great trails in the park that are a draw for people,” Wisener said.

He said Skyline also offers greater opportunities to see a variety of wildlife than other parks in the Valley.

A recreation coordinator has established programming at the park, including a desert survival class, a star gazing program and hikes to identify wildlife and plants, he said.

The park attracts visitors from the West Valley, but has also been discovered by hiking groups from the East Valley, Wisener said.

“They’re all excited about a new mountain preserve and regional park in the Valley,” he said.

Wisener, 38, started work on the Skyline project soon after joining the Buckeye staff in 2008 following jobs with Erie County, Pa., where he’s originally from, and then the city of Phoenix.

After a 25-year lease agreement for the land was signed with the Bureau of Land Management in 2010, Wisener went to work on a master plan and development plan for the park, he said.

A major hurdle was crossed when funding for the park was provided in a $3 million deal with Phoenix through the use of the Buckeye landfill for a solar generating plant, Wisener said.

Construction started last summer on roadways, ramadas, camping sites and a bridge over a wash to connect trails.

A big turnout for the park’s grand opening was an indication that the effort was worthwhile, Wisener said.

“It showed there was a large need for this type of facility,” he said.

Wisener said there are plans, but no timetable, for additional amenities at the park, including more picnic areas and campsites.

Wisener’s award also recognized his work in updating the city’s master plan for parks and recreation, a project that involved citizen input to create a vision for the next 10 to 20 years.

“Part of that is parks and open spaces and making sure we’re setting aside land for active and passive recreation,” he said. “People want to move to communities where there are trails and places for their kids to recreate.”

Wisener said surveys show that trails rank with splash pads and aquatic centers as amenities residents desire.

Buckeye’s Skyline Regional Park and other areas of the White Tank Mountains get support from a nonprofit organization dedicated to protection and enjoyment of some of the West Valley’s most notable natural resources.

The White Tank Mountains Conservancy was formed in 2015, the brainchild of Todd Hornback, executive director of community development for DMB, the builder responsible for the development of Verrado at the base of the mountains in Buckeye.

“Although we’re a developer, we have a penchant for conservation and being sensitive to the land that we have the privilege of developing,” Hornback said.

“We knew this asset would be value added to our community.”

Besides White Tank Mountain Regional Park, nearly 30,000 acres managed by the Maricopa County Parks Department, Hornback said he found there wasn’t much being done with what he called “a hidden gem.”

In addition to desert plant life and petroglyphs, the area is home to mule deer, mountain lions and Javelina, which could be threatened as further development occurs.

After meeting with Buckeye Mayor Jackie Meck, the idea for the conservancy was patterned around the McDowell Sonoran Conservancy that protects an area near DMB’s DC Ranch development in Scottsdale, Hornback said.

Hornback is chair of the conservancy’s sevenmember board, with Meck as vice chair.

“We want to do more than protect the mountains, we want to protect the ecosystem and natural habitat,” Hornback said.

By advocating for the White Tank Mountains, Hornback said the conservancy seeks to avoid what’s happened in some other areas of the Valley where developments near mountains have been blamed for eliminating wildlife.

“The question is, how do you balance growth with the preservation of open spaces?” he said.

The benefit for residents is greater recreational resources by protecting tens of thousands of acres of open space in the White Tank Mountains from development and making the area accessible to the public, Hornback said.

This year, the organization launched a three-year $1 million fundraising campaign.

Hornback said about $300,000 has been raised, with charter memberships offered the first year.

Donations at the $50,000 corporate level have come from DMB, APS/Palo Verde Nuclear Generating Station and the homebuilder D.R. Horton.

A $25,000 individual membership donation category is also available, Hornback said.

Municipalities committing to a $25,000 contribution include Buckeye, Surprise, Peoria and Youngtown. Progress is being made to get other West Valley cities on board with the project, Hornback said.

“They realize this is a regional asset,” he said. “They see the value of open space.”

Hornback said city officials can promote conservation efforts to lure business.

“The more assets you have in the region, the more it attracts business,” he said.

Hornback said funds raised go toward the conservancy’s start-up costs, including hiring an executive director.

Efforts will eventually shift to foundation funding, but Hornback said he doesn’t see the conservancy becoming a multimillion dollar organization.

“Most conservancies are high-impact, low-cost enterprises because they use volunteers,” he said.

Hornback called the volunteer stewards “critical to the ultimate success” of the conservancy.

Already, the conservancy has helped offset operations and maintenance costs at Skyline Regional Park with the stewards.

According to the city of Buckeye, 835 volunteer hours have been donated by volunteer stewards who patrol the trails, guide hikes and nature walks and provide information and assistance to park visitors.

A volunteer team of what Hornback called “citizen scientists” are working with Arizona State University and the Desert Botanical Garden to inventory flora and fauna in the mountains.

The team of stewards is overseen by Robert Wisener, Buckeye’s conservation and project manager, who is also on the conservancy’s board.

Wisener said 50 volunteers are involved in the program.

“It really has been a benefit,” he said.

Wisener described the volunteers as “active adults,” ranging from college-age youths to retirees.

Volunteers have an interest in the outdoors and preserving and protecting natural resources, he said.

Volunteers go through a training program, with the next one to be offered Oct. 22.

To apply to volunteer or for information on the conservancy, visit wtmconservancy.com.

West Valley Women’s C Care are

Gema Fernandez, M.D.

Maria R. DiLeo, M.D.

Kim Roberts, W.H.N.P.

Cari L. Cowling, M.D.

James M. Johnson, M.D.

Arrest made in fatal hit-and-run in Tolleson

by Emily Toepfer assistant editor

An arrest was made in an Aug. 27 fatal hit-and-run at 99th Avenue and Harrison Street in Tolleson, officials said.

The Tolleson Police Department was notified at about 6:15 a.m. about a body in the roadway, and requested the case be taken over by the Arizona Department of Public Safety Vehicular Crimes Unit, said Bart Graves, a DPS spokesman.

“Our investigators believe a vehicle was southbound on 99th Avenue and struck a pedestrian on the southbound shoulder,” Graves said.

The pedestrian landed in a drainage canal and was pronounced dead at the scene, he said.

The driver went north on 99th Avenue and abandoned the vehicle at Van Buren Street, fleeing on foot, Graves said.

Detectives made an arrest later that day, but neither the pedestrian’s nor driver’s names have been released, he said.

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

Prison employee accused of sexual conduct with inmate

by Emily Toepfer assistant editor

An Arizona Department of Corrections warehouse employee was arrested Aug. 11 and faces charges of sexual conduct with an inmate at the Perryville prison in Goodyear, court records state.

Martin Sesmas, 43, of Phoenix had worked at the women’s prison complex for four years, records state.

Correctional staff at Perryville received an anonymous inmate letter Aug. 10 that accused Sesmas of having sexual conduct with one of his former inmate employees, records state. Handwritten letters and jewelry were found during a search of the woman’s cell, records state.

Sesmas allegedly admitted to having sexual conduct with the inmate at least five times between March and May. He also reported putting $800 in her inmate account, records state.

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

Teens’ murders still unsolved

by Emily Toepfer assistant editor

It’s been more than a year since two West Valley teens were found brutally murdered in the Tonopah desert, and Silent Witness is again asking for the public’s help to solve the case.

The bodies of Sophia Gibbs, 17, and Jesse Romero, 18, were found at about 5:45 a.m. Aug. 18, 2015, near Salome Highway and 411th Avenue.

They were last seen with two acquaintances, according to Silent Witness Sgt. Jamie Rothschild.

Sophia’s father, James Gibbs, appeared at a press conference Sunday morning to make a plea for new information.

