SanTan Sun News - 7.18.2021

July 18, 2021 | www.santansun.com

Relentlessly local coverage of Southern Chandler

An edition of the East Valley Tribune

ADOT preparing Chandler motorists for a helluva ride Curve Improvement Project.

“There’s no way to sugarcoat it,” said ADOT spokeswoman Kim Noetzel. “It’s going to be impactful.”

Seven years in the planning, the work is ready to begin as crews next week start scraping the asphalt along 11 miles of Interstate 10 between the junction of the San Tan and South Mountain freeways and I-17 near Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport.

The project also will involve work on about a mile of east- and

BY PAUL MARYNIAK Executive Editor

Starting this week, billboards, social media and television and print media will carry messages urging thousands of motorists, especially in Chandler and the rest of the East Valley, to prepare for four years of disruptions in their driving routines.

It’s not exactly Armageddon that the Arizona Department of Transportation will be heralding.

But it won’t be a walk in the park, especially for car and truck traffic on I-10.

And even if you don’t use I-10, you can expect significant increases in traffic along all the freeways in the East Valley and even major arterials as motorists try to evade the inevitable tie-ups that will be caused by the I-10 Broadway

This chart illustrates the components of the I-10 Broadway Curve Improvement Project, a four-year effort to improve safety and efficiency for tens of thousands of Valley motorists. (ADOT)

westbound US 60 between I-10 and Hardy Drive and a mile of north- and southbound State Route 143 between I-10 and the southern end of the SR 143 bridge over the Salt River.

Motorists will start feeling more of an impact in coming months as work picks up steam on a project aimed at preventing virtually round-the-clock rush hour gridlock on I-10 in the heart of Maricopa County.

“When the first phase of construction begins this summer,” ADOT spokeswoman Alexandra Albert said in a virtual briefing earlier this month for Tempe residents, “drivers should prepare for weekend closures on I-10 and US 60" in late July or early August.

"And the reason for that is over the See

ADOT on page 22

How detectives shattered Chandler Unified to open Chandler slaying alibi new high school this week SANTAN SUN NEWS STAFF

As her husband lay dying on the floor of her Chandler home, Lori Vallow went to a drug store to buy flipflops.

That chilling account of the July 11, 2019, shooting death of her husband Charles Vallow is part of a heavily redacted probable cause statement by Chandler detectives that prompted a county grand jury last month to accuse Lori Vallow of conspiracy to commit first degree murder. The shooter, her brother, Alexander Cox, died mysteriously in his Gilbert home four months later.

The grand jury action comes as

Lori Vallow faces first degree murder charges in Idaho in the deaths of her 7-year-old son and 16-year-old daughter, whose remains were found in 2020 on land owned by Chad Daybell.

Daybell, who married Vallow after her husband’s slaying, also is charged with murder in the children's slayings.

Vallow is undergoing psychiatric examination after a judge found her mentally incompetent to face murder charges their deaths.

Although the Maricopa County grand jury indictment gave few details about Charles Vallow’s slaying, the See

VALLOW on page 10

See page 36

BY KEVIN REAGAN Staff Writer

Wednesday not only marks the beginning of the new school year for Chandler Unified students but also ushers in the opening of the district’s newest high school –ACP-High in Gilbert.

Built at a cost of $87 million, it’s the new campus for formerly titled Arizona College Prep, whose students are moving from an old, small campus on Erie Street in Chandler to the new facility on Gilbert and Ocotillo roads.

Voters in 2019 approved a $291-million bond issue to build the new high school on a 73-acre parcel near the Chandler-Gilbert border.

At the time, CUSD was booming and enrollment continued growing.

At the end of the 2019-2020 school year, none of the district’s high schools had fewer than 2,000 students. Hamilton High in particular has had to contend with a burgeoning population of over 4,000 students.

Former Superintendent Camille Casteel at one point said she had never expected to build another high school, but grade 9-12 class sizes were becoming too big.

“We tried to hold off,” Casteel said in 2019. “We think this is the only real viable alternative.”

But as the walls started going up for the new campus, the pandemic started triggering enrollment declines in Chandler Unified and most other school districts.

Chandler’s average daily membership, a state metric used to measure enrollment for reimbursement, has dropped by nearly 2,000.

Federal pandemic relief funding has eased the district’s financial distress caused by such a large exodus of students, but CUSD is still hoping to attract the pupils it lost during the pandemic.

Families should not consider ACP reserved for advanced students, Principal Rob Bickes added, since the school’s class offerings are designed to accommodate every student.

“We offer the full gamut of courses,” he said, “from on-level to AP.” Bickes has been with ACP ever since the school originated in 2007 as an extension of Hamilton High.

The school’s first class consisted of

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School mask mandates outlawed by state . . . . . . . COMMUNITY . . . . Page 21 New casino sparks S. Chandler concerns. . . . . . . . . BUSINESS . . . . . . . Page 33 Wolves coach in running for Shula award . . . . . . . . SPORTS . . . . . . . . Page 35 Chandler coffeehouse humming with music . . . . . ARTS . . . . . . . . . . Page 44

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THE SUNDAY SANTAN SUN NEWS | JULY 18, 2021

COMMUNITY NEWS

THE SUNDAY SANTAN SUN NEWS | JULY 18, 2021

3

Chandler Council names four manager finalists

BY KEVIN REAGAN Staff Writer

Four finalists have been selected to be interviewed for the City of Chandler’s top job.

City Council has narrowed down its list of 34 applicants for the next city manager to four candidates who have been invited to make presentations on Wednesday, July 14.

Acting City Manager Joshua Wright is among the contenders and will be competing against three outsiders to oversee 1,600 city employees.

Wright, who was appointed as the city’s interim manager after Marsha Reed retired in March, notably has the least amount of working experience in the public sector than the other three finalists.

Before he was hired as one of Chandler’s assistant managers in 2017, Wright was the town manager of Wickenburg for five years and an assistant town manager of Marana for another five years.

As one of Reed’s assistant managers, Wright was responsible for providing oversight to the city’s airport and development services.

The Arizona Association for Economic Development named Wright its “Economic Developer of the Year” in 2011 and he’s previously served as president of the Arizona City Management Association.

Wright has earned a master’s degree in public administration from the University of Arizona and is working on a doctoral degree from Valdosta State University.

Another finalist who’s local to Arizona

is Milton Dohoney Jr., Phoenix’s assistant city manager and chief operating officer.

Dohoney has more than 30 years of experience working in cities across the country and has been repeatedly honored with awards for his contributions to public service.

“Milton is an accomplished executive leader who keeps us focused on the big picture, to inspire our employees to do their best every day,” Phoenix City Manager Ed Zuercher said in 2019.

Dohoney is the only finalist with prior experience managing a city with a population bigger than Chandler’s. Before relocating to Arizona in 2014, Dohoney managed the city of Cincinnati for eight years.

His tenure in Ohio included spearheading an expensive project to construct a streetcar service throughout Cincinnati.

Dohoney said spending $132 million on public infrastructure was a necessary step in spurring economic growth.

“Cincinnati has to compete with other cities for investment,” Dohoney told the New York Times in 2008. “We have to compete for talent and for a place of national prominence.”

Dohoney’s tenure in Cincinnati ended in 2013 after a newly-elected mayor decided to replace him, according to the Cincinnati Business Courier. Dohoney has an additional 16 years of experience working for Louisville, Kentucky.

Sara Hensley, who has been the interim city manager of Denton, Texas, the last five months, is the only finalist with prior experience specializing in parks and recreation.

She was the city of Austin’s recre-

ation director for nearly a decade and spent an additional two years as one of the city’s assistant city managers.

Hensley hasn’t shied away from publicly expressing her concerns over controversial policy proposals, especially when they concerned drastic changes to her city’s budget.

In 2015, she and several city employees penned a contentious letter to Austin’s city manager that warned against any proposed cuts in public spending.

“Recent budget policy discussions reflect that there may be a serious lack of understanding regarding the complexity of our work and, perhaps, a diminished level of respect for the work we do,” Hensley’s letter stated.

Hensley has an additional 14 years of experience overseeing recreational programs for cities in Arizona, California and Virginia. She was recently a finalist for the city manager position in Flagstaff.

Tom Hutka, the fourth finalist, has worked in various public service roles in several government agencies throughout the country.

He is the public works director for Florida’s Broward County – a position he has held for 11 years.

Prior to that, Hutka worked as the deputy county manager of Osceola County in central Florida and associate county administrator of Minnesota’s Hennepin County.

Hutka’s five-year tenure as city manager for the city of Port Huron, a small community of about 30,000 residents in east Michigan, ended after his relation-

ships with elected officials and the local business community began to deteriorate.

According to the Times Herald, Hutka blamed his resignation on the hostile feelings local businessmen had toward new economic development projects.

“A small group of Port Huron monopoly businessmen have attacked and driven off everyone trying to improve the local economy,” Hutka said after he quit. “After five years of hard work, I resigned in frustration after every success was destroyed and there remained nothing more to build on.”

Some Port Huron Council members were ready to terminate Hutka, but a deal was forged that allowed the outgoing city manager to resign with a severance package valued at about $140,000.

“Tom saw the writing on the wall and chose not to go down that road. He left before it got ugly,” a council member told the Times Herald.

After leaving Michigan, Hutka went on to work for a municipal management company in Indiana and spent two years as the commissioner of engineering for the city of Cleveland.

Hutka has notably applied for several city manager positions throughout the country and came close to getting the job in Frankfort, Kentucky, earlier this year.

The public is invited to listen to candidate presentations on Wednesday, July 14, from 1:30 to 3 p.m. in the Council Chambers, 88 East Chicago Street, and attend a reception with the candidates from 5:15 to 6 p.m. in the Vision Gallery, 10 East Chicago Street.

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COMMUNITY NEWS

THE SUNDAY SANTAN SUN NEWS | JULY 18, 2021

City manager finalists face the public An edition of the East Valley Tribune

BY KEVIN REAGAN Staff Writer

Chandler’s four finalists for city manager are willing to make bold promises in order to curry favor with the city’s 1,600 employees.

The resumes of Milton Dohoney, Sara Hensley, Tom Hutka, and Joshua Wright are loaded with plenty of experience and education that could qualify them to manage one of Arizona’s largest cities.

But to stand out from the competition, some candidates seemed inclined to doll out rewards based on the outcome of upcoming basketball tournaments.

“If I get chosen and the Suns win, I’ll give you a week off,” Dohoney joked during a public forum last week with a roomful of city workers.

Dohoney and the three other finalists got the chance to plead their case in front of Chandler’s workforce on July 14 as they vie for the job of overseeing the city’s day-to-day business.

Each candidate complimented city workers for helping to generate Chandler’s positive reputation and promised to take the city one step farther on its path to becoming a community of innovation.

“Chandler is about growth – which speaks volumes about possibilities for the local government and the community as a whole,” Dohoney said.

The finalists each described their leadership style and outlined the goals they’d like to achieve in the first 180 days as Chandler’s next city manager.

Hensley, who has worked for several municipalities in Texas and Arizona, said she’d be an active leader who would get to know the employees in every department.

“I’ll not sit in an office all day. You’ll see me out in the field,” she said. “I don’t find it productive to be sitting all day.”

Hensley emphasized her commitment to equity and inclusiveness by conducting an extensive review of Chandler’s hiring practices and setting deadlines for improvements that she thinks need to be made.

Bluntness is another attribute Hensley promised city workers, voicing her disdain for inauthenticity.

“I’m going to be honest,” she added.

“I’m not gonna sugarcoat it.”

Hutka, the only finalist who has not lived in Arizona, said his technical expertise in engineering can provide Chandler an outsider’s perspective.

“What I do promise you is a fresh set of eyes,” Hutka said. “I’ve worked an entire career to develop some of the very best eyes in local government.”

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Hutka stressed his devotion to transparency and indicated he’d spend much of his first 180 days reviewing Chandler’s communication channels and looking for areas of improvement.

Wright, who has been serving as interim city manager since Marsha Reed retired in March, said he would be an ethical, independent leader who won’t be intimidated by other influences.

“I will be my own person,” Wright said.

“I will not be afraid to make decisions. I will not be afraid to do the right thing.”

Although Wright does not have as much working experience as the other candidates, he insisted that the city manager’s job won’t be a “stepping stone” toward a job in a bigger city.

During the time he has already served as city manager, Wright said he’s begun to embed new types of technology and software to make the city’s services run more efficiently.

An important element of Wright’s 180-day plan involved boosting employee morale after a year that forced

Chandler’s employees to continue working during a pandemic and weeks of civil protests.

Wright said he would prioritize checking in with staff to assess personnel performance and begin the process of reintroducing city-sponsored events for its employees.

“I think we’re ready to have some fun again,” he said.

Dohoney, who was the city of Cincinnati’s manager for eight years, offered specific ideas in his 180-day plan that demonstrated his knowledge of Chandler.

He pledged to work on a communications strategy for the $272-million bond initiative that Chandler will have on the ballot this November. Dohoney additionally promised to dig deeper into the operations of the city’s airport and ensure a permanent manager is hired to oversee the facility.

As Chandler gets closer to running out of vacant land to develop, Dohoney said he would want to guarantee the city is fully prepared for build-out.

In the long-term, Dohoney said he would want to focus on more complex issues like homelessness, mental health and affordable housing.

“These are things you can’t solve in one meeting,” Dohoney added. “I need to take some time to understand what (Chandler) is trying to do.”

After the forum, Chandler’s four finalists were subjected to several more interviews with staff and City Council.

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THE SUNDAY SANTAN SUN NEWS | JULY 18, 2021

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COMMUNITY NEWS

THE SUNDAY SANTAN SUN NEWS | JULY 18, 2021

Laura Arceo organizes the bookstore as ACP-High Principal Tom Bickes surveys the work ahead of her. Meanwhile, computers were being set up in another room as Bickes prepares to welcome students this Wednesday to the new CUSD high school in Gilbert. (Pablo Robles/Staff Photographer)

SCHOOLS

from page 1

about 80 middle school students who took their courses out of a rented classroom at a local church.

As the years went by, ACP added more grade levels and the school’s enrollment got big enough to warrant relocating it to a bigger facility on Erie Street in 2012.

The school’s size and reputation has continued to grow over the last decade with ACP earning honors from the U.S. Department of Education for its commitment to academic excellence.

Several of the school’s alumni have earned awards and scholarships for devising innovative projects or patenting new inventions.

Each student expects to have a personalized education when they come to ACP, Bickes said, and the new campus provides more space for students to

education.

For ACP students, the new school will offer more classrooms, more sports fields and more space to host the types

not changing what we do because we want “We’re to make sure we continue building a family and having a school community. ”

– Principal Rob Bickes

pursue their individual passions.

ACP will continue to strive for excellence from all of its students, the principal said, and make each pupil feel like they have a voice in their own

of activities their counterparts have enjoyed for years.

ACP‘s homecoming game will no longer have to be outsourced to another CUSD campus, since the new campus

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Orchestra and band concerts can now be performed in a 600-seat auditorium, instead of relying on the Chandler Center for the Arts stages.

“It’s going to be exciting to have everything here on our campus,” said Bickes.

Students will have the opportunity to enroll in new course offerings ACP could not teach at the Erie campus because of space limitations, Bickes said, while continuing to enjoy all the same extracurricular activities the school has had for years.

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COMMUNITY NEWS

SCHOOLS

THE SUNDAY SANTAN SUN NEWS | JULY 18, 2021

from page 6

technology courses, a weight room for athletic training, and baseball fields that will allow ACP to start its first season of baseball this school year.

The layout of the campus comes with some space reserved on its east side for any future development ACP may wish to consider.

Bickes said the school’s staff will still attempt to maintain the close-knit, connected community that had existed on Erie Street.

“We’re not changing what we do because we want to make sure we continue building a family and having a school community,” the principal said.

Enrollment at the old Erie school was about 880 by the end of the last school year. The new campus is expected to welcome 1,200 pupils when classes begin on July 21.

Up to 3,000 students could occupy the new campus, but ACP currently doesn’t intend for the school to get that big.

Bickes said the district wants to keep enrollment lower than Chandler’s five other high schools in order to preserve the rapport ACP students enjoy with their teachers.

“You’re not going to see (ACP) become one of the larger-type high schools within the district,” Bickes said.

Bickes said any student living in the district is invited to attend ACP, since state law now requires all districts to maintain an open enrollment policy.

The library in the new high school will give students at ACP-High a comfortable and quiet environment for them to bone up on their courses. (Pablo Robles/Staff Photographer)

One of ACP’s hallmarks has been its distinction as being a school that nobody is forced to attend. There were no boundaries dictating who enrolled at the school.

But the school’s new campus comes with some changes to that. In addition to being an open-enrollment school, ACP must accept any students living in a two-square-mile boundary positioned near the campus.

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Bickes said the school has been organizing orientation events and pairing new students with a mentor who can familiarize them with ACP culture and customs.

The idea is to get them to feel invested in their school, the principal

said, and make them feel like ACP is their school too.

ACP is additionally attempting to broaden its appeal to a wider cross-section of students and considering changing the “college” portion of the school’s name.

Bickes said he’s considering replacing the “C” with “career/college readiness” because the school wants to prepare students for whatever path they want to pursue after graduation.

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COMMUNITY NEWS

THE SUNDAY SANTAN SUN NEWS | JULY 18, 2021

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Chandler eyes private developers for housing hope

BY KEVIN REAGAN Staff Writer

The Chandler Public Housing Authority is planning to ask federal authorities to allow private developers to revitalize its stock of homes and apartments before it becomes overburdened by maintenance costs.

As city-owned homes and apartments continue aging and rack up maintenance fees, the authority wants to curb costs through a federal program that converts public housing to a system that operates similar to Section 8 vouchers.

If authorized by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, a private developer could enter into an agreement with Chandler to build or renovate housing on city-owned land in exchange for valuable tax credits.

Eligible tenants would then apply to live in one of the refurbished units and the government would subsidize up to 70 percent of their rent.

These public-private partnerships would fall under the government’s Rental Assistance Demonstration program, which has become increasingly popular throughout the Valley due to its ability to incentivize the construction of more affordable housing in expensive neighborhoods.

Nearly a dozen RAD projects have been executed across Arizona over the last few years and Chandler is looking to be the latest municipality to partici-

This apartment complex for low-income people in North Phoenix is being built by Gorman & Company, which is negotiating similar public housing projects with Chandler officials. (Special to SanTan Sun News)

pate in the program.

Amy Jacobson, the city’s housing manager, said converting some of Chandler’s housing stock to a RAD model would help the city avoid spending up to $22 million in preserving its old properties.

“We are challenged with an infrastructure issue in public housing,” Jacobson said. “We do not get enough HUD capital dollars in order to address these capital needs in our properties.”

HUD gives Chandler about $700,000 annually for capital expenses, Jacobson said, and that allowance won’t be enough to meet the city’s growing in-

frastructure needs to replace old roofs and corroded pipes.

The city currently operates four multi-family housing complexes consisting of 163 units, one senior complex and 103 single-family homes.

It additionally oversees the distribution of 486 vouchers for low-income residents looking to rent a private unit.

Jacobson said Chandler would need to find an additional $7 million to cover all the capital expenses the city projects over the next 20 years on its housing properties.

Chandler is currently considering contracting with a private builder to execute

two RAD projects at a vacant lot on Trails End Place and an existing multi-family complex on Hamilton Street.

Gorman & Company, a developer that’s handled revitalization projects throughout the Valley, has submitted proposals for how it would like to redevelop the two Chandler sites and the city is planning to draw up a development agreement.

