Santan Sun News - 05.23.2021 by Times Media Group

May 23, 2021 | www.santansun.com

Relentlessly local coverage of Southern Chandler

An edition of the East Valley Tribune

Chandler gradually returning to normalcy Chandler Uniﬁed easing Nearly half of eligible residents fully vaccinated campus COVID-19 rules BY PAUL MARYNIAK Executive Editor

Nearly half of Chandler residents 15 and older have been fully vaccinated with one of the three COVID-19 vaccines. Data released last week by the Maricopa County Department of Public Health show that 47.1 percent of the city’s population has been fully vaccinated while 56.7 percent has received one dose of the Moderna or Pfizer vaccines, which require two shots for full protection, or the Johnson & Johnson vaccine. Those rates and the ebbing number of COVID-19 cases prompted Chandler Mayor Kevin Hartke on May 14 to rescind his Proclamation Declaring the Existence of a Local Emergency that he issued 14 months ago.

Tomorrow, May 24, the Chandler Senior Center will reopen and resume programming, with social distancing and sanitation measures in place. “I would like to thank our residents and businesses for working with us through the unparalleled challenges of COVID-19, and for coming together to support one another through these times.,” Hartke said. “The community and our economy are stronger than we have ever been, and the City is working hard to keep that momentum,” he added, urging residents to follow federal health guidelines and respect individual businesses’ virus-mitigation rules. According to the county, south Chandler ZIP codes show the highest rates of full vaccination with 85249 See

VACCINE on page 18

BY KEVIN REAGAN Staff Writer

New mitigation measures released by the Chandler Unified School District show students won’t have to wear masks in the next school year and will be allowed to stand closer to each other. After more than a year of social distancing and mask mandates, CUSD officials are planning to ease some of their pandemic-related restrictions and begin the process of returning to a sense of normalcy. The district’s mitigation plan for next year includes more than 20 changes to Chandler’s current policies and include reduced restrictions on after-school activities and off-campus field trips. “We are optimistic and it is reflected in this plan for 2021-2022,” said Super-

intendent Camille Casteel, who will be retiring this summer. Perhaps the biggest deviation in the district’s new plan is the removal of a mandate that had been requiring all 44,000 of Chandler’s students to wear face masks on campus. The district says it will support every student’s wish to continue wearing masks and will be encouraging administrators to prevent any mask-related bullying observed between students. The mitigation measures are still subject to change as Arizona’s vaccination rates continue to change and new recommendations come down from state and federal agencies. “There still is no playbook on how to manage a pandemic,” the superintendent added. “We’ve been operating See

VACCINE SIDE on page 18

Chandler students try saving peers from suicide BY KEVIN REAGAN Staff Writer

In the aftermath of two Chandler teenagers dying as a result of mental health struggles, local high school students are ramping up their efforts to reach out to classmates in distress before it’s too late. Chandler Unified may be wrapping up the 2020-2021 school year, but some students are focused on ensuring their peers have the resources they need for help during the summer break. Their efforts have taken on a greater urgency this month after a Perry High School sophomore took his life and a Hamilton High senior died of a drug overdose. In Scottsdale, a Chaparral High freshman girl took her life as well. A group of Perry High School students recently assembled at Uptown Cheapskate on Chandler Boulevard with a box of business cards. The teenagers spent a couple of

As a member of Perry High School’s Pumas for Pumas Club, student Samuel Cristerna, 17, two weeks ago put cards with helpful information for students in distress inside shoes and clothing at a store in Chandler. (Pablo Robles/Staff Photographer)

hours strolling around the clothing store, placing hundreds of the cards inside jackets, purses, and pockets – hoping they’d be discovered someday by someone who needs them. The cards list phone numbers of free hotlines available to teenagers experiencing suicidal ideation, depression or anxiety. The Perry students are hoping the cards will come in handy for someone in Chandler who needs help and doesn’t know where to go. The teenagers are members of Pumas for Pumas, a school club that advocates for mental health awareness on campus. Samuel Cristerna, the club’s president, said hiding hotline numbers around the community has been a new outreach strategy. “People just need to know that they always have someone to talk to at the end of the day,” Cristerna said. “It’s okay

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LD 17 reps lament rental bill collapse. . . . . . . . . . . . . COMMUNITY . . . . Page 23 Chandler drone business takes off. . . . . . . . . . . . . . .BUSINESS . . . . . . . Page 35 Chandler thespians return to live theater . . . . . . . . ARTS . . . . . . . . . . Page 49 U.S. Egg thriving in Chandler. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . EAT . . . . . . . . . . . Page 58

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THE SUNDAY SANTAN SUN NEWS | MAY 23, 2021

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THE SUNDAY SANTAN SUN NEWS | MAY 23, 2021

CUSD trying to win back students it lost BY KEVIN REAGAN Staff Writer

Chandler Unified School District is hoping a new marketing strategy will help attract enough new students to replace the 2,000 pupils that left the district during the pandemic. Since schools started closing down last spring, CUSD and most other school districts have been gradually seeing their enrollment decline as parents sought alternative learning environments for their children. Even as schools started to reopen in October, district officials worried enough students had already left to make a major impact on Chandler Unified’s revenue and budget. CUSD is now promoting a message aimed at better positioning the district to compete against charter schools or homeschooling options. “We’re hoping to attract those students back to Chandler by focusing on the marketing of (CUSD) and what makes Chandler a district of choice,” said Larry Rother, district’s executive director of educational services. CUSD has recently begun partnering with First Strategic, a Phoenix-based public relations firm, to launch a campaign aimed at local families with young children. Rother said CUSD has identified 3,200 families with preschool-aged children who could potentially enroll in

the district. If the district can attract these younger students in the early years of their education, Rother said they’ll be more likely to stay in CUSD all the way through high school. In addition to sending these families mailers with information about CUSD, the district is executing some strategies to get their attention online and through social media. “We’re looking at ways to really hone in and target our families and provide them information,” Rother said. One of those strategies includes using geographical data to find out when parents are physically passing by a CUSD campus and then sending them alerts, reminding them about the district’s programs. “When families are around our buildings geographically, (they’ll) see one of those pop-up ads or targeted advertisements,” Rother said. CUSD has been attempting to spread a message that communicates its mission to educate the “whole child,” meaning a focus that values social-emotional intelligence as much as academics. Whether or not that messaging rings true will probably vary depending on the audience who hears it. The district has often been regularly criticized this past year for making decisions during the pandemic that some parents viewed as not being in the best

interest of students. Many parents have repeatedly urged district officials to “put students first” above all other stakeholders regarding controversial subjects involving mask mandates or school closures. Interim Superintendent Frank Narducci has recently said that moving forward, the district’s mission and strategic plans will attempt to reflect and reiterate a student-focused message. Online platforms like Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram are where CUSD has been directing its “whole-child” messaging by publishing plenty of positive, uplifting news items about the district. The district’s Facebook page currently racks up about 10,000 impressions on a weekly basis. CUSD is hoping its partnership with First Strategic will generate up to 10 million impressions throughout the community. On a daily basis, CUSD is posting pictures of notable students and celebrating their academic achievements -- in the hopes that it might garner the attention of some families considering enrolling in the district. “We certainly need to get the good word out about what we’re doing in our schools,” Rother added. Districts all over Arizona are having to be more creative with its marketing efforts as they attempt to return to the pre-pandemic enrollment numbers they had been operating under.

According to the Arizona Department of Education, more than 38,500 students have disappeared from the state’s classrooms during the pandemic. Preschoolers and kindergartners have accounted for nearly 42 percent of the enrollment loss throughout Arizona. CUSD Chief Financial Officer Lana Berry said student enrollment has become one of the Chandler Unified’s biggest priorities because it is the district’s biggest revenue generator. “If they don’t come, the money doesn’t flow in,” she noted. The enrollment issue will likely remain a dominant topic even after the pandemic ends, Berry added, since national birth rates have been declining in recent years and Chandler is getting closer to running out of land to develop into new housing. Not only is CUSD concerned about attracting enough new students, but it’s worried about preventing the pupils it already has from dropping out. Recent data suggests absenteeism rates have increased throughout CUSD during the pandemic and students are completing fewer credits than in previous years. In a normal year, CUSD may have about 8 percent of its students categorized as experiencing “chronic absenteeism,” meaning they have missed at See

SCHOOLS on page 4

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THE SUNDAY SANTAN SUN NEWS | MAY 23, 2021

Senator helps, but couple won’t restart business BY PAUL MARYNIAK Executive Editor

An edition of the East Valley Tribune

Despite a helping hand from their state senator, a Chandler couple whose cocktail flavoring business was flattened by the Arizona Department of Liquor Licenses and Control say they’re too discouraged to start again. State Sen. J.D. Mesnard read about Bill and Lillian Buitenhuys’ plight in the SanTan Sun News earlier this month. The story recounted how the Buitenhuys had built a cocktail flavoring business, called AZ Bitters Lab, from scratch after getting the go-head from state liquor officials seven years ago. Then, last October, the department shocked them with a ruling that forced them to shut down a business that had more than 600 bars and restaurants in Arizona alone and that drew customers form across the country and even the other side of the world. After reading about their woes, Mesnard said his first reaction was, “Well, that’s not right.” With the Legislature already kneedeep in voting on bills and trying to wrap up its 2021 session, Mesnard said he looked for a bill that he could amend – and found a solution in a bill that another Chandler lawmaker, Rep. Jeff Weninger is sponsoring that updates various aspects of the state liquor laws. Among the updates is a provision that allows bars and restaurants to take orders for and deliver cocktails, beer and wine. Weninger’s bill, already approved by the House, was awaiting a vote in the Senate. So, Mesnard offered an amendment that he said will allow the Buitenhuys to resume their business. The Legislature has approved the bill and the amendment and the governor is expect to sign it. But while the Buitenhuys appreciated Mesnard’s help, they said their treatment by the state liquor department has left them too discouraged and bitter to think about resuming their business. “We went for months, trying to get answers from them out of how to proceed legally – they provided no answers,” Bill said. “We were pretty much forced to shut down because of their inaction and we’re not in this environment even thinking about trying

SCHOOLS

from page 3

least 10 percent of their total instructional time. But the ongoing pandemic has caused Chandler’s absenteeism rate to

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www.santansun.com Bill and Lillian Buitenhuys of Chandler built a successful business making and selling cocktail ﬂavorings until the state Department of Liquor & Control crushed it. They appreciated Chandler Sen. J.D. Mesnard’s help in undoing the damage, but say they are too discouraged to restart their business. (File photo)

to start up again.” The department has not responded to a call for comment or a public records request from AFN. “We had a business we built for eight years and then the government just decided, ‘Hey, we’re shutting you down for no good reason,’” Bill added. “We don’t want to go through that again. It took too much energy out of us.” Added Lillian, “This has been frustrating, disheartening. “This was a labor of love and it took that piece out of it> “Bill and I both have day jobs and so thankfully, this is not something that we are dependent upon for living wages,” she continued. “But we know a lot of small businesses and if they’re told, ‘Sorry, we’re changing the rules on you but we’re not going to tell you what those rules are,’ what resources do they have for a livelihood?” Though the beverage community euphemistically call such products cocktail bitters – which are spirits – their product labels stress they are extracts. The federal Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau agrees that unlike true bitters, the Buitenhuys had been making flavor extracts rather than spirits.

But the liquor department last fall It told the Buitenhuys their product actually was a spirit and that they would have to meet stringent requirements for becoming a spirits producer – including constructing a production facility that would pass state inspection as a distillery. It was a blow for Lillian, a Gilbert native who has a fulltime job as a business manager, and Bill, a native Bostonian who works in the defense industry, who had started the business as a hobby until their products became so popular that they rent a commercial kitchen to make enough to sell. But now they’ve left the kitchen – and their business – behind them. “We were very blessed,” Lillian said. “We had people reaching out to us, offering us support and help and at that time, it was just really hard to manage it. But, you know, if you’re a small business and this is what you’re dependent upon, would someone have resources to hire a lawyer or be able to cover operating expenses while they’re trying to get information?” “We’re okay,” she added. “But there are a lot of small businesses that if this happened to them, it’s not right.”

jump to 15.6 percent, according to Amber Stouard, the district’s research director. It’s important to keep absenteeism rates low, she explained, because chronic absenteeism is often an early indicator of students on the verge of dropping out.

“We don’t want students to drop out,” Stouard said. “We know if they’re engaged in school, we’ll continue to have them come to class and we can lower our dropout rate.” The district is blaming the pandemic for a declining rate in the number of credits students are finishing in a semester. According to CUSD data, about 84 percent of the district’s ninth graders earned at least 5.5 credits during the current school year. In 2020, the district’s completion rate was 92 percent. CUSD is hoping students who fell behind academically during the pandemic may be able to catch up during summer school and get back on track by the next school year.

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THE SUNDAY SANTAN SUN NEWS | MAY 23, 2021

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THE SUNDAY SANTAN SUN NEWS | MAY 23, 2021

College earns special status for Hispanic population SANTAN SUN NEWS STAFF

New enrollment figures have helped Chandler-Gilbert Community College earn a distinction that will allow the campus to apply for new sources of federal funding. The growing number of CGCC students who identify as Hispanic or Latinx has recently reached a level that has allowed the college to earn the title of a “Hispanic-Serving Institution.” The U.S. Department of Education awards the distinction to colleges that have at least 25 percent of their popula-

tion consisting of Hispanic students. More than 5,000 of Chandler-Gilbert’s students from the last school year identified as Hispanic. As a result of the designation, the college can seek millions of dollars in grant funding that could go towards curriculum development, new technology or a scholarship endowment. Chandler-Gilbert joins eight other community colleges in Maricopa County to earn the HSI label. Scottsdale Community College is now the only campus in the district that has not earned the status.

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College President Greg Peterson said the new distinction will open up more opportunities for Chandler-Gilbert to seek federal funding that can support a variety of programs. “This is a sign of the commitment we’ve made to our Latinx community members and neighbors to prioritize inclusive curriculum, resources and student support,” Peterson said. Even though the HSI distinction singles out the college’s Hispanic community, Peterson said the status could potentially enrich the education of all the college’s students. “It will equip our college to better serve our Hispanic and Latinx students throughout their academic careers,” President Peterson added. “In addition, we’ve found that the strategies we employ in serving our Hispanic and Latinx students will actually benefit all of our students.” Over the last year, Chandler-Gilbert has had to contend with fluctuating enrollment numbers as many students chose to delay their post-secondary education during the pandemic. CGCC and the nine other campuses in the Maricopa Community College District have collectively lost about 10,000 full-time students over the last year. Chandler-Gilbert started off its 20202021 school year with a 22-percent drop in its enrollment numbers. The college ended the 2021 spring se-

mester with about 11,000 students and already has more than 2,100 enrolled for courses in the fall. The campus anticipates its enrollment data to change as it begins to bring back more in-person class offerings in the coming months. During the pandemic, most of Chandler-Gilbert’s courses had to quickly shift over to a virtual format and few students have been allowed on campus this past year. Chandler-Gilbert has not made public any plans for what types of projects it may seek federal funding for, now that it’s eligible to apply for the government’s HSI grants. Only 18 percent of the nation’s colleges and universities have the HSI distinction. Each year, the country’s HSI campuses compete to obtain a large grant from the federal government for a project that would benefit its minority students. In 2019, more than 200 HSI campuses applied for grants and only 43 were successful in obtaining funds, which had a total value of $24 million. Phoenix’s Gateway Community College received $582,000 in 2019 to develop a holistic approach to ensuring its students graduate on time. Tucson’s Pima Community College was awarded $500,000 in 2019 to revamp their programs in culinary arts and hospitality management, which are primarily enrolled by Hispanic students.

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Chandler cyclists may get protection on Frye Road BY KEVIN REAGAN Staff Writer

Chandler is planning to use federal funds to redevelop a 2.5-mile section of Frye Road with additional lanes reserved for cyclists. A $3.7-million grant could be spent on protective barriers that would physically shield cyclists from nearby motorists and pedestrians. Preliminary designs show the special bike lanes would start near the Frye Road and Paseo Trail intersection, then proceed west before ending near San Marcos Elementary. Ryan Peters, the city’s government relations manager, said the road redevelopment could be a major addition to Chandler’s central region and offer a safer route for the cyclists. “This is one of those projects that could really enhance the downtown area,” Peters said. Compared to conventional bike lanes, a protected barrier can better reduce conflicts between motorists and cyclists and provide more space for all roadway users, he said. Cyclists would have a 6-foot-wide lane that would be buffered by a 3-foot median designed to hold desert landscaping. Some sections of Frye Road would have a slimmer bike lane due to onstreet parking located outside Frye Elementary and Willis Junior High. Because the proposed bike lanes would be in close proximity to four Chandler Unified School District campuses,

This rendering shows how the protective barriers along a section of Frye Road would be situated. (City of Chandler)

the city expects the new infrastructure to be popular among students looking for an alternative mode of transportation. According to a survey by the city earlier this year, many parents indicated they would allow their children to bike

to school if Frye Road had the barriers. That same survey found that 64 percent of respondents ride their bike around Chandler at least once per week and some felt the city had a perceived lack of safety for cyclists.

“The majority of respondents were very supportive of the project and thought this is a great idea for many parts of the city,” said Jason Crampton, See

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THE SUNDAY SANTAN SUN NEWS | MAY 23, 2021

Left: The Pumas for Pumas initiative includes, from left, Chandler Unified counseling services director Brenda Vargas, Perry student Sidney Stockham and Perry High counselor Holli Cagle. Right: Madison Rose, 15, was another Puma for Pumas who left suicide-prevention cards inside shoes and clothing at local stores. (Pablo Robles/Staff Photographer)

MENTAL

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to not be okay.” Cristerna, who will be starting his senior year this fall, said he joined Pumas for Pumas as a freshman when the club started out as an initiative to guarantee that no student on campus sat alone during lunch period. The club has since evolved to be more focused on educating students about mental health issues and guiding them toward professionals who can treat their needs. The club’s goal is to encourage students to take care of one another, Cristerna said, and help each other feel less alone. Members of Generation Z, which consists of individuals born after 1995, are believed to be plagued by depression and anxiety at much higher rates than previous generations. According to a survey by the Pew Research Center, at least 70 percent of today’s teens have noticed their peers suffering from depression and 61 percent reported feeling intense pressure to achieve academic success. Cristerna said he thinks members of his generation feel pressured to compare themselves constantly to others and are harder on themselves when they experience failure. The high school student said he’s struggled with anxiety in the past and has watched his brother experience fainting spells due to chronic stress. Those personal encounters motivated Cristerna to join Pumas for Pumas and to help one classmate from experiencing the same struggles as his brother. “I’m doing this for him and just for people who struggle with mental health and need that support,” Cristerna said. In the last couple of years, each CUSD high school has established some sort of mental health club that can serve as a local resource for its students. Brenda Vargas, the district’s direc-

tor of counseling services, said all of the schools are planning to conduct outreach campaigns, dispersing informational cards with resources for struggling teens. The goal is to have each school go out to different regions of the Chandler community, Vargas said, and hide the info cards in places where they can easily be discovered. “You never know who’s going to end up with this information and who’s going to need it,” she added. Vargas’ department has spent the last year having to completely reeval-

survived multiple suicide attempts in the past year. A week after Zyon’s death, a Hamilton High School senior, Alex Taylor, died of a possible drug overdose. Alex’s mother, Lindsay Taylor, is Perry High’s social worker and had been helping the school’s students mourn Zyon’s passing. A couple days before her own son’s death on May 9, Taylor penned a letter to Perry’s families detailing her sorrow over Zyon’s death and personal frustrations with how mental illness is clinically treated in Arizona.

being able to do a club like this and be able “toI love put ourselves in front of the students so they know how to access the counselors. ”

– Holli Cagle

uate how it reaches out to students, since many were learning virtually from home for much of the school year. During the early months of the pandemic, Vargas and her staff spent much of their time trying to track student engagement and ensuring nobody fell off the grid. If a student stopped logging online, Vargas said the district would often have to dispatch somebody to their home or ask law enforcement to conduct a welfare check. The ongoing instability and isolation caused by the pandemic has notably had negative impacts on teenagers all across the country and many didn’t know how to cope with suddenly being disconnected from their peers. National studies show rates of depression and self-harm quickly started to rise shortly after the pandemic began last March. Just in the last month, CUSD has lost two students who had been struggling with mental health problems during the pandemic. Zyon Anderson, 16, of Perry High died by suicide on May 2 after having

“I continue to be determined to be part of the solution and advocate for a better, more affordable, easier to access system that allows for a variety of therapeutic services that fit the needs of each individual and family,” Taylor wrote. “The current options are limited, not the highest quality, unaffordable, and not user-friendly.” Sidney Stockham, a Perry High junior, said the recent deaths of two teenagers in the community has been an impactful, eye-opening experience for many of the students at her school. “It’s definitely a time when we should be reaching out and that we should be learning from it,” Stockham said. Stockham is another member of Pumas for Pumas and has helped the club grow its presence on campus this past year. It’s important to be open and honest about mental health, she said, and more teenagers today are starting to understand the value of sharing their feelings and trauma. Stockham said she’s lost family mem-

bers to mental illness and has personally struggled with a panic disorder in the past. Now that she’s overcome her struggles, Stockham said she’s determined to help anyone else who may have walked in her shoes. “It’s stressful being a teen,” she added. “Mental health is definitely an issue in kids today.” Perry High is in the midst of collaborating with Arizona State University on producing a series of web videos to educate teens on a variety of mental health topics. Holli Cagle, one of Perry High’s guidance counselors, said she’s hopeful that the school’s new outreach efforts will reach the students in greatest need of support. In the 25 years Cagle has worked in education, she’s noticed a significant shift in the types of problems students need help with. The influence of social media has completely changed the way students see themselves and each other, Cagle said, explaining teenagers often don’t know how to avoid a constant stream of negative images and messages. “When they start to feel uncomfortable or start to feel alone,” Cagle added, “they don’t know how to process those feelings.” Cagle mentors Pumas for Pumas and thinks the club is helping to identify the struggling students who may get overlooked by teachers or counselors. The club’s members are trained in how to approach a classmate they think is having problems, Cagle explained, and ask them the right questions that could direct them to someone who can professionally help. The club is planning to do some exciting activities in the next school year, Cagle said. She thinks they will boost the club’s influence and hopefully prevent any student from feeling lost or adrift. “I love being able to do a club like this and be able to put ourselves in front of the students so they know how to access the counselors,” Cagle added.