“I just feel as if somebody knows something, and if they would just lead the detectives in the right direction with solid proof and evidence,” he said.

James Gibbs described his daughter as a “feisty, short little thing,” who wanted to become a military nurse.

by Emily Toepfer assistant editor

More than a dozen dogs were seized from a Buckeye home after detectives with the Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office determined they were being neglected and mistreated, officials said.

Detectives responded Aug. 23 to the house near Maricopa and Apache roads and found two dogs outside in poor condition, said Officer Courtney Palma, a spokeswoman with MCSO.

The dogs were immediately seized, but the homeowner, Marva Jean Sturgeon, 65, refused entry into the house for a welfare check on her remaining mixed-breed dogs,

by Emily Toepfer assistant editor

A worker with Arizona Public Service Co. was flown to a hospital Aug. 23 after he received an electric shock in Tonopah, officials said.

The man was in a bucket truck at about 1:40 p.m. near 539th Avenue and Lower Buckeye Road when he made contact with a power line, said Deputy Joaquin Enriquez, a spokesman with the Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office.

He was conscious at Maricopa Medical Center, where he was being assessed and monitored last week, said Anne DeGraw, a spokeswoman with APS.

View report

Fire crews responded at about 10:30 p.m. Monday to a hazardous spill in the roadway at 9651 W. Roosevelt Street in Tolleson, officials said.

“It would help me so bad to be able to put this behind us,” he said. “Nobody wants to talk about this. It’s very hard.”

Sophia was a student at Desert Edge High School in Goodyear, where she played softball.

“I just miss her so much,” James Gibbs said. “I think abou t it day in and day out. It’s so hard to go about your regular norm.”

If you have any information about the case, contact Silent Witness at 480-WITNESS, 480-TESTIGO or toll free at 1-800-343-TIPS. Calls will remain anonymous. Information can also be provided at silentwitness.org.

A $1,000 reward is available for information leading to an arrest.

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

Detectives returned Aug. 24 with a warrant and discovered conditions within the home were unsuitable, which resulted in the seizure of 11 more dogs, she said.

The dogs are being examined by veterinarians to determine the extent of their physical ailments, Palma said.

“Animals deserve to be cared for in a way that preserves their overall health,” Sheriff Joe Arpaio said. “If they are neglected in a way that causes harm, my detectives will be showing up to make sure the neglect stops.” It has yet to be determined if Sturgeon will face charges.

“This is the worst fear for electric utility workers — to see one of our own injured on the job,” APS said in a statement. “The dangers associated with working around electricity are real, and our first responders in the field are trained and committed to protecting each other and keeping the lights on for customers. Our thoughts and prayers are with our employee and his family during this difficult time.”

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

The spill was determined to be about 150 gallons of peroxide used at a nearby well site for cleaning chemicals, and was contained and cleaned up by hazmat crews, Tolleson Fire Chief George Good said.

Palma said.

Sophia Gibbs Jesse Romero

Martin Sesmas

Man arrested in connection to shooting

by Emily Toepfer assistant editor

Avondale police made an arrest Aug. 24 in connection to a shooting early that morning outside a house near 125th Avenue and Lower Buckeye Road in Avondale, officials said.

Jesus Castellanos, 60, faces one count of attempted first-degree murder, said Officer Ray Emmett, a spokesman with the Avondale Police Department.

Officers responded at about 3:45 a.m. Aug. 24 for a reported shooting and found a man on the ground with a gunshot wound, Emmett said.

The victim was transported to a local hospital, where he underwent surgery, he said.

It’s unknown what led up to the shooting, and the case is still under investigation, Emmett said.

Buckeye man accused of vehicle burglary

A Buckeye man was arrested Aug. 23 in connection to a vehicle burglary near 228th Avenue and Sundance Parkway in Buckeye, officials said.

Cristian Corral, 18, was transported to Maricopa County Fourth Avenue Jail and faces a felony charge for third-degree burglary, Buckeye police said.

Officers responded early Aug. 23 after a caller reported seeing a man looking inside vehicles, police said.

A man was located who matched the description provided by the caller, but a victim couldn’t be located at first, police said.

As a result of their investigation, officers arrested Corral and recovered a stolen change purse containing $10 and other property that had been removed from the vehicle, police said.

Police said they believe the victim’s vehicle was left unlocked while parked outside the home.

Tolleson letter carrier gets 9 months for theft

View report

A Tolleson woman was sentenced last week to nine months in prison for stealing mail while she was employed as a letter carrier by the United States Postal Service.

Denise Robertson, 51, was previously convicted by a jury on charges of theft of mail by a postal employee and possession of stolen mail.

Between Oct. 13, 2013, and June 26, 2014, Robertson stole mail from her route, other carriers’ routes and the post office where she worked.

In one day, she reportedly stole about 70 pieces of mail, most of which were greeting cards that appeared to contain gift cards and cash.

Robertson had been employed with the United States Postal Service for 20 years.

2 Buckeye residents arrested after traffic stop

by Emily Toepfer assistant editor

Two Buckeye residents were arrested earlier this month following an Aug. 19 traffic stop, officials said.

While on patrol, a Buckeye officer stopped a vehicle for a traffic violation and one of the passengers fled on foot into an adjacent neighborhood, police said.

Assisting officers began circulating the area searching for the man while the officer who initiated the stop approached the three other people in the vehicle.

The officer reported the odor of alcohol and marijuana coming from inside, police said.

A man driving the vehicle was cited for traffic violations, and a minor was cited for breaking curfew, police said.

Emily Amador, 34, of Buckeye was arrested and booked into Maricopa County Fourth Avenue Jail. She faces numerous felony charges, including possession of methamphetamine, possession of marijuana, tampering

with physical evidence, false reporting to law enforcement and contributing to the delinquency of a minor, police said.

Amador allegedly told officers she was the mother of the minor in the vehicle, which was determined not to be true, police said.

The man who fled the scene was later identified as Daniel Hernandez Torres, 24, of Buckeye, and it was discovered he had a felony probation warrant for his arrest, police said.

Torres was located Aug. 22 after he fled from another vehicle to avoid arrest. He was found moments later hiding in a tree, police said.

He was arrested and transported to Maricopa County Fourth Avenue Jail. He faces the warrant and felony charges stemming from the Aug. 19 incident, police said.

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

Buckeye residents arrested in connection to house burglary

View report

Two Buckeye residents were arrested last week in connection to a residential burglary northeast of Baseline and Rooks roads in Buckeye, officials said.

Jaisme Knox, 25, and Eric White, 53, were booked into Maricopa County Fourth Avenue Jail and face felony charges including residential burglary, trafficking stolen property, theft and criminal damage to property.

Officers responded to the home

View report

An agreement to buy power generated at the Hoover Dam could save the city of Buckeye up to $4 million in electrical expenses over the next five decades.

The 50-year agreement with the Arizona Power Authority approved by the Buckeye City Council will save an estimated $80,000 a year in electricity costs, according to Dave Nigh, director of Buckeye’s Water Resource Department.

The allocation of 670 kilowatts of electricity will be used to power one of the city’s higher capacity wells, Nigh said.

“In addition to the cost savings, Hoover power is hydroelectric power, which is a clean and renewable source of power,” Nigh said in a press release.

Aug. 23 after the victim reported finding the front door unlocked and a backyard window shattered, police said.

About $1,400 in property loss and damage had occurred, police said.

Through their investigation, officers obtained eyewitness statements and reviewed video footage, which led to the identification of Knox and White, police said.

