Ahwatukee Foothills News - Jan. 25, 2017 by Times Media Group

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AHWATUKEE FOOTHILLS NEWS Wednesday, January 25, 2017

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Freeway disclosures spark 1 newPLACE concerns about traffic BEST AHWATUKEE FOOTHILLS of BEST safety and street impact 2016 2016 VOTING DEADLINE IS NEAR

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Ahwatukee Foothills News

COVER STORY

BY PAUL MARYNIAK AFN Executive Editor

eight miles of Pecos Road and ruining desert and mountain views. Equally vocal concerns followed two other disclosures. Committee member Andrew Gasparro was alarmed that no median barrier has been planned for the four-lane “interim Pecos Road” that will move traffic during the freeway’s construction. And the panel learned that after more than 30 years of planning for the freeway, the city only now thinks it should study the impact of construction activity on traffic as far north as Ray Road. Theresa Dunn, spokeswoman for Connect 202 Partners, the public-private partnership

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presentation on the South Mountain Freeway’s design and construction Monday provoked new concerns about traffic, safety and its impact on the desert landscape. Revelations that sound-proof walls will extend as high as 50 to 60 feet along portions of the freeway prompted scorn as Ahwatukee Foothills Village Planning Committee member Michael Hinz remarked that the area will be home to “The Great Wall of Pecos Road.” “Ahwatukee is carrying everyone’s water in this project,” he complained, stating the freeway will create “a visual monstrosity” running along

See

PLANNING on page 8

(Cheryl Haselhorst/AFN Contributor)

Rob Sheehan of Ahwatukee voices his concerns about the South Mountain Freeway during a presentation by highway planners at Monday’s meeting of the Ahwatukee Foothills Village Planning Committee.

Zzeeks Pizza robbery leaves owner grateful and moved BY PAUL MARYNIAK AFN Executive Editor

ot many serious crimes have a happy ending. Nor do they leave the victim feeling kindly about his neighborhood. But that’s exactly what happened Jan. 16 to owners Mark and Jodi Pectol and their

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crew after Zzeeks Pizza on 4825 E. Warner Road, Ahwatukee, was robbed by two brazen masked men at gunpoint. Mark Pectol was grateful that he trained his employees well, and that no one was hurt. And while the culprits remain at large, the pizzeria owner was moved by the outpouring of support he received from neighbors and patrons in the aftermath of the evening

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incident. “As long as no one was hurt, that’s the important thing,” said Pectol. Equally important, he said, is the reaction he has received from people who have inundated him with visits and calls of support. See

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AHWATUKEE FOOTHILLS NEWS JANUARY 25, 2017 | AHWATUKEE FOOTHILLS NEWS UKEE FOOTHILLS NEWS AHWATUKEE FOOTHILLS NEWS TUKEE FOOTHILLS NEWS The Ahwatukee Foothills News is published every AHWATUKEE NEWS Wednesday and distributed free FOOTHILLS of charge to homes and in single-copy locations throughout Ahwatukee Foothills. UKEE FOOTHILLS NEWS

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(Special to AFN)

House inspector Tim O’Neall of Ahwatukee finds new homes these days to be better built and thinks it’s because people in his profession have to be licensed by the state.

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Ahwatukee house inspector marks 20 years of scrutiny BY PAUL MARYNIAK AFN Executive Editor

im O’Neall of Ahwatukee is a self-confessed “do-it-yourselfer” who has made a living judging what others did. The owner of AZ Property Inspections, he inspects new and existing homes on behalf of prospective buyers and their agents, spending an average three hours with every house he scrutinizes. Recently, the American Society of Home Inspectors honored O’Neall for marking his 20th year as one of its own. Over those two decades, he has conducted more than13,000 inspections. He currently supervises three other inspectors, works for the state Department of Real Estate and teaches both Realtors and future inspectors on the fine art of examining every nook and cranny of a house. Before moving here in 1996, O’Neal was a sales director in New York City for an environmental consulting firm who was involved in commercial real estate and building restoration projects. “On the weekends, I loved doing ‘do-it-yourself ’ projects on the suburban home that my wife and I >> See

NEIGHBORS on page 5

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from page 3

bought as newlyweds,” he recalled. And “though I loved the fastpaced corporate culture of New York City,” O’Neall said, “I always dreamed of becoming an entrepreneur. Unfortunately, that dream was hard to attain when I was in the daily grind, commuting two hours each way in and out of New York City every business day for more than a decade.” When wife Liz was offered a job in Arizona, O’Neall said, “I saw it as a sign that my dream of entrepreneurship could be a realty, so I took the leap of faith by leaving the corporate world and New York behind to fulfill that dream.” He and Liz also settled on Ahwatukee “after we visited all the other communities around the Valley.” “We were totally drawn to South Mountain with its beautiful foothills and the promise of a great school district for the children we were planning to have.” He said his “passion for real estate and the things I learned doing all those doit-yourself home projects” led him into home inspections. These days O’Neall said he and his

crew at his company, AZ Property Inspections, have been busier than usual. “It’s only the beginning of the year and we are already seeing an uptick over last year, which was our company’s best year ever,” he said, noting that the Phoenix metro market is projected to be the hottest home market in the country in 2017. But in some ways, his job may be a bit easier than it used to be because he has seen an uptick in the way homes are built. “The quality of newly built homes seems better to me than when I started in the business in the mid-90s,” O’Neall observed. “I really think that is due to the licensure of home inspectors in our state in 2002. Builders know that now more than ever before that there are other professionals coming in to check their work,” he added, warning buyers nonetheless: “But even with that said, we find a fair amount of issues with brand new and never-lived-in homes.” Information: 480-283-5642 or InspectionsAZ.com.

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Store video shows an armed masked man holding a gun on an employee at Zzeeks Pizza on Warner Road, Ahwatukee, during a Jan. 16 holdup.

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from page 1

“It’s been absolutely insane,” he said. “We’ve had so many people come in. We’ve never been this busy here before. People are dropping a $20 bill in the tip jar. The support has been tremendous.” Pectol, who was at home at the time of the 8:30 p.m. holdup, is relieved his three-man crew escaped harm by doing as they were taught—and displaying some quick thinking under stress. “The crew members did everything we trained them to do: try to make friends with them to keep them calm. Get them out as soon as you can and don’t resist turning over the money,” said Pectol, who also owns Zzeeks in Tempe and Chandler. “As terrible as it may sound, you’ve got to prepare people for the worst.” Though Pectol said he had encountered what he called “a few incidents” during his 20 years as director of operations for Domino’s pizza in Portland, Oregon, this was the first time he has been a robbery victim in the Valley. His Ahwatukee store, which opened a little more than three years ago, was his first pizza shop in Arizona. The incident began when an armed masked man slipped through a back door and confronted delivery driver Jake Graham. “I just said like, ‘Don’t shoot me, man, I’m not trying to die today,’” Graham told a TV interviewer. After zip-tying Graham’s hands behind his back, the robber entered the main dining room with a masked accomplice who had also slipped in through the back. “One of them tried to grab another employee coming out of the bathroom, but he twisted away,” said Pectol. One robber then announced the holdup.

“He told people very calmly we’re being robbed, and the patrons ran out,” Pectol said. At the same time, the other man ordered manager Erik Sprentall to open the safe and hand over the cash. The safe contained receipts from the three-day weekend crowd. Before that confrontation, Sprentall had been on the phone taking an order and saw the robbers before they saw him. He quietly told the caller that the pizzeria was being held up. “He told the caller he wasn’t joking and that he was going to hang up and that the caller should call the police. That’s what the caller did,” said Pectol. “They were nice for being nice for robbers with guns,” he added. “They didn’t threaten anyone They said if Erik gave them the money, no one would get hurt.” No one was injured, police said. Phoenix police said the suspects have been described as two black men in their early 20s, both around 6 feet tall and weighing around 200 pounds with tattoos on their necks. A store camera video also has been posted on the websites of Valley TV stations. Pectol also is offering a $1,000 reward for the culprits’ apprehension. Anyone with information can call Phoenix Police or Silent Witness at 480-948-6377. “We want these characters off the streets. The money doesn’t matter, but people’s safety does,” he said. Pectol thinks the strong show of support in the robbery’s aftermath is related partly to the fact that he and wife Jodi don’t live far from the pizzeria. “This is my neighborhood,” he said, adding that Zzeeks has been a strong supporter of Little League and other organizations in the community.

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JANUARY 25, 2017 | AHWATUKEE FOOTHILLS NEWS

First African American joins Tempe Union school board A graduate of Tempe High School and Arizona State University, she has erdetta Hodge last week became been a PTA president at Nevitt and the first African-American member Curry Elementary schools and Connolly of the governing board of Tempe Middle School in Tempe. Union High School District as she and In the campaign, Hodge stressed the two incumbents were sworn into office. need for make sure the community was Tempe Vice Mayor involved in district Robin Arredondodecision-making. Savage administered She called for the oath of office to “district stakeholder Hodge and Sandy committees” to Lowe in person while be used by the Michelle Helm took board as sources of her oath over the information for its phone because she was decisions. out of town. All three She also stressed the Tempe residents won importance of “board in last November’s communication with board election. the community.” (Special to AFN) The board elected “This includes DeeAnne McClenahan Sandy Lowe, left, and Berdetta Hodge were having meaningful sworn into their new terms on the Tempe president and Helm Union High School District Governing discussions between vice president. board members at Board last week by Tempe Vice Mayor Hodge, a 35-year Robin Arredondo-Savage. Board member public meetings,” she Tempe resident, is a Michelle Helm was sworn in over the said, adding that the longtime community phone because she could not attend the board can best address meeting. activist who is a mother district challenges to one McClintock High School graduate through “on-going board development and another who is still a student there. and review of processes.”

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AHWATUKEE FOOTHILLS NEWS | JANUARY 25, 2017

from page 1

building the 22-mile freeway, fielded questions from the approximately 60 residents at the hearing. The eight-lane freeway, which at $1.77 billion is the state’s costliest in history, is scheduled to open in November 2019 with as many as 1,400 workers on the site at the peak of construction activity. The audience murmured audibly as Gasparro reiterated his fears that serious accidents are inevitable if no barrier is installed between the interim road’s two eastbound and two westbound lanes. The interim road will be built on the eastbound lanes of Pecos Road. and will result in the elimination of the shoulders and bike paths along both sides of Pecos. The first segment, from 40th Street to 24th, will be under construction by April. The rest won’t be built before summer. “What about wrong-way drivers?” Gasparro asked. “What if I’m driving along and my tire blows and I start weaving into the oncoming lanes?” Noting that the speed limit in the will be 40 mph, Dunn replied: “It’s going to take everyone to slow down, don’t drive impaired. … Plan

ahead, leave early and have patience.” That prompted Committee Chairman Chad Blostone to remark, “It’s going to be very different driving on Pecos Road than it is today.” Gasparro kept noting the ease with which serious accidents could occur if there is not even a cable running between the interim road’s four lanes. Dunn said she would take those concerns back to highway planners. She said people should sign up for freeway allerts at southmountainfreeway. com

Concerns about trafﬁc impact

Meanwhile, Tom Remes, the city’s liaison with the Arizona Department of Transportation and Connect 202 Partners, disclosed that the city Street Transportation Department is considering a study of the freeway work’s impact on traffic patterns in an area between Pecos and Ray roads and 17th Avenue to 40th Street. One immediate impact when work starts in earnest this spring likely will involve the undetermined number of Pecos Road users who will move to Chandler Boulevard or Ray Road to avoid delays.

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Others are concerned about how that diversion will affect arterial streets running through neighborhoods near the freeway. Remes said no decisions have been made yet on how long the study would last, when it would start or what would be done with the results. But that didn’t stop a flood of questions and concerns about the diverted traffic’s impact. Several residents and Blostone said the already-risky intersection of Ray Road and Chandler Boulevard will become a nightmare. “It should be a roundabout now because people don’t know the concept of ‘yield,’” said one resident. Blostone said that intersection might should be the focal point of the study. “The Chandler-Ray loop is going to get bogged down,” he said. Another resident expressed concerns about bicycle traffic shifting from Pecos Road to Chandler Boulevard. “This is a big biking community,” Blostone noted, as Hinz wondered if city police would step up traffic patrols along Chandler and Ray because “there’s very low enforcement right now in that area.”

Remes said that city police have been studying the area and that Phoenix officials also have asked the Department of Public Safety for assistance. Hinz wasn’t satisfied with the response, asking “What does that mean quantitatively?” Remes replied, “I don’t have that information.” A Lakewood resident also raised concerns about the noise that would come from “dumping traffic on 40th Street.” “Will 40th Street be resurfaced to keep the noise down?” he asked. “Come into my backyard sometime and you’ll see it’s already a problem.” Dunn noted that the freeway itself will be paved with rubberized asphalt to help reduce traffic noise, but said any issues involving arterial streets “will be up to the city to address.” Noting that resident Robin Salthouse has been asking the city for years to conduct impact studies, Pat Lawliss, president of anti-freeway Protect Arizona’s Resources and Children said: “The city has really dropped the ball in monitoring the freeway design and See

PLANNING on page 10

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Ahwatukee resident David Nash told the planning committee people needed to go after elected officials who have been unresponsive to concerns about the South Mountain Freeway.

PLANNING

from page 8

working with ADOT to effect a freeway that is ‘livable’ for Ahwatukee residents.” Dunn said construction activity will increase substantially Monday as crews continue relocating utility lines, laying the groundwork for the interim road and drilling around 17th Avenue and Pecos Road for the foundation of the first bridge that will cross over the freeway. In all, some 40 bridges will cross the entire length of the freeway and each will have a sound wall. Some of those in Ahwatukee will dead-end until development on reservation land warrants their completion. She said that while work throughout construction will take place between 7 a.m. and 7 p.m., because so many people live nearby, some noise is inevitable. “We can’t build a lot of the sound walls early,” she said. Dunn said that a sound wall would be built atop the bridge extending from

32nd Street over the freeway. Between the height of the bridge and the wall, it will reach about 50 to 60 feet in height. Lawlis to asked, “Have you given up completely on a below-grade freeway?” Dunn replied that while portions of the freeway are still under design even while work is beginning on other segments, it is unlikely the freeway will be below grade. Nearly 50 percent of the entire Loop system in Maricopa County is below grade. Officials have said that a below-grade freeway would be too costly and require the condemnation of hundreds of additional homes and businesses. “No one is paying attention to the continued call for a below-grade freeway,” Lawlis later complained. “The residents of Ahwatukee deserve better,” she added. “Is is totally unacceptable for this one to be above grade in Ahwatukee. ADOT and the Connect 202 Partners contractor must be made to reconsider.”

NEWS

JANUARY 25, 2017 | AHWATUKEE FOOTHILLS NEWS

Freeway opponents complete first round of appeal briefs BY PAUL MARYNIAK AFN Executive Editor

ith heavy equipment due to roll onto Pecos Road next week, both opponents of the South Mountain Freeway have now filed their formal arguments about why a federal judge was wrong when she allow the project to proceed. The Gila River Indian Community met its Jan. 18 filing deadline with the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth District for filing an appeal from U.S. District Judge Diane Humetewa’s July ruling rejecting a broad range of arguments against Arizona’s most expensive highway project in history. Since Ahwatukee-based Protect Arizona’s Resources and Children filed its brief earlier this month, the Gila Community’s action now throws the ball to the Arizona Department of Transportation and Federal Highway Administration, which have until Feb. 18 to file its answers. PARC and the Gila Community get two weeks to respond. A three-judge panel, which still must

be picked, will then schedule arguments, probably not before April, although it is under no time table for slating them. The Gila Community’s brief elaborated on some of the points it made in its unsuccessful effort earlier this month to halt work until the appeal was resolved. Calling the freeway a “direct affront to (its) cultural and religious values and activities” because it will cut through three ridges of South Mountain, a sacred Native American site, attorney Jeffrey Molinar painted a grim forecast of the freeway’s impact: “The freeway would destroy or interfere with trails, shrines, and archaeological sites, all important cultural resources for the Community’s members. In addition, it would decrease access for Community members to South Mountain and other natural resources that have spiritual significance to them, diminishing the members’ traditional way of life.” Molinar accused the FHWA and ADOT of distorting its scientific assessments and its justifications for the freeway so that it could hold on to a path

it identified more than 30 years ago, regardless of what changes might have occurred over those three decades. That in turn explains why the agencies never reevaluated transportation demands in the vicinity of the freeway corridor and why it rejected all suggestions of relocating the eastern portion of the freeway farther to the south, he argued. The agencies’ determination to stick with its original path forced them to bend the required environmental impact study in a way that justified that right of way instead of reevaluation the location once the data from the study was in, Molinar said. He cited six legal; reasons why Humetewa’s ruling should be reversed. Among them was that the judge approved planners’ “use of an unreasonably narrow statement of purpose and need” for the freeway and the environmental impact study. Molinar also said Humetewa erred “In concluding that the agencies properly rejected alternatives as imprudent.” In doing so, the judge “ignored

both the agencies’ inability to justify their decision on grounds other than their narrow statement of purpose and need” and paid no attention to data underscoring the freeway’s “minimal benefit.” Molinar said the judge also “improperly permitted” planners “to substitute decades of prior regional planning for a proper and thorough” environmental analysis. And he said the judge ignored that “the agencies never explained how the rejected alternatives were not prudent given the acknowledged limitations of the proposed highway and its inability to satisfy transportation needs.” Molinar also charged that ADOT and the FHWA “did not analyze issues relating to air quality, the transportation of hazardous materials, and other harm to individuals or the natural environment within the community.” Parc has made a similar allegation in relation n to the freeway’s impact on Ahwatukee neighborhoods near the right-of-way, as well as on children in 17 schools near it.

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AHWATUKEE FOOTHILLS NEWS | JANUARY 25, 2017

Desert Vista hosts ‘Being in the Know’ drugs and alcohol education night provides medically integrated behavioral health programs which include rotecting teens from drug and prevention, education and treatment alcohol and learning the differences services. between the Siete’s appearance is brains of teen boys the second installment and girls are the topics in a series presented of two speakers that by the Desert Vista Tempe Union School Site Council to District is inviting to provide opportunities hear. for students, staff, At 6:30 p.m. and parents to learn Thursday, Jan. 26, at more about issues the Desert Vista High related to social and School auditorium, emotional health. She the “Being in the also will participate Know Project” will be in a student assembly discussed by Stephanie during the afternoon. Siete, director of Sieta will provide community education information on how for Community to protect children Bridges. Her visit has and be informed been arranged by the regarding the dangers Desert Vista High (Special to AFN) of drugs. School Site Council. Stephanie Siete of Community Bridges Parents and Community Bridges will discuss teen substance abuse community members is a longtime nonprofit during a public meeting Thursday at will learn about the Desert Vista High School. organization that latest emerging drug

AFN NEWS STAFF

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trends, when and how to talk to your kids about drugs, and how to recognize signs and symptoms of abuse. Siete will also discuss how to safeguard your home and how to connect to local resources if more help is needed. “We at Desert Vista feel that it is important to provide our students with a comprehensive education that goes beyond academics to include information about issues that can have an impact on a student’s quality of life,” said Principal Christine Barela. “We also feel an obligation to extend those learning opportunities to our community.” For over 14 years, Siete has been providing drug prevention and education services focusing on targeted messages to youth, parents, teachers, and administration in school districts and colleges. She trains police departments, fire stations, corporate sites and crisis volunteers on drug trends, signs and symptoms, and drug concealment. She has noted in the past that drug abuse has led to a spiraling of overdose

deaths, from 6,100 to more than 47,000 in 2014. Meanwhile, understanding the differences between the minds of boys and girls will be discussed at 6:30 p.m. Feb. 8 at McClintock High School Auditorium, 1830 E. Del Rio Drive, Tempe. Michael Gurian, a marriage and family counselor, has written extensively on the teen brain. His presentation will focus on how the teen brain works, the differences in how boys and girls learn, and strategies to understand their brains and support them. Earlier in the afternoon, teachers and counselors from all seven Tempe Union high schools will attend a professional development seminar where Gurian will focus on their work in the classroom. This is the fourth parent-community event that Tempe Union has hosted this year. It also has held a parent town hall on social media and drug and alcohol abuse as well as a Challenge Week to promote kindness and mutual respect.

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NEWS

JANUARY 25, 2017 | AHWATUKEE FOOTHILLS NEWS

Waymo ride-along a gloriously uneventful trip full of promise

BY MIKE BUTLER AFN Staff Writer

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Brian AFTER

down and eased over speed bumps. It recognizes school children walking or on bikes, and it has learned that they can lurch around and be very unpredictable. The car slows down and gives them a wide berth. The car moves slightly toward the left of a traffic lane to give adult riders in the bike lane a little extra room. The Waymo car will yield its right-ofway at a stop sign if it senses another car was speeding before it got to the intersection or it aggressively stopped midway through the crosswalk. At a red light, it pauses a second or so after the green to avoid light runners. We needed to make a right turn from the neighborhood onto Ray Road, a 45 mph cross street. Just like us, the self-driving car nudges forward a bit to get a better view of oncoming traffic, which was blocked by landscaping and backyard concrete-block fences. Despite the car’s programmed cautiousness, the ride seemed to end too soon. I continued to joke and chat with Lauren afterward. “Can I take it to Flagstaff this weekend?” I asked. Now there, I thought, is a road trip that I and a Waymo self-driving car was born for. Someday. As Waymo rolls closer and closer to getting self-driving cars ready for the road, it’s using more types of vehicles to test and refine its driving software. One hundred Chrysler Pacifica Hybrid Minivans are joining the fleet in Chandler and Waymo’s other test markets. The self-driving minivans are equipped with an all-new computer and a suite of updated sensors. The Pacificas have already been put through their paces at various test tracks.

Brian BEFORE

hen I got out of Waymo’s self-driving Lexus SUV after my very first 15-minute drive in the back seat, Lauren Barriere was there to greet me. We laughed. On the communications team of the Google Self-Driving Car Project, Lauren came to our office in the summer of 2016, soon after it was announced that the technology giant was expanding testing in Chandler, in addition to California, Washington and Texas. I bugged her about a “ride along” throughout that meeting and in many subsequent meetings and emails. Someday. Someday happened Jan. 12. It was gloriously boring. I mean that in the best possible way. Sometime this May, Waymo’s nearly 60 self-driving cars will log their 3 millionth mile, since 2009, which is equivalent to more than several hundred years of everyday driving experience. I knew Waymo wasn’t going to let Gov. Doug Ducey and members of the media in a self-driving car that was anything less than ready for prime time. I figured the training wheels had come off a long, long time ago. Still, I was stunned by how silky smooth and utterly normal the experience was. That was what made it extraordinary to me. Amanda was my “driver” and Rob was the co-pilot. Rob’s laptop displayed a real-time reality show of what the selfdriving car’s 360-degree sensors and cameras see. Software and sensors were in complete control. Color-coded rectangles pop up on the screen for moving cars, parked cars, speed bumps, traffic signs and signals, pedestrians, bicyclists and the occasional bird having a snack in the middle of the road. I was in the back seat, but I could have just as easily been in the driver’s seat, frantically taking notes and pictures. Imagine your 45-minute commute, and what you could do with an extra hour and a half each day. As we began our journey on a mild afternoon in the pleasant Andersen Springs neighborhood, the Lexus slowed

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AHWATUKEE FOOTHILLS NEWS | JANUARY 25, 2017

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he Ahwatukee Board of Management expects some significant city improvements in the community’s infrastructure, but they may not materialize for a couple years. ABM Assistant General Karen Young said she and ABM Board President Dan Smith met Jan. 17 with six city officials from traffic, transit, streets and community relations and got an update on a variety of issues that the HOA has been discussing for several months with Phoenix City Hall. Young appeared cautiously optimistic. “We learned of some changes and improvements coming soon which, I believe, will be of interest to the community,” she said. “ABM management understands that while we cannot move mountains with the city on behalf of Ahwatukee, we are developing relationships, advising the city staff as to areas we feel need attention, have successfully obtained ADA bus stop compliance on 48th Street, and have made the city aware that we are engaged and monitoring the services to Ahwatukee.” Among the issues was landscape maintenance in rights of way. She said the City Council next month will consider a proposal to move that function from the Parks & Recreation Department to Street Transportation. Stating the move is considered “more efficient since the areas of responsibility will be joined and better supervised,” Young said the plan is to bid out a maintenance contract to a private vendor to provide service three times a year for pruning, weed control and trash removal. “Currently, bushes are trimmed one time per year,” Young said. “If approved, the change will be effective in March as all preliminary work has been done to implement the anticipated approval of the department change. In response to our query as to why tree stumps in the rights-of way have been painted are painted” She also said that tree stumps have been painted blue for grinding and removal, but that the city has only one grinder to do the job. Ahwatukee also is due for the replacement of the green and white

street signs, which have not been maintained for more than 10 years, she said. Additionally, traffic poles will be repainted over the next 12 to 18 months. Young said that ABM suggested the sign replacement begin with communities whose names start with an “A,” but city officials said they would be replaced in the order they were installed, meaning Ahwatukee might have to wait as long as another year or more before its turn comes up. ABM could not reach any agreement with the city on repainting street light poles, which officials say are not supposed to be painted because they are made of galvanized metal. Young said that when ABM noted that some poles had once been painted, officials said the city did not do the job. She added ABM intends to bring the issue up again later. Meanwhile, LED bulbs will be installed in all street lights and head replacement is expected to last between 12 and 18 months. Young said city officials maintained they coat streets with a new overlay of asphalt based on their condition, which is assessed every two years by a specially equipped van that covers Phoenix’s 5,000 miles of streets. On the issue of bus stops, Young said ABM was told that the city is beginning to manufacture its own furniture for them, but that stops that are not ADAcompliant will not be furnished. “All bus stops will be covered, and have a bench and a trash can in the coming years,’ Young said. Young also said the city is looking for volunteers to join an Adopt-A-Street campaign that would work in the same way that Arizona’sAdopt-A-Highway program works. Citizens would commit to removing trash from a one-mile-long strip and put it in bags that the city will then remove. Groups and individuals that join the program can have a sign with their name along that strip. People should call Deputy Street Transportation Director Mark Glock at 602-534-7066. “We look forward to receiving city services we all expect and contribute to keeping our community looking its best,” Young said, adding “We appreciate knowing scheduling and methodology in determining services so we can follow along and follow up.”