THE SUNDAY SANTAN SUN NEWS | MAY 23, 2021

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THE SUNDAY SANTAN SUN NEWS | MAY 23, 2021

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the city’s transportation planner. Crampton said the Frye Road project would complement Chandler’s ongoing push to build more infrastructure that supports active transportation. The city already has 350 miles of bike lanes and more projects are in the works to strengthen Chandler’s network of cycling pathways and arterials. Residents have been wanting a new type of infrastructure that offers a greater amount of safety and accessibility, Crampton said, and the Frye Road improvements could be the first of many projects that revitalize Chandler’s path network. Valley cities like Chandler have been attempting to prioritize safety for pedestrians and cyclists as the state’s rate for deadly car accidents has continued to remain high year after year.

More than 1,200 cyclists were injured in car accidents across Arizona in 2019, according to the state Department of Transportation, and 30 of them died as a result of their injuries. Frye Road’s proposed protected bike lanes are being strategically positioned on a road that can connect residents with several high-traffic destinations. The project could serve as an accessory to a piece of land located east of Frye Road that’s scheduled to be developed into a new city park in the near future. Acting City Manager Joshua Wright said this park might include a section of its parking lot that could be designated as a “bike hub” and serve as a gateway to Paseo Trail and Frye Road’s new bike lanes. “There’s a nice kind of functionality that occurs at that eastern end,” Wright noted. A survey by the city last year found only 3 percent of Chandler residents rely on bicycles as their primary mode of transportation. But residents expect that

rate to gradually increase over the next 20 years, as more commuters look for alternatives to their personal vehicle. Before the pandemic, ridership in Chandler’s bus routes had been steadily rising annually and the city had begun to form new partnerships with tech companies to help transport residents lacking access to a car. A recent contract with the ride-share company Lyft has resulted in 1,600 discounted trips for residents living in south Chandler. Since the future of transportation will likely depend less on conventional automobiles, Chandler has spent the last few years imagining how the city should prepare for a transit system that can accommodate a wider variety of transportation options. Studies recently done by the city recommend making more bike-friendly improvements to the region of Arizona Avenue and Pecos Road that can

connect residents to high-traffic areas and the Frye Road improvements could potentially be the first step to creating a safer pathway to one of the city’s most congested areas. The city’s elected leaders appear to be supportive of the Frye Road project and expect the city’s residents to demand for protected lanes to be built around more Chandler schools. Councilwoman Christine Ellis appreciates how the bike lanes could feasibly allow for many young students to avoid having to walk to school during the city’s hotter months. “What I like the most is the parents feeling comfortable enough to start sending their fifth graders with bikes to school,” Ellis said. If approved by the city council, construction on Frye Road could begin sometime in 2022. All three phases of construction would be funded with federal dollars, plus a 5-percent matching cost the city would be responsible for.

Racing school gets new go-karts, expands training SANTAN SUN NEWS STAFF

Radford Racing School at Wild Horse Pass, the official high performance driving school of Dodge//SRT, is the first driver training facility in the U.S. to receive a fleet of the Brazilian manufactured Piquet Kart. The gas-powered karts were brought to the U.S. market through a joint venture of former Formula 1 driver Nelson Piquet Jr. and partners Zack Skolnick, owner of Entertainment Karting, and Carlos Laconelli, owner of the international race team Piquet Sports. “We’re bringing the excitement of high-speed, open-air karting to drivers of all ages with these new Piquet Karts,” said Mike Kessler, general manager at Radford Racing School, formerly called the Bondurant School of High-Performance Racing. “The karts on our newly resurfaced track are going to be a real game-changer for the karting industry,” he added. The school also has expanded its professional private instruction for drivers of all skill levels. Its students can now use their personal vehicles or any of the school’s high performance Dodge//SRT cars and SUVs, as well as Ligier JS Formula 4 single-seat race cars and gas-powered go karts.

The Ligier JS Formula 4 single-seat race car is one of the vehicles that Radford Racing School students can learn on. (Courtesy of Radford Racing School)

“The private instruction program gives students an opportunity to customize their driver training with oneon-one instruction from the world’s top driving instructors as well as gain exclusive access to the purpose-built racetrack and facilities,” Kessler said.

Private instruction is available for new drivers, performance enthusiasts, as well as seasoned racers. Young drivers, with or without a driver’s license, can benefit from “focused driving exercises and practices” while “experienced drivers can choose to fo-

cus on specific skills, such as braking or handling, or specialized training for high performance and stunt driving, drag racing and off-road handling, among others,” the school said in a release. Information: 480-403-7600 or RadfordRacingSchool.com.

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COMMUNITY NEWS

VACCINE

THE SUNDAY SANTAN SUN NEWS | MAY 23, 2021

from page 1

showing 57.1 percent have been fully vaccinated and 85286 recording 49.6 percent. A little behind those two ZIP codes is 85248, with 45.9 percent fully vaccinated. In all three of those ZIP, at least 60 percent have received one COVID-19 shot. In Chandler’s other three ZIP codes, the percentages of fully vaccinated residents are: 85224, 45.4 percent; 85225, 37.1 percent; and 85226, 49.1 percent. At the same time, Chandler is not out of the woods where the coronavirus is concerned. The city is still in a “substantial transmission” category with 52.8 new cases per 100,000 people and 6.7 percent of new test results coming back positive. That latter number indicates a moderate spread. In a change from a week earlier, when one of Chandler’s six ZIP codes, 85225, was in the “high transmission” category, the newly released data show no Chandler ZIP code at that level any more. Nevertheless, those numbers are a far cry from where they were four or five months ago, when cases per 100,000 were at times tiple the current number and positive test results were more than twice what they are now. Chandler’s overall fully vaccinated percentage tops that of any of its neighbors. Gilbert is the next highest with 41.6 percent of eligible residents full vaccinated, followed by Tempe at 42.3 percent and Mesa at 38.8 percent. While Phoenix city-wide has a fully vaccinated rate of 37.5 percent, Ahwatukee’s rate for fullyvaccinated people is above 60 percent Statewide, 44.3 percent of residents have received one dose and 33 percent are fully vaccinated, according to the state Department of Health Services. Maricopa County’s fully vaccinated

VACCINE SIDE

from page 1

under conflicting, changing messages and varying opinions.” Students will now be expected to distance themselves from each other by at least three feet rather than six. The sharing of classroom materials will be permissible again, as long hand-washing practices remain in place. Elementary students will be allowed to return to pre-pandemic protocols and will be allowed to play on their school’s playground before the school day starts. The district intends on deferring to the Arizona Interscholastic Association for any mitigation rules involving athletic activities. Assistant Superintendent Craig Gilbert said the district’s plan attempts to ensure every student and employee will feel safe on campus. “We believe this is the best course of action for moving forward,” Gilbert said. While an unknown number of CUSD teachers have received the COVID-19 vaccine, the district will not be asking teachers or students to show proof of

Chandler Gilbert Community College was an early site for COVID-19 vaccine distributions and was replaced by an indoor facility in Mesa as the weather got warmer.

(File photo)

rate is only 32.6 percent. That percentage puts it in the it behind Yuma, Santa Cruz, Pima, Navajo, La Paz, Graham Gila, Coconino, Cochise and Apache counties. The county health department said that as of last week, 47 percent of all Maricopa County residents over age 10 had received at least one dose of a vaccine. Over 6,400 kids between 12 and 15 received their first dose of the Pfizer vaccine within four days after federal authorities authorized it for children that young. Still, full vaccination rates have been sufficiently concerning to state Health Director Dr. Cara Christ that she recently held a virtual town hall specifically “for those living in areas of Mesa identified for highly targeted outreach on COVID-19 vaccinations.” Christ made it clear she was giving a pep talk “to encourage every Arizonan to be vaccinated.” Several callers had a similar question: How safe are the vaccines? “Arizona is now vaccinating all indi-

viduals age 16 and over … This vaccine is safe and effective,” she stressed, noting manufacturers were required to show their vaccines are safe. “With any medication or vaccine, there’s always the possibility of side effects … they’re really common after the second dose,” Christ added. She referenced a recent national article that showed “not only does the vaccine protect against the strain it was designed against, but it also protects against the variants.” Asked about “booster” shots for those who have been vaccinated, Christ said timelines are fuzzy, then added, “Some providers are looking at combining a flu shot with a COVID booster.” Christ said all that needs to be done for now is the two doses of Pfizer or Moderna or one shot of Johnson and Johnson, which are “believed to provide six months of coverage.” Although at AFN’s deadline the minimum age eligibility for any of the COVID-19 vaccines remained at 16, Christ said she is “hoping 12 and above

will be eligible starting” this week. And, she added, “We’re hoping before the start of school, more ages will be eligible for vaccines.” One caller shared concerns about “long term effects” of the new vaccines: “I don’t want to grow a third eye or something,” she said. “There aren’t a lot of long-term effects with these vaccines … these are safe,” Christ stressed in her answer. After another caller shared similar concerns, Christ said, “This (vaccine) has been tested on hundreds of millions of people …. The vaccine is really good at protecting against hospitalization and death.” Christ took another shot at convincing the skeptics: “The vaccine is the best tool we have for returning to normal,” she said. “This virus is very unpredictable. It is able to mutate … The more people that can get vaccinated the less chance there is for the virus to be transmitted and mutate into a strain that may not be protected.”

vaccination in order to return to school in the fall. “We have had no goals established in regards to vaccination of students,” Gilbert said. “Just like any other vaccinations, it is going to be up to the parents to decide if that’s what they’re going to do.” That policy, which almost certainly will prevail in other districts, contrasts sharply with many colleges and universities across the country. They are requiring staff and students to be vaccinated. Arizona State University President Michael Crow said he “expects” students will be vaccinated when they return to campuses in August, but there has been no indication that the state universities will mandate it. Chandler Unified has reported only about a dozen active COVID-19 cases throughout the district and administrators now rely on county officials to decide when a campus should close due to a sudden outbreak. CUSD had been using its own data to determine when schools would have to close, but the district has yet to have enough active cases of COVID-19 to warrant a temporary shutdown. Students who have been in the presence of an infected individual will

continue to be quarantined for up to 10 days, but CUSD is contemplating whether it’s still effective to keep students home while the rest of society starts to open up again. “This is one area that we know school districts are debating,” said Larry Rother, the district’s executive director of educational services. Students who have been fully vaccinated won’t be required to quarantine after coming into contact with an infected person. But Rother said school districts across the Valley have been discussing whether quarantine procedures should remain in place or if a better system should be implemented. During the worst days of the pandemic, CUSD had quarantined up to 2,700 students. And yet only a handful of these students ended up testing positive for the coronavirus. “It’s kind of hard to use that data to say if they’ve gotten (COVID-19) at school or not,” said Rother, adding it’s been difficult for CUSD to trace how a quarantined student contracted the virus. Furthermore, quarantined students could now potentially contract the virus at a restaurant, theater, or any

other business that had been previously shuttered for most of the pandemic. The data dashboard CUSD created during the pandemic, which shows how many COVID-19 cases have been reported at each campus, will continue to be updated on a weekly basis. CUSD additionally plans to continue practicing the cleaning and hand-washing procedures it initiated during the pandemic. Students who are not comfortable with returning to campus will be encouraged to enroll in the Chandler Online Academy, since CUSD does not plan to provide any other type of virtual learning next year. Interim Superintendent Frank Narducci said the district’s plan will undoubtedly anger some parents who may feel the mitigation is too strict or too lenient. But the district intends to be committed to the best practices that can protect students, he said, regardless of the divisions that still exist among families. “Our community is divided in their ideology, as well as opinion, as to COVID-19 mitigation practices,” Narducci said.

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New gambling law raises addiction worries BY JESSE MORRISON Cronkite News

The ability to attend a sporting event, place a bet on a team and possibly return home a winner will soon be a reality in Arizona. So, too, could an uptick in gambling addiction, some worry. Excitement surrounded Gov. Doug Ducey’s decision to sign a bill a month ago that allows a significant expansion of gambling, including sports betting under licenses issued to tribes and professional sports teams. Gambling on fantasy sports and Keno games at horse race tracks will also be permitted. Nearly 2.6 percent of the U.S. population, almost 10 million people, have an addiction problem because of gambling, according to the North American Foundation for Gambling Addiction Help. In WalletHub’s recent survey of “most gambling addicted states,” Arizona ranked 41st, a number possibly impacted by the state’s newness to expanded gambling opportunities. “This is just going to open up a whole new can of worms for people, especially in today’s world with so many different stressors, so many different pressures on people whether economic, social, marriages, everything,” said a recovering gambling addict who requested anonymity. Arizona does have a support system for gambling addicts and will further increase its efforts to help combat prob-

lem gambling in the state, said Max Hartgraves, the public information officer for the Arizona Department of Gaming The ADG’s Division of Problem Gambling partners with individuals, agencies and community groups to promote education and prevention of problem gambling. The division also subsidizes treatment for anyone with a gambling problem and has a self-exclusion list that allows people to ban themselves from certain gaming facilities. The list prevents these people from collecting winnings or recovering losses. “In this newly passed legislation,

operators of event wagering and daily fantasy sports are required to develop a procedure to inform participants who have a problem with gambling that help is available,” Hartgraves said. “Operators are also required to allow problem gamblers to voluntarily exclude themselves from these games statewide. “Additionally, operators are prohibited from paying out any prize or award to a person on this self-exclusion list, and any prize or award won by such a person shall be forfeited and donated to ADG’s Division of Problem Gambling. “Lastly, operators are required to develop and maintain a program to mitigate and curtail compulsive play by promoting responsible gambling measures. We will encourage operators to utilize the professionals and services already in place through DPG to meet this requirement.” The passage of the Arizona legislation was tied to an updated gaming compact Ducey struck with tribes and is expected to generate significant revenue. In Colorado, in its inaugural year of legalized sports gambling, sportsbooks took in

“I truly think it’s going to help drive conferences here,” Weninger said. “When you’re going down the checklist of us versus someone else and all the beautiful and great attributes we already have and then you add that element to it, I think it will fuel that. “And then I think it really fuels the mega events. The day before the signing of the bill, you already had PGA announcing that they were going to have a sportsbook built at the Phoenix Open the year of the Super Bowl.” Conceding Weninger’s point, the recovering gambling addict understands the revenue stream House Bill 2772 brings to Arizona but believes gambling venues at sports events “would be extremely harmful. “And I would have zero interest. I wouldn’t go to a game because the last thing I need to do is go and enjoy a baseball game and also pass a sportsbook or be active at my seat betting on games. I don’t need any of that. That’s all detrimental to my health, detrimental to a gambling addict.” Weninger does not believe sportsbooks in stadiums would be a major trigger because he does not think they would be “in your face” such as a 50/50 raffle ticket sale. “If you’ve ever been there and they have those raffles going on and there’s like 10 people standing in the hallways saying, ‘Hey, you want to get on the raffle,’” he said. “I don’t think it’s going to be anything like that. … And I understand and sympathize with the plight but at the same time, they sell alcohol at games and you could have somebody who’s been fighting addiction on alcohol. And you’re going to run into those situations in everything under the sun.” As more states legalize sports betting, it is becoming more normalized. ESPN recently did a sports betting-themed alternate feed for an NBA telecast and ESPN News constantly

This is just going to open up a whole new can “of worms for people, especially in today’s world

with so many different stressors, so many different pressures on people whether economic, social, marriages, everything.

”

– Anonymous Former Gambler

over $300 million in wagers in March. The new Arizona agreement would provide tribes with 10 licenses and allow them to run sportsbooks at tribal casinos. Online gambling sites can also benefit from the deal and already DraftKings announced a partnership with the PGA Tour which will include a sportsbook at the TPC Scottsdale, home of the Waste Management Phoenix Open. The Phoenix Suns and FanDuel also have announced a similar deal. The licenses could bring in at least $100 million in revenue for the general fund, said state Rep. Jeff Weninger, R-Chandler.

runs betting lines concurrent with its programming. Rick Benson, founder of the Algamus Gambling Recovery Center in Prescott, said if ESPN and other major sports networks continue to air gambling-related content, they need to also provide support for the fight against problem gambling. “To be using the National Council on Problem Gambling hotline number I think would certainly be a good idea,” Benson said. “There is a national council hotline number. It then tracks into any given state in the country based on the area code that the call came in from.”