The Water Resource Department’s current electricity bill is $2 million a year to power the city’s 38 wells and water treatment facilities and four wastewater treatment plants.

During the first few years of the agreement, start-up costs added by the Arizona Power Authority will increase the cost of the power allotment, but Nigh said rates will still be cheaper than the electric power the city currently uses.

About 20 Arizona cities purchase power from Hoover Dam electrical generation, including Avondale, Peoria and Glendale in the West Valley.

Nigh said if any of the cities drop their allocations, the agreement allows Buckeye to purchase 10 percent more Hoover power.

Jesus Castellanos

Emily Amador Daniel Torres

Jaisme Knox Eric White

View report

Cristian Corral

The jobs aren’t coming back

There is a myth that it is possible to bring back the jobs from overseas. And the likelihood of that happening is about as likely as purchasing the winning lottery ticket while being hit by lightning.

First of all, the jobs that went overseas went there because Americans are obsessed with CHEAP. Quality doesn’t count for much any more, which is why Walmart is the real live brick-and-mortar store of choice and Amazon is the online destination for cheap. You can always ﬁnd something cheaper at either of those two destinations.

But what does that mean for workers? Well, if it is manufacturing or assembling of products, much of the manual labor is being done by machine. The high wages of union autoworkers spurred the innovation of robotics, which replaced large numbers of blue collar workers. Robotics can do the jobs of many workers or can simplify and speed up that work so that fewer workers are needed. And those workers don’t need as much skill so anyone can do the job, not just skilled employees.

So many of those jobs just don’t exist any more. And it isn’t just skilled labor. Check out McDonalds and Jack in the Box, both of which are now working to eliminate the order takers at their stores. Just like with self-check in grocery stores, eliminating labor cuts costs and means more proﬁts for the company.

And purchasing at Walmart vs. just about any other physical store ensures the wages of store workers will go down. Walmart historically pays less than any other company, keeps beneﬁts low or non-existent, and in the past has violated labor laws regarding overtime and work off the clock. Recently, the company has started to phase in higher wages, but it still isn’t on anyone’s list of top employers to work for. As Walmart captured a larger share of the market, competitors reduced workforces or went out of business leaving fewer jobs.

The other alternative is buying online. If you live in the West Valley and want a retail job, you hope that retail stores still exist in your community. If everyone buys at Amazon, local retail stores will cease to exist, then where will you work? Minimum wage jobs are better than no jobs at all.

So unless your career goal is at an Amazon warehouse, you might want to do something to encourage retailing to continue to exist. You can make choices to pay a few cents more to buy at a retail store in your community. (This also will help your city, which gets sales tax to pay for police and ﬁre protection from retail sales, but not Internet sales. Without it, property taxes will go up and that will affect you even if you rent.)

And back to those jobs that left the United States for offshore locations such as Mexico, Vietnam, Taiwan and China. Manufacturers there don’t pay minimum wages that they do in the U.S., workman’s compensation insurance or limit workers to adults. It is much cheaper to manufacture products under those conditions. Given our desire for CHEAP, what possibly could be the incentive for businesses to pay relatively huge salaries to unskilled labor just to have their products not sell because they cost too much? It won’t happen.

So before you believe there is a way to bring back the jobs, ask yourself what conditions are going to change to make that possible. Are you and your neighbors going to change your buying habits? If not, what incentives are available to businesses to offset these costs?

Our Viewpoint editorials represent the opinions of the West Valley View editorial board, which is composed of Publisher Elliott Freireich and Managing Editor Cary Hines.

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

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

Wrongful death lawsuits

Editor: If Hillary Clinton can be sued for four wrongful deaths in Benghazi, should’nt Bush and Cheney be sued for over four thousand wrongful deaths in an unjust war in Iraq.

Bueford Tunstell Avondale

Statements prove false

Editor:

It’s difﬁcult to decide who says the most false and misleading statements, reader R.A. or candidate Donald Trump. A recent example is Mr. A’s letter in the August 10 WVV on President Obama. He says Obama is from Chicago and thus is probably a thug like Capone. Really? My apologies to those of you from Chicago. He goes on to say “the economy is stagnant” (False). It has actually recovered very

well the last six years since the Great Recession. He says Obama assumes the police are the guilty guys (False). He ignores the Presidents strong support for, and from, police ofﬁcers. He hits a doublewhopper by saying, “Obama removed too many troops too soon from Iraq”(False) and “this gave birth to ISIS” (False). A little bit of research shows Pres. Bush set the timetable for troop removal. And experts agree the 2003 invasion of Iraq and the bungling postwar policies of the Bush administration gave rise to ISIS.

Mr. Trump’s statements score 72% False or Mostly False on the Politifact scale. Recent examples from his speech on Terrorism include: He opposed the Iraq war from the beginning (False); Hillary would allow in 600,000 refugees during her ﬁrst term (False); an Iranian scientist was executed because of Hillary’s hacked emails (False). On the Economy, The Donald said: Hillary would raise taxes on the middle class (False); two million jobs could be saved by repealing the ACA (False); and, Hillary’s plan would raise taxes on many small businesses by almost 50% (False). Source: FactCheck.org.

There is not enough space here to list the many, many misleading and inaccurate statements by these two people. Yes, they are entitled to their own opinions, but not their own

facts. Warning: one of them wants to be President.

John Flynn Goodyear

Project a win-win

Editor:

On behalf of Garden Lakes and the Garden Lakes Community Association, I am thanking Jim Badowitch, Paul Lopez, and the rest of the City of Avondale Planning Department. Garden Lakes has been exploring a conversion from City-supplied water to SRP surface water for irrigation for the last fourteen years, which would eliminate the waste of millions of gallons of potable water per year and save Garden Lakes a considerable amount of money. Since this was the ﬁrst project of its kind in Avondale, the City was rightly concerned about safety and efﬁcacy, and spent many hours reviewing our plans, making good suggestions, and working through their concerns. The City and our engineering team worked together to produce a manageable solution, allowing this win-win project to be implemented.

David W. White Avondale

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THIS WEEK'S QUESTION

Yes • No

Do you think donors to the Clinton Foundation were granted special favors by then Secretary of State Hillary Clinton?

LAST WEEK’S RESULTS

Do you think Donald Trump should revise his immigration proposals?

Letters

(From Page 6)

May the blind see

Editor:

Denesh D’Souza’s book and movie “Hillary’s America” Peter Schweizer’s “Clinton Cash” Daniel Halper’s “Clinton, Inc” and Gary J Byrne’s “Crisis of Character” are all MUST READS so people can SEE the TRUTH

Al Smith Buckeye

Russia, Iran and Syria

Editor:

Recent reports on the Russian Air Force ﬂying bombing missions against targets in Syria from the Iranian base at Hamadan bring back vivid memories. In 1975, I was stationed at Torrejon AB outside Madrid, Spain. The Iranian government, ruled by the Shah, was a US friend and ally. Each year we would have joint exercises with the Iranian Air Force. In the Spring of 1975, those exercises were located at Hamadan AB in western Iran.

My squadron, the 614th TFS, conducted the US part of the training. The squadron deployed our fleet of F-4 Phantoms from Torrejon to Hamadan with a stop at Incirlik AB in Turkey (also making news). On arrival at Hamadan we felt the base looked very familiar. It had been copied from the design for Williams AFB in Mesa, Arizona. We spent a week in Iran flying various training missions with and against the Iranians who were flying their brand new F-4 E Phantoms. Our F-4 C aircraft were older and had come out of Vietnam with a lot of wear and tear.

