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r e u t a e f
Contents DECEMBER 2017 || VOL. 5 ISS. 1
fresh 9
BETWEEN NEIGHBORS Editor’s note
12
EVENTS
Fun things to do in December
14
Illumination: Symphony of Light shines in the North Valley
business 22
CHAMBER CORNER 14th Annual Business Awards nominees
home 28
PERSPECTIVE Mediation and arbitration
VETERANS
16
30
READS
Healthy reading
18
Todd Kessler
CRAFTS
Holiday projects
32
WHEELS
Vehicle accolades
PETS
Lone Star adventure
food
better 40
BEAUTY
Achieve a holiday glow
42
18
ASK THE PHARMACIST
Gluten intolerance
45
SUDOKU
An original puzzle
46
CROSSWORD
2
8
26
H O L I D AY S P E C TA C U L A R
An original puzzle
36
DINE
Giant Rustic Pizza
WEBSITE 85086magazine.com
FACEBOOK facebook.com/85086magazine
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TWITTER @85086mag || #local85086
36
2016 ANTHEM AREA BUSINESS PERSON OF THE YEAR
Don’t forget, Justin Simons clients get a FREE DONUT from Sweetheart Donuts!
Justin Simons, Agent 3655 W. Anthem Way Anthem, AZ 85086
623-551-3700 justin.simons.j663@statefarm.com
Like a good neighbor, State Farm is there. ®
statefarm.com®
DECEMBER 2017
|| 85086MAGAZINE.com || 11
Certain types of cases can be set for compulsory arbitration. In Maricopa County, Superior Court cases claiming $50,000 or less are subject to being set for arbitration. With an arbitration, there is an actual hearing. Although there are relaxed rules, both sides will have an opportunity to present evidence. The arbitrator will make a written decision, which can be appealed. In Arizona, many attorneys are subject to being assigned as an arbitrator. Mediation is designed to settle cases. Often the parties will be in separate rooms and the mediator will go back and forth pointing out the various strengths and weakness of each side’s case. If the case settles, that settlement is binding if it is in writing and is signed by both sides. Mediation offers several advantages to a trial. One simple one is that you don’t have to worry whether your witnesses will show up. But more importantly, it gives you veto power over the outcome of the case. The result may not be something you like, but it will be something that you can live with. So this holiday season, do your best to avoid courtrooms. Unless, of course, you actually have a scheduled court date. While many rightly seek their “day in court,” the reality is that 99 percent of lawsuits filed in Arizona are resolved without a trial. Mediation is often a low cost alternative and it is worth remembering that at least one side really won’t like the results of a trial.
JUDGE GERALD A. WILLIAMS The justice of the peace for the North Valley Justice Court. The court’s jurisdiction includes Anthem and Desert Hills.
DECEMBER 2017
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fresh | WHEELS
TOP
PICKS A rundown of the latest winners from the Texas Truck Rodeo and the Active Lifestyle Vehicle of the Year competition. By Becky Antioco
The Active Lifestyle Vehicle of the Year award for top Luxury On-Road went to the 2018 Alfa Romeo Stelvio.
The 2018 Ford F-150 was among the winners at the Texas Truck Rodeo.
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BUYING A CAR is a lot like choosing a mate. First impressions make a big impact. You may be wowed by a hot body, impressed by capability, swayed by the name affixed to the label—whether on clothing or the trunk lid. And often, the heart rules the mind when making a selection. But with vehicles, and in life, it’s important to look beyond the surface. After all, according to a study by IHS Markit, the average length of vehicle ownership is 79.3 months. So if you’re planning to keep your vehicle until you feel that seven-year itch, or even beyond, think about factors like reliability, and what will suit your lifestyle for the longest period of time. I recently attended two events that sought to determine the best vehicles for specific lifestyles: Texas Truck Rodeo and the Active Lifestyle Vehicle of the Year (ALV) competition. Clearly, if you’re looking to find the best trucks, Texas is the place to test them. Texas Truck Rodeo was started in 1992 by a group of automotive professionals looking to hold a uniquely Texas event. While the event initially included only pickup trucks, it expanded to SUVs, and most recently, crossover vehicles. Over two days, my fellow automotive journalists and I drove 64 vehicles over off-road courses of varying degrees of difficulty, en route to naming the best truck, SUV, and crossover in Texas. Some were best suited to pavement, while others—Land Rover Discovery, for example—handled sharp climbs and descents with nary a hesitation. I piloted the small but mighty Jeep Renegade Desert Hawk up the same trail and was impressed with the chutzpah and capability that earned it the Best SubCompact SUV designation. Measured by interior, exterior, value, performance, and personal appeal, a total of 24 vehicles took home awards, with Mazda sweeping the non-luxury CUV segment, and Nissan capturing five titles, including one for its new, semiautonomous Pro Pilot technology. Top honors went to 2018 Ford F-150 (Truck of Texas), 2018 Volvo XC60 (SUV of Texas) and 2018 Alfa Romeo Stelvio Ti Sport (CUV of Texas). Now in its 14th year, ALV is held nearby in Chandler, Arizona, and judges include automotive journalists and elite athletes who measure vehicles’ suitability for accommodating active lifestyles, both on and off road, luxury and value. Awards were bestowed on nine vehicles:
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TEACHER
