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AHWATUKEE FOOTHILLS NEWS www.ahwatukee.com
Wednesday, March 8, 2017
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Deadline possible as Ahwatukee Farms battle intensifies
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No slouch on a couch AHWATUKEE FOOTHILLS NEWS BAKING FOR REFUGEES
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Save Club West pulls plug on golf course purchase plan ......................p. 6
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AHWATUKEE FOOTHILLS NEWS T NEWS
BY PAUL MARYNIAK AFN Executive Editor
KYRENE VISION
he bitter battle over the future of the defunct Ahwatukee Lakes Golf Course intensified last week as a top official for developer/owner True Life Companies said it might set a deadline for its campaign to win the support of enough homeowners for its “agrihood” plan. Expressing frustration over the pace of its effort to get approval from 51 percent of the community’s approximate 5,200 homeowners to change land-use regulations for the 101-acre course, True Life executive vice president Aidan Barry said, “We’re thinking of a deadline” in order to “create a sense of urgency” among residents. “We are not as far along as we want to be,” Barry said, adding, however, that the 1,700 approvals the company already has obtained
Kids, adults map
education’s future
. 16
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BUSINESS
INSOMNIA’S ENEMY P.
36
(Dianne Ross/ASFN Contributor)
Diolenda Sellers isn’t about to let age stand in the way of her physical regimen. At 91, the Ahwatukee woman turns heads when she struts into personal trainer Carlos Monge’s Body by Design Training Studio for her three-times-a-week workouts. You can read about her regimen on p. 19.
to change the course’s conditions, covenants and regulations surpasses the total votes cast in Ahwatukee Lakes during last year’s presidential primary. Barry made his remarks March 1 during a meeting with about eight homeowners. It
was held at the same time about 150 Lakes homeowners had gathered two miles away at a Save the Lakes town hall to hear a halfdozen professionals condemn True Life and See
DEADLINE on page 10
City to add center lane to two-lane Chandler Boulevard Extension AVAILABLE NOW! Spring Training Guide
BY PAUL MARYNIAK AFN Executive Editor
A
third lane has been added to the design of the two-lane Chandler Boulevard Extension, easing concerns about motorists’ safety along the impending roadway. But even as they hailed the city Streets Transportation Department’s concession, both Phoenix City Councilman Sal
DiCiccio and Village Planning Committee Chairman Chad Blostone conceded that the addition does not resolve all the concerns for the new road. The 1.2-mile stretch between 27th and 19th avenues will connect the two ends of four-lane Chandler Boulevard, and become a permanent part of Ahwatukee’s street grid. About 30 feet wide and bordered by South Mountain Park to the north and state trust land to the south, the east-west extension
originally was to be a two-lane highway with bike paths on either side. The city is hoping to complete the $11.5-million project next summer, and work is expected to begin soon. “The community got a big win,” said A road made for AC/DC? ................ p. 31
See
CENTER LANE on page 14
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AHWATUKEE FOOTHILLS NEWS | MARCH 8, 2017
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Ryan Bailey of Ahwatukee nailed a hole-in-one in his first outing as a collegiate golfer for South Mountain Community College’s national champion team.
Ahwatukee man nails hole-in-one in his first college tournament
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R
yan Bailey is starting his collegiate golfing career in fine form. The Ahwatukee resident not only won his first collegiate tournament recently, but hit his first hole-in-one as well. “It was 188 yards back into the breeze,” recalled the 20-year-old freshman at South Mountain Community College. “I was thinking about hitting a hold off a 5 iron but I knew I didn’t want to go long on that hole. Knowing that, I ended up hitting a low 6 iron and I put it right at the hole. “It landed past the flag and I thought it was just going to stay there. So I walked to my golf bag and put my club up and all the sudden I heard my coach and parents scream. It rolled back in the hole after a few seconds. That entire moment was pretty much surreal.” Bailey also took the individual win at Dobson Ranch Golf Course as the back-to-back defending NJCAA National Champion South Mountain Community College Cougars finished first in the opening tournament of the season. He shot a two-day score of 11-under par (133) to win the event by six strokes. His hole-in-one came on the 14th hole in the final >> See
NEIGHBORS on page 5
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AHWATUKEE FOOTHILLS NEWS | MARCH 8, 2017
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MARCH 8, 2017 | AHWATUKEE FOOTHILLS NEWS
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to put in the hard work and get better every day. There’s nothing better than seeing yourself making progress on your game.” Because he was home-schooled, he didn’t play for any high school team, but won 15 junior golf tournaments on four different junior tours during his junior golf career. He’s got golf on his mind as he considers his post-community college career, when he intends to major in marketing. First, “I hope to finish my college golf career at a top-50 Division 1 program,” he said. Not surprisingly, “the goal after I graduate from college is to give it a shot going pro,” he added. “My ultimate goal is to play on tour and I will do whatever it takes to make that dream come true. I feel like I have the talent and work ethic to make that happen I just have to take advantage of my opportunities.”
from page 3
round of that tournament. In that final round, he shot a 9-under par (63), going 6 under with two birdies, a hole-in-one, and an eagle on the final hole. Bailey has been playing golf since he was about 14. “I used to play when I was a little boy but I ended up playing other sports – tennis, baseball and basketball – until finally coming back to golf,” he said. “Best decision I ever made.” He maintains a rigorous practice schedule beyond what he does with the team. “A normal practice day for me is a few hours on the range and then a few hours working on my short game,” Bailey said. “I love to play nine holes every day and sometimes, when time is cut short, I’ll only play five holes. I’m on the course for about four to five hours a day. I love
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AHWATUKEE FOOTHILLS NEWS | MARCH 8, 2017
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Three months after unveiling his detailed plan for a homeowner purchase of the Club West Golf Course, resident Jim Lindstrom said his Save Club West movement has run out of money to continue.
Leaders of move to buy Club West golf course abandon their effort BY PAUL MARYNIAK AFN Executive Editor
S
ave Club West has thrown in the towel. Blaming apathy among Club West’s 2,550 households, the group’s leader told supporters in an email on Monday, March 6, that it has abandoned its effort to find homeowners who would invest between approximately $8,000 and $13,300 to buy the beleaguered course, restore it and operate it profitably. “Although it is almost certain that the problem will get worse, the four of us are too disheartened to push on,” said Save Club West leader Jim Lindstrom, who has worked since July on a detailed plan for buying and operating the course. “For now, Save Club West is signing off.” Lindstrom’s announcement followed the homeowners association’s annual meeting March 2, at which Phoenix Councilman Sal DiCiccio said he was still exploring ways to pay for a waterline that might deliver cheaper water to the course. The Arizona Department of Transportation had announced two weeks ago that while it will install two concrete sleeves beneath the South Mountain Freeway for a pipeline, the state constitution’s gift clause prevented it from paying the estimated $1.5 million to $2 million waterline itself. Lindstrom said that DiCiccio admitted he had no ready solution to getting around the gift clause ban. “This is the same thing the city told
Save Club West last August – even though the city bears some responsibility for this problem,” Lindstrom told supporters. “When the golf course was originally designed, the developer spent millions to build a water reclamation facility to water the course, and the city agreed to operate the plant. “After just 10 years, the city and the then-course owner, SunCor, abandoned the plant, citing high operating costs. At the meeting, DiCiccio downplayed the city’s role by suggesting that the reclamation plant was only intended to be temporary, but the original 1988 agreement between the developer and the city was to remain in effect for 60 years.” Lindstrom began the “buy Club West” effort after course owner Wilson Gee’s reduced irrigation last June, causing fairways to start browning and provoking a lawsuit by the HOA. The suit is asking state Superior Court to force Gee to restore it to a “first-class course.” Gee said he cannot afford the $700,000 city water bill he gets annually for watering the course and said he had no alternative but to reduce irrigation. He also has countersued the HOA, claiming it harmed his reputation and was interfering with his business. Lindstrom and his fellow homeowners contended the HOA lawsuit would not result in a long-term fix to the course’s water problem. He had lined See
ABANDONED on page 8
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MARCH 8, 2017 | AHWATUKEE FOOTHILLS NEWS
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AHWATUKEE FOOTHILLS NEWS | MARCH 8, 2017
Kyrene officials moving full-speed ahead in fashioning new education approaches BY PAUL MARYNIAK AFN Executive Editor
K
yrene School District officials are losing no time in starting to reshape the way elementary and middle school students (LEARN?) over the next five years. And if they succeed, students won’t just be sitting behind a desk in a classroom listening to lectures. Instead, students could: • Have more personalized learning with lessons customized to their individual needs, get real-time feedback and have easy ways to track progress that their parents can follow as well; • Learn from more flexible, engaging, collaborative, authentic and “fun” teachers, as well as more online resources; • Enjoy flexible classroom environments where they control their learning; • Get to do more projects, have more athome learning tools and experiences, and greater choice of subjects. Those ideas were produced during a day-long “visioning” exercise last
month that involved about 43 people – including district administrators, teachers, parents, other interested adults, along with 16 students. The group had been put together by Superintendent Jan Vesely as she began creating a district vision and five-year plan to address gaps identified in a massive audit of Kyrene’s curriculum, operation, structure and other components that affect students’ learning. It was led in a variety of exercises by education strategists provided free of charge by computer giant Dell Corp. Dell has committed a team of nine education experts to help school districts develop more responsive systems that address student needs in the 21st century, said Adam Garry, a former teacher who directs the unit. Driving that urgency for reform is an awareness that by the time they enter the job market, today’s elementary and middle school students will face a very different world from the one their parents and grandparents lived in. One major factor is the belief that tomorrow’s workers likely will not only
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ROC 185966
(Special to AFN)
Kyrene Superintendent Jan Vesely leads students during a “visioning” exercise as they consider how the education system should be changed to better address their needs.
not stay in the same job their entire life, but will have to change careers several times. That requires students to develop skills that help them adapt to those demands, Garry said.
ABANDONED
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up experts who put together a plan that would cut that bill almost in half through xeriscaping and other waterconservation measures. DiCiccio criticized Lindstrom’s email in a Faebook post, saying there were “other ideas which I believe could work for funding” a waterline. “The water line idea works functionally, but the state could not fund it as we proposed,” DiCiccio added, stating “we are making significant progress.” Lindstrom noted that so far the HOA’s litigation has cost $84,000 and had caused two dues increases last year. “Fortunately for now, the associations’ insurer carrier is paying the costs to defend the association in the counterclaim, but they may not continue,” he wrote. Lindstrom had estimated he needed at least 300 homeowners to pitch in around $13,333 apiece to buy the course. Only 110 had expressed interest, he said. Moreover, Save Club West had run out of money to pay the consultants who helped put the purchase plan together. “We shared one thing in common, a passion to protect our community jewel,” he wrote. “At first, we received
For example, Dell education strategist Leah Rogers said that the group had “a big acknowledgement that technology has had a huge impact” and that 35 See
EDUCATION on page 16
overwhelming financial support and encouragement. Since last November, however, donations nearly dried up and we were forced to reduce our efforts to complete the job. In addition to donating literally hundreds of hours, we paid bills out of our own pockets. Now, faced with bills totaling $3,000 we cannot pay, we have no money to continue.” Lindstrom noted that it could take years for the lawsuit to produce a result, and warned that Club West now faced a fate similar to that of the Ahwatukee Lakes Golf Course, which Gee closed in 2013 and sold to a developer. “The owner could convince the court that the golf course restrictions should not be enforced and ask for permission to re-purpose the land like the Lakes golf course or to operate a winter-only course,” he said. Lindstrom also expressed bitterness toward the HOA board, but said, “We honestly hope that the HOA board’s strategy will prevail.” “We predict the problem will get worse,” he added, adding: “This summer, the water will go off again, the course will turn brown and crunchy, more Bermuda grass will die, and leave larger and larger dirt patches.”
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MARCH 8, 2017 | AHWATUKEE FOOTHILLS NEWS
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AHWATUKEE FOOTHILLS NEWS | MARCH 8, 2017
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2,169 sf, 4 bedroom, 2.5 bathroom home with three car garage and sparkling pool! Open kitchen-family room floor plan. Kitchen and bathrooms upgraded in 2016 with granite counters, upgraded sinks/faucets and new toilets. Large backyard with grass area and mature landscape. 2016 AC, 2015 variable speed pool pump! 2016 garage door and garage opener, 2016 sprinklers and drip lines, and 2015 water heater. Interior and exterior painted in 2016. Carpet in only two secondary bedrooms (new!) 20" porcelain tile in family room, formal living/dining rooms and laminate wood flooring on stair case, upper level traffic area, master suite and largest secondary bedroom.
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Ahwatukee Lakes residents listened on March 1 to various experts discuss the Farms plan.
DEADLINE
from page 1
its plans. The simultaneous meetings produced a stark contrast in predictions about the course’s future and the impact of True Life’s Ahwatukee Farms proposal. Golf course developer Buddy Johnson told Save the Lakes supporters that he had been contacted by several groups of investors that want to buy and restore the golf course. But almost at the same time, Barry was telling his audience that True Life is about to release a report apparently aimed at killing once and for all the notion that the course can be revived. That report is being prepared by a subsidiary of Troon, one of the world’s preeminent golf course developers and operators. After buying the course for about $8.2 million, True Life needs a majority of homeowners to sign off on its plan for a development that would include approximately 270 to 300 homes, a private school, a five-acre farm, a café and trails. Stepping up its campaign, True Life conducted informal meetings with interested homeowners twice during the week and then held an outdoor event near the golf course on Saturday, bringing a food truck along with literature explaining the Farms concept. People who attended the first of last week’s meetings raised many of the same questions that others have raised before with True Life. Those questions ranged from concerns over the number and location of the new homes, additional traffic, the possibility of the golf course’s revival and the company’s plans to curb storm water flow from South Mountain. “There aren’t any buyers for a golf course even if you gave it away,” said Barry, unaware that Johnson was telling another audience a different story.
Johnson told his audience, “There are four or five groups of people who are not only credible but have money who are interested.” However, he admitted not knowing what it would cost to revive the course, which he called “a gem.” “The longer it goes the way it is, the more expensive it will be to restore it,” Johnson said. “We have someone waiting in the wings who will give me an idea of what it will take to make it a golf course again.” While several professionals were telling the Save the Lakes audience that the Farms plan would demolish existing flood controls on the site, Barry pointed to his hydrology consultants’ proposals and slammed “the fear-based level of opposition” True Life had been dealing with. “Our goal is to improve the drainage,” Barry said, noting his hydrologists have come up with a design that would curb and possibly end periodic flooding along Lakeside Drive during heavy rains. Barry’s audience also expressed concern about where the new houses would be located, citing concerns that homeowners on the course would lose their views. Barry told them that while there would be a mix of one- and two-story houses, True Life is considering setbacks and only one-story homes on those lots nearest the existing houses. True Life plans to have two single detached homes and one townhouse with two units separated by an adjacent wall on each gross acre. As Barry explained it, a gross acre is computed by calculating the entire area within the golf course’s perimeter. That provoked concerns among his audience about lot sizes, to which he replied, “I don’t know those lot sizes because we haven’t got to that level of detail.” He said such detail would have See
DEADLINE on page 11
NEWS
MARCH 8, 2017 | AHWATUKEE FOOTHILLS NEWS
DEADLINE
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from page 10
to be included in plans submitted to the city if the company gets approval for changes to the CC&Rs. But Ben Holt, Save the Lakes president, told his audience the additional homes meant “the density has to increase. You can’t build on every square foot of that acreage.” There also were starkly different descriptions of the pending trial in June over the lawsuit filed by two Lakes residents that seeks to force True Life to restore the golf course. At the Save the Lakes meeting, attorney Jeff Hall, a Lakes resident, told the crowd that an order restoring the golf course had already been issued as a result of the judge’s preliminary ruling last June. “This is a judge telling True Life ‘I want you to follow those CC&Rs,’” Hall told his audience, stating that trial was being held only to determine the future shape and timing of the golf course’s restoration. Asked later about Hall’s remarks, Barry said: “Mr. Hall is completely wrong. The judge made a preliminary ruling only. That ruling was simply that the CC&R restricting the land use is ‘an affirmative
(Dianne Ross/AFN Contributor)
The True Life Companies had a food truck and a pickup near the defunct Ahwatukee Lakes Golf Course on March 4 as company representatives discussed their plan for an agrihood on the 101-acre site.
restriction.’ We do not contest that ruling. That is why we are pursuing an amendment to the CC&Rs.” Barry also said: “It has always been our intention to amend the CC&Rs that currently restrict the use of the property to a golf course. The preliminary ruling issued last year only stated that the current CC&Rs indicate the property owner has to
operate a golf course, not to what extent the golf course should look like. “The upcoming trial will decide whether an injunction should be issued to force the opening of a golf course. It will likely not determine the size, shape, layout or operations of what constitutes a golf course. We believe the forced opening of a failed business is a clear violation of our rights as a property owner and would
place an extreme and unconstitutional hardship on us. We look forward to making our case and intend to appeal an adverse ruling, which could be a 12- to 18-month process. “In the meantime, we will continue our successful public affairs campaign to collect signatures from the community to amend the CC&Rs, which would make the trial a moot point.”
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NEWS
MARCH 8, 2017 | AHWATUKEE FOOTHILLS NEWS
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Club West homeowners reject money request for freeway fight AFN NEWS STAFF
T
he president of the Ahwatukee group trying to stop the South Mountain Freeway said she’s disappointed but unbowed by Club West homeowners’ rejection of a request for $25,000 to reduce its mounting legal fees. By a slim margin in an election that saw a small voter turnout, homeowners declined to give $25,000 to Protect Arizona’s Resources and Children. “PARC made a concerted effort to gain votes in Club West this year, knowing that many believe the freeway to be a done deal, said PARC President Pat Lawlis. “I consider it a worthwhile effort. Even though we lost, we made the vote very close. All I can say is, we press on.” PARC is a leading plaintiff in a court fight aimed at stopping construction of the 22-mile freeway, which bypasses Downtown Phoenix and allows I-10 motorists to travel between the 59th street exit in west Phoenix and the Chandler interchange. Currently, PARC has an appeal
before the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth District of a federal judge’s ruling that rejected its assertions that the Arizona Department of Transportation and Federal Highway Administration performed a shoddy and misleading analysis of the freeway’s environmental effects. The Gila River Indian Community and a number of other organizations, as well as several Ahwatukee HOAs, also are part of the suit against the $1.77-billion project, the state’s most expensive highway project in history. Earlier this year, the Lakewood HOA dropped out of the appeal after the board claimed more than half of its homeowners wanted to pull out. The board only cited percentages and gave no numbers elaborating on that vote. Although Club West remains a party to the suit, homeowners turned down the funding request 233-222. The fact that fewer than Club West’s 2,550 homeowners even voted drew criticism from PARC’s supporters as well as the leader of the now-defunct movement to buy its troubled golf course.
“The apathy in this community is amazing to me,” said Save Club West organizer Jim Lindstrom, a longtime resident of the community. “Our community is coming apart and people don’t seem to care.” Several environmental groups also have been trying to raise funds, noting that freeway opponents’ possible last stand will come in a few months when a three-judge panel hears oral arguments. Representing many of the plaintiffs is attorney Howard Shanker, a resident of Club West. He has largely been working the case without having been paid for close to a year. Lawlis conceded that “funding is a hard sell right now, with all the construction work on Pecos Road. “So many people believe that the freeway is a ‘done deal,’” she added. “In fact, we have ADOT right where we want them right now – at the Ninth Circuit. We’ve been planning for our victory in the appeals court all along. But people need instant gratification, and they are not getting it right now.”
Lawlis also noted that the Club West vote came amid an increasing number of reports outside of Arizona about the harmful effects freeway traffic can have on people who live nearby. One of Shanker’s central arguments is that ADOT and the FHA skewed its environmental studies to minimize the impact of an estimated 140,000 vehicles, half of them trucks, that are expected to use the freeway daily. He has noted that 17 schools and hundreds of homes exist within a half mile of the freeway’s path through Ahwatukee. One report on freeways’ harmful effects was published in the Los Angeles Times last week. It noted that despite increasing evidence of freeway-generated air pollution, California was building more freeways near high rise apartments in LA. “The number of such articles keeps increasing almost exponentially,” Lawlis said. “But what will it take to get governments to place health issues before business issues?”
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NEWS
AHWATUKEE FOOTHILLS NEWS | MARCH 8, 2017
Cynthia Worley DESIGNATED BROKER
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This map shows the Chandler Boulevard Extension’s location and nearby landmarks.
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CENTER LANE
from page 1
DiCiccio, who had been pressuring city streets officials to revise their plan after Blostone in August questioned the wisdom of having a two-lane connector between four lanes of Chandler Boulevard on either side of it. “We caught it early enough because of Chad,” DiCiccio said. “The way this was originally planned was not going to be safe or in the best interests of the public.” DiCiccio credited Blostone’s dogged pursuit of the issue, noting that the planning panel head had repeatedly raised questions about the original plan. As it stands now, the middle lane will be available only for emergency vehicles. The city in August told the planning committee that current traffic flow didn’t warrant four lanes, even with the impending addition of more than 140 homes in the area. It said that two lanes could accommodate 18,000 vehicle trips per day and that there were only about 4,000 vehicle trips a day in that area. Officials also said that if the state land along the road is one day developed, the city would consider building two more lanes then. Blostone expressed mixed feelings about the resolution of his concerns. “It’s unfortunate we couldn’t get ADOT or the city to build the five lanes now,” he said. “I still believe it’s the right thing to do. “But, we’ve removed the safety issue created by what was initially planned and approved. An accident on the Chandler Boulevard Extension won’t block access to the Foothills Reserve and Calebrea neighborhoods. The likelihood of a head-on collision has been reduced significantly, too. Both very good things,” he added. DiCiccio said the addition of the
center lane will require negotiations with the State Land Department for some of its land along the southern rim of the new road. He said he did not expect any problem in those talks. Streets Department spokeswoman Monica Hernandez said that the additional lane will not affect the city’s construction schedule and that officials have not yet determined how much it would add to the project’s cost. City officials apparently had considered adding the center lane at the expense of the planned bike paths on either side. But DiCiccio said, “We told them that’s a straight mile. Cyclists will be on that road whether there is a path or not, and we have to have a safe place for them.” Once Pecos is shut down, the extension will provide the only way in and out for an estimated 800 households in several nearby communities – Foothills Reserve, Calabria and the under-construction Agave Heights Discovery Collection by Taylor Morrison. Hernandez said the city had asked the Arizona Department of Transportation for money to build “both halves of the roadway,” but was turned down. The city is implementing its Transportation 2050 plan, spending some of the $16.7 billion in additional revenue from a 0.3 percent sales tax increase approved by voters in 2015. It calls for new pavement on a total 680 miles of major roadways in Phoenix, a reduction in the maintenance cycle for streets from 66 to 33 years, 1,080 miles of additional bike lanes, 135 miles of new sidewalks, 2,000 new street lights and $240 million in major street improvements. But nowhere in the plan is there a mention of the Chandler Boulevard Extension. Hernandez said it was never presented to a citizens panel that reviews projects.
MARCH 8, 2017 | AHWATUKEE FOOTHILLS NEWS
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AHWATUKEE FOOTHILLS NEWS | MARCH 8, 2017
Ahwatukee woman is Kyrene’s first Rodel Exemplary Principal
now principal at Kyrene de la Sierra in Ahwatukee and former Sierra principal Dixie Shirley. Yalung said a conversation with former Kyrene Superintendent David Shauer helped her make it a goal to become a mentor. “He asked me what I’d like to do in the next few years, and I said I’d like to mentor principals. So, this award is such a gift because I’m at the point in my career that I’d want to do this for others,” she said. She recalled another conversation with Shirley when she encouraged her to become an assistant principal.
“I said I’d never be an administrator, I’d rather teach but she encouraged me and kept giving me administrative tasks. I said she either thinks highly of me or she doesn’t like me,” Yalung laughed. “She was a great role model.” She said the award was an honor, but not for her alone. “I can’t accept it on my own, but must share it with my staff, my students, my family,” she said. As principal at Kyrene de los Niños Elementary, Yalung works diligently to open communication with parents of the diverse, multicultural student population. Yalung, her assistant principal Olivia
Parry and other staff members often go to Boys & Girls Clubs in Guadalupe and Phoenix, and the Yaqui Education Services (YES) Center, setting up information tables and talking with parents. They also host picnics in the park for families. “We initiated these when we got here,” she said, purposely avoiding the personal pronoun. “This allows us to building trusting relationships with our families.” Among the selection criteria for the Rodel Exemplary Principal award is that the principal heads a school where currently more than half of students are eligible for free or reduced-price lunch. About 76 percent of Ninos students qualify. The award also is based on a documented history of student achievement growth, a positive school culture and an active engagement of parents and community. For Yalung, the latter is paramount yet often difficult because of the various cultures her school serves. Yalung said now that her two sons – both Kyrene alumni – are now enrolled at the University of Arizona, her alma mater, she has the time to dedicate to mentoring. “I have the time now, and this keeps me from cleaning my house every day,” she laughed. “Seriously, this is such a gift because I feel at this point in my career, I can do for others.”
focuses on individual students’ needs and abilities instead of a one-size-fits-all approach to education. The group began looking at the education system through four lenses: • How time currently impacts learning and how it could be altered to improve academic results; • The places where students could learn more effectively beyond conventional classroom settings; • The paths needed to tailor education to individual student needs and abilities; • How the school day can be made more flexible in recognition of the fact that every student succeeds at a different pace. Both Rogers and Vesely said the students who participated in the program made invaluable contributions to the discussion. “The kids were awesome,” said Rogers. “One of my biggest takeaways was that
I didn’t know how valuable the student voice is in this. Why do we forget them? We think we have these kids’ best interest at heart and then we don’t even consult them. They were phenomenal.” Vesely agreed, adding: “The students really have an important role. If you hold high expectations for what kids can do, they deliver. Oftentimes, we don’t hold high expectations for them. We told them, ‘You are working to create the future of this district.’” She said it was also important to get the students’ explanations of what impacts them in today’s society. The visioning exercise was only the beginning of months of work for Kyrene administrators, teachers, the school board – and likely parents and their children. The ultimate goal is to come up in the next few months with a vision because it “drives everything you do,” Vesely said. Then comes a strategic plan for
implementing that vision. Although the students had to return to their schools before the day ended, the adults who remained also were asked to identify the three most valuable things they learned through the exercise. Rogers noted that the group “learned a lot from students,” learned about the different approaches and tools that can support blended learning and “that Dr. Vesely’s vision and commitment are key to move this work forward.” They also said the challenges to moving forward included maintaining momentum, “getting buy-in from other staff and parents and how to handle pushback if/when it comes,” according to Rogers’ notes on the day. As to what steps need to be taken now, Rogers’ notes indicate the group felt the district needs to “identify priorities of focus,” then get “more people involved in this work” and provide “training/ support for teachers.”