One of the missions was for the US pilots to ﬂy out of Iranian airspace in the Caspian Sea and then turn back to

Hamadan posing as Russian bombers attacking the base. The Iranian radar detected our planes and the Iranian pilots took off attempting to intercept the simulated attackers. That night we all celebrated in the Ofﬁcer’s Club with food, drinks and belly dancing.

The city of Hamadan is one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world with a long history of military clashes dating back to the Persia of Xerxes. Esther and Mordecai, of Old Testament fame, are buried in the city. History is just one darn thing after another.

Leonard Kirschner

Litchﬁeld Park

Response to Alfred Molina

Editor:

Some important facts about Donald Trump;

Donald Trump did not steal your money. Trump did not raise your taxes. Trump did not quadruple the price of groceries. Trump is not starting a race war. Trump did not leave any diplomats and soldiers in Benghazi to be slaughtered and desecrated by Muslims.

Trump did not send the US Navy to ﬁght for Syrian Al-Qaeda. Trump did not arm ISIS to systematically exterminate Christians throughout the Middle East. Trump did not Betray Israel. Trump did not provide ﬁnancing and technology to Iran’s nuclear program. Trump did not give military secrets to China.

Trump did not remove our nuclear missile shield in Poland at the behest of Russia.

Trump did not shrivel our military and betray our Veterans. Trump did not cripple our economy. Trump did not increase our debt to 20 trillion. Trump did not ruin our credit, twice. Trump has not increased Welfare or doubled African American unemployment in the past eight years.

Trump did not sign into law making it legal to execute and imprison Americans. Trump did not set free terrorists from Guantanamo Bay. Trump did

not steal your rights and violate Constitutional Law.

Yet Trump is being ripped apart in the news, non stop. The mainstream media has become the Democrats party for disseminating what they report as unbiased facts. Barrack Hussein Obama and Hillary Clinton are not be scrutinized by the media at all.

Finally Alfred if the democrats were in charge while you were school you missed your spelling lessons. Do you know who the biggest contributors to the Clinton Foundation? You should ﬁnd out you will be surprised.

Les Armstrong Goodyear

Tree removal saddens me

Editor:

Well, the lake in Litchfield Park is finally being filled with water. Even a few ducks have returned. I’m not “in” on what is being done and in what order, so I can only speculate on some things. Since no boat ramp has been reinstalled, I have to assume there will be none. I have not seen evidence of fountains, but I certainly hope and pray they will be returned to working order. They were so pretty and added so much. The deck of the dock has been redone and looks very nice. Some other things I hope get done would be replacing the three tables that have been vandalized (I certainly don’t understand the mentality behind that). I also hope the turtle ramp just north of the dock gets replaced or repaired. A long time ago it pulled about 3”-4” away from the side of the lake. One day a turtle was stuck in the groove and my husband went over and freed it. It gratefully swam away quickly. I also hope the lights around the perimeter of the lake get repaired (most of them quit working quite some time ago). And, then, of course, there is the matter of the watering system, especially on the north east side. It has been a mess for several years. But, my main reason for

writing is to tell you how upset it made me to see they have completely removed the large tree on the south west corner. For months the large equipment worked around that beautiful tree, and suddenly it was gone! Another tree can be planted in its place, but I won’t live to see it be as large and beautiful as the one they removed! So sad!

Sharon Green Litchﬁeld Park

Speed bumps not in alley

Editor:

First of all San Xavier is not an alley, it is designated as a Boulevard. The City of Goodyear at the request from the 18 home owners whose properties are on the south side of San Xavier conducted a survey for four days of the vehicles traveling this thoroughfare. The residents expressed concern to the City Trafﬁc Engineer that vehicles were speeding on the Boulevard both day and night.

The City’s survey bore out the residents’ concerns and showed that approximately 15% of the vehicles were exceeding 39 MPH with a daily average speed of 32.3 MPH. The City’s requirement for Speed Cushions is an average speed of 30 MPH. The posted speed limit on San Xavier Boulevard is 25 MPH.

The average number of vehicles traveling on San Xavier over the four days of the study was 21 with a high of 33 and a low of 12. Many of the vehicles start their journey by laying down rubber thus startling neighbors.

The process for obtaining speed cushions on Buena Vista is very simple and rather painless. I suggest you contact the City of Goodyear Trafﬁc Engineering Department and start the process. You will ﬁnd the staff their most congenial, empathetic and easy to deal with.

Michael Pekar

Mary Larsen Goodyear

Vote, throw the bums out

Editor:

Secretary Of State , Hillary Clinton said of her E-Mail breach , which put our lives in danger, “ I Wouldn’t Do It Again.”

Appointed ﬁrst by President Clinton , then President Obama Attorney General Loretta Lynch,’said of her over 30 minute meeting with President Clinton on the eve of his wife’s pending trial, “I Wouldn’t Do It Again.”

Voters there is your defense next time you are hauled into court. I Wouldn’t Do It Again.” Of course not you are to busy trying to earn a living, trying to pay bills, and raising a family. In these terribly over in ﬂatted times we live in.

The only Power we have is to Vote, Throw The Bums Out !

Vickie J. Chelini Buckeye

Business Briefcase

by Shane McOwen staff writer

Welcome to the Business Briefcase, everybody, and happy pre-Labor Day.

Most public holidays are dedicated to a specific group of people, and Labor Day is no exception. It’s the yearly national tribute to the contributions workers have made to the strength, prosperity and wellbeing of the country, according to the United States Department of Labor. Labor Day is a celebration of you, reader!

It’s kind of akin to a workplace having a most-valuable-associate display with a mirror instead of a photo. At least it’s a paid day off. For some of us, anyway, sorry to all those who have to work Monday.

But hey, the Department of Labor says you’re making the country a better place! Briefcase time.

Along Central Avenue in Avondale, Panaderia La Central has expanded its physical operation to include two suites in the commercial complex at 725 N. Central Ave.

Business Briefs 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 623-535-8439.

Goodyear man elected president of SCORE

Jay Gladney of Goodyear has been elected the president of Greater Phoenix SCORE, an organization that provides free business mentoring to any small business or entrepreneur in the greater Phoenix area, including several locations in the West Valley.

Nuclear plant workers promoted

Bob Bement has been promoted to executive vice president and chief nuclear officer at the Palo Verde Nuclear Generating Station, and Jack Cadogan has been promoted to replace Bement as senior vice president of site operations.

West Valley Vision welcomes new doctor

Dr. Brayden Lundquist, optometrist, has joined West Valley Vision Center in Goodyear.

He is a graduate of Midwestern University - Arizona College of Optometry in Glendale. He recently completed a postdoctoral residency focusing on corneal disease and contact lens fitting for irregular corneas at Southern College of Optometry and Eye Specialty Group in Memphis, Tenn.

West Valley Vision is at 2580 N. Litchfield Road, Goodyear.

The pastry shop has also expanded its menu to include ice cream, coffee and lattes, sandwiches and menudo and tamales on Saturday and Sunday. It now serves raspado, a snow cone type dish, with multiple flavor options.

For information, visit www.facebook.com/ PanaderiaLaCentralAZ/.

Aaron’s Barber Shop has moved from its previous

Your Business News in our Best Read Feature

Get a write-up in Business Briefcase. Guaranteed exactly what you want, when you want. Only $80 per inch. Call Julie at West Valley View, 623-535-8439 or advertising@WestValleyView.com.

location on Central Avenue to 401 W. Van Buren St., Suite A, in Avondale.

The location used to be occupied by Dennis’ Place, which is now closed.

For information, call 623-932-9336.

Some news out in Buckeye, per an Economic Development Department report, Cardinal IG has completed its purchase of 77 acres of land for its future 200,000-square-foot glass manufacturing facility in the city.

