V2N2 | APRIL/MAY 2020
PHOTO BY STEVE SIMPSON eastmmag.com APRIL |MAY 2020
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Developing leaders. Increasing confidence. Discovering new talent. Inspiring creativity. Learning new skills. Building relationships…. making an everlasting difference in the lives of teens in our community. Alice Cooper’s Solid Rock Teen Centers inspire and challenge teens to embrace excellence and reach their full potential. Maintaining “a teen’s worst enemy is too much time on their hands,” The Rock provides FREE after school training in music, dance, photography and art as well as vocational training in sound/recording, staging/lighting, video production and more, in a cool, supervised facility for teens 12-20 to engage with their peers.
come discover your talent! Visit www.alicecoopersolidrock.com or join our Facebook page at Alice Cooper’s Solid Rock. 13625 N. 32nd St., Phx, AZ 85032 602-522-9200. Coming this fall, Alice Cooper’s The Rock Teen Center in Mesa. 2
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All scratch kitchen Fresh, quality products at a low price.
day drinkers unite! Home of the $3 mimosa! And a full bar.
upbeat atmosphere
Dog-friendly patio, artist display, vast music selection & super fun staff!
hang with your peeps! best happy hour in town! Open late with extended happy hour – Thurs thru Sat nights
events & deals!
480.264.6832 6663 East McDowell Rd #101 1 block west of Power, on McDowell whatscrackincafe.com M-W 7-2, Th-Sat 7-8, Sun 7-4
APRIL 4 | 80s themed bingo 11 | Easter paint night 15 | Tax day deal: $1 coffee 18 | Mesa Cars and Coffee 25 | Walking Dead trivia Also in May: 50% off meals for graduates*
MAY 2 | 60/70s music trivia 4 | Star Wars drink: $4 off
with code “may the force”
9 16 23 30
| | | |
Mother’s Day paint night Mesa Cars and Coffee Friends series trivia Disney movie trivia * restrictions apply eastmmag.com APRIL|MAY 2020
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“
TIME SURE FLIES ...
“
H
when you’re having fun… and working hard. I can’t believe that this issue of EastM marks our one-year anniversary. It seems like yesterday I mentioned to a few friends that I was thinking about starting my own magazine. Was I crazy? Sometimes I have felt like maybe I am, but it is worth it. I love what we have accomplished and of course, I love it here in East Mesa!
V2N2 | APRIL/MAY 2020 PUBLISHER | DESIGNER
One of the many fantastic things that has come out of this last year is the new people and businesses I have met and with whom I have worked. I have a talented and enthusiastic group of contributors, an endless stream of readers with great ideas, and such supportive advertisers — I am truly fortunate.
Dara Fowler
Thank you to all of you who have reached out. Not only have I received photos and story ideas, but so much positive feedback and compliments — it warms my heart! Keep them coming.
CONTRIBUTORS
Many of those who lend me their time and creativity also do so for a living. In this issue’s Business Spotlight (page 10) I am taking the opportunity to thank some of them and promote their businesses. Please reach out to them as well — they appreciate hearing from you. While I am showing gratitude, and in honor of Mother’s Day, I want to personally thank my mom for all the love and support she has given me this year (and always). She’s pretty amazing. But she isn’t the only one; there are amazing moms everywhere, especially in Mesa. On page 22, we celebrate five Mesa moms who inspire their peers, friends, and families.
HAPPY MOTHER’S DAY TO MY AMAZING MOM! AND TO MY SISTER TOO... HOW CUTE WERE WE IN 1974?
I want to acknowledge the difficult situation in which we all find ourselves. However, with news and information concerning the Coronavirus changing every moment, by the time you are reading this, things may be very different. So I will just say that I hope you and your loved ones are healthy and safe, and a reminder to everyone — be good to each other. Also please know that many of the events, stories and promotions in this issue may be cancelled or postponed after print time, so please check with contacts and websites before making plans. As I close with my usual reminder to shop local and support EastM advertisers, I want to give a last, very big THANK YOU to those businesses. I literally cannot do this without them — their revenue allows me to publish this magazine and provide it at no cost. If you love picking up or receiving your free copy, please visit the restaurants, retailers and offices advertising with me. Utilize their services, enjoy their products, and tell them I sent ya! Together we can help our businesses succeed, strengthen our communities, nurture our families, and celebrate why we love it here! All my best,
Dara Fowler Publisher & Designer | dara@eastmmag.com | 480.200.5286
COPY EDITOR
Rachel Baliff Jennifer Camoriano Betsy Cluff Michelle Glicksman Jane Gordon Bethanie Hestermann Jamie Huish Matt and Kristin Long Shannon Maki Michael Tranckino Bec Veerman PHOTOGRAPHERS
Mikayla Devereux Denny Green Yvonne Kippenberg William Lax Steve Simpson
www.eastmmag.com @eastmmagazine © 2020 All rights reserved EastM Media LLC. All material is copywritten and subject to approval before being reproduced. EastM is a free publication.
Printed by Publication Printers Corp., a FSC-Certified and SFI Certified Printer.
INSIDE 15
calendar p17 Red Mountain Varsity Cheer 16 Mesa’s “New” Recycling Program 17 Kids Activity: Sonoran Desert Raptors 19 Solid Rock Teen Center 20 FAMILY & COMMUNITY
FEATURE:
Amazing Mesa Moms
64 8
31
START HERE
10
BUSINESS SPOTLIGHT
EastM Contributors
calendar p33 Critter Corner: Desert Bighorn Sheep 32 The Mylar Balloon Battle 34 ADVENTURE & WILDLIFE
FEATURE:
Bald Eagles Soar in AZ Skies
38
Tonto National Forest is home to a population of desert-nesting bald eagles.
82 LOOKING BACK
17
22
We celebrate five Mesa moms who inspire their peers, friends, and families.
Business as Usual
45
calendar p47
ACTIVE & STRONG
Take a Ride Inside Better Cancer Care
46 49
FEATURE:
Get Out and Ride
57
50
FOOD & ENTERTAINMENT
Definitely Derby A Festival Experience
calendar p59 58
61
FEATURE:
16
58
Walk This Way
64
Main Street’s Art Walk is still a downtown draw
73
BUSINESS & DEVELOPMENT
Refinancing Goals 8 Steps to a Higher Credit Score
74 75
FEATURE:
It’s Go Time
76
Turns out Mesa is a pretty great place to start a business
22
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ENROLL NOW FOR SCHOOL YEAR 2020
If you want to give your child the best possible start in life, call Self Development Academy and enroll your young scholar in one of the most respected and highly ranked charter schools in the country. ACCELERATED CURRICULUM ENRICHMENT PROGRAMS AFTER-SCHOOL CLUBS & ACTIVITIES
“Together, we (at SDA) are family, all working hard towards the common goal of ensuring that the students get the highest level of education.” — MRS. GRAVILLE, SDA TEACHER
FOR MORE INFORMATION CALL: (480) 641-2640 | SELFDEVELOPMENTACADEMY.COM MESA CAMPUS 1709 N. Greenfield Road Mesa, Arizona 85205
PHOENIX CAMPUS 1515 E. Indian School Road Phoenix, Arizona 85014
SOUTHEAST MESA CAMPUS GLENDALE CAMPUS 7930 E. Baseline Road 16635 N. 51st Avenue Mesa, Arizona 85209 Glendale, Arizona 85306 eastmmag.com
APRIL|MAY 2020
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START HERE
TREE HUGGING =
Health & Happiness FROM MESAPARKS.COM
People are spending more time indoors and online than outdoors in nature. Research suggests that being in nature can help our brains and bodies to stay healthy. Just five minutes around trees or in green spaces may improve our health. The City of Mesa Parks, Recreation and Community Facilities Department has started “Love MyPark” and “Hug A Tree” campaigns to encourage you to opt to be outside and enjoy one of Mesa’s 204 parks. From trees to trails to playgrounds to splash pads, the City of Mesa’s natural areas, green spaces and parks are gateways to a healthy, prosperous, connected you and community. Opt outside today and enjoy the benefits of nature and hugging a tree! For information about the “Love MyPark” and “Hug A Tree” campaigns, visit mesaparks.com/parks-facilities/hug-the-trees.
charity spotlight:
A New Leaf
Their Mission: Helping Families … Changing Lives. A New Leaf offers safe temporary housing and support to women who are victims of domestic violence. Shelters provide up to 120 days of emergency shelter to afford victims and their children the time and resources needed to recover from the trauma they have experienced and get the resources they need to move towards long-term, safe, stable housing. A New Leaf also helps the homeless, as well as families and other individuals, with affordable housing support, various assistance programs, and early childhood education. A New Leaf is a nonprofit organization that provides many community resources. It is a recognized leader in crisis and family services with 30+ program sites Valleywide. Last year, they served 26,973 individuals with resources, including foster care counseling, financial literacy, and community services. The scope of help offered is extraordinarily extensive. In a typical year, A New Leaf: • serves 182,000 meals • provides 76,000 nights of shelter • hosts 12,000 counseling sessions
“Children find family, domestic violence victims find protection, the homeless find shelter, the poor find provision, and veterans find peace.” A New Leaf is a nonprofit organization that depends on your donations to make all this happen. For more information, or to help, please visit turnanewleaf.org
BENEFITS OF HUGGING TREES: • It’s free • No negative side effects • Boosts immune system • Lowers blood pressure • Reduces stress • Improves mood • Increases ability to focus, even in children with ADHD • Accelerates recovery from surgery or illness • Increases energy level • Improves sleep
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by the numbers: STREAMING In light of the current situation, many people are looking for ways to pass time while on self-quarantine. It is a safe guess that most will be doing some binge-watching. Here are some fun facts to consider while searching for that next perfect show...
REASON #7:
great ideas
40.5 MILLION 136,696 26 # 62 EPISODES AVAILABLE TO STREAM
TV & MOVIE LISTINGS
across 336 streamimg services
NETFLIX IS THE
ORIGINAL SHOWS ON HULU
5
HOURS
in a single sitting is considered binge-watching
1
ad-free streaming service
NETFLIX HAS
MILLION PAID SUBSCRIBERS IN THE U.S.
167 Million Worldwide
DISNEY+ HAD
10SUBSCRIBERS MILLION WITHIN 24 OFHOURS ITS LAUNCH
336 + $33 73% streaming services
PER MONTH AVERAGE
customers are paying for all their streaming services combined
38%
of Americans say they binge-watch of millennials say they binge-watch EVERY WEEK
$425 MILLION Ahh
hh hh h hh h
— Sue Shuckhart, Viewpoint Golf Resort
what’s your reason?
Tell us why you love it here! Send us your photos and short stories. We will spotlight one each issue. Email them to love@eastmmag.com
hh hhhh hhh.c h h om hh
h hh
hh
WarnerMedia plans to launch it on HBO Max in Spring 2020
h
WAS PAID TO GET “FRIENDS” AWAY FROM NETFLIX
One of my neighbors had a great idea for a party — he pulled down his garage door and used it as a movie screen. Everyone brought chairs, food and drink and we felt like we were back in high school at the drive in theater. So much fun! Good friends with great ideas is a reason why I love it here.
hhh
PAID TO ANNUAL JOBS ( mentioned above)
Coca-Cola OWNS all website URLs that can be read as ahh ... ALL THE WAY UP TO 62 H’S source: thefactsite.com
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CHECK EM OUT
business spotlight
to my contributors BY DARA FOWLER
Like I said before, time really does fly. It is so exciting that EastM is celebrating its first anniversary. For quite a while I played with the idea of launching this magazine, made the decision, got to work, and here it is — a happy, one-year old! It has not been easy. I have definitely put my heart and soul into this dream, and I absolutely could not have done it alone. In honor of this occasion I thought it was the perfect time to do a very special ‘Business Spotlight’ promoting — and thanking — some of those who have been such a huge part of my success. This is by no means a complete list of those I want to thank, but these contributors make a living doing what they do for me, and so this is a great opportunity to support their businesses.
I would like to start with my Copy Editor, who also happens to be my big sister. Rachel has always been the more studious one; she worked hard in school while I got in trouble. She also used to make fun of my seemingly inability to spell! As adults we rely on each other’s strengths and talents, and cherish opportunities to work together. When I needed someone to proofread for my new magazine, Rachel was my obvious first choice — and I get a family discount! As an Executive Recruiter, Rachel Baliff helps companies to grow — from start-up technology firms to large established companies — most notably The Washington Post, The Discovery Channel, and Boeing. She has filled critical roles within nonprofits, education, and consumer goods companies as well. Outside of consulting, she has had a lifelong love for proofreading and an obsession with grammar and punctuation, so she says, “Naturally, when the opportunity to become the Copy Editor for EastM arose, I was thrilled. Reading every inch of the magazine cover to cover, before going to print, is something I relish! Plus, I get to stay connected to the Valley, where I went to grad school. It’s a win-win.”
Learn more about Rachel and the services she offers at rbconsultinggroup.net
Being that I am an artist, designer, and … ok, a perfectionist, I knew from the start that I could not allow anything other than great photos in this publication. But that is not always easy to do. By now you have undoubtably noticed the amazing photography in EastM. I cannot believe how fortunate I am to have several talented photographers volunteer their time — often among their already crazy schedules, and sometimes at insane hours like before sunrise — to take consistently perfect photos for me!
I have known Mikayla for years. We first met through paddleboarding and I have watched her grow as a photographer and a professional (she is only in her 20s). There was never a doubt I would ask her to be involved with EastM — and she has blown me away! Mikayla is one of the sweetest people I know and the smile that is always on her face makes working together feel less like work. I love her soft way of taking charge, making everyone comfortable and getting the best shots. Mikayla Devereux has been specializing in wedding, couples and engagement photography for four years. She has also worked for another publication doing event photography but says she loves working with EastM Magazine because of the people, culture, and ability to broaden her horizons with photography. “Being a photographer allows me to give my clients a personal gallery to remember their special moments.”
You can find Mikayla on facebook and instagram @mikayla.d.photo
Steve reached out to me, and I am forever grateful. He is so much fun to work with and I love our ability to laugh and joke as I stress and ‘yell directions at him’. He has become a great friend and someone I can truly rely on. Steve Simpson moved to East Mesa two years ago from Bakersfield, California. He is an independent insurance adjuster full-time and owns a part-time photography business that specializes in weddings and lifestyle shoots as well as event and concert photography. He has been a professional photographer for ten years and his work has been published from the United States to Australia. Steve is also a volunteer photographer for Now I Lay Me Down To Sleep. “I found EastM Magazine in my mailbox last year and was blown away at the quality and overall layout. I couldn’t believe it was a free publication! It was that very day I reached out to Dara to volunteer my services. Being a part of where I live is very important to me and I absolutely love shooting for EastM Magazine. It gets me out to places I have yet to explore and meet people I would have never met. I love it here!”
You can see Steve’s portfolio or contact him through his website at stevesimpsonphoto.com
“Being a photographer allows me to give my clients a personal gallery to remember their
special moments.
“
CHECK EM OUT
business spotlight
“I love what I do because it’s a
One of the greatest compliments I have been regularly receiving about EastM is the variety of content and great writing. This has meant so much to me considering that I come from the world of design, not editorial. I was confident I could put out a great looking magazine, but content was going to be a challenge. I cannot say thank you enough to all the writers who have contributed over the last year! Below are just a few who have lent their creativity and enormous talents to me since the beginning.
creative challenge
every time I sit down to write. The skillset may be the same, but every assignment is different ...”