BY COTY DOLORES MIRANDA AFN Contributing Writer
T
onja Yalung, an Ahwatukee resident and principal at Kyrene de los Ninos Elementary School in Tempe for the past five years, is one of eight honored statewide with the 2017 Rodel Exemplary Principal Award. She is the first principal in the Kyrene School District to receive the honor. Yalung, a 29-year veteran with Kyrene, has been principal at Kyrene de los Ninos for five years, and previously served as principal at Kyrene de los Lagos in Ahwatukee. She was a teacher at Kyrene elementary schools prior to that. She was presented the award at a surprise convocation at her school attended by Maricopa County School Superintendent Steve Watson, Kyrene School District Superintendent Jan Vesely and Kyrene Governing Board president John King. The Rodel Award honors principals “who make significant differences in the lives of their students, staff and community.” And is more than another plaque to hang on Yalung’s wall: it carries a twoyear commitment to mentor one or more teachers who will be named Rodel Aspiring Principals in April. Mentoring is something Yalung said she knows about from her years with Kyrene. She specifically mentioned her onetime assistant principal Lisa Connor,
EDUCATION
from page 8
percent of core skills needed to succeed in life will change by 2020. “We need to prepare these kids for a future that we don’t know what will look like,” Rogers said. During the initial phase of the visioning exercise, the group came up with a series of traits that students need to begin developing so they succeed in college and the workforce. They included resiliency, determination, adaptability, passion and perseverance. But those traits can’t be taught the way math principles might be taught today, Rogers and Vesely noted. They’re developed through a system of education that encourages their development in every student. That means moving toward a system based on “blended learning,” an approach toward education that
(Jeff Brush//Special to AFN)
Maricopa County Schools Superintendent Steve Watson congratulates Tonja Yalung of Ahwatukee on becoming a Rodel Exemplary Principal, the first in Kyrene School District.
MARCH 8, 2017 | AHWATUKEE FOOTHILLS NEWS
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NEWS
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AHWATUKEE FOOTHILLS NEWS | MARCH 8, 2017
Ahwatukee school districts spent more than counterparts in classroom BY HOWARD FISCHER Capitol Media Services
T
he two school districts that serve Ahwatukee are bucking a trend, spending more in the classroom than the state average, according to a new report released last week by the Auditor General’s Office. But Kyrene and Tempe Union High School district officials agree with the Arizona School Board Association, which said the auditor general is out of step in the way it calculates classroom spending. The report found that statewide, just 53.5 cents out of every dollar spent in 2015 went for instruction. That includes everything from teachers, aides and
AREA SCHOOLS DISTRICTS’ CLASSROOM SPENDING Percentage of 2016 money spent on instruction. Chandler Unified – 61.0% Gilbert Unified – 60.7% Higley Unified – 57.7% Kyrene Elementary – 59.2% Mesa Unified – 56.7% Queen Creek Unified – 51.0% Tempe Elementary – 52.5% Tempe Union – 54.1% – Source: Auditor General’s Office
even coaches to supplies like pencils and papers and some activities like band or choir. What it doesn’t include are various services needed to help kids succeed. “We continue to stand by the fact that the “dollars in the classroom” measure is an outmoded way of benchmarking how Arizona supports student success. It does not describe effective use of dollars dedicated to teaching, learning and graduating students that are equipped with the skills to succeed in the real world,” said Timothy Ogle, the association’s executive director. Six of eight East Valley districts spent more than the average, ranging from 54.1 cents per dollar in the Tempe Union High School District to 60.1 cents in the Chandler Unified School District, according to the auditor general. Only Queen Creek Unified and Tempe Elementary fell below the average. Kyrene Superintendent Jan Vesely cited the school board association’s reaction to the audit even though it was highly favorable to the district. It should that Kyrene’s classroom spending was well above the statewide average. Tempe Union High School District’s classroom spending figures are a bit misleading, district spokeswoman Jill Hanks said. While its classroom spending increased slightly over the statewide average, Tempe Union far outpaced the average spent by those districts that have only high schools, Hanks pointed out. When compared to other high-schoolonly districts, Tempe spent an average
$4,088 last year, compared to the statewide high school district spending of $3,809. “Comparing TUHSD with unified districts is not apples to apples,” Hanks said. “Operating high schools is much more costly than middle or elementary schools due to size, programs and administrators.” The school boards group said, “The real issue should be student achievement – not how resources are allocated to get there.” It also noted that even the governor and the Legislature acknowledged last year that the term “classroom…should be redefined as instruction, instructional support and student support.” This definition includes physical and occupational therapists, reading and math intervention specialists, media specialists/librarians, counselors and social workers, the group said. Based on its own definition of classroom spending, the auditor general’s report said Arizona schools spent less of the money they received last year in the classroom than in any of the 16 years the state has been keeping track. Chuck Essigs, lobbyist for the Arizona Association of School Business Officials, said the decline should come as no surprise. He said the state cut $114 million from one of the state aid formulas last budget year. And Essigs estimated that schools have lost out on $2 billion in capital funding since 2009. What that means, Essigs said, is schools have had to use a larger percentage of their funds fixing the things that the
state should have paid to replace, like an air conditioning system or a new roof. “They’re repairing buses they shouldn’t be repairing,” he said. “They ought to be replacing them.” That leaves only a couple of areas to cut. One is administrative, everything from the salaries of superintendents and principals to clerical staff. But Davenport said Arizona schools, as a whole, were slightly more efficient than the national average, spending just 10.4 percent of their dollars on administration versus 10.9 percent nationally. What that largely leaves schools to adjust, Essigs said, is classroom spending. The net effect, according to Davenport, has been lower teacher salaries and larger class sizes. Davenport said that between 2004 and 2016, the average teacher salary, adjusted for inflation, decreased 9 percent. And just between 2011 and 2016, she said, statewide average teacher pay dropped from $49,185 to $46,384 after inflation. The flip side of all that, though, is that there may finally be an end to the downward trend in the percentage of dollars spent in the classroom. Schools will be getting more than $300 million this budget year in new Proposition 123 dollars. But Essigs cautioned it will take time to make a real difference. “You have to remember that since the Great Recession, school districts have about the same amount of money in form of per-pupil (aid) now that they had in 2008,” he said.
– AFN staff contributed to this article.
Lawmakers looking to tighten controls on police seizures of private property BY HOWARD FISCHER Capitol Media Services
S
tate lawmakers are moving to limit the power of police and prosecutors to take away property they say is involved in criminal activity without actually having to first convict the owner. A wide-ranging measure to reform the state’s civil asset forfeiture laws would scrap the current standard that requires prosecutors to prove only by a “preponderance of the evidence’’ that the property is linked to a crime. Instead, prosecutors would have to provide “clear and convincing evidence’’
to a judge of the connection between the house, vehicle, cash, computer or other item that they want to seize and convert for their own use. That’s not quite the same as “beyond a reasonable doubt’’ required for a criminal conviction. But Rep. Eddie Farnsworth, R-Gilbert, said it strikes a reasonable balance between the need to deny criminals the tools of their crimes and the rights of individuals to be free from wanton seizures. The bill makes it more likely that property owners actually will get their day in court. And the issue there is financial.
“We have, for example, somebody who loses a $5,000 car because their son has marijuana on the front seat,’’ Farnsworth explained. “They have to spend $10,000 to try and get an attorney to get their property back,’’ he continued. “Well, that doesn’t work.’’ But the changes go beyond the property owner being able to recover his or her legal fees. The legislation, awaiting House action after unanimous approval, by the Government Committee, also would repeal existing laws that actually can force someone who sues to get property back but loses in court to pay
the legal bills of the government agency. Will Gaona with the American Civil Liberties Union said prosecutors are using that provision to deter people from even thinking about trying to get their property back. Farnsworth said the problem is no one knows whether police and prosecutors are abusing the law. Nor are there any statistics about how many times property is seized without event an arrest. HB 2477 would require an accounting of each and every seizure, whether there was a criminal conviction, whether the owner sued, whether that person had a lawyer and what ultimately happened.
MARCH 8, 2017 | AHWATUKEE FOOTHILLS NEWS
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At 91, Ahwatukee woman is a fixture at a local gym BY COTY DOLORES MIRANDA AFN Contributor
J
ust walking into Carlos Monge’s Body by Design Training Studio, Diolenda Sellers is often the focus of attention, especially from newcomers. The Ahwatukee resident is 91 years old and works out with Monge, a personal trainer, exercising alongside others who are three or more decades younger. She’s fit. And she says anyone can be that way. She says it’s just like the adage of mind over matter. “My body prefers I don’t work out. My body wants to sit around and watch TV and eat bonbons, but my mind tells me it’s time to get up and go work out,” said Sellers, her eyes smiling behind her black frame glasses. “I think exercise is the most important favor we can do for ourselves.” Sellers isn’t a large person, but her personality and enthusiasm for life make up for her 5-foot, 105-pound frame.
Though intensely focused during her hour routines that include cardio and strength training, her smile is what you notice even before her impressive biceps. “People say they don’t have time to exercise but I find if you take time to exercise, you get more time,” she explained. “It’s not only for the body, but it helps your emotions and your mind and, as we age, keeping our mind sharp is even more important. “And I find after a workout with Carlos, I walk out with a bounce in my step.” She likes to recall how she came to Body by Design in Ahwatukee. “I saw his website said ‘40s, 50s, 60s, plus’ so I called and asked, ‘How plus? How about 90?’ There was a quiet moment and then he said, ‘why don’t you come in and try us out?’” It proved to be the right choice, she said. “I exercise with Carlos three times a week and I never know what my
(DIanne Ross/AFN Contributor)
Sellers said she appreciates the personal attention she gets from Ahwatukee trainer Carlos Monge.
program is that day until we get started. We always do stretches before going into exercise, which is very important for the body,” she said, adding: “I have seen very few facilities that offer space to do stretches, and that’s an important part of the program with Carlos. Stretches seem to prepare the body for the exercises ahead.” She said her training includes correction of form when and if needed. “If I’m doing something incorrectly, Carlos is there to correct me. He not only corrects me, but he asks if I feel any pain in the area the exercise should be affecting,” she explained. “When I complete that exercise, he again asks how I feel to be sure it is an exercise I can continue to do,” said Sellers. “One of the things drummed into me Sellers early on in exercising – Diolenda prove it. and I did a lot of reading as well as listening – is it’s better not to do an exercise than to do it incorrectly.” Monge’s Redefine Prime program for clients 40 and up includes personal attention, a change from Seller’s previous experiences. “My trainers in the past have met with me for an hour, showed me the exercise, had me do it once or twice, wrote it down on a program and on to the next exercise,” she recalled. “I would do that program for four to six weeks on my own until I felt ready for the next training. With Carlos, he is there every step of the way the entire hour I am exercising.” Monge proudly admits he has a great deal of admiration for “D.”
(DIanne Ross/AFN Contributor)
works out on weights and has the muscles to
“It’s true you can’t go back in time, but that doesn’t mean you can’t keep exercising. D works with a group in their 50s and 60s and is a great inspiration to everyone here,” said Monge, himself a 56-year-old with two children, 11 and 6. “And I love training D because she’s full of wisdom.” Peter Bradt, an Ahwatukee resident for 15 years who is in the same class with Sellers, said she constantly amazes and encourages him. “I was very impressed with the fact that D is 91 and still moving around and acting like she’s 70 or 75,” said Bradt, 64, adding: “There’s hope for me as D and I stretch See
FITNESS on page 24
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AHWATUKEE FOOTHILLS NEWS | MARCH 8, 2017
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During their bake sale at Day Spring United Methodist Church in Tempe, Syrian refugee women sold a variety of desserts they baked themselves, drawing more than 800 customers. They will be at Esperanza Lutheran Church in Ahwatukee 11 a.m.-1 p.m. Sunday, March 12.
Syrian bake sale at Esperanza Lutheran has many goals AFN News Staff
E
speranza Lutheran Church this weekend will give Ahwatukee residents a chance to tingle their taste buds while helping Syrian refugees. A group of 30 women who fled the war-torn Middle Eastern country will be selling a variety of native desserts 11 a.m.-1 p.m. Sunday, March 12, in the church’s parking lot, 2601 E. Thunderhill Place, Ahwatukee. A similar bake sale by the group, Syrian Sweets Exchange Phoenix, drew
an estimated 800 people last month to Day Spring United Methodist Church in Tempe, said Tan Jakwani, one of the organizers. “People were lined up in the rain, and we sold out faster than we expected,” Jakwani said. “We had to apologize because so many customers left emptyhanded.” The Valley group was inspired by a similar program that Syrian women refugees have been conducting in See
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from page 21
Tucson, said Jakwani, who is outreach coordinator for a Scottsdale mosque. “All of us belong to the Syrian Refugee Connection Facebook group, consisting of volunteers from different backgrounds and faiths coming together to help refugees rebuild their lives,” said Jakwani. Other organizers are Rumee Balian, Sadia Zubairi, Shy Khan, Lama Hiraky, Nancy Speidal and Tracy Nishida. “The bake sale is entirely a humanitarian effort by volunteers of different backgrounds and faiths who are actively assisting refugees in Arizona,” she added. All proceeds from the bake sales go directly to the bakers’ families, who often are subsisting on low wages earned by their husbands. Jakwani said the sales accomplish two other purposes – introducing the refugees and the community to each other. “It’s like a cultural exchange,” she said. “The community gets to learn about the refugees and the refugees meet their new neighbors.” The bake sale is a more comfortable
(Special to AFN)
All the baked goods from the Syrian refugees include the same ingredients the women used back in the Middle East, including rare spices and sweet nuts.
way for the women to reach out, Jakwani said. “Many of the Syrian women are great bakers,” she explained. “When people come over, they typically welcome their guests with baked goods.”
Each woman bakes in her own kitchen, “where they feel more comfortable,” Jakwani added. “Syrian women like to work out of their home, and baking is one of their passions.” They also have been trained by a
Tempe baker and have their county Health Department food handlers license, she added. The Tempe baker trained the original group of bakers, and they in turn have trained other women. Additionally, the bakers wear gloves, so volunteers handle cash. In addition, translators are at each baker’s station to assist the interaction between the bakers and their customers. Each woman will bake around 100 of their specialty, which they will sell for 50 cents to $1. They all will have boxes for people who want to buy more than one or two and take them home. A lot of people take home a box of baked goods,” Jakwani said. Indeed, as the bake sales have been progressing around the Valley, the bakers are picking up orders for parties and other special events. Jakwani also said she and other organizers are negotiating with several food stores and farmers markets to widen the distribution of their products. “The women are super-excited,” she said. “We’re happy about the way it is going so far. We’re working on helping them and want them and their new American neighbors to get to know each other as well.”
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Giant rummage sale offers something for everyone BY KELLY ATHENA AFN Contributor
D
id you know that the average American home contains over 300,000 possessions? We lose up to nine items a day, resulting in us spending 153 days in a lifetime searching for misplaced items – usually phones, keys, sunglasses and paperwork. Consumerism/hoarding seems to be one of our favorite pastime. I think we can all relate! On Friday, March 10, we’ll have the chance to clear our homes of extra items by dropping them off at St. John Bosco School, 16035 S. 48th St., south of Chandler Boulevard. Volunteers will be there to receive your items between 9 a.m. and 6 p.m. by the front gate. Then the real fun begins on Saturday, March 11, at 7 a.m. with Ahwatukee’s most colossal annual church rummage sale. Fifty volunteers from the Parish of St. Benedict help organize, sort and display the donated contents of two 40-foot storage containers they rent for a month before the sale. It is a mind-boggling, thrilling treasure hunt to look through the courtyard full of tables of sorted clothes, shoes, purses, electronics, games, toys, books, household items, jewelry, dishes and glassware – plus a large area for furniture, appliances and sports equipment.
The volunteers make it even more fun by using a bullhorn or mic to announce specials, like a bowling ball for $1. I picked up a nice LBD (little black dress) for $1 one year. They once offered snow skis for $1, and said they’d throw in a pair of crutches for free. Gayle and Dennis Siewert have been co-chairs of the event for several years. “It’s exhausting but we love what we’re doing. We have such a great team of volunteers that work their hearts out for the event,” said Gayle, adding: “The event helps so many people on so many levels. For those that donate their treasures, it provides an opportunity to purge and get rid of clutter. It helps those that can’t afford to buy new clothes. It is good for the community to come together for a fun event. It helps the environment by reusing things instead of wasting them.” For bargain hunters, it’s a joy ride. About 30 eager people are usually waiting for the courtyard gates to open at 7 a.m. “I’ve seen people cry when they found just the right furniture they needed,” added Gayle. The proceeds benefit the church building fund. The enormous amount of leftover items benefit Furnishing Dignity, Big Brothers/Big Sisters and St. Vincent de Paul. If you’re planning a garage sale or other sustainable event, please contact me at garagesalegirl@kellyathena.com.
(Kelly Athena/AFN Contributor)
Volunteers who help pull together St. Benedict's rummage sale include, from left: Betty Doran, Sandy Davaz, Mary Ann Kwilosz and Alice Facio.
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together and walk side by side on our treadmills. She has a great sense of humor and is an inspiration to me.” Sellers said she’s aware she’s being watched by those decades younger than her. “Since I’m the only one of this age at the gym, I think they like to see what it will be like when they’re older. I’ve always been an active individual. I dreamed of being a dancer and traveling around to investigate all the states. “I still love to travel and in this past year have been to Colorado, Montana, Hawaii, Japan and Spain. It was my second trip to Spain.” It was when she was a young mother of four boys that training became second nature. She recalls exercising with fitness guru Jack LaLanne in front of her television set. And then it became more. “I worked out in Oregon,” she said. “In fact, when I was 79 I went to my trainer at the gym and asked how to keep the skin under my arm from jiggling. “He looked and said, ‘Where did you get that muscle?’ He then asked me to join the team for dead-lifting. I could lift 165 pounds and was getting ready for a
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competition in Reno, but my husband’s cancer was worse, so we came down to Mayo.” After her husband of 53 years passed away, Sellers opted to live in Ahwatukee full-time. Seller’s backstory is as interesting as her current lifestyle. She’s of Portuguese descent on both sides, and is first-generation U.S. born. Her father was the oldest of 22 children (five sets of twins) who settled in Massachusetts. At age 21, she left her job with Bethlehem Steel in New Haven, Connecticut, “to make a life of my own” in Southern California, where she found work at North American Aviation. “In those days, it was tough for a woman to get very far in life, and we’re still struggling though we’ve made some progress,” she observed. Her Portuguese name of Diolenda is unique, and she’s learned to shorten it for the convenience of others. “I went by the name of Lenda for many years because people had difficulty with my name, but when I was on the board of Christian Women’s Club in Oregon, there were three Linda’s so it was voted that I use my full first name and that is how I began using it again,” she explained. “With working out at Carlos I could see that it would be difficult again so I suggested they call me ‘D.’ I think they gave a sigh of relief.” She said working with Monge has been both physically profitable and pleasurable. “I feel so comfortable working with Carlos; he pays attention to each of us and our age,” she said. As age-defying as she may be, Sellers has definite opinions about age. “I think people get old sometimes because they think old. It’s just a number. It’s how you feel about it. After all, we only have one crack at it,” she said. Monge said just knowing Sellers has been “a blessing” in his life. “There’s a verse in the Bible that says, “Gray hair is a crown of glory, it is gained in a righteous life.” (Proverbs 16:31) This is who D is. She practices what she preaches, she lives a righteous life through faith,” said Monge. Faith is important to Sellers and she’s not hesitant to speak of it when asked. “My faith is very definitely a focal point of my life. Without my belief in God and His Son Jesus Christ, I wouldn’t be who I am. I have a hand-written message on my refrigerator that I read every day and it says, ‘Life is a gift from God. What you do with it is your gift to God.’”
Ahwatukee businesses join campaign for Children’s Hospital AFN NEWS SERVICE
A
number of Ahwatukee businesses are offering discounts or holding promotions to help support the Phoenix Children’s Hospital Foundation’s Make March Meaningful campaign. From now through March 31, they are raising money for the foundation’s Hope Fund, which helps the hospital launch new programs, purchase essential equipment, conduct cutting-edge research and provide charitable care. Local businesses and their promotions include: Big O Tires: Giant change canisters will be available for customers to drop their spare change. Chipotle: On Monday, March 13, it will donate 50 percent of orders with the mention of Phoenix Children’s. Dairy Queen: On March 20, Dairy Queen is offering a free small-sized regular soft-served cone and encouraging customers to make a donation. Limit is one per person. All March, customers can also roundup their total transaction with the extra money donated to Phoenix Children’s Hospital. Filiberto’s: Is donating $500 in addition to asking customers for donations of $1 or more at the register. H&R Block: Every time a client
mentions Phoenix Children’s Hospital during a visit, H&R Block will make a $20 donation. Jersey Mike’s Subs: March 29 is Jersey Mike’s Day of Giving, in which 100 percent of all sales will benefit Phoenix Children’s. In addition, it is collecting donations from customers all month long. Lyft: In March, $10 for every first ride will be donated and $50 in free ride credits will be given (this will only apply to new users). Panda Express: Canisters on the counter will be available for change to be deposited. Papa John’s: Will donate a portion of proceeds from their Mike Smith Smitty Special. Dolce Salon & Spa: For every $5 donated, customers will receive $2 Dolce Dollars. In addition to collecting donations, 100 percent of proceeds from specific services will benefit Phoenix Children’s. Zoyo Yogurt: Through March 26, a portion of the proceeds from its Mint Madness flavor of the month will be donated. Kohl’s: Shop Kohl’s Cares Dr. Seuss books and stuffed animals for $5, with 100 percent of net proceeds benefitting the hospital.
Lucky gamers
(Special to AFN)
Former Ahwatukee residents Gwendolyn and Ronald Capalbo, right, won $10,000 last week on the Game Show Network's brain puzzle show, "Idiotest." Host Ben Gleib, left, gives two pairs of contestants the opportunity to face off in several rounds of visual brain teasers that look deceptively simple, but whose answers "require a keen eye, quick mind and heightened sense of logic," the network said.
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AROUND AHWATUKEE
Community college info night for local high school seniors set
Parents of seniors at Mountain Pointe and Desert Vista high schools and students can attend an information night about community colleges 6:30-8 p.m. March 16 at Marcos de Niza High School Auditorium in Tempe. Sponsored by the Tempe Union High School District, the event will give families a chance to learn about the schools, special programs, scholarship opportunities and more to help them determine the best fit. Presenters include Central Arizona, Gateway, Mesa, Scottsdale, South Mountain, Rio Salado and Yavapai community colleges.
Chamber slates ‘donation day’ for annual golf tournament
The Ahwatukee Foothills Chamber of Commerce is seeking silent auction items, raffle and goodie bag prizes and whiskey for its 20th annual Masters Golf Tournament. Donos can drop by the chamber office, 4435 E. Chandler Blvd., Ahwatukee, between 9:30 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. March
17 and enjoy a light breakfast or lunch. The event is sponsored by United Brokers Group Realtors Christie Ellis and Jim Hunt. Information: Sara Fuhrmark at 480-753-7676 or events@ ahwatukeechamber.com. Registration is now underway for the tournament, to be held April 28 at the Foothills Golf Club in Ahwatukee. Early bird prices of $125 for individuals and $465 for foursomes are available until March 31.
Prosperity group director addressing GOP women
Tom Jenney, state director of Americans for Prosperity, will be the guest speaker at the monthly meeting of the Ahwatukee Republican Women at 6:30 p.m. March 22 at Mountain View Lutheran Church, 11002 S. 48th St., Ahwatukee. Information: arwomen@aol.com or ahwatukeerepublicanwomen.com
Tempe job fair will offer seekers other services as well
A job fair slated for 10 a.m.-2 p.m. March 15 at Rio Salado College’s downtown Phoenix campus, 619 N.
7th St., Building B, will offer jobseekers “on-site interviews” with employers and a chance to connect with other services such as housing, medical and financial. The event is sponsored by UnitedHealthcare myConnections, Chicanos por la Causa, Dress for Success, St. Joseph the Worker, Rio Salado College and Flourish. Hundreds of positions with companies such as Starbucks, Verizon and Alorica are open. Applicants are encouraged to bring their resume in both hard copy and electronic formats, dress professionally and be prepared for interviews.
Maricopa Master Gardeners slates two classes
“Pruning Trees and Shrubs” is the title of a class taught by an ISA-certified arborist and presented by the Maricopa Master Gardeners 2-4 p.m. Sunday, March 19, at the County Extension office, 4341 E. Broadway Road, Phoenix. The fee is $20. Register: regonline.com/ builder/site/?eventid=1955353 “The ABCs of Landscape Watering” will focus on ways to save time and money by learning where to water,
how much and how often. That class is 2-4 p.m. April 23 at the extension office. Register: regonline.com/builder/ site/?eventid=1956356
Corpus Christi Conference collecting furniture, other items
The St. Vincent de Paul Corpus Christi Conference will host its annual collection of furniture, household items and clothing 9 a.m.-4 p.m. March 25 and 9 a.m.-3 p.m. March 26 at the church, 3550 E. Knox Road, Ahwatukee. No mattresses or box springs or electronics will be accepted. The collection is at the church’s north parking lot on 36th Street. The ministry helps community members of all faiths.
Annual chili cook-off set for Swim and Tennis Center
The 13th annual Ahwatukee Chili Cook Off Festival is coming to the Ahwatukee Community Swim and Tennis Center Saturday and Sunday, March 11-12. For a $5 donation, voters will get a See
AROUND on page 27
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from page 26
tasting kit with seven cups, a spoon napkin and ballot to vote for their favorite chili. And when you’re finished casting your ballot, there’s a carnival with rides, concessions and other attractions that actually kicks off the chili contest a day earlier. The carnival runs 5-9 p.m. March 10, 10 a.m.-9 p.m. March 11 and 10 a.m.-6 p.m. March 12. It will also feature music on March 11-12 as well as crafts. And since the March 11 and March 12 competitions are separate, it’s possible for someone to punch their ticket to the world championships by just winning twice in Ahwatukee. Register at 480893-1942 or ahwatukeehoa.com. To participate in the cook-off, participants need to belong to the chili society, which charges a $60 annual membership. Newcomers to the Ahwatukee Chili Cook Off can enter the contest free since they have to pay the society’s dues. However, established society members must pay an admission fee of $35 for the red chili contest, $30 for the green chili competition and $15 for the salsa face-off. There will be cash prizes for first, second and third-place winners on each day. This year the center is adding a special competition for chili makers under 18 years of age on Saturday, March 11.