NEWS

JANUARY 25, 2017 | AHWATUKEE FOOTHILLS NEWS

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NEWS

AHWATUKEE FOOTHILLS NEWS | JANUARY 25, 2017

Profits of Policing:

Arizona asset seizures net $200M in past five years BY EMILY L. MAHONEY AND AGNEL PHILIP Arizona Center for Investigative Reporting

tate laws allowed Arizona law enforcement agencies to seize nearly $200 million in personal property during the past five years— almost all of it cash—from people who may never be charged or convicted of a crime, but systemic gaps in oversight make it difficult to see how they spent much of that money. Regulation of the program is inconsistent, and the reports designed to inform government officials about how and when the money is used are often missing data. A state House panel was scheduled yesterday to begin considering changing the seizure process. The Arizona Center for Investigative Reporting spent more than a year gathering and analyzing 1,300 quarterly financial reports filed by agencies detailing seizures and expenditures from fiscal years 2011 through 2015. AZCIR found that the state commission tasked with compiling statewide civil asset forfeiture figures omitted roughly $20 million, or 16 percent of overall spending, from its reports. Vague expenditure descriptions also keep the public in the dark about the program. Of what is reported, roughly half of the money spent went to pay police salaries and cover “other operating” expenses. While advocates argue this helps police departments deal with budget cuts, critics of the system say this creates a perverse set of incentives for both law enforcement agencies and the elected officials who set their budgets. And when it comes to tracking what law enforcement agencies are seizing and from whom, virtually no data is available other than aggregate totals of the amounts seized. Civil rights advocates say Arizona’s forfeiture laws are among the most lenient in the country, giving agencies broad authority to seize property with few rules on how to spend the proceeds. And those who challenge forfeitures must dispute their claims against the county attorneys who stand to benefit from the seizures. In all, agencies spent more than $129 million on items from guns to

(Agnel Phillip/AZCIR)

A Navajo County Sheriff reserve deputy found marijuana and a pipe as he searched a car in Holbrook, Arizona, last November.

surveillance equipment to the salaries of those seizing property between 2011 and 2015. In Pima County, the sheriff’s office used the funds to buy a plane and helicopter; in Cottonwood, the police department paid for food on the Fourth of July for on-call police and fire staff. The seized funds augment the budgets of nearly 80 law enforcement agencies through a state program called civil asset forfeiture, which is designed to undercut the profits of drug kingpins and inhibit their ability to move products across the U.S. Commonly referred to as RICO in reference to the federal Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act, Arizona’s program is managed by the state’s 15 county attorneys and the Attorney General’s Office. Seizures often begin during traffic stops, when law enforcement officers find large amounts of cash or drugs. Other times, law enforcement will seize money or property as part of a long-term criminal investigation. Anything suspected of being used as part of the crime, including cash, is then fair game for seizure. Because property is forfeited through a civil case instead of a criminal case, prosecutors are only required to prove that it’s more likely than not that the property was related to the suspected crime. That is a much lower standard than it takes to convict the person of a crime. The court costs alone can sometimes exceed the value of the property, and to

get the property back, owners must prove their innocence. If they don’t win every aspect of their case, people can then be billed for the costs associated with the state investigating and prosecuting the case—a provision unique to Arizona. “We have no problem with forfeiture against convicted criminals,” said Jenna Moll, deputy director of the U.S. Justice Action Network, a group of conservative and liberal criminal justice advocates that has pushed for nationwide forfeiture reform. “Our issue is when you’re applying that same standard to a completely innocent citizen who has never been brought into court, charges have never been filed and certainly the government hasn’t ever proven—beyond a reasonable doubt— criminal activity.” Nearly 90 percent of Arizona’s seizure income from fiscal 2011 to 2015 was cash, sometimes in small amounts. The proceeds from forfeitures, law enforcement officials say, improve crime-prevention efforts at a time when budgets have been cut across the state. Funds sometimes pay for multi-agency task forces specifically designed for drug enforcement, and other times they pay for items that fall beyond the scope of what an agency budgets for in a given year. State law dictates that any program funded by seized assets must serve a law enforcement or drug-awareness purpose. State law requires law enforcement agencies that take part in civil asset forfeiture to report their spending to the Arizona Criminal Justice Commission,

a state-level regulatory body that manages and administers criminal justice programs. One of its duties is to compile quarterly and annual reports for government officials that detail, by agency, seizures and the resulting expenditures. The reportss detailed the additional $20 million in spending during fiscal years 2011 to 2015 beyond what the commission reported in its summaries. It is unclear why ACJC failed to include these reports. In some cases, ACJC’s records showed that it received the reports past the filing deadline. In other cases, the commission didn’t have record of ever receiving the reports. Officials from some of the agencies who responded to AZCIR’s public records requests said they submitted reports to their county attorneys and didn’t know why ACJC didn’t receive them. If agencies don’t submit reports, their forfeiture accounts can be frozen by their respective county attorneys. None of the agencies that submitted their reports late—or failed to file them at all— faced repercussions, ACJC Executive Director Andrew LeFevre said. AZCIR’s analysis found examples of money that seemingly disappeared: Funds transferred from one agency to another sometimes didn’t appear on the receiving agencies’ forms as a “transfer in,” making it unclear where that money ended up. There were also numerous cases of law enforcement agencies reporting thousands of dollars in unlabeled spending. In other instances, money seemingly appeared out of thin air. For example, Navajo County officials reported six beginning quarterly balances with more money than the previous quarter’s ending balance, adding up to a $270,000 discrepancy. Forfeiture reform advocate Rep. Bob Thorpe, R-Flagstaff, said he wants to create a statewide database of all seizure cases, including the accompanying criminal case and more specific reporting on how the funds were used. He sponsored two bills in the 2016 legislative session to increase legislative oversight and add restrictions on RICO spending. Both bills failed. Thorpe said he doesn’t believe there is See

SEIZURES on page 18

NEWS

JANUARY 25, 2017 | AHWATUKEE FOOTHILLS NEWS

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SEIZURES

AHWATUKEE FOOTHILLS NEWS | JANUARY 25, 2017

from page 16

“something sinister going on” with how police use civil asset forfeiture, but that use of the program “has evolved into something that wasn’t, I don’t believe, intended back in the 1980s when the laws were originally passed.”

Seized funds cover salaries

Arizona is one of two states (along with Texas) that explicitly allow seizure income to fund officer salaries, according to an Institute for Justice report. Employee pay is listed by ACJC in a category labeled “admin expenses.” The AZCIR analysis found that Arizona agencies spent $25.2 million, or onefifth of all spending, on salaries, benefits and overtime during the past five years. Less than half the participating agencies spent seized funds directly on employees. The Phoenix Police Department, for example, spent $5.7 million on salaries and overtime. Similar to “admin expenses,” the other nine spending categories on the ACJC reports are imprecise, offering agencies broad leeway to classify their expenses. The largest category of spending is also the most obscure: “other operating,” a

catch-all that includes everything from “evidence acquisition” to training to utility bills. It covers $43.7 million, or one-third of all spending. Arizona agencies also used seized money to buy $38.8 million in equipment. The Glendale Police Department spent the most of any agency on equipment, $6.9 million, much of it on “data processing” and surveillance technology. Some of that money was also spent on sniper rifle scopes and Tasers. Steve Gesell, chief of the Cottonwood Police Department, said communities often receive the benefit of these funds through enhanced police capabilities as funding from the city, county and state was reduced. Because every seizure must be approved by a judge and every expenditure has to go through a county attorney, Gesell said the checks and balances are sufficient to keep the vast majority of agencies from abusing the program. Seized funds were also donated to a variety of outside groups, from schools to drug awareness organizations to a fallen officer memorial in Washington, D.C. Pinal County and the Maricopa County Attorney’s Office account for more than half of the $5.7 million in donations from Arizona forfeiture funds

from fiscal 2011 to 2015. Maricopa County Attorney’s Office spokeswoman Amanda Jacinto said in an email that the funds are used to support afterschool programs and assist victims. “As the third largest county attorney’s office in the nation, it makes sense that we have awarded more grant money toward these community programs than other offices in the state, and we are proud of the work we have helped to accomplish in our communities,” Jacinto said. But reform advocates questioned whether some of the donations made by Arizona agencies were legitimate, particularly Pinal County’s donations to the Arizona Public Safety Foundation, which has drawn scrutiny from the American Civil Liberties Union and the FBI. In the reports analyzed by AZCIR, Pinal County donated more than $650,000 to the foundation. The group’s mission is to support first responders by connecting them with donors and purchasing equipment that isn’t budgeted, according to its website. The Pinal County Attorney’s Office, which manages the county’s forfeiture account, declined to comment on its donations to the foundation because of

the ongoing lawsuit. In September, the county received a subpoena from the FBI regarding the foundation donations, according to Pinal County spokesman Joe Pyritz.

Uphill battle

The ACLU’s suit against Pinal County alleges that Arizona’s forfeiture system creates too many conflicts of interest because prosecutors have significant power in determining whether to return property, even though they would benefit from seizing it. The lawsuit centers on the county’s seizure of a woman’s truck, which was allegedly used to transport drugs by her son. When the woman, Rhonda Cox, tried to fight for the return of her seized vehicle, she contended that Pinal County officials threatened her with their legal fees if she lost the case, according to court documents. Under Arizona law, a property owner can be required to pay “the state’s costs and expenses of the investigation and prosecution ... including reasonable attorney fees” if the owner “fails to establish that his entire interest is exempt from forfeiture.” The only other state with a similar provision is Illinois.

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JANUARY 25, 2017 | AHWATUKEE FOOTHILLS NEWS

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Ahwatukee native and wife aid impoverished Honduran children BY COTY DOLORES MIRANDA AFN Contributing Writer

enny Kast has a big heart with a part of it rooted in Ahwatukee and the East Valley and the other equally at home in the Central American nation of Honduras. Officially known as the Republic of Honduras, the country—not much larger than the state of Virginia—lies in the north-central part of Central America, wedged among Guatamala, El Salvador and Nicaragua. It’s been a second home to Kast since late 2009, when she and her husband Sean— an Ahwatukee native who was in Desert Vista High School’s second graduating class and is now a Mesa firefighter—lived there for one year. They were volunteering with Heart to Honduras, a faith-based nonprofit building homes and churches. The couple were team members in AmeriCorps. Although Kast had originally planned to be a missionary to the Philippines following a post-high-school mission trip, it was the year spent in Honduras that changed the family’s life. What evolved was The Children’s Home Project (TCHProject.org), which began when Kast toured a governmentrun children’s home in San Pedro Sula called Nueva Esperanza. In English it translates “New Hope,” but it was at that home, now shuttered, that she was moved to help the children. They had been abandoned, abused or neglected due to their families' financial status. “The week working there is the week that changed my life,” recalls Kast, who graduated from Ohio’s Malone University with a Social Work degree. “The home was an absolutely terrible place where no child should ever have to live,” she recalled. “There was very little supervision, terrible food, running water only at certain hours of the day. But the worst part was the bullying. It was survival of the fittest and the employees let it happen.” She remembers how she watched in horror as a small 10-year-old boy

(Jacquelyn Phillips/Special to AFN)

Jenny Kast, shown with her husband Sean Kast and son Leo, is founder/director of the nonprofit Children's Home Project that works with street kids in Honduras.

The home is now one of three children’s was repeatedly attacked and beaten by others in the home, often as employees homes that the Children’s Home Project works with, providing resources and watched. The child "took off his shirt and started funding for education and mental health tearing it into shreds, and we sat with assistance, and volunteers to help give him as he sobbed, over and over, ‘I don’t individual attention. “The Children’s want to be here. I Home Project want my mommy. grew from God, please help learning that me,’” said Kast, although these adding: privately-run “That changed homes are much, my life. I couldn’t much better, they just tell him ‘good were still lacking luck’ and say I’d in resources and be praying for him r e l a t i o n s h i p s ,” and then return said Kast. to my normal life. “Just getting I couldn’t stop them off the street thinking about isn’t enough,” him and lived she added. “It’s with an urgency only the first to get him out.” step. Once they She was (Special to AFN) successful in Jenny Kast hugs one of the 10 Honduran children are in a safe place, placing him in who received a scholarship from the Children's they can begin to Proniño, a long- Home Project recently to study in a private school. process and heal as well as look to the term, privatelyfunded home housing 90 former street future and stop the generational poverty that most of them come from.” boys ages 8-18.

Kast travels to Honduras five times a year, staying two weeks each. She leaves early February for her next trip. “This time, we have two volunteers from C’mon Team (cmonteam.com) coming to do some media stuff for us,” she said. “The Mountain Park Community Church team will also be in Honduras and will be visiting Proniño. And my team and I will be traveling to the capital city of Tegucigalpa to spend a few days with a home called The Micah Project. They’re doing things right, and we want to learn from them.” When Kast is in Ahwatukee, her focus is on speaking to groups about what the project is, what it does and hopes to do. She also encourages area churches and others to host donation drives for personal toiletries, school and medical supplies. Child sponsors and volunteers to visit the children in Honduras are also needed. “I’d really like to get a few teams to Honduras this year; there haven’t been many teams at the homes where we work and the kids miss visitors,” she said. In order to support the ongoing homes, fund-raising remains a priority. On April 1, The Children’s Hope Project will host Fiesta Under the Stars, its fourth annual dinner and silent auction at the nonprofit Valley Garden Center, 1809 N. 15th Street, Phoenix. “We love having our events outside so we can enjoy the beauty of Arizona” she said. ”We usually have around 60 baskets to bid on, and we already have four Disney tickets, and a gift certificate to Scottsdale’s Top Golf in Scottsdale. “It’s a fun and relaxing evening under the stars where you eat delicious food, vote for the best salsa from local restaurants, and walk away with some great baskets all while learning more about and supporting our work.” Tickets are $43 and available at B r o w n Pa p e r Ti c k e t s . c o m / e v e n t / 2800570 “We’d love more guests, donations to our silent auction, and corporate See

KAST on page 26

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AHWATUKEE FOOTHILLS NEWS | JANUARY 25, 2017

Mountain Pointe High acting troupe to present comedy about the theater its 67th year and is pushing a rag-tag group of performers through three comedy about the theater is the productions, “Charlies Aunt,” “Hamlet” next production of the Mountain and “Dracula.” Pointe High School Theatre The troupe is a collection of colorful Company next month. actors, including an “Laughing Stock” will ingénue who overacts, a be presented in the high bitter actor whose career school theater at 44th has been stalled for 30 Street and Knox Road, years and a self-absorbed Ahwatukee, at 3 p.m. womanizer who is playing and 7 p.m. Feb. 3 and 4. Dracula. Tickets are $10, and $7 As one review said, for students. “Everything goes Three“Laughing Stock” is a Stooges wrong… The humorous inside look opening night playat community theatre gone-nightmare-wrong that takes the audience is one giant laugh after backstage as a company another. Yet somehow tries to pull off three the ragamuffin troupe shows at once. A chaotic delivers.” attempt at Dracula and a Another review said the bizarre demand from the play “strikes a balance (Special to AFN) chief benefactor are only The Mountain Pointe Theatre between a depiction two of many challenges Company's production of of everything that can the theatre company faces "Laughing Stock" includes Michael and usually does go Rodriguez as Craig Conlin. as the story unfolds. wrong…and a genuinely A weary director is affectionate look at the trying to get the company through magic that holds theatre companies AFN NEWS STAFF

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together.” Suzanne Idler, TV production and computer art teacher at Mountain Pointe, is directing the play. She has more than 20 years directing experience at the high school. The cast includes: Michael Williams as Gordon Page, Jack Rupp as Jack Morris, Chance Stokes as Tyler Taylor, Ethan Briant as Vernon Volker, Grant Cunningham as Richfield Hawksley, Jamon Pritchett as Henry Mills, Michael Rodriguez as Craig Conlin , Cory Drozdowski as Braun Oakes, Will Pati as Ian Milliken, Jessica Calabrese as Susannah Huntsman, Katelyn Moyers as Sarah McKay, Ali Stookey as Daisy Coates, Janae Jessie as Mary Pierre, Lexi Powers as Karma Schneider and Lexi Artusa-Sirota as female swing. Stage managers and Quinn Rupp and Nemo Wright and crew chiefs include Jayla Alston on costumes, (Special to AFN) Jillian McDaniel on lighting, Chance Stokes plays an actor portraying Dracula and is Caroline Cook on hair, Katie surrounded by actresses, from left, Jessica Calabrese, Ali Corbin on props, Jessie Perry on Stookey and Lexi Powers.

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JANUARY 25, 2017 | AHWATUKEE FOOTHILLS NEWS

Ahwatukee fashion cop in pursuit of American-made clothes BY PAUL MARYNIAK AFN Executive Editor

here probably aren’t many fashion police like Kristina Hoover of Ahwatukee. As she builds her reputation as a goto source for the latest trends in men’s and women’s clothing as well as home décor, there is one thing the 29-year-old elementary school teacher looks for first: a “Made in America” label. An avid shopper who hits stores several times a week, Hoover spends at least two or three hours a day outside of work searching for companies, styling outfits, doing photo shoots, editing images and writing posts for her blog, allamericangirl.net. But you won’t see a word on her website or Facebook page about a piece of clothing or home décor that is made abroad. “It makes me feel good to know that I’m helping to support our country’s economy,” said Hoover. “I spend a lot of time searching for companies and brands that provide clothing, jewelry, shoes, and anything else that is made in the United States. I remember looking for blogs that could help me on this journey, but couldn’t find any and I felt super bummed. Given that I am already shopping for these items, I figured I would blog about my discoveries. “I hope that my blog can help put quality products in homes, while helping to keep jobs in America,” said the California native, who grew up in Chandler. Hoover moved to Ahwatukee four years ago after she and her husband Joe, a Realtor for Pound Realty, got married. “Joe is a cyclist. He loves all things bikes and enjoys riding South Mountain multiple times a week,” she said. “He was

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really adamant about living close to a mountain. I wanted to live somewhere that was a safe family environment for kids that we hope to have one day, so we thought Ahwatukee was the perfect place.” She wasn’t always a fashionista, explaining, “I was known more as the comfy dresser in high school and most of college.” But after turning 21, her interest in dressing up grew— as did her interest in making sure she focused in domestic goods. “It started with my dad asking my mom, ‘Where was it made?’ when we’d return home from a day of shopping,” Hoover said. “He’s always purchased Americanmade cars and always made an (Special to AFN) effort to buy other USA-made Kristina Hoover hopes her All American Girl blog will have fashion-conscious men and women demanding more products. I guess it always products made in the United States. resonated with me.” Further fueling her patriotic added. Sometimes, “they’ll send me pictures fashion consciousness were friends who Hoover said she looks at fashion as an of tags and will say, ‘You’d be proud of told her they wished they could find important way of expressing one’s self. me,’” she said. more American-made clothes—and “I think the ability to create and “Hearing people tell me that makes how they wished there was someplace express yourself differently is what me happy. I think that is my ultimate that pointed them in the right direction. engages me the most about fashion,” she goal, to make people realize where they “I kept talking about things I found said. “A lot of times you will see different are buying from. Not to get all political, that were USA made and a few friends people wearing the same outfit and yet but I think it’s important too because told me that they wished they were they can look completely different based it supports USA companies who are easier to find,” she said. “I brought the on style, accessories, shoes, jackets, etc. creating jobs for Americans.” idea of starting up a blog to Joe and he It amazes me.” And in her quest for American-made encouraged me to start it. I absolutely Her long-range goal is to make her clothing and accessories, Hoover’s love doing it and wish I had thought blog a nationwide source of information biggest challenge is shoes, she said. of it years ago. It’s just a fun project for on American-made fashion. “Shoes are by far the hardest to find me.” While that goal is a tough one, she for women. There are a few companies “Now, I want to spread the word about said, she has been encouraged that more out there, but not much. You can easily my blog in hopes to make people more people are telling her, “I bought this find more men’s shoes than women’s. If aware of what they are buying and where because it said Made in USA” or “I’m you’re looking for some strappy heels.... they can find USA-made products,” she totally checking labels because of you.” good luck.”

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AHWATUKEE FOOTHILLS NEWS | JANUARY 25, 2017

Ahwatukee garage sales include the wacky and wild “No,” they laughed, “and it’s yours for $1.” They had one less piece of clutter after climbed out of my living in Ahwatukee for 18 years, and I car and gave a quick had a new little friend. overview to the items I followed the signs to the next garage on the tables at a garage sale. The shady front yard and driveway sale a couple weekends ago. One object— were filled with tables of toys, electronic rather, creature—stood out to me. It goods, and clothes hanging from the seemed to be watching me, following me trees. I introduced myself to Louis and with its green marble eyes as I circled the Linda Tahnukos, who have lived there tables. nearly four decades. They were just deFinally, I picked it up and asked the cluttering a little. couple hosting the garage sale, “What in I noticed the daffodil and iris leaves the heck is this thing?” poking up in their front yard, and Louis Becky and Ed Ornelas explained that it began telling me about his gardening was a griffin, a mythical animal with the hobby. body of a lion and the head and wings of I gave them a postcard with a captioned an eagle. photo collage I’d “We took our son to put together for the Renaissance Festival the Ahwatukee when he was a teenager,” Community Garden. Becky said. “He loved it Anyone interested in so much we let him get gardening is welcome it, although it cost over to drop in on Sunday $40.” mornings from Becky perched the 8-9:30 right behind animal on her shoulder the Farmer’s Market and showed me how to at 48th Street and use the long cable to Warner Road. turn its beaked head up I picked out a black and down and side to tee and a burgundy side. Definitely creepy long-sleeved blouse looking with its long (Kelly Athena/AFN Contributor) for $1.50 each. Then claws, green wings, and Louis and Linda Tahnukos of Ahwatukee I noticed one of the display a bag found at a garage sale. furry body. wackiest things I’d “Do you mind if I ever seen at a garage name this “The Weirdest Thing I’ve Ever sale: a bright lime green fuzzy bag with Seen at a Garage Sale?” big black and white googly eyes. Linda BY KELLY ATHENA AFN Contributing Writer

Becky Ornelas hoisted the griffin on her shoulder during her garage sale.

said, “You can have it for 10 cents.” Just then my friend, May Beth Williamson, and her Blue Heeler, Patty, pulled up. Immediately, people began oohing and aahing over the friendly pooch wearing a lei and sunglasses. “I just got the gaudiest purse at the last garage sale,” May Beth said, showing me a black shoulder bag with a large red flower flopping off the front. “Look what I just found,” I said, showing her the hairy green bag. We shared a long laugh, and goofed around posing with our new handbags. I drove away down a different street, and was amazed by a wildly surreal Boojum Tree towering at least 14 feet tall over someone’s front yard. Boojums are worth up to $1,000 per foot. They are expensive, hard to grow from seed and illegal to take from the wild.

(Kelly Athena/AFN Contributor)

The owner bought this one from the Desert Botanical Garden around 1986 when it was a few inches tall. The only place it grows naturally is Baja California and a small area in mainland Sonora, Mexico. The tree looks like a giant green candle or an upside-down carrot, with branches sticking out of it perpendicularly from top to bottom. It blooms with sweetsmelling white flowers in the spring and turns brown and dead-looking in the summer. You never know what you’ll find when you follow the garage sale arrows around our neighborhood—something weird, wacky or wild. -Know of any upcoming charity or garage sales in Ahwatukee? Contact garagesalegirl@kellyathena.com or see KellyAthena.com/garagesalegirl.

Now that Christmas is over, Ahwatukee Kiwanis Club turns to Easter Parade AFN NEWS STAFF

he Christmas decorations have been barely put away and suddenly there’s talk about Easter in Ahwatukee. But if you’re the Ahwatukee Kiwanis Club, you have to start early to pull off the annual Easter Parade. The April 15 parade will be Ahwatukee’s 41st annual cavalcade of kids, bands, politicians, community leaders and, of course, a giant rabbit. The late Ahwatukee developer Randall Presley involved the Ahwatukee Jaycees to get the first Easter Parade off the ground in 1977.

Presley died several years ago at age 93, built the Foothills’ first model homes in 1973 and is credited with “creating” Ahwatukee. The Ahwatukee Jaycees ultimately folded in 1996. There were four years in between the Jaycees and Kiwanis, which left the brunt of the work to Mike Schmitt and his wife. He has been associated with the Easter Parade for 38 years and this is his 25th year as Parade Boss. “I held on to it when the Jaycees closed and found a new sponsor in the Ahwatukee Kiwanis where it’s been since 2000,” Schmitt said. See

KIWANIS CLUB on page 28

(AFN file photo)

Calvin Sawyer, 4, and his aunt Kelly Campbell look at a bearded dragon during the 40th annual Ahwatukee Easter Parade last March.