Though the agreement’s details have not been finalized yet, the city expects its arrangement with Gorman would result in a more favorable housing See

HOUSING on page 10

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COMMUNITY NEWS

VALLOW

THE SUNDAY SANTAN SUN NEWS | JULY 18, 2021

from page 1

Chandler Police document details a twisted tale of a woman who considered herself “an exalted goddess” with supernatural powers and schemed with her late brother to kill her estranged husband and collect his Social Security and other benefits.

The shooting initially was considered self-defense after Cox told detectives he shot Charles Vallow when the victim came at him with a baseball bat.

But the probable cause statement shows detectives weren’t buying that story from the get-go.

“There was concern about a potential bullet strike on the ground near Charles Vallow’s body,” it states. “There was also concern regarding the timeline of events that came to light in the days following the homicide.

"None of these concerns would immediately provide probable cause for the arrest of anyone present at the time of the murder and more investigation was necessary.”

Ultimately, they concluded: "The evidence shows that Charles’ death was a planned event and necessary to prevent Charles and others from confronting Lori about her extreme religious beliefs when he came to town on 07/11/2019. The death of Charles Vallow was also necessary in order for Chad Daybell and Lori Vallow to marry and fulfill their religious prophecy.”

As police dug deeper, they discovered “Charles and Lori Vallow were experiencing turmoil in their marriage” and that he moved Lori, her daughter and their adoptive son to Four Peaks Place in Chandler while he lived in Texas.

Detectives also discovered that "Charles was concerned for Lori’s mental health as she had begun to express that she was selected to prepare 144,000 people for the end of the world.

“Concerned for her well-being and that of the children, Charles filed a mental health petition asking for a mental health evaluation. In this petition, Charles talked about how Lori had told him that he was possessed by a dark spirit by the name of Ned Schneider. Lori would even refer to Charles in conversation and documentation by the name of Ned. “This turmoil in the relationship can be substantiated through police reports, court orders, police body camera footage, cell phone records and witness testimony.”

HOUSING

from page 9

apparatus that’s comparable to the government’s Section 8 voucher program.

Chandler’s residents would get to live in a privately-run facility at a subsidized rate and the city could still monitor tenants to ensure the program’s resources aren’t being misused.

The switch to more of a voucher-like system would be appealing to Chandler since demand for the city’s existing vouchers has been high for years, resulting in a waitlist that often exceeds 4,000 applicants.

The city has additionally noticed its voucher recipients tend to get off the public assistance quicker than residents utilizing other housing programs.

Jacobson said residents utilizing a

Above, Chad Daybell and Lori Vallow face murder charges in Idaho in the deaths of her son Joshua, 7, and daughter Tylee Ryan, 16. Far right, Charles Vallow was slain in July 2019 in his estranged wife Lori Vallow's Chandler home by Alexander Cox, immediate right, who died of natural causes in his Gilbert home five months later. (SanTan Sun News file photos)

Lori also had locked Charles out of the family’s home and had withdrawn $35,000 from their joint bank account.

Charles also called Gilbert police, telling officers, "She’s lost her mind,” according to the probable cause statement. “She thinks she’s a resurrected being. Her religious stuff has gone way off the deep end.”

Gilbert Police eventually concluded, “There was no information obtained that Lori had committed a crime. There was no information obtained that Charles and Lori's children were in danger.”

Following Charles’ slaying, a number of suspicious occurrences strengthened detective’s doubts about Cox's story.

No one could contact the two children, and Lori kept giving misleading information on there whereabouts.

On Oct. 3, 2019, Cox was mentioned as a possible suspect in the attempted slaying of an individual whose name is redacted in the probable cause statement.

Three weeks after that shooting, Chad Daybell’s wife, Tammy, was reported to have died in her sleep. A month later, Lori and Chad were married.

And in December 2019, Cox collapsed and died in his Gilbert home of what the Maricopa County Medical Examiner ruled were natural causes. Police used data from Cox’s phone to find the location of the children’s bodies a year later.

Authorities say text messages exchanged between Lori and Cox showed the siblings planned to murder Charles because he was 'blocking' her spiritual superpowers.

Investigators said Lori was trying to forge a relationship with Daybell in the months leading up to Charles’ death

and said that a couple weeks before his death, Charles discovered a letter Lori wrote to Daybell and confronted her about having an extramarital affair.

“Charles asked Lori to come clean about her relationship with Chad Daybell by the end of the day or he would contact Tamara Daybell and inform her of the relationship,” court records state.

Detectives also said Lori apparently had started plotting her husband’s demise almost a year before he was shot, citing a text message written in November 2018.

Three months later, she wrote another text to an unidentified party in which “there is specific conversation to cause harm to Charles Vallow,” according to the probable cause statement.

A month before the killing, Lori ramped up her menacing texts, according to police. In one text she said, “We give timing to the Lord but we don’t need to relent. This is war.”

Three weeks after that text, she looked up Charles’ Social Security Disability benefits online and also found out that he had apparently changed the beneficiary on his life insurance policy.

“He changed it in March,” she texted Chad Daybell seven days after he killed Charles. “So it was probably Ned (Charles) before we got rid of him….I still get the $4,000 a month from SS.”

Section 8 voucher tend to need it for fewer years than those living in a publicly-run unit.

“Hopefully, that trend will continue so that they’re not needing that assistance for as long as if it were a standalone public housing project,” she added.

Access to affordable housing in Chandler has become an increasingly pressing issue in recent years as property values and rents continue to steadily escalate. The Phoenix area has been outpacing other metropolitan regions in rent increases over the last few months and experts don’t expect the growth to dramatically slow down soon.

Some residents have begun to push city officials to reform its public housing programs before they get priced out of Chandler and have to move to a

cheaper city.

Deborah Giannecchini, a resident and single mother, said she’s struggled to find an affordable apartment with the salary she makes working for the Chandler Unified School District.

“It is becoming very challenging to continue to serve our special education kiddos with the skyrocketing one-bedroom apartments,” Giannecchini told City Council in May. Many of Giannecchini’s friends and colleagues have already moved, she said, and she fears she may have to do the same if access to housing is not improved.

“A lot of people are leaving, they’re quitting (CUSD) and they’re going somewhere else,” Giannecchini added.

A survey by Chandler in 2019 found that nearly 40 percent of respondents

Detailing Charles’ killing on the morning of July 11, 2019, the probable cause statement said phone data and other evidence tore holes in Cox’s account of the shooting.

Detectives learned one of the two gunshots fired into Vallow’s chest came as the victim lay flat, noting the bullet passed through his body and into the floor – indicating the victim was already flat on the floor.

Phone records further showed that Cox waited 43 minutes before calling 911 to report the shooting.

After the shooting, Lori took her slain husband’s phone and rented vehicle.

First, she then went to get fast food from Burger King and after that to Walgreen’s to buy flipflops.

Detectives also said that when Alex called 911, “he acted as if he was performing life-saving measures on Charles.

“It was not until emergency personnel began life-saving measures that they saw blood coming from Charles’ body.

This would indicate Alex performed no emergency aid.”

During the initial hours after the murder, Lori and the two children told investigators Charles had started a physical altercation.

The probable cause statement also said that as they were leaving the home, Lori and her daughter reported having heard a gunshot.

The statement notes Lori and Alex gave conflicting answers as to why he had been in the house in the first place the morning of Charles’ ill-fated visit.

“It has been proven how valuable Alex Cox was to Lori,” detectives wrote. “His mission on earth was to protect his sister.” were spending more than 30 percent of their income on housing. The assessment further estimated that Chandler expected to fall short of affordable housing by about 9,400 units.

City Council members appear supportive of the a deal with Gorman and hope the partnership will result in better accommodations for low-income residents.

Councilwoman Christine Ellis said a public-private partnership could be the most feasible solution for adding more affordable units to the city’s limited supply.

“This is where Chandler needs to be right now because we cannot go backwards, we need to go forward,” Ellis said.

The city believes it’s still a couple years away from building anything new on its properties, as the RAD conversion process involves several administrative steps.

11

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COMMUNITY NEWS

THE SUNDAY SANTAN SUN NEWS | JULY 18, 2021

Grassroots group takes on GOP tax break for rich

BY HOWARD FISCHER Capitol Media Services

Arizonans may get the last word on a nearly $2 billion tax cut plan that mainly benefits the wealthy.

Organizers of the what had been the Invest in Ed initiative that voters approved in November have crafted three separate proposals to take to the ballot in 2022.

They want the public to decide whether to ratify the decision by state lawmakers to: create a 2.5 percent flat tax rate, scrapping the current progressive rates; cap anyone’s taxes at no more than 4.5 percent including the 3.5 percent surcharge in Proposition 208; and create a new tax category for small business owners to allow them to escape having to pay any of that surcharge.

Backers need 118,823 valid signatures on petitions by Sept. 28 to force a vote.

Given the number of signatures that are normally disqualified, a more realistic goal would be closer to 150,000.

But the groups involved in the effort have a proven track record of not just getting proposals on the ballot but getting voters to go along with them.

Potentially more significant, if they reach that goal, it immediately prevents any of the challenged measures from taking effect until the 2022 election.

At that point voters would get to say whether they agree with what the legislature did or not.

A spokesman for Gov. Doug Ducey, who championed the tax-cut plans, said

he would have no comment unless and until the backers got the signatures.

Instead, C.J. Karamargin said the just-completed legislative session was “one of the most successful sessions in recent memory.’’ And he said that includes the three items that foes hope to put on the 2022 ballot.

At the heart of the fight are two questions: whether the state should forego close to $2 billion in revenues – the total that would be collected without the three measures at issue – and who should benefit if there are tax cuts.

David Lujan, one of the organizers of Invest in Education – now being renamed Invest in Arizona – said he believes there is strong public opposition to what the Republican-controlled legislature enacted.

“This is a tax give-away to the rich and it’s giving away Arizona’s future in the form of tax cuts to the rich,’’ he said.

A study by legislative budget staffers of the flat-tax proposal and the 4.5 percent cap shows that 53 percent of the savings would go to those with taxable income of more than $1 million a year. By contrast, those in the $50,000 or less range would see just 1 percent of the savings.

More specifically, the study shows the average tax annual tax cut for someone in the $25,000 to $30,000 range would be $5.

But someone earning more than $500,000 but less than $1 million would see $10,035 in annual relief from what they would otherwise have to pay. That

Arizona has, we think, a lot of more important “priorities like funding our public schools, funding health care for kids, infrastructure, that we should be focusing on before giving huge tax cuts to the rich. ’’

– David Lujan

rises to nearly $44,800 for those in the $1 million to $5 million range, and an average tax break of close to $350,000 for those in the $5 million-plus tax category.

“Arizona has, we think, a lot of more important priorities like funding our public schools, funding health care for kids, infrastructure, that we should be focusing on before giving huge tax cuts to the rich,’’ Lujan said.

The legislative changes are the result of two separate forces.

Many Republicans have long argued for a flat tax rate.

Separately, Ducey and GOP lawmakers said if Proposition 208 is allowed to take effect as crafted it would dampen economic recovery.

That’s because the measure imposes a 3.5 percent surcharge on earnings of more than $250,000 a year for individuals and $500,000 for married couples.

Couple that with the 4.5 percent top rate and it creates an effective tax rate for the wealthiest of 8 percent, one of the highest in the region.

Lawmakers are powerless to rescind the surcharge as it was approved by voters. Instead, they created a new 4.5 percent top rate, effectively reducing the tax rate for other earnings for those affected to just 1 percent.

That plan, however, still provides the funds for K-12 education, with what is not paid by the wealthy instead coming out of general tax revenues paid by everyone else.

That’s not the case with SB 1783.

It creates a new “small business’’ tax category which, because it did not exist when Proposition 208 was approved, is exempt from the surcharge.

And that could reduce the collections for education, which otherwise might reach $940 million, by more than $200 million a year.

Lujan said he’s not buying the argument by the governor and Republican

supporters of the tax-cut plan that a top tax rate of 8 percent would harm the Arizona economy or make the state less attractive.

He pointed out that the new laws have been on the books since it was approved. And Lujan said there has been plenty of publicity about the changes.

“Since that time we’ve seen reports that luxury home purchases are surging in the Valley,’’ Lujan said.

“We’ve had lots of new businesses here after they know (Proposition) 208’s going to be on the books,’’ he continued. “And this is what the voters of Arizona voted for.’’

There’s also the fact that Arizona has a tiered tax structure.

So, for example, a married couple with taxable income of $650,000 would pay that 8 percent rate only on $150,000 – the amount above $500,000 – with everything below that subject to normal state tax rates.

The burden to get the signatures within 90 days is not insurmountable.

Lujan pointed out that backers of Invest in Ed got more than 220,000 signatures in the same time period in the first effort to put the measure on the ballot in 2018. The only reason it didn’t appear at that time is because the Arizona Supreme Court concluded that the wording in the legal description was misleading.

The 2020 version did get on the ballot, even with the COVID-19 outbreak and stay-at-home orders.

More to the point, Lujan noted that one of the groups involved with the petition drive is Save Our Schools Arizona. That was the same group that turned in enough signatures in the same 90-day period to block the decision by the legislature to expand the number of children eligible for vouchers.

“They’ve shown they know how to successfully do referendums,’’ he said.

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COMMUNITY NEWS

THE SUNDAY SANTAN SUN NEWS | JULY 18, 2021

More vehicle owners are going electric in Arizona

BY BROOKE NEWMAN Cronkite News

For a seemingly red state, Arizona has a lot of blue-state company when it comes to states ranked by electric vehicle ownership, according to recent government data.

Arizona had 28,770 registered electric vehicles as of June, according to the U.S. Department of Energy’s Alternative Fuels Data Center, the seventh-highest number among states.

When ownership is measured per 1,000 residents, Arizona inches up a notch to sixth place, with just over four electric vehicles per 1,000 people.

That rate put Arizona just behind Oregon and Colorado and just ahead of Nevada and Vermont. California was in the lead by far, with 425,300 registered electric vehicles, or one for every 10.7 residents.

Arizona EV enthusiasts welcomed the ranking, which they said they have seen reflected in steady increases in group membership, but said the state can do better.

“Arizona is growing by leaps and bounds in major areas, but still struggling out there in the hinterlands,” said Jerry Asher, vice president of the Tucson Electric Vehicle Association.

He and others said the biggest challenge in Arizona, as in much of the country, is the lack of readily available charging stations for electric vehicles.

Currently, there are 385 public

fast-charging plugs and 1,448 non-fastcharging plugs in the state, said Diane Brown, executive director with the Arizona Public Interest Research Group Education Fund.

And many of those “are not available 24 hours a day, often making EV charging less convenient to the public,” she said.

According to the website plugshare. com, Maricopa County has 1,103 charging stations and there are 161 within a 10-mile radius of downtown Chandler.

Phoenix City Council recently authorized the purchase of additional dual-port charging stations for public use that will be installed at 11 parks and libraries city-wide.

The installations are possible because of an incentive rebate program Salt River Project made available to cities. Total cost to purchase and install these charging stations is an estimated $224,000.

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The SRP rebate brings the city’s cost down to less than half of the cost associated with installing the charging stations.

“SRP’s EV-related incentives promote improved electric vehicle infrastructure across the Valley which supports our EV drivers and increases EV adoption,” said Kelly Barr, Chief Strategy, Corporate Services and Sustainability executive at SRP. “SRP is thrilled the city of Phoenix recognizes the value associated with adding more EV charging stations and helping remove barriers for residents driving electric.

The reward is lower carbon emissions and improved air quality for years to come.”

And in order for the state to hit 10 percent EV ownership by 2030, one scenario outlined by Arizona PIRG, the number of charging stations would need to grow significantly.

“According to the Arizona PIRG Education Fund, to support a future in

which 10 percent of Arizona’s vehicles are EVs – a conservative target for 2030 – Arizona will need more than 1,098 fast-charging plugs and 14,888 Level 2 plugs,” Brown said.

This will require local, state and federal policies to make “EV charging accessible, affordable, and easy,” she said.

But advocates said there are several things working in their favor. Jim Stack, president of the Phoenix Electric Auto Association, said many of the current plug-ins charging stations are at stores and libraries, places “where you would stop anyway.”

“We have a good charging infrastructure and it keeps getting better,” Stack said.

One way Asher said Arizona could be more EV-friendly would be to add charging stations at hotels, RV parks and shopping centers. In Tucson, he said, the Culinary Dropout and Jersey Mike’s restaurants have already begun offering free electric vehicle charging to customers, Asher said.

While they push for more charging infrastructure, advocates said improving technology and lower vehicle expenses are on their side, helping to sway more Arizonans to purchase an electric vehicle in recent years.

“The batteries are getting better and lower in cost as well as longer-lasting,” Stack said. He said an EV uses about 50 cents of electricity to cover the same number of miles a gas-burning car gets from a gallon of gas – currently selling for See

ELECTRIC on page 15

COMMUNITY NEWS

THE SUNDAY SANTAN SUN NEWS | JULY 18, 2021

15

Another settlement in Hamilton hazing scandal SANTAN SUN NEWS STAFF

A Hamilton High School student has reached a settlement with Chandler Unified School District over claims he was sexually assaulted by his classmates inside the school’s locker room.

The student was one of several pupils who accused the school’s football team of attacking them as part of a hazing ritual that was allegedly known by some of Hamilton’s administrators.

The student filed a federal lawsuit against the district in October 2020, shortly before a group of other victims settled a separate claim for injuries sustained from the hazing incidents.

In the lawsuit, the teenager’s lawyers accused the district of violating his client’s constitutional rights by failing to report and investigate multiple allegations of abuse that had been made by parents and other students.

“Despite numerous complaints from various sources identifying the existence and the nature of these attacks, these

ELECTRIC

from page 14

$3.12 a gallon in Arizona, according to AAA. In addition, the state is offering incentives to electric vehicle buyers.

“In Arizona we get reduced registration on electric vehicles,” Stack said. “It’s about $15 a year compared to $300-700 a year for gas and diesel cars.”

defendants failed to take any action to either protect the plaintiff from additional attacks and/or to investigate the perpetrators of the acts,” the lawsuit states.

Court records show the plaintiff and defendants agreed on June 28 to settle the case for an undisclosed amount.

The plaintiff ’s lawyers did not respond to inquiries regarding the settlement and district officials declined comment.

U.S. District Court Judge Michael T. Liburdi has ordered the case be dismissed on Aug. 12 unless one of the parties choses to withdraw from the settlement.

The plaintiff alleged he was a freshman football player at Hamilton when he was first abused by his teammates in 2016.

He claims he was walking around campus one day when another student beckoned for him to come into the locker room.

As soon as he entered, the plaintiff claims three other students attacked him and attempted to push him to the ground. More students came in and helped pin the plaintiff down to the floor

and they all tried to take his pants off.

The plaintiff alleges he was groped by the other boys before he managed to break free and run out of the room.

“Plaintiff has suffered physical harm, as well as severe emotional distress and will continue to suffer such injuries for an indefinite period in the future,” the lawsuit states.

Public records suggest that incidents like the one described by the plaintiff were commonly known among Hamilton’s staff before they became subject to a criminal investigation in 2017.

Multiple football players allegedly told authorities that Steve Belles, the team’s former head coach, warned them to stop hazing each other by performing “sexual things.”

One parent told Chandler Police he believed there were at least 20 players involved in a group known as “The Tune Squad” that would target new members of the football team and subject them to physical abuse.

Another parent said they transferred

their son to a different high school after administrators failed to stop the locker room assaults.

“The coaches created the issues by bullying the players and ignoring the problems, creating a culture within the program of acceptance of bullying,” a parent told investigators.

Belles told investigators no one had ever told him about the hazing until Chandler Police opened its investigation.

Authorities recommended Belles and two other school administrators face criminal charges for failing to report the assaults. But the Maricopa County Attorney’s Office declined to prosecute them due to a lack of admissible evidence.

