The Chandler Arizonan - 02.07.2021 by Times Media Group

KYRENE SLATES REOPENING TALK

5 EATERIES, 1 KITCHEN

PAGE 10

PAGE 30

From Uptown to Downtown, covering Chandler like the sun.

FREE | chandlernews.com

An edition of the East Valley Tribune

INSIDE This Week

COMMUNITY ............ 21 Exhibit looks at Chandler Holocaust survivor.

BUSINESS .................... 25

Waymo to stay "in the zone" for now.

FEBRUARY 7, 2021

Chandler’s homicide rate increased in 2020 BY KEVIN REAGAN Arizonan Staff Writer

ast year was one of Chandler’s deadliest in recent history with the city recording 11 homicides. Chandler Police have not reported that many deaths in the last decade, according to data published by the FBI. Chandler had four homicides in 2019, 2018 and 2016 and five in 2017. The decade’s deadliest year had been 2010, when six homicides occurred. Despite its rise in violent deaths, Chandler Police reported a decline in burglaries,

assaults and thefts in 2020 compared to the previous year. Overall, the city has been experiencing a decline in crime rates for the last few years – making 2020’s homicide rate stand out as a bit of an anomaly. When examining each death investigation from last year, there’s not much of a pattern that could illustrate some sort of crime trend. Some deaths were premeditated, some were allegedly accidental and some were seemingly random. It’s unclear whether the pandemic and its economic repercussions had any impact on Chandler’s death rate since the circum-

Gila River Community plans mammoth playground

stances surrounding some cases are ambiguous. But COVID-19 has been cited for the spike in homicides elsewhere – including Phoenix, where police reported that even before 2020 ended, there was a 52 percent increase in murders – fueled by a 175 percent increase in domestic violence homicides. It also said homicides were up by 20 percent over 2019. Phoenix’s increase in homicides was higher than increases recorded in Chicago, New York City and Los Angeles. Nearly

see HOMICIDE page 4

Doing their part

BY PAUL MARYNIAK Arizonan Executive Editor

SPORTS .........................29

Chandler High court star leads the way. NEWS ....................................... 3 COMMUNITY ....................... 21 BUSINESS ..............................25 SPORTS................................. 29 GET OUT .............................. 30 CLASSIFIEDS ......................... 31

he Gila River Indian Community and a Scottsdale development company are poised to begin work on a 3,300-acre sports The first piece in the Gila River Indian Comand entertainment community is the new stadium for the Phoenix plex at Wild Horse Pass. Rising soccer team. (Special to the Arizonan) Sunbelt Holdings President John Graham told the Arizonan that the development, located just south of the Loop 202-I-10 intersection, will fill a “missing cor-

see GILA page 6

Antonio Alcala, principal at Arizona College Prep Oakland Campus, and his wife Kristi, a Bogle Middle School teacher, got their COVID-19 vaccines. Many teachers are doing the same, as the story on page 10 explains. (Special to the Arizonan)

Buy or refinance with confidence. LET’S TALK TODAY. 976 W Chandler Blvd • Chandler • 480-855-6287 • WESTERNBANKS.COM Member FDIC

THE CHANDLER ARIZONAN | WWW.CHANDLERNEWS.COM | FEBRUARY 7, 2021

Valentine’s Savings Event

3 DAYS ONLY! Tuesday – Thursday • February 9th - 11th

WANTED: 36 People to try the latest digital technology in hearing aids Are you, or someone you know, struggling with hearing loss? We need 36 people with difficulty hearing, especially in noisy situations, to evaluate the new style in digital technology from NuEar. We will perform thorough hearing consultations FREE of charge to ALL callers. We will then choose 36 qualified candidates for this program.

REWARD! Candidates selected will receive tremendous savings due to their participation. If your evaluation shows hearing improvement with the new Circa Edge AI hearing aids, you may choose to retain them and receive up to $1,500 OFF the suggested retail price! Participants who choose to keep the hearing aids will also receive FREE in‑office maintenance for the life of the hearing aids.

Up to

$1500 OFF MSRP on any set of NuEar Circa Edge AI hearing aids Cannot be combined with other offers. Expires 2/11/2021

FREE BATTERIES for up to 5 years!

Meet Dr. Jane Petersen, Nationally Known Doctor of Audiology Dr. Jane Petersen has over 26 years of experience helping the hearing community. Dr. Petersen is one of the most successful audiologists in the country. She has helped people find the best solution for their hearing difficulties for over 26 years. In addition, she has conducted educational workshops for hundreds of hearing instrument specialists all over the United States. Dr. Petersen understands all the consequences resulting from untreated hearing loss. She has helped thousands overcome their hearing loss. Dr. Petersen will be able to answer your hearing health questions and show you how today’s invisible hearing solutions are the best we’ve ever seen.*

Call Today! (480) 719-7720 Discover Circa Edge AI Our best hearing instruments just got better: • Superior sound quality and clarity to hear comfortably in any environment • Streaming of phone calls, music and messages from your smartphone directly to your hearing aids • Convenient adjustments to your hearing aids without an office visit • Up to 24 hours of superior hearing on one charge*

With purchase of a new hearing system. Limit one voucher per customer. Expires 2/11/2021

480-835-7892

www.abchearingaids.com R I C A N

D T E

E D W N

ABC Hearing Center 7165 E University Drive, Bldg. 17, Suite 167, Mesa, AZ

O P E

*Depends on feature usage. | NuEar, NuEar logo and Circa are registered trademarks of Starkey Laboratories, Inc. Circa logo is a trademark of Starkey Laboratories, Inc.

CITY NEWS

THE CHANDLER ARIZONAN | WWW.CHANDLERNEWS.COM | FEBRUARY 7, 2021

Chandler woman leads redistricting panel BY KEVIN REAGAN Arizonan Staff Writer

The Chandler Arizonan is published every Sunday and distributed free of charge to homes and in single-copy locations throughout Chandler. To ﬁnd out where you can pick up a free copy of The Chandler Arizonan, please visit www.ChandlerNews.com.

CONTACT INFORMATION Main number 480-898-6500 | Advertising 480-898-5624 Circulation service 480-898-5641 Chandler Arizonan 4301 N 75th St., Suite 201, Scottsdale, AZ 85251 Publisher: Steve T. Strickbine Vice President: Michael Hiatt

ADVERTISING DEPARTMENT Display Advertising 480-898-6309

Classiﬁeds/Inside Sales Elaine Cota | 480-898-7926 | ecota@chandlernews.com TJ Higgins | 480-898-5902 | tjhiggins@chandlernews.com Advertising Ofﬁce Manager Lori Dionisio | 480-898-6309 | ldionisio@chandlernews.com Director of National Advertising Zac Reynolds | 480-898-5603 | zac@chandlernews.com

NEWS DEPARTMENT

The Chandler Arizonan is distributed by AZ Integrated Media, a circulation service company owned by Times Media Group. The public is permitted one copy per reader. For further information regarding the circulation of this publication or others in the Times Media Group family of publications, and for subscription information, please contact AZ Integrated Media at circ@ azintegratedmedia.com or 480-898-5641. For circulation services please contact Aaron Kolodny at aaron@azintegatedmedia.com.

Chandler woman has been selected to lead the commission that is redrawing Arizona’s congressional and legislative districts. Erika Schupak Neuberg, a licensed psychologist-turned-life coach with a practice on Dobson Road, will spearhead one of the state’s most powerful citizen-led commissions that will make decisions that could significantly impact the composition of Arizona’s congressional delegation and the Legislature for the next decade. The Arizona Independent Redistricting Commission convenes with a new set of members once every decade to adjust the boundaries of congressional and legislative districts to account for population shifts. Two Democrats and two Republicans are picked by the Legislature to sit on the commission they in turn interview and select an independent voter to preside over the five-member panel. Commissioners cannot be anyone who has been elected to public office within the last three years nor has served as an officer of a political party. Neuberg was picked earlier this month from a list of five candidates. She said her first priority will be to create a “fair” district map that will be able to withstand any litigious challenges. The commission is obligated to draw districts that are roughly equal in population, appear compact, attempt to adhere to city and county boundaries and are electorally competitive. The new commissioners may be faced with having to make some dramatic revisions in the coming months. Arizona has gained about a million new residents since 2010 and is projected to add a 10th congressional seat to its delegation. Neuberg, who has lived in Arizona for the last 40 years, said she hopes the commission’s members can establish “mutual trust” for one another and be able to make unanimous, nonpartisan decisions. “I believe I have the unique skill set, as well as the integrity and character, to successfully chair this process,” Neuberg wrote in a statement. Neuberg will likely have to deal with political pressure from both sides, especially considering the hostility that previous chairs have encountered. Colleen Mathis, the last person to hold

Chandler life coach and psychologist Erika Schupak Neuberg will lead the five-member Arizona Independent Redistricting Commission. (Special to the Arizonan) the job, was forced off the commission in 2011 by then-Gov. Jan Brewer amid accusations of drafting unfavorable maps and holding secret meetings. The Arizona Supreme Court later determined Brewer had overstepped her powers and overruled her actions by reinstating Mathis to the commission. Though Neuberg has been politically engaged for most of her life, she described herself as being “fiercely independent” and “agnostic” to party politics. The commission needs a chairperson who can “resist external pressures and criticisms,” she said, and continue an unbiased dedication to the commission’s constitutional duties. Neuberg earned a bachelor’s degree in political science at Colorado College in 1986 before receiving a doctoral degree in psychology from Arizona State University. She said her educational background has instilled in her a lifelong respect for civics, history and community activism. “As a student of political science, I developed a deep appreciation for our Constitution and the freedoms it affords us,” Neuberg said. Between 2010 and 2013, Neuberg was president of a bipartisan committee that aimed to strengthen America’s relations with Israel and made several trips to Washington D.C. to lobby lawmakers. “I have seen first-hand when citizen advocacy works and when it does not, and when government is effective and when it is not,” she said. During her interview with other com-

mission members, Neuberg was asked about her many financial contributions to politicians – both Republican and Democratic – and whether that might compromise her ability to remain neutral. Neuberg said her campaign donations were solely made to get the attention of elected officials and inform them of international matters involving Israel. “Every single check I wrote was for the intention of having educational opportunities and to create the type of relationship such that we can have time to teach about foreign policy,” Neuberg said. Arizona’s legislative and congressional districts had been drawn by state lawmakers until voters passed a proposition in 2000 to establish an independent commission. The state filed a lawsuit in 2012 challenging the commission’s constitutional authority and attempted to shift districtdrawing powers back to the Legislature. The U.S. Supreme Court rejected the state’s arguments and upheld the commission’s validity. Neuberg said she understands the magnitude of her new position and all the ethical responsibilities she’ll be expected to maintain over the next several months. But the rewards of participating in the commission’s meaningful process are deep, she said, and worth the personal sacrifice. “My years of political advocacy have taught me how to bring people from different backgrounds and perspectives together to find consensus for the common good,” Neuberg added. Her professional background also might come in handy, given the challenge ahead of her A licensed psychologist for over 20 years, Neuberg in her professional life treated issues ranging “from severe pathology to everyday life stress,” according to her website. “Regardless of the presenting problem, I consistently discovered that my clients achieved the best results when I employed forward-thinking and positive techniques that sparked excitement for change,” she says on her website. She says she “made a slight career adjustment and now practices exclusively as a life coach.” “When you combine the science of psychology with the power of partnership and motivation, you get success,” she explains.

CITY NEWS

HOMICIDE from page 1

THE CHANDLER ARIZONAN | WWW.CHANDLERNEWS.COM | FEBRUARY 7, 2021

three-quarters of all homicides in Phoenix involved a firearm, the report adds. Other large cities also reported significant increases in homicides in 2020 while property crimes nose-dived – the result of what some experts said came from so many Americans staying home during the pandemic. According to the Council on Criminal Justice, homicide rates jumped 32 percent during the pandemic and assaults increased by 11 percent in most American cities. One of the keys to bringing violent crimes back down, the council believes, will be to reduce the pandemic’s impact on local law enforcement. “City leaders continue to face policy challenges posed by the recent rise in violent crime,” the council’s report states. “Several evidence-based strategies are available to address the increase in violence but subduing the COVID-19 pandemic also remains a necessary condition for reducing violence.” During the first couple months of the pandemic, Chandler Police reported noticing a spike in vehicle thefts and do-

mestic violence calls. Many law enforcement officials throughout the state have said they expected domestic violence to become more prevalent in 2020 since residents were forced to spend more time at home with abusive family members. Some of the deaths reported in Chandler last year appear to have started out as a fight between domestic partners. Ben Beasley, 35, was shot and killed by his girlfriend on Aug. 8 outside her home near Pecos and McQueen roads. The couple had been arguing and Beasley allegedly threatened to harm his girlfriend before she shot him. A domestic dispute call turned deadly back on March 13 after Rosario Alvarado, 41, threatened to cut his girlfriend with a knife. When police officers arrived at the scene, Alvarado allegedly ignored commands to put down his firearm and was shot at multiple times. He died at the hospital a couple days later. The gruesome death of Amy Leagans on Oct. 27 reportedly started out as a fight with Timothy Sullivan, whom she had met through a mutual friend. Sullivan admitted to strangling and

killing Leagans inside her Chandler apartment during their fight. He later dismembered her body and disposed of her remains in the desert after first burying her in Scottsdale and then digging up the body for fear of discovery. Other Chandler deaths were committed while in the process of completing another crime. Amber Joy Patton, 34, was killed on Sept. 19 by a pair of 16-year-old boys at her residence on Augusta Avenue before the suspects took off in her vehicle. Her murder ended up being one of several felonies committed by the suspects during a month-long crime spree across the Valley. The death of Bobby Sanchez on Oct. 5 started out as a drug transaction between a group of men outside an apartment complex on Arizona Avenue. Sanchez ended up getting shot and four men were later arrested for their involvement in his death. Jordan Sullivan, 21, originally set out to steal a car on April 9 outside a Circle K in south Chandler and inadvertently ended up with a murder charge. Sullivan shoved an elderly man pumping gas outside the convenience store and fled in the victim’s vehicle. The man

later died from injuries sustained during the carjacking, resulting in prosecutors adding a homicide charge to Sullivan’s indictment. Not all homicides were murders, however. The officer-involved shooting of Kevin Smallman on Jan. 27 began as an investigation into a stolen vehicle. A Chandler officer attempted to arrest Smallman inside the stolen car but the suspect tried to drive off with the officer still hanging on the vehicle. The officer eventually fired his gun at Smallman and the car crashed into a block wall, leaving the felon dead. Some deaths reported last year still have a shroud of mystery wrapped around them. The motive behind Danita Hunter’s death on Aug. 29 is not yet publicly known and remains unclear. The 47-year-old mother was allegedly shot by Nozre Ware, 22, at the victim’s residence. Ware had allegedly visited Hunter’s residence several times previously but his relationship to the victim or his motive for killing her has not been disclosed.

NO WEEKEND OR AFTER HOUR FEES Sales • Service • Repair • Installation One Hour Emergency Service Avaibale!

Kathleen A. Nielsen Attorney at Law

Family Owned

FREE Service Call

We Service All Makes & Models

FREE 2nd Opinion

with any repair

on Unit Replacement or Compressor Change out

Serving Ahwatukee for 30 Years! Trusts • Wills • Probate Living Wills • Medical Power of Attorney Divorce • Premarital

Southwest Business Center

4500 S. Lakeshore Dr. Ste 300 Tempe, AZ 85282 (SE Rural & Lakeshore)

480.730.6469

kathleen@kathleennielsenlaw.com

NO COMM T ISSION BASE D

IP NO TRGE R A CH

CALL TODAY

480.671.0833

ROC#247803 Bonded • Insured

Serving Chandler, Gilbert, Mesa, Apache Junction, Queen Creek, San Tan Valley, Phoenix, Scottsdale, Gold Canyon, Tempe

THE CHANDLER ARIZONAN | WWW.CHANDLERNEWS.COM | FEBRUARY 7, 2021

Home Suite Home. R E S E RV E YO U R S TO LO C K I N YO U R R AT E F O R 2 Y E A R S .

REMARK ABLE EXPERIENCES

CULINARY DE LICACI ES

ALL OF THE FUN NONE OF THE CHORES

Laugh with friends, shop ‘til you drop,

Regionally inspired, chef prepared

Let us handle the day to day obligations

or travel the world, it’s all up to you.

dishes sure to satisfy every tastebud.

while you enjoy life!