Ahwatukee Easter Parade still needs entries
The Kiwanis Club of Ahwatukee is still looking for more entries into its Easter Parade, slated for 10 a.m. April 15. The parade is followed by the Kiwanis Club’s Spring Fling. Both events raise money for the club’s numerous charitable activities throughout the year, including several programs for children in group foster homes. Deadline for entries is April 6. Information: msch0007@aol. com or 480-759-0007. The Official Easter Bunny is a parade sponsor so no adult-sized Easter Bunny costumes are allowed.
Tickets on sale for wine-beer fest, auction items needed
The 22nd annual Wine & Beer Tasting Festival will be presented by Festival of
Lights, a non-profit organization, 6:3010:30 p.m. April 29 at Rawhide Western Town. All proceeds will benefit the Million White Light display along Chandler Boulevard during the holiday season, a tradition begun by Del Webb in the early 1990s and returned to Ahwatukee in 1995 by a group of volunteers. Tickets are $50 in advance and are available at all three Safeway stores in Ahwatukee and folaz.org. To donate auction items, please contact Susan Anderton at info@folaz. org. All items are welcome.
Something to Smile About!
Implant
$1,200
Coupon must be presented to receive discount. Offers may not be combined. Exp. 4-30-17.
Exam & X-rays
$19
Harvey Arnce, D.D.S.
• General Dentistry • Orthodontics - Invisalign • Teeth Whitening - Zoom • Implants
480.704.0701
• Crown / Bridgework • Dentures • Oral Surgery / Extractions
15425 S. 40th Pl., Phoenix, 85044 40th St. & Chandler Blvd.
Coupon must be presented to receive discount. Offers may not be combined. Exp. 4-30-17.
Crowns
$700
Coupon must be presented to receive discount. Offers may not be combined. Exp. 4-30-17.
www.ironwooddentalcenter.com
Honduras project schedules fundraising dinner
The Children’s Home Project, run by Sean and Jenny Kast of Ahwatukee to help poor children in Honduras, will hold a Le Fiesta Under the Stars Celebration dinner 6:30-9:30 p.m. April 1 at the Valley Garden Center, 1809 N. 15th St., Phoenix. Tickets are $40 in advance and $45 at the door. Information: tchp.org
Fundraising cocktail party planned to help YMCA
Silent auction items are being sought for a Cocktails for Community fundraiser to be held 5:30-7:30 March 22 at the Sunset Grill & Patio at the Foothills Golf Club. All proceeds will benefit the Ahwatukee Foothills Family YMCA’s annual community support campaign, which helps local needy families and seniors. A minimum $25 contribution includes two drinks and appetizers. To donate auction items or buy tickets: Carrie at cmcneish@cox.net or 480-221-9090.
Please join us for interactive presentations & complimentary lunch
Wednesday March 22 11am-2pm
Liv Ahwatukee 16025 S. 50th St. Phoenix, AZ 85048
Ahwatukee YMCA offers fitness for cancer victims
Livestrong is a free small group fitness program at the Ahwatukee Foothills Family YMCA for adult cancer survivors aimed at easing them back into fitness and improve their quality of life. Each 12-week session meets for 75 minutes twice a week and a free YMCA membership for the duration of the program. Class size is limited to six people. Information: Debbie Mitchell at 602-212-6081.
Sponsored by
RSVP by March 20 to
480-485-3000
Share Your Thoughts
Send your letters on local issues to pmaryniak@ahwatukee.com
27
GENERATIONS AT AHWATUKEE
15815 S. 50th St. • Phoenix, AZ 85048
28
COMMUNITY
AHWATUKEE FOOTHILLS NEWS | MARCH 8, 2017
Charity helps feed pets when their owners can't afford to BY RALPH ZUBIATE AFN Managing Editor
I
f there ever was a perfect name for the job, Donna Barker has it. She’s president and founder of a charity that provides dog food – and cat food, too – to people who can’t provide for their pets. Barker started Chuck Waggin’ Pet Food Pantry after finding out that people were abandoning their pets because they no longer could afford them. One big cost is the price of pet food. “There are approximately 125 dogs a day turned into shelters by people for one reason or another,” Barker said. “They can’t feed them or provide veterinarian services to them.” Sometimes, she said, people who are older or in financial trouble have to choose between feeding their pets or their family. “Food banks don’t usually provide pet food,” Barker said. “A lot of these folks get rice and beans in their food boxes, and they give it to their animals instead of giving them even to their children.” Barker decided to open the food bank for pets in April 2012. “A person reached out to me and asked, ‘Donna, my dog is now on rice. Can you help me?’” Chuck Waggin’s mission is “to provide pet food and pet service referrals to keep pets and the families who love them together,” its website says. People’s needs have helped the group grow into a large operation. “We’ve given out about 50,000 pounds of food a year, between cats and dogs. That’s about 3,000 animals a month,” she said. She said the food is all donated from pet stores and rescue groups, who give them their overflow. “We also get different retail stores, like Target, and Wal-Mart, to give me their broken bags or outdated food,” Barker said. “Those are good to give out about eight months after their date; otherwise, they start to lose their nutritional value.” Chuck Waggin’ operates out of a storage unit in Phoenix. On Wednesdays, it delivers to people all over the Valley. The group also helps county agencies for the needy, veterans groups, social services and the like. “They usually give them my name and number if they need help,” she said. “A lot of people are seeking us out now. They’re hearing about us from the
food banks and word of mouth.” The charity relies on donations from the public. Its website, chuckwaggin.org, says the greatest need is in dog food, cat food and kitty litter. Other pet supplies, such as bowls, leashes and toys, are also needed. Donations to Chuck Waggin’ can be dropped off in the East Valley at McClintock Animal Care Center Vet Clinic, 1836 E. Elliot Road, Tempe. Hours are 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. MondaySaturday. Chuck Waggin’ is affiliated with PACC911, the Phoenix Animal Care Coalition 911. The group unites pet rescue organizations at pacc911.org. “I am their pet food bank,” Barker said. Another interest of Chuck Waggin’
is doing its part trying to stem the epidemic of pet overpopulation. “We have a requirement that your animal be spayed or neutered,” she said. “If they are not, we will find them lowcost spay and neuter services.” Barker knows that some pet owners don’t think about this, even owners who are struggling. “This lady recently, she was calling for food because she has had a hard time feeding her dog,” Barker said. “I asked If her dog was spayed, and she said, ‘No, I want to breed her and have another litter of puppies.’ And I said, ‘No, how are you going to feed them when you can’t feed the one you have now?’ “She said OK, and we made the appointment.”
(Chuckwaggin.org/Special to AFN)
Donna Barker, pictured with a friendly pet, was in the mortgage industry for more than 30 years as a manager, regional manager and managing vice president.
Chuck Waggin' depends on food and money donations to make sure pets are fed, despite their owners' problems.
(Chuckwaggin.org/Special to AFN)
MARCH 8, 2017 | AHWATUKEE FOOTHILLS NEWS
Homes sought for two friendly dogs and ‘super awesome’ cat
COMMUNITY
Over 400 Houses Sold! MIKE SMITH 602.579.5667 www.PhoenixNative.com
AFN News Staff
T
wo dogs and a cat share something in common: all three need homes. Jannelle Cosgriff of Friends For Life Animal Rescue said Danny Boy, a domestic medium-haired, young adult estimated to be about a year old has been “super awesome.” “Danny Boy was found alone in the desert,” she said. “Thus far, he seems to be good with everyone he’s met. Danny loves toys and playing fetch.” His adoption fee is $85 and he has been neutered, microchipped and tested for FELV/FIV. Information: 480497-8296, FFLcats@azfriends.org, or azfriends.org.
Meanwhile, Shauna Michael at the Arizona Animal Welfare League’s main adoption center, 25 N. 40th St., Phoenix, said Monty, a 6-year-old American Staffordshire Terrier mix, is “an active, fun-loving dog ready for a home.” “After a good game of fetch or a nice walk around the block, Monty enjoys lounging around on a comfy bed or snuggling up with his people,” she said, adding that he can be picky about being around other dogs. “Monty is a very affectionate dog who loves to make his people smile, already knows his basic commands and is house trained,” she added. Information: 602-273-6852 ext. 116. Lizzie, a 4-year-old French Bulldog Mix, has a soft coat and charming
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4 Beds+Den/3 Baths 3,135 sqft. Pebble-Tec Pool & 3Car. Owners have spent more than $150,000 in updates /upgrades since 9/2004. Come and see beautiful remodeled home in Lakewood!
Price: $424,900
Coming Soon! Foothills Deal! personality, according to Jenny Bernot of Arizona Rescue. “Lizzie enjoys meeting people and loves the attention that goes along with it. Lizzie will make herself comfortable in your lap for as long as you’re willing to host her – nothing makes her happier than a good snuggle session,” Bernot said. “She loves walks around the neighborhood and romps in the park,” Bernot added. “One of her favorite things to do is roll around in the grass.” Lizzie walks well on a leash and rides well in the car. “If she gets to ride in the front seat, she’s happy,” Bernot said. “If she gets to ride while sitting in your lap, she’s euphoric. Take her on an outing to a pet store and you better keep an eye on her…she’s been caught trying to sneak off with a rawhide bone on the bottom shelf of the treat aisle.” Information: azrescue.org
3 Beds+Den 1,700 sqft. Amazing Golf Course & Mountain Views! Beautifully updated throughout!
Price: $299,500
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4 Deds+Loft/3.5 Baths 3,865 sqft. & Pool Incredible Oversized & Private Hillside Lot. Remodeled Kitchen & Baths, Hardwood Floors.
Price: $675,000
Great Deal in Club West!
3 Beds+Den/2 Baths 2,280 sqft. Beautiful clean home with Heated Pool! Split Master, Open Kitchen & Family Room.
Price: $369,000
D L O S
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Equestrian Custom 4 Beds+Den/2.5 Baths 3,750 sqft. SOLD with multiple offers for $750,000!!!
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COMMUNITY
AHWATUKEE FOOTHILLS NEWS | MARCH 8, 2017
CALENDAR
TODAY, MARCH 8
Spring break movie offered
Teens can enjoy some spring break fun and watch a superhero movie and have free popcorn and soda. DETAILS>> 4:30-6:30 p.m., Ironwood Public Library, 4333 E. Chandler Blvd., Ahwatukee. Ages 12-18. Free, no registration required.
Horizon relays for life
DETAILS>> 4 p.m. Wednesdays, 3221 E. Chandler Blvd., Ahwatukee. Information: 480-759-3810
Grief support is free
Hospice of the Valley offers a free ongoing grief support group for adults and is open to any adult who has experienced a loss through death. No registration required. DETAILS>> 6-7 p.m. first and third Wednesdays, Pecos Community Center, 17010 S. 48th St. 602-636-5390 or HOV.org.
THURSDAY, MARCH 9
Craft-a-palooza slated
Foothills Women meet
Spending spring break in Phoenix? Make some fun spring crafts. Crafts for preschoolers and school-age kids will be offered.. DETAILS>> 2-4 p.m., Ironwood Public Library, 4333 E. Chandler Blvd., Ahwatukee. No registration, free.
An informal, relaxed social organization of about 90 women living in the Ahwatukee Foothills/Club West area. A way to escape once a month to have fun and meet with other ladies in the area. Guest speaker or entertainment featured. DETAILS>> 7 p.m. second Wednesday of the month, Foothills Golf Club, 2201 E. Clubhouse Drive. Contact jstowe2@cox.net or FoothillsWomensClub.org.
SATURDAY, MARCH 11
Holi Festival scheduled
Join an early celebration of Holi, the Indian spring festival of color, by throwing colored powders in front of the library. Indian-style refreshments will be provided. Wearing old clothes is recommended — white shows the colors best. DETAILS>> 3 p.m., Ironwood Public Library, 4333 E. Chandler Blvd., Ahwatukee. All ages. No registration. Free.
MONDAY, MARCH 13 Learn about wine
The wines of Oregon and Washington State will be examined, discussed and tasted. DETAILS>> 6 p.m. My Wine Cellar and Bistro, 5030 E. Warner Road, Ahwatukee. Cost: $35. Limited seating. Reservations: 480-598-9463.
THURSDAY, MARCH 16
Astronomy lesson set
All ages are invited to a STEM program that boosts scientific literacy and inquiry. It will be led by astronomer and NASA consultant Kevin Manning. DETAILS>> 6-7:30 p.m., Ironwood Public Library, 4333 E. Chandler Blvd., Ahwatukee. All ages, no registration required. Free.
Medicare sessions scheduled
Ahwatukee insurance adviser Greg Geryak and Physicians Mutual representatives will discuss all aspects of Medicare, including rights and options, coverage and other issues. DETAILS>> 3-4 p.m. March 16 and again at 4-5 p.m. March 21. Ironwood Library, 4333 E. Chandler Blvd., Ahwatukee. Free but registration is required for this limited-seating seminar. RSVP: 480-797-5615.
THURSDAY, MARCH 23
LD 18 Dems set mini-golf bash
Legislative District 18 Democrats will hold a mini golf night with contests for the best-dressed couple and individual and goofiest hair-do. It will be followed by a happy hour with state Sen. Sean Bowie. DETAILS>> 6 p.m. at Golfland SunSplash, 155 W. Hampton Ave., Mesa. $20 per person. Happy hour 8-9 p.m. Boulders, 1010 W. Southern Ave., Mesa. Information: ld18democrats.org
SATURDAY-SUNDAY, MARCH 25-26 Annual drive slated
St. Vincent DePaul Corpus Christi Conference Ministry will host its annual furniture/clothing drive. Used furniture, clothing and other household items can
‘Dems and Donuts’ set (Kylee Golden/Special to AFN)
Horizon Honors High School Student Council held its second annual Relay for Life from 5 p.m. to midnight last Friday. Teams of people camped out around a track and members of each team took turns walking it. There were over 150 participants and a committee of only 12 students organized all activities, which included commemorations of people who died of cancer and tributes to those who survived the disease. Student musician Joe "Joe Vito" Vitagliano and his band played, as did his father David Vitagliano, a teacher at Horizon. Joining the event were, from left, Haley Greene, Alexa Page, McKenzie Knippers and Nicole Leake. Haley and Nicole live in Ahwatukee. be dropped off at the St. Vincent de Paul truck. No electronics, mattresses or box springs will be accepted. DETAILS>> 9 a.m.-4 p.m. March 25 and 9 a.m.-3 p.m. March 26. 3550 E. Knox Road, Ahwatukee.
Grant at lgrant3567@yahoo.com or 480-414-7172.
SATURDAY, MARCH 25
Inner Vision Yoga Studio offers chair yoga to help seniors and people recovering from injuries to stay fit. DETAILS>> 1:30-2:30 p.m., 4025 E. Chandler Blvd., Ahwatukee. $5 per class. Information: donna@ innervisionyoga.com or 480-330-2015.
Free yoga offered
Inner Vision Yoga Studio will be offering a free yoga session during the grand opening of its Ahwatukee location. DETAILS>> 8:30, 9 and 10:30 a.m. Trader Joe’s Plaza, 4025 E. Chandler Blvd. Information: innervisionyoga.com or 480-656-6448.
SUNDAYS
‘TinkerTime’ open for kids
A makerspace for children to design, experiment, and invent as they explore hands-on STEAM activities through self-guided tinkering. DETAILS>> 1-4 p.m. every Sunday, Ironwood Library 4333 E. Chandler Blvd., Ahwatukee. Ages 6-11. Free; No registration required.
TUESDAYS
Chair yoga featured
Toastmasters sharpen skills
Improve your speaking skills and meet interesting people at Ahwatukee Toastmasters meetings DETAILS>> 6:45-8 a.m at the Dignity Health Community Room, 4545 E. Chandler Blvd., Ahwatukee.
Power Partners available
The Ahwatukee Foothills Chamber of Commerce networking and leads group is open to chamber members. DETAILS>> 8-9 a.m., Four Points by Sheraton, 10831 S. 51st St., Ahwatukee. Dorothy Abril, 480-753-7676.
MONDAYS
WEDNESDAYS
The Ahwatukee Foothills Chamber of Commerce networking and leads group is open to chamber members. DETAILS>> Noon, Native Grill and Wings, 5030 E. Ray Road, Ahwatukee. Devida Lewis, 480-753-7676.
Watercolor classes that teach both bold and beautiful as well as soft and subtle approaches to the art are available twice a week for beginners and intermediate students who are at least 15 years old. Step-by-step instruction and personal help are provided. DETAILS>> 2:30-5 Wednesdays and 10 a.m.-12:30 p.m. Saturdays at Hobby Lobby, 46th Street and Ray Road, Ahwatukee. Cost: $25 per class, $80 for four classes. Registration required: jlokits@yahoo.com or 480-471-8505.
Chamber offers networking
Group aids MS sufferers
This group addresses the informational, emotional and social support needs of the MS community. People with MS, care partners and spouses are welcome. DETAILS>> 10 a.m.-noon, third Monday of each month, Dignity Health Urgent Care Ahwatukee, conference room, 4545 E. Chandler Blvd. Free. Information: Lynn
Watercolor classes available
Montessori holds open house
Ahwatukee Foothills Montessori holds an open house weekly. It includes a short talk about Montessori education, followed by a tour of its campus.
Legislative District 18 Democrats gather for an informal chat. DETAILS>> Free and open to the public 7:30-9 a.m. the third Wednesday of the month at Denny’s, 7400 W. Chandler Blvd., Chandler. RSVP: marie9@q.com or 480592-0052.
Ld 18 dems meet
The Legislative District 18 Democrats meet the second Monday of the month. DETAILS>> 6:30 p.m. social time, 7-8:30 p.m. meeting time. Old Spaghetti Factory, 3155 W. Chandler Blvd., Chandler. Information: ld18demsinfo@gmail.com. Free and open to the public.
Networking offered
Ahwatukee Foothills Chamber of Commerce has a networking and leads group is open to members. DETAILS>> 11:30 a.m.–12:30 p.m., Radisson Hotel, 7475 W. Chandler Blvd., Chandler. Devida Lewis, 480-753-7676.
THURSDAYS
Kiwanis talk fitness
Fitness expert Brad Jarret will speak at the weekly meeting of the Ahwatukee Kiwanis Club Thursday, March 9. The board meets ThursdayS and newcomers are welcome. The club is making plans for its annual Easter Parade April 14 and Spring Fling. Volunteers are welcome to come to the meeting and sign up. DETAILS>>7:30 a.m. Biscuits Restaurant, 4623 E. Elliot Road, Ahwatukee. Information: mike.maloney2003@ gmail.com.
Preschoolers' Moms meet
Free child care for ages 0 to 5 every other Thursday. DETAILS>> 9 a.m., Foothills Baptist Church, 15450 S. 21st St. Call Kim at 480-759-2118, ext. 218.
FRIDAYS
Gentle Yoga offered
Inner Vision Yoga Studio offers “gentle floor yoga” for core strengthening and healthy backs. DETAILS>> 1:30-2:30 p.m. 4025 E. Chandler, Ahwatukee. $5 per class. Information: 480-330-2015 or donna@ innervisionyoga.com. — Email calendar items to pmaryniak@ Email your ahwatukees.com
calendar items to pmaryniak@ahwatukee.co Room, 4435 E. Chandler Blvd., #100, Ahwatukee. m Devida Lewis, 480-753-7676.
OPINION
MARCH 8, 2017 | AHWATUKEE FOOTHILLS NEWS
Opinion
@AhwatukeeFN |
31
@AhwatukeeFN
www.ahwatukee.com
Pecos Road replacement may give Ahwatukee its ‘Highway to Hell’ BY PAUL MARYNIAK AFN Executive Editor
I
f Ahwatukee had an anthem these days, it probably would come from AC/DC. Only their “Highway to Hell” would be amended to read “Highway and Arterials to Hell.” There is genuine anguish expressed by residents virtually every day on social media as they complain about the South Mountain Freeway, surface conditions of major thoroughfares like Ray Road and even side streets in Mountain Ranch and other subdivisions. And then there’s the Chandler Boulevard Extension. You probably already have read the front page of today’s issue and learned the news that the 1.2-mile stretch between 27th and 19th avenues, which will connect the two ends of Chandler Boulevard, will replace Pecos Road when the freeway is being built and become a permanent part of Ahwatukee’s street grid. Thanks to the efforts of several local officials – notably Phoenix Councilman Sal DiCiccio and Ahwatukee Foothills
Village Planning Committee Chad Blostone – city streets officials have agreed to make it three lanes instead of two, keeping bike paths on either side. That middle lane will be used for emergency vehicles in case of accidents. Anyone care to guess when the first one will occur once the project is completed later this year? And does anyone want to guess how long the daily traffic jams will last during morning and evening rush hours once it opens? As state Rep. Jill Norgaard observed a few months ago, it’s hard to believe the city will be spending $11.5 million to connect two four-lane sections of Chandler Boulevard with two lanes for motorists’ use. Now, I am no traffic engineer, but many decades of driving suggest to me that when you have traffic from two lanes funneled into one, chances are excellent for a motoring headache. Actually, more likely, a regular migraine. Credit Blostone with getting the problem partially resolved. I remember when a city Streets Transportation Department bureaucrat gave a presentation on the project to the committee back in August.
Even before she was finished, Blostone pounced on the problem, asking why a two-lane road was connecting a major four-lane one. A somewhat condescending we-knowbest attitude gave various reasons: That’s all the money the city has. Studies show traffic volume doesn’t justify four lanes. There’s no development on either side of the new road because one side is the South Mountain Preserve and the other is unsold State Trust Fund land. There are other streets in Phoenix just like that and there’s been no problem. Blostone challenged that last reason, asking the department for the names and locations of those streets. Sure enough, they didn’t know, but promised to get back to him. They kept that promise a month later, but guess what? They couldn’t find any other arterial like it among the city's 5,000 miles of streets. DiCiccio told me Blostone was like a dog with a bone. “He wouldn’t let it go,” he said, recalling how Blostone prodded and hectored even though DiCiccio had begun pushing city bureaucrats to reconsider.
So, after months of prodding and discussion, residents in the area have been given a bone – an important one, certainly, but a bone nevertheless. It leaves the lingering questions, the biggest being: Why would the city do it this way? Why would it lay down the last section of a major thoroughfare and make it narrower than the parts it was connecting? Streets officials mentioned the absence of development. So, I guess that means when there is development, they’ll dig everything up and widen it, causing another round of disruption in a residential area where jackhammers and bulldozers from this project and the freeway will be disrupting its tranquility. They said Phoenix can’t afford it – despite the fact that voters two years ago approved a sales tax increase that will raise billions over the next 30 years. When I asked why the Chandler Extension wasn’t among the first projects to be funded by that money, a department spokeswoman said it was never submitted to a citizens’ committee that decides priorities. I gave up after that. Listening to AC/ DC seemed to make more sense.
Retirees and families working together makes Ahwatukee magical BY BECKY BRACKEN AFN Staff
D
riving to work last Thursday morning, I lost many precious minutes between dropping off my daughter at Colina Elementary and getting to the office because of a particular kind of traffic holdup. I was stuck behind a smiling senior, tooling along Warner Road in his golf cart, in the fast lane, heading for a morning tee time at the country club. He was oblivious to the fact that he was slowing morning rush hour. Maybe he would have felt bad if he knew, maybe not. But it was a real-world example of
how I think Ahwatukee is changing. I’m worried our lovely community is becoming a place where retirees and families are having a tougher time working together than ever before. And that’s bad news for all of us. When I moved to Ahwatukee as a middle-schooler from Tempe, it seemed like families and retired folks worked better together; were more aware of each other’s needs. And it made for a magical marriage of demographics and shared purpose. Working people left the suburb to earn a living, and the retirees held down the fort. They kept a watchful eye on neighborhood kids. They called out teenagers speeding through streets and watched over empty houses. Retirees were the careful conscience of the area.