Belles eventually resigned from his coaching position and the other two administrators were reassigned to new jobs within the district.

Three players were criminally charged for their involvement in the hazing -one of whom was charged as an adult and was later placed on probation.

Electric vehicle owners also “get 24/7 access to HOV lanes, even with one person,” he said.

Stack also noted that Arizona is now home to three electric vehicle manufacturers: Lucid, which makes cars in Casa Grande, Nikola, which will make trucks in Phoenix and Coolidge, and Electra Meccanica, which plans to build the threewheeled SOLO commuter in Mesa. In

addition, a start-up last week announced plans to build a factory in Mesa.

Phoenix also established an electric vehicle committee that will review existing charging infrastructure and “develop list of recommended locations for additional charging infrastructure to ensure comprehensive coverage and equitable access,” according to a memo from Mayor Kate Gallego.

The committee will “develop strategies to facilitate EV adoption city-wide, with special consideration of affordability, accessibility, and equity;” goals for the electrification of city vehicles and a public charging infrastructure; and examine other issues related to a broader implementation of electric vehicles in both the public and private sectors.

STSN contributed to this report.

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THE SUNDAY SANTAN SUN NEWS | JULY 18, 2021

Pandemic cut traffic congestion in the Valley

BY BROOKE NEWMAN Cronkite News

Phoenix area commuters got 36 hours of their lives back last year.

That’s the amount of time Valley residents did not have to spend sitting in traffic, as the COVID-19 pandemic led to sharp drops in commuting and subsequent declines in traffic congestion, according to a new national report.

Cities across Arizona, and across the U.S., saw drops of 50 percent or more in the number of hours and dollars they wasted sitting in traffic, as well as a reduction in gasoline burned while idling in a traffic jam, said the report last week by the Transportation Institute at Texas A&M University.

“Peak or rush hour traffic aren’t quite as bad as they were,” said Eric Anderson, executive director at Maricopa Association of Governments. “What that means is we have more people not commuting during rush hour as we did prior to the pandemic which reflects the fact that a lot of people are still working from home.”

But experts say drivers should enjoy it while they can, as numbers have already started to creep back up toward previous levels. While it may not immediately reach the levels of 2019, the report said that 2021 “will see faster congestion

This chart breaks down the pandemic’s overall impact on Valley traffic.

(Transportation Institute at Texas A&M University)

Last year, the number fell to 27 hours, a 50 percent drop from the 54 hours stuck commuting in 2019, according to the 2021 Urban Mobility Report.

Luke Albert, associate research engineer with the Transportation Institute, attributed the drop to the number of people teleworking, which spread the

Peak or rush hour traffic aren’t quite as bad as “they were. What that means is we have more

people not commuting during rush hour as we did prior to the pandemic which reflects the fact that a lot of people are still working from home.

”

– Eric Anderson

growth than any time since 1982.”

But in 2020, the time people spent stuck in traffic was at the lowest level since 1988, when a typical U.S. commuter spent an extra 26 hours behind the wheel.

t? o G ws Ne

SAFAZ.NET

number of cars and trucks on the highway out over the course of the day.

As the report put it, while cities were “focused on ‘flattening the curve’ to

address the pandemic health emergency, they also flattened the travel-delay curve.”

For example, the report said that commuters in the Phoenix-Mesa region who drove to work between 6 and 10 a.m. and drove home between 3 and 7 p.m. spent 36 fewer hours stuck in traffic in 2020 than they did in 2019, a 59 percent drop.

The numbers were similar in Tucson, where the 21 hours spent stuck in traffic last year was down 58 percent from the year before.

While smaller cities across the state had shorter commutes, they all saw similar declines in delays from 2019. In Avondale-Goodyear, commuting delays fell from a total of 23 hours to 14 hours last year, while commuters in Flagstaff and Prescott “wasted eight hours sitting in traffic in 2020,” according to the report.

Every city in the state saw at least a one-third decline in hours spent in traffic congestions.

It was not just time that was saved.

Nationally, the report said commuters burned an extra 3.5 billion gallons of gas in 2019 from traffic that was not moving at “freeflow speeds,” but that number fell to 1.7 billion gallons last year. Congestion-caused greenhouse gas emissions fell from 36 million tons to 18 million tons.

The cost of all that sitting adds up: The report said traffic congestion cost Americans $190 billion of extra fuel and lost time in 2019, compared to $101 billion last year. That’s a drop in per-commuter expenses from $1,170 to $605.

Anderson said he expects “higher telecommuting” that started during the pandemic to continue into the future, as many employers and employees have found they can work remotely.

Encouraging people to take up alternative work schedules by working remotely – partially or fully – would “take vehicles off the system and help our (Arizona’s) congestion levels,” he said.

Additionally, many people commute downtown from the West Valley for work every day. Creating more job opportunities in the West Valley would “reduce long-distance commuting patterns and take pressure off the system,” Anderson said. That is one way the state can prepare for the “return of congestion problems” predicted in the report.

But while experts see traffic congestion returning, Albert said it is not likely to reach pre-pandemic levels – right away.

“We definitely have noticed and expect increases in 2021,” Albert said.

But “we don’t expect it to be all the way back to 2019” because it’s unclear how many people will continue to work remotely, he said.

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

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THE SUNDAY SANTAN SUN NEWS | JULY 18, 2021

COMMUNITY NEWS

17

Team Chandler ready for effects of monsoons

BY THE CITY OF CHANDLER

Welcome to monsoon season in Chandler. Tis the season of unknowns, as the forecast is uncertain about how much, or how little, the traditional storms of the season will impact the community.

The one thing you can be certain is that teams from the City of Chandler are prepared to respond when they are needed.

Some of the common issues that can occur are caused by heavy rain or strong winds.

One of the most common hazards is blocked roadways or sidewalks when trees are knocked down due to the strong winds that are typical during monsoons.

There is no way to predict where they will fall, but many times these trees cause hazards to drivers and pedestrians as they block roadways and sidewalks. When this occurs during normal weekday hours, you should call the streets division at 480-782-3500.

The team will respond to place barricades and chop the tree into pieces to remove it from the area. If it’s a tree from a private property it will be chopped and cleared from the roadway or sidewalk, but it is the owner’s responsibility to have it removed. When the situation happens after hours or on weekends, the police department non-emergency line, 480-782-4130, will

Flooded streets pose a danger to motorists and potentially pedestrians, but Chandler Police are prepared to help them navigate around them. (City of Chandler)

take the calls and dispatch teams to respond. This number also accepts text messages.

One thing to remember, especially during monsoons, is to be patient.

It’s typically not a single tree that’s knocked down; when many go down at once it takes time to take care of all of them. The priority of the teams

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who are on-site is to ensure safety for everyone involved.

It’s not always trees that cause hazards. Grocery carts, patio umbrellas or even the neighbor’s trampoline can escape, take flight and cause issues.

Homeowners and residents should prepare for storms before they are imminent, and secure any items outside

of your home that could be a flight hazard. And yet another victim of the high winds is often light poles or street lights that are knocked over.

The traffic and signals team is typically the one to respond to get things back in order and operating as quickly See

INSIDER on page 18

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COMMUNITY NEWS

INSIDER

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from page 17

as possible.

Another common occurrence during a monsoon storm are power outages that affect traffic signals. If all four lights are flashing at an intersection, it is most likely due to a power outage that SRP or APS will need to address.

If you come across an intersection where this is happening, and police are not on-site directing traffic, you should report the outage on the police non-emergency line by calling or texting 480-782-4130.

Chandler Police also remind everyone in this instance that they should follow basic traffic rules. If you come to an intersection where the traffic light’s power is out, or the light is flashing red, you should treat it as a four-way stop

and proceed with caution.

That entails coming to a complete stop before proceeding, letting the other side go as well.

If two or more vehicles reach the four-way stop intersection at the same time, the driver of the vehicle on the left should yield the right-of-way to the vehicle on the right. The first vehicle to stop at the intersection has the right of way and should be the first to proceed through the intersection.

Excessive water in roadways also can cause major issues when you’re traveling Chandler streets in a storm. Use extreme caution when entering flooded roadways and turn around if you’re uncertain how deep the water might be.

A storm drain might be blocked, or excessive water could be caused by a water main break.

For all of these issues, Chandler Po-

THE SUNDAY SANTAN SUN NEWS | JULY 18, 2021

lice remind everyone to stay safe. Sgt. Jason McClimans says, “Anytime there is flooding, if traffic signals are out, if there is wind and dust causing low visibility, you should always use caution.

Take your time, slow down and pull over if conditions become dangerous.”

Luis Gamez, a streets maintenance supervisor who has worked for Chandler for 23 years, has seen his share of storm impacts during his time.

One of the most recent storms that had significant impact was a period of heavy rain in a short time that caused major flooding.

“It was five or six years ago,” he says, “and there was flooding across the City.

Hunt Highway had to be closed between Gilbert Road to almost Val Vista Drive for five days because there was so much water. And McQueen Road from Queen Creek to Ocotillo was down to

one lane. Out teams were out non-stop — we had to pump a lot of water that season because there was so much rain in such a short time frame.”

City staff are always ready and willing to jump into action and answer the call to respond when monsoon storms hit Chandler. And it doesn’t matter if it’s day or night.

Dozens of on-call staff are prepared, and ready to work together. You’ll often see fire crews driving in neighborhoods during storms, to survey the area and look for residents who need help.

You might see a police officer using his or her patrol vehicle to pull trees from the road. It takes everyone from streets, traffic, signals, police and fire all pitching in to do what it takes to ensure the roads are clear, traffic is flowing and all operations are running smoothly again.

More monsoon tips to help keep you safe: • During a heat advisory, drink plenty of fluids and avoid drinks with caffeine or alcohol. Stay indoors and avoid strenuous exercise during the hottest part of the day. You should NEVER leave children or pets alone in enclosed vehicles.

• Thunderstorms and heavy winds can damage property and power lines.

Secure outdoor objects that could blow away or cause damage.

• Visit chandleraz.gov/monsoon for

tips to reduce monsoon damage to your trees.

• In case of power outages, contact your utility company (SRP 602-2368811 or APS 1-855-OUTAGES) or check outage status online: srpnet. com/outage or aps.com/outagemap.

• F or those caught outdoors during a storm, find shelter, or go to a low-lying, open place away from trees, poles or metal objects.

•G et out of swimming pools, boats

and away from all water. If flooding is possible, go to higher ground.

• I f, while you are driving, you approach a storm of any kind, reduce speed and turn on your headlights.

• I n a thunderstorm, pull safely onto the shoulder, stay in the car and turn on the emergency flashers until the heavy rains subside.

• I n a dust storm, if you cannot see more than 300 feet (length of a football field), it is time to get off

the road. If traveling on a freeway, use an exit ramp and find a safe place to stop. If no exit ramp is near, pull completely off the roadway. Turn off driving lights and all vehicle lights, including emergency flashers. Set your emergency brake and keep your foot off the brake pedal. Stay in the vehicle with your seatbelts buckled and wait for the storm to pass.

• Always obey traffic warning signs and avoid flooded roadways.

If you are looking for an excellent place to reside, or if you are looking for a place where your loved one will receive the best possible care, visit Clarendale of Chandler. You won’t be disappointed.

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THE SUNDAY SANTAN SUN NEWS | JULY 18, 2021

Interactive Planning Map Have you ever passed a vacant lot and wondered, “What are they going to build there?”

Next time you do, try looking up the space on the City’s Interactive Planning Map. You can view all current and recently approved zoning cases on vacant properties in a user-friendly interactive map, searchable by location, name or case number.

Find details, including development plans, project details and public hearing information, all kept up-to-date in real time!

chandleraz.gov/PlanningMap

19

20

COMMUNITY NEWS

THE SUNDAY SANTAN SUN NEWS | JULY 18, 2021

Mesnard loses challenge to former colleague’s lawsuit

BY HOWARD FISCHER Capitol Media Services

The Arizona State Supreme Court cleared the way for a defamation suit that was filed against South Chandler state Sen. J.D. Mesnard by a former legislative colleague.

The high court ruled that state lawmakers have absolute immunity from being sued by those who are the targets of legislative investigative reports, but said Mesnard overstepped his bounds by issuing a press release about the report.

In a unanimous decision, the justices said that ousted Rep. Don Shooter had no legal right to pursue a defamation lawsuit against then-House Speaker Mesnard for publishing a report by an outside legal team that concluded the Yuma Republican was guilty of violating a “zero tolerance’’ policy against sexual harassment.

Justice Ann Scott Timmer, writing for the court, said ordering the report and then releasing it is an official legislative function for which lawmakers are constitutionally entitled to immunity.

But the justices said that lawmakers lose that immunity when they start publishing press releases about what they do. And that includes writing about and explaining the official report.

“A legislator who issues a news release does not perform a legislative function but instead engages in a political act,’’ Timmer wrote.

She brushed aside Mesnard’s con-

tention that the release was simply designed to explain his decision to ask the full House to expel Shooter, saying that was not necessary.

The ruling clears the way for Shooter to now pursue defamation charges against Mesnard, now a member of the state Senate.

The new decision sets some import-

limits to all that.

“Making speeches outside the legislative body, performing tasks for constituents, sending newsletters, issuing news releases, and the like are political acts which are unprotected by legislative immunity,’’ she wrote. Similarly, Timmer said, lawmakers have no protection when they lobby a state agency to ad-

Making speeches outside the legislative body, “ performing tasks for constituents, sending newsletters, issuing news releases, and the like are political acts which are unprotected by legislative immunity. ’’

– Justice Ann Scott Timmer

ant limits on the scope of a provision of the Arizona Constitution. It says that “no member of the legislature shall be held liable in any civil or criminal prosecution for words spoken in debate.’’

This ruling makes it clear that immunity extends not just to floor debate and speeches but to other acts the court concluded “are an integral part of the deliberative and communicative processes.’’

And that covers not just whether to approve or reject proposals but “other matters which the Constitution places within the jurisdiction of either house.’’

And that includes determining whether to discipline or expel its members.

But Timmer spelled out there are

minister a law in a particular way.

She also rebuffed Mesnard’s claim that his decision to issue the release was within his authority as speaker. She said the release “communicates only his personal views and plans rather than those of the House.’’

The House voted 56-3 to oust Shooter after the investigative report commissioned by Mesnard found “credible evidence’’ that he violated anti-harassment policies with then-Rep. Michelle Ugenti-Rita, R-Scottsdale. That included making sexual comments and suggestions and making “unwelcome sexualized comments’’ about her breasts.

The investigators also found inci-

dents of harassment and improper conduct or comments involving others.

In filing suit, attorneys for Shooter argued that the report was “materially altered’’ from what the investigators originally produced.

Among the items missing from the final report, the lawsuit says, is evidence that Ugenti-Rita had herself sexually harassed a female former legislative staffer. That information, Shooter argued, could have undermined Ugenti-Rita’s credibility.

Timmer said that claim, even if true, is legally irrelevant. She said as long as Mesnard was dealing with the report, he was acting within his legislative capacity and therefore entitled to the constitutional protections.

He crossed the line, Timmer said, only when issuing the press release.

The defamation case is only one of the pending legal matters involving Shooter.

He filed a separate claim against the House saying that his rights were violated in the manner he was ejected. Shooter said he was denied due process, pointing out that the process did not follow the usual procedures, like first having an Ethics Committee investigation where he could present witnesses and evidence of his own.

A trial judge threw the case out, concluding legislative chambers have an absolute constitutional right to decide how to deal with their members. That case now awaits a ruling from the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals.

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THE SUNDAY SANTAN SUN NEWS | JULY 18, 2021

Republican State Rep. Regina Cobb, a Kingman dentist, sponsored the ban on mask mandates. (Special to STSN)

Legislature outlaws mask mandates for schools

BY PAUL MARYNIAK Executive Editor

The flashpoint for the longest-running controversy throughout the 2020-21 school year in Chandler – mandatory face masks on campuses – was obliterated last month as a future tool for school districts as the Republican majority in the Legislature outlawed such mandates.

The measure “prohibits a county, city, town, school district governing board or charter school governing body from requiring students or staff use face coverings during school hours and on school property.”

That means districts not only are forbidden from requiring students and staff to wear masks in classrooms but also cannot require them for visitors to schools or citizens attending governing board meetings. Nothing prevents parents from making their own child wear a mask in school.

The ban also deprives districts of a tool many relied on to try and control COVID-19 transmission in the broader community. And it comes as the more contagious Delta variant of COVID-19 looms as a growing threat.

Heidi Vega, spokeswoman for the Arizona School Boards Association, said, “As far as the ban on masks, we think the biggest thing to emphasize is that now with variants causing concerns, it will be on the Legislature to deal with the debate over masks.

“Districts and school boards are now powerless to implement any mask measures without the legislature say so even if the CDC recommends. This will cause problems in the fall with the Legislature out of session,” she said.

While the measure does not proscribe penalties for entities that violate the ban on mask mandates, it was denounced by former state health director Will Humble, executive director for the Arizona Public Health Association, who called the measure “stupid.”

“It’s harmful, it’s ill-advised. They know it’s harmful – they being (state health) director Cara Christ and Governor Ducey. They wanted to flex their muscles and so they made sure that

that was put into the budget reconciliation bill and now districts and parents are going to have to live with it.”

The measure is one of dozens that were tacked on without any hearing to the state budget bill that was passed by the Republican-dominated Legislature and signed by Gov. Doug Ducey June 30. Another measure forbids districts from requiring staff or students to get a COVID-19 vaccination or wear a mask to be in classroom instruction.

The mask mandate ban was sponsored by Kingman Republican Rep. and dentist Regina Cobb, who represents the district that includes Lake Havasu.

According to Today’s News-Herald Havasu News, Cobb and the rest of that district’s delegation had lobbied Lake Havasu officials to lift their mask requirement as early as last September, although it is unclear if they had also joined parents pressing the school board to lifting its mandate, which expired at the end of the school year.

Cobb and her two district colleagues also joined the Mohave County Board of Supervisors in sending a letter to the governor in May of last year that demanded he lift restrictions on businesses.

Chandler Unified maintained its mask requirement right up to the end of the school year.

As they have been throughout the country, the mask mandates have been a polarizing subject in both districts.

Many board meetings throughout the year have included numerous emails both condemning and praising CUSD officials for maintaining the mandates.

Asked if Chandler Unified had any reaction to the Legislature’s action, spokesman Terry Locke replied, “Not particularly because we had no intention of implementing either of these measures.”

The Legislature’s approval of the ban on mandates comes at a time when vaccination rates are flagging and when the more contagious Delta variant of COVID-19 has been spreading across Arizona and the rest of the country.

“Prohibiting schools from making See

MASK on page 22

21

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from page 21

mask mandates is foolhardy,” said LD18 Rep. Mitzi Epstein, whose district includes northern Chandler.

Three medical professionals – Dr. Cadey Harrel, family physician in Tucson and the Arizona State Lead for the Committee to Protect Health Care; Dr. Ricardo Correa, an endocrinologist in Phoenix; and Dr. Elizabeth Jacobs, professor of epidemiology – held a press conference earlier this month to condemn the ban on mask mandates.

Noting there are about 610,000 children under 12 in Arizona who are not eligible for a vaccine, Harrell said “the Legislature’s decision puts them in harm’s way.”

“And that’s unacceptable,” she said.

“In fact, it’s reprehensible.”

Correa said adolescents who contract COVID-19 have a higher hospitalization rate.

“Arizona legislators should be more concerned about protecting public health and safety, not scoring political points and appeasing their base by making bad decisions,” he said.

Humble said that people who need to worry about that variant – which some experts said appears to trigger more serious cases of COVID-19 infection and most hospitalizations – are those who have not been vaccinated.