Bethanie Hestermann is a freelance writer and author who grew up in Mesa. With a B.A. in English from ASU, and an M.A. in Writing and Publishing from DePaul University, she began her publishing career and quickly went freelance. Later, she moved to Southern California where with her husband (a zoologist), she co-wrote animal-science books for kids of all ages. They’ve written Zoology for Kids, Marine Science for Kids, Ocean Animals: A Search and Find Book for Kids, and Zoo Animals: A Search and Find Book for Kids. “I love what I do because it’s a creative challenge every time I sit down to write. The skillset may be the same, but every assignment is different, and this often requires that I research topics, talk to interesting people, and find ways to present information in a fun, concise way,” says Bethanie. “Writing for EastM has been such a joy. I look forward to my EastM assignments and have fun testing each issue’s kid’s activity with my own daughter!” Contact Bethanie thru her freelance business, WordZoo Creative, at bethanie@wordzoocreative.com
Jon Englund, author of Know Before You Throw has 35 years of experience in appraising and liquidating personal property, jewelry, art, collectibles, antiques, furniture, silver, printed items and more, as well as 18 years of experience in real estate. Jon, a Minnesota transplant, trained at the University of Minnesota in Fine Arts and at NYU in Appraisal Studies. He says he has always been fascinated with the world of decorative arts, buying and selling “stuff” and having an awareness of current values, whether it’s real estate or personal property. “I value working with Dara and advertising with EastM because of her professionalism and the magazine is the highest quality publication in the Phoenix East Valley. It’s these two qualities — “professionalism” and “highest quality” — that are commensurate with how I view the service I provide to the people I help.” For more information, call Jon directly at 480-650-1422 or email Jon@KnowBeforeYouThrow.INFO
Dena Roché is a luxury lifestyle journalist whose work is published in outlets including Forbes, BBC, and American Way. She is the co-owner of Abercrombie & Roché, the first agency representing top-tier journalists for branded content. Dena says writing is her creative outlet, and as a travel writer she is able to bring the world to everyone and hopefully encourage a global perspective. She says, “I also enjoy writing for EastM because it gives me a chance to write about unique and local topics.” For samples of her work or to contact Dena, visit denaroche.contently.com 12
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Shannon Maki is the Operations Manager at the Mesa Historical Museum. She essentially runs the day-to-day operations at the museum and makes sure everything runs smoothly. She has a bachelor’s degree in History and is in the process of finishing up a master’s degree in Public History from ASU. “I have always loved and been passionate about history. Writing local history articles for EastM allows me to do history work and delve into the museum’s massive photo collection as I discover more and more gems that the museum has!” Visit Shannon at the Mesa Historic Museum located in the Old Lehi School, 2345 N Horne, or she can be reached by email at operations@mesamuseum.org
Bec Veerman is the South Zone Partnership Coordinator for the Tonto National Forest. This means she oversees partners, events and volunteering opportunities in Cave Creek, Mesa and Globe Ranger Districts. She graduated from ASU with a degree in Natural Resource Management, with an emphasis on Rangeland Management (Cattle). When she finally got her dream job with the Forest Service, working in range management, she got to explore and hike all over the Tonto National Forest, and do a year in Colorado. Bec says she soon found a lack of general public knowledge about the US Forest Service and all that they do, which was disturbing. So when her current position opened two years ago in Mesa ,she jumped. “I LOVE working with people, teaching kids, and generally getting people back into the forest! That’s also why I love working with Dara and EastM — it’s all about community, and for me I get to help connect the community with their public lands!” Feel free to reach out to Bec if you have events, questions or are looking for volunteer opportunities. Email her at rebecca.veerman@usda.gov, or call 480-610-3341.
There are times in life you meet those special kinda people. The ones you know right from the start are going to be like family. I felt like that when I met Craig. He is the owner of What’s Crackin’ Cafe and when the restaurant was just barely open and in need of some graphic design work, he was referred to me by a friend. As our professional relationship developed, I could see that our thoughts on community, local support, family and friends were very much in alignment as well as our reasons for going into business. When I told Craig I wanted to start the magazine, he didn’t hesitate for a second — he was in! My first advertiser and the first to say “what can I do to help?” He has not wavered, always my biggest supporter and fan, and one of my best friends. Craig and the entire gang at WCC are my family, and together we are constantly looking for ways to improve our partnership, our businesses and the community. Craig Arstingstall, a country boy from Oklahoma who has worked in the restaurant business since he was 16, opened What’s Crackin’ Cafe three years ago. With his team of managers — Lucas Burrington, GM; Cody Whitten, Bar; Eric Ripley, Kitchen; and Jordan Douchette, Hospitality — he and his crew have focused on creating a neighborhood hangout, a friendly atmosphere, and home cooked meals from the freshest ingredients. Their mixologists are always coming up with amazing cocktails and the chefs are constantly creating exciting new dishes, some of which they share with EastM. “It’s fun to contribute our recipes so everyone can give them a try,” says Lucas. “And working with Dara has played a huge part in shaping our business,” adds Craig. “I enjoy her drive, creativity and excellence.”
“We are focused on creating a neighborhood hangout, a friendly atmosphere and
home cooked meals
”
Visit the gang at What’s Crackin’ Cafe located at 6663 E McDowell Rd, or check out whatscrackincafe.com
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ROSANN WILLIAMS Associate Broker, CRS rosann@wmtaz.com 480.225.1816
MAKING WISHES COME TRUE ONE HOME AT A TIME
TANNIS MCBEA N MSA Realtor速 tannis@wmtaz.com 480.352.2614
MARLIS BELJAN Realtor速 tolo.marlis@gmail.com 480.980.5261
JENNIFER KOVACH Realtor速 jennifer@wmtaz.com 480.226.8425
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WWW.WMTA Z.COM EVERY SALE INCLUDES A DONATION TO
Make-A-Wish速 Arizona
FAMILY & COMMUNITY heroes | inspiration extraordinary kids pets education WHAT’S HAPPENIN’
KIDS! Would you like your voice to be heard? Do you like to write? We want to include a column written for kids BY KIDS! Contact us for more information content@eastmmag.com 480-200-5286
Team of Champs
Red Mountain Varsity Cheer — never give up
p 16 PHOTO BY STEVE SIMPSON
FAMILY & COMMUNITY
We love our
RED MOUNTAIN CHEERLEADERS! BY MATT AND KRISTIN LONG | PHOTOS BY STEVE SIMPSON
“Fans! We came for fame. Lions! Yell out our name! Red Mountain! Red Mountain!” This cheer could be heard throughout Chase Stadium on Saturday, February 1 as our Red Mountain Varsity Cheerleaders pulled together as a team to perform an almost flawless routine, making them the 2020 Arizona State Champs of the Varsity Large Show Cheer Division. The Red Mountain Varsity Cheerleaders are amazing student leaders. These young ladies keep up a demanding practice and performance schedule throughout the school year as they keep their grades high and their attitudes even higher. They began practicing as a team in the spring of 2019, long before students were thinking about the beginning of the 2019-2020 school year. Their early spring and summer practices prepare them to kick off the fall sports season, cheering on our athletic teams, performing at pep rallies, and encouraging school spirit, support and teamwork schoolwide. They do this all while preparing for their OWN season: competition season. “At the start of the season, we set a goal to be a state champion team,” said Beth Goodman, one of the Red Mountain Varsity coaches. “This mindset really helped the girls train like champions, and after a while, they started to believe they could be. It was such a rewarding season for the program, and we are so proud of the girls for being an ‘all-in’ team and never giving up.” Preparing for competition season means long practices on extra nights and weekends throughout the school year. This can be very challenging to manage, and these girls do it with positive attitudes as they cheer each other on. “The week before state competition, there was so much going on in my life and I was quite overwhelmed,” said Mercedes Ortiz, a junior team captain. “But my teammates showed me so much love and compassion. I made it through.” These 25 young women are their own best cheerleaders, and their support for each other is apparent. Coach Kaci Okland summed up the year perfectly when she said, “Wow! The 2020 season for RMHS Varsity Cheer did not disappoint! The girls accomplished so many amazing things this year, both collectively and
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“IT WAS SUCH A REWARDING SEASON FOR THE PROGRAM, AND WE ARE SO PROUD OF THE GIRLS FOR BEING AN ‘ALL-IN’ TEAM AND NEVER GIVING UP.” — Beth Goodman, Red Mountain Varsity coach
individually. Their hard work, dedication, and commitment to execute their very best truly paid off.” Okland added, “As one of their coaches, I couldn’t be prouder and hope that they feel a tremendous sense of accomplishment! We are also fortunate to have the support of so many families, friends, administrators, coaches, teachers, and fellow students. RMHS Cheer is truly something special!” The community watched our cheerleaders sacrifice, laugh, cry, play, and work as hard as any athlete. They motivated and supported each other through the successful lifts and falls. They embodied the word — team! Matt and Kristin Long are long-time Mesa residents and small business owners. They are proud parents of a current RMHS sophomore and varsity cheerleader, Dylan Long, and two RMHS graduates.
Due to COVID-19 many events may be canceled, please check with individual contacts
what’s happenin’
“new”
community events | school performances | family fun
MESA’S
RECYCLING PROGRAM The recycling world has dramatically changed. While recycling still provides environmental benefits, several markets are no longer accepting material from the United States. Some materials currently have such low demand that the volatility of their market value is jeopardizing the financial stability of recycling programs across the country, including Mesa.
To maintain the sustainability of Mesa’s recycling program, the list of accepted items has been reduced and simplified. Please reference the guidelines to the right or for more information visit mesarecycles.org REDUCE, REUSE, THEN RECYCLE Recycling is great but we should always reduce and reuse first. After all, if we do not generate waste in the first place, we do not have to worry about what to do with it later. Reduce by buying in bulk where it makes sense and avoid single serving packaging which creates unnecessary waste. Reuse by avoiding one-time use products and instead opting for reusable ones, such as a reusable water bottle. And finally recycle but always remember to recycle right — it does matter.
NO LONGER ACCEPTED PAPERBOARD BOXES cake mix, cereal, tissue, detergent, soda case, cracker, frozen food packaging, etc.
PLASTIC & PAPER CUPS MILK, JUICE & ICE CREAM PAPER CARTONS
STILL ACCEPTED
WHEN IN DOUBT, KEEP IT OUT.
Dino Egg Hunt 5:30 PM & 7:00 PM | $2 members, $7 non-members Arizona Museum of Natural History 53 N Macdonald, Mesa, AZ 85201 Search for eggs throughout the museum and enjoy live animals and crafts. arizonamuseumofnaturalhistory.org
SATURDAY APRIL 11
Beverage Bottles, Jugs and Cans EMPTY, CLEAN AND DRY water bottles, milk jugs, soda bottles, soda cans, beer & wine bottles, etc.
Vertuccio’s Annual Easter-Eggsperience 8:00 AM – 1:00 PM | $12 per child, adults free with paying child Vertuccio Farms, 4011 S Power Rd, Mesa, AZ 85212 Join us for another family-friendly spring day at the farm. You won’t want to miss all the fun the farm has to offer! Pictures with the Easter Bunny, an egg hunt, and a train ride are all included with admission. Come hungry — we will have a pancake breakfast and other food options for purchase. Tickets must be purchased online. vertucciofarms.com/events SATURDAY, APRIL 11
Easter Spring Fling
Metal Food Cans EMPTY, CLEAN AND DRY
10 AM – 11:30 AM | $22.50 per child Mrs Potts Tea Party, 264 W 2nd St, Mesa, AZ 85201 Come enjoy time with Tinkerbell and don’t be surprised if the Easter Bunny shows up too! Here’s just some of the activities we have planned: face painting, tattoos, cookie decorating, bounce house, bunny hop, and Easter egg roll! Don’t forget to bring your Easter baskets to take home all your goodies! Adults do not need tickets. Space is limited so get your tickets now! mrspottsteaparty.com
vegetable, canned fruit, tuna, pet food, tomato sauce, soup, etc.
SUNDAY, APRIL 12
Musical Easter Luncheon 11:30 AM – 1:00 PM | $13 adults, $10 Kids 3-9 Organ Stop Pizza, 1149 E Southern Ave, Mesa, AZ 85204 Enjoy a relaxing and family-friendly lunch and concert by Brett Valliant on the Mighty Wurlitzer at Organ Stop Pizza. All-you-can-eat pizza buffet and salad, plus unlimited soft drinks. Purchase tickets online or at the gift shop. This event sells out so purchase ASAP. organstoppizza.com
Corrugated Cardboard REMOVE ALL PACKAGING HOW TO TELL IF IT IS CORRUGATED: Tear a small piece. If you see a flat top and bottom layer with a wavy middle layer, it is accepted.
NON-BEVERAGE PLASTIC OR GLASS BOTTLES, JUGS, JARS & CONTAINERS laundry, shampoo, household cleaners, yogurt, margarine, jelly, salad dressing, fresh berry containers, other food products, etc.
FRIDAY, APRIL 10
Paper office paper, newspaper, mail and magazines
TUESDAY, APRIL 14
Resident’s Guide to Becoming a Community Advocate 11:30 AM – 1:00 PM | free Mesa City Council Chambers, 57 E 1st St, Mesa, AZ 85201 The Resident’s Guide to Mesa is a series of free classes with useful information to support Mesa residents who want to improve their neighborhoods. Attend these free classes to gain a better understanding of city services, connect to other people with common neighborhood concerns, and walk away with new tools and training to make positive changes in your community. mesaaz.gov/residents/neighborhood-outreach
FAMILY & COMMUNITY
what’s happenin’continued SATURDAY, APRIL 18
Celebrate Mesa Spring Fling! 10:00 AM – 2:00 PM | free 526 E Main St, Mesa, AZ 85203 Celebrate Mesa and all it has to offer at this FREE family festival! Games, music, Earth Day displays and activities, bounce houses, carnival rides, food trucks and more! mesaparks.com/info-contact/special-events/celebrate-mesa
SATURDAY, APRIL 18
THURSDAY, APRIL 30
Good Neighbor Celebration 6:00 PM – 8:00 PM | free i.d.e.a. Museum, 150 W Pepper Pl, Mesa, AZ 85201 The City of Mesa Community Engagement Team honors Good Neighbors that care about their community and contribute in their own unique ways large and small. They connect and collaborate to make neighborhoods stronger, safer, and happier places to live. They share helpful resources, work with neighbors to find lost pets and address safety issues, report neighborhood concerns to the city, host or attend neighborhood events, and take action to enhance their neighborhood. RSVP to attend the celebration. eventbrite.com SATURDAY, MAY 2
EVIT Experience 9:00 AM – 12:00 PM | free East Valley Institute of Technology, 1601 W Main St, Mesa, AZ 85201 High school students come take EVIT out for a test-drive by signing up for a free class on April 18. You will experience what an actual class is like before deciding to enroll. FB@EVITnews SATURDAY, APRIL 18 & SUNDAY, APRIL 19
Paint Arizona Funky Workshop time TBA | $50 – 495 Meg Harper Art, West 10th Pl, Mesa, AZ 85201 The 2-day workshop will start with a brief impressionism tutorial, then we will head off to a breathtaking location near Saguaro Lake! We will take photographs, do simple sketches, and connect with the land. We will serve you a yummy & healthy lunch and then choose our compositions. Then back to the house for amazing pizza made on the BBQ and homemade beer! The following day we will paint on location and create our masterpieces. No need to bring supplies; we will provide all. No experience required! megharper.com/products/workshop
National Comic Book Day 10:00 AM | free Gotham City Comics & Coffee 46 W Main St, Mesa, AZ 85201 Zoom over to Free Comic Book Day on Main Street with 12+ participating businesses and 10,000 FREE comic books. Start at Gotham City Comics to collect your map of participating businesses. Enjoy live music, scavenger hunt, costume contest and more! downtownmesa.com/comic-book-day SATURDAY, MAY 2
Powerhouse Women’s Retreat 1:00 PM – 11:00 PM | $50 Mesa Convention Center Building A 263 N Center St, Mesa, AZ 85201 Come join Rooted Joy Retreats for our first ever convention-style event. Join us for a day of powerful speakers, fun activities, and a dance party! You will leave feeling confident, powerful, and hopefully with new connections to others and yourself. eventbrite.com
SATURDAY, APRIL 25
Montessori Teacher Training Information Session 10:00 AM – 12:00 PM | free Southwest Institute of Montessori Studies, 207 N Mesa Dr, Mesa, AZ 85201 Come see our new campus in Mesa and learn more about Montessori training at the Infant/Toddler, Primary, and Elementary levels! Meet members of our team and find out about how the role of a Montessori teacher is different, and how that difference can benefit the children you teach. Learn about tuition discounts and scholarships, and more! sims-ami.org/attend-an-event
SATURDAY, APRIL 25 & SUNDAY, APRIL 26
ZapCon 9:00 AM – 6:00 PM | $10 – 40 Mesa Convention Center 263 N Center St, Mesa, AZ 85201 It’s a weekend-long classic arcade and pinball party, with all of the games set to free play! There are precious few places to play the classics — we want to relive the joy of going to the arcade, and to share that joy with younger generations! We want to give collectors and restorationists a chance to show off their wares and to buy, sell, or trade with other like-minded enthusiasts. zapcon.com
SATURDAY, MAY 16
Elektro Dance Academy Auditions 9:00 AM – 3:00 PM | $10 Elektro Dance Academy, 451 E Juanita Ave #8, Mesa AZ, 85204 Are you looking to be a part of one of the best dance studios in Arizona!? Do you want to become a part of a family of dedicated individuals and do you like to push yourself and have fun doing it? Come train with the best and compete with the best! There’s a company for you, ranging from contemporary to hip hop styles. All levels and all ages are welcome. FB@Elektrolytes
JUST FOR KIDS!