CALL (480) 531-1000 / 901 S. 94TH ST. CHANDLER, AZ VISIT THEPARK ATCOPPERCREEK.COM

CITY NEWS

THE CHANDLER ARIZONAN | WWW.CHANDLERNEWS.COM | FEBRUARY 7, 2021

GILA from page 1

ner” of the East Valley with additional hotels, a wellness center, an event center, an outdoor amphitheater music entertainment venue, sports facilities, outdoor recreation and parks, restaurants, retail and an office park. Sunbelt has partnered with the Wild Horse Pass Development Authority, the tribe’s economic development arm. The project team also includes the planningdesign firms of CallisonRTKL and Kimley Horn as well as real estate consultant Elliott D. Pollack & Company. “This expansion furthers our vision to provide additional economic development opportunities for Wild Horse Pass, GRIC, and the Greater Metropolitan Phoenix area,” said Donald Antone, the Wild Horse Authority board chairman. Even before the overall project was unveiled, the site was announced as the home for a new stadium being built by Phoenix Rising, the state’s largest professional soccer team. The stadium, which is expected to open for the May start of the 2021 season, will have a 35 percent greater capacity than the team’s previous 6,200-seat venue at its previous home at McClintock Drive and Loop 202. It will offer permanent bathrooms, paved parking with multiple entrances and exits, a double-sided video screen, more practice fields and “improved family and VIP experiences,” according to the team. Mark Gardo, a spokesman for the Wild Horse Pass Development Authority, said the stadium will cost “in excess of at least several million dollars,” and that funding will come from Wild Horse Pass and the club. The Wild Horse Pass Authority is already home to Gila River Hotels & Casinos - Wild Horse Pass, the Sheraton Grand at Wild Horse Pass, Whirlwind Golf Club, Aji Spa, Rawhide Western Town & Event Center, Phoenix Premium Outlets, KOLI Equestrian Center, Wild Horse Pass Motorsports Park and the Bondurant High Performance Driving School. Graham said he envisions a lengthy buildout for the project, though some new tenants are expected to be announced within the near future. “The stuff we do is long term in nature,” he said. “Our first plan is kind of a 10-year plan but I would believe be-

Sunbelt Holdings President John Graham said the Gila River Indian Community sports-entertainment complex will fill a "forgotten corner" of the East Valley. (Special to the Arizonan) tween this land and other tribal land around it that it’s a 30-year build-out.” A 40-year-old developer of masterplanned residential and commercial properties in Arizona, Sunbelt Holdings

will lead the project and provide asset and construction management as well as marketing services. “We can’t sell the land; It’s all got to be ground leased, but that’s something that

we’re very attuned to,” Graham said. “On behalf of ASU, we’ve managed and marketed their research park in Tempe since 1992 and that’s all ground-leased – we can’t sell

see GILA page 20

THE CHANDLER ARIZONAN | WWW.CHANDLERNEWS.COM | FEBRUARY 7, 2021

Memory care as distinctive as she is. Serving those with a form of alzheimer’s or dementia isn’t an afterthought—it’s the only thought.

Find out why stand-alone memory care matters.

(408) 877-5985 / coppercreekinnarizona.com 2200 W Fairview St. / Chandler, AZ

CITY NEWS

THE CHANDLER ARIZONAN | WWW.CHANDLERNEWS.COM | FEBRUARY 7, 2021

Teen shot by Chandler of�icer succumbs to injuries ARIZONAN NEWS STAFF

17-year-old boy shot by a Chandler police officer earlier this month during a chase has died. Anthony Cano, a former Chandler High School student, was shot the night of Jan. 2 after he allegedly ignored commands from an officer who was chasing the teenager through Gazelle Meadows Park. Cano was holding a firearm at the moment he was shot twice in the back, Chandler Police said. The officer was not harmed during the incident. Cano spent several weeks in the hospital before succumbing to his injuries on Jan. 23. The teenager’s family say his death has caused great stress at a time when the Canos have had to deal with several other tragedies. “Our entire family is completely devastated to have lost such a vital part of our family,” said Eva Cano, the teen’s aunt. “Anthony was the fourth loss in our family in the month of January.” Known as “Peanut” among his family

Anthony Cano and friends, Cano was remembered as a joyful, fun-loving kid who loved sports and clowning around. Cano’s family declined comment on the circumstances surrounding his death but said they hope that “truth and

justice” will come to light after all the investigations conclude. Eva Cano said she hopes her nephew’s death might spur a positive impact on the community by possibly preventing a similar incident from happening to someone else. “If this incident saves another teenager or another family from having to go through a tragedy as we have, I’m positive Anthony’s heart would be more than happy,” she added. According to Chandler Police, one of its officers noticed Cano riding a bicycle without a front headlight near Nevada and Erie streets at about 9 p.m. on Jan. 2. The officer observed Cano moving through both lanes of traffic and attempted to stop him. After Cano ignored the flashing lights of the officer’s vehicle, a chase ensued that eventually led to a nearby park. The officer’s body-worn camera documented Cano running away from the officer as commands were being yelled out for him to stop. Cano allegedly dropped a firearm he had been carrying while running through

Best Dentist at Affordable Prices!

Missing Teeth? Embarrassed to Smile? Tooth Pain? Loose Dentures? We Can Help, Call Us NOW!

SUPREME DENTURES starting at

AFTER

BEFORE

EXPIRES 2-28-2021

Is Your Pool In Need of a Makeover? We’re the Pool Resurfacing Experts!

Let us help you create the pool of your drea ms!

% OFF

Tile Cleaning Expires February 28, 2021

BRING IN A WATER SAMPLE FOR A FREE ANALYSIS

SEE STORE FOR DETAILS

Pool Resurfacing Experts Specializing in POOL SERVICE, MAINTENANCE & REPAIR

602-546-POOL (7665)

www.barefootpoolman.com Ahwatukee!

Ahwatukee!

1241 E. Chandler Blvd., Ste. 124, Phoenix, AZ 85048

the park. As he stopped to pick up the gun, the officer fired two shots at him. Chandler Police did not disclose the officer’s name. He has been placed on administrative leave while an internal and criminal investigation is conducted. The Maricopa County Attorney’s Office will ultimately decide whether criminal charges should be filed against the officer. The case will additionally be reviewed by a panel of local residents assigned to probe police incidents involving violence. Cano’s death comes after a year that was dominated by civil unrest caused by officer-involved shootings seen throughout the country. Several peaceful protests took place across Chandler last summer after the high-profile death of George Floyd, who was killed during an altercation with police officers in Minnesota. In response to the protests, Chandler Police announced in October it was implementing extra layers of accountability to its review process for incidents involving officers who use force against a civilian.

999

PORCELAIN CROWNS from

699

Before

IMPLANTS from

799

each EXPIRES 2-28-2021

SNAP ON LOWER DENTURE With Two Implants

from

EXPIRES 2-28-2021

3,999

FREE $ Exam & X-Rays 150

EXPIRES 2-28-2021

After

EXTRACTIONS

from

EXPIRES 2-28-2021

*All offers for New patients without insurance only.

We Accept Most Major Insurances • Interest FREE Financing with Low Monthly Payments Emergencies Welcome & Same Day Appointments Available

(SW corner of Desert Foothills Parkway & Chandler Blvd.)

Thank you for voting us an Ahwatukee’s “Best Of” Pool Service Company 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017 & 2018!

1722 E University, Mesa

Ahwatukee Owned & Operated Licensed, Bonded & Insured ROC# 272001

(W of Gilbert on N side of University)

480.833.9942

www.TRUVALUEDENTAL.com

THE CHANDLER ARIZONAN | WWW.CHANDLERNEWS.COM | FEBRUARY 7, 2021

#1 Rated Shop in the East Valley

Thank You for voting us

BEST AUTOMOTIVE REPAIR

Your Trusted European Car Specialists

We at Huffs Automotive are specialists in: Se Habla • BMW • Land Rover • Mini Cooper Español • Jaguar • Volkswagen • Audi • Mercedes Benz • Porsche

CALL NOW!

FREE

FULL VEHICLE INSPECTION $150 Value! Must mention ad when making appointment.

NOW HIRING

AUTOMOTIVE REPAIR TECHNICIAN Experienced & Entry-Level Call 480-726-8900 Or Submit Resume at huffsautomotive@yahoo.com

Serving Chandler & the East Valley for over 10 Years • Family Owned and Operated

95 N. Dobson Rd. • Chandler, AZ 85224 480-726-8900 • huffsautomotive.com info@huffsautomotive.com

Call For An Appointment!

CITY NEWS

THE CHANDLER ARIZONAN | WWW.CHANDLERNEWS.COM | FEBRUARY 7, 2021

Kyrene board to discuss campus closings Tuesday BY PAUL MARYNIAK Arizonan Executive Editor

he Kyrene Governing Board plans a study session next Tuesday, Feb. 9, on reopening its classrooms as Superintendent Laura Toenjes said she hoped COVID-19 vaccinations would enable students to return to campuses “even if health metrics do not change as rapidly as we hope.” But it was still unclear when that might happen and the latest county COVID-19 metrics indicate a full reopening might not be in the cards for at least a few weeks. Tempe Union High School District Governing Board held a similar discussion last week, and is pondering a four-daya-week opening of campuses on March 15. (see page 15) Tempe Union has not offered five days of classroom learning since last March. Toenjes’ letter to parents echoed her report to the board on Jan. 26, when she provided a largely pessimistic assessment of the health challenges confronting Kyrene.

“Kyrene is currently seeing the same volume of cases, case reports on campus now with only a fraction of the students present for on-site services,” she said. “These case reports are higher than what we saw before schools transitioned to online learning. Case counts would be significantly higher if all of our in-person learners were on campus

of substitute teachers poses another personnel issue if schools were to reopen and a high absence rate continued among the district’s teaching staff. While she said the district “is optimistic about the impact vaccinations will have an employee health staffing levels and overall community spread in the coming weeks,” she also said classrooms

We understand the enormous impact that this “pandemic has had in a community and we have compassion and empathy for our students, our staff and our families.

”

– Laura Toenjes

right now.” Compounding the problem, she said, was the high number of teachers who have exhibited COVID-like symptoms. Even if they are not infected by the coronavirus, they would not be allowed on campus for 14 days if classrooms were open. Toenjes said the state-wide shortage

would not reopen until the three benchmarks for virus spread were in the moderate range for two weeks. “We understand the enormous impact that this pandemic has had in a community and we have compassion and empathy for our students, our staff and our families,” she said. “We will continue to closely monitor the weekly reports and

Attendees received a dose of the Moderna vaccine, which requires a second dose at least four weeks later. The district plans to host a second vaccination event on Feb. 27 and 28. More than 100 volunteers helped distribute the first vaccine doses over the weekend and CUSD tried to model its campuses after the distribution site at Chandler-Gilbert Community College, which is open to anyone currently eligible for vaccination. Attendance at Chandler Unified’s distribution sites was exclusively limited to education workers. Educators without health insurance were still eligible to receive a vaccine from CUSD at no cost to them. Chandler Unified is one of several other school districts that’s agreed to partner with the state to speed up the distribution of vaccines for essential workers. The push on vaccinations comes as the county health department on Thursday released data showing substantial virus

spread in Chandler Unified and the city. All three metrics for measuring spread were well above the moderate spread levels. COVID-19 cases per 100,000 people were up to 886 from 790 the previous week and positive new test results rose slightly to 21.9 percent. Percentage of hospital visits with COVID-like symptoms dipped slightly to 14.5 percent. According to CUSD, between 1,400 and 1,600 of its 5,000 employees have voluntarily received their first vaccine dose at another site and are waiting for their second dose. The rapid vaccination could offer some comfort to parents like Swati Kadam, who has been agonizing for weeks about sending her daughter back to Hamilton High for in-person learning. The district is offering five-day in-classroom learning. Kadam’s concerns about the pandemic have been heightened since her mother succumbed to the virus in July. She said losing her mother made her

we are prepared to make a rapid transition once the community health metrics show that it is safe to do so and our staffing levels are sufficient to welcome in-person learners back on campus.” So far, the three benchmarks that Kyrene and Tempe Union rely on to make their classroom opening decisions on are still well into the significantspread category. The updated data released Feb. 4 by the county showed somewhat encouraging trends, as three benchmarks showed a slight drop in virus spread over the past two weeks. Cases per 100,000 have dropped in Kyrene from 745 to 452; percentage of positive new test results dipped from 18.5 percent to 14.6 percent; and percentage of hospital visits with COVIDlike symptoms from 13.7 percent to 12.5 percent. Virtually the same trends exist in the data for Tempe Union. The Kyrene and Tempe Union virus metrics are the same or lower than those in other East Valley school districts that

see KYRENE page 12

CUSD educators roll up their sleeves for shots BY KEVIN REAGAN Arizonan Staff Writer

s some parents and students continue to fret over returning to school in the pandemic, hundreds of Chandler Unified School District employees have received a COVID-19 vaccine over the last month. Shortly after teachers became eligible for vaccination, the school district partnered with the Arizona Department of Health Services and local pharmacists to set up distribution sites at Hamilton and Perry high schools last weekend, where 2,500 vaccines have so far been administered to local educators. Any childcare workers or K-12 teachers living within the district’s boundaries – regardless of whether they work for CUSD – were invited to visit one of the campuses on Jan. 30-31 to get one of the 6,000 vaccines allotted to Chandler’s distribution sites.

concerned for her daughter’s safety when CUSD reopened its classrooms on Jan. 19. Several parents have been contemplating their options, Kadam said, since the district decided not to offer a temporary virtual learning option for students. “There are many like us right now,” Kadam said. “We’re all in a strange place right now trying to figure out what to do.” When the CUSD Governing Board decided to start the spring semester with virtual learning for all students the first two weeks of last month, some hoped the trial period would be extended until COVID-19 levels drastically dropped. “That’s what we are asking for,” Kadam noted. “We’re asking for a real, teacherled virtual option.” Chandler’s online school doesn’t work for many high schoolers, Kadam said, noting it lacks advanced courses and is incompatible with certain learning styles.

see CUSD page 14

11 CITY NEWS

THE CHANDLER ARIZONAN | WWW.CHANDLERNEWS.COM | FEBRUARY 7, 2021

Bill pushes huge voucher program expansion BY HOWARD FISCHER Capitol Media Services

our years after voters rejected expanding a voucher program, Republican state lawmakers are trying again in a big way. SB 1452 would allow any student who meets certain standards to get more than $4,300 a year of tax dollars to attend a private or parochial school. It also would permit parents to use those dollars for home schooling or “pods’’ with neighbors to teach their children. The measure, approved by the Senate Education Committee, would enable a massive expansion of a program that started in 2011 as a small alternative for students with special physical or emotional needs that their parents said could not be met at home. Since then, however, there has been a near-constant expansion of eligibility, to the point where it now includes foster children, children living on reservations, children of active military, and those at-

tending public schools rated D or F. Sen. Paul Boyer, R-Phoenix, did not provide any estimates of what his legislation would mean in terms of students. But Aaron Wonders, lobbyist for the state Department of Education, estimated that about 250,000 students in Arizona are currently eligible for a voucher and that SB 1452 could balloon that up to 700,000 of the state’s 1.1 million students in public schools. Boyer said his legislation is targeted at students from low-income families. But the wording appears to have a loophole that would open the door to students from wellto-do families simply because their children were attending a school where there were enough poor students to classify it as eligible for Title I services for the needy. Arizona does not require students to attend traditional public schools in their neighborhoods. They are free to enroll at other school districts and can attend any charter school, which are public schools under Arizona law, without cost. “But it’s only a choice if it’s funded,’’

Boyer said. “It’s only a choice if a student has access to the school,’’ he continued. “It’s only a choice if they’re not stuck on a wait list for years and years and told year after year after year, ‘Just wait until we’re fully funded, then it will get better.’ ‘’ Boyer, a charter school teacher, said the issue is providing what a family thinks is best rather than essentially telling children that their only choice is the neighborhood school that may or may not be meeting their needs. But Sen. Christine Marsh, D-Phoenix, said that misses a key point. “The irony is if we were funding our schools appropriately, we wouldn’t have kids who felt or families who felt the need to leave, or certainly not as many,’’ she said. Leaving the public school system, she said, reduces a district’s per-student funding, leaving the schools even worse off. While the committee was divided along party lines, there are elements of the business community that find Boy-

NOW OPEN! NEW LOCATION NEW LOCATION CHANDLER

CHANDLER 2820 S. Alma School Rd. 2820 S. Alma School Rd. (480) 626-9448 (480) 626-9448 N.W. corner of Alma School & Queen Creek

N.W. corner of Alma School & Queen Creek

GILBERT GILBERT 911 S Lindsay Road 911 S Lindsay Road (480) (480)497-2522 497-2522

S.E. corner Lindsay & Warner S.E. corner Lindsay & Warner

3107 3107SSGilbert GilbertRoad Road (480) (480)722-2522 722-2522

N.E. N.E.corner cornerof ofGilbert Gilbert&&Pecos Pecos

er’s idea unacceptable. That includes Jim Swanson, CEO of Kitchell Corp., a major Arizona construction firm. “Don’t get me wrong,’’ he said. “I support school choice through quality charters and open enrollment in our school districts. But this, Swanson said, is not the answer, saying voucher expansion “takes money out of an already underfunded, overburdened system, a system that is barely coping with teachers leaving and retiring, a shortage of counselors, and an overreliance on bonds and overrides to fund school operations at the district level.” Boyer’s legislation also says that high schoolers can get a separate scholarship financed by donations to school tuition organizations to help pay those private and parochial school expenses. That’s crucial as donors get a dollar-for-dollar credit against income tax owed to the state, reducing overall state revenues for education and other priorities. Ron Johnson, who lobbies for the state’s

see VOUCHER page 18

FREE FREE CRAZY CRAZY BREAD BREAD With the purchase

® ®

With of the any purchase pizza

of any pizza 8-piece order • Crazy Sauce extra 8-piece order • Crazy Sauce ONLY extra FOR IN-STORE PURCHASE ®

OFFER EXPIRES 2/28/21. Valid only at the Chandler FOR IN-STORE PURCHASE ONLY locations. Not good with any and Gilbert Little Caesars OFFER EXPIRES 2/28/21. Valid only at the Chandler other offers. Void where prohibited or taxed. and Gilbert Little Caesars locations. Not good with any other offers. Void where prohibited or taxed. ®

ULTIMATE ULTIMATE SUPREME SUPREME One large round pizza with

One large round pizza with Pepperoni, Italian Sausage, Onions, Pepperoni, Italian Sausage, Onions, Mushrooms & Green Peppers Mushrooms & Green Peppers FOR IN-STORE PURCHASE ONLY FOR IN-STORE PURCHASE ONLY OFFER EXPIRES 2/28/21. Valid only at

participating Little Caesars Not OFFER EXPIRES 2/28/21.locations. Valid only at good with any otherLittle offers. Plus taxlocations. where applicable. Not good participating Caesars with any other offers. Plus tax where applicable. ®

CITY NEWS

KYRENE from page 10

have reopened campuses for five-day inclassroom instruction. For example, Mesa Public Schools’ metrics are 678 cases per 100,000, test positivity nearly 19 percent and hospital visits is at 12.5 percent, according to the data released last week. Chandler Unified’s metrics were 693 cases, 19 percent positivity and 12.5 percent hospital visits. Gilbert Public Schools, which reopened classrooms for five-day-a-week learning two days ago, recorded 722 cases per 100,000, 20 percent positivity and 12.5 percent for hospital visits. Kyrene currently is seeking feedback on a survey to parents and staff that Toenjes said “would inform that discussion” on reopening at next Tuesday’s study session. But Toenjes added: “We also recognize that many families are anxious to have children back in school, especially now that our teachers and staff have begun receiving their vaccines. Please know that even Kyrene employees who received their first vaccine at the earliest opportunity still will not be fully vaccinated prior to this Feb.