And that includes most K-12 students, especially those in lower grades who have not been cleared by the Food and Drug Administration to get COVID shots.

“The K-5 kids – none of them will be vaccinated,” Humble said. “And K6-12 – the vaccination rates are pretty poor still and only Pfizer is so far the only one that can go below age 16.”

“As a new school year begins, though, there are still risks with this

ADOT

THE SUNDAY SANTAN SUN NEWS | JULY 18, 2021

from page 1

weekends, they’ll be closing down to remove the rubberized asphalt that exists on the roadway today on all of the travel lanes.”

With even more significant disruptions a certainty over the next four years, ADOT already wants commuters to prepare by studying and then taking different routes – especially if they work in downtown Phoenix or use Phoenix Sky Harbor Airport.

The highway agency is going to unprecedented lengths to help them do that.

“We very much want to do everything that we can so that motorists, visitors, businesses can plan in advance to lessen the impacts,” Noetzel said.

“We’re doing things with this project that we’ve never done before.”

Albert put it another way: “ADOT is doing some really significantly different things than they have in the past and it’s because of the size and the scope and the location of this project.”

For the first time, ADOT has developed a project-specific mobile app. It

Condemning the Legislatures’s ban on mask mandates during a press conference last week were, clockwise from upper right, Dr. Cadey Harrel, family physician in Tucson and the Arizona State Lead for the Committee to Protect Health Care; Dr. Ricardo Correa, an endocrinologist in Phoenix; and Dr. Elizabeth Jacobs, professor of epidemiology.

virus and particularly because of Delta – it’s a lot easier to catch it,” he continued. “It’s dangerous in that it just spreads so much easier but once you get it, it’s not worse than Alpha.”

Citywide, 54.1 percent of all eligible Chandler residents are fully vaccinated.

Among the city’s northern ZIP codes, 85225 has a lower percentage of fully vaccinated residents at 44 percent. Vaccination rates for 85224 and 85226 are 52.4 percent and 55.9 percent, respectively.

That data – which does not measure vaccinations within school district boundaries – show 48.2 percent of eligible Tempe residents are fully vaccinat-

ed – slightly higher than Phoenix’s 44.6 percent, according to the county.

County health department data show a moderate level of COVID-19 transmission within the boundaries of Chandler Unified.

Citywide, Chandler also shows a moderate COVID-19 transmission level with 42 cases per 100,000 and 3.9 positive results in new virus tests. However, 85225 is an exception with a substantial transmission level, mainly because positivity is more than twice the citywide percentage.

Humble said the mask mandate ban had been in the works for days and condemned state Department of

Health Services Director Cara Christ for keeping silent. DHS did not respond to an AFN request for comment.

He also rapped Ducey for approving the measure.

“From a public health point of view and local control point of view, it’s also hypocritical because he keeps saying he’s in favor of school choice. Well, this definitely takes away choice from parents. There’s no district in the whole state where they can take their kid – especially one who is immunocompromised – that’s going to have assurances that the faculty and students are going to be wearing masks.”

has prepared an advertising blitz on TV, radio and in newspapers. It has ordered up billboards and is even putting warnings and reminders on gas pumps.

It has created a home page for the project at i10broadwaycurve.com where people can stay up to date and get the mobile app.

ADOT representatives have been briefing dozens of chambers of commerce and other economic development organizations from Glendale to Gilbert, holding town halls and planning to open a field office for the general public at 3157 E. Elwood St., Suite 100, in Phoenix where anyone will be able to drop by Monday through Fridays just to chat about the work.

All this, Noetzel explained, is being done “to create that awareness and make sure that people know where to get resources.”

Indeed, ADOT has spent two years talking with people about the project, she said, because “one of the underlying tenets of our communications approach in this is no surprises.”

reconstruction project in Maricopa County.”

Its major components include: • Widening I-10 to six general purpose lanes and two high-occupancy-vehicle, or HOV, lanes in each direction between US 60 and I-17 and adding a fourth general purpose lane in each direction between Ray Road and US 60.

• Adding collector-distributor roads that parallel I-10 between Baseline Road and 40th Street to separate through-traffic on I-10 from local traffic entering or exiting the highway.

Unlike frontage roads along portions of the existing freeway system, these CD roads will not intersect with perpendicular roads.

• Rebuilding the I-10 interchange with SR 143 to improve traffic flow and create direct connections to and from SR 143 for drivers in the I-10 HOV lanes.

This part of the project will reduce lane changes and often hair-raising weaving between Interstate 10 in the Broadway Curve and on State Route 143 at University Drive. When work is completed, drivers on westbound I-10 will exit I-10 near Baseline Road and use the CD roads to access north-

bound SR 143 and reach the airport.

The entire SR 143 and I-10 interchange will be replaced by ramps that make a direct connection for drivers from the general and HOV lanes and eliminates the existing cloverleaf ramp that connects southbound SR 143 with eastbound I-10.

• Razing and replacing the Broadway Road bridge over I-10; • Replacing the 48th Street bridges over I-10 and widening the I-10 bridges over the Salt River; • Building two bridges for pedestrians and bicyclists over I-10 between Baseline and Broadway roads (at Alameda Drive and the Western Canal) and improving the Sun Circle Trail crossing at Guadalupe Road; • Building sound and retaining walls where warranted. The project’s environmental assessment shows ADOT anticipates seven sound barriers ranging between 14-18 feet, with two along I-10 from the US 60 to Ray Road and the others north of US 60.

• Installing a wrong-way driver detection system with thermal cameras, flashing signs and other specialized

A first and significant scope

ADOT calls the Broadway Curve project “the first major urban freeway

See

ADOT on page 23

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THE SUNDAY SANTAN SUN NEWS | JULY 18, 2021

ADOT

23

from page 22

equipment that ties into ADOT’s intelligent transportation system.

Of the project’s total $776.6 million cost – less than half the cost of the South Mountain Freeway – $676.6 million will be spent on construction, with $615.6 million going to the developer, a joint venture of Pulice Construction, FNF Construction and Flatiron Constructors that goes under the name of Broadway Curve Constructors.

The remainder of the project’s total cost covers the intelligent transportation system signal upgrades, right-ofway acquisition and paid advertising aimed at motorists.

As a “design-build” project by a public-private partnership similar to one that produced the South Mountain Freeway, teams have one contract with ADOT for design and construction services. The project designers are T.Y. Lin International Group, Stanley Consultants and Aztec Engineering.

“Design-build” also means that the contractors are “encouraged to use innovation and develop alternative concepts to reduce project time and impacts to the traveling public and

Left: This chart illustrates daily vehicle trip projections on I-10 in the Broadway Curve project area. Right: This photo of a highway in the vicinity of Toronto, Canada, illustrates how I-10 will look once the two collector-distributor lanes on either side of I-10 are completed. (ADOT)

Improving safety and reducing congestion will truly benefit everyone who relies on our highway system, as well as thousands of businesses along the I-10 corridor.”

Though the pandemic significantly reduced traffic volume, no one expects that to remain the case.

And those so-called “traffic crawls” are creating a phenomenon called “peak spreading,” which basically means rush hours get longer.

If nothing is done, one ADOT study warns, by 2040, “congestion will spread to other times of the day, and in some portions of the corridor will extend to more than 12 hours.”

The 2018 study estimated it would cost at least $2.5 billion to cover all the improvements it recommends along the entire 31 miles of the Spine Corridor.

If nothing was done with the Broadway Curve, ADOT’s environmental impact The Broadway Curve looked a lot different in the early 1970s. (ADOT) study notes, it “would result in community while construction is unincreased traffic congestion in the area derway,” ADOT notes. as growth and development continue.

This could impede travel to and from Better now than later destinations and make it difficult to atThe Broadway Curve project covers tract or retain businesses in and around roughly a third of the 31-mile I-10-/I-17 the study area.” corridor that the Maricopa Association The study predicts: of Governments – the Valley’s major “By year 2040, the traffic operations highway planning group – and ADOT along the I-10 and interchanges in the call “The Spine” because it handles 40 study area would further degrade with percent of all Valley traffic daily. the growth indicators forecasted for The Spine comprises 37 access the foreseeable future. points, 40 bridges, 26 pump stations "Without major improvements, the and 25 arterial streets that become I-10 in the study area (the area covered snarled as a result of traffic jams on I-10 by the Broadway Curve project) would and I-17. suffer degraded traffic conditions, Combined daily east and westbound travel delays, and challenging mobility traffic already comes close to 300,000 for moving goods, services, and people vehicles through the Broadway Curve through the study area.” daily, and that number is expected By doing something now, the study to increase as the Valley’s population notes, “improved mobility and acsteadily grows. cess along the corridor could foster ADOT Director John Halikowski at economic development by attracting one point noted, “Interstate 10 is a key new business development and more commerce corridor that supports Ariattractive housing options and support zona’s efforts to succeed in the global social connectivity between neighbortrade market and a vital transportation hoods and areas within the study area. route for millions of people who live in, This would represent a minor, positive, work in and visit our state every year.

permanent secondary impact.”

The gain after pain

After the project’s pain comes what ADOT sees as a gain – not just for the 1,200 construction jobs it will create but also for the future of more than 4,600 businesses, including 50 of the region’s largest employers.

Noting that I-10 “is part of a key commerce corridor that connects ports in California with markets in Texas and beyond,” ADOT’s environmental study states, “The improvements will make I-10 a more favorable route for commercial truckers whose travels through the region support our local businesses.”

ADOT envisions the project will accommodate current and planned system linkages for bus services using I-10, facilitating more ridesharing and rapid transit use.

It also promises to make driving safer by reducing lane changes, stating “carpoolers bound for Sky Harbor International Airport will no longer need to cross several lanes of traffic to get from the HOV lane into the SR 143 on-ramps.”

Then there is the project’s overall impact on traffic, which ADOT describes thusly: “With the addition of new travel lanes, HOV lanes and the CD roads, capacity on I-10 will increase by 60 percent. This will better accommodate existing traffic and increased traffic as the region continues to grow.

“Adding capacity to I-10 will reduce congestion and travel times. Greater efficiency means drivers can get to and from the places they need to be in less time. According to an economic evaluation conducted by MAG in 2020, the improvements will save motorists 2.5 million hours annually otherwise spent in traffic – totaling $130 million a year in time savings. These savings are due to quicker commutes made possible by the improvements vs. slower travel times without them.”

For motorists whose stomach knots in traffic, the study puts it another way: “The current average speed on eastbound I-10 between I-17 and US 60 during afternoon rush hour is 32 mph. The average speed is projected to increase to 40 mph by 2025 with the improvements. Without improvements that speed limit is projected to decrease to 29 mph by 2025.”

But first, the pain

The environmental study says that while motorists can expect “temporary

delays and slower speeds,” access to businesses and neighborhoods in the area “would be maintained at all times.

“Traffic delays and slower speeds would be experienced equally by everyone who lives or passes through the study area; therefore, all population segments, including low-income and minority populations, would be affected to the same degree by construction,” it says “Traffic operations would remain challenged, and congestion would become more prominent, particularly in the peak periods,” the environmental study anticipates.

During her briefing for Tempe residents, Albert said US 60 will be closed on weekends between the I-10 and Hardy Drive only in one direction at a time in the near future so that asphalt can be removed.

“This project will impact all of us, everyone who lives, works or drives to the project area,” Albert said. “In addition to the numerous freeway and ramp closures, there will also be significant overnight work that could be noisy.

There will be temporary impacts on business access. There will be detours that increase driving distance and time.

There will be slower traffic and will be delays.

“Unfortunately, there is no other way to deliver a project like this without having that kind of a construction.”

ADOT anticipates the I-10 will be shut down in both directions in the project area at least 50 times over the next four years. Most of these closures will occur on weekends though some also will occur during the work week.

Citing the replacement of the entire I-10/SR 143 interchange, ADOT spokesman Tom Hermann said, “That’s going to be for people who work downtown a headache.”

Nor will work day commuters be spared entirely.

“We try to time our closures and lane restrictions and that kind of stuff to nights and weekends,” Hermann said. “But when you’re taking out a bridge over I-10, then that can’t always be possible.”

ADOT is particularly concerned about how those closures and lane restrictions will not only impact other freeways but also arterials and even side streets in communities – particularly Mesa, Tempe and Chandler.

Motorists throughout the southern half of the East Valley and even those heading to or from the West Valley will be encouraged to use the SanTan Loop See

ADOT on page 24

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from page 23

202/South Mountain freeway corridor.

“You’ve got that bypass that is available to you as an alternate route because one of the things we’re working on right now with the cities of Tempe, Chandler and Phoenix and the town of Guadalupe is detour routes that aren’t going to dump interstate traffic on the local streets,” Noetzel said in an inter-

THE SUNDAY SANTAN SUN NEWS | JULY 18, 2021

view in June.

Indeed, when asked whether motorists might logically bail and head for local streets in Chandler, Noetzel replied, “They will but we won’t tell them to.”

“One of the detours that we’re looking at actually would have them use the 101 and then back onto the 202,” she said. “So, those are times when we want people to know that. If you have to drive this section of the project area, you’re going to have to allow yourself

maybe an extra 20 or 30 minutes because you’ve got this detour.”

But the detours, closures and lane restrictions the project will generate explain why ADOT hopes even occasional users of the freeways and byways impacted by the project will download the mobile app and pay attention to the other channels of communication it is deploying for the duration of the work.

That’s especially true for people driving to or from Sky Harbor.

Noetzel said ADOT and its construction partners have been talking with airport officials for more than year – and not just about the impending impact of the project itself.

“We need to start talking now about educational campaigns on getting people to the airport once construction is complete,” she said, though she stressed, “Our first goal is to get them to the airport while construction is going on.”

State bans sex education for young children

BY HOWARD FISCHER Capitol Media Services

Gov. Doug Ducey has signed a scaled-back bill on sex education after vetoing an earlier iteration.

The new version contains some of what was in the bill the governor rejected in April – including a ban on sex education of any kind before fifth grade.

And parents will need to affirmatively opt into such classes for their children. Until now, a parent had to actually opt-out of such instruction.

Other measures he signed: • Creating a special tax category to allow owners of small business to escape the voter-approved income tax surcharge on earnings over $250,000 for individuals and $500,000 for couples to fund K-12 education; • Allowing courts to terminate a man’s parental rights if he raped the woman

and the child is born as a result; • Permitting pharmacists to dispense hormonal contraceptives to women without first getting a prescription from a doctor; • Requiring the Arizona Biomedical Research Centre to provide grants for clinical trials on the safety and efficacy of using marijuana for medical purposes; • Establishing requirements for any plans adopted by the health department about prioritizing who gets what treatment in times of crisis; • Prohibiting election officials from sending out early ballots unless someone has first requested one.

Ducey, in signing the sex-ed measure, said Arizona joins only four other states with such an opt-in provision.

There also are specific requirements that any new or revised course on sex education be made publicly available for at least 60 days, with at least two public hearings before adoption.

It also says that any school offering sex education must make the curricula available for parental review, both online and in person, at least two weeks before any instruction is offered.

The ban on sex education prior to fifth grade does not preclude schools from providing "age and grade-appropriate classroom instruction regarding child assault awareness and abuse prevention.’’

Gone is a bid by Sen. Nancy Barto, R-Phoenix, to require an entirely separately signed permission any time there would be a discussion about AIDS and the HIV virus that causes it, even when parents already had agreed to let their children participate in sex education classes.

Rep. Tony Navarrete, D-Phoenix, worried that the measure is still too broad. He said the verbiage targets not just sex education but other parts of the curriculum.

For example he cited the Shakespeare

tale of Romeo and Juliet.

“That has to do with sexuality,’’ he said.

History lessons also could be affected, Navarrete said, like a discussion around the 1969 Stonewall Riot in New York City that led to the birth of the modern LGBTQ movement. And even talking about the U.S. Supreme Court ruling that legalized same-sex marriage also would be off limits, he said.

Ducey, in a statement accompanying his signature on the bill, took that side of the debate.

"Parents should have the right to know what their children are learning in school,’’ he wrote.

"This is a no-brainer piece of legislation that protects our children from learning materials that aren’t suited for them,’’ the governor continued. "Every family has their own priorities for their children’s education, and parents should weigh in.’’

25

THE SUNDAY SANTAN SUN NEWS | JULY 18, 2021

Sellers’ market may be souring, but buyers won’t celebrate

BY PAUL MARYNIAK Executive Editor

Has the time come for sellers to get nervous?

After months of riding the wave of low inventory, big demand and quick turnovers, sellers may be headed for a rude awakening, according the Cromford Report, which closely tracks the housing market in Maricopa and Pinal counties.

It noted that more homes are coming on the market and that its own index for measuring the markets in Phoenix and 16 other nearby communities is trending away from a sellers’ market.

But at the same time, many potential buyers may not find the new trend all that encouraging.

Indeed, Cromford stressed two weeks ago, that a dip in price per square foot in recent weeks won’t have potential buyers grabbing the champagne.

“You would be mistaken if you think most sellers are asking less for their homes,” it said. “The primary reason for the decline is the unbalanced increase in the number of active listings since early June. Most of the extra listings have been in the price range between $250,000 and $1,000,000. The number of active listings over $1,000,000 has not changed much.

“This means the mix has moved away from luxury homes and this has caused most of the decline in the average price per square foot.”

Moreover, numerous market analysts have stressed that home prices are continuing to increase and Phoenix is now the nation’s leader in that category.

Cromford noted that prices between April and May jumped by 3.29 percent, observing, “Phoenix is back on top of this table again, comfortably ahead of the national average, which was 2.09 percent.”

Phoenix also topped the nation’s cities for year-over-year price increases.

Between May 2020 and May 2021, home

This 6,427-square-foot home on East Oakwood Hills in Sun Lakes recently sold for $2.23 million. The two-story house, built in 1998, has five bedrooms and four baths with the option of turning three other rooms into bedrooms. Nestled on 1.56 acres in a gated community, the house has two fireplaces, a large gourmet kitchen and numerous other amenities. (Special to SanTan Sun News)

prices rose 22.3 percent.

“Phoenix was top of this table for the 23rd consecutive month,” Cromford said. “The national average was 14.6 percent.”

Realtor.com reported that nationwide, more homes were put on the market last month than in prior months this year, but it added, “prices continued to soar, reaching a new all-time high.”

It also noted that low inventory persists despite more homes going on the market since “the overall number of homes for sale was down 43.1 percent from June of the previous year, when the nation was already in the throes of a housing shortage.”

“The dearth of properties for sale boosted median list prices 12.7 percent year over year, to reach $385,000,” Realtor.com reported.

Realtor.com senior economist George Ratiu observed “a shift away

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from an overheated market to a new normal.”

“More homeowners are deciding to put their homes on the market, encouraged by vaccines, a stronger economy, and low mortgage rates,” Ratiu said.

“What this means is buyers will have more choices at more affordable prices.”

“We’re going to see more homes come to the market as we move through the summer into the fall,” he added. “More first-time buyers will see much more approachable prices as the number of homes increases.”

Cromford noted that its index is decreasing in all 17 Valley submarkets.

But with an index rating of 100 indicating a balanced market and anything below that a buyers’ market, the index suggests sellers still have more leverage.

The lowest index reading among all 17 Valley cities was 294 in Tempe. The rest ranged from 344 in Paradise Valley to 639 in Avondale. Phoenix stood at 406 last week, Mesa at 416 and Gilbert at 426. Chandler held the fourth highest market index rating with 477.

“The number of active listings is increasing by roughly 300 per week,” Cromford said. “The number of showings is in decline and the number of contracts getting signed is getting smaller as each week goes by.”

“All this makes sense,” it continued.

“When prices leap by over 35 percent, demand is suppressed and supply stimulated.”