COMMUNITY

JANUARY 25, 2017 | AHWATUKEE FOOTHILLS NEWS

Why Viagra Is Failing Men

Soaring demand expected for new scientific advance made just for older men. Works on both men’s physical ability and their desire in bed. By Harlan S. Waxman Health News Syndicate New York – If you’re like the rest of us guys over 50; you probably already know the truth… Prescription ED pills don’t work! Simply getting an erection doesn’t fix the problem” says Dr. Bassam Damaj, chief scientific officer at the world famous Innovus Pharma Laboratories. As we get older, we need more help in bed. Not only does our desire fade; but erections can be soft or feeble, one of the main complaints with prescription pills. Besides, they’re expensive… costing as much as $50.00 each Plus, it does nothing to stimulate your brain to want sex. “I don’t care what you take, if you aren’t interested in sex, you can’t get or keep an erection. It’s physiologically impossible,” said Dr. Damaj.

MADE JUST FOR MEN OVER 50 But now, for the first time ever, there’s a pill made just for older men. It’s called Vesele®. A new pill that helps you get an erection by stimulating your body and your brainwaves. So Vesele® can work even when nothing else worked before. The new men’s pill is not a drug. It’s something completely different

SATISFACTION RATE (% Patients)

100

JAW-DROPPING CLINICAL PROOF

Vesele 88.1%

Vesele 82.0%

40 20 0

WORKS ON YOUR HEAD AND YOUR BODY The new formula takes on erectile problems with a whole new twist. It doesn’t just address the physical problems of getting older; it works on the mental part of sex too. Unlike the expensive prescriptions, the new pill stimulates your sexual brain chemistry as well. Actually helping you regain the passion and burning desire you had for your partner again. So you will want sex with the hunger and stamina of a 25-year-old.

THE BRAIN/ERECTION CONNECTION Vesele takes off where Viagra® only begins. Thanks to a discovery made by 3 Nobel-Prize winning scientists; Vesele® has become the first ever patented supplement to harden you and your libido. So you regain your desire as well as the ability to act on it. In a 16-week clinical study; scientists from the U.S.A. joined forces to prove Nitric Oxide’s effects on the cardio vascular system. They showed that Nitric Oxide could not only increase your ability to get an erection, it would also work on your brainwaves to stimulate your desire for sex. The results were remarkable and published in the world’s most respected medical journals.

THE SCIENCE OF SEX

80 60

Because you don’t need a prescription for Vesele®, sales are exploding. The maker just can’t produce enough of it to keep up with demand. Even doctors are having a tough time getting their hands on it. So what’s all the fuss about?

Baseline 41.1%

Baseline 47.9%

OVERALL SATISFACTION

DESIRE FOR SEXUAL ACTIVITY

Baseline Satisfaction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41.4% Frequency . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44.9% Desire. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47.9% Hardness . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36.2% Duration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35% Ability to Satisfy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44.1%

Vesele 88.1% 79.5% 82% 85.7% 79.5% 83.3%

The study asked men, 45 to 65 years old to take the main ingredient in Vesele® once a day. Then they were instructed not to change the way they eat or exercise but to take Vesele® twice a day. What happened next was remarkable. Virtually every man in the study who took Vesele® twice a day reported a huge difference in their desire for sex. In layman’s terms, they were horny again. They also experienced harder erections that lasted for almost 20 minutes. The placebo controlled group (who received sugar pills) mostly saw no difference. AN UNEXPECTED BONUS: The study results even showed an impressive increase in the energy, brainpower and memory of the participants.

SUPPLY LIMITED BY OVERWHELMING DEMAND “Once we saw the results we knew we had a gamechanger said Dr. Damaj. We get hundreds of calls a day from people begging us for a bottle. It’s been crazy. We try to meet the crushing demand for Vesele®.”

New men’s pill overwhelms your senses with sexual desire as well as firmer, long-lasting erections. There’s never been anything like it before.

DOCTOR: “VESELE® PASSED THE TEST” “As a doctor, I’ve studied the effectiveness of Nitric Oxide on the body and the brain. I’m impressed by the way it increases cerebral and penile blood flow. The result is evident in the creation of Vesele®. It’s surefire proof that the mind/body connection is unbeatable when achieving and maintaining an erection and the results are remarkable” said Dr. Damaj.

HERE’S WHAT MEN ARE SAYING • I’m ready to go sexually and mentally. • More frequent erections in the night (while sleeping) and in the morning. • I have seen a change in sexual desire. • Typically take 1 each morning and 1 each night. Great stamina results! • An increased intensity in orgasms. • My focus (mental) has really improved… Huge improvement. • Amazing orgasms! • I really did notice a great improvement in my ability.

HOW TO GET VESELE® This is the first official public release of Vesele® since its news release. In order to get the word out about Vesele®, Innovus Pharma is offering special introductory discounts to all who call. A special phone hotline has been set up for readers in your area; to take advantage of special discounts during this ordering opportunity. Special discounts will be available starting today at 6:00am. The discounts will automatically be applied to all callers. The Special TOLL-FREE Hotline number is 1-800-583-2686 and will be open 24-hours a day. Only 300 bottles of Vesele® are currently available in your region. Consumers who miss out on our current product inventory will have to wait until more become available. But this could take weeks. The maker advises your best chance is to call 1-800-583-2686 early.

THESE STATEMENTS HAVE NOT BEEN EVALUATED BY THE U.S. FOOD AND DRUG ADMINISTRATION. THIS PRODUCT IS NOT INTENDED TO DIAGNOSE, TREAT, CURE OR PREVENT ANY DISEASE. RESULTS NOT TYPICAL.

COMMUNITY

AHWATUKEE FOOTHILLS NEWS | JANUARY 25, 2017

AROUND AHWATUKEE

Mountain View Lutheran bringing in snow for Winterfest Saturday

Mountain View Lutheran Church, 11002 S. 48th St., Ahwatukee, will be bringing in 20 tons of snow for kids and adults to play in during its free annual Winterfest 3-5 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 28. Anyone can attend and find food, s’mores, campfires and a slide. People also are welcome to participate in the Winterfest Chili Cookoff to win prizes. Info: mvlutheran.org, or 480-893-2579.

Christmas Shoebox year-round volunteers invited for dessert

Christmas might be an annual event, but the organizers of Operation Christmas Child need year-round volunteers for its mission of sending shoeboxes filled with gifts to needy children around the world. People interested in being year-round volunteers are invited to a “dessert and information” meeting at 6:30 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 26, at Mountain Park Community Church, 24th Street and Pecos Road. Attendees are asked to RSVP to bottsearle@ gmail.com. Last year, the South Mountain Team, which includes Ahwatukee, reached 14,000 children in 135 countries.

Cancer survivors can improve their lives at YMCA

Livestrong is a free small group fitness program at the Ahwatukee Foothills Family YMCA for adult cancer survivors aimed at easing them back into fitness and improve their quality of life. Each 12-week session meets for 75 minutes twice a week and a free YMCA membership for the duration of the program is provided. Class size is limited to six people. Info: Debbie Mitchell at 602-212-6081.

Kyrene District schools mark National School Choice Week

The Kyrene de los Niños staff and students will celebrate National School Choice Week on Friday, Jan. 27, with a school-wide assembly at 8:15 a.m. National School Choice Week, which started Monday, aims to raise awareness of education options for children.

Children of Hope Preschool starts rummage sale today

Children of Hope Preschool, located at Esperanza Lutheran Church, 2601 Thunderhill Place, Ahwatukee, is hosting a

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Rep. Mesnard to address Ahwatukee GOP women

State House Speaker JD Mesnard, R-Chandler, will be one of the speakers at the meeting of the Ahwatukee Republican Women at 6:30 p.m. today, Jan. 25, at Mountain View Lutheran Church, 11002 S. 48th St., Ahwatukee. The group has changed both its monthly meeting day and site. Also scheduled to speak is Colby Bledsoe, campaign manager for Freedomworks for America.

Swim center offers Red Cross lifeguard training program

The Ahwatukee Community Swim and Tennis Center, 4700 E. Warner Road, is offering an American Red Cross lifeguard training course 8 a.m.-5 p.m. SaturdaySunday, Jan. 28-29, and Feb. 4-5. Cost is $170. Participants must be 15 years old by the last class day, be able to swim 300 yards continuously in a prescribed manner, tread water for two minutes, and surface dive to a depth of 7 to 10 feet while performing an exercise that will be given them.

To register: 480-893-3431.

Senior athletes need to register for state games now

Athletes 50 years and older are encouraged to sign up now for the Arizona Senior Games, which kick off the weekend of Feb. 18. Events include: Alpine skiing at Snow Bowl, basketball at Arizona State University Recreation Center, bocce ball at Sun City Grand, handball and racquetball at ASU, and track and field at Seton Catholic High School. These are the first of the 30 different events to be held around the Valley in the upcoming weeks. To register: seniorgames.org and click on 2017 Games, then Registration. Click on Sport Information sheets to find the registration deadline for your sport and the details of your sport. Registration is only online. Assistance/ questions: 602-274-7742.

Tukee Sisters in Business plan second expo at Sheraton

Tukee Sisters in Business, a network of local businesses owned by women, will hold See

AROUND on page 26

COMMUNITY

JANUARY 25, 2017 | AHWATUKEE FOOTHILLS NEWS

KEE WATU

NG AH SERVI

(Lauren Clark/Special to AFN)

Kyrene School District representatives to the regional spelling bee next month will be, from left: Brenna Nathanson, Cassidy Trembath, Ben Amtsfield, Paul Ollarsaba III, Jennifer Lee, and Anisha Hossein. Anisha won first place after going 13 rounds head to head with Jennifer.

Four Ahwatukee youngsters among spelling bee reps from Kyrene AFN NEWS STAFF

our of the six youngsters who will represent Kyrene School District in next month’s Maricopa County Regional Spelling Bee are from Ahwatukee. All 25 Kyrene schools participated in the district spelling bee last week and ended after 19 rounds and what district spokeswoman Lauren Clark called “an intense 13-round face-off between the two finalists.” Those two finalists were first-place winner Anisha Hossein, an eighth grader at Aprende Middle School in Chandler, and second-place winner Jennifer Lee, a fifth grade student at Kyrene Monte Vista in Ahwatukee. Clark said Anisha spelled “carbuncle” correctly in the 19th round and “drollery” as the championship word.”

The other four district representatives will be third-place winner Paul Ollarsaba III, an eighth grader at Kyrene Middle School in Tempe; fourth-place finisher Ben Amtsfield, a fourth-grade student at Cerritos; fifth-placed Cassidy Trembath, a fifth grader at Lagos; and Esperanza fifth grader Brenna Nathanson. The youngsters will compete Feb. 24 in the regional contest, which produces a representative to the Arizona State Spelling Bee on March 25. The winner in that round will represent the state in the Scripps National Spelling Bee in Washington, D.C., sometime in April or May. Last year, a Scottsdale student represented Arizona. In 2013, Jack Piorkowski, then a fourth-grade student at Colina in Ahwatukee, was the youngest ever to win the regional competition.

COMMUNITY CALENDAR

SATURDAY, JAN. 28

Thunder host softball clinic

Coaches and team members of the Desert Vista High School softball team will hold a clinic on basic softball mechanics and fundamentals for girls of all ages. They will get instruction in fielding, hitting, base-running and speed and agility. The clinic also is a fundraiser for the school’s girls softball program. DETAILS>> 8 a.m.-noon Saturday, Jan. 28. Desert Vista High softball fields, 16440 S. 32nd St., Ahwatukee. Cost: $35 per participant.

SATURDAY, FEB. 4

Tukee Sisters holding expo

The Tukee Sisters in Business, a network of local businesses owned by women, will hold its second expo for families. It will include a fashion show to promote “kindness for the kind campaign,” guest speakers, 60 vendors, food trucks, raffle prizes and live

entertainment. DETAILS>> 10 a.m.-2 p.m., Four Points Sheraton South Mountain, 10831 S. 51st St., Ahwatukee. For more information or to secure space early: tukeesistersinbusiness@gmail.com, 602-516-8077, or m.facebook.com/TukeeSistersInBusinessFanPage.

Black history to be focus

Celebrate Black History Month with members of the Mountain Pointe High School Black Student Union as they present a discussion on Black History topics. DETAILS>> 2-3:30 p.m., Ironwood Public Library, 4333 E. Chandler Blvd., Ahwatukee. Free, open to all ages. No registration required.

TUESDAY, FEB. 7

Author bios to be discussed

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See

CALENDAR on page 28

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AWGA Golf Program Lessons for Women

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its second expo 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Feb. 4 at the Four Points Sheraton South Mountain, 10831 S. 51st St., Ahwatukee. It will include a fashion show to promote “kindness for the kind campaign,” guest speakers, 60 vendors, food trucks, raffle prizes and live entertainment. Scholl’s Helping Hands for the Homeless will be collecting donations and donors will receive a gift bag as long as supplies last. It is being developed as a free family event, and Spiderman and Disney princesses will be on hand for the kids. For more information or to secure space early: tukeesistersinbusiness@ gmail.com, 602-516-8077, or m.facebook. com/TukeeSistersInBusinessFanPage.

Be An Artist schedules 2 Disney events for kids

Be...An Artist Studio, 4025 E. Chandler Blvd., Ahwatukee, has booked “Moana” on Feb. 3 as part of an event where kids can learn the hula and paint an Hawaiian sunset and has scheduled “Sleeping Beauty” on Feb. 10 to help kids paint pink sparkle hearts before dancing and singing. Both events are 5-7 p.m.; each costs $35 per child. Kids older than 6 can be dropped off while parents can stay with their child no matter what their age. Both events include pizza and bottled water. The studio also is holding a murder mystery dinner catered by Buca di Beppo Restaurant at 6:30 p.m. Feb. 4. Tickets are $58.

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AHWATUKEE FOOTHILLS NEWS | JANUARY 25, 2017

from page 19

sponsors,” she admitted. “Donations and connections are always important things here in the States.” As mother to 7-month-old Leo, Kast finds her days filled with home activities while maintaining daily communication with her two team members working in Honduras. Reading, journaling, yoga and prayer are her mainstays in keeping her life as balanced as possible with her heart in two countries. “I’m so thankful that I get to live a life full of passion, but it can also be quite exhausting. It’s not 9-5. My mind and emotions are deeply intertwined and I’ve had to learn how to shut my brain off at night,” she said. “We’re committed to our kids, no matter what,” she added. “Yet, to hear stories of abuse, loss and abandonment and not completely break down isn’t easy. But I want this to be my life, not a passing phase, so it’s important to stay

To reserve for any of these three events: 480-247-6689 or beanartistaz.com/ registration-form.

Kyrene District to hold interviews for part-time job hopefuls Kyrene School District will interview people 2-5 p.m. Monday, Jan. 30, to fill part-time jobs as community education club leaders and leaders in training as well as bus drivers and monitors. The interviews will be held at the district office, 5700 S. Kyrene Road, Tempe. Podsitions are for both the current and next school year.

It has scheduled a Super Citrus Saturday on Jan. 28 from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. for residents to drop off their fruit for a tax-deductible donation. The nearest drop-off location to Ahwatukee is at the food bank’s main location, 2831 N. 31st Ave., Phoenix.

God’s Garden seeks help, vendors for Transportation Day

St. Mary’s Food Bank Alliance is hoping Ahwatukee residents will share oranges, grapefruit and other excess citrus from their trees with needy individuals and families especially now that Arizona’s quarantine has been extended statewide.

God’s Garden Preschool at Horizon Presbyterian Church, 1401 E. Liberty Lane, Ahwatukee, isn’t wasting any time ramping up for its popular Transportation Day 9 a.m.-1 p.m. Feb. 25. Thousands of kids and their parents descend on the school’s parking lot, where more than 40 vehicles, ranging from go-karts to firetrucks, are on display for them to explore. Over the years, it has grown to include activities for kids of all ages, including live entertainment, inflatable bouncers and carnival games, raffle baskets, and boutique and food vendors. There is no price for admission, but a portion of all the funds collected support the school’s students and education program. More than 4,000 people attended last year. The school is currently signing up vendors and looking for sponsors as well as donations for a silent auction and basket raffles. The vendor registration fee is $100. Sponsorships range from $50 to $2,500. Information/registration: Michelle Rhodes at 480-460-0081, directorgodsgarden@ horizonchurch.com or godsgarden.com.

balanced.” She admits at times it can seem overwhelming. “I’ve had a front-row seat to so much pain and evil, but also so much joy and victory. I don’t let myself spend too much time thinking ‘This shouldn’t be happening’ because it is, and wishing it wasn’t will only defeat me,” she said. ”So, I know the truth, now what am I going to do about it? I also have stopped wrestling with God’s goodness. It’s not an either/or. “God is good. Fact. Children are growing up unloved and unprotected. Fact. I’m learning to live within both of these realities and I don’t try to find the answer to ‘If God is good then why do children suffer?’ I don’t know. But He is good, and children do suffer. Now let’s get back to work.” She waxes at length on the strength and encouragement of her husband, and praises an Ahwatukee business couple who helped her pursue her nonprofit status.

“Sean has been ridiculously supportive through all of this. Not only does he not complain that I’m gone so much, he’s my biggest cheerleader,” she said. “And Rod and Christine Badgley were instrumental in making TCHP an official non-profit and Sean greatly encouraged me to move forward with it even though I felt so unprepared.” Regardless of the emotional toll, she said she’s exactly where she wants to be in life. “What I do now is exactly what I had hoped to do one day. Even better than I’d hoped,” said Kast. “The kids we work with are beautiful and kind and funny and there is a purpose for their lives, but the society in which they live has ignored, belittled or degraded them for as long as they can remember. “When the kids finally realize that we truly and deeply care, it’s like we get backstage passes to their hearts. They’re fiercely loving, loyal and grateful. The world overlooks them and we get to see the gems that they are.”

Best school nurse contest seeks nominations in Ahwatukee

Children’s Advil, Children’s Robitussin and Children’s Dimetapp have launched a nationwide contest to find “America’s Greatest School Nurse.” Nominations are being accepted nationwide now through Feb. 23. Once a finalist is chosen from each state, there will be a round of voting through mid-April. Info: AmericasGreatestSchoolNurse.com.

St. Mary’s Food Bank seeks excess citrus for the needy

AF 10X11 C Jan 25.qxp_Layout 1 1/20/17 2:54 PM Page 1

COMMUNITY

JANUARY 25, 2017 | AHWATUKEE FOOTHILLS NEWS

Ahwatukee Farms Ready To Raise Your Property Values?

Urban Land Institute proves agrihoods like Ahwatukee Farms INCREASE PROPERTY VALUES!

"People are figuring out we can actually grow things in these communities. And that increases sustainability, it increases property values, residents are healthier, and they can actually enjoy locally grown food." – Ed McMahon, Urban Land Institute

Don’t miss the chance to INCREASE your property values while the real estate market rebounds!

Capture YOUR increase in values today! Join your neighbors by signing your consent form: 1. Send your consent form to P.O. Box 50129, Phoenix, AZ 85076 in the envelope you received last month. 2. Request a consent form by visiting AhwatukeeFarms.com and clicking on the right hand top corner. 3. Call 602-726-5311 and request a consent form be delivered to your home. For more information about the vision, please visit www.AhwatukeeFarms.com

COMMUNITY

CALENDAR

AHWATUKEE FOOTHILLS NEWS | JANUARY 25, 2017

from page 25

writing workshop on crafting an engaging author bio and media kit that funnel readers to your work. Led by the creator of thewritersaurus.com. DETAILS>> 6-7:45 p.m., Ironwood Public Library, 4333 E. Chandler Blvd., Ahwatukee. Free. No registration required.

SATURDAY, FEB. 11

‘Tooth-rific Family Storytime’ set

Fun stories and songs help kids learn what to expect when books and brushing become part of the bedtime routine. Followed by a raffle, crafts, and FREE kids’ dental screenings provided by Dignity Health. DETAILS>> 10:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m., Ironwood Library, 4333 E. Chandler Blvd., Ahwatukee. Free. Space is limited and tickets are available at 10 a.m.

Foothills hosts cardiac screening The Anthony Bates Foundation is offering cardiac screenings for people 10 years old and up. The screenings can help prevent sudden cardiac death, especially among teenagers and young adults. The cost of the tests is a fraction of what it would cost with a clinic and it is tax-deductible. Reservations are required. DETAILS>> 10 a.m.-4 p.m., Foothills Golf Club, 2201 E. Clubhouse Drive, Ahwatukee. $65 for students, $85 for adults. Reservations: anthonybates.org, appts@ anthonybates.org, or 602-482-5606.

SATURDAY, FEB. 18

Learn nail string art

Come make a gorgeous wall ornament using string and nails. All supplies will be provided, though if you have your own preferred tools, you’re welcome to bring

KIWANIS

from page 22

Although the parade is still about three months away, the club is wasting no time rounding up parade entries, vendors, sponsors and advertisers for the progam. “Now is the time for businesses, youth and church groups, families, and individuals to put their heads together and start organizing their participation for the Easter Parade and Spring Fling, Phoenix’s Ahwatukee Foothills’ largest community-participation event,” said Kiwanian Andi Pettyjohn.

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TUESDAY, FEB. 21

Writing group to meet

The writing critique group meets the third Tuesday of every month. Writers of all genres and experience levels are invited to bring five pages of double-spaced writing to read out loud for feedback. Extra copies are optional, but helpful. DETAILS>> 6-7:45 p.m., Ironwood Library, 4333 E. Chandler Blvd., Ahwatukee. No registration required. haley.dziuk@phoenix.gov.

SATURDAY, FEB. 25

Transportation Day scheduled

God’s Garden Preschool at Horizon Presbyterian Church will hold its annual Transportation Day, featuring more than 40 vehicles of all descriptions, from garbage and fire trucks to go-karts. Live entertainment, carnival games and other activities for young and old. Vendors and sponsors are being sought now. DETAILS>> 9 a.m.-1 p.m., 1401 E. Liberty Lane, Ahwatukee. Information/vendor registration: Michelle Rhodes at 480-460-0081, directorgodsgarden@ horizonchurch.com or godsgarden.com.

‘Seuss-tastical’ fest slated

Come enjoy Dr. Seuss-themed early literacy and STEAM activities for the whole family at the Seuss-tasical Family Festival.. DETAILS>> 10 a.m.-1 p.m., Ironwood Public Library, 4333 E. Chandler Blvd., Ahwatukee. All ages; no registration required. Free. — Email calendar items to pmaryniak@ ahwatukees.com

“This is the major fundraiser for the Ahwatukee Kiwanis Club,” she said, noting all proceeds fund the club’s various charitable activities. For kids in group foster homes, the club co-sponsors a Thanksgiving dinner and collects Christmas gifts for them. It also sponsors a baby shower for unwed teen foster moms. The club’s Reading is Fundamental program prepares and motivates more than 100 children in three Head Start preschools to read by delivering free books to kids and families who need them most.

Bijou is an active player who needs a new home to have fun in AFN NEWS STAFF

nstead of a night at the Bijou, how about a bunch of nights with Bijou? “Bijou is an outgoing, affectionate, energetic 2-year-old diluted calico with a colored fur coat,” said Jenny Bernot of Arizona Rescue. “She loves attention from her people and will snuggle close to receive the petting and brushing that she so enjoys,” Bernot said, adding the cat “revels in mealtime.” A “busy girl always on the move and always exploring,” Bijou "adores a good round of playtime. She likes to grab stuffed toys thrown in her direction and hold them close to her stomach. Roll a ball and she’ll run after it at full speed." "And when a laser light is dancing, “prepare to be entertained as Bijou runs all over in hot pursuit of the elusive red spot,” Bernot said. “The airtime this girl achieves when jumping into the air after a wand toy will astound you,” she added, “If you

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48th Street to Cheyenne Drive. After the parade, the club throws its Spring Fling at Ahwatukee Community Center Park, offering live entertainment, vendor and craft booths, carnival rides, food, beverages and family games. Kiwanians said they have reached out to more than 300 local businesses, groups and previous parade entries. Information: 480-759-0007 or e-mail msch0007@aol.com. Also see ahwatukeeeasterparade.com. Spring Fling information: 602-402-6267 or e-mail andi@wttaz.com. Information on the club: ahwatukeekiwanis.org.

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need a break from participating in Bijou’s playtime, just make sure there is a rollerball toy in the vicinity and Bijou will entertain herself by batting the mouse in it around and around again.” Bernot said Bijou is friendly toward other cats and “is more than ready to settle down with a family of her very own.” Information: azrescue.org.

Kiwanis volunteers hand-deliver the books to schools and join in group reading sessions. Extra books are provided for the schools’ libraries. Members also hold a back-to-school shopping project for economically disadvantaged children, They give each child $100 to buy new clothes, shoes and a backpack filled with classroom supplies. The club also collects new and gently used bicycles for needy children. Beginning at 10 a.m., the parade forms at 48th Street and Warner Road and progresses north about one mile along

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OPINION

JANUARY 25, 2017 | AHWATUKEE FOOTHILLS NEWS

Opinion

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Ahwatukee Farms would bring traffic improvements to area BY CHUCK WRIGHT AFN Guest Writer

n every great community I have lived and worked in throughout Arizona, the residents of these care deeply about maintaining a high quality of life within their neighborhoods. We can all agree that a strong school system, thriving local businesses, safe streets and beautiful homes are all part of what makes a special community. When we see these factors come to life, we also see higher property values and more people wanting to move in and become a part of this community. As a traffic engineer, I’ve worked for 35 years throughout the Valley to explore solutions that ease traffic congestion and discover innovative ways to improve the high quality-of-life that residents desire. When I was approached by The True Life Companies a year ago and introduced to their vision of Ahwatukee Farms, it was clear that an “agrihood” would have immediate benefits to property values and the quality-of-life in the Ahwatukee Foothills. Just as important, however, was making sure that Ahwatukee Farms

mitigates potential traffic impacts and presenting actual solutions to the City of Phoenix that would facilitate traffic flow in the area. Upon gathering signatures from 51 persons of the benefitted persons in the Ahwatukee Board of Management, The True Life Companies will present a comprehensive zoning plan which will include suggestions on how to improve traffic. The Phoenix City Council will require a detailed review of the traffic issues as part of the approval process, so it is our responsibility to lay out a blueprint that addresses the current situation. After undergoing an extensive review of the area and understanding the traffic patterns of the community, we have identified numerous potential traffic improvements that would reduce congestion. These improvements would include:

Provide a separate southbound right turn lane on 44th Street at Knox Road. Separate through and right lanes would eliminate the conflict for southbound through vehicles when right turning traffic is required to yield to pedestrians. 44th Street and Warner Elliot Loop: Re-stripe the northbound approach to the intersection to provide two lanes, a separate right only lane and a second shared left and right turn lane. The additional left and right turn lane would increase the capacity for northbound to eastbound right turns. 48th Street and Warner Road Re-stripe the existing eastbound and westbound left turn lanes from single to dual turn lanes and provide exclusive left turn phasing with a right turn overlap for northbound traffic. The suggested changes would allow the northbound and southbound phases to receive additional green time potentially reducing the current queues.

