SanTan Sun News - 7.4.2021 by Times Media Group

July 4, 2021 | www.santansun.com

Relentlessly local coverage of Southern Chandler

An edition of the East Valley Tribune

Chandler Uniﬁed vote could save $40 million BY KEVIN REAGAN Staff Writer

Chandler Unified School District will ask voters this November to renew a 15-percent budget override to preserve as much as $40 million in needed revenue. That money typically funds teacher salaries, professional development and small class sizes. “With the elimination of an override, many of those areas would have to be cut back because of the reduction

in funding,” warned Lana Berry, the district’s chief financial officer, June 23 as the Governing Board called for the election. The passage of another override won’t result in a new pot of money, Berry explained, since it would only maintain the district’s current funding levels for its maintenance and operations budget. “We’re just going after a continuation of existing funding we have in place so that we don’t receive a cut,” she added.

The Governing Board unanimously passed the resolution, which asks voters to let the district continue exceeding its state-mandated budget limit. According to the resolution, funds generated from an override renewal must be spent on personnel, enhancing technology and maintaining safety features. If a renewal is not granted, then CUSD said the district won’t be able to offer competitive salaries and would struggle to recruit new talent. “There is a large shortage of quali-

fied teachers,” a CUSD memo states. “The passage of the override helps the district avoid being impacted by the current teacher shortage.” Override money is calculated each year through the district’s average daily membership, which is how the state measures student enrollment. Since the district had been experiencing steady enrollment growth up until the pandemic, its override allotment increased from $29 million in 2015 See

CUSD on page 8

Waymo endures accidents and harassment in Chandler BY KEVIN REAGAN Staff Writer

Waymo’s self-driving cars continue to fall victim to incidents involving harassment and physical damage more than four years after they first began circulating around Chandler’s streets. Reports released by Chandler Police detail a variety of incidents that Waymo’s autonomous vehicles were in-

Kendon Victor prepares some of the devices that will light up the sky at tonight’s Independence Day fireworks show at Tumbleweed Park. (Pablo Robles/Staff Photographer)

volved in over the last 18 months, some of which highlight the reservations people still have about the emerging technology. Waymo last year began piloting minivans without humans in the vehicles, although it also has technicians in others. Over the last 18 months, local authorities have been called out to at See

WAYMO on page 9

Here comes the judge

Love at ﬁrst light for local ‘professional pyro’ BY TOM SCANLON Staff Writer

When the dark sky snaps to life over Tumbleweed Park and fireworks go off in fiery trails with squeaky sounds before the inevitable “BOOM” tonight, some will say “oooh” and others “aaaah.” Kendon Victor will say: “Who wants some more?” Victor is a longtime employee of Fireworks Productions of Arizona, a Chandler pyrotechnics powerhouse that has been as busy as Santa Claus during Christmas. “The week of the 4th, we’ll do 81 fireworks displays,” Victor said. “We’ve got 22 shows scheduled for the 3rd, 48 displays on the 4th.” His company will put on the sky show for fireworks community celebrations in Gilbert, Apache Junction, Scottsdale – and tonight’s big show in Chandler. For the second consecutive year, Chandler’s annual Red, White and Boom! July 4 Spectacular at Tum-

bleweed Park is still under COVID-19 restrictions – meaning spectators must stay in or near their vehicles and while admission is free, it costs $5 for a parking pass. Space is limited and people are encouraged to get their parking pass online at chandleraz.gov/4thofjuly. Gates to parking lots will open at 7 p.m. and the 20-minute fireworks display will start at 9 p.m. Light snacks and (non-alcoholic) beverages will be available to purchase onsite. Walk-ins and bicyclists will be permitted as space allows. Guests may bring their own food, snack, and non-alcoholic drinks, but tailgating, grilling, alcohol, marijuana, personal fireworks and sparklers are not permitted. All vehicles must be able to fit into a single parking spot so RVs and oversized vehicles are not permitted. Ask Victor how a young person can get into his line of business and you’ll get the kind of answer to be expected from See

FIREWORKS on page 12

City Magistrate Alicia Skupin is Chandler's new top judge and she aims to make Chandler Municipal Court a less intimidating place for citizens, as explained on page 6. (Pablo Robles/Staff Photographer)

F E AT U R E STO R I E S Simulator helps cops' training . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . COMMUNITY . . . . . . . . P10 State agency urges contractor patience. . . . . . . . . . BUSINESS . . . . . . . Page 26 Chandler hoopsters shine at tourney . . . . . . . . . . . . SPORTS . . . . . . . . Page 30 Hamilton High cadet earns salute . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . NEIGHBORS . . . . . . Page 32 Chandler actress vies for national award . . . . . . . . . ARTS . . . . . . . . . . Page 35

More Community . . . 1-22 Health . . . . . . . 23-25 Business . . . . . 26-29 Sports . . . . . . . . . . 30 Neighbors . . . 32-34 Arts . . . . . . . . . 35-38 Faith . . . . . . . . . . . 39 Directory . . . 40-46 Eat . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42

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Chandler seeks input on anti-discrimination policy BY KEVIN REAGAN Staff Writer

A resolution outlining Chandler’s stance on discrimination was introduced at last week’s meeting of City Council, which deferred action until the public can comment on the policy’s language. Like most other municipalities around the Valley, Chandler has spent the last year discussing whether the city needs to adopt new policies that could better protect vulnerable populations that are prone to bigotry. The city councils in Mesa and Scottsdale earlier this year unanimously adopted sweeping ordinances with escalating fines for violators but many Chandler City Council members have shied away from a policy with teeth. The city’s resolution declares citizens shall be free from being discriminated against on the basis of race, sex, ethnicity, religion, age, national origin, or sexual orientation. “The City of Chandler is committed to serve all members of the community, protect their basic human rights, and ensure the safety and well-being of its residents,” the resolution states, “and the inclusion and integration of all residents of the city is a vital concern for the general welfare of the city.” Rather than vote on adopting the

Chandler City Councilman OD Harris is pushing for the adoption of an anti-discrimination ordinance rather than the much weaker resolution. (Special to SanTan Sun News)

draft, Council members said they want more feedback from residents. Councilwoman Christine Ellis supported delaying a vote, saying the public should have a voice in creating Chandler’s anti-discrimination policies. “It’s important for them to be part of the process of understanding what that’s going to mean to their lives,” Ellis said. The resolution is a notable departure from how Chandler’s neighbors are addressing racism and homophobia. Phoenix and Tempe already had ordinances that strictly ban discrimination.

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Unlike ordinances, resolutions can’t include punishments for violators. Some Chandler Council members have not been comfortable with establishing penalties, saying they don’t like the idea of the city regulating speech and determining what type of behavior should be considered discriminatory. But public pressure has been increasing for the city to adopt an ordinance instead of a resolution. The Chandler Chamber of Commerce and Democratic legislators have urged passage of an ordinance rather than a resolution. “For the Chamber, which represents the interests of more than 170,000 people employed by businesses operating in Chandler, instituting an anti-discrimination statute is essential to the continued vitality and competitiveness of our city,” the Chamber recently wrote. Some Chandler residents also are still hopeful the city will steer toward an ordinance. Jude Schroder, who identifies as bisexual and transgender, said an ordinance could better protect members of the LGBTQ community who constantly live in fear of missing out on job opportunities or being turned down for housing. “This is something that is of the utmost importance to me,” Schroder said. “Is the city that I’m going to live in going

to have protection for people like me?” As the city starts to collect feedback on its non-discrimination resolution, Chandler will be launching a study soon that examines its diversity needs. Last year, the Chandler Human Relations Commission recommended hiring a consultant who could evaluate the city’s diversity initiatives after a survey indicated several Chandler residents were curious to know how the city is promoting diversity and felt some marginalized groups weren’t being recognized by the city. Twenty-seven percent of the survey’s respondents felt their voice wasn’t represented in local government and another 49 percent said they weren’t aware of the city’s diversity initiatives. The city is hoping to move quickly on starting its diversity study so that its results can work in tandem with how the council chooses to handle the non-discrimination ordinance issue. Councilman OD Harris, who supports passage of an ordinance, said he appreciates the city’s efforts to be more transparent and inclusive and hopes the public will take the opportunity to offer their opinions in the coming weeks. “It’s not just one group looking to be represented, it’s multiple groups,” Harris said. “And we want to make sure Chandler continues to represent everyone.”

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Chandler looks for leg up in job market BY KEVIN REAGAN Staff Writer

The City of Chandler is planning a study to find out how it can be more competitive in recruiting talented employees to fill its large number of job vacancies. As the city begins to hire for many positions that went unfilled this past year because of the pandemic, its staff is finding the recruitment process more challenging and limiting. “We’re all competing for the same talent,” said Human Resources Director Rae Lynn Nielsen, “We’re just having trouble attracting people to public service.” The city had at least 103 job vacancies by the end of June – which Nielsen believes is one of the highest vacancy count Chandler’s seen in recent years. Nearly 90 new employees have been hired since the start of 2021, but Nielsen said that figure barely puts a dent in the large number of vacant positions created by retirements and resignations. “When we’re just breaking even, it’s not working,” she added. According to city data, Chandler’s staff turnover rate has increased by more than 1 percent since 2018 and the city currently has more than 100 retirement-eligible workers. Chandler apparently is being hit by the same new employment trends plaguing other government agencies over the last year. A 2021 nationwide survey of city

workers found that the number of eligible employees planning to move up their retirement date increased significantly during the pandemic. Local municipalities additionally reported difficulties in finding enough applicants for positions in public safety, information technology and engineering, according to the survey by the Mission Square Research Institute. Later this year, Chandler intends to launch a compensation study to examine what jobs may need to be reclassified or if salaries need to be adjusted to become more competitive. Chandler has traditionally compared its salary schedule to nearby municipalities like Mesa, Gilbert, and Tempe – cities that have often been Chandler’s biggest competitors for workers. But the city has noticed smaller municipalities are beginning to recruit the type of worker that would have normally accepted a position in Chandler. Communities like Avondale, Queen Creek, and Apache Junction are starting to pull government workers out of Chandler and are making the Valley’s labor market increasingly competitive. “In the past, that was not something we were faced with,” Nielsen noted. Some workers have decided to leave Chandler because they don’t see opportunities to grow in their profession, Nielsen added, or they want to be in a city with more flexible work environments. The 10-hour, four-day work week used in Gilbert and Mesa for most of its employees is considered a popular

perk for some applicants and has often placed the city at disadvantage in the hiring process. The city is hoping it will come up with some new amenities that can make Chandler more appealing to applicants who have several job options to choose from. Earlier this year, Chandler started offering monetary incentives for new police officers and Nielsen said the benefit has already had a positive impact on attracting a broader pool of applicants. A nationwide recruitment campaign will launch later this year and could possibly attract a bigger and more diverse pool of applicants. The city will also review its recruitment experience and examine streamlining the hiring process. Nielsen said timing can be crucial in today’s competitive market and Chandler has already lost talented applicants who didn’t want to wait for the city to make a hiring decision. “We were losing people if we weren’t quick enough to make an offer,” Nielsen said. City Council members applauded the city administration’s willingness to rethink how it hires workers. “We’ve got to broaden the market because that’s the only way we’re going to capture these folks,” said Councilman Matt Orlando. The city plans to start looking next month for a consultant to oversee its compensation study and start the process sometime this fall.

‘Doomsday’ mom charged with Chandler murder BY KEVIN REAGAN Staff Writer

Lori Vallow, the former Chandler resident accused of killing her two children in Idaho, is now facing a murder-related charge here – a Maricopa County grand jury indicted her for conspiring to kill her ex-husband two years ago in her Chandler home. Vallow has attracted national media attention for her alleged association with a religious cult of doomsday preppers. Last week a grand jury here accused her of conspiring with her now-deceased brother, Alex Cox, to kill her ex, Charles Vallow. Cox, of Gilbert, shot Charles and told authorities he had to do it in order to protect himself and his sister. He and Lori claimed Charles was threatening to hit them with a baseball bat during a domestic dispute over the couple’s children. Chandler Police initially ruled that Cox had acted in self-defense and declined to arrest him. Cox ended up dying of what the Medical Examiner’s office called natural causes in December 2019 – five months after killing Charles Vallow. Maricopa County Attorney Allister Adel said Chandler Police spent many hours digging deeper into Vallow’s death before submitting a case to the grand jury that resulted in an indictment against Lori. “Complex, difficult cases of this nature take time to properly investi-

gate and solve,” Adel stated last week. “I appreciate the tremendous number of hours the dedicated officers of the Chandler Police Department have invested, and my office is equally committed to bringing those responsible for Charles Vallow’s death to justice” In the two years since her husband’s death, Lori Vallow has had several other people in her life die under suspicious circumstances – including two of her own children. The remains of Tylee Ryan, 17, and her 7-year-old brother, Joshua Vallow, were discovered last summer in Idaho. Their bodies were in close proximity to a residence owned by Lori’s newest husband, Chad Daybell, who has been charged along with Lori Vallow with conspiring to kill the children. Daybell also faces charges for allegedly killing his former wife, Tammy, in 2019 and for committing multiple acts of insurance fraud. Daybell and Vallow are suspected of espousing apocalyptic beliefs and feared that biblical end times were coming soon. According to court records, Vallow believed her children had turned into “dark spirits” or zombies. It has taken investigators in Idaho and Arizona years to unravel the complex web of crimes attached to Vallow and Daybell, but public records show at least one law enforcement agency had been tipped off about the suspicious couple long before anyone in their orbit wound up dead.

A few months before he was killed, Charles warned Gilbert Police he was in physical danger, telling detectives in January 2019 that Lori was acting “nonsensical” and had disappeared with the couple’s children. Lori had allegedly locked Charles out of the family’s home and withdrew $35,000 from the family’s bank account. Charles told investigators his wife had been brainwashed by a group of religious fanatics in Utah. “She’s lost her mind,” Charles told the officers. “She thinks she’s a resurrected being. Her religious stuff has gone way off the deep end.” Despite the concerns expressed by Charles, local authorities declined to intervene by arresting Lori. “There was no information obtained that Lori had committed a crime,” a Gilbert officer wrote in a report. “There was no information obtained that Charles and Lori's children were in danger.” At least five people connected to Lori have died in the months after Gilbert Police chose not to arrest her. It’s unclear when Lori might be extradited back to Arizona and be prosecuted for Charles’ death. A psychologist has already deemed her mentally incompetent to stand trial for other criminal charges and she’s currently undergoing treatment at the Idaho Department of Health and Welfare. State prosecutors are challenging the mental incompetency ruling in court.