Cromford said that while questions may arise as to when this downward trend will level out, “the honest answer is that no-one knows.”

“Buyers are more cautious now than they were in 2005. Sellers’ normal first reaction will be denial. Some will blame their agent.

“These sellers will probably be

complaining that they are not getting the viewings and offers their house deserves,” Cromford continued.

“This is because they have so quickly become accustomed to a frenzied market. They will now need to get re-adjusted. The market still favors sellers, but buyers will start to gain a little more respect.”

Yet, it warns, “It is still very hard work buying a home, but it should by now be obvious that this is not really due to strong demand; it is almost entirely due to the weakness of supply.

“This means it is crucial to keep a close watch on how long the new listings trend lasts and how much inventory starts to build.”

Lawrence Yun, chief economist at the National Association of Realtors still sees an uptick in new listings continuing through the rest of this year and suggested that will slow the pace of home price increase.

But other economists are warning that sellers might see their homes staying on the market longer, citing a 26 percent decrease in mortgage applications between December and April.

That decline in applications “is now working its way through the sales numbers,” said Ian Shepherdson, chief economist at Pantheon Macroeconomics, in a research note.

“Sales will soon hit bottom, given the flattening in mortgage demand over the past couple months,” he said.

The Mortgage Bankers Association reported mortgage applications dropped 17 percent between June 2020 and last month.

“The average loan size for total purchase applications increased, indicating that first-time homebuyers, who typically get smaller loans, are likely getting squeezed out of the market due to the lack of entry-level homes for sale,” said Mike Fratantoni, chief economist at the Mortgage Bankers Association.

That prompted the finance website MarketWatch.com to predict, “Now that mortgage rates are rising again, many home buyers could be pushed out of the market as purchasing a property becomes less and less affordable.”

“The very factors that continue to push home prices higher are also limiting sales activity across the housing market,” MarketWatch said last week.

“For many years following the Great Recession, home-building activity did not keep pace with the formation of households and population growth in this country. And now that millennials especially are buying homes in earnest, there simply isn’t enough inventory to go around.

“New home construction, while at the highest pace in some time, can only make up for the shortfall so much,” it said, adding, “as mortgage rates begin to rise, affordability will become a more significant barrier for many prospective buyers and force some households out of the market.”

26

REAL ESTATE

THE SUNDAY SANTAN SUN NEWS | JULY 18, 2021

How corporations, Legislature impact housing market

BY GREG HAGUE Guest Writer

The Phoenix Metro area has been one of the nation’s strongest, with homes appreciating over 1.5 percent a month for the past year.

There are many factors that have contributed to our housing shortage.

In the resale area, there has been a surge of out of state buyers flocking to the Valley in search of great weather, a booming economy and more property for less money. This has eaten up housing inventory that would otherwise have been available to local residents.

But there is another factor that few talk about – something that is not only making it tough on homebuyers, but also homeowners. It’s the rapid rise of institutional investors purchasing residential homes for rental.

They see homes as having more potential for appreciation than stocks, with rent from those homes delivering a better return than dividends.

These institutional investors are entities that pool money to purchase investment assets, in this case homes. These entities include banks, credit unions, insurance companies, pension funds, hedge funds, REITs, investment advisors, endowments, and mutual funds.

For the first time in U.S. history, we have large corporations purchasing thousands of homes with all-cash offerings, outbidding “normal” people who

need a home to raise a family or retire.

Since the pandemic began, residential real estate has proved to be a spectacular investment – even more so than commercial. It has not only survived, but thrived, and Wall Street took notice.

Phoenix is the national epicenter of homes being purchased for rental. A report by Inman News stated that 30 percent of homes bought in Phoenix

are being purchased by investors, higher than the national average of 20 percent.

Corporate rental purchasers make sellers all cash offers with no loans needed. This makes it hard for the typical residential buyer to compete.

These companies then rent the home to generate monthly cash flow, and bet on appreciation to increase the asset value of their fund. So, when you lose out trying to buy your next home,

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it may be an investor who lured the seller away from you.

The massive numbers of Arizona homes being pulled off the market for rental has not only become a problem for buyers looking for a home; it’s becoming a problem for residents who live in those neighborhoods.

In many areas the character of once quiet residential streets has changed from friendly neighbor to short term renter, often a weekend Airbnb vacationer here to party.

Investors purchasing homes for rental is more pronounced in Arizona than anywhere else in the country. Why? In 2016, the Arizona Legislature passed a law prohibiting Arizona communities from regulating short-term rentals, like Airbnbs. No other state in the country has such a law.

The result? Homes purchased for short term rental in Arizona have skyrocketed, not only making it tough on normal buyers, but also changing the character of many communities.

Sedona has been adversely affected, with a significant proportion of home sales being for Airbnb type rentals.

Many who work in Sedona have been displaced to Cottonwood and other outlying areas because they can’t find a home to buy (or rent long term) close to the city.

Recently, asset management companies Altas Real Estate and DivcoWest announced a joint venture for single-family rentals and will spend $1 billion acquiring and renovating homes in high-growth states including Arizona.

This news is a sure sign that institutional investors are not going anywhere any time soon.

So the next time you see a “sold” sign in your neighborhood and go to meet your new neighbor, don’t be surprised if it’s a weekend vacationer or renter.

Greg Hague is the CEO of 72SOLD, a local attorney, and broker with decades of real estate experience. 72SOLD developed a way to sell a home in just 72 hours using an auction-like process. For more information visit 72SOLD.com.

REAL ESTATE

THE SUNDAY SANTAN SUN NEWS | JULY 18, 2021

27

Buyers with low credit scores have loan options

BY DAN RICHARDS Guest Writer

Potential homebuyers are often unaware and surprised at the range of low credit home loans that are available. Having a low credit score does not mean you cannot get a loan to purchase a home.

There are options available and recommendations someone with a low credit score can take to help better position themselves for buying a new house.

Credit scores ranging from 500 to 580 have fewer options than those with a score above 600.

However, a government backed FHA loan and a non-qualified mortgage are options and recommended for someone with a credit score between 500

and 580.

FHA loans are backed by the Federal Housing Administration and in addition to being an option for those with low credit scores, these loans don’t carry additional fees and won’t necessarily have higher interest rates.

The borrower may have to put up to 10 percent down, but this is still a good option for those with low credit scores.

When someone’s credit score is 600 or greater, there are more loan options. A USDA loan is popular because of the zero down payment requirement, however, to use this loan you must buy a home in a qualified rural area – though it is good to check as some suburbs are included.

The interest rate and the amount of money needed to put down are often the two factors that have the biggest

impact on a loan for someone with a low credit score. Most lenders will require a minimum of 620 credit score in order to qualify for a conventional loan.

There are two options that are more friendly to those with a minimum credit score of 620 – the Freddie Mac Home Possible buyer program and the Fannie Mae HomeReady loan.

These are options for low-to-moderate income borrowers and first-time homebuyers.

Additionally, there are other government assistant programs and grants for first-time homebuyers that are important to research when beginning the home buying process.

Having a high credit score will give you access to better loans and more options. So, if your score is low, there

are steps you can take to improve it.

Recommendations include pay down your credit card balances and improve your payment history. Check your credit report for accuracy. Mistakes happen and when you see an error you can report it to hopefully correct your report and score.

Limit your other debt – for example, prioritize whether you want to buy a new home or a new car.

Regardless of your credit score, working with a trusted advisor and mortgage broker is essential so that you understand your options and all of the details related to the loan requirements.

Dan Richards is senior vice president of Homie Loans, which provides loan services. Information: homieloans.com

Realtor Rachael Richards renames boutique brokerage SANTAN SUN NEWS STAFF

Rachael Richards set out as a solo real estate agent nearly 20 years ago.

She hadn’t contemplated building

a team but after a few years realized that a team would help her meeting her clients’ growing needs.

So, the Rachael Richards Group was born in 2007 in Ahwatukee, where it has

remained ever since.

Richards started her first boutique brokerage, Rachael Richards Realty in 2017.

Now it has been renamed RHouse Realty “to pave the way for further

growth opportunities,” she said, adding the company is founded “on a few key principles of hard work and perseverance” aimed at transforming clients’ and agents’ lives.

Controversial 2018 state law threatens condo owners

BY PATRICK MACQUEEN Guest Writer

Imagine finally purchasing your dream condo, putting $50,000 into remodeling it and then being forced to sell for less than your total investment in it.

This exact scenario and variations of it are playing out throughout Arizona.

Pursuant to Arizona’s controversial condominium conversion statute, i.e., A.R.S. 33-1228, a condominium owner may be forced to sell their condo with little, or no, notice or right to contest the sale, a limited ability to disagree with the price offered, and a quick timeframe to vacate the property.

Indeed, the Arizona condominium termination law permits investors or owners who acquire 80 percent of the condominium units in a condo development to force the remaining 20 percent of the owners to sell their homes.

These sales occur on short notice and with little protections to owners.

The only “protections” of any real significance afforded to a condo owner include the statute’s requirement that the 80 percent owner pay for the seller’s moving costs at a rate of 5 percent of the purchase price.

This “protection” applies irrespective of whether the affected condo owner resides in their condo or not.

Another “protection” is the right of the affected condo owner to request

arbitration if there is more than a 5 percent difference between the condo owner’s appraisal and the investor’s appraisal. There are also disclosure requirements that investors must provide to existing condo owners. These include an obligation to disclose amounts paid for units and certain financial terms that were negotiated with other effected owners.

Many condo owners have been caught off guard by the condominium termination statute and are left wondering whether anything can be done.

The answer is, fortunately, yes, and more protections may be coming.

As noted above, developers must follow a process. This process can be contested by affected condo owners and contesting the process may dissuade developers

from continuing with certain projects.

Additionally, obtaining appraisals and attempting to overturn or contest the statute are other ways in which condo owners are protecting their interests.

There are other options, as well.

In situations like this, we strongly urge you to consult with an Arizona real estate attorney. The statute is unlike anything in other jurisdictions, and, at present, there are no judicial interpretations of significance involving the statute, which is why it is imperative that condo owners know what they can, and cannot do, in these situations.

If you have questions about options as a condo owner or have other real estate questions, contact patrick@mandglawgroup.com or call 602-533-2840.

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Available for Review

I-11 FINAL TIER 1 ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT STATEMENT AND PRELIMINARY SECTION 4(f) EVALUATION (FINAL TIER 1 EIS),

Nogales to Wickenburg

The Arizona Department of Transportation, in coordination with the Federal Highway Administration, announces July 16, 2021 as the publication date for the Interstate 11 Final Tier 1 Environmental Impact Statement and Preliminary Section 4(f) Evaluation (Final Tier 1 EIS), beginning a 30-day public review period.

The Final Tier 1 EIS process, conducted in accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act, identifies a Preferred Corridor Alternative for the proposed I-11 corridor between Nogales and Wickenburg.

REVIEW THE FINAL TIER 1 EIS DOCUMENT The Final Tier 1 EIS is available for review on the study website at i11study.com/Arizona. Hard copies of the Final Tier 1 EIS are also available for review during normal business hours at the following repository locations: • Wickenburg – Wickenburg Town Hall, 155 N. Tegner Street, Ste. A • Wickenburg – Wickenburg Public Library, 164 E. Apache Street • Surprise – Northwest Regional Library, 16089 N. Bullard Avenue • Buckeye – Buckeye Public Library/Downtown Branch, 310 N. 6th Street • Buckeye – Buckeye City Hall, 530 E. Monroe Avenue • Phoenix – Burton Barr Central Library, 1221 N. Central Avenue • Goodyear – Goodyear Library, 14455 W. Van Buren Street, C-101 • Rainbow Valley – Buckeye Valley Fire District/Station 326, 19937 W. Arlington Road • Hidden Valley/Maricopa – Thunderbird Fire Station, 12356 N. Ralston Road • Maricopa – Maricopa Public Library (Pinal County Library District), 18160 N. Maya Angelou Drive • Casa Grande – Main Library, 449 N. Drylake Street • Gila Bend – Gila Bend Library, 777 N. Logan Avenue • Eloy – Eloy Santa Cruz Library, 1000 N. Main Street • Marana – Picture Rocks Fire District/Station 121, 7341 N. Sandario Road • Marana – Town of Marana Municipal Complex, 11555 W. Civic Center Drive • Tucson – Flowing Wells Library, 1730 W. Wetmore Road • Tucson – Joel D. Valdez Main Library, 101 N. Stone Avenue • Tucson – Richard Elías-Mission Public Library, 3770 S. Mission Road • Sahuarita – Sahuarita Town Offices, 375 W. Sahuarita Center Way

• Green Valley – Joyner-Green Valley Library, 601 N. La Cañada Drive • Nogales – Nogales-Rochlin Library, 518 N. Grand Avenue You can order and purchase a printed hard copy version of all or part of the Final Tier 1 EIS at: • Wickenburg – Wickenburg Kwikprint, 177 W. Wickenburg Way, Ste. B | 928.684.7229 • Buckeye – To The Limit Printing Solutions, Inc., 108 N. 4th Street | 623.374.4303 • Phoenix – AlphaGraphics, 2120 E. Camelback Road | 602.263.0122* • Phoenix – Graphic Ideals, 4631 E. Thomas Road | 602.318.4084* • Maricopa – Impressive Imaging, 44480 W. Honeycutt Road, Ste. 102 | 520.568.3098* • Casa Grande – International Minute Press, 973 E. Cottonwood Lane, Ste. 105 | 520.208.2516* • Marana – FedEx, 8150 N. Cortaro Road | 520.572.8345* • Tucson – FedEx, 2607 E. Speedway Boulevard | 520.795.7796* • Green Valley – UPS Store, 190 W. Continental Road, Ste. 216 | 520.625.9311* * Offers delivery to your location.

Contact the vendor for details.

Submit any review comments by Monday, August 16, 2021 via: Online: i11study.com/Arizona Phone: 1.844.544.8049 (bilingüe) Email: I11Study@azdot.gov Mail: I-11 Tier 1 EIS Study Team c/o ADOT Communications 1655 W. Jackson Street, Mail Drop 126F Phoenix, AZ 85007

The Draft Tier 1 EIS was published on April 5, 2019, and made available for review and comment from April 5 through July 8, 2019. Six public hearings were held in April and May of 2019 in Nogales, Tucson, Marana, Casa Grande, Buckeye and Wickenburg.

The Record of Decision (ROD), the final decision-making document prepared by the Federal Highway Administration, is expected to be published later in 2021 after the public review of the Final Tier 1 EIS. This document will include the Selected Corridor Alternative.

Pursuant to Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and other nondiscrimination laws and authorities, ADOT does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, age, or disability.

Persons who require a reasonable accommodation based on language or disability should contact Laura Douglas, ADOT Community Relations Project Manager, at 602.568.7721 or ldouglas@ azdot.gov. Requests should be made as early as possible to ensure the State has an opportunity to address the accommodation.

De acuerdo con El Título VI de la Ley de Derechos Civiles de 1964 y la Ley de Estadounidenses con Discapacidades (ADA por sus siglas en inglés), el Departamento de Transporte de Arizona (ADOT por sus siglas en inglés) no discrimina por raza, color, nacionalidad, o discapacidad. Personas que requieren asistencia (dentro de lo razonable) ya sea por el idioma o por discapacidad deben ponerse en contacto con la Laura Douglas al 602.568.7721 o ldouglas@azdot.gov. Las solicitudes deben hacerse lo más pronto posible para asegurar que el equipo encargado del proyecto tenga la oportunidad de hacer los arreglos necesarios. 如需中文文件请致电 1-844-544-8049 EAST VALLEY TRIBUNE - 07/18/2021

FOR MORE INFORMATION: i11study.com/Arizona ADOT Project No. 999 SW 0 M5180 01P | Federal Aid No. 999-M(161)S

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THE SUNDAY SANTAN SUN NEWS | JULY 18, 2021

For more community news visit SanTanSun.com

Chandler commits $14 million to power Intel expansion

BY KEVIN REAGAN Staff Writer

Salt River Project and Chandler have entered into a special agreement to ensure Intel will have enough electricity to power the $20-billion expansion of its Ocotillo campus.

The city and SRP agreed last month to share some of the costs for extending a high-voltage transmission line through south Chandler to connect to the sprawling Ocotillo campus.

If approved by the Arizona Corporation Commission, the line will run from the Schrader substation near Ocotillo Road and Exeter Street to the Henshaw substation near Price and Germann roads. The route would run beneath Fulton Elementary School, snake around Snedigar Sports Complex, and cut through a housing subdivision before reaching the Intel.

Chandler will share in some of the costs by committing $14.5 million of the city’s funds for relocating utility lines that may interfere with the new route.

About half of the city’s $14-million share will be reimbursed through funds allotted by the SRP municipal aesthetics program, which annually disperses funds for municipalities’ utility infrastructure improvements.

Chandler plans to obtain grant funding to cover the remaining half of its cost for the transmission line.

“The city will also seek additional funding opportunities to offset the costs associated with the utility work through the state or other programs intended to help support public infrastructure projects required for semiconductor manufacturing,” a city memo states.

The goal of forging a deal with SRP is to facilitate one of Arizona’s biggest economic development projects, while still ensuring surrounding neighborhoods won’t see their streets uprooted with new infrastructure to support Intel’s growth.

Intel in March announced plans to build two new fabrication facilities at its south Chandler campus over the next three years.

The development will create 3,000 permanent high-tech, high-wage jobs; over 3,000 construction jobs; and approximately 15,000 local long-term jobs in support companies, according to the tech giant.

Its investment is part of its “IDM 2.0” Initiative – a major evolution of an “integrated device manufacturing” model See

INTEL on page 34

This map shows the route of the new high-voltage transmission line SRP would be building to fuel Intel’s two upcoming fab plants. (City of Chandler)

Gila Community’s new casino plan sparks neighbors’ concerns

BY PAUL MARYNIAK Executive Editor

The Gila River Indian Community’s announcement of plans to build a fourth casino has sparked concerns among some south Chandler homeowners about possible traffic problems.

The community earlier this month announced that the new casino will be built on tribal land south of the intersection of Gilbert Road and the Hunt Highway and will take about two years to build.

The announcement triggered calls to the city and social media chatter about the need for road infrastructure improvements in the area.

But if roads are improved, there appears to be one certainty: Chandler won’t be paying for any.

Community Governor Stephen Lewis said the new casino “will bring additional revenue, security, and critical services to Community members. In addition, we anticipate being able to add hundreds of new jobs that Community members can take advantage of, and we expect that many of those will be filled

by Community members, just as was the case at the Vee Quiva Casino.”

The GRIC announcement had few details about the casino plan, but Chandler city Councilman OD Harris told the SanTan Sun News, “What I am hearing is 580 acres of land to be developed into a world-class casino, golf course and a

The new Gila River Indian Community casino is said to replicate the size of the tribe’s Vee Quiva gambling palace that opened in late 2019. (Special to SanTan Sun News)

hotel with spa amenities.”

And Harris added, “We are still working on learning the details of their master plan. The Native nation have been keeping things close to chest.”

Those vague plans mean the new casino could be on par with the Wild Horse Pass complex in its current form.

But that complex could undergo a radical expansion as the tribe is work-

ing to create a 3,300-acre sports and entertainment complex that could rival the Talking Stick Entertainment District just south of Scottsdale. The first step toward that expansion was the construction this year of the new stadium for the Phoenix Rising soccer team.

The project lead, Sunbelt Holdings of Scottsdale is working with the tribe’s development arm, Wild Horse Pass De-

velopment Authority, to build additional hotels, wellness and event centers, an outdoor amphitheater for concerts, sports facilities, outdoor recreation and parks, restaurants, retail establishments and an office park.

