SantTan Sun News - 9.12.2021 by Times Media Group

September 12, 2021 | www.santansun.com

Relentlessly local coverage of Southern Chandler

An edition of the East Valley Tribune

Lease bouys city’s hopes for downtown theater BY KEN SAIN Staff Writer

The City of Chandler’s hopes to turn a major downtown intersection into an entertainment hub may not be dead yet, but thanks to the pandemic, they initially seemed to have suffered a blow. City officials expressed concern about the future of Flix Brewhouse’s theater at Chandler Boulevard and Arizona Avenue during a City Council meeting late last month. At the time Council agreed to the theater’s sale to AZ Management and Investment, LLC.

Flix and CEO Allan Reagan filed for bankruptcy last October and court documents show they owe more than $70 million to creditors, mainly banks. “We would prefer it remain a movie theater,” city Cultural Development Director Kim Moyers told Council at the time. “We want some sort of entertainment use. Downtown has a lot of great restaurants to go to.” It looks like Moyers got her wish. On Sept. 7 – two weeks after the Chandler Council meeting – the global real estate services firm Cushman & Wakefield announced that AZ Man-

agement & Investments, which bought the movie house for approximately $7.1 million, has leased it to LOOK Dine-In Cinemas Monrovia. Cushman & Wakefield’s Eric Wichterman, Brent Mallonee, Mike Coover and Chris Hollenbeck represented DT Chandler in the transaction and found the new cinema tenant for the buyer. Eric Wichterman, Cushman executive managing director, shared Moyers' vision, stating, “Our mission was to pair this state-of-the-art, special-use theater and brewery building with a qualified new ownership that would either

occupy the facility or an investor that believes in the future of the cinema industry.” LOOK Dine-in Cinemas is based in Monrovia, California, and was formed just two months ago by Brian Schulz, the founder of another high-end eat-in cinema chain called Studio Movie Grill. Last October, Studio Movie Grill, which owned 33 movie houses, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy. The Dallas-based company, according to reports, had received a $75 million investment two See

FLIX on page 12

The blast obliterated several businesses in a Chandler strip mall. (Pablo Robles/Staff Photographer)

This map shows the path of lines that will give Intel’s Ocotillo campus the electricity it needs for its $20 billion expansion. (City of Chandler)

S. Chandler braces for massive SRP project BY KEN SAIN Staff Writer

As anyone who has done a major home remodeling project knows, before things get better, they have to get worse. South Chandler residents who live near the Intel campus are bracing for that reality. Salt River Project recently held some online open houses so residents near the manufacturing facility on Old Priest and Ocotillo roads could ask questions and give their feedback.

Intel wants to expand its Ocotillo campus and plans to invest $20 billion to do so. That will bring in thousands of high-paid tech jobs to the area and Intel claims will lead to about 15,000 other support jobs. But to do all that, the tech giant will need a lot more power. “Intel is currently served by an existing substation, but the load requirement of what they’re going to need is so significant the 69 KV (kilovolt they See

SRP on page 10

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Chandler blast a ‘game changer’ for 4 men BY KEN SAIN Staff Writer

Life was heading in the right direction for the Ryan brothers until an explosion Aug. 26 knocked it onto a new, rockier course. “This was their livelihood, they worked 24/7 to get this thing going, and it was actually a very profitable year,” said Paul Ryan, their father. “Now it’s gone.” Chandler Police say an unintentional natural gas leak ignited by an “independent ignition source” caused a massive blast that ripped the roof off of a portion of Chandler Sunset Plaza at Ray and Rural roads. Four people were injured, all are expected to survive.

Brothers Andrew and Dillon Ryan ran Platinum Printing together. A longtime friend, Parker Milldebrandt, was an employee. The fourth person injured was 58-year-old Glenn Jordan, who worked at All-American Eyeglass Repair shop a few suites down from the printers. All four suffered major burns. “The boys had a pretty good following from through the years they’ve had the business,” Paul Ryan said. “You knew the two boys, once you met them, you’d fall in love with them.” GoFundMe pages have been set up for all four men to help them in their recovery, which Paul Ryan said will take a while.

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BLAST on page 4

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THE SUNDAY SANTAN SUN NEWS | SEPTEMBER 12, 2021

Weninger throws hat into GOP state treasurer race SANTAN SUN NEWS STAFF

Longtime Chandler politico Jeff Weninger is reaching for state office. Weninger, currently a representative for Legislative District 17 and a former eight-year member of Chandler City Council, has announced his candidacy for state treasurer. Incumbent Treasurer Kimberly Yee is one of several Republican candidates for governor in next year’s primary. In announcing his bid for the Republican nomination for treasurer and a chance to manage Arizona’s $23 billion investment portfolio, Weninger is touting his experience as an entrepreneur and restaurateur. Married and gthe father of three children, Weninger is co-owner and vice

Jeff Weninger

president of Arizona Sandwich Shops Inc. and the owner of Dilly’s Deli and Floridino Pizza and Pasta. “I’ve spent my career building a business and serving our community,” he said in a release. “As the only job creator running for Arizona State Treasurer, I know what it means to balance a state budget, manage business finances, and sign both sides of a paycheck,” he added. A Kansas native who moved to Arizona more than 20 years ago, Weninger was first elected to the Legislature in 2015 after serving eight years on Chandler City Council. He touted his legislation that made it easier to start a business, shepherding in the State House an update to the state’s gaming compact with Native American tribes and “fighting to keep

government small and out of the way of entrepreneurs.” “I am committed to bringing that same innovation and transparency to the Treasurer’s office,” Weninger said. His announcement could add some excitement to the primary in LD 17, where Republicans last year tried to stop Democratic Rep. Jennifer Pawlik from winning her second term. Weninger’s announcement already changed the equation in the Republican primary for treasurer after his House colleague, Rep. Regina Cobb of Kingman, suspended her race for treasurer and threw her support to his candidacy. “I could not be happier to see Jeff enter the race for treasurer as I pursue a new and different opportunity to serve Arizona,” Cobb said.

EVP hosting gubernatorial hopefuls this month SANTAN SUN NEWS STAFF

The East Valley’s leading organization of businesses and community leaders is hosting a roundtable discussion by Democratic and Republican candidates for governor. Candidates will share their views on building on the momentum of the state’s robust economy at a Sept. 30 luncheon hosted by the PHX East Valley Partnership. Among the participants will be Republicans Steve Gaynor, Kari Lake, Karrin Taylor Robson, Matt Salmon and

Kimberly Yee, along with Democrats Katie Hobbs, Aaron Lieberman and Marco Lopez. Topics of discussion will include continued jobs growth, bolstering small businesses and creating a fertile environment for entrepreneurs, along with expanding the talent pipeline and balancing development with quality of life. “The event will not be a debate but rather a moderated discussion focused exclusively on the jobs economy,” said Denny Barney, EVP president and CEO. “After all, jobs will remain a key issue regardless of

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who occupies the governor’s office.” The event will be held 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Doubletree by Hilton in Gilbert and online. Stacy Derstine, vice president of external affairs at APS, will serve as the program’s moderator. “We look forward to an illuminating discussion that will help inform public opinion of our state’s next top leader,” Derstine said. APS, Okland Construction and Times Media Group are the event sponsors. The cost to attend is $800 for a table of eight and $125 for single tickets.

For more information and to register, contact Jessica Hubbard at 480-5320641 or jhubbard@phxeastvalley.com. EVP was established in 1982 as a nonprofit, nonpartisan coalition of civic, business, education and political leaders dedicated to the economic development and promotion of the East Valley of Greater Phoenix. The Partnership advocates for economic development, education, transportation and infrastructure, health care and other critical areas. Information: phxeastvalley.com.

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THE SUNDAY SANTAN SUN NEWS | SEPTEMBER 12, 2021

from page 1

“There have been so many people sending on their prayers, and texts, emails, phone calls,” Paul Ryan said. “We’ve been on our phones constantly. The donations have been so generous.” At the mid-point of this week nearly $200,000 had been donated to the three GoFundMe drives for the four men. Their father said his sons started their business in 2007 and had been at that location for four to five years. He helped them get it started. Paul Ryan said he knew there was a need for more printing businesses in Chandler because of his own work as a landscape architect. The 39-year-old Andrew Ryan is married to Christy and they are parents of two children, 12-year-old Luke and 8-year-old Bridget. The 29-year-old Dillon Ryan is married to Casi and they also have two children, four-year-old Carson and three-month-old Layla. Milldebrandt is 29 and he and his wife Sierra were expecting delivery of their first child. It was due days after the explosion happened. Jordan is 58 and married to Cindy and they have three daughters. Messages left for the Milldebrandt and Jordan families were not immediately returned. The GoFundMe page for Milldebrandt said he sustained burns on 27 percent of his body and was placed in a medically induced coma shortly after

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Left: Parker Milldebrandt, a longtime friend of the Ryans and a Platinum Printing employee, was severely burned days before his wife was giving birth to their first child. (GoFundMe. com) Right: Glenn Jordan worked at All-American Eyeglass Repair shop a few suites down from the printers. (GoFundMe.com)

he arrived at the hospital. The organizer for his fund drive, JeAnnette Miller, said Milldebrandt is “the hardest working, nicest, most loyal brother, friend, son, and husband I know” and that “he has been so excited about the arrival of his first child since he and Sierra found out they were expecting. “It is heartbreaking he will not be able to be by Sierra’s side through her delivery. Sierra and baby girl M are strong and surrounded by family at this

time. Nonetheless, it is such an unimaginable time for everyone,” she added, noting he had had one successful surgery and was scheduled to undergo a second. Dave Hawkins, the GoFundMe organizer for Jordan said he has a wife and daughter. “Glenn has deep roots in Kingman where we met in the 80’s and broadcast Bulldog sports together, though he relocated in the valley long ago where he has prospered with business and family

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“

This was their livelihood, they worked 24/7 to get this thing going, and it was actually a very profitable year, now it’s gone.

”

– Paul Ryan

endeavors,” Hawkins wrote. “He now faces the toughest battle of his life and he can benefit from our collective good will…..From Kingman to Chandler and beyond, we say be strong my brother.” Chandler Police say they have wrapped up their investigation into the explosion. ATF Special Agent in Charge Gabriel Pinon said in a release the cause was accidental, not criminal. They have returned the building back to the property management company. Paul Ryan said his conversations with his sons so far have been more about the short-term than what they will do in the future. “The boys have just mentioned that they want to focus on getting well, and get back to their families,” he said. “They don’t want to think beyond that. If they started (the printing business) back up, it would have to be created from scratch.” He paused, possibly reflecting on where their lives were before the blast. “It’s a game changer.” Brothers Andrew and Dillon Ryan ran Platinum Printing together. (Special to The Chandler Arizonan)

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THE SUNDAY SANTAN SUN NEWS | SEPTEMBER 12, 2021

Left: Jim McNamara, a Fire Science instructor at EVIT, is shown in a photo a few days after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attack on the World Trade Center. “The truck behind me was providing the power for the command post,” he said. (Special to the Tribune) Right: Fire Science students at EVIT learn from someone who worked on one of America’s greatest disasters: Jim McNamara, part of the technical response team at the World Trade Center Sept. 11, 2001. (Pablo Robles/Staff photographer)

9/11: ‘I knew I would know people there’ BY TOM SCANLON Staff Writer

Students in Jim McNamara’s Fire Science classes at the East Valley Institute of Technology main campus in Mesa learn, according to the program website, “basic fire science fundamentals and technical rescue.” McNamara was part of one of the

largest, most complex, technical rescue efforts in American history: the 9/11 attacks response. On Sept. 11, 2001, McNamara was at his Long Island home, getting ready for a doctor’s appointment. “You better turn on the news,” his wife told him. Like millions of others, McNamara

watched live footage of the World Trade Center as smoke poured out of the North Tower – and then saw a plane fly into the South Tower. At the time, McNamara was the Nassau County fire marshal, a teacher at Nassau County Fire Service Academy and volunteer firefighter. “After the attacks, my technical res-

cue team was activated,” he said. Within hours, his boots were on the smoldering grounds of the World Trade Center, where two giant towers collapsed, killing 2,606 people. (Another 125 were killed at the Pentagon and 265 passengers of four planes that crashed died.) See

911 on page 8

2 EV fire chiefs brought back a piece of tragedy BY CECILIA CHAN Staff Writer

For Jim Jobusch, the Tuesday morning 20 years ago on Sept. 11 began uneventfully as he prepared to head into work as Gilbert’s assistant fire chief. But then the phone rang. “I got a phone call from my motherin-law asking, ‘have you seen what was happening in New York City?’” recalled Jobusch, now the town’s fire chief. “I turned on the TV and saw that a plane had flown into one of the towers. I initially thought it was an accident and as I was watching I saw another plane fly into the tower and then I started realize what was happening. There was lot of confusion obviously and it kind of halted our day.” “There were lots of emotions that day, starting with, is it real to see what we saw on TV,” said Jobusch, who tracked the event as he tried to get through the work day. “It was very surreal and then as we started to see more pictures of people fleeing and the buildings collapse and people falling and jumping out of windows, it became very sad and emotional and from there just curiosity what was going on.” What especially hit home for Jobusch were the 343 New York firefighters who lost their lives that day, rushing into the two burning towers, both 110

Former Gilbert Fire Chief Collinn DdeWitt and current Fire Chief Jim Jobusch brought a piece of a girder from the World Trade Center back from New York City and raised money to have it made as the centerpiece of the town’s commemoriation of the victims of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. (Pablo Robles/ Staff Photographer)

stories, before their collapse. “It’s a brotherhood across the country,” Jobusch said. “We all do the same things. Yeah, that was quite shocking as well. When we heard it was over 300 firefighters that had died, that magnitude is just amazing. When you hear it nothing even comes close to that in our lifetime.” What happened that day in Lower Manhattan, Pennsylvania and Washing-

ton, D.C. stayed with Jobusch and especially with then-Chief Collin DeWitt, who retired in 2013. DeWitt learned that The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, which owns and operates the World Trade Center, was going to make the remnants of the twin towers available once the investigation was completed and submitted an application as soon as he could.

“He stayed aware of that and once they opened that application, he submitted one on behalf of the Town for one of the remnants,” Jobusch said. “We didn’t know what it would be or anything about it. It took about two years to unfold and finally we were notified in late 2010 that we would be receiving a piece of steel from the towers.” Jobusch said his predecessor saw the importance of bringing back an artifact from the World Trade Center to Gilbert. “Even almost 10 years later the memories were very clear,” he said. “People are still drawn to recognizing the day every year and (he) thought wouldn’t it be nice to have something to build a memorial for people to go and remember what happened and for later generations to learn. He had a vision to bring that here so we could continue to recognize and honor those who had died that day.” The town had the option of having the remnant delivered but the cost was greater than if they picked up the piece themselves, according to Jobusch. So that’s what they did. In March 2011, the two took turns driving a pick-up truck hitched with a trailer nearly 2,500 miles, reaching Queens, New York, in three days. See

911 MEMORIAL on page 9

THE SUNDAY SANTAN SUN NEWS | SEPTEMBER 12, 2021

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911

from page 6

Of the World Trade Center deaths, 343 were firefighters who responded to the scene. Some were McNamara’s friends. “Almost all Nassau County was volunteer firefighters, so a lot of them were New York City firefighters. And police officers also were volunteers. I also taught at the fire academy, so I knew other instructors who were New York City firefighters or cops,” McNamara said. As he and 15 others on his team drove in a truck across the East River to Manhattan, they could see the huge columns of smoke. After seeing the first tower collapse on TV, McNamara instantly understood this was a mass-casualty situation. And that it would be personal. “I knew I would know people there,” he said. His sense that faces he knew would be among the deaths came true. “From my battalion, we lost five firefighters. From the (fire) academy, we lost three instructors,” he said. Once his team arrived at the site, even as the sounds of responder distress units filled the smoky, dusty air, McNamara directed his mind away to what he was trained to do – away from “do I know the guy with that chirper?” As he recalled during a class break, “You kind of compartmentalize things. That was pretty much the thing the night of the 11th....When you’d run into friends, you’d immediately give them a

THE SUNDAY SANTAN SUN NEWS | SEPTEMBER 12, 2021

giant bear hug. “Then you’d say, ‘Did you hear about Tommy?’ Or George. Or ‘Brian’s missing.’ You kind of go down a roll call.” Jim McNamara remembers the friends he lost every day – especially every Sept. 11. The smiling faces he forces himself to focus on will be sharp in his mind this Saturday, the 20th anniversary of 9/11. As 14 years in Mesa have not put a dent in his New York accent, so his memories will never fade. “What you try and do when you talk about (9/11) is think of your friends

According to a Sept. 11, 2020, report by New York City TV station ABC Channel 6, “Twenty-seven former New York City firefighters have died of 9/11-related illnesses in the past year, bringing the total number of firefighters killed after the World Trade Center attacks to 227.” Asked about his own health, McNamara gives a short sigh. “I’m in pretty good shape,” McNamara said. “I had to get rid of my thyroid, I take a pill for that. And I’ve got some kidney issues. “But knock wood, I’m better than a lot of my friends.”

you try and do when you talk about (9/11) “isWhat think of your friends before the incident. The good times you had with those people or working alongside of them. That’s what I try to remember. ”

– Jim McNamara

before the incident. The good times you had with those people or working alongside of them. That’s what I try to remember,” McNamara said. “The day itself, those images you’ll never get out of your head. The smells will never get out of you.” To honor his fallen comrades, McNamara spoke at the city of Mesa’s 20th Anniversary Commemoration yesterday, Sept. 11. McNamara will honor not just those who died on that historic day in 2001, but those responders who passed away since.