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Chandler’s top judge aims for accessibility BY KEVIN REAGAN Staff Writer

City Magistrate Alicia Skupin is ready to bring justice to the people. After seven years of working at Chandler Municipal Court, Skupin has ascended to a top leadership position and wants to use her power to make the court more visible and accessible. “The court is trying to move into more of a community atmosphere,” Skupin noted. Her staff is planning to send clerks and judges to public events and make themselves available to residents needing help resolving legal predicaments. A courtroom can feel intimidating to some people, Skupin said, so the city wants to find ways of bringing the law to a more comfortable environment. The initiative is part of a broader philosophy Skupin tries to practice while presiding from the bench that seems to prioritize empathy and openness over stern rigidness. “We’re not there to get people in trouble,” Skupin said. “We’re there to help them resolve their issues and move on with their lives.” Skupin has been serving as the court’s acting presiding magistrate for the last six months, but City Council last month officially appointed her to the position permanently. Her two-year contract comes with

Alicia Skupin a $195,000 salary and the responsibility for managing a busy staff of about 40 employees. The municipal court is mainly tasked with adjudicating petty crimes, traffic violations, or requests for restraining

orders. On average, the court will get up to 37,000 cases in any given year. Skupin was hastily asked to take over as the court’s presiding judge last December after her predecessor, David Fuller, was demoted for problematic behavior in the workplace. According to a third-party investigation into Fuller’s conduct, several female employees reported feeling belittled or disrespected by the former presiding judge. Skupin said Council’s decision to appoint her brought some much-needed stability and consistency back to the court. “I think the mayor and Council were very attuned to what was going on,” she said. Skupin already knows her administration won’t be completely dominated by paperwork. She intends to stay on the bench and continue presiding over a regular docket of court cases while saving a couple days a week for managerial duties. Not all presiding judges continue working in the courtroom, Skupin said,

and some chose to conduct most of their work out of public view. But Skupin is not interested in hiding from Chandler residents. “I plan to be a working judge,” she explained. “I think it’s important for the presiding judge to have a pulse of what’s happening in the court building.” Skupin’s journey to the city court began in one of Phoenix’s blue-collar neighborhoods, where she grew up with her Mexico-born mother and Midwestern father. Her childhood home was a mix of cultures and languages that had a lasting impact on the future judge’s perspective of the world. The family lived in a neighborhood where security bars would commonly be seen on windows, Skupin recalled, and where it wasn’t too safe to go out after dark. “I don’t come from that Ivory Tower,” Skupin said. “I know what it’s like to struggle.” An academic scholarship to Arizona State University offered Skupin a pathway out of her neighborhood and into a job teaching high school English. But Skupin quickly discovered that she had little interest in trying to wrangle hormonal teenagers every day. After graduating from law school in 2001, Skupin spent the following decade defending clients in criminal cases for a See

JUDGE on page 10

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CUSD

from page 1

to $41 million in 2021. CUSD could see its override money shrink in the 2021-2022 school year by about $1 million due to a downturn in enrollment experienced in the pandemic. Records show Chandler’s ADM rate decreased by 1,200 students between 2020 and 2021 – which was a bigger loss than what CUSD had projected in last year’s budget. Chandler’s elementary schools have experienced some of the district’s biggest drops in enrollment. At the start of 2021, CUSD had 2,700 fewer K-6 students than it had in 2018. Even though CUSD expects its declining enrollment to generate a $13-million funding loss, its proposed budget for fiscal year 2022 is considerably bigger than the previous year. CUSD is considering adopting a budget totaling $417 million – an increase from the $378-million budget adopted for the current fiscal year that ends Wednesday. Berry said changes in inflation, state funding and federal aid have contributed to the increase. One of those changes involves the restoration of $4 million in state aid that had been lost due to disparities in how Arizona had been funding virtual learning. Students learning remotely from home during the pandemic were fund-

THE SUNDAY SANTAN SUN NEWS | JULY 4, 2021

to 6.11 per $100,000 assessed value. The possible renewal of the district’s budget override is not expected to have an impact on Chandler’s projected tax rates. “There’s no tax increase whatsoever,” Berry added. Override funding last for seven years after it is approved by voters, but it shrinks dramatically in the final two years. District officials noted that historically voters have supported overrides. The only time CUSD failed As Chandler Unified's enrollment has grown, so has override-generated funding over the last eight to obtain an override was in years. That's mainly because the district's overall maintenance and operations budget has grown and 2012. the overrides represent 15 percent more spending. Voters turned down the (Chandler Unified School District) request 52-48 but enough voters changed their minds Under the American Recovery Act ed at a rate that was 5 percent lower the following year when the override passed earlier this year by Congress, than that for in-classroom students. was again put on the ballot. all school districts are receiving a third But CUSD officials are not expecting Voters last authorized an override round of Elementary and Secondary to be penalized in the upcoming year in 2017 with the understanding that it School Emergency Relief funds. for any students who have been learnwould help CUSD recruit new teachers The first two rounds were approved ing virtually. and increase student achievement. by Congress last year. “We will not receive a reduction for If it failed this year, the measure At least 20 percent of the ESSER III distance learning,” Berry noted. could be put on the ballot again in funding must be spent on addressing The district’s unrestricted capital 2022. a district’s learning losses or academic fund, which pays for textbooks and Putting the measure on this year’s gaps by using evidence-based intervenlibrary supplies, is projected to be fully ballot in what will be an all-mail elections. restored in the proposed budget and tion gives the district a second shot The proposed CUSD budget would would result in a 28-percent funding with voters next year if it is rejected. additionally boost the average annuincrease. A public hearing on the proposed al salary for teachers from $61,825 to One of the saving factors for next 2021-22 budget will be held on July 14 year’s budget is a $30-million allotment $63,563. before the Governing Board formally The budget also calls for reducing in the district’s third round of federal adopts it. the local property tax rate from 6.42 pandemic relief funding.

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WAYMO

from page 1

least 20 incidents involving one of Waymo’s signature white minivans that use advanced sensors and cameras to navigate Chandler’s roadways. The events range widely from paranoid suspicions, to fender benders to hit-and-run crashes ending in a criminal arrest. One of the most recent incidents involved a motorist accusing a Waymo car of slowing down without much warning. On May 7, 2021, a motorist rear-ended a Waymo minivan on Ray Road after the autonomous car “locked its brakes” and the oncoming car was unable to avoid a collision, according to the police report. Waymo claims its car only “braked lightly” as it was entering an intersection and alleges the other motorist was driving slightly faster than theirs. A similar incident was reported last October after a Waymo vehicle stopped in the middle of Chandler Boulevard, resulting in a vehicle crashing into the autonomous vehicle. Both vehicles sustained minor damage and no injuries were reported. The vehicle “was in autonomous mode and all of a sudden the vehicle began to stop and gave a code to the effect of ‘stop recommended’ and came to a sudden stop without warning,” a Waymo employee told Chandler Police. In January 2020, a car struck a Waymo vehicle that stopped right before

A red light runner in 2018 struck this Waymo minivan in what is believed to be the first accident involving the autonomous vehicle. (Courtesy ABC 15)

entering an intersection along Chandler Boulevard. The Waymo technician told Chandler Police he saw the other car “coming up behind him and attempted to disengage the autonomous mode by pressing the accelerator but it did not disengage in time,” according to a police report. Waymo says its vehicles are designed to slow down after they detect a po-

tential issue on the roads and that any problems arising from these situations are a “rare occurrence.” “Any vehicle involved in a collision is thoroughly assessed by our technical team to determine if there are any potential issues before being repaired and put back in service,” Waymo’s representatives wrote in a statement. There have been several other inci-

dents this past year in which Waymo vehicles were targets of erratic drivers or shady characters. Last February, an unknown person hurled an ice cream cone at a moving Waymo car. A few days after this incident, another person was spotted throwing eggs at multiple Waymo See

WAYMO on page 10

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THE SUNDAY SANTAN SUN NEWS | JULY 4, 2021

New simulator enhances Chandler police training BY KEVIN REAGAN Staff Writer

Chandler’s police officers will soon have new technology that allows them to imagine how they might react to an active shooter. City Council authorized spending $256,000 on a five-screen simulation device that virtually places officers in life-like scenarios. VirTra, a Tempe-based technology company, is manufacturing Chandler’s V-300 simulation model and will supply a library of prerecorded simulations in which actors recreate dangerous scenarios and threats. “The immersive experience of the V-300 portrays true-to-life situations taken from actual events,” the company’s sales brochure states. “The VirTra difference lies with the training points and corresponding lessons built into the software.” One VirTra scenario is eerily reminiscent of the 1999 massacre at Columbine High School that resulted in 13 fatalities and dozens of injuries. The company’s simulation shows several teenagers running and taking cover inside a school library, as the officers slowly surround the armed gunman. The officers must carefully aim their weapon at the perpetrator and avoid shooting the young bystanders fleeing for their lives. Although the circumstances are fake, VirTra claims its realistic reenactments can result in better cops and safer communities. “This system is used by law enforcement world-wide and has a proven training record on decision-making, instruction, scenario creation, and marksmanship skills with pistols and

JUDGE

from page 6

variety of misdemeanor offenses. Skupin said her experience growing up in a low-income area has made her particularly compassionate for individuals caught up in the justice system. She remembers how it felt to barely have enough money to survive from week to week and how one expensive traffic ticket could devastate somebody’s budget.

WAYMO

from page 9

vehicles. Situations involving harassment have been a frequent occurrence ever since the company first introduced its cars on Chandler’s streets in 2017. In the first couple years of Waymo’s presence in the East Valley, local law enforcement responded to several incidents involving residents throwing rocks or pointing weapons at the self-driving cars. A Chandler man was arrested in 2018 for recklessly aiming his firearm at a Waymo vehicle.

made available to nearby law enforcement departments interested in using it for training and for various community outreach activities. The price simulator purchase had been pre-planned as part of the second phase of construction for Chandler’s public safety training center that opened in 2018. Several other agencies around Arizona have been incorporating VirTra’s simulators into their training programs for the last few years. Gilbert Police recently started using VirTra’s simulation technology inside its new training facility. In 2016, the Legislature The VirTra simulator provides officers with a more realistic sense of danger as they train to react to allocated $2.1 million to the different kinds of threats. (Special to SanTan Sun News) state Department of Public Safety for seven VirTra sima major upgrade from the simulator rifles,” the company stated. ulators that could be used by agencies Chandler Police has been using for the Another VirTra simulation has offithroughout the state. last eight years, which only consists of a cers attempting to dissuade a suicidal Arizona was considered the first subject from not harming himself with a single visual screen. state in the nation to initiate a state“This system’s technology is outknife – the scenario typically ends with wide rollout of virtual training for its dated and does not meet our training an officer shocking the troubled man police officers, in an attempt to better needs of the department,” said Chanwith a Taser gun. help them learn how to de-escalate Every scenario can unfold in different dler Police Sgt. Jason McClimans. contentious situations. VirTra’s videos and interactive simdirections, depending on the trainee’s “These innovative virtual training ulations allow officers to strengthen actions during the simulation. simulators offer unparalleled preparatheir use-of-force strategies, he added, Throughout each exercise, officers tion for the difficult real-world situaare regularly bombarded with a cacoph- as well as practice utilizing non-lethal tions that our officers experience day-in ony of realistic sights and sounds meant actions to detain a subject. and day-out,” Gov. Doug Ducey said at Chandler Police will depend on to challenge their concentration on the the time of the DPS allocation. the simulator for helping its officers life-or-death task at hand. In the four years since DPS impleOne simulation has officers trying to complete annual firearm training that’s mented its VirTra simulators, Maricopa recommended by the Arizona Peace keep a wild, barking dog away from a County has logged more than 240 Officer Standards and Training Board. group of scared school children. officer-involved shootings. Chandler’s new system will also be VirTra’s technology is considered

“I think having that background gives me an extra depth or sensitivity to people who are in similar circumstances,” Skupin said. The new presiding judge said she hopes to encourage a culture that makes Chandler’s court more accommodating and welcoming to people who come from diverse backgrounds. Nobody should feel nervous about coming to court and getting their business done, Skupin said. Another goal outlined in Skupin’s

agenda includes boosting the court’s accountability to the public by conducting feedback surveys and presenting more performance data to the council. The court’s statistics have fluctuated this past year due to the pandemic. Case filings dipped as businesses and public spaces started shutting down last spring, which slowed down the court’s ability to resolve complaints. Skupin said the court’s filings have begun to return to pre-pandemic levels and that her staff is attempting to get dockets

caught up to where they need to be. “We are moving through and adjudicating cases that have been backlogged since September and October,” she added. As the court begins to recover from the pandemic, Skupin said she’s excited to be placed in a role where she can calmly referee a wide variety of complex problems that affect the daily lives of Chandler residents. “I feel like landing in the judicial position is really perfect for my demeanor,” Skupin said.

Recent police reports suggest some Waymo vehicles continue to be targeted around the city by angry motorists. On Oct. 31, 2020, a Waymo employee called Chandler Police after two motorcyclists followed him and blocked the autonomous car from being able to exit a parking lot. The Waymo worker claims one of the drivers got off their motorcycle and started yelling and pointing at the self-driving car before it managed to drive around the two motorcycles. On Dec. 29, 2020, an unknown pedestrian punched a Waymo vehicle near Dobson and Warner roads. A technician riding with the Waymo car alleged the man began yelling at the moving vehicle

before knocking one of its side mirrors out of place. In a couple instances in recent months, law enforcement had to reassure residents who felt intimidated by Waymo’s vehicles. A cyclist expressed fear getting hit by a Waymo car vehicle didn’t seem to detect their presence while turning onto Rita Lane. Last summer, one resident told Chandler Police he felt like a Waymo vehicle was stalking his family at a nearby park because it kept hovering around them. The company later explained that it had been testing its vehicles in the resident’s neighborhood and that several were moving in and out

of the area, according to police reports. The company’s vehicles have additionally been damaged in multiple hitand-run accidents reported throughout Chandler. Earlier this year, a Chevy Silverado sideswiped a Waymo vehicle on Price Road and continued driving without stopping. Another Waymo vehicle was hit by a Jeep Wrangler last September near Price and Ray roads and the other motorist kept driving. In February 2020, a hit-and-run driver struck a Waymo vehicle on Price Road and was later apprehended by police. The suspect had allegedly been involved in several hit-and-run accidents across the Valley.

