West Valley View - December 21, 2016 by Times Media Group

TRAINING DAY

Goodyear couple shares love of locomotives with neighbors — Page 9.

OH, CHRISTMAS TREE

Hikers start new tradition in Estrellas — Page 10.

Holed up for the holidays

Domestic violence shelter residents build new traditions for Christmas

by Glenn Gullickson staff writer

A window decorated with reindeer made from brown paper sacks signals that Christmas is approaching.

But for the children who made the dozens of reindeer displayed on the window of the dining room at the New Life Center, the holiday will be different this year.

That’s because they’ll be spending Christmas at the West Valley shelter after their mothers moved there when they became victims of domestic violence.

(See Holed up on Page 5)

W.V. to mark Chanukah

Menorah lighting symbolizes miracle in Jewish faith

by Glenn Gullickson staff writer

The lighting of a menorah marking Chanukah signifies the success of the Jewish community in the West Valley, according to the rabbi who will preside over the event for the seventh consecutive year.

The annual Grand Menorah Lighting will be from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. Dec. 28 outside the Southwest Valley Family YMCA, 2919 N. Litchfield Road in Goodyear.

“Chanukah is all about miracles,” said Rabbi Berel Zaklikofsky, director of the Chabad Jewish Center of Goodyear. “I see that miracle continuing to shine every year.”

This year, Chanukah begins at sundown on Dec. 24 and continues for eight days.

Also known as the Festival of Lights, Chanukah celebrates a miracle after Jews rebelled against Syrian Greeks to retake the Temple of Jerusalem and then used a one-day supply of oil to light it for eight days.

“God made a miracle that lasted for eight

(See Chanukah on Page 5)

Tolleson police chief promoted from within

Move made

by Emily Toepfer assistant editor

as part of retiring chief’s ‘succession plan’

Growing up in Tolleson, Chief Larry Rodriguez never imagined he’d one day serve as the city’s top cop, but after 43 years in law enforcement, Rodriguez is now preparing to retire as Tolleson’s police chief.

“It’s been very rewarding,” he said. “People don’t always get a chance to give something back to their hometown, so I was fortunate to be able to do that and make a difference here.”

Rodriguez, 68, served 26 years with the Tempe Police Department, including patrol officer, narcotics undercover, crime prevention, community relations, criminal investigations, patrol sergeant and traffic sergeant, before he retired in 1999 and accepted the Tolleson position the same year.

“I’ve always had a passion for it, and I just wanted to do it ever since I was a young man,” Rodriguez said about law enforcement. “I was one of the fortunate people to have a dream come true, so to speak.”

In the last 17 years, he’s helped grow the department from 18 officers to 29, and oversaw the move from a 3,500-square-foot police station to a new 22,400-square-foot facility completed

in December 2010.

Working for a police department in a small city has immeasurable advantages, Rodriguez said.

“You’re involved with the community, the community knows you and they see you every day,” he said. “I drive around town a lot. You can’t do that in a larger city. There’s a lot of cities even my size that the chiefs don’t get out and seen as much as I am. That helps to build the trust with the community.”

However, the same things can also be considered disadvantages, he said.

“When you look at it the other way, people know you so they expect me to do things or give breaks,” Rodriguez said. “There’s always the jokes of, ‘Hey, I know you as chief. What if I get stopped on the way in and get a ticket? Can I use your name?’ I say, yeah, my guys have been instructed to just say, ‘We know him, too.’”

One of his last projects as chief has been getting the police department set up to start providing dispatch services for El Mirage, which is slated to start shortly before he leaves Jan. 12. El Mirage approached Tolleson about the deal,

(See Chief on Page 3)

View photo by Jordan Christopher

HANDMADE Christmas decorations line the windows of the recreation room Dec. 16 at the New Life Center.

View photo by Jordan Christopher

INCOMING TOLLESON POLICE CHIEF WAYNE BOOHER, left, stands with outgoing Police Chief Larry Rodriguez Dec. 12 at the Tolleson Police Department. Rodriguez, who has led the department for 17 years, is retiring Jan. 12.

Man arrested after standoff with Buckeye P.D.

by Emily Toepfer assistant editor

A Buckeye man was arrested Sunday night following a standoff with police that stemmed from a domestic violence call, officials said.

Officers responded to a house in the area of 303rd Avenue and Thomas Road in the Tartesso community in Buckeye after a woman reported her husband had pointed a handgun at her, said Sgt. Jason Weeks, a spokesman with the Buckeye Police Department.

The man, identified as Michael Beuzekom, 52, allegedly fled the scene and then returned to the house and started breaking windows, Weeks said.

The woman was able to escape, and told police Beuzekom had been drinking and taking pain medication, Weeks said.

When officers arrived, Beuzekom was allegedly uncooperative and would not exit the house, Weeks said.

“We were told he did have access to other weapons in the residence,” he said.

Officers secured the residence and the SWAT Team responded, but Beuzekom was still not cooperating, Weeks said.

He was eventually found asleep inside the home and was booked into Maricopa County Fourth Avenue Jail, Weeks said.

Beuzekom faces numerous felony and misdemeanor domestic violence charges, he said.

During the incident, nearby residents were notified and given the option to stay in their homes or evacuate, Weeks said.

“Domestic violence calls are the most dangerous calls a police officer goes on, and this year many officers have lost their lives responding to these types of calls,” he said. “This one already had a gun pointed at the victim, so the propensity of additional violence was already there.”

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

Mesa police arrest Avondale man, 45, in child prostitution sting case

by Emily Toepfer assistant editor

An Avondale man is among 10 men ages 23 to 66 arrested in Mesa for alleged child prostitution, officials said.

Timothy Eastman, 45, was arrested Dec. 1 and faces charges of child prostitution and attempted sexual conduct with a minor, court records state.

Detectives with the Mesa Police Department conducted “Operation Home Schooled” to target sexual predators attempting to engage in sex acts with juveniles, according to a press release.

Undercover detectives posed as teens and traffickers chatting on commonly used internet sites where suspects seek out illegal sex acts, the release stated.

The suspects allegedly solicited and brokered deals for various sex acts with the minors and were arrested when they responded to the location where they

agreed to meet, the release stated.

The Mesa Police Department conducts operations each year in a continuous effort to remove predators from the community, the release stated.

“Suspects willing to solicit sex acts with children are some of the most dangerous criminals in our society,” the release stated.

The operation was a collaborative effort between the Mesa Police Department and Operation Underground Railroad.

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

Goodyear man accused of selling stolen items out of storage unit

by Emily Toepfer assistant editor

A Goodyear man was arrested earlier this month in connection to multiple West Valley burglaries after one of the alleged victims found his stolen goods for sale online.

Nicholas Edwards, 37, was indicted Dec. 9 in Maricopa County Superior Court on charges of burglary, theft and trafficking stolen goods, court records state.

On Oct. 26, Goodyear police issued a search warrant for a storage unit near Litchfield Road and MC85 and located hundreds of stolen items, including golf clubs, tools, a tankless water heater and medical supplies, records state.

They were led to the storage facility after a Goodyear resident reportedly saw items stolen from his garage earlier that month on the website OfferUp

and set up a meeting with the seller, records state.

Police allegedly linked the storage unit to Edwards, who had just been released after an arrest for burglary charges in Avondale, records state.

Some of the items in the storage unit had names on them, and were linked to burglaries dating back to January in Goodyear, Glendale and Litchfield Park, records state.

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

Michael Beuzekom

Timothy Eastman

Nicholas Edwards

7th-grader sprays pepper spray in classroom at Avondale school

by Emily Toepfer assistant editor

A seventh-grade classroom at Canyon Breeze Elementary had to be evacuated Dec. 16 after pepper spray was shot at the ground, officials said.

The keychain-sized can of pepper spray was brought to the Avondale campus by a girl in the class, said Battalion Chief Ben Avitia, a spokesman with the Avondale Fire Department.