44th Street and Knox Road Implement protected and permissive left turn phasing for northbound traffic School Operations on 44th Street approaching Knox Road. Facilitate utilization of potential The addition of an exclusive left-turn strategies identified in the “Safe Routes arrow would reduce the queue of traffic, to School” program to review options particularly in the morning. to facilitate non-vehicular access and

circulation to Mountain Pointe High School. 44th Street improvements The addition of a roundabout intersection will facilitate traffic flow in and out of the proposed Ahwatukee Farms development without causing left turn queue conflicts to access cross street intersection while providing capacity to accommodate the overall traffic in the area. These innovative solutions will be a part of our zoning plan upon amending the CC&R’s that currently restrict the property. Ultimately, these suggestions are part of our greater concept of improving Ahwatukee’s high quality-of-life and keeping the community as a desirable place to live, work and play. We are committed to working with residents, community leaders and City officials to make sure that congestion is kept to a minimum with the addition of Ahwatukee Farms. Chuck Wright of Kimly-Horn & Associates is The True Life Companies’ Ahwatukee Farms traffic consultant. Information: ahwatukeefarms.com

Residents must pay attention to freeway facts, not propaganda BY PAT LAWLIS AFN Guest Writer

round Martin Luther King Jr. Day, it seems appropriate to remember Dr. King’s famous “I Have a Dream” speech. In it he addressed issues that lay at the very foundation of our society. While I do not pretend to have the presence or charisma of Dr. King, I also have a dream about a very important foundational issue of our society. I have a dream that Americans understand the important responsibility of staying well-informed about issues that affect our community as well as

our nation. In our current society, the internet and social media make it so easy to access information—indeed we often do not need to access it, we are bombarded with it! It is not so easy, however, to get good, trustworthy information. I have a dream that our citizens will seek information sources with integrity and seek information about all sides of an issue. It is not as difficult as it may seem. With internet search tools, we can easily search for information on a topic. The key is to look at more than one source and more than one viewpoint. My current issue of concern is the proposed Loop 202 South Mountain Freeway. It distresses me greatly to

hear so many Ahwatukee residents just regurgitating the propaganda that is ever emanating from the Arizona Department of Transportation. As a government agency, ADOT gets plenty of coverage from Valley news outlets. Unfortunately, throughout the SMF process, ADOT’s media releases have been obfuscating and deceitful about the purpose and need for the SMF. Meanwhile, the coverage about the legal challenge to the SMF has been minimal at best (kudos to the Ahwatukee Foothills News for covering it without bias). Most people know the challenge exists, but how many have made the effort to become informed about the “other side”

of this issue? I have a dream that everyone in Ahwatukee would look at the website provided by Protecting Arizona’s Resources and Children (PARC) at protectAZchildren.org. This website details how ADOT created the SMF under the influence of the trucking industry, and how the freeway is neither needed nor does it meet the requirements of federal law. The PARC lawsuit against ADOT is very strong; it is currently under appeal; and it is likely to stop the SMF fiasco. It will be settled sometime this coming spring or summer. See

LAWLIS on page 31

OPINION

AHWATUKEE FOOTHILLS NEWS | JANUARY 25, 2017

Chamber helps 11 kids realize their dreams to succeed in business BY PAUL MARYNIAK AFN Executive Editor

id you know that 90 percent of women who wear bras can’t get them to fit

right? I learned that last week from Desert Vista High School sophomore Sophie Bruner, who is trying to fix the problem. Sophie is one of 11 teens and pre-teens who have been hunkering down in a classroom in the middle of Guadalupe since September, learning the basics they need to make The Next Big Thing. They are considered chief executive officers of companies they hope to establish through the guidance of accomplished business owners and business people through the Ahwatukee Foothills Chamber of Commerce’s Young Entrepreneurs Academy, or YEA! for short. The projects vary widely. One wants to create a website to sell different kinds of meatballs. Another plans to develop a site that will provide reviews of products for dogs. Yet another is a business that sells cherry-filled chocolate drops. And that’s

just a sampling. I stopped down at the South Mountain Community College’s Guadalupe campus last week to watch the program in action. I was impressed as the kids all stayed awake for a nearly hour-long presentation on accounting. I would have nodded off at their age. I probably would at mine. The next, shorter presentation was given by Ahwatukee businessman Jason Kveton who owns three Culver’s restaurants. Next on the agenda were the mentors who work with the students one-onone to perfect their business plans and position them for a meeting with a panel of investors, who potentially will cough up real money to help the students get their businesses off the ground. I watched as Sophie spent 90 minutes interacting with her mentor, April Towle, a regional manager for H&R Block. Sophie figures she will need $900, but the road to the investor panel isn’t easy. Towle patiently explained a few principles of supply and demand to the budding entrepreneur. She also reassured Sophie when she became visibly frustrated with the hard business questions that had to be asked. This is Towle’s second year as a YEA!

mentor. Her student last year, Megan Hansen of Desert Vista High School, is CEO of Chemo Cuddlers, a company that is making stuffed bears for cancerstricken kids. “These students have such phenomenal creative minds and ideas,” she told me later. “These are our future entrepreneurs.” Realtor Christie Ellis is equally enthusiastic about her student, Tempe Prep seventh grader Brooke Kirk, who is developing a skin-care line. “It has been wonderful,” Ellis said. “I am really amazed at how much these students dedicate to this program—on top of their usual school work—and the incredible ideas they have. They are very inspiring.” The other mentors include: Mark Ruhlman, ADP sales director; Jason Fair, content development director for WireBuzz; Liz O’Neil, owner of Arizona Property Inspections; Kevin Cash, owner of All Good Shutter & Blind; Tom Dougherty, owner of Action Coach; Ron Hoagland, Engineering for Kids owner; American Homefront Realty owner Thomas S. Moore; Elements Massage owners Doug and Janet Schwab; and Joseph Valdez, formerly with the

Arizona Commerce Authority and Abbot Technologies. While mentors are in place, YEA! Director Pamela Manwaring still needs help to bring the young participants along. She needs 11 graphic designers to meet with students on Feb. 7 to assist with brand development. She needs six to 10 CEOs and business owners for a Feb. 22 roundtable, where the students will be picking their brains for tips on launching their own businesses. And she needs sponsors and investors to provide the financial resources these kids will need to attempt to make a go of their businesses. Manwaring’s goal is to raise $20,000 by April 5. Each participant who donates a minimum $1,800 gets a seat on the investor panel. Those panel members will get to quiz the would-be entrepreneurs to determine the viability of their business plans. If you want to help, you can call Manwaring at 602-515-3800 or email yeaahwatukee@gmail.com. Who knows? You just might have a See

YEA! on page 33

Choose Kyrene. Your top-rated public school district. Many parents are thankful for the child-focused environment provided in Kyrene classrooms. Our teachers are dedicated professionals who are in education because they care about children and their success. Kyrene outperforms peers in AzMERIT Math and English Language Arts assessments. Attend our “Get Ready for Middle School” Parent Information Night Thursday, February 9 at 6:00 p.m. Kyrene District Office 8700 S. Kyrene Road, Tempe AZ, 85284

Engage with Kyrene Schools on Social Media

www.kyrene.org • Call 480-541-1000

OPINION

JANUARY 25, 2017 | AHWATUKEE FOOTHILLS NEWS

Failing to invest in education fails employers in Arizona BY SEAN BOWIE AFN Guest Writer

read with great interest Frank Schmuck’s oped in the Jan. 11 AFN, titled “Economic, not education policy promotes job creation.” Implicit in his op-ed was an attack on one of the topics I discussed during the campaign last year, to restore education funding. This viewpoint is not controversial— at the over 13,000 doors I knocked on during the campaign, I consistently heard from voters that restoring education funding should be a top priority for our legislators. In contrast, I did not encounter a single voter whose top priority aligned with Mr. Schmuck’s— eliminating the state income tax, which would result in drastic cuts to our K-12 schools and higher education. Arizona compares favorably to our neighboring states on issues like taxation and regulatory environment. Our state income tax is one of the 10 lowest in the country, and several years of corporate tax cuts have made Arizona highly competitive. Our location and climate appeals to businesses as well. In my many conversations with business owners, chambers of commerce and educators, I continue to hear that businesses are having a difficult time finding qualified workers for the jobs they want to fill. No amount of tax cuts or regulation reductions matter if businesses don’t have the workers they need, and that is where education plays a significant role. Failing to invest in education hurts us when employers look at Arizona for potential relocation or expansion. Alliance Bank conducted a survey last year where they asked CEO’s which issues mattered the most to them when considering expansion or relocation. Their Number 1 issue? Education, and how prepared the workforce is. Neighboring states like Utah and

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hand in launching The Next Big Thing. The students’ businesses won’t be ready to vie for this year’s Best of Ahwatukee competition in the AFN. But if you haven’t cast your votes yet, be aware the

Colorado are making long-term investments in education, and businesses continue to flock there because of the educated workforce in place that benefited from the state’s investment. Mr. Schmuck brings up the case of Tesla Motors, and their decision to locate in Nevada instead of Arizona. Tesla chose Nevada because it offered the company more in tax breaks than any other state—over $1.2 billion. Tax giveaways to corporations are not a sustainable strategy for long term economic growth, especially for the small businesses that make up the bulk of Arizona’s economy. Arizona ranks 48th in K-12 investment, and holds the distinction of having the highest teacher turnover rate in the country. We have cut more from higher education than any state in the country since 2009, with tuition rising 83 percent. This lack of investment will lead to fewer students graduating from college, which will deprive our state of the educated workforce our economy needs. We have every element in place for potential long-term growth as a state. The only piece missing is a long term, sustainable commitment to investing in our schools and our teachers. A prepared workforce, with the training and education needed to perform these in demand 21st century jobs, is what our businesses need. As your state senator, I am working with Gov. Ducey and legislators from both sides of the aisle on a budget that grows our economy while also investing in our education system. I welcome all Legislative District 18 residents, including Mr. Schmuck, to work with me to move our economy forward. Please call my Senate office at 602-9263004, or email me at sbowie@azleg.gov. State Senator Sean Bowie represents Legislative District 18, which includes Ahwatukee, south Tempe, west Chandler and southwest Mesa. He is an Ahwatukee resident.

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OPINION

AHWATUKEE FOOTHILLS NEWS | JANUARY 25, 2017

LETTERS

Most Lakes residents don’t share True Life’s ‘vision’

In a recent AFN article, Aidan Barry, senior vice president of development for The True Life Companies, not surprisingly stated that his so-called “vision” for the Lakes Golf Course “is a beautiful representation of what Ahwatukee residents value” and that it is a good fit for Ahwatukee. But, nothing could be further from the truth. The fact is the overwhelming majority of Ahwatukee residents within the ABM community are solidly against True Life or any other land developer`s permanent destruction of the open space afforded by this golf course. In addition, as reported in the AFN, the majority of an estimated 35,000 citizens from three neighboring HOAs have gone on record opposing Mr. Barry`s “vision.” Their opposition, however, has also been casually and callously discarded by Mr. Barry. Perhaps his faulty assumptions stem from the fact that he is a long-time resident of California and he isn`t as familiar with our community as he thought he was. It should be noted that David Sabow,

former managing director of True Life in Arizona, must have realized that their plan was not a good fit for Ahwatukee when he correctly stated, “Without the community`s support, we`ll never be successful in getting this (golf course) developed.” Within Arizona, there are many other actual, and not fantasized, farm sites where True Life could successfully implement their development for a substantial profit and also be welcomed by adjacent communities. Perhaps True Life should consider an alternate site for Mr. Barry`s vision. -Bill Lapinskas

Lakes homeowners oppose Ahwatukee Farms plan

As an Ahwatukee resident since 1976, it saddens me to see what has happened to our beautiful Lakes Golf Course, all in the name of creating wealth for developers at the homeowners’ expense. The open spaces and wonderful amenities built into the community when Presley established Ahwatukee are the major reasons I moved here. I am extremely passionate about preserving our Ahwatukee life style and our

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homeowners will have the courage to step up and publicly voice their opinions to balance out the misleading comments being made by The True Life Companies. -Jan Radcliff

'Concern over Ahwatukee Farms is spreading’

Reply to the True Life Company article in the Jan. 4 AFN. Adding 276-300 homes on the former golf course property, with an average of 1.5 cars per household, will lead to “improved traffic conditions.” There has been no formal traffic study done by the City of Phoenix. This is another example of speculation on the part of True Life. Building 276-300 homes on the former golf property which has always acted as a flood plain, will “resolve existing drainage issues.” Remember, we are experiencing a 10-year drought, and monsoon storms still overwhelm Lakeside Boulevard. Leave a functioning flood plain alone. Explain how “30 acres of active open space ”will become “a community hub for all Ahwatukee residents.” 80,000+ See

LETTERS on page 34

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precious open spaces and feel compelled to submit the following comments. Recent letters published in the Ahwatukee Foothills News continue to make the claim that The Farm development proposal and True Life Companies are opposed by only a small group of residents living adjacent to The Lakes Golf Course property. This is not true. Several thousand residents of Ahwatukee have signed petitions opposing the removal of the CC&R’s which protect both The Lakes and Ahwatukee Country Club from infill development. A recently conducted poll on our local neighborhood blog, “Nextdoor,” showed that 75 percent of respondents are against infill development. This is roughly the same result achieved in an AFN poll conducted two years ago. Three additional homeowner associations, with a population of 35,000 Ahwatukee residents, recently announced their opposition to development such as that being proposed by True Life Companies. It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to realize these numbers hardly fit the definition of “a small group of homeowners.” It is my sincere hope that more

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Real Estate Guide Tiny homes are popular, but not likely in Ahwatukee BY MIKE BUTLER AFN Staff Writer

iny houses are all the rage in some real estate circles and are cropping up in some neighboring East Valley communities. But they are not likely to make an appearance in Ahwatukee. “They don’t exist in Ahwatukee and I don’t think people would really want to move here with them,” said Ahwatukee Realtor Christie Ellis. “Tiny houses are pretty cool but I am curious to see where those owners are a

few years from now,” she added. “I think families with children may have a harder time adjusting due to lack or privacy and space. I think the buyer is looking for a urban area where housing may be very expensive or very open areas with lots of land.” Ahwatukee Realtor Stacey Lykins agrees. “I think that if the builders could figure out where to put them, they would. However, I don’t think it is practical for this area because it is such a family community. It is difficult to put a See

TINY HOUSES on page RE2

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REAL ESTATE

TINY HOUSES

from page RE1

family in those tiny homes.” Ellis doesn’t think Ahwatukee offers tiny homes a good fit either. “Even if someone wanted Tukee, I don’t think any of the land would allow a ‘mobile’ home,” she said. “Maybe if they put a foundation down but I don’t even know where that would go.” In East Mesa, at the expansive ViewPoint Golf & RV resort, retirees down for the winter peek through the windows of two adorable Tumbleweed tiny homes on display. They see the possibilities. Darin Dinsmore, an urban planner, landscape architect and founder and CEO of Crowdbrite in San Francisco, wants to downsize his life. He’s working with Sedona and Coconino County to build a tiny, 300-square-foot house on an infill lot. After preaching sustainability and community engagement for a couple of decades now, Dinsmore said it’s time to practice it. “Sedona is the perfect place for something like this,” he said. In a downtown Phoenix backyard, a young woman (she requested privacy) lives contentedly in a 160-square-foot tiny home on wheels while she attends med school. Not wanting to rack up thousands of dollars in debt on student housing, she built the tiny home herself in Louisiana and towed it here with a Chevy Tahoe. When she has her degree, she can hitch up again and live and work almost anywhere she wants. Whether built on a concrete slab or a sturdy metal trailer, tiny homes are the latest rage in new home construction. Popular blogs and YouTube channels provide hours of entertainment and research for anyone just scratching the surface of the tiny life, as do hit shows such as “Tiny House Nation” on FYI. Not to be outdone, HGTV has “Tiny House, Big Living,” “Tiny House Hunters” and “Tiny House Builders.” The whimsically named Finn and Rose rumbled into ViewPoint in Mesa a few weeks ago, and the tiny, traditional cottages on trailers immediately began turning heads. The manufacturer, Tumbleweed of Sonoma, California, calls them the Cypress and Elm models. Finn and Rose belong to Encore/

AHWATUKEE FOOTHILLS NEWS | JANUARY 25, 2017

Thousand Trails, owner of ViewPoint and other resorts around the country. Finn and Rose are on tour, like emerging rock stars, building up a cult following. The two kicked off their road trip in Chicago last August, then traveled to Natchez Trace in Tennessee, Lake Conroe in Texas and the Voyager RV Resort in Tucson. Cheri Dewarrat, general manager of ViewPoint, said Tucson folks stood in line for two to three hours to get tours of Finn and Rose. “That’s how big it is. It’s a new way of living,” Dewarrat said. Tumbleweed’s Cypress model packs a lot of living into about 200 or 300 square feet, depending on whether you go 20 or 26 feet. Base price is $62,950 or $72,950. The similarly priced Elm isn’t quite as roomy inside because of its tiny front porch. Tumbleweed also offers a couple of jazzy, contemporary farmhouse models called the Farallon and Roanoke. Models are eight and a half feet wide and 13 feet, four inches high. They all have sleeping lofts—but watch your head! A downstairs convertible sofa can provide extra sleeping space. They have ruthlessly efficient bathrooms with showers and kitchens with washers and dryers. There’s just enough space for dining and home office tasks. They have heating and cooling, plus water, wastewater and electrical hookups. Tumbleweed tiny houses are Recreational Vehicle Industry Association certified, which makes them easy to park at most campgrounds, and obtain a DMV license, financing and insurance. Tumbleweed hosts two-day tiny house workshops around the country for DIY types and potential buyers who are ready to take the deep dive into the tiny lifestyle. Greg Montoya, cofounder and president of Tiny Treasures Homes in Show Low, said his company also follows RVIA guidelines, but it stops short of acquiring the actual certification sticker. He said the process can add $10,000 or more to the cost of a tiny home. Tiny Treasures Homes receive VIN numbers and get classified as utility (Mike Butler/AFN Staff)

Tumbleweed’s traditionally styled Cypress and Elm models feature metal roofs, she dormers and cedar-clapboard siding. It can have all-electric power or a split electricpropane.

trailers or RVs depending on the DMV. Montoya teamed up with his cousin, Johnny Rippy, a well-known custom home builder in Northern Arizona, to start building tiny homes two and half years ago. Tiny Treasures recently completed a gorgeous 30-footer for a northern California couple with two children. A single client is enjoying her red-roof tiny home in Wisconsin. Like Tumbleweed, Tiny Treasures’ base California, Freedom and Liberty models are infinitely customizable. The company also offers a high-end, electric composting toilet for those who want to really go off the beaten path. Montoya can sell you a trailer, a partial build or a detailed plan. After college, Taylor Vos, an urban planner, and his wife, Annie, traveled the country for six months in a van. After returning to Arizona, they started designing a 400-square-foot tiny home. Before they got too far into it, however, they discovered they wouldn’t be able to legally park a tiny home in Scottsdale, or any other East Valley city, or Phoenix. They abandoned their plans after finding a cozy, 750-square-foot home in downtown Phoenix. Then Taylor and Annie became the ironic landlords—and eventual good friends—of the med student with her tiny home. Valley HOAs aren’t likely to ever allow either a backyard tiny home or a tiny home as a lot’s sole structure. Neighborhoods without HOAs often have minimum size

requirements for new homes on a foundation that far exceed the tiny home footprint. Still, an established home in a neighborhood without an HOA, which allows large RV parking or casitas, might be allowed to have a backyard tiny home. It depends, very specifically, on where you live. Recently, responding to requests, Pima County officials adopted tiny housefriendly zoning and building codes. The new laws allow tiny dwellings under 400 square feet on permanent foundations in all zones allowing detached, singlefamily dwellings. The new Pima codes also permit offsite construction, meaning that a tiny home on wheels could fit into certain residential zones depending on how it’s anchored. The building codes ease up on crucial tiny home design details, such as using ladders instead of space-hogging stairs. Ceiling heights, falling hazards and egress requirements are also relaxed. Coconino County is poised to adopt similar zoning rules. It may take a few more years of evolution in the East Valley for tiny homes to gain traction as new-age singlefamily homes, backyard apartments, granny ﬂats and caregiver dwellings— as they have in California, Oregon and other states. “We need to start to talking about where we want them and where we don’t want them,” Taylor Vos said.

REAL ESTATE

JANUARY 25, 2017 | AHWATUKEE FOOTHILLS NEWS

Agents must work for win-win conclusions to real estate transactions BY STACEY LYKINS AFN Guest Writer

n the business of real estate, the art of negotiation is really a Stacie Lykins means to compromise. Any deal that is consummated today must be based in compromise. This is a sellers’ market for the most part, but even if the buyer has the upper hand, the deal must make sense for both sides. It is not in anyone’s best interest to not work toward a “win/win.” As I worked through my last several transactions, I took a step back to look at everyone’s approach. It is my job to negotiate the best deal for my client and it is in the best interest for the opposing side to do the same. But both sides can win. In my experience, it is not a male or female approach, it is an individual approach. I always like working with someone who has their client’s best interest and not their own agenda as a priority. For example, it is not up to the seller’s agent to choose the buyer’s title company. There is a reason that the title company is listed on the purchase contract, because it is up to the buyer to choose where their earnest money is held during escrow. However, in one case, an agent did not want to present my buyer’s offer because we did not insert that seller’s preferred title company. It’s kind of peculiar, because the agent does not have the luxury to pick and choose which offer to present. They are bound by the code of ethics to present all offers. It is not the agent’s job to try and bully

the buyer as the buyer writes the offer. What does that say about the rest of the process? Does that help make the agent or the buyer to feel like this is going to be a “win/win” transaction? No, not really. It sets the tone for a hostile negotiation from the beginning. Now, if there is a valid reason like a simultaneous close or an investor rate, it makes sense to request and work for something that works for both sides. I find it interesting that sellers’ agents insert themselves to control such facets of the transactions. I always wonder what their motives are. Do they receive personal perks or incentives from the title company or is it focused on controlling the transaction? I am sure there are different reasons because this is such an individualized business. Whether you are a buyer or seller, make sure your agent has your best interest in mind and will work for a “win/win” situation. That ensures that whether you are negotiating the purchase price, closing date, title company, repairs or anything else that everyone is at the table to work together for a smooth and mutually beneficial transaction. It is human nature to work and cooperate with someone who you feel is acting with integrity. However, if people feel that they are being bullied or someone is not acting in good faith, they put up their guard and are not as willing to be accommodating. And that doesn’t create a win-win for anyone. -Ahwatukee resident and Associate Broker Stacey Lykins, West USA, can be reached at 602-616-9971 or S.Lykins@ LykinsProperties.com. Visit her website at www.LykinsProperties.com.