THE CHANDLER ARIZONAN | WWW.CHANDLERNEWS.COM | FEBRUARY 7, 2021

9 board meeting. I appreciate your patience and understanding as he considers all of the factors and all of the voices.” Board members did not directly comment on reopening during that part of the meeting reserved for their individual announcements. Only board President Kevin Walsh praised Toenjes and the administration for arranging to have rapid virus testing available at the district headquarters for employees. Each board member in some way, however, acknowledged receiving numerous comments from the community and in each in his or her own way said they appreciated them. Emailed comments from parents and staff to the board consumed nearly an hour of the meeting and most praised the district’s decision to keep classrooms closed. Typical of those sentiments was one parent who wrote, “Thank you for making a decision to keep schools closed for in-person learning. I believe this is the right decision to keep not only the students and teachers safe, but also the entire community. Please continue to follow the scientists.” But other parents remain adamant in

their desire for a full in-classroom option. Parent Jason Armstrong started a petition on change.org in the hope of getting 500 signers. As of AFN’s Monday deadline, he had garnered 360. “As I look around Maricopa County, I see our neighbors; Public, Private, and Charter Schools, providing solutions for parents who wish to send their kids back to In-Person learning, and I’m astonished and disappointed that Kyrene has hard-lined the virtual-only policy regardless of the state guidance and/or the public desire,” he wrote. “There have been endless medical publications and federal/state communications that the best/safest place for our children to be is ‘in the classroom,’ he also said, noting “Nothing will ever be 100 percent safe. There were risks preCOVID, there are risks during COVID, and there will be risks post-COVID. Why are teachers any different than grocery store employees, nurses, firemen, doctors, manufacturing employees, or any other essential workers?” All school districts to some degree face a loss of state per-pupil reimbursement because funding for online learners is 5

percent lower than the reimbursement rate for in-class students. But State Senate Republicans have said that among their budget priorities is equalizing the reimbursement rate for one year in fiscal 2021-22. Gov. Doug Ducey’s budget did not include that equalizer. Brian Lockery, Kyrene’s director of business services, said he was encouraged by the Senate GOP caucus’ offer, which also includes $67 million in flexible dollars that districts can use for either operating or capital expenses. “Kyrene School District appreciates the two education proposals offered and looks forward to continued discussions on restoring education funding,” he said. “Online instruction has been a key tool to provide a safe learning environment, and reduced funding for distance learners places a significant strain on school district budgets at a time when additional supports are needed to keep students on track academically. As the state budget begins to take shape, Kyrene hopes to be included in conversations about how to use the projected state budget surpluses in both FY21 and FY22 to strengthen education in Arizona.”

Buy One Get One HALF OFF on all personal laser engraved gifts

SAFAZ.NET

623.974.1745 10722 NW Grand Ave., Sun City 4955 S. Alma School Rd., Chandler

Cheval Mirror Jewelry Cases 10% Off

CITY NEWS

THE CHANDLER ARIZONAN | WWW.CHANDLERNEWS.COM | FEBRUARY 7, 2021

Over 600 city employees have received vaccinations BY KEVIN REAGAN Arizonan Staff Writer

t least 650 Chandler city employees – mostly firefighters and police officers – have received their COVID-19 vaccine over the last month as thousands of eligible residents. First-responders, teachers, and healthcare workers have spent the last few weeks attempting to get vaccinated at one the Valley’s few distribution centers and a large section of Chandler’s public workforce has managed to gain access to a vaccine in various ways. Some have waited in line outside Chandler-Gilbert Community College where volunteers have been administering vaccines around the clock, while others have gotten one of the vaccines that’s been distributed directly to the city. By the end of January, the city had used up its allotment of vaccines from the Maricopa County Public Health Department that are reserved for firefighters and police officers. “That’s it, we have no more vaccines,”

said Fire Chief Tom Dwiggins, adding the vast majority of the city’s 650 vaccinated employees work in public safety. About 700 of the city’s 1,600 workers are public safety employees, suggesting Chandler could be close to having most of its eligible personnel vaccinated. It’s difficult to pinpoint exactly how many employees have received the vaccination thus far, Dwiggins said, because the city doesn’t demand workers provide any documentation. The city is hoping more staffers can get vaccinated in the coming weeks as Arizona attempts to boost its supply of vaccines and ramp up distribution. The state is getting up to 169,000 vaccines each week, Dwiggins added, so Chandler will have to wait and see how the county will be distributing doses and whether more can be allotted for city personnel. Once public safety employees became eligible for vaccination last month, the city asked the county to send as many vaccines as possible for an in-house clinic the Fire Department quickly set up for

city workers. “When they give you that vaccine, you go get it and you bring it here to Chandler as fast you can,” Dwiggins said. Dwiggins had his staff undergo special training for administering, storing and tracking the COVID-19 vaccines before spending the last couple weeks dispensing the shots. More than 300,000 residents throughout Maricopa County have been vaccinated during the first phase of Arizona’s vac-

cine distribution plan, which prioritizes elderly populations and essential workers – mainly educators and first responders. As the state progresses through the next phase of its rollout plan – which targets adults with high-risk medical conditions – Dwiggins said his department will be trying to gather doses for city employees who fit that category. The city also is assisting Chandler resi-

see VACCINES page 14

REDUCE INCOME TAX TO $0! RECOVER PREVIOUS TAX PAID!

CASH 00

If I Can’t Reduce Your Taxes by

50%+

CASH 00

I WILL PAY Y YOU $300 after your FREE live strategy session.

480.706.0177 BOOK NOW! DR. HAROLD WONG

• Guest Expert on 400+ TV/radio programs

NOW OPEN

46 4K TVs • Hear every game w/Audio Everywhere • Whiskey Bar • Local Craft Beers • Daily Food & Drink Specials Scottsdale | 101 & McKellips | Casinoarizona.com | 480.850.7777 Locally owned and caringly operated by the Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community Must wear mask to enter casino. No smoking. 23096-1_CAZ_Sports Bar_4-9x4-9_B.indd 1

9/29/20 8:44 AM

CITY NEWS

THE CHANDLER ARIZONAN | WWW.CHANDLERNEWS.COM | FEBRUARY 7, 2021

VACCINES from page 13

dents in figuring out how and where they can potentially get vaccinated by fielding phone calls and conducting community outreach. If a resident can’t book an appointment at the Chandler-Gilbert Community College site, then they may be directed to press their luck at a local pharmacy or one of the state-run distribution hubs in Glendale or Phoenix. More distribution sites are popping up across the Valley, the fire chief said, although Arizona’s vaccine supply is still limited and constrained by a high demand. How many Chandler residents have

CUSD from page 10

Parents like Kadam had hoped CUSD would keep its virtual option that has classroom teachers engaging with students through video applications. Other nearby districts had found a way to maintain that choice for students who wanted it. Kadam and some other parents attempted to protest the district’s deci-

ent, those records have not been disclosed. Dwiggins said he’s been told the state is in the midst of trying to create an online dashboard that would display how many residents in each ZIP code have been vaccinated. Chandler’s ZIP codes have recorded more than 28,000 cases of residents testing positive for COVID-19 over the last year, according to public health data. At least 130 Chandler cases have involved city firefighters or police officers. One case tragically turned fatal in January after Officer Tyler Britt succumbed to COVID-19 a couple weeks after he

already been vaccinated is unknown because those numbers are difficult to track and are not recorded by local jurisdictions. Though the state is recording the personal information of every vaccine recipision by keeping their student home from school on Jan. 19. The tactic garnered little attention from administrators so Kadam had her daughter return to school the following day. “I don’t think it was big enough to make an impact,” she added. Some parents and teachers tried circulating an online petition to get CUSD administrators to reconsider its switch back to in-person learning. By Jan. 27, more

than 1,300 people had signed the petition. “I want my children and I to stay safe,” one parent wrote on the petition. “The infection rates are way too high for us to safely be back to in-person instruction.” Meanwhile, if the pandemic was to drag on into the next school year, CUSD would be led by a new interim superintendent because Casteel intends to retire in June. The board last week in a joint statement said selecting a permanent re-

VOTE FOR US IN THE

EXPERT, FAST & AFFORDABLE • Sewer & Drain Cleaning • Water Heater Repair & Replace • Home Water Filtration Systems • Kitchen & Bath Installations

contracted the virus. Despite the fact most public safety employees have been vaccinated, Dwiggins said he will not ease health guidelines and protocols that his department has had in place since the pandemic began. Firefighters are still expected to continue wearing face masks and practice social distancing, he said, and will do so until instructed otherwise. Arizona is still in the middle of the pandemic, Dwiggins added, and residents must patiently wait for the vaccines to show their effect. “This is the solution to a very long problem,” he said. “We are in that last stage. We still have to be resilient.” placement “will require substantial time, attention and input from the District’s stakeholders” and that it will start that process in the fall – which it said “will provide a much greater opportunity in more of a post-pandemic climate for a robust search and selection process.” The board said it hopes to pick the interim superintendent March 24 to allow for a smooth transition for Casteel’s temporary replacement.

BEST OF MESA!

• Slab Leak Detection & Repair • Reroutes & Whole House Repiping

FREE 25 $

SERVICE CALL

Over 1,000 Five-Star Reviews

OFF REPAIR

480-405-7099

ROC #223709 ROC #289252 | ItsJustPlumbSmart.com

THE CHANDLER ARIZONAN | WWW.CHANDLERNEWS.COM | FEBRUARY 7, 2021

WINTER IS COMING,

DON’T GET CAUGHT IN THE COLD

A-1 Golf Carts

SUN LAKES, AZ

HAPPY

Valentines Day!

**Get up to

3,899

in dealer Rebates

No interest if paid in full within 18 months and on a qualifying trane purchase

Interest will be charged to your account from the purchase date if the purchase balance is not paid in full within the promotional period.

WINTER TUNE-UP SPECIAL!

REG. $99.

Includes a 16-Point Inspection. LIMITED TIME ONLY RESIDENTIAL ONLY

CHECK OUT THE NEW E-Z-GO’S!

ASK ABOUT THE NEW E-Z-GO ‘LITHIUM’ POWERED CART 2021 RXV Lithium

2021 TXT

YOUR HOMETOWN AIR CONDITIONING SPECIALIST

FREE Service Call with repair FREE Second Opinion FREE Estimate SINCE 1982 ROC #C39-312643

480-725-7303 www.BrewersAC.com **See your independent dealer for complete program eligibility, dates, details and restrictions. Special financing offers valid on qualifying equipment only. Special rebates from $75 to $500. All sales must be to homeowners in the United States. Void where prohibited. The Wells Fargo Home Projects credit card is issued by Wells Fargo Bank, N.A., an Equal Housing Lender. Special terms apply to qualifying purchases 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 1/1/2020 and is subject to change. For current information, call us at 1-800-431-5921. The offer expires 12/31/2021.

6 Passenger RXV

FINANCING AVAILABLE

When you purchase a NEW E-Z-GO!*

Finance offers only available at participating E-Z-GO dealers. Approval, rates, applicable fees, and terms provided are based on credit worthiness. Offers only available in 50 U.S. states and District Columbia. Financing offers void where prohibited. Finance terms are also available for pre-owned E-Z-GO products. Please see your local E-Z-GO Authorized Dealer for details.

480.895.2000 www.A-1GolfCarts.com 25820 S. Arizona Ave. • Sun Lakes, AZ 85248

CITY NEWS

THE CHANDLER ARIZONAN | WWW.CHANDLERNEWS.COM | FEBRUARY 7, 2021

Tempe Union may reopen four days a week March 15 BY PAUL MARYNIAK Arizonan Executive Editor

empe Union High School District may reopen classrooms for four days a week starting March 15 – and then again, it may not. The Governing Board last week devoted most of its time during a five-hour meeting to the question of whether it will be safe to allow students back on campus for the first time since Thanksgiving – and for more than two days a week since last March. While admitting that students are struggling and failing grades are proving that – and that enrollment declines and the lower state reimbursement rate for online students has cost the district more than $4 million, or about 5.02 percent of the district’s state revenue – neither Superintendent Dr. Kevin Mendivil not the board were willing to commit to a date yet because of a number of factors. Among those factors are how many teachers, students and parents want to be in classrooms, what COVID-19 metrics show and the likelihood of staying

open for the remainder of the 2020-21 school year. Although there was a slight decline in COVID-19 cases per 100,000 posted by the county health department on Feb. 4, the day after the board meeting, all three metrics within Tempe Union’s borders are well within the substantial category for virus spread. While officials were expressing hope that a downward trend in virus would continue to the point the point that spread levels justified reopening campuses, a few board members worried about letting students back on campus immediately after spring break. They wondered if it made more sense to wait at least a week. Some of that concern was driven by observations the board heard from two professionals that Mendivil invited – Dr. Neal Woodbury, vice president of research and chief science and technology officer for Arizona State University’s School of Molecular, and Dr. Amy Jo Overlin, head team physician for Tempe Union, Chandler Gilbert Community College and the Phoenix Mercury. “We have notably spiked every time

after a holiday throughout this pandemic,” said Overlin, “and obviously, we have spring break coming – which for our students’ families is a holiday, so we can expect increased travel and potential increased exposure over that time. Though I do think overall, we’re going to trend downwards, we could see an additional small spike during the March area when we’re trying to get into our fourth quarter. So that’s going to be a challenge for us.” Other concerns were raised as well as the board discussed whether in-class learning should be offered five days a week. “I’m very hesitant about that because we’re talking about the need for mitigation strategies, especially when we’re still in substantial spread or teetering on the verge of or coming back from spring break that could potentially put us back and the social distancing aspect potentially won’t happen in class,” said board member Sarah James. Board members also expressed concerns about how students could be kept socially distant not only in class but in cafeterias and hallways if a significant

portion of the student body returns. And there was concern about how many teachers might be fully vaccinated by the March 15 date. Mendivil said that Tempe Union teachers have largely discounted the effectiveness of having students on campus two days a week. And while five days on campus remains an option, the board appeared more inclined to go with the four-day model, with students learning at home on Wednesdays so that schools could be deep-cleaned. Board members also directed Mendivil to get surveys out to students, teachers and parents quickly so they could get a better idea how many students might want to return so a reopening date might be set at the next board meeting Feb. 17 and a full plan developed for the return of staff and students. “We have only one meeting before March and if we’re looking at March 15,” said board member Andres Barazza, “I don’t think we can have the any confusion among our community members or among staff members. I think we need this now.”

perception of reality,’’ he said. Sen. Martin Quezada, D-Glendale, “The reason that there’s doubts out there about our elections right now is because of uncorroborated claims, misinformation and flat-out lies that have been told over and over again about this past election, from the president’s office all the way down to this very body. As elected officials, we lied to them.’’ Mesnard suggested the opposition of Democrats has a political component. “I am a little dismayed at the seeming dismissiveness that I sense from people who have no problem with the outcome of the election or don’t have any doubts but don’t care that others do,’’ he said. Mesnard is the sponsor of SB 1010 which would increase to 5 percent the number of precincts where there has to be a random hand count of votes following each election. The current figure is 2 percent. But Mesnard also wants to allow any-

one who has the money to demand a full recount of any race. He conceded that the only people who would likely take advantage of that are those who are on the losing side. But that, said Mesnard, does not make it a bad idea. Mendez doesn’t see it that way. “Allowing rich people to demand a recount simply because they can afford it will never restore confidence in our elections,’’ he said. The same panel gave the go-ahead to SB 1083 which alters the law on when there has to be an automatic recount. In most cases, that occurs when the margin of difference between the top two candidates is no more than 0.1 percent or 200 votes, whichever is less. Sen. Michelle Ugenti-Rita, R-Scottsdale, wants to move that number up to 0.5 percent. That change is significant. Democrat Joe Biden won Arizona and

its 11 electoral votes by 10,457 over President Trump, a margin of just 0.3 percent. Had this measure been in effect last year, it would have required a recount of the more than 3.3 million ballots already cast. Quezada said altering the floor for a recount might have made sense had it been brought up at almost any other time. “The problem is we’re bringing it forward in response to, again, people’s mistrust of these election results and lack of confidence in these election results that are based on complete lies,’’ Quezada said. Ugenti-Rita said this has nothing to do with the most recent election. “I have to dispel this idea that things were fine prior to 2020,’’ she said. Separately, the same committee agreed to set up a procedure to drop people off