Sonoran Desert Raptor Roundup From the authors of Zoology for Kids and Marine Science for Kids Raptors, or birds of prey, include birds like eagles, hawks, falcons, owls, and vultures. All raptors have some things in common. They are carnivores (meat eaters), and they have good eyesight, curved bills, and strong talons. Many different raptors live in the Sonoran Desert. Can you match the raptor on the left with its description on the right?
1 | Turkey Vulture 2 | Bald Eagle 3 | Harris’s Hawk 4 | Great Horned Owl 5 | Peregrine Falcon
A |Unlike other raptors, this one lives and hunts in family groups. It eats small mammals like rabbits and kangaroo rats, as well as lizards and birds. You might see one nesting in a giant saguaro cactus. B |Move over, cheetah — this raptor is the fastest animal on Earth, known to dive more than 200 miles per hour! This bird hunts in the air and mostly eats other birds. C |This bald-headed bird has an unusually great sense of smell. As it soars through desert skies, it sniffs out carrion (dead animals) to eat. When threatened, this raptor will hiss! D |This raptor usually builds its nests high up in trees — always near a source of water. It swoops down and grabs its prey (often fish) with large, curved talons.
Answer Key: 1-C, 2-D, 3-A, 4-E, 5-B
E |With its excellent eyesight and silent flight, this nocturnal raptor sneaks up on reptiles, rodents, and other animals, then snatches them up with extremely strong talons.
Hallelujah Hats!
A Celebration of Mesa’s Washington Park Community
Preserving Mesa’s Past Discovering Mesa’s Future
480-835-2286 Old Lehi School 2345 N. Horne, Mesa, AZ 85203 Tuesday - Saturday 10am - 4pm
A celebration of the churches of Washington Park through the jewelry, hats, and fashion worn by church goers. From the early days of slavery to today, the African American community has embraced the church as a symbol and site for inspiration, guidance and hope. Guest curator Bruce Nelson presents an exhibition focusing around five churches in the Washington Park neighborhood. The exhibit includes over 100 vintage hats, purses, gloves, costume jewelry, and shoes. EXHIBIT OPENS ON FEBRUARY 8TH AND WILL RUN THROUGH MID-JULY 2020 ADMISSION PRICES: eastmmag.com APRIL|MAY 2020 ADULTS $5 | SENIORS (65+) $4 | YOUTH (3-21) $3 | CHILDREN UNDER 3 FREE
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ALICE COOPER BELIEVES
Every Kid has Talent
Alice Cooper’s Solid Rock Teen Center will open soon in Mesa and continue providing opportunities for teenagers across Arizona. BY JANE GORDON
Like all great ideas, Solid Rock began on a simple premise — inside every teen there is a hidden talent. Alice Cooper’s Solid Rock Teen Center inspires teens to discover their talent and achieve artistic excellence through music, dance, and the arts as well as vocational training in sound, lighting, staging, and fellowship, all in a safe, supervised facility. Located on the southeast corner of Thunderbird Road and 32nd Street in Phoenix, the 22,000 square foot Alice Cooper’s The Rock Teen Center Phoenix opened in 2012 in partnership with Genesis Church. After a decade of fundraising, it opened with an auditorium, dance studio, computer lab, music rooms for guitar, drums, bass and vocal lessons, as well as a LeRoy Neiman art studio, a recording studio, and a video studio. After almost a decade, the exciting news of a new Teen Rock Center has been announced. Opening in Fall 2020, Alice Cooper’s The Rock Teen Center Mesa, located in a former elementary school, will showcase more than 11,000 square feet of space in partnership with Mesa Public Schools. Alice Cooper’s Solid Rock Teen Centers will fund the renovations at the new Center and provide more than $100,000 worth of music, arts and dance programming to youth ages 12 to 20 and the local community. “For eight years, our teen center in Phoenix has been providing inspiration and life-changing opportunities for teenagers across Arizona,” says Randy Spencer, Director of Partnerships at Alice Cooper’s Solid Rock Teen Centers. “We are beyond excited to engage with the Mesa community to enrich many teenagers lives in the Mesa area and surrounding communities.” The Mesa center grew out of Alice Cooper’s annual Rock & Roll Fundraising Bash at Las Sendas Golf Club in east Mesa. “Some of the elected officials came out and saw what we were doing,” Alice says. “They said, ‘What would you think about doing one of these in Mesa?’ And immediately, our antennas went up.” “The Solid Rock Teen Center has been doing amazing work in Phoenix from the day it opened its doors. When the opportunity arose for the City of Mesa to partner with Alice Cooper’s Solid Rock on a new facility, we jumped at the chance,” Says District 4 Councilmember Jen Duff of Mesa. “It will be an unbelievable addition to Downtown Mesa and I can’t wait for it to be a part of our community. The work that they do with teenagers is truly inspiring and I could not be prouder that Mesa is joining the Solid Rock family.” The new Teen Center, located at 122 N Country Club Drive, will start with the basics. “Let it grow like the other one did,” says Alice. That means rehearsal rooms, musical instruments students can learn on free of charge and a dance studio. Fender has already donated 20 guitars and several amplifiers for the new location.
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As far as staffing the Mesa location, Sheryl Cooper says there are people being groomed right now for those positions and they’ve found a lot of the right people for the Mesa center. “We’re excited about meeting people that fit for it. We’ve got to let them know this is not just a thing that you do. We want you to love this. We want you to be involved in this. So it’s your baby. Like it’s our baby. You want to make sure that the kids are safe,” says Sheryl. “We invite people to call our office and to meet at our Phoenix teen center to discuss ways to collectively work and partner together. There are so many exciting possibilities to positively impact the lives of Mesa teenagers!” says Randy. Additional funding for both centers comes from grants and donations made by people and organizations who appreciate what the Coopers and their nonprofit organization have done for teens in the community. One of the organization’s main fundraisers, Alice Cooper’s Rock & Roll Golf Classic, provides the opportunity for the public to learn more and donate. The Golf Classic and annual Rock & Roll Bash is always a big event. The Las Sendas Golf Course in east Mesa and the surrounding community are once again excited to host the event on Saturday, April 25th from 4:30 to 11:00 PM. The evening’s festivities include a silent auction, cocktail party, dinner, and live celebrity entertainment including a performance by the Rock and Roll Hall of Famer himself. Tickets are $325 per person and can be purchased at alicecoopersolidrock.com/events.
“EVERY KID OUT HERE HAS GOT TALENT. SOMEWHERE IN YOU, THERE’S A TALENT THAT YOU WANT TO GET OUT. WE INVITE YOU TO COME IN AND FIND YOUR TALENT. IT MIGHT NOT BE MUSIC. IT MIGHT BE ART. IT MIGHT BE DANCE. WHATEVER IT IS, YOU CAN DISCOVER IT AT ALICE COOPER’S SOLID ROCK TEEN CENTERS.” — Alice Cooper
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amaz mesa moms
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zing This Mother’s Day, we celebrate five Mesa moms who inspire their peers, friends, and families.
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BY BETHANIE HESTERMANN PHOTOS BY DARA FOWLER
s m o M know how to get things done They grow babies and birth them; they struggle through long days and nights with colicky, sick, or just plain grouchy babies and toddlers; and many work all day and then rush home to help with homework, cook dinner, and squeeze in some quality time with their partners and school-age kids. Later in life, they often help mother their kids’ kids. Many of the entrepreneurs, educators, medical professionals, and business executives in the Mesa community are also mothers and grandmothers who dedicate so much of their lives to their families, friends, and communities. Each year in the United States, we get to honor these women on Mother’s Day.
Bethanie Hestermann is a mom, a freelance writer, and author of animal-science books for kids. She and her zoologist husband wrote Zoology for Kids, Marine Science for Kids, Ocean Animals: A Search and Find Book for Kids, and Zoo Animals: A Search and Find Book for Kids. THIS PHOTO © GENEVIEVE ELAINE PHOTOGRAPHY
Mother’s Day became a U.S. holiday in May 1914, when President Woodrow Wilson officially designated the second Sunday in May as a day to commemorate motherhood. A woman named Anna Jarvis is typically credited with the idea. Jarvis led a letter-writing campaign that ultimately led to President Wilson’s declaration of Mother’s Day. Jarvis’s own mother had had a similar idea, organizing Mothers’ Day Work Club events that brought mothers together for a day of service and education focused on disease prevention and improving sanitation during a time when the infant mortality rate was high. Last year, the Mesa Historical Museum had a special exhibit honoring amazing moms from Mesa’s history. One woman the exhibit highlighted was Ella Biggs, a merchant and mother of seven. Biggs was widowed at an early age but accomplished much in her lifetime. She ran the Lehi store, served as a midwife to women in Mesa and Tempe, and used knowledge gained from Pima Indian medicine women to provide medicine to those who were sick. Besides caring for her own brood, Biggs was known for feeding the poor. Many amazing moms live in Mesa today too. This Mother’s Day, EastM is paying tribute to five Mesa women nominated by their friends, family, and coworkers for being admirable people and fantastic moms.
Ella Biggs: a merchant, a mother, a healer — an amazing mom from Mesa’s history 24
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Christina Estrada goes above and beyond for human and non-human members of her community. Estrada and her husband Ian own two Invisible Fence Dealerships in Arizona and a small, private cage-free dog-boarding business. They have three children—a grown son and two preschool-aged daughters. Despite being a business owner and busy mom of three who also cares for her own mother, Estrada is somehow always available to lend a helping hand to friends and clients, whether it’s taking care of their dogs or just being there to listen. And she does it all with a smile. Nicole Ostler says Christina is that rare friend everyone needs in life. “(She) shows her little girls how to have a voice and be who they want to be and not worry about what other people think,” Ostler says. “She raised her son to have respect for women and to be an independent young man. She shows them all how to be a good mom, wife, partner, business owner, and friend.” Jeni Cohen, another friend of Estrada’s, says: “Christina grew up in a sometimes hostile environment. She could easily have used this as an excuse to be anything other than perfect but instead has let this fuel her desire to break the cycle and raise her family differently. She raises her kids in a peaceful environment, with patience and understanding of their needs.”
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She raises her kids in a peaceful environment, with patience and understanding of their needs.
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A Friend to All
Estrada believes every day is a fresh start—a chance to be a little better, a little kinder than she was the day before. “Reaching my goals, balancing work and family life, maintaining a good marriage, and continuing to be a successful entrepreneur, I carry what I can for that day (and) leave exhaustion, bad attitude, worries in yesterday,” she says. “Each morning, we get another beautiful sunrise, another beautiful fresh start.”
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Faith, Family, Community For 31 years, Karen Eulate has been proudly serving the Mesa Public School District. During those years, Eulate has taught English and Home Economics, she’s been a guidance counselor and instructional specialist, and currently, she’s the site leader at SHARP School, where she supports the instruction of teachers who work with students with cognitive disabilities and difficult behaviors. Eulate volunteers her time as president of the Red Mountain Football Association and has also volunteered with organizations like the American Cancer Society and Arizona Disabled Sports. Eulate loves her career and considers it a calling, but the most important part of her life is family—her husband Joe, their four kids, and their two grandkids (soon to be three). Eulate’s daughter, Paige Sheppard, on behalf of her siblings, says her mom’s ability to love and support people in need has taught them the value of caring for others, not just their own biological families. “Our family is more than blood,” Sheppard says. “We have many family members that have come to us because they needed love and our parents took them in. Because of this, we also strive to open our hearts and minds to others.” Proof of Eulate’s influence beyond her own children is Sydnie Strickland, a former student, who says: “(Mrs. Eulate) has the heart of a lion. She fights for you, stands by you, and makes sure you are always feeling full of love and hope.”
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She fights for you, stands by you, and makes sure you are always feeling full of love and hope.
Eulate devotes herself to every task she undertakes, and her philosophy in life is this: Faith, family, community. “I believe we must work to help those who live in our community,” Eulate says. “That may look different for everyone. For me, I sit back, pray, and act upon what/who God puts in my path. Usually this is something to do with kids. They are our greatest natural resource. I believe in them 110%. We must do what we can to nurture them and help them learn to serve in our community, so that they can pass this same value on.”
Jennifer Gastelum is already leaving a legacy, personally and professionally. As the community engagement specialist at the Mesa Arts Center, Gastelum empowers people to make genuine connections through creativity and the arts. “You can find her working almost every day of the week toward these goals,” says Casey Blake, a coworker at the Mesa Arts Center. “(Jen’s) impact on Downtown Mesa is clear and ongoing—she enlivens our community through facilitating arts experiences that are inclusive, accessible, and that build authentic connections.” Mesa born and raised, Gastelum is a devoted mom to two young girls. Her husband Augie says: “One of my favorite things about Jen is that she always reminds me that our main job as parents is to make good humans that care about the people around them and about this world. What makes her extraordinary though is that she doesn’t just say it, she lives it. Through her work in our community, she shows our girls how to treat others with respect, why it’s important to care about the place you live in and that you can impact it in a positive way, and that you can do something you truly love and make it a living.” Gastelum’s volunteer work has included developing a creative leadership program called The Collective that is already having strong impacts in the Mesa community. She also serves on the board of RAILmesa, which supports economic and community development along Mesa’s light rail corridor. “Right now, my life philosophy is reflective of what I believe is important to be happy, and that is to be a genuine and good person, to find the humor in everything, and to be kind to people,” Gastelum says. “I always bring my girls back to whether or not we are showing kindness in the things that we do, no matter what it is.”
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Through her work in our community, she shows our girls how to treat others with respect.
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For the Love of Art and People
FAMILY & COMMUNITY
feature
A Passion for Wellness
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I strive to find the right balance as a mother...
Renée Hanson, OD, works every day to care for patients’ eyes as an optometrist practicing at Swagel Wootton Eye Institute in East Mesa. After working for 15 years at a practice in Berkeley, California, Hanson and her husband Shawn decided to move back to her home state of Arizona to raise their two young children closer to family—and they haven’t looked back. At Swagel Wootton, Hanson specializes in a progressive eye disease called keratoconus, corneal transplant cases, and pediatric ocular trauma cases. Long-time friend Jamie Stonick recalls the time when Hanson, who was nine months pregnant at the time, stayed by her side while she was sick in the hospital. Stonick says Hanson manages to juggle the demands of a career and motherhood with style, grace, and “a fierceness not to be reckoned with.” She adds: “I’m constantly in awe of how (Renée) manages to work and prepare amazing meals, all the while raising her children with a nurturing and playful outlook.” Dee Ashe, Hanson’s mom, says amidst her daughter’s busy schedule, she is the family’s event planner and goes out of her way to keep loved ones connected with each other. Hanson is also passionate about healthy eating and nutrition. “Many of my patients are diabetic, and diabetes is the number one cause of blindness in the U.S.,” she says. “I love teaching people about the power of food and how clean eating can change or even save your life.” Hanson and her husband tried to get pregnant for several years before they succeeded, and perhaps as a result of the couple’s struggles with infertility, Hanson treats motherhood like a privilege. “I strive to find the right balance as a mother,” she says. “I want to make sure my kids eat healthy, learn, grow, and behave properly, but I also want them to have fun and enjoy being kids. My goal as a parent, and my shared philosophy with my husband, is to raise intelligent, conscientious children that can make their own decisions in life about who and what they want to be.”