COMMUNITY NEWS

THE SUNDAY SANTAN SUN NEWS | MAY 23, 2021

Chandler scaling back pandemic leniency BY KEVIN REAGAN Staff Writer

Lenient rules put in place to help Chandler businesses survive the pandemic are expected to be phased out by the city in the coming months. The city’s code enforcers had relaxed its rules on signage, liquor licenses and outdoor dining areas to help local bars and restaurants work around the pandemic’s restrictions like reduced occupancy and social distancing. But city officials believe now is the time to begin enforcing some of those old rules and have businesses return to their pre-pandemic operations. One of the city’s most popular accommodations has been allowing restaurants to turn parking lots into outdoor dining areas. Since the state had been limiting the number of diners that could be served indoors, many restaurants benefited from being able to use some additional space to serve customers. Now that the state has begun to ease its pandemic-related protocols, Chandler is expected to discontinue this “street-side dining” by July, although it could potentially return the initiative as a seasonal program. “Staff will be working to bring a proposal back to the City Council in the future for discussion regarding the use of an outdoor patio program in down-

Street-side dining has been viewed as unfair by businesses that spent thousands of dollars to build patios under city requirements that were relaxed during the pandemic. (File photo)

town on a seasonal basis,” said city spokesman Matthew Burdick. Some restaurant owners in the downtown area had been hoping the city would permanently extend its outdoor dining regulations. Chris Purcell, chief operating officer

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of Pedal Haus Brewery, noted how up to 17 percent of the restaurant’s sales in any given week have come from guests sitting in street-side patios. “We have found that ever since Governor Doug Ducey lifted the social distancing executive order, many of our

guests still prefer to remain socially distant and dine outdoors,” Purcell wrote the city. Gavin Jacobs, co-owner of Hidden House, has found the outdoor dining See

CODES on page 26

COMMUNITY NEWS

THE SUNDAY SANTAN SUN NEWS | MAY 23, 2021

Gilbert, Chandler mayors address teen suicide BY ASHLYN ROBINETTE Staff Writer

Suicide prevention and awareness were on the minds of Gilbert Mayor Brigette Peterson and Chandler’s mayor and vice mayor as they joined a virtual town hall recently with two experts on the subjects. Chandler Mayor Kevin Hartke and Chandler Vice Mayor Mark Stewart joined representatives from Teen Lifeline and notMYkid in a State of Mental Health roundtable. It was organized by Chandler educator Katey McPherson, Gilbert marketing and communications director Cori Garcia and Stewart. Citing the suicide of a Perry High sophomore and the drug overdose death of a Hamilton High senior earlier this month, Stewart said, “We want to keep them top of mind during this conversation because we want to stop this from happening ever again if we can.” All three officials said they are committed to making mental health a priority in Gilbert and Chandler and are having more frequent conversations with local experts to educate and provide the community with the resources they need to confront these issues head on. In the spirit of Mental Health Awareness Month this May, the mayors hope to destigmatize mental health and generate life-saving conversations. “This is an issue that affects us all,” Peterson said. “This past year I’ve seen so many people with inner angst that is affecting their regular interactions with others. “You might not even think it’s happening to you or a loved one or a friend but it is and we need to pay attention. We need to continue to talk.” Last year, COVID-19 prevented progress of the One Gilbert Initiative, a community-wide effort formed in 2019 to prevent and respond to the youth mental health crisis, Peterson said. This year, Peterson said she will look into the initiative and how to move it forward. She wants Gilbert’s soon-to-be formed community engagement task force to work on mental health as well. Peterson and the Gilbert Town Council are also embarking on Year ONE, a new campaign focused on making a difference in the community

Participating in the virtual roundtabvle last week on teen suicide prevention were, clockwise from top left: Kristen Polin of notMykid, Gilbert Mayor Brigette Peterson, Chandler Vice Mayor Mark Stewart and Teen Lifeline Clinical Director Nikki Kontz. (Zoom)

through spreading #GilbertKindness. “The most important way we can all affect each other is to be kind,” Peterson said. “We need to focus on Gilbert kindness and share that with our neighbors in Chandler and in the region.” Gilbert Police Chief Michael Soelberg is committed to bringing a family advocacy center to Gilbert, Peterson said. She has made supporting Soelberg in bringing that advocacy center forward her main commitment for 2021. To address rising youth suicide, the mayors spoke with Teen Lifeline Clinical Director Nikki Kontz and notMykid CEO Kristen Polin, who both encourage having open conversations about suicide and mental health to destigmatize asking for help. “We cannot create a bubble of a perfect world for our children,” Kontz said. “We instead have to instill resiliency in them on how to handle life struggles when it happens. We need to model it and show our kids.” All Arizona high schools and colleges will be required to have a suicide prevention phone number printed on the back of their student IDs beginning July

1, Kontz said. Teen Lifeline, a Phoenix-based nonprofit providing suicide prevention services to teenagers statewide, first started working with schools to get their crisis hotline to appear on student IDs in 2015. Over 270 Arizona middle schools and high schools already participate in Teen Lifeline’s student ID initiative and more than 1,000 high schools and nearly 60 colleges and universities in Arizona will now be required to add a suicide prevention phone number to their student IDs under the new law. Kontz describes the initiative as a “life saver and conversation starter” that ensures that students, families, parents, faculty and staff at schools are aware that Teen Lifeline is available to them 24 hours a day. Gilbert Public Schools and Chandler Unified were among first districts in the East Valley to take on this initiative even before it hit the Legislature. Chandler also has Teen Lifeline’s information in all of their school buses, Kontz said, adding “Lives are being saved with every conversation.” Through Teen Lifeline’s peerto-peer crisis hotline, which is supervised by master’s-level behavioral health clinicians, struggling teenagers are able to first turn to peers who better understand what they’re going through and can connect them with healthy adults in their life who can get them the other help they need, Kontz said. “Arm them as much as you can with all the different avenues and understand there are some things that are just too hard to tell our mom and dad right away,” Kontz said. Kontz says that the top suicidal warning sign is first that gut feeling in your stomach. “If you feel uneasy about

someone in your life, you feel that they are hurting or that there is something going on with them and you just can’t put your finger on it- that is the number one warning sign,” Kontz said. Suicide is always going to be a complicated issue that won’t be fixed quickly so don’t try to solve or dismiss their problem, Kontz said. Instead, spend that time really listening and understanding them to get to the root of the problem. Polin said that listening and validating what youth are experiencing is critical. notMYkid is another nonprofit organization that provides children and families with lifesaving programs, support, resources and education to empower and educate them with the knowledge and courage needed to identify and prevent negative youth behavior. “End the stigma. Make sure your kids know it’s okay to ask for help and it’s okay for parents to ask for help,” Polin said. “They might not know what help they need but what I hope is being communicated is to start somewhere and don’t do it alone.” As schools close, families have to turn to other avenues for help, Polin said. She has been hearing from pediatricians that they are overwhelmed by the number of families that are asking for support. She noted there are many nonprofits in the East Valley willing to help families every step of the way with navigation of support and services free of charge. The next conversation covering suicide and mental health is 6 p.m May 24, Kontz said. Teen Lifeline and notMYkid will speak to the Chandler Unified School District, Chandler Fire and Chandler Police Department for a deep dive into the crisis system and how to navigate it. “Let’s get this down to zero,” Stewart said.

COMMUNITY NEWS

THE SUNDAY SANTAN SUN NEWS | MAY 23, 2021

LD17 delegation laments rental bill defeat BY PAUL MARYNIAK Executive Editor

Sen. J.D. Mesnard suggested the Arizona League of Cities and Towns shares as much blame for the defeat of a short-term rental regulatory bill as those who oppose any regulation of such homes at all. Mesnard, joined by his Legislative District 17 delegation colleagues Reps. Jeff Weninger and Jennifer Pawlik, spoke about that defeat and other legislative issues in a virtual roundtable May 14 hosted by the Chandler Chamber of Commerce. Pawlik and Weninger both supported Mesnard’s SB 1379, which tried to prevent those rentals from turning into rowdy party houses by allowing local governments to set occupancy limits and insurance requirements on the owners who lease out their homes through websites like Airbnb and VRBO. Pawlik said she felt the House defeated it because too many legislators saw it as “an industry bill” while Weninger put the blame for its defeat on the League of Cities. Scottsdale Rep. John Kavanagh had pushed a competing bill in the House that went much further, restoring much of the authority to cities and towns that previous legislatures and Gov. Doug Ducey stripped away in recent years. The Arizona League of Cities and

Participating in the virtual roundtable were, clockwise from top left, Rep. Jennifer Pawlik, Chamber President/CEO Terri Kimble, Rep. Jeff Weninger and Sen. J.D. Mesnard. (Zoom)

Towns, which represents the interests of most East Valley communities, said Mesnard’s bill did not go far enough to resolve the issues brought up by local governments. On the other hand, short-term rental owners and some House members opposed any regulation, contending that people had a right to use their own property in any way they see fit. At the time the bills were being considered, Nick Ponder, the League’s legislative director, said Mesnard’s measure failed to make enough substantive changes to the state’s current laws. The League was not advocating for

outlawing short-term rentals, Ponder added, but cities and towns want more autonomy to control these properties. During the Chamber roundtable, Mesnard criticized that kind of thinking. “I think of all the bills I’ve ever run, that probably failed the worst of any,” said Mesnard, whose measure passed by a 27-3 vote but got clobbered in the House, 43-17. “I want to clarify that there were as many folks – or nearly as many folks – who voted against it because they don’t support any regulation on short-term rentals,” Mesnard said. “I think there was a belief that all folks universally

voted no because they wanted to do more regulation, but that’s not the case.” “The cities want full regulatory zoning authority,” he continued. “They want to say, what can be where, and how many and all of that – which I think is a bridge too far. And they did oppose the bill because they want that authority. My frustration with that is that I think the bill would have done some serious good. I think it would have addressed the most important of the issues. See

LEGISLATORS on page 26

COMMUNITY NEWS

CITY OF CHANDLER INSIDER

THE SUNDAY SANTAN SUN NEWS | MAY 23, 2021

‘Water You’re Doing?’ stresses pool safety BY THE CITY OF CHANDLER

May is Water Safety Awareness Month. With summer temperatures heating up and more families working and schooling from home, the risk for drownings is on the rise. According to the Arizona Department of Health Services, drowning rates in Arizona increased 300 percent in 2020 in direct correlation to the COVID-19 pandemic. In Chandler alone, emergency calls for drowning incidents increased from the City’s average of three to a staggering 12. Tragedy struck last week when a 7-year-old girl drowned at a Chandler apartment complex where she lived. The majority of incidents in Chandler involved children and took place at private homes, although drowning incidents involving adults are also on the rise. For children ages 1-4, drowning is the leading cause of accidental death, with rates even surpassing those of traffic accident fatalities. For every child who dies from drowning, another five receive emergency department care for nonfatal water-related incidents. These unfortunate statistics are made grimmer by the fact that 100 percent of drownings are preventable. Drowning is a complex public health issue that requires a multifaceted prevention approach. To decrease the risk of drowning from multiple angles, the City of Chandler encourages all people to follow the ABCs of Water Safety whenever around water this summer. The ABCs of Water Safety stand for, (A) adult supervision, (B) barriers and (C) classes.

Above: For children ages 1-4, drowning is the leading cause of accidental death. Stay safe by following the ABCs of Water Safety: adult supervision, barriers and classes. (City of Chandler) Right: Chandler firefighters joined Chandler Aquatics and Police at the annual Water Walk on May 15 to help distribute educational materials to about 4,000 homes in southwest Chandler. (City of Chandler)

Adult supervision is the first and most important line of defense against drowning. Children and adults, no matter their swimming skill level, should always be accompanied and supervised. Designating a water watcher to oversee the water activity in its entirety is key. Water watchers should be within arm’s reach when in or around water and spend their time scanning the top and bottom of the pool. Watchers should be sober, alert and free from distractions such as cell phones and poolside chats. However, a phone should be easily available for quick access in case of emergencies. According to Jessica Chamberlain, a recreation coordinator for Chandler Aquatics and lead of the City’s “Water

You Doing” water safety campaign, nothing beats adult supervision when children are in or near the water. “Adult supervision comes first in the ABCs because it is absolutely the most important,” Chamberlain said. “When adult supervision lapses or the guard is down for even a moment, that is where you’re forced to rely on those other layers of protection.” Adults watching children and older swimmers should be on the lookout for signs of drowning, including sputtering, hyperventilating or gasping, closed eyes, eyes unable to focus, trying to roll over onto the back, appearing to be climbing an invisible ladder, or staying vertical in water without using legs. Barriers come second on the list of

water safety tools, as people cannot drown in water they cannot reach. Children are naturally fascinated by and attracted to water and can slip away without being noticed. For safety, maintain layers of protection by creating pool barriers, such as a pool fence with a self-closing and self-latching gate out of the reach of children. Classes, such as professional swimming lessons and CPR classes, are another layer of defense to protect or save swimmers once they have entered the pool. In emergency situations, such as when a child accidentally falls into a pool, knowing how to swim can buy See

INSIDER on page 26

How drownings impact the community BY THE CITY OF CHANDLER

Fatal drownings are a terrible tragedy, and when they occur, they leave a lasting impact on the community that is not easily forgotten. For Chandler’s first responders, this fact is especially true. Keith Welch, a battalion chief with the Chandler Fire Department, emphasized drownings are some of the most personally difficult incidents first responders have to experience. “I have been on a few drowning calls in my career,” Welch said “I can tell you personally, they are the ones that stick with you.” Because drownings are preventable, often happen to children and can occur when guardians are least expecting it, the emotional toll of shock and devastation is extremely high. “From my perspective as a battalion chief, I am responsible for talking to the parents or the adult on a scene when something like this happens,” Welch said. “Having to see it in the parent’s face when they are told that a child has passed away or is not breathing because

fire stations sound a different siren tone to alert the crew they are heading to a drowning. “Hearing that siren go off instantly lets us know the nature of the call,” Welch said. “It heightens our awareness, allows us to talk about what we’re going to do while moving, and enables us Barriers around the pool, such as pool fences with to respond immediately self-closing and latching gates, can help prevent children as we step off the truck from accidentally accessing water without proper superviwith a detailed plan.” sion. (City of Chandler) Throughout Arizona, drownings are on of drowning, it really impacts us,” he the rise. The COVID-19 added. “We can’t easily move on from pandemic directly impacted drowning those types of calls.” numbers; the state saw a 300 percent Parents, families, friends, schools and increase in drownings in 2020 over 2019. every segment of the community are With more families working and deeply affected by a fatal drowning. spending time at home, more kids “It’s absolutely devastating,” Welch home from school and more distracsaid. “It is really such a hard way to lose tions for parents, children had more someone.” access to unsupervised water. Because of the extreme time-sen“COVID really hit the drowning comsitivity of a drowning call, Chandler munity significantly across the board,”

Chamberlain said. Unfortunately, predictions indicate the rising trend may not quickly turn around as life returns to normal. In 2020, more people purchased backyard and pop-up pools than ever before. According to Jessica Chamberlain, lead of Chandler Aquatics’ “Water You Doing” safety campaign, more pools and less education could lead to a continued spike in incidents of drowning. While many incidents of drowning involve children, Chandler’s Fire Department responds to more adult drowning incidents each year than many people would think to assume. Adult drowning cases are most likely due to medical emergencies in the water, alcohol consumption or a combination of the two. “We don’t recommend adults swim alone, even if they are seasoned swimmers,” Welch said. “You never know what could happen and when you may need help.” For more resources on water safety and drowning prevention for children and adults, visit chandleraz.gov/WaterYouDoing.

THE SUNDAY SANTAN SUN NEWS | MAY 23, 2021

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campaign, “Water You Doing” emphasizes awareness and prevention at all times. On May 15, members of Chandler Aquatics, Police and Fire visited around 4,000 homes for the annual

Water Walk. This year, the team visited southwest Chandler, distributing water safety information on door hangers and speaking with residents about staying safe in the water. The Chandler Police Department and

Code Enforcement division have joined the water safety campaign to encourage more awareness from every angle. Chandler Police now offer water safety information at its Guardian Academy classes for prospective legal guardians and encourage the ABCs of Water Safety at all neighborhood crime prevention meetings. Code enforcement teams distribute water safety information during pool fence inspections. For more information or training at home, Chandler Aquatics offers free virtual how-to videos on teaching bathtub skills for children. Bathtub skills can get children comfortable in and around water. They can also help get your child ready for swim lessons or keep their swimming skills fresh during the off-season. Talking to children at home about water safety can help open a dialogue and help parents gauge gaps in safety knowledge among children. Quizzing children on “what would you do” scenarios involving pool accidents and emergency protocol can be a step towards safety and peace of mind. Resources are available at chandleraz.gov/WaterYouDoing.

She added, “That’s a bill that seems to be dead,” though she added it “could always come back before the session ends.” Weninger said he gave “an impassioned speech” to his colleagues for Mesnard’s bill and that the outcome “was really disappointing.” “It essentially was the League of Cities on one side, who was influence,” he said. “Now, like JD said, a lot of people just don’t want any regulation, but on the other side, it was the influence of the League of Cities saying, ‘it’s not good enough.’” Weninger said Mesnard’s bill would have addressed the short-term rentals that become party houses and neighborhood nuisances. “This bill fixed the party house and you could have literally taken some-

one’s license away,” he said. The legislators discussed a variety of other issues, including the proposal now making its way through the Legislature for a flat 2.5 percent state income tax. Municipalities contend they will lose millions of dollars in shared tax revenue if a flat tax is imposed. “We do think that there needs to be some major tax reform to really help us compete against these other states,” Weninger said. But Pawlick said, “One concern that I have that I’ve heard from our cities is that it will really impact the shared revenue that the cities operate their budgets on to the tune of almost 30 percent of their budget. And I’m very concerned that that will impact the cities’ ability to pay for public safety.” Mesnard noted that the state’s

current surplus is four times the size of any state budget surplus in Arizona’s history. And he boasted of the tax reform’s potential impact. “I am optimistic,” he said. “We’re going to do something pretty big, pretty spectacular. Actually, something that will get us national recognition.” He also said, “I’ve spoken with the mayors and others about the impact on the cities and we’re going to do what we can to mitigate that.” But he noted that the state’s budget surplus now totals $12 billion – “which is outrageous.” He also said “the cities also are sitting on some money” from the measure that legalized recreational pot “and that will also be leading to more revenue for public safety.”

Avenue cannot participate in streetside dining. Niels Kreipke, owner of Desert Viking, said there are several restaurants around downtown that have already invested thousands of dollars in building permanent patio spaces and must now compete with nearby businesses utilizing the street-side patios. “These temporary patios take away customers and overall business from those businesses that had invested in the very expensive permanent patios,” Kreipke explained. Kreipke said he supports extending street-side dining for a couple months, but doesn’t believe the program is warranted now that restaurants can return to serving at their full capacity.

“Additional time beyond the short extension has mixed support at best and, frankly, creates unfair advantages to those businesses who have gained extra seating and business with minimal to no cost to their businesses,” Kreipke added. Another regulation Chandler is planning to phase out soon has allowed local businesses to put up signs and advertisements indefinitely without applying for a permit. Last March, City Council passed a resolution that eliminated some of the rules businesses must follow for posting outdoor signs. The goal was to make it easier for business owners to promote new services during the pandemic, such as curbside pickup or home delivery.

The city plans to reinstate its old rules by October and will attempt to educate businesses about the changes before enforcing the sign codes. Chandler intends to continue allowing its city manager to greenlight applications for liquor license extensions, which was a change made at the start of the pandemic. In an attempt to assist bars and restaurants, the city had streamlined its application process for businesses wanting to expand the areas where their staff serve alcohol. The city plans to start charging fees again for extension requests, but will continue letting its city manager authorize applications in order to speed up the process.

from page 24

lifesaving time until an adult can intervene. Additionally, if a non-fatal drowning incident leaves someone in need of immediate medical attention, knowing proper CPR can help administer crucial aid until first responders arrive at the scene. Chandler residents can access swimming lessons and CPR classes through Chandler Recreation. What are some of the causes of this urgent public health issue in the state of Arizona? According to Chamberlain, the state’s high number of pools coupled with nationwide low access to safety-prevention information, makes swimmers especially vulnerable here. “The numbers show that a child in Arizona is twice as likely to die from drowning as a child from another state,” Chamberlain said. “It is a public safety epidemic we don’t talk about as much as vaccines or car injuries, even though the issue is equally or even more severe.” The City’s multifaceted water safety

LEGISLATORS

from page 23

“Would it have addressed every issue? No, but you don’t sacrifice the 90 percent for the 10 percent unless it’s some sort of power issue. And so that was very frustrating. I don’t know what’s going to happen in the future but that was a disappointment.” Pawlik said she and Weninger had pushed Mesnard’s bill in the House but to no avail. “When it came over to the House, both Representative Weninger and I were advocating for the bill because we know how much it means to our community to have some regulation with short-term rentals,” she said, stating “the bill failed miserably.”