Chandler senator pushes for election law changes

BY HOWARD FISCHER Capitol Media Services

n the wake of protests over the election results in Arizona, Republicans on a Senate panel approved two changes in election laws designed to audit more votes and require automatic recounts in more situations. “There are hundreds of thousands of people ... that think the election was fraudulent or full of irregularities or breakdowns in process,’’ said Chandler Sen. J.D. Mesnard. Changing the laws on recounts and audits, he said, will increase voter confidence. But Sen. Juan Mendez, D-Tempe, said the legislation approved on party-line votes by the Government Committee is built on the flawed assumption that more counting will change minds. “There will always be people that are never going to accept election results because they just don’t agree with their

see MESNARD page 20

CITY NEWS

THE CHANDLER ARIZONAN | WWW.CHANDLERNEWS.COM | FEBRUARY 7, 2021

State of�icial decries online learning underfunding BY HOWARD FISCHER Capitol Media Services

rizona’s top education official told lawmakers last week they need to ensure that schools get as much money for online courses as the law now provides them for kids in seats. Kathy Hoffman said public schools are expected to lose up to $500 million in aid because the state law funds distance learning at 5 percent less than in-person instruction. Equalizing that funding would be welcomed, Kyrene and Chandler Unified officials said. “We have been impacted by distance learning and fully funding our students without a reduction would be extremely beneficial to our district,” Chandler Unified spokesman Terry Locke said. Brian Lockery, Kyrene’s director of business services, said he is encouraged that the Senate GOP caucus last month indicated a willingness to allow 100-percent funding for both online and in-classroom students for one year and

the restoration of $67 million in flexible dollars for use to cover either operating or capital costs. “Online instruction has been a key tool in providing a safe learning environment and reduced funding for distance learners places a significant strain on school district budgets at a time when additional supports are needed to keep students on track academically,” Lockery said. Hoffman noted that Gov. Doug Ducey did come up with some one-time dollars to compensate. That was $370 million the governor took from money he got from the federal Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security Act. But Hoffman told members of the Senate Education Committee, that still shorted schools statewide by $247 million. And aides to the governor said he has no interest in coming up with the difference. At the same time, however, Ducey is pushing ahead with a plan to permanently cut taxes by $200 million this coming budget year, a plan that calls for that rising to $400 million in cuts the

GUNS & ROSES

CASA FEB GRANDE 13 & 14 & ROSES GUNSGUNS & ROSES

GUNS & ROSES

following year and $600 million the year after that. “When the state sits on a billion-dollar rainy day fund and projects a $2 billion surplus, there is no excuse to not fully fund every school,’’ Hoffman said. “There has never been a more urgent time to tap into our safety net and provide for Arizonans,’’ she continued. “Anyone who thinks it’s not raining in Arizona right now needs to check their privilege.’’ What ultimately is needed, she said, is “predictable, sustainable funding’’ that would allow schools to plan their budgets and lure and fairly compensate education professionals. She said voters share that belief, citing the approval in November of Proposition 208. That measure enacted a 3.5 percent tax surcharge on any income above $250,000 a year for individuals and $500,000 for married couples filing jointly, a measure proponents say could raise $940 million a year -- but not until the 2022-2023 school year. The initiative’s legality is being challenged in court by business interests

GUN SHOW GUN SHOW GUN SHOW GUN SHOW $10 FEB FEB 13 & 14 13 & 14 FEB

13 & 14

see HOFFMAN page 19

CASACASA GRANDE GRANDE CASA

@ Pinal County Fairgrounds @ Pinal County Fairgrounds L a dLadies iieess SaaUrrN ee Dh aaYll ff Fprice pE rrBii .cc ee1on o nnH SS|uunnddaayy!! are 4 Lad hAhalf p oTSunday! Ladies are half price on Sunday!

9AM - 3PM

and some GOP legislators. Hoffman did give a tip of the hat to Ducey’s plan to use some cash to boost literacy at early grades. But she said that’s not a permanent solution. “One-time grant funding simply doesn’t cut it for staffing our schools,’’ Hoffman said. “When we use a patchwork approach to funding our schools, our students lose out.’’ She also had kind words for Ducey’s plan to expand broadband access “as it will be critical to bridging the opportunity gap for students and families.’’ But here, too, Hoffman said more is needed. “Even for our schools where internet is reliable, the cost of virtual learning is staggering,’’ she said. “From ordering expensive devices to hiring additional IT staff to manage the issues that rise on digital platforms, to training educators on new digital tools, I cannot overstate the impact distance learning has had on schools’ budgets.’’ “For too long, Arizona has been in a cri-

arizonagunshows.com

@ Pinal County Fairgrounds

Don’t wait to buy or refinance. Let’s talk today.

480-855-6287 • WESTERNBANKS.COM 976 W Chandler Blvd • Chandler

CITY NEWS

THE CHANDLER ARIZONAN | WWW.CHANDLERNEWS.COM | FEBRUARY 7, 2021

$900K for dude ranches gets preliminary OK

2020

example, state lawmakers voted in 2018 to give $1.5 million a year in sales tax revenues for 30 years to the Arizona Office of Tourism to promote events at Phoenix International Raceway and money into promoting NASCAR at Phoenix International Raceway. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d like to see a microcosm of that extended in this case to the guest ranch community,â&#x20AC;&#x2122;â&#x20AC;&#x2122; DeMenna said. But Rep. Lorenzo Sierra, D-Cashion, whose district includes that raceway, said this isnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t exactly the same thing. He said the raceway owners first had to put up $100 million of their own money on improvements as a condition to get the cash. Rep. Diego Rodriguez, D-Laveen, said thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a â&#x20AC;&#x153;deep well of documentationâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;â&#x20AC;&#x2122; showing the economic impact on Arizona of a NASCAR race. And he asked DeMenna if he could prove the same thing about dude ranches. The lobbyist conceded he does not now have such figures. Rep. Andrea Dalessandro, D-Green Valley, said she has several of these in her district and supports tourism but cannot vote for a specific carve-out of state dollars. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t like the idea of support for a specific segment,â&#x20AC;&#x2122;â&#x20AC;&#x2122; Dalessandro said. Instead, she promised to work with state tourism officials to get them to use more of their existing resources to highlight the dude ranches. The 7-4 vote now sends the measure to the House Appropriations Committee.

VOUCHER from page 11

tures in 2017, the last time lawmakers tried a major expansion, to put the issue on the ballot. Voters overrode the measure by a 2-1 margin. The other option, she said, is legal, saying there are questions about a provision in Boyerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s legislation that would take money from a voter-approved School Site Fund, financed by a 0.6-cent sales tax, to help finance the vouchers. Boyerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s legislation for the first time also allows parents to use their vouchers to pay for public or commercial transportation between home and school.

OB/GYN Care provided by an all-female staff

BY HOWARD FISCHER Capitol Media Services

Chandler â&#x20AC;˘ Gilbert â&#x20AC;˘ Mesa

Thank you for voting us as Best OB/GYN! â&#x20AC;&#x153;Never been in an office where I felt so comfortable and so listened to. Thank you so much!â&#x20AC;?

~patient Christina

We have all female OB/GYN doctors, certified nurse practitioners, certified physican assistants, and certified nurse midwives.

3 East Valley Hospitals

We provide 24/7 call groups at three excellent hospitals: Mercy Gilbert, Chandler Regional, and Banner Gateway

www.valleywomenfor women.com Text or Call 480-782-0993

tate lawmakers voted Monday to spend $900,000 in tax dollars in a bid to convince Arizonans and others across the country to visit one of the stateâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s remaining â&#x20AC;&#x153;dude ranches.â&#x20AC;&#x2122;â&#x20AC;&#x2122; â&#x20AC;&#x153;At one point in the 40s ... we had as many as 80 of them,â&#x20AC;&#x2122;â&#x20AC;&#x2122; Kevin DeMenna, lobbyist for the Arizona Dude Ranch Association told members of the House Committee on Land, Agriculture and Rural Affairs. â&#x20AC;&#x153;They were a national draw.â&#x20AC;&#x2122;â&#x20AC;&#x2122; Now, he put the number at closer to 14. DeMenna said the ranches, like other forms of tourism, were hit hard by the pandemic. â&#x20AC;&#x153;You canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t furlough the animals,â&#x20AC;&#x2122;â&#x20AC;&#x2122; DeMenna said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve got to be fed.â&#x20AC;&#x2122;â&#x20AC;&#x2122; Complicating matters, he said, is the dude ranches were a particular draw for international visitors. With that market pretty much dried up, DeMenna said a promotional campaign could help spur a domestic market. DeMenna originally got Rep. David Cook, R-Globe, to sponsor HB 2169 asking for $3 million. But that got pared to a potentially more politically acceptable $900,000. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We think that will manage to launch what we hope will be a coast-to-coast outreach to help to fill these ranches which, in turn, supports these local economies,â&#x20AC;&#x2122;â&#x20AC;&#x2122; he told lawmakers. DeMenna said there is precedent. For

Catholic bishops and the schools they run, said the move is necessary to keep kids in Catholic schools past the eighth grade because high school tuition is high. Even if Boyer gets his measure through the legislature and signed by the governor, that is unlikely to be the last word. Beth Lewis, co-founder of Save Our Schools Arizona said her organization will take â&#x20AC;&#x153;any action to right this wrong.â&#x20AC;&#x2122;â&#x20AC;&#x2122; One of those options would be to ask voters to void the law. Lewisâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; group gathered enough signa-

CITY NEWS

THE CHANDLER ARIZONAN | WWW.CHANDLERNEWS.COM | FEBRUARY 7, 2021

Brothers in Chandler murder-suicide H ARIZONAN NEWS STAFF

ours before he was found dead in a Chandler parking lot alongside his older brother, Lance Eskeets publicly expressed his endearing affection for his family. “I love the vibe I have with my older brother,” Eskeets wrote on social media Jan. 30, calling him the “only one I can talk (to) and that will understand everything.” About 10 hours after writing that post, the 17-year-old’s body was found inside

HOFFMAN from page 17

sis with a shortage of educators, not because we lack the talent, but because too many exceptional teachers have burned out from overcrowded classrooms, noncompetitive pay, and a lack of essential resources for students,’’ she said. “We could not afford to lose a single educator at the state of 2020,’’ Hoffman said.

a parked car outside an apartment complex near McQueen and Germann roads, with his 21-year-old brother next to him. Both had sustained gunshot wounds. The brothers were discovered by a bystander walking through the parking lot. A gun was found inside the car. According to Chandler Police, the younger Eskeets, who lived outside Maricopa County, had come to visit his brother the night of Jan. 30. An altercation broke out between the brothers at some point during the evening

that ended in Layton pulling out a gun. After shooting his younger brother, Layton allegedly turned the gun on himself and fatally shot himself. Chandler Police have not disclosed Layton’s possible motive, but said the younger brother is considered a victim in the case. Within hours of police identifying the deceased, friends of the Eskeets brothers were quick to voice their grief over losing both at the same time. “You really made a huge impact in my

life,” one friend wrote about the brothers. “I don’t know why this had to happen -- it shouldn’t have.” Social media posts penned by Lance illustrate a young man who seemed to be loyal and fond of his family – particularly his older brother. “If my brother ain’t got nobody, he got me till the day we die,” Lance published on his Facebook page. One particular morbid post published not long before his passing said, “I seen too many families end up in caskets.”

“But the demands of navigating a classroom in a pandemic has exacerbated the strain on our workforce,’’ she said. “We already know of teachers who have either bought themselves out of their contracts or are planning to not renew their contracts for the next school year.’’ It’s not all about classroom learning, the schools chief said. She said students, just like adults, have been struggling

with mental health issues during the pandemic and the school closures. Hoffman said she is pushing for putting another $43 million into the state’s School Safety Grant Program, more than double current funding. She said that could add another 355 counselors or social workers to schools. Hoffman endorsed a couple of measures being pushed by Democrats.

SB 1227 by Sen. Christine Marsh of Phoenix would set up a committee to study what is an “appropriate class size’’ and identify methods -- and funding -- to reduce the number of students in a classroom, something that also could require additional facilities. It already has cleared the Senate Education Committee, with only Republicans Nancy Barto of Phoenix and Tyler Pace of Mesa in opposition.

RISEN SAVIOR

New Sunday Service Times  Contemporary

9:30am in the N. Building Worship Center

 Traditional

8am & 11am in the South Building Sanctuary

WORSHIP CENTER OPENS February 14th, 2021

 Online

www.RSLCS.org

8am Traditional 9:30am Contemporary

23714 S. Alma School Rd, Chandler AZ Phone: (480) 895 -6782

CITY NEWS

THE CHANDLER ARIZONAN | WWW.CHANDLERNEWS.COM | FEBRUARY 7, 2021

GILA from page 6

STRONGER TOGETHER STRONGER TOGETHER

it. So we certainly know how to do it.” The Gila Development Authority White concurs. General Manager David White said, “Sunbelt Holdings’ proven expertise and reputation in master plan development, their blue-ribbon portfolio and deeply-rooted community connections made them the ideal partner for this expansion project.” White also said the project will create new jobs for tribal members “and will evolve our culture and legacy.” Graham said he also is excited about working with the tribe. “I think that’s one of the things that excites me about the opportunity the most – is to work with them to celebrate their culture and heritage and at the same time to create economic development opportunities to benefit the tribal members,” Graham said, adding that it also will have ripple effects on that portion of the East Valley as well as Ahwatukee. “I view it as an additional piece of economic development potential for the

Apartment Homes for 55+! Now is a great time to move-in!

STRONGER TOGETHER

t r l a e a i h c t e a p e S Sw • Continuum of care campus with onsite home health • Staff available 24/7

• Staff informed and prepared with most up-to-date • Continuum of care campus COVID-19 information

with onsite home health

Staffdisinfected available 24/7for move-in • Apartment•homes and ready • Environmental cleaning specialists on-site daily

• Staff informed and prepared with most up-to-date COVID-19 information

• Caring neighbors look out for one another

Call Today for More Information!

• Apartment homes disinfected and ready for move-in 480.345.7171 • Environmental cleaning specialists on-site daily

Homes for 55+! • Apartment Caring neighbors look out for one another

AR-GCI0471325-02

Now is a great time MESNARD fromto pagemove-in! 16

Call Today for More Information!

480.345.7171

Independent couples can enjoy• Continuum a care free of care campus with onsite home health two bedroom home • Staff available 24/7for as low as

whole area,” he added. Graham said the project also is benefitting not only from the completion of the South Mountain Freeway – which opened opportunities farther west on the GRIC’s sprawling 372,000 community – but also from the planned widening of I-10 between Phoenix and Casa Grande, “We’ll have multiple interchanges on it,” he said. “We’ll have direct access into Ahwatukee on 40th Street and 48th Street” as well as Chandler…It’s a phenomenal piece of property.” Sunbelt Holdings has developed more than 50,000 acres of land, including residential communities like the 3,800home McDowell Mountain Ranch in Scottsdale, the 9,800-household Power Ranch in Gilbert and the 5,600-home Vistancia. Its commercial developments include the Marina Heights and Hayden Ferry Lakeside projects in Tempe and the PV303 industrial project in Goodyear that will include more than 20 million square feet of industrial, office and retail space on a 1,600-acre site near the Loop 303 and I-10.

2900

• Staff and prepared with most up-to-date Allinformed apartment prices include: COVID-19 information

• All utilities • Weekly housekeeping services • Apartment homes disinfected and ready for move-in • Two meals-a-day • Basic cable television • Environmental cleaning specialists on-site daily • Emergency call-system in each • Scheduled transportation apartment Activities and entertainment • Caring neighbors look out• for one another

Call Today for More Information!

just a matter of keeping the list as current as possible. the state’s “permanent early voting list.’’ The measure drew criticism from variCurrent law allows anyone to sign up ous voting rights groups that argued this to get mailed an early ballot ahead of throws an additional hurdle in the path each election. They remain on that list of people who want to cast a ballot. unless they are placed on an “inactive’’ AR-GCI0471325-02Ugenti-Rita said the change does not aflist for failing to vote at all for several fect the right of someone to vote. She said election cycles or the notice to voters is those removed from the list can still go to returned as undeliverable. the polls and cast a ballot in person and still SB 1069 would remove individuals can reapply to get early ballots in the mail. from the list if they did not use an early All the measures go to the full Senate ballot in two consecutive primary and following a review by the Rules Commitgeneral elections. Ugenti-Rita said it’s tee of constitutional issues.