Sunbelt Holdings President John Graham told the SanTan Sun News the See

CASINO on page 34

BUSINESS

34

INTEL

from page 33

that Gelsinger said makes Intel “the only company with the depth and breadth of software, silicon and platforms, packaging, and process with at-scale manufacturing customers can depend on for their next-generation innovations.”

Intel is in a fierce global competition for a bigger share of the semiconductor market at a time when a shortage of chips has impacted an array of industries, from automobile manufacturing to medical device development.

SRP will submit an application to the Corporation Commission for permission to extend its transmission line and hopes to obtain approval by early 2022.

That open hearing before the commission will follow town halls that the utility provider must conduct for south Chandler residents and businesses to weigh in on the plan. No dates have yet been set.

The city and SRP have already promised that residents living around the line’s route should not see too much impact by its construction.

CASINO

from page 33

development, located just south of the Loop 202-I-10 intersection, will fill a “missing corner” of the East Valley in terms of entertainment.

Meanwhile, the future south Chandler casino also would join two other GRIC casinos, Lone Butte and the relatively new Vee Quiva.

The new casino comes with recent approval of a new gaming compact between Arizona’s Native American tribes and the state.

“The Community gave up its fourth Casino in the 2002 Gaming Compact, based on the promise that there would be no new casinos in the Phoenix Metro Area,” The Gila River Indian Community said in its announcement. “That promise was broken, as you know, and we fought hard to ensure that we could reclaim our right to build a fourth Casino as part of these recent negotiations.”

The Gila River Indian Community covers 372,000 acres and is home to the indigenous O’odham (Pima) and Pee Posh (Maricopa) people.

Harris took to Facebook earlier this month in an effort to soothe some residents’ rattled nerves – and also provide a dose of reality.

“The City of Chandler respects the sovereignty of the Gila River Indian Community and wants our residents to recognize that the city has no jurisdiction over the Gila River Indian Community or its casino enterprises,” Harris wrote.

“We don’t know the proximity of the casino to the existing intersection, but tribal officials have described it as com-

t? o G ws Ne

THE SUNDAY SANTAN SUN NEWS | JULY 18, 2021

“The parties have agreed to work with each other during the installation of the transmission lines to minimize disruption to the residences, schools, and businesses along the corridor,” the city memo states.

About half of the line will be placed underground, according to Ryan Peters, the city’s government relations manager, and should not be visible to residents living between Dobson Road and Arizona Avenue, noting that “2.65 miles of this entire project will be underground, so as not to give additional overhead utilities in areas that don’t currently have them.”

A portion of the power lines running along Price Road north of the Intel campus likely will be overhead.

“This agreement provides the means to minimize impacts on residents by building infrastructure underground where no transmission lines exist today,” said Mayor Kevin Hartke.

As part of the deal, the city will grant SRP permanent right-of-way easements valued at $4.5 million for building the underground portion.

The Intel expansion is believed to

be the largest private investment in Arizona history.

“Intel’s continued expansion of its largest, most advanced manufacturing site in the world exemplifies the presence of innovation in Chandler,” said Chandler Mayor Kevin Hartke after Intel’s announcement.

Liz Shipley, Intel Arizona public affairs director, said, “The two new Fabs planned for Intel’s Ocotillo campus will enable world-changing technology to be manufactured right here in our hometown of Chandler. We thank SRP and the City of Chandler for working together quickly and collaboratively to help us enable such a significant expansion that will benefit the local, state and national economy.”

Over the last 30 years, the country’s share of global semiconductor fabrication has shrunk by about 25 percent, allowing Asian countries like Taiwan to occupy a bigger share of the industry.

One of Intel’s biggest competitors, Taiwan Semiconductor, is building a plant in north Phoenix at a cost of $12 billion, although some say that might only be the first phase of its plans in

the Valley.

Intel and other industry leaders have been pushing Congress to strengthen the country’s competitiveness by offering more incentives and tax-breaks that could ignite a boom in chip manufacturing.

Last month, the U.S. Senate passed a bill that would inject $52 billion into the domestic production of semiconductor fabrication.

As the nation’s chip supply remains in flux, local leaders are hopeful the East Valley’s manufacturing industry will remain competitive with the upcoming expansion of Intel’s facilities.

Maricopa County Supervisor Jack Sellers said he supports Chandler’s partnership with SRP and hopes his district, which encompasses the city, will reap the agreement’s benefits by helping Intel create more tech jobs.

“The proposed resolution would allow SRP to meet the power demands of Intel’s planned plant expansion, demonstrating once again, how your leadership makes Chandler a significant asset in the East Valley,” Sellers wrote the city.

parable in size to the Vee Quiva property near Loop 202 and 51st Avenue,” he added, telling residents: “While the City of Chandler will not be involved in the review or approval of the Gila River Indian Community development, we will communicate residents’ concerns and share plans for city infrastructure so tribal officials can make informed decisions regarding the development of the site. Chandler has no current plans to expand Gilbert Road and Hunt Highway, but we know that traffic impacts are one of the concerns expressed by residents.

“We will coordinate with the Gila River Indian Community, as we would with any new development, to address improvements that may be necessary to roadways owned by the City. As we obtain more information about the project, we will share it with Chandler neighborhoods and residents near the site.”

The GRIC arm-twisted the Arizona Department of Transportation two years ago to build a special interchange on the South Mountain Freeway for the Vee Quiva Casino, purportedly in return for allowing the state to widen the I-10 through reservation land down to Casa Grande.

That South Mountain Freeway interchange is an elaborate skein of ramps that will allow access to and from future development around that casino.

The community’s announcement of a fourth casino also comes as sports bettering edges closer to a reality in Arizona.

Gov. Doug Ducey agreed to the new gaming compact and formally approved sports wagering earlier this year.

While sports books were expected

to launch Sept. 9, a report by sportshandle.com, a new site that monitors the world of sports betting, said that launch date was in jeopardy because the Arizona Department of Gaming did not publish proposed sports betting and daily fantasy sports regulations as planned on June 15.

“The ADG shared little information about the delay, but multiple stakeholders told Sports Handle that Gov. Doug Ducey’s office sent the regulations back with more questions and comments than expected,” the website reported. “Now, rather than publish the proposed rules and immediately open them for public comment, the ADG will make revisions and open the draft rules for stakeholder comment before opening a public-comment period.”

It also quoted an Arizona gaming official as saying, “ADG is on track to meet the targeted ‘go live’ date of September 9th for event wagering in the state.

That said, the Department is finalizing details for draft event wagering/fantasy sports rules to ensure completeness and accuracy, which will be available for public viewing and comment as soon as this process is complete.”

Sept. 9 marks the start of the NFL season.

Sportshandle.com noted that the U.S. Department of the Interior has already approved the state-tribal Class III gaming compact, clearing one hurdle to sports betting in Arizona.

“But the ADG has not yet released information about the application process, which means potential operators have not been able to apply yet,” the website said of Arizona.

The state department has up to 60 days to approve or deny a license ap-

plication and sportshandle.com noted that July 11 is the last day that an application could be submitted to the state for review and be approved in time for a sports book to launch in Arizona on Sept. 9.

“Given the current delay in rolling out proposed rules, the timeline is getting tight,” the website noted.

That July 11 date doesn’t leave any wiggle room between license approval and a live start for sports betting because of the 60-day approval time needed for license applications, the website said.

Arizona’s new law allows for statewide mobile and retail sports betting.

Up to 10 commercial venues and 10 tribal casinos can be licensed for both digital and retail wagering, while an additional brick-and-mortar wagering only licenses are available for horse racetracks and OTBs. So far, Caesars (Arizona Diamondbacks), DraftKings (TPC Scottsdale), and FanDuel (Phoenix Suns) have market access. Caesars also partners with the Ak-Chin Casino via its Harrah’s brand, which the tribe plans to extend to sports wagering.

In addition, BetMGM is rumored to be on the verge of a licensing deal with the Gila River Indian Community.

“Though it’s not official yet, BetMGM would be able to offer online sports betting services to users throughout the state in addition to providing retail options for patrons of the three Gila River Casinos located in Wild Horse Pass, Lone Butte, and Vee Quiva,” sportshandle.com reported last week. “It’s an ideal partner for BetMGM as the tribe and its retail casinos are well positioned within the state, with a great presence in the Phoenix area.”

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

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THE SUNDAY SANTAN SUN NEWS | JULY 18, 2021

For more community news visit SanTanSun.com

Chandler’s Kyion Grayes aims for greatness

BY DREW SCHOTT Staff Writer

On the first play of the 2020 Open Division Championship, Chandler coach Rick Garretson witnessed what he called probably the best block he has ever seen in high school football.

As senior running back Eli Sanders raced 80 yards to the end zone for the game’s opening touchdown, he went untouched by any of Hamilton’s defenders, thanks in part to a pancake block laid by one of his teammates.

It wasn’t an offensive lineman. It wasn’t a tight end either.

It was junior wide receiver Kyion Grayes II, playing in his first game back from an ankle injury, heeding the advice of passing game coordinator Chad Carpenter.

“He says, ‘if you’re not going to block, you’re not going to play,’” Grayes said. “The only reason I am playing is because I can block.”

Grayes is not just a blocker, however.

Quick off the line of scrimmage, his elusive footwork and speed allow him to burn defensive backs. His skills as a route-runner allow him to reel in catches all over the field. These qualities have made the senior a four-star recruit and the best wideout in the class of 2022 from Arizona.

His talent has been well-noticed across the country. Grayes notched 17 offers from programs such as Ohio State, Texas and the University of Southern California, as well as in-state University of Arizona and Arizona State.

Grayes was committed to the Wildcats for four months before reopening his recruitment in December and choosing the Buckeyes, where he will join one of, if not the best, receiver rooms in all of college football.

Left: Since joining Chandler ahead of his freshman season, Kyion Grayes has dreamt of becoming the next great wide receiver to come out of the Wolves’ program. Now entering his senior year, he’s the top-rated wideout in the state and plans to play at the next level for Ohio State University. Right: Chandler head coach Rick Garretson praised Grayes for his passion and dedication to the game. Garretson said Grayes enjoys being coached hard in practice and does what he can to help his team succeed.

(Zac BonDurant/Contributor)

“He looks at it as a perfect opportunity to play at the biggest level,” Chandler senior running back Quaron Adams said. “Compete against some of the top guys that are eventually (going to) one day get drafted. Once he gets there, he’ll be ready for it.”

The rise of Grayes into a top-200 recruit started in California’s Inland Empire, where he shifted from playing quarterback and running back to wideout.

When he switched positions in eighth grade, it was a steep learning curve. Grayes consistently competed against the state’s top talent.

“You had to turn on some type of

dog inside you because these kids were not playing with you,” Grayes said. “It was a mindset you had to switch on and be ready whenever you stepped out on that field.”

That mindset allowed Grayes to make an immediate impact when he moved back to Arizona and joined Chandler’s freshman team. He played so well that the Wolves’ coaches pulled him up to varsity for the playoffs. Even though he saw no playing time, Grayes practiced, gaining valuable experience to do whatever it took to take the field.

Despite a sickness which forced him to sit out of most summer seven-on-seven competitions, Grayes told his father

that by the start of the season, he would have a starting job. To keep his word, he studied the playbook, lifted and made sure to get his body right.

It paid off. In the season opener against Liberty, Grayes came onto the field with Chandler’s top offense. He caught three passes for 32 yards and a touchdown in the 31-17 win.

“He’s just one of those kids,” Garretson said. “He’s gonna gut it out and get out there and be with his teammates.

Watching him in practice, how he drives himself. He allows himself to be coached hard.”

In 13 games, Grayes reeled in 48 catches for 883 yards and six touchdowns. He surpassed 100 yards in three contests, including a 155-yard performance against Perry. He showcased bigplay ability by notching huge receptions throughout the season such as a 70-yard grab in a 56-0 win over Capital Christian.

Most of all, he stepped up in the biggest moments. His five catches for 78 yards and two touchdowns against Saguaro helped Chandler become the first-ever Open Division champions.

In August, Grayes committed to Arizona over offers from Arizona State, Michigan State, Miami and others. However, he made sure the Wildcats knew his recruitment was still fully open amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

“I just didn’t know what was going to happen with recruitment,” Grayes said. “I felt, at that time, I’m gonna stay home and say I’m staying home right now and then figure it all out.”

As Grayes’ play increased, so did his role as a leader. He has served as a mentor to Chandler’s younger wideouts and utilizes his work ethic in practice to improve the game of his teammates. These See

GRAYES on page 36

Chandler High coach vies for Shula Award “demonstrate a commitment to the health and safety of their players as well as the exemplary characteristics of the late Coach Don Shula.”

Shula is best known for serving as the head coach of the Miami Dolphins from 1970-1995. He won back-to-back Super Bowls in 1972 and 1973 and led the Dolphins to a 14-0 perfect season in 1972 “He is the ultimate football coach,” Garretson said. “When I think of guys growing up in my era, you’ve got (Vince) Lombardi and you’ve got Shula.”

Garretson said his nomination for the award is a reflection of his program and the dedication of his players and coaches.

“It’s a tribute to my players, a tribute to my coaches because I’ve always said ‘It’s not a one man show,’” Garretson said. “It’s an assortment of staff and the

BY DREW SCHOTT Staff Writer

Rick Garretson is already well on his way continuing the success of Chandler High School’s football program.

Since taking over for Shaun Agauno in 2019, Garretson has recorded a 23-0 record and two Open Division Championships.

People are taking notice, including the front office of the Arizona Cardinals, which nominated Garretson for the 2021 Don Shula NFL High School Coach of the Year Award.

“It’s quite an honor to represent Arizona and to represent the city of Chandler and Chandler High School,” Garretson said.

According to the National Football League Foundation, the award is given to the coach who demonstrate “the integrity, achievement, and leadership exemplified by the winningest coach in NFL history, Don Shula” and can

Chandler High football coach Rick Garretson is a contender for a prestigious NFL awrad. (MaxPress)

See

GARRETSON on page 36

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SPORTS | BACK TO SCHOOL

GRAYES

from page 35

qualities are also exemplified off the field in the Wolves’ leadership meetings.

Senior defensive back Franky Morales, who played with Grayes on the State 48 seven-on-seven team ahead of freshman year, said practicing against him requires more focus and discipline due to his arsenal of moves and releases off the ball.

“On the field, we’re two leaders, two units, trying to bring the school a championship,” Morales said. “He’s the best

GARRETSON

from page 35

players, the parents, the support system that makes everything work together.”

The Wolves are coming off a 10-0 undefeated season and a 23-21 victory over Hamilton for their second straight

THE SUNDAY SANTAN SUN NEWS | JULY 18, 2021

receiver we go against. He works all of us as a collective group. He works us to be greater every single day.”

Grayes began his junior season the way he ended the previous year: as a playmaker. He grabbed five passes for 138 yards and four touchdowns against Liberty to kick off the year.

Over the course of a “weird” season that included missed practices and canceled games, Grayes caught 28 passes for 556 yards and 10 touchdowns to help the Wolves reach their second-straight Open Division title game.

His block against Hamilton was one of the plays that helped lift the Wolves to a 23-21 victory.

Two days after the championship, he decommitted from Arizona. The firing of head coach Kevin Sumlin played a role since he built close relationships with members of his staff.

A big role in his college decision was a team that was going to be honest about the reality of playing college football. He found that in the Buckeyes.

Grayes officially chose Ohio State on Feb. 28. He plans to arrive at the school

this January following his appearance in the Under Armour All-America Game.

But before then, he hopes to rack up at least 1,000 receiving yards and bring a sixth-consecutive state championship to Chandler.

His longtime coach knows the rising senior is up for the challenge. After all, he can run, catch and block. And bench-press 300 pounds.

“Every year, they mature, get bigger, faster and stronger,” Garretson said. “That’s exactly where he’s at right now.”

Open Division title.

In 2019, Chandler went 13-0 and defeated Saguaro 42-35 at Sun Devil Stadium in Tempe for the first-ever Arizona Open Division Championship.

Before his hire as head coach, Garretson served in roles including co-offensive coordinator, passing game coordinator and quarterbacks coach

for the Wolves under head coach Shaun Aguano, now the running backs coach at Arizona State.

Two finalists for the award will be chosen, with a winner announced this summer, according to a press release from the NFL. Heading into the 2021 season, Garretson is looking forward to seeing packed stands

at Austin Field to cheer on Chandler.

“Arizona high school football is an exciting place to be,” Garretson said. “(It is) supported tremendously by fans, by alumni, by our students, by media. Having that taken away a little bit last year, I think lets you appreciate those ideas that maybe sometimes we all took for granted.”

Valley Christian brothers continue basketball legacy

BY DREW SCHOTT Staff Writer

At Valley Christian High School, Caleb and Luke Shaw look to write the next chapter of their family’s basketball legacy They shined June 18 when college coaches gathered at Court 6 of the Section 7 basketball tournament to watch Valley Christian face off against Dobson High.

Among those who gathered were Grand Canyon University Head Coach Bryce Drew and assistant coach Casey Shaw, but they weren’t just there to evaluate players. They were there to watch family play.

The Shaw brothers, two of Valley Christian’s newest players, are Casey’s sons and Drew’s nephews.

“They’re talented,” Casey Shaw said.

“I think they’ve got a chance, both Caleb and Luke. They’re good enough to be college basketball players.”

Sidelined by the pandemic last year, the Shaw brothers are a key part of a new-look Valley Christian squad that replaces 11 seniors. Coming off a 17-1 campaign, the Trojans are prone to benefit from the brothers’ arrival.

According to Casey Shaw, Caleb, 6’4” senior, can play both point guard and combo guard, while Luke, a 6’ sophomore, is growing as a point guard by working on his fundamentals and court vision.

Returning to competitive basketball for the first time in a year, Caleb and Luke are following in the footsteps of a well-known basketball family.

Their mother Dana, a member of the Indiana Basketball Hall of Fame, is the sister of Bryce and Scott, the head coach of reigning national champion Baylor University.

Her father Homer Drew coached Valparaiso for 22 years and was admitted to the College Basketball Hall of Fame for winning 640 games.

“We do follow them in basketball in every chance we can get,” Homer Drew said. “Since we moved out here all of us a year ago, we’ve seen quite a few of their games. I’ve really enjoyed the improvement both by Caleb and Luke.”

“They keep getting better and better, which is wonderful to see being a former coach and also being their grandparents.”

Both Casey, drafted by the Philadelphia 76ers in the second round of the 1998 NBA Draft after playing at Toledo, and Dana, an All-American point guard for the Rockets, played overseas during their childhood.

As the brothers watched Casey’s games from the stands, they started to take up the game at home.

They had numerous people to learn from.

In addition to their parents, Bryce Drew provided insight on taking shots from his six-year NBA career and work

with current San Antonio Spurs assistant coach Chip Engelland.

Homer Drew taught them various aspects of the game including shooting, defensive footwork and offensive performance.

Casey Shaw credits his sons’ love of basketball to being around it from a young age and the success of family members on and off the court.

As his sons became serious about basketball, Casey Shaw hit the gym to work on shooting, ball handling and other skills.

Whenever they visited Homer Drew, the brothers took part in dribbling and shooting workouts, as well as two-ontwo or three-on-three games with their parents, their sister and brother Isaiah, now a freshman guard at GCU. Bryce Drew gave Casey Shaw his first collegiate coaching opportunity in 2016, selecting him as an assistant on his staff at Vanderbilt. Homer and Janet Drew moved to Nashville to be close to five of their grandchildren.

Following Bryce Drew’s three-year tenure with the Commodores, Casey Shaw was able to coach Isaiah and Caleb as the head coach of Davidson Academy in Nashville. He led the team for a year before Bryce Drew was hired as the Antelopes’ head coach and brought Shaw with him to Phoenix.