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As he points out: “More guys died since 9/11 than on 9/11.” Indeed, the World Trade Center Health Program says 3,496 deaths are attributed to a variety of illnesses related to the Sept. 11 attacks. Some of those who died lived in the area of the attacks. Others responded to the damage, breathing in toxic fumes in lower Manhattan and the other two 9/11 plane crash sites, in rural Pennsylvania and at the Pentagon. Twenty years ago, McNamara had extensive training and experience in techni-

cal rescue, which has six disciplines: rope rescue, confined space rescue, vehicle/ machinery rescue, structural collapse rescue, trench rescue and water rescue. According to McNamara’s EVIT biography, he responded to the Avianca plane crash in 1990 and TWA flight 800 explosion and wreck in 1996. On Sept. 11, 2001, McNamara’s team quickly shifted from “rescue” to “recovery” mode. “Our heavy rescue (truck) had a big generator on it. We set up a command post on basketball courts or tennis courts on the northwest section of the center. We were all over the site,” McNamara said. “My technical rescue team was trained on rope rescue, high angle rescue, building collapse, heavy machinery… “There were very few people rescued after that first day. The rescues were made predominantly before the towers came down.” His team was instructed to leave plane parts in place and focus on personal items. Many of those who died left hardly a trace, pulverized into dust by the weight of the towers collapsing. “It was important to get closure by bringing something home to (families),” McNamara said. “One cop was identified by the serial number on his gun.” Six years after the 9/11 disaster, McNamara, wife Gail and sons Jimmy and Joey left New York for Arizona. Being literally on an island outside See

911 on page 9

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THE SUNDAY SANTAN SUN NEWS | SEPTEMBER 12, 2021

911 MEMORIAL

from page 6

“We had no idea what we were getting,” Jobusch said. “Collin had given them an idea of what he was thinking and we would mainly build around what we could bring back.” The Port Authority had stored and preserved pieces of building steel, first-responders’ vehicles and other objects recovered from the wreckage of the World Trade Center site inside a hangar at John F. Kennedy International Airport “We went to the hangar, check in and waited our turn in line,” Jobusch said. “There were numerous other firefighters and police coming that day to pick up their remnants as well.” The World Trade Center’s death tally that November morning included 23 New York City Police officers and

911

37 Port Authority Police officers. What stood out for Jobusch as he waited was how the departments located near New York handled the artifacts they received. “Lot of the cities back there got remnants and treated it almost like it was a fallen firefighter,” he said. “They had the Honor Guard there and saluted when (a piece) was brought out there. “We were going to pick up steel and it became so much more emotional and we realized what it meant for the people who lived in that area. It was so much deeper with them and they treated it with great honor.” So, when a forklift brought over an 8-foot steel girder that once supported the North Tower, Jobusch understood the impact more. “We were watching as they brought the steel (girder) out and loaded it onto the trailer and noticed the character

from page 8

Manhattan was part of the reason for leaving: “We always thought, could this happen again?” But coming here was mostly for practical reasons. “The No. 1 reason why we left was the cost of living in New York. It’s so much cheaper to live in Mesa than New York. I tease my friends back there that I pay in taxes in a year what they pay in a month,” he said with a laugh. No longer an active firefighter, McNamara enjoys teaching the next

The late Mike Ritter, a cartoonist for the East Valley Tribune, a sister paper of the SanTan Sun News, published this work the day after the terror attacks. (Special to SanTan Sun News)

and size and it brought out those emotions again,” he said. “You’re looking at it and (asking) where was it in the building and what happened to bring this to the particular shape it was in – it was bent.” By the time the Port Authority’s distribution program ended in 2016, it had doled out over 2,600 items pulled from the heap of the twin towers to 50 states and 10 nations for the creation of permanent memorials for the public, according to a department news release. Other municipalities in the Valley that acquired a piece from the WTC included Peoria and Chandler. It took Jobusch and DeWitt another three days to haul the beam back to Gilbert. As they stopped at gas stations to refuel, people would approach them, touch the girder and some would cry, Jobusch recalled.

Back home, the department held several fundraisers to pay for fabricating the memorial and raised $74,000. Gilbert unveiled the memorial in front of its Town Hall building on the 10th anniversary of 9/11. The steel beam is mounted on a base surrounded by four granite slabs, bearing the names of the nearly 3,000 victims. “What makes me a little proud is when I see others there looking at it. Before COVID hit, I would see school field trips at the memorial when the teachers are talking about it. “We’re now to the point where anyone in their 20s doesn’t remember it or those who have not lived through it, to explain to them the events and how unifying it was for this country, something we miss today – that makes me very proud that we were able to do something like that and that it will be here for a very long time.”

generation of responders. “A lot of kids have graduated (from EVIT) and gone on to become firefighters, EMT’s, wildland firefighters,” he said. Asked why his students say they want to become firefighters, McNamara chuckled. “The profession chooses you,” he said. “It’s in your blood: wanting to help people.” His father was a firefighter, as well as several uncles and cousins. “It’s kind of a family business.” After the Saturday ceremony at the Mesa Amphitheatre, he planned to jump in his car and drive to Las Vegas, where

he typically remembers 9/11 with firefighter friends who retired to Nevada. Though he wishes he could forget much of Sept. 11, the next day is a cherished memory. On the morning of Sept. 12, 2001, after working at the World Trade Center for nearly 24 hours, McNamara made his way back to Long Island. “Coming home on the 12th, you were tired, your eyes were all burnt, itchy, scratchy, red bloodshot. I remember pulling into my neighborhood and seeing American flags on every house. “Nobody wants to relive the 11th, but the 12th was a special day.”

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SRP

from page 1

have now) is not sufficient,” said Zack Heim, SRP’s project manager. To fix this problem, SRP plans to build a new substation on the Ocotillo campus to deliver 230 kilovolts. To get it the juice it’s going to need, SRP will need to reroute power lines from two existing substations. And that is where some disruption may come for residents who live to the east of Intel’s facility. “They will work closely with the city on construction sequencing,” said Ryan Peters, the city’s senior initiatives director. “We have commitments from them to work with us around the school and other sensitive areas.” The school is the Independence Campus of Chandler Traditional Academy and Heim said it will require special attention. The current plan is to feed the new substation with lines coming from the Henshaw substation on Old Price Road

THE SUNDAY SANTAN SUN NEWS | SEPTEMBER 12, 2021

north of Queen Creek, and the Schrader substation near Ocotillo Road and the railroad tracks. Most of the lines through neighborhoods will be underground. However, they will not be underground from the Schrader substation down the railroad tracks to Chandler Heights Road. This was the top topic as participants asked during the open houses: Why not? Heim explained putting lines underground is 10 times more expensive than keeping them overhead. He said it is unfair to pass that cost along to all of its customers, because only a few will benefit. So, the utility needs a partner to make it work. The City of Chandler is that partner to putting the lines underground along Chandler Heights Road, Alma School Road, Lake Drive and Chaparral Way to the Intel campus. Intel is the partner for keeping the lines underground on their campus. Peters said that yes, the city is agreeing to pay the extra cost of put-

ting those lines underground in those neighborhoods. However, he said they expect to recoup those funds in the form of SRP grants. He said they negotiated that as part of deal for giving SRP $4.5 million worth of easements on city land to do this project. Heim said residents in the area will notice the disruption, but they aim to make it as easy for them to get about as possible. “There will be some lane closures, but we plan to maintain thru traffic at all times,” Heim said. “Chaparral and Lake are different, more narrow. And we have the complexity of the school in that area.” He said when they do their trenching operations they will make sure there’s no impact on parents’ ability to drop off or pick up their children. “Most of the construction activities will happen during school breaks,” Heim said. “There may be some restrictions on travel, but we intend to do everything we can to make it easier.”

Before any of that can happen, the project must first be approved by the Arizona Corporation Commission. SRP is collecting public comments as part of its application process. It hopes to submit the application by the end of this month. Heim said a hearing would then be likely in November, with the earliest a decision could be made coming at the end of this year, or early in 2022. Once they get approval, he said they plan to start breaking ground immediately on the new substation. Connecting the lines to it would come later in the spring. When it is done, most residents won’t have to look at power lines in their neighborhoods and Intel will have the power it needs to ramp up manufacturing with two new factories to address the current worldwide microchip shortage. And it can start filling all those jobs it has promised. “We’re always eager to find solutions that work with the characteristics of our community,” Peters said.

Chandler officials pleased with last year’s Census push BY KEN SAIN Staff Writer

Leah Powell, Chandler’s neighborhood resources director, freely admits she was worried going into the 2020 Census. That’s because millions of dollars were hanging in the balance. “We’re pleased with the result,”

Powell said. “We worked very hard in a difficult time to get the word out.” Powell was put in charge of the city’s efforts to convince people to fill out the Census form so they would be counted. The federal, state and county government decide on which programs to fund based, in part, on population. If you have more people, you usually get more money. That’s why despite

only so much undeveloped land left, and only 14 percent of that is planned for residential.” The city’s long-term plan is for a population of about 300,000. They expect to approve between 5,000 and 10,000 new housing units in the coming decade. Once all the land is developed, then the only option for new housing will be redeveloping, Andrea said.

We are about 92 percent filled out, the city’s “ planning analyst for the past 20 years. there’s only so much undeveloped land left, and only 14 percent of that is planned for residential. ”

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a global pandemic, the city pushed to ensure everyone living within its borders returned a Census form. “We tried to think outside the box,” Powell said. “We had amazing teamwork, and our actual numbers came in higher than all the projections.” One of their more successful efforts was an ice cream truck. They sent one into low-reporting areas, offering people the chance to get some ice cream with a message to fill out their Census form. “We had people filling them out while they were eating ice cream,” Powell said. They also targeted an international grocery store, trying to entice Asians and Latinos who shop there. To help bring the message home, they enlisted “trusted voices” in the community to help convince people it was in their best interest to return the Census form. The final numbers show Chandler remains Arizona’s fourth largest city with about 276,000 people after growing nearly 17 percent since the 2010 count. City officials say it is unlikely they’ll match that pace in the 2030 Census. “We are about 92 percent filled out,” said Sam Andrea, the city’s planning analyst for the past 20 years. “There’s

The city’s master plan tried to find the right balance between housing, retail, businesses that provide jobs, and the infrastructure to support all of that. Powell gave city leaders high marks for coming up with the plan and sticking to it. “Decades of councils have stuck to the plan, even when there might have been a lot of pressure from homebuilders to change it,” she said. “It’s not very often that they have changed something.” She also credited city staff for help-

ing develop the long-term master plan that led to the growth. Chandler is becoming a more diverse city – a trend Powell says is likely to continue. About 47 percent of the city’s population comes from minority groups. It was only 38 percent in 2010. The largest minority population in Chandler are Latinos, at more than 62,000. They are followed by people of two races at close to 37,000, then Asians at 33,000. People who checked other race came in at 22,500, and Blacks or African Americans were at 16,500. There are about 5,300 Native Americans living in Chandler. The final category people could check was Native Hawaiian and other Pacific Islander. There are 660 of them living in the city. Arizona did not gain enough new residents to earn a 10th Congressional seat. The Independent Redistricting Commission will be redrawing districts based on the latest numbers. There could be some significant changes because of the massive growth in Gilbert. However, not enough residents turned in Census forms to earn the state another seat in the U.S. House of Representatives. Perhaps next time they’ll steal Chandler’s idea and send out more ice cream trucks.

Arizona’s largest cities Rank 1 2 3 4 5

City Phoenix Tucson Mesa Chandler Gilbert*

2020 1,608,139 542,629 504,258 275,987 267,918

2010 1,445,632 520,116 439,041 236,123 208,453

Change +11.2% +4.1% +14.9% +16.9% +28.5%

*Gilbert moved ahead of Glendale as Arizona’s fifth largest city in this Census.

THE SUNDAY SANTAN SUN NEWS | SEPTEMBER 12, 2021

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FLIX

from page 1

THE SUNDAY SANTAN SUN NEWS | SEPTEMBER 12, 2021

years ago and was expanding rapidly until the pandemic hit. At the time of bankruptcy, court documents showed Studio Movie Grill had $100,000 in cash. “I am honored to have the opportunity to provide three more California communities with jobs that pay fair wages, and a space for each neighborhood to come together for great cinema experiences,” said Schultz in a statement when he formed LOOK Dine-In. “I firmly believe in the magic of going to the theater so I hope that after a year of isolation that we start to see more and more communities going back to the movies.” Chandler City Council signed off on the the Flix sale because it had granted a Government Property Lease Excise Tax to the property. That’s a tax incentive given in exchange for bringing in jobs or specific types of businesses to a desired location. Any new tenant of the building seeking to do something other than a movie theater would have to get Council’s approval to maintain the GPLET. Texas-based Flix opened the Chandler theater in December 2018 to much fanfare. It promised a unique movie experience, combining a theater, microbrewery, and restaurant and was to be the anchor for the 77,000-square foot Overstreet development. Flix had a concept similar to Alamo Drafthouse Cinema, which opened in south Chandler in 2016.

The Flix Chandler movie house downtown has been leased to a new theater company. (File photo)

As it did to movie theaters across the country, the pandemic devastated the industry. Many theaters remained closed for months as major studios delayed releasing films and government shutdown orders were in force to curb the virus’ spread. Flix tried to reopen in September 2020, but could only keep its doors open a couple of months before announcing it was closing again. Both Flix’s and Alamo’s national chains filed for bankruptcy protection last year. While Flix initially filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy last October with the intent of reorganizing its finances, some

banks owed millions have asked the court to order the company liquidate all its assets, court records show. The bankruptcy case has not yet been resolved. The case marked a major change in Flix’s fortunes. In 2018, Flix was eyeing revenue totaling $50 million – an increase well over the $35 million in revenue it reported in 2017. It projected $100 million by 2000 as it continued opening new theaters in Oklahoma and Texas. Though some pundits predicted last year the rise of Netflix and Amazon streaming services would doom movie

theaters, Reagan told local reporters there was room for both movie theaters and streaming services to thrive. Flix completed a $13 million funding earlier in 2018 and had another $13 million in capital committed. It also was the anchor of the much-ballyhooed Overstreet project, which city officials in 2018 said would spark a major rejuvenation of downtown Chandler. Cushman & Wakefield in December announced that the 31,804-square-foot Overstreet building, comprising two separate ground-level retail spaces with a contiguous second floor of office spanning across an interior street between the retail, was acquired by Overstreet Project, LLC, a Nevada company, for $12.3 million. “Overstreet is a rare mixed-use property situated in one of the most sought-after markets in the greater Phoenix area, and offering stable, longterm tenancy,” said Wichterman. “The project is ideally positioned at a hard-corner location along Arizona Avenue, the area’s main thoroughfare, with access from three roadways in the center of Downtown Chandler, an eclectic ‘urban’ environment containing hip restaurants, shops and entertainment venues,” he noted. Overstreet Chandler consists of approximately 58 percent office and 42 percent retail space, Cushman & Wakefield said in a release, adding: “The property features cutting edge architecture and interior improvements See

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COMMUNITY NEWS

THE SUNDAY SANTAN SUN NEWS | SEPTEMBER 12, 2021

CUSD joins class action suit against e-cigarette maker BY KEN SAIN Staff Writer

The Chandler Unified School District is joining more than 100 others across the country in going after the vaping industry. The Governing Board voted at its Aug. 25 meeting to join current litigation against Juul Labs, the largest seller of e-cigarettes in the U.S. “The purpose of the litigation is to compensate school districts for their damages, and expenses, enforcing their rules that prevent electronic cigarettes, and vaping inside schools and near school grounds,” said Joel Sannes, a lawyer at Udall Shumway which is working with the district. Sannes told the board at the meeting the three law firms behind the litigation approached the district to see if they wished to be part of it. About 160 districts around the country, including several in Arizona, have already agreed to join the lawsuit The three law firms working together in this case are Keller Rohrback, Grant Woods, and the Law Office of Joseph C. Tann. They claim Juul marketed its products to teens and children. As a result, youth nicotine use has been on the rise. The use of tobacco products fell by 73 percent among high school students from 2000 to 2017. That changed after

Vaping devices are seized by school employees almost every day that kids are on campus. These were confiscated in the Tempe Union High School District. (File photo)

Juul started selling its products in 2015. In 2017 and 2018 the number of American teens using tobacco jumped 40 percent. A Stanford University School of Medicine study concluded Juul’s advertising was “patently youth oriented” with vivid colors, youthful models and candy-like flavors. It claimed there was an 80 percent increase in high school students vaping. It also found a 50 percent increase in

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the number of middle school students using e-cigarettes. Lawsuits already filed against Juul say company founders Adam Bowen and James Monsees set out on a path to “refresh the magic and luxury of the tobacco category” and reach “consumers who aren’t perfectly aligned with traditional tobacco products” in order to recreate the lost “ritual and elegance that smoking once exemplified.” “By design, a cornerstone of the product’s commercial success is its addictive nature,” the suit states. “JUUL is, in many ways, the paradigmatic startup. It has all the markings of Silicon Valley success: staggering profit margins, meteoric growth and status as a cultural phenomenon.” Indeed, the company in three months reached a valuation of $10 billion, according to the suit, which cited statements Monsees has given in interviews that said internal documents he obtained from lawsuits against tobacco product manufacturers helped the company design equally addictive products. Specific numbers for the Chandler Unified School District were not available. CUSD Spokesman Terry Locke said the person who compiled that information recently left for another opportunity. Locke said the district wants to be

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compensated for its prevention and treatment programs, detection devices, as well as time school resource officers have devoted to enforcement. It also wants to be compensated for programs designed to help students catch up because of time missed because of vaping. He said the district also loses money for every absence caused by vaping, whether it be because of health issues or suspensions. The questions the Governing Board asked during the hearing focused on possible legal costs they would have to pay if the courts ruled in Juul’s favor. Sannes told them that is a possibility, but not much of one. “It’s highly unlikely, as far as you can get on the scale of highly unlikely, (that) the District might be required to pay attorneys’ fees if it didn’t prevail.” Sannes said it is slightly more possible the District might have to pay court costs if it ends up on the losing side, but still said that it unlikely. He said the most likely scenario is this case will end up being settled out of court. Juul also faces litigation from a number of state attorneys general, including Arizona’s. The reason it is the main target is because it controls about 70 percent of the e-cigarette market. The company has claimed its products are for adult use only. Critics say it tried to appeal to youth by offering flavors such as mango, fruit, creme and cucumber. University of California San Francisco researchers found five to eight times more nicotine in a Juul pod than in other tobacco products. “There should be no easy access to school-age children for marketing and distribution of vaping products,” Locke said. In a lawsuit joined by Kyrene School District two years ago, attorneys said, “It is not an overstatement to say that JUUL has changed the educational experience of students across the nation.” “JUUL use has completely changed school bathrooms – now known as ‘the JUUl room’…The ubiquity of JUUL use in high school bathrooms has generated numerous online spoofs about ‘the JUUL room.’ “Kids have also coined the term See

VAPE on page 15

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THE SUNDAY SANTAN SUN NEWS | SEPTEMBER 12, 2021

Chandler couple rebrand their movie houses SANTAN SUN NEWS STAFF

The movie house in Chandler that once went by the name of “Alamo” has rebranded under the parent company called Majestic Theaters Arizona. Chandler residents and owners Kim and Craig Paschich rebranded all three of their theaters, including those in Gilbert and Tempe. “Majestic will offer in-theater service at your seat, where guests can

FLIX

from page 12

and also includes a large digital media billboard that wraps the corner of the neighboring building. A 350-stall, five-story public parking garage provides on-site parking. “The property is 100 percent leased to a high-quality, synergistic tenancy including a breakfast hot spot, Mexican food, burgers, tea, ice cream and an

VAPE

from page 14

‘nic sick’ – which, as one high school student explained to CBS News, ‘kinda seems like a really bad flu, like, just out of nowhere. Your face goes pale, you start throwing up and stuff, and you just feel horrible.’”

experience full-service dining during their movie,” they said in a release, adding that all three locations will have “No Talking, No Texting” policies and age guidelines “with the intent of promoting good movie manners.” Majestic Chandler will continue presenting first-run films, art house favorites, interactive movie parties, and live events with celebrity appearances. New features include a refreshed food and beverage menu, including grill

favorites; “the lowest online movie ticketing fees in Arizona”; and more flexible attendance policies for kids. A loyalty program and upgraded technology will be introduced over the coming months, they said. “We’re offering the best from before, and so much more,” said Craig Paschich, CEO. “Our Majestic family is readying to open the doors to a new beginning and make great memories with our guests.”