FIND OUT! (It’s free)

ps. no waiting

480.345.7171 2555 N Price Rd. Chandler, AZ 85224 | 480.345.7171 NorthChandlerPlace.com

AR-GCI0471325-02

slfhc.org

Sun Life Center for Women 480-307-9477 655 S. Dobson Rd. #201- Chandler

THE CHANDLER ARIZONAN | WWW.CHANDLERNEWS.COM | FEBRUARY 7, 2021

21 COMMUNITY

Chandler Sunset library named “resilience hub” for climate change BY KEVIN REAGAN Arizonan Staff Writer

he Chandler Sunset Library has obtained a grant to fund its conversion into a “resilience hub” for combating the impacts of climate change. The Sunset Library Branch is one of only 25 libraries across the country picked by the American Library Association to develop new educational programs that specifically focus on climate science. Sunset was recently designated a “climate resilience hub” by Communities Responding to Extreme Weather, a nonprofit that trains volunteers how to prepare their communities for adapting to changes in the climate. The designation obligates Sunset, which is the only library in Arizona to be named a resilience hub, to provide educational events on how to hold out through floods, droughts, wildfires, or extreme heat. Hubs are encouraged to

Librarian Aubrey Kowitt obtained the grant for the Sunset Branch’s climate science programs. (Pablo Robles/Staff Photographer) additionally offer shelter and emergency supplies to residents who have nowhere

else to go during a weather calamity. Experts will be invited by Sunset’s staff to host seminars on sustainable practices and teach residents how to adopt daily habits that are more friendly to the environment. In the coming weeks, the library plans to screen climate-themed documentaries, offer resources to survive Arizona’s extreme weather, and instruct residents how to start their own home garden. Librarian Aubrey Kowitt, who obtained the funding to start the library’s new offerings of programs, said she hopes residents will be inspired by Sunset’s initiatives to think more consciously about their carbon footprint. Climate change is a topic worthy of greater discussion, she added, so it’s up to the local library to help supply information on this important subject. “I feel like that’s one of the biggest issues that we’re all facing regardless of where you’re living,” Kowitt said. “I feel like as a library, I wanted us to be able to really pro-

vide some good learning opportunities.” Scientists have long been warning about the threat that rising temperatures impose on fragile ecosystems and Americans appear to be developing a growing interest in policies that can protect the Earth’s climate. Twenty-four percent of Americans believe climate change is affecting their local communities a “great deal,” according to a 2020 survey done by the Pew Research Center, and 65 percent think the government’s doing “too little” to save the environment. But the Pew survey found climate change is still a deeply partisan issue between political parties. Kowitt said she wants Sunset’s new programming to remain apolitical and serve as a productive outlet for residents interested in learning from experts who can objectively explain why the climate’s changing. “I really don’t want it to be a political issue,” the librarian said. “This is our

mond cutting tools,” said museum Collections Coordinator Nate Meyers, “And she said, ‘of course you know my dad’s story as a Holocaust survivor,’ and I didn’t.” Last February, Meyers shared Soldinger’s history in a lecture for Our Stories, a collaboration between the Chandler Library and the Chandler Historical Society. The packed crowd exceeded the 70-person limit and overflowed out onto the patio. This year, inspired by the lecture, the museum will host an exhibit. “We are always looking for compelling local stories and especially stories that help place people and events in Chandler,” said Meyers. “Just being able to share his incredible story has been an honor.” The 1994 release of the Spielberg film, “Schindler’s List,” catapulted the little-

known story of Oskar Schindler’s deeds during the Holocaust into the spotlight and Soldinger received sudden notoriety. Yotter remembers that he took speaking engagements at schools, churches and universities. “He liked to tell his story,” Yotter explained, “Because it was so important to him that it would never happen again.” As a little girl, Yotter used to ask her father for his personal stories but, he usually declined. “He’d say, ‘I don’t want to give you nightmares. When you’re older I’ll tell you.’” When she grew older, he told her harrowing tales of near-death experiences, like what she remembers as the last day in Krakow when the Germans were exterminating a majority of the ghetto’s population.

see LIBRARY page 23

Chandler Museum chronicles Holocaust survivor’s story

BY ALLI CRIPE Contributor

handler Museum’s new exhibit, “Death and Diamonds: A Holocaust Survivor’s Journey from Krakow to Chandler,” chronicles the inspirational history of Samuel Soldinger, beloved father and diamond cutter. Born in 1924, Soldinger was raised in Poland before the Nazi invasion forced his family into the Krakow ghetto. He worked at Oskar Schindler’s factory and became the sole survivor of his family. After the war, Soldinger became an expert diamond cutter and moved from New York to Arizona in 1962 for the managerial position at the Harry Winston diamond processing plant, once located on Pecos Road. “Laura and I sat down a couple years ago when she donated her father’s dia-

In 1962, Samuel Soldinger arrived in Chandler to manage the new Harry Winston diamond processing plant on Pecos Road. (Courtesy Chandler Museum)

see DIAMONDS page 22

COMMUNITY

THE CHANDLER ARIZONAN | WWW.CHANDLERNEWS.COM | FEBRUARY 7, 2021

New season of AZ Creates! web series starting Feb. 11 ARIZONAN NEWS STAFF

Tempe musician and a Chandler author are among the four creatives scheduled to kick off the new season of AZ Creates!, a YouTube web series television show highlighting artists and authors, produced and hosted by Fox Crossing resident Laurie Fagen. Devon J. Hancock of Tempe is featured with author Lynne Hartke of Chandler, along with visual artist Casey Cheuvront from Scottsdale and author John J. Rust of Prescott. In Episode 9 launching Feb. 11, Hancock talks about his career path as an audio engineer, producer and visual content creator. As a jazz guitarist, he performed in downtown Chandler restaurants for several years with a former bandmate, Matt Vandal, as the Vandal Hancock duo. Hancock is also the son of Fagen and her late husband, Geoff Hancock. The show also features Hartke, who tells the story of her personal cancer journey in “Under a Desert Sky: Redefining Hope, Beauty, and Faith in the Hardest Places” in “What Are You Reading?” She also discusses the cancer diagnoses of both parents.

DIAMONDS from page 21

Devon Hancock

Casey Cheuvront

In Episode 10, which premieres Feb. 25, the Creative Connection artist is Cheuvront, who talks about her life as a visual artist in a variety of mediums. Also on that program is Rust, a sci-fi/ action adventure published author and sports director for KYCA radio. In the program’s regular arts events segment, called “Something to Look Forward To,” co-host and graphic designer Cathy Beard of Clemente Ranch will

highlight Valentine’s Day and other art happenings from around the state. The featured nonprofit for the Episode 9 will be the Cancer Support Community, an organization that ensures those with cancer are empowered by knowledge, strengthened by action and sustained by community; and Episode 10, Art Resource Center that collects reusable discards from individuals and industries and offer them free of charge to schools

and other nonprofit entities for the purpose of making art. The programs all close with a “Creative Quote of the Day.” AZ Creates! is a twice-monthly, halfhour web series to highlight artists, writers, dancers, musicians, film, theatre and TV creatives, and other artistic people in Arizona. Fagen, former publisher of SanTan Sun News, an artist and crime fiction novel writer, designed the program to connect art patrons with artists, and to work on a positive project during the COVID-19 pandemic. Show #9 airs at 7 p.m. MST Feb. 11, and Show #10 on Feb. 25. All episodes are available on the AZ Creates! YouTube channel at any time, along with other video content. Sponsorships are available with introductory rates and discounts for multishow commitments. Sponsors for the show include Times Media, Sibley’s West, an Arizona and Chandler Gift Shop and Mary Contreras State Farm Insurance. Subscribe to the AZ Creates channel on Youtube.com at https://is.gd/ AZCreates, visit the Art Online AZ Facebook and Instagram pages or email AZCreates.ArtOnlineAZ@gmail.com for details.

about what happened,’” said Yotter. “So, my dad was very rare in that he always “When they got to my father, they sent talked about it.” him one way and then after that, they According to Yotter and Tiffani Egnor, said, ‘Everybody else the other way,’ education coordinator at the Chandler which was to the gas chamber.” Museum, the atrocities Soldinger sufEven after Soldinger escaped the Holo- fered also helped qualify him for the pocaust, it still surrounded his life until he sition at Harry Winston. passed away on Jan. 2, 2001. Soldinger “He thought he was a really good fit had friends who’d survived the Holocaust because he had the cultural sensitivity with him and who lived as far away as Is- of being someone who’d experienced so rael. They wrote to each other and visited much turmoil in his life because he was each other around the globe, according to Jewish,” said Egnor. Yotter. Even the best man at Soldinger’s In 1962, Harry Winston had employed wedding was a fellow Holocaust survivor. an approximately 80-90 percent Native “A lot of my dad’s friends would be American workforce due to a government like, ‘Sam, that’s behind us. Let’s not talk program created by Barry Goldwater and

the Bureau of Indian Affairs to help lessen tribal unemployment at the time. “The BIA would provide funding for the employment of Native Americans to learn the diamond cutting trade to work there,” Egnor explained. Yotter, who accompanied her dad to work sometimes, remembers personal details in bits and pieces because she was around 6-years-old at the time. She remembers the high security and the common presence of glittering diamonds and gemstones. She remembers picnics on the front lawn of the factory and that her father brought in a ping pong table for employee lunch breaks.

“He tried to keep a good environment,” Yotter said. “For the holidays, I remember they’d give out hams and turkeys, and on Halloween, I’d hand out candy.” Out of all the fascinating stories surrounding Soldinger’s life, Yotter said that his positive outlook impacted her the most. “Even somebody that went through Hell and fortunately survived was able to flourish,” she said. “There are good stories no matter what people go through in life.” “Death and Diamonds, the story of Samuel Soldinger,” will show from Feb. 3-March 10 at the Chandler Museum, located at 300 S. Village Dr. Admission is free.

with the Dignity Health Foundation-East Valley to raise money for high-quality masks. Blake Su, a senior at Arizona College Preparatory, said there were two family mem-

bers who indirectly inspired him – along with news stories he had read last year about shortages of masks and other protective equipment in hospitals and clinics. The son of a surgeon at Dignity Health’s

Chandler Regional and Mercy Gilbert medical centers, Blake also has an elderly aunt who had just completed physical

Chandler teen raising funds for healthcare workers’ masks

ARIZONAN NEWS STAFF

Chandler teen is doing his part to help frontline healthcare workers during the pandemic by working

see BLAKE page 23

THE CHANDLER ARIZONAN | WWW.CHANDLERNEWS.COM | FEBRUARY 7, 2021

BLAKE from page 22

therapy at an assisted care facility. “I found myself deeply troubled by the idea that my elderly aunt might be coming into contact with a mask-less nurse or by the fact that my father could get infected with coronavirus without the proper equipment on hand,” he said. As a member of his school’s Key Club – a student-run organization that organizes philanthropic activities on cam-

LIBRARY from page 21

planet. We all live on this one planet and we need to take care of it.” Starting Feb. 3, the library will be hosting a series of virtual discussions with scientists from Arizona State University who will teach attendees how to feel better connected with nature. The one-hour forums will delve into eco-friendly eating habits, nature journaling, water harvesting, surviving a desert climate, and overcoming the restrictions of a global pandemic. On March 20, a representative from the Chandler Environmental Education Center will deliver an online presentation covering biodiversity, carbon emissions, and the country’s involvement in international ef-

puses and in the community – Blake said, “I have spent so much time in Key Club and other organizations helping others – and with everything going on – I wanted to see if there was any way I could directly assist.” He decided to do something with stickers. He ran his idea past Dignity Foundation’s philanthropic manager, Catrina Ulery: have people go to a foundation webpage, donate money for one or more masks, and get a

Bigger than Boxing On March 22, 1967, in Madison Square Garden, two men vied for the Heavyweight Championship of the World – the Champ, Muhammad Ali. In the red corner, the Challenger from Chandler, Zora Folley. What followed was a fight at the crossroads of race, religion, sport, and the politics of the 1960s. “Bigger than Boxing” features the stories of these two boxers, the circumstances that weighed heavy on each man,and the fight that was a turning point in both of their careers. Through Aug. 29. Young at Art: A Selection of Caldecott Book Illustrations Feb. 3- March 10 Since 1938, the Association for Library Service to Children has awarded the Caldecott Medal annually for excellence in illustration in an

sticker from Blake that showed they supported his Masks For Heroes campaign. Ulery “loved the concept,” he said, adding that because the money goes to the foundation, it can procure more masks from a hospital wholesale supplier at a cheaper price. “Since then, I have been marketing the program to my friends on my social media account and telling anyone I come across about it,” he said. He also organized a videogame competition at his school and has raised over

$1,200. “Health care workers across the country are working on the frontline of the COVID-19 pandemic and I am going to show my appreciation for the work they do every day by helping to raise funds to provide personal protective equipment needed to keep us and themselves safe and healthy,” he said. To help: go to supportdignityhealtheastvalley.org/what-we-support/ masksforheroes ies of all types can act as catalysts and inspire future generations to reach solutions that are not only sensible but essential to sustaining life on this planet,” Garcia-Febo said. Kowitt said the “resilience hub” title sounds fancy, but it basically signifies the services that Sunset and most other libraries have been providing for years. Residents increasingly expect their libraries to be more than just a book depository, she added, so it’s up to librarians to help fulfill the needs they see in their community. “Libraries are doing way more programming than they were 20 years ago,” Kowitt added. “We’re almost like community centers in a way.” Information: chandlerlibrary.org.

forts to control global warming. The Sunset branch will open up a seed library later this spring and provide materials for residents to plant new flowers and crops that can endure their local climate. Native Seed Search, a Tucson-based nonprofit that specializes in sustainable farming practices, will be donating its arid-adapted seedlings to the library and Sunset plans to start handing out gardening kits during the last week of January. Rachelle Kuzyk, manager of the Sunset Library, said her branch’s new programs will hopefully build a local network of professionals who can share ideas on how Chandler can stay ahead of the curve on climate problems. “Working in a desert community, we understand the significance of address-

ing critical issues like climate change, climate resilience and sustainability,” Kuzyk said. “We are looking forward to partnering with other local organizations that share the same goal of providing quality, fact-based programs.” The Library Association started handing out its education grants this past year after receiving a large donation from a family who felt compelled to find innovative solutions for stopping climate change. Loida Garcia-Febo, the association’s former president, said the donation perfectly arrived at a time when ALA had recently added sustainability as one of the core values of librarianship. “By adding sustainability to its core values, ALA is recognizing that librar-

American picture book for children. Featuring original illustrations from twenty-eight award-winning artists, this exhibition celebrates artistic classics in children’s literature including works from Maurice Sendak, Barbara Cooney, and Chris Van Allsburg.

History Detectives Families can join a scavenger hunt in the Bigger than Boxing exhibit by focusing in on different portions of the exhibition.

$18, Great for ages 7-10, includes enough supplies for two users.

Build It! Frank Lloyd Wright in Chandler Explore architecture with a Frank Lloyd Wright themed activity box. Design a city, test your building skills with edible construction supplies, and review shapes hidden within authentic Wright drawings. Contains all needed supplies for three activities, stories about Wright’s time in Chandler and the book “Who Was Frank Lloyd Wright?”

W is for Whirligigs Historic Toys This box includes three wooden toys from yesteryear, a peek into historic games & rhymes, and chalk to create various hopscotch designs. Your head will spin with merriment as you learn how lads and lasses engaged with these wooden whirligigs. $13, ages 3-8, includes 3 different toys, one game booklet and chalk.

Also at the Museum

EXHIBITS

23 COMMUNITY

ACTIVITIES

Athletes in Action: A Sports History of Black Activism in Arizona Dr. Matthew Whitaker 10:30 a.m. Feb. 20, 10:30am, virtual program Registration: chandlerlibrary.libcal. com/event/7478463 Our Stories features Dr. Matthew Whitaker on how Arizona’s athletes have used their platform to seek and secure social, economic, and political justice for people of African descent. This talk coordinates with the exhibition, “Bigger than Boxing: Zora Folley and the 1967 Heavyweight Title.

Museum In A Box Dive into culture, history, and art at home with a themed activity box. Each Chandler Museum in a Box includes instructions and supplies for threefive activities. Museum in a Box is available for sale in the Museum Store.

Boxing Fun for Two Duke it out with your partner in a series of jump rope challenges. Find out who can talk the talk. Weigh in on issues that matter with conversation cards centered on the exhibition “Bigger than Boxing.” Includes a breather by expressing your artistic side, boxing style. This box also includes movie suggestions, drink recipes and a sweet treat. $24, Designed for adults.

THE CHANDLER ARIZONAN | WWW.CHANDLERNEWS.COM | FEBRUARY 7, 2021

Lunch & Learn

What can you learn about senior living at our upcoming event? A whole bunch.

Wednesday, February 10th • 11:00am Discover the vibrant lifestyle at our community. Call us today to schedule a private lunch and learn, with safeguards in place, in our beautifully-appointed model floorplan. RSVP by calling 480.400.8687.

PHOENICIAN MEDICAL CENTER PHOENICIAN VEIN AND VASCULAR

P: 480-346-9522 F: 480-912-7922

• Marc L. Eckhauser, MD brings decades of expertise in clinical and operative vascular surgery to the practice of Phoenician Vein and Vascular. • Dr. Eckhauser graduated from State University of New York Downstate Medical Center and served as Chief Resident, University Hospitals, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio. He remained on the fulltime surgical faculty for 11 years teaching general/vascular surgery attaining the rank of Associate Professor of Surgery. He then practiced in southern Ohio where he started and endovascular program and organized the Vascular Institute of Northwest Ohio. • He has in the past been Chief of Surgery at three local hospitals. • He maintains Board Certiﬁcation and has recertiﬁed three times.

• Aneurysms • Arterial Dissection • PAD (Peripheral arterial disease)

CARF-ACCREDITED INDEPENDENT & ASSISTED LIVING EQUAL HOUSING OPPORTUNITY

Cutting Edge Vascular Care

990 West Ocotillo Road • Chandler • 480.400.8687 TheVillageatOcotillo.com

• Lymphatic & Circulation Disease • Non-Atherosclerotic Vascular Disorders

• DVT (deep vein thrombosis) • Carotid Artery Blockages • Venous Insufﬁciency

WWW.PHOENICIANVEIN.CARE 604 W. Warner Rd., Bldg E., Suite 201, Chandler

2224 W. Nothern Ave., Suite C-212, Phoenix

Se Habla español 14869 W. Bell Rd., Suite 101, Surprise

WE ACCEPT ALL INSURANCES INCLUDING MEDICARE & AHCCCS

Google’s #1 rated window & door company in Phoenix!

Offers Expire Feb. 28, 2021

Buy 1 Window or Door, Get the 2nd

% OFF

PLUS

YES** 0 INTEREST FOR 12 MONTHS

YES** 0 PAYMENTS FOR 12 MONTHS

3837 E. Wier Ave., Suite 4 Phoenix, AZ 85040 ROC#323748

Installation Required ** OAC minimum purchase required

CALL TODAY AND SAVE 480.382.2025 OR www.SIPHOENIX.com

BUSINESS

THE CHANDLER ARIZONAN | WWW.CHANDLERNEWS.COM | FEBRUARY 7, 2021

Waymo sticking with autonomous ride zone for now BY PAUL MARYNIAK Executive Editor

handler residents who are hoping to catch a ride to downtown Phoenix or Scottsdale in one of those odd-looking white Chrysler minivans or Jaguar sedans with no one behind the wheel will have to keep waiting. Waymo spokeswoman Amanda Ventura Zink told members of the PHX East Valley Pa r t n e r s h i p recently that the company has no plans at this time to extend its autonomous service beyond

Waymo, whose service area is shown in green below, not only is rolling out autonomous passenger vehicles but it also is road testing autonomous semis on I-10 from New Mexico to Texas. (Special to the Arizonan) its current 50-square mile area that covers a good piece of Chandler and parts of Tempe and Mesa.