“She gave it to a curious friend, who sprayed a small, quarter-size dot on their classroom floor,” said Sgt. Thomas Alt, a spokesman with the Avondale Police Department. “The pepper spray did not touch any students or the teacher, but the fumes of the spray went into the air and exposed all in the classroom, as pepper spray can affect the respiratory system.”

The classroom was evacuated and the Avondale Fire

Police issue sex offender notice

View report

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

Justin Rubino, 31, is living at a home in the 11900 block of West Pierce Street in Avondale, northwest of 119th Avenue and Van Buren Street, police said. Rubino is not wanted by any law enforcement agency, said Officer Ray Emmett, a police spokesman.

In 2003, Rubino was convicted of sexual assault in Belnap Superior Court in New Hampshire, Emmett said.

His victim, a 15-year-old girl, was known to him, Emmett said. Authorities have classified Rubino as a Level II, or intermediate-risk, sex offender, Emmett said.

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

Department responded to treat the affected pupils and teacher, Alt said.

Nineteen pupils were evaluated by firefighters, and six were transported by ambulance to a local hospital, Avitia said. Symptoms ranged from shortness of breath to irritation of the eyes and nose, none of which were considered critical, he said.

“At this time, there will be no criminal charges, as the school is looking further into the matter and will proceed with any disciplinary actions as they determine necessary,” Alt said.

The school is at 11675 W. Encanto Blvd. in Avondale.

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

Teenager burned in Goodyear garage fire

by Emily Toepfer assistant editor

An 18-year-old was treated for serious burns Dec. 13 after a fire broke out in a garage at a house near Interstate 10 and Sarival Avenue in Goodyear, officials said.

Firefighters from Goodyear, Avondale, Buckeye and Buckeye Valley responded to the house at about 8 p.m. and found the garage fully involved with fire, said Battalion Chief Ed Pahl, a spokesman with the Goodyear Fire Department.

Goodyear police who had arrived on scene first attempted to locate a child believed to be inside the house, Pahl said.

It turned out to be an 18-year-old, who was eventually seen in the back doorway and was grabbed by one of the officers, Pahl said.

The teen was evaluated, treated and transported to the Arizona Burn Center for serious burns to his extremities, Pahl said.

Firefighters quickly attacked the fire and were able to contain it to the garage, he said.

A resident of the home and police officers were evaluated on scene for smoke inhalation, but were not transported to the hospital, Pahl said.

The fire is under investigation.

Chief

(From Page 1)

and will pay about $677,000 this fiscal year for the agreement, which included new equipment and hiring dispatchers.

“Our style of service for dispatching and our customer service was the No. 1 reason, so it makes me feel real good,” Rodriguez said. “That’s what I strove for when I first got here, was getting that service level up to make sure people recognize us for service first.”

A project that won’t be launched during his tenure is the use of body cameras for officers. Tolleson’s new chief, Commander Wayne Booher, said he plans to roll out the plan early next year.

Booher, 60, has been with the city for the majority of his 26-year career in law enforcement, and was recommended for the role by Rodriguez.

The city didn’t perform a search to fill the chief position, instead opting to promote from within after an “extensive succession planning initiative,” Tolleson City Manager Reyes Medrano Jr. said.

“He’s been in charge of the operations and a lot of the administrative functions for a long time,” Rodriguez said. “I have given him the reins to look over things in my absence, and whenever I’m gone, he does a fantastic job.”

Booher has held every position within the police department and has completed some of the top training in the country, Rodriguez said.

Among his top priorities as the chief is technology, including the body cameras, Booher said.

“Probably the biggest challenge in law enforcement is keeping up with the technology that’s available,” he said. “Technology has really, really moved forward in law enforcement, which is really good because it helps us be better at what we do.”

Tolleson watched other agencies test out the cameras and work out any kinks, but is ready to start the procurement process now that the prices have also gone down, Booher said.

“Everybody has their own impression of an event,” he said. “When you attach video to it, you get actually what happened … It’s in black and white right there, and you can’t deny it.

“We’ve always been really lucky here in Tolleson and have had the support of the community, but public trust in law enforcement is eroding across the country and we want to make sure that doesn’t happen here.”

Along the same lines, he said the department also needs to improve its social media outreach.

“It’s such a full-time job, but I want to try and get more involved with social media and push information out there quickly,” Booher said. “I know it’s been very successful in some other police departments. I’ve taken a look at it and really like what I see and what they’re able to do with it. I think that’s one area we’re missing out on that we need to jump on board with and get out there.”

Valley View, Avondale, Arizona, Wednesday, December 21, 2016

Justin Rubino

Bicyclists hit by car in Goodyear

View report

Two bicyclists were hit by a car during a morning ride Dec. 16 near Bullard Avenue and Encanto Boulevard in Goodyear, officials said.

The women, who are in their mid-30s or -40s, were riding at about 6 a.m. when they were struck by a vehicle driven

by a man in his 50s, said Lisa Kutis, a spokeswoman with the Goodyear Police Department.

Both bicyclists were wearing helmets and were transported to a local hospital with non-life-threatening injuries, Kutis said. Impairment is not suspected, and the case is under investigation, she said.

Avondale Police Dept. employee teams up with Humane Society

View report

Debbie Ray with the Avondale Police Department received her Certified Humane Education Specialist credential from the Humane Society and is now part of the national Humane Education Registry.

Ray’s goal is to reach the West Valley’s youngest residents with lessons on kindness to people, animals and the environment. She also plans to develop further humane education programming with the Pets in Police Service program.

Avondale hikes water, sewer rates

6 percent increases take effect Jan. 19

by Glenn Gullickson staff writer

Avondale residents will be paying more for water and sewer in 2017 after the City Council approved rate hikes that will average 6 percent for each utility.

The rate increases — the second in a series of planned hikes over several years — were approved by the council Monday and take effect Jan. 19.

The monthly bill for the most commonly used amount of service will increase about $3, according to the city.

In March, rates went up an average of 7.5 percent for water and 6 percent for sewer after the council approved the first rate hikes in years.

At that time, the council set out the multi-year plan for rate increases, which have to be formally approved each year.

that before the first rate increases were approved early this year, there had been what he called “heated debate” about whether to impose a larger increase or smaller hikes over a period of years.

Weise and others noted that the city probably should have increased the rates between 2009 and 2015.

But to increase rates during the economic downturn “would have been cruel,” Weise said.

Councilman David Iwanski noted that the city delivers water for less than 2 cents a gallon.

“If that isn’t a value, I don’t know what is,” Iwanski said.

The plan keeps in place a rate structure of four tiers, with higher rates for larger users and a conservation or “lifeline” rate for smaller users on fixed incomes.

The most common bill for users of 9,000 gallons of water a month will be $25.80, an increase of $1.33, according to the city.

Average users of 6,000 units of waste water a month will be billed $29.39, an increase of $1.85, the city said.

13555 W. McDowell Rd. • Suite 205 • Goodyear 623-512-4464 Insurance not accepted. Cash pay only.

The plan outlines future rate hikes continuing at an average of 6 percent for water and sewer per year through 2021. In 2022, water rates would increase by 2 percent and sewer rates by 6 percent, according to the plan.

The money is needed to replenish reserve funds to cover depreciating assets that will need to be repaired or replaced, according to Abbe Yacoben, the city’s finance and budget director.

During a public hearing before the increases were approved by a unanimous vote, former councilwoman Betty Lynch criticized the council for imposing the second utility rate hike in 10 months.

“Think about the principle of what you’re doing,” Lynch told the council.

Mayor Kenneth Weise acknowledged

Monday’s meeting was the last for three council members — Vice Mayor Stephanie Karlin, Jim McDonald and Iwanski.

Karlin and McDonald are leaving the council after being termed out; Iwanski, who was appointed to the council in 2014, did not seek re-election.

The council’s Jan. 2 meeting will mark the start of a new four-year term for Weise, who defeated Karlin for the office in the November runoff election, and new council members Pat Dennis, Veronica Malone and Mike Pineda.