CODES

THE SUNDAY SANTAN SUN NEWS | MAY 23, 2021

from page 21

to be a valuable amenity for customers worried about staying safe while out in public. “The outdoor street dining program has been absolutely pivotal in creating healthy and safe dining spaces for our community and a new opportunity for our business to sustain itself,” Jacobs said. But the outdoor dining has not been favored by everyone, since some see the city’s lenient rules as being unfair to some businesses. Desert Viking, a real estate firm that has refurbished many of Chandler’s downtown buildings, highlighted how restaurants positioned along Arizona

t? o G ws Ne

Residents can access swimming lessons for all age and skill levels through Chandler Recreation. (City of Chandler)

Contact Paul C Contact Paul P l Maryniak Maryniak M y i k at at 480-898-5647 480 898 5647 or or pmaryniak@timespublications.com p pmaryniak@timespublications.com pmaryniak@timespublications y i k@ i p bli i com

COMMUNITY NEWS

THE SUNDAY SANTAN SUN NEWS | MAY 23, 2021

Waymo minivan gets stubborn in Chandler SANTAN SUN NEWS STAFF

Video footage recently posted online appears to show a Waymo self-driving minivans getting confused and holding up traffic on a street in Chandler. Joel Johnson, who manages a YouTube account of Waymo-related videos, recorded a recent ride in one of Waymo’s vehicles that ended with an employee having to take over controlling the autonomous vehicle. Johnson’s video offered a rare glimpse into how Waymo’s employees react when one of its vehicles simply stops running before reaching its final destination. The trouble began when the Waymo car refused to make a right turn onto Dobson Road due to some construction cones that had been placed along the street. After waiting at the intersection for a few minutes, the minivan started moving again and turned onto Dobson Road. The minivan didn’t get far before it stopped again in the middle of the road, forcing other motorists to drive around it. A Waymo employee called Johnson from inside the vehicle and the two waited for the company’s roadside assistance team to get to the immobile vehicle. Before help could arrive, the vehicle started up and proceeded to drive down Dobson Road.

A Waymo minivan like the one pictured above made international news when it got confused and stopped in the middle of a Chandler street earlier this month. (File photo)

“I don’t even know what’s going on anymore,” Johnson’s heard saying as the car took off. The minivan abruptly halted again near the Carla Vista Drive intersection after coming across another set of construction cones. “It really does not like those cones,” Johnson remarked. A Waymo employee eventually reached Johnson’s vehicle and hopped in to assist the vehicle until the end of the ride. Johnson, who has recorded more than 50 rides in a Waymo vehicle, noticed how out of character it was

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behaving on Dobson Road. “This has been a very fun turn of events,” said Johnson, who was not charged by Waymo for his chaotic trip. Johnson later said this Waymo trip was notably unique compared to all the others he’s experienced around Chandler. The purpose of recording his Waymo trips, Johnson explained, is to provide an educational resource that could objectively document how Waymo’s vehicles operate. “I started because it seemed like there was a lack of quality content showing the capabilities of the technology and I like to make videos,” Johnson added. “I’m not

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financially associated with Waymo in any way--it’s just a hobby.” In a statement released by Waymo, the company claimed the car’s bizarre behavior during Johnson’s trip was caused by some miscommunication given by employees who were monitoring the ride. “During that interaction the fleet response team provided incorrect guidance, which made it challenging for the Waymo Driver to resume its intended route,” the company said, “and required Waymo’s roadside assistance team to complete the trip.” Waymo further acknowledged that Johnson’s trip was “not ideal,” but insisted the vehicle operated safely until assistance arrived. “Our team has already assessed the event and improved our operational process,” the company added. Chandler has been home to Waymo’s Arizona headquarters for the last six years and regularly has the company’s self-driving white minivans circulating around its streets. The company’s fleet only operates within a 100-square-mile territory in the East Valley. Up until last year, Waymo had been having employees ride alongside customers in its vehicles to serve as backup drivers before deciding to have them operate completely on their own.

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THE SUNDAY SANTAN SUN NEWS | MAY 23, 2021

This home at 350 Yellowstone Way in Fulton Ranch in April sold for $1.23 million. Built in 2010, the 4,164-square-foot home has four bedrooms and three-and-a-half baths. It boasts a large walk-in pantry in the gourmet kitchen and a spacious backyard with an intriguing water feature. (Special to SanTan Sun News)

No end in sight as home prices skyrocket inventory of re-sale homes, rising prices and strong demand. The slim hope is found in Cromford’s market index, which takes a variety of data and assigns a number to each of 17 cities that indicates whether the market in each municipality is tilting favorably to sellers or buyers. The good news about its latest index: that number has fallen by more than 10 percent in some Valley cities. Cromford’s market index slipped 9 percent in Chandler. “We see declines of 10 percent or more in Avondale, Cave Creek, Phoenix, Tempe, Gilbert, Queen Creek, Peoria and Maricopa over the last month. The average change for the 17 cities is -6.6 percent, a somewhat greater decline than last week’s -5.8 percent,” it said. The bad news: The index number for all those cities ranges between 325 and 794, indicating the market still favors buyers by a country mile. In Chandler, for example, Cromford’s market index stands at 533.3 – far above the 100 mark that indicates a

BY PAUL MARYNIAK Executive Editor

Homeowners in Phoenix and throughout the Valley are seeing the value of their homes skyrocket – and right now there’s no ceiling in sight. The Cromford Report – which tracks the Valley housing market daily – expressed so much amazement over the fact that home values increased 35 percent in the last year that it suggested a game of sorts. “Last year on Sept. 5 we made the comment that as far as home price appreciation goes, you ain’t see nuthin’ yet,” the report said. “Now we are really seeing something as we head over 35 percent and beyond. Anyone care to forecast the highest percentage we will see?” For those who are looking for a house, Cromford’s latest data offered slim hopes for any significant change in the trends that have dominated the Valley market – and most others in the country – for more than a year. That means more of the same: low

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balanced market between sellers and buyers. Cromford said the downward trend in its market index “is caused mainly by an increase in supply.” “The decline in demand that we reported for the last seven weeks is petering out in most areas and some are seeing a slight rebound,” it said. “When supply is extremely low, as is the case in 2021, a small increase in active listings is a large change in percentage terms and can make a big difference to the Cromford Market index.” To further dash buyers’ hopes, it added, “The overall CMI stands at 467, which is the same level we measured in mid-January. The difference is that in January it was on a rising trend, while in May it is falling.” Prices also continue to soar. For the first time in history, Cromford said, the average price of a home in Phoenix is $500,000 – 30 percent above the $390,000 average posted a year ago. Average price per square foot also

has risen dramatically in all Valley municipalities. For example, in Chandler, the average square foot price of a home is $206.13, according to Cromford. That’s 14.6 percent increase over the $180.03 squarefoot price in Chandler in May 2020. Paradise Valley has the highest square foot price at $490.07 – 11.8 percent above the May 2020 price of $438 .38, Cromford reported. The six municipalities with the lowest square foot prices are all in Pinal County, it added, with Coolidge at the bottom with $116.06 – up by 18.1 percent over the May 2020 average of $98.21. Adding to buyers’ frustration may be another bit of data Cromford reported: Closings are coming in at an average 2 to 3 percent above list price. “April saw many closings at record high percentages of list price,” it said, noting that those closing prices are also well above the previous peak in 2005, when closings were coming in at about See

MARKET on page 29

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THE SUNDAY SANTAN SUN NEWS | MAY 23, 2021

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from page 28

98 percent of list price. Cromford also reported that its analysis of April home sales data for Maricopa County showed closings were 48 percent higher than April 2020. The 11,984 closings included 10,468 re-sales and 1,516 new-builds. The overall median sales price was $376,000, with $395,452 for new builds and $375,000 for re-sales. Cromford said, “The overall median was up 19.4 percent from a year ago with new builds up only 8.9 percent and re-sales up 24.6 percent.” “We note that re-sale prices are still accelerating much faster than newbuild prices,” it said. “Despite some evidence of buyer fatigue, there are so

few active listings that every re-sale is effectively an emotion-packed auction process resulting in a majority of sales closing for more than the asking price. “New homes usually do not sell for more than the list price. They sell at the list price and builders get to charge premiums for nicer lots and optional extras. Despite these opportunities, the homebuilders still seem unable to raise their prices fast enough to match the upward speed of the re-sale market.” It also said that new-home buyers who can get a fixed price in their contract probably will have a home worth more than that by the time it’s built. “Although they are leaving money on the table, homebuilders’ profitability has rarely been higher than it is today. This is despite huge increases in many of their costs, especially lumber,” Cromford said.

This chart shows the trajectory of home values so far this year. (Cromford Report)

Don’t fall for curbside home sale pitches BY PATRICIA CAIN Guest Writer

You all have done it. You are driving down the road and notice a vague sign posted on a street corner, written in sharpie that reads, “We Buy Houses.” Each time you drive past one of those, you begin to wonder what kind of shady business someone is running. Or it will leave you wondering: What if? What if I could just sell my home, not have to fuss over repairs, and wash my hands of the headache? Could it really be that easy? It is never that easy. At RE/MAX Ascend Realty, a local brokerage in Scottsdale that specializes in residential home sales, I have noticed enough of these signs trending over the years and advise their clients why they should run the other direction. Sadly, most homeowners do not realize they are being exploited by accepting an instant offer. They are not armed with the knowledge that their

equity is going to slip right through the cracks of their fingers. Imagine the elderly woman, having no options to make ends meet other than to sell her home. Or how about the father of four who just lost his job due to the pandemic and desperately needs to feed his family? Both scenarios feature an overwhelmed homeowner, thinking about the fastest way to come up with a large sum of money, so they can again feel safe. Selling their home and putting

the equity they have spent years and years building directly into their pocket is life-changing for the average person. Real estate agents are obligated to disclose their commissions, and in fact, the Board of Realtors requires agents to disclose, disclose and disclose some more. The same cannot be said about those who issue these instant offers. They are definitely not looking out for the best interest of the homeowner, like a Realtor would. They’re only concerned with putting the equity in their own pocket. This begs the question: Why are more people, both homeowners and agents, not talking about this? Why are these people not obligated to disclose where all of these funds are going? As a result, the general public stays uneducated on what they are actually facing when accepting these offers.

I decided it was time to start talking about this on a scale that would make the biggest impact. This is where real estate agents come in. An agent’s job is to help people. An agent will educate homeowners on how to obtain repairs on their home and pay nothing until closing. Who knew? There is an unfortunate stigma floating around about how agents don’t do anything for their paycheck, which is simply untrue. Agents do more for you than collect a commission with minimal effort. Agents: Do not collect a paycheck without a successful closing; handle negotiations on your behalf; have access to contractors that can assist in preparing homes to obtain the highest value; provide updates on the current market trends; disclose what their income really is, and the difference between profit vs. commission; prepare documents/ contracts on your behalf. Reach Realtor Patricia Cain at ascend.realty or 4810-292-7200.

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REAL ESTATE

THE SUNDAY SANTAN SUN NEWS | MAY 23, 2021

Court ruling may doom eviction ban BY CHRIS ZARDA Guest Writer

The federal government has passed and extended various pieces of legislation and deferred to federal agency rulemaking authority to stifle landlords’ ability to evict tenants who are delinquent on their rent payments. On March 13, 2020, then-President Trump signed the CARES Act into law which included a 120-day eviction moratorium with respect to rental properties that participated in federal assistance programs. On Aug. 8, 2020, he issued an executive order directing HHS and the CDC to consider whether measures temporarily halting residential evictions of tenants for failure to pay rent were reasonably necessary to prevent the further spread of COVID-19. The CDC on Sept. 4, issued the infamous “Temporary Halt in Residential Evictions to Prevent the Further Spread of COVID-19,” creating a moratorium on essentially all residential evictions due to lack of rent payment which was to sunset Dec. 31. The CDC order was extended through Jan. 31, 2021, then through March 31 and finally through June 30. Now, U.S. District Courts are issuing

orders challenging the propriety of the CDC order across all 50 states. The U.S. Judiciary comprises 667 individual federal district court judges who in the 1960’s began issuing rulings on pieces of federal legislation, usually in the form of a “universal” or “nationwide” injunction that oftentimes found a federal statute, administrative rule or executive order to be impermissible and unenforceable, not just with respect to the parties appearing before

the given court, but unenforceable across the country. Parties disagreeing with such a ruling could appeal first to the appropriate federal appellate court and then, if still unsatisfied, seek review by the Supreme Court. Challengers to the CDC order are no exception, as recent decisions by federal courts in Tennessee, Ohio and Texas have each found it exceeded the statutory authority of the Public Health

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Service Act. Yet, none purported to be an outright invalidation of the CDC order. That changed on May 5, in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, which vacated the entirety of the CDC order, effective nationwide, holding: The question for the Court is a narrow one: Does the Public Health Service Act grant the CDC the legal authority to impose a nationwide eviction moratorium? It does not. Because the plain language of the Public Health Service Act… unambiguously forecloses the nationwide eviction moratorium, the Court must set aside the CDC Order, consistent with the Administrative Procedure Act.” The CDC immediately filed an emergency motion to stay to permit the CDC to appeal the ruling to the appellate court. The district court judge entered a narrow, limited stay order, holding: “This Minute Order should not be construed in any way as a ruling on the merits of the defendants’ motion. … Where a court concludes that an agency has exceeded its statutory authority, as this Court has done here, vacatur of the rule is the proper remedy in this Circuit. Based on this clear authority, courts in this Circuit do not restrict vacatur only to those plaintiffs before the Court.” Stated otherwise, the court has ruled that the CDC order far exceeded the narrow authority properly exercised by the CDC such that it is vacated entirely, with the only catch being the court has temporarily paused its ruling to allow the CDC to argue its motion asking the court to stay the order while the CDC prosecutes its appeal. If stay is denied, the official rule across the land will be that the CDC order no longer prohibits residential landlords from evicting tenants in arrears, although there still may be enacted state laws providing tenants additional protections from eviction. Such a ruling is entirely consistent with federal district court jurisprudence. While various Justices have challenged a district court’s authority to universally strike down a federal law, the U.S. Supreme Court has yet to find federal district courts lack such power. Accordingly, should the D.C. Circuit Court refuse to stay its order pending the CDC’s appeal, the CDC order will be deemed stricken in its entirety and, absent pertinent state law, residential evictions may be resumed. Chris Zarda is an attorney with MacQueen & Gottlieb PLC, one of the state’s top real estate law firms. If you have a question about the CDC eviction order, contact him at 602-5332840 or info@mandglawgroup.com.

THE SUNDAY SANTAN SUN NEWS | MAY 23, 2021

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THE SUNDAY SANTAN SUN NEWS | MAY 23, 2021

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Wedding show highlights pandemic’s impact on nuptials BY PAUL MARYNIAK Executive Editor

As the wedding industry emerges from its pandemic slump, businesses and betrothed alike are reinventing ceremonies and celebrations to a large extent. No longer are there only ceremonies. Mini-monies follow micro-weddings while sequel-monies are bigger receptions that are scheduled the following year. Whether plated or buffet, reception meals are different and guests who belly up to the bar for a cocktail likely will be pouring everything themselves except for the booze. And couples may have to move off a traditional Saturday for a wedding if they want to tie the knot this year. These and other pandemic impacts on the wedding industry – and how they affect couples – are part of the first biennial Arizona Wedding Show in a year and a half. Kim Horn of Ahwatukee, one of the world’s few certified master wedding planners who helps organize this longtime event, said that couples also will be able to check out 175 matrimony-re-

Master Wedding Planer Kim Horn says the pandemic impacted weddings in many ways. (Special to SanTan Sun News)

lated vendors. And like most everything else in wedding world, the show is bending to COVID-19: attendees must be masked and their number will be limited at any given point through timed tickets. Although future brides and their entourage could try on gowns at previous

Bride Cailee Schreck is dressed in an Avancy Bridal gown. (FaithandCody.com/Special to SanTan Sun News)

shows, that won’t be happening. The show – which was canceled both times last year – will run 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. June 6 at the Convention Center’s South Building in downtown Phoenix. Tickets, which are $8 now or $10 on June 6, will not be sold at the door and must be purchased at arizonaweddingshow.com. That ticket also entitles one lucky couple to win a package with big discounts on gowns, tuxes, venue, DJ, photography, invitations and décor – courtesy of the vendors. Horn said the ebbing of the pandemic has “basically unleashed everything” in her professional world. Think train wreck when it comes to a popular venue or a specific date. “Put it this way,” Horn explained. “Almost half the couples last year that we’re getting scheduled to get married See

WEDDINGS on page 37

Chandler drone business ready to lift off BY PAUL MARYNIAK Executive Editor

A Chandler pilot is taking his passion for drone technology and turning it into a new enterprise for industries in need of aerial imagery. Michael Clark, 37, launched Valley Drone Solutions a few months ago with the goal of providing clients the type of wide-ranging, bird’s eye-view images that can only be captured by a hovering drone. A Realtor needing some dramatic landscape shots of a big property could potentially call on Clark to fly one of his drones for a photo shoot. Or an outdoor enthusiast looking to document a hike through the Superstition Mountains can contract with Clark to capture moments from hard-toreach angles. The types of projects involving drones continue to grow and expand, Clark said, which continues to offer new opportunities for his emerging business. In the beginning, Clark had thought his drones would mainly be used by the real estate industry for marketing purposes. But drastic changes in the market have recently reduced the demand for sellers to need glossy images of their homes. “Since the housing market is so hot right now,” Clark noted, “there’s really no need for those drone pictures and videos.”

Chandler pilot Michael Clark launched Valley Drone Solutions in the belief that overhead photography will become a popular sales tool for many businesses. (Pablo Robles/Staff Photographer)

Now the business is pivoting toward using drones to document the construction progress of various industrial projects and collecting real-time data that can be helpful to the builders. Clark said his drones can be used to conduct photogrammetry, the process of using two-dimensional images to make precise measurements of physical objects and spaces. Clark’s drones can take hundreds of snapshots of a piece of property and those images can later be analyzed

by Clark to create 3-D models of the project site. It can be more efficient for builders and planners to rely on a scaled-down model, Clark explained, since they can save time on taking measurements by hand at the actual site. “You can get the accuracy down to the centimeter-level with certain practices,” he said about his 3-D models. A native of Ohio, Clark has spent most of his professional career working in the aviation industry. After earning

a degree from Purdue University, Clark moved around the country until a job at Honeywell brought him to the Phoenix area, which seemed like a suitable area for the young professional to settle down. Clark additionally earned a master’s degree last year in unmanned aerial systems, which has enhanced his technical knowledge of the drone industry. When the pandemic started last March, Clark felt some uncertainty about his future job prospects and began brainstorming ideas for ways to capitalize on his aeronautical knowledge. Flying drones had long been a hobby for him, so it seemed like he might be able to turn his pastime into a new business venture. Drones have the capacity to make various supply chains and delivery systems more efficient, Clark noted, so their relevance is becoming more ubiquitous. According to the Federal Aviation Administration, there are more than 873,500 drones currently registered throughout the country and more than half of them are used for recreational purposes. The drone services market is forecast to be worth $63 billion by 2025, according to Insider Intelligence, due to a growing demand for drones in the agricultural, industrial, and government See

DRONES on page 38

BUSINESS

THE SUNDAY SANTAN SUN NEWS | MAY 23, 2021

Downtown Chandler gets a new neighbor SANTAN SUN NEWS STAFF

There’s a new neighbor in downtown Chandler and the developers say it will become a standard by which future office buildings will be judged. George Oliver completed what the company’s partners call an “experiential office transformation,” with The Alexander at 25 S. Arizona Place. The 112,000-square-foot office building debuted with a surge in leasing activity, said a spokeswoman, attributing that to a “thoughtfully curated amenity package” with the goals of delivering “the next-generation office environment.” “At The Alexander, we prioritized the amenities that will encourage employees to come back to the office,” said Managing Partner Curt Kremer. ““The pandemic dramatically shifted how both employees and employers view the workplace,” he continued, adding, “With The Alexander, we’re putting the traditional office behind us – replacing it with wellness-inspired programming, collaborative workspaces and a sense of personal growth that you won’t find in other Class A office

The lobby at the Alexander has a “wow factor” that tenants appreciate when trying to recruit employees. (Courtesy of George Oliver)

environments and that will allow our tenants to benefit from these new demand drivers.” According to Kremer, employers are looking for a workplace advantage to solve their recruiting and retention needs.