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REAL ESTATE

AHWATUKEE FOOTHILLS NEWS | JANUARY 25, 2017

Ahwatukee homes sold 85044 $154,875 $175,000 $180,000 $188,000 $195,000 $200,000 $200,000 $206,500 $238,000 $239,900 $240,000 $244,500 $252,500 $252,500 $259,000 $280,000 $281,000 $287,000 $300,000 $443,000

85045 268,000 $319,000

11225 S. Bannock St. 1646 S. 51st St. 12337 S. Shoshoni Drive 4406 E. Arapahoe St. 13044 S. 46th St. 4209 E. Cassia Way 5015 E. Cheyenne Drive 13824 S. 41Sst Way 4315 E. Jicarilla St 4037 E. Kiowa St. 4239 E. Yawepe St. 12812 S. Pai St 4153 E. Thistle Landing Drive 11440 S. Pawnee Circle 4601 E. Walatowa St 4347 E. Walatowa St. 4202 E. San Gabriel Ave 11067 S. Pewaukee St. 3707 E. Goldfinch Gate Lane 4656 E. La Mirada Way 705 W. Thunderhill Drive 15839 S. 18Th Lane

$319,500 $328,000 $335,000 $377,000 $415,000 $515,000

85048 $140,000 $185,000 $199,000 $201,000 $225,000 $225,000 $232,000 $233,000 $240,000 $240,000 $245,000 $295,000 $299,000 $303,000 $315,000 $316,000 $330,000

1624 W. Nighthawk Way 15634 S. 5th Drive 16851 S. 15th Ave. 1310 W. Thunderhill Drive 16820 S. 17th Drive 16417 S. 30th Drive

$331,000 $340,000 $348,900 $385,000 $390,000 $503,500 $600,000

2308 E. Cathedral Rock Drive 3135 E. Amber Ridge Way 4210 E. Liberty Lane 3347 E. Mountain Vista Drive 280 E. Ashurst Drive 1802 E. Brookwood Court 14202 S. 12th Place

3236 E. Chandler Blvd. 16620 S. 48th St. 1024 E. Frye Road 1024 E. Frye Road 4318 E. Windsong Drive 719 E. Goldenrod St. 4205 E. Mountain Vista Drive 1024 E. Frye Road 2125 E. Saltsage Drive 4525 E. Silverwood Drive 4430 E. Amberwood Drive 4729 E. Ashurst Drive 253 E. Ashurst Drive 4345 E. Mountain Vista Drive 4226 E. Redwood Lane 16409 S. 35th St. 3223 E. Muirwood Drive

BY BONNY HOLLAND AFN Guest Writer

redictions for 2017 have the Phoenix Metro area second Bonny Holland only to Los Angeles for increased sales with some analysts stating that Phoenix will be the hottest market this year. Last year was very strong with Valleywide appreciation at about 6 percent. According to Michael Orr’s Cromford Report, the $2-million-plus market Valley-wide had a better third quarter than the previous year with a higher number of sales and increased prices. However, the Valley-wide market between $500,000 and $2,000,000 is now the weakest price range, due to key areas affected by high levels of inventory and uninspired buyer demand. Some overall factors impacting the Valley’s luxury market are: • The luxury market has softened over the last 12 months. • Less is more. Jewel properties with smaller square footage versus larger

high-maintenance properties are in favor. New builds with updated features have increased in sales. • Price point from $500,000 to $1 million in sales and supply are up 10 percent from 2015, but the average price per square foot is down 1 percent. • Price point from $1 million-$ -million supply is up 16 percent and quarterly sales are up 9 percent from 2015; the price per square foot also down 1 percent. • The supply of homes with a price point over $2 million is up 11 percent and the average price per foot up 5 percent, although the quarterly sales are down 27 percent. So, what is a luxury home? Luxury homes are usually determined by the price point or value of the property. The most common is a property that will sell for over $1 million. Some market areas, like Ahwatukee, have so few sales over $1 million that it makes it hard to use the common number of $1 million to collect data. It would not show a true reﬂection of what “luxury” represents in that particular

market area. I asked Mike Salyer, managing broker for Keller Williams Sonoran Living to define what people would expect a luxury home to start at in Ahwatukee. He said luxury pricing is determined by taking the overall sales in a shared market area and looking at the homes in the top 10 percent of the sales. He also said in Ahwatukee, that would make the entry-level price point for luxury at $500,000. The Ahwatukee luxury market improved in 2016. Here’s a recap of the luxury homes sold 2015 versus 2016 in Ahwatukee: • $500,000 to $1 million increased from 2015 to 2016 by 15 percent in sales with 85044 and 85048 being two of the hottest zip codes in the Southeast Valley in this price point. • 2015 had 108 sales in that price range with 55 closings in 85048, 30 closings in 85044, and 23 closings in 85045. The average price per square foot for the overall closing was $178 • 2016 had 127 sales in that price range with 76 closings in 85048, 32 closings

in 85044, and 19 closings in 85045. The average price per square foot was up to $180. • Sales over $1 million increased from 2015 to 2016 by 15 percent. • 2015 had 18 sales over a million with seven closings in 85044, and 11 closings in 85048. There were three closing over $1,500,000. The highest closing was in 85044 in the Ahwatukee Custom Estates. The property recorded at $1,900,000 and was 8,500 square feet. • 2016 had 21 sales over $1 million with nine closings in 85044, and 11 in 85048. There were a total of four closings over $1,500,000 with the highest property sold at $2,400,000 in 85048. The home is located in Summerhill Estates and is approximately 7,200 square feet. • Ahwatukee has had a slow but steady increase in its luxury market in 2106. We hope the trend continues throughout 2017.

-Bonny Holland, of Keller Williams, Sonoran Living in Ahwatukee Foothills, can be reached at 602-369-1085, leadingluxuryexperts.com or on Facebook and Twitter.

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Luxury home market fared better in Ahwatukee than Valley

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REAL ESTATE

JANUARY 25, 2017 | AHWATUKEE FOOTHILLS NEWS

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849 E Leo Place

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3,074sqft, 4 bedroom, 2.5 bathroom. Gorgeous hillside custom home in the pristine gated community of Black Rock Canyon.

$749,900

5,164sqft, 5 bedroom, 4.5 bathroom. Magnificent hillside custom estate nestled in the pristine South Mountain gated community of Summerhill.

$1,349,000

6,524sqft, 6 bedroom, 5.5 bathroom. Magnificent executive hillside masterpiece in mountainous gated community of Summerhill.

$1,799,000

B onny@LeadingLuxur yExper ts.com • w w w.LeadingLuxur yE xper ts.com • 602.369.1085

1,980sqft, 3 bedroom, 2 bathroom. Beautiful single level home in the wonderful gated community of Paseo Crossing.

$308,500

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REAL ESTATE

AHWATUKEE FOOTHILLS NEWS | JANUARY 25, 2017

SPOTLIGHT TLIGHT home

16221 S Mountain Stone Trail

Incredible recently upgraded hillside estate in the secluded hillside gated community of Canyon Verde. Private mountain views front to back! Stunning foyer opens to beautiful formal dining room. Huge great room with custom entertainment niches, gas fireplace, full wet bar and oversized tinted windows for optimal mountain views. Gorgeous gourmet kitchen with custom island, granite counter tops, custom cabinetry, custom stone back splash, newer stainless appliances, gas cook top multiple gas ovens, walk-in pantry and breakfast room with views! Amazing master bedroom suite with seating area, private patio access and bedside mountain views. Fabulous master bathroom with granite counters, dual sinks, custom walkin shower, spa-like tub with jets and large walk-in closet. Spacious guest bedroom suites with walk-in closets. Executive’s style office with custom built-ins. Resort style backyard with large covered patio, custom gazebo with outdoor dining area, custom built-in BBQ, custom built-in fire place and built-in TV mount. Large play pool with custom rock waterfall feature, large grass area all surrounded by luscious mature landscape and private mountain views. Inside laundry room, 3-car garage. This home has it Owners recently upgraded many, many things including newer A/C’s! Walking distance to community park, biking/walking trails and golf course. Excellent Kyrene Schools. Great Ahwatukee Location!

kw® SONORAN LIVING Bonny Holland KELLER WILLIAMS® REALTY 602.369.1085 www.LeadingLuxuryExperts.com

Equestrian Estates Inviting territorial single-level custom home with circular drive, front courtyard and side-entry garage. 4 br, 2.5 ba with 2,955 sq. ft. Updated kitchen features granite countertops, large island, pull-out cabinetry, wine cooler and bar sink. Beautiful hardwood flooring plus stackedstone fireplace. Spacious master suite boasts sitting area, walk-in closet with custom oak cabinetry, crown molding, travertine flooring plus walk-in shower in remodeled bathroom. Anderson windows and doors with wood blinds and Plantation shutters. A/C and roof 2012. Exterior paint 2015. Outdoor lighting 2016. Private backyard with lush tropical landscaping, outdoor kitchen with island, mountain-view deck and custom play pool with sheer water descent and spa. Listed for $675,000

Stunning single-level estate located in prestigious Ahwatukee Custom Estates. Almost 4000 sq. ft., 4 bedroom, 3.5 bath plus executive office. Perfect floorplan. Gated courtyard entry. Great room w/ fireplace. Formal dining room. Kitchen includes S/S appliances, custom cabinets, cooktop, large island, skylight & walk-in pantry. Breakfast room overlooking front courtyard. Large master suite, master bath with dual vanities, Jacuzzi tub, snail shower & his/her closets. Secondary bedrooms w/walk-in closets, guest quarters, teen suite, 2nd master on the opposite end of house, perfect for multi-generational families & teens. Tranquil backyard w/pebble sheen pool, rock waterfall, firepit, covered patio, palm trees, mature landscaping & observation deck w/South Mountain views. A truly special home, the possibilities are endless!

Listed for $698,000

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KELLER WILLIAMS® REALTY

Geno Ross 602.751.2121 • www.GenoRoss.com

Mike Mendoza

480.706.7234 • www.MendozaTeam.com

REAL ESTATE

JANUARY 25, 2017 | AHWATUKEE FOOTHILLS NEWS

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Streamlined mortgages may be a good bet for a re-fi AFN NEWS SERVICES

he term “streamline mortgage” may have slipped into conversation by a suave lender or mortgage broker. What is a streamline mortgage, anyway? Could it just be some sexy wording that advertising wonks cooked up to get our attention, or is it a real thing? The good news is that streamline mortgages actually exist, and as their name suggests, they can fast-track financing so it’s a breeze, according to Realtor.com. But the international real estate website warns that they’re not for everyone—so before anyone gets their hopes up too high, let’s take a look at what they’re about. The most important thing to understand about the streamline mortgage is that it’s not an option for a new loan, but rather for refinancing a home loan you already have. Streamline programs are designed to help you quickly and easily take advantage of lower interest rates that may have become available since you took out your original loan. “Many lenders offer ‘streamlined’ alternatives to existing borrowers to lower costs and make refinancing more accessible,” said mortgage expert and journalist Colin Robertson, who publishes the website thetruthaboutmortgage.com. Basically, the reason this option exists is that while many people think of refinancing to save money, a refi also costs money upfront—largely to process all the paperwork. That financial hit and the procedural hassle can deter many from going down this road, even if it’s smart for the long term. A streamline mortgage solves this problem by taking

a few shortcuts. For a streamline mortgage, generally you don’t have to use the same lender as you did for your original loan. However, your original lender might make the process even easier (and cheaper), just to keep your business. “Typically, streamline mortgages come with limited paperwork,” says Robertson. Some of the perks of the typical streamline refinance include: no need to verify your income and assets all over again; no need for a new home appraisal to evaluate the current market price for your house; faster processing and lower closing costs The Federal Housing Administration has a short and sweet streamline mortgage program that will lower interest rates and payments quickly and efficiently. You just need an FHA-approved lender (and yes, it can be a different lender than your original). The FHA also has another streamline mortgage product that will help you modify or improve your home. It’s called an FHA Streamline 203(k) Loan, and it will make anywhere from $5,000 to $35,000 available to repair, upgrade, or weatherproof your home. You can’t just walk up to a lender the moment interest rates drop and say, “I want a streamline refi.” While all lenders have their own list of stipulations, they usually include these requirements. You must have lived in your house for a certain amount of time (often at least six months); you must be current on your mortgage; you can’t tap your home’s equity and take out any additional cash on your place; your payments will have to be reduced at least enough to cover the cost of the refi, and then some. Talk to a lender or mortgage broker if you feel this option might be right for you.

D OL

Mike Mendoza

www.MendozaTeam.com

The Pointe South Mountain

Ahwatukee

Superbly update townhouse on large corner lot in gated community. 2 br, 1.5 ba with 1,060 sq. ft. Kitchen remodel boasts cherry mahogany cabinetry, granite countertops, stainless steel appliances and 18" Italian porcelain tile flooring. 2014 new A/C. Resort-style amenities including pool/spa, golf, tennis and hiking.

Great updated single level on large corner lot. 3 br, 2 ba with 1,182 sq. ft. Remodeled kitchen features mocha cabinetry, composite sink plus fixtures, butcher block island and custom lighting. 2011 bathroom updates. 18x13 bonus room that is not included in square footage.

The Foothills

Mountain Park Ranch

Listed for $178,500

Listed for $415,000

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Listed for $228,500

Listed for $419,500

Mountain Park Ranch

Club West

Hillside lot with privacy of mountain preserve. 5 br, 3 ba with 3,546 sq. ft. Spacious open kitchen with adjacent family and formal dining room. Downstairs master and secondary bedroom. Great backyard amenities including fenced pool and spa, built-in fire pit and grass area.

Recently updated on golf course lot. 5 br plus media room, 3 ba with 3,829 sq. ft. Open kitchen with granite countertops and custom island with gas cooktop. Inviting stone-accented wet bar and fireplace in family room. New carpet, interior and exterior paint. Resort-style backyard features Pebble Tec pool and spa with waterfall, built-in BBQ and lush landscaping.

Listed for $517,500

Listed for $520,000

Equestrian Estates

Amazing sunset and mountain views from updated single level. 4 br, 3 ba with 3,056 sq. ft. Spacious eat-in kitchen with granite countertops and stainless steel appliances. Zebrawood plank tile and wood flooring. Resort-style backyard with retractable door, multiple fire pits with seating, diving pool with waterfall, built-in BBQ with bar, in-ground trampoline and tropical landscaping.

Inviting single level with circular drive, courtyard and side entry garage. 4 br, 2.5 ba with 2,955 sq. ft. Kitchen features granite countertops, pullout cabinetry, wine cooler and bar sink. Private backyard with lush tropical landscaping and custom play pool with sheer descent and spa.

Listed for $649,000

Listed for $675,000

www.MendozaTeam.com Each Office is Independently Owned & Operated

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REAL ESTATE

AHWATUKEE FOOTHILLS NEWS | JANUARY 25, 2017

ING

D PEN

OPINION

JANUARY 25, 2017 | AHWATUKEE FOOTHILLS NEWS

Batten down the hatches as the new POTUS blows into town BY DAVID LEIBOWITZ AFN Guest Writer

ou have always favored Sundays as the best 24 hours of the week, a quiet start to the next seven days, a time for reflection and worship, for positive thoughts and consideration of all that lies ahead. But now comes the second Sunday under President Donald Trump, the second of more than 200 such Sundays under America’s new POTUS. The new dawn arouses a series of emotions, each felt palpably, deeply, down in the level of your guts: There’s hope and fear, interest and worry, anger, confusion. Beneath this emotional swirl, you sense a critical question lurking, one you must answer, one that millions of us must answer: If our success as a nation depends on this president—a man so many Americans loathe with an athletic vigor—should we root for Donald Trump or against Donald Trump as our country’s leader? What does good citizenship demand of us? What’s the right course of action if you consider yourself a patriot? What’s the right set of behaviors to model for our children and neighbors? What’s the best way to act so that, come the next Sunday and the Sunday after that, we can look in the mirror and respect the face that stares back at us? The thought from this corner: All I can speak for is myself, and it is a question each one of us must answer for ourselves and ourselves alone. Me, I am going to choose to approach this president—a man I view as the marginally lesser of two abysmal evils presented for political consumption during the election just past—exactly as I treat the weather. I will note him. I will take him into account and take all the necessary

precautions. But mostly, I will go about my business, because really, the weather doesn’t have all that much impact on my life day to day. For many of you, the above paragraph will horrify you deeply. I get that. And I respect that you view this president as a force who must be protested against, repudiated, stopped. Or you view POTUS Trump in exactly the opposite way—as a man of vision who should be supported, followed and thanked during the each of the next 1454 days. You should do that. You all should do that. While I sit and watch the weather drift past, hoping reports of a tornado prove wrong, while suspecting that forecasts of picturesque sunny days ahead will prove to be so much misplaced optimism. Do I hope President Trump succeeds? I suppose it depends on how we measure his success. That is always the case for politicians with me, though. I rarely root for the man or the woman, instead to choosing to root for the constituents he or she represents. If Trump’s success is America’s success, then yes, I am rooting for him—in the same way as I rooted for Presidents Obama and Bush, et al. I’m rooting for a better economy, more jobs, better schools, fewer wars, less crime. But for President Trump personally? I feel no emotional investment in the man save the sense of anxiety and malignancy his behavior often creates. Again, he is like a weather system, a force of nature that reminds me very much of the wind. So much bluster, so much force. It is enough to make you nervous, enough to make you spend a Sunday morning in contemplation and prayer. You hope for the best while praying to avoid the worst. You hope that after the wind dies away, everything you care so much about is left standing and no worse for the wear. – David Leibowitz has called the Valley home since 1995. Reach him at david@ leibowitzsolo.com.

Share Your Thoughts: Send your letters on local issues to: pmaryniak@ahwatukee.com

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OPINION

LETTERS

from page 30

residents and 30 acres??? There are thousands of signatures opposing The Farm proposal. Your final line says, “The excitement of Ahwatukee Farms is spreading. Join your neighbors.” In reality, it is the concern over Ahwatukee Farms that is spreading, as thousands of signatures opposed to The Farm have been collected. Join your neighbors in refusing to sign the True Life consent form. -Mark Jeske

Researcher assails Schmuck’s column on education funding

In his AFN opinion piece Jan. 11, Frank Schmuck argued that reducing public spending on education is good for business. He claimed that Tesla’s decision to move to Nevada instead of Arizona was for tax and business reasons. The data from the U.S. Census bureau indicated that per-pupil spending for elementary and secondary schools in Arizona was $7,524 versus $8,414 in Nevada. According to the Wall Street Journal, the annual higher education spending per student was $5,350 in Arizona versus $6,682 in Nevada. Clearly, Nevada spent more public money on education per student than Arizona. In addition, Tesla is a California-born company, with one of the largest and most advanced automotive factories in Silicon Valley. U.S. Census data indicated that per student spending for elementary and secondary schools in California was $9,595 and its annual higher education spending per students was $8,522. Besides Tesla, many other high tech firms are based in California. In fact, the data on venture capital spending for 2015 alone in California was $33,666,771,300 compared to only $113,512,000 in Arizona. Clearly, Mr. Schmuck’s argument that reducing public spending on education is good for business does not hold. When businesses such as Tesla expand, in addition to a business-friendly environment, they look at other factors as well. In the case of Tesla, they also considered the proximity of Reno to Silicon Valley, the presence of other high tech companies in Reno, affordable

AHWATUKEE FOOTHILLS NEWS | JANUARY 25, 2017

housing, and the state’s commitment to education. The quality of public education is a reflection of the state’s commitment to education. It impacts schools, property values, and availability of local quality talent. Executives do not want to move their business to a location where they or their employees would not have access to quality education for their children or not have access to an educated workforce. As one who has worked as an employee and employer in the high-tech industry in Silicon Valley, California, I can tell you that quality education is the number one factor that impacts the choice of location for work and housing for hightech employees, not to mention that it makes it possible to find the local quality talent to function as a business. We are all interested in attracting businesses, in particular high tech ones, to Arizona. We cannot do that without the presence of an educated talent pool and an environment that would be attractive to educated families. A short-sighted and simplistic approach suggested by Schmuck is not a solution. This is a complicated issue and requires that thoughtful people from all sides come together and work on a longterm and lasting solution. I understand Mr. Schmuck’s frustration. But as a fellow engineer, I want to remind him of the first principle of engineering, which is impartial analysis of facts and data to see what produces the best results. -Armineh Noravian, (Educational researcher in Arizona)

Arizona’s 2 senators should vote against Sessions

President Trump's pick for U.S. Attorney General, Jeff Sessions needs 51 votes to be confirmed. Senators Jeff Flake and John McCain should be no votes on confirming Jeff Sessions. First, Sessions did not provide enough information for the Senate to make a truly informed decision. Sessions was required to fill out the Senate’s Judiciary Questionnaire. He submitted one that was missing hundreds of entries that should have been included and is woefully inadequate, according to organizations that have examined it. The only experience Sessions has is attacking people of color, women and

immigrants. Sessions’ anti-civil rights stance is still troubling Sessions isn’t well regarded by his colleagues. When Sessions was nominated to be a federal judge in 1986, he was rejected by a bipartisan majority of the Senate Judiciary Committee after his record of opposition to civil rights and accusations that he had made racist remarks to his colleagues was revealed. Former colleagues reported that he called a black attorney “boy” and described a white lawyer as a “disgrace to his race” because of his work on voting rights. Sessions had recently unsuccessfully prosecuted African-American organizers for their work to register and engage voters in black communities. And he had reportedly accused the ACLU and NAACP of forcing “civil rights down the throats of people.” Sessions hasn’t learned from what happened in 1986 and hasn’t backed down from his extremist beliefs. Sessions has an appalling record on immigration and a well-documented animosity toward immigrants. He’s opposed almost every immigration bill that’s come before him in the Senate over the last two decades. Sessions is one of the most ardent opponents of immigration reform in the Senate. He not only voted against such legislation but also creating a “handbook” to bolster Republican efforts to block immigration reform and supporting even a drastic reduction of legal immigration. It’s difficult to understand why Senator Flake and McCain continue to support Sessions. McCain has pushed back on Trump’s other nomination, Rex Tillerson, for his ties to Russia. Flake was an outspoken critique of Trump during the campaign. McCain is now pushing back against President-elect Trump’s handling of the Russian hacking. But he’s showing he lacks the courage to stand up against the coming anticivil rights agenda of the Trump Administration. This is a time for political courage. Anything less is a violation of a democracy meant to safeguard us from extremists like Sessions who would harm the most vulnerable among us. -Josselyn Berry

Share Your Thoughts: Send your letters on local issues to: pmaryniak@ahwatukee.com

LAWLIS

from page 29

While it is true that ADOT won the first round from Arizona District Court, the local court is unfortunately quite biased toward any part of Arizona government. The court claimed that ADOT had the discretion to approve the SMF in spite of the fact that the process used was clearly in violation of federal law. The laws might as well not exist if agencies are permitted to use discretion to the point of ignoring the intent of the applicable laws! As early as 2006, when PARC formed, it was clear that this lawsuit would need to go to the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals in San Francisco before the case would get a fair hearing. After 10 years of listening to ADOT propaganda and recently having to tolerate ADOT’s destruction of Pecos Road even while knowing the lawsuit is not yet settled, the case is finally in the Ninth Circuit. We are close to our objective. Yet, as ADOT intended all along, the propaganda has worn down the resolve of so many of the citizens. Still, I have a dream that this community will continue to support PARC until the matter is resolved. Even for those who are skeptical, is Ahwatukee not worth fighting for? Is it not worth at least a small donation to continue to support the fight? If nothing else has convinced you, the mess that is now Pecos Road should open your eyes. Think about a freeway crossing over intersections such as 32nd Street, elevated way above ground level, bringing an ugly vision of truck traffic along with noise and pollution into homes and schools nearby. Consider how the entire fabric of the community of Ahwatukee would change from a marvelous place to live and recreate into just another freeway “slum.” Finally, consider that South Mountain Park, a wonderful wilderness park with so many recreational opportunities nearby, would lose all semblance of “wilderness,” never to be regained. Checks may be made out to PARC and sent to PO Box 50455, Phoenix, AZ 85076-0455. Credit card donations may be made at the PARC website protectAZchildren.org. Please stay informed and stay positive. Ahwatukee is worth fighting for. -Dr. Pat Lawlis is the president of Protect Arizona’s Resources and Children and a resident of Ahwatukee for 25 years.

JANUARY 25, 2017 | AHWATUKEE FOOTHILLS NEWS

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OPINION

Business

AHWATUKEE FOOTHILLS NEWS | JANUARY 25, 2017

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Ahwatukee woman finds success with gluten-free goods baked at home BY PAUL MARYNIAK AFN Executive Editor

hen Melissa Lemme of Ahwatukee wanted to name her baking business, the only people in an informal focus who balked at her favorite were her kids. She had picked other names only to find their website domains had already been taken. “They said, ‘No! We get teased all the time about “Lemme do this” and “Lemme do that!”’ I didn’t grow up with the name, just luckily married into it, so I went against their wishes and sided with the friends,” she recalled. And that’s how Lemme Eat Gluten was born nearly two years ago when the 24-year Ahwatukee resident opened a home-based business in her kitchen. The California native operates a baketo-order business. Lemme and two of her four kids were the inspiration for her line of glutenfree baked goods. All three are celiac, a genetic autoimmune disorder where the ingestion of gluten leads to damage in the small intestine and has been linked to as many as 200 different symptoms.

“Our slogan is ‘from our glutenfree home to yours,’” she said. Her husband and two others are not allergic to gluten: “My husband and two of my children are not celiac, or gluten intolerant, so they help by letting me know if my items taste as good as or better than the wheat counterpart,” Lemme explained. Though she has never worked in a bakery, she has been making pies, breads, rolls and other baked goods since (Special to AFN) she was a kid. “I Melissa Lemme of Ahwatukee makes gluten-free baked goods out of have always baked her kitchen and personally delivers them to customers. for my family and are baking and how they taste,” she friends,” Lemme said. At first, it was because she enjoyed the explained. As she got older, however, she found it sensations in her kitchen. necessary to adjust her baking. “I like the wonderful aroma as they

“We do not enjoy the gluten-free dessert options that are available, so I created my own recipes,” said Lemme, who spent more than two years perfecting her recipes before going public. “The real spark was a request on Facebook,” she said. “Someone asked ‘Is there anyone who can make a gluten and dairy-free pie?” I responded, she ordered, and off I went.” Lemme bakes everything to order. “My main shtick is that I bake to order and personally deliver to my customers,” she said. “However, I do attend local events with an array of baked goods. Customers can pre-reorder to pick up at these events if they like. Alternatively, they can stop by to see what I have.” During the last two Thanksgiving holidays, she made nearly 20 pies. Her offerings include banana bread, cookies, cupcakes, muffins, pies and scones. “I just added angel food cake to the menu,” she noted. Those cookies and scones take more preparation time, she said, “but it’s worth it.” The fact that half her family is celiac, See

BAKER on page 37

Ahwatukee Ace Hardware relocates to enhance amenties AFN NEWS STAFF

or the third time since it first opened in 1989, Ahwatukee Ace Hardware has been moved. Thought still located on the corner of 48th Street and Warner Road, owner Jim Wennersten moved the store next to Basha’s. “The decision to move was mainly to have better parking, but also a newer building with updated and new amenities such as A/C units and sliding doors for our customers,” said manager Katie The moved also has enabled Ahwatukee Ace Hardware to expand its product lines.

“We have added new lines of product such as Stihl, Ben Moore Advance paint and a ton of other items,” Smith said. Wennersten has owned the store since 1996 and Smith has been manager for about the last 10 years. He had been with American Express but “it was always Jim’s dream to own his own business,” Smith said. Although Wennersten’s has a lot of the back-office duties and Smith’s activities are throughout the store, she said, “We are very active in each other’s main roles.” While the store is open seven days a week, Smith said she and Wennerten manage to take time off to be with the respective families “because our Team is great.”