For more information on water and sewer rate increases, visit www.avondale. org or contact the city at 623-333-2000. Glenn Gullickson can be reached at ggullickson@westvalleyview.com.

(From Page 1)

A holiday spent at a domestic violence shelter could be difficult, but it could also provide a different kind of holiday spirit.

“I’m looking forward to it,” said one of the residents, who asked to remain anonymous and will be called Tracy for this story. “I’ve got friends here, so we’re going to make the best of it.”

Tracy, 39, moved from Peoria to the New Life Center at the end of October with her four children, ages 7 to 14 — a teenage son and daughters she described as “three divas.”

They are bunking together in a room at the center that provided Tracy an escape from a four-year relationship with a boyfriend she said had become controlling, demanding and physically abusive.

“I had to exit that relationship because it was getting really bad,” she said. “I had to do what was best for my children.”

Tracy said her children didn’t like the idea of the move at first, but they have adjusted.

“My son was, ‘I don’t want to be here. It’s Christmas,’” Tracy said. “But it was either be here or be dead.”

Kelli Hernandez, community development director at the New Life Center, said Tracy’s story is typical of the residents at the center, which opened in 1991 with three beds and has grown to be the second largest domestic violence shelter in the state with 104 beds in rooms that can house 24 families.

For the holidays, each room has a small Christmas tree, and some families have decorated their doors with wreaths.

In the center’s dining hall, there are two trees — one decorated by the mothers, another decorated by the children — and the reindeer sacks created by children as part of a crafts class that Hernandez said helps the youths open up emotionally.

While the center is usually full, Hernandez said the demand for help grows during the holidays, as women often make the decision to leave home when their children are not in school.

“You see an increase in need,” she said of the center, which offers women and their families shelter for up to 120 days. “It’s never an easy decision. It’s never easy for the kids.”

Women at the shelter range from 25 to 40 years old, Hernandez said.

Their children, who make up 65 percent of the residents at the center, are mostly between 3 and 10 years old, although New Life Center is one of the few that accepts teenage boys, she said.

While the families are experiencing upheaval, they’ll

still have Christmas.

“We try to make it special and create some new traditions,” Hernandez said.

Children were encouraged to write letters to Santa with gift requests that became a list that donors could work from. Everything from electronics and Star Wars gear to dolls and nail polish are donated during community drives, Hernandez said.

“We get a lot of support around the holidays,” she said. Donations helped stock the center’s Santa Shop, which is set up like a store, where mothers can select items for their children and children can find gifts for their mothers.

Hernandez said each resident can pick items from gifts categorized as “large,” “medium” or “stocking stuffers.”

Rather than just give residents donated items, she said the experience “creates a more realistic Christmas experience because they get to shop.”

Volunteers wrap the presents, which will be opened during individual family gatherings.

Earlier this week, all the mothers had a night out for dinner at a restaurant while their children stayed at the shelter for a pajama party viewing of the movie Polar Express.

Then on Christmas Day, everyone will gather for a lunch of tamales, a menu item requested by residents.

Hernandez said the New Life Center staff, which includes 35 resident advocates, will be on hand for the holidays.

“We typically have more staff for holidays because holidays can be hard for families,” she said. “It’s a difficult day emotionally. It’s different, but we’re all together and safe.”

Children typically think about grandparents and other family members on the holiday, Hernandez said.

“They want to go home, without understanding that it is no longer safe,” she said.

Visitors are not allowed at the New Life Center so as not to disclose the shelter’s location, but some residents will leave the campus to see relatives or attend religious services, Hernandez said.

“Most stay here, sheltered with each other,” she said.

That is Tracy’s plan. She will take a break from spending her days looking for work as a caregiver and thinking about housing options, she said.

Before the holiday, Tracy said she did a little bit of shopping for clothes her children needed after moving out of their home.

“We left everything,” she said.

But this year, Tracy can’t spend the kind of money she did on previous Christmases, so she’s depending on the kindness of strangers to make a holiday for her family.

“God bless them,” she said. “Who do I write thank you notes to?”

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

(From Page 1)

days,” Zaklikofsky said.

Candles on the menorah represent the eight days and symbolize the holiday.

Zaklikofsky said the Goodyear celebration attracts people who aren’t Jewish, often friends and colleagues who are brought along to learn about the holiday.

“The message of Chanukah is for everybody,” he said. “You can take that candle, that message, and make it last. All of us look for a little light.”

Zaklikofsky said the event gets a larger crowd every year, with 200 expected this year.

“People are more welcoming to the idea of a Jewish presence,” he said.

WHAT: Seventh annual Grand Menorah Lighting WHEN: 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. Dec. 28 WHERE: Southwest Valley Family YMCA, 2919 N. Litchfield Road, Goodyear

It was in 2010 when Zaklikofsky first came to the West Valley to conduct a Chanukah service, and the response convinced him to move his family from Brooklyn to establish the Jewish center for people who previously had to go to Phoenix or Scottsdale.

“People thought nothing Jewish would come to this part of town,” he said. “I came here as a total stranger. We had a lot of support.”

He said the center regularly serves about 35 people plus children for classes on Wednesdays, and every-otherweek services on Friday nights or Saturday mornings at Zaklikofsky’s home.

“We are looking for a bigger place because we are busting at the seams,” he said.

The center serves all types of Judaism, from orthodox to reformed, Zaklikofsky said.

“We are open to everyone,” he said. “We’re here. We’re a light.”

The Chanukah event will start with comments from local dignitaries and a guest of honor.

A 9-foot menorah set up at the corner of Litchfield and Thomas roads during the holiday season will be moved so Zaklikofsky can light it as part of the event.

Children are a focus of Chanukah, so the event will include entertainment such as a bouncy house and a performance by the Craig Davis Comedy, Magic and Juggling Show

Chanukah gelt, or chocolate coins, will be given to children. Zaklikofsky noted that food served at the Chanukah celebration, including potato pancakes known as latkes, and doughnuts, symbolize the holiday traditions since they are cooked in oil.

For information on the Chabad Jewish Center of Goodyear, visit jewishgoodyear.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.

Briggs J. Geier, D.O.

Raymond D. Suarez, M.D.

Erica McLaughlin,

Yes, Virginia, there is a Santa Claus

Of all the images and words in support of Santa, no single statement has traveled as far and wide as the answer to an 8-year-old girl’s question written to a New York City newspaper 115 years ago: Please tell me the truth, is there a Santa Claus?

That was in 1897. The author was young Virginia O’ Hanlon, who lived with her parents in a comfortable home on the northern edge of the West Side of Manhattan. Her father was a doctor and consultant to the New York City Police Department.

As she recalled years later, she was a ﬁrm believer in Santa Claus, who had been consistently good to her, but some of her young friends had started to sow the seeds of doubt. She asked her father for the facts. He was “a little evasive on the subject,” but suggested she write to the Question and Answers department of the New York Sun, a leading evening newspaper in the days when evening newspapers were an important institution in a city family’s life. Here is what she wrote:

Dear Editor,

I am eight years old. Some of my little friends say there is no Santa Claus. Papa says, “If you see it in the Sun, it’s so.” Please tell me the truth, is there a Santa Claus?

Virginia O’ Hanlon

Virginia looked in vain for many days to see if her letter had been answered. The Question and Answer department had the good sense to turn it over to the managing editor, who in turn had assigned it to Francis Pharcellus Church. Church had once been a Civil War correspondent and was then an aging and unknown editorial writer who frequently commented on religious topics, which he tended to treat with some skepticism. But on this occasion he rose to Virginia’s challenge with this classic response, which appeared as an unsigned editorial in the New York Sun of Sept. 21, 1897: Virginia, your little friends are wrong. They have been affected by the skepticism of a skeptical age. They do not believe except what they see. They think that nothing can be which is not comprehensible by their little minds. All minds, Virginia, whether they be men’s or children’s, are little. In this great universe of ours man is a mere insect, an ant, in his intellect, as compared with the boundless world about him, as measured by the intelligence capable of grasping the whole of truth and knowledge.