The building will be located north of downtown Buckeye, and is expected to open in the first quarter of 2017.

Cardinal IG is expecting to bring 100 jobs to the area,

Coes celebrate 60th anniversary

Charles and Beverly Coe celebrated their 60th wedding anniversary on June 26, 2016, at the Tuscany Falls Clubhouse in Goodyear. They have lived in Arizona since 1983 and moved to the PebbleCreek community in Goodyear in 2002. They have two children, three grandchildren and three great grandchildren.

and inject $5 million into the local economy over the next 20 years, according to an economic analysis report presented to the city.

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

Buckeye is also expecting to name the tenants at Village Green at Verrado Shopping Center in the coming weeks. That’s at the northwest corner of Indian School Road and Jackrabbit Trail. One tenant already named is the Fry’s Marketplace , which will be very similar to the one that just opened in Litchfield Park. They are separate entities, FYI. Two different Fry’s stores.

Copper State Rubber officially broke ground Aug. 22, and is expected to open in March 2017. For full details, check out the April 6 edition of the Briefcase at www. westvalleyview.com.

That’s all for this week, folks. For those who have Monday off, enjoy it. Even if you don’t, I hope you enjoy the day as well. Always potential for a good day, right?

Send tips, questions or comments to smcowen@westvalleyview.com. They are always appreciated.

Take care, everyone.

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

The View will gladly publish an announcement of a wedding or engagement within six months of the event. We also publish free announcements of wedding anniversaries beginning with the 50th and at five-year increments after that (55th, 60th, etc.) We reserve the right to edit the copy to conform to our style and space limitations. We also welcome professional-quality photographs. Forms are available at the View offices from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. weekdays. Or send in your info as

Shane McOwen

Jay Gladney

Brayden Lundquist

Beverly and Charles Coe

Kept in the hoop

Hula hoop pro introduces sport to White Tank Library patrons

by Kourtney Balsan special

to the View

Hula hooping is no longer an activity reserved for youths. The White Tank Branch Library in Waddell held a beginners hula hoop exercise class July 18 open to all ages.

Jessica Packard, 31, of Phoenix is a professional circus artist specializing in hula hooping, fire dancing, stilt walking and entertaining. Her next adventure is learning aerial performance.

Packard instructed students in her recent class how to perform hula hoop tricks for the sake of having fun while also being active.

“You don’t realize you’re actually getting a workout,” she said. “I do [consider it a serious exercise]. I know a lot of people who take it pretty seriously. It’s serious fun, as I like to say.”

The class started out with stretching the wrists and arms, and moved down the body. Then Packard created a routine and showed the class how to do it step by step. It included hula hooping around the arms, walking while hooping, jumping in and out of the hoops and spinning inside the hoop.

A hula hoop contest finished off the class, along with a brief performance by Packard to demonstrate all the tricks that can be done with a hula hoop.

Packard started seriously hula hooping seven years ago after she was inspired during a Bonnaroo music festival in 2006 in Manchester, Tenn., near her home town in Alabama, she said.

“I hula hooped as a kid and did it in grade school, but when I went to music festivals and saw girls doing crazy things with hula hoops, I got really interested in it,” Packard said.

“It became a serious hobby for a while where I was learning off of YouTube, going to classes, learning a bunch of stuff. And then in 2011, I took it more on a professional level, teaching classes, doing performances and everything. Making it a serious hobby turned to making money to support my habit of love for circus arts.”

Hula hooping is becoming more and more popular and being introduced as a serious exercise, she said. Depending on what tricks are done, the exercise can work out the entire body. Hula hooping as most people

Best of the West nominations sought WESTMARC is seeking nominations for its 24th annual Best of the West awards. Nominations will be accepted in three categories: Economic Engine, Quality of Life Enhancement and Excellence in Innovation.

The deadline for nominations is 10 p.m. Friday. The cost for each nomination is $25 for members and $50 for nonmembers. Nominations can be submitted online at westmarc.org/pages/best-of-thewest-2016.

An awards dinner is scheduled for Nov. 10 at the University of Phoenix Stadium in Glendale.

teaches the finer points of the hula hoop last month at the White Tank

Library in

To see all photos from this shoot, go to www.westvalleyview.com/pictures.

think of it, whirling the hoop around hips, can tone one’s core. It’s a full-body cardio exercise that not only tones, but also improves balance, coordination and memory, Packard said.

“I got really fit doing it,” she said.

“It was a great way to get outside. I found buddies and friends who do it, so it became a lifestyle. Like most people go to yoga and yoga events, and go practice yoga. It’s the same community, just in a different aspect with hula hoops.”

The secret to the fitness success behind hula hooping is that it’s pictured as a fun activity, so a hula hooper can forget she’s exercising, Packard said.

“I just got really into it because I don’t do well with gyms,” she said. “I am better when I can work on a certain trick or work to do something that I believe is really cool.”

People of all ages attended Packard’s class.

“I came to watch and learn how to hula hoop,” said Jean Eddines, 75, of Sun City West. “I want to [hula hoop] so I can be beau-ti-ful. It just fascinates me. I have a hula hoop, and — the thing is that it gets me off of the couch.”

Although it’s gaining popularity in all ages, the class was still highly populated with children.

Alana Brilhante, 8, of Waddell said her favorite part was when Packard showed the class a trick spinning the hula hoop on her arm and around her head.

Buckeye library kicks off ‘Tree of Dreams’ fundraiser

The Buckeye Public Library has kicked off its “Tree of Dreams” fundraiser. The “Tree of Dreams” is a continuation of the original “Yellow Brick Road” fundraising effort launched by the Friends of the Buckeye Public Library in the 1990s.

Leaves are color coded to represent the dollar amount given and donors choose the messages to be displayed on the leaves. The tree will be unveiled and on display at 9 a.m. Sept. 10 in the Program Room of the Downtown Branch, 310 N. Sixth St.

Donor cards are available at the

“I love [hula hooping] because it’s cool,” Alana said.

Although hula hooping can be done anywhere, it is best to have proper equipment and proper knowledge and instruction, Packard said. She learned tricks by attending free classes at music festivals and watching free professional tutorials online, she said.

“My first year of hula hooping was me in my living room with a hula hoop I bought off of eBay, and just watching videos over and over again,” she said.

The cheap hoops found at convenient stores are meant for children, and they break easily, Packard said. The best hoops should be heavier and reach the belly button in height, she said.

Packard may return to the White Tank Branch Library to teach hula hooping again, but she can also be reached online at JessicaPackard.com for group classes and private lessons.

She said she hopes to continue growing her skills in circus performing, and strives to help others learn and exercise using the hula hoop.

“A lot of times, it is a form of expression for a lot us, and especially me,” Packard said. “It is a way I can dance and express myself. My dance partner just happens to be a hula hoop.”

Kourtney Balsan can be reached at Kbalsan@westvalleyview.com

Downtown Branch or the Coyote Branch, 21699 W. Yuma Road, Suite 116. They can be completed and mailed along with the donation of $100, $200, $500, $1,000 or $5,000 to the Friends of the Buckeye Public Library, 21699 W. Yuma Road, Suite 116, Buckeye, AZ 85326, by Aug. 30.

Jeannette Yarrow wins video challenge

Jeannette Yarrow created a winning video for the national Collaborative Summer Library Program’s Teen Video Challenge “Get in the Game — Read!” Jeannette won the contest from the White Tank Branch Library, and has

received a monetary award of $150 for her video “AZ Rock Paper Scissors.”

The Teen Video Challenge is a national competition to get teens involved with reading and their public library’s summer reading program.