Majestic 9 is located at 4955 S. Arizona Ave., north of Chandler Heights in Chandler. Majestic 8 in Gilbert is at 5478 S. Power Road, south of Ray Road. Majestic 7 in Tempe sits at 1140 E. Baseline Road, east of Rural Road. The Paschiches have owned the movie houses since 2016. They also rent the theaters for private events, corporate meetings, celebrations, fundraisers and similar activities. Information: MajesticPHX.com.

industry leader in healthcare reimbursement on the second floor." What happens to the former Flix building is important for Chandler’s future. “That corner is not as active as it was before,” Moyers said. “We would like to rejuvenate that area. Certainly, there’s a hole there.” She said since it’s a relatively new building and designed specifically to be a theater and brewpub, that would be their preference for a new tenant. But

with Flix out of the picture and Alamo already having a similar business just down the road, it removed the two leading chains as possible tenants. “There are other groups,” Moyers said. “The movie industry as a whole is redefining itself because of COVID. There are some smaller chains that are coming in and trying to make their marks.” She had told Council the city wants whatever happens to the building to be related to entertainment if it’s not

possible to remain a theater. “The property is currently fully constructed as a theater, and there is quite frankly a lot of capital investment in that building that is specifically tailored to a theater,” said Kevin Mayo, Chandler’s planning administrator. Moyers said it would be a waste for it to be anything other than a theater. “It’s less than 2 years old; it’s in pristine shape,” Moyers said. “It would be a shame.”

The suit says “rampant JUUL use has effectively added another category to teachers’ and school administrators’ job descriptions; many now receive special training to respond to the various problems that JUUL use presents, both in and out of the classroom.” “Some schools have responded by removing bathroom doors or even shut-

ting bathrooms down and schools have banned flash drives to avoid any confusion between flash drives and JUULs. “Schools have also paid thousands of dollars to install special monitors to detect vaping, which they say is a small price to pay compared to the plumbing repairs otherwise spent as a result of students flushing vaping paraphernalia

down toilets. Other school districts have sought state grant money to create new positions for tobacco prevention supervisors, who get phone alerts when vape smoke is detected in bathrooms.” It also notes that JUUL even targeted summer camps with kids as young as 8 in an effort to push its vaping products.

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THE SUNDAY SANTAN SUN NEWS | SEPTEMBER 12, 2021

Rains of August elevate infected mosquito risk BY PAUL MARYNIAK Executive Editor

As Chandler and the rest of the nation struggle with the ongoing menace of COVID-19, another public health danger is becoming a bigger threat here. West Nile virus – long considered a permanent public health threat in the Valley and Arizona – has become particularly menacing as a result of last month’s heavy rains. The mosquito-borne threat already has hit home in various parts of the Valley. Two Ahwatukee residents between the ages of 40 and 60 from different households were hospitalized for multiple days. While one has been discharged, the other has been moved to a rehab facility. TV Channel 3 broadcast a report on a Peoria man who is in the hospitalized paralyzed by the disease and the Maricopa County Department of Public Health announced that West Nile Virus has claimed its first life of the season. “We all need to do our part to protect ourselves, our family and our neighborhoods from mosquito-borne diseases,” said Dr. Rebecca Sunenshine, medical director of the Disease Control Division at Maricopa County Department of Public Health. “With so much rain this summer, we all need to stay mindful of eliminating standing water where mosquitos can breed, like pet

to do “ourWepartall toneedprotect

Dr. Crystal Hepp, an assistant professor at NAU’s School of Informatics, Computing, and Cyber Systems, was the lead researcher in a 2019 study that analyzed the genetic material of West Nile Virus directly from mosquitos collected mainly in Maricopa County. (Courtesy of NAU)

dishes, potted plants, and even toys.” She said 36 human cases of West Nile Virus have been reported so far this year – a sharp increase over the three cases reported last year that resulted in one death. “This is a significant increase in cases,” the department said. “The individual who died was an older adult who also had other health conditions. While adults over 60 and those with chronic health conditions are most at risk for serious complications of West Nile vi-

rus, young healthy individuals can also get severe disease.” The Maricopa County Environmental Services Department, which conducts aggressive year-round mosquito surveillance and abatement programs, reported a nearly 400 percent increase in positive West Nile virus mosquito samples compared to all of last year. The Arizona Department of Health Services last Friday reported two deaths statewide so far this year and a total 451 cases of illness.

ourselves, our family and our neighborhoods from mosquito-borne diseases, with so much rain this summer, we all need to stay mindful of eliminating standing water where mosquitos can breed, like pet dishes, potted plants, and even toys.

”

– Dr. Rebecca Sunenshine

Residents of Ahwatukee Lakes have been particularly vocal here in expressing concern about the half-filled lakes providing a more potent breeding ground for infected mosquitoes. “The large body of untreated standing water by Lakeside…continues to place all of us at risk for infectious diseases such as West Nile Virus,” resident Jayne Russell wrote. See

NILE on page 17

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THE SUNDAY SANTAN SUN NEWS | SEPTEMBER 12, 2021

ARIZONA 2021 WEST NILE VIRUS STATISTICS

Arizona Department of Health Services of infectious Disease Services

HUMAN CASES of West virus infections identified among Arizona residents

Above: This chart by Maricopa County Environmental Health Services Department shows confirmed cases of mosquitoes with West Nile Virus that it has tested over the years. The figures for 2021 were last updated Friday, Sept. 3. (Maricopa County) Right: Infected mosquitoes carry West Nile Virus, which has already put two Ahwatukee residents in the hospital. (Special to SanTan Sun News)

NILE

from page 16

West Nile virus can cause severe disease, though only about one in five of those infected will develop any symptoms at all. Those who do develop symptoms usually experience a flu-like illness, including fever, headache, body aches and muscle weakness. About one in 150 victims infected can develop encephalitis or meningitis, an inflammation of the brain or of the spinal cord. “This more severe form of the disease can present with headache, neck stiffness, vision loss, paralysis and other neurologic symptoms,” the department said. “These severe cases can lead to very prolonged illness, permanent paralysis or death. Those who are over 60 years old, have underlying medical conditions or have depressed

immune systems are at higher risk for the more severe form of West Nile Virus.” Animals, particularly horses, also can be sickened by infected mosquitoes. Originally isolated in 1937 in the West Nile district of Uganda, Africa, the first Arizona case appeared in 2003, four years after it first emerged in the United States, most likely from bird migrations. A study two years ago by Northern Arizona University and the Translational Genomics Research Institute said Arizona’s moderate temperatures allow West Nile Virus to survive throughout the winter. It usually is active in the summer and fall, dissipating when temperatures reach freezing, something that rarely happens in Maricopa County. “This is the first genomic evidence

of local over-wintering by WNV strains over the course of several years in Arizona,” said Dr. David Engelthaler, co-director of TGen’s Flagstaff-based Pathogen and Microbiome Division, TGen North, and the study’s senior author. “These findings will allow public health officials to better track the virus, allowing for more targeted vector control and public education campaigns.” West Nile Virus samples for the study were collected from mosquitoes trapped weekly at 787 sites throughout the Phoenix metro area by the Maricopa County Environmental Services Department Vector Control Division. “The protocol we created for this study can now be incorporated into routine public health surveillance activities, allowing for better tracking of local viral hotspots, changes in local

viral populations and detection of the emergence of new strains of WNV,” Hepp said. “We are currently conducting WNV surveillance across western states to better understand how permanent Arizona viral populations may be a source for continual reintroductions to other regions and other states,” she added. Maricopa County conducts fogging operations to combat mosquitos and its most recent map shows where they have been launched. Go to maricopa.maps.arcgis.com/apps/webappviewer/index.html?id=c00b3ecbb3344ca2930a30b978184ddd. A calendar of fogging operations is at maricopa. gov/calendar.aspx?CID=51. For other information about West Nile Virus: maricopa.gov/2423/Fightthe-Bite.

Combatting West Nile Virus and its carriers A facemask won’t protect you from West Nile Virus and there are no vaccines and there are no medications to treat it. But people can take precautions – particularly by disrupting infected mosquitoes’ breeding grounds. Here are some tips provided by the Maricopa County Department of Public Health:

In standing water

• Don’t allow any outside water to stand for more than four days. • Cover rainwater barrels with mesh or screen. • Drill holes in the bottom of any unused containers so water can’t collect Remove or drain any standing water • from birdbaths, discarded tires, flowerpots (check the dish underneath the flowerpot), wheelbarrows, barrels, tin cans that are left outdoors. • Keep decorative fountains operational

t? o G ws Ne

or drain the water. Check fountains after rain and at least twice a week. • Change water in animal watering dishes at least twice a week.

Pools

• Immediately remove any water that collects on pool covers. • Make sure the pool’s pump is circulating water properly. • Turn over wading pools when not in use. • Don’t leave out children’s toys, cups, etc.

In Your Eaves & Drains

• Clear leaves and twigs from eaves, troughs, storm and roof gutters. • Make sure that drainage ditches are not clogged. Check flat roofs frequently for any • standing water.

Around yards and lawns

• Fill in any low depression areas in lawns.

• Check knots in trees. • Repair leaky pipes and outside faucets and remove air conditioner drain hoses frequently. • Remove areas such as dense shrubbery where mosquitoes breed and rest. • Let your neighbors know about potential mosquito breeding grounds on their property.

Around the house

• Make certain that door and window screens fit tightly and do not have holes. • If there are no screens, keep doors and windows closed from evening to dawn.

Personal protection

• Stay indoors from dusk to dawn when mosquitoes are most active. If you need to be outdoors during this period, cover up and use insect repellent for extra protection. • If you like to work in your garden, avoid

early morning and evening when mosquitoes are most active. • Wear long-sleeved shirts, long pants and socks when outdoors during these active times. Apply insect repellent to any exposed skin, sparingly: • Do not apply repellent to children’s hands, or near any areas of mucous membrane such as the eyes or mouth. • Do not apply repellent on children under two years of age. • It’s a good idea is to spray any clothing with repellents containing DEET, as mosquitoes easily bite through thin clothing such as cotton t-shirts. • Carefully read and follow manufacturer’s directions for use.

First aid for mosquito bites

• Wash bite with soap and water. • Apply anti-itch medication. • Apply cold cloth for swelling. • Watch for secondary infections.

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 | SEPTEMBER 12, 2021

CUSD student achievement scores exceed state averages BY KEN SAIN Staff Writer

ESSER III Plan Requirements

The coronavirus pandemic has disrupted education in many predictable ways, but one factor in lower test scores may not be so obvious. Many students took their standardized AzMERIT achievement tests using old-fashioned pencil and paper. “We have been doing computer-based testing, but last year we had to revert to paper testing,” said Dr. Jennifer Fletcher, the executive director of accountability, assessment and research for Chandler Unified School District. “Students are used to the tools they have available on a computer, I’m not sure that’s the same for paper and pencil.” Nevertheless, Chandler Unified students overall scored higher than the statewide averages. The percentage of Chandler Unified School District students who achieved proficiency in English totaled 56 percent while 49 percent “passed” the math portion. Results released by the state Department of Education showed that 38 percent of all students statewide showed proficiency in English and 31 percent in math, compared to 42 percent for both tests in 2019, the last year for which test results are available. Tests were not administered last year. Of course, there were many challenges that educators faced in 2020. There was a switch to online learning, mask

The above chart was prepared by Chandler Unified to show an overview of the strategies it plans to use to counter learning loss caused by the disruptions that the pandemic created over the last 18 months. (Chandler Unified School District)

AzMERIT Report Card Here’s the percentage of students that passed the AzMERIT tests in East Valley school districts. District

ELA

Math

Higley Unified Scottsdale Unified Queen Creek Unified Chandler Unified District Gilbert Pubic Schools Kyrene Elementary Mesa Public Schools Tempe Elementary

58 55 53 56 52 51 37 29

56 52 55 49 49 40 31 16

mandates, health and mental health issues, social distancing and other factors that made last year one of the most

challenging in education history. Because of those difficulties, a warning is placed on the front page of

this year’s results, which were released at the end of last month. Basically, it reads, please don’t compare these results to previous years. Overall, Fletcher said, Chandler Unified did well. “We saw only a 1 percent decrease in ELA scores,” she said, referring to English Language Arts. “We did see a larger decline in math, but that might have been related to students not knowing how to use tools in a paper-based test.” She said some of those tools might have included rulers or calculators, things most students use all the time online, but perhaps have little experience offline. Results show four different levels of proficiency and of those who took the test only about 20 percent of CUSD students showed high proficiency in either subject. “We’re pleased that we are outperforming the state,” Fletcher said. “We also looked at the districts that are close to us, and we are doing well compared to them.” Fletcher said one takeaway from these results is a recognition that the district should expand efforts to help students prepare for these tests so they are comfortable doing them both online or with paper and pencil. The tests later this year are expected to revert back to computer-based for K-8 students. One area that may have helped CUSD fare better than many districts, See

MERIT on page 20

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THE SUNDAY SANTAN SUN NEWS | SEPTEMBER 12, 2021

Friend honors best friend with cookies and cocoa been honoring her. Both of them loved Christmas. In October 2019, Chamot introduced Cookies N’ Cocoa, which raises school supplies for Estrella Vista STEM Academy and Tempe’s Rover Elementary School. “I thought I would do an event in honor of her that benefited the school where she worked, Estrella Vista STEM Academy,” said Chamot a 26-year-old Buckeye resident . At a small Christmas get-together, Chamot collected books for the Avondale School that’s in the Littleton

BY CHRISTINA FUOCO-KARASINSKI Staff Writer

Cierra Chamot lost her best friend, Heather Began, when an impaired driver crashed into her car in Phoenix in October 2019. “She was bubbly,” said Chamot, an event tour manager and the office manager for Extreme Faith Productions in Chandler. “She always had a bubbly personality. She lit up any room she walked into. Her smile and laughter were contagious. She was my adventure buddy. We would go on random camping trips around Arizona. She loved her family, friends and God. Those were her three priorities, along with her students.” Since Began’s death, Chamot has

MERIT

from page 18

Fletcher said, is the district's push for more in-person learning than others. “One of the things we’re hearing is anecdotal,” Fletcher said. “In-person learning schools saw less of a decline. So we want to focus on that as much as possible, keeping in mind that we also want to be safe and have our mitigation efforts.” Another possible factor in lower test scores is participation, which was down significantly because of the pandemic. If the usual number of students had taken the test, it could have impacted the district’s overall performance either up or

Cierra Chamot Chamot, who is an event tour manager and the office manager for Extreme Faith Productions in Chandler, wants to continue the legacy of her friend, Heather Began of Avondale.

Elementary School District. Last year, Chamot held a much larger public event that would benefit the two schools. She served free cookies and cocoa and collected school supplies in exchange. “It started as a small Christmas party at my house, honestly,” said Chamot,. “I wanted to do something in honor of Heather — something that supported what she loved, which was her students.” She has also held a book drive, where she collected more than 1,000 books. Her goal was 260. “Obviously, we blew that goal out of the water,” she said. “For the next year, I decided to do the event again, but on a bigger scale.” During the summer this year, ChaSee

(Pablo Robles/Staff Photographer)

down, but there’s no way to know which direction since they didn’t take the test. Fletcher said she hasn’t done a deep look at the subgroups, the breakdown of testing scores by race, gender or other factors. Told that statewide numbers showed white students did better and minority students saw big drops in their scores, she responded: “That probably isn’t surprising, given the access to computers and other tools.” The results show 64 percent of CUSD white students passed the ELA test and 57 percent did the same on math. Asians also fared well, with 78 percent passing both tests.

However, there were significant declines for other racial groups. For African Americans, 39 percent passed the ELA and 24 percent passed the math test. For Hispanic/Latinos, 39 percent passed ELA and 29 percent passed math. Students who have other significant life challenges also fared poorly. Only 23 percent of homeless students passed ELA and 19 percent passed math. The percentages for students with disabilities were 21 percent passed ELA and 18 percent passed math. The challenge is not over. This year is presenting as many problems as last year as far as educating students. “COVID is not going anywhere,” Fletcher said. “There’s a time and place

COOKIES on page 21

for students to work at home, and we have to find a way to keep them engaged so when they come back to school they don’t have a 10-day gap and come back lost and confused.” Fletcher said knowing what she knows now having gone through a pandemic, the advice she would give those in her position five years ago if she could give them a message is focus on improving online education. “No one thought of moving online then,” Fletcher said. “We’ve seen a major impact in the difference between in-person and online learning. If we knew the pandemic was coming, we would have made Google classrooms a priority.”