Yes, Virginia, there is a Santa Claus. He exists as certainly as love and generosity and devotion exists, and you know that they abound and give to your life its highest beauty and joy. Alas! How dreary would be the world if there were no Santa Claus? It would be as dreary as if there were no Virginias. There would be no childlike faith then, no poetry, no romance to make tolerable this existence. We should have no enjoyment except in sense and sight. The external light with which childhood ﬁlls the world would be extinguished.

Not believe in Santa Claus? You might as well not believe in fairies! You might as well get your papa to hire men to watch all the chimneys on Christmas Eve to catch Santa Claus, but even if they did not see Santa Claus coming down, what would that prove? Nobody sees Santa Claus, but that is no sign that there is no Santa Claus. The most real things in the world are those that neither children nor men can see. Did you ever see fairies dancing on the lawn? Of course not, but that’s no proof that they are not there. Nobody can conceive or imagine all the wonders that are unseen and unseeable in the world. You tear apart the baby’s rattle to see what makes the noise inside, but there is a veil covering the unseen world which not the strongest man, not even the united strength of all the strongest man that ever lived, could tear apart. Only faith, poetry, love and romance can push aside that curtain and view and picture the supernatural beauty and glory beyond. Is it all real? Ah, Virginia, in all this world there is nothing else real and abiding.

No Santa Claus? Thank God he lives, and he lives forever. A thousand years from now, Virginia, nay 10 times 10,000 years from now, he will continue to make glad the heart of childhood.

are readily involved, helping their community in a way they deem needed. And yes I am a NAVY VETERAN, but I don’t cry.

Jerry Oglesbee Avondale

A proud liberal

Editor:

The following is an exact quote of the deﬁnition from Webster’s Dictionary: Lib’ er-al, I.a 1. Possessing or manifesting a free and generous heart; bountiful. 2. Appropriate and/or ﬁtting for a broad and enlightened mind. 3. Free from narrowness, bigotry, or bondage to authority or creed, II.n. 1. Any person who advocates liberty of thought, speech or action.

Yes, my friends (and enemies), I am proud to be considered a liberal.

Arnold Knack Avondale

Post is exclusive

Editor:

Cry -Cry-Cry Mary Hayes, You feel left out, stop and take a look at the requirements to join the American Legion Post 61. Once a veteran always a veteran, now tell me how many veterans have been denied acceptance in your organization. Possibly Post 61 should have been over looked many years ago. I am not saying your organization does not beneﬁt communities and towns, but remember most organizations

Lake project is a mess

Editor:

I’m sure you all know by now that my husband, dog and I walk around the lake in Litchﬁeld Park nearly every day. We watch it pretty closely, especially since April when the renovations began. It appears everything is done except the actual walkway. Now it looks like they are putting some sort of cap around the perimeter of the walkway. Maybe the concrete will be poured soon. Many of the ducks returned on their own and, since it is now winter, many coots also returned. Approximately three weeks ago some sort of blue chemical was added to the lake, and all seemed to be ﬁne. Apparently, it didn’t affect any of the wildlife. But, in the past week something green has been added and most of the wildlife has now left. There are about four ducks and maybe six coots left. One gentleman we talked to said that he personally pulled about ten dead cormorants out of the lake and all the minnows have also died.

We were told this whole project would take until the end of September. Now, we are well into December and still no end in sight. It seems this has been

a mishandled project since the get-go. I can’t imagine how the City will be able to do the annual trout derby next month. To add insult to injury, all the grass in the park is dead, none of the non-working lights around the perimeter of the lake have been ﬁxed, the watering system has not been addressed and the fountain still doesn’t work. Our once-beautiful little lake is rather a pathetic mess. I pray things will soon change, but am not holding my breath.

Sharon Green Litchﬁeld Park

Last is the new ﬁrst explained

Editor:

Since my ﬁrst letter was published two very intelligent woman said they didn’t understand i, I decided to explain it further. Tower starts with the ﬁrst letter of Trump. Power is the new symbol of Trump since his ascention, and P is the last letter of trumP.

Carl Deierling Goodyear

F-35 is necessary

Editor:

Since we’ve heard a lot about the new President calling for re-negotiation with Boeing over the new Air Force One that has been ordered, we are glad that

Elliott Freireich, publisher@westvalleyview.com

Editorial: Managing editor: Cary Hines editor@westvalleyview.com

Assistant editor: Emily Toepfer etoepfer@westvalleyview.com

Sports editor: Casey Pritchard cpritchard@westvalleyview.com

Sports writer: Shane McOwen

Staff writer: Glenn Gullickson, Kourtney Balsan news1@westvalleyview.com

Staff photographers: Ray Thomas, Jordan Christopher

Advertising: Advertising coordinator: Julie Sargent-Helm advertising@westvalleyview.com

Account executives: Rachael Freireich rachael.f@westvalleyview.com Julius Tiritilli julius.t@westvalleyview.com

Bookkeeping: Manager: Rene Hartmann

Alejandrina Trujillo bookkeeping@westvalleyview.com

Production: Shannon Mead, Erica Evans production@westvalleyview.com

Classified advertising: DeAna Janco orders@westvalleyview.com

Circulation/Distribution: Ron Sellmeyer, Megan Boys missyou@westvalleyview.com

Letters

(From Page 6)

our government has started to watch the costs. To meet the pledge of fully equipping our military, we hope it will be noted that the F-35 Fighter Jets that will secure our nation well into the future, has seen declining costs for the past few years. This ﬁghter jet is the most futuristic aircraft ever invented. Designed to provide maximum protection for our pilots, I am conﬁdent that this is a worthy expenditure for our country and hopeful that the new President feels the same.

Sarah Downey Litchﬁeld Park

Thank a police ofﬁcer

Editor:

On Thanksgiving my husband and I decided to be part of the madness at Wal-mart. We went to the Wal-mart in Goodyear and when we were walking to the front we saw some police officers pulling a man out of a pickup truck. At first we thought they were arresting the man for stealing or something and began to chuckle but they laid him on the ground and starting doing CPR on him so we knew it was some type of medical issue. We should have walked away and minded our own business but like the other onlookers we watched. The officers did CPR until the fire truck and ambulance arrived. Within a few minutes the man was sitting up on the stretcher and appeared to be alright from what we could see. We felt obligated to share this story because of what our police officers and public safety is going through. They have gotten a bad rap and it’s important people know they are there to protect us (and save us too). Please keep all police officers and firemen in your prayers this Christmas. Many have been killed this year that won’t get to spend Christmas with their families. When you see a police officer thank them for what they do.

Lorna Palacios Buckeye

Election results, consequences

Editor:

The election shock is still being digested by those on the right (adulation) and those on the left (disbelief) with all of the accusation, denial and excuses justifying the outcome. One side pointing to the Electoral College and the other the popular vote. The reality is Americans in key rural areas around the country came out in support of a change in direction for the county. This came as a shock to urban America. The message is simple, the economy and jobs are a top priority, improving healthcare and the regulatory regime, And ﬁnally and most importantly. RESTORE law and order to the streets of America and STOP the execution of police ofﬁcers on the streets of America.....It’s time to accept the outcome of the election and step up and support this President as we have every other President in our history. The media or those that would not give the administration a chance is doing our nation a and it’s people a dis-service. At this point speculation on WHAT may be done is not criticism of a deed, it criticizing some you THING will be done....Holding the President accountable is part of our job, but letting him get to work for the country is also an obligation.....OUR SYSTEM IS MESSING FOR A REASON... God Bless America......

Virgil Warden Goodyear

Seasons greetings

Editor:

Since, this year, Chanukah and Christmas overlap, it’s especially appropriate to consider the Jewish holiday’s importance for everyone.