Duet receives grant

Duet: Partners in Health and Aging has received a $460,000 grant from the Virginia G. Piper Charitable Trust for its efforts to work on sustainable caregiverto-caregiver programs and services.

Duet is a nonprofit organization dedicated to promoting health and wellbeing in the greater Phoenix area for home-bound adults and caregivers.

Multi-Specialty Physicians

J. Abbas, MD

R. Bhakta, MD

D. Tran, MD

C. Krings, NP

T. Rector, NP

C. Syowia, NP

B. Rhudy, NP

T. Webb,

View photo by Ray Thomas

INSTRUCTOR JESSICA PACKARD

Branch

Waddell.

Youths attend teen police academy

Annual Goodyear P.D. program introduces teenagers to law enforcement careers

by Kourtney Balsan special to the View

“Safely, we are going to have fun,” Sgt. Kyle Rogers said to a classroom full of teenagers looking to learn the ins and outs of policing.

Goodyear held its annual Teen Police Academy July 18-20 when teenagers from various Goodyear high schools learned vital lessons about being a police officer. The academy has been operating every summer for more than 10 years.

“It is something fun. It’s a good outreach to the community,” said Don Host, School Resource Officer at Millennium High School in Goodyear.

“We advertise it in the schools as we get towards the end of the year. We take 14- to 18-year-old students who have an interest in either becoming police officers or just wanting to know more about policing, and we bring them out and show them different aspects of policing.”

Various aspects of the Goodyear Teen Police Academy benefit both the teenagers learning and the officers who teach them, Host said.

“We want to explain why we do some of the things we do,” Host said. “Right now is an interesting time in our country; so some people are very critical of policing. This gives us the opportunity to give them an explanation of why we operate the way that we do where it may seem that we aren’t being as nice as we could be, but sometimes that is necessary. So we give a little explanation for that, but also it shows them that we are people and gives them the opportunity to see us in a different light. We are hoping to interest some of them to be police officers in the future.”

Various topics throughout the week included motor vehicle laws and the dangers of driving under the influence. Crime scene scenarios were covered as well, with officers acting out a crime and students finding and collecting evidence to try to solve the mystery.

The students received real-life experience during the academy. Near the end of the week, students interacted with a virtual shooting scenario to test judgment and shooting accuracy. Students wore professional safety gear and were armed with laser guns as they faced a large screen. The system is controlled by someone behind a computer who alters the scenario

according to how the student reacts. Police officers are required to use the system annually, so their shooting and judgment skills are strengthened, Host said.

Although students were excited to learn about the K9 unit, CPR, motor vehicle, crime scenes and investigations, learning about firearms was the heavy favorite.

“I play a lot of paintball and shoot a lot of paintball guns and BB guns, but I’ve never learned specifically how to hold a gun and how they work, so it was pretty fascinating,” said Violet Rhoades, 15, teen police academy student.

On Monday of the week-long academy, students surrounded Rogers and learned how to properly and safely shoot a gun.

“I think it is extremely important, and I want you to think it’s extremely important, too,” Rogers told the class.

During his presentation, Rogers stressed four key points to firearm safety: act as if all guns are loaded, always point the muzzle in a safe direction, you’re your finger off the trigger and out of the trigger guard until the sight is set on a target and the decision has been made to fire, and lastly be sure of the target and its surroundings.

“Safety is our No. 1,” Host said. “Firearms are pretty available in Arizona. They may have seen some around, so we give them the safety course first, which is an hour long. That is where we give them a really good foundation in that safety aspect to understand how dangerous they can be before we take them and let them use them.”

On July 20, after they took a quiz on the four key points of firearm safety, students went to the range and implemented their

knowledge.

Most of the students have already learned how to shoot a gun from their parents, but July 20 was the first time they learned under professional instruction. At a Buckeye range, students dressed up in official safety gear and lined up for each station. Each station had a different gun ranging from various professional hand guns and semiautomatic weapons. An instructor helped at every station giving one-on-one instructions on stance, how to hold and shoot the weapon, and how to assemble a firearm safely. Each student shot 10 rounds at a paper target. They got familiar with the firearm, then moved on to the next station to learn about a different type of firearm, Host said.

Many of the students personally know someone in law enforcement who has inspired them to one day wear blue, Host said.

Pilar Moncada, 15, attends Millennium High School in Goodyear and wants to work in the K9 unit when she gets older.

“My father is also a police officer and I thought his job seemed really cool. I like being around other police officers and seeing what they do,” Pilar said.

Cole Villa, 14, also attends Millennium High School and his father is a police officer.

“I always wanted to be a police officer,” Cole said. “I want to help the community feel a little safer and show that not all police officers are bad.”

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

View photo by Jordan Christopher

GOODYEAR POLICE OFFICERS Kyle Rogers, right, and Don Host give an additional safety briefing to students during the annual Goodyear Police Department Teen Police Academy July 20 at the Joe Foss Shooting Range in Buckeye. The annual program introduces teens to various aspects of law enforcement including firearm safety and use, crime scene investigations and S.W.A.T. To see all photos from this shoot, go to

View photo by Jordan Christopher

A BULLET CASING flies from a .45-caliber handgun 16-year-old Avondale resident Kyara Ramos fires with instruction from Goodyear Police Officer Kyle Rogers during the annual Goodyear Police Department Teen Police Academy July 20 at the Joe Foss Shooting Range in Buckeye.

Volleyball previews for local 6A and 4A schools; Buckeye football loses; Arizona RBI claims title

A.F. dominates Washington

Owls pick up 1st win in 45-13 rout of Rams

by Shane McOwen sports writer

Agua Fria (1-1) scored early and often in its home opener Aug. 26, downing visiting Phoenix Washington 45-13 and getting the team’s first win under first-year Owls coach Ross Crow.

After the previous week of offensive struggles in a 43-0 loss to Gilbert Campo Verde, Agua Fria flipped the switch and could not be stopped against Washington (0-1). The Owls scored touchdowns on six straight possessions spanning the first through third quarters, and built a 42-0 lead midway through the third.

The Owls made it look easy on offense. Agua Fria’s constant rushing attack, accompanied by a high completion percentage passing game, led the way to the rout.

“The offensive line definitely cleaned up some of the mistakes we had last week,” Crow said. “The backs had

(See A.F. on Page 19)

High hopes for 5A Desert West teams

Agua Fria, Desert Edge and Verrado ready to battle in same region

by Rafael Alvarez special to the View

It’s a fresh start for the 5A Desert West Region, as Verrado, Agua Fria and Desert Edge volleyball look to bounce back from a season in which all three were knocked out in the second round of the Division III state playoffs.

For Verrado, the team has really high expectations and is really good on talent, with the ultimate goal being to bring home a state championship, first-year head coach Mike Lussier said.

Thus far, Lussier said the support throughout the community has helped tremendously in his first year at the helm.

“The support, just program-wise, faculty-wise and parent-wise, has been phenomenal,” Lussier said. “There’s been a lot of changes within the program, and just a different mindset. We’re getting new uniforms for the program, which isn’t funded by the school system, it was all done through donations.”

Lussier will look to replace some key players, as the program lost Candace Lacour, Celine White and Jaclyn Kozlowski, a trio that Lussier said had a majority of the talent from last year.

White led the team with 197 digs and 300 kills to go along with 42 aces and 31 total blocks. Lacour was third on the team in kills with 246, to go with her 160 digs, 12 total blocks and her team-leading 84 aces. Kozlowksi had 107 digs and 75 aces, which was second only to Lacour.