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THE SUNDAY SANTAN SUN NEWS | SEPTEMBER 12, 2021

from page 20

mot has been building a Christmas attraction. The support has been overwhelming, as donors have given her tools, wood, lights and trees. She is hosting a GoFundMe to raise money for the event. Visit bit.ly/BeganBenefit. Chamot’s plan is to open the walk-thru event on Friday, Dec. 10, at Rover Elementary School, but with the pandemic, the plans could change. “It will be even bigger,” she said. “There will be more to the North Pole, more stops along the way. It’s going to

be a walk-thru this year. “The whole set is built out of wood. For Mrs. Claus’ Bakery, we’re building baking display cases this year. With the GoFundMe, the money will go toward any event costs and anything over and above the event costs will go to school supplies.” Chamot said Began’s family in Illinois is touched that she has done so much to remember her friend. “A couple of her members are coming out this year for the event,” she said. “They’re really excited about it. They share it on Facebook all the time.” Info: Cookies N’ Cocoa, cookiesncocoa.org

Chandler man accused of letting horses suffer SANTAN SUN NEWS STAFF

A Chandler man faces six counts of animal cruelty after police found three malnourished horses. Police said they also recovered evidence indicating that Taha Hussain, 49, may have been slaughtering horses for compensation on his farm near S. McQueen and E. Frye roads, although the charges filed against him make no mention of that. Police said that during an inspection last month they found three horses in poor physical condition. One “had a hard time breathing” and “appeared to have some sort of infection in its lungs” and was “unable to walk without appearing in pain.” Another horse had an infection from unattended hooves and could barely stand and suffered from “large sores that were not being cleaned or treated to prevent infections,” police said in court papers. A third horse appeared underweight and had no food or water even though the temperature outside was 105 degrees, police said. Chandler Police requested the assistance of the Arizona Department of Agriculture and obtained a search warrant that led to the discovery of the animals, estimated to be 17 to 20 years old. The equines were transported to Durango Rescue in Phoenix for treatment. Hussain was booked in Maricopa County Jail on numerous charges,

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THE SUNDAY SANTAN SUN NEWS | SEPTEMBER 12, 2021

Chandler plans Asian festival in October BY KEN SAIN Staff Writer

The wave of anti-Asian hate crimes that have become headlines this summer has not been a big issue in Chandler. “We feel safe here,” said James Park, a local Realtor. Asian-Americans are becoming an increasingly larger part of the city, with a 12 percent rise in their population, according to the 2020 Census. “We have a very large Asian community in Chandler, and we’ve always wanted to hold an event,” said Niki

Tapia, the city’s community resources and diversity supervisor. The city plans to stage its inaugural Asian Moon Festival on Oct. 2-3 at Tumbleweed Park on German Road. “There have been a lot of Asian hate crimes going on, and the more people get to know us, and the more we get to know them, that will help,” said Park, who is president of the Asian Moon Festival. The festival is tied to one of the most important holidays in many Asian nations, the Mid-Autumn Festival. It dates back about three thousand years and is usually held during the first full

moon of autumn. Lanterns are used to light the path to good fortune and people eat mooncakes, a favorite pastry.

come out and have fun. He said they will be safe. The lanterns they plan to use are battery-operated instead of

have been a lot of Asian hate crimes going “on,There and the more people get to know us, and the more we get to know them, that will help. ”

– James Park

Chandler’s event is not just for people of Asian descent, however. One of the highlights of the first Asian Moon Festival will be some Lucha Libre wrestlers. “We’ve invited our Latino brothers and sisters to join us,” Park said. “We wanted to be more inclusive.” Lucha libre has its roots in Mexico where masked men have been stars of that nation’s pro wrestling for about 100 years. Tapia said that is only one of many entertainment options being planned for both days of the festival. She said the Latino community has welcomed becoming involved. “They’re excited to be part of it,” she said. “They get to learn about other cultures, and close to 90 percent of the entertainers have a Latino background.” She said she hopes it’s the start of more multi-cultural events, leading to its major multi-cultural even in January. Park said they want everyone to

PIZZA? CALZONE?

the traditional ones with flames inside. They plan to hand out 600 lanterns to children during the festival. And Tapia said the outdoor space at Tumbleweed is large enough so people can socialize at a safe distance during a pandemic. Park said there’s a reason the Asian population is growing so fast in Chandler. “Asians bring other Asians,” he said. “If they are very happy there, they will tell their friends. Here, we can get out of our homes and still be safe.”

If you go

What: Asian Moon Festival When: Oct. 2-3 Where: Tumbleweed Park, 745 E. German Road More Information: moonfestivalaz@ gmail.com

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THE SUNDAY SANTAN SUN NEWS | SEPTEMBER 12, 2021

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THE SUNDAY SANTAN SUN NEWS | SEPTEMBER 12, 2021

Abortion foes foresee Texas-style ban in Arizona BY HOWARD FISCHER Capitol Media Services

The head of the state’s premier anti-abortion organizations said she is looking to use the newly enacted Texas ban on the terminating a pregnancy after fetal heartbeat has been detected as a template for legislation here. Cathi Herrod, president of the Center for Arizona Policy, said the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision to allow the Texas law to take effect appears to provide a “road map’’ for enacting abortion restrictions in this state that, until now, have been struck down by federal courts. But the key to the Supreme Court action is the difference between SB 8 and all other abortion restrictions. Laws from other states make it a crime to terminate a pregnancy in certain situations or after a certain date, with the state in charge of enforcing the law and prosecuting offenders. For example, a 2012 Arizona law to make it a crime to perform an abortion after 20 weeks was struck down by a federal court, a decision upheld by the Supreme Court. Similar laws from other states have met similar fates. In Texas, however, the law empowers individual citizens – and not necessarily from Texas – to file civil suits against not only abortion providers but anyone who “aids or abets’’ aborting a fetus after a heartbeat has been detected. A judge late last week barred citizens

from going to Planned Parenthood clinics to test the law there. A heartbeat usually occurs about six weeks into pregnancy, which may be before a woman knows she is carrying a child. It also could effectively become a nearly total ban on the procedure based on estimates that at least 85 percent of abortions are performed after that point. Herrod is taking a closer look at what

Herrod isn’t the only one paying attention to the ruling and what it could mean in Arizona. So is Sen. Nancy Barto, R-Phoenix. She is the sponsor of a new Arizona law which makes it a crime, enforceable by the state, to abort a fetus due to “genetic abnor-malities.’’ That law is set to take effect at the end of this month, though there is a lawsuit challenging its constitutionality.

Texas heartbeat law is a road map to what “The other states can do, the Texas heartbeat law is worth of serious consideration by the Arizona Legislature. ’’

– Cathi Herrod

she calls a “novel approach’’ to restricting abortion. “The Texas heartbeat law is a road map to what other states can do,’’ she told Capitol Media Services. “The Texas heartbeat law is worth of serious consideration by the Arizona Legislature.’’ SB 8 spells out that its ban on post-heartbeat abortions is enforced only by individuals who can sue doctors, friends, associ-ates or others that help a women terminate a pregnancy. It even provides for them to recover their legal fees and offers a $10,000 minimum reward for every successful lawsuit.

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Barto said she wants to see how this particular approach to banning abortions at six weeks is considered by the courts on its merits. But the senator indicated she is hopeful. “So far, it’s saving lives,’’ Barto said of the Texas statute. “And that should encourage everyone who care about protecting life in the womb.’’ The ruling, however, concerns Planned Parenthood of Arizona. Spokeswoman Murphy Bannerman pointed out that the law Barto already ushered through actually has some of the same elements of civil enforcement

as the Texas statute. For example, she noted, the law does more than make it a crime to perform an abortion knowing that the reason was the genetic abnormality. It also allows the husband of the woman who has such a procedure to file a civil suit on behalf of the unborn child. And if the women is younger than 18, her parents can sue. What all that means, Bannerman said, is that those who want to preclude this kind of law in Arizona will have to be vigilant. “We are asking for people to email their legislators and tell them that you don’t support abortion bans, that you don’t support some-thing similar to SB 8 being enacted here in our state,’’ she said. Herrod said there are other circumstances where a private citizen can enforce laws. “If you walk by a car that’s locked and you see a child that’s in-side that car, and it’s in our heat and the child is clearly not going to survive, you’re going to bust open the window and save that child,’’ Herrod said. “That’s analogous to what Texas is trying to do, that the private citizen is able to protect that child from the abortionist’s hand.’’ There was no immediate response to the Supreme Court ruling from Gov. Doug Ducey, who has signed every abortion restriction that has reached his desk.

COMMUNITY NEWS

THE SUNDAY SANTAN SUN NEWS | SEPTEMBER 12, 2021

Chandler introduces a new season of CineTime SANTAN SUN NEWS STAFF

CineTime, a diverse collection of regional and international short films presented over a five-episode season is being aired on the Chandler Channel – Cox Cable Channel 11 and Orbital Cable Channel 20 for Sun Lakes. Air times are 8 p.m. daily and the films also can be streamed live at chandleraz. gov/video, and will continue throughout the month until the next debut. The films are: “In Full Bloom” This surrealist short film about

overcoming the loss of a partner has already debuted. After her husband’s death, Cecile becomes an agoraphobic hoarder, gardening indoors without the help of direct sunlight. She orders worms to grow a rare flower. Though they help the flower grow, the development comes at a heavy price. “A Home For Curiosities” This debuts Oct. 1. A young boy discovers a house full of forgotten imaginary friends. “KOPS: Kids on Patrol” and “Blue Birds” – Debut Nov. 1. “KOPS” is about a neighborhood’s kid police force that goes

on patrol to stop one stinky crime. “Blue Birds” is about how two young men spend the day with one another at the park. “Queen Marlene’s Toy Museum and Friends: Traffic Safety Toys” – Debuts Dec. 1. This was produced by The Toy Museum of New York as a pilot episode for a new series called “Queen Marlene’s Toy Museum and Friends.” In this episode, Rainbow Sparkles learns the meaning of different traffic signs. “The Crow and the Pitcher” and “The Chair” – Debut Jan. 1. “Crow is an animated story about a thirsty crow and her ingenuity. “The

Chair” is about how a woman encounters a chair with strange properties. It was created old-school style using only pen and paper and is made up of 2,700 individual drawings. CineTime is a partnership of Chandler’s Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Division, the city Communications and Public Affairs Department and the Chandler International Film Festival. Those who are interested in watching additional short features with an international flair can look forward to the annual Chandler International Film Festival scheduled for Jan. 17-23.

San Tan Charter to students: no cell phones in class SANTAN SUN NEWS STAFF

San Tan Charter School in Gilbert doesn’t take cell phone use by students lightly. While a spokeswoman said “teachers and staff understand that cell phones are useful tools for students,” the school also says there’s a time and place for the devices. And it’s not while they’re in school. “Unfortunately, these handy electronic devices can also be a distraction for students who might be tempted to sneak in a text or check social media instead of paying attention in class,” said Alison Stanton. To minimize those distractions, San Tan Charter School has implemented that cell phone use during classroom instruction.

Brandon Tauscher, principal of the school’s 7-12 Power Campus noted, said the policy applies to students in 7th through 12th grade. He and his staff discussed the issue at the end of last school year and again during pre-service training this summer. “On both occasions we agreed that cell phones are not to be used during class periods,” he said, adding that because San Tan has a laptop for every student, using cell phone technology as a classroom tool is not necessary. “At the end of the day, we know that technology addiction is real, so we are removing the temptation,” he said. Some teachers have “pouches” that hold smartphones in their classrooms, and others have installed wooden cases, Tauscher said. Other teachers have a

policy that students must keep their smartphones turned off and stored in their backpacks. If a student uses his or her smartphone during class, the device is taken from the student by the teacher and brought up to the front office. The student’s parents are then notified and reminded about the policy – and then asked to pick up their child. “We log which students had the cell phone taken from them in class, so if it becomes a consistent problem we can partner with families to discuss a solution,” Tauscher said, adding that so far, students have pretty much complying with the policy – and parents and teachers alike have also been very supportive. Stacy Klopping, whose daughter Adeline is a senior at San Tan Charter School,

said she likes the way the new policy helps to keep everyone in class focused. “I think the importance of not having phones out in the classroom is the elimination of distractions not only for the phone holder, but for all the students who may be easily distracted by someone else’s phone lighting up and flashing,” Klopping said. San Tan Charter School is a K-12 public non-profit tuition free charter school with two campuses in the East Valley within minutes of each other. The Power campus is a Junior High/High School serving students in grades 7-12 and the Recker campus is an elementary school serving students K-6 including a private Montessori preschool and K-6 tuition free Montessori classrooms. Information: santancharterschool.com.

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Rains bring legion of caterpillars to region BY OLIVIA DOW Cronkite News

Kelsey Shaw and her two children were preparing to spend the morning picking up litter along the Salt River when they spotted the dozens of caterpillars in one of the parking lots in recreational areas of the Tonto National Forest off Bush Highway near Saguaro Lake. Although some people cringe at the sight of crawly things, Shaw and her children do not. “We love the caterpillars,” Shaw said, “it’s just been stressful when we’re driving because they (her kids) get really upset about running them over. We don’t want to hurt them. I know some people are absolutely freaking out.” Drive along the Bush Highway and you can’t miss tens of thousands of these caterpillars frantically wriggling to cross as vehicles fly by. They don’t all make it to the other side – many become yellow splotches on the black asphalt. The caterpillars are on a mission to eat as much as they can before becoming white-lined sphinx moths that are found across most of North America. They are hawk moths, which are among the largest in the world, and they’re “fast flyers and often highly aerobatic,” according to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Not only are the caterpillars abundant on roadways, they’re showing up in swimming pools and gardens, and on walls and hiking trails.

Shaw said the timing of her family’s recent outing to pick up litter was excellent. “We actually homeschool,” she said, “and in our curriculum, we were learning about butterflies and moths this week. It was perfect.” In Arizona, monsoon storms stimulate the growth of weeds and other plants, essential food in the caterpillar’s

“Then sometimes you see these ones that are in the road or just wandering across big expanses and people are running over them,” Britton said. “They’re wandering to find their pupation spot.” In the pupation phase, the caterpillar goes into its chrysalis to become a moth. The caterpillar phase lasts about three weeks, and the pupation phase is another three weeks. After that, the

species is the most abundant hawk moth in “all ofThisNorth America, but the highest abundance (is) in the Southwest, they have evolved into semi-arid environments. ”

– Goggy Davidowitz

development. There are more caterpillars than in years past because of the increased rainfall this monsoon season. The white-lined sphinx moth caterpillars are in their “wandering phase,” which takes place right before they burrow underground to pupate, according to Sarah Britton, a doctoral student in entomology at the University of Arizona. Britton studies the pattern of melanism, or color pigments, in the caterpillars. She said these caterpillars sometimes can be found at the tops of plants, and even though they’re large, they keep eating.

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moths, which look like stout hummingbirds with white stripes on primarily brown wings, emerge to live for just seven to 10 days. Dry years also affect the population of the white-lined sphinx moth, according to entomologists. Goggy Davidowitz, an entomology professor at UArizona, said the whitelined sphinx moth can handle the unpredictability of Arizona’s weather patterns – with one caveat. “This species is the most abundant hawk moth in all of North America,” Davidowitz said. “But the highest abun-

dance (is) in the Southwest, they have evolved into semi-arid environments.” Davidowitz, who lives in Tucson, said the rains there can be unpredictable. “So, when there is a good rain season, they (caterpillars) capitalize on that and they’re very prolific and they’ll put in multiple generations. If it’s a bad year, they won’t.” Davidowitz, who spends some of his time researching the white-lined sphinx moth, said the number of moths and caterpillars in Arizona has fallen in the past 15 to 20 years. “Last year, we found when we went out black-lighting, it was a drought year, we got almost no hawk moths at all,” he said. Diminished rainfall and rising temperatures from climate change affect this species’ ability to thrive in Arizona. Since the 1970s, the average temperature has increased more than 3 degrees in Arizona, which is the third fastest-warming state in the country, according to Climate Central. “They can deal with some unpredictability as a species but they still need some monsoons to thrive,” Britton said. “Last year, for example, we didn’t see this many. If it’s years and years and years of very little rain, that’s a big factor, in addition to the temperature.” The white-lined sphinx moth plays a role in pollinating plants in Arizona. This species is considered a “generalist,” meaning it doesn’t have a certain type of plant it consumes or pollinates, Britton and Davidowitz said.

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THE SUNDAY SANTAN SUN NEWS | SEPTEMBER 12, 2021

Vaccine refusal can cost your job– and unemployment BY HOWARD FISCHER Capitol Media Services

People who got fired from their job for refusing to get vaccinated or wear a mask also may have forfeited any right to collecting unemployment benefits. That’s the conclusion of David Selden, a veteran labor law attorney. And he said it’s not just because Arizona is an “at-will’’ employment state where companies can fire workers for no reason at all. But the Department of Economic Security, which administers the benefits, said it may not be that cut and dried. That issue has taken on increasing importance in the wake of an opinion issued last month by Attorney General Mark Brnovich. He concluded that private employers are free to require their workers to be vaccinated against COVID-19. The only requirement is that company must make “reasonable accommodations’’ for those who cannot get vaccinated for medical or disability reasons, or have a “sincerely held religious belief.’’ Selden said that pretty much anyone else who is let go or quits over issues like vaccination or masks has been terminated for refusing to comply with a condition of employment. Jobless benefits generally are limited

to those who are fired through no fault of their own. But refusing to comply with what a company sees as a safety measure, Selden said, is something quite different. He said it might even be considered necessary and good business for employers to get rid of workers that don’t comply. Selden said that during the first

those conditions,’’ Selden said. Tasya Peterson, spokeswoman for DES, said there are multiple factors in state and federal law to determine who is eligible. “Losing a job because of a failure to become vaccinated will not immediately disqualify an individual from benefits in Arizona,’’ she said. Conversely, she said not everyone who loses a job be-

Losing a job because of a failure to become “vaccinated will not immediately disqualify an individual from benefits in Arizona. ’’

– Tasya Peterson

round of COVID, the federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration began inspections and investigations in cases where they saw people working in close proximity to one another, not socially distanced and not using protective gear. He pointed out that OSHA regulations impose a duty on employers to provide a workplace free of recognized hazards. “Working in proximity to people, or where you’re going to be exposed to customers who could potentially be COVID-positive, that could be one of

cause they cannot or will not become vaccinated will be eligible. “All case-by-case reviews will include obtaining information from the individual and the former employer as part of the fact-finding process,’’ Peterson said. Selden acknowledged that, for the moment, it is “an open issue’’ as to whether disregarding an employer’s rule would be misconduct that is contrary to the company’s interest and therefore a justified firing, disqualifying someone from collecting jobless benefits “I think there’s a good argument to be made that yes, it is, because the

employer is trying to provide a safe workplace for all of its employees,’’ he said. Selden said it’s no different than disciplining or firing a worker for violating any other safety rule. Masks may be a bit different. Safety issues aside, he said companies are free to impose dress codes on workers. And all of that is legitimate, he said, as long as there are those reasonable accommodations, like an alternate workspace. That might even include being allowed to work from home. And Selden noted that companies were doing that before, making it hard for them to say that that is no longer possible now. More complicated is determining whether someone has a “sincerely held religious belief’’ that a company would be required to accommodate. Selden noted the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission said that can be based on the religion that people follow. But he said it also can be “a set of beliefs or value systems that takes the same place in that person’s life similar to the role that recognized religions play in the lives of the people who adhere to one of the recognized religions.’’ What that can mean, Selden acknowledged, is a wide-open situation where it could come down to a “do-ityourself’’ belief.