Thousands of years ago Antiochus Epiphanies (ruler of the Middle East) had a not terribly original idea. He launched a “culture war” to unify his kingdom, requiring everyone to follow his religion (and its “traditional values”). The plan

failed in the land of Israel, where the people revolted, threw out the foreign occupiers, and rededicated the Temple in Jerusalem to their God. (Chanukah means “rededication”.)

This may be the ﬁrst war fought for religious freedom, a signal event in human history. It’s important for America, a land founded on freedom of religion, and freedom from government meddling in or control of religion. It also has signiﬁcance for Christians.

Consider the consequences had the revolt failed. Jesus would have been born into a pagan family, in a pagan land. The Jewish scriptures would have long been forgotten. Could Jesus have even commenced preaching in such circumstances? Would there be an audience that could even understand, much less be inspired by the message?

So as my Christian neighbors and friends prepare to celebrate what I hope is a very Merry Christmas, remember: without Chanukah there could be no Christmas.

Happy Holidays to everyone!

Gordon P.R. Posner Tolleson

Russia, Trump in cahoots

Editor:

First Conversation That Trump Has With Vladimir Putin:

Putin: “Congratulations Mr. President Trump; we are very pleased and pleasantly surprised with your election.”

Trump: “So was I!”

Putin: “Well you should be because our cyber operatives advised us that the metrics reveal that our hacking into the Democratic Party database did signiﬁcantly alter the perception of Hillary Clinton’s issues with her e-mails and we successfully conﬂated the leaks in conjunction with Julian Assange. This made the difference that got you elected, Mr. President. By the way, your FBI Director, James Comey, was a great help in proliferating our manufactured perception about Mrs. Clinton. He’s a keeper.”

Trump: “I did appreciate it.”

Putin: “And we know how grateful you are. Because of

by Cathy Brown Prevent Child Abuse Arizona Board of Directors vice chair

Child abuse is not a pleasant topic of conversation. For most people, the subject can bring up a mix of anger, bewilderment, and hopelessness.

The current reality in Arizona can fuel these negative emotions. There are now almost 19,000 children in out-of-home care. Every month, the Department of Child Safety removes around 1,000 children from home situations determined to be unsafe, and infants younger than 1 year are removed from their parents at three times the rate of all other children ages 1-18 in Arizona.

The good news is that child abuse is largely preventable, and we know what works to prevent it.

How do we reduce child abuse and neglect?

Through evidence-based programs that work to prevent abuse and neglect. These programs teach parents how to effectively cope with stress, increase their social connections, offer concrete support in times of need and empower parents with parenting tools and information. With more evidence-based prevention programs, our state saves money by not having children enter the foster care system in the ﬁrst place.

A shining example of such a program is Healthy Families, an early childhood home-visiting program in which families receive regular visits from a parent mentor, who provides parenting education, refers them to community resources and connects them to other families. Healthy Families is proven to reduce child maltreatment, increasing utilization of prenatal care, improving parent-child interactions, and promoting children’s school readiness. Through training, parent education and advocating for evidence-based programs such as Healthy Families, Prevent Child Abuse Arizona is shifting the conversation about child maltreatment so prevention is the priority. We know if Arizona invests adequately in prevention, the time, energy and ﬁnances our state is pouring into intervention will be drastically reduced. What can you do to help?

Prevention is the only solution we can afford. There is a shift in how federal funds are spent and could make a difference. Congress needs to pass Family First Prevention Services Act (Senate Bill 3065). I urge readers to ask Sens. John McCain and Jeff Flake to vote for the Family First Prevention Services Act. Please take a minute and call them at 202-224-2235 and 202-224-4521, respectively.

(See Letters on Page 8)

Cathy Brown

Letters

(From Page 7)

this we are asking you to honor our requests of you and your government on certain issues.”

Trump: “What?”

Putin: “To begin, we now expect you to join us as an ally in the conﬂagration in Syria and do expect you to commit to sending your share of troops to assist in the ﬁght to keep Assad in power among other favors. Let’s have some of your wretched vodka that you sent us 20 years ago. We saved it just for this occasion. Let’s toast to you and your administration which are now beholden to Mother Russia and Me.

“NOSTROVIA MR.

COMRADE PRESIDENT! Maybe you and I can wrestle a bear later”

Trump: “OMG!”

Putin: “Da! If you follow through on your obligations to us we may even allow you to erect one of your monolithic high-rise buildings in Moscow! Of course you will have to use our stateapproved contractors and subcontractors but you have been doing that with the Mob in the United States for years.”

Trump: “Well now Mr. Putin, you have made this palatable. NOSTROVIA!”

David Compton Litchﬁeld Park

Parents on naughty list

Editor:

On Dec 15th, I attended my grandson’s Christmas program at Inca Elementary School. He auditioned for the Fine Arts Club and got a part in the program. He has been practicing every week after school since mid September. The parking lot was overﬂowing, and the gym was ﬁlled to capacity with many left to stand against the wall. The Fine Arts Club teacher made an announcement before the performance, asking the audience to be quiet so the students could be heard, and to not move around so as not to block another parent’s view of their child. I thought to myself, really? You

have to tell adults to be quiet?

Not even half way through the performance, I understood why the announcement was made. Parents, shame on you. Numerous times the students were left standing on stage waiting for the crowd to quiet down. One time, after several minutes of waiting, the teacher closed the curtains and said “We are waiting for the audience to be quiet.”

As if that wasn’t bad enough, parents began to leave after their child’s grade was done singing. Students who spent numerous hours rehearsing lines and songs were seeing the crowd disperse as they performed on stage. How rude, how disrespectful. By the time the performance was over, 3/4 of the crowd had already left. Congratulations parents, you just taught your child that if they are not the center of attention, it’s not necessary to stay till the end. You taught your child that it’s ok to be disrespectful and rude to the people around them. You taught your child how to be part of the “I’m the only one that matters” generation. Performers, outstanding job; you were awesome. While you are home on Christmas break, please teach your parents some manners.

Marge Meggers Buckeye

Liberal crybabies back at it

Editor:

Liberal fantasy players at it again. Now, trying to overturn Presidential election results because they unhappy over results because their gal or guy didn’t win, otherwise you wouldn’t hear a peep out of them. The electoral college was established to level the playing ﬁeld for all states to have a voice, not just super states like Calif and NY. It’s why we are called a Representative Republic. It’s beyond sad what cry baby liberals have done to the Democrat party and civility of our nation. It’s beyond their pea brained comprehension that people are fed up with it.

Roy

Sharp Goodyear

Editor:

THIS WEEK'S QUESTION

What overall grade would you give Donald Trump on his cabinet picks thus far?

LAST WEEK’S RESULTS

If you made a New Year’s resolution this year, did you keep it?

Thoughts about 2 issues

Gun Control?

Some perspectives would qualify the issue of gun control as complex. However, from a “ProLife” perspective this is a simple issue. Many countries have dealt with this issue and reduced the loss of life signiﬁcantly. All we need to do is swallow our pride and accept the fact that this relatively young country, though very powerful country, can still learn some things. This is a simple case of the value we put on human life. An idea that philosophers use to rate a civilization.

Abortion?

This is another issue that if looked at from a “Pro-Life” perspective is a simple issue. Yet most “Pro-Life” people are against protecting life with “Gun Control”. Most “Pro-Life” people are also against strong government control. However, nothing is more controlling than restricting the rights of women to make their own health care decisions.

Gun control is an issue mostly effecting the rights of men. Antiabortion is an issue effecting the rights of women. Men are more likely to commit violence than women. Women are more likely to own guns to protect themselves from the violence of men. Men

Take the View’s online poll at the home page of our Website, www.WestValleyView.com

have total control over the health and reproductive ability of their bodies. Pro-Life would take away women’s control over the health and reproductive ability of their bodies. Let’s switch the gender of these two issues. Assume for a moment that men have the more complex and amazing ability to grow and nurture life and women had only the task of impregnating the men. What government and what religion would limit the rights of men to have an abortion, and how long would there be no gun control if women were committing the violence?