Despite losing those three players, Lussier said that players from all levels have been developing into great players.

“Literally, from the freshmen level,

which is what we’re really developing, so it’s really going to complement the program,” Lussier said.

Lussier will look to assistant captain Jamie Wagner, Madisyn Garner and main captain Logan Wallick to help lead the way, as they are three key players who are returning from last year’s team.

Wallick had 263 kills, which was second best on the team, to go with her 40 digs and 44 total blocks. Garner contributed 35 digs and three aces of her own, while Wagner was third on the team in both aces and digs, with 68 and 139, respectively.

Lussier said that Wallick is up for the task of being the team’s main captain.

“She communicates with the girls well, she’s a great teammate and just a great kid,” Lussier said.

Lussier also said he expects two new, younger players to make an impact on the offensive side.

“We have a sophomore, Rachel Abramson, who is a good threat on the outside,” Lussier said. “We also have a 6-foot freshman middle blocker, Faith Buford, who’s turning out to be a really good addition.”

Lussier said his team is not that big, so it will look to rely on its athleticism and ball control, and the training the Vipers have done in the offseason has prepared them to do just that.

“One thing that’s real big was that we wanted to change the culture and mindset,” Lussier said. “One of our biggest emphases was to be an amazing

View photo by Ray Thomas

CALISTA BANDIN, left, of Desert Edge reaches to tip the ball over the net last season during the Wolves Classic tournament. Bandin and the Lady Scorpions have high goals after a program best 27-11 record in 2015.

View photo by Jordan Christopher

D.J. CHARLES, 6, of Agua Fria carries the ball Aug. 26 against Washington. The Owls scored early and often in their home opener, beating the Rams 45-13.

Wolves roughed up physically by Peoria

Estrella plays 3 strong quarters, falls apart in 4th

by Casey Pritchard sports editor

Estrella Foothills experienced déjà vu in its second game of the season: three strong quarters, but a faulty fourth.

It’s been the same script in each of the Wolves’ first two games of the season, and it cost them Aug. 26 against Peoria in a 38-14 loss.

FOOTBALL

Estrella trailed just 17-14 after scoring a touchdown and adding the two-point conversion with 8:46 remaining in the game, but Peoria scored on each of its next three possessions, all in four plays or less, to put the game away. Wolves coach Lamar Early said fatigue was a big factor.

“They started laying on us in the fourth quarter, and that was the difference,” Early said. “We’re going to run into that. I’m not making any excuses, we’re just not that big, and when you can platoon like [Peoria], that makes a big difference. They were able to platoon offense and defense.”

That platooning kept Peoria fresh, which was critical in the late stages.

Juwann Price, who hadn’t received a carry all game until the fourth quarter, broke free for runs of 15, 49 and 54 yards, two of which resulted in touchdowns. He finished as the game’s leading rusher with four carries for 118 yards.

“You get worn down,” Early said. “Big bodies laying on you, it gets tough.”

Estrella was in a somewhat similar position a week ago, leading Tempe 24-23 with 10 minutes to go. However, the Wolves allowed a 57-yard rushing touchdown and 25-yard passing TD, losing 36-24.

“We compete for about three quarters; we haven’t completed a game yet,” Early said. “Last week, we competed for three quarters and lost the game in the fourth quarter. Same thing here. I don’t want to say they gave up, but 38-14. [Peoria] isn’t doing nothing different. We’re not making tackles, and we’ve got to do that, and we didn’t do a good job.”

Estrella also struggled in the special teams department. The Wolves had two punts blocked and an extra point blocked.

“That’s just not completing our assignments, that’s what it is,” Early said. “You’ve got to block all the way through until the ball is kicked, and it’s more of a block, boom, and they’re trying to leave, and we can’t do that.”

In addition to the blocked kicks,

Estrella’s special teams also had trouble in the return game. The Wolves muffed, but recovered a punt, had a punt bounce over their heads, had a kickoff go off the facemask of a player that was recovered, and let a ball roll by them on a kickoff, getting tackled at their own five-yard line. Estrella has a new artificial turf field, but Early said that had nothing to do with the return gaffes.

“That’s mental,” he said. “We’ve been out here for a whole week, that’s no excuse. That’s just mental, not paying attention. Those are the things we’ve been running into, and it’s hurting ourselves. It’s nothing the other team is doing, we’re driving the ball, getting into the red zone, and then we get a penalty or a turnover,

and we can’t do that.”

Offensively, the Wolves had a much better performance than they did against Tempe. Estrella managed 260 yards of total offense, but might have had more if not for some untimely penalties.

“Our offense, we moved the ball against them, but then we shoot ourselves in the foot with a penalty or something,” Early said. “We didn’t have too many turnovers, we just didn’t do a good job.”

1st-half scoring

The game’s first score came late in the first quarter, and was a result of Peoria’s first blocked punt. The Panthers recovered the ball at the Estrella six-yard line, but only managed a 26-yard field goal, which

made it 3-0.

Estrella responded immediately, going 77 yards in less than three minutes, scoring on a Tyler Godfrey to Cody Sullivan 25-yard touchdown pass. The extra point was blocked, making it 6-3 Wolves.

Peoria would take a 10-6 lead into halftime after scoring midway through the second quarter on a six-yard run from quarterback Nate Dobson.

The Panthers added to their lead in the third quarter when Estrella went three-and-out on the first possession of the second half and its punt was blocked again. This time, Peoria recovered at the

View photo by Mike Rincon

TRAVIS HAYMORE, 31, of Estrella Foothills jumps away from the grasp of Peoria’s Aaron Owsiany Aug. 26 at Estrella. The Wolves were within three points in the fourth quarter, but succumbed to the Panthers 38-14.

Buckeye, Estrella, Youngker to battle in 4A

District schools combine as 3 of 5 in Southwest Region

by Casey Pritchard sports editor

For the first time, all three Buckeye Union High School district schools have come together to play in one region.

Buckeye, Estrella Foothills and Youngker will all compete in the 4A Southwest Region against Yuma and Yuma Gila Ridge. The winner will get an automatic berth into the state volleyball playoffs.

Lady Roughriders

Youngker has a bit of a different look this year, as defense will be a focal point.

“We’ve had a lot of offense in past years, and we still have some pretty good offense, but our defense is definitely something that will set this team apart from other teams I’ve coached,” Youngker coach Troy Sherman said. “We have a very aggressive-minded group that loves to hit the ground.”

VOLLEYBALL

Sherman has been preaching defense and working on it with his team because the 2015 group performed poorly in that department.

“We really struggled in defense and serve-receive last year, so being more of a pass-first-minded team, but basically having the mentality that the pass and getting the ball up and focusing on the first touch is the most important thing,” Sherman said. “It’s something we’ve been training a lot, and the girls have kept a good attitude, so it’s been fun watching develop.”

The Roughriders went 32-10 last year in spite of having a young squad. Only four players graduated, which means most of the team has returned.

“With that, we’re still a young team because a majority of them were sophomores last year,” Sherman said. “The one thing that is different is we’re a bit of an undersized team, but they play hard, they play well.”

In addition to playing hard, the team chemistry has been really good, Sherman said.

“The girls are all getting along great, they keep each other accountable in practice and they’re patient with each other,” Sherman said. “It’s been a very good start to a season.”

Youngker’s key hitters will be Skylar Reed and Anise Christian. Reed had 326 kills as a sophomore last year, which was second on the team. Christian brings a lot of leadership to the group, Sherman said.

Other returning standouts include setter Kenzie Cumbie and Mariah Tometich, who was also a setter last year but is moving to libero.