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FIREWORKS

THE SUNDAY SANTAN SUN NEWS | JULY 4, 2021

from page 1

someone who has three first names (his first name comes from his grandfathers’ names, slammed together). “Don’t, would be my recommendation,” he said. “The truth is, there is no career path to this. How this works is most people involved knew somebody who did this. They got invited in, and decide, ‘This is fun, I want to continue to do this. “You do it out of the love. We give you a flare and explosives and say, ‘You get to light that on fire and blow it up.’” Victor was 19 when his best friend married into a fireworks company. His friend invited him to try his hand with the professional-grade goods. It was love at first light. Victor still remembers what he thought, the first time he set off the big boomers: “Oh, this rocks …” Not that this line of work involved any kind of philosophical change. “I’ve always liked setting things on fire,” Victor said. “I spent a long time without eyebrows as a kid.” Thirty years after getting his start as a professional pyro, he is one of the lucky ones. “Most of our people (in fireworks) have real jobs and do this on the side. But the company I worked for got bought out by a California company, and my boss said, ‘How’d you like to come into this full time?’”

Unfortunately, pandemic precautions have prompted Chandler officials to restrict spectators at the July 4 fireworks show in Tumbleweed Park to their vehicles or not far from them, so scenes like this from the show in 2019 won't be repeated until hopefully next year. Only Gilbert is holding a fireworks show Sunday night that has no restrictions on where to watch. (SanTan Sun News file photo)

For most, he said, “At best it’s a glorified hobby. If you’re in it for the pay, you’re in the wrong place.” While the firecrackers themselves don’t change much over the years, Victor said he wants to make every Independence Day celebration different. “I take a lot of time planning out the body of the show, planning out what should be in the grand finale.” He’s been shooting off the fireworks show in Mesa for seven years, first at

the Mesa Amphitheater before the show moved to the Fiesta Mall last year and this weekend. He wouldn’t give away any secrets about the show here July 3, other than to make a big promise: “The best way I can describe it is: something amazing and spectacular.” Victor has been shooting fireworks for 30 years, during the big 4th celebrations, weddings, corporate events, high school graduations, homecomings and sporting events.

He enjoys putting new spins on something that’s been around for hundreds of years. “According to historical data, fireworks were created by the Chinese,” Victor noted. “They accidentally created fireworks when they lit gunpowder on fire, then they thought, ‘Wow, this is cool.’ “Originally, they set off fireworks to chase away demons and devils.” Does it work? “Never chased away any of mine.” Ka-boom.

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THE SUNDAY SANTAN SUN NEWS | JULY 4, 2021

City issues warnings on personal ﬁreworks SANTAN SUN NEWS STAFF

Don’t get burned by being stupid with fireworks. That’s the advice of Chandler Fire, which warns that while some types of fireworks are legal to sell and purchase, the use, misuse and improper storage of fireworks can lead to personal injury, injury to others, harm to pets, and, of course, fires and burns. State law allows consumer fireworks to be used on private property, with the permission of the property owner, June 24-July 6, Dec. 24-Jan. 3 and May 4-6. Chandler prohibits their use in any park. Banned is the sale or use of display fireworks that shoot into the air like aerial devices at large public special events. Also illegal are fireworks with a higher percentage of black powder, such as M-80’s, firecrackers, Roman candles, bottle rockets. People 16 and older can buy those fireworks marked with either “Consumer Fireworks” or “1.4 G Fireworks” labels, such as ground-based and

spinning sparkling devices. The popular novelty items – snappers, snap caps, glow worms, snakes, party poppers, toy smoke devices and sparklers – are not regulated and can be sold and used anywhere in Chandler. At retail locations these must be labeled as “Novelty Fireworks.” Fire officials warn the common “sparklers” can cause severe burns if mishandled. Fireworks sales are allowed in certain types of retail locations, including temporary tents or structures. Chandler Fire Prevention Specialists work with these local businesses to ensure that their fireworks are displayed in the proper manner, have appropriate signage, and don’t exceed allowable limits. If Chandler residents see fireworks being sold or used inappropriately, they can report the violations to the non-emergency phone number of the Chandler Police Department at 480-782-4130. The Police Department can issue citations that could include a civil penalty of $1,000. Information: chandleraz.gov/ﬁre.

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THE SUNDAY SANTAN SUN NEWS | JULY 4, 2021

City pays out $1M to slain teen’s family BY KEVIN REAGAN Staff Writer

The parents of a 17-year-old boy shot and killed by a Chandler police officer earlier this year will receive a $1.1-million settlement from the city. Anthony Cano died on Jan. 23 after Officer Chase Bebak-Miller shot him twice in the back three weeks earlier during a police chase that ended in Gazelle Meadows Park. Without admitting any legal liability, the city settled his family’s claim by paying $1 million to the teenager’s mother and $125,000 for his father. Had the city not decided to offer a settlement, the case could have resulted in a lengthy court trial. Cano’s tragic end began after he had run from Bebak-Miller when he attempted to stop the teen for riding a bicycle without a front headlight. During the chase, Cano attempted to discard a handgun he had been carrying. Bebak-Miller told investigators he felt compelled to protect himself and use lethal force after noticing Cano was holding a gun. The weapon was later found 20 feet away from where paramedics found Cano. The Maricopa County Attorney’s Office is currently reviewing whether Bebak-Miller should be criminally

Officer Bebak very “ obviously intended to

cause severe injury to a defenseless child laying on the ground, in conscious disregard to Anthony’s rights and safety.

”

– Greg Kuykendall

Anthony Cano charged. The teenager’s family has repeatedly called for the city to hold Bebak-Miller accountable and to release all its records related to the death investigation. Despite public protests and online petitions calling for the officer’s termination, Bebak-Miller remains employed by the city. In late March, Cano’s parents filed a claim against Chandler, notifying city officials they intended to seek up to $10 million in damages for their son’s death. Greg Kuykendall, the family’s attorney, argued that the officer’s actions were excessive and likely violated the

teenager’s civil rights. “Officer Bebak very obviously intended to cause severe injury to a defenseless child laying on the ground, in conscious disregard to Anthony’s rights and safety,” Kuykendall wrote in the legal claim, which is a precursor to a civil suit. Kuykendall highlighted the emotional distress Cano’s mother, Kathleen Renee Clum, continues to endure knowing there is body-camera footage of her son’s death available to watch online. “The likelihood of her being able to successfully avoid viewing the shooting of her child is slim to none,” he added.

“She will always be haunted by the knowledge that graphic evidence of Anthony’s killing is all over the internet.” According to the family’s claim, Cano’s gunshot wounds caused “horrific pain” and severely damaged the teen’s spine, liver, and stomach. The claimants speculated that Bebak-Miller could have been predisposed to use lethal force due to prior experiences he had in the part of Chandler where the shooting occurred. About a year before Cano’s death, Bebak-Miller was injured in an unrelated officer-involved shooting near Gazelle Meadows Park. Bebak-Miller was one of three officers struck by gunfire during a standoff with a suspect who led police on a chase along Delaware Street and set fire to a house. The settlement for Cano’s family is not the largest Chandler has had to pay for damages caused by police incidents. In 2002, the city agreed to pay a $2.8-million to the parents of a college student killed during a police chase along McQueen Road. The city paid a $1.9-million settlement in 2003 after a 35-year-old woman was shot and killed by a Chandler officer outside a Walgreen's after she had passed a forged prescription to the druggist.

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THE SUNDAY SANTAN SUN NEWS | JULY 4, 2021

Transgender killer gets 25 years for murder BY JACOB FLORES Contributor

A transgender woman from Chandler was sentenced to 25 years in prison with no parole last month for pleading to second-degree murder in the 2018 slaying of her grandmother. B. Smith, formerly named Brandon Smith, 33, was arrested around 3:38 a.m. on July 29, 2018, after calling Chandler Police to report that 89-year-old Helen Smith wasn’t breathing and that it looked as if someone beat her up and sliced her throat. According to the police, the killer ran from the scene but was eventually found and detained. Court documents, showed Smith admitted being frustrated that she was the only person taking care of the victim, who suffered from dementia, and she became angry when her grandmother urinated in her clothes. She took her grandmother and started slapping the elderly woman, causing her to fall into the bathtub unconscious. Police say the killer told them she didn’t want her grandmother to “live like this anymore” and decided to end her life, so Smith grabbed a knife and cut her throat as she lay unconscious in the tub. Originally, Smith was on the hook for first-degree murder, but reached a plea agreement for a lesser charge of second-degree murder, which holds a

maximum sentence of 25 years. Smith has a history of violence and was on probation at the time of the killing. According to court documents, a cousin called police in March 2016 to report an “extremely intoxicated” Smith disturbing residents at a pool, leading to a fight with her cousin. When officers arrived at the scene, Smith was bellig-

going to go to hell,” said Sloan. “If you’re being constantly criticized, persecuted, how would you feel? Me, as a mom, I feel very sad.” “I know Bam-Bam is going to get 25 years but that’s too long, and they’re saying no chance of parole. Bam-Bam has already lived a hard life, she’s always been judged, she’s already been pun-

Bam-Bam always had a hard life, trying to “ identify herself, my family persecuted (her). Telling

her that she was going to go to hell. If you’re being constantly criticized, persecuted, how would you feel? Me, as a mom, I feel very sad.

”

– Glenda Sloan

erent and slapped one of the officers in the face. The killer pleaded no contest to one count of aggravated assault. Before the sentencing in the murder case, Smith’s mother, Glenda Sloan, read a statement to Superior Court Judge Teresa Sanders. Holding back tears with her voice trembling, Sloan spoke for 25 minutes talked about how much her son “Bam-Bam” had been through and pleaded for leniency. “Bam-Bam always had a hard life, trying to identify herself, my family persecuted (her). Telling her that she was

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ished enough by everyone.” “I love Bam-Bam so much,” said Sloan. “It really breaks my heart, some days it feels like I can’t breathe. I’m very overwhelmed, I lost my baby, I lost my mom, I lost two people who mean a lot to me.” Prosecutor Catherine Ferguson-Gilbert said, “There’s a lot of pain here, a lot of hurt, and this has been going on for a long time in this family, clearly, and it sounds like the burden of taking care of Helen fell on Glenda and on the defendant.” “It was sort of a recipe for disaster, but the defendant had a choice to make too. If the defendant was taught love

and acceptance, that’s what the defendant should have shown. There are consequences for these violent actions, and the consequence of 25 years flat is what the court should impose in this case.” The defendant also spoke, telling the judge, “I believe that I’m innocent and that this whole thing was a big accident.” “A what?” said Sanders, who sounded dumbfounded by the statement. “A big accident?” “Yeah,” said Smith. Defense Attorney Clare Schum jumped up and asked for a moment with her client. After a few minutes of deliberation, Schum went back to her seat and Smith said, “Um, never mind.” The judge told Smith she was lucky to get the plea deal. “I’ve been on the bench for over 22 years, and I was a practicing lawyer for about 15 years before that,” said Sanders. “It’s rare that you see a case where somebody is murdered with the level of violence that was demonstrated here, that the person is afforded a plea of second-degree murder.” “It’s a good thing you didn’t go to trial and further the ‘it was an accident, I’m innocent’ argument because I think a jury would have convicted you in a heartbeat,” the judge added, noting she could have easily been convicted of first-degree murder and sentenced to prison for life without parole. Smith will be around 56 when eligible for release.

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COMMUNITY NEWS

THE SUNDAY SANTAN SUN NEWS | JULY 4, 2021

Chandler nonproﬁt building ‘oasis’ downtown BY KEVIN REAGAN Staff Writer

A Chandler nonprofit is planning to build a community center downtown to serve as an education center for children and adults. Live Love Chandler recently submitted plans to the City Council to develop an empty 2-acre lot near Gazelle Meadows Park as a recreational facility it would call “The Oasis.” The project would include a 5,000-square-foot building where residents can take vocational classes, as well as an outdoor space consisting of soccer fields and a community garden. “The overall vision is that The Oasis will have a transforming effect on the community through relationships, generosity, and love,” the project’s planners state. Founded in 2007 by Melinda and Paul Gunther, Live Love Chandler strives to push residents out of their homes and into their neighborhoods by creating opportunities for social interaction. The organization hosts community events, arranges field trips for kids, and schedules volunteer days that dispatches residents to the homes of senior citizens. “We’re in the business of relationships, people, and long-term connection,” Melinda Gunther said. When the Gunthers first moved to Arizona after spending some time in

Live Love Chandler leaders involved in planning The Oasis include, from left, Paul Gunther, Melinda Gunther and Carrie Kearney. (Pablo Robles/Staff Photographer)

Guatemala City, the couple was concerned about what they called secluded lifestyles in the city. People seemed content with retreating to their homes at the end of the workday, Melinda recalled, and were not interacting with their neighbors. “It kind of bothered us a little bit,” she added. “We had this desire to figure

out how to connect people that might not normally connect.” Melinda is a social worker and her husband is a pastor, so the couple knew they had the communication skills to start a new network of community philanthropy. Over the last decade, Live Love Chandler has been primarily serving

families living west of Arizona Avenue and Chandler Boulevard. The nonprofit focuses on helping neighborhoods that might get overlooked by other organizations or lack community activities. In 2012, the organization bought and renovated an abandoned home on See

OASIS on page 17

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OASIS

The overall vision is “ that The Oasis will have

from page 16

Colorado Street and turned it into a gathering place for its own activities. But the home’s limited space inhibited Live Love Chandler from hosting big events, which prompted the Gunthers to think about expanding their operation onto a bigger property. After they found a large empty lot in their neighborhood, they began designing how the land could be converted into a recreational complex. They reached out to residents throughout the neighborhood and asked what type of community center they’d like to see built in their backyard. Live Love Chandler took the public’s ideas and drafted a concept that envisioned a community center consisting of multiple buildings. But the Gunthers quickly realized the initial design’s projected cost would have exceeded their budget. “We completely went back to the drawing board and revamped,” Melinda Gunther said. They narrowed the design down to one building and added more space that could host outdoor activities, which lowered the project’s cost down from $1.2 million to $800,000. The nonprofit has been depending on donations and grants to finance The Oasis, which is getting close to being fully funded. In-kind donations from local businesses have additionally helped Live Love Chandler stay within

a transforming effect on the community through relationships, generosity, and love.