of THE MONTH Anthem Chris Cooper Gavilan Peak Tammy Schmidt Canyon Springs Wendy Brooks Diamond Canyon Shawn Boyce BCHS Laura Mora Sunset Ridge Michele Bartel Caurus Academy Katie Madison Ridgeline Diane White
PRESENTED BY:
Nanette McClelland-Miller of
Nanette McClelland-Miller, Agent 39504 N Daisy Mountain Dr. Suite 114 Anthem, AZ 85086 Fry’s Shopping Center; Next to Starbucks! Ph: 623-742-6866 E: nanette@nanettemiller.com
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home | VETERANS
IS TA N
The day Todd graduated from basic training
IN
KA
G AF L, U B
N HA
Army Todd LOCAL VETERAN SHARES HIS MILITARY EXPERIENCES. By Sondra Barr
WHEN ANTHEM resident Jeromee “Todd” Kessler joined the United States Army on Sept. 10, 2001, little did he know the following morning’s tragic events would lead the country to war. “I was trying to get some college money,” says Todd, fondly referred to as Army Todd in Anthem, but more on that later. His reasoning for joining was simple: “I was 18 and trying to figure the world out. We’re all trying to figure it out at that age, I think.” On the Monday before the attacks, Todd had gone to downtown Phoenix from Anthem to sign his Army contract and the recruiters asked him when he wanted to leave for basic training. “I said, yesterday,” details Todd. “I just wanted to get on with my life, better my life, and be a solder.” “They put me on a plane and the short version of the story is, I got off the plane and there were drill sergeants waiting for me. While I was in the air, 9/11 happened. So, at that point, I felt like it was a calling and wanted to stay for a full career.” As an infantryman, Todd spent the following seven years in places including Afghanistan, Iraq, and Uzbekistan. Amid the fighting and turmoil, one of Todd’s favorite memories of his time overseas involved a group of Afghan children he befriended who’d show up
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Todd in Iraq
SONDRA BARR Sondra is the managing editor of 85086 Magazine.
Todd with his team in Kandahar, Afghanistan
when he’d go out in a six-man team to patrol the streets. “As soon as our truck would show up, they’d say, ‘Mr. Kessler. Mr. Kessler.’ They would want me to pay them to be my bodyguard,” says Todd. “I’d give them $5 because $5 was so much money there. That’s like giving a kid here $500. They would take me anywhere I wanted to go. If I wanted to go to a store to buy something, they would take me and if people would pester met to try and get me to buy something, they would shoo them away.” A stroke of luck brought Todd back home when the Army decided to send him back to Arizona to open up an Army recruitment office in Anthem. As an Army recruiter in Anthem, Todd was very involved at Boulder Creek and Sandra Day O’Connor high schools and within the community. In addition to participating in homecoming festivities, setting up information tables, and bringing out rock walls to events, he’d hold physical fitness training for the students who’d already signed up to join the Army and were just waiting to graduate from high school. He was also the head coach for Sandra Day O’Connor’s soccer team. “I was going on three years in Anthem as an Army recruiter, so everyone saw me running around in Anthem in my uniform,” he explains as the reason for becoming known in the community as Army Todd. “There’re not a lot of Army people in Anthem, especially in uniform,” says. Much to Todd’s disappointment, a botched surgery for an arm injury forced him to retire from the Army earlier than he would have liked. However, his time in the Army will be something he always holds dear. “It’s something I’m very proud of, especially in the time that I did serve. There was a lot of turmoil in our country at the time,” he says. Much like everything else in Todd’s life, he took leaving the Army in stride and went to school before becoming a financial advisor and insurance agent for his own Country Financial agency. Two things haven’t changed: people in the area still call him Army Todd and Anthem is still his home. “When I came here, it just stuck,” says Todd. He points to the small town feel, camaraderie of the people, along with the the helpfulness of everybody when there’s a tragedy, as community positives. “I’ve gained so many great friendships in Anthem that I can’t leave.” DECEMBER 2017
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home | CRAFTS
Christmas CRAFTS
Celebrate the season with these festive projects. By Shannon Fisher Photos by Shannon Fisher Photography
DECEMBER IS ONE of my favorite months. We love to make ornaments and give homemade gifts.
Santa Cookie Plates Santa cookie plates are another easy craft to make as a family. Start with a plain ceramic plate. We found ours at the dollar store. Before you create the design, wipe down the plate with rubbing alcohol to get any dirt or oil off the plate. Allow to dry. Next, use oil-based Sharpie markers to draw your picture on the plate. Once dry, you can bake in the oven at 350 degrees for 30 minutes to set the colors. We left our plate to cool in the oven after we turned it off so it wouldn’t crack if we took it out too soon into the cool air. That can take an hour or more. Remember to only hand wash the plates, as scrubbing them or using the dishwasher may take off the design.
Reindeer Food Reindeer food is a great family craft to make before the reindeer bring Santa to your house. Start with a bowl of dry oats and add some edible glitter or sugar crystals so it doesn’t hurt any animals that may sneak a taste. Mix together and sprinkle the mixture outside so the reindeer have a snack when they stop by. You can package the reindeer food in a jar as well and add a cute little note to make it the perfect gift to share.