That doesn’t mean Chandler residents can’t download the Waymo app and ride in one of its vehicles – for a per-mile fee, like Uber. They just have to make sure

they stay in Waymo’s zone, which extends into part of south Chandler.

Starbucks location, a drive-thru restaurant and daycare center. “A daycare use at this site will support surrounding Chandler residents who need childcare assistance as they work at various industrial and commercial businesses in the larger area,” developers wrote. The center is expected to include 103 parking spaces and a wall of landscaping intended to buffer nearby residences from the commercial buildings. Developers believe

its three buildings won’t be difficult to fill with tenants since the traffic generated by the Starbucks location will likely be alluring to new businesses. “Development of the Starbucks building, along with associated open space, parking and drive aisles, will attract users to the site given its popularity and credible brand,” developers wrote. Diversified has a history of handling several commercial projects throughout the Valley and has been responsible for building retail spaces at Galveston Road and Alma School roads. The Chandler Planning and Zoning Commission is scheduled to review the Pecos Road project’s development plan and a request to rezone the property’s land for commercial uses at its meeting

�ee WAYMO page 27

New retail center proposed in Chandler BY KEVIN REAGAN Arizonan Staff Writer

evelopers are hoping to turn a three-acre dirt lot on the southwest corner of Pecos and McQueen roads into a retail center that could house several new businesses. Diversified Partners, a Scottsdale real estate firm, has submitted plans to the city for a project that could add 18,000 square feet of new commercial space. “The ultimate development of this site will provide an excellent opportunity to offer much needed neighborhood facilities and provide a visually appealing project on this corner that has remained vacant for decades,” Diversified’s developers wrote in planning documents. The center is expected to include three standalone buildings that may house a

This map shows the location of a proposed retail center at Pecos and McQueen roads in Chandler. (City of Chandler)

�ee RETAIL page 27

BUSINESS

THE CHANDLER ARIZONAN | WWW.CHANDLERNEWS.COM | FEBRUARY 7, 2021

Chemical-gas shipping firm expands in Chandler ARIZONAN NEWS STAFF

New Mexico chemical-gas shipping company is investing $10-million in the 50,000-square foot expansion of its Chandler facility. Rinchem Company, Inc., is already working on the expansion of its existing building on West Morelos Place and expects it to be finished by June, the city announced last week. Rinchem is a chemical management solutions provider that creates and manages “safe and efficient supply chains for high purity, pre-packaged chemicals and gases,” according to the company’s website. It provides warehousing, trucking, international freight forwarding, and logistics technology and analytics through a network of temperature-controlled, regulatory-compliant warehouses across the globe with more than 500 hazmat-trained drivers in temperature-controlled, hazmatcustomized trucks and trailers.

It also boasts a transportation-warehousing network linked through a proprietary software system “that provides customers with real-time visibility into inventory location and status.” The primary industries that Rinchem serves include pharmaceutical, biotech, semiconductor and aerospace. Rinchem’s existing building on this site is 100,000 square feet and was completed in 2015. The expansion is expected to add a couple dozen jobs with room for future growth. “Rinchem is in a great location for growth with the Loop 202 South Mountain Freeway expansion providing further access to talent for West Chandler employers,” stated Mayor Kevin Hartke, noting the West Chandler employment corridor already is home to 30,000 jobs. Rinchem CEO Chuck Breinholt said he and his company “look forward to the expansion and to adding well-paying jobs to Chandler’s local economy.”

Rinchem Company Inc. is expanding its location on West Melrose Place in Chandler. (Courtesy Rinchem Company)

2 case studies on maximizing retirement BY HAROLD WONG Arizonan Guest Writer

ypical retirement investment options are: an .88 percent coupon interest on a 10year and 1.63 percent on a 30-year U.S. Treasury Bond; 1 percent or less on bank CDs; and 2.02 percent average dividend yield and 4.57 percent compound growth rate before fees over the last 21 years on S&P 500 stocks. I will cover two case studies that are composites of various client situations I have seen over the decades. Case study 1: A couple ages 54 have combined $100,000 annual income; have saved $500,000; can save $15,000 a year until retirement and can average 4 percent compound growth rate in the stock market. Assume that all debt is paid off at retirement. They pay $10,000 of annual income tax and their goal is to have at least $80,000 of annual retirement income. Solution: They both retire at age 67, full-retirement age for Social Security

benefits with $50,000 of annual SS income. At age 54, they deposit $300,000 in a private pension fund, which will generate $32,225 of annual retirement income for life at age 67. Their $15,000-a-year annual savings, compounding at 4 percent for 14 years in the stock market, will become $285,354. Assume this will pay for bucket list dreams during their first 10 years of retirement. Assume that the other $200,000 grows at the same 4 percent compound growth rate and becomes $333,015 in 13 years. If this earns an average 2 percent dividend yield, that’s another $6,660 of annual retirement income. Total annual retirement income at age 67 is $88,885. However, if the stock market crashes within five years of retirement or just as they retire, life is no longer fun. Case study 2: A couple ages 60 have combined $180,000 annual gross income and owe $30,000 in annual taxes. Both work and no longer save because they want to enjoy expensive hobbies now in exchange for delaying retirement until age 70. Assume they have no debt

at retirement. They have saved $1 million and their dream is to be able to afford extensive foreign travel when they retire and help grandkids. Solution: They decide to wait until age 70 in order to maximize their SS retirement benefits, which will be $65,000 annually. At age 60, they deposit $600,000 in a private pension fund, which will generate $62,315 at age 70. They decide to save tax by selling power from their solar business equipment to large food companies. If they save $25,000 of annual taxes for 10 years, with an effective 9 percent yield, this will become $414,007 at age 70. At age 70, they earn 7 percent annually on the $414,007 in a real estate lending program or equipment leasing program and this will generate $28,980 of extra retirement income. Assume that their extra $400,000 ($1 million saved less $600,000 deposited in a private pension) is used to purchase solar business equipment and the $400,000 returns to them at age 70. It’s now available to either be reinvested

or to fund their bucket list dreams. Total retirement income of $156,295 is $65,000 from SS; $62,315 from the private pension; and $28,980 from the real estate lending or equipment leasing program. Any income from the $400,000 is extra. In contrast, if they relied on stocks paying an average 2 percent dividends, their $1 million would only generate $20,000 annually. If they retired at age 65, their Social Security would only be about $50,000. It’s an entirely different retirement with $70,000 vs. $156,295 of annual income. Conclusion: Waiting until age 70 to start your SS; saving taxes; and alternative investments can help you afford your bucket list dreams in retirement without stock market risk. Free information on tax savings, retirement planning, and solar business investments can be found at drharoldwong.com or solarbusinessinvestments.com. Dr. Harold Wong earned his Ph.D. in economics at University of California/ Berkeley. To schedule a free consultation, reach him at 480-706-0177 or harold_wong@hotmail.com.

27 BUSINESS

THE CHANDLER ARIZONAN | WWW.CHANDLERNEWS.COM | FEBRUARY 7, 2021

WAYMO from page 25

Zink’s revelation brought some expressions of disappointment from some of the people who were on the Zoom meeting that EVP hosted to hear from Zink and Valley Metro CEO Scott Smith – who focused his presentation mostly on what Valley Metro has been doing to the light rail system and the Tempe trolley system. The disappointed listeners complained how getting to downtown Phoenix from Chandler on a bus, let alone their own automobile, was a long and frustrating chore. But the fact that Waymo hasn’t expanded its service area doesn’t mean it has been idling. Indeed, Zink laid out an impressive list of advancements that Waymo has made since it opened its area headquarters in Chandler almost five years ago. With the vehicles themselves, Waymo is now entering the fifth generation and working on technologies like advanced

RETAIL from page 25

next month. The commission declined to vote on the project at a Jan. 20 meeting due to several concerns about traffic and congestion. Reese Anderson, an attorney representing the developers, said he felt a “little bit frustrated” by the commission’s decision to delay its review of the project. The developers have already been working with the city for several months on the project, he said, and the city’s staff seemed to be supportive of the development. Chandler’s planning department recommended the commission approve the project after considering some exceptions limiting landscape designs and operating hours of the businesses. “Staff finds the proposal to be consistent with the goals of the General Plan and recommends approval subject to conditions,” a city memo states. The commission decided to refer the project to its Design and Review Committee before bringing it back for another review at its next meeting. Anderson said he worries this postponement might negatively affect the project’s overall timeline. “We were supposed to close in early March and we’re nervous now with these delays it could really destroy the entire deal,” Anderson said.

cruise control, “lane departure assist,” electric-powered and hybrid models and enhancements to the monitor passengers view as their vehicle takes them around. “No one needs to sit at the front seat or behind the wheel and an empty car can pick you up and take you where you need to go while you sit in the back seat – that’s truly autonomous and that’s what we’re pursuing at Waymo,” she said. “Our mission is to make it safe and easy for people and things to get where they’re going,” she said, noting one million people annually lose their lives and 15 million are inured in traffic accidents around the world. “We believe that fully autonomous technology holds the potential to save lives, make roads safer, offer new mobility options to millions of people and improve their independence,” she continued, reporting that the passenger vehicles have driven 20 million actual miles and another 20 billion miles virtually as Waymo tests the sensors and

The ultimate develop“ment of this site will pro-

vide an excellent opportunity to offer much needed neighborhood facilities and provide a visually appealing project on this corner that has remained vacant for decades.

”

Rick Heumann, the commission’s chairman, said he wants to be extra cautious about vetting the project -- especially because Chandler is increasingly approaching build-out and soon won’t have acres of land available for retail uses. The commission strives to be friendly to new businesses, he added, but it still has a responsibility to ensure Chandler’s limited vacant land is developed appropriately. “As our land is dwindling in terms of what we have, we want to make sure this is the right thing,” Heumann said. The project could potentially be reviewed again by the commission on Feb. 17 and then proceed to City Council for final review.

other components of its technology. Many of those miles also have involved weather-testing vehicles in 25 other cities around the country. It’s not just cars the company is working on either. Zink said Waymo’s autonomous semitrailers have been long-hauling goods along I-10 from New Mexico to Texas while it’s also using its minivans and sedans to deliver car parts for AutoNation within its service area and working with UPS to make deliveries in Tempe. Waymo also is trying to get the driving public to quit referring to their vehicles as “driverless.” “As more people join the conversation around autonomous driving technology,” Zink explained, “researchers are finding that people maybe don’t fully understand what their own technology and their vehicles are capable of and they might equate it with autonomous driving technology and think that they don’t need to be as attentive as they should be.

This is a safety risk on our roads and we think that by helping drive that conversation around the differences between driver-assisted and autonomous driving technology that we could be helping them be safer drivers.” While the autonomous vehicles might not yet become a presence on some south Chandler streets in the near future, Smith said that eventually Waymo vehicles will become an integral part of his grand vision for public transportation throughout the Valley, where a Waymo vehicle might take someone to a bus stop or light rail station, for example. “There’s a ton of potential for us to help integrate that into public transit,” he said. “It will be seamless. It will be efficient. I think that’s the real future and I think it will make it so that people won’t have to have cars because for their local transportation, there will be a series of micro-transit, point-to-point” stops, Smith said.

Fynes Audiology’s experienced pros address hearing issues ARIZONAN NEWS STAFF

ynes Audiology LLC, a locally owned and operated audiology practice in Mesa, specializes in hearing evaluations, hearing protection and hearing aids. Audiologists Cassandra Fynes, AuD, CCC-A, and Roger Knighton, M.N.S, CCC-A, each have over 20 years of experience at Fynes, located at 2058 S. Dobson Road. Fynes said it works with multiple manufacturer’s hearing aids “so that we can find what is best for your hearing needs and lifestyle” since hearing aids are not a one-size-fits-all device. “There are many factors that go into deciding what will work best for each individual,” the company noted. “Along with hearing aids we do work with many types of hearing protection. So, if hunting, shooting, loud music or heavy equipment noises are part of your everyday life, we can help find the right kind of protection to preserve your

Cassandra Fynes hearing as long as possible.” Because many people today also suffer from tinnitus, or ringing in the ears, Fynes’ full evaluation can help in determining possible options of treatment to help manage the unwanted sounds. Information: fynesaudiology.com.

THE CHANDLER ARIZONAN | WWW.CHANDLERNEWS.COM | FEBRUARY 7, 2021 Santan Fwy 202

PRICES VALID SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 7TH THRU SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 20TH, 2021

25.5 cu. ft.

†

25.5-cu. ft.‡ capacity refrigerator with adjustable shelves, full width pantry drawer and gallon-sized door bins

24-in. built-in dishwasher with Powerwave™ spray arm, Accela Wash® cycle and sanitary rinse options

ITEM# 04675035

ITEM# 02213355

LIMITED TO WAREHOUSE QUANTITIES $

SAVE 790

ﬁngerprint resistant

34% OFF

1499

54999

$ 35% OFF

67 /WK

LEASE PER WEEK

REG. 849.99

2289/WK

LEASE PER WEEK

4.5 cu. ft. capacity washer with Smart Motion® wash technology, Cold clean® cycle and Stay Fresh® option

4.5 cu. ft.

ITEM# 02641362

7.4 cu. ft. capacity electric dryer with dual sensor drying technology and Wrinkle Guard® option ITEM# 02681362

Gas dryer priced higher LIMITED TO WAREHOUSE QUANTITIES

SAVE $760 ON THE PAIR $ 99 OR 05 *

35% OFF

Dr.

2100 S Gilbert Rd Suite #7 SW Corner of Gilbert & Germann

UP TO

35% OFF

SELECT APPLIANCES1

SAVE 300

REG. 2289.99

LIMITED TO WAREHOUSE QUANTITIES $

E. Germann Rd. S. Gilbert Rd.

SHOWROOM

S. Stearman

HOME APPLIANCE

E. Germann Rd.

679

REG. 1059.99 EACH

29 /WK

LEASE PER WEEK

PLUS

10% OFF * SELECT APPLIANCES

$599† or more with qualifying Shop Your Way or Sears credit card.**

18 MONTHS FINANCING

ON APPLIANCE PURCHASES $999† OR MORE with qualifying Shop Your Way or Sears credit card.*

FREE DELIVERY ON APPLIANCES $499† OR MORE

with qualifying Shop Your Way or Sears credit card.**

On all appliances: Colors, connectors, ice maker hook-up and installation extra. ‡Total capacity. (1) Advertised savings range from 5%-35%. Exclusions apply. See The Details section. See store for additional exclusions. Offers good thru 2/20/21. (**) Exclusions apply. See The Details section. See store for additional exclusions. Offers good thru 2/20/21. For Shop Your Way members in participating locations. Local curbside delivery. Additional fees may apply. See store for details. ♦Subject to lease approval, total cost to lease for a 5-mo. lease agreement is $60 due at lease signing plus taxes, followed by 19 weekly payments of the per week amount shown by the item. For your options at the end of the 5-mo. agreement, see the “LEASING DETAILS” below. Lease prices shown are valid on the sale prices shown for the duration of this advertisement. **IMPORTANT DEFERRED INTEREST PROMOTIONAL DETAILS (when offered): No interest if paid in full within the promotional period. Interest will be charged to your account from the purchase date if the purchase balance is not paid in full within the promotional period. With credit approval, for qualifying purchases made on a Shop Your Way or Sears credit card. Sears Home Improvement AccountSM valid on installed sales only. Offer valid for consumer accounts in good standing and is subject to change without notice. May not be combined with any other promotional offer. Shop Your Way or Sears credit card: As of 1/01/2021, APR for purchases: Variable 7.24% -25.24% or non-variable 5.00% -26.49%. Minimum interest charge: up to $2. See card agreement for details, including the APRs and fees applicable to you. †Purchase requirement less coupons, discounts and reward certificates and does not include tax, installation, shipping or fees, and must be made in a single transaction. For online transactions you must select the 5% off Every Day Savings Option or 12 Month Special Financing offer on the payment page in checkout. The 10% off Promotional Event Savings Option or 18 Month Special Financing offer for Home Appliance is not available online. See store or sears.com for details. APPLIANCE OFFERS: (1,**,*) Bosch®, Whirlpool®, KitchenAid®, Maytag®, Amana®, LG®, Samsung®, Frigidaire and Electrolux appliances limited to 10% off. Offers exclude Hot Buys, Super Hot Buys, Special Purchases GE®, GE Profile™, GE Café™, clearance, closeouts, Home appliance & Floor Care Accessories, Gift Card and Everyday Great Price items. See store for additional exclusions. Offers good thru 2/20/21. *10% off select home appliance purchases of $599† or more with qualifying Shop Your Way or Sears credit card** OR NO INTEREST IF PAID IN FULL WITHIN 18 MONTHS** on select home appliance purchases of $999† or more with a qualifying Shop Your Way or Sears credit card*. Interest will be charged to your account from the purchase date if the purchase balance is not paid in full within 18 months. Offer valid thru 2/20/21. OR NO INTEREST IF PAID IN FULL WITHIN 12 MONTHS** On select sitewide* purchases of $299† or more with a qualifying Shop Your Way or Sears credit card. Interest will be charged to your account from the purchase date if the purchase balance is not paid in full within 12 months. Offer valid thru 1/29/2022. See above for Important Special Financing/Deferred Interest Details. LEASING DETAILS: This is a lease transaction. The lease has a 5-month minimum term [“Initial Term”]. Must be at least 18 years old and income requirements apply. Qualifying merchandise of at least $199 is required to enter into a lease at Sears Authorized Hometown Stores, LLC. Excludes non-durable goods. No security deposit required. Lease requires consumer to make first payment at lease signing, plus 19 weekly (offered online only) lease payments, 9 biweekly lease payments or 4 monthly lease payments. After fulfilling the Initial Term, you may: (1) continue to lease by making periodic payments in accordance with the terms of the lease agreement; (2) exercise a purchase option per the terms of the lease agreement (not available in NJ, VT, WI, or WV); or (3) return the leased items to WhyNotLeaseIt. For example, leased item(s) with lease amount of $600 with a weekly lease payment schedule (offered online only) would require $60 first lease payment followed by 19 weekly payments of approximately $25.26 plus tax, or a biweekly lease payment schedule would require $60 first lease payment followed by 9 biweekly payments of approximately $53.33 plus tax, or a monthly lease payment schedule would require $120 first lease payment followed by 4 monthly payments of approximately $105.00 plus tax, with total cost to lease the item(s) for the Initial Term of $540.00 plus tax. TEMPOE, LLC dba WhyNotLeaseIt® is an independent service provider of the LEASE IT program and not an affiliate or licensee of Sears Authorized Hometown Stores, LLC or its affiliates. Sears Home Appliance Showrooms may be independently operated by authorized franchisees of Sears Home Appliance Showrooms, LLC or by authorized dealers of Sears Authorized Hometown Stores, LLC. The SEARS mark is a service mark of Sears Brands, LLC.