Maybe it’s the divisive and angry political climate nationally. Maybe it’s the disappearing golf courses that are leaving retirees feeling hurt and left out. Maybe it’s a generation of working families worn down by years of recession and real estate busts, with prices for everything from child care to butter rising what seems like every day. But no matter the cause, every resident of Ahwatukee can, and should, make more of an effort to be a better neighbor wherever and whenever we can. Rush hour traffic is a good place to start. Of course, warm rounds of morning golf and long bike rides through our gorgeous desert are why so many retirees want to live in Ahwatukee, but clogging up busy streets during peak traffic hours
isn’t terribly considerate. Likewise for retired folks with all day to shop at Fry’s who choose instead to leisurely read labels and block grocery store aisles at 5:30 p.m. on a Wednesday, when working folks just need to quickly grab milk for the baby and something for dinner. Families and younger people need to do their part, too. We need to keep an eye on our kids and make sure they’re not out causing trouble or drag racing up Knox Road. And we need to be more aware of our older neighbors who might need a little support. We need to do a better job of holding doors, toting groceries and looking after Ahwatukee’s retirees. See
BRACKEN on page 32
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OPINION
BRACKEN
from page 31
Retirees and families working together is a huge part of Ahwatukee’s appeal; it always has been. We help each other, look out for each other, and in turn make our community a wonderful place. Let’s remember that the next time we encounter each other at the post office or on the mountain trails. We can, and should, treat each other with just a little more respect. We all have to do our part. As for me, I’m going to try and reach out to my retired neighbors and friends – and maybe, when the moment is right, ask them to wait to drive their golf carts up Warner after 9 a.m. -Ahwatukee resident Becky Bracken is an editor at Times Publications, publisher of the Ahwatukee Foothills News
Share Your Thoughts Send your letters on local issues to pmaryniak@ ahwatukee.com
AHWATUKEE FOOTHILLS NEWS | MARCH 8, 2017
LETTERS
Realtors assailed for position on Ahwatukee Farms plan
Realtors really want commissions. That’s my take after reading about the 11 Realtors who would rather have commissions from selling whatever homes or condos that end up at the Lakes Golf Course than have open space that increases all of our home values. Remember that the judge has ruled that True Life has to operate a golf course, unless enough people give away their rights by signing the consent form. I now know 11 Realtors that I won’t consider when it’s time to sell. -Andy Wangstad
Homeowners hold cards in Ahwatukee open-space fight
How long can Ahwatukee hold off to keep our last remaining open space? Once open space is gone, it’s gone forever. In the case of 101 acres, ABM homeowners hold the cards. Building on land set aside to provide flood control is risky. Listen to the Ahwatukee/MPR land
planner; listen to the Tempe golf course appraiser who built and operated Las Sendas golf course; listen to the ArizonaMontana-Canadian developer and homebuilder; listen to the attorneys; listen to the former Presley Homes executives. All of them tell us to stand our ground and hold on to our last remaining open space. How long can we hold off? Let’s wait until June 12, and let Judge Hanna – again – rule to return our golf course back to its original beauty. -Deb Karkosky
Lakes golf course spraying irritates nearby resident
As many Ahwatukee residents have recently noticed, there has been a slow but steady change in the appearance of the Lakes Golf Course into a green and park-like corridor of open space. This change has served as a reminder of how beautiful the course once was, but apparently does not fit well with True Life`s vision. Their employees were recently dispatched to spray the newly emerging green ground cover with toxic chemicals in an effort to kill the upcoming vegetation and return the course into its former desolate and barren condition. The toxic chemicals were sprayed over the entire area without any prior notification or warning to adjacent homeowners, some of whom may have allergic or other adverse reactions to its uncontrolled drifting vapors and fumes. Just as alarming, there were no signs or barriers placed on the grounds to restrict anyone, including children and pets from walking in the freshly applied toxins. Although unrelated, but equally upsetting, this event occurred within one day of the first year “anniversary” of the unfortunate clubhouse fire. And, as we remember, the AFN reported that after an intensive Phoenix Fire Department investigation, the fire is suspected to be caused by an arsonist because multiple points of ignition and a large amount of an accelerant were discovered at the scene. It’s no secret that True Life is holding Ahwatukee homeowner`s property values hostage by deliberately keeping the golf course in a degraded condition. Yet, they profess to be a friend who cares about our community. I’ts a crisp slap in the face to all residents and a blatant attempt to intimidate and coerce homeowners into signing their
misguided consent forms. This is, in effect, asking for a ransom payment, and if paid, True Life will be on its way to reach their real vision, which is, as we all know, megaprofits. And no matter what they say, their profits still would come at our expense. Actions speak lauder than words, and True Life`s actions speak volumes. The degraded golf course condition is just another reminder that True Life cannot be trusted. Ahwatukee homeowners would best be served by continuing to stand firm in their commitment to protect the Lakes Golf Course and its inherent open space. -Bill Lapinskas
Too many questions remain unanswered in farms plan
My question to you and the 11 Realtors: If the current CC&R’s are removed, the Ahwatukee Farms is built, what will happen to our property values when the Ahwatukee Country Club Golf Course is sold and replaced with apartments? Why are we not hearing about the hazards of signing away our rights, our voice, in what will happen to our community? The Ahwatukee Farms has taken center stage with a well-presented conceptual plan. Where are the safeguards that will hold True Life to that concept? Where are the safeguards to prevent the very real possibility construction of apartments will commence as soon as a developer purchases another Wilson Gee golf course? How will increased traffic, flooding issues and the very real possibility of increased crime benefit our community? Do you, and those who have swallowed the poison pill, really believe True Life has a vested interest in our community? Once the Ahwatukee Farms has been completed, they will pack up, move on to another location never to be heard from again, unless of course they purchase the other golf course. -Gerald Garrett
Thank you, Intel, for bringing jobs to Arizona, Valley
In his new book, Future Right published May 2016, ASU Professor Don Critchlow, PhD., reveals that 90 percent of Americans express jobs and the economy as their top concern. During the campaign, Donald Trump stated he would bring jobs back to America See
LETTERS on page 33
Real Estate Guide Ahwatukee Realtor Bonny Holland honored as a top seller in 2016 BY PAUL MARYNIAK AFN Executive Editor
A
hwatukee Realtor Bonny Holland last week received one of the first Best Real Estate Agent awards given to Southeast Valley Realtors who sold the most units in their community in 2016. The BREA awards are a new annual form of recognition in the region and are given to the most productive real estate agents, based on the number of sold units pulled from the Arizona Regional Multiple Listing Service. “You impact the industry and the
community,” Gilbert financial advisor Ben Andrus told Holland and the other BREA recipients. “It’s unique to recognize top business performers strictly by results.” Awards organizer Heidi Zebro said BREA awardees were “determined strictly by productivity” and that the recognition is unique to the regional real estate industry. Each winner was presented with the award by a public official in their community. Holland received her award See
TOP SELLER on page RE2
Spectacular uniquely designed and upgraded semi-custom home on private hillside lot in the prestigious gated community of Shadow Rock.
Bonny Holland
$899,900
See Page 6
SPOTLIGHT TLIGHT home
Gorgeous home with amazing south mountain views in a stunning location.
Listed for $574,000
Mike Mendoza
See Page 6
5,300 sq.ft., 7 bedroom, 5.5 bathroom. Stunning luxury estate on almost 1 acres with horse privileges.
Listed for $1,099,000
Geno Ross
See Page 6
Ahwatukee’s #1 Team for Over 28 Years 480-706-7234
The Foothills - Front
The Foothills - Back
Stunning mountain views from hillside lot. 4 br, 2.5 ba with 2,801 sq. ft. Spacious open floor plan with downstairs office and Plantation shutters. New appliances including refrigerator, dishwasher, range/oven, washer, dryer and water heater. Private backyard on preserve with gated pool. Walking distance to shopping, hiking and park.
Listed for $405,000
Each Office is Independently Owned & Operated
www.MendozaTeam.com
Mountain Park Ranch - Front
Mike Mendoza
Mountain Park Ranch -Back
Impeccable T.W. Lewis home with 5 br, 3 ba and 3,076 sq. ft. Spacious eat-in kitchen features black granite countertops and black appliances. One bedroom and full bath down with master suite and three secondary bedrooms upstairs. Resort-style backyard replete with amazing built-in kitchen, fire pit with seating, salt water pool and above ground spa.
Listed for $419,500
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REAL ESTATE
TOP SELLER
AHWATUKEE FOOTHILLS NEWS | MARCH 8, 2017
Sellers who buy the same day need to be prepared
from page RE1
from Phoenix City Councilman Sal DiCiccio. “I am very humbled, proud and appreciative,” said Holland, who is with Keller Williams Realty’s luxury homes international division. “I have had a steady constant business since 1996, but I have seen a significant increase in our volume in the past five years because our client base continues to grow.” A Realtor since 1995, Holland had worked in corporate finance in the Bay Area before moving to Ahwatukee as the result of a job transfer in 1992. “When I moved to the Ahwatukee Foothills, I saw the opportunity to sell real estate in a new and exciting community,” she recalled. “I strongly believed that my professional background would help me excel in the real estate industry.” The Cupertino, California, native guessed right. Now she specializes in the sale of luxury homes, those priced at $1 million and above. “I am very experienced in marketing and sales of all price points, not just luxury homes,” she said. “I have a foothold in the Ahwatukee luxury market because I began my career selling custom lots and high-end subdivisions in Ahwatukee like Candlewood Views and Forte’s Canyon Verde along with many builder-spec homes. “I had a great working relationship from the start with builders and clients looking to buy and sell in the luxury market,” she added. A regular guest columnist in the AFN’s real estate section, Holland sold her first luxury home in 1996, when the term “luxury” applied to homes priced over $400,000. That sale was in Ahwatukee Custom Estates. Prices have changed dramatically since
BY STACEY LYKINS AFN Guest Writer
(Michael Gallaugher/Special to AFN)
Phoenix Councilman Sal DiCiccio presented a BREA award to Ahwatukee Realtor Bonny Holland for selling the most units in Ahwatukee last year.
the turn of the century. “My highest-price Ahwatukee sale was $3.2 million in Eagle Ridge estates in 2002,” Holland said, adding her highest-priced sale so far in her career was a $3.6-million penthouse in the Waterfront Residence in Scottsdale. Currently, her featured home for the month is a nearly 9,000-suare-foot, five-bedroom home on East Windmere Drive, also in Eagle Ridge, that is priced at $1.8 million. Though she specializes in luxury homes with a particular focus on Ahwatukee, Holland sells homes throughout the Valley regardless of their pricing. “I look at every property equally,” she said. “My team and I provide the same service for all, whether it be a small condominium or a multi-million-dollar custom estate. We provide the same level of service including staging, marketing and customer service for all our clients no matter the price point. They are all important to me and my business.” Holland is expecting 2017 to be another productive year, noting “in 2016 we had an increase in the number of luxury homes sold in Ahwatukee, compared to the prior year. Hopefully this is a trend that continues into 2017.”
The Tompkins Team Riley, Coleen, Ron and Drew
YOUR FIDUCIARY Trust and Confidence!
www.TompkinsAZHomes.com Each office is independently owned and operated.
480.706.7259
kw
®
SONORAN LIVING
KELLER WILLIAMS® REALTY
A
lthough not an ideal situation, it often occurs that a Stacie Lykins seller needs to close the sale of their house before completing their buying process. I have closed two of these in the last few weeks and they can be tricky to navigate, but successful – if everyone is organized and prepared. First, the easiest way to ensure both transactions close on the same day is to have both the sale and purchase at the same title company. This way, when the closing funds are received at the title company for the sale of the property, they can immediately be applied to the purchase of the new home. This takes the stress out of then having to wire the funds to a different title company. Given that both transactions need to close on the same day, it is best to remove any unnecessary steps.
Make sure both lenders know that you are closing simultaneous transactions on the same day. This way, they can prepare and try to fund in the morning. If each lender can fund in the morning, it gives you a better chance of success. Also, try to sign all the loan closing documents for both transactions at least the day before close of escrow. If everyone signs the day before, the lenders can review the loan documents and clear last-minute issues the day before. Just in case things do not go as planned, make sure you have somewhere to sleep that night. If your house sells, but you couldn’ close on the home you were purchasing, make sure you and your personal belongings have a place to go. It is possible, though not advisable, to rent back for a few days or maybe even get pre-possession of the new home. You could just rent out the garage, if necessary. -Reach Ahwatukee resident and Associate Broker Stacey Lykins, West USA, at 602-6169971, S.Lykins@LykinsProperties.com or LykinsProperties.com.
REAL ESTATE
MARCH 8, 2017 | AHWATUKEE FOOTHILLS NEWS
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Bill Watson
Gets Results. Top 1% of Agents in Arizona.
THE Hardest Working Real Estate Professional.
I CAN SELL YOURS TOO!
(Special to AFN)
Above, this 5,000-square-foot home on S. 7th Street, Ahwatukee, has an expansive driveway. The photo below it shows the open-concept living room while pictured at right is one of the home’s powder rooms.
Ahwatukee records first home sale over $1 million this year
Sahara Palms 2
$362,000
The Foothills
$425,000
Estates At Montego Bay
$464,899
Orangewood
$735,000
Minutes walk from Mountain View High School, Hale Jr High and other Mesa amenities. This is a hard to come by 6 bedroom and 3 bathroom, beautifully refreshed home, and located in a quiet Mesa neighborhood. This home also comes with a sparkling POOL. The pictures don’t do any justice what-so-ever, definitely a must see to appreciate. Newly renovated kitchen and remodeled bathrooms as well! Be amazed as you walk into the grand living room filled with wood floors. Enjoy the sun under your back patio, and store your toys outback behind the RV Gate. Come checkout this beautiful home today. Wow! Don’t miss this 3311 square foot 4 bedroom plus game room and bonus room that can easily be 5th bedroom downstairs with 3.5 Bathrooms! Sitting in a cul-de-sac! New kitchen remodel 2012 with upgraded raised cabinets, granite counters and stainless steel appliances! Slate floors, upgraded custom paint. Large open kitchen area to family room has 20 foot ceilings, two way fireplace to huge game room. Large master upstairs with walk out deck to amazing mountain and city light views. More mountain preserve across the street from the home! Backyard oasis with built-in bbq, out door custom fireplace and spa. Wood blinds and sunscreens throughout. 2 15 Seer a/c units installed 12/14. This home is a 10! If you show it, you will sell it!
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hwatukee has seen its first million-dollar home change hands this year. A 5,000-square-foot home at 15821 S. 7th St. sold recently for $1.3 million, according to mls.com listings. “This Santa Fe style resortlike property boasts covered patios surrounding the home, with unobstructed views of the South Mountains to the north, and sunrise skies to the east,” mls.com boasted of the Eagle (Special to AFN) Ridge estate. One of two outdoor fireplaces is located on a priThat view can be enjoyed on vate balcony off the master bedroom. an outdoor patio described as “an entertainer’s dream” as well groove boards with massive roughas on private patios outside the master hewn timber beams cover the soaring bedroom and guest suite. ceilings,” adding to the Southwestern Matching the four fireplaces inside décor. the home are two more outside. Besides Simultaneously, softer contemporary two fireplaces, the outdoor area includes touches abound through the home, a pool and heated spa, full kitchen and which has three-plus bedrooms, four even a putting green. bathrooms and a spacious office/den Inside, “rough-sawn tongue-and- that can be converted into a bedroom.
kw
®
Wow! Complete re-model feb 2017! 5 bedroom (master bedroom downstairs), 2.5 bathrooms, pebble tech pool and 3 car garage, 3222 sq ft. 2017 upgrades include new white kitchen and bathroom cabinets, grey wood slate tile, quartz counters, carpet, interior and exterior paint, front door. Don’t miss new plumbing fixtures, toilets, light fixtures, chandeliers, door fixtures, bathroom mirrors and ceiling fans. Also new master bath tub and separate re-modeled shower. Large eat-in kitchen with island and breakfast bar has new stainless steel appliances and built-in microwave. 4 bedrooms upstairs are huge. One bedroom has it own balcony over looking the pool. Plantation shutters. Steps from the lakes, walking paths and children play areas of lakewood. This home is better than new!
***FINE FINISHES***Spectacular kitchen with slab granite counters and tumbled travertine back splashes. 42-inch cherry cabinets, pot drawers, double pantry and crown moldings. Appliances are stainless steel. Cherry and granite is continued through the sumptuous baths. Romantic claw foot tub in master with separate shower. Closet organizers. Gorgeous travertine in all the right places. Gleaming hard wood in living room area. New carpet 2017. Beautiful open plan with white shutters and french exits. Escape to the pristine pebble tech pool and lush landscaped yard with block fence. Great privacy with established pecan, lemon, grapefruit, tangelo, lime, date palm and pomegranate trees. Over sized garage with cabinets. Excellent North Central location and sought after Madison schools.
SONORAN LIVING
KELLER WILLIAMS® REALTY
www.TheBillWatsonGroup.com
480.706.7211 • 602.469.0388 Professionalism • Integrity • Communication
Each office is independently owned and operated.
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REAL ESTATE
AHWATUKEE FOOTHILLS NEWS | MARCH 8, 2017
Ahwatukee homes sold 85044 $121,000 $169,500 $180,000 $190,000 $208,000 $212,000 $220,000 $225,000 $230,000 $235,000 $239,500 $250,000 $250,000 $250,000 $275,000 $278,000 $279,000 $299,900 $305,000 $305,000 $305,000 $324,000 $325,000 $340,000
10610 S. 48th St. 5040 E. Siesta Drive 11830 S. Paiute St. 12238 S. Shoshoni Drive 11401 S. Tomah St. 8833 S. 51st St. 13821 S. 41st Place 13451 S. 47th Way 4322 E. Tonto St. 12215 S. 45th St. 4129 E. Jicarilla St. 3702 E. Desert Flower Lane 4735 E. Summerhaven Drive 4716 E. Piedmont Road 4822 E. Pearce Road 4418 E. White Aster St. 10417 S. 44th St. 4245 E. Raven Road 15243 S. 47th St. 14818 S. 44th Place 4439 E. Dry Creek Road 4301 E. Ahwatukee Drive 4033 E. White Aster St. 13216 S. 40th St.
$355,000 4845 E. Paseo Way. $362,000 3902 E. Agave Road $373,000 4041 E. Cholla Canyon Drive $494,900 3739 E. Sequoia Trail $569,500 3731 E. Dakota Drive $662,500 12020 S. Tonalea Drive $750,000 11809 S. Blackfoot Drive
85045 $230,000 $280,000 $317,000 $360,000 $512,000 $569,300 $635,000
16220 S. 17th Drive 438 W. Mountain Sage Drive 1650 W. Windsong Drive 144 W. Nighthawk Way 16401 S. 16th Ave. 1433 W. Saltsage Drive 415 W. Desert Flower Lane
85048
$243,500 $243,500 $244,000 $245,000 $248,500 $269,800 $280,000 $282,500 $285,000 $291,500 $307,500 $312,500 $317,000 $318,000 $339,000 $342,000 $350,000 $355,000
$150,000 3830 E. Lakewood Pkwy. $164,900 16013 S. Desert Foothills Pkwy. $219,000 16014 S. 40th Way $225,000 4102 E. Mountain Vista Drive
$377,500 $380,000 $385,000
16030 S. 47th St. 4724 E. Amberwood Drive 4517 E. Wildwood Drive 15251 S. 14th Place 4526 E. Ashurst Drive 4131 E. Woodland Drive 2112 E. Nighthawk Way 1012 E. Amberwood Drive 2928 E. Windmere Drive 16638 S. 28th Place 4334 E. Cottonwood Lane 4202 E. Saltsage Drive 1336 E. Sapium Way 3433 E. Windsong Drive 2513 E. Glenhaven Drive 16018 S. 10th St. 315 E. Glenhaven Drive 16815 S. 25th Place 16204 S. 1st St. 15801 S. 27th Place 16640 S. 2nd Place
$405,000 16043 S. 9th Place $425,000 3149 E. Dry Creek Road $470,000 16017 S. 4th St. $475,000 317 E. Wildwood Drive $482,500 2542 E. Amberwood Drive $510,000 15254 S. 17th Place $750,000 14228 S. 2nd St. $1,300,000 15821 S. 7th St.
BONNY HOLLAND
More homeowners spending money on remodeling AFN NEWS SERVICES
W
ith the Great Recession now finally in the rearview mirror, many homeowners – and their bank accounts – are suddenly a bit more flush. And that’s good news if their homes are sorely in need of more than a fresh coat of paint. Some new flooring, maybe? How about brand-new kitchen countertops? And while you’re at it, maybe an entire HVAC overhaul? Homeowners spent $361 billion – more than ever before – on home improvements, maintenance, and repairs in 2016, according to a recent report from the Joint Center for Housing Studies of Harvard University. That’s a nearly 13.5 percent jump from the previous peak, in 2007, just before the housing market crashed. The report looked at U.S. Census data on the 25 largest U.S. metros. Most of the data in the report was from 2015, except for the 2016 statistic on overall spending. “Homeowners just feel like they have more equity built in their home … so they can invest in their homes in bigger ways
than they could in the past,” said Abbe Over the past few years, investors also improvements – compared to more than Will, one of the contributors to the report. spent a pretty penny fixing up residences 40 percent in 2007. Less unemployment, higher salaries they bought in the downturn to get them The most common work done wasn’t and rising home values are leading many ready to rent out to tenants. glamorous – necessary improvements homeowners to pimp out their homes, or What are homeowners spending money such as replacing systems that keep a at least fix them up a bit before putting on? home humming along, like plumbing, them on the market. Renovations electrical, and HVAC, took the are also popular among new lead, according to the report. homeowners who want to This was followed by necessary customize their new pads. upkeep on home exteriors, like “A lot of remodeling tends to roofing, siding, windows, and happen around the time of the doors; interiors, like carpeting, sale,” Will says. flooring, and insulation; and So instead of only paying for improvements to lots and yards, things that need to be done, such as fixing fences. like replacing a leaky roof or The most popular discretionary repairing a cracked foundation, home improvements were they’re creating outdoor oases bath remodels followed by and splurging on new granite kitchen remodels. Next up were (Special to AFN) countertops. outdoor living additions, like Remodeling a home can require considerable time working on Millennials “really put a lot of conceptual designs and color swatches. porches, decks, patios, terraces, value on personalizing something garages, and carports, and then so it is an expression of themselves,” Kitchen and bath remodels still top the room additions. said Brad Hunter, chief economist at list of most popular home improvements. “We’re seeing a lot more [demand for HomeAdvisor, a website that connects Spending may be back, but many things like] painted cabinets, a tuxedo consumers and contractors. “They may homeowners still aren’t throwing money finish, which is light on the bottom dark not have the money to do it all at once, around with quite the abandon they did on the top, quartz countertops versus but they can do it over the years and they before the recession. In 2015, discretionary granite,” said Joanne Theunissen, vice can also do it themselves.” spending made up just a third of all home president of Howling Hammer Builders.
Ahwatukee Resident and Realtor since 1995 AHWATUKEE CUSTOM ESTATE
SHADOW ROCK
3607 E. Kayenta Court
NEW LISTING
4,800sqft, 5 bedroom, 3.5 bathroom, Gorgeous upgraded custom estate on over-sized lot in the highly sought mountainside community of Ahwatukee Custom Estates.
$1,195,000
CANYON RESERVE
EAGLE RIDGE
1464 E. Amberwood Drive
NEW LISTING
4,987sqft, 5 bedroom, 3.5 bathroom, Spectacular uniquely designed and upgraded semi-custom home on private hillside lot in the prestigious gated community of Shadow Rock.
$899,000
AHWATUKEE CUSTOM ESTATE
WHISTLING ROCK
337 E. Windmere Drive
SALE PENDING
5,918sqft, 5 bedroom, 4.5 bathroom, One of the most luxurious, private, mountain top custom homes in all of the Southeast Valley.
$1,850,000
14228 S. 2nd Street
SOLD!!!
3,173sqft, 4 bedroom, 3 bathroom, Stunning upgraded hillside T.W. Lewis home nestled in the mountainous gated community of Whistling Rock.
$750,000
CENTER COURT AT AHWATUKEE
CALABREA
347 E. Windmere Drive
NEW LISTING!
5,467sqft, 5 bedroom, 4.5 bathroom Amazing custom estate nestled on a 26,184sqft mountain top premier lot in the luxurious gated community of Eagle Ridge.
$1,499,000
Each Keller Williams Office is Independently Owned and Operated
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#1 Agent in Ahwatukee Closed Volume 2016
Leading Luxury Home Experts EAGLE RIDGE
REAL ESTATE
MARCH 8, 2017 | AHWATUKEE FOOTHILLS NEWS
14037 S. Rockhill Road
FEATURED LISTING
5,907sqft, 5 bedroom, 5.5 bathroom, Incredible hillside custom estate on massive 103,000sqft lot in the pristine gated community of Canyon Reserve.
$1,575,000
3214 E. Tere Street
PRICE REDUCED
3,917sqft, 5 bedroom, 3 bathroom, Fabulous custom estate on private 56,000+sqft hillside lot in the highly sought community of Ahwatukee Custom Estates.
$999,000
16807 S. 32nd Lane
SALE PENDING
5,412sqft, 5 bedroom, 5.5 bathroom, Magnificent Forte custom estate with home structure built around interior courtyard in the secluded gated community of Calabrea.
$1,399,000
B onny@LeadingLuxur yExper ts.com • w w w.LeadingLuxur yE xper ts.com • 602.369.1085
11049 S. 44th Street
SOLD!!!
2,373sqft, 3 bedroom, 2 bathroom, Beautiful single level home in the highly sought community of Center Court in Ahwatukee.
$359,000
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REAL ESTATE
AHWATUKEE FOOTHILLS NEWS | MARCH 8, 2017
SPOTLIGHT TLIGHT home
Ahwatukee Custom Estates
Great single-level brick home with amazing south mountain views. Stunning location with great curb appeal in a cul-de-sac neighborhood of million dollar homes. 3 Br, 2.5 Ba with 2,615 sq. Ft. Eat-in kitchen with bay window seating, butcher block island, custom cast iron sink and built-in desk. Oversized living room with floor to ceiling brick fireplace, custom oak mantle and three sections of french doors to expansive covered patio. Upgrades throughout include hardwood flooring, plantation shutters and slate flooring in family room. Oversized 2-car garage with epoxy flooring, work area and separate air conditioned work room. 2016 Water heater. 2015 Fireproof cedar shake shingle roof. 2014 Hardwood flooring. Spacious lot professionally landscaped with hardscape, mature trees, shrubs, flowers and front and back grass.
Listed for $574,000
Mike Mendoza kw® SONORAN LIVING 480.706.7234 KELLER WILLIAMS® REALTY www.MendozaTeam.com 1464 E. Amberwood Dr. Spectacular uniquely designed and upgraded semicustom home on private hillside lot in the prestigious gated community of Shadow Rock. 5 bedroom suites, 3.5 bathrooms, gourmet kitchen, formal living and dining rooms, family room, game room, exercise room, executive’s office and resort style backyard all surrounded by panoramic mountain views. This home has it all! Beautiful front entry opens to foyer and massive formal living room with custom wet bar. Formal dining room with private patio access to outdoor covered patio dining area. Gorgeous gourmet kitchen with granite counters, custom cabinetry, stainless appliances, dual sinks, kitchen island, walk-in pantry, breakfast bar and breakfast room with private hillside views. Spacious family room with fire place and patio access. Large game room with custom wood-beam ceiling in-lays, vinyl floored exercise room and executive’s style office with built-ins. Amazing master bedroom suite with large seating area, 2 separate balconies and two-way fire place to master bath. Stunning master bath with custom walk-in shower, classic tub, granite counters, dual vanities, custom cabinetry and 2 walk-in closets. Massive resort style backyard with 2 separate covered patios, outdoor dining are with built-in BBQ, huge play pool, spa and large grass area with children’s playground and tree hammock all surrounded by mature landscape and private hillside views. Spacious guest bedroom suites with walk-in closets. Inside laundry room with cabinetry and several storage closets throughout the home. Spacious 3-car garage. This home is a must see! Kyrene Schools. Great Ahwatukee location!