Art Boyle Buckeye

Whoa! Hold your horses!

Editor:

Full disclosure: I have met Mayor Meck and worked on his re-election campaign. I have met Dave Nigh. I have not discussed this with either gentlemen. Now, that is out of the way, I would like to say to all of those who have been charged for excessive water usage…I FEEL YOUR PAIN.

In the summer of 2015 and 2016 we received excessive water bills. From 0 usage to 10K or 20K in 1 month. We contacted

GIANT TACK AND SADDLE AUCTION

the Buckeye Water Dept in 2015 and the issue was resolved. In 2016 my intelligence was insulted and I was offended by the manner in which the ofﬁce personnel treated me. I wrote Dave Nigh, attached supporting documents, our meter was checked, and our account was adjusted.

Questions: Faulty meter? Hasty meter read? Temp help? Same problem/attitude in other communities? Personnel attitude for fear of losing their job or just protocol?

It does take time to research and resolve these issues. Firing or Recalling will not solve the problems. Perhaps only inhibit ﬁnding the answers. Work with the Mayor and Council. A recall election is expensive and will cost EVERY TAXPAYER. Something to think about.

Marilyn A. Walker Vollmer Buckeye

Relieving your holiday stress

Expert touts essential oils

by Kourtney Balsan

special to the View

The holidays are full of emotions from joy to stress to anticipation to overindulgence and all of the feelings in between. Health and wellness expert Shawna Allred, 39, of Surprise has a trick that may help ease the emotional roller coaster.

“Essential oils help emotionally and physically,” Allred said.

Allred taught The Holidays and Essential Oils class Dec. 15 at the White Tank Branch Library, 20304 W. White Tank Mountain Road, Waddell.

“We just want people to feel better No. 1, and educate on health and wellness in general,” Allred said.

To transform your home during the holidays into a happy, healthy and thriving environment, Allred highly suggests using essential oils.

“Make your house smell good during Christmas time, we have some great oils for that like Christmas Spirit, a blend of orange and cinnamon, it’s very Christmasy smelling. It smells like you’re baking something wonderful, which also just makes you feel great. Realtors know this trick,” Allred said.

Essential oils have three different uses, Allred said, aromatically, topically and internally.

“The three uses are aromatically, so just the scent of the oil that you can breathe it in, either using a diffuser or just smelling it out of the bottle,” Allred said. “No. 2 is topically, many of the oils, and we like to say many, not all, many of the essential oils can be used directly on the skin. Lastly, is internally and many, not all, this is what we educate about, but many can be used internally like in a glass of water. I put peppermint oil in my coffee every morning, it’s fantastic. You can put them in a capsule like you would a vitamin.”

During her class, she taught that the oils that are best to support the holiday emotions are Christmas Spirit, Stress Away, a blend with lavender, cedar wood and copaiba oils, and Joy, a blend of rose, jasmine and geranium oils.

“A lot of companies make blends like that and call them certain names,” Allred said.

Allred teaches peppermint oil supports oxygen intake and focus while clover oil supports the immune system, among information and uses of many other oils.

“We always recommend you do your research with where you’re getting them [before buying them], not all oils are the same. The FDA only requires that 5 percent of an essential oil bottle have the 100 percent essential oil in it to be able to label it ‘100 percent pure essential oil,’” Allred said.

Although there is no scientific backing or Federal Drug Administration approval, Allred said oils have worked for her.

“I started to experiment with them myself. I still kind of thought that they were just going to smell nice because I thought I don’t really need them and I was a pretty healthy person now, and I feel really good, so I don’t really know what I would need them for.” Allred said. “I had an ‘ah-ha’ moment with one that really helped with a foot injury. I had fallen on my foot and twisted it kind of funny and ‘oh I’ll just try this oil on it’ and it worked like crazy.”

When she was 18, Allred was hospitalized for the first time. She had an array of auto immune illnesses including Lupus, and was told she had 10 years to live, but she was tired of taking medication.

“For over 20 years, I was hospitalized several times and was on medication and hated medication. It just made me

(See Stress on Page 10)

All aboard for the holiday

Goodyear man shares model train collection for Christmas

by Glenn Gullickson staff writer

A Goodyear man has his own version of the Polar Express, and is sharing his love of model trains with neighborhood children during the holidays.

Mike Pekar said he makes his train collection available to children in Goodyear’s Old Town neighborhood in the weeks before Christmas.

“Christmas is the time for model trains,” Pekar said. “The kids have a ball with it. I let them run them.”

The three model trains set up on two platforms on the porch of his home include some cars as old as 70 years old.

Pekar, 77, said he became interested in trains as a boy in Pennsylvania when he and his brother would visit the train station in Scranton, where a great uncle was employed by the Union Pacific Railroad.

He said the collection started when he got his first model train cars at age 7 from his father, who had just returned home from serving in the military during World War II.

Over the years, Pekar has had engines rebuilt and the cars refurbished, and he’s given some of the cars to a grandson.

Every fall, he starts preparing the display of two freight trains with 12 cars and one passenger train with eight cars for the holidays, including lights to illuminate the collection, Pekar said.

“We try to have everything up and running by Thanksgiving,” he said.

The display remains active until after New Year’s at his home, 136 La Cienega Ave., Goodyear.

View photo by Ray Thomas

A TRAIN RUNS through a holiday village Dec. 16 set up at the home of Goodyear resident Mike Pekar, who shares his love of model trains with neighbors every year during Christmas.

View photo by Ray Thomas

MIKE PEKAR, left, of Goodyear operates a model train Dec. 16 as children from the neighborhood look on. Pekar sets up the holiday village every year to share his love of trains during the holidays.

A new holiday tradition

Goodyear residents unite with Northstar Christmas Tree

by Kourtney Balsan special to the View

Division is a hot topic in recent news with the election and other current events bringing to light opposing beliefs, but one West Valley community is showing how the holidays can bring unity.

Goodyear residents in the Estrella community have sparked a new holiday tradition by decorating a tree named Northstar Christmas Tree on the highest point of F.I.N.S. Northstar trail at 1,383 feet elevation in Estrella Mountain Regional Park, resident Jose Ignacio Granda said.

“It represents the community spirit of Christmas, and residents have just adopted it instantly,” said Kim Doud, Estrella Trails Committee chairman.

The Christmas tree lights up the Goodyear sky with solar holiday lights along with ornaments residents have decorated the tree with, Doud said.

The idea came when Granda wanted to inspire himself, his family and others to hike and enjoy the outdoors, while also celebrating the holidays in a unifying way, he said.

“I wanted to start a tradition with my children, for them to be encouraged to hike and at the same time be excited to be able to complete the hike with the goal of reaching the Christmas tree and leave an ornament. I thought it would be a wonderful family tradition,” Granda said. “Another reason for this tradition was to encourage and motivate those families who perhaps never or rarely hike. For them to see that a tree was placed almost 1,400 feet high and for it to motivate them to spend family time with a goal in mind, as well as to exercise their bodies.”

Mark Rayburn, Estrella Trails Committee co-chair, gave the green light for the new tradition, Granda said. Ramon Millan, Granda’s neighbor and hiking partner,

gave his full support, as well.

“This is for the whole community,” Millan said. “I hope everyone likes it.”

Millan and Granda bought the biggest tree they could find at 8 feet tall and hiked it up the mountain, which took them two and a half hours, Granda said.

“We carried it on our shoulders and after several breaks, we got it there. After the tree was there, I told Ramon that we needed to make the tree glow, so we went back to the store in search of solar lights and were lucky enough to find them. We hiked once more that day to install the lights.” Granda said.

Granda and the residents who made the tree possible have received positive feedback from the community with many saying that because of the tree, they decided to hike for the first time, Granda said.

“Comments like this overwhelm me with joy,” he said. “I plan on continuing this tradition for as long as I am able to. This Christmas eve, my family and I have planned to hike and place the star on top of the tree.”