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For more community news visit SanTanSun.com

Local woman’s clinic offers old and new techniques SANTAN SUN NEWS STAFF

Jody Murray’s Chandler clinic combines an ancient healing art with a more contemporary one. The Vermont native, who owns the Longevity Wellness Clinic of AZ at 1807 E. Queen Creek Road, is both a licensed acupuncturist as well as a certified athletic trainer/sports medicine practitioner. Her background positions her to make her goal returning clients quickly and safely to their job, their sport and their life because her twin specialties enable her to manage injuries or illnesses. “I also treat a lot of military veterans who have acupuncture as a VA medical benefit,” Murray explained. “Because acupuncture is a holistic treatment approach, I can address emotional components like PTSD, stress and anxiety.” She’s also trained in other techniques, including dry needling, a specialized form of acupuncture especially suited for musculoskeletal injuries; cupping, GuaSha, a scraping technique; Dynamic and KT taping, soft tissue release and prescriptive stretching. Each visit, Murray explained, incorporates “a thorough evaluation and treatment with multiple modalities, not just acupuncture.” Her training and experience make

Jody Murray of Ahwatukee owns the Longevity Wellness Clinic in Chandler, which offers a variety of services, primarily acupuncture and sports medicine. | (Pablo Robles/AFN Staff Photographer)

her sought after by professional athletes as well as the amateur pickleball player, golfer and tennis player. She also is experienced in helping the recovery of marathon runners and triathletes, partly because of her expertise in treating a variety of issues such as lower-back pain, neck pain, migraine headache, jumper’s knee, and tendinitis. Murray calls acupuncture “a modal-

ity steeped in history with an evidence-based approach.” With an athletic trainer degree from Springfield College in Massachusetts and a master’s in exercise physiology from the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill, Murray studied acupuncture at the New York College of Health Professionals, graduating first in the class of 1997.

“I got into acupuncture because I believed that there was a level of rehab and pain management that ‘traditional’ styles of medicine didn’t address,” Murray said. “It was a three-year program and was the perfect match for what I was already doing. “The science of acupuncture is thousands of years old,” she continued. “While it hasn’t changed our understanding of how and why it works from a western medical model,” she said, “at this point there are thousands of research studies validating the effectiveness of acupuncture.” So much so, she noted, that acupuncture has been “much more commonly used by people than it was in 1997.” “Many insurance companies will now pay for acupuncture and patients can use their health savings accounts to pay for treatments,” Murray pointed out. Acupuncture also helped her expand the services she could offer. Murray started her professional career as an athletic trainer – “not a personal trainer,” she quickly pointed out. She worked in universities and out-patient physical therapy clinics for about 10 years before getting her acuSee

ACUPUNCTURE on page 32

Judge clears way for sports betting in Arizona BY HOWARD FISCHER Capitol Media Services

Arizonans for now are free to lay down bets on any professional or collegiate team after Maricopa County Superior Court Judge James Smith last week rejected a claim by the YavapaiPrescott Indian Tribe that the law approving off-reservation gambling was illegally enacted. Smith specifically rejected arguments that HB 2772, enacted earlier this year, violates the Voter Protection Act, which prohibits lawmakers from altering anything approved at the ballot. Attorney Nicole Simmons, representing the tribe, argued the new law and its sports wagering runs afoul of Proposition 202, a 2002 voter-approved measure limiting casino-style gaming to reservations. Simmons told Smith that the change negotiated by Gov. Doug Ducey could take effect only if voters ratify it. Smith wasn’t buying it, though the final say on the matter may be up to state appelate courts. “Nothing (in Prop 202) hints at forever limiting gambling to certain table games and machines at tribal casinos,’’ he wrote. The judge had also noted during oral arguments earlier in the day that there is what has become known as a “poison pill’’ in that original 2002 agreement.

The Diamondbacks and Caesars Palace unveiled renderings of the sportsbook that will open at Chase Field. The 20,000-square-foot, two-story venue will feature with both indoor and outdoor seating, bar and VIP lounge with 1,500 square feet of LED screens and 10,000 square feet of indoor and outdoor dining space. (Special to SanTan Sun News)

It says that if the state violates the gaming exclusivity of any tribe, it is free to operate as many gaming devices as it wants. Now the Yavapai-Prescott Indian Tribe has a current limit of 936. That verbiage also would allow the tribe to can operate as many types of table games as it wants.

And it would sharply reduce the amount of revenue the tribe is required to share with the state. “With that language, how can I conclude that Prop 202 meant to be some sort of perpetual limit on in Arizona?’’ Smith asked. Both tribes that sign new gaming

compacts with the state as well as various sports franchises can accept sports bets. Those can deal with not only the outcome of events but also the ability to make specific “prop bets’’ on things like yardage per game or even the number of times a player will strike out. And with online wagering and technology, that can occur in real time, even as a game is in progress. The judge also noted that the tribe’s bid to enjoin the new law requires him to determine whether not just it is likely to succeed but also the possibility of irreparable harm. In this case, Smith said, the tribe’s claim was that allowing other forms of gambling in Arizona would result in less revenues. What’s lacking, the judge said, was evidence. Patrick Irvine , who represents state Gaming Director Ted Vogt, told Smith during the hearing there’s an even greater financial harm to the state, which stands to share in all that sports wagering. More to the point, he said the lawsuit comes months after the measure was approved, after the licenses were granted and the companies that have paired with the sports franchises to operate the gaming have invested a lot of money. See

SPORTSBET on page 32

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THE SUNDAY SANTAN SUN NEWS | SEPTEMBER 12, 2021

from page 31

puncture license. And in this day of heightened awareness of good hygiene, Murray pointed out that clean needle technique has always been practiced by licensed acupuncturists “so no adjustment was

really needed to keep my patients safe.” “My treatment space is cleaned and disinfected between every patient, as it always has been,” she said. “Because I am a sole practitioner, I don’t have a lot of patients sitting in a waiting room.” While devoting a considerable amount of time to her patients, Murray also has found that “the other thing that is really

important to me is volunteerism.” She has been on multiple medical missions where she has treated medically underserved populations, including the Navajo Nation. She is on the advisory board of a nonprofit called Project Buena Vista, which works with communities in Peru and has posted a number of blogs

about her experience on her clinic’s website. “I was scheduled to return to Peru the first spring of the pandemic and that was cancelled,” she said, adding she is “still hopeful to return soon.” Information: 203-512-0572 or longevitywellnessaz.com.Information: 203512-0572 or longevitywellnessaz.com.

Longtime EV restaurateur Lloyd Melton marks 80 SANTAN SUN NEWS STAFF

As he turned 80 on Sept. 4, Lloyd Melton shows no signs of slowing down. The longtime restauranteur resident still makes the rounds to his three Original Biscuits Restaurants in Ahwatukee, Tempe and his newest one in Sun Lakes. And then finds time for golf three days a week and water volleyball two others. “I’ve been active all my life,” said Melton, who marked his birthday with a round of golf. “It‘s like that old adage says: ‘If you don’t use it, you lose it.’” “If you don’t know that much about the restaurant business, it’s hard to be successful at it,” Melton said. “I’ve been blessed,” he said, though he regrets the two people in his life who meant the most to him – his wife and his brother – both passed away a couple years ago, as did a beloved dog. “It’s a little lonely when you outlive them,” he said, though those loses haven’t slowed him down. Last year he happened to be tooling

Lloyd Melton

around Sun Lakes – and area he had long hoped to open a Biscuits in – when he came across a vacant building at 9542 Riggs Road that he thought was ideal. Melton was born in Phoenix and has always lived in the Valley except when he was in the Marines, where he served in California and Viet Nam. And for most of his life, he’s always run restaurants – a business he says is not for the faint of heart. “You better know the front of the house, the back of the house and the outhouse. A lot of these places, you see them folding not long after they open up. You got an 87 percent failure rate. Unless you really love it or know it, I think you’re not going to have a successful restaurant,” he added. He’s also no absentee restaurateur. And at all three restaurants – where he lives by the motto “give people good food at a fair price” – Melton greets customers, occasionally works the cash register and even has done kitchen duty. At the Sun Lakes restaurant, he said

a day hardly goes by when a customer thanks him for opening an eatery. “There was nothing there for two miles and people tell me they’re grateful,” he said. Melton takes pride not only in his menu but in his staff. With them too, he has a motto of sort: pay them well and treat them with respect. He once told AFN the fact he only serves breakfast and lunch every day – except Fridays, when he serves his now-famous all-you-can-eat fish dinners – means his employees can get home by late afternoon and spend time with their families. “Most of my employees have been with me five, six, nine, 10 years. They have a life. They come to work at 7 and go home at 2, so if their grandmother’s taking care of kids, they’re not out till 1 in the morning. Every holiday, they’re home.” And as he gets ready to celebrate, Melton said retiring is not an option. “I must love this damn restaurant,” he joked. “Three of them and in my mind, responsible for 75 employees.”

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BUSINESS

THE SUNDAY SANTAN SUN NEWS | SEPTEMBER 12, 2021

EV center has new weapon against lung cancer SANTAN SUN NEWS STAFF

A new innovation that holds promise to fight lung cancer – the leading cause of cancer deaths worldwide – is now in use at Banner MD Anderson Cancer Center. The robotic technology enables earlier and more accurate diagnosis of small and hard-to-reach nodules deep in the lung. “This is especially important because lung cancer typically has no symptoms in its early stages, and often isn’t found until the disease has progressed to an advanced stage,” spokesman Corey Schubert said. “Early stage diagnosis is challenging partly due to the location and size of nodules, as well as technology limitations,” he explained. Now, physicians can better view the inside of the lungs and smaller airways, to reach smaller nodules and obtain a tissue sample for biopsy. This provides greater precision and control, along with 3D vision that helps doctors reach areas of the lungs not usually accessible. “We believe this will help our medical experts diagnose and treat lung

Banner MD Anderson’s new robotic technology can detect lung cancer at far earlier stages than previously possible. (Courtesy of Banner MD Anderson)

cancer earlier, offering a more hopeful future for our patients,” said Dr. Archan Shah, interventional pulmonologist at Banner MD Anderson in Gilbert. A variety of diagnostic options are available for lung cancer, but all have limitations in accuracy, safety, or inva-

siveness. These limitations can lead to false positives, false negatives, or side effects such as pneumothorax (collapsed lung) and hemorrhage, which may increase health care costs and extend hospital stays. When a spot on the lung is found

through traditional diagnostic imaging, it’s important to determine what it is. The new technology, called the “Monarch platform,” allows physicians to navigate the flexible robotic endoscope to the periphery of the lung with improved reach, vision and control. Physicians see traditional endoscopic views into the lung, as well as computer-assisted navigation based on 3D models of the patient’s own lung anatomy. The minimally invasive procedure is performed through the mouth. Banner MD Anderson Cancer Center delivers cancer care to patients through the partnership of Banner Health and MD Anderson Cancer Center. Banner MD Anderson offers focused disease-specific expertise in the medical, radiation and surgical management of the cancer patient; an evidence-based, multidisciplinary approach to patient care; access to clinical trials and new investigative therapies; state-of-the-art technology for the diagnosis, staging and treatment of all types of cancer; oncology expertise in supportive care services. Information: BannerMDAnderson.com.

Neurology Associates Neuroscience’s one-stop shop BY ALISON STANTON Contributor

As chief executive officer of Neurology Associates Neuroscience Center, Ali Hajaig has one key goal: to offer a comprehensive, all-in-one approach to outpatient neurological care. “I can’t emphasize enough how important it is for neurology patients to have access to a full-service clinic so they get all their outpatient care in the same place, from doctors and providers they know and trust,” Hajaig said. He is proud of NANC’s strong lineup of doctors and complementary providers. Hajaig understands that because neurology patients are often dealing with serious problems, from mental health struggles and chronic headaches to degenerative diseases including Parkinson’s disease and Alzheimer’s disease, they usually do not want to spend a great deal of time driving around the Valley to get care from separate providers. “That’s stressful and time-consum-

SPORTSBET

from page 31

Smith also noted that the tribe waited to file suit until two weeks before sports wagering was set to start. Yet negotiations took place for about five years and the measure was debated for weeks at the legislature before being signed by the governor in April. While Smith denied the injunction, it does not preclude the tribe from continuing to challenge the legality of HB 2772. During the hearing, the judge had questions about exactly what Ducey ne-

ing, especially if they’re relying on family members or other caregivers to transport them,” he said. “They want to go to one location for their neurological care. So, we provide that at either Chandler or Mesa.” NANC offers a number of neurological care services, including general and specialized neurology via board-certified doctors who can handle a wide range of conditions, diseases and disorders. NANC also offers MRI exams at both of its locations. As Hajaig noted, the technicians who run the MRI machines are exceptionally good at helping claustrophobic and nervous patients to stay calm C. Andrew Sales MD, is on staff at Neurology Associates Neuroscience Center, which has offices in Chandler and during the procedure. Because neurology Mesa. (Special to the SanTan Sun News)

patients can require mental health support in addition to care for their physical conditions, Hajaig said NANC also offers mental health care. “As part of my goal to provide comprehensive neurological care, we have psychiatry and counseling in both locations,” he said. Because many neurology patients need physical therapy, NANC offers this service through methods including exercise, massage and heat. Naturopathic medicine approaches, cognitive rehabilitation and neuropsychological evaluations are also available at NANC. The latter involves an interview and standardized tests that allow clinical psychologists to identify a person’s strengths and weaknesses when it comes to ability and memory. Neurology Associates Neuroscience Center is located at 3308 N. Higley Road, Mesa, and 2201 W. Fairview Street, Chandler. For more information, call 480-800-4890 or visit neurologyassociates.com.

venue?’’ he asked. Anni Foster, the governor’s chief legal counsel, conceded that’s the way it is now. For example, she said that Turf Paradise, which operates horse racing in Arizona, has been denied the ability to take wagers on other professional sports because it “wasn’t necessarily delineated specifically in the statute as an option.’’ Smith, however, isn’t the only one who has raised the question of whether Ducey crafted a special favor for certain team owners. During debate on the measure, Sen. Michelle Ugenti-Rita, R-Scottsdale,

complained the only people eligible to get a license to take off-reservation wagers on sporting events are the owners of the existing sports franchises. “We are going to reward people with monopolies with more monopolies,’’ she complained. She asked that the process be opened up so anyone can bid to operate one of the 10 off-reservation gaming operations. But her colleagues agreed to accept the deal as Ducey negotiated it with the teams and the tribes and then presented it to lawmakers as a take-it-or-leave it package.

gotiated and what lawmakers approved. Of particular note is that there are 20 licenses to take sports wagers, half to tribes that were selected by the Gaming Department and half to sports franchises, of which there are fewer than 10. So the Cardinals automatically got one, as did the Diamonbacks, the Coyotes, the Phoenix Mercury and even the Professional Golfers Association tour and NASCAR racing. Smith wondered why wagering had to be tied to those particular events. “You couldn’t be tied to a different type of professional sporting event as a

BUSINESS

THE SUNDAY SANTAN SUN NEWS | SEPTEMBER 12, 2021

Chandler foundation launches entrepreneur series SANTAN SUN NEWS STAFF

The State Forty Eight Foundation, an off shoot of the Chandler apparel company State Forty Eight, has launched a seven-part virtual series for aspiring entrepreneurs. “By bringing together some of Arizona’s most remarkable founders, CEO’s and knowledgeable industry experts, this series will provide direct access to professional resources that will inspire innovation and propel local business growth,” a spokeswoman said of this weekly series. She added that listeners will be able to ask questions of the speakers and that some listeners will be entitled to grants. The speakers and topics are: Sept. 15: “From Dream to Reality: Business Goal Setting: with Julia Peixoto Peters, founder and co-owner of Peixoto Coffee; Sept. 22: “Cover Your Bases: Legal and Financial Planning” by Talia Offord, associate general counsel, and Kim Reedy, president/CEO of OneAZ Credit Union. Sept. 28: “Building a Brand & Creating Retention Through Sales and Marketing” by Lorena Garcia, CEO/ co-founder of Majka and Dominic Orozco, chief strategic marketing officer at Gila River Hotels & Casinos. Oct. 6: “Help! Identifying Resources” by Charlie Lewis, vice president of venture development and physical sciences at Skysong Innovations, and Sarah

Spangenberg, CEO and Co-founder of State Forty Eight. The sessions will be a mixture of motivation, storytelling, and practical advice, including direct access to professional resources and tools provided by series speakers. In addition, those who attend and fulfill all requirements will be eligible to apply for a grant in the amount of $500 to put towards their business venture. The requirements are at sfef-speakerseries. Av Air in Chandler has partnered with Chandler apparel com- org/#scholarship. pany State Forty Eight to produce this t-shirt. It will donate $1 Grants have been for every sale to the State Forty Eight Foundation. made possible thanks (Special to the Arizonan) to series sponsors like the Phoenix BiomedBenken, CEO and founder of KNOW ical Campus, Stellar Women. Technology, and Soulpod. Oct. 13: “Maintaining the Entre“The foundation believes that preneur Mindset & Learning from access to information should never be Your Mistakes” by Templeton Walker, a barrier to success,” said State Forentrepreneur and investor, and John ty Eight Foundation Executive Director Shufeldt, NextCare, MeMD and author . Alyssa Moore. “With this series we hope “We believe that sharing knowledge to offer Valley entrepreneurs with the is the strongest answer to activating foundations they need to succeed.” the state’s entrepreneurial landscape The foundation has partnered and cultivating local talent,” said Mike with more than 45 different charities,

engaged 260 volunteers and has raised over $93,000 in donations for various causes. It has four primary goals: creating meaningful partnerships, activating our community, supporting and empowering our youth and fostering the entrepreneurial spirit. Meanwhile, the Chandler firm AvAir has partnered with State Forty Eight to create custom shirts with $1 from every collaboration t-shirt donated back to support the State Forty Eight Foundation. “Similar to a mural in AvAir’s headquarters, the shirt design represents Arizona’s beautiful sky and serves as a reminder to always reach higher,” a company spokesman said. “We’re thrilled to select State Forty Eight for this collaboration as they’ve made a name for themselves as not only talented designers, but a group dedicated to improving our community,” said AvAir Director of Business Development Zach Hall. “Giving back is extremely important to AvAir, so it made sense to work with a business who has the same values.” Spangenberg added, “Zach has been a longtime supporter of our company and is an asset to our State Forty Eight Foundation board of directors. We’re thrilled AvAir chose us as their T-shirt partner and are really happy with the unique design we co-created with them.” For more information about AvAir, visit AvAir.aero.