He said small companies that can’t build their own building with a plethora of amenities can achieve this at The Alexander, which operates like a campus with shared amenities and programming. This allows its tenants to compete on a larger scale when recruiting employees. The amenities include a wellness-yoga studio with interactive equipment, a Kaleidoscope organic juice and coffee bar with lounge style seating and breakout areas, outdoor areas designed for private tranquil seating and communal meetings, a library for focused tasks, a billiards room, a 50-person training center with outdoor seating and a hospitality bar, a dog-friendly patio, a mother’s room, and an onsite concierge to program events and manage daily tenant needs. The building offers touchless accesOne of The Alexander’s amenities is a yoga/mindfulness room where employees can take a breather and relieve some tension. (Courtesy of George Oliver)

sibility with 10-foot sliding glass entry doors, motion sensor restroom doors and fixtures and touchless drinking fountains. It also has an upgraded HVAC system and elevators to optimize air quality and functionality. The Alexander is anchored by a longterm lease to First Credit Union. It also has leased 13,417 square feet to Neighborhood Loans, 7,426 square feet to NOVA Home loans, 4,596 square feet to Sandoval Design and Marketing and 2,524 square feet to North & Co. “Buildings offering a dynamic workplace experience like the The Alexander are getting the lion’s share of attention from tenants and are the ones signing the most leases in the market today,” said JLL Managing Director Ryan Timpani, who serves as The Alexander’s exclusive leasing broker along with JLL Senior Associate Nick Bialkowski. Adjacent to The Alexander, George Oliver is finalizing renovations on a sister building, The Johnathan. Renovations will be complete this summer and will include façade upgrades, a new landscape scheme and lobby and restroom upgrades. It also features a complementary amenity package on the ground floor, including a green-room for tenants to utilize for video and podcast productions, a 35-person training room, tenant lounge, mother’s room, and meditation room. Tenants at The Alexander and The Johnathan will have exclusive access to both buildings’ amenities through a shared access agreement. Colton Trauter of Lee & Associates is the exclusive leasing broker for The Johnathan. The Alexander and The Johnathan are part of a growing local portfolio of notable George Oliver projects, including CASA in Phoenix’s Uptown neighborhood, Lofts at The District in North Scottsdale and the just-announced Hayden Station office transformation in downtown Tempe. Information: AlexanderJohnathan.com.

Televeda helped Chandler reach seniors BY KEVIN REAGAN Staff Writer

When the pandemic began to shut down the city last spring and close public facilities, Chandler was already equipped to quickly adapt its recreational services over to a digital audience. A year-long partnership with Televeda, an Arizona-based software business, was enabling the city to host online activities for home-hound residents long before it became necessary for local governments to offer its services virtually. Yoga, dance, art, and science classes have been transferred onto Televeda’s video platform – allowing students to participate safely from the comfort of

The city used Televeda to broadcast physical fitness sessions to home-bound residents/ (Special to SanTan Sun News)

their own homes. “I think Chandler was really 10 steps ahead of the curve,” said Shruti Gurudanti, one of Televeda’s founders. The partnership with Televeda was formed a couple months before the pandemic halted the city recreational services, positioning Chandler to swiftly pivot over to a digital format. Shortly after elected officials executed stay-at-home orders, the Chandler Parks and Recreation Department collaborated with Televeda to create “ChandlerRec Live,” a virtual recreation center that offered a full calendar of live programs for residents of all ages. “When the pandemic hit, Chandler was already prepared,” Gurudanti added. “They knew exactly how to reach See

TELEVEDA on page 37

BUSINESS

THE SUNDAY SANTAN SUN NEWS | MAY 23, 2021

WEDDINGS

from page 35

rescheduled their date to 2021. Many have been rescheduled to fall.” “Then you have all of the new people who got engaged last year and are looking at having their wedding in the fall of 2021 too,” she continued. And naturally, most want a Saturday wedding, prompting Horn to reflect, “It’s insane because you only have so many Saturdays.” As a result, wedding planners like Horn are prodding couples to think other days of the week for their nuptials. Like Friday – “Then you get the reception out of the way and you have the whole weekend to relax and visit with family and friends.” Or Sunday, though, “you have the whole weekend to be stressed.” Or even Monday through Thursday – which could save couples a lot of money from vendors all too willing to make some money on what would be a typically dead day, Horn advised. The venue operators themselves have their own stresses – starting with the fact that resorts and restaurants can’t find enough people to work. That’s a big reason why Gov. Doug Ducey last week said the supplemental $300 in unemployment pay will end July 10 and why two weeks ago he rescinded his pandemic order that had relaxed the requirement to prove people are diligently searching for a job if they want to receive the state’s $240 in weekly unemployment compensation. In rescinding the extra $300-a-week, Ducey specifically cited the difficulty that restaurants, bars and the like are having finding wait staff, bartenders, cooks and other employees. Arizona Grand General Manager Paul Gray can testify to the wedding challenge. “As larger gatherings become safer, inquiries for more traditional weddings

TELEVEDA

from page 36

out to people.” Televeda was launched in 2018 with the mission of building a virtual platform that could help senior citizens find easy ways to connect with others. Gurudanti said the company’s inspiration stemmed from observing how lonely and withdrawn her grandparents appeared to be the older they got. “We wanted to build something that can be easily used by our grandparents,” she said. “We really want to solve the problem of isolation and loneliness among seniors.” Loneliness among seniors has become an increasingly bigger problem over the last year and public health experts worry the long-term isolation will eventually have serious health impacts on America’s older demographics. About 56 percent of older adults have reported feeling isolated during the pandemic, according to a University of Michigan survey. That’s nearly double the rate seen a couple years earlier in a similar poll. Televeda’s name is a hybrid of two

are definitely coming back,” Gray said. “Many couples that had to cancel in 2020 and chose to wait are now itching to throw their dream wedding. “We are currently working aggressively to hire new and returning staff in just about every area of operations to meet current and future demand.” Horn added, “A lot of the resorts that I’ve talked to are having a really hard time getting cooks back because they went off and found something else.” The venues themselves have changed their operations to some degree to be in step with the times. “Everything is very different,” Horn said. “The plated meal is very different. The buffet is very different. Now we have the stations with acrylic dividers so if someone sneezes and doesn’t sneeze in their elbow, the food is covered.” Even attire has been impacted, though, of course, new fashions still remain a big consideration, COVID-19 be damned. Couture wedding gowns feature ruffles, high slits and varied necklines, Horn said, adding that mix and match bridesmaid dresses for style and color to accent body shape are a big thing. “The groom now can choose from designer suits and tuxes in bold colors with pocket squares and accessories to highlight their personality,” Horn added. Micro-weddings for up to 50 people are still a big thing, so as a result, she said, “floral and succulents have a specific color palette in lieu of a specific flower based on what’s in season and available.” And while many pandemic restrictions have been lifted, cautious couples are still seeking outdoor venues for weddings – putting even more demand on venues for cooler fall wedding dates. All of which means, Horn said, is that what “couples should be looking at is flexibility.” “If they call a venue and they love that venue and this is the venue that I

want, they are normally going to save money if they switch to an off-premium date.” Nonetheless, Horn said, the pandemic hasn’t taken the thrill or the traditional stress out of a couple’s big day. And that’s what makes the Arizona Wedding Show so useful, she said. “We have venues. We have invitations. We have dress shops. We have

wedding planners. We have DJ’s. We have live music. There are suits and tux rentals. There are florists, weight loss clinics and hair and makeup, rental companies.” Asked if she added any type of vendor specifically because of the pandemic, Horn replied “We’re not really adding any vendors but we are adding more people doing sanitation.”

words meaning “communicate” and “wisdom,” which helps to illustrate the company’s mantra as being an “exchange of insight.” Gurudanti said the company has several partnerships with museums and educational organizations across the country that allow their customers

“People were able to talk to the ensemble at the end of the concert,” she said. “Some really great interactions, which otherwise would have been very hard to do for a population that cannot leave their house.” Andy Bass, the city’s community services director, said promoting virtual

alike in keeping boredom at bay and helping them thrive.” Over the past year, Televeda has seen a steady uptick in demand for its services from municipalities and businesses scrambling to transition their operations to a virtual audience. Gurudanti said the company has been marketing itself as an efficient tool that can go beyond what other video applications have to offer. Televeda’s platform provides automated data tracking, customizable calendars and a layout designed to be accessible for all users. Televeda has already begun to form partnerships with other cities throughout the Valley and is currently working with Banner Health, one of Arizona’s biggest health care providers, to offer virtual programming to elder patients. Last summer, Televeda won a $50,000 grant from the Greater Phoenix Economic Council to provide more programming to residents in nursing homes and expand their services to other states. “Our plan is to grow to other cities, work with more senior centers and hospital centers,” Gurudanti added.

Cailee Schreck’s gown features what Horn calls “gorgeous beaded detail on the back.” (IFaithandCody.com/Special to SanTan Sun News)

We wanted to build something that can be easily “ used by our grandparents, we really want to solve the problem of isolation and loneliness among seniors. ”

– Shruti Gurudanti

to take virtual tours of art galleries or historic places. During the pandemic, the city was able to use Televeda’s platform to broadcast a live concert put on by the Chandler Symphony Orchestra last summer. Gurudanti said the event was well attended and allowed an intimate moment for musicians to communicate virtually with their audience.

events like the symphony have been important for Chandler because the city’s residents have expected a sense of normalcy during a chaotic time. “We’d rather continue to encourage play and exploration, with practical and enriching programming for which we are so well known,” Bass said last summer. “Our ‘Chandler at-home’ initiative is here to support children and adults

BUSINESS

DRONES

from page 35

sectors. As drones become increasingly prevalent in modern society, Clark thinks there will be a growing need for unmanned aerial vehicles to conduct a wide variety of tasks. Just in the last year, drones have found some new uses as Americans began self-isolating in their homes and needing a hands-free delivery service that could provide their groceries and packages. “Through the pandemic, there were a few areas with drones that have really

THE SUNDAY SANTAN SUN NEWS | MAY 23, 2021

can serve both commercial and creative projects. One of Clark’s most memorable jobs was an outdoor expedition with a client who wanted a drone to record his group’s hiking adventure. In a situation like this, Clark’s services weren’t just limited to flying the drone. He had to spend hours walking alongside the hikers, helping The use of drones is strictly regulated by the federal them navigate the wilderness government. (Pablo Robles/Staff) and survive the elements. “It wasn’t just going out and grown,” Clark noted. taking pictures,” Clark said. “It was beValley Drone Solutions is presently ing part of the group and helping out.” trying to provide a mix of services that

There are still many opportunities drone pilots like Clark can’t explore due to strict government regulations that are currently in place. The rules don’t allow for drones to fly beyond a pilot’s visual line of sight, meaning the vehicle can’t travel more than a couple miles from the pilot’s coordinates. “Once you’re allowed to fly beyond visual line of sight, you can send these things miles down the tracks or the power lines,” Clark said. As the federal regulations continue to evolve, the pilot expects his business to find new opportunities for drones to service the public.

Employment campaign features Chandler man SANTAN SUN NEWS STAFF

A Chandler man is the focus of a new drive to persuade employers to hire deaf people and the hard of hearing. The statewide employment campaign by the Arizona Commission for the Deaf and the Hard of Hearing is highlighting Andrew Cohen, who is blind and deaf Cohen is one of several individuals the agency is featuring in its effort to encourage businesses to hire within the Deaf and Hard of Hearing and deaf/ blind communities. Arizona has more than 1.1 individuals who are deaf, hard of hearing, and deafblind and workers within this group have been traditionally unemployed or underemployed on a large scale. “We are asking for employers to step forward with a willingness to hire from our community,” said Sherri Collins, executive director of ACDHH. “There are many talented individuals that just aren’t getting the chance they deserve. “We are looking to help employers create that opportunity through free

training provided by our agency, as well as through our jobs board.” Cohen is a software engineer with the Vanguard Group. DeafBlindness refers to a combined vision and hearing loss. Despite what many would consider severe limitations, Cohen thrives in his work at the Vanguard Group through a combination of interpreters and technology solutions to communicate in his daily activities. He said when looking for a job, despite being well-qualified, he had to submit hundreds of applications before getting a handful of interviews. “Discrimination is rarely an act of intent,” he says. “We cannot take it too personal. We don’t know what we don’t know. It takes conscious efforts to become open-minded and learn. “I get asked all the time on every little thing possible. How do I see? How can I communicate? It is much more beneficial to take the time to educate on various ways we can achieve goals together and build allyships.” Cohen, who has recently become a

Andrew Cohen commissioner with the ACDHH, says he got involved with the employment campaign to serve as an example that employers should consider all appli-

cants, despite any preconceived notions they might have about a disability. Collins, who is also deaf, said that employers need to remember that every candidate is looking for the same thing – an opportunity. “There are so many strong, qualified candidates for position in all walks of life in the deaf and hard of hearing community,” she said. “A person’s skills and qualifications should be why they are considered, not their level of hearing.” For more information on the Let’s Get To Work program, or to participate as an employer, visit changeyourperception.org. About the Arizona Commission for the Deaf and the Hard of Hearing The Commission is a national leader in the provision of communication access, support services and community empowerment throughout Arizona. The Commission provides communication access and support, distributes free equipment, serves as a resource and advocate, licenses American Sign Language interpreters and administers the Let’s Get to Work program.

Chandler urologist excited about her own practice SANTAN SUN NEWS STAFF

As the daughter of a German immigrant who became a self-made CPA, Dr. Lauren N. Byrne knows all about the challenges and hard work involved in setting out on your own. Her dad, now a retired CPA, has been her beacon as she prepares to launch her own urology practice in Chandler, called Desert Sky Urology. Her father “gives me great inspiration as I embark on my current venture,” said Byrne, whose mother was a teacher. Byrne and her husband, parents of three children under 10, moved to Chandler nine years ago and she immediately began practicing after her residency. “I have been part of two large urology groups,” she said. “I am now ready to run the practice in the way I have always imagined.” Born in Louisiana and raised in Colorado, Byrne graduated in 2001 from Cor-

Dr. Lauren N. Byrne nell College in Iowa, where she majored in English as well as biochemistry and molecular biology. In 2006 she earned her medical degree from the University of Colorado

Health Sciences Center, where she did a year-long surgery internship before heading to Case Western Reserve University Hospitals for a urology residency that spanned 2007-12. “I knew when I decided to go to medical school that I wanted to be a surgeon,” Byrne said. “I had no idea there were so many amazing surgical subspecialty options at that time. “ She gravitated to urology because she considers it “a great surgical field in which there are many large hospital surgical procedures and smaller in-office procedures and they can all have a drastic effect on patient quality of life.” “I love that I see patients from age 15 to 105,” Byrne said. “I love that I have patients that I see once and take care of their issue efficiently, I also have patients that need ongoing follow up that I have known since my first days in practice.” She has been so popular with patients that some “have sent me all of their family members, each of whom I see for very differing issues – which is

extremely rewarding to have that level of trust.” Byrne comes from a large family of educators and it’s the first physician in her family. And opening her practice in Chandler was only logical, she said. “We love living in Chandler and have no plans to leave,” Byrne said. “Chandler has a great patient population with a significant ongoing need for urologic care. I enjoy operating at our local hospitals and am credentialed at Chandler Regional Hospital, Mercy Gilbert Medical Center and the new Banner Ocotillo Medical Center.” “I have felt extremely supported by the community and my colleagues in the local area,” Byrne said.

Where to find her

Dr. Lauren N. Byrne 1076 W. Chandler Blvd., Ste. 108, Chandler 480-933-5557, desertskyurology.com

THE SUNDAY SANTAN SUN NEWS | MAY 23, 2021

For more community news visit SanTanSun.com

Chandler schools dominate state track & field meets BY ZACH ALVIRA Sports Editor

The start of the coronavirus pandemic last spring put many Chandler schools’ plans to defend their state track & field championships on hold. Chandler girls were forced to wait another year to attempt to capture their 14th state title in 15 years at the highest level, while the boys were also unable to compete for their fourth championship in five years. Valley Christian’s boys were also on pace for their third straight state title last spring. But the long break didn’t seem to have a negative effect on any of the programs overall as Chandler schools once again dominated the field across three divisions. The Wolves won both the boys and girls Division I titles while Casteel boys captured their second state championship overall and first in Division II. Valley Christian, meanwhile, won both the Division IV boys and girls titles. “There’s a lot of pressure on you See

TRACK on page 40

Valley Christian’s boys and girls track & field teams captured the Division IV state championships during the two-day meet. (Courtesy Valley Christian Athletics)

Casteel cruises to first-ever boys’ volleyball state title BY BRITTANY BOWYER Contributing Writer

It wasn’t long ago that the future of high school sports in Arizona was still up in the air. The winter sports season was postponed twice, cancelled and then given the green light with various restrictions. No fans aside from parents were allowed inside venues and masks had to be worn at all times. Fast forward to May 15 and the gym inside of Skyline High School was near full capacity for the 5A volleyball championship between top-ranked Casteel and No. 2 Cienega. Students packed the stands, sporting smiles for all to see and created an electric atmosphere that made Saturday’s title game feel like a “normal” sporting event. When play began, however, the buzz from fans of both schools quickly faded as Casteel went on to dominate Cienega to win the boys’ volleyball program’s first-ever state title, 3-0. Casteel jumped out to an early 5-2 lead but Cienega hung around throughout most of the first set. A net violation followed by back-to-back kills by Casteel seniors Dallon Hunt and Kyler Evans gave the Colts a jolt of energy to cruise to a 25-15 victory in the first set of the match. “(Evans) is just such a talented individual, such a great student-athlete,” Casteel coach Ryan Myen said. “I know when the ball is put his way, it’s going down almost every time… He’s just a leader, he’s a captain on this team, he has fire, emotion and he just does things the right way.” Cienega started the second set a little stronger and went back-and-forth

Left: Casteel’s boys’ volleyball program captured its first-ever state championship after knocking off No. 2 Cienega in the 5A championship game Saturday, May 15. (Courtesy of Arianna Grainey/Casteel Athletics) Right: Casteel senior Dallon Hunt (9) and senior Noah Solomonson celebrate after a point in Casteel’s dominating championship performance against Cienega on Saturday, May 15 in the 5A boys’ volleyball state title game. (Pablo Robles/Staff)

early on. However, consecutive aces from senior Noah Solomonson helped nudge Casteel ahead. From there, the Colts were able to jump out to a 20-11 lead before Cienega finally found an answer. Despite a strong rally by the Bobcats, it wasn’t enough as Casteel took a 2-0 lead winning the second set 25-20. One set away from the title, Casteel didn’t let the excitement of its lead distract its players from finishing strong. Cienega hustled on the court to did everything in its power to force a fourth set and stay alive in the match. At one point, a player chased the ball so far out of bounds he ran into railing on the bleachers in an attempt to keep it in play. However, Casteel already controlled all the momentum in the match. After a couple of controversial calls, emotions began to boil over for Cienega as officials issued a red card to head coach

Heather Mott. Casteel went on to finish the third set with a 25-14 win and a sweep of Cienega, which had only lost five sets all year. “We just worked over and over and we studied a lot of film on Cienega. We had our goal all season and we weren’t letting anything derail us,” Myen said. “We knew Cienega was undefeated, they were only up here once against a tough Williams Field team that we knocked off, so we wanted to make sure we were ready for whatever they were throwing at us and I think we were more than ready tonight.” As a member of the AIA Executive Board, Chandler Unified School District Superintendent Dr. Camille Casteel, alongside AIA Executive Director David Hines, presented the championship trophy to the school named in her honor. Students started making their way onto the court afterwards to celebrate with

the team. A large circle was formed on the court to celebrate the team’s championship. “With men’s volleyball, it’s never been super popular, so to know that we have that many people just rushing at us, just to feel the love, it’s amazing to know the school has your back and not just your team,” Evans said. Myen said the championship was in honor of last year’s seniors who had their season cut short due to the pandemic. “After being shut down last year, we had a ton of seniors who lost their season, we did everything for them,” Myen said. “The pink jerseys represented on the chairs tonight, those were all their jerseys and we wanted to make sure we honored them. “Then to turn around and see our student sections… I was really impressed with our students.”