To get to the Northstar Christmas Tree at Estrella Mountain Regional Park, 14805 W. Vineyard Ave., Goodyear, go to the new parking area for the F.I.N.S. Trail System named Westar Turn, take the Entry Trail to Kim’s Klimb, to Proposal Pass, down Spent Spade, Up Hikers Hi-Way to Northstar, and continue all the way up to the top, Rayburn said.

To be a part of the community’s new holiday tradition, hike and place an ornament of your own or join a group from noon to 3 p.m. Christmas Eve to witness the star being placed on top and mingle with Santa.

After the holidays, the tree will be properly disposed of and the ornaments will be donated to a charity, Rayburn said.

feel worse instead of better, so from a very young age at 18, I had made the decision after I was hospitalized for the first time, and after being puffed up like the marshmallow man from steroids, that I did not want to do that junk anymore. I made a decision early on that I would seek out natural remedies that didn’t have the side effects,” she said. Her mind and healthier habits is what led her to a healthy lifestyle and her experience is what led her to educate people on essential oils, she said.

“I learned how to think differently and I learned how to manage and deal stress differently,” Allred said. “I learned to focus on gratitude. My little saying is ‘focus on your nose.’”

From her head to her toes, her body was in pain, but when she focused on her nose, which she realized was not in pain, she began to feel more grateful and less pain, she said, adding that as the days went on, she found another body part that wasn’t in pain that she was grateful for and eventually, her pain went away.

“I had to make the decision one morning, instead of waking up and being in so much in pain, I had to make the decision to look at what was good and what I could be grateful for,” Allred said.

She and her family are healthy and haven’t needed a doctor in three years until recently when she needed to get a physical to be cleared to adopt a child.

“You kind of forget and life just happens and I was like, ‘Wow none of us had been to the doctor’s or anything, and you know we have kids. We used to be in the doctors for ear infections and whatever all of the time and we just haven’t been,” Allred said.

Allred first got into using essential oils after she decided to use them as a fundraiser to help her adopt a child, she said, adding that that was when she began learning the possible benefits of the oils.

“I started my current career in essential oils just as a fundraiser for our adoption, actually, I just wanted to make a little extra money to be able to pay for that and it turned into an entire career for the last three years where my husband and I now just teach and educate on health and wellness specializing in essential oils,” Allred said.

What interested her most was the history behind the oils as they date back to biblical times, with frankincense essential oil correlated to baby Jesus as a gift from the three wise men, Allred said.

“Part of the reason I love essential oils, is that I’m a Christian and I was fascinated about frankincense essential oil. This was an oil that has been around for thousands of years,” Allred said.

Mary Brown, 69, of Surprise is new to essential oils, but is eager to learn more to introduce oils in her daily life.

“I know this is a new hot topic, essential oils. I’ve heard a lot about it, but don’t know much about it. I want to learn more,” Brown said. “I want know what is going to make me sleep better.”

Essential oils are for all ages, Allred said, as people from every walk of life attend her classes. Allred and her husband teach regularly at the White Tank Branch Library, at least once a month, she said.

View photos by Jordan Christopher

NORTHSTAR CHRISTMAS TREE sits at the highest point of Northstar trail in the F.I.N.S. trail system at Estrella Mountain Regional Park in Goodyear. Residents placed the tree on the mountain and

Business Briefcase

by Shane McOwen staff writer

Hello, everyone, and welcome to the final Briefcase before all the holidays hit.

There’s a lot of overlap with the major holidays this year, so everyone is in the same boat in the stress timeframe. Christmas is Sunday, at its concrete schedule of Dec. 25. Chanukah begins at sundown on Saturday, and Kwanzaa begins Dec. 26.

Also can’t forget Festivus, with its unadorned aluminum pole, airing of grievances and feats of strength.

Of course, the holiday was made famous in an episode of Seinfeld almost 20 years ago, but it’s now actually celebrated today, mostly in jest, I’d presume.

It has its own Wikipedia entry and everything, that’s how you know it’s a big deal. I created a page for myself back in high school, but Wikipedia kept deleting it. I guess I have a long way to go to earn the same status as a fictitious holiday.

Here are this week’s Business updates.

Brooklyn Bedding has opened a new showroom in Avondale at 1453 N. Dysart Road, Suite 109. Brooklyn Bedding’s origins come from 1995, when

the owners of R&S Mattress, a mattress liquidation store, found they had an excess of material in the inventory, and began making their own mattresses with it.

By 2008, the company was selling its product online through marketplaces such as Amazon, and began selling directly from its own website in 2013.

Brooklyn Bedding sells mattresses, foundations, sheets and pillows, all of which can be tried out at the 15 showrooms across the Valley. The Avondale location is the first in the Southwest Valley.

For information, visit brooklynbedding.com or call 623-882-8020.

A mile down the road heading west, Teabo Coffee & Sandwiches is now open at 319 N. Litchfield Road, Suite 104A, in Goodyear.

As the name suggests, it specializes in various coffees and sandwiches.

For information, call 480-703-5333.

We’re moving east on Van Buren Street to complete the trio of projects along the road, which is totally a coincidence. I wasn’t planning on having a parade version of the Briefcase this week, but sometimes, things just work out that way.

The construction on the northwest corner of 127th Avenue and Van Buren in Avondale is Phase II of the Coldwater Logistics Center.

Phase I of the warehouse building project, which houses Conns Appliances, was completed in 2013, and is the farthest north building, bordering Interstate 10. Phase II will be an extension of Phase I to the south.

Phase III was recently completed at the northeast corner of 127th Avenue and Van Buren Street.

That’s it for this week’s Briefcase, folks.

As always, send questions, tips or comments to smcowen@westvalleyview.com. If social media is more your thing, try @shanemcowen. A few readers have already taken advantage of this method.

The Briefcase wishes everyone the happiest of holidays this weekend, be it Christmas, Chanukah, Kwanzaa or Festivus.

See you all next week for the final Briefcase of 2016! Take care and be well, everyone.

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

Shane McOwen

Owls soccer holds on for win; Lobos soccer trying to build; Youngker wrestlers gaining experience on mat

Youngker easily handles Shadow Mountain

Lady Roughriders

score 6 times in 1st 14 minutes for 9-1 win

by Casey Pritchard sports editor

Youngker’s girls soccer team has struggled out of the gates this year, but the Lady Roughriders had no trouble starting quickly Dec. 15 against Phoenix Shadow Mountain.

Youngker scored six times in the game’s first 14 minutes, easily cruising past the Lady Matadors 9-1. Cassandra Laughlin and Ida Lovland each had a hat trick, and Brittney Sori scored twice.

It was a significant win for the Lady Roughriders, as it was the first time they had all of their regulars in the lineup.

“We played Ida up top, and she’d been playing left defender for us,” Youngker coach Steven Morss said.

“We knew she could play forward, but it was convincing her she could do it, and she came out and had two goals right off the bat, and we were like, see, you can do it.”

The win moved Youngker to 2-5, a year after the Lady Roughriders went 14-4 and made the state playoffs for the first time in school history. Despite the slow start, Morss said he thinks the team will get stronger as the season progresses.

“I’m not worried at all right now,” he said. “We were joking about it the other day, talking about last year versus this year, and of course losing a player like Inga [Totland], you can’t just replace her, she’s a player of all special players. But we feel like as a team, we have more talent all around this year. Last year, I felt like we had three players that were kind of holding us together and keeping us strong, and this year, we’re more of a complete team. We’re just learning to put it together.”

Totland, who was a foreign exchange student, scored 44 of the Lady Roughriders’ 93 goals last year. Laughlin had 22, which was second on the team, and is now a senior and team captain. She plays midfield.

“Cassie Laughlin is a one in a million talent,” Morss said. “I know her family really well. Her sister Maddie played goal for us last year, and Josh, her brother, played here for the boys team. In my opinion, she’s the best of the three, even her brother. She’s just, man, I don’t even

have words for her. I tell people all the time, she’s the best player I’ve ever been around. I don’t know what to say other than that. She’s definitely the glue in the middle.”