Listed for $899,900
kw
®
SONORAN LIVING
KELLER WILLIAMS® REALTY
Bonny Holland
602.369.1085 • www.LeadingLuxuryExperts.com
SPOTLIGHT TLIGHT home This is a rare find! Stunning luxury estate on almost 1 acre with horse privileges, 5300 sq. ft., 7 bedroom, 5.5 Bath, and remodeled, foyer w/medallion, formal living & dining, family room w/stacked stone fireplace, kitchen includes:slab granite counters, backsplash,island,subzero,and walkin pantry, breakfast room, recessed lighting throughout, stone-look tile flooring w/marble inserts, harwood flooring, new fixtures, wood shutters, master suite w/balcony, his/ her closets, master bath w/roman tub, all secondary bedrooms are large, basement with media/gameroom,bar, paradise backyard includes:covered patio, pebbletec pool, waterfall, grotto, slide, jacuzzi, bbq, 2 firepits, huge grass area, treehouse, citrus trees, basketball court & 300 sq ft workshop, located next to shopping & dining, this dream estate is perfect for families and entertaining!
Listed for $1,099,000
Geno Ross (602) 751-2121 www.GenoRoss.com
REAL ESTATE
MARCH 8, 2017 | AHWATUKEE FOOTHILLS NEWS
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Ahwatukee’s #1 Team for Over 28 Years
480-706-7234
Mike Mendoza
www.MendozaTeam.com S
D OL
!!
(Special to AFN)
It helps to give your interior decorator or designer pictures of the new look you want.
Choice of interior decorator vs. designer depends on many factors AFN NEWS SERVICES
M
ost homeowners want their place to look amazing, but let’s face it: Not all of us have the time or skills to pull off Pinterest-worthy decor without a little help – or a lot. If a homeowner’s mastery of color coordination or furniture trends is shaky, they might have considered hiring a pro. But who? For starters, they’ll have to choose between an interior decorator and an interior designer. What’s the difference? Is there a difference? Well yes, there is. Here are the details, and how to decide which one is right. For people who are building or remodeling a home, an interior designer will do it all. She or he will consider rooms critically, taking into account the structure, the light and each area’s purpose. Then they guide the owner through the entire process, from blueprints to the finished product. This includes obtaining permits, adhering to local building codes, working with an architect and hiring and coordinating contractors, painters, plumbers and electricians. Most interior designers have formal training or a degree in design and may be members of a professional organization such as the American Society of Interior Designers. “Interior designers also tend to have relationships with vendors from whom they like to purchase items – lighting, rugs, furniture – on behalf of clients,” said Charla Traugott and Jill Shuey, interior designers and owners of Decorating Den Interiors in Texas. This means they’re able to get discounts that they’ll pass on to the client.
While a degree or official background in design isn’t required, an interior decorator should have an excellent eye for assessing scale, choosing colors and fabrics and arranging everything. “An interior decorator may not have suppliers on hand, but she’s definitely willing to shop with clients to pick out pieces and accessories,” Shuey said. This decorator can also help find a style (modern, country, shabby chic, traditional) and then achieve the look in the home. Expect to pay more for an interior designer. “She’ll cost anywhere from $100 to $500 an hour,” Traugott said, adding that an interior decorator might ask $50 to $250 an hour. Both decorators and interior designers with the proper credentials can get furnishings at a discount, which can knock off up to a third of those items’ cost. One limitation to consider with interior decorators is that they specialize in finishing touches. “An interior decorator may not work with new builds or remodels,” Traugott said. “In those cases, an interior designer is better.” Homeowners should review their portfolio and speak with a few of their past clients to make sure their aesthetic meshes with their own. And remember‚ no interior designer or decorator is a mind reader, so make sure to show them pages from magazines or Pinterest links that are of interest. The more they know the homeowner’s desired look, the more easily the decorator or designer can make that happen.
Ahwatukee Custom Estates
Ahwatukee
Great single-level brick home with amazing mountain views. 3 br, 2.5 ba with 2,615 sq. ft. Hardwood flooring. Family room with fireplace. Oversized 2-car garage with work area and separate air conditioned work room. New fireproof roof.
Great updated single level on large corner lot. 3 br, 2 ba with 1,182 sq. ft. Remodeled kitchen features mocha cabinetry, composite sink plus fixtures, butcher block island and custom lighting. 2011 bathroom updates. 18x13 bonus room that is not included in square footage.
Listed for $574,000
Listed for $228,500
The Foothills
Mountain Park Ranch
Stunning mountain views from hillside lot. 4 br, 2.5 ba with 2,801 sq. ft. Spacious open floor plan with downstairs office and Plantation shutters. New appliances including refrigerator, dishwasher, range/oven, washer, dryer and water heater. Private backyard on preserve with gated pool. Walking distance to shopping, hiking and park.
Impeccable T.W. Lewis home with 5 br, 3 ba and 3,076 sq. ft. Spacious eat-in kitchen features black granite countertops and black appliances. One bedroom and full bath down with master suite and three secondary bedrooms upstairs. Resort-style backyard replete with amazing built-in kitchen, fire pit with seating, salt water pool and above ground spa.
Listed for $405,000
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Listed for $419,500
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Mountain Park Ranch
Club West
Hillside lot with privacy of mountain preserve. 5 br, 3 ba with 3,546 sq. ft. Spacious open kitchen with adjacent family and formal dining room. Downstairs master and secondary bedroom. Great backyard amenities including fenced pool and spa, built-in fire pit and grass area.
Recently updated on golf course lot. 5 br plus media room, 3 ba with 3,829 sq. ft. Open kitchen with granite countertops and custom island with gas cooktop. Inviting stone-accented wet bar and fireplace in family room. New carpet, interior and exterior paint. Resort-style backyard features Pebble Tec pool and spa with waterfall, built-in BBQ and lush landscaping.
Listed for $517,500
Listed for $520,000
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Equestrian Estates
Equestrian Estates
Amazing sunset and mountain views from updated single level. 4 br, 3 ba with 3,056 sq. ft. Spacious eat-in kitchen with granite countertops and stainless steel appliances. Zebrawood plank tile and wood flooring. Resort-style backyard with retractable door, multiple fire pits with seating, diving pool with waterfall, built-in BBQ with bar, in-ground trampoline and tropical landscaping.
Inviting single level with circular drive, courtyard and side entry garage. 4 br, 2.5 ba with 2,955 sq. ft. Kitchen features granite countertops, pullout cabinetry, wine cooler and bar sink. Private backyard with lush tropical landscaping and custom play pool with sheer descent and spa.
Listed for $649,000
Listed for $675,000
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REAL ESTATE
AHWATUKEE FOOTHILLS NEWS | MARCH 8, 2017
OPINION
MARCH 8, 2017 | AHWATUKEE FOOTHILLS NEWS
LETTERS
from page 32
by putting pressure on companies with business and tax policies. Since he was elected, these companies have pledged the following: Sprint, $50 billion and 50,000 jobs; Sharp, $7 billion and 700,000 jobs; Bayer, $8 billion and 3,000 jobs; Amazon, 100,000 jobs; Ford Motor Co., $700 million and 700 Jobs; IBM, $1 billion, 25,000 jobs; Wal-Mart, $6.8 billion, 34,000 jobs; Lockheed Martin, 1,800 jobs; Hyundai Motor Co., $3.1 billion; General Motors, $1 billion, 1,500 jobs; Carrier, 1,000 jobs; Intel, $7 billion and 3,000-10,000 jobs. Intel is right here in our back yard. FAB 42 has been a shell for years. In 2014, Intel announced it would postpone the FAB’s opening because of “decreased global demand for its products.” You will hear some say this deal was in the works with ASU for years. The important point is that Intel didn’t pull the trigger on the commitment and their announcement until they knew the business and tax climate was right to do business. Just like all the companies mentioned above and possibly more to follow. It wasn’t until Donald Trump became President of the United States that Intel announced the reopening of this facility with as much as 10,000 jobs and $7 billion infused into the Arizona’s economy over the next three to four years. This commitment is yet another opportunity for our graduates and future graduates to work in the community they grew up in, while not having to move away to other states to find work like so many have. It will be interesting to watch how the unemployment rates change across the nation and the accounting for them as this administration focuses on what most Americans care about -- jobs and the economy. As more people work at jobs outside
of government we can produce funding for government and education. It is then we can and will improve our educational opportunities for all Arizonans. Arizona is a great place to live and play. With meaningful jobs beyond just education we can and will support those who teach our youth. It’s this kind of responsible leadership and business environment that can and will make Arizona and Ahwatukee great again. Thank you, Intel, for keeping work in Arizona and thank you to all who realize this importance of keeping work in America. -Frank Schmuck
Sen. Bowie updates residents on his work at the Capitol
Another busy week at the state capitol last week, as we started hearing House bills in committee for the first time. We are also still voting on Senate bills on the floor so we can send them over to the House for consideration. Some good news: my bill on surprise medical billing, SB 1321, , passed the Senate unanimously on Thursday, by a vote of 28-0. It is now headed over to the House for consideration, where I will work with members from both sides of the aisle to make sure this important piece of legislation goes to the governor’s desk. There is one notable bill that we killed in the Senate last week: SB 1243, which was another attempt to allow guns in public buildings in Arizona. This bill gets introduced every year, and this time we killed it by a vote of 14-16. Three of our Republican colleagues voted with us. Some more good news from the capitol: many of you surely heard about SB 1142, otherwise known as the riot and protesting bill. While it passed the Senate, the speaker of the House of Representatives decided it would NOT get a hearing, and the governor also expressed his concern. This is great news, and clearly the result of all the public pressure and attention the bill
33
received. Keep up the phone calls and emails to legislators – your hard work is getting noticed! Looking ahead to this week, we will continue hearing House bills, with the last batch of Senate bills coming up for a final vote. Many of the more controversial bills that you may have heard about, like expanding vouchers or eliminating desegregation dollars, may make an appear-ance, but it still looks like they do not have the votes to pass the chamber. Stay tuned, and please continue to contact your legislators to let your voice be heard. One of the questions I hear often is how the state budget (Special to AFN) is progressing. As many of you State Sen. Sean Bowie was so excited about the Senate's know, we cannot adjourn as a unanimous passage of his bill on surprise medical expenses legislature until the budget is voted that he photographed the "big board" in chambers that shows on, approved, and signed by the each senator's vote. governor. Everything I’m hearing indicates is that cities currently receive a portion of that it is going to take longer than usual to those tax revenues, and under the governor’s get this budget passed – while most years proposal, they would lose those dollars. adjournment happens around early April, I’m keeping an open mind on this year’s this year it may stretch into May or even budget, and hope we can work together to June. produce a bipartisan budget that invests in The reason for this potential delay? There education and workforce development. appears to be significant disagreement in the I’ve met with the governor’s office several Republican caucus on the governor’s budget times, and told them each time that I proposal. While the governor included would like to see additional investment several new programs and initiatives in his in higher education, along with relief for proposal, many Republicans aren’t happy the developmentally disabled community, about where the funds to pay for those who were impacted by the passage of programs would come from. Proposition 206 last year. If those two areas The governor would sweep almost $100 are taken care of, I could see myself voting million from the Highway User Revenue for Governor Ducey’s budget. Fund (HURF), which pays for things like -Sean Bowie is an Ahwatukee road repairs and construction. Many rural districts, represented by Republicans, badly resident and the senator from Legislative District 18, which includes need these funds. The governor’s proposal would also hurt Ahwatukee. He is inviting constituents to an cities, thanks to the bonding proposal proposed for the state universities. ASU, open discussion with him 9-10:30 a.m. U of A and NAU would be able to collect Saturday, March 11, at Panera Bread, the sales taxes on their campuses to pay for southeast corner of McClintock and infrastructure projects – the problem here Guadalupe roads, Tempe.
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OPINION
AHWATUKEE FOOTHILLS NEWS | MARCH 8, 2017
Facebook’s Ahwatukee411 creates new group to focus on changing community BY BILL MAGER AFN Guest Writer
T
he Ahwatukee411 Facebook team has created a related group to focus on the “everchanging” nature of our AhwatukeeFoothills community. The name of the Facebook group is, appropriately enough, Ahwatukee411 Ever-Changing Ahwatukee. The intent of this group is to identify and discuss major projects that will change and shape the AhwatukeeFoothills community in which we live. “This group strives to be a forum in which accurate information surrounding these projects is shared, and members have opportunity to ask questions, seek clarification, and share concerns and opinions. The interactions on this forum will serve to better inform our community. “We created the group to bring together Ahwatukee residents to discuss the many new changes and improvements,” said Ahwatukee411 founder Diana Lopez, adding: “With the new freeway, the former Lakes, and new local businesses Ahwatukee will again experience changes like those who lived here 2535 years ago. Ahwatukee will be making some new history, and this forum will help to give voice and influence,” said A411 founder Diana Lopez. There are many projects that are underway or planned in the community, so suggested topics for this group include a long list of projects and forums. They include the South Mountain Freeway, the Ahwatukee Farms development, the golf courses (Ahwatukee Country Club, Foothills Golf Course, Club West Golf Club), new construction (commercial/ residential developments), the City of
(Special to the Tribune)
This illustration graces the Ahwatukee411 Facebook site and its companion site about ever-changing Ahwatukee.
Phoenix Chandler Blvd Extension and other street projects, City of Phoenix parks (including South Mountain Park), and items that fall within the City of Phoenix’s Ahwatukee Foothills Village Planning Committee. Within that list are a number of possibly controversial topics. The team will remind participants to respect that people will disagree, and to instead focus on facts and accurate information to best keep the focus on
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projects and issues. “Attack issues, not people, be kind” and “Better to state one’s opinion than attack that of another” are articulations that the administrators will promote to group participants. While not a forum for politics, the team recognizes that politics are interwoven into many of the discussion topics. Phoenix, Legislative District 18, and Kyrene and Tempe Union school district
politics may also be within the scope of the conversation. If you are on Facebook and have not yet joined the parent Facebook group Ahwatukee411 or the new group Ahwatukee411 Ever-Changing Ahwatukee, consider joining the conversation. -Bill Mager is one of the administrators of facebook.com/ahwatukee411.
BUSINESS
MARCH 8, 2017 | AHWATUKEE FOOTHILLS NEWS
Business
@AhwatukeeFN |
35
@AhwatukeeFN
www.ahwatukee.com
Ahwatukee attorney helping Asian companies find opportunities in the U.S. BY PAUL MARYNIAK AFN Executive Editor
A
hwatukee attorney Brian Foster likes to remind people not to confuse activity with achievement. There’s no such confusion with Foster, who has been pretty active achieving a lot. A partner in the 450-attorney law firm of Snell and Wilmer, Foster has spent 28 years in commercial litigation, trying cases involving real estate, partner and shareholder disputes, merger and acquisition fights, disagreements over contracts and other business matters. He has over 60 active cases in federal courts throughout the country involving more millions of dollars than the millions he already has won in judgments and verdicts during his career. And despite that legal work, which often puts him in a courtroom trying cases that can sometimes last weeks, Foster is busy in a new role with his firm – helping to connect the United States with businesses in China and Taiwan, as well as other Asian countries. He got his foot in that door representing foreign clients in cases in America, but pushed the door wide open through a romantic relationship and his appointment to the Phoenix Sister Cities board. “I started getting all these calls from businesses, especially in Taiwan and China, that wanted assistance in opening manufacturing and distribution centers in the United States,” he said. “So, I decided that I would actually start putting effort into growing that portion of my business.” He was no stranger to Taiwan since he and his girlfriend, Alina Chu, had often visited her family in Taiwan. During their travels, he met a number of business owners, and that pool of contacts expanded even more through his involvement in the Sister Cities program. “Some of the primary goals of the Phoenix Sister Cities are to expand economic development between the sister city countries and promote cultural
(Special to AFN)
Ming-Shy Chen, right, deputy director general of the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office, presents Ahwatukee attorney Brian Foster with a gift for his work on behalf of Taiwanese busiensses.
exchange. There is also a high school youth ambassador exchange program,” he said, adding: “In working on this commission over the years, I had significant contact with economic development leaders from these 10 sister cities, entertained delegations from these sister cities when they came to Arizona and worked on promoting economic development between Phoenix and its sister city countries.” Suddenly, trips to Asia that had been “fun, fun, fun” for him and Chu made him realize how “super connected” he had become. “I’m a real big people person and ended up meeting people who wanted my help,” he said. Now it’s come to the point where
people are helping him as well. He’s heading to Taiwan in the nottoo-distant future because his contacts “have told me they’re putting together groups of large Taiwanese business owners who want to come to us or who are open to hearing about opportunities in America.” All those contacts have increased Foster’s workload – and he’s loving every minute of it. “It’s fun even though I am super busy. This is what I do – I help people,” he said. “It doesn’t matter if you’re helping people by winning a trial or resolving a dispute or solving a business problem like coming to the United States. He doesn’t do it alone – especially since he doesn’t speak the language. “My firm has eight attorneys that
speak fluent Mandarin and attorneys who speak many other Asian, European, Persian and numerous other languages,” he said. He notes that Snell Wilmer “is a full-service firm, so our domestic and international clients get one-stop shopping with us. In other words, we offer essentially turn-key services for a person or company looking to expand into the United States.” His efforts so far have already attracted considerable attention. Last month, Foster was the keynote speaker at an event attended by nearly 300 Taiwanese and Arizona business leaders. Citing client confidentiality, Foster wouldn’t detail the companies he has See
FOSTER on page 38
36
BUSINESS
AHWATUKEE FOOTHILLS NEWS | MARCH 8, 2017
Ahwatukee psychologist parks the sheep as she helps patients sleep BY PAUL MARYNIAK AFN Executive Editor
I
f you fell asleep on Dr. Jenna Gress Smith, she’d probably consider it a job well done. The Ahwatukee psychologist’s business is largely focused on treating insomnia through her practice, Arizona Sleep & Health. It’s a problem that is becoming more prevalent today, she said. “It is one of the more prevalent complaints for primary care doctors,” Smith said, noting that insomnia “is associated with increased depression and anxiety symptoms, reduced quality of life and increased health care costs. As our culture grows more stressful, so do our rates of insomnia.” But Smith has developed a method for helping insomniacs that’s more effective than counting sheep and far less dangerous than stocking up on pills – some of which have been reported to cause severe side effects in people. Her approach is called CBT-I, short for “cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia.” “CBT-I can be the answer for many people’s poor sleep,” she said, noting that the treatment usually requires three to six sessions. “Following treatment, people tend to feel better, have better health, improved mood and daytime functioning and overall quality of life,” Smith said. The therapy includes changing sleep patterns with a customized plan; modifying negative thoughts and worry about sleep; reducing nighttime worry and calming an overactive mind; and promoting relaxation. Treating insomniacs was a natural outgrowth of the Gaithersburg, Maryland, native’s studies. With an undergraduate degree in psychology at Rutgers University and an internship at the National Institutes of Health, she got a research position at Stanford University – where she first discovered CBT-I. Eventually, she obtained her Ph.D. In clinical psychology from Arizona State University, “with a primary interest in health psychology and the intersection of physical well-being and mental health.” Smith started a CBT-I program through ASU’s clinical psychology center and oversaw trainees in that treatment at ASU and Ironwood Cancer Center. She got her certification in CBT-I during her
(Special to AFN)
Ahwatukee psychologist and sleep disorder expert Dr. Jenna Gress Smith and her husband, Russell, have two daughters, Josephine, right, and Madeleine.
internship at the Phoenix VA Medical Center. “Throughout my training, I have developed strong therapeutic skills in tailoring various evidence based psychotherapy approaches to meet the needs of patients with highly complex medical and mental health issues,” she said. “I was initially pre-med in college, and then quickly realized that people’s emotions, behaviors and thoughts play key roles in health, and that our physical bodies and emotional health were not separate, but highly intertwined,” she added. As a result, she sought “more training in improving people’s health through psychological treatments in medical environments and have mostly worked in hospitals until starting this private practice.” An Arizona resident since 2007 who moved to Ahwatukee three years later, Smith considers insomnia “an interesting issue in that is a physical health issue, but is also associated with stress and several mental health conditions, including anxiety and depression.” That’s why she believes “insomnia is
better addressed through a psychological treatment compared to medication. Moreover, she said, “There are not a lot of specialists who are trained and practice CBT-I in the community, and that seems to be the case for Ahwatukee. It seemed like a perfect opportunity to bring my training into our community.” A patient’s first encounter begins with a thorough evaluation aimed at determining whether insomnia is causing sleep difficulties. “There are actually a lot of different sleeping disorders, so we want to make sure insomnia is the causal factor before moving on with treatment,” she explained. “After the initial evaluation, we start to change sleep patterns by altering sleep-wake times, teaching relaxation, and teach techniques to quiet our minds and turn off the thoughts that keep up us at night.” She believes her therapy is a better approach than pills “because it gets to the factors that are creating the insomnia.” “Medication may sedate you or mask your symptoms, but it does not treat them,” Smith said. “CBT-I helps change your sleep patterns, overcome worry and modify negative thoughts about sleep,
which treats the insomnia.” The American College of Physicians has recently changed its guidelines to recommend CBT-I as the first choice of treatment for insomnia, though Smith said “providers are in short supply.” While patients may lapse even after their insomnia has been cured, Smith said they know how to cope. “When new stressors or medical issues pop up, people’s sleep can suffer after treatment, but they now have the sleep schedule and tools to manage it and get back on track. My goal is to have people not need therapy after initial treatment. Sometimes a booster session may be needed, but people learn how to handle insomnia and their sleep on their own at the conclusion of CBT-I.” Smith, a mother of two girls, ages 5 and 2, also has found the treatment useful in her life, explaining that when she can’t fall asleep, she follows the advice she gives patients. “The great thing about CBT-I is that it teaches you tools to self-mange your sleep, which I use from time to time as well.” Information: azsleephealth.com or 480-788-3128.
BUSINESS
MARCH 8, 2017 | AHWATUKEE FOOTHILLS NEWS
Ahwatukee woman’s Hawaiian radio station getting traction
BY BRENT RUFFNER AFN Contributing Writer
D
evida Pi’ilani Lewis infused an upbeat vibe with a way of life ‒ almost by accident. Now, East Valley residents are starting to notice. The Ahwatukee real estate professional co-hosts a show on iAloha Radio, an internet-based radio show that has brought fresh island sounds of Hawaiian and Reggae to the Sonoran Desert since 2013. The station streams online 24/7 and currently gets about 5,000 downloads per month. The AlohaZona Show is pre-recorded and airs 6-10 a.m. weekdays on ialoharadio.com or on the Tunein Radio app. Lewis’ brother, Terrence “Big Teeze” Hallums, a well-known deejay for KCCN FM100 in Honolulu, flew to the mainland to help her build a Tempe studio and to show her how to run the equipment. Hallums and Afro-Rican musician Derrick Rahming were played with HiTown DJ’s, a group that had hits in the late 1990s. “My husband bought me radio equipment one Christmas,” Lewis said. “I didn’t know what to do with it.” The station has gained traction over the last few years with topics that range from commercial real estate to Kanye West. In fact, Reggae talent Pato Banton and Raging Fyah, a five-piece band from Kingston, Jamaica, have been in the iAloha Tempe studio for the live interviews. iAloha is a 2017 sponsor of the Arizona Aloha Festival, an event held March 11-
12 at Tempe Beach Park. The festival celebrates Hawaiian and South Pacific Island heritage and cultures. Lewis moved to Arizona in 1994 and is a traditional Hula dancer as well as ukulele player. On the show, Lewis goes by Aunty Pi’i, a title which she says everyone can relate. “Whether we are related or not, you always respect your aunty,” Lewis said. “They can scold you, they can spank you, they can cook for you or they can love on you ‒ just like your parents.” Lewis, who works in commercial real estate, started the station when the radio industry was in a downturn. Until recently, she also worked for the Ahwatukee Foothills Chamber of Commerce, helping to recruit new members to the organization. She said the station was a way to make extra income, and used her business background to get new clients for it. “When the market was really slow in 2011, we had two choices, right?” Lewis said. “Get creative or go work at Target. Both are great options. But I decided to get creative.” Co-host Malachi Crawford said he believes the music has attracted all cultures and backgrounds. Crawford, a former football player at Arizona State University, admits that the Hawaiian/Reggae blend is fairly new to him. But he said he understands the magnitude of what the music embodies ‒ unity and a sense of community. He said the music “erodes borders” as people develop a natural fondness for the island sounds. “All people of all cultures tend to like it and gravitate towards it,” Crawford said. He added that the station gives him an outlet to teach a “self-care model” he
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said people can use to improve their daily lives. The model includes: health, love, awareness and wealth for people to gradually improve their well-being. “As people start to work in all areas -all four of them- their life becomes better,” he said. Lewis agrees. “We literally are the epitome of Aloha,” Lewis said. “It encapsulates so much. not just hello and goodbye. Aloha is truly a way of life. Aloha is an attitude. Aloha is how you treat people. It’s how we live.” Mesa resident Laura Bush met Lewis through the Black Chamber of Arizona, an organization that promotes local entrepreneurs. She said (Brent Ruffner/AFN Contributor) she took notice of the Ahwatukee real estate professional Devida Pi’ilani Lewis is developing a culture after a trip to following with her Hawaiian music programming. Hawaii in 2010. “I fell in love with Hawaiian music and she’s doing with her radio station for Hawaii’s Aloha culture--very friendly, listeners, business owners, and more.” In the future, Lewis said that music inviting, diverse, and communityand culture could come in the form of oriented,” Bush said. She said Lewis genuinely wants to help their own application via the iPhone App Store or through Google Play Store. The listeners and business owners alike. “Devida is great at networking and station is currently working on getting a making networking easy for other television component where viewers can see the show in real-time. people,” Bush said. Lewis said residents should give “She is a leader with a generous heart for connecting people and helping them the station a listen for her personal be successful. She is also a genius at connection to the audience. “It’s always just you and me having a marketing and sales. She freely gives away her advice to help other entrepreneurs, conversation,” Lewis said. “People are which is why I’m really inspired by what just eavesdropping in.”
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BUSINESS
FOSTER
AHWATUKEE FOOTHILLS NEWS | MARCH 8, 2017
“They’re 100 percent behind it,” he said. “The overwhelming majority of Asians in the Valley live in Chandler. It’s a huge Asian market.” In some ways, Foster’s college days prepared him well for his legal and new international career. A farm boy in Iowa who went to college because “I realize early on that I was not cut out for the farming business” after losing half of two fingers in an accident when he was 13, Foster majored in accounting at the University of Iowa. But just months before graduation, he had a distressing realization as he interviewed with what were then the nation’s top eight accounting firms. “When I was interviewing, I would notice there were three people sharing an office, not meeting a lot of people. It seemed really boring,” he recalled. A friend suggested he consider law school and, without any preparation, he took the law school admissions test a week later. “The only school I applied to was the University of Iowa and they told me they had already accepted their limit but they wanted me,” he added. So, Foster turned down the accounting job offers and kept his fingers crossed.
from page 35
worked with or has helped settle in the United States. But he did share the fact that he’s trying to lure a number of them to Arizona. The companies are seeking a foothold in America because it’s cheaper and more efficient than putting their goods on a ship that could take a week or two to arrive on U.S. shores. “The shipping costs are huge coming from Asia,” he said. “If they’re looking to sell to Mexico or the U.S., it makes more sense to be located in this country.” And while many Chinese and Taiwanese owners prefer the Los Angeles and other Southern California locations because large concentrations of their countrymen already live there, foreign business owners are casting an eye toward Arizona to save money. “California is so overregulated and expensive that they’re open to an alternative,” Foster said. “They’re surprised at how less expensive it is here. They’re pleasantly surprised and happy with the workforce and the cost.” Though he is working largely with Phoenix officials here, he’s also developed a working relationship with Chandler.