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The More, The Merrier
Miller’s motto is the more, the merrier. She’s a big believer in the importance of maintaining friendships, and she welcomes her adult children’s friends to her home any time. Miller is part of a running group in the Las Sendas community and once ran five marathons in five different cities in a single year. Jennifer Kovach, Miller’s daughter, says her mom is like a rock; she never wavers and is there for her loved ones through life’s ups and downs. “She’s always believed in helping others,” Kovach says. “Whether (it’s) having exchange students from Denmark and Japan, hosting young men from around the world to play hockey in Arizona, or driving her kids to the many sports they played, she’s always put others first.” Miller is constantly smiling and shares her happiness with everyone around her. “My philosophy in life is to enjoy and not judge others but to be happy where you are and (with) what you are doing,” Miller says. “I feel like I have achieved my ‘happy place’ through hard work and not taking life too seriously. I am extremely blessed with good friends, great family, and am thankful every day.” Miller’s kids say if you ever meet Danette, she’ll undoubtedly make you feel special.
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She’s always believed in helping others ... and she’s always put others first.
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Business owner, mom, grandma, teller of jokes, and runner of marathons, Danette Miller has raised four kids in Northeast Mesa and is always there to help with her seven (soon to be eight) grandkids. Miller and her husband Glenn were high school sweethearts. They opened a lumberyard business in 1983, Miller Wholesale Lumber Company, and in many ways, family and business have been intertwined ever since. As a working mom, Miller used to bring her eldest daughters to work with her, because childcare was just too expensive. As the Miller kids grew up, they all worked at the family business at one point or another.
MIKAYLA DEVEREUX 602.686.4362 mikayla.d.photo@gmail.com
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We’re Near You in Mesa and Scottsdale
ADVENTURE & WILDLIFE outdoor fun wildlife natural beauty environment
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Catch a Glimpse
Desert Bighorn Sheep inhabit some inhospitable places, but spotting them near East Mesa is not uncommon.
PHOTO BY WILLIAM LAX
ADVENTURE & WILDLIFE
critter corner: Desert Bighorn Sheep
PHOTOS BY WILLIAM LAX Desert Bighorn Sheep (Ovis canadensis nelsoni) inhabit some of Arizona’s most inhospitable places, and for that reason are not often spotted. Here is the East Valley we have a better chance than most — thanks in part to translocation efforts. Populations of the desert bighorn sheep declined with the arrival of white settlers in Arizona, as they could no longer freely roam between the mountain ranges that supported them. Deserts that separate these mountain ranges developed roads, canals, agricultural fields, and other human features that prevent migration. As a result, bighorn sheep are unable, in most cases, to naturally repopulate mountain ranges they have been driven from. Since 1967 the Arizona Desert Bighorn Sheep Society has worked with the Arizona Game and Fish Department, the Bureau of Land Management, and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service in their bighorn sheep transplant programs. Today populations of bighorn sheep can be found in the Superstition Mountains, around Canyon and Saguaro Lakes, and even as close to Mesa as the Goldfield Mountains, and the Mudd Cliffs along the Lower Salt River. Desert bighorn sheep are stocky, heavybodied sheep and due to their unique concave elastic hooves, are able to climb the steep, rocky terrain of the desert mountains with speed
When males fight, butting horns with a cracking sound that echoes off canyon walls. “It literally sounds like a gunshot,” said AZGFD biologist Randy Babb. ““It’s an incredible sound. They’re just built to take that kind of shock and stress without rattling their brains.”
BIGHORN FACTS: 1|D esert bighorn sheep can lose 30% of body weight and still survive. Wildlife ecologists are studying this adaptive strategy in areas that are too dry for many predators. 2|M ost weigh under 200 pounds, but males have reached 350 pounds and stand around 40 inches at the shoulder. 3 | T heir wide-set eyes are situated well forward on the head, providing a wide arc of exceptional vision. 4 | T he male’s large, curved horns can weigh up to 30 pounds — as much as the rest of the bones in the male’s body. 5 | T he horn core is honeycombed with chambers, or sinuses, which help reduce the weight. 6|W hen rams battle they charge head-on from distances of 20 ft or more, crashing their massive horns together with tremendous impact. 7|D esert bighorn sheep are social, forming herds of eight to 10 individuals; sometimes herds of 100 are observed.
Due to COVID-19 many events may be canceled; please check with individual contacts.
what’s happenin’
outdoor activities | nature & wildlife education and support
SATURDAY, APRIL 11
Adventure Journaling for Kids 10:00 AM – 11:00 AM | free with park admission Usery Mountain Regional Park, 3939 N Usery Pass Rd, Mesa, AZ 85207 Bring your curious minds on a desert adventure in search of fascinating plants, animals, and rocks! Each kid will be given an adventure journal to draw and record their nature observations. Kids will also learn the principals of “leave no trace” to help keep the desert clean and safe for all wildlife and visitors. This 1-mile walk on the Merkle Trail is designed for children ages 5 – 12, accompanied by an adult. Please bring water, hats, and closed-toe shoes. Meet at Area 6. maricopacountyparks.net/events SATURDAY, APRIL 11 & SATURDAY, MAY 2
Try SCUBA Diving 10:30 AM – 1:30 PM | $35 El Mar Diving Center, 2245 W Broadway Rd, Mesa, AZ 85202 This course lets you experience the thrill of scuba diving in the comfort of our heated pool. You will learn some basic concepts and skills, find out how fun and easy scuba diving is, and discover the excitement, adventure, freedom and serenity that only scuba diving can provide. elmar.com
and agility. They rely on their keen eyesight to detect potential predators, such as mountain lions, coyotes, and bobcats, and they use their climbing ability to escape. There is considerable differentiation between the sexes of desert bighorns. Adult males (rams) weigh between 160 and 250 pounds. Adult females (ewes) range from 75 to 130 pounds. The biggest visual difference between the sexes is the horns. Ewe horns are generally 10 to 13 inches long while ram horns may measure 30 to 40 inches along the outside curl with a much larger circumference. Usually one, rarely two lambs will be born and weigh eight to 10 pounds. The young are active within minutes after birth and have dark eyes and fuzzy, dark-grey hair. Young rams stay with their mothers until two years of age when they then leave the nursery herds and join in the bachelor herds. Except during the breeding season, and sometimes during the spring when early vegetation sprouts, bighorn adults separate according to sex. While rams as young as six months may be capable of breeding, they don’t due to the dominance of older rams. Ram bands have a social hierarchy established by body and horn size. Dramatic head-butting occurs between mature rams to determine leadership and dominance, but once the hierarchy is established, rams live in the same group with little further conflict. Normal life span is 10 to 15 years. The typical diet of a desert bighorn sheep is mainly grasses. When grasses are unavailable, they turn to other food sources, such as cacti. The desert bighorn has become well adapted to living in the desert heat and cold and unlike most mammals, their body temperature can safely fluctuate several degrees. Southern desert bighorn sheep can go without standing water for weeks or months.
SATURDAY, APRIL 18 – SUNDAY, APRIL 19
REI Women’s Spring Paddle Campout Sat 2:00 PM – Sun 11:00 AM | $89 members, $109 non-members Frazier Group Site, Lake Roosevelt We will take advantage of the beautiful spring weather in the Arizona desert and explore Lake Roosevelt. Kayak, stand up paddleboard, and practice yoga on our paddleboards, and connect with other women over a catered dinner and campfire under the stars. Sunday, start your morning with a hot cup of coffee before one last morning paddle adventure. Campout will close with a raffle and celebratory sendoff. REI provides campsite, guided activities, boats, boards and paddle equipment, dinner, coffee, and awesome swag. rei.com/events WEDNESDAY, APRIL 22
Desert Mythbusters 12:00 PM – 1:00 PM | free with park admission Usery Mountain Regional Park, 3939 N Usery Pass Rd, Mesa, AZ 85207 There’s a lot of myths about the desert! Are rattlesnakes REALLY dangerous? Can you drink water from a cactus? Do “jumping cactus” really jump? Do the arms of a saguaro help to keep it balanced? Discover the answers to these questions and more in this exciting one-hour presentation! Feel free to bring your sandwich with you inside our Nature Center as Ranger B busts some myths about our desert. maricopacountyparks.net/events
SPONSORED EVENT MONDAY, APRIL 22
Earth Day Cleanup 9:00 AM — 12:00 PM | free Spend Earth Day exploring the riverbanks and trails along the Lower Salt River, removing scattered trash along the way. Then enjoy breakfast goodies from What’s Crackin Cafe and Hava Java. EastM Magazine is an event sponsor and will be participating — come join us! naturalrestorations.org
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what’s happenin’continued
THE MYLAR
SATURDAY, APRIL 25
Earth Day Saguaro Lake 8:00 AM — 11:00 AM | free End of Saguaro Lake Rd past the marina (14011 N Bush Hwy) To celebrate Earth Day this year OdySea Aquarium will be removing invasive fountain grass from the banks of Saguaro Lake and we would love for you to join us! Fountain grass is a non- native species which has negative impacts on Arizona species. By removing it, we will help keep our waterways healthy! FB@odyseaaquarium
WEDNESDAY, APRIL 29
What goes up must come down. Basic laws of gravity apply to all things, including balloons. Balloon releases have long been a tradition in our country: A science or social experiment to see how far they travel or a celebratory release to mark a special occasion. We have all participated at some point, but now we are seeing serious side effects of this unintended pollution.
Strange and Silly Saguaros 12:00 PM – 1:00 PM | free with park admission Usery Mountain Regional Park, 3939 N Usery Pass Rd, Mesa, AZ 85207 What makes saguaros look the way they do? When it comes to desert plants, saguaros are everybody’s favorite! Like people, each one of them is unique. They even make us laugh! Ranger B has taken photos of some of the most strange and silly saguaros found in Arizona. What makes them look the way they do – with all those twists and turns? Join us for this entertaining and educational PowerPoint presentation and explore the special world of these amazing desert giants. maricopacountyparks.net/events
EVERYTHING ABOUT THIS BALLOON IS AN ENVIRONMENTAL DISASTER, AND THEY LAST A LOT LONGER — OVER FOUR YEARS!
SUNDAY, MAY 3
Pedal Paddle Pilsner 6:00 AM | TBD Start at Two Wheel Jones, 2837 N Power Rd #110, Mesa, AZ 85215 Join us for the 3rd year of this local community event! Fun competition for bikers and paddleboarders, followed by beer and BBQ! Route options and equipment rentals available. After-party at NoSnow Paddleboard shop. FB@NoSnowSUP MONDAY, MAY 11
Practical Shooting Starter Course 4:30 PM – 9:00 PM | $40 adults, $20 juniors (14 – 17) Rio Salado Sportsman’s Club, 3960 N Usery Pass Rd. Mesa, AZ 85207 RSSC proudly boasts one of the largest “Practical” Shooting Clubs in the country. RSSC has developed a program to encourage, educate and shoot with those who want to begin competing. If you are interested in getting into the fun and challenging sport of Action Shooting, we look forward to shooting with you! rsscaz.com/training SATURDAY, MAY 16
5th Annual Ladies River Takeover! 8:00 AM – 1:00 PM | free Pebble Beach, Lower Salt River, Tonto National Forest Sorry guys... this one’s for the ladies! Canoe, SUP, or Kayak … we want you to join! This section of river is great for beginners — any non-swimmers or folks who aren’t paddle savvy have the option of hopping in a raft! This is a BYO event, and a life jacket is a MUST! Tutus and tiaras are strongly encouraged! facebook.com/events/195998678151720/
There are photos and articles everywhere — we have all seen them — stories of finding wildlife carcasses with balloons in their stomachs, or strings tangled around their legs or necks. Yet balloon releases are still a continuous occurrence. We see those strings still wrapped around branches of trees, blowing through fields and parking lots and even when they pose no physical danger, they remain at the very least, an eyesore. When we think of balloon releases, we most often think of latex balloons. They are less expensive and can take about a year to dissolve. But what about Mylar balloons? These are shiny metallic balloons made with Mylar nylon, a material developed for use by the US Space program. The metallic finish is a coating made from polyester. We don’t really talk about the specific dangers of releasing those — and we really should. Everything about this balloon is an environmental disaster, and they last a lot longer — over four years! Mylar balloons can also cause power outages. They are metallic, meaning they conduct electricity, so they cause surges and shorts when they come in contact with power lines. Plus, there’s nothing like driving through the beautiful and scenic Sonoran Desert and seeing metal baglike objects stuck to trees and cacti, flapping in the wind. So what do we do about it? Well, we pick them up — we adopt the “not my trash, but it is my planet” view, because that’s what responsible people like us do. A lot of these balloons aren’t released intentionally, they escape from the birthday
BALLOON
Battle
BY BEC VEERMAN, Zone Partnership Liaison, Forest Service
party where they were tied to a table, slipped out of the bunch, or a kid let go of it. While more often than not we know this release was an accident, the fact remains that these balloons are far more damaging than any of the possible alternatives; bubbles, tissue paper pom-poms, flags and streamers, even non-helium balloons (at least they won’t get away from you). The goal for everyone should be to leave this place as good as or better than you found it, and while we’re not here to tell you how to live your life, it seems fair to ask you to please consider alternatives before your next balloon purchase. Here on the Tonto National Forest we have a rather special story behind our connection to the Mylar Balloon battle. About eight years ago, a fresh-faced Rangeland Management student from ASU, Kelly Bedson, started her dream job with the U.S. Forest Service. Her job was as a range technician - she went out to the field and measured use, damage, water, all the things the Forest Service measures to make sure the cattle on the forest are healthy and behaving themselves. She started noticing shiny balloons everywhere they went and just started picking them up herself. She was averaging about five a week, so she and her field partner decided to make a game out of it – a friendly competition to see who could collect the most Mylar balloons. The winner had to buy the other a beer. For two kids just stopping their truck and grabbing balloons as they see them, the numbers were rather alarming. The next year, four more students joined the program and their two teams were given the same challenge. Every year since, the rangeland management program has collected hundreds of Mylar balloons in the Tonto National Forest. This past year, in her home district of Payson, Kelly organized an internal competition — it was Fire vs Ecosystems. The competition lasted just three months — April through June. Fire collected 152 balloons, and ecosystems collected 97. Together they picked up a total of 249 balloons. We’ve displayed those balloons on a cactus, you can see it at the Mesa Ranger Station anytime. Unfortunately, like all great stories, this one has its tragedy. This January Kelly ended her battle with cancer. And while we are all devastated over the loss of our friend we are so very grateful to have worked with such an inspiration. Whether she meant to or not, she started an annual competition that we fully plan to continue. And we welcome all the public to join in. April through June of every year we invite you to join the Bedson Balloon Challenge! All you have to do is safely collect all the Mylar balloons you can, and then, instead of just throwing them away, mail or drop them off at the Mesa Ranger Station. While we cannot offer the winner any beer, we CAN promise you a place on our next awareness art display, a moment of fame and a lifetime of good forest karma. Be part of this happy ending and help keep these balloons off the forest for good!
ABOVE: Collected balloons displayed on a cactus at the Mesa Ranger Station. LEFT: U.S. Forest Service range technician, Kelly Bedson, started the annual competition — the Bedson Balloon Challenge — before passing away in January.