Due to the pandemic, Caleb and Luke were homeschooled and did not play organized basketball. The year pro-

vided time for Caleb to recover from an osteochondritis dissecans lesion.

Meanwhile, Luke went to GCU with Casey and trained after finishing his homework. Every day, he worked with the shooting gun until he made 1,000 shots. Additionally, he used the team’s dribbling machine and worked out with GCU’s managers, graduate assistants and coaching staff.

“They’ve really enjoyed their teammates and Valley Christian in just the short time that they’ve been playing with them,” said Homer Drew, now living in Arizona. “They’ve really enjoyed that environment and I think their coach does a really good job with his team.”

The brothers have made an impact with the Trojans, helping lead Valley Christian to a 2-2 record during the Section 7 showcase. Head coach Greg Haagsma said he sees Caleb, who has received collegiate interest, as a player who can take the clutch shots during crunch time. As for Luke, Casey Shaw believes he is going to grow taller in high school like Isaiah did, which will open up new areas of his game.

This year, the brothers will work together to help Valley Christian earn a 3A Division title. No matter the result, the upcoming season will be the next chapter in the story of the basketball legacy of the Shaws and the Drews.

And Luke Shaw can’t wait to start telling it.

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Thunderbirds’ $20K gift helps Assistance League SANTAN SUN NEWS STAFF

The Assistance League of East Valley got a big shot in the arm toward resuming its signature back-to-school program, thanks to the Thunderbird Charities.

Thunderbirds Charities has announced an award of $20,000 to Assistance League of East Valley for its signature program, Operation School Bell.

The nonprofit, one of more than two dozen Assistance Leagues nationwide, sponsors a number of programs for children and adults in Mesa, Tempe, Chandler, Gilbert, Scottsdale and Ahwatukee.

Thanks to a county grant last year, it provided new school uniforms to more than 7,000 elementary school students as part of Operation School Bell.

Because of the pandemic, the League had to eliminate its in-person dressings at Target for children in non-uniform schools.

Normally Operation School Bell also provides new shoes and hygiene kits to elementary school children in need in Chandler, Gilbert, Mesa, Tempe and

The Assistance League of East Valley took a financial hit last year because of the pandemic, but support from groups like Thunderbird Charities is helping it recover.

(File photo)

Kyrene school districts. That too was canceled last year because of the pan-

demic’s impact on fundraising.

“Assistance League of East Valley is

changing the lives of our vulnerable youth in the East Valley by supplying school clothing and essential items needed to attend school,” said Scott Jenkins, president of Thunderbirds Charities.

“We believe in strengthening our local communities, and the best way to do that is to empower our young people through education,” he continued.

“We’re honored to have a small part in helping our youth succeed.”

Assistance League of East Valley is an all-volunteer group that raises funds through its thrift shop at 2326 N. Alma School Rd., Chandler, and through various events through the year.

“The donation from Thunderbirds Charities makes a huge difference for the families of the students we clothe for school,” said Joyce Godfrey, League president. “Many of these families were hit hard during the past year, either by having jobs that were low paying but essential or being laid off from service industry jobs. Having uniforms and other school items provided this coming year is a relief to them.”

Information: assistanceleague.org/ east-valley.

ASU initiative connects with people in dire straits

BY PAUL MARYNIAK Executive Editor

Every other Saturday morning, a group of volunteers, many from Chandler, join Dr. Neal Lester in a special way of helping and connecting with people experiencing homelessness.

As founding director of Arizona State University’s Project Humanities, Lester leads Service Saturdays, as the volunteers gather on the Human Services Campus in downtown Phoenix to distribute clothing, shoes and hygiene products to men and women who have found themselves without a home.

The biweekly effort is “Humanity 101 in action,” Lester said, referring to Project Humanities, which is marking its 10th anniversary this year.

The award-winning university initiative, Project Humanities, “strives to be a leader in local, national, international conversations about the breadth, depth, and value of humanities study and humanist practice and understanding across disciplines and communities,” according to its website.

Part of the mission is to help the university and local communities “in talking, listening, and connecting” – which is what Service Saturdays is all about.

The list of Chandler organizations and individuals that participate in Service Saturdays includes Jeff and Gina La Benz, Chantal and Steven Van Klompenberg, Cynthia and Victor Hardy, Holli and Josh Cagle and their family and George Macedon and FANS across America.

Megan Todd and her children, Santi and Zora, participates – as does her father LaRay, who drives down from Prescott.

Above: The Boys Charity of Ahwatukee, with Dr. Neal Lester in the center first row, participates regularly in Service Saturdays. Right: Santi Todd looks over the items that are available during Project Humanities’ Service Saturdays outreach to people experiencing homelessness. (Courtesy of Project Humanities)

When ASU Project Humanities’ homeless outreach began a few years ago, the volunteers headed down to the Human Services Campus from 6:30-8:30 a.m. to support 150-200 adults experiencing homelessness.

They came from different parts of the Valley and had stored donations in garages, then used a tarp to lay the folded items for a pop-up marketplace along the 12th Avenue and Madison sidewalk.

We initially called it ‘Spontaneous Day of Service,’ said Lester, “but the idea of supporting unsheltered individuals was so transformative for the volunteers... that we and they wanted to continue.”

Now, the group comprises a collection of “intergenerational, multi-professional, and multi-communal individuals, groups, and organizations.”

It’s a lot more than distributing items to people in need.

Lester said the purpose – in the face of a growing need across the country – is to “extend humanity to individuals most denied that fundamental dignity: respect, kindness, compassion and empathy.”

But it also gives the volunteers a chance “for deep self-reflection and critical reflection on class, race, gender, age, sexuality, ability, mental health, wellness,

suffering, loss, and humanity,” he added.

Which is why the outreach isn’t a matter of dumping a bunch of stuff on tables and letting everyone have had it.

“We want to be personal shoppers and not just, having people wander around getting stuff,” Lester said. “We want to make personal contact with folks.”

And so the donated items are neatly See

HUMANITIES on page 40

40

NEIGHBORS

THE SUNDAY SANTAN SUN NEWS | JULY 18, 2021

Chandler youth accomplishes rare test feat

Robert Hugus

scored on a scale of 1–36. A student’s composite score is the average of the four test scores.

The score for ACT’s optional writing test is reported separately and is not included within the ACT composite score.

“Earning a top score on the ACT is a remarkable achievement,” said ACT CEO Janet Godwin. “A student’s exceptional score of 36 will provide any college or university with ample evidence of their readiness for the academic rigors that lie ahead.”

The ACT is a curriculum-based achievement exam that measures what students have learned in school.

Students who earn a 36 composite score have likely mastered all of the skills and knowledge they will need to succeed in first-year college courses in the core subject areas.

Robert is in the STEM Honors program at Perry High and his favorite subjects are math and history.

He is exploring his options for college and is considering majoring in criminal science or joining one of the military academies with the long-range goal of becoming a criminologist.

He attributes his success on the ACT exam to his experience in taking standardized exams. He started taking the PSAT exam in 7th grade.

Robert is active in the band program at Perry, performing with the Puma Regiment marching band playing baritone and with the concert bands playing trombone.

He has also performed in several community bands, including the Chandler Summer Band through Chandler Gilbert Community College.

It continued during those many months of closure largely as the result of an incoming ASU junior and poet named Austin Davis.

The Mesa youth would visit with those experiencing homelessness downtown as part of his participation in the Arizona Jews for Justice’s outreach program.

Each week Davis would write down what was needed by the people he met and then meet with Project Humanities volunteers at its warehouse where donated items are stored.

With his shopping list in hand, Davis collected the requested items and then

delivered them to the needy people he had met.

There are a variety of ways to help Project Humanities’ outreach program.

Its next in-person outreach – which follows COVID-19 protocols – is Saturday, July 24, from 8:30-10 a.m. at the Human Services Campus at 204 S. 12th Ave. in downtown Phoenix. People can drop by to be personal shoppers to those in need.

People can also help sort donated items on Fridays – again with safety protocols in place.

They also can donate requested items either by themselves or through organiz-

ing efforts in their workplaces, community groups, churches and the like.

And, of course, they can contribute much-needed cash to purchase toiletries and other necessities.

To mark its anniversary, Project Humanities also is designating each month of this year for collecting a particular necessity. This month it’s bottled water, Gatorade and crystal light packs. Next month it’s new underwear, toiletries and refillable travel-sized bottles.

Details on how people can help are at projecthumanities.asu.edu/service-Saturdays.

SANTAN SUN NEWS STAFF

A Perry High School senior has achieved a rare academic feat.

Robert Hugus, son of Jeff and Erin Hugus of Chandler, earned the highest possible ACT composite score of 36.

The ACT is a standardized test used for college admissions in the U.S. It is currently administered by nonprofit organization of the same name, covering English, mathematics, reading, and scientific reasoning. It also offers an optional direct writing test.

Fewer than half of 1 percent of students who take the ACT earn a top score.

In the U.S. high school graduating class of 2020, only 5,579 out of 1.67 million students who took the ACT earned a top composite score of 36.

Each of the four parts of the test are

HUMANITIES

from page 39

folded and separated into a men’s table,” women’s table” and toiletries. “It’s like a marketplace,” Lester said.

People can choose the toiletries they need and the clothing is carefully sorted even before the volunteers get downtown so that winter jackets are not out in July and short-sleeved shirts not out in the dead of winter.

The outreach was curtailed to a significant extent last year as a result of the pandemic and only recently ramped up.

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41

Gary Whiting named Rotarian of the month

BY DR. HONORA NORTON Guest Writer

The Rotary Club of Sun Lakes is proud to name Gary Whiting as its July 2021 Rotarian of the Month.

At a recent meeting, club President Jon Lyons stated, “We were very fortunate when Gary joined our Club in February 1995.

“Gary, who has been a Rotarian since 1967, has been leading the Club’s communication efforts by continually updating and keeping current the Club’s Website and Facebook page…. Rotary International (RI) and our RI District have been blessed by his service.

Since becoming a RCSL member, Gary has served as fund raising chair, membership chair, community service chair, club meeting programs chair, club treasurer, vice president,

Gary Whiting, second from right, is congratulated by, from left, Sun Lakes Rotary Club President-elect Stephen Phair, Vice President Maureen Alger and club President Jon Lyons. (Courtesy Sun Lakes Rotary Club)

president-elect, and 2000 - 2001 club president.

He also served RI District 5510 as PolioPlus chair, club service chair, membership chair, PETS facilitator, assistant governor, district governor nominee, district governor elect, and 2004 – 2005 Centennial District governor, responsible for 46 Rotary Clubs with 1,648 members).

Gary is a multiple RI Paul Harris Fellow and a RI Bequest Society member.

Additionally, Gary has been involved in various human service non-profits, such as Gift of Life-Arizona Foundation, of which he was board president, and the Navajo Nation Clean Water project among others.

Gary holds BS and MS degrees in education from Washington State University.

After 26 years, Gary retired from IBM as its Area marketing manager. His wife, Barbara “Bonnie” Whiting, also is a Sun Lakes Rotary Club member.

Hamilton senior wins Sun Lakes Rotary speech contest

SANTAN SUN NEWS STAFF

The Rotary Club of Sun Lakes has announced the winner of its Four-Way Test Speech contest.

Navaneeth Unnikrishnan, a senior at Hamilton High School, recently was introduced to Rotarians and guests attending the Rotary International 5495 year-end celebration at the Wigwam Arizona in Litchfield Park.

Noting the Sun Lakes club “is a strong supporter of education in the East Valley and one scholastic aspect is the Club’s Annual Four-Way Test Speech Contest,” Rotarian Bill McCoach said: “This past year was the club’s sixth consecutive year of the event. The FourWay Test was originated by Herbert J. Taylor, a Rotary international director.

“In the 1930’s , he developed the Four-Way Test of the things we think, say or do as a means to help save a distribution company from bankruptcy,” he added. “Adopted by Rotary International in 1943, The Four-Way Test is still relevant today and transcends generations and national boundaries.”

The Four-Way Test has “captured the imaginations of generations of Rotarians as a simple checklist to help ensure that Rotarians are applying this positive and powerful ethics code to how one lives

Sun Lakes Rotarian Bill McCoach congratulates Navaneeth Unnikrishnan, a senior at Chandler’s Hamilton High School, on winning the club’s Four-Way Test Speech competition.

(Special to SanTan Sun News)

his/her live and serves others,” he said.

Each year the Sun Lakes club sets up a competition for one student from each of the six Chandler high schools.

Student speeches are five to seven

minutes in length and students are asked to apply the Rotary Four-Way Test in their everyday relationships with their peer group or to events of today’s world. The speech must show clearly

the practical application of all four points of the Rotary Four-Way Test.

RCSL awards the first-place winner $500 with the second-place winner getting $250 and runners-up $100 each.

Navaneeth related the following 4-Way test questions to his and other young students work, stress, anguish and determination “get into” the right and/ivy league college/university.

The test asks these questions: Is it the truth? Is it fair to all concerned?

Will it build goodwill and better friendships? Will it be beneficial to all concerned?

Navaneeth’s speech highlighted his ability to express one’s thoughts and ideas clearly, concisely, and persuasively. He stated young people are living in a culture of college admission competition and detachment like never before and it can feel like they do not have much control.

He noted that too many students arrive at the end of high school feeling defeated and approach college admission as if it is a burden they must “get through”—or for some avoid altogether.

McCoach invited other Rotarians to introduce this Speech Contest to their own Clubs. To join in and learn more about this and other RCSL Education programs: sunlakesrotary.com.

Veterans parades will be live this November Two long-time Valley traditions are returning this Veterans Day after missing a year due to COVID restrictions.

The annual Phoenix Veterans Day Parade is scheduled to step off from Montebello and Central avenues at 11 a.m. Nov. 11 before an expected 45,000 spectators. And the East Valley Veterans Parade will be doing the same in Mesa.

Although it’s a popular way to recognize and appreciate veterans, there’s

more to the parade than spotlighting those who have served.

The event has a therapeutic effect on participants suffering from PTSD and other service-related trauma, said Paula Pedene, director of the nonprofit group that produces the Phoenix parade.

“There is something about going down that route with the community out there cheering that changes lives,” said Pedene, a Scottsdale resident and

Navy veteran. “We’ve had grand marshals tell us that the love they experience during the parade chases away their demons; It’s a healing experience.”

Seven grand marshals will be selected this year for the Phoenix parade, representing American conflicts going back to World War II. The Phoenix parade began in 1997 as an outreach project of the Veterans Administration. Pedene worked for the

VA at the time and was instrumental in putting together that first parade.

She continued her involvement and in 2011 helped establish Honoring America’s Veterans, the nonprofit that today funds and produces the parade.

The focus of the group has expanded beyond a one-day recognition event.

HAV also conducts a high school essay competition that asks students See

VETERAN on page 42

42

NEIGHBORS

VETERAN

THE SUNDAY SANTAN SUN NEWS | JULY 18, 2021

from page 41

to honor a veteran in their lives and is preparing to host an inaugural Veterans Leadership Forum on Aug. 19 at Scottsdale’s McCormick Ranch Golf Club.

The aim of the forum, said Pedene, is to spotlight the achievements of veterans in the civilian world – be it business, academics, the arts, or other fields.

“We want to hear from veterans who have contributed to our community and have them describe how military service has helped them achieve their life goals,” she said. “We hope this forum inspires others whether they’ve worn a uniform or not.”

For information on the Veterans Day Parade, the leadership forum or the other HAV initiatives, visit HonoringAmericasVeterans.org.

Rather than cancel a parade entirely, East Valley Veterans Parade organizers held a “parade in reverse.”

They stationed entries along the traditional route and spectators became the parade by driving past them.

Participants also were encouraged to decorate their own vehicles with patriotic themes as a sign of appreciation for the men and women who served in the military.

The parade theme, “Celebrating Lives of Service,” recognized both military service as well as the many ways veterans continue to serve their communities through first responder and medical careers and other ongoing volunteer service.

When the annual Mesa Veterans Parade fell victim to necessary budget cuts in 2006, local residents Gerry Walker and

Westwood High School Marching Band was one of the winners in the 2019 East Valley Veterans Parade. (file photo)

Frank “Gunny” Alger spoke out on behalf of the 40-year-old Mesa tradition.

Walker remarked at one point, “There will be a Veterans Day parade if it is only me marching down the street with Frank watching.”

The Marine Corps League Saguaro Chapter in Mesa took the lead and the Mesa Veterans Parade Association was formed. In 2013, the all-volunteer organization changed its name to the East Valley Veterans Parade Association to reflect the participation of parade entrants and sponsors from most East

Valley communities. Donations to this 501c3 nonprofit organization are tax-deductible.

Locals in uniform

Mesa resident David Gates recently competed in the Army Reserve Medical Command’s Best Warrior Competition at Fort McCoy, Wisconsin.

Gates, a sergeant and an Army Reserve physical therapist, went through a series of physical and practical proficiency challenges during the contest.

The Best Warrior Competition tests

individual soldier skills, promotes morale and cohesion, and reinforces the importance of individual excellence.

Gilbert resident and Marine Corps Cpl. Spencer Sargent recently participated in a field training exercise at Quantico, Virginia.

Sargent is an intelligence analyst with headquarters and service battalion, U.S. Marine Corps Forces Command. During the field training exercise, Marines conducted land navigation and close, long, and unknown distance shooting while building squad level operational cohesion.

43

THE SUNDAY SANTAN SUN NEWS | JULY 18, 2021

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THE SUNDAY SANTAN SUN NEWS | JULY 18, 2021

For more community news visit SanTanSun.com

Music flows again at Chandler coffeehouse

BY ALLI CRIPE Contributor

Chandler’s SoZo Coffeehouse reopened its stage sooner than most venues in an effort to support local musicians impacted by the pandemic.

In the process, it helped establish the reputation of local band, Pushing Pluto.

“Pre-pandemic I was scheduled five to six months out for musicians,” said owner Lori Morgan while sipping an iced coffee in the back of the café. “Everything from acapella to heavy metal.

Then the pandemic hit.”

Morgan runs SoZo Coffeehouse at 1982 N. Alma School Road with her husband Scott. They call the business, ‘missional’ because the 4,000 squarefoot café is purposed to serve the community with a large portion of profits donated to local charities and organizations.

“We didn’t make a profit last year but we broke even by paying our employees well,” said Morgan. “Our wonderful customers were coming in buying $100 gift cards.”

The coffeehouse maintains a cozy, artistic atmosphere large enough to seat up to 200 people. But, even with social distancing, it can get crowded.

So, in spring 2020, all shows were can-

SoZo Coffeehouse looks at live music as part of its mission to serve “coffee with a cause” and the local band Pushing Plato is happy to accommodate it. (Facebook)

celed throughout the summer.

“When Ducey said there was a 50 percent capacity, I started doing really small shows like, singer/songwriter on guitar,” said Morgan. “But I had to count all of the heads to make sure we were under 50 and we required masks.”

The musicians Morgan knew were aching to be onstage. According to

Morgan, they told her that the lull without performing was taking a toll on their mental health.

“I was giving them a platform so that their hearts could be happy,” said Morgan. “There might be 10 people watching, but that musician didn’t care.”

Pushing Pluto is one of those grateful local bands. They found a chance

to perform at Sozo’s and snatched the opportunity in late 2020 with a masked and distanced audience.

“Every time we played, Morgan set us up with a show a couple of months ahead right afterward,” said lead singer Nick Tangen, adding that that support gave them something to look forward to.

“The first three or four months of the pandemic, the band took a break because nobody knew what was going on,” recalled Tangen. “Then halfway through 2020 we started playing shows.”

Many bands weren’t comfortable performing live and venues weren’t hiring, according to Tangen. When Pushing Pluto did find shows, they were met with controversy. The band wore masks when appropriate and followed CDC guidelines, according to Tangen, but received online criticism.