SPORTS & RECREATION

THE SUNDAY SANTAN SUN NEWS | MAY 23, 2021

Left: Casteel’s relay team, made up of Dayton Carlson, Jacob Hollings, Joseph Meagher and Mason Salonic placed second overall in the 4x800-meter relay and helped the Colts capture their second-ever state championship. (Zach Alvira/Staff) Right: Chandler’s relay team made up of Andereya Nsubuga, Jamere Haskell, Tyson Tippett and Eli Sanders repeated as state champions in the 4x100-meter relay and helped the Wolves capture the boys team title. (Zac BonDurant/Contributor)

when you come out and you’re defending a state title,” Chandler junior Trinity Henderson said. “Especially because we all lost a year, we didn’t really know how fast we would all be.” Henderson led the way for the Lady Wolves throughout the two-day track meet. The two qualified for every sprint they were involved in and were often the two highest qualifying times. On Saturday, May 15, she continued to dominate and rack up points for their team. Henderson, the 2019 girls’ 100-meter dash champion, once again won gold with a time of 11.82 seconds. Chandler senior Eryn Garrett placed third overall in the event and sophomore Tara Sommerville placed fifth to add more points to the Wolves’ team score. Henderson also added gold medals in the 400-meter dash and 200-meter dash. Chandler added more points from its relay teams in various events and finished with 154.5 points overall in the meet. Highland, the runner-up, score 83.

“I was nervous coming out here not knowing whether or not I could win,” Henderson said. “I’m grateful I was able to get close to my big (personal record) from two years ago after losing a year.” The Chandler boys were locked into

the discus and second in shot put. His teammate, Isaiah Johnson, also racked up some early points for the Wolves with a third-place finish in shot put. On the track, senior Tyson Tippett placed second overall in the 100-me-

s a lot of pressure on you when you come “outThere’ and you’re defending a state title, especially because we all lost a year, we didn’t really know how fast we would all be. ”

– Chandler junior Trinity Henderson

a closer race for the state title, as Desert Vista pushed toward its first championship since 2018. But the Wolves managed to keep a comfortable lead, led in part by its throwers and sprinters in a variety of events. Amar Elmore, who also plays football for the five-time defending state champion Wolves, placed first overall in

Chandler junior Trinity Henderson excelled during the Division I state track & field meet, winning three gold medals in total as the Lady Wolves won yet another state championship. (Zac BonDurant/Contributor)

Have an interesting sports story? Contact Zach Alvira at zalvira@timespublications.com and follow him on Twitter @ZachAlvira.

ter dash and was part of the Wolves’ relay team along with Jamere Haskell, Andereya Nsubuga and Eli Sanders that repeated as state champions from 2019. “This was our last ride together,” Tippett said. “It was really important to us. Last year, of course, we couldn’t defend our titles. People maybe thought we would come in slower but that wasn’t the case.” Casteel’s athletics programs have been on the rise since the football team captured the school’s first championship in 2017. As athletes continue to poor into the school boundaries, it has created more opportunities for title. And the track & field program is no exception. Casteel’s relay team started off the meet on Thursday, May 13 with a second-place finish in the 4x800-meter relay. Mason Salonic, Jacob Hullings, Joseph Meagher and Dayton Carlson had the fastest qualifying time heading into the final but finished just behind Millennium for the state title. Regardless, the group was pleased with their performance and ability to hand their team some early points. “I feel like it was a really good race,” Carlson said. “It could’ve been better but all-around it was good. That’s the second-fastest time our school has had.” It didn’t take long, however, for Casteel to pick up steam in other

events. Carlson competed in and won the 1600- and 3200-meter runs. The Colts also picked up points from senior and UCLA football signee Isaiah Newcombe, who placed fourth in the 100-meter dash and was part of the Casteel relay team that placed second overall in the 4x100-meter relay. The Colts also placed second in the 4x400-meter relay to pad their lead. Overall, Casteel finished with a dominating 121 points to win the Division II state title. The next closest team, Desert Mountain, had just 45 points. “It was crucial for us to set up momentum for the rest of the team,” Meagher said. “It helps determine how the rest of the meet will go.” The Division IV state track & field meet took place alongside Division II at Perry High School. Due to the pandemic still ongoing, the AIA split the four divisions and held them at two separate locations. The change in logistics had no effect on Valley Christian, as the Trojan boys cruised to the state championship behind strong performances by the 4x100-meter relay team, made up of Christian Bell, Andrew Hanzal, Lake Jennett and Logan Kelley, as well as Jose Garcia in the 400-meter dash and 800-meter run. The Trojans also received a boost in point total in field events, including the pole vault where Kelley placed first overall, Corbin Stuber second and Benjamin Meiter and Tucker Roth fifth and sixth, respectively. Kelley also placed second in the long jump. Valley Christian’s girls were locked in a tight race for the championship and sat in third with pole vault still yet to be completed. All Rebecca Smith had to do was clear her vault and the Trojans would win the title. She did just that. Overall, Valley Christian’s girls won the championship by a mere three points. It’s the first time since 2009 both the boys and girls won the state titles.

SPORTS & RECREATION

THE SUNDAY SANTAN SUN NEWS | MAY 23, 2021

High School hockey getting desert foothold BY JENNA MAZEL Cronkite News

Although it is not sanctioned by the Arizona Interscholastic Association, high school hockey has a foothold in the desert. “Obviously we are not a hockey state,” said David Hines, the executive director of the AIA, the governing body of high school sports in Arizona. Maybe not now, but it’s changing. In the 2016 NHL Draft, Auston Matthews, who played in Arizona youth leagues, was the No. 1 pick by the Toronto Maple Leafs. Three years later, Hamilton High School goaltender Guy Blessing signed with Omaha of the USHL. Blessing was a product of the Arizona High School Hockey Association, an organization that has helped the sport thrive in the state. Since 1999, the AHSHA, sanctioned by USA Hockey, has been the only high school hockey league in Arizona. Its mission is not only to provide high school students with a high caliber hockey program, but to bring awareness and respect to the sport at a high school level. Which is not always easy in the desert. “In some of the more traditional hockey states, Minnesota, Michigan or Massachusetts, hockey is one of

Even though the AIA has sanctioned postseason tournaments for its sports, Notre Dame Prep was still able to earned a state title through the AHSHA. (Alina Nelson/ Cronkite News)

the core sports of a high school,” said Kenny McGinley, AHSHA president. “Those states have hundreds of years of high school hockey lineage. We have less than 25.” Why isn’t it sanctioned by the AIA? There is no singular reason but lack of ice, coaches and participation were all mentioned by Hines. To join the AIA, an emerging sport must undergo a trial period of three to five years before it becomes an official-

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ly recognized sport with a state tournament, the organization said. In an area that does not have a large hockey market even at the professional level – Coyotes’ fans are loyal if not immense – growing a high school hockey league could be a challenge. But over the past two decades the league has managed to plant its roots. AHSHA has an average of 30 teams per season which, according to league rules, must consist of 15-18 skaters plus

two goaltenders. The league has four different divisions, providing opportunities for student athletes at all different levels. “We have something for everybody in a safe, fun environment,” said Lauri Griebel, AHSHA secretary and administrative support. “Whether you’re brand new to skating, you caught the bug when you were at a championship game and you’re wanting to give it a try, or you’ve been playing hockey your entire life.” Most of the athletes in a higher division have played some form of club hockey at some level. “As you go down to our JV level, we have kids who put on skates for the first time a couple of years ago,” McGinley said. And AHSHA has a track record of players who have gone on to play at the next level, whether it’s with the American Collegiate Hockey Association or in another junior hockey league. “It’s one of our goals,” McGinley said. “To send as many of our kids as we can on to play at a higher level.” A big part of achieving this goal is AHSHA’s showcase and premier teams. “If you want to play hockey at a higher level, you need to be seen by scouts,” said Tait Green, former AHSHA hockey director and board member. So every year AHSHA takes a team See

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of 20 juniors and seniors, selected from teams across the league, to a USA Hockey tournament that is held in St. Louis. The tournament is for hockey players who play in markets where they generally would not be seen by scouts. Arizona is a prime example. “The kids get a week of playing other kids their same age, in front of junior scouts, college scouts, etc.” said Green, who has been involved with the showcase team since he joined AHSHA a decade ago. While taking Arizona teams to the St. Louis tournament, Green and his colleagues came up with the idea of starting something they called the premier team. “It is a way to groom the kids for a

THE SUNDAY SANTAN SUN NEWS | MAY 23, 2021

showcase,” Green said. “It is an inexpensive way for high school kids to play more competitive hockey.” Green describes premier as a hybrid between AHSHA and club hockey. It is not as expensive, or as big of a time commitment, as playing club hockey, but it costs a little more than AHSHA’s other teams. It’s another tool that helps kids get to the next level. While AHSHA’s number of participants has exploded in the past couple decades, the organization has also been able to build its relationships with local high schools. When the league first started, there was no acknowledgement of teams by their respective schools. “That’s changed a lot in the past 10 years,” McGinley said. “Hamiliton is probably the most accepting of their hockey team. They

hang banners in their cafeteria, and they really support their team,” he said of the Chandler-based high school. But as long as the sport is not sanctioned by the AIA, it is difficult for high school hockey to receive the same support that other high school sports receive. It’s an obstacle that AHSHA strives to overcome. “We had a high school assistant athletic director attend our championship game this year, and he was extremely supportive of it,” McGinley said. “That’s a huge step forward for our league.” But it isn’t just school support that has helped stimulate the league. “The NHL and NHLPA have a program called the industry growth fund,” said Matt Shott, senior director of hockey development for the Arizona Coyotes and an AHSHA board member. “It’s a grant process that helps enhance the

hockey development in the market.” Shott was awarded the grant to provide high school hockey in Arizona with financial support for three years, beginning in 2017. “We were really able to grow our league with that assistance,” McGinley said. The money, officials said, went towards helping increase the reputation of the league, getting more ice time and updating the uniforms. Now, all of the jerseys have the Coyotes logo on the shoulder. Having the support of an NHL team has helped AHSHA with its presence in the community. “We still try to work with the Coyotes in any way that we can,” McGinley said. So while a frozen pond in the middle of the desert may seem unlikely, high school hockey in Arizona is a growing market that is making a name for itself.

Seton Catholic to create eSports team beginning next school year BY ZACH ALVIRA Sports Editor

Seton Catholic Prep announced Tuesday, May 4 its plan to create an eSports team beginning next school year. The team will compete in the eSports league hosted by the Arizona Interscholastic Association, which hosted its inaugural season in 2020 and continues to grow. “We have a rich history at Seton Catholic of providing these opportunities for our students and them rising up to participate in multiple things,” Seton Catholic Principal Victor Serna said. “No matter your interest, you can find something at Seton for you. This is a wonderful opportunity to invest in our students and give them a well-rounded Catholic education.” The start of the eSports program is in response to a questionnaire sent out to current students and those at local middle schools that feed into Seton Catholic. Serna said the demand was overwhelming, with over 70 percent of the students who responded saying they would be interested in joining if it were offered. Along with Serna, Terry Licht, Seton Catholic’s assistant athletic director, has been a driving force in the implementation of the eSports program at the school. A gamer himself, Licht recognizes most students get involved in some sort of video game, no matter the genre. In an effort to have as many students as possible involved in an extracurricular activity, eSports will present a new opportunity for those interested to play games they enjoy while representing the school. “We see it as a new opportunity to reach a different kid,” Licht said. “We just want to give kids the opportunity to participate in an extracurricular that is kind of out of the box. They game at home so why not give them an opportunity to represent the school and compete for a state title.” Seton Catholic prides itself on student involvement. Serna said it

Left: Seton Catholic plans to offer a variety of games to its eSports athletes, including titles already sanctioned by the AIA and those that will allow them to compete in independent online tournaments. (SanTan Sun News File Photos) Right: Seton Catholic announced on Tuesday, May 4 it would begin to offer an eSports program beginning in the 2021-22 school year.

isn’t uncommon to see athletes play in a sporting event one day and appear in a music concert another. Administration and coaches don’t encourage a student to limit themselves to just one sport or activity. The more a student does, the better they get to know their peers and create a comfortable environment in the school. Both Serna and Licht hope the new eSports program will offer those same opportunities. Kids who stick to a certain genre of game will have the opportunity to experiment with others. The program currently plans to offer the same games sponsored by the AIA, including Rocket League, League of Legends, Madden ’21 and FIFA ’21. Licht said students will also have the opportunity to compete in other games such as Overwatch, Halo and more to participate in online tournaments. “This sport is growing so fast,” Licht said. “We almost don’t want to miss the boat in regard to that. We can cater to what the kids are interested in. I comfortably think we will have a good 20 to 25 kids in the fall and I can see it

growing fairly quickly.” While still in the development stage, plans are already in the works to provide adequate gaming computers for students. Seton Catholic hopes to use existing on-campus hardware and update its internal components to handle eSports games, but Serna and Licht said the school is also open to purchasing necessary hardware with the help of boosters and grants. Overall, they hope to create a oneof-a-kind experience for their students in the form of eSports. The popularity of eSports has grown to great lengths both at the high school and professional level in recent years. Tournaments take place all over the world in various games with cash prizes soaring into the hundreds of thousands. Some colleges have also started offering scholarships to high school students who compete in eSports at a high level. Overall, more than 50 schools expressed interest in 2019 when the AIA announced it would sponsor and eSports league. The number has since grown to include several Gilbert and

East Valley programs, including Basha, Campo Verde, Chandler, Desert Ridge, Higley and several others. The AIA has also partnered with Dave & Buster’s in Tempe to host the eSports championships inside of its large conference hall. The same venue has been used the past two years for the football bracket and championship shows live-streamed on the AIA website and YouTube. Overall, eSports presents new opportunities for students wanting to get involved not only in extracurricular activities in high school, but as a way to potentially shape their college future as well. Serna said that alone is worth the added cost it will take to upgrade hardware and provide other necessities needed for the program. “It’s an investment we are making as we do with other school-sponsored AIA sports or clubs,” Serna said. “Just like in other sports, we want to make sure we equip our students to be as successful as possible. Hardware is a big component of that. We want them to have a great experience.”

THE SUNDAY SANTAN SUN NEWS | MAY 23, 2021

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Dog adoptions teach a lesson about humanity BY DAVID LEIBOWITZ Columnist

Early in my newspaper career, I worked at a New Jersey tabloid where the publisher was a man of few words, most of them insulting and frequently shouted at top volume. He was easy to make angry and I did so one afternoon upon returning from the scene of a row house fire in Trenton. Most of a city block had gone up in flames, the fire spreading from home to home via a connected attic. Dozens of families were homeless and firefighters had suffered serious smoke inhalation, but fortunately no one had been killed. Still, per the publisher, I had missed the most critical detail of all. “Any dogs killed?” he demanded. “People love dogs more than people.” That was how I ended up back at the scene of a massive blaze, inquiring

about canine calamities. The publisher seemed visibly disappointed that none of the now-homeless families’ dogs had been barbecued. “People love dogs,” he assured our afternoon news meeting. “Anything about dogs they’ll read.” That lesson crossed my mind a few weeks ago, as I was driving home from Ruff Road, a Phoenix-based dog rescue. There, the shelter’s owner, a sweet woman named Anne, had totally seen me coming. I had driven over to meet Lucy, an eight-pound bedraggled ball of fur who resembled a cross between a yorkie, a chihuahua and an old rust-and-brown throw rug. “I’ll go grab her,” said Anne. “And I’ll bring her bestie, too. Ethel.” The dog has a best friend? “Oh yes. They grew up together, they’re inseparable.” Anne paused – possibly for dramatic effect. “But I’m sure they’ll be fine apart if you only want Lucy.” This was how I ended up adopting

two dogs. They’re 3 years old, with Ethel – a reddish 12-pound mix of rat terrier, cocker spaniel, and chihuahua – serving as muscle while Lucy appears to be the brains of the operation. Meaning Lucy’s the one who bops open the door to the closet so Ethel can fetch a Nike for a joint chewfest. They’ve settled right in running my house, too. Back in the day, I enjoyed laying on the couch to watch golf on the weekends. They’ve decided I’m restricted to one cushion now, while they reserve the other two for naps and wrestling matches. Did I mention watching golf sitting up is more relaxing than it looks? The girls also have decided that I spend too much time sleeping and my face needs additional moisturizing. Most days, the face licking starts at about 3:45 am, but that’s okay. Did I mention I get a lot of work done early and under cover of darkness?

We’ve all learned quite a bit over the past couple of months. For example, having lived alone for a few years, I’d forgotten that French fries are meant to be shared equally. I’ve also finally learned never to leave my socks on the floor, or anywhere within six inches of the ground. Also, it’s unwise to leave the front door cracked while you fetch the mail or grab Door Dash off the porch – unless you’re gung-ho to practice barefoot sprints up and down the street while the neighbor kids laugh at you. I needed the cardio anyway. And so what if all my golf shoes have bite marks now, and someone attempted to install a second doggie door by chewing through some wallboard, and someone stole the last slice of pizza off the coffee table and dragged it into the bedroom? All of it is a very small price to pay. Because my old publisher was right. People, or at least this person, really do love dogs more than people.

Justice reforms answers call to love our neighbors BY KATIE SEXTON-WOOD, PAUL ROCKOWER AND MUSTAFA BAHAR Guest Writers

As faith leaders, we understand that we are living through a critical moment in which we are called to love our neighbors in word and in deed. That call to love extends to all of our neighbors, even those who have made mistakes. Arizona legislators can put that love for our neighbors into action by granting redemption and grace our incarcerated brothers and sisters. They can do this by voting to pass SB 1064, which would expand earned release credits for thousands of Arizonans currently behind bars, reuniting families and rebuilding our communities. Arizona is one of three states that requires almost everyone to serve 85 percent of their sentence behind bars with no opportunity to earn any time off their sentence for following the rules and participating in rehabilitative programming.

These long sentences are why Arizona has the fifth highest imprisonment rate in the country, costing taxpayers more than $1 billion every year. Arizona doesn’t have more crime, or even a larger population than other states. Our staggering imprisonment rate is driven by failed policy choices that send more people to prison, and for longer, for first-time and non-violent offenses. It hasn’t made us any safer. People in Arizona serve some of the longest sentences in the country – 40 percent longer for drug offenses than the national average and twice as long for non-violent property offenses. SB 1064 would change that. It would allow people incarcerated for drug and other non-violent offenses to earn significant time off of their sentences. Our lawmakers should pass SB 1064 to offer a meaningful opportunity for people to earn their way home, reunite families, and strengthen our communities. This approach will allow for healing, re-

demption, and rehabilitation, rather than an endless cycle of hopelessness and hurt. For too many years, Arizona’s criminal justice has not made our communities safer: it has separated children from their parents, prioritized harsh punishment over of rehabilitation, warehoused people in abhorrent conditions, unnecessarily reduced the tax base, and wasted taxpayer dollars that would be better spent on mental health and substance abuse treatment, education, and healthcare. Arizona’s incarceration crisis harms every single person in our state, but it is particularly damaging to Black and Hispanic Arizonans. In 2017, Black Arizonans were only 5 percent of our state’s population, but 13 percent of prison admissions. Hispanic Arizonans represented 31 percent of the population but 37 percent of the people admitted to prison. Unsurprisingly, Black people sentenced to prison in Arizona receive longer sentences compared to white and Hispanic Arizonans, too. It is clear

that offering meaningful opportunities for release and rehabilitation are critical in the fight against injustice and ending these race-based disparities that are crippling our communities. Expanding earned release through SB 1064 would offer grace for so many people who have been denied it their entire lives. What a meaningful way to love our neighbors – by reuniting families, bringing people safely home to their communities, and allowing them the opportunity to rebuild their lives. We are connected in this fight for justice, and we must overcome these challenges, or fall together. In this moment, while we are all seeking healing and redemption, SB 1064 provides a pathway for that common goal. Katie Sexton-Wood is executive director of the Arizona Faith Network; Paul Rockower is executive director of the Jewish Community Relations Council; and Mustafa Bahar is executive director of the Sema Foundation.