“Kenzie wasn’t ready to take over a 5-1 in our offense, so we needed a second setter and it had to be Mariah because she was the only other one capable of running the offense,” Sherman said. “That was a struggle for us because she was also the second best passer we had on our team, and passing is really where she struggled.

“We feel confident that Kenzie is going to be able to take over the reins of the offense in full, and that will allow Mariah to handle [libero] as probably one of our more consistent passers heading into the season.”

Youngker’s solid season last year got it to the playoffs, but the Lady Roughriders’ strength of schedule put them as the 29th seed and they lost in the opening

who will battle both

round to eventual champion Phoenix Greenway. After having success but not being rewarded with a high seed, Sherman beefed up Youngker’s schedule this year.

“I went out and grabbed a lot more competitive matches than I have in years past,” Sherman said. “I thought it would be a good push for our program to really start seeing where we’re at with teams like [Glendale] Cactus, Flagstaff, Prescott, who are likely to be some very strong powers in 4A this year. We’ll see how we

and

do. I don’t think it’s outside our ability to make state, but we’re going to have to work, and that’s what we plan on doing.”

Youngker opened the season Tuesday against the Division III defending champs, Greenway. The result was unavailable at press time. The Lady Roughriders return

View photo by Ray Thomas

SKYLAR REED, 3, of Youngker spikes the ball last year against Buckeye. Reed, who had 326 kills in 2015, returns for the Lady Roughriders,

Buckeye

Estrella Foothills in the 4A Southwest Region.

(See Battle on Page 18)

The following two pages of West Valley View are zoned for the 08/31/16 edition.

Each zone pages 14 & 15 (14N=North, 14E=East, 14S=South, 14W=West) appears in its designated geographical zone within the West Valley View circulation boundaries. For the purpose of the online edition, all zone pages appear.

Arizona RBI team wins World Series

West Valley led squad brings home state’s 1st title

by Shane McOwen sports writer

The Arizona Reviving Baseball in Inner Cities 18-and-under team took home the Senior Baseball Division championship of the 2016 RBI World Series in Cincinnati.

Arizona RBI, led by Buckeye coach Danny Rodriguez, defeated New Jersey’s Passaic RBI 3-2 Aug. 8 in the title game.

championship against the Los Angeles RBI team in Anaheim, Calif. He also got the win on the mound for Arizona in the quarterfinal against Harrisburg.

Tolleson’s Luis Tejada caught five of the six World Series games, and hit over .300, Rodriguez said.

“He did a phenomenal job for us behind the plate,” Rodriguez said. “I was real happy for him and his play.”

Randen Garrison of Buckeye played second base, pitched and played some outfield for Arizona, Rodriguez said. He hit over .350 for the tournament.

BASEBALL

It was Arizona RBI’s fourth appearance in the World Series, and first championship. The RBI program began in 1992.

“It’s a pretty neat deal,” Rodriguez said. “Major League Baseball pays our way to go to this, pays for our flight, for our hotel, meals. Basically, the kids show and we fly out there and go play for a whole week.”

Arizona RBI got off to a rough start in the tournament, losing the first two poolplay games, the first to Passaic and the second to Houston RBI.

After that, something clicked and Arizona RBI could not be stopped.

The team won its final pool-play contest against Chattanooga, Tenn., 15-0.

In the elimination bracket, Arizona beat Harrisburg, Pa., 12-1, Houston, 8-0, and Passaic, 3-2, in the final.

“It was quite the turnaround,” Rodriguez said. “I think we were jet lagged the first couple of days heading back east and just didn’t play well. From there, we just rolled, and nobody could beat us.”

Arizona RBI has multiple ties to the West Valley. Rodriguez and Scott Richardson, head coach at Tolleson, have been involved with RBI baseball for three years. Players from Buckeye, Tolleson and Millennium made up part of the 15-player roster.

Millennium’s Michael Sears threw a shutout victory in the regional

No special process was used for assembling the team, Rodriguez said.

“We had tryouts and picked the guys who we felt were going to help us get to the point we wanted to get to,” he said.

Rodriguez praised the assistant coaches for their contributions to the program: Jerod Aker from Glendale Apollo, Sergio Costa from Laveen Cesar Chavez, Richardson and Glen Coleman, who has coached with RBI for many years.

“Without those coaches helping me out, it wouldn’t be possible,” Rodriguez said.

For the Arizona team, it was the second appearance in the World Series in two years, and fourth in the 24-year history of the tournament.

“It was a pretty neat deal going back to back two years in a row,” Rodriguez said.

“It’s been a fun ride.”

The Arizona Diamondbacks honored the team’s accomplishments with a ceremony before the Aug. 10 game at Chase Field in Phoenix.

The RBI program is a Major League Baseball youth initiative designed to provide youths from under served and diverse communities the opportunity to play baseball.

“It’s just phenomenal what the MLB does for these guys,” Rodriguez said. “It was a great experience.”

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

View photo by Ray Thomas

MICHAEL SEARS of Millennium reaches back to throw a pitch last season for the Tigers. Sears had two pitching victories, including a shutout, helping Arizona RBI’s 18-and-under team win the Senior Baseball Division championship of the 2016 RBI World Series.

Arizona RBI team wins World Series

West Valley led squad brings home state’s 1st title

by Shane McOwen sports writer

The Arizona Reviving Baseball in Inner Cities 18-and-under team took home the Senior Baseball Division championship of the 2016 RBI World Series in Cincinnati.

Arizona RBI, led by Buckeye coach Danny Rodriguez, defeated New Jersey’s Passaic RBI 3-2 Aug. 8 in the title game.

championship against the Los Angeles RBI team in Anaheim, Calif. He also got the win on the mound for Arizona in the quarterfinal against Harrisburg.

Tolleson’s Luis Tejada caught five of the six World Series games, and hit over .300, Rodriguez said.

“He did a phenomenal job for us behind the plate,” Rodriguez said. “I was real happy for him and his play.”

Randen Garrison of Buckeye played second base, pitched and played some outfield for Arizona, Rodriguez said. He hit over .350 for the tournament.

BASEBALL

It was Arizona RBI’s fourth appearance in the World Series, and first championship. The RBI program began in 1992.

Arizona RBI got off to a rough start in the tournament, losing the first two poolplay games, the first to Passaic and the second to Houston RBI.

After that, something clicked and Arizona RBI could not be stopped.

The team won its final pool-play contest against Chattanooga, Tenn., 15-0.

In the elimination bracket, Arizona beat Harrisburg, Pa., 12-1, Houston, 8-0, and Passaic, 3-2, in the final.

Millennium’s Michael Sears threw a shutout victory in the regional

No special process was used for assembling the team, Rodriguez said.

“We had tryouts and picked the guys who we felt were going to help us get to the point we wanted to get to,” he said.

“Without those coaches helping me out, it wouldn’t be possible,” Rodriguez said.

For the Arizona team, it was the second appearance in the World Series in two years, and fourth in the 24-year history of the tournament.

“It was a pretty neat deal going back to back two years in a row,” Rodriguez said. “It’s been a fun ride.”

The Arizona Diamondbacks honored the team’s accomplishments with a ceremony before the Aug. 10 game at Chase Field in Phoenix.

The RBI program is a Major League Baseball youth initiative designed to provide youths from under served and diverse communities the opportunity to play baseball.

“It’s just phenomenal what the MLB does for these guys,” Rodriguez said. “It was a great experience.”

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

View photo by Ray Thomas

Arizona RBI team wins World Series

West Valley led squad brings home state’s 1st title

by Shane McOwen sports writer

The Arizona Reviving Baseball in Inner Cities 18-and-under team took