“We were one of the early bands to do shows,” said Tangen. “Some bands were like, ‘You shouldn’t be doing that.’

But we were being safe so we ended up getting a lot more opportunities.”

Pushing Pluto went from unpaid open mics to paid stage shows during the pandemic, which Tangen summed up with an enthusiastic, “Money! Finally!”

See

SOZO on page 45

EV artist brightens the world with a brush My other huge “ accomplishment was

BY CHRISTINA FUOCO-KARASINSKI Staff Writer

J. Pierce sits on the sofa of his Gilbert home donning black pants, a playful Lolo’s Chicken and Waffles T-shirt he designed and colorful shoes that pop.

The cream-colored walls are bare, which is surprising for the prolific artist who has sold his Keith Haring-like artwork to the likes of rapper Rick Ross and the Arizona Coyotes president and chief executive officer Xavier Gutierrez.

“Anytime I put up artwork, I always end up selling it,” Pierce said with a shrug. He’s working on T-shirts for Monroe’s Hot Chicken, which is owned

by Lolo’s.

Pierce is one of Arizona’s best-kept secrets. Besides his work for Ross and Gutierrez, Pierce designed T-shirts for Samuel Jackson, and artwork for former professional baseball player Howie Kendrick, who lives in Phoenix. Pierce’s work, particularly for Jackson, led to mentions on “Jimmy Kimmel Live.”

“It was cool when Jimmy Kimmel gave me a shout out,” Pierce said with his trademark wide smile. “He said I was an Arizona artist. There are always California artists, New York or Miami artists, Chicago artists. It’s cool to represent Arizona.

“It’s been awesome, man. I originally started out doing art walks, like the Chandler Art Walk, and selling my

when Samuel Jackson shouted me out on ‘Jimmy Kimmel’ and then getting Jimmy Kimmel to follow me on Instagram. Being friends with Samuel Jackson has been a blessing.

”

– J. Pierce

paintings, right, for $20 or $40. Now I’m seeing my artwork sell for hundreds and thousands.”

As a child, Pierce split his time between California and Chicago after his parents separated. He attended high school and college in San Jose.

In Chicago, he lived in the “hood,” as he calls it, where he learned to hustle and paint T-shirts for gangsters.

“I never messed around in that (gang life), but I was always protected,” he said. “They liked me because I See

PIERCE on page 45

J. Pierce is one of Arizona’s best-kept secrets. He discovered penciling and sketching at age 15, when he was in foster care as his parents were going through “tough times.”

(Courtesy of J. Pierce)

ARTS

THE SUNDAY SANTAN SUN NEWS | JULY 18, 2021

SOZO

Tangen says he’s happy to be a paid part of the music community, even

from page 44

They started performing at bars such as Copper Blues and The Perch. Soon, their name traveled to other venues that were looking for a live band.

“In a weird way, it helped us,” said Tangen. “We’re reliable, we show up on time, and if you need a band, we’ll play.”

PIERCE

Chandler’s SoZo Coffeehouse once again is filled with the sound of music after the long pandemic-induced drought.

(Special to SanTan Sun News)

from page 44

skateboarded and lived in the hood in Chicago.

“But there would be barbecues every other day with my family. So, I would be in Chicago, going Downtown and being in the city. Then, living in San Jose, it had the whole Cali vibe.”

He discovered penciling and sketching at age 15, when he was in foster care as his parents were going through “tough times,” he said. They went their own ways and Pierce spent two years in foster care. He, in turn, basically emancipated soon thereafter.

“In high school, I started painting custom clothing — like painting on shoes, shirts and dress shirts,” Pierce said. “I’d wear it to school and all my friends asked where I found the stuff. It led to painting on canvases.”

In high school, he was inspired to start his own brand by LRG owner Jonas Bevacqua, who died of natural causes in 2011.

“He was one of the biggest street-

Pierce designed T-shirts for Samuel Jackson, and artwork for former professional baseball player Howie Kendrick, who lives in Phoenix. Pierce’s work, particularly for Jackson, led to mentions on “Jimmy Kimmel Live.” (Courtesy of J. Pierce)

wear brands,” he said. “I’d send him my art and show him. He emailed me and said to keep up the good work, keep doing my thing. He sent me free gear. That inspired me through those times in foster care.”

He moved to Anthem at age 18 and worked at Outlet at Anthem stores like Docker’s, Quicksilver and Columbia Sportswear. Besides participating in the Chandler Art Walk, he was part of the jury.

“I had a business partner who I was working with in Anthem,” Pierce said. “He was a business partner and investor who was going to help me get my brand and my art to the next level. Nothing really panned out and we parted ways.”

He stayed in the Valley, however. He moved to Gilbert in 2008.

Pierce has collaborated with a slew of local business-

45

traveling as far as Glendale for gigs.

Morgan says, they’ll have a full event calendar in July with plenty of opportunities for local artists such as Open Poetry Night and Open Mic Night.

“Our mission is coffee with a cause,” said Morgan. “We just feel like our culture is starving for true community.”

To view events at SoZo Coffeehouse visit, sozocoffee.org/calendar/

es, restaurants and organizations. He encourages his clients to share their art direction and he takes it from there.

“We created a limited edition shirt that can be purchased at any of the Lolo’s Chicken and Waffles stores,” he said. “It’s pretty cool because I’ve never collaborated with a restaurant. And to see the staff walking around with my shirt and my name on it, it was so cool.”

When the Arizona Coyotes hosted Hockey Fights Cancer night on April 19, he created a special sneaker for several players — Captain Oliver Ekman-Larsson, Jakob Chychrun, Clayton Keller and Jordan Oesterle — to share how cancer touched their lives.

The shoes were auctioned to raise money for the Arizona Coyotes Foundation. The collaboration came about after Gutierrez’s wife contacted Pierce through Instagram.

“She said they were looking for a painting for a wall space,” he said. “They invited me to their house.”

Unfamiliar with Gutierrez, Pierce See

PIERCE on page 46

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ARTS

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Puppeteer ready for a Valley road show

BY ROB WINDER Cronkite News

Stacey Gordon’s road to becoming a puppeteer began very early in life.

“I don’t know a preschooler that doesn’t look at ‘Sesame Street’ and say, ‘I want to live there.’ I definitely wanted to do that,” she said.

The Phoenix resident made that childhood dream a reality in 2016, when she was selected as the puppeteer behind one of “Sesame Street’s” newest neighbors, Julia. Like Gordon’s son, Julia is autistic.

In addition to her work on “Sesame Street,” Gordon owns and operates Puppet Pie, a downtown studio at Grand Avenue and McKinley Street where she builds puppets available for purchase, and where children of all ages apply science, math, engineering and art concepts as they create puppets of their own.

Now, with help from a grant from the Arizona Commission on the Arts, Gordon and her puppets might soon be coming to your street.

Gordon was one of 24 Arizona artists awarded the commission’s research and development grants for 2021. The $5,000 grants were given to the artists to “advance their artistic practice, expand their creative horizons, and deepen the impact of their work,” according to the commission’s website.

Gordon is using her grant to bring the

In addition to her work on “Sesame Street,” Stacey Gordon owns and operates Puppet Pie, a studio in downtown Phoenix, where she builds puppets available for purchase and where children of all ages apply science, math, engineering and art to create puppets of their own. (Photo by Rob Winder/Cronkite News)

fun of Puppet Pie to Valley neighborhoods with a vehicle that’s already beloved by many children: an ice cream truck.

Last year, Gordon purchased a 1973 step van from Conrad Martinez, owner of Misfits Cick Kustoms, who is restoring and modifying the truck to be used as a mobile puppet studio and theater.

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“It will allow me to bring my art to underserved communities,” Gordon said. “Not every kid can get in a car and drive here. Not every parent has the resources to bring their kids here.”

The truck won’t merely make the workshop activities of Puppet Pie portable. Gordon also will use the truck to put on full-fledged puppet shows for families.

“I’ve done short pieces for children.

I do a lot of work with children, but it’s all workshops,” Gordon said. “This grant is allowing me to take time and build a show the right way. And bring in a story from start to finish that has a lesson in it, that does teach kids to be OK with themselves and to persevere and to try and think outside of the box.”

That ambition and sense of mission wasn’t part of Gordon’s original vision for putting her puppets on wheels. Initially, because many of her puppets are food-themed, she was simply looking for a fun way to juxtapose her booth at Phoenix Fan Fusion with the food cart she always found herself next to each year.

“I thought, ‘Wouldn’t it be hilarious if I’m selling the exact same thing, but as puppets?” Gordon recalled.

Gordon credits her dad with inspiring her to use the ice cream truck for something more.

“I really was just going to do just a little space where I could keep my stuff in there and then roll into a festival or fair and sell my puppets that I made,” she said.

To create the kind of mobile show she envisions now – developing a script, music and the “actors” – would require Gordon to take a couple of months off from her puppet-building workshops, she said.

But “the constant grind of doing all the workshops” is what keeps the rent and utilities paid at her studio, not to mention what allows her to make a living as an artist.

“It would take me years to be able to do this, if it weren’t for this grant,” Gordon said.

The grant will also be used to obtain the various permits she will need to hold both public and private events across metro Phoenix, as well as purchase items needed to perform.

Additionally, the grant has also accelerated the restoration of the truck itself, which required even more work than expected, Gordon said.

When it comes to getting an old ice cream truck back on the road to bring smiles in a different way, “there’s a lot that goes into it,” Gordon said.

The same should not be true of the application process for the grant, said Kesha Bruce, the Arizona Commission on the Arts’ artist program manager. Like Gordon’s truck, that process recently underwent a renovation to be less intimidating for applicants, she said.

“The goal of it was to make it so that it wasn’t so labor intensive and cumbersome, especially for first-time applicants,” she said.

Rather than use “grant speak,” applicants are urged to be their authentic selves and talk to the selection panel “like you would speak to a normal person,” Bruce said. Answers to the application questions can be given in an audio or video recording instead of in writing, she said.

Besides passion and heart – and puppets – younger patrons of Gordon’s ice cream truck probably will want to see some actual ice cream.

They won’t be disappointed. A new freezer has been installed in the truck.

“To me, there would be nothing more fun and special than getting to come to a puppet ice cream party where you watch a show, you get to eat popsicles and ice cream,” Gordon said.

“And then you get to make a puppet and bring it home. And doing that in communities and making it accessible is kind of where my heart is.”

ARTS

THE SUNDAY SANTAN SUN NEWS | JULY 18, 2021

PIERCE

from page 45

asked what he did for a living. He told Pierce he was the president and chief executive officer.

“I thought, ‘Oh dang. That’s awesome,’” he said laughing. “I said I always wanted to do the Kachina logo in my style of art and collaborate with the Coyotes.

“He said, ‘That’s why I wanted to talk to you.’ He connected me with the foundation.”

Inspired by the late Haring, Dr. Seuss and Picasso, Pierce said Arizona is the lead character.

“I started doing Arizona landscapes because you see horses in oil paintings and things like that,” he said. “I wanted to create a new, fun look at Southwestern art.

“I’ve done tons of portraits. I do a lot of cartoons based on pop culture and retro cartoons that we grew up watching, like Looney Tunes. Landscapes and skylines are big, too. I’m always trying to think of new stuff to paint, rather than just sticking to one.”

Pierce grew up skateboarding and was entrenched in the culture and lifestyle. He attended skateboarding trade shows and hung out with the skateboarding community.

He’s always tickled when new collectors discover his art.

“There was this one dude who I worked for, he has 80 paintings throughout his house and just found out about my stuff,” he said. “He said, ‘Dude, I want to collect a lot of your stuff.’”

Art is Pierce’s full-time job. If he isn’t

painting murals, he’s working on product design logos, custom shoes and “anything art related.”

“Other than that, I’m always busy painting, fulfilling orders and patterns,” he said.

Pierce has plenty to be proud of, between his works for Jackson and Ross, as well as businesses and homes around the Valley. He’s still amazed by the way his art has traveled. He even had a clothing and shoe line in Wuhan, China, four years ago.

“It’s huge,” he said of Ross, who purchased a painting of himself and custom art. “He’s a huge person and to have my art go into his house and the way he hung it up and everything is so awesome.

“My other huge accomplishment was when Samuel Jackson shouted me out on ‘Jimmy Kimmel’ and then getting Jimmy Kimmel to follow me on Instagram. Being friends with Samuel Jackson has been a blessing.”

Pierce and Jackson became acquainted two years ago when he, on a whim, reached out via Instagram to Jackson, who was filming overseas.

“I hit him up late at night because he was in another country,” Pierce said. “It was morning for him, and he responded.

I said, ‘Yo, can I send you some of my shirts to you?’ He responded with, ‘You had me at shirts, brother.’ Then he gave me his address and I thought, ‘Wow, this is sick, dude.’ Hard work and faith are the keys to whatever I do in life.”

Information: arena.store/collections/j-pierce

J. Pierce finds the world and anything in it a potential canvas, as he demonstrates with his work on this car. (Courtesy of J. Pierce)

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48

THE SUNDAY SANTAN SUN NEWS | JULY 18, 2021

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DIRECTORY

THE SUNDAY SANTAN SUN NEWS | JULY 18, 2021

49

Call us at 480-898-6465 or email classifieds@santansun.com Air Conditioning/Heating Repairs Installations Tune-ups

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Home Improvement

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Landscape Design/ Installation

ARIZONA CACTUS SALES Since 1968

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Plumbing 1 HOUR RESPONSE

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A group of local business representatives and owners committed to development of local businesses in the Greater Chandler Area. Providing a forum for local businesses to promote themselves. We also work with and promote several non-profit organizations. Each member is required to assist or fund a non-profit organization as a show of support to our community.

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Paint Interior & Exterior • Drywall Repair Cabinet Painting • Light Carpentry Voted Power Washing • Textures Matched Popcorn Removal • Color Consulting Pool Deck Coatings • Garage Floor Coatings

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50

DIRECTORY

THE SUNDAY SANTAN SUN NEWS | JULY 18, 2021

DIRECTORY / CLASSIFIED SEWER AND DRAIN

Sewer/Drain/Septic

Affinity Plumbing LLC

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for as low as $82/Month!

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Since 1968

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Roofing

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Over 30 Years of Experience

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Family Operated by 3 Generations of Roofers!

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• Anything Plumbing • Water Heaters • Inside & Out Leaks • Toilets, Faucets, Disposals • Same Day Service • Available 24/7 • Bonded & Insured • Estimates Available

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PT, Sun-Wed Evening Custodial Position Needed at the Ahwatukee Recreation Center. Contact Gary 480-893-2549 Quadriplegic Seeks personal care attendant for weekday 11a-3p and some weekend shifts 11a-3p and some overnight shifts. 12-18 hours per week. $15.75 P/Hr. Job involves running errands, care, transfers, Must be responsible and honest.

Call Craig 480-966-2059 (leave a message, it's a land line) or email ernest99@ centurylink.net

Additional Panes 3.00 ea.

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1-Story $175 2-Story $195

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

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Since 1968 - 480-726-1600 1 hour response Emergency Response 24/7 A rated BBB *Free flush of water heater *Best senior discount: 20% off labor *$50.00 off with work done mention this ad Flood restoration, Water heaters, drain clogs, faucets, toilets, slab leaks, leak locating, & water main.

The world is a stage... in need of a carpenter.

Given 4 jobs an actor had in movie roles, and a few hints, can you figure out the actors?

CHARACTER’S JOBS Hot as lava mayor, “corny” girlfriend, doomsday mom, and an unrecognizable crime matriarch...

Actress: ______________________ Big famous tiny naval aviator, father of pranking match-maker twins, famous gunfighter/dentist, and a “dreamy” psychic Actor: ______________________ “Unchained” potter, tough Navy Seal trainee, a juror, “A” puritan Actress: ______________________ Dark fairy, CIA operative, athletic English archaeologist with a high I.Q., teen computer hacker Actress: ______________________ Kindergarten teacher/cop, secret agent spy, military team leader, cold-hearted bad guy Actor: ______________________ CB

Western outlaw in a famous duo, ragtime grifter, resourceful survivor, investigative journalist (last two involve water in some fashion) Actor: ______________________ Answers: Linda Hamilton as a mayor in Dante’s Peak, a girlfriend in Children of the Corn, Sarah Connor in Terminator series, and King George in Easy Does It Dennis Quaid in Inner Space, The Parent Trap, as Doc Holliday in The Untouchables and as a psychic in Dreamscape Demi Moore as Molly in Ghost (Unchained Melody played during famous pottery scene), seal trainee G.I. Jane, a juror in The Juror, and as Hester Prynne in The Scarlett Letter Angelina Jolie as the dark fairy Maleficent, as CIA operative SALT, as Lara Croft in Tomb Raider, and a teen computer hacker in Hackers Arnold Schwarzenegger as a cop undercover as a kindergarten teacher in Kindergarten Cop, a secret agent spy in True Lies, a military team leader fighting an equally tough alien in Predator, and as bad guy Mr. Freeze in Batman & Robin Robert Redford as Sundance in Butch Cassidy & the Sundance Kid, as grifter Johnny Hooker in The Sting, cast listed as “Our Man” in All Is Lost as a man lost at sea, and as Bob Woodard, one of the two famous investigative journalists looking into Watergate

Plumbing

51

THE SUNDAY SANTAN SUN NEWS | JULY 18, 2021

SAME-DAY AIR CONDITIONING & PLUMBING SERVICE

Call us for quick, honest, reliable service 7 days a week!

39

$

95

Air Conditioning Tune Up & Safety Inspection Limited time offer. Restrictions may apply.

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39

$

95

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LICENSED • BONDED • INSURED

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NO Weekend Charges NO Overtime Charges

52

THE SUNDAY SANTAN SUN NEWS | JULY 18, 2021

FIND YOUR PURPOSE Keeping College Affordable GENEROUS SCHOLARSHIPS

GCU traditional campus students received over 157 million dollars in scholarships in 2020.

Find out what scholarships you qualify for by uploading your unofficial high school transcripts to gcu.edu/myoffer.

AFFORDABLE TO ATTEND

Students pay an average of $8,600 for tuition.*

GRADUATE WITH LESS DEBT

GCU students graduate with less debt than the national average.**

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apply.gcu.edu | 855-428-7884

*Average tuition after scholarships is approximately $8,600. Scholarships may be awarded based on 6th semester transcripts. At the time in which final, official transcripts are received, GCU reserves the right to rescind or modify the scholarship if it is determined that eligibility was not achieved. GCU reserves the right to decline scholarship awards for any reason. If a student does not meet the minimum renewal criteria, their scholarship will be forfeited. GCU reserves the right to change scholarship awards at any time without notice. If a student does not meet the minimum renewal criteria, their scholarship will be forfeited. Prices based on 2019-20 rate and are subject to change. **GCU students graduate with less debt on average ($18,750 according to College Scorecard) than the average at public and private nonprofit universities ($28,650 according to 2017 data from the Institute for College Access and Success).

Please note, not all GCU programs are available in all states and in all learning modalities. Program availability is contingent on student enrollment. Grand Canyon University is regionally accredited by the Higher Learning Commission (800-621-7440; http://hlcommission.org/). Pre-licensure nursing students who begin or resume attendance in Fall 2020 and beyond will be ineligible to utilize most GCU institutional aid/scholarships for tuition and fees once accepted into the clinical portion of the program. Important policy information is available in the University Policy Handbook at https://www.gcu.edu/academics/ academic-policies.php. The information printed in this material is accurate as of FEBRUARY 2021. For the most up-to-date information about admission requirements, tuition, scholarships and more, visit gcu.edu. ©2021 Grand Canyon University 21GTR0041