BEDSON BALLOON CHALLENGE APRIL THROUGH JUNE
Safely collect all the Mylar balloons you can then mail or drop them off at: C/O Bec Veerman, Mesa Ranger Station 5140 E Ingram Street, Mesa AZ 85205 If you want or need more information feel free to contact Bec at rebecca.veerman@usda.gov
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BALD EAGLES
SOAR IN ARIZONA SKIES
PHOTO BY YVONNE KIPPENBERG
SINCE THE 1780S, the mighty bald eagle has been the national symbol of the United States, representing freedom, courage, and strength. The animal exudes fierce beauty and a proud independence that, as President John F. Kennedy wrote in a letter to the National Audubon Society in 1961, “aptly symbolizes the strength and freedom of America.” And yet, these animals nearly disappeared from American skies forever. Today, thanks to nationwide conservation efforts, bald eagles continue to soar across the U.S. — from sea to shining sea.
THE TONTO NATIONAL FOREST IS HOME TO A SMALL BUT IMPORTANT POPULATION OF DESERT-NESTING BALD EAGLES. BY BETHANIE HESTERMANN
PHOTO COURTESY OF FOREST SERVICE
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RIGHT: Kurt License, AZGFD biologist, and Bald Eagle Nestwatcher take measurements, weigh, and attach identification bands on nine week old nestlings. PHOTO COURTESY OF FOREST SERVICE
Although other states, such as Alaska, may come to mind when many Americans think about bald eagle breeding sites, Arizona and the Tonto National Forest are home to a relatively small but important population of desert-nesting bald eagles. Last year, there were about 74 active bald eagle breeding sites in Arizona, with about two dozen of those located within the Tonto National Forest. Kenneth “Tuk” Jacobson, raptor management coordinator for the Arizona Game and Fish Department, says the first documented record of bald eagle nesting in Arizona was in 1890 near Stoneman Lake. Today, desertnesting bald eagles in central Arizona occur along the Verde and Salt Rivers and the lakes associated with those rivers.
HISTORIC AND CURRENT THREATS
Kelly Kessler, wildlife biologist with the Forest Service, working in the Tonto National Forest Mesa and Cave Creek Ranger Districts, says the most notable historic threat to bald eagles in Arizona was the same as the most notable historic threat these animals faced nationwide: DDT, a chemical used as an insecticide to control the spread of insect-borne diseases during World War II. “By the 1960s, it was discovered that widespread use of DDT as an agriculture pesticide was resulting in environmental and health effects,” Kessler says. “In the 1970s, populations of eagles had declined drastically, largely due to reproductive failure related to the environmental breakdown of DDT causing eggshell thinning.” In 1972, DDT was banned from agricultural use in the U.S. The Endangered Species Act (ESA) became law in 1973, and the bald eagle was included on the list of endangered species needing federal protection. The DDT ban, among other conservation efforts, led to the removal of the bald eagle from the endangered species list in 1995 and its removal from the threatened species list in 2007. Kessler says a petition was filed with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to reclassify the Sonoran Desert population of bald eagles in central Arizona as a distinct population segment and to give that population the status of endangered, but the petition was unsuccessful. Although not protected under the ESA, bald eagles still receive protections under the Bald and Golden Eagle Protection Act and the Migratory Bird Treaty Act.
PHOTO BY WILLIAM LAX
ADVENTURE & WILDLIFE
feature
RIGHT: After repelling down the side of the cliff into the nest, preparing the nestlings for transport, and getting them in their bag to be hoisted up, Tuk Jacobson, AZGFD eagle program coordinator, stays in the nest to look for parasites (ticks), bones of prey, eggs shell remains, and potentially dangerous material such as fishing line, hooks, or other debris that may become entangled around the birds and removes it. PHOTO COURTESY OF FOREST SERVICE
Current threats to bald eagles in Arizona include habitat loss and invasive species (non-native species that compete with native species for resources), as well as climate change. Kessler says tamarisk (saltcedar) is one example of an invasive species that outcompetes native species like cottonwoods. “Desert-nesting bald eagles will often choose cliff nest sites, if available, or use large mature cottonwood trees along river corridors,” she says. “Dammed rivers remove the natural flow pulses of undammed systems, thereby decreasing the establishment of seedling cottonwoods and willows while favoring growth of non-native species. Without regeneration of cottonwoods, future nesting habitat may decrease. Ongoing restoration efforts along the Lower Salt River are focused on removing non-native plant species and planting native tree and shrubs in an effort to create a more natural riparian habitat for native wildlife.” Scientists predict that Earth’s climate will continue to change in the next several decades, resulting in higher global temperatures and a disruption in precipitation patterns. Kessler says less snowmelt from the Mogollon Rim and Flagstaff would mean less water entering the Salt and Verde Rivers, which could negatively impact the amount of riparian vegetation available for bald eagle nesting sites.
BALD EAGLES CLOSE TO HOME
Human activity is another threat to desert-nesting bald eagles in the Tonto National Forest. Because bald eagles choose nesting sites near water, they’re often thrown together with humans who come in droves to experience the natural splendor of the urban forest and all the recreational activities it has to offer—many of which center around Tonto’s rivers and lakes. During bald eagle breeding season (DecemberJune), disturbances as simple as noise can cause breeding attempts to fail. Litter, like monofilament and tackle discarded by fishers and anglers, can also pose health problems to bald eagles and other wildlife. The Tonto National Forest helps limit human activity near bald eagle nesting sites during breeding season by implementing and enforcing “No Entry” zones surrounding bald eagle nests. The Forest Service also spearheads public education efforts and serves on the Southwestern Bald Eagle Management Committee (SWBEMC), a collaboration
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FUN FACTS
ABOUT BALD EAGLES 1 | Bald eagles aren’t bald. Their name comes from the Old English word “balde,” which means white. 2 | Bald eagles hunt by swooping down and catching prey (often fish) with their large, curved talons.
between state, federal, local, and private agencies and Native American tribes that helps coordinate and administer management and conservation of Arizona’s bald eagles. The SWBEMC’s Arizona Bald Eagle Nestwatch Program has been an integral part of this effort. “Each year, approximately eight Nestwatch teams of two are assigned to monitor bald eagle breeding areas throughout the state which receive heavy recreational use and visitors,” Kessler says. “The primary goals of the Nestwatch program are collection of scientific data, species protection through active and proactive management, and public education and outreach. Nestwatch teams begin in February and remain until June or until the nestlings fledge. By managing public behavior and intervening in situations where the birds’ health or survival may be threatened, Nestwatchers have played a key role in successful efforts to increase the number of eagles that fledge in Arizona each year.” Year after year, Nestwatchers’ efforts benefit more than just the current crop of bald eagle nestlings. Jacobson of the Arizona Game and Fish Department says through efforts to band nestlings fledged in Arizona and reading the bands on breeding adults, the department has documented that 93% of Arizona-hatched adult bald eagles nest within 125 miles of their natal areas, and 77% nest within just 62 miles. “Basically, this means that all of the effort that the Arizona Game and Fish Department and the SWBEMC devote to bald eagle conservation in the state directly helps to drive the population growth we have seen over the last several decades.” East Mesans living on the edge of the Tonto National Forest can play an important role in the ongoing conservation efforts for desert-nesting bald eagles. Heed signs indicating seasonal closures in areas where bald eagles nest, recycle monofilament and tackle, pick up garbage and leave the forest cleaner than when you arrived, and encourage others to follow your example. The public’s cooperation is crucial to the continued success of nesting bald eagles in the Tonto National Forest and ensuring future generations will be able to spot these majestic birds flying high in Arizona skies. “Through active management of the bald eagle population in Arizona, we can work together to minimize threats and help ensure continued healthy populations long into the future,” Jacobson says. “As an Arizona native, I find it important that kids today have easy opportunities to see bald eagles in the wild ... an experience that was rare when I was growing up.”
3 | A bald eagle’s wingspan is between 6 and 8 feet. 4 | Female bald eagles are larger than males. 5 | Bald eagle nestlings appear slightly larger than adults when they fledge (fly from the nest for the first time), because their flight and tail feathers are slightly longer and wider. These “training feathers” help young birds learn to fly. 6 | The largest bald eagle nest on record was 9.5 feet in diameter and 20 feet deep. PHOTO BY YVONNE KIPPENBERG
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YOUR RECOVERY AND HEALTH COME FIRST DR. COURTNEY WARREN PT, DPT, CSCS, CAFS
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ACTIVE & STRONG fitness health | wellness sports competitions WHAT’S HAPPENIN’
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Mountain Biker’s Dream
Hawes Trail System is one of the best in Arizona
PHOTO BY STEVE SIMPSON
ACTIVE & STRONG
Take a ride INSIDE BY BETSY CLUFF, BS.ED, CPT, CYT, GFI
Remember the first time you rode a bike? Freedom, speed, nature, skinned knees … ah, the joys of childhood. If you enjoyed cycling once upon a time, but have anxiety about riding on asphalt with traffic, maybe it’s time to try a cycling class at the gym. Besides building sturdy legs and endurance, cycling is an excellent activity for cardio and calorie burn. Like any fitness modality, classes vary per style and fitness instructor. I learned this firsthand in the last few weeks as I took an indoor cycling adventure cruise throughout the east valley. NON-TRADITIONAL First stop was a forty-five-minute Non-Traditional class at Radius Fitness. Gina, the instructor, showed me how to adjust the seat and I settled in for the ride. Bright flashing lights in a darkened room with energetic music and choreographed moves revved my heart and challenged my quads with high intensity intervals set to music. Gina instructed us to dial up the resistance and get out of our seats as we charged up a hill, challenging us to lean forward and do push-up like postures. When I thought I had no more peddle in me, she encouraged, “Are you with me? I am with you!” Then we enjoyed a few minutes of flat ground before climbing the next hill. A leader board on the wall showed my progress throughout the entire class. After a short cool down, we stretched, using the bike as a prop. With this class, I earned my biking sea legs. As I left the gym, I received an email alert from my watch. It was a message with my stats. I rode 15.1 miles and burned 200 calories before 9 AM on a Saturday. Not too shabby.
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Tips for the
Indoor Cycling Trail: • Research before you show up. If bright flashing lights are not your thing, don’t do it. There are plenty of other classes that can fit your personality. • Get to class early to adjust your seat and get situated before the fun begins. • Don’t be afraid to ask questions from fellow participants. Each of the classes I took had amazing cyclists eager to help. • Don’t eat an enormous meal right before class. (I ate a big breakfast before the first class and experienced a little nausea.) If you eat a bigger meal, give yourself at least an hour before class. • Bring water. This should go without saying. Good hydration is always important, but this kind of cardio intensity demands more. • If it is your first cycling class, give yourself a break and do not expect to be on the highest level of achievement. If you need to dial down the resistance before the instructor tells you, do it.
Due to COVID-19 many events may be canceled; please check with individual contacts.
what’s happenin’
races | wellness | competition | expos THURSDAY, APRIL 16
Herbal Remedies for Digestion 6:30 PM – 8:30 PM | $35 – 85 SW Herb Shop & Gathering Place, 148 N Center St, Mesa, AZ 85201 Dani Hoots, a previous SW Herb apprentice and recent Bastyr University graduate with a degree in Herbal Science, will talk about herbs that help digestion. She will go into detail of what herbs help support digestion before, during, and after a meal, including bitters, and how important the gut flora is in keeping your body healthy and moving well. FB@FoxCraftApothecary or @DaniHootsAuthor THURSDAY, APRIL 16 — SUNDAY, APRIL 19
FitnessFest Arizona 2020
STEP/CYCLE/SCULPT My next excursion led me to the Red Mountain Multigenerational Center to a Step/Cycle Sculpt class. Part of the experience was wheeling my stationary bike from the gym into the classroom where bikes covered three of the four walls. Julie, our instructor, turned on some cheerful tunes to warm us up, then instructed us to dial up the resistance and get out of our seats for a few high intensity intervals. We also had a few moments of push-up type postures in between intervals. Overall, the riding experience was about twenty minutes. After riding, we took our bikes back to the gym and started step for about fifteen minutes, and then used weights to sculpt for another fifteen minutes. TRADITIONAL My last stop took me to EOS for a forty-five-minute Traditional Cycle class. Participants explained to me how the cycle operated as I waited for class to begin. Thirty eager cyclists faced a movie screen showing a video of a trail going up a mountain. Vance coached us through high intensity intervals followed by 3-4 minutes of recovery, and we enjoyed a few friendly team competitions. Periodically a leader board would advertise the top 10 women leaders and men leaders. Motivating music encouraged us onward as we pumped our legs. Vance kept our ride as close to normal bike riding as possible with distinct cycling cues for good posture. After stretching, I could see the cycle monitor read 9.5 miles and 221 calories. Now that the adventure is over, this Yoga-Pilates-Tai Chi girl has a newfound respect for indoor cycling. I always knew it was rigorous; in fact, there was a bit of fear keeping me from trying a class. But I realize it’s just like any journey we will ever go on. Nerves get agitated, we move, we learn, adrenalin pumps, and if we don’t quit, we grow.
Betsy Cluff is certified in Group Fitness, Yoga and Personal Training. She teaches YoChi, Yoga Nidra and Tai Chi for wellness at the Las Sendas Spa and Fitness Center, and also works at Red Mountain Multigenerational Center and Humana.