Just days before school was set to begin, the University of Iowa told him someone had dropped out and a place for him now existed. Foster moved to Arizona in 1988. Two of his five siblings as well as his dad now live in Ahwatukee, too. Of his three children, three attended Desert Vista High School while the fourth went to Mountain Pointe. He also has been active in the community, and was one of the leaders in the capital fundraising campaign that secured the land and built the building that the Ahwatukee Foothills Family YMCA occupies. Despite the Trump Administration’s saber-rattling against China and its determination to stop negotiations for participation in the Pacific trade agreement, his Asian clients are distressed but undeterred, he said. He noted that it’s not only the New York Stock Exchange that has climbed 10 percent since Trump was elected. “The Chinese stock market has been up 10 percent, too,” he said. “We talk about it. I’m not at level where I can help,” he said, although he does know the new ambassador to China, who happened to be a six-term governor in his home state.
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(Special to AFN)
The IRS says it doesn't call taxpayers on the phone, but contacts them through the U.S. mail.
IRS warns Ahwatukee seniors about scam callers working a con job AFN News Staff
A
hwatukee senior citizens are reporting a rash of phone calls from people claiming to represent the Internal Revenue Service, and the IRS has a warning for them: Don’t believe those callers for a second. Aggressive and threatening phone calls by criminals impersonating IRS agents remain a major threat to taxpayers, headlining the annual “Dirty Dozen” list of tax scams for the 2017 filing season, the agency recently announced. During filing season, the IRS generally sees a surge in scam phone calls that threaten police arrest, deportation, license revocation and other cons. “Don’t be fooled by surprise phone calls by criminals impersonating IRS agents with threats or promises of a big refund if you provide them with your private information,” said IRS Commissioner John Koskinen. “If you’re surprised to get a call from the IRS, it almost certainly isn’t the real IRS. We generally initially contact taxpayers by mail.” The Dirty Dozen is compiled annually by the IRS and lists a variety of common scams taxpayers may encounter any time during the year. The Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration (TIGTA) reports they have become aware of over 10,000 victims who have collectively paid over $54 million as a result of phone scams since October 2013. “Everyone can share the word about scam phone calls: just hang up and don’t engage these people,” Koskinen said. “Despite recent successes against phone scam artists, these scams constantly evolve and people need to remain vigilant.”
Scammers make unsolicited calls claiming to be IRS officials. They demand that the victim pay a bogus tax bill. They con the victim into sending cash, usually through a wire transfer or a prepaid debit card or gift card, like an iTunes card. They may also leave “urgent” callback requests through phone “robo-calls,” or via a phishing email. Many phone scams use threats to intimidate and bully a victim into paying. They may even threaten to arrest, deport or revoke the driver’s license of their victim if they don’t get the money. Scammers often alter caller ID numbers to make it look like the IRS or another agency is calling. The callers use IRS employee titles and fake badge numbers to appear legitimate. They may use the victim’s name, address and other personal information to make the call sound official. Here are some things the scammers often do but the IRS will not do: · Call to demand immediate payment using a specific payment method such as a prepaid debit card, gift card or wire transfer. Generally, the IRS will first mail a bill to any taxpayer who owes taxes. · Threaten to bring in local police or other law-enforcement groups to have the taxpayer arrested for not paying. · Demand that taxes be paid without giving the taxpayer the opportunity to question or appeal the amount owed. · Ask for credit or debit card numbers over the phone. For taxpayers who don’t owe taxes or don’t think they do, people should not give out any information, hang up immediately. They also are advised to call 800-366-4484. For those who owe taxes or think they do, people should call the IRS at 800-
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BUSINESS
40
AHWATUKEE FOOTHILLS NEWS | MARCH 8, 2017
Senate bill would take some surprise out of medical bills Monroe Shocks & Struts “Feel The Difference” Consumer Offer Ad Slick ®
S H O C KS & S T R U T S
BY HOWARD FISCHER Capitol Media Services
I
t won’t stop unexpected medical bills, but legislation approved last week by the state Senate is designed to give Arizonans a chance to fight having to pay them. Sen. Debbie Lesko, R-Peoria, said SB 1441 will help with situations where someone goes into the hospital and is tended to by an out-of-network doctor. “If it’s a scheduled procedure they have gone in to make sure that the doctor takes their insurance, they’ve checked to make sure the hospital takes their insurance and they think they’re all set,’’ she said. “A month later they get a bill from a doctor that’s out of network,’’ Lesko said. “And they had no control over it.’’ The most common situation, she said, is that a hospital has contracted with an anesthesiologist. But not being an employee of the hospital, that person submits a separate bill to the patient. Under current law, Lesko explained, the patient has nowhere to turn as the doctor wants his or her money and the insurance company says it won’t pay.
doctor, the insurance company and the patient. “In Texas, 94 percent of all the complaints are settled over the phone,’’ she said. “They settle on the amount and it’s over.’’ Lesko said the way her legislation is crafted, the patient in most situations would be responsible only for the normal co-pay and deductible. Lesko acknowledged that an argument could be made that a patient should have to pay nothing if he or she has not agreed to out-of-network treatment and suddenly gets a bill. But she said such a proposal would never get approval (Special to AFN) because of opposition from doctors. The bill does not automatically excuse For other situations, arbitration is Despite the 25-5 vote, doctors are still the patient from that balance billing. available if the health care provider did lobbying to kill the measure, at least in ® for people not tell the patient up front that it is not the form it’s in. And they convinced Instead, it sets up a procedure to ask the Department of Insurance to within the patient’s insurance network, several senators to oppose what Lesko intervene and determine what’s really a did not provide the estimated total cost wants. ® fair charge. to be billed, and did not give the patient Even if Lesko can get her bill through It would not apply in all situations. a chance to waive any rights to dispute the House, where it now goes, none of ® State intervention would be available the bill. this will help patients for the rest of this in cases where the service was provided in “If they receive a surprise medical year or even next year. The legislation A V A of I L A gives B L E the A TDepartment : an emergency situation patient offer bill they would call the Department of Insurance until The monroe®and “Feelthe The Difference” is a mail-in offer. had no way to check which doctors are Insurance,’’ Lesko explained. That agency 2019 to set up the rules and procedures Restrictions apply. Offer may not be combined with any other Tenneco within hisdiscount, or her network. would setform up aandphone offer or rebate. *Visit our website for offer details.call involving the for the review process.
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41
MARCH 8, 2017 | AHWATUKEE FOOTHILLS NEWS
Faith
@AhwatukeeFN |
@AhwatukeeFN
www.ahwatukee.com
SPIRITUAL SIDE
Help: We all need it because we can’t live life alone BY DIANE MARKINS AFN Guest Writer
“A
lone we can do so little; together we can do so much.”
Helen Keller I need help! This isn’t a desperate plea because I’ve fallen and can’t get up. This is a statement of fact in my life overall. I can’t “do” life alone and I think that’s true for all of us. Some folks tell themselves and others that they can handle things without assistance. They may even believe it, but the time will come when that lie is exposed and it won’t be pretty – especially for the self-deluded person telling it. Am I incapable or incompetent? Far from it; I earned a college degree, help run a business, manage a household, do volunteer work and maintain many precious friendships.
But I do none of those things without the help of others. I rely on my accountant and banker to provide sound financial advice. My husband makes me feel beautiful but is also my business partner. We depend on each other as well as the wonderful group of people who work hard to ensure its success. My doctor takes great care of me and listens patiently every time I hear about some new cancer scare, asking if I need to be tested. My two sisters (one is in-law), my mother-in-law and step-mom are my biggest cheerleaders. They help me believe I can keep going when I want to stop. My two daughters (one is in-law) let me know that I’m admired and will always lend a helping hand. My two dads (one is in-law) and son have mastered the art of making me feel both respected as a capable woman and
protected as their treasure. Each of many friends plays a different in part in how successfully I “do” life on a given day. Some pray for me, some pray for my kids, some bring me laughter, some have all the answers, some know all the right people and some are full of inspiring words. Some have a stash of chocolate. All add value to my life. Without those elements, how would I manage to keep living life with a commitment to excellence? How would I have enough left to encourage, advise, inspire or equip someone else? The answer is simple. I wouldn’t. God didn’t create us to be alone. He knew we’d need others to love, encourage and teach us. In Philippians 2:1-4 Paul talks about working together, sharing a common purpose. If my purpose is to encourage, help,
love and support you and your purpose is the same toward me…we both win. We both have more peace, joy and contentment. Are you the “independent” type or do you ask for help, giving back just as freely? Take stock of your life. I’ll bet anything you’ve accomplished that’s been supported by a loved one is more meaningful than those you believe you’ve done alone. Another Paul – McCartney – shared some pretty profound words when he sang with his fellow Beetles about needing HELP!....”Help me get my feet back on the ground...” What type of help seems most significant to you right now? Are you getting it? Have you asked? -Ahwatukee resident Diane Markins divides her time between family, platform speaking, radio, business and writing. Dianemarkins. com
The Bible tells us to see the humanity in the silhouette BY RABBI DEAN SHAPIRO AFN Guest Writer
I
t’s pitch black when I start, at 6:15 a.m. By the time I’m done with my morning run, the sun has started to creep up over the 101. Faint blue appears, and the world seems to come to life. Running has been an introduction to a whole new world: darkness. The streets of the city are alive in the early hours, but in a more subdued way than in daytime. There’s a particular rhythm to the morning – the workingman pulls his Ram truck out of the driveway, the train rumbles by, the jogger with the reflective tape sprints in the distance, I pass the man with his dog. The man with the dog. He’s stocky, not fat, and I didn’t even notice his little, dark-haired dog the first few times we crossed paths. I say “good morning,”
he says “hello,” and we continue on our ways. We must be neighbors, but I wouldn’t even recognize him in daylight. I don’t know his age or his race, nor whether he has an accent or facial hair. I certainly don’t know his religion, profession or struggles. I only know the outline of the man. In a strange way, that’s true for all people. Even family members and co-workers are only known to us from the outside. We’re familiar with their opinions and reactions, but cannot know how it really feels to be them. We understand ourselves intimately, but other people remain silhouettes, even after years in relationship. Perhaps that’s why novels and movies are so engaging. They open doors into other people’s interior worlds, spaces that are usually cordoned off, unavailable to us. Perhaps that’s why it’s so easy to ignore other people and write off
their experiences. Perhaps that’s why we can brutalize each other. The Hebrew Bible teaches that human beings are created in the image and likeness of God. Whether literally or metaphorically true, the phrase is understood to mean that each person possesses an inherent dignity and is entitled to respect and empathy. Each person has a rich interior life and a meaningful subjective reality. Each possesses a lived experience and a personal truth. I likely do not know what these are, but I can assume that they exist within the soul of all my fellow human beings. “Love the stranger as yourself,” the Hebrew Bible teaches repeatedly (see Leviticus 19:34 and Deuteronomy 10:19 for two examples). The Hebrew word for “stranger” is “ger” – the foreigner who resides amongst you. The Hebrew Bible is certainly making a social statement. It can also be read
psychologically: All people are foreign to me; I cannot see into their souls. Nonetheless, I can trust that they all have as rich an interior life as I do, and I am to behave accordingly. I may only see a person’s outline, but I am nonetheless to treat them with the full measure of dignity with which I treat myself. The Chassidic Jewish tradition loved stories, and tells that there’s an angel who walks in front of each and every human being. That angel holds a lamp and, quoting Genesis, proclaims in a loud voice: “Behold the image and likeness of God!” Our human task is to see the light and hear the call, and to recognize the truth behind it: No one is a silhouette. Not even a man walking his dog in the halflight of the early morning. — Rabbi Dean Shapiro is the spiritual leader of Temple Emanuel of Tempe. Contact him at rshapiro@emanueloftempe.org and visit his “Rabbi Dean Shapiro” page on Facebook.
42
FAITH
AHWATUKEE FOOTHILLS NEWS | MARCH 8, 2017
FAITH CALENDAR
SUNDAY, MARCH 12 COLONIAL PURIM
Chabad of Mesa presents a “Colonial Purim.” The celebration includes live band, buffet lunch, quill writing, candle making, megillah reading and Circus Farm entertainment. All children in costume will get a prize. There is no charge. DETAILS>> 11:30 a.m., 941 S. Maple, Mesa. Information: 480-659-7001, chabadmesa.com.
SUNDAYS
HORIZON SEEKS YOUNG PEOPLE
High school and middle school students meet to worship and do life together. DETAILS>> 5 p.m. at Horizon Presbyterian Church, 1401 E. Liberty Lane. 480-460-1480 or email joel@ horizonchurch.com.
KIDS CAN LEARN JEWISH LIFE
Children can learn and experience Jewish life. Chabad Hebrew School focuses on Jewish heritage, culture and holidays. DETAILS>> 9:30 a.m. to noon, for children ages 5-13 at Pollack Chabad Center for Jewish Life, 875 N. McClintock Drive, Chandler. 480-855-4333, info@ chabadcenter.com, or chabadcenter.com.
SUNDAY CELEBRATION SERVICE
Inspirational messages and music to lift your spirit. A welcoming community committed to living from the heart. Many classes and events offered. We welcome you! DETAILS>> 10 a.m. Sundays at Unity of Tempe, 1222 E. Baseline Road, Suite 103, Tempe. Information: 480-7921800, unityoftempe.com.
MONDAYS
CHURCH PRAYER CALL
The Lawrence Memorial A.M.E.Z. Church in Mesa has a prayer call every Monday. DETAILS>> 7 p.m., 1-712-775-7085. PIN 162106#.
JOIN CHRIST-CENTERED YOGA
This Flow 1-2 class (intermediate) is free and open to the community. DETAILS>>6-7 p.m., Mountain Park Community Church, 2408 E. Pecos Road. Greg Battle at 480-759-6200 or gbattle@moutainpark.org.
DETAILS>> 7 p.m., 1825 S. Alma School Road, Room C201, Chandler. Pastor Larry Daily, 480-963-3997, ext. 141, larrydaily@chandlercc.org or chandlercc.org.
TUESDAYS GRIEFSHARE
Mountain Park Community Church is offering an ongoing GriefShare programs to help people deal with the pain of losing a loved one. DETAILS>> 6:30-8 p.m., 2408 E. Pecos Road, Ahwatukee. To register: mountainpark.org and click on Launch. Information: Alex at 480-759-6200
FINDING HEALING FOR PAIN
HOPE, an acronym for “Help Overcome Painful Experiences,” offers support for men and women who seek God’s grace and healing. DETAILS>> 6:30 to 8 p.m. Mountain Park Community Church, 2408 E. Pecos Road. mountainpark.org.
SENIORS ENJOY ‘TERRIFIC TUESDAYS’
The program is free and includes bagels and coffee and a different speaker or theme each week. Registration not needed. DETAILS>> 10-11 a.m., Barness Family East Valley Jewish Community Center, 908 N. Alma School Road, Chandler. evjcc.org or 480-897-0588.
UNITY YOGA AT UNITY OF TEMPE
Center in Mind, Body & Spirit at our weekly Unity Yoga classes with Mary Jo “MJ” Kuzmick. Bring your own mat (2 blankets & blocks, if you have them). Suggested love offering: $8 a class. DETAILS>>10 a.m., Unity of Tempe, 1222 E. Baseline Road, Suite 103, Tempe. Information: 480-792-1800, unityoftempe.com.
WEDNESDAYS
‘JOYFUL NOIZ’ FOR KIDS
Upbeat children’s choir with music and a message that kids can get excited about. This choir usually sings monthly during our worship services and presents a Christmas Musical. For grades 3-8. DETAILS>>5:30 p.m. Mountain View Lutheran Church. 11002 S. 48th St., Ahwatukee. 480-893-2579. mvlutheran.org.
CHIMING CHERUBS
Classes for those grieving over death or divorce. DETAILS>> 6:30 p.m., Holy Trinity Lutheran Church, 739 W. Erie St., Chandler. 480-963-4127.
For younger kids, grades 2 and 3, who love music and want to learn to ring the handbells. DETAILS>>5:45 p.m. Mountain View Lutheran Church. 11002 S. 48th St., Ahwatukee. 480-893-2579. mvlutheran.org.
STRUGGLING FIND SUPPORT
CELEBRATE RECOVERY
CLASS TARGETS THE GRIEVING
Support group for those struggling with how to deal with a loss in life.
Celebrate Recovery is a Biblical 12-step program that helps you find hope and healing from all of life’s hurts,
habits and hang-ups. DETAILS>> 6:20 p.m. Mountain View Lutheran Church. 11002 S. 48th St., Ahwatukee. 480-893-2579. mvlutheran.org.
LENTEN SERVICES AVAILABLE
From March 8 through April 5, join weekly Lenten services. DETAILS>> 6:15 p.m. Mountain View Lutheran Church. 11002 S. 48th St., Ahwatukee. 480-893-2579. mvlutheran.org.
DIVORCE CARE OFFERED
DivorceCare is a friendly, caring group that will walk alongside you through A divorce or separation. DETAILS>> 6:30 p.m. Mountain View Lutheran Church. 11002 S. 48th St., Ahwatukee. 480-893-2579. mvlutheran.org.
CHOIR OPEN TO ALL
This choir sings regularly at the 9:15 a.m. worship services and is a part of the Cantata Choir that presents around Christmas and Easter. DETAILS>> 6:45 p.m. Mountain View Lutheran Church. 11002 S. 48th St., Ahwatukee. 480-893-2579. mvlutheran.org.
PROGRAM HAS MONEY FOCUS
This book study tackles the money question we all ask: how much is enough? This study will equip you to approach money management and financial planning with freedom, generosity, contentment, and confidence. Books may be purchased on amazon.com or lifeway.com. DETAILS>> 6:45 p.m. Mountain View Lutheran Church. 11002 S. 48th St., Ahwatukee. 480-893-2579. mvlutheran.org.
DISHONESTY EXPLORED
This session explores how unethical behavior works and how it affects all of us. This study will provide insights into why God commanded us to not tell lies. DETAILS>> 6:45 p.m. Mountain View Lutheran Church. 11002 S. 48th St., Ahwatukee. 480-893-2579. mvlutheran.org.
BIBLE STUDY SET
Study and examine the Scripture readings for the upcoming Sunday at a deeper level. This weekly class dissects the passages for the upcoming weekend, giving you time to study and understand the history DETAILS>> 6:45 p.m. Mountain View Lutheran Church. 11002 S. 48th St., Ahwatukee. 480-893-2579. mvlutheran.org.
HEBREW READING STUDIED
Chabad of the East Valley is offering a Hebrew Reading Crash Course to all Jewish members of the East Valley community. The class will take place over five weeks. DETAILS>> 7:30-8:30 p.m., March 8-April 12, 875 N. McClintock Drive, Chandler. Cost: $50. Information: 480-855-4333 or rabbi@chabadcenter. com.
CELEBRATE RECOVER
Celebrate Recovery says it “brings your relationship with the Lord closer to your heart as it heals your hurts, habits and hang-ups.” DETAILS>> 6:20 p.m. at Mountain View Lutheran Church, 11002 S. 48th St., Ahwatukee. mvlutheran.org/ celebraterecovery or email cr@alphamvlc.com.
Submit your releases to pmaryniak@ahwatukee.com
43
MARCH 8, 2017 | AHWATUKEE FOOTHILLS NEWS
Get Out
@AhwatukeeFN |
@AhwatukeeFN
www.ahwatukee.com
Fish frys pop up in unexpected places in region BY MIKE BUTLER AFN Staff Writer
A
hwatukee and East Valley residents love their Friday fish frys, and everyone has their favorite spot or
two. As in the Midwest and Britain itself, good-natured arguments break out over cod vs. pollock. Then, there’s the preparation. Some want that lightly breaded touch, while others insist on the crispy-crunchy experience that only batter can provide. These passions extend to a lesser extent to tartar sauce, cole slaw and French fries, or chips. But it’s all whitefish, mayonnaise, cabbage and potatoes – and it’s all good. Friday fish frys are so popular that you’d be hard-pressed to find an East Valley restaurant with an American menu that didn’t have a year-round one. The interest and action ramps up this time of year because of Lent, when practicing Catholics are obliged to abstain from eating meat on Fridays. Lent began last week and ends with Easter April 16. It is a 40-day period marked by fasting and abstinence, penance and prayer. Many faithful donate time and money to good causes. Families give up toys, sweets, alcohol, tobacco and other pleasures. But not Friday fish frys, especially for those who grew up on tasteless frozen fish sticks. For folks who take a more ecumenical approach to fish frys, and are willing to think outside the box a bit, there are a few secret places
(Jesus Valencia/Special to AFN)
Eight or nine volunteer cooks are needed to handle the crowds who come to the Friday fish fry at the Knights of Columbus hall on East Chandler Boulevard near McQueen Road. Their wives are the waitresses.
in Mesa and Chandler that you wouldn’t automatically think of as being fried-fish sanctuaries. On any given Friday afternoon, for example, the Knights of Columbus hall at 644 E. Chandler Blvd. (between Hamilton Street and McQueen Road) is one of the most well-attended fish frys in Chandler. This open-to-the-public gem runs like a well-oiled restaurant, with a full-service bar and wait staff, except that everyone’s a volunteer and all revenue above costs goes to support St. Mary’s parish and many
other good causes. Fish frys are from 5 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. It’s nearly a full-time job for the cooks and manager Ralph Mendibles, who start preparing for the fish fry on Wednesday. They make the cole slaw and potato salad and hand-bread all the fish. Mendibles is firmly in the cod camp. “I probably go through five cases of fish on Friday,” he said. “That’s about 200 pieces. We double our business during Lent.” Regular patrons appreciate that he cooks fish in one fryer, shrimp in another, and fries and chicken in a third. Although not all-you-can-eat, guests can order from one to five pieces of cod. The three-piece dinner costs $10 and includes cole slaw, dinner rolls and your choice of fries or potato salad. You can also get a side of clam chowder and order a chickenstrip or shrimp dinner. Take-out is another option. Mendibles said the fish fry operation netted Council 3121 enough money to give away about $25,000 last year to struggling families and disadvantaged youths. (Jesus Valencia/Special to AFN)
“It’s everybody working together that makes it a success,” he said. If a friend or a neighbor said he was going to take you to a great Friday fish fry, and pulled up to a Tom’s BBQ, you’d probably roll your eyes. No one’s more aware of that than Rick Pawlak, nephew of Tom Ryan and owner of the two Mesa barbecue restaurants. That’s why he often sneaks a piece of fried fish onto a new guest’s rib or brisket platter. He calls it “bait.” “Once you try it, you’re going to be hooked,” Pawlak said. “Every year gets bigger and bigger. Friday nights are packed – and it’s 75 percent fish fry.” Tom’s offers fried fish every day of the week, but Fridays are all you can eat. Pawlak lightly breads basa, a tasty cousin of the catfish, to allow its delicate flavor to shine through. The inspiration for the dish came after Tom tried a fish taco at a friend’s Mexican restaurant. The all-you-can-eat Friday fish dinner costs $11.99 (dine-in only) and includes handcut fries and cole slaw. The restaurants also throw in a few hush puppies, those deepfried balls of cornmeal goodness. Although Tom’s BBQ has the same menu at all of its locations, note that only the East Mesa store, near Falcon Field, has the full bar/full service/patio experience. South Chandler residents are accustomed to driving up to Ocotillo or downtown Chandler when they want to dine out. But they don’t have to go very far at all for the great fried fish dinner at Bear Creek Golf Complex, 500 E. Riggs Road, near Arizona Avenue. The cod here is under the crispy/battered tent, and it’s delicious. The all-you-can-eat Friday special is served from 4 to 8 p.m. and costs $11.95, which includes cole slaw and fries. For variety, you can also order fish tacos, the Bear burger, chicken alfredo, fried shrimp, a pulled pork sandwich or chicken Caesar salad. If there’s room for dessert, try the brownie a la mode or apple pie crisp. The Friday fish fry at Bear Creek is seasonal, starting in mid-January and ending April 14.
44
GET OUT
AHWATUKEE FOOTHILLS NEWS | MARCH 8, 2017
Be An Artist Studio owner branching into art lessons on the road GETOUT STAFF
A
hwatukee author and artist Sandra Marshall is taking her Be An Artist concept on the road. Marshall, who runs a newly revised Be An Artist Studio at 4025 E. Chandler Blvd., Ahwatukee, is organizing art classes that tour various locations in the Valley – with the first stop at the Phoenix Zoo. “I teach how to look at the world through the eyes of an artist,” Marshall said. “We break everything down into simple shapes. We look at these animals at the zoo, not for what they are, but as a series of triangles, squares, hearts, letters, and numbers. “It is amazing watching the lights go on once the students catch on,” she added. “I always include a professional sketch book so they could continue to work in it after the session is over. Adults and children both love doing this. Everyone works to their own level. We only have 10-12 people in one class at a time so students have lots of attention.”
“It was like a Marshall years ago dream, sitting on owned and operated the hillsides filled a business, Porta-awith poppies, Porta, that escorted and cyprus trees, would-be painters, teaching people sketchers and other to paint,” she said. artists around sites in “People who lived in the U.S. and Europe, corporate America, primarily Italy. letting go, trying She aimed to something new. teach people to What a great way look at the world to get rid of stress. through the eyes of We had dentists, an artist, combining business owners, photography, painting HR directors, retired and drawing. (Special to AFN) veterans, teachers In Italy, they would When Ahwatukee artist-author Saundra and more. It was have a home base in Marshall isn’t making food art in her kitchen such a wonderful Tuscany, and travel to or running her Be An Artist Studio, she will cities such as Rome, be escorting small groups of adults or kids to mix.” various places in the Valley for art lessons. Now that she has Florence, Sienna and reliable assistants to smaller cities. Guests would carry sketch books and capture the help run Be An Artist Studio, Marshall said she’s starting her adventures again. essence of different scenic places.