THE CHANDLER ARIZONAN | WWW.CHANDLERNEWS.COM | FEBRUARY 7, 2021

Sports

SPORTS 29

Carson Kelly’s toughness, leadership paying dividends for Chandler BY ZACH ALVIRA Arizonan Sports Editor

handler senior point guard Carson Kelly knew entering the season he would be relied upon not only for his leadership but toughness on the court as well. It took just two games of the pandemicdelayed season for him to showcase both of those attributes. Against Valley Vista on Wednesday, Jan. 19 in the Capital Classic at Saint Mary’s High School, Kelly was forced to leave the game after he went up to block a shot and ended up toppling over the back of the opposing player, somersaulting midair and hit the back of his head on the court. He was put through testing in the nearby tunnel and after about 15 minutes, was cleared to re-enter the game. “Right when it happened, I was kind of dizzy and my head hurt a little bit,” Kelly said. “But I wanted to get back in there and play for my team.” Kelly’s return helped the Wolves capture their first win of the season. The senior scored 25 points in the process. The level of toughness Kelly showed against Valley Vista has become the norm over the course of his high school career. At 5-foot-10, Kelly has widely been one of the most under recruited players in the state due to his size. But on numerous occasions he has risen up to the level of highly recruited opponents and at times, came out on top. It was his leadership that led Chandler to the 6A semifinals a year ago, and his lack of desire to transfer to a club program like some of his teammates did, that has boosted the Wolves’ chances of returning to the playoffs. Though they admit they do not want to replicate the success of last year’s team. They plan to make this year their own. “This is a new team,” Chandler coach Jonathan Rother said. “The guys who stayed are unbelievable captains and role models to our younger. Our juniors

Left: Chandler senior point guard Carson Kelly has showcased his level of toughness and overall leadership qualities so far this season for the Wolves. Right: Chandler boys basketball coach Jonathan Rother explained the important role Carson Kelly plays as a floor general for the Wolves. (Zach Alvira/Staff) and sophomores, they look up to them. “Their leadership has not only helped them mature but has helped the younger guys as well. That’s how successful programs are built.” Chandler has already been put through a rigorous test to start the season. The Wolves played four games in four days, two of which against district rivals Basha — an up-and-coming program that appears primed to make a run toward the 6A title — and Perry, a perennial power. Kelly was held out of the Wolves’ game against Perry on Jan. 26, which they subsequently lost. Kelly’s floor general attributes put the rest of the Chandler players at ease in dire situations. Against Valley Vista before his injury, he would consistently lead his team back from a deficit in the final two quarters of play. Even after his spill, he returned and helped Chandler go on a run to secure the victory. “My teammates, they knew I was hurt,” Kelly said. “But I had to get back in there

and be there for my team and to lead by example. In practice, I try to be the first one in there and encourage everyone to play hard. But I really try to help the younger guys who don’t have a lot of varsity experience. “I just teach them the little things I’ve learned in my four years that will help, for sure.” Along with Kelly, Chandler also has 6-foot-5 power forward Elijah Johnson, who had the game-winning bucket and foul shot over Valley Vista. Nicholas Riley, a 6-foot-9 forward, is the only other senior on a roster filled with youth. Despite several other players with varsity experience in lower grade levels, Rother still said he considers this year’s team to be inexperienced due to lack of playing time in past years. But they’re all quickly adjusting to the speed at the varsity level thanks in part to Kelly. “He’s a four-year varsity player,” Rother said. “He’s the soul of our team and he’s waited a long time for that opportunity.” Chandler is one of several programs

that were caught off guard by the Arizona Interscholastic Association’s initial decision to cancel winter sports. Then, four days later, it was back on. The Wolves continued to practice in the event of a reversal. That proved to be beneficial as they only had a short time to adjust to new guidelines set forth by the AIA for the season to continue, including wearing masks. The game overall feels somewhat normal for players, as they get to compete at a high level in the sport they love. But there is still some adjusting that needs to be made with masks and an overall less thrilling environment with limited fans in attendance. Those adjustments will be made over time as the season progresses. In the meantime, Chandler hopes to lean upon players like Kelly to lead it back to the 6A playoffs and make yet another deep run. “Every game is a blessing,” Kelly said. “(The AIA) could have taken it away from us. Wearing this jersey, it’s special to me. I’m happy I get to keep doing it.”

GET OUT

THE CHANDLER ARIZONAN | WWW.CHANDLERNEWS.COM | FEBRUARY 7, 2021

Central Kitchen in Chandler offers tasty variety ARIZONAN NEWS STAFF

hirsty Lion Gastropub, a division of Concept Entertainment Group, has picked its Chandler location to launch Central Kitchen – an online food hall. Four new restaurant concepts were developed for Central Kitchen, each featuring unique culinary directions and scratchmade food available for takeout and delivery from the one central website. “The online food hall launched in Oregon last fall with great success,” said the company, and Arizona is now the fourth state where it has launched. “We’ve been fostering the idea of a kitchen focused on takeout and delivery for the last year,” said John Plew, president and CEO of Thirsty Lion Gastropub. “The pandemic put the process into hyper speed, and we saw this as the perfect opportunity to pivot with the climate and launch an idea that aligns with current consumer demands. “Central Kitchen fills a need in the

predetermined measurements of cook time for each dish. “This results in precise preparation time, no matter which restaurant is included in an order,” a spokesperson said. The Chandler Thirsty Lion kitchen will offer takeout and delivery from five total concepts, which Five different restaurants, each with an array of menu include Soy Joy, Southern items, are part of Central Kitchen at Thirsty Lion GastroJewel, Killer Wings, and pub’s Chandler location at 3077 W. Frye Road. (Special to Pizza and Spice. The Chandler Arizonan) All menus have been designed under the direction restaurant space by providing multiple of Keith Castro, CEG’s vice president of food culinary offerings from one hub. Guests and beverage and executive chef. can order the food that everyone in their Soy Joy Kitchen specializes in rice bowls, home is craving under one ticket.” sushi, ramen and other Asian favorites. The Central Kitchen website has a food Southern Jewel offers Southern fried hall appearance with five differently brandchicken, Nashville hot chicken, sliders ed restaurants, including Thirsty Lion. and Southern specialties. An advanced point of sale system comKiller Wings serves boneless and tradimunicates orders to the kitchen based on

tional wings with a variety of house made sauces. Pizza and Spice has a large selection of gourmet specialty pizzas and salads. “These four restaurants will be anchored by Thirsty Lion Gastropub, which features starters, burgers, sandwiches, salads and specialty entrees, the company said. Central Kitchen is offering a Takeout Tuesday deal for 25 percent off each to-go order placed through the hub website. Information: CentralKitchenFoodOnline.com. Thirsty Lion’s mission is “to revolutionize the gastropub business by combining the traditional values of European and American pubs and creating a gathering place where friends and family can come together to celebrate life, enjoy great food, craft beers, signature cocktails, wines, music and sports. Information: thirstyliongastropub.com. Concept Entertainment is a hospitality management company based in Scottsdale.

ly rehearsals outside, wearing masks and maintaining social distance. Singers have the option to rehearse in person or online. The repertoire features a wide variety of genres and often includes pieces sung in another language. “Singing and music help us process the world around us, help us express what we’re feeling, help us understand new ideas, histories and perspectives,” said Stewart. “Now more than ever, we must continue to give our youth the opportunity to sing in a community choir and experience the role music can play in their lives.” The second semester of Season 13 is well underway with concerts planned for February and May.

traditional ways to give them a chance to express themselves musically, regardless of socio-economic background, developmental limitations or racial background,” Steward said. Auditions to join the choir are taking place next month. Details about auditions or to join the Prelude Choir are at chandlerchildrenschoir.org. Steward said that at a time when choirs around the world are experiencing unprecedented challenges, she’s glad the Chandler Children’s Choir has found a way to keep young people singing, citing the lyrics from that hymn – “Through all the tumult and the strife, I hear that music ringing. It finds an echo in my soul. How can I keep from singing?”

Chandler Children’s Choir sets auditions ARIZONAN NEWS STAFF

andemics are no fun for choirs – especially when, like COVID-19, a virus is easily spread by airborne droplets from people too close to each other and masks aren’t the best thing to be wearing if you’re singing. But Chandler Children’s Choir Founder-Director Aimee Steward has found some effective workarounds to get her kids stretching their vocal chords again. Driven by her knowledge of the benefits a choir can provide for youth and her passion to hear young people singing, Steward perfected a way to start the community choir’s 13th season last fall. Singers ages 6-18 participate in week-

The choir is also partnering with the Southwest Autism Research and Resource Center through the Arizona Developmental Disabilities Planning Council to provide inclusive learning opportunities for children. In the effort to introduce more children to music without a big commitment, the Prelude Choir was formed for singers as young as 6-years-old with little or no musical training. That group gives them a chance to experience singing in a choir. Singers in the 6-week program meet weekly, learn a few pieces of music and perform them at the end. No audition is required. The program will begin Feb. 11. “We are working hard on expanding ways to reach more young people in less

THE CHANDLER ARIZONAN | WWW.CHANDLERNEWS.COM | FEBRUARY 7, 2021

Obituaries Robert Graziano

Carefree Lifestyle My Pet Loves It

Open Floor Plans

In Memoriam

Lots of Storage

2 Year Celebration of Life Joe S Quintana 10/3/1942 - 01/29/2019

Dad & Tata

The Word is Out

Happy 60th anniversary Hun 2/11/1961, Your Loving Wife Irene

Clarendale Residents Say It Best. “We’re very independent and love different things about the community. Even our dog Mandy loves Clarendale of Chandler. She has lots of space and easy access to the outdoors—especially important since she likes to play ball.”

Need help writing an obituary? We have articles that will help guide you through the process.

—Terry, Colleen and dog, Mandy Independent Living Residents

Deadline for obituaries is Wednesday at 5pm for Sunday. All obituaries will be approved by our staff prior to being activated. Be aware there may be early deadlines around holidays.

Opinions vary, but one thing all Clarendale residents say: “I’m not old!” We’re delighted the lifestyle and programming at this senior living community keeps them feeling that way. Clarendale of Chandler

Call 480-898-6465 Mon-Fri 8:30-5 if you have questions.

Call 480-571-2407 to learn more and chat with our residents.

Visit: obituaries.EastValleyTribune.com

He worked tirelessly to get his Veteran designation and was so proud when he got it on his license. He was a true patriot and loved the U.S. and our flag. He is survived by his wife, Marie; daughter, Dina Barnes (Tom); son, William (Nicole); grandchildren, Kendal and Jackson Barnes and Joy and Anthony Graziano. There will be a Celebration of Life for Bob in Payson on Saturday, March 27, 2021 at the Church of the Holy Nativity. He will be greatly missed by his family and friends.

HEADSTONES

Independent Living | Assisted Living | Memory Care web

Your life was a blessing. Your Memory a treasure. You are loved beyond words and missed beyond measure. Love you Hun,

November 14, 1946 - January 9, 2021 PAYSON—Bob Graziano of Mesa and Payson lost his short fight with the devil covid on Saturday, January 9, 2021. Bob was born in Brooklyn, New York and moved out to Arizona with his wife, Marie, and daughter, Dina in 1972. Their son, William, was born inArizona in 1973. Bob owned and was president of R&M Security Systems, Inc. in Mesa from 1975 to 2005 when he sold the company. Bob was Scoutmaster of Boy Scout Troop 758 for many years and enjoyed helping several of the boys attain the rank of Eagle. In 2011, Bob said they had "paid their summer dues" and bought a home in Payson. He quickly became involved in volunteering in the community. Bob loved meeting people and being able to help them. He did everything cheerfully and always with a smile. He was a gun enthusiast and could answer anybody's questions on gun care and usage. He loved reading about the history of guns and imparting his knowledge to others.

Make your choice Everlasting

ClarendaleOfChandler.com | 5900 S. Gilbert Rd. | Chandler, AZ 85249

EVERLASTING MONUMENT Co.

“Memories cut in Stone”

MONUMENTS • GRANITE & BRONZE • CEMETERY LETTERING • CUSTOM DESIGNS 12-20

480-969-0788

75 W. Baseline Rd. Ste. A-8, Gilbert, AZ 85233

www.everlastingmonumentco.com info@everlastingmonument.phxcoxmail.com

CLASSIFIEDS

THE CHANDLER ARIZONAN | WWW.CHANDLERNEWS.COM | FEBRUARY 7, 2021

The Chandler Arizonan

1620 W. Fountainhead Parkway #219 • Tempe, AZ 85282 480.898.6465 class@timespublications.com

Deadlines

Classifieds: Thursday 11am for Sunday Life Events: Thursday 10am for Sunday

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

Employ ment Employment General eFulgent has openings for Software Engineers in Glendale, AZ and/or client sites in the US. Must be willing to travel/relocate. Reqs US Masters/foreign equiv or bachelors + 5 yrs exp to analyze/design/dev/test systems/apps using JavaScript/HTML/ JQuery/CSS. Send resume to hr1@efulgent.net with ref # 2021-19 & ref EVT ad

Employment General Hiring Auto Technician / Auto Mechanic Both Experienced and Entry-Level Huffs Automotive Chandler AZ . HuffsAutomotive.com Submit Resume for Consideration

huffsautomotive @yahoo.com 480-726-8900

Employment General Engineering Manager, Automation Platform s o u g h t b y Car v an a , LLC in Tempe, AZ. Work closely with multiple track owners to define the vision, direction, and objectives for all projects in Telemetry Monitoring & Automation Platform. Apply @ www. jobpostingtoday.com Ref #76409.

Announce

Sell Your Stuff! Call Classifieds Today!

480.898.6465

CLASS@TIMESPUBLICATIONS.COM

Employment General Economics/Mathematics Teacher (Surprise, AZ) Prepare teaching plans & instructional materials. Design learning activities. Develop instructional routines for classroom mgmt.. Assign & grade classwork, homework, tests. Participate in collaborative professional learning community to contribute to schools continuous improvement process. Education level being taught: Secondary/High school. Will teach Geometry, Algebra and/or Economics. Master’s degree in Maths, Economics, Finance or related field. Must have completed at least 24 credit hours of subject coursework in Economics or Mathematics. Must possess Level One Fingerprint Clearance and Certificate as an Education from Arizona DOE. Please send resume to Highland Prep at 15600 W. Hearn Drive, Surprise, AZ 85379

If Stability is what you are looking for, then MAAX Spas, one of the Best Places to Work in the Chandler area has immediate openings for 1st and 2nd shift production. Many associates have been with us for 10 to 35 years and we are looking to add more to the family. Generous pay with full health insurance, paid vacation and sick time, combined with matched 401K program are the just the start. Call today to learn more about the opportunities and join the MAAX Spas family, 480-8954575. OR Apply online at maaxspas.com.

ments Religion Healing Ministry Sufi Tradition If interested send letter of inquiry care of Master Warren Muen 4340 E. Indian School Rd, Ste 21-126, Phoenix, AZ 85018.

Merch andise Cemetery Lots FOR SALE 2 CEMETERY PLOTS Mountainview Cemetery Mesa $2,400 or best offer Contact Lisa at (612) 400-5937 goodlisa691 @gmail.com

Wanted to Buy WANTED BY COLLECTOR OLDER MODEL 22 CALIBER RIFLES AND HANDGUNS IN NICE CONDITION CONSIDER OTHERS I DO NOT SELL GUNS. CALL WITH WHAT YOU HAVE. LEE 602-448-6487

Wanted to Buy

Manufactured Homes

Cash 4 Diabetic Strips! Best Prices in Town. Sealed and Unexpired. 480-652-1317

BRAND NEW NEVER LIVED IN 2 BED / 2 BATH HOMES $58,900 Financing Available

Diabetic Test Strips by the box, unused. Any type or brand. Will pay top dollar. Call Pat 480-323-8846

55+ Mobile Home Park in Great Chandler Loc. Call Kim 480-233-2035

Real Estate

For Rent APACHE TRAIL & IRONWOOD Secluded Cute Studio, A/C $650/Month Bad Credit ok No Deposit. Water/Trash Inc. (602) 339-1555 ALMA SCH & MAIN 1b 1 bath duplex Income verified UTILITIES INCLUDED Bad Credit OK. No Deposit Close to Lightrail $700 (602) 339-1555 WE’RE ALWAYS HERE TO SERVE YOUR CLASSIFIED NEEDS

480.898.6465 CLASS@TIMESPUBLICATIONS.COM

Manufactured Homes

TSYS Acquiring Solutions LLC seeks Software Engineer Lead (REQ # R111111) for its Tempe, AZ office to develop moderately complex code using both front and/or back end programming languages within multiple platforms. EOE/Minorities/ F emales /V et/D is ab ility . Email r es u mes to resumes@tsys.com. Please reference REQ# in subject line.