Scheming politicians have slashed $1 billion from AZ’s public school classrooms but your signature can stop these cuts!

Last date to sign is Sept. 26th! Find a location to sign at: investinaznow.com/action-now East Valley locations:

• Changing Hands Books, Tempe, Sats & Suns, 10am - 12 • Changing Hands Books Phoenix, Sats 9am - 4pm • Gilbert Farmers Market, Sats 8 - 10am • Chandler Tumbleweed Park Rec Center, Sats 8-10am

Paid for by Save Our Schools Arizona. Not authorized by any candidate.

THE SUNDAY SANTAN SUN NEWS | SEPTEMBER 12, 2021

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Hamilton eyes statement win on ESPN BY ZACH ALVIRA Sports Editor

When Nicco Marchiol made the move to Hamilton ahead of the 2020 season, he sought an opportunity to have a junior season amid the pandemic and to play at a higher level than what Colorado had to offer. Now in his senior season after leading the Huskies to the Open Division final in 2020, he’s been given more than just an opportunity to showcase his talents against some of Arizona’s best teams. On Sept. 17, he and the rest of his teammates will be in front of the eyes of millions on ESPNU for its nationally televised game against Las Vegas power Bishop Gorman, currently a top-10 ranked team in the country. It will be the third time in two years the Huskies will appear on ESPN’s network. “To do this in high school, it’s pretty rare,” Marchiol said. “We definitely have to make the most of it and we are going to be ready. The only thing on our mind is coming out on top on that one.” Hamilton’s matchup against Saguaro during the 2020 regular season was the first instance the Huskies appeared in front of a national audience last year. A defensive battle through and through, Hamilton beat the Sabercats 13-7. That game saw the emergence of not only Hamilton as a true Open Division contender with rival Chandler, but then-junior defensive end Russell “Deuce” Davis II made a name for himself on a national stage. He was dominant against a tough Saguaro offensive line, accounting for eight total tackles, three of which were sacks. He had similar success against Chandler in the final week of the regular season. The Huskies and Wolves matched up as part of the Geico High School Bowl Series with ESPN cameras once again present in the Valley.

Ready for the big showdown are, from left Hamilton defensive end Russell “Deuce” Davis II, quarterback Nicco Marchiol, head coach Mike Zdebski, offensive lineman Grayson Stovall, and wide receiver Christian Anay. (Zac BonDurant/Contributor

Davis recorded five total tackles, one of which was a sack in Hamilton’s 34-14 loss to Chandler. This time around, he aims for similar, if not even more success against Bishop Gorman. “This game … I prepared for Desert Ridge and prepared for Casteel. But this game, as the time got closer, it’s been all I can think about,” Davis said. “They’re a fantastic team. Their o-line is crazy. It’s a good chance for not just me but our whole team to showcase how good we are against great competition.” Despite Marchiol and Davis’s aspirations, they and head coach Mike Zdebski know success won’t come easy against the Gaels. Bishop Gorman features the top

Hamilton senior defensive end Russell “Deuce” Davis II hopes to best Bishop Gorman, currently one of the best prep programs in the country. (Zac BonDurant/Contributor)

three players in the 2022 class out of Nevada. Cyrus Moss, a 6-foot-6, 220-pound defensive end committed to Oregon, highlights this year’s group of seniors. On top of his state rank, Moss is the No. 4 defensive end in the country and No. 25 overall prospect, according to 247Sports. Just behind him is 6-foot-2 safety Zion Branch, who holds offers from several Power Five schools including Alabama, Clemson, Oklahoma, Ohio State and USC. Fabian Ross, a 6-foot cornerback at Bishop Gorman, is the third-ranked player in this year’s Nevada class. He is committed to USC. The Gaels also have 6-foot-6, 290-pound tackle and Oklahoma commit Jake Taylor, Stanford linebacker commit Benjamin Hudson and Boston College running back commit Cam Barfield. The top four juniors in Nevada also play at Bishop Gorman. “They’re extremely athletic,” Zdebski said. “They’re big, they’re fast, you know when we inked them to play, they just kept picking up kids. That team has changed so much from when we decided to play them. But regardless, this kind of game is going to make our players better when we get to the end of the season. “These are the types of games we are going to continue to seek out in the future to make us better as a program.” Hamilton is not short of fire power itself. Along with Marchiol, a West Virginia commit, and Davis (Arizona), the Huskies also feature the likes of 6-foot4, 281-pound offensive lineman Grayson Stovall, an Arizona commit, and 6-foot5, 235-pound tight end and Michigan State commit Michael Masunas. Christian Anaya, a senior wideout who burst onto the scene last season and had nearly 200 yards receiving in

the Huskies’ first game against Desert Ridge, also adds fire power to Hamilton’s offense. He currently holds offers from Montana State, Northern Arizona and Northern Colorado. Across the board, Hamilton players are looking forward to the opportunity to compete against some of the nation’s best players. But more than anything, they’re setting their sights on a statement win. “We’re hungry,” Marchiol said. “We definitely play with a chip on our shoulder every game. We won’t be outworked. That’s the mentality we come into practice every day with. If we can get one percent better than our competition down the road or in Nevada, we are always comparing ourselves to the best of the best.” No matter the outcome of Friday’s matchup, Zdebski hopes his team can help further put Arizona high school football on the map. More than that, it’s an opportunity for every one of his players to grow. He isn’t concerned with any of them being wide-eyed when the cameras are placed at either end of the end zone and on top of the press box at Jerry Loper Stadium. Many of this year’s starters were in the same position last season. He just hopes for a strong showing. “It’s great for our school and great for the kids that play in our program,” Zdebski said. “It’s also great for the state of Arizona. Now, we have to go out there and put a quality product on the field, so we represent Arizona to the best of our ability. Hamilton’s Week 3 matchup against Bishop Gorman (Las Vegas, Nev.) can be viewed on ESPNU beginning at 7 p.m. Tickets can be purchased online in the days leading up to Friday.

THE SUNDAY SANTAN SUN NEWS | SEPTEMBER 12, 2021

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SRP shouldn’t rush billion-dollar decision BY DIANE BROWN Guest Writer

A billion dollars is a lot of money even for Salt River Project. And keep in mind SRP’s money is really our money – money from payments you and I make to SRP on our monthly electric bills. Typically, when a corporation or a utility considers making a million-dollar expense – let alone spending almost a billion dollars – they weigh the upfront and ongoing costs and benefits, and seek competitive bids. While SRP likely considered various factors related to their proposal to build 16 gas units at a cost of almost $1 billion, the lack of available information and time for stakeholders and customers to provide input is very disconcerting. Here are our top concerns: At the price tag of nearly $1 billion, the cost to build 16 gas plants is exorbitant.

Particularly disturbing is the lack of public information that exists about the total projected cost including fuel and maintenance; total estimated groundwater consumption – which could affect availability and increase water costs for farmers, businesses, and consumers; and impact on the monthly electricity bills of SRP customers and over what period of time. The need for more power capacity may be overstated while the options to increase energy efficiency, and renewable resources, such as solar, may be understated. Without SRP adequately and publicly providing information, it is hard to know the various factors and scenarios they contemplated and whether their forecasts are realistic. However, due in part to its negative contribution to climate change, we know that new gas builds are becoming obsolete, which means gas plants and units may be left stranded with SRP

customers needing to absorb the cost. And we know that SRP did not request competitive proposals from industry that might have led to a more climate-friendly resource at less cost to SRP ratepayers. A rushed decision on an item of this magnitude is likely to result in a flawed decision. SRP’s 2035 Sustainability Advisory Group consisted of business, academic, governmental, environmental, and consumer leaders and was arguably one of most robust, data-driven, comprehensive stakeholder processes in which I’ve been involved. However, the widely-acclaimed and inclusive process that advanced overall sustainability goals has since reversed course. A stakeholder meeting where minimal information was first presented about the proposed purchase of additional gas units was held 24 hours before a SRP Board committee vote. Many SRP customers are likely still in the dark

about this gas expansion proposal and its potential impacts. The full SRP Board is expected to vote on the proposed construction of 16 gas units at a cost of almost $1 billion to SRP customers on Sept. 13 – only three weeks after SRP management recommended this move, and with numerous and significant details still lacking. Although many of us can’t relate to spending that amount of money, we are familiar with the benefits of scrutinizing, getting input, and deliberating before making a major expenditure. SRP needs to approach this decision like you and I would approach a major purchase. After all, it is our money. Diane E. Brown is the executive director of the Arizona PIRG Education Fund, an organization that conducts research and advocacy on issues in the public interest. Reach her at dbrown@ arizonapirg.org. Diane E. Brown, Executive Director

Arizona’s most thankless job: school board member BY DAVID LEIBOWITZ Columnist

Most of us like to believe we’re decent people. We give a few bucks to charity, we volunteer, maybe even help a friend move. But be real: There’s being a decent human and then there’s going above and beyond. Like by serving on your local school board. If there’s a volunteer role existent in Arizona today that I cannot wrap my head around, it’s that one. And the past year of headlines – full of protests, threats and extreme surliness – have only deepened my confusion. Our state has about 240 school boards and 1,200 board members. Each of them deserves a medal. Or our prayers. Because anyone who does that job for $0 a year deserves something in return. School board members begin their careers by running for election. You

speak at public forums, knock on doors, stand in front of Safeway, anywhere you can meet a few voters, most of whom pay attention for 14 seconds before pushing past you like you’re a human turnstile. Then, say you win. That earns you the privilege of going to 25 or 30 weeknight meetings annually, many of which last for hours and involve a “call to the public.” If you’ve never been to a school board or municipal council meeting, lucky you. I’ve attended many, and trust me: Most members of the public who answer this call do so because no sane human being has ever listened to them for three minutes straight without dialing 911. It’s like open mike at an insane asylum, minus the lithium. And that was before COVID, before anti-mask protests, and before machinations over Critical Race Theory. Nowadays, your average school board meeting frequently resembles Jan. 6 at the U.S. Capitol. Minus the gunfire – so far. Down south near Tucson, the April

27 meeting of the Vail governing board required sheriff ’s deputies before the meeting even started. About 150 anti-maskers – some armed – stormed the meeting, pushing past school district employees, screaming and berating board members and refusing to wear masks, per Pima County’s mandate. “There was a handful of people – I don’t know exactly how many – who either don’t have kids in the school district, don’t live in the school district, don’t live in the county, who came with the express purpose of whipping up that group,” Supt. John Carruth told the Arizona Education News Service. Talk about needing more hobbies. The Litchfield Elementary School District has degenerated into chaos over the passage of an “equity statement” last December. Since then, the Arizona Attorney General’s Office has been involved and protests have become a regular feature of board meetings. Last month, Dr. Tara Armstead, the school board’s only Black member, re-

signed and scorched the 12,000-student district on her way out the door. “I will not say thank you for the time that I served here,” said Armstead, “or express any gratitude or appreciation because, for the five months I have been here, I have been treated like I’m not an expert in the field and have no idea what I’m talking about.” The Scottsdale Unified School District Governing Board has been equally protest-laden and chaotic. Last week, Board President Jann-Michael Greenburg lost his temper over the distribution of copies of a Neo Nazi comic book on campus. Greenburg stage whispered “Jesus (expletive) Christ” into a hot microphone. He later publicly apologized. “I’m very sorry about that,” Greenburg explained. “I have to admit it was done out of frustration in the moment.” The wonder is that more school board members don’t drop f-bombs. Or outright quit. Because there’s surely no more thankless job in this state.

Joe Biden, a jobs president, saved my business BY AJ KURDOGLU Guest Writer

Thanks to President Biden’s leadership and tireless advocacy for Main Street business, my shop is thriving mere months after we thought we’d have to shutter because of the pandemic. Nearly two decades ago, I built my small business in the East Valley. For 17 years, I have served my neighbors through ups and downs, good times and recessions. Nothing tested my business, my community, and my state more than the COVID-19 pandemic.

When the pandemic struck in March of 2020, the virus threatened our health, but ineffectual and absent leadership at the state and federal level threatened my livelihood. It wasn’t until Nov. 3, 2020 that I started to feel any sense of relief that my business might survive an unprecedented pandemic. For the first time in decades, Arizona delivered its 11 Electoral College votes to a Democratic presidential candidate and Joe Biden moved into the White House. We trusted that his steady hand and penchant for problem-solving would

lead our nation, guide us towards recovery, and start to rebuild after months of destruction and loss. When the American Rescue Plan passed in March 2021, I breathed another sigh of relief, knowing that finally, my business would get the help it needed to keep its doors open. Luckily, President Biden understands that main street businesses, and our workers, are the backbone of America. We small business owners are the economic engine of our state and our country – and that’s not just rhetoric. The numbers tell a powerful story: The

30 million American small businesses account for 44 percent of all U.S. economic activity and employ nearly 50 percent of American workers. We are the backbone of our communities, and we work hard to provide essential services for our neighborhoods and employment for our neighbors. And as of last August, 100,000 of us had to close our doors for good, leaving far too many Americans without a paycheck. I know some of them, it is heartbreaking for me to see a small business See

BIDEN on page 37

OPINION

THE SUNDAY SANTAN SUN NEWS | SEPTEMBER 12, 2021

BIDEN

from page 36

close its door because our businesses are more than our livelihood – they are our American dreams. On his first day in office, President Biden sought to undo the failures of his predecessor and stop this downward trend by providing the resources that small businesses like mine needed to keep their doors open. With $50 billion in relief funds dedicated to bolstering grants and loans for

global pandemic. And don’t just take my word for it. By almost every indicator, it’s clear that President Biden’s build back better agenda saved our economy and helped recover millions of jobs lost due to Donald Trump’s failed leadership. In fact, a record four million jobs have been created since Biden took office -- 100,000 of them right here in Arizona -- and unemployment claims continue to fall week after week. Paychecks are growing at the fastest rate since 2006 and the demand for American-made

small businesses, he delivered when we needed him most and we’ve been able to build back our businesses, reopen our doors, and create new jobs. A timely PPP loan meant that our shop could keep our workforce employed – a big relief for me, because our staff is like family. Even more transformative was an Economic Injury Disaster Loan that provided assistance at a low-interest rate, saving me from further losses as our business made its recovery. Because of these programs, my business and thousands like mine survived a

goods continues to climb. The evidence is clear: Joe Biden is a jobs president. Helping our small businesses make ends meet should not be a divisive or partisan issue, and yet not a single Arizona Republican voted for the American Rescue Plan, which funded these life and livelihood saving measures and supported countless Arizona small businesses. Democrats alone kept Arizona businesses afloat. And I know Democrats mean business. Chandler businessman AJ Kurdoglu was the Democratic candidate for state Senate in LD 17 last year.

Mass amnesty is lousy politics, bad economics BY LISA ASKEY Guest Writer

Sen. Mark Kelly recently chastised President Biden for failing to address the ongoing border crisis. Waves of migrants keep arriving in our state. That’s “a major problem that shouldn’t fall on the shoulders of Arizona communities,” our junior senator told reporters. “We’ve got to address this and it can’t be on Arizona taxpayers and Arizona towns that are really struggling right now. It’s a federal government problem.” He’s right, of course. But the solution proposed by President Biden and many Democrats in Congress – a mass amnesty for up to 10 million undocumented immigrants – would make the problem even worse. It’s up to Sen. Kelly and his colleague Kyrsten Sinema, another moderate with

a reputation for bucking her party, to prioritize Arizonans’ needs above the White House’s demands by rejecting amnesty. Congressional leaders are hoping to use the upcoming budget reconciliation bill to offer work permits and citizenship to nearly all illegal immigrants currently in this country, allowing them to compete against Americans for jobs. The bill would also presumably enable those folks to sponsor their relatives living abroad for additional green cards, rewarding people who broke our laws and cut the line in front of legal immigrants. The prospect of amnesty – and all the rewards that come with it – is already enticing people to rush the border. The number of family members crossing the border illegally soared by 168 percent the first month after President Biden assumed office, according to the Pew Research Center. And the numbers have climbed every month since then. July

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saw roughly 212,000 illegal crossings, the most in over two decades. No one denies the humanity of people seeking a better life in the United States. But our pandemic-ravaged economy can’t afford porous borders. As of mid-August, Arizona was recording well over 2,000 new Covid-19 cases each day – the highest totals since February. The spike in cases and hospitalizations threatens not just Arizonans’ lives, but also their livelihoods. One index that measures consumer confidence plummeted to a decade-low in early August, a worrying sign that people are frightened to travel and shop. That inevitably means fewer sales for restaurants and small businesses and more layoffs. Sympathy doesn’t pay taxes or put food on the table for struggling Arizona families. Our overall state unemployment rate in June, the latest month for which data is available, was 6.8 percent,

two full percentage points higher than it was pre-pandemic. Almost 245,000 Arizonans were still unemployed – an increase of 73,000 over January 2020, before Covid-19 ravaged our nation. If Congress rams through amnesty on a party-line vote, it’ll attract additional waves of job-seeking migrants – and result in lower wages, fewer job opportunities, and more coronavirus transmissions for too many Arizonans. As Senator Sinema recently said, “the only way to stop the spread of the coronavirus and save Arizona jobs is through bipartisan cooperation.” Arizona’s border towns and cities are buckling under the strain of this border surge. Arizonans can only hope that Senators Sinema and Kelly recognize that amnesty would further inflame the crisis. Lisa Askey owns a marketing company based in Chandler.