“I am finally getting out again,” she said. “I have some great help and I am still looking for more artist/teachers. We are beginning our new adventures but we are keeping it local first. One-day trips. Baby steps.” “We might not be able to go to Africa right now, but our fantastic Phoenix Zoo can take us around the animal world in a day,” she added. Called “I Draw-You Draw,” her program will have both kids and adult sessions. Prices range from $35 to $75 per person, depending on the length of time and what we are trying to accomplish that day at the zoo. Prices include a professional sketchbook. “We keep selling out before I put it on the website,” Marshall said. “The best way to join us right now is to get your own group of 10, and pick a date. We go early on a Saturday or Sunday morning. We have one scheduled for March 11.” Register: 602-369-4555. Information: BeAnArtistAZ.com.
British Invasion
‘In My Life’ takes you behind the scenes of The Beatles’ rise to fame in the 1960s CHRISTINA FUOCO-KARASINSKI GetOut Contributor
T
he story behind Beatlemania fascinates Andy Nagle. “I’ve been in music for a while and have never seen anything like the fascination and love for The Beatles,” Nagle said. “They are the most popular tribute in the world – more popular than Elvis, The Rolling Stones and Led Zeppelin.” He is one of the folks in the music business whose tribute show has flourished. He is the cowriter/producer behind “In My Life,” a musical retelling of The Beatles’ story through the eyes of manager Brian Epstein. The Long Beach, California-based show features the live music of renowned tribute band Abbey Road, featuring Chris Paul Overall (Paul), Nathaniel Bott (John),
IF YOU GO
Where: Herberger Theater Center, 222 E. Monroe St., Phoenix When: 7 p.m. Sunday, March 12 Cost: $46-$75 Info: 602-254-7399, herbergertheater.org
Zak Schaffer (George) and Axel Clarke (Ringo). Murphy Martin plays Epstein. The production includes multimedia, period costumes and vintage instruments. “I always wondered about what it’s like to witness Beatlemania from The Beatles’ perspective,” said Nagle, who wrote it with longtime friend Tom Maher. “I wanted to look inside of the whole tidal wave that went on for nine or 10 years. We researched it and I read every book from sources who were there – everybody from studio engineers to the Beatles themselves. “When we saw events described two to three times by different sources, we would go with that.” Nagle hired Martin to play Epstein and to narrate the show. He meets The Beatles at the Cavern Club at the beginning of the show, while the musicians were still donning black leather jacks and smoking on stage. “Brian went into the Cavern Club and was impressed with them,” Nagle said. “He told them he wanted to be their manager. He was only 26 years old and didn’t have experience in the business. But he understood they had a real ability to connect with the audience. “He also cleaned them up—wearing the
(Special to AFN)
Renowned tribute band Abbey Road features the live music of Chris Paul Overall (Paul), Nathaniel Bott (John), Zak Schaffer (George) and Axel Clarke (Ringo).
matching suits and adding the synchronized bows at the end of songs.” The phenomenon was “crunched” into a two-hour script, he said. “The show has 33 songs in it,” he said. “So as the story goes, people not only get to hear The Beatles’ music, people get an understanding as to why the songs came and went on that particular point of their career.” “We hired a local high school string quartet to bring in string accompaniment for some of the songs,” he said. “It’s nice musically because Beatles fans don’t get the chance to experience Beatles songs performed that require strings. ‘Eleanor Rigby’ and ‘Yesterday’ are the songs that really come alive in the theater because of
the kids. It’s a nice thing for the audience and for the kids. For a lot of the kids, this is their first hired gig. They get to see how a touring show operates from the inside.” The permanent cast members are all in their 20s and 30s, to accurately reflect the time in which “In My Life” is set. “We tried to cast people who can act and perform the music and sound like The Beatles,” he said. “We’ve learned so much about the Beatles and how they’re still loved. “My four musician/actors who play The Beatles, none of them were born when the Beatles broke up. People respect that, and they come to the meet and greet to tell us they still love the Beatles, even though they broke up 45 years ago.”
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MARCH 8, 2017 | AHWATUKEE FOOTHILLS NEWS
“The Little Mermaid” auditions scheduled
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Third year for Studio 111 musical BY COTY DOLORES MIRANDA AFN Contributor
F
or the third year, the Studio 111 Musical Theater Company in Ahwatukee is producing a summer musical and actors, dancers and singers ages 5 and up are encouraged to audition. Following 2015’s “Wizard of Oz” and last year’s “Beauty and the Beast,” this year’s production is Disney’s blockbuster “The Little Mermaid,” based on the tale by Hans Christian Andersen. “We’re bringing Broadway to Ahwatukee,” said Kimberly Lewis, owner of Dance Studio 111 and head of the Studio 111 Theater Company. With auditions on March 18, Lewis said she’s encouraging anyone ages 5-20, regardless of prior experience, to try out. “There are so many parts available, and we teach them what they need to know,” she said. “If they’re interested in being in this musical, we want them to come and to audition,” she added. “We really do our best to cast everyone.”
Last year’s “Beauty and the Beast” featured 50 actors, dancers and singers. “I hope to get a cast of 75 to 100 kids for this one,” said Lewis. She said she selected “The Little Mermaid” as her third musical production because “it’s a happy story.” “We found after ‘Beauty and the Beast’ that there’s a huge following for Disney. People love a happy story.” Rehearsals for the June 24 production held at Mountain Pointe High School Fine Arts Theatre are daily for three weeks beginning June 5. “It’s a fun way to spend those first three weeks of summer,” explained Lewis. “Last year, we had a lot of fun with potlucks, watching the ‘Beauty and the Beast’ movie while wrapped in our sleeping bags. Friendships are formed and memories are made.” As with Lewis’ popular annual production of The Nutcracker Ballet, make-up and costumes are a big part of the summer musicals’ success. Make-up is provided by a team of professionals from MaxxGlam, headed
(Kimberly Lewis/Special to AFN)
For Kimberly Lewis’ summer production last year, make-up designer Lauren Mitchell used the characters from the animated Disney film “Beauty and the Beast) as a guide for the real actors and actresses, who were, from top left clockwise: Jeremy Bassham, Cameron Kotecki, Mia Dickson, Payson Johnson, Sara Watson and Morgan Zittel.
by Lauren Mitchell; DeAnn Nevison, who hand-sews many of the costumes, is costume designer; Rachal Bautista serves as musical director and Jon Nevison is the props designer. Desert Vista English and Theatre teacher Jenefer Miller returns as director and Lewis serves as producer. Auditions, held at Studio 111 Theater Company, 4901 E. Chandler Blvd., Suite 111, are age-grouped with ages 5-9 held from 9-10 a.m.; ages 10-13 from 10-11:30 a.m. and 14 and up from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Call back for all ages is that afternoon
from 1:30-3:30 p.m. Singers and actors are asked to bring a one-minute prepared song of their choice with accompaniment on I-pod and also a one-minute monologue to show acting skills. Dancers will be taught a short dance as part of their audition. A production fee of $325 per cast member and $425 for principal lead roles is charged. “The three weeks of rehearsal is almost like a summer theater camp,” said Lewis. For more information: DanceStudio111. com.
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AHWATUKEE FOOTHILLS NEWS | MARCH 8, 2017
Baa-maste
Goat yoga takes over area farm BY MIKE BUTLER AFN Staff Writer
A
pril Gould had goats on her threeacre farm. Sarah Williams had 20 years of experience teaching yoga. Why not goat yoga? Why not, indeed. It makes at least as much sense as a hiphop musical about Alexander Hamilton, and goat yoga is a runaway, smash hit in the East Valley. This isn’t your chichi goat yoga, either, where the animals roam about as extras in the background. These goats are stars, getting in on the action, jumping up on participants’ backs and causing laughfueled commotions. An added bonus this time of year: baby goats! The seeds for the Williams-Gould goat yoga partnership were planted in high school in Mesa. Williams went on to ASU, majoring in exercise science, and pursued
her career as a trainer and teacher. Gould became a professional water skier at Sea World San Diego and skied in shows all over Europe. After getting married and settling down, Gould and her husband moved to an acreage near Lindsay and Ocotillo roads in Gilbert about 15 years ago. That was out in the country back then. They figured goats would make excellent lawn mowers and be good companions for their three kids. As the years went by, Gould realized she was as fit as she was as a teenager because of the work of tending goats. She got on the popular NBC show “American Ninja Warrior” in 2015 and 2016. She was known as the Goat Whisperer. Gould said she keeps Nigerian miniature goats because they’re gentle, friendly and trainable. With a snap of her fingers and the lure of an alfalfa pellet, she can have a goat joining a human-goat pyramid in an instant. Her initial three goats mushroomed to a herd of 40 at one point, but she maintains a more manageable 12-17 now. Over the
(Mike Butler/AFN Staff)
Goats are very good for resistance training, especially when they’re on your back.
years, she kept the best-behaved goats and the ones with the best colors and patterns. Goat yoga classes, which cost $10, are offered several times per week. There’s usually a 10 a.m. Wednesday class, a 5:30 p.m. Friday class and a 10 a.m. Saturday class. Times change slightly as the seasons change. Often, there’s a theme, such as Mardi Gras or Tropical Goat Yoga. Visit azgoatyoga.com to find out more. The classes have an appeal because
it’s a serious workout for some, an adult petting zoo for others and a fun time for all, Williams said. She also owns Desert Paddleboards, which holds fitness and yoga classes at city swimming pools. “There’s so much positive energy,” she said. Gould said she recently received a message from someone who referred a woman to goat yoga and described her as a certified sourpuss.
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DESIGN CENTER
(Peter Speyer)
Yes, the Ostrich Festival features real birds! See them race, or check out the carnival rides, live music and other family-friendly activities.
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Flightless birds take center-stage at one-of-a-kind Ostrich Festival BY MEGHANN FINN SEPULVEDA GetOut Contributer
M
ore than 100,000 people are expected to celebrate Chandler’s heritage at the 29th Chandler Chamber Ostrich Festival this weekend at Tumbleweed Park. The event features 14 attractions, including ostrich races, carnival rides, musical performances, arts and crafts and interactive exhibits, along with food and beverages, and family-friendly entertainment. Ostriches are a part of Chandler’s history, as the city was peppered with ranches. “The City of Chandler and the Chamber of Commerce got together and started the Ostrich Festival because it was a way to celebrate the heritage in the community,” said Terri Kimble, CEO of the Chandler Chamber of Commerce. “The event was originally held in downtown Chandler before it moved to Tumbleweed Park in 2004.” The big draw is the ostrich races, which this year will be joined by camel, zebra and emu races. The three-day Ostrich Festival is produced by Scottsdale’s Steve LeVine Entertainment and features performances by dozens of local and national musicians. “There will be 100 hours of musical entertainment during the entire event,” Kimble says. Performers include the Blaine Long, Spin Doctors, Gin Blossoms and Grammy-award winning Latin group Los Lobos, who will headline the festival on Sunday. Those in attendance can bounce, zip and spin on more than 40 carnival rides, geared
for children and adults of all ages, including a Ferris wheel, fun house, merry-go-round, slide tower and spinning coaster. Individual tickets and wristbands for unlimited rides can be purchased. Other attractions include the new high-dive show, produced by Milord Entertainment, where spectators can watch performers dive into a pool that is 26 feet in diameter and includes an 80-foot-tall high dive. An aerial show features extreme trampoline and high fall acrobatics. Kids can enjoy bounce houses along with special performances and story time with favorite cartoon characters like Clifford the Big Red Dog on the family stage. “New this year is a Hatchimals meet and greet and dance party,” Kimble says. “There will also be a drawing for a free Hatchimals giveaway on Saturday and Sunday.” A petting zoo along with camel and pony rides will also be available. “A STEM Wild Science tent offers handson science activities and learning displays,” Kimble says. At the Drone Zone, an interactive exhibit which lets kids of all ages fly quadcopters in a safe, enclosed environment, utilizes flight simulators for practice with the controls.
IF YOU GO
Where: Tumbleweed Park, 745 E. Germann Road, Chandler. When: 2 p.m. to midnight Friday, March 10; 10 a.m. to midnight Saturday, March 11; and 10 a.m. to 11 p.m. Sunday, March 12. Cost: Starting at $7. Discount tickets available at Fry’s. Info: ostrichfestival.com.
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AHWATUKEE FOOTHILLS NEWS | MARCH 8, 2017
Foghat drummer Roger Earl finds ‘music is a drug’ BY MARSHALL TERRILL GET OUT CONTRIBUTOR
B
ritish rocker Roger Earl admits that after all these years, he’s still under the influence of a powerful narcotic – music. “I never got wasted before a show, but mind you, I played with a few hangovers,” said the legendary drummer and cofounder of Foghat. “That’s not entirely a lot of fun, especially playing drums. “Music is enough fun on its own. Music is a drug. Once you start it and it gets in your blood, you can’t stop. I’m a fortunate individual being able to do something I can enjoy and I’m not sure if ‘precious’ is the right word but it’s something close to that.”
IF YOU GO
Where: Wild Horse Pass Hotel & Casino’s Ovations Live Showroom, 5040 Wild Horse Pass Blvd., Chandler. When: 8 p.m. Saturday, March 11. Tickets: $27-$80. Info: 800-946-4452, wingilariver.com.
The 70-year-old Earl was promoting Foghat’s Saturday, March 11, concert at Wild Horse Pass Hotel & Casino’s Ovations Live Showroom in Chandler. Formed in 1971, Foghat has earned eight gold, one platinum and one doubleplatinum records. Known best for the 1975 hit, “Slow Ride,” the song is considered by many critics as one of the 100 greatest rock tunes. “The whole song literally came from a jam and when it became an actual song, it hardly changed at all,” Earl recalled. “When we recorded it in the studio in Vermont about halfway through the song when we get to the middle break, the power went out. When we came back a week later, we played the tape and picked it up where we left off and finished the end part.” The band was no one-hit wonder and its blend of British blues and rock made Foghat a mainstay of 1970s FM. “We never tried to analyze what we did and the only message we had for our fans was to ‘boogie,’” Earl says. “We’re a rock ‘n’ roll band and our only duties are to play as best as we can and to entertain our fans.” While the band’s popularity tapered off
(Special to AFN)
At age 70, Foghat drummer and British rocker Roger Earl still loves his time on stage.
in the early 1980s with the emergence of new wave, Foghat has seen an uptick in the last decade – thanks to classic rock radio, movie soundtracks, TV commercials and “Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock,” which features “Slow Ride.” The game introduced a younger generation of fans to Foghat. “We have lots of people in their late teens, twenties and thirties coming to our shows,” Earl says. “Most of the young folks that I talk to say that either their older siblings or parents turned them onto us.”
Not one to rest on its laurels, Foghat continues to produce new music. Last year, the band released “Under the Influence,” a 12-track recording that was three years in the making. Three more Foghat-related recordings, including Earl’s other band, Earl and the Agitators, will see the light of day in 2017. “At my age, what am I going to do? Sit around and twiddle my thumbs or play drums in a rock ‘n’ roll band?” Earl says. “I think the second option sounds much more reasonable, don’t you?”
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MARCH 8, 2017 | AHWATUKEE FOOTHILLS NEWS
Garfunkel and Groucho appearing at local venues this weekend BY JUSTIN FERRIS GETOUT EDITOR
‘Bricks’ offers weekly concert
“Beyond the Bricks: Thursday Night Live” offers people a free outdoor concert by local bands in Tempe every Thursday during March. This Thursday, local singer/ songwriter Laura Walsh takes to the stage for an evening of pop country music. Bring chairs or a blanket. DETAILS>> 5:30-7:30 p.m., Thursday, March 9. Hayden Square Amphitheater, 404 S. Mill Ave., Tempe. Free. downtowntempe.com.
Highland Vintage open
The Highland Yard Vintage Market is an indoor market features antiques, interior decorations, vintage clothing and food from over 30 local designers and vendors. For March and spring, the theme is “Beyond the Garden Gate.” Show up to shop for unique garden items, plus more for your home, closet and pantry. DETAILS>> 10 a.m.-Evening, ThursdaySunday, March 9-12. Behind Merchant Square, 1509 N. Arizona Ave., Chandler. Free. 480-7921919 facebook.com/Highlandyardvintage.
Discover dinosaurs
Take a stroll through a Jurassic Parklike exhibit that brings you face-to-face with a T-Rex, Velociraptor, Stegosurus, Apatosaurus and more. In addition, kids can take dino rides, participate in a fossil dig, make fun crafts, play Mesozoic mini golf and much more. DETAILS>> Times vary, Friday-Sunday, March 10-12. Phoenix Convention Center, 100 N. 3rd St., Phoenix. Tickets: $19. 877-840-0457, discoverthedinosaurs.com
Americana show in Ahwatukee
View or even purchase historical collectibles related to politics, sports, advertising, military, the Wild West and more, and bring your own items to be appraised and even auctioned at the Americana and Pop Culture Show. DETAILS>> 11 a.m.-4 p.m., Saturday, March 11. Mountain View Lutheran Church, 11002 S. 48th St., Ahwatukee. Free. facebook.com/ groups/arizona.apic
ANSWERS TO PUZZLES AND SUDOKU from page 50
Russian orchestra performs
The world-famous St. Petersburg Philharmonic Orchestra presents a packed concert that includes Prokofiev’s “Romeo and Juliet” and “Violin Concerto No. 2” and Ravel’s “Daphnis et Chloé: Suite No. 2.” DETAILS>> 8 p.m. Saturday, March 11. Mesa Arts Center, One East Main St., Mesa. Tickets: $35-$75. 480-644-6500, mesaartscenter.com
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2017 N. Greenfield Road, Mesa. Tickets: $40 advance, $45 at the door. 480-268-2151, azcaf.org.
Art Garfunkel appears
One half of the famous Simon and Garfunkle performs his solo hits, Simon and Garfunkle favorites and a selection of other works from great songwriters. DETAILS>> 7:30 p.m., Saturday, March 11. Chandler Center for the Arts, 250 N. Arizona Ave., Chandler. Tickets: $54-$84. 480-7822680, chandlercenter.org.
Ferrante plays Groucho
Thieves Flea Market set
Looking for a “steal” on vintage, antique, hand-made or just crazy items? You never know what you’ll find. Stroll around until you see something you want and then haggled directly to try and get the best deal. DETAILS>> 9 a.m.-3 p.m., SaturdaySunday, March 11-12. Downtown Chandler, 178 E. Commonwealth Ave., Chandler. Tickets: $5 adult, free for 12 and under. thievesmarketvintageflea.com.
‘Night in the ‘40s’ coming
Travel back in time to the ’40s for a USOstyle musical show and a night of dancing to Big Band music. The festivities take place next to vintage World War II aircraft. Definitely come in costume as there will be a contest. DETAILS>> 5-11 p.m., Saturday, March 11. Arizona Commemorative Air Force Museum,
Frank Ferrante brings the quick-witted, fast-talking and oddly limber Grouch Marx back to life for a evening of the comedian’s best one-liners, songs and stories about his life. DETAILS>> 3 p.m., Sunday, March 12. Chandler Center for the Arts, 250 N. Arizona Ave., Chandler. Tickets: $26-$38. 480-7822680, chandlercenter.org.
Find Neverland
Based on the 1998 play, “The Man Who Was Peter Pan,” which was adapted into 2004’s film “Finding Neverland,” this hit Broadway musical tells the story of J. M. Barrie and his journey that ended in one of literature’s most beloved characters. DETAILS>> Times Vary, March 1419. ASU Gammage, 1200 S. Forest Ave., Tempe. Tickets: $30-$150. 480-965-3434 asugammage.com
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AHWATUKEE FOOTHILLS NEWS | MARCH 8, 2017
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MARCH 8, 2017 | AHWATUKEE FOOTHILLS NEWS
Sports
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www.ahwatukee.com
High school pitching regulations likely to affect teams’ play BY JASON P. SKODA AFN PREP SPORTS DIRECTOR
S
pencer Babson has had arm trouble in the past but that wasn’t the case recently when his right arm was wrapped and he was in the dugout watching practice. It was just the day-after routine. “It’s part of the process,” the Gilbert senior said. “You always feel it the next day.” About 24 hours earlier, he took a sphere that weighs about 5 ounces and used his right arm to violently whip it 60 feet, 6 inches, while trying to manipulate the flight pattern 74 times. It’s called pitching and has been done for over 120 years, but it is under more scrutiny at every level, much like concussions in football. Major League pitchers are throwing
harder, breaking down and having surgeries more than ever before. They’re being placed on pitch limits, in contrast with pitchers of decades past who broke 300 innings in a season and regularly approached 150 pitches per start. The amateur game, from Little League to colleges with high school and club ball in between, has changed as well – but in the opposite direction. The younger kids are often throwing more innings over the course of a calendar year than most college pitchers do in a season between travel ball, showcases and sessions with pitching coaches. It’s led to what many in the industry have called an epidemic, so much so the National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS) mandated in July 2016 that each state adopt a pitching limit. The mandate requires that pitchers be
given a certain number of days to rest between appearances. The length of the rest is based on pitch count, changing the focus from innings pitched to how many times the arm is being used. The limits have been in place in Arizona since the season started on Feb. 22. Even though most coaches have always used their own earlyseason pitch limit as pitchers build up their (Jason Skoda/AFN Staff) arm strength, this is High school baseball coaches must manage their pitching staffs the first year they are differently in the postseason as hurlers like Mountain Pointe’s Tristan See
PITCHING on page 54
Flores have to sit out certain amount of days based on pitch totals.
Desert Vista High softball develops state’s best offense BY JASON P. SKODA AFN PREP SPORTS DIRECTOR
D
esert Vista High School softball coach Felipe Becerra is having fun filling out the lineup these
days. The Desert Vista offense is averaging just about 10 runs a game – scoring 89 runs in nine games – to cement the idea that the Thunder has one of the top softball offenses in the state. “They are making me look good,” Becerra said. “Everyone is having good at-bats, and we putting a lot of pressure on (the opposition) to make the play because the next hitter coming up is just as good as the one before. It is a very deep lineup.” The Thunder proved on Friday it isn’t just about drubbing teams into submission in a 4-1 win over Xavier. With the game still scoreless in the fourth, Becerra called for a squeeze play – Kiara Kennedy was the hitter to score MacKenzie Moore – to plate the first run. Then, Desert Vista put it away with a three-run sixth to win their
Desert Vista was anointed the No. 1 team in the state last year from the very start, and the Thunder played up to that expectation. But it wore on them. It made the dugout a little tenser that it needed to be and each game came became a mental grind as players thought how everyone was trying (AFN file photo) to knock them Desert Vista High’s Jillian Navarro, center, has hit four home runs in nine off the top. They games after hitting 10 all last year. earned the No. 1 seed, but they were seventh game in nine games. “Our offense can get beat you in so eliminated one game from the title many ways throughout the lineup,” match. This year, Desert Vista is considered senior shortstop Moore said. “We are putting together good at-bat after good a favorite again. But it’s not like last year, when Division I pitchers Brooke at-bat and scoring a lot of runs.” There is a different feel around this Hughes and Mara Kemmer took the hill year’s squad but the expectations remain and the pitching was unknown. It has allowed the Thunder to play the same.
with ease and turn up the fun meter in the dugout. “It’s a really talented team and I feel really good about where we are at,” Becerra said. “Compare to last year when we were under so much pressure the start. We were No. 1 the whole season and two great pitchers in the circle. There’s a little more breathing room. “And the kids are really responding and having fun. There’s a lot more energy in the dugout because they were nervous and didn’t want to make mistakes because they had to win. Now they are having fun and just doing the things we know we can do.” It starts with the offense, which has a .379 team average, but the pitchers have done their part as well. Senior Kendall Schwartz and sophomore Jackie Traughber take the circle most of the time as they have 2.23 and 3.73 ERAs, respectively, in 45 2/3 innings of the 56 innings to start the year. “They are coming along, and getting See
DV SOFTBALL on page 54
SPORTS
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AHWATUKEE FOOTHILLS NEWS | MARCH 8, 2017
Pioneer women’s softball players relive title era BY SHELBY HYDE Cronkite News
T
hey played at a city park. They slept in gymnasiums. Sometimes they ate only bologna sandwiches. And they had to wear basketball uniforms to play their softball games. It might not sound like a formula for winning national championships, but it worked for Arizona State’s softball program when the Sun Devils won backto-back titles in 1972-73. Members of some of those early teams and other players who are in the Arizona Softball Hall of Fame met recently with current ASU players to help them better appreciate the groundwork that was laid for them in the years before Title IX. Title IX legislation passed in the summer of 1972 and prohibits discrimination based on gender in federally funded programs. The legislation never mentioned sports, but Title IX turned out to be revolutionary for women’s sports in high schools and colleges. Joanna Burton, who coached softball for 37 years and is a member of the Arizona Softball Foundation’s board of directors, said former players and coaches have talked for years about meeting with current players. They want to ensure that today’s players understand what those who preceded them went through to grow the sport. “These women have all played before Title IX,” Burton said of the former softball players. “So none of these women had the things that these girls have, but they blazed the path for these ladies.” ASU senior catcher Sashel Palacios appreciated the input. She said she came to ASU, in part, because of the program’s tradition of excellence. “It’s always really special to have former
players because they helped pave the way for this program,” Palacios said. “It’s really awesome to hear about their stories when they were playing here and how much the game and everything has developed. It’s a really humbling experience.” ASU coach Trisha Ford said the Valley was a “hotbed of softball” when the legends who met with her team were playing. When the Sun Devils think they’re going through a tough time, she
players slept on the floor of a gym and ate bologna sandwiches. Lee Ann Easley, who played for those teams, marveled at how far the sport has come at ASU. The Sun Devils now have their own facility, the Alberta B. Farrington Softball Stadium on ASU’s Tempe campus. During her playing days, Easley said the team didn’t have a field, so they played at a city park. The uniforms weren’t exactly
(Tyler Drake/Cronkite News)
Billie Harris, left, Dottie Wilkinson, center, and ASU pitcher Breanna Macha look at old photos during the ASU softball team’s lunch with former softball players. Harris is the first African-American woman inducted into the Amateur Softball Association of America Hall of Fame, while Wilkinson is not only a member of the National Softball Hall of Fame, but also the Women’s International Bowling Congress Hall of Fame.
said, they can benefit from the stories. “There are days where we think we have it rough,” Ford said. “Hearing their stories and how much the love of the game is still inside of them . . . these are 80-year-old women and when they talk about softball, their whole bodies light up. So it was really neat for our players to be around.” Several women from ASU’s 1972 and 1973 championship teams were in attendance. Burton said that when those teams went to the nationals, the
state of the art, either. “When we played, we used basketball uniforms and put a shirt underneath them,” Easley said. “We didn’t have individual uniforms.” Burton said those early softball squads were essentially club teams because there were no scholarships for collegiate women in sports. “They are far better players than we were, and I think that’s because softball has come a long way (with) better coaching, better facilities, better camps
that they can go to,” Burton said, “I’ll bet you most of these girls started playing at age 8 and 9 years to be this good.” The game has evolved, too. Burton described a rough-and-tumble style in her days on the diamond, when players could slide and block bases. More than anything, the former players emphasized that bonds formed with their teammates when they played the game endure today. They told today’s players to cherish those friendships most of all. “I would just like for them to enjoy their friends, enjoy your teammates because they’ll be with you forever,” said 95-year-old Dottie Wilkinson, a member of the National Softball Hall of Fame. “You don’t think they are now, but they are.” Billie Harris, a former pitcher who was inducted into the Arizona Softball Hall of Fame, still calls Wilkinson every morning at 8:30 just to check in on her. That story left an impression on ASU’s junior pitcher Breanna Macha. “She (Wilkinson) said she made those lifelong friendships, and that made me tear up,” Macha said. “It really hit home with me.” Palacios said players should hold onto the friendships they make during their playing days because they will last forever. “It’s really refreshing to see how close they still are,” she said. “It’s my last season so it’s kind of bittersweet, but I think they really helped pave the way for this sport, and just to not let these opportunities go.” Macha believes there is at least one way that today’s players can honor the pioneers of the game. “Just go out there and play hard because that’s what they always did,” Macha said. “That’s the legacy that they tried to pass down to us.”