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THE SUNDAY SANTAN SUN NEWS | MAY 23, 2021

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Veggie artist’s kids book draws raves BY COTY DOLORES MIRANDA Contributor

The dinner table directive of innumerable mothers warning kids not to play with food was never taken seriously by area artist and author Sandra Marshall. Now her example may inspire children worldwide to give it a go. Marshall, an artist and author of books that include the award-winning 2016 “One Hot Night at the Veggie Bar,” has made a career of using vegetables and fruits to create works of art. Her plant-based art received worldwide exposure this year, appearing in newspapers as diverse as Hindustan Times and the New York Post after author Stephen King tweeted Marshall’s veggie version of a Bernie Sanders meme based on the Vermont senator’s attire at President Biden’s inauguration. Made of cauliflower, kale, eggplant and new potatoes, the photo quickly went viral. Her newest book, “The Razzle Berry Wackadoodle Garden” is her first for children, which she chose to self-publish. “The whole book is made up of fruits and vegetables,” she said, eyeing the boxes of books stacked in her art studio that arrived the second week of May. “It’s kind of a discovery book, and

Artist Sandra Marshall’s first kids book takes young readers on a trip through a mythical land of vegetables and fruits. (Courtesy of Sandra Marshall)

the kids are eating it up,” she said, laughing at the pun. “They get all excited when they discover the vegetables in each of the pictures. It’s kind of a ‘Where’s Waldo’ with fruits and vegetables.”

Marshall said this book has been five years in the making and as with all her vegetable/fruit artworks, they are the result of or the inspiration for her own family’s dinners. Nothing goes to waste.

“I started making food art when my children were little. When my daughter was five, she announced she wouldn’t eat meat, so I needed to get creative with plant-based ingredients,” recalled Marshall of her daughter, now 17. “I wanted her to be healthy so I did a lot of research, and learned this was a really healthful way of eating. Our family is pretty much plant-based eaters now. And now I have been making food art for over 12 years.” What some of her 20,000 Facebook and Twitter fans may not know is that Marshall started playing with food when she was a youngster growing up in Smithtown, New York. It was the creative parenting by her own parents, Elaine and Richard Davis, that set her unusual art medium on the road to success. “My parents didn’t chide me when I played with my food but they did tell me I couldn’t do so unless I also ate it,” recalled Marshall. “They could see I was doing more than pushing the peas and potatoes around my plate; I was creating my childlike version of art.” In the dozen years since she revived her playing-with-food artwork, Marshall’s works have garnered great attention. Her racy vegetable artworks in her See

ARTIST on page 47

Chandler man sheds nearly 200 pounds BY CASEY FLANAGAN Contributor

A Chandler sports marketing executive has transformed his lifestyle by attending Orangetheory Fitness and losing over nearly 200 pounds in the process. Neal Bendesky, 63, said he promoted national sports teams like the Florida Marlins and Miami Heat before moving to Arizona in July 2015 to become vice president of corporate partnerships for the Arizona Rattlers football team. Working in high-level sports marketing positions “was fun,” Bendesky said, but “the stress of my job led to me not being healthy. Even though I was promoting healthy sports, I wasn’t necessarily helping myself.” The stress of the job “added up to a point where I was at one point 450 pounds,” Bendesky said. Bendesky said he found Orangetheory while searching for sponsorships for the Arizona Rattlers. When Bendesky started going to Orangetheory in August 2015, he had already lost some weight and was at that point around 415 pounds, “but I wasn’t necessarily in the lifestyle zone,” he said. He said he “initially was unsuccessful in my weight loss, but the coaches and concept motivated me.” See

NEAL on page 48

Neal Bendesky, 63, used to weigh 415 pounds (left) but has whittled his weight down by 199 pounds so far. (Special to SanTan Sun News)

NEIGHBORS

THE SUNDAY SANTAN SUN NEWS | MAY 23, 2021

Horses play a bigger role in occupational therapy SANTAN SUN NEWS

Horses are becoming important to occupational therapy assistants. OTAs play an important role in helping people with challenges and disabilities participate in everyday life activities. They are not confined to an office or desk for their work and sometimes aren’t even confined to the indoors. That means with the increase in creative alternatives to treatment, hippotherapy has become an important addition to an OTA’s toolbox. According to the American Hippotherapy Association, hippotherapy is a physical, occupational and speech therapy that utilizes the natural gait and movement of a horse to provide motor and sensory input. It is based on improvement of neurologic functions, and sensory processes, and used for patients with physical and mental disorders. Karen Heslop, a certified OTA and a graduate of Pima Medical Institute’s Mesa Campus, loves helping children and that led her to Able Acres in Queen Creek. Able Acres helps special needs children through a variety of ways – including hippotherapy. Heslop believes she gets more out of the children with the help of the horse. “From my experience, they are much more focused on the horse rather than just sitting in a clinic at a table,” she said. “I can get more work out of

the kids, and they’re more successful on the horse.” Able Acres is also an externship location for many Pima Medical students preparing to graduate. Carlos Lopez is one of those externs. He has been working as a certified nursing assistant for the past decade and says his love of helping people drew him to the OTA program. “The instructors are amazing. They really break it down for you. They’re amazing, and the help they offer, they offer a lot of resources as well.” While Lopez says he will likely move on to work with geriatric patients, he says his externship with hippotherapy has been a rewarding and great learning opportunity. Heslop went back to school after her children were grown, and says while she did face some challenges as an older student; it was well worth the struggle. “I went back at 44 and so I was one of the older students there, which was kind of a unique experience. All these kids knew how to use computers really well, submit their papers, and power points and that is something I had to learn,” Heslop said. “What I loved about the program at Pima Medical, is that it starts from the ground level by just introducing what occupational therapy is, to body systems, how things work and how our body moves. Everything was just really great,” she added. Information: pmi.edu.

Karen Heslop and Carlos Lopez work with a child at Able Acres in Queen Creek. (Special

to SanTan Sun News)

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THE SUNDAY SANTAN SUN NEWS | MAY 23, 2021

ARTIST

from page 45

adult book and a 2019 calendar of veggie art both sold out their first printing. “This book has been a long time coming. ‘The Razzle Berry Wackadoodle Garden’ takes you on an artsy adventure to a magical place where the colors from nature are turned into art, and will brighten your day as you travel in the book from dawn to dusk,” said Marshall. Paging through the 41-page book is an amazing visual adventure best explained by the author herself. “When you enter the gates of The Razzleberry Wackadoodle Garden, you enter in the morning with bright blueberry skies, surrounded by flowers of purple cauliflower and pink grapefruit,” she said. “A pretty pink watermelon pig greets you with a smile, while a proud purple peacock made from cabbage and squash parades down the garden trail, showing off his pretty plume of green dill and other bright vegetables. “This is no ordinary garden. Broccoli trees are really a thing and the pathway takes you on a journey meeting all sorts of artsy fruit and veggie friends.” Also featured in the Wackadoodle Garden is a sunset with peachy skies made from a close-up of peach skin that soon gives way to nighttime with glowing fireflies crafted of melon, and a banana crescent moon glows against a deep blue and purple fruit and vegetable sky. “Once you enter the gates, you’ll have to and want to come back for

Sandra Marshall’s veggie rendition of a viral Bernie Sanders meme was an internet hit. ( file photo)

more; seeing new things, discovering new fruits and vegetables hidden within the art,” she said. “Absolutely everything in the story is made from fruits and vegetables – the sunsets, the mountains and all the little creatures and bugs in the book,” she said proudly. “It took so many years to complete with all these details; I can’t believe it is finally here.” The new book is already being shared by Marshall with schools throughout the U.S. “The book was just delivered when I got to visit my first classroom,” she said. “It was so much fun! It was over Zoom, but I got to talk all about being an

author, and I read to the kids and talked about fruits and vegetables and they were so excited.” “I was on their big white screen, and I could see all of them and it was really fun to interact over Zoom,” she enthused. “They were all so cute. They asked me if I could come over, but they were in Kansas City so I had to say no, not quite yet.” “I’m so excited for my children’s programs. I’m in the process of looking for sponsors who are in line with my mission of combining art, healthy eating, storytelling, and the love for reading all into one. “Fruits and vegetables are a gift to us all, and I want to help people see them through an artist’s eyes. Exploring through an artist’s eye, they see the color and the beauty in produce which leads to discovery,” she said. “I try to explain to the kids how fruits and vegetables are a true gift. I often open an actual wrapped gift box in front of the children, and when they see how excited I get, they get excited even when it is an artichoke.” Marshall described how she often sees art in what others may dismiss as a mundane vegetable – such as a red cabbage cut in two that becomes a treasure map. “Vegetables and fruits are magical and different. All shapes, sizes, colors and flavors at our fingertips, and it’s never too late to notice. Parents are telling me how they see plant-based ingredients in a different light after viewing my artbooks,” she said. “My goal is to get the book in the

hands of children with parents and grandparents reading to them. And of course, I want to see them in schools, too,” said Marshall who earned a degree in early childhood education from Arizona State University. Marshall, also mother to a 14-yearold son, has always been an Ahwatukee business woman and entrepreneur. From 2014 to 2019, Marshall owned and operated Be...An Artist Studio with the Trader Joe’s shopping center. Upon leaving, she fully pivoted to a business providing residents with a mobile art studio. Her BeAnArtistAZ.com website is proving to be a great success. She has created her own paints to go along with painting kits that include an easel, brushes and her custom colors, and provides online instruction. “I’ve been slammed hosting giant painting parties on Zoom. I work with schools and teach groups to paint online. I have 100 people for every single class! It is so much fun. Some of the children have never painted before so they get really excited.” She said during the pandemic, she spent a lot of time involved in her studio. “I hunkered down during the pandemic and became a total artist in my studio. And, I’ve been writing a lot.” Her third book, slated for publication later this year, is geared once again to adults and will, of course, feature creations made from fruit and vegetables. For more information on her creations and painting parties, see SandraMarshallArt.com.

Gilbert doc’s book breaks down medical jargon BY ASHLYN ROBINETTE Staff Writer

When at the doctor’s office, chances are you don’t understand all of the medical lingo thrown at you. A new book by Gilbert physician Dr. Maxine Morris Stewart helps to decipher that jargon. “Making Sense of Doctor Talk: How To Get The Most Out Of The Healthcare System” decodes medical terminology to bridge the knowledge gap between patients and healthcare providers, said Stewart, a Redirect Health primary care provider. Stewart said she wanted to create a resource that would end the language barrier between patients and doctors because miscommunication can cause confusion and poor health outcomes. The book is designed to help people understand their condition and achieve healthcare goals “in a simple enough way that even if you’re starting at ground zero and don’t understand much, you’ll easily learn the doctor lingo and what it means for your health,” Stewart said. During her second year of working as a nurse practitioner, Stewart went into people’s homes to conduct health assessments and discovered that most individuals who had multiple comorbid conditions and were taking up to 20 medications didn’t understand what they had and why they were taking the

Dr. Maxine Morris Stewart meds. Even though of them were under a specialist’s care, they just followed their doctor’s directives without really understanding what was going on, Stewart said. “I discovered that not only did I really enjoy educating them about the process, but that they were actually picking up on the concepts when I found analogies and things to help them,” Stewart said. “I think that it made a difference on whether or not they were taking their

meds like they were supposed to and achieving their healthcare goals.” Stewart wondered how many other people were out there with the same issues and what she could do about it. Motivated to provide comprehensive healthcare to all, Stewart wrote her book to give patients with low “health literacy” the knowledge and ability to take charge of their health and achieve better treatment results. “If patients understand the terminology and more about what’s happening with their body and can describe how

they’re feeling, then they can move closer to the middle ground where their healthcare provider’s language is,” Stewart said. “Then they will see better health outcomes.” To help patients keep track of their healthcare information and history, “Making Sense of Doctor Talk” includes 16 fill-in tables to chart things like medications, supplements, dosages, providers, allergies, vaccinations, lab test results, and dates of appointments, surgeries and procedures. Stewart said her book is lightweight and easily transportable so that patients can take it to doctors’ offices and use it to review what they’re going to tell and show their healthcare providers. They also can review their medications and history and easily find their condition in the book along with explanations for terms that may be used in conversations with their doctor. “Patients need to understand that they know their bodies best so if they know the symptoms and what doctors and nurses are looking for when they go into the office, then they are in a better position to answer their questions,” Stewart said. “You are helping them help you.” Ultimately, Stewart hopes her book will help individuals understand medical lingo and that patients will utilize its features to help them be better consumers of health.

NEAL

NEIGHBORS

from page 45

A turning point came in October 2015, Bendesky said, when he was wearing a red 5XL jacket after an Orangetheory workout. He said a 3-year-old in the gym, whom he now calls his “guardian angel,” asked, “‘Are you Santa Claus?’” Bendesky said he was initially discouraged, but when he talked to an Orangetheory trainer, they explained “if you want to really do this right, 80 percent of your success was in nutrition, 20 percent was in exercise.” Bendesky said he began closely tracking his nutrition in addition to his Orangetheory workouts. In doing so, Bendesky said he lost a pound or two a week for about 16 months, and “I ended up losing over 199 pounds,” which he credits to Orangetheory. Bendesky said Orangetheory “taught me a sustainable lifestyle.” “I now have goals,” he added, citing various annual programs Orangetheory offers to motivate members. “There’s a different template every day,” he said. “You’re on a treadmill a certain time, you’re on the floor for a certain time, you may do some core exercises, you may do dumbbells, you

t? o G ws Ne

THE SUNDAY SANTAN SUN NEWS | MAY 23, 2021

may do something on a TRX, you may do pushups on a bench – all variety of things.” Bendesky explained that Orangetheory workouts are “backed by science,” because they implement devices that monitor heart rate and calories burned, and set goals for each workout based on those statistics. “This may sound like, ‘Okay, I have to

Bendesky said a setback for his fitness goals came when “I had a hereditary issue that was ticking, I didn’t know it. I had a heart attack on Aug. 2, 2016.” Bendesky said if he hadn’t started his fitness journey with Orangetheory, “we would not be talking.” Once Bendesky recovered from his heart attack, “I decided that for the

This may sound like, ‘Okay, I have to be a great “ athlete to do this, think about me: I was over 400

pounds; I was intimidated; most of the people, in my case, were younger than me. But at the end of the day, the program made sense.

”

– Neal Bendesky

be a great athlete to do this,’” Bendesky said. “Think about me: I was over 400 pounds; I was intimidated; most of the people, in my case, were younger than me. But at the end of the day, the program made sense.” Bendesky praised the “boutique gym” style of training at Orangetheory. “It was trainers and staff that had a focus that was developed by somebody that really knew what they were talking about,” he said.

first time in my life, I was going to let go of the treadmill, and I was going to start running,” he said. “I’ve run 14 half marathons in 13 states,” Bendesky said. “In 2014, I couldn’t walk around the block.” According to Bendesky, “attitude’s like a flat tire. If you don’t fix it, you don’t go very far. I had something along the way that gave me a pretty big flat tire, and thank god I had fixed my life to the point that it saved my life.”

Bendesky praised Orangetheory’s measures put in place to ensure safety during the COVID 19 pandemic. He said he attended “99 straight Orangetheory workout days” to start 2021, “because I wanted people in the world to know that Orangetheory was going the extra yards for safety and keeping things clean.” According to Orangetheory spokeswoman Erica Peressin, “Health and safety is still a big priority of our company and the safety of our members and our staff is number one, so we take care to provide a clean and safe studio for everybody.” Peressin said Orangetheory “added outdoor classes and online classes called ‘Orangetheory Live’ to give our members some more safe options.” Bendesky said since achieving his transformation, he has “spoken at over 50 Orangetheory studios around the United States” to share his experience. He said he talks about how “when I would go to a restaurant with my wife and they say ‘do you want a booth or table,’ I would cringe because I didn’t fit in a booth. I didn’t fit in airline seats, I didn’t fit in a public restroom stall, I didn’t fit in my clothes.” “But what has Orangetheory done? It’s helped me fit into a lifestyle,” Bendesky said. Information: orangetherapy.com

THE SUNDAY SANTAN SUN NEWS | MAY 23, 2021

For more community news visit SanTanSun.com

Chandler theater prepares for first live production to limit the risk of spreading COVID-19 by wearing masks and practicing social distancing. Even during the actual performance, CYT will require every actor to either wear a mask or face shield at all times. After spending the last year working under a cloud of unpredictability, Ryan said the theatre seemed to be in a good place financially to finally return to live performances starting this summer. It appears to be safe for audiences to begin returning to in-person venues, she added, since vaccination rates across the Valley have remained steady for the last few months. When shutdown orders were authorized at the beginning of the pandemic, CYT

BY KEVIN REAGAN Staff Writer

The Chandler Youth Theater is preparing to stage its first live performances since the pandemic stymied its operations more than a year ago. The local nonprofit is currently holding rehearsals with more than 50 kids to stage productions of “Godspell” and “Mary Poppins” this summer for a live, in-person audience. The shows will be the first theatrical production CYT has staged since “Newsies” was produced at Seton Catholic Preparatory High School in February 2020. Although the theater has remained active by presenting virtual shows, Chandler’s young thespians have had few opportunities this past year to solicit reactions from an audience. Director Audrey Ryan said her production team is excited to get their students back on stage in front of live spectators. “I can tell the kids really miss feeding off the energy from the audience,” she said. Actors will still be taking precautions

Audrey Ryan leads a rehearsal for Chandler Youth Theater’s production of “Mary Poppins.” (Pablo Robles/SanTan Sun News Staff Photographer)

See

THEATER on page 51

Quilters display heirloom treasures this month BY SRIANTHI PERERA Contributor

Heirloom quilts – those that are handed down from one generation to another – have a special place in families. Their creations often have stories attached to them, or its fabric tells the stories of yesteryear. The quilt show currently running through end May at HD SOUTH, the home of the Gilbert Historical Museum, displays many such treasures. It is open free of charge on Memorial Day. The all-volunteer quilting bee within the museum accepts community quilts to complete and helps raise funds for the organization. Over the years, it has basted many heirlooms. Basting means making backing, adding batting and attaching the quilt top to complete the layers of a quilt. This is an important step in the process and is done by hand. Avid quilter Darlene Reid is one such member whose quilts have stories attached. Guided by her imagination, Reid gives life to the classic quilt block pattern Sunbonnet Sue, which became popular in the early 20th century and depicts a hooded frontier girl In one quilt called “Sunbonnet Julie,” she depicts her daughter Kim Davis (now a grandmother) when she was a teenager. The quilt was hand-quilted by the bee, and contains fabric from dresses that Julie used to wear. “She had a mind of her own. She wanted to pick out her own clothes. One day I bought her a skirt and I gave

The all-volunteer quilting bee within the museum accepts community quilts to complete and helps raise funds for the organization. (Srianthi Perea/Contributor)

it to her and she said ‘oh that’s nice’ and she put it in the closet,” Reid said. “A few weeks later, she came out on her way to school and she said, ‘oh drop this off at Goodwill.’” “I looked into the bag and she had put that skirt in there,” Reid added. “The skirt has come back to haunt her.” Davis now lives in Ohio and the two of them have worked together on many quilting projects. “Sunbonnet Darlene” is dressed according to a pattern from a 1933 Capper’s Farmer magazine. “These girls are dressed exactly the way I dressed. I didn’t wear the hats, but the dresses, the shoes, the socks are similar,” Reid said.