”

The proposed layout for the 5,000-square-foot Oasis is scaled down a bit from its original design to curb construction costs. (Special to SanTan Sun News)

their budget. Carrie Kearney, the nonprofit’s executive director, said residents living around the project site are anxious to finally see The Oasis come together after several years of planning. A neighborhood meeting held earlier this year solicited a lot of positive feedback, she noted, and support for a facility that’s needed in this region of Chandler.

“They were really excited just to have a space to call their own, to come together, to meet other people, to learn from other people,” Kearney said. The Oasis is expected to expand the nonprofit’s footprint in Chandler by offering more room for newcomers to be served by the organization. “We will have more space for kids, more space for adults, where we can teach and grow and learn together,”

Kearney added. The community center seems to be coming together at a precarious time when residents are probably aching to reconnect after more than a year of self-isolation. The pandemic has reminded many people how important human interactions can be, Melinda said, and the value that public spaces can have in a community. “After a year of hiding from everyone,” she said, “you really want to be together again.” The project has already been approved for a special-use permit by the Chandler Planning and Zoning Commission and its request is expected to be reviewed by the city council on July 15. If Live Love Chandler is given the greenlight from the city, the nonprofit hopes to break ground on the property by the end of 2021 and possibly open The Oasis sometime next year. More information can be found at whatislivelove.org.

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COMMUNITY NEWS

THE SUNDAY SANTAN SUN NEWS | JULY 4, 2021

MCC developing app to help troubled teens BY PAUL MARYNIAK Executive Editor

Help for Arizona teens in crisis and mental or emotional duress could one day become only a touch away. Students and faculty members from Mesa Community College and the multi-community college Maricopa Information Technology Institute - East Valley are developing a mobile app that aims for two separate but related functions. Teens in crisis or under duress can quickly find mental health or other professionals. And people of any age can report teens who may pose a danger to themselves or others. The project began after Mesa Chamber of Commerce President/CEO Sally Harrison and Chandler educator Katey McPherson – both vocal advocates for teen suicide prevention and mental health wellness – presented the college’s IT-related faculty with a Utah app that has produced stunning results. Called SafeUT, the smartphone app is a statewide service that provides real-time crisis intervention to Utah’s students, parents, and educators at no cost. Developed under the auspices of the Utah Legislature and governor, it enables students in crisis to open a two-way messaging service with master’s level clinicians, call a crisis counselor directly, or submit confidential tips to school administrators on bullying, threats, violence and other etc.

roll out and work out bugs.” “What I love most is that kids can chat and text into seven University of Utah clinicians that can intervene and make an action plan with the kid’s parents or family or just listen,” she said. “It is widely used by kids – lots of success.” The Arizona app, called ReachOutAZ, is still in development but a demonstration of the prototype can be viewed at youtube. com/watch?v=Dop1XTlHOkA. In the video, the narrator explains that the pilot program would target students in grades 7-12. One Scottsdale Unified The staff leading the app’s development include, from left: Front row: Mike Bogner, Technopreneur School District principal Experience lead programming professor; Diane Meza, director of Maricopa IT Institute - East Valley; back who watched the video row: Dr. Angeline Surber, Mesa Community College Computer Information Systems chair; Dr. Deb Laremarked, “We should have Vergne, MCC Computer Information Systems Program director; and Helen Bland, Computer Information this in all of our schools for Systems administrative specialist senior. (Pablo Robles/Staff Photographer) our students. We need this more now than ever.” percent of all public and private K-12 Master’s level crisis counselors man She wasn’t understating schools, colleges and universities had it 24/7/365 and, according to a report the need. decided to sign up. by the University of Utah, it “has been Even before anyone heard of The MCC project is still in developrecognized nationwide for its effectiveCOVID-19, experts and teens themment, although McPherson said, “Our ness in saving lives and de-escalating selves were sounding the alarm about hope is to pilot it in three Mesa Public potential school incidents.” the pressures that already had made Schools in the next year and from there suicide the second leading cause of Schools must opt to enroll in the hopefully it would grow statewide. It will Utah service and by the end of the be a long three-to-five-year process to 2019-20 school year, more than 87 See on page19

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THE SUNDAY SANTAN SUN NEWS | JULY 4, 2021

APP

from page 18

death among people ages 10-24. In the East Valley, more than 50 boys and girls have taken their lives since August 2018. The pandemic and its disruptive and isolating impact have become another factor in a social-mental-emotional crisis that has been fueled for years by the pressure for good grades, social media, bullying, drug and alcohol abuse and problems at home. The Centers for Disease Control last week reported that in 2020, “the proportion of mental health–related emergency department visits among adolescents aged 12–17 years increased 31 percent compared with that during 2019. “In May 2020, during the COVID-19 pandemic, ED visits for suspected suicide attempts began to increase among adolescents aged 12–17 years, especially girls. During February 21–March 20, 2021, suspected suicide attempt ED visits were 50.6 percent higher among girls aged 12–17 years than during the same period in 2019,” the CDC continued. As easy as the app’s use might seem, building it is another story, according to Diane Meza, director of Maricopa IT Institute - East Valley, and Dr. Deb LaVergne, MCC Computer Information Systems Program director. Students who have been working on it are part of the institute’s Technopreneur Experience. Three – Patrick Wheeler, Hannah Cheloha, and Alycia Saris – have been involved in the entire process so far. Faculty participants include three Technopreneur Experience professors – Mike Bogner, lead programming; Phil Waclawski, database and networking; and Dave Levy, iOS programming – as well as Dr. Angeline Surber, Computer Information Systems chair and Helen Bland, Computer Information Systems administrative specialist senior. The IT Institute serves Rio Salado, Chandler-Gilbert and Scottsdale community colleges as well as MCC. Basically, the institute takes students who have already attained a certificate or associates degree in a computer-related field and gives them the experience that companies are seeking with the goal of finding employment. The Technopreneur Experience program also helps small businesses not only with employment but in the devel-

There’s so many people on the team that have “been affected by suicides alone – either families,

friends, friends of friends – and we all kind of came on and shared stories before we even started this… That’s been just amazing,

”

opment of apps they might normally be unable to afford. “Whoever wants to come in our students can actually create those as practice and work with an industry partner and (students) get those workforce skills,” Meza said. Meza described ReachOutAZ as a service providing a range of crisis response, depending on the seriousness of a situation. She said the students and faculty participating in its development “are all putting in above-and-beyond time because they believe so passionately in this. “There’s so many people on the team that have been affected by suicides alone – either families, friends, friends of friends – and we all kind of came on and shared stories before we even started this…That’s been just amazing,” Meza said. Though Meza noted that some apps are relatively easy to develop, ReachOutAZ is anything but – largely because of all the layers of information involved. “We want to make sure that there’s enough data that can be disseminated to the right triage person,” she said “When you think about an app, there’s a whole lot of variables. That means a lot of people. There’s a lot of places you can click and go to and each one of those areas where somebody can click has to be developed.” LaVergne listed some of the tasks involved: “Gather requirements from clients; determine scope, storyboard the project, create logos or images as needed; create the initial app user interface; develop the code to run the app and the backend database; repeatedly present and communicate with the clients for feedback.” Then there is, she added, “make adjustments to scope, interface, and code based on feedback; complete internal testing; make adjustments based on test results; submit app to the app store for approval: and pilot initial release of

– Diane Meza

the app, followed by updates before widespread release.” And while Meza, LaVergne and the rest of the team are doing all that, Harrison and McPherson are looking for a school district and possibly a municipality to team up and support the program. “We’re still working out details were having lots of meetings, lots of people to make sure that all the bugs are worked out before we file it, but we will be looking at some schools to pilot this with us soon,” Meza added. “The challenges with this particular app are that you have to find somebody who’s willing to maintain it and update it and whatever else is needed,” she said. “We’re in conversations now and we do have interest.” While she stressed, “I’m not gonna say it’s completely ready because there’s so many tweaks and things,” Meza is hopeful that interest will lead to whatever funding and anything else is needed to make ReachOutAZ a reality. “So far our efforts have been looking pretty positive,” she said, “but nothing is set in stone.”

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COMMUNITY NEWS

THE SUNDAY SANTAN SUN NEWS | JULY 4, 2021

Feed My Starving Children opens Chandler site SANTAN SUN NEWS STAFF

Feed the Children, a nonprofit focused on alleviating childhood hunger around the world, has opened a new packing-distribution center in Chandler that also has a special feature for teachers in Title I schools. Mayor Kevin Hartke last week led a group celebrating the opening of the center at 3475 S. McQueen Road, where volunteers will be sought starting in mid-July to pack thousands of meals developed by food science and nutrition professionals to supplement nutritional needs and reduce global malnutrition. The Christian nonprofit, which also has a packing center in Mesa, states it is “dedicated to seeing every child whole in body and spirit” and “works with food distribution partners that stay with communities for the long haul, empowering them to move from relief to development.” The 104,300 square-feet facility will house more than 3,000 pallets of food and household essentials to distribute to community partners throughout the western U.S. It will also be home to a volunteer area, more than 1,800-square-feet in office space and 25 usable dock doors. The site will serve as a staging location for tractor-trailers for Feed the Children’s wholly owned subsidiary FTC Transportation. “This will allow the organization to be more responsive to the community’s

needs,” spokeswoman Carrie Snodgrass said. “This will be a packing site…From the site, we will pack and distribute food boxes, hygiene boxes, personal care boxes and disaster boxes." Besides distributing product donations from corporate donors to local community partners and providing support for teachers and students as well as aiding recovery efforts in natural disasters strike, Feed My Starving Children also runs child-focused community development programs in nine countries. The Chandler Distribution and Volunteer Center will also be home to one of five Feed the Children Teacher Store locations. Teachers at Chandler or Mesa schools in high-poverty areas will be eligible to shop once a month to receive free school supplies and books. “Our typical teacher store offers a variety of school supplies – everything from pens/pencils, notebooks, binders, markers/highlighters and other classroom staples to larger items like printers and file cabinets,” said Snodgrass, explaining several corporate partners support those stores. Feed the Children has been working in Arizona for several years to assist struggling families who live below the poverty line. In the 2019-20 fiscal year, it said it distributed 49 shipments of food and other essentials valued at more than $1.6 million to local partners such as the Community Food Bank of Southern

Feed My Starving Children opened a huge new distribution-packing Center in Chandler last week. (Pablo Robles)

when we all work together,” said Travis Arnold, President and CEO of Feed the Children. “We are proud to be opening this site in Chandler … We know that when we combine our efforts, we will have a greater impact for the families in Arizona.” Through its partnerships and programs, Feed the Children’s outreach to children and their families benefited more than 5.6 million people in the U.S. and more than 1.7 million internationally in the last fiscal year. Information: feedthechildren.org.

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COMMUNITY NEWS

THE SUNDAY SANTAN SUN NEWS | JULY 4, 2021

Rare open house planned for Mesa Arizona Temple Access to the temple is a completely different story because the Offering the general public a rare building itself is not used experience unlikely to be repeated until by church members like a the next century, the iconic Mesa Aricathedral is used by other zona Temple will be open for tours this Christian denominations. fall as an exhaustive three-year renova“Temples of The tion project ends. Church of Jesus Christ of Officials from the Church of Jesus Latter-day Saints differ Christ of Latter-day Saints last week from meetinghouses or unveiled a partial schedule for a project chapels where members that has included construction of the meet for Sunday wornew 18,000-square-foot Visitors Center ship services,” Wheeler and Family History Discovery Center. explained. “Temples are They said the temple open house considered ‘houses of the from Oct. 16 to mid-December could Lord,’ where Jesus Christ’s draw as many as half a million people of teachings are reaffirmed all faiths. through baptism and othOnce the temple is rededicated Dec. A three-year renovation of the Mesa Arizona Temple will be completed this summer with an open house er ordinances that unite 12, only church members approved by families for eternity.” slated for Oct. 16-mid December before it is rededicated Dec. 12. (SanTan Sun News file photo) leadership will be allowed to enter. Temple services, called That means the open house will be ordinances, are much smalltwo-story buildings designed to accenMesa Arizona Temple’s annual display a once-in-a-lifetime chance for anyone er than the regular meetings held by the of more than a million lights – often ac- tuate the temple and adding 500 new to see the interior of an internationally church in meetinghouses and chapels. residents to downtown. companied by concerts by area choral historic landmark. When it was dedicat- groups – and its Easter pageant, when “You’re never going to have a time The church’s development arm built ed by church President Heber J. Grant when there are just thousands of peoin 1927, the Mesa Arizona Tempe was ple inside a temple,” Wheeler added. the first in Arizona and only the seventh Indeed, not all church members can in the world. enter a temple until they have received There are now 168 dedicated tema “church recommend” that follows an ples in the world, and another 48 have interview “with our priesthood authorbeen planned but are not under conities, our bishop and our stake presistruction. The Mesa temple is one of six dent,” Wheeler said. in the state, with others in Gila Valley, That’s also why the three dedication Gilbert, North Phoenix, Snowflake and ceremonies slated for Dec. 12 will not be Tucson. open to the public or broadcast outside “I don’t personally anticipate that of special videocasts at meetinghouswe will have another temple built in the es where only members with “temple Metro Phoenix area,” church spokesrecommends” can watch. woman Jennifer Wheeler told the The three dedication services – at – Jennifer Wheeler Tribune in an exclusive interview. 9 a.m., noon and 3 p.m. Dec. 12 – will “This really is an opportunity to see include the same prayer but different inside a temple and that probably will presentations by different church lead250 apartments, 12 townhouses, a huge a cast of 500 reenact the death and not occur again in Arizona for decades,” resurrection of Jesus Christ. ers. Church President Dallin H. Oaks of underground parking garage with 450 she added. the First Presidency will preside. stalls, 7,500 square feet of retail space at Those two events have not been held The temple is not just important to This is the second renovation of the since the temple was closed in May 2018 Main and Udall streets and 5,000 square church members, she noted. Mesa Arizona Temple since it opened feet at Main Street and Mesa Drive. and will not return until next year. “It’s a temple that is very special to in 1927 following an open house that The visitors center has long attracted When they do, those events will be a lot of people in the area – not just lasted for two years – and drew 200,000 hundreds of church and non-church held on 1.6 acre of grounds that have members of the church. There are many been completely renovated with a members because it offers a chance “for people from throughout the West. members in the community who have It was one of the first three to be people throughout the area to learn fold-away stage, new trees and other grown up and have had family traditions landscaping enhancements. built outside of Utah and the first and celebrate Mesa’s diverse history and surrounding this temple whether their where a language different from English spiritual heritage,” Wheeler noted. Completion of the project also family goes to the Easter pageant or – namely Spanish – was used. It will continue to “house a large brings a radically new look to a long-untheir family always goes there for the The Mesa Arizona Temple was then derdeveloped part of downtown Mesa. family history center with free assisChristmas lights.” closed for its first refurbishing in the tance for those wanting to research It included construction of three Thousands of people attend the mid-1970s and rededicated in 1975 by their family tree.” four-story, two three-story and three President Spencer W. Kimball, an ArizoAlthough all the details have not na native. yet been finalized, Wheeler said the The current overhaul involved a center will be dedicated at 7 p.m. Aug. SHADE SCREENS / ROLLSHADES / RAIN GUTTERS massive upgrading of all infrastructure 12 and the ceremony will be broadcast systems such as electrical and plumbing to church meetinghouses throughout as well as ADA-compliant structural Arizona. adjustments. There also were other Wheeler was uncertain about proschanges made to make the temple pects for any open house since the more consistent with its original design, center is already designed for general Wheeler said. public use.