Laughlin has help in the midfield from Sofia Helbro, another foreign exchange student. The two play part of a new formation Morss is using.

“At the beginning of the season in the tournament, we were trying to push the 4-3-3 we ran last year, and it just wasn’t working with the personnel,” Morss said. “So we changed it to a 4-4-2 to kind of suit the players we have.”

The system is starting to pay dividends, as the Lady Roughriders went 0-3 during the early season Desert Cup Classic tournament, but have since gone 2-3 — they lost to Gilbert Higley 8-2 Dec. 16. Youngker should also be stronger come January when a pair of transfer students, Amara Garcia and Brittney Bevins, are eligible to play.

“Amara Garcia was a freshman last year, but one of our leading goal scorers. She transferred out and transferred back, so she can’t play the first half of the season,” Morss said. “We’re playing without her, and another junior, Britney Bevins. They’re both club players. We’re trying to fit the pieces in where we can right now, just trying to hang in there and come away with as many wins as possible, and then, hopefully, get them back.”

Bevins plays on the right wing, while Garcia is a forward. She had 16 goals last year, which was third on the team.

New face in goal

The Lady Roughriders also have a new goalie with the graduation of Madelyn Laughlin. Makayla Garcia, a sophomore, has taken over that role. She even got into the field during the 9-1 victory against Shadow Mountain, scoring a goal.

“She’s never played soccer before, she stepped in and is playing varsity goalie, and has picked it up like nobody’s business,” Morss said. “She’s awesome. I’ve never seen another player pick up goalkeeper like she has so quickly. To see that was really exciting because we were really worried about who was going to play goalie. To have a player like her step in, she’s not afraid, she’s real aggressive.”

Rather than worry about wins in the early-season tournament, Morss was more focused on gaining experience for his players. The Lady Roughriders will

dismantled the Lady Matadors 9-1.

use winter break to gain more experience when competing in the Independence Invitational tournament Dec. 27-30 at Glendale Independence. After that, Youngker has seven power-points games remaining, including the four Southwest Region contests. Morss has already circled on his calendar a Jan. 19 matchup at Estrella Foothills. The Lady Wolves are 9-0.

“Estrella is the one; that’s the game,” Morss said. “My girls know it, we’ve been talking about it all season. I expect wins in the other games, and the Estrella game is the River Valley game from last year, in my opinion. We’ll see.”

Casey Pritchard can be reached at caseypritchard@westvalleyview.com or on Twitter @CaseyonSports.

View photo by Ray Thomas

IDA LOVLAND, right, of Youngker gets a shot off Dec. 15 against Shadow Mountain. Lovland scored three goals for the Lady Roughriders as they

Agua Fria soccer at .500 at halfway point

by Shane McOwen sports writer

Agua Fria’s boys soccer season has started, but the Owls have yet to hit their stride, coach Sam Eid said.

The Owls went 2-2 in the Agua Fria Soccer Invitational Nov. 21-25, and have gone .500 through six power-points games. Eid said the team has the capability to make a run.

“We’re looking to hit our stride,” he said. “We haven’t hit our stride. Look out for the second half of the season if we can get everything figured out.”

If the Owls put it together, they’ll have to do it with a young core. Agua Fria graduated 12 seniors from last year’s squad.

“Essentially, our JV team from last year is our varsity team [this season],” Eid said.

BOYS SOCCER

Agua Fria wrapped up its final power-points games of 2016 with a win against Glendale Apollo and a loss to Phoenix Paradise Valley, both at home.

The Owls got out to a 3-0 lead against Apollo, but had to withstand a furious late comeback attempt to hold on to the 3-2 victory Dec. 14.

Sophomore Brandon Carrillo scored the team’s first goal with less than two minutes left in the first half. Agua Fria played a short corner and got the ball into the box. Junior Misael Moreno connected on a shot near the six-yard box that was blocked by the Apollo goalkeeper. Carrillo was able to connect on the deflection and put the ball in the back of the net. Agua Fria added two goals in the second half, the last coming with 6:16 left in the game from senior Anthony Quiroz.

Apollo made it interesting in the final five minutes.

The Hawks were granted a penalty from an Agua Fria handball in the penalty area, which was converted for a goal. Apollo scored again with three minutes to go on a header from a corner kick. The Hawks had an attacking run with seconds left on the clock, but the final shot sailed over the crossbar as time expired.

“We did enough to win,” Eid said. “We did enough to squeeze by. We want to be able to finish how we start. We got the W, but we want to finish stronger.”

Agua Fria was level with Paradise Valley at the end of regulation, but surrendered two goals in overtime and lost 3-1. The Owls led 1-0 at half, but weren’t able to extend the advantage in the second half.

The Owls will compete in the Arizona Soccer Showcase tournament starting Dec. 27. Eid said he thinks the team can use the tournament to tune up for the regular season and hit its stride once region play begins.

“I think we’re close,” he said. “I think we’re really close. [Region play] is what I’m going for, that’s what matters.”

Az Motorsport Park, Litchﬁeld Park Saturday, February 4

8am-4:45pm

Information: www.teamsafetydrivingschool.org

Norman Hamden, lead instructor 928-254-5400 normanhamden@gmail.com

Registration $150, also open to young adults. Defensive

View photo by Ray Thomas

JESSE SALDANA, left, of Agua Fria fends off an Apollo player Dec. 14 to win the ball. The Owls watched a 3-0 lead slip to 3-2, but they still hung on for victory.

The following three pages of West Valley View are zoned for the 12/21/16 edition.

Each zone pages 14, 15 & 16

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

La Joya hits rough patch

by Shane McOwen sports writer

La Joya is working on building a foundation under first-year coach John Rosenberger.

The Lobos started 2-5-1, but have shown signs of a positive trajectory, Rosenberger said.

“I think we’re looking up,” he said. “We know that every game is going to be a battle and we have to bring it [against] every team, especially in our division.”

Rosenberger, who coached the Lobos’ JV team last year, said his team has developed a fighting spirit through the early stages of the season.

“[We’re] just starting our program and getting down our characteristics and values that we want, and just building forward,” he said.

BOYS SOCCER

“We’re going to fight tooth and nail for everything we get.”

The Lobos have hit a rough patch in their season, losing three games last week to quality opponents.

They lost to Mesa Westwood 3-2 in overtime Dec. 13, 9-0 to Phoenix Sandra Day O’Connor Dec. 15 and 5-2 to Mesa Dobson Dec. 16.

Against Westwood, the Lobos led 2-1 halfway through the first half thanks to goals from Juan Arvizu. Both goals were assisted by Giovanni Jimenez.

La Joya looked as if it would add another before the halftime whistle, but was caught on a counterattack by Westwood that tied the game at 2-2 with a minute left.

“I feel like that pushed the momentum a little bit their way,” Rosenberger said.

Neither side got on the score sheet in the second half, but the Warriors scored with 50 seconds left in the first overtime period to secure the victory.

“I liked the way that we played,” Rosenberger said. “I liked our character and us fighting to the end.”

Rosenberger was happy with the effort his team put forth, he said.

“I liked what enabled us to get the ball forward and get those goals in the first half was our active forwards making those corner runs, and [midfielders] getting in behind,” he said. “I thought we lost our marks on those goals [we conceded], but I’m happy with the way we performed. It was hard fought. It’s a kind of frustrating loss. It’s a hard one to swallow, but we have stuff to build off of.” Rosenberger said he feels the team can rebound from

JESUS RAMOS AGUILAR, left, of La Joya battles against a Mesa Westwood player Dec. 13 for control of the ball. The Lobos lost 3-2 to the Warriors and dropped all three of their games last week.

the tough start and make some noise in region play during the second half of the season.

“I think our record is probably an even assessment of how we’re doing,” he said. “We’ve got a good group of seniors, nine seniors. When those guys come together and

play as a unit, I think we can take down anybody.”

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