In other iterations, Sunbonnet Sue is a witch, and is quilted with a black cat, pumpkins and a border of Halloween décor skeletons. “That’s what she does to Sunbonnet Sue; she morphs her into other personalities,” said Kathy Lester, another volunteer. Quilter Laurie Abdo displays a “Grandmother’s Flower Garden” patterned quilt that was completed by the Gilbert group. Abdo’s mom made it in the 1980s when Abdo was abroad. “I was completely unaware of what she had made until about 14 years ago, when she first showed it to me and she asked me to pack it and send it to Texas to be quilted by a friend of hers,” she

said. But her friend couldn’t do her bidding, and the quilt was returned and boxed until her mom passed in 2015. “The quilt top finally came home with me, with all the rest of mom’s and dad’s possessions,” Abdo said. Periodically, she would search for someone who could complete the work. She even tried to get it machine-quilted, but was advised not to. That’s when Abdo came across the Gilbert group. The volunteers accepted the project, but she had to wait nearly two years. One day, she went to the museum See

QUILTERS on page 51

ARTS

THE SUNDAY SANTAN SUN NEWS | MAY 23, 2021

Mogollon brings ‘universal language’ to the stage BY CHRISTINA FUOCO-KARASINSKI Editor

Duane Moore said he feels he hasn’t worked a day in his life. Moore loves everything about the music business — and has since he co-founded Mogollon in 1979. “I love it so much,” Moore said. “I enjoy the people and the music. I love music. I really haven’t done anything else. There’s work involved just like anything else.” Named after Moore’s residence at the Mogollon Rim, the band is a high-energy four piece that plays rock and, specifically, old country. “I don’t like the stuff that’s out,” Moore said. “We play from Waylon to Willie to Hank Williams to Johnny Cash to Lynyrd Skynyrd to Pink Floyd. We play all the good classic rock. “I play fiddle on stage, too. That works out well for a lot of cool Alabama songs.” Music is “huge” for Moore, who is joined in the band by guitarist Guy Koplitz of Chandler; bassist/producer Bryan Kuban of Scottsdale; and drummer Jon Kinsey of Mesa. If Moore feels depressed, everything lifts when he picks up his guitar, strums a few chords and writes a song. “It comes full circle,” he said. “It’s the universal language.” That language is shared at gigs like those in Anthem on May 14, Murphy

Mogollon is, from left, Bryan Kuban, Jon Kinsey, Duane Moore and Guy Koplitz. (Courtesy of Mogollon)

Park in Glendale on May 21, and We-KoPa Casino on June 18 and July 16. “Sharing is an amazing thing,” Moore said. “I don’t use an iPad for the lyrics. If I need to look at the lyrics when I’m on stage, I don’t want to sing it. I don’t believe I’m getting the points across. “The mechanics should be secondary so I can feel what I’m singing. I think people feel that more than they understand that. We’re in the business of selling emotions. It’s a very emotionally driven industry and that’s what we do.

It’s cool when people come up and say, ‘I just had the time of my life’ or ‘My wife and I have been married x number of years. We met at your concert.” When the audience is involved, Moore said, it creates an energy, the synergy that’s “pretty powerful.” “It’s not performer-audience,” he said. “The audience is part of us. It’s cool when you reach at pinnacle. It’s just crazy cool, getting out into the audience with my fiddle and running around. We just like to have fun with

them. They love it.” Music has helped Moore through tough times. His brother and sister passed away at 31 and 43, respectively, of complications of neurofibromatosis, a rare, inherited disorder that results in benign tumors of the nerves and other parts of the body. “I hope to retire from music one day and move back to my roots,” he said. “My best friends—my brother and sister—are interred there. “They died pretty young, but everybody has a sad story. I’m a mountain boy. I moved down here because it was a good, central location.” The COVID-19 pandemic has been productive for Moore. He took the time to reinvent himself and retool his approach to the music side of music. “I’m doing extremely well by myself,” he said. “I’ve never played so many single gigs. Not everybody was out of work. Our industry was beat up. Restaurants, musicians and bands were beat up bad. “Anytime I get on stage, I thank my audience profusely. Over the years, I’ve been playing a lot of great places all over the world. I’ve taken my music to exotic places. All those years prior to COVID, I took music for granted. You don’t know what you have until it’s taken away from you. Now I drink every moment like water. I absorb it. I tell the audience that story and I thank each and every one of them.”

ARTS

THE SUNDAY SANTAN SUN NEWS | MAY 23, 2021

Jessica Jacobs, 17, gives a dance demonstration during a rehearsal for “Mary Poppins.” (Pablo Robles/SanTan Sun News Staff Photographer)

THEATER

from page 49

had assumed its theater would remain dark as actors quarantined from home. But students quickly expressed an interest in wanting to stay creative amidst the statewide lockdown. Ryan and her team shifted toward filmmaking and began producing plays digitally by using cameras and lights to capture their performances. Ryan said she wasn’t sure whether their theatrical skills would easily translate over to film, but the students didn’t seem to mind the transition and remained invested in the process. “Registration has never been better during the pandemic, which we did not expect whatsoever,” Ryan said. The filmed projects offered new opportunities for students to practice some new acting skills and to actually see their work after the production wrapped. Alamo Drafthouse Cinema let CYT project their filmed productions on their big screen and host red carpet events outside their theater. The film projects have offered a valuable learning experience for students who had been more accustomed to

QUILTERS

from page 49

with her children and her camera. “I realized that my kids had not seen it, and I needed to document what it looked like, and where it was; just in case something happened to me, it would not be lost to the family,” Abdo said. “I was thrilled to walk into the room where the quilters work and see mom’s work spread before me,” she added. Abdo was so impressed by the group, its happy camaraderie and industriousness that she volunteered to join them. She had some sewing and embroidery experience during her youth and felt that she could learn the rest. “The ladies were very welcoming to me, the newcomer, and they had questions about mom, the maker of the top we were working on,” she said, adding: “The whole experience over the next few months was heartwarming and cathartic. Each time I worked on the quilt I recognized fabrics from my

performing on stage, Ryan said. But more importantly, the filmed productions offered an escape for local teens who felt isolated or disheartened by the pandemic. Since most extracurricular activities had been temporarily halted this past year, CYT was one of the few organizations to continue offering programs. “We’ve heard from kids and parents that attending rehearsals was the highlight of their week,” Ryan added. So the arts suddenly felt more precious to the theater’s students at a time when the world felt so chaotic and uncertain. “Not only was theatre something that they could look forward to,” Ryan said, “but I think it was definitely necessary for their mental and physical health as well.” CYT will premier “Godspell” on June 5 and run through June 13. “Mary Poppins” will have three performances on June 26 and 27. CYT is additionally planning to stage a teen-centered production of “Heathers: the Musical” this August, followed by a production of “Into the Woods” in October. The theater hopes to wrap up 2021 with a winter production of “Frozen” in December. childhood.” She came across a fabric patterned with pink suns that used to be a sundress when she was about four years old; there were others from her childhood, clothes that her mom made into her teenage years and those that she herself had stitched. “Some I had forgotten about completely until I sat staring at it and putting needle and thread through it. Each was a happy surprise that brought back memories. There were also pieces from dresses I had made mom, and those also brought back happy memories,” Abdo recalled. Iva Ruth is another quilter who gave long hours to the bee. She passed recently. Her family donated a selection of fabrics that belonged to her and Abdo made a quilt out of the samples and called it “Thank You, Iva.” Most of the quilts worked on are from the Valley, but sometimes they come from other states. See

QUILTERS on page 52

ARTS

THE SUNDAY SANTAN SUN NEWS | MAY 23, 2021

Left: Laurie Abdo with her treasured Grandmother’s Flower Garden patterned quilt that her mom made for her in secret. Right: Darlene Reid quilts history into her work. This is one of her Sunbonnet Sue patterned quilts. (Srianthi Perera/Contributor)

QUILTERS

from page 51

Candace Miller of Three Forks, Montana sent a “Grandmother’s Flower Garden” patterned quilt that was made in the 1960s by the members of the Flat River Christian Church in Flat River, Missouri. “My mother’s first cousin helped make the quilt top and gave it to my mother as a gift. I inherited the quilt top and cherished it but wanted it quilted by hand,” Miller said. A friend mentioned the Gilbert His-

torical Museum hand quilters and Miller sent it there. “Their group completed hand quilting my quilt, a queen size, within 10 months. The finished product is beautifully done with love and care in every stitch and now I must carefully bind it by hand,” she said. Reid, for whom quilting continues to play a significant role, has embedded her family history in quilts. One features her great-uncle Harry who died from the flu epidemic 100 years ago. At 18, he had his picture taken for Christmas, came home and

told his mother he didn’t feel very well. “And he got sicker and died just like that,” Reid said. The quilt has masculine fabric and incorporates a newspaper clip with a flu advisory and a handwritten note from Harry to his girlfriend that reads “good luck to all from your loving friend Harry.” Reid’s Grandma Jones quilt features the woolen fabrics cut out from winter clothing, including Uncle Ed’s uniform from the Korean War and school teacher Aunt Lola’s good quality clothing and also incorporates her wedding and 50th wedding anniversary photos, along with

some poetry. Another poignant quilt features her grandfather Poppy Slattery and grandmother Laura Belle, who gave birth to eight children, six of whom survived. Donald and Gladys, the two toddlers who passed of common illnesses at 18 months and nine months, are memorialized. “Their pictures reminded me of angels,” Reid said. Details: The quilt show runs to Memorial Day (entrance free on that day) at HD. Museum admission applies on other days. Call 480-926-1577 or hdsouth.org

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ARTS

THE SUNDAY SANTAN SUN NEWS | MAY 23, 2021

Social media keeps Erin McLoughlin inspired BY CHRISTINA FUOCO-KARASINSKI

Staff Writer

Erin McLoughlin was a little girl, growing up in Anthem, when she saw Norman Rockwell paintings for the first time. She admired his portraits with exaggerated emotions, she said. McLoughlin did her best to replicate his works and now the 2017 Boulder Creek High School graduate is a highly sought-after artist. “My mom and grandmother had a book by him laying around,” she said. “It was a gallery of all his work. I went through all the pages and tried to replicate them. It’s crazy. I can’t believe how it’s gone from there.” McLoughlin’s subjects have included Devin Booker; Tom Brady and golfer Rickie Fowler for the Arizona Cancer Foundation for Children; New England Patriots wide receiver Julian Edelman; Golden State Warriors and ex-Phoenix Suns baller Kelly Oubre Jr.; Kobe Bryant and LeBron James. “Julian Edelman was a commissioned piece,” she said. “He saw it on Twitter, which was pretty cool. Kelly Oubre Jr.’s was auctioned for the Suns. He saw it and signed the painting. I’ve done a few Kobe paintings, too.” She painted Booker after her high school friend referred the basketball player’s personal chef to her. “He was looking for a Christmas

logical science and public health. McLoughlin’s goal is to work as a physician’s assistant. “I’ve been drawn to art, though, since I was in the second grade,” she said. “I just started drawing and I’ve been doing it ever since. My senior year in high school I got into painting. I didn’t really take it seriously until college. I’ve been doing it on the side, all through college.” McLoughlin is approached so frequentLeft: Erin McLoughlin has done a few paintings of the late superstar Kobe Bryant. Right: Erin McLoughlin ly for commissioned shows off her portrait of basketball ace LeBron James. (Pablo Robles/Staff Photographer) work that she can pick and choose what she it. That’s why you can see some brush present for him,” she said. “He had this wants to do. She charges “a few thoustrokes in there.” photo of him, and he commissioned sand,” depending on the size of the If Instagram said anything, McLoughme to do a painting for him. I never met canvas and the image. lin has 43,300 followers on her artwork him personally, but he has one of my “I charge a lot now that the depage, and 11,100 on her personal one. paintings.” mand’s kind of higher,” McLoughlin said. “I’m inspired by a lot of different Since the day she was introduced McLoughlin is getting ready to gradpeople I see on social media,” she said. to Rockwell’s paintings, she has been uate from UA. She’s hoping to move to “I got on TikTok a lot and see artists on interested in realism. Scottsdale and further her studies in there. I started using these gold pieces “I’ve always loved drawing portraits the Valley. in the background after seeing it on and people. I guess it’s just because “I hope I can get a place big enough TikTok.” everybody’s different. Every single to have a studio, so I can take it more McLoughlin was born on Staten painting I do is different. It keeps it enseriously,” she said. “I want a room dedIsland and moved to Arizona at 6 years tertaining for me. I never get bored of icated to art.” it. That’s why I paint people. I enjoy the old. She is a senior at the University of erinmcloughlinart.com realism and I add little impressionism in Arizona, where she is studying psycho-

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THE SUNDAY SANTAN SUN NEWS | MAY 23, 2021

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Character and responsibility go hand in hand RABBI IRWIN WIENER Columnist

Numerous times we hear from different people that their concept of right and wrong can be found in their understanding of spirituality. It is used frequently to describe a partnership with God that requires confrontation, not acceptance. We are required, even obligated, to question God because to do so enables us to understand the meaning of life. All of us, at one time or another struggle with the notion of God and are determined to comprehend the true essence of our relationship. This is the formula for building character by assuming responsibility. So, what is it that we question? Primarily, I would suggest that we are concerned with the existence of evil. There has always been evil. There will always be evil. This is the eternal quest: To understand why there is evil and the part it plays in the elaborate road map called creation. On the other hand, we are also

romantics, always thinking that good will ultimately be victorious over evil. The Psalmist and the prophets talk about a time when all will be right with the world, and yet we still grapple with the notion of evil vs. good. Perhaps we spend too much time on why, and not enough time on what. By this I mean that while we sometimes may feel righteous indignation, we cannot fully determine our role until we understand that we must try to be the best we are capable of and that a partnership with God requires us to be a community of people concerned with survival. And our survival requires this relationship with each other. And unfortunately, it also contains the presence of good, bad and the in-between. The what also contains the understanding that we must take responsibility for our actions. Adam, when confronted by God about eating from the Tree of Knowledge, against God’s wishes, argues that he is blameless – “The woman made me do it.” Not taking responsibility is contrary to the concept of respect for life. Not speaking out when we witness injustice

is contrary to this understanding of the regard for life. We are responsible to and for each other and we need to be concerned about all that is around us because we cannot exist alone. If we are to be true partners with God, then we are obligated to act as a true partner – not as passive accepting and fate-filled participants. We are witnessing at this very moment the results of being passive in our relationship with each other. The indiscriminate murders taking place in our communities; the systemic racism that has polarized our society; the wanton destruction of our cities; the total denial of responsibility of our decay; the disregard for our religious obligations as determined by Scripture. How much more of what do we not understand? ‘Someone else made me do it’ is not acceptable. This is the calling of mankind: To be guardians, promoters and messengers. We were, for a brief moment, in the forefront of helping people live with dignity. We spoke out when we witnessed injustice for all minorities – people of color or immigrants or various

religious persuasions. We seem to have lost our way in the maze of hate-filled rhetoric and persecution. We somehow forgot that we are capable of enabling humanity to be productive and caring without fear of life and limb. We seem to have lost our ability to partner with God in ensuring peace and tranquility. We have a duty to follow the dictates of our conscience in participating in the saving of all lives by beginning with the saving of one. We have a moral responsibility to resist selfishness. We have an obligation to ensure that life will continue through grace. And we were created in the Divine image in which God accomplished one part of the equation of the partnership. Our effort should be the completion of that partnership: The survival of humanity and the survival of our planet. This truly is what we were created for. Our character is built on the foundation of our responsibilities. Rabbi Irwin Wiener D.D. is spiritual leader of the Sun Lakes Jewish Community.

Stars remind us God owns the night and day BY LYNNE HARTKE Guest Writer

The mighty archer, Sagittarius, with weapon drawn, pointed his arrow at Scorpios above the southern horizon. Unperturbed, the arachnid swung his tail over the neighborhood streetlights illuminating my backyard at 4:30 a.m. The bright star, Arcturus, hung over the roofline while the faint outline of the Big Dipper bedazzled the tail of Ursa Major, the Big Bear, visible over the silhouettes of my neighbor’s trees. Jupiter and Saturn shone through the hazy gray light of evening before the dusk surrendered to a brilliant cobalt blue along the horizon. The one missing actor from the stage was the new moon, having tucked its shining side between the earth and sun during its monthly orbit. Without the

moon’s bright light for competition, the understudies received top billing like the stars they were. This past year, I made a point of noticing the rhythms of the night, of documenting the arrival of each new and full moon. Having spent hours of my life watching and photographing the rising and setting of the sun – arriving at picturesque locations with camera ready – I felt the nighttime skies deserved their turn. After all, God made a point of creating lights for both. Genesis 1:14 ESV records, And God said, “Let there be lights in the expanse of the heavens to separate the day from the night. And let them be for signs and for seasons, and for days and years.” Perhaps the pandemic made me more aware of the need of rhythms, of paying attention to beginnings and endings. In a year when many hellos and goodbyes were taken from us, the nightly exchange in the heavens brought me

comfort as I was reminded that seasons begin and someday seasons end. In March, my Uncle David died from cancer in Wisconsin. Unable to attend the funeral, I was thankful I could watch via Zoom. The pastor shared stories of my uncle who passed a legacy of adventure and love of the outdoors to his grandchildren. The pastor also emphasized the importance of the church in Uncle David’s legacy, with one special highlight as he “was the first person baptized in this sanctuary (in 1941).” Beginnings. Endings. As vaccinations become more widespread and restrictions are lifted, we will once again embrace the celebrations of graduations, birthdays, christenings, and weddings. And equally important, we will return to the compassionate farewells of funerals like my uncle’s. The mystery of moonlight proclaims this truth and each month when even

the moon forgets its lines and is silent, God leaves us a witness in the stars. In His wisdom, He knew the night needed more than one light source. The testimony goes out from the Great Bear and the Archer, and from more stars than we can even see or name. Peering up into the heavens, I watched the stars disappear one by one until only Arcturus still flickered above me. A mourning dove sang a final farewell as this last star slipped from view as the palest shade of honey appeared in the east. Returning inside, I knew the stars would return the next night in their rhythm of remembering. God, knowing our propensity to forgetfulness, set in motion a reminder every twenty-four hours: the day belongs to God, but so, also, does the night. Lynne Hartke is the author of “Under a Desert Sky” and the wife of pastor and Chandler Mayor Kevin Hartke. She blogs at lynnehartke.com.

If only we practiced Desmond Tutu’s observation BY PASTOR MARVIN ARNPRIESTER Guest Writer

The South African Anglican cleric and theologian Desmond Tutu once observed: “We are made for goodness. We are made for love. We are made for friendliness. We are made for togetherness. We are made for all of the beautiful things that you and I know. We are made to tell

the world that there are no outsiders. “All are welcome: black, white, red, yellow, rich, poor, educated, not educated, male, female, gay, straight, all, all, all. We all belong to this family, this human family, God’s family.” I am wondering what might happen, what might change if we not only believed what he says, but began to practice that attitude in our relationships with each other? How might we better put into practice the full inclusion of all persons?

Grief support group starts in Sun Lakes A weekly grief support group has started at Sun Lakes United Methodist Church, 9248 E. Riggs Road, at 1 p.m. Tuesdays in Room 1 of the Education Building. It is not GriefShare but rather an informal gathering of people who are experiencing grief and need a safe place to come, share, and discuss with others what they are going through. It is facilitated by Pastor David Holling. There may be a theme or idea fo-

cused on each week, but if the discussion leads elsewhere, we will go with the discussion. Participants will build and dictate the agenda each week. What is most important is participants have a safe place to share their real and genuine feelings and ideas. Registration is not necessary; come as you are able. For further information, contact Pastor David at 480-895-8766. Rev. Marvin Arnpriester is pastor of Sun Lakes United Methodist Church.