THE LINKS ESTATES

Arevon Energy seeks a Sr. Strategic Sourcing Engineer for position in Scottsdale to lead solar PV + battery storage due diligence and execution for CEI projects. Requires BS in Mechanical Engineering, 18 months exp as procurement engineer, with ability to travel domestically 2-3 days per month to client sites. Apply to yhernandez@arevonenergy.com

Air Conditioning/Heating

Apartments

Employment General

Estimator II at Sundt Construction, Inc. (Tempe, Arizona): Prep cost est for prod mfg, con proj, or svcs to aid mgmt. in bid on or dtrm. price of prod or svcs Req. BS or Fgn Eqv in Civ Eng, or cls. rel. & 3 yrs exp. Add’l duties, reqmts, travel req avail upon req. Send resume to recruiting@sundt.com, ref Job#SS01.

Service Directory

Why Rent The Lot When

YOU CAN OWN THE LAND And Own Your New Home

Family Owned & Operated

Three Phase Mechanical

480-671-0833

www.3phasemech.com Sales, Service & Installation

NO TRIP CHARGE • NOT COMMISSION BASED ROC# 247803 Bonded • Insured

ACCREDITED BUSINESS

HEATING & AIR CONDITIONING

QUALITY, VALUE and a GREAT PRICE!

Lifetime Warranty on Workmanship Furnace / AC Tune Up - $69 New 3-Ton AC Units - now $3,995 New Trane Air Conditioners NO INTEREST FINANCING - 60 MONTHS!

‘A’ RATED AC REPAIR FREE ESTIMATE SAME DAY SERVICE

Bonded/Insured • ROC #289252

480-405-7588

ItsJustPlumbSmart.com Appliance Repairs

FROM THE UPPER 100’S

ASK US HOW YOUR $105,000 CASH INVESTMENT AND OUR SENIOR LOAN PROGRAM ENABLES QUALIFIED 62+ SENIORS MAKING THE LINKS THEIR PRIMARY RESIDENCE HAVE NO MORTGAGE PAYMENT & NO LOT RENT AS LONG AS YOU LIVE IN HOME.

Gawthorp & Associates Realty 40667 N Wedge Dr • San Tan Valley, AZ 85140

602-402-2213

www.linksestates.net

Add a Background Color to Your Ad! Classifieds 480-898-6465

Appliance Repair Now

If It’s Broken, We Can Fix It! • Same Day Service • On-Site Repairs • Servicing All Major Brands • Quality Guaranteed

We Also Buy, Sell & Trade Used Appliances Working or Not

480-659-1400 Licensed & Insured

33 CLASSIFIEDS

Cleaning Services

Marks the Spot for ALL Your Handyman Needs! Painting • Flooring • Electrical Handyman Plumbing • Drywall • Carpentry Decks • Tile • More!

Garage/Doors

Marks the Spot for ALL Your Handyman Needs! GARAGE DOOR SERVICE SPARKLE & SHINE Marks the Spot for ALL•Your Handyman Needs! ✔ Painting Painting Flooring • Electrical CLEANING East Valley/ “No Job Too ✔Small Flooring Painting • Flooring • Electrical Plumbing • Drywall • Carpentry SERVICE Man!” Ahwatukee Plumbing • Drywall • Carpentry ✔ Electrical Immaculate, DependDecks • Tile • More! 1999 e Sinc k Broken Springs Decks •Affo Quality Wor Tile • More! able Service. Affordrdable, ✔ Plumbing 2010, 2011 2012, 2013, Replaced able Rates. 2014 ✔ Drywall Call Bruce at 602.670.7038 Nights/Weekends Ahwatukee Resident/ References/ Insured/ Not a Licensed Contractor “No Job Commercial & Resid✔ Carpentry Bonded/Insured Too Small Marks the Spot for“No ential services Job Too ALL Your Handyman Needs! ✔ Decks 480-251-8610 Painting • Flooring • Electrical All supplies included. Small Man!” Not a licensed contractor “No Job Too Man!” ✔ Tile Plumbing • Drywall • Carpentry Sanitized & masks Small Man!” Decks • Tile • More! ✔ Kitchens worn Since 1999 rk Wo y alit Qu e, abl Afford ✔ Bathrooms BSMALLMAN@Q.COM 2010, 2011 9 You've tried the rest, rk Since 199 2012, “No 2013, Job Too Affordable, Quality Wo And More! 2010, 2011 now try the BEST!" Small Man!” 2014 Call Bruce at 602.670.7038 Call Bruce at 2012, 2013, Ask for Martha 2014 NotResident a Licensed Contractor Since 1999 Ahwatukee / References Call Ahwatukee BruceResident/ at References/ Insured/ Affordable, Quality Work or Annie Ahwatukee Resident/ References/ Insured/ Not a Licensed Contractor Insured / Not aCall Licensed Contractor Bruce at 602.670.7038 Ahwatukee Resident/ References/ Insured/ Not a Licensed Contractor 480-495-5516 or 480-797-6023

602.670.7038 602.670.7038

2010, 2011 2012, 2013, 2014

LLC

Concrete & Masonry

DESERT ROCK

CONCRETE & MASONRY BLOCKWALL CONCRETE RETAINING WALL BLOCK FENCE PLANTER BBQ

FOUNDATION DRIVEWAY SIDEWALK PATIO

• Drywall Repair • Bathroom Remodeling • Home Renovations

• Electrical Repair • Plumbing Repair • Dry rot and termite damage repair

GENERAL CONTRACTOR / HANDYMAN SERVICES SERVING THE ENTIRE VALLEY

All Estimates are Free • Call:

520.508.1420

www.husbands2go.com

Licensed, Bonded & Insured • ROC#317949

PAVER • CONCRETE REMOVAL • HARDSCAPE BONDED & INSURED • ROC#321648 SATISFACTION GUARANTEED! FREE ESTIMATES • 16 YEARS EXPERIENCE RESIDENTIAL CALL JOHN: 480.797.2985 COMMERCIAL

Ask me about FREE water testing!

Hauling

Block Fence * Gates

602-789-6929 Roc #057163 Lowest Prices * 30 Yrs Exp Serving Entire Valley

• Furniture • Appliances • Mattresses • Televisions • Garage Clean-Out • Construction Debris

• Old Paint & Chems. • Yard Waste • Concrete Slab

Over 28 Years Experience • ROC #246019 Bonded/Insured

SPRINKLER

Juan Hernandez

Family Owned with 50 years' EXPERIENCE. Shower and tub enclosures, Framed, Frameless or Custom Doors, We also install insulated glass, mirrored closet doors, window glass, mirrors, patio doors, glass table protectors. If it’s glass, we can help you. QUALITY SERVICE at Competitive Prices. FREE Estimates

WESLEY'S GLASS & MIRROR wesleysglass.com SERVICING THE ENTIRE VALLEY Call 480-306-5113

Drip/Install/Repair & Tune ups! Not a licensed contractor

25 years exp. Call Now (480) 720-3840

NTY

TREE

480.654.5600

TRIMMING

azirrigation.com

25 Years exp (480) 720-3840

Cutting Edge LLC • ROC 281671

Car for Sale?

Advertise It Here!

Call 480.898.6465

CLASS@TIMESPUBLICATIONS.COM

• BASE BOARDS • DRYWALL • ELECTRICAL • PAINTING • PLUMBING • BATHROOMS • WOOD FLOORING • FRAMING WALLS • FREE ESTIMATES • GRANITE FABRICATION & INSTALLATION • CARPET INSTALLATION • LANDSCAPING

No Job Too Small! Senior Discounts!

David Hernandez (602) 802 3600

daveshomerepair@yahoo.com • Se Habla Español

Owner Does All Work, All Honey-Do Lists

Bath & Kitchen Remodels • Car-Port to Garage Conversion Drywall & Stucco Repairs • Plumbing • Electrical • Can Lights Windows • Doors • Cabinets • Painting • Block Fences Wrought Iron Gates • Remodeling • Additions • Patios Tenant Improvements

East Valley

480-833-7353 - Office 480-430-7737 - Cell A+

LIC/BONDED/INSURED Res/Comm’l ROC#218802

aaaActionContractingInc.com

-S

E NC

Repairs • Modifications • Installs

Home Remodeling

Licensed • Bonded • Insured • ROC118198

WE DO IT ALL!

Sprinkler & Drip Systems

Home Improvement

• Old Tires

ACTION CONTRACTING INC.

• Sprinkler/Drip Repairs • New Installs Poly/PVC • Same Day Service

5-YEAR WARRA

Juan Hernandez

• Remodeling Debris

Home Improvement

HONESTY • INTEGRITY • QUALITY

ALL RESIDENTIAL & COMMERCIAL ELECTRICAL Call Jim Endres 480.282.7932

GLASS, MIRRORS, SHOWER DOORS

Irrigation

One Call, We Do It All! 602-339-4766

Electrical Services

• Serving Arizona Since 2005 •

Landscape/ Maintenance

General Contacting, Inc.

YOU’LL LIKE US - THE BEST!

• Panel Changes and Repairs • Installation of Ceiling Fans • Switches/Outlets • Home Remodel

Glass/Mirror

NOT A LICENSED CONTRACTOR

THE CHANDLER ARIZONAN | WWW.CHANDLERNEWS.COM | FEBRUARY 7, 2021

All Remodeling, Additions, Kitchen, Bath, Patio Covers, Garage, Sheds, Windows, Doors, Drywall & Roofing Repairs, Painting, All Plumbing, Electrical, Concrete, Block, Stucco, Stack Stone, All Flooring, Wood, Tile, Carpet, Welding, Gates, Fences, All Repairs.

Free Estimates with Pride & Prompt Service!

See MORE Ads Online!

• 20 Years Experience • 6 Year Warranty

480.345.1800 ROC 304267 • Licensed & Bonded

Landscape/Maintenance

Irrigation Repair Services Inc. Licensed • Bonded • Insured Technician

Specializing in Controllers, Valves, Sprinklers, Landscape Lighting, P.V.C. & Poly Drip Systems

Call Lance White

480.721.4146

www.ChandlerNews.com

www.irsaz.com

ROC# 256752

CLASSIFIEDS

THE CHANDLER ARIZONAN | WWW.CHANDLERNEWS.COM | FEBRUARY 7, 2021

Landscape/Maintenance

Roofing

Painting

Public Notices

Insured/Bonded Free Estimates

ALL Pro

T R E E

S E R V I C E

L L C

Prepare for Spring Season! LANDSCAPING, TREES & MAINTENANCE

Tree Trimming • Tree Removal Stump Grinding Storm Damage • Bushes/Shrubs Yard Clean-up Commercial and Residential

480-354-5802 Painting

PAINTING OF ALL TYPES

480-532-2525 • Residential / Commercial

Tiles, shingles, flat, repairs & new work Free Estimates • Ahwatukee Resident

Dunn Edwards Quality Paint Small Stucco/Drywall Repairs

480-338-4011

ROC#309706

East Valley PAINTERS

PLUMBERS CHARGE TOO MUCH! Beat Any Price By 10% • Lifetime Warranty Water Heaters Installed - $799 Unclog Drains - $49 FREE RO UNIT w/Any WATER SOFTENER INSTALL NO INTEREST FINANCING - 60 Months!! ‘A’ RATED PLUMBING REPAIR Free Estimates • Same Day Service

480-405-7099 ItsJustPlumbSmart.com

10% OFF

We Beat Competitors Prices & Quality Free Estimates! Home of the 10-Year Warranty!

APPEARANCE Professional service since 1995

Window Cleaning $110 - One Story $150 - Two Story

Includes in & out up to 30 Panes Sun Screens Cleaned $3 each Attention to detail and tidy in your home.

(480) 584-1643

Bonded & Insured

Soldiers

tfor

Juan Hernandez

Rides

ruofsiargnd

PPebbleOcracking, O L Plaster R Epeeling, P ARebar IR

Carnations

doewefbrl

FALL SPECIAL! $500 OFF COMPLETE REMODEL! 25 Years Experience • Dependable & Reliable

Golf

yaairfw

Call Juan at

Birds

awlfyy

Not a licensed contractor.

Commuters

fyeearw

Crewmen

frgeireth

480-720-3840

Call us to place your ad online!

480-898-6465

Unscramble the letters to find “F” places where you find the following:

fram

showing, Pool Light out? I CAN HELP!

MISSED THE DEADLINE?

SCRAMBLER: “F” marks the spot Cows

Pavers • Concrete • Water Features • Sprinkler Repair Paint Interior & Exterior • Drywall Repair Light Carpentry • Power Washing • Textures Matched Popcorn Removal • Pool Deck Coatings Garage Floor Coatings • Color Consulting

Window Cleaning

Pool Service / Repair

Voted #1

480-706-1453

Licensed/Bonded/Insured • ROC #236099

Plumbing

Bonded/Insured • ROC #223709

ROC 296559 • Licensed, Bonded & insured

Over 30 yrs. Experience

We Are State Licensed and Reliable!

Free Estimates • Senior Discounts

LLC

SPECIALIZING IN: Wood & Stucco Repairs • Deck Restoration Roofing, Shingles & Metal • Exterior/Interior Painting Elastometric & Clear Coats • Power Washing Leaf Guards (20yr No Clog) New 6" Seamless Gutters (Gutter Art Available)

Interior/Exterior Painting 30 YEARS EXPERIENCE

COUNTS

PMB 435 • 2733 N. Power Rd. • Suite 102 • Mesa dennis@allprotrees.com

HOME IMPROVEMENT & PAINTING

IN THE COURT OF COMMON PLEAS OF THE THIRTEENTH JUDICIAL CIRCUIT SUMMONS CASE NUMBER: 2020-CP-23- 05688 STATE OF SOUTH CAROLINA COUNTY OF GREENVILLE NINA BETH ALLEN, as Personal Representative of the Estate of Billy James Mood, Plaintiff, vs. SHAWN MICHELLE DILSAVER MOODY a/k/a SHAWN MICHELLE DILSAVER, Defendant. TO THE DEFENDANT ABOVE-NAMED: YOU ARE HEREBY SUMMONED and required to answer the Complaint herein, a copy of which is herewith served upon you, or otherwise appear and defend, and to serve a copy of your answer to said Complaint upon the subscriber at his office, 32 E. Main Street, P.O. Box 315, Williamston, South Carolina, 29697, within thirty (30) days after service hereof, exclusive of the day of such service, and if you fail to answer the Complaint within the time aforesaid, or otherwise appear and defend, the Plaintiff in this action will apply to the Court for the relief demanded therein, and judgment by default will be rendered against you for the relief demanded in the Complaint. s/ G. Lee Cole, Jr.____________ G. Lee Cole, Jr. SC Bar Number 100352 COX & COLE, ATTORNEYS AT LAW P.O. Box 315 Williamston, SC 29697 Tel. (864) Fax (864) 847-7895 847-9289 LeeCole@CoxandCole.com ATTORNEY FOR THE PLAINTIFF Williamston, South Carolina Dated: 12/10/2020_________ Published: East Valley Tribune, Gilbert Sun News Jan. 24, 31, Feb. 7, 2021 / 35776

480-688-4770

Family Owned & Operated Bonded/Insured • ROC#153131

Now Accepting all major credit cards

1. farm, 2. fort, 3. fairground, 4. flowerbed, 5. fairway, 6. flyway, 7. freeway, 8. freighter

www.eastvalleypainters.com

THE CHANDLER ARIZONAN | WWW.CHANDLERNEWS.COM | FEBRUARY 7, 2021 35

JOIN US FOR TH E BIG GAME: BUCCANEERS VS . CHIEFS

HOWLER’S BIG G

AME PART

Y SPECIALS: - Happy Hour St arting 2PM - BOGO Wings 2P M - End of Game

STAYING HOME FOR

THE GAME? Order to-go our Big Game wing sp ecials! - 50 Wings & 5 O rders of Fries fo r $50 - 100 Wings & 10 Orders of Fries fo r $90

HAPPY HOUR

Every Day 2pm-6pm and 10pm-CLOSE • $5 Chips, Salsa, Guacamole • $4 House Wine • $8 Nachos, Load ‘Em Fries or chips • $2 Well Drinks • $8 Chicken Poppers • $4 Titos, Bacardi, Tanqueray, • $2 OFF ALL Draft Beer Herradura Silver, Jack Daniels

ALL DAY SPECIALS

MONDAY $10 Burgers WEDNESDAY $10 Wraps

FRIDAY $9 Fish & Chips and Fishy Wrap

TUESDAY 1/2 OFF ALL APPETIZERS

SATURDAY Kids Eat Free SUNDAY $10 Pastas

THURSDAY BUY ONE, GET ONE WINGS

The location is formerly Majerle’s Sports Grill at Fashion Center in Chandler

3095 W Chandler Blvd Chandler AZ 85226 www.howlerssportsbar.com

480-899-7999

REGULAR HOURS DAILY 11AM - 12AM

THE CHANDLER ARIZONAN | WWW.CHANDLERNEWS.COM | FEBRUARY 7, 2021

palmabrisa.com

NOW SELLING

A new gated resort community is now selling in the Ahwatukee Foothills with a dramatically different style. It feels exclusive, but also lively and exciting — and it's called Palma Brisa. • Modern resort-style gated community with stately palms

• Diverse architecture: Modern Bungalow, Urban Farmhouse, Italian Cottage, Andalusian, Modern Craftsman, French Country, and Spanish Mission • Four amenity areas connected by expansive lawns

• Homes from 1,700 sq. ft. to 4,000 sq. ft. from the $500’s

ERIC WILLIAMS

480-641-1800

TERRY LENTS

© Copyright 2021 Blandford Homes, LLC. No offer to sell or lease may be made prior to issuance of Final Arizona Subdivision Public Report. Offer, terms, and availability subject to change without prior notice. Renderings are artist’s conceptions and remain subject to modification without notice.