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St. John Bosco marks 20 years in region BY PAUL MARYNIAK Executive Editor

It’s hard to imagine a less auspicious day for opening a new school than what Pat Sdao faced as principal of St. John Bosco Catholic School in Ahwatukee as it welcomed hundreds of kids, many from Chandler. After a year of doing everything from helping to guide the construction committee to recruiting students and teachers, Sdao was ready to welcome scores of students to the spacious campus next to St. Benedict’s Catholic Church. But that day was Sept. 11, 2001. While the Phoenix Diocese decided to keep schools opened, Sdao wasn’t about to let that happen on her watch. “As soon as I found out was happening,” Sdao recalled, “the first thing I thought of was, ‘We’re in Arizona, there’s a lot of airfields here. There’s all kinds of things that an enemy would maybe would want to attack, right?’ And I thought to myself, ‘It’s the first day of school. These kids don’t even know their teachers. They don’t really know the other kids. I thought ‘if it was my kid, I would want to be with my kid.’ So, when parents would come to drop their kids off, I told them to keep going, told them what happened and just

St. John Bosco Catholic School librarian Theresa Harvey, left, has been at the school since it opened while Jamie Bescak is the new principal. (Pablo Robles/Staff)

don’t drop their child off. “I just start calling them and telling them that we can keep them if necessary,” said Sdao, who retired after the school’s first full year of operation. “I told them, ‘I’ll be there. There will be some teachers there so they wouldn’t be there by themselves.’ But I thought parents would want to be with their kids. And you know, every last parent appreciated that.” Just as America survived that horrific day, St. John Bosco has thrived, drawing

many students from Chandler. Now celebrating its 20th anniversary, the Pre-K-8 private school prides itself on academic excellence, boasting that 99 percent of its graduates get into the first choice of a high school. Building on a foundation initially laid down by Sdao and others who worked with four East Valley parishes to establish the school, St. John Bosco’s technology infrastructure is such that when the pandemic shut down schools in March 2020, students missed only

one day of instruction, according to Principal Jamie Bescak. “We were able to get online right away that March and they had full instruction for their core classes – math, language arts. They got a little bit of social studies and science in there and they got their religion too,” Bescak said. “Our teachers were able to still execute what was supposed to be taught to those kids at the end of the year. So, they didn’t really miss too much academically. They missed a lot of fun. They missed the in-person stuff….We were able to direct and instruct and those kids were so wonderful and very tech savvy.” In many ways, St. John Bosco is far removed from the kind of Catholic grade school that Sdao recalled growing up in when she was a youngster in Detroit. Most notable is the absence of stern-faced nuns in intimidating habits wielding rulers to keep kids in line. “The old nuns in my day were such disciplinarians,” Sdao said. “But the only thing is, they really prepared you for college. If you were going to go to college, man, you knew how to write.” And Bescak added that even though St. John Bosco is light years’ ahead in technology from what she was exposed See

BOSCO on page 40

Chandler cancer group raffling 2021 Toyota SUV SANTAN SUN NEWS

“If you have cancer, Children’s Cancer Network will always be there for you.” Fifth grader Jackson Dupps said this and much more last Saturday when he and a dozen other pediatric cancer survivors and their families came together at the CCN’s offices in Chandler. The occasion for the get-together? A photo shoot of the cancer fighters and their siblings with a brand-new 2021 Toyota Highlander XLE, a donation from Valley Toyota Dealers to benefit Arizona families fighting a nightmare disease. CCN is raffling off the Highlander this month in hopes of raising $150,000 – money that will be used to serve local families. The raffle coincides with Childhood Cancer Awareness Month in September. “Words can’t express our gratitude to Valley Toyota Dealers and excitement about the opportunity to raffle a beautiful new Highlander,” said Patti Luttrell, executive director of CCN. “We also are so grateful to Jeff Noble Photo for donating beautiful photography and giving our kids a chance to step into the spotlight.” Jackson and his big brother, Ethan, smiled for the camera alongside cancer survivors and their siblings from across the Valley. Also in attendance were Jace Hyduchak and his little brother, Brig.

Jace Hyduchak, left, and Jackson Dupps, both 10, stand next to the car that will be given away in a raffle to benefit cancer survivors. (Pablo Robles/Arizonan Staff Photographer)

Jackson and Jace are best friends and classmates – and Jace, too, is a cancer-survivor. “These boys have fought so hard and have come so far,” said Jackson and Ethan’s mom, Kelli Dupps. “Experiencing childhood cancer is something that changes you forever. These kids are our biggest teachers. They are a constant reminder of what is truly important and of what matters the most.” The raffle provides Arizonans a simple opportunity to make a difference for families facing a devastating

diagnosis. Tickets are priced at $20 for one or $50 for three and are available for purchase at ccnwinacar2021.givesmart.com. com. CCN will sell a maximum of 8,000 tickets, and the winning ticket will be drawn Sept. 30. Proceeds from the raffle will be used to cover basic needs for Arizona families fighting pediatric cancer – things like gas and grocery gift cards. The American Childhood Cancer Organization notes that 60 percent of families in the United States battling

cancer reported spending as much as $10,000 annually on non-medical expenses, including parking, meals away from home and childcare, during their child’s treatment. “CCN picks up where insurance leaves off,” Luttrell said. “Beyond the medical costs, there are so many expenses that people can’t possibly anticipate. A huge portion of the money we raise is used to help families with basic living expenses – such as gas, groceries and even beds.” Indeed, the nonprofit earmarks more than $150,000 each year to help families cover these costs. But CCN’s impact goes well beyond financial support. “CCN is an organization the supports the entire family unit. They work hard to create programs and activities that provide a little something for everyone,” added Kelli. The nonprofit serves as a primary point of contact for families facing cancer – at the hospital when they receive the diagnosis, throughout their cancer journey and into long-term survivorship. The organization provides hospital admission kits to help new families navigate the road ahead, adopt-a-family programs for the holidays and back-toschool season, mental health services for families, programs to help siblings cope with cancer, college scholarships, See

CANCER on page 40

NEIGHBORS

BOSCO

THE SUNDAY SANTAN SUN NEWS | SEPTEMBER 12, 2021

from page 39

to as a Catholic elementary student, “the mission is the same: We are an extension of the church.” That means weekly mass for the entire student body at adjacent St. Benedict’s, catechism instruction, a chapel used often by teachers and students alike. During this landmark year for the school, Bescak is settling into her first year as principal. A Gilbert resident and the product of Catholic schools throughout her years as a student in her native Ohio, Bescak is in her seventh year at St, John Bosco. To say she’s worn many hats - often at the same time – is an understatement. After 20 years as a teacher in Mesa Public Schools district, Bescak started as a third-grade teacher at St. John Bosco. She quickly added reading specialist to her duties. Then she taught kindergarten, simultaneously taking on the role of preschool director and after-school supervisor. “And then a year later, they just kept adding on more things,” she said with a laugh, “where I became a facility supervisor, developing and marketing. And then basically, it was really whatever the principal wanted or needed…And then,

CANCER

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funding for childhood cancer research, advocacy, and a multitude of other services and resources. “I have been told there is nothing

she retired and in the spring of last year, I interviewed and applied for the position of principal.” Bescak also is a school mom: Because Gilbert has no Catholic grade school, Bescak enrolled her daughter in St. John Bosco’s preschool program when she got her first job there. Today, she is a sixth grader. With a faculty of about 25 teachers and an enrollment of 366 students, St. John Bosco also has at least one staffer who was on hand when it all began. Librarian Theresa Harvey started as a fourth grade teacher at St. John Bosco when Sdao opened its doors. Both women recalled how a group of parents, educators and priests had planned for years to open a school in Ahwatukee because there was no Catholic grade school. At the time it started with 251 students, St. John Bosco was an “interparish school” because it drew financial and spiritual support from four Catholic parishes – St. Benedict and Corpus Christi in Ahwatukee, St. Andrew the Apostle in Chandler and Holy Spirit in Tempe. Now, it is a ministry solely of St. Benedict Church and draws students from Chandler and even Gilbert, though most are from Ahwatukee. “These parishes started years before

the school was built,” Harvey recalled. “They really worked hard. They called people. They started this campaign to raise money and then it came to fruition. The parishioners of all four parishes really came together and really worked as a community to build it and stock it with books and things like that.” Sdao looks fondly on those early days. With both public and Catholic teaching in her background, she also had been a principal in the Washington Elementary School District when she was asked to help plan St. John Bosco. “I spent the whole year with construction people and it was really a fascinating year,” the former Ahwatukee resident said. “I also got a chance to go to all the parishes, talk to parents, answer questions.” Sdao also had to recruit teachers. “That was a huge thing,” she said. “We wanted to be sure we had the right kind of teachers that were comfortable teaching Catholicism. We wound up with some very good teachers.” She also helped lay the foundation for the school’s technology infrastructure, recalling “learning through computers was really starting to take off then.” Her work and that of the rest of the construction committee serve St. John Bosco well. Dotted by trees that have matured

over the last two decades, the campus was laid out with plenty of outdoor space and classrooms run off outdoor corridors. That layout made it far easier than most private or public schools for St. John Bosco to offer in-person learning when the 2020-21 school year began since various grades could learn outdoors. Sdao “was a very nurturing principal,” Harvey said. “It was great for the children, the parents and the teachers. It was great for the community.” As Bescak continues to build like her predecessors on the foundation Sdao helped develop, the school draws its support from both tuition and an active body of parents. “We do have tremendous technology here because our parents are so generous with our fundraising,” Bescak said. “For our annual gala that happens in the spring every year, we were able to raise virtually just last year about $70,000… We just purchased all the new Chromebooks for our teachers. This year, every year we’re doing something to upgrade our technology and our curriculum.” And Bescak said she plans to be there for those and other celebrations in years ahead. “So my plan is,” she said, “I’m their seventh principal and its’ the 20th year. I hope to be here for 20 years before I retire.”

worse in life than losing a child,” said George Hyduchak. “Thankfully, our son Jace is a survivor, but I can tell you firsthand that families fighting childhood cancer face the prospect of that fear every single day. It’s the support

of family, friends and community that help get us through it all.” “Partners like Valley Toyota Dealers make such a difference for families facing that fear,” said Luttrell. “During Childhood Cancer Awareness

Month and beyond, our goal is to rally the larger community around the cause and ensure no one has to face cancer alone.” To learn more, visit childrenscancernetwork.org or facebook.com/childrenscancernetwork, or call 480-398-1564.

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THE SUNDAY SANTAN SUN NEWS | SEPTEMBER 12, 2021

Chandler author releases new book about yoga munity Center. To help share her love of yoga with others and teach people how to do it, Abrol wrote and published a book titled “I am Yoga.” The book is available on Amazon. “My book is for everyone. It is an easy read, and it allows the reader to understand the poses,” Abrol said. “I have given simple and easy poses so that a novice can feel comfortable practicing yoga. There are a few chal-

BY ALISON STANTON Contributor

In 1984, Sudesh Abrol was in a car accident that damaged her spine. The injury caused the Chandler woman, who was living in California at the time, to suffer from excruciating lower back pain for years. “I went through many treatments in hopes of alleviating the pain. I also took several different pain medications, physical therapy and epidural shots. But unfortunately, nothing helped,” Abrol said. “During the first few years after my accident, I was told regularly by the best doctors that I would have to live with this pain forever. I was on a personal mission to prove them wrong.” When her husband’s nephew, a yoga expert from India, came to stay with Abrol and her family for five months, he taught her yoga postures, breathing exercises and meditation, as well as how to make healthy drinks using herbs and spices. “Over 30 percent of my pain subsided from these alternative treatments,” Abrol said, adding that these experiences inspired her to travel to India to further her education in yoga and meditation. Upon her return, Abrol started teaching others yoga through nonprofit organizations. For the last 30-plus years, Abrol has taught yoga both in California and in Chandler, including at the Chandler Senior Center and the Chandler Com-

books over the years, including “Breathe to Live” and “Peaceful Mind, Skinny Body.” Abrol hopes that her book will inspire others to give yoga a try and experience the positive benefits that she began to experience shortly after learning it. “Yoga gave me more energy and I seemed to embrace each day with more enthusiasm. My stress levels dropped immensely, and I was making

the ﬁrst few years after my accident, “I wasDuring told regularly by the best doctors that I would have to live with this pain forever. I was on a personal mission to prove them wrong. ”

– Sudesh Abrol

Sudesh Abrol has been teaching yoga in Chandler for nearly 30 years. (Special to SanTan Sun News)

lenging poses in there as well.” For example, in the chapter titled “Sun Salutation,” Abrol said she teaches how yoga is the best way to start a day because it can help to energize people and put them in the right frame of mind. Another chapter titled “Face Yoga” teaches the many ways that yoga can strengthen facial tone and muscle. Once readers learn the postures taught in the book, Abrol said they can practice in the privacy of their home. In addition to “I am Yoga,” Abrol has written and published a number of other

Adam Lowe, MD, FACG

clearer choices. My body felt great and very ﬂexible,” she said, adding that she now practices yoga six days a week. Abrol said she thoroughly enjoys teaching others how to do yoga, and seeing how quickly they respond to the exercises. “When I start the session, the students complain about their stiff joints and weak bodies, but they feel relaxed with ﬂexible joints and less pain by the end of the session and perform great postures I tell them this is the reward of yoga,” she said. For more information about Abrol and her books, visit sudesh.info.

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THE SUNDAY SANTAN SUN NEWS | SEPTEMBER 12, 2021

For more community news visit SanTanSun.com

Chandler artist conveys immigrant experience BY SRIANTHI PERERA Contributor

When Shachi Kale first came to Arizona in 2001, she felt like the fairytale character Rapunzel trapped in an ivory tower. The artist didn’t know a soul in Chandler, except her husband, who went to work. The career she had left behind in Mumbai, India, as an advertising and design executive seemed to fade. Kale started doing what she did best – creating art. She also followed a few classes and met a few movers and shakers in the local arts and education arena. “I had to create a new life for myself altogether from scratch,” she recalled. This new life included producing a series of paintings where she drew modernized imagery from fairy tales and depicted herself as its characters. They are now on display in a show entitled “Between Two Worlds: Storytelling and Artwork by Shachi Kale” running through September at The Gallery at Chandler Center for the Arts, curated by Vision Gallery. Kale is also preparing for another show in November, sharing a gallery space at Mesa Community College with abstract fine arts painter, Swapna Das. In “Between Two Worlds,” Rapunzel lets out her long hair from a tall

Left: Chandler artist Shachi Kale loves experimenting and building on her unique style. Right: Chandler artist Shachi Kale created a series of paintings where she drew modernized imagery from fairy tales and symbolized herself as its characters. (Courtesy of Shachi Kale)

adobe building amid colorful desert plants, Alice in Wonderland falls down a city-landscaped rabbit hole, a post-marriage Cinderella looks downcast with a vacuum cleaner, Gretel snacks on supermarket junk food, unknowingly preparing to be fed to the witch, and so on. The experience is similar to most

new immigrants, although many may not express it as cleverly as Kale did. Chandler exhibits curator, Jillian Nakornthap said the work was selected because “it was incredibly relatable to many transplants that call Chandler home.” “Whether you’re from Minneapolis or Mumbai, the culture and climate here is like nothing else, so having an exhibition

that discussed the ups and downs of the transition was a no-brainer,” she said. “Further, many people on the spousal visa, could relate and it may even help for them to know that what they are experiencing is not isolated. They can find others that can help them through this journey, much like Shachi did,” she added. Now with two sons and a thriving career as a freelance graphic designer, artist and book illustrator, Kale has found contentment anew. The last painting in the show shows her outfitted to soar with the wings of a Phoenix: “the only way out of a fairytale is to step out of the tower, make it through the woods, face the dragon, get reduced to cinders and then build herself up all the way again, like a Phoenix,” she wrote. In 2019, Kale exhibited these works in Scottsdale. “It is very therapeutic and it’s my passion; the story had been percolating in me for so many years but I think it was only in hindsight that I was able to express it,” she said. “It took me 18 years to see the story from a distance.” In her show, several of the works are portraits of individuals who helped her in her journey. “My favorite part of the exhibit is the tribute to the people who made it posSee

KALE on page 44

East Valley Children’s Theatre marks 25 years BY SRIANTHI PERERA Contributor

A 25-year-long love letter to creating, performing, growing and making friends that have become family. That’s how C. Lynn Johnson describes East Valley Children’s Theater. Her talents run the gamut from theater hair stylist to playwright, all of which have won her awards. As a teen, she starred in “A Midsummer Night’s Dream,” the theater’s first production. “EVCT has been family to me for 25 years,” she said. “It’s a safe space where I can play and create freely. It’s the place that I can say that outside of my family’s influence, shaped me into the person I am today. “From being one of the performers to myself then being one of those adults shaping the performers who came after me, it’s been an honor to be part of EVCT’s impact on our community,” she added. For nearly 25 years, the Mesa-based children’s theater has shepherded nearly 14,000 youth ages 5 to 18 who have donned costumes, assumed roles, walked, danced, sung and spoken their practiced words on stage. The nonprofit has produced 86 shows and has grown from a single production and workshop in the first year to a full-service theater offering numerous additional programs, classes, camps and performance troupes among

Preparing for their roles in “The Clumsy Princess” are, from left, Ava Wright of Chandler as Tilly, Marco Velasquez of Gilbert as Prince Stephan and Patricia Dawson of Mesa as Felicity. (Penrod Photography)

them. It’s also known for its playwriting contest, presenting original works for children annually. EVCT was an all-volunteer organization until two years ago, when it hired an office manager and a bookkeeper. Its current annual budget is about $250,000 and its main donors have included The Boeing Co. of Mesa and Arizona Commission on the Arts. “I just enjoy working with the theater;