BY PAUL MARYNIAK Executive Editor

that is very special to a lot of people “It’sin athetemple area – not just members of the church. There are many members in the community who have grown up and have had family traditions surrounding this temple whether their family goes to the Easter pageant or their family always goes there for the Christmas lights.

”

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SUNDAY WORSHIP SERVICES NOW IN-PERSON AT 8 AM & 9:30 AM Reservations are required and are available on our website or by calling the church office. If you are more comfortable in your car, we will be broadcasting morning worship on 1680AM for both services from the church parking lot.

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HealtH & Wellness

Summer 2021

Special Supplement to The SanTan Sun News

HEALTH Summer 2021

WELLNESS

Your Local Guide to Better Living

Neighbors Who Care seeks help for new vehicle BY NEIGHBORS WHO CARE

When COVID hit, many things about how Neighbors Who Care helps our clients had to change. Aside from the volunteers who were forced to take a hiatus from volunteering because of their own health concerns, our staff also had to take measures to protect our vulnerable senior clients too. With a few changes to our services, such as reducing services per client per week from three to two, and by eliminating non-essential appointments such as hair appointments, our volunteers

persevered and we were able to keep people happily stocked with groceries, healthy with transportation to life saving medical appointments, and fed with daily dinner deliveries. Who can forget the brightly wrapped Neighbors Who Care van that chugged around Sun Lakes for the last nearly two decades? You may not have realized it was a Neighbors Who Care vehicle because of the boldly graphic Go Daddy branding on it. With COVID preventing passenger transporting back in 2020, and with that van having seen its better days, Neighbors

Who Care decommissioned the van. Now that COVID is largely checked, and we have resumed our grocery transportation, and more of our volunteers are returning, along with terrific new volunteer prospects, we’re ready to begin looking a life a little more normally. And thanks to a fantastic restricted gift to Neighbors Who Care for the precise purpose of replacing a passenger vehicle, a project committee is now formed and is studying the specs needed and features for a new transport vehicle. Thanks to Verna Mahnke, administration director, who formed the task force

of volunteers comprising Project Manager Sam Selby, Jim Rainwaters, Ron Chase, and Neighbors Who Care board member Ramon Rubio, the specs and process to secure a replacement vehicle is underway. If you would like to help support the effort to commission a new transport vehicle for Neighbors Who Care elderly clients, visit paypalme/neighborsvan to contribute to a vehicle specifically for transporting clients for dialysis, and other medical patients, as well as shopping, banking, and errands. For more information, call Sheryl Keeme, Executive Director, at 480-895-7133 X170.

The Village at Ocotillo takes worry out of aging BY THE VILLAGE OF OCOTILLO

For many people, thinking about moving into a retirement community is a new experience. Often people confuse the need for additional support with giving up their independence. But today’s senior living communities are far different than you might think and can often offer so much more than just healthcare.

With delicious and expansive restaurant-style dining options, maintenance-free living, and a full-time ZEST program/activity director, residents at The Village at Ocotillo enjoy lifelong learning classes, entertainment, outings and special events along with the peace of mind of added support. When is the best time to move to a community? Are you tired of home maintenance or preparing meals nightly? Would

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you like to explore new interests and meet new friends? If so, now is the time to think about a senior living community. And it’s more than simply choosing a floorplan. It’s about lifestyle. Some may be thinking, “I’m healthy, why should I be thinking about making a move now?” Most people need to make housing adjustments, whether for greater accessibility or easier upkeep, as they grow older.

Being able to take advantage of all the amenities that a senior living community can offer can be a wonderful benefit of moving sooner rather than later. And should you need change, The Village at Ocotillo can provide access to a full range of accredited health care options. We invite you to take a good look at The Village at Ocotillo. For more information, please visit TheVillageatOcotillo.com or us call at 480-400-8687.

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THE SUNDAY SANTAN SUN NEWS | JULY 4, 2021

For more community news visit SanTanSun.com

Contractors watchdog: shortages demand patience SANTAN SUN NEWS STAFF

A small inventory of available homes isn’t the only problem impacting the Valley’s housing industry. Building material shortages and an inadequate labor pool have become bad enough that the state watchdog for the contracting industry is urging building and remodeling companies and their customers to exercise patience, candor and understanding. And price increases over the past 12 months have raised an alarm by the Associated General Contractors of America over the future solvency of many companies. Citing shortages in key materials such as wood as well as a need for workers, the Arizona Registrar of Contractors last week urged homeowners and contractors to have patience and keep open lines of communication regarding their projects. “From new home builds and pools to installing air conditioning units, both residential and commercial contractors alike have been struggling to get materials and find enough workers to fulfill existing contracts and start new ones, according to a survey by the Associated General Contractors of America,” ROC noted in a release. Moreover, the contractors group last week released an analysis that conclud-

ed, “The cost of goods and services used in construction climbed by a record-setting 4.3 percent in May and 24.3 percent over the past 12 months, jeopardizing contractors’ solvency and construction workers’ employment.” It cited a variety of products impacted by steep price increases over the last 12 months – including products made from wood, metals, plastics and gypsum. “The producer price index for lumber and plywood more than doubled – rocketing 111 percent from May 2020 to last month,” it said. “The index for steel mill products climbed 75.6 percent, while the index for copper and brass mill shapes rose 60.4 percent and the index for aluminum mill shapes increased 28.6 percent. The index for plastic construction products rose 17.5 percent. The index for gypsum products such as wallboard climbed 14.1 percent. Fuel costs, which contractors pay directly to operate their own trucks and off-road equipment, as well as through surcharges on freight deliveries, have also jumped.” Association officials said the Biden administration can provide immediate relief from some price pressures by ending tariffs on Canadian lumber, along with tariffs and quotas on steel and aluminum from numerous coun-

tries. But tariffs may not be the only issue impacting lumber prices, according to the financial website thehustle.com. It noted that lumber demand cratered in the U.S. when the housing market collapsed in 2008, forcing more than 30 large sawmills out of business. And Canada, which supplies a third of American lumber, also has had its share of problems, including an infestation of bark-eating beetles in the early 2000s that wiped out 44 million acres of forest and 60 percent of British Columbia’s pine. Subsequently, wildfires in 2017 and 2018 devastated another 6.2 million acres of Canadian forest. Atop that, American lumber mills early last year reduced their production by 40 percent, expecting the pandemic to cut down demand. Instead, the opposite happened, The Hustle said. Building more mills is not an option, it added, citing the two-year construction time and $100 million cost of building a state-of-the-art mill. Moreover, The Hustle said, “Today’s mills rely on microprocessors and heavy machinery – markets that face their own shortages.” The contractors group earlier this month offered a grim forecast for the immediate future. “Contractors are being told they

must wait nearly a year to receive shipments of steel and four to six months for roofing materials,” said Ken Simonson, the association’s chief economist. “These delays make it impossible to start some projects and to complete others, leaving contractors unable to keep workers employed. In addition, soaring prices for steel, lumber, and other materials are deterring owners from committing to going ahead with projects.” Simonson also noted that contractors are having considerable difficulty finding qualified workers “as some people remain reluctant to return to work while their children are learning from home, or they are collecting elevated unemployment supplements.” “Steadily worsening production and delivery delays have exceeded even the record cost increases for numerous materials as the biggest headache for many nonresidential contractors,” he said. “If they can’t get the materials, they can’t put employees to work.” Associated General Contractors of America CEO Stephen E. Sandherr also took a swipe at the Biden Administration’s actions it will take to address supply-chain disruptions. “The President could provide immeSee

CONTRACTORS on page 29

State Forty Eight CEO aims for a difference BY ASHLYN ROBINETTE Staff Writer

People across the state have been showcasing Arizona pride with State Forty Eight tops, bottoms, accessories and more. Now, the 8-year-old Chandler company’s founders are aiming to show that they’re more than just apparel manufacturers with their newly launched State Forty Eight Foundation and upcoming Entrepreneur Speaker Series. “We’re so much more than just selling T-shirts and hats,” said State Forty Eight co-founder and CEO, Michael Spangenberg. “The foundation will prove that we stand by what we say and that we really want to make a difference in the community.” State Forty Eight was founded in 2013 by local entrepreneurs Spangenberg and brothers Stephen and Nicholas Polando to show their appreciation for Arizona. The brand “represents a lifestyle, a sense of community and is an expression of pride,” and “is about redefining the status-quo and inspiring others to rise up and stand for something they believe in,” according to State Forty Eight’s website.

en Arizona through thoughtful partnerships, inspired community action, and investment in the changemakers of tomorrow,” it said. The nonprofit contributes to the wellbeing of Arizonans by organizing fundraising and events for community causes, conducting workshops and providing mentorship to educate and inspire Arizona youth. It also offers start-ups entrepreneurial education and access to resources by partnering with incubator organizations, Spangenberg said. “It’s very rewarding to help people follow their passion and make a difference in the community,” Spangenberg said. While State Forty Eight was founded as a charitable apparState Forty Eight CEO and co-founder Michael el company, there was only so Spangenberg said that by forming a foundation, the much it could do as a for-profChandler apparel company can expand its efforts to it entity, Spangenberg said. give back to the community. So, the brand found differ(Special to SanTan Sun News) ent ways to expand a positive impact. Last year, State Forty Eight estabIn 2019, State Forty Eight launched lished the State Forty Eight Foundation an initiative called Community Impact, with a mission “to enrich and strengthwhich was committed to empowering

others to do good. In its first year, the company attracted over 250 volunteers and donated more than $21,000 to local charities. After witnessing incredible support for their Community Impact efforts – especially an event with United Food Bank where volunteers packed 4,800 emergency food bags, Spangenberg was inspired to do even more for the community and officially launched the State Forty Eight Foundation last year. “So many people want to get involved with helping the community but don’t know where to start,” Spangenberg said. “We got hundreds of people to come pack thousands of emergency food bags, so the proof was there.” The State Forty Eight Foundation also looks at its Entrepreneur Speaker Series as a different way of giving back. Set to start in August, the series will cover topics including marketing, how to get trademarks, finances, sales and other basics that people aspiring to start their own business or current small business owners need to know. “State Forty Eight wouldn’t be here without entrepreneurship,” Spangenberg See

FORTYEIGHT on page 27

BUSINESS

THE SUNDAY SANTAN SUN NEWS | JULY 4, 2021

Chandler photo company expanding headquarters SANTAN SUN NEWS STAFF

Savage Universal, an international supplier of background and photographic products based in Chandler, is growing. Phoenix-based Stevens-Leinweber Construction recently broke ground for Savage’s build-to-suit headquarters. The 45,117-square-foot expansion will sit directly next to Savage’s existing headquarters, a 61,908-square-foot office/industrial ﬂex building at 2060 S. Douglas Drive. The site is located immediately adjacent to Chandler Municipal Airport, just west of Gilbert Road and approximately one mile south of the Loop 202/Santan Freeway. Founded in 1937, Savage is a worldwide leader and manufacturer of paper backgrounds and photographic products for professionals and semi-professionals. Products available through the

FORTYEIGHT

from page 26

said. “We’re going to be supporting entrepreneurs because we feel that it really helps make a difference in the community. “We know how it was to get started when you had nothing and had no resources, so we want to provide help to provide those practical tips and

Savage Universal envisions a 45,117-square-foot expansion to its Chandler headquarters as the photo products supplier continues to grow. (Special to SanTan Sun News)

family-owned company include photography backdrops, photo mats and mount boards, LED lighting and patent-

ed studio equipment. Photographers look to Savage’s extensive line of studio and location

equipment, including light modifiers

storytelling to really inspire people to follow their dream.” State Forty Eight donated $43,000 to charities last year, according to their 2020 Community Impact Report, so they’re no stranger to fundraising. Spangenberg says he and his partners “try to think outside the box” when it comes to hosting fundraising events for their entrepreneurship program. Fun ways the State Forty Eight Foun-

dation has started fundraising for their entrepreneurship and youth mentorship programs included a garage sale outside its Chandler headquarters in April that raised over $2,500 and a tattoo fundraiser event in May that raised $4,800. Last week, a poker game competition offered an array of prizes for the top six players. The money raised for the entrepreneurship program will allow the State

Forty Eight Foundation to provide future scholarships, Spangenberg said. “Our actions speak louder than words,” Spangenberg said. “We want to prove who we are and what we stand for: empowering others and promoting love and positivity.” Donations can be made at donorbox. org/statefortyeightfoundation. Information about the foundation and its events: statefortyeight.com/state-forty-eight-foundation.