Special to AFN)

Owner Jim Wennersten has moved the Ahwatukee Ace Hardware next to Basha's at 48th Street and Warner Road.

“They are local Ahwatukee residents and really care about the store,” she said. “We can trust them to provide the best service and knowledge without us having to be here.” Though Wennersten has owned the store for 21 years, he still finds challenges.

“One of the biggest challenges is the increases in costs to run a business,” Smith said. Besides the Ahwatukee store, Wennersten also owns ACE hardware outlets in Scottsdale and on 19th Avenue in Phoenix.

BUSINESS

JANUARY 25, 2017 | AHWATUKEE FOOTHILLS NEWS

PRACTICING SINCE 1998

Elizabeth Estes

ESTATE PLANNING FAMILY LAW REAL ESTATE BUSINESS FORMATIONS (Shelley Gillespie/AFN Contributor)

Denise Maier (front), a nurse, uses a drill for the first time, as daughter Makena Hogan (middle) and mother, Judy Maier, a retired second grade schoolteacher, wait their turn.

Workshops let crafty creators make wooden signs for home BY SHELLEY GILLESPIE AFN Contributing Writer

elissa Malcom found the perfect business to open when she discovered Board & Brush, which she launched in November. An added plus is that the company founder is a college friend. There are 40 other franchises already working with the successful concept. Board & Brush offers workshops for people who like to create. Customers are guided to develop hand-designed wooden signs to decorate their homes, yards, offices, and also give as gifts. No experience with woodworking is required. “I’ve always been pretty crafty,” Malcom said. She needed to be “crafty” to coordinate the hands-on wooden sign projects that 18-36 people spend three hours creating. “I had never worked with a drill before this. Fifty percent of my clients have never touched a drill, so I show them how to use the power tools,” Malcom explained. “This empowers women to use equipment.” Although men are sometimes part of her workshops, as part of corporate teambuilding workshops or a couples group, most of the attendees are women from as young as 16 to retirement age. Malcom presides over the workshops in Gilbert with two assistants who help the business groups, families and friends start with pine boards and end with

welcoming signs that add an instant sense of nostalgia and individuality to their homes. Why does it take three hours to make a sign? The process involves several steps and no one is rushing. The groups enjoy the camaraderie and make a party of the event. Some parts of the process are begun in advance, as Malcom cuts wood to size and prepares stencils for each customer from choices that the corporate office changes monthly. Malcom mounts a stool and welcomes the group. “I’m short and, sometimes you won’t be able to hear me, so I’ll flash the lights,” she announced. “Please grab some earplugs. You’ll need them.” The very first step creates deafening noise as sign makers pound on the wood with hammers, mallets and meat tenderizers to produce a distressed look. “It’s the best part for some people who’ve had a hard day,” Malcom claimed, grinning. Next, they sand the corners and edges of the wood so no one walks away with splinters. Brushes are on every work table so attendees can remove the sawdust that their sanding generates before they stain the wood. Choosing a color to stain their signs from the six available colors is a major decision. Choices range from classic gray to a Sedona red. The gray and dark See

WORKSHOPS on page 39

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BUSINESS

AHWATUKEE FOOTHILLS NEWS | JANUARY 25, 2017

Ahwatukee couples among those getting wedding ideas in a pub-crawl style BY COLLEEN SPARKS AFN Contributing Writer

rospective brides and grooms from Ahwatukee and the East Valley got a taste of what their dream weddings could look like as they explored downtown Chandler’s businesses in a pub-crawl-style event recently. About 200 people, including future brides and grooms as well as their friends and family members, participated in the Downtown Chandler Wedding Walk Jan. 12 held by the Downtown Chandler Community Partnership. They started with drinks at SoHo63, a wedding and event venue on East Boston Street, then walked west on Boston Street, before heading north on San Marcos Place. The event started in the late afternoon and wrapped up that night with a mock wedding reception at the Crowne Plaza San Marcos Golf Resort on San Marcos Place. The couples and their entourages visited about 30 participating businesses, including restaurants, bars, a wedding dress store, tuxedo store, a print shop, and ice cream sandwich company and Western gift store. Business owners and employees rolled out the red carpet, pitching their services and holding free raffles for discounts on venue rentals, meals, dresses, tuxedos and other wedding-related goods. Kari Hedquist, 30, of Ahwatukee Foothills, and her friend Sabrina Kingman, 31, got drinks inside SoHo63 as they tried to plan their weddings. They will be bridesmaids in each other’s weddings. Hedquist said SoHo63 is “definitely a contender” for a wedding location. “The venue’s really beautiful,” she said. “My fiancé and I have always had this

(Colleen Sparks/Special to AFN)

Sabrina Kingman, left, and Kari Hedquist of Ahwatukee Foothills, both brides-to-be, check out decorations in a room available for weddings at SoHo63 in Chandler.

old-world feel.” Laughing and smiling, groups toured reception areas, a cocktail room and indoor and outdoor places for ceremonies with flowers, hanging beads, a fireplace and other romantic touches at SoHo63. Inside the event venue, a popular drink for brides-to-be was “Drunk on Love,” served by Kinsey Kendrick, the owner of drink-catering company Couple of Bartenders. “It’s a great one-stop shop for planning all your wedding needs,” said Karli Ragan, marketing and events manager for the Downtown Chandler Community Partnership. “The raffle prizes are a big draw. It takes some of the burden off of planning a wedding.” A $5 ticket bought participants that

drink—a mix of vodka, peach liquor, ginger ale and plum bitters—or another alcoholic beverage, as well as a chance to sample businesses’ food and enter to win raffle prizes. Newly engaged couple Nicole Burt, 27, and Eddie Mathot, 28, both of Tempe, strolled inside SoHo63, getting ideas for their wedding planned for the spring of 2018. “We’re interested in a couple of the venues down here,” Burt said. “It’s a good vibe, good energy down here.” She and Mathot like Chandler’s restaurants and bars because they consider them classy but affordable. Kingman said it was convenient to check out so many businesses in one evening.

“We just wanted to take a look at vendor options,” she said. “I’ve been thinking for a while what my vision is.” SoHo63 hosts about 100 events a year, about 80 of which are weddings, said Jessica Sobczak, event curator for the business. Some people are already booking weddings for 2019 there. October and April are the most popular months for weddings in Arizona, according to Theresa Abril, state manager for Arizona and New Mexico with the Association of Bridal Consultants. The average wedding costs about $24,000, added Abril, who also owns wedding planning company Weddings 4 Rebels in Phoenix. Abril said she likes wedding walks like the Chandler one because they allow businesses and the engaged couples to get to know each other in a more intimate setting. “It’s more specialized,” she said. “You make that one-on-one connection more than you would at a big show.” Serena Peng, owner of the wedding dress store Yes, I do Bridal, showed brides-to-be various modern and vintage dresses in her store on West Boston Street. Jenifer Hulfish, 36, of Chandler, is getting married to Isaac Harrington, 31, of Chandler in four months and still needs a wedding dress. She said she is happy to hear Yes, I Do Bridal can customize dresses quickly and called the walk a fun way to get good ideas. Becky Ballenger of Chandler had already bought her dress, but had fun trying on veils at Yes, I Do Bridal and eating the complimentary ice cream sandwiches from Ice Cream Sammies just outside the dress shop with her two friends. See

WEDDING WALK on page 39

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JANUARY 25, 2017 | AHWATUKEE FOOTHILLS NEWS

WORKSHOPS

from page 37

walnut stains are quite popular. “Stain with the grain,” she advised. “And don’t miss the sides, ends and backs.” After staining, each project is assembled with hangers attached. Then, a stencil design is painstakingly placed on the stained board. The sign makers fill in the spaces with contrasting paint. “Stipple and dab, don’t brush,” Malcom said. Malcom takes particular pleasure in the multi-generational groups who attend workshops. “They have pride of ownership. One grandma was a reluctant participant, just there to be with her granddaughter.

BAKER

from page 36

though, has helped her preparations. “Being that my family is already celiac, a lot of the prep work has been done,” Lemme said. “I already had dedicated baking equipment. I did add dedicated storage for food and equipment and prep areas for the business. No household ingredients are used for the business and vice versa. I did treat myself to a

She had a bad attitude! When they were done, the grandma was the most excited,” said Malcom. A recent workshop included three generations of the Maier family. Judy Maier, a retired teacher; her daughter Denise, a nurse; and granddaughter Makena Hogan, studying for a business degree in Hawaii, all prepared different signs. Judy Maier laughed, while hammering, “This is fun. You get your aggressions out.” Her sign welcomed people to her home. Owning a Board & Brush franchise was the best opportunity for Malcom, whose husband died from brain cancer, to spend time with her 9-year-old daughter, Ellyson. Malcom preps wood and supplies, contacts groups and sets up

workshops from home. “What I’d like to be doing in the future? I hope to expand to Tucson by mid-year,” said Malcom. Workshops are offered to the public or set up by special arrangement. The threehour workshops are $65 per person for a project. Private parties require a minimum of 12 on weekdays and 15 on weekends. Business groups that create smaller projects are $45 per person. January special: Anyone who books a private party in the first quarter gets their board for free. For more Information, contact gilbert@boardandbrush.com, 480-4866151, boardandbrush.com/gilbert. The business is at 538 S. Gilbert Road Suite 112, Gilbert.

commercial counter top mixer to keep up with larger orders and more baking pans to keep up with production. No cross contamination here.” To buttress the word of mouth about her business, Lemme promotes Lemme through social media and in programs used at school fundraisers. Her made-to-order approach does have disadvantages. “I have to cap my orders,” she said. “I can only bake and deliver so many items

at one time. My family is supportive: when I am baking orders for customers or preparing for an event, the kitchen is ‘closed’ to the family, so they have to eat somewhere else or make their meals ahead of time. Planning is our friend! “They do get any extra items or help taste a batch of baked items to assure quality control, so they do not complain, too much." Still, she dreams of a day when she can “open a storefront for customers to

BUSINESS

WEDDING WALK

from page 38

“They’re treating us pretty well,” on the walk, Ballenger said. “We are raffle hunting shopping.” Employees from Serranos Mexican Restaurant greeted walk attendees at a table set up on Boston Street, talking about their venue around the corner on South Arizona Avenue. Inside Serranos, event manager Teri Faldon showed people the various rooms where they could hold receptions and weddings. A room with a stage is a popular place for weddings, including one just held on New Year’s Eve, Faldon said. be able to pick up a fresh baked goody without having to place an order. I would like to have an establishment that serves only gluten free foods all day. Breakfast, lunch, dinner and dessert,” she said, adding: “Maybe even a place where everyone knows your name, but that may have already been taken.” Contact: LemmeEatGlutenFree. com, 480-779-7059, melissa@ lemmeeatglutenfree.com

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AHWATUKEE FOOTHILLS NEWS | JANUARY 25, 2017

Millennials should consider investment tips sooner, not later BY JOSEPH ORTIZ AFN Guest Writer

f you're a “millennial,” a member of the age cohort born anywhere from the early 1980s to the late 1990s, then you’re still in the early chapters of your career, so it may be a stretch for you to envision the end of it. But since you do have so many years until you retire, you’ve got the luxury of putting time on your side as you save and plan for retirement. Here are some suggestions for making the best use of that time: Invest early and often. Even if you are at the very beginning of your career, make investing a priority. At first, you might only be able to contribute a small amount each month, but something is far better than nothing. And after a year or so, you might be surprised at how much you’ve actually put away. If your employer offers a 401(k) or similar plan, contribute as much as you can afford. At the least, put in enough to earn your employer’s match, if one

is offered. Your contributions can lower your taxable income, and your earnings can grow on a tax-deferred basis. As your career advances, and your earnings rise, you’ll want to increase your contributions to your 401(k) or similar plan. And if you ever “max out” on your annual 401(k) contributions (the limits change over time), you can probably still contribute to another tax-advantaged retirement plan, such as a traditional or Roth IRA. Thus far, we’ve only discussed, in general terms, how much and how often you should invest. But it’s obviously just as important to think about the type of investments you own. And at this stage of your life, you need an investment mix that provides you with ample opportunities for growth. Historically, stocks and stockbased vehicles provide greater growth potential than other investments, such as government securities, corporate bonds and certificates of deposit (CDs). Of course, stocks will rise and fall in price, sometimes dramatically. But with decades ahead of you, you do have time to overcome short-term losses. And you may be able to reduce the effects

of market volatility by spreading your dollars among many different stock-based investments, along with a reasonable percentage of bonds and other, more conservative securities. Here’s something else to consider: Many millennials want more from their investments than just good performance; they also want their money to make a difference in the world. This interest in “impact” investing (also known as “socially responsible” investing) has led some of your peers to screen out companies or industries they believe have a negative impact on society in favor of other businesses that are viewed as contributing to a more sustainable world. If this viewpoint resonates with you, then you may want to explore these types of investment opportunities with a financial professional. But most importantly, keep on investing throughout your life. As a millennial, you’ve got plenty of the one asset that can never be replaced: time. Use it wisely. -Ahwatukee Foothills Edward Jones Financial Advisor Joseph B. Ortiz, AAMS, CRPS, can be reached at 480-753-7664 or joseph.ortiz@ edwardjones.com.

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SPIRITUAL SIDE

Showing how we can bring light to a dark season BY RABBI DEAN SHAPIRO AFN Guest Writer

inter nights are long and dark; it is easy to feel alone. Perhaps that’s why so many cultures have a Festival of Light—to warm us, to provide hope, and to send a beacon one to another, saying, “I am here! I will share what I have with you, and together we’ll see warmer days.” The Midrash, an ancient Jewish form of biblical interpretation, imagines that Adam, the first earthling, grew fearful when nights grew long that very first winter. He prayed for eight days, until he observed that the days were growing longer once more. When the pattern repeated itself the next year, he realized that this was not punishment but rather the natural way of the world. The Hanukkah menorah, or

Hanukkiah, is the Jewish lamp with eight branches, one for each night of Hanukkah, plus an additional lamp with which to light the others. Each night of the festival, we light one more candle— first one, then two, and so on—until the entire lamp is ablaze. It gives us both sensory and spiritual knowledge that winter will fade and light will return. And so, it was extraordinarily hurtful that someone would desecrate the menorah standing in the yard of a Jewish family in Chandler on the sixth night of Hanukkah. Not only did the perpetrator dismantle a symbol of hope and perseverance, but they even turned it into the utmost symbol of brutality and darkness. It was a profound violation. It was also a profound mistake. The culprit forgot that the menorah is a symbol of something that’s profoundly true: Darkness does not remain. Light always returns.

That’s what happened in Chandler on Dec. 30. Some 200 or more members of our synagogue community, Temple Emanuel, and our neighbors in Chandler and across the Southeast Valley, gathered to rededicate the menorah, expertly repaired by the homeowner. We sang blessings. We read the words of the world’s peacemakers as each solar-powered light came on. We looked each other in the eyes and acknowledged our shared humanity. The truth is that there is far, far more that unites us than divides us. And we celebrated the return of the light. There is something particularly profound about fire. It does not diminish when it is shared; it grows. In this, fire is like love. Lights shine brighter together. That’s what happened on the seventh night of Hanukkah 2016, the Hebrew year 5777, in Chandler, Arizona. We shared our light, and it grew and grew and grew—bringing people together,

reminding us that we are better together, and becoming a beacon of neighborliness that shone across the street, across the city of Chandler, across Arizona, and indeed around the world. What will you do to share in this energy, to help the light grow? Can you introduce yourself to a neighbor, break bread with someone from a different culture or tradition? What affirmative steps will your workplace, club, house of worship, or school take to dismantle barriers and make sure that everyone has a positive experience? What civic organizations merit your membership or contribution in support of a more open, loving community for all? No one can do this work for us. We are the builders, and we are the light. – Rabbi Dean Shapiro is the spiritual leader of Temple Emanuel of Tempe. Contact him at rshapiro@emanueloftempe.org and visit his “Rabbi Dean Shapiro” page on Facebook.

‘Shrek Jr.’ dinner to raise money for Foothills Baptist mission work AFN NEWS STAFF

aying for the expenses of a 30-member mission doesn’t come cheap. That’s why Foothills Baptist Church is holding a dinner-theater fundraiser this week. Students will perform the Broadway musical “Shrek Jr.” at 7 p.m. Friday, Jan. 27, and noon and 5 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 29, at the church, 15450 S. 21st St., Ahwatukee. Tickets are $20 and can be obtained at foothillsbaptist.org or 480-759-2118. The church has two missions. “Each year we take approximately 30 students and sponsors on the mission trip,” said spokesman Craig Anderson. “We do a combination of work and service projects during the day and in the evenings we present the gospel through song, dance, and

street dramas at homeless shelters, juvenile prisons, recovery centers and Salvation Armies.” Living Water is a nine-12-student fine arts team that visits other cities to help people. “Last year we did a mission in Calgary, Alberta, Canada,” Anderson said. “This year we will be doing mission work in Chicago.” The musical is directed by Gary Crumm and Kelley Roberts, both rained in theater arts. “We’ve been rehearsing ‘Shrek Jr.’ since October,” said Anderson, adding that the dinner includes salad and desserts. Anderson said the fundraisers have been successful over the last 15 years and that he and other church leaders are hoping for a repeat this year. “We have a lot of seats available,” he said.

(Kima Ahern/Special to AFN)

Performing a dress rehearsal for this weekend’s production of “Shrek Jr” at Foothills Baptist Church are, from left: Jack Crumm, Matthew Culver, Andrew Deros, Kaeler Moore, Emily Harry, Alli Herrin and Josh Cook.

FAITH

AHWATUKEE FOOTHILLS NEWS | JANUARY 25, 2017

FAITH CALENDAR

SUNDAY, JAN. 29 HUMAN TRAFFICKING SEMINAR

A seminar on preventing human trafficking will look at how this crime can victimize children and adults of all ages, even in Chandler. The Chandler Police Department and Streetlight USA, a charitable group that helps victims deal with their trauma, will make presentations. DETAILS>> 5 p.m., Epiphany Lutheran Church, 800 W. Ray Rd, Chandler. Free. Info: pam@epiphanychandler.org.

SUN-SAT, JAN. 29-FEB. 4 LOVE WEEK

Generation Church will be holding its annual Love Week. Each day will include events to honor and love people in Mesa and the surrounding areas. Some of the events will include appreciation lunches for local teachers, police officers and firefighters, cleaning local parks, hosting a blood drive and concerts at nearby nursing homes. DETAILS>>Information: 480-986-3149.

MONDAY, JAN. 30 KABBALAH OF TIME

A new six-session course examines time and the Jewish calendar through the mystical lens of Kabbalah. Discover both a practical understanding of the structure of the Jewish calendar as well as mystical insights into recurrent patterns of time. DETAILS>> Mondays 7:30-9 p.m., Pollack Chabad Center For Jewish Life, 875 N. McClintock Drive, Chandler. Information: 480-855-4333, info@chabadcenter.com.

THURSDAY, FEB. 2 WEBINAR TALK

A talk titled “Spiritual Discovery: How Can You Better The World?” will be offered by the First Church of Christ

Scientist, Tempe. At a time when many people are thinking about how to make change in the world for the better, genuine spirituality has a valuable and unique contribution to make. DETAILS>> Noon-1 p.m. online. Preregister at christiansciencetempe.com/community-events. Information: Linda Peairs at lindadpeairs@gmail.com.

FRIDAY, FEB. 3

POSIPALOOZA! CONCERT

Posi (pah-zee) music comes in literally every style from folk to rap. It’s a new genre that is message-based and meant to empower, unite and transform your life. This concert will feature Posi artists Freebo, Harold Payne and Richard Mekdeci. DETAILS>> 7 p.m., 2700 E. Southern Ave., Mesa. Tickets are $20, at unityofmesa.org or at empowerma.com/ PosiPaloozaTicket.

SUNDAYS

Hebrew School focuses on Jewish heritage, culture and holidays. DETAILS>> 9:30 a.m. to noon, for children ages 5-13 at Pollack Chabad Center for Jewish Life, 875 N. McClintock Drive, Chandler. 480-855-4333, info@ chabadcenter.com, or chabadcenter.com.

RABBINIC LIT COURSE OFFERED

Ongoing morning study of two classics of rabbinic literature by medieval philosopher Moses Maimonides (the “Rambam”). At 10 a.m., Prof. Norbert Samuelson, Grossman chair of Jewish Philosophy at ASU and TBS member, teaches “Maimonides’ Guide of the Perplexed: What Jews Ought to Believe.” At 11:15 a.m., TBS member Isaac Levy teaches “Maimonides’ Mishneh Torah: How Jews Ought to Behave.” Readings in both Hebrew and English. DETAILS>> Community Room of the administration building at Temple Beth Sholom of the East Valley, 3400 N. Dobson Road, Chandler. 480-897-3636.

UNITY OFFERS A PATH

Valor Christian Center in Gilbert offers “great praise and worship and great messages for today’s living,” according to Pastor Thor Strandholt, associate pastor. “Our mission is evangelize, healing and discipleship through the word of God.” DETAILS>> 10 a.m. Sundays and 7 p.m. Thursdays. 3015 E. Warner Road. Information: valorcc.com.

Unity of Mesa says its Sunday service offers “a positive path for spiritual living” through “transformational lessons, empowering music and various spiritual practices with an open-minded and welcoming community.” DETAILS>> 9 and 10:45 a.m. 2700 E. Southern Ave., Mesa. Nursery available for infants through kindergarten at service times. Youth ministry classes are open in the Education Annex at 10:45 a.m. Information: 480-8922700, unityofmesa.org, lori@unityofmesa.org.

HORIZON SEEKS YOUNG PEOPLE

ALL ARE WELCOME

VALOR CHRISTIAN OUTLINES MISSION

High school and middle school students meet to worship and do life together. DETAILS>> 5 p.m. at Horizon Presbyterian Church, 1401 E. Liberty Ln. 480-460-1480 or email joel@horizonchurch.com.

KIDS CAN LEARN JEWISH LIFE

Children can learn and experience Jewish life. Chabad

All on a peaceful spiritual path are welcome and honored in this inclusive, loving, thriving Unity Community. Join us for Interfaith CommUNITY Spiritual Center’s Sunday Celebration Service DETAILS>> 10:30 a.m. Toddlers and children meet during our service. Interfaith CommUNITY Spiritual Center, 952 E. Baseline, Suite 102, Mesa. Information: info@interfaithcommunity.org.

MONDAYS

JOIN CHRIST-CENTERED YOGA

This Flow 1-2 class (intermediate) is free and open to the community. DETAILS>> 6-7 p.m., Mountain Park Community Church, 2408 E. Pecos Road. Greg Battle at 480-759-6200 or gbattle@moutainpark.org.

CLASS TARGETS THE GRIEVING

Classes for those grieving over death or divorce. DETAILS>> 6:30 p.m., Holy Trinity Lutheran Church, 739 W. Erie St., Chandler. 480-963-4127.

STRUGGLING FIND SUPPORT

Support group for those struggling with how to deal with a loss in life. DETAILS>> 7 p.m., 1825 S. Alma School Road, Room C201,

Chandler. Pastor Larry Daily, 480-963-3997, ext. 141, larrydaily@chandlercc.org or chandlercc.org.

TUESDAYS GRIEFSHARE

Mountain Park Community Church is offering an ongoing GriefShare programs to help people deal with the pain of losing a loved one. DETAILS>> 6:30-8 p.m., 2408 E. Pecos Road, Ahwatukee. To register: mountainpark.org and click on Launch. Information: Alex at 480-759-6200

FINDING HEALING FOR PAIN

HOPE, an acronym for “Help Overcome Painful Experiences,” offers support for men and women who seek God’s grace and healing. DETAILS>> 6:30 to 8 p.m. Mountain Park Community Church, 2408 E. Pecos Road. mountainpark.org.

SENIORS ENJOY ‘TERRIFIC TUESDAYS’

The program is free and includes bagels and coffee and a different speaker or theme each week. Registration not needed. DETAILS>> 10:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m., Barness Family East Valley Jewish Community Center, 908 N. Alma School Road, Chandler. evjcc.org or 480-897-0588.

WEDNESDAYS

DIVORCE SUPPORT AVAILABLE

People going through a divorce or separation don’t have to go it alone. They can find help in the DivorceCare Support Group. DETAILS>> 6:30-8 p.m. at Mountain View Lutheran Church, 11002 S. 48th St., Ahwatukee, Classroom 5. Information: mvlutheran.org/support-recovery.

CELEBRATE RECOVERY MEETS

Celebrate Recovery says it “brings your relationship with the Lord closer to your heart as it heals your hurts, habits and hang-ups.” Participants can discuss issues ranging from feeling left out to addictions. “Nothing is too small or too large.” DETAILS>> 6:20 p.m. at Mountain View Lutheran Church, 11002 S. 48th St., Ahwatukee. mvlutheran.org/ celebraterecovery or email cr@alphamvlc.com.