I enjoy the kids,” said Karen Rolston, the producing artistic director who played a vital role in the theater’s development. Rolston, a teacher from Mesa Public Schools, Chandler-Gilbert Community College and Arizona State University, took on the theater in her retirement. Now that the 25th season is about to begin, she plans to retire in earnest. Also departing is Kathie McMahon, who served in many roles within the organization, the last as past president, head of the advisory board and marketing director. McMahon, who leads the 25th year anniversary celebration committee, observed, “From performing in a junior high auditorium to becoming a Founding Resident Company of the Mesa Arts Center; from rehearsal in a pre-school building to offering classes, troupes, camps, and performances in a foursuite studio; from an unknown theatre to a highly regarded, award-winning nonprofit organization; it’s been a miraculous 20-plus years.” A professional musician, McMahon composed original music for seven of EVCT’s productions. She received six ariZoni nominations and four garnered awards. Parents enroll children in the theater for many reasons, but interest is perhaps key. Five years ago, Tre Moore of Mesa was enrolled in a musical theater summer camp. That was the beginning of a new passion for the now 17-year-old. “Theatre appeals to me because the possibilities are endless. Nothing

is impossible in theatre. With the right amount of imagination, you can go just about anywhere,” said the self-confessed “completely unapologetic Broadway and musical theatre nerd.” Parent volunteer Marco Velasquez Sr. of Gilbert said that he enrolled his son, Marco Velasquez Jr. four years ago because he expressed a sincere interest in it. His daughter followed suit. Now 13, Marco is a seasoned thespian. He began at 9 with a performance with EVCT’s Performance Troupes and moved to stage productions for eight shows and participated in three virtual productions. His 6-year-old sister Victoria, also a participant, performed in a cabaret show and a production of Tales with Baba Yaga & A Bowl of Soup. Their father says it has been one of the best decisions he’s made for his children and his family. “EVCT provides a place where our children can perform, grow in confidence and respect of theatre and their fellow performers, and experience true joy. It’s just such an incredible experience we’ve been fortunate to have,” he said. “EVCT is so unique in that they’ve created a community and home whereby our children are challenged, can grow in confidence, and can experience such fun and beautiful experiences that we, as a family can also enjoy,” said Velasquez, who considers himself an unofficial amSee

THEATER on page 43

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THE SUNDAY SANTAN SUN NEWS | SEPTEMBER 12, 2021

KALE

from page 42

sible—you know, my fairy godmothers,” she said. “I finally got an opportunity to say thank you in this way to the people who really made big changes in my life.” Kale’s style harkens to Indian and Persian miniature folk and tribal art; flat and lacking in perspective but enhanced by bold color and details and most often expressing a story. “I gravitate towards expressing myself somewhat in that storyboard kind of format with patterns, details and borders,” she said. One of her current favorite subjects

THEATER

from page 42

bassador for the organization. The theater has drawn some kids out of their shell. “EVCT has shown me how to show up confidently in a space, be myself, and not worry about looking funny,” Tre said. “I have always been extroverted and outgoing, but EVCT has definitely kept that spark alive. Some non-theatre related skills last much longer than the applause. Tre lists learning the importance of teamwork, time management, adaptability and sociability as part of his theater education. East Valley Children’s Theater was created when there was nothing similar in the area. Its precursor is the Chandler Children’s Theatre, begun by Robert and Patricia Goyer in 1994. They have since both passed.

is animals from the Southwest desert. Her whimsical, stylized works show birds, tortoises, butterflies, rattlesnakes, javelinas and other creatures in their natural environment. Before she learned about them, her first concept of the desert, however, was that it’s “super dull.” “Back in India, we have different foliage and animal life, so it’s been interesting to explore locally what we see here and play with it and enjoy the color palettes,” she said. “Over the last few years, I found that I’m really beginning to appreciate the Southwest desert landscape a whole lot more,” she added. “When you live here

and start loving the place, you notice how rich and vibrant it is and there’s such a variety of shapes and colors and patterns, it really draws me in.” The Gallery at CCA is curated by Vision Gallery as part of the Cultural Development Division of the City of Chandler. Along with Vision Gallery, it is the only space of its kind in the Chandler area to feature a variety of media from local and regional artists, inspiring the community to discover art in a myriad of forms. Both galleries are non-profit art galleries managed by the Chandler Cultural Foundation. While buoyed by the opportunity to promote her work in Chandler, Kale

is looking forward to her new show in Mesa later in the year which will be themed on self-conversations. “All these constant ruminations and conversations and moods that have gone on, especially in the last few years in lockdown, and the isolation” calls for explorational art, she said. The mixed media work will tend to be more abstract than this body of work. Between Two Worlds: Storytelling and Artwork by Shachi Kale is on show through Sept. 25 at The Gallery at CCA, 250 N. Arizona Ave. Open 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday to Friday, admission is free. Details: chandlercenter.org/gallery-cca and shachikale.com.

The organization dissolved after a few years, but the community-minded group, which also included Angie Majed, Christi Moffat, Hazel Morgan and Steve Furedy, decided to build it. In 1997, they reorganized it with a grant from The Boeing Co. “There wasn’t anything like this at that time. Now there are lots of children’s theaters. In the late 1990s and the early 2000s, there wasn’t anything. It was important for them for something to be here,” Rolston recalled. In 2005, shows were moved to the prestigious stage at Mesa Arts Center. Rolston organized a playwriting contest around the same time due to a dearth of plays written for children with a focus on stories and fairy tales. “It has been so successful,” she said. The last competition received about 60 entries from around the world. Johnson is perhaps a poster child of

how children’s theater can shape someone’s life. She has written about 10 of the plays that EVCT has performed over the years and has won original script AriZoni’s four times. “One of my favorite parts of writing for children is the out-of-the-box way they interpret my work,” Johnson said. “Kids are so creative and unencumbered by expectations and preconceived notions. They’re spongey-clay, soaking everything up and ready to be molded.” Everybody is equal on stage. “Everybody welcomes them and they can be themselves and not worry about being judged about who they were or where they come from,” Rolston said. “Theater is like that.” Even during the pandemic’s peak, EVCT managed to produce plays virtually, making good use of technology. “In a field where theatres open and close all the time, and especially during

the last year-and-half when theaters went dark across the world, this feels like an almost miraculous milestone,” Johnson said.

Anniversary year

East Valley Children’s Theatre is celebrating its 25th anniversary season from Sept. 23 to June 26 at Mesa Arts Center, 1 E. Main St. • Sept. 23-Oct. 3: The Clumsy Princess • Dec. 2-12: The Best Christmas Pageant Ever, the musical • Feb. 10-20: The Prince and the Pauper, the musical • June 16-26: Marion and the Merry Men, A New Legend of Robin Hood. Season tickets cost $50 per person. Details: 480-756-3828 or evct.org

ARTS

THE SUNDAY SANTAN SUN NEWS | SEPTEMBER 12, 2021

Trio offers Chandler great escapes BY CECILIA CHAN Managing Editor

Five themed rooms filled with brain-teasing puzzles and clues await game players at San Tan Village near Williams Field Road and Loop 202. Orlando-based Escapology with 56 locations around the world opened its first Arizona franchise in Gilbert at the open-air mall next to Victoria’s Secret. A grand opening is scheduled for Sept. 10. “We didn’t want a party scene,” said Anna Stovall. “We were looking for a family-oriented location – good people, responsible. Gilbert checked all those boxes.” Anna co-owns the Gilbert franchise with her younger brother Cody Stovall and his wife, Leah. The trio in 2019 opened their first Escapology franchise in Farmington, New Mexico, where they live. They have plans in 18 months to open a second Arizona location, possibly in the Desert Ridge neighborhood of North Phoenix. Before embarking on their new business venture, Anna worked in real estate, Cody was a pastor and Leah, a teacher. Anna brings her financial background to the table while Code oversees the construction and Leah handles the payroll and staffing. It was Leah’s idea to try their hand with the real-life adventure games where people must solve their way out of a locked room in an hour. “When we are traveling, she likes playing escape rooms,” Anna said. “Leah is probably the most enthusiastic. She’s always looking for the next game.” Leah said she’s gone through 25 escape rooms so far. “I love puzzles,” she said. “I love to be challenged and I like the idea it takes one hour away from your story and put it into someone else’s.” What piqued Cody’s interest in the escape rooms is seeing the different perspective emerging from each player

One of the biggest “ stand-apart features of

Escapology is that we don’t force peel to play with strangers, you only play with the people you come with.

”

– Anna Stovall

Escapology’s Gilbert franchise is owned by, from left, Anna Stovall, Leah Stovall and Cody Stovall. (Pablo Robles/Staff Photographer)

in a group. “It’s a completely different experience,” he said in comparison with his prior career as a preacher. “It’s nice.” The Stovalls researched all the franchise offerings for escape rooms and Escapology was the best fit for them as it was “more professional and polished,” Anna said. “There’s a certain level of quality and standard,” she explained. The company boasts a pioneering technology, innovative systems and a low investment and high returns. “One of the biggest stand-apart features of Escapology is that we don’t

force peel to play with strangers,” Anna added. “You only play with the people you come with.” In each game room, private groups of up to eight people can play. The games are ADA accessible. The Gilbert location features five games ranging in difficulty with 10 being the hardest: Antidote, 6.5; Scooby-Doo and the Spooky Castle Adventure, 7.5; Lost City, 7.5; 7 Deadly Sins, 8.5 and Mansion Murder, 9. The games are geared for high-school age and older. The target audience is people in their 40s, Anna said, adding their clientele also will include companies that use the rooms for corporate-team building. A volleyball coach completely changed who was selected as captains after having the team work their way out of a room, Anna recalled. The original team captains quit and sat on the floor while two other girls rallied the team together to try and solve the puzzles, she said. “An enthusiast can come in and play all the games within a year,” she noted. “The general public will do a couPatrons are monitored so that no one gets too frustrated when they can’t get out of one of the rooms. ple (games) a year.” (Pablo Robles/Staff Photographer)

She anticipated the games changing out over time. A children friendly game, Saving Santa, will be offered from the end of October/beginning of November through January, Anna said. Although the business will open with five game rooms, a sixth is planned for a game that Anna declined to discuss. Two weeks before opening the doors, it was all hands on deck for the Stovalls, who were trying to finish up the rooms in the 3,800-square-foot space. They had the help of Jamie Birch, a contractor for Escapology who builds the Lost City rooms for all the corporate stores – he can put together the room for Lost City in a week’s time. Anna said they were able to find some of the props such as an organ on Facebook Marketplace. Another stand-out feature: the game rooms comprise three separate smaller rooms. For example, in the 7 Deadly Sins room, the first room features a tool shed, the second room the inside of a church and the third a tomb. “You don’t just stay in one room,” Anna said. “People like to feel they’re progressing.” The management staff is on board for the Gilbert site and hiring was still ongoing recently for gamemasters. They’re the ones who from a control room help players with clues and support throughout the game. “Escapology isn’t just about escaping a themed room, it’s also about escaping reality for a little while, too,” Anna said.

IF YOU GO

What: Escapology is holding a grandopening celebration When: 5 p.m., Friday, Sept. 10 Where: San Tan Village, 2218 E. Williams Field Road, Suite 109, Gilbert Details: The first 100 players who line up beginning at 5 p.m. will have the chance to sign up and reserve a date and time for their free experience or they can choose to receive a free voucher. The venue will be open on Mondays through Thursdays from 3 to 8 p.m., Fridays from 3 p.m. to midnight, Saturdays from 11 a.m. to midnight. and Sundays from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Information: Escapology.com/en/ Phoenix-(santan), 480-944-5434.

ARTS

THE SUNDAY SANTAN SUN NEWS | SEPTEMBER 12, 2021

Games featured at Escapology forevermore. Your great grandfather was one of those innocent children. You began to think back on the mysterious deaths of family members and close friends ever since that fateful night.

• Scooby-Doo and the Spookey Castle Adventure: The town of Crystal Cove and the surrounding areas are being terrorized by monsters and ghosts. The local Baroness Maria Richman has gone missing and it is suspected that the ghost sightings have something to do with it. • Mansion Murder: You are Robert Montgomerie, the only remaining direct heir to the Kildermorie Estate and the Montgomerie Family fortune. You’re attending a family gathering, hosted by your grandfather, Hugh ‘Monty’ Montgomerie, the 9th Earl of Kildermorie to celebrate the dawn of the new millennium. As the guests raise a toast, a scream fills the air… Your grandfather is found dead in the library – and it looks like murder! • Antidote: Dr. Walter Brandt is a high-ranking chemical weapons specialist for the United States government, part of a secret department that is only recognized by a series of mysterious numbers and letters. He has been developing powerful viruses capable of eradicating enemy forces with swift pace and deadly accuracy. He has gone rogue and has become a threat to the U.S. and potentially the entire human race. You are a team of scientists investigating Dr. Brandt’s abandoned laboratory. You’ve been

Each room in Escapology is decorated in a way that reﬂects the room’s theme.

• Lost City: Archibald Tucker was one of the greatest explorers of the 1930s. His tales of adventure were known the world over and his prized journal documented every adventure. While exploring an abandoned temple in The Lost City, he uncovered a treasure so rare, no man alive had seen it! A sudden gust of wind slams the temple door shut - sealing Tucker and his journal inside! Both were never seen again.

(Special to SanTan Sun News)

tasked with finding the only known antidote to virus TS-51 before it gets passed into enemy hands. • 7 Deadly Sins: In the late 19th century, during an ill-fated Halloween service, the deranged minister of Crickley Church decided to kill his entire congregation after their confessions had

convinced his twisted mind that they had, among themselves, committed the 7 Deadly Sins. As the congregation choked on their last breaths, the minister incited a curse on the children playing in the rooms beneath the church, and then buried himself alive in the church’s hidden crypt, determined to haunt the church

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THE SUNDAY SANTAN SUN NEWS | SEPTEMBER 12, 2021

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When the dust settled, the flag still stood BY RABBI IRWIN WIENER Columnist

When the dust settled on that horrific day, Sept. 11, 2001, all that was left standing was a steel beam and an American flag. It was as though we were receiving a message: the symbol of war was destroyed, disfigured, but the symbol of freedom and redemption flew for all to see and understand – many have tried, but none have succeeded in diminishing that beacon of hope. It was, to me, a spiritual awakening. This country has seen more than its share of agony and despair. The “bombs bursting in air” reminded us that while we can be brought to our knees, we could also rise up again filled with inspiration and determination. Our flag has meant many things to many people. It has flown over discrimination. It has been unfurled over

many graves. It has seen a nation in the turmoil of self-destruction. It has witnessed untold abhorrence to the values of human dignity as it marched through the ravages of Europe and Asia during the most dreadful of times. It has been reviled and admired. It has been desecrated and revered. It has seen all these nightmares, and still waves at us with honor and dignity. Today, our nation is experiencing a new chapter in its search for answers to our purpose and destiny. Never in the pages of our history, have we seen, and now see, the darkness that surrounds us. This darkness of doubt encompasses all of our imaginations because it gives us pause to wonder about our worth and our values. Are we a nation of laws? Are we a nation dedicated to the value of human life? Are we a nation still trying to remain a ray of hope and sunshine to all who look toward us, believing in a future of optimism? Are we still

convinced that the tired, and the poor, and the helpless can find refuge in this experiment bequeathed to us? We are now in the midst of an episode of denial and impatience. Some want us to correct the wrongs of the world in an instant, not understanding that our indulgence requires tolerance. Some believe that we have lost our way and the injustices of the past can be remedied through rebellion, not understanding that together we built a new nation “conceived in liberty and dedicated to the proposition that all men were created equal.” Our founders understood this more clearly because they inscribed the words, “in order to form a more perfect union,” knowing full well that to overcome imperfection requires effort. There are so many questions, not enough answers. There are so many paths, not enough, perhaps, that will ever reach the “promised land.” Faults

are many, solutions seem too few. The one thing that remains constant is a flag that symbolizes, not only the best we are capable of, but also the ability to overcome the difficulties by coming together. All of us bear some responsibility for our failings, but all of us must understand that only as a united nation can we ever hope to right the wrongs, even as we continue to produce more of them. When the dust settles what we have is a reminder that we are human, and as such we can and will venture into areas that require more soul searching. When the dust settles our flag remains a reminder that “we shall overcome.” Perhaps, when we see our flag fly, and we stand to express our love of country, as represented by its flag, we will realize that to dishonor this symbol that has been the hope of so many, we will never truly be able to come together and correct that which we find needs our attention.

Women’s conference slated at Chandler church SANTAN SUN NEWS STAFF

First Baptist Chandler Church, 3405 S. Arizona Ave., will be hosting a women’s conference titled “Stand Firm.”

Thje conference, from 9 a.m.4 p.m. Sept. 18, will feature Lindsey Medenwalt of Mama Bear Apologetics, a group of women from diverse backgrounds “unified by the common desire

to engage in conversations related to the defense of our Christian faith in a way that reflects grace and truth. We desire to show the existence and character of God, not only with our lips but

in our lives.” The registration fee of $20 includes lunch and childcare will be provided on request. Information/registration: fbc.net.

We need to keep calling the Lord to mind BY LYNNE HARTKE Guest Writer

Sunrises have been written about ad nauseum with every possible literary cliché: smoldering orb, golden petals of light, and first flush of morning. Yet, even in its repetitive dailyness, we, as humans, cannot help but be drawn to its beauty. Our vacation photos are filled with images of the sun from lookout points

around the world. I’ve photographed sunrises overlook-ing the Pacific Ocean in California, while Macaque monkeys greeted the morning in Bali, and from the Atacama Desert in Chile. These once-in-a-lifetime experiences have tied the sun to some of my deepest memories. This summer, while we were staying closer to home, I decided to photograph the sun from 25 different locations around Arizona. As an early riser, I figured it would not be too difficult. I had not considered how early I would

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need to get up to travel to a different location with the sun rising before 5:30 a.m. My dog Mollie looked at me like I was crazy on several still-pitch-black mornings. But I persevered. I needed the daily miracle. I captured an apocalyptical view of the sun while wildfires burned all over our state as I prepared to evacuate our cabin in June. Once the forests opened again, I witnessed the sunrise over a foggy lakebed while the elk bugled in the distance and a meadowlark warbled in agreement. I’ve photographed the sunrise from neighborhood parks, city landmarks, and as a backdrop for cactus and wildflowers. And I’ve spent countless mornings watching the sun come up from my front window at home in Chandler. Ordinary, repetitive days. Lamentations 3:21-23 says, “But this I call to mind, and therefore I have hope: The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; his mercies never come to an

end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.” Call to mind. We need to remind ourselves of God’s faithfulness. Of His mercy. We wouldn’t have to call to mind if it was easy to remember. Every day we get a start-over. Every repetitive, ordinary day. Every day the sun comes up to remind us that there is an end to darkness and light rises again. Every day. This summer, I made a point of being a witness. Because I struggle with soul amnesia. After too many months of a pandemic, political angst, worldly unrest and tragedy, and a personal recovery from a long illness, I needed reminding. How about you? What rhythms and spiritual practices do you have to help you in your forgetting places? Let’s encourage one another as we keep calling to mind. Lynne Hartke is the author of “Under a Desert Sky” and the wife of pastor and Chandler Mayor Kevin Hartke. She blogs at lynnehartke.com.

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480-963-3360 | www.chandlermethodist.org | 450 E. Chandler Heights Rd.

SantTan Sun News - 9.12.2021

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