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SAVAGE on page 29

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BUSINESS

THE SUNDAY SANTAN SUN NEWS | JULY 4, 2021

Verde at Cooley Station may be foodie heaven People want to visit “ restaurants that provide BY SYDNEY MACKIE Staff Writer

Four years after it became an idea, Verde at Cooley Station is on track to become a reality starting late this year or early next, bringing the what the developer calls a “Live+Work+Shop+Play” concept to Gilbert what foodies might call heaven. The retail-restaurant hub will be at the center of the 738-acre Cooley Station development that at build-out will have more than 2,500 apartments and 1,000 single-family homes. Located at E. Williams Field and S. Recker roads, Verde at Cooley Station will include approximately 40,000 square feet for retail, 15,400 square feet of general office space, 32,000 square feet of dining, 8,000 square feet of fitness space and the 38,000 square foot Verde Medical Center. In addition, it will feature The Green, a large open outdoor lawn area with a 1,000-square-foot gazebo for musical events, fitness classes, movies in the park and other activities. The green spaces at Verde will act as anchors for the restaurant cluster and for community life where people can mingle. Wood Partners and Shaw, Ltd. will each develop separate but adjacent apartment buildings totaling approximately 450 units. Verde-Gilbert LLC, the successor to

Located at E. Williams Field and S. Recker roads, Verde at Cooley Station will include approximately 40,000 square feet for retail, 15,400 square feet of general office space, 32,000 square feet of dining, 8,000 square feet of ﬁtness space and the 38,000 square foot Verde Medical Center. (Special to SanTan Sun News)

SB2-VB, LLC, is developing the commercial component. Norm Brody, a managing member of Verde-Gilbert envisions Verde at Cooley Station will be a modern main street community. “We are especially excited about the planned features of Verde that will allow for activation of the amenities, the “green” and its performance venue, the children’s play area, the wall graphics, public WiFi and the events planned to encourage citizen participation,” Brody said. His company’s website talks about how important restaurants are to the

overall concept of the center, calling food “not simply a source of nutrition, but also as a symbolic medium for socialization and entertainment.” “People want to visit restaurants that provide dining experiences with exciting physical surroundings and ambiance to stimulate the five senses of taste, touch, sight, sound and smell. That’s what they will find at Verde,” the company states. Brody believes students attending nearby Arizona State University’s Polytechnic campus will ﬂock to Verde at Cooley Station, though he said the center will appeal to people of all ages.

dining experiences with exciting physical surroundings and ambiance to stimulate the ﬁve senses of taste, touch, sight, sound and smell. That’s what they will ﬁnd at Verde.

”

We selected businesses which would draw people to the development throughout the day,” he said. “We also made the decision to focus on commercial uses that were not likely to be impacted by the ‘Amazon effect.’” That means retail establishments will be selling unique items not necessarily available online. The cuisine represented by the restaurant tenants is broad and Brody said the eateries were all selected with the consumer’s ideal dining experience in mind. Crust Simply Italian delivers authenSee

VERDE on page 29

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BUSINESS

THE SUNDAY SANTAN SUN NEWS | JULY 4, 2021

CONTRACTORS

from page 26

diate relief from soaring prices for lumber, steel and aluminum by removing harmful tariffs and quotas,” he said. “Unfortunately, the President’s recommendations ignore that quick and effective approach. “Instead, these proposals would limit the ability of workers and employers to fill needed construction positions. Imposing mandated hiring percentages from certain localities and training programs, dictating inﬂexible labor agreements, and setting artificially high pay rates will diminish the number of firms and workers available to carry out vital infrastructure and other construction

SAVAGE

from page 27

from small to large, patented design light stands and accessories like gaffer tape and clamps. Background stands run from portable and lightweight to multi-support bar systems for heavy and wide backdrops. Several product photography kits provide a full background and lighting setup within a compact space. Savage sells wholesale to brick-andmortar and online businesses in the photographic, picture framing and art supply/craft industries.

programs.” Meanwhile, the Registrar of Contractors noted that one of the most common complaints it receives involve “broken communication lines between a contractor and the property owner.” “If the ongoing labor and supply shortages are going to impact a current project,” it said, contractors should “keep an open and honest dialogue with the homeowner about the status of the project and any expected or unexpected delays.” It also said contractors should tell clients about the shortages before even making a bid or estimate on a project. “Contractors should not take on projects if they know they will not be able to fulfill them,” the agency also

advised, warning it will investigate complaints about less-than-forthcoming contractors who don’t discuss the shortage with clients until well after they’ve taken their money. On the other hand, ROC also advised clients to be patient when supply shortages delay completion times. “Disciplining a license or investigating a case will not make material shortages decrease and if possible, it’s always best to try to resolve issues with the contractor before filing a complaint,” it said. “Homeowners should know 95 percent of licensed contractors never have a complaint filed against their license and the ones who do often work to resolve those complaints. If a homeowner is experiencing a problem, AZ ROC is

always here to answer questions and to assist with resolving workmanship or abandonment issues if such issues arise.” The agency has a two-year jurisdiction from the date escrow closed or the date work was last performed. If work is not completed, the jurisdiction time does not toll. Homeowners who hire licensed contractors may have the additional protection of the Residential Recovery Fund, the agency said. To qualify, however, the homeowner must “allow the contractor the opportunity to correct any outstanding work or workmanship issues and to take part in the agency’s administrative process,” ROC said.

The headquarters expansion will allow Savage to add new manufacturing, warehouse and distribution space, and create additional office space for current and future administrative needs. “The scope of our company has grown exponentially since our start more than 80 years ago,” said Savage Universal board Chairman Hayward Richard Pressman. “During COVID, we experienced another unique but notable year of growth, as companies were forced to retool the way they communicate with customers and as enthusiasts and semi-professionals found they had more time to pursue photography as a

business or hobby, he said. “We expect many of these shifts will be permanent, and we look forward to using our expanded headquarters to fully support the needs of our increasingly diverse customer base.” The Savage headquarters expansion will feature contemporary warehouse and manufacturing amenities with a 28foot clearance height. “As a company celebrating its 40th anniversary this year, we understand the commitment it takes to remain in business and thriving from decade to decade,” said Stevens-Leinweber Construction President Jamie Godwin. “We’re thrilled to be a part of this ex-

pansion for Savage and wish them many more years of success.” The project architect for the Savage expansion is Winton Architects. Construction is expected to be complete by January. Stevens-Leinweber Construction is one of the Valley’s most active tenant improvement contractors, providing general contracting, construction management and consulting, and select ground-up development. Ithas completed more than 8,000 projects, dominating Phoenix’s business core with more than 1,800 projects completed in 82 percent of the Valley’s submarkets.

Wood Partners and Shaw, Ltd. will each develop separate but adjacent apartment buildings totaling approximately 450 units. Verde-Gilbert LLC, the successor to SB2-VB, LLC, is developing the commercial component. (Special to SanTan Sun News)

VERDE

from page 28

tic Italian ﬂavors and dishes crafted with simple and fresh ingredients. Diners looking for a blend of traditional and innovative cooking techniques will enjoy Obon Sushi + Ramen’s expansive menu. Offering a laidback atmosphere and genuine Tennessee barbecue, guests can visit West Alley BBQ for a true southern experience while others with dietary restrictions will find a large selection of vegetarian, vegan and gluten-free options at Cook and Craft. Residents looking for libations don’t have to look much further than Verde,

as it will soon host plenty of distinctive bars and breweries such as the Primero Cuervo tequila bar or The Ostrich Bar, famous for its craft cocktails and swanky environment. Similarly, The Brass Tap markets itself as, “an upscale beer bar that’s anything but ordinary.” To satisfy a sweet tooth, locals will be able to venture over to Cookies & Cream, Frostails or Vitality Bowls for a cold treat during blistering summers. For more than 90 years, four generations of the Cooley family farmed the land that is now hosting the massive development. The family in 1919 started farming cotton, alfalfa, and grain, in addition to operating a small dairy.

THE SUNDAY SANTAN SUN NEWS | JULY 4, 2021

For more community news visit SanTanSun.com

Local teams shine in Section 7 basketball experience level of this with the number of scouts here. It’s an amazing feeling to play in front of them.” It was the first time in well over a Hamilton, which made the year East Valley and Ahwatukee bas6A quarterfinals last season and ketball teams had the chance to play in returns several starters, was front of college coaches. competitive at Section 7 all three The NCAA set in place a recruiting days. The Huskies went 2-2 overall dead period in March 2020, where against several out-of-state coaches were unable to see athletes in teams. They wrapped up the person and no official visits were able tournament Sunday with a win to take place. That dead period quickly over Liberty from Peoria. turned into the longest ever due to the Huskies head coach Doug Harpandemic. It was finally lifted June 1. ris said the opportunity for players “I think especially this summer, to compete in front of coaches you’re seeing a lot of these coaches get again for the first time in almost out and do more recruiting because two years was an opportunity he it’s been 15 months since they’ve been couldn’t pass up when presented able to do this,” Valley Christian head with an invitation to Section 7. basketball coach Greg Haagsma said. “If you are a basketball player “It’s been so long since they’ve seen or a coach, it gets no better than kids play.” this,” Harris said. “It was kind While the high school basketball seaof like a Final Four atmosphere son eventually got underway in Arizona walking in. I hope these players last winter — albeit after two delays, appreciate this opportunity. It’s a cancellation and reinstatement by everything for these kids who the Arizona Interscholastic Association want to go on to play college ball.” Executive Governing Board — teams Aaron Foote, a 6-foot-4 senior Valley Christian senior Jaylen Lee, who recently moved from Canada, said he hadn’t ever played were barred from competing in tourna- in front of that many college coaches despite competing in large tournaments in the past. at Hamilton, said he was a bit surments throughout the summer months (Zac BonDurant) prised by the atmosphere when as cases surged. he walked into the stadium on That, however, is no longer the case. day one of the event. The courts, “I think, without a doubt, this is one transformed into a basketball player’s Nearly 200 teams, including Valley of the best summer tournaments in the the fans, the other teams and of course, heaven with 12 courts. Fans were in atChristian, Hamilton, Basha, Chandler, the several hundred college coaches in country,” Haagsma said. “I mean, you tendance for all games, which began at Casteel and several other East Valley attendance, left him and some of his have teams from California who chose 8 a.m. each day and concluded around schools and many from out of state, to come here instead of playing in their teammates in awe. 11 p.m. descended upon Glendale for the But once they settled in, they looked For many players it was a new experi- state tournaments. That tells you how Section 7 Team Camp June 18-20. More at each appearance on the court as just big of a deal this is.” ence. Some, however, have competed in than 400 college coaches were in Valley Christian used the tournament another game. Even then, though, it similar-sized spectacles. But the normal attendance at State Farm Stadium, the still was a unique opportunity he didn’t to break in three new players to the atmosphere was an overall welcomed home of the Arizona Cardinals that was site for everyone involved. have last year as a junior due to the roster. Caleb and Luke Shaw, brothers pandemic. who recently transferred from Phoenix I’ve played in big arenas before but Prep, are the sons of GCU assistant never in a place like this,” Foote said. “I was coach Casey Shaw. They are also the rattled at the beginning, but I got used to nephews of GCU head coach Bryce it pretty quick once we started playing.” Drew and Baylor head coach Scott The East Valley was also represented Drew. by Desert Vista and Mountain Pointe. The Trojans also debuted Jaylen Lee, a 6-foot-4 senior guard who transferred The two Ahwatukee schools played in two of the toughest brackets, with the from Canada. Canada remains under strict corona- Thunder making a run to the championship. virus policies, which involve sports still Several Gilbert schools were also inbeing shut down. Lee did not have any volved along with Mesa, Red Mountain opportunities to play basketball. So, and Dobson. The tournament proved to thanks to his mother’s dual citizenship, be beneficial for all programs involved he and his family made the move to and went off without a hitch despite Valley Christian. more than a year hiatus. Lee said he has played in tourna“This is the mecca,” Harris said. ments with the same number of courts. But it was the first time he has played in “They had the opportunity to showcase their skills in front of coaches and for front of that many college coaches. many of them, this is what they have “I wasn’t really nervous when I dreamed of. Just to have the opporwalked in, I thought it was awesome,” Hamilton senior Aaron Foote said entering the stadium and seeing the number of teams, tunity to play in front of coaches, it’s Lee said. “I’ve played in big tournacourts and college coaches was intimidating at first but he was quickly able to settle amazing.” ments in Vegas but nothing ever on the down. (Zac BonDurant) BY ZACH ALVIRA Sports Editor

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

THE SUNDAY SANTAN SUN NEWS | JULY 4, 2021

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Chandler Civil Patrol cadet earns big honor Working with cadets, “ watching them develop SANTAN SUN NEWS STAFF

Cadet Col. Viet Zaengle of Chandler received the General Carl A. Spaatz Award recently in a ceremony at Arizona National Guard Headquarters. Maj. Gen. Kerry Muehlenbeck, Adjutant General of Arizona and director of the Department of Emergency and Military Affairs, presented the award to Zaengle. Viet is a member of Civil Air Patrol’s Willie Composite Squadron in Chandler. He joined CAP in 2016 and currently serves as the cadet commander for his squadron. He just completed his junior year at Hamilton High School, where he also holds the grade of major in the Junior ROTC and is a member of the choir and cross-country team. He also is an Eagle Scout. A recipient of the 2021 Air Force Chief of Staff Private Pilot scholarship program, Viet currently is attending a flight academy at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University in Prescott, where he will earn his private pilot certificate and six college credits. “Working with cadets, watching them develop their leadership skills, seeing them choose to continue to serve as CAP volunteers as Colonel

their leadership skills, seeing them choose to continue to serve as CAP volunteers as Colonel Zaengle is doing – it just doesn’t get much better than that.

”

– Col. Rob Pinckard

Maj. Gen. Kerry Muehlenbeck, Adjutant General of Arizona, presented the Gen. Carl A. Spaatz Award to Civil Air Patrol Cadet Colonel Viet Zaengle in recognition of his demonstrated excellence in leadership, character, fitness, and aerospace education. (Special to SanTan Sun News)

Zaengle is doing – it just doesn’t get much better than that,” said Arizona Wing Commander Col. Rob Pinckard. “CAP cadets like Col. Zaengle give me hope for the future of our country,”

he added. The Spaatz Award is Civil Air Patrol’s highest cadet honor. On average, only a half percent of CAP cadets earn the Spaatz Award.