WOMEN’S BIBLE STUDY OFFERED

Living Word Ahwatukee women’s Bible study and fellowship that offers “a short, low-key time of praise and worship in music and message.” It’s also an opportunity to meet other Christian women in Ahwatukee. DETAILS>> 10-11:30 a.m., Living Word Ahwatukee, 14647 W. 50th St., Suite 165, Ahwatukee. Free child care. Submit your releases to pmaryniak@ahwatukee.com

JANUARY 25, 2017 | AHWATUKEE FOOTHILLS NEWS

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Area women challenging men in the world of pinball wizardry BY COLLEEN SPARKS AFN Contributing Writer

hwatukee and East Valley women attracted to the flashing lights and fun competition of pinball games are out to prove they can keep up with the boys. Tracy Lindbergh of Chandler is starting a women-only Belles & Chimes Phoenix area pinball league that will play in its first tournament at 6:30 p.m. on Thursday, Jan. 26, at Tilt Studio in Arizona Mills Mall. Belles & Chimes is a pinball league exclusively for women with chapters around the country that started in Oakland, California, in 2013. Like its parent, the new club’s goal is to bring together women of all pinball skill levels in a supportive, fun environment where they can learn from each other, make friends and participate in competitions. “I like to play anywhere there’s a pinball machine,” Lindbergh, 38, said. “I love playing competitively. “I just don’t see enough women playing pinball.” Lindbergh already runs a Tuesday night pinball league for men and women at Tilt and said she believes there is no physical reason why women can’t play pinball as well as men. She started playing pinball at age 13 and is ranked 11th overall in Arizona among men and women, and 73rd in the world among women. The Phoenix area Belles & Chimes club will meet monthly at different locations for

tournament play. The second meeting will be Feb. 26 at The Grid: Games and Growlers on South Gilbert Road in Mesa, but future locations will be announced later. Mary Lopez, 52, of Chandler, is excited to socialize with other women when the Belles & Chimes club starts playing. She started playing pinball in high school in New Jersey. “At the time it was more of a social gathering,” said Lopez, a registered nurse. “We all went down to the local candy shop, which had a pinball machine and that’s where we all met.” Now she likes playing on her pinball machine at home with her sons, ages 19, 21 and 23, as a fun stress release. “If I’m playing pinball, that’s all I’m thinking about is the pinball machine,” Lopez said. “I’m not thinking about the world around me.” Amber Crabtree, 27, of Mesa, started coming to the Tuesday night co-ed pinball league at Tilt with a male friend and is eager to participate in Belles & Chimes. “I’ve always just been drawn to pinball,” said Crabtree. “I didn’t even know there was such a thing as competitive pinball.” Men dominate pinball competitions around the world but women are getting more involved, said Josh Sharpe, president of the International Flipper Pinball Association in Illinois. The organization maintains official pinball players’ competitive rankings at the state, national and international level. Sharpe said only about 10 percent of competitive pinball players are women in the world. However, he said the IFPA started a women’s world championship last year and began a women’s ranking system a month ago to encourage more female players to compete. As of the end of last year, the IFPA was ranking

(Colleen Sparks/Special to AFN)

Lacy Lindbergh of Chandler plays a pinball machine as her husband Mark, center, competes and their friend Henry Hanshaw of Gilbert watches.

close to 50,000 players around the world, an increase of about 20-percent from the end of 2015. “Belles & Chimes has been able to do really well in giving an atmosphere that is embracing women as sort of a gateway into that world,” Sharpe said. He and Lindbergh said the pictures of “scantily clad” women on pinball machines in the past and the fact the games were usually in bars tended to attract mostly men over the years. Lindbergh said the games are getting more politically correct and fun for women, including one of her favorite games at Tilt, “Game of Thrones,” based on the popular TV show. Lindbergh is quick to offer tips to help other players: move the machine, but don’t shove it too hard in order to steer the silver ball; strategize about where to hit the silver

ball and aim it in that direction; if you miss the ball, regain control of it quickly. “You have to think fast,” she said. “Every game has different rules.” Lindbergh loves the social aspect of pinball and enjoys playing with her husband, Mark, who’s also a competitive player, at Tilt and on the couple’s 14 pinball machines at home. She also plays at The Grid: Games and Growlers, as well as Starfighters Arcade in Mesa, and Cobra Arcade Bar and Alice Cooper’stown restaurant in Phoenix. Tilt has 21 pinball machines, including one unveiled at a recent tournament and launch partythat shows clips of the original “Batman” TV show. Nancy Roggio, an Ahwatukee Foothills resident and vice-president of marketing at Tilt in Tempe, said she saw many women playing pinball at the tournament earlier this month. Roggio believes people enjoy the carnival-type atmosphere of pinball and playing a hands-on game. Henry Hanshaw, a friend the Lindberghs, called the women’s club “exciting” because “Everybody learns together.” Learn more: playmorepinballaz@ gmail.com or facebook.comgroups/ bellesphoenix.

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AHWATUKEE FOOTHILLS NEWS | JANUARY 25, 2017

The Crepe Bar transformed smoothly from truck to brick and mortar DAVID M. BROWN AFN Contributing Writer

eff Kraus began Crêpe Bar in a truck, and now his Tempe restaurant is just truckin’. The Tempe resident and his staff staff celebrated the fourth anniversary of Crêpe Bar in July. The restaurant, 7520 S. Rural Road at Elliot Road, is in an unanchored neighborhood center of national food chains and local businesses, but in a short time it has become a destination for food lovers from Ahwatukee, Gilbert, Scottsdale and even Glendale. Chef’s regularly changing menu may include breakfast versions, such as the breakfast burrito, with chipotle, including scrambled eggs, chorizo, chili jack, salsa negra, avocado, cotija; Papa K with local Hassayampa ham, eggs, chili jack and roasted mushroom; paprika chicken, with white cheddar, spearmint, vinaigrette and mixed greens; and Jamaican Jerk pork sausage, with white cheddar, potato brava and purslane. His kitchen also offers seasonal crêpes such as the signature hummus, made with fried chickpeas and pistachio herb olive oil, and the Octopus Tostadas, with hummus, chorizo, cotija, avocado and adobo. The Sweet Crêpes are superb as mealenders or stand-alones, including the basic sugar variety, brûléed; the maple butter, with banana and pecan; the Arizona Honey, with pecans and banana; and the Ode to

and moved to the Valley. He took trips to Francisco, has also commended Crêpe Bar. Valley chefs are also frequent Paris, attended culinary workshops and customers—a signal of the Crepe Bar’s classes at the Classic Cooking Academy quality of food and experience. in Scottsdale, studying with Chef Pascal “What makes Crêpe Bar special is Jeff: Dionot. his commitment and understanding of Kraus began his TG Food Concepts as what makes good things good,” said Chris “Truckin’ Good Food” in 2010—the first fullBianco, the James Beard-awarded chef and service food truck in the Valley. owner of Pizzeria Bianco The young business in downtown Phoenix. nabbed awards quickly. “His food is as he is: Nationally, “The sincere and authentic Huffington Post” also to his own personal noted the company’s convictions,” Bianco efforts on social media added. “His support of to expand its market our local farmers and through Twitter, then a relatively new resource. use of our season’s best is to be celebrated. Last, When many of the but to me definitely not early trucks were least, he is a good man. nondescript, his was We are fortunate to have a Parisian street food concept, with an him in our community.” Chef Gio Osso visits exhibition kitchen and from Scottsdale and a chef’s table at which Gilbert as well. patrons could sit, watch “I think Jeff is an him prepare and enjoy amazing chef. He has the freshly prepared (Jill Richards/Special to AFN) vision with his creativity Jeff Kraus and his staff celebrated the food. and matches it with fourth anniversary of Tempe’s Crepe Bar “This was ‘comeflawless technique,” in July. on-in,’ not ‘stay out Osso said, adding: on the street,’” Krause “He plays to each of your senses like the explained. “We wanted to get the stigma different notes when strumming a guitar, washed away from the food-truck craft. It and the balance between each ingredient was a struggle.” creates a beautiful harmony on your Today, Crêpe Bar remembers its roots palate.” with an open kitchen and innovative A James Beard-nominated chef, Osso “graffiti” art on the walls, reminiscent of the recently opened Nico in downtown street “truck” culture. Gilbert, continuing the culinary tradition “It’s a stationary mobile restaurant, parked he’s set at Virtu in Scottsdale. permanently,” he said. Kraus was born in St. Louis and His staff includes line cook Stephen Kelly, attended the Cooking Hospitality an Ahwatukee resident, who prepares the Institute of Chicago and later crêpes on Krampouz griddles. Tempe’s Jack finished his college credits at Mossler, among many duties, is the kitchen Indiana University. assistant manager. While working for “The exhibition kitchen is sometimes the Indianapolis Star stressful for our cooks, but this also teaches newspaper, he had a them a work and quality ethic,” Kraus said. layover in Phoenix Sky Crêpe Bar has recently acquired a liquor Harbor International license and plans jazz and cocktail nights. during the winter of Further ahead, he wants to open another 2006. “I looked out concept restaurant in south Tempe. the window and it was “This area is simmering for more innovative beautiful, and I asked for kitchens: It has great potential clientele, a transfer,” he recalled. from ASU students and faculty, millennials But before that, he got a to older food-savvy professionals, and the job offer from monster.com brick and mortar is just so affordable here for restaurant start-ups.” Crêpe Bar hours are Tuesday through (Jill Richards/Special to AFN) Saturday, 7 a.m.−2 p.m., and Sunday, 9 a.m.−2 The Crepe Bar in Tempe has developed p.m. For more information, see crepe-bar. many fans of its hummus savory crepe with fried com. chickpeas, pistachio, and herb lemon oil.

a Sundae, a chocolate crêpe with vanilla bean custard, berries, caramel, banana and almond brittle. Sides include roasted pears, with bananas; a house cereal, with spelt, oats, almonds and pistachio and stone fruit; cultured yogurt; brioche; and others prepared in-house and, to a great extent, sourced locally. Among Kraus’ suppliers in the Valley are Steadfast Farm in Queen Creek, Maya’s Farm in Phoenix at the base of the South Mountains, Ramona Farms in Sacaton and Noble Bread in Phoenix. Crêpe Bar is a regular stop for local patrons. Arizona State University professor Peter Lehman, who heads its Center for Film, Media, and Popular Culture, is a longtime friend and guest who lives near the restaurant. “We’ve hosted a fundraising dinner for his center in February for the past four years,” Krause said. The restaurant also features works by local artists, woodworkers, metalworkers and other artisans, many of them ASU students and alumni, particularly in the restaurant’s expansion room. Amy Radcliffe, a Tempe resident, created unique bathroom door and wall vignettes. Krause’s fellow chefs are among his fans. Chicago’s Homaro “Omar” Cantu Jr., known for his molecular gastronomy, stopped in the restaurant before his death in 2015, Kraus said. Chef Chad Robertson, who shared a 2008 James Beard award with his co-proprietor of Tartin Bakery & Café in San

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JANUARY 25, 2017 | AHWATUKEE FOOTHILLS NEWS

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AHWATUKEE FOOTHILLS NEWS | JANUARY 25, 2017

More than 20 dance companies to perform in Tempe festival BY COLLEEN SPARKS AFN Contributing Writer

iverse dancers will leap, turn, kick and lift partners into the air to shed light on contemporary themes at a large festival in Tempe next weekend. More than 20 different groups will hit the stage for the Breaking Ground: Contemporary Dance Festival FridaySaturday, Jan. 27 and 28, at Tempe Center for the Arts on West Rio Salado Parkway. The festival, produced by local company CONDER/dance, is billed as the largest such event for contemporary dance in Arizona. CONDER/dance artistic director Carley Conder, the producer, said she and two other established dancer-choreographers chose the performers out of more than 145 national and international companies. More than half the companies are based in Arizona with the rest coming from New York, Michigan, California and other states for the 10the annual festival.

All the dances have a contemporary or current style and address “the issues of today in an innovative way,” said Conder, a full-time dance instructor at Arizona State University’s Herberger Institute for Design and the Arts. “It is influenced by everything that’s come before,” she said. “We look to appeal to a wide audience.” “All the dances do deal with different content,” added Conder, who is also an adjunct faculty member at Scottsdale Community College and dancer in California-based Keith Johnson/Dancers. “However, I feel like the overall theme that is emerging with all the work is one of human connection.” While the Mesa Arts Center, Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts and other local theaters host Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, Hubbard Street Dance Chicago and other dance companies known around the country, Breaking Ground highlights local and emerging talent.

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(Colleen Sparks/AFN Contributor)

CONDER/dance Company member Danielle Feinberg dances on top of fellow member Haydehn Tuipulotu in the front, while colleagues Stephanie Lebedies perform a similar pose on top of colleague Joan Rodriguez behind them during a rehearsal.

Conder said she wanted to give independent choreographers and dancers who hadn’t’ been represented in the state a place to showcase their art. “I find that these artists often have

more interesting work and are pushing the boundaries of what dance is in ways that is innovative and current,” she said. See

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JANUARY 25, 2017 | AHWATUKEE FOOTHILLS NEWS

DANCE

members and ASU graduates Jasmine Nunn and Lai Yi Ohlsen rehearse at Mesa Arts Center through the residency. Aaron McGloin Dance, a company Tomooka said she and the other Chinesebased out of New York City that started in American dancers in OneTon have been Arizona, is one of the performance groups. “exploring our identity through dance” and McGloin will perform with two other will perform a piece with hip-hop, ballet dancers a piece called “Avant Garden. and contemporary elements at the festival. He described it as “very athletic,” about “It’s really awesome,” Tomooka said of reincarnation and movements symbolizing being chosen for the festival. “Breaking flowers being born, dying and then growing Ground is definitely one of the festivals again. that I’m sure many The artistic director people want to be of his company, part of.” McGloin said the She said she enjoys dance incorporates the “tight-knit’ dance ballet, hip-hop and community in the modern dance styles. Valley. “It’s pretty calm, C O N D E R /d a n c e but pretty athletic, members Taimy lots of legs, kicking, Miranda and Joan jumping and turning,” Rodriguez moved to McGloin, 31, said. “It’s Arizona from Cuba a really pretty dance.” and are excited to He said he’s perform in the Valley. excited to return to They’ll join four other Arizona, as he was C O N D E R /d a n c e born in Phoenix and members performing graduated with a a piece Conder (Colleen Sparks/AFN Contributor) dance degree from choreographed that Taimy Miranda and Joan Rodriguez rehearse ASU in 2007. examines public and for the upcoming Breaking Ground: ConMcGloin started temporary Dance Festival Jan. 27 and 28 at private personas; it his dance company in Tempe Center for the Arts. is based on an essay Phoenix, then moved Joan Didion wrote it to New York City in 2010. He said he about Howard Hughes. greatly admires Conder, whom he’s danced “It’s the most important festival the city with in the Breaking Ground festival before. has in contemporary dance,” Rodriguez “She’s been someone I ask for feedback,” said. “The dance community here is McGloin said. “She’s done a really good amazing. We want to be part of what’s job of getting people to watch and get happening right now.” interested in contemporary dance. Conder herself will perform a solo at “This show you get to see a lot of the festival, which she said typically draws things you haven’t seen before,” he added. about 300 audience members. “There’s some really great dance in Arizona ASU dance associate professor and and some incredible training.” assistant director of dance at ASU Mary McGloin added he would like to see Fitzgerald choreographed a piece that will people invest more money and time into be performed at the festival. dance in Phoenix, though, as it’s a big city “You get a good sense of all the but “people don’t spend money on the possibilities in the dance world,” at the arts.” festival, Fitzgerald said. “There’s something Another ASU dance graduate, Kayla for everybody in this kind of concert.” Tomooka, 24, will also perform in the The Breaking Ground festival will be Breaking Ground festival with the other performed at 7:30 p.m. Jan. 27 and 28 at two female dancers in OneTON Collective. Tempe Center for the Arts. For tickets and She’s one of the directors of OneTON, more information, visit tca.ticketforce. which is doing a residency through com/. To learn more about CONDER/ [nueBOX], a local non-profit that supports dance: conderdance.com. area artists. Tomooka and fellow OneTON from page 46

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AHWATUKEE FOOTHILLS NEWS | JANUARY 25, 2017

Shakespeare, drummers and Millie take center stage He plays acoustic eidolon

Experience music you won’t hear anywhere else courtesy of admired cellist Hannah Alkire and Joe Scott, who wields a one-of-a-kind guitjo. This 14-string, double-necked guitar/ banjo isn’t something you’ll soon forget. DETAILS>> 7:30 p.m., Today, Jan. 25. Higley Center for the Performing Arts, 4132 E. Pecos Road, Gilbert. Tickets: $25. 480279-7194. higleycenter.ticketforce.com.

and Saturday, Jan. 28. Mesa Arts Center, 1 E. Main St., Mesa. Tickets: $15-$44. 480-6446500. mesaartscenter.com.

Check out ‘Hamlet’

Experience one of the most famous plays from one of history’s greatest playwrights. The Southwest Shakespeare Company brings you the tragic tale of the Prince of Denmark as he confronts his inner and outer demons. DETAILS>> Times vary, Friday-Saturday, Jan. 27-28. Mesa Arts Center, 1 E. Main St., Mesa. Tickets: $15-$44. 480-644-6500. mesaartscenter.com.

‘Roots & Boots’ coming

Lovin’ Life Expo slated

Visit more than one hundred vendors that offer services for travel, retirement, ﬁnance, health care, leisure, education and more. Whether you want to see the world, go back to school or make sure you’re prepared for the next few decades, you can get the information you need. DETAILS>> 9 a.m.-1 p.m., Today, Jan. 25. Mesa Convention Center, 263 N. Center St., Mesa. Free. lovinlife.com/mesa-expo.

MAC presents ‘Much Ado’

We know Shakespeare as much for his comedies as his tragedies. The classic “Much Ado About Nothing” is the story of romance beset by intrigue, mistaken identity and other obstacles promises to keep you laughing in your seat. DETAILS>> 7:30 p.m., Thursday, Jan. 26,

Experience not one, not two, but three country music stars in one concert: Pam Tillis (“Maybe It Was Memphis,” “Shake The Sugar Tree”), Sammy Kershaw (“She Don’t Know She’s Beautiful,” “Love of My Life”) and Collin Raye (“In This Life”). DETAILS>> 7:30 p.m., Friday, Jan. 27. Chandler Center for the Arts, 250 N. Arizona Ave., Chandler. Tickets: $44-$64. 480-7822680. chandlercenter.org.

Chinese New Year marked

Get the year of the Rooster off to a good start and attend this performance of traditional Chinese songs, music and dance. It includes colorful costumes and amazing visual effects for an unforgettable evening. DETAILS>> 6:30 p.m., Saturday, Jan. 28. Mesa Arts Center, 1 E. Main St., Mesa. Tickets: $20, $30. 480-644-6500. mesaartscenter.com.

Drumline Live! on stage

From the team behind the hit movie

“Drumline” comes a stage show that will leave you breathless. This marching band goes beyond simple marching to jawdropping dancing and athletic displays backed by incredible rhythms. DETAILS>> 8 p.m., Saturday, Jan. 28. Chandler Center for the Arts, 250 N. Arizona Ave., Chandler. Tickets: $38-$46. 480-7822680. chandlercenter.org.

Military vehicles displayed

The Military Vehicle Show gets you up close and personal with tanks, mobile guns, armored personnel carriers, Humvees, Willys Jeeps and other vehicles from all periods of U.S. military history. Talk to the owners and shop vehicle parts, tools and supplies for sale. DETAILS>> 9 a.m.-5 p.m., SaturdaySunday, Jan. 28-29. Tempe Diablo Stadium, 2200 W. Alameda Drive, Tempe. Tickets: $5 adults, Free kids and active military. armytrucks.org/ mvshow.php.

1920s, sees a woman take a job in an effort to marry the boss’s son. DETAILS>> Times vary, Feb. 16-April 1. Hale Centre Theatre, 50 West Page Ave., Gilbert. Tickets: $18-$30. 480-497-1181. haletheatrearizona.com.

Hear Glenn Miller sound

Although band leader Glenn Miller’s life and music career was tragically cut short during World War II, his legacy and sound live on. Hear more than 40 Big Band and Swing hits, including “In The Mood” and “Chattanooga Choo Choo.” DETAILS>> 3 p.m., Feb. 26. Chandler Center for the Arts, 250 N. Arizona Ave., Chandler. Tickets: $30, $36, $40. 480-7822680. chandlercenter.org.

Chandler offers concert

Attend a free concert titled “To Jupiter and Beyond.” It features the Brahms “Tragic Overture,” Tchaikovsky’s “Meditation” from “Souvenir d’un lieu cher,” and—as the title suggests—“Jupiter” and “Mars” from Holst’s “The Planets.” DETAILS>> 3 p.m., Sunday, Jan. 29. Chandler Center for the Arts, 250 N. Arizona Ave., Chandler. Free. 480-782-2680. chandlercenter.org.

‘Modern Millie’ at Hale

The beloved Broadway musical “Thoroughly Modern Millie,” set in the ANSWERS TO PUZZLES AND SUDOKU from page 45

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JANUARY 25, 2017 | AHWATUKEE FOOTHILLS NEWS

Arizona Theatre Company returns to big musicals with ‘Fiddler on the Roof’ BY KENNETH LAFAVE AFN Contributing Writer

Eric Polanyi Jensen, who plays the lead role of Tevye in Arizona Theatre Company’s production of “Fiddler.” The performances, hen lyricist Sheldon Harnick which highlight ATC’s 50th Anniversary attended the Tokyo production continue through Sunday Jan. 29 at the of his musical “Fiddler on the Herberger Theater Center. Roof,” he couldn’t believe what he saw: “Fiddler on the Roof” musically relates sold-out audiences every night and lines the tale of Tevye, a dairyman in the small that stretched around the block. Jewish community of Anatevka in 1905. How could a musical about a Jewish He, his wife and daughters, and the rest of family in Russia be such a smash hit in Anatevka face the challenge of engaging Japan? He asked one of the show’s Tokyo the modern world while maintaining producers to explain. The answer startled their traditions. (The opening number is him: “Because it is so Japanese.” called “Tradition.”) As Tevye’s daughters Japanese? Yes, and find husbands, one Russian and American by one their choices and probably Spanish challenge the Where: Herberger Theatre Center, and Malaysian values of family and 222 E. Monroe Street, Phoenix and Egyptian. The community. When: Until Sunday, Jan. 29; times universal themes “Every parent knows vary of family and this situation. It’s the Cost: Tickets start at $46 tradition explored difference between More info: 602-256-6995, in this 1964-vintage what you think your arizonatheatre.org musical transcend all kid will be and what boundaries, those of they want to be,” time as well as nations. Jensen says. “This is a story about a specific group of “The question is, how far to bend?” people at a certain time. But everything it It’s not just the story, but how the story is deals with everyone has experienced,” says told that makes “Fiddler” a perennial.

IF YOU GO

(Special to aFN)

“Fiddler on the Roof” portrays a small Jewish community and therefore requires no less than 27 actors to perform.

“The score is gold, and the book (script) manages to create a whole community of characters, a town full of people,” says David Ira Goldstein, ATC’s longtime artistic director, and the stage director for “Fiddler.” It is Goldstein’s last season, and he decided to go out with a classic musical that is large in scale, as opposed to some of the more current, small-scale musicals that dominated the company’s recent seasons. “You need a lot of actors to do this show.

You can’t do it with fewer than 27 people. Years ago, we did ‘My Fair Lady’ by cutting the cast down to 20. But in ‘Fiddler’ there’s no chorus per se. Every person onstage is a certain character,” Goldstein explained. Goldstein’s take on the show’s universality extends to the current state of political affairs: “This is not a political show, but it brings to us in a very human way what it means to lose your home.”

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AHWATUKEE FOOTHILLS NEWS | JANUARY 25, 2017

Phoenix Open returns, bringing golf, parties and tourism BY TIM J. RANDALL AFN Contributing Writer

golf professionals and fans.” That is an understatement, as Markham anticipates that the 2017 event, dubbed the aste Management Phoenix Open “The Greatest Show on Grass,” will draw chairman Andy Markham brings record crowds of more than 600,000— tourists and Arizonans from the despite a conflict. Ahwatukee, the East Valley and beyond to “The final round of the tournament will enjoy golf, food and music Monday, Jan. 30, again fall on Super Bowl Sunday,” Markham to Monday, Feb. 6. says. “That makes for a good, fun and “We provide a really great time and festive week.” have incredible corporate and municipal “We want patrons to have the opportunity partners,” Markham says. “The event brings to see the best players in the world,” says people out in droves. It is the place to be in Markham, who is a Thunderbird. “We are the Southwest at that going to continue to see time of year.” a great field this year.” Now in its 31st year Attendees understand Where: TPC Scottsdale, 17020 N. at TPC Scottsdale, the that there is more to Hayden Road, Scottsdale Waste Management the Phoenix Open than When: Monday, Jan. 30, to Monday, Phoenix Open has golf; the atmosphere Feb. 6, Times vary a long and storied is a compelling draw. Cost: Starts at $40 history of golf dating Whether it is the Coors More info: wmphoenixopen.com, back to the 1930s. Light Birds Nest, the coorslightbirdsnest.com “The event event’s music series, was started by or the electrifying Par 3 16th hole that the Thunderbirds, a local community defines energy and passion for raucous organization, to promote the Valley of Sun and perfervid fans, the emotion is palpable through sports,” Markham says. “Through throughout tournament week. the years, it became a hit with celebrities, “This year, the Birds Nest over four days

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will have eight headliner acts,” Markham says. “This year will have six expanded skybox areas around the 15th and 16th holes and 350 new bleacher seats. We also will enlarge the 2016 Bay Club area.”

“We are very careful to balance the golf with the party fun,” Markham says. “We have great fans and we make sure that everyone has a good time and a few attendees do not ruin it for everyone.”