8:00 AM – 6:00 PM | $39 – 349 Sheraton Mesa Hotel, 860 N Riverview, Mesa, AZ 85201 The best continuing education conference and expo for personal trainers, group exercise instructors, aqua instructors, mind/body practitioners, healthcare professionals and fitness enthusiasts. Join industry leaders and top speakers for a weekend of inspiration and earn all your CEUs at ONE location! fitnessfest.org/arizona FRIDAY, APRIL 17TH
Charity Golf Tournament 7:00 AM – 1:00 PM | $70 Leisure World residents, $100 person, $400 foursome Leisure World Golf Club, 908 S Power Rd, Mesa, AZ 85206 The Mesa United Way 2020 Charity Golf Tournament will benefit one of our programs, the Mesa Veterans Resource Center. Join us for 18 tournament holes complete with free breakfast, lunch, and beverages courtesy of Crescent Crown. We will also have exciting door prizes, large raffle prizes, and a chance to win up to $10,000 cash! golfunited2020.com
FRIDAY, APRIL 17 & SATURDAY, APRIL 18
Hold Me Tight Workshop 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM | $350 The Arizona Relationship Institute 7565 E Eagle Crest Dr #201, Mesa, AZ 85207 We will discuss scientific evidence that has taught us how to create secure attachments and lasting intimate relationships, then put those concepts into practice by applying them to your own relationship. In doing this, you will become more familiar with your own destructive conflict patterns and learn new ways of connecting more effectively with your partner. azri.org/workshops
SATURDAY, APRIL 18
Too Hot to Trot 8:00 AM | $30 Sloan Park, 2330 W Rio Salado Pkwy, Mesa, AZ 85201 Too Hot To Trot 5K adds to the fun with free early admission to the Salsa Challenge. Breakfast, music and your choice of beer or margarita in the Runners VIP Area are also included! Proceeds to benefit The Arizona Hemophilia Association. 4peaksracing.com/events/too-hot-to-trot-2020 FRIDAY, APRIL 24 & SATURDAY, APRIL 26
Red Mountain Classic 7:00 AM check-in, 8:00 AM games | $60 Red Mountain Ranch Country Club 6425 E Teton Cir, Mesa, AZ 85215 National Pickleball is coming to Arizona. Join us for the first annual Red Mountain Classic, a USAPA Sanctioned Event. Prize money for the OPEN brackets. nationalpickleball.com/red-mountain-classic eastmmag.com
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ACTIVE & STRONG FRIDAY, MAY 1
what’s happenin’continued SUNDAY, APRIL 26
Yoga With a Purpose 7:00 AM – 10:00 AM | optional donation Trailhead Parke, 7900 E Eagle Crest Dr, Mesa, AZ 85207 The Williams & McBean Team along with the Las Sendas Spa & Fitness Center in partnership with the Las Sendas Community Association bring you this monthly community event. The sessions are free and open to the public. Participants may bring cash or gift card donations which will benefit local children with critical illnesses who are granted a wish through Make-A-Wish® Arizona. FB@WMTAZHomeSmart
My Hope Bag’s Annual Golf Tournament 7:30 AM – 1:00 PM | $125 Red Mountain Ranch Country Club, 6425 E Teton Circle, Mesa, AZ 85215 We’re raising money for a great cause... providing resources and comfort items for women diagnosed with breast cancer. Come out and join us for our 4th Annual golf tournament, silent auction & raffle. The price includes continental breakfast, golfer goody bag, 18 holes of golf with cart, lunch, and lots of fun! myhopebag.org/events FRIDAY, MAY 1
Tai Chi 5:00 PM – 6:00 PM | $7 Family Fusion, 252 N Stapley Dr, Mesa, AZ 85203 We are firm believers in keeping the brain and body flexible and sharp! Tai Chi is for everyone and has many benefits, the highest reported by our crew is stress and tension release. Can you benefit from a little less anxiety and stress? FB@FamilyFusionAZ
SUNDAY, APRIL 26
Alice Cooper’s 23rd Annual Rock & Roll Golf Classic 7:00 AM – 4:00 PM | $1,400 per player (includes two tickets to the Rock & Roll Fundraising Bash) Las Sendas Golf Club, 7555 E Eagle Crest Dr, Mesa, AZ 85207 Alice Cooper’s Rock & Roll Golf Classic and the Rock & Roll Fundraising Bash directly benefit Solid Rock and The Rock Teen Centers, and brings together some of the biggest names in entertainment and sports, PGA veterans and community leaders. It is a great celebration of golf, celebs, music and fun — all while raising money for a most worthy cause! alicecoopersolidrock.com/events
SUNDAY, APRIL 26
Onsite Chair Massage Workshop 9:00 AM – 6:00 PM | $200 ASIS Massage Education 209 W Main St Mesa, AZ 85201 Onsite chair massage has been one of the fastest growing and most visible parts of the massage field over the last 20 years. In addition to learning hands-on chair massage skills, there will be discussion of possible chair massage venues, setting your rates, logistics and supplies for onsite work, intake, and general communication about the benefits of massage therapy. asismassage.edu
TUESDAY, MAY 12
Runners Emergency Care 6:00 PM – 9:00 PM | $50 The Tactical Medic, 4811 E Julep #22, Mesa, AZ 85205 Emergency medical course with specific content and techniques for trail and road runners, whether recreational or competitive. Hands on training will include: patient assessment, stopping bleeding, starting breathing, wound management, emergency signaling and building a lightweight kit. FB@IndependenceTraining TUESDAY, MAY 19 – THURSDAY, MAY 21
U.S. Disabled Golf Association Championship 8:30 AM | free for spectators Longbow Golf Club, 5601 E Longbow Pkwy, Mesa, AZ 85215 Open to all golfers who happen to have physical and intellectual impairments. usdga.net/tournaments TUESDAY, MAY 19 – FRIDAY, MAY 22
2020 NAIA Men’s Golf Championship 7:30 AM | free for spectators Las Sendas Golf Club, 7555 E Eagle Crest Dr, Mesa, AZ 85207 Up to 30 teams plus individuals will qualify for the 69th Annual Men’s Golf National Championships — National Association of Intercollegiate Atheletics (NAIA) tournament. naia.org/sports/mgolf
PPP YEAR #3
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In 2012 Heather and Court Fetter pioneered the first paddleboard shop in Mesa before SUP was even cool. They were also avid mountain bikers. A few years later Two Wheel Jones, a long-time Mesa bike shop, relocated to a spot just a mile from the NoSnow Paddleboard shop. As small business owners in such an active, outdoor lifestyle community, when the two pairs got together, the synergy was born. They all agreed, “We love to pedal, we love to paddle, and enjoying a beer after is always something to look forward to. Let’s make a little grassroots community event to introduce peddlers to paddlers and paddlers to peddlers!” Thus the start of Pedal Paddle Pilsner (PPP). There are varying degrees of bike riders — roadies, dirt, and cruisers — along with all types and skill levels of
paddleboarders. PPP brings them all together with course and equipment options, fun and competition, food and of course beer! Without an anchor sponsor to fund an official event, the PPP continues to remain a small local community event comprised of tons of volunteers and participants, and a growing number of vendors. Now in its third year, Alejandro with Silverback Entertainment will DJ the afterparty again, but new to the mix is Tipsy Cactus/Tucked Away beer and Chef Gabe’s food truck.
Pedal Paddle Pilsner | Sunday, May 3 6:00 AM start from Two Wheel Jones, afterparty at NoSnow Paddleboard shop. For more info visit facebook @NoSnowSUP
NEW TECHNOLOGY =
Better Cancer Care
Advanced technology with improved accuracy now available in mesa Radiation Oncologists at Ironwood Cancer & Research Centers in Mesa have recently acquired The Elekta Versa HD™ linear accelerator. This new technology is allowing them to better target cancer. This summer, patients at their office near Main Street and Recker Road will undergo radiation treatments through a machine designed to deliver radiation therapy more accurately. The Versa HD linear accelerator markets itself as using high precision radiation beams, speeding up treatment times by 60%. “Patients currently receiving radiation doses over several days to weeks, can shrink the treatment schedule down to one day.” Says, Marco Lara, Ironwoods Radiation Manager. Another critical benefit of using this new technology is its ability to reduce the risk of harming organs and tissues surrounding the tumor. The machine adds another layer of protection for the patient. This is Ironwood’s second acquisition of this technology, bringing a total of two machines to the East Valley. “We are constantly trying to provide the most current technology available to be able to provide cutting edge cancer care for our patients,” Lara said. Radiotherapy is a form of energy like the sun, that damages the DNA strands of the cancer cells, leaving them to die. In certain cancers, radiotherapy, specifically stereotactic radiosurgery/body radiotherapy, can ablate a tumor just like surgery. Often used in the brain, lung, or liver, it is non-invasive and generally safer than surgically removing a tumor. Elekta, an international healthcare company, developed the Versa HD a few years ago as a tool to target cancers located in critical areas or brain lesions needing high radiation doses. “Versa HD is perfect for these complex cases by virtue
Ironwood staff has begun training with the Elekta Versa HD and will start treating patients in June 2020.
of its advanced beam shaping, imaging, and high-dose-rate technologies,” said Kevin Brown, Elekta’s vice president of global research back in 2014. Dr. Mark K. Ono, one of Ironwood’s radiation oncologists, said, “Our commitment is to bring academic-caliber cancer care to the community. We believe in investing in the best cutting edge technology. The Versa is just one of the latest examples of our commitment to our patients and will allow us to provide more precise, pin-point accuracy and effective treatments.” Ironwood Cancer & Research Centers (ICRC) is the largest multispecialty oncology network in the Greater Metro Phoenix area. They have over 100 medical providers, a robust Integrative Services program and a dedicated clinical research department. The Mesa Arbor office is the second busiest location within the Ironwood network, treating up to 80 patients in a single day for a variety of cancers.
PATIENTS CURRENTLY RECEIVING RADIATION DOSES OVER SEVERAL DAYS TO WEEKS, CAN SHRINK THE TREATMENT SCHEDULE DOWN TO ONE DAY.
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O T E G R WLE A FO R A YD TO B PHO
BY JENNIFER CAMORIANO A FEW SUMMERS AGO, my husband and I spent two weeks in Europe where we watched several stages of the Tour de France. We had our bikes with us, and road many country and village roads of Spain, France and Italy. When we returned to our home in Las Sendas, we were struck by an amazing realization — the East Valley has MORE cyclists on and off the roads per square mile than we had seen in the cycling heart of Europe! Anyone familiar with either mountain biking or road biking in the rest of the greater Phoenix area has to acknowledge that the East Valley is the best for all forms of cycling. In fact, in 2008 we moved to Mesa after living in Scottsdale and Paradise Valley just to be close the Hawes Trail System for mountain biking. Â
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An early guide to Arizona mountain biking declared the Hawes system the second-best collection of mountain biking trails in all of Arizona, second only to Mount Eldon in Flagstaff. With all the competition for bike trails in the McDowell Mountains of Scottsdale or Phoenix Mountain Preserve, what makes Hawes and the Mesa trails so awesome? For one thing, the Hawes Trail System was and continues to be, designed and built BY mountain bikers FOR mountain bikers. Groups like the Hawes Trail Alliance (hawestrailalliance.com) make sure the signage, banked turns, and lines of sight are fun and as safe as possible without being “too safe” (read: boring!). Another awesome feature is the collection of wild horses, javelina, and coyotes that grace the scenery on Hawes, more than anywhere else in the Phoenix area. Despite the fact that we moved here for the mountain biking, we were quickly delighted to discover that the road biking options were a hidden gem. How many regions in the country, let alone the state, can boast wide, well-paved shoulders for safe, smooth road biking en route to two major lakes and along stretches of wild rivers? Bush Highway begins where Power Road ends, heading north from the 202 and meandering for more than 20 miles along the cliff-adorned Salt River. Then past Saguaro Lake and onto Beeline Highway where even more miles stretch to the horizons of the Tonto National forest along the Verde River. Red canyon walls and vistas of Four Peaks lure the rider around each turn. Or, riding east on Brown Road provides access to the Apache Trail and the majestic cliffs of Canyon Lake — where Teddy Roosevelt declared the area to be among the most beautiful in the world. The health benefits of cycling are innumerable, including aerobic fitness, weight loss, reduced blood pressure, stress relief, fresh air, vitamin D from sunlight, as well as socializing. Socializing? Of course. Although cycling can be a solo sport, the best times are often with groups. Group rides can provide safety in numbers, making the group more visible to cars. They also tend to have riders of varying abilities and speeds, allowing riders to find people of similar skill level, including beginners. Even Sparks Systems houses their testing facility in the PHOTO BY TWO WHEEL JONES
PHOTO BY DARA FOWLER
The Hawes Trail System was and continues to be designed and
BUILT BY MOUNTAIN BIKERS FOR MOUNTAIN BIKERS
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PHOTO BY DARA FOWLER
East Valley where they specialize in Deep Nutrition and Metabolic Health Services. You may even get a chance to have ME, a coach for Sparks, show you some trails out on Hawes. New to cycling? A good place to begin is at one of the busiest, most iconic bike shops in the Valley — Two Wheel Jones. This family-owned shop on the northeast corner of McDowell and Power has a warm vibe offering smiles and a welcoming, tail-wagging shop dog. They rent and sell bikes, including cruisers, road bikes, mountain bikes and even the increasingly popular e-bikes. Owners Trish and Travis Jones have group rides on Saturday mornings, providing both hardcore, fast group A-rides as well as more laid back, slower-paced B-rides. If you are focused on mountain biking and you want to socialize in the East Valley, a great group to connect with on Facebook is the Hawesaholics. This group of over 1,500 members sponsors fun events in and around Hawes such as “Beerduros,” night rides, and family events.
How many regions in the country, let alone the state, can boast wide, well-paved shoulders for safe, smooth road biking en route to TWO MAJOR LAKES
AND ALONG STRETCHES OF WILD RIVERS?
No wonder East Mesa has more cyclists and cycling opportunities than the cycling bastions of old Europe. What are you waiting for? Get out and ride! Jennifer and John Camoriano are both fitness devotees who live in Las Sendas where they have raised seven children. Jennifer is a cycling and triathlon coach and a Metabolic Health and Nutrition coach with Sparks Systems (sparkssystems.net). John is a physician at the Mayo Clinic where he practices Hematology and Integrative medicine.
PHOTO BY STEVE SIMPSON
BIKE ETIQUETTE & SAFETY Mountain Bike Etiquette • Cyclists yield to hikers/runners. • Uphill cyclists/hikers/runners have right of way over downhill ones (obviously sometimes this isn’t feasible, but that’s where common sense comes into play). • Call out when approaching another cyclist or hiker/runner from behind — if there are more bikes behind you, say that too. • Say thank you when someone yields to you but they didn’t have to.
Road Bike Safety • A lways wear a helmet when riding your bike. • Signal before turning or passing so that drivers and other bicyclists can anticipate your moves. • Ride to the right, as far away from vehicular traffic as possible. Keep a safe distance from potholes, manhole covers, iron gratings, and other potential hazards. • Ride during daylight hours whenever possible. For nighttime riding, equip your bike with headlights and red rear reflectors.
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Summer Programs
Learning happens all summer long! Summer break opportunities at Mesa Public Schools include:
• Academic • Special interest & • Enrichment
For children of all ages! Learn more at mpsaz.org/commed mpsaz.org | 480.472.0000 |
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@mpsaz
FOOD & ENTERTAINMENT food | brews restaurants art | music performances WHAT’S HAPPENIN’
Walk it!
Downtown Mesa’s Art Walk has a vast collection of sculptures and murals
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FOOD & ENTERTAINMENT
Definitely DERBY
Have fun watching Arizona Rollergirls, Mesa’s all-girl flat track roller derby league BY MICHELLE GLICKSMAN | PHOTOS BY STEVE SIMPSON
In April of 2010, Dozer, as she’s now referred to, tried out for the Arizona Rollergirls. She was the first-ever tryout for Mesa’s official roller derby league. Ten years later, she’s still a member. “I skate because I love the way it makes me feel,” she says. “I’m in a whole other world once I have my skates on. I originally joined to make friends and to drop weight after my twins. I had no idea the positive impact derby would have on me. I have learned so much and have gained more knowledge as an athlete and as a person. I have made lifelong friends and derby has changed me in ways that can’t be described.”
Arizona Rollergirls Although it’s been around for years now, not everyone knows that Mesa has an all-girl flat track roller derby league. It’s fun for those participating, and fun for spectators to come watch the bouts. “What I wanted was a league that was more conducive to my family life because the other leagues that were available in the Valley were in Phoenix and I lived in East Mesa,” explains the founder, whose league name is Dani Dangerously. “So, two things — I made it more convenient so I could play, and also, I could make it more inclusive. Anybody could be accepted, no matter their skill level. You just had to work hard.” “Not everyone gets a chance at sports, but with AZRG, everyone is given a chance,” Dozer explains. “There are no skaters left behind. I believe we all work together as a team and that is what will make us all successful. With derby, you aren’t just learning to skate, you are
Due to COVID-19 many events may be canceled; please check with individual contacts.
what’s happenin’
concerts | shows | food fun & festivals
FRIDAY, APRIL 3 – SUNDAY, APRIL 19
Reefer Madness times vary | $25 – 28 Mesa Arts Center, Farnsworth Studio One E Main St, Mesa, AZ 85201 In this hilarious, over-the-top satire, the high school drama club, led by the gravely stern Lecturer, illustrates the perils of the “leafy green assassin.” Reefer Madness is an irreverent parody of the classic 1930s instructional film full of camp, hilarity, mayhem, and madness. mesaartscenter.com
Let’s go to a bout! 2020 SEASON SCHEDULE
APRIL 25 | MAY 30 | AUGUST 15 SEPTEMBER 26 | OCTOBER 17 | NOVEMBER 21 For tickets or more information, visit arizonarollergirls.com, or find them on Facebook, Instagram or Twitter.
gaining another family. You’re building your confidence, while getting in shape and falling in love with a sport. Derby is a great way to blow off steam and to come out of your shell.” Although they are meant to follow the USA Roller Sports rule set, Arizona Rollergirls also does things a little differently. “We consider ourselves one league,” Dani Dangerously says. “About two weeks before each bout we draft into two separate teams, the black team and the teal team, because that’s our colors.” The number of people on each team varies depending on who can play in that particular bout. Overall, there are about 40 members in the league, and the majority are from Mesa with a few from nearby cities. Anyone aged 16 and up can participate. Family-Friendly Entertainment The league plays eight bouts a season, which runs most of the year (two months off in winter and two in summer). Held at the Broadway Rec Center, the bouts draw big crowds and are perfect family-friendly entertainment. They’re competitive, fast-paced, and fun, with a partylike atmosphere. There’s music (sometimes live), an announcer, and always a raffle at every event. The crowds consist of a variety of ages and demographics, many there for the first time just looking for something new — and getting hooked —all cheering, smiling, and enjoying the entertainment. “Roller derby can be a very empowering and fun thing, and we like to create an environment for that, both for our team and our fans. We just want everyone to have fun,” says Dani Dangerously.