It is presented to cadets who have demonstrated excellence in leadership, character, fitness, and aerospace education. Cadets qualify for this prestigious award after devoting an average of five years to progress through 16 achievements in the CAP Cadet Program. Along the way, they develop self-disSee

CADET on page 33

EV nurse advocates for, helps addicted babies BY SYDNEY MACKIE Staff Writer

As opioid drug overdoses spike again as a result of the pandemic, a Gilbert neonatal nurse is helping to lead a public information campaign to let expectant moms know there is hope for their babies if they are born addicts. Tara Sundem last fall realized a years-long effort by opening Hushabye Nursery, which helps babies born with a drug addiction because of their mother’s substance abuse. In Arizona, two babies a day are born suffering neonatal abstinence syndrome – a medical condition that addicted mothers pass on to their babies when they use opioids during pregnancy, thus harming the infant’s health and posing serious developmental complications. Last November, Sundem opened Hushabye Nursery in Phoenix to help combat this issue locally and relieve pressure from busy and chaotic intensive care units while promoting an ideal healing environment. Operating with 57 employees and 64 well-trained volunteers, Hushabye has been able to serve 75 infants and their families since opening its doors. Opening during the height of the pandemic in Arizona was crucial timing as the group find that overdose and substance abuse rates of drugs such as fentanyl were skyrocketing in the state. But, Hushabye Nursery was able to, “Relieve our community partners in the

Hushabye Nursery is a judgment-free healing facility for the entire family unit with constant care from neonatal or pediatric nurses. (Special to SanTan Sun News)

hospitals and say, ‘Give us some of your babies and you guys focus on the sickest of the sick,’” said Sundem, executive director of the nonprofit. “When a baby comes to Hushabye Nursery, they’re usually 24 hours old and indicating exposure to an opiate. The family agrees for their little one to be transferred to us, and we have the ambulance pick them up.” Sundem said. “When they get to us, they have a private nursery where the parents can stay 24/7. We also help connect these families with support services, therapy and counseling, all on-site so they don’t have to leave their babies.” Offering a judgment-free healing facility for the entire family unit with

constant care from neonatal or pediatric nurses, Hushabye workers carefully monitor these babies’ suffering from symptoms like uncontrollable shaking, discoordination, fevers, seizures, vomiting and sleeplessness. Additionally, they provide this care in a dark and quiet environment to promote the child’s sleep and healing. “We’ve found that babies suffering from who would not eat in the NICU will eat once transferred here. Apart from providing round-the-clock care, we’re able to provide a soothing sensory experience that allows their nervous systems to calm down and find balance as they move through a very painful transition,” Sundem said.

The group has found that because of this, the treatment process usually averaging from six to nine days, can be cut in half. Hushabye patients are able to be fully detoxified and reunited with family at home after only four to five days at the facility. Being able to see and interact with their children has also proven to be an incredibly effective motivator for parents suffering from addiction to seek help and treatment. “That’s the kind of thing that makes us stand out from the typical Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, our support service that we offer for those really trying to heal the entire family system,” Sundem said. After being recommended to those needing their services by pediatricians, obstetricians, general doctors as well as other patients, Hushabye Nursery is currently working with over 60 pregnant women. Finally, the group hopes to connect with even more families in the earliest possible stages of pregnancy to ensure they receive the treatment and support they need to give their children the best care possible. “Is it a process? Absolutely! Does it take time? Definitely. Do we see these families succeed every day? Yeah, I sent two moms and babies home today, they are absolutely fabulous and succeeding in everything they are doing,” Sundem said. Information: Hushabyenursery.org.

NEIGHBORS

THE SUNDAY SANTAN SUN NEWS | JULY 4, 2021

CADET

from page 32

cipline, a strong sense of personal responsibility, the ability to lead and persuade, and the foundations necessary for pursuing a career in aviation, space, or technology. The final step a cadet must complete to earn the Spaatz Award is a rigorous four-part exam consisting of a challeng-

ing physical fitness test, an essay exam testing their moral reasoning, a comprehensive written exam on leadership, and a comprehensive written exam on aerospace education. Upon passing the Spaatz Award exams, the cadet is promoted to the grade of cadet colonel. Contact: Maj. Margot Myers, CAP Public Affairs Officer, Arizona Wing Email: margot.myers@azwg.org C: 480.773.3118

About Civil Air Patrol Civil Air Patrol is the longtime auxiliary of the U.S. Air Force and as such is a valued member of its Total Force. In its auxiliary role, CAP operates a fleet of 560 single-engine aircraft and 1,944 small Unmanned Aircraft Systems. It performs about 90% of continental U.S. inland search and rescue missions as tasked by the Air Force Rescue Coordination Center and is credited by the AFRCC with saving an average of 82 lives

annually. CAP’s 60,000 members also perform homeland security, disaster relief, and drug interdiction missions at the request of federal, state, and local agencies. Operating as a nonprofit organization, CAP also plays a leading role in STEM/aerospace education, and its members serve as mentors to about 25,000 young people participating in CAP’s Cadet Programs. Visit www. GoCivilAirPatrol.com or www.azwg.org for more information.

Gilbert nurse gets national DAISY award SANTAN SUN NEWS STAFF

Gilbert nurse Danielle Schneeweis recently received the DAISY award, a national honor recognizing “the super-human efforts nurses perform every day.” Schneeweis is a nephrology nurse for DaVita Kidney Care, one of the nation’s largest providers of kidney care services for 20 years that treats patients with chronic kidney failure and end stage kidney disease. At DaVita, Schneeweis provides care to people with kidney failure who rely on dialysis to live. “Dialysis patients are often older and have multiple, serious medical conditions beyond kidney failure,” a DaVita spokeswoman said. “Because of this, Danielle went above and beyond to help keep these

Danielle Schneeweis, a nephrology nurse for DaVita Kidney Care, won a prestigious DAISY Award. (Special to SanTan Sun News)

high-risk patients safe in the pandemic. In the early months of the pandemic, she manned DaVita’s 24-hour COVID-19 hotline giving guidance to anxious dialysis patients across the state.” “Schneeweis was a trusted resource on DaVita’s 24-hour COVID-19 hotline, answering questions and giving comfort to patients from 50 DaVita dialysis centers across Arizona and the Four Corners area,” the spokeswoman added.. Schneeweis also led DaVita’s efforts to vaccinate Arizona dialysis patients, including organizing the administration of 1,000 doses in a 48-hour period. “By recognizing nurses who received DAISY awards, we are celebrating their profound compassion and motivation to positively impact the lives of our patients and help them be successful on their unique care journeys,” said Mandy Tilton, chief nursing officer for DaVita

Kidney Care. The DAISY Foundation is a nonprofit organization established in memory of J. Patrick Barnes by his family. He died at age 33 in 1999 from complications of a little known but not uncommon auto-immune disease. DAISY is an acronym for Diseases Attacking the Immune System. “When Patrick was critically ill, our family experienced first-hand the remarkable skill and care nurses provide patients every day and night,” said Bonnie Barnes, president-co-founder of the DAISY Foundation. “Yet, these unsung heroes are seldom recognized for the super-human, extraordinary, compassionate work they do. “The kind of work the nurses at DaVita are called on to do every day epitomizes the purpose of The DAISY Award.”

NEIGHBORS

THE SUNDAY SANTAN SUN NEWS | JULY 4, 2021

Chandler Service Club honors Flower Girls

SANTAN SUN NEWS STAFF

Chandler Service Club recently recognized its Flower Girls from the 2020-21 school year. “Their efforts in the community and in the classroom did not go unnoticed,” a spokeswoman said. “We appreciated the limited amount of time that we spent getting to know and learn about all of their gifts and talents.” The goal of the Flower Girl Program

Their efforts in the “community and in

the classroom did not go unnoticed. We appreciated the limited amount of time that we spent getting to know and learn about all of their gifts and talents.

The Chandler Service Club recently honored its 2020-21 Flower Girls. (Special to SanTan Sun News)

is to foster a lifelong commitment to helping others through community service; to promote an appreciation for social graces and etiquette; and to develop leadership, self-image and other character-building skills for young women in our community. Chandler Service Club members are mentors for each community service,

educational and social event in which the participants have opportunities to experience, practice and enjoy the skills they have learned. This year’s class of Flower Girls includes: Rae Allen, Milani Alo, Rebekah Bailey, Savanna Bell, Kendyl Brass, Gracelyn Brittingham, Brenna

”

Brooks, Sophie Cooper, Sierra Dixon; Also, Rylee Emerich, Allison Evdokimo, Payton Francisco, Claire Glessner, Ava Guereque, Savanah Gutierrez, Emma Harris, Carter Henkel, Grace Hicks, Kensington Jephson, Devon Knox, Keely Kroeger, Tatum Linnen, Alexis Mueller, Cally Munguia; Also,

Talia Nark, Nina Petrone, Jaiden Phillips, Brooke Romero, Tatiana Savedra, Hailey Sherman, Jaelah Stanley, Lacey Stanton, Jordynn Stephens, Abigail Stoll, Madison Stoltz, Lexi Tamburrelli, Brinley Terry, Grace Thornton, Kiyra Tibke, Alexandra Ulibarri, Gracie Vincelette, Jolie Wahlberg and Amanda Wichman.

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Chandler actress in running for Jimmy Award BY ASHLYN ROBINETTE Staff Writer

A Chandler performer won the ASU Gammage High School Musical Theatre Awards and is now nominated for best actress at the National High School Musical Theatre Awards – otherwise known as The Jimmy Awards. Kristiana Corona, a recent Hamilton High School graduate, was awarded Best Lead Female for her performance of Ellie Blake in “Freaky Friday” by the seventh annual ASU Gammage HSMTA, which took place in a hybrid, livestreamed format. Now, she hopes to win best actress at the 12th Jimmy Awards, which will be streamed July 15 at 7:30 p.m. “It’s a crazy competition,” Corona said. “All the kids that are up for the awards are the best of the best. It’s been fun so far and I’m excited to see what happens.” The ASU Gammage program is a regional component of the NHSMTA and recognizes and celebrates Valley high school students and faculty that produce musical theatre programs, according to its website. Schools compete in 14 performance and tech categories. Along with receiving a cash award of $500, the best lead male and female winners continue to the NHSMTA where they compete with students across the country for grand scholarships. “In a typical year, we have 25 schools competing with 10 finalists in each category,” said Desiree Ong, ASU Gammage

Left: Kristiana Corona of Chandler, a recent Hamilton High grad, is in the running for the National High School Musical Theatre Award for best female lead. Right: Tyler Baldwin, a recent Queen Creek High School graduate, and Kristiana were feted to a colorful celebration when they won best male and female lead awards, respectively in the ASU Gammage High School Musical Theatre competition. (Tim Trumble/ASU Gammage)

Education Program Manager. “This year, we had 14 schools competing, as well as the nominations from non-participating Title I high schools, with five finalists in each category.” Winners of the ASU Gammage HSMTA are chosen through a process by ASU’s 15 adjudicators who use the same criteria as the NHSMTA: singing, acting and dancing, Ong said.

Semifinalists from participating high schools are chosen based on their show scores while semifinalists from non-participating Title I high schools are selected based on auditions. Title I schools serve generally poverty-level households. All semifinalists audition again for the panel of adjudicators. Finalists are chosen and the winners are announced on the night of the ceremony. “The moment of hearing my name

being called is so ingrained in me,” Corona said. “I had been repeating my name in my head over and over again, hoping they would say it. “So, when they actually did I thought that I had imagined it. Then, everyone was cheering, a confetti cannon went off and balloons came down. It felt like everything I had worked for paid off.” Tyler Baldwin, a recent Queen Creek High School graduate, was awarded See

ACTRESS on page 36

Chandler artist-novelist making the rounds area. Fagen will join visual artist Nicole McCaigue of Santan Valley and Prescott at her location on Congress Street in

SANTAN SUN NEWS STAFF

Fox Crossing resident and former journalist Laurie Fagen will take part in two book signings this summer. She was featured yesterday, July 3, in her hometown of Earlham, Iowa, at JK Books and Gifts, which has been carrying her two crime fiction mystery novels “Fade Out” and “Dead Air,” as well as polymer clay jewelry. On Saturday, July 17, she will be closer to home. She is one of more than 70 authors taking part in the annual Payson Book Festival 9:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. at the Mazatzal Hotel & Casino, Highway 87, Payson. “I’m thrilled to be part of in-person book events once again,” Fagen said. “The pandemic was challenging for all of us, and I’m looking forward to seeing friends and meeting new readers.” Books will be available for sale at both events, and personalized book signings are available. In addition, Fagen will exhibit her fiber and jewelry at two large studio tours this fall: Prescott Area Studio Tour Oct. 1-3 and Hidden in the Hills Nov. 19-21 and 26-28 in the north Scottsdale

I’m thrilled to be “ part of in-person book

events once again, the pandemic was challenging for all of us, and I’m looking forward to seeing friends and meeting new readers.

”

– Laurie Fagen

Laurie Fagen, a Fox Crossing resident who is a novelist and artist, will be participating in the Payson Book Festival. (Special to SanTan Sun News)

Prescott for the three-day event. She will be one of six artists at The Images Studios, 6925 E. Windstone Trail in Scottsdale, for two weekends prior to Thanksgiving. Fagen’s career started at KTAR News Radio as a student at Arizona State University when she reported live about

traffic conditions while flying around the Valley in a single-engine aircraft. “Radio really gave me a great background in gathering news, and relying on the ear only,” she explained. “I base some of my novel’s radio reporter sleuth on those early days in my career.” After graduation, she worked fulltime for the station as an assistant producer before making a move to television, returning to her home state of Iowa to work for KWWL-TV, an NBC affiliate television station in Waterloo, as a reporter, videographer, editor and anchor. Fagen spent the next 10 years working in commercial and cable television, then started her first business as a writer, producer and director for corporate television, which she ran for another decade before she and her late husband, Geoff Hancock, purchased the Ocotillo News and later renamed it SanTan Sun News. They published the twice-monthly newspaper until his death in 2013, when Times Media purchased the community newspaper. See

FAGEN on page 36

ARTS

ACTRESS

from page 35

Best Lead Male for his performance of Jack Kelly in “Newsies” by the ASU Gammage HSMTA and joins Corona in the NHSMTA competition as a best actor nominee. The NHSMTA was established in 2009 by Nederlander Alliances and Pittsburgh CLO to “elevate the importance of theatre arts education in schools and reward excellence in student performance,” according to the association’s website. The program impacts over 140,000 students annually who participate in high school musical theatre competitions that are sponsored by over 40 professional theatres across the country. “The Jimmy Awards are huge for the theatre community,” Corona said. “It’s

FAGEN

from page 35

Fagen is also an artist and singer. Fagen published her debut novel, “Fade Out” in 2016, the first full-length book in the Lisa Powers series, which involves her coverage of a massive fire that destroys the opulent mansion of a reclusive pharmaceutical heir, and her career is jeopardized when the story gets way too hot.