JANUARY 25, 2017 | AHWATUKEE FOOTHILLS NEWS

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Horizon Honors boys set school record for wins BY JASON P. SKODA AFN Prep Sports Director

teve Currier took over the Horizon Honors boys basketball program with only one thing mind— winning. It’s what he tends to do, dating back to his Ohio days as a cross country coach at his alma mater, Elyria Catholic High, and then in basketball stints at Wellington and North Royalton high schools, all in northeast Ohio. He made his way out here in 1993 and eventually became the head coach at Gilbert Christian, winning state titles in 2008 and 2010. And in his second season as the Eagles’ head man, Horizon Honors entered this week with a school-record 20 wins with three regular season games remaining. “This is a great situation,” said Currier, who also was a football assistant under Jim Ratty at EC. “Good, hard working kids that want to succeed as a team, and an administration that is very supportive.” The Eagles went 19-14 a year ago and lost in the second round in Currier’s first year. Year two has been impressive as Horizon Honors enters Friday’s game with a 20-3 record overall and 13-2 record in power rankings games to sit at No. 10 in the 2A AIA postseason picture. The team started to realize how good it could be in fall ball, when the Eagles played Desert Vista High, one of the top teams in 6A. The Eagles lost by three when an a 3-pointer rattled the rim but didn’t go in to send the game to overtime. “Desert Vista is one of the best teams in the state and we played with them the entire game,” sophomore guard Steve McCollum said. “After that we knew we

could be really good, especially against schools in our conference.” That has come to fruition as the average margin of victory in those 20 wins is 20.7 points. The Eagles push the ball up the court as much as possible, play scrappy defense, challenge every possession and run up and down the court as if it is second nature. “I went to a clinic where (former Arizona St. coach) Herb Sendek said regardless of your team’s makeup, you have to decide what kind of person you are,” Currier said. “Are you a protect the paint and high execution guy? Are you get the ball out quickly and be frenetic on defense? I am the second one. The kids enjoy it.” It’s why Currier mixes in a combination basketball (three-man weave) and conditioning drill (sprint back down court) and loves to push his players to the limit. There will be a time where the team does the drill for 32 straight minutes, the length of a game. “I always tell my players that God did us a service by having our bodies pass out from exhaustion before you will ever die,” he said. “I’ve only had one player, a girl at Wellington, pass out.” The team is hoping to say alive as long as possible in the postseason, of course. The players feel like they have the right formula to win a state title, especially after seeing the girls volleyball team win the school’s first team sports title in the fall. “We were happy for them and proud, but we wanted to be the first ones to do it,” Horizon Honors senior guard Kevin Kim said. “It’s a competition, too, and we want to match them and leave our own legacy.”

(Special to AFN)

Horizon Honors’ Jared Gates has been averaging a double double to give the Eagles an inside presence.

The team is led by two guards in Connor Frith and Kim, who both average about 17 points a game, while senior center Jared Gates is averaging 12 points and 12 rebounds a game. “They are 5-foot-10 going on 6-11,” Currier said of his senior guards. “They are extremely aggressive and really push the ball and find ways to get the basket.” The team is in the midst of a large chunk of downtime between games as Friday’s game against Tempe Prep will be the first in nine days. “This time of the year I like to really work on the things that we really go through the motions or don’t do well,” he said. “It’s usually little things to clean

up and that should get us ready for the postseason.” That’s when the Eagles, who have played one of the weakest schedules in the 2A Conference based on power rankings, will truly be tested. “(Currier) has always been a successful coach and for us, everyone is competitive and playing at a high level,” Kim said. “We know if we play like we can no one can stop us in transition and we are a tough matchup defensively. If we come together as one, we should be OK.” – Contact Jason Skoda at 480-898-7915 or jskoda@ahwatukee.com. Follow him on Twitter @JasonPSkoda.

SPORTS

JANUARY 25, 2017 | AHWATUKEE FOOTHILLS NEWS

College roundup

Anigwe, Clarke, Wolph lead teams in scoring BY JASON P. SKODA AFN Prep Sports Director

one but hardly forgotten. The basketball programs in Ahwatukee have produced several college players in recent years, and not just players who are getting some minutes off the bench. They have developed into some of the nation’s top players and/or their team’s top player after graduating from Desert Vista and Mountain Pointe. During their time at their respective high schools, these same players left an indelible impression and set the standard. Now some of them are doing the same for their college teams. Here is a look at some of those players and their accomplishments:

Kristine Anigwe

University of California sophomore Desert Vista 6-4, Forward/Center Kristine Anigwe, the national freshman of the year, is not having a sophomore slump. She has continued to be one of the nation’s top inside forces as Anigwe is averaging 22.7 points, 10.3 rebounds and connecting on 61.5 percent of her shots. Anigwe, who helped the Thunder to a state title in her senior year, scored schoolrecord 50 points against Sacramento State on Dec. 8 to surpass the previous record of 47 set Alexis Gray-Lawson on Jan. 23, 2010. Anigwe was the fastest player in Pac-12 history to reach 1,000 career points and is tied for the 20th-fastest in women’s college basketball history. She ranks fourth in the nation in scoring average, despite averaging only 29.7 minutes per game. “Working hard is the only way you can improve your life,” Anigwe said. “Look at (Cal coach) Lindsay (Gottlieb), she’s pregnant and she still comes to work with a glowing personality. When you

have a coach like that you don’t want to disappoint them.”

Brandon Clarke

San Jose State sophomore Desert Vista 6-8, 210 Forward Brandon Clarke, the former winner of the Sixth Man Award for the Mountain West Conference, is doing well as a starter in his second, He has twice been named conference player of the week. Clarke is leading the team in scoring (17.6), rebounds (7.6), blocks (41), fieldgoal percentage (59.5). He is second in steals (20) and fourth in assists (30). He had a career-high 36 points against Air Force last week. “He’s a special kid and a special player,” San Jose State coach Dave Wojcik said. “I’m very thankful that he’s on my squad. Hopefully he can continue his play the rest of the season and for the rest of his career.”

Kayla Lupoe

Hampton University junior Mountain Pointe 6-2, Forward Kayla Lupoe, the third-team All-MidEastern Athletic Conference selection, is averaging 7.9 points, a team-best 6.4 rebounds while shooting 42.9 percent from the field. She has 39 blocks, 13 steals and 13 assists on the season. Lupoe has season highs of 21 points and rebounds (12) versus Temple on Dec. 7.

This is what memory care is all about. It’s not to say that dementia isn’t an emotional and challenging disease. It’s just that when you see the human instead of the disease you don’t see sadness. You see life. You see history. You see achievements. You see family. You see love. And that’s how we see it at Hawthorn Court. We can help you with the challenges you’re facing. Please join us for a personal tour. Call 480.359.2898 to schedule.

Emily Wolph

Santa Clara University redshirt sophomore Desert Vista 5-4, Guard Emily Wolph is having a strong season after missing all See

COLLEGE on page 55

Acc r e di t e d & Awa r d -Wi n n i ng M e mor y C a r e

13822 South 46th Place at Ray Road • Phoenix, AZ 480.359.2898 • SRGseniorliving.com

SPORTS

AHWATUKEE FOOTHILLS NEWS | JANUARY 25, 2017

Marcos de Niza receives grant for new field from NFL, Cardinals BY RYAN CLARKE AFN Staff Writer

he Marcos de Niza football team will have a new field to play on next season, thanks to a $100,000 grant from the NFL Foundation and the Local Initiatives Support Corporation. The grant, provided by the league in partnership with the Arizona Cardinals, will pay for a refurbishment to Marcos de Niza’s existing field and replace it with Tifway 419 Bermuda grass—a softer and higher-quality playing surface. “These field refurbishments will ensure athletes have a safe place to come together, play with friends and enjoy the many benefits sports offer,” NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell said in a release. “The NFL Foundation and LISC remain committed to improving the quality and accessibility of fields for communities nationwide,” he added. A new field is welcome news for Marcos

de Niza as it has experienced drainage problems and weed growth on the old grass. Principal Sean McDonald said that he’s grateful for the new field, and that it will help Padres players perform even better. “Just a really big thank you to the groups that help us in the community, the Arizona Cardinals and the NFL,” McDonald said. “We really are overwhelmed by their generosity and we’re going to make them proud.” Head coach Paul Moro, Arizona’s alltime winningest high school football coach and a 13-time state champion, said he’s excited about the opportunity for his players to take the new field for the first time in the fall. Last season was Moro’s first at the helm for Marcos de Niza after 30 years at Blue Ridge and two years at Poston Butte. Moro said he received the news about the grant when he was a guest on the field at University of Phoenix Stadium. “Due to our players playing really well

(Ryan Clarke/AFN Staff Writer)

Marcos de Niza High School Assistant Principal for Athletics Brian Fleming, head football Coach Paul Moro and Principal Sean McDonald say they’re pleased to get the help to refurbish the football field.

against Cactus, I was the Cardinals coach of the week,” Moro said. “When I was at the stadium and down on the field pregame, Adam Richman—who is one of the PR people for the Cardinals— came up to me and said, ‘Did you hear?’

‘Hear what?’ ‘You guys are getting a new field.’” Moro considers his mission in life is to teach principles of success to his See

STADIUM on page 55

SPORTS

JANUARY 25, 2017 | AHWATUKEE FOOTHILLS NEWS

STADIUM

COLLEGE

from page 54

athletes that help them become positive influences in society. Assistant Principal for Athletics Brian Fleming echoed that sentiment, adding that the new field will have a major impact on a close-knit community. “The camaraderie and the relationships, the team building and the things they do within their team—for some kids, that is their family,” Fleming said. “I think the values and the things that you can get out of a team, and being a part of that, is irreplaceable.” Replacing an old, worn-out football field is a long time coming for the Marcos de Niza football program, which is trying to reach the upper echelon of Arizona’s Division II. Ultimately, Fleming and his colleagues view the new field as a testament to the hard work of Padres past. “To all the people and all the players and all the students that have come before, the class of 2017 and their efforts, they laid the groundwork for what is now happening,” Fleming said. “I think it’s important that they also see the thank you from us just for laying the foundation for these kids that we see on a daily basis.”

Sports Briefs

from page 53

of last season with an injury. In starting 17 of the first 18 games, Wolph leads the team in scoring at 12.4 points a game and assists at 4.1 points a game. She is shooting 38.7 percent from the field and 39.4 percent from the 3-point line. Through Friday, Wolph ranked No. 1 in the West Coast Conference in 3-pointers made (43), third in freethrow percentage (86 percent), ninth in assists and 12th in scoring.

Khari Holloway

Portland State senior Mountain Pointe 6-2, 185 Guard Khari Holloway, the former NJCAA Division I second team All-American at Mesa Community College, is averaging 10.1 minutes a game off the bench. He is averaging 4.1 points with a 19 to 6 assist to turnover ratio. He has made 40 percent of his free throws (6 for 15) and 85 percent of his free throws (22 of 26).

Mountain Pointe picked for Boras Baseball Classic

The Boras Foundation announced recently the field of competitors for the inaugural 2017 Boras Baseball Classic of Arizona. The 16-team invitational pits the most elite high school teams from the Southwest against each other to name the Boras Classic of Arizona Champion. Corona del Sol and Arcadia will host the Arizona Classic, March 8-11. The 2017 Boras Classic of Arizona will also feature the talent of: Corona Del Sol Arcadia, Perry, Campo Verde, Canyon Del Oro, Mountain Pointe, Centennial, Chandler, Prescott, Maricopa, Ironwood Ridge, Catalina Foothill, Buckeye Union, Coronado (Nevada), Basic High School (Nevada) and Thunder Ridge (Colorado). The Pride will play Canyon del Oro in the first round on March 8 at Arcadia at noon. The 16 teams are guaranteed a minimum of four games, with the championship game March 11 at 6 p.m. at Arcadia. The Boras Baseball Classic tournament brackets are at borasclassicaz.com.

Tickets are $7 for adults and $5 for seniors and students Information: borasclassicaz.com or Gerry@borasclassic.com.

College Golf Night comes to Arizona Country Club

The Junior Golf Association of Arizona will host the annual College Golf Night 5:30-8 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 26, at Arizona Country Club, 5668 E Orange Blossom Lane, Phoenix. Division I college golf coaches will discuss the collegiate golf scholarship process. It is open to junior golfers from seventh grade up. JGAA members can get in free and the non-member entry fee is $25. Panel members include: Arizona State University men’s head coach Matt Thurmond and women’s head coach Missy Farr-Kaye; Grand Canyon University men’s head coach Mark Mueller and women’s head coach Lauren Giesecke; Northern Arizona University women’s head coach Brad Bedortha; and University of Arizona men’s head coach Jim Anderson and women’s head coach Laura Ianello Email JGAAmail@JGAA.org, with the names and number of attendees, and graduation year of the junior golfer.

18th Annual Day of Champions Award Breakfast Friday, February 17th • 8am-10am Four Points by Sheraton Ahwatukee 10831 S. 51st St., Phoenix, AZ 85044

Keynote Speaker will be Jeff DeWit, Treasurer of the State of Arizona Each year the chamber awards businesses and individuals for their outstanding leadership, service, excellence in business and contribution to the community. Sponsorships are now available. For more information please contact info@ahwatukeechamber.com or visit www.ahwatukeechamber.com Silver Sponsors:

Media Sponsor:

Venue Sponsor:

The following will be awarded for the year 2016: • Small Business of the Year • Large Business of the Year • Educational Mentor of the Year • Volunteer of the Year • Non-Profit of the Year.

Classifieds

AHWATUKEE FOOTHILLS NEWS | JANUARY 25, 2017

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The Place “To Find” Everything You Need | Ahwatukee.com

Employ ment Employment General

KYRENE is now hiring School BUS DRIVERS FT 30 hrs/wk. Benefits offered. Paid training and CDL testing onsite. Flexible work schedule with split shifts. Starting Salary $14.49 - $18.00 For additional info go to www.kyrene.org/hr Drivers: LOCAL DryVan and Flatbed Openings! Excellent Hourly Pay, Great Benefits! Class-A or B CDL w/hazmat Apply: www.goelc.com Estenson Logistics 1-855-221-4904

EARN EXTRA INCOME! $100 to $200 per week. The Arizona Republic wants to contract you to deliver newspaper on the weekends in the East Valley and Apache Junction. For additional details, contact Bob Griner at 602-444-4069 or rgriner@republicmedia. com. EARN EXTRA INCOME! The Arizona Republic wants to contract you to deliver the newspaper in the early morning hours. Work just 2-3 hours a day and earn an extra $700$1,200 per month. Routes available now in your area. Call 1-855-704-2104 or visit deliveryopportunities. gannett.com

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Employment General PT - EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY Looking for an experienced legal secretary for 3/4 time position with a boutique law firm in the East Valley. Mastery of Word (including ability to generate a Table of Authorities and manipulate page numbering) is a must. Ability to manage a two-lawyer calendar, and handle monthly client billing is also needed. General litigation experience would be a benefit, as would a background in adoption and juvenile law. Candidate must be detail orie nted and computer literate. We need a responsible and personable individual who is a selfstarter, reliable, with a positive attitude and a proven track record of being a true team player. We are a casual, but professional office. No "office politics" allowed. Good work ethic expected. Staff relationship guided by the honor-system. Please forward interest, salary requirements, and resume to tcs@shankerlaw.net COMPENSATION DOE / Negotiable

Announce

ments Lessons/ Tutoring PIANO LESSONS - Ahw. teacher w/ yrs of exp. Has few openings for new students. All ages beg-adv. Very reasonable rates. Avail M-Sat. (480)496-9154

Merch andise

Awatukee Foothills News

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Oooh, MORE ads online!

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NOTICE TO READERS: Most service advertisers have an ROC# or "Not a licensed contractor" in their ad, this is in accordance to the AZ state law. Arizona Registrar of Contractors (ROC): The advertising requirements of the statute does not prevent anyone from placing an ad in the yellow pages, on business cards, or on flyers. What it does require under A.R.S. §32-1121A14(c) http://www.azleg.gov/ars/32/01165.htm, is that the advertising party, if not properly licensed as a contractor, disclose that fact on any form of advertising to the public by including the words "not a licensed contractor" in the advertisement. Again, this requirement is intended to make sure that the consumer is made aware of the unlicensed status of the individual or company. Contractors who advertise and do not disclose their unlicensed status are not eligible for the handyman's exception. Reference: http://www.azroc.gov/invest/licensed_by _law.html As a consumer, being aware of the law is for your protection. You can check a businesses ROC status at: http://www.azroc.gov/

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AHWATUKEE FOOTHILLS SENIOR ASSOCIATION (AFSA)

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Meetings/Events GAMBLERS ANONYMOUS & GAMANON for meeting information 602-266-97846

Attention: Seniors 55+ --- become a member of AFSA. Mark your calendars for the first Thursdayof every month and enjoy meeting new friends, have a delicious lunch, and be entertained. This all takes place at the Sheraton Four Points Hotel located at 51st St. and Elliot Rd. in Phoenix. Doors open at 11am and lunch is at Noon. Cost is $15. For further information and details, please call Sue McCann at (480) 469-9388.

AHWATUKEE FOOTHILLS NEWS | JANUARY 25, 2017

Handyman

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Aegis Hospice Grief/Loss Support Group We meet 6 pm on the 2nd and 4th Wednesday of each month. Legacy Funeral Home: 1722 N. Banning St. Mesa, Refreshments provided. Contact: Rick Wesley 480-219-4790 rick@ aegishospice.com Christian Business Networking, Chandler BiMonthly Chapter 7:30 a.m. second and fourth Tuesdays of the month Offers members the opportunity to share ideas, contacts and business referrals. Chandler Christian Church, Room B202 1825 S. Alma School Rd., Chandler Info: Maia, 480-4250624, christianbusinessnetworking.com

Home Improvement

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Meetings/Events Dining For Women (DFW) diningforwomen.org inspires, educates and engages people to invest in programs that make a meaningful difference for women and girls living in extreme poverty. DFW helps women find dignity and strength, develop skills and opportunities, value and support their children's education. We have a local chapter in Ahwatukee which meets the 3rd Thursday every month from 6:30 p.m.-8:30p.m. If you'd like to know more on how you can transform lives and reduce poverty contact Mary Hake at marysullivanhake @gmail.com

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Landscape Maintenance

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Painting

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Ahwatukee TEA Party

Become a better informed voter and learn what you can do to affect the outcome of an election and then hold elected officials accountable. General Meetings January 26, 2017 February 23, 2017 March 23, 2017 General Meeting Announcement Thursday, Jan 26, 2017 NEW DATE/LOC Firehouse #43 4110 E Chandler Blvd, Phoenix, AZ 85048 Parking and access are on the W side. Doors open at 6pm and meetings at 7pm. January 2017 Guest Speaker - Dr. Lance Hurley TukeeTeaParty.com

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THE MAN WHO STOPS ADVERTISING TO SAVE MONEY IS THE MAN WHO STOPS THE CLOCK TO SAVE TIME. - UNKNOWN

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Plumbing

Meetings/Events In-Ahwatukee Toastmasters Club meets from 6:45-8am every Tuesday at Dignity Health Urgent Care Ahwatukee - Community Room (1st floor), 4545 E. Chandler Blvd., Phoenix, AZ 85048. Guests welcome anytime! http://4873.toast mastersclubs.org/

MISSED THE DEADLINE? Place your ad online! Call 480-898-6564 CLASS@ TIMESPUBLICATIONS .COM

Meetings/Events TOPS (Take Off Pounds Sensibly) is a weight loss organization that is over 60 years old. We meet at Ahwatukee Rec Center on Cheyenne between S. 48th St. and S. 51st St. on Wed. eve's from 67:30 p.m. For more information: Terri at 480-893-6742.

Pool Service / Repair

$25 OFF

Filter Cleaning! Monthly Service & Repairs Available

602-546-POOL 7 6 6 5

www.barefootpoolman.com

Place Your Meeting/Event Ad email ad copy to

See our Before’s and After’s on Facebook

ecota@times publications.com

Pool Service / Repair

Ahw Resident • Owner Operated Maintenance & Repair Professional and Superior Service We maintain, repair and service all types of pools, equipment, filters, cleaning systems, fresh water and salt water systems

Call me, Howard:

480.231.9651

AZPoolExpert.com BBB Member Not a licensed contractor.

Licensed, Bonded & Insured ROC# 272001

Plumbing

You never know what you’ll find inside

AE &Sons Pool Plaster Company

All Complete Pool Renovations Pebble • White Plaster Tile • Deck • Pump & Filters

FREE Estimates • BEST Prices

480 898 6465

Plumbing & Rooter Service

$35.00 Off Any Service Call Today!

A+ RATED

We Repair or Install ROC # 272721

AHWATUKEE’S #1 PLUMBER Licensed • Bonded • Insured

704.5422

(480)

Se Habla Espanõl

Lic’d, Bonded • ROC #235771 • ROC #235770

JuanPavers Hernandez • Concrete P O O $64* L S E RV I C E S Drain Cleaning From *Some conditions apply. Call for details.

PLUMBING

602-252-2125 Ofc. • 602-505-8066 Cell

$39 Off* Any Service *Call for Details. For a Limited Time.

100% Guarantee on Our Work

Water Heaters to Toilets, Slab Leaks to Clogs!

24/7 Emergency Service FAST 60 Minute Service Available

Estimates Available

480.405.3020 Bonded | Insured | Lic’d ROC 257806

Water Features • Sprinkler Repair

P O O L R E PA I R

Pebble cracking, Plaster peeling, Rebar showing, Pool Light out?

I CAN HELP!

23 Years Experience • Dependable & Reliable

Call Juan at

480-720-3840 Not a licensed contractor.

CLASSIFIEDS

Meetings/Events

PARENTS OF ADDICTED LOVED ONES Are you affected by someone who is dealing with an addiction? If so, know that you are not alone and that the PAL (Parents of Addicted Loved Ones) group can help. The group is available to provide education and support to anyone 18 years or older who is dealing with a friend or family member with an addiction. See our local meeting list at palgroup.org

NONDENOMINATIONAL, GREAT PRAISE AND WORSHIP, GREAT MESSAGES FOR TODAYS LIVING! OUR MISSION IS “EVANGELISM, HEALING, DISCIPLESHIP, THROUGH THE WORD OF GOD!

AHWATUKEE FOOTHILLS NEWS | JANUARY 25, 2017

Meetings/Events

Roofing ROOFING CONTRACTOR with 32 years exp Specializing in all types repairs, re-roofs, coating & walking decks. Quality service & response our first priority. All work guaranteed. ROC# 100401-L42 ROC# 132572-C42

VISIT US AT ValorCC.com.

Smart Recovery Meeting Wed’s 7:00 8:30 p.m. 6400 W. Del Rio Chandler Montessori School next to Unitarian Church room 5. All issues drugs, alcohol, gambling, online addictions, & medications. 480-532-2460

Call Carl 480-895-3425 or 602-432-9183

MISSED THE DEADLINE? Place your ad online!

AMERICAN LEGION AHWATUKEE Post #64 We Meet Every 3rd Wed at 3pm at the Ahwatukee Retirement Center At 5001 E Cheyenne Dr, Phoenix, Az. 85044. Contact ED MANGAN Cmdr 602-501-0128

Call 480-898-6564 Roofing

Sun/Shade Screens "Mobile Screening" Your Re-Screening Specialist.

Bug Screens - Sun Screens

Patio Doors New Screens Available We Come To You! (480) 980-3321

Window Cleaning John's Window Cleaning 1-story $125 / 2-story $145 -inside and out up to 30 panes (add'l panes $2) Screens cleaned $2.50 per pane. Power Washing and Re-Screening available Same day Service (480) 201-6471

Roofing

Tiles, shingles, flat, repairs & new work Free Estimates • Ahwatukee Resident Over 30 yrs. Experience

480-706-1453

Licensed/Bonded/Insured • ROC #236099

ARE YOUR HOME AND FAMILY PROTECTED? Tile Roof Specialist

Phoenix’s Premier Tile and Foam Roofer. Spencer 4 HIRE ROOFING

10% OFF Valley Wide Service

With This Ad

Free Estimates • Credit Cards OK Check out some of our jobs and reviews!

Family Owned/ Operated

Quality Leak Repairs & Re-Roofs

Honest Free Estimates References DENNIS PORTER

480-460-7602 or 602-710-2263 RANDY HALFHILL

602-910-1485

480-446-7663 (ROOF)

www.spencer4hireroofing.com ROC #244850 | INSURED | BONDED

FAMILY OWNED AND OPERATED SINCE 1984

Lic#ROC 152111 Bonded

ROOFING

New Construction, Complete Re-Roof, Repairs, Tile, Asphalt Shingle, Foam and more!

WWW.PAYNESONS.COM Contact us for a FREE evaluation

480.988.9250 SEE OUR REVIEWS ON:

TRI CERTIFIED INSTALLER LICENSED, BONDED & INSURED ROC: 194202

ROC: 138549B

JANUARY 25, 2017 | AHWATUKEE FOOTHILLS NEWS

CLASSIFIEDS

SALE

AHWATUKEE FOOTHILLS NEWS | JANUARY 25, 2017

CLEARANCE

12 MONTHS SA ME AS CASH**

Spencers Warehouse is bursting at the seams!! We need to make room for Merchandise. Trucks are arriving daily and we need existing inventory GONE. You owe it to yourself to get here today ... because when it’s gone ... it’s gone.

40"

SMART TV • 1080p Resolution • Wide Color Enhancer • Smart Apps

UN40J5200

The Spencers TV & Appliance credit card is issued by Wells Fargo Financial National Bank. Special terms apply to qualifying purchases of $499.00 or more charged with approved credit. The special terms APR will continue to apply until all qualifying purchases are paid in full. The monthly payment for this purchase will be the amount that will pay for the purchase in full in equal payments during the promotional (special terms) period. The APR for Purchases will apply to certain fees such as a late payment fee or if you use the card for other transactions. For new accounts, the APR for Purchases is 28.99%. If you are charged interest in any billing cycle, the minimum interest charge will be $1.00. This information is accurate as of 01/06/2016 and is subject to change. For current information, call us at 1-800-431-5921. Offer expires 1/31/2017.