SATURDAY, APRIL 11
Easter Paint Night 5:00 PM – 8:00 PM | $25 What’s Crackin Cafe, 6663 E McDowell Rd #101, Mesa, AZ 85215 Join us for an easter-themed paint night! $25 for all supplies, please pre-register for this event by messaging us or calling us at the restaurant. whatscrackincafe.com SATURDAY, APRIL 11
Code Red At Club Red 6:30 PM | $15 – 25 Club Red East Theater, 1306 W University Dr, Mesa, AZ, 85201 Phoenix Championship Wrestling returns and Mesa is on high alert! The very best wrestlers will battle, and the fans will get the opportunity to be up close and personal to all the action. Professional wrestling as it is meant to experienced! Superior trained athletes and incredible entertainment. clubredrocks.com SATURDAY, APRIL 11
Monastery Country Fest 2020 11:00 AM – 12:30 AM | free Monastery Bar & Grill, 4810 E McKellips Rd, Mesa, AZ85215 Spring means enjoying the outdoors, and if you LOVE Country Music then you need to mark this on your calendar! With eight of Arizona’s best local country music bands, a variety of vendors, mechanical bull, BBQ food specials, beer and drink specials, and much more, you don’t want to miss this! themonasterybar.com/calendar TUESDAY, APRIL 14
Geeks Who Drink 7:00 PM – 9:00 PM | free The Culinary Escape, 127 W Main St., Mesa, AZ 85201 Join us for eight rounds of audio, visual and live hosted trivia. Our weekly quiz is free to play and we’ll be giving away prizes for answering bonus questions and gift cards for our top teams at the end of the night. Rules limit the total number of players on your team to six, so gather your smartest friends and come down. FB@Theculinaryescape WEDNESDAY, APRIL 15
MeatEater: Off the Air 7:30 PM | $34 – 180 Mesa Arts Center, Ikeda Theater, One E Main St, Mesa, AZ 85201 The MeatEater Podcast is the top-ranked outdoor podcast, covering hunting, fishing, wildlife conservation, and wild foods with intelligence, humor, irreverence, and plenty of unexpected viewpoints and surprising trivia. Join Steven Rinella and other special guests for a brand-new live event as they bring their experiences and opinions to theater audiences in this unique show. mesaartscenter.com eastmmag.com
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FOOD & ENTERTAINMENT FRIDAY, APRIL 24
what’s happenin’continued
Nitro Circus Live
SATURDAY, APRIL 18
36th Annual My Nana’s Salsa Challenge 10:00 AM – 5:00 PMy | $15, Children under 12 are free Sloan Park, 2330 W Rio Salado Pkwy, Mesa, AZ 85201 A one-day festival featuring the #1 condiment in the U.S. – Salsa! This annual culinary competition features over one hundred freshly made salsas and professional “chefs” will compete for the judge’s vote while attendees enjoy all the chips and salsa they can eat! More than 10,000 people are expected to come and taste freshly salsas, listen to live music, enjoy margaritas, beers, and vote for their favorite salsa chef — all benefitting the Arizona Hemophilia Association. salsachallenge.com
made cold
7:00 PM – 9:30 PM | $29 – 79 Sloan Park, 2330 W Rio Salado Mesa, AZ 85201 An explosive, high-adrenaline action sports spectacular starring the best athletes in FMX, BMX, Skate, Scooter, and more. Witness Nitro’s thrill-loving daredevils brave the world’s largest jumps as they launch 60 feet into the air. These real-life action heroes are sure to inspire fans of all ages as they push the limits with record-breaking attempts every night. Get your tickets now and step into the action-packed world of Nitro Circus! nitrocircus.com/tour FRIDAY, APRIL 24
Trey Odum Band Debut SATURDAY, APRIL 18 & SATURDAY, MAY 16
Mesa Cars & Coffee 7:00 AM – 10:00 AM | free 6663 E McDowell Rd, Mesa, AZ 85215 Mesa Cars & Coffee is a local gathering of the automotive community happening the third Saturday of every month in the parking lot of Kneaders and What’s Crackin Cafe. Enjoy breakfast and good company all while sharing your passion for cars! FB@biffsautodetail or whatscrackincafe.com/upcoming-events SATURDAY, APRIL 18
Riding for a Cure
Hosted by Justin’s Journey 8:00 AM – 10:00 PM | $15 – 25 Desert Wind Harley-Davidson, 922 S Country Club Dr, Mesa, AZ 85210 Self-guided poker ride benefiting St. Jude’s Children’s Research Hospital. Starting point is Desert Wind Harley Davidson in Mesa. Complimentary pancake breakfast with sausage, coffee, and juice will be provided starting at 8:30 AM. Routing and final location will be updated as the information is finalized. All paid entrants will receive one poker card and an event poker chip. FB@justinsjourney18 SATURDAY, APRIL 18
Cruising Seniors 10:00 AM – 2:00 PM | free Broadway Mesa Village, 7231 E Broadway Rd, Mesa, AZ 85208 Bring your car or motorcycle to Broadway Mesa Village! Compete for specialty AZ Rock trophies and prizes while enjoying delicious barbecue and more. FB@BroadwayMesaVillage SATURDAY, APRIL 18 & SATURDAY, MAY 16
Produce on Wheels 8:00 AM – 11:00 AM | $12 Red Mountain United Methodist Church, 2936 N Power Rd, Mesa, AZ 85215 Produce On Wheels – With Out Waste (P.O.W.W.O.W.) distributes fresh fruits and veggies to the many communities hosted at partnered churches, schools and other entities throughout Arizona. Millions of pounds of fresh nutritional rescued produce are distributed annually so everyone can eat healthy and help support Borderlands’ mission of reducing food waste and greenhouse gases from the landfill. Anyone can contribute $12 to shop for up to 70 lbs. of fresh produce, to share with neighbors, friends, family or someone who’s in need. Cash only please. borderlandsproducerescue.org
8:00 PM – 12:00 AM | free Monastery Bar & Grill, 4810 E McKellips Rd, Mesa, AZ85215 A local favorite, Trey Odum is the perfect combination of southern charm, a powerful voice and a unique songwriting philosophy. Trey and his band perform all across the Phoenix valley and surrounding areas, traveling across state lines and even the U.S. Border as long as there’s a crowd to play to. themonasterybar.com/calendar SATURDAY, APRIL 25
Dokken / Lynch Reunion Tour 4:30 PM doors open, 5:45 PM show | $50 Mesa Amphitheatre 263 N Center St, Mesa, AZ 85201 The classic Dokken lineup reunited briefly in 2016, playing a handful of shows. Now, stateside fans will get a taste of a partial reunion on the band’s 2020 tour as guitar icon George Lynch will be making a special encore appearance at the gigs. Also joined by special guest Lita Ford. mesaamp.com SATURDAY, APRIL 25
Alice Cooper’s Rock & Roll Fundraising Bash 4:30 PM – 11:00 PM | $325 Las Sendas Golf Club, 7555 E Eagle Crest Dr, Mesa, AZ 85207 This most worthy event brings together some of the biggest names in entertainment and sports, PGA veterans and community leaders, along with our crazy-talented teens as they dance and share their music along with our incredible silent and live auction. All the proceeds from this event will fund the opening of our newest teen center location in Mesa, which will open in the fall of this year. Be a hero and support the teens! alicecoopersolidrock.com/events SATURDAY, APRIL 25
Flotsam And Jetsam 6:00 PM | $20 – 25 Club Red East Theater, 1306 W University Dr, Mesa, AZ, 85201 Flotsam and Jetsam is an American thrash metal band formed in Phoenix in 1981. On tour featuring their newest album The End of Chaos released in 2019. clubredrocks.com SUNDAY, APRIL 26
9th Annual International Jazz Festival 4:00 PM | free Mesa Arts Center, Alliance Pavillion, One E Main St, Mesa, AZ 85201 Mesa Arts Center and the Jazz Day AZ Foundation celebrate International Jazz Day with a stellar lineup of musicians. Headliner: Emil Viklicky, jazz pianist. Also featuring: Emmy Award Winner Dr. Jesse McGuire Trio, jazz vocalist Dennis Rowland, Felix Sainz on bass, and more! mesaartscenter.com on page 62
A festival experience any day of the week!
Phoenix-based company That’s Eatertainment, plans to bring an impressive and exciting entertainment concept to the East Valley this year. The team behind Modern Round, the gaming restaurant and bar venue in Peoria, is opening a revolutionary entertainment arena and food hall at Mesa Riverview, near Bass Pro Shops this May. The project will incorporate two buildings plus an open-air canopy in between, totaling 62,000 square feet. Large enough to create a festival atmosphere, with gaming, live entertainment, events, and plenty of options for food, fun, and drinks! Chris Castille, COO and Ellie Greene, VP of Marketing, said they are excited to bring a concept to Mesa that can be enjoyed by anyone and everyone – and provides a festival experience to the community any day of the week! “When you go to a festival, you get to try all these unique food concepts,” Castille said. “There’s usually great music, a light show, a whole vibe that comes with going to a festival. We’re just trying to bring it inside and make it more available to everyone.” So what can we expect at The Revelry? A lot! The north building will house
WHEN YOU GO TO A FESTIVAL ... THERE’S USUALLY GREAT MUSIC, A LIGHT SHOW, A WHOLE VIBE ... WE’RE JUST TRYING TO BRING IT INSIDE AND MAKE IT MORE AVAILABLE TO EVERYONE. Modern Round, a gaming and sports bar/restaurant and Morning Ritual, an all-day brunch restaurant with a mimosa bar. The outdoor covered area will have golf greens where visitors can play NextLinks, which combines miniature golf with technology to simulate the look and feel of traditional golf courses. There will also be a stage area for live music, and a video wall to show Arizona Cardinals games for example, and the talents of The Revelry’s resident DJs. Need more? They’ve got it! The south building (scheduled to open late summer 2020) will have a food hall featuring 11 different vendors, different play areas for cornhole and other lawn games, and will include K9Cantina, a dog park and outdoor patio where dogs can be let off their leashes, while guests grab a drink! The south building will also feature PopCulture Bar, a high-tech, retro arcade bar with pinball and a real life Delorean in which guests can take pics! All-in-all this place is poised to bring entertainment, food, drinks, and fun to Mesa, and we can’t wait! For more information visit therevelry.com
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what’s happenin’continued THURSDAY, APRIL 30
MCC Chamber Ensemble Lobby Concert 2:00 PM – 4:30 PM | free Mesa Community College Performing Arts, 1520 S Longmore, Mesa, AZ 85202 Enjoy an afternoon of chamber music featuring various student groups. mesacc.edu
From the chef & mixologists @ what’s Crackin Cafe
Dreaming of summer days, sipping cocktails by the pool, enjoying the cool sweetness of fesh fruit? Maybe pineapples come to mind — and pina coladas!? With the short spring season we seem to have here in the desert, summer is close! So here are a few recipes to get you ready.
The Big Kahuna Burger
SATURDAY, MAY 2
Sound + Cinema: Spider-man: Into the Spider-Verse 7:00 PM – 10:00 PM | free Mesa Arts Center, South Lawn, One E Main St, Mesa, AZ 85201 Grab your friends and family and come experience Sound + Cinema, a new monthly Saturday night event featuring FREE live and local music combined with classic movies and cult films projected on a giant outdoor screen. Have fun with lawn games and on-site screen printing (bring your own t-shirt, tote bag, etc to have screen printed!) while listening to tunes and chowing down with a variety of food vendors. Costumes encouraged: Dress as your favorite character from the featured film — best dressed wins a prize! mesaartscenter.com SATURDAY, MAY 2
Ryan and Dillon Live 6:00 PM – 9:00 PM | free Hava Java, 2849 N Power Rd, Mesa, AZ 85215 Ryan and Dillon are an acoustic duo based out of Phoenix playing music in a range of all styles and a mix of original and cover songs. They return to Hava Java for an encore performance after rockin’ it out at the grand opening event! FB@ HavaJavaLasSendas
SATURDAY, MAY 9
Amor Eterno: A Mother’s Day Mariachi Concert 7:00 PM | $38 Mesa Arts Center, Piper Repertory Theater One E Main St, Mesa, AZ 85201 Give the gift of music this Mother’s Day! Enjoy an unforgettable evening of mariachi music and folklorico performances with your favorite madrecita (mom)! mesaartscenter.com SATURDAY, MAY 23
Friends Trivia Night 6:00 PM – 8:00 PM | free What’s Crackin Cafe, 6663 E Mcdowell Rd, Mesa, AZ 85215 Come show off your knowledge of Friends — let the binge watching pay off! Happy Hour specials ’til close, fun and prizes. whatscrackincafe.com SATURDAY, MAY 30
Cars & Cigars 12:30 PM | $10 – 100 Mesa Amphitheater, 263 N Center St, Mesa, AZ 85201 Inaugural Cars and Cigars event, showcasing 100+ vehicles, cigar lounge, and entertainment from Lee Rocker of the Stray Cats and Cherry Poppin Daddies. There will also be lawn games, kids zone, food trucks, cold beer, and much more! carsandcigarsaz.com
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INGREDIENTS: pineapple teriyaki sauce: • ¼ cup Mirin Japanese rice wine; if unavailable, use sherry) • ½ cup soy sauce • ¾ cup chicken stock • ½ cup pineapple juice • ¼ cup brown sugar • 1 tbsp fresh grated ginger DIRECTIONS: 1 | In a saucepan heat Mirin to boiling. 2 | Add soy sauce, chicken stock, pineapple juice, brown sugar, and fresh ginger. Bring this to a boil. 3 | Turn heat down to a simmer and cook till reduced by half; remove from heat. Allow mixture to cool, strain if desired. Put into a squeeze bottle for easy application. Makes 1 cup.
other items needed: • burger buns (try King’s hawaiin buns) • h amburger patties • p ineapple rings • l ettuce, tomato, onion • s liced gruyere cheese
Assembling the burger: 1 | Cook burgers to preferred doneness 2 | Either grill the pineapple ring on the grill or sear in a hot pan with butter till just starting to brown. 3 | Toast buns; layer lettuce, tomato and onion on first. While the burger is still on the grill, apply cheese, allow to melt, add pineapple ring and give a generous squeeze of the teriyaki sauce. 4 | Move to bun, top, and enjoy.
Pinacoolada • • • • • •
1 cup frozen pineapples 2 oz coconut creme 1 oz white rum ½ oz coconut rum ½ oz pineapple juice 1½ oz ice cubes
Dice up pineapple and freeze ahead of time. Then remove and add with all ingredients to a blender. Blend on high until smooth and creamy; put coconut cream and sweetened coconut flakes on the glass rim. Garnish with pineapple slice and cherry.
480-939-9140
SpartanNationAZ.com 4446 E UNIVERSITY DR / #107 / MESA
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Main Street’s Art Walk is Still a Downtown Draw BY JAMIE HUISH PHOTOS BY DARA FOWLER
FOOD & ENTERTAINMENT
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you’ve ever strolled by the Big Pink Chair sculpture on Pepper Place, you know you won’t go more than a few minutes without seeing someone hop up for a photo. The sculpture is a favorite among Mesa’s Downtown Art Walk, a free, self-guided outdoor walking tour that includes 36 sculptures and 22 murals along or close to Main Street. The sculptures range from the whimsical (Humpty Dumpty) to the sentimental (boys tossing a baseball) to the civicminded (a likeness of former mayor, Wayne Pomeroy). The art walk originated in 1998 as an annual exhibit called Sculpture in the Streets. Downtown officials were looking for a unique way to draw visitors to Main Street, both to shop and to celebrate public art. The idea stuck and the sculptures still bring visitors down to amble in the sunshine. Starting in 2012, the Downtown Mesa Association (DMA) added 22 wall murals to the walk. “Because our community is so art focused, it’s always a highlight to come down and see the art we have, whether it’s families visiting Mesa for the first time or locals coming to experience downtown,” says Courtney Garrity, Marketing Manager for the DMA.