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Give the GIFT of LIFE insurance this year.
Nanette McClelland-Miller, Agent
623-742-6866 GreatAnthemAgent.com
Fry’s Shopping Center: By Starbucks
Getting to Higher Ground
KEEP KEEPDREAMING. DREAMING. WE’LLBE BE THERE. WE’LL THERE.
KEEP DREAMING. WE’LL BE THERE.
Whether you’re buying your first car or your
Whether you’re your first car retirement home, I’mbuying here for you every step of or theyour way. Let’s talkhere aboutfor how I can help. step of the way. retirement home, I’m you every EXPERIENCED, AGGRESSIVE, AUTHORITATIVE Whether you’re buying your first car or your talkhow today. Let’s talkLet’s about I can help. retirement home, I’m here for you every step of the way. Let’s talk about how I can help. An award-winning Let’s talk today.Let’s talk today. boutique law firm specializing in Domestic John Kovach Agency Relations/Criminal Defense John Kovach Agency Mediation 42407 N Vision42407 WayNSuite 104 Vision Way Suite 10 Limited Scope Anthem, AZ 85086 Anthem, AZ 85086 John Kovach Agency Representation KEEP DREAMING. Whether you’re buying your first car or your (623) 551-7900 (623) 551-7900 retirement home, I’m here for you every step of the way. WE’LL BE THERE. jkovach@amfam.com ASK THE LAWYER Let’s talk about how I can help. 42407 N Vision jkovach@amfam.comWay Suite 1 (free email you’re buying your first car or your Let’sWhether talk today. retirement home, I’m here for you every step of the way. consultation/pose Anthem, AZ 85086 Let’s talk about how I can help. a question) Let’s talk today.
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better | ASK THE PHARMACIST significant amounts of gluten from a medication are not very great. These excipients are not very common, and drug manufacturers are looking for alternatives to wheat products more often nowadays. For people who are avoiding gluten, there are some ways to see if medications are likely to contain it, which can help in managing reactions.
What to Look For
Gluten Intolerance What you need to know about avoiding gluten. By Kari Allan and Tara Storjohann
Q: My daughter was recently diagnosed with celiac disease. I was told that some medications that I usually buy at the pharmacy when she has a cold may have gluten in them. What products should I avoid? A: Managing an intolerance to gluten can be really tough, especially for a child. As you’re probably discovering, gluten isn’t just in foods. It can be found in other products that we use or ingest, including some medications like you mentioned. Overall, the risk of having gluten in your medications is small, but let’s talk about where you might find it and how you can avoid it.
Gluten Allergies Gluten is a protein that is found in wheat, rye, and barley. There’re a few different types of allergies or intolerances to gluten that you should be aware of. People who have an intolerance to gluten have a variety of bad reactions when they eat foods that have these proteins because their bodies aren’t able to process them in a healthy way. One of the most well known types of gluten intolerances is celiac disease. Celiac disease is an autoimmune disorder, meaning that a person’s body can’t tell the difference between gluten proteins
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and substances that are normally harmful to the body. As a result, the body turns the immune system on, which incorrectly attacks the small intestine when gluten is eaten. This can cause a lot of discomfort for people with celiac disease, and over time, the small intestine can become damaged enough that it cannot take in enough nutrients from other foods. To avoid this, these people become life-long avoiders of all things gluten.
Gluten in Medications Usually, when people talk about avoiding gluten, the most obvious thing to pay close attention to is the food they eat. However, gluten proteins can show up in anything that is derived from wheat, rye, or barley. Drug manufacturers use substances called “excipients” when making medications. Excipients can do things like help a medication mix better, condense medications into a tablet form, or help medications keep their potency. In order for medications to work like they’re supposed to, these are extremely important ingredients. Some excipients can be derived from starch or other wheat products and therefore contain gluten proteins. Like we mentioned before, the chances of ingesting
Starch is the most common ingredient that can cause a gluten contamination of a medication and it can be made from several different things, one of which is wheat. Wheat starch is the main offender, and the ingredient that people with gluten allergies need to avoid. You can look at the inactive ingredients list on medication labels to see if it contains starch, then you should look to see if the manufacturer tells you what they made the starch from. If it says wheat starch on the list, this is a red flag, and you should avoid using it. Many times though, it doesn’t say what kind of starch is included, which means that this may require a phone call to the manufacturer to find out. Your pharmacist or healthcare provider can help with this.
Tips for Using Medications with Gluten Intolerance Some manufacturers will state on their packaging directly that a product is gluten-free. If a product doesn’t specifically say this, a pharmacist can help you contact the drug manufacturer directly for more information. There are some resources for identifying ingredients and/or products that may contain gluten that you can use as a starting point. These resources are listed in the table provided. Most importantly, always talk with your doctor about using both prescription and over-the-counter products if you or someone you care for has a gluten allergy or intolerance. Everyone’s condition is different, and your primary healthcare provider is the best resource for determining how cautious you need to be about consuming gluten.
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