THE SUNDAY SANTAN SUN NEWS | JULY 4, 2021

Touring and West End productions. The Jimmy Awards were named for Broadway impresario James M. Nederlander – or “Jimmy” as the theatrical community knew him. The NHSMTA shifted to a virtual

Love for musical theatre must be in the air for Chandler students as the 2019 winners of the ASU Gammage HSMTA who moved on as nominees for The Jimmy Awards were Sophia Donnell, of Hamilton High School, and

Casey Likes, of Chandler High School. It was around the age of seven when Corona’s passion for musical theatre was born. Her parents signed her up for a Chandler Center for the Arts musical theatre summer camp, which she continued for four years. “It sparked something in me,” Corona said. “I loved it and it only grew from there.” Corona plans to continue her musical theatre journey by attending Kent State University in Ohio to study musical theatre. Then, she hopes to go into professional theatre like Broadway. “Performing allows me to open myself up to new experiences that I wouldn’t have had just by living a normal life,” Corona said. “I get to live through characters.” To watch The Jimmy Awards, hosted by Corbin Bleu, virtually on July 15 go to jimmyawards.com.

In “Fade Out,” Lisa dodges bullets investigating the cold case of a kidnapped bank executive found murdered and discovers horrors she never imagined while tracking down a missing father. She finds herself facing down criminals in addition to reporting on them. “Dead Air,” the second in the series released in 2017, involves her coverage of a cop shooting that tears the community apart; a sexual assault cold case involving a child; and a film noir-style podcast.

She has also narrated audiobooks for both titles, which are all available on Amazon and Audible. Fagen is currently working on the third book in her “Behind the Mic Mysteries” series and plans to have it available in early 2022. It’s the continuing story of a young radio reporter, Lisa Powers, who covers the crime beat for a fictional Chandler radio station; helps police solve cold cases; and for fun, creates a mystery theatre podcast.

The third book, called “Bleeder,” includes her coverage of the trial for the cop shooter from “Dead Air;” a domestic violence story and cold case; and “Art of the Steal” podcast about a murder and art theft in a gallery. For additional information and how to purchase Fagen’s book and other published works, visit www.ReadLaurieFagen.com, her Amazon author page at amazon.com/author/lauriefagen and at ShortOnTimeBooks.com. Her art may be seen at FagenDesigns.com.

the highest accolade that you can get.” Presented by the Broadway League Foundation, the NHSMTA program has been the catalyst for more than $4 million in educational scholarships to date and several previous student participants have been cast in Broadway,

format due to the pandemic but that’s an upgrade from last year, when The Jimmy Awards were canceled. Instead of traveling to New York City though, this year’s 72 nominees from 36 regions from across the U.S. are participating virtually.

Performing allows me to open myself up to new “experiences that I wouldn’t have had just by living a normal life, I get to live through characters. ”

– Kristiana Corona

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ARTS

THE SUNDAY SANTAN SUN NEWS | JULY 4, 2021

Chandler Museum offers programs, exhibits SANTAN SUN NEWS STAFF

Chandler Museum, 300 S. Chandler Village Drive, Chandler is offering a variety of free programs this month. The museum is open 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday and 1-5 p.m. Sunday. It is closed Mondays. Information: 480-7822717 or chandlermuseum.org.Exhibits Bigger than Boxing: Zora Folley and the 1967 Heavyweight Title, Through Feb. 13, 2022 On March 22, 1967, at Madison Square Garden, New York City, two men face off in the ring for the Heavyweight Championship of the World – Muhammad Ali and the challenger from Chandler, Zora Folley. “Bigger than Boxing” features the stories of these two boxers, the circumstances that weighed heavy on each man, and the fight that was a turning point in both of their careers. Black and white in black and white: Images of dignity, hope, and diversity Through Oct. 17. At the turn of the 20th century, many African Americans across the country embraced the “New Negro Movement,” which set the stage for the Harlem Renaissance. No one better captured the essence of this time of advancement than African American photographer John Johnson. This exhi-

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

Explore architecture with a Frank Lloyd Wright themed activity box. Design a city, test your building skills with edible construction supplies, and review shapes hidden within authentic Wright drawings. This Chandler Museum in a Box contains all needed supplies for three activities, stories about Wright’s time in Chandler, and the book Who Was Frank Lloyd Wright from the popular Who Was? series. $18, Great for ages 7-10, includes enough supplies for two users. While supplies last!

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Ready for a date night that packs a punch? Don’t worry about your fitness level, grab your partner and step in the ring. Round 1: Duke it out with your partner in a series of jump rope challenges. Round 2: Find out who can talk the talk. Round 3: Weigh in on issues that matter with conversation cards centered on the exhibition Bigger than Boxing: Zora Folley and the 1967 Heavyweight Title. Round 4: Take a breather by expressing your artistic side, boxing style. This box also includes movie suggestions, drink recipes, and a sweet treat. $24, Designed for adults.

ARTS

THE SUNDAY SANTAN SUN NEWS | JULY 4, 2021

Phoenix Theatre Company reopens indoors BY BRIDGETTE M. REDMAN Contributor

The Phoenix Theatre Company is taking its season indoors and welcoming back its audience with three small-cast shows. They’ve gone above and beyond the call of what the Maricopa County Department of Public Health and the stage union, Actors Equity, the stage union, are asking for. They replaced air filters, cleaned air ducts and added special filters in the rooms that will house patrons and artists. Their system removes the air from inside, draws in fresh air from outside and circulates it. The artists have also been kept in their own bubbles as they rehearse the shows that will be brought indoors: “Daddy Long Legs,” now through 23 to July 18; and “Pump Boys and Dinettes” July 23 to Aug. 22. “Daddy Long Legs” is a two-person musical about an orphan who is sent to college by a benefactor who chose to remain anonymous. Directed by Robbie Harper, it follows Jerusha Abbott’s college experience as she learns to be a writer. The benefactor, whom she affectionately calls “Daddy Long Legs,” requires that she write him monthly. The audience watches her become a fiercely independent, intelligent woman. “‘Daddy Long Legs’ has a great message of caring for someone you did not know and the amazing places where love can be found,” Barnard said. Directed by Barnard, the third show is a country music fest. L.M. and Jim

“Daddy Long Legs” opened last week, starring Kathlynn Rodin and James D. Gish, and they’re thrilled to be back to our stage at the Phoenix Theatre Company. (Facebook)

run a filling station in Grand Ole Opry country. They are the eponymous Pump Boys. Across the way is a diner operated by Rhetta and Prudie. Together, they deliver a toe-tapping evening of country western songs on guitar, piano, bass and even a few kitchen utensils. “‘Pump Boys and Dinettes’ is for fun,” Barnard said. “It’s just a joyful ride. It is great summer fare that is highly entertaining, and you don’t have to think about it.” Barnard said he put a lot of thought

into the shows that might give the audience hope. Barnard during the past year, the company tried to retain as much staff as possible, and to take care of their employees the best they could. “Reopening means a great deal to us,” Barnard said. “It allowed us to bring staff back. Even when we had to furlough, we paid for everyone’s health insurance, so no one had to worry about their health insurance during COVID.”

The director and stage manager wear masks during rehearsals. They will also continue to ask audiences to wear masks and have temperature checks when they arrive. There will be social distancing in public areas, but not in the theater seats. “We felt like from everything we could read and see that it is a good time to try to safely go back inside,” Barnard said. He thinks it may take time for everyone to feel comfortable about returning. However, people will be more apt to wash their hands and wear a mask when they have been ill. For now, he is happy to invite theater lovers to see shows by the 102-year-old theater company. “I’m excited about seeing people again,” Barnard said. “I’m excited for the artists. It is part of their DNA to entertain, to communicate, to educate or just to provide an escape. That’s what they do and it has been very difficult to be able to do that. I think it will be exciting – and maybe a little taste of normalcy – as we ramp up and grow back.” The Phoenix Theatre Company’s 2021 Summer Season “Daddy Long Legs” Through July 18 “Pump Boys and Dinettes” July 23 to August 2 WHERE: The Phoenix Theatre, 1825 N. Central Avenue, Phoenix COST: Tickets start at $41 INFO: phoenixtheatre.com

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THE SUNDAY SANTAN SUN NEWS | JULY 4, 2021

For more community news visit SanTanSun.com

Scripture teaches change is difficult but necessary RABBI IRWIN WIENER Columnist

There is no question that change is difficult, nearly impossible at times. Our past reminds us of a time when life was not yet revealed. As we get older, our dreams tend to fade into the reality that this is now our life. We come to grips with the realization that some of our earlier ambitions will forever go unfulfilled. The same holds true for community. In Scripture, the people of Israel were escorted out of Egypt by God. They witnessed the 10 plagues that eventually freed them from captivity. While in the desert on their journey to freedom, to a new land, and a new beginning, they were protected by God with a “pillar of cloud” during the day and a “pillar of fire” at night. (Exodus 13:21-22)

That generation had witnessed God’s presence in the most intimate way imaginable, from the Exodus to Mount Sinai and beyond. Yet, the Israelites’ yearning for life as they once knew it in the slavery of Egypt overpower them. (Numbers 14:4) When the opportunity for change confronts the Israelites, a change that will only enhance their lives and national standing, they romanticize their past, as unbearable as it was, and object to the change. The Israelites complain bitterly to Moses saying: “What have you done to us by taking us out of Egypt?” At this point in the narrative one, has to feel sorry for God. No matter what God does not seem to matter. (Exodus 14:11) Some of us can identify with the reluctance to make changes. The unknown can be daunting. It is easier for most of us to travel the familiar route through life. Slavery may be lousy, but at least our next meal was guaran-

teed. Honestly, with all our 21st century sensibilities, are we any different? We know how hard it is to change, because we see it in ourselves. Bad habits and destructive behavior constantly repeat themselves. Our chosen profession may be terribly stressful, even painful, but it pays the bills. We are caught between two inseparable tensions in life: constancy and change. The unknown of the future entices us while at the same time scares us. In fact, sometimes it is painful. Is it not ironic that, for example, moving is considered one of the most stressful things a person or family can do, especially in later life? Scripture in its subtle way is teaching us this most difficult lesson, and it is experienced by our own generation today. We see change-taking place right before us. Our understanding of our lives has changed dramatically. Some of our friends have left us either through

death or because of the need to move on. What was necessary yesterday does not seem necessary today. The one constant, however, is that we are a vital link in the chain of continuity. For that reason alone, we need to cherish and maintain what we inherited. Perhaps we should remember that change is necessary for continuation, not stagnation. If we stayed the same – well, there certainly would be no excitement or anticipation. Now, more than ever, we need to adjust our thinking to accommodate all the change we can absorb. That is the lesson of growth and evolution Scripture endeavors to translate for us. And for sure, it is the path we should be involved with in these later years of our life. We connect because of comfort, and we expand those relationships because, as Scripture reminds us through various exchanges, there is no future without change.

Having a nation ruled by God where love is the authority BY REV. MARVIN ARNPRIESTER Guest Writer

In the United Methodist Hymnal is a prayer titled “For Our Country” by Toyohiko Kagawa.

I believe it appropriate for this July 4th weekend. “Oh God, keep our whole country under your protection. Wipe out sin from this land; lift it up from the dept of sorrow, O Lord, our shining light. Save us from deep grief and misfortune, Lord of

all nations. Bless us with your wisdom, so the poor may not be oppressed and the rich may not be oppressors. Make this a nation having no ruler except God, a nation having no authority but that of love. Amen” I wonder what a difference it would

make if I were to focus on having no authority but love in my life? In our church? In our community? In our state? In this nation? Rev. Marvin Arnpriester is senior pastor of Sun Lakes United Methodist Church

Science, religion closer than many may think BY PHILIP MELLA Guest Writer

With the advances in physics in the past century, beginning with Albert Einstein’s special and general theories of relativity, and progressing to the rarefied world of string theory, there appears to be an incremental melding of science and religion. Let’s begin by examining some paradoxical aspects of the two that may provide an opportunity to reconsider the historical antipathy between them. Although there are many references to faith in Scripture, one of the most universally known is 2 Corinthians 4:18: “We look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen; for the things which are seen are temporal, but the things which are not seen are eternal.” The search for knowledge, and its limits – known in philosophy as epistemol-

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ogy – is a timeless pursuit whose roots take us to the Greek philosophers. It’s only a slight exaggeration to assert, as the mathematician, Alfred North Whitehead did, that “Western philosophy is just a series of footnotes to Plato.” However, we shouldn’t focus on an historical timeline, but rather on certain ideas and how they dovetail with religion and faith. To wit, when Galileo asserted that earth revolves around the sun, he was deemed a heretic, since it questioned the faith in that earth was stationary and at the center of our known universe. As C.S. Lewis observed in Mere Christianity, despite the conundrum it presents, we instinctively believe in many unseen events and alleged facts, regardless of the absence of convincing evidence. That takes us to the impenetrable world of particle physics. The broad consensus by physicists is that the universe is comprised of twelve fundamental particles which are governed by four

collateral forces. The interaction of these particles and the laws that govern them are captured in the Standard Model. A crucial component of the Standard Model, the elusive Higgs boson – the God Particle – was identified on July 4, 2012. That discovery solidified the consensus regarding the Standard Model, and may begin to answer such questions as what happened at the exact moment of the big bang – the start of our known universe. The thoroughly abstruse nature of particle physics, not to mention the alleged existence of dark matter and dark energy, highlight the fact that they exist purely as theories, albeit with an exquisite mathematical symmetry. It’s clear that hubris, and its close, unacknowledged ally, anthropocentrism – the notion that humans occupy the center of the universe – provide an outsized confidence and certitude with respect to physics, and require a meaningful measure of faith. However, when reasoned arguments

of faith in a supreme being are posited, they are dismissed by many as an intellectual fraud. All of this recalls Immanuel Kant’s Critique of Pure Reason, in which he argued that the categorical framework of the human mind provides a self-referential blueprint that, with only an unsubstantiated understanding, defines the limits of our knowledge. The 20th century poet Wallace Stevens captures this notion: “The corporeal world exists as the common denominator in the incorporeal world of its inhabitants.” In light of the recent advancements in physics, it’s wise for us to seriously consider that Christian beliefs, predicated as they are on faith, may be far more closely allied to them than we ever thought possible. Chandler resident Philip Mella is a former elected official and published writer whose focus is politics, history, and science. Reach him at Quarklepton54@protonmail.com.

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

SanTan Sun News - 7.4.2021

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