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IN 2012, THE DOWNTOWN MESA ASSOCIATION ADDED 22 WALL MURALS TO THE WALK.
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DANCER #1 AND DANCER #2 EXUBERANTLY FACE OFF AT THE CORNER OF ROBSON AND MAIN.
You can read about the art walk or you can walk the art walk. The stroll takes about 45 minutes and the DMA offers a downloadable Art Walk guide on its website. What quickly becomes obvious about the collection is its eclecticism. For example, Dancer #1 and Dancer #2, metal sculptures of two Native American dancers, exuberantly face off at the corner of Robson and Main. Just down the block is Big Black Charlie, an adorably overweight pig with an itch he can’t quite reach. Remember the lost neon signs of Mesa? In a bygone era, a host of neon signs from motels, auto shops and restaurants illuminated Main Street’s nightlife. To pay tribute to this quirky feature, the DMA commissioned local artists to paint five murals along businesses between Robson and Macdonald Streets, Garrity says. Picking out your favorite piece makes for a great way to enjoy a spring afternoon. And chances are, you’ll want to end the walk kicking your feet up in the Big Pink Chair. eastmmag.com
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PLACEMAKER BY LAUREN LEE No visit to downtown is complete without a stop at the iconic Downtown Mesa sign, created by Phoenix muralist Lauren Lee. A graduate of ASU’s studio arts program and a fulltime artist, Lee started her public art journey creating works for the Mesa Arts Center and the Mesa Public Library System. “Mesa is really good at supporting what urban integration of art looks like,” she says. “There’s thoughtful curation guiding it as well.” The mural features a diamond shaped Mesa sign surrounded by native foliage in vibrant hues of oranges, purples and greens. It is a combination of manmade symbols, like letters and shapes, and organic forms, such as the cactus wren, says Lee. And it’s meant to delight viewers. “From the beginning, my intention was to make something memorable that would be a place maker — somewhere people would land and continue to go,” Lee says. “That means every time people see it, they have to see or feel something they haven’t seen or felt before. The piece has really changed the energy of what was previously just a big blank space.” 70
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LOOKING FOR
PHOTOS BY WILLIAM LAX
The Las Sendas community in Northeast Mesa is proud to own and display a unique residential art collection. In 1995 the original developers of the community purchased 16 bronze sculptures and placed them along hiking trails. When Blandford Homes took over the project, which in addition to the land, included the statues, many of the pieces were relocated from the trails to more visible sites. In 2017 the Las Sendas Community Association had all of the pieces cleaned and polished for the first time in 22 years. Missing identification plaques were replaced, minor repairs were made, lighting was added, and landscaping was improved at all of the statue sites. Everyone can now enjoy discovering these figures and learning the stories of the people they represent. Full descriptions and a map of statue locations is available online at thetrailhead.org
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refinancing goals When is it a good idea to refinance your mortgage? BY MICHAEL TRANCKINO
Since mortgage rates are at an all-time, historical low, the answer most likely is yes! But there are several things to consider when refinancing your mortgage, such as costs, interest rates, and most importantly — your goal. Do you want to lower your monthly payment, build equity, pay off your mortgage early, or something else? There are three main costs associated with a refinance: an appraisal fee, title costs, and lender charges. If an appraisal is required, the cost of an appraisal ranges from $450-550. Based on your LTV (Loan to Value ratio) and your subject property, you may be granted an appraisal waiver which means an appraisal will not be required, saving you money. Secondly, title fees. These fees include a title commitment, lenders policy, closing protection letter, closing fee, wiring fee, tax stamp, etc. Total title fees typically range from $685-1200 for a refinance. Then there’s lender fees. If you decide to refinance with a larger mortgage company, bank, or credit union, you will pay any number of fees ranging from a couple of hundred dollars to a couple of thousand dollars in fees from the lender. Sometimes these fees appear as underwriting or processing fees, and other times they are included in the cost of
THERE ARE THREE MAIN COSTS ASSOCIATED WITH A REFINANCE: AN APPRAISAL FEE, TITLE COSTS, AND LENDER CHARGES.
the interest rate, giving you a slightly higher interest rate, which you may or may not notice. Lender fees are very common, but there are a few mortgage brokers and small mortgage lenders like the one my wife and I own, that do not charge lender fees to purchase a home or refinance. I would highly recommend using a mortgage broker that does not charge any fees in an effort to keep refinancing costs at a minimum. The total cost of these two to three fees divided by the monthly savings (your current mortgage payment minus your new refinanced mortgage payment) will determine how long it will take you to recoup the cost of a refinance. I believe the time to recoup the fees should be less than 36 months, but again that depends on your goals and how long you are going to hold your mortgage. Being in the lending business for over 30 years, I am a firm believer in a debt-free lifestyle. Who wouldn’t want zero debt, right? And one of the biggest monthly payments most people have is their mortgage payment. So I encourage an early payoff. One easy way to do that is to shorten your mortgage term. This will build equity faster because you are paying less interest each month and as a result, more toward the outstanding loan balance (principal). The best terms to pay off early are 20-, 15- and 10-year mortgages — which are also priced at all-time lows right now — and will not only build your equity faster but save you tens of thousands of dollars in interest over the life of your loan. You can be mortgage-free in 10-20 years! Michael Tranckino started Trusted Lending Center in 2012 with his wife Katie. They have been in the mortgage and real estate industry since 2000. They have a keen understanding of the entire mortgage process and superior attention to detail which allows them to successfully partner with borrowers, real estate agents and title companies to bring unparalleled knowledge and confidence to your TLC lending experience.
8
Steps to improve
Your Credit Score
Good credit can save you lots of money on your mortgage. Poor credit can make it harder for you to get a mortgage or refinance your current one. It can also put you on the hook for higher interest rates, which can make the loan more expensive to repay. Here are eight steps you can take right now to begin raising your credit score. 1 | Get a Copy of Your Credit Reports Order copies of your credit reports from each of the three major credit bureaus to identify the accounts that need work. You can get free copies of your credit reports every 12 months from each of the major bureaus through AnnualCreditReport.com. 2 | Dispute Credit Report Errors Under the Fair Credit Reporting Act, you have the right to an accurate credit report. This right allows you to dispute credit report errors by writing to the relevant credit bureau, which must investigate the dispute within 30 days. 3 | Avoid New Credit Card Purchases New credit card purchases will raise your credit utilization rate — a ratio of your credit card balances to their respective credit limits. Under the FICO score model, it’s best to keep your credit utilization rate below 30%. 4 | Pay off Past-Due Balances Your payment history makes up 35% of your credit score, which makes it the most important determinant of your credit. The further behind you are on your payments, the more it hurts your credit score. 5 | Avoid New Credit Card Applications When you apply for new credit, the lender will often perform a “hard inquiry,” which is a review of your credit that shows up on your credit report and impacts your credit score. 6 | Leave Accounts Open You may be tempted to close accounts that have become delinquent, but the outstanding amount due will still show up on your credit report. Even if your card has a zero balance, closing it can hurt your credit score because credit history length makes up 15% of your credit score. 7 | Pay off Debt The amount of debt that you’re carrying as a proportion of your overall credit represents 30% of your credit score. Start paying down that debt to raise your score. 8 | Be Patient Your credit wasn’t damaged overnight, so don’t expect it to improve in that amount of time.
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IT’S GO TIME Turns out Mesa is a pretty great place to start a business BY JAMIE HUISH
On a yawn-filled Monday morning, who among us hasn’t wished to be their own boss? The time is ripe for entrepreneurs to start a business in Mesa, economic development officials say. Mesa was named one of the Top 10 Cities for Startups by Commercial Café, and CityLab ranked Mesa as having the third fastest-growing creative class in the nation, which is defined as knowledge workers in education, health care, law, arts, tech, science and business. “In Mesa, startups are supported by a plethora of resources and a strong entrepreneurial ecosystem,” says Nic Zito, Project Manager for the Mesa Office of Economic Development. “Entrepreneurship can be lonely, so it’s really cool when you can be on the journey with the right people.” These statistics ring true with the word on the street. Mesa is seeing growth in small tech companies and professional services providers, Zito says. Larger businesses that are flourishing include those in aerospace, education, defense and of course, technology.
“SIMPLY PUT: START NOW. WITH THE RESOURCES MESA OFFERS, THERE IS NO EXCUSE NOT TO GET STARTED AND WORK WITH OTHERS IN OUR LOCAL STARTUP ECOSYSTEM.” — Nic Zito, Project Manager, Mesa Office of Economic Development
Photo: LaunchPoint, the Mesa Technology Accelerator, contains private offices, collaboration space, classrooms, meeting space, coworking areas and even some labs.
PHOTO BY DARA FOWLER
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“GO INTO DISCOVERY MODE. FIND OUT EVERYTHING YOU CAN ABOUT YOUR INDUSTRY, YOUR COMPETITORS, YOUR CUSTOMERS. NEVER BE AFRAID TO REACH OUT AND SPEAK TO SOMEONE TO HELP YOU ON YOUR JOURNEY.” — Alycia de Mesa, Founder, de Mesa Training & Advisory
For some, launching a big idea still means opening a brick-andmortar location. Rajiv Patel opened Nico’s Barbershop in Gilbert in 2018 and chose Mesa for his second location, which opened in 2019 at Greenfield and Brown. Opening a shop in Mesa was an easy choice. “I grew up in Mesa and my family has lots of ties here,” Patel says. “We were maxed out at our Gilbert shop so the natural thought was to go to north Mesa, which is a little underserved. There are so many great neighborhoods and families but not a lot of services, so we knew there was a need.” Fast growth can bring challenges, however, and Patel had only three months to turn a former Quiznos into a modern, upscale barbershop. Since Mesa was his second location, Patel could anticipate the build out and permitting process that any new brick-and-mortar goes through with a city’s planning department. “Getting a business license can be done in a day but to get plans submitted and then accepted through the city can take a month or more,” Patel says. To determine where in Mesa to open his shop, Patel looked at the zip codes of customers coming to the Gilbert location and found a large portion were driving down from northeast Mesa. In the few months since Nico’s opened, Patel says they are already seeing customers make return visits, his metric for success. “In northeast
Mesa, I’ve noticed that if people love something, they are very open about sharing it,” he says. “It’s what makes this area such a cool community.” Drawing on that strong community was high on the list for Alycia de Mesa, a sustainability and brand development consultant. Though de Mesa had grown her business out of coworking spaces and coffee shops, in 2018 she realized it was time for a physical location. “For two years, I felt like Starbucks was my office,” says de Mesa. “I was there so often, I literally had baristas making bets on what I did for a living.” The descendant of Mexican immigrant workers and Japanese farmers, de Mesa is a 4th generation downtown resident with relatives dating back to the 1930s. She decided to cut a commute and find a place close to her home in one of Mesa’s historic districts. On her wish list: a professional location where she could occasionally host clients, yet keep overhead low. De Mesa teaches marketing and leadership courses at ASU and Benedictine University, which houses its business department at LaunchPoint, the Mesa Technology Accelerator downtown. It only took her a few months to realize it was the perfect space for her and two coworkers to office as well. The center contains
private offices, collaboration space, classrooms, meeting space, coworking areas and even some labs. “When you’re a small company, overhead is a big deal,” says de Mesa. “You need something flexible to grow with you and the center takes that burden off of me. It has a very economical infrastructure which means I can keep my emphasis on other things.” Startups at LaunchPoint typically pay $100 to $250 in monthly rent. The idea is that they are nurtured by the center’s professional and civic offerings, then leave the nest for a larger, local space, as recently happened with LaunchPoint graduate Urbix. “LaunchPoint allows these entrepreneurs to surround themselves with peers and community resources,” Zito says. “Then when they expand out of the center, the best part is they’re still here in Mesa, contributing to the economy and helping other startups.” Though the program had a rocky start at its first location in the southeast Gateway area, a move downtown in 2016 attracted more tenants across a variety of industries. “While we are tech-focused, the reality is every business today is a
tech company,” Zito says. “We have an education company, app developers and a beauty brand and that’s what makes the culture fun and diverse.” When an entrepreneur is ready to take the first step, there is no shortage of resources available in Mesa. The Office of Economic Development provides an extensive new business guide on its website, walking entrepreneurs through the necessary legal, financial and civic boxes to check before opening day. Mesa also participates in regional efforts to foster entrepreneurship, including East Valley Entrepreneur Week, Southwest Makers Fest and other networking opportunities. All of it goes back to what Zito calls the ecosystem of entrepreneurs supporting each other. “I can attest to the collaboration and willingness by other members of the ecosystem,” he says. “In Mesa, we have local maker spaces, hacker spaces, professional spaces. Everyone is willing to support you and point you in the right direction, regardless of what stage of business you’re in.” Jamie Huish is a freelance writer and communications specialist. Originally from the Pacific North west, she now calls the desert home with her husband and three children.
“DON’T WAIT TO GET THE KEYS TO GET STARTED. GET A PLAN AND BUDGET IN PLACE WITH CONTRACTORS EARLY TO START THE BUILD-OUT PROCESS THE MOMENT THE LEASES COMMENCES.” — Rajiv Patel, Owner, Nico’s Barbershop
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Looking Back
remembering mesa’s history | By Shannon Maki
Business as Usual: A look at Mesa’s early businesses When Lehi and Mesa were settled in 1877 and 1878, respectively, most of the citizens were involved in farming in one way or another, whether it be mercantilism, blacksmithing, or livery. Most early Lehi and Mesa businesses revolved around supporting the agricultural efforts. One of the earliest businesses on the Lehi side of town, was a general merchandise store opened at the Biggs family residence in the mid 1880s. After a few years of success, they built a separate store in the center of town, only for it to burn down in 1892. It was rebuilt and served a dual purpose as the Lehi Post Office for many years. Downtown Mesa also began to develop in the late 1800s. One of the earlier businesses was Zeno’s Co-Operative Mercantile and Manufacturing Institution, formed in 1884 by Charles I. Robson, George Passey, and Oscar M. Stewart. It included a social hall upstairs that became popular for its dances and parties. The building was located on the southwest corner of Main and Macdonald until it was bought out by the LeSueur, Gibbons, and Company Mercantile. Established in 1905 by John LeSueur, his son James, and L.R. Gibbons, the LeSueur, Gibbons, and Company Mercantile built a new two-story building on the land. It remained there until a fire destroyed it in the early 1920s and the land was then used for the Nile Theater, built in 1924. One of the reasons the LeSueur, Gibbons, and Company Mercantile and many other businesses became so successful had to do with the economic boom in Mesa that resulted from the creation of the Roosevelt Dam from 1906-1911. Thousands of workers and draft animals needed to be fed causing farmers to expand their agricultural production. Construction
LEFT: LeSueur’s Dry Goods (1904)
RIGHT: Pomeroy Building. Built in 1891 by the sons of Francis Pomeroy, one of Mesa’s founding fathers, this building housed one of the city’s earliest businesses.
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ABOVE: Members of the Biggs family at the Lehi Store, taken around 1897. LEFT: O.S. Stapley Hardware Co. (1910)
needs for the dam resulted in new businesses such as the Mesa Lumber Company, O.S. Stapley Hardware Company, and the MesaRoosevelt Stage Company, to name a few. Not only did Mesa become the industrial hub during the construction of the Roosevelt Dam, but it became the social hub as well. Drinking was not allowed on the dam site, so Mesa became the town for workers to drink and blow off some steam. During this time, Mesa ended up with nine saloons, numerous pool halls, and other entertainment establishments. Mesa prospered in the 1920s with the construction of coast-tocoast highways. After a brief downturn during the 1930s due to the depression, Mesa bounced back after WWII with mechanized farming and affordable air conditioning. At this time, Mesa began to change from an agriculture-heavy economy to an economy more focused on tourism and service industries.
Not only did Mesa become the industrial hub during the construction of the Roosevelt Dam, but it became the social hub as well.
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