Karate Klips
Sidekicks use different parts of the feet for different moves BY RICK SAVAGIAN AFN Guest Writer
S
idekicks concentrate the power of the striking area on the outside edge of the foot. The toes are, again curled upward and the ankle is turned inward so that the outside edge of the foot is the
leading edge. The foot position is used on softer targets such as the stomach or neck. This is particularly effective when used in a kick to the knee as a mean of Self-defense. Since the foot presents a larger striking area, the margin of error in missing the target is less. In executing most kicks the toes, must
be bent backward or hyperextended so that the actual striking surface is the ball of the foot. This type of striking surface is usually aimed at a “hard” target such as n opponents head, a board, etc. The force of the entire leg from hip to toe is centered in the small area of the ball of the foot producing a tremendous
driving thrust into the target. The theatrics of breaking boards use this type of foot position. This is also used as the most versatile and elementary kick used by students of the martial arts. Rick Savagian owns Mountainside Martial Arts Center in Ahwatukee. 480-759-4540 or mmacaz.net.
MARCH 8, 2017 | AHWATUKEE FOOTHILLS NEWS
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SPORTS
PITCHING
AHWATUKEE FOOTHILLS NEWS | MARCH 8, 2017
from page 5 1
mandated to do so. “Any coach worth his salt should be doing this already,” Desert Vista coach Stan Luketich said. “The other thing is if it is such a good rule about what we learning about kids medically, the parents should be crying out that we should have this in club ball. “Kids are throwing 12 months a year now. The guys on TV put the glove and ball down, but people are so caught up in club ball or travel ball that they are throwing way too much,” Luketich added. Researchers from the Rush University Medical Center, according to a 2015 CBS News story, analyzed a large database of patients who used private insurance for arm-related injuries between 2007 and 2011, a total of 790 patients. Teens 15 to 19 years old accounted for almost 57 percent, the majority of these surgeries. The surgery rate for that age group has been increasing by about 9 percent per year, they found. The NFHS decided it could no longer ignore the damning statistics and implemented the mandate. Freshman pitchers are treated
differently, with a maximum of 95 pitches in any one game and fewer pitches required for days off. Sophomores also are limited to 95 pitches, but match up with juniors and seniors when it comes to days off in between appearances based on pitches thrown. The older pitchers are allowed a maximum 105 pitches and need to take four days off between appearances when they throw more than 75 pitches. “It’s going to save younger arms,” Desert Vista senior starter Cameron Ward said. “It’s going to effect how coaches use their players. I see it, in the big picture, as a good thing. They are looking out for pitchers.” The new mandate will come into play significantly as teams try to get into the postseason or stay alive in it. That’s when coaches will be forced to treat their pitching staffs differently. The days of an ace pitching a team to a state title are over. One of the more scrutinized pitching count situations in Arizona came in 2009, when Hamilton’s Cory Bernard threw about 160 pitches in 11 innings over two games on the same day. Cactus’ Andrew Walter threw 120 in seven innings. Both players helped their teams
UPGRADE
TO A
advance to state championship games. It would never happen today, as both would be pulled after 105 pitches, and another pitcher would be called on to get those high-pressure outs of the late innings. “You have to develop more pitchers at all levels,” Mountain Pointe coach Matt Denny said. “We’ve always been cautious with arms, and the more you have the better. It’s going to be interesting to see how this first season goes. “We’ve never really had a pitcher throw an (excessive) amount of pitches. Every coach does what he thinks is best to get through a game, and they know which kids have bodies that can bounce back faster and which ones take a little longer. Now it is being decided for you, but really if they throw that many pitches they are doing to be out anyway,” Denny added. The hope is it will reduce injury and save arms from having to be surgically repaired. “Something has to be done, and this is a start,” Luketich said. “The key is getting the message to everyone that there is a problem here. A lot of it happens outside of our season. The stats are showing have shown there is a terrible problem and people are starting to do something about it.”
DV SOFTBALL
the outs we need,” Becerra said. “Kendall is the year, and she’s been waiting her turn. Jackie has the big arm and we are excited about what she can become over the next few years.” But make no mistake: how far Desert Vista goes this season will largely depend on the offense continuing to come up with big hits. Moore, who has been one of the great defensive shortstops but is a light hitter, is leading the way with a .500 average, second on the team in runs and tied for third in RBIs. Kaylee Dietrich is hitting .469 with four home runs and 12 RBI, while Jillian Navarro is hitting .394 with four home runs and 21 RBIs. Kennedy (.400, 12 RBIs), Tajiah Ellison (.333, 16 runs) and Rion Simms (.321) all have at least 30 at-bats and will likely remain the core of the offense. “We definitely knew we had the power to be one of the best,” said Navarro, who hit 10 home runs last year. “We’re off to a good start, but we can be better. The start to the years pumped us up and it showed us that we can be really good, even better than last year.”
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Ahwatukee beat Mountain Park 57-54 in the Young Mens Basketball League, a churchbased organization with five teams from Ahwatukee and three from Tempe. Winners are: front,Devon Hawea holds the game as Alex Wakefield crouches behind him; Also pictured are Trevor Andrew, Trey Treloar, Ryan Hickman, Alec Mendleski, Nick Menleski, Rowan Tredway, Preston Carter, Jackson Wakefield and Coach Russell Smith. Back Row-Mason Harbertson, Caleb Harbertson, Jared Kirkpatrick.
Grab-and-go health food market debuting in Ahwatukee gym AFN NEWS SERVICE
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Las Vegas company that boasts its meals offer “nutritional convenience” has partnered with a fitness club chain that has a presence in Ahwatukee. Health Binge, which says it offers “fresh, portion-controlled, healthy gourmet meals at the ease of a fast-food establishment,” has partnered with EOS Fitness, which has a gym at 5031 East Elliot Road, Ahwatukee, as well as eight other Valley communities. Founded by former NFL player Gerome Sapp, Health Binge expects to launch the foodservice markets inside EOS Fitness this month, and plans to grow with the company as it expands with new club locations in multiple markets throughout the Southwest, a spokesperson said. “We are extremely excited about this new partnership with Health Binge,” said Rich Drengberg, CEO of EOS Fitness. “Health Binge’s unique brand
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Employment General Degan Construction LLC 1402 N 24th Ave, Phoenix, AZ 85009 seeks 20 “temporary fulltime” Construction laborer to work&reside in PHX Metroplex area. Perform manual/phys duties,use powr tools, clean wk area. Bend, lift&hold up 50Lb, 3mo exp in Res constr, work in ext weather, on-the-job train avail, no edu reqd, travel in Metropolitan area M-F 7am-3pm @$ 15.07/hr OT if needed @$ 22.61 from 4/111/15/17. US&H2B workers offered same wages& working conditions to include paid posthired drug test Sgle wrkwk computes wages Weekly pmt. H-2B Wrkr to be paid U.S. Consulate, border, lodging fees on 1st workwk on a company check “Transportation (including meals & to the extent necessary lodging) to place of employment or its cost to workers reimbursed, if the worker completes half the employment period. Return transportation provided if the worker completes employment period or is dismissed early by employer” “Tools provided at no charge to worker”. Apply in person at nearest SWA, call 520-866-3608 fax res 520-836-5876 Attn: Desirae Diaz or fax emplr 602-795-8476 Attn Denver Whetten RE JP 2517649
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Call Andy
602-332-6694
Christian Business Networking, Chandler BiMonthly Chapter 7:30 a.m. second and fourth Tuesdays of the month Offers members the opportunity to share ideas, contacts and business referrals. Chandler Christian Church, Room B202 1825 S. Alma School Rd., Chandler Info: Maia, 480-4250624, christianbusinessnetworking.com
CLASS@TIMESPUBLICATIONS.COM
Total Design/Build Kitchens | Baths Replacement Windows Additions | Patios Total Interior Remodels
Gift Certificates Available
FREE
ESTIMATES!
25 +YEARS
IN BUSINESS
Residential/Commercial National Assoc. of the Remodeling Industry Member Lic | Bonded | Insured | References ROC# 113643, 113642
(480)497-5222
ChampionBuiltContracting.com
Landscape Maintenance
In-Ahwatukee Toastmasters Club meets from 6:45-8am every Tuesday at Dignity Health Urgent Care Ahwatukee - Community Room (1st floor), 4545 E. Chandler Blvd., Phoenix, AZ 85048. Guests welcome anytime! http://4873.toast mastersclubs.org/
Where Quality Comes First!
AND so much more!
Ahwatukee Resident
Dining For Women (DFW) diningforwomen.org inspires, educates and engages people to invest in programs that make a meaningful difference for women and girls living in extreme poverty. DFW helps women find dignity and strength, develop skills and opportunities, value and support their children's education. We have a local chapter in Ahwatukee which meets the 3rd Thursday every month from 6:30 p.m.-8:30p.m. If you'd like to know more on how you can transform lives and reduce poverty contact Mary Hake at marysullivanhake @gmail.com
Meetings/Events
480.898.6465
CLASSIFIEDS
MARCH 8, 2017 | AHWATUKEE FOOTHILLS NEWS
Landscape Maintenance LEE'S SPRINKLER REPAIR 30 years experience Timers - Valves Heads Leaks FREE ESTIMATES Ahwatukee Resident Call 480-282-7222 Not a licensed contractor
Classifieds 480-898-6465
Juan Hernandez
SPRINKLER
Drip/Install/Repair Not a licensed contrator
24 years exp. Call Now (480) 720-3840
Foothills Touch Landscapes LLC Lawn care/Maint. Starting as Low as $25. Install/Design Not a licensed contractor
Juan Hernandez
AFFORDABLE Landscape Maintenance
Ahw. Res. 30 yrs Exp Free Estimates. Call Pat (480) 343-0562
24 Years exp (480) 720-3840
PROMOTE SPRING LAWN GREEN-UP
480-940-8196 Theplugman.com
LAWN AERATING • LAWN SOIL TESTING FERTILIZER PROGRAMS • LAWN SERVICE ROC 282663 • BONDED • INSURED YOUR LAWN EXPERT SINCE 1995
Complete Lawn Service & Weed Control
$60/Month! • One Month Free Service • Licensed, Bonded Insured for your protection. • Call or Text for a Free Quote
kjelandscape.com • ROC#281191
480-586-8445
• Tree Trimming & Removal • Gravel Spread • General Yard Work • Weed Removal • Sprinkler Drip & Timer Repair • Insured • Free Estimates • All Work Guaranteed
Not a licensed contractor
CLEAN-UP & TREE SERVICE
A-Z Tauveli Prof LANDSCAPING LLC
We will give you totally new landscaping or revamp your current landscaping! Tree/Palm Tree Trimming • Sprinkler Systems Desertscape • Gardening • Concrete Work Block Wall • Real & Imitation • Flagstone
FREE ESTIMATES
602-471-3490 or 480-962-5149 ROC#276019 • LICENSED BONDED INSURED
Specials Lawn Mowing Starts At $20 Full Service Starts At $70
Drip Systems Installed, Valves/Timer Repairs
15 + Yrs Exp! All English Speaking Crew
I ONLY use commercial parts that will last a long time. TWO year warranty (instead of normal 1 year) I will check your system, drips, valves, etc. and advise you how to keep your plants healthy and system working all winter.
SONORAN LAWN
480-745-5230 We Only Service Ahwatukee, So We Are Always Close By To Meet Unexpected Needs
WINTERIZE YOUR DRIP SYSTEM! Take steps now to prevent winter damage!
FREE ESTIMATES! CALL 24 HOURS 20 Yrs Exp. I Do All My Own Work! Call Mark
480.295.2279 Not a licensed contractor.
ROC 304267 • Licenced & Bonded
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.irsaz.com
ROC# 256752
• Pavers and Travertine • Retaining Walls • Synthetic Turf and SOD • Plants and Trees • Ramadas and Patio Covers
• BBQs and Fire Pits • Lighting (low voltage) • Irrgation Systems and Repairs • One-Time Clean-up • Maintenance
480-539-2597 cyclandscaping.com ROC: CR21-232290
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60
CLASSIFIEDS
AHWATUKEE FOOTHILLS NEWS | MARCH 8, 2017
Painting
Painting
HAVE A SERVICE BUSINESS?
PROFESSIONAL PAINTING Interior, Exterior House Painting. Stucco Patching. Gate/Front Door Refinishing. Quality work/Materials Free Estimate Ignacio 480-961-5093 602-571-9015 ROC #189850 Bond/Ins'd
4 WEEKS STARTING AT $120
480.898.6465
Painting
Painting
HOME IMPROVEMENT Interior/Exterior Painting 30 YEARS EXPERIENCE
CLASS@TIMESPUBLICATIONS.COM
Your Ad can go ONLINE ANY Day! Call to place your ad online!! Classifieds 480-898-6465
Dunn Edwards Quality Paint Small Stucco/Drywall Repairs
We Are State Licensed and Reliable!
Free Estimates • Senior Discounts
Locksmith
480-338-4011
???
People are looking in the Classifieds Everyday! Email Your Job Post to: class@times publications.com
or Call 480
ROC#243600
898-6465
Painting
The Valley’s Premier Painters Proudly Serving Ahwatukee for a Decade. Family Owned & Operated -Interior & Exterior Painting -Stucco/Drywall Repairs & Texture Matching -Minor Carpentry
RPL Decorators
ACP is 100%Veteran Owned & Supports Our Vets with 10% off for all Military Personnel
Plumbing & Rooter Service
Mobile 602-369-5017 Bob480-917-3617 ROC #115384/Bonded
-4 Year Warranty! -Competitive Pricing
Plumbing
• Painting • Wallpapering & Removal • Color Consultations • Finish Painting • Handyman Services 4th Generation Painter 30 Years Skilled Experience Always Neat & Dependable Expert Workmanship Guaranteed References Available
$64* Drain Cleaning
East Valley PAINTERS
*Some conditions apply. Call for details.
$39 Off* Any Service *Call for Details. For a Limited Time.
See What We’re Up To!
www.AcpPaintingllc.com Licensed - Bonded - Insured ROC 290242
FREE ESTIMATES • CALL TODAY!
(480)785-6323
Your Ad can go ONLINE ANY Day! Call to place your ad online!! Classifieds 480-898-6465
Voted #1 Paint Interior & Exterior • Drywall Repair Light Carpentry • Power Washing • Textures Matched Popcorn Removal • Pool Deck Coatings Garage Floor Coatings • Color Consulting
10% OFF
We Beat Competitors Prices & Quality Free Estimates• 3 Year Warranty
480-688-4770
www.eastvalleypainters.com Family Owned & Operated Bonded/Insured • ROC#153131
Now Accepting all majior credit cards
100% Guarantee on Our Work
From Water Heaters to Toilets, Slab Leaks to Clogs!
24/7 Emergency Service FAST 60 Minute Service Available
Estimates Available
480.405.3020 Bonded | Insured | Lic’d ROC 257806
Your newspaper. Your community. Your planet. Please recycle me.
CLASSIFIEDS
MARCH 8, 2017 | AHWATUKEE FOOTHILLS NEWS
Plumbing
Pool Service / Repair
Plumbing
61
Pool Service / Repair
$25 OFF
Filter Cleaning! Monthly Service & Repairs Available
602-546-POOL 7 6 6 5
www.barefootpoolman.com See our Before’s and After’s on Facebook Licensed, Bonded & Insured ROC# 272001
POOL
SYOUR S E RV I C ECLASSIFIED SOURCE
MORE CLASSIFIED ADS ONLINE! www.Ahwatukee.com
BUY AC UNITS WHOLESALE SAVE THOUSANDS!! Summer AC Tune Up - $59
See MORE Ads Online!
P O O L R E PA I R
Pebble cracking, Plaster peeling, Rebar showing, Pool Light out?
I CAN HELP!
CLASS@TIMESPUBLICATIONS.COM
23 Years Experience • Dependable & Reliable
Plumbing
480-720-3840
Call Juan at
Not a licensed contractor.
$35.00 Off Any Service Call Today!
A+ RATED
We Repair or Install
AHWATUKEE’S #1 PLUMBER Licensed • Bonded • Insured
704.5422
(480)
Plumbing
Ahw Resident • Owner Operated Maintenance & Repair Professional and Superior Service We maintain, repair and service all types of pools, equipment, filters, cleaning systems, fresh water and salt water systems
Call me, Howard:
480.231.9651
www.Ahwatukee.com
Water Features • Sprinkler Repair
PLUMBING
ROC # 272721
1174
480.898.6465
JuanPavers Hernandez • Concrete
AZPoolExpert.com BBB Member Not a licensed contractor.
ADD COLOR TO YOUR AD! Ask Us. Call Classifieds Today! 480.898.6465 CLASS@TIMESPUBLICATIONS.COM
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CLASSIFIEDS
AHWATUKEE FOOTHILLS NEWS | MARCH 8, 2017
Roofing
Meetings/Events
Roofing
TOPS (Take Off Pounds Sensibly) is a weight loss organization that is over 60 years old. We meet at Ahwatukee Rec Center on Cheyenne between S. 48th St. and S. 51st St. on Wed. eve's from 67:30 p.m. For more information: Terri at 480-893-6742.
Roofing
Window Cleaning
ROOFING CONTRACTOR with 32 years exp Specializing in all types repairs, re-roofs, coating & walking decks. Quality service & response our first priority. All work guaranteed. ROC# 100401-L42 ROC# 132572-C42
John's Window Cleaning 1-story $125 / 2-story $145 -inside and out up to 30 panes (add'l panes $2) Screens cleaned $2.50 per pane. Power Washing and Re-Screening available Same day Service (480) 201-6471
Call Carl 480-895-3425 or 602-432-9183
Roofing
AHWATUKEE FOOTHILLS SENIOR ASSOCIATION (AFSA) Attention: Seniors 55+ --- become a member of AFSA. Mark your calendars for the first Thursdayof every month and enjoy meeting new friends, have a delicious lunch, and be entertained. This all takes place at the Sheraton Four Points Hotel located at 51st St. and Elliot Rd. in Phoenix. Doors open at 11am and lunch is at Noon. Cost is $15. For further information and details, please call Sue McCann at (480) 469-9388.
Tiles, shingles, flat, repairs & new work Free Estimates • Ahwatukee Resident Over 30 yrs. Experience
Licensed/Bonded/Insured • ROC #236099
Quality Leak Repairs & Re-Roofs
Tree Services
Honest Free Estimates References DENNIS PORTER
GAMBLERS ANONYMOUS & GAMANON for meeting information 602-266-97846
480-460-7602 or 602-710-2263
ARE YOUR HOME AND FAMILY PROTECTED? Tile Roof Specialist
Phoenix’s Premier Tile and Foam Roofer. Spencer 4 HIRE ROOFING
10% OFF Valley Wide Service
With This Ad
New Roofs | Re-Roofs | Repairs | Tile | Foam | Shingles | Patios
Free Estimates • Credit Cards OK Check out some of our jobs and reviews!
480-706-1453
Family Owned/ Operated
480-446-7663 (ROOF)
www.spencer4hireroofing.com ROC #244850 | INSURED | BONDED
RANDY HALFHILL
602-910-1485
U.S. ARBOR Tree Service
• Tree Trimming • Tree Removal • Stump Grind • Queen Palm & Citrus Treatment • Deep Root Fertilization
www.usarbor.com FREE ESTIMATES
480.812.0731
Lic#ROC 152111 Bonded
Lic #990148 • Insured
Windows
MARCH 8, 2017 | AHWATUKEE FOOTHILLS NEWS
CLASSIFIEDS
63
64
CLASSIFIEDS
SALE
AHWATUKEE FOOTHILLS NEWS | MARCH 8, 2017
1 2 12
Where Else Can You Get THE LOWEST PRICES, BEST SELECTION, AND SERVICE AFTER THE SALE $10,000 Kitchen MON Plus 65" 4K TV
WIN
FANTASTIC CLEARANCE PRIzES
S
Months* Spencers Warehouse is bursting at the seams!! We need to make room for Merchandise. Trucks are Pair arriving laundry l *
($2999 Value)
($2999 and we need existing inventory GONE. You owe it to yourself to get here today ... because whenValue) it’s gone ...
55"
OVER THE RANGE MICROWAVE
55"
4K UlTRA HD TV
• 1.7 Cu. Ft. • 1000 Watts • 220 CFM Vent System
• Built-in Wi-Fi • TruMotion 120Hz • 3 HDMI Inputs
• Built-in Wi-Fi • TruMotion 120Hz • 3 HDMI Inputs
WASHER
499
$
DISHWASHER
DRYER
30” RANGE • • • •
• 7.0 Cu. Ft. Capacity • 3.5 Cu. Ft. Capacity • Deep Water Wash Cycle • AutoDry™ Drying System • HE Agitator with • Wrinkle Shield™ Fabric Softener Cap WTW4810EW CLOSEOUT Option
$ 379 EACH $
WED4810EW CLOSEOUT
379
DISHWASHER
WFE320M0AS
• • • •
Spill Proof Glass Shelves Adjustable Gallon Door Bins Humidity Controlled Drawer Accu-Chill Temperature System
WDT720PADM
ALL 4
$
WRS325FDAM
229 $
HDA1100FWH
• 5 Wash Cycles • 1-Hour Wash Cycle • Triple Filtration System
CLOSEOUT
14.6 CU. FT. REFRIGERATOR
• Adjustable Shelves • Gallon Door Storage • Two Adjustable Humidity Drawers
$399 1999 ALL 3 $ $ 1989
25.4 CU FT REFRIGERATOR
• 3.7 Cu Ft • Normal Wash Cycle • Heated Dry On/Off • Standard Upper Rack
$
4.8 Cu. Ft. 4 Radiant Elements Custom Broil Storage Drawer
corporation
299 299
$ $
55UH6030
WASHER
part of the
• 3.4 Cu Ft Tub • 700 RPM • 9 Wash Cycles Spin Speed • Porcelain Tub NTW4650YQ
WMH31017AS
4K ULTRA 55UH6030 HD TV
Me as Cash** one.
216
FOR MICROWAVE
• 1.6 Cu. Ft. Oven Capacity • 1000 Watts • Soften and Melt • 300 CFM
GTS15CTHRWW CLOSEOUT
399
STAINlESS STEEl 26 CU. FT. SIDE BY SIDE
• 3 Spill Safe Shelves • PureSource 3® Water Filtration • Black, White or Stainless FFSS2614QS
179 989 $ $ $
LMV1683ST
$
179 989 FFSS2614QS
The Spencers TV & Appliance credit card is issued by Wells Fargo Financial National Bank. Special terms apply to qualifying purchases of $499.00 or more charged with approved credit. The special terms APR will continue to apply until all qualifying purchases are paid in full. The monthly payment for this purchase will be the amount that will pay for the purchase in full in equal payments during the promotional (special terms) period. The APR for Purchases will apply to certain fees such as a late payment fee or if you use the card for other transactions. For new accounts, the APR for Purchases is 28.99%. If you are charged interest in any billing cycle, the minimum interest charge will be $1.00. This information is accurate as of 01/06/2016 and is subject to change. For current information, call us at 1-800-431-5921. Offer expires 3/31/2017. The Spencers TV & Appliance credit card is issued by Wells Fargo Financial National Bank. Special terms apply to qualifying purchases of $499.00 or more charged with approved credit. The special terms APR will MESA to SHOWROOM & CLEARANCE First Ave. | 480-833-3072 continue apply until all qualifying purchasesCENTER are paid in115 full.W. 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) AHWATUKEE 4601 E. Ray Rd. | Phoenix | 480-777-7103 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 ARROWHEAd RANCH 7346 W. Bell Road | 623-487-7700 any billing cycle, the minimum interest charge will be $1.00. This information is accurate as of 01/06/2016 and is subject to change. For current information, call us at 1-800-431-5921. Offer expires 3/14/2017. EAST MESA/GILBERT Gateway Towne Center |4630 E. Ray Rd. | South End by Target | 480-988-1917 GILBERT Santan Village | 2711 S. Santan Village Pkwy | 480-366-3900 GLENdALE 10220 N. 43rd Ave | (602) 504-2122 GOOdyEAR 13800 W. McDowell Rd. | 623-930-0770 SCOTTSdALE 14202 N. Scottsdale Rd. | 480-991-7200 SCOTTSdALE/PHOENIX 13820 N. Tatum Blvd. | (602) 494-0100
WWW.SPENCERSTV.COM See Website for Additional Store Locations
Arizona’s largest independent dealer!
“It’s Like Having A Friend In The Business”
Come Visit Our New Mesa Clearance Center – 115 W. First Ave.
OPEN dAILy 9AM-9PM | SATURdAy 9AM-6PM | SUNdAy 11AM-5PM
E IN HOUS S R E C N E SP T PLANS PAyMEN BLE AVAILA